I’m back in snowy Park City but the red dirt of Moab still hitchhikes in the crevices of everything I own. A reminder of my sleep deprived experience at the 24 Hours of Moab mountain bike race that I hardly saw at all. I’m not complaining, I saw the start and it’s probably the most exciting thing to watch. The pit area that Pereira Cycles had styled us with was top notch. A pop up trailer, an RV named Paca, and some tents, made our little piece of the desert a comfortable place to be. Our oasis also had a full selection of chocolate treats thanks to one of the sponsors, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.

As far as the eye could see team camps were buzzing with support crews and racers, but I was confined to my own little bike repair world. I had all of the comforts of any bike shop ….with sandy floors. The bikes were constantly in need of cleaning and lubing as the sand seemed to work it’s way into every nook and cranny of the chain, dérailleurs, and shift housing. The single speeds were spared the shift ailments but battled chronic chain tension issues. Any of the tasks individually are simple and routine, but compounded together time after time and with sleep deprivation kicking you in the head, and coffee hardly providing anything but dehydration, they become Rubix Cube type problems to solve.

As a combination of sand and Stan’s No Tubes solution worked it’s way into my digital tire pressure gauge I struggled to accurately measure tire pressures of my teams’ riders. Tire pressure was a topic of discussion through the night. The course had a typical Moab mix of large rocks and sand making it hard to pinpoint the perfect pressure. Most ran a higher pressure to avoid tire and rim damage from the big rocks they encountered. It was hard for me to help any more than offering a pressure range to try, as everyone’s setup is different. Tire pressure should be adjusted according to riding technique, tire choice, terrain, and bike choice, and I had never ridden with most of the participants. But by the end, with no gauges that registered reliable readings, I was giving the tires an educated squeeze and telling the riders exactly what they needed to hear to head out into the darkness, those tires are perfect. A slight stray from the complete truth? Maybe not, maybe it was the perfect tire pressure?

The duration of the multifaceted suffering is what cracks the participants of this type of mountain bike race. Of course, if you overcome said misery, you gain a giant sense of something positive. I’m not sure what that something is. What is your something? I gained my something through relentless wrenching and I’d be happy to do it again.

Thanks to Katie of Panic Button Media the great photos.

Thanks to Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory of Provo for the support and certain cavity.

Thanks to all who supported me while I supported them.

I’m off to Moab tomorrow afternoon. The 24 Hours of Moab starts on Saturday, and since I’ll be 1 of 2 wrenches for the 4 teams that Pereira Cycles has entered in the event, I want to make sure our pit location is prime. Today is prep day and I don’t want to forget anything, so I thought I’d make a list. Here it is.

Tools & Lubes: PCBR Spoker, shop apron, repair stands, wheel truing stand, air tank, air compressor, air compressor hose, air compressor attachments(schrader, presta, air gun), pressure washer(handy in muddy situations, but set it on low), pedal wrenches(6mm hex, 8mm hex, 15mm open end), multiple multi tools, hex wrenches(2 sets), open/box metric wrenches, 3/32 hex wrench(for Chris King Hubs), Flat head screwdrivers(little to big and everything in between, phillips screwdrivers(full size run), tire levers, spoke wrenches(Mavic, Shimano, standard), chain tools, tire pressure gauge, brake bleed kits(Hayes, Magura, Avid), Knipex Plier Wrench(a TPW favorite), diagonal cutters, housing cutters, chain lube, degreaser, hand cleaner, rubbing alcohol, safety glasses, hack saw, spare hack saw blade, bottom bracket tools, cassette tool, torque wrench, magnetic parts tray, chain whip, crank pullers, cone wrenches, floor pumps, lock ring wrench, chain whip, headset wrenches, wire brush, toothbrush, scrub brush, calipers, measuring tape, spanner tools(great for eccentric bbs), toe straps, clamps …….

Spare Parts: derailleurs, derailleur cables, derailleur housing, brake cables, brake housing, brake ferrules, shift ferrules, brake pads(Hayes, Magura, Avid), brake lines, brake fittings, brake fluids, brake rotors, spokes, chains(single speed, 9 speed), Shimano chain pins, Sram Power Links, Stan’s No Tubes Solution, Nite Rider light mounts, chain ring bolts, spokes, my bike, hair spray, 26″ tires, 26″ tubes, 29″ tires, 29″ tubes, Sram shifters, Shimano shifters………

Misc.: table, headlamp, work lights, stationary trainer, front wheel block, carpet, pop up canopy, tie downs, buckets, chairs, Trixi’s bed, Trixi food, Trixi bowls, pit bike, yoga ball(crucial), goggles(in case of dust/sand storm), sleeping bag, pillow, extension cords, outlet splitters, tunes, rags, paper towels, hand cleaner, flooring …………

I’m positive I’ve left some things out. I do like to be over prepared but forgetting a few things isn’t usually a big issue. In my experience, there’s always a solution to be found for any mechanical problem, right in the pit area. The 24 hour racing community creates a friendly and supportive environment for everyone. Hopefully we’ll see you there.

Just a shot from today’s bike ride. It was super sick.

 Park City Bicycle Recyclers’ website, bikerecyclers.org, is now in your computer.  The site will continue to grow and change as it gets more comfortable with itself.  Bikerecyclers.org will offer a venue for PCBR to showcase it’s latest recycled bicycles, recycled bicycle parts, and thoughts on everything.  It should be mildly entertaining, if not informative.  Check it yo!

The Park TS-2 is the standard in bike shop quality wheel truing stands.  The TS-2 is designed to hold wheels from 16″ through 28″, and often with the tire left on.  At 17.7lbs., the Park TS-2 isn’t all that great to carry in your shop apron, but it mounts nicely to your work bench, Park Tool’s own base, a piece of wood, or it can be clamped in a vise for stability.  The weight is also an indication of the burliness of this truing stand.  Over the years I have witnessed these stands take abuse that no other truing stands on the market could withstand.  The stand will automatically center the hub, up to 150mm wide, in relation to the spring loaded truing calipers, a bonus for truing wheels, a necessity for building them.

Park Tool offers some accessories for the TS-2.  The TS-2EXT axle holding arm extensions are required for 29″ wheels.  The TSB-2 truing stand base is a compliment to the TS-2 giving it a steady platform on most surfaces and offering handy dandy holding bins for small parts like spoke nipples and your Park Tool spoke wrenches.

Park also helps you extend the useful life of your truing stand by offering a full service kit and service instructions.