Category: Blog Posts

Death and Fear in Cycling

Photo: http://mtbs.cz
Photo: http://mtbs.cz

Today, the cycling community lost a very dear friend, South African XC mountain biker, Burry Stander.  He was tragically killed by a taxi while training in his hometown.  The entire MTB racing family, and most friends that follow competitive cycling, are mourning greatly.

Burry was riding his bike, just like you or I ride our bikes every day.  If we take to the roads, we are putting ourselves in danger.  Cyclists cannot predict what auto drivers are going to do while driving.  We can take all the precautions possible, but we are still no match for a 2,000 pound vehicle heading our way.  Mountain biking carries its own inherent dangers, even if we choose not to ride insane stunts like riders in our favorite MTB videos.  Rocks, roots, trees, and even crazed animals are all hazards that could be encountered on a trip in the woods.

Should we stop cycling, all together?  Should we take all risk out of our lives to ensure that we survive our day-to-day lives?  Absolutely not, I say.  Regardless of how we try to shelter ourselves from potential threats to our livelihood, ceasing our activities and living under an umbrella of fear is no way to live life.

“A life lived in fear is a life half-lived.” — Spanish proverb, in Baz Luhrmann’s movie Strictly Ballroom

Remember Burry Stander’s family and friends in your prayers, as well as those family and friends of other cyclists that have been killed while cycling.  Take time to mourn, but do not allow sadness and fear to encompass your life.   Do not live in fear, but in action.   Join a cycling advocacy group, and do your best to encourage positive and progressive cycling legislation in your local cycling community.  Obey the rules of the road.  Wear your helmet.  Teach a beginner road cyclist how to properly ride in traffic.  Lead a group ride.  Go live.

My friend, VeloNews journalist Dan Wuori, echoed the sentiments of many cycling fans tonight in a Tweet:

“@dwuori: A Cyclist’s Prayer: Watch over those who ride and bring comfort to all who mourn. #RIPBurry”

“Parts Hangers” vs. “Bike Mechanics”

Working on Nice Stuff is Easy.
Working on Nice Stuff is Easy.

There is a difference between “Parts Hangers” and “Bike Mechanics.”

A Parts Hanger can resemble a Bike Mechanic, and knows their way around a bike, but doesn’t like working on bikes unless they’re installing new, high-end parts.  You can tell a Parts Hanger by the way they check in a repair.  If, when checking in a repair for service, the “mechanic” (and I use that term loosely in this situation) starts tallying up a list of new parts without properly checking over the bike, you may have a Parts Hanger on your hands.  Inside the bike shop, a Parts Hanger “cherry-picks” the repairs they work on, leaving less expensive bikes or repairs that require actual work, for another mechanic to handle.

A real Bike Mechanic can actually fix bikes.  It doesn’t matter what brand or style of bike, or what shape it is in… the real Bike Mechanic can make the bike function properly.  Sure, there are instances where bikes are too far gone to repair, but in most cases, the real Bike Mechanic will do their best to repair the bike to the best functioning order it is capable of.  Real Bike Mechanics are fluent in all bicycle styles, and you do not usually see them turn up their nose at a challenging repair.

Don’t get me wrong… real Bike Mechanics like working on nice things.  It is extremely fun to piece together a custom build for a good customer, but that is not the only part of a Bike Mechanic’s job.  It’s easy to work on nice stuff… it’s engineered to work flawlessly.  The mark of a true Bike Mechanic is whether or not they can make the crappy stuff work.  Real Bike Mechanics do not cut corners, and they get the job done right – the first time.

