Geek Warning

It’s a geek-packed episode as senior tech editors Dave Rome and Ronan Mc Laughlin, plus Zach Edwards (Boulder Groupetto) discuss the week in tech.Ronan ponders the real highs and lows of Lidl-Trek experimenting with SRAM XPLR 1x13 drivetrains in road races. There’s a skeptical point of view to integrated pressure sensors in tubeless wheels. And the geeks discuss the importance of Trail figures in geometry, and why it’s oddly not provided by all brands – a topic Ronan was inspired to put into writing, too (coming soon).It had been a few weeks since the last PSA, and Dave has one related to common noises. And we’ve got a wrap of some fresh product news.As per usual, the episode ends with our Ask a Wrench segment that sees pro race mechanic Brad Copeland and Dave Rome answer a few member-submitted tech questions. It’s something you’ll need to logged into our member-feed of the podcast to hear.Time stamps:1:40 - Lidl-Trek using a 1x gravel groupset13:00 - Zipp playing with integrated pressure sensors21:10 - Where are all the trail figures and fork rakes?30:50 - PSA on easily solved bike noises31:10 - Continental’s new Gran Prix TR tyre42:00 - OneUp’s little pedal fumble43:30 - Industry9’s new Hydra2 hub47:50 - Velocio’s new high-riding hydration pack49:35 - Hammerhead Karoo gets its own “native extension” library plus a tangent on computers.58:30 - Ask a Wrench with Brad Copeland (members-only)1:00:00 - A further tip for comparing chain wear between riding disciplines (members-only)1:01:05 - Plugs and repairing tubeless tyres (members-only)1:06:10 - Speeding up the drying process of drip wax (members-only)1:10:00 - A complement for a previous answer - the advice worked (members-only)1:12:30 - Squealing Shimano brakes strike again (members-only)

03-06

58:40

In this special episode, we chat with Ultra-Distance specialist Kevin Benky Benkenstein on his bike and gear selections for a recent race across the Moroccan Atlas Mountain Range. That big ride is the Atlas Mountain Race (AMR), a beast of a ride that covers some 1,300 km with 23,000 m of elevation. It covers every surface imaginable, and both rider and bike are tested thoroughly in the little over four days that it took him to complete (good enough for a tied third-place finish in the men’s).Designed to accompany an article that Kevin wrote for Escape Collective, this chat covers why a full-suspension frame ended up being the pick, why such trail-focussed tyres were selected, drivetrain choices, and plenty of geeky insight.Enjoy! Oh, and don’t forget to check out escapecollective.com for the full write-up (or at least to see some photos).

02-28

20:26

Why don’t you see much wind tunnel-based testing on Escape Collective? It’s something the geeks are forever discussing internally, and in this week’s episode, they discuss some of the difficulties in getting such testing to provide truly useful results.You’ll also hear Ronan McLaughlin, Dave Rome, and Zach Edwards (Boulder Groupetto) cover the latest news in the world of cycling tech, including a recent high-profile wheel failure, Canyon’s new customisation program, and BMC’s latest recall.Members of Escape Collective get an extra 20 minutes in the form of Ask a Wrench. This week the geeks answer questions about converting a bike for triathlon, why chains wear more rapidly on mountain bikes, and silencing a certan type of creaky seatpost.Enjoy!Time stamps:4:20 - Chris Froome’s wheel failure9:15 - Canyon’s new customisation program15:55 - On Ronan’s Mind: Quantitative testing making bikes worse33:20 - BMC recalls the Kaius gravel bike39:30 - Nukeproof returns41:45 - Ask a Wrench: a first triathlon (member-only)48:55 - Rapid chain wear on MTB (member-only)53:25 - Fixing a creaking Canyon/Ergon seatpost and our thoughts on carbon pastes (member-only)

