The cycling podcast space in 2026 looks nothing like it did five years ago. There are now over 200 active English-language shows covering everything from Belgian kermesse results to VO2max protocols to bikepacking across Mongolia. That's a lot of audio to wade through, and most of it — let me be really clear about this — is not worth your time.
I've spent the last year listening to all of them so you don't have to. Some are brilliant. Some used to be brilliant and have lost the plot. Some are niche enough that they'll change the way you train if you find them.
What follows is a genuinely honest ranking. Yes, our podcast is on the list — it'd be strange if it wasn't, given that you're reading this on our site. But I've tried to be fair about what each show does well, where it falls short, and who it's actually for. If a show is better than ours at something specific, I'll tell you.
Here's the list, broken into six categories.
Best Cycling Podcasts for Training & Coaching
These are the shows that will actually make you faster. Not just entertain you on a commute — genuinely change the way you train.
1. Roadman Cycling Podcast
What it is: Long-form interviews with the coaches behind Grand Tour performers, sports scientists, and pro cyclists — translated into actionable advice for serious amateurs.
Why it's here: This is our show, so take it with whatever grain of salt you need. But here's why over 100 million downloads happened: we get access to people like Dan Lorang (Head of Performance at Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe, long-time coach to Jan Frodeno and Anne Haug), Professor Stephen Seiler (the researcher who codified polarised training), Joe Friel, John Wakefield of Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe, and Lachlan Morton. The format is simple — I sit down with the best minds in cycling performance and ask them what they'd tell a serious amateur who trains 8–12 hours a week. No fluff, no sponsors reading ad copy for ten minutes, no generic motivational nonsense.
Best for: The rider who wants to understand why a training method works, not just what to do. If you want the actual sessions the pros use, adapted for people with jobs and families, this is where you start.
Episode to try first: The Dan Lorang episode on how he builds a plan for the amateur rider.
Apple Podcasts · Spotify · YouTube
2. Empirical Cycling Podcast
What it is: Deep-dive exercise physiology with Kolie Moore. If Roadman is the conversation at the coffee stop, Empirical Cycling is the university lecture that follows — in the best possible way.
Why it's here: Kolie Moore doesn't simplify things. He walks through the actual mechanisms, cites the actual studies, and isn't afraid to disagree with conventional wisdom. His episodes on FTP testing methodology and lactate dynamics are some of the most important cycling content produced in the last five years. Nobody else goes this deep on the physiology.
Best for: Cyclists who want the full scientific picture, not just the headline. Self-coached athletes who make decisions based on understanding mechanisms, not following prescriptions.
Where it's weaker: Episodes can run two-plus hours. Not ideal if you want a quick answer. The depth is the product, but it's not always accessible to newer riders.
3. Fast Talk
What it is: Training science presented by Trevor Connor and co-hosts, with a structured format that covers one training topic per episode with expert guests.
Why it's here: Fast Talk sits in the middle ground between Empirical Cycling's depth and a more general training podcast. The production quality is high, the guest roster is strong, and they're good at distilling complex topics into practical takeaways. Their library of episodes on periodisation, interval design, and race preparation is one of the best standalone training resources online.
Best for: Intermediate to advanced cyclists who want structured, well-researched training content without needing a physiology degree to follow along.
Where it's weaker: Can feel a bit formulaic. The format doesn't always allow for the kind of free-flowing, surprising conversations that come from longer-form interviews.
4. TrainerRoad — Ask a Cycling Coach
What it is: Q&A format with TrainerRoad's coaching team, answering listener training questions with a heavy emphasis on their Adaptive Training platform.
Why it's here: If you use TrainerRoad, this is essential listening. The coaches are certified, the answers are specific and numbers-driven, and the format works — real questions from real riders getting real answers. It's also a good window into how AI-adaptive training platforms think about prescription.
Best for: TrainerRoad users. Riders who like structured, data-heavy coaching advice.
Where it's weaker: Very platform-focused. If you don't use TrainerRoad, some of the advice is hard to apply directly. The host rotation can be inconsistent.
Best Cycling Podcasts for Pro Race Analysis
If you watch professional cycling and want to understand what's actually happening — the tactics, the power numbers, the team dynamics — these are the shows.
5. The Cycling Podcast
What it is: The original and still the benchmark for pro race coverage. Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie have been doing this longer than almost anyone, with daily episodes during the Grand Tours, deep access to teams and riders, and a roster of guests that includes former pros and directeurs sportifs.
Why it's here: During the three-week stage races, there's nothing better. The daily format means you get analysis while the race is still warm. Friebe's writing background brings a literary quality that most cycling podcasts don't even attempt. Their long-form off-season episodes on cycling history and culture are consistently excellent.
Best for: Any cycling fan who follows the pro peloton. Particularly strong during the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, and Vuelta a España.
Where it's weaker: Less useful for training or coaching content. The focus is almost entirely on pro racing.
6. Lanterne Rouge Cycling Podcast
What it is: Tactical and data-driven race analysis from Benji Naesen, originally founded by Patrick Broe. The sharpest analytical show in cycling, with climb wattage estimates, team strategy breakdowns, and a willingness to make predictions and be wrong.
Why it's here: Lanterne Rouge does something nobody else does as well — they treat professional cycling like a sport with explainable tactics, not just a spectacle. The classics coverage is arguably the strongest single-episode product in cycling media. The crossover between their YouTube race previews and the podcast creates an ecosystem that rewards engaged fans.
Best for: Fans who want to understand why a race played out the way it did, not just what happened.
Where it's weaker: Very much a racing show. If you're looking for training advice, this isn't the place.
7. The Move
What it is: Founded by Lance Armstrong and George Hincapie, now a broader cycling analysis platform. Daily episodes during Grand Tours with strong production values.
