HOW TO USE THE
RABACONDA !
words by RACHEL GUTISH step-by-step photos by BETH LATHAM
Tire changes : love them or hate them , they ’ re a necessary evil , and can be especially tricky when you run foam inserts instead of a traditional tube . It ’ s a common misconception that changing a foam insert takes a lot of brute strength , that you ’ re “ muscling ” your way through it . On the contrary , that ’ s a sure-fire way to bust a bead or bend a brake rotor . Really , a good foam insert change is about finesse , technique … and having the right tools for the job . While I spent years changing tires on a traditional tire ring ( and once , memorably , on a milk crate with one real tire iron and one really long screwdriver halfway through a buddy race ), having a Rabaconda tire changer at your disposal makes this job so much easier .
Wait , you might say . Aren ’ t you the same Rachel who joked in this very magazine about how awful her work periods were at the ISDE ? To the point where irons would sometimes go flying and deep breathing exercises in the pre-check were highly encouraged ? Yes , that would be me … but that ’ s why I ’ m comfortable writing this article . I despise bike work . Like calculus , it ’ s something I struggle with . Unlike calculus , I ’ ve yet to find a way to completely avoid it in my adult life . Anyway , the point I ’ m trying to make is that if I can learn to change a tire well enough to survive an ISDE work period , then literally anyone reading this can too .
2021 ISDE ; photo by Pole Position Communications
ON THE PEGS // PAGE 30