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Trek/VW and Subaru/Gary Fisher team camps
By Paul Mirtschin
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Being part of the same family, it makes sense to have both the Trek/VW and Subaru/Gary Fisher team camps near each other. So we sent Jeffrey Horen and Stephen Medcroft along to see what went down.
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One of the first things we noticed about the bikes at the camp was that all they were all running what looked like No-Tubes aluminium rotors instead of the Shimano XTR rotors. With the No-Tubes rotors coming in at 54g each, 85 grams lighter than the XTR, there is a bit of a weight saving to be made.
XTR is almost everywhere else though, with the new lightweight group popping up everywhere, from shifters to the derailleurs. The hubs are Bontrager however; you have to keep the family involved somehow.
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All the Trek's were running RockShox forks; SID World Cup forks on the XC bikes, Psylos on Wade Bootes Liquid, and Boxxers on the DH bikes. The SIDs all come with the new bar mounted lockout switch, so no leaning down to switch the forks for this team. Rear suspension is handled by RockShox SIDs with lock-out, however the all-black paintwork isn't standard on the SID rear shocks in your local shop. Wade Bootes Liquid was running a Fox TALAS rear shock, just to make things different.
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In the Fisher camp, the suspension duties go to Manitou. Swinger SPV rear shocks where needed, and Skareb forks up front. Like Trek, the Fisher team uses as much XTR as possible, while still running the Bonty hubs. The Sugars were running the 165mm No-Tubes aluminium rotors as opposed to the 160mm aluminium rotors on the Treks.
The Fisher team also has the option of running 26" or 29" wheels, with all riders getting a Sugar in each flavour. It is then up to each rider to decide which bike is best suited to the race conditions. At the Subaru Nova Desert Classic, both sized bikes were run, and both proved just as effective given the conditions.
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Another note of interest was that the women's bikes were running the Sybil*Link, while the men's ran the B*Link.
However, looking at bikes was not the only thing happening at the camp, there was riding to do. Unfortunately, the weather did not agree, and road training had to take the place of mountain biking on more than one occasion. Still, the team got to spend time together, they had a chance to fine tune the new bikes, and they also got a chance to race a little at the 1st Subaru Nova Desert Classic, held a short distance away..
All the Trek and Gary Fisher photos
Images by Jeffrey Horen/mountainbikeaz.com
- Team issue Trek OCLV Fuel 100 and OCLV HC Elite 98 racing bikes.
- Wade Bootes’ Team issue Trek Liquid
- Team Trek/Volkswagon lead mechanic Gary Wolff tunes Allison Sydor's OCLV Fuel 100
- Alison Sydor and her Trek OCLV Fuel 100
- XTR '03 bottom bracket and cranks
- The XTR '03 bottom bracket
- XTR '03 shifting and braking
- Allison Sydor , a long-time proponent of disc brakes, loves her new Shimano XTR '03 disc brake setup
- Team Trek/Volkswagon run Rock Shox SID World Cup forks and custom Rock Shox air rear shocks.
- The XTR '03 group includes a mounting that can be used for cheater (old-style) levers or, in the case of Allison Sydor's team-issue OCLV Fuel 100, a remote lock- out switch for her Rock Shox SID World Cup front shock.
- IRC tires are used by all Trek riders. Allison runs IRC Mythos XC's, a front tire on both the front and rear of her race bike.
- A meet and greet started off the media day at the Trek/VW training camp in Sedona, Arizona this week.
- Travis Brown at Trek/VW training camp
- 19 year old phenomenon and 2001 Junior World Champion Mia Suemasa putting her media training to work.
- The world according to downhill, 4-cross, BMX, and velodrome specialist, Wade Bootes
- Travis Brown in deep discussion with the Rock Shox factory support team on modifications to the suspension on his Trek OCLV Fuel 100
- The trails are too wet to ride, Trek team members, staffers, industry friends, and media prepare for a training road ride.
- Travis Brown and Trek/Fisher sales rep Mike McGary at a stop during the road ride
- Roland Green and Joe Staron from IRC tires on the training day road ride.
- Allison Sydor and Susan Haywood leave the guests behind and take off for a brisk 40-mile extension of the training ride.
- Roland Green , 2002 UCI World Mountain Bike Champion, off for a little solo training time on his road bike
- Travis Brown is full of smiles the moment a camera points his way
- Left to Right; Liam Killeen, Mary Grigson, Ryder Hesjedal, Walker Ferguson, Chrissy Redden,
- Ryder Hesjedal's Subaru Gary Fisher Team issue Sugar racing bike.
- Ryder Hesjedal's Sugar runs B-Link rear suspension design with air Manitou shocks.
- Mary Grigson's Sugar uses Sybil Link rear suspension design with a Manitou SPV rear shock
- Manitou's Skareb forks sit up front of the Sugars
- Shimano XTR '03 on the Gary Fisher Team issue Sugar
- Shimano XTR '03 disc front and rear.
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