53 - FLO Co-Founder Jon Thornham

Explicit content warning

05/21/20 • 57 min

Endurance Innovation

This is Endurance Innovation's one year anniversary! 🍾

If you like the show, please support us!

3:15 the FLO story
7:30 the early challenges of the direct-to-consumer model
10:00 unintentional scarcity
11:15 the value of learning from the mistakes of others
12:45 the value of transparency in business
14:45 the FLO Gen 1 process
17:00 FLO studying the real world
21:00 the evolution of wheel design over the course of FLO’s presence in the market
26:00 the brand new FLO all sport and gravel lines of wheels
29:00 how rolling resistance became a cornerstone of design consideration for FLO
34:00 the evolution in thinking about the right tire pressure
- High pressure leads to wheel bounce and power loss
36:00 testing rolling resistance with help from Aerolab
- Turns out, a wider rim reduces rolling resistance
- Optimizing for both rolling resistance and aero drag, saves up to 2W per wheel
38:00 rolling resistance impedance affected by weight, tire type, road surface AND rider speed
40:45 how to determine optimal tire pressure?
- Start with the FLO tire pressure charts (scroll down to see the chart), use these values as you maximum pressure
- Experiment and maybe drive those numbers down
- Decrease in CRR with decreasing tire pressure is gradual, but the increase in CRR above the breakpoint is substantial! So err on the side of lower pressure.
- Refer also to the Silca tire pressure calculator
44:45 don’t sweat the accuracy of your pump, since your pressure will change with several variables: temperature, altitude, air loss, etc.
46:45 the effects of altitude and air temperature on tire pressure
- Only about 5psi difference over an elevation change of 10,000’ (3,000m)
- Only about 5psi difference over a temperature change of 30F (17C)
48:30 what’s next for FLO and performance wheels?
53:45 how FLO gives back and respects environmental impact
- Bike for a kid program in partnership with the Ironman foundation
- Use 100% recycled materials in wheel boxes and use no plastic in packaging
- One wheel, one tree program results in a negative carbon footprint

Check our the rest of the FLO Cycling page here. I certainly recommend their primer on rolling resistance as a good reference too.

This is Endurance Innovation's one year anniversary! 🍾

If you like the show, please support us!

3:15 the FLO story
7:30 the early challenges of the direct-to-consumer model
10:00 unintentional scarcity
11:15 the value of learning from the mistakes of others
12:45 the value of transparency in business
14:45 the FLO Gen 1 process
17:00 FLO studying the real world
21:00 the evolution of wheel design over the course of FLO’s presence in the market
26:00 the brand new FLO all sport and gravel lines of wheels
29:00 how rolling resistance became a cornerstone of design consideration for FLO
34:00 the evolution in thinking about the right tire pressure
- High pressure leads to wheel bounce and power loss
36:00 testing rolling resistance with help from Aerolab
- Turns out, a wider rim reduces rolling resistance
- Optimizing for both rolling resistance and aero drag, saves up to 2W per wheel
38:00 rolling resistance impedance affected by weight, tire type, road surface AND rider speed
40:45 how to determine optimal tire pressure?
- Start with the FLO tire pressure charts (scroll down to see the chart), use these values as you maximum pressure
- Experiment and maybe drive those numbers down
- Decrease in CRR with decreasing tire pressure is gradual, but the increase in CRR above the breakpoint is substantial! So err on the side of lower pressure.
- Refer also to the Silca tire pressure calculator
44:45 don’t sweat the accuracy of your pump, since your pressure will change with several variables: temperature, altitude, air loss, etc.
46:45 the effects of altitude and air temperature on tire pressure
- Only about 5psi difference over an elevation change of 10,000’ (3,000m)
- Only about 5psi difference over a temperature change of 30F (17C)
48:30 what’s next for FLO and performance wheels?
53:45 how FLO gives back and respects environmental impact
- Bike for a kid program in partnership with the Ironman foundation
- Use 100% recycled materials in wheel boxes and use no plastic in packaging
- One wheel, one tree program results in a negative carbon footprint

Check our the rest of the FLO Cycling page here. I certainly recommend their primer on rolling resistance as a good reference too.

Previous Episode

52 - Ventum Founder Diaa Nour

If you like the show, please support us!

3:30 on Ventum’s move from South Beach FL to Heber CIty UT
6:30 Diaa on positivity in tough times
11:30 the Ventum story
21:15 Ventum’s key innovations
- No downtube is faster than traditional double-triangle frame outside of a windtunnel
- Ventum 1 is faster with hydration onboard than off
- EPS core carbon fibre manufacturing allows for greater material compaction, fewer voids, cleaner inner surfaces for cable routing
28:00 the challenges of creative folks in startups and the story of Ventum co-founder Jimmy Seear
30:30 the genesis of the Ventum NS1 road bike
34:00 the VERY new, not-quite-released, Ventum GS1 gravel bike
34:30 Diaa races the postponed Dirty Kanza on his 40th birthday
37:30 why make a gravel bike when your road bike can almost do it already?
39:45 releasing a new bike in the middle of a global pandemic
41:30 the inaugural Ventum gravel race
43:30 Diaa will take on pro triathletes on May 24th in VR racing
44:30 Ventum’s partnership with Ironman
47:45 the community around Ventum and the bikes
50:45 Diaa’s advice for startups
64:00 Ventum CEO challenges