"Fun" XC race bike? Ideas...

[JeffreyJim]

For one reason or another I'm considering picking up a bike that blends "trail" and "xc race". Something that is fun to ride (slack-ish head tube angle/low bb) but still light and efficient. I don't plan on donning full lycra all the time or running semi slicks but I would like to race a few local/regional XC/enduro races and have a bike to compliment my "burly trail bike" (Reign X0)

Top contenders in this catagory are...

Yeti ASR-5 w/140mm fork
Giant Trance X w/140mm fork
Ibis Mojo

All of these are buildable to around 25lbs if done right. Any other bikes out there I am missing? So far I like the geo of the Yeti the best but Meastro/DW link kicks the shit out of Yeti's design (IMO).

I will most likely be buying used so keep that in mind also.

[Particle]

I have a similar wishlist... the new 2011 Specialized Camber (120mm bike) looks lightweight, nice geo and like a smoking good deal.

[laxman2001]

...I was gonna say Anthem X with a 120 or a Spark, but you're thinking more travel.

Genius? Some of 'em are really light.

Santa Cruz make anything fitting? (Blur LTc?)

[marshalolson]

the yeti will pedal better on a true xc trail.

the trance-x will decend better on higher speed trails.

the mojo is nowhere near stiff enough at the links and rear triangle for your weight, without question. i have seen 3 broken bikes (1 broken lin, 2 rear triangles from cat 1 140lbs xc racer types). this is not a bike you should consider. actually that was on mojo sl's. dunno the difference. i know the hd would be enough, but plenty more travel than needed. nevermind.

[BushwackerinPA]

it sounds like your looking for more travel but since you have a reign already why?

a 120mm fork on a Anthem X is exactly what I have ordered(well the frame/parts) and trust me our XC races around here are much more techincal than just about anywhere else I have ridden.

I guess with a 120mm fork is has roughly a 69 degree head angle. Which just alittle slacker than what the hardcore lycra guys run.

[LeeLau]

the yeti will pedal better on a true xc trail.

the trance-x will decend better on higher speed trails.

the mojo is nowhere near stiff enough at the links and rear triangle for your weight, without question. i have seen 3 broken bikes (1 broken lin, 2 rear triangles from cat 1 140lbs xc racer types). this is not a bike you should consider. actually that was on mojo sl's. dunno the difference. i know the hd would be enough, but plenty more travel than needed. nevermind.

I have to agree with marshall on this if you're a heavy guy. That Mojo is flexy. Fun but quite the noodle. Funnily enough the flex doesn't seem to bug it too much. The Trance-X is fun + you can fit 2.35s easily in the rear if needed. No experience on the Yeti.

[JeffreyJim]

Anthem is out. 69 degree HT=not slack enough...and unless I drop travel on the Trance (shorter eye to eye shock), same problem. And yes, I know, it'll jack with Maestro by putting the sag point in the wrong spot (potentially) but being I run a lot of compression damping anyway, I DOUBT I'll notice.


This is where the Yeti ROCKS (67 degree w/140mm). Seems like the verdict is pretty clear.

[JeffreyJim]

it sounds like your looking for more travel but since you have a reign already why?

a 120mm fork on a Anthem X is exactly what I have ordered(well the frame/parts) and trust me our XC races around here are much more techincal than just about anywhere else I have ridden.

I guess with a 120mm fork is has roughly a 69 degree head angle. Which just alittle slacker than what the hardcore lycra guys run.

I'm building this bike to be fun and fast on trails FIRST and raceable second. Let me be more clear...it needs to be semi-competitive in a racing atmosphere but I'm not building it specifically so. If I was, I'd be looking at a 20lbs hard tail or something 29er oriented....but I like I said, I'm looking for a balance here.

Ideally a 4"-4.5" travel Trance w/67 degree HT built at 25lbs would be my first choice.

[XtrPickels]

I have a similar wishlist... the new 2011 Specialized Camber (120mm bike) looks lightweight, nice geo and like a smoking good deal.

Have you seen numbers for the Camber?

They're also coming out with an Epic Evo Trail which has a 120mm fork, Command post and other goodies. I'd bet its only 68 or 69 degrees though

[JeffreyJim]

This idea came from riding my old slalom bike on trails. It was light, fun and rallied! I want slalom/4x bike geometry (bottom bracket, CS length and HT angle) with XC seat tube angle and effective top tube length. Weird I know but that's where this is all coming from...

[Particle]

Yeah the Camber is 68 HA. Full specs in this thread:
[ame="http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=630478"]2011 Specialized Camber? - Mountain Bike Forums[/ame]

I'd really like a 67 bike... but I can't afford one right now anyway so it's all pipe dreaming.

[Name Redacted]

I demoed the ASR5 in Breck a few weeks ago. By no means am I an expert in the ways of bike geometry but it seemed to ride pretty good for me. Rode the peaks trail in the rain and was already noticing how much easier it was to climb and descend sections that I had sorta struggled on before. I did notice the headangle difference from other bikes I've ridden and liked it quite a bit. Super fast (for me) on downhill steeper rockier sections. Rode like a burlier bike but still lightweight. The one I rode had a 120mm fork, I would like to try it in a 140mm but don't think I need it personally.

Bummer is since the ASR5 is new this year it'll be hard to find a used one for cheap.

