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