We have an opportunity for a qualified mechanic to work with our Junior team in Europe. Our ideal candidate will be able to work and stay with the team for the duration of the trip, we do understand that may not be possible and are flexible on that stipulation with the right candidate. This is a contract position, USA Cycling will provide transportation, housing and meals. Compensation TBD based on experience.
The dates are: August 9th – September 20th
The events:
World Track Championships
Regio Tour
Muelebeke
Vlaamse
Gewesten
GP Ruebliland
Basilicata
Tour d’ Istrie
To be considered you should be very knowledgeable of road and time trial bikes, you should posses a valid passport (not to expire within 60 days of the end of the trip), you should own your own tools, be comfortable driving a manual transmission and have a valid USA Cycling mechanics license. Candidates will be required to pass a background check as you will be working with our Junior athletes.
Please email me directly (jstanfill@usacycling.org) if you are interested in this opportunity or for further information.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
Pan Americano 2010 - Aquascalientes Mexico
Well I am just back from the Pan Am Championships in Mexico. I had the opportunity to work with one of the greats, TJ Grove. TJ was our mechanic for the whole event (he did road, track and MTB). This portion of the Pan Am Championships was road and track. One of my new job duties is to travel with the team pursuit team, so I popped down for a few days to work with them.
In the above pictures you can see some great stuff. The very "official" UCI measuring jig made from fencing and tape. TJ Grove moving some equipment (at track event you can count on spending at least an hour a day just moving stuff around, either from the hotel to the track or your locker at the track to your box) and our mechanics work table. That is my super sweet (thanks FSA) ultra portable tool sack. For track events you don't need a lot of tools and I find this works great as I can stuff it in any piece of checked luggage (only 12lbs).
In the above pictures you can see some great stuff. The very "official" UCI measuring jig made from fencing and tape. TJ Grove moving some equipment (at track event you can count on spending at least an hour a day just moving stuff around, either from the hotel to the track or your locker at the track to your box) and our mechanics work table. That is my super sweet (thanks FSA) ultra portable tool sack. For track events you don't need a lot of tools and I find this works great as I can stuff it in any piece of checked luggage (only 12lbs).
TJ GROVE
TJ here making himself useful as the best work stand money can buy.
The airport in Aquascalientes is super small and super not like most airports you will travel through. Here is the team and all the goods we travel with. We had 11 folks departing on the last day of the event. We aren't talking jumbo jets here folks. It took a couple days for all of our USAC luggage to arrive back at the offices.
Each and every package had to be hand inspected! The team arrived at the airport at 4am for a 6:45a flight. The good news is that the security line is not like LAX or DEN! The bad news, wow it takes a long time to hand inspect luggage.
The championships were a great success Team USA walked away with 2 World Records (team pursuit and individual pursuit, both for women), 10 podium appearances; seven gold, two silver and one bronze. A huge success!!!
Friday, April 30, 2010
Mechanics Update
So it's almost half way through the year. We have 200+ mechanics out there holding a license. This past December we had 50 folks (guys and gals) come through the Bill Woodul clinic in the springs and we promised those folks that we would do our part to get them involved and let them know when and where there were opportunities to put that license to use
In the 4 months that have past so far this year, we have helped place or placed a number individuals into the field. You can see that many are from the December 2010 clinic; this is mostly because I have recent - valid and good contact info for these folks. It is important that you keep your info in the USAC data base up to date. We are revamping the mechanics portion of the website and you will notice that there is already a "find a mechanic" button. You will need to go into your USA Cycling account and opt in or out so that your name may be searched by outside parties, more to come on that when the new look if final.
In the 4 months that have past so far this year, we have helped place or placed a number individuals into the field. You can see that many are from the December 2010 clinic; this is mostly because I have recent - valid and good contact info for these folks. It is important that you keep your info in the USAC data base up to date. We are revamping the mechanics portion of the website and you will notice that there is already a "find a mechanic" button. You will need to go into your USA Cycling account and opt in or out so that your name may be searched by outside parties, more to come on that when the new look if final.
Who Went Where in 2010
December 2010 Clinic Graduates
Women’s National Team Mechanic
Full Season
Rob Love
Redlands Bicycle Classic
4 day stage race
Roscoe Cummings
Joe Devera
Marcel Van Garderen
European Internship
4 weeks 4 stage races with U23 / JR Program
Andy Haggerty
Wildflower Triathlon
5 days working with Specialized Event Support Program
Joe Devera
Other connections
Track World Cup
Beijing China
Todd Downs
Track Camp
LA California
Todd Downs
Canada Nations Cup
4 day stage race U23 Team
Steve Thordarson
Tibco Team Mechanic
?
Monday, April 26, 2010
Mechanic Needed - U23 Nations Cup - Canada
We are seeking a licensed mechanic with tools a great attitude and a passport to work the U23 Nations Cup in Canada. The event is held June 3rd though 6th, travel days will be worked around that schedule.
Please email me if you are further interested.
Thanks,
James
jstanfill@usacycling.org
Please email me if you are further interested.
Thanks,
James
jstanfill@usacycling.org
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Redlands 2010
Not the first race of the season but in a way a kick off to the season. Mavic Neutral Support provided me a great opportunity to come out and work with some newbies who just completed this past winters Bill Woodul clinic here in Colorado Springs.
Redlands provides the perfect venue for a new mechanic in the Neutral Support realm. It is pretty much guaranteed that you'll get to jump into the action as some point in this 4 day race weekend. Every day provided some kind of wonderful, if wonderful is of course changing a wheel or scrapping a rider off the pavement. The criterium provided the most action with a couple of mass pileups and plenty of wheel changes and fallen riders.
The entire crew did a great job. It feels good to come out and see that what we teach in the clinic is practical and that the folks who pass through are able to apply what they learned to real life situations. Sure the nerves run high, the adrenaline flows but no tragic mistakes were made, of the 10 people on this Redlands crew we came and we departed with all 100 fingers and 100 toes.
Someone with a camera even managed to capture me actually doing something. Don't get used to it!
James
Redlands provides the perfect venue for a new mechanic in the Neutral Support realm. It is pretty much guaranteed that you'll get to jump into the action as some point in this 4 day race weekend. Every day provided some kind of wonderful, if wonderful is of course changing a wheel or scrapping a rider off the pavement. The criterium provided the most action with a couple of mass pileups and plenty of wheel changes and fallen riders.
The entire crew did a great job. It feels good to come out and see that what we teach in the clinic is practical and that the folks who pass through are able to apply what they learned to real life situations. Sure the nerves run high, the adrenaline flows but no tragic mistakes were made, of the 10 people on this Redlands crew we came and we departed with all 100 fingers and 100 toes. Someone with a camera even managed to capture me actually doing something. Don't get used to it!
James
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
We have an exciting opportunity for a highly qualified mechanic to gain valuable experience volunteering with the National Team in Europe. USA Cycling is offering the opportunity to travel, live and work based out of our team house in Izegem Belgium. USA Cycling will provide travel, food, and housing for the volunteer. You will be working with our U23 and Junior teams as they race and train in Europe. To be considered you must hold a valid USA Cycling mechanics license, a valid passport not to expire before July 30th and your own tools.Trip detail are as follows:
Depart US May 9th, Return to US June 7th
Race Program:
May 12 to 16 Feche de Sud (Luxemburg)
May 20 to 24 Ronde Isard (France)
May 28-31 Pay de Vaude (Switzerland)
June 3-6 Trofeo Karlsburg (Germany)
To volunteer please email the following information no later than March 30th to jstanfill@usacycling.org.
- Resume outlining your experience in the cycling industry
- A brief statement about why you want to volunteer for this opportunity. Thanks, James
Thursday, March 4, 2010
USAC Colorado Springs Service Course
Everything comes or goes for all our team programs through these doors.
2 story secure storage area where we keep all the good stuff
The 2nd level houses radios, nutrition, tires, coolers and a collection of old National Team clothing
On level one we store all the bikes, wheels, small parts and clothing. This open space with the table serves as a packing center for trips.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Todd Downs - Beijing World Cup USAC Mechanic
Working with top-level athletes and helping them to achieve their best isn’t the same as tuning bikes in a retail shop. Being a race mechanic requires different tools. I’m not talking about the steel that we all carry in our cases—what I’m referring to are things like anticipation, resourcefulness, organization, and communication. These are the things that separate a good mechanic from a great one.
When you’re working with the pros, it’s important that you don’t leave them guessing. At an event, it’s your job to be sure that there is no question about the readiness of the riders’ equipment so each can concentrate on his or her job—to concentrate on the race and nothing else.
It all begins with conversation. You need to get to know each athlete’s setup, his or her likes and dislikes, riding style, and schedule. Some of this can be picked up through observation, but it’s quicker and more effective to talk it through. By establishing a rapport with your riders, you also start forming a relationship of trust, where they can also learn the best ways to express to you what it is they need from day to day and to understand that it’s going to get done right.
Keep notes. Organization goes beyond having a pocket for each of your most-used tools on your tool case pallets. By maintaining a journal, you can easily track all of your team’s setup preferences. There’s no shame in writing things down to remember, but blowing a simple adjustment because you “thought” you knew it is almost unforgiveable—and it can take a long time to earn that trust back.
Once you have a good understanding of your athletes, you can begin anticipating their needs. This doesn’t mean you can start making assumptions and changing things up at your own whim. Rather, it puts you in a position where you can start asking the right questions, which helps you make your own process quicker and more efficient. Time is always at odds with a race mechanic; so finding ways to steal a little back from the clock will make the mellow times a little mellower and the crazy times a little less crazy.
The crazy times are at their craziest when you’re in a strange place and need to go hunt down a part, chemical, or tool. There is only so much you can carry with you, so there will be times when even the best-prepared mechanic comes up short. Finding even the most basic items when you’re in a place where you don’t speak the language is challenging enough on its own, but when you add the stress of a ticking clock, it can make you want to pull your hair out and run screaming.
