The Paceline Cycling Podcast

Guests: Matt Bretoi & Chris Posch; Micah Rice; Devah D My first conversation this week is about a technical solution to a problem many, if not most of us have experienced when riding in urban and suburban areas… coming up to an intersection and NOT being able to trip the light! Last week, Bike Portland posted an article about thermal video detection of bike riders at traffic signals and I said… I...

Guests: Jen Malik; Tobie DePauw; Lauren Hefferon Sometimes you meet someone – even just in a phone call – and the enthusiasm and excitement for the work she is doing just jumps right out through the phone. Jen Malik – Dr. Jen Malik as she is a PhD in biomedical engineering at THE Ohio State University where she is a post-doc fellow full time – also races cyclocross professionally, has taken on the...

Guests: Jock Boyer; Cameron Chinotti; Ray George This past week, several articles were published about Kevin Reza . Kevin is a French cyclist who rides for B&B Vital Concept , a French team. He is a 10 year veteran of the peloton and, he is Black. The lack of diversity in the pro cycling world has long been a topic – mostly quietly. Now, Kevin has decided to speak up about Black Lives Matter and a...

Guests: Dan Rice; Andrew “Bernie” Bernstein Sometimes our best stories and resources are found right in our own backyard… and, for those of you who know and frequent the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath, you know what I mean. For those who don’t, you’re in for a treat. The Ohio & Erie Canalwa y is a National Heritage Area designated by Congress in 1996 to help preserve and celebrate the rails, trails, la...

Guests: Bill Sepe & Ron Brubaker; Alex Strickland; Craig Calfee We have three outstanding guests this evening and we cover three very diverse topics. I am always interested in new trails to explore – especially when they are right in our own backyard! My first guests live in Hudson, Ohio, are both retired from their respective jobs, and have joined forces to help establish TASCForce – Trail Advoca...

A reader question, and a science-y one at that, is on deck with Selene this week. She takes a look at adaptation to hot and cold conditions: why it's hard, what it takes to aid adaptation, and the benefits of that adaptation beyond just being more comfortable on the bike. Bike shops are short on bikes, so what's a person who wants a bike to do? Buying used is the next best option. Patrick explores...

We return to talk of Covid-19 this week because important new data is coming out about how exercise can affect someone's recovery from the disease as well as how hard exercise can cause an asymptomatic person to suddenly become symptomatic. Patrick has a vacation in his future. A real vacation, with no work. He says he's largely unfamiliar with the concept, other than a couple of three-day getaway...

Guests: Dr. John Loehner; David Goodrich (Photo of Dr. Loehner courtesy of Demetrius A. Freeman) We begin in The Bronx. Dr. John Loehner is an internist and the medical director of the Montefiore Medical Center Moses Campu s in the Bronx. It’s a huge teaching facility and it was literally on the front lines of the pandemic, having almost every one of the 700 beds + most of the ICU occupied by COVI...

This week Selene considers how we've all been cooped up to one degree or another and often riding the same loops over and over, so she considers strategies for how we can work variety back into our riding so that we can keep riding as fresh as possible. Patrick has been getting questions about fit, including a few requests to do fittings. But what happens if you have more than one bike? Do you att...

Guests: Gabe Klein; Lucas Snaije First, I’d like to congratulate my friend Jenn Dice. She recently took over the helm of People for Bikes as Tim Blumenthal retired after 16 years! Jenn, who was the COO is now President and CEO and hit the ground running and draws on her many years not only at PFB but as the fearless leader of IMBA before that. Nice to see another woman at the helm of a big bicycle...

This week Selene shares a bit of an interview with 84-year-old cycling Tom Philips. Philips is an avid rider, and has been since he was 38. And while he may have slowed down a bit due to age, he hasn't lost his taste for adventure. Only two years ago he entered (and finished) his first gravel grinder. Says he fell a lot. Ever noticed those funny little knobs at the back of the rear derailleur or w...

We've got questions about gravel this week. Selene takes on several listener questions about riding gravel, including being the last up a climb and making your bike wear a mullet, not to mention a discussion of the value of going tubeless and whether or not suspension is a big deal. Patrick takes on the subject of buying a gravel bike and some of the considerations that cause him to recommend smal...

