The USA national Endurance races are coming to Roanoke and the surrounding region, and the guys from the Rider-Up podcast are right in the midst of it.  In this episode, John and Dan are joined by two of the team at Cardinal Bicycle, who are helping to make the event a success! 

More from USA CYCLING https://mtbnats.usacycling.org/endurance-mtb

More from Cardinal Bicycle https://www.cardinalbicycle.com/articles/2025-endurance-mountain-bike-national-championships-pg323.htm

More from Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge https://www.visitroanokeva.com/articles/post/virginias-blue-ridge-to-host-2025-2026-usa-cycling-endurance-mountain-bike-national-championships/

Cardinal Bicycle: https://www.cardinalbicycle.com/

Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge: https://www.visitroanokeva.com/

Follow VBR Team 2028: https://www.visitroanokeva.com/biking/vbr-twenty24/

Dan's Team on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roanokevalleydevo/

Bike Virginia's Blue Ridge: https://www.visitroanokeva.com/bikevbr-blog/

John and Dan on Social

John's Blog: http://carlinthecyclist.com/

Biking4Boomers on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGVORmLXIla3Pav0tLz2ewA

Dan's Ride on Mill Mountain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yVT4NWJpH4

Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dannystanny/

In this episode of the Rider-Up Podcast Dan and John talk about trying to get out and ride even though their bikes might have needed a bit more TLC over the winter.  It's an exciting time in Virginia's Blue Ridge because the region is hosting the U.S. National Championships this year and next.  Dan has a front row seat to how they are getting the trails ready for the big show.  Also Dan gives us a glimpse of Shimano's new Base group set which is punching way above it's weight -- and price.  It's all about cycling -- brought to you by Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge and Cardinal bicycle.

John's Waterford on the Blue Ridge Parkway February 2025

Show Notes

Cardinal Bicycle: https://www.cardinalbicycle.com/

Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge: https://www.visitroanokeva.com/

Mountain Bike Nationals: https://www.visitroanokeva.com/articles/post/virginias-blue-ridge-to-host-2025-2026-usa-cycling-endurance-mountain-bike-national-championships/

Shimano's Cues group: https://bike.shimano.com/en-AU/products/series/cues.html

Follow VBR Team 2028: https://www.visitroanokeva.com/biking/vbr-twenty24/

Dan's Team on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roanokevalleydevo/

John's Blog from the Erie Canal: https://carlinthecyclist.com/re-defining-the-perfect-bicycle-on-the-erie-canal/

Biking 4 Boomers Riding the Erie Canal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmPtmSoabdw

Biking 4 Boomers in Alaska: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gxCRuJL9Dc&t=1s

Bike Virginia's Blue Ridge: https://www.visitroanokeva.com/bikevbr-blog/

John and Dan on Social

John's Blog: http://carlinthecyclist.com/

Biking4Boomers on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGVORmLXIla3Pav0tLz2ewA

Dan's Ride on Mill Mountain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yVT4NWJpH4

Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dannystanny/

Dan may be a crazy downhiller -- but this was one downhill slide he didn't anticipate.  He'll be off the bike for awhile.  We also look at John's gravel bike build as he tries to make his Specialized Crux as light as possible, and Dan gives us a glimpse into new trends in the shop for 2025 as the bike industry still tries to recover from the pandemic.

Show Notes

Follow VBR Team 2024:  https://www.teamtwenty24.com/

Dan's Team on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roanokevalleydevo/

John's Blog from the Erie Canal: https://carlinthecyclist.com/re-defining-the-perfect-bicycle-on-the-erie-canal/

Biking 4 Boomers Riding the Erie Canal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmPtmSoabdw

Biking 4 Boomers in Alaska: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gxCRuJL9Dc&t=1s

Cardinal Bicycle: https://www.cardinalbicycle.com/

Bike Virginia's Blue Ridge: https://www.visitroanokeva.com/bikevbr-blog/

John and Dan on Social

John's Blog: http://carlinthecyclist.com/

Biking4Boomers on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGVORmLXIla3Pav0tLz2ewA

Dan's Ride on Mill Mountain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yVT4NWJpH4

Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dannystanny/

In This Episode of the Rider-Up podcast, Dan and John riff on a summer of cool cycling, including a trip along the Erie Canal and a 50 miler in rainy Alaska resulting in the most epic ride of John's cycling career.  Also, Olympic Gold medalist Jennifer Valente makes an appearance as she describes the relationship between her trade team, Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge 2024, and the U.S. National Team.  Jennifer also shares how she preps for competition on race day.  It must work because she is now the most decorated U.S. cyclist ever.  Dan has a funky new shock from his #Specialized #Stumpjumper, and he says it's a game-changer. #valente #usacycling #cycletheeriecanal #bikealaska #crux #biking4boomers

Show Notes

Follow VBR Team 2024:  https://www.teamtwenty24.com/

Jennifer Valente's Team USA page: https://www.teamusa.com/profiles/jennifer-valente-877693

Dan's Team on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roanokevalleydevo/

John Blog from the Erie Canal: https://carlinthecyclist.com/re-defining-the-perfect-bicycle-on-the-erie-canal/

Biking 4 Boomers Riding the Erie Canal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmPtmSoabdw

Biking 4 Boomers in Alaska: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gxCRuJL9Dc&t=1s

Cardinal Bicycle: https://www.cardinalbicycle.com/

Bike Virginia's Blue Ridge: https://www.visitroanokeva.com/bikevbr-blog/

John and Dan on Social

John's Blog: http://carlinthecyclist.com/

Biking4Boomers on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGVORmLXIla3Pav0tLz2ewA

Dan's Ride on Mill Mountain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yVT4NWJpH4

Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dannystanny/

The Cycling is great in Virginia's Blue Ridge -- and in Episode 18 Dan, John and special guest, bike racer and fit guru Karen Talley Mead talk about the local events you can be a part of, while sharing some cycling adventures from across the country.  Then we get down to business with the tough question of how many bikes you really need.  Hint -- you're gonna need a bigger garage. Also Dan the mechanic riffs on people who don't oil their chain while John corners the bike shop pros with the question of why a natural flat pedal foot placement is so different from where we put our cleats when we click in.  And how wide should your gravel tires be?