Why it's here: Whatever you think of the founders, The Move's Grand Tour coverage is watchable and well-produced. The insider perspective — from people who've actually raced Grand Tours — brings a dimension that pure analysts can't replicate.
Best for: Casual to mid-level cycling fans who want accessible race analysis with personality.
Best Cycling Podcasts for Nutrition & Health
8. That Triathlon Show
What it is: Mikael Eriksson covers triathlon training and nutrition with a depth that's directly applicable to cyclists. Strong episodes on periodisation, body composition, and fuelling strategies for endurance sport.
Why it's here: Don't let the triathlon label put you off. The nutrition and training science episodes are among the best in endurance sport — period. The episode archive is enormous and well-indexed by topic.
Best for: Cyclists who care about nutrition, body composition, and the intersection of training and health. Particularly useful for cyclists who come from or cross over into triathlon.
9. Fuelcast (by Precision Fuel & Hydration)
What it is: Short, focused episodes on hydration and fuelling strategy from the team behind one of the most respected sports nutrition companies in endurance sport.
Why it's here: They talk to the practitioners — the nutritionists who actually feed World Tour teams during Grand Tours. Practical, specific, and grounded in real-world application rather than theory.
Best for: Any endurance athlete who wants to nail their fuelling strategy. Particularly good for sportive and gran fondo riders preparing for big events.
Best Cycling Podcasts for Culture & Storytelling
10. Escape Collective — Spin Cycle
What it is: Biweekly cycling news analysis from the team behind one of the best cycling media outlets operating today, hosted by editor-in-chief Caley Fretz.
Why it's here: Escape Collective brought serious journalism to cycling media in a way that didn't exist before. Spin Cycle is their audio product — shorter, tighter, and more news-focused than their long-form written work. They also produce tech-focused and women's-racing episodes that run 25–40 minutes.
Best for: Cyclists who want informed, journalist-quality analysis of the news, industry, and culture of cycling beyond just race results.
11. The Cycling Podcast Féminin
What it is: The women's racing companion to The Cycling Podcast, covering the women's peloton with the same depth and access as the men's equivalent.
Why it's here: Women's cycling has expanded significantly in the last three years, and the coverage needed to catch up. This show has. From expanding calendars to team finances to race analysis, it's the definitive audio source for women's professional cycling.
Best for: Anyone who follows or wants to start following women's professional cycling.
12. Life in the Peloton
What it is: Behind-the-scenes stories from current and former professional cyclists. The unfiltered version of what it's actually like to race at the top level.
Why it's here: Le métier — the craft of being a cyclist — is one of the most fascinating aspects of the sport. This show captures it. The stories you hear here don't appear on team press releases.
Best for: Cycling fans who love the human side of the sport.
Best Cycling Podcasts for Gravel & Adventure
13. The Gravel Ride Podcast
What it is: Craig Dalton covers the gravel cycling scene with interviews from race organisers, bike designers, and athletes. The show has grown alongside the gravel boom.
Why it's here: If gravel is your discipline, this is the podcast. Deep interviews, good technical coverage of equipment, and genuine insight into a part of the sport that's still defining itself.
Best for: Gravel cyclists and people curious about the discipline.
Best Daily Cycling News Podcasts
14. Cycling News Podcast
What it is: Short-form daily news updates from the Cycling News editorial team. Five to fifteen minutes, covering race results, transfers, and breaking news.
Best for: People who want to stay current without committing to a full episode. Good for commutes.
15. Velo Podcast
What it is: News and analysis from the Velo editorial team (formerly VeloNews). Similar format to Cycling News but with a slightly more American perspective and stronger coverage of US domestic racing.
Best for: US-based cyclists or anyone interested in the American racing scene.
How to Build Your Podcast Rotation
You don't need 15 podcasts. You need three to five that cover your interests without overlap. Here's how I'd build a rotation depending on what you care about:
"I want to get faster": Roadman Cycling + Empirical Cycling + Fast Talk. That gives you insider coaching access, deep physiology, and structured training science.
"I watch pro cycling and want to understand it": The Cycling Podcast + Lanterne Rouge. Between them, you've got every race covered from every angle.
"I do a bit of everything": Roadman Cycling + The Cycling Podcast + Escape Collective. Training, racing, and culture — three shows, no gaps.
"I'm preparing for a big event": Roadman Cycling + That Triathlon Show (for nutrition) + Fast Talk. The combination of coaching access, nutrition depth, and training structure will get you to the start line ready.
More Cycling Podcast Guides
If you want a narrower cut by goal or audience, we have specific guides:
- Best cycling podcast for triathletes — bike-focused episodes for multi-sport athletes
- Best cycling training podcasts for age-groupers — shows that take amateur racing seriously
- Best indoor cycling podcasts for winter and cycling podcasts for indoor training — listening that earns its place on the turbo
- Podcasts for cyclists over 40 — shows that respect masters physiology
- Fast Talk vs The Cycling Podcast vs Roadman — direct head-to-head if you want to pick one
- Curious about the production side? How we record the Roadman Podcast walks through the kit and workflow
Why Podcasts Are the Best Free Cycling Education
Most cyclists don't realise this. The best cycling education available right now isn't behind a paywall — it's in podcast feeds. The coaches who charge $200–500 per month are sharing their actual methodology for free on shows like ours. The sports scientists publishing $30 papers are breaking them down in 90-minute conversations you can listen to on a Zone 2 ride.
The catch is knowing which shows are worth your time and which are just recycling the same generic advice you can find on any cycling forum. That's what this list is for.
And if you listen to our show and want to go deeper — structured training plans, live coaching calls, a community of serious riders — the Not Done Yet coaching community is where that happens. But the podcast is the foundation, and it always will be.