Questions from Around the World!

Okay, I'm thinking of hanging up my wrenches and just answering these blog questions full-time. I'm not sure Glen would let me do that, but I might have to explore that option because you people are keeping me busy as all get out. The questions have been coming in faster and faster and it's actually getting to the point where if I don't write an update every couple of weeks I start to feel bad, and get very behind with all the questions. Especially with this latest batch of questions where we have transcended boarders and I'm now getting questions from around the world. That is probably one of the coolest things about doing this blog is realizing that people all over the planet are reading this thing and finding it to be reasonably interesting or that having low standards for entertainment is common ground upon which we can all find ourselves. It has officially become a cultural exchange... well, maybe cycling isn't the international language like music, but we're getting there. I wish I could just hug you all! But I won't....

My first question came from Paul, who lives in the exotic land of Fair Haven, New Jersey.... Paul was wondering why his tubular tires made a noise as though they were pulling away from his rim every rotation on his rear wheel. Paul mentioned that he uses Tufo glue tape to do up his tires and even when he uses glue, they still make a noise. Well, Paul, that Tufo tape has three things going for it. It is very fast, very easy, and a very sub-standard way to glue up your tires. I want to say that if you are using training tires as tubulars, go ahead and glue them with Vitoria Mastik One glue. It's the best ever, and you won't regret it.

Paul didn't really mention his particular method for glueing tires, but I'm guessing that since you are hearing this noise, and that your tire is pulling away from the rim as it, for lack of a better term, returns to it's neutral position on the rim, you haven't seated the tire properly on the rim when you've glued it up. You may be waiting to long for the glue to set up, thus causing this lack of adhesion, or you may just need to roll the tire on the ground a little more after you've mounted the tire. I have actually never used Tufo tape. There are a lot of mechanics out there that are vastly more experienced and intelligent than I am, and none of them think Tufo tape is worth more than a rider's skin. I remember reading somewhere that Tufo only recommends using their tape with their tires as well, so I've always stayed away from it. I've mentioned an article written by Chip Howat called “Tubular Tires: Adhesives and Practice” on this blog before and it is the definitive study on tubular glue and tire mounting process. I've been glueing tubulars this way for years and I've never had a single athlete complain about their tires and I've never had a tire roll off a rim. There is also a really great, shorter, less scientific article on the Park Tool website as well that was written by Calvin Jones, the co-author of the aforementioned article. I know this is a pretty general answer, but some other tips would be to make sure you get a consistent coverage of glue over the entire rim, seat the tire properly after you've mounted it, don't let the glue get excessively dry (is should just be tacky when you mount the tire), and for the love of God, stop using Tufo tape. Hope that helps.

My next question came from Todd in NorCal. Todd's question was a bit more straightforward. Todd's Rival crank fell off. Dang, Todd, that's a bummer. Todd wondered if I have seen this happen before, and yes, I have. Todd said that there was no indication that there was any problem and that within thirty seconds his race was over. I have seen this happen before when the head of a fixing bolt on a 180mm Rival crank broke off, causing the crank to back off the spindle and make me have to do a hasty bike change for Tom Zirbel. I don't know why I always end up mentioning Tom Zirbel in every blog post I write, but I do. I either like guy, or he breaks a lot of stuff, or maybe both.... So, yes Todd, I have had a 180mm Rival crank fall off for nor particular reason, but it was a VERY BIG ANOMOLY, you'll have to examine your crank fixing bolt and see if matches up to my problem. It could be a warranty issue if that is the case. You also may just need to check your crank bolts before you do a race. When I'm working on team bikes at races I check EVERY bolt, EVERY day, literally. If you just leave your crank bolts unchecked all the time, then go out and race your pants off, bad things will happen. You’re Bad. The good thing is that you may just see me at a race near you in NorCal and I'm always willing to trade labor for six packs of Microbrew, so don't be bashful Todd. I'll help you out.

The next question comes from John Pittsburgh, PA who is having trouble with his SRAM Red slipping when he gives it a little bit of stick, which is a pretty big bummer. There are so many different things that could be causing this problem. Worn parts are always and easy culprit to blame but that's not the case here. A lot of times cassette spacing on the freehub could be the issue, limit screw problems and derailluer hanger alignment would probably be the next things you'd want to look at. If everything seems in order, you may want to look at trying a different cassette just to see if maybe the cassette was manufactured improperly, which I'd like to point out is HIGHLY UNLIKELY, but you never know. Stranger things have happened. Other possible issues could include problems with the pawls in your freehub, or chain wear. There's a lot of things that can make a drive-train slip and it's always difficult for me to diagnose these problems because the internet prevents me from seeing your bike. Actually, I shouldn't say that, but until we get some sort of Skype thing hooked up with this blog, things will remain impersonal and business-like.

