Cycling News & Blog Articles

After a quick run-through of what happened at the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta, Loren and Abby chat with Iris Slappendel about the latest rider survey made by the Cyclists’ Alliance and filled out by the women of professional cycling. How did the riders respond to the COVID-19 situation this year? What are their biggest concerns in women’s cycling?

If you want to sign up as a member of the Cyclists’ Alliance and support the work they are doing for the women in professional cycling, you may do so here.

The post About the Cyclists’ Alliance survey with Iris Slappendel appeared first on CyclingTips.

In today’s episode of the CyclingTips podcast, Dane does a final rundown of the racing news. The Vuelta proved to be yet another exciting finale to a Grand Tour, so the gang discusses the contenders, the action, and more.

Abby wraps up the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta, which ended in an exciting race for bonus seconds.

Chloe Dygert makes a guest appearance to talk about her new team for the next four years and how she’s feeling after the World Championships.

And finally, James spent the entire podcast in a full-face helmet just for Nerd Alert. The discussion turns to whether or not full-face helmets are the future of road cycling.

This week’s episode is brought to you by NOBL wheels and their new lightweight road and gravel wheels.

Winter is coming, and so is new winter riding gear. Nerd Alert this week kicks off with a discussion about the new Assos winter jacket that retails at $725 USD (0:03:40) as well as Rapha’s new Windproof Explore Pullover sweater (0:13:10).

There are more and more companies adopting environmentally sustainable methods, like Trek’s new packaging for their Marlin hardtail. (0:19:10).

James chats with Erik Bronsvoort, author of “From Marginal Gains to a Circular Revolution: A practical guide to creating a circular cycling economy”, about the environmental impact of bicycle production (0:23:35).

The Nerds discuss the “platform model” of Bronsvoort’s, and how the bike industry used to be before full bike build options were the norm (0:53:20). Would a leasing model work?

Ending the podcast on an upbeat note Zach, and the rest of the Nerds, answer listener questions in the ongoing “Ask a Mechanic” segment (1:09:30).

In this week’s episode of the Freewheeling podcast, Loren and Abby are joined by Jose to discuss the end of the one-days, the lack of information on the Madrid Challenge, and all the newest transfer news. 

For the final ten minutes of the episode, Abby chats with Katie Hall about her decision to retire, her career, and what she has planned next. Check out the full story on the CyclingTips website.

The post Freewheeling Podcast: Katie Hall chats retirement, her future, and her career in cycling appeared first on CyclingTips.

In this week’s episode, we discuss the finale of the Giro d’Italia over the weekend, with a special appearance by the former Axeon Hagen’s Berman soigneur, Reed McCalvin. Briefly, the Vuelta is discussed, as well as De Panne, the end of the one-days, and the end of the Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team.

For Nerd Alert, James has thoughts about the skinsuit seen on Tao Geoghegan Hart on the final day of the Giro and a pair of new Oakley’s seen on Chris Froome at the Vuelta.

The post CyclingTips Podcast: Tao Geoghegan Hart as a 15-year-old appeared first on CyclingTips.

In this episode of the CyclingTips Nerd Alert podcast, we discuss the merits of Ratio Technology’s new 12-speed conversion kit for SRAM 11-speed levers, as well as the pros and cons of wireless technology for Shimano’s next-generation Dura-Ace Di2 groupset.

We then have a chat with the folks at Cadex and discuss the challenges of positioning a high-end “in-house” brand against established third-party aftermarket labels. Finally, we finish off with another round of “Ask a Mechanic”. Moral of the story: don’t take mechanical advice from Caley.

And as mentioned within the Ask of Mechanic section, there are some tips and tricks to dealing with impossibly tight tyres.

To make sure you never miss an episode of Nerd Alert, subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The post Nerd Alert podcast: 12-speed for everyone and the value of in-house component brands appeared first on CyclingTips.

This piece is brought to you in partnership with Giant. Find out more about our sponsored content policies here.

The ninth generation of Giant’s TCR family follows in the footsteps of other major players in the industry in that it now adds a generous dose of aerodynamic shaping to its previously light-and-stiff formula. However, the family of carbon fiber frames has also gone on a diet, gains a newly refined geometry, and — of course — has room for bigger tires, all while still retaining its superb stiffness and composed ride quality.

We sat down with two of the engineers behind the bike for a deep dive into its creation, discussing everything from their decision to leave cables external to optimizing downtube shapes.

The post The TCRcast: A deep dive with the engineers behind the Giant TCR appeared first on CyclingTips.

Welcome back to the CyclingTips Nerd Alert podcast. In this episode we discuss two things related to the UCI: one is a rule we’d like to see and the other is a rule we will see.

