Drop bars at Leadville? 3x Champ Keegan Swenson has 37cm bars on his Highball hardtail

[@BikesBentonville]

My neck hurts looking at the Garmin angle 🤣

[@that_which_is_not]

Haha! I was thinking surely there’s a headset top cap option!? 😅

[@_ben_sweet]

When you’re riding in the aero position it’s so much easier to see the head unit when it’s pointed down.

[@MichaelRideout]

Glad to see Keegan subscribed to the @DylanJohnsonCycling KZbin channel.

[@RyonBeachner]

Dylan Johnson is officially the off road unpaid Dan Bingham.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

But more annoying because he's vegan🙃

[@stevekelly6544]

Dylan*

[@ethanrowland3650]

@@veganpottertheveganyea he’s not annoying about it tho he barely brings it up

[@veganpotterthevegan]

@ethanrowland3650 we're annoying about nearly everything though

[@CycleXplorer]

And sharing his experiments for the wider community 👌

[@MooreMatt]

Some nice frame rub from that chain ring. 👌

[@nelsonsilva6842]

And that is why he did not went with a bigger chainring.

[@ParzivalHB]

Dylan Johnson finished the job that John Tomac started (no shade a Tomac- he was the pioneer but he didn't have the internet). I love to see drop bar mountain bikes!

[@bcmtnbka]

I would credit Jacquie Phalen and Charlie Cunningham as the real pioneers

[@Hokum48]

Great video, I like how transparent Keegan is about his training and equipment!

[@lazlo2511]

According to YT stats.. Dylan’s watched this video four times and is pacing up and down…. 😂

[@adrian.gaviola]

who are the best 5 cycling influencers of all time? think about it. ✋dylan, dylan, dylan, dylan, and dylan.

[@pipeliner360]

Because i spit hot fire!

[@ISpitHotFire]

Amazing

[@cowboychris88]

Top tier

[@skyerunner]

You forgot backwards hat dylan

[@rclintgray]

Thanks for all the great content Ben.

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Thank you. 🤜🤛

[@iyadkamhiyeh527]

Love the video and the tech, BS free and straight to the point!

[@xaviermelendez2639]

What a great interview, kudos Ben! A 42T chainring, Keegan is a MONSTER!!!! 🤯

[@jasonkroll2735]

U see the mark in the chainstay from it?

[@xaviermelendez2639]

@@jasonkroll2735 Yup. Crazy--Right? Still seems to work for Keegan.

[@jasonkroll2735]

@@xaviermelendez2639 lol. Yeah.. imagine a 44t would cut the chainstay off for sure.

[@DanceonthePedals]

Thank you for the interview, I kept trying to freeze frame other videos to see Keegan’s set up. I watched this a few times and makes so much sense if spending long days and used to a gravel set up. Love it! (But me thinks he’d probably win on his last years set up, too) ❤🎉🎉

[@supakidgalaxy]

Yeah, yah, yeah Can’t wait to see the race

[@aashiqkumandan130]

Cutting it super close with that chainring. Looks like it’s almost touching the frame there 😮

[@neil9525]

Looks more like it’s cutting the chainstay off!

[@Michael-fi6ve]

Yeah that frame won’t be happy after the race

[@billscott6819]

I saw Laurens Ten Dam has a similar setup, looks cool. I love riding singletrack on my cross bike and climbing with hoods

[@MartinezHQ]

I love people that experiment 🙌

[@jpvdw1961]

That subtle Tannus sticker..... that's a game changing product. I run em and have eliminated all punctures. Truly remarkable

[@manurotv]

coolest thing is the 6 dollars Wake chinese stem

[@albert85b]

Slammed straight onto the headset bearing 🤣

[@warwicksworkshop9511]

Excellent pickup

[@mfa81]

Ben always bringing great content! Awesome interview/bike check!

[@dmallo]

Leaking a new Silca "Speed Chip" product!! 🧐

[@IIISentorIII]

Love it 😁 Cheers from Switzerland

[@thehappytwo5442]

Love the shock.

[@bradclifford295]

I knew Keegan was going to reveal a drop bar bike cause Dylan wanted to spill the beans soooo bad on the podcast on Thursday but kept the secret for one more day so Keegan could reveal it. He is going to be bragging so hard this week on the bonk bros podcast.

[@tomfitz3324]

That stem is crazy!😱

[@lordraymondynostroza6798]

We want an interview with the mechanic !!

[@chrisvanbuggenum871]

Oh no, when the cream of the crop start listening to Dylan Johnson.

[@jonpoon3896]

This actually makes sense. Even though he won and broke the record last year, it did look like he was still giving up speed with his position

[@ynie1]

He may have wanted to do this last year but sponsors may not have agreed.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

​@@ynie1 I can't imagine them caring. He used a Zipp stem and could have used Zipp bars too. He did have SQ Labs bar ends but I can't imagine them paying him

[@jmscheel]

Another good one Ben!

