Geek Warning

The travel bike is a highly desirable item for many cyclists with dreams of frequent travel, but does it still hold a place with many modern airline policies? Its one of the many topics youll hear the geeks discuss in this weeks episode.

In addition to that, youll hear Dave Rome, along with Zach Edwards (Boulder Groupetto) and Escapes newest tech hire, Josh Weinberg, cover the latest in tech. They discuss the new Factor Monza road bike, where it sits in the range, and the sneaky new UDH Mini rear hanger. Silcas entry into the electric pump world sparks a wider conversation about the category. Plus, theres plenty more tech and industry happenings.

The episode wraps with our usual Ask a Wrench segment. Here youll hear the geeks chat 11-speed Di2, common shock pump leakage, and ponder the pros and cons of modern gravel suspension. As a reminder, youll need to be a member of Escape Collective (go here) in order to access this popular segment of the podcast. Members can submit new questions here.

Time stamps:

3:00 - The modern-day role of a travel bike?
13:00 - a PSA we keep repeating as it needs repeating.
17:00 - Silca enters the electric pump market
25:00 - Factors Monza road bike
33:00 - TrickStuff and DT Swiss
36:30 - Kona Hei Hei mountain bike
39:00 - Revel is closing down
40:30 - A heist of Ari bikes
44:00 - Ask a Wrench (member-only)
44:00 - Using 11-speed Shimano Di2 on newer frames
49:15 - RockShox Flight Attendant feeling less smooth and a common shock pump concern
58:00 - Gravel suspension considerations and alternatives

Welcome back to Geek Warning. It’s been a big few weeks for the cycling world, with the Classics and the Sea Otter Classic sharing a weekend.

Ronan Mc Laughlin and Dave Rome kick off the show chatting Roubaix tech, including some hacked derailleurs and questionable measurements. Then they chat about Colnago’s latest race bike.

Dave then jumps on with US tech editor Josh Weinberg to talk all things Sea Otter, including some of the bigger tech news. Plus, there’s a beginner's guide to why many in the industry are seemingly obsessed with gearboxes in place of the old derailleur.

All of those chats are based loosely on content already published on Escape Collective. So check out the Tech section of the website in order to see more on all of these things.

The episode wraps with our usual Ask a Wrench segment with pro race mechanic Brad Copeland. As a reminder, you’ll need to be a member of Escape Collective (go here) in order to access this popular segment of the podcast. Members can submit new questions here.

Time stamps:

1:30 - We told you so corner and Roubaix tyres
6:40 - 13-speed shifting taken to 12 and what tells of SRAM road of the future
17:30 - UCI is measuring things. Why?
25:20 - Colnago’s new V5RS
33:30 - Sea Otter is a Classic
39:00 - The rise of the gearbox
47:30 - Upside-down suspension returns
53:00 - Sea Otter big and small finds (Qvist, Continental, Vittoria, Abbey Bike Tools, Terravail, mini inflators, and much more)
1:08:00 - Stromm’s new aero road bike
1:13:00 - Ask a Wrench (members only)
1:17:00 - Upgrading bolts, where and where not
1:26:00 - SRAM Transmission on a non-Boost bike
1:35:00 - Wheels taking on water

Welcome back to Geek Warning! The podcast that puts all the most interesting cycling tech and advice into one place.

Before you tune in to the latest episode, it’s worth noting that the geeks often record a few days before an episode drops. In any normal week that’s no problem, but it’s been far from a normal week. In this episode Ronan McLaughlin, Suvi Loponen, and Dave Rome chat about the impact of tariffs on the cycling industry - many of which have been put on hold in the time between recording and publishing. Still, some discussed themes are likely to become true.

On a happier note it’s the week of the Sea Otter Classic in California. Recent years have seen this event organically become the industry tradeshow for the North American market, and with that, you can bet there are always plenty of new things to see. The geeks discuss some of the bigger announcements leading into the event.

Lastly, the episode wraps up with our Ask a Wrench segment featuring pro-race mechanic Brad Copeland. As a reminder, you’ll need to be a member of Escape Collective (go here) in order to access this popular segment of the podcast. Members can submit new questions here.

