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• Mechanical Monday: Readers Weigh in on Season’s Best Tools

  20 May 13 • 3 comments

  

  A couple of weeks ago, we asked some of our favorite mechanics and the staffers at Cyclocross Magazine which tools they simply couldn’t live without during the cyclocross season. Allen wrenches were heavily featured. But this time, we wanted to hear from our readers, the racers who can be found in the trenches and pitting [...]

• Mechanical Monday: Post-Season Inspection

  13 May 13 • 1 comment

  

  by Chris Mayhew The season is over, but before you pack away the bike into the back of the garage until next September, there are a few things you should do to ensure than when you do pull it out, covered in dust and begging to be ridden again come cyclocross season, it’s in race-ready [...]

• Mechanical Monday: The Tools You Shouldn’t Be Without

  6 May 13 • 1 comment

  

  Work time will be decreased with a repair stand. With work time decreased, beer time increases, and that makes for happier cyclocross racers. Happy cyclocross racers make for a better sport. So you see, the future of our sport depends on everyone owning repair stands.

• Mechanical Mondays: Off-Season Storage and Maintenance

  15 April 13 • 0 comment

  

  This week, we’re all about making sure that your bike is being taken care of for the next couple of months, even if you’re not out riding it. Even though cyclocross season has been over for a few months, there are probably some of you who still haven’t washed all the dirt off your ride [...]

• Mechanical Monday: Should You Be Buying Tubulars Early? The Aging Process, Explained

  8 April 13 • 0 comment

  

  If you’re planning on ordering some new tires for gravel racing (like Challenge’s Almanzo or Eroica, reviewed here), you might want to also order your cyclocross tubulars. Why? Like fine wine and cheese, tubulars benefit from the aging process! Emily Zinn of Challenge Tires shared some insight into why tubulars can benefit from aging, and [...]

• How You Should be Taking Care of Your Rig in the Off-Season

  11 March 13 • 0 comment

  

  Between travel to Louisville for Worlds and these gravel races that keep popping up, it seems like your cyclocross bike may never get a real off-season. But that’s no excuse for sloppy care-taking! Check out some of our articles on the care and keeping of your bikes in the off-season, from maintenance to storage. Off-Season [...]

• Mechanical Mondays: But my Bearings are Sealed!

  4 March 13 • 0 comment

  

  by Chandler Snyder It’s that time of year again. Time for the post-cyclocross blues to set in for some, though others may be happy that the past month of mud, snow, ice and sub-freezing temps are gone. Regardless of which side of the fence you’re on, don’t just hang the bike(s) up and leave them [...]

• Mechanical Monday: What Amateur Mechanics Should Have in Their Toolboxes

  21 January 13 • 2 comments

  

  by Chandler Snyder Being a mechanic, I’ve been asked many times over the years, “What tools should I get?”  Usually this is asked by someone new to cycling once they’ve realized it’s not just as simple as putting on shoes and rolling out the door down the road. But regardless of cycling or mechanic expertise, [...]

• Making Sure Your Bike Makes it to Nationals and Worlds in One Piece

  7 January 13 • 1 comment

  

  by Chandler Snyder With less than a week until Cyclocross Nationals, many out there are thinking about prepping and packing for the event. The biggest logistical packing job is usually the bike, especially for those who don’t travel much and/or often with their bike. Unless you’re driving to Madison, or paying a service to ship [...]

• Mechanical Monday: Update Your Drivetrain for a Smoother Ride

  24 December 12 • 2 comments

  

  From the man who brought you “The Glitter Method” two weeks ago, Chandler Snyder is back to talk about how you (yes, you!) can handle overhauling your drivechain and getting your chain Nationals and Worlds prepared. While we’re fans of low-maintenance systems like Gore’s discontinued Sealed Low Friction Ride-On cable and housing sets, they’re becoming [...]

• Add Some Sparkle To Your Tubulars: A Mechanic’s Trick for Repairing Late Season Flats

  10 December 12 • 3 comments

  

    by Chandler Snyder Riding tubulars for cyclocross is one of the best feelings in the world. The grip, the “cush” … but then, the getting a flat. It has happened to the best of us, and often at the worst possible moment  Right as you get to pass your local nemesis, or you’ve just [...]

• The Case for the Pit Bike

  29 November 12 • 6 comments

  

  Two months ago, we ran an editorial that made the case for pit wheels versus a pit bike. Instantly, the Internet was up in arms: whether riders and racers agreed or disagreed with Brooke Hoyer, they were certainly vocal. But until now, no one turned in a rebuttal article. Today, Chris Mayhew, a coach with [...]

• Win Big, Stay Clean by Sharing Your Favorite Mechanic Tips with Cyclocross Magazine and ProGold

  22 October 12 • 2 comments

  

  Want to win some sweet shwag from ProGold?  Is your bike so muddy that it is starting to look like Swamp Thing?  Is your chain squeaking louder than a particular Cyclocross Magazine pit crew member’s car brakes?  If so we have the solution for you: a chance to win a ProGold bike maintenance pack that [...]

• Improving Skills, One Clinic at a Time

  4 September 12 • 2 comments

  

  Lately, Western Massachusetts has been buzzing with events tailored with one goal in mind: to make the women racers in the area as strong as they possibly can be, all while having a great time. Between women-only group rides on MTBs to Mechanic Night featuring pro racer and mechanic Justin Lindine to an informal clinic [...]

• Gut-Wrenching Mechanical Mondays: The Daily Maintenance and Inspection Routine

  20 August 12 • 0 comment

  

  You’ve dusted off the cyclocross bike after a long few months in storage. You’ve inspected it once, replaced what needed to be replaced, and now … you’re finally riding it again! Well, make sure it stays in that almost-new condition by checking out our article on Daily Maintenance and Inspection. Good habits just after you [...]