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Pro Bike Check: Ben Sumner’s Di2 Specialized Crux Carbon U23 CX World Championship Bike

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Ben Sumner CX World Championship U23 Specialized Crux Carbon (1)

Imagine taking the overall win for the National Trophy series, winning bronze at the National Championships, and getting to toe the line with the world’s best next month in Hoogerheide, Holland. Now imagine all of that before you’re even 23 years old. That’s the case with the UK’s Ben Sumner as he finishes up a great season on the cross bike and prepares for one final race which just happens to be the biggest one of all. Ben sent over some photos of his dialed ride for the big race that is decked out with some killer parts from his sponsors including Beeline Bicycles, Reynolds Wheels, Upgrade Bikes, Challenge Tires, Specialized UK, and Shimano/Mike Brunson. The full bike is said to weigh just 7kg (15.43lbs).

Details on the build for its World’s debut after the break.

Ben Sumner CX World Championship U23 Specialized Crux Carbon (7) Ben Sumner CX World Championship U23 Specialized Crux Carbon (2)

Announced this week was the list of riders heading to Holland for the World Cyclo-Cross Championships and part of the Under 23 team is Ben Sumner. Winner of the National Trophy for Under 23′s and then Bronze medallist in the Under 23 title race, Ben has used the bike featured here all season and its final outing will be at World Champs in Hoogerheide, Holland on the 2nd Feb.

Ben Sumner CX World Championship U23 Specialized Crux Carbon (3)

Ben Sumner CX World Championship U23 Specialized Crux Carbon (4)

Shimano Di2 electronic gearing has worked faultlessly all year despite the constant pressure washing and mud. The bikes show some battle scars but have held up well to the battering that a Cyclocross season dishes out. Shimano Ultegra ‘cross ratio cranks are a super slick edition.

Ben Sumner CX World Championship U23 Specialized Crux Carbon (2)

Ben has been riding canti brakes this year and the fuss of adjustment and set-up has been taken away by the CX70 Shimano set-up. Great brakes. With disc brakes still limited by wheel choice canti brakes were the only choice for this season.

Ben Sumner CX World Championship U23 Specialized Crux Carbon (6)

Ben Sumner CX World Championship U23 Specialized Crux Carbon (1)

Using a £4000 pair of wheels off road?? Go on then… Proof that well built light wheels are also tough enough to rely on. Reynolds stand by the quality of their wheels and Ben has been a big fan for ages now!

Challenge tyres are winning some real fans on the ‘cross scene. It’s nice to see a company challenging ‘excuse the pun’ the reference Dugast tubulars and making Dugast riders question if they’re on the best setup!

Ben Sumner CX World Championship U23 Specialized Crux Carbon (8)

Thanks to Graham Alder  and Andy Whitehouse for the photography.

Thanks to Ben for sending that in, and good luck at Worlds!

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21 Comments
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Bababooey
Bababooey
10 years ago

Yeah for canti’s!

pmurf
pmurf
10 years ago

Sick bike. I’m digging that “nuovo murder” aesthetic – matte black with small splashes of color.

Ck
Ck
10 years ago

My favorite paint scheme from the big S right now.

patrik
patrik
10 years ago

I hear the Big S is suing TAFKAP for his use of purple in ‘Purple Rain’.

Ripnshread
Ripnshread
10 years ago

Now lets see his sponsors step up and get him a fresh rig for the WC.

Eyal
Eyal
10 years ago

Wait no discs, this bike is invalid, this rider is incapable of stopping, and is in need of modulation or something like that. In the corners he will just crash, his brakes will lock up in the wet descents, wait, there are no descents in CX… blah blah.

LP
LP
10 years ago

Nice bike. I prefer straight top tubes….

fIsho
fIsho
10 years ago

Tron wants it’s paint scheme back.

uglyyeti
uglyyeti
10 years ago

I’m sure someone will come up with a conversion contraption so he can run hydro levers with his cantis.

Seraph
Seraph
10 years ago

Puke city. What happened to coordinated color schemes? This isn’t the mid-90s.

wheelguy
wheelguy
10 years ago

I have the same frame. Happen to love the color scheme (obv since I bought it), but realize it’s not everybody’s cup of tea. Was just so tired of same old black, red, white…

jaas
jaas
10 years ago

you people could be given a bar of gold and you’d still hate it if it said specialized on it.

uglyyeti
uglyyeti
10 years ago

@jaas – If you have a bar of gold with Specialized printed on it, you’d better hide it before their lawyers find out.

jaas
jaas
10 years ago

@uglyyeti well played

BEERTECH
BEERTECH
10 years ago

I love the colorway. Nice rig.

wan
wan
10 years ago

aaand, nobody mentioned the colorway was designed by Garret Chow? :/

muf
muf
10 years ago

i like the colors too. unfortunately not enough money for it, but i like the frame, so i got the standard colors 😉

Aaron Alter
10 years ago

I set that frame up for one of our race team guys. We converted a set of Specialized Roval Carbon Control 29er wheels to 11 speed with a DT 11 speed freehub. Bike is equipped with SRAM red 11. Disc brake, Tubeless capability, and mtb tough. Should be everyones next upgrade.

Aaron
10 years ago

I built one of these up for one of our race team guys. We, (Jas and I) coverted a set of ROVAL CONTROL 29 CARBON wheels to 11 speed with a Specialized/DT 11 speed freehub body. Disc brake, tubeless capability, & MTB tough. Should be everyone’s next upgrade.

muf
muf
10 years ago

mine is tubeless as well and i don’t understand the “tubular or nothing” and “tubeless burp” issue. ive no burp even if im way under the pressure i’d run.

Wern
Wern
6 years ago

still no mention the colorway was designed by Garret Chow?

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