Podcasts about Sea Otter Classic

¿Estamos listos?Desemplovamos este podcast y les contamos que anduvimos en California en el Sea Otter Classic para la Carrera de Brompton.¿Se puede llegar al evento más grande de ciclismo más usando solo transporte público… y además competir en el Brompton World Championship California?En este video/podcast te llevamos durante toda nuestra aventura rumbo al Sea Otter Classic, planeando cada tramo del viaje para llegar en bici, tren y transporte público hasta la línea de salida del increíble Brompton World Championship California.Te contamos TODO:

This week, we continue our recap of Levi's GranFondo with this year's winner, Lauren Stephens, who checked in from the Tour of the Gila to talk about running her own team, the dismal state of road racing in the US, and her controversial use of race radios during the Sea Otter Classic last month. Then, Payson talks to Levi Leipheimer about why he decided to create Levi's GranFondo back in 2009, why putting on road races is so much more expensive in the US than it is in Europe, and what gravel events can and can't learn about race coverage from road events. Head to NordVPN.com/WithPace for an extra four months on their two-year plan.Instagram: @withpacepodcastYouTube: Payson McElveenEmail: howdy@withpace.cc

We break down the polarizing "big wheel" trend, compare ultra-premium Partington wheels to Hunt's high-value alternatives, and dive into the coolest gear from the Sea Otter Classic. This week, the podcast is all about Sea Otter and we've got a full house. Lisa Charlebois, Logan Jones-Wilkins, and I all spent time in California at the event, and we've got stories to tell. We kick things off by sharing what the vibe was like on the ground, especially for Jones-Wilkins, who was attending the show for the very first time. After that, we get into the big news: big wheels. Some of us are skeptical and some favor the potential efficiency, but either way, 32-inch wheels are the topic we had to cover. There is a lot to take in, but we focus on the Salsa Fargo, a 32-inch lugged carbon bike from Faction, and a Ventum mountain bike coming this summer. From there, we talk gravel bikes. This is Sea Otter, so gravel is the focus, and Logan dives deep on a few cool bikes, including the Look G85 and an aero-focused SEKA featuring integrated Fidlock bottles. Despite the dirt-heavy show, I try to keep it road-first whenever possible, and there were some notable road launches. Partington showed off a crazy expensive wheelset that is incredibly light for a 50mm depth and uses a continuous carbon spoke system. The real surprise, however, was Hunt. Hunt launched a wheelset that is thousands of dollars cheaper than the Partington offering, slightly deeper, and nearly as light. It wasn't only wheels, either. I saw a Tavelo aero bike with 40mm of tire clearance and a 650g frame weight that will likely cost half the price of its competition. The No. 22 3D-printed titanium bike definitely won't cost half of anything, but it was spectacular to see getting closer to production. It might even cost more than the lugged-carbon Colnago C72 that launched just before the show. Finally, we wrap it up with our favorite things from Sea Otter. Charlebois easily had the best answer, but jump into the comments on Velo and let us know what you thought was the coolest tech we reported on. 00:00 Intro: The Sea Otter Classic Experience 05:10 The 32-Inch Wheel Debate 19:30 Look G85 Gravel Bike 23:42 Wheel Tech: Partington vs. Hunt 27:56 Tavelo 650g Aero Road Frame 32:00 Sika Aero Gravel Bike 35:00 No. 22 3D-Printed Titanium Bike 37:20 Colnago C72 & Expensive Paint 40:14 The $25,000 Factor Bugatti Concept Bike 42:30 Our favorite things

A quick post-race interview with Michigan native and new Lifetime Grand Prix athlete, Kyan Olshove, after the first race in the Lifetime Grand Prix - the Sea Otter Classic.

It's the week after the Sea Otter Classic, and the geeks speak surprisingly little of the products shown there. Instead, Ronan and Dave cover new budget drivetrains from SRAM and Shimano. Dave is thinking about unsustainable warranty policies. And there's plenty more covered from the world of cycling tech.  As a reminder, members of Escape Collective also get access to Ask a Wrench (at the end of the free episode). This week, Zach Edwards joins Dave in answering a variety of questions from members. Happy geeking! Time stamps: 00:01:29 - Should you grease headset spacers? 00:05:39 - Lifetime warranties on wear items  00:16:14 - Sea Otter - lots of 32” wheels and the rise of Chinese brands 00:31:38: - SRAM S-Series, where 9 becomes 3 00:39:54 - Shimano CUES 2x11 overlapping with Tiagra 2x11 00:45:37 - UCI vs SRAM. The UCI will make everything safer with limit screws 00:56: 11 - Ronan's nipples are sore, but it's in the name of unlocking performance 1:00:00 - Ask a Wrench (member-only) 1:02:00 - How does new Campagnolo differ in installation?  1:15:00 - Tips for maintaining a full suspension MTB 1:26:00 - Sweat causing Shimano pedal failures? 

What's up party people. Check out this week's episode of the Bonk Bros.    Find us on the socials: Adam Saban - IG - @adamsaban6 Dylan Johnson - IG - @dylanjawnson Drew Dillman - IG - @raddaddizzle Scott McGill - IG - @scottmcgilljr Tyler Cloutier - IG - @tylerclouti   Dylan Johnson YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@DylanJohnsonCycling  Drew Dillman YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@DrewDillmanChannel    Wanna help the Bros keep the lights on and the mics plugged in? Check out all the ways you can support our bike-banter podcasting below. (See the most recent video upload for most up-to-date codes & deals)   PATREON: Drop a hundo in the tip jar. https://www.patreon.com/patreon_bonkbros    MERCH: T-SHIRTS ARE HERE! Get your Bonk Bros swag below. https://bb5a73-20.myshopify.com   IGNITION: Hire a coach. Get faster. It's that simple. $100.00 Off Your First Month with Code: NOBONK100 https://www.ignitioncoachco.com/   FOR UPDATED DISCOUNT CODES CHECK MY LATEST VIDEO.   SILCA: Waxing your chains or melting queso dip. Either way, you need a Crockpotanator 4000. 10% Code: bonkbrosapr Silca (10% discount code: “bonkbrosseptember25”): https://silca.cc/?utm_source=Bonk+Bros&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=stripchip&utm_id=Bonk+Bros+Podcast     BIKE TIRES DIRECT: Great prices for bicycle tires, components, and more. 10% Code: BONKBROS10 https://www.biketiresdirect.com/?utm_source=bonkbros&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=bonkbros2025     MATCHBOX PODCAST: Check out our more serious training focused podcast.  https://www.ignitioncoachco.com/podcast      SCARBOROUGH BICYCLE ACCIDENT LAW Scarborough Bicycle Accident Law is with you on every ride, when you're at your peak, or when you're in recovery, and we fight to get our clients results. We want you back on your bike and back in your prime. https://www.bicycleaccidentlaw.com   Just Mention Bonk Bros   LISTENER QUESTION FORM: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc2390aqaGwF7CCpFjAnKYn42bEzIi4BYrDI9LrJpgjjVFeew/viewform?usp=sf_link    NEW: BONK OR BALLIN WEBSITE www.bonkorballin.com    Join us for a lively discussion covering everything from race day strategies, tire choices, and bike setup, to humorous stories about haircuts and race mishaps. This episode is packed with insights from seasoned gravel racers, practical tips, and some hilarious banter. In this episode: The debate over tire selection for different rider weights and race conditions How tire choice impacts performance on varying terrain and elevation Strategies for bike setup, including computer configurations and optimal tire pressures Behind-the-scenes race stories, including crashes, train rules, and top performances Lightweight banter about haircuts, celebrity cyclists, and race-day grooming habits Insight into race course logistics, rules, and gravel racing culture.

Sea Otter Classic ha vuelto a ser un escaparate perfecto para todo tipo de prototipos en torno a las ruedas de 32''. Incluso, uno de esos 'protos' se impuso en formato 'mullet' (32 delante y 29 detrás) en la prueba de descenso del evento norteamericano. A nivel europeo, parece que la próxima edición de Eurobike 'toma aire' con la participación de marcas como Canyon o la propia Shimano, que hace algunas semanas había negado su presencia. En cualquier caso, la situación del evento alemán sigue siendo complicada. Hablando ya de material, nos metemos de lleno con importantes novedades como las nuevas Eagle S-Series de SRAM, que simplifican y facilitan la elección de transmisiones de acceso al MTB, los nuevos frenos Brembo GR-Pro para disciplinas 'gravity', o las dos últimas y potentes novedades de Specialized: la Turbo Levo 4 EVO y la espectacular Demo 11. La carretera y el gravel tampoco se han quedado 'huérfanos' en este episodio, pues analizamos las novedades en 2x11 de Shimano CUES para las bicicletas de ruedas finas, así como las nuevas opciones de platos y longitudes de biela que el fabricante japonés ha introducido en su familia GRX. Este episodio cuenta con el apoyo de Focus y su campaña "Beyond Numbers". Porque sí, las cifras importan —batería, potencia, recorrido— pero no lo son todo. Desde Focus nos recuerdan que el verdadero valor de una bici no está en la ficha técnica, sino en cómo se siente cuando ruedas con ella, cómo tracciona, cómo entra en curva, cómo responde en el sendero... Al final, hay cosas que no se pueden medir, solo experimentar. Así que ya sabéis, menos números… ¡y más montar en bici! Tenéis más información sobre “Beyond Numbers” en la web de Focus: https://www.focus-bikes.com/es_es/bikes/e-mountainbike Vídeo "Beyond Numbers": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z73_VM8HhCU Más referencias: Eurobike 2026: https://www.maillotmag.com/actualidad/vuelven-canyon-y-shimano-eurobike-2026-mantiene-el-tipo-con-nuevos-apoyos SRAM Eagle S-Series: https://www.mtbpro.es/actualidad/sram-simplifica-su-gama-de-acceso-con-las-nuevas-transmisiones-eagle-s-series Frenos Brembo GR-Pro: https://www.mtbpro.es/actualidad/los-frenos-de-brembo-para-mtb-ya-tienen-nombre-llegan-los-gr-pro Specialized Turbo Levo 4 EVO: https://www.mtbpro.es/actualidad/nueva-specialized-turbo-levo-4-evo-salto-al-eenduro-con-180170-mm-y-hasta-1120-wh Specialized Demo 11: https://www.mtbpro.es/actualidad/nueva-specialized-demo-11-con-transmision-highgear-sistema-obb-y-multiples-geometrias Shimano, nuevos componentes CUES y GRX: https://www.maillotmag.com/actualidad/shimano-presenta-nuevos-componentes-cues-2x11-para-carretera-y-mas-opciones-grx-en

We hosted a Second Nature meetup with everyone at the Sea Otter Classic, and pulled a handful of friends up to the microphone to have conversations about everything happening in the industry and in their world at large.  Jeremy Dunn, Braydon Bringhurst, Eric Porter, Tom Austen, Rachel Fussell, Steve Blick and Yuri Hauswald joined Aaron on the stage to chat through the lessons they've learned and the things that they're working hard to accomplish in 2026. A big thank you to Smith Optics for hosting the space for our community to meet up, and for all the brands who contributed to our "Sea Otter Survival Kit". Show Notes: Popfly For Brands: https://popf.ly/secondnaturebrands Popfly For Creators: https://popf.ly/secondnaturecreators Jeremy Dunn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyddunn/ Smith Optics: https://www.smithoptics.com Braydon Bringhurst: https://www.instagram.com/braydonbringhurst/ HardMTB League: https://www.hardmtbleague.com/ Eric Porter: https://www.instagram.com/portermtb PorterMTB on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/portermtb Tom Austen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomausten1/ Pelotan: https://usa.pelotan.cc/ Rachel Fussell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-m-fussell/ People For Bikes: https://www.peopleforbikes.org/ People For Bikes - Backyard Initiative: https://www.peopleforbikes.org/news/backyard-advocacy-toolkit Steve Blick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-blick/ Yuri Hauswald: https://www.instagram.com/yhauswald/ Yuri's Charity Ride: https://app.99pledges.com/fund/yurichasetherace/yuri-hauswald Join us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/second-nature-media  Meet us on Slack: https://www.launchpass.com/second-nature  Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secondnature.media  Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.secondnature.media  Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@secondnaturemedia

Whoa, what a week to be a cycling fan. And for the nerds among us, Roubaix rolling into Sea Otter is always great.This week Ronan, Alex, and Dave discuss some of the bigger tech finds and blunders of Roubaix and what they may spell for future products and trends. Many tangents are had. Ronan got to ride the new Colnago C72 and shares why he's always dreamed of owning a C-Series.Of course, the geeks also cover some tech news, and there's a PSA. It's a long one, but we think it's a good one! As usual, members of Escape Collective get Ask a Wrench (via the member-only podcast feeds). It's perhaps one not to miss for the chain waxers among us.Time stamps:  3:55 - New Shimano SLR pedals break cover 7:48 - MVDP not on that new Endurace 16:42 - 1x everywhere from Shimano and SRAM  25:30 - Tyres wider than first assumed?  29:00 - What's going on with all the punctures?  34;10 - Inflatable inserts from Odyssey Optis  41:30 - On your mind: The Roubaix-specific bike may still have its day again 49:15 - Roubaix's most intriguing tech picks (glue) 57:00 - Colnago's new C72  1:06:15 - Shimano finally adds crank options to GRX 1:07:15 - Dave's Tool Lust (Cushcore)  1:11:35 - Sea Otter Classic is here 1:12:15 - PSA: Be careful not to make a candle 1:17:30 - Ask a Wrench with Zach Edwards (Escape members only)  1:18:40 - Chain wax for ultra endurance applications  1:28:00 - Fixing a stuck brake hose olive  1:32:20 - Time XC pedal creak 1:39:55 - Why isn't Nitrogen used in tyres? 

