Marginal Gains Cycling Podcast, Presented by Silca

Here at Marginal Gains, we are NOT big fans of the old saying, "Failure is not an option." As far as we're concerned, failure is not only an option, but a valuable part of development. In this episode, Josh gets into how he changed his mind about failure, why we see failure at the sharp end of the sport, and why mistakes we make as riders can lead to marginal gains.

This may not be the most technical episode of Marginal Gains to date, but it absolutely is one of the most pragmatic and entertaining. Jens Voigt joins Josh to talkk about everything from training wheels to the cold war to Aussies to A/C Sales to bike team finances to the early days of marginal gains...and of course the hour record. Jens is a treasure; enjoy this chat about his amazing career and life.  

Look, we love every listener question we get here at Marginal Gains. But this episode, Max King asked one that got Josh so excited he said he was pretty sure he was going to lose sleep over it. Of course, we saved that one to the end, but you'll want to listen to the whole show anyway because we've got great questions about the super tuck and dropper posts, off-label use of lube (and many more lube-related questions), marginal gains and handlebar bags, FKT updates, and more. As always, it's a can't-miss AJA episode of Marginal Gains.

No Supertuck, no modified TT position? Now what? Velonews Managing Editor Ben Delaney helps us figure out what the pros will now use to keep their speeds high on descents and in breakaways.  Ben has written several articles on what the two, now banned positions are worth when in comes to watts. He also has insight on equipment that could be used to make up for the loss of the Supertuck and "Praying Mantis" position. 

Jason Smith, a modern-day chain pioneer currently with Ceramic Speed, discusses revolutionizing the cycling industry through unbiased testing, the need for performance working groups, advancements in cycling technology, innovative driven bike technology, and the engineering marvel of bicycle chains.

No matter what topic — modeling, bifurcation, the smell of lubrication, chain innovation or even power loss due to new tire nubbies, tube width decisions, or even PFAS chemicals — the Marginal Gains crew can count on insightful questions from our listeners. We put all of these subjects to Josh in this latest "Ask Josh Anything" episode of Marginal Gains.

If you've ever wondered, "How does Josh's mind work?" this is the episode for you. We talk about what models are, why they matter, the model Josh uses for building mental models, and — in addition to a wide-ranging conversation — how it all applies to cycling. 

Josh chats with with Everesting Pioneer George Mallory — grandson of THE climbing icon. And while George has also summited Mt Everest on bikes, he's got more stories to tell about his climbing on bikes...especially his multiple attempts at Everesting by bike. 

We may be at the point where it's time to admit we have a chain & lube obsession, but we're not even going to try to pull back from it. In this Ask Josh Anything episode,  we talk about what chains are preferred and why, where and how often to lube if you're using a wet lube, whether wax lubing needs to be more frequent for off-road riding, and even whether you need to swap cassettes if / when you swap chains that you've set up for different kinds of lube. And that's not even all. We also ask Josh about: Ineos' Giro TT marginal gains whether frame damping is a thing Wrinkled clothing and marginal gains Where to spend your money to get the most gains for your bucks

This interview with Adam Kerin serves as the perfect follow up to our previous episode on chains and lubrication. Adam's Zero Friction cycling is hyper-focused on this key piece of drive train and the ways to make it more efficient and last longer. ZFC is the sole, independent voice of chain and lube testing and a marginal gainer at heart. Josh and Adam go deep on how proper chain care can repay the rider in so many ways.