CROSS COUNTRY
Santa Cruz Blur S $5,849
It’s nearly impossible to talk about 100-mm travel XC race bikes and not include the Santa Cruz Blur. The vpp suspension design, complete with one-piece rear triangle, and 29" wheels are proven winners. The base-model Blur S uses a more cost-conscious grade of carbon layup, which is a little weightier but keeps your overall costs down. The S build kit includes a 100-mm Fox 32 Performance fork and Float Performance dps rear shock, sram GX Eagle shifter and rear derailleur, sram Stylo 7k dub 34-tooth crankset, Race Face Aeffect bars and stem and 2.25" Maxxis Aspen rubber. The stock seatpost is rigid, so add a few more dollars to your budget to upgrade to a dropper post right away. ( santacruzbicycles.com)
Cannondale Scalpel-si Hi-mod World Cup $13,400
One look at the Cannondale Scalpel-si Hi-mod World Cup and you can see that the big bike companies are still concerned about getting riders from A to B as fast as their legs will power them. The 100-mm-travel Scalpel is dripping with featherweight parts: the Ballistec Hi-mod full-carbon frame with Zero Pivot (pivotless) seatstay, a Lefty Ocho Carbon fork and Fox Float Factory dps Evol rear shock are paired with a sram Eagle XX1 12-speed drivetrain, sram Level Ultimate disc brakes, a Cannondale bar and stem and Enve M525 carbon wheels. The size small bike comes with 27.5" wheels, while medium through extra large sport 29" wheels. Claimed weight for a size medium bike is 21.6 lb. ( cannondale.com)
Yeti SB100 XX1 $11,999
Say the name “Yeti” and you immediately think boutique bike. You’d be right, especially with the SB100 XX1. This 100-mm-travel, 29" XC bike uses Yeti’s own Switch Infinity suspension design, which sits behind the seat tube and uses a one-piece rear triangle. Yeti makes a lot out of the fact that the SB100 blurs the lines between XC race and trail, which is certainly aided by a 120-mm Fox Factory 34 fork, a slack-ish head-tube angle and a burly-but-light build. You get sram XX1 Eagle drivetrain parts, a sram X01 Eagle carbon crankset, DT Swiss XM 1501 wheels, and 2.3" Maxxis Minion and Aggressor tires. Added bonus: the suspension design means that there’s room in the front triangle for a water bottle. ( yeticycles.com) —Stuartkernaghan