Velo Podcast

Featuring: Mike Levy, Josh Ross, Lisa Charlebois, and Logan Jones-Wilkins

Inside the Rapha corporate fallout, a boots-on-the-ground Worlds recap, and the strategy behind selling $6,500 wheels.

This week, we dive into road tech, racing drama, and the cycling industry's biggest shakeups. Logan Jones-Wilkins brings us inside the race for the rainbow stripes, while Josh and Logan debate the business logic behind some of the sport's most polarizing gear.

In this episode:

Worlds Recap: Logan’s on-the-ground breakdown of Brandon McNulty’s win and the ridiculous positional rule that nearly upended the women’s race...

Featuring: Mike Levy, Josh Ross, Lisa Charlebois, and Logan Jones-Wilkins

This week, we have a full house with Logan Jones-Wilkins, Lisa Charlebois, Mike Levy, and Josh Ross. We kick things off with a massive week in gear news before diving deep into the psychology of ride motivation.

In this episode:

Shimano's Pedal Controversy: Shimano just dropped new pedals, shoes, and cleats that break backward compatibility. Are we excited, or stocking up on new-old-stock?

Canyon Grail Critiques: The latest Grail seems like a great bike in many ways, but Josh brings some...

Featuring: Mike Levy, Josh Ross, Lisa Charlebois, and Logan Jones-Wilkins

We answer your questions, debate the real-world value of aero bottle cages, and discuss why it makes sense to ride 500km for tacos.

We’ve had some major topics on the show the last few weeks, so this week we are taking a step back a little and answering some questions. We read every comment, and Logan Jones-Wilkins, Lisa Charlebois, and I will often jump in to respond. Mike Levy also reads them, but he actually brings the comments to the show so we can an...

Featuring: Mike Levy, John Karrasch, and Jan Heine

Does a 32-inch wheel actually save watts, or is the testing methodology broken? We put Chung Method advocate John Karrasch and vocal critic Jan Heine in the same room to hash out the reality of rolling resistance.

This week, the usual crew steps aside to host a direct debate between two of the most outspoken voices in tire tech. John Karrasch (aka flexfitbyjohn) has generated massive datasets using the Chung Method, recently claiming that adopting 32-inch wheels can improve rolling resistance by up to 10%. On the other...

Featuring: Mike Levy, Josh Ross, Lisa Charlebois, and Logan Jones-Wilkins

This week is easily one of our favorite recent episodes. All four Velo podcast hosts—Lisa Charlebois, Logan Jones-Wilkins, Mike Levy, and myself—are together in the virtual studio, and things get incredibly spicy. Expect a lot of passion and plenty of heated back-and-forth as we debate drivetrain futures, prototype spy shots, and the true definition of bikepacking.

We kick things off with listener questions. What starts as straightforward bike-buying advice quickly devolves into an argument over whether bikepacking is strictly a gravel activity and if c...

Featuring: Mike Levy, Josh Ross, Lisa Charlebois, and Logan Jones-Wilkins

The Vuelta a España is in full swing, and this week the whole crew is in the house to break down the racing, new tech, and the latest industry chaos. Host Mike Levy is joined by Logan Jones-Wilkins, Lisa Charlebois, and Josh Ross to cover:

Vuelta a España Wackiness: The race has a reputation for the unexpected, and Logan and Lisa walk us through the organizers' questionable decision to hire a specific influencer. It seems nobody vetted the content before handing over the cr...

Featuring: Mike Levy, Josh Ross, and Lisa Charlebois

We air out our worst group ride habits, explain why the CAAD14's aluminum vibe beats cheap carbon, and tackle reader questions.

In this episode:

Toxic Cycling Traits: What's the thing you do on the bike that the group ride probably hates? Levy admits to half-wheeling, I talk too much, and Lisa... well, you'll have to let us know if her trait is actually a big deal.

The Cannondale CAAD14: I’ve had this bike all summer and absolutely love it. We discuss ho...

Featuring: Mike Levy, Josh Ross, Lisa Charlebois, and Logan Jones-Wilkins

The Velo tech team breaks down a week of massive summer rides, including fueling disasters on a 1x Factor One and why Trek’s endurance labeling might be entirely wrong.

It is the height of summer, and right now, we are doing some massive rides. We are all here this week—including Lisa Charlebois, Logan Jones-Wilkins, Mike Levy, and Josh Ross. This week we talk about how Logan just did a century on a new bike, but before we get to that, it was Josh's turn...

Featuring: Mike Levy and Lisa Charlebois

How much time does "bra maxing" actually save in a pro peloton? This week, we dive into the Tour de France Femmes tech controversy that could alter podiums, look at the brutal reality of 32-inch gravel bikes, and check in on a 700-mile Century Week.

With Josh and Logan out this week, Lisa Charlebois and Mike Levy hold down the studio to discuss the big, dumb rides they are both doing and the biggest aero news of the week.

First up: Mike’s ongoing saga with 32-inch wh...

Featuring: Mike Levy, Josh Ross, Lisa Charlebois, and Logan Jones-Wilkins

Episode Description:

We rank the fastest aero road bikes, discuss Lisa’s plan to ride 700 miles in a week, and unpack how the giant Salsa Fargo actually handles in the woods of BC.

We missed last week because we were all deep in the woods in British Columbia testing, among other things, a 32-inch bike. We actually recorded a podcast while together but you will have to wait for that one. For now, the team is back in our home studios to discuss so...

Is the Tour de France actually a circus, and how do riders survive the extreme heat? Plus, why you shouldn't put luggage on a race bike.

This week, the whole gang is in the virtual studio to talk about everything happening in the cycling world right now. Logan Jones-Wilkins kicks things off with his firsthand account of the Tour de France and shares a radical take on why moving race start times to beat the heat is harder than it sounds.

Then, Mike Levy pulls a listener question that sparks a debate on why we...

And we’re back, everyone. Mike Levy returns from the wilderness, and Lisa Charlebois and I join him to unpack exactly where he’s been. But before we get to the heartbreak of ultra-endurance racing, the Tour de France is in full swing, and we’ve got a wild first week to discuss.

Tour de France Carnage & UCI Rulings

We kick things off with the absolute chaos of the opening team time trial. Two crashes in the exact same spot on a manhole cover beg the question: is this the UCI's fault for not securing the co...

 In this week's episode, we question whether the Specialized Tarmac SL9 is a true upgrade or just an iPhone-style micro-update, look at the shrinking footprint of Eurobike, and talk Tour de France storylines.

Show Notes:

This week is a big one for me. Logan is out doing the Tour de France thing, and Mike is nursing his wounds somewhere. That leaves just myself and Lisa Charlebois running the studio, which means after all this time, this is officially my first time hosting the podcast.

Of course we have to talk about the Tour, s...

This week we are doing something a bit different. Often this podcast is a space for a deep dive into an article that you can read about on the Velo website. This week we are instead going to learn more about contributor Lisa Charlebois.

Mike Levy and I sat down to chat with Charlebois about a ride she once did. This wasn’t an ordinary ride, though. Charlebois does a lot of big rides, but this one was even bigger. It is called the Midnight Sun Randonneur, and it is a 1,215-kilometer (755-mile) loop that starts six ho...

This week on the Velo Podcast, the crew discusses a 13-pound Everesting rig, women's specific bike shoes vs unisex options, and why your next road bike might actually be a gravel setup.

I’m back, but Mike Levy is still playing in the woods on a bike. We’ll talk to him about that soon, but for now, Logan Jones-Wilkins, Lisa Charlebois, and I get into women's cycling shoes, 13-pound climbing bikes, and the death of the endurance road bike.

Episode Breakdown:

Women's Shoe Buyer's Guide: We look at the women’s shoe buyer...

wash lines, and why the UCI is suddenly policing your jersey pockets and screen size.

This week on the Velo Podcast, it's lonely! I was away doing an interview, and Mike Levy is out in the wilderness doing a big ride. That left just Logan Jones-Wilkins and Lisa Charlebois to cover the week's topics.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 - Unbound Aftermath & Press Camp Prep: The pair starts off discussing Charlebois getting ready for her first press camp. She has questions about how to handle it, but she also asks Jones-Wilkins if he has recovered from...

Logan Jones-Wilkins is back from the mud in Kansas to break down a wild 26-mph crash, the dominant Specialized Crux 5 debut, and why gravel racing might never be the same.

As we mentioned last week, Logan was in Emporia, Kansas covering Unbound 2026. Now he’s back in the studio and Mike Levy and I get to talk about what he saw. Part of that is the new Specialized Crux, but before we get there, we start with a discussion of how Logan did in his own Unbound 100 race. It wasn't exactly a quiet day out. Logan details a...

We dive into the controversial Scott prototype at Unbound, argue over what makes the perfect gravel bike, and reveal the top picks from our new Road Bike Buyer's Guide.

Last week Josh missed the pod, but this week it's Logan Jones-Wilkins’ turn. He is currently on the ground in Emporia, Kansas for Unbound 2026, but his Starlink connection failed. That leaves host Mike Levy, Lisa Charlebois, and Josh Ross to hold down the fort.

Without Logan to set the record straight, the crew dives into the newly released Specialized Crux. Things quickly get heated as Charlebois an...

Mike Levy, Lisa Charleboise, and Logan Jones-Wilkins hold down the fort talking about pee, ultra-racing, and Strava feuds. First, Levy tries to pry embargoed information out of Jones-Wilkins before Charleboise recaps another massive weekend ride. From there, it's on to the main topics:

Urine Intel from the Giro d'Italia

The trio tackles the recent UCI warnings at the Giro d'Italia. Racers have been put on notice for urinating into their water bottles and tossing them to the roadside. Levy attempts to defend the logistical efficiency of the "bottle pee," while Logan and Lisa outline the...

From wild TT bikes spotted at China Cycle to the real reason behind the Jan-Willem van Schip DQ, we break down the week's biggest tech news. Plus, I talk about sitting down with Chris Froome in China to talk bikes

Episode Notes:

Once again I hit the podcast mic completely jet-lagged and out of my mind to talk about the trip I’d just returned from. This time I was back in Asia, specifically China, at China Cycle to see all the craziest tech from brands that people are absolutely eating up right now.

...

This week's episode is all about riding long.

Factor's new Sarana ultra-distance race bike made its first appearance at last weekend's Traka gravel race in Girona, Spain, and Velo tech editor Logan Jones-Wilkins answers Levy's questions about how it aims to combine speedy handling and all-day comfort. Its geometry leans more towards speed and agility than outright stability, but it also has room for 2.2" tires and a carbon frame designed for vertical compliance and integrated frame bags, making the Sarana a novel endurance racing option, but did Factor go far enough? 

And speaking of a...

This week's episode was just like any other. There was definitely nothing controversial… Logan Jones-Wilkins and I dive into two vastly different gravel bikes we’ve been testing, starting with my review of the XDS X-Lab GT8.

On paper, the GT8 is a standard, run-of-the-mill gravel bike. It lacks a unique "special sauce" and won't revolutionize the category, but it is a highly capable all-rounder that will handle just about any unpaved road. Then you see the price. The GT8 comes with a full carbon build and a power meter for about half the cost of its main...

We break down the polarizing "big wheel" trend, compare ultra-premium Partington wheels to Hunt's high-value alternatives, and dive into the coolest gear from the Sea Otter Classic.

This week, the podcast is all about Sea Otter and we’ve got a full house. Lisa Charlebois, Logan Jones-Wilkins, and I all spent time in California at the event, and we’ve got stories to tell. We kick things off by sharing what the vibe was like on the ground, especially for Jones-Wilkins, who was attending the show for the very first time.

After that, we get into...

This week the Velo team is at Sea Otter covering the latest tech and Mike Levy is holding down the fort. In this episode, Levy sits down with New Zealander Joe Nation, a rider who possesses one of the most uniquely varied racing resumes in the sport.

Nation spent years following the mountain bike World Cup circuit as a privateer and racing in the Enduro World Series. Today, he’s trading three-minute downhill runs for events that span thousands of kilometers. He placed third overall at the 2023 Tour Divide and won the grueling 1,939-kilometer Silk Road Mountain Ra...

I went to Taiwan, but the show must go on. While I was away covering the Taipei Cycle Show, Mike Levy, Lisa Charlebois, and Logan Jones-Wilkins had plenty to talk about. Predictably, things got heavily focused on gravel tire pressure, but that wasn’t all.

This week, the podcast crew debates why roadies need bigger gravel tires, breaks down Specialized’s newest tech, and confesses to their strangest cold-weather clothing hacks.

In this episode, we cover:

Lisa’s 300km Mission: A recap of an epic 193-mile ride through Napa and Sonoma, plus a crucia...

Five minutes after walking in the door from the Taipei Cycle Show, I sat down with Mike Levy to unpack what it was like being there. We immediately dive into the wildest tech from the show floor: what a $31,000 3D-printed titanium road bike actually looks like, whether those budget power meter pedals are legit or just vaporware, and the exact physics behind Pirelli’s claim that their new aero tire cuts drag without ruining rolling resistance. I also talk about the one Chinese brand I found at the show and how they’ve got a brand new gravel bike that...

Legendary Canadian racer Svein Tuft joins Mike Levy to chat about stories from his book, We Will Never Be Here Again. The two cover wild stories ranging from epic bike-packing trips while pulling Tuft's 60-lb dog named Bear in a homemade trailer, to winning stages at the Tour de France and Giro. Tuft has had an unconventional career and lived an unconventional life.

Tuft is likely also the only professional cyclist, active or retired, who has spent time train hopping. He gives Levy his best tips for traveling via railcar—like finding priority trains to cross the co...

We debate whether dumping half your pedal is actually worth the cash, unpack a terrifying lead-vehicle disaster at the Mid-South gravel race, and explain why buying price-point carbon is a mistake.

0:00 - Intro

0:00:35 - Welcome Logan and Mid-South

0:18:10 - Listener questions

0:34:18 - CAAD14 first impressions

0:45:34 - Otso Waheela R launch

0:58:27 - Single sided gravel pedals

There has been an alarming amount of physical assault and middle fingers flying in the pro peloton lately. Last weekend, UCI race officials disqualified NSN Devo rider Kiaan Watts after he reached out and struck a competitor in the head mid-race. Just days later, British time trial champion Ethan Hayter earned himself a $645 fine and a docking of 25 UCI points for flashing his middle finger to a TV moto at 54 kilometers an hour during the Tirreno-Adriatico.

Which begs the question: when was the last time you completely lost your cool mid-ride?

In this week's episode...

What does it take to be considered one of the greatest of all time? A boatload of major wins doesn't hurt, of course, but how a racer wins can be just as important. Tadej Pogačar's list of victories includes four Tour de France titles, two World Championships, and a remarkable ten Monuments, among many others. They're super-human performances, no doubt, yet it's the Slovenian's willingness to race with his heart and gamble it all that sets him apart, especially in this era of relatively risk-averse specialists.
Today's podcast sees Levy speaking with Velo contrinutor Andy McGrath, author o...

Opening weekend in Flanders saw chaos, carnage, and the inevitable, with Omloop first-timer Mathieu van der Poel taking a dominating win and Demi Vollering showing some impressive early-season strength. This episode of the Velo podcast has European editor and race correspondent Andrew Hood breaking down all the action from Belgium and answering Levy's questions about how to stop MVDP's dominance at the classics, why there were so many huge crashes, and when a podium feels like a victory.
Hoody and Levy also get into the action from Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne, where 20-year-old Matthew Brennan's dominating sprint form has final...

In this episode of the Velo podcast, we're doing some collective venting about the stuff that grinds our gears, but we don’t start there. Instead, we open with some breaking news from Lisa about Ironman of all things. We don't usually spend much time on triathlons, but this is less about the sport and more about the corporation that controls it. We have to ask: Is a new gear ban with a "safety" justification actually just a thin veil for a commercial cash grab?

From there, we pivot to the two years I’ve spent living with...

Senior Tech Editor Josh Ross has spent the last month living with the 5th generation Cannondale SuperSix EVO, and he’s come to a blunt conclusion: either he’s jaded, or the flagship "superbike" just isn't that exciting. While the marketing suggests this is a category-defining machine, Josh explains why at $10,000 for the Hi-Mod (and more for the Lab71), the SuperSix has essentially become a clone of the Specialized Tarmac SL8 without actually hitting the same high marks. The crew discusses the "Tarmac-ification" of the all-around race bike and why the real winner of this launch is actually the $3,000 mech...

From donkeys in the Oman desert to a kangaroo take-down at the Tour Down Under, the 2026 racing season is off to a wild start. But the real creature chaos starts when Levy tells the story of being hunted through the woods by something he can't quite explain.

This week, we also have a heated discussion on whether the push for hi-viz apparel is actually a form of victim blaming that ignores the real dangers of the road. Plus, we discuss the new Garmin RearVue 820 and how its same-speed tracking effectively turns it into a high-tech drafting sensor...

This week, Velo tech editor Josh Ross dives deep into the "Big Four" road groupsets. After months of testing SRAM Red AXS, Shimano Dura-Ace, Campagnolo Super Record 13, and the TRP Vistar // Classified partnership, Josh argues that the "best" groupset doesn't exist—only the one that fits your personality.

We also discuss:

Trek Check-Out: Lisa gives her early impressions of Trek’s genre-bending new gravel platform.

Pro Safety: The fallout of the 100kph Alula Tour crash and the debate over peloton speed limits.

Listener Q&A: We answer your ques...

We dug into the data to find out. After a 20-minute head-to-head test between a modern aero setup and a classic steel bike, the results were staggering: The aero setup was 30% more efficient, requiring just 221 watts to outpace a rider pushing 288 watts. In this episode, the Velo tech team breaks down the physics of why "Weight Weenie" upgrades fail where aerodynamics succeed, and how you can find these same "free" watts on your next ride.

Also in this episode:

The Vingegaard Incident: A deep dive into Jonas Vingegaard’s recent crash in Spain involving a "st...

Do you actually need a damper on a gravel bike? Logan Jones-Wilkins joins the show to discuss his massive suspension shootout comparing the Cane Creek Invert, RockShox Rudy, and Fox 32 TC. We break down the winners, the losers, and where the "upside-down" tech actually makes sense.

Then, we tackle the controversy of the week: The Leadville Trail 100 MTB drop-bar ban. Josh digs into the archives to see if drop bars truly offer an advantage, or if this rule change is purely aesthetic. Finally, we ask if the new Pinarello Grevil MX is a legitimate...

“Owning the Litespeed Coll dels Reis isn’t smart," according to Velo tech editor Josh Ross, but sometimes you have to go with your heart rather than your head. Today's episode sees Josh describe how the lightest titanium disc road frame performs, and he explains that there's much more to this US-made metal bike than its lack of heft. We also dig into comparisons to carbon bikes, its 187lb weight limit, and why there's no such thing as the mythical "forever bike." 

Velo contributor and ultra-distance cyclist Lisa Charlebois joins us to report back on her...

Best known for heavily modifying carbon fiber mountain bike frames and components to shave grams and hide every cable, Dangerholm set out to create two wild gravel machines based on Scott's Spark RC and Scale frames. But the real talking point is the wheels used on both bikes: fully custom carbon rims with a 45mm inner width, 52mm on the outside, and a stepped height of up to 70mm. In other words, absolutely massive. But are they too wide?
Levy has Dangerholm explain how the design is essentially a hidden rim inside of a fairing, tire choices, the...

The end of 2025 means that it's time to look back at all of the bikes and gear used by the Velo tech editors and make some difficult decisions.

Today's episode sees Josh Ross and Alvin Holbrook explain the Road Bike of the Year nominees, which included the Colnago Y1RS and Lightspeed's Coll dels Reis, and why neither of those fancy machines took the overall win. We also get a bit heated over the Gravel Bike of the Year, Innovation of the Year, and finally, Product of the Year.

The second half of today's show see...