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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.
Interbike 2004 - Las Vegas, USA, October 4-8, 2004
Last wrenching adventure
Hi Cyclingnews.com readers,
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Chris Davidson here in Moab for my last wrenching adventure for 2004, the 24 Hours of Moab. I worked this race in 2002 for Shimano, but I missed it last year because I was crossing the country with the inaugural Tour of Hope. This is one of the most enjoyable events for our mechanic staff, so it was good to return. This race also marks the final event for Shimano Multi-Service staffers Matt Eames (my boss) and Foye Troute. Both of these guys carry more experience in the tech area than everyone else combined. Matt has been the US guy at MTB World's for four years now, and if we are lucky, he will continue to represent. These two are going to be missed on the MTB circuit, both for their skill and their personality. Really great guys, I wish them well at the next step.
Moab. Legendary trails and riding is the center, surrounded by awesome scenery. This makes for a killer setting for a 24hr race. This year the track was getting a little sandy, but it was still fast, which means lots of miles and lots of laps in one day. I got down there on Friday, only to realize that I was without sleeping equipment. The race is held out in the 'Behind the Rocks' NWA, far south of the town of Moab. It gets cold at night out there; two years ago it got to 18 degrees F on the first night. A quick call to Western Spirit (westernspirit.com) in Moab and I get setup with a -20 degree bag and a thermorest. Good people, they run the best mtb tours. Back on site, the traffic in the tent was slow on Friday, we shut down at 4:00pm. Keith Bontrager came by to say 'hi', he is 50 this year and the 24 Hours of Moab was his 50th 24hr race. Keith was racing on a 4 person master's team; his boys ended up on the podium in second place.
Other surprise sightings included T-Mobile women's mechanic Ken Whelpdale, riding on a 4 person team. Ken has spent most of this Olympic year in Europe. With T-Mobile changing direction next year, Ken was looking to change sides to the men; he talked about possibilities with CSC and Gerolsteiner for next season. But this weekend was just for fun. Ken is always good for stories from the road and he had a good one about ambushing the soigneurs in the feed zone at Tour of Toscana. Seems like some payback was in order for another prank, so Ken got out of the car about 3km before the feed zone and over-landed it to sneak up on the soigneurs from behind and give them the Gatorade bath. Ken has been one of the biggest pranksters among team staff for years; he will be missed here in the US if he indeed heads across the pond next season.
Back to Moab, and the tech area. The Shimano trailer was setup in the tech area near the start finish. Problem was that the port-a-potty city was setup right across from us, less than 40 feet away. The smell of the 'blue liquid' was constantly floating our direction... less than enjoyable. To their credit, the service crew came through every two hours and kept the 'green huts' unloaded and as pleasant as possible. This situation has to be unique to 24hr racing, but I guess for logistical reasons, the 'essentials' have to all be closely clustered near the start/finish. That meant us, and the 'green huts'.
The vibe at 24hr races is really enjoyable and hospitable once the race starts. People are always very grateful and helpful when they are under the pressure of constant racing. Weird, you might think that the opposite would be true. Lots of happy folks brought us food, beer, and firewood (very helpful at this race) during the course of the race. Makes working long hours worthwhile and rewarding. I felt like I helped a lot of people feel less stressed about their race.
I saw some cool tech at the race. Ariel from Maverick had a prototype adjustable seat post that was very smooth and light. We had a Saint bike on display in the trailer; this one had the new 150mm rear end/83mm BB parts on it. The stuff is crazy beefy for the North Shore types, the bike drew plenty of interest. Last, the worldwide head of MTB development for Shimano, Hara, came to the race carefully looking around at bikes and parts. He also hung out with us and ate hot dogs off the grill. Cool to see that the guys at the top enjoy the simple pleasure of riding and hanging out.
I don't know if I will ever attempt to ride in a 24hr race myself, but they are some of the more enjoyable events to be involved with. This one was in a beautiful place, making for a vivid experience. I am going to miss the interaction with Matt and Foye next season, but for now it is good to take a break.
2004 has been a busy year for me. I have had the opportunity to meet/work with some of the greatest people (Mike Engleman, Matt Eames, Foye Troute, Ken Whelpdale, James Sharpe, etc., the list is long) in this sport. I have learned new things (Kathryn Curi of Rona taught me how to peel a banana correctly) and I have visited new places (Mount Snow, Mammoth) for the first time. I have had the opportunity to work with amazing athletes (Kim Anderson, Dede Barry, Henk Vogels, the Kona boys, the Genesis Scuba girls, and many more that I can think of). I have been fortunate this year, that is easy to see now, but sometimes it gets lost in the 20 hour work days, the travel, and the nights away from home. I look forward to this winter, getting the dirt and dust out of my toolbox, using some frequent flyer miles for personal vacation and spending a few more weekends at home. But I can't wait for next year, I have the addiction.
Until then, take care and thanks for reading,
CD
Photography
Images by Chris Davidson
- Using a Le Mans-style start, the 24 Hours of Moab had all the teams running to their bikes.
- The Lasal mountains in the background.
- New Saint group with a 150mm rear end and 83mm BB. Super beefy.
- Ariel Lindsely of Maverick was sporting a new Maverick adjustable seatpost. This is the post in the up position; note the blue ano height adjust lever.
- The adjustment lever on the Maverick post sits right under the nose of the saddle.
- The Maverick post in the gravity position.
- Night falls seven hours into the race.
- The sunset was a sight to behold in Moab.
- We ran neutral service until 11:30pm on the first night, then opened up again at 6:00am the next morning.
- Possibly the worst job at a 24hr race. Located about 35 feet from our trailer, mostly upwind.
- A 1950 era International truck circled the tech area hourly to attempt the keep the dust in check.
- Shimano's worldwide head of mountain bike parts development was in attendance in Moab, checking out the racing.