Maxime Marotte's BH Ultimate 29 - XCO World Cup Round 3, La Bresse
Maxime Marotte is impressive on a mountain bike. The Team BH Suntour KMC rider was throwing shapes alongside Scott's Nino Schurter as the two duked it out for most of the race at the very technical Olympic test competition staged last season in Brazil. BH is better known for its road racing heritage, so we'd excuse anyone for not being familiar with their Ultimate 29 XC race bike - a sleek hardtail designed as a pro-level race weapon that has recently been upgraded with a longer front center and a slightly slacker head angle to keep in step with the increasingly technical courses on the XCO World Cup circuit.
Maxime's Ultimate 29 is decked out for the La Bresse XCO with a one-by drivetrain, powered by a Shimano Di2 XTR shifter and derailleur, while its brakes, crankset, seatpost and cockpit items are almost entirely carbon bits by FSA. Up front, the fork is SR Suntour's Axon Werx 29, with carbon and magnesium lowers and a handlebar-remote lockout. Maxime's BH underscores the surprisingly diverse component selections seen on the World Cup XC circuit today.
Maxime's Ultimate 29 is decked out for the La Bresse XCO with a one-by drivetrain, powered by a Shimano Di2 XTR shifter and derailleur, while its brakes, crankset, seatpost and cockpit items are almost entirely carbon bits by FSA. Up front, the fork is SR Suntour's Axon Werx 29, with carbon and magnesium lowers and a handlebar-remote lockout. Maxime's BH underscores the surprisingly diverse component selections seen on the World Cup XC circuit today.
- Pedro Cury photo
Shimano Di2 XTR shifters on the left side of the bar and a look at the Axon fork's remote lockout.
Direct mounted Shimano XTR Di2 changer, and that gold, TiN-coated KMC X11 SL chain.
Elegantly simple lines of the classic carbon XC hardtail are a sharp contrast to the machine-age profiles of dual-suspension trail bikes.
Carbon K-Force Light cranks with a 34-tooth 'ring and Time ATAC XC titanium pedals.
FSA K-Force ultra-low-profile stem.
Famously lightweight foam grips and FSA K-Force brakes. Check out how far out Maxime runs his levers.
Carbon FSA post and Prologo carbon-rail saddle.
Michelin brings back the skin-wall tire - a look that we may be seeing a lot more of in other areas of the sport. Rubber is the heaviest part of the tire, so it makes sense to save the bulk of it for the tread and to use as little as possible on the casing, employing engineered fabrics, instead of layers of rubber to protect the tire's sidewalls.
Another look down the business end of Michelin's Proto' XC tire.
...And the Axon fork's carbon sliders with magnesium dropouts.
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Didnt know fsa did brakes too! Im guessing theyre made by formula?? Anyone know/opinion??
"Far out" break levers