It's a bike's life

Travel the world. Get all the best parts. Ride with all of the greatest bikes on the planet. Experience the most famous climbs in the world. Tour de France. All these things were in the job description, but certainly didn’t sum up what I was in for when I took the role of ‘race bike’ for Lachlan Morton.

You see, Lachlan is a World Tour bike racer. One of the best. A climber. Any time the road points up he’s often found at the pointy end of the race. That said, he has a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde personality … but we’ll get to that in a minute.

My life started back in 2019. I was the shining new star in the Cannondale road racing lineup and was replacing the previous generation of SuperSix EVO bikes. I was quite different than my predecessors – more aerodynamic, lighter, better ride quality. I’ve even won a few awards – 2020 Bike of The Year no less. So, I wasn’t lacking in confidence.

I arrived in pristine condition, ready to rock, at the team Service Course in Girona, Spain, around mid-season in 2019. I debuted at the 2019 Tour de France amid much fanfare. Prior to my arrival, I hadn’t been assigned to an owner yet, but the list of riders I would end up with meant I had an idea of who it might be.

I spent 2019 being used as Lachlan’s bike that was reserved for races. It meant I led a pretty charmed life until the end of the season. The miles I racked up were intense… but, at least I wasn’t out training on the roads, day in and day out. Would I have preferred that? Maybe. You see, Lachlan wasn’t a ‘normal’ World Tour rider. That Jekyll and Hyde personality I mentioned earlier meant that he liked to get a little crazy on his training rides… and it also meant that in addition to doing the usual races that a top pro on a top team would do, he did some alternative racing that took him on some absolutely insane adventures. Luckily, I wasn’t the right choice for those races… until recently.

After being shifted to Lachlan’s training bike for the 2020 season I started to see quite a bit of what I was missing. Usually I have just a race number on my seat post, but with Lachlan I regularly left the garage with a handlebar bag, a large saddle bag and an unknown destination. Dirt roads. Steeper climbs than I’d ever seen in a normal race. Long days (and nights) racking up countless miles and seeing some of the best terrain in the world without the pressure of a win.

Most recently, before returning to Europe to finally begin the 2020 racing season, Lachlan took us on an incredibly unique adventure. Well, actually it was two adventures. It’s called ‘Everesting’ and while you might think we went to Nepal, we did this (twice in the span of seven days) in Colorado. The challenge is to climb the height of Everest as quickly as possible. The effort is recorded via GPS and then you’re added to the record books – or not. We spent a lot of time in Colorado this year that we normally wouldn’t. I’m not sure why, but I know it was nice to be at home during a time of year I normally would be in Spain. I digress. We did the first Everesting attempt and for some reason we had to go and do it all over again. What’s unique about the challenge is that the best way to set a fast time is to pick a length of climb that is the right gradient, the right length and that is relatively straight. So, we did it, twice, and Lachlan was happy enough the second time that we didn’t do it again… no complaints from me.

Needless to say, I’m not as pristine as I once was. A bit like the tale of the Velveteen Rabbit. I was well loved and had the blemishes to prove it. What has made that all worthwhile was the feeling that Lachlan and I had become attached. We had been through more than most bikes and riders would ever experience and because of that, I wear every scratch and scuff that has come my way as a reminder of the bond we share and what got us there.

I have one story to tell about a particular scar I bare on my top tube. Very soon after I was delivered to Lachlan in Girona, we went on our first long ride… and by long, I mean LONG… long enough that Lachlan loaded me up with a frame bag packed with supplies for quite the adventure. We had to take a train… or was it a bus? … to get to where we wanted to be and while waiting for the train (or bus), Lachlan leaned me against a signpost, like any cyclist might do. But, under the weight of the provisioning in the bags on the bike, I couldn’t quite hold my stance against the post. I rolled down, ever so slowly, and my top tube slid down the post leaving a sad, but memorable sign of the start of that adventure – let’s call it patina.

You see, we bikes are made to be ridden. We’re made to be used and no matter what we cost, our job is to roll. Roll up, down… wherever you want to go. Our job is to get you there – with a smile on your face. Knowing that Lachlan can smile, each time he looks at one of my flaws, means I’ve succeeded in life and can only hope that I continue to carry him anywhere he’d like to go, with a smile on his face.

Lachlan’s Bike Details:

* Frame/Fork – SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod Disc
* Components – Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
* Crank – 172.5mm (53/38)
* Cassette – 11-30t
* Bar/Stem - Vision Metron 5D 400/120
* Computer – Garmin Edge 1030
* Wheels – Vision Metron 40 SL Disc Clincher/TL
* Tires – Vittoria Corsa 25 Tubeless
* Saddle – Prologo Scratch M5
* Pedals – Speedplay Zero Aero 50mm
* Bottle Cages – Tacx Ciro
* Saddle height – 765mm
* Saddle nose to bar center – 579mm
* Saddle / Bar Drop – 109mm

#rideCannondale