Cycology

Escape Adventures has been a staple in the bike tour world of the American West over the last 30 years and we are so lucky to welcome the cofounder of the company, Jared Fisher, to the podcast today! Jared and his team have run amazing and popular tours, traversing iconic routes, while managing three different highly-regarded bike shops too! In short, Escape Adventures is an amazing business that has built a dedicated and growing customer base from their home in Las Vegas, Nevada, and their story is truly surprising and inspiring. Jared and company also conducted some incredible work during 2020, which we hear all about in our chat, and listeners can expect to come away from this episode with a desperate need to head out west as soon as possible! Our guest also opens up about the company culture at Escape, and how this has determined their continued success. A sizeable portion of this episode is spent discussing e-bikes, with Jared believing strongly that this new sector of cycling is an extremely positive thing for everyone, and why we should be embracing these advances with open arms. So for all this and much more from a true legend, join us on the show!

Today we are very lucky to have an episode featuring the one and only Alison Tetrick! The three-time gravel world champion and cult-hero has more than a few tricks up her sleeve, balancing a career outside of cycling, and now continuing to evolve and shift her amazing career on gravel and in the mountains! Alison is the co-founder and CEO of SagaVentures, and we actually start this conversation considering the somewhat surprising duality of Alison's professional life. She talks about how switching between riding as a pro and work in marketing communications had very positive outcomes for both sides of the coin. From there we talk about the different stages of her cycling career, how she went pro, and the amazing relationships she has been able to maintain throughout. We also get to hear the inspirational and impressive story of Alison's recovery from two major accidents, and the obstacles she overcame through sheer determination to be stronger. Listeners can expect to come away with a real dose of the person behind the bike, as well as some great insight into what is on the horizon for Alison, so make sure to listen in with us, on Cycology.FM!

The world of mountain bike freeriding has come such a long way over the past couple of decades, and someone who has witnessed this firsthand, and moved with the tide of change is Richie Schley. He joins us on the podcast today to talk about his career, current professional setup, and hopes for the future for himself and the sport! Richie is an absolute legend in the space and proudly owns the title of 'cycling influencer', having smartly carved out a niche with strong brand relationships and visibility within cycling. We get into the nitty-gritty of sponsorship and branding, with Richie weighing in on the lessons he has learned about making the most of opportunities to make a career out of doing what you love, and some of the important landmarks along the way. We also discuss the irreplaceable utility of e-bikes, trail networks across the country, and some of Richie's most memorable magazine covers! The conversation covers rides that Richie still wants to do and the destinations at the top of his list. So for this great chat, layered with loads of awesome insight and experience, be sure to join us. 

Today we have a very special announcement on the show! ENVE Composites are making it official, they are releasing a custom road frame, with many exciting features that are bound to get enthusiasts' wallets out! To help us examine the specifics of this big step we are joined by ENVE's Marketing Manager and former pro, Neil Shirley. Neil gives us the inside scoop on the new custom offer, sharing the new features and advancements exclusive to this new bike. We also get to talk a bit about ENVE's manufacturing process, why they have ensured it is all done in-house, in the USA, and what this has enabled them to do as a company. From there, we switch gears a bit and talk about Neil's own cycling career, looking at the moment he fell in love with riding, going pro, and his recent redefinition of himself as a gravel rider! We also get to talk about his old team, Rally Cycling, and what makes it so special. To finish off, we spend some time discussing the general migration toward gravel, and hold-ups caused in the supply chain and events during the COVID era. For all this, take a ride with us today!

Rally Cycling has always been an exciting breeding ground for young talent in the profession, and today we are very lucky to welcome a great friend to the show and the current Communications Director at Rally, Tom Soladay! While Tom was still a professional rider, he was also on the Rally team, so his loyalty runs deep with the outfit. In this episode, Tom opens up about many parts of his journey in the sport and with his company, talking about the transition he made when he retired, some of the principles at Rally that have helped to create the strong sense of identity they are known for, and what his current role in communications entails. Tom also gets into more of the business side of the company and how they have managed to stay afloat without large amounts of angel investment. We also talk about the changing tides of the sport, the natural migration that has happened towards Europe, and the move towards a more global plan that Rally Cycling has adopted. A lot of what Tom talks about is related to longevity in the world of cycling, and how a more inclusive and holistic outlook can serve the sport and its athletes. We finish off the conversation looking to the future, imagining the scene after the disruption of the pandemic, the upcoming tours, and Tom shares his thoughts on the new stars to watch out for!

