Escape Collective

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Channel • 9 Shows

Sports News

Sports News

Updated Weekly
Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship

Updated Monthly
Sport

Sport

Updated 15 June
Sports News

Sports News

Updated Twice Weekly
Sport

Sport

Updated Weekly
Sports News

Sports News

Updated 14/01/2025
Sports News

Sports News

Updated 8 Mar

16 June

Industry Special EP3: The Rise of the Chinese Brands

They seemed to arrive overnight: Chinese bike brands turning up in the WorldTour peloton, in your local shop, and all over your feed. But almost no one inside the industry thinks it was sudden at all. Most of the bikes we ride have been built in Asia for decades, so perhaps it was only a matter of time before those factories started putting their own names on the down tube. This episode digs into why these brands are expanding now, and the competition this poses for many Western brands who are already struggling. We cover China's national strategy behind the rise, the role COVID played as an accelerator, government subsidies, the domestic price war, and aspects of vertical integration. To become a member so you can listen to this full episode, head over to www.escapecollective.com/overnightsuccess

16 June

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36 min
19 June

Exploring progressive road geometry

This week, Dave, Ronan, and new guy Jack chat about Eddy Merckx’s new bike and why it’s surprised Ronan. The bike provides good fodder for diving into more serviceable cockpits and for understanding why only fashion may limit the uptake of progressive road geometry. There’s good news for those who prefer cable-actuated shifting, as Shimano has updated its mountain bike offerings. Dave has other things on his mind, too, including Australia’s Spoken bike show and how downhill is teasing future puzzling for disc brakes.Of course, there’s plenty more than that, and members of Escape Collective also get Ask a Wrench at the end of the episode (members-only feed). Time stamps: 00:01:30 - The new Eddy Merckx and an exploration into progressive road geometry 00:22:45 - Shimano’s mechanical shifting update 00:29:00 - Shimano updates a real classic 00:31:45 - Don’t miss Overnight Success 00:33:50 - Downhill tech is on Dave’s mind and the pursuit of heat-regulated brakes 00:39:15 - Dave makes a case for why Australia’s builder scene is world-class 00:46:00 - Cannondale’s nostalgic Team Dream CAAD14s 00:47:15 - Bianchi’s new Specialissima 00:51:45 - Ask a Wrench with Colin Williams (Members Only) 00:54:00 - A Shimano mechanical dropbar shifter that’s coming undone 01:03:00 - Inconsistent Torx tooling 01:13:45 - Noisy eccentric bottom bracket challenges 01:21:20 - Disc brake pads for high elevation bike packing

19 June

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52 min
1 day ago

The consequences of big wheels and being gaslit

The tech crew at Escape Collective have been paying close attention to the progression toward 32in wheels in gravel and mountain bike, and while the conversation has come up a few times, it felt time to dedicate some real time to the topic. This week, Escape tech staffers Dave Rome, Ronan Mc Laughlin, and Alex Hunt chat about 32ers in the news, whether the UCI’s potential involvement will slow things, and if a new wheel size is of positive net gain for the wider industry. In addition to big wheels, the geeks also talk about some other new products. Meanwhile, members of Escape Collective get Ask a Wrench, the weekly segment where our members’ technical questions get answered.Time stamps: 00:02:15 - 32ers in the news 00:03:00 - Thömus gets the first World Cup podium 00:07:00 - Canyon’s Lux Era concept 00:10:20 - A few big wheels at Spoken 00:12:30 - The UCI’s involvement 00:23:00 - Brands preparing for the next big thing 00:28:30 - Complications in 32er suspension 00:36:00 - It’s a high-risk time for more stock 00:39:30 - Cheaper bikes will be worse 00:42:00 - Why didn’t it start with gravel bikes? 00:49:00 - Wolf Tooth’s lower cost range of products 00:51:50 - Black Inc’s new Hyper wheels. So many carbon spokes 00:59:00 - Ask a Wrench with Colin Williams (members only) 01:01:00 - Should you service new suspension and talking bushing clearances 01:14:24 - Fighting stuck tubeless tyres. How to deal with them on the trail? 01:26:00 - A recall-related question

1 day ago

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59 min
5 days ago

Building confidence at the Tour de Suisse

We are back to our regularly scheduled podcast this week as Abby, Gracie, and Georgie talk all things Tour de Suisse. From Zoe Backstedt to Marlen Reusser, from horrendous heat to that time trial on stage 4, there's a lot to say about the final WorldTour race before the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in over a month.

5 days ago

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1hr 3min
13 May

Industry Special EP1: The False Dawn

In our last Industry Special series, we asked how the bike industry got itself into such deep trouble. What we found was a supply chain riddled with problems, a leadership culture built on false optimism, and an industry that mistook a pandemic bump for a permanent new normal. They called it the bike gold rush. Sadly it came to an abrupt end. Since that time, businesses have gone bankrupt. Shops have closed. Thousands of employees have been laid off. So the question has changed. We know how the industry got into trouble. Now we're asking something harder: why can't it get out? Over the past few months, my colleague Suvi Loponen and I have spoken to leaders and employees across the industry to find out if this is something far more systemic than COVID ever was.The following 4 episodes after this one will be exclusive for our members. If you want become a member, go to www.escapecollective.com/overnightsuccess to sign up for a limited time offer.

