The MX175 has a fiberglass-injected sole. It will be available in men's and women's lasts in 2013. Photo: Emily Zinn | VeloNews.com

After Stage-Race Distribution stepped up as the North American distributor, Lake is back in action in the U.S. and Canada and has some unique and quality products to offer the American market. We received two Lake mountain shoes — one top-end, carbon racer and one performance-inspired mid-ranger — earlier this year and are just starting to put the miles on them.

Lake MX331 >> $370

The lowdown: Lake’s top-of-the-line carbon-soled mountain shoe
Pros: Moldable carbon heel and arch; real rubber lugs for improved traction; available in men’s and women’s models; Boa closure; real leather; optional toe spikes; replaceable heel tread
Cons: Pricey

The most inspired feature on the MX331 is definitely the moldable carbon heel, featured also on the equivalent road model, the CX331. For a precise, customized fit, place the shoes upright in the oven for five minutes at 180 degrees F; then slip your feet in the warm shoe for 15 minutes and let them conform to your feet.

The pair of MX331 I’ve been riding aren’t customized yet, but that process in itself sounds like heaven to me, and Lake says the process can be repeated as many times as needed, so I have a feeling I may try five or six times — just to be sure they fit perfectly. The inner and outer arches are also heat moldable. A side-mounted Boa closure completes the ideal fit.

The tread is the same as the MX175 for the most part, but the MX331 offers optional toe spikes. Additionally, there is a grip in the arch of the foot and the heel is vented. To improve durability on impact, Lake uses a carbon/Kevlar weave in its CFC carbon sole in the MX331.

I weighed my size 39 MX175 — the only size available in the prototype — and one shoe weighed 328g per pair, just 2g less than the size 40 MX331.

Lake is experimenting with a prototype cyclocross-specific version of the MX331 and is considering it for production in 2014.

It’s a rare treat when a company makes its top-of-the-line mountain bike shoe in a true women’s fit, and the MX331 appears to be a solid competitor to the Specialized S-Works MTB, which also features a Boa closure and carbon sole and retails for $360.

The Lake MX331 will retail for $370, which is certainly enough coin to give anyone pause before handing over the credit card, but the price fits appropriately with the other shoes at this level of performance.

Lake MX175 >> $160

The lowdown: Stiff-soled mid-range mountain bike shoe, available to consumers later this year
Pros: Leather uppers; Boa closure; stiff sole
Cons: Lugs in place of toe spikes; no grip under the arch

The first stock of the MX175 mountain bike shoe has already arrived in the warehouse and will be shipped to distributors and consumers soon, unchanged from the prototype I’ve been riding. With a few minor differences in design, the MX175 is a direct descendant of the MX331, produced with different materials to set it at a substantially lower price point.

Nonetheless, Lake uses top-end natural materials, including real rubber and leather for top performance. The uppers are meant to conform to the rider’s foot, and the leather is aimed at improving breathability over synthetics.

Pyramidal texturing should provide extra traction to top off the deep and moderately flexible rubber lugs, which are widely spaced to shed mud.

Fiberglass-injected nylon makes for an ultra-stiff sole with a little give in the toe for added comfort on long days.

The MX175 is fortunate enough to have adopted many of the key design features of the MX331 at a much lower price point, including the Boa closure, mounted with a quick-release loop and PowerZone technology, which allows the rider to increase the tension over the foot by looping the Boa lace over two optional hooks on the outside of the foot.

Production models will be available in white and orange or black and silver. Like most Lake shoes, they come in men’s and women’s lasts. Having soles that stiff with a Boa closure for $160 makes the MX175 a definite head turner.

www.lakecycling.com

Meredith Miller has fought hard to come back from injury and race well at home and in Europe. Now it's nationals in Verona and — she hopes — worlds in Louisville. Photo: Emily Zinn

VERONA, Wisconsin (VN) — After Katie Compton (Trek Cyclocross Collective) won the World Cup overall, the women’s U.S. world championship team was awarded an extra slot, making Cal Giant rider Meredith Miller’s discretionary nomination a safe bet.

Miller’s season came crashing to a halt after she broke two metacarpal bones in her hand on day one of the Providence Cyclocross Festival on October 6. During her recovery, she focused on raising breast cancer funds and awareness.

She came back ferociously, eager to still qualify for the (then) five-woman world championship team in her narrow window of opportunity. In her brief European bid, she scored top-10 finishes at the Superprestige Diegem in Belgium and Bpost Bank Trofee Azencross in Loenhout, Belgium, plus took her best cyclocross World Cup result in Namur, where she placed 11th.

VeloNews caught up with Miller on the eve of the elite USA Cycling National Cyclocross Championships to discuss her recovery, comeback and imminent worlds team selections.

VeloNews: You used to live around here, right?
Meredith Miller:Yes, I went to school here, I played soccer here. It’s kind of my old stomping ground and where I started cycling.

VN: You’ve had quite the comeback from injury. Did you anticipate your results being so strong?
MM: No, I have to say that I had hoped I would be coming back this strong. I trained really well, I had a solid block of training, even though it was on the trainer for, probably, five or six weeks, or whatever it was.

VN: How did you stay fit during your injury?
MM: I’ve had an injury before. I was hit by a car and broke my thumb and was in a cast and the cast prevented me from being able to ride on the road. … I spent six weeks on the trainer and came back and my first race was a World Cup. So, I knew if I trained hard and kept myself together mentally that I could probably come off the trainer feeling pretty good.

VN: How did your first races back go?
MM: When I came back and my first weekend back was in LA and I had a pretty good showing and was getting good results, but I knew it was a matter of getting that race fitness back. That’s something you can’t simulate on a trainer. I can’t, anyway; maybe some people can. So I came back to LA and got those results, and then the next weekend was Bend and I kind of fell apart in Bend. I think I was doing everything so perfect and I was so focused on worlds and so focused on my UCI points and all of this other stuff that I kind of forgot to go out and just race my bike. So after Bend I kind of had to regroup. My goals were still the same but I had to reorganize everything in my head. Once I went over to Europe I had the kind of attitude of ‘I have nothing to lose here, but have something to gain.’ I went over there and did well in those races in Europe and am sitting here in Madison getting ready for ‘cross nationals and hoping for the best.

VN: Katerina Nash was also sidelined early and is now crushing. Is it advantageous to come into the season late?
MM: I think we all know somebody — a cyclist or an athlete — who has had an injury and is forced to be sidelined and have seen that person come back really strong. I think, as athletes, we tend to overtrain and not give ourselves enough of a break, both mentally and physically. So I think that break — even though it’s a forced break and not fun and nobody wants to do it — it actually sometimes is for the best. … You come back wanting more and fighting harder and feeling stronger and more motivated and fresh.

VN: Since Katie Compton secured another world-championship spot for the United States with her World Cup win, your potential discretionary slot is more secure. What would it take for you to not make the team at this point?
MM: Well, I missed two months of racing and that was two months that people didn’t see me racing against my competition. But then I came back, and with the exception of Bend, which wasn’t so great, I went over to Europe, and those are the people I’m going to be competing against at worlds, and I’m right there with them. A lot of the Americans were there and, with the exception of Katie Compton, the five races that I did, most often I was second American. [So] I feel like now that we have a sixth slot I feel pretty confident that I should be selected to get one of those slots. Four slots for coaches’ choice, because only Katie and Katie [Antonneau] are automatically qualified. … I know that they’re really gonna be looking at tomorrow and see how we all do against each other. But at the same time, anything can happen, anybody can have a bad day. So, whether it’s me or someone else that deserves to go, I hope that USA Cycling doesn’t say ‘Oh, she had a bad day, she’s off the radar because of one race,’ especially given the conditions.

