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Wattage Cottage

wattagecottage

Wattage Cottage is the podcast for anyone serious about indoor cycling. Hosted by Dave Towle — the most recognizable voice in American cycling — the show brings together two of the most trusted names in the indoor cycling world for conversation that is equal parts informative, entertaining, and genuinely useful.

Eric Schlange, founder of Zwift Insider and the internet's most relied-upon resource for all things Zwift, brings deep platform knowledge, route expertise, and the kind of data-driven insight that makes you a smarter, faster rider. Alongside him, Shane Miller — better known as GP Lama — is Australia's premier cycling tech reviewer, a self-described gear obsessive whose meticulous, no-nonsense equipment breakdowns have earned him a massive global following and a reputation as one of the most trusted voices in the business.

Together, the three cover everything that matters in indoor cycling — training platforms, smart trainer technology, racing strategy, firmware updates, route optimization, and the constantly evolving world of virtual cycling. No fluff, no filler. Just honest, expert conversation from people who ride, test, and live this stuff every day.

Whether you're a seasoned Zwift racer chasing a category upgrade, a data junkie building the perfect pain cave, or someone who just unboxed their first smart trainer and doesn't know where to start — Wattage Cottage meets you where you are and helps you go faster.

New episodes monthly with bonus episodes as big news breaks....

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  • 6 episodes
  • monthly
  • Avg 53 min
  • English

Episodes 6

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  • #6
    September 11 · 1 hr 8 min

    Wattage Cottage Episode 6: This Season on Zwift and So Much Zwifter Data

    Our latest episode focuses on "This Season on Zwift", this week's announcement from Zwift about what they have planned for the next few months. We're joined by Ryan Condon, who offers his totally unprepared reactions to each TSOZ topic before we dive in for a deeper take: - Zwift Ride V2 - Watopia Expansion - Watt Lock - Zwift Racing and ZRL Changes - Companion App Refresh, New Bikes, and (maybe) Purchaseable Paint Schemes We also dive into a discussion of a recent GCN video which revealed some aggregated stats pulled from the analysis of millions of power data points from Zwifters' last 12 months of personal bests. Is the data even useful? What else could Zwift do with it? There are many possibilities in a world of big training data... And that's a wrap. Thanks for listening! Leave a review if the show is landing for you, and share us with your cycling friends. Word of mouth is how independent podcasts grow.

  • #5
    August 7 · 57 min

    Wattage Cottage Episode 5: Garmin + TrainingPeaks and Femmes Fever

    On July 22, Garmin announced its acquisition of TrainingPeaks, including TrainingPeaks Virtual. Dave, Shane, and Eric unpack theories about why Garmin made this move, and how Zwift may respond to a company with a big war chest buying a well-engineered indoor cycling platform. Then we move on to Tour Fever - specifically the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift currently underway. What sort of impact has Zwift's long-term sponsorship of the marquee women's cycling event had on the sport? Has it moved the needle? Will it continue to do so? Of course, Zwift's in-game Tour Fever series is underway as well, wrapping up next week. How has it been received by the community? Are people chasing the bucket hat, or have they become conscientious objectors like Eric? Zwift rolled out the Paris expansion just in time for Le Tour while also adding a pile of Tour-raced bikes and wheels to the Drop Shop. What does the community think of the new roads, and what do riders think of the new bikes? Eric discusses the fresh quandary facing Zwifters: is it worth buying and upgrading another bike, just to gain a second or two? After a check-in with Shane and Eric to learn what they're cooking up in their respective labs, Dave tries to start a fight by setting the co-hosts up for a bit of a debate. What's better: one company owning your device, data, training platform, and virtual world? Or a messy, competitive market with multiple innovators who don't always play together nicely but keep each other honest? And that's a wrap. Thanks for listening! Leave a review if the show is landing for you, and share us with your cycling friends. Word of mouth is how independent podcasts grow.

  • #4
    July 17 · 1 hr 8 min

    Wattage Cottage Episode 4: Guest Ryan Condon, Tour Fever/Paris Expansion, and the Drop Shop Debate

    Dave, Shane, and Eric welcome Ryan Condon to the show for a chat about losing weight, gaining health, and how Zwift is threaded throughout Ryan's cycling experience. (For those unfamiliar with Ryan's YouTube channel, he began his health journey at the age of 39, weighing 190 kilos. Now 8 years later, he's literally less than half the man he used to be... but weight loss is only part of the story...) Ryan joins us for most of the episode, and the conversation ranges across several related topics. These include (but aren't limited to) motivation, busting through plateaus, training tips, and Ryan's experience jumping into his first-ever group rides at Zwift Community Live 2026 in Mallorca. Next, we turn to the latest happenings on Zwift: it's July, so that means Tour Fever. This year Zwift added a Paris map expansion to the fun, so we unpack what it contains, why Cirque du Suffer makes us smile, and whether a bucket hat is worth all the Tour Fever suffering. And finally: Zwift just released a shopload of new pro-level bikes and wheels to celebrate Le Tour. Dave asks Eric and Shane: does it really matter? How much of a speed difference are we talking about here? Is the Drop Shop just letting everybody be a bike collector without the divorce? Thanks for listening! Leave a review if the show is landing for you, and share us with your cycling friends. Word of mouth is how independent podcasts grow.