The UCI has a lot of silly technical rules, but there’s one that isn’t on the books that could potentially keep a lot of riders from crashing. It doesn’t have anything to do with the bikes themselves, though; it would apply to bottles and cages. It’s a topic James Huang covered earlier this week, and in this episode, we dive deeper into the issues and solutions.

Following a leaked technical regulations update, we have Factor Bikes’ director of engineering, Graham Shrive, weigh in on the topic. Will your next bike sprout a seatpost out of its top tube? Will road bikes look like triathlon bikes? Maybe, or maybe not.

And finally the popular “Ask a mechanic” segment returns.

To make sure you never miss an episode of Nerd Alert, subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Canyon has today officially unveiled its third-generation Aeroad aero road racing machine. As expected, it’s more efficient aerodynamically than its forebear, with modern features such as fully hidden cabling, a disc-only format, and a proprietary integrated cockpit. However, it’s also stiffer than the previous version while retaining that model’s admirable comfort levels.

To dig into the hows and whys behind the new bike, we sat down for an hour-long chat with the engineers behind the new Aeroad.

This episode is brought to you by Canyon. Find out more about our sponsored content policies here.

The post The Canyon Aeroadcast appeared first on CyclingTips.

With the Tour de France wrapped up, our latest episode of the CyclingTips Nerd Alert podcast looks at some of the tech that popped up and we discuss what it might mean for the rest of us. Join the usual cast as they dive into the what and why of the gear raced at the sport’s biggest event.

To make sure you never miss an episode of Nerd Alert, subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The post Nerd Alert podcast: Tech of the Tour de France appeared first on CyclingTips.

One of Australia’s most significant sporting moments happened 20 years ago at the Sydney Olympics when Scott McGrory and Brett Aitken won the gold medal in the Madison. And this wasn’t just any gold medal. The tragedy that Scott had to overcome just weeks before race day is what makes this story so inspiring, sad, and unique.

I didn’t move to Australia until 2005 and this story never made it into my consciousness until only a few years ago. I met Scott just after he retired as a pro cyclist and I’ve since become friends with him. But not as Scott McGrory the Olympic gold champion. Just Scott McGrory, the human being without any of those pretences.

I’ve always known Scott as a regular guy, but of course I know what he’s accomplished and am fully aware there’s something special within him that makes him a sporting champion – something that most of us have never, and will never possess.

In this in-depth interview, exactly 20 years after he won his Olympic gold, Scott reflects on the hardships he endured in the lead-up to Sydney, as well as the demons he’s struggled with since.

So buckle up, get a box of tissues and get ready for this gut-wrenching and inspiring story that Scott has so generously shared with us.

What’s the saying? Those who can’t make something, podcast about it?

Bike stuff is pretty damn good these days, but sometimes little things just miss the mark. This episode of the CyclingTips Nerd Alert podcast is a celebration … no, the opposite of that … of bike tech that makes us want to pull our hair out.

Join global tech editor James Huang, tech editor Dave Rome, editor-in-chief Caley Fretz, and professional mechanic Zach Edwards as they discuss some of their biggest pet peeves with new bike tech. Caution: There’s a small language warning for this one. Blame James.

To make sure you never miss an episode of Nerd Alert, subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The post Nerd Alert podcast: Bike tech that makes us go … no thanks. appeared first on CyclingTips.

You could argue that Bonnie Tu is the most powerful woman in cycling, although she wouldn’t think of describing herself that way. She’s best known for being the face of the Liv brand she created back in 2008, but more than that she’s chairperson of the largest bike brand in the world: the Giant Bicycle Group. What does that mean? Quite simply, she runs the entire company.

Giant Bicycles is a US$2.1 billion-per-annum publicly traded company that produces millions of bikes per year, while also serving as manufacturer for some of the largest and most reputable bike brands.

Giant was founded in 1972. That’s 48 years ago, and Bonnie was one of the founding shareholders. As you’ll hear, she has been very influential in many of the company’s foundations and its pathway up until now.

This is the growth story of Bonnie Tu and not necessarily the story of Giant Bicycles or Liv. But they’re so intertwined that it’s hard not to tell one without the other.

Thank you to Ashley de Neef for composing the music for the show, as well as our producer Mal Bloedel.

Welcome to the first Tour Daily episode, coming to you from an Airbnb in Nice (and elsewhere. Thanks, COVID). 

In this final episode before the Tour kicks off, we run through the route, key stages, plus make some picks for the most important competition, the race for the Maillot Sable. 

Plus, we get a stage 1 pick from the Secret Pro. 

Our daily TDF episodes will kick off on Friday and will run through the end of the race. Make sure you subscribe on your favorite podcast provider to catch each one.

Click here for a direct download, and here to listen on Soundcloud. The CyclingTips podcast is on Spotify as well, and you can listen to it there. Or just subscribe to the CyclingTips Podcast via RSS, iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play.

