Bike Weight 2 - FS/HT

Pufftmw

Going on from the bike weight thread a bit, I have a FS Scott Spark & an old Gary Fisher Big Sur HT. The Big Sur is a few pounds lighter than the Scott of course, so the question is, would it be more beneficial using the Big Sur in an XC race (such as the Thetford Winter Series) than the newer Scott? The course is a mix of fire road and forest trails with not much climb.

Which boils down to would the weight advantage of the HT supercede or be better overall than the FS bike in that sort of race?

supersonic

It is down to you in the end. Some riders may get more from the HT, the others the FS.

ride_whenever

does depend on the course. It doesn't sound too technical or rough so you might be better off on the HT. However if there are loose or rooty climbs or sections you might well find the spark faster.

El Capitano

From my experience, Thetford is hardtail territory.

njee20

Hardtail for Thetford every time, too much sprinting out of corners for an FS to be a huge benefit, they also tend to accentuate the 'whoops' by compressing in the bottom of every one.