The Paceline Cycling Podcast

Bikes are great, but it’s hard to pretend that all is right with the world currently. This week Selene sits down with her longtime friend Elizabeth Allen to ask her just how she got into this predominantly white sport and what the barriers are for others…her answers might surprise you….

Selene checks in with some feedback on last week’s talk about oval chainrings. Listeners presented us with some angles on oval chainrings we hadn’t considered. We get an update on how last weekend’s ride for Rebecca Rusch’s Giddy Up Challenge. Selene and her husband Dave did the half Everest, which…

This week our intrepid duo is back with a look at oval chainrings, an idea that goes back practically as far as the bike itself. The question, of course, is do they really confer any benefit. Well, do they? Selene and Patrick tackle the science and the perception, but also…

With the massive increase in bike sales due to shelter in place requirements, there is a lot of curiosity about how that is playing out in terms of kids bike sales, adult bike sales, ebike sales, trail usage and more. Selene answers a reader question about just what sorts of…

We seem to have entered a new phase of our collective shelter in place, we might call it the cranky phase, Selene says. She discusses what she’s doing to stay sane, how she views the different takes of other folks she encounters and just who she’s willing to ride with….

Ever considered doing Iron Cross? If so, you’re not alone. This week, Selene, Iron Cross’ winningest racer, addresses a listener question about what sort of preparation is required to do the event. In addition to training, she and Patrick talk bags, bottle cages and tires. It all matters on a…

We’re all looking for fresh ways to deal with being hunkered down in these new lives we lead. Selene takes a look at fatigue and how stress (like that which could be caused by having all your traditional routines upended) can affect recovery as well as things like perceived exertion….

With Covid-19 still dominating life, Selene takes a look at how, despite the need for social distancing, having a workout buddy is more important now than ever before. She considers strategies for keeping the buddy system in place, even as we continue to respect the need for social distancing. Patrick…

This week Selene explores what cycling means to her and how those rides that we don’t want to do make the rides we want to do that much better. Patrick addresses the impact Covid-19 is having on life and how important riding remains in helping us all remain centered as…

There’s been a lot of talk about what constitutes an “essential business” as more and more communities are put on a diet of shelter in place. For many people, bike shops are an essential business due to riders’ needs for tubes, tires, chain lube and service. We also take on…

We’re talking about Covid-19 this week. Kinda hard to do anything else, huh? First we look at riding outside and whether or not that’s the right thing to do. By now it seems obvious that the Covid-19 pandemic will significantly alter the 2020 cycling calendar. In the wake of the…

Selene is back from The Mid-South and managed to avoid getting sick and breaking her bike. Patrick is not so much back from spring break as still here; he canceled his trip with his boys. Selene talks about spending a day in red mud and what it was like traveling…

This week we take on Daylight Saving Time and sleep. Selene talks about her coming trip to Oklahoma for The Mid-South (formerly Land Run), and a quote from her boss, Bill Strickland, about suffering. Patrick admits that what passes for winter in Northern California has exited stage left and spring…

Last weekend Selene rode her first Grasshopper, Super Sweetwater, so now she can report to everyone who isn’t already in Northern California (most of the world, honestly), just what it is Patrick has been going on and on about. She says she had a good time, even if Patrick did…

This week Selene takes on a reader question on diet and how it squares with the Netflix film “Game Changers.” Given how passionate people can be about their diet, this isn’t an easy one to tackle, but she dives in. There was a time when a road bike was…

This week we begin with a bit of an update on Patrick’s treatment with Ketamine. His in-office sessions have come to a close and he relates the magnitude of recovery he has experienced. Selene talks about her upcoming plans to head to Oklahoma for the Mid-South (formerly Land Run 100)….

Selene and Patrick are back after a week off. Selene has a cautionary tale sure to raise the hairs on your … saddle. Patrick recounts his recent trip to Auburn for the fifth annual Tour de Placer Roubaix. He discusses why the event isn’t just one of his favorite events,…

Of the many builders I’ve met over the years, I don’t think I’ve met any with a more unusual background. Bryan Hollingsworth is a New Englander who cut his teeth working for Seven Cycles. He may be the only builder I’ve ever met who has fabricated frames from carbon fiber,…

This week Selene takes on a listener question regarding some of the online training challenges that cause competitors to go into zone 5 with each installment. Is that a bad thing? How does it affect developing base miles? With so many new gravel events on the calendar, Patrick asks the…

It’s a new year, and hopefully not a new you. You’re fine. But what do you want to change from years past and how should you think about it? Selene takes on that question, suggesting maybe we think about intentions rather than resolutions. Patrick has been nerding out on mountain…

This week Selene looks back at the career of sports physician Andy Pruitt and his work with Specialized and his leadership in bicycle fit. Pruitt is retiring from his work with Specialized, and he has been a steady source of wisdom and insight for Selene over two decades. Patrick takes…

This week Selene takes on a bevvy of listener questions that were intriguing, but not quite meaty enough to carry a whole segment. She covers artificial joints, diabetes, gravel events and more. Patrick and some board members from the California Mountain Biking Coalition got to join mountain bike legend Mark…

It’s the time of the year for planning the next season and Selene has been marking up her calendar with her schedule. She shares where she’s headed, along with a few whys. With Christmas around the corner, Patrick takes a look at gift giving ideas and suggests an approach that…

Of the many frame builder who can capably be called masters of the craft, it is distinctly possible that no one has been at the bench longer than Mark Nobilette. His credentials are impeccable. He was trained by Albert Eisentraut in the first frame building class that Eisentraut taught, which…

This week Selene and Patrick talk Thanksgiving. The talk turns from turkeys to the real occasion of the holiday, what we are grateful for and they run down some of the things for which they are grateful. And here’s to hoping everyone got out for a fun ride before the…

