The BikeRadar Podcast

Our friends and colleagues at MBUK magazine have launched a new podcast! In series one, the team behind the UK’s best-selling mountain biking magazine is taking to the airwaves every Tuesday to look back at the moments that helped shaped the sport, from bike launches that broke tech boundaries to iconic riders, events and trails.Two regular voices on the BikeRadar Podcast – Rob Weaver and Tom Marvin – are joined by members of the MBUK team throughout the series. In this special episode of the BikeRadar Podcast, Tom and Rob provide a snapshot of what you can expect to hear.Love mountain biking? Make sure you go and subscribe – just search for the MBUK Podcast, via Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/show/39q6MhAohXcOYWaCI4PNk3 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the BikeRadar Podcast, Simon von Bromley grills Rob Weaver and Luke Marshall on the essential accessories they’d recommend to anyone starting out in mountain biking. What accessories do you like to take on your gravel rides? Send your recommendations to podcast@bikeradar.com  https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/buyers-guides/best-mountain-bike-gloves/ https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/buyers-guides/best-mtb-upgrades/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

George Scott and Mac Cassin are back for the fifth and final episode in our training series with Wahoo Fitness. This time out, Mac, Wahoo’s principal sports scientist, talks BikeRadar’s editor-in-chief, George, through five common training myths. 1) 90rpm is the best cadence for everyone2) A change in body weight of 2% relating to dehydration negatively impacts performance3) A lighter bike (or rider) is the best way to ride faster4) Lactic acid is the reason for all of your pain during and after a hard workout5) Once you hit 30/40/50/60, you will only get slower Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Following our headliner bike test, which looked at which bikes signified where the mountain bike industry is heading in 2024, our tech heads talk through four of the emerging trends to look out for. Has geometry peaked? Do you need loads of travel? We also discuss high pivots and ebike tech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With winter fast approaching, we’re back for episode four in our training series with Wahoo Fitness. How can you make the most of your training time? Should you be doing base training or high-intensity intervals?BikeRadar’s George Scott sits down with Wahoo’s principal sports scientist, Mac Cassin, and WorldTour pro-turned-gravel racer, Ian Boswell, to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hill climb racing showcases radical, often verging on excessive, ways to save weight from bikes in the battle against gravity.This year’s UK National Hill Climb Championships on the unusually long 4km ascent of the Struggle, in the Lake District, was no different.But the tech trends we noticed on the Cumbrian hillside show weight might not be absolutely everything, even when racing uphill.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK1DEJi6aq8https://www.bikeradar.com/features/pro-bike/2023-hill-climb-nationals-tech/https://www.bikeradar.com/features/tech/2023-hill-climb-tech-trends/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Understanding your training zones is key if you want to make the most out of your time on the bike.BikeRadar’s George Scott sits down with Mac Cassin, Wahoo’s principal sports scientist, and Nate Wilson, a performance manager for Team EF Education–EasyPost, to find out why training zones are important – and how zones can be used by amateurs and pros alike to train more effectively.Read more about training zones on BikeRadar: https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/fitness-and-training/training-zones/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the podcast, our testing team of Tom Marvin, Alex Evans, Luke Marshall and Tom Law talk through the six bikes that have made it into our 2024 Headline Bike Test.The broad range of bikes featured in this test all represent the direction mountain biking is heading in, and we’ve been putting them through their paces over the past few months.Featured are the XC-focussed Cervélo ZFS-5, the ready-to-rally Norco Sight, Trek’s high-pivot enduro Slash, the pocket-friendly Merida One-Twenty, Scott’s electric Lumen and Vitus’ long-travel, Bafang-powered e-Mythique LT. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're back for episode two in our training series with Wahoo Fitness. In this episode, Wahoo's principal sports scientist, Mac Cassin, talks BikeRadar's George Scott through fitness testing.  What is a fitness test, why should you do one and what options are out there? While Functional Threshold Power may often be the go-to test, Mac also explains why FTP isn't always the answer. Got a fitness or training question for Mac? Email us at podcast@bikeradar.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We all lust after the pro-spec bikes seen on the WorldTour circuit, but do you actually get a better bike by paying top dollar?In an era of carbon fibre, electronic shifting, and hydraulic disc brakes, it might be possible to get all the performance you’ll ever need from a mid-range bike.In this episode, BikeRadar’s senior technical writer, Simon von Bromley, and senior technical editor, Ashley Quinlan, discuss a recent group test of three mid-range road racing bikes – the Canyon Ultimate CF SLX 8, the Scott Addict RC 40 and the Argon 18 Sum Pro Force AXS.They also ponder the definition of a ‘superbike’ and whether it’s ever truly worth shelling out for high-end bikes and parts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices