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Photo ©:
James Huang
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Who says Lance can only win on pavement?
By James Huang in Snowmass, Colorado
The new Top Fuel still
sticks to a single-pivot axle path
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Armstrong went with DT
Swiss' ultralight carbon-bodied rear shock
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Trek's Active Brake Pivot
design
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The BB90 integrated bottom
bracket's road bike width
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The Full Floater design
uses dynamic upper and lower shock mounts
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Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong continued on his comeback
trail by winning the 12
Hours of Snowmass mountain bike endurance event along with teammates
Len Zanni and Max Taam, just about one month after coming in second
to Dave Wiens at the epic Leadville 100. The Texan gave a good public
display of off-road prowess prior to this season during that famous
moment in Stage 9 of the 2003 Tour when he was forced across a rutted
field to avoid a fallen Joseba Beloki. In addition to a previous sixth
place appearance at the US Mountain Bike Nationals in Mount Snow, Vermont
nearly ten years ago, his latest accomplishments only confirm that he's
the real deal on a proper mountain bike, too.
Armstrongs weapon of choice for the Snowmass event was the new
2009 Trek
Top Fuel. Much as Trek did with its current-generation Madone road
platform, this latest Top Fuel is a far more daring design than the
rather conservative one it replaced. The OCLV carbon main frame sports
a semi-integrated seatpost more typically seen on the road, the bottom
bracket bearings are directly inserted into a road-width shell, and
the head tube now wears an integrated headset as well.
Out back, the rear end still sticks with a single-pivot axle path but
a host of new features adapted from the Fuel EX trail bike cancel out
many of the designs inherent drawbacks. Lighter ABP Race (Active
Brake Pivot) pivots essentially provide a built-in floating disc mount
for better traction and control under braking, Full Floaters dual
dynamic shock mounts allow for more precise spring rate tuning throughout
the travel range, and a stouter one-piece EVO Link helps to keep everything
tied together.
In total, Trek estimates that the changes have also dropped about 431g
(0.95lb) from the previous Top Fuel while also making it more predictable
and faster at the same time, too.
The component spec continued the weight loss theme and, as one would
expect, there was a healthy smattering of Bontrager-labeled gear such
as the Race XXX Lite carbon riser bar, Race X Lite aluminum stem, XXX
Lite carbon seatpost stub and InForm RL saddle. When it came to rolling
stock though, Armstrong apparently decided to reach outside of the company
toy box.
Armstrong's bike came to us for the photo shoot wearing a pair of Bontrager
Race X Lite tubeless disc wheels and fast-rolling, low-knob Jones XR
Team Issue 26x2.0" treads but we never actually saw him using any of
it on course. Rather, he headed out for his laps with a pair of ZTR
Race wheels and a 2.2"-wide Raven rear tire from Stan's NoTubes. Armstrong
also ran a Raven tire up front for lap number one though he swapped
it for a Schwalbe Racing Ralph for laps two through six. In addition,
the rear wheel was also fitted with a 140mm-diameter coated aluminum
rotor, also from Stan's NoTubes.
Clamping the rotors was a set of Avid Juicy Ultimate hydraulic disc
brakes and SRAM was also tapped for the 100mm-travel RockShox SID World
Cup. Handling rear suspension duties was the featherlight XR Carbon
shock from DT Swiss and both ends were fitted with separate handlebar-mounted
remote lockout levers. This made for a rather crowded cockpit but what
with the large number plate covering it all up (with the number 7,
of course), its unlikely many people noticed.
The rest of the drivetrain was a straightforward Shimano affair, including
the XTR crankset, deraileurs, cassette, trigger shifters and pedals
plus a Dura-Ace chain. And since there was no support car in tow, Armstrong
also carried his own spare tube plus a Big Air CO2 canister from Genuine
Innovations.
As pictured, and with tube and inflator still attached (but without
the full Mellow Johnnys bottle), Armstrongs bike weighed
a competitive 10.75kg (23.69lb). We estimate the actual race trim cleaved
about 430g (0.95lb) though, roughly doubling the weight savings earned
with the new frame and bringing the total figure down to a more impressive
10.32kg (22.75lb).
Light or not, one thing was certain: Armstrong and his bike were fast.
His quickest 39:25 lap was second only to Jay Henry and more importantly,
he was remarkably consistent. Armstrongs sixth and slowest lap
was recorded in 41:07, just 1:42 slower, and only two riders in addition
to Henry topped his worst of the day.
In typical Armstrong fashion, it was mission accomplished. Now, anyone
up for a little ride through the French countryside next July?
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by
James Huang/Cyclingnews.com
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