SILCA

Fatty sits down with 2024 Leadville champion and his daughter, Melisa Rollins, to discuss her rapid rise from riding borrowed bikes to competing in the professional peloton. Joined by fitter Barry Anderson, they explore the biomechanical challenges of high-level power, the risks of athletic stoicism, and the chaotic nature of stage racing in Africa.

Josh tackles why we’re still pinning race numbers instead of printing them on jerseys, then dives into the tech story behind Silca’s translucent TPU tubes. We talk about real-world marginal gains for everyday riders, and Fatty's recommendations for indoor training setups. Last but not least, you do NOT want to miss Josh’s unfiltered take on the UCI–SRAM 10-tooth cog controversy.

We rarely chase trends or product announcements on the Marginal Gains Podcast. The news of the day we mostly leave to other shows. So allow us while we make an exception to our normal behavior and take a stab at the 32 inch wheel. 

The wheel size is not the new thing here. It's the tire that's creating some buzz. A viable, tubeless mountain bike tire to be precise. When Maxxis started showing its 32 inch Aspen, bike builders took notice. Some fired up their CAD programs to see if they could make it work. Using heat and steel, drawings were then turned into something rideable. One of those designers is Daniel Yang. Yang MFG and Neuhaus Metalworks have produced the Nova; a mountain bike buit around the 32 inch wheel. Steel, fully rigid, geared or single speed. 

We met up with Daniel on the trail and took the Nova for a test ride. After, we sat down at a park picnic table for a discussion on what it took to fit these wheels into a frame, who this bike is for and who it is not for and what could be mountain biking's next big move. 

Hear why that “psst” when you pull the chuck is just hose air (not lost PSI), how to set smarter pressures for tandems and “big-butt” weight splits using a bathroom scale, and what tread actually grips on loose-over-hard. Josh also demystifies analog vs. digital gauge accuracy (and drift) and tackles the carbon-on-the-cheap question—when a bargain is fine, and when it’s a dentist bill waiting to happen.

Alexey Vermeulen’s BWR California Recap: Lessons, Legs & Legacy

April was packed with travel, goals, and hard-fought efforts—but for Alexey Vermeulen, BWR California remained the centerpiece. After flying high at Levi’s Gran Fondo, the legs didn’t quite have the same fire in San Diego. Despite less-than-ideal prep and a solo chase for 3rd, Alexey found grit, rhythm, and perspective on the brutal out-and-back course.

“You HAVE to save something for the return trip.”

From tire choice to travel chaos, dive into Alexey’s full BWR CA report to see how he managed 3rd place on the ENVE FRAY and what makes this course so special to him—even when the win is out of reach.