The Paceline Cycling Podcast

Cycling can be a political act. We're not talking defiance or protest or oppression, just the simple reality that riding a bike on the road means sharing space with other individuals doing things other than cycling. John considers the implications. Patrick checks in with regard to his effort to learn to mountain bike with flat […]

This week John takes on how there can be a delta between what we feel a bike is doing and what it is actually doing. Patrick looks at ebike batteries and just how trustworthy they are today. Show links: NASTRO CUSCINO 2.5 Red – SILCASlime Tubeless Bicycle Tire Sealant

In every group of riders, there are a few roles that need to be filled. There's the planner, the diesel, the pin cushion and the one who's always late, plus a few others. Which one are you? Patrick has taken on a new role, educator with the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition and he talks about […]

Conformity. How important is it to fit in? John wonders what we gain through conformity and whether the effort results in sufficient reward. Patrick takes a look at a looming issue in mountain bike advocacy. Show links:Handlestash

This week John takes a look at just what we need when we head out for a ride. A helmet seems a given … usually … but what about that water bottle? Eyewear? Do you really need a cycling jersey? Patrick digs into part two of his piece on hacking flow, and suggests strategies that […]

Bike riding is fun, right? John considers how much of his fun has been Type 1 (fun right now) vs. Type 2 (fun in the retelling) and suggests that he will be better served by more of the former and less of the latter. Patrick discusses flow and the triggers that give rise to a […]

This week, John discusses what he's doing to take care of himself given the uncertainty in the world and the fact that his home is about to get a lot noisier. Patrick is just back from the Sea Otter Classic where he saw a great many cool new products, including some from our friends at […]

This week John takes a look at how we talk about the qualities we value in a bike. Patrick takes a look at a fresh stance one chapter of the Sierra Club has taken with regard to mountain biking. Show links:Surly BikesBanana Boat Sport Performance Sunscreen

This week, John poses a question: What bike have you spent the most miles or time on? Beneath that is the real question: Why? What made that bike so indispensable? Show links: Smith Payroll Helmet with AleckSmith Triad Helmet with Aleck

John considers goal setting and how that differs from a lifestyle, and just what is the cycling lifestyle? Patrick is investigating the rise of the ebike in the U.S. and how ebikes here differ from those in Europe and Asia. Show links:Clik Valve

John takes a hard look at motivation and the currency it offers our ambitions. Patrick considers the spring and ramping up mileage for the coming season. Show links:Shimano Ultegra Di2

John and Patrick look back at how they learned to ride and consider what they did differently in teaching their kids to ride. They didn't make all the same mistakes their parents did, but they also made a few new ones. Show links:The Specialized Hotwalk Balance Bike

John has been injured … for entirely too long. He's taken some time off the bike to recover and he's about to turn the pedals again and he has realized that's he's daydreaming about riding. That he's daydreaming isn't surprising, but what he dreams of may be. Patrick had a breakthrough with his teen son […]

Tariffs have been in the news a bunch of late. They have made a substantial impact on the bike biz in the last year. John takes a look at what that is already doing to the bike world. Patrick considers how a voluntary ride in cold, wet weather taught him something about how he loves. […]

This week John and Patrick take on the subject of how riding affects the lives of those around us. Do they support it? Do they resent it? How do we position cycling in our lives in order to make the case that everyone is better when we get out for a ride? Show links: Sealskinz […]

John takes a look at e-bike design and evolution and wonders where we are headed. Patrick takes a look at a new e-bike law in California as well as a class-action lawsuit against one e-bike maker. Show links:Spy Helm Tech SunglassesTopeak Smartgauge D2X

This week John takes a look at the cost of being a cyclist and compares it to the investment into a new vehicle or a jaunt to Paris. Patrick considers riding in winter and the benefits pedaling in cold weather confers. Show links: Pearl Izumi Men's Quest AmFib JacketPearl Izumi Women's Quest AmFib Jacket

This week is a tandem episode and my guest is Scott Holz, a senior program manager for Specialized. I met Scott back in the mid-aughts when he first joined Specialized as a fit instructor for their SBCU fitting school. Since that time, Scott's role has evolved quite a bit including stints overseeing the Body Geometry […]

