Trek Superfly race bike - now under 19lbs, pics page 5

njee20

It's the way to get quicker to justify having the lightweight MTB ;-)

Not that I manage that at the moment!

The Rookie

As you have XX1, you could remove the chainstay protector and horrid black film under it and then use a quality vinyl as protector (I have some sheet with a thin layer of genuine CF in it, works brilliantly), would also cover the location hole use for the old one!

Thewaylander

Tidy little racer fella...

Just becarful if you fart hard, you will go fwd at a rate of knots you are not prepared for

njee20

As you have XX1, you could remove the chainstay protector and horrid black film under it and then use a quality vinyl as protector (I have some sheet with a thin layer of genuine CF in it, works brilliantly), would also cover the location hole use for the old one!

Yes, it needs something opaque ideally so that's not a bad shout, was quite surprised there's a hole there frankly, not that small either - probably 3mm or so.

njee20

Well I've been riding this for a year and a bit, thought I'd do a bit of an update.

Been very impressed with it all really. The XX1 shifting wasn't incredible - the 'feel' of 9 speed Grip Shift of yore wasn't there on the 11 speed one, and they were so hugely intolerant of gritty cables (the polar opposite of the 9 speed ones!) that it was a slightly frustrating experience. Changed to XTR in November, which is just so much nicer! Much prefer the ergonomics of Shimano. It's on its 3rd chain (after about 1,600 miles) and the cassette seems fine. Had real problems with it at a very muddy race a couple of months ago, but think that was the conditions more than the worn cassette. Chain ring is showing signs of wear, and I intend to replace with an Absolute Black direct mount oval jobby.

The ESI grips got damaged rather easily clipping trees and what not, but the LBS happened to have some green ones, which I quite like as a bit of fun. Not as light as foam, but they are much grippier, particularly when not wearing gloves, which I like.

I had to rebuild the rear wheel - it was fine for almost a year with very short spokes (don't listen to Light Bicycle on their ERDs), but then nipples started breaking, after the 5 and 6th ones went on a ride (rim was still perfect after another 25 miles of normal riding despite missing 2 adjacent spokes), and I broke another one whilst changing a tyre I decided longer spokes were needed! Only used it a couple of times since, but aside from the fact I threw the wheel together very hurriedly and it could do with a more thorough tension it's been great. Definite convert to Light Bicycle rims, they're just brilliant frankly!

Bar and stem changed early on - 90mm New Ultimate stem and 710mm Mt Zoom flat bar - at first I thought a bit more sweep would be nice, but I actually now really like it. Crazy light.

Mt Zoom ti bottle cage fitted, don't look tatty as fast as carbon ones, for a similar weight! Got some stupidly overpriced green aluminium tubeless valves from R2bike, and ordered the wrong colour, turns out they do two shades of green! :oops:

Bike is showing a few scuffs and scratches - never quite get the helitape in the right places, and once it's happened I'm far too apathetic, so it tends to just get worse!

It is under 19lbs, but with Thunder Burts it's cheating a little! They're impressively capable though - their biggest downfall seems to be their tendancy to break away under braking, but not that surprising. Brilliant dry weather tyre, vastly more capable than a Furious Fred, and crazy fast.

Ordered the new Maxle Stealth bolt up axle for the fork, I just don't like the Maxle, but all the other after market bolt up axles are too expensive for what they are. The Carbon Ti ones look great, but not at £90 each.

It's good, I like it. Definite convert to 29er, and don't find the hardtail uncomfortable. Next bike will probably be back to FS, as I think 29er FSs have come on in the last couple of years particularly. Until then I ought to get fit enough to do this a modicum of justice!

Ferrals

Looks good! Is that a special bike weighing scale?

njee20

It's a Topeak PrepStand Pro - workshop stand with integrated scales. Seems pretty good though, had it years.

WindyG

Is that the original chainring?
I've just got through a NW ring in about 350 miles.

njee20

Yep, original. Kept clean, and not used all that much in winter frankly!

WindyG

njee20 wrote:

Yep, original. Kept clean, and not used all that much in winter frankly!

I've had a few wet races and they just grind away.
Thunder Burts are becoming the thing right now seen loads using them, i was tempted to try one for Hadleigh next week, did you go for the Snakeskin version?

njee20

Not had any problems like that, done quite a few wet races. By what measure is it worn? Dropping the chain?

Not gone Snakeskin, I don't have issues with durability on the normal Schwalbes round here, it's not rocky. Be alright at Hadleigh, the rocks are pretty grippy. I'd perhaps welcome the extra braking on some of the loose bits though. Not sure how it's changed since 2013 though.

Ferrals

I've done about 3000km since last August on my hope nw and it's still fine, only dropped chain once. Keep the bike clean though and when it's wet tend to ride either trail centres or natural rocky stuff so it doesn't pasted up with gunk.

Those thunder burts look good, think I'd be apprehensive of one on the front though!

WindyG

Started dropping the chain first over roots but then just off small bumps, the teeth are all rounded off rather than square, chain is all good got no signs of wear and keep very clean, was only a cheap superstar one so not surprised I guess.

Neither of you doing the regionals at Hadleigh then?

Ferrals

No, doing the welsh at coed y brenin next weekend then the nationals at fforest fields the week after - you guys coming up for that? Was hoping to get back to the s.e for the southernXc at bordon but it's coincided with delivery dates of a new kitchen :-( might do one of the gorrick autumn classics though as I enjoyed that last year.

njee20

Nah, I hated Hadleigh, and it's too far for a MSG. Southern next weekend.

