Mechanic David ‘Monkey’ Vasquez is a bit of a mountain bike racing icon thanks to his stints spannering for the likes of Missy Giove and Brian Lopes. His current job is making sure #1 ranked US racer Aaron Gwin keeps rollingJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
Aaron Gwin’s World Cup winning Trek Session 88James Costley-White/BikeRadar
The #1 plate Gwin earned at 2011’s first World Cup round in Pietermaritzburg, South AfricaJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
TransponderJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
Even the hubs are branded with the Trek World Racing logoJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
Fox 40 RC2 forkJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
Gwin’s Shimano XTR Trail brake levers are paired with Saint callipers to achieve maximum stopping power with minimum weightJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
Gwin’s Shimano XTR Trail brake levers are paired with Saint callipers to achieve maximum stopping power with minimum weightJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
Gwin runs a direct-mount Funn stem and handlebarJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
Screw-on fork stops prevent damage to the frame in the event of a crashJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
Gwin’s new to Trek this year but he’s already topped the podium for themJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
Gwin runs Shimano Saint cranks, CrankBrothers Mallet pedals and a Gamut chain deviceJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
At the heart of the rear suspension is a Fox DHX RC4 shockJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
The Session 88’s massive Evo link helps keep the back end stiffJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
Gwin runs an SDG I-Beam saddle and post to save weight over a conventional setupJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
Trek’s ABP concentric rear axle pivot helps isolate the suspension from braking forcesJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
Gwin is running Shimano’s new XTR Shadow Plus rear mechJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
Wheels take plenty of punishment at Fort Bill, as evidenced by these two dings…James Costley-White/BikeRadar
… not to mention this crackJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
US downhill racer Aaron Gwin is leading the 2011 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup series after winning the first round in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa last month, so all eyes will be on him at today’s second round in Fort William, Scotland – particularly as he was fastest in yesterday’s qualifying.
We grabbed a few minutes with Gwin and his mechanic, David ‘Monkey’ Vasquez, to get the lowdown on the bike. Check out the video below. You can find out more about Aaron’s Shimano XTR Shadow Plus rear derailleur in our review.
