Liam takes the right fork for medal success (From Gazette & Herald)

Liam takes the right fork for medal success

A bike company has added a gold medallist to their numbers of satisfied customers.

Liam Killeen, who won at the Commonwealth Games for the British Mountain Bike Cycling team, used a key suspension fork designed by Pace Cycles, based at Great Edstone.

The RC39XC will also be used throughout his 2006 season, which includes competing in the World Championships, after being designed with marathon, 24-hour and endurance races in mind.

Adrian Carter, managing director of Pace Cycles, said: "The team approached ourselves and a number of other companies, and bought some of our products.

''Then they tested them in South Africa and picked which ones they thought were the best.

"The market is dominated by US makers, and people pay big bucks for certain items."

Any part of the bike at this level has to weigh as little as possible.

The RC39XC weighs in at just 1395g.

The lower part of the fork is made of carbon fibre, which is made out of layers of single strands of fibre moulded together to form a very strong but lightweight material.

The bodywork of many Formula One cars is made of the same material.

Adrian explained: "The suspension fork has a number of unique features that give us the edge over our competitors.

''One is a lever that is attached to the handlebars that can lock out the suspension to make it as rigid as it needs to be when people are flying down mountains.

"Another is that it is made of carbon fibre and a high-performance plastic.

"We were one of the first to develop the suspension fork. We have years and years of experience in design, and we deal with the high end of the marketplace.

"This particular product is one of a range.

''Every year we launch a new range of products, and updated models come out so things evolve.

"Riders have won championships and high-profile events on our product through the years, but a Commonwealth gold has eluded us until now.

''All our staff are really pleased."

For the World Championships this year, Pace will also be supplying Swiss rider Christoph Sauser, as both Liam and Christoph ride as professionals for the US-based Specialized Factory Team.

Updated: 13:59 Wednesday, April 05, 2006