The bike industry's annual family reunion, better known as the Sea Otter Classic happens this week at Laguna Seca Raceway near Monterey, Calif. We're posting a day early because Lori and Patrick will be on their feet all day, but before that, they take a look at some of the brands and people they plan […]

What if bikes could transform cities, create economies, and solve problems nobody thought they were for? We're joined today by Peter Abraham, one of the most connected strategic minds in the bike industry, just ahead of Sea Otter Classic. We cover a lot of ground: the state of the bike industry after a brutal few years, why e-bikes are reaching people the legacy brands never could, what London and Paris figured out about infrastructure that LA hasn't, and why Bentonville might be the most important proof of concept in outdoor sports right now. Plus: the $21 million Scotland Mountain Bike Innovation Center, the LA Olympics bike infrastructure push, and why the brands at Sea Otter with just a tent and a couple of bikes on stands are leaving a lot on the table. Show Notes: Popfly for Brands: https://www.popfly.com?growsurf_campaign=jpeg2o&grsf=x4d7gg Popfly for Creators: https://www.popfly.com/creators?growsurf_campaign=wovvt7&grsf=3jh7ss   Peter Abraham: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterabraham2/ Sea Otter Classic: https://www.seaotterclassic.com/ Bicycle Leadership Conference: https://www.bicycleleadershipconference.org/ People For Bikes: https://www.peopleforbikes.org/ Modern Elder Academy: https://www.meawisdom.com/ The Algorithm (Book): https://amzn.to/41ROQTg Rivian's e-Bike: https://ridealso.com/ Amsterdam, The Bike City: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKbRL6Opifg Abundance (Book): https://amzn.to/4caqpFt Why Can't We Build Bike Lanes?: https://peterabraham.medium.com/why-cant-we-build-bike-lanes-1115b713a5cf Festival Trail: https://www.festivaltrail.org Runway Group: https://runwaynwa.com/ Scotland's MTB Innovation Center: https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/thanks-to-a-21-million-investment-the-worlds-first-mtb-innovation-centre-is-breaking-ground-this-spring-in-scotland/ Atherton Bikes: https://www.athertonbikes.com/ BPC - Brand, Product, Content: Bicycle Diaries (Book): https://amzn.to/4e48iDA Barbarian Days (Book): https://amzn.to/4csxC4W Levrack: https://www.levrack.com Kitworks: https://alnk.to/hsyF2FO Join us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/second-nature-media Meet us on Slack: https://www.launchpass.com/second-nature Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secondnature.media Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.secondnature.media Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@secondnaturemedia

In this episode of ShiftLess, we're pulling back the curtain on the ultimate adventure cycling project: The USA Trail. Kevin and Brad just returned from completing the massive 4,100-mile scouting trip, verifying the final unpaved segments from Jacksonville Beach, Florida, to Del Mar, California. We discuss the logistics of a coast-to-coast gravel riding effort, the best seasonal windows for crossing the desert, and the "choice" camp spots along the rim.We also dive deep into the latest cycling tech and industry hype. With Sea Otter around the corner, we tackle the "spicy" topic of 32-inch wheels—is it the industry's next big life preserver or just a shiny new object? Plus, we review the stunning Atherton 3D-printed titanium cranks and compare them to the timeless reliability of White Industries.In this episode, we cover:The USA Trail: Verifying 4,100 miles of unpaved glory and the logistics for beta riders.Basepacking: Evolving the bikepacking experience with a mobile HQ/Van Life approach.Gear Talk: Why 2.2” tires are the bare minimum for the Bradshaw Trail and the reality of 32-inch bike viability.Cycling Culture: Keegan Swenson, Dylan Johnson, and the "corporate filter" of the Life Time Grand Prix.Nutrition & FAM: Brad's "Meat Cave," dry-aging cattle, and the upcoming Pie Ride in collaboration with Sweet Mother of Pies.Whether you're a hardcore gravel racer, a weekend mountain biking enthusiast, or an aspiring bikepacker, this episode is packed with the raw, unsanctioned truth of life on two wheels.Episode Links & Mentions:The Pie Ride: Join us for gravel, pies, and multi-course meals.FAM (Food Adventure Memories): Book your spot for the next culinary adventure.The USA Trail: Follow the development of the transcontinental unpaved route.This episode is most assuredly NOT sponsored by the Life Time Grand Prix or the UCI. We're off the back, off the record, and keeping it real.Adventure Cycling, Gravel Riding, Bikepacking, The USA Trail, 32-inch bikes, Keegan Swenson, Dylan Johnson, Gravel Racing, Mountain Biking Adventures, Basepacking, White Industries, Atherton Bikes, Tour de France, Spinistry, Sea Otter Classic.00:00 Cold Open Banter00:07 Podcast Intro Buzzwords01:24 AI Assistant Talk03:18 Tour Spoilers And Salami Prep05:29 Food Adventure Memories Plug08:06 Titanium Cranks Trend15:32 USA Trail Verified17:10 Route Timing And Weather23:58 Ideal Bike Setup 32 Inch26:13 Sea Otter And 32 Hype29:21 E Bikes And Camping Vibes37:36 Food Stops And Water Logistics48:12 Julian Pie Stop49:29 Ramona Burrito Gold52:03 Baby Mango Discovery54:00 Desert Scouting Challenges55:27 Railroad Crossing Detour01:00:17 Trail Quality Expectations01:02:24 Del Mar Finish Feast01:04:16 Flying And Bike Shipping01:07:36 Audiobooks On The Road01:09:52 Pie Ride And Fam Plans01:11:46 Dry Aging And Sausage01:22:52 Van Camping Comforts01:28:25 Trip Wins And Wrap Up

In this podcast Jon Westfall and I were joined by our long-time friend Steve Hughes, who returned to the show after a long period of heavy travel. I used the opening of the show to test a new Boya CM40 condenser microphone, comparing its sound quality to my MacBook's built-in mic, my 4K USB camera, and my AirPods. It is always fun to play with new toys.. I have become a massive fan of NotebookLM and the new notebooks feature within Google Gemini,. I recently fed hundreds of our podcast show notes and blog posts into a Gemini notebook to see how it handled the data. We discussed how this technology is becoming popular in academia as a tool for students to engage with material, though it poses a significant threat to the textbook industry by easily creating the same supplemental materials publishers charge for,. I've even been using it to build animated video presentations and conduct additional research, which are features included in the $20-a-month AI Pro subscription,. Our conversation turned toward the concept of "digital sovereignty," a movement in the European Union to reduce dependency on U.S. tech giants. We looked into the history of open-source office suites, from StarOffice to the current fragmentation of LibreOffice,. Interestingly, the EU is now looking toward "EuroOffice," a fork of OnlyOffice (which itself has roots in Latvian and Russian development) to replace Microsoft Office. Steve, Jon, and I debated whether this would be a cleaner transition than past attempts, especially as corporate customers grow increasingly annoyed with the "nickel and diming" of subscription services,. Jon and I revisited the "technology gap" we see in students who have grown up exclusively on Chromebooks. Many struggle with the basic concept of a file structure or how to actually download a file to a specific directory. My own daughter recently joked that Windows is for "old people," which signals a shift Microsoft should be wary of. However, Jon shared a positive note on the democratization of app development. He built a purpose-built fitness timer for his strength training in just 20 minutes using AI,. While this "one-two punch" of AI interviewing and coding is powerful, I cautioned against the "Microsoft Access problem"—the risk of non-programmers building mission-critical tools that lack documentation or error-checking,. On the hardware front, Jon shared his first impressions of the MCON controller, a slider-style mobile gaming device that features a built-in MagSafe stand. While the buttons are a bit small for some, its "pocketability" makes it a strong contender for travel,. Steve updated us on the Sea Otter Classic, essentially the "CES for bikes," highlighting new e-bike motors that are rejuvenating the industry,. We also touched on the EV market, specifically the Scout SUV and its move toward a range-extending motor. Steve even noted a great practical tip: using an EV as a reverse-load power source to keep a refrigerator running for up to two weeks during a blackout. Listen to the full podcast to hear Steve's story about meeting will.i.am at CES.

Send us a textIn episode #149 we chat with Kiwi gravel cyclist Cam Jones - the 2025 Unbound 200 Champ - about:Insights gathered from his winning performance at Unbound 200 race, including an incredible carbs/hour ratio, and how he achieved thatHow Unbound differs from races like LeadvilleHow he has trained to eat real food, as well as make his own drink mixes for efficiency and costAt 24 years old, Cameron Jones is a rising force in the world of endurance cycling. Hailing from Nelson, New Zealand, Cameron began his career in cross-country Olympic racing, building the engine and foundation that has been powering him through some of the toughest gravel and endurance races in the world in only his second season of racing in the US.We talked with Cameron about what some consider his breakout moment during a hard-fought win at Unbound, securing him a coveted spot in the Life Time Grand Prix for the remainder of the 2025 series.Connect with Cam:IG: www.instagram.com/camjonesnzMentioned:Trifecta Nutrition (save 50% your 1st order with code NR50): https://trifectanutrition.llbyf9.net/qnNk05Hunt for the Wild Card | Cam Jones at Sea Otter Classic, by Scott Sports: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp8Vb5WdNP4Hunt for the Wild Card | Unbound Winner Cameron Jones, by Scott Sports: https://youtu.be/Aw42G49yesc?si=y4e9JRpP6kYcxtxSRice Krispies Treats: https://amzn.to/4mUqzENNerds Gummy Clusters: https://amzn.to/4msL37GNew Zealand's SpeedOn-Performance Fuel: www.speedon.co.nzMaurten gels: https://amzn.to/4mza5Ss / Also available on The FeedNeversecond c30 Ice GelNew Zealand Black Currant Powder: https://amzn.to/41Jhh6cStudies to check out:https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-020-00354-9https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11036262/MORE NR New customers save 10% off all products on our website with the code NEWPOD10 If you would like to work with our practitioners, click here: https://nutritional-revolution.com/work-with-us/ Save 50% off your 1st Trifecta Nutrition order with code NR50: https://trifectanutrition.llbyf9.net/qnNk05 Save 20% on all supplements at our trusted online source: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/kchannell Join Nutritional Revolution's The Feed Club to get $20 off right away with an additional $20 Feed credit drop every 90 days.: https://thefeed.com/teams/nutritional-revolution If you're interested in sponsoring Nutritional Revolution Podcast, shoot us an email at nutritionalrev@gmail.com.

Beware: this episode of Velo Podcast is a packed one. Amstel Gold has to be one of the best races of the year, and this year was no exception. While everyone thought Tadej Pogačar was gone, he sat up and started to soft pedal. And instead of blowing it all up at the last climb, Amstel Gold ended up being decided in a three-person sprint. The first two names–Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel–are to be expected. But Mattias Skjelmose? He seemed surprised to even be there, much less that he won. In this latest episode of the Velo Podcast, we talk about Skjelmose winning Amstel Gold, Mischa Bredewold taking the win at Women's Amstel Gold. They also preview Liège-Bastogne-Liège and discuss Remco's 100-percent win record at The Old Lady; two starts, two victories! Can he do it again against the likes of Pidcock, Pogi, and Van der Poel? Levy is a believer, whereas Hoody has his money on a certain Slovenian. And in the tech world, Levy and Tech Editor Alvin Holbrook talk about the newly-released Factor Monza aero bike, his latest gravel bike in for test, and Silca's Tariff-Limited Electronic Pump. We told you it would be a packed one! Topics of discussion: ‘Terrible Cold' at Flèche Wallonne Reminds Peloton That Mother Nature Is Racing's Toughest Rival Pogačar and Vollering vs. the Pack: Can Anyone Stop Another Rout at Liège-Bastogne-Liège? Giant-Killer Mattias Skjelmose Stuns Pogačar and Evenepoel to Win Amstel Gold Race The Factor Monza Road Bike Promises Pro-Level Aero and Stiffness at a (More) Accessible Pricepoint This Week In Tech: Silca's Tariff-Limited Electronic Pump, Strava's Strike on Fake KOMs, and Smart Kids Bikes Cannondale Revives The SuperX Name for Its New Go-Fast Gravel Bike 5 Trends and Takeaways from the 2025 Sea Otter Classic

Recently, Andrew L'Esperance and Alexis Cartier kicked off their North American race season. At the Sea Otter Classic gravel race, L'Esperance finished 13th, making him the top Canadian at the first event in the Life Time Grand Prix series. Cartier had a tough race. “It was fun, but I didn't perform at all,” he says in this episode. “I kind of expected it, but I really got smashed.”The pair of riders will find themselves at many of the same races this season, including other Life Time events, such as Unbound, and gravel nationals in Water Valley, Alta. They are both racing as privateers, responsible for their own logistics, sponsorships, maintenance, on top of all the training and competing. Each one has a unique plan and set of goals for the season, which they discuss in this episode. L'Esperance is mixing gravel, mountain bike and even road racing. Cartier is blending his training and transportation: he's bikepacking to all six of the Life Time Grand Prix events.Also on the pod, Canadian Cycling Magazine editors Matthew Pioro and Matt Hansen, as well as feature writer Jake Williams, discuss recent races, such as the men's and women's Amstel Gold and De Brabantse Pijl. Pioro reports back from Sea Otter. He says he knows a bunch about the 32” wheels that seem to be coming to mountain bikes, but what is he actually able to reveal?

