Tri gear at Mellow Johnny's
images by Nick Salazar
Nov 9, 2010  hits 93,234

Mellow Johnny's plays up a retro vibe that actually works really well.
Mellow Johnny's plays up a retro vibe that actually works really well.
Previous Photo
Next Photo

Mellow Johnny's is Lance Armstrong's bike shop out of downtown Austin, Texas. We stopped by to check out the digs, and hunt for tri-related goodies and other cool gear. We definitely found some. We focused on a pair of prototype Speed Concept bikes (with their proto stems!!!). But there was plenty to look at, and we recommend checking it out if you're ever in the area.



Tags » lancearmstrong,  mellowjohnnys,  trek
  • Mellow Johnny's plays up a retro vibe that actually works really well.
  • Our first view walking in the door was this gorgeous proto bike, Levi Leipheimer's Speed Concept.
  • The view from between Levi's extensions. He achieves his position with some custom spacers and extensions.
  • The bear on the back betrays its owner, Mr. Leipheimer.
  • Lance Armstrong's own Tour de France Speed Concept was on display.
  • The Unity Speed Concept was equipped with prototype Bontrager aerobars and stem, which adjust stack via armrest spacers, but the extensions remain fixed. We like this setup.
  • Lance famously required a huge setback on his Speed Concept, a testament to its triathlon-specific design.
  • See the ribs on this disc? It's a Carbonsports Lightweight.
  • Now THIS is the stem they should release to the public. It allows any standard bar to flow seamlessly into the Speed Concept's design, hiding all the cables.
  • Lance got Texas logos on his Zipp R2C shifters.
  • Lance was one of several pros at this year's TdF using a Berner-modified rear derailleur, supposedly to create a more efficient drivetrain.
  • You can see here that only one bolt is required to affix the extensions on the prototype Bontrager, as opposed to the four bolts for each extension required on the production bike.
  • The underside of the prototype stem.
  • The Unity Speed Concept sat next to its Madone counterpart.
  • We can see here that the Speed Concept was also stung by the UCI's rules - Trek have lopped off a portion of the fork, presumably to conform to the rules regarding frame member sizes.
  • That's a lot of LiveStrong eyewear! All those Oakleys make us drool. Especially the $4000 all-carbon C-Six shades in the middle.
  • This break-apart Madone showed how the lugs connect, and how snazzy Trek's carbon layup is.
  • Awesome.
  • The 'Track Shack' was a cool, tiny little corner with a bunch of fixed-gear equipment.

Related Articles
Before we close the books on Galveston, here's one more feature on some of the unique setups we saw out there, including an update to TJ Tollakson's crazy front end.
Linsey Corbin's Trek Speed Concept. She looks ready for race day!
Happy TO is back on the island to test his mettle. The new dad is looking happy and ready.
Here's a 17-year-old frame with bang-on modern components. The final build is 16.5 pounds and pretty slick indeed. Enjoy!
Here's a thorough survey of the top bikes in the industry, and all their individual strengths and weaknesses.