On this week’s Velo Podcast, we’re asking the hard questions: Why would anyone pay $50 to effectively suffer through a 20 km FTP test? And who rides 610 km in three days on a race road bike… on purpose?

Alvin Holbrook did the former, signing up for a local time trial with less than 48 hours to prepare. Instead of tapering, he went full aero-nerd — swapping wheels, testing tires, fiddling with bars, and even breaking out the Chung Method to measure aero drag to find the fastest setup. Did it actually make him faster, or was it just a way to distract himself from the inevitable pain of the start ramp?

Meanwhile, Josh Ross redefined commitment to aero. Not only did he ride the Swift Summit 200 (that’s 328 km in a single day) but he also rode 150 km to the start and 150 km home. Over three days, that’s over 610km on a Colnago Y1RS, topped off with a time trial helmet worn for nearly 24 hours. Why? We’re not sure either, but he’s here to explain.

We also talk about the Fara Gr4 gravel bike, a race bike with a weird handlebar/stem setup and 57 mm tire clearance that has really piqued Alvin's interest.

Free speed on the bike, CdA calculations, endless miles, and maybe a touch of madness: this week’s episode has it all.

Further reading

0:00 Intro

4:00 Fara Gr4 talk

9:49 Testing to find the fastest gear for a time trial

34:05 Josh does the Swift Summit 200

1:09:09 What's coming next