A Wheat Ridge Cyclery eve

May 21, 2010

At the recent Wheat Ridge Cyclery event, Craig Alexander sat down with Barry Siff, former owner of the 5430 triathlon series. Siff took questions from the audience, and discussed them with Alexander in an interview-style session.
Questions came up about the rivalry with Chris McCormack, but Alexander was hesitant to speak out against his countryman, but instead said that "the great thing about our sport is that you do the talking with your legs. I don't really say much verbally; I think the results speak for themselves. I've started Ironman Hawaii three times, and finished with two [first-place finishes] and one second."

Later, discussion turned to bike fit. Alexander has been noted for using a far more upright position than some of his competitors, and a member of the audience asked whether he thought he might make gains by exploring more aggressive positioning options. "Look," Alexander answered, "if you're racing twenty-five miles, it's a good idea to look at an aggressive bike position. But if you're out there for 56 miles or 112 miles, you need to be able to run afterwards. You need to have a comfortable position. I have a position that doesn't make my back sore, that doesn't make my hamstrings sore, and for me it's a good position."

Wheat Ridge Cyclery was a veritable Interbike on Thursday night, featuring two Specialized Shiv frames ready for sale, and a Trek Speed Concept prototype that has yet to be released. The shop also displayed an F.I.S.T. certified fitter and a large variety of high-end road and triathlon equipment. One notable bike was a new 6-series Trek Madone, outfitted with Shimano Di2, Bontrager Aeolus 6.5 wheels, and a large sticker that read "Demo Bike."
The Speed Concept on hand belonged to Trek/K-Swiss triathlete Julie Dibens, whose custom-painted prototype has carried its rider to a so-far perfect season.