The Swakane Canyon climb during the Grand Fondo Leavenworth was like my One-Eyed Willy on Sunday – gonna find a treasure at the end of it. I knew it and just kept pedaling. The rest of the Grand Fondo Leavenworth stories, the bikes, and set up will appear in Issue 25 of Bike Hugger Magazine later this month. In the Medium Bicycles Collection this morning, I wrote about going into save mode during the final ascent, and just before that thinking someone had stolen my car.
So what did I find? The change I was looking for and what the theme for Issue 24 is about. I also have Mark V to thank for the bike design, setup, and anti-cramping protocol to get through the ride. Here’s his bike
and the rear of mine…the XO derailer is paired to a SRAM Red 22 shifter for 11 speeds and an 11 x 36 spread. I used every inch of those gears too.
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