Velo Podcast

At the start of this week, we were stunned to learn the news of Kelly Catlin's tragic death. The Olympic silver medalist and three-time world champion took her own life overnight on Thursday, March 7. In this podcast, we hear from her twin brother Colin, who remembers her quirky personality and her drive to be the best at whatever she set her mind to. Also in this podcast, we recap Strade Bianche...

if you want to be at your strongest and, more importantly, if you want to ride a bike for a long time, off-the-bike, functional training is the work you can’t skip. Whether you’re 21 or 51, if you don't add strength and mobility to your routine, it’s going to come back to haunt you, as Trevor and our guest today will testify to. In episode 69, we take a deep dive into functional training… literall...

Fred is back from a trip to the United Arab Emirates ... Why? Because WorldTour bike racing made its annual pilgrimage to the desert. He explains why the UAE Tour exists, what challenges it faces, and what the racing action was like. Also, we recap Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. We dig into the details of this emerging doping scandal in Austria, and finally we look ahead to Stra...

Get psyched ... the spring cobbled classics start Saturday with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad! We look ahead to the two Belgian races this weekend. To do that, we take a quick look back at the action from last week's flurry of one-week races. Plus, we catch up with Brent Bookwalter at the UAE Tour. He talks to Fred about the transition to Mitchelton-Scott, his motivation to keep racing, and the Australian...

In this episode we’re taking a step back — way back — to see the forest for the tress. Let me explain: Many of you have been fascinated by our recordings with scientists and coaches like Stephen Seiler, John Hawley, Iñigo San Millan, and Joe Friel. Now, we’ve sifted through hours of Fast Talk recordings with our many distinguished guests to bring context to what we hope is a simplified, unified me...

Sad news for fixed-gear crit fans: Red Hook Crit will not take place in 2019. We discuss what this means, how the iconic race series will move forward, and what made it so successful to begin with. Then, we talk about one of the last remaining 24-hour mountain bike races, 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo. Every year, more than 4,000 people come to the Arizona desert for this party that devolves into a b...

There are a few factors that slow us down when we ride a bike: aerodynamics, gravity, and friction. Today, we're searching for ways to reduce the friction on our bike without breaking the bank. To do this, we speak with Jason Smith chief technology officer at Ceramic Speed. He explains the many things we can do to make our bikes run faster. Is factory chain grease slow? Which bearings on our bike...

U.S. bike shop chain Performance Bicycle is shutting down all of its brick and mortar stores, leaving 1,700 people out of jobs. We talk to Steve Frotheringham, editor in chief at Bicycle Retailer & Industry News, to learn the backstory. After that, we discuss USA Cycling's recently announced selection criteria for the cross-country mountain bike races at the 2020 Olympics. How will the team get pi...

For years, we have used VO2max to measure the maximal rate of our aerobic system. But how do we measure the rate of our anaerobic system? Over the past two decades, renowned physiologist and coach Sebastian Weber has developed the anaerobic equivalent to VO2max, which he calls Vlamax, or the maximal rate of lactate production. Today we take a close look at this sometimes complicated concept, but b...

Geraint Thomas's new tell-all book, "The Tour According to G" comes out in America this week. Ahead of this, we spoke with the 2018 Tour de France champion himself about the book, the race, and much more. Before we get to that, we analyze an exciting weekend of racing at UCI Cyclocross World Championships in Denmark. This episode is sponsored by Strava, which has a new podcast, Athletes Unfiltered...

What happens when a bike company sends its "aero" bike to a wind tunnel? What do we need to know about bike aerodynamics as everyday cyclists? We speak with Geoff Eaker, manager and operator of the A2 wind tunnel, about these topics and much more. He answers questions about CFD testing, how to pick an aero bike, and why wind tunnels should suck not blow.

The biggest weekend of cyclocross season is here! Worlds start Saturday in Denmark. We preview the action and pick a few key riders you can expect to reach the podium. But first, we talk about Elia Viviani, recent winner of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Race. How does he fit into the pantheon of modern sprinters, and what will he be able to achieve now that he is the number one sprinter on Quick-Ste...

