Velo Podcast

“Owning the Litespeed Coll dels Reis isn’t smart," according to Velo tech editor Josh Ross, but sometimes you have to go with your heart rather than your head. Today's episode sees Josh describe how the lightest titanium disc road frame performs, and he explains that there's much more to this US-made metal bike than its lack of heft. We also dig into comparisons to carbon bikes, its 187lb weight limit, and why there's no such thing as the mythical "forever bike." 

Velo contributor and ultra-distance cyclist Lisa Charlebois joins us to report back on her findings after testing a load of women's winter riding jackets, and both she and Josh share their top picks for different conditions and budgets. They also give Levy some pointers on how to stay warm, including a high-tech alternative to the ol' newspaper stuffed down the front of your jersey trick. 

New year, same rider... But fresh goals? Lastly, from 500km epics to simply aiming to get on the bike more often, Will, Lisa, Josh, and Levy talk about their ride plans and goals for the 2026 season.

Best known for heavily modifying carbon fiber mountain bike frames and components to shave grams and hide every cable, Dangerholm set out to create two wild gravel machines based on Scott's Spark RC and Scale frames. But the real talking point is the wheels used on both bikes: fully custom carbon rims with a 45mm inner width, 52mm on the outside, and a stepped height of up to 70mm. In other words, absolutely massive. But are they too wide?Levy has Dangerholm explain how the design is essentially a hidden rim inside of a fairing, tire choices, the upsides that go far beyond aero benefits, and how you'll never know what works if you don't go a bit too far sometimes.

The end of 2025 means that it's time to look back at all of the bikes and gear used by the Velo tech editors and make some difficult decisions.

Today's episode sees Josh Ross and Alvin Holbrook explain the Road Bike of the Year nominees, which included the Colnago Y1RS and Lightspeed's Coll dels Reis, and why neither of those fancy machines took the overall win. We also get a bit heated over the Gravel Bike of the Year, Innovation of the Year, and finally, Product of the Year.

The second half of today's show sees Levy, Alvin, and Josh list out their personal best-of-2025 product picks, which include everything from "budget" power meters, definitely not budget indoor trainer bikes, 13-speed drivetrains from Italy, 12-speed drivetrains from America, an AI assistant, and a whole load of music recommendations.

See prior episodes of the Velo Podcast here.

Further reading

We Tested Over 40 Bikes in 2025. These Are the 7 Best Road Bikes.

The Velo Best Products of 2025: From AI Glasses to $25 Cleats

The Fastest Gravel Bike Wasn’t the Best: Aero Testing at the Velo Field Test

There’s Now a Cheaper Way to Get Shimano GRX Electronic Shifting

With Mike Levy out, tech editors Alvin Holbrook and Josh Ross take over the Velo podcast to unpack some of the biggest stories in cycling right now, including one bike that calls itself the lightest bike in the world, and another that calls itself the fastest in the world. Big day.

Of course, we had to start with the news. Specialized just busted $1.5 million worth of counterfeit gear with help from AliExpress and the Chinese police. So why now? And what does this bust mean for cycling gear? Spoiler: probably not much.

Campagnolo is in a bit of a financial crisis, reportedly having laid off 40 percent of its workforce and lost 24 million euros over the last few years. There is hope yet, though. We discuss why.

Then it's time for bike reviews. Josh breaks down the XDS X-Lab RT-9, the lightest disc brake road bike you can buy, at just 550 grams. It's a super light frame with some spec quirks, and nearly impossible to find in the US.

Finally, we discuss the Factor One review, a bike that makes some heady claims and has the performance to back it up. But the aero shaping isn't the most interesting part of the bike: it's the geometry.

Further reading:

-⁠⁠⁠We Rode the ‘Fastest UCI-Legal Bike Ever Made.’ The Best Part of the Bike Is Hiding Under the Surface.⁠⁠⁠ 

-⁠⁠⁠The World’s Lightest Production Bike Is an Engineering Marvel At a Discount Price⁠⁠⁠ 

-⁠⁠⁠Specialized Seizes $1.6M in Fake Tarmac Frames and Roval Wheels – With AliExpress’s Help⁠⁠⁠ 

-⁠⁠⁠Campagnolo Lays Off 40% of Staff After €24 Million Losses⁠⁠⁠ 

00:00 Intro

1:23 Specialized's counterfeit bust

8:36 Campagnolo responds to reports of layoffs

25:03 Riding the XDS X-Lab RT9

44:09 Riding the Factor One

In this episode of the Velo Podcast, host Mike Levy sits down with tech editors Alvin Holbrook and Josh Ross to tackle one of cycling's hottest debates: how do we make professional racing safer?

Jim Cotton brought up the valuable question of whether or not skills tests and rider airbags – two suggested solutions to make pro cycling safer – would actually make cycling safer for folks. Bib shorts equipped with automatically inflating airbags are proven in MotoGP to protect riders during high-speed crashes, but are they practical for the pro peloton? What about a licensing system, one that CPA president Adam Hansen has hinted at in the past?

The team discusses weight penalties, comfort concerns over long stages, and whether clothing sponsors would embrace the technology. Further, they debate whether proficiency tests make sense for athletes who live on their bikes, what such courses should teach, and whether the bureaucratic hurdles are worth the potential safety gains.

Finally, the crew discusses their predictions for new gravel bikes that will be predicted in 2026, as well as what gravel bike trends Alvin hopes fall by the wayside in the new year. Is there a new Specialized Crux coming, and if so, how different will it be in the future? There are nine in total, and we talk about the biggest and best of them all.

Want to join Josh and Levy at their group ride? See the info here.

See previous episodes of the Velo Podcast here.

Further reading:

9 New Gravel Bikes We Predict Will Be Updated in 2026

Why Skills Tests and Rider Airbags Might Actually Solve Pro Cycling's Safety Crisis

Don't Buy Your Kid a Crappy Bike for Christmas

00:00 Intro

6:10 Are airbags in bib shorts going to make things safer?

28:10 Solutions off the cuff

32:45 Is a ‘Super License’ a good idea?

41:00 New gravel bike predictions for 2026