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Photo ©:
Mark Gunter
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Brownie's other half
Unmistakeably Dura-Ace
Photo ©: Mark Gunter
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Few riders can successfully juggle both road and track racing at
the highest level, yet Panaria-Margres sprinter Graeme Brown has been
doing both ever since he turned professional in 2001. With equipment
being all-important, Cyclingnews' Anthony Tan takes a look at
how one half of him does it.
Wandering around the riders' village at the Jacob's Creek Tour Down
Under was anything but an eyesore. About half the teams - including
Panaria-Margres - had received their new bikes, and those that hadn't
were looking a little envious. Graeme Brown's 2004 Battaglin Vortex
just made matters worse for the have-nots.
Panaria-Margres mechanic Saul
Necini
Photo ©: Mark Gunter
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"This is a beautiful bike; it is very rigid, no (his hand moves from
side to side in a fish-like movement)," says Panaria-Margres mechanic
Saul Necini when asked what he likes best about the team's machines.
(He also tells me Brownie's position on the bike is unchanged from last
year, and that the sprinter prefers not to fiddle around with his position.)
Immediately noticeable is the large drop from seat to bars, a product
of Brown's upbringing on the track, where riders develop excellent lumbar
flexibility at an early age from prolonged riding in the drops.
It's a kind of Magic
Photo ©: Mark Gunter
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The more I keep looking at the new Dura-Ace group, the more it grows
on me. I first thought the deep-rimmed outside chainring and the chunky
hoods on the STI levers were ugly and a step back in time in terms of
look and feel, but now I see a certain futuristic element to it. Like
Brownie's Teschner track bike, the fiery sprinter prefers the older
style SPD-R pedals that use a far smaller cleat and are closer in design
to the Time's road flippers than the current SPD-SL "Lance" pedals,
which bear a strong resemblance in appearance and functionality to Look's
pedal and cleat design.
Inside the "cockpit", it's really no surprise to see Deda's Newton
31.8mm oversize bar and the slightly stronger Deda Magic stem on board.
Sprinters need all the stiffness they can get, and with a combined weight
of 397 grams, it's one super-stiff, very lightweight combination for
the team pursuit world champion.
Brownie leaves his mark
Photo ©: Mark Gunter
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Moving to the rear, we see the morphing of carbon seat and chain stays
with the aluminium main triangle, designed more for shock absorption
than anything else. While on the subject of shock (or lack of it), Brownie's
gone for the Selle Italia Gel Max Flite seat with gel inserts for the
sit bones and groin - important for "the boys" on those five-plus hour
days in the saddle. You can tell from the photos the seat has moulded
nicely to the shape of Brownie's bum, increasing the comfort factor.
Finally, something very new indeed: Ambrosio's X-space carbon wheels.
In prototype stage at the moment, the X-space wheels feature a 40mm
deep carbon rim and oversized but very light aluminium hubs, with radial
front spoking and three-cross rear rear. So far, team mechanic Saul
Necini says the response has been very favourable indeed, part of which
could be attributed to their enormous sex appeal. Perfect for a rider
like Brownie!
Photos
Images by Mark Gunter/Cyclingnews/www.pbase.com/gunterphotograph
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Full specification
Frame:
Battaglin Vortex
Fork:
Battaglin carbon
Colour: Panaria-Margres
Cranks:
Shimano Dura-Ace, 53/39
Bottom bracket: Shimano Dura-Ace
Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace
Front derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace
Rear derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace
Brakes: Shimano Dura-Ace
Levers:
Shimano Dura-Ace
Rear
sprockets: Shimano Dura-Ace, 11-21
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Hubs: Ambrosio
Spokes: Ambrosio
Rim:
Ambrosio Xspace carbon
Tyres: Michelin Axial Pro Race, 700 x 23
Stem:
Deda Elementi Magic 31.7 Ahead, 150g
Headset: Campagnolo Record
Bars:
Deda Elementi Magic 31.7 Anatomic, 247g
Pedals:
Shimano SPD-R, 327g per pair
Seat post: Deda Elementi Black carbon, 166g
Saddle:
Selle Italia Gel Max Flite, Ti rails, 290g
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