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Wrenchin' in the USA: The Chris Davidson diary 2005
Chris Davidson is a mechanic for Shimano Multi-Service doing neutral tech support at road and mountain bike races..
Chris' diary entries show us what life is like inside the pits and give an insight into the mind of a mechanic.
NORBA NCS Series #2, McDowell Mountain Park, Arizona, March 17-20, 2005
Day two - Is the UCI's new tech support rule the pits?
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Day two in Arizona started with cooler and more ominous weather on the horizon. Brewing up on the NORBA racing horizon is another potential storm. It revolves around the UCI rule change for 2005 allowing outside support in mountain bike races. While the UCI may envision the future of mtb racing to look more like road racing as far as mechanical support, on this side of the Atlantic (the true origin of the sport), the desire to keep NORBA racing self-sufficient is strong. While the rules have always been bent in international competition (witness several hand-ups of 'heavy waterbottles' containing spares and tools in major events) the new rule change creates a new era with its own ambiguity. Now, riders are allowed access to spares and tools in specifically designated pits on the course. No outside assistance in the form of physical labor is allowed, however the rider may use the dropped equipment in the pit area to repair his/her bike. This includes changing wheels and replacing damaged parts. The new rule does limit all-out bike swaps as seen in cyclocross competition, but in other respects is vague.
Will this impact competition and how? Already this new rule change has come into play and affected top 10 finishes. At the first NORBA race in Texas, both Alison Dunlap and Willow Koerber took advantage of additional equipment provided in neutral 'pits' to overcome mechanical issues and finish in the top ten. The divide between the resources available to pro team riders versus unsupported racers gets even larger when this new rule comes into play.
The rule change is still in its infancy, and the varying reactions to the change have been altered race to race. The Trek team made a bold move in the manager's meeting yesterday to offer support resources to all riders on Trek bikes (not just Trek factory pros). I will have the full text of their policy tomorrow. I spent some time today talking to team managers, team mechanics, component manufacturers and riders about how the rule best fits into NORBA's vision and their own approach to racing. There definitely is some chaos on the topic, but there is no lack of strong opinion. I will try to summarize the different perspectives I got from Zach Vestal (Trek mechanic), Jon Posner (Trek Manager), John Dawson (SRAM), Gary Wolff (Maxxis mechanic) and others as I gain more information this weekend. This topic truly is the buzz in the pits right now.
On other fronts, I have some pictures today of 700c disc brake wheelset with road tires on them. These fit into 26in wheel sized frames and forks with no problems. The disc brakes create a compatible braking interface that defies wheelsize. This configuration seem to be growing in popularity in the pits as a good way to: 1. save wear and tear on mtb race tires 2. serve as a more effective way to warm up and get to and from race weekend housing and 3. warmup on trainers without excessive noise. It seems that most pro teams have built up wheelsets for these reasons. [We know a few mountain bikers who have built 700C disk wheels to turn their bikes into weekday commuters too - Ed]
Lastly, Shimano has sent some of its top component development people from Japan to this race. For us this means new parts bearing the distinctive 'Skunkworks' decals, meaning that the developing part is undergoing some testing. Most of the time the distinction is small and meant to be subtle, as not to draw undue attention. However when the 'Skunk' emblem is present, or you notice a date etched on a part with no other markings, rest assured that future generations of components are already being put to the test.
Much more tomorrow, for now thanks for reading,
Chris Davidson
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Chris Davidson
- The future is closer than you think.
- Trek mechanic Zach Vestal prepares to pack his ‘pitbox’ for mechanical support
- 700c rims, slick 23mm road tires and 135mm disc brake hubs and rotors. More practical for warming up.
- The best of both worlds? 700c road rims and tires on mtb disc hubs are everywhere these days.