VN: If world championship team selections were today, who do you think the other slots would go to?
MM: Georgia Gould hasn’t done a ton of ‘cross racing, but every one she’s done she’s been second or third behind Katie or Katerina [Nash], so I would expect that she would get the chance to go. She also has a long history in cyclocross, so she’s experienced. Just going to the Olympics and everything else she’s done, she knows what she’s doing and performs well in all this hoopla, so I think she’s pretty much a shoe-in. Then for the other three spots, I think there’s a handful of women that could round out the team. It’ll be between myself and Nicole Duke, Amy Dombroski — who’s not going to be here for nationals, she’s going to stay over in Europe, but she’s been on the team for the last several years and she’s always right there, in the mix over in Europe. Mo (Bruno-Roy). Crystal Anthony made the effort and went over to Europe and got her feet wet and she’s had a really strong season, too. Then there’s also somebody like Elle Anderson, who is a young rider but has shown she has incredible talent. If she came out and had an awesome race tomorrow, she could be chosen to go. There’s quite a few women that could fill out those last three or four spots to fill up the team.

VN: What type of rider will Sunday’s conditions favor?
MM: I think tomorrow with the tricky conditions it’s not necessarily who’s gonna be the fittest or the fastest or the strongest, it’s gonna be about who can keep their wits about them and keep it together because we’re all gonna make mistakes out there, and it’s gonna be about who makes the fewest mistakes and can stay focused and not completely fall apart. It’s gonna be so crazy out there tomorrow.

VN: Are your skills in the icy, rutty conditions pretty strong?
MM: Hopefully my experience in Europe will help me out. I think that the conditions will be a lot different, but the one thing that is the same is running really low tire pressure and that kind of freaks a lot of people out because you feel like you’re riding on a flat tire and you’re hitting your rim and you’re sliding a little bit more, but you’re getting the traction that you need. When I was racing in Europe, sometimes you have to just let your bike go because there’s nothing you can do in the mud. I think some of that will translate to the ice. But also ice is just a whole different beast because you can be riding in a straight line and your bike can slide out from under you. It’s just gonna be a matter of you staying loose and relaxed as much as possible. I haven’t ridden the course yet, I’ve only heard about it, I’m expecting the worst as far as conditions are concerned. I’m just preparing myself mentally and trying not to freak out about anything and just remember that everyone else is probably going to feel the same.

VN: Lots of amateur Americans that don’t race often in the mud have been realizing the drawback to discs in muddy conditions this weekend and had brakes fail or need adjustment each lap. What’s been your experience racing in the mud on the disc-equipped Specialized S-Works Crux?
MM: Oh my goodness, it’s amazing. I absolutely love my bike. I love the way that the Crux handles, it’s an awesome bike. Then, having the disc brakes is amazing. I had seen the videos of the (World Cup) race in Namur, so I’d seen the drop-in and had been thinking, ‘Oh my God, I don’t know if I can do that.’ I got over there and went to pre-ride the day before and just said to myself, ‘you have nothing to lose, and the last thing you need to do is sit at the top of these drop-ins and think about it because that’s when you start to freak yourself out and you over-think it and screw yourself up.’ So I got out there with that mentality, and just knowing that I had the braking power, I had confidence in my bike to do what I wanted it to do. I got to the top of those, didn’t even think about them and ended up having a really great race and missed automatic qualifying [for the worlds team] by one slot. With my bike and my disc brakes I had a ton of confidence and it was that way for every race the rest of the trip. [The bike] is a little bit heavier, but to me the confidence that I get from having the braking power outweighed the little extra weight. I didn’t go over there with a regular mechanic and with a lot of extra spare parts or anything like that. So if something had gone incredibly wrong, I probably was in trouble. Everything went just right and the only thing I had to stay on top of was changing brake pads.

VN: Do you take more pits in the mud than you would with cantilevers?
MM: No, I wasn’t changing more because of the brakes at all, I just took a lot because of the conditions. The conditions were outrageous and I had to do something I had never done before, which was run into the pit with my bike and run out of the pit shouldering my bike. There were a couple races that were so muddy that when you run in shouldering your bike, the mechanic would just hold it up for you to throw your arm through. The first time that happened to me in the pit, my mechanic was holding my bike up and watching for my other bike to catch it and I thought he was not paying attention and I was like, ‘What are you doing?’ I felt like such a rookie when after the race he told me what he was doing.

VN: What do the American women have to bring to the table in Louisville?
MM: Besides Katie who’s obviously been looking super strong and has the advantage of having raced on that course a bunch, a lot of the Americans have been knocking on the top five or top 10, so I think the Americans are going to have a really good showing. I’m really excited to see what happens.

VN: What has the Pink effort accomplished this year?
MM: That was all for breast cancer awareness and raising money for the breast cancer foundation in Fort Collins called Hope Lives. I raised about $9,000 for the foundation, so it was in one year almost what I had raised for the foundation in previous two years. It was awesome. I was able to give away a pink crux and the people that came forward to donate to the raffle were phenomenal. It was the third year that I’d done it and it’s awesome when I go to races and see people walking around with the T-shirts on. It’s really cool to have that type of connections and the resources to make something like that happen. I see that fundraising effort as something I’ll continue to do for a long time.

Ryan Trebon has opted to train in the California sun rather than chase UCI points in Belgium this season. Photo: Wil Matthews | VeloNews.com

MADISON, Wisconsin (VN) — While his top domestic rivals were in Europe contesting the World Cups in Namur and Zolder over the holiday week, Ryan Trebon (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com) was in San Diego, California, training alone for the national and world championships. Come Sunday, he’ll get an idea for how his domestic build-up has prepared him for the most important three weeks of the season.

The UCI Elite Cyclocross World Championships will be held on U.S. soil for the first time in history in February, and the race for UCI points for the home team has been hot. Despite their efforts in Europe, however, neither reigning national champion Jeremy Powers (Rapha-Focus), ranked 12th, nor Tim Johnson (Cannondale), who is ranked five slots below Trebon in 21st, will achieve a first-row call-up. Having all but secured an automatic slot on the world championship team by way of being the second-ranked American within the top 50 internationally, which he must retain until January 14th, Trebon’s tactic of focusing on training rather than world championship call-up has freed him of the fatigue that comes with traveling and racing in Europe on multiple assignments in the three-month build-up to nationals weekend.

Trebon has taken advantage of the early-winter Southern California weather for the past 13 years. After beginning his 2012-13 season feeling under-rested, Trebon’s decision to stay in California allowed the Oregon resident the ability to train with minimal distractions and rest effectively. But now is time to see just how well the warm-weather training block has paid off.

Trebon will contest the elite national championship in Verona, Wisconsin on Sunday, his first UCI race since the mid-December Trek U.S. Gran Prix finale in Bend. VeloNews caught up with him and discussed training strategy, untimely sickness, world championship goals and plans after worlds.

VeloNews: You got caught by a stomach bug recently. Are you back to good health?
Ryan Trebon: Yeah, last Tuesday I caught a stomach bug for three or four days. I’m not too worried about it. Sometimes you’ve just got to think it takes more of a hit to your confidence than how you feel. I actually feel really good.

VN: So it didn’t set you back much?
RT: No, it set me back quite a bit, I didn’t feel good for about a week. I didn’t feel good training until about Monday, but every day I feel better on the bike and I feel better about my chances. I was feeling really good beforehand but then you get sick and then you start riding and thinking, “I’m weak and I’m slow,” and you don’t really eat for three or four days. It just takes a while to really build all your stores and get ready to go. I’m feeling good.

VN: Do you have a strategy worked out for nationals?
RT: I’m going to try to be the first one to cross the line. I get there Friday night, I’ll see the course on Saturday. It just depends on how the course looks. Sometimes you can feel as good as you want leading up to the race, but you just have a bad day, and sometimes someone’s just faster, so thus far my strategy is going to the race and doing my best and seeing what we get out of it. Nothing too exciting.

VN: With so many discretionary slots for worlds on the line and some people’s nominations hinging on winning this race, do you see anyone outside of the main three (Trebon, Powers and Johnson) winning nationals?
RT: (Jonathan) Page (ENGVT) is obviously riding well, I would say Jamie Driscoll (Cannondale) has a chance at doing well, also. It’s a hard course because if the weather turns out like it’s been, where it’s soft and muddy and then starts to freeze again, it’s definitely going to be pretty challenging and would definitely tend to favor someone else. I have no idea who’s going to be better than anyone else, but I don’t think it’s someone super out of the ordinary. Based on how the course is turning out, I don’t think it will favor someone like Powers over anyone else. Jeremy’s been riding really well this year, but I think it’s going to be extremely challenging out there, both physically because it’s hilly and technically because it’s frozen and it’s going to be muddy and it’s going to be really hard to ride. I think someone like Tim (Johnson) could do better than the rest of us on it just because he tends to do well when the course is really slick — and not just muddy slick, but icy slick.

