Oh hi, welcome back to Geek Warning!

There are some things to tell this week. We’ve had a number of changes to the pod over the past few months (sorry!), and we’ve got a few more to share.

Ask a Wrench, which sits at the end of our episodes, is now members-only. That means you’ll need to be on our member podcast feed to hear that extra part of the podcast. Meanwhile, the first hour of goodness is free for all.

Additionally, you’ll still hear from UK-based tech writers Suvi Loponen and Alex Hunt on occasion, just not every episode. Suvi will soon begin on a new podcast series that investigates industry-related topics. Meanwhile, you’ll also hear Alex and Suvi on an upcoming and recurring special episode where we’ll catch up on the bikes and gear we’ve been testing.

With all that said, jump on in to hear Dave Rome, Ronan McLaughlin, and the return of Zach Edwards (Boulder Groupetto). Also, Brad Copeland is present at the end to answer some of your Ask a Wrench questions.

The episode itself is jam-packed. The geeks offer their opinions on what the UCI’s relaxed equipment ruling from four years ago are doing to bikes of today and tomorrow. They cover the details of new Shimano CUES. And talk about the realities in the durability of modern road pedals. Plus a whole lot more…

Time stamps:

0:00 - Changes are happening
2:30 - The impact of the UCI’s relaxed rules from 2021
19:45 - New Shimano CUES and ESSA for dropbar bikes
31:00 - On our mind: Pedals should be serviceable
41:35 - Ritchey ditches the World Champ rainbow
46:20 - QO cranks, from the founders of Rotor
48:05 - Wolf Tooth’s EnCase mini pump line
49:10 - A bad week for smartwatch users
52:20 - CeramicSpeed has a new tool for (DUB) crank removal
55:20 - State’s new 4130 All-Road is very cheap
57:42 - Biggest tech news for the week comes from Chris King (spoiler, it’s a coffee tamper).
59:22 - Tangent into our favourite tool-related bottle openers
1:01:00 - Switch to the Member-Only feed if you want Ask a Wrench!
1:05:00 - Modern drivetrain compatibility leading to road and MTB gravel (recorded a week before the CUES announcement, oops)
1:11:00 - Sweating tubeless tyres and what to do about it.
1:17:00 - Disc brake performance and bed-in when using multiple wheelsets, plus a dive into bed-in procedure.

At the 2024 edition of the Tour Down Under, Ronan Mc Laughlin was joined by aerodynamicist JP Ballard as they walked through the pits to talk about the aero hits and misses within the latest bikes of the WorldTour. For 2025 we’re back with something of a similar theme.

This time Dave Rome is joined by the Head of Aerodynamics at South Australian Sports Institute (SASI), John Pitman.

Now, with access to a wind tunnel he oversees (a story we aim to share soon), Pitman takes a stroll through the pits, talking about general aero themes, the effectiveness of design flourishes, and other random things seen.

Normally, this type of episode would be exclusive to members of Escape Collective, but instead, we’re keeping things open to give you a taste of the sort of content you may be missing out on. If you like this episode, and if you haven’t already, then please consider becoming a member of Escape Collective. Similarly, please share it with a friend who may enjoy it.

Hey Geeks! With the 2025 WorldTour kicking off in Australia, this episode dives straight into the bikes (and bits of tech) that caught our eyes, whether for the right or wrong reasons.

The cast of Dave, Suvi, Ronan, and Alex discuss the recently leaked SRAM Force update and the ethical dilemma in covering such an unreleased product. And of course, there’s plenty more new things discussed, too.

Toward the end you'll find the usual Ask a Wrench where Dave is joined by pro race mechanic Brad Copeland to answer member-submitted questions. All this and more in this week’s episode.

Also, keep an eye out for a bonus episode of the Geek Warning podcast, where Dave Rome goes for a walk through the mechanic pits at the Tour Down Under with aerodynamics expert John Pitman. Unlike most of our bonus episodes, this one will be free to all. Please give it a share if you like it.

