Looking back, a very efficient full-suspension bike probably would have been a better choice for me, but not by much. The hard tail offered incredible climbing, but a full-suspension frame would have offered a bit more comfort on the last lap. I did lose some time on the last lap from cramping legs, so I'm split on whether or not I could have made up for some of that lost time with more comfort.
Regardless, here's the bike from my 2012 Lumberjack 100 campaign:
Niner Air9 Carbon RDO frame, large, licorice. PressFit 30 carbon bottom bracket, Rock Shox SID XX World Cup fork with 15mm Maxle. This frame and fork combo is as light and stiff as anyone could hope for right now.
New ENVE 29er XC carbon rims came in slightly lighter than their claimed weight and much stiffer than anyone could have convinced me of. After getting used to riding light alloy rims built with light spokes, it's amazing how stiff a set of 29er wheels can be when made from carbon. Sapim CX-Ray spokes were used not because they are bladed, but because they offered the best platform for building and keeping the weight low.
American Classic hubs were chosen for their light weight and adaptability. These wheels will most likely see some cyclocross duty and the front hub can easily be adapted from 15mm thru axle to a standard QR.
The tires may or may not have been the best choice, but I went with Schwalbe Furious Fred 29x2.0 tires. They are shockingly light, hundreds of grams lighter than most other 29er tires, and they roll as fast as a CX file tread. The down side was the low-volume casing which didn't offer the kind of float a 2.1 or 2.25 tire would have given.
Crank Brothers Egg Beater 11 Ti pedals were chosen again for their light weight. Their ability to clear mud is great in cyclocross, but in a super-dry cross country race that didn't matter at all.
My favorite saddle of all time, but custom. Fizik's custom program is awesome when you get in on it, it's quick and doesn't add an extraordinary cost to the saddle. The Aliante has made it's way onto all of my bikes at this point, and even after 8+ hours in the saddle I didn't have a single saddle sore, no numbness at all, and no chafing.
The only cage anyone should trust, a King stainless. King Ti is a nice touch, but it doesn't save much weight at all and gets really expensive. The King stainless cage has a classic look and at $20 it has no match. I've also never lost a single bottle when using one, which is the most important aspect.
Thomson X4 130x-10 stem has made it's way onto a number of my Niner bikes. Puts me in a riding position I feel powerful and in control of the bike. I also like knowing that it'll survive any situation I find myself in when on the trail.
Rock Shox has an excellent hydraulic lockout as part of the SID XX line. I was skeptical at first, wondering why I'd need something other than a cable-actuated lockout, but once I used it I understood. Smooth, light action to open your fork or lock it out.
Shimano brakes, XT to be specific currently. They just can't be beat, and I've tried a lot of disc brakes. Shimano has no equal in power, modulation, or ease of set-up.
Shimano XTR rear derailleur. After 8+ hours and countless shifts in the sand, it still worked perfectly. I didn't miss a single shift all day and after a quick wipe-down with a wet rag the derailleur looked brand new.
There you have it, my 2012 Lumberjack 100 race rig. I'm not sure what 2013 will see me riding, maybe a Jet9 RDO or a Felt Edict 29? We'll see. If my fitness comes in better next year than this year, I'll probably go full-suspension. Use my fitness to get me up the hills and let the extra squish get me downhill faster. If my fitness comes in the same or less, I'll probably use a hard tail and hope it climbs fast enough to make up for that lack of fitness.
