Tim O'Donnell's star is on the rise. The Naval Academy graduate and former Naval Officer has proven himself a force to be reckoned with in any race, coming up through the ranks as an Olympic-distance, 70.3-distance, and now Iron-distance athlete. Last weekend, he won 70.3 Lonestar over a field that included Michael Raelert, Lance Armstrong, and others. But despite his palmares and obvious potential, O'onnell is easily one of the most down-to-earth, humble people you'll ever meet. Tim graciously let me crash his house for an interview about racing, gear, and to get a close look at his new bike, the Argon E-118. I think the interview gives you a really good sense for his special combination of humility and ambition.

After the interview, I got to spend a little extra time with Tim's bike, shooting all the small details. Tim's stance on gear, as he says in the interview, is that it should be focused on after acquiring a high level of fitness. It's "an extra little gift," as he says. Last year, he ran two bottles behind the saddle, and found that a BTA bottle up front was far superior in the wind tunnel. Now he's planning to move his frame bottle behind the saddle in a single cage tucked right into the saddle. It's basically the exact same steps I recommend in my hydration guide. Tim, your bottle setup is TriRig approved!

Check out the gallery below for all the little bits and pieces on Tim's Argon E-118.