Leadville 100 pro bike: Peter Stetina's Canyon Lux CF SLX

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For many racers, last weekend marked a doubleheader of off-road bike racing in which some of the best cross-country, gravel and a smattering of WorldTour racers would fight it out in the high-altitude Colorado setting for the LeadBoat challenge. Kicking off the weekend was the Leadville 100 cross-country mountain bike race, followed by the SBT GRVL gravel race in Steamboat Springs on Sunday, just a two-hour drive up the road.

For the riders who opted to race both, it would prove a serious undertaking and a test of not only bike skill and fitness, but also recovery as both courses would prove demanding. The Leadville course is made up mostly of forest trails with some mountain roads and while it's far less technically demanding than a World Cup XCO course, where it packs a punch is the environment it's held in. The out and back 104-mile course starts at 10,152 feet and notches up 13,129 feet of elevation gain, the most notable section is the Columbine climb which rises over 3000 feet and marks the turning point of the race - no doubt a point in the race where the best lightweight mountain bikes would shine. 

Stetina rode his Canyon Lux CF SLX for Leadville 100, battling Payson McElveen at the line to finish in 4th place,12 minutes 45 seconds back from the winner Keegan Swenson. The #StacheClash, as Stetina put it, would continue in Steamboat where Stetina came third to win the LeadBoat challenge.

His Canyon Lux CF SLX features 100mm of travel front and rear. While the Leadville course doesn't demand the best full-suspension mountain bikes, the Lux is a bike Stetina knows can go fast and is well accustomed to as it features much the same spec as his White Rim Record-Setting Canyon Lux which he used to set the FKT (fastest known time) earlier in the year.

The 100mm of suspension is delivered by a Fox 32SC fork and Float DPS Factory and has a remote lock-out for maximum efficiency on the smoother sections. The drivetrain is a full complement of Shimano's XTR 12 speed groupset. Stetina ran a 36t chainring which was paired with an 11-51t cassette. The brakes are also Shimano XTR and were run with 160mm rotors. Shimano XTR hubs were laced to Stans Crest Mk4 rims for a lightweight wheelset and Stetina used the IRC prototype tires (29x2.25 inch) after the success he had with them on the White Rim and Kokopelli FKT rides.

Gone are the clip-on TT bars of the FKT setup although the cockpit configuration from Pro is the same, pairing a 720mm bar with a 90mm stem. The ride was documented using a Wahoo Bolt on the stem and any emergency spares were carried in a small Pro seatpack leaving space in the jersey pockets for Clif bars. All in, the bike weighs 10.1kg with XTR pedals.