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Industry

What’s in a tube?

 This, a companion to "What's in a tire," describes the difference between butyl and latex tubes, and also the calculus of tire pressure, and how to choose the right pressure for a race course.
Industry

Is Chrissie Slowtwitch approved?

 Chrissie Wellington rides hard. Very hard. And very fast. But does her position fall in line with what we teach and preach at Slowtwitch U, or is she an outlier bucking the trend?
Industry

What’s in a tire?

 Let it never be said that Slowtwitch doesn't tell you where the rubber meets the road. We deconstruct the tire and explain what conspires to give you good flat protection and low rolling resistance.
Industry

Crank arm lengths for tri

 The question is more common among road riders than triathletes, but is probably more impactful on the latter group: what crank length should you ride? The answer is counterintuitive; probably the opposite of what you think.
Industry

The Normannator Retul video

 About a week a go Normann Stadler went to the Retul studio in Boulder, CO to get accurately fitted on his Scott Plasma 2. Bike fit is a crucial thing and even fast guys like Stadler may have space to refine their setup.
Industry

The correct length of your chain

 Do you know how to determine your bike's correct chain length? Do you know why it's important? It has to do with course topography, and choosing the right freewheel for your race. You don't have multiple freewheels? Baby, we need to talk.
Industry

Are we ready to “Get Shorty?”

 Last year I wrote a series of articles about the most underserved segment of the handlebar market. I described the state of the shorty bar, offered some opinions, and reported on the best current product. Here's an updated version of that article.
Industry

Contact points

 Welcome to a new series: Why you're not comfortable. If you're not comfortable speaking in front of crowds, sorry, we're not addressing that here. But if you're not comfortable on your bike, read on. That's our topic. We're starting with "contact points."
Industry

Torque wrenches (and one in particular)

 In the old old days of cycling (when I was 25 or so), everything was made of steel and forged aluminum. Back then we needed torque wrenches. In today's age of carbon, you really need a torque wrench.
Industry

Working with crown races

 Do you want to install (and uninstall) your fork on your bike? If so, you need to get the crown race on and off. There are tools for sale that represent the incorrect way to tackle this job. Here are the correct tools, and how to use them.
Industry

The Miter block

 Also known as steerer cutting guide, or fork saw guide, I prefer miter block, because I cut a lot more than fork steerers with it. This tool is in almost constant use—frequently seen in the jaws of my bench vise.
Industry

The case for wrenching

 Two times in 20 years has a bike I've worked on failed during a race: my own, in a race I traveled around the world to get to; and one ridden by Lance Armstrong in a national championship. But, I'm still wrenching, and you can wrench too.