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get it dialed with our pro tips

  • Mechanical Mondays: Personal Pressure Gauge

    Planet Bike's portable gauge offering makes for a nice stocking stuffer © Dave Drumm

    If you’re like us, and we’re betting you are, you’re currently going through your gear and figuring out what little things you need for the season. This Monday, we’re re-running an article Dave Drumm wrote for us about the importance of having a pressure gauge for your tires. They’re cheap, and won’t take up too [...]

  • Mechanical Mondays: Custom Cable Housing Solution

    Drumm (in Hudz Subara attire) might be worn-out, but his shifting is still spot on!

    Our first ever Mechanical Monday column, re-run in case you recently jumped on the cyclocross bandwagon. Enjoy! This is the first in a weekly series of from-the-crew-pits tips. Some will be straight-forward, others more involved, but they’ll all help you to keep your cyclocross bike humming smoothly along. Dave Drumm is the Webcor chief mechanic [...]

  • Mechanical Monday: Readers Ask, Experts Answer

    A wonky front derailleur can ruin your race. Make sure yours doesn't stand in your way!

    One of our readers asked, ”What’s the best way to set up front dérailleur to get smooth responsive shifting? Any thoughts?” Chris Mayhew, one of our favorite Mechanical Monday participants, had a few thoughts. There are a few things to think about. It’s a matter of eliminating variables, really.

  • How To: Craftsman Cordless Inflator Dials In PSI To Presta Tires With Minimal Conversion

    The Craftsman Cordless Inflator could change the way you pump up your tires. Chris Mayhew

    Check out a new use for the Craftsman Cordless Inflator: dial in your tire pressure to .1 PSI!

  • Gut-Wrenching Mechanical Mondays: Hoods Up for Better Control

    Hoods up - a good 'cross position © Dave Drumm

    If you’re anything like us here at Cyclocross Magazine, you’re starting to dust off the cyclocross bike and get it into tip-top shape for fall. ’Cross bikes share many things with road bikes, but there are stark differences both in the machines and in a good rider’s position. This week’s Gut-Wrenching Mechanical Mondays feature takes [...]

  • Mechanical Mondays: Single or Double Chainrings?

    Thinking about what to do about your chainring this season? We’re looking back at an oldie-but-goodie Mechanical Monday that delves into the pros and cons of single and double chainrings. Daimeon Shanks, pro mechanic and co-owner of The Service Course repair shop in Boulder, Colorado, has compiled his list of must-haves for the cyclocross pits. [...]

  • Mechanical Monday: It’s All About the Tires

    A preview of the tread on Continental's new 2013 cyclocross tubular.

    It’s June, so the cyclocross season is less than three months away. That means it’s time to start thinking about what wheels and tires you’ll be using come September, and looking at repairing old ones, gluing up new wheels and a whole host of other tire-related issues. So for today, we’re looking back at all [...]

  • Mechanical Monday: Shift and Brake Cables and Housing, Demystified

    Working with cables might seem daunting but the experts are willing to share their secrets. Jason Gardner

    by Jason Gardner If you imagine your bike’s cable housing to be like a set tunnels, then imagine an army of little people running back and forth delivering the messages from your shifters and brake levers to their appropriate derailleurs and brakes. Sometimes, those people get tired. Sometimes they get confused and think they only [...]

  • Mechanical Mondays: Setting Up Those Brakes

    The reverse toe-in often works better than the front.

    It’s the off-season, so it’s time to be making changes to your cyclocross bike after what you experienced last season. For some, that could mean swapping brakes. Daimeon Shanks, pro mechanic and co-owner of The Service Course repair shop in Boulder, Colorado, will show you the finicky way of the cyclocross brake. Daimo shares his [...]

  • Mechanical Mondays: It’s the Pits

    Working in the pits for a friend can be just as rewarding as racing in a cyclocross race … right? OK, odds are good you got roped into being in the pit, or bribed with promises of post-race beer, or you lost a bet or a game of rock-paper-scissors. But whatever the reason, you’re in [...]

  • Mechanical Monday: When Crashing, Part II

    Like we said last week, whether you’re a noob to cyclocross or a seasoned pro, you will crash in a cyclocross race at some point or another. [Ed. note: ee “Is Joey OK?” for an illustration.] Last week, Jason Gardner walked us through before you remount, the few things you should take a second to [...]

  • Riding the Night Train – Tips and Tricks for Cyclocross Training at Night

    Gabby Day at the Midnight Ride of Cyclocross. Russ Campbell

    An oldie-but-goodie, we’re taking a look back at a great piece on training and riding at night. Now that the weather is warming up a bit, there’s time for those longer, dusky rides after work, since you aren’t battling to get home before temperatures dip into frostbite territory. And as summer hits, who doesn’t love [...]

  • And They’re Off! Kiddie Cross Resumes in Northampton, Massachusetts

    Kiddie Cyclocross in Northampton. © Molly Hurford

    by Molly Hurford In January, we ran an article asking, “Just How Healthy is Junior Cyclocross in the US?” If Western Massachusetts is any indication, the answer is: “Very.” In Issue 13 of Cyclocross Magazine, we explored Kiddie Cross in Northampton, Massachusetts, a program teaching the cyclocross ropes to youngsters ranging from 7 years old [...]

  • Mechanical Monday: What To Do When You Crash

    Joey hit the ground hard, but he's OK! Craig Fowler

    Whether you’re a noob to cyclocross or a seasoned pro, you will crash in a cyclocross race at some point or another. Even here at Cyclocross Magazine, we’ve had our share of crashes; see “Is Joey OK?” for an illustration. But before you remount onto a seat that’s no longer in place, there are a [...]

  • Mechanical Mondays: Tagging Your Gear (So You Get it Back!)

    If you’re chomping at the bit to get ready for cyclocross, or you’re in the middle of a mountain or road season, this week’s tip is simple but incredibly effective. Between the weather and course variability, heading to a cyclocross race usually involves schlepping and keeping track of a lot of clothing and gear in [...]



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