When it comes to culture war discourse around cycling, things had become a bit quiet lately. Too quiet. After a brief period of respite following a general election campaign which saw cycling and active travel largely sacrificed on the so-called ‘War on the Motorist’ altar, the political and ideological conflict surrounding riding a bike kicked int…

Over the past five decades, countless promising young riders have been bestowed and burdened with the tag of being the ‘Next Eddy Merckx’. After an unbeatable 2024, Tadej Pogačar is the first to look even remotely close to matching, or even surpassing, Merckx’s until-now untouchable legacy. Which is why, since that 100km attack in Zurich, the quest…

We're coming at you with episode 87 of the road.cc Podcast in association with Hammerhead a whole week early, because... well, Rapha's 'Past Forward' 20-year anniversary bash at the Truman Brewery in London finishes on Sunday 22nd, and going live next week would mean numerous continuity errors in our interview! Anyway... as well as telling you abou…

Like the British cycling world for a brief period earlier this month, episode 86 of the road.cc Podcast has gone Box Hill crazy. We sat down with Dom Jackson and Tobias Dahlhaus of the London-based team Foran Cycling – two of the figures behind arguably one of the most ambitious (and successful) Strava KOM/QOM attempts of all time – to find out how…

If you’re a fan of nerdy technical chat about shoe design and the joy of riding a bike through town in a suit with a multiple grand tour stage winner, then you’re in for a treat on this special bonus episode of the road.cc Podcast. Because, to mark the launch this week of the CHPT3’s Transit 2.0, we sat down with the brains behind the urban commute…

For episode 84 of the road.cc Podcast, we took a deep dive into one of the more curious, and headline grabbing, cycling tech studies of recent years – which discovered that your bike’s electronic shifters may be susceptible to hackers, who could even be lurking at the Vuelta a España, waiting to sabotage Primož Roglič’s next move to the big ring. T…

For episode 83 of the road.cc Podcast, we decided to don our analytical hats and delve into a recent survey which claimed that 49 per cent of British people do not believe they can afford to buy a bike, and that around a quarter reckon it would take around six months to save up for one. Are bikes, and the accessories commonly associated with cyclin…

It's episode 82 of the road.cc Podcast sponsored by Hammerhead, a certain big old race across France has ended for another year, and so it's only right that we do a full debrief of Tour de France 2024! What was good and what was not so good about this year's Tour, what have we learnt, and how would we make the 2025 edition even better? Find out wha…

We’re almost a week into the 2024 Tour de France, so to celebrate – and inspired by Dylan Groenewegen’s peculiar, Batman-inspired aero beak – in the latest episode of the road.cc Podcast, we decided to unbuckle the Grande Boucle and focus on the strangest, daftest, and most crazy things, both on and off the bike, that we’ve witnessed at cycling’s b…

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, or become adept at turning off the TV as soon as you hear Question Time’s twinkly theme, then you’ll be well aware that the next UK general election is fast approaching. And with under two weeks to go until the polling stations open, all of the main parties have launched their manifestos, setting out the key …

Oi, you there! You can’t record your podcast around here… We’ve got a special bonus Dauphiné and election edition of the road.cc Podcast this week, because surely you didn’t think we were going to ignore THAT incident, involving a seemingly super top secret new Pinarello Dogma and a stubborn British team at the key pre-Tour tune-up race, did you? S…

For episode 78 of the road.cc Podcast, we donned our reading glasses, grabbed our bikes, and headed over to the National Cycle Network, that underfunded, unwieldy, often fractured, but very important collection of routes used by cyclists across the UK and which forms the subject of Laura Laker’s brilliant new book, Potholes and Pavements. Part one …

It's episode 77 of the road.cc Podcast, and arguably one of our most thought-provoking episodes to date. In part 1, Jack and George sit down with leading barrister Martin Porter KC on the same week that the Government announced tougher laws are set to be introduced for 'dangerous cyclists' who kill or injure. Highlighting recent high profile and ex…

In episode 76 of the road.cc Podcast, we're talking about... another podcast! Well, we'd like to think it goes a bit deeper than that, because our discussion with Lauren O'Brien - representing 'the cyclist' in a recent debate title 'Should cyclists stay in their lane?' with researcher and journalist James Woudhuysen - delves into how cycling is gen…

It's time for episode 75 of the road.cc Podcast, a two-parter that is as chalk and cheese as we've ever recorded in cycling terms... but that's how we like it! Part 1 is all about folding bikes, and more specifically a fascinating chat with Mark Bickerton, whose father Harry invented arguably the first properly practical, lightweight folding bike i…

With Paris-Roubaix, arguably the most hotly anticipated weekend on the pro cycling calendar, approaching fast around the next cobbled bend, episode 74 of the road.cc Podcast features two representatives of the past, present, and future of the Queen of the Classics: Canyon-Sram’s father-daughter duo Magnus and Zoe Bäckstedt, 20 years on from Magnus’…