Next question comes all the way from Hong Kong with a reader asking about the correct method for disassembling his cassette body to change the bearings. Shan went above and beyond, attaching a parts diagram for the wheels he uses. This was awesome Shan, and thanks for doing that. I don't see many Corima wheels and I'm not really familiar with these wheels but the diagram suggests what most current design cartridge bearing hubs need in order to change the bearings. Old cartridge bearings always used to have some sort of lynch pin that, once removed, the whole thing would break apart into its component pieces. This lynch pin usually came in the form of some sort of set screw on the axle, and some hubs are still like this. Usually what you see now is an allen fitting on the ends of the axle which will allow you to remove the axle and separate the freehub from the hubshell, at which point you will need some sort of bearing press or manufacturer specific set of drifts to remove the bearings and spacers in the freehub body. The shoulder that sits in the middle of the freehub body in the diagram is what I'm referring to when I say spacer. That's going to be where the magic of bearing replacement happens for your particular set of wheels.

The next question came from Ron about Sram Chains. Ron was wondering why SRAM chains break so often, citing the example of a SRAM chain breakage costing Fabian Cancellara a win. It's hard to say why they break. When my team was sponsored by SRAM I never actually saw that many of those chains break, and when they did it was usually involving someone shifting under load, which is always going to be a gamble no matter what chain you are using. This could have been why Cancellara's chain snapped. I do remember when they first came out with the 1090R chains they did find a problem in the manufacturing process that has since been remedied for at least two years. Hard to say though, Ron. I would actually say that they don't break any more often than any other chains out there, Fabian Cancellara just broke one when everyone was watching. If anyone out there is concerned about a chain breaking, get something that doesn't have hollow pins. SRAM makes a hollow pin and a solid pin chain, so if you're worried about breaking a chain, always go solid and leave the hollow pins to the climbers.

Yet more questions!
Neil wrote in basically wondering about the maintenance schedule I keep for the bikes and about cleaning using solvents and the like. Neil, I don't really keep a set schedule for the bikes. This team has two mechanics working for it. I'm the full-time guy, and we have another part-timer that we bring in when I get that far off look in my eyes and I start whining about missing my girlfriend. I have a really great relationship with our part-timer and enjoy working with him because I can trust the work he does and when if comes down to it, he's probably better at it than I am and I can learn from him. What this means is that there really isn't a binder filled with written SOP's about how often stuff needs to be changed. We work for pros that demand a level of effort and performance commensurate with their own and what the means is this; if something doesn't feel like it's brand new, we change it. Cables probably get changed a bit less frequently, and wheel bearings are probably the least frequent. It just depends on how many rain miles they see and how good the hub seals are. Cassette bodies are greased every time I have down-time and tires are also one of those things where you have to try to wring as many miles out of them as you can because tubulars are expensive as all get out and we really don't get too many of them for the season. As far as the cleaning part of your question is concerned; the bikes stay looking shiny and new not because we use a particular kind of solvent or degreaser, but because they get cleaned and scrubbed every single day. A lot of the Euro dudes will use diesel fuel on the drive-trains because it leaves a protective film on the chain. I don't do that because I'm thinking about the children and the fish they will someday need to catch to feed themselves. I have found several effective and bio-degradable degreasers that work very well and keep the diesel being burned and going into the ozone where it belongs, instead of spilling into hotel parking lots across the country. Hey, it helps me sleep at night, what else can I say?

I think the answer to this question can also help answer Tate From Downunder's question about degreaser and lube, so I'll bottom-line this one. Kerosene/Diesel will pull stuff off chains really well. It's pretty harsh for everything involved but it works well and leaves a protective film on the metal parts. There's nothing wrong with using it, but I chose to use milder solvents. That's pretty much it. Tate, as far as why you are having trouble finding citrus degreasers in bulk quantities in Oz, I can't really comment on why that is. They must make something in Australia right?

My last question comes in from Greg regarding some unwanted noise his bike is making in the headset area. Greg is having some problems with noises coming out of the headtube area of his bike. No Greg, your bike is not haunted. Greg did mention he had a nutty three inches of spacers sticking out over the top of his headtube. Here's my opinion on spacer stack height above the headtube: if you have an alloy or steel steerer tube, you should try to keep at as low as you possibly can, but it's nothing huge to worry about. Three inches of spacers between your stem and headtube is too much and you should consider getting a bigger frame, with a bigger headtube. If you have a carbon steerer tube, you should try to not exceed 30mm (approx. 1-1/4”) of spacers from top of the headtube to the bottom of the stem. Think of that steerer tube as a pencil. It's pretty easy to break an unsharpened pencil, but it's a lot harder to break it if it's only an inch long right? You gotta be careful and if you need to have a taller front-end on your bicycle to be comfortable, get a shorter stem with a higher rise, don't put a flat stem on three inches of carbon steerer tube. That is a recipe for disaster.

Another bottom line for this blog post is to say good on ya for taking care of your bikes so well to everyone that wrote in. You’re doing the right thing and that makes the Saints very happy. If anyone is coming out to Philly for the big show stop by and say hello. Until next time.

Interview with Road Bike Review

Interview with Road Bike Review about how I got into this career, my favorite and scariest moments as mechanic, and my favorite races.

Who wants a little?

