Velo Chumps

The Chumps start by referring back to an early episode where we gave Wahoo some advice that they finally followed! We talk a little racing, specifically Mark Cavendish, but from a chump's perspective. And, like everyone else this week, we finished up by talking about the sad demise of the Survey Cross Check and what it means for the chumps out there. The factoid was actually in the form of a failed quiz game, just listen to the end and you will understand.

The Chumps talk about, what else, the Shimano Ultegra and Dura Ace crank recall. Chad thinks we are fueling the fire by even talking about this as he thinks the whole thing is already overblown. But seriously, what else were we going to talk about this week? At least for Chad he comes through with another excellent historical factoid!

This week the Chumps start with some short racing takes on the Vuelta a España. The main topics though are some new tech from Wahoo and Silca, and new endurance bikes from Specialized and Giant. We give you some insight on whether or not you should go out and buy these new shiny things. Mike's factoid this week is a personal one, so be sure to listen to the end.

Randy is back! So we give him a wave at the start of the show. Chad talks about his theory for GRX 12 speed Di2, and then Randy has questions about rim and tire compatibility. We have discussed this before, but its important enough to revisit. Stay to the end for another historical bike factoid from Chad!

The Chumps talk a little Vuelta, particularly how (dis)organized it has been so far. The big topic though is some new big wheels and what they mean for bikes and riders. Chad tells us about his love for custom bikes and the MADE show where US builders are showing their wares, and he also, once again, comes through with a factoid!

Two of the Chumps, Mike and Ryan, buckled up and finished the Leadville 100 Mountain Bike race in under 12 hours! They are here to tell you all about their Leadville experience. Also listen to the end to hear Chad bail out Mike with a factoid of his own.

In the cycling world, it sometimes seems that brands put as much effort into marketing as they do into the products themselves. No brand is more recognized for their marketing than Specialized, but did they get it right with the launch of their new Tarmac SL8? The Chumps have some opinions on that, and no, we didn't even discuss the "Speed Sniffer" once. The issue seems much bigger than silly names for ugly parts of the bike.

The Chumps went to the races! We bring you some race side analysis and perspective on American Criterium (Crit) racing at it's highest level. This style of racing is non stop action, and we hope that we can bring you just a little bit of the excitement you can experience at a crit race. If just one person listens to this episode and then decides to attend a crit in the future, we will consider that a success.

The Chumps talk a little bit about the Tour de France - our Tour fantasy league and also how brands often use the Tour to market their bikes or other tech. Wahoo is certainly one of those brands, and we tell you if you should buy a Wahoo or Garmin bike computer. Stick to the end because Eric has the factoid this week and it involves dentists.

The Chumps start off with a little tool talk, but the main topic is the evolution of bike geometry and whether or not bike brands are giving chumps like us the geometry we need. At the end, Chad gives us a factoid instead of Mike, and it is a good one!