Timestamps:

1:16 - On Our Minds: Winners and Losers of the 2025 World Tour Peloton Bikes
38:00 - SRAM Force leak and its impact on the bike market
44:08 - Lapierre recalls some road models
45:00 - Rouvy Acquires Fulgaz
47:50 - Classified releases a crank and expands cassette options for SRAM
50:40 - Formula Cura road calipers
52:12 - Pashley’s all-road bikes
54:36 - 4iiii factory expansion
55:00 - Ask a Wrench: Getting better longevity from an oil-based lube
1:02:00 - Ask a Wrench: Slipping D-shaped seatpost woes
1:07:50 - Ask a Wrench: Shimano GRX 12-speed braking and compatibility
1:17:21 - Escapecollective.com content highlights
1:21:19 - Outro

In this week’s Geek Warning, the tech team — Dave Rome, Alex Hunt, Ronan McLaughlin, and Suvi Loponen — explore AI’s role in cycling tech, from training and design to marketing, while questioning even is truly “AI” and what’s just advanced machine learning – or marketing. Whether we’re all sick of hearing about it or think it has a place in some applications, you’ll find out.

As the off-season is over (and keeps Dave busy at TDU), it seems we’re starting to see more and more new tech drops. This week, the geeks talk through new pedals from OneUp, short cranks from RaceFace, as well as new bikes from Giant and Liv, Stinner, Basso, and Chapter2. There’s also chat about some more industry headwinds that have affected REI and Raleigh.

And as usual, Brad Copeland joins the pod to answer a few wrenching questions from Escape members with Dave.

Maybe it’s the Christmas break effect still and we’ve got a lot of chat in us, but like last week, this episode is longer than usual, but we hope you enjoy it nevertheless.

Escape Collective’s podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

Time stamps:

2:40 – On Our Minds: What is AI anyway – and is it being unleashed in the cycling tech?
23:50 – Not a Pick One but info on a new Collective Favourites series
24:55 – Cycling industry news from REI and Raleigh
28:15 – OneUp clip pedal
31:15 – New 160mm cranks from RaceFace
32:15 – Wolf Tooth tyre pressure app update
34:12 – The Cool Bottle
36:45 – New Giant Trinity and Liv Avow TT/triathlon bikes
42:15 – New Basso SV
45:46 – Chapter2 Rira bike
47:25 – Stinner Refugio Select adventure bike
49:30 – Ask a Wrench with Dave & Brad
01:19:00 – Outro

Welcome back to the first episode of Geek Warning for 2025. There’s plenty to discuss with the geeks having had a few weeks to dwell on their thoughts.

Within, you’ll hear discussion over the industry woes continuing, some well-known brands suffering, and some big related moves. Switching things up, SRAM recently got approval for a patent related to a UDH equivalent of a brake mount. As the geeks discuss, it’s certainly something to watch out for.

On Ronan’s mind is whether we’re about to see a new wave of pro-only race bikes, where the viability of selling the things is wholly ignored in favour of just serving sponsored riders the next advantage. The geeks reason how this would sit with increased discussion over reducing peloton speeds.

There’s some fresh tech from Garmin, Wolf Tooth, No6 (No.22’s composites brand), and Core. Plus, there’s a naming quibble between Factor and Scarab Cycles.

Finally, Brad Copeland jumps on with Dave to answer a few mechanical questions from Escape members. Questions span from removing tight cranks, cleaning off grossly stuck-on bar tape, and whether fancy bottom brackets are worth the cash.

This episode is longer than usual, but we hope you enjoy the broad range of topics.

Are modern road bike geometries due for an overhaul? As riders adopt more forward positions and longer stems, handling and weight distribution are facing new challenges.

