Skilled Bike Confirm: Superior XF 9.9 Workforce XC Marathon Race Bike of Jaroslav Kulhavý
With the XC World Cup returning to the ever-popular Nové Město na Moravě monitor this weekend, we caught up with Olympic champ & longtime Czech fav Jaroslav Kulhavý, and most importantly, the model new Superior XF9.9 Workforce cross-country bike he’ll race inside the XCM Marathon on Sunday. The 39-year-old Czech has racked up some spectacular wins over his occupation, along with the essential factor win proper right here on the first-ever XC World Cup in Nové Město once more in 2019. We’ve moreover featured his bikes since 2014. So, it appeared like time to check in a decade later…
2024 Superior XF 9.9 Workforce XC bike of Jaroslav Kulhavý
An actual XC veteran, Jarda was the UCI Cross-Nation World Champion in 2011. He acquired Olympic XC Gold the following yr 2012 in London. Then, wrapped up the cross-country disciplines with a UCI XC Marathon World Championship win in 2014 and a Cape Epic win in 2018. He might need mellowed just a bit bit in latest occasions, nevertheless Kulhavý continues to be stopping with the quickest marathon racers as soon as extra this season.
His latest race weapon of choice is the 2024 Superior XF 9.9 Workforce, the most recent XC race bike from crucial Czech bike producer.
The model new XF – which we coated last summer season season at Eurobike – is a lightweight, fast journey carbon XC bike with 110mm of journey entrance and rear and trendy prolonged, slack & low geometry.
Setup & Tech particulars
Kulhavy’s setup hasn’t modified all that rather a lot by way of the years. Sure, his XF Workforce bike now choices completely internal routing through the headset. And his drivetrain and dropper are wi-fi. Nonetheless he hasn’t stopped working a first-rate SRAM drivetrain, brakes, and dropper submit. And he’s nonetheless on a Specialised stem, now with a low-rise PRO bar.
Fundamental XC skilled. He will not be on a large Manufacturing unit XC workers anymore, nevertheless Kulhavy continues to be rocking a top-shelf SRAM XX SL T-type transmission because of the model new UDH-com Superior XF physique. He locations the ability down through Garmin powermeter pedals, too.
No one does slammed stems pretty like Kulhavy!
Massively prolonged, and additional steep on account of Specialised’s CLP system that turns this widespread -17° stem proper right into a -21° to get his bar down the place his versatile increased physique needs it.
And that saddle lean, too.
When you go ultra-slammed, the Selle Italia Flite angles proper all the way down to match. I’d guess most of us couldn’t deal with this setup, nevertheless Kulhavy has his match dialed, even a decade later.
A model new little little bit of tech are these Zleen tires on Thread carbon wheels. The tires had been developed with historic previous of Czech tire making, nevertheless have been extra refined in latest occasions, now made in India. Phrase on the street is that after a gradual start, Zleen has hit the mark with a fast-rolling nevertheless grippy Cheetah Skilled tread and rubber compound. We’re curious to offer them a greater look in the end.
As for the 1625g carbon physique itself – designed in Czechia, manufactured in Portugal – we dipped into it last summer season season. It’s a large substitute for the Czech producer, as they rebranded with a additional simplified look to let you consider their bikes’ effectivity. Kulhavý says it’s “the simplest bikes I’ve ever ridden. It’s a large step forward for the Superior mannequin; that’s them displaying everyone that their bikes can compete with the right on this planet.”
Assemble Specs
- Physique: Superior XF 9.9 Workforce
- Fork: DT Swiss F232 One
- Shock: DT Swiss R232 One
- Drivetrain: SRAM XX SL Eagle AXS T-Type
- Tires: Zleen Cheetah Skilled 29″ x 2.25″
- Saddle: Selle Italia Flight
- Seatpost: RockShox Reverb AXS
- Stem: -17/21° Specialised
- Headset: Acros built-in
- Bar: PRO Koryak Low Rise
- Prime cap & bolts: Carbon-Ti
- Wheels: Thread
- Pedals: Garmin Rally powermeter
