A mechanic's life at the Six Days of Berlin

As a track bike mechanic, you are responsible for all of the pro racers’ bicycles. The most important part is to check the condition and air pressure of all the tyres to make sure they are absolutely perfect and impeccable. 

The bike also needs to have the correct saddle height and gear ratio for each rider, depending on what type of race they are participating in. A sprinter, who pedals over 2000 watts, must have everything on their bike adjusted correctly or they risk getting seriously injured. A track bike mechanic needs to do their job flawlessly for the rider not only to win, but to keep them safe as well.

Before and between races, the centre of the track, where the riders’ pens are, is full of action. Stuck between Robert Förstermann’s thighs and Max Levy’s astoundingly beautiful bike, one can quickly start felling claustrophobic. However, there’s not time to waste because bikes need to be prepped for the next racing discipline. Most of the time, this entails checking and cleaning the tyres.

One look at my smile, and it easy to see that I am having a lot of fun at this event. Around 7:00 p.m., as the first riders are being introduced, I could start to feel the charged energy in the centre of the velodrome building up.

As the first races begin, the intense anticipation begins to ease. This gave me a chance to participate in some great conversations about bicycles and listen to anecdotes about the curious life of a professional circuit mechanic.

When races are underway, there isn’t that much for the mechanic to take care of. Only watch and trust that the performed work and maintenance lives up to the race’s brutal conditions. Riders only leave the track if their bikes are completely unridable (flat tyre or broken saddle). For example, if a seatpost slips, like what happened to Claudio Imhof, the rider has to power through. With a steep gear ratio and cadence, this can be very uncomfortable, but team cars, like at the Tour de France, can’t be found on the track.

Due to the excitement in the centre of the velodrome and my journey from Aachen to Berlin, I was happy when the clock struck midnight and we locked up the bikes (yes even in the Velodrome all the bikes get locked) and we headed for the hotel. After all, we had to be back at the track at 10:30 a.m. and I was very tired.

My alarm went off at 8:30 a.m. the next morning and breakfast began at 9:00 am. Then we were off to prep the bikes for the races that evening. That means cleaning the bikes, which might seem strange because the track is kept so clean. However, sweat, lactic acid and other forms of perspiration harden and stick to the fork crown and the chainstays. 

Because there were two of us, were done cleaning the five bikes after 3 hours and we immediately checked all the tyres again. All the mechanic’s duties were done and we had the chance to relax and wait for the races, which ended up being just as exciting as the night before.

Our time in Berlin ended with the now traditional PushParty at the SkyKitchen, a rooftop restaurant with a great view. The races were analysed and talked about over a few beers and cocktails. A great way to end a great race weekend in Berlin.

The Six Day races have been going really well for the Pushbikers this winter. Except for in Gent, they have reached the podium at every event and for this reason, it seemed like Berlin was slightly cursed. After two days of phenomenal racing, team captain Christian Grasmann had an accident that injured his knee enough for him to have to step back. A teammate, Marcel Kalz, who participated in a race in Bremen which had a very rough track, was unable to race in Berlin due to the injuries the rough track doled out. At least he didn’t have a long drive home, seeing as he is actually from Berlin.