VN: What conditions are you hoping for?
RT: I kind of hope the course doesn’t freeze as much. I kind of want it to stay just wet and really sloppy the whole time.

VN: You’ve taken a different approach to balancing training with points-seeking than Powers and Johnson. Why did you stay stateside?
RT: I don’t believe in that idea that you’ve got to chase points to try to start on the front row at the world championships. If it turns out that my fitness is going to be good, I’d rather start on the third row with really good fitness than start on the front row and be kind of worn out from the travel. I think that’s a bad idea. It’s pretty easy to go from the third row to the top five at the start, and it’s just as easy to go from the front row to 30th at the start. The start’s such a crap-shoot that it makes a difference to get a good start, but I don’t think that starting on the front row is necessarily the most important thing in the world. I wanted to come to California and just train. We’re doing a bunch of training and I feel good on the bike. For me, that’s how I feel fast, if I can consistently every day ride my four hours. I’m feeling good about myself and I think it will pay off.

VN: Did those guys make the wrong choice by racing in Europe?
RT: I don’t know, but we’ll find out. We can argue about who had the better idea, but really we’ll find out who had the better idea over the next couple races.

VN: What has your training been focused on in California?
RT: I tend to respond well to a lot of volume. I’ve been riding a lot of hours and intensity, too, to get ready for this race. I’m stoked; I feel good about it. I think it was time well spent. It was good weather, even though it wasn’t as good as it was last year. It’s been kind of rainy and cooler than I would like, but when it’s 60 degrees it’s a lot better than when it’s 46 degrees. The riding’s awesome around here, so I’ve got no complaints. I’m just by myself, but I kind of like to train alone. My girlfriend came down and was here with me, but she had to go back to work, so I’m just down here hanging out by myself. It just gets boring when you’re all by yourself.

VN: Who coaches you and what encouragement did he give you to impact your choice to stay stateside?
RT: I’ve been working with him for like 10 years now. He works for CTS (Carmichael Training Systems), his name is Jim Lehman. We’ve been working together for a long time and he knows how I like to train and it’s been a good choice, I think.

VN: What will you work on after the national championships, leading up to worlds?
RT: More of the same. The worlds course is really different than the nationals course. The worlds course is fast and short little accelerations, whereas the nationals course is more of just a good grind all the way around the course. It has two significant climbs to it, so at nationals you need to be able to be on the gas for, like, four-to-five minutes at a time and put in the big efforts, but at worlds it’s all about these hard accelerations coming out of turns. The efforts aren’t especially long at worlds, but they are at nationals, so just focusing on threshold stuff here and then some max-output stuff before worlds. That said, not much changes. You need to be fit all around most of the time.

VN: What would you say is a realistic goal for you for worlds?
RT: I’d like to ride extremely well, so I think I can finish extremely well, whether that means finishing 10th place or finishing fifth place, but I feel good. I don’t know, I haven’t set a specific goal, like in terms of a number where I want to finish, I just want to go out there and race hard and have a clean race and not make any mistakes and get off to a good start and just ride well. I think if I could finish somewhere around 10th that would be a good race. It’s just hard; I think people underestimate how challenging the races are, you know? Just how fast they start, it takes a lot. It takes a lot to make everything happen on one day. I think I’ve had a good season and I’d like to finish it off with a good worlds, but if it doesn’t happen it doesn’t happen.

VN: Has your season shaped up how you expected?
RT: Yes and no. I was talking to someone the other day and saying I feel a little unimpressed with my season, personally. I do wish I would have won more big races. Sometimes you do the best you can to prepare for the season and you go a little wrong. I think something was a little off, I don’t know what. I kind of made up for it, I had some good races, it’s just you always want more, right?

VN: What are your plans after worlds?
RT: I’m not going hang up the bike. Plans, tentatively right now, are to do the first Pro XCT race in Austin in March, which is only like three weeks away (from worlds), and then there’s two more in California. I can keep going hard for another month and get some good races in and get some good results for my sponsors — I race for Clement and Cannondale on the mountain bike — so if I can get some good results for them, that’s what I really want. Not so much results for myself, but more to showcase Clement and Cannondale. We’ll see, but I feel good, so I’d like to race for another month and then take a break after that.

VN: Have you been training in Louisville?
RT: Nope, I’ve just been staying here in California. I’m coming right back here Monday morning, and I’m going stay here until the Thursday before that Cincinnati race [Kings International on January 26 —Ed.], then I’ll fly out to Cincinnati. You can’t beat it out here. The weather here is consistently good and the riding is great, and it’s easy to ride all day here, so it’s hard to beat.

VN: What is your prediction at this point for the world championship podium?
RT: No, I don’t have one, actually. It will be interesting to see. A lot of people will have trouble dealing with the travel and time changes and stuff like that. It’s always easier coming back over here than I think it is going to Europe. I think that guys that have some more of that experience are going to do well here. I don’t know, we’ll see. But, I don’t really care how anybody else does besides myself, so I’m not so worried about it.

Yannick Eckmann may just be in Louisville after all. Photo: Wil Matthews | www. wilmatthewsphoto.com

MADISON, Wisconsin (VN) — Yannick Eckmann (Cal Giant-Specialized) may just fly his German-American flag at the UCI Cyclocross World Championships in February after all. First, however, the odds-on favorite in Saturday’s U23 race has turned his attention to the USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships, where he is eligible to win the stars-and-stripes jersey.

When VeloNews caught up with Eckmann in November, he feared he would be excluded from competing in both the worlds in February and nationals this weekend due to his 2012 change of citizenship status.

Eckmann, however, will race in Verona, Wisconsin, on Saturday, and expects to race for Germany in Louisville, Kentucky, in February’s world championships.

The German native was granted dual German-American citizenship on September 11th, 2012, after residing in the U.S. with his family for more than half his life. With a likely move to the U.S. National Team in his near future, Eckmann expected the German federation to leave him out of its worlds selection.

At the same time, it had appeared that the UCI would bar him from representing the U.S. in national and world championship races, based on Rule 1.1.033, which reads:

The rider who validly chose his new nationality can be selected by the national federation of his new nationality and represent it in events mentioned in [section] 1 as from the second calendar year he chose his new nationality.

“I got my new (UCI) license with a new USA Cycling code, so it should be everything taken care of,” Eckmann told VeloNews this week. “With the rule of switching nationality and everything there’s always a question of what you can do and what you can’t.”

Eckmann’s Cal Giant team announced on Thursday night that he would be allowed to contest Saturday’s U23 championship race in Verona, but will not be eligible to don the stars-and-stripes jersey. USA Cycling technical director Shawn Farrell contradicted this, however, in an email on Friday: “Yannick is now a full USA citizen for cycling and eligible to win the jersey… he began the process last year and his UCI code was changed on 1/1/13.”

So, Eckmann appears to be in the interesting place of leaving Verona a U.S. national champion hoping to join the German team at the world championships in three weeks’ time.

The second calendar year from the date of Eckmann’s citizenship change begins January 1, 2014, meaning he will then be eligible to compete for the U.S. over the final weeks of the 2013-14 cyclocross season.

“For the world championships and the World Cup, I still have to race for Germany,” he said. “Since the world championships are in the U.S., they’re going take me on, since it’s so close already.”

Paradoxically, he would not be eligible to race the German national championships, since his UCI license now shows a USA Cycling number.

As of January 1, 2014, Eckmann says he will “finally” be able to race for the U.S., which is his plan for the future. Germany still has the right to select him for races until that time.

“It’s just a lot easier for us on the road — because that’s what I’m looking at as well,” Eckmann said, explaining that racing European events with the U.S. is easier because he can train locally with a team. “Germany doesn’t take us because (road is) a team sport, so you have to be there to train with them, so that was always conflicting.”

