Afleveringen
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Bike racing is back! With the UAE Tour and Volta in the rearview mirror, it's time to jump feet first into what looks to be an epic Classics season that kicked off with Omloop and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne. Then, it was off to the rolling white roads of Italy's Chianti region for the Strade Bianche, where the women's race climaxed with a duel between Demi Vollering and Anna van der Breggen up the steep final wall better known as Via Santa Caterina. And if you were watching the men's race and waiting to see if Tadej Pogačar could best last year's 80km solo breakaway for victory, he did exactly that but in a very different way, overcoming what looked like a serious crash to notch up his third Strade victory.
Today's podcast sees Mike Levy chat with Andrew Hood and Jim Cotton about what makes the Classics so special, how Pogačar could win Milano-Sanremo, and why more people need to think like Tom Pidcock. -
Some of the Velo team is in the midst of gearing up for a field test, where we're testing all-road bikes and comparing them against a traditional racey road bike and a gravel bike. Between all the testing and riding we're doing, it's got us wondering what the heck is an all-road bike, anyway?
Yeah, yeah, all-road bikes are supposed to bridge the gap between the race road bikes and the performance gravel bikes. They tend to offer more upright body positioning, handling that skews toward safe rather than agile, and often include some sort of feature that promises to dampen road vibrations.
But where did the all-road name even come from? How did we lose the phrase 'endurance road bike' along the way? And perhaps most importantly, is a gravel bike the right bike if you're looking for an all-road bike?
Along the way, we chat about Jim Cotton's excellent story on how breathing sensors are poised to blow up bike racing and why a breathing sensor is a much more reliable indicator of effort and output. We also dig into why Lidl-Trek raced on a SRAM gravel groupset at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
We dug in on this latest episode of the Velo Podcast, and we hope you enjoy digging in, too.
See the latest in cycling on Velo: velo.outsideonline.com
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Today's bikes are really, really good. That doesn't mean we don't have major pet peeves, however. Proprietary seat posts and stems, are an easy one, as are companies cheaping out on bolts and bearings. But we went further, talking about the bike industry's propensity to push bikes on us that don't help riders address their weaknesses, and perhaps most importantly, how we wish the bike industry solved these issues.
Look, we said the bikes are good. We didn't say they were perfect!
In the news, we talk about Devinci's latest Hatchet Pro gravel bike that is a whole lot more racey than we'd expect. Is Hope Tech's new carbon gravel crank with a foam core going to be any good? And we talk about why Josh isn't going to stop waxing his chain any time soon.
All that and more in the latest Velo Podcast. See more: velo.outsideonline.com/featured -
If you grew up or currently live and ride bikes in a town with any sort of population, we bet there’s either a group ride of some sort that just happened or will be happening in a few days.
Maybe it starts from the local bike shop, or maybe it starts from the go-to coffee shop. Some rides are a chill Sunday spin that's gone on uninterrupted for the past two decades, while others are the three-hour World Championship ride with 50 of the local meatheads.
We do our best to define these group tries, describe what motivates these rides, and how to find your ideal group ride, even if that means starting one yourself.
Of course, we also dig into the news. That means talking about how the UCI handed out a last-minute ban on a Kask helmet visor that the Ineos Grenadiers have used for years, and talking to the team to find out what happened.
Then came the sealant conversation. Silca is so certain of its sealant working headache-free that the brand has promised to pay a $500 Bad Day Bonus to its sponsored athletes who get punctures that don’t seal. We dove into why it is so confident in its new Ultimate Sealant.
All of that and more in the latest podcast!
See more from Velo: https://velo.outsideonline.com/featured -
Host Mike Levy has a hot take — or is it Senior Tech Editor Josh Ross who has the hot take? Find out this week as we debate the merits of aero road bikes.
And first, we take a closer look at Classified's patent on a self charging shifting system that could make the burgeoning alternative drivetrain maker's offering a whole lot simpler to live with. -
Mike Levy sits down with Dan Sommer, owner of Jack's Cycle, to talk about the realities of running a bike shop.