And Bicycle Race Mechanics take it exponentially farther…

Twelve for ’12

2012 was a very dynamic year for me.  Every month, it seemed like there was something new and different headed my way.  There was a lot of change and a lot of travel.  2012 was my busiest year as a mechanic since my season as Head Mechanic for the Aaron’s Pro Women’s Cycling Team in 2007, including travel to three major stage races.  Without further delay… here are my Top 12 big events from the past year:

  1. Park Tool Tech Summit – The Park Tool Tech Summit was held in Atlanta, for the first time in 2012.  I really enjoyed the two days of clinics and classes from major brands like Park Tool, Fox Racing Shox, Campagnolo, Shimano, Cane Creek, Rock Shox, and Mavic.  As a professional bicycle mechanic, it would behoove you to go to one of Park Tool’s events, in order to stay on top of the latest technology and to become a more valuable asset to your shop.
  2. Athens Twilight and Roswell Criterium – The Athens Twilight Criterium is one of my favorite races to work.  In 2012, I had the opportunity to work Twilight, and the following day at Roswell, with Team Exergy (now defunct).   They were a great group of guys, and great racers!  It was a pleasure to make their bikes run well, and to get some top ten finishes.
  3. Tour of California – Somehow, through a strange turn of events, I got the opportunity to work as Head Mechanic at the ToC Bucket List event with Carmichael Training Systems.  It was my first event with CTS, and it was a LOT of hard work, but things went well.  As a team, we got 20+ athletes and coaches from Santa Rosa to Los Angeles, covering over 700 miles, without too many major incidents or issues.  We had a good staff, and worked with a lot of great athletes from all around the globe.  It was great to get to know Coach Carmichael and his CTS staff, too.
  4. USPRO Road Race Championships – After my work with Team Exergy at Twilight/Roswell, I was asked to give them a hand at the USPRO Road Race in Greenville, SC.  It’s home turf for me, and I’ve worked almost every edition of that race since it moved from Philadelphia in 2006.  We had a full squad of nine riders, including Freddie Rodriguez, a three time USPRO champion and friend of mine.  The race went okay.  We had guys in the breaks most of the day, but missed the final split.  After almost knocking Fred into a pond during a wheel change (long story…), he got back to the group and won the “second field sprint,” for 20th place.
  5. Quit My Job – After almost six years at Out Spokin’ Bicycles in Woodstock, GA, I decided to leave my job there.  Sometimes you get to a point where you feel there’s not much more you can do to improve, like there’s a ceiling that you can’t break out of.  I was to that point, and decided to make a move.  I already had some time off scheduled for July, so I called it quits and went on vacation.
  6. Vacation Month – During the month of July, I did some pretty serious vacationing.  The family and I went to Myrtle Beach, SC, for a few days of relaxation in the sand and surf with my wife’s parents.  It was a good time, especially with the kids… they LOVE playing on the beach!  We also took a few days off, left the kids with my Mom and Dad, and took a mini-vacation to Asheville, NC.  We went to Asheville Zipline Canopy Adventures for a bit of high-flying fun, and visited my good friend Andy’s shop, Chainheart Cycling Studio, which I had been threatening to visit since he opened a few years prior.  Tip:  When in Asheville, visit The Thirsty Monk.  It’s a great little bar located in downtown Asheville, but they’ve got a Belgian-style basement pub with some great beer on tap.  If you’re a connoisseur, stop by when you’re in town.
  7. Tour of Utah – Since I had some time off, due to my lack of a job, I offered my services to CTS at the Tour of Utah Bucket List event.  This time, we only had 7 athletes/coaches, so I was the ONLY mechanic for the camp.  Once again, a really good time with a really good group of athletes/staff.  The scenery in Utah was breathtaking, and it was extremely nice to be based out of only TWO hotels the entire time we were there.  That should be different in 2013, as the Tour of Utah has plans to go into the southern part of the state for some stages of the race.
  8. USA Pro Cycling Challenge (CO) – After Utah, I had four days at home, then jetted back out to Durango, CO, for the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.  Once again, I was working as Head Mechanic for the event.  Let me say this… Colorado is amazing.  I drove across the state and was able to see some of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen.  I’m totally in love with the mountains of Colorado, and I can’t wait to get back.
  9. Started Working at Free-Flite Bicycles – In September, I regained employment in the bicycle industry, at Free-Flite Bicycles.  Free-Flite Bicycles is a big shop in the Metro Atlanta market that has been around for over 30 years.  FFB has always been a competitor of mine, so it was a change of pace when I went to work for them.  It’s been great, so far.  I’m working less than six miles from home, so I’m able to commute by bike more often, and where I had been pulled out to the front of the store for sales at my previous job, at Free-Flite, I’ve been able to get back into the service area, spending time doing what I love… working on bikes.  A good buddy of mine, Roofus (Kevin Adams), who I worked with for the better part of five years at Out Spokin’, is managing the store now, too.  We’ve always gotten along well, and we understand each other’s systems.  It’s a good working environment, and I’m pretty happy with the way things are going.
  10. Hincapie Gran Fondo – In October, I went to South Carolina for the Hincapie Gran Fondo.  George Hincapie, one of my favorite cyclists, had just retired, and was hosting his 1st annual Gran Fondo.  It was a good chance to catch up with some friends from Upstate SC, some CTS athletes and staff, and Coach Carmichael, too.  It was a really tough, 80 mile ride, but it was a really good time.  I even found some photos online of me leading out Hincapie’s group before the last major climb!  One of the best organized rides I’ve ever been a part of, for certain.
  11. Working on Bikes Again – I know I’ve already mentioned this, but I am so excited to actually be able to work on bikes more consistently again.  I’m not just a “parts-hanger,”  I’m a mechanic.  I take pride in being able to repair things that are broken.  This year, I got the opportunity to work on more bikes and take care of my clients/customers/friends, better than I have over the past few years.  I dig that.
  12. Friendships –  Hands down, the best thing about 2012 have been the friendships I’ve made.  Life is all about making connections and friendships, and people that don’t understand that are missing out.  Over the course of the year, I met and worked with people from all around the globe, and made connections and friendships that will last for a long time.  If we met in 2012, I want to thank you for that experience.  Know that my door is always open for you, and I treasure you as a friend.

