Escape Collective

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Channel • 9 Shows

Tech News

Tech News

Updated weekly
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Entrepreneurship

Every two months
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Updated 5 days ago
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Updated 25/10/2025
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Updated twice weekly

29 JAN

Geek Warning: Tech that doesn’t sense make

Welcome back to Geek Warning! Turn up that radio and listen Suvi, Ronan, and Dave as they discuss the latest big stories in cycling tech.From why many dropbar MTBs being sold have it wrong, through to a rant about stem designs with limited adjustability, there’s plenty to geek about this week.Members of Escape Collective also get Ask a Wrench, where Zach Edwards (Boulder Grupetto) and Dave Rome answer a number of technical questions.Happy bike nerding!Time stamps: 2:08 - Our first Velofollies6:00 - Why many dropbar MTBs are half-baked16:00 - A concept bike designed partly for reality25:30 - Less happy industry times29:30 - Gravaa ceases33:00 - On Dave’s mind: Stems that can’t be moved without cutting steerers42:00 - MADE tickets now open43:00 - Ask a Wrench with Boulder Grupetto (Members Only)44:00 - How do Hookless Max tyre pressures scale with size?51:00 - Quick connectors for hydraulic disc brakes?56:00 - Cannondale Ai offset confusion1:01:00 - Converting an old 29er MTB to dropbar

29 Jan

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43 min
2 DAYS AGO

Apartment-dwelling bike washing

This week’s episode is packed tighter than a top tube bag before an all-day outing. Join Suvi, Dave, and Ronan as they chat through the latest industry and product news to hit the cycling world.Within, you’ll hear where Suvi’s head is at in picking a rear radar, and what Dave suggests for a portable air blower. The geeks also discuss bike-washing tips for those without a garden, plus thoughts on modern drivetrain wear.Members of Escape Collective also get access to the Ask a Wrench segment at the end of the episode, where member-submitted tech questions are answered. Plus, our member-only podcast feeds are ad-free.Time stamps:2:00 - Is Eurobike as we know it now over?9:00 - Good news from Campagnolo12:00 - Trek’s gusty headwinds13:45 - Garmin’s new rear radar and Suvi’s existing picks23:30 - Surly’s Midnight Special gets some fiber24:50 - Rose’s Shave race and endurance bikes36:00 - Bike wash tips for apartment dwellers48:30 - Portable air blowers51:30 - The old rules of drivetrain wear no longer apply54:00 - Ask a Wrench with Zach Edwards (Members Only)54:30 - Dropper posts and internal cable routing woes1:05:00 - A funny PSA1:6:30 - Full Mount derailleurs and stripped bolts1:13:00 - Brake pad compounds for ultra wet off-road riding

2 days ago

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54 min
23 JAN

In the pits of the Tour Down Under

We’re in Adelaide for the Tour Down Under, and it would be rude not to take a stroll through the race mechanics’ village. After all, the race provides a unique opportunity to see all men’s and women’s WorldTour teams in one place.Tune in as Caley Fretz and Dave Rome reunite and casually chat tech. From big changes, rumours, to fancy hand-built bikes – there’s plenty to take in.It’s worth noting that the episode starts with some audio issues, but they're quickly fixed. This episode is wholly free to all of our listeners, whether members or not. And on that note, there is no Ask a Wrench segment this week.

23 Jan

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45 min
9 JAN

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.

