While at the launch for the new Fox GRIP dampers, I pretty much had my brain melted by VP of engineering Bill Brown as he explained their inner workings. So, naturally, I brought him on the show here to run through it again. The level of fluid dynamics and engineering discussed is still well above my pay grade, but I think we do a pretty good of of…

If you've ever wondered how route creation and ride mapping works, you're going to love this episode. My guest is Eric Semianczuk, co-founder of Sherpa Map. I'm guessing you haven't heard of them… yet. But the cycling route map service they're building is incredible, using AI and granular LIDAR data compiled over weather, surface type, and elevatio…

So, apparently, not every cheap e-bike sucks after all. Until recently I was firmly in the camp that cheap, hub-motor e-bikes with cadence sensors were all terrible and unsafe. Then I talked to Kevin Dugger, founder of Ride1Up e-bikes, and he changed my mind. It's not so much the bikes that bugged me, although we'll talk about that, too, it was the…

If you've never seen any of Park Tool's tutorial videos or stopped by their booth at Sea Otter Classic, then you've been missing the wonder that is Calvin Jones. His energy levels and excitement for tools and bike repairs is contagious, so I'm super stoked to share this interview with you. We talk about his favorite tools, where repairs go wrong an…

Recently, I had a chance to meet with BMC and Red Bull's Advanced Technology Team to learn about and ride their new Teammachine R, a top level, lightweight aero road racing bike. But I left with questions, so in this episode I have Stefan Christ from the BMC product team and Rob Gray, technical director at Red Bull Advanced Technologies on board to…

I wasn't really sure what I was going to talk about with my guest today, but it ended up being a wonderfully deep dive into speed, power development and strength training. If you want to get into the weeds on how to get faster and stronger on the bike, you'll love this episode. My guest is Thomson Remo, lead educator for Watt Bike's professional di…

We hear so much about inclusivity these days, but not usually when it comes to our mountain bike trails. Turns out, it's not that hard to make our trails more accessible to a wider range of riders, letting all of your friends enjoy the same awesome experience you and I enjoy every time we hit the singletrack. Besides the warm fuzzies, there's often…

If you've ever wondered what it's like to start a cycling clothing brand, and not just any brand, but a really cool brand, you'll love this episode. My guest is Matt Quann, founder of Ornot, and they just celebrated 10 years in business. We talk about how he kicked things off, what sparked the idea, and where the name came from. Admittedly, we talk…

There are a lot of candid conversations that happen when industry folks get together, and one of my favorite people to chat with is Randall Jacobs, founder of Thesis Bikes and Logos components. Before he launched those brands, he worked for others and helped develop some interesting technologies that you may or may not see in future products. Wheth…

Sometimes, I get guests on the show because they're with a brand that's in the news, or there's a technical story that needs an expert opinion. And sometimes, it's just to have a conversation with someone cool. My guest today is former pro roadie Ian Boswell, and he definitely falls into that latter category, although he does have a few things comi…

A little while back, Parlee Cycles filed for bankruptcy protection and seemed like another big brand suffering the consequences of the pandemic boom and bust. But now they're back, with a new owner, new ideas, and fresh funding. My guest today is John Harrison, a long-time Parlee fan and tech turnaround guy that saw an opportunity to breathe new li…

You may have noticed something weird that launched, something unexpected. Moots, long known for their high-end titanium bicycles surprised everyone with a carbon fiber gravel e-bike, using a frame material they've never used before, and adding a motor for the first time in their history. I talk to Nate Bradley, Moots' president and one of the key p…

While at the new Shimano GRX 12-speed gravel bike group launch, we sat down with two team members responsible for helping bring it to life to talk about what's changed, what didn't (and why), and how the group has evolved to fit the needs of modern gravel riders. We also discuss the global gravel scene's evolution, how Shimano fits into it, and ple…

If you think mountain bike suspension is a mystery, you're not alone. From kinematics to anti-squat to compression ratios, there's a lot of terminology piled on top of designs like VPP, Horst Link, CVA, DW Link. Add CBF to that list and you have the suspension design and philosophy of Chris Canfield. He's my guest today and had been designing full …

If you've ever thought you could make your own energy bar, or sports drink, or any other kind of athletic food, it's always good to hear how others have done it. My guest today is Jess Cerra, founder of JoJe Bar, a gluten free, real food energy bar designed for endurance athletes. She shares her startup story, telling the unlikely series of events …

A couple episodes ago, Lachlan Morton shared his plans for an around the world record attempt. In this episode, I'm talking to someone who's actually done it. In 2018, Jenny Graham set the women's speed record for riding 18,000 miles around the world in 124 days and 11 hours. And she did it unsupported, without, well…we'll get to that, because the …

If you've ever wondered how tire size and rim profiles affect aerodynamics, this episode is for you! My guest is Dov Tate, founder of Parcours Wheels, a UK brand that's been pushing the envelope on wider rims optimized around wider tires. The story of how he got to that point, from putting 360º wind sensors low on the bike to intentionally doing wi…

If you've ever found yourself focusing so much on the outcome of a ride or race rather than the experience of the ride itself, I think you'll enjoy this conversation with Lachlan Morton. As one of the top ultra endurance riders in the world, Lachlan's had some grand adventures, from riding the entire 2021 Tour de France route, including transfers, …

I'm back with Matt Harvey from Enduro Bearings for Round Two, all about Bottom Brackets! If you haven't listened to our first chat, I recommend it as we go so deep down the rabbit hole of bearings that it'll give you a lot to think about as you're trying to optimize your bike. In this episode, we focus on Bottom Brackets because Enduro recently rel…

Alexey Vermeulen is a former pro roadie, having ridden for the BMC development team and then Lotto NL Jumbo before switching gears to gravel, where he now rides for Jukebox Print, ENVE and Shimano, among others But you might know him better as "that guy that rides with the dog on his back". I met Alexey at Sea Otter this year and, as I was going th…

Ep. 050 deviates from bicycles but is a great introduction to our agile manufacturing / digital twin / metaverse / mega idea for the application to a National Science Foundation (NSF) small business grant! If you're interested in a real nerdy solution to manufacturing workflow digital communications, then this is the one for you! Let us introduce y…

As the industry faces change and the requested customer experience evolves, we question the journey of creating a custom bicycle component against having semi-custom stock part availability. As a boutique manufacturer, we pride ourselves in creating custom pieces and encourage client participation in the design of their bike or components. But... i…

I think, at some level, we all crave adventure. It's why the Zombie Apocalypse genre is so popular. What would we do if we had to drop everything and just... escape. Start fresh. Well, for many folks around the world, it's not a fantasy. It's why we have so many people trying to migrate into the USA and most of Europe They're trying to escape a des…

If you have or are considering buying an e-bike of any kind, chances are you're wondering about battery safety and how to maximize performance. With the recent Lithium Ion battery fires in New York creating political will to ban unlisted, non-certified batteries in e-bikes, electric scooters, and other e-mobility devices, I wanted to talk to an exp…

If you've been trying to figure out sports nutrition and how the right supplements, timing, and ingredients can help you ride faster, farther, and longer, and then recover stronger, this episode is for you. My guest is Dr. Luke Bucci, formerly with Weider and now Chief Science Officer for First Endurance, a sports nutrition brand focused on fueling…

We're back and reviewing our visit to the Dassault Systems "3D Experience World Convention" here in Nashville. Listen in to hear what we saw and thought...and maybe this podcast will somehow manifest a license with CATIA? Who knows? Thanks to our friends at Lenovo for the invite!By Project Breakaway with Predator Cycling

Outbound Lighting popped onto the scene a few years ago with a very different take on mountain bike lights. Not only did the products look different, they had a different philosophy about where they should be placed, and how the light patterns should work. Turns out, they were onto something. They're growing so fast that they made the Inc 5,000 lis…

So, why would a boutique hub brand buy two wheel brands? In this ep, I'm talking with long-time friend Alec White from White Industries about their recent acquisition of Rolf Prima and Astral Wheels. We dig in a bit on the strategy of acquiring what were basically their two largest customers, and what it means for the future of those brands and pro…

In honor of our Insta "Throwback Thursdays," we discuss Team Predator 2010 and the bikes Aram manufactured way back when. If we were to do a team today, what would our bikes look like? Custom Major Roads and Major Pilots? For Sure. Listen in to learn more.By Project Breakaway with Predator Cycling

Aram revisits this past week's NVIDIA Omniverse livestream and distinguishes the different use cases of design within the Metaverse. Listen to Predator...a baby...and a birthday shop dog all discuss physics within the Omniverse.By Project Breakaway with Predator Cycling

A while back, I thought it would be cool if there were an app that made it easy to find a group ride anywhere in the world. I spent days (which turned into weeks) storyboarding my idea. Turns out, I was a bit late to the game, as there are several options helping cyclists find others to ride with, whether it's road, mountain, gravel, or whatever. T…

What is the aftermath of a podcast? What were the highlights or thoughts needing more explanation? We discuss questions, inquiries, and criticisms from our most recent guest spot on BikeRumor.com 's Podcast.By Project Breakaway with Predator Cycling

Just before the 2022 Ironman World Championships in Kona, HED Cycling broke the internet with their unbelievably deep 180mm aero wheel. In this episode, Anne Hed talks about its rapid development and the impressive results her athletes got on it at Kona, plus what it means for the future of the brand. We also talk about how the brand is evolving si…

