World champ's Giant Glory, rail-equipped Yeti 4X, FOX-sprung custom trike
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We caught up with Danny Hart's (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) Giant Glory while it was taking a break inside the SRAM pit area.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Double wishbone suspension for the front end of Tara Llanes' incredible trike.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Tara Llanes was on hand at Sea Otter again this year, not only providing inspiration but also showing off this incredible custom trike that was built after a successful fundraising campaign last year. Llanes may not be on a 4X cross anymore but she's still rad.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Tara Llanes's custom trike was built in Vancouver, Canada by Smith Industries Ltd.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The single-pivot rear end on Tara Llanes's custom trike is suspended by a FOX Float rear shock. The BionX pedal-assist motor magnifies her pedaling power.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Custom-molded carbon fiber seat and leg cradles for Tara Llanes's custom trike.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
A splitter allows Tara Llanes to actuate both front brakes simultaneously with a single lever, though without some sort of booster the lever has to be set a little further away from the bar than the rear one to provide a similar bite point.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
There's a lot of work that went into constructing the custom double-wishbone front suspension on Tara Llanes's trike.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Factory rider Jared Graves competed at Sea Otter on this now-defunct Yeti 4X machine.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Jared Graves (Yeti) had all of the little 'Yeti' molded-in logos clipped off of his lock-on grips.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The burly machined aluminum head tube houses a tapered steerer on Jared Graves' Yeti 4X.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The short rail is used to precisely control the shock rate on Jared Graves' Yeti 4X.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Just 3.75" is on hand for the rear end of Jared Graves' Yeti 4X machine.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Tara Llanes's trike is equipped with a Schlumpf two-speed crankset that can be actuated without having to take her hands off the grips. The tilting chest pad is connected to the steerer tube so she can change direction and pedal at the same time.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Despite the dry conditions, Danny Hart (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) used Schwalbe Muddy Mary tires at Sea Otter.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Considering the sort of abuse this bike sees, Danny Hart's (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) Giant Glory chain stay is relatively unscathed. The short derailleur cage and neatly trimmed chain certainly help but at least some credit likely goes to the new clutch-equipped SRAM Type 2 rear derailleur, too.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Garmin likely didn't have direct-mount stems in mind when the quarter-turn Edge computer mounts were designed but Danny Hart's (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) mechanic has managed to figure out a solution with the stock o-rings, zip-ties, and a foam pad.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Danny Hart (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) has recently started training with this new DH-specific Quarq power meter.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
As a member of SRAM's Blackbox program, Danny Hart (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) has access to all sorts of exclusive goodies, including this DLC-treated RockShox Boxxer.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
DT Swiss hubs for Danny Hart (Giant Factory Off-Road Team).(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Danny Hart (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) prefers ODI's standard Ruffian grips (they're thinner than lock-ons), which are wired on for security.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
SRAM's new Type 2 rear derailleurs should not only provide better chain control for downhillers like Danny Hart (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) but it should also quiet things down considerably.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Stock routing on the Giant Glory runs the full-length housing on the underside of the down tube but Danny Hart (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) prefers to put them out of harm's way on top of the down tube.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Danny Hart (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) is likely finding out pretty quickly that being the current world champion carries with it a few perks like this custom embroidered fi'zi:k Tundra 2 saddle.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Danny Hart's (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) Giant Glory is fitted with RockShox's new Vivid Coil Blackbox shock.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Just in case Danny Hart (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) forgets what happened last year.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Thru-shaft hardware on Danny Hart's (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) upper shock eyelet keeps things running smoothly but also resists wear better than traditional two-piece reducers, too.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
A Maxxis Minion front tire for Jared Graves (Yeti).(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The Sea Otter Classic isn't just about showing off new gear for the coming season – there's plenty of racing going on, too, and lots of race bikes to go along with it. Among the top-level talent on hand were gravity racers Danny Hart and Jared Graves along with inspirational superstar Tara Llanes.
Hart's (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) Giant Glory was decked out in a manner befitting his current status as UCI downhill world champion and a member of SRAM's exclusive Blackbox athlete testing program, including a new RockShox Vivid Coil rear shock and DLC-treated Boxxer fork, a SRAM/Quarq power measuring crank, SRAM's new X0 Type 2 clutch-equipped rear derailleur, Avid's latest X0 Trail four-piston disc brakes, and even a Truvativ BooBar Blackbox handlebar with a custom 25mm rise and nine-degree backsweep.
Graves tackled the dual slalom course on a prototype Yeti four-cross rig, specially built for the discipline with a short 3.75in-travel rear end, low-slung geometry and burly aluminum construction. Unlike the old Yeti 4X production bike, Graves' team-issue machine uses a linear-rail based suspension setup similar to that found on the company's original 303 DH downhill bike.
The multiple world champion went with a stiffly sprung FOX 32 831 fork up front and matching Float rear shock – both with a slippery Kashima coating – a mix of Shimano XTR and Saint components, DT Swiss wheels, grippy Maxxis tires and custom clipped ODI lock-on grips.
Perhaps the most interesting pro machine at Sea Otter wasn't even a bike at all but rather a wicked custom trike piloted by Tara Llanes. Llanes was severely injured during a dual slalom event in September 2007 that left her paralyzed from the waist down but even that hasn't tarnished her passion for shredding trails.
Llanes's custom trike sports a hand crank system commonly used on this type of machine but it's augmented by a Schlumpf two-speed transmission and a powerful BionX pedal-assist electric motor housed inside the rear hub. Suspension is provided by a simple single-pivot rear end matched to a double-wishbone front, all controlled by FOX Float shocks.
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Llanes is still resolute in her drive to regain mobility and we at Cyclingnews continue to wish her the best. In the meantime, don't feel bad if she passes you on this awesome creation.
