Katie Compton’s new Trek Crockett. © Cyclocross Magazine
When Trek introduced the Crockett as the latest in their cyclocross lineup, the question was: Is this the bike that Katie F-ing Compton will be riding? The answer was a resounding yes, as Mark Legg-Compton walked us through a “tour” of her bike this weekend at Providence and answered, “It’s the Crockett, the straight up Crockett!”
Similar to the aluminum prototype Trek cyclocross bike Compton rode to another National title last year in Madison, though with her own custom National Champ paint scheme, the frame is now available to the masses as The Crockett.
Compton’s pink sidewalls aren’t just for show. © Cyclocross Magazine
One of the noticeable features on the bike, and one that we spotted back in Madison as Compton debated her tire choices, is the hot pink tire sidewalls that stand out on and off the course. Legg-Compton explained that these aren’t just for show. The FMB PRO casing has a purpose. “They protect the tire from tire rot and things like that. They’re way more durable,” he explains.
He continued, “When you run low tire pressure, that’s when you get those folds but these don’t do it as bad. When you ride these, [you can run] like a two or three PSI difference lower compared to a common tire. It works great and they stand out, and that’s the name of the game.”
It goes without saying that any time you add another layer to a tire, whether it is for flat protection or rot protection, there is typically an increase in stiffness and a decrease in suppleness, so reducing the pressure a few PSI to get the same ride makes sense (this is one reason we’re able to ride cyclocross tubeless tires as low as 20 PSI, because they typically are a lot stiffer).
According to Legg-Compton, the white FMB Gripo XL tubular tire is one of Compton’s favorites, though it probably won’t see much use until it gets colder, as the rubber compound is carefully selected for ice and snow.
Compton’s new ‘secret weapon’: WickWerks 42 ring. © Cyclocross Magazine
Another noteworthy feature on the bike is the not-yet-publicly-available chainring that Compton is running in the front. Legg-Compton explains, “What we’re doing for this race is a 42 chainring from WickWerks.”
Compton has typically raced with a 44 big chainring. Legg-Compton explains further, “The reason being, last year we ran a 34/44 and 12-27, now we have a 34/42 and an 11-26, so you end up with a little higher gear with the 42 and a little lower gear with the crossover gear. If you ran a 44 with the 11-26, your high end is huge, which is almost an unusable gear. The 42 is perfect. I did the gear calculations and it came out this was much better and WickWerks is now going to do a production run. I was really, really happy. Also, it shifts even quicker!”
This is a different choice than her gear selection at Nationals, where WickWerks provided her then-favorite chainring, a 44-tooth big ring. Compton’s rings are WickWerks models made especially for the SRAM Red (and now Force) Exogram carbon cranksets with a hidden bolt (non-standard BCD).
And as for her new disc brakes? “I have a love/hate relationship,” Compton told Cyclocross Magazine at Providence. “Sometimes I love them, sometimes I hate them. Today they were pretty good. They ran great.”
Check out the gallery below for more shots of Compton’s racing machine, and check out our post-race catch up with Compton as well.
Katie Compton’s Trek Crockett Cyclocross Bike Spec Highlights:
- Frame: Trek Crockett (aluminum)
- Components: SRAM Red 22
- Tires: FMB Gripo XL (cotton with FMB PRO casing)
- Wheels: Bontrager Aeolus D3 tubular wheel set
- Chainrings: WickWerks 42/34
- Cassette: SRAM Red 11-speed (11-26)
- Brakes: SRAM Red Hydraulic Disc
- Bars: Bontrager RXL
- Stem: Bontrager XXX
- Pedals: CrankBrothers Eggbeater 11
- Saddle: Bontrager Affinity R
- Seatpost: Bontrager XXX-Lite carbon seatpost
Katie Compton’s Trek Crockett Cyclocross Bike Photo Gallery:
