Podcast Episode 103: A Guide to Practical Gravel Race Fueling We'll be the first to admit it: Fueling for long events is challenging, especially if you don’t have a game plan or it's your first event. With the rise of longer and more intense gravel races and events, proper fueling is more critical than ever. A Guide to Gravel Race Fueling This conv…

Jordan sits down and talks about all things Lefty with Cannondale Factory Racing (CFR) and the suspension team at Cannondale. Steve Exstance, Murray Washburn, and Lefty Larry walk us through the conception, progression, and even electrification of Cannondale's Lefty line. Larry was kind enough to meet us at the CFR headquarters and described the "d…

The Bikerumor team recaps their favorite products, experiences and happenings at the Sea Otter Classic 2024. WANT MORE? Find the Bikerumor Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, and through RSS, or wherever you listen to podcasts! Can't find it? Let us know which players you use so we can get them up to speed! And let us know who you want us …

Silca's Josh Poertner gets his new product ideas from the craziest places. Take the new Strip Chips, for example. These hot melt chain wax additives were inspired by the food industry, where they're trying to find a replacement for trans fats and hydrogenated oils. Turns out, they can make it a whole lot easier to wax your chain, too! In this episo…

While at the launch for the new Fox GRIP dampers, I pretty much had my brain melted by VP of engineering Bill Brown as he explained their inner workings. So, naturally, I brought him on the show here to run through it again. The level of fluid dynamics and engineering discussed is still well above my pay grade, but I think we do a pretty good of of…

If you've ever wondered how route creation and ride mapping works, you're going to love this episode. My guest is Eric Semianczuk, co-founder of Sherpa Map. I'm guessing you haven't heard of them… yet. But the cycling route map service they're building is incredible, using AI and granular LIDAR data compiled over weather, surface type, and elevatio…

So, apparently, not every cheap e-bike sucks after all. Until recently I was firmly in the camp that cheap, hub-motor e-bikes with cadence sensors were all terrible and unsafe. Then I talked to Kevin Dugger, founder of Ride1Up e-bikes, and he changed my mind. It's not so much the bikes that bugged me, although we'll talk about that, too, it was the…

If you've never seen any of Park Tool's tutorial videos or stopped by their booth at Sea Otter Classic, then you've been missing the wonder that is Calvin Jones. His energy levels and excitement for tools and bike repairs is contagious, so I'm super stoked to share this interview with you. We talk about his favorite tools, where repairs go wrong an…

Recently, I had a chance to meet with BMC and Red Bull's Advanced Technology Team to learn about and ride their new Teammachine R, a top level, lightweight aero road racing bike. But I left with questions, so in this episode I have Stefan Christ from the BMC product team and Rob Gray, technical director at Red Bull Advanced Technologies on board to…

I wasn't really sure what I was going to talk about with my guest today, but it ended up being a wonderfully deep dive into speed, power development and strength training. If you want to get into the weeds on how to get faster and stronger on the bike, you'll love this episode. My guest is Thomson Remo, lead educator for Watt Bike's professional di…

We hear so much about inclusivity these days, but not usually when it comes to our mountain bike trails. Turns out, it's not that hard to make our trails more accessible to a wider range of riders, letting all of your friends enjoy the same awesome experience you and I enjoy every time we hit the singletrack. Besides the warm fuzzies, there's often…

If you've ever wondered what it's like to start a cycling clothing brand, and not just any brand, but a really cool brand, you'll love this episode. My guest is Matt Quann, founder of Ornot, and they just celebrated 10 years in business. We talk about how he kicked things off, what sparked the idea, and where the name came from. Admittedly, we talk…

There are a lot of candid conversations that happen when industry folks get together, and one of my favorite people to chat with is Randall Jacobs, founder of Thesis Bikes and Logos components. Before he launched those brands, he worked for others and helped develop some interesting technologies that you may or may not see in future products. Wheth…

Sometimes, I get guests on the show because they're with a brand that's in the news, or there's a technical story that needs an expert opinion. And sometimes, it's just to have a conversation with someone cool. My guest today is former pro roadie Ian Boswell, and he definitely falls into that latter category, although he does have a few things comi…

A little while back, Parlee Cycles filed for bankruptcy protection and seemed like another big brand suffering the consequences of the pandemic boom and bust. But now they're back, with a new owner, new ideas, and fresh funding. My guest today is John Harrison, a long-time Parlee fan and tech turnaround guy that saw an opportunity to breathe new li…

You may have noticed something weird that launched, something unexpected. Moots, long known for their high-end titanium bicycles surprised everyone with a carbon fiber gravel e-bike, using a frame material they've never used before, and adding a motor for the first time in their history. I talk to Nate Bradley, Moots' president and one of the key p…

While at the new Shimano GRX 12-speed gravel bike group launch, we sat down with two team members responsible for helping bring it to life to talk about what's changed, what didn't (and why), and how the group has evolved to fit the needs of modern gravel riders. We also discuss the global gravel scene's evolution, how Shimano fits into it, and ple…

