Velo Podcast

I went to Taiwan, but the show must go on. While I was away covering the Taipei Cycle Show, Mike Levy, Lisa Charlebois, and Logan Jones-Wilkins had plenty to talk about. Predictably, things got heavily focused on gravel tire pressure, but that wasn’t all. This week, the podcast crew debates why roadies need bigger gravel tires, breaks down Specialized’s newest tech, and confesses to their strangest cold-weather clothing hacks. In this episode, we cover: Lisa’s 300km Mission: A recap of an epic 193-mile ride through Napa and Sonoma, plus a crucial PSA on the protocol for crossing the Golden Gate Bridge late at night. Specialized's New Pathfinder TLR: Logan is currently working his way through a massive pile of test rubber. He explains why pros like Keegan Swenson opt for the slickest options, but argues the more aggressive Terra tread is actually better for the rest of us. Levy’s Tire Volume Hot Take: Levy takes a firm stance that most gravel riders are severely under-tired. His advice to roadies hitting the dirt? Stop obsessing over aero, mount the biggest tires your frame clears, and run an insert. New Roval Gravel Wheels: A quick look at the newly launched Roval Terra Aero CLX and Terra CLX3 wheelsets, including a discussion on their 27mm internal width and the decision to use a wide carbon hook. Questionable Winter Kit: Inspired by Jonas Vingegaard's heavily modified, cut-up winter bib shorts, the crew shares their own extreme cold-weather survival tactics—from crotchless long underwear to the merits of baggy mountain bike pants on a drop-bar bike. Give it a listen, and let us know in the comments if you have a favorite tire or if you think Levy is wrong on his hot take. Episode Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 01:25 - Lisa’s 300k 05:04 - Gravel Tires 27:54 - Specialized Wheels 34:28 - Clothing discussion

Five minutes after walking in the door from the Taipei Cycle Show, I sat down with Mike Levy to unpack what it was like being there. We immediately dive into the wildest tech from the show floor: what a $31,000 3D-printed titanium road bike actually looks like, whether those budget power meter pedals are legit or just vaporware, and the exact physics behind Pirelli’s claim that their new aero tire cuts drag without ruining rolling resistance. I also talk about the one Chinese brand I found at the show and how they’ve got a brand new gravel bike that’s half the price of a Western company. We also get into the 32-inch wheel standard. The first suspension fork for the standard hit the market at the show, and we dig into whether this is the upgrade riders have been waiting for. It wasn’t all walking trade show aisles, though. I spent a few days riding Factor's futuristic One aero road bike through the Taipei jungle, and the experience taught me how much better road culture can be. I was planning to bring that bike home for a full review and further aero testing. Instead, it stayed behind. We get into how the bike actually handles on the road, its aggressive geometry, and the ongoing mystery behind how I somehow managed to break it.

Svein Tuft, Canadian ex-pro cyclist and 13-time national champ turned bikepacker and author. He recounts pulling a 60-lb dog on epic trips, train-hopping tales, and how introversion fueled his European career. He talks old-school race days, ultra-endurance tips like why gaining weight can help, and a strange UFO-like sighting in the backcountry.

Logan Jones Wilkins, Velo’s new tech editor and Phoenix-based gravel racer, breaks down gear and race drama. He recounts a scary lead-vehicle near-miss at Mid-South. They debate single-sided gravel pedals, compare Look vs Wolf Tooth, and dissect tire, gearing, and frame-storage trends in modern gravel setups.

They unpack recent pro peloton tempers and on-bike confrontations with vivid personal stories. They debate driver behavior, taking the lane, and intersection safety tactics. They compare two major bike launches, scrutinizing Giant's bold 18-watt aero claim and Cannondale's surprising CAAD14 apology and showstopper brushed-aluminum model. They also trade creative mid-ride snack strategies.

What does it take to be considered one of the greatest of all time? A boatload of major wins doesn't hurt, of course, but how a racer wins can be just as important. Tadej Pogačar's list of victories includes four Tour de France titles, two World Championships, and a remarkable ten Monuments, among many others. They're super-human performances, no doubt, yet it's the Slovenian's willingness to race with his heart and gamble it all that sets him apart, especially in this era of relatively risk-averse specialists.Today's podcast sees Levy speaking with Velo contrinutor Andy McGrath, author of "Tadej Pogačar: Unstoppable," a biography of the modern era’s greatest cyclist. They dig into Pogačar's early days as a junior, his family life and his mother's concerns, and how he's able to remain so calm and positive even when it's not going to plan. Oh, and might Pogačar have a secret tractor collection? 

