Bicycle Engineering in 2023 - Peak Torque Podcast Ep1 

You are dead right I do tend to sook too much about brand stuff, but I still feel there is a narrative worth following up about how sh*t (and wasteful) the bike industry is at marketing. Just like poorly engineered hub gets you fired up, when I hear a brand drops $40k on some former pro 'influencer' because he's mates with the guy in sales .. it gets me going. I know it comes off as jealousy, so that's on me to improve the way I have that discussion. ps. more PT pods!

Please make this a thing, ideally on the podcast players so we don’t have to have RU-vid on while doing jobs/riding

Light hearted chat. All the chapters in description. Safe drive home for Christmas and turn the screen off.

Love watching PT getting triggered on a technical point (the reality of being an engineer in an increasingly dim world) fully empathize.

All views expressed are my own personal opinions. All people / companies / events mentioned are fictional. Any relation to real world entities is purely coincidental. 🤣Also, I made a couple of mistakes in my answers. The price of T800 should have been 30mb and T1100 should have been 600rmb. I'm sure I had some other brain farts too.. but... it was a fun podcast! Thanks for having me Peaky boy!

Respect for the preparation Alex! (eg reading Canyon reports). Your podcast is not just giving an opinion, it is interpretation and market knowledge combined with your opinion. That is why it is much more informative than many other videos and podcasts. Joe knows marketing and RU-vid, that's obvious. And I love his inside knowledge of the Chinese market. Content on social media is always changing and Joe has a clear vision of what is happening. His examples about micro influencers and RU-vid's algorithm are spot on. Next: RU-vid long format FTW. I think you can have your place in this crowded cycling podcast scene too!

I don't mind watching the Nero Show Podcast but I don't come away from it with any new knowledge. Which kind of makes it a waste of time. This episode 1 of Peak Torque was engaging and more informative. The experience you guys have and share with us is what I what to know more about. Kudos for doing just that.

Yeah, I'd like a more engineering side of things podcast. I'm a kit junkie as I'm sure a lot of others here are and whilst I like the likes of the Nero / Cade shows i don't feel like I've actually come away from listening to them having learnt anything new other than race updates, new sponsorship deals and the usual press releases that are already all over the Internet. Its just the news with a few opinions thrown in. I love the actual bikes I love working on them I love eeking what ever performance I gains I can from them be it aero, suspension mods, rolling and mechanical drag anything that surrounds making bikes faster without resorting to recumbent which I also like but see as a totally different area of cycling a great one but still a different one.

Bambini must be happy with his 3x pay raise at Canyon!

32:00 regarding modulation; 1, the brake force of disc brakes is close to the hub and 2, not subject to conditional changes that rim brakes are greatly affected by, as well as the material the rim in manufactured from. So point 1, I've always considered that better modulation is achieved on disc brakes through the applying overall higher force at slower speeds due to being close to the centre of the wheel and countered by the rotational mass of the wheel. The overall higher forces on a disc brake set up means that the variants in forces that there will be are a less percentage of the overall force than on rim brakes, despite the lever throw differences that may, or may not, be in rim brake's favour. Point 2, any contaminants on the rim surface will exacerbate brake force efficacy through inconsistent surface friction and being at the outside edge therefore being more susceptible to frictional changes. But what do I know I spend my evenings scrubbing neck sweat from my blue-collared shirts

PT thank you! Great conversation, great wide ranging discussion, width engineering and market coverage. It was just about long enough to listen to while cleaning my bike's drive chain!

Great vid, more of this in 2024!

Unbiased engineering and science knowledge. Its a win-win for honest brands and consumers. This is a podcast i'd subscribe to

Another reason pro riders ran aluminium bars was back in rim brake days it was a way to add weight to a bike to get it up to 6.8kg.

Super start for, I hope, more pods coming!! Thanks PT and Joe, Happy Xmas and a prosperous 2024 to all!! Rgr

Excellent podcast PT.I got a pair of rim brake prime wheels when that sale was on £275 and went to £160, a couple of days later £100!!!.I got them and within a couple of days low stock count and jumped back up to £275.

Enjoyed it very much. Keep them coming if your time allows.

Congrats on you first podcast, very interesting and glad to see you doing podcasts.

Always nice to hear Joe’s opinions

Love this format for you guys, I’d definitely love a frequent podcast with tech focus in the bike industry!

More please! The basics of a good podcast for me is a couple of people chatting about what they love and you guys nailed it. Long form RU-vid at it's best 😄

I came back to watch this again. so good, funny and really great that its so casual and laid back. more please

Very nice. I watched all the way to the end and I enjoyed it. I say definitely do another. I think if you do what you normally do, your audience will like it, no matter how long the format.

Please continue! Very well done

Loved it! Please make it more frequent

Love it, definitely a place for your pod on RU-vid

Thank you guys! Make this a thing, more podcasts plz! 🖤

You both are insightful, knowledgeable and authentic. We need more of this! I have followed you both for years so to me this is a no brainier must watch. 😀 I would watch a weekly hour long show with you both. Maybe Hambini, Dylan, Silica, Dan Bigham, ect as guests. I HATE shorts and obsessively avoid any short format videos!!! Make this happen gents and I will be here.

intelligent conversation guys. Thanks

I don't normally comment but I would be really happy to see/hear more of this! Very interesting and informative chat!

Stayed to the end. Could have used this on my long drive yesterday when I couldn't find anything longer than 10 minutes worth listening to. Joe is brilliant, you're alright 😂 cheers mate!

Love it, keep em coming, good fodder for the festive 500.

Amazing podcast! Please keep it going. I really enjoyed all the topics and you guys are gone real deal about cycling industry! Cheers. Happy Christmas and votes for a happy new year

Wooh! Let's go!

love it! more POd

Interesting stuff, thanks guys.

Loved this!!

Awesome show. Please continue making a podcast version

Great content, keep doing it!

Thanks for the informative talk. 👍

Would love to continue watching this type of content from both. I support all podcasters and youtubers out there who are putting out cycling content, whether it's smart content like yours or just for fun. We all win. We viewers have it so much better than when it was just GCN. On a separate note, I wish there were more companies making nice aluminum bikes. A lot of people are pissed off with the prices on current bikes and the "good value" options are often shit carbon and components and you end up paying tons to make it what you want with upgrades. Finally, I'll start purchasing stuff from Panda Podium. Thanks!

Great pod, more of this please

Hey Joe, modulation is the ability to feel and adjust the braking force. Rim brakes use a rubber pad and flexible cables/housing, so it can never have the ability to modulate as a disc because of the flex and squish in the system.

Keep them coming! 👌🏼

Dear god another cycling podcast ? "A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one !"

If the UCI are genuinely concerned that turned in levers makes braking unsafe they would have banned TT bikes years ago. They're banning turned in levers because they don't like the look of them, they just don't want to say that.

Love for this to be a more regular show

Solid podcast, id be down to watch more 👍

I love it and will be waiting for the next episodes.

Good stuff; informal and informative. Keep the deeper tech bias and you're on to a winner.

Good Video Boys…….Peak Torque and Panda Joe always informative as usual…….Loved It…..❤

29:48 Word.

Keep doing more. This is great!

"they gave all the janitors pay rises" may not be off too far as inside canyon there was quite a bit of fighting about payment and unionizing this year. And here in Germany, that's a serious thing..

Yes please keep these coming

I just listened to the whole episode (audio only) on Spotify. It was great I would listen to more of them 😊.

This was awesome! I've really enjoyed it and I think it complements well, imho, the Nero Shows. I like Chris and Jesse because they are not afraid to give their opinion, and they definitely bring a more racing / look nuance to things, and I've enjoyed this one for similar reasons, and with your nuance on engineering and how it all relates to China, where in the end of the day everything is made. Please make it a regular thing.

Pretty good. Need more.

Really nice podcast, i hope there will be an Episode II

Keep the edge and honesty as much as possible! Where do we as enthusiasts (fellow mechanical engineer here, though automotive) get proper technical and market info? Cheers and all the best into 2024!

Absolute class 🤌🏻

I dig it!

1:46:59 guess I'm one of the mad ones. Enjoyed this pod, and the one you did with Joe and Hambini a while back. Would definitely tune in if this becomes a regular series.

I enjoyed this. I say just make an episode when you feel like you have enough to talk about. FYI on the Shimano recall in the US. My local shop told me they'll take back and replace any crankset that is sent in. I had two 2018 DA cranksets. Sent both back. Will be replaced with the new versions. One was a Stages. Apparently Shimano will send me a check for $350 and Stages will install a new PM for that amount.

I think you need to do more of these, it was really good.

I enjoyed this video podcast immensely. I hope you do more!

I enjoyed that thanks

Made it to the end - probably got a foot in both camps to be honest! Would love to have this as a regular podcast. I've got a 2 hour daily commute, so engaging podcasts are my go-to listen in the car.

If you think there is too little topics you don't have to do podcast weekly but I will always watch this.

😂 That was a wild ride.

Id be interested to hear you talk aero and gravel with Ben Delaney.

Human efficiency testing e.g. standing vs sitting would be v. cool!

This was great!

Start a regular podcast 👍 always enjoy listening to you and the other rebels.

