Bikerumor Podcast

Latest Episodes:

079 - Triton Bikes’ amazing escape from Russia Mar 31, 2023

Show notes

I think, at some level, we all crave adventure. It's why the Zombie Apocalypse genre is so popular. What would we do if we had to drop everything and just... escape. Start fresh.

Well, for many folks around the world, it's not a fantasy. It's why we have so many people trying to migrate into the USA and most of Europe They're trying to escape a desperate if not downright dangerous situation.

And that's where we pick up in this episode, bringing it close to home with my friend Dmitry Nechaev (neeh-chive). He's the founder of Triton Bike, which, up until very recently, was based in Russia and making gorgeous custom titanium bicycles.

Everything changed for him when Russia invaded Ukraine, and his story about how he and his family got out, and how he eventually relocated the business, his employees, and equipment to Portugal is WILD!

From sneaking parts out to having friends and co-workers ride for days to cross by bicycle at remote border stations, he has some stories to tell. We talk about why he's living in Israel but re-launching in Portugal, and, toward the end, we talk about how they're rebuilding the brand getting ready to build their first bikes in their new factory.

It's a long one, but stay tuned at the end for a recap of a few other things we discussed after I stopped recording.

Check out the full show post for photos from his journey, the new factory, and the Groont gravel bike!
https://www.bikerumor.com/podcast-079--triton-cycles-amazing-escape-from-russia

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078 - Bosch explains what’s going on with e-bike battery safety Mar 16, 2023

Show notes

If you have or are considering buying an e-bike of any kind, chances are you're wondering about battery safety and how to maximize performance.

With the recent Lithium Ion battery fires in New York creating political will to ban unlisted, non-certified batteries in e-bikes, electric scooters, and other e-mobility devices, I wanted to talk to an expert on e-bike battery safety.

My guest today is Kunal Kapoor, Sr Mgr of quality and compliance for Bosch. As one of the leading brands of e-bike drive systems, they know a thing or two about battery design, safety, and performance, so I picked his brain on all the things.

If you're wondering how to best charge, store, and maximize the life of your e-bike's battery, this short episode is packed full of useful info and great information.

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077 - First Endurance dives deep on sports nutrition Mar 03, 2023

Show notes

If you've been trying to figure out sports nutrition and how the right supplements, timing, and ingredients can help you ride faster, farther, and longer, and then recover stronger, this episode is for you.

My guest is Dr. Luke Bucci, formerly with Weider and now Chief Science Officer for First Endurance, a sports nutrition brand focused on fueling and improving endurance athletes.

Health, fitness & nutrition are big passions of mine, and I do a lot of personal research on ways to get stronger, faster, healthier, and improve longevity.

So, we geek out pretty hard in this one and dive really deep.

Even if you think you know how to properly fuel, my hunch is you'll learn some things from this episode. We talk about types of carbohydrate and protein, timing and quantity, caffeine dosing, and even why they use certain ingredients but not others, the pros and cons of some popular supplements, and why they've switched up the formula for some of the products in recent years.

Whether you're trying to optimize your race performance or just ride a little faster and further, this one's packed full of useful takeaways.

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076 - Outbound Lighting talks lumens, beams & light design Feb 17, 2023

Show notes

Outbound Lighting popped onto the scene a few years ago with a very different take on mountain bike lights. Not only did the products look different, they had a different philosophy about where they should be placed, and how the light patterns should work.

Turns out, they were onto something. They're growing so fast that they made the Inc 5,000 list of fastest-growing companies, and from the sound of things, they're just getting warmed up.

In this episode, I talk to Tom Place, who, if you've ever run into them at an event, is probably the guy you talked to. Nicknamed "Danger", he shares why they make their lights the way they do, the pros and cons of helmet versus bar-mounted lights, why lumens don't matter nearly as much as the marketing hype suggests, and more

If you geek out on lights, and want a little sneak peek of what they're working on next, this is a good one.

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075 - Why did White Industries buy two wheel brands? Feb 10, 2023

Show notes

So, why would a boutique hub brand buy two wheel brands?

