Ideal bike for 12/24 hour enduro events

toasty
toasty Posts: 2,598
edited August 2008 in MTB general
These seem to be all the rage right now, unlike every other discipline in cycling the ideal bike doesn't seem to be quite so clear. Maybe it's because not everyone is there to compete against others quite so much.

Anyway, on a normal track, fairly boggy, not too technical, looooong distance. What sort of bike would you pick? Light trail bikes and hardtails with good clearance seems to be the consensus? Lots of 456's, Trances, P7s etc.

I only ask as I'm currently weighing up the pro's and con's of either my Stumpy or my Commencal, the Stumpy would be brutal for that long, the Commencal will clog up like never before, the weight, although fairly light (for it's type of bike) would be fairly tough going too. Hmmmm!

Comments

  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    I'd say the meta will be overkill, take the stumpy and get a suspension post?

    Or fit skinny tyres to the meta to get the clearance, which is probably your best bet. Maybe 1.95" trailrakers if it is going to be gloopy.
  • toasty
    toasty Posts: 2,598
    The Meta has bags of clearance for mud, it also has tons of linkages, looking over some of the MM/SITS photos recently I can't imagine it surviving the night :) Maybe I should get a lizard skin type thing over as much as possible.

    The Stumpy is long and stretched. While it's fast over short race style distances and I get less fatigued, my back would destroy me about half way through I'd imagine.
  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    you need that mesh stuff, it was on here, designed to keep mud out of worky bits on MX bikes, really fine so the mud doesn't get in, good for pedals and shocks and linkages.

    Haven't a clue where to get it from though. :?
  • grantway
    grantway Posts: 1,430
    I would use the Meta and bling it up and save some weight.
    Spray the Fork and Rear shock shafts in GT 85 spray but make sure you
    dont get any on your brake discs/pads.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    are you after getting a bike for enduros or are asking which of your two would be better?

    the meta would be more forgiving to your body over long distance but if you were after something different, why not get a second hand trance frame and swap the parts from your spesh. i think everything would go straight across apart from the headset (i think you would need an integrated one)

    the trance is meant to be a decent light and comfy bike, just a thought.
  • zero303
    zero303 Posts: 1,162
    Doesn't GT85 eat fork seals?
  • kegs
    kegs Posts: 204
    given the weather at most of the 12/24hr events this year, a rigid singlespeed hardtail with skinny mud tyres looks ideal. ;D
  • jazid
    jazid Posts: 33
    Agreed, given the number of rear mechs that snapped at SITS 2008 this year.

    The single speeders had no problems at all...
    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Trek Fuel Ex 8 full susser(2008) , Trek 6700 hardtail (2004), Giant TCR 9speed
  • toasty
    toasty Posts: 2,598
    are you after getting a bike for enduros or are asking which of your two would be better?

    the meta would be more forgiving to your body over long distance but if you were after something different, why not get a second hand trance frame and swap the parts from your spesh. i think everything would go straight across apart from the headset (i think you would need an integrated one)

    the trance is meant to be a decent light and comfy bike, just a thought.

    Not really after anything, I think I'd probably stick a shorter stem and 100mm forks (it's using 80mm :? ) on my Stumpy, makes it much more comfy, then use that :)

    Just curious what people suggested as an ideal bike. Trail bikes and rigid steel singlespeeds are fairly polar opposite, interesting seeing a venue which covers the lot.

    I've got some fork stanchion spray stuff, similar to GT85, mud still generally collects around the seals. It's never been much of an issue though.
  • Having just competed solo at Sleepless in the saddle this weekend I'd have to say fully rigid singlespeed with skinny tyres!
  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    why not go the whole hog and ride a solid tubed steel bike with a rock for a saddle, bit of scaffolding tube to keep the weight down at the front for handlebars, steel disk wheels with solid rubber tyres and square bearings throughout.

    And run it fixed in 90 gear inches.
  • toasty
    toasty Posts: 2,598
    Don't forget to stick a pan on your head, sounds dangerous.
  • clanton
    clanton Posts: 1,289
    kegs wrote:
    given the weather at most of the 12/24hr events this year, a rigid singlespeed hardtail with skinny mud tyres looks ideal. ;D

    Definitely agree. I took a hardtail (Cotic) with lots of mud clearance and 1.8" tyres and still struggled to keep the wheels turning. I saw guys with single speed, 1.5" tyres who were doing way better.
    The full suss bikes were simply a disaster. Of the five bikes in my team all three hard tails survived, both full sussers (one a Meta 5.5, the other an old Intense Tracer) were out of the race by 3am with torn off rear mechs.
  • toasty
    toasty Posts: 2,598
    Interesting, why were the mechs coming off the full sus and not the geared hardtails? The Meta had loooads of mud clearance.

    My mind keeps swaying each way, the Stumpy has no clearance what-so-ever :) Maybe a cheapo Inbred frame would keep my options open.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    so was the events best time done on a single speed bike?
  • jazid
    jazid Posts: 33
    >Interesting, why were the mechs coming off the full sus and not the geared hardtails?

    It was both HT and FS bikes that lost their rear mechs
    I had a complete grump on my 6700 with V brakes as it was getting clogged up every 100m or so through the wooded section. I quite after one lap as all the sticks on the course seemed to be stuck in mud pies like its the competitors' birthdays. Proved to be quite an expensive 8m and not fun seeing as I had to push through the thick mud for 4 miles of it :(

    The mixture of grass and mud gets in the rear mech and completely chews it up/snaps it off if you really push on hte pedals to get the drive train to turn. Lots of mechs went, believe me. I spoke to someone who on his first lap helped 3 people botch with theur broken rear mechs so they could at least free wheel.

    Mountain Mayhem 2007 was much better than this Sleepless in the Saddle 2008 even though it was just as muddy (as the course was better designed) - but I digress.
    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Trek Fuel Ex 8 full susser(2008) , Trek 6700 hardtail (2004), Giant TCR 9speed