Might need an MTB...

[Tin Pot]

Ok, no rush on this but just realised an event I'm planning on next summer is not in fact a road race...

http://www.stantonamarlberg.com/en/archiv/events-archive/arlberg-bike-marathon-1

It's a 38km mountain bike race.

I'm not competitive but I'd like the right sort of bike - I'm guessing my Trax TFS.1 BSO won't be up to the task.

Anyone know about MTB racing?

 

[fossyant]

I can safely say, if you ride a Trax on an event, you might just die !

 

[HarryTheDog]

38km isnt that far, though looks like a lot of climb 1622m difference in alttitude. If you dont do much other off-road riding you probably dont want to spend too much money you dont really need to. I have known people happily get around the hadliegh olympic MTB course on a bog standard Halfords Carrera vulcan. In the pictures the 2 blokes were just using bog standard hardtails which is probably all you want, no need for a full bouncer. I do race XC and have done some riding in switzerland off-road. I would suggest get something with a very low gearing and fairly light and would go down the secondhand route, and 29er or 650b wheels.
I know people who do enduro events and they all have full sussers for comfort but the courses are a lot longer than 38km and probaly more technical.

 

[Kajjal]

1600m or about 5000ft of climbing on a mountain bike off road will be hard work unless you get low enough gearing. The longest off road climb I did was 3000ft and luckily most of the trail was fairly smooth enough except carrying the bike up a steep rocky section towards the end. The 38km will be fine.

The other thing is you will need to practice riding off road as it is very different to on road and needs more strength and bike handling skills. On a road bike it is all about controlled power and endurance. Off road it is more like circuit training, one moment you are really forcing the bike and the next having to finely control it round tight corners at speed or over / past trail hazards. For this reason you have to hold back a little to make sure you don't get too tired to handle the bike properly. On road this doesn't matter as crashing into trees or falling off the trail down a gorge is not normally a problem !

 

[Tin Pot]

Is there any chance this could be a course for a (don't tell anyone I suggested it) CX bike?

http://www.mountainbikers-paradise.com/mobile/track/stanton/arlbergmarathon

25% is on asphalt
40% woodland
29% gravel
1% trail

 

[Kajjal]

Had a look at the photos and it looks similar to some of the riding i have done in areas with mountains. A mountain bike will be smoother and easier to ride by the look of the trails and that is what the organisers are suggesting. The wider knobbly tyres with suspension give more grip, and in my experience 29" wheels give more grip climbing loose steep surfaces compared to smaller wheel sizes. The hydraulic brakes also give alot of control off road.

A CX style bike will be faster on smoother sections but beat you up more on rougher sections. Also due to no suspension and smaller width tyres they will not grip as well on looser, steep, rougher sections. I did a 50 mile mainly off road ride on my gravel (cx style) bike. On the rougher, technical trails i was taking a bit of a beating but on the smoother straighter trails it is faster than my xc mountain bike.

 

[HarryTheDog]

I put the course description through a online translater and it mentioned gravelly subsoil, but not very technical. So I take it that it means loose surface but no drop offs or jumps ok for novices. As soon as I hear gravel and loose I want fat tyres. Also thy might ban CX bikes. Over here I find all XC races and Enduros ban CX bikes, however most CX events unless UCI rules, allow MTB's. I found a couple of vids looks very loose in places but you could do it on a CX.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zln1dHCrjnM

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DVJ2SgqaXM

 

[Tin Pot]

Thanks @Kajjal @HarryTheDog got a response from the organisers, CX bikes are banned from entry, which is a good thing as I spent three hours trying to find a zydeco at a better price than £1100 and had convinced myself of its value as a commuter..!

Cinelli Geo £950
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/cinelli-hobootleg-geo-2016/

Or

Binachi Duel £360
http://www.hargrovescycles.co.uk/bianchi-duel-27-1-2016-mountain-bike.html#Tab1

I don't really know MTB sizing except that my 19" Trax TFS.1 was probably too big.

 

[Kajjal]

The cheapest quality new MTB is a Voodoo Bizango. It is well spec'ed and made for the money and gets 10/10 in most reviews but is not a lightweight xc bike. As the bikes are supplied by Halfords you need to give them a good once over to make sure all is OK but it is unlikely you will get any issues that a quick tweak won't fix. Check the web for reviews.

To get more for you money second hand is a good choice. Bikes like the Specialized Carve / Crave are well spec'ed entry level XC race bikes. Just be careful they are in good condition and the 2013 or newer models have much lighter frames and wheels. Plenty of other similar bikes from other manufacturers available. Also if you decide to sell afterwards you should get most of your money back.

 

[Tin Pot]

The cheapest quality new MTB is a Voodoo Bizango. It is well spec'ed and made for the money and gets 10/10 in most reviews but is not a lightweight xc bike. As the bikes are supplied by Halfords you need to give them a good once over to make sure all is OK but it is unlikely you will get any issues that a quick tweak won't fix. Check the web for reviews.

To get more for you money second hand is a good choice. Bikes like the Specialized Carve / Crave are well spec'ed entry level XC race bikes. Just be careful they are in good condition and the 2013 or newer models have much lighter frames and wheels. Plenty of other similar bikes from other manufacturers available. Also if you decide to sell afterwards you should get most of your money back.

Thanks for the advice. My purchasing follows a familiar pattern, I buy to hold whether it's gear, property or shares - I have never sold anything on (except shares).

I'm in love with Cinelli, and unlikely to be smitten by a MTB brand because it speaks to all the qualities I do not value - recklessness, adrenaline, childishness. Of course, i have all these characteristics, i just like to pretend I'm above all that.

The Geo is a bit pricey for something I don't want, I could've sold myself a CX bike as "one for the Mrs" but I can't race on it...so I might go with the Bianchi as it looks cool.

I suppose I could make it a bike for my boy, especially with a ridiculous name like "Bizango" but Indont know if I could stomach housing that next to Cinelli, Titleist, Vega, Porsche, Nordica.

Mind you I'm reduced to drinking "Faustino" tonight.

So all in all, it turns out I'm a bit of a snob!

 

[HarryTheDog]

If you are un-likely to use a MTB again maybe borrow or hire one. If you were a short arse and lived around here I would lend you my older bike, for the duration for the price of a few beers on the condition you break it you pay for it, but as you are neither, someone else might. Also if this is a holiday destination there might be a hire place there. Saves you transporting it as well.

 

[Tin Pot]

I've had a look at another event in Estonia I'd like to try which is on snow, its run under ITU rules which I've downloaded but all I see is that basically it needs to be a mountain bike.

Can you guys make out what these guys are competing on? I can't even make out if they are front sus or rigid...

 

[HarryTheDog]

I had a look at this site http://www.triathlon.org/multisports/winter_triathlon . In the vids most are hardtails with front suspension, some are not like the bike to the foreground in your last picture. My MTB team mate races on rigid suspension, its doable. I expect the tyres are very specialised though no info from a brief google.
Note if you want very light forks with a bit of suspension these are becoming more popular.( though expensive-ish)
http://www.laufforks.com/lauf-trail-racer/