Okay, it's been another long while since I've done one of these blog posts and as usual, the questions are piling up fast so I'm gonna get right to it. I've had some time off after watching Tom Zirbel kill it at Redlands, and I've got the 58-45 chainrings ordered for Gila so I can take a bit of breather, move into my new pad in Santa Rosa and answer all of the bike related questions you people can throw at me, so in the immortal words of Bruce Campbell, “Who wants a little?”


Shifter

Walt wrote in asking about a problem he's having with his 04 D/A shifter saying that it basically won't shift. Walt, everything that your bike mechanic did at the shop was correct. It's a classic thing with Shimano shifters of any price point. As the grease in the shifter gets old it starts to harden and lacquer. This is why the pawl isn't engaging the ratchet in the shifter body. Generally if you shoot some sort of solvent, ala WD40, then flush all of that stuff out of there with compressed air, and relube with a light grease your shifter will work like new. Pretty simple, and one of the classic blunders of Shimano stuff. Luckily, it's really not a big deal to fix and your shifter still has a long, productive life to live. Good luck, God speed.

Keeping the chain on the right ring and the right cog

The next question came in regards to some SRAM issues. It seems one reader can't keep his chain on the big ring up front, and another can't keep his chain on the big cog in the back.

First I'm going to address Joseph's problem regarding his front chain. Joseph writes in saying he is a big fella, like Zirbel big. And when he's sprinting his chain falls right off the big ring. Well Joseph, this happened all the time when we were riding on SRAM stuff the last couple years. It's happening because you are a mountain of a man, putting out further mountains of watts and are flexing your chainrings. It was a very common issue with the standard chainrings that came with both the Force and later the RED stuff in 07. I don't remember it being a huge deal last year but it was definitely something I saw frequently in 07. SRAM made a lot of improvements with their chainrings for 2008, and it was pretty cool to see a company identify a problem and fix it so quickly. Alex at SRAM and his team of R+D minions were some of the coolest people I've dealt with in this business, and they are working very hard to constantly improve their stuff. I suppose that doesn't help you because you are huge and still flexing your chainrings. I don't have the familiarity with that company's product line that I once had and if you say they aren't making the SPV chainrings in compact then I have to believe you. I was under the impression that all of their chainrings were now that SPV model, but that may not be the case. I would contact them directly and find that out, or whether or not they plan on making a compact version of SPV chainrings. You may be able to help create that demand yourself. SRAM is the type of company that is very aware of its customer’s desires. If your problem is that persistent, you may want to look into a compatible aftermarket chainring that you can fit on there so you don't have to worry about constantly dropping your chain. My fix for the problem when it first came up and they didn't have SPV chainrings was to put RIVAL rings on the bikes that kept dropping chains off the outside of the big ring. That seemed to work well enough until the new rings came in. It's nice because it's a reasonably economic solution....

As for the reader who seems to have issues keeping his chain on the small cog in the rear.... That's actually a harder question. Everything this reader said pointed to limit screw issues on the derailleur, everything that is, except that he checked the limit screws on the derailleur. Honestly Buff, I think you might be missing something simple that another pair of eyes might see. I, sadly, cannot see your bike from across the internet. The only thing you may want to check that you didn't mention checking in your email was your derailleur hanger alignment on your frame. This could also be a potential cause of your shifting woes. Keep me posted and let me know what you end up finding. I'll be praying to all the Gods in the Pantheon that your shifting problems are cured tout de suit. There's always the LBS....

Chain Lube

Hello Ben,
I’m enjoying your website and “take” on things. I’m a long-time Pro Link user. Based on your comments I have been trying to find Pro Gold at all or at least in a “usable” size without success. Their website offers Pro Gold in very large (maybe it was by the gallon) quantity. None of the LBC’s have it so any guidance would be appreciated. BTW, my wife and I were in Redlands for the prologue and watched from mid-hill on the climb before Sunset. Your Mr. Zirbel was just smokin’ up that thing. Very impressive!
Thanks for any help in this regard.
Ren Welch

Ren had a question on the chain lube I use, which was basically, where can he get it in big quantities. Well, Ren, ProLink stuff is distributed pretty widely around the country. QBP is the biggest distributor of bike parts and accessories in the land and if you can't get it at a bike shop, that may mean Pro Link might not have any either. I've never tried to buy their massive quantities before though. I always think back on a gallon bottle of White Lightning that was on the shelf at my bike shop. It was three quarters full and had separated and hardened to the point that it was completely unusable. I don't think that would happen with Pro Gold stuff, because it is a completely different sort of compound, but the image of that bulk lube jug from my bike shop days still haunts me to this day. I'd say keep bugging whatever bike shop you go to, my guess is that the distributor might be out of stock. It'll be worth the wait, Pro Link stuff is the best.

Chainrings

Hey Ben!
I've been reading your blog finding it interesting and entertaining. I've got a question about my dream bike. I'm an old guy (in my 50's) and I live in Austin. Some of the hills are quite steep and a lot of guys run triples. I just don't want to go triple. I'd like a 34-53. Call me crazy, but I like to go fast down the hills. I see 34-50 and SRAM has a 36-52. I've done the math and the 36-52 comes close but I really want a 34-53. Am I asking for trouble? Would it be hard for the front derailleur to make the climb from 34 to 53? Would I miss the 53 on descents?

