A mix of rumours circling and the recently reviewed FiftyOne Sika road bike have Ronan and Dave pondering whether the UCI frame sticker is relevant to many of us. Spoiler, it’s not.The episode was recorded a few days before we know for sure, but the social media profiles of athletes strongly point toward some interesting drop-bar-converted mountain bikes for the Leadville 100 race ahead.Ronan and Dave discuss a PSA for themselves, and of course, members of Escape Collective get access to the Ask a Wrench segment with Brad Copeland, where this week a handful of drivetrain-related questions are answered, including one about measuring for lateral chain wear.Enjoy!Time stamps:2:20 - The UCI approval sticker overrated16:50 - Wild bikes expected at Leadville31:30 - PSA for those with an air compressor40:00 - Standert’s new Keiswerk44:00 - Ask a Wrench with Brad Copeland (Members Only)45:30 - Chasing noises that only occur under high load54:00 - Upgrading an old MTB drivetrain that’s locked to an HG freehub1:03:00 - All about lateral chain wear
--------
44:12
--------
44:12
Brakes, brakes, and brakes on big wheels
What in the upside-down world is this? Ronan Mc Laughlin has been investigating rumours around the UCI getting involved with the new 32 in wheelsize, and in this episode of Geek Warning, you’ll hear the crew discuss what it may spell.Additionally, you’ll hear the geeks (Ronan, Dave, and Alex) talk about some products that have left them a little underwhelmed as of late. New SRAM centerlock lockrings are on Dave’s mind. And there’s a PSA related to disc brake bed-in.Members of Escape Collective also get access to our popular Ask a Wrench segment, where Dave and pro race mechanic (with Specialized Off-Racing Racing) Brad Copeland answer a number of member-submitted questions with helpful tips for all.Enjoy!Time stamps:1:00 - Products that leave us wanting more9:45 - UCI looking to ban 32in wheels and will it matter?28:00 - SRAM finally has centerlock lockrings33:00 - PSA: Brake bed-in is skipped far too much39:30 - DT Swiss’ and Swiss Side’s recall43:00 - Ask a Wrench with Brad Copeland (Escape members only)45:00 - A call to action for the industry in regards to manuals51:00 - Best chain lube for indoor cycling58:15 - Stubborn tubeless tyre installs1:09:00 - Dehumidifiers and tubeless sealant longevity
--------
43:38
--------
43:38
Finished with unfinished products in the market
Recorded just after watching Tadej and Jonas summit Ventoux on aero bikes, this episode sees Ronan McLaughlin, Dave Rome, and Suvi Loponen discuss whether the latest and lightest road bikes are now designed for consumers, while aero bikes are for the pros.Also within this week’s Geek Warning, you’ll hear Dave discuss why he thinks too many products are being released in an unfinished state. Of course, there’s a useful PSA, one that’s useful for anyone running disc brakes. And you’ll hear the geeks discuss some of the latest industry news.The episode wraps with the Ask a Wrench segment. Here, Dave chats with pro race mechanic Brad Copeland in answering a number of member-submitted questions, including whether premium bottom brackets are less likely to make noises, a deep dive on SRAM’s newest ThreadMount power meters and the cross-compatibility available.As usual, you’ll need to be a member of Escape Collective in order to listen the Ask a Wrench segment. You can sign up here and gain access to everything that Escape Collective has to offer.Time stamps:5:05 - Are aero bikes now climbing bikes?14:25 - Unfinished products are on Dave’s mind25:00 - PSA to check your rotors30:00 - Rapha and EF-Education to part ways35:30 - YT Industries’ “restructuring”40:00 - Rouvy acquires BKool48:00 - Ask a Wrench with Brad Copeland (Member Only)53:00 - Are premium bottom brackets less likely to make noise?1:07:40 - Schwalbe, pronounced1:08:40 - SRAM ThreadMount power meter compatibility1:16:30 - Mixing Shimano wheels and SRAM 12-speed drivetrains
--------
48:10
--------
48:10
Big wheels, TT saddles, and Five Stars
We’re in thick of race season and there’s plenty to discuss on the tech front. The mountain bike world is rubbing their eyes at the sight of a 32-inch-wheeled full suspension. Meanwhile, on the road, it’s the Time Trial that continues to tease future tech trends. Join Ronan Mc Laughlin, Dave Rome, and Alex Hunt as they discuss these new sightings.Outside of racing, you’ll also hear the geeks talk about a revised scoring system from the helmet test lab of Virginia Tech. Meanwhile, Dave has a PSA closely related to the latest edition of his Threaded workshop series. Plus there’s chat about news from DT Swiss, Pinarello, and Lightweight.Members of Escape Collective get access to the popular Ask a Wrench segment at the end of the episode. This week, pro race mechanic Brad Copeland joins Dave Rome in answering questions related to narrowing down choices in buying a gravel wheelset, how to go about converting a certain suspension fork for use with dropbars, and whether there’s a difference between Shimano GRX and Ultegra brakes.Time stamps:2:00 - BMC’s big wheel testing13:40 - Tour Time Trial tech23:40 - Virginia Tech updates its helmet star ratings32:00 - a PSA that every part is safety critical41:00 - Lightweight’s big update47:40 - Pinarello’s new gravel bikes49:20 - DT Swiss’ stop ride notice52:30 - Alex’s new bike day53:30 - Ask a Wrench with Brad Copeland (member only)54:45 - Thoughts on upgrading gravel bike wheels1:10:00 - Converting a MTB to dropbar with a remote lockout suspension1:20:00 - Shimano Ultegra versus GRX brakes
--------
53:37
--------
53:37
Tour Tech
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
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/
New Zealand