Selene is back from her visit to a socially distanced gravel camp and she says it was huge fun for all involved. We will hear about the riding, the education and her take on how event promoters can put on events while still respecting our need to act with consideration for our fellow man. Patrick takes on two listener questions this week. The first concerns a squeaky bottom bracket in a bike that...

This week Selene takes on a listener question about whether or not she would race with a mask if she had to. As it turns out, the answer requires some thought considering there are so many forms of racing. Dovetailing with a piece she wrote for Bicycling about Dylan Lorimer, a 265-lb. rider who rode 123 miles and averaged 18.5 mph with one other rider, Selene takes on the issue of cycling and body...

Selene is back from vacation and takes on two reader questions this week. She takes on two listener questions this week. The first concerns how to choose how much travel you need in a full-suspension mountain bike when shopping. The second regards shoes and how to pick a shoe that can be walked in without developing heel blisters. Home decor is on deck for Patrick's pull this week. He's planning t...

This week Selene looks at a fresh strategy to bring women's racing to a broad audience with the new announcement from the Colorado Classic. By streaming the race online it keeps risk down for the audience while still giving sponsors the exposure they seek. Patrick digs into the controversy caused by a social media post and resultant departure of Jim Cummins, one of the founders of the event that i...

On a recent ride, a friend of Selene's broke his stem. Fortunately for him he was able to avoid injury, but it got Selene's group of riding friends talking about what sorts of inspections and cleaning a bike needs, especially a bike that is ridden regularly and might be more than a few years old. What do we make of Lance Armstrong these days? He's back in the news thanks to his ESPN documentary, b...

This week Selene begins by taking on a question about why, in the wake of not following a regimented training plan, our listener has notched Strava PRs on segments they have ridden upwards of 50 times. She then considers the bicycle as a force for social change. There have been some big demonstrations and protests recently where bikes were front and center, and she notes that a ride held by Black...

Bikes are great, but it's hard to pretend that all is right with the world currently. This week Selene sits down with her longtime friend Elizabeth Allen to ask her just how she got into this predominantly white sport and what the barriers are for others … her answers might surprise you. Allen is a youth and wellness activist, bike shop employee and avid cyclist. Aware that some folks might look a...

Selene checks in with some feedback on last week's talk about oval chainrings. Listeners presented us with some angles on oval chainrings we hadn't considered. We get an update on how last weekend's ride for Rebecca Rusch's Giddy Up Challenge. Selene and her husband Dave did the half Everest, which resulted in 130 miles and 17,000 feet of climbing. Ouch. Patrick signed on to his first virtual chal...

This week our intrepid duo is back with a look at oval chainrings, an idea that goes back practically as far as the bike itself. The question, of course, is do they really confer any benefit. Well, do they? Selene and Patrick tackle the science and the perception, but also take a look at the technical considerations one confronts if deciding to make the change. We experience anxiety when we are fe...

With the massive increase in bike sales due to shelter in place requirements, there is a lot of curiosity about how that is playing out in terms of kids bike sales, adult bike sales, ebike sales, trail usage and more. Selene answers a reader question about just what sorts of statistics have been compiled and what that tells us about who is actually on the road or trail. "Vertically compliant but t...

We seem to have entered a new phase of our collective shelter in place, we might call it the cranky phase, Selene says. She discusses what she's doing to stay sane, how she views the different takes of other folks she encounters and just who she's willing to ride with. This week bike racing's governing body, the UCI, released the revised 2020 racing calendar. We will just go ahead and say it: It's...

Ever considered doing Iron Cross? If so, you're not alone. This week, Selene, Iron Cross' winningest racer, addresses a listener question about what sort of preparation is required to do the event. In addition to training, she and Patrick talk bags, bottle cages and tires. It all matters on a day like that. For the past two days Patrick has been attending a trade show, albeit a virtual one. Reveal...

We're all looking for fresh ways to deal with being hunkered down in these new lives we lead. Selene takes a look at fatigue and how stress (like that which could be caused by having all your traditional routines upended) can affect recovery as well as things like perceived exertion. She also takes on a reader question about recovery drinks, particularly those that mix protein and carbohydrate and...