Velo Podcast podcast | Listen online for free

Available Episodes

5 of 629

Why Mike Levy Switched Gravel Bikes After 20,000 km and the Meta AI Glasses in Review
Sure, we've reviewed the fastest World Tour aero road bikes and the newest gravel machines, but what about an off-road capable folding bike? Variety is the spice of life, and Velo tech editor Alvin Holbrook has been getting spicy on Brompton's G Line, a bike that should be more capable than any of the legendary UK brand's previous offerings, thanks to larger wheels and much better tires and brakes. Alvin rode the G Line on his usual gravel test loop and reports back on how it performed and what type of rider it makes the most sense for. Would you wear AI on your face? Josh Ross has been in the shape of Oakley's new – and very expensive – Vanguard glasses that come with a video camera, mic and headphones, and a connection to artificial intelligence that's ready to answer *almost* any question you might have. Josh answers our questions, without any AI help, about what the Vanguards are like to live with, why they might have the best mic and headphones for cycling, and explains how they can actually cost less than buying separate glasses, headphones, and a camera. Levy has that new bike fizz after buying an Allied Able and shares some of his early ride impressions, as well as how it compares to his much-loved Santa Cruz Stigmata that he's lived on for the previous two years. Is it love at first ride, or might there be some regrets? Further reading Q36.5’s New Cold-Weather Jackets Fit Like A … Condom? How Strava Traded User Goodwill for Nothing Mathieu van der Poel Spotted on an Unreleased Canyon Prototype Road Bike. Here's What We Know. Vittoria’s New Gravel Tire is Faster AND Better for the Environment | This Week in Bike Tech Can a Folding Bike Actually Handle Gravel? We Pushed the Brompton G Line to the Limit. Garmin Teamed Up With Oakley and Meta to Make Smart Glasses We Actually Want to Wear 0:00 Intro2:02 Alvin and Josh: Are the Meta x Oakley glasses good for cycling?30:00 Brompton G-Line41:20 Are the new Vittoria gravel tires greenwashing?46:35 Levy’s new bike day!1:08:20 We want your input on a new Zwift ride!
--------
1:12:21
--------
1:12:21
Predicting 2026 Gravel & Road Trends & How Prepared Are You for a Mid-Ride Disaster?
Tech editor Alvin Holbrook fires up Velo's crystal ball to make some predictions about what the road and gravel world might look like in 2026. He makes his case for peak tire width combined with improved casings, more integrated pressure-monitoring systems (and more batteries), Chinese gravel bikes shaking up the market, and the continued slow demise of 2X drivetrains. But is he channelling Edgar Cayce, or are his divinations more in line with Miss Cleo? Josh, Alvin, and Levy also discuss how prepared they are (or aren't) for a mid-ride disaster, and the crew describes their own go-to repair kit that they each bring on every single ride. Also, when is it best to just call someone to come pick you up? Want to join Josh on his Zwift group ride? See the info here. See more episodes of the Velo Podcast here. Further reading: Hookless Is Out, AI Shades Are In: 7 Road Bike Trends We Expect to See in 2026 Garmin Teamed Up With Oakley and Meta to Make Smart Glasses We Actually Want to Wear MTB Tires Are Out, Suspension Is In: 5 Gravel Bike Trends We Expect in 2026 Forget $300 Fans, Our 3 Favorite Cooling Hacks for Indoor Training Are Basically Free 0:00 Intro1:20 Josh’s inflammatory no-tube comments3:11 Gravel predictions32:30 Interlude: Josh used the new Oakley x Meta Vanguard glasses39:45 Road predictions51:30 How prepared are you? What we carry for our rides59:00 Josh, Alvin, and Levy’s toolkits
--------
1:21:14
--------
1:21:14
What We've Learned After 32,000 Miles on Indoor Trainers, Campy's Gravel Drivetrain, and the New Rivian E-Bike
