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Calvin's Corner
Posts by calvin@parktool.com
The Work Horses of Park Tool
The new Park Tool factory is big. So big it feels like it takes forever to walk from one end to the other. Just the factory is 200 x 300 feet. You have to walk down isles of production, packaging, welding, then shipping before you get where you want to go.
So with a huge new building, what...
2013 Cyclocross National Champions
"This year's USA National Cyclocross Championship promises to be epic!!"-Anonymous Elite Racer.
That might be one way of putting it, because what we are going to be talking about here is a bike race with people wearing spandex, in Madison, Wisconsin, in the middle of Janu...
Free Bikes 4 Kids, a Minnesota program
"Free Bikes 4 Kids" is a non-profit organization based in the Twin Cites area of Minnesota.
The concept of Free Bikes For Kids is to provide a bike (and a helmet) to a kid who would otherwise not get a bike. Bikes are donated at drop off locations, and what a collection of bikes ...
2012 MTB World Championships, Leogang, Austria
This article will review the technical support at the 2012 World MTB Championships in Leogang, Austria, as seen from the view of the USA Team Mechanics.
Basic Use of Tools
A sound working knowledge of tool use is the basis of being a mechanic. Developing good working habits will result in better, more consistent repairs, and in longer lasting tools. This article provides a short review of the proper use of some basic tools.
Hammers (HMR-4)
Hold the handle ...
Repairing On-The-Ride
This article will review repairs we can do while we are out and about on a bike. There are, of course, many possible issues and problems that can and do occasionally occur when we are riding. Here, we will consider the what to bring, the pre-ride inspection and six broad categories: Flat Tires, W...
How to Build a Spearfish
It has been 22 years since the Clark-Kent mountain bike was new (seen below, on the left). The time has come for an updated, contemporary machine, which in this case will be a Salsa Spearfish (on the right, still mud-free). At first glance you might think these bikes are for two different custome...
Springtime Attention brings Problem Prevention
Springtime is nigh upon us, the time when a true cyclist's heart turns to... what else...bicycle maintenance. With attention from you, plus some elbow grease, your early season rides will be coming up roses.
So, just what occurs during those long winter months while your steed waits patiently, l...
They say you want a (shifting) revolution
If you have been trying to set up your dream ride with the new revolutionary electronic shifting systems, such as the Campagnolo® EPS™, or perhaps the Shimano® Di2™, but somehow it is just not working out for you, then perhaps you should look, not to the future, but to the p...
2012 USA Cyclo-Cross Championships
Cycling has many facets, but for me cyclo-cross stands out as a shining gem. Perhaps a muddy and gritty gem, but precious nonetheless. What appeals to me about this great racing is the required combination of speed (from the road posture and road style bikes), the requisite toughness from the pou...
2011 USA Cycling Race Mechanic Clinic
Each year since 1987, I have taught at the Bill Woodul Race Mechanics Clinic, hosted by USA Cycling. Bill was a former USAC Equipment manager. We lost Bill to cancer in1996, but it was this man who created the clinic as a place to share experiece and knowledge with newer mechanics.
Teaching at ...
Bringing a Peugeot Mont-Cenis Back to Life
This article will center on is the reconditioning of an 25 year old Peugeot Mont-Cenis 12 speed bike. Posting will continue as the work progresses.
Cyclo-Cross kick off at Cross Vegas 2011
A look at the racing action of the 2011 Cross Vegas race at Interbike
2011 Mountain Bike World Championship
This article reviews the 2011 MTB World Championships as seen from the USA Team Gravity Hotel at the Grand-Paradis
Nuvinci N360 Hub Installation and Adjustment
This article reviews the installation and adjustment of the NuVinci™ N360® CVP rear hub and shifting system. The order of procedures to follow will vary depending upon whether you are installing a new system or servicing a previously install hub. This article describes:
Shift Lev...
Disc Brake Squeal: A Case Study
This video will review a singular case of disc brake squeal.
2011 Cycle Speedway World Championships
Cycle Speedway is a type of bicycle racing that is not well known in the USA. It is an international sport, but Speedway creation stories all stem back to the United Kingdom. It consists of relatively short anaerobic races at outdoor facilities built for the purpose. The cinder track is absolutel...
To Fixie, or not to Fixie...why not some of each with the SRAM Torpedo hub?
The article will review the service and adjustment of the SRAM Torpedo fix & free rear hub
SHIS...coming to a store, and a bike, near you
This article will review the SHIS (Standard Headset Information System). This nomenclature is designed to simplify ordering replacement headsets. The article will also review the new headset machining tools from Park Tool.
There have been new and innovative headset design standards on the m...
Answer the Call to Cross this Fall
This article is unashamedly a promotion for cyclo-cross racing. Specifically, it is a call to everyone to get out and support your local racing scene, which this time of year is cyclo-cross. Here in the America Midwest, it is a lovely time of year. The fall colors are coming on. The leaves are ...
2010 MTB World Championships in Quebec, Canada
It is Downhill finals at the Windham World Cup. We immediately break camp after the event and it is north, north to Canada.
Ride 2 Recovery: Great Lakes Challenge
The Ride 2 Recovery is a non-profit organization that sponsors rides around the USA for injured military veterans.
Cities, Bicycles and the Future of Bells
Bike gatherings are always of interest, at least to bike-minded people. In the middle of June there was something of a "gathering of tribes" in the Twin Cities, Minnesota area. The Nature Valley Grand Prix was in town. Cyclists clad in bright Lycra from all over the USA and the world are competin...
R2R R&R Review
The Mavic Cosmic Carbone SLR wheel systems uses bladed carbon spokes. One long blade connects from one side of the rim to the opposite, called "rim-to-rim" or "R2R". Each spoke has a threaded stud fitted at the end that engages a spoke nipple (figure 1). This article will discuss the removal and ...
More on keeping things in balance
The previous Calvin's Corner article reviewed the Tension Conversion Calculator, an Excel spreadsheet for the TM-1. This spreadsheet provides a graphic aid to understanding and seeing spoke tension relationships in the wheel. This article will provide more details and instructions on how to b...
