Brithja Jones is an inspiration to us all. Last woman to take to the course on a rain drenched day, she roundly defended her title as National Hill Climb Champion.
Known for eschewing gadgets such as power meters, heart rate monitors and even GPS computers; her victory at the age of 42 and on a set of alloy wheels is proof to us all that it’s talent – not tech – that really counts.
Although not dripping in such gratuitously expensive components as you might expect to see, Jones has, of course, made a host of discerning choices for an incredibly competitive bike.
Bithja Jones’ Tifosi Mons
(Image credit: Andy Jones)
The heart of the bike is a Tifosi Mons which Jones is riding in memory of her friend’s husband, David Little, who died last year.
The frame has a growing number of National Hill Climb titles, with Jones supplying two – this year and last – while Ed Laverack won the Men’s title on one in 2019.
(Image credit: Andy Jones)
Last year, Jones ran a pair of surprisingly deep Fulcrum Racing Speed carbon wheels. However, with the abysmal weather conditions this year, a last minute decision was made to swap in some Fulcrum Racing Zero hoops shod with Continental GP5000 tyres.
Aluminium wheels aren’t something you see often at the very top level of hill climbing, but they evidently didn’t prove an impediment. However, one concession was made in the wheel swap – not normally one for handlebar modifications, Jones decided to lose the drops in order to somewhat mitigate the weight gain.
(Image credit: Andy Jones)
The drivetrain consists of a broad mix of road bike groupset components. Those Campagnolo levers actuate a Record short cage rear derailleur across a tightly spaced cassette.
The chain is from KMC and is driven by a 40t Hope five-bolt chainring that’s mounted to an Ultegra FC6750 crankset – which first launched back in 2009.
(Image credit: Andy Jones)
The weight savings extend to the brake calipers and cables - with individual aluminium links used for the outer housing instead of a standard wound coil in a rubber sheath
After winning the 2019 National Single-Speed Cross-Country Mountain Biking Championships and claiming the plushie unicorn (true story), Stefan swapped the flat-bars for drop-bars and has never looked back.
But his favourite rides are multiday bikepacking trips, with all the huge amount of cycling tech and long days spent exploring new roads and trails - as well as histories and cultures. Most recently, he’s spent two weeks riding from Budapest into the mountains of Slovakia.
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