The Rouleur Podcast

Across all its seven versions, the Trek Madone has been a benchmark for aerodynamics and speed. The company claims its latest Madone SLR is the fastest bike it's ever made - thanks in part to its radical aero seat tube. Dan Cavallari talks to two people closely involved in the Madone's evolution - John Davis, lead aerodynamicist and senior industrial designer Jon Russell. Hosted on Acast. See acas...

Just how good was Beryl Burton? Her achievements are well known - countless British and international titles, beating not just the best women but the best men in time trialling, setting records which lasted decades. But how does she compare with today’s best? A new biography aims to answer that questions, but also tell the extraordinary story of the woman who can stake a real claim to have be...

Next time you feel like moaning about the weight of your bike-packing rig, spare a thought for the members of the Buffalo Soldiers Bicycle Corps, the black US soldiers who rode 1900 miles across gravel roads on heavy steel single speeds loaded down with military kit. Their expeditions, in the late 1890s, were designed to demonstrate the efficiency of transporting soldiers by bike rather than horse...

The latest edition of Rouleur magazine is arriving with subscribers now. Issue 113 - The Inspiration Issue - includes interviews with some of the most inspiring riders in the peloton and some of the most inspirational places to cycle. Lorena Wiebes, Jai Hindley, Bradley Wiggins and Fabio Aru, along with Mont Ventoux and the hardest ever stage of the Tour de France. On this podcast, Ian Parkinson i...

Recent years have seen huge changes in wheel and tyre technology. Disc brakes, wider tyres and tubeless rims are fast becoming standard. Dan Cavallari catches up with Jake Pantone of Enve Wheels and talks through the latest developments in the company's products and why no-one should be afraid to go hookless. This episode was recorded in July, before Dan set off for the Tour de France. Hosted on A...

After eight days of inspiring and unpredictable racing, it's time to reflect on the inaugural Tour De France Femmes avec Zwift. Rouleur's Rachel Jary has been at every stage of the race, James Startt and Ian Parkinson have been watching from the comfort of home. Can anything - except retirement - stop Annemiek Van Vleuten winning in the mountains? Which teams could do better? And how important is...

Half way through the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift and it’s already rivalling the men's race for upsets, emotion and spectacular scenery.  The legendary Marianne Vos still sits at the top of GC after her stunning stage victory, but will she survive the high mountains? Will Annemiek Van Vleuten regain her form and her favourite status after the virus which has laid her low until now? And wh...

Jonas Vingegaard heads for the Champs Élysées in yellow after one of the toughest Tours in memory. At the same time, the women's peloton are getting ready to roll away from the Eiffel Tower to begin the revitalised Tour De France Femmes. From Paris, Rouleur's James Startt and Rachel Jary join Ian Parkinson to look back over the last three weeks, and forward to the next eight days. Hosted on Acast....

Bike fit has come a long way. The old methods - tape measures, plumb lines and guesswork - still have their place but getting the right size bike is only half the battle. Dan Cavallari catches up with one of the recognised experts in the field. Todd Carver of Specialized and Retül has been helping riders become more comfortable and efficient for years. Retül uses 3D motion capture technology to ex...

Jonas Vingegaard goes into the final week of TdF 2022 with his lead looking a little less certain. Pogačar is still 2'22" behind but with the Pyrenees and a time-trial to come, and losing two of his team to injuries, Vingegaard will not be relaxing on the run-in to Paris. The soaring temperatures and ever-present threat from Covid are making things even more uncertain, and Ineos Grenadiers remain...

The latest from the top of the Tour's most iconic climb. After three days in the Alps which turned the Tour on its head, Rouleur's Ed Pickering and James Startt gather in the press room at the Alpe d' Huez summit finish and reflect. Where are we? What just happened? And who's going to be on the podium in Paris? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The peloton are on their second rest day, in Morzine, on a Tour de France already packed with incident, controversy and excitement. Rouleur's James Startt is in Morzine, editor Ed Pickering is close by - they join Ian Parkinson to pick apart the stages and characters so far. Questions on the agenda: is there anything that Wout Van Aert can't do, can anyone stop Tadej Pogačar and was Fred Wright ro...

