In this spontaneous edition of the road.cc Podcast, Ryan is joined by Jack Sexty, Mat Brett and Stu Kerton to discuss Shimano's surprising revamp of its popular fourth tier Tiagra groupset. 

The reason this is so surprising to us is not just because we were left to surmise that the groupset would eventually be phased out - it's because we were all but told this would be the case in a presentation distributed to the media shortly before the launch of Shimano CUES, the company's range of 9-, 10- and 11-speed components aimed at more recreational riders and commuting.  

In that presentation, Shimano said its 'mid-tier' road and mountain bike groupsets (below 105 and SLX level) would be unified under the CUES brand, which surely meant Tiagra, Sora and Claris would be chopped... but now we've been told that's not what was being said, and Shimano never explicitly said Tiagra would be phased out. Could have fooled us! 

Shimano also introduced a mechanical, 12-speed Shimano 105 groupset when it said that wouldn't happen following the launch of 105 Di2  in 2022... so, is all this flip-flopping and U-turning a worrying sign for the world's largest manufacturer of bicycle components, or is it a good thing that a company of Shimano's size can improvise and give the people what they're asking for? The road.cc tech nerds dig into the details based off what they know so far. 

Cheating in cycling… should we just accept it will always happen?

Four months into her new role as the president of the anti-doping Movement for Credible Cycling, Emily Brammeier joins us to discuss the MPCC’s aims and ambitions, 19 years into its existence, how the cycling and anti-doping landscape has changed since then, and the suspicions that still hang over the sport.

We also chatted about the need to tackle the so-called medical ‘grey area’ exploited by teams and riders seeking an edge – which she described as pro cycling’s greatest modern challenge – the success of the MPCC in proactively leading the way when it comes to ‘grey area’ issues such as tramadol and carbon monoxide, and her and the group’s plans for the future in a sport where, Emily says, there will always be people looking to cheat.

On this week’s episode, we’re joined by one of the most recognisable voices in cycling: former two-time British champion and TNT Sports pundit Brian Smith.

Brian chats about the struggles involved in promoting smaller races from outside cycling’s heartlands, while battling for position in a congested calendar.

We also discuss the biggest bike race of them all, the Tour de France, and its visit to the UK (and Scotland) next summer, Oscar Onley’s move to Ineos (and why it might be a mistake), why Brian believes pro cycling teams “use and abuse” their riders, and why it’s a “shame” the Tour has gone behind a televisual paywall… even if Brian’s the one commentating behind it.

On this week’s episode of the road.cc Podcast, bike industry stalwart Rory Hitchens joins us for our annual cycling market health check-up – and tells us why brands being “honest” with themselves have brought the industry back to where it needs to be.

And in part two, Ryan and Dan pore over the details of next summer’s festival of bike racing. Apologies in advance to the people of Carlisle...

It’s fair to say the opening nine days of the new year have been fairly frenetic when it comes to news. And I’m only talking about our niche, little world of cycling (if you’re looking for Ruben Amorim or Trump chats, I’m sure there are a few football and politics podcasts knocking around the internet). 

Which means there was lots to discuss when we convened for our first podcast discussion of 2026. In this week’s episode, we discuss everything from the surprise retirement announcement of one of Britain’s greatest ever cyclists, British Cycling’s decision to construct a paywall for the national cyclocross championships, and the very important matter of ranking this year’s fresh batch of cycling kits. 

Oh, and something inconsequential about the government’s attitudes to cycling...

Christmas is fast approaching (gulp), and that means only one thing… in podcast land, anyway – it’s time for us to don our best paper party hats, break open the archives, and reflect on the biggest cycling stories of 2025.

In part two, the Cycle to Work Alliance’s chair Steve Edgell joins us to discuss Labour’s plans to re-introduce a spending cap on purchases made as part of Cycle to Work – and how the group ‘mobilised’ to stop those plans.

Steve also chats about the continued support for Cycle to Work within the government, how it is key to attracting new cycling converts (especially when it comes to making e-bikes accessible), and why the alliance is working hard to “dispel the myth” that Cycle to Work is catered to rich MAMILs in the Surrey Hills.

Meanwhile, in part one, Ryan, Jack, Dan, and Emily sign off for the year by assessing some of the other big stories from the worlds racing, tech, infrastructure, politics. Happy Christmas!

On this week’s episode, Ryan is joined by 2011 Tour de France winner Cadel Evans and 2007 Paris-Roubaix victor Stuart O’Grady, two of Australia’s greatest ever cyclists.

The dynamic Aussie duo chat about what they’re up to these days, including O’Grady’s role as Tour Down Under organiser, and reflect on how their perspectives on cycling have shifted since retiring and how much the sport has changed, from increasing professionalisation to greater focus on nutrition and aerodynamics.

They also weigh in on cycling’s ongoing race safety debate (and why gear restrictions and wider handlebars are “common sense”), Tadej Pogacar’s dominance (and why it’s a good thing), the impact of this year’s anti-Israel protests on organisers, teams, and riders, the future of Australian racing… oh, and why we shouldn’t expect a theatre production commemorating O’Grady’s Roubaix victory any time soon.

Former world time trial champion, Olympic medallist, and endurance sport all-rounder Emma Pooley joins the podcast to discuss her new recipe book/memoir Oat to Joy, her own up-and-down relationship with food, the ‘weight debate’ that erupted in women’s cycling this year (and what she regards as the gender-based hypocrisy surrounding it) and her times spent fighting the sport’s ‘idiots’… especially when it came to a celebratory post-win hot chocolate.

We also chat about Pooley and her generation’s role in growing women’s cycling, the battle for the Tour de France Femmes, getting used to riding slowly on the morning commute, and why sometimes making enemies is a sign you’re doing a good job…

“This is crazy. It’s Russia, you don’t illegally enter Russian territory. You don’t do that!” says Sofiane Sehili. Except he did… And the ultra-endurance legend tells us all about it on this epic episode of the podcast.

In September, Sehili was a day away from breaking the world record for the fastest Eurasia crossing by bike when he was refused entry to Russia at the country’s border with China. Undeterred, he forged on through a forest, through streams, and over barbed wire across the border. After handing himself in, he was arrested, spending 51 days in a Russian jail before being sent home.

Now back home safe in France, Sehili talks in depth about that dramatic conclusion to his latest record attempt, his 51 days in a jail in Russia’s Far East, and the response he’s got since returning home.

We also chat about the logistical planning that goes into these mammoth, ultra-cycling rides, how his perspective on life has changed since his time in Russia, and – most importantly – what happened to his bike when he was in jail…

20 years ago, former England footballer, Crystal Palace captain, and cancer survivor Geoff Thomas first made his mark on the cycling world by completing all 21 stages and 3,593km of the 2005 Tour de France, a day before the Lance Armstrong-led peloton.

Since then, Thomas’s Tour 21 has developed into a huge deal, and every year groups of amateurs follow in his wheel tracks and ride the Tour route one week before the pros, raising millions of pounds for Cure Leukaemia. And this summer, Geoff marked two decades since his first French summer by riding his seventh Tour 21. 

In a wide-ranging chat, Geoff discusses his own cancer story, the origins of his Tour rides, the highs and lows of 20 years of riding a bike around France, his experiences with a certain Texan, his relationship with cycling beyond the Tour, and why cycling in a group isn’t that far removed from being part of a football changing room.

It may have been sorely lacking in recent years, but the 2026 edition of the Tour de France Hommes will be all about suspense. Or, as the race’s press release put it, it’s going to be a ‘crescendo’. Whether it’s one that could build to a great Alpine GC frenzy, or, if Tadej decides to clash the symbols sooner than anticipated, fade into a disappointing diminuendo, remains to be seen.
On this week’s episode, we offer our immediate reactions to the Tour Hommes route revealed this week, which features a Barcelona start, an early Pyrenean excursion, a backloaded double visit to Alpe d’Huez, and the return of the Montmarte finale in Paris.
We also provide some hot takes on what looks set to be a very exciting Tour de France Femmes in 2026, including its long-awaited trip to Mont Ventoux and a potentially explosive final stage in Nice.
Elsewhere, inspired by Remco Evenepoel’s redemptive downhill performance at Il Lombardia this month, Emily puts her sports psychology Masters to good use and offers some handy advice on how you too can overcome a heavy crash and regain your confidence on the bike.

Following Israel-Premier Tech’s decision to change both its name and nationality for 2026, in the wake of a season dominated by protests and controversy surrounding the team’s participation in races amid the conflict in Gaza, former UCI president Brian Cookson joins us on the podcast to discuss one of cycling’s biggest talking points in recent years: sportswashing.

In a wide-ranging discussion, Cookson, who ran the UCI between 2013 and 2017 after 16 years at the helm of British Cycling, chats about the spectre of sportswashing in cycling, affecting both sponsorship and race locations, why nation states shouldn’t have their name on team jerseys, and how cycling’s stakeholders should deal with protests on the road.

Elsewhere in the podcast, we also discuss the state of professional cycling in 2025, how the sport has moved on from the doping era Cookson saw first-hand as UCI president, and where things are currently going right (and wrong) for cycling in the UK.

Buckle up for a truly epic episode of the road.cc podcast! We're delighted to be joined by legendary cyclist Pippa York and arguably cycling's most well-known journalist, David Walsh, for episode 115. 

After York agreed to spend three weeks on the road with Walsh following the Tour de France back in 2020, the pair struck up an unlikely friendship, which culminated in a book about their adventures during that Tour, plus the 2021 and 2022 editions, published earlier this year. 

Nothing is off the table in this episode, as we discuss the book, York’s struggles before, during, and after her career, the trans debate in sports, whether cycling has changed over the last 30 years, and a whole lot more. 

This week, we're exploring one of the big cycling tech stories of 2025: the rise of Chinese bike brands. And why they could, through better tech, research and design, and affordable prices, very quickly threaten the traditional western brands and transform the global cycling industry. 

To assess China’s new high-end bike brand dynasty, and dig deeper into the circumstances, tech, and methods underpinning it, we spoke to Yoeleo, one of those Chinese companies aiming to disrupt the global cycling market and reinvent the country’s position and reputation within the industry.

On the evening of Tuesday 23 May 2019, Ben Hetherington’s life changed forever. 

Ben, then 23-years-old and one of the most exciting young prospects in British cycling, was racing a local 10-mile time trial when he was struck by a motorist who turned right across the carriageway’s eastbound lanes after failing to give way. Ben suffered serious, life-threatening injuries in the crash, including a traumatic brain injury, and spent several weeks in an induced coma and three months in hospital. He eventually returned to para-cycling and continues to pick up top results. 

However, after the motorist was cleared in the criminal courts, Ben pursued civil proceedings against the driver – who then claimed the cycling club who organised the time trial (and Ben) were actually the ones at fault. Earlier this year, the driver’s case was dismissed in what has been described as an “important decision” for grassroots cycling clubs.

Ryan sat down with two lawyers who worked on the case, Laura Murphy and Martin Porter, to discuss what that judgement means for time trialling in Britain, for cycling clubs staging any kind of event on open roads, and for the volunteers who help make it all possible – and also why cyclists should expect better from the police investigating crashes.

This episode of the podcast is in association with Schwalbe...

How do you go about building a Tour de France team effectively from scratch? That’s the question I asked when I popped around to the rest day hotel of Julian Alaphilippe’s Tudor Pro Cycling squad, who are making their debuts at this year’s Tour.

The Swiss team are relative newbies to the sport, only launching under the Tudor name in 2022, two years after classics legend and national hero Fabian Cancellara took over the Swiss Academy Racing project. The squad then stepped up to the second-tier ProTeam level the following year, and has enjoyed something of a meteoric rise to the top of the sport, making their Giro debut last year, before being invited to the 2025 Tour.

On this week’s episode, I chat to Tudor CEO Raphael Meyer about the team’s growth and how you get ready for a race as big as the Tour de France.

I clambered up into the team truck, to have a nosey at the squad’s bikes and wheels, and to chat to their head mechanic Diego Costa about what it takes to put together a Tour de France bike.

Tadej Pogačar, already four stage wins to the good this year and chasing his fourth Tour de France title at the age of just 26, is busy cementing his status as one of cycling’s greatest ever riders, with yet another dominant, cannibal-esque performance at the sport’s biggest race.

But is Pogačar’s relentless dominance hurting the race? And is he just too good? That’s the big debate featured on the latest episode of the road.cc Podcast, where Ryan is in the Pyrenees following the Slovenian’s exploits this week.

Ryan also chats with one of the big stars of the first two weeks of the Tour, Ben Healy, whose swashbuckling, attacking displays were rewarded with a stage win and two days in the yellow jersey. 

After relinquishing yellow on Hautacam, Healy reflected on his spell leading the Tour and why he’s looking forward to getting back to doing what he does best: attacking.

It’s July, it’s hot, the men’s and women’s pelotons are both deep into grand tour season – and the road.cc Podcast is hitting the road and embracing all the stage racing madness, as part of a new mini-series we’re calling… errr, ‘road.cc on the road’. 

And kicking off this tentatively titled podcast series, I headed to northern Italy and the self-proclaimed cheese capital of Europe, Bergamo, for the start of the Giro d’Italia Women, one of the biggest, most prestigious week-long races on the calendar.

During my weekend in Bergamo, in-between eating as much casoncelli as I could physically manage, eavesdropping on interminable cat selfie shoots, and dodging thunderstorms and VIP mascots (you’ll have to tune in to find out what that’s about), I caught up with four riders on extreme ends of the Giro experience spectrum: four-time Giro winner Anna van der Breggen, and debutants (and future stage winner and pink jersey) Anna Henderson, Pfeiffer Georgi, and Irish champion Mia Griffin.

Coppi versus Bartali. Anquetil versus Poulidor. LeMond versus Hinault. Armstrong versus Ullrich. Contador versus Schleck. Does Tadej Pogačar’s epic rivalry with Jonas Vingegaard at the Tour de France beat them all?

That’s the question we try our best to answer during this week’s Tour de France-focused episode of the road.cc Podcast, as we rub our hands in glee at the prospect of Pogi v Jonas entering its fifth consecutive instalment, with the scores currently even at two-all.

As the Grand Départ in Lille approaches, Emily, Ryan, and Dan discuss the duo’s sustained rivalry and its place in cycling history and why, despite this year’s Tour appearing more delicately poised than ever, Pogačar is, in most people’s eyes, the hot favourite for yellow in Paris.

In part 2, legendary Olympic champion-turned-Active Travel Commissioner, Chris Boardman, is taking some time out from the Tour to offer us some much-needed respite from incessant bike racing chat.

In the full version of our interview featured earlier this month on road.cc, Ryan and Chris talk e-bikes, safety concerns, “sloppy journalism”, and the need to tackle anti-cycling narratives in the press and some political circles by highlighting the positive outcomes of riding a bike.

00:00 - 00:54: Introduction 
00:55 - 37:52: Is Tadej Pogačar vs Jonas Vingegaard the greatest Tour de France rivalry in history?
37:53 - 39:38: Hammerhead advert plus exclusive offer
39:39 - 51:27: Chris Boardman interview
51:28 - 53:17: outro

The road.cc Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music, and if you have an Alexa you can just tell it to play the road.cc Podcast.

At the time of broadcast, our listeners can also get a free Hammerhead Heart Rate Monitor with the purchase of a Hammerhead Karoo 2. Visit hammerhead.io right now and use promo code ROADCC at checkout to get yours.

For most of the pro cycling world, June is all about altitude camps, warm-up races, and fine-tuning that all-important preparation ahead of the big one: the Tour de France. But here at road.cc, it really means only one thing: our annual tech-spotting pilgrimage to the Critérium du Dauphiné! (Or whatever it’s going to be called next year…)

And while all eyes were on Tadej Pogačar, road.cc’s editor Jack and news editor Dan were busy skulking around rural French car parks in search of the next big thing in bike tech, from the new Cervélo S5 aero bike to that mad, track-inspired, super wide fork-sporting Factor. 

After discussing their findings and why bike brands still love “playing the game” when it comes to ‘secret’ new tech, attentions turned to the UCI’s latest regulatory bombshell, after the governing body’s string of new tech rules, covering everything from helmet designs and rim height to handlebar and fork width, provoked a backlash from riders and bike fitters.

And in part two, the Cycle to Work Alliance’s chair Steve Edgell joins us to chat about the success of Cycle to Work in enabling people to, well, cycle to work, recent claims it lack inclusivity and is “sucking the lifeblood” out of bike shops, and what modernising the scheme actually means in practice.

On this week’s episode, we’re joined by Julian Chamberlayne, a partner at Stewart’s, the UK law firm who last month secured a £4.5m settlement case against Planet X’s insurers, after cyclist Dr Daniel Gordon was left paralysed in a crash caused by his gravel bike's carbon fork shearing in two on a grass slope.

We discuss what went wrong to lead to such a horrendous crash, the case itself, and its potential implications for the cycling industry, where gravel bikes are frequently marketed as ‘go anywhere’ machines, when the reality can often be very different. 

And in part one, Ryan and Dan chat about THAT staggering ending to the Giro d’Italia, the tactical drama that unfolded on the Colle delle Finestre, and whether Simon Yates’ pink jersey triumph places him firmly in the upper echelon of British cycling greats.

This week, Ryan chats with the co-founder of the latest big idea hoping to shake up the conservative world of cycling: Formula Fixed, a new US-based indoor racing series featuring bikes with no brakes on tight, twisting, go-kart style circuits in a ticketed arena setting.

With this new brand of cycling set to launch this year, Formula Fixed founder James Grady chats about his background in cycling, his plans for his new racing league, how it will actually work, and why big swings, not marginal gains, are required to give cycling a metaphorical boot up the backside.

We also talk about turning cycling from a participant-based sport into a fan-based one, the issues afflicting US racing at the moment, why Formula Fixed can boost the road scene, not usurp it – and why he doesn’t care what people in France think.

And most importantly: Does our sport really need a rebrand and can Formula Fixed, ahem, ‘fix’ cycling?

This week, former WorldTour pros Harry Tanfield and Sophie Wright kindly interrupted their packing for Sea Otter to hop on the podcast and discuss how they’ve adapted to life as rookie gravel racers with Britain’s newest professional cycling team, the Ribble Outliers – including getting used to wider tyres and lower pressures (and why they’re a big plus when it comes to riding on Britain’s battered roads).

The duo also chatted about the pressures facing British cycling at the moment for riders, organisers, and fans, Harry’s ill-fated bid to set up his own road team last year, and why the Tour de France’s visit could be a kick-starter for the local scene… If we can watch it on TV, of course. 

Oh, and why the UK’s active travel approach is lightyears behind our European counterparts (yes, there was a lot covered).

And in part one, Jack and Ryan are joined by road.cc founder Tony Farrelly and regular contributor Jo Burt to pay tribute to the brilliant John Stevenson, our friend and former colleague at road.cc, and an absolute titan in the world of cycling journalism for four decades, who died earlier this month.

To mark Security and Storage Week on road.cc, this week’s episode focuses on one of the most useful and controversial – if you’re a grumpy SUV driver, anyway – urban cycling innovations of the past 15 years: the cycle hangar.

Invented by Cyclehoop founder Anthony Lau, and spawning a host of imitators, Bikehangars provide secure shelter for six bikes in half the space normally occupied by a car parking space, giving cyclists outdoor, weather-protected cycle storage near their homes. And they’ve proved exceptionally popular too, currently numbering 3,000 across the UK.

Lau joins for a wide-ranging chat discussing the origins and growth of Cyclehoop, the persistent and increasing problem of bike theft in the UK, the lack of safe, secure storage facilities for cyclists, and the criticism his company’s faced from motorists for taking spots once reserved for cars. 

Oh, and why SUV-shaped bike hangars could be the future…

With the cycling industry gripped by yet another period of uncertainty, this week’s episode of the road.cc Podcast focuses on the story that’s dominated the front pages all month – Donald Trump’s chaos-creating global tariffs. 

And why, at least according to one industry insider, they aren’t going to, as feared by many, “sink the ship”, and could even present an opportunity for bike brands in the UK to capitalise on a re-ordered global market.

As brands rush to increase their prices and campaign groups lobby their local politicians during Trump’s 90-day pause on his so-called reciprocal tariffs, we’re joined by Dominic Loh, the director of business at the parent company that runs mountain bike brands Funn and Granite Design, with over a decade’s worth of experience in the Asian and UK cycling market.

Fresh from Sea Otter, where the US president’s trade policies were the talk of the town, Dominic discusses the reaction to the tariffs within the industry, why forecasts of doom and gloom are overstated, and the potential for prices rises for customers at their local bike shop.

He also chats about the continued resilience of the cycling industry, why brands need to stay nimble, and why the tariffs could lead brands to adopt a more global approach, perhaps even presenting opportunities for UK-based companies in the new post-Brexit landscape.

We’re deep into classics season, with Paris-Roubaix looming on the horizon, so this week’s episode of the road.cc Podcast pays homage to cycling’s biggest one-day events.

In part two, double Olympic champion Kristen Faulkner joins us from her altitude training camp in Sierra Nevada, as she prepares for the upcoming Ardennes classics following a turbulent start to the season marred by the concussion she suffered in a training crash in December.

The EF Education-Oatly leader chats about that mad week in Paris last summer, which saw her become the first American women to win gold medals in two different disciplines at the same Olympics, her plans for 2025, her outsider’s status within the peloton, and why, despite women’s cycling progressing rapidly in recent years, the sport has to acknowledge “how far there is to go”. 

And first up, Emily casts her eye over the cobbled classics season so far, and Ryan recaps an eventful, often chaotic day on the Oude Kwaremont at last weekend’s Tour of Flanders, reflecting on why the Ronde means so much not just to Belgium, but to cycling in general.

Oh, and we announce the winner of our coveted Episode 100 Jeremy Vine competition…

It’s the road.cc Podcast’s 100th episode! And to celebrate our century, we’re joined this week by a staple of our news and live blog coverage: broadcaster, cyclist, road safety advocate, and self-confessed road.cc fanatic Jeremy Vine.

During a brilliantly entertaining chat, Jeremy talks us through his conversion to cycling in his 40s, his later radicalisation when it came to road safety, and his decision to buy a helmet camera and post his rides to work in London on the lovely online debating forum that was Twitter. 

We also discuss his stance on social media toxicity, especially concerning cycling, the BBC’s impartiality rules, the “gaslighting” of cyclists for wanting safer infrastructure, a few of his, ahem, unusual ideas to make things better for cyclists in London, and his general relationship with all things cycling and bikes.

Oh, and there were also a few Trump impressions thrown in for good measure.

And in part two, Ryan, Jack, and Emily look back over the past 100 episodes, four years, and 6,000 or so minutes of the podcast – and there’s a chance for you to win some excellent road.cc swag…

What is the worst, least hospitable city for cycling in the UK? While we’re sure you all have your own ‘favourite’ contenders for that particular accolade, in this week’s podcast episode – our 99th, if you haven’t noticed already – Ryan decides to settle the debate once and for all, by jumping on his bike (and pushing and walking it) along the questionably protected and poorly connected bike lanes of Belfast.

Despite the implementation of the Belfast Cycling Network Delivery Plan in 2021, Northern Ireland’s capital still boasts a paltry two miles of protected cycling infrastructure, missing out large swathes of the city, locking it in the pre-active travel dark ages and attracting strong criticism from local campaigners.

During the episode, Ryan joins one of those campaigners, the Belfast Cycle Campaign’s Meg Hoyt for an eye-opening bike tour of the city, featuring some head scratching bike lane designs, plenty of ‘get off and push’ moments, traffic-free paths filled with broken glass, badly parked cars, a prolonged stretch of lovely scenic riding, and maybe… just maybe, a glimmer of hope for the future. 

And in part two, Jack and Ryan sit down to chat with Jonathon Harker, the editor of Cycling Industry News, as we mark five years since the world shut down and the face of the bike industry was changed irrevocably. 

Jonathon assesses the state of the bike industry in 2025, discusses the impact of culture war stories surrounding e-bikes and infrastructure on the industry, and why cycling’s new motto, after a year or so of ‘Survive until 2025’, should perhaps be modified to the equally poetic ‘Thrive beyond 2025’. 

Let’s hope that one catches on…

One of the cycling transfer stories of the winter – and possibly the decade – was Tom Pidcock’s decision to break his contract with the Ineos Grenadiers three years early to join Swiss second-tier ProTeam Q36.5 Pro Cycling.

And, despite the messy, protracted saga that preceded the transfer, it’s fair to say the move has worked out pretty well so far. Pidcock’s debut for Q36.5 saw him win two stages and the overall in convincing fashion at the AlUla Tour, while the team’s also been firing on all cylinders early doors, already equalling their total number of 2024 wins by mid-February.

So, with a Pidcock-led Q36.5 making waves at the start of 2025, we’re joined on this week’s episode by the squad’s former Irish champion Rory Townsend, who’s starting his second season with the Swiss team after working his way up through the British domestic scene over the past decade. 

Townsend discusses the Pidcock transfer saga, as well as the double Olympic champion’s immediate impact on the in-form team, and whether signing one of cycling’s biggest stars has raised expectations and changed the squad’s identity.
We also examine the 29-year-old’s own unique, circuitous path to the pro ranks, via an Epstein Barr diagnosis, rejections, a university degree, an emotional national champs win, and a mattress on the floor of a dingy Belgian B&B.

Elsewhere, Rory chats about his plans and ambitions for the season, which include a crack at the classics and aiming for that so far elusive Tour of Britain stage success, his brutal day in the break at the Glasgow world championships, those Box Hill Strava KOM conquests – and why you need to properly dilute your pickle juice before downing it during a race…

Since it was announced early last week, Warner Bros. Discovery’s controversial decision to ditch Eurosport in the UK and Ireland, after over three decades of quirky, wonderful broadcasting, and move all of its cycling coverage to the all-encompassing, £31-a-month TNT Sports (hiking the price up by 443 per cent in the process), has been the subject of intense debate among cycling fans, riders, and stakeholders.

In part one of this week’s road.cc Podcast, Ryan, Dan, and Emily dissect the earth-shattering news, the backlash from across the cycling world, and what it all means for the future of cycling coverage (and the sport itself) in the UK and Ireland.

And in part two, road.cc’s tech editor Mat Brett sits down for a chat with one of those high-profile cycling figures set to be directly affected by this new, monopolised cycling media landscape, especially after July’s last (for the foreseeable future, anyway) free-to-air Tour de France on ITV4 – four-time Tour stage winner-turned-ITV commentator David Millar.

The former Garmin rider chats about his new role as brand director at premium bike manufacturer Factor, his “geeky” love of bikes, and the “death by a thousand cuts” demise of his clothing brand CHPT3 last year. 

Millar also assesses the recent safety debates in pro cycling, from yellow cards and gear restrictions to airbags, and concludes that the key to making the “inherently dangerous” world of bike racing safer could be “empowering” the peloton to self-police and respect each other.

On this week’s episode we’re delving into the past, present, and future of American cycling, with none other than former Tour de France podium finisher and current gran fondo organiser, Levi Leipheimer.

A former teammate of Lance Armstrong’s at US Postal, Astana, and RadioShack, Leipheimer was one of the leading American pros during an era when the United States was planted firmly at the summit of the sport. The stage racer and TT specialist finished third, behind teammate Alberto Contador, at one of the closest ever editions of the Tour de France in 2007, came second at the Vuelta, and won the Tour de Suisse and Dauphiné Libéré, as well as three consecutive editions of the Tour of California.

However, Leipheimer’s career came to an abrupt halt in 2012, after he confessed to doping for much of his career as part of the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s case against Armstrong, which ultimately led to the Texan’s lifetime ban.

Since then, Leipheimer has spent his time helping young riders in California, as well as organising Levi’s Gran Fondo, a mass participation event in Sonoma County which he started in 2009, raising over $3.2 million for at-risk youth, and announced this month that he plans to grow the event into the “richest” professional one-day race in the world. 

During a reflective, candid conversation, Leipheimer discusses the current state of America’s domestic road racing landscape, how he hopes to breathe new life into it, the impact of his generation’s widespread doping on the reputation of cycling in the States and the current racing malaise, his perspective on his own career, and how cycling in general deals with its past.

It’s time for the first road.cc Podcast episode of 2025, and we decided to kick off the new year by mixing things up and delving into unexplored territory for the podcast – by analysing the ongoing struggles facing the cycling industry and assessing where the BBC went wrong in their latest controversial active travel take. Oh wait… Well, start as you mean to go on, I suppose.

And to just underline how little ground we’re planning on breaking this year, in part one Ryan and Jack are joined once again by Rory Hitchens, a long-time bike industry stalwart, for what’s fast becoming an annual segment on the podcast: assessing the state of the cycling industry as we enter the new year.

For most of last year, the bike industry’s motto seemed to be ‘Survive until 2025’ – and it’s clear that there is plenty of surviving still going on.

However, despite continuing negative headlines, Hitchens is optimistic that the storms which have battered the cycling industry since the Covid pandemic are starting, finally, to abate, as the industry reshapes itself into something “leaner, meaner, and more creative”.

And speaking of creative thinking, in part two e-biketips editor Alex Bowden joins us to pick apart THAT recent BBC Panorama documentary on e-bikes – widely criticised for appearing to conflate legal e-bikes with illegally modified machines, and the dangerous riding and criminality associated with them – and ask: Where did Adrian Chiles go wrong?

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… that’s right, it’s our annual podcast episode looking back over the biggest and most bizarre bike-related stories of 2024! Plus some less cheery but nonetheless important town centre cycling ban chat for good measure.

In part one, Ryan, Jack, and Emily, paper party helmets firmly attached, discuss the stories and narratives that jumped out at them during 2024: the UK general election and its impact on cycling so far, the ongoing storms battering the bike industry, the latest wave of aero tech, Tadej Pogačar’s overwhelming dominance and much more. 

In part 2, we turn our attentions towards another cycling story that just wouldn’t go away over the last 12 months – town centre cycling bans.

Ryan is joined by one of those activists who successfully stood up to the wardens and caused a rethink in their local council over how they approach so-called ‘anti-social cycling’. 

As well as discussing his group’s campaign against the crude and often incorrect implementation of the city’s cycling ban, Will Bramhill from the Colchester Cycling Campaign told the podcast that cycling PSPOs will always prove controversial until the UK fully addresses its decades-long failure in transport policy, which constantly shunts cyclists away from safe spaces and on to dangerous roads alongside motorists.

With British cycling in turmoil this winter, following the closure of the country’s two remaining UCI Continental teams, this week’s episode of the road.cc Podcast features one rider who’s forging an alternative path through the struggling domestic scene – former Lotto-Soudal pro Matt Holmes.

After hanging up his wheels at the end of 2022, following a three-year spell racing for WorldTour team Lotto-Soudal – which saw him win a Tour Down Under stage and ride some of cycling’s biggest race but which ultimately left him disenchanted with the sport – Holmes returned to racing, with immediate success, in May.

This time, however, as squads continue to fall by the wayside, he’s doing it without a team, as a a fully-fledged privateer – choosing his own calendar, looking after himself before and during races, riding on donated equipment, and seeking out his own sponsors. In 2025, this DIY approach to racing will see him dive headfirst into the gravel scene, while prepping a possible tilt at a team pursuit spot for LA ’28, after an aborted bid to make the Paris team this year.

During an insightful, thoughtful chat, Matt discusses his journey from racing in Britain to the WorldTour and back, adjusting to life after racing, his return as a privateer and how you go about supporting and marketing yourself on your own, the state of the current domestic scene, and why a reset could do British cycling the world of good in the long term.

And in part two, we were joined by one of those sponsors keeping Matt on the road – the co-founders of One Good Thing, the world’s first wrapper-free oat and protein bars for cyclists, father and son Mike and Daniel Bedford, to discuss what inspired OGT’s creation and whether cycling – for all its other environmental credentials – has a litter problem.

We’ve got a cycling industry and bike tech special for you this week on the podcast, as Factor CEO Rob Gitelis joins us to discuss the brand’s history and the latest cutting-edge tech, before we take a closer (audio) inspection of the brand-new Scott Addict RC.

In part one, Rob joins us from sunny Girona to chat about his journey from racing cyclist to working in Taiwan’s fledgling carbon fibre bike manufacturing industry and making bikes for an array of famous brands.

Rob then traces his journey to Factor, the company’s own growth in recent years – which has seen it win grand tour stages and Olympic gold medals – and how it’s been able to weather the storms of the bike industry’s turbulent post-pandemic period. 

He also chats about that infamous Chris Froome bike set-up saga, his partnership with Israel-Premier Tech, the inevitable rise of disc brakes, and why the gold medal-winning track tech we saw in Paris – which Rob claims made the Aussies go three seconds faster – could soon be making its way to a road bike near you.

And in part two, Dave gets up close and personal with the brand spanking new Scott Addict RC, the brand’s new top-end climbing bike weighing in at a featherweight 5.9kg.

Dave is joined by the bike’s product designer Christian Holweck and lead engineer Max Koenen to discuss how you go about making such a light bike, while keeping it comfortable and throwing in a few nods to the aero watchers too.

Like Sir Chris Hoy, who last month revealed that he has terminal prostate cancer, Kevin Griffiths is determined to turn his own experience of living with stage four cancer into a positive. 

The Stoke-based cyclist, who hails from two of Britain’s most revered cycling families, launched the Cancer My Arse initiative this year after discovering that his bowel cancer was terminal, four years on from initially undergoing treatment for the disease.

Inspired, he says, to “create a positive out of a negative”, Griffiths hopes Cancer My Arse will galvanise a global community of fighters, survivors, and supporters to collectively raise significant funds for cancer research and support services, primarily through one simple, very unique, and rather difficult challenge – cycling out of the saddle for as long as possible.

In a moving and inspiring interview, Kev details how he attempted to juggle running a fledgling business with his initial cancer treatment, how he came to terms with his terminal diagnosis, and why he hopes his campaigning – along with the positivity and optimism exuded by Hoy following his own terminal cancer announcement – will change the perception of what life can be like living with stage four cancer.

And in the first part of the podcast, Ryan, Dan, and Emily celebrate Mark Cavendish’s ‘official’ retirement by sharing their favourite moments from the Manx Missile’s storied 18-year pro career. What’s your favourite Cav win? Let us know at podcast@road.cc.

From 2026, the familiar sights of the Tour de France – the epic mountain ranges, fields of sunflowers, Tadej Pogačar riding off into the distance – will remain the same. But for many cycling fans in the UK, the sounds will be very different.

Next year’s Tour, the 25th edition of the race to be shown live on ITV, will also be the final one to be broadcast on free-to-air television in the UK, after it was announced last week that Warner Bros. Discovery and Eurosport have agreed a new exclusive TV rights deal for cycling’s biggest race from 2026 onwards.

On this week’s episode, ITV’s lead cycling commentator Ned Boulting, who’s been working on the race for the channel since 2003, discusses the sad and poignant end of 40 years of the Tour de France on free-to-air British TV, the news of which he discovered while touring his new show, based on the 1923 edition of the race.

Boulting reflects on why ITV’s long association with the race has come to an end, what effect this will have on the Tour’s viewership within the UK, and his own personal relationship with the race.

He also chats about his new show, the ‘Marginal Mystery Tour: 1923 And All That’, which just so happens to celebrate ITV’s coverage of the Tour de France and why he’s crafted a piece of theatre about cycling and the context in which it takes place.

When it comes to culture war discourse around cycling, things had become a bit quiet lately. Too quiet. 

After a brief period of respite following a general election campaign which saw cycling and active travel largely sacrificed on the so-called ‘War on the Motorist’ altar, the political and ideological conflict surrounding riding a bike kicked into gear again this month, with the Telegraph, Iain Duncan Smith, and even Thames Valley Police fanning the culture war flames with questionable public pronouncements. 

So, are the cycling culture wars back? And did they ever go away? Transport and sustainability journalist Carlton Reid and the London Cycling Campaign’s Simon Munk join us to ask why and how cycling become embroiled in the culture wars, assess the role of conspiracy theories and motonormativity in hindering cycling projects and policy, and offer up our own (somewhat ambitious) plans to put a stop to the cycling culture war once and for all.

Oh, and maybe review a very cycling-focused chapter of Boris Johnson’s new book…

And in the Week in Cycling, Ryan and Emily ponder what the future holds for Tom Pidcock, after the British star became embroiled in a transfer saga following his very public falling out with the Ineos Grenadiers.

Over the past five decades, countless promising young riders have been bestowed and burdened with the tag of being the ‘Next Eddy Merckx’.  After an unbeatable 2024, Tadej Pogačar is the first to look even remotely close to matching, or even surpassing, Merckx’s until-now untouchable legacy.

Which is why, since that 100km attack in Zurich, the question has raged on in social media debates, live blogs, and on weekend club rides: Is Pogačar the greatest male cyclist we’ve ever seen?

On episode 88 of the road.cc Podcast, Dan and Ryan dissect the GOAT debate, the folly of comparing different eras, and Merckx’s own flip-flopping position on Pogačar’s place in cycling history.

We also break out the stats to assess how Eddy and Tadej stack up against each other at the same age (spoiler – it’s closer than you think), what the current world champion has to do before he retires to compete for GOAT status, and to what extent Pogačar’s swashbuckling, devil-may-care style, and the brutally dominant manner of his victories, compares against other attacking greats such as Fausto Coppi.

In part two, Ryan and road.cc founder Tony are joined by former GCN presenter and developer Cillian Kelly to discuss current cycling media landscape, why it’s changed (and changing), and whether we should be worried about the future. Oh, and why we miss the good old days of countless cycling magazines filling our local newsagents’ shelves.

We're coming at you with episode 87 of the road.cc Podcast in association with Hammerhead a whole week early, because... well, Rapha's 'Past Forward' 20-year anniversary bash at the Truman Brewery in London finishes on Sunday 22nd, and going live next week would mean numerous continuity errors in our interview! 

Anyway... as well as telling you about where and when you can stop by to take a look at the exhibition celebrating all things Rapha, the brand's co-founder and former CEO Simon Mottram sits down with Ryan and Jack for a wide-ranging interview that goes back to the very beginnings of Rapha in 2004 when a plucky young Mottram rocked up to the Cycling Plus newsroom, where none other than road.cc's co-founder Tony Farrelly was then the editor, to plug a cool new cycling brand (to a rather mixed reception, he claims!)

Despite the reservations of cynical journalists and Cycling Plus forum members at the time, Rapha of course went on to be worn by over a million cyclists, became the kit sponsors to the most successful British road cycling team in history and is one of the most recognisable cycling apparel brands on the planet. Listen for Mottram's take on cycling and fashion, his thoughts on the brand's association with MAMILs, some tense moments with Team Sky and Dave Brailsford and what's coming in the future when it comes to cycling clothing. Enjoy! 

Like the British cycling world for a brief period earlier this month, episode 86 of the road.cc Podcast has gone Box Hill crazy. 

We sat down with Dom Jackson and Tobias Dahlhaus of the London-based team Foran Cycling – two of the figures behind arguably one of the most ambitious (and successful) Strava KOM/QOM attempts of all time – to find out how Dom, winner of the prestigious Rás Tailteann international stage race earlier this year, cracked the most attempted and arguably the most prestigious Strava KOM of them all, Box Hill. 

With meticulous planning, spreadsheets, a bunch of willing pals pulling turns on each bend or sweeping and marshalling corners, a curious pre-effort diet, and two immaculately shaved arms, Dom rode an outrageous time of 4:05, at an average speed of 33.7km/h – eight seconds quicker than pro cyclist Rory Townsend who had taken the KOM just days earlier. 

Will we see a sub-4 clocked soon on Box Hill’s slopes? It’s like the four-minute mile barrier all over again! We also squeezed some climbing tips out of Dom and Tobias, both highly accomplished bike racers, and got some further advice on locating and smashing some Strava KOMs for ourselves… when we’ve put some more training in.

At the start of the episode, we also welcome tech writer Emily Tillett for our new regular opening section on the ‘week in cycling’ with presenter Ryan Mallon, which this week focuses on the current trouble at Ineos and asks: Are bikes becoming better value again?

Let us know what you think of our new sound at podcast@road.cc 

If you’re a fan of nerdy technical chat about shoe design and the joy of riding a bike through town in a suit with a multiple grand tour stage winner, then you’re in for a treat on this special bonus episode of the road.cc Podcast. 

Because, to mark the launch this week of the CHPT3’s Transit 2.0, we sat down with the brains behind the urban commuter shoe that aims to combine the “power of a pro cycling shoe and the comfort of a luxury sneaker” – pro cyclist-turned-commentator David Millar and ex-Adidas designer James Carnes – to discuss the inspiration behind the potentially revolutionary new cycling footwear, Millar’s rediscovered love for cycling, and whether you can wear the same shoe at the local nightclub and down a precipitous Swiss mountain.

We chat about discuss the journey, both literally and metaphorically, that led them to the Transit 2.0, and the problems inherent in so many commuter or urban cycling shoes, and how Millar rediscovered his love of cycling by breaking out of his pro cycling bubble.

We also ask the important questions: Do they look cool? Are they suitable for cycling and walking about the office and town? How do they fare on a downhill mountain biking route in the Swiss Alps, or in the most inhospitable of British town centres? And most importantly, can you wear them with a suit?

For episode 84 of the road.cc Podcast, we took a deep dive into one of the more curious, and headline grabbing, cycling tech studies of recent years – which discovered that your bike’s electronic shifters may be susceptible to hackers, who could even be lurking at the Vuelta a España, waiting to sabotage Primož Roglič’s next move to the big ring.

That study, published earlier this month by three US-based cyber security experts, explored the security features of Shimano’s Di2 electronic shifting systems, the current most common method of changing gears in the pro peloton.

The researchers rather worryingly concluded, through a black box analysis of Shimano’s systems and a roadside experiment, that they can be hacked by a relatively simple and cheap radio technique – one that potentially has the power to allow nefarious individuals by the roadside or in the peloton itself to change or jam a rival’s gears without their knowledge during a race, in a bid to scupper their chances of victory.

In this week’s podcast episode, one of the researchers behind the much-talked-about Di2 analysis, Dr Earlence Fernandes, a cyclist himself, chats about what inspired him to delve into the security set-ups and flaws of wireless shifting, how hacking someone’s gears actually works, his subsequent interactions with Shimano, and how pervasive he thinks the threat of wireless doping could be to both the pro cycling world and us weekend warriors out on a Saturday group ride. 

For episode 83 of the road.cc Podcast, we decided to don our analytical hats and delve into a recent survey which claimed that 49 per cent of British people do not believe they can afford to buy a bike, and that around a quarter reckon it would take around six months to save up for one.

Are bikes, and the accessories commonly associated with cycling, perceived by the general public to be expensive, even as prices fall across an industry laden with sales at the moment? And is that belief a barrier to encouraging more people to ditch the car and adopt active travel for the commute?

Also, why is a bike still considered by many to be a luxury, a ‘toy’ used for leisure purposes, and something that competes for our disposable income – rather than a mode of transport in its own right and possible replacement for the evidently much more expensive car?

In part two, George has a chat with Grayson Pollock, a product manager at Hammerhead to discuss what it takes to make a new cycling computer from scratch. 

It's episode 82 of the road.cc Podcast sponsored by Hammerhead, a certain big old race across France has ended for another year, and so it's only right that we do a full debrief of Tour de France 2024!

What was good and what was not so good about this year's Tour, what have we learnt, and how would we make the 2025 edition even better? Find out what George, Emily and Ryan thought of the race, and their takes on the more contentious subjects such as carbon monoxide 'rebreathing', safety and some seemingly super-human performances...

We’re almost a week into the 2024 Tour de France, so to celebrate – and inspired by Dylan Groenewegen’s peculiar, Batman-inspired aero beak – in the latest episode of the road.cc Podcast, we decided to unbuckle the Grande Boucle and focus on the strangest, daftest, and most crazy things, both on and off the bike, that we’ve witnessed at cycling’s biggest race over the years.

Oh, and there was maybe a bit of chat about a certain Manx sprinter and the number 35…

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, or become adept at turning off the TV as soon as you hear Question Time’s twinkly theme, then you’ll be well aware that the next UK general election is fast approaching. And with under two weeks to go until the polling stations open, all of the main parties have launched their manifestos, setting out the key reasons why you should vote for them on 4 July.

Which leads us to the big question in this week’s special election-themed episode of the road.cc Podcast: What are the parties saying about cycling?

Helping him dive headfirst into the key parties’ manifestos – and scavenge any scrap of detail from them about active travel (which was more difficult than you might think) – Ryan was joined by road.cc stalwart Simon MacMichael and Sarah McMonagle, director of external affairs at Cycling UK.

With Cycling UK launching its own five-year plan for active travel recently – which has called on whichever party takes the keys next month to No. 10 to boost cycling funding considerably and reconsider how our cities, towns, and neighbourhoods are planned – Sarah, Ryan, and Simon dissect the good, bad, ugly, and frankly non-existent of the different parties’ pledges related to getting about by bike.

Oi, you there! You can’t record your podcast around here…

We’ve got a special bonus Dauphiné and election edition of the road.cc Podcast this week, because surely you didn’t think we were going to ignore THAT incident, involving a seemingly super top secret new Pinarello Dogma and a stubborn British team at the key pre-Tour tune-up race, did you?

So, with everyone (including a few other podcasts) talking about our tech team’s run-in at the Dauphiné with the Ineos Grenadiers – who were steadfastly obstinate about refusing to allow any filming or photography around their shiny new bikes (despite said bikes appearing on TV all this week) – Jack, Ryan, Jamie, and Mat decided to go behind the scenes (or the team car, or the hedge) to discuss what really went on in France, and why pro teams continue to ‘play the game’ when it comes to new bike tech. 

We also chat about the other new bikes Mat and Jamie spotted at the Dauphiné, and where bike tech is headed in the future. Oh, and why white handlebar tape is back in fashion…

Meanwhile, in part two, Ryan and Jack were joined by Cycling UK’s Sarah McMonagle to discuss that other big topic of the moment, the general election, and why cycling policy needs a reset come next month – before digging out our crystal balls to find out what active travel pledges (if any) will pop up in the major parties’ manifestos over the next few weeks…

For episode 78 of the road.cc Podcast, we donned our reading glasses, grabbed our bikes, and headed over to the National Cycle Network, that underfunded, unwieldy, often fractured, but very important collection of routes used by cyclists across the UK and which forms the subject of Laura Laker’s brilliant new book, Potholes and Pavements. 

Part one features an in-depth behind the keyboard chat with Laura, a respected journalist and longstanding road.cc contributor, discussing her inspiration for the book, the pros and cons of the NCN, how to make cycling infrastructure better, the cycling culture wars, and why riding a bike is really all about the people we meet along the way.

We then turn our attentions in part two to the upcoming general election, and what its outcome may mean for cycling and active travel, with Dr Maya Singer Hobbs, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research, a think tank that earlier this month claimed the UK was “travelling in the wrong direction” when it comes to transport.

It's episode 77 of the road.cc Podcast, and arguably one of our most thought-provoking episodes to date.

In part 1, Jack and George sit down with leading barrister Martin Porter KC on the same week that the Government announced tougher laws are set to be introduced for 'dangerous cyclists' who kill or injure. Highlighting recent high profile and exceptionally rare cases involving cyclists and pedestrians as a focus for the discussion, listen to get the view of one of Britain's leading personal injury specialists on why he thinks bringing in tougher laws for cyclists will be detrimental.

It's also Mental Health Awareness Week,  so in part 2 Jack is talking to Elaine Curtin - not only road.cc's commercial director, but also a trained Human Givens psychotherapist - about how cycling can be great for your mental health. Elaine also tells us more about the human givens approach, and how you can identify if you or someone you know might be struggling with mental health.

If you need help, the NHS has a fantastic Your Mind Plan feature. For more direct help, other NHS services can be found here, and for more urgent assistance The Samaritans can be called for free on 116 123. For more information on the human givens approach, visit the Human Givens Institute website. 

In episode 76 of the road.cc Podcast, we're talking about... another podcast! Well, we'd like to think it goes a bit deeper than that, because our discussion with Lauren O'Brien - representing 'the cyclist' in a recent debate title 'Should cyclists stay in their lane?' with researcher and journalist James Woudhuysen - delves into how cycling is generally portrayed in the non-cycling media. Do debates like this lead to progression, or just drag up disagreements that are already there? Was cycling fairly represented on the show? Tune in for a fascinating behind-the-scenes discussion. 

In part 2, Dave sits down with George Gilbert, the founder of fledgling indoor cycling platform IndieVelo, and e-sports journalist Christopher Schwenker to discuss the progression of indoor cycling, and Indievelo itself.  What can be done to take cycling e-sports to the next level at the elite level, and where is virtual cycling heading for the rest of us? If you’re partial to riding indoors, this chat is well worth a listen. 

PS: You may have also seen Tony’s blog about our decision to stop flying out to bike/product launches, and there’s a bit of an explainer from George on this between our two main segments. Enjoy! 

It's time for episode 75 of the road.cc Podcast, a two-parter that is as chalk and cheese as we've ever recorded in cycling terms... but that's how we like it!

Part 1 is all about folding bikes, and more specifically a fascinating chat with Mark Bickerton, whose father Harry invented arguably the first properly practical, lightweight folding bike in the early 70s. By the early 80s the Bickerton Portable was a big British success story, boosted by a certain low-budget TV ad that became embedded into the public consciousness for various reasons (listen to find out why!)

While Bickerton isn't the folding force it once was, the brand name and bikes are still going strong, with Mark also now the main man in the UK behind the very popular urban bike brand Tern. The chat with road.cc editor Jack covers a brief history of Bickerton and folding bikes in general, what's going on with Bickerton and Tern today and Mark's take on these turbulent times for the bike industry. 

In part two, Ryan and Dan delve behind the scenes at last week’s Paris-Roubaix, where Ryan was lucky enough to head over to northern France and hitch a lift in a team car. Up for discussion is whether the world champ Van der Poel’s domination of the cobbled classics is ‘boring’, British star Pfeiffer Georgi’s hopes for the future, and the thrills and spills of watching a monument from the team car.

During his time at the race, Ryan also caught up with 18-year-old Yorkshire-raised Irish rider Patrick Casey, who was making his debut at the Junior Paris-Roubaix for the Grenke-Auto Eder team. Casey’s path to the pro ranks is somewhat different than other riders from these shores in the past, but the lessons he’s already learned during his time in Europe – such as the folly of turning up with two right-hand track mitts to the hardest race of the year – are steadfastly old school…

With Paris-Roubaix, arguably the most hotly anticipated weekend on the pro cycling calendar, approaching fast around the next cobbled bend, episode 74 of the road.cc Podcast features two representatives of the past, present, and future of the Queen of the Classics: Canyon-Sram’s father-daughter duo Magnus and Zoe Bäckstedt, 20 years on from Magnus’ career-defining Roubaix victory.

The 2024 Paris-Roubaix not only marks the 20th anniversary of Bäckstedt Snr’s victory at the Hell of the North, but also the first time the Canyon-Sram sports director will be taking on cycling’s most famous one-day race with daughter Zoe as one of his charges, after the 19-year-old joined the German team from EF Education last autumn. 

The pair discuss Magnus’ 2004 win, what it’s like working together, Zoe’s adjustment to the Women’s World Tour after dominating as a junior, and why Roubaix is the race everyone wants to win.

Meanwhile, in part two, British adventurer and explorer Oli France joins us, mid-marathon packing session, just before setting for the west coast of the United States, where he will be taking on phase two of his record-breaking attempt to travel from the lowest geographical point to the highest on every continent, by bike and on foot.

He chats about his approach to training and preparing for extreme temperatures and the different physical demands of cycling and climbing, and why – after six weeks slogging through deserts, over tough, sapping roads, and in the freezing cold on his bike – climbing a mountain at the end of it all seems like the “easy part”…

On episode 73 of the road.cc podcast, we hear from two cyclists who tell us their trials and tribulations of trying to get their bikes on the ferry... something that appears to be a tad more difficult that boarding one by car! 

Our original story about Elaine Baker's ordeal with Irish Ferries ignited much debate, so we thought it was only right to follow up and get all the details. Were Irish Ferries really guilty of "pure discrimination against people on bikes" when Ms Baker was unable to board with a bicycle as opposed to a motorbike? Strap in for a fascinating and wide-ranging discussion. 

In part 2, George, Jamie and Jack discuss a seemingly innocuous Strava update that has drawn the ire of numerous cyclists on social media. Does it bother you that Strava is now giving us up or down arrows to tell us whether we've done more or less riding than the previous week? We discuss what it means for us, and also bring you news of yet another Strava update that may or may not be more useful than the controversial Weekly Snapshot... 

At the time of broadcast, our listeners can also get a free Hammerhead Heart Rate Monitor with the purchase of a Hammerhead Karoo 2. Visit hammerhead.io right now and use promo code ROADCC at checkout to get yours.

While the two topics discussed on episode 72 of the road.cc Podcast are both high on the cycling world’s list of talking points this week, they notably sit at opposite ends of the seriousness spectrum (unless you take your time trial helmet debates very seriously, of course). 

In part one, George and Ryan are joined by a former Wiggle Chain Reaction Cycles employee, one of the 450-odd staff members laid off as part of the online retailer’s demise and recent rumoured purchase by Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group, who discussed what life was like behind the scenes at the beleaguered brand as Wiggle CRC lurched from crisis to crisis in recent months following the collapse of its parent company. 

The ex-employee also chats about the contrast between Wiggle’s grand expansion plans and the struggling state of the bike industry, the “shock” of the company’s collapse (amid hopes that it could continue on), and the abrupt, “hard and fast goodbye” dished out to its staff, and the future for Wiggle’s house brands such as Vitus and dhb.

Meanwhile, in an altogether more frivolous part two, Ryan and Jamie sit down to discuss the topic that’s dominated the agenda at Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico this week: Visma-Lease a Bike’s bonkers new Giro Aerohead time trial helmets (oh, and Bahrain-Victorious’ fire service-style helmets, too). We ask the important questions: Has helmet design finally jumped the shark? Do these increasingly extravagant air-cheating shapes actually make a difference? Will the UCI ban Giro’s bold new look? And, finally, was it designed by a five-year-old?

In episode 71 of the road.cc Podcast, we’ve got two great guests and two great topics to discuss… namely sportswashing and low traffic neighbourhoods. We’re arguably missing a debate about helmets, but otherwise it doesn’t get much more road.cc Podcast than this!

In part 1 Ryan is joined by Darach McQuaid, the former chairman and current advisor to pro cycling outfit GreenEDGE Cycling, to discuss some big elephants in the room when it comes to the dichotomy between professional cycling and cycling as a mode of transport. Find out why, according to Darach, that cycling’s “terrible” business model makes it very difficult to turn down any significant investment, and what he thinks should be done to make cycling as a sport align with its environmentally-friendly routes as one of the most sustainable ways to get around.

In part 2, we build on our recent coverage of a very local battle that has garnered national attention. Lorna Devenish, an active travel campaigner and spokesperson for the Heavitree and Whipton Liveable Neighbourhood Group, talks us through the battle against misinformation since active travel schemes were introduced in and around the city of Exeter, and attempts to explain why such strong feelings were whipped up by the introduction of LTNs in the area. Vandalism, protests, intimidation of local politicians, “dodgy” data… this saga has it all, and at the heart of it, many residents simply want to be able to walk, cycle and wheel around their local area in a safer environment.

At the time of broadcast, our listeners can also get a free Hammerhead Heart Rate Monitor with the purchase of a Hammerhead Karoo 2. Visit hammerhead.io right now and use promo code ROADCC at checkout to get yours.

At the start of 2024, the London Cycling Campaign’s Women’s Network, a coalition of cycling groups in the capital, published a report, titled ‘What Stops Women Cycling in London?’, which detailed the shocking extent to which women riding their bikes in the capital face a barrage of verbal and physical abuse, sexual harassment, and intimidation from motorists and other road users.

The report, which surveyed 1,000 women who cycle in London, found that nine out of ten said they’d experienced abuse while riding their bikes, and almost 80 per cent said this gendered harassment and intimidation – including the intimidatory use of vehicles – happened at least once a month, with one in five revealing that it had made them give up cycling, either temporarily or permanently.

On episode 70 of the road.cc Podcast, Ryan is joined by Eilidh Murray, the London Cycling Campaign’s Chair of Trustees, and Kate Bartlett from the Women’s Network to discuss the report’s shocking findings, its accompanying hard-hitting video, the gendered abuse and aggression directed towards female cyclists on a shockingly prevalent basis, how anti-cycling and misogynist behaviour overlap, and why such behaviour has been “normalised” by those on the receiving end of it.

Kate and Eilidh also explore in-depth the ways in which we can all make cycling safer for women, including the need for education to change the patterns of behaviour of both motorists and their fellow cyclists, and the implementation of safe, protected, joined-up infrastructure which also focuses on the needs of women, as well as the Women’s Network’s ambition, through the report and its group rides and activities, to make cycling a safe, inclusive space for all.

At the time of broadcast, our listeners can also get a free Hammerhead Heart Rate Monitor with the purchase of a Hammerhead Karoo 2. Visit hammerhead.io right now and use promo code ROADCC at checkout to get yours.

On episode 69 of the road.cc Podcast, we delve into the reasons and behavioural patterns that underpin most, if not all, of the 887 (and counting) examples of close passes and dangerous driving that make up our Near Miss of the Day series, aided by a road safety expert currently undertaking a PhD study on the relationship between motorists and cyclists on the road. 

Will Cubbin, the manager of the Safer Essex Roads Partnership was inspired to dive into academia following an unfortunate encounter with a close passing driver, who lambasted him for being ‘in the middle of the road’, Will chats to Ryan about his PhD research and the interesting methodology behind his new co-authored study titled ‘Close passes caught on camera: How knowledge and behavioural norms relate to perceptions of liability when cars overtake cyclists’. 

In part 2, Ryan and Suvi catch up with road.cc and off.road.cc contributor Matt Page, who is also one of the people behind the sold out Battle of the Beach gravel (and sand, obvs) event that is taking place between the 6-7 April. With UK road racing experiencing numerous struggles and diminishing numbers, are gravel events what is needed to make cycling events in Britain boom again? 

At the time of broadcast, our listeners can also get a free Hammerhead Heart Rate Monitor with the purchase of a Hammerhead Karoo 2. Visit hammerhead.io right now and use promo code ROADCC at checkout to get yours.

It’s episode 68 of the road.cc Podcast and we’re turning our attention once again to the troubling state of the bike industry and its worryingly shaky prospects for the year ahead, following the news that Orange Bikes – one of the UK’s most iconic cycling brands and a staple of the mountain bike scene – has appointed an administrator.

To discuss what lines in store for the bike industry in 2024, Ryan and Jack are joined by Rory Hitchens, a long-time bike industry stalwart and the founder of brand-new agency Greenleaves Cycling. While Rory insists to us that the recovery of the bike industry is a “three to five year” project, he also asserts that cycling is not alone in the challenges currently wreaking havoc on the global economy.

And, in any case, it’s not all doom and gloom. While the road bike market continues to be squeezed, Rory notes that the ‘bottom’ of the bike pyramid – the bikes that propel many people to work or school or the shops – has the opportunity to flourish in 2024, despite the challenges gripping the rest of the industry.

Meanwhile, in part two, Jack is joined by road.cc’s news editor Dan Alexander and Oli Pendrey, the creative and photography force behind the site, and the man responsible for the spectacular Sgt. Pepper’s Lovely Cycling Club Band image that accompanied Dan’s review of the year in cycling.

We take a peek behind the curtain (you lucky listeners) to chat about how our majestic Beatles homage came about, the work that went into making it (again, sorry Oli), and the stories and cycling and cycling-related characters of the past year that inspired it.

At the time of broadcast, our listeners can also get a free Hammerhead Heart Rate Monitor with the purchase of a Hammerhead Karoo 2. Visit hammerhead.io right now and use promo code ROADCC at checkout to get yours.

It's episode 67 of the road.cc Podcast, and we're turning our attention to cycling safety ahead of the festive season. It's perhaps not the cheeriest of subjects, but a crucial one - and there is hope for the future thanks to hard-working activists such as the folks at the More Than A Cyclist Campaign.

We speak to Rob Anderson, who tells us the main aims of the More Than A Cyclist Campaign and the process behind its visceral new campaign video. Find out how the passionate volunteers behind the campaign are trying to get their message heard via social media and hard-hitting billboards, while reaching out to politicians and other influential figures to reach those beyond the cycling community. 

In an altogether more frivolous part two, Tony, Ryan, and George turn their attentions to the looming behemoth that is Christmas and, most importantly, what they hope will be waiting under the bike ornament-packed tree on 25 December. 

The trio also discuss their all-time favourite Christmas presents, which range from flashy go-faster gifts like wheels and aero helmets to the trusty old tool kit and even ski gloves – while Ryan explains why a certain pro cyclist’s books are possibly better left submerged inside their stocking…

At the time of broadcast, our listeners can also get a free Hammerhead Heart Rate Monitor with the purchase of a Hammerhead Karoo 2. Visit hammerhead.io right now and use promo code ROADCC at checkout to get yours.

The two subjects we're discussing on episode 66 of the road.cc Podcast are arguably chalk and cheese, but equally as interesting we hope you'll agree! 

In part 1, Jack and Ryan are joined by Jack Gebhard, Chief of Staff for the Conservative MP for Worcester, Robin Walker, about cycling's curious relationship with 'wokeness'. 
With 'woke' having morphed from a term to describe those who are alert to racial prejudice and discrimination to a catch-all associated with a whole host of issues such as race, politics, gender and the climate – and often used in a negative way by those that use it – where did the link between cyclists and woke come from, and is it even true in the slightest? 

In part 2, Ryan is speaking to Lidl Trek’s Lucinda Brand and cyclocross specialist Eli Iserbyt at the recent Cyclocross World Cup even in Dublin, before sitting down with Jamie to discuss how ‘cross fits in to the modern pro cyclist’s schedule. After UCI president David Lappartient's recent comments suggested that riders would have to take part in cyclocross World Cup events if they want to race at the event’s World Championships, does this mean we’re approaching the end of the multi-discipline era where the likes of Pidcock and Van Der Poel regularly appear at the biggest cyclocross races? 

At the time of broadcast, our listeners can also get a free Hammerhead Heart Rate Monitor with the purchase of a Hammerhead Karoo 2. Visit hammerhead.io right now and use promo code ROADCC at checkout to get yours.

Could the widespread implementation of 20mph speed limits across the UK spell the end of Britain’s long and venerable history of time trialling? On episode 65 of the road.cc Podcast, Ryan and Dan are joined by solicitor and club chairman Jonty Gordon to discuss Cycling Time Trials' recent refusal to sanction courses that feature 20mph zones, and the serious impact this new policy could have on clubs, courses, cyclists trying to get into the sport, and the future of racing on British roads in general.

In part 2, Ryan sits down with professional bike fitter Luke Craddock, the owner and director of Synergy Performance, as they both try to wrap their heads around Chris Froome’s recent revelation that his current bike set-up is “centimetres apart” from his grand tour-winning Team Sky days. How has the four-time Tour de France winner’s set-up changed so much over the time and is it possible that it’s all an “oversight”? Or is an ageing Froome just making excuses?

At the time of broadcast, our listeners can also get a free Hammerhead Heart Rate Monitor with the purchase of a Hammerhead Karoo 2. Visit hammerhead.io right now and use promo code ROADCC at checkout to get yours.

For episode 64 of the road.cc Podcast, Ryan is talking to the intrepid and indefatigable Han Lu, who has many a story to tell from her epic Transcontinental adventure. When many others would have 'scratched', Han carried on despite many setbacks and finished the mammoth Transcontinental Race route across Europe after a whole month of riding, and approximately 4,000km covered!

From preparing for the race, to getting on that start line, dealing with exhaustion and mechanical mishaps and finishing her incredible journey, find out what it's like to test yourself day and night for such a duration, and whether Han thought it was all worth it (spoiler it was totally worth it!)

At the time of broadcast, our listeners can also get a free Hammerhead Heart Rate Monitor with the purchase of a Hammerhead Karoo 2. Visit hammerhead.io right now and use promo code ROADCC at checkout to get yours.

Episode 63 of the road.cc Podcast is coming at you a week early, because hot off the press are shocking reports regarding the future of Wiggle Chain Reaction Cycles. What happens if the cycling and multisport retail giant folds, and are we surprised about the reports considering the turmoil the whole bike industry has found itself in throughout 2023 so far? George and Jack are joined by Rory Hitchens, a long-time bike industry stalwart and the founder of brand new agency Greenleaves Cycling, to break down what the hell is going on, and what we think will happen next.

In part 2, Ryan, Adwi and Jack discuss professional cycling's 'idiot problem', inspired by a particularly idiotic social media post sent out (and swiftly deleted) by a pro cyclist recently. Is the number unsavoury incidents and bad behaviour better, the same or worse in cycling than other professional sports? Listen on for our thoughts and analysis, and have your say on the road.cc forum.

At the time of broadcast, our listeners can also get a free Hammerhead Heart Rate Monitor with the purchase of a Hammerhead Karoo 2. Visit hammerhead.io right now and use promo code ROADCC at checkout to get yours.

It's the unfortunate saga that just keeps rolling on (or coming to a very abrupt halt if you're one of the unfortunate cyclists affected), and on episode 62 of the road.cc Podcast we've got the view of a specialist product recall solicitor on Shimano's failing cranksets and the "mess" that has ensued since. Thomas Jervis of Leigh Day Solicitors does not hold back in his assessment of how this recall (or 'inspection program' if you live outside of North America) has gone so far...

If you didn't know already, road.cc turned 15 recently. In part 2, George catches up with Dave and Tony about what it was like to see the site grow from its humble beginnings to the biggest road cycling website in the UK. It's been one heck of a journey, thanks for reading, listening and watching us for the past 15 years!

At the time of broadcast, our listeners can also get a free Hammerhead Heart Rate Monitor with the purchase of a Hammerhead Karoo 2. Visit hammerhead.io right now and use promo code ROADCC at checkout to get yours.

Episode 61 of the road.cc Podcast is slightly different to what we had planned originally, because Shimano has finally acknowledged that there might be an issue with some of its previous generation Ultegra and Dura-Ace cranksets... We discuss what happened, how it compares to other big bike industry recalls in the past, what Shimano has had to say so far and what we think about the whole saga. We also sent some broken cranks off to a doctor of mechanical engineering, and discuss the findings from his report in brief. 

In part 2, Jamie nerds out with Matt Harvey of Enduro Bearings to talk about everything bike bearing-related. Are ceramic bearings really worth it? Find out everything you need to know!

It’s something of a nostalgia fest on the 60th episode of the road.cc Podcast this week, as we’re joined by retro bike restorer extraordinaire and leading proponent of the lost art of ‘drillium’, the Campag Kid, for a fascinating discussion about the roots of his obsession for classic bikes and illustrious Italian components, the lengths to which he’ll go to satiate that 50-year-long obsession, and how his real-life career in the automotive industry can often butt up against – literally – his love for cycling.

The Campag Kid is a cycling enthusiast and former racer who has acquired a cult online following restoring and building Campagnolo-equipped bikes. He’s also one of the few devotees keeping alive the retro art of drillium, the practice of hand drilling holes in components for aesthetic and weight purposes pioneered by Eddy Merckx for his Hour Record attempt in Mexico in 1972 and picked up by British time trialling great Alf Engers.

During his chat with Jack, Jamie, and Jo, he chats about his introduction to the sport as an inquisitive 12-year-old, how he earned his lifelong nickname, his favourite projects, why he spent 18 months sourcing a chain, how he balances his enthusiasm for cycling with his work designing cars and motorbikes, and why cycling’s love of retro will continue to live on.

In episode 59 of the road.cc Podcast, George, Jack, Ryan, and Simon gathered around the table to discuss the week’s big news story – the much-debated extension of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone, which after months of often toxic political and online discourse, finally came into force on Tuesday in outer London. 
While the extended ULEZ only affects a relatively small number of drivers, some bike companies have sensed an opportunity in recent weeks to convince the capital’s residents to swap their non-compliant vehicles for a bike. 
But will ULEZ convince some motorists to give up their car for a bike? And will the policy, along with other measures seemingly designed to entice people out of their private motor vehicles (such as Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and cycling infrastructure), help make London safer for people on bikes?
Or does the recent plethora of bike offers, as some on social media have suggested, only add further fuel to the (conspiracy-stoked) fire that ULEZ is simply another way to curtail the God-given right of British citizens to drive? Needless to say, it was a lively chat.

Meanwhile, in part two, Jack caught up with Bryan McCullough, a physio and bike fitter who specialises in injury recovery for cyclists as part of his company ‘The Bike The Body’.
In a really interesting discussion, Bryan chats with Jack about how cycling can be a perfect route to recovery following major surgery, thanks to its low impact nature and range of motion, and why the all-important bike fit can prove even more essential as you aim to regain your confidence and strength on the bike.

For episode 58 of the road.cc Podcast, we’re turning our attention to two very different ends of the cycling spectrum, by exploring what it would be like to completely give up on any and all forms of motorised transportation – and to circumvent the globe in the process – before going in-depth on all things aerodynamics, and why a more efficient jersey could help you along on even the most sedate of Sunday spins.

First up, Jack sat down with Markus Pukonen, a Canadian firefighter and founder of the nonprofit organisation Routes for Change, who returned home to Toronto this summer after spending eight years making his way around the world – without availing of one single motor throughout his entire journey. Yes, that even includes lifts. In a fascinating discussion, Pukonen – who has never owned a car throughout his life – chats about his eight-year-long human-powered trip, which he undertook to raise funds and awareness for small environmental and social organisations he encountered along the way, and the effects of cycling, walking, canoeing, kayaking, handcycling, and rowing his way around the world, while even pogo sticking an environmentally unfriendly Prime Minister out of office in the process.

In part two, Jamie chats to Dr B Xavier Disley, the owner of AeroCoach, a UK company geared towards improving all things aerodynamics, working closely with riders to make them faster as well as coming up with innovative new products. We all know about the benefits of aero equipment and clothing at the highest level, but can a more efficient jersey, bib shorts, or even socks really make a difference for amateur cyclists riding around at 15mph? 

And that’s before we tackle that age-old cycling question: Does shaving your legs make you more aerodynamic? As Xavier explains to Jamie, a smooth leg could be the cheapest route to some easy watts saving and performance benefits, and – in any case – you wouldn’t buy a hairy bike, would you? Though we’ll leave what you do to your arms up to you…

For this special bonus edition of the road.cc Podcast in association with Hammerhead, our 57th episode, we’re coming at you live from the inaugural ‘Super’ UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow! Ryan and Jamie discuss the crazy men’s road race, and ‘that’ big not-so-secret bike launch from Specialized, with Remco Evenepoel and numerous others debuting the all new Tarmac SL8 in the elite men’s road race. We’ve also been chatting to locals, volunteers and participants during the first ever multi-discipline cycling world champs to see what they’ve made of this special event.   

In part 2, and fresh off the back of the wet and wild elite men’s road race, Ryan sits down with Michael Matthews of Team Jayco–AlUla for a fascinatingly open and honest discussion. The 32-year-old tells us what he thought of the controversial course for the road race, his opinion on THAT protest and the neutralisation and more broadly, what life is like as a pro cyclist and how bike racing has changed throughout his career. 

It's time for episode 56 of the road.cc Podcast. Last weekend, just in case you were doing your best to avoid the news, Rishi Sunak promised the UK’s motorists that he was “on their side”, as the Prime Minister ordered a review of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in England. 

The review comes as the debate over green active travel policies continues to sharpen in the wake of the Conservative Party’s win at the recent Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election (called following the departure of the famously active travel-friendly PM Boris Johnson), a narrow victory credited to the Tory opposition to Labour mayor Sadiq Khan’s plans to extend London’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone. 

Sunak’s opposition to ULEZ and LTNs, the latest strategic manoeuvre in the pre-general election battleground, isn’t the only move away from the green active travel policies held by his party in recent years, with the Prime Minister also recently hinting at plans to push back the date that sales of new petrol and diesel-powered cars will be banned, while funding for cycling infrastructure – including the new government body Active Travel England – has also taken a hit during his tenure in charge.

In the second part of the latest episode of the road.cc Podcast, Jack, Simon, and Ryan sit round the table to discuss what Sunak’s latest pro-driver pledges mean for the next general election, how they represent a shift away from past Conservative policy on cycling, active travel, and climate change (led by Johnson), and what impact they could have on the future landscape of cycling in the UK. 

Before we get to all that political chicanery, Ryan chats with Bristol couple Anna and Mark Cordle, who recently made the headlines after they set up a parking space for their family cargo bike outside their home – which, a year after it was installed, has been the subject of threats by the local council to remove it… because it was taking up a car parking space.

In a really interesting discussion which touches on the differing perceptions and treatment of people who ride bikes to get around compared to those who use cars, Anna and Mark detail the reasons why they needed the space for their young family, how it was greeted by their neighbours, their current struggle against the council, and why planter-based bike parking spaces may provide an organic way forward for active travel in the UK’s cities.

On episode 55 of the road.cc podcast, we're asking: what’s the best way to buy a new bike? What schemes and initiatives can I take advantage of to help me afford my bike? How can I save money? Those are the questions we posed to Cycling UK’s Head of Commercial Russell Stephens, who gives George a whole host of hints and tips for when the time comes – as it eventually will – to lay down your hard-earned on a shiny new steed (though your tastes may not be as expensive as George’s…). Russell goes into detail on employee-benefit initiatives such as the Cycle to Work Scheme and the Green Commute Initiative, while also providing some good advice on the best time of the year to buy, and why it pays to be cautious when purchasing second-hand.

In part 2, with the much-anticipated second edition of the relaunched Tour de France Femmes set to get underway in Clermont-Ferrand this Sunday, Ryan chats with newly crowned British champion Pfeiffer Georgi, who will be hoping to build on a brilliant breakthrough season on the roads of France next week. In the interview, the exciting 22-year-old discusses her development as a rider at Team DSM, her stellar 2023 so far, and why last year’s Tour de France Femmes was a “massive moment” for women’s cycling. Oh, and why – despite being tasked with riding for teammates Charlotte Kool and Juliette Labous – we should “never say never” to the possibility of the British bands crossing the line first at cycling’s biggest race.

The Tour de France is in full swing for episode 54 of the road.cc Podcast, and throughout this season we couldn’t help but spot that some riders have been missing something in their drivetrains! If Jonas Vingegaard – currently the hot favourite to claim another Tour de France yellow jersey – is now using a single chainring (1x) set-up for some stages of the biggest bike race in the world, is it now a no-brainer that the rest of us should make the switch? Will we see road race bikes being sold in bike shops with 1x soon? Isn’t this just another disc brakes, and the death of the small ring is already inevitable? George is joined by Jack and Jamie to discuss. 

In part 2, Jamie heads to Synergy Performance to take a comprehensive test that will lay out his full metabolic profile… sounds fancy, but how is it more insightful than the classic FTP or VO2 max tests? Listen in for plenty of useful info on improving your cycling performance, plus a little bit of panting and gurning for good measure… 

On episode 53 of the road.cc Podcast, George and Ryan are joined by Dr Mark Limb, the academic behind a recent much-discussed study from Australia which concluded that cyclists are perceived to be less than fully human, and that those who wear helmets and hi-vis gear while riding their bikes are viewed as less human than those who do not. An urban planner, lecturer, and self-described utility cyclist, Dr Limb says he was inspired to study the public’s perceptions of people who rides bikes after being “shocked” at another recent study which found that cyclists are dehumanised by an alarming percentage of the population. 

In an in-depth and interesting interview, he discusses the role of helmets and hi-vis gear in categorising and potentially ‘othering’ cyclists in the eyes of other road users. He also explains the limitations of his recent research, which he describes as a “pilot study”, and the need for a more in-depth look at the ‘othering’ of road users and why cyclists can be dehumanised, as well the all-important relationship between infrastructure and the creation of a “normal and safe” cycling culture. Normalising cycling, he concludes, is key to humanising those who ride bikes.

In part two of the episode, Ryan, Suvi, and Adwitiya chat about the Netflix series we’ve all been binging the past few weeks: Tour de France Unchained. The trio discuss the series, who exactly it’s aimed at, and how well it captures the essence of professional cycling and its biggest bike race. Oh, and they also come up with a few animal-inspired pitches for the sequel…

On episode 52 of the road.cc Podcast, we turn our attentions to a debate that dominated the especially grim opening two weeks of the recent Giro d’Italia: Have pro cyclists ‘gone soft’? That particular controversial question, fuelled in part by the decision to shorten a mid-race mountain stage due to torrential rain, even prompted some cycling fans to accuse the Giro peloton of being “weak” and modern racing of being “tailored to comfort”.

In part one of this week’s episode, George, Jack, and Ryan chat about how cycling’s continuing obsession with hardness – an obsession romanticised by tales of historic epic feats in shocking conditions, and riders ‘bravely’ carrying on through injury and illness – is beginning to butt against the reality of a sport which is now beginning to display a more modern, science-based, and human side.

We also chat about how pro cycling’s views on toughness can trickle down to amateur racers and weekend warriors, to whom logging massive miles and riding in horrific conditions can be badges of honour, and whether toughness is a requirement for every elite sportsperson, even if they’re a footballer…

In part two, Simon joins us to discuss the “carnival atmosphere” generated by DJ Dom Whiting, and the thousands of cyclists, walkers, and wheelers who joined him for his by-now iconic Drum & Bass On The Bike ride through central London at the weekend.

Simon even says the bike and beats takeover of London was greeted with enthusiasm by tourists and local motorists alike. Perhaps we’ve seen the future…

On episode 51 of the road.cc Podcast, we’re joined by rail expert Gareth Dennis to get to the bottom of why taking a bike on a train in the UK continues to be such an emotive issue for so many cyclists, and what needs to be done to make our rail network more accessible for everyone.

A railway design engineer, writer, podcaster, and lecturer at the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education, Gareth is also a cyclist, so knows all too well the difficulties people with bikes can face on the UK’s trains. 

In a frank, interesting, and wide-ranging discussion, he chats with Jack and Ryan about the issues impacting how cyclists use trains in Great Britain, including limited and inadequate space for storage, as well as a lack of accessibility and clarity for train users with bikes, non-standard cycles, and wheelchairs.

He also explains why a “radical step change” in capacity is needed to create enough space for bikes, and why the current solution – the dreaded vertical bike hangar – is “discriminatory” and should be banned... while providing the Podcast with some legal advice that most train operators won’t want you to hear…

The road.cc Podcast is 50! To celebrate we're giving away some schwag, so be sure to listen to find out how to enter our special competition and potentially bag some great cycling goodies. 

To start this episode, George and Jack sit down for a fascinating discussion with PC Mark Hodson, one of the pioneers behind police close pass operations and a big advocate for third-party reporting from cyclists, drivers and pedestrians alike. Why are some police forces lagging behind when it comes to getting bad drivers fined and/or prosecuted, and is a radical rethink the answer? Mark has some big ideas, and we'd recommend anyone who is interested in road safety give this a good listen. 

In part 2, Suvi is joined by the organisers of (hopefully) Finland's next big gravel race to talk about how Europe and the UK can capture some of the magic that has led to such a big gravel riding boom in the US. Once you go gravel you never go back, apparently!

One of Ireland’s most iconic sporting events, the Rás Tailteann has endured a turbulent few years of cancellations, financial worries, and unlikely comebacks. A lack of title sponsor, and then the Covid-19 pandemic, ensured that the Rás – a stage race intrinsically linked to Irish sporting, cultural, and political identity – was kept off the road for four years, before returning in a shorter, more homespun format last year.

However, dark clouds continue to linger over the race’s precarious future – and while this year’s Rás is all set to go ahead next month, the financial position of the race, currently reliant on short-term sponsorship deals, has been described by the organisers as “unsustainable”. 

In this episode, Ryan chats to race director Ger Campbell, the man charged with resuscitating the event last year and whose own association with the Rás stretches back almost fifty years, about his efforts to ensure the race’s survival, his plans for its future, the event’s importance to Irish sport, and why he won’t be answering the phone to any WorldTour events any time soon.

And in part two, Dave is back on his bike, for a pleasant spin through the Alpine city of Annecy, where he was riding with and chatting to Mavic’s head of product management Maxime Brunand about the French company’s new superlight compact e-bike motor, the X-Tend, which could well be the catalyst for an e-road revolution…

At the time of broadcast, our listeners can get a free Heart-Rate Monitor with the purchase of a Hammerhead Karoo 2. Visit hammerhead.io right now and use promo code ROADCC at checkout to get yours.

Last Friday’s announcement that the Women’s Tour – one of the biggest races on the women’s international calendar – has been cancelled for 2023 capped off a miserable few months for British bike racing.

In this episode, Ryan chats to Peter Hodges, PR director for Women’s Tour organisers SweetSpot, about the various factors that forced them to pull the pin on one of the most prestigious and popular races in the world, as well as the struggles of keeping a big bike race afloat in such a challenging economic climate, which has resulted in the collapse of several domestic teams and placed a significant strain on race organisers at all levels.

Hodges also discusses the often overlooked ins and outs of what it takes to actually run a major week-long stage race like the Women’s Tour, its continued importance to the growth of women’s cycling, and why we should be viewing the future of British cycling – a picture of doom and gloom in recent months – with positivity.

We’ve got something a bit different for part 2, our first on-bike podcast recording! Dave tries to keep up with Chris Parr, a recycling artist and BBC Environmental Award winner who is currently riding 2,000 miles across Great Britain to raise funds for the mental health charity MIND. Hear Chris’s great story and get inspired to head out over the bank holiday.

If you're inspired by Chris' challenge to support Mind you can donate here 

On episode 47 of the road.cc Podcast, we’re joined by Chris Dixon, co-founder and director of training at the cargo bike logistics company Pedal Me, to talk all things cargo bike. Inspired by a column from a certain British broadcast and writer claiming modern cargo bikes costing in the region of £4,000 are “pedalled by (obviously) affluent parents”, we take a deep dive into the world of cargo bikes for personal use and business, with Chris explaining how Pedal Me’s cargo bike delivery service is far from just a flex, and genuinely the quickest and most affordable option for carting stuff across London in many cases. If your cargo bike can replace your car, that four grand price tag starts to seem a lot more palatable! 

For our second segment, George and Jack are joined by Ryan from the news team to break down our biggest story of the year so far, about a cyclist stopped by the police during a foggy climb on the Isle of Man. Were the police acting on reports of genuine concern for the cyclist’s welfare? Shouldn’t people just drive more carefully? What can we learn from all this? It’s a story that has certainly got people talking!

On this bumper episode of the road.cc Podcast (our longest yet!) we’re joined by car expert James Martin, also known as JayEmm, who you may know from his very popular YouTube channel JayEmm on Cars. A small snippet in one of James’ videos, in which he explains the importance of respecting cyclists as fellow road users, got us thinking about the crossover between car and bike enthusiasts, and who better to talk to about this than the man himself. James says why he thinks the ‘driver vs cyclist’ narrative is actually a surprising one and not necessarily true at all, plus we discuss everything from the general appreciation of cars, bikes and beautiful bits of engineering, James’ “live and let live” attitude to road etiquette and even Jeremy Vine’s Twitter feed! 

In part 2, Suvi, Dan and Ryan talk women’s racing on International Women’s Day. How far has professional women’s cycling progressed in recent years as a spectator sport, and is enough being done to ensure it gets equal billing compared to men’s races? Up for discussion is how those developments are going right now, what we want to see from race organisers and how broadcasters could do better. 

On episode 45 of the road.cc Podcast, we’re going there and talking 15-minute cities… or the incredible amount of misinformation being spread about them anyway! George and Jack are joined by the award-winning transport journalist Carlton Reid to dissect how a quite innocent urban planning concept that recommends amenities should be a short walk or cycle away from people’s homes turned into a bizarre international conspiracy theory, in part claiming that the real motive behind the 15-minute city is to keep people locked in their local areas. How do you convince those who have been sucked in that this is all nonsense? Why are influential people, all the way up to the Houses of Commons, falling for it? Strap in for a no-holds-barred discussion. 

For our second segment, Ryan and Jack are joined by Kate Ball of Wheels for Wellbeing for a fascinating discussion about access for disabled cyclists. Find out what barriers disable cyclists are currently facing in the UK and beyond, and why those barriers are more than just physical ones. 

In this episode of the road.cc Podcast, we’re debriefing after awards season and talking hardcore virtual racing on Zwift. George is joined by Jack, tech editor Mat Brett and senior road.cc reviewer Stu Kerton to break down how road.cc does the road.cc Recommends awards, and bike industry trends of the past year are discussed. We also address some of the wilder theories about how we select our products of the year! 

In part 2, George and Jack are joined by off.road.cc editor Aaron Borrill and e-sports expert Chris Schwenker. We’re very proud that our colleague Aaron is representing South Africa at the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships on 18th February, and in this chat he tells us all about how he got into it, virtual race tactics and how to balance a demanding work schedule, family life and elite racing. Chris, who runs The Zommunique.com virtual cycling blog, tells us how the sport has evolved from enthusiasts racing underground on Zwift to a fully pro set-up, and what’s in store for the future. 

Recently, road.cc published a video and feature diving into the rising prices of bikes, components and pretty much everything connected with cycling in the last few years… and we definitely ruffled some feathers! In this follow-up podcast episode, we’re joined by Colin Williams from FLi distribution to talk about the current situation, and why many things beyond the control of the bike manufacturers, distributors and shops are pushing prices up. Is Brexit solely to blame for most of the price rises we've seen in the UK? Is the situation getting better, both in the UK and worldwide? Strap in for a fascinating discussion… 

It’s the first road.cc podcast of 2023, and we have some very special guests to kick us off! First up, George and Jack talk to the legendary founder of Brixton BMX Club, Ken Floyde, who has rightly been recognised with a British Empire Medal for his decades of tireless voluntary service to the South London BMX scene. Ken started the club way back in 1981 in the midst of the Brixton riots, nurturing the talents of elite riders such as Charlie Reynolds in their youth and helping countless youngsters to discover cycling through the sport of BMX. As you’ll find out in the podcast, Ken’s influence has stretched far beyond South London and he’s not planning to stop any time soon. 

In part 2 Simon catches up with Gersh Kuntzman of Streetsblog New York, who is proving to be a real nuisance for naughty NYC drivers obscuring their number plates to avoid picking up fines for indiscretions. Find out why Gersh is on a mission to make the streets of the Big Apple safer for cyclists and pedestrians with “criminal mischief”, a term coined when the NYPD remarkably decided to arrest a friend of Gersh’s for un-defacing an offending vehicle. 

Episode 41: A Christmas cracker with Jo Burt, including which cycling-themed presents would be welcome – and which ones most certainly would not! 

The final full episode of the road.cc podcast for 2022 is here, and with just a week and a half to go until Christmas Day, we have a festive treat for you as Jo Burt sits down with George and Jack for a chat about gift-giving; that at times goes off on a wild tangent, but never fails to be entertaining.

Jo, the artist who created the Mint Sauce comic strip that follows the adventures of a mountain-biking sheep, has regularly blogged for road.cc under the nom de plume VecchioJo ever since the site began in 2008 – sometimes hilarious, sometimes poignant, his posts are always worth reading.

For a number of years now he’s also penned two of our most popular seasonal gift guides – what NOT to buy cyclists for Christmas, and what to buy the discerning cyclist, and those form the basis of the chat in this episode covering everything from cushions that bring to mind voodoo dolls, odd bits of chain you might find in your toolbox, and of course the Park Tool pizza cutter, plus much more besides.

The trio clearly had a lot of fun making this episode – so grab a mince pie and a glass of mulled wine and sit back and enjoy.

Laka bicycle insurance

Collective bicycle cover by Laka exists to rewrite the rules of insurance so it's something people stand with, not against. Laka has been voted best cycle insurance provider for the last four years running - no excess, no depreciation, no contract, no funky fine-print and a 5-star-customer service.

To find out more visit: Laka.co

Offer code: ROADCCPOD30 for 30 days free bicycle insurance (new customers only)

Episode 40 of the road.cc podcast in association with Laka is here, and features a long chat with British ultra-distance cycling legend Steve Abraham.

The exploits he’s perhaps best known for – the highest distance ridden in a month, and his attempts at the Year record – take a back seat here, however, as he talks to Jack about his work as a food delivery rider in Milton Keynes.

It’s a fascinating discussion, covering everything from why, despite Steve’s ability to stay in the saddle for longer than most mortals, short hops are preferable for him to longer trips in this role, the relationship between companies like Deliveroo and the people who ride for them, his thoughts on cycling infrastructure and, the reason he doesn’t undertake deliveries that include alcohol.

We also have a round-up of road.cc staff talking about what their go-to bike tools are – including a heartfelt plea from podcast host George for whoever happens to have his Lezyne Classic Pedal Spanner these days to please reunite him with it forthwith.

Laka bicycle insurance

Collective bicycle cover by Laka exists to rewrite the rules of insurance so it's something people stand with, not against. Laka has been voted best cycle insurance provider for the last four years running - no excess, no depreciation, no contract, no funky fine-print and a 5-star-customer service.

To find out more visit: Laka.co

Offer code: ROADCCPOD30 for 30 days free bicycle insurance (new customers only)

There’s been a lot of talk recently about the “dehumanisation” of cyclists on social media as well as on radio phone-in shows and in the comments sections of online newspaper articles, with British Cycling warning last week that such abuse increases the danger for people riding bikes, adding that the problem seems particularly acute in London and the south east.

In the latest episode of the road.cc podcast in association with Laka, we talk to north London cyclist Carla Francome – who has just been named as one of Cycling UK’s 100 Women in Cycling 2022 – about how she manages to stay calm in the face of the abuse she receives online, often highly personal in nature, as well as revealing how she engages with the people making such posts to try and defuse the situation and find some common ground.

We also speak with Andrew Feather, who recently won the National Hill Climb Championship for the third time in five years and who shares his training tips as well as his specific preparation for the events – as well as providing advice on what you can do to become a better climber on the bike, whether for competition or just on a local ride.

Laka bicycle insurance

Collective bicycle cover by Laka exists to rewrite the rules of insurance so it's something people stand with, not against. Laka has been voted best cycle insurance provider for the last four years running - no excess, no depreciation, no contract, no funky fine-print and a 5-star-customer service.

To find out more visit: Laka.co

Offer code: ROADCCPOD30 for 30 days free bicycle insurance (new customers only)

Last week’s BBC Panorama ‘Road Rage: Cars v Bikes’ documentary got plenty of attention on social media, with the divisive title (which put some cyclists off watching it altogether, assuming it would be a re-run of previous takes on the subject) not reflecting the content of a programme that at times did a reasonably good job of highlighting the dangers cyclists all too often face from drivers on Britain’s roads – but which also failed to challenge some myths about cyclists aired by guests including newspaper columnist Rod Liddle, whose appearance on the programme overshadowed some of the more positive elements .

In this bonus podcast episode, road.cc’s Jack and Simon sit down with host George to discuss what they think the programme got right, what it got wrong, and where perhaps it had missed opportunities to give a more rounded picture, or to challenge some of the assertions made in it. They also discuss whether such documentaries, intended after all for a mainstream TV audience, will inevitably end up reinforcing assumptions held by non-cyclists about people who ride bikes, and what can be done to overcome that.

Laka bicycle insurance

Collective bicycle cover by Laka exists to rewrite the rules of insurance so it's something people stand with, not against. Laka has been voted best cycle insurance provider for the last four years running - no excess, no depreciation, no contract, no funky fine-print and a 5-star-customer service.

To find out more visit: Laka.co

Offer code: ROADCCPOD30 for 30 days free bicycle insurance (new customers only)

Some of you might have spotted in the Beeb's TV listings recently that a Panorama episode titled 'Road Rage: Cars v Bikes' has been floating about on iPlayer for a week or so now. It was supposed to be broadcast sooner then some minor political things happened, but we can finally reveal that road.cc, along with some victims of dangerous close passes who have appeared in our Near Miss of the Day series, lent a hand in the production of the show. 

We sat down with the presenter Richard Bilton to talk about why the show was made, what he hopes viewers will gain from watching it and what he thinks about some premature negative reaction to the title on social media. Are shows like this inflammatory, or is it important that the public sees what cyclists are subjected to on a daily basis to raise as much awareness as possible? We'd recommend listening to this pod then watching the episode to form your opinion.
 
Part 2 is something completely different, as Liam talks to former racer and cycling coach Matt Rowe about indoor training and training zones. How should you structure your indoor training over the winter? Is zone 2 training all it's cracked up to be? Get some top tips from one half of Rowe and King to set you on the path to being fitter and faster in 2023. 

Laka bicycle insurance

Collective bicycle cover by Laka exists to rewrite the rules of insurance so it's something people stand with, not against. Laka has been voted best cycle insurance provider for the last four years running - no excess, no depreciation, no contract, no funky fine-print and a 5-star-customer service.

To find out more visit: Laka.co

Offer code: ROADCCPOD30 for 30 days free bicycle insurance (new customers only)

We’re cutting to the chase and delving straight into the controversy surrounding British Cycling’s shiny new eight-year partnership with oil conglomerate Shell in this episode of the road.cc Podcast. George is joined by Jack, Dave and environmental campaigner Caspar Hughes to discuss the deal that has led to a fierce backlash among the cycling community, including the cancellations of many memberships and an open letter with thousands of names calling for British Cycling to rethink the partnership. Is it even that surprising? Do British Cycling deserve this barrage of abuse? Did they expect it? What kind of message does the Shell deal send out? There’s only so many ways we can speculate over this, so we’ll let you listen and make up your own minds.

If we didn’t see British Cycling getting pally with Shell coming, you’ll certainly see us coming in part 2 as we discuss the never-ending debate that is bike lights. How bright is too bright? Should you ride with a dipped, German-style beam? How about flashing lights, or is that just plain rude? We can’t really agree, you probably can’t either but it’s a fun discussion all the same… enjoy!

Laka bicycle insurance

Collective bicycle cover by Laka exists to rewrite the rules of insurance so it's something people stand with, not against. Laka has been voted best cycle insurance provider for the last four years running - no excess, no depreciation, no contract, no funky fine-print and a 5-star-customer service.

To find out more visit: Laka.co

Offer code: ROADCCPOD30 for 30 days free bicycle insurance (new customers only)

On episode 35 of the road.cc Podcast in association with Laka, George is joined by editor Jack Sexty and road.cc's resident record breaker Matt Page to discuss an issue that is less about losing out on Strava leaderboards, and everything to do with preventing danger on our roads. It all started when Matt noticed some of his own KOMs were getting stolen by Strava users posting rides with absurd average speeds, and top speeds as high as 112mph... and when it came to flagging this to the world's largest social fitness platform, he discovered there was no way of reporting the activity for what it really is: putting other road users in danger. Should Strava be doing more to stop their platform from being used in this way? Could they even work with local authorities? We discuss what we'd like to see happen.

Part 2 of this episode is also part 2 of Dave's extensive interview with Josh Poertner, CEO of bike accessories and technology maestros Silca, and if it's an epic bike tech nerd-out you're after then you've come to the right place! Find out why Josh thinks 3D printing is "100% without a doubt the future of how everything will be made", hear some predictions on what decade you'll be buying your first 3D-printed bike and eavesdrop on some hardcore tyre pressure chat...

Laka bicycle insurance

Collective bicycle cover by Laka exists to rewrite the rules of insurance so it's something people stand with, not against. Laka has been voted best cycle insurance provider for the last four years running - no excess, no depreciation, no contract, no funky fine-print and a 5-star-customer service.

To find out more visit: Laka.co

Offer code: ROADCCPOD30 for 30 days free bicycle insurance (new customers only)

After a short break we're back for Season 3 of the road.cc Podcast, and it's a packed episode to kick us off!

Those nights are drawing in and the temperatures are dipping, so it’s time to think about prepping that bike and yourself for the winter again. George is joined by Pat, Liam and Jamie to share their best advice for training and commuting through the winter, such as lighting recommendations, tyre choices and that burning question of whether to brave the great outdoors year-round, or stick to fair weather riding. 

In our second segment Dave is joined by Josh Poertner, ex-technical director of the legendary wheel brand Zipp, who bought Italian tools and equipment maestros Silca from their Italian family owners back in 2013. How have Poertner and Silca continued that legacy and tradition while continuing to innovate? Just don’t call Silca “the lube people”… they’ve been making pumps for a fair bit longer ya know! 

Laka bicycle insurance

Collective bicycle cover by Laka exists to rewrite the rules of insurance so it's something people stand with, not against. Laka has been voted best cycle insurance provider for the last four years running - no excess, no depreciation, no contract, no funky fine-print and a 5-star-customer service.

To find out more visit: Laka.co

Offer code: ROADCCPOD30 for 30 days free bicycle insurance (new customers only)

As we come to the end of season 2 of the road.cc Podcast, we’ve put together a special episode looking at some of the highlights from the last six months. Listen back to some of the best bits of our chat with Chris Boardman shortly after he became the Active Travel Commissioner for England, the discussion around fake news surrounding the Highway Code changes that came into force in January, and why larger people are not well served by the cycling industry.

For our second segment we’re lucky enough to be joined by Laurence Hunter, VP Insurance for specialist cycle insurer and road.cc Podcast sponsor Laka. We speak about the future of cycling, the trends Laka is seeing in the market right now, and all about how bike insurance is changing.

Laka bicycle insurance

Collective bicycle cover by Laka exists to rewrite the rules of insurance so it's something people stand with, not against. Laka has been voted best cycle insurance provider for the last four years running - no excess, no depreciation, no contract, no funky fine-print and a 5-star-customer service.

To find out more visit: Laka.co

Offer code: ROADCCPOD30 for 30 days free bicycle insurance (new customers only)

It’s been a strange old week for cyclists in the UK, as some rather infuriating comments from the Transport Secretary Grant Shapps published in a certain tabloid led to a vicious and sometimes disturbing narrative playing out on social media, radio and even nation television. Why on earth has Shapps seemingly sought to undo the good work done by the Government to encourage cycling since the start of the pandemic by whipping people up into a frenzy about cycling registration, insurance and even (though he now denies having said this) number plates? We’re joined by Cycling UK’s Duncan Dollimore to dissect this disappointing diatribe.

For our second segment, we’re talking to our own Matt Page and Stepan Aubrecht, two hardy souls who recently completed the brutal London Edinburgh London audax cycling event. How do you get yourself through a 1,500km ride? If you fancy taking on some serious cycling endurance challenges yourself then we’d recommend listening up… Matt was the first to finish in a staggering 69 hours, while Stepan broke his bike at the halfway point, bought a new frame, built it up and still finished with time to spare!

Laka bicycle insurance

Collective bicycle cover by Laka exists to rewrite the rules of insurance so it's something people stand with, not against. Laka has been voted best cycle insurance provider for the last four years running - no excess, no depreciation, no contract, no funky fine-print and a 5-star-customer service.

To find out more visit: Laka.co

Offer code: ROADCCPOD30 for 30 days free bicycle insurance (new customers only)

On episode 31 of the road.cc Podcast, we’re writing some strongly-worded letters to the bike industry. Bottom brackets, headsets, mounts, tubeless wheels/tyres, chargers… nothing seems to fit nowadays, and it seems like we need different bits for every single bike, component and accessory we own. Why is this? George is joined by the road.cc tech team to discuss the lack of standardisation in the bike industry, the environmental impact, and what could be done to improve the current situation many cyclists find themselves in.

In part two, George, Jack and Mildred are joined by Steven May of Knaap e-bikes, a bike brand catering specifically for larger riders. Up for discussion is how some people looking to get into cycling might feel excluded by the usual bikes on offer when they walk into a shop, and the sizing offered by many cycling apparel brands, which is often on the small side. How do we get people who aren’t into bikes, on to bikes?

Laka bicycle insurance

Collective bicycle cover by Laka exists to rewrite the rules of insurance so it's something people stand with, not against. Laka has been voted best cycle insurance provider for the last four years running - no excess, no depreciation, no contract, no funky fine-print and a 5-star-customer service.

To find out more visit: Laka.co

Offer code: ROADCCPOD30 for 30 days free bicycle insurance (new customers only)

What on earth do you do if your bike is lost somewhere in the airport baggage solar system? There’s a global crisis with luggage going walkies right now, and unfortunately that includes bikes. We speak to Nick Sutton of Laka about what you should do if you find yourself in the unfortunate position where your bike is ‘lost’ by an airline. Listen on for some top tips and make sure you give yourself the best chance of being reunited with your pride and joy should the worst happen. 

We’re also talking about aluminium bikes, and why they’re here to stay. Just how good are they compared to the tooth-rattling early examples of the 1990s, and can an alloy bike ever be as good as carbon? George, John and Dave discuss…

Laka bicycle insurance

Collective bicycle cover by Laka exists to rewrite the rules of insurance so it's something people stand with, not against. Laka has been voted best cycle insurance provider for the last four years running - no excess, no depreciation, no contract, no funky fine-print and a 5-star-customer service.

To find out more visit: Laka.co

Offer code: ROADCCPOD30 for 30 days free bicycle insurance (new customers only)

The Tour de France has been well and truly blown open after yesterday’s events on the Col du Granon, so it’s only right that this episode of the road.cc Podcast in association with Laka is (loosely) Tour-themed! First up, George, Liam, Mat and Jamie talk about the current ‘lightweight aero’ bikes that are now dominating the Tour de France peloton. Is aero and lightweight rolled into one the thing we all need, or is the UCI’s pesky weight limit stifling consumer choice? We can’t agree, we’re pretty sure you all won’t be able to agree, but in any case it’s certainly an interesting debate about the way road bikes are progressing. 

off.road.cc staff writer Suvi also catches up with Joram Kolf, co-founder of EatMyRide, and Lisa Nijbroek, who is currently the nutrition expert for the world’s number one-ranked pro cycling team Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl: how much more energy do you need for rides of three hours and beyond compared to ‘shorter’ rides? Is there any difference between fuelling for road vs off-road riding? Get your burning nutrition questions answered by some of the most knowledgeable people in the biz. 

Laka bicycle insurance

Collective bicycle cover by Laka exists to rewrite the rules of insurance so it's something people stand with, not against. Laka has been voted best cycle insurance provider for the last four years running - no excess, no depreciation, no contract, no funky fine-print and a 5-star-customer service.

To find out more visit: Laka.co

Offer code: ROADCCPOD30 for 30 days free bicycle insurance (new customers only)

We’ve got a bumper episode of the road.cc Podcast for you, coming a day early to coincide with the road cycling product launch of the year so far… that’s right, Shimano 105 –  the component giant’s third-tier groupset that it said would never go electric –  has gone… well, electric! Does it bother you that 105 has killed off rim brakes and mechanical shifting (not to mention a hefty bump up in price) or are 12-speed shifting, modern disc brakes and electronic gears all things well worth paying the premium for? George is joined by Mat, Liam, Tony and Jack to discuss the controversial upgrade. Or maybe it isn’t controversial at all? 

For our second segment George and Jack are joined by environmental psychologist (and record-breaking endurance cyclist) Dr Ian Walker, who talks about travel habits and how we change them. With petrol prices through the roof, why aren’t more people ditching the car and taking up cycling and walking? Listen in for a fascinating insight into habits and routines, and how we can break them to change behaviour. You’ll realise even more how the pandemic really was a massive missed opportunity to cut car use, and Ian has some top tips for policy makers should a similar, routine-breaking situation arise in the future… 

Laka bicycle insurance

Collective bicycle cover by Laka exists to rewrite the rules of insurance so it's something people stand with, not against. Laka has been voted best cycle insurance provider for the last four years running - no excess, no depreciation, no contract, no funky fine-print and a 5-star-customer service.

To find out more visit: Laka.co

Offer code: ROADCCPOD30 for 30 days free bicycle insurance (new customers only)

In the latest episode of the road.cc Podcast sponsored by Laka, we’re winding down after our trip to the Criterium du Dauphine. Live from the departure lounge (please excuse a rather enthusiastic French airport announcer who pops up occasionally) Liam, Mat and Andrew talk about what it’s like to head out to a World Tour race: watching it, hassling pro team PR people to get pics of unreleased bikes and more comedy mispronunciation of Toms Skujiņš all feature prominently! 

Liam and Dan also catch up with Hugh Carthy, the EF Education–EasyPost rider from Preston who loves to dig deep. Hugh reveals himself to be quite the bike nerd, telling us about his favourite vintage bikes back home and equipment preferences for big races. 

Laka bicycle insurance

Collective bicycle cover by Laka exists to rewrite the rules of insurance so it's something people stand with, not against. Laka has been voted best cycle insurance provider for the last four years running - no excess, no depreciation, no contract, no funky fine-print and a 5-star-customer service.

To find out more visit: Laka.co

Offer code: ROADCCPOD30 for 30 days free bicycle insurance (new customers only)

We love cycling of course, and we hope you love it too... but nothing is absolutely perfect, so in this episode we're talking about the things we don't like about our favourite thing! Dodgy drivers, dodgy infrastructure, flies, sunburn, punctures and concept bikes all make an appearance, and I'm sure there's plenty you could add to the list. What's your least favourite thing about cycling? 

For our second segment, Simon chats to his fascinating friend and bikepacking aficionado Will about all things bikepacking. What kit do you need, what makes the ideal bikepacking and wild camping trip? If you're planning your own, be sure to give this a listen and take heed of Will's words of wisdom before you depart on your epic journey...

Laka bicycle insurance

Collective bicycle cover by Laka exists to rewrite the rules of insurance so it's something people stand with, not against. Laka has been voted best cycle insurance provider for the last four years running - no excess, no depreciation, no contract, no funky fine-print and a 5-star-customer service.

To find out more visit: Laka.co

Offer code: ROADCCPOD30 for 30 days free bicycle insurance (new customers only)

In the 25th episode of the road.cc Podcast, we’re excited to announce that specialist cycling insurers Laka will be our partner sponsors for the rest of 2022! We were less excited to find out that the organisers of RideLondon appeared to be planning to set a speed limit of 22mph on the front of the race, something that they have now backtracked on and claimed was an 'error' after feeling the wrath of many cyclists who were signed up to the event, thinking they could ride it at whatever pace they wanted. Although the organisers have seen sense, is it worrying that anyone involved may have thought this was a good idea in the first place?

We’re also talking about indoor cycling and particularly Zwift, following the news that the company that basically started virtual cycling as we know it today had laid off 150 staff, and abandoned its plan for a ‘Zwift Bike’. With the lockdown indoor training boom over, will we all go back to staring at a wall on our salty turbo bike once more, or is this simply a bump in the  (virtual) road for the indoor training giant? Is Zwift’s place as the market leader safe? George is joined by Dave Atkinson, John Stevenson and Jack Sexty to discuss both of this week’s tasty topics. Enjoy!

Laka bicycle insurance

Collective bicycle cover by Laka exists to rewrite the rules of insurance so it's something people stand with, not against. Laka has been voted best cycle insurance provider for the last four years running - no excess, no depreciation, no contract, no funky fine-print and a 5-star-customer service.

To find out more visit: Laka.co

Offer code: ROADCCPOD30 for 30 days free bicycle insurance (new customers only)

Cycling clubs are great… or are they? In this episode George is joined by road.cc’s founder Tony Farrelly and bike industry stalwart Nick Rearden, who discuss the merits and pitfalls of joining a club. Some of you might know that road.cc was kind of founded as a cycling club for people who had no desire to join one in the real world (hence the .cc in our name), so it’s fitting that Tony is making the case for staying unattached. Is riding in a pack a pain? Are some clubs too intimidating? Nick makes the case for getting involved with a local club as a way to meet other like-minded folks, and perhaps find routes you otherwise wouldn’t have found by just going it alone. 

Meanwhile, we’re back in the confessions box revealing more of our cycling sins. Find out how John got on racing mountain bikes with single-sided road pedals, why Simon will do anything to avoid a hill and why Tony doesn’t care for torque wrenches or truing wheels… 

Episode 23 of the road.cc Podcast is certainly unique… we’re pretty confident you’ll have never heard a cycling podcast like it! To kick us off we’re talking to a member of the mysterious Tyre Extinguishers, a protest group who have made international news recently by ‘disarming’ SUV tyres in the dead of the night. Cue uproar from the tabloids (and SUV owners of course) but among some active travel advocates, the group’s actions have been described as justified because of the threat larger, more polluting cars pose to our health. Are the Tyre Extinguishers cyclists’ ally, or are their very provocative actions causing more harm than good? 

George also catches up with the inspirational Vedangi Kulkarni, who cycled round the world at the age of 19 and has ticked off many more cycling achievements in her tender years. Find out why Vedangi thought the motorway hard shoulder was just one big epic cycle lane when she first moved to the UK, and why Brooks saddles are the one! 

In the latest episode of the road.cc Podcast sponsored by MET, we’re trying to get to the bottom of just what is going on at the UK’s biggest sportive, RideLondon. With the event now heading into Essex for the first time, are local police doing anything to address the county’s poor safety record? What about the influx of new cyclists they are likely to see before and after the event? Are the organisers concerned? We’re joined by specialist transport journalist and road.cc contributor Laura Laker to discuss the developments, with the police saying they are grappling with brutal police cuts that are leaving as little as seven traffic offers to cover 5,000 miles of Essex Roads on any given day, and London Marathon Events saying… well, nothing so far. 

We’re also kicking off a new podcast mini-series, in which we are sharing our deepest, darkest cycling confessions. Find out how Mat nearly took out a Tour de France champion, and Jack’s penchant for pedalling clipless pedals in trainers… 

Did you watch Matej Mohorič storm to victory at Milan–San Remo last Saturday with a death-defying descent to break away from the lead group? We wanted to find out more, so were delighted to invite Matej onto the road.cc Podcast to tell us all about the win, and more particularly his now legendary use of a Fox dropper post to help him on that furious descent of the Poggio. Find out why it wasn’t just about the dropper post (the whole bike was optimised just for the race, including some secret sauce wheel bearings) and what Matej thinks about the future of the dropper post in the peloton. Other than the obvious ‘get a dropper post’, Matej also gives us mortals some top tips for quick and safe descending! 

We’re also talking helmet tech with our sponsors MET - Ulysse Daessle tells us how the Italian  specialists create and optimise their lids, from 3D-printing through to meticulous real-world testing. Enjoy!

In the latest episode of the road.cc Podcast in association with MET, we’re talking TT bike safety. After Egan Bernal’s horror crash in training recently, Chris Froome suggested that time trial bikes should be banned in the pro peloton, because the extreme position means it’s difficult to keep your eyes on the road and what’s around you. So, if this were to happen, would it impact the popular TT scene in the UK? We thought there was no one better to ask than Michael Broadwith, the current record holder for the fastest time between Land’s End and John o' Groats, who talks to Jack and Mat about TT bike safety, the relationship between UK time trialling and the pro ranks and his own achievements. 

Flanders? Milan–San Remo? Paris–Roubaix? We’re also talking our favourite spring Classics, with in-house racing nuts Simon, Liam and Ryan joining George to make cases for their favourites. What’s yours?

A decentralised cycling club with members from all over the world, happily chatting away online about their shared love of all things bike… sounds great, right? Almost a little bit like what the original idea for road.cc was when we started out way back in 2008! It’s sort of what the founders of Bike Club NFT say they have started; however, if you add in the word ‘NFT’ and require members to buy in using the controversial cryptocurrency known as Ethereum, it turns out you risk making half of Cycling Twitter very mad indeed. 

In this episode, Jack and Ryan speak to Bike Club NFT founders Tyler Benedict and Richard Mitchelson (better known as Rich Mitch) to establish what the hell NFTs are, and why they've decided to base their virtual bike club around something that the cycling community seems pretty damn unhappy with on the whole. Is it a financially irresponsible and environmentally damaging idea as some are claiming, or are we cyclists just luddites resistant to change? Have a listen and try to make up your mind, because we haven’t yet… 

In episode 18 of the road.cc Podcast, we’re reflecting on the recent changes to the Highway Code… and why we think some of them have been misinterpreted so badly. Join George, Simon, Ryan and Jack as they clarify what the new rules are, and ask why on earth certain media pundits decided to tell the nation that cyclists can now ride in the middle of the road, and require motorists to stop on a roundabout whenever they see a cyclist approaching (spoiler: neither of these things are true). 

Simon also catches up with Tim Lennon of the London Cycling Campaign, who was recently the subject of tabloid press articles that accused him of being a “cycling zealot” after footage emerged of a driver performing a dangerous and illegal close pass on his daughter. Tim reflects on the media circus, and why people on social media chose to deflect by questioning his daughter’s lack of protective equipment. 

Finally, road.cc tech editor Mat Brett talks to Alex Malone of cycling shoe specialists Bont Cycling, who have come on board to sponsor the road.cc Podcast. What does it take to produce some of the finest cycling shoes, and where can the tech go from here? Alex says “watch this space”, so we’re hoping for something new and exciting from Bont this year!

We’ve jumped the gun on this episode of the road.cc podcast because, we’ll think you’ll agree, it’s very very timely… our special guest is none other than Chris Boardman! 

In a week where the Highway Code is changing to better reinforce the greater responsibility of motorists on our roads, the former Olympic Champion, business owner, MBE (insert more achievements here) has been named the interim commissioner of a new governmental body, Active Travel England, which has been tasked with implementing the Gear Change strategy. 

What is Chris’ vision to get more people cycling and walking, and does he think the Highway Code changes will actually change much? Why doesn’t he get chance to actually ride his bike nowadays? Find out by listening to this special episode of the road.cc Podcast… 

It’s time to kick off the second season of the road.cc Podcast in association with Altura, and we're speaking to none other than the king of camera cyclists Mike van Erp, better known as CyclingMikey. How does one man with a busy day job have time to make all those submissions to the police, and how does he feel about being wrongly dubbed a 'vigilante'? Find out as Mike, Jack and Simon discuss all things cycling and road crime.

Would you spend £165 on a bar bag? Mike Stead tell us all about his love affair with the Route Werks handlebar bag, a product he describes as "the new benchmark by which all other bar bags will be judged." Lofty praise indeed!

Finally, Anna, Mat and George talk about making the most of your lunch hour. How do you stay disciplined and avoid putting your lunchtime workout off? Listen to our tips and hints. 

Before we kick off Season 2 of the road.cc Podcast, we thought it was only right that we put together a compilation of the best bits from Season 1. We’ve had plenty of great guests and debates since we launched last summer, and in this episode you can listen to our top highlights again. We’ve got Carlton Reid on COP26, DCS Andy Cox on road crime, Shimano disappointment, Becca Charlton on women in the bike industry and plenty more of the best moments in this bumper episode… see you in Season 2! 

It’s the last road.cc pod before Christmas, and we’ve got an extra special episode for you! First up we speak to Chad Tavernia, who has been making a name for himself posting scarcely believable century rides completed out of the saddle! After some folks didn’t believe him after the first successful attempt outdoors, Chad decided to prove it once and for all and live streamed himself doing another century on rollers last month. George, news editor Dan and road.cc reviewer Matt Page talk to Chad about his mind-boggling saddleless exploits. 

As we’re coming up to the end of the year, it’s only right we whip our crystal balls out, give them a good old rub and tell you what we want and what we’re predicting for 2022. From Highway Code hopes to groupset desires, personal ambitions and more, team members from road.cc, off.road.cc and eBikeTips chip in. 

Finally, we announce the winner of our 10k downloads competition! Listen to the end where we reveal the winner and tell the lucky one how to get in touch and claim their bonus Christmas pressie. See you next year! 

What do us cyclists really want for Christmas? Definitely not another bike-shaped pizza cutter, comedy jersey or random piece of giftware with a bike on, according to VecchioJo! Yep, it’s that time of year where Jo compiles his very own Christmas list of what not to buy for cyclists this Nöel, and for the 13th episode of the road.cc Podcast we’ve brought it to life as he discusses the road.cc Christmas no-no list with George and Jack. WARNING: Contains brief digressions about fixies and rim brakes that could massively trigger fans of either of these things… 

Liam and Jack also chat to Nick Howes, who was the press officer and then digital manager for Team Sky while they were at their absolute peak. What was it like working on the road while one of the biggest stories in British sport unfolded before us, with Bradley Wiggins’ Tour de France victory inspiring a generation of Team Sky-wearing MAMILs? 

We’ve also got a giveaway to celebrate hitting 10,000 downloads last episode! Our road.cc Podcast partners Altura are giving away a luxurious Merino neck warmer, and we’re throwing in a road.cc t-shirt and road.cc socks for good measure. Just press play on the episode to hear the question, then email podcast@road.cc to send us your answer and be in with a chance to win. Enjoy the episode!

“It’s out of the galaxy delusional”… that’s a flavour of what Bike Biz founder and current Forbes and Guardian contributor Carlton Reid thought of the conversations being had at COP26 about eco-friendly transport, which he witnessed first-hand. So just why were so many electric car brands allowed to flaunt their wares and “openly tout for business” at the world’s biggest climate summit, when the CEO of Britain’s foremost folding bike brand was reportedly unable to even exhibit at the event? We wish we had the answers, but until world leaders get their sh*t together you can listen to Simon and Carlton discussing the underwhelming scenes at COP26. 

We’re also pleased to announce that cycling apparel specialists Altura are our partners for the next four episodes, and to welcome them on board George is talking to the brand’s head of design and development Amy Spencer. How do you layer up properly for winter riding, and what materials are best for keeping you warm and dry without getting that boil in the bag feeling? Find out all you need to know on episode 12 of the road.cc Podcast. 

In this episode we’re asking: is cycling just too expensive nowadays? George, Liam, Jack and Patrick discuss, comparing the prices of very expensive bikes and components with luxury products from other industries and attempting to come to a solid conclusion over whether cycling is a particularly expensive pastime. Does an oversized pulley wheel system that costs over £500 really offend you when there’s people paying £650 for a gold-covered steak in Knightsbridge at the moment? 

We all have our say, feel free to chip in with your thoughts by dropping us a line at podcast@road.cc! 

George also talks to road.cc presenter Becca Charlton about women in the bike industry. How do we make cycling more inclusive, and whose responsibility is it to instigate change so we’ve got a better gender balance in cycling, both as a mode of transport and in cycling as a sport? 

It’s a packed episode as always, we hope you enjoy it! 

Have you ever been held up with an Uzi by a bogus police officer on a bike ride? How about getting caught on a tree branch by the loop of your backpack, finding yourself being slowly asphyxiated while dangling a few inches off the ground? These are just two of the scary tales we’ve got for you on this, the tenth episode of the road.cc Podcast and also our Halloween special! Jittery George Hill is joined by Jack-O-Lantern Sexty, Monstrous Mat Brett and Jo Bloodcurdling Burt to discuss their scariest moments on a bike, and also read out the best from our followers on the site and social media. 

We also check in with reviewer Emma Silversides to find out what needs to be improved for Van Rysel’s ‘quick-pee’ women’s bib shorts to get the road.cc seal of approval. Finally, Jack and Screamin’ Simon MacMichael talk to Travis Nelson, a cyclist who has become famous for riding around London with his intrepid cat Sigrid… who despite this being the Halloween special is cute, white and fluffy you’ll be glad to know! 

In Episode 9 of the road.cc Podcast in association with Cervélo, we talk to the pro cyclist who had his bike stolen by machete-wielding thugs in London’s Richmond Park. Alexandar Richardson said he wasn’t surprised by the attack; but after several similar incidents around Richmond Park in the past few days and others reported across the country, is this worrying trend of violent bikejackings becoming more prevalent? Jack, Tony, Simon and George discuss, followed by an interview with Alexandar from sunny Mallorca… where he was forced to escape to in order to avoid another bikejacking before the national championships. 

We’re also talking about our cycling pet peeves, and this time it’s the behaviour of other cyclists. Does it really get your goat when you see cyclists sail through red lights while you're there patiently waiting for a green? The road.cc team debate that typical tabloid stick that cyclists are often beaten with, and (spoiler) it turns out that some of us are not that fussed! 

Episode 8 of the road.cc Podcast in association with Cervélo is probably our most packed yet!

Part 1 - From suicidal to world record holder: Josh Quigley on breaking the 7 day cycling distance world record

It’s a story that seems almost too remarkable to be true… and Josh Quigley ain’t done yet! The intrepid Scotsman talks to Jack and Dave about how he went from being suicidal to a multiple record holder in just seven years, with a number of hiccups along the way. Failed attempts to cycle around the world, horrific crashes and more have threatened to stop Josh in his tracks, but he just gets back up again. He now aims to join a pro team, and tells us why he thinks he will make it as an elite cyclist.

Part 2 – Mike Stead talks about his 5 star Silca Synergetic Drip Lube review

Why was a 30 quid bottle of lube worthy of a hallowed 10/10 road.cc score? Mike Stead explains in this summary of his recent review!

Part 3 – Cervelo talk bike tech and the brand new R5 

What would bikes be like without UCI rules? Where do you start when designing a bike? Mat and George catch up with Maria Benson, Director of Product Management and Scott Roy, Engineering Manager from Cervélo, who give us a fascinating insight into what happens when one of the most recognisable bike brands in the pro peloton and beyond make a new bike. We also discuss Cervélo’s latest flagship lightweight road racer, the R5, in plenty of juicy detail. 

Part 1 – What should be done about violence against cyclists on Britain’s roads? 

Last weekend, we were sent some disturbing footage of a driver assaulting a cyclist, seemingly incensed that he was riding two abreast with his fellow members of Swindon Wheelers Cycling Club. Are occurrences like this all too common on the roads, and what needs to be done to change the attitudes of the dangerous minority that cannot share the road safely? George, Dan and Jack discuss. 

Part 2 – DCS Andy Cox talks about prevention of road crime, and why cyclists should run cameras 

Following on from the discussion amongst the road.cc team, Jack speaks to DCS Andy Cox, who is the national lead for fatal collision reporting and a prominent voice on social media when it comes to road crime and cyclists’ safety. Andy explains what needs to be done for the UK to sit up and take notice of the 1,800 deaths – many of them preventable – on our roads each year, says why cyclists should be running cameras and talks about his hopes for the future when it comes to reducing road crime 

Part 1 - Are Shimano's new groupsets a disappointment? 

12-speed, semi-wireless, looks great... what's not to love? On episode 6 of the road.cc Podcast, the team discuss whether Shimano has gone far enough with its latest big groupset launch by comparing to previous big Shimano launches, and recent innovations from other groupset manufacturers. Do we love it, or have we been left feeling underwhelmed? John Stevenson, Mat Brett, Liam Cahill and Jack Sexty discuss.

Part 2 - How do you prevent cramp and hydrate properly on long rides? 

Jack talks to Andy Blow from Precision Hydration about how nailing your hydration strategy could be the key to riding your bike for longer, while avoiding those dreaded cramps in your legs that can turn a pleasant ride into a painful nightmare. Is taking a ‘sweat test’ to work out exactly how much salt and fluid you need only worth it for the pros, or a worthwhile investment for us Average Joes too? 

Part 3 - Why does John hate mini pumps? 

What has the humble mini pump ever done to him? Our resident grumpy Yorkshireman John Stevenson explains why petit pumps perturb him, while Jack and Liam also chip in with some other cycling products that they don’t particularly get on with. Whats your cycling pet peeve? 

In this episode we talk to Dan Bigham, Performance Engineer at the Danish cycling team and one of the world's sharpest aerodynamics experts,  about  everything except tape and vests. 

We also have the second part of our interview with Clive Gosling, celebrating 50 years on Cannondale. 

Finally Matt Page gives us the lowdown of the North Coast 500 route that he recently did. 

In this episode Tony and George talk to 'Mr Cannondale' , Clive Gosling, Marketing Director at Cycling Sports Group UK, as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of the industry's most innovative bike manufacturers. 

George, Dan, and Simon also discuss what impact the new highway code is likely to have on cyclists following the governments announcement of changes to it. 

We also look at a cyclist in the US who rode 100 miles without a saddle and discuss whether it's something any of us would attempt. 

In this episode we: 

• Discuss the secrets of reviews of road.cc, 
• Speak to Phil Cavell, author of The Midlife Cyclist (https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-midlife-cyclist/phil-cavell/9781472961389) and founder of CycleFit
• Have a candid conversation about the secret tech in the Tour this year 
• Look at our first listener correspondence  

In this episode I am joined by Dave Atkinson, Mat Brett, Jack Sexty, and Anna Marie-Hughes. 

We talk about disc brakes and whether they are as good or as bad as some people claim. 

Anna gives us her insight into using e-bikes for training purposes, whilst Dave, Mat, and Jack discuss the 'ebikes are cheating' phenomena in the UK. 

As we are now nearly two weeks in to the tour we also look at how the tour is used to launch new tech, how things are 'leaked' to us, and the strange concept of the grand depart. 

In the first episode of the the road.cc podcast we discuss keeping fit through cycling after you hit 40, how Sadiq Khan's re-election will impact cycling infrastructure, we take a look at the Speedplay Zero Pedals, and Dave Atkinson, Jack Sexty, and George Hill discuss access for cyclists during the pandemic.