[schindlerpiste]

I'm currently in the market for a similar type bike for my son. Right now, the short list is the ASR 5, 575, Turner 5 spot and Intense Spider 2.
All frames are dependable, good climbers and seemingly perfect for Park City trails.

Segway: Does anyone know why the '09 575 Enduro kit ($2800) costs more than the '10 ($2600)?

[marshalolson]

the 09 kit came with more expensive parts (shimano slx vs. sram x7, thomson/easton carbon vs. tru vativ).

[zombinate]

DIY Salsa El Kaboing
or go FS 29er with the Voodoo Canzo

[creaky fossil]

OOPS, I was asking about your current bike until I re-read your post and saw it's a Reign XO.

So it seems the obvious answer is the next-smaller Giant, for familiarity's sake. What model is that? Anthem?

I'd be curious as to how the ASR-5 rides with the 120mm fork, rather than the 140mm fork. The 140mm idea seems counter to the idea behind the ASR-5, it seems like it's a move to make the ASR-5 more like the 575, and it seems the 575 already exists, so why not run the 120mm fork? The taller 140mm fork would likely make the 5 feel less racy and more slack, which is the opposite of the idea behind an XC bike... isn't it?

If I had the cashish right now, I'd sell my 575 and get a carbon ASR-5 with an F-120 and QR15 axle. I might miss my 575 every now and then, but I doubt I'd cry about it.

[JeffreyJim]

What is your current XC/trail bike?

Reign X

66.5-67 degree HT angle
13.7 bb

[JeffreyJim]

OOPS, I was asking about your current bike until I re-read your post and saw it's a Reign XO.

So it seems the obvious answer is the next-smaller Giant, for familiarity's sake. What model is that? Anthem?

I'd be curious as to how the ASR-5 rides with the 120mm fork, rather than the 140mm fork. The 140mm idea seems counter to the idea behind the ASR-5, it seems like it's a move to make the ASR-5 more like the 575, and it seems the 575 already exists, so why not run the 120mm fork? The taller 140mm fork would likely make the 5 feel less racy and more slack, which is the opposite of the idea behind an XC bike... isn't it?

If I had the cashish right now, I'd sell my 575 and get a carbon ASR-5 with an F-120 and QR15 axle. I might miss my 575 every now and then, but I doubt I'd cry about it.

Anthem would make perfect sense if it had the right angles...like I said earlier a Trance with a 66.5-67 degree he, 12.5" bb and slightly shorter chainstays would be THE bike but it doesn't exist.

Anyway, I agree with your statement of the 120 vs 140 thing but I really do like a 67 degree ht angle. I know, not the "norm" but I climb just fine with it and more than anything am "used" to slacker than normal ht angles. Some might gripe that it'll push the bars way up but with my size, I'd probably run the bars up higher than most with the 120mm fork (put a few spacers in there). Going to a 140 allows me to run 1/zero spacers and have the same bar heigh...All I'm saying is I'm not giving up bar height as a compromise of the 140mm fork. Just a bit more travel for the rougher riding out here, slightly higher BB (.25ish...bummer) and slacker HT.

The reason I like the 5 vs 575 is the 5 has a much stiffer rear shock platform, its lighter, lower and should be more laterally rigid. It's designed to use its travel in a more "efficient" way as opposed to a more "compliant" way. What does this mean? Its going to ride rougher but transfer more power to the trail. Perfect. I hated the way I blew through the 575s travel...the 5 should have this fixed for me. (this is something bigger riders seem to notice more on the 575 fyi)

[Phall]

JJ,
I am riding a specialized FSR xc Pro currently, and it is certainly able to handle xc racing, I got numbers of it this weekend, but i think its something like 68, 12.5/13, 44inch ish wheelbase, super fun bike for being a 5 inch bike. But if i had access to any bike, I would be on a Trance x, 2x10, 20mm revelation fork.
that would be the tits.

[JeffreyJim]

JJ,
I am riding a specialized FSR xc Pro currently, and it is certainly able to handle xc racing, I got numbers of it this weekend, but i think its something like 68, 12.5/13, 44inch ish wheelbase, super fun bike for being a 5 inch bike. But if i had access to any bike, I would be on a Trance x, 2x10, 20mm revelation fork.
that would be the tits.

Good call. Still not slack enough w/o shock mods.



Since I kind of broached the topic...my "realistic ideal" build would be:

Revelation 150 (140) 20mm or 36 or 32 @ 140
Stans ZTR Flow laced to 240 hubs (12mm rear) setup tubeless
X-9 10 speed running 1x10
Any lightish 175mm crank
Joplin 4 w/remote
Wide light carbon bar
70mm stem
Any okay lightish brakes. Hope Minis would be sick but probably wont happen. Probably Juice 3s or 5s.


Those are really my build requirements. Kind of "loose" but I feel I'll save money that way

[squirrelmurphy]

Banshee Spitfire? 12.9" and 66.7º w/ a 140mm fork

[DasBlunt]

IBIS MOJO, IBIS MOJO, IBIS MOJO.

get the SL if you want some more lightness.

best bike made. OK, next one of those lightweight Santa Cruz's.

[DasBlunt]

By the way....Fuck anything Giant. fuck their shit.

[Phall]

why do you say that, Giant makes a ton of bikes for this world. including specialized.

[ikkin]

titus motolite. or titus FTM.