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If you're listening to this, there's a pretty good chance that you love to ride your bike. That can manifest itself in all sorts of different ways. Some of you like to do shuttle runs with your buddies on the weekend or go to the bike park. Some of you like to pedal up the hill. Some of you like to go down the hill. Some of you like to race your bike for a few hours. And some of you… Well, some of you like to race your bike for over 4,000 kilometers through sand, snow, hopefully, more than a little bit of sun, and everything else in between.
Today, Mike Levy talks to Meaghan Hackinen. Meaghan won the 2024 Tour Divide, and she's also a two-time 24-hour world time trial champion, which sounds absolutely insane. We're going to talk about those things, and we're also going to get to sleeping alone in grizzly country, waking up to a scorpion, strategies for doing these ultra-distance events by yourself, and I might have even slipped in a UFO question or two.
Meaghan Hackinen isn't just an adventure seeker; she's a heck of a writer, too. Find her latest work here: meaghanhackinen.com
Read an abbreviated transcript and see a whole bunch of photos here: velo.outsideonline.com/gravel/gravel-culture/velo-podcast-meaghan-hackinen/
See more on Velo: velo.outsideonline.com/featured -
In this latest podcast, we're talking about winter riding from two different perspectives: the tips and tricks we’ve learned to stay warm during those cold rides, but also how to make your indoor riding suck the least amount possible on those days when you say, “Nah, I’ll just stay inside.”
Besides that, we also get into the news. We dive into the latest 2024 UCI Crash Statistics report and some low-hanging fruit solutions to make road racing safer. Alvin talks about why CES 2025 matters if you're a bike nerd, even if they call it 'personal transportation.' Then there's a breakdown of what the latest SRAM Force AXS leak could mean in the near future, and all of our latest gear on test.
Stories we reference:
‘35% Rider Error’: UCI Issues Intriguing Crash Statistics, Presses Pause on Gear Restrictions, Airbags - https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-racing/35-rider-error-uci-issues-intriguing-crash-statistics/
Vaporware or Gamechanger? The Bike Tech from the CES Show 2025 - https://velo.outsideonline.com/news/vaporware-or-gamechanger-the-bike-tech-from-the-ces-show-2025/
Spotted: Is an Updated SRAM Force AXS Groupset Coming Soon? - https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-gear/spotted-updated-sram-force-axs-groupset/
See the latest from Velo: https://velo.outsideonline.com/featured -
Will checks in from Australia at the Tour Down Under to fill us in on what has been going on in the women's race as well as the latest tech.
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Will is on a plane going to the Tour Down Under, so it makes perfect sense that we have Senior Tech Editor Josh Ross in to talk all about marsupial pouches on bikes... right?
Today's conversation was all about our worst rides of 2024. Alvin got a series of unfortunate flat tires. Josh went to bonktown and back. And Levy? He had some serious GI issues that forced him into a hotel room.
We also talk about the untimely death of the NCL (National Cycling League), our experiences with AI coaching on the bike, a new carbon adventure gravel fork from No. 6, and a whole lot more. This one's a bit longer than normal, but we had a lot of fun with it, and we hope you will too!
Visit Velo here - https://velo.outsideonline.com/featured
How a LinkedIn post spelled demise for the NCL - https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-racing/the-national-cycling-league-is-officially-dead/
Our experiences with an AI coach - https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-gear/review-coachcat-ai-cycling-coach/
All about that new carbon gravel fork - https://velo.outsideonline.com/gravel/gravel-gear/no-6s-new-carbon-adventure-fork-hits-the-sweet-spot/ -
This week on the Velo Podcast, host Mike Levy is back with Alvin Holbrook and Will Tracy for the first official video podcast of 2025, and this week it’s all about reflecting on our favorite rides of the past year.
A favorite ride doesn’t have to be the longest, hardest, or have any certain superlative attached to it — it just has to be memorable in one way or another. But before recounting our favorite rides, which range from dream routes in far-flung locations to an overnight solo expedition, we discuss some news.
Are AI coaching tools coming for the jobs of cycling coaches? We discuss Jim Cotton’s story about Team UAE's new AI tool called Anna, and the implications it may have on training and race strategies.
