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The Cycling Podcast’s new show looking at the world of bikes, technology, equipment and clothing launched last Friday.
Service Course, hosted by Keira McVitty and Tom Whalley, will initially be a monthly show. It represents another expansion by The Cycling Podcast following the addition of The Cycling Podcast Féminin, which focuses on women’s professional racing, and Explore, which delves into the world of endurance riding and bikepacking.
“Service Course is a big departure for us and it fills a gap in our coverage,” said Richard Moore, one of the co-founders and hosts of The Cycling Podcast. “Although Lionel, Daniel and I can usually recognise a bike when we see one, in The Cycling Podcast we tend to cover tech stories only when they directly affect professional cycling, such as the disc brakes debate or the fashion for ever lower gears in the mountain stages of grand tours.
“We felt that there was scope for a new podcast focusing solely on bikes, equipment and tech but also knew that the tricky bit would be making a show like this work in audio.
“In Keira McVitty and Tom Whalley, we have two really knowledgeable and energetic presenters who have made the subject entertaining and immediately accessible. More important than the fact that both are accomplished racing cyclists is that they are curious and keen to learn about new developments in bikes, kit, clothing, technology and equipment. The first episode is ready to go out and they have done a brilliant job.”
McVitty raced for the WNT Pro Cycling team in 2017 and spent 2018 racing full-time in Belgium. She has her own channel on YouTube with videos regularly reaching more than 90,000 viewers. In 2018, she co-hosted a spin-off series for The Cycling Podcast called The Espoir Diaries, telling the story of a group of young riders trying to make it in cycling.
Whalley is a multi-award-winning audio producer who producers The Huey Show for BBC 6Music and a host of other podcasts including Mark Kermode’s Kermode on Film, The Wire: Stripped, At The Match and The Cycling Podcast. When not producing, he races for the High Peaks Cycles Race Team and in 2017 won the Eric Biddulph Memorial Road Race and the Squadra Summer Road Race.
Whalley said: “Between us, Keira and I have tackled most disciplines in cycling – Keira to a much higher standard than I have – so I think we’re ideally placed to do a podcast about cycling tech. We want to make a lively show that tells the stories behind the technology and gets a different perspective on the riders’ careers through the bikes they have ridden. That’s not to say we don’t want to test some of the shiniest new cycling tech but we’ll be seeking to do it in an accessible way, so do get in touch if you want us to try out your equipment.
“In each episode, we’ll be out on our bikes too. In episode one, Keira and I take on some of the sections from the Cicle Classic, as we ride from Wymondham to Melton Mowbray and back. That one’s also an excuse to eat quite a bit of pork pie.”
McVitty added: “Service Course is going to be a fresh look into all things bike. We are going to take you to the latest tech within cycling through the stories of all cyclists. From gravel riding to aero socks, we will cover it all. I am really looking forward to being a part of this new podcast.”