02-27

41:54

The derailleur looks set to continue ruling the roost, but the increased attention to gearboxes is one to watch. In this week’s shorter-than-usual episode, the geeks chat about Fox Factory’s recently approved patent in the space.You’ll also hear some early speculation about Fizik’s entry into helmets, some new EU-based helmets standard inbound, and what our go-to tubeless tyre sealants are.Tech reporter Alex Hunt just wrapped up a big feature on big shoes, and the geeks give a basic overview of that.Finally, members of Escape Collective (if on the member-only feeds) will be privy to the Ask a Wrench segment that, this week, chats tyre width selection for crit racing and how to best switch disc brake pad compounds.All that and more in this week’s Geek Warning. Enjoy!Time stamps:1:55 - Fizik is getting into helmets4:22 - Explaining why things are a bit quiet on the tech front5:20 - Fox Factory gets a patent approved for a gearbox9:50 - On our minds is shoe width18:00 - Silca’s new Ultimate tyre sealant, plus our picks24:00 - A farewell to Matt Opperman25:30 - New helmet standards inbound in Europe29:00 - Ask a Wrench: picking a width of new road race tyres35:40 - Ask a Wrench: Brake pad compound switching

02-21

29:11

PFAS – also known as “forever chemicals” – are in everything from waterproof jackets to chain lubes and electronics. They’re praised for their stain, friction, and water resistant properties but notorious for their environmental and health risks. These chemicals never break down, accumulating in water, soil, and even our bodies.As regulations restricting the use of PFAS roll in, the cycling industry is facing a dilemma: how can brands replace the chemicals that have been used in nearly every part of the supply chain? Is something called “PFAS-free” even possible to achieve? And is the performance going to downgrade as a result?In this episode, we cover the challenges of going PFAS-free, the trade-offs in performance, what the upcoming regulations mean and why some brands are moving faster than others to eliminate the forever chemicals.

02-18

24:47

It’s a new week and that means a new episode of the Geek Warning podcast. This week you’ll hear Suvi Loponen and Zach Edwards (Boulder Groupetto) join Dave Rome in covering the big tech topics of the week.You’ll get a beginner’s guide to PFAS (forever chemicals) and why you should care. Thoughts are shared on the new Cannondale SuperX gravel race bike. And a widespread leak teases new full wireless from Shimano.There’s something silly on Dave’s mind, and then the geeks wrap up the remaining tech news of the week.Finally, and as usual, the episode wraps with Brad Copeland, Zach, and Dave answering mechanic-related questions from Escape’s members – including a tangent into our favourite shift cables. As a reminder, Ask a Wrench is now exclusively available on our members-only podcast feed. Head to escapecollective.com/member in order to hear the full episode.Time stamps:2:00 - PFAS’ and why you should be aware13:55 - Cannondale’s SuperX returns, now more gravel23:45 - Next generation of Di2 appears to be truly wireless27:05 - Dave thinks the white off-road shoe trend won’t last32:00 - iceBike, a trade show from a single distributor36:35 - TrainerRoad training programs now work in Zwift3730 - A new tool from Enduro Bearings38:40 - Berd collabs with HED on a road wheel41;30 - Garbaruk teases its entry into wheels43:50 - Pivot joins the lifetime bearing replacement policy club48:00 - Removing dried tyre sealant from inside of a tyre (member-only feed)53:05 - Diagnosing SRAM AXS battery and derailleur issues (member-only feed)59:00 - Cable routing for Shimano mechanical 11-speed and our favourite cables

02-14

47:38

This week on The Geek Warning podcast, join Ronan McLaughlin, Zach Edwards, and Dave Rome as they discuss the latest happenings in the world of cycling tech.The geeks cover what is believed to be the first win for tubeless in a cyclocross World Championship. There’s a UCI rider survey circling that strongly points to a few technical changes being considered. An approved patent and many rumours point to new SRAM Transmission mechanical coming soon. And there’s a new headset that claims to solve for cable routing woes, but we’re not so sure.Plus, there’s something mechanic-related on Ronan’s mind, a few little bits of news, and of course, Ask a Wrench (now with the addition of Zach, joining Brad Copeland).As a reminder, Ask a Wrench is now exclusively available on our members-only podcast feed. Head to escapecollective.com/member in order to hear the full episodes.Time stamps:1:20 - Corrections Corner on Shimano CUES2:11 - Zoe Backstedt’s CX win on tubeless10:20 - UCI’s new “Safer Group” rider survey19:30 - SRAM Transmission looks to be going mechanical26:20 - Easy Bike Parts’ solution (or is it?) to headset cable routing30:15 - On our minds are angry mechanics on social media39:40 - US government changes mean you should hold off on some overseas orders43:25 - MADE Bike Shows, dated announced43:50 - Welcoming Josh Weinberg to Escape Collective44:48 - Bianchi’s new TT bike47:50 - Ask a Wrench (member-only) about storing tyres53:00 - Ask a Wrench (member-only), more about bottom bracket plastic top-hats1:01:00 - Ask a Wrench (member-only), switching chain lubes for cleaning running

