Tech Q&A – your questions answered! New bikes vs old bikes, MTB-to-gravel conversion, the perfect brake bleed and more
The Tech Q&A is back, with Jack Luke your host, and Tom Marvin and Warren Rossiter fielding your questions. This time around, the trio cover: Are new bikes actually any better than old bikes? How to improve hand comfort on the bike Can you convert an MTB to a gravel bike? Tips for fitting stiff tubeless tyres The perfect brake bleed, according to Shimano Carbon vs alloy mountain bikes, what’s better? Got a tech question for the BikeRadar team? Email us at podcast@bikeradar.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
20 Apr 48min
Bonus: Tadej Pogačar has a new race bike, but is the Colnago V5Rs too conservative?
Colnago has launched the V5Rs, claimed to be the lightest bike it has ever made. The new bike is the replacement for the V4Rs, which has just had an enviable send-off at the 2025 Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix under Tadej Pogačar. In this bonus podcast episode, digital editor Jack Luke sits down with road tech lead Ashley Quinlan to discuss Ash’s early impressions of the new bike from a press event on Lake Garda, Italy. Of course, it’s lighter and faster on paper, but is that enough to satisfy these two tech nerds? Read the V5Rs news story here: https://www.bikeradar.com/news/colnago-v5rs Read Ash’s first-ride review here: https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/bike-reviews/colnago-v5rs-first-ride Find out why Ash thinks Colnago might have missed an opportunity to be bolder here: https://www.bikeradar.com/features/opinion/the-colnago-v5rs-has-left-me-feeling-cold Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
16 Apr 24min
Paris-Roubaix tech trends ANALYSED! The tech that dominated this year’s race
George Scott and Simon von Bromley reflect on another classic edition of Paris-Roubaix, dissecting the tech trends that dominated this year’s race. From ever-wider tyres to gravel-inspired hacks, George and Simon chart the latest evolutions in Roubaix tech. How Zipp’s radically wide 303 wheelset ushered in an aero revolution at Paris-Roubaix – https://www.bikeradar.com/features/tech/icons-of-cycling-zipp-303 Our tech predictions for Paris-Roubaix 2025... and a decade into the future, in 2035 – https://www.bikeradar.com/features/tech/paris-roubaix-2035-tech-predictions Why gravel gearing and clearance for 40mm tyres could be the future of Paris-Roubaix tech – https://www.bikeradar.com/features/tech/gravel-gearing-2025-spring-classics Watch all of our Paris-Roubaix tech videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bikeradar Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
14 Apr 56min
Gravel bikes are more extreme than ever – here's why that's good news for you
With legit suspension and clearance for 50mm tyres, the latest gravel bikes are getting more extreme than ever. Jack and Warren discuss some of the latest trend-setting gravel launches, why big-tyred gravel bikes are good for pros and amateurs alike, and how you can choose the best gravel machine for your needs. Ridley Ignite GTX – https://www.bikeradar.com/news/ridley-ignite-gtx Lee Cougan Innova Super Gravel – https://www.bikeradar.com/news/lee-cougan-innova-super-gravel Why we need more gravel bike categories – https://www.bikeradar.com/features/opinion/gravel-bike-categorisation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10 Apr 31min
Dear bike industry, these are the only road and MTB standards you should use
For many cyclists, the continual churn of standards can be a nightmare. New ‘standards’ shoot up like Tadej Pogaçar on the Plateau de Beille, making our riding lives more complicated than necessary. Innovation and new standards can make our bikes better, but too often the gains don’t feel worth the hassle. With this in mind, Jack Luke sits down with Simon von Bromley and Tom Marvin to discuss their top picks for universal road and mountain bike standards. Simon says: dear bike industry, these are the only road bike standards you should use Dear bike industry: these are the only mountain bike standards you should use Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6 Apr 37min
The tech trends that will define the Spring Classics (or our predictions, anyway)
Holy Week is here! The biggest week in the one-day race calendar is here, with the Tour of Flanders on Sunday and Paris-Roubaix a week later. The Spring Classics test riders and their equipment to the limit. It’s an annual tech feast for bike nerds so, ahead of Flanders and Roubaix, BikeRadar’s Simon von Bromley make their predictions for the trends that will define this year’s racing. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for all of our tech coverage from Paris-Roubaix: https://www.youtube.com/user/bikeradar Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3 Apr 41min
Lidl-Trek are using gravel gearing at the Spring Classics – we find out why
Ahead of the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, BikeRadar’s George Scott speaks to Glen Leven, Team Support Manager for Lidl-Trek, to find out why the team is using gravel gearing for the Spring Classics. This was an impromptu phone call following Mads Pedersen’s win at Gent-Wevelgem, so the audio quality isn’t quite up to our usual standard, but we still want to bring you this behind-the-scenes chat about the latest Classics tech developments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2 Apr 22min
From super nerdy apps to practical tips: how we’d plan your perfect gravel route
Fresh from the launch of her new book, Gravel Rides South West England, Freelance journalist and regular BikeRadar contributor, Katherine Moore speaks to Jack Luke about how to plan the perfect gravel route – or, as Moore puts it, “how to cook up a gorgeous gravel recipe.” From the absolute basics to shockingly nerdy apps, this episode has something for gravel riders of all abilities. Learn more about bridleways, restricted and byways: https://www.bikeradar.com/features/routes-and-rides/uk-cycling-footpath-laws Learn more about the UK’s best gravel events: https://www.bikeradar.com/features/routes-and-rides/uk-gravel-race-calendar Learn more about Katherine’s book: https://www.adventurebooks.com/products/gravel-rides-south-west-england Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
28 Mars 23min