[@Shawn-in-da-Canyon]

I wish you would do more videos on this subject. I think it’s the way to go. I’d like to take a Trek Supercaliber and turn it into a gravel bike with drop bars. But, I need a lot of advice.

[@Xhadp]

That water bottle is one hell of a fueling strategy for a 100 mile race.

[@Xhadp]

Yes I know it's a joke and he's probably going to do the patented water bladder strategy that everyone else does likely with a swap at an aid station. Maybe even putting on the front to be "aero" given al the Dylan Johnson comments.

[@alainpfammatter8224]

Cool gravelbike. Love it 👌

[@mfa81]

Best thing in this video are the SRAM slides!

[@MrSpecialized75]

Dillman from bonk bros is going to be mad.😅

[@hambonelouis]

His mechanic has that Pelican DIALED as a toolbox. Pretty slick.

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Myron is a Jedi.

[@alexgonzalezMI]

That would make an awesome Iceman bike too.

[@PaulJakma]

Chain ring is rubbing the frame!

[@bengt_axle]

"Wut? You want the stem upside down? OK."

[@scottwatson7844]

Tempted to do this with my xc bike as it looks epic.

[@gravelDave]

Really?

[@coreymclernon]

3 miles of smooth single track on the way out and 3 on the way back. 100 miles of dirt and paved roads.

[@MorganBrown]

45 degrees on that stem?! 😮 nuts

[@robertstrobel7338]

Trying to beat Alexey by 45 minutes this time, nice!!!

[@jwb143]

Very interesting bike check

[@tjb8841]

The crazy thing is, even with that stem, his bars not not that much lower than his saddle. And this is a short travel fork. I have a 160mm fork, and to get to that height, I need all the spacers (about 50mm) and a 60mm stem, 30 degrees up!

[@ghawk16-ish]

Drink every time Ben stops mid-sentence. Be hammered after two sentences. 😂

[@emetzger]

i had this idea 15 years ago. glad to see it in practice

[@xaviermelendez2639]

Hahaha... yeah. John Tomac had the idea back in 1990! kzbin.info/www/bejne/baumeH-PrbOYnNE

[@Shawn-in-da-Canyon]

Yeah, but 15 years ago, it was a bad idea. Now, it’s not.

[@yukiko_5051]

Will that chainstay be alright? It's as if that chainring is cutting the chainstay

[@GG-si7fw]

Wouldn't going back to the narrow MTB flat bars with bar ends be similar? Everyone talks about trying setups but I think the 90's cockpit setup is trying Dylan and Keegan are mimicking. Good luck in Leadville. Great setup BTW

[@tjb8841]

Except you don’t have brakes or shifters, nor the additional position in the drops, so why would you?

[@GG-si7fw]

@tjb8841 Bar ends baby! Yeah!

[@antonskrobanek5291]

08:34 Peak conversation.❤

[@chriswiles87]

I'm not sure if I'd still consider the Leadville 100 a mountain bike race-it's practically a gravel race now.

[@CycleXplorer]

My back can feel the look of that stem 😂

[@WattWireNet]

Not having a saddle dropper seems insane to me, that would take some getting used to. Especially for cornering.

[@JDAvant06]

Is that a new Garmin ? It looks smaller than the 540 but bigger than the 130 🤔

[@TheFreakyGames]

Yeah, what's up with that?

[@johndunbar2393]

He said on IG it's the Garmin Edge 130.

[@BJKeane-mc6bm]

Anyone want to talk about the flaming rotors?

[@timwhite2365]

Yes!!! As someone that’s constantly struggling with squealing brakes and rubbing rotors, am I missing some black magic trick here???

[@seanmccuen6970]

same computer setup I'm running on my ('all road') bike. minimum weight/size head unit, minimum weight mounting hardware. I like light bikes. guess that's a leadville weapon (a tool), but it ain't easy on the eyes.

[@Orbiter144]

Why no dustcap on the upper headset bearing? Is the bearing seal enough, and the additional millimeter or two from a dustcap upsetting the stack height?

[@wesleycwagner]

How many yeahs can you count?

[@whitneytreeservicevt]

I can’t count that high!😂

[@wesleycwagner]

I got 72.

[@stevenagy7152]

Duly noted that the SRAM hoods and levers look a lot more like Shimano hoods and levers.

[@biggertree7063]

I just saw Dylan's bike vid for leadville. Do these mtb frames naturally accommodate those big chain rings? Or do you have to put ungodly amount of spacers? My mtb's max front chainring is 34t and I want to build something similar to Keegan and Dylan's bike.

[@RobertKusicki]

That’s the one quick-looking bike 😎 Thanks for bringing it to us Ben 🫡

[@CreamyBone]

He had a good ride. 15 minutes ahead of 2nd place.

[@andresfonsecatoussaint4800]

Guy 1: yeah Guy 2: yeah Guy 1: yeah Guy 2: yeah

[@Millicente]

I want to do this to my bike so badly I just need to figure out how without paying extreme bike shop prices

[@DCCSound]

I wish multiple shifts with a single press were available with the Transmission system.

