Ghost Lector Race-Fully: Nicole Koller's wonder machine in the Pro-Bike-Check

Nicole Koller is one of the world's top cross-country riders, but her approach to technology is surprisingly down-to-earth. No electronic suspension, no obsession with tuning, no foxing with grams. Instead: Confidence, consistency and a bike that conveys safety. In this bike check, the Swiss rider shows how she prepares her Ghost Lector FS for the World Cup - and why mental strength often trumps technical finesse.

Even more pro bike checks:

• Anna Newkirk's steel downhiller in the pro bike check
• Luca Schwarzbauer's Race-Fully - perhaps the fastest in the world?
• A quick check of the Santa Cruz Tallboy from ultrabiker Ben Hildred
• Korbi Engstler & Ghost Poacha - "My setup? Completely by feel!"

The bike at a glance: Ghost Lector FS Worldcup

>> You can find even more Ghost bikes in our BIKE database

"The balancing act" - about the demands of the XC World Cup

For the Cross-Country World Cup, my bike has to be a true all-rounder: light and efficient enough to give me an advantage uphill and in sprints - and at the same time stable and confident when it comes to the downhill. Combining these contradictory requirements in a single setup is a real balancing act. You always have to make a compromise somewhere. Personally, I tend to sacrifice some propulsion if it means I gain more downhill performance and riding safety. It gives me more confidence in my bike - and that often works wonders mentally.

Electronics? No thanks: "It's up to the woman"

Electronically controlled suspension is currently the big thing on the XC circuit. There is hardly a World Cup bike that is not equipped with smart suspension technology. I also gave the Rockshox Flight Attendant a chance last year - and made a conscious decision against it in 2025. Why? As sophisticated as the system is, it only reacts and doesn't think ahead. The damping only opens when the impact is already there. Sure, this happens in the millisecond range, but you still occasionally feel bumps on rough passages that a manually controlled suspension would have swallowed in open mode. For my riding experience, this is a compromise that I don't want to make. That's why I switched back to a classic two-stage lockout this season.

Inserts instead of risk: "lifebuoys"

So that I don't have to worry about punctures, I ride inserts in the front and rear tyres - extra weight or not. I'm one of the heavier athletes anyway, so a few grams more or less don't really matter. A positive side effect: I can go as low as possible with my tyre pressure without risking a puncture.

Screwdriving with confidence: "Power to Uwe!"

With all this tech talk, I have to be honest: I'm not a fan of endless fine-tuning. At the start of the season, I work out a coherent basic set-up - and that remains virtually unchanged from race to race. For example, I always use the same air pressure for the suspension. If at all, my mechanic sometimes adjusts the rebound or the compression damping slightly - based on my feedback. However, Uwe - that's my mechanic's name - often knows better than me what's good for me anyway. Fortunately. Because the less I have to worry about my bike, the more mental capacity I have for the race.

Trust before watts: "Create capacities"

My choice of tyres is also determined less by wattage and more by mental factors. On some routes, the toothless Aspen ST on the front wheel would certainly be the more consistent option in purely mathematical terms. Nevertheless, I always reach for the classic Aspen with more tread. The sight of the grippier tread alone gives me more confidence. And I expect more advantages from that than from a slightly faster tyre.

My 3 NO-GOs - by Nicole Koller

1. tyre pressure too high

I always use the upper limit for tyre pressure. Anything below that is a no-go for me.

2. wrong saddle

No matter which bike: it always has to be my favourite saddle. Otherwise I won't have a good time.

3. crooked cockpit parts

Unevenly aligned handlebar controls - even the slightest imbalance bothers me.

Nicole Koller - The driver behind the setup

Conclusion: control, trust, consistency

Nicole Koller relies on technical functionality and mental clarity in the race. Her bike is not the product of endless fine-tuning, but a working machine consistently built on trust and reliability.