Time stamps:

2:20 - Extra info corner and 40 mm road tyres
5:00 - Tariff fears and a potential benefiting sector
18:00 - A PSA for that bike used on an indoor trainer
24:00 - Sea Otter Classic is here, and oh so much new tech
25:00 - New Allied Able gravel bike
26:30 - Niner ORE 9 RDO
29:50 - Zwift’s big updates
37:20 - Wahoo’s new head units and a Radar
40:00 - Optis, an inflatable tyre insert
42:10 - DT Swiss 350 DEG
44:30 - Maxxis revamps entire gravel tyre range
46:15 - Cadex joins the 3D printed saddle game
48:10 - TPU Tube Sealant?!
50:30 - OneUp updates its carbon bar and a short tangent
54:10 - Fizik’s entry into helmets
57:00 - Ask a Wrench time (Member only)
1:00:00 - Longevity of Campagnolo gear cables
1:07:20 - Disc brake pad compounds
1:14:00 - Burning off oils from disc rotors
1:18:00 - Glitter and tyre sealants

Paris-Roubaix is just around the corner and the geeks have been pondering just how wide we’ll see the tyres of the pros go. Some studies have shown that 40s are fastest, but as you’ll hear from Ronan, the testing he’s currently in the thick of is showing otherwise.

You’ll also hear Dave Rome, Ronan Mc Laughlin, and Zach Edwards (Boulder Groupetto) discuss some of the new interesting groupsets coming from Chinese manufacturers and what it may take for them to break through into the mainstream market. Plus, there’s plenty of new tech to discuss, including the new RockShox Reverb AXS dropper and some interesting industry news.

Finally, the episode wraps up with our Ask a Wrench segment featuring pro-race mechanic Brad Copeland. As a reminder, you’ll need to be a member of Escape Collective in order to access this popular segment of the podcast.

Enjoy!

Time stamps:

2:15 - The widest tyre we’ll see at Roubaix?
23:15 - Taipei Cycle Show and lower-cost drivetrain competition
33:20 - refreshed eeWings from CaneCreek
35:10 - RockShox Reverb AXS dropper
38:15 - SRAM ‘cybersecurity’ issue
39:45 - Brose bicycle acquired by Yamaha
41:40 - Velo gets a recycling partner in SRAM
42:50 - One April Fools that got us chuckling
46:00 - CyclingSpy now on Escape
52:00 - Ask a Wrench - Member Only
53:30 - A mystery click in the front end
1:01:15 - The best cycling tool for persuasion
1:05:00 - Cutting steerer tubes and the impact on resale value
1:12:00 - A detailed conversation on tight XD/XDR cassette sleeves (plus related tools)

Our podcast episodes are a little like our own children, of course, we love them all. However, maybe, just maybe, some are loved a little more than others. This episode is a good one.

Tune in as the regular crew of Ronan, Dave, and Zach chat about the growing world of tyre pressure calculators and whether electronic shifting has made frame designers lazy. Meanwhile, the public service announcement relates to counterfeit products and it’s a big one that we’re sure to return to in future.

With the Taipei Cycle Show on we’re seeing a flurry of new products to discuss, including a few new fun bikes.

Finally, members of Escape Collective (go here) get another edition of Ask a Wrench with Brad Copeland. Here, the geeks answer a few interesting questions, with a whole lot of detail related to bike setup for long gravel events.

If you liked this episode, then please give it a share with some like-minded riding friends.

Time stamps:

1:30 - Vittoria’s new tyre pressure app and wider category thoughts
14:00 - On Dave’s mind is frame limitation in mechanical groupset selection
29:45 - a PSA to not buy your big name product from sketchy sources
36:00 - Big new things from SRAM, which we’ve covered elsewhere
37:30 - Bendy road ahead for Komoot
39:00 - Bianchi celebrates 140 years
41:00 - Fox’s new 36 SL and where it sits
42:45 - Tern updates the GSD
43:30 - Giant’s first bike with a recycled composite frame
50:30 - Ask a Wrench with Brad Copeland (member-only from this point)
54:00 - Ask a Wrench: Prepping a bike for performance at Unbound 200
1:10:00 - Ask a Wrench: Chainline confusion
1:17:00 - Ask a Wrench: Fixing peeling decals