How much thought do you give your warm up? Where did your warm up protocol come from? For most riders it’s a borrowed routine, something a coach prescribed, or they read online from a pro team, or just something they’ve always done. But what if your warm up is actually costing you performance instead of priming you for it? How hard should it be? And how long should it last? By asking those questions and making a few key changes to one rider’s warm up he added 35 watts to his time trial power. In...
Aug 21, 2025•22 min•Ep. 30
Gut training has become one of the buzzwords in endurance sport, but is it hype or a real performance advantage? In this episode of Performance Process , Ronan Mc Laughlin is joined by accredited sports dietitian and endurance nutrition researcher Dr Alan McCubbin to break down what gut training really is, why it matters for cyclists, and how to apply it in the real world. From the science behind carbohydrate absorption and fluid tolerance to the practical protocols used by pros, they explore ho...
Aug 13, 2025•37 min•Ep. 29
Performance Process is back after a Tour de France-shaped gap. In this episode, CyclingSpy returns to unpack the most intriguing performance trends from the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes. From new helmet wars and front versus rear zippers, to sprinter aero testing and the mountain time trial that became a masterclass in simulation modelling and equipment selection, we explore how optimisation is shifting from behind-the-scenes intervention to full-blown marketing strategy. Plus, we ta...
Aug 06, 2025•31 min•Ep. 28
In this special Performance Process x Geek Warning crossover, Dave Rome grills Ronan Mc Laughlin about every technical detail from his 3,000 km unsupported lap of Ireland. From aero bag hacks and drivetrain quirks to cleat regrets and a failed light, this is a deep dive into the tech setup behind a truly personal and punishing ultra-endurance ride. Ronan shares what worked, what didn’t, and what he’d change next time – all while reflecting on how the gear supported his mission to raise awareness...
Jul 03, 2025•27 min•Ep. 27
In this special episode of Performance Process , Ronan shares the story behind his 3,000+ km solo circumnavigation of Ireland – a ride powered not by chasing records, but by purpose. This was a deeply personal challenge to raise awareness for food allergies and support life-changing research, all while adhering to the same strict allergen-free diet his six-year-old daughter Sophia must follow daily. From the original plan of a record attempt to the emotional pivot toward solidarity and visibilit...
Jul 03, 2025•52 min•Ep. 26
It’s a humble kitchen cupboard staple, but sodium bicarbonate is also one of the most powerful and misunderstood tools in the endurance athlete’s arsenal. In this episode of Performance Process , Ronan Mc Laughlin is joined by Robert Gorgos – nutritionist to WorldTour teams and founder of MNSTRY – to unpack the science and practical use of bicarb. From dosage protocols to side effects, gels vs powders, recovery benefits, and whether it’s worth using for amateurs, pros, short efforts, or ultras, ...
Jun 11, 2025•22 min•Ep. 25
Real-world testing shows suspension forks might flip the script in the gravel v MTB tyre debate. What happens when you bring WorldTour-level testing rigour to gravel? In this episode of Performance Process , Ronan sits down with performance engineer Marc Graveline to unpack a surprising result from two intensive testing blocks with pro rider Hannah Shell in the run-up to Unbound. Using drag sensors, IMUs, and a structured testing protocol, Graveline found that 40 mm gravel tyres paired with a su...
May 29, 2025•27 min•Ep. 24
Is heat training the next big performance unlock, or just another way to cook yourself? In this episode of Performance Process, Ronan Mc Laughlin sits down with elite coach Jacob Tipper to unpack the science, applications, and pitfalls of heat training. They dive into what actually happens to your body in the heat, the potential gains in plasma volume and haemoglobin mass, and why more athletes are turning up the temperature even in cold climates. From WorldTour race prep to age-group applicatio...
May 21, 2025•37 min•Ep. 23
Part 2 of our listen back to when JP Ballard of SwissSide joined us for part one of our Performance Process deep dive into all things aerodynamics. Ballard is founder and CEO of aerodynamics specialists Swiss Side. The Swiss company produces wheels and aero calf sleeves, but the majority of its work is in offering its aerodynamic expertise to other manufacturers in the cycling industry. He had also sat down with us in January 2024 to record three hours worth of discussion and advice on aerodynam...
May 14, 2025•41 min•Ep. 22
From Van der Poel’s overshoes to Pogačar’s bike choice, we dive deep into the Spring Classics with the ever-anonymous aero expert, CyclingSpy. Why are some teams going all-in on aero, while others seem to be holding back? What do helmet choices, skinsuit fabrics, and even trailer mounts on pro bikes tell us about modern race-day priorities? We unpack the implications of CyclingSpy’s provocative observation that Gilbert’s 2019 Roubaix-winning time would’ve missed the time cut this year and what t...
