Current US national champion Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Subaru-Gary Fisher) is racing on this custom-painted Gary Fisher Superfly 100.(Image credit: James Huang)
Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Subaru-Gary Fisher) ran these fast-rolling and narrow Bontrager 29-0 tires for the Mellow Johnny's Classic.(Image credit: James Huang)
Another T25 titanium Torx bolt is found on the front derailleur cable anchor.(Image credit: James Huang)
A standard SRAM XX rear derailleur is bolted to the replaceable hanger.(Image credit: James Huang)
The new RockShox Reba 29 XX World Cup fork is set for 100mm of travel.(Image credit: James Huang)
Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Subaru-Gary Fisher) is a full-time 29er devotee, citing the bigger format's ability to maintain speed in rough terrain.(Image credit: James Huang)
The burly head tube area is topped with a negative-rise stem to offset the riser bar.(Image credit: James Huang)
Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Subaru-Gary Fisher) is still running crankbrothers' previous-generation Eggbeater 4ti pedals.(Image credit: James Huang)
The carbon fibre Bontrager seatpost is topped with a fi'zi:k Tundra k:ium saddle.(Image credit: James Huang)
Offsetting the seat tube at the bottom bracket allows for slightly shorter chain stays.(Image credit: James Huang)
The steel-caged SRAM Red road front derailleur is adapted for use on the direct-mount frame with a custom mount made by a high-end automobile importer in New York.(Image credit: James Huang)
The RockShox Reba 29 XX World Cup includes a tapered 1 1/8"-to-1 1/2" carbon fiber crown and steerer assembly.(Image credit: James Huang)
175mm-long SRAM XX crankarms are fitted with 39/26T chainrings.(Image credit: James Huang)
Active Braking Pivot dropouts lend better traction when the brakes are applied, effectively turning the back end into a built-in floating caliper mount.(Image credit: James Huang)
Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Subaru-Gary Fisher) uses a 630mm-wide carbon riser bar from team sponsor Bontrager.(Image credit: James Huang)
A single Bontrager Race Lite bottle cage is fitted with T25 titanium Torx bolts - not for weight-saving but rather to cut down on the number of tools required when servicing the bike.(Image credit: James Huang)
The ultra-wide bottom bracket shell features cartridge bearings pressed directly into precision molded carbon fiber seats.(Image credit: James Huang)
A standard SRAM 160mm-diameter G3 rotor is used up front instead of the XX version.(Image credit: James Huang)
Sealed Nokon derailleur cables and housing add a splash of color and maintain shifter performance in adverse weather conditions.(Image credit: James Huang)
An 11-36T SRAM XX cassette is fitted to the Bontrager rear hub.(Image credit: James Huang)
Hey Jeremy, what time is it?(Image credit: James Huang)
Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski's (Subaru-Gary Fisher) cockpit setup features SRAM XX brake and shift levers, an integrated hydraulic lockout for the fork, and silicone foam grips from ESI.(Image credit: James Huang)
The rear shock is badged as a RockShox Monarch 2.1 but the controls suggest it's a 3.3 model instead.(Image credit: James Huang)
Current US national cross-country champion Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Subaru-Gary Fisher) won the inaugural Mellow Johnny's Classic on a Gary Fisher Superfly 29er hardtail but chose a full-suspension Superfly 100 this time around to better cope with the course's relentless rocks.
Though offering 110mm of rear wheel travel - as compared to none - Horgan-Kobelski's Superfly 100 isn't much heavier than its non-suspended cousin. Frame weight is only around 2.2kg (5.85lb) thanks to a clever all-carbon construction and a svelte 44g carbon swing-link, and the complete build is an impressive 10.69kg (23.57lb) in full race trim with a CO2 inflator and computer - lighter than many riders' 26" hardtails.
Front triangle stiffness is impressive too, owing to the ultra-wide BB95 bottom bracket shell with press-fit bearings and a tapered head tube. And out back, the efficient modified single-pivot suspension design and clever ABP dropout pivots help keep wasted power to a minimum and also work to keep the rear end planted under braking.
In contrast to the stock Superfly 100, suspension duties are handled at both ends by team sponsor RockShox instead of the usual Fox Racing Shox bits.
Bolted to the swing-link is an air-sprung Monarch 3.1 rear shock - which Horgan-Kobelski says he left in the mid-gate position the entire race - and up front is RockShox's latest Reba 29 XX World Cup fork, complete with a tapered carbon fibre 1 1/8"-to-1 1/2" crown and steerer assembly that team mechanic Matt Opperman says shaves roughly 140g as compared to the standard alloy version.
Old habits die hard though, as team mechanic Matt Opperman says that Horgan-Kobelski runs a relatively firm 160psi in his rear shock, paired with a more standard 110/110psi positive/negative pressure up front.
"Jeremy runs his rear shock probably a little more firm than a lot of riders because he comes from a hardtail background for most of his career," he said. "But he's been experimenting a lot with rear shocks so he's been getting progressively more comfort and with the issues with his back, this really works for him."
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Further aiding on the weight front is Horgan-Kobelski's SRAM XX component group, dressed in versatile 26/39T chainrings and an 11-36T cassette to better match with the 29" wheels' longer rollout.
Lone substitutions include standard stainless steel Avid G3 rotors in place of the aluminum-and-steel XX units and a steel-caged SRAM Red road front derailleur bolted to the direct-mount tab on the seat tube with a custom mount made by high-end auto parts manufacturer and importer Stratmosphere.
Keen-eyed readers will note Opperman's inclusion of Torx-head titanium bolts in several locations such as the water bottle cage and front derailleur cable anchor bolt. However, he quickly points out that while they do save a few grams, it's more for his own convenience than anything else.
"More so than anything they're T25s," he admitted. "We did shave some weight on this bike with the all-carbon crown and steerer tube on the BlackBox fork but other than that the XX stuff is so light there's not a whole lot of weight savings we can do with our sponsors. The stuff's all pretty light and durable."
Horgan-Kobelski has famously preferred to run fast and relatively narrow tyres on his 29ers and this latest Superfly 100 is no exception. Mounted around his Bontrager Race X Lite wheels are a set of lot-knob Bontrager 29-0 tubeless-ready clinchers measuring just 1.90" in width.
According Opperman, Horgan-Kobelski at least opted to run a fairly conservative 33psi both front and rear to prevent pinch flats.
Wrapping things up are a carbon fibre seatpost and low-rise bar plus a forged aluminum stem, all from Bontrager, light-yet-grippy ESI silicone foam rubber grips, a firm fi'zi:k Tundra k:ium saddle, previous-generation crankbrothers Eggbeater 4ti pedals, slick Nokon red-anodized aluminum housing and sealed cables, a Cane Creek 110 headset, and a cheeky Trek Time Watch analog clock.
Not to go unmentioned, either, is the custom stars-and-stripes paint job. As compared to the standard livery, the rich red, white and blue hues almost assuredly add back some of grams that were so painstakingly shaved away (paint is surprisingly heavy) but given how hard Horgan-Kobelski worked to earn that title last July, we doubt he minds much.
