The Bike Lane: The Stars Align

Season 3, Episode 6

Welcome to episode six of The Bike Lane’s third season. Matt Keenan is back in the hotseat after a week off but struggling with the humiliation of his Movember mo.

This week we're excited to have a packed episode with some special guests. We begin by talking about Gerry Ryan becoming the new Cycling Australia president; we talk to Richie Porte; we catch up with 2012 World Championship silver medalist Rachel Neylan who is without a contract; One of Australia's best ever middle-distance runners Craig Mottram (who has a VO₂max of 91!) has a crack at the Hot Lap; in our Healthy Living Tips we talk about weight loss strategies for cyclists; and finally for "What's on Your Mind" we discuss bunch riding etiquette.

In this episode we:

Discuss the appointment of Gerry Ryan as President and Adrian Anderson as interim CEO of Cycling Australia
Put your questions to Richie Porte
Chat to 2012 World Championship road race silver medallist Rachel Neylan about her rollercoaster of a season and what’s next for her
Learn some strategies for shedding those few extra kilos with Alan McCubbin, President of Sports Dietitians Australia, for the Health.com.au Healthy Living Tips
Talk about the etiquette of the bunch ride (for further reading, check out this piece: The Lost Art of the Group Ride)
Head to Yarra Boulevard to see how Australian middle distance runner Craig Mottram (who has a VO₂max of 91!) goes at The Hot Lap
Remind that you can help us raise money for men’s health through our Movember efforts (see link below to donate).

Be sure to follow The Bike Lane on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also subscribe to the show on iTunes by heading here or searching for “The Bike Lane” at the iTunes Store.

Special thanks to our season sponsor Health.com.au, Country Road for dressing us and to Malachi Moxon for letting us film the show at Northside Wheelers. Also, thank you to The Sweetshop, our production partner.

If you’d like to support the panel’s Movember efforts, you can donate to the CyclingTips Movember network here.

Tags: The Bike Lane

Matt de Neef

Discussion thread #1: We’ve asked the question before, but in light of Matt, Scott and Wade’s comments, is Gerry Ryan the right man for the Cycling Australia presidency?
- D
  
  I’m still unsure about whether or not Gerry is the right man for the job, however, coming from someone with a sailing background, I would strongly recommend that Gerry shouldn’t try to copy Yachting Australia…all the money goes to the 5/6 executives and other needless expenses and there’s very little available for the athletes
- velocite
  
  I’ve offered my view on this before - in support of Gerry - but I have very little idea about the challenge. What are the governance problems of CA and what would be the effect of fixing them?
  
  Specifically, what would we want Gerry’s targets to be?
Matt de Neef

Discussion thread #2: Can Richie Porte win the Giro next year?
- a different ben
  
  It’s shaping up to be the grand tour of the season!
  A TTT, a flat ITT, and a mountain ITT… I say yes he’s in the box seat at the moment. The last week of the Tour was where Porte really shone in 2013, so I would imagine he’d do well up the Zoncolan even.
  - donncha
    
    It will be tough. At this stage Quintana has to be favourite. Movistar can TTT as well as SKY and the steeper climbs in the Giro will favour Quintana over Richie.
- echidna_sg
  
  he can, but it depends on so many factors this far out on the calendar…
  
  Cadel should be right in the mix, he doesn’t need that much in the way of support to do well. Quintana (if it is his main focus for the year) in the mix… but who will support Ritchie in the way he supported Froome and Wiggo?
- Marc Evans
  
  Richie Porte is really boring to listen to. We are told about his great sense of humour…am I missing something here?
  - Scott McGrory
    
    It’s perhaps the Richie we get to know ‘off camera’ that the public don’t get to see that’s missing.
  - Wish I was on the bike…
    
    A laid back manner maybe, but has a twinkle in the eye and seems quick with a rejoinder. I’m hoping we’ll see more on the Bike Lane.
- http://subcontinentalcyclist.wordpress.com/ Ankush Agarwal
  
  Okay, I flopped with my prediction of Richie playing a role at the World Champs but he is definitely a top choice to win the Giro. Nibali is going to the Tour and so will Froome.
  
  And I don’t think Cadel is going to be a big problem for Richie. In the mountains, he’s way stronger than Cadel. If Quintana REALLY decides to do the Giro, then we may have the best GT of the season on our hands.
Matt de Neef

Discussion thread #3: How much of an impact do you think Tracey Gaudry’s appointment as UCI Vice President will have on the coverage and development of women’s cycling?
- donncha
  
  It’s the attitude shift within the UCI that will make the difference, not Tracey’s appointment per se. That’s not to say she won’t do a great job, I’ve no doubt she will, but if she’d been appointed whilst Pat/Hein were still in charge, would we be expecting any progress?
Matt de Neef

Discussion thread #4: Where do you think Rachel Neylan will end up next year?
- jules
  
  well she’s wasted talent behind the microphone, i can say that
  - Dave
    
    After her excellent commentary at the world championships while on the bench with injury I could happily cope with her calling men’s races on her non-race days.
    
    Her comments with Ant McCrossin were definitely far better than Phil and Paul with their mandatory half-hourly mentions of Jens Voigt’s age and number of kids.
- Mark
  
  Rachel Neylan, but listed as Rebecca Neylan in the graphic when speaking???
  - Matt de Neef
    
    Yep, we’re fixing that now.
- Wish I was on the bike…
  
  Great to see this intelligent and articulate athlete talk about how to recognise and overcome adverse situations. Also to recognise those who have supported her development. No doubt will land on her feet and succeed in whatever the next step is! Good luck Rachel.
- Notso Swift
  
  Well obviously she has a contract, so that is the most important thing, I am sure we will see her in team colours for the Bay series
Matt de Neef

Discussion thread #5: What nutrition strategies have you used to lose that pesky kilos?
- FT27
  
  Easiest way is to fuel with the right, healthy carbs. Brown rice, quinoa, beans are good. Lots of guys eat white bread, pastries ect after rides. That’s what works for me. Curious to hear what others say.
- jules
  
  i’ve stopped raiding the biscuits at work and this has helped me shed 2-3kg
  - Scott McGrory
    
    Jules some sacrifices are greater than others…lol Well done mate. But it does show ow much it’s about the little things. Get the basics right is the first key to coaching, same goes for diet.
    - jules
      
      i didn’t mention the buckets of ice cream in my freezer.. honestly it’s so easy for most of us non-pros to lose weight, as wade said most of us eat a lot of crap.
      - Ivan Von Dork
        
        Agreed, and to be fair, the crap that most of us eat is a function of corporatised food production as well. They deliberately make it as tempting as possible, for obvious reasons.
        
        Notso Swift
        
        And a factor of working 8-6 and having a family. I sometimes don’t get a chance to make lunch (where at least I know everything that goes into it) and the shop opposite sell South Melbourne Market Dim Sims, it is like a form of torture
        
        Scott McGrory
        
        Ah the ‘good’ old dim sim. Notso, my first cycling mentor Mike Stout from Mikes Bikes on the Gold Coast came down hard on dim sims. There was a take away shop next door and if I’d bought dimmies Mike wouldn’t let me back in his shop. At first I thought he was joking, he wasn’t…
        
        Dave
        
        He probably just didn’t want that distinctive MSG-tainted greasy post-dimmies smell in his shop, it clashes with the nice smell of fresh rubber tyres.
        
        Thankfully these days there are a decent number of places selling cold rolls and sushi where previously there was only the option of deep-fried crap.
- http://davidjohnstone.net/ David
  
  I chose the right parents.
- a different ben
  
  Assos man says the Zone diet keeps him trim. Seems to work damn well for him!
  - dcaspira
    
    I laughed, then read the article :-)
    
    http://www.competitivecyclist.com/learn/behindthezeghos?cmp_id=sm_fbcc01
  - FT27
    
    Wonder if he is sponsored by them. Looks to me like a different version of weight watcher’s microwave meals. Not a fan.
- D
  
  high fat and less than 50 grams of carbs a day. After about three weeks your body will no longer rely on carbs to turn into glycogen, and instead it will turn your body fat into blood ketones which will be your body’s main fuel source. Not only does it help burn body fat, your body can hold about 20,000 calories worth of fat as energy whereas it can only store around 2,000 calories of glucose. Thus a longer lasting, more steady energy supply with no bonk
  - donncha
    
    And no top end. The high-fat is great if you’re a triathlete rolling around at 80% FTP all the time, but I wouldn’t want to race my bike on that diet.
    - D
      
      completely false, read “The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance” by Volek and Phinney (of no relation to Taylor or Davis). Dieticians like the guy featured just aren’t willing to recommend anything new due to the potential consequences for them if it doesn’t work
      - donncha
        
        No need to read a book, I’ve tried the diet. Careful accounting showed <20g/day carbs for over 6 weeks. Lost 5kg, felt great at sub-threshold efforts but just couldn't hit the numbers on hard intervals.
        
