Dialed Cycling Podcast #363 - Recap

Intro: The Calm Before the Sprint

Welcome to another round of the Dialed Podcast. If you’re new here, clip in. If you’re a regular, you know what’s coming: some laughs, ego bruises, nerdy gear obsessions, and all the good stuff that makes cycling more than just turning pedals. This week, episode 363 doesn’t just pedal in circles—it digs into the grit of racing, a few existential crises, a surprise sprint puke, and, of course, the dream cycling destinations that keep us all rolling.

This post is your full-spectrum recap, laced with enough insight, humility, and spit-out-your-coffee moments to make it worth your time. Let’s dive in.

Backpedal Breakdown – Races, Regrets, and the Pursuit of PRs

The backpedal segment is where the Dialed crew gives us the good, the bad, and the what-the-hell-just-happened from their past week. This time? Lance, Ian, Matt, and Jake came in hot. Real hot.

Matt wrapped up his 100-day riding streak and confirmed the universally accepted truth: you can ride an hour a day and still lose fitness. But hey, sunshine and triathlon buddies helped smooth over the reality of fitness that fades faster than tan lines in Portland.

Ian jumped back into the fiery chaos that is the Vancouver Shootout after a six-month hiatus. Verdict? Spicy. He stuck with the lead group until a kilometer to go. PIR racing followed, where Ian went full stealth mode, hiding in the pack like a cat under a couch, and then surged forward in the final lap.

Lance, meanwhile, played the part of Cat 1 cannon fodder at the Bone Crusher short track and cross-country races. Cat 1 isn’t for the faint of heart, and Lance took his 8th place (out of 8) like a champ—well, a champ with a few curse words and a bruised ego. But let’s not ignore the fact he was setting power PRs while getting crushed. If that's not a paradox, what is?

Jake kept it clean with outdoor rides and some fatherly pride. His son PR’d in the 100-meter dash (11.47 seconds, if you're counting), and Jake finally escaped the trainer dungeon for a scenic lunchtime ride.

Moral of the story? Racing is tough. Results are relative. And sometimes, riding with your team (or your kid) trumps standing on a podium.

Monday Night Mayhem – PIR Returns

The return of weekday racing at PIR was nothing short of glorious. With around 70 riders showing up for the 1-2-3 race, the energy was high and the pace was brutal. Ian clocked an average speed of 28.3 mph and still had enough left to launch into a final sprint.

Lance raced with the 4/5s and spent most of it feeling like a boss tucked behind a wall of Dialed teammates. He played the perfect set-up man until a late-race pinch cut him off the wheel he wanted. Still, a great night with teammates, good vibes, and a bit less existential dread than the weekend before.

Even Jake got in on the fun with a few more outdoor miles and a shout-out for anyone not yet back to group rides: get out there. The sun’s back.

Flanders, Cobblestones & Flying Water Bottles

Of course, no cycling podcast is complete without some WorldTour drama, and Paris-Roubaix delivered like Amazon Prime on race day.

The showdown between Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert was the stuff of legend. After Pogačar went down in a weird off-camber crash (and a very unhelpful crowd), MVP soloed to victory after a chain mishap and mechanical issues left his competition scrambling.

But the real plot twist? Someone from the crowd threw a full water bottle at MVP’s face. Not cool. The fan later turned himself in with a proper apology, but the bigger takeaway here is that fanaticism has a limit. Beer showers, sure. Projectile hydration? Not so much.

Bucket Lists – What Cyclists Actually Dream About

Let’s shift gears and get a little dreamy.

The topic of the week was “bucket list rides and races.” What places make cyclists drool in their helmets? What events do we talk about endlessly, yet never commit to?

The top picks:

• Sea Otter Classic: Not just a race—it’s a circus of bikes, booths, and beautiful suffering. Jake wants Dialed to hit it next year. Races for every discipline. Expo for every bike nerd. Content for days.

• Strade Bianche: White gravel roads in Tuscany? Lance is in. So is Ian.

• Tour de France (as a spectator): Jake wants to be there with a camera, snagging iconic shots and soaking up the energy.

• Stelvio Pass, Alpe d’Huez, Galibier: Ian’s been there, done that, and wants to go back. Jake? Still dreaming.

• Bentonville & Sedona: U.S. based adventures with world-class trails. Worthy stops for any mountain biker.

The collective vibe? We all need more time and fewer responsibilities. But the dreams remain.

Gear, Gravel, and the Maxxis Reaver Tire Debate

Sea Otter didn’t just dazzle with race tape and demo bikes. It brought gear gossip, too.

The highlight? Keegan Swenson showed up at the Lifetime Grand Prix gravel race on a brand-new Maxxis Reaver tire—a slick, 45mm fast-roller that bucks the current trend of 2.1"+ MTB tires for gravel racing. Keegan being Keegan, he won. Then he puked crossing the finish line. Like, real projectile commitment. Iconic.

Naturally, the crew debated the merits. Wider doesn’t always mean better. Keegan proved that speed, not volume, might be the real king of gravel. Lance is eager to try them himself—if only to see if they induce vomiting on victory.

Send Us Your EPO Chainmail (Not the Drugs)

Listeners, you slacked this week. No voicemails. No epic listener questions. We’re not mad, just disappointed. Send us your questions, your hot takes, and even your mildly weird bike confessions. We promise to turn them into pure podcast gold.

And finally, if you’ve ever dreamed of standing on a cobblestone in Europe, flying down a gravel descent in Utah, or riding with a peloton through the foggy Pacific Northwest, remember—the dream doesn’t die with age. It just needs a better travel budget and maybe a coach. Lance knows a guy.