If you think mountain bike suspension is a mystery, you're not alone. From kinematics to anti-squat to compression ratios, there's a lot of terminology piled on top of designs like VPP, Horst Link, CVA, DW Link. Add CBF to that list and you have the suspension design and philosophy of Chris Canfield. He's my guest today and had been designing full …

If you've ever thought you could make your own energy bar, or sports drink, or any other kind of athletic food, it's always good to hear how others have done it. My guest today is Jess Cerra, founder of JoJe Bar, a gluten free, real food energy bar designed for endurance athletes. She shares her startup story, telling the unlikely series of events …

A couple episodes ago, Lachlan Morton shared his plans for an around the world record attempt. In this episode, I'm talking to someone who's actually done it. In 2018, Jenny Graham set the women's speed record for riding 18,000 miles around the world in 124 days and 11 hours. And she did it unsupported, without, well…we'll get to that, because the …

If you've ever wondered how tire size and rim profiles affect aerodynamics, this episode is for you! My guest is Dov Tate, founder of Parcours Wheels, a UK brand that's been pushing the envelope on wider rims optimized around wider tires. The story of how he got to that point, from putting 360º wind sensors low on the bike to intentionally doing wi…

If you've ever found yourself focusing so much on the outcome of a ride or race rather than the experience of the ride itself, I think you'll enjoy this conversation with Lachlan Morton. As one of the top ultra endurance riders in the world, Lachlan's had some grand adventures, from riding the entire 2021 Tour de France route, including transfers, …

I'm back with Matt Harvey from Enduro Bearings for Round Two, all about Bottom Brackets! If you haven't listened to our first chat, I recommend it as we go so deep down the rabbit hole of bearings that it'll give you a lot to think about as you're trying to optimize your bike. In this episode, we focus on Bottom Brackets because Enduro recently rel…

Alexey Vermeulen is a former pro roadie, having ridden for the BMC development team and then Lotto NL Jumbo before switching gears to gravel, where he now rides for Jukebox Print, ENVE and Shimano, among others But you might know him better as "that guy that rides with the dog on his back". I met Alexey at Sea Otter this year and, as I was going th…

I think, at some level, we all crave adventure. It's why the Zombie Apocalypse genre is so popular. What would we do if we had to drop everything and just... escape. Start fresh. Well, for many folks around the world, it's not a fantasy. It's why we have so many people trying to migrate into the USA and most of Europe They're trying to escape a des…

If you have or are considering buying an e-bike of any kind, chances are you're wondering about battery safety and how to maximize performance. With the recent Lithium Ion battery fires in New York creating political will to ban unlisted, non-certified batteries in e-bikes, electric scooters, and other e-mobility devices, I wanted to talk to an exp…

If you've been trying to figure out sports nutrition and how the right supplements, timing, and ingredients can help you ride faster, farther, and longer, and then recover stronger, this episode is for you. My guest is Dr. Luke Bucci, formerly with Weider and now Chief Science Officer for First Endurance, a sports nutrition brand focused on fueling…

Outbound Lighting popped onto the scene a few years ago with a very different take on mountain bike lights. Not only did the products look different, they had a different philosophy about where they should be placed, and how the light patterns should work. Turns out, they were onto something. They're growing so fast that they made the Inc 5,000 lis…

So, why would a boutique hub brand buy two wheel brands? In this ep, I'm talking with long-time friend Alec White from White Industries about their recent acquisition of Rolf Prima and Astral Wheels. We dig in a bit on the strategy of acquiring what were basically their two largest customers, and what it means for the future of those brands and pro…

A while back, I thought it would be cool if there were an app that made it easy to find a group ride anywhere in the world. I spent days (which turned into weeks) storyboarding my idea. Turns out, I was a bit late to the game, as there are several options helping cyclists find others to ride with, whether it's road, mountain, gravel, or whatever. T…

Just before the 2022 Ironman World Championships in Kona, HED Cycling broke the internet with their unbelievably deep 180mm aero wheel. In this episode, Anne Hed talks about its rapid development and the impressive results her athletes got on it at Kona, plus what it means for the future of the brand. We also talk about how the brand is evolving si…

So, I hope you're ready to have your head explode. Because the things Predator Cycling is doing with materials, artificial intelligence, computational fluid dynamics, and 3D printing is so far beyond what any other brand is doing, it's kinda mind blowing. My guest today is Aram Goganian, founder of Predator Cycling. He's wicked smart, and since he …

If you've ever wondered how wax chain lubes work, why they're better, or what graphene is and how it works as a lubricant, you're in luck. I have Silca owner Josh Poertner with us today, and we go deep into all things chain lubricant, including a better way to lube your chain that's surprisingly easy way and massively effective, no matter what type…