        D
        
        may be true, but if you’re trying to lose weight you wouldn’t want to be doing it during race season anyway. Losing the kg’s whilst building a base and then switching back to moderate carbs to produce the ATP required to hit top end speed is the best way to do it.
      - Neil
        
        Ridiculous. Dietitians recommend things based on evidence. Not enough evidence = no recommendation. CT looked at the high fat, low carb a while ago. Not enough evidence…
        I really don’t think its necessary to slam professionals with conspiracy theories like this is some anti-vac website.
        
        D
        
        Dieticians, especially those that work for and organization like Sports Dieticians Australia aren’t going to tell you anything other than what they’ve learnt at Uni. The low carb-high fat phenomenon wasn’t around when they all went through school. There is plenty of evidence behind it, but society isn’t willing to change what the norm AKA calories in vs calories out. The research has been done, and probably by people more qualified than most dieticians to be honest.
        
        http://www.artandscienceoflowcarb.com/the-art-and-science-of-low-carbohydrate-performance/
        
        NeilvdP
        
        I’ve spoken with Alan quite a lot over the past few years and I can assure you he hasn’t completed University and stopped reading! He is very proffessional and I think you probably need to give him a little more credit than in your above post! I’m sure he is well in touch with the research. He takes a very reasoned, well considered approach and doesn’t quickly jump onto trendy bandwagons, but don’t mistake that for ignorance!
        
        NeilvdP
        
        Having said that, I think there is a lot of merit in a lower carb diet! But it’s very difficult to achieve it in our current society- refined carbohydrates are EVERYWHERE! I find it an extremely difficult diet to sustain for this reason.
  - Tom
    
    your breath will stink of ketones, and no one will want to ride with you, your pancreas will scream obscenities at you, as you disrupt your insulin production requirements.
    Your fat won’t turn into ketones, ketones come about as a by product of fat metabolisation, and you will feel lethargic it with weeks of using body fat as a fuel. You will also cause the loss of brown fat, and that will disrupt your ability to thermoregulate.
    - Sean
      
      @Tom, D is more about marketing and the guys selling books. His so called diet is so deficient that people following it need to load up on stimulants, take supplements and search for so-called super foods to function throughout the day or complete their training. Alans previous article was quite balanced and he suggested we as competitive cyclists should probably ignore the faileo or fatkins diets. I’m still waiting to see any elite endurance athletes who ‘actually’ follow this sham of a diet.
- Mick
  
  Raw vegan. High carb.
  - D
    
    if you want to lose muscle mass
    - Sean
      
      Screw raw vegan. The said, Mr D it’s time you did some book learning. It isn’t hard to meet the daily protein requirements if someone is following a vegan diet. In fact most could probably do it in a meal + a snack. Do you even know how much protein you consume? Do you even know how much protein you need to consume? Do you think you need to eat animal flesh to build or maintain human flesh? Would one be able to improve on your logic by consuming human flesh? It’s all a bit silly really. Mick will only lose muscle if he sits on the couch like most of the population or fails to consume enough calories from a wide variety of REAL foods.
- GrahamWKidd
  
  Scott, I really wanted to hear what he had to say on losing the 10 - 15 kg’s. Did he answer that bit of your question, if so can we see that next week?
  - Nitro
    
    Ditto - thats the bit I need… When I started riding 3 years back I lost more than 15 kilos in 6 months… Problem is that I rapidly hit a plateau and can’t seem to lose more than about another kilo or so no matter what I try / how much I ride…
- Henry
  
  I mostly stopped eating sugar of any sort. Took about 4 weeks for my body to adjust and the fat was melting like butter in the sun on a Sydney summer day. Had lots of fat instead, but generally ate much less, didn’t feel that hungry anymore! No calories counting etc. just avoided food with sugar (cookies, cereals, banana bread, sweet drinks etc.) Now i hate the taste of sugar, only during a long ride or race i’m happy to have a chocolate bar or a gel.I’m still the fastest up the hill on the bunch ride.
- Tom
  
  You gave two scenarios in one, how to lose 2/3 kgs and how to lose 10/15 kgs, but no answer for the latter. So what is the best strategy for that.
  As an example, here are my dilemmas, sure it’s the same for many.
  I can only get out on the bike 3 days a week, but walk an hour each work day, I have little scope for preparing and making food for lunch, as a shift worker, breakfast is a lottery, lunch a 30min food fest, and getting home at 7.30 after work, don’t feel like cooking up a feast.
  So how do I ‘lose that weight’.
  - Arfy
    
