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A More Fun Ride
Jan Heine on the physics of pneumatic tires, the rise of gravel cycling, and his role in the bike industry.…
Spencer Wright
Spencer Wright is the (mostly accidental) founder of Scope of Work, which he started writing (as The Prepared) in 2013. Today he serves as its editor-in-chief and chief dilettante.
468 posts
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Cars.
Since the introduction of the Model T, the rubber industry has evolved in tandem with the automobile industry – and American car culture.…
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On Pneumatic Tires.
Pneumatic tires were invented (and then promptly forgotten) in 1846. Then, they became perhaps the quintessential twentieth-century transportation technology.…
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On Gravel.
Spencer Wright on the National Forest System's staggering quantity of unpaved roads.…
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Notes, 2023-08-14
Spencer Wright on workshop time with kids.…
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On Hevea.
How the Brazilian rubber tree made Manaus – and then left it behind.…
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On Naphtha
How naphtha -- one of the first fossil fuel derivatives ever made -- played a key role in the commercialization of rubber.…
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On Vulcanization
On Charles Goodyear and the unlikely discovery of the vulcanization process.…
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On Latex
The geography and logistics of pre-industrial rubber production.…
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A Supply Chain in the Jungle
How did Foxconn arrive at the inaccessible heart of the Amazon rainforest?…