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That’s what I thought (and what everyone thought 10 years ago), but look at reach / ETT numbers on the latest crop of XC bikes 🥴

Hi Team Hope that you're all well (nerd alert on the below 😆). Looking at a new previous generation (2021 - 2023) Cannondale Scalpel (full suspension) as my LBS can build one up for a great price. I plan on keeping this bike for a good while (3 years min) so want to get it right. Use case will be XC marathon / stage races, gravel and non competitive trails. I am 177cm tall, but with a long upper body so about a 180cm wingspan. 40 years old, reasonably fit and flexible / strong. 1) My current bike (Roscoe 7) is a Large with a Reach of 470mm, 770mm 25mm Rise Bars and 42.5mm Stem (effectively 512.5mm reach to bars yes?). Effective Top Tube is 646mm and Stack is 644mm. My saddle is probably 2/3rds forward on the rails. I am finding that I have pressure on my hands when seated to the point that some of my fingers go numb after a few hours. I have also (for the first time) ever, found that my hands want to "blow off" the tops of my bars in the rough downhill stuff. It feels like the bike is too short for me, but surely it can't be. If you look at any manufacturer's recommended sizing I should be a Large. Brake lever angle, grips etc are all similar to what I've used in the past. 2) The "2021" Scalpel in a Large has a Reach of 455mm and I would fit a 60 / 70mm stem (effectively 515 / 520mm reach to bars?). ETT is 622mm and Stack is 601mm. Lower stack should increase my seated reach which should help with hand numbness (if my lower back can keep the weight off my hands with more "waist" bend. This is a very "traditional" sizing / cockpit build (relatively long stem etc). 2021 Scalpel in XL has a Reach of 475mm and I could fit a 40 / 50mm stem (effectively 525 / 535mm reach to bars?). ETT is 644mm and Stack is 610mm. 3) The brand new 2024 Scalpel in Large has a Reach of 475mm and looks like it comes with a very short (40mm?) stem (effectively 515 mm reach to bars?). ETT is 625mm and Stack is 607mm. Comparing the 2021 XL and the 2024 L, apart from ETT on the 2021 being an inch longer, the old XL and the new L are very similar. Seat angle on the old bike is slacker than the new, so I would likely move my saddle forward of the midpoint anyway which would shorten my ETT for pedaling. If I buy the 2021 XL, it may also allow me to fit a -1 degree angleset to slacken the head angle to a very modern 67 degrees (2024 bike has gone from 68 to 66.6 degrees). Am I oversimplifying things or is there something to be said for going for the larger bike. Lachlan Morton went from a medium Scalpel at the last Leadville 100 to an XL on the new 2024 Scalpel and was very happy with being more "in the bike" and the stability it brings. Nerd rant off - any ideas?

Has someone not put up a few signs leading up to the area - “Warning - bike hijacking risk area” or something 🙄

All valid questions thanks! It’s more of a hypothetical at the moment as I’ve set myself a goal of riding my races this year on a lightly upgraded Roscoe which is my only bike at the moment. Well, it started that way but now has a Pike Select Plus, Burgtec Cockpit and Zipp Moto wheels so hardly standard anymore haha. I am a shocker - have owned hardtails, dual sus, gravel bike, trail, XC and everywhere in between. I live in Howick so there are some epic trails at Karkloof nearby but the goal for the bike is day marathon races, stage races, possibly non stop Sani and some gravel racing as a one bike to do it all well with a focus on speed and efficiency 70% / trails 30% . It will be my only bike. Realistically, an Epic Evo is probably a safe bet for R 50 k but it’s more fun to breathe new life into an old dog sometimes haha

Thanks for all the ideas - definitely some great options

Morning All Curious to hear from the home mechanics, racers and bike shop owners - what is the previous gen XC bike with the most “modernization” potential? There are some awesome deals on 2018-2022 or so XC bikes (Trance, Epic, Spark, Ninety Six, Scalpel etc). If you were to buy and modernize / build up a bike for stage racing, gravel races and non competitive trail riding what would you choose? Off the top of my head things that I’d look for would be; • Clearance for 2.35 - 2.4 tyres • 1 x drivetrain • Boost • Modern geometry (reach, stack, head and seat tube angles) OR the ability to buy a size larger and drop in a headset angle adjust headset • Proven and easily available pivot bearings • Proprietary stuff not an issue as long as the support is there • Possibly a preference for aluminium - as long as the bike weight could be down close to 12kg • Dropper compatible - min 125mm • Kinematics that allow no / removal of lockouts. I did this on a Scalpel Si and it still pedaled beautifully. I am a simple soul and can’t be bothered with fiddling with levers all the time. Thanks for any thoughts / recommendations / “stay aways” 🤘

I am 100% for the death penalty and self defense at whatever cost. Wishing death on people who have had no opportunity or chance in life is another thing completely.

