In a previous blog we covered XCO or cross-country Olympic length mountain bike races. As a quick recap, those are the events that are between 1 hour 20 and 1 hour 40 minutes long. And most importantly, are an official Olympic event, the only type of mountain bike race that has that distinction.
That doesn’t mean XCO race is the only XC or cross-country mountain bike race that exists. The XCM stands for cross-country marathon mountain bike races. As the name suggests, these are ultra long races, and historically have generally been between 60 and 120 km long. But recent initiatives to standardize race conditions have seen organizers make their events 100 km long. It does have the distinction of having a UCI World Championship event, with a rainbow jersey being the reward for the cyclists strong enough to win these brutal races.
What’s the XCM format?
Similar to the XCO, XCM are mass start mountain bike races with as many as 150 athletes lining up. It means positioning is essential and the much greater distance than you’ll find in XCO requires clever pacing as well. Physical fitness, tactical nous, and handling skills are the most important skills any rider who wants to be successful at XCM racing needs to have. The mental strength to withstand 100 km in mountainous terrain inevitably also plays a role in the success of any racer.
Since the courses are so long, there are technical and service stations dotted along the route. But riders are still required to be able to service their own equipment and carry adequate water and nutrition supplies since there can be as many as 20 or 30 km of difficult mountain terrain separating service areas.
With events taking place mostly in mountain resorts, the race courses inevitably include a huge amount of elevation gain. Extended climbs lasting more than an hour are very common. Any rider who hopes to score a top placing needs to have an extremely high level of fitness. And whatever goes up, must come down, so bike handling skills and the ability to descend quickly and safely are critical. Remember too, there will likely be many other riders around and athletes will need to be able to deal with situations where they cannot always take their preferred lines.
What’s the perfect XCM bike?
Parameters for the right bike to choose will be the same for XCM racing as for XCO. As with so many things in material choice, the best option depends on individual needs: what are your ambitions, skill level, budget, etc.
XCM racing will require an XC-specific mountain bike. Unlike many other types of mountain bikes – for instance, all-mountain and downhill – low weight is extremely important as is the bike’s ability to climb efficiently. These bikes need to be as capable going uphill as they are down. Whereas trail bikes, enduro bikes, all-mountain bikes, and downhill bikes value stability, durability, and downhill capability more than weight savings, an XC mountain bike should be as lightweight as possible as well as responsive and nippy on technical climbs. It’s the mountain bike discipline that will use many of the same terms and attributes as you’ll find on road racing bikes: responsive, lightweight, snappy, etc.
Of course, there are many different types of XC bikes. The biggest dividing line is whether you want to go full suspension, which will typically have 100-120mm of rear suspension travel, or hardtail with just a 100 mm suspension fork. It’s a similar question that XCO racers need to ask themselves, and frequently the choice can be different from course to course. Of course, pro racers will have the luxury of having both a hardtail and full suspension bike in their collection free from their bike sponsor. But self-supported amateurs most likely will have to choose between the two.
So what’s the best type of mountain bike for XCM racing? If we could have only one XC mountain bike, and we planned on competing in marathon mountain bike races that last 100 km and more, then we’d certainly choose to race on a full suspension XC mountain bike. There are several reasons for this decision. Perhaps most importantly, considering a marathon race can last up to 9 hours on rough mountain terrain, the added advantage of the rear suspension both in comfort levels and helping tackle tricky handling situations will definitely be worth the extra weight the rear suspension will add.
Hardtails are a great option for XCO and XCC (short track) racing because they are light, responsive, and as a result, climb extremely well. However, for XCM racing, the lack of cushioning at the rear can cause greater rider fatigue the deeper you get into the race. And the rider needs to be a very confident bike handler when racing on a hardtail since they can often be less forgiving of mistakes on technical downhill sections. Full suspension XC mountain bikes typically will help cover up handling shortcomings.
Conclusion – cross-country marathon racing requires fitness and skills
Anyone who fancies mountain bike racing must already have a lot of confidence in their handling skills and fitness level, since both are important in all types of XC racing. The endurance levels required to be able to race over 100 km frequently at altitude when competing in XCM events is probably matched only by the fitness levels required by the WorldTour road peloton.
Being able to handle your bike in all sorts of tricky high speed situations also sits high on the list of requirements if you want to be successful at marathon racing. Finding the right bike for your XCM goals will go a long way to helping you enjoy and succeed in your races. Remember that Wrench Science carries a wide range of XC-oriented mountain bikes from top quality brands like Intense, Knolly, Moots, and Pinarello. Don’t hesitate to contact one of our experts to help you find the perfect option for your high country racing.