I'd also like to go from 11 to 30 in the back. Again, SRAM has an 11-28 and the math is close. Is it close enough or am I asking for trouble. I love the fast descents AND I want to be able to stay with the group (average 16 MPH on a hilly windy ride).

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Jack

Okay, I'm saving the most complicated question for last here....
Jack from Austin wrote in basically asking me questions about the theory of chain-wrap capacity as it pertains to front derailleurs and gear ranges on the cassette. Jack threw more numbers at me in his short email than I've seen in any calculus text book and it literally made my brain fall out of the bottom of my pant leg. How that happened, I'll never know, but it did, I'm not lying.

Okay Jack, I'm going to zero in on the easiest question you asked me in that email and explain from there. Are you asking for trouble? Yes, you are indeed asking for trouble. What happens with front chainrings when the tooth counts become too discrepant is this: the chain will not fall off the big ring properly and may not be able to find the little ring on it's way down, and may continue falling until it hits your frame, thus creating the potential for you to fall until you hit the ground. The chain can also start to rub on the back of the front derailleur cage because in order for it to be set properly so that the front derailleur clears the big ring, it will be too high for the chain to clear the back of the cage when in the little ring. There are slanted shims that SRAM makes that you might be able to use to fix this problem, but it doesn't really change the fact that your front shifting will still probably perform sub-optimally, and potentially hazardously. What you discussed for your desired gearing in the back is going to basically create a situation where you will only be able to use your little ring up front with biggest half of your cassette in the rear and your big chainring with the smallest half of your cassette. The setup that you are wanting is going to be very limiting and not work very well. It's that old dilemma of having your cake and eating it too. The closest anyone will ever get to that is eating the cake, and puking it up into a mason jar an hour later, and that's really just not in keeping with the spirit of the whole ideal.

I've been asked this question by a lot people who say, “I'm getting older and I just don't want to run a triple,” and that is totally fine. As far as I can tell, most competitive, enthusiast type cyclists don't want to run triples. Why would you? They are heavy, hard as all get out to set up and make work properly, they're a pain in the neck to shift, and they look out of place on anything but a touring bike or a mountain bike. What most people don't realize is that you aren't missing much with a 50-11. Yes, you are missing three teeth, but there seriously aren't that many people that can really, honestly push a 53-11 outside of the pro peloton. The set up that you are asking about WILL technically work, but it's going to take a very competent mechanic to set it up, and he or she will have to have a pretty serious knowledge of the shims and tricks that it will take to fine tune it. And even then you are still going to end up with a bike that won't work as well as an exact copy of the same bike with a gear setup that is within manufacturer specs. If this is a big purchase for you, I would suggest getting a 34-50 compact set of chainrings and an 11-28 cassette in the back (I only mention this combo because you mentioned SRAM in your email). This is going to be the setup that will work the best and I'm asking you to please have faith in my experience with this, but if you notice yourself spinning out on descents and not being able to keep up with your pals, I beg you, send me an email with all of your complaints. I will personally set your bike up with whatever parts you want, and once I've finished with that, I will then proceed to eat my hat in front of you.

Okay, that's it for this installment folks. I'd like to thank everyone that took the time to write in with questions. I really like doing this blog and I've been continually surprised with the positive response it has gotten from the readers. Thanks everyone. Until next time.

Wheel and Chain Questions

Well, it's been a little while since I've written stuff and now that Merced is over and I've sunken both firmly and deeply into my yearly post Tour of California depression I thought I'd try to take my mind off of California's Central Valley by answering some questions for the blog. I've received a lot of wheel questions lately and I'll try to answer them all in this installment.

Simon has been having some problems with a set of wheels and wants to rebuild them with newer, better spokes. To get to Simon's issues, my advice on what nipple to use would be to use whatever you see coming out of the rim when you rebuild it. I know that a lot of wheel makers do use regular nipples just turned upside down in the rim for internals, but others, such as campy, use like a 5mm nut and you use a regular nut driver to true them. I'd just make sure to use the original equipment because you don't want the nipple to contact the rim in such a way that it puts uneven pressure on it's contact surface because that could cause some issues down the road with spoke pull through and what not. As far as your problem with seized nipples, that can happen. Aluminum and steel are bitter enemies and do not believe in concepts such as happiness, love and peaceful coexistence. I believe the nerds call it 'galvanic corrosion,' but I prefer to call them bitter enemies. When you build your wheels make sure you use something like DT Spoke Prep, or if you enjoy kicking it old school, you can use linseed oil. DT Spoke Prep is also expensive on a goofy level, but it works pretty well. The thread pitch question is yes, modern spokes are the same thread pitch, but when you get the spokes, you'll get nipples with them so you shouldn't have a problem. You can also use Brass nipples, those are always better, they're just a bit heavier.

Next barrage of wheel questions came from Ben about the Easton EC90SL and other stuff available from Easton. I don't know too much about their availability. I have as many as I need, and that's about all I need to know. I saw that they aren't on the website yet, but I'll tell you one thing, it's a great wheel and it'll be worth the wait. One thing about their line is that as you get the narrower profiles, you get a higher spoke count so your questions about the SLX is yeah, you can ride those and not break them. I mean, I think you're just as likely to break an EC90 Aero or SL as you would be to break an SLX, and it'd probably feel stiffer because you have more spokes. And as far as the difference between the aluminum wheels, always go tubular. Tubulars are awesome and once you try them, you'll never go back.

I like to save the best for last. I got an email from a reader questioning my advice on changing your chain every 1000 miles, saying that it would get very costly and that he has 2700 miles on his chain and is just now spending some dough on a chain wear indicator. Bad move. He should have spent the money on a new chain and cassette, because if you've ran the chain on that cassette for that long, a new chain will most likely not work in some or all of the gears on your cassette. Good luck and God speed.

Answers Before Tour of California

Well, the questions are coming in at an alarming rate now so I better get with it before the Tour of Cali is in full swing and I'll be cleaning and fixing for an American-eating 9 days (!) this year.

My most recent questions have been coming from long time readers which is cool. I'm glad I haven't said anything so offensive or stupid that it's turning everyone away. Greg wrote in to update me on his Pegoretti comparison and the only reason I mention this is to congratulate Greg on his ability to break away from the carbon fiber sheep out there by saying he just 'likes a metal bike.' That is awesome and I agree with him and it does my heart good to hear someone else say it. Carbon has been embraced very strongly by the buying public and it's a really great, versatile material, but it's always funny when you see something like carbon fiber pop up in the cycling industry and all of a sudden it's the only thing anyone wants, to the point where you can get chainrings made out of it for crying out loud. Greg is going to have a hard row to hoe out there going against the grain the way he does, but good for him.

Greg's actual question had to do with the team's change from SRAM components to Campy this year. I've been sort of dreading this question because everyone is going to ask if there were quality issues and that sort of thing, but I knew it was coming..... We didn't switch for any quality reasons, and I'm not really privy to any information relating to the switch.

I'm sure the conversations sounded like two people in their early thirties breaking up. The entire conversation was spent wondering internally why two people can't just make it work, finally realizing it's probably their own self absorption that lead to such a catastrophic collapse and that it's really no one's fault, just time to move on. It's all very sad and unnecessary, but at the same time unimportant to those not involved. We have our own lives to lead after all, and there are certainly more fish in that churning, aging sea. So get back out there and find yourself some new shift levers, younger, better looking shift levers. Sure they won't be as smart or mature and they aren't ready for kids like you might be, but it doesn't matter, they'll still change the gears on your bike and that's what really counts.

That being said, Greg also talked about the fact that he is a larger rider and has heard that Campy doesn't recommend larger riders to use their equipment without “increasing the service interval.” Well, that really goes without saying no matter what components you are using, I think Campy is just actually saying it so when you snap your ten thousand dollar Super Record front derailleur in half they can point you to the website and wag their collective finger. I mean, heavier riders supposedly create more strain on the components, which is pretty elementary stuff, but I'm a heavy guy too and I know for a fact that I don't put half of the strain or wattage out that guys who weigh thirty percent less than I weigh can, which is also something to think about. Greg's question also mentioned Zirbel. Everyone loves Zirbel don't they?

Tom is a pretty special guy. He's very tall and very heavy, yet he is very fast on a bicycle. Tom can find ways of breaking things that most people would never really imagine. And if he can't think of anything creative he just crashes into something. Tom's bicycle has set up concerns that we don't pay to anyone else's on the team. We have done more modifying to Tom's bike than anyone else's because his frame size creates weird angles for the drivetrain and his weight and power exacerbates those weird angles. My heart skips a beat every time Tom shifts his TT bike wondering if this shift will be the shift that throws his chain off during some important TT. This year during TT nats I'm going to put a piece of coal between my butt cheeks because last year I was clenched so hard I could have made a diamond during Tom's run. What can I say? I take my job seriously.... Thankfully none of this has anything to do with luck, and his bike worked flawlessly.

Tom's DNF's are the mechanic's DNF's though, because while Tom is very talented and fast, he's also relatively new to bike riding and will often try to make his bike do things that others will have already learned not to try, so we have to account for that and set his bike up in such a way that it will not, under any circumstances, malfunction, which can be a difficult task at best when you have someone that big and that strong trying that hard. All of that being said, I'm anxious to see how the new Campy stuff holds up beneath him. We actually aren't on Super Record, just Regular Record, so I'm not sure if that will make a difference but I have to say that the new 11 speed chain is one narrow chain. And when I say narrow, I mean narrow. This is the Kate Moss of bicycle chains, strung out thin and exceptionally hot, and probably a little finicky too... but that's okay! It's like that Tom Waits song; a little trouble makes it worth the going. I'm guessing anyone that rides this stuff will have to replace chains only slightly less frequently than they change their underwear depending on how much you ride, but the stuff has sort of proven to be typically Campagnolo so far; a little bit tricky to set up, but once it's dialed, it stays dialed. That is something I really like about Campy.

