Special Guests Sofía Gomez Villafañe (Assos / Pivot) and Keegan Swenson (Cannondale 3Rox) joined Steven and Jonathan for a quick look into the life of a pro XC racer and a deep dive into tire tech.

Topics covered in this episode:

• How much does a pro XC racer train?
• How do pros determine how much they should train?
• The work/life balance of a pro MTB racer
• How to read a tire's tread pattern
• What tread profiles are best for XC?
• What tread profiles are best for trail and enduro?
• What to know about tire rubber compounds
• What durometer rubber should you have?
• Durability vs. traction
• What effect does a tire's casing have on it's handling?
• What is TPI?
• How to know if a tire is fast rolling or not
• How sidewall construction affects strength, weight and rolling resistance
• How does tire width affect a tire's performance?
• How to match your tire to your rim