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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.

Racing past the Tailwind Cycles pit tent.

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.

Road cyclists lined up to race Half Acre Skyway Beginner Crits

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.

Don’t, under any circumstances, run into the pit and just grab a wheel for yourself or any other rider! (thankfully nobody has done this at Skyway any of the years I have worked it) You have to be given a spare wheel by the mechanic in the pit. If there was a big crash and there are multiple riders in the pit, this is especially important. It can be hard to be calm when your heart rate is up and your adrenaline is pumping. I can assure you though, if you just grab a wheel without permission and re-insert yourself into a race, you’ll be disqualified and that’s the end of your race.

You are expected to have your equipment in reasonable racing shape before the race. Neutral support is not a replacement for regular maintenance. If you come to the pit with a non-race incident mechanical, you will not be given a free lap. You can still re-enter the race, but you will either be chasing the field or you will be a lap down. Incidents where I have seen a racer not allowed a free lap include, but are not limited to: Bike stops shifting because derailleur cables are corroded. Bike stops shifting because it has electronic shifting and the rider forgot to charge their battery. Chain is skipping badly because it is so worn out it won’t engage cogs properly. Bike got a flat tire, but tires are worn way past the point they should have been replaced. Tubular tire comes off due to glue being old, or tubeless tire goes flat due to sealant being old and dried up. Bars, stem, or seatpost slip due to having damaged bolts or not having been tightened properly. Don’t be that person. Bike shops like Tailwind are here to inspect your bike before the race. If you have a race incident during the race and it is still in the part of the race where free laps are available, you are instructed to make your way to the pit as quickly and safely as possible.

A race incident is defined as a mechanical failure not caused by lack of maintenance, or a crash the rider was involved in. Being involved in a crash is defined as actually ending up on the ground. Stopping or slowing down to avoid a crash unfortunately doesn’t make the rider eligible for a free lap. 

In most criterium races (including Skyway) you are allowed to cut the course or travel against the race direction (not on the course) to get to the pit. 

At the line before the start whistle, the race officials will announce which race lap free-laps will end. Please pay attention to that announcement. You will also be told when you arrive at the pit whether you are getting a free lap or not. 

If you come into the pit alone, you will be pushed back into the race by the mechanic. The intention is to get you back into the race pack in the same position as you left the group for the incident. Please wait for instruction on when to start pedaling and take the push. Either all of the riders re-entering the race get a push, or no riders get a push. At Skyway, there is only a single mechanic in the pit, so if there is more than a single rider re-entering the race, those riders will need to stand and wait to be told by either the mechanic or officials when to start pedaling to re-enter the race.

Come on down and check out the races! The cost of entry is low and day-licenses are available at registration, but we recommend you pre-register to make sure you get a spot.

Here’s a shot of Ben pushing a rider back into the field during the Tour of America’s Dairyland. 

Ben pushing a bike racer out of the pit


/TAILWINDCYCLES

Tailwind Cycles is a full-service bike shop located in Albany Park, Chicago offering in-shop and mobile bike repair, tune-ups, and bike fitting.


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