The Great Gravel Debate, 32-Inch Wheels, and Ride Audio Confessions

Last week I was the one who missed the podcast, but this week it was Logan Jones-Wilkins. He is currently on the ground in Emporia, Kansas for Unbound 2026, but unfortunately, his Starlink connection failed. That left host Mike Levy, Lisa Charlebois, and me to do our best to talk about the newly released Specialized Crux, despite not having touched it yet. Jones-Wilkins isn’t there to set the record straight, so Charlebois and I get into why we don’t need massive tires, and Levy argues that we all need slacker front ends and suspension. He was definitively overruled by the roadies who are perfectly happy riding nimble bikes on 40mm tires.

Before we get to the bikes though, we kick things off with Levy’s newfound love for the Garmin 1040 Solar. I blow his mind by revealing the hidden external battery pack feature, and we spiral into a debate about ride audio because Levy just discovered he can control his music from his head unit. That leads to a confession from Lisa: she actually rides with a tiny Bluetooth speaker. Levy and I think it’s completely outrageous, but perhaps she is actually the smart one here? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Next, as is becoming a regular thing, we talk about reader comments and answer questions. Plus, we talk about Cam Jones and Robin Gemperle racing a 32-inch wheel bike from Scott at this year’s Unbound. Scott is calling it a prototype, but it looks like a finished, production-ready frame to us. Is this the moment 32-inch wheels finally break through, or is 32-inch destined to fail because regular people hate the idea? Drop a comment so we know how this audience feels.

Finally, we dive into the 2026 Road Bike Buyer’s Guide. I break down our testing methodology, explain why I refuse to recommend “cheap” bikes just for the sake of having a budget category, and discuss what actually makes a bike like the Specialized Tarmac SL8 the best all-arounder on the market.

Timestamps

00:00:00 Intro
00:01:13 a mini review of the Garmin 1040 Solar
00:09:53 Music and headphones on the ride
00:14:20 Unbound and Cam Jones riding a 32-inch bike
00:22:34 Reader questions
00:29:14 Road bike buyers guide
00:45:26 Specialized Crux initial discussion

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Articles covered this week

• Unbound Gravel Hub
• Defending Unbound 200 Champion Will Race a 32-Inch Gravel Bike in 2026
• The best headphones for cycling
• The best gravel bike 
• Specialized Crux 5 review