Over the years, custom framebuilder Carl Strong has built quite a name and reputation making some of the best handmade bicycles out there while also setting an example for new builders on how to run an actual business. We covered his "retirement" announcement, but wanted to touch base and hear the full story from him and his wife and business partner, Loretta Strong.

In this interview, they share the lessons learned from three decades in the industry, and explain why they're stepping (slowly) away from titanium to focus on Pursuit Cycles.

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Decathlon is a massive sporting goods retailer, equivalent (or larger) than Dick's Sporting Goods here in the States. Packed with very affordable house brand equipment, it raised a few eyebrows when their Rockrider mountain bikes debuted on the UCI World Cup XC race scene.

So we wondered, how are they putting top riders into the fastest races in the world on a bike sold in a "big box" store?

You can check out the prototype hardtail and full suspension race bikes in this post:

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We head to Iceland to ride the all-new Lauf Seigla, an aggressive reinterpretation of what a race gravel bike can be.

With massive 700x57 (29x2.25") tire clearance, more rear compliance, and stiffer leaf spring suspension fork, it's a monster that's also quite fast.

In this interview, we talk with founder and president Benedikt Skulason about the new design, how to hack it to use a dropper seatpost, and the tricks they used to give it so much room for big tires without changing the geometry from the original True Grit frame!

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Curious about CBD and its benefits for athletes? What about cyclists in particular? And what about CBG, and CBN? And WADA drug testing?

In this episode, we talk to two avid cyclists who also happen to be the founders of Twisted Spoke CBD. More than just a relabeled me-too brand, Wen and Gabe prove that they are beyond passionate about the health and wellbeing attributes that CBD and its derivatives can offer.

We cover it all, from the differences between CBD, CBG, and CBN; which ones contain THC and why, whether and how that might affect drug testing before or after a race, and so much more. It's a very thorough look at why cyclists may want to try CBD, when and how much to use, and what they can expect from using it.

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Colin Strickland didn't grow up cycling, but that sure didn't stop him from bursting onto the scene and quickly making a name for himself.

Now a legend in the burgeoning gravel racing world, he's working with Red Bull to host the inaugural Red Bull Rio Grande Gravel race in May 2022.

We caught up with Colin to see how the event came to be, get a little course intel, and hear how about his bike setup, race day nutrition, and more!

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Pocket Pedals are a slip-on, hard composite flat pedal surface that turns any road or mountain bike with SPDs into something that's easy to ride around town with regular shoes.

While it looks simple, there's a lot more going on with it to be able to work with SPD-SL road and SPD MTB pedals simultaneously. And don't even get us started on Look's pedals, but those are coming, too.

In this episode, I interview founder Karl Bjornson about how he came up with the idea, the complexities of manufacturing something that's both flexible yet necessarily rigid, and how their distribution is coming along.

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In this episode, I'm chatting with the founders of Bridge Bike Works, an ambitious carbon fiber bike brand starting up in Toronto, Canada.

And when I say ambitious, I mean, they're literally starting EVERYTHING from scratch, there's not a single off the shelf aspect of their entire process, and they're making it all right there at their new factory.

So, what does it take to launch a new bicycle manufacturing plant to also launch your own brand of bike? You're about to find out, along with an explanation of their racy yet capable all road geometry concept, which takes full advantage of bigger tires without sacrificing a whip fast ride.

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As it happened, I made a last minute trip to Bentonville for the launch of Fezzari's new Signal Peak XC mountain bike. Which happened to coincide with Outerbike and the Big Sugar gravel race. And since I don't like having any downtime whatsoever, I squeezed in an interview with Gary Vernon, who I'll sum up as the orchestrator of all things bike advocacy and infrastructure in Bentonville, Arkansas.

If you haven't been to Bentonville to ride, all I can say is this: When you finally do go, and I do mean WHEN, not IF, your mind will absolutely be blown.

Talking about bike lanes and access and trails is one thing. But seeing how they've made it an integral part of their entire community and city planning is honestly beyond words.

But that doesn't mean we can't try, so if you're at all involved in your city's planning, or your local bike advocacy group, or you just want to hear what's possible and get inspired to make cycling better in your own community, this episode will absolutely open your eyes to what's possible.

For links and more details, check out the full story on Bikerumor.com.

Find the Bikerumor Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean, and through RSS, or wherever you listen to podcasts! Can't find it? Let us know which players you use so we can get them up to speed! And let us know who you want us to interview. Click that PODCAST link in the menu and send in your suggestions!

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What's up Bikerumor fans!

Today, I'm speaking with the founders of Reddiyo, a smart training app that uses your workout data and performance to algorithmically determine your next workout.

It's an interesting concept not just because it uses data from the workouts you do on the app, but also your past recorded workouts to get you up and running with an effective program from day one.

In this episode, we talk about how they started, some of the technical challenges and opportunities in creating the app, plus a bit about the actual business of creating a subscription based app. We wrap up with a look at features to come and some pie in the sky thinking on future features.

I love hearing the startup stories of bike brands because almost every one of them is a pure passion play. They're started by riders who wanted to do something on their own and saw a gap in the market, then took the leap to create something cool.

Reddiyo's founders not only took a leap of faith, but they went into a category that has some steep competition. But, after using it, I'd say they've managed to create something both interesting and useful, particularly if your focus is more on getting stronger and faster than on just entertaining yourself on the trainer.

If you'd like to try it yourself, you can use promo code BIKERUMOR30 to more than double your free trial period from 14 days to a full 30 days!

Here's to a training smarter not harder.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY...

And if you're looking for a refreshing bevy after a hard training session, check out 10 barrel brewing's awesome assortment of sours. They're perfect on a hot day, or apres ride summer drink with friends. They're only available on the west coast of the US for now, but absolutely worth checking out if you can find it.

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Hit like, hit subscribe, and hit play. Then just get out and ride! Got an idea for a guest? Click here to submit your ideas for who we should interview next!

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In the 2 years since we've last partied with the Lauf Cycles team, they've switched from IBD to consumer direct, changed up most of their team, and are trying to find a good U.S. headquarters.

They've also been working hard on that full suspension gravel bike that's set to change the landscape, but they don't seem to be in a hurry to launch it.

We asked why, and talked a lot about the rest of the cycling industry, their growth, and future plans.

This one's a very casual conversation, but it's littered with interesting little facts about the bike industry as a whole that are definitely worth waiting for.

This episode is brought to you by 10 Barrel Brewing - If you like beer, and you're on the West Coast, check them out. Not only do they have some great beer, they also put on some rad events at their breweries in Oregon, Colorado, and Idaho!

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Find the Bikerumor Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean, and through RSS, or wherever you listen to podcasts! Can't find it? Let us know which players you use so we can get them up to speed! And let us know who you want us to interview. Click that PODCAST link in the menu and send in your suggestions!

Hit like, hit subscribe, and hit play. Then just get out and ride! Got an idea for a guest? Click here to submit your ideas for who we should interview next!

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