From Running to Riding to RED-S and Beyond with Cécile Lejeune
Marginal Gains Cycling Podcast, Presented by Silca
Release Date: 05/20/2025
Sea Otter Pt. 2 - Big Wheels Keep on Rollin'
Marginal Gains Cycling Podcast, Presented by Silca
Our first episode that covered the topic of 32 inch wheels focused on the bigger wheels being used on mountain bikes. Daniel Yang of Neuhaus Metalworks put us on a prototype rigid mountain bike and took us for a ride. It was eye opening. But it also raised questions. At Sea Otter we saw a shift by some builders and manufacturers as to where they thought the big wheels might perform best. Drop Bar bikes supported by 32 inch wheels were just as common as Flat Bars at this year's show. Straight line speed and all day comfort was the reason given for developing a 32er gravel bike over a...
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Sea Otter Pt. 1 - Hooked on Road Wheels
Marginal Gains Cycling Podcast, Presented by Silca
We're not afraid to share an opinion on this show. At no time was that more apparent then when Josh let his thoughts known about hookless road wheels. It caused a bit of a reaction in the industry to say the least. And while we have some firm beliefs on certain technologies, we also believe in fairness. Which is why at Sea Otter we gave some wheel brands a platform to explain what has become a somewhat divisive topic. Our guests work for three brands: ENVE, CADEX and Mavic. Two of them stand behind road hookless as a high performance and safe feature. The third has stuck with hooked...
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From Bike Magazines to YouTube with Ben Delaney
Marginal Gains Cycling Podcast, Presented by Silca
It feels like now more than ever it is important to find sources of information and reporting that are trustworthy. It used to be fairly easy: subscribe to a credible outlet and trust that said newspaper or magazine would have guardrails in place to get it right and to exercise fairness. As the internet and social media became the predominant sources we rely on, a lot of those guardrails were knocked down. It could be argued that the system in place now is more democratic. More wide open. More voices. But along the way the trust factor has taken a blow. That's why we wanted to talk to...
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Building Zipp with Andy Ording and Josh
Marginal Gains Cycling Podcast, Presented by Silca
Josh has spoken on many occasions about his time with Zipp. The engineering. The R&D. The wins. The fails. Josh was part of a team that changed the scene, both for pro and amateur racers. At the head of that team was Andy Ording. Andy took over Zipp from Leigh Sargent in 1998 and guided it through its glory days that Josh is so fond of. Andy's journey to carbon wheels is far from linear. A native of South Africa, he eventually found his way to the states via motorcycles. Andy's strengths are in sales and logistics and those strengths eventually led him to the bike industry. In this...
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AJA #49: Helping Fatty Everest (A Marginal Gains Intervention)
Marginal Gains Cycling Podcast, Presented by Silca
Fatty drops a bombshell: he's turning 60 and attempting an Everesting challenge this June — and he needs Josh and Hottie to marginal-gain every aspect of the ride. From course selection and bike setup to tire choice, chain wax strategy, pacing by heart rate, and why a leaf blower might be his secret weapon, the crew breaks down how to get a self-described "card-carrying AARP member with a paunch" up 29,029 feet of climbing on a decade-old bike.
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Rethinking Bidons with Bivo and Carina Hamel
Marginal Gains Cycling Podcast, Presented by Silca
Most of us hardly give those water bottles in our cages a second thought. It's plastic. It's there. It's got what we need. But in the late 20-teens, Carina Hamel and her partner started giving those bidons and second thought. And a third. And a fourth. And like a lot of new ideas, they thought, "There's got to be a better way." Their critical thinking led them to develop Bivo Bottles: stainless steel bottles that fit properly in bike cages. Since late 2020, Bivo has been trying to convince cyclists that they are better off with a metal bottle than plastic. They've made progress but the...
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AJA #48: Travel Kits, Drop Bar Drama, and Rants About Beeps and Boops
Marginal Gains Cycling Podcast, Presented by Silca
Josh answers listener questions about essential race-day gear, from what to pack for Cape Epic to whether digital torque wrenches are worth the beeping. We into Lifetime's controversial drop bar ban at Leadville, exploring whether safety concerns justify the change and what aero options remain for marginal gainers.
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Getting AiRO with Ingmar Jungnickel
Marginal Gains Cycling Podcast, Presented by Silca
For most of us getting into a wind tunnel is but a dream. Tunnels are hard to find and harder to afford. As an alternative Josh has recommended the Chung Method. It's proven yet it does take some expertise to get right. What if there were something in the middle? Something that is more accessible and less expensive than a wind tunnel yet doesn't require the hours of commitment and trial and error of field testing? Our guest believes he has just that. AiRO may sound like a company that is trying to latch onto the "AI" craze. But its founder, Ingmar Jungnickel, has been into cycling...
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AJA #47: Aluminum Velodromes, Forever Chemicals, Big-Wheel Aesthetics, and valve stem nerdery
Marginal Gains Cycling Podcast, Presented by Silca
This Ask Josh Anything grab-bag starts with Tucson’s new aluminum velodrome, evolves (devolves?) into altitude hacks for hour records, “no-rules” speed dreams, and holiday gift picks. From buying a kid’s first bike (and why chain waxing might be the cleanest parenting win) to ESG-minded shop habits, Roubaix wheel diameter fever dreams to, aero brake-hose routing, and the Clik Valve debate—this episode covers the weird, practical, and wildly opinionated. Happy Holidays!
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Melisa Rollins: From Hand-Me-Downs to Leadville Champ
Marginal Gains Cycling Podcast, Presented by Silca
Fatty sits down with 2024 Leadville champion (and his daughter) Melisa Rollins to discuss her meteoric rise from riding borrowed bikes to the professional peloton. Joined by fitter Barry Anderson, they dig into the biomechanical challenges of world-class power, the dangers of athletic stoicism, and the chaotic reality of stage racing in Africa.
info_outlineCécile Lejeune is a rising star in women's pro cycling, but this Frenchwoman (and now Arizonian) is no stranger to speed. With roots in Tri and a number of impressive running records in her native country, Cécile has been challenging herself since the age of 12. A RED-S survivor, Cécile brings an inspiring and candid story to this year's Life Time Grand Prix, where she currently sits in a top-10 ranking. This is even more impressive when you consider that last year she wasn't even accepted into the race.
With a love of gravel, tips on where to get married in a hurry, and an outsized helping of wisdom, this conversation with Cécile is not one to miss.