One of the more interesting things about the smaller racing categories is seeing the diverse and unique equipment that shows up. John Elgart of California is no stranger to those races, having won the Masters 65-69 race in Bend in 2010 and finished second in his current Masters 70-74 category in 2016. This year, Elgart won the Masters 70-74 race aboard a very unique custom-painted A bike.
John Elgart’s Masters 70-74 winning cyclocross bike. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine
The frame features a distinctive dragon motif, with a scale pattern running down the main tubes and a copper accent on the head tube and seat cluster. A stylized dragon features prominently on the down tube.
Elgart’s friend Stefan Giachino painted the frame and featured a dragon prominently on the down tube. John Elgart’s Masters 70-74 winning cyclocross bike. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine
Elgart’s friend Stefan Giachino, a Southwest Airlines pilot and artist, originally built the unique bike. “He made it for himself, it just happens to be my size,” Elgart told Cyclocross Magazine. “When he hurt his back believe it or not he decided to sell it.”
A dragon scale pattern dresses the top tube, with Elgart’s name and the Lion of Flanders providing further customization. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine
To be clear, Giachino only custom painted the bike. The frame, he acquired elsewhere. “The bike is the kind of bike you can get on some websites, Elgart explained. “It’s light and of course, has a cool paint job and people ask me about it all the time.”
Elgart’s bike has Paul Mini Moto linear pull brakes, but the frame was originally designed for cantilevers. The fork crown is drilled to accept a cable stop, which was a common way to reduce brake shudder when cantilevers were prominent. John Elgart’s Masters 70-74 winning cyclocross bike. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine
The rest of Elgart’s setup is equally unique. He is running a Shimano 1×10 transmission paired to a SRAM Red BB30 crankset and a Wolf Tooth narrow-wide chainring. Interestingly, despite the use of a 1x drivetrain, the bike has both a second chainring and a Dura-Ace FD-R7900 front derailleur, which is attached to the front ST-R7800 shifter. Elgart explained that the shifter is set up with trim but is incapable of shifting to the smaller ring, and both function only as redundant chain catchers to ensure the Shimano chain stays in place over rough terrain.
While the bike has both a front derailleur and two chainrings, Elgart can only use the larger Wolf Tooth narrow-wide ring. The derailleur and inner chainring act only as chain guards. John Elgart’s Masters 70-74 winning cyclocross bike. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine
The rear shifting is more conventional, with a Shimano Dura-Ace RD-R7800-GS short cage derailleur paired to a Dura-Ace ST-R7800 rear shifter. A SRAM 11-30 cassette is mounted on 32 hole alloy tubular wheels. Stopping is a rim brake affair, featuring Paul Mini Moto linear pull brakes with Jagwire V-Brake pads.
Elgart is using Paul Mini Moto linear pull brakes with jagwire alloy compound pads. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine
Challenge Limus tires were glued on for Reno, which was the deciding factor for starting on this unique bike. Elgart also brought a Redline disc brake bike with tubeless tires, but found his rim brake bike with tubulars to work better for the course. “This has tubulars on it. The [redline] is tubeless, this one had better traction going up the hill, and this one is lighter.” Elgart said.
The frame was originally designed for cantilevers and features a cable stop with an integrated barrel adjuster. Elgart is running mini-v brakes however, and bypassed the stop. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine
Elgart’s contact points are a mix of brands, with an FSA Wing alloy handlebar wrapped in orange Lizard Skins tape, Ritchey WCS carbon seatpost and, interestingly, a Terry Fly Ti saddle; the men’s version of the popular Terry Butterfly women’s saddle. Power is applied with Crank Brothers Candy pedals.
See the photo gallery below for a full look at Elgart’s bike.
For more from Reno, see our dedicated 2018 Reno Cylocross Nationals page.
John Elgart’s Custom-Painted Nationals Bike Specifications
Frame: Open Mold Carbon, custom paint, BB30, internal cable routing, cantilever brakes
Fork: Open Mold Carbon, custom paint, cantilever brakes
Shifter: Shimano ST-R7800
Brake Caliper: Paul Mini Moto, Jagwire pads
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace RD-R7900-GS
Front Derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace FD-R7900, set up as chain guide
Crankset: SRAM Red, BB30
Chainrings: Wolf Tooth 36-tooth narrow-wide, inner ring as chain catcher
Cassette: SRAM, 11-30
Chain: Shimano 10 speed
Stem: Alloy
Handlebar: FSA Wing
Seatpost: Ritchey WCS Carbon, 20mm setback
Saddle: Terry Fly Ti
Pedals: Crank Brothers Candy
Rims: 32 hole tubular
Tires: Challenge Limus, 700x33mm
Photo Gallery: John Elgart’s Custom-Painted Nationals Bike
John Elgart’s Masters 70-74 winning cyclocross bike. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine
