Video: Specialized Announces USA Enduro Racing Team with Cody Kelley, Max Sedlak, Porsha Murdock, Jake Keller & Jakob Snow
Specialized has announced a new US-based enduro race team for 2022. Cody Kelley, Max Sedlak, Porsha Murdock, Jake Keller, and Jakob Snow will form the USA Enduro Racing Team and will focus on the Big Mountain Enduro Season, North American EWS’s, California Enduro Series, NAEC, Specialized market activations, and National Championships. The first race will be at the Sea Otter Classic.
The team will be supported by Team Manager Curtis Keene and mechanic Joe Binatena,
 | The last 2 years with Cody Kelley and Max Sedlak have been an awesome opportunity for us and the brand. We wanted to build off that success to keep pushing forward with the development of product and the riders. We're super proud to continue with Cody, Max and bring on Porsha Murdock, Jake Keller and Jakob Snow to the 2022/23 Program. We’ve partnered with Companies like Fox, TRP, ODI, 7IDP protection who are just as passionate as us. I’m confident in the Team and Sponsors we’ve put together for 2022/23 and what they're capable of. Lots of fun, racing and pushing the limits are in order for the future. I’m excited to see them do their thing and help them reach their fullest potential over the next couple years. |
| The Golden Age of mountain biking is here and our commitment to the trail category has never been stronger. I'm beyond stoked to introduce our brand-new USA Enduro team to the world. Whether it's showing Cody how to turn right, chasing Porsha down the mountain, electric truck upgrades with Jake, style tips with Jacob or showing Max it actually rains all 4 seasons. I know this team is dedicated to race their hearts out but also have fun along the way. This team embodies our dedication to the mountain category and trail riders around the world. See you on the trails. |
Cody is the veteran of the team and your current US National Champion. Max Sedlak is on his third team with Specialized, with multiple podiums in 2021 in Pro and a huge win at the NAEC Kellogg, Idaho. Jake Keller is new to Specialized in 2022 and had a great 2021 season with multiple wins throughout the season.
Porsha Murdoch has been on Specialized the last couple years and caught the attention of Curtis Keene a year and half ago after many podiums. Jakob Snow is a U21 racer who has been tearing up the U21 ranks the last few seasons. He worked with Cody, Max and Joe last year.
| We’ve got a fresh team with some of the best people/companies out there backing us, it’s hard to ask for much more. Just wrapped up Team Camp last week and it was a heck of time full of shenanigans and logging some good miles in the saddle. The young bucks on the squad are hungry for speed and we’re all going to push each other for sure. It’s good to have that element, keeps us all young and always looking for progress. I’m excited to see what we can all accomplish throughout the next two years. Also, looking forward to working with our Team Partners. Some of the best suspension out there paired up with some of the best brakes is pretty dreamy. Let’s go racing! |
| The 2022 Specialized US team is unreal! Our talent is incredible and the chemistry is unmatched. We are constantly pushing one another to perform at the highest level which will undoubtedly translate into great results. Also, our setups are dialed. We will be demanding a lot from our equipment but that doesn’t make me nervous at all as we’re on the best products in the world. Feeling confident and excited to get this season started! |
| I'm pretty amped to be on the team for the 22' and 23' seasons! Team camp was a blast! It was pretty damn fun showing everyone around my local trails and testing product for the upcoming season. I'm also really excited to be working with all the team sponsors this year. Bike hauls the mail and turns heads anywhere we go! |
| I eat trails for breakfast, and right now I am very hungry! Learning from the Team last year and now has been amazing. I can’t wait to get out there and race some bikes! |
| The 22/23 Specialized USA team is built up by some of the best racers, people, and friends I know. I am looking forward to getting the season started, traveling and racing with the new team. I’m most excited about having TRP aboard the program these new two years. I personally have been running their brakes for years now and am excited to start working closer with them! Max or I are definitely going to owe Curtis the most amount of cash or cookies maybe even a few peanut butter snickers to top it off. |
Joe has been at Cody Kelley’s side for over 5 years now and the last 2 years with Max Sedlak. He has a long list of accomplishments with multiple championships wrenching over the years. He’ll continue helping this team with all his knowledge and guidance.
| I like helping people go fast! Working with this collection of world class athletes to aid their craft is a privilege. To top it off, working with some of the industry's top manufacturers at the pinnacle of sport is very rewarding. |
Specialized USA Enduro team is working with the following partners through the year:
Specialized – Frames, Tires, Shoes, Helmets, Apparel, Saddles
Roval – Wheels
TRP – Drivetrain & Brakes
FOX – Suspension
ODI Grips
7IDP Knee pads
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Any help would be really appreciated
If you're curious about the details of how the angleset would change your bike's geometry, check out this link:
9point8.ca/blogs/9point8-technology/a-deeper-look-into-the-9point8%E2%84%A2-slack-r%E2%84%A2
Using a 26" wheel on the rear is an interesting idea (I considered it before 9Point8 released the IS42S/IS52 version) but it would change a number of things that I think would make the bike ride worse. It would slacken the seat angle (which would put you in a worse position for climbing), would drop the BB height significantly compared to an angleset (which could give you issues with pedal strikes) and would probably do a bunch of weird things to the rear axle path and overall suspension kinematics that I'm not smart enough to predict but would probably make the bike ride worse.
Yeah I thought it would be relatively easy to try and to revert if it was awful, still half interested in trying it but you're likely right that it would just make the bike ride worse
And not necessarily saying that throwing a 26 on the rear would be bad; it sounds like people have done it before and it could be fun, but it will definitely have wider-ranging consequences than changing the head angle.