Tag: bicycle racing

The Santa Cruz HighBall GX AXS

The Santa Cruz Highball GX AXS is a lightweight, race-ready carbon hardtail built for speed and efficiency. It’s a great Chicagoland XC slayer because it can handle just about any trail within a day’s drive of the metro but can also air off an alleyway speed bump or whip through downtown traffic. This specific build was set up to be a jack-of-all-XC for a self-described “gizmo afficionado” rider who wanted the latest technology for racing, commuting, and goofing off at the bump track, but didn’t want to deal with occasionally cleaning the pivots of a full-suspension rig.

And before you ask, here’re the weights for this size medium:

• Out of the box: 25.4 lbs
• Trail ready (dropper post, pedals, bags, sealant, computer, bottle cages, bell): 26.5 lbs

Build highlights

The star of the build is the SRAM GX Eagle AXS wireless drivetrain, which delivers crisp, consistent, cable-free shifting under pressure in all sorts of conditions. AXS is ideal for riders who put on a lot of miles and don’t want to mess around too much. Once tuned, the only maintenance is cleaning, lubing, charging the battery, and occasional chain or cog replacement. It attaches to the frame using SRAM’s “Full Mount” system, instead of the traditional derailleur hanger, for a more rigid and durable connection. This robust system is necessary because the rear derailleur is humongous. Check out the comparison photo below to see it compared to a mountain derailleur from 30 years ago.

The RockShox SID SL Select+ fork with 100mm of travel looks good murdered out in all black. It comes with a remote dropper switch in the form of SRAM’s patented Gripshift design (renamed the TwistLoc), allowing riders to switch between locked, pedal, and fully open settings. Why? The up-and-down of the suspension robs you of some forward energy. Over a long race a few watts lost here or there add up, so being able to deploy shock-absorption when needed, then turn it off, saves the rider some strength for consequential moments. Also, it’s fun to play with.

Most XC bikes do not need the added weight and complexity of a dropper seat post, but this rider specifically mentioned their preference for sitting comfortably on the saddle while flat-footed at stoplights, so the dropper post was a must-have. It also comes in handy at the pump track. This build went for the American-made Thomson Elite dropper with 125mm of action. Thomson posts do not jiggle as much as some other posts near their price-point, plus they have a long history of producing quality components that goes back to the early days of mountain biking. The Highball frame comes with internal cable routing for a clean look. Speaking of the early days of MTB, a unique feature of the Highball is the skinny 27.2mm seatpost, a size standard that’s usually reserved for lightweight road bikes. This provides a noticeable level of flex between the saddle and frame, which is a nice comfort add for an otherwise stiff racing hardtail.

Here’s a more comprehensive build list:

2025 Santa Cruz Highball GX AXS – Standard Build plus Tailwind Extras

• Frame: Santa Cruz Highball Carbon C hardtail frame (for 29″ wheels) – features a threaded bottom bracket, internal cable routing, and three water bottle mounts.
• Fork: RockShox SID SL Select+ suspension fork, 100 mm travel, with handlebar-mounted remote lockout (RockShox TwistLoc).
• Rear Suspension: None – hardtail design (no rear shock).
• Wheelset: RaceFace ARC Offset 27 (29″) alloy rims laced to DT Swiss 370 hubs (Boost spacing: 15×110 mm front with torque caps, 12×148 mm rear, XD driver, 28h).
• Tires: Maxxis Rekon Race 29×2.35″ tires, EXO casing, tubeless.
• Drivetrain: SRAM GX Eagle AXS T-Type 12-speed wireless electronic system – includes a SRAM GX Eagle DUB T-Type crankset and Sigeyi power meter (34 T chainring), a SRAM GX Eagle AXS T-Type rear derailleur, wide-range 10–52 T SRAM GX Eagle T-Type cassette, flattop GX Eagle T-Type 12-speed chain, and the SRAM AXS Pod wireless controller (shifter). (No front derailleur.)
• Brakes: SRAM Level Bronze Stealth hydraulic disc brakes (4-piston calipers) with 160 mm SRAM HS2 rotors (front & rear) – custom sized lines, cut to customer preference.
• Cockpit: Santa Cruz carbon flat handlebar (760 mm width, 7 mm rise, 31.8 mm clamp) with TwistLoc lockout remote; SRAM Atmos alloy stem (~60 mm length); Thomson Elite dropper seatpost (27.2 mm diameter × 125mm x 400 mm); SDG Bel-Air V3 saddle.
• Headset: Cane Creek 40, integrated IS headset (internal cartridge bearings).
• Bottom Bracket: SRAM DUB 73 mm threaded BB (MTB Wide).
• Pedals: Time ATAC XC 10

Tailwind’s Pit Tips for Criterium Racing

What is the Half Acre Cycling Skyway Crit?

Who and What: The Half Acre Cycling Team puts on an annual two-day road bike racing event called the Skyway Criterium. It’s a lap race open to anybody at any skill level. Prizes come in the form of medals and pride.

When: Saturday & Sunday, April 19 & 20, 2025

Where: The road and area around the Calumet Park gymnastics building, on Chicago’s southern edge. The course goes in a bean-shape on S. Ave G, Crilly, and 100th Dr.

Tailwind Neutral Support at the Race

We are extremely happy to be given the opportunity to help out with the Half Acre Cycling Skyway beginner Criterium series this upcoming April 19th and 20th. The importance of Half Acre Cycling’s commitment to inclusivity and effort to bring new bike racers into the Chicago racing scene is huge! 

@boxwrenchben has been a race mechanic for twelve years now, having gone to the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs to obtain a professional mechanic’s license in the fall of 2012, and worked Neutral Support professionally for the first time for NRS and Events in the Spring of 2013. He has worked as a neutral support race mechanic or pro team mechanic at races every year since 2013.

The Skyway Crit Series is great for new racers because the course is beginner friendly and the focus is on the lower categories, rather than some of the bigger race series in the area that cater to Category 1 and 2. A big part of crit racing that is often overlooked by new racers is how the race pit, technical assistance, and free laps during the race all work. The foundation of providing neutral support at a race is being able to provide technical assistance to the racers while at the same time adhering to the rules of the race, and also helping racers re-enter the race safely after taking a free lap. One of the requirements of obtaining a USA Cycling mechanics license is to take and pass the USA Cycling Officials license test. This ensures that the mechanic can work with the race officials to make sure everyone can race safely and fairly.   

A lot of bike racers (new and experienced) don’t actually have a great understanding of how neutral support, the race pit, and free laps work at a race. We’ll go over some of the fundamentals here, and don’t be afraid to ask the mechanic(s) in the pit (whenever they aren’t busy) or any race official (same) if you have any questions. You can also go to the USA Cycling website and download a pdf of the official 2025 rulebook. Criterium racing rules are covered in chapter 3:

Any and all technical support must take place in the pit, no matter what point it is in the race. No rider is allowed to take a new wheel or have their bike worked on anywhere on the course other than the pit.