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ENTITY · PERSON

DYLAN JOHNSON

Evidence-based cycling coach, professional gravel racer, and one of the most-watched cycling training voices on YouTube. Known for wind-tunnel testing his own gravel setups and for a training philosophy that puts data ahead of dogma.

Dylan is the evidence-based voice Anthony reaches for when the cycling internet is full of opinions — his approach is data-first, always.

CANONICAL NAME

Dylan Johnson

ROLE

Professional gravel racer, cycling coach, YouTube creator

BASED IN

Bozeman, Montana, USA

ROADMAN PODCAST APPEARANCES

6 episodes

WHY JOHNSON’S WORK MATTERS TO YOUR CYCLING

Dylan Johnson has been on the podcast six times. That's not an accident. In a sport where everyone has an opinion about training, tyres, and what you should be eating on the bike, Dylan is the person who actually tests it. Systematically. With data. And then publishes the results on YouTube where hundreds of thousands of cyclists can see exactly how he reached his conclusions. That rigour is why he keeps coming back on the Roadman feed — the audience trusts him because he shows his working.

The wind-tunnel gravel testing is the best example. Most gravel racers don't think about aero. They think about tyre clearance, mud, and how many gels they can fit in a frame bag. Dylan took his complete gravel setup into a wind tunnel and found measurable time savings — real minutes over an Unbound-length race — from position and equipment changes that cost almost nothing. When the gravel world tells you aero doesn't matter off-road, Dylan has the data to say otherwise.

The oscillation periodisation concept is one of the most interesting training discussions we've had on the podcast. The idea is straightforward: when conventional periodisation stalls and your fitness plateaus, alternating between different training emphases in shorter cycles can restart adaptation. It's not a replacement for structured base-build-peak work. It's a tool for when that structure stops delivering. Dylan's been experimenting with it himself and the results are worth hearing.

His tyre and sealant testing is another area where he separates himself from the field. Rolling resistance, puncture protection, sealant effectiveness — he tests them systematically rather than just going with what the sponsor provides or what felt fast on last Saturday's ride. For a gravel rider trying to choose between forty different tyre options, that kind of evidence-based comparison is genuinely useful.

If you want cycling advice grounded in data rather than vibes, start with the episodes below.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

GRAVEL RACINGAERODYNAMICSTYRE TECHNOLOGYTRAINING METHODOLOGYEVIDENCE-BASED CYCLING

NOTABLE POSITIONS

Positions Johnson is publicly on the record for. Each one is something the rest of the Roadman content network leans on.

Aero matters in gravel — wind-tunnel testing saved him real minutes at Unbound.

He took his gravel setup to a wind tunnel and found measurable gains most gravel racers ignore.

Training should be built on evidence not tradition.

His YouTube channel has built a following precisely because he questions received wisdom with data.

Oscillation periodisation can work when conventional periodisation stalls.

A training approach he's experimented with and discussed on the podcast as a way to break plateaus.

Tyre choice and sealant selection have measurable performance impact.

He's tested rolling resistance and puncture protection systematically — not just by feel.

RELATED TOPICS

TRAIN WITH THE KNOWLEDGE

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