Justin is a next-gen talent who is already very particular about bike setup. Something that we typically only see in more experienced riders. We tracked him down at Marathon Nationals to take a closer look at his new race rig.
A young talent, lining up for his first Cape Epic, in a newly formed semi-pro squad, for many, this would be a high-pressure situation. Not so for Justin Chesterton. Perhaps it’s his stoic-like demeanor and humble personality that keeps him grounded and willing to ‘learn the ropes’ in his rookie year at the wildest marathon stage race the planet has. Or, perhaps it’s simply in his blood, a gift from Mom and Dad, two highly experienced racers themselves. Justin is unquestionably an exciting second-generation talent, focused on fun, learning and the future. I can’t wait to follow his bike career.
Justin will ride with Kai von During as Team Trek SA for 2023.
Justin is 1,78m tall and rides a size large Trek Supercaliber. Race day cockpit is a busy one! Everything hangs off the 760mm wide bars and 80mm long stem, by Bontrager. It’s a one-piece carbon unit. Drivetrain is the SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS electronic with a 50-10t SRAM Eagle cassette and 36T cSixx chainring with a Quarq power meter. SRAM XX1 cranks with Shimano XTR pedals.That’s a 120mm DT Swiss F 232 fork with 20% sag (70 psi), with remote lockout. | *Click to enlarge Besides better big-hit damping, a 120mm fork improves handling by slackening the head angle a tad and allows for a slightly more supple setup, to reduce rider fatigue. Justin prefers a slower rebound setting but will tweak it per race track.At 66kg Justin runs 120psi in the rear shock which gives him a 25% sag. He sets both the front and rear suspension on ‘ride feel’ as opposed to aiming for a specific sag number.160mm Swissstop rotors front and rear with SRAM Level Ultimate brake levers.gebioMized saddle, 60mm DT Swiss dropper post and a Bontrager saddle bag with plugs, CO2, cable ties, links and tape ready to deal with what may come. Bontrager XR1 2.2 tyres for Marathon Champs set to 17psi front and rear. Justin says he usually runs the XR2 at 16psi for rougher tracks. Other than tyres, he doesn’t change much when shifting between XCO and XCM events, in the Western Cape.Locked and loaded with two water bottles to start the big day out.
