The Rodeo Labs Podcast

The Colorado Diagonal was a project dreamt up by Stephen Fitzgerald, and joined by David Hornick. The concept of the ride was simple: Ride from the north easy corner of the state to the soutwest corner, in the most diagonal route possible. After that, it was anything but simple. Long days, high heat, big mountains, dead ends, and tired legs conspired against the riders, but they pushed through to stand on the Four Corners medallion at the finish line on day 5. In this episode, Logan Jones-Wilkins makes a guest re-appearance to host the epsiode and host a conversation about the ride, the route, the gear, and what happened out there. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back with The Rodeo Labs Podcast after a solid hiatus for an in-depth rider profile and discussion with recent Tour Divide finisher Andy Zolyak. Andy had a fastciating path as a cyclist all the way to the start of Tour Divide, and once the race got underway, things escalated quickly with challenges and setbacks that might have caused less resilient riders to retire from the event. Andy is a master of bike configuring and gear hacking, and her TD4.2 was tweaked to the limit to dial it in for the conditions that Andy took it through. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this special episode of the Rodeo Labs Podcast, we sat down with Jacqueline Claudia and Michael White of the White Line Foundation to discuss how the organization has been championing key policy on the federal and state levels. Claudia is the Executive Director of the White Line, while White is the co-founder and the father of Magnus White, whose death in Boulder County in 2023 was the catalyst for the organization. In our conversation with Claudia and White, we focused on the major policy goals the White Line has been pushing at the federal and local levels that could have clear positive safety outcomes. HR 7353 is the proposed bill that the White Line has sponsored which amends existing federal regulations on Automatic Emergency Braking systems to mandate that all new vehicles have the capacity to detect vulnerable road users by September 2029. While this is a specific policy goal, it is the key culmination of a long, tragic process that began in August 2023 after a driver in Boulder County killed Magnus White. This policy would have prevented that fatal crash and has the capacity to alter the outcome of many future parallel path crashes. Additionally, the organization is advocating for a law in the Colorado state legislature, known as SB26-132, or Magnus’ Law, which requires law enforcement to conduct an impairment test at every fatal or serious injury crash in the state. That state bill was introduced on Friday, February 27. That bill will be heard in the Colorado State Senate Judiciary Committee on March 9th , where the next steps of the bill will be decided. The key time crunch is getting the bill through the state senate by mid-May. If it succeeds, it could be implemented in August of this year. If you are interested in engaging with the letter-writing tool that we discussed in the podcast, you can visit it here . If you want to learn more about the White Line or stay informed about what the organization will do next, you can follow along on their Instagram, here. Host: Logan Jones-Wilkins Guests: Jacqueline Claudia and Michael White Editor and producer: Logan Jones-Wilkins Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After spending a few thousand miles on the new Shimano GRX/XTR Di2 mullet (yep, flows right off the tongue), Drew Van Kampen and Logan Jones-Wilkins dig deep into their feelings, sensations, and opinions around the new electronic offering from the Japanese component giant. In line with their reviews of the SRAM XPLR update, a detailed look at the TRP Vistar/Classified groupset, and hopefully more reviews to come, Drew and Logan looked at the groupset from a few different perspectives. This time, both also made some big claims on how it all stacks up against other groupsets, a small tangent into crank lengths and power meters, and one (1) small rant on the pursuit of 13 speeds. Host: Logan Jones-Wilkins Guest: Drew Van Kampen Editor and producer: Logan Jones-Wilkins Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to the Rodeo Labs Podcast and our annual Four Favorite Things episode. We got Drew, Stephen, Logan, and Cullen Perkey, a new member of the round table of bike geeks, on the show to discuss their four favorite bike things they used this past year. From bottom brackets to shifters, mountain bike pants, and insulated bottles, we went wide and weird with it, but everything had a good explanation and a bit of banter. Here is the full list of components we highlighted: Components : XTR Di2 Rear Mech , SRAM Rival shifters , Wolf Tooth Bottom Bracket , and the Garbaruck 13s SRAM XPLR cassette . Tires: Vittoria Peyote 2.25 race , Peyote 2.1 trail , Vittoria Terreno Pro T30 , and Seal-It sealant . Clothing and Accessories: Specialized Prime Bib Shorts , RDO Lab Explorts 3.0 , Patagonia Dirt Craft Pants , and the Elite Ice Fly insulated bottle . Misc. Value Add: King Cage Stainless Steel Cage , Crank Brothers Candy Lace Clip-in Shoes , Shokz Openrun Pro open ear headphones, and the BBB CoreCap . Host: Logan Jones-Wilkins Guests: Stephen Fitzgerald, Drew Van Kampen, Cullen Perkey Editor and Producer: Logan Jones-Wilkins Executive Producer: Stephen Fitzgerald Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Success, we are learning, comes in many forms. At Rodeo this year, we've had a successful year – by some metrics, it's been our best year – but from another perspective, it has been a year of immense challenge. Those challenges have extended all the way to the holidays, with new hurdles around every curve. Yet, as we tend to do, we are set on taking the wins and losses in stride as we flip the page to 2026. To process the past year, both for Rodeo Labs and our host, Logan, who is going on a parallel odyssey of his own, we talked about it here on this podcast episode. Lastly, thank you for your support this year. We have enjoyed slowly building this podcast up, and we plan to continue with pace in 2026! Hosts: Logan Jones-Wilkins and Stephen Fitzgerald Editor and producer: Logan Jones-Wilkins Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cyclo-cross has never not been a part of the Rodeo story, even if it hasn't been front and center. For a company that doesn't not make cyclo-cross-capable bikes, all these double negatives leave us pondering the sport every time we hear #crossiscoming. This year, Stephen answered the call of cyclo-cross, and so too did Cam Little, a Rodeo rider from West Virginia and Marian University. Now that the season has wrapped up, it was time to podcast about it, even if Logan, our host, is somewhat of a cyclo-cross skeptic. Host: Logan Jones-Wilkins Guests: Stephen Fitzgerald and Cameron Little Editor and Producer: Logan Jones-Wilkins Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What even is a road bike? We investigate with Tyler Simon, an engineer, cyclist, and the mind behind the most road-optimized Rodeo Trail Donkey we have ever been a part of. Plus, Stephen and Logan get into the question of all-road bikes and why Logan is all over this new cycling trend. Host: Logan Jones-Wilkins Guests: Tyler Simon and Stephen Fitzgerald Editor and producer: Logan Jones-Wilkins Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It is finally time to talk big tires. The subject is all the rage these days, but we've been here for a while – riding our thick gravel tires on rigid drop bar bikes for years. Nevertheless, we are intrigued by a lot of what is coming to the discourse, especially some of the quantitative testing we are seeing from certain corners of the internet. Most notably, John Karrasch, a.k.a @flexfitbyjohn on Instagram. The bike fitter, a turned-off-road rolling resistance guru, has refined a form of the Chung method for testing to objectively measure the rolling resistance of countless tires, posting comprehensible graphs that demonstrate the comparative value of each. Karrasch also has a Patreon where he goes deeper into the data and breaks down the nuances of the different traits of the tires he tests. Now, he is a niche-expert who has become a legend in the small corner of the internet that is interested in going fast on gravel. He is also a frequent pen pal with the Rodeo Labs crew, so we had to have him on the podcast to really get into the nitty-gritty details. If you want to learn more about John's testing, check out his Patreon account here . Logan has also written some pretty detailed stories on the subject. Here is a story he did for Cycling Weekly on some of his favorite options . Hosts: Logan Jones-Wilkins, Drew Van Kampen, Stephen Fitzgerald Guest: John Karrasch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Dave Pryor started UnPAved of the Susquehanna in 2018, gravel cycling was crystallizing into a discipline in cycling. It was reserved for the real hipsters, early movers, and the dreamers. Since then, gravel has changed, as has UnPAved. Now, the race is part of Pryor's full-time job, an institution in Pennsylvania cycling, and also unique in the landscape of gravel cycling. In our most recent mini-episode on our Rodeo riders, we spoke to Pryor to learn more about a few things. Mostly, we chatted about the power of Pennsylvania's vast gravel goods, the strange place gravel racing holds on the East Coast, and what gravel means to him and his Flaanimal. Enjoy! Host: Logan Jones-Wilkins Guest: Dave Pryor Producer: Logan Jones-Wilkins Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Suspension forks on gravel bikes is a dividing line in the cycling world. For many, they are a tool that expands the use of the bike and reduces the stress associated with the rugged terrain that gravel biking revolves around. Others dismiss the tech as reinventing mountain bikes from the 1990s. We’ve been wanting to dig into this topic for a while because Rodeo Labs bikes could be well-suited for a little suspension, if that is your thing. This summer, Logan finally got enough time on two different fork options to investigate the strengths and weaknesses of gravel suspension. Stephen, who has been trying suspension forks for the last year, joined in on the podcast to add his two cents. Nevertheless, we wanted this podcast to be more than simply Stephen and Logan breaking down their experiences. So, we called up Will Hart, the product marketing manager at Cane Creek, to get into the gritty details of their Invert gravel