The Paceline Cycling Podcast

This week Patria takes a look at what makes for a good rider, and what constitutes good ride leadership. This is a great time to look at this as we all prepare to start doing group rides again. Patrick is deep in the cool and the wet of spring. He considers when a membrane jersey is the appropriate choice and when a traditional rain jacket is the better choice. 

With some workplaces beginning to make the shift back to in-person work in actual offices, Patria suggests it's a good time to consider making the shift to commuting by bike. She looks at a number of strategies to make it simpler. Patrick has been logging in steady base miles but Northern California has been receiving near daily rain. He talks gloves and strategies for keeping your hands warm and...

This week Patria discusses the need to be able to address a broken chain or derailleur hanger effectively while on a ride. She also shares a most unusual tip for how to help another rider get home when all else fails. Patrick tackles the subject of base miles. He observes that a lack of big events in 2020 saw some fitness erosion for most riders and this is a great time to start logging easy miles...

This week Patria takes a look at some of the safety concerns women cyclists face when out on a ride. From dogs to bears to men, there are valid reasons to think about safety. Patrick wrenched his back on a ride and he considers what so many people have lost in terms of activity by having gyms, yoga studios and other forms of activity curtailed by the pandemic.

Travel is on the minds of our hosts this week. Patria opens the show recounting a trip that she and her husband did to New Zealand with travel bikes. Patrick takes a look at considerations for selecting a travel case for a bike and whether to consider getting an existing bike retrofitted with S&S Couplers. Some of his recommendations are likely to be surprising. 

This week Patria take a deeper look at gearing on gravel bikes, especially now that SRAM has announced a new mid-cage Red Etap AXS rear derailleur, which will allow riders to run a cassette with up to a 36-tooth rear cog. It may be winter, but Patrick is thinking about tan lines. And socks, and the tan lines that socks cause. Why is it we wear calf-length socks instead of ankle socks?

Snow arrived in Boston and Patria finally got to participate in the Jay Petervary Fat Pursuit Challenge. She took part in the 60km length and reports that more than 80 percent of her riding was on snow. She reports on her experience as well as a few fresh insights she gleaned from her effort. Patrick takes on a listener question about suspension systems and which ones he likes. He discusses a coup...

This week Patria discusses why the winter is the perfect time to see a professional fitter and either be fit for your bike for the first time or to have your fit updated. She points out a number of details to consider and explains how a fitting can be done by video while socially distanced. Patrick takes on the issue of riding illegal trails. Norms and laws are different in different areas; it's i...

It's warm in Boston and the Bay Area, warm being a relative term. Patria takes a look at the new phenomenon of "mullet gearing," which offers especially low gearing combinations. Patrick introduced a friend to Annadel State Park over the weekend and realized that there might be a number of new bike owners who may benefit from a more experienced cyclist showing them around, whether off-road or on. 

Guests: Gersh Kuntzman; Chris Carmichael; Paul J. Lee We have two guests this evening and, as promised, our new weekly feature! My first guest is blunt, to the point, and doesn’t mince words when it comes to the Mayor of NYC and the NYPD.  Gersh Kuntzman is the editor of Streetsblog NYC and Streetsblog USA and this past week, […]

This week Patria takes on the performance road bike purchase and examines the factors that need to be weighed if the rider wants to use the bike for gravel riding in addition to road riding. Patrick digs into the way road riding will change with the advent of self-driving cars. This brave new world ahead of us may yet contain some delights, like safer roads.

Patrick and Patria are back after their holiday break and ready for the new year. Probably. Patria takes on the logistics involved in a winter challenge that hard man Jay Petervary dreamt up. Patrick admits that he hasn't made a New Year's Resolution since the Eisenhower administration (maybe not quite that long), but that he's making one this year.

This week Patria takes a look at bikepacking and the gear needed as well as how to think about packing. Patrick says his motivation to ride has been hampered by short, wet and cold days.

Despite a broken rib, Patrick has been managing to get out for rides and has begun exploring roads he’s unfamiliar with. Patria takes the end of the season to look at goal setting and how to summon motivation if it may be flagging due to awful weather or too many turkey sandwiches. Show links: Patrick’s […]

With Thanksgiving out of the way we can focus on the rest of the holidays, right? Well, it's Cyber Monday and there are companies running some pretty terrific deals today. Even if you aren't seeing this until later in the week, we've decided to put together a Christmas Wish List, but made up of things we wish someone would have given us. Some are products, but not all are, and there's stuff for an...

This week Patria takes on a listener question about winter commuting as a substitute for no gym time. She runs down equipment choices, bike maintenance, route choice and more. With Thanksgiving this week, Patrick has decided to take stock of the year and give some thought to what he's grateful for, aside from the obvious, like little boys and good health. His answer surprised him.

We here at TCI are receiving the usual pre-Christmas suggestions from PR agencies for wish lists. Rather than focus on what they are suggesting we suggest to you to buy, Patrick has elected to discuss the whens and whys of purchasing a new bike or new bike gear. TCI may be a cycling web site that reviews bike products, but we aren't fans of rampant consumerism. Here's where we draw the line. Patri...

Guests: Dennis Markatos-Soriano; Chuck Marohn; Lou Mazzante As many of you know, I am an advisory board member to the East Coast Greenway and when something exciting happens with the organization, I like to share it with you. One of the BEST things about the Greenway is its commitment to the environment, knowing that infrastructure that expands […]

For those who haven't worked in the bike industry, Michael Gamstetter's name may well be unknown. He is, however, one of the more endlessly fascinating people the bike industry has sucked into its orbit and refused to relinquish. I came to know Gamstetter when he was a staffer and then editor at the trade magazine of record for the bike industry, Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. But to call Mic...

This week Patria takes a look at gravel bikes and what someone shopping for a gravel bike ought to look for. From frame material to gearing, she covers all the salient points. With fall firmly in place, our rides are colder than they were just a month ago. Patrick takes a look at apparel that lends maximum flexibility in colder weather.

This week Patrick takes a look at how tire size affects rolling resistance, grip and comfort, as well as how changes in tire width will affect a bike's handling. Patria takes a look at what riders need to know if they want to move into gravel riding. She looks at simple ways to make the transition without a big cash outlay.

Hydration packs: they aren't just for mountain biking. Patrick takes a look inside his and discusses how what he carries shifts some for fall, especially due to fallen trees. Patria says fall is a time to evaluate everything from clothing to lights, tires to fenders. Runs through those items she says are necessary to get through the darker, colder months. 

Guests: Rob DeMartini; Tia Martinson; Ben Serotta We turn to racing this week with a keen eye to the future. Rob DeMartini, the new CEO of USA Cycling , didn’t come from a cycling background and brings what I believe will be a fresh and welcoming approach to a national organization that we all can and might finally want to embrace. From his forward thinking about the 2021 Olympics to every day rid...

Guests: Lynette Toepfer; Zapata “Zap” Espinoza We’ve been talking a lot about the plight of the bike industry – lack of product, backed up service departments, and the need for new protocols due to the pandemic. To help explain how all of the is affecting our US manufacturing, I contacted White Industries in Petaluma, California. White Industries is a family owned business manufacturing hubs, cran...

A little heads-up: we are changing our posting day from Thursday to Monday. You'll now find us earlier each week. The Paceline is back with our new co-host, Patria Vandermark. As a shop-owner in the Boston area, Patria is well-known and respected member of the New England bike community. In our first episode with her she discusses what's been going on in bike shops since the pandemic began. Supply...