Velo Chumps

This episode is all about the biggest gravel race in the world, Unbound Gravel. One of the Chumps was lucky enough to race the Unbound 200 this year, and we talk about it from the point of view of a chump in the amateur pack. No professional race coverage here. If you want to know how Unbound really is, or might be, for someone like you, tune in!

The Chumps discuss SRAMs newest offering. The updated Red groupset has a lot of new features, so that are more interesting to chumps like us than others. We also discuss the ecosystem SRAM is trying to create and the pros and cons for chumps. Stay to the end for a Red related factoid from Chad, and finally, who doesn't love an 80's movie reference in a title. Someone comment on this pod or...

The Chumps wound down our own spring campaign racing a classic of our own, Barry Roubaix. In a first for the Chumps, we recorded the majority of this episode together on location. We previewed Barry itself and also big gravel events in general. Stick around to the end because we did record a post race segment to wrap things up.

During this holy week of cycling the Chumps talk a little bit about what holy week is and why it is important. But before that we hear about a significant update on Ryan's bike build, which you don't want to miss! We talk a little bit about local racing, and Mike Green is finally back with a factoid to close out the show!

This week the Chumps talk about the of the first World Tour TTs of the season and the arrival of this years TT tech, namely the helmets. That led us into a new segment, "Ask a Triathlete," which didn't necessarily go as planned. We finished with a discussion of some new tech from SRAM, both released and speculated, and what that means in the broader scope for the chumps out there.

The Chumps talk opening weekend of the racing season, but of course from the chumps' perspective. We also talk a lot about tires, both big ones and potentially unsafe ones. So much tire talk that we couldn't even fit in a factoid this week. We hope to have Mike Green back next week with a gem of a factoid, so be on the lookout.

This week we talk to Kaia Schmid, an up and coming rider racing with Liv AlUla Jayco. She talks about her successes at a young age and also working through adversity in the world tour, and how that not only got her where she is today, but how that will help her in her next steps as she grows as a racer. She has a long career ahead of her, so get to know her now so you can follow along!

This week the Chumps talk about the upcoming riding season. One chump got some news about an event they will need to train for, we discuss the SRAM Red groupset update we expect to see later this year, and we have some tips for getting your bike ready to ride outside in the spring. We also reveal what month the Randy in serious kit picture was taken and the long awaited winner of the Iistener cont...

This week professional racers Kyleigh Spearing and Ethan Overson talk to the Chumps about their cycling journey and how it led them to gravel racing in the US scene. They have a different perspective on gravel than what we typically hear, and it gives us hope for a bright future in the US. They also talk about contributing to growing cycling through their coaching program. To learn more about thei...

The Chumps are back for 2024! The cycling season starts on Jan 1, so our season starts now too. We talk about what we are looking forward to in the coming year, but we spend the most time on what we are not looking forward to in the coming months: cold weather and indoor riding. We messed up a bit at the end because our factoid is an actual fact, so stay to the end to hear what it is!

In the last episode of 2023 the Chumps cover some news topics including Strava DMs, a new trainer offering from Tacx, and an online chain lube calculator. We also get a bit philosophical discussing a listener question and what sponsorships mean to pro teams. The Chumps hope you have a great holiday, and we can't wait to talk to you again in the new year! The chain lube calculator link is: http...

This week the Chumps were lucky enough to have Dr. Andrea Cyr on the show! She tells us about her experience in the National Cycling League (NCL) and her team, the Miami Nights. She also gives us a lot of great insights into starting as a female cyclist, being part of the professional women's peloton, and being a professional woman in the medical field. She also talks about what we need to do...

The Chumps got together for a short episode over the holiday weekend to talk about what we are thankful for in the cycling world. Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving out there, even if you are not in the USA.

This week the Chumps tried to start off with some lighthearted stories to balance the devastating news that GCN+ is shutting down roughly a month from now. The main conversation was about the demise of GCN+ and what that means for us and for the greater cycling community. It's obviously terrible, but listen to our conversation to get some chumps perspectives on why.

This week the Chumps talk about some new products that claim to improve your performance, or at least your on bike experience, in one way or the other. We discuss if these claims have any merit, and more broadly what chumps should think about the marketing claims that accompany product releases. Then, Mike is back in action with not 1 but 2 factoids this week!

This week the Chad and Eric give a recap of a an event we did in Pittsburgh called the Dirty Dozen. It is small but a lot of people have heard of the ride because of the steep hills that are part of it. After that the Chumps tackle the question of whether bikes these days are too complicated or not. Mike is back on track with the factoid this week, so listen to the end for that!

In this episode, the Chumps are uncharacteristically positive about some of the new bikes and tech that have recently surfaced. A new indoor trainer option is timely for those of us where winter is around the corner. A few new bikes that are chump friendly, and a curious drive train that has a lot of positives round out the episode. The end of the show derailed, and we had to edit a new ending in,...

If a race goes down in the woods, but no ones sees it, is it still a race? The Chumps discuss the UCI Gravel World Championships and the coverage of it (or lack thereof). This lack of coverage itself has been discussed by many people in many places, but we try to bring the Chump perspective as usual. Listen to the end for Chad coming through yet again with another historical fact(oid)!

The Chumps start by referring back to an early episode where we gave Wahoo some advice that they finally followed! We talk a little racing, specifically Mark Cavendish, but from a chump's perspective. And, like everyone else this week, we finished up by talking about the sad demise of the Survey Cross Check and what it means for the chumps out there. The factoid was actually in the form of a f...

The Chumps talk about, what else, the Shimano Ultegra and Dura Ace crank recall. Chad thinks we are fueling the fire by even talking about this as he thinks the whole thing is already overblown. But seriously, what else were we going to talk about this week? At least for Chad he comes through with another excellent historical factoid!

This week the Chumps start with some short racing takes on the Vuelta a España. The main topics though are some new tech from Wahoo and Silca, and new endurance bikes from Specialized and Giant. We give you some insight on whether or not you should go out and buy these new shiny things. Mike's factoid this week is a personal one, so be sure to listen to the end.

Randy is back! So we give him a wave at the start of the show. Chad talks about his theory for GRX 12 speed Di2, and then Randy has questions about rim and tire compatibility. We have discussed this before, but its important enough to revisit. Stay to the end for another historical bike factoid from Chad!

The Chumps talk a little Vuelta, particularly how (dis)organized it has been so far. The big topic though is some new big wheels and what they mean for bikes and riders. Chad tells us about his love for custom bikes and the MADE show where US builders are showing their wares, and he also, once again, comes through with a factoid!

Two of the Chumps, Mike and Ryan, buckled up and finished the Leadville 100 Mountain Bike race in under 12 hours! They are here to tell you all about their Leadville experience. Also listen to the end to hear Chad bail out Mike with a factoid of his own.

In the cycling world, it sometimes seems that brands put as much effort into marketing as they do into the products themselves. No brand is more recognized for their marketing than Specialized, but did they get it right with the launch of their new Tarmac SL8? The Chumps have some opinions on that, and no, we didn't even discuss the "Speed Sniffer" once. The issue seems much bigger t...