Opening weekend in Flanders saw chaos, carnage, and the inevitable, with Omloop first-timer Mathieu van der Poel taking a dominating win and Demi Vollering showing some impressive early-season strength. This episode of the Velo podcast has European editor and race correspondent Andrew Hood breaking down all the action from Belgium and answering Levy's questions about how to stop MVDP's dominance at the classics, why there were so many huge crashes, and when a podium feels like a victory.Hoody and Levy also get into the action from Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne, where 20-year-old Matthew Brennan's dominating sprint form has finally given Visma–Lease a Bike some good news. They also preview this weekend's Strade Bianche and weigh in on the chances of anyone beating Tadej Pogačar for his fourth win on the white roads, something that Tom Pidcock and Paul Seixas will be doing their best to prevent. 

They rant about a new Ironman rule that smells more like corporate spin than safety. Garmin’s ecosystem and the Edge 1050’s screen-versus-battery tradeoffs get a long, candid takedown. Home-mechanic headaches from T47 BBs and hookless rim marketing earn heated critiques. Jersey pocket placement, gravel geometry missteps, and useless electric mini pumps round out the grievances.

Senior Tech Editor Josh Ross has spent the last month living with the 5th generation Cannondale SuperSix EVO, and he’s come to a blunt conclusion: either he’s jaded, or the flagship "superbike" just isn't that exciting. While the marketing suggests this is a category-defining machine, Josh explains why at $10,000 for the Hi-Mod (and more for the Lab71), the SuperSix has essentially become a clone of the Specialized Tarmac SL8 without actually hitting the same high marks. The crew discusses the "Tarmac-ification" of the all-around race bike and why the real winner of this launch is actually the $3,000 mechanical 105 build at the bottom of the range. The SuperSix launch is just the start of the episode. Mike Levy, Lisa Charlerbois, and Josh dive into the polarizing news of the upcoming Lance Armstrong movie starring Austin Butler. Does another big-screen biopic help or hurt the sport’s image? The crew also tackles your listener questions, including the rise of Chinese wireless drivetrains, Mike’s story of being chased through the dark by a "squadron" of squirrels, and whether radar is actually ruining the purity of the ride. Finally, Josh doubles down on the take that set the Velo comments section on fire: Hi-viz clothing is victim blaming. He explains why he's rejecting the "common sense" argument and why we need to stop shifting the burden of safety onto cyclists. 00:00 – Welcome to the show  01:53 – The Austin Butler/Lance Armstrong Movie Debate  08:17 – Listener Q&A  30:58 – Trek Check-Out Long Term: Ditching the "Dorky" Rack  36:07 – SuperSix EVO Gen 5: What Actually Changed, how the Lab71 compares to the Tarmac SL8 and Cervélo S5, and why the 105 mechanical build is what you be buying 50:13 – Wrap up and a tease about the Garmin 1050 and how it's possible the company made a mistake

From donkeys in the Oman desert to a kangaroo take-down at the Tour Down Under, the 2026 racing season is off to a wild start. But the real creature chaos starts when Levy tells the story of being hunted through the woods by something he can't quite explain. This week, we also have a heated discussion on whether the push for hi-viz apparel is actually a form of victim blaming that ignores the real dangers of the road. Plus, we discuss the new Garmin RearVue 820 and how its same-speed tracking effectively turns it into a high-tech drafting sensor for catching wheel-suckers. 00:00 – Intro  00:35 – Wildlife Chaos: Donkeys and Gazelles in Oman  04:25 – Wildlife Chaos: Kangaroos at the Tour Down Under  05:53 – Hazardous Animal Encounters: Dogs and Bee Stings  08:09 – Hazardous Animal Encounters: Locusts and Tarantulas  09:26 – Levy’s Mystery Woods Encounter (The Bigfoot Story)  13:55 – Listener Q&A: The Cost of Campagnolo Batteries  17:41 – Listener Q&A: Electronic Drivetrains and "E-Waste"  23:53 – Listener Q&A: Lower Tier and Chinese Group Sets  29:54 – Garmin RearVue 820: The Drafting Sensor Hack  47:15 – The Ethics of Safety: Is Hi-Viz Just Victim Blaming?