Welcome back to Geek Warning. It's been a big few weeks for the cycling world, with the Classics and the Sea Otter Classic sharing a weekend.Ronan Mc Laughlin and Dave Rome kick off the show chatting Roubaix tech, including some hacked derailleurs and questionable measurements. Then they chat about Colnago's latest race bike.Dave then jumps on with US tech editor Josh Weinberg to talk all things Sea Otter, including some of the bigger tech news. Plus, there's a beginner's guide to why many in the industry are seemingly obsessed with gearboxes in place of the old derailleur.All of those chats are based loosely on content already published on Escape Collective. So check out the Tech section of the website in order to see more on all of these things.The episode wraps with our usual Ask a Wrench segment with pro race mechanic Brad Copeland. As a reminder, you'll need to be a member of Escape Collective (go here) in order to access this popular segment of the podcast. Members can submit new questions here.Time stamps:1:30 - We told you so corner and Roubaix tyres6:40 - 13-speed shifting taken to 12 and what tells of SRAM road of the future17:30 - UCI is measuring things. Why?25:20 - Colnago's new V5RS33:30 - Sea Otter is a Classic39:00 - The rise of the gearbox47:30 - Upside-down suspension returns53:00 - Sea Otter big and small finds (Qvist, Continental, Vittoria, Abbey Bike Tools, Terravail, mini inflators, and much more)1:08:00 - Stromm's new aero road bike1:13:00 - Ask a Wrench (members only)1:17:00 - Upgrading bolts, where and where not1:26:00 - SRAM Transmission on a non-Boost bike1:35:00 - Wheels taking on water

Amanda and Bill chat about everything that happened at the Sea Otter Classic gravel race, round one of the Lifetime Grand Prix series. The episode also includes finish line interviews with Haley Batten, Tom Dumoulin, Stella Hobbs, Mason Mohn, Jade Rohde and Drew Dillman. Visit buycycle.com/groadio to start listing your items. For a limited time only, sellers can save 30% on the seller protection fee when they list their bikes on buycycle. Groadio is also sponsored by Hammerhead. Right now, our listeners can get a free Heart-Rate Monitor with the purchase of a Hammerhead Karoo. Visit hammerhead.io right now and use promo code GROADIO at checkout to get yours today. This is exclusive for our listeners, so don't forget to use promo code GROADIO! You'll get a free Heart-Rate Monitor with your purchase of a Karoo. Go to Hammerhead.io today, add both items to your cart, and use promo code GROADIO. You can follow Amanda on Twitter at @_amanda_panda_ and on Instagram at @amanda_panda_. Follow Bill at @CXHAIRS.  Subscribe to the CXHAIRS Bulletin at cxhairs.substack.com. Follow the show on Instagram at @groadio. Email the show at groadio@gmail.com. Groadio is part of the Wide Angle Podium network. Please consider becoming a member. Go to www.wideanglepodium.com/donate to learn more and contribute. If you join and support Groadio, screenshot your receipt and send it to groadio@gmail.com for a free pair of socks.      

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 […]

Episode 147 - The Rise and Demise of Kings    What up party people. Excuse my attire, I completely forgot to come back and record the intro earlier so you're getting me now in full kit because our producer needs this for editing pronto.    We're talking Paris Roubaix and DJ's take on whether or not Matty V should have stepped up his tire game even more, because you know, 32s… really? Then Scott tells us all about what went down at Redlands this past week, like crashes, crazy protests, and his DUB on the final day. And we also talk Sea Otter Classic and Keegan Swenson yet again showing his dominion over the Life Time Grand Prix, including a blowout finish no one was expecting.    Speaking of Sea Otter Classic, what a week for product drops including the long-awaited Race King 2.4s, now dubbed, well the DUBs of course. That's right, Conti just dropped a whole new mountain bike tire lineup, including the replacement Kings, the Dubnital. Make sure to check out all the latest product offerings from our friends over at BTD and type “bonkbros” into the promo code section for 10% off at checkout! (https://www.biketiresdirect.com/?utm_source=bonkbros&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=bonkbros2025)   We also got to spend some quality time with our boy Richard over at Silca on Friday with a little meet and greet and it's always fun to run into all the fans at these events so THANK YOU to everyone who came up to us at the show. Head over to Silca.cc today and use the code “Bonkbrosgravelseason” at checkout for an extra 10% off. (https://silca.cc/?utm_source=Bonk+Bros&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=stripchip&utm_id=Bonk+Bros+Podcast)   And last but not least, if you want to hop on one of the latest trends in endurance sports by testing the magic effects of ketone esthers, head over to KetoneAid today to pickup some Ketone heavy or Ketone light. Use the affiliate link in the show notes for free shipping. (https://ketoneaid.com/?utm_source=BonkBros)   If you have any questions or feedback for the show you can drop us a note at bonkbrospodcast@gmail.com or hit up the Bonk Bros instagram page (@bonkbros @dylanjawnson @adamsaban6 @tylerclouti @raddaddizzle @scottmcgilljr). Alright let's get this party started!   FOR UPDATED DISCOUNT CODES CHECK THE LATEST EPISODE: Silca (10% discount code: “Bonkbrosgravelseason”): https://silca.cc/?utm_source=Bonk+Bros&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=stripchip&utm_id=Bonk+Bros+Podcast   Bike Tires Direct (10% discount code: bonkbros): https://www.biketiresdirect.com/?utm_source=bonkbros&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=bonkbros2025   Dynamic Cyclist (10% discount code: BONKBROS): https://new.dynamiccyclist.com/a/43703/xkYViFV8     Patreon: http://patreon.com/patreon_bonkbros     For more Dylan Johnson content: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIf1xvRN8pzyd_VfLgj_dow   Listener Question Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1T37wGRLk6iYTCF6X_DQ9yfcaYtfAQceKpBJYR5W7DVA/edit?ts=642eb6d6   MERCH: T-SHIRTS ARE HERE! Get your Bonk Bros swag below. https://bb5a73-20.myshopify.com/    IGNITION: Hire a coach. Get faster. It's that simple. https://www.ignitioncoachco.com/   MATCHBOX PODCAST: Check out our more serious training focused podcast.  https://www.ignitioncoachco.com/podcast      The Following Was Generated Using AI And Should Not Be Held To The Higher Standards Of Sentient Beings - Riverside.   Summary In this conversation, the hosts delve into their recent racing experiences, discussing performance metrics, tire selection, and the impact of race day decisions. They share personal anecdotes about their race outcomes, the challenges faced during the events, and the controversies surrounding race regulations and safety protocols. The dialogue highlights the camaraderie and competitive spirit within the cycling community, as well as the frustrations with race officials and the complexities of race strategy. In this engaging conversation, the hosts delve into various aspects of competitive cycling, sharing personal anecdotes, discussing recent races, and exploring the dynamics of team competition. They reflect on the emotional highs and lows of racing, the ethics of waiting for competitors, and the impact of tire technology on performance. A unique culinary experience involving a dove adds a humorous touch, while the discussion on gravel racing hints at the evolving landscape of the sport. In this segment, the conversation revolves around recent cycling events, particularly focusing on the Masters and the Grand Prix. The hosts discuss Alexi's commitment to the GP, comparing his potential against Keegan's performance in various races. They analyze the competitiveness of the Grand Prix, the surprises in the top 10 results, and Dylan's performance expectations. The discussion also touches on the wild card spots for upcoming races, Stetna's strategy, and the impact of crashes during the events, particularly involving Payson and Cole. In this conversation, the hosts reflect on performance expectations in cycling, discuss an upcoming training camp, and delve into the latest tire technology and naming controversies in the cycling industry. They share personal insights, humorous banter, and critical thoughts on product marketing, all while maintaining a light-hearted tone.   Chapters 00:00 Race Reflections and Performance Insights 03:03 Tire Talk: The Impact on Performance 06:00 The Drama of Race Day: Crashes and Decisions 08:59 Protests and Controversies in Cycling 11:55 The Aftermath: Reinstatement and Reactions 27:52 Race Debacles and Personal Triumphs 30:06 Team Dynamics and Competitive Spirit 32:00 The Dove Story: A Unique Culinary Experience 33:00 Critique of Racing Strategies and Decisions 36:00 Reflections on Recent Races and Performances 39:01 The Ethics of Racing: Waiting for Competitors 41:59 Tire Technology and Its Impact on Performance 44:58 Future of Gravel Racing and World Tour Dynamics 45:49 The Masters and Cycling Highlights 47:00 Alexi's Commitment to the GP 48:51 Comparing Alexi and Keegan's Performance 49:41 Potential Outcomes for Leadville 51:19 Grand Prix Competitiveness 52:01 Top 10 Analysis and Surprises 53:20 Dylan's Performance and Expectations 55:06 Wild Card Spot Discussion 56:05 Stetna's Race Strategy 57:18 Crashes and Their Impact 01:00:07 Payson and Cole's Crashes 01:01:21 Simon Paloe's Race and Team Update 01:03:22 Performance Reflections and Expectations 01:06:12 Upcoming Training Camp Announcement 01:08:15 Discussion on New Tire Releases 01:21:30 Tire Naming Controversy and Market Trends

Reach out and touch us: shiftlesslive@gmail.comThis episode starts with some light-hearted banter over a poured glass of whiskey, discussing different varieties and their experiences with them. The conversation soon shifts to travel plans involving Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana, with special mentions of iconic film locations and local dining recommendations. The hosts then delve into their latest biking experiences, recounting various bike rides, tire setups, and the challenges faced with weather and gear. They reflect on their recent adventure to Johnson Branch State Park and their plans for future bike-packing trips. The episode wraps up with a light discussion on new pets and the nuances of ride preparations, making it an enriching listen for biking enthusiasts and adventure lovers alike.00:00 Introduction and Casual Banter00:56 Travel Plans and Destinations02:57 Weather and Cycling Challenges04:05 Cycling Adventures and Mishaps08:27 E-Bike Considerations and Future Plans09:24 Race Across Texas and Training14:19 Sea Otter Classic and Cycling Innovations29:20 Red River Riot Recap38:45 Facing the Quit Monster39:12 Mental Gymnastics and Bailouts40:06 The Pain Cave and Bailout Bracelets40:35 Motivation and Finishing the Ride41:18 Disappointments and Expectations42:19 The Importance of a Supportive Finish43:10 The Four R Environment44:32 Exploring Gravel Cycling Destinations47:44 Bike Packing Adventures50:46 Tire Swapping and Maintenance57:14 New Gadgets and Electric Pumps58:08 Bike Bags and Tools01:12:50 Dog Adventures and New Additions01:16:01 Scouting Trips and Future Plans

When you combine X Games gold medals, restaurant dreams, and a DIY teardrop trailer built in a garage with hand tools from Home Depot—you get Escapod. In this episode, Tyler Jorgenson sits down with Jen and Chris Hudak, the powerhouse couple behind Escapod Trailers, to unpack their rugged road to success. From competitive ski slopes to the rocky startup terrain of entrepreneurship, Jen and Chris share how their unique talents (and willingness to sleep in tight quarters with two kids and a dog) helped them build a cult-followed adventure brand.But don't be fooled—this isn't your average glamping origin story. We dive into their startup days launching in a mother-in-law's garage, the art of risk-taking, and what it's like to find product-market fit by accident while racing mountain bikes. They share the real behind-the-scenes of growing a business as a married couple, evolving past founder mode, and how they're scaling Escapod into a high-performance brand while keeping their marriage, sanity, and camping gear intact.As they gear up to launch their new mountain bike-specific trailer at the Sea Otter Classic, Jen and Chris reflect on the highs, the whack-a-mole challenges of founder life, and why sometimes your customers know better than you do. Plus, find out who their dream brand ambassador is (hint: think cliffs, cameras, and killer calves). Whether you're an adrenaline junkie, gearhead, or weekend warrior dreaming of a side hustle—this one's a wild ride.Key TakeawaysFrom X Games to Escapod: Jen's competitive drive and Chris's resourcefulness collided to create more than a company—it sparked an aspirational lifestyle brand for adventure seekers.Build it and They Will Ask Questions: Their original trailer wasn't built to sell—but became a business idea after it attracted attention on mountain biking trips. Early validation came not from pitches, but from pure curiosity.Grow Together or Bust: As co-founders and spouses, balancing roles (and diapers) while scaling a company meant scheduling intentional family time, leaning into their opposite skillsets, and letting go of ego to evolve the brand.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Escapod Trailers01:44 The Entrepreneurial Journey Begins03:20 From Garage to Business05:01 Identifying Market Gaps07:20 Defining Roles in the Partnership08:40 Realizing Business Potential11:00 Overcoming Challenges as Founders13:44 Unique Adventures with Escapod Trailers16:30 Dream Collaborations and Future Plans17:33 Innovations in Trailer Design19:22 Listening to Customer Feedback21:59 Balancing Business and Personal Life26:31 Future Aspirations and Bucket Lists

Welcome back to Geek Warning! The podcast that puts all the most interesting cycling tech and advice into one place.Before you tune in to the latest episode, it's worth noting that the geeks often record a few days before an episode drops. In any normal week that's no problem, but it's been far from a normal week. In this episode Ronan McLaughlin, Suvi Loponen, and Dave Rome chat about the impact of tariffs on the cycling industry - many of which have been put on hold in the time between recording and publishing. Still, some discussed themes are likely to become true.On a happier note it's the week of the Sea Otter Classic in California. Recent years have seen this event organically become the industry tradeshow for the North American market, and with that, you can bet there are always plenty of new things to see. The geeks discuss some of the bigger announcements leading into the event.Lastly, the episode wraps up with our Ask a Wrench segment featuring pro-race mechanic Brad Copeland. As a reminder, you'll need to be a member of Escape Collective (go here) in order to access this popular segment of the podcast. Members can submit new questions here.Time stamps:2:20 - Extra info corner and 40 mm road tyres5:00 - Tariff fears and a potential benefiting sector18:00 - A PSA for that bike used on an indoor trainer24:00 - Sea Otter Classic is here, and oh so much new tech25:00 - New Allied Able gravel bike26:30 - Niner ORE 9 RDO29:50 - Zwift's big updates37:20 - Wahoo's new head units and a Radar40:00 - Optis, an inflatable tyre insert42:10 - DT Swiss 350 DEG44:30 - Maxxis revamps entire gravel tyre range46:15 - Cadex joins the 3D printed saddle game48:10 - TPU Tube Sealant?!50:30 - OneUp updates its carbon bar and a short tangent54:10 - Fizik's entry into helmets57:00 - Ask a Wrench time (Member only)1:00:00 - Longevity of Campagnolo gear cables1:07:20 - Disc brake pad compounds1:14:00 - Burning off oils from disc rotors1:18:00 - Glitter and tyre sealants

Two of the biggest events in the bike industry are the Life Time Grand Prix and Sea Otter Classic, and today's guest is Sarah Stutman, who has played a big role in both of them. We dive into mass participation events, where growth is happening in the endurance event space, and what the future looks like for mountain biking, gravel racing and trail running. Show Notes: Sarah Stutman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahstutman/ Life Time Grand Prix: https://www.lifetimegrandprix.com/ Sea Otter Classic: https://www.seaotterclassic.com/ Payson on Second Nature: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUmQ6qA6Fo8 Bahram Akradi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bahramakradi/ Alabama Event: https://news.lifetime.life/2025-03-28-Life-Time-Announces-New-Mountain-Bike-and-Run-Event-Coldwater-Trail-in-Northeast-Alabama-on-Oct-24-25 Innovate Alabama: https://innovatealabama.org/ Gravity Logic: https://www.whistlergravitylogic.com/ Industry Connect: https://www.seaotterclassic.com/industry-connect/ Full Swing (Trailer): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC0npETF4PY   BPC - Brand, Product, Content: Melanzana: https://melanzana.com/ Final Boss Sour: https://finalbosssour.com/ The Lebronversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH0OetsEZ7A Join us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/second-nature-media Meet us on Slack: https://www.launchpass.com/second-nature Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secondnature.media Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.secondnature.media Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@secondnaturemedia

Love the show, hate the show? Send us a text message!“I'm not a 70-year-old woman on the trail, I'm a free spirit dancing with gravity.” - Henrietta Stern, mountain biking icon  

Photo by Kenny Hunter It's been a long time coming, this podcast featuring my good friend Martin Murray, who had spent a few weeks in the US for DIRTYFEST and the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey. We recorded this episode at Robbie Miranda's house in Huntington Beach while Robbie was hosting a BBQ, so expect a few guests chiming in with questions for Martin during the podcast. We delved into Martin's early days in the UK, including his 4th place finish at the Brighton World Championships in 1996 in the Junior category, which kickstarted his pro career alongside his brother Stephen. Martin shared insights from his time in the US, including his battle with Dylan Clayton for the UK Pro/Elite title, winning the 4x National Series, and landing a Dirt Magazine cover with Steve Peat, who he now works with at Peaty's. We also discussed some of the UK teams Martin and Stephen's family managed over the years, his time at 6th form college with Scott Beaumont, Martin's win at King of Dirt at the age of 13, trail riding, participation in Red Bull's Empire of Dirt, retirement from racing, and more about his current role at Peaty's. And, of course, we touched on how Martin's brother Stephen is doing these days since moving back to the UK after his injury almost 20 years ago, and more.

The Sea Otter Classic just wrapped up literally a few days ago, but clearly someone forgot to turn off the tap of new bikes and gear. Cervelo just announced a redesign of its ultra-popular Aspero gravel bike, and clearly put a lot of thought into what needed to change – and perhaps more importantly, what didn't. Colnago also just dropped a new gravel bike of its own, the G4X, and Giant finally revamped its Trinity TT bike – no more rim brakes! Dave and James also chat about the eight billion tubeless valve stems out on the market, our favorite mountain bike computer mounts, and some of the latest happenings on the industry side.Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/join to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.Timestamps:3:17 – Cervelo's ultra-popular Aspero gravel bike gets a careful redesign10:50 – Zwift has added a whole bunch of new features, and some of them sound pretty sweet15:15 – What's up with seemingly everyone having their own high-flow tubeless valves now?28:11 – Pick one! Our favorite mountain bike computer mounts38:54 – A dirty cassette can easily turn into a skipping chain43:22 – Colnago announces its new G4X gravel race bike58:54 – The last holdout of rim brakes in the pro peloton is no more59:30 – Enve Composites has been sold1:01:07 – What the heck is going on at Rapha?1:06:29 – More industry layoffs, this time at Cannondale

The Sea Otter Classic just wrapped up literally a few days ago, but clearly someone forgot to turn off the tap of new bikes and gear. Cervelo just announced a redesign of its ultra-popular Aspero gravel bike, and clearly put a lot of thought into what needed to change – and perhaps more importantly, what didn't. Colnago also just dropped a new gravel bike of its own, the G4X, and Giant finally revamped its Trinity TT bike – no more rim brakes! Dave and James also chat about the eight billion tubeless valve stems out on the market, our favorite mountain bike computer mounts, and some of the latest happenings on the industry side.Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/join to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.Timestamps:3:17 – Cervelo's ultra-popular Aspero gravel bike gets a careful redesign10:50 – Zwift has added a whole bunch of new features, and some of them sound pretty sweet15:15 – What's up with seemingly everyone having their own high-flow tubeless valves now?28:11 – Pick one! Our favorite mountain bike computer mounts38:54 – A dirty cassette can easily turn into a skipping chain43:22 – Colnago announces its new G4X gravel race bike58:54 – The last holdout of rim brakes in the pro peloton is no more59:30 – Enve Composites has been sold1:01:07 – What the heck is going on at Rapha?1:06:29 – More industry layoffs, this time at Cannondale

The Bikerumor team recaps their favorite products, experiences and happenings at the Sea Otter Classic 2024.  WANT MORE?  Find the Bikerumor Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, and through RSS, or wherever you listen to podcasts! Can't find it? Let us know which players you use so we can get them up to speed! And let us know who you want us to interview. Click here to send in your suggestions! Hit like, hit subscribe, and hit play. Then just get out and ride! FOLLOW BIKERUMOR Keep tabs on all the latest bikes, wheels, components, gear and tech on The World's Largest Cycling Tech Blog by following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. FOLLOW JORDAN Like us? Love us? Follow your host on social media @cxjordancx (Coaching //IG // Strava)

It is new bike day on the show. We went to the Sea Otter Classic, roamed the expo, in hopes of finding a bike – or bikes – that are Leadville worthy. We found four. One that spares no expense, one high value full suspension, one hard tail with a recent Leadville win, and one that promises not to break the bank. For sure there are other brands and models that would make a great choice for Leadville but this was fun exercise and one we hope can help you narrow the field as you search for that Kevins, Sugar Loaf, Columbine, Powerline eating machine. 

Today on THE ROCK FIGHT (an outdoor podcast that aims for the head) Justin & Colin break down some of the more notable headlines to come out of the outdoor industry and community over the past week.On today's slate:What is Justin doing this weekend? Volunteering and Dad'ing, apparently. (02:45)Per Gearjunkie, details have emerged from the Kona drama at the Sea Otter Classic. (07:37)The new report from Athletics Weekly of a campaign to include trail running in future Olympics games. (15:40)Per Footwear News REI exits house branded footwear and doubles down on running. (21:36)SGB reports on Puma's new compostable sneaker. (28:10)Head to www.rockfight.co and sign up for News From the Front, Rock Fight's weekly newsletter!Please follow and subscribe to THE ROCK FIGHT and give us a 5 star rating wherever you get your podcasts.Have a question or comment for a future mailbag episode? Send it to myrockfight@gmail.com or send a message on Instagram or Threads.Subscribe to Adventure Journal to get more Justin Housman in your life.Check out Long Weekend Coffee for the best cup of coffee for your next adventure. Be sure to enter promo code 'rock10' at checkout to receive 10% off of your first order. Thanks for listening! THE ROCK FIGHT is a production of Rock Fight, LLC.

I interview Jan Van Smirren, who used to train for Ironmans and swimming the English Channel by recording his heart rate by hand and writing each reading into a spreadsheet! I also cover the news - T100 Singapore, Sea Otter Classic, and more. Then we have a great edition of The Training Log where we cover... - HR with swimming is a game changer! - Green smoothies were causing cavities even though they are super healthy. - Ezekiel bread and cereal is really healthy, just don't read the rest of the scripture about how to cook it and serve it. - Figured out a better way to run with River. - Turning run problems into solutions. #Zen - Making a green smoothie live. Blueberries, kale, banana, and carrots in a Vitamix. With helpful tips! - Using colored zip ties to identify charging cables faster. - Upsides and downsides of Form Swim goggles hardware and software design. - 2025 Landcruiser and 4Runner thoughts about 4wd and how we use it in endurance sports. - Swimming by HR makes you euphoric and confident! - How serotonin works. - The Zen trap of "I've got it all figured out." - Form should make sports glasses and here's how. - How to make scrambled eggs in a coffee mug in the microwave. - You can get an education by listening to podcasts or audiobooks while in Zone 2. - How low cadence actually trains both slow and fast twitch muscles at the same time. - What you need to do is what you need to do most. - Measuring oxygen use to analyze efficiency. - Listen to Fast Talk Podcast about cadence. - Bike ride doing lower cadence. Faster, more relaxed! - Riding more often with white blinky light on the front for safety at sunset. - Feeding the donkey, River's peeing on my bike tires? - Bigger gearing as a training method. - Dunk in the pool. - Make yourself more aero by putting your phone in the center back pocket and it will pull a loose jersey more tighter. - I was really powerful at hill climbing because I used to train on a singlespeed. - I even rode the MS150 on a 1985 single speed Kuwahara road bike. (My brother's from high school) - How standing and pedaling over the tops of hills makes you faster and keeps your crotch from going numb. - Don't do a FTP test uphill or indoors and then try to use those numbers for your FTP in an outdoor race. - Swimming by HR turns major yardage into a calm meditation session. So nice! - Psychological birth control. - 9 mile run in zone 2! - What I did with the MS 150 VIP pass.

