Linsey loves her bikes

Since 2012, triathlete Linsey Corbin has been part of the Trek family. Her collection of custom Speed Concepts grows each year and, looking through the set, each design brings back special race memories.

“My bike designs and colors over the years have usually involved working with one of the Trek designers and helping tell a story that resonates with me at that time,” she said. “For my tenth world championship start, we had 10 lines on the design of bike. One year I even had a bike that was all hand-drawn all by Trek designer Brian Lindstrom.”

Brian helped design a few bikes for Linsey over the years. He said they are some of his favorite bikes to create.

“Working with Linsey on her new Speed Concept designs is always a highlight for me. People and athletes, like Linsey, are a dream for a designer to collaborate with, she comes with a story and then trusts the designer to bring that story to life visually” Brian said.

The bike with hand-drawn details, named Clean Slate, was particularly memorable for him.

“This was the bike Linsey would ride to complete her comeback after a challenging year of injuries and setbacks. I explored the use of chalk markers drawn directly onto a matte black bike to provide the visual support for her comeback,” Brian described. “We included scenery of the Pacific Northwest, passion for fishing, the love of dogs and a nod to some of their history in Montana with drawings of a cowboy hat. Being able to design a bike 100% analog is pretty rare and the right opportunity doesn’t present itself often. This is still one of my favorite bikes I’ve been able to work on to-date.”

Besides the fun designs, Linsey said the most important thing that has made the Speed Concept a good match for her top shelf goals over the years is its adjustability.

“My bike fit has evolved a bunch over the years and the Speed Concept has incredible adjustability capabilities and a variety of customized accessories that have allowed me to achieve a wide range of aerodynamics and comfort,” Linsey said.

All of that adjustability helped Linsey achieve seven Ironman titles atop her Speed Concepts. If you’re dreaming of Ironman distances yourself, she has a few tips to share.

“I think the best strategy to help you mentally in a race is to stay calm and in the moment. As with any challenge you face in life: the highs are high and the lows are low,” Linsey said. “In all endurance events you are bound to have moments where you feel amazing, as well as moments where you think: what have I gotten myself into and there’s no way I can go another step!”

“I remember at my Ironman Arizona win, I woke up with a small cold and during the swim portion I got kicked in the face and my goggles filled with water and I had to pull off to the side. I remember thinking: ‘today just isn’t my day’ – I kept forging ahead and instead of worrying about the outcome I turned my attention towards gratitude and focusing on all the things I was grateful for out on the race course: what a nice day it was, what an opportunity it is to be a pro athlete, having my family on the race course, the list went on and on,” Linsey said. “Before I knew it I was moving up through the ranks and I ended up winning the race. You just never know what can happen out there.”

Linsey spends a huge amount of time training and preparing so that she can manage all of the race that are under her control and adapt to those that aren’t.

At the end of the day, even the spark of motivation from a bike design she loves can add something extra to her performance.

The Speed Concept is a designer favorite due to its large surfaces to create imagery.

“Bicycles are some of the most challenging products to design for since they usually consist of small tube shapes and tight corners,” Brian explained. “The Speed Concept is as close to a piece of flat-art that you will come across in the bike world, providing a more traditional design canvas for imagery, patterns, color blocking etc.”

Speed Concept is a great option for Project One because it gives you lots of space for bold designs and large blocks of color.

“I love the Project One program. You can pick out different colors and work with the designers at Trek to create the bike of your dreams,” Linsey said.  “Look good, go fast, right?”