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• Mechanical Mondays: Weight Saving Tips For Your Cyclocross Bike

  1 August 11 • 4 comments

  

  This year, you’ll be faster. You’ll train harder and you’re going to maximize every pedal stroke, and in order to do that, your bike has got to be lighter. There are a few easy ways, a few hard ways and ways that cost more than others to make that happen.

• Mechanical Mondays: Upgrade Your Bike For Under $100

  25 July 11 • 1 comment

  

  It’s that time of year again: time to pull your cyclocross bike out of storage, take a good, long look at it and think, “Well, now what does it need?” Because we’re bike racers. And our bikes always need something, preferably something shiny and new. However, if you’re on a strict bike budget, there are some sneaky ways to upgrade or update your bike for the season, there’s an easy solution: accessories. (And yes, we realize that this piece reads like a fashion magazine article on making that Little Black Dress look brand-new by simply adding new jewelry or shoes.) Still, if you’ve been racing on — or just bought — a stock bike, we have some suggestions for how to dress it up so it stands out in the field (hopefully because you snagged the hole shot.)

• Mechanical Mondays: Avoiding The Dreaded DNF

  18 July 11 • 3 comments

  

  The sad reality is that most catastrophic failures in cross racing result from very simple factors. I have compiled a small list of race ending mechanical problems that could have been avoided with a small dose of precaution and a dash of extra care. These are not all or even the most common mechanical issues in cross racing but these all have two things in common: 1. They can absolutely end your race, giving you a regrettable DNF. 2. They can easily be prevented.

• Newbie News: Racing Cyclocross on Mountain Bikes

  11 July 11 • 3 comments

  

  Fortunately it was pretty easy to make one of my mountain bikes ‘cross worthy, and that was enough to get me by for a few seasons. I think any cross-country oriented mountain bike will work for cyclocross racing, with a few caveats. A hardtail is best, but a full-suspension bike isn’t a deal breaker. It’s like bringing combat boots to a 5K run. The equipment will work, but will probably put you out of contention for a podium spot. That being said, I’ve seen some sub-20lb, super-efficient, “no-bob” full suspension bikes with traditional front triangle designs, which would be fine to take to the starting line.

• Mechanical Mondays: Repairing Tubular Tires

  4 July 11 • 1 comment

  

  When you invest in a set of tubular tires, you pray they never flat. Because let’s face it, repairing tubulars is a whole lot of trouble. However, while it’s tempting to just chuck flatted tubulars, there are a few options worth exploring first. The most obvious one is fixing the tire yourself, and it can be done if you’re a little handy with a needle and a patch kit.

• Mechanical Mondays: Gluing Tubular Cyclocross Tires

  20 June 11 • 14 comments

  

  We’ve been reviewing new tires like the Limus from Challenge, and talking about some great wheelsets you might want to consider for the season. A few we’ve looked at so far include the Williams Cyclocross Tubular, the Zipp 303 Cyclocross Tubular and the Rolf Prima VCX Cyclocross Clincher. Other than the Rolf Prima, a distinct [...]

• Going Tubeless for Cyclocross – Avoiding the Burp, Choosing the Best Tires, and a DIY System (Updated, Part III)

  9 June 11 • 79 comments

  

  Going tubeless for cyclocross is an attractive option for anyone tired of pinch-flatting clinchers or gluing and re-gluing (or flatting) expensive tubulars. Cyclocross Magazine has long experimented with tubeless tires on our cyclocross bikes, in both cyclocross and mountain bike races, and feel that there are now so many attractive options for putting together a [...]

• Mechanical Mondays: The Conical Brush

  6 June 11 • 7 comments

  Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that when it comes to bike maintenance, sometimes the simplest tools can be the most effective. For example, Dave Drumm walks us through the many uses for a five dollar conical brush. (We also love baby bottle brushes for cleaning out water bottles, and they can be found for about [...]

• Gut Wrenching Mechanical Mondays: Bike Packing!

  6 December 10 • 4 comments

  Daimeon Shanks, pro mechanic and co-owner of The Service Course repair shop in Boulder, Colorado, shares his wisdom this week on how to pack your bike like a pro. Missed the last article on pit etiquette? Go back and check it out. Now that you’re licking your – and your bike’s –wounds from this past weekend, [...]

• Gut Wrenching Mechanical Mondays: Pit Etiquette

  29 November 10 • 1 comment

  Daimeon Shanks, pro mechanic and co-owner of The Service Course repair shop in Boulder, Colorado, shares his wisdom this week on how to survive, and thrive, in the cyclocross pits. Missed the last article on chainrings? Go back and check it out. Now that you’re licking your – and your bike’s –wounds from this past weekend, [...]

• Corner Faster and Keep Your Speed – A Column by Lee Waldman

  16 November 10 • 3 comments

  Masters racer Lee Waldman is still learning plenty of new tricks. This time it’s one simple tip that may revolutionize his racing – applying force and counter-steering through corners. Missed Lee’s last column, where reality comes crashing down and he takes a minute to reflect on the courses – and course designers – that he [...]

• Gut-Wrenching Mechanical Mondays: Pit Tools!

  15 November 10 • 1 comment

  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. Missed the last article on brake setup? Go back and check it out. Now that you’re licking your – and your bike’s – wounds from this past weekend, prepare for [...]

• Gut-Wrenching Mechanical Mondays: Weather-Proofing Cables and Housing

  25 October 10 • 1 comment

  Daimeon Shanks – pro mechanic and co-owner of The Service Course repair shop in Boulder, Colorado, is here to school you on keeping you shifting and braking performance friction-free. There are several option available, and Daimeon gives his impressions of some of the more worthy. Missed last week’s article on gluing tubulars? Go back and [...]

• Gut Wrenching Mechanical Mondays: Gluing ’Cross Tubulars

  18 October 10 • 1 comment

  Gut-Wrenching Mechanical Mondays makes its heroic return, this time under the guidance of Daimeon Shanks and Nick Legan – pro mechanics and co-owners of The Service Course repair shop in Boulder, Colorado. By now, many of you have tried other methods and experienced the dreaded rolled tubular. Here’s a method that’s ideal for holding onto [...]

• Gut-Wrenching Mechanical Mondays: Off-Season Bike Prep and Storage

  1 February 10 • 0 comment

  Before you forget that still-muddy skinsuit you left in a corner of the basement after your last race and put your bike away for this “offseason,” Dave Drumm has some tips that will help preserve your rig and have it ready to roll when it’s finally another ‘cross season already. This is the tenth installment [...]