Short Track Setup Tricks From Pro Racers - Nove Mesto XC World Cup 2021
Just before the short track race flew through the mud in Nove Mesto, we caught up with six of the top teams to go over their XCC bike setup tricks:
Absolute-Absalon Team
The biggest factor for tire choice is the track condition and surfaces. At Nove Mesto, there is quite a bit of tarmac that helps to clear the tires of any mud picked up. The BMC mechanic decided to use the Vittoria Mezcal because of its fast-rolling properties with Vittoria's Peyote as a backup choice as it clears the mud faster. In the short XCC format, the Mezcal should work fine as it can shed any muck on the many tarmac sections but the Peyote could be a good option for the longer XC race as the ability of the tire to clear mud becomes more important as there is less tarmac and more need to have as much grip as possible.
When it comes to tire casing Pauline Ferrand Prevot was looking to run a lighter option while Mathis Azzaro is opting for a reinforced casing front and rear. The rest of the team will be fitting a combination of lighter casings upfront and reinforced on the rear.
Nove Mesto features less gradient than Albstadt and with the fast finish on the tarmac that nearly always ends in a sprint finish, the team are looking to up-size their chainring size. Most likely, this will mean going up by two chainring teeth in size.
Cannondale Factory Team
Last week in Albstadt, the Cannondale team were running a narrower tire for the flat out tarmac section and the grass climb. This weekend the XCC course featured some tricky tech sections, so riders went for a 2.25" tire for additional protection in the rock gardens. The extra tire width will help the team's riders have more confidence in hitting the rock section with higher speeds than the narrow option they were running for the more simple Albstadt course.
Alongisde the narrower tires in Albstadt the team also chose narrow rims to help with the shape of the smaller tire width. Albstadt's loop with more tarmac and grass and less tech meant a narrow tire and rim offered more benefits to the riders. This weekend they are running a wider rim and tire for the rock sections on course.
Just like the BMC team they are sizing up the chainrings from 36 to 38 teeth. The Cannondale team say this change will be kept for the whole weekend and not just for the XCC race as it's flatter here with less steep climbs than the first World Cup round in Albstadt. The Cannondale riders feel more comfortable pushing the bigger ring on the longer but less steep climbs in Nove Mesto, with the added benefit that they can push harder if racing ends in a sprint on the tarmac finish straight.
The Cannondale riders are also dropping their suspension settings slightly to cope with the bigger hits and roots on the Nove Mesto course. It also should help find some extra traction in the tricky conditions.
Victor Koretzky - KMC Orbea
For last week's XC winner Victor Koretzky, there aren't any big changes with his suspension for the XCC race leaving his settings the same for the short course format. Victor will also be running his dropper post but the team have a spare seatpost on standby in case he wants to save a bit of extra weight.
When it comes to tire choice Victor is running narrower options with a fast-rolling tread for the XCC Short Track race but if conditions are particularly wet then the team have another option.
With the narrow gap between XCC practice and the race on Friday. The team mechanics have the more mud appropriate ready on a spare set of wheels, so they don't have to spend much time swapping between the options.
The last change on Victor's XCC race bike is the chainring where he joins most of the men's field in running a 38 tooth ring up from a 36 for the XC race.
Santa Cruz FSA XC Team
The Santa Cruz FSA riders have chosen a 2.1" tire for the XCC Short Track racing instead of the 2.25" option they run in the XC race.
For the flat out XCC format, the mechanics make a few changes to the suspension with the idea of making it slightly stiffer than the riders will want for the longer and more gruelling XC race on Sunday.
Again, the riders choose a bigger chainring for the sprint with most of the team running the large 38 tooth ring.
Interestingly, the Santa Cruz FSA team are not running droppers for the XCC race despite the added rock gardens for this venue's course. Instead, they are dropping them for a standard post, with a claimed weight saving of around 200 grams.
Jordan Sarrou - Specialized Factory XC Team
One of the major changes on the current XC World Champion Jordan Sarrou's bike is a more firm suspension setup. Jordan's mechanic says this is for the fast tarmac sections and any potential sprint finishes.
When we caught up with his mechanic, the bike was running the low profile, light and fast-rolling S-Works tires, but we were told that after a practice on the course and if conditions were muddy then this could be swapped out for the XCC race.
Jordan Sarrou is another Elite Male rider opting for the 38 tooth chainring.
Trek Factory Racing Team
The Trek Factory Racing Team try and keep their bikes similar between the XC and XCC races, but they do play about with the air in the tires and the suspension. For tires, they add between one and two psi, the suspension has four to five psi added for the fast Friday evening races.
When we checked out the bikes in the pits, the race machines were sporting front fenders. Both Evie and Jolanda will be keeping these on for the weekend's racing, Anton Cooper was undecided and wasn't sure if it would be removed for the race to save a bit of weight. The dropper posts were most likely to stay on all the bikes across the weekend.
Intersetingly, we were told that Evie Richards is one of the few if not the only Elite Woman running a large 36 tooth chainring with some time spent practicing on the 38 before deciding on the slightly smaller size for the race.
Trek opted for the Bontrager XR3 team issue rubber and will run the same width for short track and XCO. Inserts were being used front and rear by the women on the team but the men opted to run without them for the XCC race. The added rock gardens have not made any difference to the way the Trek mechanics were setting up the bikes for XCC.
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What is this? A tire for ants?!?!
As an amateur I would rather trade speed for control so I can at least finish the course without crashing. But at their level everything counts.
Probably you don't need one.
Partially because it can get sketchy at higher speeds, partially because the person in front of you will probably already ride the fastest line so you have to overtake them while riding a slower line, and partially because there isn't always place to overtake on descents (at least where I raced).
Because of this it's interesting for pro racers to dedicated their set up for the climbs (lighter), rather than for the descents (more control with a dropper post).
Similarly pro racers often ride the narrowest handlebars they can get away with. For them those couple of seconds they win on being more aero and the extra space it gives them to overtake other riders is worth it, while for us average humans it wouldn't make any sense to ride narrow bars.
I suspect the real issue with chainring size isn’t about min/max gearing so much as minimizing the time spent in the outside cogs and associated watt losses. I think the 10t robs ~25 watts, while a larger cog with a straight chain is like 4. The 52 is pretty bad too, and I’m betting they try to stay out of it as well. But all of this throws shade at the sponsors 12 speed flagships, so nobody really mentions it.
Current gearing is all about built in obsolescence!
Shimano currently sells a system offering "multi speed gearing with perfect chain line in every gear" called Alfine. Rollhoff offers a similar concept, and Pinion makes a crank based gear box. None are particularly popular, and practically non-existent in the performance bike arena. So why exactly are companies supposed to be beating down your door for this invention?
There are only two companies with a major interest in drivetrain wear item replacement, and one of them already offers a product. Oh, and SRAM's eagle chains had the longest wear life of any chain ever tested. I'm sure that was just an accident though. But yeah, sure. It's a conspiracy. Of two. And both have broken rank.
Why don't you post pictures/videos of your prototype for us to take a look at? I assume you already tested the frictional losses since that's the major issue for gearbox systems, so post that data as well if you don't mind.
Pinkbike will not let me post anything!
Can understand the confusion with current gearing, but just sealing any chain drive will make it more efficient than a dirty chain?
And you wonder why no one takes you seriously or wants to invest in your idea? I’ve seen perpetual motion peddlers with a better case.
But EVERY cyclist has to oil there chain, BUT this goes right back to when had chain guards to stop you getting your skirt caught in your chain?
I think you know the rest?