32-Inch Wheels vs. 20-Pound Hardtails: The Bikes of Leadville

The Leadville Trail 100 MTB is a race that mountain bikers claim isn’t an actual mountain bike race. What that usually means is bike setups that balance right on the edge of gravel versus mountain bike. Last year, that meant we saw a lot of drop bars sneak in. Then the organizers changed the rules, and drop bars are out. The big question going into the race this year was what that would actually mean for gear.

Unlike standard cross-country courses where the tech choices are fairly homogenized, Leadville’s mix of sustained climbing at high altitude, road sections, and chunky descents forces riders to make odd gear decisions. This year having an altered route due to recent wildfires means riders have been thinking even more about their setups than ususal. You either play to your strengths or you try to patch your weaknesses, and that friction means people sometimes get a little weird with it.

Velo tech editor Logan Jones-Wilkins headed to Leadville to find out what this year’s race would mean for bike setups. He talked with four different racers running four very different rigs.

On one end of the spectrum, Zach Calton is rolling on an unreleased, prototype Ventum 32-inch wheel model. On the flip side, crossover athlete, winter Olympian, and trail runner Anna Gibson is there for her first real mountain bike race. Her bike of choice is a Santa Cruz Blur she bought at full retail in 2021.

But the real debate this year is the survival of the hardtail. There’s been a push towards full suspension, but the hardtail is alive at Leadville. Paige Onweller walks us through her lightweight Trek Procaliber, which tips the scales at just under 20 pounds. She ditched the dropper post and opted for a manual fork lockout to build a climbing bike suited to her power. Caleb Swartz took a similar approach with his Mondraker Podium.

Check out the video to see the setups and how the athletes thought through every choice. Let us know who you think made the right choices!

Zach Calton — Ventum Prototype 32-Inch

Paige Onweller — Trek Procaliber

Caleb Swartz — Mondraker Podium

Anna Gibson — Santa Cruz Blur

Video Timestamps

0:00 – Intro
0:08 – Zach Calton — Ventum Prototype 32-Inch
3:32 – Paige Onweller — Trek Procaliber
6:50 – Caleb Swartz — Mondraker Podium
9:30 – Anna Gibson — Santa Cruz Blur