Where mechanics and items related to mechanics appeared on the web during March.

British Triathlon updates their rulebook: http://www.britishtriathlon.org/news/new-british-triathlon-rule-book-now-published_1969

Ralf Medloff’s transition from ballroom dancer to head mechanic for the Jelly Belly pro cycling team:

http://www.marinij.com/sports/ci_20152643/cycling-marin-from-ballroom-bike-corte-maderas-medloff

Design review of Bike Repair Tool Kits

http://www.core77.com/blog/tools/bike_repair_tools_and_kits_21902.asp?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+core77%2Fblog+%28Core77.com%27s+design+blog%29

Some pretty cool photos and video of the Radio Shack Nissan Trek team preparing for early season races.. Includes shots inside their team truck.

http://www.bdc-forum.it/dietro-le-quinte-il-team-radioshack-nissan-trek-alla-tirreno-adriatico/

Review of UCI’supdated regulations on bikes, including sizing and drop out. (let us know if you need a copy, the UCI has been asking sites to pull their copies from the web)

http://inrng.com/2012/03/uci-rules-regulation-bikes-clothing/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+inrng%2Finrng0+%28The+Inner+Ring%29

BikeRadar’s suggestions for best bicycle tool kits

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/best-tool-kits-for-cyclists-33539/?CPN=RSS&SOURCE=BRGENHOME

Could it be time to throw away your gapping tools? Based on this article on Velonews the UCI will be enforcing the rule against modifying products for racing. In most cases, this is a given and shouldn’t affect teams using stock items. However, they specifically call out the task of filing the lawyer tabs from forks as this “cancels the warranty of the fork in case of crash”.

What would this mean for you in the future? Slower wheel changes!
This could also lead to bicycle vendors supplying two versions of forks, one for general consumers, one for racing.What this means for UCI frame/fork approvals…who knows. All speculation at this point.

Read more here:
UCI to require lawyer tabs, dictate Camelbak placement and sock length.

Where mechanics and items related to mechanics appeared on the web during January.

Experiences of a race mechanic when traveling overseas:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/videos/the-challenges-for-mechanics-at-the-tour-down-under-1387465979001

A designer’s look at tool wraps:

http://www.core77.com/blog/object_culture/a_look_at_tool_rolls_21535.asp?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+core77%2Fblog+%28Core77.com%27s+design+blog%29

Continuing Education. VeloNews’ Nick Legan reviews the Georgia round of the Park Tool  Tech Summit:

http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/01/bikes-and-tech/continuing-education_204383

Tool-dots – hang your tools how you want them, where you want them:

http://www.laboratory424.com/project/tool-dot

This morning VeloNation sent out a reminder that time is running out to get your riders’ saddles and thus positions figured out.

The ruling states “This angle must be less than 2.5 degrees with an error tolerance of 0.5 degree,”. According to the article the UCI is going to allow up to 3 degrees, relaxing their zero tolerance stance. However, we recommend that team mechanics work with their team director and corresponding federations to insure they aren’t caught by surprise when next confronted by this test. The UCI has a habit of leaving things up to interpretation and various officials interpret differently.

Read the article here: One month until UCI saddle rules are enforced across all events.

According to the folks in the UK, the UCI has stated they will begin regular enforcement of the saddle tilt rule as well as the new bottle size and placement rule starting March 1st. Issues related to saddle tilt popped up this year with random enforcement of a rarely discussed rule. The bottle issue is new and sounds like an attempt to keep riders using bottles for hydration and not for aerodynamic enhancement.

Read more at BikeBiz: UCI to enforce saddle tilt rule in 2012

And more at velonation.com

The UCI today released their list of Elite mountain bike teams, both the Endurance (cross country) and the Gravity (downhill and 4-cross). We’ve made those changes to our team page and now need your help. If you are working for one of those teams or know their mechanic, please use the form at the bottom of this page to let us know. We’d like to complete this list and provide additional recognition for those mechanics.

To read more, visit Union Cycliste Internationale.

Image via Wikipedia

The UCI has released their latest list of Professional Continental teams for 2012. Amongst those listed are three North American teams:

Spidertech Powered by C10
Team Type 1 – Sanofi
United Health Case Pro Cycling Team

The Remaining teams can be found on today’s press release: Union Cycliste Internationale.

We are adding UCI registered teams to our Team Mechanics page as information becomes available. To keep this page up to date, we could use your help. If you know the mechanical staff for any of the teams listed, please let us know using the form at the bottom of this page.

Congratulations to Christopher Kreidl who just took the position as head mechanic for Team Tibco for 2012.

Have a team staff update? Hit us up using the form at the bottom of this page.

USA Cycling recently released 2012 changes to the rule book. It appears there aren’t any significant changes that relate to mechanics. Notable changes are the removal of a master category, removal of a tandem championship category and the addition of a youth class. One point of interests is the change in usable bikes for juniors 12 and under:

Young juniors must use mass start legal bikes in all races, including time trials: Beginning in 2012,youth and junior riders in the 12 and under age categories will be restricted to mass start legal bikes in all races. These legal bikes cannot have aero bars. The wheels must have no covers and must have at least 16 spokes. These rules will apply to the 13-14 age group in 2013.

More information to be found on their website via 2012 Rule Changes; 30-34 age group …

Its not often the race mechanics are in the lime-light. This month we found two print stories about race mechanics.

Velo, Oct 2011, page 94
A Day in Yellow
Caley Fretz spends some time with Mavic’s Neutral Support Program at the Tour including a day in the car with Freddy. Key points:

talks about mechanics having two roles – providing mechanical support and the publicity caravan putting Mavic name and trademark yellow in front of millions on the roadside and on television.
describes their equipment as older aluminum Cannondales with clip and strap pedals.
describes what he calls pandemonium in the car with race radios, bottle handouts, cars and motos moving around, having to guess Shimano vs Campy and carbon versus alloy
Talks about gapping wheels, though he calls it pre-setting

Paved, volume 2, number 2
Road Scholar
Bruce Hildebrand profiles BMC’s Ian Sherburne. Includes his racing background and how …

Brian Dallas gives CyclingNews Editor Matt Pacocha a tour of the Rapha-Focus team’s service course and team van. Key points:

heated garage for winter work
organized, race ready Sprinter van

Inside The Rapha-Focus Service Course | Cyclingnews.com

“When 33mm might really be 34mm”

Are your riders running the correct size tires? Bikeradar has images of race officials measuring cross tires with various devices, some clean, some crude.

via Race Tech: Colorado Cross Classic And Boulder Cup – BikeRadar.