The BikeRadar Podcast

BikeRadar's Tech of the Year

27 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We see a lot of amazing kit in an average year, and 2021 has been no different. Our team has picked the best componentry and clothing that have adorne...

Warren's bike of the decade - 1990s

24 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The third episode in our series looking at the bikes that most made their mark with our senior road technical editor Warren covers the Giant TCR.It w...

The best of BikeRadar 2021

20 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

From Shimano’s shiny new Dura-Ace groupset to fabulously integrated mountain bikes, 2021 has been a rip-roaring year for new cycling tech. Jack Lu...

Warren's bike of the decade - 1980s

17 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In part two of our series on bikes that made their mark on our senior road technical editor Warren, we discuss the Raleigh Burner.If you were a kid in...

Building the perfect MTB on a £3k budget

13 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

While you can spend a whole lot less and still end up with a great bike, £3,000 is around the point you begin to see serious performance on a mountai...

Warren's bike of the decade - 1970s

10 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this new 4-part series, our senior road technical editor Warren discusses the bikes that made their mark on him over the past 40 years. From the bi...

BikeRadar Meets | Alastair Brownlee on why he’s started gravel racing

06 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Alastair Brownlee is best known as a two-time Olympic triathlon champion but, having missed out on this year’s Games in Tokyo, the Brit has turned h...

Does weight really matter for an aero road bike? New Orbea Orca Aero review discussion

29 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Having recently published his review of the new Orbea Orca Aero M10iLTD, senior technical writer, Simon Bromley, sits down with technical editor, Sam ...

November tech HIGHLIGHTS | New Orbea Terra gravel bike, Giant Anthem XC whippet, tubeless valves worth talking about & the lightest-ever Brompton

26 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

BikeRadar’s Deputy Editor, Jack Luke, sits down with Tom Marvin to talk through some new tubeless valves from Reserve that we’re unreasonably exci...

BikeRadar Meets | Thibaut Daprela

22 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

MBUK Staff Writer Will Soffe talks to the 20 year-old French downhill sensation. After mentoring from MTB legend Nico Vouilloz, Thibaut started off hi...

6 tips to stay motivated this winter | How to get the most out of indoor training – part four

19 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

George and Simon return for the final episode in our indoor training mini-series. This time it’s all about motivation and how you can stay on top of...

COP26 debrief: Understanding cycling’s role in the climate crisis

15 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With the lowest carbon footprint of any mode of public transport, cycling has long been touted as an effective way to meaningfully reduce carbon emis...

Coaching Q&A with Wahoo’s Mac Cassin | How to get the most out of indoor training – episode three

12 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

BikeRadar’s editor-in-chief, George Scott, is joined by Mac Cassin, senior physiologist at Wahoo Fitness, for episode three of our indoor training s...

How to choose the best smart trainer | How to get the most out of indoor training – part two

10 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

George and Simon are back for part two of our indoor training series. This time round, we take a closer look at how to choose the best smart trainer f...

Alex Dowsett Hour Record attempt debrief with Dr Xavier Disley

08 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, BikeRadar.com’s senior technical writer, Simon Bromley, is joined by Dr Xavier Disley of AeroCoach to discuss Alex Dowsett’s re...

Our indoor training tips and hacks | How to get the most out of indoor training – part one

05 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the first episode of our four-part series on indoor training, George and Simon discuss their personal indoor training setups and share some vital t...

Road and mountain bike tech Q&A with Rob and Warren

01 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Senior Technical Editors, Rob and Warren, answer our audience's tech-questions in this episode of the BikeRadar Podcast.  From tyre construction to w...

Mountain bike set-up tips - How to get the best out of your MTB

25 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

MBUK's Will Soffe has spent years spannering, coaching and setting up bikes for everyone from regular riders up to racers at World Cup XC and DH level...

BikeRadar Meets | Sam Morris - Part Two

22 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this podcast, Technical Editor Tom Marvin talks again to Sam about the realities of being a mountain bike guide, the organisation, and how to becom...

BikeRadar Meets | Mountain bike guide, and President of the European Bike Guides, Sam Morris - Part One

18 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sam Morris has been a professional mountain bike guide in the French Alps for over 20 years. In that time, guiding has gone from a summer escape for a...

NEW tech round-up | Specialized Crux gravel bike, Conti’s tubeless tyre, Roubaix tech highlights & more

11 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Simon and Jack sit down to discuss the latest hot tech news for road, gravel and mountain bikes. Simon quizzes Jack on his first ride impressions of t...

New Specialized Crux | We get the inside story from Specialized gravel category leader, Stewart Thompson

07 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The new Specialized Crux is claimed to be the world’s lightest gravel bike, with top-end builds weighing as little as 7.25kg. That impressive weight...

Ultimate mountain bike heroes

04 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With Mountain Biking UK magazine celebrating it’s 400th issue, we sit down with the mag’s editor, James Costley-White, staff writer Will Soffe, l...

What’s the point of carbon wheels?

27 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

BikeRadar’s Technical Editors discuss whether carbon fibre wheels improve on-trail performance and feel, and are worth their asking price. Off the b...

What tyre width is best for road cycling?

20 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tyre width is one of the most hotly debated topics in road cycling. While road cyclists traditionally used very narrow tyres, it now seems like every ...

The most important road bike upgrades

13 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week Tom quizzes senior road tech Ed Warren on his top ten best upgrades for your road bike. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more info...

Power meters: A Buyer’s Guide

06 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Power meters are becoming a must-have accessory for many cyclists, but with so many options and price points available, knowing which one is right for...

The new Shimano Dura Ace – we’ve ridden it!

31 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jack grills Matthew, our lucky tech-head who’s been riding the brand new Dura Ace groupset, on all the details of the new top-end groupset from Shim...

5 things you need to know about the new XPLR gravel range

23 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

SRAM and their family of brands have just dropped a host of new gravel components - a new trio of groupsets, a gravel suspension fork, innovative drop...

How riding and mental health interact

16 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Rob and Tom sit down with Ryan, the founder of TotalMTB, a non-profit organisation set up to increase awareness of mental health issues. They discuss ...

Do you need a van?

09 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tom, Will and Matthew love their vehicles, and between them have probably tried every combo of getting a bike to and from the start of their rides - h...

Our favourite and most-fun mountain bike races we’ve ever done

02 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Join BikeRadar Technical Editors Tom Marvin and Alex Evans, and MBUK’s Will Soffe as they discuss the most memorable, shocking, fun and agonising mo...

Analysing the bikes of the Olympic XC podium

30 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tom, Rob and Luke had an enjoyable start to the week watching the Olympic XC mountain bike races. In doing so, they noticed some interesting bits of t...

BikeRadar Meets | Tracy Moseley

26 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tracy Moseley is one of the most successful mountain bikers ever, having clinched multiple overall victories and World Championship titles in the spor...

Tour de France wrap: our alternative Tour awards

21 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

That’s a wrap on the 2021 Tour de France. In this episode of the BikeRadar Podcast, George, Simon and Jack take a look back at the 2021 race and dis...

Tour de France stage 20 time trial preview with AeroCoach

16 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ahead of the Tour’s final time trial, Dr Xavier Disley of AeroCoach joins Simon to review the results of the first time trial, on stage 05, and look...

What We’ve Learned From The Latest Aero Road Bikes

14 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Simon Bromley and Matthew Loveridge assess the state of the modern aero road bike – are bike makers getting it right? Hosted on Acast. See acast.co...

Downhill World Cup tech round up

12 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Following on from the highly eventful round of Downhill World Cup in Lets Gets, France, just recently, the MBUK and BikeRadar team and have been trawl...