Eckmann’s family moved to the United States in 2004 for his father’s work — Juergen Eckmann is the president of apparel company Pearl Izumi — but Eckmann says that recently, working on his citizenship issues has been a major hindrance for both himself and his brother, Robin, who also races for Cal Giant.

“Since we actually moved here, after like two years it was our plan to be a U.S. racer and get our U.S. citizenship,” he said. “After we got that, with all the UCI rules we didn’t know what we can do, so it took a lot of conversing, emails back and forth and there was a lot of disappointment and then happiness again, so it’s been hard, but finally it’s been paying off now.”

Helen Wyman believes American cyclocross has earned the right to showcase the U.S. interpretation of the sport by hosting worlds in Louisville. Photo: Emily Zinn | VeloNews.com

With wins including the British cyclocross championships and the European ‘cross championships, Kona-FSA rider Helen Wyman has had a glowing season. She will arrive to the world championships in February on the front row of starters and says it’s high time the U.S. has a chance to face the world’s top ’crossers on home soil.

Unlike many top European racers, Wyman is accustomed to trans-atlantic travel for racing. Currently second in the UCI world rankings, the European champion has spent a substantial portion of her season stateside and is outspoken in her love for a certain American flare when it comes to cyclocross.

She is also a willing advocate for this season’s elite cyclocross world championships in Louisville, Kentucky, at Eva Bandman Park on February 3. In Wyman’s estimation, the growth that the sport has seen as a result of American influence has earned the country the right to host the race.

“I think it’s brilliant,” Wyman told VeloNews. “You guys have done so much for the sport in your country in the last 10 to 15 years and I think it’s a fitting reward for you to showcase what you do and how you do it to the Europeans.”

With that right comes responsibility, and more importantly, opportunity. Wyman sees the potential for cyclocross to continue to explode, and potentially reach a point where red, white and blue dominate international racing, just as Belgium and the Netherlands do now.

“As soon as people like Sven Nys decide to retire, then another country needs to take over, and why not America?” she said.

Wyman guessed that, rather than sharing her opinion that American racers deserve to experience the advantage of having worlds on home turf, most Europeans lament the travel and the luxuries they will miss to start in Louisville.

“But why do the Americans always have to be the ones to do it?” she said. “Just because Europeans invented ‘cross doesn’t mean that they own it.”

Wyman is delighted with how her season has gone thus far, but has high hopes for her own world championship race.

“You never know what happens between now and then, but I definitely see myself (in the top riders),” she said. “I don’t go to the world championships just to say I’ve been to the world championships.”

If she has her wish, by the time the elite women line up in February, Eva Bandman Park will be “just a mud fest. In muddy conditions it’s much harder for (competitors) to beat me.

“I think either way (my performance) will be ok; it’s just that I love mud.”

Rapha's Women's Long Sleeve Jersey has abundant pockets, a drawstring and extra-long sleeves. Photo: Emily Zinn | VeloNews.com

I am no fair-weather rider. In fact, I get few greater pleasures than a good powder day on my ‘cross bike. If given the choice between wrapping produce bags around my socks for extra waterproofing and stuffing my gloves with ski boot warmers or staying in and sipping cocoa while I watch it snow, the former wins — although in an ideal world I would do both.

When I buy winter riding gear, it gets put through the ringer and tested on days from mild to comically cold. A few of the women’s-specific items in my arsenal this year have delighted me with their warmth and comfort on biting days this winter, so for the ladies that push the pedals through it all, here are my top picks for jerseys, baselayers and tights that I’ve been riding this season.

Castelli Trasparente W Jersey FZ >> $150

The lowdown: Women’s long sleeve jersey is windproof in front, wicking and insulating in back
Pros: Has the right protection where you need it most; high neckline
Cons: Zipper chafes a bit; no internal pocket holes for headphones

Starting with my top pick, I’ve never owned a jersey that I’m as devoted to as the Castelli Trasparente jersey. Windproof front panels and breathable, brushed thermal fabric in back make for comfy riding regardless of whether I’m riding at fast speeds, a bit overdressed, or slowly warming up on a ‘cross course. If I were to pick just one winter jersey to own for the rest of my life, this would be my hands-down pick.

The two fabrics are easy to recognize, by color, on my jersey, although there is also an all-black version and a black-and-white option. All white fabric on the jersey pictured is Windstopper X-Lite, a soft, lightweight and stretchy fabric that protects from wind and moisture. While some windproof fabrics feel plasticky and stiff, this feels like an ultra-thin Gore-Tex and is particularly comfortable. Castelli claims Windstopper X-Lite is splash resistant, and I was impressed with how dry I stayed in the snow and on days with slushy splash. Water instantly beads up, and I haven’t experienced it penetrating the fabric.

The jersey isn’t particularly suitable for wet riding, though, because the fleecy, cherry-colored fabric on the back and sleeves will take on water. The thermal fabric is extra cozy, keeping my back dry and warm, and the extra stretch makes the jersey all the more comfortable and fitted without sacrificing windproofing where it matters.

I’m ever thankful for the warmth offered by the high neck, which is slitted in back so it fits comfortably and doesn’t choke around my neck. It does zip up the center, though, and the zipper is a bit sharp, but I often wear a buff underneath, so it hasn’t bothered me much.

The elastic band on the bottom doesn’t have silicone grippers, but it sits pretty loosely at the waist with the relaxed fit of my jersey and I haven’t experienced it ride up — a pet peeve I’m not quick to forgive, especially when it’s cold and the wind starts blowing on my belly and lower back.

The reflectors are understated and elegant. Three decent-sized pockets fit a small stockpile of food and layers, and the oversized zipper pull is easy to locate and adjust in heavy gloves. Besides the technical features, I just find the jersey nicely fitted, attractive and able to hold up to the elements well enough that most of the time the jersey and appropriate baselayer suffice without a jacket. Spending $150 on this jersey is well worth the money, in my opinion.

www.castelli-cycling.com

The prototype Fix-it-Sticks multi-tool is lightweight and simple to use. Photo: Emily Zinn | VeloNews.com

Fix-it-Sticks Multi-tool >> Price TBD

The lowdown: Innovative prototype multi-tool anticipated to be available to consumers early next year
Pros: Extremely lightweight and durable; T-grip handle for great torque; made in the USA
Cons: Still in development

Sturdy and compact, able to provide serious torque, with no articulating parts to break: what else could you ask for from the bold new multi-tool anticipated for release early in 2013 by Fix-it-Sticks? The Appleton, Wisconsin, start-up claims its tool will be the lightest cycling multi-tool on the market, shedding as much as a quarter of the weight of many competitors.

The concept is simple and highly functional. Scrapping the standard frame with various sizes of hex keys and other tools that pivot on a spindle to unfold, the “Sticks” are independent aluminum rods, each with a different size steel hex bit or other tool at either end and a hole through the center.

The consumer can opt to take just two sticks for the ultra-lightweight four-tool option or three sticks to add the convenience of two more tools.

Two independent rods work together as a unit. Using them is as simple as sliding one through the flat-bottomed hole in the other to form a cross on its side. The resulted use has at least as much torque as the T-handle hex key set in your shop with the added bonus of a sturdier neck, so smaller diameter tools are put under less rotational strain.

The “T” design enables the use a variety of hand positions, including both hands for extra leverage.

I’ve found that the long and thin profile is much easier to fit into my saddle bag than a short and stout tool.

The pre-production tool is 36 grams for the four-piece option, and a six-piece set weighs about 50g. As a point of reference, the Park Tool Low-Profile I-Beam Mini Tool IB-12 has seven sizes of hex wrenches, a Torx and a screw driver head and has a claimed weight of 79g.

Inventor and company founder Brian Davis told VeloNews that he envisions the final product having magnets along the rods to hold them together, and customers would be able to purchase individual rods with whatever combination of tools best suited them. Then, if a rider doesn’t need anything smaller than a 3mm hex key, she can refrain from purchasing it or leave it at home, saving the weight of an extra tool. There will likely be options for chain tools and tire lever ends down the road, as well.