Happy New Year (and Armenian Christmas) from Predator Cycling! Listen in to see what's on the agenda for January and learn more about a super exclusive New Year's discount for Road Major Cockpit systems! (time sensitive).By Project Breakaway with Predator Cycling

So, I hope you're ready to have your head explode. Because the things Predator Cycling is doing with materials, artificial intelligence, computational fluid dynamics, and 3D printing is so far beyond what any other brand is doing, it's kinda mind blowing. My guest today is Aram Goganian, founder of Predator Cycling. He's wicked smart, and since he …

We're saying "Goodbye" to 2022 and looking forward to a refreshing season in 2023. We have so many great products out to enhance the tech for your coming season. Join us as we review the past year and look forward to the next!By Project Breakaway with Predator Cycling

"The stockings were hung by the chimney with care in hopes that St. Nick soon....would leave a super awesome dream frame build under the tree." Tired of getting another pair of socks as a present? Well...you can always dream of that killer bike frame for next season! Listen in to hear Aram's ultimate bike build and component wish list. Have a happy…

Hey, your website builder is really cool, but do I really just buy a custom frame online? Well... there are a lot of options to start the process. We always encourage beginning that process by having a chat with us! We love to learn about our customers and are here to build an awesome frame reflective of each rider. Listen here to learn about the p…

If you've ever wondered how wax chain lubes work, why they're better, or what graphene is and how it works as a lubricant, you're in luck. I have Silca owner Josh Poertner with us today, and we go deep into all things chain lubricant, including a better way to lube your chain that's surprisingly easy way and massively effective, no matter what type…

A few years ago, I met an Italian upstart custom carbon bike brand at Eurobike called Exept. They were doing something unique, and the bikes looked killer. So, I went to visit them and came home with a bike that I’m still riding today. Their office was small, doubling as an assembly point and showroom, with manufacturing done offsite. The appearanc…

The UCI, the governing body for cycling, has released this coming years rules and regulation updates and we're here to break down what that means to custom builders. From component spacing and length requirements to reach adjustments the new rules do require some massaging of our product line. Listen here for all the news!…

As a brand, there are few that have created such iconic products as Crank Brothers, and have weathered the ups and downs of both market conditions and brand reputation. But now, in 2022, they’re celebrating 25 years in business. So, I sat down with CEO Gaspare Licata to talk about how the company got here, how they turned things around in the mid-2…

We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! We're excited to announce our Cyber Monday deals in this episode as well as review our year in tech with a proper AU 2022 review in full. Listen here to learn more about 20 and 30% savings and don't forget to check out the website Monday and get prepared for the upcoming race season!…

At the 2023 Scott Genius launch, I interviewed two of the mountain bike engineers behind the design, Etienne Chaloin and Tim Stevens. From hiding the shock inside the frame to creating a new dual-travel design with Fox, they explain why they went with the new design and how it all works. WANT MORE? Find the Bikerumor Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stit…

I asked Aram, "What makes our Aerobar Extensions different...better?" He didn't disappoint. Listen in to learn about the contouring design factors of shape optimization as well as material choices of composite vs. titanium print.By Project Breakaway with Predator Cycling

With the trails and route still being defined when Eddie O'dea set out to become the first person to complete the new 6,000 mile Eastern Divide Mountain Bike Trail, it was sure to be an adventure. And it was. But after almost three months, 6,223 miles, and 425,967 feet of climbing, he made the self-supported trip from Newfoundland, Canada, to Key W…

It may surprise you to learn that the SRAM UDH, or Universal Derailleur Hanger, is half plastic. When we learned that it used mixed materials, I wondered what else we didn't know about this now nearly ubiquitous mountain bike component. So I called up SRAM MTB marketing manager Chris Mandell to learn more, and it's surprising just how much there is…

It's been a minute, but we've been finalizing the production of quite a few new products. This episode focuses on our custom Aerobar Extensions. They're on the brink of being released for full production and we encourage those interested to contact us to get on the pre-release list!By Project Breakaway with Predator Cycling

The Tour of Luxembourg is a relatively small multi-day race on the World Tour calendar, but it attracts some big teams. That combination made it the perfect test bed for measuring the environmental impact of a professional cycling race. Which is more complex than it sounds. From hotel rooms to travel, volunteers to food service, course marking to s…

If you've been missing the chance to see some of the bicycle world's finest builders display their work, mark your calendars for late summer 2023. That's when the MADE Bicycle Show debuts, bringing together many of the best-known frame builders, plenty of new and smaller builders, and a curated collection of component brands to an outdoor show in P…