Campagnolo’s Super Record X evolved from their 13-speed wireless road drivetrain and employs an off-road-specific rear derailleur with their Nano Clutch and race-focused gearing, but can it compete against GRX and Red? Velo tech editor Josh Ross explains the just-released Italian gruppo and their new, 50mm tall Bora gravel wheels. Alvin was at Rivian's launch of their (questionably named) Also TM-B e-bike and has all the details of this tech-heavy city rig. The Also employs a pedal-by-wire belt drive system, magnesium housing with TWO motors, an inverted suspension fork, and a car-like regenerative braking feature, but Levy wants to know if it will ever be available or if it's destined for vaporware status? Lastly, the crew digs into Josh's comprehensive indoor trainer buyer's guide, including the least expensive smart trainer that makes sense, why you should consider buying used, haptics and other add-ons, and what his price-no-object indoor setup might look like. They also share their tricks for making indoor rides "fun." Further reading I've ridden 32,000 Miles on Indoor Trainers. These Are the Best Ones. Campagnolo's Top-Shelf Super Record Group Is Going Gravel Rivian's New E-Bike Is the Most Impressive Bike I've Ridden All Year Timestamps 00:00 Intro2:00 Talking about Rivian’s new e-bike19:50 Campagnolo Super Record X37:00 Indoor training57:44 How much do you need to spend?1:03:00 Alvin: How do I make indoor training not suck?1:17:55 Josh’s dream setup
--------
1:23:19
--------
1:23:19
Is UCI Gravel Worlds Harder Racing Than Life Time Grand Prix? Santa Cruz Stigmata Review, and More
No one thinks “race bike” when I say Santa Cruz Stigmata, yet it’s probably the winningest pro gravel bike over the last bunch of years. It’s not light, but why might that not matter? KILLER livability No aero anything, forget about integrated shit, external seat post clamp (replaceable), and the fork is suspension corrected. Its glorious. Putting out nearly 5w/kg for 180km earned Matej Mohorič third place at the UCI Gravel World Championships, but how does it compare to one of the most intense Lifetime Grand Prix races? We look at Mohorič's effort versus Simon Pellaud's race data from a punchy Sea Otter course to see which event was "harder," and also how their numbers compare to our own much more human abilities. Spoiler alert: it ain't even close. Back in the real world, Alvin spent the last six months testing Santa Cruz's Stigmata and might have fallen in love with its off-road handling, but is the bike's geometry right for everyone? No, of course not, but Levy still tries to convince Josh that most gravel riders would have more fun (and be just as fast) on a slacker, longer bike like the Stiggy. Finally, we review Wolf Tooth's new gravel-specific, one-sided DEL pedal that promises low weight, more support, and an adjustable Q-factor. See the latest from the Velo Podcast here. Further reading: The Winning Bikes of Big Sugar Gravel 2025 Ran Big Gears and Even Bigger Tires Review: Wolf Tooth’s DEL Single-Sided Gravel Pedal Doesn’t Make Sense, but Might Be My New Favorite Spotted: New Roval Terra Aero Gravel Wheels with Carbon Spokes Under Big Sugar Winners Results: Matt Beers and Sofia Gomez Villafañe Power to Victory in Shortened Big Sugar Gravel 2025 Power Analysis: Is UCI Gravel Worlds Harder Than American Gravel? Review: 6 Months with the Santa Cruz Stigmata – More People Should Ride a Gravel Bike Like This 00:00 Intro11:20 Wolf Tooth DEL pedals23:15 UCI Gravel Worlds vs Life Time Grand Prix36:30 Big Sugar Gravel takeaways44:30 All about the Santa Cruz Stigmata53:45 Progressive geometry, where it works, and where it doesn’t1:12:00 Is downtube storage important?
--------
1:15:55
--------
1:15:55
Virtual Roads, Real Sweat: Rouvy’s Vision for the Future of Indoor Cycling
It’s cold. It’s wet. Maybe it’s even snowing. Outside is always the best side, of course, but sometimes the only realistic option is to put your Bike on the trainer and get after it inside. Today’s sponsored podcast sees Levy sit down with Marek-Martin Matyska, Product Director at Rouvy, to chat about all things indoor training. Founded in the early 2000s by two brothers in the Czech Republic, Rouvy has grown to offer thousands of routes across six continents, from legendary European climbs to North American epics and scenic tours of New Zealand. Have you ever ridden in Namibia? Me neither, but now you can teleport yourself to the coast of Southern Africa at the push of a button . Matyska explains Rouvy’s total focus on realism, how they’re able to include so many ride options, and whether gravel and singletrack are on the menu. He also details the new Route Creator feature that allows users to build (and edit) their own realistic video routes while adding augmented reality features, and Levy has to ask if he’s able to add chasing UFOs or zombies for “extra motivation.” This podcast is sponsored by Rouvy. Sign up for Rouvy here: https://rouvy.com/
--------
55:48
--------
55:48