The 5 Best (and 5 Worst) Things About Being a World Cup Mechanic
People sometimes ask me about the how, what and whys of World Cup wrenching. While not being a veteran of the circuit - there are some mechanics who've literally spent decades in the pits - I've had a taste of it over the last couple of years, and I would say I've established some of the good, and some of the bad.
People also occasionally ask me how to get into it. Sadly I don't really have an answer for them. I got into it by being in the right place at the right time. That said, while you can't always control timing, you can choose where you wish to live to maximise your chances of meeting the right people. Places like Whistler, Morzine or Queenstown have great mechanics to not only learn from but also to help you make connections you might rely on if you wish to embark on a globe-trotting, cardboard box-taping life.
Let's start with the bad. Here are the five worst things about being a World Cup mechanic.
The Hours
While I'm not averse to working long hours, especially while doing a job that I genuinely enjoy, for mechanics the hours can be very, very long.
When a mechanic is working with just one rider things aren't so bad. Similarly, if the bike is reliable and the setup consistent, then it can be possible to get things wrapped up in a timely manner. However, if you have two or even three riders, the spread of A and B practice, plus timed training, then it can mean regular 16 or maybe 17-hour stints on your feet in the pits on consecutive days. Other factors could be something like riders wanting to try a mixed-wheeled setup at the last minute or wishing to explore every single tire combination imaginable. These things can eat up the hours, and that's not factoring in crash damage and regular maintenance. It's so important to make a rider feel comfortable on the bike, but those jobs do add up when you've got multiple bikes to keep in check.
All of that is operating on the assumption that the venue is close to the accommodation (think Fort William), that there won't be an hour long wait to wash off the bike with a lower power hose (Snowshoe) and that the pits are on the same mountain of the race (à la Vallnord). These little things that would never occur to you from the outside can play a large role in how much meaningful sleep you get after a long day.
The Travel
Travel may sound like a blessing but, at least in my experience, you tend to just see the inside of different airports and the same tents. Maybe I don't appreciate it as I should, but personally, it's always been a massive con for me. If we could do these races an hour down the road from one another I would much prefer that. That said, it is of course a World Cup, even if that transpires to mean Europe, with a quick detour around North America on the side. Maybe it should be called the North Western cup until we venture to the Eastern or Southern Hemispheres - now that would be something.
The other issue is that some towns that host World Cups don't have appropriate accommodations for all the teams and spectators. There's a lot of sleeping on sofas and in kitchens. Eventually, you'll consider the solitude of a large mattress-sized cupboard to be the height of luxury. Of course, there's nothing wrong with sharing a room, and even big-time footballers and road cycling teams do it - but sometimes the availability of large houses is so thin that you're packing in like sardines or driving from far out of town. For me, I much prefer sleeping on the race truck at the venue if the possibility is there, but not all teams have them.
It sounds silly, but I do like the different foods of different places, and if you can manage to sneak out for a ride then that's pretty great, but largely the novelty wears off. Fast.
The Lack of Riding
Again, this often does hinge on how many riders you have. However, even with one, your job is to be there to support them and not to be whisked around the world on an eight-stop riding holiday. Sometimes you might get a ride in, often you won't.
So if you find the time, which you'll find difficult, it's also operating on the assumption that there is space to carry your bike - which there won't be. Most vans are packed full and verge on being overweight. The penalty for driving an overweight vehicle is high, so it's often just not worth the risk.
The time factor is one of the main reasons why so many mechanics prefer working on EWS teams. The travel is more varied, the structure less rigid and you also normally get to sample the good stuff yourself.
It also depends on where you're living, too. When I was in New Zealand, knowing I had a summer of riding to look forward to balanced out not riding much in the European summer. Northern Hemisphere winters can suck, though, when you can't ride much during the summer.
The Pay
The best deal to be in is to be salaried and have time for other projects in the off-season. This acts as a retainer and means you have some degree of financial security. That said, you are often times considered "on call" and can be expected to be available for the team's needs.
For me, this was never an issue or factor in why I did it. I did it because I loved it. That said, apart from owning a hamster called Pepe, I've never had more than one mouth to feed. And, even when I did he didn't burn out the finances too much, save for a few blueberries and nuts. Often, your wage may also be subsidized with staff bikes or parts. This is great, and something I've enjoyed enormously, however, it's not the same as money in your pocket.
The Disappointments
To work for a World Cup team is to learn to be efficient with your disappointments. A huge field of ultra-competitive athletes means that most of the time most of the people leave after the race disappointed. There are few lower feelings than packing down the pits early on finals day when nobody qualifies.
It's important of course not to sap the motivation of the riders and to try to contribute towards a positive team culture. Accept it, support them and move on to the next one.