  • #3
    June 19 · 42 min

    Wattage Cottage Episode 3: Making Zwift Racing Great Again, Club Upgrades, Rocket Espresso, and a Junior Development Team Launch

    The trio begins by diving into “Making Zwift Racing Great Again”. What could Zwift do to make the experience more engaging, more “indoor-only”, while keeping it all dead simple? From real-time points racing to elimination races without elimination to “Tantopia”, we dig into the possibilities. Then it’s onto Zwift Clubs. Cycling, particularly road cycling, has always revolved around local clubs. Zwift’s Clubs feature tries to bring some of this to the platform. But how useful is the Clubs feature today, when it’s really just a container for events? Could Zwift build it out to enable better interaction and stronger communities, all within the Zwift ecosystem? Next up: Rocket Espresso’s recent announcement of a limited-edition collaboration with Zwift. Feedback from the community was generally negative, with comments focusing on the machine’s price tag. Shane weighs in on how Starbucks drinkers aren’t interested, Eric confesses his espresso obsession, and we all gain a bit of perspective on the world of high-end collabs and influencer marketing. Lastly, we hit on a fresh piece of news: Zwift is launching a North American junior team in 2027, with partners Canyon and Pedal Mafia. And this is no short-term project, with long-term funding secured and a 10-year goal of putting a rider on the Tour de France podium. What are the motivations here? Will Zwift need to change how it deals with junior accounts? And could this affect Zwift Academy? Thanks for listening! Leave a review if the show is landing for you, and share us with your cycling friends. Word of mouth is how independent podcasts grow.

  • #2
    May 22 · 46 min

    Wattage Cottage Episode 2

    In this episode: Shane just returned from China, and what he saw about the global indoor cycling market is not what you'd expect. That's where the conversation starts. From there: Tim Searle's expanded Zwift levels are out in the wild — how is the community actually receiving them? And when the highest-mileage accounts on the platform start hitting Level 400+, how confident are we those numbers are clean? That question leads naturally into MyWhoosh's in-home anti-doping program — a competitor putting real money behind eSports integrity. What does it signal, and does it put pressure on Zwift? Then the crew goes deep on Zwift's AI-driven Next Up feature — including a quiet but telling development: Zwift now lets users opt out. What does that say about where trust stands? And with outside rides factoring into recommendations, is Zwift trying to become something bigger than a riding platform? The back half is all about the workout experience itself. Eric's VO2sday Micro Races pulled 371 riders on the first event — a community-built format designed to deliver real training stimulus inside a race structure. Shane makes the case for ERG mode on real terrain. And the group digs into HUD customization and what the execution layer actually needs to look like if AI training recommendations are going to mean anything. Finally: the Rouvy acquisition dust is settling. The forums have had their say. The crew reads the room. Music this episode curated by Eric Schlange. If you liked it, thank Eric. If you didn't — also thank Eric, but diplomatically. Find us wherever you get your podcasts. Leave a review if the show is landing for you. Word of mouth is how independent podcasts grow.

  • #1
    April 29 · 38 min

    Wattage Cottage Episode 1

    We couldn't have scripted a better opening week. Just as Wattage Cottage launches, the indoor cycling world got rocked by one of the biggest business moves in the history of the sport — and we're breaking it down on day one. Episode one of Wattage Cottage sets the tone for everything this show is going to be — honest, informed, and genuinely enthusiastic about the world of indoor cycling. Host Dave Towle is joined by Eric Schlange, founder of Zwift Insider, and Shane Miller — GP Lama — Australia's premier cycling tech reviewer. Together, the three tackle the Zwift-Rouvy bombshell and dig into two of the biggest ongoing conversations in indoor cycling right now. What We Cover 🚨 BREAKING — Zwift Acquires Rouvy This just landed and it changes everything. Zwift — the dominant force in virtual cycling — has acquired Rouvy, the leading real-world video-based training platform. These are two very different products with two very different philosophies. So what does this mean? Is this about eliminating competition? Expanding the tent? Building something new? Dave, Eric, and Shane dig into the implications for subscribers of both platforms, what happens to Rouvy's identity, and whether this is good or bad news for the indoor cycling community as a whole. Zwift Levels Beyond 100 & the Drop Shop Zwift is finally expanding its level cap — and updating the Drop Shop alongside it. For years, the level ceiling left some of the platform's most dedicated riders with nowhere to go. Dave, Eric, and Shane break down what this means, whether it's genuine progress or long-overdue housekeeping, and what it tells us about how Zwift thinks about rider motivation and retention. Gravel on Zwift — Does It Actually Work? Gravel has become one of the most culturally vital formats in cycling. So what happens when you bring it indoors? Shane breaks down the physics and resistance modeling. Eric reports from the community side. And Dave asks the harder question — can virtual gravel ever really capture what makes gravel gravel? Meet the Team Dave Towle — The voice of American cycling, having called some of the biggest races in the country for decades. Now bringing that same sharp eye to the indoor cycling world. Eric Schlange — Founder of Zwift Insider, the internet's most comprehensive and reliable resource for Zwift routes, updates, and platform intelligence. The guy who actually reads every release note. Shane Miller (GP Lama) — Based in Australia, Shane is one of the most followed and trusted cycling tech reviewers in the world. If it connects to a trainer or measures a watt, Shane has tested it. Find Us New episodes monthly Find Zwift Insider at zwiftinsider.com Find GP Lama on YouTube Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts

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