Nationals Bike: Monica Lloyd’s Masters 40-44 Winning KTM Canic CXC

Monica Lloyd may be a new name for a lot of readers, but those who have been around are likely familiar with her twin sister Rachel. In the 2000’s, Rachel Lloyd raced at the top level of the sport in the U.S. and represented Team USA in four World Championships. She finished second at Nationals three times and podiumed a total of seven times, but never got a win on the Nationals stage.

Unfortunately, her career coincided first with 6-time Nationals winner Alison Dunlap and then 14-time champion Katie Compton. In a 2014 interview, Rachel Lloyd talked about her near-misses. "Well, I’ve never won Cyclocross Nationals, so that always does bother me. It was Alison Dunlap as the dominating force early on, and then Katie [Compton] showed up. And it’s been nine years since she’s been dominating; I need something to happen to her to give me a chance!"

Monica Lloyd didn’t start racing until 2013 but with her sister’s old bike and advice, she quickly graduated to the Elite level and lined up for her first National Championship in 2016. Lloyd skipped the 2017 event in Hartford, citing the weather. "I didn’t want to go to Hartford because it would be cold," Lloyd said about missing last year. "Although I don’t mind riding in the snow." Fortunately for Lloyd, the temperatures reached the mid-50s in Reno, making for very agreeable conditions.

Monica Lloyd was in control on the big climb. Masters Women 40-44. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships. © D. Mable / Cyclocross Magazine

Monica Lloyd won the Masters 40-44 title in Reno while her sister watched. Surprisingly, outside of a few local races in the Northwest when Monica first took to racing, the Lloyds have never raced together.

The more experienced Rachel, however, has acted as a mentor to her sister in recent years, and ever the supportive sister, Rachel was at the finish line at Rancho San Rafael Park giving her sister a hard time for a mistake on the off-camber. Monica, of course, got the last laugh since she is now the Lloyd sister who can now lay claim to a U.S. cyclocross national championship.

Monica Lloyd and her sister Rachel have both experienced cyclocross success. Masters 40-44. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine

Monica Lloyd's KTM Canic CXC

Lloyd has upgraded not only her racing category since her early days but her equipment as well, swapping Rachel’s old race gear for a modern KTM Canic CXC.

Monica Lloyd's Masters 40-44 Title-winning KTM Canic cyclocross bike. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine

Austrian company KTM is best known for its motorized two-wheeled vehicles but has a history of producing pedal-powered race bikes as well. The brand has moved into North America in the last few years, selling bikes through several online retailers and attempting to establish a dealer network.

The Canic CXC is inspired by 1970s Austrian ’cross racer Walter Obersberger, who was an Austrian national champion and KTM-sponsored rider, but the carbon frame of Lloyd's model highlights changes in cyclocross technology since Obersberger's racing days. We reviewed the Canic CXC in 2015, and it has since been updated with a move to a now ubiquitous 12x142mm rear thru-axle instead of the 12x135mm found on the 2015 model.

KTM modernized the rear thru-axle on the Canic CXC with a 12x142mm thru-axle replacing what was once a 12x135mm. Monica Lloyd's Masters 40-44 Title-winning KTM Canic cyclocross bike. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine

Lloyd’s bike sports the orange and blue paint scheme of the current Canic model and most of the SRAM Force 1 KTM includes on the stock Canic, but she has customized it to suit her preferences. Lloyd rode KTM's top-level Canic CXC carbon frameset, which features internal cable routing, a BB86 bottom bracket, flat mount disc brakes and 12x142mm rear and 15x100mm front thru-axles.

Lloyd's drivetrain featured a 1x system with a SRAM Force 1 rear derailleur. She ran a direct-mount Easton 40t chain ring up front and an 11-32t 11-speed SRAM XG-1190 cassette in the rear with a SRAM PC Red 22 chain. In a departure from the Force 1 build, she used an Easton EC90SL crankset to go with the Easton chain ring.

Easton offers several chain ring options for the EC90SL crank, including several 1x options for cyclocross. Lloyd used a 40-tooth ring in Reno. Monica Lloyd's Masters 40-44 Title-winning KTM Canic cyclocross bike. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine

Lloyd stopped her bike with SRAM components. SRAM Force 1 DoubleTap levers controlled Force HRD hydraulic disc calipers, and the calipers bit onto 140mm SRAM Centerline rotors.

Lloyd stayed local to her native Washington with her wheels. She ran custom-built carbon tubulars from Indigenous Wheel Co. of Tacoma, Washington. Lloyd raced on Friday when the course had started to dry out and ran Challenge Chicanes to tackle the conditions.

Lloyd changed her contact points from the stock build as well and used a zero-offset Zipp SL Speed seatpost, Zipp Service Course SL stem and handlebar and a Specialized Body Geometry Oura saddle. She chose Shimano XT PD-M8000 SPD pedals to round out her contact points.

See the specifications and photo gallery below for a more in-depth look at Lloyd’s Championship KTM. For more Reno bikes, see our growing collection of Nationals bike profiles.

Monica Lloyd's Nationals-Winning KTM Canic CXC Specifications

Frame: KTM Canic CXC carbon, 12x142mm thru-axle
Fork: KTM F8 CXD Disc, tapered steer tube, 15mm thru-axle
Shifter/Brake Levers: SRAM Force 1 Hydraulic
Brake Calipers: SRAM Force HRD, HydroHC, flat mount
Rotors: SRAM Centerline, 140mm
Rear Derailleur: SRAM Force 1
Crankset: Easton EC90SL
Chain ring: Easton 40t Direct Mount
Cassette: SRAM XG1190
Chain: SRAM Red 22
Stem: Zipp Service Course SL
Handlebar: Zipp Service Course SL
Seatpost: Zipp SL Speed, carbon, 0mm offset
Saddle: Specialized Body Geometry Oura
Wheels: Indigenous Wheel Co. carbon tubulars
Hubs: DT Swiss 350 Center Lock, disc
Tires: Challenge Chicane 700x33mm, tubular
More Info: ktmbikeindustries.com

Photo Gallery: Monica Lloyd's Nationals-Winning KTM Canic CXC