In this episode of Geek Warning, James is just back from the Sea Otter Classic and Dave is still thinking about chain lube and tools.On the Sea Otter front, James and Dave discuss new eco-friendlier tyres from Vittoria, new metal bikes from Ritchey and Digit, parts from 5Dev and Xpedo, along with new tools from PrestaCycle and Stan's NoTubes. Check out James' Sea Otter Classic galleries for visuals of what was discussed (and so so so much more).The conversation then turns to larger questions around Stages Cycling and Kona who were both missing-in-action at America's largest trade show and cycling event.On Dave's mind is a better way to apply chain lube following a recent video from Josh Poertner of Silca. Our PSA is less of a public service announcement and more a basic guide into figuring out where noises may be coming from in order to silence them. And then the geeks bring back the Pick One segment to discuss floor pumps.The episode finishes up with a new crank-related recall from FSA.All this and more in this week's episode of Geek Warning – a podcast created for and funded by the members of Escape Collective.Time stamps:3:00 - Sea Otter highlights, including things from Vittoria, Ritchey, Digit, PrestaCycle, 5Dev, Xpedo, and more.26:00 - Unknowns ahead for Stages Cycling and Kona Bikes36:00 - Circling back to the HighBar helmet strap as seen at Sea Otter39:20 - A better way to apply chain lube?45:15 - Chasing down those noises52:40 - Picking one floor pump1:02:30 - An explainer on Time's revamped pedal range1:06:00 - FSA recalls some its AGX+ gravel cranks

In this episode of Geek Warning, James is just back from the Sea Otter Classic and Dave is still thinking about chain lube and tools.On the Sea Otter front, James and Dave discuss new eco-friendlier tyres from Vittoria, new metal bikes from Ritchey and Digit, parts from 5Dev and Xpedo, along with new tools from PrestaCycle and Stan's NoTubes. Check out James' Sea Otter Classic galleries for visuals of what was discussed (and so so so much more).The conversation then turns to larger questions around Stages Cycling and Kona who were both missing-in-action at America's largest trade show and cycling event.On Dave's mind is a better way to apply chain lube following a recent video from Josh Poertner of Silca. Our PSA is less of a public service announcement and more a basic guide into figuring out where noises may be coming from in order to silence them. And then the geeks bring back the Pick One segment to discuss floor pumps.The episode finishes up with a new crank-related recall from FSA.All this and more in this week's episode of Geek Warning – a podcast created for and funded by the members of Escape Collective.Time stamps:3:00 - Sea Otter highlights, including things from Vittoria, Ritchey, Digit, PrestaCycle, 5Dev, Xpedo, and more.26:00 - Unknowns ahead for Stages Cycling and Kona Bikes36:00 - Circling back to the HighBar helmet strap as seen at Sea Otter39:20 - A better way to apply chain lube?45:15 - Chasing down those noises52:40 - Picking one floor pump1:02:30 - An explainer on Time's revamped pedal range1:06:00 - FSA recalls some its AGX+ gravel cranks

On today's podcast, Tech Editor Jason Schroeder brings you a pulse check on the state of our beloved mountain bike industry. Last week, during the Sea Otter Classic, he chatted with some industry folks from Santa Cruz Bicycles, Maxxis Tires, Feedback Sports, Transition Bicycles, Industry Nine, Orbea, FSA Components, Trek Bicycles, Hunt Wheels, and Privateer Bikes. And asked one simple question: now that we are a few years past the COVID bike boom, what is the state of the industry? Are things good? Are they bad? And where do you see things going in the next 12-24 months? Here is what people had to say.  :43 - Maxxis Tires 5:57 - Santa Cruz Bicycles8:21 - Trek Bicycles9:52 - Hunt Wheels17:00 Transition Bikes21:27 - Feedback Sports24:32 - FSA26:52 - Industry Nine32:11 - Orbea BikesMore Sea Otter content: https://www.vitalmtb.com/tags/sea_otter_classic_eventMore MTB news: https://www.vitalmtb.com/

Second Nature is a weekly podcast about the business of outdoor, action, and endurance sports, hosted by Dylan Bowman and Aaron Lutze.   In this week's episode, we talk about the Sea Otter classic, the massive bike race and tradeshow in Monterrey, CA. Aaron was there and shared some of his takeaways. Then we talk about some news out of Portland, OR including Nike's hybrid work model, layoffs, a new $125 million investment in a footwear and apparel manufacturing center, and some jobs data from the big performance brands. As usual, we finish with Brand, Product, Content (BPC).   Links: Sea Otter Classic Nike Hybrid Work Model Portland Manufacturing Investment Performance Jobs Data New Helmet Safety Technology Samaya Equipment Freetrail's Canyons Race Coverage Super Maker SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

On this episode of the Roller Door, Santa Cruz Bicycles Director of Product Josh Kissner regales Garen and Hannah with stories of yesteryear, like why we have build kits named D, R, and S. We also talk through some of the nuances of bicycle geometry, like how we measure and display seat tube angle, and why this matters to the rider. This is another rambling conversation, and I always learn something when chatting with Josh. We close this episode by cracking open the ol' mailbag for some information on shock stroke, Santa Cruz's new bossman, Ochain's and more. Quick note: it was great to see some of our listeners IRL out at the Sea Otter Classic. Thanks for saying hello. It's wonderful to hear that people are enjoying the Roller Door- and remember, our email is podcast@santacruzbicycles.com-- drop a line if you have questions, ideas, whatever. And if you enjoy it, please subscribe. We hope you enjoy, GB

The Life Time Grand Prix has officially kicked off for the 2024 season, and this week we are bringing you the show live from The Sea Otter Classic Fuego XL. Tune in to get all of the pre- and post race highlights live from the Laguna Seca Raceway in the heart of the action, including Janelle Spilker's perspective of watching the women's race unfold from the helicopter and interviews with Hannah Otto, Michelle Duffy, Alexis Skarda, and Sofia Gomez Villafane - and more!Register for the Feisty Summer STRONG Course: https://www.womensperformance.com/strong Follow us on Instagram:@girlsgonegravel @feisty_media Girls Gone Gravel Website:https://www.girlsgonegravel.com/ Feisty Media Website:https://livefeisty.com/ Support our Partners:TransRockies Gravel Royale: Ante up and use code GGG24GR$100 to save $100 off race entry Buycycle: save up to $100 on your purchase by entering code GIRLSGONEGRAVEL at buycycle.com Precision Fuel & Hydration: Use this link to get 15% off your first order https://visit.pfandh.com/girlsgonegravel

Join Vital Tech Editor Jason Schroeder as he wanders the sea of vendor tents at the 2024 Sea Otter Classic. From new products to athlete check-ins to Pro dual slalom practice, get a taste of what it's like to have boots on the ground at the event. :35 - Derek Teel of Dialed Health 4:03 - Nik Nestoroff chats slalom finals prep and Maven brakes 6:11 - 2024 news with Industry Nine 8:43 - New forks from SR Suntour 14:43 - John Hall from Intense Cycles 28:39 - Intense's gearbox downhill bike 40:33 - Transition Bikes 49:06 - Checking in with Marco Osborne 52:47 - Norco Sight and Optic link + 60-Year Anniversary 55:54 - Dual Slalom Finals

Join Vital Tech Editor Jason Schroeder as he wanders the sea of vendor tents at the 2024 Sea Otter Classic. From new products to athlete check-ins to Pro dual slalom practice, get a taste of what it's like to have boots on the ground at the event. 1:28 - Checking in with Brandon Turman5:15 - Crankbrothers SOS Tools8:32 - B Zone loamers and Fort William predictions with George Browne14:14 - Mondraker on moving to the U.S.21:18 - Dillon Lemarr chats working at TLD and Fort William predictions34:31 - Kiran MacKinnon from Santa Cruz Bicycles chats suspension tuning and bike development

Join Vital Tech Editor Jason Schroeder as he wanders the sea of vendor tents at the 2024 Sea Otter Classic. From new products to athlete check-ins to Pro dual slalom practice, get a taste of what it's like to have boots on the ground at the event. :53 - Tannus Inserts new Fusion 3:08 - Ride Wrap5:41 - DEITY Components - new grip and two new pedals (coming in June)12:45 - Dakotah Norton - Slalom update14:40 - Ari Bikes - custom slalom bike for Kyle Strait; updates on the new DH bike17:45 - New Hunt Wheels coming this summer…21:09 - Privateer Bikes now being sold in the US23:48 - Interview with Braydon BringhurstMore Sea Otter content:Day 2 Photo Gallery #1 - https://www.vitalmtb.com/pit-bits-sea-otter-2024-day-2Day 2 You Tube Video - https://www.vitalmtb.com/videos/features/sea-otter-classic-2024-crazy-and-cool-day-2-slalom-practice-rawvitalmtb.com

Join Vital Tech Editor, Jason Schroeder, as he wanders the sea of vendor tents at the 2024 Sea Otter Classic. From new products to athlete check-ins to Pro dual slalom practice, get a taste of what it's like to have boots on the ground at the event. Day 1 Photo Gallery #1 - https://www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/pit-bits-sea-otter-2024-day-1/pit-bits-sea-otter-2024-day-1Day 1 Photo Gallery #2 - https://www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/pit-bits-sea-otter-2024-day-1-part-2/pit-bits-sea-otter-2024-day-1-part-2Day 1 You Tube Video - https://www.vitalmtb.com/videos/features/sea-otter-classic-2024-crazy-and-cool-day-1

Episode 95 - Sea Otter Classic Preview and Such What up party people. The recording was a little disjointed with half the crew traveling to Sea Otter and I was scrambling to make it home from a whirlwind of a few days of engineering work up in Minneapolis so excuse any interruptions as a result. So yeah, we're talking Sea Otter and such.  If you have any questions or feedback for the show you can drop us a note at bonkbrospodcast@gmail.com or you can holla at ya boys on the Bonk Bros insta (@bonkbros @dylanjawnson @adamsaban6 @tylerclouti @raddaddizzle @scottmcgilljr). Alright let's get this pod started already. Patreon: http://patreon.com/patreon_bonkbros   Silca (discount code: crockpotanator4000): https://silca.cc/?utm_source=Bonk+Bros&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=stripchip&utm_id=Bonk+Bros+Podcast For more Dylan Johnson content: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIf1xvRN8pzyd_VfLgj_dow Intro/ Outro music by AlexGrohl on Pixabay.com: https://pixabay.com/music/id-111445/  Listener Question Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1T37wGRLk6iYTCF6X_DQ9yfcaYtfAQceKpBJYR5W7DVA/edit?ts=642eb6d6   The Following Was Generated Using AI And Should Not Be Held To The Higher Standards Of Sentient Beings - Riverside.fm Summary In this conversation, the hosts discuss various topics including recording logistics, cooling mechanisms in cycling, the NCL and Denver Disruptors, the Live Golf league, American success in cross-country mountain biking, and the use of bad words in the podcast. They also touch on the idea of loft and its opposite. The conversation covers various topics including the NCL (National Crit League) drama, the use of water cooling in races, and the potential benefits of dumping water on oneself during hot races. The hosts also discuss the idea of bringing as much water as possible to dump on the body during a hot race like Unbound. They touch on the concept of the NCL being similar to the Lifetime Grand Prix and the challenges faced by NCL riders now that the league has shut down. The conversation concludes with a lighthearted discussion about golf and the rules and attire associated with the sport. Scott discusses his recent charity ride and the Redlands race. The conversation then shifts to the performance of the Legion team and Scott's upcoming races. They also talk about the Amstel Gold race and the use of AI in training advice. The conversation covers various topics including legal issues, bike races, fantasy leagues, and gambling. The hosts discuss the Sea Otter Classic and make predictions for the race. They also talk about roadies vs. mountain bikers and the challenges of different courses. The conversation ends with a discussion about the hosts' personal experiences with racing and their picks for the race. The conversation revolves around the upcoming Sea Otter Classic mountain bike race and the decision to recon the start. The hosts discuss the course layout, potential bottlenecks, and the challenges of the race. They also speculate on their own performance and make predictions for their finishing positions. The conversation then shifts to the topic of rider safety at races and the differences between mountain bike and gravel races. They discuss the treacherous nature of some courses and the need for event organizers to prioritize safety. The hosts also touch on the topic of bike sponsorship and the decision to ride a mountain bike or a gravel bike for certain races. The conversation concludes with plans for future races and the logistics of attending them.   Takeaways Recording logistics can be challenging, especially when multiple hosts are in different locations. Different cooling mechanisms in cycling, such as ice socks and dumping water, have different effects on core temperature. The NCL and Denver Disruptors are discussed, highlighting the participation of the team in other races. The Live Golf league is mentioned as a unique and controversial approach to golf. American riders had a successful weekend in cross-country mountain biking, with multiple podium finishes. The use of bad words in the podcast is acknowledged, and the hosts joke about the impact on listeners, including children. The concept of loft and its opposite are briefly mentioned. The NCL drama highlights the challenges faced by new cycling leagues and the difficulties in sustaining them. Dumping water on oneself during hot races can provide a significant boost in power output. The use of water cooling in races may have limitations and can potentially affect the body's natural cooling mechanisms. The conversation showcases the camaraderie and banter between the hosts, making for an entertaining and engaging discussion. The hosts also touch on the rules and attire associated with golf, providing a lighthearted and humorous end to the conversation. Scott had a successful charity ride and dominated the Redlands race. The Legion team's performance has declined compared to previous seasons. The Amstel Gold race was challenging and had a low finish rate due to the cold weather. AI is being used to provide training advice based on analyzing YouTube videos. Legal issues can arise in various situations, and having a legal team is important for protection. Predicting race outcomes can be challenging, especially when considering different types of riders and courses. Fantasy leagues can add excitement and engagement to sports events, but it's important to set boundaries and not bet real money. Personal experiences and preferences can influence race predictions and choices. The Sea Otter Classic is a popular bike race event that attracts both roadies and mountain bikers. Reconnaissance of the race course is important to familiarize oneself with the start and potential bottlenecks. Rider safety should be a priority for event organizers, especially in races with treacherous terrain. The decision to ride a mountain bike or a gravel bike depends on the course and personal preference. Bike sponsorship can involve multiple sponsors for different types of races. Planning and logistics are crucial for attending races and coordinating with teammates.   Sound Bites "Dumping water in yourself you're artificially inducing evaporative cooling." "The Denver Disruptors were part of the NCL, like they were owned by the NCL." "The Live Golf league is kind of the live golf of the golf world." "Dumping water on myself, it's like an instant 30 watt boost." "To get out of them paying the million dollar prize, they just canceled the fourth race." "Imagine if the NFL had two or maybe three teams and three, maybe four games." "It was an absolute domination." "We won four out of five stages." "They still have good riders, but they..." "It's why we got a legal team, bro. It's all good." "I mean, that's probably the main thing, dude. I feel like Scott could have easily got caught out there." "Like yeah, it was him and Wild Van Art and it was so close. It took like so long." "I'll probably just save it for race day and just wing it. Worked for me last year." "There's just not a great solution to have it not be a bottleneck at the start of the race." "I don't think he's breaking the top 35, personally."