Dan says oil your chain with this stuff.

Abi Snyder Represents Team USA

John rides Cleveland

Show Notes

Follow VBR Team 2024:  https://www.teamtwenty24.com/

Follow Abi Snyder as she represents the United States: https://ridefierceracing.com/

Dan's Team on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roanokevalleydevo/

John Vlog from Cleveland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E744H2lQ78Y

Bentonville. https://www.visitbentonville.com/bike/

Cardinal Bicycle: https://www.cardinalbicycle.com/

Bike Virginia's Blue Ridge: https://www.visitroanokeva.com/bikevbr-blog/

John and Dan on Social

John's Blog: http://carlinthecyclist.com/

Biking4Boomers on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGVORmLXIla3Pav0tLz2ewA

Dan's Ride on Mill Mountain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yVT4NWJpH4

Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dannystanny/

After a pod-break, Dan and John are back filling you in on some exciting adventures and asking existential questions about cycling.  In essence, who really is and isn't a cyclist?  How much do you need to ride to use "cyclist" as a term to describe yourself.  Think it's easy?  Try to find a place to draw the line.  Is owning a bike enough?  Do you need to think about riding all the time?  Ha!  Good luck.  But we take a stab at it. 

Dan also fills listeners in on his recent mountain bike trip to Bentonville, while John preps for adventures along the Erie Canal and in the wilds of Alaska. 

Show Notes

Bike the Erie Canal https://eriecanalway.org/explore/cycling

Bentonville. https://www.visitbentonville.com/bike/

John's Alaska Tour: https://www.backroads.com/award-winning-tours/alaska

Cardinal Bicycle: https://www.cardinalbicycle.com/

Bike Virginia's Blue Ridge: https://www.visitroanokeva.com/bikevbr-blog/

John and Dan on Social

John's Blog: http://carlinthecyclist.com/

Biking4Boomers on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGVORmLXIla3Pav0tLz2ewA

Dan's Ride on Mill Mountain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yVT4NWJpH4

Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dannystanny/

Tool Time for this episode: https://youtu.be/_1aeqm-LdCs

Our cycling hosts have a packed agenda today. John has been traveling and will reveal there was a second Tea Party in pre-revolutionary days. Dan has been slamming down mountains and is still thinking about hopping on a gravel bike and rolling some 'B' roads. Cycling events from all over the world: road, gravel, and mountain bike competitions from France to Kansas to Colombia. Training and tech tips. New bikes and tech...

AND...the guys are pleased to welcome back Abi Snyder of Ride Fierce Racing. She's just back from competing in the Pan American Cross Country Mountain Bike Championships.  

Let's Ride!

Show Notes!

Dan's Cane Creek Tech unboxing :https://youtu.be/7rX7XQ_-o9Q

John and Dan on Social

John's Blog: http://carlinthecyclist.com/

Biking4Boomers on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGVORmLXIla3Pav0tLz2ewA

Dan's Ride on Mill Mountain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yVT4NWJpH4

Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dannystanny/

Roval C38 Wheels https://www.specialized.com/us/en/roval-rapide-c-38/p/205534?searchText=30021-4500&color=330189-205534

John and Dan on Social

John's Blog: http://carlinthecyclist.com/

Biking4Boomers on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGVORmLXIla3Pav0tLz2ewA

Dan's Ride on Mill Mountain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yVT4NWJpH4

Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dannystanny/

Your cycling heroes, John & Dan, welcome 2 extraordinary guests today. Thorpe Moeckel is a poet and keen naturalist who loves the ride.  Henry Owens is a Cat1 Downhill Cyclist with the RVD Gravity Team and yes, he's thirteen. Fascinating conversations about cycling, recent rides, racing updates, and Tool Time. Let's get started!

Show Notes:

Thorpe's substack, Out of True: https://outoftrue.substack.com/

More about Thorpe Moeckel: https://www.thorpemoeckel.com/

Henry on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/henryandhilo/?hl=en

RVD Gravity on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rvdgravity/?hl=en

John and Dan have been busy as bees spinning on the road, grinding a little gravel, or flying down a mountain. It's all here today: rides completed and to come, some racing, meditations on bike packing, the latest tech, and more. And remember, watch out for that lady in the pick up truck!

Our intrepid hosts share their latest adventures. Gnats & Bats with John! Dan, of course, goes downhill. A discussion of sportsmanship. The newest tech from SRAM -- See link below for the unboxing of the new SRAM Eagle Transmission!

Dan describes how his wife fell for him due to his bike skills, while John goes off on the value of teaching sportsmanship.

Listen in as John races a bat on the greenway.  If you want to hear more of John's ramblings during a bike ride -- when we all joyously let our minds wander, click on the link below for a longer version of John's profundity.

Show Notes

Video of Dan's SRAM Eagle Transmission unboxing:  https://youtu.be/ooORVA6gSwc

The Gnats and Bats thing - Listen to John's profundity as he rides: https://admin5.podbean.com/riderup/episodes/form/bNX7EGc2jI7p

John and Dan on Social

John's Blog: http://carlinthecyclist.com/

Biking4Boomers on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGVORmLXIla3Pav0tLz2ewA

Dan's Ride on Mill Mountain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yVT4NWJpH4

Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dannystanny/