The BikeRadar Podcast

In this episode, senior technical writer, Simon von Bromley, is joined by road and gravel presenter, Liam Cahill and Ashley Quinlan, senior technical editor, to discuss the two big launches from Shimano – GRX RX810 and 105 R7100. Having attended the press camp in Portland, OR, USA, Liam shares all the details plus his impressions of how the new 12-speed GRX performs. In the final section, the trio...

Over-biking or under-biking – which should you do? Is it best to buy a bike that can definitely handle every trail you’re going to throw its way, or is doing so going to lead to an uninspiring ride on more mellow, every-day terrain? If your bike isn’t built for the toughest trails, are you going to be left in a terrified heap, or grinning from ear to ear, as you wrestle it over hostile terrain? Ou...

Some of the world’s top professional cyclists are taking sodium bicarbonate to improve their performance in high-intensity efforts.    To find out why, Jack Evans, BikeRadar’s digital writer and one of the team's strongest athletes, recently took part in the first independent trial of the Maurten Bicarb System used by Team Jumbo-Visma.   In this episode, Jack explains how sodium bicarbonate can po...

Specialized and Canyon have both unveiled new, premium road bikes in recent weeks.  The Tarmac SL8 made its first official appearance at the men’s World Championship road race in Glasgow.  Canyon lifted the lid on the all-new Endurace CFR and updated Endurace CF SLX days later.  In this edition of the BikeRadar podcast, Jack Luke is joined by Simon von Bromley and Jack Evans. They discuss Speciali...

We’re lucky at BikeRadar to be able to try out tons of new gear, whether that be bike components or riding kit. This means we rarely need to buy our own kit, which is a lovely problem to have. However, we’re not immune to the occasional purchase – perhaps a well-loved bit of test kit that’s been returned, or something a colleague has been raving about catches our eyes. In this episode, senior tech...

 A professional road cyclist’s bike is clearly different from yours – but is that always a good thing? At BikeRadar, we have plenty of expertise and opinions on pro bike tech.  In this podcast, senior mountain bike technical editor Tom Marvin is joined by road and gravel video presenter Liam Cahill and digital writer Jack Evans.  From handlebar width and bike weight to component choice, the trio d...

Gravel race bikes and gravel bikepacking bikes are two very different things, so why do we still call both of them 'gravel bikes'? In this episode of the BikeRadar Podcast, senior technical editor Warren Rossiter argues that the gravel bike genre needs splitting up into sub-sections, to help riders better distinguish between the increasingly diverse set of bikes labelled as ‘gravel’. For his full...

In between seeking out new tech and eating the finest fayre of his home nation, deputy editor Jack Luke enjoyed the track racing action at the 2023 World Championships in Glasgow.  Sunday found him watching the qualifications for the men’s elite individual pursuit, where Australia’s Conor Leahy put in a storming effort onboard an unreleased Factor track bike, seeding sixth ahead of the final event...

In recent weeks we’ve seen five notable electric mountain bikes being launched onto the market. Our senior technical editors Tom Marvin and Alex Evans bring you all the hot gossip on these new bikes, as well as some riding insights on a few of them too. The bikes range from under £4000 all the way up to just shy of £15000, making the selection as broad as they come. The bikes come from Vitus, Pivo...

Bikepacking has exploded in recent years – social media feeds seem filled with aesthetically pleasing pictures of people setting off into the distance on a bike loaded with camping kit. Here at BikeRadar, we’re not averse to the odd bit of bikepacking. Tom Marvin is joined by digital writer Oscar Huckle and videographer Robyn Furtado – between them they’ve spent plenty of nights under canvas. The...

Deputy editor Jack Luke has just reinvigorated his love for mountain bikes after slinging his leg over a Pivot LES XC hardtail. In doing so, he’s realised there’s much to love about the modern mountain bike. But, there’s also lots that needs changing.  In this episode, Jack condenses his rekindled love affair into three great recent developments and three adjustments that still need to happen. Lea...

In this episode of the BikeRadar Podcast, Jack Luke, Oscar Huckle and Tom Law discuss the hottest news in bike tech this week. Kicking things off, the trio examine Microshift Sword – the new affordable 10-speed gravel bike groupset that could have Shimano worried: https://www.bikeradar.com/news/microshift-sword/ We also discuss the new Norco Fluid, which will be Tom’s long-term test bike for the n...