And children and their mothers die? Guys, be better.

Decided to just get it done between 44km last night and 54km this AM on top of 91km yesterday AM. Legs are toast, bike can hang on the wall for a few days 🤣. Family and friends time now 🙌

80% down with a local all over ride. Stage race fitness and general fatigue setting in at the same time 🤣

This thing isn’t easy regardless of temp / conditions - another close to 70km in the bank today but still 189km to go with only 3 days left. The mighty Roscoe 7 is trucking along nicely, but I may put on some faster rolling tyres when the current ones die.

24th route was so good I had to do it again - super hot and dry today - awesome to ride with a really strong friend who’s just done the Munga. I was definitely the nail today 🤣

Post Christmas lunch and kids to bed night ride - misty and pitch black but good to clear the head after a busy day

Mud…

Keen to give this another crack - last year the rain and mud in the KZN Midlands got to me with 100km to go... Will be using the mighty Roscoe 7, 14.5kg of knobbly tired goodness haha. Long one tomorrow, key to get some miles in early. Good luck all.

Hey Carlo, would love to see a bike check and your thoughts on how the Curve compared to your old sofa 😆

I’ve been biting my tongue on this but here we go 🫣. As a KZN resident there are lots of areas where people have rightly given up on SAPS and politicians as they get nothing done. In the case of residential theft, bike parks, UIPs, even some high profile murders - specialist private security firms have been used to great effect. Cases are solved, perpetrators arrested (rumours about a few repeat murderers “disappearing” with rural community involvement) and there do not seem to be many similar patently ridiculous situations like there is at the area in this thread. The quickest way to solve it short term (long term, the challenges that Cape Town will face with massive population influx are just starting I fear), is to get a business to sponsor or all of you affected riders to pay for a private security firm, with guns, to stand off at this area and hopefully catch (or worse…) a few of these bastards. You cannot, with respect, wait for a politician who is on holiday, or ANOTHER petition, or a protest ride to achieve something NOW. Don’t take it personally but even Cape Town is still Africa and you will see that the vast majority of successful suburbs, business communities and small towns in the great wasteland outside of the Western Cape, have done things themselves. Someone will get killed this holiday in that area if people don’t come together and fix the problem (hopefully short term), themselves.

🙌

Yesss! Was hoping against hope that there’d be some more musings 🙌. Well done Carlo, had some friends that you might have crossed paths with out there and they said this year was brutal with the wind.

Agree 100% - I'm riding on Deore at the moment and it's flawless so SLX should be even better. I'd say that (apart from weight) Deore is as just good as GX on the SRAM side...

Hansi, it will definitely be worth an upgrade for a few reasons; 1) Geometry - modern bike will be "longer" and slacker (450 - 470mm reach and 67 - 69 degree head angle - definitely go large) which will make a handling / confidence difference that you can't believe compared to your older Trek with a reach likely closer to 420mm reach and a 69-71 degree head angle. 2) 1 x drivetrain - simpler, generally less maintenance 3) tubeless, larger tyres and 29 inch wheels - massively improved rollover compared to 26 inch wheels, 2.4 inch tyres compared to 2.1 will also make a massive difference to grip / comfort and tubeless is a non negotiable. Under R 15k - go hardtail as any dual sus at that price will either have very low end components or be old / abused. https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/hardtail-mountain-bikes/766121/specialized-chisel?referrer=top https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/hardtail-mountain-bikes/762784/scott-scale-965-slx-1-x-12-rockshox-air https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/hardtail-mountain-bikes/762706/2022-scott-scale-960-large

This is my new machine - loving it. Bog standard Trek Roscoe 7 apart from a Pike Select + and fancy bars and saddle that I had at home. This thing rips.

GMBN recently had a segment on the effect of heat - you can lose over 50% of your capacity above 35 degrees! Felt it yesterday too - you have to train in the heat and really consciously slow down your effort to avoid blowing up.

https://theradavist.com/2024-breck-epic/ Firmly on my “one day” list. Looks hard!

Sorry to be pedantic. Drivetrain.