Revealing my BC Bike Race Bike // EP 77

AI Summary: I'm back on top of Chuckanut Mountain testing out a new Pivot Trail Cat SL, and this thing is a total "rally car" for the woods. It’s a tight little 140mm/120mm travel package that feels incredibly efficient and "poppy" compared to my Firebird, especially on those undulating, lower-angle trails. I’ve got it dialed with a weight-optimized Fox 36 SL fork, 50mm rise bars, and a Shimano Di2 drivetrain for lightning-fast shifting. Being five pounds lighter than my usual rig, it’s making the "downhill reward to climb ratio" pencil out a lot better for long backcountry missions. I’m really leaning into this "Agro XC" setup to prep for the BC Bike Race this May, which is looking like a seven-day sufferfest on Vancouver Island with roughly 30,000 feet of gain. Today was all about building "suffering stamina" on the wet roots and technical sandstone of Hush Hush. While the wet conditions were a bit "spooky," the bike's DW-link suspension stayed open and traction-focused, which is exactly what I need for those punchy climbs and technical coastal singletrack. It’s a big terrain-eating monster that’s putting some serious wind in my sails for the race. Trailcat SL: https://www.pivotcycles.com/en-us/bik... 00:00 - Intro: Testing the Pivot Trail Cat SL on Chukunut Mountain 0:29 - Build Breakdown: Fork, Bars, and Drivetrain Specs 1:04 - Performance: Efficiency, Agility, and Comparison to the Firebird 2:47 - Tire Setup: The Wicked Wheel and Racing Casing 3:56 - BC Bike Race Prep: Suspension Kinematics and DW Link 5:31 - Mountain Bike Diplomacy: Meeting Hikers on the Trail 6:15 - Tech Talk: Fox 36 Superlite (SL) Performance 6:54 - Gearing Strategy: Chainrings and Climbing Stamina 7:50 - BC Bike Race Details: Vancouver Island and 30,000ft of Gain 08:45 - Ridge Trail Technical Riding: Weight and Pop 11:14 - Frame Feel: Compliance and Geometry Insights 12:13 - Shifting Performance: Shimano Di2 vs. SRAM T-Type 14:31 - Cockpit Setup: High-Rise Bars and Cornering Stability 15:45 - The "Hush Hush" Trail: Wet Tech and Fatigue Training 17:53 - Outro: Training Advice and Viewer Questions 🎥 DJI Osmo Action 5: https://amzn.to/4odZlK8 🔍 DJI Boost Lens: https://amzn.to/3Jm6pW4 🤔Chin Mount: https://amzn.to/4di35UI 🎤RODE MIC: https://amzn.to/4gAevpQ