The new seventh-generation Orbea Orca has broken cover today, with senior technical editor Ashley Quinlan on the ground in Spain to get all the juicy details. In this special episode, Ash sits down with Joseba Arizaga, Orbea’s road product manager, to get the inside track on the new Orca road bike. Along the way, the pair discuss the design thinking behind the new Orca and Oquo road wheelsets, plu...

Tom Marvin is a mountain bike through-and-through. With over 23 years of experience riding bikes off-road, ten of which he’s spent as a writer for BikeRadar, he knows a thing or two about what goes into making a good off-road bike.  All of that time spent mountain biking leaves him scratching his head whenever he swings his leg over a gravel bike. Where is the suspension and why are there two dera...

George, Simon and Liam discuss the trends dominating the 2023 edition of the Tour de France: 1x, wide tyres (and wide rims), narrow handlebars, lightweight aero bikes, TT tech and budget blow-outs. Read more about the new Factor O2 VAM: https://www.bikeradar.com/news/factor-02-vam-2023/ See all of BikeRadar’s Tour tech coverage: https://www.bikeradar.com/events/tour-de-france/ Learn more about you...

SRAM GX Eagle Transmission brings the brand’s its direct-mount derailleur technology to a lower price point with simpler construction and heavier materials bringing it down to £1,180/$1,099/€1,300.  In this episode of the BikeRadar Podcast, Jack Luke, Alex Evans and Tom Law go over the key details of SRAM’s newest mountain bike groupset and share their early ride impressions. Learn more about your...

Sleuthing trade shows and races for new tech is one of our favourite pastimes and 2023 has been a fruitful year for our dedicated team of eagle-eyed nerds. In this episode of the BikeRadar Podcast, Jack Luke, Simon von Bromley and Ashley Quinlan look back at the leaks of Shimano’s new GRX gravel bike groupset and the 12-speed mechanical version of 105, outlining everything we know so far. https://...

George Scott and Jack Evans are joined by James Witts, author of Riding With The Rocketmen: One Man's Journey on the Shoulders of Cycling Giants, to find out what it takes to ride the Etape du Tour (or any other mountainous gran fondo). From training to tech, pacing to nutrition, George, Jack and James share their experiences of riding major events and how you can prepare for a gran fondo of your...

In this episode of the BikeRadar podcast, recorded at River Cottage HQ in Devon, we meet celebrity chef and environmental campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.  We get all on the details on Hugh’s unique custom-built River Cottage Rambler bike and meet the bike's creator Darron Coppin, of Sven Cycles.   This Rambler was designed with ruggedness and durability in mind, and features electrical ass...

George and Simon are in Bilbao for the start of the 2023 Tour de France. They’ve been touring the team hotels ahead of the Grand Départ to find four new bikes from Factor, Ridley, BMC and LOOK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Spanning approximately one zillion square metres of the Messe Frankfurt’s halls Eurobike is the world’s biggest cycling trade show. The show brings together many of the world’s cycling brands, both big and small. While there is enough headline news from mainstream brands to keep BikeRadar’s merry band of content bandits very busy, there are also more new products from smaller companies than we cou...

From a blank slate, gravel cycling clubs, groups and communities have been springing up the world over. What role do these clubs have in the gravel cycling world, and where do we think they’re going in years to come? We chat to multi-discipline racer, photographer, community builder and YT ambassador, Sami Sauri, Hari Milburn from the local Newtown Park cycling club and our very own Robyn Furtado...

Back in March 2022, BikeRadar’s brightest minds sat down with Gary Walker – the site’s beloved sub-editor – to help him choose a new commuting bike, which would in turn become his new long-term test bike.   Alongside commuting, Gary had other big riding plans for his test bike – though he’s more confident shredding fat licks on a guitar than gravelly gnar, Gary hoped to push himself to ride furthe...

Gravel racing has certainly caused a splash over the last few years, but where is it going next? Join BikeRadar’s Deputy Editor and gravelista Jack Luke, Colorado-based podium gracer Ben Delaney and party pacer Katherine Moore as we discuss how gravel racing has evolved over recent years, and where it might be heading in the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoi...

 Senior technical editor Warren sits down with SRAM’s lead product guys JP McCarthy and Brad Menna to get the inside story on the new gravel Apex AXS and Apex mechanical drivetrains Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices