And here it is, my new HT…

It’s a LTD Edition KTM Aera 29 Frameset (normally they’re painted black and orange and only available in complete bikes), which is their “entry level” carbon HT frame but still only weighs 1200g! Built on a relative budget (hence the 2013 Reba RL’s and X1 shifter and mech), but managed to get a very good deal on a few trinkets that I splashed out on too. Oh, and the (rather good as it turns out!) tyres courtesy of the Rubena guys which were a freebie!

Spec for anyone interested…

-KTM Aera 29 Carbon Frame 19″
-Rockshox Reba RL 15mm Tapered set to 110mm
-DT Swiss 240S hubs on 30mm Light Bikes Carbon rims with Sapim D-Lite spokes (1500g for the pair before tape!)
-SRAM XX1 Crank, X01 cassette, X1 shifter, rear mech and chain
-Hope Race X2 Brakes with Shimano XT rotors
-Hope PF41 BB
-Salsa Salt Flat 750mm 11deg Carbon Bar
-Pro Koryak 80mm stem (might change this for something blacker soon when I find another I like with a -10 degree rise)
-Pro Turnix Carbon Railed Saddle
-Thomson Post
-Rubena Kratos 2.25 (measure more like 2.1″ but they’re very good) Tubeless Tyres
-XT Trail Pedals

It’s the first MTB I’ve ever owned to break the 10kg barrier too, albeit only just at 9.9kg (inc. pedals not exc.), which for those still working in imperial is 21.8lb. Oh, and it was supposed to get Christened at HONC this Sunday gone, but I was rather unwell, so it will have to wait now til this Friday hopefully.

“Limited budget” and “XX1 crank” don’t go together my friend! 😆

Tasty looking bike, that. Nice one.

“Limited budget” and “XX1 crank” don’t go together my friend!

There’s a story behind that crank, but suffice to say, I don’t think the seller knew what he was selling really! It was too good a bargain to pass up basically…

Bloody lovely.

I like that, frame is very organic looking.

not my kinda thing, but I like the top tube, down tube junction. Looks fast though, are you pleased with it? 😀

Looking good, no leak on the back brake? Where’s it getting christened?

That is indeed one of the most aesthetic bikes I’ve seen in a while! Nice work.

not my kinda thing, but I like the top tube, down tube junction. Looks fast though, are you pleased with it?

Most XC focussed machine I’ve owned to date (20 odd years of MTB ownership) so we’ll see whether it suits me or not too. But you have to try these things! Quick spin round the car park reveals little other than an obvious lack of mass everywhere. The position isn’t too different to the bike it has replaced (Kinesis Sync Ti 29er) so it feels reasonably familiar.

I’m pleased in that I know its going to be an exceptionally capable bike that won’t hold me back, but I suppse until I ride it properly, I won’t know! Still got to convince myself that going 1×11 on an out and out XC bike is the right choice too. I suspect the key is to keeping a couple of chainrings spare, and say using a 34T for flatter, faster rides & courses and keeping a 32T or even a 30T for hilly rides and distance events like Mayhem.

Looking good, no leak on the back brake? Where’s it getting christened?

Nope, all good. Feels as good if not better than the front now!

Possibly Ashton Court on Friday after a trip to Bespoked Bristol.

yes, very nice indeed

Great looking bike! Just had my Fortitude Race powder-coated gloss black and was debating between mid grey and dark grey decals. Seeing yours kind of settles it, thanks

Hmm, that an open source mould? Looks very similar to the frames all over aliexpress for a lot less £

Hmm, that an open source mould? Looks very similar to the frames all over aliexpress for a lot less £

Nah, KTM design all their own frames, which are then made for them by Giant (as are Trek and many others). There’s only so many variations on the 29er carbon HT frame theme that you can do really, so there’s bound to be some cheap frames out there that look similar. But this is a 1200g frame, not a 1600g one, and the finish is impeccable unlike most cheap Chinese carbon I’ve seen (I have seen the odd exception).

To be fair, my mate has a Niner Air 9 RDO, a £2k frameset. If you took his old (heavy, cheap, leaden) On One Lurcher and his Niner and put them side by side, there’s enough similarities there that anyone less well informed would argue that they’ve come off the same production line, which they clearly haven’t… It’s the same difference between a gas pipe steel frame and a high end Columbus or Reynolds 853 tubed frameset, some won’t tell any difference, but there are plenty of differences there if you know what you’re looking for.

Looks very nice, think you’ll be needing a bigger front chainring !

Looks very nice, think you’ll be needing a bigger front chainring !

Had a 34T turn up today. Hopefully I’ve got the legs for it!

Sub 22lb you should be fine, I run a 34 ring with a 36 cassette on my 28lb singular swift and find grip is usually the limiting factor on the steep stuff. I want to hate 29ers but can’t 🙂

I’d stick with the 32 personally unless you’re pedalling down a lot of fireroads.

Looks good, stealthy!

Love that!

Nice bike Mark.
Must be good to have got you off the Sync too!
Just saw your post on the Sherpa as well. That looks really nice as well but then I’ve got a serious soft spot for steel 29er HTs.

All the best.

Looks good OP, like the stealth look.

Nice! There’s a KTM motorbike dealer down the road from me; Gear4Racing and I think they now stock quite a few KTM bicycles; they even posted a fat bike on their FB feed a week or so ago.