On episode 73 of the road.cc podcast, we hear from two cyclists who tell us their trials and tribulations of trying to get their bikes on the ferry... something that appears to be a tad more difficult that boarding one by car! Our original story about Elaine Baker's ordeal with Irish Ferries ignited much debate, so we thought it was only right to f…

While the two topics discussed on episode 72 of the road.cc Podcast are both high on the cycling world’s list of talking points this week, they notably sit at opposite ends of the seriousness spectrum (unless you take your time trial helmet debates very seriously, of course). In part one, George and Ryan are joined by a former Wiggle Chain Reaction…

In episode 71 of the road.cc Podcast, we’ve got two great guests and two great topics to discuss… namely sportswashing and low traffic neighbourhoods. We’re arguably missing a debate about helmets, but otherwise it doesn’t get much more road.cc Podcast than this! In part 1 Ryan is joined by Darach McQuaid, the former chairman and current advisor to…

At the start of 2024, the London Cycling Campaign’s Women’s Network, a coalition of cycling groups in the capital, published a report, titled ‘What Stops Women Cycling in London?’, which detailed the shocking extent to which women riding their bikes in the capital face a barrage of verbal and physical abuse, sexual harassment, and intimidation from…

On episode 69 of the road.cc Podcast, we delve into the reasons and behavioural patterns that underpin most, if not all, of the 887 (and counting) examples of close passes and dangerous driving that make up our Near Miss of the Day series, aided by a road safety expert currently undertaking a PhD study on the relationship between motorists and cycl…

It’s episode 68 of the road.cc Podcast and we’re turning our attention once again to the troubling state of the bike industry and its worryingly shaky prospects for the year ahead, following the news that Orange Bikes – one of the UK’s most iconic cycling brands and a staple of the mountain bike scene – has appointed an administrator. To discuss wh…

It's episode 67 of the road.cc Podcast, and we're turning our attention to cycling safety ahead of the festive season. It's perhaps not the cheeriest of subjects, but a crucial one - and there is hope for the future thanks to hard-working activists such as the folks at the More Than A Cyclist Campaign. We speak to Rob Anderson, who tells us the mai…

The two subjects we're discussing on episode 66 of the road.cc Podcast are arguably chalk and cheese, but equally as interesting we hope you'll agree! In part 1, Jack and Ryan are joined by Jack Gebhard, Chief of Staff for the Conservative MP for Worcester, Robin Walker, about cycling's curious relationship with 'wokeness'. With 'woke' having morph…

Could the widespread implementation of 20mph speed limits across the UK spell the end of Britain’s long and venerable history of time trialling? On episode 65 of the road.cc Podcast, Ryan and Dan are joined by solicitor and club chairman Jonty Gordon to discuss Cycling Time Trials' recent refusal to sanction courses that feature 20mph zones, and th…

For episode 64 of the road.cc Podcast, Ryan is talking to the intrepid and indefatigable Han Lu, who has many a story to tell from her epic Transcontinental adventure. When many others would have 'scratched', Han carried on despite many setbacks and finished the mammoth Transcontinental Race route across Europe after a whole month of riding, and ap…

Episode 63 of the road.cc Podcast is coming at you a week early, because hot off the press are shocking reports regarding the future of Wiggle Chain Reaction Cycles. What happens if the cycling and multisport retail giant folds, and are we surprised about the reports considering the turmoil the whole bike industry has found itself in throughout 202…

It's the unfortunate saga that just keeps rolling on (or coming to a very abrupt halt if you're one of the unfortunate cyclists affected), and on episode 62 of the road.cc Podcast we've got the view of a specialist product recall solicitor on Shimano's failing cranksets and the "mess" that has ensued since. Thomas Jervis of Leigh Day Solicitors doe…

Episode 61 of the road.cc Podcast is slightly different to what we had planned originally, because Shimano has finally acknowledged that there might be an issue with some of its previous generation Ultegra and Dura-Ace cranksets... We discuss what happened, how it compares to other big bike industry recalls in the past, what Shimano has had to say …

It’s something of a nostalgia fest on the 60th episode of the road.cc Podcast this week, as we’re joined by retro bike restorer extraordinaire and leading proponent of the lost art of ‘drillium’, the Campag Kid, for a fascinating discussion about the roots of his obsession for classic bikes and illustrious Italian components, the lengths to which h…

In episode 59 of the road.cc Podcast, George, Jack, Ryan, and Simon gathered around the table to discuss the week’s big news story – the much-debated extension of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone, which after months of often toxic political and online discourse, finally came into force on Tuesday in outer London. While the extended ULEZ only affect…

For episode 58 of the road.cc Podcast, we’re turning our attention to two very different ends of the cycling spectrum, by exploring what it would be like to completely give up on any and all forms of motorised transportation – and to circumvent the globe in the process – before going in-depth on all things aerodynamics, and why a more efficient jer…

For this special bonus edition of the road.cc Podcast in association with Hammerhead, our 57th episode, we’re coming at you live from the inaugural ‘Super’ UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow! Ryan and Jamie discuss the crazy men’s road race, and ‘that’ big not-so-secret bike launch from Specialized, with Remco Evenepoel and numerous others …

It's time for episode 56 of the road.cc Podcast. Last weekend, just in case you were doing your best to avoid the news, Rishi Sunak promised the UK’s motorists that he was “on their side”, as the Prime Minister ordered a review of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in England. The review comes as the debate over green active travel policies continues to sh…

On episode 55 of the road.cc podcast, we're asking: what’s the best way to buy a new bike? What schemes and initiatives can I take advantage of to help me afford my bike? How can I save money? Those are the questions we posed to Cycling UK’s Head of Commercial Russell Stephens, who gives George a whole host of hints and tips for when the time comes…

The Tour de France is in full swing for episode 54 of the road.cc Podcast, and throughout this season we couldn’t help but spot that some riders have been missing something in their drivetrains! If Jonas Vingegaard – currently the hot favourite to claim another Tour de France yellow jersey – is now using a single chainring (1x) set-up for some stag…

On episode 53 of the road.cc Podcast, George and Ryan are joined by Dr Mark Limb, the academic behind a recent much-discussed study from Australia which concluded that cyclists are perceived to be less than fully human, and that those who wear helmets and hi-vis gear while riding their bikes are viewed as less human than those who do not. An urban …

On episode 52 of the road.cc Podcast, we turn our attentions to a debate that dominated the especially grim opening two weeks of the recent Giro d’Italia: Have pro cyclists ‘gone soft’? That particular controversial question, fuelled in part by the decision to shorten a mid-race mountain stage due to torrential rain, even prompted some cycling fans…

On episode 51 of the road.cc Podcast, we’re joined by rail expert Gareth Dennis to get to the bottom of why taking a bike on a train in the UK continues to be such an emotive issue for so many cyclists, and what needs to be done to make our rail network more accessible for everyone. A railway design engineer, writer, podcaster, and lecturer at the …

The road.cc Podcast is 50! To celebrate we're giving away some schwag, so be sure to listen to find out how to enter our special competition and potentially bag some great cycling goodies. To start this episode, George and Jack sit down for a fascinating discussion with PC Mark Hodson, one of the pioneers behind police close pass operations and a b…

One of Ireland’s most iconic sporting events, the Rás Tailteann has endured a turbulent few years of cancellations, financial worries, and unlikely comebacks. A lack of title sponsor, and then the Covid-19 pandemic, ensured that the Rás – a stage race intrinsically linked to Irish sporting, cultural, and political identity – was kept off the road f…

Last Friday’s announcement that the Women’s Tour – one of the biggest races on the women’s international calendar – has been cancelled for 2023 capped off a miserable few months for British bike racing. In this episode, Ryan chats to Peter Hodges, PR director for Women’s Tour organisers SweetSpot, about the various factors that forced them to pull …

On episode 47 of the road.cc Podcast, we’re joined by Chris Dixon, co-founder and director of training at the cargo bike logistics company Pedal Me, to talk all things cargo bike. Inspired by a column from a certain British broadcast and writer claiming modern cargo bikes costing in the region of £4,000 are “pedalled by (obviously) affluent parents…

On this bumper episode of the road.cc Podcast (our longest yet!) we’re joined by car expert James Martin, also known as JayEmm, who you may know from his very popular YouTube channel JayEmm on Cars. A small snippet in one of James’ videos, in which he explains the importance of respecting cyclists as fellow road users, got us thinking about the cro…

On episode 45 of the road.cc Podcast, we’re going there and talking 15-minute cities… or the incredible amount of misinformation being spread about them anyway! George and Jack are joined by the award-winning transport journalist Carlton Reid to dissect how a quite innocent urban planning concept that recommends amenities should be a short walk or …

In this episode of the road.cc Podcast, we’re debriefing after awards season and talking hardcore virtual racing on Zwift. George is joined by Jack, tech editor Mat Brett and senior road.cc reviewer Stu Kerton to break down how road.cc does the road.cc Recommends awards, and bike industry trends of the past year are discussed. We also address some …

Recently, road.cc published a video and feature diving into the rising prices of bikes, components and pretty much everything connected with cycling in the last few years… and we definitely ruffled some feathers! In this follow-up podcast episode, we’re joined by Colin Williams from FLi distribution to talk about the current situation, and why many…

It’s the first road.cc podcast of 2023, and we have some very special guests to kick us off! First up, George and Jack talk to the legendary founder of Brixton BMX Club, Ken Floyde, who has rightly been recognised with a British Empire Medal for his decades of tireless voluntary service to the South London BMX scene. Ken started the club way back i…

Episode 41: A Christmas cracker with Jo Burt, including which cycling-themed presents would be welcome – and which ones most certainly would not! The final full episode of the road.cc podcast for 2022 is here, and with just a week and a half to go until Christmas Day, we have a festive treat for you as Jo Burt sits down with George and Jack for a c…

Episode 40 of the road.cc podcast in association with Laka is here, and features a long chat with British ultra-distance cycling legend Steve Abraham. The exploits he’s perhaps best known for – the highest distance ridden in a month, and his attempts at the Year record – take a back seat here, however, as he talks to Jack about his work as a food d…