Cross-country athletes from all over the world are perfecting their entire environment for a medal at the Olympics. Training, nutrition, equipment - everything is put to the test once again for the Olympic Games in Rio. We can't predict who will win the prestigious race on 21 August 2016. After our exclusive test as part of the MTB World Cup in Albstadt, we do know who will push the fastest mountain bike to the starting line. We weighed and measured the original competition bikes of Maxime Marotte, Jaroslav Kulhavy, Manuel Fumic, José Hermida, Mathias Flückiger and Nino Schurter and even tested them on the World Cup course. You can find the story on the most exclusive test of the year and the test reports on the individual bikes of the MTB stars in BIKE 9/16 - available from newsagents from 2 August. You can get a foretaste of the Olympic bikes with the test of Florian Vogel's race bike, which we also rode in Albstadt.
Focus Raven Max test by Florian Vogel
Review: For Swiss rider Florian Vogel, the race in Albstadt is about more than just UCI points. His starting place for Rio is in doubt, even though he has already met the qualification standards for the Olympic Games. The reason: his younger compatriot Lars Forster appears to be in top form and the Swiss Cycling Federation (Swiss Cycling) will only decide who gets the ticket for the 2016 Olympics after the World Cup in Albstadt. Despite the mental strain before the race, Vogel masks his tension well. He takes the time to show us his bike, explain details and pose for photos. But the Swiss rider doesn't let his bike out of his hands, at least not before the race.
How the Focus Raven Max rides
After the race (it didn't go well, Vogel dropped out of the race with a flat tyre), the Focus XC Team then decided to go for a spin on the Raven Max. In order to get the handlebars as low as possible, the headset cover was omitted and a stem with a 17-degree negative tilt was installed. Even the sight of the lowered cockpit makes your spinal discs twitch. However, when you first sit on the bike, the nerves in your spinal cord give the all-clear and the seating position is relatively normal thanks to the low saddle extension.
The large-volume 2.2 Continetal Race King tyres in combination with the wide carbon wheels from DT Swiss bring comfort to the otherwise stiff chassis. Despite the Vario dropper post and Quarq power meter, the Vogel Raven Max weighs just 8.92 kilos. The low weight and the forward riding position due to the steep seat angle make the hardtail look good on the Red Bull Climb. The Raven also takes the steep uphill hairpin bends in the Albstadt forest in its stride. Florian Vogel's workhorse therefore leaves nothing to criticise on the climbs. Ok, the large 36-tooth chainring in combination with the 10-42 cassette is a little more taxing on our thighs than we would like, but we are probably pushing a few watts less than the owner of this bike.
The hardtail also performs well downhill
At the highest point of the course, there is hardly any time to catch our breath as Devils Corner, Albstadt's most technical descent, opens up in front of the front tyre. We lower the seatpost by 35 millimetres at the touch of a button and plunge into the infernal abyss. Even though the saddle is only slightly lower than on the ascent, this is clearly noticeable. The extra legroom awakens the play instinct of the hardtail. Although the fullys of Fumic, Flückiger, Kulhavy and Schurter manoeuvre more smoothly through the fast descent, none of the other bikes are as direct and playful as the Focus. Tight bends and small jumps are no problem, even if the front tyre could offer a little more grip.
Unfortunately, a fast bike alone doesn't help. A few days after the World Cup in Albstadt, it was announced that Florian Vogel would have to watch the Olympic MTB race from the television. The Swiss Cycling Federation decided in favour of the young Lars Forster and against Florian Vogel as the third Swiss rider in the Rio race.
The complete test story on the Olympic bikes of Fumic, Schurter & Co. - including statements from their mechanics - can be found in BIKE 9/16 - on newsstands from 2 August.
The complete issue
can also be read in the BIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or the issue in the DK-Shop reorder:
