Velo Podcast

I went to Taiwan, but the show must go on. While I was away covering the Taipei Cycle Show, Mike Levy, Lisa Charlebois, and Logan Jones-Wilkins had plenty to talk about. Predictably, things got heavily focused on gravel tire pressure, but that wasn’t all.

This week, the podcast crew debates why roadies need bigger gravel tires, breaks down Specialized’s newest tech, and confesses to their strangest cold-weather clothing hacks.

In this episode, we cover:

Lisa’s 300km Mission: A recap of an epic 193-mile ride through Napa and Sonoma, plus a crucial PSA on the protocol for crossing the Golden Gate Bridge late at night.

Specialized's New Pathfinder TLR: Logan is currently working his way through a massive pile of test rubber. He explains why pros like Keegan Swenson opt for the slickest options, but argues the more aggressive Terra tread is actually better for the rest of us.

Levy’s Tire Volume Hot Take: Levy takes a firm stance that most gravel riders are severely under-tired. His advice to roadies hitting the dirt? Stop obsessing over aero, mount the biggest tires your frame clears, and run an insert.

New Roval Gravel Wheels: A quick look at the newly launched Roval Terra Aero CLX and Terra CLX3 wheelsets, including a discussion on their 27mm internal width and the decision to use a wide carbon hook.

Questionable Winter Kit: Inspired by Jonas Vingegaard's heavily modified, cut-up winter bib shorts, the crew shares their own extreme cold-weather survival tactics—from crotchless long underwear to the merits of baggy mountain bike pants on a drop-bar bike.

Give it a listen, and let us know in the comments if you have a favorite tire or if you think Levy is wrong on his hot take.

Episode Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

01:25 - Lisa’s 300k

05:04 - Gravel Tires

27:54 - Specialized Wheels

34:28 - Clothing discussion

Five minutes after walking in the door from the Taipei Cycle Show, I sat down with Mike Levy to unpack what it was like being there. We immediately dive into the wildest tech from the show floor: what a $31,000 3D-printed titanium road bike actually looks like, whether those budget power meter pedals are legit or just vaporware, and the exact physics behind Pirelli’s claim that their new aero tire cuts drag without ruining rolling resistance. I also talk about the one Chinese brand I found at the show and how they’ve got a brand new gravel bike that’s half the price of a Western company.

We also get into the 32-inch wheel standard. The first suspension fork for the standard hit the market at the show, and we dig into whether this is the upgrade riders have been waiting for.

It wasn’t all walking trade show aisles, though. I spent a few days riding Factor's futuristic One aero road bike through the Taipei jungle, and the experience taught me how much better road culture can be.

I was planning to bring that bike home for a full review and further aero testing. Instead, it stayed behind. We get into how the bike actually handles on the road, its aggressive geometry, and the ongoing mystery behind how I somehow managed to break it.

Legendary Canadian racer Svein Tuft joins Mike Levy to chat about stories from his book, We Will Never Be Here Again. The two cover wild stories ranging from epic bike-packing trips while pulling Tuft's 60-lb dog named Bear in a homemade trailer, to winning stages at the Tour de France and Giro. Tuft has had an unconventional career and lived an unconventional life.

Tuft is likely also the only professional cyclist, active or retired, who has spent time train hopping. He gives Levy his best tips for traveling via railcar—like finding priority trains to cross the country quickly and hiding in the nooks of grain carts to avoid the authorities.

The two also dive into how being an introvert was a superpower for Tuft during his European road career before getting into a discussion of ultra-endurance racing. Tuft has advice for racing the Tour Divide, including getting heavier, and talks about how a severe sickness forced him to pull the pin once he reached Colorado during his own attempt.

Finally, the duo discusses Tuft’s unexplainable sighting while camping deep in the Canadian forest. Was it a UFO or something else? Whether it was an otherworldly encounter or just extreme exhaustion, it adds another incredible layer to Tuft's backlog of outdoor stories.

Listen to the full episode, grab his book, We Will Never Be Here Again, for the rest of the wild stories, and check out Tuft Camps if you're brave enough to try holding his wheel.

