Fork / rear suspensionĪlmost universally for the last few years, riders have run 100mm front and rear suspension, compared with 130-150mm on a trail bike, though you’ll see some riders starting to use 120mm this year. Other differences you might notice in the frame would be a much stiffer bottom bracket and head tube than on a trail bike, which gives road-bike levels of power transfer but a harsher ride. Typically a medium XCO bike might have a head angle of 68-69 degrees (a trail bike would be as low as 64-65 degrees), a wheelbase of perhaps 1150mm (versus 1220), and a seat tube angle of around 74-75 degrees. And while the seat tube angle may be similar, the rider may be positioned further forward for a more powerful and aggressive riding position. The chainstays are slightly shorter for faster acceleration (but less clearance and stability).
Others – such as Mathieu van der Poel – feel that the sub-1kg weight savings of a hardtail are outweighed by the performance benefits of full-suspension even on a fast course and race the same bike all year round.Ī pro XC hardtail, such as the Specialized Epic HT or Scott Scale, weighs in at about 8.5kg a full-suss equivalent, like the Spark or the Epic Pro, tips the scales at around 900g more FrameĬompare an XCO bike with a typical trail bike and you’ll notice that the head tube angle is steeper and the wheelbase is shorter for more agility (but less stability). Most XCO riders choose between a superlight hardtail or a short-travel full-suspension XC rig depending on the course, with the latter being increasingly used. Modern cross-country mountain bikes must be efficient on the climbs yet capable on the descents (Image credit: Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool ) Components of an XCO bike You might expect that they would consider compromises on durability for the sake of weight – as long as the parts last for a race – but the truth is even the lightest pro-level components are as tough as anything you or I might use for general XC riding, they just cost more. But agile can also be described as twitchy and unforgiving, meaning the riders’ ability to pick perfect lines and float over sections is vital on technical descents. The geometry of the bikes makes them super-agile for stealing the smallest of overtaking opportunities or hammering technical sections at pace. It’s fair to say that World Cup and Olympic cross-country riders aren’t like you and me: their skill and their need for speed mean that they can ride much more uncompromising machines.Īs we’ll see when we explore the anatomy of cross-country mountain bikes below, XCO racers like to get low over the front of the bike for better climbing and a more aggressive attack position. But as we’ll see below, they can ditch non-essentials like dropper posts and power meters for the shorter race.
Riders have to use the same frame and fork for the XCC and XCO race, so they can’t change between a hardtail for the faster, simpler XCC race and a full-suspension bike for the main event. And – depending on the rider – the bike’s got to be happy in the air.
While some sections of the courses might be hard-packed dirt or tarmac, riders need their bikes to be super-capable on rock gardens and roots. (Image credit: Red Bull Content Pool ) How an XCO bike needs to rideįrom the gun, XCO races are all about speed and position in the pack.Īn XCO bike needs to be blisteringly fast on climbs and descents – and with more of an emphasis on climbs than in any other type of mountain bike racing.
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