Electronics and bikepacking don’t always go hand in hand. The romanticism of disappearing on your bike for days on end often comes as part of a digital detox, disconnecting from tech in order to mindfully focus on your surroundings. However, Jack Luke, a man well versed in spending weeks under canvas, believes that there’s plenty of place for electronics on your next multi-day adventure. But, which digital devices should you pack in your panniers? Jack explains all. Learn more about your ad choi...
May 20, 2024•37 min
SRAM's new Red AXS groupset is claimed to be the world's lightest electronic disc brake road bike groupset, saving 154g versus the previous generation. Priced from around £4,090 / $4,090 / €4,135, the groupset is fully wireless, with a new lever and hood design, increased brake adjustability, and improved braking performance from the hoods. Front shifting is also claimed to be faster and smoother. In this episode of the BikeRadar Podcast, senior technical editor Warren Rossiter shares his though...
May 17, 2024•39 min
Upgrading parts on your bike is something many riders love to do. Whether it’s for a performance benefit or just a splash of personalisation and colour, it can be a fun, if expensive pastime. But which upgrades don’t bring the benefits their price tag suggests? In this episode of the BikeRadar Podcast, senior technical editor Tom Marvin sits down with fellow shredders Luke Marshall and Tom Law to discuss five mountain bike upgrades they don’t think you need and five that will make a genuine diff...
May 13, 2024•39 min
After months of testing, it's time to announce our Road Bike of the Year winners. We've got categories for race, endurance, gravel and budget road bikes, as well as urban electric bikes. We're also announcing an overall winner across all five categories. In this podcast, our test team of Ashley Quinlan, Simon von Bromley and Warren Rossiter discuss the 2024 Bike of the Year test, their top three bikes in each category and, of course, the winners. Read more on our 2024 Road Bike of the Year test:...
May 11, 2024•56 min
What are the best mountain bikes on sale in 2024? We have the answers. Bike of the Year has come around again, and Tom, Rob and Al have been hard at work testing some of the best mountain bikes around. In this episode, our tech team discuss the best trail, enduro, full-fat and SL ebikes, following three months of dedicated testing. For full reviews, head over to BikeRadar.com as we reveal the winners, or keep an eye on our YouTube channel as we present our top-3 winners on film. Learn more about...
May 10, 2024•1 hr 6 min
In this edition of the BikeRadar Podcast, senior technical writer Simon von Bromley and senior technical editor Ashley Quinlan discuss Ash’s recent test of £500 alloy wheelsets. The duo cover off the key winners and losers, deliver some surprising findings and discuss whether a £500 alloy wheelset is worth buying in 2024. Finally, Ash shares some of his key thought-provoking takeaways following the test. Remember, we’d love to hear your opinions about anything discussed in this episode – drop us...
May 02, 2024•43 min
If you’ve been paying attention to the pro road-racing scene recently, you may have noticed many riders are increasingly using oversized chainrings. Are today’s pro riders so fast they simply need bigger gears than before, or could there be more to this tech trend than meets the eye? In today’s episode of the BikeRadar podcast, Simon von Bromley sits down with Liam Cahill to discuss this development and whether there’s anything the rest of us can learn from it. If you have any thoughts, question...
Apr 28, 2024•34 min
Are you confused by the jargon you read in our reviews? Find technical terms all a bit much? In this podcast, our technical writer and all-round tech-head Luke Marshall guides you through some of the terms that pop up frequently in our mountain bike reviews. If there are other terms you’re not sure the meaning of, pop us an email, and we’ll do our best to help. Our email address is podcast@bikeradar.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Apr 25, 2024•28 min
Sea Otter 2024, part trade show, part mountain, road and gravel festival, has just wrapped up. The beady eyes of George Scott and Jack Luke have been on the search for the best MTB kit at the show, and they bring you their top picks here. From fancy frames to brand new pedals, via a very fast set of tyres, the 2024 Sea Otter has provided the goods. Our team pushed out a lot of tech content on BikeRadar’s Instagram account, so you can catch up with even more here: https://www.instagram.com/bikera...
Apr 22, 2024•35 min
Sea Otter 2024 has landed, merging trade-show tech with bike-festival vibes. Our editorial duo of Jack Luke and George Scott are pounding the grounds of Laguna Seca Raceway to bring you the best bits. This podcast focuses on the best of the drop-bar tech seen on day one. Jack Luke almost lost his marbles when he spotted Ritchey’s new Montebello randonneur bike, and was blown away by 5Dev’s scuff-proof cranks. There also were some fancy bikes from the likes of Parlee, while the team got a hands-o...
Apr 19, 2024•26 min
In today’s episode of the BikeRadar Podcast, deputy editor Jack Luke and senior technical writer Simon von Bromley discuss the latest tech news in road cycling. Last week saw the launch of the new ENVE Fray and BMC Roadmachine – both endurance road bikes with an all-road slant. As well as sharing details of each new bike the pair discuss whether all-road bikes can really do double duty off and on the tarmac. Next up, Jack and Simon discuss Campagnolo’s new HPPM power meter, and why it took the B...
Apr 14, 2024•35 min
In this episode of the BikeRadar Podcast, Jack Luke, Tom Marvin and Warren Rossiter answer questions sent in by you, our beloved listeners. From average chain life to describing the feel of tyres, the trio shares solutions for your burning tech questions. Thanks to Steve Wilson, Nicolas Rogowski, Tom Parish, Owen Lockwood and everyone else for sending in your questions! If you have any questions you want answered in a future episode, send them to podcast@bikeradar.com https://www.bikeradar.com/a...
Apr 11, 2024•34 min
It's the morning after the night before and, with the dust settling on another edition of Paris-Roubaix, George, Liam and Simon sit down to digest this year's tech highlights. Big tyres, bigger chainrings, aero optimisations and even gravel bikes featured over the cobbles of the Hell of the North. Got a question for the team? You can email us at podcast@bikeradar.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Apr 08, 2024•30 min
Dropper seatposts are near-ubiquitous on modern mountain bikes, but what separates the good from the bad, how do they work and what should you look out for when shopping for a new one? Hot on the heels of a nine-way test, BikeRadar digital writer Nick Clark outlines the key buying considerations and spills the beans on the best and worst of dropper seatpost tech today. He’s joined by BikeRadar MTB presenter Tom Law and deputy editor Jack Luke, who’ve each spent enough time swearing into a seat t...
Apr 04, 2024•36 min
It’s easy to assume professional bike riders get access to the best kit available, but the reality can be very different. From wild monocoque triathlon bikes through to ultra-light climbing bikes, long socks and myriad aerodynamic upgrades, there are many things pros simply aren’t allowed to use due to stringent regulations or sponsor restrictions. In this episode of the BikeRadar podcast, two of the team’s keenest roadies, Simon von Bromley and Liam Cahill, discuss all these things and how they...
Mar 31, 2024•48 min
BikeRadar’s XC fans Rach and Tom look ahead to the 2024 XC season. The first rounds are coming up shortly in Brazil and the summer’s Olympic Games are on the horizon. The past six months have seen a host of exciting, new XC bikes and tech being launched, so in this episode we discuss the latest race bikes as well as picking out who we think will take home the gold from the summer Games in Paris. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Mar 29, 2024•33 min
Which accessories do you need for mountain biking and which don’t you need? We run through the five most important mountain bike accessories and reveal the five you don’t really need (though they may be nice to have). With over 70 years of cumulative MTB experience, Tom, Rob and Al know what makes our riding lives easier — and what doesn’t really make much difference. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Mar 25, 2024•35 min
Fastest Known Times (FKTs) are individual time trials raced over typically mixed-terrain ultra-endurance routes. A long-established racing format in the thru-hiking and backpacking worlds, cycling FKTs have surged in popularity in recent years. In today's episode of the BikeRadar Podcast, custodian of fastestknowntimes.org.uk and ultra-endurance racing legend Molly Weaver explains what FKTs are, their rules and how to take one for yourself. Weaver turned pro in 2015, riding for Matrix Fitness Pr...
Mar 22, 2024•44 min
How do you pick a pocket-friendly gravel bike? What should you look out for and what key features can you expect if you’re spending around £1,000? Senior road technical editor Warren Rossiter has recently completed a test of budget gravel bikes, and in this episode he and Tom discuss the entry - level gravel bike market. They cover the kit you’re likely to find , and the types of bikes available at this price point, as well as running through the four bikes in Warren’s recent test. Learn more ab...
Mar 18, 2024•38 min
Bike of the Year is coming! Testing for our annual bike review bonanza is well underway. In this episode, George Scott is joined by two of our lead testers, Tom Marvin and Warren Rossiter, to preview Bike of the Year 2024. With nine categories across road, gravel, MTB and urban, what bikes can you expect to see in the test? Tune-in to find out… Read more on L-Twoo’s new gravel groupsets from the Taipei Cycle Show: https://www.bikeradar.com/news/taipei-2024-l-twoo-gravel-groupsets Learn more abou...
