Dialed Podcast 384 - Is American Cycling Back? | Why Bike Racing Is Fading | The 32-Inch Wheel Debate.

Send us a message!The guys are back after a month off, and they came loaded. Lance breaks down nine races in four weeks, including a Belgian Waffle Ride California podium that put him in the running for the series. Ian returns from five hard days riding in Mallorca, and the racing talk only heats up from there.The big one: Unbound. Keegan Swenson handed his rear wheel to a teammate and rebuilt a freehub in the gravel to save his race, while the Specialized squad swept the podium. That leads into the question hanging over the sport. Is bike racing actually dying? Promoter fees, calendar fatigue, and shrinking fields paint a tough picture, but there is a path forward. Plus a SRAM surprise that left Jake speechless, the science behind leg cramps, the rise of gravel team tactics, and whether 32-inch wheels are the future or a fad nobody asked for.Grab a coffee and settle in. This one runs long, and it earns it.Support the show

Send us a message!PIR is back, Banana Belt brought the bunch sprint, Mud Slinger brought the mud (and a couple of crashes), and a look back at how Paris-Roubaix delivered one of the most exciting races in years. The crew breaks down a wild week of racing, including Ian's lap-counting mishap that turned hero into zero in about 100 meters, Lance's road race tactics, and Wout van Aert finally getting his Roubaix win.Then the conversation turns to the real economics of putting on a bike race: what it actually costs, why entry fees keep climbing, and whether grassroots events should chase a premium experience or stay no-frills. Ian shares why he's leaning toward passing Barton Park on after this year, and Matt makes the case for raising prices.Plus: cycling bucket lists, the Lifetime Grand Prix at Sea Otter (and a huge ride from Dialed's own Kylie Hanel!).Support the show

Send us a message!The guys are back after a short break with plenty to unpack. Matt takes the family to DC for spring break and walks them into the ground. Lance survives the week from hell after a root canal goes sideways (seven days of Strava zeros, zero sleep, maximum misery). Ian is quietly cooking up race fitness for Barton Park despite some nagging knee pain.Then it is classics season. Pogačar just took Flanders for the third time and the guys break down who wins Paris-Roubaix on Sunday. Van der Poel going for four in a row? Pogačar going for history? Mathieu the safe money? Everyone locks in a pick.Hot Seat gets spicy. Do shallow climbing rims have any place on a modern road bike when the pros are racing mountain stages on 60mm deep sections? Then the guys dig into the new 500-gram airbag vest that is being pitched for the pro peloton. Safety innovation or another thing waiting to malfunction at 40 mph?Big question of the week: are Pogačar, Van der Poel, Van Aert, and Remco really that much better than every generation before them, or does it just look that way? The guys get into genetics, talent scouting, Zwift racing as a recruiting pipeline, and why the best cyclists in the world are probably playing soccer.Plus: a deep dive on AI in cycling. Coach Kat, LLM's for race nutrition plans, Strava's famously useless AI summaries, and whether Ian is going to be replaced by a chatbot.Ian is promoting his Barton Park Road Race on May 9th. Sign up, show up, support local racing.Dialed Cycling Lab. Vancouver, WA. dialedcycling.comSupport the show

Send us a message!The crew is back and fully disheveled. Jake, Lance, Ian, and Matt kick things off with backpedals that cover Lance's last-minute solo van trip to El Tour de Scottsdale (3,000 riders, great legs, followed immediately by an emergency root canal), Ian's Michael Myers Memorial Time Trial recap and lessons learned.Then the classics talk heats up. Milan-San Remo goes to Pogacar by inches over Vanderpoel. Strade Bianche delivers MVP with jaw-dropping numbers (446 watts normalized power for the final 90 minutes of a five-hour race). Flanders and Roubaix are on deck. The crew also breaks down Vingegaard's Giro d'Italia setup and what it could mean for his Tour de France.A listener from Portland asks about moving up to Cat 3 on the road. The crew gives a real-world answer covering safety, upgrade rules, and why Cat 3 might actually be the sweet spot for most amateur racers.The back half gets honest and personal. Jake, Lance, and Ian dig into the state of local bike racing, team culture, what it takes to keep amateur cycling alive, and why DCT's 10-year anniversary in 2026 is going to be something sweet. Support the show

Send us a message!Lance just returned from five weeks in Arizona: racing, riding Mount Lemmon, getting pulled from a crit (it happens), surviving a skate park shortcut at the start of a gravel race, and somehow dragging Ian down with him. Ian bounced back from a nasty chest infection to race his first event in a while - and won his age group. Jake has been clocking ridiculous hours of work since the last episode, visiting college campuses with his son, and watching the new Dialed Cycling Lab  inch closer to completion (studio space included). And Matt? Matt's been swimming. A lot.**In this podcast:**- Lance's 5-week Arizona recap: Belgium Waffle Ride, Tucson Bicycle Classic, the Real West Gravel Race, and the skate park incident that launched Ian into the grass- Ian's comeback race: 15th out of 188, age group win, and still coughing- Jake's 65-day debrief: 750 hours of work, college tours for his son (U of Utah vs. Michigan business school), and the new Lab is almost ready- Matt in Boise, running the Oregon Trail, and a new e-bike incoming- Listener Q: How to prep for Mallorca with two weeks notice and less-than-peak fitness- Milan-San Remo predictions and who's got the legs at the Cipressa- Luckiest moments on the bike - close calls, near misses, a cone at 38mph, and one very helpful sapling tree- Ian updates us on the MMM Time Trial is this weekend... go sign up!Chapters:00:00 — Intro / St. Patrick's Day energy02:00 — Lance's 5-week Arizona recap08:00 — Belgium Waffle Ride Arizona10:00 — Real West Gravel Race & the skate park incident15:00 — Ian's comeback race: age group win after 3 weeks sick23:00 — Jake's 65-day debrief: 750 hours and college tours30:00 — The new Dialed shop update35:00 — AI, content creation, and podcast cadence43:00 — Listener Q: Mallorca prep with 2 weeks notice47:00 — Alaska Air routes to Europe55:00 — Milan-San Remo predictions1:07:00 — Luckiest moments on the bike1:20:00 — Wrap-up and what's coming nextSupport the show

Send us a message!When is too much Tadej Pogačar too much Tadej Pogačar? Which bike are you taking to your next TT and are TT bikes on life support? The new Factor ONE - Hot or Not? Support the show

Send us a message!We share all the crap we want for Christmas and probably won't get for obvious reasons. We also recap our personal 2025 highlights and why they were special to us. It was a fun one, so enjoy... Happy Merry Holidays and thanks for listening!Support the show

Send us a message!We recap the 2025 El Tour de Tucson - it was a good one! We also discuss a great listener question regarding what seems like a decrease of youth in cycling and how the cycling community can help change this for the better. Thanks for listening!!Support the show

Send us a message!Dealing with the moments in time when life gets in the way of riding and racing your bike and how to rebound once things return to normal. Support the show

Send us a message!We talk about what to do after having a really big 2025 so you can get ready for 2026, answer a listener question about gravel tires, and we run through a bunch of other HOT questions like what in the world is going on with the racing scene that seems to be shrinking? It has been a minute… Sorry about that, but thanks for listening!!Support the show