The Shimano camp
Photo: © Chris Davidson

The Chris Davidson diary

Chris Davidson is a former mechanic for Bontrager Racing Service, now in the service of Shimano Multi-Service.

Chris' diary entries will show you what life is like inside the pits and an insight into the mind of a mechanic.

Index to all entries

NORBA National Series #5 - Schweitzer Mountain, Idaho, July 29-August 2, 2004

Day 1 - July 29: Easy on the eyes, hard on the ears

Greetings from Idaho,

We are in the upper part of the panhandle of Idaho, about 50 miles from the Canadian border. The Olympic teams have been named for both the USA and Canada, so maybe this weekend we can get back to a more normal NORBA race weekend. While the Olympic chase was the big news this year, all that came tumbling down today as the news of latest round of positive drug testing sweep though the pit area. Thursday is usually the quiet day in a NORBA weekend, but today the news of Filip's positive test and instant retirement was on everyone's lips. It was a combination of disbelief and fear for the sport that surrounded the discussion.

Thursday is a day to catch up with familiar faces, today the now healthy and always fast Brian Lopes came by the tent to say hello. He is now cruising to the races in a killer little RV that was parked behind our Shimano trailer this morning. Super stylie inside despite the small size - I will get a photo of it for tomorrow's report.

From north of the border, Chris Sheppard (Haro) got hit by a car while training at home two days ago. We saw him today at the venue and he was OK, by the impact of the collision destroyed his training bike completely. The only parts that were salvageable were the brake calipers and the left pedal. The impact even ripped his soles off his shoes. He had a little gash on his elbow, but other than that he is good to go this weekend.

We saw the Ford women today after their pre-ride and their bikes need some work. They all just got new K2 frames; some or all their components just got swapped over and not everything was working 100 percent.

After closing up the trailer this afternoon, we went out to ride the XC course. The course is a mix of double-track climbs that are a little loose, and twisty single-track downhill sections. The problem with the downhills is the ground is getting worn out and the surface is turning to a very fine dust. This is no problem if you are the first one though a section, however if you are following another rider, the first rider kicks up the dust and the trail gets obscured. This dust is unique in that when disturbed, it tends to swirl in a plume in the three feet above the ground, then it takes about 45 seconds to settle. This low cloud of dust makes it impossible to see any detail of the trail when following another rider. I had to back off about 30 meters on the descents in order to be able see the ruts. It makes positioning on the course very important.

So other than the dust, this part of the country is beautiful. Schweitzer Mountain sits above the town of Sandpoin, with the town surrounded by a lake. From the mountaintop, the view of the lake below is really amazing. The mountainsides are covered with pine trees and despite the dryness of the dust, the place is very green. Very easy on the eyes.

If you are at the race site tomorrow, drop by the trailer and say 'hi'. Until then, thanks for reading,

CD