Episode 16 From Temecula to Ukiah: Gravel & Wine and Low Gap Hopper Kick Off 2026

Ed Philbrick and Kurt Stockton open Episode 16 with a season “form check” as racing ramps up—road, gravel, and cyclocross all colliding in January. They break down Rattle Gravel and what it means to see Romain Bardet winning early (and already thinking about Unbound), including the underrated reality: WorldTour legs are rarely the limiter—setup and fueling are. Then it’s back to the dirt with two ride reports: Gravel & Wine in Temecula (fast, swoopy graded sand roads; Ed’s Pathfinder 40 setup; January-perfect conditions) Low Gap Grasshopper out of Ukiah (a long opening climb, a power descent, and a legit sprint finish—plus Kurt’s predictable Maxxis Rambler 45 choice) They close with Positive Pete: Grasshopper’s junior mentoring program and why getting young riders into events—and keeping them there—is one of the healthiest things happening in cycling. Subscribe for full episodes + clips on YouTube. Chapters (00:00:11) - Service Course Report(00:05:39) - Cadillacs in Formula 1(00:07:06) - Gravel and Wine(00:12:23) - Perfect weather for skiing in Southern California(00:13:05) - The Low Gap Hopper(00:18:29) - Maxxis ramblers 45s for Huffmaster(00:22:45) - The UAE cycling crash(00:25:04) - Remco the Tour de France solo cyclist(00:26:45) - BMC vs Movistar(00:30:07) - Dutch Cyclocross World Championship(00:37:06) - What You Need to Know About Custom Wheels(00:44:01) - Do Carbon Bar Crash Your Face?(00:48:12) - Gravel Riders: Drop Bars vs Top Bars(00:55:23) - The Hopper Elite Junior Awards(01:01:23) - On Sponsoring Master Plans(01:01:42) - Saudi Cycling Crashes(01:03:24) - Course Report Podcast: Help us grow