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The Winning Rigs of Kona
images by Nick Salazar
Oct 14, 2012  hits 58,961

Pete Jacobs' rig is simple and effective. He rode like hell to set himself up for a great run, and won with daylight behind him.
Pete Jacobs' rig is simple and effective. He rode like hell to set himself up for a great run, and won with daylight behind him.

Here's our breakdown of the winning rigs of Kona 2012. Interestingly, neither of these frames represents what most would consider the cream of the crop in terms of FRAME design. However, their riders appointed the rigs in tasteful, fairly minimal ways that allow for easy access to hydration and nutrition WITHOUT making big aero sacrifices. The resulting rigs are still very sleek, quietly taking their riders from T1 to T2 in style and comfort. Have a look at the article for the full scoop.


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  • Pete Jacobs' rig is simple and effective. He rode like hell to set himself up for a great run, and won with daylight behind him.
  • Jacobs' front end is simple: Zipp Vuka Bull, Zipp Vuka Clip, SRAM R2C shifters. A BTA bottle and XLAB bento box finish it off and keep him fueled.
  • Jacobs is on the new Red drivetrain, including the Red Quarq. This is the first time Quarq has gotten an Ironman World Championship win.
  • Jacobs rides the Lazer TT lid, and Rudy Project rimless shades for good visibility while in aero.
  • In back, an ISM Adamo and a single botle cage keep things tidy.
  • The Boardman Air is generally an OK rig, but this giant loop of cable up front is unforgivable - and sadly, unavoidable if you're going to ride it with the included fork.
  • Leanda Cave charged to the win on her Pinarelo Graal. I'm not a huge fan of the bike itself, but there's no denying that Leanda put together a fantastic race aboard it.
  • The front end is fairly simple as well: a TorHans bottle with a FuelBelt bento box. Cave is riding the long-discontinued Easton Attack TT bar. It's not adjustable, but at under 400g, it's still by far the lightest thing around.
  • Cave rode Shimano's Dura-Ace Di2 drivetrain.
  • Cave was one of MANY athletes riding the new Giro Air Attack helmet. I think this thing is an awesome hybrid, and a great compromise between full aero lids, which can be tough to bear in the Hawaii heat, and a regular road helmet, which will give up a lot of time in the aero department.
  • Cave rides an Adamo Podium saddle, and kept a single XLAB Gorilla cage strapped to it.

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