The 2024 Sea Otter Classic hasn't even kicked off yet, but the Geek Warning crew has already got a ton of new bikes and gear to talk about this week. All-road/endurance road bikes are clearly enjoying a moment in the sun with the launch of the new BMC Roadmachine and Enve Fray, and Liv has another fresh full-suspension mountain bike landing in shops. Fox has also completely revamped its range of suspension forks for MY2025, Dave and James chat about why they're big fans of Project321's third-generation hubs, and James makes a desperate plea for folks to properly wash their water bottles – because mold isn't an energy drink. Also: more product news from Chris King, Fizik, Castelli, and a neat little photo stick (you know, for the ‘gram).Timestamps:2:42 - BMC's new RoadMachine gets more endurance'y5:43 – Another endurance/all-road bike, but this time from Enve11:52 – Another new bike from Liv that's yet to be released by Giant15:20 – Fox revamps its entire premium fork line-up for 2025 25:00 – New hubs from Project 321 are on our mind36:05 – a PSA related to drinking germs40:25 – Chris King expands its range of internal headsets (which will fit many existing bikes)41:45 - Velcro remains Fizik's lightest option43:20 – New Castelli Gabba for soggy days44:30 – The most niche of products: a bike photo stick

The 2024 Sea Otter Classic hasn't even kicked off yet, but the Geek Warning crew has already got a ton of new bikes and gear to talk about this week. All-road/endurance road bikes are clearly enjoying a moment in the sun with the launch of the new BMC Roadmachine and Enve Fray, and Liv has another fresh full-suspension mountain bike landing in shops. Fox has also completely revamped its range of suspension forks for MY2025, Dave and James chat about why they're big fans of Project321's third-generation hubs, and James makes a desperate plea for folks to properly wash their water bottles – because mold isn't an energy drink. Also: more product news from Chris King, Fizik, Castelli, and a neat little photo stick (you know, for the ‘gram).Timestamps:2:42 - BMC's new RoadMachine gets more endurance'y5:43 – Another endurance/all-road bike, but this time from Enve11:52 – Another new bike from Liv that's yet to be released by Giant15:20 – Fox revamps its entire premium fork line-up for 2025 25:00 – New hubs from Project 321 are on our mind36:05 – a PSA related to drinking germs40:25 – Chris King expands its range of internal headsets (which will fit many existing bikes)41:45 - Velcro remains Fizik's lightest option43:20 – New Castelli Gabba for soggy days44:30 – The most niche of products: a bike photo stick

