Burning Matches

Burning Matches Cycling Podcast Ep-18 Duchy Cycling CoachingFast at 40, 50, 60+This is Episode 2 of 3 with Duchy Cycling Coaching, a highly recommended coaching company that focuses on cyclists 40+, but younger riders can learn a lot from Duchy.https://www.duchycyclecoaching.comThe Duchy coaches are former European pros and their insights on what helps older riders are extremely valuable.Huge thanks to Will Harper, Duchy founder, and Alex Sanković, a Duchy Coach. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Burning Matches Cycling Podcast Ep-17 Duchy Cycling CoachingOlder Cyclists Need to Train DifferentlyI’m trying a bit of a new approach with this episode. I’ve got a full hour with the coaches at Duchy Cycling Coaching, but am breaking it up into 3 shorter episodes. This is episode 1 of 3.I don’t even remember how I got on the Duchy email list but I am SO happy I did. These guys have absolutely game changing advice to help you be a faster cyclist. Even more importantly their advice will give you perspectives that will help you take a much healthier approach to your riding and enjoy it more.I’ll add that even though their coaching is focused on older riders 40, 50, and 60+, younger riders should pay attention. You can get a lot wrong as a younger rider and still be fast.But a lot of these tips could give you a real competitive advantage.Huge thanks to Will Harper, Duchy founder, and Alex Sankovic, a Duchy coach.Duchy Coaching Websitehttps://www.duchycyclecoaching.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Burning Matches Cycling Podcast Ep-16 - Dennis VerityYou Never Got Off the BikeHappy Birthday to my stepfather Dennis. On your day I wanted to take few moments to recognize you with two cycling anecdotes that represent many ways you had brought a great presence to my life.One important thing I need to correct: at the Hilly Hundred in Indiana my stepfather actually rode 55 miles that first day. I misspoke as it was the second day that was only 45. Incredible!"Lanterne Rouge" is the name for the person in last place in a bicycle stage race (a multiple bike races over multiple days where the overall time and/or points by the end of the race determine the winners. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a slightly different episode as it's just me, Kurt Hoffmann, with an update on Burning Matches cycling podcast as of February 27, 2026."Cycling Has Been My Salvation Always" is my favorite line from the episode. I cannot tell you all the times I have been so low or lost, but somehow getting on the bike changes everything every time. I remember one time in particular during the past couple years I was so utterly depressed. It was a depression unlike anything I had ever experienced. It just would not stop for an entire year. One day laying on the couch I just said to my self: GET ON YOUR BIKE. You have to get on your bike.And I did. I put no expectations on myself except to pedal. Maybe ride to the end of the block, maybe a mile. As I kept going, through Montgomery Village, a tiny momentum found it's way and then I was in the Montgomery neighborhoods, that great tree in the middle of the road, kept going into Howarth, onto Channel. I was barely there just spinning around 12 mph, but it helped to just keep pedaling. I was making my way through Oakmont when I saw two riders coming the other direction. As they got closer I recognized them. It was Mike and Natalie from Red Peloton! I was so grateful to be riding with them. Just being with two teammates had me feeling better in minutes. Mike asked me if I was up for a sprint to light pole in the distance. Man, that felt so GOOD!!!There was a similar afternoon recently where I found myself dead again on the couch from the weight of it all. I had posted how down I was online and saw there were messages from my teammate Clint and Mark Tucker. From those encouraging words I returned to my own mantra: JUST GET ON YOUR GODDAMN BIKE! I was processing it all when a call came through from another Red Peloton team mate Brett. He was checking in on me as he had heard about my post. For some reason that broke me and I was in tears. We had a long talk and one of the things he said was, "You are resilient! You'll get through this!"That phrase stayed with me in the days and weeks following. I was so happy to get out on a ride with Brett, Clint and Brian that Saturday. We all needed it. To so many people on the road, whether we had a great talk, or just spent some time quietly riding by each other, you have no idea the difference you made.I hope you enjoy this episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m really happy to present a look behind the scenes of veloToze cycling gear company.I love this episode. It captures how cyclist’s devotion to endless improvement can permeate into the rest of our lives.A huge part of the fun of cycling is all the toys we get to play with. How cool to share the road with the inventor of multiple of my favorite toys!Joe Feng is a great rider who - through his company veloToze - has created many products that have become essential gear in our efforts to “outsmart the elements.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sycip/Devout bike racing team was one of the teams that caught my attention when I got back into bike racing in 2022. Multiple riders from this team were doing impressive things on Sonoma County group rides, at the local TNT criteriums series, 2 Rock training races and at USA Cycling events throughout Northern California - and competing nationally.It was especially impressive that this is a team of all juniors. On any given week you can find Sycip/Devout juniors going strong on group rides and on podiums for both men and women races.It was great to talk to Sycip/Devout cofounder Jon Fisher about how the team grew out of his and his wife’s love of riding and supporting their 5 kids with healthy lifestyles and values.Mentors and parents had an even greater impact than I realized on my cycling and it’s an honor to recognize people like Jon who make the wheels go around for young riders, the future of this great sport. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Tucker has been one of my favorite bike racers to watch since returning to racing in 2022. I’m excited for you to get to know Mark and get insights on this great sport! In this episode you’re going to get a lot of great bike racing tips but even if you’re not a bike racer you will learn how to improve your cycling no matter what riding level you’re at. I love that Mark did not even get into cycling until his 40s due to a back injury (he didn’t even like the idea of cycling as a form of exercise when his doctor first suggested it!), but has built an absolutely dominating record on the bike. Most of all Mark’s passion for bike racing illuminates something truly special about this sport: you can bring the fire at ages when most people can no longer enjoy the sports they once loved. You can ride a century, you can ride across the country, and YES you can race your bike even into your 90s!I recently visited my brother who nearly died from cancer earlier this year. His first exercise in his journey of recovery from surgery and radiation was when we got out for a 12-mile ride together. He was hooked! We rode over 50 miles together that week and riding is now a part of his weekly routine.No matter what your level of riding - getting in 10 miles or riding 50 races a year - I hope Mark’s story will inspire you to get on your bike and feel the fire!PS I’m listing this here so you don’t have to hunt through the episode to see that Mark’s all time power record is 371 watts - I believe my top FTP is around 220 watts. I’ve got some work to do! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Any interested in riding long distances on their bike won't want to miss this!I’m incredibly excited about this episode with my first cycling hero Lon Haldeman. When I first fell in love with riding a bike as a kid in the very early 80s, articles and tv coverage of Lon Haldeman racing across America created absolute awe and inspiration for how far your will paired with this simple machine could take you in all meanings of those words. I was going through a very difficult time in the Spring of 2025 when a number of serendipitous events led me to peel my 1983 St. Louis Cycling Club membership card out of an old photo album. Seeing the surprise that had remained hidden since the card was first placed under that film 40 years ago let me know that not only were things were going to be okay but that life had a lot of great surprises ahead for me. Note this episode was first recorded in April 2025 and had a number of delays, so some items referenced like the Terrible Two ride are now passed.Thank you Lon for sharing your story and making such a difference in so many people’s lives, including mine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom Brinker was one of the great bike racers I met through the St. Louis Cycling Club in the 1980s. It was really fun to reconnect with Tom after so many years, talk about the great times we had in St. Louis Cycling Club and learn about all his exploits at the national level that I knew about but had very few details on. What an incredible biker racer and another example of the many great people and times we all get to experience thanks to the bike. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m really honored to present the next episode about Karl Becker and his father Joe Becker.Previous episodes have focused on people I know through my current Northern and Southern California cycling communities. For this episode I circle back to where my bike racing history began in St. Louis, Missouri, racing for the St. Louis Cycling Club.Karl Becker was one of the iconic bike racers of that time when bike racing and punk rock music were inseparable. We also get to learn more about Karl’s dad Joe Becker who, among many other cycling feats, raced in the 1956 Olympics.Karl and Joe show how this great sport extends throughout our lives into their careers among the great historic bike shops of St. Louis, and how they touch their community in many positive ways.I hope you’ll also enjoy the insights about Penrose Park Velodrome and St. Louis Cycling Club, the old cycling club in the United States, founded in 1887.Here’s to two giants of cycling. Enjoy the episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oh man, do I have an episode for you! I REALLY enjoyed my conversation with EJ and got to go down some really great cycling and personal rabbit holes.I first became familiar with EJ when he was the “star” of NorCal Cycling’s “Couch to Crit” Season 2. EJ went on to develop his own successful YouTube channel “EJ’s Training Camp” and social media following. See links below. It’s been really fun watching EJ grow as a bike racer on the Northern California bike racing scene. I’m super appreciative of all he’s done for the sport with great entertainment, bike racing tips, and the people and events he has showcased and brought attention to.We also get to talk about EJ’s recent exit from cycling. The concept of burnout and shifting your passion is an important one. I hope you enjoy the conversation with EJ! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cycling friends! Get ready to enjoy a great episode that hits a lot of topics that us riders can benefit from. Pete Sweeney is a longtime competitive cyclist with the Bobas cycling team in Sonoma County, California. What I love about these interviews are the great stories and insights you get from the everyday troops on the front lines of cycling greatness: the local riders who create the local cycling communities.Pete and I talk about cycling technology (70s/80s vs today), the benefits and downsides of cycling teams, local racing, and tips for race performance including one of my newest favorite cycling mantras: The Wheel is Life!Huge respect to the Bobas for contributing to my subconscious reminders to return to my home on the bike and to Pete for an awesome interview and another example of the incredible underground bike races hallmarked by spray painted finish lines! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm really excited to present my interview with my great cycling friend Brady Winegar who I met on my regular training in Santa Clarita, California.The impetus for this episode was Brady's first bike race at the age of 55 on March 23, 2025. I am so proud of Brady for taking that leap to ride the Chuck Pontius criterium. No matter how many miles you've logged on a bike, it's easy to get intimidated by racing. But as Brady and I discuss, there are incredible rewards as we learn the process of "renegotiating with your body and mind" as Brady put it so well. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Part 2 of my interview with Red Peloton bike racing team/cycling club President Cole Rasmussen.This episode has some great perspectives on some of my favorite cycling topics!• The Tuesday Night Twilights (TNT) bike racing crit series in Santa Rosa, California• Levi’s Gran Fondo 2025 with the special addition of a $150,000+ purse!• How we can all improve the world of cycling! I hope this episode motivates you to find more ways to love riding your bike and help others do the same! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m really excited about this episode with Cole Rasmussen!I know Cole as the President of Red Peloton, a great bike racing team in Northern California which I love riding for. Cole is an incredible promoter of cycling and bike racing and does an awesome job as President of the team. This episode is filled with great views into the world of cycling including:• Hearing Cole’s perspective as someone who has worked in the bike industry• The importance of contributing to the cycling community• The exciting Red Peloton U23 programHuge thanks to Cole and the people like him who are making a difference in the cycling community. I highly recommend looking for ways to help out at events and do simple things like encourage someone, welcome people to the sport, and spread the word about cycling. Fellow racer Jordan Kunde took the time to introduce me to the 2 Rock races after a Tuesday Night Twilight and it opened up a whole world of great experiences for me. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m really excited about this episode of Burning Matches! I’m still trying to get my head around all of the athletic accomplishments of Amber Smolik! So many national and world titles as a triathlete, bike racer and Aquabike specialist. Amber has some great tips for all of us who manage fitting in training with a busy life. And I love Amber’s advice on why anyone, but especially women, might want try bike racing! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bryan Larsen is one of the great cyclists I get to ride with on Sonoma County group rides. I love the diversity of Bryan’s bike racing career, from the local TNTs (Tuesday Night Twilights weekly crit series put on by Red Peloton at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds) to pro racing on the road. Bryan also gives us a great example of how to pivot through adversity and find new opportunities. Learn Bryan turned a terrible crash into a lifetime experience competing in the Paralympics in Paris in 2024.Through it all, Bryan remains incredibly grounded about his achievements in cycling. His humility provides a simple inspiration: keep riding.From Bryan Larsen:"First and foremost, I don't consider myself very talented. My only talent is that I'm too dumb to quit. And at the core, my dedication to my craft and passion for solving problems stands above any singular race result. On the track, I have a few national championship jerseys and a 6th place (and US national record) from the Games last summer that I'm particularly proud of achieving. On the road, I've stood on podiums and won jerseys but I've also been dropped and ridden across finish lines all by myself in odd and obscure places around the country (probably more the latter than the former). Just like we spoke about, I believe in the summation of experiences and opportunities and making the most of your time in sport." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alien Feedings is excited to announce our first episode! We had a great talk with Mike Charleton of Red Peloton. We covered all sorts of topics from Mike's early years of riding to his support of bike racing. We also have fantastic breakdown of Mike's recent win. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.