Slow yourself down a minute. Use your head. Hacksaw blades, rubbing alcohol, and brake cables aren’t purely North American phenomena. They’re out there, and you can find them. Don’t be too proud to ask other team mechanics, either. Most of them have been in the same spot you are and will be glad to lend a hand. If you can’t name the parts of a bike in English, Spanish, French, and Italian – at least – learn to. While you’re at it, learn please and thank you, too.
I had the chance to put all of this into practice last month at the Laoshan Velodrome during the UCI World Cup Classics – Beijing, in Beijing, China, with the U.S. National Team. This was my first event on the track and with the five athletes sent to compete—Cari Higgins, Cody O’Reilly, Colby Pearce, GIddeon Massei, and Jimmy Watkins.
With only a few days to figure the whole thing out, the learning curve was steep, to say the least. Putting all of these tools to use, starting with conversation, made it possible to pull it all together for a successful weekend of racing. By simply asking each of my riders what they needed from me, taking some tips from Coach Clay Worthington, and keeping notes of all of the week’s developments, I was ultimately able to start anticipating the changing needs of each from day to day. It was a challenging event, and there were slip-ups on my part, for sure. Altogether, though, I was able to manage the team’s equipment needs effectively, leaving the athletes to concentrate on their own performance and not to worry about the gear.
For me, this trip was an invaluable experience in so many ways. I learned a great deal about track racing—an aspect of bicycle competition to which I’ve had very limited exposure. Traveling to Asia is something everyone should do, at least once. Things as seemingly routine as a trip to the grocery store or finding a bicycle shop to track down a saddle become adventures you will be able to tell stories about for the rest of your life. Doing all of this while representing my country at a World Cup competition—well, that’s the stuff of dreams.
Todd “Wolverine” Downs
When you’re working with the pros, it’s important that you don’t leave them guessing. At an event, it’s your job to be sure that there is no question about the readiness of the riders’ equipment so each can concentrate on his or her job—to concentrate on the race and nothing else.
It all begins with conversation. You need to get to know each athlete’s setup, his or her likes and dislikes, riding style, and schedule. Some of this can be picked up through observation, but it’s quicker and more effective to talk it through. By establishing a rapport with your riders, you also start forming a relationship of trust, where they can also learn the best ways to express to you what it is they need from day to day and to understand that it’s going to get done right.
Keep notes. Organization goes beyond having a pocket for each of your most-used tools on your tool case pallets. By maintaining a journal, you can easily track all of your team’s setup preferences. There’s no shame in writing things down to remember, but blowing a simple adjustment because you “thought” you knew it is almost unforgiveable—and it can take a long time to earn that trust back.
Once you have a good understanding of your athletes, you can begin anticipating their needs. This doesn’t mean you can start making assumptions and changing things up at your own whim. Rather, it puts you in a position where you can start asking the right questions, which helps you make your own process quicker and more efficient. Time is always at odds with a race mechanic; so finding ways to steal a little back from the clock will make the mellow times a little mellower and the crazy times a little less crazy.
The crazy times are at their craziest when you’re in a strange place and need to go hunt down a part, chemical, or tool. There is only so much you can carry with you, so there will be times when even the best-prepared mechanic comes up short. Finding even the most basic items when you’re in a place where you don’t speak the language is challenging enough on its own, but when you add the stress of a ticking clock, it can make you want to pull your hair out and run screaming.
Slow yourself down a minute. Use your head. Hacksaw blades, rubbing alcohol, and brake cables aren’t purely North American phenomena. They’re out there, and you can find them. Don’t be too proud to ask other team mechanics, either. Most of them have been in the same spot you are and will be glad to lend a hand. If you can’t name the parts of a bike in English, Spanish, French, and Italian – at least – learn to. While you’re at it, learn please and thank you, too.
I had the chance to put all of this into practice last month at the Laoshan Velodrome during the UCI World Cup Classics – Beijing, in Beijing, China, with the U.S. National Team. This was my first event on the track and with the five athletes sent to compete—Cari Higgins, Cody O’Reilly, Colby Pearce, GIddeon Massei, and Jimmy Watkins.
With only a few days to figure the whole thing out, the learning curve was steep, to say the least. Putting all of these tools to use, starting with conversation, made it possible to pull it all together for a successful weekend of racing. By simply asking each of my riders what they needed from me, taking some tips from Coach Clay Worthington, and keeping notes of all of the week’s developments, I was ultimately able to start anticipating the changing needs of each from day to day. It was a challenging event, and there were slip-ups on my part, for sure. Altogether, though, I was able to manage the team’s equipment needs effectively, leaving the athletes to concentrate on their own performance and not to worry about the gear.
For me, this trip was an invaluable experience in so many ways. I learned a great deal about track racing—an aspect of bicycle competition to which I’ve had very limited exposure. Traveling to Asia is something everyone should do, at least once. Things as seemingly routine as a trip to the grocery store or finding a bicycle shop to track down a saddle become adventures you will be able to tell stories about for the rest of your life. Doing all of this while representing my country at a World Cup competition—well, that’s the stuff of dreams.
Todd “Wolverine” Downs
Welcome
Welcome to our new space. Soon you'll find a world of information, funny stories and photos from our world.
Enjoy
~James
Enjoy
~James
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