If it’s one thing I’ve learned about competitive cycling, it’s 71.2% mental.  A competitive cyclist’s psychological approach to situations, both racing and training, can make or break careers or races.  The ability to climb on the bike when it’s too hot, too wet, too cold, or too windy is part of it, but knowing their physical limits is also key.  Sense of when to obey the boundaries that the body has instituted, when to push past them, and for how long. 

These basic examples are just the tip of the iceberg when talking about what a racer’s head must sort through in order to be as fast and efficient as their fitness will allow.  The top race teams will ensure their top pros have nothing to worry about but going fast.  Subaru/Gary Fisher Mountain Bike Team’s Willow Koeber told me the only things on her mind were picking up imaginary gold coins from the race course (kind of like in Super Mario Bros.)  and causing change in the earth’s rotation with each pedal stroke.  Probably why she’s such a great short track racer.  We should all be so lucky.  I think most of us have at least the slight thoughts of utter suffering on our brains in race situations, no matter what.  I’m sure Willow and her teammates rarely go into a race with a bike that is less than mechanically perfect, which is why riders on that caliber of a team have learned to not even consider skipping gears at start time.  They are well aware that they have a strong team backing them and doing what it takes to make sure they can focus on riding bikes fast. 

Which brings me to the point of this post.  The Pedal Wrench is offering pro team level race and ride support for cyclists that don’t want to worry about the chain not dropping from the middle to the small ring.  I for see the endurance racers, namely 24 hour racers, truly benefiting from this service.  The Pedal Wrench has a complete mobile shop that can be set up anywhere in the western United States.  Besides tools, we offer a pop up tent, generator, significant outdoor lighting, espresso machine, and a long list of other race pit necessities.  We can even arrive stocked with the parts your bike may need over the course of the race.

Prices will vary by event, location, and job description.  To give you an idea, a 4 person team at the 24 Hours of Moab mountain bike race will cost in the ballpark of $800.  That’s only $200 per racer, a small price to pay for mechanical piece of mind on race day.  That rate includes all the labor/bike repairs and we’ll even make sure the bike gets sent home shiny and happy. However, any bike parts used would be extra.

This is an opportunity to gain one of the huge advantages the pro teams have over the rest of us.  Seems to make sense!  Input on the value/price of this service is welcome.  

  

There are a few tools I use more than any others, and until just a moment ago I would have listed the 5mm hex wrench and my homemade spoke poker as the top two. As I write this I realize that my repair stand is actually used more than any other tool in the shop. I’m actually using it now and I’m not even working on a bike.

A bike repair stand is the mechanic’s way of having a stable platform to clean, inspect, build, and adjust a bicycle. Most repairs would be possible without the use of a bike stand, but struggle is often the case. The repair stand will stabilize the bike and articulate to give the mechanic the best view of the part of the bicycle needing attention. The ability to bring the ailing part of the bike closer to eye level is a huge advantage. You can also use a bike repair stand as a fancy kickstand when you just need to store a bike.

For someone that’s never used a bike repair stand it’s hard to know what to look for in a stand. There is more than likely going to be some compromise when deciding on a stand to aid in fixing your bicycle. Price is always a consideration, but what else should influence the decision? In my opinion, durability, portability, and stability are the key factors. Most repair stands will hold a bike with no problem, especially if you go for an established brand. How well and how long are where stands start to differentiate from one another.

The Ultimate Support Pro Elite Repair Stand is a top contender in the portable bicycle repair stand world. The 13lb repair stand folds down with the flip of a couple quick release levers and slides right into it’s own little duffel bag. No need to make special arrangements transporting the Pro Elite Repair Stand from place to place, it’ll fit just about anywhere. Folded down, the Pro Elite Stand is as compact as any other stand I’m aware of.