fork and muse on the philosophy behind building specific gravel tech. If you are interested in investigating this further, Logan tested the Cane Creek Invert SL and the Rock Shox Rudy Ultimate XPLR . Both options had 30mm of travel, with the Rock Shox priced at $929 compared to the Cane Creek Invert SL at $1,099. Stephen tested the Cane Creek Invert CS and Fox 32 TC – Grip SL . Both forks had 40mm of travel, with the Fox priced at $999 and the Cane Creek at $1,199. Host: Logan Jones-Wilkins and Stephen Fitzgerald Guest: Will Hart Producer: Logan Jones-Wilkins Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At Rodeo Adventure Labs, adventure is in the name of our company, so our side quests are quite crucial to what we do. These quests have shifted over the years – from Silverton, to Florida, and recently to the Dolomites – but the goal behind the travel has remained the same: bring people together to ride bikes in great places. In this episode of the Rodeo Labs Podcast, Drew, Stephen, and Logan delve into the traveling Rodeo has undertaken, both locally and abroad. Where have we gone, what have we learned, and why does it mean so much independent of economic returns? Lastly, Drew and Stephen break down the most recent trip to the Dolomites and explain why Italy’s northeast might be a Trail Donkey “Dreamland.” Host: Logan Jones-Wilkins Guests: Drew van Kampen and Stephen Fitzgerald Producer: Logan Jones-Wilkins Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are back with a new season of the Rodeo Labs Podcast, as the summer and all of its hecticness turns to fall. With the Intern off in LA, it was down to Drew and Logan to bring us up to speed on a few key topics that saw significant developments over the last few months. The podcast is a three-parter. We start off with a look at several new group-sets that were released in a steady drip this June (3:38), then shift to the recent release of two new bikes with very different takes on chainstay length (25:00). We then close with a quick breakdown of the development of 750d wheels (49:00). Or was it actually a way for Logan to get on his favorite soapbox and defend the 650b standard? Listen, or you may never know. We plan on having a consistent output of episodes for the next four to five weeks. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform. Host: Logan Jones-Wikins and Drew van Kampen Producer and Editor: Logan Jones-Wilkins Executive Producer: Stephen Fitzgerald Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If there is one thing that you should know about Rodeo, it is that you get to make it your way. Nick from Wove took that to heart and cooked up a bike that really pushed the limits of what is possible. The build was launched and was written up on Escape Collective with contributions from Nick, Steve the Intern and the rest of the bike companies that contributed to the build. You can read that story here . Nevertheless, this particular bike was worth much more than a few thousand words, so we took the discussion to the podcast! Between Logan, Stephen, and Nick, all the big questions were asked, answered, and deliberated. You won't want to miss it! Host: Logan Jones-Wilkins and Steve the Intern Guest: Nick From Wove Producer/Editor: Logan Jones-Wilkins Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Luis decided to ride from his home in the Bay Area to his grandmother's home in Guadalajara, Mexico, he didn't know much about the journey ahead. What he did know, however, was that it required more than just his Flannimal. Being a sucker for a good story, Steve the Intern wanted to help him problem solve and thought it would be a good idea to make a prototype Show Pony available for Luis' trip south. What resulted was a trip of a lifetime that brought so much joy, adventure, and understanding to Luis, not only as a cyclist but also as a first-generation American of Mexican heritage. In this edition of the Rodeo Rider Files, Logan and Luis talk about his journey, unpack the intrigue, and delve into how to accurately reflect Mexico's deep cultural facets without ignoring the danger that would be naive to ignore. Host: Logan Jones-Wilkins Guest Luis Orozco Sanchez Editor and Producer: Logan Jones-Wilkins Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Classified Powershift Hub, with its internal gearing that makes a 1x chainring work like a 2x, has always been a point of curiosity around the Lab. However, without a full groupset to give the shifting a proper home, there has always been hesitation. That is, until Logan got his hands on the brand new collaboration between the Belgian company and the brake specialists at TRP for a full review at Cycling Weekly . From that testing, it was clear we needed to delve into it here. In this episode, Logan ceded the hosting chair to Stephen Fitzgerald, our Intern/CEO, and we brought Drew Van Kampen, our resident Always Trying New Things Guy, to pepper Logan with questions around the new groupset and explore a few tangents along the way. Host: Stephen Fitzgerald Guests: Drew Van Kampen and Logan Jones-Wilkins Producer: Logan Jones-Wilkins Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are back after a spring break here at the Rodeo Labs Podcast with a brand new season of stories for your ears. Everything from tech to