02-07

48:16

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 happening2:30 - The impact of the UCI’s relaxed rules from 202119:45 - New Shimano CUES and ESSA for dropbar bikes31:00 - On our mind: Pedals should be serviceable41:35 - Ritchey ditches the World Champ rainbow46:20 - QO cranks, from the founders of Rotor48:05 - Wolf Tooth’s EnCase mini pump line49:10 - A bad week for smartwatch users52:20 - CeramicSpeed has a new tool for (DUB) crank removal55:20 - State’s new 4130 All-Road is very cheap57:42 - 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 openers1:01:00 - 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.

01-30

01:04:30

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.

01-25

45:56

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 Bikes38:00 - SRAM Force leak and its impact on the bike market44:08 - Lapierre recalls some road models45:00 - Rouvy Acquires Fulgaz47:50 - Classified releases a crank and expands cassette options for SRAM50:40 - Formula Cura road calipers52:12 - Pashley’s all-road bikes54:36 - 4iiii factory expansion55:00 - Ask a Wrench: Getting better longevity from an oil-based lube1:02:00 - Ask a Wrench: Slipping D-shaped seatpost woes1:07:50 - Ask a Wrench: Shimano GRX 12-speed braking and compatibility1:17:21 - Escapecollective.com content highlights1:21:19 - Outro

01-24

01:23:17

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 series24:55 – Cycling industry news from REI and Raleigh28:15 – OneUp clip pedal31:15 – New 160mm cranks from RaceFace32:15 – Wolf Tooth tyre pressure app update34:12 – The Cool Bottle36:45 – New Giant Trinity and Liv Avow TT/triathlon bikes42:15 – New Basso SV45:46 – Chapter2 Rira bike47:25 – Stinner Refugio Select adventure bike49:30 – Ask a Wrench with Dave & Brad01:19:00 – Outro

01-16

01:23:32

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.

01-10

01:29:29

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.

12-27

23:02

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 cranks13:00: The unexpected gimmick we don’t hate - Head units with integrated bicycle bells15:40: Silliest new product of 2024 - RAF’s aero backpack18:40: Thought-invoking/Most nuanced/potentially bad award - Zipp XPLR 303 gravel wheels, Highbar helmet system, Visma’s TT Giro Aerohead II helmet29:00: Most desired small product that doesn’t yet exist - A “long press” SRAM Blip shifter and a self-dropping dropper post34:00: Best new aero thing - Time-trial saddles for road bikes37:00: Best new maintenance tool thing - A different way to check chain wear from Abbey Bike Tools and disc brake piston presses41:30: 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 #35948:30: Worst trend of 2024 - Half-baked products being released for sale (looking at Wahoo and Coros as examples) and product leaks59:00: It’s about time they fixed it (aka most improved) - Pinarello Dogma F, SRAM Red AXS shifters, and SRAM brakes in general1:08:30: 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 suspension1:21:00: Looking to 2025 and some changes to the Geek Warning team

12-20

01:24:53

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 easier5:00 - Colnago’s big investment in the new Y-Series is unapologetically for the pros14:20 - On our minds: Dedicated aero bikes are coming back in a big way and sharing our preferences25:00 - PSA: Proper usage of torque wrenches41:30 - Schwalbe’s new gravel range of tyres44:00 - Trek launches a tyre recycling program in the USA46:15 - Ask a Wrench: Removing stubborn tyres on the road53:00 - Ask a Wrench: Wear on metal steerer tubes59:00 - Ask a Wrench: Tyre inserts for XC racing1:06:00 - Geek Warning awards next week