Pace RC529 XT
£4,029 + £40 shipping | A modern update for a classic steel hardtail
Yorkshire-based Pace have adopted the ‘longer, lower, slacker’ trend for the latest RC529. Some great features stand out on this steel hardtail, from its ride feel to its adjustability.
SPEC
Frame Custom Reynolds 853 steel
Fork Rockshox Pike Ultimate, 140mm travel
Gears Shimano Deore XT (1×12)
Wheelset Hope Fortus 30 SC wheels, Michelin Wild AM 29×2.4in tyres
Brakes Shimano Deore XT, 203/180mm rotors
Bar/stem Burgtec Ride Wide Alloy Enduro, 800mm/ Pace, 35mm
Seatpost/saddle BikeYoke REVIVE/ Burgtec The Cloud
Weight 14.23kg, medium size without pedals
THE FRAME
Steel has inherent flex and can be manipulated to provide increased comfort or a poppier, more playful ride, by using different grades of alloy and careful tube-shaping. Here, Pace use Reynolds’ renowned 853 tubeset, which has a high strength-to-weight ratio, with the aim of making a compliant, capable chassis. Traditional features such as a threaded bottom bracket, external cable routing and external headset sit alongside an adjustable wheelbase and bang-upto-date geometry.
The 64.5-degree head angle and 77-degree seat tube angle are slacker and steeper, respectively, than on the previous model, while the medium bike we tested has a 478mm reach and 314mm BB height. Those numbers sit at the ‘progressive’ end of the scale. Sliding dropouts allow chainstay length to be adjusted from 430mm to 445mm, to increase tyre clearance, alter the ride feel or even set the bike up singlespeed. ISCG mounts permit the fitting of a chain guide. There are rack mounts on the rear triangle, plus bottle cage bosses on the down tube.
THE KIT
It’s good to see a full Shimano XT drivetrain. Pace’s website lists SRAM G2 brakes, but the spec can be tailored to your requirements, and our bike had four-piston XT callipers instead. Hope Fortus 30 SC wheels are shod with 29×2.4in Michelin Wild AM2 tyres. The headset is from Hope, too. Our bike came with a 140mm-travel Rockshox Pike Ultimate, not the listed 150mm Lyrik, which is stiffer but slightly heavier. Pace supply their own 35mm stem, which holds a Burgtec Ride Wide bar with Bartender single-clamp grips. Burgtec also supply the saddle, which sits atop a BikeYoke REVIVE dropper post with 160mm of travel.
THE RIDE
While the conditions we rode the RC529 in were varied and the range of terrain extremely broad, the Pace did what hardtails generally do – everything, pretty well. With no suspension bob or sag to contend with, the seat tube angle remains steep, offering an upright, comfortable pedalling position, which lets you spin up climbs confidently. While the gradient sometimes demanded a lean forward, not once did the front end rise. There’s little front-wheel wander, too, even on steep ‘e-bike only’ climbs.
Downhill, the slack head angle and long reach deliver stability at speed or on steeper terrain. The key characteristics of a steel frame are on display on any type of terrain. There’s enough ‘give’ in the Reynolds 853 tubing to reduce the harshness of washboard sections and let you skip through rock gardens. That compliance (engineered flex) provides a cornering feel unique to steel frames. While never in danger of being accused of being ‘flexy’, we felt confident tipping the RC529 into well-supported corners, and it feels surefooted in off-camber turns and traverses, too.
We appreciated the dropped top tube’s great standover clearance, and the option to make the back end as short as possible – although this has less of an effect on handling than on an alloy or carbon fibre hardtail, as the steel Pace already has a playful ride. Unfortunately, to achieve that compact rear triangle, Pace have put a kink in the seat tube, which limits how long a dropper post you can run. There was enough room between saddle and seat tube for us to drop our seat by 210mm, but the limited insertion depth of the medium frame meant the longest post from BikeYoke (Pace’s seatpost partner) that would fit was the 160mm version. Swapping to a dropper with a lower stack height and shorter body would eke out a bit more travel, but still significantly less than 180mm. Spec-wise, Shimano XT represents a benchmark for high performance and durability. Finishing kit is well thought-out, too – the saddle is comfy, the bar a good shape and the Pace stem does its job well, despite requiring more clamping torque than expected. Travel complaints aside, the REVIVE post itself was flawless, with a great lever shape and action. The Pike fork and Hope wheels suit this bike down to the ground, with the former having enough adjustment to achieve your desired feel and the latter being stiff enough to complement the compliant frame without creating a harsh ride. We found the tyres impressive on all terrain, too.
While it’s brilliant that you can fit a pannier rack, the provision of only a single bottle mount detracts from the RC529’s adventure credentials. A cargo mount on the underside of the top tube would be a step in the right direction; a second set of bottle bosses, even better.
HIGHS
Fantastic geometry
Good adjustability and gearing options
LOWS
Short frame insertion depth limits dropper post travel
Single bottle mount isn’t enough for big adventures
MBUK VERDICT
Pace have created a great bike that’s fun for short blasts but comfortable enough to ride all day
MBUK VERDICT
Pace have created a great bike that’s fun for short blasts but comfortable enough to ride all day
Photographer: Andy Lloyd