Tech

Bike Check: Greg Minnaar’s Santa Cruz V10

· By Bike Hub Features · 10 comments

Other than being one of the world’s greatest downhill racers, Greg Minnaar is also a co-founder of the Crank Chaos mountain bike festival. Like a good host, Greg spent most of the event on his bike ensuring that all the riders were having a great time. Craig Kolesky managed to catch up with Greg in the Lesotho mountains for a closer look at his Santa Cruz V10 CC downhill bike.

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Greg apparently rode this bike at the Lordes World Cup. It suffered some minor damage during that race weekend and, as a result, has been relegated to off-season duty in South Africa. The V10 CC frame is an extra extra large which Greg and Steve Peat have found to be a good fit.

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The Syndicate team are sponsored by Fox suspension who kit the team out with their top of the range Factory series equipment. Fitted to Greg’s bike is a Fox 40 fork and DHX2 coil shock. Greg’s mechanic at The Syndicate, Jason Marsh, started the Marsh Guard fender brand a few years ago and the team has been racing with them since.

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The bike is fitted with Shimano’s Saint downhill brakes and drivetrain parts. The modified cassette, however, is from Shimano’s road cycling catalogue. The pedals are Crank Brothers Mallet DH while the bash guard is from Gamut.

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The carbon handlebar is Greg’s signature model by ENVE Composites with a Gamut stem. He uses a prototype Chris King Buzzworks headset to offset the steerer and gain an extra few millimeters in the top tube length.

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The wheelset features a set of Chris King hubs laced to ENVE M90 rims wrapped in Maxxis Minion DHR II tyres.

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Full specification:

  • FrameSanta Cruz V10cc XXL
  • ForkFox 40 Factory
  • ShockFox DHX2 Factory
  • HeadsetChris King Buzzworks
  • CranksetShimano Saint
  • Bottom BracketShimano
  • Rear DerailleurShimano Saint
  • ShiftersShimano Saint
  • Cassettecustom Shimano road cluster
  • ChainringShimano 36T
  • ChainShimano
  • Bash guardGamut P20s
  • BrakesShimano Saint with Ice-Tech
  • RimsEnve M90
  • HubsChris King DH
  • TyresMaxxis Minion DHR II
  • StemGamut Cillos Direct Mount
  • HandlebarEnve Minnaar Downhill
  • SeatpostEnve carbon
  • SaddleWTB Silverado
  • PedalsCrank Brothers Mallet
  • GripsErgon GA2
  • Mud guardMarsh Guard
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Comments

Capricorn
Capricorn

Nov 23, 2016, 6:08 AM

Love that silver and black paintjob. Reminds me of Mclaren F1 cars of a few years back.

what was the relegation-inducing minor damage?

Skott5
Skott5

Nov 23, 2016, 6:11 AM

Probably scratched the downtube in the rock garden ... You cant have a scratched bike rock up on the world cup circuit .. :) 

NicoBoshoff
NicoBoshoff

Nov 23, 2016, 6:16 AM

"One" of the greatest.  Pretty sure it's "The" greatest. And no, Rachel doesn't count.  She didn't race Vouilloz, Peat, Gwinn, Hill et al.

Duane_Bosch
Duane_Bosch

Nov 23, 2016, 6:25 AM

What a legend. If you consider just how tiny the talent pool of SA downhillers is it makes his achievements even more remarkable.

 

 

Note the non Saint brake rotors. Chris King hubs are 6 bolt hubs. I've got a set of ex Minnaar ENVE's with Chris King hubs in my storeroom waiting for a bike to go onto.

Steven Knoetze (sk27)
Steven Knoetze (sk27)

Nov 23, 2016, 9:36 AM

XXL frame and then still running an offset headset to main more toptube length!!!

That with the wide bars and short stem must get a certain Mr Miles a bit hot under the collar........

 

Interesting running a road cycling cassette, closer ratio possibly?

Duane_Bosch
Duane_Bosch

Nov 23, 2016, 9:59 AM

Interesting running a road cycling cassette, closer ratio possibly?

Ja. Downhillers often run close ratio roadie cassettes.

BaGearA
BaGearA

Nov 23, 2016, 10:01 AM

XXL frame and then still running an offset headset to main more toptube length!!!

That with the wide bars and short stem must get a certain Mr Miles a bit hot under the collar........

 

Interesting running a road cycling cassette, closer ratio possibly?

lighter as well

Meezo
Meezo

Nov 23, 2016, 10:02 AM

Ja. Downhillers often run close ratio roadie cassettes.

roadies are faster downhill anyway

Odinson
Odinson

Nov 23, 2016, 10:04 AM

Ja. Downhillers often run close ratio roadie cassettes.

 

True. I've wondered how relevant the 10spd Saint and Zee drivetrains are for the WC crowd. I've seen that a few guys run hacked 10spd drivetrains as 7spd.

 

It might be helpful to okes riding tracks that are not that steep.

Duane_Bosch
Duane_Bosch

Nov 23, 2016, 10:21 AM

True. I've wondered how relevant the 10spd Saint and Zee drivetrains are for the WC crowd. I've seen that a few guys run hacked 10spd drivetrains as 7spd.

 

It might be helpful to okes riding tracks that are not that steep.

I've got Saint 10 speed on my DH bike. I think it's 26-11. Ja the tracks in Europe you only use the easy gears to get to the lift station. The speed on the tracks has very little to do with the gear ratios you run. Well for a pleb like me at least.

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