Raleigh Mountain bikes

We will be riding protoype Raleigh full suspension mountain bikes using the new Raleigh 2009 Full suspension prototype. This is a full suss that has space for 2 big bottles in the main frame. No suicide cage and no hydration pack needed. It is like riding a hard tail but with 4” of plush horst link suspension. Truly a great frame.

The rest of the components on our bikes are specced differently depending on our preferences, budget and with as many BBB Parts as possible.

For more info on choosing a Cape Epic bike and more information on past bike equipment and parts choices checkout our Cape Epic Guide.
 

Big Al's 2008 Epic Bike

This year I have had the privilege of literally hand picking each and every component on my bike. It has been fun and stressful! I hope that all my choices pay off and help to achieve the goals.

Frame – This is the full suss that brought me back from the hard tail.

Wheels – After a long debate with myself I am riding my old XTR wheelset. It is a proper tubeless rim which I still prefer over conversion kits. The wheels have served me well for more than 3 years, so I hope they are still up to the task of another Cape Epic.

Tyres – New Maxxis Monorail UST Tubeless. I can confidently say that I will be the only one riding the UST version of this tyre from South Africa. I have managed to special order a set for the race. I prefer riding proper tubeless tyres in the Epic. I don’t take chances with non tubeless tyres, they will get cut!

Handlebar – BBB Fiberlite OS. This bar is a great shape and the perfect width for me. It is light and strong.

Stem – BBB Ultraforce 120mm. Again, light and stiff. I am using a 120mm. this in combination with the long top tube on the new frame gives me a nice stretched out feel on the bike.

Saddle – BBB Compdesign. This is the most plain of all the BBB saddles. I have really become used to the shape and I now ride it on all my bikes.

Seat Post. – This is a prototype I am testing. I cannot say too much about it.

Brakes – I chose the new 2008 XT brakes, they really are the best brakes I have ever ridden. They never rub, you can adjust the lever reach without tools and they stop the bike. What more would you want.

Shifters – I am using the new XTR trigger shifters. I like that I can shift down with my thumb or forefinger and I also love the multishift both ways.

Crank – I am again riding the new XTR crank. They are light.

Rear derailleur – I am running the 2008 XT shadow derailleur. It shifts very precisely and there is no real chain slap from the new stiff spring.

Front Derailleur – Here I am using the new XTR. There is simply no better front shifting available than the combination of XTR crank and XTR front derailleur.

Cables – BBB Outer cables and BBB inner cables. They work as well as any in the business.

Bottle Cages – BBB Speed cage. They are light and the look really good.

Other Al's Epic 2008 Bike

I too am riding the new frame and have been really happy with it. I have done almost 3000km on it now and have been super comfortable. The comfort compared to my previous Marathon Team and RDS 9 is significantly better. The  linkage layout is the horst link suspension which is the same as those spaz bikes out there, except that this one is fully active so it is a super plush ride. It feels like way more than the 4" of travel than that there actually is. The geometry is great and I have hardly had to adjust the setup to fit me properly.

Most of the other parts on the bike are built over from my marathon team so I have a full XTR groupset which is superlight, strong and reliable. It is a bit of an overkill for my level but I've got it so I will use it.

Brakes - We will be using the BBB Discstop sintered pads and have a few sets as spares just incase it gets wet. Even the sintered pads that will outlast the resin type by far, can become worn out in one day of really wet weather.

Wheels - DT Swiss 1540s, they have been great so far and survived the last epic easily so they are good for another one. They are light and strong. Tyres are Maxis tubeless, normally would have been the crossmarks but Big Al has sourced even better tyres for us that will give equal durability and low rolling resistance but with added grip.

The fork is my trusty Reba World Cup that has never let me down. With the remote lockout it is perfect for out of saddle bursts and hill climbs.

BBB parts on my bike have come through with flying colours during training so we will be using many parts in the actual event itself. I have the following BBB items fitted, Mountaingo pedals, Fibrestraight bar ends, Fibrelite OS riser bar, Mountainforce stem, Compdesign ctl seat, Powerline chain, Roller boys derailleur pulleys, Windmill pump, Easypack saddle bag and Maxifold L multi tool.

For reviews on these parts checkout BBB Parts Reviews.
 

Cape Epic Training

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