As the teams gathered in Copenhagen for the start of the Tour De France 2022, Rouleur's Dan Cavallari caught up with Ineos Grenadiers' Jeff Crombie to check the reality of life as a World tour mechanic working with Shimano and other partners to give the team's riders the best equipment possible. Have wireless gears, tubeless tyres, through-axles and other innovations made his job easier or more co...

After three days in Denmark, the Tour de France 2022 heads to its heartland. Travel day for the riders and teams and a chance for us to reflect on the opening stages - Rouleur Editor Ed Pickering joins presenter Ian Parkinson and Rouleur's photojournalist on the Tour James Startt. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's nearly July and for cycling fans that means only one thing - days glued to screens, or standing at the roadside, as the greatest sporting show on earth rolls through the French countryside. And, this year, Denmark. Rouleur editor Ed Pickering and veteran Tour photojournalist James Startt look ahead to the Copenhagen Grand Depart. Team DSM's technical wizard Piet Rooijakkers tells us how he ma...

How green are the chemicals we put on our bikes to clean, lubricate and repair them? And how much faith should we put in claims of biodegradability and green credentials? Dan Cavallari talks the issues through with Alberto de Gioannini, founder of the Effetto Mariposa brand. His company makes high-quality tools and accessories, and eco-friendly cleaners, sealants and lubricants. Dan looks at the i...

Rouleur editor Ed Pickering talks through the biggest edition of the year - The Tour Issue. This year, it's two separate magazines in one - with equal space given to the men's Tour De France and the Tour De France Femmes. There are features on race favourites Primož Roglič and Annemiek van Vleuten, Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig's guide to the Grand Depart host city Copenhagen, and the story of the first w...

Bike buyers have never had it so good, says Dan Cavallari - we live in an age of unprecedented options. But how do you choose between the brands? What makes them unique or special? And how do you establish a bike brand in such a crowded marketplace? On this episode, he talks to some of the team at Vitus, one of the smaller brands on the scene, but one with a long and intriguing history. Hoste...

On this edition, host Ian Parkinson joins the Shimano Neutral Service squad on the first stage of this year's Itzulia Basque Country. He learns about the work of these unsung heroes of the pro peloton and gets a high-speed ride around the Basque hills in the passenger seat of one of the famous blue Skodas. And Phil Wright reads Passion Project from Rouleur 109, the story of how two Italian entrepr...

Dan Cavallari dives deep into the technology behind the Hammerhead Karoo, the latest and, according to its makers, most advanced cycling GPS unit. He's in Austin, Texas talking with Hammerhead's Vice President of Product, Jess Braun. According to her, it's all about developing technology that doesn't get in the way of your ride. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pro-cyclists are getting younger. Really, it's not you getting older. In the men's and women's pelotons, Grand Tours and World Championships are being won by riders in their early twenties, or even younger. Good timing for Rouleur 111 - the Youth Issue. On this podcast, Rouleur's Rachel Jary talks about her article on the lack of racing for Under-23 women, and the problems that's causing for the s...

What's next for road bikes? Are there any more major technical leaps to come after discs, electric shifting and tubeless tyres? What's the next 'game changer'? Or will it simply be slow and incremental improvements on tried and tested basics? Cervélo have been at the heart of road bike development for years, especially through their work with pro teams and riders. For this episode Dan Cavallari ge...

On this edition, Steve Cummings joins host Ian Parkinson to talk about his new book 'The Break' and the surprising evolution of Ineos Grenadiers. And Rouleur editor Ed Pickering reports from the London launch of the highly-desirable indoor training system Technogym Ride. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So you’ve taken that (not very difficult) decision and bought yourself a gravel bike. But the choices don’t end there. What sort of tyres are you going to put on it? Smoother tread or knobbly? Dry or wet compound? And what pressure? Dan Cavallari is on the case as always, with the help of Ken Avery - Senior Vice President of product development at Vittoria. Between th...

“You’ve got to love bike racing - it’s the best thing in the world”. Ben Turner of Ineos after 257 km of dust, cobbles and crashes in this year’s Paris Roubaix. Rouleur’s Rachel Jary was there and in this edition she talks us through the surprises of the men’s race with contributions from Ben Turner himself, Bradley Wiggins and Dave Brailsford; and talks to two of the youngest rider...