Escape Collective

•

Channel • 9 Shows

Sports News

Sports News

Updated 14/01/2025
Sports News

Sports News

Updated Weekly
Sport

Sport

Updated 4 May
Sport

Sport

Updated Weekly
Sports News

Sports News

Updated Twice Weekly
Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship

Updated Twice Monthly
Sports News

Sports News

Updated 8 Mar

4 DAYS AGO

Aero gravel bikes are not always the fastest choice

Are full-blown aero gravel bikes all they’re cracked up to be? Dave and Ronan share some strong thoughts on why this may be the wrong path, or at least, why it’s still early days for these being the faster choice. For those in the workshop, Dave shares the importance of good lighting and some of his favourite hand-held options for seeing better. Alex Hunt then jumps on to talk about XC tech from the opening round of World Cup racing, including why the conditions caused so many dropped chains. Of course, members of Escape Collective get Ask a Wrench, this week with guru Colin Williams. Dave and Colin answer a handful of questions, but a chunk of the time is spent chatting about their most underrated and overrated tools. Time stamps: 00:02:13 - A Traka load of new, unreleased gravel bikes from Factor and Ridley 00:06:46 - Cervelo Aspero 5 where it’s good and where it’s really not 00:13:41 - Has gravel learned everything it knows from XC? 00:18:03 - Is the Factor Sarana Ronan McLaughlin’s bike for ultras or just confusing? 00:29:42 - A good thing to share about lighting 00:41:47 - Alex joins to talk MTB World Cup 00:43:51 - New bikes spotted in South Korea from Scott and Lapierre 00:51:56 - Lots of mud and 1x drivetrains aren’t a good match 01:01:15 - Ask a Wrench (member-only feed) 01:02:40 - Best mechanical shifting options for dropbar? 01:12:10 - Chainline variance and e-bikes 01:17:30 - Squeaky shoes with SPD 01:22:00 - Our most overrated and underrated tools

4 days ago

•

1hr 1min
4 DAYS AGO

The Giro d'Italia is here

Today on the show: The Giro d’Italia is here, things are going wrong in Belgium, and while we likely won’t get a Sunny May in Italy, everything’s coming up Sunny Maid over at Picnic-PostNL. Join the Spin Cycle fantasy league!

4 days ago

•

57 min
30 APR

Campagnolo is oh so back

It’s an episode of three parts this week and there’s been lots of big tech releases to chat through. Things kick off with Ronan Mc Laughlin and Dave Rome chatting about Campagnolo’s new Record 13 release and why it may prove to be the move to put Campagnolo back in the minds of many. There’s chat of where Zipp may be gone wrong with its latest 202 wheel release, and Ronan shares some thoughts of BMC’s new gravel racer, the Kaius. Then Dave gets tech reporter Alex Hunt on the phone to talk about two new cross-country bike releases - the Specialized Epic 9 and Canyon Lux World Cup. Finally, and as per every episode, members of Escape Collective get Ask a Wrench. Zach Edwards and Dave offer their insights to three member-submitted questions. Happy geeking! Time stamps: 00:00:00 Introduction, Ronan’s knackered, he’s been testing. 00:02:40 Campagnolo release Record 13, cheaper than Super Record, still more expensive than most other things. 00:14:17 Zipp 202 wheels for going up hills. 00:25:29 BMC Kaius 01 Gravel Racing Bicycle 00:37:53 Alex is here to talk about new MTBs 00:40:54 The new 2026 Canyon Lux Word Cup 00:48:30 The 2026 Specialized Epic 9 has arrived with a big price tag and no frame storage 1:02:00 - Ask a Wrench (members only, audio only) 1:04:00 - Headset loosening woes and the Ring of Death 1:14:00 - Over-preloaded hub woes 1:21:10 - Our choice of tubeless tapes

30 Apr

•

1hr 3min
4 MAY

Kasia's fantastic Spring and the Vuelta

This week, Abby talked to Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney about her Spring campaign, how she really feels about coming second, what was different coming into the season, and La Vuelta Femenina.Gracie, Georgie, and Loren joined Abby to talk about the Vuelta stages, what to look out for, and who they're watching for the GC in the final two stages.The written piece on Kasia can be found here.Abby also referenced Matt's story about the Vuelta, which can be found here.For more on the Vuelta this week, read Abby's stage-by-stage breakdown of the route and overview of the possible contenders.Love what we do? Sign up for Escape Collective by using this link: escapecollective.com/wheeltalk

