Mountain Bike – Equipment Ultimate Cross Country Gear
ULTIMATE CROSS-COUNTRY SPEC
March, 2002
by Mountain Bike Staff 2002 Cross-Country Gear Ultimate Cross-Country Spec Helmets Pedals Saddles Bar-ends Bar/Stem Gloves
For XC parts, lightweight is the name of the game, although the lightest part available isn’t always the best. The key is to find the lightest-weight part that suits your needs in terms of strength, stiffness and price. Here are our picks.
Fork: Manitou Mars Super, $500, Mars over SID for its better bushing durability and steering precision.
Headset: Chris King, $120, It will pay for itself 10 times over before you give it up.
Stem: Thomson, $80, Light, stiff, and a nice cosmetic match with the Thomson seatpost.
Bar: Easton carbon, $100, Light, durable and stylie.
Grips: Pedro’s Bobke’s Prayer Stix, $9, Thin, nice, and Bob Roll’s ugly mug is molded into the grip. Sweet.
Bar-ends: Control Tech Stumpies, $30, Give you an extra hand position and extra climbing leverage without adding more weight than necessary.
Seatpost: Thomson, $80, Clean, easy to adjust design, lightweight design.
Saddle: Selle Italia Flite TT, $120, A 165-gram, hollow-rail version of the classic.
Brakes/levers: Hope Mini, $200/wheel, V-brakes are old news-even for XC racing. Minis offer the best performance and durability of the lightweight lot.
Shifters: GripShift Rocket Shorty, $71, Unlike XTR, these allow you to trim your front derailleur’s position to eliminate chain rub.
Derailleurs (f/r): XTR, $96/124, Impossible to beat for weight, function and durability-especially in wet conditions.
Bottom Bracket: Dura-Ace, $66, Lighter and narrower than XTR, but compatible unless you’ve got a 73mm BB shell.
Cranks: XTR, $379, Stiff, strong, and attached to the best chainrings ever made.
Cassette: XT, $70, Better than XTR because of the gearing options and the 11-tooth small cog.
Chain: SRAM PC99, $36, We’ve broken every type of 9-speed chain we’ve tested-except this one.
Pedals: Shimano 95, $150, Light, stable, and easy to get in and out of. If you ride in mud, stick with Times.
Wheels: Mavic Crossmax Disc tubeless, $850, As wheels go, we like these because they’re light, strong and stiff.
Tires: Michelin Jet S UST (or Comp S), $50, The best performance in a semi-slick tire. For a knobby, go with the Comp S.
Total: $3,331

2 responses to “Mountain Bike – Equipment Ultimate”

  1. Rich Tong Avatar

    Its not an actual bike and the spec is two years old. The big change is what frame to get.
    My recommendation is the Intense Spider XVP ($2K) with the Fifth Element Progressive Shock.
    Most of the other recommendations haven’t changed that much.

  2. Gregorio ramirez Avatar
    Gregorio ramirez

    What is the weight of this bike actually???
    Thanks

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