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B(ike)log — Weight Weenies

Debunking Wheel Stiffness

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Are your wheels stiff enough? Do your manly legs pump out so many kilowatts that you flex them like soggy noodles? Stiffness is like training volume, right? More is always better? I’d like to start this discussion with a very simple question: What IS wheel stiffness? Do you know? If anyone out there can accurately describe it in one paragraph or less, you get a gold star. I don’t even think I could do it, which is why we’re dedicating an entire article to it.  The biggest problem with the wheel stiffness discussion is that the term is thrown around far too much...

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Parlee Altum Frameset Review by Matt Wikstrom

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Parlee has a reputation for high-end custom-built carbon fibre frames, but in recent years the company has turned to Asian manufacturing in order to expand its catalogue. The Altum series comprises three models (Altum, Altum-R, Altum Disc) that were introduced last year. In this review, Australian tech editor Matt Wikstrom takes a looked at the lightest version. Bob Parlee made his way into the bicycle industry after a long career (27 years) building sailing boats. While there may not be an obvious link between the two, boat-building provided Parlee with extensive experience in a variety of crafts (such as woodwork)...

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ALL ABOUT ROAD HUBS

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In the universe of bicycles, hubs are the sun and everything revolves around them – literally.  The best rims in the world are worthless unless they are built around a great hub. If the hub ceases to function properly, your ride comes to a halt. For this reason, ENVE only specs Chris King, DT Swiss, and now the ENVE Carbon Road Hub. So, what is it that makes these hubs great? Let’s lay it all out there… First, these hubs reduce the tradeoffs between reliability, strength, weight, stiffness, and efficiency better than any other hubs we’ve tested. RELIABILITY The best...

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Long Term Review: Dash Cycles’ Strike 9 Noseless Carbon Saddle

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Last November, I received the Dash Strike 9, a noseless saddle with full carbon fiber construction and a well padded split shell. They gave it their reinforced, heavier duty layup for my 185lb body. And it weighed in at just 111 grams. Surprisingly, the odd shape of the saddle didn’t take too long to get used to. Basically, it’s just a truncated bike seat without the full nose, so all the important sitting parts are there, plus a vestigial tail. It did take a bit of work to get it adjusted to the right position, though, which was forced by the...

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