Show Notes & Chapter Markers:

[00:00:11] - Intro: Mike Levy welcomes 13-time national champion Svein Tuft.

[00:04:06] - Early bike-packing trips to Alaska with his dog, Bear.

[00:15:57] - The lost art of train hopping and finding "priority trains."

[00:21:47] - How being an introvert was a superpower in the European peloton.

[00:30:08] - Reflecting on the Tour de France and old-school cycling nutrition.

[00:42:37] - Svein’s Tour Divide attempt and knowing when to pull the pin.

[00:52:22] - Unconventional ultra-endurance advice: why you shouldn't show up too lean.

[01:11:01] - An unexplainable UFO sighting near Mount Rexford.

[01:14:51] - Tuft Camps: Riding gravel, road, and MTB in British Columbia.

We debate whether dumping half your pedal is actually worth the cash, unpack a terrifying lead-vehicle disaster at the Mid-South gravel race, and explain why buying price-point carbon is a mistake.

0:00 - Intro

0:00:35 - Welcome Logan and Mid-South

0:18:10 - Listener questions

0:34:18 - CAAD14 first impressions

0:45:34 - Otso Waheela R launch

0:58:27 - Single sided gravel pedals

There has been an alarming amount of physical assault and middle fingers flying in the pro peloton lately. Last weekend, UCI race officials disqualified NSN Devo rider Kiaan Watts after he reached out and struck a competitor in the head mid-race. Just days later, British time trial champion Ethan Hayter earned himself a $645 fine and a docking of 25 UCI points for flashing his middle finger to a TV moto at 54 kilometers an hour during the Tirreno-Adriatico.

Which begs the question: when was the last time you completely lost your cool mid-ride?

In this week's episode, Mike, Lisa, and I share our own stories of frustration, adrenaline, and bad behavior. These are not stories any of us—well, maybe Mike—are particularly proud of, but it happens. Lisa details her dark fantasy involving spark plugs, and I pretend like I might actually have the courage to remove a mirror or two. Mike confesses to standing in an intersection in full Lycra and kinda, maybe, definitely threatening a driver. We want to hear about your frustrated moments with cars, so jump into the comments and let us know.

This wasn't only a complaining episode, though. This past week was a massive week for road tech, and we had two incredibly different bikes to dissect.

First up is the fourth-generation Giant Propel. Giant is making a massive aero claim of 18 watts saved. Is that even possible? I break down the fine print after cross-referencing three different press releases, and I talk about why I think it's actually quite likely—but also why you might not even need a new bike to take advantage of those 18 watts.

The big news this week, though, is not about aero gains. I'm super excited to talk about the new Cannondale CAAD14 and why Cannondale is leading this launch with an apology. The latest model in this lineup is heavier than the last one, but that's not what the apology is about. There's also a showstopper brushed aluminum version, and we talk about why you can't buy it.

Finally, we tackle a question from Velo editor Jim Cotton: When you are completely bonked, shivering, and staring blankly into a gas station aisle, what is your desperation snack of choice? Lisa has a jersey pocket recipe of marinated chicken nuggets that's either genius or offensive, while I rain on the parade with a more clinical eye for my choices. No surprise if you listen regularly, Mike chooses Monster. I also share a story about a near-mythical vending machine I encountered outside Vienna, Austria, around 1 a.m. near the end of a 200-ish mile ride.

There's also some time spent on listener questions and comments where Lisa shares an absolutely outrageous opinion about downtube storage before Mike says he wants a leather-bound novel with his bike… or maybe just a paper manual. I also spend some time talking about the merits of the user experience as it relates to package design and high-end sunglasses, and we all confess to hoarding tires.

As you wrap it up, we definitely want to know your take on Lisa's recipe, what you would have chosen from the vending machine, and how you feel about downtube storage.

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro and road rage
11:50 - Gas station snacks of choice
23:43 - Listener Questions
41:17 - 4th generation Giant Propel and the 18-watt aero claim
50:04 - Cannondale CAAD14