At the moment, all fabrication is local to the Appleton area. Davis plans to move from testing to a launch and limited run with a kickstarter.com campaign in 2013.
www.signup.fixitsticks.com

Georgia Gould has had a strong domestic 'cross season, but her lack of European racing — or results — has plummeted her world ranking and, by extension, her start call-up for Louisville worlds. Photo: Wil Matthews

It’s hard to recall Georgia Gould’s inconsistent 2011 cyclocross season, marked with struggle and bad luck, after her stunning season across the off-road disciplines of mountain biking and cyclocross in 2012. But she is still paying the price for last year.

Despite having strong domestic results to show for her strong form this year, Gould’s U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross call-ups have not been ideal — at the USGP Derby City Cup in Louisville, Kentucky, she started on the second row.

And without a European race schedule, or any European results, the Luna Pro Team rider doesn’t expect that fact to change. Gould told VeloNews that she expected her call-up in February to be “bad.”

A double-podium at the Derby City Cup bumped her UCI cyclocross ranking from 37th place, with 296 points, to 34th, with 328, as of December 15.

The world’s No. 1-ranked woman, American Katie Compton, has 2,180 points, so on paper Gould shouldn’t be starting anywhere near the Trek Cyclocross Collective rider. However, when compared to the European champion, Helen Wyman (Kona-FSA) of Great Britain, the practical discrepancy between Gould’s strong domestic results and her low world ranking is apparent.

The Kona rider missed the podium to Gould both days of the Derby City Cup in Louisville, Kentucky, but boasts 1,796 UCI points, good enough for third in the world.

Gould is also ranked behind American riders who have been finishing behind her in domestic cyclocross races this season, among them Kaitlin Antonneau (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com), who ranks 16th. Gould also beat out an international field in Louisville that included Rapha-Focus riders Gabriella Day, ranked 12th, and Julie Krasniak, ranked 20th.

Only with her points totaled from her podiums in Louisville was Gould able to surpass teammate Teal Stetson-Lee, ranked 44th worldwide.

Wyman told VeloNews at the Derby City Cup that Gould was on her shortlist of riders capable of getting on the podium in Louisville come February, if she had a good day.

“I’d like to think that,” Gould said. “I’m hoping to be fast for worlds. It’s a hard course, and the harder the better for me.”

With competitive form and a course suited to her strengths, Gould could be primed to strike, but she will have to fight her way through the field first. Staying stateside for her racing, the Luna rider fears those call-ups won’t improve significantly by February.

“It means it will probably be better, the slower the start is for me,” she said.

She also acknowledges the advantage of having already raced at the venue, and will come into the worlds with an understanding of how to get the most out of each lap. Her experience racing on the course also highlighted how great a challenge it will be to fight through traffic to the front of the race.

“I feel like I was riding consistent laps, but the gaps stayed the same,” she said of her USGP race in Louisville. “Once the gap’s there, it’s really hard to close it down.”

'Cross-over riders like Georgia Gould, who contest both the cyclocross and cross country seasons, have just a month to recharge after worlds in Louisville. Photo: Wil Matthews

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (VN) — American mountain bikers intent on racing the world cyclocross championships in Kentucky will face an abbreviated off-season as USA Cycling on Monday announced a March 2 kickoff for the Pro Mountain Bike Cross-Country Tour (Pro XCT) calendar.

The 2013 world cyclocross championship concludes February 3 in Louisville, while the Pro XCT opens March 2 with the Mellow Johnny’s Classic in Texas.

“With there being a [UCI Cateogry 1 race] in Texas early in the season we’ve kept it as a small off-season for some people, but we really have to look at the big picture of mountain biking as a discipline,” USA Cycling vice president of national events Micah Rice told VeloNews Monday evening.

Last year the Pro XCT calendar also launched the first week of March, forcing top American mountain bikers like Luna rider Georgia Gould to end their cyclocross seasons before the national championships in order to focus on cross country in the Olympic year.

U.S. cyclocross nationals take place January 9-13 in Madison, Wisconsin, meaning that the ‘cross season could be prolonged nearly another month for riders like Gould, who focus on mountain biking but also face qualification for ‘cross worlds.

For some, the exodus has already begun. Todd Wells (Specialized), the national ‘cross champion in 2001, 2005 and 2010, has already announced that his cyclocross season is over as he turns his focus to cross-country with a eye toward defending his Pro XCT overall title in 2013.

The distinction between the two disciplines, and a lack of favoritism, or scheduling leeway, toward those focused on cyclocross, are aimed at rebuilding the foundation of American mountain biking from the dirt up.

“We always try to take a hard look at what our top pros are doing and there’s that ability to attend the World Cups and other international races,” said Rice. “But we have over 400 domestic professional riders and we really want to make a strong domestic circuit a focus for 2013.”

Toward that end, Dripping Springs, Texas, will once again host the first stop of the Pro XCT, the Mellow Johnny’s Classic. Mellow Johnny’s Classic communication director Ted Arnold confirmed to VeloNews Tuesday afternoon that, for the second year running, the race will be held on the Flat Creek Crossing Ranch, owned by nonprofit organization Child, Inc. The previous venue, Juan Pelota Ranch, last hosted the race in 2011.

“Lance (Armstrong) sold the old property, so we ended up at a new venue, the Flat Creek Crossing Ranch,” said Arnold.

“We were able to convince the property owners to re-open it to mountain biking,” he added. “What it offers really is better trails, and then better logistics, especially for the teams.”

In addition to the series title, the Pro XCT provides American riders with valuable UCI points that can influence world-championship selection, and is well-attended by top pros.

The women's limited-edition Course jersey is aero, breathable, and lightweight. Photo: Emily Zinn | VeloNews.com

Louis Garneau Course apparel >> $180 (short-sleeve jersey), $130 (sleeveless jersey), $200 (shorts)

The lowdown: A beyond-breathable and ultra-light women’s performance line
Pros: Sure to keep you as cool as any kit possibly could on a boiling-hot day
Cons: Sheer. No two ways about it, the striped mesh panels are barely there. Sunscreen is definitely necessary underneath

I know that December — especially here in Colorado — isn’t the ideal time to be writing about kit for blisteringly hot and sticky days, but when I opened the box of the Louis Garneau limited edition women’s Course line, I really didn’t want to wait to write about it.

The Jerseys

Naturally, I haven’t tried any of the pieces on blisteringly hot and sticky days, but just looking at the jerseys, it’s obvious that they are only slightly less breathable than a jog bra — and nothing else. Why? Plenty of jerseys have mesh paneling, but the microfiber Microsens Mesh panels on the Course jerseys are so thinly-woven, they are nearly invisible.

In conditions hot enough to call for this level of breathability, nobody would wear a baselayer, and that’s where the Course jerseys get interesting. The mesh in the back follows the shoulder blades, and most jog bras would be hidden behind the solid strip between the shoulder blades. But on the front and sides, there would be no hiding what’s underneath. Works for some, but certainly not for all.

Garneau claims SPF 50 protection, which strikes me as incredible even through the solid fabric, which in white is still transparent enough to count my freckles through. But that claim certainly doesn’t apply to the tissue paper-thin mesh, so wearing sunscreen underneath the jersey would be a must.

The Coldblack fabric finish reflects sunlight, even off of dark colors, which the company claims protects from UV rays and keeps heat from building up in black fabric. It’s similar to the UV-protective and cooling In-R-Cool fabric Pearl Izumi uses on its top-of-the-line women’s jersey, the Women’s P.R.O. Leader Jersey, which also features net-to-skin fit, laser-cut vent panels on the side, reflective accents, a full-length zipper and a grip on the back.

The short-sleeve and sleeveless Course jerseys have a racy, next-to-skin fit, and have three tight — but deep, and very stretchy — pockets with small, reflective embellishments, and a hole through which to run a headphone cord. Silicone grippers on the back of the waistband hold the bottom of the jersey securely in place.

The short-sleeve jersey costs $180, and is one step below Garneau’s top-of-the-line jersey, the $200 Corsa. For the sleeveless option, knock that down to $130. When you’re talking women’s non-custom performance clothing, these offerings are as pro as any.

