Geek Warning

In this episode of Geek Warning, James is just back from the Sea Otter Classic and Dave is still thinking about chain lube and tools.On the Sea Otter front, James and Dave discuss new eco-friendlier tyres from Vittoria, new metal bikes from Ritchey and Digit, parts from 5Dev and Xpedo, along with new tools from PrestaCycle and Stan’s NoTubes. Check out James’ Sea Otter Classic galleries for visuals of what was discussed (and so so so much more).The conversation then turns to larger questions around Stages Cycling and Kona who were both missing-in-action at America’s largest trade show and cycling event.On Dave’s mind is a better way to apply chain lube following a recent video from Josh Poertner of Silca. Our PSA is less of a public service announcement and more a basic guide into figuring out where noises may be coming from in order to silence them. And then the geeks bring back the Pick One segment to discuss floor pumps.The episode finishes up with a new crank-related recall from FSA.All this and more in this week’s episode of Geek Warning – a podcast created for and funded by the members of Escape Collective.Time stamps:3:00 - Sea Otter highlights, including things from Vittoria, Ritchey, Digit, PrestaCycle, 5Dev, Xpedo, and more.26:00 - Unknowns ahead for Stages Cycling and Kona Bikes36:00 - Circling back to the HighBar helmet strap as seen at Sea Otter39:20 - A better way to apply chain lube?45:15 - Chasing down those noises52:40 - Picking one floor pump1:02:30 - An explainer on Time’s revamped pedal range1:06:00 - FSA recalls some its AGX+ gravel cranks

In this jam-packed episode, James and Dave discuss a handful of new gravel and road bikes that caught their attention during the week. Trek enters the rear Radar game to compete with Garmin, yet James’ early impressions of the CarBack raises more questions than answers.DT Swiss has just released a new mountain bike rear hub with a wholly new ratchet system, you can read about the new 240 DEG hub at escapecollective.com, and a bonus episode of Geek Warning with DT Swiss is also available, too. Meanwhile the coverage of new products from EVT, Fox, RockShox, and more continues at the end of the episode.On our mind and over the heads of the geek's families is the topic of gravel suspension. The geeks discuss who it’s for (and who it’s not), and why it’s proving to be more than a gimmick.Plus there’s a PSA, which is likely a repeat on something previously discussed, but that only makes it more important.Time stamps:3:00 - Kona’s new gravel bike for mountain bikers6:30 - FiftyOne’s new Sika road bike11:55 - Parlee’s new and unexpectedly-European-made Ouray road bike15:40 - Trek enters the rear radar game with its CarBack23:15 - DT Swiss’ 240 Ratchet DEG hub26:30 - Chatting all things gravel suspension (including Cane Creek’s Inverted answer to the space)43:25 - PSA: Your dropper needs love47:50 - Classified adds Enve to its partners list49:25 - New RockShox things50:40 - Fox overhauls its Transfer dropper53:00 - EVT enters the portable repair stand game55:10 - OnGaurd’s new RockSolid angle-grinder-resistant lock

It’s time for another bonus episode of the Geek Warning podcast. Typically only Escape Collective members have access to the full versions of these, but this week we’re feeling generous.This episode coincides with the release of DT Swiss’ Ratchet DEG system (link to review), effectively an oversized 90T version of the famous Star Ratchet design. Here, tech editor Dave Rome interviews Friso Lorscheider and Brandon Wold from DT Swiss about this new mountain bike rear hub and how it fits into the company’s modern line-up.The discussion then turns to new spokes, how to choose spokes, and an explainer on understanding DT Swiss’ wheel range names. Geek Warning, indeed.A special thank you to our members for helping to fund deep dives like this. If you're not already a member, then joining Escape Collective will help us to create more good things and provide you with access to experience it.

The 2024 Sea Otter Classic hasn’t even kicked off yet, but the Geek Warning crew has already got a ton of new bikes and gear to talk about this week. All-road/endurance road bikes are clearly enjoying a moment in the sun with the launch of the new BMC Roadmachine and Enve Fray, and Liv has another fresh full-suspension mountain bike landing in shops. Fox has also completely revamped its range of suspension forks for MY2025, Dave and James chat about why they’re big fans of Project321’s third-generation hubs, and James makes a desperate plea for folks to properly wash their water bottles – because mold isn’t an energy drink. Also: more product news from Chris King, Fizik, Castelli, and a neat little photo stick (you know, for the ‘gram).Timestamps:2:42 - BMC’s new RoadMachine gets more endurance’y5:43 – Another endurance/all-road bike, but this time from Enve11:52 – Another new bike from Liv that’s yet to be released by Giant15:20 – Fox revamps its entire premium fork line-up for 2025 25:00 – New hubs from Project 321 are on our mind36:05 – a PSA related to drinking germs40:25 – Chris King expands its range of internal headsets (which will fit many existing bikes)41:45 - Velcro remains Fizik’s lightest option43:20 – New Castelli Gabba for soggy days44:30 – The most niche of products: a bike photo stick

Whew, so much new product news to discuss today, and Sea Otter is still two weeks away! Shimano looks to strengthen its stranglehold on the entry-level market with a new range called Essa, while some updates to the CUES collection may provide some hints at higher-end bits to come, too. Campagnolo finally announces a power meter to go along with the Super Record Wireless groupset launched last year, there’s turmoil at Scott Sports, and some hooked wheel companies are out for blood. Dave and James also discuss the pros and cons of on-bike tool storage along with a PSA that’ll hopefully save you from being awkwardly stuck to your bike, and there’s a whole bunch of new stuff on the way from Rene Herse, Vittoria, Gore Wear, Enve, Hutchinson, Feedback Sports, and Robert Axle.Timestamps:1:15 – Dave has some thoughts on T475:42 – Shimano is smart to not ignore the entry level market17:00 – Campagnolo finally announces its Super Record power meter22:47 – Scott Sports’ CEO is out – or is he? Depends on who you ask.26:35 – Hooked road wheel companies smell blood in the water31:16 – On-bike tool storage is a trend we can get behind38:13 – Check your cleat bolts!43:50 – Rene Herse now has TPU inner tubes – and they have metal valve stems!44:30 – Vittoria is getting into running45:34 – Gore Wear is stepping up its clothing game46:48 – Enve’s new race day road tires are “like crack”48:06 – Hutchinson is hoping its new Blackbird road tire can take flight50:38 – Feedback Sports is almost old enough to buy alcohol in the US53:10 – Want a nicer Universal Derailleur Hanger? Robert Axle has got you

Bridge Bike Works is an upstart brand that's trying to make a go at building premium carbon fiber bikes in Canada. It's not just a geographic thing or a point of national pride here, though. Bridge says it's obviously proud of making bikes in its own backyard, but it's also striving to make better product, period, by keeping the entire process – from R&D to lay-up and curing to paint – under a single unobtrusive industrial roof in Cervelo's old stomping grounds. In this Geek Warning episode, James sits down with Bridge co-founders Frank Gairdner and Mike Yakubowicz to see just what makes the company tick, why it might be smart to start asking about hobbies the next time you interview someone for a job, and how the quest to build its own fork nearly broke them.

Welcome back to Geek Warning! In this week’s edition of the regular show, Ronan and Dave discuss why current road bikes may not be ready for emerging trends in seated positions. Later Ronan shares a PSA related to multi-tools that turns out to be more of a Pick One and a rant.On the news side, the geeks discuss the new Cannondale Scalpel cross-country race bike. Pinarello has finally officially revealed its Bolide F HR that Italy will race on the track in Paris. There’s more 3D-printed tech to discuss in the hubs of Scope’s new and impressively light Artech wheels. And Dave gets excited at the chance to talk about Feedback Sports’ new Pliers Wrench tool.As usual, the end of the episode is kept for a quick discussion of other interesting new things. There you’ll hear about Wahoo’s firmware update, another new Mirror saddle (the comfy 3D-printed type) from Specialized, and CeramicSpeed’s new OSPW RS derailleur cages.Happy geeking!Time stamps:4:25 - Cannondale’s new Scalpel is yet another 120 mm cross-country bike option9:10 - Pinarello’s 3D-printed Bolide F HR track bike is now official15:10 - More 3D-printed tech with Scope’s new Artech wheels23:40 - Feedback Sports release a Pliers Wrench28:00 - The limitations of modern road bike geometry is on Ronan’s mind40:45 - A non-PSA that unexpectedly into a wider topic and Pick One about multi-tools53:40 – A firmware update to Wahoo head units55:15 – Specialized brings S-Works Mirror technology to the Phenom saddle56:04 - Our thoughts on CeramicSpeed’s new OSPW RS1:01:00 - Where much of the Escape Collective team will be next week

