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Nino Schurter now rides 120 millimetres of travel

Ludwig Döhl

 · 30.06.2021

Nino Schurter now rides 120 millimetres of travelPhoto: Ludwig Döhl
Nino Schurter now rides 120 millimetres of travel
Nino Schurter has been riding Scott bikes since the start of his professional career. Just in time for the Olympics, the Swiss are refreshing their relationship once again with the new Scott Spark RC.

One thing is beyond question: Nino Schurter has been the dominant driver in the Mountain Bike World Cup. From a purely statistical point of view Julien Absalon but he is still the more successful biker of all time. Schurter's former arch-rival has won exactly one more World Cup race than the exceptional Swiss talent. In the In a BIKE interview, Schurter reveals that he is determined to break this Absalon record. However, there is also a statistic that Nino Schurter already leads far ahead of all other MTB athletes. No biker at world-class level has been more loyal to his sponsor than the Swiss rider. Schurter has been riding Scott bikes since the start of his career. In July 2021, the Swiss combination will take part in the Olympic Games for the fourth time. Schurter has always finished on the podium the last three times. This year, it seems that new rivals want to make life difficult for the successful Swiss team. After all, he still has No World Cup victory in the 2021 season retracted.

But that is about to change. For the World Cup in Leogang Scott a new Spark RC The Swiss team has presented a new strategy to finally make Nino Schurter the most successful mountain biker of all time. The tactics with which the Swiss are attempting to achieve Schurter's 33rd World Cup victory have stunned the competition. For the first time, Schurter's new bike has 120 millimetres of travel at the front and rear, a telescopic seat post and 2.4 inch wide tyres. The combination of these key data is an absolute novelty in the Cross-Country World Cup. We took a closer look at Nino Schurter's professional bike and discovered some interesting details.

The facts about Nino Schurter's Scott Spark RC at a glance: 120 millimetres of travel, 10.59 kilos including pedals and wattmeter, telescopic seatpost, 2.4 Maxxis Aspen tyres with special casing.Photo: Ludwig Döhl The facts about Nino Schurter's Scott Spark RC at a glance: 120 millimetres of travel, 10.59 kilos including pedals and wattmeter, telescopic seatpost, 2.4 Maxxis Aspen tyres with special casing. "Yanick the Mechanic" is Schurter's personal mechanic. With his meticulous work, he ensures that Schurter's defect record is better than that of most athletes. Here he presents Nino's new competition bike at the scales. Schurter's new workhorse weighs a ready-to-ride 10.59 kilos. Weight is still important in cross-country racing, but according to Schurter and his mechanic, it is no longer the decisive factor in the choice of material. The more technical the routes become, the more important it is for the bike to function excellently. And it is precisely this excellence that is hoped for from the additional suspension travel, the wide tyres and the telescopic seat post.Photo: Ludwig Döhl "Yanick the Mechanic" is Schurter's personal mechanic. With his meticulous work, he ensures that Schurter's defect record is better than that of most athletes. Here he presents Nino's new competition bike at the scales. Schurter's new workhorse weighs a ready-to-ride 10.59 kilos. Weight is still important in cross-country racing, but according to Schurter and his mechanic, it is no longer the decisive factor in the choice of material. The more technical the routes become, the more important it is for the bike to function excellently. And it is precisely this excellence that is hoped for from the additional suspension travel, the wide tyres and the telescopic seat post.
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Who, if not Schurter? The Syncros Silverton SL wheels are among the most exclusive MTB wheels on the market. The weave of carbon hubs, carbon spokes and carbon rims is bonded together and is now also available with 30 millimetre wide rims. If you want to buy Schurter's wheelset, you will have to fork out well over 3000 euros. We have already destroyed similar Syncros wheels in a crash test to check their stability. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0IbYoalIVY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">You can watch the video here</a>.Photo: Ludwig Döhl Who, if not Schurter? The Syncros Silverton SL wheels are among the most exclusive MTB wheels on the market. The weave of carbon hubs, carbon spokes and carbon rims is bonded together and is now also available with 30 millimetre wide rims. If you want to buy Schurter's wheelset, you will have to fork out well over 3000 euros. We have already destroyed similar Syncros wheels in a crash test to check their stability. You can watch the video here. For the drivetrain, Schurter relies on the classy AXS XX1 Eagle from his sponsor Sram. After a failure of the drivetrain during its first use at the World Cup in Albstadt in 2019, Schurter has never again had a problem with the electronic gear changer.Photo: Ludwig Döhl For the drivetrain, Schurter relies on the classy AXS XX1 Eagle from his sponsor Sram. After a failure of the drivetrain during its first use at the World Cup in Albstadt in 2019, Schurter has never again had a problem with the electronic gear changer. Requires thick legs: For the short track race on Friday, most pros fit a 40 mm chainring. The power meter on Schurter's crank does not yet have the new 55-millimetre chainline, which is actually required for this frame. As a result, there is very little space between the chainstay and the chainring. A chain guide keeps the chain taut in addition to the rear derailleur damping.Photo: Ludwig Döhl Requires thick legs: For the short track race on Friday, most pros fit a 40 mm chainring. The power meter on Schurter's crank does not yet have the new 55-millimetre chainline, which is actually required for this frame. As a result, there is very little space between the chainstay and the chainring. A chain guide keeps the chain taut in addition to the rear derailleur damping. The new Sram cassettes with 10 to 52 teeth are not used by racers. With Schurter's power, the 10-50 tooth cassette remains the measure of all things.Photo: Ludwig Döhl The new Sram cassettes with 10 to 52 teeth are not used by racers. With Schurter's power, the 10-50 tooth cassette remains the measure of all things. Switching is wireless with the AXS trigger.Photo: Ludwig Döhl Switching is wireless with the AXS trigger. Schurter is one of the best technicians in the field. So far, he has been able to outpace the competition downhill without a telescopic stabiliser. But now he no longer wants to do without it. Depending on the course, the saddle tip points 3-5 degrees downwards, which should increase pedalling efficiency.Photo: Ludwig Döhl Schurter is one of the best technicians in the field. So far, he has been able to outpace the competition downhill without a telescopic stabiliser. But now he no longer wants to do without it. Depending on the course, the saddle tip points 3-5 degrees downwards, which should increase pedalling efficiency. The telescopic support is operated with a push button on the AXS road bike shifters.Photo: Ludwig Döhl The telescopic support is operated with a push button on the AXS road bike shifters.
The cable of the pressure switch runs to a port located under the stem and transmits the radio signal to the rear of the support.Photo: Ludwig Döhl The cable of the pressure switch runs to a port located under the stem and transmits the radio signal to the rear of the support. Unlike the standard models, Schurter's personalised handlebar/stem combination has an extreme stem angle. The negative alignment compensates for the additional height of the 120 mm fork. By the way: Schurter rides handlebars with a width of only 700 millimetres to avoid unnecessary bumps at the start and when riding in the field.Photo: Ludwig Döhl Unlike the standard models, Schurter's personalised handlebar/stem combination has an extreme stem angle. The negative alignment compensates for the additional height of the 120 mm fork. By the way: Schurter rides handlebars with a width of only 700 millimetres to avoid unnecessary bumps at the start and when riding in the field. This extremely flat profile of the 2.4 Maxxis Aspen tyres is not available commercially, but only for selected World Cup professionals.Photo: Ludwig Döhl This extremely flat profile of the 2.4 Maxxis Aspen tyres is not available commercially, but only for selected World Cup professionals. The tyre carcass with 170 TPI is also a privilege of Maxxis athletes.Photo: Ludwig Döhl The tyre carcass with 170 TPI is also a privilege of Maxxis athletes. The Rockshox Nude shock is hidden in the seat tube. You can find out more about the technology of the new Scott Sparks <a href="https://www.bike-magazin.de/mtb_news/mtb_neuheiten/scott-spark-neu-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">in this news article. </a>Photo: Ludwig Döhl The Rockshox Nude shock is hidden in the seat tube. You can find out more about the technology of the new Scott Sparks in this news article. Schurter rides a token in the air chamber of his 120cc Rockshox SID fork. The Alpha sticker either identifies Schurter's position in the peloton or simply serves to distinguish the competition fork from the suspension fork in his training bike.Photo: Ludwig Döhl Schurter rides a token in the air chamber of his 120cc Rockshox SID fork. The Alpha sticker either identifies Schurter's position in the peloton or simply serves to distinguish the competition fork from the suspension fork in his training bike.
Schurter can do without the third lever on the Twinlock trigger. His telescopic stabiliser is controlled electronically.Photo: Ludwig Döhl Schurter can do without the third lever on the Twinlock trigger. His telescopic stabiliser is controlled electronically. Only a front brake with a 180 mm brake disc can be mounted on the 120 mm fork.Photo: Ludwig Döhl Only a front brake with a 180 mm brake disc can be mounted on the 120 mm fork. A neat lettering on the frame is of course part of the profile life.Photo: Ludwig Döhl A neat lettering on the frame is of course part of the profile life. Guaranteed success: Nino Schurter wants to break Absalon's record of 33 World Cup victories with his new Scott Spark RC. In the <a href="https://www.bike-magazin.de/a/4551751" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">BIKE interview</a>, he reveals how he intends to achieve this.Photo: Ludwig Döhl Guaranteed success: Nino Schurter wants to break Absalon's record of 33 World Cup victories with his new Scott Spark RC. In the BIKE interview, he reveals how he intends to achieve this.
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