From build, to photoshoot, to Lance, all within 24 hours
I know, I know, this isn’t road bike stuff, but its Lance Armstrong’s new Trek Top Fuel 9.9 SSL mountain bike, and that’s news to a lot of us. Lance’s first race on his new steed was this past weekend in Snowmass where the part-time Aspen resident won the Pro Men’s Colorado State Cross Country Mountain Bike Championship.
Here are some shots from the recent build up in Waterloo, WI, with Trek technician Ray Waxham and SRAM tech Paul Damato.
An integrated Texas longhorn and Trek logo on the headtube- a Trekxas longhorn?
The production frame was designed by one of Trek’s frame artists and painted in house. It features an integrated Texas Longhorn/Trek logo (Trekxas?) on the headtube, a horseshoe on the integrated seat mast. The stem was also custom painted to match.
Lance’s XX cockpit with Bontrager XXX handlebars, that’s a lot of X’s - also notice the custom painted stem.
Lance requested that the bike come equipped with a complete production SRAM XX mountain bike gruppo; the latest, lightest, most efficient performance defining MTB gruppo which involved the SRAM, RockShox, Avid, and Truvativ brands. The goal of the XX project was to craft the most advanced cross-country specific gruppo ever.
Lance’s race set-up features the RockShox X-Loc handlebar remote connected to his SID suspension fork set at 100mm of travel. Also, the RockShox Ario rear shock utilizes an optional remote lock-out, which is mounted on his right side of the cockpit. He chose to run the 28/42 gearing mated to the 11-36 10 speed SRAM XX cassette with the PC 1090R chain and PowerLock. XX triggers control front and rear XX derailleurs, and he selected 160 X-Sweep rotors to finish off the XX brakeset.
Prior to his winning his state title Lance tweeted about his new XX gruppo, “First ride on the new SRAM XX as well. Hands down best shifting I’ve experienced on a mtb.” High praise for a guy who is pretty particular about his componentry. Read more about XX here XX homepage The bike build took place the morning of July 31, the bike then went immediately into the photo shoot. The bike was then was boxed and UPS’d to Lance in CO for a Saturday morning arrival. Knowing Lance he probably had the bike built and was riding by 9am. Congrats to Lance on his State Championship title and good luck at Leadville this weekend.
Trek tech Ray Waxham builds up Lance’s new Trek Fuel 9.9 SSL bike equipped with SRAM’s new XX MTB group
The beautiful finish was custom painted for Lance by Trek in Waterloo, WI
Bike Tech
comments (21)
Hope David Weins is getting some love too, this entire thing is starting to look like the Yankees. Throw enough money and resources at it and if LA doesn’t win, something is wrong. Oh, really good looking bike though, almost to nice for mtb use eh? I for one pick Dave!
You obviously greatly under estimate the tenacity of LA.
Lance just about beat Dave last year without even barely training!
Don’t get me wrong, I respect the crap out of Dave Weins. The man is a legend, and deserves a lot of love from all walks of the cycling world. But Lance Armstrong is on a totally different level of excellence in biking.
This is a HUGE match up, the likes of which MTBing has never seen. Hundreds of thousands of people are actually interested in Leadville this year! There’s nothing negative that can come from this.
Dave could very well win this race, and I wouldn’t be surprised. He’s a flat out stud in the MTB world. But if Lance wins it won’t be because he “(threw more) money and resources at it.” It’ll be because Lance got himself into world class shape this year, and focused on winning Leadville.
The better man on Saturday will win. Case closed.
Wheels are too small
Whatever happens on Saturday, it’s great to see mountain biking getting some positive attention. But, hey, aren’t we all doing road, trails, touring, etc., if we’re really into “cycling”? They are all great options for anyone who loves human-powered two-wheeling. And they are all great reasons for us to have more than one bike! Question: I’m no mechanic, but I can’t recall seeing so many head spacers above the stem/handlebars before. What’s up with that?
Hey GMB,
It’s, almost “too” nice for mtb, not “to”. Learn English. You must be French. You don’t know English and dislike Lance. Way to go buddy!
Agree…wheelz 2 small. Wiens is also in tip top shape this year. But I think Lance takes it by a landslide, the guy just took 3rd in the hardest and most competitive cycling event in the world. Just wonder why Schalk, Tostado and Eatough are not doing this?
I meant why those guys aren’t competing in the Leadville100 race. Not that I think anyone right now will beat Lance.
JML - the steerer tube would be cut by Lance, that’s why its stacked with spacers.
Thanks, Michael. Thought it might be something like that.
Good question…where is Schalk, Eatough and the rest??
I am starting to like 29ers more and more, curious if LA ever really tested one. Right now I put LA at a 16 minute favorite. He could ride with Dave and then put the beat down during the last mile as well. But he wants 6 hours. I wonder if AC is a mountain biker?
Hey SL
GMB was correct. the only meanings of “too” are “also” (“I want a bike like Lance too.”) and “in excess” (“Your stereo is playing too loudly.”). Note that extra O. It should remind you that this word has to do with adding more on to something. “To” is the proper spelling for all the other uses.
i think gmb was stating that the bike was almost ‘excessively’ nice for mtb use. it that case, too would be correct. but who really cares? either way it’s a bad bike!
Lance will want to replace that saddle with the San Marco Concor saddle from his road bike.
Armstrong vs Weins at Leadville reminds me that in the 90s I always wanted to see if Lemond could take on Tomac off-road.
Hope Armstrong does not win by too much………
haha, I hate how people from the U.S. can’t stand when people talk about Lance. Lance is a legend. we’re of course routing for Manuel Prado, even though he finished 3rd last year and over an hour behind the first 2 places, that says much about the level of Dave and LA.
LA is no God guys, he deserves ALL my respect and I get goosebumps every time I watch his videos online, but don’t take offense in someone saying that his bike is almost TOO beefed up to use, I agree, riding all over Costa Rica with my $500 trek with parts that date back to ‘92 I’ve even won my fair share of races. it’s the machine that drives the bike, not the bike that drives the machine folks. BTW SL, making fun of someone for his/her grammatical misshaps says much about you as a person, be it you come from NY City or from a shack in the middle of the Amazonian jungle.
This bike is amazing! Hope he brings it to La Ruta this year as he told Prado, perhaps he’ll feel the acid on the mountains down here.
I love Lance but have to pull for Dave to take it again. I just wish the Leadville was on TV that would be great to watch this year.
Shalk and the others are probably racing the Fool’s Gold 100 on Saturday, instead… It’s part of the NUE Series. http://www.usmtb100.com
Dudes and dudettes,
Check out this link to get web casts of tomorrow’s Leadville 100 race. Not free but better than nothing. Sure miss the old days of OLN and their great mtb coverage! http://www.leadvilletrail100.com/
You’re the coolest andres. Only a total stud like you could win races with technology from 92′. Lance and Dave have nothing on you. They’re just lucky you didn’t decide to enter Leadville this year or you’d lay the smack down with your inferior bike. (rolleyes)
What I HATE is how people (I assume the earlier dude was an American, who happens to be a dirt lover) have been trying to make excuses for why Lance will win (and actually WON) Leadville before they even started the race.
Lance won because he’s the best man to ever put on a pair of cycling shoes. When he decides he wants to win a bike race (whether it’s MTB, cycling, cyclocross, or unicycle) he’ll win it. End of story.
Chuck from Norris,
So what I heard you say is that Lance didn’t want to win the TdF? I mean you stated “when he decides he wants to win a bike race (whether it’s MTB, cycling, cyclocross, or unicycle) he’ll win it. End of story.”
He’s never wanted to win another grand tour? He wanted to finish somewhere on the podium under 1st? Trust me, I have huge respect for Lance, and I think he saved the Tour this year, but as someone else posted, he isn’t a God. Get a life.