Four weeks on from Thomas De Gendt's now infamous crash, Zipp has released its findings and explanation, but many questions still remain.In this podcast, Ronan is joined by David Morse and Nathan Schickel from Zipp as he seeks the answers to the questions many have been asking.

There’s certainly been a lot of outrage over the price of bikes in recent years, and for sure, when the price of a new bike falls inline with a new Ducati, it’s bound to give people pause. There are more ultra-expensive flagship bikes than ever before, but are mainstream bikes more expensive in general? Not really. And in fact, you can pretty easily make the argument they’re not only more affordable, but also a lot better, and the real problem might not be with bike prices, but how the bike industry markets itself.Yeti is also back in the XC game with the resurrection of its storied ASR nameplate, and while it sounds like a heck of a bike, it also raises some questions about the direction of mountain bike suspension in general. Do more e-bikes equal more bikes sold? Salsa sure hopes so with a recent pivot in its product range. And if you haven’t removed your crankset in a while, one listen to our PSA this week might have you heading into the garage.Timestamps:0:56 – Dave makes his case for why you should buy a 3D printer4:28 – Yeti’s back in the XC race bike scene!22:25 – Salsa is jumping into the e-bike market, and at a very enticing price point32:17 – Bikes aren’t really more expensive than they used to be, but the bike industry sure seems hell-bent on convincing you they are45:25 – We hate to break it to you, but your frame is anything but waterproof51:44 – DT Swiss has some ultralight carbon fiber XC race wheels on the way53:06 – WTB has brought back the Solano name, this time for a new short-nosed saddle54:29 – SRAM’s wireless Blips can now be used on their own for more flexible cockpit setups56:15 – Finish Line is cooking up a new range of hot wax and drip wax chain lubes58:38 – Strava has some new features for cyclists

Why are bikes so expensive? In this episode, Factor's Rob Gitelis speaks openly, providing an insight deep into the world of premium bicycle manufacturing and breaking down the costs of making a modern high-end bike. More broadly, Gitelis talks us through some of the inner workings of the manufacturing facilities brands employ, staffing models and transient workforces, and his fears that a repeat of the Covid boom and bust is just around the corner.

So many new bikes to talk about this week! Giant’s new TCR is a meaningful evolution of the previous one, but should it have been a revolution instead? Meanwhile, the new Liv Pique offers a preview of the next-generation Giant Anthem, and Specialized’s new Epic and Epic Evo genuinely push the envelope of what XC bikes are supposed to be. And do electronics belong on bicycle suspension? Why does Trek offer seven colors in one model of Emonda? And what the heck does “Ari” mean? All of that and more in this week’s episode of Geek Warning.Timestamps:3:04 – Giant’s got a new TCR road racing bike, but is it all it could (or should) have been?14:04 – Liv’s new Pique Advanced mountain offers a sneak preview of what’s to come in the new Giant Anthem16:35 – The new Specialized Epic ticks an awful lot – maybe all? – of the boxes.26:33 – RockShox’s Flight Attendant electronic terrain-sensing suspension finally comes to XC34:33 – Trek is “right-sizing” in a big, big way41:01 – US-based consumer-direct brand Fezzari finally addresses the elephant in the room46:24 – Not everyone wants to know how the sausage is made52:50 – The suckiest addition to any home workshop

Framework Bicycles isn’t afraid to say it’s making its frames a little differently from usual. In fact, the Canadian company is not only extremely proud of that, but feels its unusual methods are also integral to what makes its frames what they are. In this week’s members-only episode, James sits down with Framework founder – and one-person fabricator – Jonathan Kennedy for an ultra-deep dive on his philosophy behind what makes a good bike.

