It’s Tour time and tech editor Ronan McLaughlin has been on the ground capturing all the latest little tricks and tidbits. In this week’s Geek Warning, Dave Rome, and Ronan get together to talk through some of the bigger tech stories and finds coming from the biggest race.Within you’ll hear about new bikes from Merida and Cervelo, some behind-the-scenes sponsorship movements, how front derailleurs are becoming less common, and why the UCI’s handlebar width ruling is likely set to change (again).In Ask a Wrench, members of Escape Collective will hear pro race mechanic Brad Copeland and Dave Rome answer questions related to rust-proofing steel frames, solving for a drooping chain, and how to solve the dreaded disc brake turkey gobble. As an added bonus, you’ll hear Brad’s impression of a turkey.Time stamps:2:00 - Merida’s unreleased Reacto5:50 - Cervelo’s new S5 and Ronan’s early impressions14:20 - Cervelo has a new R5 coming, too18:30 - Musical Saddles of Sponsorships26:00 - Updates inbound for the UCI’s handlebar width change?37:45 - 1x gearing is on the rise47:00 - Ask a Wrench with Brad Copeland (members only)48:30 - Rust-protecting a steel frame52:30 - Chain droop when riding in smaller cassette cogs1:03:00 - Fixing the SRAM brake turkey gobble
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Hookless to hooked and pondering spoke colours
The drowsiness of Eurobike has barely faded just as the Tour is about to kick off. This week, Escape’s tech team members Suvi Loponen, Ronan Mc Laughlin, and Dave Rome are on Geek Warning to discuss the biggest tech of the week and some things on their minds.A recap of Eurobike is provided by Suvi, along with pondering what the future holds for this event that seems to be in decline.Ronan and Dave go deep on Enve’s new road wheels, which quite surprisingly, have a hooked rim. That’s big news from a company that pioneered the hookless road space.Dave poses the impossible question of what coloured spokes he should choose. And there’s a fun PSA related to the countless problematic adverts seen from brands that create maintenance products.The end of the episode wraps with our usual Ask a Wrench segment. This is typically exclusive to members of Escape Collective, but not this week! This week is a free week and so everyone will hear the full member-only version that includes pro race mechanic Brad Copeland answering a few member-submitted technical questions.Time stamps:1:00 - Eurobike recap and whether such trade shows are still relevant18:20 - A deep chat on Enve’s new SES 4.5 Pro going hooked33:00 - Canyon’s new Grizl and a new weird handlebar38:30 - On Dave’s mind: Silver hubs, but what coloured spokes?44:00 - PSA: Be cautious of maintenance product brands giving you maintenance advice on socials.48:00 - Apidura’s Aero System53:00 - Ask a Wrench (open to all for this week!)54:30 - Footwear for mechanics1:03:00 - How to find a mystery clicking noise1:14:00 - General thoughts on hitch racks
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1:23:37
Special ep: Bikepacking aero nerd
In this special Performance Process x Geek Warning crossover, Dave Rome grills Ronan Mc Laughlin about every technical detail from his 3,000 km unsupported lap of Ireland. From aero bag hacks and drivetrain quirks to cleat regrets and a failed light, this is a deep dive into the tech setup behind a truly personal and punishing ultra-endurance ride. Ronan shares what worked, what didn’t, and what he’d change next time – all while reflecting on how the gear supported his mission to raise awareness for food allergy research.The fundraiser is still open here, every contribution makes a real difference.• £10 provides allergy education packs for a school• £25 trains 50 teachers to support allergic kids• £100 covers a life-saving dose of treatment for a child• £1,500 funds six months on the life-changing Natasha Clinical TrialHitting the target, could fund 20 trial places for allergic children, and take a real step toward a future where no child has to live in fear of their food.
