RIGS OF THE 2023 CENTRAL TEXAS SHOWDOWN

Texas Showdown Series heads to the Texas hill country for the inaugural Central Texas Showdown on the weekend of October 13th-15th. Riders will line up for a 472, 296 or 167 mile route that winds through some of the most scenic parts of Texas. Make sure you follow along on Maprogress and Instagram! But first, let’s all drool over some bikes!


Kanten nichols

AGE 26 / LONGVIEW, TX / CENTRAL TEXAS SHOWDOWN

Bike: Rock Lobster
Tire Choice:
Teravail Washburn 700 x 38c
Geared or Singlespeed?
Geared
Favorite Piece of Gear?
All of the Chris King bits
Goals for the Ride/Race:
To do my best
Instagram handle: 
@Kantennichols

Jon poon

AGE 39 / HOUSTON, TX/ CENTRAL TEXAS SHOWDOWN

Bike: Fairlight Secan
Tire Choice: Panaracer Gravelking Slick 43mm
Geared or Singlespeed? Geared
Favorite Piece of Gear? Slick 43 Gravelking+. Slick for the rolling, volume for comfort
Goals for the Ride/Race: testing gear for longer race
Instagram handle: @TheJonPoon

brett boles

AGE 27 / BRYAN, TX / CENTRAL TEXAS SLOWDOWN

Bike: Esker Japhy
Tire Choice: 2.35 Vittoria Mezcals
Geared or Singlespeed? Geared
Favorite Piece of Gear? Frame bag! This is the second I have made and it is such an improvement over the first.
Goals for the Ride/Race: Sub 48 hr finish would be sweet, otherwise just to finish and enjoy it!
Instagram handle: @brettplates

Kyle benson

AGE 31 / DENVER, CO/ CENTRAL TEXAS LOWDOWN

Bike: Canyon Grizl
Tire Choice:
Tubeless Schwalbe G-One Bite 45mm
Geared or Singlespeed?
1x Gears
Favorite Piece of Gear?
Chacos
Goals for the Ride/Race:
Have fun and be grateful
Instagram handle:
@kylew4g

jessica alexander

PARTY PACE PRO ELITE / AUSTIN, TX / CENTRAL TEXAS SLOWDOWN

Bike: Winspace G2 “The Mullet”
Tire Choice: Specialized 32mm Pathfinder Tubeless
Geared or Singlespeed? Geared (only) for CTS
Favorite Piece of Gear? TINY mini TT aerobars (they are on the bike in this photo!)
Goals for the Ride/Race: Place in women’s race or go down in Party Pace history and pad my resume for my dropbar mtb privateer career path in 2024. 
Instagram handle: @jealex 

KEITH SMITH

AGE 55 / GLEN ROSE, TX/ CENTRAL TEXAS SHOWDOWN

Bike: Moots Routt RSL “Lincoln”
Tire Choice: Rene Herse Bon Jon Pass 700×35
Geared or Singlespeed? Geared 
Favorite Piece of Gear? Enve 3.4 wheels
Goals for the Ride/Race: Smile
Instagram handle: @gottalovegravel

JACKSON HENRY

AGE 29 / SAN ANTONIO, TX / CENTRAL TEXAS SLOWDOWN

Bike: All-City Nature Cross
Tire Choice: 42mm Pathfinder
Geared or Singlespeed? Geared
Favorite Piece of Gear? All-City Frame 
Goals for the Ride/Race: 1. Finish, 2. Ride through the night without sleeping
Instagram handle: @notjacksonhenry

CHRISTOPHER RAHILLY

AGE 48 / MASON, TN/ CENTRAL TEXAS SHOWDOWN

Bike: Chumba Terlingua
Tire Choice:
650B Panaracer Gravelking SS (rear), Vittoria Terreno Zero (front)
Geared or Singlespeed?
Geared
Favorite Piece of Gear?
Paul Klamper Brakes
Goals for the Ride/Race:
Finish 
Instagram handle:
@cycle4thesoul

JENNIFER CLARK-RAHILLY

AGE 43 / MASON, TN/ CENTRAL TEXAS LOWDOWN

Bike: Surly Bridge Club
Tires:
IRC Boken Plus
Geared or Singlespeed?
Geared (11 speed)
Favorite piece of gear:
custom made stem cap that says “it’s probably fine …” (basically my life motto)
Goals for the ride:
not die & finish
Instagram:
@unfinishedyogi

Jesse duncan

AGE 40 / AUSTIN, TX / CENTRAL TEXAS LOWDOWN

Bike: Ritchey Outback
Tire Choice:
Pathfinder Pro 38
Geared or Singlespeed?
GRX 11s
Favorite Piece of Gear?
The Arundel bottle cage on the downtube has been on several bikes and many adventures. Headphones for music are a close second.
Goals for the Ride/Race:
Ride all day and into the night

HARRISON KROOS

AGE 33 / AUSTIN, TX / CENTRAL TEXAS SHOWDOWN

Bike: Rock Lobster
Tire Choice:
Ultradynamico (knobby up front, slick in the back)
Geared 
Favorite Piece of Gear?:
Nobody bats an eye at a t-shirt while bikepacking and I love that.
Goals for the Ride/Race:
Keep the existential crises to a minimum  
Instagram handle:
@honky_tonk_lagoon

CHRIS CLODFELTER

AGE 62 / HICKORY, NC/ CENTRAL TEXAS LOWDOWN

Bike:  Velo Orange Piolet
Tire Choice:
Gravelking 700×50
Geared or Singlespeed?
1×11 geared
Favorite Piece of Gear? 
Whiskey Flask
Goals for the Ride/Race:
Go Slow and Camp
Instagram handle:
@sea.el.sea

kyle walker

AGE 30 / FORT WORTH, TX/ CENTRAL TEXAS SLOWDOWN


Bike: Niner RLT 9
Tire Choice: American Classic Kimberlite 50mm
Geared or Singlespeed? Geared
Favorite Piece of Gear? Arundel Looney Bin Bottle Cage
Goals for the Ride/Race: Finish under 24 hrs and enjoy plenty of post-race beverages.
Instagram handle: @kyle.h.walker

john williamson

AGE 31 / KYLE, TX / CENTRAL TEXAS SLOWDOWN

Bike: Trek Checkpoint 
Tire Choice: Continental GP5000 S TR in 28mm
Geared or Singlespeed? Geared
Favorite Piece of Gear? Custom Top Tube Bag from South City Stitchworks!
Goals for the Ride/Race: To finish and see the solar eclipse!!
Instagram handle: @j_williamson4

SHARON tan

AGE 34 / ARLINGTON, TX / CENTRAL TEXAS LOWDOWN

Bike: Salsa Warbird
Tire Choice: 42 Teravail Washburn
Geared or Singlespeed? Geared
Favorite Piece of Gear? What Happened sabi wabi bag
Goals for the Ride/Race: Heal my inner child, create a positive memory, eat a lot of gummy worms
Instagram handle: @mysharolla

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