In the world of cyclocross racing, the defending world champion Mathieu van der Poel is still out with a bruised rib, while Wout van Aert is back to his winning ways. How are things shaping up weeks out from the world championship?
And Betsy Welch has a story about politics in bike lanes in Toronto. A premier wants to take away bike lanes — but a video game designer is fighting back.
Alvin also fills us in on what’s in the test pipeline for him: including an inflatable helmet and a gravel Brompton. -
This week on the Velo Podcast, we have something a little different for you as former Pinkbike editor extraordinaire Mike Levy joins the show to talk gravel and road bikes.
Some of you are no doubt asking yourself right now: “Wait, isn’t he the mountain bike guy?”
Right you are. He’s a multi-faceted person though who has spent the last year exclusively riding road and gravel bikes and has fallen in love with the drop-bar world, taking on some monster rides along the way and learning what a carb is.
In this special episode of the podcast, Levy is joined by yours truly Will Tracy, and tech editor Alvin Holbrook to discuss the pressing issues of our times in gravel and road biking.
We start out with a discussion of some of the latest news, including what a possible SRAM smart trainer means for the market, the transition of Astana to Chinese manufacturer XDS bikes, and Alvin's review of the Factor Ostro VAM.
Other topics include the emergence of carbon spokes and their impact on performance, as well as the unique features of the Kona Ouroboros and Santa Cruz Stigmata gravel bikes that the team has been riding recently.
Finally, we get to the main segment: reflections on personal cycling experiences and the lessons learned throughout the year. We learned a lot on the bike in 2024 (or so we like to think) including knowing when to quit or solider on and how to maintain and in some cases rekindle the joy of cycling, as well as the importance of proper nutrition and fueling and the supportive community found in cycling. -
Colnago has unveiled its first aero model in a long time, and it's turning heads. Called the Y1Rs, it's claimed to be the fastest bike in the pro peloton in part due to taking advantage of recently relaxed UCI rules on bike design. It's sure to provide an advantage to the likes of Tadej Pogačar this upcoming road season.
Our tech team talked to Colnago about the new design and is here to break down this futuristic, and polarizing, design.
Later on the episode, Alvin Holbrook shares his thoughts on a road bike he just reviewed that he describes as the antithesis of Colnago's new aero bike, and our tech editors preview their upcoming articles. -
This week on the Velo Podcast, host Will Tracy is joined by European correspondent Andrew Hood and retired pro Bobby Julich to discuss the best races, athletes, and moments of the 2024 pro road cycling season.
What were the best grand tours and classics? Who had a standout year or reached that next level? Who had the grittiest performance? And of course, who were the best riders of the year? We bring our top picks as we look back on another great season of road cycling. Then, we cap things off with a discussion of our favorite heavy handed UCI moments of the year.
We also start with a discussion of some top news stories of the week, including Tadej Pogačar’s record setting new contract and the rider setting Strava KOMs who’s searching for a pro contract. -
Samuele Bressan might be the global marketing manager for Pirelli’s cycling division, but his experience goes beyond that, as product manager for the likes of Pirelli, Bianchi, Vittoria, and others. While we could go in a number of directions with regard to road and gravel bike tires with a brand as storied and prominent as Pirelli, we focused on what seems to be on everyone's minds: tubeless tire safety, security, and testing.
Among other things, Bressan seems confident in a future where setting up a tubeless road tire is never a question of whether or not it is compatible with your chosen wheelset, much less a question of whether you should even be running tubeless road tires. The same goes for gravel tires, as he calls the gravel tire segment slightly behind that of road and gravel.
Tires are often more complicated than they appear to be, so we sat down with Bressan to take a peek into what makes a safe but high-performance tire. There are a lot of interesting tidbits here–including the potential for a future Pirelli aero-focused tire–in here.
See more here: https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-gear/interview-pirelli-tubeless-tire-safety-future
Timestamps:
0:01 Intro
3:01 What does Pirelli’s testing tire and rim compatibility testing look like?
