Marginal Gains Cycling Podcast, Presented by Silca cover image

Marginal Gains Cycling Podcast, Presented by Silca

Latest episodes

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May 30, 2023 • 1h 1min

Dan Empfield: Slowtwitch, Quintana Roo, Tri Hall of Fame...and Marginal Gains

You've no doubt heard Josh mention Slowtwitch.com many times on this show.  It's one of the key places he goes to share ideas and get feedback. But Slowtwitch is more than just a place. It’s a person too. The site was founded by Dan Empfield in 1999, and remains publisher to this day.  But before Slowtwitch even existed, Dan was a competitor. He did his first Triathlon in 1978 and competed in the first Ironman Kona in 1981. You may also know Dan as the man behind Quintana Roo. That stack and reach thing we all use now: that came from Dan’s work. We get into all of that and more with our guest this episode:Tri Hall of Famer, Slowtwitch founder and Publisher Dan Empfield   
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May 15, 2023 • 55min

AJA 29: Hot Wax on a Hot Day

It's an Ask Josh Anything episode! We talk about The Rule of 105, the extent to which "bigger is better" is true for fairings, whether tire inserts need to be factored in when using air pressure calculators, why you might get conflicting recommendations from different air pressure calculators, how many watts a slow-turning old derailleur cog might cost you, the challenges a hot day might bring to your waxed chain, and more. So much more. Some people might say too much more, but we are not those people, and we're betting you are not either. Don't miss this episode, and keep your questions coming!
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May 1, 2023 • 56min

Making it Personal: Silca's Travis Verhoff Looks for Marginal Gains at Unbound

Silca's own Travis Verhoff has an unusual work assignment: plan, train for, and execute the most Marginal Gain-y Unbound possible. If you've been following the Silca YouTube channel, you've been tracking his progress. In this episode, we catch up with his bike setup, key learnings and surprises from time in the wind tunnel, using the Chung method on course to select tire pressure just days before the race, his nutrition, and a lot more. If you're a nerd about Marginal Gains (and we know you are), do not miss this episode about putting theory into practice.
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Apr 17, 2023 • 58min

The Fiercest Panda: A Conversation with Cyclist, Promoter & Advocate Amanda Nauman

Amanda Nauman has one of the most disarming nicknames in all of cycling: she is affectionately known as Panda. But make no mistake: behind the woman named after a docile creature is a fearless person, both on and off the bike. Amanda has taken on the toughest gravel events — and the toughest questions — that face our sport. She has won Unbound Gravel twice and taken 2nd in the 350 XL. She has won Mid South and BWR San Diego and is the 5X-champ at Rock Cobbler in Bakersfield, CA. Amanda is co-host of the Groadio Podcast and she sits on the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame Advisory Board. She is co-founder of the Mammoth Tuff Gravel Race, puts on gravel camps, competed in the first LIfe Time Grand Prix, and has a demanding day job. Somehow all of that is packed into one person. We guarantee you'll love this conversation with the fastest and fiercest Panda you will ever meet.
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Apr 5, 2023 • 1h 5min

USAC CEO Brendan Quirk: The Past, Present, and Future of USA Cycling

Josh and USAC CEO Brendan Quirk share a love of the history of cycling, as well as a deepseated desire to move it forward. In this wide-ranging conversation, Josh and Brendan talk about their love of bike racing, wind tunnels, and the complexities of cycling product development and retailing. Most importantly, they have a candid discussion of the difficult position USAC is in and Brendan's plan to move it forward.
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Mar 22, 2023 • 55min

Alison Tetrick and the Who's Who in Women's Pro Cycling

With three Gravel World's Championships, an Unbound victory, an induction into the Gravel Hall of Fame, a bronze medal in UCI Worlds Road Championship TTT, a win in the Tour de San Luis, and more than a decade as a pro, Alison Tetrick has proved she's among the best in the world on pavement and dirt. As it turns out, she's also right at the top in analysis of the current women's pro peloton. In this episode, Ali (as her friends call her) details who to watch this year, talks about the overall health of women's racing, equity, parity, and — of course — marginal gains.
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Mar 8, 2023 • 1h 3min

AJA 28: When are 2X drivetrains NOT worth aero, chainline and aero costs?

It's a no-topics-barred Ask-Josh-Anything episode of Marginal Gains, and (as usual) Hottie and Fatty get their own burning questions to the front of the line. Hottie desperately wants to talk about F1 porpoising and its connection to Hopf bifurcation. Josh accomodates. Fatty overheard a rocket scientist proclaim he wouldn't trust a repaired carbon fiber hardtail for technical mountain biking and now Fatty's scared about whether he's OK to ride. Josh reassures Fatty with the sage advice that "it depends." We then dig into actual listener questions about what kind of Ti alloy Silca uses when 3D printing, the pros and cons of 1X vs 2X drivetrain setups, and...how one might marginal gain a triple stroller in order to set a world record 10K pushing this pram. As always, this AJA episode's a great mix of thoughtful, serious, practical and silly. Don't miss it!
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Feb 20, 2023 • 39min

Olympic Gold Medalist Gwen Jorgensen: Training, Responsibilities, & Bold Decisions

In the early and mid 2010s, Gwen had a winning streak that astonished both the Tri world and the sports world at large. She won an unmatched 13 races in a row, capped off with Olympic gold in Rio. She then stepped away to focus on running for a time, but is now back, again with a focus on the Olympics. We catch up with Gwen between training sessions and taking care of her kids to talk about what is driving her as she begins chapter two of her amazing career.
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Feb 7, 2023 • 1h 22min

Alex Dowsett: Marginal Gains Jedi

Alex Dowsett has been a Marginal Gainer since he started riding with his dad on the roads of his hometown in England. He quickly became a time trialist and then pro, riding for a handful of teams and racking up more than a dozen wins before finally hanging up his wheels after the 2022 season. But the fact that Alex became a sportsman at all is a major win. You will not want to miss this great conversation with an amazing Marginal Gainer!
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Jan 15, 2023 • 59min

Selene Yeager: Athlete, Author, Podcaster & Advocate

You may know her by her nickname in Bicycling Magazine (The Fit Chick) or you may know her by others' names (she's ghost-written and co-written scores of books), but you almost certainly know her work in one way or another: Selene Yeager is as well-respected as she is prolific in the cycling world. And now she's the host of "Press Play Not Pause" -- a popular podcast that brings candor and wisdom to menopausal athletes. No matter what kind of athlete you are, you do not want to miss this episode of Marginal Gains!

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