Yes, riders may well be happy with a top twenty, and so they should be, but by their very nature, the thing they seek isn't easy to come by. However, being the competitive souls that they are it's remarkable to see how quickly they often dust themselves off.
So, you've flown so many economy miles that you're shaped like a pretzel, you haven't slept properly for weeks and you have no money... Why would anyone ever do it? Well, it's simple really. Here are the main reasons why I love working for race teams.
New Bikes & Testing
It's hard to imagine doing the job if you weren't interested in or passionate about bikes. Getting the latest not-yet-released tech is exciting, and even more, so is being part of the conversations of how it should be. It's also great to hear things straight from the horse's mouth and talk to brands about why things have to be a certain way, or how they could be improved.
Talking about bikes, for me, it's near enough as good as riding the things, and hearing the ideas or setup choices around bikes to make them as fast as possible is infinitely fascinating to me. It also means that you will never be wanting for a tire or bike kit again, even if they may well be hand-me-downs.
Knowing What Really Happened
We all enjoy the rumour mill or reading the comments section to glean the truth behind the season's most salacious story. What's better is being there and finding it out firsthand and in real time. How they really hated that bike and snapped two frames in one weekend, or the reason why one of the sport's stars wanted to change their team. I know it might sound trivial, but being a fan of downhill is a big lure of the job and being where the action is was always a big part of it. I love downhill racing, and at times it can feel like you are just a fan but with VIP access.
I think if you're somebody that loves to follow racing as a full-time hobby, rather than sitting down to just watch the highlights, then this is something to savor.
Friends
I've made some great friends along the way. I know it sounds cheesy but it's true. When the first riders head up to practice or when you can snatch five minutes during a rebuild on track walk day, it's great to just see familiar faces. One or two of my best friends work on the circuit and shooting the shit with them is genuinely one of the highlights of the weekend. It's also compounded by the fact that we all live in different corners of the world and wouldn't get much chance to see each other at all if it wasn't for racing.
The Test
Truthfully, I'm not a particularly good mechanic. I'm okay and I get the job done, but I don't think I'm anything special or better than any others on the circuit. To be a World Cup mechanic, yes you need experience working on bikes, but it's more about knowing how that bike and set of products work than having some universal and all-encompassing knowledge about everything that ever was. You need to know one particular brand of bike very, very well, and to be honest most people could do that.
However, I do love the test and challenge of being up against it and pulling it off. Whether it's a last-minute turnaround of a broken bike for their last practice run before qualifying or the nerves as the rider puts that crank through the start beam in their final run, the chain not snapping and you then knowing that you can go home with a clear conscience.
There are also areas where you can help the rider, and that is massively rewarding too. Even if it's just to guide them to their own answer and be a sounding board, I have always found that very to be an important part of the job.
When Things Go Well
People put themselves through the rigmarole of racing World Cups because it's very important to them. Not important like riding is to you or me, but elevated way beyond that to the point where it almost defines them. Helping anyone achieve anything so heartfelt is an absorbing prospect, it's almost irresistible.
In life, so many of our actions are kind of hollow - it sounds a bit bleak but it is true. Not that that is a bad thing - I don't expect you to butter your toast as if your life depends on it, or let tears of relief flow after you get your email inbox down to zero (Brian Park is a possible exception). I think when people want to be the best at something, and you can tell when they really want it, that has a way to cut through the white noise and has always struck a chord with me - and I don't imagine I'm alone in that.
Helping somebody achieve something they'll remember forever is something to savor and probably the best part of all.
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Con: the job
Pro: not the job
yep sounds like a Job to me.
No there is no such thing as “just by chance”, and saying it’s luck really downplays the work that people put in. He’s in that position because he put himself in that position.
He worked for it, pushed for it, put himself in the position to be noticed,
And continues to over perform in his role,
we make our own luck
End of story
You think you do, but others out there want it more, that’s why you’re not a World Cup mechanic.
There’s nothing wrong with that, and I don’t want to downplay the work you’ve put in, you just haven’t put in enough.
If you really want it, you’ll attain it, might take months, or years, or decades, but the opportunities exist now, and still will in 10, 20 years from now.
Just cause it’s hard doesn’t mean it’s impossible, you just haven’t done enough to get there yet.
I believe in you, go fu$kin get it
Is that bad luck? I don't know, I don't know what to call it, but I do know that preparation and opportunity have never crossed roads for that person.
Not victim blaming, and I have a tonne of compassion for those that are less fortunate than I am. If you want it badly enough, you can work for it, and achieve it. You just have to want it bad enough.
I know my post sounded cheesy as hell, and potentially rubs people the wrong way sometimes, but I truly believe it.
