Bulls Wild Creed Review

The Bulls Wild Creed aims to go big or go home. Instead of making enduro bikes increasingly heavy and descent-focused, Bulls is blazing its own trail with a lightweight 170-mm bike. Will this be rewarded with riding fun?

At the rear of the Wild Creed, the very low shock position immediately stands out. This design lowers the center of gravity and provides more secure handling in practice, especially in rough sections and at high speeds.

Bulls calls this construction a 4-Link-Swingarm. However, suspension enthusiasts will notice: In truth, it is a single-pivot with a sophisticated shock linkage. The one-piece rear swingarm is actuated via a rocker and a total of four pivot points, working together with a RockShox Vivid Coil Ultimate coil shock. The result is a sensitive response and a very planted ride with plenty of corner grip. The trendy bike label Crossworx also employs a comparable design.

In practice, the rear suspension proves to be very efficient. You can apply power to the pedals without the rear end bobbing like a camel caravan, and you can quickly regain speed out of corners or over rollers.

A glance at the geometry quickly reveals the direction Bulls is taking with the Wild Creed. The steep 78-degree seat angle positions the rider centrally and efficiently, offering excellent climbing capabilities, especially uphill. With a head tube angle of 64.5 degrees, the bike remains modern without veering towards being purely a high-speed machine.

The reach of 480 millimeters in size L falls within today’s standard range. Combined with the relatively short 440-millimeter chainstays and a wheelbase of 1,256 millimeters, this results in a fairly compact bike overall. This promises agile, playful handling on the trail rather than maximum stability at very high speeds. With 170 mm of travel, many other bikes feature a mullet setup with a smaller 27.5-inch rear wheel. Bulls sticks to the classic setup with a 29er rear and front wheel.

The Wild Creed is available in sizes S to XL. Overall, the geometry numbers resemble those of a sporty trail bike with strong climbing capabilities rather than a no-compromise high-speed enduro.

With 170 millimeters of travel up front, robust wheels, and tires with a durable casing, the Wild Creed weighs in at just 15.3 kilograms. For a modern enduro, this is a remarkably good value. Many race-ready enduro bikes from other manufacturers typically range between 16 and 17 kilograms, depending on the setup.

On the climbs, the lightweight immediately proves beneficial. Combined with the steep seat angle, the bike is surprisingly efficient to pedal, even on longer ascents. The rear suspension operates smoothly, and the coil shock has minimal pedal bob.

The monocoque full carbon frame contributes to the climbing enthusiasm and gives the bike a direct, efficient riding feel. Even when an e-mountain biker joins the ride, there’s no long wait on the climbs with the Wild Creed. A clear advantage for an enduro in this travel class.

On our home trails, the Bulls Wild Creed proves to be a very efficient and nimble bike. The suspension setup with the RockShox ZEB Ultimate upfront and the Vivid Coil Ultimate shock at the rear impresses with its sensitivity, good mid-stroke support, and plenty of reserves when the going gets rough.

The standout feature is its impressive cornering grip. The bike can be playfully maneuvered from one turn to the next, encouraging active riding and trail interaction. Overall, the Wild Creed feels more playful than sluggish, and that is what makes it a lot of fun on twisty trails and flowy sections.

It’s only at high speeds on rugged trails that the bike becomes a bit unsettled. Less favorable are the internally routed cables, which can audibly rattle on descents and become quite bothersome on longer downhill sections. The chain also occasionally slaps against the rear triangle and rattles loudly in rough sections. However, additional slap tape can remedy this.

For a long time, the Wild Creed was Christian Textor’s race bike, setting the pace in competitions. Even in its current version, the bike remains very efficient and eager. Meanwhile, there’s a clear trend in the enduro segment: instead of increasingly stable bikes, there’s a growing focus on more efficient, versatile bikes. Models like the Specialized Stumpjumper or a Santa Cruz Hightower are often favored in World Cup races over purebred enduros like the Specialized Enduro or the Megatower.

This is precisely where the Bulls Wild Creed fits in. In terms of ride character, it’s closer to a Santa Cruz Hightower than a Megatower. As a race bike, it can certainly impress, particularly on technically demanding tracks where agility and efficiency are more important than sheer stability.

As a private rider, one might wish for a bike that can truly handle everything during a race. Given its lightweight, during very rough bike park or race days, there can occasionally be a sense that the Wild Creed seems more delicate than uncompromising.

The bike feels most at home on local trails and in local bike parks like Geisskopf. For a longer, very intense bike park holiday, such as in Châtel, one might personally opt for a more robust ride. However, this feeling is very subjective. In our tests, we didn’t have any real defects to complain about. And more robust inevitably also means heavier. The low weight is precisely one of the factors that grant the Wild Creed its fun potential.

The Wild Creed is available in two configurations. In our test, we had the Wild Creed Team version priced at €5,499. It features a high-quality RockShox ZEB Ultimate fork and a Vivid Coil Ultimate coil shock. For braking and drivetrain, Bulls relies on proven Shimano XT components. The Mavic Deemax wheels are clearly designed for tough enduro use.

A real eye-catcher and rather unusual in the enduro segment is the one-piece Bulls Rumble Ultimate Carbon One-Piece-Cockpit, which gives the bike a very clean look. However, it’s a matter of taste.

Additionally, Bulls offers a second, slightly more affordable version for €3,999. This one comes equipped with a RockShox ZEB Select fork and a Super Deluxe Select+ shock. Shifting duties are handled by Shimano SLX. In this case, the wheels are from Bulls’ own production.