Megève – Combloux

Anticipate mechanical problems by preparing your equipment

June 28 to 30, 2024

Days

Hours

Minutes

Seconds

See you in

Pre-race equipment preparation is essential to anticipate mechanical problems. After days, weeks and months of preparation and training to exceed your limits, you don’t want everything to be ruined by a mechanical problem that could have been avoided. A badly adjusted derailleur, incorrectly bled brakes or the omission of an essential tool such as a pump or inner tube can bring your effort to a premature halt at a time when your legs were on fire. Arthur Lehec, member of the MB Race team and technician at Scott Sports France, gives you his advice. !

WHERE TO START WHEN PREPARING YOUR EQUIPMENT?

A complete overhaul of the bike is necessary for this type of race. You’ll be giving it your best shot, and your equipment will be put to the test for a whole day, sometimes in difficult conditions.

A 10-minute check-up provides a quick diagnosis:

Inspect the frame in detail for dents and cracks that could prove fatal on the big day.
Check the joints for play by operating the rear suspension and placing your finger on each joint.
Steering must be smooth and free of play (brake and move the bike forward to check).
Check all screws for correct torque (using a torque wrench).
Wheels, play in hubs (take wheel by hand and move sideways), sail, touch each spoke to make sure none are broken, and if any are not tensioned correctly.
Check drivetrain wear, chain (wear gauge), cabling (fluid or seized), derailleur adjustment, dropout alignment.
Check brake pad wear and lever feel. A poorly purged system can be a disaster as the day progresses, with pad wear on long, beautiful descents. Start with almost new, broken-in brake pads.

If you don’t feel up to it, ask your dealer to do it for you. Don’t take the plunge with an untested bike.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN ACCESSORIES YOU NEED FOR A RACE LIKE THE MB RACE?

Apart from the obligatory helmet, you mustn’t neglect the accessories that will enable you to race in the best possible conditions. THE QUESTION: Bagged or bagless?

WITHOUT A BAG: like the top riders at the front, if your aim is to go as fast as possible without compromising and therefore accepting risks. Risk of being cold, hot, having nothing to repair and lacking autonomy in food and water.
Of course, it’s more comfortable to ride without a bag. In this case, it’s a real plus to have the assistance of those around you, as often as the route allows.

WITH BAG: the bag allows you to be as self-sufficient as possible and give yourself every chance of finishing. It must be comfortable (we leave between 9 and 16 h) and must contain :

A windbreaker, as conditions can change rapidly with altitude.
Enough to be self-sufficient in food and water for at least 40 km. The MB Race's top-notch organization provides refreshments, but you're dependent on what's on offer when you may be used to something else, whether solid or liquid. We all have different eating habits. A 2L water bag is standard. Fill up at the big feed stations at 70 and 100 km, where you'll find everything you need.
Essential tools (see below).
Whistle, cell phone and survival blanket are important and highly recommended for this type of mountain race.

WHAT TO PACK IN YOUR FIRST-AID KIT

Since I’ve been doing this type of long-distance mountain or high-mountain running, the compulsory equipment has made me add a set of sterile compresses and straps to my bag. I’ve never used a first-aid kit before, so I’m not sure I have the best advice for that. But the survival blanket is the minimum you need for yourself or to cover an injured person during a race in the event of heatwave or cold/rain/snow.

WHAT TOOLS DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR REPAIR KIT?

The essential tools to carry with you are :

Inner tubes x2. In the saddlebag, away from mud.
A tire iron just in case, but not normally required.
A mini pump in the bag or on a bottle holder (rather than co2 cartridges reserved for top pilots, or a mixed co2 pump).
Handlebar ends can be used as tubeless repair bits (practice beforehand at home with an old tire!), enabling you to repair a small cut in a matter of seconds without disassembly.
A multi-tool, making sure you have all the necessary bits compatible with your bike.
A chain drift (sometimes included with multi-tools).
A quick-release fastener compatible with your chain (link or quick-release pin).
A derailleur hanger compatible with your bike.
A small square of cut-out inner tube.
In the event of major mechanical problems, you'll find Shimano assistance at 3 points along the route (km 28, km 70 and km 100).

BEFORE THE RACE, HOW TO ADJUST YOUR BIKE? (ADJUST SUSPENSIONS, DEPRECIATION...)

As far as suspension is concerned, some people tend to ride very inflated in more rolling areas to get better XC performance. In this case, the setting must be adjusted downwards to make full use of the travel on the MB Race’s technical descents. Approx. 20-30% lowering of the suspension under your weight, statically.

The rebound must be set fairly quickly, as some high-speed descents are made up of a succession of roots or stones. The suspensions must have time to absorb the impact and relax to absorb the next shock. Bounce too slowly: the suspension will remain depressed at the first impact and the rest will be absorbed by your arms and legs. > FATIGUE AND HEADACHES!

SHOULD YOU ADJUST YOUR BIKE IN THE SAME WAY DEPENDING ON THE DISTANCE AND DIFFICULTY OF THE RACE?

The MB Race ranges from 20 to 140km, so equipment preparation is different, but in all cases the bike must be in PERFECT WORKING CONDITION to avoid accidents and enjoy the scenery without getting your hands dirty. Lubrication is different if conditions are going to be complicated. There are lubricants for both dry and wet conditions, for example in the Shimano range.
Of course, the longer the chosen distance, the longer the preparation, and the harder the disappointment of having to stop due to a mechanical problem caused by poor equipment preparation. An incident at the 15th km of a 20km race or at the 15th km of a 140km race doesn’t have the same flavour.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN MECHANICAL PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED DURING A RACE?

PuncturesToday, however, it has been greatly reduced by effective preventive liquids, and in some cases can be repaired with a wick in a matter of seconds.

SOLUTION: wait a few seconds while driving for the preventive to take effect.

if the leak persists, try wick repair if the notch allows.if the wick doesn’t allow repair, open the tire, find the source of the puncture and remove it if still present. Fit an inner tube. If the tire hole is too large, the tube may herniate. Insert a piece of inner tube here to avoid this.

The fall that twists the derailleur hanger.

SOLUTION: dismantle the derailleur and replace the hanger. If the derailleur is bent, even with a new dropout, it’s affected too. Twist it GENUINELY to finish the race. In any case, it will have to be replaced at the end of the race.

Chain breakage may be due to :

a hard spot at the crimping location
gear shifting at maximum effort with the chain in torsion
a chain with excessive wear

SOLUTION: visualize the affected area. Derive the chain to extract the HS link sequence to find 2 males (quick-release) or 1 male and 1 female (Shimano quick-release).

A branch in the aisle, break aisle(s).

SOLUTION :

Twisted spoke, do nothing if the wheel still passes through the frame/fork, it will wait until the end of the race, but ride more carefully as the wheel is weakened.
Broken spoke: hang it on another spoke to prevent it from getting stuck somewhere.

A speed or brake hose severed by a flying stone.