Vida Lopez de San Roman had an impressive run in the Junior 13-14 race at Louisville Nationals.
Hailing from California, land of few USAC ranking points, Lopez de San Roman started in the back row and rode—and ran—all the way to a second-place finish.
Vida Lopez de San Roman started in the back row but repeated her silver medal from Reno. Junior Women 13-14. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships, Louisville, KY. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine
San Roman’s success at cycling is something that runs in the family. San Roman’s aunt is Mary McConneloug, who won U.S. XCO Mountain Bike Nationals four times in the 1990s and represented the U.S. in the Olympics twice, finishing in the top ten both times.
While navigating the Louisville mud, San Roman caught our eye first for her riding but second for her West-Coast-sourced bike.
San Roman rode a steel SyCip Cross bike from the Sonoma County builder.
Vida Lopez de San Roman’s Sycip cyclocross bike. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships V2. Louisville, KY. © Cyclocross Magazine
We took a closer look at San Roman’s bike in one of our final 2018 Louisville Nationals bike profiles.
Vida de San Roman’s Steel SyCip Cyclocross Bike
Although San Roman finished second in her race to Ella Brenneman, her American-built bike was one that caught our eye, similar to the vintage Redline Miller Reardon rode in the Junior 9-10 non-championship race.
Based in Sonoma County, California, SyCip has been building steel bikes since 1992. San Roman got her bike when company owner Jeremy SyCip saw the young rider riding bikes at local Norcal cyclocross races and dirt crit that were too big for her and decided to give her a “proper race bike.” SyCip provided the frame and lined up a Shimano sponsorship for some components, while San Roman’s family and team sourced the remaining parts with a nod towards local NorCal companies.
San Roman first raced the bike at Reno Nationals, where she finished second in the Junior 11-12 race, and SyCip built the frame a little big so she can grow into it.
The Sycip steel frame is made from a mix of Tange and True Temper tubing and features a 1-1/8″ head tube with an external cup Chris King NoThreadSet headset. The fork is Whisky No. 7 carbon rim brake model that, although the frame is painted gold, remains in its original matte black clearcoat.
SyCip has been building bikes in Sonoma County since 1992. Vida Lopez de San Roman’s Sycip cyclocross bike. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships V2. Louisville, KY. © Cyclocross Magazine
San Roman kept it local to her California home with several parts as well. She used a White Industries M30 1x crankset with a 38t TSR direct-mount, narrow-wide chain ring as part of her drivetrain.
The White Industries M30 crank, as the name suggests, uses the M30 bottom bracket standard and is available in 1x and 2x configurations. Vida Lopez de San Roman’s Sycip cyclocross bike. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships V2. Louisville, KY. © Cyclocross Magazine
Her brakes were Minimoto v-brake calipers from Paul Component Engineering.
Paul Minimoto v-brakes are another MUSA component on San Roman’s bike. Vida Lopez de San Roman’s Sycip cyclocross bike. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships V2. Louisville, KY. © Cyclocross Magazine
The rest of her drivetrain and transmission consisted of Shimano 105 R7000 shift/brake levers and a Shimano XT DynaSys clutch mountain bike derailleur connected with a Wolf Tooth Tanpan Adapter. Before the launch of the RX800 clutch derailleur, such hacks were the only way to use a clutch derailleur with Shimano mechanical road shifters.
The derailleur paired with an 11-34t Shimano cassette.
Until the RX800 derailleur was released, devices like this Wolf Tooth Tanpan were required to use a Shimano mountain derailleur and gain a clutch. Vida Lopez de San Roman’s Sycip cyclocross bike. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships V2. Louisville, KY. © Cyclocross Magazine
San Roman’s wheels were alloy tubeless clinchers from Bakers Dozen Wheel Works, another California company run by CX Nation team owner Brian Staby. HED Ardennes tubeless clincher rims are paired with White Industries hubs. San Roman opted for Donnelly PDX tubeless mud tires during her Saturday race.
San Roman used Donnelly PDX tires in Louisville. Vida Lopez de San Roman’s Sycip cyclocross bike. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships V2. Louisville, KY. © Cyclocross Magazine
An alloy stem held an alloy handlebar, and a zero-setback Thomson Elite seatpost held a WTB Speed V mountain bike saddle. Shimano XTR SPD pedals rounded out her contact points.
San Roman’s WTB Speed V saddle was rather far forward on the Thomson Elite zero offset post. Vida Lopez de San Roman’s Sycip cyclocross bike. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships V2. Louisville, KY. © Cyclocross Magazine
For more on San Roman’s bike, see the photo gallery and specs below.
Photo Gallery: Vida Lopez de San Roman’s Steel SyCip Cross Bike
Vida Lopez de San Roman’s Sycip cyclocross bike. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships V2. Louisville, KY. © Cyclocross Magazine
