After a dominating gold medal ride at the Tokyo Olympics, Jolanda Neff and Trek mountain bike design extraordinaire Katy Steudel took to the lab to create the perfect graphics and paint scheme for the newly crowned champion. Steudel and Neff took inspiration from Japanese tranquility, apple blossoms, mountains, and bamboo.
The canvas is Trek’s top-of-the-line cross country race machine, the Trek Supercalaber. A bike that has incurred much curiosity over the past years with its shrouded secret shock — eventually unveiled as a 60mm all-out race machine. (Check out our review here)
The frame paint is stunning gold with semi-matte cream-colored background, making the vibrancy of gold pop even more. The design is tasteful without being over the top. The metallic gold primarily reflects on the top tube, bottom bracket junctions, and chainstays, giving a light reflection.
The paint job was a group effort within Trek’s Project One custom paint crew, with Steudel, other product designers, and paint experts pitching in.
Every possible upgrade, whether for performance or aesthetics, was thought of while designing Neff’s Supercaliber rocket.
If you look closely, you notice gold trim Nokon cable housing, golden stem bolts on the Bontrager RSL one-piece bar stem, and gold/oil slick Bontrager pedals.
These aren’t the off-the-shelf ones though, we chatted with Alvaro — Trek Factory Racing mechanic for Eve Richards, Jolanda, and other Trek superstars.
He informed us these are Bontrager bodies with a Ti-spindle to lighten up the already respectable pedals.
This functional piece of art isn’t just for show. Neff took it through the paces once it was ready to battle at the World Championships at Vali di Sole.
Neff runs Bontrager’s Kovvee XXX wheels and for the preride (and short track) went with Bontrager XR3 tires.
Each of the Trek Factory Team pros has their own unique top cap; Neff’s is the Swiss flag.
Rounding out the gold look is a classic mix of SRAM Eagle AXS shifting components and a special edition SRAM Eagle gold chain.
Jolanda Neff’s Trek Supercaliber — Full specs
- Frame: Trek Supercaliber Custom Project One
- Fork: RockShox SID Ultimate
- Handlebar: Bontrager RSL MTB Bar/Stem
- Drivetrain: SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS
- Dropper post: RockShox Reverb AXS
- Wheels: Bontrager Kovee
- Tires: Bontrager XR1/XR3 Team Issue
- Custom Bontrager Ti-Spindle Pedals
Stay tuned for more World Cup Pro Bike Checks from Snowshoe.