In this episode, Craig Dalton interviews Andrew L'Esperance, a professional cyclist from Canada. Andrew shares his journey in the world of cycling, starting from his early days racing with his brothers to becoming a professional athlete. He discusses the challenges and opportunities he has encountered along the way and how he has managed to make a career out of his passion for cycling. Andrew also talks about his transition to gravel racing and the different strategies and equipment choices involved in this discipline. He shares his experiences in races like Unbound and Sea Otter Classic and provides insights into the world of professional cycling. Support the Podcast Join The Ridership  About the Guest(s): Andrew L'Esperance is a professional cyclist from Nova Scotia, Canada. He grew up in a family that spent a lot of time outdoors and started racing bikes at the age of 12. Andrew has been racing ever since, climbing the ladder and participating in various disciplines such as road cycling, cyclocross, and mountain biking. He holds a degree in mechanical engineering and has always had ambitions to be a full-time athlete. Andrew has raced for Norco Bicycles and is currently racing for Maxxis Factory Racing. He has also ventured into gravel racing and is excited about the opportunities it presents. Episode Summary: In this episode, Craig Dalton interviews Andrew L'Esperance, a professional cyclist from Canada. Andrew shares his journey in the world of cycling, starting from his early days racing with his brothers to becoming a professional athlete. He discusses the challenges and opportunities he has encountered along the way and how he has managed to make a career out of his passion for cycling. Andrew also talks about his transition to gravel racing and the different strategies and equipment choices involved in this discipline. He shares his experiences in races like Unbound and Sea Otter Classic and provides insights into the world of professional cycling. Key Takeaways: Andrew L'Esperance started racing bikes at a young age and has been racing ever since, participating in various disciplines such as road cycling, cyclocross, and mountain biking. He has always had ambitions to be a full-time athlete and has found ways to make it work alongside his engineering degree. Andrew's transition to gravel racing has opened up new opportunities and challenges, and he enjoys the adventure and technical aspects of this discipline. He emphasizes the importance of equipment choices in gravel racing, including tire selection and the use of suspension forks. Andrew's favorite gravel races include Unbound and Sea Otter Classic, where he enjoys the competitive atmosphere and the chance to showcase his skills. Notable Quotes: "I've always ridden a drop bar bike off-road. My first bikes were mountain bikes, and then I started doing cyclocross, which was my road bike, my winter bike, my cross bike. So, I've always had that mix of riding different disciplines on the same bike." - Andrew L'Esperance "I love the adventure of riding a bike, and it's a lot easier to find adventure on a gravel bike. In general, in the places that I spend the most time riding." - Andrew L'Esperance "If it's going to give you an advantage in the race, sometimes it will, sometimes it won't, and it needs to be at the right time in the race." - Andrew L'Esperance on using a suspension fork in gravel racing "Gravel racing is a combination of endurance, technical skill, and equipment choices. It's about finding the right balance and making the most of each race." - Andrew L'Esperance Transcription:   [TRANSCRIPT] [00:00:00] - (): Craig Dalton: Andrew, welcome to the show. Thanks. Thanks for having me, Craig. Yeah. I'm excited to have this conversation. I know you're, you're off to Europe tomorrow, so I appreciate you squeezing us in before you [00:00:13] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: go. Yeah. Thanks for you making it happen too. I think you were just on traveling as well. So thanks for making it work with your [00:00:20] - (): Craig Dalton: schedule. **** - (): Yeah, absolutely. We always like to start off by learning a little bit more about you. Where, where'd you grow up and how'd you originally find the bike? [00:00:28] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: Uh, I grew up on the east coast of Canada, uh, in the province of Nova Scotia, just outside the main city there, which is Halifax. Uh, and yeah, kind of grew up in a family that, you know, spent a lot of time outdoors and we rode bikes together as a family on vacations. **** - (): And I'm the youngest of four boys. In the family, so I have three older brothers, and as you can imagine, like, I just looked up to my brothers big time, and especially my oldest brother, and he did a bike race once, so it was basically like, oh, I've gotta do a bike race, and yeah, I just kind of did my first race when I was 12, and ran, what's that, and, um, I've been racing ever since, kind of climbing the ladder, doing some education in there. **** - (): Uh, but yeah, just been racing ever since and obviously like sprinkling some other sports in there early on. [00:01:27] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah, was Nova Scotia the type of area where youth cycling was easy to come by? I wouldn't say it [00:01:35] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: was easy to come by. Um, I think, I think I was, like, fairly self motivated, like, to make, to make it happen, and had some good support from my parents to make it happen. **** - (): Um, but there's definitely a tight knit community, and I think they certainly took me under their wing, for whatever reason. And, yeah, helped me, helped me Come up in the sport, but I guess the first race I did was a Tuesday night short track series. So from that perspective, certainly, um, that's like, that's a really great entry point for use. **** - (): To the sport. Um, when you say, um, when you say kind of youth programming, I kind of think about like a bike club or that sort of thing for like specifically for youth, because we see a lot of that around now. And there was certainly nothing like that. But that kind of forced me to kind of ride with the older, older people, uh, that were definitely better than me and that kind of helped pull me along in the sport early on for sure. [00:02:47] - (): Craig Dalton: Were you sort of racing consistently at that young age or did it take some time before you kind of really committed to a season? [00:02:55] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: Yeah, I mean, I think when I did my first race, I was still doing other sports. Like, so I was definitely not like full on right away. Um, but it was definitely a slow process to get into it. **** - (): Like the, it was more like regional racings first. I don't think I did any provincial level racing when I was 12. It was, it was, the racing I did was the short track series. It was like for, you know, eight or 10 weeks in the summer. And that was, that was the racing and it was, yeah. Like that was the season, uh, and then I just got more and more into it. **** - (): And next year I did provincial, provincial level races. Then probably when I was 15, um, I went outside the province to race. And by that point, it was kind of like doing every kind of racing that I could, uh, coming from a smaller province. You know, there's not, there's not a ton of racing, but, um, so you kind of need to do all the things. **** - (): So like do road, do cyclocross, do the mountain bike racing, do the group rides, all those things. Um, and yeah, that's how it, that's how I kind of started things off there. [00:04:12] - (): Craig Dalton: And at what point did you start to see professional cycling as a career opportunity? [00:04:19] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: Yeah, I don't, I don't know. To be honest, maybe, maybe I just have started to see it as a legitimate career opportunity in the last couple of years, you know, I, I have a degree in mechanical engineering. **** - (): It was sort of, um, that was always kind of the way I was going to make, And I never really saw bike racing as a way to make money, but I loved it and I could make it work. Um, and I, I do think I did have ambitions to somehow figure it out to be a full time athlete, whether, you know, putting that professional label on it. **** - (): Um, it's kind of, I feel like that's kind of different. Um, but yeah, I definitely wanted to be a full time athlete. It's a really, It's a really great lifestyle and just, I've just been chugging along trying to figure out how to make it work. And I would say in the last five years, um, Yeah, I figured that out and [00:05:27] - (): Craig Dalton: were you figuring that out from a, you know, what's known as a privateer perspective or five years ago, would you enter a team program? **** - (): Um, [00:05:36] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: yeah, not definitely not as a privateer. Uh, so previous, so I'm currently racing for Max's factory racing, uh, and this will be my third year on the team. And prior to that, I raced for Norco bicycles in various capacities for about 10 years. Uh, kind of finishing my career with them on the Norco factory team. **** - (): Those years, there was a period where there was, um, growth in the team and they went to another level. They stepped up to the world cup level and that meant reducing the team size. And that left me without sort of factory team support for a couple of years. Um, and at that time, um, you know, I wanted to keep racing. **** - (): So it was sort of like, okay, how do I do this? How do I keep doing this? And I created, or myself and a teammate created our own team called forward racing, brought in some other sponsors and kept the support from Norco. And so in a sense, that was sort of privateering, but it was also like, okay, I'm putting, we're putting in all this work to organize this sponsorship. **** - (): Hey, let's support another rider to, or, or a couple other riders, like bring them up with us. Um, so myself and my teammate brought on a younger athlete named Sean Fincham. And we supported him for two years. [00:07:10] - (): Craig Dalton: Uh, that sounds like the racing we've been talking about has been on the mountain bike side. And since the listeners of this podcast may not necessarily be as familiar with that part of the sport, can you describe the type of mountain bike racing that you found yourself competing [00:07:25] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: in? **** - (): Yeah, totally. Yeah, so XCO mountain biking, it's, it's what's in the Olympics. It's kind of the short 90 minute race, uh, done on a short course, you know, three to five kilometers. You do, you know, five to seven laps. It's intense, there's technical features, that's the kind of racing I grew up on, and that was sort of, yeah, that, that was the racing that was available when I was coming up in the sport. **** - (): And there's a pretty clear plan within Canada, you know, to do a national series, which is called the Canada Cup, and to perform at those races, and then you might get selected to do something with the national team, like an international race. You kind of just, uh, some opportunities open up that way. Um, and so, so that's, that's the kind of racing I grew up doing. **** - (): That's the kind of racing I did for the majority of my career. And yeah, until I signed with Max's factory racing, uh, three years ago. That was my main thing doing, you know, I did it to the level that I was racing World Cups full time [00:08:40] - (): Craig Dalton: Got it. And so was it [00:08:43] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: yeah, I mean, it's so funny like You know, we've always, ever since I can remember, I've ridden, ridden a drop bar bike off road. **** - (): I, my first, I, you know, my first bikes were mountain bikes. And then, you know, you're, you're doing mountain bike racing and you need to, you need to do some road riding. So that actually started for me with cyclocross. So my, my cyclocross bike was my road bike. It was my winter bike. It was my cross bike. **** - (): And obviously you're riding that off road. Um, yeah, there's where I grew up in Nova Scotia. There's just plenty of bike paths, like gravel bike paths and gravel roads to ride. So, yeah, I would say it started with that early on. Um, and I guess more recently, um, Just like training, like for training opportunities, a gravel bike was just a good tool. **** - (): Um, when I was training for XCO racing gravel bike, it just opens up the routes you can ride. You can ride on potentially safer routes. Uh, with less traffic and it's just a whole lot of fun. And I do, I like, I love the, the adventure of riding a bike and it, it's a lot easier to find adventure on a gravel bike, I feel, um, in general, in the places that I, you know, spend the most time running. **** - (): Gotcha. [00:10:21] - (): Craig Dalton: And was when you signed on with Maxis Factory Racing, was gravel racing an original part of the deal when they looked at you as an athlete? [00:10:32] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: Um, it was definitely, um, you know, the team has always been focused on the mountain bike side of things. But, uh, the Uh, yeah, the, the way the market, or like the way the racing is in North America, it's, it's more like this off road racing. **** - (): So it's not all mountain, a lot of the biggest races are no crawl races. So, yeah, I mean, that was definitely part of the conversation. Um, And it was certainly something I was very interested in. I actually, I think I've shared this on a podcast before, but, um, about three years prior to, uh, you know, stopping my Racing World Cups full time and signing with Maxis and doing the off road thing, um, I had an unbound, uh, like lottery, lottery registration Okay. **** - (): That I got. **** - (): I was never able to make it work with my schedule, and then the pandemic got mixed in there too. And I just never got to use it. Um, the year that I could have used it, um, was the year I signed with Maxis and we were going anyways. And Maxis was a sponsor of Unbound, so. You know, we had, we had entries that way, so I ended up giving it away, but, um, long story short, this, this kind of racing was on my radar for a while. **** - (): Um, I think I was just before we started recording here, I was telling you. Um, you know, this adventure, I got, my interest got, uh, shifted towards some of this adventure racing back in 2017 when I did the Croc Trophy. It's an eight day mountain bike stage race across, um, tropical North Queensland in Australia. **** - (): And, yeah, just, just this, uh, very different racing compared to XCO. It's an adventure, um, and I just, I just loved it. Uh, so ever since 2017, I've been, myself and my wife, Haley, have been trying to mix in these different race opportunities that are, that I would categorize as kind of adventure racing. So Stuff like, um, Epic Israel, we've done that a couple times, Swiss Epic, um, BC Bike Race, these sorts of things. **** - (): And it's, I feel so lucky, I mean I'm still, I'm so fired up on what we're doing now, cause it's basically Those adventure races, but that's the full meal deal. Like that's what we're doing full time. Yeah. [00:13:21] - (): Craig Dalton: Amazing. Now I think you've been part of the grand Prix for two years already, and you'll be in it again in 2024. **** - (): Is that [00:13:28] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: right? Yeah, exactly. You got it. How did [00:13:31] - (): Craig Dalton: you manage to kind of make that schedule work and hit those mountain bike races that you like? Obviously the. The Grand Prix itself is not mountain bike heavy. There's a few occasions to ride your mountain bike, but not in the same way you had done in the past. **** - (): I'm just curious, you know, obviously with the different skill sets required for the different types of racing, how you organized your year and your training. So you can do things from, you know, 90 minute XC races to 10 hour unbounds. Yeah, [00:14:00] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: I don't, I honestly don't know how we did that first year. We went in like, okay, let's do all the racing and that's, that's what we did. **** - (): We, that first year we still had, well, I say we, cause Haley and I have been on this journey together and we, we, we jumped from XCO racing to this more off road stuff together, but yeah, that year we did five world cups, uh, alongside. The Grand Prix alongside a smattering of other races. And I think it was a big year of learning, uh, which was amazing. **** - (): It was, there was so much newness to it all, which was also like super refreshing. Um, I think I remember kind of reflecting on the season at the end of the year. And I like, I color coded all the races that I did based on which ones were new. And it was like, over half of them were brand new. And it was a large number of race days. **** - (): It was like, it was above 35 racing days and there was some stage racing in there. So it's a, it's, it's a little different, but, um, just a lot of racing. And yeah, I don't, I don't really know how we did it. I can't, I can't pinpoint to like, there was, there was no, there was no major thought put into the scheduling. **** - (): It was like just saying yes. [00:15:30] - (): Craig Dalton: If we can be there, we'll be there and pedal [00:15:33] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: totally, totally. And it was a ton of fun. Um, it ended up working, it ended up working out in, in general, um, in terms of like performance in the grand Prix. But again, I think the, the love, like the level of all, all this racing is, is increasing and I, I don't think that approach is. **** - (): is going to work again. Um, I mean, yeah, so there's definitely some lessons from the first couple of years and, um, I'm not, I'm not prepared to like throw all my eggs in the You know, just focus on the Grand Prix races. There's so, there's so many great events out there. Um, and you know, I also want to, want to continue to grow as a mountain biker and do challenging mountain bike events that really suit my, um, kind of my natural skillset and some of my best, uh, some of my strengths as an athlete. **** - (): So, so yeah, we're definitely mixing or I'm mixing a lot of different events in this season along the Grand Prix. [00:16:46] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah, interesting. It'll be great to follow your season. Yeah, it's complicated. I can see, you know, over the last three years, going to the third year of the Grand Prix here. There's definitely been this specialization. **** - (): Obviously, there's a lot of prize money on the line for those who do well and get into the top whatever that gets paid out, but it is Increasingly clear that a lot of athletes are just laser focused on it. And I think it's still going to be interesting this year to see those athletes who are out there doing their own thing and racing some other crazy races, as well as popping into these races and see how the points end up shaking up throughout the year. **** - (): It's, it's an interesting equation. It's fascinating to me, listening to the athletes, figure out how to focus their time and energy. Yeah, totally. [00:17:32] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: And I mean, I think it's, it is, it is interesting because like, you know, the racing that we're doing, it's, uh, the Grand Prix is this, it is the series in North America right now. **** - (): Yeah, so there's just so many other good events. And, you know, I don't think any athlete is just doing the Grand Prix. And it is interesting to see, to spread, um, To see how athletes kind of spread their time and, and where their interests lie and, and all that. So it is cool to follow that, follow each athlete, um, doing what they're doing alongside the, alongside the Grand Prix. [00:18:11] - (): Craig Dalton: I also think it's interesting with the two drop races to just sort of see how the strategies play out. You hope that people aren't dropping them because they're sick or injured and they get an opportunity to strategically say, Hey, I'm not going to peak for that race because in the overall arc of my season, it just doesn't make any sense. [00:18:29] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: Yeah, totally. Yeah, it is, it is a, I mean, the season, the season goes from April till end of October, and this is a long season. Uh, so, yeah, and you can't, you need to be very good for all these races, and it's not possible to be kind of peaked. For every single race. So yeah, yeah, definitely some strategy involved. **** - (): And, um, I certainly learned a lot the first couple of years. Uh, things went pretty well the first year, not so well last year. And it kind of, uh, it definitely has me. Motivated to try to try to perform kind of do all the right things to perform Well all season long for that. [00:19:14] - (): Craig Dalton: Are there specific races in the Grand Prix that you personally enjoy the most? [00:19:20] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: Yeah, certainly like sea otter classic. It's definitely the most mountain bikey one. It's at sea level And I I really love the race course to be honest. It's just yes super fast fun riding Um It's not one where you can really, it's not like you can rip, rip this technical section and create a huge separation on, on the people you're truly racing against. **** - (): Obviously there's some big gaps in skills between, um, perhaps those with a mountain bike background and those with a gravel background. But, um, it's, You can't, there's not a huge, huge opportunities for separations there, but, uh, yeah, it's, it's an awesome race and yeah, just the energy at that whole event with the festival alongside of it, it's, it's pretty cool. **** - (): And it's kind of like the season kickoff too. So that's, that's exciting. [00:20:19] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah, for sure. And anything on the gravel bike side that you look forward to? [00:20:23] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: Um, I mean, definitely Unbound, just like the, the scale of it. Uh, I would say that that one's high on the list. And, uh, yeah, Big Sugar's a cool one too. I mean, I, I do, I'm still, like, I feel like I'm a beginner at this gravel stuff, and I'm still, um, I don't really have it figured out yet, to be honest. **** - (): And So all these races still feel like, like opportunities and they're very interesting to me. And, uh, yeah, so, um, yeah, I guess Unbound and, and Big Sugar are probably my favorite gravel races in the series. [00:21:05] - (): Craig Dalton: With Unbound being the longest one on the calendar on the gravel bike, uh, side for the Grand Prix, how do you, how do you approach that as an athlete? **** - (): I mean, obviously you train up to that distance. When you think about being competitive in an event like that, just kind of walk me through briefly, like the mindset of like, you know, are you following the early moves or are you conscious of Hey, this is a 200 mile day. And, you know, maybe I'm not the most in, I don't have the most endurance of everybody in the, in the Peloton. **** - (): I'm just curious, like how you manage that to maximize the best result possible for you. [00:21:42] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: Yeah, definitely. I mean, when I go into those races, I'm not, there's no, there's no pacing. It's going with the front of the race as long as you can. There's, there's no, I'm, I'm, I'm gonna try to make the front group. I'm gonna try to get on the podium. **** - (): I'm not going to have a deliberate strategy to not follow so I can, you know, finish 20th. Like that's, I'd, I'd much rather go for it and blow up than, than not go for it. Um, that being said, I do, you know, we learned last year that there is definitely some in terms of taking care of equipment in certain, um, conditions like, you know, very rough conditions, muddy conditions, there, there does have to be some strategy surrounding how you ride that stuff. **** - (): Um, so I'm definitely. taking that into Unbound this year, just that, that whole experience. Um, [00:22:45] - (): Craig Dalton: and you caught up in any disastrous way in the mud this past year? [00:22:49] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: Yeah, just, I lost my derailleur, um, very early on. Um, I just kind of snapped off in the mud and it was, uh, Was [00:22:58] - (): Craig Dalton: that game over for you? [00:23:00] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: Yes. I, yeah, I, I tried everything I could to try to, um, keep it going, but yeah, it was game over and it was just very, um, that, that was tough, I guess. **** - (): Uh, I definitely learned from that experience because I had never dealt with that kind of mud before and it's really something you need to experience to fully understand. Um, And yeah, so, um, yeah, looking forward to going in there a little more prepared and having those experiences under my belt and yeah, hopefully a little bit of luck too. **** - (): But you know, I think in chatting with my friend, Ian, who did quite well, he was, who's done in Boswell, who's done quite well at that race. His, his strategy was. Just kind of, um, sitting back and watching a little bit how, how those, the first section played out, and definitely a more conservative approach, but I was, I was like third wheel into that mud, riding on Tobin's wheel, um, I think when my derailleur came off, I was sitting on Russell or Keegan's wheel and just run, just run the race as best as I could and going for it. **** - (): Yeah. Those conditions, you know, if my bike can make it through it, it's a huge advantage for me. Um, just cause that is, you know, some technical. Technical ability is a huge asset, just pedaling the bike through that stuff, but you need to have a bike that stays together, um, to take advantage of those, uh, that, that opportunity. **** - (): Yeah, a hundred [00:24:52] - (): Craig Dalton: percent. I'm, I'm one of those sort of people who started out mountain biking like yourself, and I love I love the technical elements of gravel racing and the harder technically the races are, the more fun I think they are. Totally. That's the, that's sort of where I hope the sport would go. **** - (): And frankly, you know, as the Grand Prix got announced, like I've, I've always been hopeful for the mountain bikers to get more of an opportunity, not only in the mountain bike specific races, but in the gravel races to just kind of show that skillset. [00:25:24] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: Yeah. Yeah. I'm, I'm with you on this. I, I would really. I would really like to Yeah, maybe just see a little more texture in some of these gravel races I I really like what the bwr does pulling in some single track Uh, yeah, I did A couple years ago. **** - (): I did It's in BC called BCBR Gravel and, you know, BCBR is a BC bike race. So it's the same promoters that do this, you know, um, seven day mountain bike stage race. So the gravel version of it was, was what you can expect from the organizers of a mountain bike stage race. And it was very gnarly. I kind of joked at the race. **** - (): Uh, like I wrote a, I wrote a taper cast, the Fox taper cast fork. During that race and it was like, oh man, if you had a, if you had a truck full of those at the finish line of that race, you could have sold them all. No worries. It was like a huge advantage to have, uh, Uh, yeah, have suspension on the gravel bike. [00:26:31] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah. It's so interesting. Do you ever, you know, as someone who's obviously well adept with suspension and using it on your mountain bikes, how often do you consider it on your gravel [00:26:41] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: bike? Yeah, it's, it's always a tough, tough decision. And it's like, I've, you know, if I'm not sure if you've ridden it, but riding a suspension fork on a gravel bike is. **** - (): It's an amazing feeling and it's wild how much more capable the bike becomes. It's 100 percent so much more than what you think. [00:27:06] - (): Craig Dalton: I've got one on my bike for Mount Tam here in Marin County, and I can't even explain how much more confidence inspiring it is going downhill and. It's kind of cheating for me because I've got a mountain bike background. **** - (): So generally I ride harder downhill than most of my contemporaries, but putting that suspension fork on, it's just, it's almost unfair at times. Totally. I'm curious to kind of drill into that a little bit as a suspension owner. So what is that? Tell us more about that line for you. I mean, when we would consider it is the main, is the main downside in your mind, just the weight. **** - (): And if it's a climbing race and you need to stay up at the front, you got to shed the weight and otherwise you'd use it. [00:27:50] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: Yeah. So I think, uh, I, I reach for it quite often, uh, to be honest, I, my first year at Unbound, I wrote it. Uh, so that was two years ago and it was. It was a huge advantage in the rough stuff, but the thing is, um, that didn't, that kind of just kept me near the front of the group and out of trouble. **** - (): It's not like it, it gave me a huge advantage in the race overall. [00:28:23] - (): Craig Dalton: Do you feel like from a, does it, does fatigue come into play when you think about it? I mean, it's [00:28:28] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: so hard to get a sense of that because You know, no, no matter what bike you ride, if you're riding, riding unbound for 10 hours, fatigue is going to be high. **** - (): Um, I've not done like, I think that would be a fairly hard thing to test. Um, and I've not done like back to back testing on that, but it really does. The way I think about it is if, if it's going to give you an advantage in the race and some, sometimes it will, sometimes it won't, and it needs to be at the right time in the race. **** - (): So like, so I did BWR Vancouver Island last year, and the first, in the first bit, there was, um, some single, some heavy duty single track and I just rode away from the whole race. Uh, And was two minutes off the front by like the bottom, you know, in the first hour of the race, but this isn't super helpful because it's a seven hour race and then I was off on my own for the next few hours. **** - (): Um, so like from a tactical point of view, that wasn't great. Um, but the final descent on that course was one where having like the final descent, a few K from the finish. Having a suspension fork would have been an advantage. So it's sort of like, okay, do I carry this around for the whole race? It's definitely a little bit heavier, not as aerodynamic, but in those sections, it's like a laughable advantage. **** - (): Yeah. Yeah. [00:30:06] - (): Craig Dalton: I think that's, I mean, I think it goes with almost every part of a gravel bike. It seems like you just, you have to make these trade offs. And decide where is it going to benefit you like as a recreational racer, I consider comfort to be a big part of it, right? I got to get through these races to, to enjoy them, but comfort at the cost of, you know, an extra pound or so may come to bite me in the ass climbing 12, 000 feet in a day. [00:30:35] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: Maybe. It depends on what your goals are. Like for me, I really need to think this through. But if I was riding my bike for, um, purely for fun and trying to enjoy and especially if I wasn't racing, like suspension fork on the gravel bike, for sure, as long as, as long as the terrain you ride and the way you ride kind of suits it, if you, if you go on to double track and single track, um, and you have access to that in your area and you enjoy that. **** - (): It's like, yes, get yourself a gravel suspension fork. It's going to be great. You're going to have a huge smile on your face. It's going to be fun. Um, and you'll be able to drop your friends. No question. [00:31:20] - (): Craig Dalton: I think you've been training this winter down in Santa Cruz, California. Is [00:31:23] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: that right? Yeah, yeah, we've been, uh, yeah, we did, uh, well, uh, pass through Santa Cruz on, I did this, uh, Rob Britton and I did this ride down the, down the entire coast of California, um, and then spent a week here after that training, and then I've been here for the last couple weeks, so, yeah, uh, basing out of here for quite a bit, and, yeah, just, Yeah. **** - (): Yeah. Yeah. Really enjoying the kind of road riding here. Amazing. [00:31:54] - (): Craig Dalton: Um, before we go, I'm curious to just learn about your bike choices for the year. What, what brands are you riding on the mountain bike and the gravel bike? And what do you like? [00:32:05] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: Uh, yeah, I mean, for, so I don't believe our mountain bike. Sponsor has been made public yet. **** - (): So I'm going to stay quiet on that, but, um, yeah, we're on, uh, new drop bars bikes for this year and that's around time bikes. Which is, yeah, kind of, um, exciting new, new brand, uh, well, new to us brand, obviously it's a pretty storied, uh, brand that's been around for a while. Yeah, [00:32:39] - (): Craig Dalton: we just had them on the podcast about a month ago, learning all about the new owner, the manufacturing processes for that bike. **** - (): I think that the ADHX 45 looks like a rad bike to ride. [00:32:53] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: Yeah. No, I listened to that episode. It was great. I, I, I really enjoy kind of hearing the background and the business dynamics of, of, of some of these companies in the industry and yeah, the bike looks really great. I've just seen one once, um, I was down in Bentonville at the end of the season and it looks really good. **** - (): Uh, so I, I'm very excited to get on one and yeah, really push it. And, uh, yeah. Yeah, it's going to be fun. [00:33:25] - (): Craig Dalton: Awesome. When do you, when do you think you'll first race on that bike? [00:33:29] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: Yeah, we're, uh, first race will be BWR Utah. So yeah, once I got back from Spain after the stage race. Uh, probably spend some time on that, get it set up, get it dialed. **** - (): And yeah, it'll be a, that'll be a great first one for it. And yeah, I can't wait. Um, it's gonna be good. And [00:33:49] - (): Craig Dalton: since you're been on the Maxis squad for a few years, which, what are your favorite Maxis gravel tires? [00:33:57] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: Well, the, the new, I mean, the tried and true Rambler, um, you really can't go wrong with that. If you know, you have to pick one tire to do it all, that's going to be it. **** - (): It's, um, Yeah, just super predictable. Easy to ride. Casing's very good. There's options there, um, you know, for a super heavy duty casing or a, um, you know, a higher TPI casing that's going to be a little more supple. Um, so yeah, Rambler for sure, but the new favorite is definitely the Reaver. Uh, it was released last year. **** - (): I expect that's going to be the go to, um, for the majority of the racing. And I haven't tried it in a 45 yet. Um, but yeah, really looking forward to that because I do think, um, yeah, just given the tire design, like a fairly kind of a file tread in the middle. I think it's going to scale up pretty good and feel. **** - (): Um, still roll really well in that larger size, um, whereas sometimes when you scale up on a super hobby tire, um, yeah, yeah. Just the, the speed changes quite a bit with your mountain bike skillset. Sorry, just from the casing and the, and the knob design, I guess. [00:35:14] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah. Yeah. With your mountain bike skillset, do you feel like that file tread provides you enough kind of traction for most of the gravel races? **** - (): Yeah, yeah, [00:35:25] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: I feel like I can, I can run with less for sure just because the, it's, it's just like not a limiting factor for me. Um, I can run, I've, I've raced gravel races on the refuse, which is just a very tough casing, but it's a full, full slick with no shoulder knobs and you, you know, I, I can manage that. **** - (): Um, you have to ride it a certain way. You can't, you can't push, you can't, you can't push it into the ground and expect that it's always going to hook up. Um, but it's, uh, yeah, it's a good tool for, for certain, for certain situations. And if you, I mean, with, with tire choices at the pointy end of things, you're always, um, you're always trying to choose the fastest one. **** - (): Um, and, and. Ride it, basically ride it correctly, like manage the tire well. Um, so yeah, you're never, at least I'm not, I'm always kind of pushing the limits on what I can, what I can run for speed and performance. [00:36:37] - (): Craig Dalton: And what do you think about inserts for gravel racing? [00:36:40] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: Yeah, yeah, I've, uh, used inserts quite a bit. **** - (): Um, typically on the Tannis, Tannis Armor inserts. And, yeah, if there, if it's rough and there's a puncture risk, it's, um, yeah, it's a, it's, it's a, I go for it, um, compared to, I mean, I think inserts, they, they kind of came from mountain bike, but they're actually far more applicable for gravel. Bikes just given the the low volume tire. **** - (): Yeah, and how how close the rim Like the tires aren't that tall compared to a mountain bike tire So there is there's kind of very little space for the tire deflect before it before it hits the rim and yeah having that cushion there and Yeah, it makes a huge difference. And, um, yeah, tire pressure obviously like pretty important on the gravel bike. **** - (): And, um, yeah, sometimes lower if you can manage it is, is a lot easier on the body faster. So many, so many little, uh, uh, so many things to think about all the time. And I'm, I feel like I I'm out of practice cause I, I haven't been racing for a few months. Um, so I'm definitely gonna have to brush up on my decision making skills cause the race season's coming and all this stuff really matters. [00:38:09] - (): Craig Dalton: Yeah. A hundred percent. Would you consider Unbound one of those courses that warrants inserts? [00:38:14] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: Yeah. One, one hundred percent. Both years I've raced it, I've, I've run inserts. It'll be interesting with the North route this year on tire choices and, uh, on suspension choice as well. Um, yeah. Hoping to get there early and kind of suss it out and, uh, and do some testing there because it is, you know, equipment choice there matters and, um. **** - (): Yeah. North route. I hear it's a little rougher. [00:38:41] - (): Craig Dalton: Interesting. I think that's a good place to end, Andrew. Thanks so much for the time. It was great to get to know you a little bit and excited to follow you throughout the season and maybe run into you at Sea Otter. [00:38:52] - (): Andrew L'Esperance: Sounds good. Thanks very much for having me, Craig. **** - (): And uh, yeah, I appreciate the time and yeah, see you at Sea Otter for sure.      

