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Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Tour Divide Winner

Photo from Mimbres Man.

Matthew Lee rode this bike on top of the Rocky Mountains from Banff, Alberta to the Mexican border, 2,745 miles in 17 days, 15 hours, and 13 minutes. Barin Beard rode it across town from the bar to the motel. Share his joy. A link to follow.  In his own words, "Yeehaw!". But he may have been drinking.



10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I could take that skinny guy no problem. Of course I'd want a harder race, you know a real challenge, to help me wear him down.

mw

Gunnar Berg said...

I think a lot of us could.

Mimbres Man said...

He is an animal...he was pushing 20 miles per hour the last 6 miles to the border.

We were out on the town last night and he didn't feel like riding back to his motel and caught a ride with a friend. I rode his bike, the "Buffalo Soldier", across town to deliver it to him. That thing is incredible! Super light, TD-equipped it weighs only 32 lbs! It accelerates like mad!

It was like getting to drive Ivan Stewart's Baja truck.

Gunnar Berg said...

I just dropped a note to Rory "Cannondale VIP" Mason that that photo should be in every MTB rag and on posters plastered to the walls of every bike shop in the country. I haven't had a response yet. He's dinking around with some obscure bike race.

Silk Hope said...

Damn I wish that was me..... You know 80 lbs lighter and 30 yrs younger.. You know!

Gunnar Berg said...

I know.

Silk Hope said...

A lefty hardtail, interesting rig. Wouldn't a dual suspension be a better bet, or is that too heavy. Chime in Barin.

Mimbres Man said...

They say 29" wheels are the way to go on this route. The soak up the bumps and the miles. I am still in the dark ages with 26" wheeled mtn bikes. I've been riding titanium for 20 years so I feel no pain when riding the rough stuff...honestly.

Matthew is a minimalist. His bike fully loaded weighs only 32 lbs, and somehow he survives.

The 3 top finishers, Matthew Lee (Cannondale), Erik Lobeck (Moots), and Blaine Nester (Cannondale) were riding Leftys so that is saying something about that design.

Erik Lobeck was riding a soft tail titanium Moots YBB 29er which seems to be a good set-up.

Masini said...

Article online now at Cannondale.com... and for sure, we'll continue to sing the praises of this guy and this type of racing.

ps - I don't think I could take him! The Galmozzi doesn't handle fire roads so well!

peace

Mimbres Man said...

Talking to Matthew this morning, when they were duking it out near Lima, MT, Lobeck had quite a bit of trouble with mud clearance on his YBB frame. Eventually his whole drivetrain broke.
MM