May 10, 2025•33 min•Ep. 21
In this rerun of a standout episode from October 2023, Ronan Mc Laughlin and Caley Fretz sit down with Mathieu Heijboer, Head of Performance at Visma-Lease a Bike, for an in-depth look at what makes the most dominant team in men’s cycling that year tick. From the team’s humble, winless days in 2015 to their Grand Tour-conquering present, Heijboer shares the inside story of that transformation. The conversation covers the team’s three core performance pillars: training, equipment, and nutrition a...
May 08, 2025•26 min•Ep. 20
Marginal gains have shaped modern performance cycling, but have we gone too far and are they now inadvertently and unwittingly costing us performance? In this episode, Caley Fretz flips the script to interview Ronan Mc Laughlin about his deep-dive investigation into how the once-transformative philosophy of stacking small advantages has evolved into a marketing arms race. Together, they explore the unintended consequences of chasing ever-smaller improvements: compromised fit, overlooked fundamen...
May 02, 2025•27 min•Ep. 19
You asked, we answer. This is an updated version of this week's PP episode with a more listenable (hopefully) modified voice for our Cycling Spy. Say the word spy to us cyclists and increasingly we might think of the @CyclingSpy Instagram account. This pseudonymous account has become a fascinating source of spotted tech, product leaks, and aero observations. One day it’s a new frame, the next a new arm warmer texture. This week, CyclingSpy joins Ronan for a rare, anonymous conversation. Always s...
Apr 05, 2025•30 min•Ep. 18
Say the word spy to us cyclists and increasingly we might think of the @CyclingSpy Instagram account. This pseudonymous account has become a fascinating source of spotted tech, product leaks, and aero observations. One day it’s a new frame, the next a new arm warmer texture. This week, CyclingSpy joins Ronan for a rare, anonymous conversation. Always sharp. Often first. Occasionally blunt. But never identified.If there’s an aero gain to be found, or a questionable “gain” to debunk, they’ve proba...
Apr 02, 2025•30 min•Ep. 17
Aero testing usually brings wind tunnels, maths equations, and general nerdery to mind. It's time-consuming, requires patience, and a hassle many can't be bothered with. But still, it shapes many of the products we buy today; thus, it affects all our riding. In this episode, Ronan sits down with John Buckley – former F1 aerodynamicist and founder of Streamlines – to explore how real-world aero testing is changing testing for the performance-minded and it's adoption within the industry. From F1 a...
Mar 29, 2025•36 min•Ep. 16
Aerodynamics is a cornerstone of modern cycling performance, but how much of what we hear is genuine science, and how much is marketing spin? In this episode of Performance Process , we sit down with Xavier Disley of Aerocoach to dissect the claims manufacturers make about aero gains. From wind tunnel testing to real-world application, we explore the red flags to watch for, the methodologies used to measure performance, and whether the numbers we see in marketing materials truly translate to fas...
Mar 19, 2025•29 min•Ep. 15
In this episode, Ronan Mc Laughlin sits down with Thomas Fallon, a clinical specialist, musculoskeletal physiotherapist, sports medicine researcher at Queen’s University Belfast and PHD candidate in cycling injury epidemiology, to uncover the reality of concussions in the sport. We dive into what is a concussion, how to spot one, what to do and why road cycling has the highest rate of head, neck, and face injuries among all disciplines but one of the lowest reported concussion rates. We discuss ...
Mar 07, 2025•33 min•Ep. 14
In this special episode, we chat with Ultra-Distance specialist Kevin Benky Benkenstein on his bike and gear selections for a recent race across the Moroccan Atlas Mountain Range. That big ride is the Atlas Mountain Race (AMR), a beast of a ride that covers some 1,300 km with 23,000 m of elevation. It covers every surface imaginable, and both rider and bike are tested thoroughly in the little over four days that it took him to complete (good enough for a tied third-place finish in the men’s). De...
Feb 28, 2025•20 min•Ep. 13
Big gear work, on-bike strength work, SFR (Salite Forza Resistenza), torque training, whatever name you choose – sticking it in a big gear and grinding away at low cadence has been a staple of our training for generations. A training favourite of many coaches and riders alike, torque training is again attracting attention as videos of pros mashing huge gears do the rounds on social media. But is torque training a powerful tool for improving strength and endurance, or just another training fad? W...
Feb 26, 2025•26 min•Ep. 12
Are mountain bike tyres actually faster than gravel tyres? Recent trends suggest they might be, with top gravel pros maxing out tyre clearance and opting for wider MTB tyres in major races. But do the claims hold up in real-world conditions? In this episode, we dive deep into the numbers with John Karrasch , a bike fitter, physiotherapist, performance tester, and Escape Collective member who has been conducting his own field testing using the Chung Method. Unlike traditional drum tests, which me...