Thanks for a great year.  I can’t wait to see what 2013 holds…

My Two Cents on Lance…

When you work in a bike shop, you can’t avoid getting questioned about Lance Armstrong, especially with the doping allegations, investigations, and confessions by teammates of late.  It’s actually getting quite boring to have to keep repeating my thoughts on the whole deal, so I guess I’ll just write them all down for anyone and everyone to read, and refer people to my blog when asked about it.  Here goes…

  1. I had fun rooting for Lance Armstrong throughout his career.  It was fun being patriotic, watching the Texan smash the competition all over France, year after year.  It was exciting.  It got millions of people fired up about a sport that I was already passionate about, even before his first Tour win.  Unfortunately, it’s become painfully evident that those results and experiences were obtained by using performance-enhancing drugs, as documented by multiple teammates and eyewitnesses in the latest USADA Investigation.
  2. Yes, I read the entire 202-page “Reasoned Decision” that was released, unlike a lot of people chiming in on the subject, along with several more affidavits from riders, staff, and witnesses.  As an industry professional, enthusiast, and race fan, I have a vested interest in what the report said.  If you haven’t read the decision and the facts, do yourself a favor and shut your trap.  If you’re out in internet-land, saying “they have no hard physical evidence to convict Lance of anything…”  last time I checked, in a court of law in the US, all you have to prove is “reasonable doubt,” of which there is a TON of it in the USADA investigations and findings.
  3. Based on the USADA “Reasoned Decision” on the US Postal Team and Lance Armstrong, it’s hard to deny that he doped.  I wanted Lance to be clean just like most cycling fans, but the sum of all parts of the investigations and affidavits by fellow teammates, tells otherwise.  As of today, most of Lance’s major sponsors throughout his career have ended their future relationships with him, in order to save face and avoid the impending storm of bad PR headed their way if they hang around.
  4. Fallen Heroes.  I’m personally crushed with the news of the systematic doping within the US Postal Service Team organization.  One of my all-time favorite cyclists, George Hincapie, came forward with his accounts of doping, personally and as a team.  Although not on an extremely personal level, I’ve known George and his family for quite some time, dating back to the time I got him to attend a local cycling club meeting in South Carolina back in 2002.  He’s always been a class-act, and I respect him and the other “Posties”  for their decision to come forward, whether it was just to save their own skin or not.  We’re all human, and all make mistakes.  Some are more high-profile than others, and in their case, the fall is more visible.  It’s hard seeing your heroes fall from grace.  I’m still planning on attending the Hincapie GranFondo next weekend in Greenville, SC, regardless of this mess, to support George, Rich, Ricardo, and the family, and thank them for what they’ve all done over the years.  Good things don’t always make it right, but hopefully, redemption for these riders can be found in this situation through efforts to clean up the sport for future riders.
  5. Because of dopers, a lot of potential heroes missed their chance to shine.  When the sanctions got passed down by USADA as part of the agreement to turn evidence and affidavits against Lance Armstrong, many years of results were negated.  As a result of their doping, clean riders were awarded titles that that should have been theirs to begin with.  They missed the podium, didn’t get the kisses, didn’t get to spray the champagne, didn’t get the photo-ops, the extended contracts, the bonuses for winning a national championship event, a better opportunity for the following season, because a doper took it from them.  That aspect of doping, I cannot forgive.
  6. The system is corrupt.  It’s public knowledge that Lance “donated” money to the UCI for “anti-doping” purposes.  If anyone can’t see that something like that is a HUGE conflict of interests, then I’ve got some oceanfront property in Arizona that you need to snatch up…  There’s some major corruption with the UCI, and there needs to be a serious re-shuffle, from the top, down.  The international governing body of cycling is more worried about 3-1 ratios on aero equipment than they are of blatant, systematic doping that has been going on for decades.
  7. LIVESTRONG.  When I found out my mom had breast cancer, around 3 years ago, I instantly got a little, yellow LIVESTRONG bracelet, dropped it in the mail with a card, and next-day mailed it to her.  I gave it to her to let her know that she could be strong in her fight against this deadly disease, and by wearing that little band, it helped give me hope and support for her, as well.  There’s no doubt that the LIVESTRONG organization has done a lot of great things for people with cancer, their families, and for cancer research.  There’s a lot of confusion among followers of the LIVESTRONG movement and how the organization works, financially and charitably.  There’s definitely some scrutiny that the organization(s) will fall under because of the doping scandal fallout… I just hope that it doesn’t hinder cancer research and support for those who find their hope in the power of a little yellow band.
  8. The best thing that can happen now, is for Lance to come clean and lay it all out there, in order to help change the system for the future.  It’s over.  It happened.  We’re all tired of hearing about it.  We all just want it to go away and get started cleaning up cycling.  Lance is going to have to pay a lot of folks a lot of money.  He will be sued by many parties for defamation, fraud, and the like.  It’s a sad ending for our former hero.  Although this is a huge scar on the sport of cycling, and very sad times for all involved, Lance coming clean and implicating the bosses at the UCI that have been turning a blind eye to this doping culture for so long.  That is THE ONLY way that Lance can save face now.
  9. The sport IS cleaning up, and the new regime of younger riders are our new hope.  Young US cyclists like Taylor Phinney, Timmy Duggan, and Ben King are the new hope for cycling.  These guys are starting their careers on the tail end of this drug-riddled era, but starting it clean.  The training technology available to our athletes today, along with improved drug testing (hopefully) throughout the domestic and international pelotons, should bolster a clean system for these riders to prosper in.  Support these guys, along with all the other champions of clean cycling like Adam Myerson, Steve Tilford, Tim Johnson, Scott Zwizanski (now the new 2009 USPRO Time Trial Champion, as a result of this…), and others by letting them know your feelings about doping.  It’s been a hard fight for these guys, to constantly get destroyed by cyclists that they know are doping, but they have been resilient, trained their butts off, and hung in there, regardless… Shoot them an e-mail, Tweet, or Facebook message and let them know what you think of them.
  10. Get on your bikes and ride.  I had a customer ask me about my thoughts on cycling yesterday.  It was obvious he was prying about the “Lance situation.”  I told him that cycling has its demons, but it’s still the most pure sport I’ve found.  He scoffed at the “purity” comment, but I explained it to him.  When you’re out on your bike on a vicious climb, when it’s just you pushing yourself to your limits, and you conquer the climb, look out at the mountain overlook and see the amazing scenic view that you’ve earned the right to see… there’s nothing more pure than that.  When a group ride has a good flow and consistency to it, the pacelining works like it’s supposed to, and you and the guys roll back down and have a post-ride beer… that’s good cycling.  When you take off on a cool fall morning and realize that you nailed your clothing selection… that’s good stuff.  Most of us will never be professional cyclists, but we are all cyclists.  Enjoy yourselves, ride your bike, and have fun.  Keep it real, guys and gals.

