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1000 Miles of Trust: Why Ultra Racer Alex Schultz Chooses Manitou
Mar 05, 2026
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When Physics Matters Most: Alex Schultz and the Ultimate Test of Manitou Suspension
For most riders, a hard day on the bike might mean four or five hours in the saddle.
For Alex Schultz, that is barely the warm up.
The Tucson, Arizona based ultra endurance mountain bike racer has built a reputation around tackling some of the most demanding events in the sport. From extreme single day races to multi day bikepacking epics, Schultz seeks out competitions that push both rider and equipment far beyond the limits of conventional racing.
These are events measured not just in miles, but in resilience.
And when you are riding hundreds of miles through remote terrain, often completely off the grid, the equipment you choose becomes more than a performance advantage. It becomes a necessity.
That is exactly where Manitou’s design philosophy shines.
Physics Not Fashion
Manitou has always built suspension around one guiding principle: Physics Not Fashion.
Performance first engineering. Honest materials. Designs that prioritize reliability and ride quality over trends. It is an approach that resonates deeply with riders like Schultz who rely on their equipment to function flawlessly in environments where failure is not an option.
In ultra endurance racing there are no neutral support zones, no mechanics waiting in the pits, and often no quick way out if something goes wrong. Riders may spend days navigating rugged backcountry terrain, carrying their own supplies and trusting their bikes to withstand thousands of repeated impacts along the way.
For Schultz, suspension must do more than simply perform well. It must perform consistently, hour after hour, day after day.
Racing the Hardest Routes on Earth
Schultz has built his career around some of the most demanding endurance events in mountain biking. His race calendar reads like a checklist of the sport’s toughest challenges.
The Arizona Trail 800.
Marji Gesick 100 and 200.
Tour Divide.
Colorado Trail Race.
These are events where finishing is already an achievement. Schultz, however, approaches them with a different goal.
He races to win.
In 2025 he completed the prestigious Triple Crown Challenge while logging nearly 12,000 miles and more than one million vertical feet of climbing over the course of the year. Along the way he claimed victory at the Arizona Trail 800 for the second time and previously held the record on the route. The AZTR800 remains the longest singletrack bike race in the world and is widely considered one of the hardest.
This type of racing places extraordinary demands on both athlete and equipment.
Built to Handle the Distance
For the 2026 season Schultz has equipped his Revel Bikes platforms with Manitou suspension designed to balance efficiency, comfort, and reliability across massive distances.
His Revel El Jefe runs a Manitou R8 Pro fork set at 120 mm of travel, providing the lightweight efficiency required for long climbs while maintaining the control needed for technical descents and rugged terrain.
His Revel Ranger features a similar setup with the Manitou R8 Pro fork, complemented by Hayes Dominion T4 brakes and a Manitou Jack seatpost, forming a complete performance system drawn from the Hayes Bicycle Group family of components.
For Schultz, the benefits are clear. Suspension that stays active and efficient over thousands of miles helps reduce fatigue while maintaining traction and control across constantly changing terrain.
In races where riders may spend entire days on the bike, that balance becomes a major advantage.
Pushing the Limits of Endurance
Schultz has already begun his 2026 campaign with a podium performance at 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo, finishing third in the Solo Open category with 18 laps completed.
Next on the calendar is the Sonoran Ultra Endurance Race (SAUER) in Tucson, followed by a demanding season that includes the Stagecoach 400, Pinyons and Pines, True Grit 100, Oregon Timber Trail, Marji Gesick 100, AZTR300, and Escape LA.
Each of these races will push both rider and equipment to the limit.
For Schultz, that challenge is exactly the point.
Suspension Proven in the Real World
Elite endurance racing provides one of the most honest testing environments in cycling. There are no shortcuts, no controlled lab conditions, and no opportunity to hide weaknesses.
Equipment either performs or it does not.
For riders like Alex Schultz, Manitou’s commitment to physics driven design provides the reliability and performance required to not only survive these extreme challenges but to compete at the very front of them.
Because when the terrain gets rough, the miles stack up, and the nearest trailhead is hundreds of miles away, suspension built on physics is exactly what matters most.
