Pro bike: Amy Dombroski's Ridley X-Fire

Amy Dombroski may only be 1.55m (5-foot-1) but she packs a big punch and is one of the United States' hopes at a top-ten finish during Saturday's elite cyclocross world championship race. Though raised in Vermont and technically a resident of Boulder, Colorado, Dombroski bases herself in Belgium during the season and is part of the prestigious Telenet-Fidea squad. Her machine of choice is the workhorse Ridley X-Fire.

Ridley is one of just a handful of companies offering high-end 'cross framesets in a very wide size range and Dombroski is on the company's smallest option with a 41cm seat tube (center-to-center) and 502mm (virtual) top tube. Thanks to a stubby 90mm head tube, Dombroski is still able to achieve a reasonable 53mm of drop, too, for a perfectly proportional fit.

Dombroski runs her Red levers high on the aluminum Zipp bar

While the smaller dimensions could yield a truly ultralight setup, Dombroski's X-Fire is built with a similarly workhorse mix of parts for what should be an ultra-durable but still light setup. SRAM provides the bulk of the spec sheet with a previous-generation Red group (including a steel-caged front derailleur), PG-1070 cassette for mud shedding, Zipp's outstanding 303 carbon tubular wheels, an aluminum Zipp handlebar, and an SRM SRAM S975 power meter.

In keeping with typical European 'cross racer tendencies, Dombroski's X-Fire is also built with traditional Avid Shorty Ultimate cantilevers instead of the disc brakes that are already becoming widely adopted stateside. However, they're set in the narrower stance option for more power instead of the wider format that's more prevalent in Europe.

Another nod to the reliability angle is the addition of an AceCo K-Edge Cross Double XL chain catcher, whose stout, adjustable aluminum plate is mounted to a machined clamp just below the front derailleur. Chances of dropping a chain are slim-to-none here – at least to the inside.

Dombroski has long been supported by Donn Kellogg, who once handled operations for Challenge in the US but is now the face of Clement. Fittingly, she's running Clement rubber front and rear here in the form of the company's latest multi-conditions MXP rear tubular paired to a more aggressive PDX up front. Conditions in Louisville have been wildly variable and especially with the change in timetable, we'll have to wait and see what she uses on race day.

Rounding out the build kit is a Selle San Marco Regale saddle, Crankbrothers Eggbeater 4Ti pedals, FSA's Orbit Z-CX headset with built-in cable hanger, SRAM SuperCork tape, SRM PowerControl 7 computer and an aluminum stem and seatpost from Ridley house brand 4ZA.

Complete weight as pictured is 7.75kg (17.09lb).