The end of the season is a great time to reboot the system. No, we’re not talking your computer. Selene considers just what downtime should be at the end of the season and just what we are trying to accomplish when we take a rest at the end of the…

With the end of the season here (except for everyone racing cyclocross), Selene has taken a step back to think about what she did this year, what she achieved this year and what she wants to do next year. Underlying all this is a question of purpose, as in what is…

Note: If you got the episode with the unedited beginning, our apologies. Download it again and it has been corrected. Or you can laugh at the mistake. Your choice. Patrick is back from Costa Rica, so the show is back on schedule now. This week, Selene takes on a reader…

This week Selene discusses her experience with Iron Cross, the gravel/cyclocross/insanity event that takes place in Central Pennsylvania. This is her tenth anniversary of doing the race and she has won it four times previously. The event is so challenging the word “ludicrous” comes up, possibly more than once. Conditions…

In this second part of my interview with Toby Stanton, we discuss his team of juniors and what the ingredients are that has made the team so incredibly and consistently successful. Hot Tubes riders and stars and stripes jerseys are kinda like peanut butter and jelly. There are other things…

After a week off due to a power outage in Northern California, the show is back. Last weekend unPAved, the event Selene’s husband Dave promotes, took place and Selene rode it but did not race it. She explains why and it was the best way to do the race, at…

I first met Toby Stanton at a mountain bike race in 1991. He was coaching a team that included future cyclocross supahstah (this was in Massachusetts, mind you) Jonathan Page and their kits were white with red, yellow and blue dots, signifying their sponsorship by Wonder Bread. A year or…

Selene and Patrick have been away riding. For Selene, last weekend was the nearly annual Bicycling Magazine Fall Classic. Unfortunately, even in organized rides, things don’t always go according to plan. Or the advertising. So what do you do when the aid stations don’t provide enough aid? Patrick spent eight…

This week Selene takes on weight loss once again. She addresses the problems with seeing that as necessary as well as seeing cycling as a vehicle for it, rather than an end in itself. And yet, she still accepts that it is an important goal to many people and she’s…

This week Selene takes on a reader question about how exercise affects alcohol and how alcohol affects hydration. It turns out that this is a more complicated interaction than most folks understand. Alcohol affects how your body deals with lactate, your ability to ride hard after having a few beers…

My guest today is frame builder David Wages of Ellis Cycles. There was a time when the most common career path for a frame builder was to put in solid years building bikes for a brand that sold bikes in production sizing. Only after having put in a couple of…

We’ve gone from “‘cross is coming,” to “‘cross is here.” In a fair number of locations around the country, the season’s first cyclocross races were held last weekend. Selene is excited for her local series to start. Are you ready? With fall right around the corner, or more unofficially, it’s…

This week my guest is writer and flow state expert Steven Kotler. Kotler is a New York Times-bestselling author known for his work decoding the neurochemistry of flow. What began as a series of articles for Discover Magazine led to his first book of nonfiction, West of Jesus, a tale…

This week Selene takes on the subject of finding a coach specifically for mountain biking. What should you look for? Coaches aren’t all the same and it’s important to find the right coach for you. Selene breaks down some of the considerations, as well as some of the answers. We…

My guest this week is the former executive director of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association, the organization that oversees, administers and fosters mountain bike racing for high school kids. McInerny has been involved with the organization almost since its inception and became the executive director in 2012. At the time,…

Selene takes on a reader question regarding fasted riding for women riders because her previous advice didn’t entirely jive with the advice of another expert on training for women, and there’s an interesting point of intersection between the two. Last weekend she was in Steamboat Springs for a new gravel…

This week my guest is sports psychologist Dr. Kristin Keim. Keim came to my attention several years ago when I began to see her posts on social media reshared by friends of mine in the bike racing world. Her posts were fonts of positivity rooted in practices that can bring…

This week I’m taking a slightly different tack and am interviewing an academic. My guest is sociologist Ben Brewer of James Madison University. Brewer picked up the cycling bug in the 1980s as a teenager and had the good sense never to lose his interest in the sport. Like many…

This week Selene takes on another reader question, this time about keto diets and their value, as well as their downsides. She also shares her experience teaching teen girls mountain biking skills for the upcoming NICA race season. Patrick talks bodywork and what a difference physical therapy and massage have…

Selene is back from PPARC where she and her comrades across Pennsylvania raised more than $300,000. That works out to more than $4000 per rider, which is a staggering sum. She talks about the riding, the mission and the people. This week she takes up a reader question regarding his…

My guest this week is frame builder Mike Desalvo of Desalvo Custom Cycles. That’s Desalvo on the left with Sacha White (center) and Paul Sadoff (right), both of whom get mentions in the interview. Desalvo is part of what I refer to as the second generation of American builders, those…

Selene is about to ride clear across Pennsylvania in the PPRAC: The Pennsylvania Perimeter Ride Against Cancer. This is the 18th edition of the ride and Selene, along with her husband Dave, have done the last nine editions of the semiannual event. This year’s ride is nearing it’s goal to…

My guest this week is painter Rudi Jung of Black Magic Paint. Jung caught my eye in 2017 with a frame he painted for Chris Bishop. It was a mostly black frame and fork, but had a red-orange-yellow fade through a design that had the look of wood grain. It’s…

This week Selene takes on coaching and the difference in interacting with an actual human coach vs. an AI one like with VeloPro, which Patrick just reviewed this week. It turns out, Selene does better with a real human. Patrick finally caught up with Dirty Kanza’s Chief Gravel Officer, Jim…

My guest this week is frame builder Frank Wadleton, better known in the industry as Frank the Welder. Wadleton, or FTW as he was often referred to, was a household name to mountain bike action readers back in the late 1980s and into the 1990s Wadleton made his name initially…