A close look at Justin Lindine’s Redline Carbon Conquest, after a pre-ride of the NBX course! © Cyclocross Magazine
Justin “The Honey Badger” Lindine has been a staple of New England cyclocross for the past few years, stacking up wins like Providence last year, and a first place overall in the Verge Series in New England this season, as well as a seventh place at USGP Derby City Cup after a lengthy road trip. While at NBX this weekend, where he took home a fourth place on Saturday and a third place on Sunday, we snagged his bike to get a closer look. He’s riding a Redline Carbon Conquest team frame this season, and he’s been incredibly happy with the overall performance. In particular, he’s excited and feeling ready for the USGP in Bend this weekend and his trip to EuroCross Camp in just a couple of weeks, during which he’ll provide us some missives from the front lines. Can’t get enough Honey Badger? Make sure you’re subscribed to Cyclocross Magazine, since he’ll be profiled in Issue 20!
“The new Redlines this year are really sweet,” he tells us. “There hasn’t been a huge change in the frame, which is great really because last year’s Conquest Teams fit me really well, and were pretty much all you could ask for in the stiffness and low weight department, but the little details are really nice. For instance, the full cable housing is something that I was really excited about. It’s really intuitive to set up, and I haven’t had to touch my cables since I set up the bikes. I am really hoping that that will pay dividends when the racing starts to get really messy here towards the end of the season, or when I’m in Europe where it seems like the races are muddy more often. Also, with the use of the press-fit BB they have managed to shave even more weight off of the bike which is pretty impressive. Depending on my wheelset choice, my bike can sometimes come in at under 17 lbs, which is pretty impressive for a cyclocross bike.”
He continues, “As far as the components go, it’s been really exciting to try out the new Challenge Team Edition tires this season. They feature a more supple cotton sidewall compared to the regular Challenge models, and I have to say the ride quality is pretty astounding. I feel like I’m rolling around on some nice fluffy pillows sometimes, especially since they have the fancy white sidewalls. Beyond that, FSA takes care of all our cockpit, crank, and brake needs, and their stuff is impeccable.”
It sounds strange hearing Lindine refer to something as ‘bling,’ yet he says, “This season they also provided us with some bling SL-K wheelsets … deep dish carbon and incredibly light and stiff. When you pair those with the new Challenge tires, it’s hard to go wrong. Redline, as a team, also has an arsenal of wheels from over the years, including some Shimano models that I have some different tread patterns on too. It’s really nice to have so many options in tires and wheels that I feel like I can absolutely cover any condition I am presented with.”
As far as pedals go, Lindine has elected to go classic. “I made the switch to Shimano XTR pedals this year and couldn’t be happier. There is a reason they are the benchmark in the industry, and I’ve been really impressed with the positive engagement and release, as well as the overall stability of the platform.”
He finishes, saying, “All in all, I can honestly say that I think I have one of the best bikes in the race. It’s light, stiff, and has top-notch components everywhere you look on it. It’s nice to know that you absolutely have all the tools you need to do well, now all I have to do is pedal it!”
Redline tells us that, while it is similar to last year’s model, it does have a few new changes, including: “Changes to a press fit 30 bottom bracket, full cable housing run to the rear derailleur, and unification of the seat stay and dropout. We’ve made a great frame even better. These upgrades reduced the frame weight by 80 grams, make cable routing easier and help keep contaminants out of inner gear wire.”
Full Specifications:
Frame: 2013 Redline Carbon Conquest Team, 48cm
Fork: Redline unidirectional carbon fiber
Stem: FSA SLK, 90mm
Headset: FSA Orbit-White
Headset spacer: FSA polycarbonite Red, white and blue
Bar tape: XLC Cork white
Handlebar: FSA K force compact, 42cm
Front Brake: FSA SL-K cyclocross caliper
Rear Brake: FSA SL-K cyclocross caliper
Brake Pads: Kool Stop red carbon cross
Brake Levers: SRAM Force
Front Derailleur: SRAM Force
Rear Derailleur: SRAM Force
Shifters: SRAM Force
Cassette: Shimano Ultegra 12-25
Chain: KMX X10.93 silver
Crankset: SLK Compact cross, 170 mm
Chainrings: FSA Pro rings 46/36
Bottom Bracket: Road BB-PressFit 30
Pedals: Shimano XTR
Wheelset: SL-K Carbon Tubulars (Also a selection of other FSA and Shimano Wheelsets)
Front Tire: Challenge- Condition specific
Rear Tire: Challenge- Condition Specific
Saddle: Fizik Aliante
Seat post: SL-K w/ 20mm set back
Seat Clamp: Redline w/ built-in hanger
Total bicycle weight: 17 lbs with Shimano XTR pedals
