Frame breakages, chain tears and flat tyres like an assembly line: the Cape Epic 2014 gnawed away at bikes and components in fast motion. Mud, sand and dust penetrated the bearings and seals, putting the chain and drivetrain under constant attack. Bikes cannot be exposed to greater stress over such a long period of time - perfect for an endurance test. That's why we put two top-of-the-range marathon race bikes through their paces in South Africa: High-end carbon frames from Scott and Centurion, paired with premium groupsets from Shimano and Sram as well as suspension elements from Fox, Rock Shox and DT Swiss.
How does the expensive lightweight material perform? In contrast to the professional teams, our bike maintenance was limited to the bare minimum - after all, we didn't have a service team with us. So, oil, grease, pump up the air - done. Nevertheless, both bikes performed very well. After the race, the XTR groupset on the Centurion still worked as it did on the first day, while the Sram XX was just waiting for the cables to be replaced. The shocks and suspension forks are still doing a super solid job after the race, even if they would benefit from a little service. Only the linkage of the handlebar remote on the Nude rear shock on the Scott started to fidget halfway through the Cape Epic. On the other hand, Shimano's XTR stoppers on the Spark 700 RC impressed across the board. While the Formula R1 on the Centurion begged loudly for a service after two muddy days, the XTR only needed a second set of rear brake pads. The wheels of both bikes coped with 715 kilometres of bumps as if we had been rolling over gravel roads: no lateral runout, no broken spokes, no bearing play. In terms of reliability, both bikes are on a par.
If you like playful handling that makes even CC World Cup courses rideable for everyone, you should opt for the 27.5-inch fully from Scott. Time-fixated marathon racers will tend to favour the Centurion Numinis.
PLUS Geometry adjustment, Twinlock remote control on the handlebars, balanced chassis, lightweight frame
MINUS Stem clamp, saddle clamp
PLUS Remote controls for fork and shock, firm suspension, rigid frame, reliable XTR drivetrain
PLUS/MINUS Triple crank
MINUS Brake reliability