10:12 Car tires have virtually zero errors. Why don’t bicycle tires do the same? For road and gravel alike
21:48 Could cyber tires come to your next bike tire?
25:55 Rim deflection, testing within ETRTO and ISO, and what parts are still undefined
36:15 Is Pirelli developing tires in conjunction with other brands? It's complicated
42:46 Samuele’s personal wheel and tire buying recommendations. Hooked vs hookless? -
Ahead of Big Sugar Gravel, Betsy Welch sat down with Keegan Swenson to reflect on his season in the Life Time Grand Prix, his world championship aspirations, his affinity for going to metal and punk concerts when possible, and maybe most importantly, when the wedding is.
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The UCI Gravel World Championships took place this past weekend in Belgium and showcased cycling’s latest, hottest discipline. But for many gravel fans in the US, where the sport was born, worlds was far removed from real gravel racing.
Velo’s off-road reporter Betsy Welch and roaming videographer Shoddy Dave, who was on the ground at gravel worlds, join the show this week to debate the merits of the UCI’s take on gravel.
We take on the great divide between two continents’ approaches to gravel racing. Betsy fills us in on the reasons many top American riders skipped the UCI event, and the differences in race culture and organization between the two regions. The conversation also touches on the safety of gravel races, fan interest, and the future of gravel racing as it continues to evolve across the world. -
Everybody loves to be hyperbolic about gravel, but we’re only being slightly dramatic when we ask: Is gravel racing as we know it over?
SBT GRVL organizers have been hit with difficult new requirements from law enforcement that will force major changes to the event, including cutting the field size by 40 percent, and not letting it be a race with prize money — so long as it's not on closed roads.
Betsy Welch broke the story earlier this week and is here on the podcast to break down all the ramifications of SBT GRVL's problems and what this could mean for other gravel and cycling events around the country, whether negative or positive.
This could be a positive inflection point for gravel, giving it a new format for pros separate from everyone else, or it could sink many events just as this discipline is taking off.
Fast forward to 16:18 for the discussion on SBT GRVL and the future of gravel racing.
Tech editor Alvin Holbrook, who has raced SBT multiple times, is on the episode as well, and gives us some updates on the latest tech and what he would do with $3,000 instead of buying the 20th anniversary edition CermaicSpeed pulley. Betsy also fills us in on Marathon MTB Worlds, and Will Tracy provides an udpate on road worlds. -
This week, Velo’s resident gravel expert Betsy Welch sits down with SBT GRVL co-founder Amy Charity for a discussion on the rapid growth of gravel events, the challenges that come with it, and what the future holds for cycling’s hottest discipline.
Charity’s SBT GRVL event was a hit right off the bat when it debuted in 2019, and has managed to keep up the buzz ever since with the event selling out in a matter of minutes. Running the event hasn’t been without its challenges though.
Local residents had complaints about the event, forcing major changes for the 2024 edition that took place last month. And as gravel has matured in the last half decade, controversies over race tactics and debate over whether there should be separate starts for elite men and women have forced her race to adapt.
Charity talks us through those challenges and why she holds some views that are contrary to what other gravel events are doing. At the same time, she and her team are also learning from rider feedback and implementing that into the event.
Charity has branched out to several events around the world beyond the original marquee event in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. She discusses where she thinks gravel events as a whole may be heading, and what’s next for the category. -
With the conclusion of the Vuelta a España, grand tour season is officially over for 2024. Velo Podcast host Hannah Knapp breaks it all down with former pro cyclist Bobby Julich and Velo European correspondent Andrew Hood.
How did the race stack up against other grand tours this season?
We analyze key performances, including Ben O'Connor's breakthrough podium finish and Primož Roglič's slow and steady chipping away at the red jersey. We also discuss the impact of missing superstars like Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard, and the overall entertainment value of a race without the sport's biggest stars.
The conversation also touches on the performance of UAE, the struggles of Team Visma-Lease a Bike, and the surprising success of Kern-Pharma as well as other great moments from the race.
To finish off, we discuss potential changes to future Vueltas to contend with the hot weather that dogged large portions of this year's edition. - Laat meer zien