BloggingFit

Looks like an absolute whippet.

WindyG

njee20 wrote:

Nah, I hated Hadleigh, and it's too far for a MSG. Southern next weekend.

2013 around Hadleigh was a blur for me, too much fear and not enough skill.

The Superfly looks such a fast bike how are you going match that with a FS.

njee20

It'll have to be a light FS!

The frame isn't that light - 1311g i think it was, so I'll give away less than 2lbs to go FS, which isn't bad. I'm hypothesising anyway, no desire to change it yet!

So does the MSG course use the full Hadleigh course as in the Olympics/Nationals, or only certain bits?

rockmonkeysc

That looks pretty good. Very different to anything I have ridden, I can't imagine how a bike like this rides. It's lighter than my road bike.
Is it easy to ride? Or a bit twitchy?

njee20

It's more or less all I know, always had Racey bikes, so I don't have a problem with it, but I suspect if someone got on it who was used to something more 'traily' they'd find it rather skittish! It's definitely my skill that holds me back on the descents rather than the bike!

WindyG

njee20 wrote:

It'll have to be a light FS!

The frame isn't that light - 1311g i think it was, so I'll give away less than 2lbs to go FS, which isn't bad. I'm hypothesising anyway, no desire to change it yet!

So does the MSG course use the full Hadleigh course as in the Olympics/Nationals, or only certain bits?

I reckon my next FS will either be another Anthem or a Spark.
I think pretty much the whole on the Olympic course is used though some of it has been changed, like monument was removed and the rock gardens have been redone, the whole course has been resurfaced. There have been a few tweaks here and there on some of the B lines. No grass section linking the tech areas now it's all made man trails.

rockmonkeysc

njee20 wrote:

It's more or less all I know, always had Racey bikes, so I don't have a problem with it, but I suspect if someone got on it who was used to something more 'traily' they'd find it rather skittish! It's definitely my skill that holds me back on the descents rather than the bike!

It probably takes more skill to get a bike like this down a hill fast. Trail bikes like mine make it easier but it's carrying an extra 10lb and won't be anywhere near as fast on the flat or climbs.

njee20

I think the thing is that I ride Surrey Hills trails most of the time - not particularly steep, just rooty, loamy, pedally stuff. I think it's great for that, it gets out of its depth more quickly on rougher trails for sure. Completely screwed a section up today as I'd left braking too late for a corner, and it was being kicked all over by the roots, totally overshot. Probably get away with it with more travel and stickier tyres. Even if I wasn't racing I'd still have something similar, that would almost certainly be FS, probably dropper post too.

I think pretty much the whole on the Olympic course is used though some of it has been changed, like monument was removed and the rock gardens have been redone, the whole course has been resurfaced. There have been a few tweaks here and there on some of the B lines. No grass section linking the tech areas now it's all made man trails.

Was thinking more previously, seems a fairly intense course for a regional race!

Ferrals

RockmonkeySC wrote:

It probably takes more skill to get a bike like this down a hill fast. Trail bikes like mine make it easier but it's carrying an extra 10lb and won't be anywhere near as fast on the flat or climbs.

I remember reading that Scott slackened the head angle off on the Scale by a degree as their xc athletes were saying it was useful to be able to relax a bit and re-group on the descents and have a bit of room for error in the last lap than have super sharp steering.

I ride and race xc on a trail hardtail with a 66.5 deg HA, its a massive lack of skill compensator on descents as i can just hold on and go, but I reckon I loose 1-2 seconds every climbing switchback turn by having to take a wider line round the outside. Thing is I think that you can loose a lot more time on a climb than on descents so next time I buy i bike I'll get something more xc orientated.

The Rookie

Some tasty improvements there Nick, looks good, and it sounds like the LB rims are a good choice!

Most of all it's good to know you are happy with most your choices, not tried an 11speed gripshift, but can confirm that I love the 9 speed on my commuter, the only issue was wearing out the (replaceable) grip section in just 4500 miles.

njee20

Yes I loved the 9 speed Grip Shift, although agree they wear. The 11 speed ones were inferior in every way sadly! XTR are far better for me. Does need new cables again though, shifting is starting to get sloppier.

gt-arrowhead

Under 9KG. Now thats light. Very nice bike. I hope to try a light-as-possible build at some point.

njee20

Indeed, nearly under 8.5kg in fact. I've got some Egg Beater 11 pedals that need a service, they'll drop a bit, plus bolt up axles both ends, and potentially trying a Speedneedle saddle from a friend, which will all drop a bit more.

Brakes are getting a bit tired too, tempted to swap to the new XTRs as you can't rebuild the current ones!

danridesbikes

turns out they do two shades of green! :oops:

i once did that from R2 when ordering some Tune Hubs, i wanted the poison green colour but accidentally order normal green, they wouldn't take them as returns either as they had, had to order 28h, expensive mistake that

njee20

Ouch, yes, with valves I just sucked it up! It doesn't help when they have photos of an array of colours and a drop down to select. Carbon-Ti do it with their thru-axles I've noticed - Acid Green and Green or something, I can have a good guess at which is which, but it would help if they just said!

Wondered about having my hub shells re-anodised in green when I rebuilt the rear wheel, though it would be a step too far :oops: