Gustav Gullholm, aka Dangerholm, has been crafting some of the most unique and lightweight bike builds for over a decade. The Swedish custom bike builder is known for his one-off creations, refinishing and speccing out bikes with carefully curated selections of some of the lightest, most exotic and most expensive components on the market. Ten years after turning his first Scott Spark RC into the worlds lightest 29 full suspension mountain bike, Dangerholm has a new ultralight build on the latest version of Scotts XC race platform.Over the years, Dangerholm has built numerous Scott Spark RC bikes, including 3rd- and 4th-generation frames. But Dangerholm says the 5th-generation Spark raises the bar for XC even higher with its suspension performance, geometry, and light weight. So, he set out with the goal of turning the latest Spark RC frame into a sub-9kg complete build that was not only light, but also fast, fun to ride, and pleasing to the eye, too.I started with setting 9kg / 19.84lbs as a weight goal for the complete bike. Partially as a fun challenge, but also since I personally find that it is around this weight and below that you truly start to notice a big difference and really feel that youre riding a superlight bike. With the low frame weight and lightweight components available today, this is a relatively easy weight target as far as tuning goes, but the real challenge lies in getting there without compromising performance or durability.-DangerholmScott Spark RC FrameAccording to Dangerholm, the latest version of the Scott Spark RC has a huge focus on user-friendliness, which already comes served on a silver platter from the engineers and designers at Scott. He says that overall this bike build was relatively straightforward, with little complexity or major modifications to the frame.That said, he took the time to strip the frame down to a custom-polished high-gloss raw carbon fiber finish. He also created matching transparent covers for the unique internally mounted rear shock placement on the Spark RC frame. This even includes a cutout for the Flight Attendant motor/battery pack on the RockShox SIDLUXE shock.SuspensionOn the topic of Flight Attendant, its impressive to see it included on both the rear shock and the fork. The Flight Attendants battery and electronics add both complexity and weight, a trade-off that Dangerholm is apparently willing to accept for its performance advantages.Interestingly, the Intend Samurai XC fork with the Flight Attendant Cartridge is almost identical to the claimed weight of the RockShox SID Ultimate Flight Attendant fork at 1,624 grams. Not only that, but the Intend fork allows for the polished silver look, which is an aesthetic/theme shared with many of the other components on the build.ComponentsGiven his experience putting together lightweight bike builds, it seems that Dangerholm has a direct line to all of the most exotic component manufacturers in the business. While many of these are more obvious, like wheels, brakes, cranks, etc, its the little things that show that Dangerholm goes all in on his lightweight builds.Take, for example, the RadoxX Components Oknytt Dangerholm Signature topcap that weighs just 3.2g, or the Extralite UltraStar 5 Expander, which weighs 4.6g. He also chose ExtraLite ExtraBolt hardware for the brakes and bottle cage, Oak Components ti bolts for the power meter, and 7g Tune valves for the wheels.Of course, Dangerholm doesnt mess around when it comes to the more visually obvious components, either. Starting with the drivetrain, the WERT Titanium cranks are a thing of beauty, especially with a silver 38T Garbaruk chainring. The special edition SRAM 1987 chain and cassette add to the shiny silver theme, while the HOPP Carbon tuning kit on the GX AXS derailleur brings its weight down to 357.7g.Moving to the wheels, the PI ROPE Light SLS5 285 wheelset is not a common sight. With textile spokes and carbon rims, these wheels weigh in at a claimed 949.1g for the pair (plus 19g for the valves and rim tape). Those are wrapped in TUFO XC11 + XC14 TR SG 292.35 tires. Speed control duties are tasked to a set of Trickstuff Piccola brakes with prototype titanium levers paired with Carbon-Ti X-Rotor SteelCarbon 3 rotors. Its certainly not every day you see carbon fiber on MTB brake rotors.Moving to the cockpit, Darimo is an obvious choice for lightweight carbon handlebars and stems. The ExtraLite HyperGrips and HyperPlugs reportedly weigh just 9.1g, and the Zirbel ZShift01 and SRAM BlipBox help to keep the cockpit clean and AXS Pod-free. The Vertical Helium Race 120mm dropper and Ignitor Control remote are also among, if not the lightest on the market. Lighter still is the Berk Composites prototype saddle that weighs a scant 61.3g!Dangerholms Scott Spark RC: Spec ListFrame: Scott Spark RC HMX-SL size L 1446,6gFork: Intend Samurai XC 120mm with RockShox Flight Attendant cartridge 1624,5gRear shock: RockShox SIDLuxe Flight Attendant 352,7gHeadset: Syncros with CeramicSpeed SLT bearings 106,0gSpacers: Onyx Racing Products 3,2gTopcap: RadoxX Components Oknytt Dangerholm Signature 3,2gExpander: Extralite UltraStar 4 4,6gStem: Darimo IX2AL 80mm -12 76,4g(Darimo computer mount- 3,7g)Handlebar: Darimo MTB Flatbar 690mm 6 custom polished 102,2gGrips: Extralite HyperGrips with Extralite HyperPlugs 9,1gController: Zirbel ZShift01 with SRAM BlipBox 62,8gBrakes: Trickstuff Piccola with prototype titanium levers 337,8g(Extralite ExtraBolt 4.5 + 9.1 19,6g)Rotors: Carbon-Ti X-Rotor SteelCarbon 3 160+180mm 175,3gRear derailleur: SRAM GX with full HOPP Carbon tuning kit 357,7gCassette: SRAM Eagle Transmission 1987 316,4gChain: SRAM Eagle Transmission 1987 250,5gChainring: Garbaruk MTB Thread Mount 38T 54,8gPowermeter: SRAM XX SL 107,2g(Oak Components titanium bolts 4,5g)Cranks: WERT StW-M 175mm titanium 321,6gBottom bracket: CeramicSpeed BB ALPHA 68,2Pedals: Xpedo M-Force 8 Ti 213,4gWheels: PI ROPE Light SLS5 285 949,1g(Tune valves- 7,0g, Orange Seal tim tape 12,0g)Tires: TUFO XC11 + XC14 TR SG 292,35 1266,0g(Milkit sealant- 196,4g)Seat post: Vertical Helium Race 120mm customized 334,6g(Vertical Ignitor Control customized 21,5g)Saddle: Berk Composites prototype 61,3gBottle cage: Syncros Tailor Cage 1.0 with Extralite ExtraBolt 12.1 screws 24,2gTotal weight: 8987,8g (8,99kg / 19.82lbs)Not only is this Scott Spark RC a very lightweight and elegant-looking bike with an exotic build, but Dangerholm says, The end result is the best bike Ive ever had.You can keep up with Gustav Gullholm and all of his custom bike creations on Instagram, @dangerholm.

