College-Bike: Scott Igo’s Haro Werks XCR
A very interesting and unorthodox piece of equipment, Scott Igo has transformed his Haro Werks XCR cross-country bike into a road-ready machine. A junior at UVM majoring in Philosophy, Scott bought the Haro on eBay three years ago for $15 in what he described as “an impulse buy”. An entry-level hard-tail in Haro’s frame lineup (years ago), no one could ever imagine this bike being used in road races. With a small investment and a little bit of help from his UVM teammates, Scott made it happen.
There are five main areas of concern when converting an off-road bike to a road bike; drivetrain, handlebars, fork, wheels, and brakes. Scott decided to keep his mountain crankset on the bike, and with a single chainring, there really isn’t a need for a front derailleur. However, he decided to throw one on and use it for a chain guide. The clamp was a little too large, therefore duct tape was applied to give the seat tube that extra few millimeters in diameter. In order to keep the front derailleur in the outer chainring position, a small end-piece of an old seatpost and a washer was wedged between the clamp and the cage.
To complete the drivetrain, Scott installed a single Suntour friction bar-end shifter to take care of the job, while keeping things simple with Tektro brake-only levers. These of course are mounted on Felt Alloy 6061 handlebars, acquired from UVM teammate and A-racer Matt Buckley. The 40mm Truvativ Hussefelt mountain stem keeps the handling of the bike very ‘responsive’. Scott purchased the Tommaso carbon fork for $25 with shipping, a deal and a half for anything carbon. Also, the Ritchey aluminum wheelset was purchased from another UVM A-racer, Vinnie Scalia.
When it came time to mount the brakes, the front caliper of course mounted easily, but there was a serious issue with where to place the rear. With the cantilever brake mounts far too low for even a 650c wheel (he’s using 700c’s of course), and disc brakes illegal in road racing, Scott needed to find a way to mount a brake caliper to the seat tail which was a bit too short to reach the wheel. But after careful thought (and perhaps inspiration by the latest time trial bikes), the best place to place the brake ended up being on the brace between the chainstays, right behind the bottom bracket area.
This bike is a true example of the saying, ‘it’s not about the bike’. For those of you wondering, Scott piloted his Haro to a 3rd place in the Time Trial, 4th place in the Criterium, and a close 2nd place in the Circuit race this past weekend at Rutgers, in the Men’s D field. We look forward to seeing what Scott and his bike can do for the rest of the season.
Editor’s Note: Scott is currently tied for the top spot in the D Omnium.
Frame: Haro Werks XCR
Fork: Tommaso Carbon
Headset: Cane Creek S-3
Stem: Truvativ Hussefelt (40mm)
Handlebars: Felt Alloy 6061 (440mm)
Tapes/grip: Crazy Red/Yellow
Front brake: Shimano SLR
Rear brake: Tektro
Brake levers: Tektro
Front derailleur: Shimano Alivio (Fixed)
Rear derailleur: Exage 300EX
Shift levers: Suntour Friction Bar End (rear)
Cassette: SRAM 11-32
Crankset: Truvativ Stylo (44 single ring)
Pedals: Time ATAC Alium
Wheels: Ritchey Aluminum
Front tire: Michelin Dynamic
Rear tire: Michelin Axial Select Kevlar
Saddle: E3 Form
Seatpost: Titec Hell-Bent
Computer: N/A
More photos of Scott’s bike can be found here.
ECCC News Network 
How can i get one?
בניית אתרי אינטרנט
I’ve read this “Report on College Racing Bikes” so many times and still it blows me away, possibly because it’s been up here for over two years. Each and every time it strengthens my resolve though; it reminds me that this does not have to be a “Pay to Play” endeavor. A little know-how, a bit of effort and a crafty bit of, well… craft is all it takes to compete in collegiate cycling. There’s no need for egos, no need for pricey rigs that the Tour hasn’t even seen yet. Just a willingness to ride and a drive to match, and still you might get beat by a ridiculous mountain bike that’s got road tires. I love it. Wouldn’t trade it for the world. And to that end, my thanks to everyone that ever put in the effort, however great or small, that helped make this sort of racing — and this conference — a possibility. But as an aside, can we get a new article now?
It is funny that Radioactive Man should mention new articles, because the site is constantly looking for new contributors. Collegiate racing is plauged by student-athlete graduating, so too is the news site that covers their exploits. Writing can be a lot of fun and doesn’t have to be a big time comitment. Anyone who is interested should contact: ian.sullivan.1986 at gmail dotcom
I have the pleasure of working with scott during the summer. Been that way for the past 3 seasons. Every time he goes on a trip to a comp, our crew and fellow employees wish him the best and give our support. He is a very smart young man and has the so called “drive” to do his very best. Its a huge accomplishment in my eyes and hope that he doesn’t ever stop because i see the joy that he gets form competing, hell even just a great ride.