The Tour de France is around the corner, and the last two weeks have seen something of a shakeup in the race before the race. Favorites have crashed, former winners have been left off their TDF rosters – it’s shaping up to be one of the most open races in years.

So who can win it? We dig into the comparative strength of Jumbo-Visma vs Ineos, weigh the hopes of Thibaut Pinot, and take a look at the green and polka dot jersey battles.

Our daily TDF episodes will kick off on Friday and will run through the end of the race. Make sure you subscribe on your favorite podcast provider to catch each one.

Click here for a direct download, and here to listen on Soundcloud. The CyclingTips podcast is on Spotify as well, and you can listen to it there. Or just subscribe to the CyclingTips Podcast via RSS, iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play.

This episode is brought to you by Flobikes, where you can watch hundreds of the biggest pro bike races.

In our latest – and long – episode of the CyclingTips Nerd Alert podcast we look at the biggest stories in the world of tech and then take a deep dive into the world of rim and tyre standards.

The episode kicks off with a chat about the newly released Ridley Kanzo gravel bike and whether aero gravel is what we want. We then discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the new Classified hub-based shifting system. And then we move to what impact Zwift’s new steering feature could have on virtual racing.

Then it’s time for the headline act of the show, an interview between James Huang and Luke Musselman, president of Goodyear’s bicycle tyre program about the topic of quoted versus actual tire sizes.

Finally, Bike Selector makes a return, and this time it’s a well-priced and well-rounded mountain bike.

To make sure you never miss an episode of Nerd Alert, subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode of From the Top we continue our theme of individual icons within the sport and hear the story of Matthew Keenan, a man who is slowly but surely becoming the new voice of cycling. Three years ago he took over the highest job in cycling commentary when he and Robbie McEwen replaced Paul Sherwen and Phil Liggett as the host announcers for the Tour de France.

The word “passion” can often be used as a shortcut for people to describe how strongly they feel about something, but true passion, the kind Matt Keenan demonstrates for cycling and commentary, is built in increments – decades of it – ensuring everything he does goes towards what he’s trying to achieve.

Those who know Matt personally will tell you that while he’s never short of work, he’s incredibly humble and deflects away from talking about himself. His story of going from aspiring pro cyclist, to local venue commentator, all the way to now being the Tour de France’s anchor commentator is surprisingly well documented (I suggest you go listen to Mitch Docker’s interview with Matt for a really good insight), so in this episode I reached out to various friends and people who influenced Matt throughout his career to add some other perspectives.

I’ve known and worked with Matt in various capacities for 10 years now and have always looked up to his professionalism, his knowledge, and his relentless, but patient pursuit of his craft.

This is his story.

After a hectic and unfortunately predictable Strade Bianchi last weekend and an unexpected break in what was supposed to be a packed calendar, Abby calls in Loren Rowney and José Been to chat. They dive deeper into Strade, Annemiek’s form, the transfer season, and more.

Plus, Jose explains her reasoning behind profiling women in the peloton, including her most recent interview with Mavi Garcia.

Thank you to Assos of Switzerland for sponsoring this week’s podcast.

To make sure you never miss an episode, subscribe to Freewheeling on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The post Freewheeling Podcast: Post Strade Bianche blues appeared first on CyclingTips.

This week we continue our theme of individual icons within the sport by chatting to Graham Watson, perhaps the most prolific cycling photographer in the world. Like with other pioneers of their professions, some might argue that it was easy for Graham back in the day and there were more opportunities. But everything is obvious in hindsight, and as you’ll soon hear from Graham, it was anything but easy.

I’m a big believer that you make your own luck to open the next door, and that’s precisely what Graham did over the five different decades he covered the sport. And whoever came up with the saying ‘nice guys finish last’ certainly hasn’t met Graham.

From aspiring bike racer, to studio photographer, to winning a photography award in 1977 with a shot of Eddy Merckx, Graham retired a couple years ago after photographing some of cycling’s most historic moments. I sat down with him to hear how he got started, and to learn about some of his highlights and struggles along the way.

Today’s episode is slightly longer than the rest because there’s no way I can do justice to Graham’s remarkable 40-year career in an hour. So buckle up and come along for the ride.

Thank you to Ashley de Neef for composing the music for the show, as well as our producer Mal Bloedel.

This week’s episode kicks off with a discussion of EvilCorp’s ransomware attack on Garmin’s systems, then we take a look at the future of Mavic now that it has new owners. 

James hops on the phone with an analyst from Bank of America who has been looking into the bike industry and has some good news. 

Finally, the tool nerds debate the merits of various brands of hex key. 

To make sure you never miss an episode of Nerd Alert, subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The post Nerd Alert podcast: Garmin’s hack, Mavic’s future and a banker’s take on the bike boom appeared first on CyclingTips.