The BikeRadar Podcast

In this edition of the BikeRadar Podcast, senior technical writer Simon von Bromley and senior technical editor Ashley Quinlan discuss Ash’s recent test of £500 alloy wheelsets. The duo cover off the key winners and losers, deliver some surprising findings and discuss whether a £500 alloy wheelset is worth buying in 2024. Finally, Ash shares some of his key thought-provoking takeaways following the test. Remember, we’d love to hear your opinions about anything discussed in this episode – drop us an email at podcast@bikeradar.com with any questions or comments! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you’ve been paying attention to the pro road-racing scene recently, you may have noticed many riders are increasingly using oversized chainrings. Are today’s pro riders so fast they simply need bigger gears than before, or could there be more to this tech trend than meets the eye? In today’s episode of the BikeRadar podcast, Simon von Bromley sits down with Liam Cahill to discuss this development and whether there’s anything the rest of us can learn from it. If you have any thoughts, questions or feedback, you can contact the team at podcast@bikeradar.com. https://www.bikeradar.com/features/tech/why-are-pros-using-such-big-chainrings Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you confused by the jargon you read in our reviews? Find technical terms all a bit much? In this podcast, our technical writer and all-round tech-head Luke Marshall guides you through some of the terms that pop up frequently in our mountain bike reviews. If there are other terms you’re not sure the meaning of, pop us an email, and we’ll do our best to help. Our email address is podcast@bikeradar.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sea Otter 2024, part trade show, part mountain, road and gravel festival, has just wrapped up. The beady eyes of George Scott and Jack Luke have been on the search for the best MTB kit at the show, and they bring you their top picks here. From fancy frames to brand new pedals, via a very fast set of tyres, the 2024 Sea Otter has provided the goods. Our team pushed out a lot of tech content on BikeRadar’s Instagram account, so you can catch up with even more here: https://www.instagram.com/bikeradar/ And, of course, there are a host of articles on the site now, and coming soon, covering all aspects of the show. https://www.bikeradar.com/news/sea-otter-classic-2024-mtb-tech https://www.bikeradar.com/news/maxxis-aspen-st https://www.bikeradar.com/news/neko-mulally-bonded-dh-frame https://www.bikeradar.com/news/2024-sea-otter-new-gravel-tech Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sea Otter 2024 has landed, merging trade-show tech with bike-festival vibes. Our editorial duo of Jack Luke and George Scott are pounding the grounds of Laguna Seca Raceway to bring you the best bits. This podcast focuses on the best of the drop-bar tech seen on day one. Jack Luke almost lost his marbles when he spotted Ritchey’s new Montebello randonneur bike, and was blown away by 5Dev’s scuff-proof cranks. There also were some fancy bikes from the likes of Parlee, while the team got a hands-on look at the new Cane Creek Invert gravel fork that has certainly stirred up plenty of comments. For the most up-to-date news from the show, follow BikeRadar’s Instagram account here: https://www.instagram.com/bikeradar/ And, of course, there are plenty of in-depth features on BikeRadar.com, including the stories below on Ritchey, Parlee, 5Dev and Cane Creek. https://www.bikeradar.com/news/ritchey-montebello https://www.bikeradar.com/news/2024-parlee-ouray https://www.bikeradar.com/news/5dev-diamond-coated-cranks https://www.bikeradar.com/news/cane-creek-invert-gravel-suspension-forks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In today’s episode of the BikeRadar Podcast, deputy editor Jack Luke and senior technical writer Simon von Bromley discuss the latest tech news in road cycling. Last week saw the launch of the new ENVE Fray and BMC Roadmachine – both endurance road bikes with an all-road slant. As well as sharing details of each new bike the pair discuss whether all-road bikes can really do double duty off and on the tarmac. Next up, Jack and Simon discuss Campagnolo’s new HPPM power meter, and why it took the BikeRadar team by surprise. Finally, this week’s podcast wraps with details about Shimano’s new Essa groupset – an 8-speed 1x-only groupset designed specifically for budget bikes. The duo consider how it fits in with Shimano’s Cues range, and what it could signal for entry-level bikes of the future. As always, if you have any comments, questions or feedback about what was discussed in this