Some might consider steel frames and forks to be too heavy for cyclo-cross but Dan Timmerman (Richard Sachs-RGM Watches) let his legs do the talking this yearJames Huang
The front end of Timmerman’s ride uses a 1in steerer with an external-type headsetJames Huang
Richard Sachs insists on pairing his steel frames with matching forks, saying the two operate as a unit and shouldn’t be considered as separate bits to be assembled a la carteJames Huang
Sachs brazes the fork legs to this beautiful crownJames Huang
The top tube is perfectly straight and roundJames Huang
The bottom bracket shell incorporates a tidy chainstay bridgeJames Huang
The steel chainstays gracefully taper in size as they approach the dropoutsJames Huang
Classic lines all aroundJames Huang
Tyre clearance is generous up top on account of the small-diameter tubesJames Huang
Radial clearance is very good but lateral clearances are pretty tightJames Huang
Sachs recently moved his shop from Chester, Connecticut to Warwick, MassachusettsJames Huang
Sachs uses lighter weight tubing for team bikes with shorter buttsJames Huang
Top tube routing keeps the cables away from mudJames Huang
Timmerman’s SRAM Force DoubleTap levers are affixed to traditional-bend bars from Oval ConceptsJames Huang
Timmerman uses Oval Concepts’ 26.0mm-diameter bar and stem instead of the more popular oversized variantJames Huang
Reverse-mounted faceplate bolts are used on the Oval Concepts stemJames Huang
Cane Creek supply their workhorse SCX-5 cantilever brakesJames Huang
Pads are trimmed in length so the brakes can open up wider for easier wheel changesJames Huang
Relatively shallow Cole carbon rims are wrapped with Challenge Grifo tubularsJames Huang
Cole anchor the hub end of the spoke in rotating aluminium barrels that they say allows for more precise alignment and more spoke tensionJames Huang
Timmerman’s SRAM Force crankarms show the signs of a tough seasonJames Huang
CrankBrothers’ Candy SL pedals offer a bit more of a platform to stand on than their more minimal Egg BeatersJames Huang
The Force front derailleur is attached to a carbon fibre braze-on adapter from ParleeJames Huang
Selle San Marco make special red Aspide saddles just for SachsJames Huang
The rear hub features the same cylindrical aluminium spoke anchors plus an alloy freehub bodyJames Huang
The new Cole skewers have wide handlesJames Huang
SRAM have updated their Force group this year with more Red-like features and a sleek dark grey finishJames Huang
Richards Sachs-RGM Watches rider Dan Timmerman stood out from the field at last month’s US cyclo-cross national championship not only because of his mountain man beard but also due to his ‘old-school’ rig, built around a classically proportioned lugged steel frame and matching fork.
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Naysayers would be quick to point out its heft – it’s a full kilogram heavier than other elite-level machines at 8.72kg (19.22lb) complete – but Timmerman let his legs do the talking in 2009 with six UCI wins, 10 UCI podium appearances, the VERGE series overall win and an impressive eighth-place finish in the men’s elite race at the nationals to cap off for his best season yet.
“To a certain extent, obsessing over weight makes more of a difference in a rider’s head than it does on the course,” Timmerman says. “Sure, it makes a difference to some degree, particularly rotating weight, but the engineering, experience and wisdom that goes into the frame geometry, tube shapes and the overall ride quality make so much more of a difference that it can easily make a pound or more completely negligible.”
Sachs builds the team’s bikes with a special lighter-weight version of his usual Columbus PegoRichie tubeset. The “way shorter” butts shave grams but also require more careful tubing selection, and the niobium-enhanced alloy is highly resistant to impact damage – a key attribute in a sport that regularly sees extensive travel.
In place of TIG welding and radical shaping, Sachs instead prefers to use his own brazed short-point lugs and round profiles that he’s continuously developed since first building frames in 1972. And to prove that Sachs knows what is required of his racers, he’s no slouch on the bike himself, finishing the season ranked fifth nationally overall in the men’s master category.