I went down to Argentina with the team last month for the Tour of San Luis and tried an experiment where I took a couple of bikes and didn't touch the shifting for a while and no one ever complained. The same can be said for our training camp as well. Jim and I were very busy building bikes and the weather was nice here in my new home of Santa Rosa so the bikes didn't get much attention during training camp and no one really complained. It's like I always say, when you buy something like Red or Record or DA, you won't be disappointed. For the amount of money they ask from their customers, the stuff better work because people wouldn't keep buying it if it was garbage. I think it'll be the same old song and dance for Campy though, really expensive replacement cost. And as far as that chain is concerned, it's every bit as expensive as it is narrow, which isn't really a winning combination for a consumer but it's that old adage at work, if you have to ask how much it costs, you can't afford it.

The discussion of Campy issues is a good segue into my next question where a reader asked if he could use a Campy 11spd chain on SRAM Red and whether or not it would run more smoothly. Well, lets first consider the facts here. Both SRAM and Campagnolo 10spd chains are 5.9mm wide. Campy 11spd chains are 5.5mm wide. Will this help your RED d-train run more smoothly? That is a good question. It's honestly something I wouldn't know unless I tried it, and that is an expensive experiment... like NASA expensive. That's the fact part of my answer, now for the part of the blog where I just talk and make wild accusations and state extreme opinions. I'd be interested in trying it, and I'm going to try it if I can ever find a SRAM bike laying around. There are all sorts of compatibility questions people try to answer. Campy ergo shifters will work with SRAM drivetrains for example, which is fine, but the days of cross compatibility have gone with things being made out of steel.

Component manufacturers are now trying to make systems as unique and proprietary as they possibly can. It forces consumers to buy their products and their products alone, but it also ensures that their components work well with their components. SRAM makes chains that are designed to shift well with the ramping and tooth profiles of their chainrings and cassettes and the same can be said for Shimano and Campy as well. All that being said, I would think that the 11spd chain will be too narrow to get a good fit on the SRAM cogs and would cause some slow shifting because of that, and also the decreased width will be insufficient to catch the ramps on the cogs in the specified cable pull on the upshift, but I'm still interested in hearing about it. If you get a chance to try it, send me a report on your findings.

Our final question came from the Average Joe about some rim strip issues Joe has been having. To answer your questions, Joe; Rim strips come in different materials and widths and so forth. The best thing out there is Velox cloth rim tape. It's very thick and will outlast your rims. People don't usually use it in race wheels because it is pretty heavy though, so that's the drawback. I remember a sign I saw hanging in a bike shop once that said “Durable, light and cheap. Pick two.” That's basically your only option. The question actually comes at a good time because we've been getting flats on our clincher wheels recently because the rim strip that comes with our wheels has been shifting and exposing the holes in the rim to the tube, which is never good.

Plastic rim strips do stretch over time and can cause flats, but that doesn't happen always. The past two years I normally would buy the Velox rim tape and put that in every wheel we got but I didn't do that this year in an attempt to save a little time, but I think I'm going to be doing that in the end. If you want to avoid the rim tape thing altogether you can buy a product from Velocity Wheels called veloplugs which are just little plastic plugs that fit into the rim holes and do away with the need for rim strips of any description. I'm not sure how well they work, but Velocity is a Grand Rapids, MI company so while you're at it, buy the veloplugs and ten sets of wheels because more than the car companies of the Motherland need our help.

Okay, I gotta build some TT bikes, people. Thanks for writing in and asking your questions. I hope my opinions and experience have helped/entertained in some way. Until next time.

Quiet Before the Storm

Okay folks, here's your latest blog entry while I'm still in the quiet phase of the phrase 'quiet before the storm.' It's going to be short and sweet, but it'll still be sweet. I haven't actually gotten a ton of questions, but I've gotten a few, and I appreciate everyone that has taken the time to write in and ask their questions. I hope you've all been satisfied with the answers you've gotten, despite the fact that sometimes I take a while to respond to these questions.

I got a question from Jamie about some shifting issues he was having with 9 speed Dura Ace stuff that is on his bike. Basically Jamie was complaining about some hard shifting with his Dura Ace kit and wondering how to remedy it. The one thing Jamie mentioned was that his chain had between 900 and 1200 miles on it and thought this might be the cause for some of his shifting woes. I'm not sure if it's directly related to what he was describing but that is the kind of mileage where I would recommend changing the the chain. Jamie actually described a very specific problem that would be too difficult for me to answer over email without actually seeing the bike in person and inspecting the components and running through the gears. The only thing that I can tell him without actually getting my hands on the bike is that the mileage he has on his chain is probably enough to where it should be showing some signs of wear and replacing it would certainly be warranted. Jamie also is from Charlotte, NC which puts him well within range to go see Jim O'brien at the Right Gear bike shop in Kannapolis, just a short drive North of Charlotte. Jamie, Jim will be able to solve all of your shifting woes, and he'll do it all while making obscure historical and literary references, so you should go see him. One of Jim's mantras that I like so well is that chain's are like oil. Oil changes are cheap, changing engines is expensive. Change your chain.