4 May

•

1hr 23min
26 MAR

The continual compromise of 1x shifting

This week, we have tech editors Ronan Mc Laughlin and Josh Weinberg coming in from opposite ends of the world, both in dimly lit hotel rooms, and without their usual podcast recording equipment. It’s only up from here! In the first section, Dave Rome chats to Ronan about his previous day touring Pirelli. Then Dave reminds us of the real-world compromises that 1x shifting continues to battle. Also, you’ll hear a rant, and Ronan has a Good Thing that many probably already own. Next stop is Dave catching up with our US tech editor Josh Weinberg, who finds himself in Taiwan for the Taipei Cycle Show. And finally, members of Escape Collective (who get access to everything we do at Escape Collective), can tune in for our popular Ask a Wrench segment, where Dave and pro mechanic Zach Edwards answer technical questions from members. Finally, the day has come for Geek Warning to be a motion picture. You’ll now find episodes on YouTube, too. Happy Geeking! Time stamps: 4:40 - Touring Pirelli HQ 12:00 - Pirelli’s new flagship race tyre 18:00 - Wolf Tooth’s new flagship Mark Zero range 21:40 - The real world compromises of 1x shifting 34:00 - Content creation that has Dave ranting 40:20 - Ronan’s Good Thing that you may already own - 44:45 - Taipei Cycle Show with Josh 52:00 - 32er manufacturing is brewing, 3D printing, and other trends 1:07:00 - Ask a Wrench (members only) 1:08:00 - Shimano brakes gone bad if not used 1:17:30 - Stuck tyre bead on rim. Solutions? 1:26:00 - Re-using old brake hoses during re-routing

26 Mar

•

1hr 7min
20 HRS AGO

La Vuelta break down with Brodie Chapman

This week, Abby, Gracie, and Georgie are joined by a very special guest to analyze La Vuelta Femenina: UAE Team ADQ's Brodie Chapman. They discussed the "comeback" of SD Worx-Protime and especially Lotte Kopecky and Anna van der Breggen, the famous L'Angliru, and the young riders who animated this year's Vuelta. With "before the coverage" audio diaries from Alexis Magner and Babette van der Wolf of EF Education-Oatly and Riejanne Markus of Lidl-Trek. Love women's cycling? Become a member of Escape Collective by signing up at EscapeCollective.com/wheeltalk

20 hrs ago

•

1hr 37min
26 APR

Liège-Bastogne-Liège, now with 30% more entertainment!

Dane Cash and Cosmo Catalano break down all the action from the men's race at Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

26 Apr

•

20 min
27 APR

Comfort or confidence? The transformation of Demi Vollering

Loren, Gracie, and Georgie joined Abby this week to wrap up the Classics with a discussion of La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. They talked about FDJ United-Suez's continued dominance and how Demi Vollering has transformed while with the team. They also discussed the live coverage situation and the upcoming Vuelta España.

27 Apr

•

1hr 15min
4 MAY

Paul Seixas is going to the Tour de France

Today on the show: Paul Seixas is going to the Tour, Paul Seixas is going to the Tour, and Paul Seixas is going to the Tour!Plus, up the Picnic, Vuelta Feminina kicks off, and the mountain bike world up was muddy.

4 May

•

51 min
23 APR

No questions asked warranties aren’t all upside

It’s the week after the Sea Otter Classic, and the geeks speak surprisingly little of the products shown there. Instead, Ronan and Dave cover new budget drivetrains from SRAM and Shimano. Dave is thinking about unsustainable warranty policies. And there’s plenty more covered from the world of cycling tech. As a reminder, members of Escape Collective also get access to Ask a Wrench (at the end of the free episode). This week, Zach Edwards joins Dave in answering a variety of questions from members. Happy geeking! Time stamps: 00:01:29 - Should you grease headset spacers? 00:05:39 - Lifetime warranties on wear items 00:16:14 - Sea Otter - lots of 32” wheels and the rise of Chinese brands 00:31:38: - SRAM S-Series, where 9 becomes 3 00:39:54 - Shimano CUES 2x11 overlapping with Tiagra 2x11 00:45:37 - UCI vs SRAM. The UCI will make everything safer with limit screws 00:56: 11 - Ronan’s nipples are sore, but it’s in the name of unlocking performance 1:00:00 - Ask a Wrench (member-only) 1:02:00 - How does new Campagnolo differ in installation? 1:15:00 - Tips for maintaining a full suspension MTB 1:26:00 - Sweat causing Shimano pedal failures?

23 Apr

•

1hr 2min

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