[@docdeneve]

If anyone is looking for a max hardtail chainring combo: I currently run a Lynskey pro 29 frame with a White industries A30 crank and 44t MR-30 Tsr-1x chainring (boost spacing/0mm offset), with good room to spare. Honestly, it looks like a 46 will go fine without any rub. They have chainrings up to 48 if anyone wants to get wild.

[@drbenjaminalter]

42 up front 🤯

[@lloydjarm]

Awesome, thanks for the bonus.

[@onlyfoolriding8223]

Bro broke my back just looking at the stem.

[@sepg5084]

How did they fit a 42t in an MTB without shifting problems? I have a non-boost MTB, and the max chainring that i am able to put on it is 38t. 40t will hit my chainstay.

[@ericb.9426]

Is the Stem installed upside down??

[@durianriders]

Flat bars are more aero and less weight. You can ride center of the bar if you want lower CDA but then have the width for max control when you need it. Also the front end is lighter so your bike is faster but more importantly feels faster for the mental edge. Flat bars are quicker on any xc course. Keegan's sugar consumption deserves a video on its own. Bro is the sugar king!

[@TarmacSkin]

I like Keegan but let’s face it… Sram is pushing the new Red sales…

[@Clint_the_Audio-Photo_Guy]

Looks like nothing has gone untouched. Hardtail, no dropper, I'm sure that thing is light. I like the chain line comment, I don't like using my 10/11t either. Easier to spin a bigger chainring.

[@sidneyking5457]

Is that still called a mountain bike with the drop bars?

[@zap...]

You're going to definitely want wider bars.

[@tjb8841]

Indeed, that’s what Dylan found. But Keegan says he has tested this set up on the course, so he seems to like it. Not saying you or I would like it.

[@krishnansrinivasan830]

Nice & Thanks :)

[@sepg5084]

I wonder what Backwards-Hat Dylan would say

[@matthewcontreras7611]

Lighting rotors on fire?

[@1fan164]

How close is the chainring to the frame?

[@DanceonthePedals]

It’s scraping the frame paint, close..@7:17

[@philhunt1442]

Anyone got a link to that stem??

[@ThePedanek]

Thats LQBT or something like that?🙃

[@MiserereMei]

Dylan Johnson has entered the chat. Or will do soon. I hope Keegan sends him a little thank-you cheque.

[@bonmen23]

Everyone keeps saying Dillon Johnson, but Lael Wilcox did it before Dillon

[@johndunbar2393]

If you want to get technical about it, John Tomac did it long before Lael was even into biking, by about 20 ish years

[@jonpoon3896]

Not just Lael. The entire bikepacking community has been running drop bar 29er since forever

[@ilanpi]

@@johndunbar2393 Actually, Jacquie Phelan

[@mellissanash7517]

@@ilanpi exactly WOMBAT for life.

[@frankreyes4]

Oh well

[@sanj-m]

That stem is ridiculous looking 😂

[@andreasdesch6142]

Hey Guy's let's have some history lesson here...anyone remembering John Tomac?

[@MasteringGrappling]

What was happening with the rotors at the end of the video?

[@davidvonslingshot]

heat cycle. instead of doing over unders to bed them in.

[@RyonBeachner]

@@davidvonslingshot Gonna need a bit more explanation on that one. What does that heat cycle hope to accomplish? The only reason I’ve seen this done is to remove oil residue from the surface of the rotors when they become contaminated. Unless SRAM is sending rotors that need to be heated and cooled to relieve stress between the disc and carrier?

[@larryt.atcycleitalia5786]

@@RyonBeachner SRAM - only solution to the problem is flammable liquids and a match. Fixes anything that's wrong, then you just replace it with GRX or EKAR!

[@laxplaysu91]

what is he going for sub 5 hours?

[@LFMC1]

Not new. John Tomac did it in the early 90's!

[@chadsmith71]

why are the rotors on fire? LoL

[@9psi]

Spinachi bars would be even faster

[@sam-t4w]

Классный гревел

[@Treatz_773]

Ben “mhm” Delaney

[@jasonkroll2735]

2024 blue crush lowers on the 2023 crown with no machined stantion bosses? Wtf

[@uncleyemen]

Dylan's gonna regret putting all his secrets out there for free 😒

[@galenkehler]

Suggestion: if you go 27.5 fork and wheel/tire in the front, you'd be able to achieve the position more easily, have a lower more stable CG, and be more aero

[@cyclingfreak56]

Keegan looks like he dropped weight huh?

[@mediumrick7667]

Tomac 2.0

[@rafaeldegiacomoaraujo8778]

Yeah Yeah Yeah yeah Is the American equivalent of "full gAs"

[@oldanslo]

Looks like a Dylan Johnson Special.

[@jonpoon3896]

And yet Dylan is still one step further with the full sus

[@Upthegicker]

He used Sid brain forks not flight attendant seen here.

[@tommyrq180]

7 watts/kg helps a little, too… 😂