Velo Chumps

This week the Chumps talk about some new mechanical group sets and the upcoming Tour de France. Of course they are separate topics - no one will use mechanical shifting at the Tour, but that doesn't mean Chumps should not have mechanical options! Eric has another PSA related to a bike that came through his garage, and we end with an exceptional listener factoid.

This week the Chumps start off with some racing tidbits and then we talk about a new UCI rule that is stupid (surprise!). Next we talk about the click bait epidemic we are seeing in cycling media, and we explain why chumps out there reading cycling media need to be wary of what "journalists" are telling us these days. Eric has a PSA, and Ryan is back with a factoid to close out the show.

This week the Chumps tell you how that brand in Morgan Hill contributed to one disaster but maybe helped us all avoid another one. The Giro d'Italia Women and Unbound are the scenes. Though we don't talk about Unbound much, we do talk about the new Crux 5, but it's maybe not what you think. Then Chad gives a great product review for Chumps, we have a listener factoid, and Ryan is back on the show with a PSA.

It is Unbound Week, and there is no other week on the calendar where Big Bike is more active. The Chumps give you the break down of what Big Bike will be shoving down our throats, and giving you some insight into why you might not want to jump on the Big Bike train. We have a corrections corner from our storyline last week about the Vuelta Espana Feminina, and we have another listener submitted factoid to close the show!

Almost everything we discussed on the last episode came to pass in glorious fashion since that show. So, we take about what we got right and what that means for Chumps. We also discuss a leaked road bike and what it might portend for the road scene. We finish with a women's cycling storyline and a factoid, and, as usual, if you don't like our factoid, submit your own!

Last weekend Girona hosted the many versions of The Traka gravel race. This is the biggest gravel race in Europe, and we spend a lot of time breaking it down (pun intended). We have words not just for The Traka but for gravel racing and gravel tech in general. Then we have a women's cycling storyline for the Vuelta Espana Feminina, and Chad ends the show with a banger of factoid!

This week the Chumps talk about some new developments in bike prices that will definitely impact chumps one way or the other. Before that though we reveal the Velo Chumps Strava Group, which you are all welcome to join, and we talk about Zwift acquiring Rouvy. We also have a women's cycling storyline to share for the upcoming La Vuelta Feminina, and then we end with a factoid that we had to come up with since we ran out of listener submissions. So, let's fix that for next week people!

This week the Chumps talk about recent innovations and current trends in the bike industry and who really benefits from them. We explore what might be motivating the brands to develop the products they do, and, spoiler alert, it is not to make a better riding experience for chumps! We end with another listener factoid that is close to Chad's heart.

The Chumps talk Roubaix! After this year's editions of the race, we talk about what makes Roubaix special as a sporting event, not even just a bike race. We give a bit of a breakdown of both the men's and women's races, and then we preview the upcoming Ardennes week. We relay some listener feedback, and we have yet another listener submitted factoid! Listen to the end for that and keep the factoids coming.

We are in the midst of cycling's Holy Week and Statler and Waldorf, I mean the Chumps, are back to talk about Flanders and Roubaix. Like normal we discuss the racing from a Chump point of view, and throw a little history in there for you. Then we talk about some new tires, which are obviously wider than the previous new tires, because new tires are always wider these days (This is the part where we really get grumpy). We end with another listener factoid! Keep those coming.If you are curious about the unconventional opening of this episode, here is a very important video you should watch:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlejtD3pzWU

Even if we recorded on April Fools Day, this episode was obviously published after. We talk about some of the annual April Fools products that cycling brands "release," and how those jokes reveal something about the industry. Before that though we talk a bit about racing, both our own races and the pros. Then we share some sad news about Paragon Machine Works and why that might impact Chumps, and then we finish with our first ever listener submitted factoid!

This week's show is in reverse order. After some listener feedback on last week's factoid, we start with the factoid this week. Then we talk about when Milan San Remo got exciting, and some important topics that came out of San Remo weekend. Then we end the show with some tech, including the title topic, the recently spotted updated Canyon Endurace.

This week the Chumps talk a little bit about an epic bike race, but we focus on an even more epic website! You might have already guessed from the title of this show. We also talk about the evolution of gravel racing. Don't worry if gravel racing is not your thing - we are not breaking down any races. We do talk about how the evolution and professionalization of gravel racing will affect us Chumps, and in positive ways at that! Chad brings us home with another historical factoid, so listen to the end for that one.

