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Photo courtesy of Trek Bicycles

Trek’s request opened the ACG’s creative floodgates. Brainstorms lasting only a few minutes produced hundreds of ideas. “When given the blank slate and given the mandate no constraints, we began to look at things that, in the past, had been considered givens,” Rinard says. “We’ve simplified things to make installation easier and save weight and increase performance at the same time.”

One of the ACG’s key design themes during this process was simplicity. By removing metal parts from the old Madone, such as the bottom bracket shell, and integrating the bracket into the carbon frame, the ACG was able to shave weight off the new bike.

When the redesigned Madone was released, it was met with almost immediate praise. Though the bike underwent a complete overhaul, its proud lineage still shone through. In its first year on the market, the Madone added two Grand Tour wins and a USPRO national title to its credentials. The bike’s success prompted Bicycling magazine to declare, “On all fronts, the new bike [Madone] was an heir apparent to the bygone greats.”

Over the past seven and a half hours, Palac had become more intimately connected with this pedigree than he could have ever imagined. His ACG-inspired creation had successfully carried him 112 miles into the final transition stage of the Ironman.

“How was the ride?” his roommate asks.
“The bike worked great,” Palac mutters between bites of his pre-run Subway sandwich. “But I never want to ride it again.”

Whether helping a plus-sized triathlete compete in the race of his life, or aiding a cancer survivor in winning his seventh Tour de France, it is iconic moments that define the ACG, and it is the passion they infuse with modern technology that ensures the survival of their biking legacy for generations to come.



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