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Team Lovato's Garage + Kestrel 4000's
article & images by Nick Salazar
Sep 26, 2012  hits 83,635

Michael and Amanda Lovato are one of triathlon's resident power couples, and two of the most successful individuals in the pro field. And like all pro triathletes, they have to train year-round. Michael invited us inside his home just before he heads out to Kona. He and Amanda have set up a training haven in their garage, filled to the brim with all the best equipment their sponsors make, as well as two permanent trainer setups and a top-of-the-line Woodway treadmill. Amanda was out of town racing when we did shot this feature, but Michael was around to give us a guided tour of the workout studio, and then we profiled the bikes that he and Amanda ride on a daily basis. You can find all the details about the bikes in the gallery below, as well as the captions. And of course, don't forget to watch the video above.

We'd like to extend a big thank-you to both Michael and Amanda, who let us into their very private space during one of the most hectic and challenging time for a pro triathlete. The lead-up to Ironman Hawaii is usually a time when sponsor obligations are at their highest, and it can be tough to fit in extra time to do features for pesky publications like TriRig. So thanks again to the Lovatos, and enjoy the tour!

Tags » amandalovato,  ismseat,  kestrel,  michaellovato,  rigs,  sram,  torhans,  zipp
  • Welcome to the Team Lovato garage. It's an athletic paradise, built to help Michael and Amanda Lovato stay fit no matter what is going on outside.
  • The Team Lovato garage is filled to the brim with bikes. I counted no fewer than SIX brand new Kestrel 4000 bicycles.
  • Another popular item in the garage: shoes. TONS of them. I counted 16 pairs of kicks in this area (some aren't visible in the photo), and that's just Michael's side.
  • Amanda has her own collection of shoes and boots on the other side of the garage.
  • Zipp has been kind to Team Lovato - there are a LOT of hoops in this garage. But the sponsorship love is definitely deserving - these athletes have done quite a bit to represent the brand very successfully over the years.
  • Both Michael and Amanda are die-hard ISM fans, and they both ride the standard Adamo Road saddle on all their bikes.
  • Another common feature on all the Lovato rigs - the Zipp R2C shifters.
  • Michael is one of the fastest guys in the sport, but he's also easy going, down-to-earth, and it was a pleasure to tour his house. Thanks, Michael!
  • Lots of shoes in lots of colors. Brooks is the shoe sponsor for both Lovatos.
  • For our shots on the treadmill, Michael picked out this set in bright orange. Can't say I disagree with that color!
  • The crown jewel in the Lovato garage is their new Woodway treadmill. It's a very high-zoot piece of kit, and one they paid for out-of-pocket.
  • Two of the Kestrel 4000 rigs are permanently set up on trainers, so that the Lovatos don't have to worry about moving their race bikes onto them. Dedicated bikes to live on trainers? Sounds like a good idea to me. Dedicated Zipp wheels to stay on the trainer? That's just extravagant gear bliss.
  • Michael's trainer rig has an aero hammock set up for easy access to little things like nutrition or the TV remote. This piece didn't make it onto any of his race bikes.
  • Michael's position looks good, and he looks comfortble putting Watts down on the trainer.
  • Dedication and long hours in the saddle will make your legs look like this some day.
  • Yep ... Lovato is a beast.
  • Despite the hard work, Michael always has time for a smile.
  • Here are the His-and-Hers rigs for Team Lovato. Amanda can ride both 700c and 650c sizes, but tends to prefer the 650c. Even when both positions are dialed in to the exact same contact points, she just feels better on the smaller bike, according to Michael. So that's what she usually races. The only drawback is that she can't use the latest Firecrest hoops from Zipp, since they don't come in 650c.
  • The Lovatos each have a custom-painted rig they race in, and both of them feature some very sleek stealth graphics, TorHans bottles, Zipp wheels, ISM saddles, and SRAM Red components.
  • Both top tubes have the Team Lovato name graphic as a nice finishing touch.
  • Stealthy design accents adorn every corner of the Lovatos' Kestrel 4000 SL bikes.
  • When you win a lot of big-name triathlons, Zipp makes you custom name decals. Hot.
  • I don't think I've ever seen a Kestrel 4000 that looked better than this one.
  • The front end is all off-the-shelf equipent: a Zipp Vuka aerobar, stem, and shifters, plus a TorHans aero bottle.
  • CeeGees pads finish off the cockpit, and are a very comfortable aftermarket addition to just about any set of aerobars.
  • The Beyond Black edition of SRAM Red matches the stealth paint schemes on the Team Lovato rigs, and looks great.
  • 54 teeth on Michael's front chainring.
  • Amanda Lovato's Kestrel 4000 SL. Just like Michael's, it has a custom black stealth paint scheme, ISM saddle, Zipp hoops, and SRAM Red componentry. She also hydrates with a TorHans aero bottle, which wasn't in the bars for this photo.
  • The small color accents match, and help identify whose bike you're looking at.
  • Given that she's on a 650c bike, Amanda needs a correspondingly larger chainring to end up with the same gear ratios as normal chainrings on a 700c bike. So, just like Rinny, she slaps on a 58 tooth ring up front.
  • Amanda stocks a spare bottle and CO2 kit behind the saddle using a Beaker Concepts Blaze.
  • Like many who find the Adamo's prongs to be a bit too wide, Amanda uses the band-aid solution of a zip tie to bring them closer together.
  • One key difference on the Lovato rigs is that Amanda has a Vision Tech aerobar, where Michael uses the Zipp Vuka.
  • The Kestrel 4000 has a fairly wide head tube compared to other modern bikes, but it at least keeps cable routing clean with a TRP centerpull brake. I know of a much more aerodynamic aero brake, but sadly it doesn't fit on the integrated TRP mounts the Kestrel fork uses.
  • Little accents like pink cable housing complete Amanda's bike and set it apart from Michael's.
  • One last shot of Amanda Lovato's mean-looking Kestrel 4000 SL.
  • Michael Lovato was very generous with his time, and letting me invade his personal space to show off to TriRig readers. Hey Michael, thanks for the tour, and for letting us into your home. Best of luck in Kona, and we'll see you again soon!

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