Velonews Podcasts

We talk with cyclocross veteran Helen Wyman (Xypex) about some of the storylines shaping international women’s cyclocross in 2018. Why are some races still too short? What impact will the junior women’s division have on elite racing? And which riders are the favorites to win the world title?

Carbon fiber bike frames are light years ahead of their predecessors in the early days of the technology. How do bike companies milk so much performance out of such lightweight frames in 2019? To learn about the technology, we speak with Jeff Soucek, director of research and development at Felt Bicycles. He explains mysterious terms like modulus, resins, additives, and layups. All of this results in better bicycles for all types of riding or racing.

The future is uncertain for Team Sky. Its title sponsor rocked the cycling world with news that it will end its support after 2019. What comes next? Can David Brailsford find a new sponsor? What happens to Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas, and all the others if the team tanks? We talk to our man in Europe Andrew Hood to learn more. Then we recap a muddy, wild U.S. cyclocross nationals including interviews with winners Stephen Hyde and Katie Compton. This episode of the VeloNews podcast is sponsored by Strava. Want to try Strava Summit and its wealth of analysis, training, and safety features? Go to www.strava.com/summit and use this promo code for a free month of Strava Summit: velonews

It's the holidays and if you're like us, right about now, you're scrambling for gift ideas. So we're trying something new on Fast Talk and doing a gift episode. Of course, there's a ton of great gifts you can give that cyclist in your life, so we can't cover them all. Instead, we're going to focus on a few cool training gadgets. Some of which you're very familiar with and some you may never have even heard of.We'll talk about what they are, how they're used and whether we think they're worth putting under the tree or not. Of course, a few of these ideas may be a little too expensive for stocking stuffers, so it may be better to see this episode as our review of several cool, interesting and potentially valuable training tools. Today we'll talk about: 1. The Whoop Recovery strap - what is it, why it may be a valuable tool for tracking your recovery and our personal experience - good and bad - with the tool. 2. The Normatec Recovery System. Do they work and some thoughts on how to use them. If you listened

U.S. cyclocross national championships are coming up this weekend in Louisville, Kentucky. Can Katie Compton and Stephen Hyde salvage their seasons? They have each struggled with setbacks so far this season. Compton first dealt with allergies and then a virus. Hyde had two major crashes resulting in injuries and weeks of rehab. We examine their chances of defending their national titles and rate their key rivals. Then, Dane catches up with Tejay van Garderen who is turning over a new leaf in 2019 with his new team, EF Education First. Hear about how he expects things to change, and what his ambitions look like. This episode of the VeloNews podcast is sponsored by Health IQ. To get a free quote and save money on life insurance, go to www.HealthIQ.com/velonews

We've been getting a ton of questions from listeners, and many of them have had similar themes. (We appreciate the feedback, look forward to your questions, and generate many future podcast topics from them, so please keep them coming.) While you're waiting for future episodes with deeper answers, we'd like to give you some short answers now to tide you over. Today we'll answer questions about diet, the value of short easy rides, sub-threshold work in a polarized training model, and inflammation.

Power meters are everywhere, but do we actually understand how they work or what they actually do for us as cyclists? For this episode of the tech podcast, we talk with Pat Warner of Stages Cycling. He helps us understand the basics of how power meters work, from the strain gauges to what bike component houses the power meters. He also delves into questions about watts per kilo, how to effectively train with a power meter, and the hot-hot question of whether power meters are ruining the Tour de France!

Our man in Europe Andrew Hood Skypes in to talk about what he learned at Movistar's team camp. Plus, he remembers the late Paul Sherwen, who died unexpectedly Sunday night. We discuss if Nairo Quintana can turn things around after a disappointing 2018 season, whether Mikel Landa is cut out to be an outright grand tour GC leader, and how Alejandro Valverde is handling the spotlight of being world champion. Later in the program, we hear from Katie Compton on her "worst season yet" and ask her if she'll be able to defend her national cyclocross championship title. This episode of the VeloNews podcast is sponsored by Health IQ. To get a free quote and save money on life insurance, go to www.HealthIQ.com/velonews

In today’s episode, we start by asking our expert guests that simple question: Do we need a coach? Next, we’ll talk about the relationship athletes have with their coaches — what makes a good relationship and what makes a bad one. After we’ve defined that relationship, we’ll ask our panel what to look for in a good coach. And, conversely, how to identify a bad coach. Finally, we’ll talk briefly about how much coaching is worth, and whether an athlete should stick with the same coach or change from time to time. Our panel today includes coach Neal Henderson, owner of Apex Coaching and current coach of time trial world champion Rohan Dennis, among other elite athletes. Neal has joined us before, on one of our most popular episodes, in fact, Episode 33: Is FTP Dead? Our other main guest today is the renowned endurance athlete Rebecca Rusch, formerly an adventure racer, now a decorated cyclist of mountain bike, gravel, and bike-packing events around the world. Rebecca currently works with CTS coach Dean Golich;

Two interesting storylines are developing in the world of cyclocross. In the U.S., the door is opening for a newcomer to win men's nationals. Abroad, the elite women's field is more competitive than ever. We lead off with a conversation about the domestic scene and the litany of injuries taking top riders out of the picture. We call up Kerry Werner to hear about how this changes the races and his chances to win a Stars and Stripes jersey. Then, we shift our focus to Europe. Don't worry about Mathieu van der Poel winning the men's races by a country mile, the women's field offers the most exciting racing a fan could ask for. All that and more on this episode of the VeloNews podcast!

