What XT level Carbon XC HT race bike, circa £1500?

To replace / complement an anthem 29er, currently I have:

Grand Canyon
Trek Superfly 9.7 (on sale)
Rose Mr Big

?

I have a 2015 Superfly 9.6 and I love it to pieces. Upgraded a few components to XT (shifters and brakes) and the bike is great. Run it tubeless, if it isn’t set up already, and the stock tyres on the 9.6 that I got were the cheapest version of the XR2 and they weren’t that great.

Racing with XT? How lowbrow dharlink.

Build something around a cheapish Cube Reaction frame?

They also do the Radon Black Sin for not much more than 1.5k.

I’d probably have the Superfly.

I’d be tempted by the superfly, but to be honest I’d be more tempted to build something up. Especailly if you were happy swapping wheels between bikes to save on cashish.

In grand stw tradition, not only will i ignore the OP but also recommend my bike (or at least the 29er version): Scott Scale 940. Its alloy but the alloy frames are super light. THere is (apparently) sub 200g diference in 2016 frame weight from the lower end carbon scale.

Giant XTC.

I have a Cube Reaction GTC Race 29. £1599 at the time and very good, well specced.

Giant XTC.

Been done, by the OP, as has this whole thread, several times, probably 🙂

Surprised you’re not recommending the Diverge and including a photo of yours.

I was looking at the black sin Friday – its £350 more but seems to be the only bike around with 1 x 11.

The Superfly is SLX, and appears to be the same weight as my anthem without the ability to swap wheels for my current race wheels. Hence, I’d face ugrade costs

My only other choice is an ex display XT ‘dale FSI, with a lefty albeit its Alu at £1450 which I’d suggest all except the frame outranks the Superfly.

Been done, by the OP, as has this whole thread, several times, probably

No this one has a tangent – I want to see if theres something I’ve missed.

That XTC is still on the pedalon website. Might be worth giving them a call. May be popping in there later today, if I do then I’ll ask about it, though that could lead me down a dangerous path 🙂

I called them Friday – gone.

I have a Cube Reaction GTC Race 29. £1599 at the time and very good, well specced.

Ah – looks good, do you have the Manitou fork – what is it like?

I have last years’ model which has a Reba rl which has been great, can’t comment on the Manitou sadly. Comfortable for all day use, as well as racing on.

I had a Cannondale Flash (alloy) with Lefty and I now have a Giant XTC (carbon). The Flash was lighter, the XTC is now almost as light. Either bike would have and will do just about as good as each other for mid pack XC racing mediocrity. Neither one or the other is going to make a significant difference.
I prefer the XTC for Peak District bridleways and all day riding.

No this one has a tangent – I want to see if theres something I’ve missed

Yes the 29C you were thinking of.

You have decided you are an XC racer – why the low budget? Have a decent FS and HT for your chosen discipline.

adsh has a reasonable point, given the way you are constantly questioning your equipment choice i would probably look at getting as hi-spec as you can afford!

Opencycles and no excuses!

Could probably source you a KTM Area or potentially a Myroon for that budget

Orbea Alma M50[/url]

You have decided you are an XC racer

My recent results and lack of discipline…

…

mid pack XC racing mediocrity

🙁

I was wandering around MSG “pit lane” yesterday and there wasn’t a bike that isn’t in this thread (ok so there was an old marin quad link), so I’m thinking, I must take this seriously and just get a bike.

It’d have to go on a C card at the moment, funded by 2016 work bonus that I don’t yet have is the danger, so I worry about still being mediocre but in £1500 of debt 😀

I do like that Orbea!

Gaz thanks – not sold on the Recon fork on the Area tbh…

I’ve got a Canyon 29er from a couple of years ago that I really like. Fast but comfortable. If I was being picky I’d say it needed lighter wheels, but i really like it. No idea what it weighs tho.

If you can afford it and you want it, get it (whatever ‘it’ turns out to be). Just don’t think it’s going to rocket fuel your performance and get you podiums. Large differences in bikes will only bring about small, if any gains.

You have decided you are an XC racer – why the low budget? Have a decent FS and HT for your chosen discipline.