podcast, you can email the BikeRadar team at podcast@bikeradar.com. https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/bikes/road-bikes/enve-fray-first-ride-review https://www.bikeradar.com/news/bmc-roadmachine-2024 https://www.bikeradar.com/news/2024-campagnolo-hppm-power-meter https://www.bikeradar.com/news/2024-shimano-essa Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the BikeRadar Podcast, Jack Luke, Tom Marvin and Warren Rossiter answer questions sent in by you, our beloved listeners. From average chain life to describing the feel of tyres, the trio shares solutions for your burning tech questions. Thanks to Steve Wilson, Nicolas Rogowski, Tom Parish, Owen Lockwood and everyone else for sending in your questions! If you have any questions you want answered in a future episode, send them to podcast@bikeradar.com https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/workshop/how-to-set-up-your-mountain-bike-suspension-video-guides-to-help-you-get-the-most-from-your-bike Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's the morning after the night before and, with the dust settling on another edition of Paris-Roubaix, George, Liam and Simon sit down to digest this year's tech highlights. Big tyres, bigger chainrings, aero optimisations and even gravel bikes featured over the cobbles of the Hell of the North. Got a question for the team? You can email us at podcast@bikeradar.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dropper seatposts are near-ubiquitous on modern mountain bikes, but what separates the good from the bad, how do they work and what should you look out for when shopping for a new one? Hot on the heels of a nine-way test, BikeRadar digital writer Nick Clark outlines the key buying considerations and spills the beans on the best and worst of dropper seatpost tech today. He’s joined by BikeRadar MTB presenter Tom Law and deputy editor Jack Luke, who’ve each spent enough time swearing into a seat tube and fishing about for pesky cables to earn a spot in this episode. BikeRadar’s buyer’s guide to the best dropper seatposts: https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/buyers-guides/best-dropper-posts Nick’s matt paint op-ed: https://www.bikeradar.com/features/opinion/matt-paint-is-trash Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s easy to assume professional bike riders get access to the best kit available, but the reality can be very different. From wild monocoque triathlon bikes through to ultra-light climbing bikes, long socks and myriad aerodynamic upgrades, there are many things pros simply aren’t allowed to use due to stringent regulations or sponsor restrictions. In this episode of the BikeRadar podcast, two of the team’s keenest roadies, Simon von Bromley and Liam Cahill, discuss all these things and how they’d change the rules if they were in charge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

BikeRadar’s XC fans Rach and Tom look ahead to the 2024 XC season. The first rounds are coming up shortly in Brazil and the summer’s Olympic Games are on the horizon. The past six months have seen a host of exciting, new XC bikes and tech being launched, so in this episode we discuss the latest race bikes as well as picking out who we think will take home the gold from the summer Games in Paris. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Which accessories do you need for mountain biking and which don’t you need? We run through the five most important mountain bike accessories and reveal the five you don’t really need (though they may be nice to have). With over 70 years of cumulative MTB experience, Tom, Rob and Al know what makes our riding lives easier — and what doesn’t really make much difference. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fastest Known Times (FKTs) are individual time trials raced over typically mixed-terrain ultra-endurance routes. A long-established racing format in the thru-hiking and backpacking worlds, cycling FKTs have surged in popularity in recent years. In today's episode of the BikeRadar Podcast, custodian of fastestknowntimes.org.uk and ultra-endurance racing legend Molly Weaver explains what FKTs are, their rules and how to take one for yourself. Weaver turned pro in 2015, riding for Matrix Fitness Pro Cycling, before wrapping up her pro road career in 2018 riding for Trek-Drops. Weaver has gone on to become a legend in the ultra-endurance scene, competing in this year’s Atlas Mountain Race, the Trans Pyrenees, the GB Divide, the Highland Trail 550 and more. At the time of recording, she holds no fewer than eight UK FKTs. She’s also one of our only guests to have their own Wikipedia page. Weaver is joined by deputy editor