So, as this year I’m going to be doing more races in a year than I’ve ever done (errm, record currently is one…) obviously I’ll need a race bike and I’ve narrowed it down to this.

Snazzy innit?

Races so far planned are HtN, Torq 12hr solo and relentless 24 solo, with a couple of 50ish mile off road sportives and the morcambe and wise route (Morley, Leeds to morcambe mostly off-road) so a bit of comfort required rather than an all out weapon such as an epic, but still pretty rapid.

Thing is, I can’t find out how much it weighs, shop doesn’t have one in stock and the only thing online I can find is evans answering a query estimating it to be 28.1lbs which seems ludicrously heavy for a 120mm trail bike made almost entirely of carbon and lightweight kit

Have you got one? Can you advise?

Oh yeah, and what’s it ride like? Next demo day is the 19th but might have to pull the trigger before that if I’m to get it in time for HtN!

Speaking of which, mud tyres. Shorty/beaver or hillbilly/stormcontrol?

Thanks all!

I have a comp carbon which is probably about 28 – thus must weigh less. It’s a great all round bike. I did the Manx 100 on mine. However if you want a dedicated marathon bike I’d be looking st sonething with less travel.

PYGA Stage/Stage Max look amazing.

A friend has one and it’s in the region of 24lb I’d say , but it’s very efficient as it’s got the brain shock I’d say it’s probably perfect for your needs

For your purpose I would go for an epic, my dad has one and ive borrowed it a few times when inbetween bikes and it can get me round cwmcarn and other local stuff fairly well even though it is a size too big for me, his is an older comp carbon and is fairly light the Sworks must be a real featherweight.

It looks a bit short and upright, so you might end up with arse/back ache after a long time in the saddle. I guess a longer/lower stem and flat bars would help though.

It’s only got one bottle cage. A hydration pack must be a no go for an endurance event.

I think a double and a close ratio cassette would give you smaller jumps between gears, which might be preferable when your legs are tired.

A normal seatpost might be better if you want to use a saddle pack.

My scalpel carbon is 24lbs with pedals, so 28lb for something that dear seems high. I would definitely demo first before buying, you can also get them to weigh it, I did try a 29er camber but didn’t get on with it, obviously ymmv

FWIW my large 29 camber expert evo carbon weighs 29lb 10oz (13.5kg).

Built for XC, trail centres and off-piste enduro stuff, so:
Pike at 140mm
SLX brakes c/w 200/180 rotor
Shimano XT 1×11 with a heavy 11-42 cassette
Flow rims on Hope evo hubs
Maxxis Shorty’a front & rear
Reverb 170mm
Cruds etc

I’d also second going for an Epic for competitive XC riding.

It will be a touch lighter than the Camber with better geometry for your needs.

The current Epic is an absolute machine of a race bike.

Slightly cheaper than an S-Works Camber

https://www.specialized.com/us/en/bikes/mountain/cross-country/sworks-epic-fsr-world-cup/115276

I’ve just bought a 2017 Camber evo. It’s great fun to ride on my local Southern trails and flies when you point it down, even better now with a pike up front.

It’s definitely a trail bike as opposed to a dedicated race bike. I’ll be riding mine in the pivot 12hr and the ard rock enduro. It’s that sort of bike. Not light though, the 30mm rims are a revelation after years on crests.

It’s short and I hit the pedals a lot but I love the big green thing. SWAT is awesome.

If I’d had the cash I’d love a Pyga Stage for long events.

I’m not sure I’d look at a Camber for XC racing unless it was for longer distance stuff on natural trails (thinking the likes of the Selkirk 75km and the old Rough Ride).

And while mine is 30lbs just changing the tyres will save a pound each end, SRAM instead of Shimano drivetrain probably another pound, my Rovals instead of Flow/Hope will be another pound saved. So that’s down to 26lbs with little effort.

