I thought you were pulling a leg with the green on green haha!
Very, very tidy bike
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The Green Rocketship
- Thread starter slider_phil
- Start date
Very, very tidy bike
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Ultra Lord
Hurts. Requires Money. And is nerdy.
10.8kg with a steel frame and dropper is unreal! Absolute weapon of a bike
slider_phil
Likes Bikes and Dirt
I did the maths and I didn't believe it would happen until I saw it hanging from the scales myself
.I know I could transfer all this stuff into some cookie cutter carbon hardtail and be under 10kg, but steel bikes always feel a touch special to ride. I've had the 26" Soul and a Chromag Rootdown. The Cotic's in all honestly have a better ride feel than the Chromag. I think if I tried another Chromag, it'd be the "Surface" due to the lighter tubing.
slider_phil
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Raced the final round of the Bendigo Winter XCO series in Harcourt. Second time racing the hardtail and first time racing it with the dropper post.
One things for sure, that dropper ain't ever coming off.
Format was 5 laps (B Grade) that consisted of a fireroad start and finish straight with the bulk of it being a climb up track 7 then down 6.
Here's my power data for the race if anyone's interested in that kinda stuff (I am
)
The most interesting thing for me going into it was the descent down 6. The last time I raced here I rode my bigger bike, a 130mm/140mm Intense Primer on XC tyres. I also came back a few weekends ago and did the track with some more aggressive trail tyres (2.6 Nobby Nic up front and a 2.35 in the rear). My best time on the trail was set on the trail tyres at a 2:11. I was worried I was going to give up a heap on time on the descent with a hardtail running a 120mm fork and a 70° HA (maybe 69° with the 120mm? I can't remember
).
I did a recon run when I arrived, doing a full lap of the course. Coming down 6 felt pretty sketchy at speed and I also remember concisely using my brakes more than I should. But my time down on that recon lap was a 2:14, only 3 secs off my best ever time. I was pretty astonished to be honest!
When the race came around, I started getting much more comfortable jumping the bike, and trusting the tyres. I managed to somehow set every race lap faster than my best ever time on my big bike, with my best being a 2:06, good for a 27th overall on Strava!
Could definitely feel a bit of flex out of either the Crest rims or 32mm fork pushing hard into berms, but the bike felt predictable all day, loved it. Would be really interested to try a 34mm stanchioned fork on the front.
The wheels and tyres held up awesome. A few harsh drops and small rock gardens to plow through and the rims are still dead true, even if the bike was making some crazy noses smashing through
I was also a touch worried about the super light carbon bars. I can't remember the weight limit but I think it was 85kg
. I'm only 72kg but definitively a hard descender, but they didn't kill me .
Super fun race. And anyone that hasn't gone to Harcourt yet, do yourself a favour a start planning, so good
One things for sure, that dropper ain't ever coming off.
Format was 5 laps (B Grade) that consisted of a fireroad start and finish straight with the bulk of it being a climb up track 7 then down 6.
Here's my power data for the race if anyone's interested in that kinda stuff (I am
)
The most interesting thing for me going into it was the descent down 6. The last time I raced here I rode my bigger bike, a 130mm/140mm Intense Primer on XC tyres. I also came back a few weekends ago and did the track with some more aggressive trail tyres (2.6 Nobby Nic up front and a 2.35 in the rear). My best time on the trail was set on the trail tyres at a 2:11. I was worried I was going to give up a heap on time on the descent with a hardtail running a 120mm fork and a 70° HA (maybe 69° with the 120mm? I can't remember
).I did a recon run when I arrived, doing a full lap of the course. Coming down 6 felt pretty sketchy at speed and I also remember concisely using my brakes more than I should. But my time down on that recon lap was a 2:14, only 3 secs off my best ever time. I was pretty astonished to be honest!
When the race came around, I started getting much more comfortable jumping the bike, and trusting the tyres. I managed to somehow set every race lap faster than my best ever time on my big bike, with my best being a 2:06, good for a 27th overall on Strava!
Could definitely feel a bit of flex out of either the Crest rims or 32mm fork pushing hard into berms, but the bike felt predictable all day, loved it. Would be really interested to try a 34mm stanchioned fork on the front.
The wheels and tyres held up awesome. A few harsh drops and small rock gardens to plow through and the rims are still dead true, even if the bike was making some crazy noses smashing through
I was also a touch worried about the super light carbon bars. I can't remember the weight limit but I think it was 85kg
. I'm only 72kg but definitively a hard descender, but they didn't kill me .Super fun race. And anyone that hasn't gone to Harcourt yet, do yourself a favour a start planning, so good
Ultra Lord
Hurts. Requires Money. And is nerdy.
Good stuff with the improvements! Just gotta go back woth the big bike now, if you can push that hard with xc tyres the trail tyres have more to give
slider_phil
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Exactly my thinking. Top time is a 1:48 and 18 seconds is quite a bit of speed difference to overcome. Next time I'm there the goal will to get under 2 mins.
Results came out last night. Got my best finish of the series with a 7th place in B grade.
Next race is looking like the Bright 6hr. But also looking at doing the new Vic XCO series that starts in a couple of months.
steve jobs' pancreas
Eats Squid
I'll be in harcourt in Oct, gotta go find that jump !!
slider_phil
Likes Bikes and Dirt
You probably won't find that one, it's off a fireroad and not part of the official trail network! But just about every trail has jumps built into them.
Trail 2 is the jump line trail, so much fun! Trail 4 also has some pretty fun jumps, and a literal ton of berms into berms into berms corning. Just thinking about it makes me want to take a day of work and drive out there
slider_phil
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Biggest race on the hardtail this year! Teamed up with a mate to tackle the Alfred 6hr in Bright.