There’s an old saying – “don’t race what you cant afford to replace”.

Unless racing for the podium in elite/expert, anything <11kg will do the job fine riders engine, skills and rolling resistance are massively more important than a slightly heavier bike. If I recall correctly, some coach did some testing with a rider with a power meter, and 1kg = ~1min on a climb of alp d’huez.

Edit: For a £1500 budget i’d choose the Grand Canyon.

Just ordered a Cube Reaction GTC SL, I expect to be a racing god once I hoof my legs over it.

Gaz thanks – not sold on the Recon fork on the Area tbh…

Aera Pro comes with Reba fork

If I recall correctly, some coach did some testing with a rider with a power meter, and 1kg = ~1min on a climb of alp d’huez.

Here’s similar:

http://velonews.competitor.com/2014/08/news/bike-weight-myth-fast-bikes_339880

I guess I need to “have a word with myself” during next winter’s training.

Aera Pro comes with Reba fork

Ah thanks, I was looking at the Comp.

I’d go for the grand canyon 5.9
£1299 and listed as in stock. Order one give it 10 days or so to arrive, hopefully everything will be fine, but Cancel at the first sign of being messed about and try plan B.

If the size is right this is a bargain

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b65s155p5413/CANNONDALE-F29-CARBON-3-(FLASH-CARBON)-2014

I have one and love it! Faster than I’ll ever be

…grand canyon 5.9

The weight is in the wheels which being non QR, can’t be swapped for my AC race wheels…

I saw the F29 the other day…, too big 🙁

Does it have to be carbon? Plenty of ally bikes out there that will give maybe 1lb or so away in the frame weight, but leave £500 or more in your wallet to spend on other things…

For instance, at £1099 the Grand Canyon AL SLX 7.9 is only a touch heavier but £550 cheaper than its equivalent carbon version. Then there’s the alloy Cannondale F29’s on Paul’s Cycles at under £1k (were £2k). I’d probably say the money saved spent elsewhere (lighter wheels, tyres etc.) will make a bigger difference than the frame material will.

That said, there are some great carbon bikes out there for relatively little money too, and not all carbon is created equal… I’ve come across carbon “xc race” frames weighing over 1600g before (when an equivalent ally is no heavier), but then there’s some gems like the KTM Aera which is only about 1200g when even the lightest most expensive carbon MTB frames in the world are only just dipping below 1kg.

The weight is in the wheels which being non QR, can’t be swapped for my AC race wheels…

The weight on ANY “budget” XC bikes is always going to be in the wheels, and if you’re buying new, you’re not likely to be able to swap for your existing QR wheels as everything new is coming bolt thru pretty much.

Never mind budget xc. There are some meaty old wheels on much of the mid/top end stuff. People who buy stuff like this don’t want to be paying for wheels, when that’s more than likely to be the first thing that goes.

The Superfly frame isn’t light – mine was 1311g IIRC, including the armour and mech hanger and that, but excluding the Maxle.

I can’t see the point of Alu when I have a 24.1lb Alu bike with 1×11 and all kinds of upgrade investment in it already.

Maybe I should invest the money in a Coach for next years base/build/race :-/

Because a carbon frame won’t in itself bring the weight down massively.

Chinese frame? XT group set from somewhere, LB wheels, some SIDs. Reckon it’s doable.

Shrewd buying from crc and you could more or less do it. I basically did (excluding wheels), admittedly over time, with a £500 frame

Ac wheels are really easy to swap from qr to bolt through, just new axles. Well my race ones are anyway.. Just this new boost standard is stopping me swapping to a trek pro caliber at the mo as I have a few wheels.

Hmmm, I did think wheels would push you over £1500 (going LB at least), but still reckon you can more or less do it, and probably beat any off the shelf bike.

Superfly carbon frameset for a grand. SID XX World Cup for 500 quid. Then covert your AC wheelset. Job done. Or the coach thing if you want to actually get faster.

Or the coach thing if you want to actually get faster.

Well, quite – its this not N+1 thats driving me, which is why I’ve just pummeled my legs on the turbo…

I think I’m just born with “weak cyclist” genes…