You like Jeremy Powers. You like him a lot. You like him and his team so much you’re willing to overlook things that you hate, like the SSCXWC champions Julie Krasniak and Chris Jones (Rapha-Focus) declining their victory tattoos in San Francisco this year (popular write-in for most controversial moment). You like J-Pow so much that you’ve voted our profile of him as our best article ever. You believe that his teammate, Zach McDonald, is the most improved rider of the year. Welcome to our Reader Awards: the 2011/2012 edition. Want to see our full range of awards? Check out Issue 16 by ordering the archived print edition or by subscribing to our digital edition for back copies from Issue 6 and on.
You like these bikes, in order of entry-level to dreamy: Specialized Crux Elite; Van Dessel Gin & Trombones; Ridley X-Fire; Cannondale SuperX 2 SRAM Red; Moots Psychlo-X RSL and Raleigh Hodala Gates Carbon Drive34. You point out that a dream bike, though, need not remain the same every night, asking us: “Just one? That’s unfair—what about the other 364 days of the year? Are they meant to be dreamless? Too cruel, Cyclocross Magazine, too cruel.” You’re definitely into the particulars of gear, notably tires.
You loved our article on “The History of Tires,” (although you liked the J-Pow article the best, as we pointed out above) and thought that the CXM Labs test on tire pressure was the best from that department. When you run clincher tires (and you do, given your vociferous comments about tubulars) you choose Michelin. You wholeheartedly prefer SRAM to any other component maker, and even dream of the mythical “Shrampagnolo” hack.
FAVORITE TEAM
Rapha-Focus
MUD TUBULAR
Challenge Limus
FILE TREAD TUBULAR
Challenge Grifo XS
ALL-AROUND TUBULAR
Challenge Grifo
HELMET
Lazer
SHOE BRAND
Sidi
EMBROCATION
Mad Alchemy
BEST NEW PEDAL
Candy 11s/Eggbeater 11s
FAVORITE CYCLOCROSS BRAKE
Avid Shorty Ultimate
FRICTION FIGHTER
DZ Nuts
PRO BIKE ($3,499+)
Cannondale SuperX 2 SRAM Red (MSRP $7,499)
WORKINGMAN PRO BIKE ($2,900 – $3,498)
Ridley X-Fire (MSRP $3,095)
WEEKEND WARRIORS BIKE ($1,500 – $2,899)
Van Dessel Gin & Trombones (MSRP $2,799)
BUDGET BIKE ($1,000- $1,499)
Specialized Crux Elite (MSRP $1,450)
DREAM BIKE
Moots Psychlo-X RSL (MSRP $4,765 frame/fork)
SINGLESPEEED RIG
Raleigh Hodala (MSRP $2,200 frame/fork)
CLINCHER
Michelin
DRIVETRAIN
SRAM
BEST TEAM NAME
My Wife Inc.
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