The Rundown: The guys come back muddy and humbled from a brutal gravel weekend in Pendleton, then make the full case for the most beginner-friendly bike race there is: the time trial. With the Michael Myers Memorial TT on deck, they cover why it is worth doing, how to pace it, and the story behind the race itself.
Dialed Podcast 359 Recap
A mud-soaked Real West Gravel, a banged-up Lance, and the case for racing the clock.
Backpedal: Mud, Wind, and Bad Decisions
A big chunk of the team headed to Pendleton for the Real West Gravel, put on by Mudslinger Promotions, and got hammered by full conditions: cold rain, a relentless headwind, and so much mud that roughly half the long-course field bailed to the short route. Ian won his age group on the short course after an indecisive lap of turning around twice at the bail-out point. Lance, riding a dinner-plate-sized back contusion and cracked ribs from a crash at the Echo Red to Red mountain bike race the day before, somehow still raced both days, finishing well in the gravel despite admitting he had no business lining up. Jake was back from a Florida trip full of manatees, alligators, and Disney parks, easing back into riding after a week mostly off the bike.
Topic: Why You Should Race a Time Trial
The heart of the episode was a pitch for the time trial as the perfect entry into bike racing. It is the least intimidating event there is: you roll off the start ramp solo, race only the clock, and avoid the crash risk of a crit or road race while still soaking up the start-line energy. It is also the truest fitness test you can get. Extrapolating a strong twenty to thirty minute TT effort gives a far more honest read on your FTP than a garage test, since the competition pushes you to a real maximum. The guys stressed pacing, the classic mistake is going out too hot and blowing up, and learning to hold a steady effort so your normalized and average power end up nearly identical. That pacing skill pays off everywhere, including the confidence to commit to a long solo breakaway later in the season.
The Aero Difference and Eddy Class
Jake shared a humbling lesson: he once beat a much slipperier rider by mere seconds on a dead-flat course despite putting out roughly sixty more watts, proof that position and CDA matter as much as raw power. That is also why time trialing has built barriers to entry, with skin suits, aero helmets, and deep wheels each buying a few seconds. The Michael Myers Memorial TT answers that with both traditional TT categories and Eddy class racing, where you ride a standard road bike, tuck on the hoods, and let fitness do the talking. The race itself carries a long history, evolving from the decades-old Jack Frost TT and renamed to honor Michael Myers, a teammate who loved time trialing.
EPO Chain Mail and Spring Bike Check
Listener questions covered cell coverage in the boondocks, with newer iPhones now able to send emergency texts by satellite, and a great practical one: what to check before your first sunny ride after a winter off. The list: refresh your tubeless sealant since it dries out, inspect and inflate tires, lube the chain, charge your electronic drivetrain batteries, and wipe down your disc rotors or brake tracks before that first descent.
Leadout News
Champ Bailey ran down Paris-Nice, won by Idaho's own Matteo Jorgensen with Magnus Sheffield grabbing a stage, a banner week for American cycling. Juan Ayuso took Tirreno-Adriatico, and the table previewed Milan-San Remo, split on whether Tadej Pogacar would finally make a long-range move stick or a fast finisher like Mathieu van der Poel or Mads Pedersen would take it.
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