I could probably go on for a while about this, but that’s all that I feel I have the need to address.  Feel free to comment, either here on the blog, or on my PROBIKEWRENCH.COM Facebook Page.  Good talk… see you out there.

The Next Chapter

Over the last month, I’ve been trying to get caught up with things, take some time to slow down and get back in the groove… and then try to catch everyone up on what’s happening in this crazy life of mine. The last post I published was about the CTS Tour of Utah Bucket List Experience.  I haven’t had time to post anything at all about the USA Pro Cycling Challenge Bucket List trip, or anything else for that matter.  Been really busy getting settled back in from a few months of irregularity and traveling.

I’ll do a full re-cap of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge later, but I will say it was an amazing trip that I’ll never forget.  Got to work with some great athletes and staff, and had a really great time traveling across the state.  I got to drive from Durango to Denver, and everywhere in between, and enjoyed every minute of it… even the 4:30am wake-ups.

After I returned home, I was looking for some sort of consistency again.  I had left my last bike shop job around the first of July, and hadn’t had a steady job since then.  I did have a few leads, and had an interview over the course of those two months, but hadn’t firmed anything up.  I had been doing a little bike work on the side for close friends/former clients, but that wasn’t going to cut it for me.  As one of my former employers told me in the past, I’m a “lifer.”  I love the bike industry, and can’t stay away from it.

So to the big news… as of September 18th, I’m officially employed at Free-Flite Bicycles, a shop that is consistently recognized as a Top 100 bicycle retailer, and one of the biggest cycling operations in the Metro Atlanta area.  They have three stores, and I’m a sales/service associate at their Riverstone Pkwy. location in Canton, GA.  I’m excited to work for Free-Flite and for Dan Thornton, the owner/president.  We’ve had a good relationship over the past seven years, even though I’ve always worked for competing shops.  Dan’s always been a class-act, and I’m excited to be working for him and with the entire Free-Flite family.

Another cool thing about the shop is that I’m back together with my boy, Roofus (Kevin Adams).  We worked together at Out Spokin’ Bicycles for over 5 years, and we have always worked well together.  We know each other’s systems and are really good friends… which is extremely beneficial for a good working environment.  He’s managing the store now, and I’m happy to be there to help him make the Riverstone location grow by leaps and bounds.

It’s going to be a really good fit.  We’ve got a lot of ideas that will make the store unique, and a lot of systems that we’re planning to fine-tune to make the shop run like a well-oiled machine (not that it doesn’t work already… we’re just making it better!)  I’m thrilled about the opportunity, glad to be back in a normal routine, and glad to be back in the industry again.  Not that I really left…

My USA Pro Cycling Challenge re-cap is coming soon, as well as some cool new product info and tests that I’m in the process of doing right now.  I also built a backyard cyclocross course recently, which has gotten some use over the last few days.  Photos, videos, and more posts to follow.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for your continued support.