I’ve got a 2016 S-Works Epic in Large, and it’s 24lbs with tubeless tyres, XTR spds, and a KS Lev stealth dropper. Wheels on the Camber are ever-so slightly burlier but it’s probably still close to the same weight.

Epic can take two bottles which makes life more comfortable on long rides.

New Cannondale Scalpel or an Epic every day if the week. The Epic is amazing at what it does.

2016 is apparently 27.7lbs in medium….

Dirt Rag Mag

To elaborate a bit on why I reckon the camber over an epic, Although I will be in a race, I’m not going to be bothering the top half of the results, my aim for relentless is 15/16 laps, so 105-115 miles, and a little over half that for torq so comfort will have a bigger effect on my performance than raw all out speed.

I’m also more used to riding 140-165mm trail bikes/enduropoons so the idea is that this is a bit lighter, a bit racier, but not totally alien, though it is the shortest travel bike I’ll have ever owned

Re bottle cages, as the laps are 7 miles each, reckon I’ll only need one, as my pitbitch can have a fresh bottle for me each time I make a stop (lets be honest, that will be every lap)

@DTF, dont worry, I’m going to fit a 150mm stem and 585mm bars (with bull bars). Also sad to say that because of the swat compartment, I won’t need a posterior satchel, but might fit one anyway, so it looks like I’m one of the professionals. As for the gears, I’m only going to use the 10t (and maybe 11t, for the really steep bits) sprocket, with the 44t chainring I’ll fit so gaps aren’t really an issue. Any other suggestions, sweetpea?

Urgh. None left for model year 17, model year 18 starts in July…

So, Pivot Mach 429SL?

Id be looking at the Stage max

http://www.pygaindustries.com/bikes

To elaborate a bit on why I reckon the camber over an epic, Although I will be in a race, I’m not going to be bothering the top half of the results, my aim for relentless is 15/16 laps, so 105-115 miles, and a little over half that for torq so comfort will have a bigger effect on my performance than raw all out speed.

I’m also more used to riding 140-165mm trail bikes/enduropoons so the idea is that this is a bit lighter, a bit racier, but not totally alien, though it is the shortest travel bike I’ll have ever owned

I have a 160/140 trail bike and a 100mm proper XC machine, very very different bikes and I like that about them, a 120mm 29r would be more versatile but not going to give me all that race thing really. If they are all gone it’s probably too late but I would suggest getting a demo first to see how the short and mid travels compare.

Understand your predicament as went through similar thought process. The obvious answer is two bikes. But if not possible then yes buy the camber. That is what I did and I absolutely love it. I ride mine (2015 evo) everywhere and it’s faster than my old HT and much more fun. It’s brilliantly versatile. Ok, the epic is much faster but then again I love riding epics and wish I could have an epic and a stumpy/Enduro ….but as I can’t the camber is brilliant as my one bike.

Mucked about on jumps on Friday, going for 3hr XC blast now. Same bike, same smiles

(Obviously I would change the tires for a race!)

in the spirit of recommending what have, what about a yeti ascr? 100 mm at the back, 120 at the front, a very trail orientated XC bike.

Mine comes in at 24lbs with pedals and a dropper and a not particularly bling build whatsoever.

tomhoward – Member
Urgh. None left for model year 17, model year 18 starts in July…

That’s not unusual at all for S-Works bikes. I bought my Epic this time last year and it was a struggle to get one. Specialized bring in very limited numbers of them, because unsurprisingly, there isn’t a huge market for 7 grand mountain bikes.

An Epic can be made comfortable – just a case of position. The brain clunking gets on my tits for long events ie over 6hrs but for those the forks are best turned off (you have to hit a bump for it to turn off and over 6hrs thats a lot of bumps to hit with partially locked out suspension).

Looking at your events and I’d seriously consider a carbon Spearfish or a turner czar

Tom, just did 3.5hrs: mix of singletrack, wide bridleways, steep climbs, technical climbs, fast descents, two technical descent with drop offs and jumps and mixed terrain – the camber ate it all up and.mine is he basic allu evo version