Jamie also mentioned that there is a 'hard' shift coming down his cassette from the biggest cog to the smallest every time, and he can't seem to adjust it out. I'm not sure exactly what a hard shift means, but if it's a clunk, that could be due to the gap in tooth count that you would have in those three largest cogs on the cassette, which would explain why you see it with any wheel you use. That is one good thing about having a ten (or even 11) speed system; you don't see big tooth count differences when you shift up and down your cassette, which can make for a smoother shifting rig. If your shifting is just hesitant, that's something entirely different that could be caused by anything from used up derailleur springs to cable tension.

We had yet another ceramic bearing question come in as well. I seem to get a lot of ceramic bearing questions from people everywhere I go... I wonder why that is.... Anyway, this reader asked if the bikes were fully equipped with ceramics or if it was still just the Bottom Brackets. Well, this year Easton is putting a grade 3 (I believe) hybrid ceramic bearings in our race wheels and another type of clincher that we'll be using. I was checking out the wheels the other day at our 'service course' and I can say that when you are just spinning the wheels with your hands you can notice a massive difference in resistance. I have to imagine this means there's a difference when the things are rolling on the road. Again, the question is whether or not it will be a PERCEPTIBLE difference, and I really can't speak to that. I think if you are going to notice it you'll have to have a point of reference against which to compare. Something like wattage files or the like is what is going to tell you if there is an actual difference. The problem is that there are so many factors that can effect someone's performance on the bike it's difficult to measure without using scientific instruments. Instruments that I do not have or know how to operate. My opinion on the matter remains unchanged however, in that professional cyclists are getting so much output from their bodies that if anyone will see the benefits of ceramic bearing technology, it will be those racing at the professional level. But for God's sake, don't get ceramic bearings in your headset. That's just ridiculous.

The last question I recently received was about the Easton discs we were using last year. This reader wondered if it was actually an Easton disc or a re-stickered, something else. I have to use this opportunity to state a position here in that, I don't really care what it was. It said Easton on it so I have to assume that it was in fact an Easton disc. It's not really my job to come up with conspiracy theories about stickers, and I spend my conspiracy theory hobby-time coming up with bigger and better conspiracy theories about JFK, 9-11 and Dick Cheney's private army. My charge is to keep stuff clean and in good working order and fix it when it breaks or send it back if it's beyond repair, so I don't really get to into figuring all that stuff out. That being said, when I licked it, it tasted like a Corima. When I looked at it, it looked like a Corima. When I smelled, it stunk of Corima. That's just a theory though, I didn't ever ask and I didn't ever care. It was the disc they gave us, and when you have TT'ers as strong as BJM and Zirbel they could be riding a triangular wheel with a flat tire and they'd still beat half the field. When you consider that, does it really matter what it is? I'm guessing that since you asked that question you have your own idea on the topic and I can neither confirm nor deny anything so I'm going to go with the ubiquitous, “no comment” in this instance.

Okay readers; thanks for your questions. I wish I could hug you all... but I won't. Keep reading the blog, asking questions, and cheering for the team. And by all means, if you make it to a race, come up and say hello while I'm washing bikes. Until next time.

Becoming a Pro Cycling Team Mechanic

I often try to wait until I have at least two or three questions to answer before I do a blog entry for the team website. That is usually my plan, but Andrew had to go and ask the question of how does one become a mechanic for a professional cycling team. I knew it would happen sometime, and frankly, I thought I'd be prepared to answer that question with a family friendly, blog worthy response. Luckily for me though, my eyes just wandered over to the comments section of my fantastic blog and I see that someone was wondering about the drill-bit size I use for drilling holes in the wheels and if I can post a picture of the work. I'll come back to the career trajectory of a professional cycling team mechanic later.

As far as what size drill-bit I use on the wheels, I really can't remember. It's VERY SMALL, that's the only, and most important detail you need to know when it comes to drilling holes in carbon wheels so the water can drain out. I'm unaware of a drill-bit that is smaller than a water molecule, so you won't be remiss if you just automatically grab the smallest drill-bit in your collection and use that. The only three things a bigger drill-bit gets you is a faster drip, a more likely to break wheel, and a more obviously voided warranty, so just go small. I also am unable to post any photos of the wheels because all of those hole-shot wheels are no longer in this team's possession. But as far as hole placement is concerned, you'll want to drill the hole just below where your brakepad runs on the braking surface. An easy way to do that would be to put your bike in a repair stand, grab the brake lever with a zip-tie or toe-strap and then use the bottom edge of the pad to place the drill-bit properly. One hole works fine. I'll try to post a photo in the coming months when we start getting all of our stuff for '09. I have a good blog post planned for this new season's coming onslaught of work, so keep coming back for that stuff. It should be photo-rich and epic.