Geek Warning is back, with Dave and Ronan on hand to discuss the latest happenings from the world of cycling tech. James is currently roaming the halls of the Taipei show, so this week, you get two-thirds of our geeky Geek Warning trio discussing the Fraser Group's acquisition of whatever is left at Wiggle-CRC after another round of layoffs and the latest questions as the hookless conversation rages on following what appears to be another failure.There's also news of Look's new Keo Blade and X-Track power meter pedals and Rapha's latest aero jersey that might save you 7 watts, four watts, or both; we're not sure. Later in the episode, the conversation changes to Ronan's concerns we may be headed for an automotive industry-style "approved service centre only" model for our bike's servicing and maintenance needs. While the conversation throws up some potential positives from such a move, worryingly, Dave suggests we are already there. Finally, Dave has another reason to buy more tools dressed up as a PSA. Time stamps:5:20 - Frasers Group's Wiggle-CRC takeover10:00 - Hooked on hookless 16:50 - New Giant TCR21:55 - Stupid helmets everywhere28:10 - Look's new power meter pedals32:50 -Rapha's new Pro Team Jersey37:40 - On Your Mind - "Approved service centre only" 48:00 - A PSA from Dan Bigham's mechanic 

The time has come for the geeks to share their strong opinions on road tubeless and the movement toward hookless rims. In this episode, and off the back of a high-profile failure, James, Ronan, and Dave dive into the growing concerns related to the many caveats around hookless road rims.Later in the episode, the conversation changes to fancier ways to hide cables through smaller headsets and the problems this may present. Then there’s a polarising PSA many probably won’t want to hear.In many ways, this episode is just our geeks ranting about the issues of modern bikes, but hopefully, it proves useful!Time stamps:3:15 - Digging into the big topic of road tubeless tyres blowing off hookless rims36:00 - A little promo of a podcast series not to miss37:12 - Baum and slotted steerer tubes are on Dave’s mind43:55 - The only good fix for contaminated brake pads47:10 - New things from Cadex48:05 - A new endurance road tyre from Vittoria

Silca’s new StripChip claims to take (most) of the hassle out of properly immersion-waxing your chain, but while it sounds promising, Dave’s got his doubts. Favero unveiled its long-awaited SPD-compatible power meter pedals for MTB and gravel, and although they tick a lot of boxes, pedals in general may not be the best power meter format for everyone.In big-brand component news, we read the tea leaves on Campagnolo’s new Ekar GT midrange gravel groupset to see what it might indicate for the Ekar family in general, and SRAM’s new Maven mountain bike hydraulic disc brakes could signal a sea change.

Colnago recently debuted its latest C68 model – the C68 Gravel – and while it seems like a pretty nice gravel bike in its own right, what’s more interesting is understanding more about what that new bike means for Colnago’s strategy in general moving forward, particularly since being bought by a UAE-based investment group in 2020. In this members-only episode, James sits down with Colnago CEO Nicola Rosin and Colnago’s head of marketing, Manolo Bertocchi, to get the scoop on how things have been going there (shockingly well), where Colnago wants to be (“the most desirable”), and who the brand sees as its customer base in the years ahead (hint: probably not you).

It’s time for another episode of Geek Warning. Dave and Ronan are back to discuss the latest happenings in the world of cycling tech and what’s on their minds.Ritchey and Factor have new bike (frame) releases that sit near polar opposites of the road market. Ritchey has brought back its well-loved Road Logic frames, while Factor’s Ostro VAM, a bike we’ve looked at before, is now officially official.There are new shoes from Trek and Specialized, with the former leaving Ronan a little confused over what size his feet are. And Dave shares what’s on his mind (hint, tools), and then there’s a quick wrap of other interesting tech and industry news.Timestamps:5:03 - Ritchey Logic brings back its rim brake road frames8:03 - Factor’s new Ostro VAM is now official and Ronan has built one23:43 - Black Inc’s 1,270 g aero wheels26:45 - Specialized’s new mid-price helmet and shoes28:45 - Trek’s many new shoes, many new fits41:45 - On Dave’s mind46:58 - 4iiii’s new Pro 3+ dual-sided powermeter50:40 - KMC gets into cassettes52:05 - F+B Shift wheels bring thermoplastic carbon to a lower price point54:52 - Giant Bicycles to be sold by Dick’s Sporting Goods