The 2026 Vuelta a Burgos will take place from the 4th to the 8th of August. The Spanish race is one of the single biggest preparation races towards the Vuelta a Espaa and will feature several stages where the climbers will be testing their form. We take a look at its profiles. The race was first h...

The biggest debate in world cycling right now has a single protagonist: Tadej Pogacar. As of 31st of July, the Slovenian still hasnt confirmed whether he will line up at the start of La Vuelta a Espaa 2026, a decision that could define both the end of his extraordinary season and the course of his...

This weeks podcast episode delves into the pelotons speed debate, heads to the roof of the Tour, and parties on the Alpe and in the streets of Paris

Stage 3 of the Tour of Denmark has been won by Wout Van Aert. The Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider has won his third stage in as many days and extended his race lead despite the Dutch team's aggressive stance throughout the queen stage of the race. A stage heavily affected by crashes, as the race co...

Red Bull-Bora-hangrohe rider Primo Rogli has revealed he was struck by a car driver on a training ride earlier this week. The four-time Vuelta a Espaa winner shared a picture of his heavily bruised leg on Instagram on Friday, writing: "Got hit by a car few days ago..." As a result, he will miss Saturday's Clsica San Sebastin and the upcoming Vuelta a Burgos, both races he had planned to start. "Not the best scenario, but its life, eh?" he wrote. A post shared by Primoz Roglic (@primozroglic)A photo posted by on Rogli went on to say that his plans are now "all systems go" towards the Vuelta a Espaa, for which he faces a three-week race to regain fitness before the event begins in Monaco on 22 August. "We work and hope things will turn around," he said. The 36-year-old last competed at the end of June at the Slovenian National Championships, where he won the individual time trial and placed fourth in the road race. He did not race the Tour de France, choosing instead to build his season around a bid for a fifth Vuelta title.

