Tech

Bike Check: Jennie Stenerhag’s Silverback Stratos SBC

Written by Nicholas Webb | Photos by Iwan Kemp.

· By Bike Hub Features · 0 comments

Silverback’s latest dual suspension cross-country race bike, the Stratos, was unveiled ahead of the 2019 Cape Epic. The Silverback – Fairtree pairing of Jennie Stenerhag and Mariske Strauss raced the Stratos in the 8-day event. Get a detailed look at Stenerhag’s new Stratos race bike below.

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The New Bike

As the Silverback Stratos is a brand new bike, let’s jump into some of the new features it offers. The Stratos follows the Sesta in Silverback’s cross-country race bike category with an updated slacker geometry to assist handling on technical terrain. The head tube angle is 69 degrees and seat tube angle 74.5 degrees with the medium frame sporting a 435 mm reach, 1136 mm wheelbase, and chainstays measuring 435 mm (across the size curve). To assist further the Stratos is designed with dropper seatpost support in mind.

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Silverback built the Stratos with an asymmetrical design which is most noticeable in the front triangle. The result is a number of eye-catching flat surfaces and sharp angles forming almost triangular shaped tubes in places. According to Silverback the purpose of these shapes is to better manage riding forces through the frame at the points where they are strongest.

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With the rear suspension, Silverback made an effort to make it lightweight. There is an oversized tapered pivot just above the bottom bracket that makes use of a commonly available headset sized bearing while the rocker is injection moulded carbon fibre. The suspension is assisted by slender seatstays that flex as the bike travels through the suspension eliminating the need for moving parts between the seat- and chainstays. And, as you can see, there is space to fit two water bottles in the front triangle. Although not fitted to Stenerhag’s bike, a storage compartment can be fixed to the Stratos in the wedge-like gap where the top tube and down tube meet at the head tube.

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Jennie Stenerhag’s Silverback Stratos SBC

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Stenerhag races on Fox’s range topping Factory suspension with their cross-country focussed 32 Step-Cast fork and Float shock. She has a dual remote lockout lever to open and close the fork and shock.

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The drivetrain is a SRAM XX1 Eagle system featuring a 32 tooth chainring and a Stage Power left crank arm. The brakes are also from SRAM, their cross-country Level brakeset in the Ultimate specification level.

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The wheelset is courtesy of the Swiss company Ceetec with their carbon rims and a set of DT Swiss hubs. Stenerhag races on Maxxis tyres electing for an Ardent Race 2.35″ for the front and a Rekon Race 2.25″ on the back.

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Ceetec is also responsible for much of Stenerhag’s cockpit, with handlebars, seatpost, bottle cages, and a custom “Jennie” top cap. The saddle is created by gebioMized, a German bike fit specialist.

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Specification List: Jennie Stenerhag’s Silverback Stratos SBC

  • FrameSilverback Stratos SBC
  • ForkFox 32 Float SC Factory
  • ShockFox Float Factory
  • WheelsetCeetec Revolution rims with DT Swiss 240s hubs
  • Front TyreMaxxis Ardent Race 2.35
  • Rear TyreMaxxis Rekon Race 2.25
  • HandlebarCeetec 720mm
  • StemKCNC 90mm
  • HeadsetFSA with Ceetec custom top cap
  • SeatpostCeetec C1 Evo2
  • SaddlegebioMized
  • BrakesSRAM Level Ultimate
  • ShiftersSRAM XX1 Eagle
  • DerailleurSRAM XX1 Eagle
  • CassetteSRAM XX1 Eagle
  • CrankarmsSRAM XX1 Eagle with Stages left crankarm
  • ChainringSRAM XX1 Eagle 32T
  • PedalsLook X-Track Race Carbon Ti
  • Bottle cagesCeetec Race-Cage MTB

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