For the eighty-seventh episode of the It’s Just A Hill Cycling Podcast, I’m joined by returning guest and IJAH member Hugh Ford for a full Amateurs Talking Pros breakdown of the Tour de France, stage by stage, from the Barcelona team time trial all the way through the shortened, heat-hit stage into Ussel. We get into every jersey change, the Tourmalet solo that flipped the whole race, Tim Merlier’s back-to-back sprint wins, and where the GC picture stands heading into the second rest day, plus a Fantasy League check-in to see whose picks are still alive. After the Tour talk, I get honest about the Continental Archetype tire, the same one Pogačar raced on, and why months of slow leaks sent me right back to the Grand Prix 5000. I also break down the secretive new lactate energy gel riders have been quietly trialing at this year’s race, what the actual science says, and why one team reportedly bought out the entire first production run to keep it to themselves. And to close things out, the biggest Sloppy Jon’s news yet: the ride is moving to a new venue for its biggest year, with five route options for every kind of rider, still completely free to enter. It’s a packed one, so get comfortable.

The Tour de France starts this weekend, and Jon’s flying solo to break it down. He previews the race, makes the case for why he’s tired of people complaining about how good Pogačar is (there’s a difference between witnessing greatness and being bored), and digs into the heat wave baking Europe and Rhode Island alike, and what a warming climate might mean for the way bike races are scheduled. From there it’s into the takes: why average speed is the most overrated number in cycling, why watts ain’t watts, and why your engine matters a whole lot more than your equipment. Plus a new piece of kit that actually earned its keep, and some honest reflection on the response to last episode’s cosplay talk. Dry, honest, and occasionally on a soapbox. The usual.

For the eighty-fifth episode of the It’s Just A Hill Cycling podcast, we’ve got a solo episode. Jon ditched his Garmin four days ago and is not looking back. In this episode he gets into why wearable data was messing with his head, then shifts into a rant about amateur cycling culture — the cosplay, the dangerous group ride behavior, and why he is not exempt from any of it.

Jon sits down with Andy Gould — ex-elite racer and 10-year president of State 9 Racing — to talk about Pavement Ends Gravel Ride and Race 2026. They cover how the event was built, what to expect from 39.79 miles and 5,743 feet of NH gravel, and what race day actually feels like at Pats Peak Ski Area in Henniker. Registration is open now at bikereg.com/71102 and closes April 16th. Jon and Adam are both racing on April 18th and will be vlogging the day. 2026 IJAH memberships are open at $35 and the NBX First Saturday Ride runs the first Saturday of every month out of NBX Bikes in Narragansett, RI. Everything at itsjustahill.com.

In IJAH POD 083, Jon sits down with athlete and coach Brian Cauti to cut through the noise of “bio-hacks” and “hero weeks.” As we head into the thick of training season, this conversation is all about sustainable performance—the habits and structures that actually stick when real life gets in the way. Brian shares his evolution from a pure cyclist to a hybrid endurance athlete, offering a masterclass on how to balance high-volume cycling with the impact of running. We dive deep into why cyclists often get injured when they start running (the “aerobic engine problem”) and how to build a body that’s durable enough to handle the miles. In this episode, we cover: The Smart Winter Block: Why consistency beats intensity every single time, Hybrid Athlete Priorities: How to decide whether the bike or the run takes the lead, Strength for Endurance: The essential movement patterns every cyclist needs (without becoming a bodybuilder), Injury Prevention & Prehab: What “durability” looks like in practice and how to manage the mental side of a setback, The Copenhagen Effect: What a trip to Denmark taught Brian about daily movement and the US “sport object” obsession. Whether you’re training for a spring gravel race or just trying to stay consistent through the winter, this episode is a blueprint for becoming a more self-aware, resilient athlete.

For episode eighty-two of the It’s Just A Hill Cycling Podcast, Jon is back with his dad for a father son conversation that starts with a season recap and turns into a bigger discussion about cycling culture. They begin with John’s monster year on the bike and how it compared to 2024, a year shaped by coming back from a serious injury, and get into what changed physically and mentally, what consistency looked like in practice, and whether he has goals for 2026. From there, they shift into a generational trends chat, comparing today’s “new” gear obsessions to the fads that have cycled in and out of popularity for decades, including the return of nasal strips and the on again off again love affair with oval chainrings. To close, they name a few things they do not think are coming back, including tubular tires and triple chainrings, and wrap with practical advice for riders who want a strong year without getting lost in the noise.

For the 081 episode of the It’s Just A Hill Cycling Podcast, Jon is joined by returning guest Norlan Olivo to recap two IJAH community staples, the Bake-Off Ride and the ThanksGearing food drive ride, then shift into a practical winter cycling training conversation focused on consistency, cross training, and staying motivated without hero workouts. They also cover off-season weight loss strategy that does not wreck your brain, plus an honest gear corner on Oakley Meta glasses for hands-free ride footage, including what works, what is annoying, and how to make the workflow usable.

For the eightieth episode of the It’s Just A Hill Cycling Podcast, Jon recaps the summer and looks ahead to fall. He kicks things off with a thank you to everyone who made Sloppy Jon’s 2025 a success, from riders and volunteers to NBX Bikes for fueling the ride and providing prizes. Rider donations went above and beyond, covering all the food and drink costs, with the extra being paid forward to Tour de Rhody. From there Jon previews what’s coming up, including Tour de Rhody 2025, the new Tour de Cider ride series, and some late-season bikepacking plans. He reflects on his fitness after the DC ride, the 4Fs ride, and D2R2, while also talking gear with his Cervélo Áspero-5, a possible mountain bike, and maybe even a Cervélo S5 on the horizon. The episode also touches on a recent motorist encounter caught on camera and why Jon continues to speak up for rider safety, along with a quick for-sale section highlighting a Cycliq Fly12 Sport camera/light combo and a Salsa Warbird carbon frame.

For the seventy-ninth episode of the It’s Just A Hill Cycling Podcast, we sit down once again with longtime IJAH member Adam Carroll. This specific episode has been a long time coming — Adam took on Unbound XL back in May, and we finally had the chance to record while driving up to D2R2. He dives into his trip to Kansas and what it was like to tackle the notorious 360-mile Unbound XL, finishing with a total elapsed time of 25 hours and 40 minutes (24 hours and 12 minutes moving).

For the latest episode of the It’s Just A Hill Cycling Podcast, Jon is joined by Amateurs Talking Pros correspondent Hugh Ford for a two-part remote special. First up, they break down the first 10 stages of the 2025 Tour de France—GC shakeups, team tactics, sprint drama, and who’s already blown their shot at yellow. Then in the second half, they dig into a more serious topic: sport washing in pro cycling. With state-backed teams like UAE Team Emirates and Bahrain Victorious playing a major role in the peloton, it’s time to ask—can fans still cheer when the money behind the sport gets murky?