
Marginal Gains Cycling Podcast, Presented by Silca
The Marginal Gains Podcast, presented by Silca is the show that makes a big deal about the little things, and how those little things...can be a big deal. Josh Poertner of Silca, along with Hottie and Fatty, talk about all aspects of cycling — design, manufacturing, marketing, riding, racing, management and more, all from a thoughtful perspective. It's a podcast for the thinking cyclist.
Latest episodes

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!

Dec 9, 2022 • 1h 2min
Michael Marckx & the Belgian Waffle Ride(s)
Michael Marckx — the head of the Belgian Waffle Ride series — has guided clothing brands, sunglass companies and magazines on his way to making his dream classic. This is a great conversation about vision, instinct, survival, the future of american racing...and if you’re looking to do a Belgian Waffle Ride, there are some tips in here for you too.

Nov 24, 2022 • 1h 1min
Dylan Johnson: Offroad Endurance and Marginal Gains
Anyone who's ever spent any time watching Dylan Johnson's popular Youtube channel could be forgiven for thinking it and the Marginal Gains show were separated at birth. In this episode, we get together with this incredibly smart, incredibly fast cyclist to talk about not just his achievements in racing, but the little things he does to beat the competitoin. Don't miss this episode!

Nov 10, 2022 • 1h 7min
AJA 27: The Hour Record...On the Moon?
It's always fun to find out what questions are going to really catch Josh's attention. In this episode, we talk about tiny marginal gains, postulate why mountain bikes are not particularly aero, follow up on the best gases to fill your tires (and why), and much more. But the question that really grabbed Josh has to do with a crazy hypothetical: how would you optimize your bike and track for an hour record attempt...on the moon? It's an intriguing question and one we're far from done with. We think you'll love this episode of Ask Josh Anything!
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