The Rouleur Podcast

The pre-season crash which left Egan Bernal in intensive care has again focused attention on the safety of time-trial bikes. Tom Pidcock and Chris Froome are among the high-profile names warning that TT bikes are too dangerous to ride on open roads. But are the bikes to blame - or the natural inclination of pro-riders to ride as fast as possible, even in training? Dan Cavallari seek...

Even before you-know-what confined us all to rollers and turbos, more and more cyclists were opting for the certainty and controllability of indoor training. And on the road, more of us are using heart rate monitors and power meters to make our rides efficient and effective. But how do you get the best results, and what are the latest advances? Dan Cavallari seeks answers from two t...

‘Cycling’s Great Wasted Talent’ is the cover line of a new book dedicated to Belgium’s tragic star Frank Vandenbroucke. Eddy Merckx said Vandenbroucke was so talented he could win anything in cycling but he was brought down by a series of drugs scandals - on and off the bike - and an urge for excess and self-destruction. In his book ‘God Is Dead’, former Rouleur Editor Andy McGrath detai...

The bicycle drivetrain has remained true to its roots for over a century — until now. Dramatic departures from the derailleur-based chain drive system have cropped up in recent years, perhaps offering a peek at what the future holds for bicycle development. Classified Cycling CTO Roëll van Druten reveals how the Powershift system allows front derailleur-type shifts without a front derailleur. And...

Rachel Jary and Ian Cleverly mull over two fine races at Strade Bianche, then consider the upcoming Classics before moving swiftly onto Trappist ales and ‘beautiful’ Belgium.  Host Ian Parkinson asks Rachel about the all-star Team SD Worx, coming up in the Classics-heavy issue 110, out next week. We consider Paris-Roubaix and our endless fascination with cobbles. And Ian C draws the short str...

Wahoo has taken the cycling world by storm since its foundation in 2009, beginning with revolutionising the humble bike computer. Now a major player in the indoor trainer market, and with Speedplay pedals in the Wahoo fold, founder Chip Hawkins gives Dan Cavallari the lowdown on the company history and recent releases – including the funky ROLLR trainer and the hotly anticipated POWRLINK...

The women’s classics season kicks off this weekend with the elite Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, 128 kilometres of cobbles and vicious short climbs. Among the teams on the start line will be long-standing UCI continental outfit Le Col Wahoo. Rouleur’s Rachel Jary joined riders and team staff at their pre-season training camp. And host Ian Parkinson talks to Irish champion Imogen Cotter as s...

Custom frames and bespoke builds continue to garner a healthy corner of the bike market. Those searching for a head-turning ride made totally to their specification are prepared to part with serious money for their dream machines.   Matteo Visentini from Italian specialists Passoni tells Dan Cavallari who the customer is, why they desire one of Passoni’s timeless titanium frames, and how a tr...

Rouleur 109 - the Enable issue - is entirely devoted to Paralympic sport and disabled athletes. It features Kristina Vogel, Marion Clignet, Hannah Cockroft, Barcelona's remarkable Genesis team and many more - including British athletics and paracycling star Kadeena Cox. A promising runner until she was diagnosed with a life changing illness, Kadeena took up track cycling - then decided to continue...

Aerodynamic clothing has improved immeasurably in recent years. Endura’s wind tunnel work with Movistar was a prime example of leading the way in understanding air flow in relation to clothing, where bikes were previously the major focus. We have two experts in the field joining Dan Cavallari this week. Xavier Disley of AeroCoach and Blake Pond from NoPInz – specialists in skinsuits and aero garme...

Caren Hartley and Matt McDonough joined forces in 2017 to create Isen Frameworks, building high-end, award-winning custom steel and titanium bikes in their south London workshop. What are the latest developments in the field, as riders increasingly turn to off-road excursions to get their kicks? Tyres and brakes are the big game-changers, they say, and their designs reflect the advances, balancing...

Peter Stuart and Dan Cavallari run their beady eyes over the past year’s technical innovations and what 2022 has in store. In 2021, we saw semi-wireless Dura Ace, SRAM phasing out mechanical groupsets, Lizzie Deignan winning Paris-Roubaix on a 1x gear system, and tubeless replacing tubulars.  As for the new year, Peter considers whether the pure cyclo-cross racing bike’s days are numbered as...

