Kerry Barnholt's Tokyo Joe's - Maxxis Lemond Poprad

	Photos ©:James Huang/Cyclingnews

A Shimano Dura-Ace 12-25T cassette provides suitably wide gearing for most CX courses. Photo ©: James Huang

The rear brake is routed through a neatly integrated housing stop Photo ©: James Huang

USGP title sponsor Crank Brothers supplies Barnholt with its Egg Beater Triple Ti pedals, Photo ©: James Huang

Workhorse machine for a dirty job

By James Huang

After two years with the Subaru-Gary Fisher mountain bike squad, and a stint with Sobe-Cannondale before that, Kerry Barnholt made the switch to a new discipline and a new team for 2006. In only her first year with her new Tokyo Joe's-Team Maxxis squad (Barnholt enjoys a unique individual dual sponsorship arrangement), Barnholt has already landed three fifth-place finishes on the Crank Brothers USGP cyclocross circuit, including the first two series events held in Gloucester, MA, and the Rad Cup Presented by Seasoned Skewers held in Lakewood, WA.

During her cross-country racing days, Barnholt tended to prefer the short and fast efforts of short track as opposed to the long grinding climbs of most NORBA courses. As such, the move to the intense sport of cyclocross seems like a natural progression, but even she has been "pleasantly surprised" with her results thus far. With 'cross nationals coming up in Providence, RI, in just two short weeks, Barnholt hopes to continue her progression and earn an opportunity to represent the US at the UCI Cyclocross World Championships in Belgium this January.

Considering her successes and ambitious goals, Barnholt's Lemond Poprad Disc is a surprisingly off-the-shelf machine. The frame is TIG-welded from True Temper OX Platinum steel tubing and wears a primarily Shimano Dura-Ace drivetrain with a wealth of bits from Bontrager, including the wheelset, bar, stem, saddle, and post. For the most part, she chooses to race on aluminum Race X Lite clinchers and Maxxis Raze tires, but does have a set of Bontrager's high-zoot Race X Lite Carbon Aero hoops mounted with Tufo tubulars at her disposal when the need arises. Even with the heavier clincher setup, though, an all-carbon Easton EC90X fork and small frame size (Barnholt measures just 1.6m (5'3") tall) help keep the weight down to a reasonable 8.3kg (18.3lb).

Photos

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Images by James Huang/Cyclingnews.com

• Kerry Barnholt has made a successful switch from the world of XC to the world of CX.
• In contrast to many top-end pro bikes, Barnholt's Lemond Poprad is a little easier to obtain by the average consumer, making it a bit harder for you to blame your bike at your next race.
• Cockpit controls are handled by Shimano Dura-Ace 10spd STI levers.
• Like many pros, Barnholt prefers a slightly more traditional handlebar shape, as provided by Bontrager's Race Lite Variable Radius bend.
• Cyclocross is hard on saddles, and it shows. Barnholt has only had this bike less than a month.
• Barnholt's drivetrain is primarily a Shimano Dura-Ace affair.
• Shimano Dura-Ace 170mm crankarms are wrapped in 38T and 44T rings from FSA.
• USGP title sponsor Crank Brothers supplies Barnholt with its Egg Beater Triple Ti pedals, complete with shorter spindles for a narrower stance.
• A Shimano Dura-Ace 12-25T cassette provides suitably wide gearing for most CX courses.
• A clever rubber boot seals the rear section of derailleur housing to keep things running smoothly.
• Easton's EC90X carbon cyclocross fork keeps things light up front. Maxxis supplies Barnholt with its new Raze cyclocross tires.
• The rear brake is routed through a neatly integrated housing stop on the seat collar. Barnholt uses standard Avid Shorty 6 cantilever brake arms, but custom-fitted road brake pad cartridge holders from Jagwire for more consistent brake feel and more flexibility in pad selection when running carbon rims.
• Barnholt's frame is equipped with disc tabs.

Full specification

Frame: Lemond Poprad Disc, TIG-welded True Temper OX Platinum, 49cm (c-t)
Fork: Easton EC90X
Headset: Chris King NoThreadset
Stem: Bontrager Race X Lite, 60mm (c-c)
Handlebars: Bontrager Race Lite VR, 7075-T6 aluminum, 38cm (c-c)
Tape/grips: Bontrager Cork
Front brake: Avid Shorty 6 with custom-fitted Jagwire road cartridge brake pads
Rear brake: Avid Shorty 6 with custom-fitted Jagwire road cartridge brake pads
Brake levers: Shimano Dura-Ace ST-7800
Front derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace FD-7800-F
Rear derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace RD-7800-SS
Shift levers: Shimano Dura-Ace ST-7800
Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace CS-7800 12-25
Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace CN-7801
Crankset: Shimano Dura-Ace FC-7800, 170mm, with FSA 38/44T chainrings
Bottom bracket: Shimano Dura-Ace SM-FC7800
Pedals: Crank Brothers Egg Beater Triple Ti w/short spindles
Wheelset: Bontrager Race X Lite clincher
Rims: Bontrager Race X Lite
Front hub: Bontrager by DT Swiss
Rear hub: Bontrager by DT Swiss
Spokes: DT Revolution 14/17g
Front tire: Maxxis Raze, 700x35c
Rear tire: Maxxis Raze, 700x35c
Saddle: Bontrager Race X Lite
Seat post: Bontrager Race XXX Lite

Critical measurements

Rider's height: 1.6m (5'3")
Rider's weight: 54.4kg (120lb)
Seat tube length, c-c: 470mm
Seat tube length, c-t: 490mm
Saddle height, from BB center to top: 655mm
Tip of saddle nose to C of bars: 440mm
C of front wheel to top of bars: 555mm
Top tube length: 525mm (virtual)
Total bicycle weight: 8.3kg (18.3lb)