Italian mountain bike maker Lee Cougan’s all-new Crossfire Path XC & Marathon bike blends traditional cross-country pace with longer journey and a extra versatile trendy journey. The 120mm journey bike isn’t fairly a path bike within the up to date sense as its title would possibly recommend. However it’s a fast trendy XC bike that’s constructed to tackle the hardest cross-country programs. Can maintain you pushing on long-distance marathon MTB races. And is a blast to shred on quick singletrack for the mountain bike rider who likes to really feel linked to the path…
2024 Lee Cougan Crossfire Path gentle 120mm carbon XC bike
After their distinctive Rampage Innova ultra-short journey XC bike a pair years in the past, Lee Cougan are again with one other fascinating 29er mountain bike on the different excessive of cross-country racing. This one is a 120/120mm full-suspension XC bike that leans extra in the direction of the path perspective with slacker geometry and 4x as a lot journey. However whereas many trail-leaning XC bikes have gone wildly slack, the Lee Cougan Crossfire Path continues to be a cross-country bike that embraces its racing heritage.
What does that imply?
That primarily boils right down to geometry that’s a bit slacker than their short-travel XC bikes, with out attempting to be an enduro and even an all-mountain bike.
The interprets to a succesful however not too steep 67.5° head angle paired to a steep 75.5° seattube, brief 430mm chainstays and middle-of-the-road body Attain figures. (Fairly brief in comparison with most trendy enduro-inspired bikes.) It’s nonetheless genuinely a sharp-handling XC bike, however with loads of journey and stable-enough dealing with to make it a stable XCO & XCM race weapon.
Plus, it’s nonetheless stiff and light-weight.
Tech particulars
The hi-mod T800 & T1000 carbon bike options 120mm of rear wheel journey and molded-in bearing seats, paired to the identical journey forks.
Lee Cougan claims that their punctured downtube, unified 1-piece carbon rear triangle, and linkage-driven single pivot suspension design on the Crossfire Path retains body+shock weight to simply 1850g (dimension M). They name it a ‘Structural Crossbar System’ the place the downtube opens up across the upside-down rear shock, and the trunnion mount retains every part inflexible. Plus, a particular noodle for the sophisticated shock lock routing, and one other air noodle to regulate shock stress in that tight house.
Then, the chainstays join in entrance of the seattube & most important pivot for added stiffness, whereas holding the rear finish brief.
Hole alloy axles and outsized bearings maintain every part rotating easily for the long run. And are easy to service.
XCO & XCM prepared
Max tire clearance is 2.4″ when mounted to a 30mm inside rim. That’s conveniently each the usual for XC racers and most path riders lately. Actually solely enduro bikes go larger, so that you’ll have loads of room whether or not your favor cross-country racing slicks or extra trail-capable tires.
It’s 29″ wheels solely, with Enhance spacing, a UDH, BSA threaded backside bracket, and inside cable routing via the headset.
The bike is meant for all day driving & racing, so there’s room for two cages within the body. That’s a 3-pack mount on the downtube, plus a regular pair of bosses beneath the again of the toptube. Lee Cougan says 2 full-size water bottles fin in sizes M-XL, or a bottle and a software/spares service. Plus, a co-developed Granite Stash RT ratchet mini-tool within the steerer.
Full bike weights are then as little as 10-11kg.
Need to hear extra about Lee Cougan? The US-inspired, Italian-operated, made-in Asia mountain bikes which might be part of the made-in-Italy Basso bikes model? Discover some extra backstory in my earlier Rampage Innova write-up.
First Rides Evaluate
I received an opportunity to journey the brand new Lee Cougan Crossfire Path final week in Massa Marittima, Italy on acquainted trails however in wildly moist situations. Like significantly testing the bounds of sliding uncontrolled on XC tires, situations. However actually, the bike dealt with rather well. Fairly predictable and confidence-inspiring for a lightweight bike that isn’t ashamed of its racer roots.
It climbs like correct light-weight XC bike with a pleasant ahead place. And it descends with predictable dealing with. Positive, it’s not the form of bike that you simply let go of and let it discover its personal means down gnarly trails. However maintain on tight and I used to be rocketing down steep washed-out chutes with a muddy grin on my face.
I set the suspension up comparatively tender with slightly greater than 30% sag and took benefit of the mixed Fox 3-position distant lock-out for the steepest climbs. Actually, solely needing the center mode, it’s nonetheless good to have the extra stable lock for big-distance marathon sort rides that typically have asphalt transfers between fireroads & tasty singletrack.
My Giant full check bike with XX SL weighed in at 11.28kg with 340g crankbrothers Sweet 3 pedals, a bottle cage, and sealant. There’s additionally a Granite Stash RT multi-tool & GPS mount that provides an additional 120g. I pulled the software out to weigh the Crossfire Path, however its mount continues to be within the steerer in lieu of a starnut. So, roughly 10.7kg naked.
It feels gentle in hand, and beneath foot. Even flying down nasty trails.
2024 Lee Cougan Crossfire Path – Pricing, choices & availability
The brand new Lee Cougan Crossfire Path cross-country bike is available in 4 inventory sizes (S-XL) and in three colours. Choose from all Arctic White, Uncooked Black uncovered carbon (with the least paint for the lightest weight), or this Boreal end with off-white up high & chameleon inexperienced down low.
As for specs, there are 3 customizable construct kits.
I examined the top-tier $10,000 / 8500€ Lee Cougan Crossfire Path Staff Eagle construct with DT Swiss XRC carbon wheels. You get an entire SRAM XX SL Eagle AXS transmission, Fox Manufacturing unit 34 StepCast fork & Float DPS shock, a Switch SL Manufacturing unit dropper, Magura MT8 SL brakes, and Lee Cougan’s personal 1-piece carbon Comptrol cockpit. It’s also possible to go for house-brand Microtech wheels to avoid wasting coin.
The $9000 / 7660€ Race Eagle construct dials it again to SRAM X0, however in any other case nonetheless the identical package. Or $8300 / 6900€ with the Microtech RK25 wheels.
Then, essentially the most “entry-level” is the nonetheless race-ready Crossfire Path RE Eagle construct from $6400 / 5250€ with an entire SRAM GX Eagle AXS transmission and RockShox Final SID RL fork & SID Luxe suspension and alloy wheels. Or $7100 / 5900€ with carbon DT wheels.
All bikes and builds can be found now globally via your native Lee Cougan seller bike store.
