She may not be a world-class competitive racer, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t take her gear seriously. “I really studied it,” says Cathy Harris. “I could tell you the weight of my fork.” Harris, who hadn’t ridden much since she was a kid, rediscovered cycling in her 30’s just five years ago because her brother and friends were big riders. Now she loves to ride the Palouse and does all the local charity rides and was the top pledge getter for 8 Lakes Leg Aches in August. She often rides with mostly men. Ms. Harris, what’s your gear?
BIKE
Frame: Harris has three bikes. Her first was a Schwinn Supersport and her second was a Kestrel Talon. Her current ride is a Specialized Ruby Pro women’s specific frame size 48.
“It’s the second smallest size they make. Fully loaded it weighs 17 pounds. It’s not the lightest one out there, but it’s comfortable and stiff. It has really good power transfer because it’s stiff and steady. I’ve hit 47 on this bike. It has built-in dampeners-clear plastic hi-tech polymer blocks built right into the frame that dampens road vibration-making road riding less jarring.
Components: All Shimano Dura-Ace
“The whole build kit: brakes, shifters, derailleur, wheels, is Dura-Ace.”
Seat: San Marco carbon fiber seat
“Guys call it the ball buster. I had one guy borrow and say ‘Oh-my-God. This thing’s terrible!’ I probably have a dozen seats. I’ve had a tough time finding seats.”
Tires: Specialized Rubaix
“Smooth, steady, a very comfortable ride. Supposedly the closest thing you can get to a tube tire without being tubular.”
Pedals: Speedplay
“I crashed the other day, but I got a foot out so I didn’t go down. I rear-ended the guy in front of me. They are nice because you can still float your feet so your ankles aren’t fixed and you can get out of them nice and quickly. The only disadvantaged is that you don’t want to get any dirt in them because they can jam up pretty easily.”
Water Bottles: Two carbon fiber water bottle cages.
“I barely fit them into this frame.”
CLOTHING
Jersey and Shorts: Specialized and Pearl-Izumi
“I always wear my Wheelsport jersey!”
Shoes: Sidi and Specialized shoes with carbon fiber soles.
“I’m a carbon fiber freak.”
ACCESSORIES
Helmet: Louis Garneau T-Bone
Energy Foods: Hammer Gel, Perpetuam, Hammer HEED (drink)
“No refined sugars so you don’t get the highs and lows-just nice steady energy. I always run with the drink in my back-up water bottle. I order my stuff every three months auto-ship from Montana.”
Sunglasses: Uvec, Bolle, Smith Sliders
“The Sliders come with multiple lenses.”
