MEET THE TESTERS
ROB WEAVER TECH EDITOR IN CHIEF
Rob began his life in mountain biking by racing cross-country and has never shied away from long stints in the saddle on short-travel machines. Over the past couple of years, his love for XC riding and racing has reignited, meaning he’s been putting the miles in regularly on some of the latest and greatest lightweight kit going, both on the trail and between the tape.
TOM MARVIN SENIOR TECH EDITOR
Tom’s been racing XC on and off for the past 15 years, whether that be short-course blasts, marathon days out, 24-hour slogs or – as while testing the Epic World Cup – multi-day endurance events. With limited time to train, any bike that boosts his efficiency is a welcome partner on the start line.
There’s no denying it, we’re seeing fewer and fewer hardtails on the start line at cross-country events, thanks in part to how tough the tracks have become. But while full-suspension bikes add comfort and confidence, in certain sections of trail at least, many riders still yearn for that solid connection between the front and rear triangles, and the efficiency and urgency that only a hardtail can provide when stamping on the pedals.
You only need to look at some of the bikes being raced in the World Cup XC Short Track (XCC) series to see this. Cérvelo, for example, have been replacing the rear shock of their ZSF-5 full-suspension bike with a solid link, effectively turning it into a hardtail. They’ve then been slotting the shock back in ahead of the longer Olympic-distance XCO race a couple of days later (with the same bike needing to be used for both events). This compromised approach may well pay off when putting the power down, but could throw a spanner in the works when things get technical on the track.
So, how do you balance efficiency and power transfer with grip and control? Can you have your cake and eat it? Trek and Specialized seem to think so. Their latest XC race machines promise the feel of a hardtail when you’re on the gas, but should still offer the bump absorption and more
