James Huang

Shows

Episodes

  1. A new lease on life for clothing and bags

    11/09/2022

    A new lease on life for clothing and bags

    Much of the attention on the Right to Repair movement in cycling has been concentrated on hard goods, like bikes, wheels, components, and so on. But it’s also important to remember that you can often fix clothing and bags at a nominal cost after a crash or even just due to wear and tear. Why throw it away when you can bring it back to life? In this week’s episode, we chat with two brands – Velocolour and Ortlieb – who are doing just that.

    58 min
  2. Rim brakes aren't dead yet

    06/30/2022

    Rim brakes aren't dead yet

    The bike industry may have shifted entirely to disc brakes, but there are millions of happy rim-brake users out there with bikes that still have years — or even decades — of life left in them. Mainstream brands have already stopped spending money on anything related to rim brakes, and while that’s a bummer in one sense, it’s also created an opportunity for smaller brands to fill the void.

    32 min
  3. Dropper posts for gravel bikes – yay or nay?

    09/29/2022

    Dropper posts for gravel bikes – yay or nay?

    We’re back in the studio for a group show after a whirlwind of activity at the recent UCI world championships, and we’re wasting no time with the heated debates. Do dropper posts (or even suspension posts) have a place on gravel bikes? What about Meta’s tease that it’s entering the virtual reality world for indoor cycling? Do our opinions even matter?? Either way, the Nerds really did do their homework this time, sharing their thoughts on the ideal setup for hidden cable routing – frame designers, take note!

    1h 16m
  4. Are we finally getting turtle shells for indoor cycling?

    11/15/2021

    Are we finally getting turtle shells for indoor cycling?

    The Nerds have been pining for some sort of Mario Bros and Zwift mashup that lets us toss turtle shells at our competitors, but Zwift still seems to be too serious for these kinds of shenanigans. However, a new indoor bike called Tiltbike from UK outfit Muoverti nevertheless gives us some hope that we’ll see something like that from someone because built into one of its levers is — for real — a joystick! Will our prayers ever be answered? We chat about some other tech news items in this week’s show — and answer a bunch of Ask a Mechanic questions, as usual — but really all we care about is the turtle shells.

    1h 2m
  5. The wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round

    12/04/2020

    The wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round

    James has locked the Nerds out of the recording studio for this episode, disregarding the traditional format to instead do a (very) deep dive into the world of bearings. What makes for a good bearing or a bad one? Are ceramics really all that? How are we supposed to take care of these things? And why does press-fit suck in the bicycle world, but is the norm in industrial settings? Hope you’re sitting somewhere comfy because we’re nerding out big time for this one.

    1h 17m
  6. If we ran the bike industry…

    10/22/2021

    If we ran the bike industry…

    The Nerds make a living nitpicking and critiquing, instead of designing and creating. So what would we change if we could? What products and features would we keep, and what would we get rid of? What would the bikes look like? Be warned: the crew might have gotten a little more animated than usual on this one.

    1h 15m
  7. Advancing metal bikes with No.22

    11/04/2022

    Advancing metal bikes with No.22

    The Nerd Alert podcast had an unplanned week off, but rest assured we’re now back on schedule. In this episode, Senior tech editor Dave Rome chats with No.22’s co-founder Bryce Gracey. For those unfamiliar with No.22, let’s just say they’re often one of our first stops at the USA-based custom bike shows they attend. This episode has a varied chat: including a deep-dive on the updates that No.22 revealed at the Philly Bike Expo, geometry concepts, stealthy travel bikes, and more. Enjoy!

    1h 2m
  8. Coming soon: Nerd Alert Podcast

    11/24/2019

    Coming soon: Nerd Alert Podcast

    The world of bicycle tech is just too big to live exclusively within the confines of our regular podcast, so we’re now expanding Nerd Alert into its own regular pod, which will be released every other week. Subscribe now to make sure you never miss an episode.

    1 min
  9. Free the feet!

    05/25/2022

    Free the feet!

    Riders commonly complain that they can’t find cycling shoes that are wide enough, but when was the last time you heard someone say their shoes are too wide? Maybe that’s a sign cycling footwear should be wider in general. We also chat about the utility of bike-mounted cameras (and radar), what Goodr still needs to do to really shake up the cycling sunglass market, and where to draw the line between buying tools and paying for labor.

    1h 7m
  10. The future of helmet safety

    05/12/2022

    The future of helmet safety

    Welcome back to the Nerd Alert podcast! This week we have a deep dive episode about something that’ll likely bring positive change to the helmets we all wear. Our guest is Peter Haldin, the Chief Science Officer and a Co-Founder of MIPS. However, in this interview, Peter is wearing another hat (helmet?) and speaks about his role as the Convener of the Working Group 11 (WG11). In short, WG11 is working to bring rotational-based testing to helmet safety standards, and the goal is to help reduce the number of brain injuries suffered from cycling crashes. Where things get a little confusing is that the likes of Rudy Project and Kask have already started promoting that their helmets meet WG11 test standards. This episode clarifies what this working group is, what the testing involves, and what the future of helmet safety may look like.

    43 min
  11. Looking under the hood of Shimano Di2

    08/12/2022

    Looking under the hood of Shimano Di2

    Welcome back to the CyclingTips Nerd Alert podcast! This week tech editor Dave Rome chats about the things to know with Shimano’s new Di2 12-speed shifting and how it differs from previous generations. And what better guest to speak to about common issues, limitations, fun features, and things to look out for than the Di2 nerd himself, Terry Seidler of BetterShifting.com.

