Thursday, September 5, 2013

Three Cycling Podcasts You Should Listen To

With new music continuing it's long, slow descent into vulgarity, boredom and auto-tuning, I've taken to spending my commutes listening to podcasts. After vetting quite a few, I look forward to listening to these three whenever a new episode is ready. Give them a listen and let me know what you think.

TourChats for Cycling Fans


TourChats was the first podcast I really got into. It's great for an inside and often humorous look at pro cycling, both on the domestic and ProTour fronts. Hosted by cycling journalists Neil Browne and Dan Wuori, TourChats brings in great guests like Phil Gaimon x2, Jeremy Powers, Kristin Armstrong and Jonathan Vaughters - getting their take on current events and the state of cycling.

I personally enjoy the way Neil and Dan play off of each other, and their ability to find both humor and seriousness in the sport. They also do a great job of involving their live audience by addressing their questions and even bringing them in live via webcam from time to time.

You can watch TourChats live on Spreecast or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

VeloVoices


VeloVoices' podcast is an offshoot of its popular cycling blog of the same name. I like this podcast because its sole focus is professional cycling in Europe. The hosts, Panache, Tim and Kathi, walk through all of the major events from the Classics through the Grand Tours - getting into the unique details of each stage. I credit VeloVoices for substantially improving my understanding of some of the sports idiosyncrasies and traditions, and also introducing me to not-so-well-known riders who have turned into super starts, like Nairo Quintana.

For each Grand Tour the team (which includes other bloggers and a supporting cast) provides live tweets during many of the stages, as well as previews and recaps before, during and after the event. If you don't have time for the podcast, at least follow @VeloVoices on Twitter. Just be prepared to deal with Kathi's close-to-lust attraction to Fabian Cancellara and his "sacred haunches." Sorry Kathi, it had to be said.

You can subscribe to the VeloVoices podcast on iTunes or visit their website.

Open Mic with Mike Creed


In the words of Neil Browne from TourChats, I'm going to say it once, and I'm going to own it - Mike Creed's podcast is awesome. Creed is a recently retired pro cyclist turned team director, who uses the relationships he has developed over his career to land awesome interviews like Ted King, Neil Rogers, Jonathan Vaughters, Lucas Euser, Katie Compton and more.

While the first two podcasts mentioned above are very polished, which is great, Mike's (we're on a first name basis now, not really) is just super raw and real. He does new intro music every episode that totally fits his honest/punk/deep personality and the tone of the interview. The interviews themselves are almost voyeuristic for the listener as it always feels like you just so happened to drop in on two old friends drinking a beer and reminiscing. That's what I love most about it. When Mike says to Ted King or Frankie Andreu, "hey, do you remember that time when we..." you really feel like you are sitting next to them, in their inner circle, no filters, just truth. It gets a bit uncomfortable at times, which I think only makes it more authentic and relatable.

My only advice with Open Mic is to start from the beginning so you can go through Creed's journey from the beginning of the podcast. You will have no regrets and will most likely come out calling him Mike too.

You can subscribe to Open Mic with Mike Creed on iTunes or listen to it on Cyclismas.


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