China Cycle Tech, Chris Froome & Factor, and the UCI DQ Mystery

Once again I hit the podcast mic completely jet-lagged and out of my mind to talk about the trip I’d just returned from. This time I was back in Asia, specifically China, at China Cycle to see all the craziest tech from brands that people are absolutely eating up right now.

No doubt about it, Chinese bikes are having a moment right now, but what did I actually see in China? Turns out one thing I saw was Chris Froome so, obviously, we talked about how I had the chance to sit down with one of the most famous roadies of recent memory and talk about gravel racing. I also chatted with Froome about his involvement in Factor Bikes and which Factor model he actually prefers.

Outside of Chris Froome, we also talk about aerodynamics a lot in this podcast. It’s what happens when Logan Jones-Wilkins is away, probably riding a gravel bike in another country. This time, though, we took it about as extreme as it gets. At China Cycle, I spotted a couple of wild TT bikes that take completely different approaches to cutting through the wind.

Before we get into that discussion, though, first we talk about disqualifications in a UCI race. Why did Jan-Willem van Schip get disqualified after the fact for a setup that was approved ahead of the race? If you don’t know the answer, don’t worry; lots of people don’t seem to understand and I take a shot at explaining it a bit more.

All that discussion doesn’t get rolling right away, though. First we talk a little bit about where the riding is best between Europe and Asia and we give some notes for a brand manager who wants to see the product they launch put to the test in better situations. Lisa Charlebois thinks she’s missing out on spending four days traveling for two days in Europe, so Mike Levy and I give her a healthy warning.

We also spend some time answering listener questions and we talk about segments on local roads. Levy claims he’s not fast enough and Charlebois pretends not to care. I don’t believe them, though—what do you think? And how do you treat local segments?

00:00:00 – Intro
00:01:07 – Is riding better in Europe or Asia
00:09:08 – KOM/QOM hunting
00:15:50 – Listener questions
00:26:04 – Jan-Willem van Schip
00:32:44 – What is China Cycle
00:36:40 – Chinese TT bikes
00:46:21 – Elite wheels at China Cycle
00:52:26 – Chris Froome at China Cycle