Are you shocked at how common e-bikes have become? We decided to learn more about the basics of how electric-assist bikes work. To help us understand e-bikes, we called up Jonathan Weinert, sales and marketing manager at Bosch. He explains how the motors give you that tailwind sensation, the technology behind the batteries, and how e-bikes have evolved. All that and much more on this episode of the VeloNews tech podcast.

After four years at the helm, Derek Bouchard-Hall is stepping down from his role as USA Cycling's CEO. Fred gave him a call to evaluate the state of America's governing body. What is USA Cycling doing well? Where is it falling short? And what does the future hold? Also, Bouchard-Hall evaluates his own work as leader of USAC. This episode of the VeloNews podcast is sponsored by Health IQ. To get a free quote and save money on life insurance, go to www.HealthIQ.com/velonews

In episode 60 we're discussing trainers. For those who hate them, we get it, but stay tuned, as we’ll tell you why you shouldn’t completely ignore them. For those who love them, we’re going to tell you why riding outside every once in a while is a really good thing. For those in between, today’s episode will offer a wealth of knowledge on how to get the very most out of trainer time. Now, one thing is certain: The days of staring at the basement wall while riding your clunky, loud trainer are behind us. Today’s smart trainers and online tools allow us to "game-ify" the experience and are making many re-consider how they feel about riding indoors, and importantly, the extent of the training benefits. In this episode, we'll talk about the science and experience of the trainer, including: (1) How riding on a trainer differs from riding on the road, including the experience, our interaction with the bike, the different inertia generated by the trainer, and its impact on our biomechanics. (2) What impact these di

Cyclocross is here! But it doesn't seem like it is as wildly popular as it was back when Tim Johnson was racing. We talk to the former national champion about the state of U.S. cyclocross. What will keep people stoked on racing in the mud every autumn? Also, Johnson talks about one of American cyclocross's top riders, Kaitie Keough as well as the divide between European 'cross and the American World Cup races. All that and more on this episode of the VeloNews podcast!

We have noticed a trend: Riders are opting for shorter saddles with pronounced cutouts. What's the explanation for this shift? On this episode, we bring on Chris Jacobson, Shimano North America's product line manager for Pro Components and BikeFitting.com. He answers our many questions about how riders can (or should) select saddles, what are some common bike fit issues, and why saddles have evolved to become shorter. All that and more on this episode of the VeloNews tech podcast.

News leaked out this week that SRAM is developing a new 12-speed eTap component group. We bring tech editor Dan Cavallari on the show to discuss its likely features and what it takes to increase the size of a cassette. Then, we serve up some takes on the 2019 Giro d'Italia route. Will the mountainous back half of the race make up for what seems like a boring start? Who will win it? And finally we talk to Geoff Kabush who dared to ride a gravel bike in a mountain bike race... And in fact, he won Iceman Cometh on those curly bars. This episode of the VeloNews podcast is sponsored by Health IQ. To get a free quote and save money on life insurance, go to www.HealthIQ.com/velonews

In this episode of Fast Talk, we speak with the guru of cycling medicine and ergonomics, Dr. Andy Pruitt, about cycling's most common injuries and how to prevent them. The discussion includes: 1)What used to be the most common over-use injury — knee problems — why they are no longer the most common problem, and how it’s possible for most of us to go through the rest of our cycling careers without one. 2)Back problems — these have eclipsed knee issues as the most common cycling complaint. Unfortunately, the cycling position is not kind to the lower back, but there are still things we can do to prevent pain. 3) Saddle sores, numbness, and pressure issues, and how with the right saddle and fit most of these issues can be addressed. 4) Just like the back, the cycling position can be tough on the neck. We’ll discuss. 5) Feet and hands — many of us think that numbness is just part of riding a bike. But the truth is that if you're experiencing numbness, something is wrong, and it can generally be solved. 6) Finally,

Tour de France organizers boasted that the 2019 route was the "highest Tour ever" — does that mean it will be exciting for fans? We analyze the mountainous route and debate whether they should have included more time trial kilometers. Also at the Tour presentation, race director Christian Prudhomme had some strong takes on power meters — he thinks they should be banned from racing! Is that right? Does he even understand how they work? We discuss. If you live in the Colorado Front Range (or close enough to drive) come out to VeloSwap on Saturday! Fred and Spencer will be there checking out all the cool vintage bike gear: www.veloswap.com

American Robin Carpenter found himself in the deep end of the European peloton this past season. His Rally Pro cycling team made a big push to race more in Europe, and Carpenter has plenty of exciting stories from the experience. He explains how he manages to find breakaways that succeed, what it is like to be up against WorldTour heavies, and why pro cyclists always get married in October. This episode of the VeloNews podcast is sponsored by Health IQ. To get a free quote and save money on life insurance, go to www.HealthIQ.com/velonews

In episode 56, we talked with Colby Pearce about what it takes to make an attempt at the hour record on the track. Not long after, Pearce set the master’s 45-49 world record with a scorching 50.245 kilometer effort. For this special episode, we caught up with him to discuss his successful attempt, the training he did, the difficulties of selecting gears and training on a track that was different from the one where he set the record, and how he managed the pain.