Pro Bike Profile: Molly Cameron’s Flanders Forte with New Challenge Tubeless Tires

Updated 5/14. One of the interesting aspects of the cycling industry is the number of former pros that make up the legions of distributors, representatives, importers and brand advocates one may find at any trade show. One such pro is American cyclocross mainstay Molly Cameron, who was at the 2018 Sea Otter Classic with Challenge USA.

Now a Masters 40-44 racer, Cameron has over 250 cyclocross racers under her belt. She routinely podiums in Oregon's Cyclocross Crusade Elite races and finished fourth in her age group at the Hartford Nationals in 2017. Cameron has also been a leader in the cyclocross community, working for the proper recognition of transgender athletes and developing professional and amateur racers in her native Portland.

Molly Cameron (right), seen here at the 2017 Hartford Nationals, has been a mainstay in U.S. cyclocross. 2017 Cyclocross National Championships, Singlespeed Men. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine

As a rep for Challenge, Cameron had her Flanders Forte cyclocross bike at Sea Otter for the tire company’s tubeless launch. Cameron's bike was fitted with Challenge's new tubeless-ready 700c x 42mm Gravel Grinder tires, which was interesting because Flanders claims clearance for only 40mm rubber.

Tubeless-ready Challenge tires were new at Sea Otter. So new, in fact, that fresh sealant can still be seen on the sidewall of Cameron's tire. Molly Cameron's Flanders cyclocross bike. 2018 Sea Otter Classic cyclocross and gravel new products. © Cyclocross Magazine

Cameron's bike caught our eye while we were at the Challenge tent, and we are taking a closer at it in this profile.

Molly Cameron had her Flanders Forte cyclocross bike outfitted with new Challenge tubeless tires and a 1x Shimano Di2 drivetrain. Molly Cameron's Flanders cyclocross bike. 2018 Sea Otter Classic cyclocross and gravel new products. © Cyclocross Magazine

Cameron’s frame was a Flanders Forte cyclocross bike. The Australian brand is not the most common in the U.S., but it does field a professional team in Australia. Like most carbon cyclocross bikes we see now, it has flat mount disc brakes and thru-axles front and rear as well as internal cable routing. At a claimed 980g for a 54cm frame, it is also fairly light.

Cameron's bike featured a 1x Shimano Di2 drivetrain set up using a mountain bike clutch derailleur. Cameron ran an XT RD-M8070 Di2 rear derailleur paired with an 11-34t CS-HG800 cassette. Up front, she used a Rotor NoQ 38t chain ring mounted to a Rotor 2 In Power crankset. She controlled her shifting with TRP Hylex brake levers with built-in Di2 switches.

Until Shimano launched the Ultegra RX rear derailleur, running 1x for cyclocross with a clutch required the use of a mountain bike rear derailleur. Cameron ran an XT model on her Sea Otter Flanders. Molly Cameron's Flanders cyclocross bike. 2018 Sea Otter Classic cyclocross and gravel new products. © Cyclocross Magazine

The brakes on the Flanders frame were TRP Hylex flat mount calipers paired with TRP alloy spider CenterLock rotors, 160mm front, 140mm rear. TRP hydraulic levers controlled her shifting and braking.

ENVE Composites has sponsored Cameron for a long time, and so her rolling stock consisted of the company's M50 29er carbon tubeless clinchers. The wheels showed off Challenge's new tubeless 700c x 42mm Gravel Grinder tire we looked at during the Sea Otter trade show.

Although Flanders claims a maximum tire size of 40mm, Cameron's 42mm Gravel Grinder TLR seemed to fit fine. Molly Cameron's Flanders cyclocross bike. 2018 Sea Otter Classic cyclocross and gravel new products. © Cyclocross Magazine

Predictably, ENVE provided much of the remaining parts, with the stem, handlebars and seatpost also coming from the Utah brand. Cameron used a Fabric saddle and HT clipless pedals.

HT is a brand best known in BMX and downhill circles. Its M1 pedals feature a rebuildable bearing system. Molly Cameron's Flanders cyclocross bike. 2018 Sea Otter Classic cyclocross and gravel new products. © Cyclocross Magazine

See the specs and photo gallery below for a closer look at Molly Cameron's Flanders Forte bike with the new tubeless Challenge Gravel Grinder tires. For more pro bike coverage from Sea Otter, see our profiles of Lance Haidet's Pivot Vault and Helen Wyman's Kindhuman Kensuke.

See what’s new this year with our coverage of the 2018 Sea Otter trade show.

Molly Cameron's Flanders Forte with Challenge Tubeless Tires Specifications

Frame: Flanders Forte, carbon, flat mount disc brake, tapered head tube, 12x142mm dropouts
Fork: carbon, flat mount disc brake, tapered steerer, 15x100mm dropout
Shifter: TRP Hylex hydraulic lever with integrated Di2 switches
Brake Caliper: TRP Hylex
Rotors: TRP alloy spider CenterLock, 160mm front, 140mm rear
Rear Derailleur: Shimano XT Di2 RD-M8070
Crankset: Rotor 2 In Power
Chainring: Rotor NoQ 38t
Cassette: Shimano CS-HG800 11-34
Stem: ENVE Composites Road Stem
Handlebar: ENVE Composites Road Handlebar
Seatpost: ENVE Composites, zero setback
Pedals: HT M1
Wheels: ENVE Composites M50, carbon, tubeless ready
TIres: Challenge Gravel Grinder, 700c x 42mm
More Info: flanderscycles.com.au

Photo Gallery: Molly Cameron's Flanders Forte with Challenge Tubeless Tires