Shorts and Bibs

You’ll be glad to know that the shorts — not bibs, mind you — are totally opaque. They also feature Coldblack technology, so they should keep riders cool as well.

The company takes pride in the aerodynamics and comfort achieved by using very few seams, and sure enough, besides the waist band, there are only two seams that piece together the well-shaped shorts. In the interest of aerodynamics, the laser-finished hem is seamless and has no gripper. It doesn’t seem to need one, either, especially since the legs are quite long for women’s shorts and are less likely to hike up.

Sculpted and lightweight, the 3D chamois has a deep variation of thickness throughout its ridgeless surface, and is slotted in back for extra mobility. The shorts also feature reflective accents.

At $200 a pair, we expect solid performance and no doubt, they delivered.

In the bib department, I am most drawn to the Women’s Neo Power Fit Bib, because of the women’s-specific T-bib straps, even though it’s a couple steps below the highest-performance bibs Garneau has to offer. Rather than two straps up the front and a single down the back, like suspenders, these bibs reverse that and run a single strap up the center of the chest and two down the back. Hincapie offers a similar design in the women’s Power Bibshort.

Retailing for $140, they are compressive and have a perforated memory foam 3D chamois.

www.louisgarneau.com

National champion Katie Compton and her fellow U.S. worlds hopefuls have their best shot yet at world championship glory racing on home soil in Louisville, Kentucky. Photo: Kent Baumgardt

There is no doubt the discussion about the quest for that extra couple of percentage points in bike racing has been nauseating with all the British talk of “marginal gains” and continuing headlines surrounding doping, but needless to say, innumerable micro percentage points can be the difference between a win and the top 20 at the top level of cycling.

This season, the American podium hopefuls for the 2013 cyclocross world championships — including Katie Compton (Trek Cyclocross Collective), Logan Owen (Redline), and Rapha-Focus riders Jeremy Powers and Zach McDonald — are performing at their best, and the possibility of multiple U.S. podiums in Louisville, Kentucky, is looking promising.

If ever there were a chance for the stars to align for American cyclocross racers, it’s 2013. The tables will be turned against the Europeans, who will be the ones suffering jet lag, racing on an unfamiliar course with fewer resources than they are accustomed to, and faced with other disadvantages that the visitor incurs.

With that in mind, we may very well see Americans pull out performances beyond the fans’ expectations.

“The Americans have to travel way more than the Europeans do, and when you’re talking about small percentages setting people apart, that makes a big difference,” London Olympic bronze medalist Georgia Gould (Luna) told VeloNews. “So for ‘cross, to be able to stay stateside — like I am this year — and have the world-class racing come to you is awesome.”

The advantages of racing domestically cannot be quantified, and the cyclocross worlds have never run outside of Europe, so the example set by cross-country mountain biking is one that does shed some light on the role location plays in American performances.

Despite the rather weak American showing on the international cross-country scene since the early 1990s, in each of the three years that the cross-country world championships were held domestically, the top U.S. female result was no lower than a silver medal. Only Ruthie Matthes has pulled off silver- and gold-medal world championship results outside of the United Statets, in 1991 and 1996, and besides Alison Dunlap’s 2001 win in Vail, Colorado, no American woman has won a world championship since 1991.

In the men’s field, Tinker Juarez took world championship silver in Vail, Colorado, making him the only American man to podium at cross-country worlds since 1991.

Beyond the issues of travel fatigue and jet lag, the level of team support will be reversed for this iteration of worlds as well. European champion Helen Wyman (Kona-FSA) thinks it’s about time that the Americans get the home-field advantage.

“The Belgians aren’t going to have their 20-foot trucks and they aren’t going to have everything they’re used to, and suddenly they’ll have the same advantage as the guy that comes with their team just out of the back of a van,” she told VeloNews.

The advantage of having raced on the course shouldn’t be underestimated, either. While the worlds course won’t be identical to any other race hosted at the Eva Bandman Park venue, elite racers at all levels agreed that come February, past experience of top-level racing in Louisville would be a notable advantage.

In the press conference following the Derby City Cup earlier this month, U.S. national champion Compton listed scrutinizing the course and planning her tactics for the world championships as her top priorities during the fourth and fifth rounds of the Trek U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross.

“Today I was just riding so I could attack different sections of the course and thinking about the world championships — where I could attack and where I would need to recover and push in certain sections,” she said.

The differences won’t be monumental, but they don’t need to be. With realistic hopes for U.S. podiums in each of four categories — elite men and women, U23 men and junior men — the Americans will finally make out in the numbers game.

Feminine graphics and women's-specific cut. Photo courtesy Girl Bike Love

With the holiday cheer come the cold chills of shopping dread. When it comes to fun and novel cycling gifts for ladies, Google searches rarely turn up anything that isn’t glittery, pink and purple or covered in flowers, but there are plenty of items that fit the first description without being the latter. Here are a few items that would appeal to the casual weekend warrioress or the bicycle-obsessed lady who would be unrecognizable to her own family without her helmet.

Girl Bike Love kit >> $75-$95 (jersey), $155 (bibs)

Girl Bike Love is this writer’s favorite by-women-who-ride, for-women-who-ride resource to find out what’s going on in the world of cyclo-femmes and catch up with the girls.

GBL’s kits are going back on sale for a limited-time Christmas run through December 3 (so now’s the chance to buy), deliverable by the holiday.

Wear the colors, because the name says it all. Girl. Bike. Love. The Century Jersey is $75, the Women’s Ascent Jersey runs $95, Women’s Ascent Shorts are available for $110 and Women’s Summit Bib Shorts are $155.

www.girlbikelove.com

Teal Stetson-Lee is soaking up the Luna experience and scored a win at Spooky Cross last month. Photo: Corey Keizer | VeloNews.com

With nearly a full year of racing with the Luna Pro Team in cross-country mountain biking and cyclocross under her belt, Teal Stetson-Lee is taking advantage of all that her new team has to offer.

“I am more than willing to admit that I’ve got a lot to learn and I am soaking it up like a sponge,” the former collegiate national cyclocross champion told VeloNews.

Joining the most successful women’s team in mountain biking history provides access to the experience of riders at the top of the sport, including 2011 world champion Catharine Pendrel, 2012 Olympic and world championship bronze medalist Georgia Gould, and four-time Olympian and 2011 U.S. Gran Prix of cyclocross winner Katerina Nash. Stetson-Lee, who hails from Durango, Colorado, and worked as an anti-tobacco advocate before dedicating herself full-time to racing, is making the most of those examples.

“I would say that everyone on this team is responsible for helping mentor me, to a certain degree, just getting settled in my first year,” said Stetson-Lee.

Earlier in the year, teammate Pendrel told VeloNews she was eager to support and mentor Stetson-Lee, and eager about the “young dynamic” she brought to the table.

“I also like to think that I’m part of this team because I have something to contribute, so I like to think of it as a collaborative effort. We all find ways of building each other up,” said Stetson-Lee. “Even if I’m not at the top, getting the best results like some of my teammates, I can be there still, supporting them and bringing a positive attitude to the team. Those little things all play into the big picture.”

Stetson-Lee’s contributions have come in the form of results as well. Since joining the Luna Chix, she won the cross-country race at her hometown Iron Horse Bicycle Classic and the first day of Spooky Cross in Los Angeles, and earned podiums at the Trek U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross SmartWool Cup and the Colorado Cross Classic.

Stetson-Lee has faced several changes over the past several years. She made the transition to elite cyclocross in 2010 with Cal Giant-Specialized, and finished a long cross-country season feeling exhausted. Last year was completely different for her and, focusing full-time on racing, Stetson-Lee pulled out elite cyclocross wins and USGP podiums.

The move to Luna has proven a huge change, according to Stetson-Lee, but two changes in particular are especially notable: having a consistent team and the focus on women’s athletics.

Access to a consistent team across the board for mountain biking and cyclocross is one of the highlights of the team for her.