A few years ago, I met an Italian upstart custom carbon bike brand at Eurobike called Exept. They were doing something unique, and the bikes looked killer. So, I went to visit them and came home with a bike that I’m still riding today. Their office was small, doubling as an assembly point and showroom, with manufacturing done offsite. The appearanc…

As a brand, there are few that have created such iconic products as Crank Brothers, and have weathered the ups and downs of both market conditions and brand reputation. But now, in 2022, they’re celebrating 25 years in business. So, I sat down with CEO Gaspare Licata to talk about how the company got here, how they turned things around in the mid-2…

At the 2023 Scott Genius launch, I interviewed two of the mountain bike engineers behind the design, Etienne Chaloin and Tim Stevens. From hiding the shock inside the frame to creating a new dual-travel design with Fox, they explain why they went with the new design and how it all works. WANT MORE? Find the Bikerumor Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stit…

With the trails and route still being defined when Eddie O'dea set out to become the first person to complete the new 6,000 mile Eastern Divide Mountain Bike Trail, it was sure to be an adventure. And it was. But after almost three months, 6,223 miles, and 425,967 feet of climbing, he made the self-supported trip from Newfoundland, Canada, to Key W…

It may surprise you to learn that the SRAM UDH, or Universal Derailleur Hanger, is half plastic. When we learned that it used mixed materials, I wondered what else we didn't know about this now nearly ubiquitous mountain bike component. So I called up SRAM MTB marketing manager Chris Mandell to learn more, and it's surprising just how much there is…

The Tour of Luxembourg is a relatively small multi-day race on the World Tour calendar, but it attracts some big teams. That combination made it the perfect test bed for measuring the environmental impact of a professional cycling race. Which is more complex than it sounds. From hotel rooms to travel, volunteers to food service, course marking to s…

If you've been missing the chance to see some of the bicycle world's finest builders display their work, mark your calendars for late summer 2023. That's when the MADE Bicycle Show debuts, bringing together many of the best-known frame builders, plenty of new and smaller builders, and a curated collection of component brands to an outdoor show in P…

Are ceramic bearings really worth it? How much drag do bearings really produce? Does the type of grease matter? Or is it faster to use no grease at all? What about removing the seals? In this episode, I interview Matt Harvey with Enduro Bearings, and he answers all of those questions…and a WHOLE LOT MORE! This is one of my favorite episodes ever be…

No22 Cycles recently unveiled their gorgeous new 3D printed titanium dropouts, made for them by Silca, and they're just the beginning of what they can do with this manufacturing process. Besides being gorgeous, there are a lot of functional and economical reasons to use additive manufacturing. In this episode, they explain: how the parts are made h…

Ever wondered what "radial compliance" is in a bicycle wheel? On this episode, I'm kicking off a mini-series around technologies, products, and designs that are either misunderstood or often tossed into product launch stories without good explanations. My first topic is radial compliance, which is when a bicycle wheel is able to deform in the verti…

I'm a bit of a video game fan, and obviously a cycling fan, and always a tech fan. So when all three are combined, I get really curious, and Pro Cycling Manager caught my eye. It's been around for years, updated each year with that season's teams and riders, plus a Tour de France edition that mimics that year's route. But how do they get all of the…

Over the years, custom framebuilder Carl Strong has built quite a name and reputation making some of the best handmade bicycles out there while also setting an example for new builders on how to run an actual business. We covered his "retirement" announcement, but wanted to touch base and hear the full story from him and his wife and business partn…

Decathlon is a massive sporting goods retailer, equivalent (or larger) than Dick's Sporting Goods here in the States. Packed with very affordable house brand equipment, it raised a few eyebrows when their Rockrider mountain bikes debuted on the UCI World Cup XC race scene. So we wondered, how are they putting top riders into the fastest races in th…

We head to Iceland to ride the all-new Lauf Seigla, an aggressive reinterpretation of what a race gravel bike can be. With massive 700x57 (29x2.25") tire clearance, more rear compliance, and stiffer leaf spring suspension fork, it's a monster that's also quite fast. In this interview, we talk with founder and president Benedikt Skulason about the n…

Curious about CBD and its benefits for athletes? What about cyclists in particular? And what about CBG, and CBN? And WADA drug testing? In this episode, we talk to two avid cyclists who also happen to be the founders of Twisted Spoke CBD. More than just a relabeled me-too brand, Wen and Gabe prove that they are beyond passionate about the health an…

Colin Strickland didn't grow up cycling, but that sure didn't stop him from bursting onto the scene and quickly making a name for himself. Now a legend in the burgeoning gravel racing world, he's working with Red Bull to host the inaugural Red Bull Rio Grande Gravel race in May 2022. We caught up with Colin to see how the event came to be, get a li…

Pocket Pedals are a slip-on, hard composite flat pedal surface that turns any road or mountain bike with SPDs into something that's easy to ride around town with regular shoes. While it looks simple, there's a lot more going on with it to be able to work with SPD-SL road and SPD MTB pedals simultaneously. And don't even get us started on Look's ped…