    I’m not a sports scientist, so I can’t comment on diets, but I did lose 15kg a few years ago as I was quite overweight. The secret for me was not to concentrate on diet or weight, but to increase my physical activity. I certainly didn’t do this overnight, rather it took about 6mths to slowly build up my physical activity and lose most of the weight, but more importantly to establish a routine that fits into my lifestyle. For me this was bike riding. I actually found that as I increased my fitness, my desire for high-sugar and high-fat foods decreased as they didn’t replenish my body properly. I also found myself drinking much more water and snacking quite regularly on healthier alternatives such as fruits and nuts (rather than having two or three big meals which just fills up your gut and makes physical activity less attractive). I won’t wish you luck, rather I wish you the self-motivation and perseverance to get started and stick with it. Starting is always the hardest part, but the rewards are worth it!
    - Tom
      
      Thanks Arfy, good advice. I’m just time shy, not unmotivated, and certainly not need to loose 10 kg’s, more like 5.
      just moved back to perth, and thinking of cycling to work, 38 km round trip, so a free 152 km’s in the legs each week. That will bring the weight down.
- velocite
  
  A strategy which was popularized by Dr Michael Mosley’s program on SBS is intermittent fasting, specifically restricting your daily calories to 600 on two days every week. It’s supposed to offer a range of benefits, including putting your body into repair mode, improving blood chemistry etc. Gabe Mirkin has recommended it.
  
  I didn’t need to lose kilos but friends have done so using this approach.
  - Notso Swift
    
    I do this it works well on non training days
    
    Like a lot of people I know I should ride 5-6 days and recovery should be on the bike, but in fact my recovery days are non-training.
    
    Couple of eggs in the morning (120 Cal) black tea through the day and something generally Veg based at night it is quite easy to follow.
- tallmantim
  
  Riding with a power meter to track energy expenditure coupled with a food diary - running about 3000 Cal short each week, but making sure to fuel before big rides and races.
  
  I then realised that weight is never going to be a big issue (at 91kg people thought I had an eating disorder!) so just try to stay somewhat lean.
Matt de Neef

Discussion thread #6: What’s the best way of ensuring bunch rides are conducted sensibly and safely? Would you listen if someone like Scott McGrory (Olympic gold medallist) said you weren’t riding safely?
- a different ben
  
  Stop going along with the bad ones. Tell some of them why you left.
  - Daniel
    
    I would listen to McGrory (or anyone with wise words).
    
    So, how to tell the group?
    
    I did a Sat AM ride with a well known group and haven’t been back. The last 10km turned into a race with all the chaos that pushing to the limit and trying to hold a wheel include. I acknowledge I was a willing participant but I haven’t been back because I don’t want to be sucked into that pack mentality. Both for myself and family that rely on me I’m searching for road races that don’t exist in summer.
    
    Anyway, should I publicly name the group and be strong when I receive criticism? Send an anonymous email? I’m definitely not turning up again either to ride or tell them!
    - Dave
      
      Shop them to the cops if an immediate improvement in behaviour is not observed after sending them an email, same as you would with a cowboy car group racing on the streets.
- jules
  
  it’s human nature that behaviour deteriorates with the size of the group. imagine 30 guys out on the town on sat night. there’s no magic reason why cycling bunches will be safer. it’s up to the individual to behave, but the reality is there will inevitably be some who don’t and bring the whole bunch down - metaphorically or physically.
- Ivan Von Dork
  
  Would I listen, yes, of course.
  
  However, this is what works with the training group that I am one of the organisers of - and we’re talking about 80 riders showing on certain days of the week for some perspective. What we do occasionally is we stop the entire ride, across all grades, at the very start and one of us will address the group about the subject at hand. Sometimes we will remind riders of the Rules of Engagement too.
  
  Doing it this way works for the following reasons, you establish clearly who is in authority. Everybody understands the chain of command from that point on. If you need to establish a certain etiquette, that’s what works best. Everybody is on the same page. It might seem draconian or a bit control freakish, but believe me, large training bunches respond very well to this technique.
  - Alex
    
    I reckon that this is a great way of establishing the code that the bunch will ride by. It establishes from the beginning what the etiquette will be, and if anyone joins on mid-ride, they will have an example to follow.
    
    The worst groups are those that have a poor leadership that ride dangerously, and then set the example for riders behind to do the same to stay in the group.
    
