Trails and Tribulations of a team Mechanic.

[Synthesis]

Since I got back in the Bike shop game, and started working in my local shop, life has taken a turn for the better. Tomorrow I will go to Tallinn in Estonia with the Team Christina Watches Onfone Powered by Dana as a mechanic, just as a replacement, but still a experience for life. Star of the team is Michael Rasmussen.

http://christinawatches-onfone.dk/

Bikes they ride are De Rosa with Campagnolo.

 

[Iwasgoodonce]

Cool. We will expect a full report (with some pictures please) upon your return. I am interested on how long these super light bikes (M. R.'s is only a fraction above the minimum weight) last and which components are routinely replaced and how often.

Enjoy.

 

[Jamiedyer]

Excellent job

Great score on the job!
Should be a great experience and may lead to other things.
I agree with the above, a full report and pics.
Have a great time and enjoy yourself.
Jamie

 

[Synthesis]

Well here comes a full report from the 2012 Estonia Cycling Weekend.

I got the van delivered Tuesday evening, and took a look inside:

Bikes used are the De Rosa King for the upcoming riders on the team, and Protos for the stars ( Shumacher, Furlan and Rasmussen ) Wheels are Fast Forward from Holland ( F2R Ceramic and F4R Ceramic ) Gears: Campagnolo Super Record 11 speed.

Next morning at 5 a clock, I got in the van and went across Denmark to Sweden, 1163km to Stockholm where I got on the ferry to Tallinn, at the ferry I meet up with Team Cykelcity.se, and Trek Sweden ( the national Team )

Arrived at the hotel, next morning, where the race was starting from.

The hotel is located right to the airport, where the riders and the rest of the team where arriving.

Got the bikes ready for a training spin

Next morning, was the first race, Tallinn - Tartu GP 198km which Furlan won in 2011.

Schumacher had a good chance of getting a win, with 10km to go he had a puncture and had to fight his way back to the breakout he had been sitting in. In the end, he finished seventh and earned some UCI points.

Race two was next day at Saturday, A Criterium over 12 rounds of 15km in Tartu. It started raining when I was readying´the bikes, and it got worse when we got in the chase-car

Apparently all the riders but one, Martin Pedersen, thought that a warm bed, and the Stelvio stage was better than the dirty and wet roads of Tartu. Martin got a 18. place in the race.

Race three was on Sunday, a race where all amateur teams of Estonia was invited ( not a UCI race ) 137km.

The race started out in a hard tempo, 55 - 65 kmh a lot of riders tried to get away from the bunch, but not before there was 15km left of the race did a group of 6 riders get away. In the group was René Jørgensen from our team, and with a launch of the bike at the finish line, he won the race.

http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/baltic_news/?doc=9262

Martin Linde another rider on the team was not so lucky, he was riding behind two riders from Cofidis, when a amateur clipped one of the Cofidis riders front wheel so both went down right in front of him, he went over the handlebars, and this is the result:

Both frame and rear wheel broke, Martin got a bloody elbow and hit his head, but was otherwise fine.

A hell of a fun, hard and cool experience, that I might have a chance to try again in a couple of weeks, where the team goes to Serbia.

 

[Robbied196]

Absolutely awesome report and great pics, although the broke De Rosa is a bit sad :cry:

 

[hamster]

Absolutely awesome report and great pics, although the broke De Rosa is a bit sad :cry:

That's racing...

 

[Ally]

Yeah, great report, I enjoyed reading it.

How did you find the work itself? I'd be interested to hear what the Pro-Bike Mechanics life is like. Any hanging out of car window bike repairs?

 

[Synthesis]

I got the job by reputation, the secretary of the team called us and said they needed a mec. for the trip, and they had heard good things about the shop. My boss was kind to say that the good rep. was partly because of me (I just love what I do)

Yes I did get to hang out the window of the car, to oil the chain of the rider who was the only one who finished the Criterium race.

 

[Ally]

That's good, you obviously deserve it.

If you do more of it and get time, please post up your experiences, and the daily life from the mechanics side of things: I find it all very interesting.

Thanks again.

 

[firedfromthecircus]

Fantastic.
Would love to read more reports if you get away again.

I read one of the pieces on the park website blog about being a mechanic with the US national MTB team, and it sounds like hard work. For those of us who tinker with bikes for a hobby there is a romance to being a professional bike mechanic with a race team, but I think the reality is a bit different!