adventures will be discussed this summer as we head back to the (podcasting) lab to delve into things we are getting up to. Fortunately for us, Stephen gave us a great place to start with a win at the recent Pinyons and Pines nano-ultra bike-packing race around Flagstaff, Arizona! Not only was it a win, but Stephen managed to do it on the Project Denver Show Pony, a prototype mountain bike that Rodeo is reaching, developing, and making right here in our Colorado home. Logan and Stephen get in-depth into the race, Stephen's eclectic racing career, why the draw to race persists, and what Project Denver means in this crazy economic climate, the bike industry is currently facing. Host: Logan Jones-Wilkins Guest: Stephen Fitzgerald Producer: Logan Jones-Wilkins Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You might already be familiar with our next episode in the Rodeo Rider Files series: Luke Hall. Luke is our resident long-haul factory racer with big results in 200+ mile bike races like second place in the 2023 Unbound XL and a win at the 2024 Gravel Worlds Long Voyage. Luke sat down with us to discuss the high peaks and low valleys of 2024, what he is looking forward to in 2025, and what he has learned from a decade of bike racing. Things get deep along the way, touching on many topics in a quick-hitting 45 minutes, but as the kids might say, it is all for the love of the game. Host: Logan Jones-Wilkins Guest: Luke Hall Producer: Logan Jones-Wilkins Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sponsorship in cycling is a moving target. In all aspects of the sport, sponsorship is a crucial marketing tool, but it is often economically inefficient. What’s more, those two outcomes are difficult to track, adding to the complexity of the topic. While the importance of sponsorship is integral to a wide range of elements of the cycling business, it is so difficult to discuss because everyone has their perspectives and interests shaping how they interact with it. Even journalists cannot be entirely unbiased as relationships and support are unavoidable. Conflict of interest, to some degree, is unavoidable. Yet, here at Rodeo Adventure Labs, we are not phased. Sponsorship is a constant topic of conversation here, so we felt we needed to bring that conversion out into the open. To do that, we called up Hailey Moore from The Radavist to add to our collective understanding of sponsorship in terms of marketing, storytelling, and athletics. After two recordings, many emails, lots of outlining, and a dose of audio cleaning, we came up with an episode that we found fascinating. For those of you who have liked what we have done before, we hope you will enjoy this as well. You can read more from Hailey on The Radavist here , including a profile she wrote about the Rodeo HQ that sparked this whole conversation that you can find here . Host: Logan Jones-Wilkins Guests: Stephen Fitzgerald and Hailey Moore Producer: Logan Jones-Wilkins Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the end of the year, most publications and their writers come out with the four or five favorite products they used in the past year. Most of these things are the cutting edge of their categories or a niche product that fits a specific year. These stories are great because they often allow journalists to write about their favorite things and are often useful to a wide range of people. This year we here at Rodeo Labs wanted to get in on the fun, but to stay true to our roots we did things a bit differently. So we got together our host and resident bike journalist Logan Jones-Wilkins, CEO and Head Intern Stephen Fitzgerald, engineer and fourth finish at the Tour Divide Cade Richenberger, and product manager/master tinkerer Drew Van Kampen together for a podcast. Specifically, a podcast discussing our four favorite things from four different categories. At the end of the year, most publications and their writers come out with the four or five favorite products they used in the past year. Most of these things are the cutting edge of their categories or a niche product that fits a specific year. These stories are great because they often allow journalists to write about their favorite things and are often useful to a wide range of people. This year we here at Rodeo Labs wanted to get in on the fun, but to stay true to our roots we did things a bit differently. So we got together our host and resident bike journalist Logan Jones-Wilkins, CEO and Head Intern Stephen Fitzgerald, engineer and fourth finish at the Tour Divide Cade Reichenberger, and director of product development/master tinkerer Drew Van Kampen for a podcast. Specifically, a podcast discussing our four favorite things from four different categories. We didn’t limit ourselves in this discussion to new products like most end-of-year lists do – some of our products are much older, while others are still to hit the shelves – but we did do all non-Rodeo products to ensure our recommendations stay true to things we have simply enjoyed and would like to put on your radar. Most importantly, we also didn’t limit ourselves to a set clock, so for this pod, we lingered a bit to cover all the ground we needed to and we found some pretty interesting rabbit holes along the way. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.