The Cycling Industry’s Most Engaging Live Podcast: Episode 25
🎙️ “Shop Talk Tuesday.” (Community Livestream)
On this episode of Shop Talk Tuesday, we have to address the elephant in the room: things just got weird. It’s early 2026, and the bicycle industry is throwing us curveballs we never saw coming. We aren’t just talking about the 100% tariffs on imports or the sudden “32-inch wheel” debate that’s splitting the mountain bike community down the middle—we’re talking about the bizarre new reality of running a shop. Between major brands like Rad Power facing massive restructuring and the rise of “smart” AI-powered sunglasses that everyone is suddenly wearing, the vibe in the service bay has shifted. We’re seeing customers choose $90 TPU tubes over tubeless setups and pro racers showing up with three inches of spacers under their stems. Whether it’s “Grease-Gate” or the new proprietary battery wars, 2026 is proving to be the year where everything we knew about bike shop life is being rewritten in real-time. Buckle up, because this industry update is a wild one.
Last Week’s Episode:
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0:17 Bicycle industry trends and forecast 2026
8:27 New bike production lead times and manufacturing process
12:17 Top-down innovation in cycling technology
14:22 Best entry level electric bikes 2026
19:26 Benefits of bicycle infrastructure and protected bike paths
24:14 Physical activity vs antidepressants for mental health
31:55 How to start a used bike trade-in program for shops
43:20 Brompton folding bike features and wheel sizes
48:25 32 inch wheel mountain bike benefits for tall riders
1:09:59 Shimano Cues component groupset review and compatibility