    I have in the past and will in the future listen to anyone who can calmly (not screaming) guide me if they have something to say.
- mt
  
  I would absolutely listen to someone like Scott McGory’s riding etiquette advice and also listen to a rider much younger than myself who had more experience; You have to have a big enough ego to realise that age doesn’t qualify you as an expert and that there are many learned riders that you will always benefit from listening to. Good advice is priceless, sensibility can’t be assumed, and a good safe bunch ride is gold! ( As is Scott McGory’s tash!) ;-)
- Nitro
  
  Would absolutely listen to Scott - or any one of you guys (When are you organising Cycling Tips bunch rides - a question for another day!)…
  
  Problem I keep seeing is when bunches “vacuum up” ever increasing numbers of people as they go along.
  
  Beach Rd is famous for it. You start with a well organised bunch of people you know / trust, but everyone you go past pushes like mad to jump on the back, and then all hell breaks loose.
  
  I’m seeing more and more bunches get their own kit organised which makes it easier to see who’s with who / makes it a lot less likely for “outsiders” to push in and make it dangerous for all.
  - Notso Swift
    
    Simple - Don’t ride beach road on the weekends
    We go out in kit, but don’t mind interlopers who tow the same line, very rare to have anything but a good experience… on week days
    - Nitro
      
      My dont-tell-everyone-top-secret strategy for Beach Rd on the weekends is go early. Really early. Between 5 and 6am on a Saturday morning you can have the place to yourself, enjoy the sunrise and get a decent ride in before the crowds come out to play…
- geoff Duke
  
  I know I am going to sound like an old coot but when I started racing, and even when Matt started racing, there were really no bunch rides that contained people who didnt or hadnt raced. The skills that you learned in racing, like holding your line, pedaling evenly, not throwing your bike backward, all those things became second nature, so a bunch training ride was safe and apart from the efforts,comfortable. We now have the entire reverse of that situation where a majority of people out there in group rides have never pinned a number on and don’t really want to be told how to ride. There is a larger social issue going on here where people have moved away from joining organizations and like to think they are more individuals and don’t want to be told anything. Funny how they want to look like their heroes though, and to quote Cormac McCarthy ” you cannot teach any creature to do that which its heart has no shape to hold “
  - Notso Swift
    
    I’ve liked it and I have to comment on the like!
    It only takes a couple of races and “they” would never do a bunch ride the same way again.
    When it comes to riding a bike we may all be hubbards, but we don’t need to be muppets!
  - Tom
    
    Very well put. There are. also , those who give out advice, unsolicited, because they believe, without even getting to know you, that you need it.
    
    To quote Baz Luhrmann
    ‘Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth…’
    - Sean
      
      Also consider, stupid people more often than not don’t realise they’re stupid. I also dislike the snobbery and elitism exhibited here and at some ‘city’ clubs. How about simply not training with the cowboy bunches. More people on bikes is a good thing. Next you’ll all be joining the fattie keyboard trolls on news(dot)com(dot)au and calling for them to be registered and to ride on the footpath.
      - Sean
        
        damn tom this was intended to be directed at you….apologies.
        
        Sean
        
        i meant wasn’t ….. bloody hell there goes my credibility.
Matt de Neef

Discussion thread #7: How good a cyclist do you think Craig Mottram could be if he dedicated himself to it?
- http://davidjohnstone.net/ David
  
  Guys like this could be a pro at whatever endurance sport they want. However, he looks fairly tall and wide, so maybe he’d be a better rower.
- NeilvdP
  
  He would have had the engine without a doubt, would he have the skills? Probably. There are rumours around Mount Beauty that he has climbed Falls creek in around 68-69mins, when he was doing a bit of riding as cross training while injured… That is super fast!
  - jules
    
    with 91 VO2max he is at minimum a pro, at best a potential Tour winner.
    - NeilvdP
      
      VO2max is probably not the best indicator. There are guys with really high VO2max’s who aren’t nearly as good as you would expect, also riders with lower VO2 max’s that do really well. But having said that, I would probably agree! As long as he wasn’t terrible at bike handling.
      - jules
        
        go on, tell us what yours and Paul’s is :)
    - Tom
      
      Don’t want to hijack this post, but here is a great link on VO2 max.
      Too many opinions on what it can and cannot mean. For instance, my VO2 has ranged between 74 and 71 over 25 years. Those who I have ridden with in the last few years, would doubt it would be so high.
    - Notso Swift
      
      More like a TT’er with his frame
- donncha
  
  Get him to have another go and ride on the drops this time. Should shave a second or two.
  - Matt de Neef
    
    I was yelling “Get in the drops!” at my laptop screen while watching that segment.
- echidna_sg
  
  It would also be interesting to know how he compares to his brother in terms of VO2 max -both elite athletes in very different disciplines…
- D
  
  It depends because unlike running, there’s so much muscular endurance required in the legs to be successful. All pros have years and years as a base of muscular endurance which running simply doesn’t require. It would take him some time to build up the amount of muscular endurance needed to perform at a high level
- MickyC
  
  If he wanted to he could become an absolute TT beast!
Ben Elvy

you may want to fix the “Rebecca” Neylan super
- Matt de Neef
  
  Thanks for spotting that. We’re on it.
Matt de Neef

Discussion thread #8: Most importantly, who’s got the best mo: Matt, Scott or Wade? And who’s going to have the best mo by the end of the month?
- http://davidjohnstone.net/ David
  
  I’m pretty sure Dirk Diggler was clean shaven. I can imagine Matt with a big Chopper-style mo, although it would make him look about 20 years older.
  - Scott McGrory
    
    David I reckon that was Susan’s point. Perhaps she wasn’t referring to my Mo…..! Just sayin!
    Well I can dream can’t I?
    - http://www.facebook.com/pmark1bike pmark1bike
      
      i think she meant Ron Jeremy! :-P
- Mick
  
  I think they are all pretty bad at this stage however Scott’s is a little better.
- Abdu
  
  Keeno looks like my kids after eating Vegemite toast, Wade looks like Sammy Sanchez’s brother Dirty, and McGrory looks like former US cyclist Tammy Thomas…kidding
  - Abdu
    
    Google Tammy Thomas shaving, it’s very funny…turns out the USADA tester arrived to test her and she had shaving cream on her face.
    - Scott McGrory
      
      That’s just nasty guys, truthful but nasty…lol
- http://subcontinentalcyclist.wordpress.com/ Ankush Agarwal
  
  Scott, hands down!
http://www.happyfamilies.com.au/ Justin Coulson

Bike lane posted… work stops. Love this show.
Mick

Absolutly love this show. Hang out every week for it and it fails to dissapoint. Wish it went for an hour.
- http://www.cyclingTipsBlog.com cyclingTips
  
  Thanks Mick!
Max

Wade - which brand are the fluoro cycling jerseys behind you? Gotta have that pink one!
Nick

The secret pro should do a hot lap, just get Wade to take him out to the boulie and blur him out on camera!!
- Nitro
  
  Check out CT’s Twitter feed - Looks like the secret pro has already done a hot lap - looking like The Stig…
- Matt de Neef
  
  No need to blur him out. His speed would take care of that.
  - Dave
    
    The Hot Lap being an individual time trial would rule out the Secret Pro being Andy Schleck.
http://www.cyclingTipsBlog.com cyclingTips

Discussion thread #9: What’s on your mind? Let us know what topic you’d like discussed next episode.
- velocite
  
  Under ‘Healthy Living’ recovery is a topic that would interest me. Should you ride or do nothing? What about eating? For days after a hard ride I have a big appetite. I recall Will Walker saying in a previous episode that last off season he had so many busy life things to do that he missed out on doing absolutely nothing, but maybe off season is a different sort of recovery. What’s the point of easy kilometres, it’s supposed to be all about intensity these days is it not?
- http://subcontinentalcyclist.wordpress.com/ Ankush Agarwal
  
  There has been some amazing bike development lately. Parlee has come up with a new model, R5Ca is there and the new S2, Giant’s all terrain bike, Spesh’s new Alu bike and many more.
  
  I would really like it if you could talk to a top bike designer and ask him to explain the whole process and philosophy of designing a new bike. Mr. Baum would be lovely.
- PeterC
  
  This ties in with your Tracey Gaudry - what would YOU do to improve womens cycling?
- dbranson
  
  Scott McGory please comment on Verbruggen threatened to disqualify Mapei.
Trav

Loved the show again guys. Scott’s comment at the hot lap cracked me up. You can get arrested for that. Haha.
- Scott McGrory
  
  Trav, Wade had suggested some time ago that where we do the Hot Lap is known as a bit of a dodgy area, if you know what I mean haha.
  - Abdu
    
    How does Wade know that…? At least it’s not called the George Michael segment on Strava like the toilets/turnaround at Mordi.