Mar 15, 2024•32 min
Specialized’s cross-country bike, the Epic 8, was launched with an updated RockShox Flight Attendant, updated to work seamlessly with XC race rigs. In this episode, Tom Marvin speaks to Brian Gordon, Specialized’s product lead on all things XC, and Chris Mandell, North America PR man for SRAM. They discuss the new Specialized Epic 8 and Epic 8 EVO, as well as the latest wireless developments in suspension – Flight Attendant. Along the way, host Jack Luke quizzes Tom on his experience of both new...
Mar 12, 2024•51 min
What are your baseline fork settings? The dark-arts of bar tape, and our pick of the best workstands, plus more, feature in this episode of our Tech Q&A series. Tech experts Warren Rossiter and Alex Evans weigh in to help out our listeners navigate the world of cycling tech. Have you any unanswered questions? Pop them to podcast@bikeradar.com and we’ll include them in a future episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Mar 08, 2024•34 min
It’s (another) new bike day at BikeRadar – the 10th generation Giant TCR has launched, and we’ve jumped into the podcast studio to cover the major headlines. Senior technical editor Ashley Quinlan is your host, joined by road tech aficionados Simon von Bromley and Liam Cahill to discuss how the latest TCR stacks up. We also hear from Giant’s Andrew Juskaitis, who helps us position the TCR versus the Propel, talks us through the brand’s new carbon manufacturing technique and explains how Giant ha...
Mar 06, 2024•35 min
In this latest edition of the BikeRadar Podcast, senior technical editor Ashley Quinlan sits down with Factor Bikes CEO and founder, Rob Gitelis. They discuss Rob’s history in the cycling world, firstly behind the scenes in carbon manufacture before taking over at Factor, then move on to the future of the material as well as take on the big question about the state of the bike industry today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Mar 04, 2024•38 min
Manufacturers of carbon rims are increasingly adopting hookless rims, citing benefits such as lower weight, improved aerodynamics and reduced manufacturing costs. Last week, though, on stage five of the 2024 UAE Tour, Thomas De Gendt suffered a high-speed crash while – seemingly – just riding along. De Gendt’s wheels, a set of Zipp’s 353 NSW carbon wheels with hookless rims, were initially deemed to be at fault, but can we be sure about what actually happened, and could there be more to this sto...
Mar 01, 2024•46 min
How do we test the best road cycling kit on the market? In a follow-up to our MTB testing secrets podcast, Tom sits down with Ash and Simon to discuss the trickiest road cycling kit to test, and how we overcome those difficulties. Power meters, saddles, shoes, wheels and smart trainers all pose their own difficulties, but with a bit of know-how and experience, we can ensure our reviews are as accurate as possible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Feb 26, 2024•56 min
It’s been a big week for tech news on BikeRadar. George, Jack and Simon discuss five of the week’s most interesting stories, from Campagnolo’s new gravel groupset to a revamped Canyon Spectral trail bike, via five-star power meter pedals. Read more on BikeRadar: Campagnolo Ekar GT is the brand’s widest-ranging gravel groupset ever – and it's cheaper than Ekar https://www.bikeradar.com/news/campagnolo-ekar-gt Favero’s new off-road power meter pedals ditch the pods and undercut rivals on price htt...
Feb 23, 2024•56 min
Our Tech Q&A episodes are back, with Rob and Warren giving their expert advice on all things cycling tech and answering the questions our listeners have sent to podcast@bikeradar.com . In this episode, we weigh in on light versus heavy spokes, and the plethora of headset options out there. We’ve questions on the necessity of cycling computers and the differences between single-pivot linkage actuated suspension (faux-bar) and Horst-Link (four-bar) designs. There’s also a request for recommend...
Feb 19, 2024•46 min
In today’s episode of the BikeRadar Podcast, deputy editor Jack Luke and senior technical editor Tom Marvin discuss this week’s biggest news stories in MTB tech. With Orange Bikes saved from administration, the pair consider how the brand may evolve in the coming years. They also ponder what it is that makes Pivot, and brands like it, so cool, and the proliferation of integration on modern mountain bikes. And please don’t forget to share your thoughts on what you consider the coolest cycling bra...
Feb 16, 2024•31 min
With decades of experience between them, our tech team of Tom, Rob and Luke have come up against a raft of tricky tests in their time. Some products are simply difficult to put through their paces, while others involve a lot of background work to ensure the i’s are dotted and the t’s crossed. Over the years, the team has come up with a few ways of ensuring our reviews are as accurate as possible – and some of those techniques might leave you surprised! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit pod...
Feb 12, 2024•45 min
