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2 DAYS AGO

A life of bikes with Calvin Jones

Welcome back to Geek Warning. We’re feeling well-rested from a couple of weeks off, despite the world of bicycle tech not waiting.To kick off the New Year we’re bringing you a special episode, one with someone who should be a familiar face. Calvin Jones has been the public face of Park Tool’s education resources and programs for 29 years, and this week he announced his upcoming retirement from the role.Dave Rome sat down with Calvin to talk through a variety of topics, including a number of throwback moments, a chat about the current state of professional bicycle education, how some modern tech changes may be driven by a lack of that education, some life tips for all, and so much more.This is a wholesale listen to kick off the new year, and so we’ve left it open to all. Hope you enjoy it.

2 days ago

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55 min
19/12/2025

The 2025 GWAs

The red carpet is out and dozens of interesting cycling products are strutting their way down it.In this final episode of Geek Warning for 2025, the full cast of geeks assembles for the GWAs. What’s the GWAs you ask? What’s the GWAs?! It’s only the most prestigious and hard fought nonsense in all of cycling tech!As always with Geek Warning, there are interesting and informative tangents around every corner. If you’re keen on those time stamps in order to jump through the sections, then you’re truly missing the point of this podcast.Much of this episode is free to all, but only members of Escape Collective are invited to the afterparty. And as is often the case, it’s the afterparty where things get said and friendships are broken. If you haven't already, it's never too late to join.We had fun putting this one together and we hope you have fun listening to it.Time stamps:2:30 - The about time reward4:30 - Best new drivetrain10:00 - The coolest bike of the year18:30 - Our favourite products (one each)32:00 - Our most read tech articles38:00 - The biggest industry story and the word of the year41:30 - We didn’t see that coming46:00 - Most overrated new trend56:00 - The Members Only after party57:00 - The buyer’s remorse badge1:08:00 - The ‘Wait, What?!’ Award1:11:30 - Media Beef of the year1:24:00 - The reoccurring news award1:27:00 - The messiest situation (shituation?)1:32:30 - The Grumpies1:34:00 - Most anticipated new thing

19/12/2025

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56 min
31/10/2025

Campagnolo goes top-tier on gravel, now where’s Shimano?

Jeez, that Dave and Ronan can sure ramble on about a new groupset. Indeed, this week’s Geek Warning has the geeks geeking over Campagnolo’s much-awaited release of 1x13 wireless. They chat about what's new, the limitations of a single chainring for general road riding, and why the future for the iconic Italian manufacturer seems brighter. While that chat may be a little premium for some tastes, the rest of the episode is all about more practical things. From tips for freehub servicing through to chatting good tech docs, this week’s episode lives up to the podcast’s name. Time stamps: 2:30 - A Corrections Corner that only members need4:00 - Campagnolo’s big Super Record expansion and the limits of 1x road26:00 - Looking at Look’s Vision pedals30:00 - New warranty options for CSS rim customers32:00 - a PSA for your freehub41:00 - Readily available technical manuals are a Good Thing48:50 - Ask a Wrench (Members Only, with Zach Edwards)49:30 - What’s up with gravel suspension?55:00 - Threaded bottom bracket creaks1:04:00 - Putting new Shimano XTR Di2 on a road bike1:17:00 - Zach’s preferred brakes to bleed

31/10/2025

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49 min
17/10/2025

Saddle positioning and Campagnolo goes Ultra

Gravel World’s, Bespoked Dresden, and new products have kept Escape’s tech team busy over the past week. In this episode of Geek Warning, Dave and Ronan discuss a few of the bigger tech sightings and why they may prove to be irrelevant. There’s talk of Campagnolo’s latest products, plus Ronan further explains the role of saddle positioning tools. Members of Escape Collective also get access to the Ask a Wrench segment (this week with Boulder Groupetto). Of particular interest for many is a question related to the use of grease versus anti-seize versus threadlocker. Happy geeking! Time stamps: 2:20 - Tech at UCI Gravel Worlds8:00 - Ultra-wide wheels from Dangerholm19:00 - Campagnolo goes Ultra27:30 - Good products, inspired by another podcast33:30 - Pet peeve meets PSA related to saddle positioning45:00 - Ask a Wrench with Boulder Groupetto (Members Only)47:00 - Tech that less tech-savvy riders should avoid58:30 - Grease vs Anti-Seize vs Threadlocker1:12:00 - A member-submitted tip1:15:00 - Omnium tyre choices