    51 min
  12. High fashion meets high tech: the science of cycling clothing

    04/30/2021

    High fashion meets high tech: the science of cycling clothing

    Cycling apparel may look similar between various brands, but when you dig a little deeper, there are often seemingly small variations that can make a world of difference in terms of how well they work out on the road. In other words, that tag may say “polyester” on it, but that only tells one tiny part of the story — and it’s time to learn a little more about the rest of it.

    54 min
  13. Electronic shifting is supposedly what people want — but is it what they should want?

    04/23/2021

    Electronic shifting is supposedly what people want — but is it what they should want?

    The Nerds have an awful lot of tech news to talk about this week, such as SRAM’s recent decision to seemingly go all-in on electronic shifting, the ins and outs of two big high-end wheel introductions, the unmentioned pitfalls of fully internal cable routing for everyday enthusiasts, and some big changes for DT Swiss’s workhorse hubs. There’s also been yet another push in the drivetrain friction front from Silca that uses... diamonds? Finally, we debate the ideal gravel bike in a What Bike Should I Buy segment for a new gravel rider on a “flexible budget.”

    1h 6m
  14. Desperate times call for desperate measures

    08/20/2021

    Desperate times call for desperate measures

    We all know there’s still a massive worldwide parts shortage going on. Need a chain? Cassette? A suspension fork??? Ha ha, good luck with that. Groupsets may be particularly hard to find, but it’s important to remember there are more options than just Shimano, SRAM, and Campagnolo. Are off-brands like Microshift truly diamonds in the rough, or is it yet another example of you-get-what-you-pay-for? The Nerds also chat about how the most recent Strava updates might help prevent bike thefts, an encouraging new way to buy refurbished cycling clothing, and the pros and cons of $30 socks. Last — but certainly not least! — we reveal the banging new jingle for our Ask a Mechanic segment.

    1h 12m
  15. Flat tires and sketchy brakes — it’s Field Test time again!

    06/23/2022

    Flat tires and sketchy brakes — it’s Field Test time again!

    This week’s episode comes to you live from Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where we’ve assembled four testers and a video team to evaluate ten different bikes. We’ve split them into six gravel and four road models this time around, with a focus on lower-priced options. The full reveal will come a bit later once we’re all done with testing, but let’s just say some of the bikes have already genuinely surprised us with how good they are, while others have made some unforgivable missteps.

    40 min
  16. Expensive vs. budget carbon wheels, and why Wahoo should look down, not up

    05/27/2021

    Expensive vs. budget carbon wheels, and why Wahoo should look down, not up

    In this week’s episode, The Nerds chat about some cool parts and accessories Dave saw at the recent Handmade Bicycle Show Australia, including some hyper-expensive wheels from Partington that are trying to go head-to-head with Lightweight. Carbon wheels have gotten incredibly good at the opposite end of the price spectrum, and we make the argument that, unless you’re dripping with cash, it’s awfully tough to justify the price premium. Speaking of which, we also chat about Wahoo Fitness’s new Elemnt Bolt GPS cycling computer, which makes us wonder where the company might go from here. A new high-end model sort of makes sense, but a killer budget model even more so.

    1h 14m
  17. The future of aero wheel development might be a bit rocky

    07/22/2022

    The future of aero wheel development might be a bit rocky

    Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and wind tunnels have long been the primary tools used by wheel engineers and aerodynamicists. However useful they are, though, they’re still based on laminar airflow — those picture-perfect parallel lines you see in illustrations — that doesn’t necessarily reflect real-world conditions. So what happens if you introduce a degree of turbulence to the R&D process? Do things change? Can the wheels get better? And what might this mean for bikes and other gear in general? Buckle up for this one; we’re about to get real nerdy here.

    56 min
  18. Suspension on gravel bikes

    10/20/2022

    Suspension on gravel bikes

    One fun fact came out during our discussions with Specialized engineering mastermind Chris D’Aluisio: much of his testing of the company’s new Diverge STR fully suspended gravel bike has been on tarmac with a full complement of road components. In his words? “It’s awesome!” That got us thinking, especially given D’Aluisio’s background in Moto GP racing: if full suspension is good for gravel, then might it also make sense on the road, too? Give this one a listen before you pick up the pitchfork.

    39 min
  19. You can 3D print that

    09/16/2022

    You can 3D print that

    Welcome back to the CyclingTips Nerd Alert podcast! This week senior tech editor, Dave Rome, gets to cover something that has become a personal hobby of his – 3D printing. Joining Dave is Brian Park, the editor-in-chief at Pinkbike and Chris Heerschap, an engineer, bike mechanic, Veloclub member and 3D print extraordinaire. These two tinkerers have both created, designed and manufactured their own saleable 3D-printed products (such as a few covered on Pinkbike this week). From the basics of home 3D printing to some fun projects, and a chat about where the tech may be headed, there's plenty to take in.

    1h 16m
  20. How to make the perfect disc brake

    02/03/2020

    How to make the perfect disc brake

    This week, James chats with brake engineer John Thomas about the difficulties in perfecting disc brakes, and how the very nature of the way we put bikes together these days makes it almost impossible to make them completely silent.  Then, we pepper pro mechanic Zach with audience questions, and help Jakob pick a new bike in a contentious What Bike Should I Buy segment.

    1h 5m
James Huang on Apple