I've failed to achieve a belt buckle (finishing the Marji under 12-hours) three times on purebred XC race machines, so it's time to bring out something a little more unconventional. Weapon of choice? A Gen3 Cotic FlareMax. It's not fer sale.
What you see above is roughly 4 or 5 bikes mashed into one. A collection of all the lightweight but trail-worthy components I've been able to score or snag a deal on over the years. Those parts are held together by a single pivot Cotic FlareMax frame that's seen more than its fair share of abuse and absolutely zero maintenance to any bearings or bushings. That's not to say that the bike is clapped, I'm simply speaking about the quality of the build from the crew over in the UK.
The FlareMax above, affectionately named "Gypsy II" after a beloved childhood dog that shares many of its chaotic characteristics, weighs approximately 27lbs. It could be lighter, but if I cared so much about that, I wouldn't be riding a 4kg frame (for reference, a Specialized Epic Evo frame weighs 1.7kg). To compensate for the relatively heavy frame, I've done my best to ensure the unsprung mass is as light as possible. The sprung weight of the bike + rider weighs around 180lbs, so the 4lb difference between my steel framed Cotic and an ultralight Specialized Epic only accounts for ~1.7% of the total sprung weight. Aka, not enough to care about. I'm fine with being ~1.7% slower while pedaling and the tradeoff being a bike that feels fantastic going up and down, with the added benefit of steel frames being near indestructible.
For numbers, in this configuration it's got a 66-deg head-angle, a 76-deg seat-angle, 468mm of reach, and a 1225mm wheelbase. I've also tilted the saddle down into a fairly aggressive position, but that will be changed for the rolling terrain the Marji is on. The rear travel is 128mm (I think), and the front is 120mm. These Drop Link bikes are very efficient climbing machines but tend to "lock up" when hard on the brakes. To compensate, I've gotten better at letting go of the brakes over chunky terrain and trusting the bike to eat up the compressions.
The Bits
Tires & Wheels
It's a fairly typical affair for lightweight "downcounty" riding. I've got a 29x2.4" Maxxis Aspen in the rear without an insert for minimal rolling resistance and high enough volume to prevent pinch flats. I plan on running ~19-20psi in this tire during the Marji Gesick. In the front, I've gone for a 29x2.4" Rekon that will be set to ~17psi. I've had great luck racing Rekon's in the PNW, and the dirt is similar enough in the 'yoop to expect the same.
Both rims are Nox Teocali 32h, with the rear being a replacement from cracking a rim last summer. I highly recommend these rims, and the warranty is phenomenal to boot. Laced to the Nox's are a set of DT Swiss 240 hubs, which are as light as I'm willing to go. I snagged these just before leaving Backcountry.com and got them built by Jack's Bikes here in Bellingham. I'm not sure what they weigh, but I'd put them around the 1550g mark.
Suspension
The fork is a Fox 34 SC with the fit4 damper. Currently, I've got 2 tokens in there along with 75psi, but I'll take a token out and drop the PSI a hair for Marji. In the rear is a mystery shock I snagged from a friend... It's a RockShox SID Deluxe R, not sure what size or tune, but it seems to work fine on the bike. I've got the PSI pretty high to keep it at ~25% sag, and I'll drop that a little for the Marji. Both the shock and fork have a lockout, but I doubt I'll use them in anything but the 'open' setting while racing.
The other fork for this bike is a 140mm Pike Ultimate with a Charger damper. It's a fantastic fork, and the bike descends much better with it on, but the 120mm Fox 34 is too fast and efficient to justify dealing with the 140mm Pike's weight and inefficiency penalty.
Brakes & Drivetrain
For brakes, I have the least user-friendly set of Magura trash known to bike riders anywhere. The plastic MT3 levers are mated to an MT3 (front) and MT8 (rear) caliper with SRAM's 180mm centerline rotors front and rear. They work decent enough, but I've wasted so much mineral oil trying to get them to a usable state. The front brake is still squishy, and it's driving me mad. Luckily, the Marji trails don't have extended periods of heavy braking, so I should be fine even with sub-par stopping power.
The drivetrain is the tried and true "SRAMano" mix of parts. I didn't want to swap out freehubs or get a new and expensive XTR cassette, so I've kept the SRAM cassette and chain mated with a Shimano shifter and derailleur. It works flawlessly, and I've never had a problem with either system. The Shimano derailleur is lightyears ahead of the SRAM system in terms of durability and clutch quality, while the SRAM X01 cassette and chain have good wear life. The only downside is that I'm limited to a 10-50 cassette in the back, and with a 34t chainring paired with 170mm cranks, I find I'm in the 50t more often than I would like.
You may have also noticed the SRAM XX1 Quarq power meter cranks, and rest assured, I also snagged that for a scorching deal at a local bike shop's blowout event. Before finding those, I was running a set of 175mm forged alloy cranks from Raceface, and I think I dropped over a pound switching to the XX1's. They're a little too light for comfort, but they haven't snapped on me (yet). I will not be looking at power, heart rate, or cadence while racing, because, in this event, it does not matter in the slightest.
Contact Points
Nothing too crazy here. I've got a PNW Bachelor seatpost with 175mm of travel that I've shoved in the frame. It barely fits, and if my legs were even the slightest bit shorter, I could only run a 150mm dropper. That being said, I've been loving the 175mm post, and I'll happily take the weight penalty to have as much drop as possible. Handlebards are some old Truvativ Descendant 31.8mm carbon bars that have been cut down to 750mm. I'm not sure of the rise figure, but somewhere around 25mm is my best guess. I run a 35mm stem bought off eBay for cheap, and some PNW loam lock-on grips. The saddle is a WTB Volt(?) that I've put ~20,000 miles on. It's not the best, lightest, or even most comfortable, but my butt is used to it and that's all that matters in long-distance racing. Finally, I'm running some XTR pedals that I've been using and racing on for over 5 years. Bombproof, light, and happy to take continued abuse with near-zero maintenance.
Stickers
Top left - Bastardized "Cycling is not a crime" sticker. Now reads "Cycling is crime"
Top middle - "Please Pee On Me" Trump sticker, directly under the saddle and in a prime pee spot should I wet myself while riding.
Top right - "Meatmotor". Friend of a friend made some stickers out of his leg tattoo. #neverebikes
Bottom left - Classic cars are coffins sticker. Last I checked, you could snag a 10-pack for $5. Pretty cool squad.
That's it. That's the bike. Can't wait!!
👀🔥