I’ve lived and worked in some tough places, and it’s tough as hell, I’ve also worked with disadvantaged youth here, just as tough, but it’s exactly working with those people that have me still believing in that idea.
I’ve played supporting roles in young, beat down, disadvantaged youth who have worked hard as hell to achieve third dreams and goals, have overcome things, and pasts that we can’t even imagine. If one person can do it, anyone can.
I friggin believe in all you surly c@nts, go chase those dreams and work your ass off for them. Bring that positivity back with you, and help support/lift up the next person to reach their dreams and goals.
With all my fanfare, I’m aware that their are people and circumstances that can prove my ideals wrong, but not for the OP, and certainly not for anyone of us tapping away on our computer. If we are are feeling unfulfilled, or that we missed out on our dreams, we only have ourselves to look at, we made safe choices, we chose the well beaten path, we chose to live someone else’s ideal and not our own. It’s never too late, go chase that b1tch!
I have a friend who is one of the most disciplined and hard working people I know. He put everything into a restaurant he opened in Jan 2020. He lost everything and then some. Will never be in the position financially to try again short of winning the lotto.
The phrase "wanting it bad enough" is ok, but that phrase bears some accountability and full responsibility to not undermine other values or virtues like the examples i mentioned, otherwise a kid who has only been told "you must want it bad enough" will most likely cut corners and hit a wall sooner or later.
Anyway, i think you know that, let's get to work, have a nice one guys.
@bulletbassman
Really appreciate the open and respectful discussion about this.
Maybe I have a slightly different view, and thats what I lean on to help get me through my days.
I like the thought that its somewhat under my control, and not just up to circumstance, or fate. I believe we are (the royal we) the captains of our own fate, and the sooner we come to that reality, the sooner we can take responsibility for that path.
I try my best to levy no judgement on anyone for how they choose to live, it took me a long time to come to the place where I am, and I am by no means successful like I want to be. But the shift in mentality, and taking that responsibility on, rather than believing its out of hands has made a positive impact for me, YMMV, but I suggest giving it a go.
There’s anecdotal evidence to prove or disprove any theory out there, there are millions of paths to failure, and few to success, so the work and perseverance required to reach any level of success is immense.
My message to the OP @Tr011 is that if being a pro mech is your dream job, the opportunities are still there, you have to find them
Ideally at least a dozen races, closer together geographically and in time. And if it's going to be around the world, have a NZ and Aussie race close to each other...
A World Cup DH
race in Antarctica?
I’d love to see those bikes.
200mm travel fat bikes with 1/2” spiked tires. Hell yeah!
They often see only the dream and miss the reality
I was probably one of the highest paid wrenches and a few guys tried starting a mechanics union, but that never took off, thankfully because you were paid what you were able to negotiate. By 2000, the glory days were collapsing and contracts for wrenches were drying up-I pivoted out of racing and into industry full time.
I was always a private contractor so I had no medical insurance and had to pay my own taxes, but I managed. There was a lot of bikes at the end of season to sell, components, etc...I also had sponsorship deals with Mechanix Gloves, Park Tools, Finish Line lubes-was featured in print ads with them and I think all of those deals a year might have been $5k in total, 10k at their peak.
I paid for ALL team expenses on my personal cards and in my 20's was able to rack up some impressive credit and mileage points, etc...that was hard to manage all that and get paid, sending expense reports while out on the road in an era before digital work, was challenging-faxing in invoices, expense reports, etc...but, towards the end, computers were a thing, email, etc...
I will say, 2001, I was the Team Schwinn/Toyota mechanic and in August they went bankrupt-along with GT. By September we were not getting paid our salary, but lawyers told us to continue on tour if you can if we ever have hope of getting our money in a settlement-there were only a few races left, so we all went. We got papers to sign to say we resolve our rights to settlement for a flat rate of $1000, I did not sign it (Nor did my wife Leigh, who was on the team as well).
I think I was owed about 23k for remainder, Leigh was owed about 6 figures. I think about a year later, we both got checks in the mail-surprised-from the bankruptcy deal, I think I got about $6500? I don't remember Leigh's amount, but it was an awesome surprise because we thought that money was gone!
I switched to training and sales within the industry up until 2010, Started at $30k and maxed out at $45k there. Easily made 1.5x that the month after I resigned to start an entry-level engineering draftsman job and at that point, I realized my days in the industry were done.
I miss the people, friends, and atmosphere, but I wouldn't be able to buy a house and have a family, let alone live in California working for the industry.
Cons- everything else
Worth it!
Is that ok?
Its just wild hearing someone complain about millenials in 2023. Someone needs to put paw-paw back in his rocker, he fell off again.
Internships need to offer more than "you get to work for free, and maybe we will hire you". That isn't an internship, thats taking advantage. But the solution of just not paying people is novel.