I keep meaning to have a look in the shop but I have liked every bike I had seen so far and am not really looking for anything new, so I will have massive amounts of ‘want’ if I go and have a peek.

Absolutely lovely. Would be my geared bike of choice too. Would a carbon seatpost be more comfortable? Or is it giant’s 31.6 diameter so any post will be very stiff?

I’d stick with the 32 personally unless you’re pedalling down a lot of fireroads.

Fair enough, got a couple of events planned this year where there will be a few fireroads, but then for Mayhem will probably put a 30T on I expect. We’ll see anyway.

Must be good to have got you off the Sync too!

The Sync was awesome. I’d always planned to do a few more XC events this year though, and decided I’d probably be better with a proper XC race bike and another full sus as my general trail bike (on its way soon). We’ll see how it goes, I expect this KTM to be a bit more of a tool for a job than the Sync was, but then again my KTM road bike is awesome so this bike has promise!

Nice! There’s a KTM motorbike dealer down the road from me; Gear4Racing and I think they now stock quite a few KTM bicycles; they even posted a fat bike on their FB feed a week or so ago.

Yeah they sell them as well. We just had a fat bike arrive too… 8)

I keep meaning to have a look in the shop but I have liked every bike I had seen so far and am not really looking for anything new, so I will have massive amounts of ‘want’ if I go and have a peek.

LOL. You sound like a few of my customers! Scared to step in the shop as they’re too scared they won’t be able to keep their wallets in their pockets! 😉

In seriousness though, KTM has gone from not selling bikes in the UK, to selling a few average looking bikes, to selling an entire range of very good looking bikes with great specs and very keen prices in probably less than 4 years! Very reminiscent of Cube when they first hit the UK.

Absolutely lovely. Would be my geared bike of choice too. Would a carbon seatpost be more comfortable? Or is it giant’s 31.6 diameter so any post will be very stiff?

27.2 post in there, so it should be ok. I’m still less than excited about carbon seatposts on MTB’s myself, all are either very expensive or have a poor clamp design that I’d likely break (I’m not light on kit, I always err on overbuilding rather than too light, and I’ve killed a few seatposts in the past). I know where I am with a Thomson at least.

That looks a lovely bike but to replace the Sync, yowsers.

That. I Like. Good work mboy.

I’m still less than excited about carbon seatposts on MTB’s myself, all are either very expensive or have a poor clamp design that I’d likely break (I’m not light on kit, I always err on overbuilding rather than too light, and I’ve killed a few seatposts in the past).

I used to be in the same boat but bought an Easton EC70 CNT Zero seatpost four years ago – at the time one of the most bike components I’d ever bought! I’m 15st and fair from dainty on a mountain bike and it has been used on hardtails (mainly a Cotic Soul) and is now on my CAADX where it has proven to be far more comfortable than the alloy post that came with it. Having been so pleased and reassured by it I bought a Easton Carbon Haven post for my Lurcher a year or two ago. Not any problems with the clamps on the various saddles I’ve used over the years.

Crank angle, big ring e.t.c e.t.c

Fair enough, got a couple of events planned this year where there will be a few fireroads, but then for Mayhem will probably put a 30T on I expect. We’ll see anyway.

You can pedal comfortably up to about 25mph with a 32, and spin significantly beyond 30, although wouldn’t want to do that for too long.

30 for Mayhem may not be a bad shout, obviously last year conditions were about perfect, and I still used the 42 on a couple of the climbs.

Looks quick – ninja’ish. Nice.

As many have said, that is not a limited budget bike.

As many have said, that is not a limited budget bike.

Of course it is, the limit was just more than you would spend.

X1? Veritably pauper spec 😉

If you’re not light on kit, I’d watch out for that Turnix saddle.
They are awesome and comfortable, but I’ve broken 2 carbon rails now and grudgingly switched to ti, which to date has been flawless.

That looks a lovely bike but to replace the Sync, yowsers.

Was a difficult decision to sell it, but made the decision a while ago to replace one very expensive HT with 2 (slightly more affordable but still nice) bikes for 2015, a racy HT and a full sus trail bike.

You can pedal comfortably up to about 25mph with a 32, and spin significantly beyond 30, although wouldn’t want to do that for too long.

Will see how it goes. 32/10 is very close to 36/11, which was the top ratio I was used to for a few years on various bikes and didn’t struggle too badly with. Any idea on the cadence at 30mph on the 32? Managed to pedal (gravity assisted incidentally) my road bike up to 45mph the other day with a 50/12 tallest gear, cadence sensor measured 136rpm. Couldn’t keep that up for long I can tell you!

As many have said, that is not a limited budget bike.

Not gonna lie, working in the trade has its perks of course, but even then, I’ve been VERY thrifty. There’s no way I’d even pay normal trade price for an XX1 crank, but when you get offered one for literally Deore money, it’s hard to pass up! The SRAM 11spd drivetrain has probably cost me only a few quid more than a 2×10 XT setup would in fairness… Then there’s the Light Bikes rims… Not cheap, but easy to justify once you’ve ridden them.

If you’re not light on kit, I’d watch out for that Turnix saddle.

Will bear that in mind. Got 3 of them now, 2 carbon and 1 Ti.

Your garden is a disgrace.

Any idea on the cadence at 30mph on the 32?

120ish

Really really nice that, the myroons have that bolt through rear axle too don’t they?