The world of women's cross country cycling is more exciting than ever and one of the reasons for this is the amazing Kate Courtney, who joins us on today's show! Kate is a world champion and was also crowned the overall world champion for the year of 2019 after a string of amazing results, and now her sights are set firmly on the Olympics in Tokyo, scheduled for later this year. As arguably the most exciting cyclist in the world at present, it is an honor to speak to Kate about her recent victories, current training regimen, and how she has managed the ups and downs of riding through the pandemic. We talk about indoor rides and her thoughts on the new technologies that make this more possible, engaging, and effective. We also get into the role of her family in motivating her and keeping her on track with her goals. Kate gives great insight into the life of a traveling competitor, talking about experiences of racing in Europe and the practices that have made these trips more manageable. We also discuss sports psychology and the importance of this aspect of preparation for the highest levels of athleticism, before our conversation turns to the important topic of more gender equality in cycling and beyond. We finish off this fascinating chat with some practical questions around training environments, bike choice, and the people that keep Kate inspired!

Today we are taking a bit of a trip down memory lane with Rob Story as we look back at the golden era of Bike Magazine and the beginning of the iconic magazine that Rob helped to launch. More than any other publication, Bike managed to capture the spirit of a particular time and ethos present in mountain biking. Irreverent, funny, and dedicated to adventure and great journalism, Bike opposed some of the more sanitized versions of sports magazines of the day. Launched in 1993, the magazine grew out of the same garden as Powder, adopting certain similarities while fearlessly plotting its own course through new territories, types of stories, and amazing features and photography! In our conversation, we hear from our guest about the period leading up to his appointment at Bike, and how the first few issues came together. Rob shares some stories about the important cast of characters that gave the magazine its signature blend of humor and inspiration as we talk about themed issues, the connection between mountain biking and marijuana, and how the style and content were decided upon before landmark changes around the turn of the century. For this fascinating conversation, and likely the first of many with Rob Story, listen in with us today on Cycology.FM!

Today’s guest is the legendary Greg LeMond and he joins us to share some memories from his storied career and weigh in on the newest products in his signature brand! With many wins under his belt, including the Tour de France in 1986, 1989, and 1990, LeMond is considered by many to be the greatest American cyclist of all time. Our conversation begins on the subject of Greg’s brand, LeMond, and the various stages it went through on its evolution to where it is today. Greg talks about the wonder of e-bikes and shares some of the new technologies he is employing to make two new models of this type for his own brand. From there, we get into some of the highs and lows of Greg’s career. After winning the Tour de France in 1986, Greg nearly lost his life after getting shot in a hunting accident. This and a cycling crash took a tremendous toll on Greg's health, nearly causing him to quit cycling, but that all changed when he miraculously won the Tour again in ’89. We hear about the tense final time trial where Greg took first place from Laurent Fignon, having started the race with the expectation to only place in the top 30 at best. We then get into the culture of doping that began to plague racing in the '90s and how Greg fared competing against cheating riders while battling lead poisoning and over-fatigue. Wrapping up our conversation, Greg talks about cycling culture today as far as doping and enthusiasm for the sport across its various sub-disciplines. For all this and more from Greg about brilliant the places he has ridden, races he has won, and cutting-edge bikes he is building, tune in today!

If you want to cycle but can’t get outside, you don’t have to resort to the dusty old exercise bike in the corner of your garage anymore. Not since the advent of Zwift, an app for cyclists that makes indoor training fun. Using Zwift, you can explore different virtual worlds and reach your fitness goals with a global community, without leaving the house. Today’s guest is Eric Min, Co-Founder, and CEO of Zwift, and he joins us on the show to talk about the evolution of the platform, how it is shaping the cycling industry, and what the future holds for this exciting hybridization of indoor cycling, gaming, and social networking. Eric starts with the story of how he left his career in fintech with an idea to build a more consumer-facing app, whittling down different ideas before landing on something that served his passion, cycling. We talk about the landscape of indoor cycling apps at the time of Zwift’s inception, and how the startup differentiated itself by focusing on community.

One of the most exciting parts of cycling currently, is the rise of gravel events, and who better to talk about this trend than the wonderful Amy Charity? Amy is the brains behind SBT GRAVL, the exciting event that had its first run in 2019 and is back again in August of 2021! Amy gives us the inside scoop on the event, its founding ethos, and what cyclists can expect from taking part. We also spend some time in the conversation hearing about Amy's somewhat unusual path into professional cycling, and how her how life pivoted in her 30s, from a career in investing, into her passion for riding! Amy explains why she now officially considers herself a 'gravel racer' and we get down to why gravel is such a burgeoning aspect of cycling culture.