Triple Crown Champion Nino Schurter rides one of the lightest, stiffest and fastest bikes out there, the Spark RC 900 World Cup. It is a 100% race-dedicated full-suspension weapon, bred to win. Its light and stiff race proven frame design has always appealed to a broad spectrum of riders, from elite Cross-Country to amateur marathon racers. Yet despite the Spark’s visual simplicity, the bike is loaded with technical features and details.
The frame: The benchmark weight of 1779g (incl. shock and hardware) of Nino’s Spark RC 900 was not only achieved by utilizing the lightest and most exclusive HMX carbon fibers but also thanks to our sophisticated carbon lay-up process. The frame is made of 752 single carbon layers, all put together by hand. The heart of the frame is the Trunnion mount: the shock body extends between the two lower mounting bolts which results in more stroke for the same eye to eye length. The shorter shock enables a very compact frame and shock package, which integrates tightly to the seat tube.
The Fork: Keeping the ride smooth, a 100mm Rock Shox SID World Cup Carbon RL3 Charger Black Box fork is paired with a custom 3-mode rear shock via our proprietary TwinLoc Suspension System.
The drive train: The SRAM XX1 Eagle 12-speed drivetrain moves Nino up the trail. Sram Level Ultimate disc brakes slow him down when it’s time to step onto the podium. Nino uses 160mm rotors on the front and rear brakes. He normally runs a massive 38-tooth chainring.
The Specs: The Spark’s saddle, seatpost, headset, bar stem, handlebar and grips are all from the Syncros stables. Nino runs a 90mm stem with a negative rise to keep the handlebars really low. The negative stem and relatively narrow 680mm handlebars are perfect for starts, which are renowned for being ridden at very close quarters, while the stem maximizes the advantages of Nino’s aggressive riding position. The pedals are Ritchey’s WCS V6.
The Wheels & tires: DT Swiss provides the team’s wheels. The super-lightweight XMC 1200 Spline Carbon 29” is Nino’s choice for XC World Cups. Maxxis provide the best rolling tires, Nino runs the Aspen 2.1 for minimal rolling resistance.