The Paceline Cycling Podcast

Some kids built dirt ramps and jumps on a disused piece of land near John. What happened next doesn't inspire hope. Patrick talks about the lessons of riding a race in Boggs Demo Forest last weekend.

This week John takes on what it means to be bike literate, to be able to glean things from looking at a bike. What does a bike's appearance tell us about what it is? Patrick has his first rendezvous of the season this coming weekend and rather than offering an inspiring account of how his training went perfectly, he offers validation to those who have struggled to meet their fitness goals.

This week John takes a look at how doing events with friends can change the dynamic and invokes the heretofore unknown Ringo Principle. Patrick talks about the Sea Otter Classic and what was new and noteworthy there.

This week John discusses his experience at a ride called Mix Tape. Patrick takes on a listener question about going matchy-matchy with cycling clothing, be it a group, a couple on a tandem, or just the self.

This week’s episode features my cover story from Peloton Magazine’s second issue, titled The Annus Mirabilis, the Greatest Season Ever. Digging into Merckx’s record was pure entertainment and writing the feature was as much fun as I’ve had writing any article I’ve published. In addition to Wikipedia, I scoured Rik Vanwalleghem’s biography, as well as Bill McGann’s Story of the Tour de France. 

This week John and Patrick talk about cycling and depression, specifically, what about the bike helped and what they've learned about how particular kinds of riding help, as well as their other resources and how their definition for what constitutes depression has grown. Don't worry; it's not dark and ends on a hopeful note.

This week John backs into a question about what sort of spare parts a rider ought to keep on hand, by way of helping a friend with his fit. Patrick considers the nature of justice as it applies to bike theft, and wonders if one of the bikes in a recent haul by Sheriffs might be one of his.

This week John takes a deeper look at gravel riding, both in terms of what makes for a good gravel bike and where to find the joy in gravel riding. Patrick looks at the re-introduction of the E-BIKE Act in Congress and what it could mean for people who would like to add an e-bike to their ways of getting around.

This week John takes on the paradox of being an endurance athlete who likes to rush his way to the finish in what he does. Patrick takes on the scourge known as spoke protectors.

This week we delve into the merits of riding alone or in a group, inside or out, with a detour to discuss the challenges of introversion. We also have a PSA for some of the male members of the audience.

Who were the formative figures in your cycling life? For John, it was more Evel Knievil than dad. Patrick discusses how cargo bikes and utility bikes never caught on in the U.S. but now, thanks to e-bikes, they may finally get their moment.

This week John talks about what is involved in taking up mountain biking, especially as it applies to roadies. Patrick takes on a listener question about how to choose gravel tires.

Riding bikes with another person, especially if that other person is important in your life, isn't easy. Witness our host John. Speaking of riding with people important to you, Patrick is planning to get back on his tandem and has been considering strategies to make it work well.

This week's episode of The Paceline will be delayed due to some technical issues; it will be back next week. In it's place we have an introduction to make, our new podcast, The Long Way Home. The Long Way Home is a different sort of podcast, at least, for cycling. The Paceline Podcast and Revolting are based on conversations. We're pleased any time someone tells us that they feel like they are at...

This week, John wonders what the UCI's cumulative effect has been on cycling. Have their rules helped cycling's advancement, or hindered it? Patrick discusses just what a recovery ride is and why someone would want to ride their bike with as little effort as possible.

This week John confesses that only now is he putting his money where his mouth has long been. He's spending money on advocacy. Patrick has a question about waving, but not the one listeners might guess.

Today we discuss the discussions that come before rides. Very meta. Then we get into whether or not it's ok for bike riders to wear earbuds while riding. Are there any good scenarios? Are there any ways to do it responsibly.

Mindful that they are cyclists first and experts maybe, John and Patrick trade stories of cycling pratfalls, times they got it wrong and wound up, well, not on the bike anymore. They've had some doozies, and yes, clipless pedals are among them.

It's the "off-season," which means many of us are riding less. One of the ways to stay connected and even increase motivation is to dig into the rich canon of cycling literature. Patrick finally puts some numbers to his belief that on-the-bike is one of the happiest places on Earth.

Conditions are wet in many parts of the country, making mountain biking a terrific way to damage trails. John proposes a solution. Patrick received a great many questions in the run-up to Christmas about e-bikes, particularly what to look for when buying one.

While have a mid-ride coffee, a friend asked John what he thought of internal cable/hose routing. There's no simple answer to this, so he discusses it with Patrick, who states a surprising opinion. Patrick Looks back at 2022 and considers ways the bike worked and didn't work and he muddled his way through loss.

John wonders about our duty of care to other riders when we ride with them and how our perception of what etiquette calls for changes based on the tires we ride. Patrick rode with his local NICA team and can't figure why all the kids were smiling even though it was cold and raining. Could it be stoke?

This week John and Patrick talk Christmas lists and gift giving and do their best to focus on experiences rather than stuff, but let's be honest, cycling is a sport of stuff, especially in the winter.

It's Thanksgiving, folks, and John and Patrick take time to detail the things for which they are grateful.

It's a slight departure this week, with John doing the show solo. Don't worry. This is not a permanent change. He'll be running down his winter prep checklist for indoor and outdoor riding success and then hitting you with the customary Paceline Pick. Next week, we'll be back to regular programming.