The Rouleur Podcast

This edition is dedicated to La Vuelta, too often the poor relation of its French and Italian equivalents. Olga Ábalos, editor of Rouleur's Spanish sister magazine Volata, admits the race has an identity crisis but praises the organisers' willingness to experiment and try new things. Like the Gamoniteiro, this year's novelty climb, which will subject the world's best riders to a series of near vertical cattle grids.  Tim Moore, who chronicled his attempts at riding the Tour and the Giro in his books French Revolutions and Gironimo, has finally tackled La Vuelta. Never one for the easy option, he retraced the route of the 1941 edition, 4500 kilometres in the middle of a heatwave and a pandemic. He joins presenter Ian Parkinson to share the story of Spanish cycling's forgotten anti-hero Julián Berrendero. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Graeme Raeburn, lead designer at UK-based Albion clothing, joins host Dan Cavallari to discuss current trends, future technologies and the hot potato subject of hi-vis fabrics and their effectiveness. Graeme was with Rapha from its early days, playing a major part in the aesthetic revolution we have witnessed since the company’s formation in 2004. What next in the design world, plus the crucial areas of environmental impact, recycling and packaging?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author, broadcaster and Rouleur contributor Matt Rendell joins us during his tour promoting Colombia es Pasion!: The Generation of Racing Cyclists Who Changed Their Nation and the Tour de France.His feature in our latest issue profiles Sergio Higuita at home in Colombia and his rise from the streets of Medellín to the WorldTour with EF Education-Nippo. It’s quite a story. And another of Matt’s excellent interviewees for Rouleur, Richard Carapaz, is now an Olympic gold medallist. What would the reaction be back home in Ecuador? It’s a complex answer from a fascinating nation.And Phil Wright reads an extract on Higuita from Straight Outta Medellín, from issue 105, out now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With all men’s WorldTour teams bar Ineos Grenadiers now on disc brake-equipped bikes, can we finally cease arguing about stopping and which is better?Yes, and no. Samuel Johnson, US Market Manager at Hunt, wheel suppliers to Qhubeka-Assos, joins host Dan Cavallari to explain the advantages behind discs and the ability to design using wider rims, wider tyres – it’s all good. But are they heavier? And are they faster? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“We knew he was on the right track, but the next thing was getting him to the Tour de France. There was no doubt in Cav’s head he would win at the Tour.” Few in the world of cycling know Mark Cavendish better than Brian Holm, who first worked with the precocious teenager back in their T-Mobile days in 2006. He was also best man at the Manxman’s wedding. The Deceuninck – Quick Step sport director tells us how he talked Patrick Lefevere into signing the sprinter when most had written him off, how Cav quickly refound his form and the dream return to the Tour de France. Photographer Michael Blann’s beautiful book Mountains: Epic Cycling Climbs is a firm favourite in the Rouleur store. Now you can see his stupendous large format images in the flesh at a new exhibition in Walton-on-Thames, accompanied by a series of live events featuring the likes of author Matt Rendell, Philippa York and Matt Stephens. Michael tells us all about it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Know your lubes? If the notion that a dry lube is for dry conditions and wet is for soggy rides is your default position, then think again.It’s a complicated and fascinating (honest!) subject, so we brought in lubrication expert Jason Smith of Friction Facts, the bicycle component test lab and part of the Ceramic Speed family, specialists in drivetrain efficiency.Host Dan Cavallari deconstructs the jargon and ensures we can all understand the science behind the theory. Essentially, cleanliness is next to fastliness – that may not be an actual word, but you get our drift. And never race on a brand new chain. Listen to Jason. He knows his friction from his fiction. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some questioned Lachlan Morton’s sanity when he announced he’d be riding the entire Tour de France route ahead of the race, including transfers, making some 5,500km in all, but witnessing the chaos of the opening stages in Brittany, his ambitious plan appears the less stressful option.The relaxed Australian mile-muncher is riding totally unsupported, raising funds for World Bicycle Relief, and you can follow his progress at Rapha.cc ‘The Alt Tour’ – and even join him for a few happy kilometres around France. Is he confident of making it to Paris before the peloton? "When I agreed to do it, I didn't realise how much longer it was, to be honest!” There’s only one Lachy...As host Ian Parkinson says in this edition, we talk about food on the podcast almost as much as cycling. It’s a subject close to our hearts. And our stomachs. Eat, Bike, Cook, a new book by Kitty Pemberton-Platt and Fi Buchanan, mixes tasty nutritious recipes with personal food stories from top women racers, such as Tiffany Cromwell, Hannah Barnes and Lizzy Banks, but it’s a book for everyone, Kitty stresses – not just the elite athlete.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yes, the Tour de France is upon us and with it, inevitably, a whole slew of new tech that will be unveiled during the great race.Our resident experts on all things gear-related, Dan Cavallari and Peter Stuart, go in deep on a new Dura Ace groupset that is much talked about but yet to be seen in the wild, apart from a few spy shots in Belgium recently. Is it a wired / wireless combo? Can the battery really last the entire length of a three-week Grand Tour? Will there be mix and match capability between a variety of Shimano groupsets? And is the angular-looking chainset really ugly, or just the shock of the new?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Cyclists' Alliance, the organisation formed to aid female racers both during and after their careers, recently announced a mentor programme with backing from major players in the industry, including Specialized, Cannondale and Trek. Gracie Elvin from TCA joins us to outline what help will be available to riders under the new initiative. Rouleur’s very own Rachel Jary, a recently retired racer turned journalist herself, shares her own experience of making the change and adjusting to life using a keyboard instead of a bicycle to make a living.The fascinating and gruelling world of Japanese keirin is the subject of a new book by Justin McCurry. War on Wheels takes a deep dive into the unique cultural and sporting significance, deeply intertwined with the gambling industry, of keirin racing and its place in modern Japan. Derny driver Ian Parkinson tries to get his head round the convoluted rules of the non-Olympic version of the sport that does not even use a derny. Oh, and it’s pronounced ‘care-rin’, by the way.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In what host Dan Cavallari dubs 'Tech tricks with Tetrick' – see what he did there? – former Unbound winner Alison Tetrick takes us through her set up for the 200-mile gravel race in Kansas.Tetrick starts with a special Specialized Diverge with Future Shock suspension running at all times and Pathfinder tyres with the pressure set just so – whatever that is. Comfort is key, including an anatomically correct saddle, Camelbak vest and snack bags. And Dan chips in with some bourbon suggestions for Alison's emergency hip flask.But at the end of the day, her advice is: "Get to the frickin' start line and go. It's just bikes. Have fun." We like Alison's style very much. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A hatful of victories in recent weeks for Team Ineos’ Ethan Hayter in Italy, Spain and Portugal, with jerseys to go alongside his four stage wins. Our very own south London legend, Ian Parkinson, talks to his fellow Herne Hill velodrome habitue and level-headed young man on early riding, avoiding crashes, making the grade, and aiming for Tokyo. Will he share the team pursuit squad's latest practice time? Maybe…A van load of men armed with brushes and pots of paint hit the Tour de France climbs hours ahead of the peloton. Their mission: disguising and covering offensive graffiti on the tarmac before the cameras broadcast it to the watching millions. Political slogans, syringes and – most of all – penises of every size and colour are adapted or obliterated. An hilarious backstory from Le Tour from our new issue 104, out now.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tubeless tyres for road bikes – do we need them? Are they really better, or is it just an industry-led marketing push? A messy fiddle and faff to mount, or a fit-and-forget cyclist’s friend?Samuele Bressan, global marketing at Pirelli tyres, joins Dan Cavallari to persuade us to ditch inner tubes and embrace the rapidly-improving tubeless technology. Our own Peter Stuart piles in too. Is he under pressure to conform, or hooked by the hookless rim argument? Listen up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Giro d’Italia is the most beautiful race in the world. But don’t take our word for it. Rouleur Italia editor Emilio Previtali joins us to describe what his home race means to the Italian nation. “Cycling in Italy is a kind of glue, bringing the people together.” Hard to argue with that. And as for the scenery… Bellissimo!Dan Bigham and his KGF team gatecrashed the team pursuit World Cup so successfully the UCI changed the rules to outlaw club teams. Now working with the Danish federation to bring his scientific and engineering knowledge to their talented squad, Bigham’s new book Start at the End applies the principles of reverse engineering to all aspects of life, not just sporting performance. It’s a fascinating read from a talented racer and intelligent innovator. He’s a fine talker too, unsurprisingly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All the gears and some ideas. Why have two chainrings and a front changer when the 1x drivetrain revolution has all bases covered? Or does it? Dan Cavallari makes the case for retaining maximum gearing options, on his road bike at least, while dedicated singleton Peter Stuart goes all in with the modern technology. Sprocket wars and chainring conundrums debated by our resident tech experts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For our special issue 103 on the theme of speed, we gathered four of the fastest people in the world in their respective sports.Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes F1), Jamie Chadwick (W Series and Williams development driver), Cal Crutchlow (2009 Supersport world champion) and Mark Cavendish (a very good cyclist) to discuss what makes them tick. What is this need for speed? Do they get a buzz out of the danger? What is the fastest they have ever travelled? Orla Chennaoui hosts the conversation and hangs on for dear life.On the flip side, Fredrika Ek upped sticks from her native Sweden and decided to cycle round the world - 51,000km and 45 countries. The resulting book Around the World in 1,000 Days is a beautifully-presented travelogue of her amazing journey. The friendliest country she visited? Iran. Bet you weren't expecting that.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.