George Frazier is going to be a name to remember. The newly christened Junior Men 11-12 National Champion has been a familiar sight around the popular OVCX series, but for those visiting the Midwest for Nationals, the local champion is likely a fresh name.
Frazier is a Louisville native with a mountain bike background that served him well on the technical course at Joe Creason Park, where he won the 11-12 title by over 30 seconds. With a rare opportunity to race at home, the 11-year-old came to win. “Everyone here has seen [me win],” he told Cyclocross Magazine post-race. “Everyone [who] I race against has seen it. I think it makes me more motivated to win.”
George Frazier won the 11-12 category in his hometown of Louisville. Junior Men 11-12. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships, Louisville, KY. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine
Due to his small stature, Frazier is somewhat limited in the bikes he can ride, but he came prepared with a pair of (very small) Cannondale SuperX cyclocross bikes—a popular choice among height-limited racers.
George Frazier's Junior Men 11-12 winning bike. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships V2. Louisville, KY. © Cyclocross Magazine
Frazier rode an older model of the SuperX that featured quick release wheels and post mount disc brakes as well as external shift cables which can prove to be a mechanic’s nightmare.
Frazier's older SuperX featured externally routed brake hoses. George Frazier's Junior Men 11-12 winning bike. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships V2. Louisville, KY. © Cyclocross Magazine
Frazier’s bikes were clad in SRAM Force 1 components, with DoubleTap hydraulic shift levers handled paired with SRAM Force HRD calipers. Of note are the 160mm front and rear rotors, which provide a great deal of stopping leverage for such a small rider.
Consistent with the bigger-is-better philosophy, Frazier also used adult-sized 170mm cranksets. He used a SRAM PC-1130 chain and SRAM 11-36t cassette in Louisville. Like many Cannondale bikes, Frazier’s SuperX was sporting an Si alloy crank designed to work with BB30. Frazier applied power using Time ATAC pedals.
Frazier's use of 160mm rotors front and rear is notable given his size. Also, note the post mount calipers. George Frazier's Junior Men 11-12 winning bike. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships V2. Louisville, KY. © Cyclocross Magazine
Another unique part of his build was the double-sided Salsa Ring Dinger chain guard that gave the bike old-school flavor and more chain security than even a narrow-wide ring provides.
A Salsa chainring guard is mounted inboard to minimize the risk of chain drop. George Frazier's Junior Men 11-12 winning bike. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships V2. Louisville, KY. © Cyclocross Magazine
Louisville was hit with heavy rainfall in the days before the 11-12 race, and Frazer was ready with HED Ardennes alloy tubular wheels equipped with the outgoing, but well-worn version of the Specialized Terra.
The Ardennes wheel is built around the popular Belgium rim and features 24 spokes front and rear, Centerlock disc rotor mounts and interchangeable caps for quick release and thru-axle, which means Frazier will be able to keep these wheels when he inevitably outgrows these winning bikes.
Frazier ran HED Ardennes tubulars. Fortunately, they are convertible to thru-axle if he modernizes his ride.. George Frazier's Junior Men 11-12 winning bike. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships V2. Louisville, KY. © Cyclocross Magazine
Contact points were a grab bag of components in order to fit the bike to a smaller rider. A Cannondale-branded saddle (from the time before Fabric saddles became standard) was mounted on a Q2 Carbon zero offset seatpost. In the front, Frazier paired a Ritchey Evo Curve bar with Lizard Skins tape and a rather short Answer ATAC AME alloy stem.
In order to fit such a small rider, Frazier used an Answer ATAC AME alloy stem without much reach. George Frazier's Junior Men 11-12 winning bike. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships V2. Louisville, KY. © Cyclocross Magazine
Highly-Tuned Engine
Think it's about the bike? Frazier trains more than many adults. "I probably train two hours a day, every day, pretty much," Frazier said after his win. "I normally train with my mom and dad, because they're faster sometimes, but I sometimes ride on the trainer and ride with friends."
Frazier puts in most of his training hours on the road, but also puts in some of those hours while in running shoes. "I do 30 minutes every second day. It's on my treadmill, not really sprints," Frazier said.
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Frazier and his parents still try to keep it fun and balanced. "Sometimes I do intervals, but most of the time I just do race simulations," Frazier explained. "I do mountain biking, road, and I do soccer also."
When asked as to what his favorite sport was, the answer after winning his first national championship was obvious. "Right now it's cyclocross!"
For a closer look at Frazier's winning ride, see the photo gallery and specs below.
For more photos from Saturday's Junior races, see our ever-growing catalog of photos on our photo site: cyclocross.zenfolio.com
Andrew Yee contributed to this article.
Photo Gallery: George Frazier's 2018 Louisville Nationals Cannondale SuperX
In a time before Cannondale equipped Fabric saddles on its bikes, branded OEM equipment was the norm. George Frazier’s Junior Men 11-12 winning bike. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships V2. Louisville, KY. © Cyclocross Magazine
