Geek Warning Bonus: Picking Unbound Gravel tires with the pro who can pick any tire
Spin Cycle
Escape Collective
4.9 • 960 Ratings
🗓️ 31 May 2024
⏱️ 55 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
It's time for another bonus episode of Geek Warning.
Typically, we keep these bonus episodes for subscribers and members of Escape Collective, however, this one is being left open to all as a teaser for the type of stuff you’re missing by not being a member. If you like this and want more, sign up here.
This episode is about gravel tire selection and trends in the thinking that bigger is better. It all came about through an Instagram post by former WorldTour pro-turned Gravel Pro Alex Howes, who had shared just how much he had been obsessing over tire selection for the 2024 edition of Unbound Gravel. And what makes this conversation all the more interesting is that Howes isn’t sponsored by a single tire brand, but rather an online retailer that sells all the brands - biketiresdirect.
Dave Rome and Howes cover a lot of ground in this one, including chatting slicks versus treads, picking the biggest volume possible, inserts or not, what to carry on a self-supported race like Unbound, and why white bar tape.If you don’t care about why, where, when, or how, and assuming the weather holds, Howes plans to race on Vittoria Terreno Zero tyres, in a 50 mm width up front and a 47 mm rear with inserts. He expects to start the day with approximately 19 psi in the front, and 24 psi rear. Still, if you find these details interesting, you’ll surely appreciate the conversation. Enjoy!
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello and welcome to a bonus episode of Geek warning. |
| 0:10.0 | Typically we keep these things, uh... Hello and welcome to a bonus episode of Geek Warning. |
| 0:12.8 | Typically we keep these things for members and subscribers of a skate collective. |
| 0:18.1 | However, I'm leaving this one open to all as a teaser for the type of stearber. Today we're chatting gravel tire selection and trends in the thinking that bigger is better. |
| 0:29.0 | This episode comes about through an Instagram post by a former World Tour Pro turned gravel Pro Alex Howe's, |
| 0:36.0 | who had shared just how much he'd been an obsessing over tire selection for the 200-mile |
| 0:40.7 | unbound gravel event this coming weekend. |
| 0:44.0 | Making this topic even more interesting is that Haus isn't sponsored by a single tire |
| 0:48.1 | brand, but rather an online retailer that sells all the brands, Bike Tires Direct. |
| 0:55.6 | For those who follow the tech and not the racing, there's no bigger event in the gravel space |
| 1:00.1 | than Unbound Gravel. As the flagship event of the Lifetime Grand Prix, |
| 1:04.0 | Unbound is often seen as the unofficial World Championships event of gravel. |
| 1:09.0 | However, history has shown that the race across the Flint Hills of Kansas can be brutal on body and bike. |
| 1:17.0 | Years past has seen some favorites taken out due to numerous flats, ruined drive trains or worse. |
| 1:23.9 | So with that, Alex Hales, welcome to Geek Warning. |
| 1:26.7 | Hello Dave. |
| 1:27.7 | Yeah, man, tires. |
| 1:29.7 | I'm just trying not to be too much of a fan boy of you on this episode. |
| 1:35.0 | Oh, it's mutual. |
| 1:37.0 | Well, thank you. |
| 1:38.0 | Thank you. |
| 1:39.0 | Usually you're talking to me without me talking to you but here we are so oh you a |
... |
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