PRO XC BIKE CHECK: EVIE RICHARDS’ TREK SUPERCALIBER

England’s Evie Richards moved up to the Elite Women’s cross-country mountain bike ranks in 2020. Racing cyclocross in the winter and mountain bikes in the summer, Evie had been a double threat in both types of cycling competition for years. She even won the U23 Women’s Cyclocross World Championship title in 2016 and 2018. When Evie moved up in the ranks, it didn’t take long for her to prove herself there, too. She won both of the XCC (Short Track) events in the shortened World Cup schedule that year.

In 2021, Evie won the Elite Women’s XCO title at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, then followed it up by winning the last two World Cup XCO races of the year.

Evie has already established herself as one of the best mountain bikers in the world, and since she’s only 25, we expect we’ll be seeing her for many years to come. Read on to learn more about Evie and the bike that she has been racing this season.

 

INSIDE THE PROS’ BIKES

EVIE RICHARDS’ TREK SUPERCALIBER

Frame: Trek Supercaliber, size medium, carbon

Fork: RockShox SID Ultimate, 110mm

Tires: Pirelli Scorpion XC RC 2.4 inches

Tire sealant (and inserts, if any): Bontrager TLR sealant, Tubolight tire inserts

Rims: Bontrager Kovee RSL

Spokes: DT Swiss CX-Ray, bladed spokes

Front hub: DT 240

Rear hub: DT 240 EXP ratchet

Brakes: SRAM Level Ultimate, 140mm rotors

Handlebar: RSL bar/stem combo, 720mm wide, carbon

Stem: RSL 80mm -13 bar/stem combo

Bottom bracket: SRAM PF BB92 Dub

Bottom bracket height: 32cm (12.6 inches)

Grips: ESI Racer’s Edge

Cranks and length: SRAM Eagle, 170mm

Chainring: SRAM Eagle, 32T

Pedals: Crankbrothers Eggbeater SL

Chain: SRAM Eagle, 12-speed

Derailleur: SRAM Eagle AXS, 12-speed

Shifter: SRAM Eagle AXS, 12-speed

Cassette: SRAM Eagle, 52-10

Saddle: Bontrager Verse Short, 155mm

Seatpost: RockShox AXS Reverb, 100mm

Headset: Cane Creek SlamSet

Head angle: 69 degrees

Shock: Fox Isostrut

Carbon or titanium bolts: Kogel titanium bolts

Extras: Garmin 130 Plus computer, MRP chain catcher, Nokon shift housing, Kogel ceramic bearings

Weight of complete bike: 21 pounds

Estimated value of bike: $15,000

RIDER PROFILE

Name: Evie Richards
Nickname: W
Age: 25
Birthdate: November 3, 1997
Birthplace: Worcester, UK
Height: 164cm (5’4″)
Shoe size: 5.5 UK
Helmet size: Medium
Marital status: Single
Current home: Malvern, UK

 

Car: Defender 90
Learned to ride a bike: Probably when I was around 4
Started racing: I think when I was 15
Turned pro: I think around 2018; I am terrible with dates!
Racing specialty: Mud
Favorite course, North America: Snowshoe
Favorite course, Europe: Nove Mesto
Favorite food: Honey sourdough toast
Goals: To become world champion
Heroes: Jonny Wilkinson
Favorite recording artist: Ziggy Alberts
Favorite movie: “Dirty Dancing”
Favorite hobbies: Sewing, cooking, knitting, any kind of crafting. I am normally into garden spray-painting furniture. I love being creative.
Jobs held (other than racer): Worked in a supermarket, worked on a fruit farm, coffee-shop barista, cleaner, waitress in a restaurant. I had loads of part-time jobs when I was at school to save for sports clubs.
Always takes on a trip: Teddy bear called “UFF UFF”
What you would do if you were not a racer: Work in a coffee shop

MBA Q&A

MBA: Where did you grow up?
Evie: Malvern, England.

MBA: What kind of work do your parents do?
Evie: Mum works in a cafe with my auntie, and my dad is a man who does it all!

MBA: Who taught you how to ride?
Evie: I can’t remember who taught me, but I remember teaching my younger sister when I was on holiday with my nana in Centre Parks, and when she did a good job, we were given lolly sweets. My sister loves sweets, so she picked it up.

MBA: What other sports have you done?
Evie: Everything! I wanted to go to the Olympics, so at school I did every sport possible—high jump, rugby, hockey—you name it, I tried it.

MBA: Can you tell us something interesting or unusual about yourself or your family?
Evie: I don’t think there is anything unusual apart from how close we are. Every day I’ll ride up on my bike to pop my head into Mum’s cafe. Normally, my grandparents, cousin or sister will be in, and then when I am out riding. Dad will track me down on Find My Friends, and go and find me in his van. We are a really close-knit family, and I am very lucky to have such a good friendship with them all.