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Shimano Di2, Classified, and Eurobike week
We’re not sure we’ve ever experienced a busier month in the world of cycling tech. All the major drivetrain manufacturers have released new things. We’ve had two custom bike shows and now it’s the world’s largest cycling tradeshow - Eurobike. And the tech conversations in the racing world have been a flurry of activity, too.In this episode, you’ll hear the voices of the entire Escape tech editorial staff. Ronan McLaughlin, Dave Rome, and Alex Hunt share their thoughts on new Shimano GRX, Classified’s update, BMC’s new SLR01, and plenty more. Then, Josh Weinberg and Suvi Loponen tease what they’re seeing on the ground at Eurobike.As usual, members of Escape Collective also get our Ask a Wrench segment, which this week sees Dave Rome and pro race mechanic Brad Copeland answer a handful of questions, including: when to rewax a waxed chain; repairing a crashed aluminium rim brake bike and perhaps what to repalce it with; and our thoughts on mini hooked road rims. Members can submit new questions here.Time stamps:2:40 - Shimano GRX 1x Di28:55 - Classified talking with Shimano Di217:30 - Aero gravel race bikes continue to come out26:20 - Brembo returning to bicycles?20:00 - Canyon’s Endurace AllRoad35:00 - BMC’s 5th Gen TeamMachine SLR0142:40 - Conti’s new Archetype race tyre45:55 - Stages returns49:10 - Eurobike intro from Josh and Suvi55:00 - What’s coming up59:00 - Ask a Wrench (member-only)1:01:00 - When to rewax a waxed chain1:09:00 - Chain dropping down the cassette on XPLR1:18:45 - Our thoughts on Mini Hooked road rims1:28:00 - A damaged Klein road bike and what to replace it with
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The week of wireless trickle
Wow, what a week for those who love cycling tech!If four new dropbar groupsets from SRAM weren’t enough, then Shimano certainly fills that glass with its sudden release of XT and Deore Di2. Join Escape’s Dave Rome, Suvi Loponen and Alex Hunt as they discuss what’s new and some things to be aware of.Meanwhile, the UCI released some upcoming rule changes that have many riders and cycling businesses upset. The geeks discuss why some of these rulings have been blown out of proportion, and why one of them is arguably just wrong.Of course, there are a couple of new bikes (Cervelo and Orbea) to discuss, and CeramicSpeed has released its first do-it-yourself hot melt wax which promises a whole lot of distance.As always, members of Escape Collective have access to the Ask a Wrench segment at the end of the episode. Here, Dave Rome is joined by pro race mechanic Brad Copeland to answer a number of geeky questions, including a trick for keeping valve nuts in place without over-tightening them, our thoughts on the best cone wrenches, mixing-and-matching chainring sizes on SRAM, a rear shock that’s fussy to inflate, and a Shimano front derailleur that’s hard to shift.Enjoy!Time Stamps:2:15 - Explaining the UCI’s Handlebar width ruling and specifically where it’s wrong17:00 - SRAM’s new Force and Rival AXS27:30 - Shimano’s new XT and Deore wireless shifting36:30 - Cervelo’s new Aspero 543:45 - Orbea’s Terra gravel bike gets overhauled47:00 - CeramicSpeed’s new long-lasting hot melt wax52:00 - Ask a Wrench (Member-only!)55:00 - A tip for tubeless valve nuts in place58:30 - A deep dive and our top suggestions for good cone wrenches1:10:00 - Mixing-and-matching chainring sizes with SRAM AXS1:15:00 - Rear shock inflation woes and shock pumps1:21:00 - Fixing Shimano Ultegra front derailleur that’s hard to shift
Welcome to Geek Warning, a podcast focused on deciphering the world of cycling tech, explaining how bikes work, and how to make them better. Hosted by Dave Rome, Ronan Mc Laughlin and Brad Copeland, this weekly show is your fix for tech geekitude, covering the latest tech news, industry trends, answering mechanical questions, and whatever else is on our minds.
Escape Collective is entirely member-funded. If you like this podcast please consider supporting us by becoming a member: https://escapecollective.com/member/
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