Watch our video and see photos of the fork on Vital MTB and our YouTube channel.Thank you Maxxis Tires, FOX Suspension and Jenson USA for making The Inside Line possible.Vital first rode a prototype PUSH Nine.One inverted mountain bike fork a year ago in February of 2023. The same day, we recorded an interview with PUSH owner, Darren Murphy, getting all the details about the fork before its release. At the time, the scheduled release for the Nine.One was only a couple months away and PUSH eventually showed the fork at the Sea Otter Classic. A couple months turned into 4, then 7 then 8. Fast-forward 12 months later, and the fork is now available to the public.Discussion Topics0:00 - Intro (2024)1:00 - (Feb 2023 Start) Why Make a Fork at All?4:23 - Why Make an Inverted Fork?8:43 - PUSH Nine.One Fork Specs & Features10:21 - The "Grab the Bars Torsional Stiffness Twist Test" is Dumb15:54 - Modular, Updatable Axle Lugs for Wheel Size, Offset and Brake Mounts, Travel Adjust20:23 - Simple Fork Servicing Through Bleed Ports, Long-term Product Use25:47 - Why is it a $2,600 Mountain Bike Fork? Weight, Fabrication Details31:44 - Comparing Other Inverted Fork Designs, Why Not Carbon?34:22 - Spring, Damper and Internals38:20 - The Parking Lot Test41:45 - Jason's Ride Experience on the PUSH Fork44:57 - Purposefully Not as Torsionally Stiff as a Regular Fork47:14 - Availability48:47 - What About Stanchion Scratches / Guards?51:47 - WHY DID IT TAKE SO LONG? (2024)1:00:44 - Did Anything About the Fork Change During the Year?1:02:30 - Fork Specs (Again : )1:05:14 - Four Years in the Making1:06:58 - FIXED BUSHINGS and Why1:09:51 - Would Darren Do It All Over Again?1:11:53 - The Twist Test is Still Pointless1:16:00 - What MTB Standard Would Darren Change?At $2,600 USD, the coil-sprung Nine.One is made in the USA at the PUSH factory in Colorado. It features 140-170mm of user-adjustable travel in 10mm increments and uses modular axle lugs that can run 27.5 or 29-inch wheels with built-in brake mounts for 180mm or 200mm rotors. The damping technology is that of the PUSH Elevensix shock and oil can be changed and serviced through bleed ports at the top of the fork.While most riders can't comprehend spending that much money on a fork, Darren and PUSH set out to make a highly refined piece of suspension that can last and be updated for years to come. We dive into why PUSH would make a fork, their philosophy on what makes good suspension, misconceptions of upside-down fork design, what took so long to finish production, and why someone may want such an expensive MTB fork.

Welcome back to the show folks. This week Erin is back in the studio and we catch up after an amazing benefit ride for Derek Teel (Dialed Health). We also discuss why Erin can't stop crashing her bike and the upcoming Sea Otter Classic. 

7 off-road cycling events, spanning from April to October.  70 of the top cyclists in the world.  $250,000 dollar prize purse.  The Life Time Grand Prix Series just finished up its second season, and Angela was a part of this iconic event for the second year in a row. She finished 17th place out of 30 elite women, and was the only active pro triathlete in the field.  In this episode, we recap the highs and lows, talk a bit about each course, and Angela shares her tips, tactics, and mishaps from another season of off-road racing.  Have a listen! 

Keegan Swenson continues to dominate the gravel racing world, winning this year's Unbound Gravel in tough conditions after a runner-up finish in 2022. Swenson's prowess on the dirt is also backed by his affiliation with Santa Cruz Bicycles htSQD, an elite group of multi-surface racers. It's no wonder that Keegan is known as the top gravel racer on a global scale: he also has the 2022 Lifetime GrandPrix series, Leadville Trail 100, and Sea Otter Classic wins under his belt, among many others. In a conversation with Andrew Vontz, Swenson reflects on his latest muddy victory, breaks down how he experiments with race prep and gear choices, explains strategy for selecting races, and shares his priorities for the rest of the season. To learn more about Keegan, follow him on Instagram and check out the show notes. Keegan Swenson on Instagram Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn | Instagram Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher