Velo Podcast

Fresh off his record-breaking win at the 350-mile Unbound Gravel XL race, Rob Britton chats with Levy about his strategy, how he fuels for an ultra, and why an aero bar and suspension fork make so much sense. They also get into stopping for pee breaks, those low moments before being reborn with the sunrise, and how he mentally recovers from such a massive effort.

Unbound has become the epicenter for not just the latest gravel bike tech but also some of the most interesting equipment choices of the year. Alvin Holbrook spent the week in Emporia, Kansas, tracking the race and also tracking down prototype bikes from Orbea, Pinarello, and Specialized. He also found Lachlan Morton's Cannondale Topstone with its water-carrying Tailfin rack and custom front bag, some unreleased rubber from Pirelli, and what most of us would consider a reverse tire set-up that ended up winning the race.

Today's show takes a deep dive into two new bikes at opposite ends of all the spectrums: State's no-fuss 4130 All-Road sells for under $1,000 USD, and Cannondale's Topstone Lefty Gravel bike that employs a single-sided suspension fork and 30mm of rear-wheel-travel via a clever system combining built-in frame flex with a single pivot. Alvin, Josh, and Levy also dissect Zwift's new outdoor ride-tracking feature that may (or may not) eventually challenge Strava as many people's go-to app, and Alvin reports back on how using shorter cranks for the last five months has propelled him to new heights and watts... or maybe not?

This week's episode sees us go behind the scenes with Amy Charity, SBT GRVL co-founder and retired professional racer, to find out what it takes to organize one of North America's premier gravel races. Did you know that you can never have too many outhouses? Levy and Will take notes on how to find four hundred volunteers, and how to deal with permits, police, and politics while putting on an event that's both fun and safe. Additionally, we dig into the changes made to SBT, what the future of gravel racing looks like, and more Topics covered: * Too Many Races, Too Few Weekends: Gravel Racing’s Crowded Calendar is Headed Toward Collision [https://velo.outsideonline.com/gravel/gravel-racing/too-many-races-too-few-weekends-gravel-racings-crowded-calendar-is-headed-toward-collision/] * APPRVD! SBT GRVL Secures Green Light for 2025 [https://velo.outsideonline.com/gravel/gravel-racing/sbt-grvl-2025-race-permit-approval/] * Velo Podcast: $16K Cannondales, Thoughts From The Traka, and DT Swiss’s Not-So-Secret Weapon [https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-culture/velo-podcast-16k-cannondales-thoughts-from-the-traka-and-dt-swisss-not-so-secret-weapon/] https://velo.outsideonline.com/gravel/gravel-racing/sbt-grvl-2025-race-permit-approval/

New Tech Alert: A speedy all-road bike with all the tire clearance, an unreleased (and still embargoed) gravel bike, and a clever gravel suspension fork from DT Swiss make this a gear-focused show.  Senior Tech Editor Alvin Holbrook chats with Levy about riding Cannondale's completely redesigned Synapse that offers massive tire clearance, a best-in-class storage box, and integrated lighting that (might) finally make sense. Further, he explains how one battery powers all of it and the AXS derailleur. The price? $16,499.  He's also spent some time on a new gravel suspension fork from DT Swiss that features integrated brake hose routing and aero-ish shaping, and even got to use one while racing a very wet Traka 100 in Spain just a few days ago.  Topics covered: * First Ride: The New Cannondale Synapse Road Bike Gets Gravel Tire Clearance and Integrated Lights [https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-gear/first-ride-review-cannondale-synapse-lab71/] * Canyon’s Unreleased Gravel Suspension Fork Surfaces Again at The Traka [https://velo.outsideonline.com/news/canyon-suspension-fork-leak-the-traka-360-freddy-ovett/] * The Bikes of the 2025 Traka Gravel Race [https://velo.outsideonline.com/gravel/gravel-gear/the-bikes-of-the-2025-traka-gravel-race/]