Cross Country Bikes
Intense Sniper XC 29 Elite $8,995
A sniper is a skilled marksman who works from a far-off distance. The Intense Sniper is also designed to be a skilled marksman, but it wants to be right up front, railing turns and leading races. Built on a full carbon 29er frame with JS Tuned suspension, the Sniper Elite offers a long wheelbase and a slack head-tube angle that is balanced by a 44-mm offset. Suspension comes by way of a 100-mm-travel Fox Factory 32 SC Performance fork and the same travel in the back with a Fox Factory dps Performance rear shock. There’s also a Kindshock Carbon dropper seatpost for the perfect saddle height in any riding situation. The e-thirteen xcx carbon wheels wrapped in race-proven 2.25" Maxxis Rekon tires are brought to a stop with Shimano XT hydraulic disc brakes. Shifting power comes from a 1 x 12 sram Eagle drivetrain and a 34-tooth Truvativ Stylo Carbon crankset. Completing the lightweight build are a mix of Intense carbon and alloy cockpit parts. Need more incentive to pull the trigger on a Sniper? mec is throwing in two years of bike service and an Intense gift box full of goodies such as torque wrenches and a shock pump. ( mec.ca)
Trek Top Fuel 9.7 $5,200
The Top Fuel lineup from Trek has been a stalwart competitor on technical singletrack trails around the world. Available in range of builds, it’s designed to be a platform that’s more than capable on a race course, but comfortable on a long, challenging trail ride. The 29er carbon-fibre frame offers 115 mm of rear travel, while the Rockshox Reba fork’s 120 mm of squish can easily handle the bumps. When it’s time to climb, a quick twist of the remote lockout turns the Top Fuel rigid. The 9.7 build is available in two colours and five sizes, and includes a sram NX Eagle 1 x 12 drivetrain and Shimano hydraulic disc brakes. Bontrager’s Kovee Comp 23 tubeless-ready wheels have a 15-mm thru axle up front and 12-mm in the back and are wrapped in 2.4" Bontrager XR3 tubeless-ready tires. A Bontrager 150-mm dropper seatpost (100-mm for the small frame), and alloy handlebar, stem and saddle complete the package. ( trekbikes.com)
Specialized Epic Hardtail $2,999
It’s hard to argue with Specialized’s claim that the Epic Hardtail is the best value in cross country racing. Built on the same lightweight carbon chassis as the brand’s top-end Pro model, the Epic Hardtail remains a go-to race platform whose short wheelbase and slightly relaxed head-tube angle makes it a ripper on singletrack race courses. While the 100 mm of travel from the Rockshox Judy Gold fork is well-tuned for racing, a quick flip of a lever locks it out completely. Shifting power for the sram 1 x 12 drivetrain comes from a SX Eagle lever. You can bring the Specialized XC 29 wheels to a halt in a hurry with the Shimano MT-501 hydraulic brakes. The Epic Hardtail is available in five sizes with the Specialized alloy cockpit parts all sized to match. ( specialized.com/ca)—dandakin