Marginal Gains Cycling Podcast, Presented by Silca

Our first episode that covered the topic of 32 inch wheels focused on the bigger wheels being used on mountain bikes. Daniel Yang of Neuhaus Metalworks put us on a prototype rigid mountain bike and took us for a ride. It was eye opening. But it also raised questions. 
At Sea Otter we saw a shift by some builders and manufacturers as to where they thought the big wheels might perform best. Drop Bar bikes supported by 32 inch wheels were just as common as Flat Bars at this year's show. Straight line speed and all day comfort was the reason given for developing a 32er gravel bike over a mountain bike.
Like a lot of bike media, we set out to get some answers on the future of this "Big Idea." Daniel Yang is back with his report card on the trend. We also hear from two companies that were showing Gravel bikes that attempt to answer the question: Is bigger, better?

We're not afraid to share an opinion on this show. At no time was that more apparent then when Josh let his thoughts known about hookless road wheels. It caused a bit of a reaction in the industry to say the least. And while we have some firm beliefs on certain technologies, we also believe in fairness. Which is why at Sea Otter we gave some wheel brands a platform to explain what has become a somewhat divisive topic. 
Our guests work for three brands: ENVE, CADEX and Mavic. Two of them stand behind road hookless as a high performance and safe feature. The third has stuck with hooked rims. All three bring a unique perspective on what it takes to secure a tire to a wheel.

We also talk to these wheel makers about their brands as a whole: what's driving innovation, how pro peloton success turns into sales and for one of them, what it takes to revive a heritage brand.

It feels like now more than ever it is important to find sources of information and reporting that are trustworthy. It used to be fairly easy: subscribe to a credible outlet and trust that said newspaper or magazine would have guardrails in place to get it right and to exercise fairness. As the internet and social media became the predominant sources we rely on, a lot of those guardrails were knocked down. It could be argued that the system in place now is more democratic. More wide open. More voices. But along the way the trust factor has taken a blow. 
That's why we wanted to talk to Ben Delaney. Ben came from the old school ways of cycling reporting. He got a degree in journalism. He got a job at a magazine. He did the work and made his way up. Like a lot of his colleagues, he also took his lumps as traditional outlets succumbed to the pressures of lower ad revenues and tighter budgets. After being let go more than once by Velo, Ben decided to go solo. 
These days you can find Ben making videos for his gravel focused "The Ride" YouTube channel. It's one of Josh's favorites, so much so that Silca supports the channel. "The Ride" is a great place to check the latest in dropbar, offroad tech and trends. But this interview is less about gear and much more about the landscape of cycling media. How it got to where it is and what it needs to keep its credibility.

Josh has spoken on many occasions about his time with Zipp. The engineering. The R&D. The wins. The fails. Josh was part of a team that changed the scene, both for pro and amateur racers. 
At the head of that team was Andy Ording. Andy took over Zipp from Leigh Sargent in 1998 and guided it through its glory days that Josh is so fond of. Andy's journey to carbon wheels is far from linear. A native of South Africa, he eventually found his way to the states via motorcycles. Andy's strengths are in sales and logistics and those strengths eventually led him to the bike industry.
In this episode, Andy and Josh swap Zipp stories. They also share insights on what it takes to foster new ideas. How empowering people is one of the keys to making the next great Marginal Gain.

Fatty drops a bombshell: he's turning 60 and attempting an Everesting challenge this June — and he needs Josh and Hottie to marginal-gain every aspect of the ride. From course selection and bike setup to tire choice, chain wax strategy, pacing by heart rate, and why a leaf blower might be his secret weapon, the crew breaks down how to get a self-described "card-carrying AARP member with a paunch" up 29,029 feet of climbing on a decade-old bike.