This week the Chumps lament how boring professional men's racing has become of late. But we give you a solution to this problem (hint: it's not watching more men's racing). We hit a few other fun topics before we get to the new CAAD 14. The CAAD has traditionally been the racing bike for Chumps. But is it still? Finally, the factoid will really stretch your perception of things that could be true, or not. Truth is stranger than fiction? Listen until the end to find out.

Lots of topics this week with road racing officially starting (depending on how you look at things), new chump relevant products that brands recently released and rumors of new products that are not yet released. We also answered some listener feedback that stemmed from our last episode. This week there are two factoids (sort of) - one that might be true, and one that is definitely not true.

Believe it or not, we are back for a 4th season! Before getting too far, I need to apologize for how long it took to edit and publish this episode. We recorded this episode weeks ago, but then I travelled to sunny Arizona for an early season race block. Maybe we will talk about that in a future episode! Anyway, the references might be a bit dated, but it was a fun show with a surprise contributor! The next show will be out much sooner than later, you can bet on that.

We've come to the end of another season of the Velo Chumps! We start off this episode with our resident Shimanophile (Chad) talking up the new GRX updates that dropped recently. After that we go back and review what the Chumps got right (and not so right) this year. No factoid this week, but we promise to have a lot of good ones is season 4. See you next year!

At the intersection of bikes and 3D Printing, you will find 3D printer extraordinaire Chris Heerschap. Chris was nice enough to come on the show and talk about 3D printing, in general and in the bike space. He has some great stories, and you will learn a lot about what are good bike related objects to print and what you might want to steer clear of. Chad suggests a new product line that Chris may (or may not) add to his offering, so listen to the end to hear that! Most importantly, do yourself a favor and check out Chris's Etsy store for some great 3D printed products. We discuss some of them on the show, but the whole shop is worth your consideration:https://www.etsy.com/shop/cmhPrintedDesigns

The Chumps return from an unplanned break in our programming to talk about a breakaway bike, and you might be surprised to hear Chad's take. We also follow up on Shimano moving to a 10 cog on the "road" side of things, and we bring you the Chumps take on the big news that Keegan Swenson is rumored to be moving to Specialized. Chad ends with a factoid about what this move might mean for gravel bike tech.

The all knowing Oracle of Canton (Chad) returns. We review news that yet another of his predictions came true, and he gives us a fresh prediction in this episode. We also have the return of Ryan, both to riding bikes and to the show. He inadvertently drops a factoid at the end so keep your ear open for that!

This week the Chumps talk about one of our *favorite* organizations, the UCI. Their shenanigans don't cease to amaze, so the Chumps were forced to develop a solution to end them. We need our audience's help though, so listen in to get your assignment and get back to us with your input!

In a Velo Chumps first, we have a return guest! Luke Guyton, organizer of the Big River Gravel Series and the Lead Ore Gravel Race returns to do a post race recap. I (Eric) raced Lead Ore, and Luke turns the tables in this episode and asks me questions about my experience . We talk about the race of course, but also about visiting Galena. You will have to listen to all the details, but this is not an event you want to miss next year!More details about Lead Ore and the Big River Gravel Series here:https://www.leadoregravel.comhttps://www.bigrivergravel.comThere is a lot going on in addition to the incredible riding in the Driftless. Get information about visiting Galena Country here:https://www.visitgalena.org

This week the Chumps Checkout a bike that just came on the scene - you know the one. We also talk a bit about recent news related to the UCI and its crusade for safety, and another bike that just came out - you don't know this one. No factoid this week, but we still have a fun way to end the show.

This week we have Kai and Tyler from Indigo Cycling to talk about USACs recently updated Policy VII. USAC announced the change to their competition category policy on September 2 with an effective date of September 15. The response from Indigo and the rest of the Chicagoland cycling team community was swift and unambiguous. Kai and Tyler take us through that, but they also talk about the bigger picture of cycling and what Indigo is doing to support all cyclists.To learn more about Indigo and to find ways to support their mission, you can check them out here:On the web - https://www.indigocycling.ccOn Instagram - http://instagram.com/indigocyclingchicago/

This week, Luke Guyton, organizer of the Big River Gravel Series and the Lead Ore Gravel Race talks to the Chumps about his races and gravel racing in general. Luke has some great stories, and brings a grassroots passion to cycling, and gravel cycling in particular, that will cut through even the most cynical takes on the gravel phenomenon. He even comes up with a great factoid on the spot!To learn more about his races, you can find more information here:Big River Gravel Series - https://www.bigrivergravel.comLead Ore Gravel - https://www.leadoregravel.com

Hire us! That's the intro. The Chumps are branching out into consultancy for all things bikes. You don't want to miss this one because this is our introduction where we give free advice! to demonstrate what you can expect from the Velo Chumps consultancy. Since this whole episode is really just one giant factoid, we don't even need to end with one.

