- So, for this pro bike
we're checking out here,
actually at Nove Mesto,
we're checking Same Gaze's
Hardtail race bike that he
raced recently, at Albstadt
(electronic music)
So, one of the special features
about this epic frameset is actually,
it's got a really neat
bump guard built on there.
Because of the way the head
tube is designed on this bike,
you don't want the fork crown itself
to damage that down tube.
It's such a lightweight frame
that it could be damaged,
example of a crash or something like that.
Although the frame is especially light,
it's also incredibly stiff
and out back it's got a 430 mm chainstay,
which, whilst it isn't the
shortest on the market,
it's still very short for a 29 inch wheel.
Up the front, looking at the
cockpit here on Sam's bike,
and he's got a 720 mm wide bar,
that's quite an aggressive
width but he's a big guy,
as we know, and, of course,
he's got his 130 mm stem,
with a 24 degree negative rise on there,
and just a tiny little spacer there.
Other than that, it's a
pretty slammed front end.
As per most of the XE pro riders,
he's running those foam grips,
super light but extremely comfortable,
and really do dampen
that vibration you get
when you're out on the race track.
Brake levers are Magura Raceline MT8s,
of course, that carbon fiber construction,
mega light with loads of stopping power,
and of course, shifting
duties is from SRAM,
that's the Eagle shifter on there.
Other than that, it's a
rally clean-looking cockpit.
So, front end of the bike here,
you've got this SID World Cup fork,
but it's a little bit
different to the usual ones
you see out there, in that
it's got the Brain system,
that's specially designed for specialized,
and in conjunction with Rockshox.
Of course, it's an inertia valve system,
it opens and closes
depending on how you set it,
when it needs to.
It's an active fork, but also locks out,
more like a Hardtail,
with a rigid fork on it.
Really high-performance item.
Sam's particular set-up is
running 100 mm of travel,
but it can also be run at 90 mm,
which, of course, would steepen
that head angle even more.
Wheelset is a specialized Roval
Control carbon SLs on there,
super-light wheelset with
a 25 mm internal rim width,
and it's got that new ground
control tire on the front.
Bit more of an aggressive tire
compared to what we've seen
Sam running on other courses,
but, of course Albstadt did have
some pretty adverse
conditions to cope with.
Tire sealant on the
inside is that brand new
specialized sealant that
we saw the riders using
in prototype stage in Stellenbosch.
Just like you see with all the other bikes
with the Maguras on there,
you've got the trademark
neon yellow caliper there of
the Raceline-equipped models
and a tiny little 160 mm rotor.
Now, out the back's the same wheel set-up,
so it's Roval 25 mm
internal carbon rims there.
On this particular bike at the moment,
he's got the Renegade tire,
which is their faster rolling tire,
but he was actually
running the Fast Trak tire
at Albstadt of course, just
for that bit more grip.
The slightly newer improved version
with the wider spaced
knobs and the shoulder
that sticks out that little bit more.
Of course, they've run
that Gripton compound
that's optimized to be used
in all real race conditions,
as you'd expect, again, it's
got that specialized sealant
in the back there, and
you've got a 160 mm rotor
with that tell-tale neon
yellow Magura Raceline caliper.
Shifting duties are taken
care of by the SRAM Eagle
10/50 massive block on the back there,
and of course, it's in the
gold and black edition,
super-lightweight,
really, really high-end.
Up the front there, he's
running the Rotor 2IN cranks
with an ovalized chainring,
so 36, got plenty of power,
as we've seen him on the race track,
and, of course, he's got the
Look X-Track pedals on there.
And, as we already know
about the 2IN system,
it's especially popular with
the top elite XE racers,
because you can independently monitor
the power transfer from both of your legs,
so you can get a really
smooth training basis
for your power output.
Finishing Sam's bike off, of course,
is a carbon seat post, he
doesn't run a dropper post,
and it's got his trademark,
laid back position
on that carbon-railed
specialized saddle there.
And the total weight of this race bike
is about 8.96 kg, or 19 lb 14 oz.
And if you want to hear that wheel,
(whistles)
sounds pretty quick to me.
So, there you go, that is Sam
Gaze's Hardtail race bike.
You might not see him
racing it as much as his
full suspension bike, but where it counts,
it is ready, because, as we
know, with the XCC format,
whatever bike you choose for that,
you have to ride in the XCOs.
So, you're going to see
riders having to make
the Hardtail choice here and there.
For more pro bike-related
videos, click down here,
if you want to see Sam's
full suspension bike,
that's a specialized Epic
that he raced and won on
in South Africa, and if you
want to see all the XC tech
from Nove Mesto, click right down there.
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