Veteran Cycling Network

About Veteran Cycling Network

The Veteran Cycling Network Podcast is a running conversation between service members, veterans, and the people who ride alongside them — recorded across time zones, born out of the idea that leaving the military shouldn't mean losing your platoon. Each episode, hosts Andre and Melvin sit down with guests from around the world to talk bikes — road, gravel, mountain, whatever gets you outside — and the real stuff underneath it: managing stress and PTSD, staying connected after service, finding a new community when the old one scatters. Expect gear talk, crash stories, plenty of ribbing between roadies and everybody else, and honest conversations about why so many of us have found more relief on two wheels than anywhere else. New episodes when we've got something worth saying — subscribe so you don't miss one.

Publisher

Andre Kidd

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

25 Nov 2025

Latest episode

30 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

8 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   30 Aug 2026

   Veteran Cycling Network Podcast: Episode 7

   Andre sits down with RegRides and Melvin for a wide-ranging episode on what actually happens after you buy a bike — the fitting, the gear, and the mistakes almost everyone makes on their first setup. Reg lays out his "if I had $2,000 to start over" philosophy (fit, consistency, fitness, then contact points), Andre breaks down the hard lessons from dialing in a brand-new e-mountain bike, and Melvin explains why mountain biking is a seasonal sport back in Northern Virginia. The back half turns into a rapid-fire "best purchase / worst purchase" round — Fidlock bottles, Rev Grips, a $200 mahogany-handled bike pump, and one Bontrager water bottle that gets fully roasted. They close on helmet safety, road-rage close calls, and a mention of Tadej Pogačar's crash, plus shoutouts to Mike's Bike Shop (Korea), the new Dirt Therapy Project chapter in Grafenwöhr, Germany, and the Wounded Warrior Project. Key topics: Why the bike shop fitting isn't enough — get a real bike fit first Reg's $2,000 first-purchase philosophy: fit → consistency → fitness → contact points Mountain bike ride-day prep vs. road bike prep Why mountain biking is seasonal in the U.S. but not in Germany Power meters: "speed lies, power doesn't" Best purchases ever: Fidlock bottles, Rev Grips, e-MTB, a $200 bike pump, photochromic glasses, Wahoo Element Ace Worst purchase: Bontrager Slimline water bottles Helmet safety, MIPS, and the one-crash-and-replace rule Road safety: riding defensively, the Pogačar crash, a road-rage shooting story Mentioned / resources: Fidlock water bottle system — fidlock.com Rev Grips — revgrips.com Wahoo Element Ace Lezyne bike pump Mike's Bike Shop (Korea) — future guest tease Dirt Therapy Project, Grafenwöhr, Germany Wounded Warrior Project — wounded warrior project.org Visit us at www.veterancyclingnetwork.com

2. 

   9 Aug 2026

   Veteran Cycling Network Episode 6

   Andre and Melvin catch up after a few weeks apart, trading ride stories from two very different training grounds — Andre's e-bike missions on Germany's enduro trails and Melvin's pre-dawn gravel commute through Northern Virginia. Along the way: an honest N+1 confession about bike addiction (Melvin's new titanium Moots Womble frame included), the special pain of ordering bike parts to an overseas APO address, and Andre's long-shot entry into The Traka 100 gravel race in Girona, Spain. The back half is the practical core of the episode: a full show-and-tell of what each of them actually carries on a ride — multi-tools, CO2 vs. tubes, tubeless plug kits, snacks — followed by a rundown of tire pressure and width preferences, bone-conducting headphones for situational awareness, and a head-to-head on Garmin Edge computers (530 vs. 830 vs. 1050). They close with a shoutout to Disconnect to Reconnect, a veteran-run outdoor community supporting vets through mountain biking, backpacking, and more. In this episode: Catching up after a few weeks off the mic E-bike enduro riding in Germany vs. gravel commuting in Fairfax, VA Melvin's new (secret) titanium Moots Womble frame Bike addiction and the N+1 rule The pain of ordering parts to an overseas APO Finding riding partners while PCSing Signing up for The Traka 100 (Girona, Spain) and comparing it to Unbound Gravel Gravel suspension forks (Lauf, RockShox, DT Swiss) What's actually in their saddlebags: tools, CO2, tubes, tire plugs, snacks Tire pressure and width preferences for gravel and mountain biking Bone-conducting headphones (Shokz OpenRun) vs. riding "raw dog" Garmin Edge 530 vs. 830 vs. 1050 showdown Shoutout: Disconnect to Reconnect (veteran outdoor community) Mentioned in this episode: Moots Womble (titanium gravel/hardtail frame) The Traka gravel race, Girona, Spain Unbound Gravel, Kansas Lauf, RockShox, DT Swiss gravel suspension forks Shokz OpenRun bone-conducting headphones Garmin Edge 530 / 830 / 1050 Disconnect to Reconnect (veteran outdoor nonprofit) — link in show notes https://www.d2rvets.com/

3. 

   19 Jul 2026

   Roadies vs. Everybody: Bikes, Crashes & Why Cycling Is Medicine for Veterans" — w/ Reggie Smith (RegRides)

   Andre and Melvin call in from Germany and Virginia to link up with guest Reggie Smith (RegRides) in South Korea — three time zones, one conversation. They rib on road bikers vs. everybody else, swap crash stories, nerd out on affordable carbon bikes closing the price gap, and dig into why cost and access — not talent — keep so many riders out of the sport. Reggie shares how a knee injury pushed him from running into cycling, and the conversation lands on why this sport might be one of the best tools veterans have for managing the weight of service. This episode's featured veteran cycling org: Rally4Vets Bicycling — connects veterans, active-duty, families, and supporters through group rides and a shared Strava community. https://www.rally4vets.com/programs/bicycling Follow VCN: Discord | Strava Club | Instagram | Facebook | X | YouTube | TikTok — all linked at www.veterancyclingnetwork.com

4. 

   10 Mar 2026

   The Veteran Cycling Network: Episode 4

   Join Andre and Melvin as they share their recent cycling adventures, gear upgrades, trail explorations, and the joys of riding in Germany and the US. Discover tips on bike maintenance, e-bike insights, and the vibrant mountain biking community. https://veteransfuture.org/pages/dirt-therapy

5. 

   9 Feb 2026

   The Veteran Cycling Network: Episode 3

   In this conversation, Andre and Melvin discuss the challenges of balancing busy lives with family commitments, particularly during the holiday season. They share their experiences with winter cycling, bike upgrades, and the evolving landscape of e-bikes, including regulations and trends. The discussion also touches on the costs associated with cycling, the role of bike shops in the community, and their future plans for cycling and bike maintenance.

6. 

   22 Dec 2025

   The Veteran Cycling Network : Episode 2- The Cost Factor

   In this episode we discuss counterfit bike frames and parts, the barriers in getting into cycling as well as a non profit helping veterans tackle PTSD with Cycling. https://weareprojecthero.org/

7. 

   10 Dec 2025

   The Veteran Cycling Network : Epsiode 1- Welcome!

   Welcome to the first real episode of the Veteran Cycling Network. In this episode we introduce ourselves, talk about our rides and talk a little about why the podcast. Hope you all enjoy

8. 

   25 Nov 2025

   Episode 0- What are we doing?

   <p>Welcome to episode 0 of the Veteran Cycling Network. Consider this the test run. More to come</p>