Velo Podcast

Featuring: Mike Levy, Josh Ross, Lisa Charlebois, and Logan Jones-Wilkins Inside the Rapha corporate fallout, a boots-on-the-ground Worlds recap, and the strategy behind selling $6,500 wheels. This week, we dive into road tech, racing drama, and the cycling industry's biggest shakeups. Logan Jones-Wilkins brings us inside the race for the rainbow stripes, while Josh and Logan debate the business logic behind some of the sport's most polarizing gear. In this episode: Worlds Recap: Logan’s on-the-ground breakdown of Brandon McNulty’s win and the ridiculous positional rule that nearly upended the women’s race with Kate Courtney. The Rapha Meltdown: Is its financial restructuring a textbook marketing fail, or was the CEO’s departure actually a calculated, voluntary exit? High-Dollar Bling: Why a custom Firefly rim-brake bike makes no logical sense but still commands attention, and how $6,500 Partington wheels prove a Western brand can maintain appeal against cheaper Eastern competition. Listener Q&A: We address the Canyon mounting system corrections, Logan answers for his Haro bike, and Josh shares advice on balancing mileage goals with raising kids. Listener Perks: The Velo Podcast wouldn’t happen without subscribers. We’re offering listeners of the show a special 25% discount on an Outside+ membership. Enter the code velopod at checkout to score these savings, and thank you for your support! Chapter Markers 00:00:00 - Intro: Lisa's Heat Training for the Desert 00:02:17 - Logan at the Montreal World Champs 00:06:21 - A Road-Only Episode Challenge 00:08:53 - Listener Q&A: Grail Mounts, Motivation, Water Bladders & the Old Haro 00:19:58 - Firefly Bicycles: Titanium Rim-Brake Art 00:30:23 - Fran Miller Steps Down & the Rapha Story 00:37:34 - Manufactured Scarcity & Cycling Fashion 00:43:25 - World Champs: The Men's Race & McNulty's Win 00:48:41 - Should Pogačar Be Unbeatable? 00:53:48 - The Women's Race: Vollering vs Kopecky 00:56:35 - Demi's UCI Fine & the Puppy-Paw Rule 00:59:33 - Kate Courtney & the Crash 01:01:56 - Trade Teams vs National Teams 01:05:42 - Tom Pidcock's Partington Wheels 01:14:45 - Wrap-Up & Listener Questions

Featuring: Mike Levy, Josh Ross, Lisa Charlebois, and Logan Jones-Wilkins This week, we have a full house with Logan Jones-Wilkins, Lisa Charlebois, Mike Levy, and Josh Ross. We kick things off with a massive week in gear news before diving deep into the psychology of ride motivation. In this episode: Shimano's Pedal Controversy: Shimano just dropped new pedals, shoes, and cleats that break backward compatibility. Are we excited, or stocking up on new-old-stock? Canyon Grail Critiques: The latest Grail seems like a great bike in many ways, but Josh brings some sharp criticism regarding a “fun” surprise with the handlebars. MVDP's Latest Feat: Logan breaks down Mathieu van der Poel's recent achievement and how it might impact the World Championship race. (Plus, an inevitable tangent on aero gains). The Motivation Equation: How do you get out the door when you just don’t feel like it? After years of riding through major life changes and terrible weather, the crew shares what actually gets them out of bed. Support the Show: The Velo Podcast wouldn’t happen without subscribers. We’re offering listeners of the show a special 25% discount on an Outside+ membership. Enter the code velopod at checkout to score these savings, and thank you for your support! Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro & Episode Overview 00:02:10 - Josh's Early Impressions of the Envy Melee V2 00:04:18 - Shimano's New SPD-SL Pedals & Cleats 00:14:39 - The Third-Gen Canyon Grail 00:23:40 - Van der Poel's 174km Solo Breakaway 00:30:40 - Pogačar & World Championships Preview 00:36:26 - Poll Results: 1.6 Watts vs 1 Kilogram 00:38:05 - Josh's Melee vs Factor 1 Aero Testing 00:43:58 - Listener Comments on Aero vs Weight 00:51:19 - Electronic Shifting on Long Rides 00:53:24 - Where Does Cycling Motivation Come From?