With the cyclo-cross World Championships rapidly approaching at the end of January, we have three experts to assess the contenders in Fayettville, Arkansas. Multiple British champions Helen Wyman and Ian Field have seen the sport transform, especially on the women’s side, since they were practically the only Brits racing ‘cross in Belgium. With no Wout van Aert or Mathieu van der Poel to contend w...

Wondering why your bikes and bits are taking so long to arrive? What is the hold up in the supply chain? Dan Cavallari asks logistics expert Dan Woodcock where the products are right now, why ships are sitting outside harbours unable to unload, and when we can expect to see some easing of the situation. Harrison Macris of Princeton Carbon Works, supplier of TT wheels to Team Ineos, also joins Dan...

Ian Boswell’s road career was cut short by severe concussion sustained during a crash at Tirreno Adriatico in 2019. Where one door closes, another opens, as the American started a new job for Wahoo and, before you know it, was racing again – and very successfully too – but this time on gravel. Rachel Jary discusses changing disciplines, the more inclusive vibe of the gravel scene and why wearing a...

Rouleur’s Rachel Jary has been isolating in a Milton Keynes hotel for ten days. Thankfully, Dad dropped off the Tacx smart trainer so she’s not gone completely nuts. What sessions has she been doing on the turbo? How did she keep motivated locked in a room eating dreadful food? And what Netflix series has she been binging? Dan Cavallari asks the big questions from the comfort of his garage in Colo...

There’s a well worn path between the saddle of a race bike and the director’s seat in a team car. Who better to advise young riders than the ex-pro who’s been there, done that and worn the leader’s jersey? On this edition we talk to two ex-racers who are following that tradition. Multiple world and Olympic champion Anna van der Breggen will be taking up a director’s role with her SD Worx...

To E or not to E? That is the question for this edition of the Rouleur Tech podcast, specifically - what’s the point of e-bikes on the road? Plenty, according to Dan Cavallari’s first guest Andrew Bernstein. Andrew lost the use of one leg after he was hit by a car so an e-bike means he can still enjoy challenging rides with friends. Dan’s second guest is Rouleur’s Ian Cleverly, who was a...

Everyone knows professional cycling is a tough sport - that’s part of its appeal - but does it place too much of a strain on some of its competitors, and how well does it look after those who struggle? Cycling’s not the only sport facing up to the mental health issues endured by some of its brightest performers. On this podcast we hear the personal stories of two recently retired stars - Marc...

Cycling should be one of the greenest of activities, but how ecologically sound is the bike industry? Modern materials, disposable products and a world-wide supply chain all contribute to a bigger carbon footprint than you might think. Host Dan Cavallari talks to some of the people making a difference. Former pro riders Peter and Martin Velits run Isadore Clothing which uses recycled materials and...

Rouleur's Digital Editor and resident tech expert Peter Stuart takes host Ian Parkinson on a tour of some of the standout bikes and kit at Rouleur Live. Gravel bikes galore, a rear hub which does away with the front changer and a world-beating frameset that costs - well, if you have to ask the price you certainly can't afford it. And Ned Boulting is here with the hot-off-the-press Roadbook 2021, l...

In a battle of the Rouleur heavyweights, your referee Dan Cavallari tries to keep the conversation civil as forward-thinking tech-head Peter Stuart takes on retro-grouch, old school bikie Ian Cleverly in a battle of the cockpits. Aero advantage, tidy front end and an altogether improved modern system? Or a royal pain in the backside that is non-adjustable and a headache for the home mechanic? We g...

Adam Blythe has been building a reputation for his informed commentary - and his inventive dress sense - since his retirement two years ago. He’ll be at Rouleur Live next month, using his insider knowledge to interview stars of road racing past and present. Also there will be Imogen Cotter. She rides online for Movistar’s E-racing team but she's proved her ability in the real world by winning...

Paris-Roubaix is not just the hardest of the Classics, it's also a unique test-bed for some of the latest - and least expected - bike racing technology. Rouleur Digital Editor Peter Stuart is just back from his first Hell Of The North and he's been sharing some of his tech discoveries with host Dan Cavallari. Out this year go tubulars, rim brakes and double wrapped bars, replaced by tubeless clinc...

Grow old. Get Fast. Don't die. Good words to live by, and the original working title of Phil Cavell's book The Midlife Cyclist. Phil is best known as the co-founder and CEO of high-end London bike store Cyclefit, and a leading expert on the science and bio-mechanics of cycling. Phil talks us through the realities of staying fit and fast past forty, fifty and over; why the current generation of old...