|
|
TECH FEATURES: A LOOK AT THE BIKES OF THE JELLY BELLY P/B KENDA TEAM
Philip Booth
February 24, 2010
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The Jelly Belly p/b Kenda team has been on the domestic scene for eleven years. The team is perhaps best known for their colorful jerseys, intricately painted bikes and for handing out the best tasting SWAG on the circuit. For the 2010 season the Jelly Belly p/b Kenda team has reinforced the squad with the addition of Mike Friedman from Garmin, Anthony Colby, Carter Jones, Jacob Rathe, Jonathon Chodroff, Sean Mazich and Will Dickeson. They join sprinter Brad Huff and long time Jelly Belly rider and cyclocross star Jeremy Powers. Along with the new additions the team has several new sponsors, the most notable being Focus Bikes.
Focus is a German company that was founded in 1993 by mountain bike and cyclocross legend Mike Kluge. Since then the company has grown to be one of the premier bicycle brands in Europe. Focus first turned their attention to the US market in 2009 and for 2010 has expanded their US line and stepped up to sponsor the Jelly Belly team.
Due to the intricate paint schemes that include multiple favored Jelly Belly beans not all the team bikes were finished by the start of the teams training camp in San Marcos, California. For training, Focus provides each rider with a 2009 Cayo equipped with SRAM Force components and Speedplay pedals. The rider’s race bikes are 2010 Cayos outfitted with SRAM Red components. There are two main differences between the 2009 and 2010 Cayos. The 2010 feature a tapered 1.125 to 1.25-inch head tube and BB30 bottom bracket. One question that came up was why the team wasn’t aboard Focus’s top of the line Izalco framesets. Due to Focus’s previous commitment to the Milram ProTour team and the limited production volume there were not enough available to supply both teams at the beginning of the year. The Jelly Belly p/b Kenda team will start riding the Izalco mid-summer.
The graphics on the team’s training bikes were decals, while the race bikes feature painted Jelly Belly beans. The detail work on the finished bikes is simply amazing.
3T is another new team sponsor for 2010 and supplies the team with Ergonova PRO handlebars, ARX PRO stems and Doric TEAM seatposts.
The ARX PRO stem is custom made for the team and features the Jelly Belly logo. Unfortunately the Jelly Belly branded stems wouldn’t be available to the public.
Another team only item is the Jelly Belly Cateye computer. The Cateye Strada computer has some the coolest graphics on the peloton. Unfortunately the only way to get your hands on one is to race for the team.
The team is using RTS carbon wheels. RTS is new to the US market and
for 2010 is bringing a whole line of race wheels to the states. For
training the team is using aluminum clincher rims with a semi-aero
carbon section.
The hubs on the RTS wheels are aluminum, with the front hub using a carbon shell. On race day the team will be running full carbon rimmed wheelsets that are said to closely resemble Lightweight wheels.
Most of the Jelly Belly team is using Kenda Konstrictor tires for training. On race day the team will switch to Kenda’s new Volare tubular tires. The Kenda tubulars are new in 2010, with Kenda offering three models. The top of the line Volare, The Super Domestique and Domestique. Look for a full test of the Volares on roadbikeaction.com in the coming weeks.
fi'zi:k is a sponsor of the team and outfits the team with red and white saddles. Brad Huff rides the Aliante, while several of the other riders chose the Arione. The fi'zi:k saddles are mounted to 3T Doric TEAM Carbon posts that feature an aluminum head.
If the Focus Izalco Chrono looks a little familiar its because it was designed by Andy Walser who built the Bianchi time trial bike that Jan Ullrich used to crush Lance Armstrong in the stage 12 time trial of the 2003 Tour de France. The Izalco Chrono forgoes a hidden or reverse mounted front brake, but features a super narrow profile and internal cable routing to cheat the air.
3T provides the Mistral PRO aerobars. The teams time trial bikes are outfitted with a mixture of SRAM Force and Red components mated to SRAM Return to Center Time Trial shifters.
The seatpost binder on the Izalco Chrono is simple, effective and completely hidden from the wind.
For time trials the Jelly Belly p/b Kenda team will be using an RTS carbon disc mated to either a deep section carbon rim or five spoke carbon front wheel. Both the disc and five spoke will be wrapped in Kenda Volare tubular tires.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|