Cycling: Racing into the Headwind

"What?"

"What did you say?"

"You’re going to do a full service on that YETI full-suspension bike?"

Dewey’s face was a mask of shock. He immediately shook his head like a rattle drum and flat-out refused:

"Don’t mess with me, Old Huang. That’s a top-of-the-line downhill mountain bike, a genuine import from the United States.

Look at that guy’s setup! A FOX 38 fork, a FOX FLOAT X2 rear shock, a FOX dropper post, and a full SRAM XX1 groupset—

If anything goes wrong with that, I’ll be paying for it until I’m broke!"

"You won’t have to pay. If any parts get damaged, I’ll cover it, of course. I can afford it."

A slight smile touched Huang Chong’s lips. He walked directly to the YETI full-suspension bike, which was caked in yellow mud, pushed it to the doorway, and gave it a quick rinse with a pressure washer.

Afterward, he dried it with a towel, mounted it on the repair stand, secured it, and began to disassemble the entire bike.

Dewey wanted to stop him, but for some reason, he had a strange sense of anticipation about Huang Chong today. He just had a feeling the kid was about to give him a pleasant surprise.

Besides, Huang Chong had said he’d cover any damages (though Dewey wouldn’t actually make him pay). After a moment’s thought, he gave the shop’s mechanic, Liu Chaoyang, a meaningful look and decided to just watch quietly from the side.

As a result, Huang Chong, professional wrench in hand, made short work of it. In a flash, he had the wheelset, headset, riser bars, drivetrain, and other components all disassembled.

They say experts see the technique while amateurs just watch the show. As the bike shop owner, Dewey didn’t do the technical work himself, but he certainly had a good eye.

Seeing how smoothly Huang Chong disassembled the bike, he was already seventy or eighty percent convinced.

’This kid really knows his stuff!’

What he didn’t understand was, when had the guy learned all this?

Huang Chong had been working in his shop this whole time and was a total newbie just yesterday. How had he suddenly become an expert mechanic in a single day?

And when it came to the component maintenance that followed, Huang Chong left him utterly dumbfounded.

Because for mountain bike maintenance, besides stripping the bike down and cleaning it, the components themselves—like the headset, hubs, fork, and rear shock—also have to be completely disassembled, re-greased, and re-oiled.

And Huang Chong executed every single step flawlessly.

He seemed like a master mechanic who’d been repairing bicycles for decades, an engineer straight from a top-tier manufacturer.

Just over an hour later, when Huang Chong had reassembled all the serviced components into a complete full-suspension mountain bike that looked brand new—not only sparkling clean, but with all the strange noises gone—Dewey and Liu Chaoyang were too shocked to speak!

"This—"

"What the hell—"

The two of them stared as if they’d seen a ghost, watching Huang Chong do a test ride outside, words caught in their throats.

Dewey was pleasantly surprised and utterly confused.

Liu Chaoyang, on the other hand, was shocked and uneasy.

The professional skill Huang Chong had demonstrated was just too impressive, even smoother and more fluid than his own.

Of course, he knew how to service and repair mountain bikes, but there was no way he could match Huang Chong’s speed.

The latter was just too efficient, as if he knew the design and structure of every single bike component like the back of his hand.

His technique, meanwhile, was so practiced it seemed honed by countless repetitions, reaching a state of perfection.

A deep sense of crisis suddenly welled up in Liu Chaoyang’s mind.

’Am I going to get fired?’

’After all, with skills that good, why would Dewey still need me?’ 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Huang Chong was Dewey’s best buddy, while he was just a hired employee.

"Old Du, check the bike over. See if there are any other problems. I think it’s perfectly fine now, pretty much like it just came from the factory."

After a quick test ride down the street, Huang Chong pushed the bike back into the shop and handed it to Dewey.

"Master Liu, you’re the professional mechanic. Help me check it over. See if there are any issues with the service Old Huang did."

Dewey was the shop owner. While he knew all about the latest popular road bike products, like all the bikes and models used by the World Tour Teams and even the Pro teams in the tier below, he wasn’t a mechanic himself. So, he decisively handed the inspection task to the shop’s professional mechanic.

Hearing this, Liu Chaoyang felt a bit uncomfortable, but as an employee, he still nodded and began to inspect the vehicle professionally and objectively, adhering to his professional code.

As expected, there were no issues. The quality of Huang Chong’s service was textbook-standard, simply flawless.

He acknowledged Huang Chong’s skill, his tone a mix of admiration and a hint of jealousy as he said slowly:

"Truly, talent emerges from the young. Brother Huang, not only is your technique incredibly smooth, but you also have a deep understanding of mountain bike functions and settings. It’s truly impressive.

For example, the air pressure settings on the fork and rear shock are both perfect.

Looks like the title of the shop’s number one mechanic will have to go to you from now on!"

As soon as Liu Chaoyang said this last sentence, both Dewey and Huang Chong’s expressions froze.

Although they were both young, their families were in business. Growing up attending all sorts of commercial engagements with their parents, they had long been exposed to such turns of phrase and immediately understood the hidden meaning in Liu Chaoyang’s words.

However, Huang Chong had only obtained the system’s skill package by chance.

And while he had shown off his skills in front of Dewey partly with the intention of getting a higher salary, his original goal wasn’t to steal Liu Chaoyang’s job.

Besides, he had already decided to become a Professional Cyclist, so he couldn’t possibly be a long-term mechanic at Dewey’s place.

Therefore, he had no desire to replace or compete for Liu Chaoyang’s position. After a moment’s thought and a shared glance with Dewey, he said with a smile:

"Master Liu, you’re being too kind. Although I have indeed studied a lot about assembling and maintaining bikes in my own time, you’ve been in this line of work for much longer than I have.

My meager skills are nothing compared to yours.

Besides, I’m planning to become a Professional Cyclist, so I’ll have a very demanding training schedule. In the future, I’ll definitely have to join a team or a club.

You might laugh, but I only learned to repair bikes so I could fix mechanical failures myself when I’m out training. Otherwise, every time the bike breaks down, I’d have to call a cargo van, and the cost is just too high!"

Huang Chong kept his explanation brief and didn’t spell everything out, but both Dewey and Liu Chaoyang understood his unspoken message.

His meaning was clear: he had no intention of being a mechanic.

Hearing this, Liu Chaoyang’s sense of crisis was instantly dispelled. At the same time, he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly: ’This guy really knows how to handle people. He’s clearly more skilled than I am, yet he’s not arrogant at all. Not like me—my first reaction to seeing his performance was jealousy.’

After a moment’s thought, he finally broke into a hearty laugh, waved his hand dismissively, and decided to return the favor, beginning a round of commercial flattery:

"Brother, you’re being too modest. I can guarantee that with your skills, you could work at any boutique bike shop in the country—no, you’d be more than qualified to be a mechanic even for a professional team.

But you’re young, after all, so you have higher ambitions.

Compared to being an ordinary mechanic, being a racer definitely has a much brighter future. I look forward to hearing news of you winning on the podium in future road races!"

Huang Chong laughed at his words and exchanged a few more pleasantries with him, finally putting Liu Chaoyang at ease.

...