In this ep, I'm talking with long-time friend Alec White from White Industries about their recent acquisition of Rolf Prima and Astral Wheels. We dig in a bit on the strategy of acquiring what were basically their two largest customers, and what it means for the future of those brands and products.

We also talk about their business in general, how he has grown into running the company his father started when Alec was just a wee tot, and kick around some product ideas from past and future.

I always love talking to Alec, and I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

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074 - Chasing Watts builds a better group ride app Jan 18, 2023

Show notes

A while back, I thought it would be cool if there were an app that made it easy to find a group ride anywhere in the world. I spent days (which turned into weeks) storyboarding my idea.

Turns out, I was a bit late to the game, as there are several options helping cyclists find others to ride with, whether it's road, mountain, gravel, or whatever.

Today, I'm speaking with the two guys behind Chasing Watts, a group ride app that started just before the pandemic, as a side hustle passion project, and ended up amassing huge numbers in their hometown of Houston, TX.

Now, they're primed for growth, so we talk about how it started, what sets them apart from the competition, their business model, and how it all works.

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073 - HED Cycling’s wild startup & development stories Jan 12, 2023

Show notes

Just before the 2022 Ironman World Championships in Kona, HED Cycling broke the internet with their unbelievably deep 180mm aero wheel.

In this episode, Anne Hed talks about its rapid development and the impressive results her athletes got on it at Kona, plus what it means for the future of the brand.

We also talk about how the brand is evolving since Steve Hed's passing in 2014, why things were quiet for a bit, and a little sneak peek of things to come.

She shares a few personal stories about the early days, and just wait until you hear how their first disc wheels were designed, built, and sold. It's a great origin story, and great to hear what they're up to now.

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072 - Predator Cycling’s tech will make your head explode Jan 02, 2023

Show notes

So, I hope you're ready to have your head explode.

Because the things Predator Cycling is doing with materials, artificial intelligence, computational fluid dynamics, and 3D printing is so far beyond what any other brand is doing, it's kinda mind blowing.

My guest today is Aram Goganian, founder of Predator Cycling. He's wicked smart, and since he didn't mention it, I will: Not only is he pushing the limits of computer design so far that brands like Nvidia and Lenovo are giving him supercomputer equipment to test, he's also speaking at their events to teach their teams new ways to use them.

And he's about to give us a masterclass in design and materials that show how they're pushing the envelope of not just custom parts, but custom fits to completely optimize aerodynamics down to the position of each individual finger.

This one goes deep. So grab a coffee, sit back, and enjoy. Please welcome, Aram Goganian.

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071 - Silca over-explains Graphene & Wax Chain Lubes Dec 09, 2022

Show notes

If you've ever wondered how wax chain lubes work, why they're better, or what graphene is and how it works as a lubricant, you're in luck.

I have Silca owner Josh Poertner with us today, and we go deep into all things chain lubricant, including a better way to lube your chain that's surprisingly easy way and massively effective, no matter what type of chain lube you use.

From the challenges of sourcing high quality and authentic graphene to the mixing and formulating, we cover everything you want to know about how it works, and why, when it's so expensive, you should really still use it. It's not just about saving watts, and it could save you hundreds of dollars in the long run.

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070 - Exept’s custom monocoque tech could change the industry Dec 05, 2022

Show notes

A few years ago, I met an Italian upstart custom carbon bike brand at Eurobike called Exept.

They were doing something unique, and the bikes looked killer. So, I went to visit them and came home with a bike that I’m still riding today. Their office was small, doubling as an assembly point and showroom, with manufacturing done offsite.

The appearance of a small, scrappy group of bike geeks was hiding much bigger ambitions, and this little company is poised to change the concept of a high end road bike thanks to a patented process that allows full custom, full monocoque carbon fiber frames to be made at scale.

But getting from startup to major industry supplier hasn’t been easy. Here’s the story of how Exept launched, survived the pandemic’s brutal effects on their core business, and is now building large-scale manufacturing capabilities for the entire cycling industry.

If things go well, your next big brand dream bike could be full custom, too.

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FOLLOW BIKERUMOR

Keep tabs on all the latest bikes, wheels, components, gear and tech on The World's Largest Cycling Tech Blog by following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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