Periodization is, in many ways, the pinnacle of advanced training. Taking the step to periodize graduates you to a professional approach, one with purpose, long-term vision, and organized planning. But periodization can also be confusing and, frankly, a little scary. Periodizing your training means diving into a world of new concepts, things like training blocks, mesocycles, and increasing specifi...

Caleb Ewan's Tour Down Under head-butt ... Was it too dangerous or just part of racing? We discuss, and also we hear from Luke Rowe who was racing in Australia. He talks about Geraint Thomas's Tour win and more. Plus, we hear from Svein Tuft on his move to Rally-UHC and how he'll shepherd young riders through the European peloton. This episode is sponsored by Strava, which has a new podcast, Athle...

The 2019 WorldTour is officially underway this week at the Tour Down Under, and a few big names have made the trek to Australia to race in the summertime heat. We hear from one of those marquee riders — EF's Mike Woods — as he gets his season going at an event that should suit his skill set. We also talk Giro vs. Tour start lists, McLaren's arrival as a cycling sponsor, and EF's new kit — it will...

Those who take their training and racing seriously are always looking for something to give them an edge — that marginal gain — including nutritional supplements. So much has been promised to us in pill form, it’s created a multi-billion-dollar industry. Those promises carry into enhanced endurance performance. And many athletes have resorted to the morning supplement cocktail believing it will ma...

New year, new ... USA Cycling CEO? That's right the American governing body just announced its new boss, Rob DeMartini, who comes from an unconventional background. We discuss the move. Also, Fred Dreier talks to Ben Wolfe about the rocky off-season that domestic pro riders had to endure. With four major teams either closing down or changing significantly it was a time of stress and unrest. Plus,...

Don't be such a Dan! A Dan?! That's right, our tech podcast host Dan Cavallari is a bit timid about riding in foul weather. Not to worry because today he is talking with Rob Pickels, physiologist in advanced development at Pearl Izumi. They discuss how breathability works (and why that is a misnomer), how waterproof your cycling kit really needs to be, and why zippers actually don't work that well...

In episode 64, we ask the question: What does it take to stand on the podium at the world championships? It’s a simple question without a simple answer. Strength buys you a seat at the table, but playing a winning hand takes effective training, teamwork, near-perfect strategy, and an incredible mindset. In today's episode we take a deep dive into all of the elements that are needed for a podium pl...

We talk with cyclocross veteran Helen Wyman (Xypex) about some of the storylines shaping international women’s cyclocross in 2018. Why are some races still too short? What impact will the junior women’s division have on elite racing? And which riders are the favorites to win the world title?

Carbon fiber bike frames are light years ahead of their predecessors in the early days of the technology. How do bike companies milk so much performance out of such lightweight frames in 2019? To learn about the technology, we speak with Jeff Soucek, director of research and development at Felt Bicycles. He explains mysterious terms like modulus, resins, additives, and layups. All of this results...

The future is uncertain for Team Sky. Its title sponsor rocked the cycling world with news that it will end its support after 2019. What comes next? Can David Brailsford find a new sponsor? What happens to Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas, and all the others if the team tanks? We talk to our man in Europe Andrew Hood to learn more. Then we recap a muddy, wild U.S. cyclocross nationals including interv...

It's the holidays and if you're like us, right about now, you're scrambling for gift ideas. So we're trying something new on Fast Talk and doing a gift episode. Of course, there's a ton of great gifts you can give that cyclist in your life, so we can't cover them all. Instead, we're going to focus on a few cool training gadgets. Some of which you're very familiar with and some you may never have e...

U.S. cyclocross national championships are coming up this weekend in Louisville, Kentucky. Can Katie Compton and Stephen Hyde salvage their seasons? They have each struggled with setbacks so far this season. Compton first dealt with allergies and then a virus. Hyde had two major crashes resulting in injuries and weeks of rehab. We examine their chances of defending their national titles and rate t...

We've been getting a ton of questions from listeners, and many of them have had similar themes. (We appreciate the feedback, look forward to your questions, and generate many future podcast topics from them, so please keep them coming.) While you're waiting for future episodes with deeper answers, we'd like to give you some short answers now to tide you over. Today we'll answer questions about die...