Welcome back to Geek Warning. In this episode, Dave and Ronan talk through a bunch of the biggest tech news in the cycling world and cover a few test products at the top of their minds.It’s hard to find a new racing product today that doesn’t at least tease the “aero” word, however, TuboLight may just be the first to make such a claim for a product that goes inside the tyre.The recently seen shoe and pedal system from Ekoi caught unwanted attention from the UCI, but them’s the rules. One that is UCI-certified for racing is Ridley’s new X-Night RS cyclocross machine.SRAM has officially issued a recall related to all aftermarket 12-speed dropbar levers, but the fix is one you can likely do yourself. Another you could probably do yourself is convert an existing Specialized Crux or Roubaix to run SRAM’s 1x Transmission (typically requires a UDH-frame); it’s a new product offered by 5Dev.The conversation then turns to the weirdly named premium thermal skinsuit that Ronan is testing from Q36.5. And Dave has a little rant related to the new Trek Domane AL just reviewed.All that, and more, on this week's Geek Warning.Timestamps:3:55 - Tubolite gets aero, inside the tyre11:35 - Ekoi pedals and UCI rulings21:08 - Ridley’s new X-Night RS, aero(ish) meets cyclocross28:49 - A DIY recall related to SRAM’s brake lever33:07 - 5Dev’s adapter to install SRAM Transmission on a Specialized Crux or Roubaix.36:53 - Ronan is testing a £808 thermal skinsuit from Q36.543:05 - What Dave is testing and a rant on entry-level bikes53:35 - A PSA related to dropbar levers, and another related to crockpots58:30 - A quick wrap of other news, including Amer Sports, Curve’s carbon Walmer handlebar, and BeSpoked to be held in Manchester.

With much of the industry languishing under the post-Covid, brands are trying harder than ever to carve out a niche for themselves to stay afloat. Colnago’s new C68 Gravel bike is super premium by design, but based on their sales figures, the focus on luxury is clearly getting the job done. Campagnolo seems to be falling into the same strategy almost by accident, but is it working as well? That’s not so clear. Hunt also debuted its latest aero wheels and they look like they could be quite the performance bargain – as long as you’re ok with hookless rims – and just when you thought clipless road pedals couldn’t get any better than they already are, French brand Ekoi’s new road pedal-and-shoe system might actually move the needle.And finally, have we finally reached a stable point for road bike tire sizes? Maybe. Or maybe not.Timestamps:6:45 – Colnago’s got a fancy new gravel bike, and they’re ok if it’s out of your reach20:19 – Campagnolo’s new aero road wheels are absolutely gorgeous27:53 – Hunt’s new Sub50 Limitless Aero Disc road wheels could be an incredible performance bargain38:45 – Ekoi has a truly novel new road pedal-and-shoe system in development, and they might actually be good48:04 – Noble Wheels tools are back! Well, sort of49:55 – More musings on using candle wax to lube your chains51:39 – Vittoria’s got a new Corsa Pro Speed go-fast tire52:52 – Want to stand out from the crowd? Bossi has expanded its range of titanium gravel frames54:28 – Orange Bikes is back in business56:49 – Road tire sizes seem to have stabilized (and yes, James is getting old)

It’s time for another gathering of the geeks for an episode of Ask a Wrench. In this member’s bonus episode, Zach (of Boulder Gruppetto), James, and Dave answer more technical questions submitted by Escape members.This week, the geeks answer questions related to using alternative cassette options, fitting bigger cassette ranges than allowed, selecting parts for the Paris-Roubaix sportive, replacing a Cannondale Lefty, and using saddlebags with carbon saddle rails. Then the conversation continues with questions related to swapping Shimano brake components, bike packing with waxed chains, learning to bleed brakes, and torque wrench calibration testing.Our weekly Geek Warning podcast remains unchanged and open to all, we’re now providing additional bonus episodes each fortnight. Only members and paid readers of Escape Collective can access the full versions of these bonus podcasts. These bonus episodes are a mix of Ask a Wrench, deep-dives, or interviews with the people behind popular products.