We caught up with the U.S. Postal rider at B&L Bike this morning. McRae was set to ride the Hed Almost-Disc this Saturday, calling the wheel a "dream ride." In his dreams is the only place he'll ride it, though, until he gets off the island and back to civilization, where the wheel is legal.

McRae came in search of a replacement, and was given a standard Hed3 by new B&L investor and managing partner Scott Ritschoff.

McRae (holding the Hed Kona Coast) came to B&L with Saturn mechanic Ian Sherburne (holding the Hed3) in tow, and they brought McRae's Trek TT bike. As is the case with Tim DeBoom's Trek bike, McRae has a seat post clamp that places the saddle considerably further forward than the bike's geometry would normally allow. McRae's saddle is one centimeter forward of the bottom bracket, which is six centimeters forward of the allowable measure if this were a UCI bike race. Sherburne switched the cassette over, which looked to be an 11-21 9-speed, and glued on a 21mm Continental tubular.

McRae's Trek is outfitted with a Profile Design fork and Carbon X aero handlebars. The bike also has a Selle San Marco Azoto Triathgel saddle and the water and gel acoutrements that befit an experienced triathlete, which McRae is, if you omit his ten year hiatus from the sport.

McRae says that he's ready to ride hard, and that he's "no Udo." He refers graciously to his friend Udo Bolts, who rode hard during the bike ride when he tried Kona two years ago, but not that hard, Bolts knew he faced a hard marathon. "Udo had only run seven times in preparation for Kona," McRae said as a reminder.

McRae expects to come out of the water in 55 or 56 minutes, well within striking distance of the lead men.