Bicycling Magazine - Test Editor

As a Test Editor at Bicycling magazine, I combine my passion for cycling with hands-on product evaluation and engineering innovation. I’ve conducted in-depth testing of chain lubes, tire sealants, drivetrain components, and a wide range of cycling gear, often designing brand-new desktop testing apparatus to rigorously measure performance. By putting products through real-world conditions and technical testing, I provide cyclists with clear, reliable insights that help them make informed decisions on the trail and the road.

Trevor Raab

8 of the Best Tubeless-Tire Sealants Lab Tested

It’s been two decades since mountain bikers first started experimenting with tubeless-tire sealants. We’ve made it through the awkward early design phases, with questionable chemistry, limiting tire standards, and messy applications. And things are getting good: Tubeless-tire sealants work, and you can find tubeless-ready wheels on bikes that cost as little as $1,000. Tubeless-tire sealants for road bikes still have some catching up to do, but expectations are high for mountain bike and gravel systems. With several good options now available, we devised a test to determine which ones worked best for most riders.

Trevor Raab

Tested: Fuji's Rakan LT 1.1

Takeaway: If you’re on the hunt for a fast enduro machine that enjoys airtime and comes built with high-quality suspension components at a reasonable price, the Fuji Rakan should be on your list.

Light and strong A6-SL butted alloy frame rides well and can take a beating.
Fujis MLink chainstay pivot provides fantastic small bump damping.
Quality suspension parts like the Rockshox Zeb select + fork and a RockShox Coil Super Deluxe Select+ shock.

Trevor Raab

Tested: The Privateer 161

Takeaway: The Privateer 161 is the enduro embodiment of the “don’t race what you can’t replace” philosophy. With an aluminum frame, progressive geometry that prioritizes stability at speed, and high quality suspension parts, the 161 hits all the right notes for the rider seeking an enduro race bike, yet still having some money left over for entry fees.

The slack head tube angle combined with a long reach and long wheelbase, make for excellent downhill performance.
80º (effective) seat tube angle keeps you positioned optimally on the climbs.
RockShox Lyrik Ultimate, 170mm travel up (front) and RockShox SuperDeluxe Ultimate 161 mm travel (rear).
Shimano SLX/XT drivetrain with Magura MT5 brakes.
Aluminum frame with (mostly) external cable routing for easy servicing.

Chain Lube Efficiency Testing

In order to help write a large article for Bicycling Magazine about the effects of chain lube on the efficiency of a bicycle's drive train, I designed a machine that measured power in watts of input at the “cranks” of the bicycle and compared it to the power that was output by the cassette of the bike using a generator mechanism. Many different chain lubricants were applied to various chains, all under the same input power and tension, etc., and the loss of power between the input and output was analyzed to understand how efficient the chain lubricants were.