That consistency “makes the transition seamless. I’m familiar with everybody, I’m familiar with my equipment and that’s really helpful,” the 27-year-old said. “The other big change that’s wonderful for me is that Luna is, obviously, focused on women’s cycling and women’s athletics, and that’s a really big deal, because there’s still a lot of inequalities that exist in the cycling world, so to have a team that is behind you, not only for your athletic pursuits but also from the perspective of saying that we’re going to help you find a way to blaze a trail in this male-dominated sport, is really big.”

In addition to her individual benefits, Stetson-Lee recognizes the influence that her all-women’s team has as the number one women’s mountain biking team in the world.

“It sets the bar really high as a world example. I am totally honored to be a part of that,” she said. “It’s a big reason why I do what I do.”

The upper-most velcro strap closes the neoprene enclosure to lock out winter conditions. Photo: Emily Zinn | VeloNews.com

The lowdown: Serious winter riding boots with a competitive edge
Pros: Lightweight, waterproof, roomy enough for thick socks while still fitting precisely
Cons: The heel doesn’t fit very tightly and slips when running

Ordinary mountain bike shoes just don’t cut it for extreme cold. Thick socks make a performance fit too tight, preventing feet from receiving enough circulation; shoe covers reduce traction when walking or running.

Sidi’s Diablo GTX winter shoes are a no-frills, winter-specific boot that have a performance fit and feel, and should be able to keep the elements out on nasty days.

From afar, the Diablo GTX looks superficially like Sidi’s Duran mountain bike shoe, which features three velcro straps. The Diablo has a fourth, stretchy velcro strap well above the ankle that seals the top of the neoprene enclosure. For improved protection from the elements, Sidi recommends rain pants or tights outside of the boot.

Plenty of companies have a winter boot offering, and they each take different approaches to weatherproofing. 45North’s Wolvhammer is modeled after mountaineering boots and uses everything from natural rubber to a Cordura outer. Another heavy-duty winter boot, the Lake MXZ302, uses neoprene and leather. A four-layer upper on the Diablo GTX is Sidi’s solution to balancing breathability, insulation and protection from the elements. Most importantly, the shoe has a seamless Gore-Tex booty and an integrated tongue that prevents water from leaking in.

So long as water doesn’t find its way in above the ankle, the boots should keep socks dry in the nastiest of winter slush, although I haven’t yet had a properly wet day to put them to an extended test. I’ll report back later in the winter on how the Diablo GTX holds up in full conditions.

The Diablo GTX is designed with a roomy fit, banking on the need for thick socks in extreme conditions. Mine were roomy enough in my standard size to wiggle my toes while wearing thick socks, but still contoured nicely to my feet.

The top velcro strap has a lot of stretch around the ankle, though, and I never feel like I can cinch it down as tightly as I would like. My heels don’t slip in my older version of the current Spider, but slip enough in the Diablo that I don’t like running my bike in them, even though the Competition MTB Sole has good traction and the option of toe spikes. Unless the conditions are truly sloppy and “running” translates to “slogging,” I warm up in these and switch to standard mountain bike shoes to race.

On a really mucky day they make fine cyclocross shoes for slogging through mud and slush — despite the heel lift — but on days that I just want the warmth, I warm up in them, then switch to my standard mountain bike shoes with neoprene socks for the race.

The Diablo GTX and its road bike equivalent, the Sidi Hydro GTX, both retail for $300.

www.sidiamerica.com

The 35mm Trentacinque cockpit in red. Photo: Emily Zinn | VeloNews.com

The lowdown: The world’s only 35mm-diameter road handlebar
Pros: A stiffer bar without added weight that still dampens well
Cons: Poses challenges with internal routing; very different feel than standard drop bars; they get extremely thick with a standard tape job

The addition of the strawberry red Deda Trentacinque cockpit to my lime green cyclocross bike has provoked its share of heckles from those that think the effect is too loud. But when you’re in love, you tend to assume critics just don’t see what you see.

Deda has produced an exceptionally comfortable and uniquely beautiful bar and stem set in the Trentacinque M35. I was highly skeptical of the thick bars before my first ride, but for the most part they’ve surpassed expectations.

The Technology

Deda Elementi allowed handlebars to take on an entirely new personality and shape with the design of the Trentacinque M35 drop bars. The only handlebar to boast a whopping 35mm diameter (which inspired the name Trentacinque — Italian for 35), Deda claims that in the carbon fiber bar it achieved added stiffness without sacrificing dampening or weight. The bars are cast from a single-piece carbon fiber monocoque, with thicker walls in the locations that take the most force. According to Deda, the thicker diameter itself gives the bars a high tensile strength, reducing out-of-the-saddle power loss due to bar flex.

The drops use the Deda RHM shape, an acronym for Rapid Hand Movement. The sharp bend is designed to allow quick and convenient movement of a rider’s hands to different positions on the bars.

Deda debuted the ultra-light version, the Superleggera 35, at Eurobike, with the 42cm version weighing 180 grams. The bars on test here are the heavier M35 Carbon.

The Ride

The bars are clearly designed for sprinters that throw bar-snapping power into their final pedal strokes, like Andre Greipel, who uses them on his Ridley Noah Fast. Needless to say, I don’t fit into that category of rider. Honestly, I’m sure that lost power to handlebar flex is comically negligible in my performance on my bike, but I love the way they ride, nonetheless.

“The Gorilla” tapes his Trentacinque like a regular drop bar, which makes for a huge diameter to wrap his hands around. To limit that bulk, I only taped the drops, leaving the tops and the bend around the lever free.

Using the bars for ’cross, I anticipated a whole list of complaints about the bars, including (but not limited to) too much vibration and slippery grip on the untaped areas and too much strain in the crease of my thumb because of the shape. I also expected that my hands would be too small to comfortably ride on the tops of the bars.

I won’t say that they didn’t take some getting used to, but I took the M35 on two consecutive 100-mile days, and experienced a range of conditions including dirt descents and rain. Throughout, my hands were more comfortable than they sometimes are on shorter rides. I didn’t feel like my hands slipped too much or that the vibrations were too strong, even without tape.

My hands may be my most sensitive contact point and can go numb very quickly when I’m riding, so uncomfortable bars ruin a ride quickly for me. I did have some discomfort on the Trentacinque, but compared to the Truvative Team handlebars that I often ride (and like), my hands were comfortable for longer than I am used to.

Actually, once I got used to the Trentacinque, the Team bars began to feel more skinny, whereas the Trentacinque bars feel bulky. The wide, round tops feel more like a mountain bike bar in my hands, which suits me well.

I would welcome a little bit of shaping, though, and a less continuous shape would probably make small hands feel like they have a better grip on the bars. Regardless, the bigger diameter gives me a more dispersive contact point and keeps my hands comfortable for longer than some more ergonomically-shaped, but skinnier handlebars.

I am not entirely sure that I buy into the concept behind the RHM, or that the shape of the drops dramatically changes my ability to navigate quickly around the bars, but the shape of the drops is very comfortable and I found myself in that position more often than when I ride other bars, including my Team bars, as a result of that comfort. My wrists — where I often feel a lot of strain — bent at a comfortable angle in the drops of the Trentacinque. More importantly, the curve of the drops allows for a variety of hand positions, all with a large area of contact, which keeps my hands comfortable in the drops.

Leaving the tops untaped hasn’t bothered me, and I love the look of the untaped bars with the strawberry red and the slick racing graphics. Curious about how well the untaped bars dampened vibration, I installed the Trentacinque and Team bars on two identical bikes and compared the feel of the vibrations side-by-side. The untaped bar does not dampen nearly as well as the taped Team on dirt roads. Since I didn’t tape them, I wore long-fingered gloves so that my hands wouldn’t get slippery on the painted surface.

I also attempted a side-by-side comparison of the two bars for stiffness, but couldn’t discern a difference just by feel.

Some of my peers are less enamored with these bars than I am, former VeloNews tech editor Nick Legan included. They definitely don’t feel like standard drop bars, and Legan never really came to enjoy the feeling of the fat bars, which he wrapped fully, like Greipel.

We both had problems with the internal routing as well. I have a sealed cable system for cyclocross and wasn’t able to route my thick Kevlar housing through the Trentacinque’s internal routing system. Legan’s brake lever position didn’t line up with the internal routing, so he, too, didn’t thread his cables through the bars.

