UB(log)I

In our last Advanced Suspension Seminar in Portland one of our students brought up the impeding expiration of the US Patent on the Horst Link rear suspension design. Currently held by Specialized (and licensed to other manufacturers), the Horst Link is considered by many to have revolutionized full-suspension mountain bikes when it was released in the [...]

With another edition of the Tour of Flanders in the books and Paris-Roubaix around the corner it’s safe to say that we are firmly  in the midst of cobbled classics season. Guys and gals in superhero suits test their skinny-tired mettle against some of the most brutal, unrelenting pave in Europe. Since we are just coming [...]

Last week we explored the utility (or lack thereof) of tread on road tires.  For those interested in further reading, this archive of  legendary uber-curmudgeon Jobst Brandt’s thoughts on the subject should serve to put the question to bed. Today we turn our attention to the to the role of tread when we steer off the [...]

Things are about to get wheel at UBI Portland next week. We’re starting an Advanced Certification Seminar. That means two days of wheelbuilding geared towards UBI/DT Swiss certification, followed by three days of in-depth suspension work. This seems like a perfect time to revisit an extremely truncated history of the bicycle wheel in pictures. Join us [...]

As a companion piece to last week’s review of tubular gluing science, today we turn our attention to tires (or “tyres” if you’re funky). In our mechanic classes we have the opportunity to hear all manner of myths and misconceptions regarding tires: The relationship of  tire size to rolling resistance, the importance (or lack thereof) of [...]