Mountain Bike Rider — March 2018

Make/model Cannondale Scalpel-Si Carbon 3 Giant Anthem Advanced29er 1 KTM Scarp 29 Master12 LTD ScottSpark RC900Team Specialized Epic CompCarbon

Price £3,999.99 £3,449 £3,699.99 £3,699 £3,500

Weight 11.55kg (25.46lb) 11.58kg (25.53lb) 10.99kg (24.23lb) 11.35kg (25.02lb) 11.66kg (25.71lb)

Contact cannondale.com giant-bicycles.com flidistribution.co.uk scott-sports.com specialized.com

FRAME

Sizes S (27.5in), M, L, XL (29in) M, L, XL 17, 19, 21in S, M, L, XL S, M, L, XL

Size tested LL19inLL

Frame material Scalpel-Si BallisTec carbon Composite/ALUXX SLAdvanced-Grade UDPerformancecarbon RCcarbonHMF FACT11Mcarbon

Suspension fork Cannondale Lefty 2.0 XLR RockShox SID RL Fox 32 Float SCPerformance Fox 32 Float SCPerformance RockShox Reba RL

Rear shock RockShox Monarch XX RockShox Deluxe RT Fox Float DPSPerformance Fox Nude RockShox/SpecializedMicro Brain

Front travel 100mm 100mm 100mm 100mm 100mm

Rear travel 100mm 90mm 90mm 100mm 100mm

WHEELS

Hubs C-Zero Lefty/142mm Giant XCR 110/148mm DT Swiss 110/148mm Syncros XR 2.5 110/148mm Specialized sealed110/148mm

Rims Stan’s NoTubes Crest Mk3 Giant XCR 1 Carbon 29 KTM-DT Pro 3 CC Syncros XR 2.5 Roval Control 29

Spokes Stainless steel Stainless steel Stainless steel Stainless steel Stainless steel

Tyres Schwalbe Racing Ralph EVO 29x2.25in Maxxis Ikon EXO TR29x2.2in Schwalbe Rocket Ron Evo29x2.3/2.1in Maxxis Aspen TR29x2.25in Specialized Fast TrakGripton 29x2.3/2.1in

GROUPSET

Shifters Shimano XT 1x11 ShimanoSLX1x11 SRAMGXEagle1x12 SRAMGXEagle1x12 SRAMGX1x11

Front mech N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

Rear mech Shimano XTR Shadow + Shimano SLX Shadow + SRAM GX Eagle SRAM GX Eagle SRAM GX

Crank Cannondale HG Si 32t Shimano SLX 32t SRAM GX Eagle 34t SRAM X1 1000 Eagle 32t Race Face Aeffect 30t

Bottom bracket Cannondale PF30 Shimano MT500 PF SRAM GXP PF SRAM GXP PF Race Face BSA

Brakes Shimano XT M8000 Shimano SLX M6001 Shimano XT M8000 SRAM Level TL SRAM Level TL

Rotor sizes 160mm 180/160mm 180/160mm 180/160 mm 180/160mm

COMPONENTS

Saddle Prologo Zero II STN Giant Contact SL Fizik Tundra M5 Syncros XR2.0 Specialized Phenom Comp

Seatpost Cannondale C2 carbon 31.6mm Giant Contact Composite27.2mm KTMTeamSP-619K SyncrosFL1.5 Specializedalloy

Handlebar Cannondale C1 760mm Giant Contact SL Trail780mm KTM Team 720mm Syncros FL1.5 720mm Specialized Mini-rise720mm

Stem Cannondale C1 90mm Giant Contact SL 80mm KTM Team 80mm Syncros XR1.5 80mm Specialized XC 90mm

Rating

We mention the impact that seat tube angles have on both climbing

and pedalling effi ciency throughout this test. And it’s because one of

the most important traits for a race bike, or any bike that needs to be

pedalled uphill, is that the seat angle needs to be steep enough to place

rider weight in the sweet spot to keep the front end from lifting and

prevent loss of traction at the

rear tyre.

Ultra-slack seat angles

also distort the top tube

measurements, making small

bikes seem longer than they

really are. Also, given that

most XC race bikes don’t

use dropper seatposts,

slack seat angles can make

it much harder to get off the

back of the bike on steep,

techy descents.

NOTES ON THE NUMBERS

Geometry & specifi cation

A

D E

G

I

H

C

F

B

Cannondale Giant KTM Scott Specialized

A Head angle 69.9° 69.1° 69.9° 68.2° 69.1°

B Seat angle 69.7° 68.3° 72.8° 68° 70.3°

C BB height 3 38mm 323mm 323mm 312mm 327mm

D Chainstay 4 38mm 434mm 440mm 435mm 435mm

E Front centre 70 5mm 718mm 703mm 725mm 711mm

F Wheelbase 1,143mm 1,152mm 1,143mm 1,160mm 1,146mm

G Down tube 6 92mm 699mm 706mm 705mm 703mm

H Top tube 5 95mm 604mm 608mm 600mm 599mm

I Reach 4 45mm 454mm 450mm 457mm 456mm

MARCH 2018 mbr 105