Tour de France 2021 tech roundup

09 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With the biggest race of the year underway, the BikeRadar team have been glued to the coverage looking for juicy tech stories. Having had almost two w...

BikeRadar Meets | Lachlan Morton, midway through the 5,510km Alt Tour

07 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

EF Education-Nippo rider Lachlan Morton is currently riding the Alt Tour – a remarkable 5,510km challenge to beat the Tour de France peloton to Pari...

Our favourite Tour de France climbs

05 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew, Simon and George discuss four of their favourite Tour de France climbs – the iconic Mont Ventoux, Col du Tourmalet, Col du Galibier and Alp...

Tour bike tech that changed the face of racing

02 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Our Senior Road Technical Editor Warren talks through some of the most influential bikes from tours gone by. Some bikes radically changed the shape of...

New Shimano Dura-Ace spotted in the wild

28 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the wake of what appears to be a brand new Shimano Dura-Ace making a sneaky appearance at the Baloise Belgium Tour, Matthew, Simon and Jack talk th...

Tour de France 2021 preview | Who will win? And our tech predictions!

25 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

George Scott, Jack Luke and Simon Bromley sit down on the eve of cycling’s biggest race to discuss the 2021 Tour de France. Who will win this year’...

Hardtails versus full-sus - which is better?

21 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's an age-old debate - which kind of mountain bike is best - a hardtail, with no rear suspension, or a full suspension machine. Al, Will and Tom try...

BikeRadar Meets | Cervélo

14 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

BikeRadar meets Cervélo's director of product Maria Benson to talk all things Cervélo from the bold new Aspero 5 to the award winning Caledonia 5 an...

Pinarello’s Dogma-tic approach to design, Rapha MTB kit and more

07 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jack Luke, Matthew Loveridge and Simon Bromley sit down to discuss the biggest news from the past week, including the new Pinarello Dogma, Rapha’s M...

2021 Giro d’Italia Tech Round-up

31 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With the 2021 Giro d’Italia coming to close, Simon Bromley and Jack Luke of BikeRadar.com sit down to discuss the tech successes (and failures) that...

Why The Canyon Grizl Deserves 5 Whole Stars

24 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Following the launch of Canyon’s all-new carbon gravel bike the Grizl, Jack Luke and Matthew Loveridge talk through how the new bike compares to its...

BikeRadar Meets | Boardman Bikes

21 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Chris Boardman and the Boardman Bikes team talk bike of the year victory, new tech, old tech, gravel, ebikes and the future of Cycling in the UK. Host...

The most influential mountain bikes of the millennium

17 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

BikeRadar's MTB tech team talk through what they feel are the most influential bikes to have been released this millennium. From super-secretive DH bi...

Road Bike of the Year Special

14 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Senior Road Technical Editor Warren Rossiter talks us through the best road bikes in 2021, following an extensive winter of testing here in the UK.  ...

BikeRadar Meets | Steve Behr, legendary mountain bike photographer

10 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Steve Behr is a legend of mountain bike photography, having snapped the world’s best riders regularly over the past few decades and an inductee in t...

New time trial tech spotted (plus hard-wearing Shimano groupsets)

03 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jack Luke goes into this week’s episode of the BikeRadar podcast ready to stage an intervention over Simon’s compulsive Getty sniffing habits but ...

The most influential road bikes this millennium

26 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

BikeRadar's senior road technical editor Warren Rossiter delves deep into this encyclopaedic knowledge of road bikes, and brings us a countdown of the...

Bike of the Year special - the mountain bikes

23 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With our Trail Bike of the Year and Enduro Bike of they Year tests complete, our technical editors Tom and Rob talk through the testing process of our...

Road Tech Dead Ends

19 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Loveridge and Jack Luke discuss the road tech that failed to catch on or was simply a victim of the times, from hydraulic rim brakes to – co...

BikeRadar Meets | The inside story on SRAM Rival AXS

15 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On the launch of SRAM’s most affordable wireless road groupset Rival AXS. Senior tech editor Warren chats through the new group and all things eTap ...

Our Ride Rituals

12 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

BikeRadar's mountain bikers chat about what they eat, wear and carry on their rides - from stashable tools and back protectors to Alex's obsession wit...

ENVE’s first ever road bike and Speedplay’s new pedals

05 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Loveridge and Jack Luke sit down to discuss ENVE’s all-new (and fearsomely expensive) custom road bike programme as well as Speedplay’s ne...

BikeRadar Meets | Paul Jones, author of End to End

02 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

End to End by Paul Jones is a wonderful, well-researched and very funny book about the Land’s End to John O’Groats cycling record, as well as Jon...

BikeRadar Meets | Luisa Grappone

29 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this latest episode of BikeRadar Meets, Simon Bromley talks to Luisa Grappone, product engineering manager at Hunt wheels. An aerodynamics and comp...

Our most memorable mountain bikes

22 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Technical Editors Alex Evans and Tom Marvin look back over a couple decades of mountain biking, and pick out some of the bikes that have stuck in thei...

What’s The Best Crank Length For Cycling?

15 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Loveridge and Simon Bromley get into the nitty gritty of bicycle crank length. What is it, why does it matter, and should you even care? Hoste...

2021 pro bike tech trends, and Mathieu Van Der Poel’s snapped handlebar

08 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jack Luke and Simon Bromley – two of BikeRadar’s nerdiest full-time cycling dorks – talk through the six standout tech trends we’ve spotted at...

Warren's bike buying problem

01 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Our Senior Road Tech Ed Warren has a bit of a problem - he can't stop buying bikes. His two garages hold around 30 different bikes, from a couple of d...

BikeRadar Meets | Wyn Masters

22 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Robin Weaver chats to Wyn Masters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices...

10 bits of kit that get us through winter

15 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

BikeRadar's MTB Technical Editors Tom and Alex count down the five pieces of kit that have gotten them through a long, wet winter. Hosted on Acast. Se...

Ride Strong in 2021 | What to eat

12 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the final episode of the series, Content Director Rob Spedding talks with Alan Murchison. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati...

Gravel gearing – is 1× actually best?

08 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Loveridge and Jake Luke talk about the best gearing for gravel bikes, and consider the options on the market right now. Hosted on Acast. See a...

Ride Strong in 2021 | How to build a training plan

05 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Professional coach and elite mountain bike racer Tom Bell returns to talk about how a training plan can help you achieve your cycling goals this year....

The standards the MTB industry should use

01 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Following an utterly frustrating experience trying to fix a couple of bits on his bike, Tom got so annoyed with the lack of standardisation in compati...

Ride strong in 2021 | Why you should do a fitness test to kick start your training

29 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we talk to Tom Bell, a professional coach and elite mountain bike racer, about why you should be testing your fitness regularly, and ...

Post-Brexit confusion and feathery shoes

25 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jack Luke and Matthew Loveridge round up the hottest news from the past week on BikeRadar.com, including a brief overview of Specialized’s all-new (...

Ride strong in 2021 | How to get strong for cycling

22 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We’re back with Ben Plenge from MTB Strength Factory to look at practical ways in which you can improve your strength with mountain biking and cycli...

BikeRadar Meets | Geraint Thomas

18 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

BikeRadar editor George Scott sits down with 2018 Tour de France champion Geraint Thomas to chat about his plans for the 2021 season, a potential retu...

Ride strong in 2021 | Why strength and conditioning is so important

15 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Ben Plenge, a strength and conditioning trainer from Bristol, who’s clients range from every-day riders up to World Cup and EWS racers an...

2020 feature highlights

11 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Simon, Jack and Matthew discuss a few of their favourite features from 2020. There’s Jack’s story about how his experience with b...

2020 MTB tech news review and 2021 predictions

04 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

BikeRadar’s tech team talk through the biggest MTB tech stories from the past year, from new bikes to fresh products, before looking ahead as to wha...

The Biggest Tech Stories of 2020

28 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Loveridge and Jack Luke talk through some of the tech highlights of 2020 and look to 2021, covering Shimano’s EP8 motor system, gravel drive...

BikeRadar’s road tech predictions for 2021

23 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Jack Luke, Simon Bromley and Matthew Loveridge weigh in on their road cycling tech predictions for 2021, covering the widely-rumoured launch of Dura-A...

BikeRadar Meets | James Golding

19 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ultra-distance record breaker, fundraiser and cancer survivor James Golding on beating serious illness twice, mental health and trying to become the f...

Does stiffness matter?

07 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tom and Seb discuss whether frame, fork and wheel stiffness really matters in a mountain bike. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa...

How green is cycling?

30 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Loveridge talks to BikeRadar’s in-house physicist, suspension guru and all-round bike nerd Seb Stott to find out just how green cycling real...

Why we need to champion diversity in cycling

27 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Following on from Katherine Moore’s recent article on BikeRadar.com, Simon and Katherine are joined by Aneela McKenna, a MTB coach and guide for Go ...

News Review | Shimano SPD-SL power meter pedals patents exclusive

23 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this week’s news roundup podcast, Jack and Simon discuss an exclusive scoop on a couple of juicy patents that suggest Shimano could have an SPD-S...

Bikeradar Meets | Zipp

16 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We chat to Bastien Donzé Zipp's product manager for all things wheels about the changes in road and gravel wheel design, why wider is better and if ...

Gravel for roadies

09 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Simon sits down with grizzled gravel experts Matthew and Jack to discuss why roadies should consider gravel cycling, what kit you mig...

MTB tech that never quite delivered

06 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The mountain bike world is full of technological wonders – from hydraulic brakes to highly sophisticated suspension dampers, space-age materials to ...

What To Look For In A Winter Bike

02 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew, Jack and Simon consider the options for winter riding, discussing different approaches to choosing a winter bike, and which components matter...

Jack and Simon’s news review

26 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Jack and Simon sit down to discuss the latest hot tech news from BikeRadar.com. There’s Canyon’s new Aeroad and its wild adjustab...

BikeRadar Meets | Alberto Contador

19 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this latest Bikeradar meets we catch up with road racing legend Alberto Contador to quiz him on his new venture Aurum bikes and their debut bike th...

Our dream MTB garage

12 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Spurred on by Tom having a number of test bikes that he reckons is the perfect mix, he and Seb discuss the bikes they would love to own, and why.  Fr...

Road Tech | Annoying Things Bike Makers Do

05 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew and Simon talk through some of bike makers’ more irritating habits, from fitting lacklustre tyres to giving bikes silly names. Hosted on Aca...

News Review | Rose’s ‘Brakesit’ and Gravel goodies

28 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Jack and Matthew look back over the biggest news stories from BikeRadar over the last few weeks, including the surprise announcement that Rose is pull...

Bike Shorts | Campagnolo Ekar gravel groupset launches’

25 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Jack Luke and Matthew Loveridge discuss Campagnolo's all-new 13-speed gravel-specific mechanical groupset called Ekar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/...

Coaching - the best VFM bike upgrade out there

21 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

If you're considering ways to make your bike faster down the hill, have you thought about coaching? Both Tom and Seb have had numerous coaching sessio...

News Review | radical hardtails and a crazy expensive lube

18 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tom and Seb look back through some of the interesting tech news from the past few weeks. From Privateer's new 141 and Marin's El Roy, to a bottle of l...

Why are time trials disappearing from the Tour de France?

14 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The ‘race of truth’ has been a staple of the Tour de France ever since its first appearance in the 1934 edition, but in recent years the length an...

Best ever Tour de France Tech

11 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Tour de France has been the proving ground for many of the sport’s greatest technological innovations over the years, but what are the greatest ...