Jack Luke and senior videographer Robyn Furtado – the only person on the BikeRadar team with the necessary experience to talk with authority about what it takes to race an ultra. Robyn's Bright Midnight writeup: https://www.bikeradar.com/features/opinion/bright-midnight Trans Cambrian relay attempt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fv0CW77fZCg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do you pick a pocket-friendly gravel bike? What should you look out for and what key features can you expect if you’re spending around £1,000? Senior road technical editor Warren Rossiter has recently completed a test of budget gravel bikes, and in this episode he and Tom discuss the entry-level gravel bike market. They cover the kit you’re likely to find, and the types of bikes available at this price point, as well as running through the four bikes in Warren’s recent test. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bike of the Year is coming! Testing for our annual bike review bonanza is well underway. In this episode, George Scott is joined by two of our lead testers, Tom Marvin and Warren Rossiter, to preview Bike of the Year 2024. With nine categories across road, gravel, MTB and urban, what bikes can you expect to see in the test? Tune-in to find out… Read more on L-Twoo’s new gravel groupsets from the Taipei Cycle Show: https://www.bikeradar.com/news/taipei-2024-l-twoo-gravel-groupsets Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Specialized’s cross-country bike, the Epic 8, was launched with an updated RockShox Flight Attendant, updated to work seamlessly with XC race rigs. In this episode, Tom Marvin speaks to Brian Gordon, Specialized’s product lead on all things XC, and Chris Mandell, North America PR man for SRAM. They discuss the new Specialized Epic 8 and Epic 8 EVO, as well as the latest wireless developments in suspension – Flight Attendant. Along the way, host Jack Luke quizzes Tom on his experience of both new bikes and RockShox’s electronic equipment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What are your baseline fork settings? The dark-arts of bar tape, and our pick of the best workstands, plus more, feature in this episode of our Tech Q&A series. Tech experts Warren Rossiter and Alex Evans weigh in to help out our listeners navigate the world of cycling tech. Have you any unanswered questions? Pop them to podcast@bikeradar.com and we’ll include them in a future episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s (another) new bike day at BikeRadar – the 10th generation Giant TCR has launched, and we’ve jumped into the podcast studio to cover the major headlines. Senior technical editor Ashley Quinlan is your host, joined by road tech aficionados Simon von Bromley and Liam Cahill to discuss how the latest TCR stacks up. We also hear from Giant’s Andrew Juskaitis, who helps us position the TCR versus the Propel, talks us through the brand’s new carbon manufacturing technique and explains how Giant has looked beyond the frame when designing the bike. You can read all about the new Giant TCR on BikeRadar now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this latest edition of the BikeRadar Podcast, senior technical editor Ashley Quinlan sits down with Factor Bikes CEO and founder, Rob Gitelis. They discuss Rob’s history in the cycling world, firstly behind the scenes in carbon manufacture before taking over at Factor, then move on to the future of the material as well as take on the big question about the state of the bike industry today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Manufacturers of carbon rims are increasingly adopting hookless rims, citing benefits such as lower weight, improved aerodynamics and reduced manufacturing costs. Last week, though, on stage five of the 2024 UAE Tour, Thomas De Gendt suffered a high-speed crash while – seemingly – just riding along. De Gendt’s wheels, a set of Zipp’s 353 NSW carbon wheels with hookless rims, were initially deemed to be at fault, but can we be sure about what actually happened, and could there be more to this story than meets the eye? In this episode of the BikeRadar podcast, deputy editor, Jack Luke, and senior technical writer, Smon von Bromley, discuss the incident and what it might mean for the future of wheel and tyre tech on road bikes. Simon’s in-depth feature on the incident: https://www.bikeradar.com/features/tech/de-gendt-uae-tour-crash-are-hookless-rims-safe Since this episode was recorded, Vittoria has released a statement seeking to clarify the cause of the incident: https://www.bikeradar.com/news/vittoria-statement-de-gendt-crash-hookless-rims Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices