CTS Amgen Tour of California Race Experience
Still in the process of getting back home, but wanted to say that the week spent with Carmichael Training Systems at the Tour of California was amazing! I had three great mechanics working for me, and we knocked it out of the park!
A special thanks goes out to Mike Hetrick (http://www.mrgoodbike.com, Gainesville, FL, @mikehetrick1), Steve Donovan (Turin Bicycles, Denver, @bikemechsteve), and Doug Chambers (Golden Belt Bicycle, Great Bend, Kansas). They made my job easy and have all become good friends, who I would LOVE to work with again.
The best compliment I got over the week was “I’ve been to several CTS camps, and you guys are, BY FAR, the best mechanic crew I’ve seen.” Makes you feel really good about your team and that, at least to that client, our mission was accomplished.
I’m going to do more detailed stage re-caps in the next few days, but I’ve got some catching up to do, and I’ve got another gig with Team Exergy next weekend on Memorial Day at USPRO Championships in Greenville, SC.
Fox Racing Shox Service Intervals and Upgrades
A few weeks back, I went to the Park Tool Tech Summit, here in Atlanta. Several major manufacturers were in attendance, offering tech clinics to mechanics, to educate them on their products and show them all the new goodies for 2012. Some of those manufacturers included: Park Tool, Cane Creek, FSA, Shimano, Mavic, Campagnolo, SRAM, and Fox Racing Shox.
Of the manufacturers in attendance, one of the most informative and most hands-on, was the clinic by Fox Racing Shox. Mechanics had the opportunity to disassemble a TALAS fork, learn to service the fork, and re-assemble it. All that information was great, but it wasn’t the MOST important information that was passed down to us. The most important thing we were taught was toINFORM OUR CUSTOMERS ABOUT THE MANUFACTURER’S SERVICE INTERVALS FOR THEIR PRODUCTS.
With Fox Racing Shox introducing their Evolution series of forks, and more manufacturers switching back to Fox for their 2012 bike spec, it becomes extremely important that the user services their fork properly. The schedule listed below is Fox’s service intervals for their air sprung forks. Pay special attention to the RED column, for service that is required after EACH RIDE/RACE:
Air Spring Forks (All 32, 36: F-SERIES, FLOAT & TALAS)
|
service procedure item |
new |
each ride/race |
every 30 hours |
every 100 hours or annually |
|
set sag |
X |
|||
|
set damping adjustments |
X |
|||
|
clean exterior of fork with mild soap and water only; wipe dry with soft towel |
X |
|||
|
inspect dropout thickness (9 mm) |
X |
|||
|
inspect bushings |
X |
|||
|
Visit the FOXHelp service site for service procedures information. |
X |
|||
|
X |
||||
|
service damper: 32 FIT, 36 FIT,Terralogic® |
X |
|||
|
X |
Another great bit of knowledge is the Fox Upgrade Area on their website. If you visit http://www.foxracingshox.com/upgrades.php?m=bike&ref=topnav, and type in the model and year of your fork, a list of possible upgrade parts and their part numbers are listed for you. For example, if you’ve got a Float 80 fork from 2009, and your new wheels require a 15mm through-axle, you would find two 15QR lowers, black or white options, for you to choose from. They also have a FIT cartridge upgrade for that fork, as well. For that particular fork, the page would look something like this:
These are very important things to know. If you properly maintain your fork/shock according to Fox’s service intervals, your fork will last much longer than if you neglect it. With the upgrade list, you can take your Fox fork and use it on a new bike with new technology, and not necessarily have to replace the entire fork. For more information on Fox Racing Shox, their products, service intervals, or upgrades, contact me or visit http://www.foxracingshox.com
It’s Been WAY Too Long…
I’ve taken a long hiatus from blogging, due to school, church, and other commitments. Yes, they’re excuses, but I had to prioritize and get all my ducks in a row. I’m going to try to type a little more coming very soon. Thanks for being patient with my typing.
-Josh
p.s. – I’ve got a 4.0 average since I started back to school. So there.
Getting Sis in on the Social Media Thing
I’m showing my sister how to do social media… linking a blog with Twitter/Facebook/Etc.
Just a test post… don’t get too excited.
URGENT – FAMILY IN CRISIS NEEDS YOUR HELP!
My buddy Swift Johnson, lead singer for Hope’s Anchor, lost his sister this weekend to an act of senseless violence. She was murdered by her estranged husband, then he turned the gun on himself, attempting to take his own life. By doing so, he left FOUR kids between the ages of 12 and 17 with no mother and no way to support themselves. The news story can be found HERE.
Lots of folks from my church, Revolution Church (Canton, GA), are putting the word out to help these kids get some of the essentials during this Holiday season. They need clothes, food, and basics for living during this time. They have, literally, nothing to give thanks for this Thanksgiving. Help me change that. The kids need the following:
Dionna/17, med shirt, 9 girls juniors pants, 7/8 women’s under garments, 9 womens shoes
Josiah/14, med shirt, 18 pants, 7 men’s shoes, socks/boxers (small), socks
Trey/12, shirts small mens, pants 16/18, shoes 6 1/2, boxers/socks
Derrick/15, mens x-large shirt, size 36 pants, mens large boxers,socks, size 12 shoe.
I don’t have a lot to give them, personally, but I’m going to make a sacrifice somewhere in order to do so. If you read this, I’d like to ask that you chip in a little bit, as well. If you’d like to make a gift card donation, please send it to:
Revolution Church, 155 P.Rickman Industrial, Canton, GA, 30115
If you’d like to donate via PayPal, you can send it to my PayPal address. I’ll get the donation where it needs to go. The Paypal address is:
If you have any further questions regarding donations or would like to help out more, please let me know by contacting me at probikewrench@gmail.com. Thank you for making a difference to kids who need a little bit of hope right now.
If you’re reading this blog post, please forward it on to anyone you think might be able to help. Thank you for your help.
Taking a Break
It’s pretty obvious that I haven’t been on track with posting/updating PROBIKEWRENCH.COM lately. I’ve had a lot going on, and will continue to over the next few months.
I’m in the process of moving to a new house in the same town. We’re going to be saving a good bit more money by making that move, which will put us in a much better position for future endeavors, cycling and otherwise.
Another big thing in my life that’s kind of crept back into the picture is COLLEGE. I never finished a degree back when I was first enrolled. Some of my focus during the first go-round was taken away by short periods of active duty training with the Marines. It split up my school years and I never really could get back in the right rhythm to complete my degree. Starting in January, I’ll be trying to tackle online courses with Liberty University Online, majoring in Religion, another passion of mine.
I may still continue to be a part of the VeloReviews Podcast… I’ll just have to see how much time I have once the schoolwork comes, and see if I can balance it. My PROBIKEWRENCH branded coffee (which people CONSTANTLY ask about) will probably be on the back burner for a while, too.
Bottom line is, for a while, posting will be sporadic. I’ll post as I see fit, but don’t hold your breath for any new material. I’ve got a lot of other things that now take precedence over blogging and the PROBIKEWRENCH brand (that I’ve been working on for the last 5 years). I’ll still be around… just not nearly as frequently.
Thanks for reading and understanding.
