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Wednesday, September 8

The Team Relay Championship was today. This is one of the few team events, where one rider "hands off" to another. Mechanics take spare wheels and trainers to help the riders warm up before taking their turn. TJ and Chip will work the relay. Matt Eames is stationed at the bottom of the downhill during practice, and Calvin is in the shop. It is busy day for all of us. The USA was 8th today, with Canada winning.

We notice in the early morning one of the four relay bikes has a loose bottom bracket, which does not help the front shifting. The rider was to be our anchor, the last rider. It was critical the work be done quickly, and that the rider not see his bike apart hours before the race, but it is a change easily done. The external bottom bracket crankset systems allow for quick service.

The same relay bike had a miss dished front wheel, pulled to one side. The overall spoke tension is low, so we can also correct the dish and add tension at the same time. The Shimano® system here allows you to hold the spoke from twisting.

The morning is a bit crazy, as downhillers head for the lifts, the XC people head for the trails, and the trials folk head for the pallets and logs.

Airing up for a day's workout.

The bike above was repaired with a thread coil in Lugano, 2003. The coil had begun to pull out after another year's service. Perhaps this bike should be retired, but not now, it must be repaired. We install a threaded T-nut, called a dropout saver. The cordless drill was from a trials rider, used to buff and roughen the rim.

Tonight was the opening ceremonies, where all the riders get to meet mingle. Each nation is lead by a local school child with signs made by the children.

Shop hours today 05:30-22:00.

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