17/10/2025

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46 min
07/11/2025

A big factory tour and Gravel Burn tech

Welcome back, geeks! This week’s episode is a bit of a mixed bag, with Dave and Ronan kicking things off with a chat about Giant’s flagship factory. Things then jump to South Africa, where Escape’s CEO Wade Wallace sits down with racer and occasional tech contributor Kevin Bekenstein to chat tech at the inaugural Gravel Burn stage race. Finally, members of Escape Collective will hear the return of Brad Copeland in the Ask a Wrench segment. Time stamps:2:30 - Dave’s trip to Taiwan6:30 - Touring Giant’s flagship facility14:45 - Equipment basics for Gravel Burn22:00 - A proven use case for gravel suspension50:00 - Brad Copeland returns for Ask a Wrench (Members only)54:00 - Indoor bike and trainer servicing1:14:00 - Shimano front shifter that keeps getting hard to use.1:27:00 - Long-term storage of mountain bike suspension

07/11/2025

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52 min
24/10/2025

WorldTour rumours and a split in aero bikes

Warning, geeks inbound. This week, Dave and Ronan catch up to discuss WorldTour rumours and a few of the bigger stories in tech. One of which is Wilier’s new aero bike, and while it wasn’t what Ronan had expected, it raises questions about whether the new crop of Hyperbikes are a consumer-friendly option. Of course, there’s a PSA and Dave shares a ‘Good Thing’ that was on his mind from earlier in the day. And as per usual, members of Escape Collective get an extra half an hour of geekery as submitted questions get answered. Time stamps: 1:00 - A little bit about electric tyre inflators10:45 - Wilier’s new Filante SLR aero bike isn’t so radical17:15 - WorldTour tech rumours31:00 - Strava wants to be friends with Garmin again34:00 - PSA to preventing stuck tubeless valve nuts37:00 - Good Things for bleeding brakes44:00 - Ask A Wrench (Members Only)44:30 - Maintenance time versus durability in chain lubes52:00 - Wedges in cycling shoes1:01:00 - How to know when a slick tyre is worn1:05:00 - Finding a 160 mm crank for use with 2x GRX

24/10/2025

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44 min
13/11/2025

Top-end frames on mid-level bikes

If you were buying a mid-level performance bike, would you prefer an exceptional frame or a little compromise to get better components? That’s something that Ronan and Dave ponder in this week’s episode of Geek Warning. In addition to that, you’ll learn about DT Swiss’ first wheel that features spokes that aren’t its own. There’s a PSA for anyone ignoring noises from their drivetrain. And Dave nerds out on some funny-looking screwdrivers. Of course, members of Escape Collective get access to the Ask a Wrench segment at the end of the episode. Here, Dave and Brad Copeland go deep on whether bottom bracket bearings can last a lifetime and take a detour on the topic of flat mount mountain brakes. Timestamps: 1:00 - Bigham’s Laser Bubble Tunnels6:00 - Giant’s big bet on XC and high-end frames bumping up price points19:00 - DT Swiss has a wheel with spokes that aren’t made by them25:00 - Trek’s Project One now offering frame-only29:00 - A PSA for your drivetrain36:00 - Dave’s Good Thing of the week (decade?)45:00 - Ask a Wrench with Brad Copeland (Members Only)46:00 - A watery floor pump52:00 - Can a bottom bracket bearing last a lifetime?1:02:00 - Upgrading flat mount brakes on a mountain bike

13/11/2025

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46 min
27/06/2025

Building Albion

Charlie Stewart, Rupert Hartley, and Jack Howker started the British apparel brand Albion nearly a decade ago. It began not in a boardroom, but in the wild weather of Wales. I first met founders Charlie and Rupert by chance on the roads of Mallorca, before they’d launched a single product. Years later, Albion has grown into a respected name in the ultra-distance and adventure cycling scene. This episode traces their journey from pre-dawn London rides to post-work email threads, through the hurdles of product development and the pivotal hires, like legendary designer Graeme Raeburn, that helped transform them from three friends with an idea into a serious brand. It’s a story about staying small when everything tells you to scale fast. About designing for three seasons in a day. And about why authenticity, patience, and humility still matter in building a business—especially one worth believing in.

27/06/2025

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1h 16m
30/01/2025

Explaining Shimano’s new entry-level dropbar range

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.

30/01/2025

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1h 4m
12/12/2025

Do we ever get tired of bikes?

Geek Warning time! Factor’s new One aero road bike, SRM’s non-power pedals, and whether riding bikes ever feels like work are all things Dave and Ronan discuss this week. There’s a bit of happy news for Spotify users, with our member-only channels now available on the green app. If you’ve been missing out on the Ask a Wrench segment (this week with Brad Copeland) because you’re loyal to Spotify, then now is the time to jump in. Time stamps: 3:00 - Factor’s new One14:00 - New non-power pedals from SRM23:00 - Cube’s recall25:30 - Do we ever get sick of bikes?37:30 - PSA for the bearings on your bike40:15 - Ask a Wrench (Members Only)41:00 - When to replace a punctured tubeless tyre49:00 - How much of a difference do a few millimetres make?57:00 - Pressures for winter tyres

12/12/2025

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41 min

Welcome to Escape Collective, your home for independent cycling journalism.

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