Now, back to the original question of becoming what I've become....
This is an awesome question and the person who asked should get a prize. It's also worth disclaiming that this is how I did it. It might not be the best way to do it, but it was my path and I had fun getting here, and continue having fun with this job. I love this job, and it's been one of the best things that has ever happened to me. The reason this is such a big-deal question to me is because it's something I've thought about quite a bit. I've wanted to do this job ever since I was a kid watching the Tour de France and I saw some dude hanging out of a car adjusting Miguel Indurain's rear derailleur. But I honestly couldn't tell you how I got here and when I was young I had no clue as to how to land the job, and with no one to tell me how, I had to bushwhack a path to uh... success.... It's not the sort of job you go to school for really. I think for me it was a lot of small choices I made early in life that got me here, but I'll try to tell you what I did to get myself here without mentioning all the bad advice.

It wasn't a super-easy path for me to get this job. When it comes right down to it, there aren't many available positions in the industry for people to fill. The good thing for new people is that there seems to be a reasonably high turn-over rate for this industry as well. Let's face it, not everyone wants to spend their entire life working long hours every day, driving back and forth across the country, and making the sort of money that makes a stipend at graduate school look like perverted excess, let alone health insurance. Which points out the fact that, even if you do complete the education that is available to you, you might not like the lifestyle that comes along with this job.

That's the hard part. Now the easy part. It's not difficult to become a good bicycle mechanic, you just have to pay attention to detail, learn the machine, and take your job seriously. That's about it. Bike shops unfortunately are viewed as toy stores by many and this has impacted the cycling industry in a bad way, in my opinion. It means bike shop jobs generally are handed out to younger people and are poorly compensated positions. You shouldn't have a hard time getting a bike shop job if you are persistent and take the work seriously. I think society is starting to change it's views on the purpose of the bicycle and bike shops are starting to see the need for quality people getting quality pay so change is a comin' but it never happens overnight. I started working in bike shops while I was in college and did that for about seven or eight years before I got a job with a team. Anyway, that would be a good first step. The next step once you've gotten a bike shop job is to get as much education as you can. '

There are two very reputable mechanic schools in the US, and I've attended both of them. There is the Barnett Bicycle Insitute in Colorado Springs (http://www.bbinstitute.com/) and there is United Bicycle Institute in Ashland, Oregon (http://www.bikeschool.com/). Go to one of these schools. Both of these schools are fantastic, and even if you don't get a job with Astana upon graduating, it'll be the best time of your life. I'm more proud of the education I received at these schools than I am of the education I received at the unnamed big ten school I attended for college. These types of schools are not a direct pipeline to a job with a team, but if you are serious about being a good bicycle mechanic, the education you'll get at either of these schools will be indispensable. It will make you a better mechanic, earn you the right to higher pay, and prepare you for advancement at your bike shop if nothing else. There is also a clinic that is held at USA Cycling headquarters in Colorado Springs that is geared strictly towards being a race mechanic. A clinic that I have yet to attend, but I've been lucky enough to have worked with one of the clinics first students who has helped develop their curriculum. Sadly, even completing the Bill Woodul Mechanic's Clinic won't guarantee you a job with a team, but it'll help make some contacts and introduce you to the ins and out of being a race mechanic. There is also a website called (http://www.promechanics.com/) that is an awesome resource for people in the industry. They even have job postings on there. I've been using that website since its inception and it has been a very useful resource.

Probably the most important thing you can do is be willing to travel to races so you can start talking to, and getting involved with, people that are already in the industry. Talk to racers, talk to promoters, talk to club organizers and managers and everyone else that doesn't seem particularly busy at the time because these are the people that will say, “Yeah, I think I know a guy...” to someone that is in a position to hire a mechanic, which is basically how I got my job. Getting this job, at least for me, was like wanting to get hit by a train. I figured it wouldn't happen if I wasn't standing on the tracks. If there aren't major, NRC level bike races happening near you, travel to them. If you don't want to travel to them, you probably shouldn't do this for a living because if you do land this type of job, you will spend your entire life traveling to bike races, so you shouldn't be opposed to doing it now. Sleep in your car, it's okay. You'll be better off doing this sort of thing now because it's exactly what you'll have to do later if you get a job working for a team. You might even have an adventure or two!

Ultimately, because of the oddness of this job and how one comes to do it, I can only speak of my own personal experience and the path that I took to get here. I've met guys that took what I would consider an exceptionally easier way, but what it comes down to is having the drive to do it. I made very little money the first two years I did this job and I still spend months away from home at a time (I literally left my house in January of '08 and didn't come home, for three days before I had to leave again, until June last year). But I really wouldn't have it any other way. You must absolutely LOVE traveling and you must have an insatiable desire to see places, regardless of where it is, because for every Queenstown, New Zealand or Bend or Hood River you get to see, you'll have to go and do a race in Altoona, PA the very same month.... Now that I think about it, you'll actually have to drive from Bend to Altoona, so yeah... good luck. Just make sure you come up and say Hi when you're at the races next year. I'd also be a bit remiss if I didn't tell you to read the book “Get in the Van” by Henry Rollins. That book will tell you all you need to know about doing this job.