13 May

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1hr 24min
5 days ago

Pogačar is terrifying

Today on the show: Pogačar crushes the Tour de Suisse, the Vuelta has a new theme song, and Mathieu van der Poel gets the most egregious jury fine yet.

5 days ago

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49 min
28 May

Industry Special EP2: The Ground Shifted

In episode one of this series — 'False Dawn' — we looked at the mistaken optimism the bike industry faced when the world opened up after the pandemic. The more you dig into this story, the clearer it becomes that the boom and bust was only the surface. Underneath it, something more fundamental had already changed. In this episode — which we're calling 'The Ground Shifted' — we hear from people who work at various levels of the supply chain about how the customer has changed, how the selling landscape has been redrawn, how private equity saw opportunity and moved in, and all the unexpected forces that have held back recovery — layered on top of structural problems that were already there long before COVID ever arrived. Please note that this is a preview and the full version of the series can be accessed by becoming an Escape Collective member. You can find out more about how to join here: http://www.escapecollective.com/OvernightSuccess

28 May

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28 min
11 June

New climbing bikes are being seen, but rarely raced

New bikes are now rolling in from all directions with both the road and mountain bike race seasons in full swing. In this week’s episode, Dave chats with new hire Jack Duncan about what he’s been seeing at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (aka, the Dauphine). Later in the episode, Jack and Dave discuss new cross-country mountain bikes from Orbea and Lapierre. Then Alex Hunt joins to talk about his experience with the new Scott Spark. Not even prompted by Dave, the geeks also cover space and weight-efficient tools for travel. And as per usual, members of Escape Collective get access to our popular Ask a Wrench segment at the end of the episode. Time stamps: 00:01:10 - Pre-Tour tech at the Dauphine 00:09:00 - A tangent on big brand wheels 00:14:00 - Mystery new shoes 00:15:20 - New climbing bikes are being seen, but rarely raced 00:23:30 - How to pack tools for travel is on our mind 00:41:00 - It’s a week of new 29er XC MTB, starting with the Orbea Oiz and Lapierre XR 00:49:30 - Alex Hunt joins to talk about Scott’s Spark update 00:59:00 - RIP Charlie Cunningham 01:01:40 - Ask a Wrench with Colin Williams (members only) 01:03:00 - Small electric inflators where low pressures matter 01:13:00 - Discontinued pedal lubes and PFAS’ 01:20:30 - What on saddles makes them a wear item? 01:27:00 - Pondering a handlebar that turns more freely 01:30:30 - Talking about our mechanical work

11 June

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1hr 1min
28 May

The Crux is now a DirtMac

Howdy geeks! It’s Unbound race week, and with that, we’ve seen an expected amount of fresh new tech in the gravel space.This week, Escape’s senior tech editors Dave Rome and Ronan Mc Laughlin discuss Specalized’s long-awaited update to the Crux. There’s, of course, a bit of big wheel chatter. A fun new project product from Wheels Manufacturing. And plenty more.As a reminder, members of Escape Collective also get access to Ask a Wrench, where member questions are answered by Dave Rome and a quest mechanic (this week, Colorado-based Colin Williams returns). If you liked this episode, please leave us a review. It helps like-minded cyclists discover us.Time stamps: 00:00:30 - Ronan went racing 00:07:15 - Ronan rides the new Specialized Crux 00:14:50 - But is it actually aero? 00:23:47 - Are pure aero gravel bikes what we need? 00:30:05 - Scott’s 32in gravel bike for Unbound 00:36:50 - Wheels Manufacturing’s better mud stick 00:42:29 - Paragon Machine Works has been acquired 00:43:56 - Good thing: Mechanics you can trust 00:51:00 - Ask a Wrench (Members-Only feed) 00:52:30 - Weird pulley wheel wear 1:03:00 - When is it time to replace a wheel? 1:12:00 - A Dangerholm-inspired Full-Suspension gravel bike?

28 May

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51 min
13 May

Checking in with Rapha's Fran Millar: 18 months in, the hard part is just beginning

In January 2025, I sat down with Rapha's newly appointed CEO, Fran Millar, after she'd been in the job for about three months. Founder and previous CEO Simon Mottram stepped away from the business in 2021 and hired William Kim as his successor. Kim was brought in as an outsider with impressive experience in luxury fashion and retail – Burberry, Gucci, Abercrombie & Fitch. Unfortunately he lasted less than a year, and after Kim stepped away in 2022, Rapha internally promoted François Convercey and Daniel Blumire as co-CEOs. Blumire left the business shortly after, and the sole leadership position was left to Convercey until Fran Millar was appointed in August 2024. In that period of multiple leadership changes, Rapha faced increased competition, a pandemic, and what many would say was a loss of focus while trying to expand and appeal to a larger market – all while being newly owned by the Walton Brothers' investment fund RZC. It's been roughly a year and a half since I first spoke with Fran about her vision for Rapha's future. In this interview, we check in on what she's been able to do, what's been more challenging than she anticipated, and where her focus lays now.

13 May

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1 hr

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