Stevens Bikes have provided US national champion Katie Compton (Planet Bike-Stevens Bikes) with this special red, white, and blue carbon racerJames Huang
Needless to say, this paint job isn’t available off the shelf – it has to be earnedJames Huang
Zipp’s latest 303 has proven to be a potent ‘cross wheelJames Huang
As with the special paintjob, this sort of treatment has to be earnedJames Huang
Katie Compton (Planet Bike-Stevens Bikes) has a number of Dugast tyres available to suit the day’s conditionsJames Huang
Red and blue anodised end caps finish off the Zipp hubs nicelyJames Huang
The brass cam follower in Zipp’s latest skewer makes for more fluid motion and higher clamping forces than a Delrin oneJames Huang
A Bike Pure headset spacer sits atop the Thomson Elite X4 stemJames Huang
Katie Compton’s (Planet Bike-Stevens Bikes) nickname is even applied to the ends of the SRAM Red DoubleTap leversJames Huang
Katie Compton (Planet Bike-Stevens Bikes) runs both the front and rear Avid Shorty Ultimate brakes in the narrow-profile, high-leverage position for maximum stopping powerJames Huang
TRP’s top-mount brake levers add minimal weight with their pared-down clamps and carbon fibre bladesJames Huang
There’s plenty of space beneath the crown for mud to pass through while cutouts around the sides let the brake open wide for faster wheel changesJames Huang
Integrated barrel adjusters make for easy on-the-fly tweaks to the shifting performanceJames Huang
A bit of cable liner and a short section of heat-shrink tubing and – bingo! – you’ve got your own homemade sealed cable systemJames Huang
Zipp’s VumaQuad crank sheds heaps of weight compared to most other high-end offeringsJames Huang
WickWerks make a special outer ring for Katie Compton (Planet Bike-Stevens Bikes) to yield proper ‘cross gearing on the four-arm Zipp VumaQuad cranksetJames Huang
Mechanic/manager/trainer Mark Legg-Compton says he likes the wax-based Squirt chain lube for its ease of cleaning in between messy lapsJames Huang
Like many pros, Katie Compton (Planet Bike-Stevens Bikes) prefers the stiffer steel cage option for the SRAM Red front derailleurJames Huang
“Colorado sand and super glue” add some extra grip to these CrankBrothers Eggbeater pedalsJames Huang
Giant chainstays? Check. Well reinforced bottom bracket area? CheckJames Huang
A red grub seal keeps mud and water out of the Gore Ride-On front derailleur line while a bit of heat-shrink tubing keeps the cable end from frayingJames Huang
A metal plate protects the chainstay from chain suckJames Huang
There’s heaps of room in the radial direction down by the bottom bracket – and more importantly, no shelf on which mud can build upJames Huang
Despite appearances, the rear end of the Stevens Cyclocross Carbon Team frame is reportedly remarkably comfortableJames Huang
Katie Compton (Planet Bike-Stevens Bikes) has long preferred WTB Silverado saddles and Thomson seatpostsJames Huang
The riveted-on rear brake housing stop is attached high enough on the seatstay wishbone to allow a wide range of setup optionsJames Huang