In this episode, Ronan McLaughlin talks to renowned frame builder Rob English about the intricacies of frame design and geometry. They explore topics such as progressive geometries, seat tube angles, bottom bracket drop, and how subtle tweaks can transform bike performance. Rob discusses how he designs bikes to match a rider’s contact points first and foremost, and why sometimes tradition and aesthetics still play a role in bike design.

Tune in for a fascinating conversation on how the future of road bike geometry might look, and whether your next bike should have a custom fit that challenges conventional design.

It’s not the usual weekly show format this week, as instead, it’s time for our annual tech awards. Don’t worry, this isn’t just us praising new products, in fact, there’s hardly any of that.

These are awards you won’t likely see promoted by the respective brand, as afterall, a poo emoji isn’t likely to help sell product. It’s not all negative though as the full cast of geeks discuss the biggest new tech trends, a few most desired products, and the most anticipated new products for 2025.

With absolutely no sensical order to anything, let’s dive into the Geek Warning tech awards of 2024! Thanks for a great year, and you’ll hear from us again when 2025 arrives.

Warning, spoilers (aka time stamps) below:

1:00: Biggest tech trends of 2024 - All-road bikes, wider gravel tyres, converging categories, and shorter cranks
13:00: The unexpected gimmick we don’t hate - Head units with integrated bicycle bells
15:40: Silliest new product of 2024 - RAF’s aero backpack
18:40: Thought-invoking/Most nuanced/potentially bad award - Zipp XPLR 303 gravel wheels, Highbar helmet system, Visma’s TT Giro Aerohead II helmet
29:00: Most desired small product that doesn’t yet exist - A “long press” SRAM Blip shifter and a self-dropping dropper post
34:00: Best new aero thing - Time-trial saddles for road bikes
37:00: Best new maintenance tool thing - A different way to check chain wear from Abbey Bike Tools and disc brake piston presses
41:30: Great new product most likely to bankrupt us - Scott Addict RC, RockShox Flight Attendant suspension, Body Rocket Aero Sensor (guess who picked what?)
47:00: Glasshouse of the year - GCN Tech Show #359
48:30: Worst trend of 2024 - Half-baked products being released for sale (looking at Wahoo and Coros as examples) and product leaks
59:00: It’s about time they fixed it (aka most improved) - Pinarello Dogma F, SRAM Red AXS shifters, and SRAM brakes in general
1:08:30: The more of this please bike industry award - Genuinely serviceable and repairable components, better representation in the industry, and less waste in general.
1:14:00: Most anticipated new product for 2025 (which hopefully happens) - Shimano GRX Di2 1x, Shimano XTR Di2, SRAM mechanical T-Type shifting, Specialized reVenge, Fox’s answer to Flight Attendant suspension
1:21:00: Looking to 2025 and some changes to the Geek Warning team

Just when we started to think the bike industry was moving toward do-it-all road race bikes, we then get word that it’s all about to change once again. Dedicated aero bikes never entirely left, but as you’ll hear from the geeks, they’re very much coming back.

This week, Ronan Mc Laughlin, Suvi Loponen, Brad Copeland, and Dave Rome are all on the pod to discuss the latest new bikes and what is driving these trends. You’ll learn about the biggest dos-and-don’ts in using a torque wrench, plus the geeks answer a few “Ask a Wrench” questions from Escape members.

Enjoy!

Time stamps:

1:30 - Spotting bikes in the wild is getting easier
5:00 - Colnago’s big investment in the new Y-Series is unapologetically for the pros
14:20 - On our minds: Dedicated aero bikes are coming back in a big way and sharing our preferences
25:00 - PSA: Proper usage of torque wrenches
41:30 - Schwalbe’s new gravel range of tyres
44:00 - Trek launches a tyre recycling program in the USA
46:15 - Ask a Wrench: Removing stubborn tyres on the road
53:00 - Ask a Wrench: Wear on metal steerer tubes
59:00 - Ask a Wrench: Tyre inserts for XC racing
1:06:00 - Geek Warning awards next week