Tried to set myself up for it with a 2 week taper, so keeping the training intensity high but volume low. Come the day of my legs were feeling fresh and ready to go.
We did the old coin flip on who would go first and I drew the short straw. Plan was to go all out on the first lap and then let my mate take over for two laps while I recovered.
You can see me coming back into the transition area on the first lap up. The event had live timing on a website so everyone could keep track of the racing. I came through and handed over in 4th place, with 3rd crossing the line only a few seconds in front of us. 1st and 2nd were in touch, but they looked strong.
After old mate did his two laps we were back in 3rd with about 4 mins gap to 4th and 2nd was 8 mins up the road. Both first and second looked consistently a bit quicker than us but all it takes is one mechanical on course.
Teammate heading back into it after the transition
From that point on we did single laps each until the finish. Each lap was around 25 mins long. The last few after nearly 6hrs was brutal on the hardtails. My lap times at the start were high 23s/low 24s, while the last few where mid to high 25s and a low 26. Fairly consistent but the top two teams were regularly in the high 23s, keeping us out of touch.
Finished! Old mate handing me a beer (Kaiju Crush if you must know) after crossing the line, cementing 3rd place for us.
Looking over the bike the next day I saw this on the rear tire. I was running the 2.25 Aspen's without exo protection, and it could have definitily cost us 3rd place!
Otherwise, the bike held up better than the rider. The dropper was used liberally and the tyres pushed to their absolute limits all day long.
Some metrics for the day
First mountain biking trophy
Few shots of the bike the morning after.
Tried to set myself up for it with a 2 week taper, so keeping the training intensity high but volume low. Come the day of my legs were feeling fresh and ready to go.
We did the old coin flip on who would go first and I drew the short straw. Plan was to go all out on the first lap and then let my mate take over for two laps while I recovered.
You can see me coming back into the transition area on the first lap up. The event had live timing on a website so everyone could keep track of the racing. I came through and handed over in 4th place, with 3rd crossing the line only a few seconds in front of us. 1st and 2nd were in touch, but they looked strong.
After old mate did his two laps we were back in 3rd with about 4 mins gap to 4th and 2nd was 8 mins up the road. Both first and second looked consistently a bit quicker than us but all it takes is one mechanical on course.
Teammate heading back into it after the transition
From that point on we did single laps each until the finish. Each lap was around 25 mins long. The last few after nearly 6hrs was brutal on the hardtails. My lap times at the start were high 23s/low 24s, while the last few where mid to high 25s and a low 26. Fairly consistent but the top two teams were regularly in the high 23s, keeping us out of touch.
Finished! Old mate handing me a beer (Kaiju Crush if you must know) after crossing the line, cementing 3rd place for us.
Looking over the bike the next day I saw this on the rear tire. I was running the 2.25 Aspen's without exo protection, and it could have definitily cost us 3rd place!
Otherwise, the bike held up better than the rider. The dropper was used liberally and the tyres pushed to their absolute limits all day long.
Some metrics for the day
First mountain biking trophy
Few shots of the bike the morning after.
hifiandmtb
Sphincter beanie
Great little writeup there Phil (words & pics). You can tell you & your mate are pinned...
slider_phil
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Cheers
. Definitely pinned all day. The beer (and subsequent few beers) felt well deserved. It was a well ran event and doing the podiums at the brewery was a good choice
That's something we've been debating. There were sections that a duel suspension bike would've been more efficient and a little faster. Think rooted section's climbing around a creek. Also the transition area was freshly dug and extremely rocky. So most of us hardtail guys ended up riding on the grass alongside the trail towards the end.
A significant part of the climb was a fireroad. So weight and efficiency was always going to be key there. And most of the time over an XC course is made on the climbs.
The descent was loose and fast, but
not overly technical. Definitely steep, as Bright usually is. I don't think I'd have been much faster on the descent and I proved this to myself at Harcourt a few weeks ago, setting descent times just as fast as my 130/140mm 29er. It's more white knuckled, that's for sure, but not necessarily slower.
Comfort wise, I'd have been loving it. But I reckon rolling resistance and power to weight were the biggest factors yesterday. I think if I'd have had an XC duallie at the same weight and build, the times would've been very similar.
But, my taint would probably be much happier
.
Ultra Lord
Hurts. Requires Money. And is nerdy.
But, my taint would probably be much happier
Congrats on third! Great write up and photo’s.
Whoever’s idea it was to host the awards at the brewery deserves a hi five or something, that’s a brilliant way to do it.
Benny Storer
Likes Bikes
Slider Phil's old 'Green Rocketship' lives on in Taswegia where it is regularly thrown down Maydena with reckless abandon. Pikes, Minions, -2 degree headset and big brakes. No longer a weight weenies whip. Sorry to be beating the Solaris to death Phil, ...but it deserves it.
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slider_phil
Likes Bikes and Dirt
You monster! Sell it back to me right now
Benny Storer
Likes Bikes
The Solaris told me it never liked XC anyway..You monster! Sell it back to me right now
Ultra Lord
Hurts. Requires Money. And is nerdy.
Thank fuck somebody loves it enough to ride it.
droenn
Fat Man's XC President
aww yiss. How much of a different does the -2 headset make? Was suggested on the weekend to consider one for mine....
Benny Storer
Likes Bikes
The -2 makes HEAPS of difference, immediately noticeable. I'm mostly hitting stupid steep and rough trails (ever ridden the Cascade Trails in South Hobart?) and the slacker head angle helps with confidence descending. Took it from 69 to 67 degrees. I'm glad I made the change.