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Calvin's Corner
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...
Tension...it's all relative
Winter above the 45-degrees North Latitude line can be a long and dark time. What better use of your time in sub-zero weather than to relax, indoors, with a TM-1 Spoke Tension Meter, a wheel, and a lap top computer? Many readers might appreciate the first two, but this article is intended to i...
Cyclo-cross
The Fall brings us a change in the weather, with crisp air, leaves upon the ground, and cyclo-cross racing. What is cyclo-cross? What better source to turn to, than the Italian manual, CYCLING, which explains that cyclo-cross is "...a cycling specialty considered apart as regards its technic...
Getting a Sense of the Problem
In bicycle repair, or any other mechanical work for that matter, we should bring to the table our five senses. We need as much input as possible in order to process the data and come to a resolution on the issues before us. This article will expatiate upon the "five senses" and h...
2009 MTB World Championships- Canberra Australia
Each fall, near the end of the racing season, the best mountain bikers gather for the UCI World Championships. This year, the event is near Canberra, Australia, where the finest cross country, trials, and gravity riders will meet to do battle and name a World Champion for each discipline. To me, ...
SEMINARIO
The Park Tool distributor in Mexico, Benotto, sponsored a technical training seminar, held in Mexico City, July 16 and 17, 2009. There were one hundred twenty participants, all expecting an education nine hours a day, for two days. For me, it was quite an experience, as I think I learned as m...
Rear Shock Service- RockShox Monarch 4.2
This article will review the service of the RockShox® Monarch rear shock. Rear shocks are found on most full suspension bikes. Full suspension bicycle frames use a linkage system to allow the rear axle to move up and down independently to accommodate uneven terrain. The rear shock pushe...
CYCLING... the book
With the arrival of summer, it is primetime for good riding and fine reading. In this edition of Calvin's corner I will provide a book report of a tome which influenced me, and my way of thinking. It is sometimes long after reading a piece of literature, and then by re-reading it, does it b...
Rock Shox Pike Fork Service
This article will review the service of the Rock Shox® Pike suspension fork. Suspension systems are sophisticated technology and sercive often requires proprietary tools and specialized knowledge. A professional mechanic trained in suspension service should perform internal tuning and detail...