Featuring: Mike Levy, Josh Ross, Lisa Charlebois, and Logan Jones-Wilkins We answer your questions, debate the real-world value of aero bottle cages, and discuss why it makes sense to ride 500km for tacos. We’ve had some major topics on the show the last few weeks, so this week we are taking a step back a little and answering some questions. We read every comment, and Logan Jones-Wilkins, Lisa Charlebois, and I will often jump in to respond. Mike Levy also reads them, but he actually brings the comments to the show so we can answer them out loud, so to speak. Before we get to that, though, Levy starts with a question: Have you ever done a ride just for the sake of going somewhere dumb and unimportant? I’ve (Josh Ross) had this idea for years to ride from Los Angeles to the Mexican border for tacos, then back. It’s a 500km ride, and there’s no real point other than to ride a bike. Lael Wilcox once rode all the roads in Alaska for a similar reason. The whole crew is on this week, so we get to talk about our silly reasons for big rides. Let us know in the comments if you’ve ever done anything like that. Or, if you are like Logan and just ride for training, let us know that too. We also have some news to talk about. Mostly, it comes down to Logan and me (Josh Ross) trying to convince Lisa and Mike that aero matters. For Logan, it’s all about aero gravel tires. He went very deep into the weeds in his article, and there's a good reason for that. Then it’s my turn to talk about the Enve Melee V2 and why it features aero bar tape and aero bottle cages. I also have a question that I am hoping you can help me answer. To participate you'll have to jump to the [Velo website], but the question is: Would you choose a bike that is 1.6 watts more aero or a bike that is 1kg lighter? Give me the Factor One. I will gladly take a 1kg weight penalty to gain 1.6 watts of aero efficiency. Give me the Enve Melee. Saving 1kg is far more important to how I ride than 1.6 watts of aero efficiency. I am choosing the Enve Melee purely based on aesthetics. Regardless of the aero advantage, I would not pick the Factor One because of how it looks. I am choosing the Factor One. I want the 1.6 watts of free speed, and I actually prefer the aggressive aero styling over a traditional frame. The Velo Podcast wouldn’t happen without subscribers. We’re offering listeners of the show a special 25% discount on an Outside+ membership. Enter the code velopod at checkout to score these savings, and thank you for your support! 00:00:00 - Intro & Vel Membership Code 00:02:08 - Bond Almond Ultra-Endurance Story 00:06:03 - Big Adventure Rides Discussion 00:13:19 - Arrow Gravel Tires from WTB 00:28:02 - Envy Melee V2 & Aerodynamic Handlebars 00:31:38 - Desert Ride Plans (Vegas to Death Valley) 00:41:34 - Q&A Segment Begins 00:42:46 - Front Derailleur Q&A & Comments 00:47:02 - Shimano vs Sram Brakes Debate 00:54:44 - Environmental Impact of Bike Materials 00:58:35 - Gravel Bike vs Mountain Bike Comparison 01:04:16 - Arrow vs Lightweight Bike Poll 01:13:38 - 32-Inch Wheel Comments & Discussion 01:21:16 - Suspension Fork Question 01:22:32 - Closing Remarks & Listener Poll WTB's New Stromm Collaboration Aero Tires Are Exactly What Gravel Tires Should Be The Story of a Cyclist, 32 NFL Stadiums, and One Very Important Football ENVE's New Melee V2 Proves Hyperbikes Don’t Need to Look Insane

Featuring: Mike Levy, John Karrasch, and Jan Heine Does a 32-inch wheel actually save watts, or is the testing methodology broken? We put Chung Method advocate John Karrasch and vocal critic Jan Heine in the same room to hash out the reality of rolling resistance. This week, the usual crew steps aside to host a direct debate between two of the most outspoken voices in tire tech. John Karrasch (aka flexfitbyjohn) has generated massive datasets using the Chung Method, recently claiming that adopting 32-inch wheels can improve rolling resistance by up to 10%. On the other side, Rene Herse CEO Jan Heine—a pioneer of supple gravel tires—argues that wheel size ultimately doesn't matter for speed, pointing to historical roll-down tests and potential flaws in the Chung Method's precision. After a long series of online blog posts and rebuttals, we brought them together to debate the physics, the testing protocols, and the future of gravel geometry face-to-face. Support The Velo Podcast This show wouldn’t happen without our subscribers. We’re offering listeners a special 25% discount on an Outside+ membership. Enter the code velopod at checkout to claim your savings. Episode Timestamps 00:00:00 - Episode Intro & Guest Backgrounds 00:07:51 - Setting Up the 32-Inch Test Bikes 00:12:12 - Understanding the Chung Method for Tire Testing 00:16:18 - The Results: Do 32-Inch Wheels Roll Faster? 00:25:01 - Analyzing the Physics and Approach Angles 00:29:32 - Jan Heine's Counterargument: Wheel Size Doesn't Matter 00:36:58 - The Debate: Is the Chung Method Too Precise? 00:42:36 - Defending the Data and Real-World Variables 01:03:15 - Tire Design Priorities: Casing, Compound, and Pressure 01:17:11 - Tire Inserts and 36-Inch Wheel Possibilities 01:18:57 - 2030 Gravel Bike Predictions & Outro

Featuring: Mike Levy, Josh Ross, Lisa Charlebois, and Logan Jones-Wilkins This week is easily one of our favorite recent episodes. All four Velo podcast hosts—Lisa Charlebois, Logan Jones-Wilkins, Mike Levy, and myself—are together in the virtual studio, and things get incredibly spicy. Expect a lot of passion and plenty of heated back-and-forth as we debate drivetrain futures, prototype spy shots, and the true definition of bikepacking. We kick things off with listener questions. What starts as straightforward bike-buying advice quickly devolves into an argument over whether bikepacking is strictly a gravel activity and if camping is actually required. Josh also gets a chance to double down on why there is more to a bike than its spec sheet, specifically making the case for the Cannondale CAAD14. Next, the conversation shifts to the newly spotted 13-speed Shimano Dura-Ace prototype. Because the system still relies on wires, the analysis quickly spirals into a broader SRAM vs. Campagnolo vs. Shimano showdown. The crew splits on what matters more: Shimano’s shifting precision or the glaring gaps in the rest of the brand's ecosystem. Finally, the main event. Following a week of dueling op-eds, Logan and Josh bring the drivetrain battle to the microphone. Is 1x the inevitable future of road bikes, or will the slow-to-change road market ensure 2x remains superior? Listen to the arguments, read the articles on the site, and vote in the Velo poll to settle the score. 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:52 - Listener questions: Bikepacking definitions and the Cannondale CAAD14 00:25:45 - Shimano 2x13 prototype and the great drivetrain brand war 00:53:41 - 1x vs. 2x on the road Read More on Velo Front Derailleurs Are Living on Borrowed Time: Why 1x on the Road Is the Inevitable Future Opinion: You Can Take My Front Derailleur When I am Dead The Velo Drivetrain Poll: Is 1x or 2x the Future of Road?