Pro bike: Katie Compton’s Rabobank Giant TCX Advanced SL

This article originally appeared on BikeRadar

Katie Compton made the jump from her small private program last year to Giant's massive, Rabobank-sponsored Dutch off-road team. The switch hasn't been without challenge, but it hasn't slowed America's queen of 'cross, who notched up her eighth consecutive national championship title this past weekend at Badger Prairie Park near Madison, Wisconsin.

The American racer rode to a solo victory in the opening round of the 2011/12 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup season, and she's followed that performance with a string of domestic wins including three rounds of the Exergy US Gran Prix of Cyclo-cross, as well as World Cup podiums in Koksijde and Namur, in Belgium.

Compton's Giant is a small sized TCX Advanced SL, which has been highly customized both to accommodate Shimano's Dura-Ace Di2 electric transmission and also to meet her specific needs. Compton's husband and mechanic, Mark Legg-Compton, has modified or massaged parts all over the bike from his ‘superglue and sand' texture on the Di2 levers to the silicone sealing of all of the Di2 wire connections on the bike.

Compton uses both top-mount brake levers and Shimano's satellite sprint shifters on her handlebar, allowing multiple shifting and braking options for the demanding conditions of cyclo-cross. Her brakes are also custom made, and she uses SwissStop GHP metal pads on her carbon rims. Legg-Compton says the green compound works better in colder conditions.

Legg-Compton has textured the Di2 levers with superglue and sand for better grip and feel on bumpy courses

When a rider changes bikes, there's always an adjustment period, and there was no exception in Compton's switch to her Giant. The small bike is still relatively large, with a 52.5cmtop tube, and this has forced the use of a custom zero offset seatmast clamp and a stem 1cm shorter than she might otherwise prefer.

Compton also ended up switching crank length after the first month or so of the season, from 172.5cm to 175cm, to better her power output. "After [the USGP in] Fort Collins, she decided to go back to the 175s," Legg-Compton told Cyclingnews. She rides a compact crank with 34-/44-tooth chainring combination; the inner ring is Dura-Ace and the outer is from Thorne Components.

Wheels come in the form of Shimano's Dura-Ace WH-7900-C35-TU carbon tubular wheels. Compton, once sponsored by Dugast, still relies on the Dutch company's tires. Although they're branded as Vredesteins, she still has access to all of the standard tread patterns, as well as the new 33mm width, that's just becoming available for sale.

"We've got some 33 Typhoons in Europe, which she'll run for Worlds," said Legg-Compton. "She's not going to run a file tread at Worlds. We were talking to [Dutch 'cross racer Richard] Groenendaal just before Koksijde, and he said the file tread is slower and there's a lot more rolling resistance. So Katie went out and rode, and she was like, ‘he's right'. I was really surprised at that, but the sand there is super-sticky. Even with a brush the stuff barely comes off."

Compton is testing a prototype K-Edge braze mounted chain watcher

Complete bike specification

Frame: Giant TCX Advanced SL
Fork: Giant TCX Advanced SL
Headset: Cane Creek 110 zero stack
Stem: Thomson Elite X4, 120mm, 0°
Handlebar: PRO Vibe Carbon compact, 40cm
Bar tape: PRO Smart Silicon
Front brake: Custom orange cantilever
Rear brake: Custom orange cantilever
Front derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2, braze-on with prototype K-Edge chain watcher
Rear derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
Shifter: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
Brake levers: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2, with TRP RL950 top mount lever
Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace 7900, 12-27t
Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace 7900
Crankset: Shimano Dura-Ace 7900, 175mm, 34/44t compact
Bottom bracket: Press-fit BB86 with Enduro Zero ceramic bearings
Pedals: Shimano XTR M970
Wheelset: Shimano Dura-Ace WH-7900-C35-TU
Front tire: Vredestein by Dugast (Rhino tread), 32mm (33mm Typhoons in Europe)
Rear tire: Vredestein by Dugast (Rhino tread), 32mm (33mm Typhoons in Europe)
Saddle: Fi’zi:k Vesta
Seatpost: Giant TCX Advanced SL seatmast

Critical measurements

Rider's height: 167.6cm/5ft 5in
Rider's weight: 62kg/137lb
Saddle height from BB, c-t: 69.5cm
Saddle setback: 2.5cm
Seat tube length, c-c: 50cm
Tip of saddle to center bar: 50.5cm
Saddle-to-bar drop: 4.25cm
Head tube length: 130cm
Top tube length (virtual): 52.5cm
Total bicycle weight: 7.64kg/16.86lb

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