The BikeRadar Podcast

In our Christmas Special, the BikeRadar team take a look back at the tech that’s impressed them in 2019, whether that’s on dirt or tarmac. There are a few obvious candidates, and one or two more controversial items. Have a great Christmas everyone! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Everyone strives to get their road bikes as light as possible, as that’s the best way to go faster, right? Well, it’s not so simple, as aerodynamics play a huge role in speed. Our Senior Road Technical Editor, Warren Rossiter, discusses the merits of lighter weight bikes, and those with a more aerodynamic focus in our latest Road Tech Talk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati...

Nothing’s ever new in the cycling world, so while your dropper post, linkage fork or powered drivetrain might feel like cutting edge tech, it’s actually all been done before. In this episode of the BikeRadar Podcast, Tom and Seb look at tech that appeared, disappeared, and then reappeared in a more modern form. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad c...

In this episode of Bike Shorts – our roundup of the hottest news from the past week on BikeRadar.com – Jack Luke and Simon Bromley talk through Virginia Tech’s latest independent test of 86 road and mountain bike helmets. While on the subject of helmets, the pair also discuss… well, a pretty gruesome injury that serves as a reminder for why you must always use bar end plugs.  Hosted on Acast. See...

In episode two of BikeRadar meets, hill climb aficionado, friend of BikeRadar, author of A Corinthian Endeavour and I Like Alf, and all-round nice guy, Paul Jones, sits down with Jack Luke and Joe Norledge to talk through his previous work and his own cycling endeavours. The trio also talk through Paul’s upcoming book on the Land’s End to John o’ Groats record, as well as some of the characters wh...

While everything in fashion is circular, so, it appears is bicycle tech. While new technology is often hailed as ground breaking or never before seen in cycling, you might be surprised as to what’s been around in the past. Our Dep Ed Jack and tech-specialist Simon delve into the annals of cycling history to pick out the tech that was well ahead of its time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy f...

In the first of our new Road Tech Talk podcsst series, BikeRadar’s Matthew Allen and Warren Rossiter give us the low-down on 1x, or single ring, drivetrains for drop-barred bikes. Where have they come from? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Should you consider them for your bike? All this, and more, is covered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about...

What are we going to be riding in five year’s time? Tom and Seb discuss where the industry is heading. Cheap bikes, electronics, and rider comfort all come up in discussion. Let us know where you think it’s all going! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shimano has filed a patent for a bicycle gearbox, potentially signalling a major upheaval in drivetrain tech. BikeRadar’s Matthew and Tom talk through the concept and explore why you might want to ditch your derailleurs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jeff Steber, the man behind Intesne Cycles, has to be one of the most influential bike designers on the planet. Over the past 3-and-a-bit decades, Intense Cycles has produced some of the most prolific downhill mountain bikes, piloted by some of the world’s greatest riders, including Shaun Palmer and Aaron Gwin. We discuss the current state of the mountain bike market, and where it may be heading,...

We cast an eye in to the future to see what might be coming round the corner in the world of road cycling. Yet more aerodynamics, gravel bikes and e-sports are all on the horizon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Look at any review and you’ll see, in a fairly prominent position, the weight of the bike or component – but does weight really matter? BikeRadar’s tech-head Seb has done the maths, and reckons we might be making a mountain out of a molehill… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The rigours of racing between the tapes demands high performance from both competitors and their bikes, and so the development of bikes, and the components fitted to them, are inextricably linked to racing. At BikeRadar we’re lucky to have two members of the team, Rob Weaver and Luke Marshall, who have competed at World Cup level downhill. They, along with our tech-expert Seb Stott, dig deep in to...

Pretty much since the advent of gears on bicycles, the derailleur has been the dominant mechanism for shifting the chain between gears. However, being dangled by the rear wheel, exposed to the elements, is a risky place to hang out. Internal gear hubs and mechanisms have long been touted as the future of mountain bike drivetrains, yet have never had the impact they’ve promised. Why is that? And wh...

The ideal number of bikes to own is N + 1 is a popular saying among cyclists – with N representing the number of bikes you already own. But does the new breed of highly versatile, go anywhere road (or gravel) bikes mean that, really, one bike is all you need? Bikeradar’s Tom Marvin, Warren Rossiter and Rob Spedding try to work out if they need to buy more bikes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priv...

Both your fork and shock rely on their spring to support your weight. This comprises of either a pressurised air spring, or a steel or titanium coil spring. While air springs dominate, for good reasons, it’s not a foregone conclusion as to which may work best for you. Technical Editor Tom Marvin and BikeRadar’s tech guru Seb Stott introduce you to both types, their pros and cons and, ultimately, w...

E-bikes; are they an industry conspiracy designed to sell you yet more bikes, or just another way to enjoy yourself out of doors? We’re certainly in the later camp and, in this week’s podcast, Matthew Allen, Tom Marvin and Jack Luke discuss their undying love for the most controversial subject in cycling. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices...

Debates over wheel size in mountain biking seemingly never end. First there was 26” wheels, then 29er stormed on to the scene – their larger diameter finding fans in the XC world, but older geometries just didn’t work out when travel numbers grew. Then, out of nowhere the 650b wheel arrived and killed off 26” almost instantly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more...

In the aftermath of the Eurobike trade show, BikeRadar’s Jack and Matthew discuss some tech highlights including SRAM’s solution to bent derailleur hanger woes and an exciting new bearing design from SKF. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mountain bikers have been rolling without tubes for over a decade, with less punctures, more speed and more grip, so why has it taken their skinny tyre’d brethren to ditch the tubes? Tom, Matthew and Jack discuss what’s happening in the world of road tubeless tyres. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you've got a suspension fork on your mountain bike it's most likely to be a telescopic fork, whereby the stanchions slide in and out of your fork's lowers. However, the past year or so has seen a number of linkage forks come on to the market. Check out the associated article on BikeRadar.com for a full set of show-notes, with links to relevant articles and videos. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com...

'The Rules' are a set of maxims by which the keen road cyclist often feels he or she should live by. It could be argued as a tongue in cheek dig at the MAMIL who wants to emulate their road racing heroes, but there's some method in the madness because many of the rules are actually rather sensible. That said, there are numerous that clearly poke fun at the over-keen amateur cyclist, so we've picke...

In this episode, BikeRadar's technical editor Tom Marvin and technical writer Seb Stott cover the somewhat huge topic of mountain bike geometry. While Tom advocates for slightly 'smaller' bikes, Seb is definitely a fan of the super long and slack. Geometry is key in dictating how a bike rides - long, slack bikes tend to be calm, confident and fast, whereas shorter bikes might be a touch more agile...

This month Tech Ed Tom is joined by senior writer Jack and tech guru Seb to discuss the finer points of bicycle design – why is that all road bikes these days look the same, and yet all mountain bikes seem to be unique in their aesthetic? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Tech Editor Tom and Tech Specialist Seb discuss the intricacies of suspension damping. Suspension dampers are there to control your fork or shock’s action through its stroke – without them your suspension would effectively be like a pogo stick, so they’re very handy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices...