CyclingTips Podcast

There are tools and skills you need to bring on every ride — what are they? This week's Nerd Alert tackles roadside and trailside repairs. 

But first, Michael Valgren won Amstel Gold in exactly the same way he won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. What's his secret? Is the new Amstel finish better than the old one? It's now a finish that better suits the fast men, including Peter Sagan, because the Cauberg is farther from the finish line. Does that make for better racing? Time for some debate.

Paris-Roubaix did not disappoint. This year's edition was chaotic, beautiful, and terrifyingly difficult. We break down Peter Sagan's win, the mistakes QuickStep made, and chat with Niki Terpstra and Taylor Phinney on the velodrome's infield. 

This week's Nerd Alert focuses on Sagan's unique bike, his crazy mid-race stem adjustment, and the special models pros get to use.

On the eve of cycling's hardest one-day race, Caley Fretz and Neal Rogers discuss a muddy recon day, breaking QuickStep's dominance, Peter Sagan's chances, who might go home with the cobblestone trophy.

This week we're coming to you from the fields of Flanders, just hours after the Ronde. Caley Fretz and Dave Everett chat about the race, marvel at Belgian bike culture, lament bikes lost in canals, and dream of hearty stew.

Plus, Caley has a dispatch from his ride in one of EF's Tesla team cars during the race, Koen De Kort talks about recon rides, and — Nerd Alert — Trek-Segafredo's technical director Matt Shriver talks about bike setup for Flanders and Roubaix.

As tires get bigger and pressures decrease, is frame compliance really all that important anymore? Doesn't comfort just come from your tires? James Huang sets out to answer that question in this week's Nerd Alert. 

But first, it's Flanders week. Harelbeke and Gent-Wevelgem are in the rearview mirror, and De Ronde looms. Can anyone beat back the strongest QuickStep team we've seen in years?

Catalunya saw a battle of GC men, and Valverde was the most impressive. That didn't sit well with everyone.

A driverless car killed a woman walking her bike across a road last weekend. The incident reopened questions as to whether such vehicles are truly ready for public roads.

The first monument of the year was last Sunday, and we break down the finale and argue over how good the race actually is. They also go on a massive tangent about covering the Tour de France. 

Plus, Flax stays on the line to chat about his story on cyclingtips.com about the Crash Race, which is exactly as nuts as it sounds.

The seasons are changing and cyclists the world over have to figure out how to dress for the transition. We pick the best clothing for the cold, variable weather of shoulder seasons. 

Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico are now behind us, and MSR is just ahead. What can the first major stage races of the year tell us about the coming classics season?

Nino Schurter was spotted on a new electronic mountain bike group. He also pulled out of his pedal at the first World Cup of the season. Was it his fault?

A hallmark of the modern cycling scandal is its location, wedged somewhere in between the ethical line the sport has drawn for itself and the legal line drawn by the WADA code. This week's news surrounding Team Sky and Bradley Wiggins is no different. We dig into how those lines are drawn, and how they might be re-drawn. 

Strade Bianche was, once again, an incredible day of racing. Some are calling for a sixth monument. Would this race qualify? 

Nerd Alert returns (briefly) to the gun and boycott debate before focusing one something far more enjoyable: The new Trek Checkpoint is the latest in a string of bikes designed for fun on any surface. 

The debate over gun control has seeped into the cycling world as some consumers have called for a boycott of bike brands owned by the massive firearms and ammunition company Vista Outdoor. But would such a boycott even be effective? 

Plus, we run through the week in bike news, from Tom Dumoulin's terrible bike throw to Alexander Vinokourov's strange financial woes. Finally, James Huang pulls out his crystal ball and looks into the future of indoor training, augmented reality, and games like Zwift.

In this week's episode: The first cobbled classics of the season, a test for concussions, how the North American Handmade Bicycle Show can predict our future, and a sit-down with world champion Chantal Blaak.