I’m looking to get into a few cross/Xterra triathlons this upcoming summer but am a bit stuck on the
search for a bike.
Any recommendations from off-roaders out there ?
Looking to be competitive but stay under $3K before taxes. Also not stuck on
any particular brand.
Thanks for the advice.
I don’t think Xterra allows cross bikes so check the rules before you buy. I think bike choice really depends on what kind of course you are going to be on. You will get a lot of recommendations for full suspension 26" or hard tail 29". This means that there are lot’s of great deals to be had on 26" hard tails.
Build yourself a rigid single-speed to train on, then the 26" hard tail will seem like a technological wonder.
Most Xterra courses aren’t particularly technical and can easily be ridden on a 29er hardtail. You can get a lot of bike for 3k. I personally like the Specialized Stumpjumper Comp - it’s a great bike and you really don’t need to go much higher up the product line, especially since you are just getting into it. The Specialized Epic is also a great bike, but a bit pricier and IMO full suspension is overkill for most Xterra races.
I think 29 inch carbon hardtail is the way to go for Xterra. Check out bikesdirect.com, they have a 29 carbon with sram xx for about 3,000.00. I saw a bunch of guys on full suspension bikes at snowbasin and that is overkill in my opinion.
Get a Niner hard tail, those things are very sweet riding bike.
I went from a 29er hard tal back to a 26 wheel bike with rear suspension. For an easy course, I built up a low end full rigid 26 wheel bike with a double crank that is pretty light. I think for Xterra type races a carbon hardtail 26 wheel bike with nice wheels and a weight of maybe 21 pounds would be perfect and easy to find at a discount, as the large wheel bikes are more popular. I prefer how the 26 wheel bike handles.
Like others have said, a 29er hardtail is ideal for most XTERRA courses. I would suggest riding as many bikes as you can before you make your decision. One specific bike I would be sure to throw your leg over is a Cannondale Flash 29er (there is an alloy as well as a carbon bike in that price range). While I don’t own one (yet), I’ve had the opportunity to race on one a number of times (from 12 - 100 miles) and I have found the bike quick and nimble. From the cockpit, looking down at the lefty fork is a bit strange, but it is super stiff when its locked out and it provides plenty of shock absorption when you need it.
Niner EMD/AIR frame, X0 or X9 if you dig sram and XT if you dig shimano for drivetrain and brakes and stan’s arch ex wheelset with stan’s hubs.
going to be very hard to outride that rig on an xterra course
How big are you?
I went from a 29er hard tal back to a 26 wheel bike with rear suspension. For an easy course, I built up a low end full rigid 26 wheel bike with a double crank that is pretty light. I think for Xterra type races a carbon hardtail 26 wheel bike with nice wheels and a weight of maybe 21 pounds would be perfect and easy to find at a discount, as the large wheel bikes are more popular. I prefer how the 26 wheel bike handles.
While I’m probably not the mountain biker you are, I too went to a FS 26er after riding a 29er HT for a year. I’m just not big enough to ride the 29er and be able to pull that front wheel over stuff on the trail.
If they built a 29er with a higher BB so I could get over the front end more I would be interested but the only bike I’ve ridden that’s close to fitting me is the XS Niner EMD.
jaretj
I went from a 29er hard tal back to a 26 wheel bike with rear suspension. For an easy course, I built up a low end full rigid 26 wheel bike with a double crank that is pretty light. I think for Xterra type races a carbon hardtail 26 wheel bike with nice wheels and a weight of maybe 21 pounds would be perfect and easy to find at a discount, as the large wheel bikes are more popular. I prefer how the 26 wheel bike handles.
While I’m probably not the mountain biker you are, I too went to a FS 26er after riding a 29er HT for a year. I’m just not big enough to ride the 29er and be able to pull that front wheel over stuff on the trail.
If they built a 29er with a higher BB so I could get over the front end more I would be interested but the only bike I’ve ridden that’s close to fitting me is the XS Niner EMD.
jaretj
The 29er is nice, I have a singlespeed rigid that I ride sometimes, but for me I have been so happy with the lightweight (somewhat) carbon 26 wheel FS bike (Mine is a felt something, edict I think) I find that I do more riding in the woods and do longer rides because of the comfort over the roots and rocks. Sometimes I miss the 21 pound carbon hardtail 26 bike I had, but you can’t have everything and still have a place to park the car in the garage. If I was going to do double duty and race cyclocross on a MTB, I guess I’d go with a 29er hard tail and swap a rigid fork and some nice tubular tires for cross.
I've ridden MTB for >25 years, had (have) lots of bikes, and have slowly moved almost completely to 29er (height 5'10" ). That said, if I had no bikes at this point, and was goin'-a-shoppin', I'd seriously consider the new 650B/27.5 bikes, in a f/s or HT, depending on the terrain where you live. For 3 grand you can get a pretty good version of either. Post where you live and what Xterra's you think you'll race, and folks here will be able to give better info.
As an XTERRA race director, I can confirm, that cyclocross bikes are NOT allowed at XTERRA races. I get the question at least a few times each year, especially since the XTERRA Jersey Devil course would be well suited for cyclocross bikes if they were allowed.
To further answer your question also as an XTERRA racer, I would say, like others, it depends on what races you are going to do and where you ride every day. In my opinion the best options for mtn bikes now are the ones that you can lock out the rear suspension, and if you are looking at spending in the 3k range you could get something that does that. Try out as many bikes as you can and go with what feels best.
Bob Horn
XTERRA Jersey Devil Race Director
Thanks for your help everyone.
I’m 5’10 and live in Toronto. Not a lot of technical trails around here but a few good ones within driving distance.
I’ve visited my LBS and they recommended a FS bike because it would provide more control. The general response is I could do just as well with HT if I wasn’t getting into heavy trail rides.
I haven’t pinned down anything specific races apart from the Canadian Cross Triathlon championships an hour down the road from here.
Anyone have a good example of a XTERRA course that would be best served by a FS bike ? That might provide a clearer picture if I see myself progressing to that level of technical riding in the future.
As with anything new, my only concern is that I may outgrow a HT if I start traveling to races or taking the bike with me on vacation.
I do a lot of Mtb racing and do it all on a HT. Even most Mtb races aren’t so technical that you need FS. You’ll need dropping more than 3k on a good FS bike.
At 5’10 you would probably like a 29er HT. Take the time to set yourself up tubeless.
If you can afford a good FS bike which 3K would do well, then go for it.
I disagree with most on here: 29er full susp is the way to go. I built up a niner jet 9 rdo to 23.2 lbs. Thats almost no weight penalty compared to a similarly built hardtail, and trust me, when you need fs, youll be damn glad to have it. Also as a newbie, full squish allows you to suck a little bit more than ht, without the consequences.
I would add the Specialized SJ FSR. While the full suspension may be overkill for an Xterra it is great for other events and won’t detract from Xterra either. If you have money to burn get a hardtail and full suspension.
It depends you skillset.
If you are mostly a roadie, go with a FS. You are more likely to have enough power in the legs to carry the extra weight which will help you on the downhills and allow you to gain that extra bit of traction on the climbs. A friend and I have similarly equipped Niners. He has the fully, I have the HT. The difference in weight and responsiveness is BIG. For Xterra, I would choose my HT, for Marathon I would have been better off choosing his Fully.
If you have a strong MTB background, your technical skills are better developped. The lighter frame and responsiveness will allow you to climb even better and when the skills match up, the downhill doesn’t need to be slower.
I’ve done muliplte MTB X-Country and Marathon (single- and multi-day event) races many years ago on a HT. Then the technology became mature and realiable enough for for light-fullies. I’m talking Scott Spark, S-Works SJR, Canondale Slice - all with 130mm rear and 120mm front. They made me faster towards the end of the longer rides (+80km) because of the increased comfort, not because of anything else. For XTERRA events, I would recommend you to go for a light setup, 29"r Carbon with remote-lockout front-suspension, 2.3" tires in tubeless running on approx. 2bar. One very important side-note: Don’t go light on your brakes. Take a 185 or 180 mm disc-rotor on the front and a 160m on the back. The weight you save with a 160-140 setup is very small, the difference in braking power however is huge. It helps at the end of the descends having confidence that you have sufficient and reliable braking-power. One other thing you might want to consider (again depending on your skillset and the course layout), is a seat-post you can drop. A lower sadle helps greatly with your more rear-ward balance during descends. The current hydraulic or air-versions or light enough, have a remote-trigger to drop/raise on the fly and it does help you to gain confidence during the descends. Confidence is the key to speed when gravity starts helping you 
If you want to fine-tune your MTB-skills (especially descend), the best thing I can recommend is to go FreeRiding in a mountain-area. Hire a decent downhill bike and just hit the slopes for a few days. Apart from a LOT of fun, it’s a great learning experience being in a typically great environment. I know the downhill position, geometry etc is all different, but the technique you learn and the confidence in being able to handle downhills with a higher speed are very valuable. Being a average biker with a MTB background, I overtake a LOT of people on the descends and some overtake me again on the climbs. For you to guess who comes in T2 with fresher legs
Best of luck,
S.
Twitter less, Tri Harder