The Tour of Denmark has thus far been fully dominated by Team Visma | Lease a Bike, who have won all three stages with Wout Van Aert. The Belgian rider spoke about having bad legs on the queen stage around the Vejle circuit and how winning wasn't his plan. The Dutch team controlled the stage where...

If the form guide were the only thing to go by, this Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift should be a procession for Demi Vollering.The Dutchwoman enters the race as the Giro dItalia Women champion, having taken 10 victories from just 20 race days this season, and with the confidence of being the UCIs number-one-ranked female rider by a landslide; her 6,705 points are almost 2,000 greater than second-placed Paula Blasi (UAE Team LIMAD), and more than three times those of Pauline Ferrand-Prvot (Visma-Lease a Bike), the defending Tour champion, down in the ranking depths of 20th. Foregone conclusion, then? Not quite. As history tells us, and has cruelly taught Vollering, fortunes can change quickly inside the pressure cooker of the Tour. After winning the race in 2023, the FDJ United-SUEZ rider has since twice finished runner-up by an agonising four seconds in 2024, and a crushing three minutes and 42 seconds last year in editions almost derailed by crashes. Her goal now is to regain the top step. But as she spoke in a pre-race press conference on Friday afternoon, she made clear shes not fixated on it. I think for now, what has changed the most is that I come quite calm into this Tour de France, Vollering said. I dont have the feeling I need to save my season, for example, on this Tour, because I have won already so many beautiful races. Ive really enjoyed this whole season with the whole team. Weve done such a great beginning of the season already. I think for that, this season is already very successful. Vollering opened 2026 with two stage wins and an overall victory at the three-day Setmana Valenciana. She then steamrolled through the Spring Classics, winning Omloop Nieuwsblad, the Tour of Flanders, La Flche Wallonne and Lige-Bastogne-Lige, and affirming herself as the seasons strongest one-day racer. As if her stage racing credentials needed proving, she went on to complete the Grand Tour treble in June at the Giro, taking two stages, including the closing one, on which she overhauled a 49-second deficit in the GC to win by half a minute. We showed at the Giro that everything can change on the last day, she said. Its of course always good to start the Tour in a good way, and be at the front instead of behind thats always the goal but still I believe, this Tour, every days so hard. Towards the end there are still so many opportunities; even the last day is still going to be super hard. For that reason, her mentality for the race is straightforward: You should never give up or be unmotivated, she said. Its going to be a fight until the very, very end. Which riders will remain in that final scrap will become clear as the race goes on. Ferrand-Prvot, though winless since she won the yellow jersey last year, has proven her ability again and again to set a target and achieve it. The start list also counts 2024s Tour winner Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-Sram), the Vuelta Femenina champion Blasi, her former Giro champion UAE Team LIMAD team-mate Elisa Longo Borghini, and two-time Grand Tour podium finisher Marlen Reusser (Movistar). The form guide may be in Vollerings favour, but shes not short of challengers. How does she carry the expectation on her? I always like to think pressure is a privilege, she said. It comes for a reason, and its a good thing to have.Of course, its also a very big motivation for myself to bring the yellow jersey to a French team. I love beautiful stories, and Id love to add this beautiful story to my list, of course. The nine-day Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift begins this Saturday 1 August in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The Tour de France is the best showcase for professional cycling in the world and shows the very best. Tadej Pogacar, Mathieu van der Poel, Remco Evenepoel and several others got their time in the spotlight. Who are some of the riders who didn't spend time in the spotlight, but certainly put in impr...

The team had previously asked fans to keep an eye out for the stolen bikes whilst warning thieves, "Rose Bikes are pretty nice. But stealing them is definitely not the way to get your hands on one."