Best Leadville Bike

[martyg]

I saw A LOT of S-Works in the pictures. If an age group athlete is on one of these or a similar high end FS at Leadville:

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How likely is it they also have one of these or a similar high end HT back in their garage?

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Those bikes are so similar and so expensive. I'll never be in the top 5%, so maybe I'll never understand. Gotta also spend money on a road bike, a gravel bike... N+1.

If you are competitive, you are not purchasing your bikes ( or skis, or kayaks, etc).

 

[Tom K.]

I'm surprised by the number of FS bikes ridden by the leaders.

A modern FS bike of a certain type is so darn light and efficient and equipped with lockouts that it is SO close to hardtail efficiency on smooth surfaces, but Leadville has a few rugged sections where the FS rules, both in terms of speed, but more importantly, rider fatigue reduction.

Digit Datum

Obscure reference to a really cool bike award of the week right there.

If Tim hadn't succumbed to the silly mullet trend, I'd have paid retail for a Datum because it's such a cool concept.

I like how he emphasizes the importance of pacing and setting a ceiling.

IMO, that's kind of endurance racing in a nutshell: Know how to feel your "redline", then go ride all day at 99% of that.

 

[cantunamunch]

But, hey, let's put a pin in on March 17-23 and see if anyone rides them at the Absa Cape Epic.

Well, it's here. Anyone watch the Prologue for drop bars?

 

[tball]

I saw the new Epic at a shop yesterday. When Leadville comes around, there will probably be a bunch out there, and folks can finally remain brainless!

 

[Tom K.]

I saw the new Epic at a shop yesterday. When Leadville comes around, there will probably be a bunch out there, and folks can finally remain brainless!

It's interesting to me how little anti-squat they put into the new Epic.

It's almost like the design was optimized around the $15,000 S-Works version with Flight Attendant, and the heck with the rest of the models.