Bike Check: Parker’s Naked X Team Bike
To mark the start of Naked Factory Racing’s second year as a team, Naked Bicycles mastermind Sam Whittingham decided the team bikes needed new colours. Parker’s bike was the first to get the makeover, and we were all stunned to see what Sam had come up with. Modeled to match the Naked Factory Racing skinsuits, designed by The Number’s creative team, a dizzying array of red and blue stripes wrap around a metallic black that twinkles like Parker’s eyes when he talked about reverse camber corners. There’s enough detail on this bike that you should check this bike out in person, but we’ve tried to show you what we can in the pictures below.
Of course, Parker’s bike is more than just a really, really nice paint job. Underneath the gloss is the same custom steel bike that helped bring SSCXWC to Victoria for 2015, and that carried Parker to multiple SS podium places last year, including at the Waves4Water UCI race in Washington. Unlike other, perhaps more practical team member’s bikes, Parker’s Naked X cross bike is a single purpose, single minded SS cyclocross racing machine. There’s no option for gearing, no derailleur hangar, no fender mounts, and a single water bottle mount on the downtube. Parker also stuck to tradition with his Naked X, rejecting disc brakes with a resolve that would make even the most stubborn Belgian pro’s proud. This year, Parker’s ratcheted up the singlespeed pride to perhaps unprecedented levels, mocking the shift to electronic shifting by mounting Dura-Ace Di2 levers for the sole purpose of operating his Avid Shorty Ultimate canti brakes. Aside from the Naked Frame and Whiskey Parts Co No7 carbon fork, Parker keeps an array of Endless Bikes Co. super-lightweight Singlespeed specific cogs on hand at all times, driving a constantly rotating set of rubber. A Thompson seat post holds in place a Fi:zi’k Tundra saddle that’s seen a few seasons of abuse; a classic drop Pro Vibe7 bar wrapped in Fi:zi’k tape keeps those Dura-Ace shifters in place, and a SRAM Red crank holds onto a set of XTR pedals from Shimano. Since it’s a Singlespeed, there’s really not much else. Take a look for yourself below:
Sam’s head badge, the Naked man
Broad Streed / Suckylife.com / Naked Bicycles / The Number. And chainstay details galore
Sam Whittingham. World’s Fastest Man, and pretty handy with a welding torch too
Amazing stripes on the headtube and fork, and the King headset’s not bad either
Endless Bike Co makes super light cogs. Parker’s dropouts show his commitment to Singlespeed
More chainstay details…
The only concession to practicality on an otherwise pure race machine: a single water bottle mount
One more Naked man, and stripes that go all the way down to the dropouts
Handbuilt, in Canada, on Quadra Island
Sparkle sparkle sparkle
Skinny steel frame, Fat carbon fork from Whisky, and incredible detailing from Sam
Canti brakes, and plenty of clearance on the Naked’s back end for Blubber Burn worthy tire widths
That minimal, ‘see through’ look on Shimano’s XTR pedals leaves plenty of room for mud to escape
No need for fancy narrow-wide bits when you’re running SS. Straight SRAM 34t chain ring
A weathered SRAM Red crank keeps things moving up front
Pro Vibe7 bars in a traditional deep drop, and a Garmin mount, in case Parker strays outside the tape
Shimano Dura-Ace ‘shifters,’ for the ultimate in SingleSpeed shifting, and some very nice black Fi:zi’k tape.
Fall’s familiar triangles. Canti’s for weight, tradition, and feel. The feeling of not being able to stop
Avid’s Shorty Ultimate’s provide the stopping power for the rare occasion Parker does want to slow down
All of which are stopping beauty gold Chris King hubs, and matching gold spoke nipples
A well worn Fi:zi’k Tundra and a lovely Thompson seatpost keep things classy and comfy
Not all of us would be comfortable running carbon rails for cross…
Words & Pictures: Terry McKall. Except header photo: Nicholas Kupiak (IG: @ridegradient)