The Paceline Cycling Podcast The Cycling Independent

Andy McGrath's book God Is Dead, The Rise and Fall of Frank Vandenbroucke, Cycling's Great Wasted Talent, chronicles the chaotic life and early death of one of the doping era's true superstars. Today we speak with the author about VDB, or "God" as he was known in Belgium, and why riders like him still capture our imaginations decades later.

Are trail running and mountain biking the same thing? Well, no, but maybe also yes. Patrick watches his son careen off a cliff toward a creek, and we sift through some recent pro race results. That and Paceline Picks are the show this week.

This week John takes on the question: "How do you get better at bikes?" It's probably simpler than you think. Patrick discusses his experience at a new gravel event called the Rust Bucket.

This week John considers what goes into a brand. He wonders just where a brand's identity comes from and relates the tale of Independent Fabrication, sorta. Patrick takes on the question of why someone might want to try group rides and learning to draft in a peloton.

John introduces the idea of the Phil Collins paradox. Patrick went on a group ride, but not the sort you might guess.

This week John takes a look at how the bike industry is still in a mess as a result of the pandemic and how at least one industry expert believes that e-bikes may well save us all. Patrick takes a look at the growing number of options in fit in cycling apparel and how there are companies that not only offer more sizes than we typically see, they are offering bigger sizes than we've previously seen.