Bikes lost—well, not so much lost, as ones we sold off or let slip from our grasp and which we, if given a magic time machine, we might not have parted our way with. Show links:Shimano Ultegra Di2Cyclocross on Max

It's a new year and that means it's time to think about what we're going to do differently. That's right resolutions! Or should we call them revolutions? Patrick and John take on their future selves. Show links:Bicycle: The HistoryTopeak Power Lever X

How are things on planet bike as 2024 comes to a close? John looks into his crystal ball at what 2025 may hold. Patrick tackles the subject of road tubeless and, believe it or not, he says he has a reliable solution. Show links:Gaiam Restore 36” Foam Roller Kit | Dick's Sporting GoodsCrank Bros. Cigar […]

This week we have an interview with Matt Fritzinger of the Blue-Tailed Skinks, a kids' mountain biking program in Sonoma County California. Matt was the founder of the NorCal League, which grew into the National Interscholastic Cycling Association. He has started a new program, for kids from five to 11. The Blue-Tailed Skinks are about […]

Christmas looms. You probably shouldn't listen to this and make your loved ones listen to it instead because we're here to give your people suggestions for what to do for you. But if you listen, our Paceline Picks have some suggestions for you. Show links: Sportful Fiandre Norain Pro BibshortsPearl Izumi Thermal Bib ShortsGiordana Retro […]

Thanksgiving may be thought of as the mother of all family meals, but it is a great time to stop and take stock. This week John and Patrick discuss what they have to be grateful for. Show links: Up the Road : Cycling's Modern Era from… book by Samuel AbtRick Rubin: The Creative Act

This week John takes on an acronym from the world of tech: TCO—Total Cost of Ownership. Patrick muses about what it says about us when we ride in yucky weather, and why we might choose to do it. Show links: Shak Beanie – IBEXShimano S-Phyre Wind Jersey

This week we're talking about all the fantastic, surprising and unexpected places the bike has taken us over the years. It might not be where you think. All that and pair of Paceline Picks, and that's today's show. Show Links:Chrome Cycling Gloves 2.0Topeak Tetrafender M2  

This week John talks crashing and differentiates it from falling. They are different things, he assures us. Patrick suggests that whether you're happy about the election or not, the bike is a balm we all need right now. Show links: Vans BMX Old Skool

This week John talks about how some shops are beginning to reimagine what it means to be a bike shop. Patrick takes on the question of why, after so many years devoted to road cycling, he began putting so much energy into mountain biking. Show links:Chris King Headsets

This week John considers his bad choices and whether they were really even choices. Patrick discusses his experience following a bunch of kids around at a local park as part of a program called the Blue Tailed Skinks. Show links:Walz CapsWelch's Fruit Snacks

This week John talks work, as in working in the bike biz. Patrick looks at how women hucked their way through the glass ceiling and into the Red Bull Rampage and rider Robin Goomes went home six figures to the good. Show links:Red Bull Rampage Women's EventGiordana Men's G-Shield Short Sleeve JerseyBikes Not Bombs Image: […]

This week John considers evolution and extinction as viewed through the lens of bikes and e-bikes. And he asks, “Will bikes survive?” Patrick discusses his experience at a retreat for NICA coaches. Show links: Shimano Deoere XT Trail Pedals

This week John examines Tadej Pogacar's win at the World Championship Road Race last weekend and tries not to ask the question any knowledgeable cyclist ends up asking. Patrick considers bike lights and how your speed and when you're riding influence just how bright a light you need. Listen on Spotify   Show links:Tadej Pogacar […]

John and Patrick begin the show by remembering Bob Parlee, the Boston-based frame builder of custom carbon fiber frames who passed away due to cancer. John then analyzes how because bike work takes longer now, he does less of it. Patrick considers how confidence can influence our riding and our lives. Show links: PFP-10 Home […]

This week we discuss the evolution of roadie culture in the wake of the blood doping era and the “invention” of gravel bikes. Then we talk about all the good things that come from taking part in trail days, before finishing off with Paceline Picks. Show links: King Cage ProductsShimano PRO Stealth Sport Saddle

John has been sessioning mountain bike skills with a friend and waxes, maybe not poetic, about the utility of slowing down, and breaking down a move until it is, as we say, on lock. On the heels of his segment about mountain bike suspension last week, Patrick considers the many technical changes the mountain bike […]