The ease of transport is irrelevant if the stand doesn’t make working on a bike easier. The first thing I noticed when I removed the stand from the box was the newly redesigned clamp. Ultimate improved on the knob that tightens the clamp around the bicycle and added a large release button for easier removal of the bike. The Ultimate claims “industrial strength”, and I definitely had zero problems over the course of weeks of use and hundreds of bikes. It even handles tandems and downhill bikes that weigh upwards of 60lbs with no problem. Besides being burly, the clamp is about the easiest clamp I’ve used to date. Getting it properly adjusted with one hand was no problem. The release button was a nice feature too, the clamp is instantly loosened once you hit the button. You just have to be careful about hitting the button while working on the bike. I fell victim to that once, but once my awareness was raised it wasn’t an issue again.

The set up of the Pro Elite Stand is as easy as th break down….maybe easier. The tripod easily opens every time and secures with a quick release lever. The height adjustment is also secured with a quick release and offers short to as high as I would ever want. The clamp arm is secured with a knob and let you adjust the angle of the clamp and how the bike is positioned. If I had to guess, I would say the total set up takes about 20 seconds. That’s darn quick.

The lightweight aluminum construction does have a bit of flex, especially with the heavier bikes. The amount of flex was certainly acceptable, and compared with other manufacturers designs, is well worth the exceptional weight savings. Besides that, care should be taken in positioning the tripod legs to the bike. One incident with the wind caused a bike and stand to fall over, but again, my raised awareness kept that from being an issue again.

The Ultimate Support Pro Elite Bike Repair Stand receives a 5 of 5 rating from me after a significant amount of use. Portable stands will never be as stable as the 300lb shop stands and they don’t need to be. The price of the Pro Elite stand is makes it a decent value and works at least $100 better than most of it’s competitors. The customer service department at Ultimate Support is easy to deal with should there be an issue with the product.

The Pedal Wrench highly recommends the Ultimate Support Pro Elite Bike Repair Stand and is claiming it’s the best portable or stationary home mechanic’s stand on the market today. Check it out.

A multitude of folding bicycle tool designs fill our local bike shops. The relationship you have with your tool starts in the store, or web page, when you’re picking it out. Most people wouldn’t put much thought into it, and I don’t blame them. I wouldn’t expect anyone to sit and write a blog post about this sort of thing, but here goes mine.

1. What will be the means of transportation for the tool?

If a hydration pack, or some other large carrier is to be used, size may not be an issue. A seat bag can get tight with a tube, cell phone, CO2, and large tool. A jersey pocket might lead one to choose an even smaller multi tool. Remember the weight usually increases with size, and no matter what it’s in, you’ll be carrying it.

2. What will be a typical riding situation?

The company you keep on a ride can influence the decision. A well prepared group of riding friends can help one another fill in the blanks when it comes to tools. Solo missions would certainly require more preparedness and probably a tool that covers all the bases. The venue for a typical ride may also be considered. Stuck miles from anywhere with a broken chain and no chain tool is unacceptable. Even if you don’t know how to use a particular tool on the tool, someone nearby may, or you may just figure it out in a pinch. Pedaling around town might allow for a bus ride home or a quick stop at the bike shop when things go wrong, making your tool choice less important.

3. What are my bicycle’s needs?

Finding a tool that compliments your bicycle is wise. A road cyclist wouldn’t have much use for disc brake pad wedges or disc rotor torx wrenches. A multi tool with a decent set of tire levers may make more sense. Having your bicycle handy during this pain staking decision can help. One specific mechanical need might be the automatic choice maker.

4. How much is it?

Ahhh… the real deciding factor for most cyclists. A valid way to make a choice when other information is lacking. In the world of bicycle accessories, multi tools are cheap. This is hopefully a one time investment that will continue to retain value for years of cycling. Spending the extra $15 to get the tool of your dreams will rarely ever come back to haunt you.

Some things to consider in the world of bicycle multi tools. Being more prepared is usually the way to go about things. Having the right tool for someone else is a good feeling both for you and the person in need. Besides, buying the tool with the chain tool may just motivate you to learn how to use it, and that’s invaluable. Good luck.