This week on the Velo Podcast, we have something a little different for you as former Pinkbike editor extraordinaire Mike Levy joins the show to talk gravel and road bikes.

Some of you are no doubt asking yourself right now: “Wait, isn’t he the mountain bike guy?”

Right you are. He’s a multi-faceted person though who has spent the last year exclusively riding road and gravel bikes and has fallen in love with the drop-bar world, taking on some monster rides along the way and learning what a carb is.

In this special episode of the podcast, Levy is joined by yours truly Will Tracy, and tech editor Alvin Holbrook to discuss the pressing issues of our times in gravel and road biking.

We start out with a discussion of some of the latest news, including what a possible SRAM smart trainer means for the market, the transition of Astana to Chinese manufacturer XDS bikes, and Alvin's review of the Factor Ostro VAM.

Other topics include the emergence of carbon spokes and their impact on performance, as well as the unique features of the Kona Ouroboros and Santa Cruz Stigmata gravel bikes that the team has been riding recently.

Finally, we get to the main segment: reflections on personal cycling experiences and the lessons learned throughout the year. We learned a lot on the bike in 2024 (or so we like to think) including knowing when to quit or solider on and how to maintain and in some cases rekindle the joy of cycling, as well as the importance of proper nutrition and fueling and the supportive community found in cycling.

Colnago has unveiled its first aero model in a long time, and it's turning heads. Called the Y1Rs, it's claimed to be the fastest bike in the pro peloton in part due to taking advantage of recently relaxed UCI rules on bike design. It's sure to provide an advantage to the likes of Tadej Pogačar this upcoming road season.

Our tech team talked to Colnago about the new design and is here to break down this futuristic, and polarizing, design.

Later on the episode, Alvin Holbrook shares his thoughts on a road bike he just reviewed that he describes as the antithesis of Colnago's new aero bike, and our tech editors preview their upcoming articles.

This week on the Velo Podcast, host Will Tracy is joined by European correspondent Andrew Hood and retired pro Bobby Julich to discuss the best races, athletes, and moments of the 2024 pro road cycling season.

What were the best grand tours and classics? Who had a standout year or reached that next level? Who had the grittiest performance? And of course, who were the best riders of the year? We bring our top picks as we look back on another great season of road cycling. Then, we cap things off with a discussion of our favorite heavy handed UCI moments of the year.

We also start with a discussion of some top news stories of the week, including Tadej Pogačar’s record setting new contract and the rider setting Strava KOMs who’s searching for a pro contract.

 Samuele Bressan might be the global marketing manager for Pirelli’s cycling division, but his experience goes beyond that, as product manager for the likes of Pirelli, Bianchi, Vittoria, and others. While we could go in a number of directions with regard to road and gravel bike tires with a brand as storied and prominent as Pirelli, we focused on what seems to be on everyone's minds: tubeless tire safety, security, and testing.

Among other things, Bressan seems confident in a future where setting up a tubeless road tire is never a question of whether or not it is compatible with your chosen wheelset, much less a question of whether you should even be running tubeless road tires. The same goes for gravel tires, as he calls the gravel tire segment slightly behind that of road and gravel.

Tires are often more complicated than they appear to be, so we sat down with Bressan to take a peek into what makes a safe but high-performance tire. There are a lot of interesting tidbits here–including the potential for a future Pirelli aero-focused tire–in here.

See more here: https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-gear/interview-pirelli-tubeless-tire-safety-future

Timestamps:

0:01 Intro

3:01 What does Pirelli’s testing tire and rim compatibility testing look like?

10:12 Car tires have virtually zero errors. Why don’t bicycle tires do the same? For road and gravel alike

21:48 Could cyber tires come to your next bike tire?

25:55 Rim deflection, testing within ETRTO and ISO, and what parts are still undefined

36:15 Is Pirelli developing tires in conjunction with other brands? It's complicated

42:46 Samuele’s personal wheel and tire buying recommendations. Hooked vs hookless?

Ahead of Big Sugar Gravel, Betsy Welch sat down with Keegan Swenson to reflect on his season in the Life Time Grand Prix, his world championship aspirations, his affinity for going to metal and punk concerts when possible, and maybe most importantly, when the wedding is.

