"If you want more information on the other accessories from Megan's race day setup in 2023, click here to read our previous blog and watch the video!"
Megan Tuncer recently made her pro debut at Oceanside 70.3, but not without overcoming a few hurdles. After an airline damaged her previous setup, she used the opportunity to upgrade her ride with a custom A2 SP build. Here’s how she rebuilt smarter, lighter, and faster. Watch here or read below!
Name: Megan Tuncer
Professional or Age Grouper: Professional
Number of Years Racing: 11 years
Height: 5'4"
A2 Bike Size: Small
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Cockpit
Megan decided to go with the Vision TriMax Carbon Si013 cockpit, upgrading from the alloy version before (that got damaged by airline transportation), the Vision Alloy TriMax Bars. A couple of reasons why she went with the Vision TriMax Carbon Si013 aero bars are that it's not only lighter, but they are also softer, meaning less impact on your hands when going on bumpy roads. A lighter build is always going to be faster because being more comfortable on the bike makes you that much more efficient.
Megan's Vision Metron TriMax Carbon Si013 Cockpit
Wheels
Megan's race day wheel setup was one that she has been running for a while: the Vision Metron 81 Carbon wheels. These carbon wheels are light and deep enough to make her faster, especially in slightly windy conditions near the ocean breeze. She used Continental GP5000 S TR tires with this wheelset while running them tubeless (helping her worry less about flat tires and less psi for a smoother ride).
Megan's Vision Metron 81 Carbon Wheelset
Cranks
One of the biggest upgrades for Megan has to do with her cranks, changing to smaller, 150s by Rotor. And this all has to do with her fit on the bike -- since her legs are shorter than her torso, it made sense to go with a smaller crank size to optimize her power output and help her be comfortable in the saddle.
Though changing from a SRAM Rival system to another brand like Rotor requires a new bottom bracket with the A2 system, Megan says "It was super duper simple". And as always, we are here to help with any questions about upgrades and installation!
Aero Chainring
She also swapped her chainring to be an "Aero Chainring" by Rotor to accompany her new cranks. When it comes to an actual difference from what she was running before (SRAM Rival), there isn't much. Her new crank is now lighter, sleeker, and slightly more aerodynamic, but not enough for most triathletes to notice a difference.
Power Pedals
One thing that is quite overlooked when choosing components to replace/upgrade on your bike is your pedals. Fairly used and beaten pedals can be less safe, have less power output, and, if power pedals, give you not-so-accurate data. Megan noticed this about her older pedals and decided to upgrade to the Favero Assioma UNO Power Pedals. These pedals are single-sided, though, so you won't be getting the average from both sides into your data output. But as something that is light, minimal, and good for her to read her metrics, they are a great choice for triathletes!
Megan's Favero Assioma UNO Power Pedals
Waxed Chain
Last but not least, Megan mentions her newly waxed chain, which isn't really an upgrade, but more of a chosen improvement. You can read more about why a waxed chain might be right for you by Bike Radar, but it is essentially when you put wax on your chain instead of reapplying lubricant. What wax does is it seals the chain, which minimizes drivetrain friction while offering strong protection against dirt and debris. It is also much cleaner than regular chain lube on your drivetrain (you know when all that black smut gets on your hands? Yeah, no more of that with a waxed chain). And, it is fairly easy to do!
And that's her race day upgrades she recently made to her A2 SP! Megan finished a stellar race at Oceanside a couple of weekends ago in her pro debut with this exact setup. If you have any questions for us about these upgrades, you can ask at info@a2bikes.com. Or if you had any questions for Megan specifically, you can find her at @megantuncer on Instagram.