This week John considers a new purchase: a townie, a grocery-getter, errand-runner, gad-about, bike-of-all-trades. One wonders how his Vanmoof debacle will figure. Patrick talks about suspension travel and how much is right for you.     Show links: Shock Absorbing Shoe Insoles for Skateboarding & More – Old Bones TherapyWiley X WX Valor Eyewear

This week John looks at how consumers and shops will benefit if they—the dealers—begin carrying custom bike lines. Patrick takes on a question about bad fit. Show links:Men's Alpine Road Pant | Royal Robbins Smith Wildcat eyewear

This week John takes a look at leadership, particularly as it plays out in pro teams at grand tours. Patrick takes on a question about deep rims and whether they make sense for gravel riding. Show links:DEITY ::: 31.8mm Handlebars – DEITY | Premium Race GoodsTopeak Power Lever X

This week John talks about categories. What sorts of categories? Categories of mountain bikes. Patrick talks about pumping a mountain bike and how his own skillset evolved over the summer. Show links: PinkBike: How to Pump Your Bike, According to PhysicsDharco Tech Party ShirtNyquil

Our guest this week is Yvonne Kraus of Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance. As I've mentioned in some previous episodes, I've been spending a fair amount of time in the Seattle region and have been riding on some trail networks that have been built and/or maintained by the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance. What really got my […]

We have a rerun this week; Robot is in Wales. We have a new tandem episode coming soon. This week we have our first tandem episode in, well, forever. Last summer Skratch Labs released a new product, Superfuel, that is a high-calorie drink for endurance athletes. It's a drink mix built on a fundamentally different […]

This week the Paceline takes a moment to acknowledge the tragic death of Norwegian pro Andre Drege. John adjusts some of his prognostications regarding the Tour de France and Patrick takes on a question about tires and why people talk about them so much. Show links: Schwalbe Magic MaryMaxxis Dissector

With the Tour de France starting this coming Sunday, John takes a look at who the cast of characters will be and the nearly foregone conclusion of the outcome. Patrick takes on a listener question regarding e-bikes and Shimano's e-bike-specific drivetrain, Cues. Also, Patrick flubbed the number of gears for the three versions. He said […]

This week John talks about how bike shops are the lifeblood of cycling culture and how we need them to continue to exist. Patrick explains how not all motors in e-mountain bikes are created equal and, with all due apologies to George Orwell, some motors are more equal than other motors. Best of all, he […]

This week John and Patrick try something a little different. They each read a piece published here at The Cycling Independent and then discuss what went into writing them and their intent with the pieces. John read “A Useless Review: Park Blue Grease” and Patrick reads “What We Would Say.” Show links: PH-1.2 P-Handle Hex […]

Who do you ride with? Are you a solo artist or a social animal, and how does that evolve over time. Patrick tells us about a jour sans, and how he processes coming up short on race day now versus when he was younger. All that and a couple Paceline Picks for you. Show links: […]

This coming weekend is Unbound, arguably the biggest gravel event in the world and John decides to ask, “Have we hit peak gravel, yet?” Patrick goes on a rant about integrated components. Show links:Supple Bar Tape (wolftoothcomponents.com)

This week John takes a look at how the Giro d'Italia has become the Tadej Pogačar show. He talks about about suspension of disbelief and whether we've been here before. Patrick takes a look at the idea of what bike we “deserve” and considers words from former co-host Patria Vandermark. Show links: Netflix's Tour de […]

We talk about how the bike industry is upside down and what we expect to happen through the rest of 2024. Patrick tells us how to avoid buying the wrong e-bike, and we round it all out with a pair of Paceline Picks. Show links:Online Bike Shop for Cycling Gear & Accessories | Colorado CyclistPowerDot […]

John has a big running event coming this weekend. Well, he did. Patrick talks about goal-setting in cycling and beyond. Show links: The Last RiderCapo Cycling Padrone Aero Kit

Andy McGrath's book God Is Dead, The Rise and Fall of Frank Vandenbroucke, Cycling's Great Wasted Talent, chronicles the chaotic life and early death of one of the doping era's true superstars. Today we speak with the author about VDB, or “God” as he was known in Belgium, and why riders like him still capture […]