Steel cyclocross frames are far and few between in the UCI Elite cyclocross ranks. The Richard Sachs cyclocross team is a given at races throughout the east coast and beyond, but besides a few outliers—Rock Lobster, Squid and Stoemper come to mind—carbon fiber is king.
Jen Malik's custom steel Stanridge Cycles CX. © Katsu Tanda
Jen Malik and her Stanridge Cycles CX have cracked the top-20 at several domestic 'cross races this year, a testament to her racing prowess and the legitimacy of steel at the Elite level.
Malik is a Columbus, Ohio-based biomedical engineering PhD student by day, and Elite 'cross racer. We caught up with Malik to take a look at her custom, hand built steel Stanridge Cycles CX.
Also haling from Columbus, OH, Stanridge Cycles got its start in 2009. Stanridge worked with Malik to custom build her CX. The fillet-brazed frame features Columbus Life tubing. No bottle bosses to be found on this purpose-built race machine.
Columbus also provides the fork, with their Mud Disc fork, which is then painted to match by Stanridge's proprietor, Adam Eldridge.
A SRAM Force 1 group composes a majority of the drivetrain. SRAM Force 1 shift levers are paired with Force 1 hydraulic disc brakes. A Force 1 rear derailleur utilizes its Type-2 clutch to keep things in place, and Malik switches between an 11-28 or 11-32 SRAM 1170 cassette depending on course conditions.
A Rotor INpower crankset—Rotor's power meter offering—is paired with a 40-tooth narrow-wide Rotor oval QX1 ring. Thomson keeps things tight on remounts with a zero-setback Elite seatpost with a matching X2 stem. The Zipp Service Course handlebars are wrapped with Brooks leather tape.
Malik's build showcases a few companies that don't appear on your every day pro bike. While better known as an OEM company, Novatec R3 carbon wheels are outfitted on Malik's CX, and depending on course conditions, she has either Challenge Limus or Baby Limus tubular tires glued up.
While this Stanridge CX isn't your traditional pro bike, Malik isn't your traditional pro racer. In a gram-obsessed world, a well fitting bike—and most importantly—the rider aboard can be the difference between the podium and DFL. Keep an eye out for Malik and her Stanridge Cycles CX at a UCI race near you.
Use the arrows below to take a closer look at Malik's Stanridge Cycles CX, and for more info visit stanridgespeed.com.
Jen Malik's Stanridge Cycles CX Cyclocross Bike Photo Gallery
Smanie provides their GT 142 saddle. © Katsu Tanda
