Chain Guide
Summary A chain guide is a drivetrain component designed to physically control the position of the bicycle chain and prevent it from derailing from the chainring. Most commonly…
Velopedia Entries
An evolving encyclopedia of cycling brands, technologies, components, and history.
Chain Damper
Summary A chain damper is a drivetrain component or integrated system designed to reduce uncontrolled chain movement caused by impacts and suspension motion. By limiting chain slap and…
Leverage Curve
Summary A leverage curve describes how the mechanical advantage between a bicycle’s rear wheel and rear shock changes as the suspension moves through its travel. By shaping how…
DW6 Suspension
Summary DW6 is a modern dual-link rear suspension platform developed by Dave Weagle as an evolution of earlier DW-Link concepts. It uses six-bar kinematics to refine axle path,…
Compression Damping
Summary Compression damping controls how a bicycle’s suspension resists movement as it compresses under load from impacts, braking, pedaling, or body weight shifts. By regulating the rate at…
Rebound Damping
Summary Rebound damping controls the speed at which a bicycle’s suspension returns to its extended position after being compressed. By managing how energy stored in the spring is…
Heat-Affected Zone
Summary The heat-affected zone (HAZ) is the region of base material adjacent to a welded or brazed joint whose mechanical properties have been altered by heat exposure. In…
Specialized
Summary Specialized is an American bicycle brand known for its emphasis on rider-focused design, in-house research, and data-driven product development. Since its founding in the 1970s, the company…
Fillet Brazing
Summary Fillet brazing is a bicycle frame construction technique in which frame tubes are joined using brazing filler metal built up into a smooth, structural fillet rather than…
TIG Welding
Summary TIG welding is a metal-joining process that uses a non-consumable tungsten electrode to create a fusion weld, with filler material added separately as needed. In bicycle frame…
Brazing
Summary Brazing is a metal-joining process that uses a filler metal melted at a lower temperature than the base materials to bond components together. In bicycle frame construction,…
Tube-to-Tube Construction
Summary Tube-to-tube construction is a bicycle frame manufacturing method in which individual tubes are fabricated separately and then joined together using bonding, welding, brazing, or composite layup. Common…