Pro bike: Andrew Pinfold's UnitedHealthcare Kuota KULT

Stiffer, stouter machine for the Canadian sprinter

Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us

Published: February 24, 2010 at 10:10 am

Team OUCH morphed into UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling this season and though Kuota carry on as the official bike sponsors, the frame has evolved as well.

Last year's Kredo Ultra has now been replaced by the new KULT – a burlier and stiffer carbon chassis aimed at especially powerful riders and sprinters like team rider Andrew Pinfold.

Kuota have earned a solid reputation for some of the biggest frame tube sections in the industry and UnitedHealthcare's new KULT is no exception. Compared to the already generously proportioned Kredo Ultra, the KULT uses even larger tube sections throughout, particularly at the bulbous BB30 bottom end and tapered 1-1/8in-to-1 1/4in head tube for greater drivetrain and front triangle rigidity.

Last year's round seat tube has been supplanted by a deeper aero-style design complete with rear wheel cutout and the slender, arced seatstays have adopted a newly lengthened trailing edge. Whether or not the new shapes actually lend aerodynamic gains can only be shown in the wind tunnel but the new form certainly looks more aggressive.

As with the Kredo Ultra, the KULT uses a semi-integrated seatmast for a firmer-feeling pedalling platform, though here the aero profile carries straight through to the carbon fibre seatpost stub in contrast to the old round post. Internal routing helps protect the cables from road spray and grime, and also lends the bike a cleaner look.

The top tube adopts a gentle arc from the head tube to the seat tube: - Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us

Claimed frame weights have actually gone up a bit from the Kredo Ultra to 1,180g for Pinfold's XL frame size plus another 378g for the matching carbon fork. Pinfold is quick to point out the frame's stout backbone, though, and at 7.26kg (16lb) complete – with training tyres, no less – it's still quite light.

"First and foremost it's very stiff and very responsive," said Pinfold. "Last year we were on the Kredo Ultra, which is also a very stiff bike, but this seems to have upped the ante with an even stiffer bottom bracket area. For a guy like me that's not super-concerned with getting over the big mountain passes in the front group but is more concerned about winning bunch sprints, it's a perfect bike."

Finishing kit is again courtesy of SRAM and Ritchey, including a complete Red group, forged alloy WCS 4-Axis 44 stem and traditional-bend WCS Classic alloy bar, though the latter has recently been replaced with Ritchey's new semi-anatomic WCS Curve. Pinfold also swaps out the standard outer chainring for SRAM's stiffer – and heavier – time trial ring for better power transmission and improved shifting.

'Pinner' prefers the extra stiffness of sram's thicker time trial outer ring: - Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us

"It's a little bit negligible but we did play around with it a bit last year… and I did notice a little bit of a difference," Pinfold said of the time trial ring. "Those little differences can sometimes make a difference, especially when you're sprinting. Even if it's just a fraction stiffer, I'll take it."

Interestingly, Pinfold and his team-mates have moved away from proprietary 'wheel systems' in favour of more traditional sets handbuilt by Edge Composites using the company's all-carbon 45mm-deep clincher rims and laced with DT Swiss Aerolite spokes to Chris King's new R45 hubs. Pinfold will also have Edge Composite's 68mm-deep at his disposal for faster and flatter events.

With a slimmer and more svelte form than the Classic hubs, the new R45s use lower-drag bearings and a smaller, lighter RingDrive freehub mechanism for a faster and quieter roll. The classic windowed-flange look is still light, too, at around 300g for the pair. Rounding out the build is a pair of Speedplay Zero Stainless pedals and a Fizik Arione Titanio saddle.

United healthcare are rolling on chris king's new road-specific r45 hubs with lower-drag seals and a quieter-running driver mechanism: - Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us

Pinfold says he has no major requests as far as setup goes, and is confident leaving the care of the bike to his team mechanic, Eric Greene. "I definitely have preferences as far as saddles and handlebars but as far as little things that Eric has control over, I just let him set it up the way he does and it works well," he said.

"Eric's been around bikes for so long, you just give him your bike and when you get it the next morning it's dialled and working perfectly. I don't question anything. The bike is his and he does an excellent job of preparing it and making it work like it should. It's the furthest thing from my mind."

What is on Pinfold's mind, however, is goals for the season. Topping that list is a stage of the Tour of California and for a Canadian rider like Pinfold racing for a US-based team, that would indeed be a grand prize.

Pinfold and his team-mates are running all-carbon clinchers from edge composites this year, shod with maxxis rubber. standard brake blocks are fitted here but normally the team use swissstop yellow king compounds: - Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us

Complete bike specifications:

  • Frame: Kuota KULT, size XL
  • Fork: Kuota KULT
  • Headset: Kuota integrated, 1 1/8in-to-1 1/4in
  • Stem: Ritchey WCS 4-Axis 44, 13cm x -6°
  • Handlebars: Ritchey WCS Classic Road, 44cm (c-c)
  • Tape/grips: SRAM
  • Front brake: SRAM Red w/ SwissStop Yellow King pads
  • Rear brake: SRAM Red w/ SwissStop Yellow King pads
  • Brake levers: SRAM Red DoubleTap
  • Front derailleur: SRAM Red
  • Rear derailleur: SRAM Red
  • Shift levers: SRAM Red DoubleTap
  • Cassette: SRAM PG-1090, 11-23T
  • Chain: SRAM PC-1090R
  • Crankset: SRAM Red BB30, 175mm, 39/53T (w/ SRAM TT outer ring)
  • Bottom bracket: SRAM Red BB30
  • Pedals: Speedplay Zero Stainless
  • Rims: Edge Composites 45 clincher
  • Front hub: Chris King R45, 20h
  • Rear hub: Chris King R45, 24h
  • Spokes: DT Aerolite
  • Front tyre: Maxxis Re-Fuse clincher, 700x23c (training only; Cormet model used for racing)
  • Rear tyre: Maxxis Re-Fuse clincher, 700x23c (training only; Cormet model used for racing)
  • Saddle: Fizik Arione Titanio
  • Seatpost: Kuota
  • Bottle cages: Arundel Dave-O
  • Computer: Cateye Strada wireless UnitedHealthcare team edition
  • Other accessories: SRAM Professional System by Gore derailleur cables and housing

Critical measurements:

  • Rider's height: 1.88m (6ft 2in)
  • Rider's weight: 79.4kg (175lb)
  • Saddle height, from BB (c-t): 780mm
  • Saddle setback: 85mm
  • Seat tube length, c-t: 710mm
  • Seat tube length, c-c: 540mm
  • Tip of saddle nose to centre of bars (next to stem): 600mm
  • Saddle-to-bar drop (vertical): 100mm
  • Head tube length: 180mm
  • Top tube length: 570mm (horizontal)
  • Total bicycle weight: 7.26kg (16.0lb) (with training tyres)
This website is owned and published by Our Media Ltd. www.ourmedia.co.uk
© Our Media 2023