If you use clip-on bar accessories, like lights, don’t expect the clips to be able to wrap around the massive diameter of the bars either.

Besides strawberry red, the bars are available in white or in raw carbon fiber. Deda claims they weigh 210g. They are available in 42cm, 44cm and 46cm options, measured from outer edge to outer edge (most bars are measured for width from center to center).

Needless to say, the M35 requires a Trentacinque stem to fit the 35mm clamp diameter. Deda’s Attacco 35 stem also has a 35mm clamp diameter and comes in 90mm, 100mm, 110mm, 120mm and 130mm lengths. It has an 82-degree angle and comes in red, white and black matte.

Price

MSRP for the carbon bar is $270. The alloy option is just $80. With a $130 stem, it’s still no cheap date.

The Bottom Line

My guess is that the Trentacinque will win over plenty of riders. But for many, the thicker bars will feel too different from most drop bars to win over traditionalists. Deda advertises that the Trentacinque offers “an entirely different and completely new feel while riding,” of which there is no doubt, but not everyone will appreciate the change.

www.dedaelementi.com

Finishing second to Katie Compton both days, Katerina Nash (r) passed a big test in Louisville last weekend. Photo: Wil Matthews | www. wilmatthewsphoto.com

Before the Derby City Cup in Louisville, Kentucky, Luna rider Katerina Nash was hesitant to make predictions on whether or not she could return from a nagging back injury in time to contend for the podium at the 2013 elite cyclocross world championships in February.

The weekend of racing at the fifth and sixth rounds of the Trek U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross went a long way to answering that question.

The California-based Czech rider told VeloNews on Friday that she wasn’t willing to set goals until she had tested herself after a prolonged break from racing that saw her miss her home rounds of the World Cup in October. Nash passed that test at Eva Bandman Park, finishing second to Katie Compton (Trek Cyclocross Collective) on both days, ahead of teammate Georgia Gould and newly-crowned European champion Helen Wyman (Kona-FSA). The results made it five races in a row that Nash finished second to Compton, dating back to the previous week’s treble at the Cincinnati festival, and afterward she confirmed that a string of good rides was all she needed to get her confidence back.

“I was going to base the rest of the season on how I feel these two weekends, and now that I’m already feeling healthy but I’m also doing really well, it’s good,” Nash said Sunday afternoon.

She just recently returned to racing after a pinched nerve that caused shooting pain down her back took her off the bike.

“I’ve just been riding my bike a lot, which has been fun,” said Nash, who is just beginning to work intensity into her training well into a cyclocross season that has seen her absent since it began.

Nash admits that she still has a lot of work to do, but said that her double-podium in Louisville gave her confidence that she can be at top strength for worlds.

She did, however, find that she couldn’t hold power and make accelerations throughout the course of a 40-minute race, and she noticed that her laps felt slower toward the end.

“I feel like I’ve been starting well, but I just don’t have that top end, and I’m really missing that at the end of the races,” she said. “I have to understand that. I haven’t done any intervals in a while, so I just have to start preparing more specifically for cyclocross now.”

Wyman listed the Czech woman as one of her favorites to see on the worlds podium, and couldn’t imagine that Nash wouldn’t have time to reach peak form before early February.

“She’s got a lot of time until worlds and she’ll be fresher than everyone else,” Wyman told VeloNews. “I really don’t see any reason why she can’t get on the podium.”

Logan Owen rode to commanding wins in Louisville and hopes to do the same in February at worlds. Photo: Emily Zinn | VeloNews.com

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (VN) — Logan Owen wears the stars and stripes of the U.S. junior champion and aside from elite women’s national champion Katie Compton, he may be the most likely shot for a U.S. win at the cyclocross world championships in February at Louisville’s Eva Bandman Park.

Owen (Redline) went down before the first turn on Saturday and still won by nearly a minute at the Trek Gran Prix of Cyclocross Derby City Cup. On Sunday, he led for most of the race and took the top step again. He hopes to find the same podium step on the banks of the Ohio River in February.

On top of leaving the junior field gasping for air last weekend in Louisville, Kentucky, Owen earned himself two top-five results in the opening World Cup races last month. The 17-year-old from Bremerton, Washington, is ultimately confident less than three months out from the first elite cyclocross world championships held outside of Europe.

“I feel I could definitely win here in Louisville when it comes time,” Owen told VeloNews.

Owen rode his first cyclocross nationals when he was nine years old and finished second. He hasn’t faltered since. “After that, from then on, I’ve won nationals in cyclocross,” said the seven-time national champ. And he’s done it in dominating fashion.

The highlight of his Euro kickoff in October was a spot on the third step of the podium at the second World Cup in Pilzen, Czech Republic, October 28, after working his way through the entire field. A crash on the line left him chasing from second-to-last place. That didn’t keep the tenacious American from picking off competition one-by-one until there were only two left to chase as he crossed the finish line.

Mathieu van der Poel of the Netherlands rolled across the line less than two minutes ahead of Owen, who had to put his shoe back on after his crash before getting back on the bike and beginning his pursuit.

“After that, I just know it could have been a very close race between myself and him and I’m feeling very good about this coming season,” he said.

Rolling with the berries

Owen will depart his coach Joe Holmes’ Hagens Berman squad on the road in 2013 to join California Giant-Specialized. Anthony Gallindo’s California-based program is a breeding ground for professionals and Owen hopes it will serve as a stepping to the pro ranks.

“For this next season I think Cal Giant is a better fit for me,” said Owen, who has pedaled a Redline since he was four-and-a-half riding BMX.

While he burned out on BMX, Owen doesn’t plan to discriminate between his road and ’cross calendars. He’s a multiple-time podium finisher at the junior road national championships and in the short-term doesn’t foresee road getting in the way of cyclocross.

“They’re both my focus, I love both equally,” he said. “They’re just so different. I love the atmosphere here, I love the atmosphere at the road races, I love being with my teammates, I love being with my teammates here. I just love bike racing.”

Only this year has Owen begun working with power, and even had interval workouts. After years of BMX racing, he doesn’t train his handling skills and he rarely even rides his ‘cross bike when he isn’t racing. His system has worked thus far, though, and it could put the young American on the world championships podium come February. Look to him as one of the top U.S. hopes for a win at the Louisville worlds.

Editor’s note: This article originally stated that Logan Owen would join California Giant-Specialized for cyclocross in 2013. At this time, Owen’s contract is limited to the road.

Katerina Nash is back on the bike after addressing some nagging issues with back and leg pain. Photo: Emily Zinn

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (VN) — After a rough end to the mountain bike season, it seems Luna’s Katerina Nash is coming back to form, and she is feeling strong and pleased to be back on the bike.

Nonetheless, the Czech rider’s form has faltered during her recovery, and she is evaluating her goals for the season accordingly.

Increasingly bothered by a pinched nerve in her back, Nash suffered shooting pains in her right leg during the 2012 world mountain bike championships in Austria. She finished the race, crossing 21st, 7:32 down on winner Julie Bresset of France, but decided to skip the cross-country eliminator and address her physical problems.

“The end of mountain bike season has been rough,” Nash told VeloNews Friday.

Her lower back required conditioning, and she took some time off at the start of cyclocross season to get back to strength. Now her confidence is coming back and she is getting back into the swing of things.

“I had a really good start last weekend, so I’m back to, like, ‘okay, now I’m fired up and I’m actually racing,’” Nash said.

The Luna rider is a favorite for this weekend’s racing at the U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross Derby City Cup at Eva Bandman Park, and is expected to have a solid result at worlds, but it isn’t clear yet how well she will be able to perform, given the circumstances.

When asked her goals for worlds, Nash replied, “It’s kind of too early for me to say right now.”

At the moment she’s focused on making the most of what’s left of the season and maximizing her UCI points. Nash plans to compete in a few more U.S. races, including the USGP-concluding Deschutes Brewery Cup on December 8-9, but return to Europe for the six remaining World Cup events.

“My goals are always just to go and do the best,” she said. “I’m going to shape up those goals over the next few weeks and plan the rest of my season.”