Hello!! I’m going to be doing the Park City Point 2 Point this year and am looking for bike advice.
I have two options for bikes, based upon my budget -
1, Lighten up my XL Rocky Mountain Instinct (140/140) - my research shows I can get it from 13.6kg/30lbs (GX/Stans Flow/ (F)Cushcore/Maxxis 2.4 WT etc) to 11.9kg/26.2lbs. or:
2. Buy a hardtail XC bike and add a dropper and beef up the tires.
My equipment concerns and considerations at the moment are weight of bike and geo to help me make it through the 75miles. My riding style is more jumpy and enduro than XC - if that helps?
Cheers, Sam
If you’re going to be doing more XC type races/riding, buying a hardtail might make sense. If not, doesn’t seem worth it to buy a bike for just one race.
I rode Leadville on a 130/130 and it was fine. 140/140 is probably overkill for P2P, but it could easily work if you have a descent lockout for your rear shock.
For a long hard race like that, a lighter bike is definitely going to be of value. Some of the newer hardtails that have some compliance built in (Trek Procaliber, Niner Air9RDO, Santa Cruz Highball, etc) would be reasonable options.
The other consideration is would be a short travel 29er like the Yeti SB100, Specialized Epic etc. These are really capable bikes and would seem to strike a great balance for a singletrack race like the Park City P2P. However they will be more $$$.
I do live in PC and ride these trails all the time, I’m not sure how a hardtail would feel after 40-50miles, so would the weight penalty of my 140/140 be worth the comfort in the long run? (the shock locks out solidly).
My limited funds mean I’m either upgrading the RM, or going hardtail…
My dream bike for the P2P would be Santa Cruz Blur or Blur TR (it has a long reach - I’m 6ft5)…
If you can get it down to 26lbs, that’s pretty light for a full sus. Given you have a lockout for the rear shock, it’ll pedal well. And after 7+ (?) hrs in the saddle, full sus will be a lot nicer than a hardtail.
If I were you, I’d ride it on the bike you’re used to.
I’ll be riding the Grand Junction Off Road and Leadville on the same bike. Very different courses. But I’m used to my Trek Fuel, and it weighs 25 lbs, so I don’t feel like I’m sacrificing much for Leadville.
Yeah. A 130mm FS bike is more that what’s needed for Leadville. But I’m not going to spend several thousand on a lighter FS XC bike for one race, as the Fuel is a perfect do it all bike for the trails I typically ride.