SRAMcast

Most people know Chef Chris Cosentino from watching the Food Network. A judge on Top Chef, and a star on a long list of other shows on the network, Cosentino has become a household name among foodies. What fans of his cooking might not know, is that he absolutely loves cycling in all its many forms: Road, Mountain, commuting… he does it all. And he does it with a joy that is infectious. Get to know this celebrity SRAM Ambassador in our latest SRAMcast interview.

For this special episode of SRAMcast we’ve partnered with Liv Cycling to share a panel discussion from the 2019 Sea Otter Classic. The event was titled, “A Seat at the Table” and included ambassadors, athletes, technicians, and engineers. Panel members discussed their views on the current state of diversity within the sport of cycling and how to expand it. Panel members included: SRAM Ambassador, Liv Racing athlete, and owner of, “A Quick Brown Fox dot com,” Ayesha McGowan. Bike mechanic and service specialist at Ruckus Composites, Laura Solís. Student, artist, and competitive free skier, Brooklyn Bell. SRAM product design engineer, David Reyes. SRAM ambassador and Liv Racing athlete, bike mechanic, and freelance designer, Sam Scipio. And Giant Factory mountain bike team racer, Eliot Jackson. The panel discussion was hosted by Brook Hopper from Liv Cycling and SRAM Women’s Program Manager, Sara Jarrell.

NAHBS is right around the corner, and if you are betting on who's going to win awards, Rob English is the closest you'll get to a sure thing. He's a highly trained mechanical engineer (Master's Degree from Cambridge) and a very respected member of the framebuilding community. Yet, unlike many of his compatriates focused on modern steel bikes with classic design appeal, Rob's bikes are incredibly advanced and innovative. This approach got us wondering about the ideas behind these designs and we just had to learn more. So we visited Rob at his home workshop in Eugene, Oregon for this special episode of SRAMcast. In our interview with Rob, we take a deep tech dive into his building methods and philosophy. This episode is for all the custom framebuilding nerds and fans of technology out there.

We talk to SRAM engineers Anthony Madaglia and Henrik Braedt about SRAM's XD and XDR driver body types and why they were developed. For a video explanation of XD and XDR, use the following link: https://www.sram.com/stories/sram-xd-and-xdr-driver-body-explained

We talk to SRAM’s Road Drivetrain Chief Systems Engineer, Anthony Medaglia to learn why gearing has evolved to the point it is currently. We also discuss how it affects the riding experience, and what it means for the future of road drivetrains.

Andrew Talansky has history with SRAM dating back to his early days as an elite cyclist. A longtime fan of eTap, Zipp wheels, and Quarq power meters, Andrew reached out to us after he retired from road racing to partner with his plan to become a pro Ironman Triathlete. Talansky raced as a top pro GC rider for nine years collecting impressive wins at the Criterium du Dauphine, the US National Time Trial Championships, and scoring top 10’s at the Tour de France, the Vuelta España, and the Amgen Tour of California. We sat down with Andrew to talk about his switch to the Ironman format, learn how the adaptation to new training and racing is going, and to find out more about his long-term aspirations.

British MotoGP racer, Cal Crutchlow, is best known for his motorcycle racing exploits, but you might be surprised to learn that he’s also a huge fan of cycling. The CWM LCR Honda professional logs hundreds of miles a week on his road bike in the off-season. He’s built like a climber but his quads look to be those of a WorldTour sprinter. SRAM’s Stephan Hirsch spoke with Cal in the LCR Honda CASTROL garage at the Austrian Grand Prix. During their conversation, Cal discussed the role of cycling in his training and offered his thoughts on some of the technological crossover between road cycling and MotoGP.

Axel Merckx’ Hagens Berman Axeon team is arguably the strongest U23 development team in the world and regularly graduates riders into the WorldTour ranks. A couple of the team’s riders, Elite US National Road Champion — Johnny Brown, and reigning U23 US National Cyclocross and Elite US Mountain Bike Short Track Cross Country champion — Christopher Blevins, sat down with us to discuss the challenges of young rider development, sibling rivalry, making team mechanics angry, and even poetry. SRAM PR Specialist, Daniel Slusser spoke to Brown and Blevins at the Axeon team camp in Calabasas, California just prior to the start of the racing season.

After achieving phenomenal success in ITU Triathlon racing with a few world championship titles between them—plus clinching four Olympic medals in triathlon—including two Gold, one Silver, and one Bronze medal in the Rio and London games, Jonny and Alistair Brownlee are ready to open a new chapter in their triathlon racing careers. Get to know triathlon’s most exciting brothers and get up to speed on where they are headed next in this episode of SRAMcast.

Get to know retired pro cyclist Axel Merckx and how he's preparing U23 pros for the WorldTour with his Hagens Berman Axeon Cycling Team.

Chas Christiansen and Nico Deportago-Cabrera are professional cyclists of a different sort. Chas is a bike messenger in San Francisco and Nico a bike messenger in Chicago. So these guys have mastered the art of urban riding. Yet their cycling adventures don’t end there. Cycling, for Chas and Nico, and a 24/7 lifestyle. They’ve built careers doing races and representing sponsors. They leave their cities for gravel and adventure races.

Ted King may be retired from WorldTour racing, but he isn’t slowing down. King just chalked up his second Dirty Kanza 200 gravel race title and is enjoying every minute of his “retired” pro status. SRAM PR Manager, Michael Zellmann, spoke to Ted at SRAM’s Chicago headquarters earlier in the year to learn more about Ted’s journey to this point and find out where this charismatic racer is headed next.

Is Grinduro’s race festival format setting a trend for the growing gravel race scene? Find out the answer to this question and experience Grinduro California in our latest SRAMcast episode. We take you there with music from the event and share interviews with Grinduro Planning Squad Captain, Dain Zaffke; two-time men’s pro class champ, Duncan Riffle; and framebuilders Adeline O’moreau (Mercredi Bikes), and Brad Hodges (W.H. Bradford Designs). Pro racers Ted King and Emily Kachorek also make cameos on the show.

In this episode we'll explore hydraulic disc brake technology and how its evolution, and recent introduction to road, have impacted riders, their bikes, and racing. The controversy around the advantages and safety of disc brakes has subsided and, with experience, professional and amateur riders are figuring out what mountain bikers have known for years: hydraulic disc brakes are a serious upgrade in speed management.

The story behind SRAM Red eTap

SRAM 1x (pronounced “one-by”) has its roots in mountain bikes, where it has redefined function, simplicity and chain security. Less is more! And now 1x can be found on the road with SRAM Apex 1, SRAM Rival 1, and SRAM Force 1. Learn more about the function and benefits of 1x as SRAM MTB Drivetrain Product Manager Chris Hilton discusses why 1x is better.

SRAM 1x (pronounced “one-by”) has expanded into road riding where it has redefined function, simplicity and chain security. 1x can now be found on the road with SRAM Apex 1, SRAM Rival 1, and SRAM Force 1. Learn more about 1x as SRAM Road Product Manager JP McCarthy walks us through the evolution, features, and benefits for road.