I really like this content, I love how all you guys know each other and talk about each other's podcasts. It's like the Marvel universe ❤

More of this content please

Great podcast thanks! Just got ill so had plenty time to listen. I think will be difficult to sustain regular content but as a surprise one off when ever you can/feel like could work. Agree with you that forced content leaves an unpleasant taste and content of choice hopefully can stage a comeback in 2024.

great pod cast. Keep it going. The Nero show has its place, you and Hambini are the other bookend. Chris and Jessy bring the emotive connection to cycling, you bring the hard technical aspects whci I enjoy because I understand the technical stuff deeply

Glad to know that Peak Torque is finally involved in the product development cycle. It does seem like he's gotten more understanding of the business side of things as well.

I think Joe is correct regarding composite flex. Small frames are always used for strength/fail tests, because if they pass, the larger sizes with the flex to absorb some of the force always pass. Unless the flex is severe enough to cause a clearance issue.

Thumbs up to the idea of a regular podcast. But also thumbs up to the tiktok of you dancing in front of a freewheel soundcheck... ;-)

I know with campag hoods, the levers are curved to match the bend of the drops. I ride with my levers in a bit. If I tilt them in more, I’d have to loosen the clamping screws because the radius of the levers becomes too tight for the bars. Effectively there’s two sharp points of contact at the top and base of the lever and unequal pressure on the actual clamp. I’m not sure if this is just how campagnolo levers are designed, but it definitely seems like it would be dangerous to ride with the levers turned in that extreme with the bolts clamped to spec and I don’t hear anyone acknowledging this.

1:43:18 Lots of informed opinion on this podcast, but this part is 100% undeniable truth

Keep them coming, you should do one with Dylan focussed on Gravel. I think it it will start gaining more traction in the uk, I can only speak for myself but I think roads are just so unsafe right now. Too many cars and too many crap drivers.

Your format will always be niche, and will always be watched or listened to by like minded people looking for information while multitasking life, family, play and jobs! Personally I use these types of Podcast/long form content while maintaining my Bikes and rc models or while riding to not waste that time later on content consumption. How many of us enjoy information vs stories is unfortunately the core issue. I also have few friends and used to be an engineer so my opinion means very little to those who like fictional content.

On the topic of measuing efficiency. There is the corebody sensor that uses a heatflux to measure internal body temp + (not availlable to the public yet) can do calorimetry (decent enogh for the norwegian tri team). I also guess someone could use a NIRS to measure muscle's SmO2

Shortages could be Shimano? Trying to get GRXDI2 group sets in Australia complete currently is near impossible and if you can find it it costs more than the new Ultegra 12 speed. This is not limited to Canyon though.

Best long form content so far. Markedly more enjoyable and relatable than the Nero Show, which I am generally a fan of. Great work fellas'.......chapeau

More good stuff chaps

With you on rim brakes. Disc brakes are great, but for many applications, I'd rather spend the $500+ difference on improving other components.

btw. I appreciate a good rant video. So next time: go for it 😄

Re: wiggle it was their parent company that went broke that was running multiple companies and lost finance from their investor. Consequently, they couldn't fund the constituent companies. That was my understanding. Ie I don't think it was a purely wiggle issue

This was good 👍

Hi Alex and Joe, really enjoyed this podcast, interesting topics and always entertaining. If you’re in any doubt about making this a regular thing then please be assured there are many people who would get great value out of this, personally I would subscribe for a small fee. What you have is a clear link to both the industry and the engineering, add in guests with their own interesting topics and you’ve got a great platform. As much as the Cade podcast and the Nero show are entertaining I feel they have slightly different ideas that are not so interesting as this one. Have a great 2024!

Watched this just because had 2 hour session on a bike trainer. In audio format definitely would be much easier to digest ) good luck and thank you for a discussion)

Primo content. Keep it going. 90 mins is perfect if you’ve got the topics. Long form is hard but is great as a viewer/listener. Try Riverside for the video and audio recording, prob the best out there.

I was wondering why i had so many commercials, and you fuys said at the end lut was like a free trial version.... Commercial like every 6-7 minutes... Was mind numbing, but a good podcast

Re: Rotor they bet the farm on and completely shit the bed on their ridiculous hydraulic shifting 1X group set. It set them back years.

I have switched to discs as well this year. I absolutely agree with Joe on modulation though. Also people talk about discs having better "feel" Lever - solid metal wire - calipers a mechanical connection versus Lever - liquid - calipers There's no way you're feeling disc brakes more than rim brakes.

if you have weak hands disc brakes are good, i find it very easy to lock up my rim brakes and can control panic skids relatively easy. not sure why i would ever use disc on road