Phinney's SRAM Red DoubleTap levers are positioned high on his Bontrager VR-bend handlebar - just like another famous American cyclist.(Image credit: James Huang)
The down tube flares out nearly to the bottom bracket shell's full 90mm width.(Image credit: James Huang)
The asymmetrical chain stays (wider on the non-driveside, taller on the driveside) are pushed out to the edges of the 90mm-wide bottom bracket shell.(Image credit: James Huang)
The SRAM Red PowerDome cassette starts out life as a solid hunk of chromoly steel before being milled down and capped with an aluminum backing plate.(Image credit: James Huang)
A Specialized Turbo Comp computer keeps track of speed and distance.(Image credit: James Huang)
Phinney's bike is equipped with a SRAM S900 crankset as it comes in a 177.5mm length to accommodate his rangy frame.(Image credit: James Huang)
Trek continue to use aluminum dropouts citing their better long-term durability.(Image credit: James Huang)
Both front and rear wheels rotate about hubs built by DT Swiss.(Image credit: James Huang)
Taylor Phinney Trek-Livestrong) has already proven himself a force on the track but now demonstrates his prowess on the road with a fantastic win in the U23 version of Paris-Roubaix.(Image credit: James Huang)
Phinney's bike was built up with a pair of aero Bontrager Aeolus wheels when we caught up with him in April but he donned more conventional box-section tubulars for Paris-Roubaix.(Image credit: James Huang)
The 'E2' head tube starts out with a conventional 1 1/8" diameter up top then flares to a beefy 1 1/2" at the fork crown.(Image credit: James Huang)
Naturally, Phinney's Livestrong team is sponsored by Lance Armstrong's bike shop in Austin, Texas.(Image credit: James Huang)
Speedplay Zero Titanium pedals are dressed in - what else - yellow bodies.(Image credit: James Huang)
A SRAM Red brake caliper is fitted with carbon-specific pads.(Image credit: James Huang)
Phinney's Madone is basically a full SRAM-equipped machine including this Red rear derailleur.(Image credit: James Huang)
Even the rims get the yellow-and-black treatment.(Image credit: James Huang)
Trek moved the rear brake cable exit point from the side to the top of the top tube for reduced interference with riders' legs.(Image credit: James Huang)
Phinney's fi'zi:k Arione saddle sports a grippy stripe down its center.(Image credit: James Huang)
The extended seat tube 'stub' is topped with an extra-tall seatmast cap.(Image credit: James Huang)
Phinney's long legs demand a lot of setback.(Image credit: James Huang)
Phinney's outer chainring is more conservatively machined than usual for additional rigidity.(Image credit: James Huang)
The wishbone-style seat stays bow gracefully into the top tube.(Image credit: James Huang)
A white Bontrager Race XXX Lite carbon road stem clamps on to an aluminum Bontrager handlebar.(Image credit: James Huang)
Vittoria open tubulars are pictured here but Phinney used proper tubulars and box-section rims for his victorious ride in Paris-Roubaix Espoirs.(Image credit: James Huang)
Taylor Phinney (Trek-Livestrong) has already proven himself to be a major force on the track but with his recent victory in the U23 version of Paris-Roubaix – at just 18 years of age – signs are pointing increasingly stronger to him becoming the next great all-American cycling superstar.
About the only things missing from the formula are some apple pie, a faint 'Star-Spangled Banner' playing in the background and some fireworks over the Potomac.
Phinney's 1.93m (6' 4")-tall build and 818mm saddle height fit on a standard 62cm Madone 6.9 frame easily enough but his "super long" femurs required Trek senior R&D engineer Mark Andrews to craft a custom seatmast cap with 35mm of offset. Even so, Phinney's saddle is slammed all the way back on the rails for a position diehard traditionalists could only dream of handling.
Aside from that, Phinney's Madone was pretty straightforward when we caught up with it back in early April at the USA Cycling development facility in Izegem, Belgium. SRAM provides a complete Red group – with the lone exception of an S900 crank for its 177.5mm-long arms – and much of the rest was emblazoned with the Bontrager logo, including the Aeolus 5.0 carbon clincher wheels, Race Lite VR aluminum handlebar, and Race XXX Lite carbon stem. Stem length is a rather normal 120mm and Phinney apparently has rather narrow shoulders given the 42cm (c-c) bar width.
Rounding things out are Speedplay Zero Titanium pedals, a fi'zi:k Arione saddle, Vittoria Open Corsa EVO-CX clinchers, a mismatched pair of cages from Bontrager and Specialized, and a Specialized Turbo Comp computer.
Racing on Belgian cobbles places unique demands on equipment, though, and not surprisingly the bike underwent a minor makeover prior to Paris-Roubaix similar to what was done to Astana team rigs in April. Replacing the standard Bontrager Race XXX Lite E2 fork was one borrowed from Trek's Pilot range with more clearance around the crown and Astana loaned Phinney a pair of team-only 'Bontrager Classics' aluminum tubular wheels with fat 25mm rubber – all subtle modifications for sure but ones that have proven to be undeniably effective.
So let's see here: three UCI world championships, four US national titles, one Paris-Roubaix – and a lifetime to go. Things are looking good indeed.
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