The UCI Gravel World Championships took place this past weekend in Belgium and showcased cycling’s latest, hottest discipline. But for many gravel fans in the US, where the sport was born, worlds was far removed from real gravel racing. 

Velo’s off-road reporter Betsy Welch and roaming videographer Shoddy Dave, who was on the ground at gravel worlds, join the show this week to debate the merits of the UCI’s take on gravel.

We take on the great divide between two continents’ approaches to gravel racing. Betsy fills us in on the reasons many top American riders skipped the UCI event, and the differences in race culture and organization between the two regions. The conversation also touches on the safety of gravel races, fan interest, and the future of gravel racing as it continues to evolve across the world.

Everybody loves to be hyperbolic about gravel, but we’re only being slightly dramatic when we ask: Is gravel racing as we know it over?

SBT GRVL organizers have been hit with difficult new requirements from law enforcement that will force major changes to the event, including cutting the field size by 40 percent, and not letting it be a race with prize money — so long as it's not on closed roads.

Betsy Welch broke the story earlier this week and is here on the podcast to break down all the ramifications of SBT GRVL's problems and what this could mean for other gravel and cycling events around the country, whether negative or positive.

This could be a positive inflection point for gravel, giving it a new format for pros separate from everyone else, or it could sink many events just as this discipline is taking off.

Fast forward to 16:18 for the discussion on SBT GRVL and the future of gravel racing.

Tech editor Alvin Holbrook, who has raced SBT multiple times, is on the episode as well, and gives us some updates on the latest tech and what he would do with $3,000 instead of buying the 20th anniversary edition CermaicSpeed pulley. Betsy also fills us in on Marathon MTB Worlds, and Will Tracy provides an udpate on road worlds.

This week, Velo’s resident gravel expert Betsy Welch sits down with SBT GRVL co-founder Amy Charity for a discussion on the rapid growth of gravel events, the challenges that come with it, and what the future holds for cycling’s hottest discipline.

Charity’s SBT GRVL event was a hit right off the bat when it debuted in 2019, and has managed to keep up the buzz ever since with the event selling out in a matter of minutes. Running the event hasn’t been without its challenges though.

Local residents had complaints about the event, forcing major changes for the 2024 edition that took place last month. And as gravel has matured in the last half decade, controversies over race tactics and debate over whether there should be separate starts for elite men and women have forced her race to adapt.

Charity talks us through those challenges and why she holds some views that are contrary to what other gravel events are doing. At the same time, she and her team are also learning from rider feedback and implementing that into the event.

Charity has branched out to several events around the world beyond the original marquee event in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. She discusses where she thinks gravel events as a whole may be heading, and what’s next for the category.

With the conclusion of the Vuelta a España, grand tour season is officially over for 2024. Velo Podcast host Hannah Knapp breaks it all down with former pro cyclist Bobby Julich and Velo European correspondent Andrew Hood.

How did the race stack up against other grand tours this season?

We analyze key performances, including Ben O'Connor's breakthrough podium finish and Primož Roglič's slow and steady chipping away at the red jersey. We also discuss the impact of missing superstars like Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard, and the overall entertainment value of a race without the sport's biggest stars.

The conversation also touches on the performance of UAE, the struggles of Team Visma-Lease a Bike, and the surprising success of Kern-Pharma as well as other great moments from the race.

To finish off, we discuss potential changes to future Vueltas to contend with the hot weather that dogged large portions of this year's edition.

This week on the Velo Podcast, Andrew Hood checks in from reporting on the Vuelta a España to catch us up on all the latest from the season’s final grand tour. It’s turning into an unpredictable race with major GC swings, and the next four stages will prove critical. 

Joining Hoody for the discussion is retired professional cyclist Bobby Julich who raced the Vuelta a few times during his career. 

The team also discusses Wout van Aert’s return to the top with a slew of stage wins, and how the Americans in the race are faring. 

In the second half of the episode, we throw it over to Velo senior tech editor Josh Ross and tech editor Alvin Holbrook for a discussion about the 2024 MADE Show in Portland, Oregon. Josh attended the handmade bike show last weekend and found a number of fascinating bikes to talk about, including an aerodynamic 3D-printed titanium bike from No. 22, and perhaps the coolest kids bike you have ever seen. 

As always, you can catch all the latest professional racing and bicycle tech news at velo.outsideonline.com.