Episode Details

Featuring: Mike Levy, Josh Ross, Lisa Charlebois, and Logan Jones-Wilkins

This week is easily one of our favorite recent episodes. All four Velo podcast hosts—Lisa Charlebois, Logan Jones-Wilkins, Mike Levy, and myself—are together in the virtual studio, and things get incredibly spicy. Expect a lot of passion and plenty of heated back-and-forth as we debate drivetrain futures, prototype spy shots, and the true definition of bikepacking.

We kick things off with listener questions. What starts as straightforward bike-buying advice quickly devolves into an argument over whether bikepacking is strictly a gravel activity and if camping is actually required. Josh also gets a chance to double down on why there is more to a bike than its spec sheet, specifically making the case for the Cannondale CAAD14.

Next, the conversation shifts to the newly spotted 13-speed Shimano Dura-Ace prototype. Because the system still relies on wires, the analysis quickly spirals into a broader SRAM vs. Campagnolo vs. Shimano showdown. The crew splits on what matters more: Shimano’s shifting precision or the glaring gaps in the rest of the brand's ecosystem.

Finally, the main event. Following a week of dueling op-eds, Logan and Josh bring the drivetrain battle to the microphone. Is 1x the inevitable future of road bikes, or will the slow-to-change road market ensure 2x remains superior? Listen to the arguments, read the articles on the site, and vote in the Velo poll to settle the score.

00:00:00 - Intro

00:02:52 - Listener questions: Bikepacking definitions and the Cannondale CAAD14

00:25:45 - Shimano 2x13 prototype and the great drivetrain brand war

00:53:41 - 1x vs. 2x on the road

Read More on Velo

Front Derailleurs Are Living on Borrowed Time: Why 1x on the Road Is the Inevitable Future

Opinion: You Can Take My Front Derailleur When I am Dead

The Velo Drivetrain Poll: Is 1x or 2x the Future of Road?