This week Derek Teel of Dialed Health joins the Chumps to talk about strength training for cyclists! We start the show talking about how Derek got started with strength training for cyclists, and then we clarify that pro cyclists do strength train. The bulk of the show though is about how strength training and other aspects of the Dialed Health program can help chumps like us on and off the bike.Be sure to check out Dialed Health for yourself here: https://dialedhealth.comDerek and I talk about Dialed Health on the show, but there is much more detailed information on the website. With over 16 programs, there is one that will work for you.

This week the Chumps tackle the big topic on everyone's mind - handlebar width! Chad has a unique take on what is really behind the UCI making this handlebar width rule and other rules in the name of "safety." We also discuss some new recently released groupsets, including the new wireless 1x12 GRX that was announced today. We have some opinions on this GRX and Shimano's approach to gravel. The factoid this week is around the Camp-spiracy, so listen all the way through hear what that is!

This week the Chumps talk about some new groupsets and what they mean for us Chumps. We also discuss a wild new aero bike spotted in the World Tour and how that might affect our Sunday coffee rides. Finally, in lieu of a factoid, we discuss a listener question about what changes on their bike will make their commute faster. Chad has some good tips, so don't miss that part!

After a hiatus while we recovered from a race (we tell you that story) the Chumps are back! Chad and Eric discuss a variety of topics, which are seemingly unrelated. Other than the fact that they will all probably lead to higher prices for bikes. Most importantly, Mike Green sent us a factoid that you don't want to miss, so listen to the end for that.

The Chumps had the privilege to talk to Stu Garwick who has been a legendary figure in the history of the Ten Thousand Gravel ride and gravel riding in the Driftless area of the US Midwest. Even if you don't know Stu's name, rest assured he helped make Gravel (not GRVL) what it is today. Give this episode a listen to hear about where gravel came from, how the Ten Thousand plays a role in that, and what riding your bike on gravel roads is really about. You might even find the elusive "Spirit of Gravel" along the way.If this show inspires you, register for the Ten Thousand here:https://www.bikereg.com/ride-ten-thousand-2025Please register even in you are on the fence, but you shouldn't be on the fence, you should do it!

This week the Chumps start off with some GREAT news before moving on to a discussion of the new mechanical SRAM Transmission, and what that means for chumps. Then we take on the question of whether cycling is a professional sport, or not. Ryan gets some homework for a two part factoid so listen to the end to hear about his assignment.

This week the Chumps talk to Jack Peck, organizer of some of the most exciting, and challenging, Ultra races in the Midwest. Jack talks about why you should register for the Mishigami Challenge and the Driftless Dagger, but he also gives us a lot of insight into Ultra racing and riding in general, something us Chumps are not very experienced with. If the show inspires you (of course it will!) check out the Midwest Ultra Cycling website here:https://www.midwestultracycling.comYou can find links to each race there along with social media links to follow along with the fun!

This week the Chumps take on the wide tire craze that is gripping the bike world. Do you need to throw out your current gravel bike? Also, some pros (or at least one) are experimenting with 150mm cranks. Does that mean us Chumps need to run to the bike shop for a switch? Answers to your most burning cycling questions inside! Chad ends the show with a factoid related to the new My Canyon custom program.

This week the Chumps take a trip down memory lane to a past episode where Chad made a prediction. We listen to his old prognostication and discuss how close his prediction matches reality, and also the implications now that we have seemingly arrived in the future. We also talk a little racing and about a new product from our friends at Silca. Ryan closes the show with a factoid, and he even asked for some listener participation.

This week we have tech industry connoisseur James Huang on the show! James talks about the state of cycling media and his new independent publication, N-1. He also tells us a little bit about what it is like to be a tech editor in the cycling space in general. We then get some of James' insights into the bike industry, and what he likes about the gravel segment in particular (don't worry though - we did touch on internal cable routing). James closes the show with a factoid blast from the past that you won't want to miss.Check out N-1 here:https://nminus1bikes.substack.comConsider subscribing and supporting James and his work.

This week, for the first time, we have a guest Chump on the pod. Jonathan Toups joins me, to talk about some of cycling's "rules". This comes off the heels of the last episode where we gave Ryan some grief for running so much, and we wanted to address the reality that, like most of cycling's "rules", giving runners grief is quite silly. No factoid this week because Ryan had one, but he backed out of the pod last minute - something that truly deserves grief.

The Chumps are back for 2025, just in time for the start of road racing season. Eric and Chad talk about being fans of the professional sport of road cycling, and what the people running the show are doing, both good and bad, to impact the fan experience.

This week special guest Frank Overton from FasCat coaching talks about the past present and future of coaching and training for cyclists. Being chumps, we had an approachable conversation that is science based without overwhelming science talk. Frank shares some of his incredible knowledge around coaching and training, and at the end of the show he gives us some insight into the recent Strava API fiasco. You can get more details on FasCat coaching here: https://fascatcoaching.com

*EMERGENCY EPISODE* Strava announced some changes to their API access and how third party applications would be able to use data going forward. This ruffled a lot of feathers, so the Chumps decided we needed an Emergency Episode to discuss this from the Chumps perspective. This emergency epidsode might not have the normal polish, but the content still hits.

This week we talk to Kyleigh Spearing about the women's UCI Gravel World Championships. Kyleigh takes you inside the race, she talks about US vs. European gravel racing, and she gives us insights about the nuances of women's gravel racing, both the competitive and business side of things. This week Kyleigh herself provides a great factoid to close the show.

This is the first of two special episodes where the Chumps bring you inside the UCI Gravel World Championships. We talk to Ethan Overson who races in the elite field in the US gravel scene and also represented the USA at the UCI Gravel World Championships in both 2023 and 2024. Listen for Ethan's insights on the race itself, the gear, and what is in store for the future of gravel racing.

The Chumps talk about some new features from some of our favorite apps - Strava and Zwift. Whether these new features are intelligent or not is still up for debate. In the course of those discussions, Chad drops some gems that these companies should pick up. Mike did not make it, but Eric ends the show with a (hopefully) fun story.

This week all the Chumps are back to discuss the demise of the Pro's Closet. We also discuss the UCI Gravel World Championships and how that is related to the US Federation (USAC). Mike Green showed us a leaked GRVL tire marketing graph, but (since this is a podcast) you will need to go to The Velochumps Instagram page to see it.

The rest of the Chumps were quite surprised to hear Chad's position about the future of SRAM. So much so that everyone joined the show this week to hear what he had to say. We start with a few news items, but you won't want to miss the discussion of the future of the bike industry and what that means for SRAM (and Shimano). Mike Green brings us a rumor instead of a factoid, but it leads to a fun way to end the show.

This week, a reduced Chumps cohort takes it old school and rants about some unfriendly (for Chumps) new products that cycling brands are using to try to extract money from us. Before we get to that though, we do have a funny corrections corner, and an even funnier look at the start of stage 6 of the Vuelta a Espana.

We are back. After our mid season break, while the cycling world was saturated with the Tour de France and the Olympics, we are back to tell you about the Chump relevant developments in the bike world. Of course we discuss the new SRAM Red XPLR group, but we start with another "interesting" product that also recently dropped. Mike Green could not join our triumphant return, so no factoid this week, but future factoids promise to be better than ever.

It's the most wonderful time of the cycling year. The Tour de France is upon us once again, and that means brands will try to use the iconic race to sell you anything and everything. This week the Chumps look at 2 of the more ridiculous marketing stunts we have seen. One is ridiculously priced, and one is just, well, ridiculous on its own. Listen in, and the Chumps will let you know if you can believe the hype.

This week the Chumps, uncharacteristically, have mostly positive things to say about a few new products in the bike world. We even start off with a tip to save you a lot of money if you haven't yet got sucked into the chain waxing black hole. Also, Chad is back with a historical factoid that you don't want to miss!

This episode is all about the biggest gravel race in the world, Unbound Gravel. One of the Chumps was lucky enough to race the Unbound 200 this year, and we talk about it from the point of view of a chump in the amateur pack. No professional race coverage here. If you want to know how Unbound really is, or might be, for someone like you, tune in!