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Life in the Peloton, presented by MAAP

Josh Poertner

Life in the Peloton, presented by MAAP

Mitch Docker

Fitness, Sports, Wilderness, Health & Fitness

4.8543 Ratings

🗓️ 21 August 2024

⏱️ 75 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Life in the Peloton is proudly brought to you by MAAP This week’s episode of Life in the Peloton is a treat for all the tech fans out there as we’re talking to Josh Poertner. Currently, Josh is the owner of iconic cycling brand Silca, where he has been doing some really cool stuff in the past few years, but he’s also one of the minds behind some of the most interesting changes in tech in pro cycling in the last decade. Coming from a motorsport background, Josh was introduced to cycling through at Zipp where (amongst other things) through his work with Fabian Cancellara at CSC, he changed the way that, my favourite race, Paris Roubaix is raced, showing the world that the cobbles could be conquered on carbon wheels. These days it might not even sound that revolutionary to think about tackling a race like Roubaix on deep section carbon wheels, but as someone who raced it back in the late 00’s on 36 spoke box section rims this was a real revolution. Small changes like this make huge contributions to the speed of races and the way that the peloton moves these days. To be honest the wheels at Roubaix, although a huge talking point for me obviously, are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Josh’s work in pro cycling. His is one of the minds that has led to the revolution in aerodynamics, lowering rolling resistance, ceramic bearingsand a host of other seemingly small but game changing ideas that has sped up the sport in the past decade. I was pumped to sit down and talk with Josh about all of this, and of course recount the pretty funny tale of when we first met in 2019 and he had to go and pick up the race bike I’d left on a baggage carousel the day before Roubaix!   Sit back and have a listen and get to know one of the people who has really changed the sport for the better! Cheers! Mitch ----more---- The Dirty Docker is almost here! Dirty Docker is my multi-day event for all things cycling and running in the Macedon Ranges. For the last few weeks of winter, you can get an exclusive discount code by signing up to the Life in the Peloton Newsletter here.  The Life in the Peloton book is OUT NOW! Get your copy now exclusively at maap.cc! Can’t wait for you to read it.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Well, good-a-a-gay, guys, and welcome to the podcast.

0:13.7

I'm Mitch Docker, your host.

0:15.3

This is Life in the Peloton, of course, presented to you by MAP, our major partner. And look, you may remember back in

0:23.2

March, I embarked on the equinox, a brief moment of balance where we all experienced 12 hours

0:30.5

of light and darkness in both hemispheres. And as daylight extends for some and less for others,

0:36.7

with MAP, we embrace this global connection.

0:39.7

And what you can do is you can roll with us for 12 hours from daybreak to sundown,

0:45.8

over a week long of series of rides coming up this equinox.

0:50.1

It's happening again this September.

0:52.6

Yep.

0:53.3

Keep your eyes peeled for more information. It's coming up.

0:56.1

It's a lot of fun. Look, it is a real challenge riding for 12 hours over that sunlight.

1:02.4

But at the end of the day, it was a really cool experience.

1:06.4

Well, guys, I've got a bit of different direction for you this week, Josh Portner.

1:11.7

Now, some of you out there would know this name because he is an absolute legend when it comes to the technical

1:17.7

industry. He's 24 years in the industry. He was working for 15 years over at Zip as a technical

1:23.3

director and he did a whole bunch of things there. At this time, though, he is the CEO of

1:28.9

Silker. We're going to get into that story more in the podcast, but he is also the marginal

1:34.4

gains guy. He's got his own podcast about it. That is what he is. He's the go-to for professional

1:40.3

teams and individuals who want to know what is the best out there when it comes

1:45.0

to the bike technology and in terms of aerodynamics, speed and optimal performance.

1:51.6

He was a guy working back at CSC in the day when Fabian Cancelah won Paribay.

...

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