Feb 20, 2025•32 min•Ep. 11
In this episode of Performance Process , Ronan Mc Laughlin is joined by Jem Arnold, a PhD candidate in exercise physiology at the University of British Columbia, physiotherapist, endurance coach, and Escape Collective member. Crucially, Arnold is also a co-author of the latest meta-analysis on Training Intensity Distribution (TID), a deep dive into whether polarized or pyramidal training truly leads to better endurance performance. If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re doing too much Zone 2, no...
Feb 14, 2025•28 min•Ep. 10
In this episode of Performance Process , Ronan Mc Laughlin and Caley Fretz discuss some updates planned for the podcast. Then Ronan sits down with Robert Chung, the creator of the Chung Method, a revolutionary way to aero test without a wind tunnel. They explore how this virtual elevation method has made aero testing more accessible, allowing cyclists to optimise their setups using real-world data. Robert breaks down the math, principles, and practical applications of the method, including its s...
Feb 06, 2025•28 min•Ep. 9
At the 2024 edition of the Tour Down Under, Ronan Mc Laughlin was joined by aerodynamicist JP Ballard as they walked through the pits to talk about the aero hits and misses within the latest bikes of the WorldTour. For 2025 we’re back with something of a similar theme. This time Dave Rome is joined by the Head of Aerodynamics at South Australian Sports Institute (SASI), John Pitman. Now, with access to a wind tunnel he oversees (a story we aim to share soon), Pitman takes a stroll through the pi...
Jan 25, 2025•46 min•Ep. 8
In this episode of Performance Process , we’re joined by Barnaby Garood of AeroSensor to dive deeper into the world of aero testing at home with the AeroSensor drag measurement system. Barnaby, a former F1 aerodynamicist, shares insights on how the AeroSensor brings aero testing to the everyday rider’s everyday roads, helping cyclists of all levels unlock real performance gains without the hefty price tag of traditional lab testing. From setup and calibration to course selection, interpreting ya...
Jan 11, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 7
In this episode of Performance Process , host Ronan McLaughlin dives into the nuances of indoor bike fitting with bike fit expert Phil Burt. With the rise of indoor training, many cyclists encounter power, comfort, and injury issues they don’t have outdoors. Burt, a physiotherapist with over a decade of experience at British Cycling and Team Sky, shares his insights into optimising your indoor fit to mitigate these issues. From adjusting saddle tilt to understanding the impact of our reduced mov...
Dec 13, 2024•26 min•Ep. 6
In this episode of Performance Process, we return to our conversation with Xavier Disley of AeroCoach to explore the practical side of aero testing. From wind tunnels to velodromes, on-road testing at home, and cutting-edge CFD tools, we break down the pros, cons, and real-world challenges of aero testing along with practical tips for each. Whether you’re optimising your position or debating the value of aero meters, Xavier shares expert insights and practical tips to help you understand the sci...
Nov 29, 2024•55 min•Ep. 5
In this episode of Performance Process , we sit down with Xavier Disley, founder of Aerocoach, to dive deep into the world of aerodynamics in cycling. Disley is the "Aerocoach" and brings a wealth of experience on going faster with no extra effort, having worked with athletes from local time trialists to Grand Tour winners, not to mention his own racing endeavours which include a Masters Individual Pursuit World Championship title. On the industry side, his expertise span into aero testing, equi...
Nov 15, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 4
In this episode of Performance Process, host Ronan McLaughlin is joined by Ken Ballhause of Sync Ergonomics and John Pitman, Head of Aerodynamics at the Australian Centre for Sports Aerodynamics. Together, they discuss the custom aerodynamics and aero bars that contributed to Grace Brown’s World and Olympic Time Trial gold medals. They also dive into the cutting-edge advancements shaping the future of aerodynamics in cycling. From “high-hand” positions and crank length to custom bike fitting tec...
Nov 01, 2024•37 min•Ep. 3
Watts per kilogram has been the key metric to compare one rider’s power vs. another rider’s for decades already. The higher W/kg you can sustain... the stronger a rider you must be. While it is a critical indicator of climbing performance, however, W/kg does have its limitations when the road flattens out and even on undulating terrain. In this episode, host Ronan Mc Laughlin sits down with Xert’s Armando Mastracci to discuss why Xert is ditching W/kg and why XRP (Xert Relative Power) might be a...
Oct 19, 2024•45 min•Ep. 2
This week's episode of "Performance Process," is a long overdue deep dive with Dan Bigham. Dan is a rarity in the world of sport, not just cycling, blending off the bike engineering and optimisation expertise with on-bike world class achievements. He is both a decorated athlete and one of the most in-demand minds in the sport. As a world, European, and national champion and an Olympic medalist too, Dan gives us a glimpse into the intricacies of aerodynamics, equipment innovation, and the process...
Sep 06, 2024•42 min•Ep. 1