9 Jan

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55 min
15/02/2024

The return of a loved rim brake bike

It’s time for another episode of Geek Warning. Dave and Ronan are back to discuss the latest happenings in the world of cycling tech and what’s on their minds. Ritchey and Factor have new bike (frame) releases that sit near polar opposites of the road market. Ritchey has brought back its well-loved Road Logic frames, while Factor’s Ostro VAM, a bike we’ve looked at before, is now officially official. There are new shoes from Trek and Specialized, with the former leaving Ronan a little confused over what size his feet are. And Dave shares what’s on his mind (hint, tools), and then there’s a quick wrap of other interesting tech and industry news. Timestamps: 5:03 - Ritchey Logic brings back its rim brake road frames8:03 - Factor’s new Ostro VAM is now official and Ronan has built one23:43 - Black Inc’s 1,270 g aero wheels26:45 - Specialized’s new mid-price helmet and shoes28:45 - Trek’s many new shoes, many new fits41:45 - On Dave’s mind46:58 - 4iiii’s new Pro 3+ dual-sided powermeter50:40 - KMC gets into cassettes52:05 - F+B Shift wheels bring thermoplastic carbon to a lower price point54:52 - Giant Bicycles to be sold by Dick’s Sporting Goods

15/02/2024

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1h 3m
15 JAN

Wear items don’t just suddenly become worn

Welcome to a new year of Geek Warning, the cycling tech-focused podcast from Escape Collective.This week, Ronan and Dave get back into the swing of things by covering some fresh products from Cane Creek, SRAM, BBB, and more.It seems Ronan and Dave both had PSAs on their minds, so we have two this week. One is about watching wear on what are common wear items. The other is about how to perform a basic safety check on any bike.Unfortunately, we hit audio issues with the member-only Ask a Wrench that only showed up during editing. For some reason, the recording device decided to give Dave a lisp and mute him off-and-on. Sorry.Time stamps:4:00 - Cane Creek answered Dave’s wish15:30 - BBB’s CoreCap19:20 - SRAM goes shorter in cranks22:30 - Tailfin’s bottle cage mount where you want it24:30 - Garbaruk breaks SRAM’s rules28:00 - RIP Joe Montgomery29:00 - Mechanic crystal balling is on Dave’s Mind38:30 - A basic safety check procedure43:00 - Ask a Wrench with Brad Copeland (Members Only, with some audio issues, sorry!)43:30 - SRAM eTap rim brake shifters50:30 - Draining a bike and warding off corrosion1:04:30 - Can 3D printing save me from a new Wahoo speed sensor?1:08:00 - How to make toe spikes last longer

15 Jan

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44 min
27/11/2025

One more cut to rim brakes

Big wheels, a product recall, and another rant about poor bike design – oh yes, it’s time for Geek Warning. This week Dave and Ronan return to your digital radios. On the list is a sneaky disappearance of a liked SRAM product, news from UCI regarding 32in wheels, and a recall from Trek. Some time on the tools has Dave ranting about a particularly bad example of internal cable routing, and of course, there’s a PSA. Members of Escape Collective get access to the full episode, which includes our popular Ask a Wrench segment (this week with pro race mechanic Brad Copeland). Just a note that we had an audio issue, and so Ask a Wrench this week has us answering two questions rather than the usual three. Still, there’s plenty of ground covered. Happy geeking! Time stamps: 4:00 - SRAM quietly discontinues older AXS rim brake options7:20 - UCI leaves the door open to 32in wheels in MTB12:00 - Trek’s big recall of little things17:10 - Rant time from Dave24:00 - PSA for another place to look for a creak29:00 - Ask a Wrench (Members Only)32:00 - Corrections Corner for the previous Ask a Wrench34:00 - Can a chainring wear out before a chain?41:00 - Shimano 105 shifter levers not engaging

27/11/2025

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35 min
04/12/2025

It’s the little things that matter most

This week’s episode is perhaps a little more behind the scenes than most. Ronan tells Dave about his nine-month tyre-testing project and why he is now ready to actually test tyres. There’s chat about the struggles in picking products for our favourite things lists. And you'll hear a conversation that involves a lot of cliches such as ‘you don’t know what you don’t know’ and ‘listen to your bike and body’. Of course, there’s a PSA, and somehow the conversation even turns to elephant asses. Oh yes, the Geeks cover some real ground in this one! Members of Escape Collective get all of that plus the Ask a Wrench segment (with pro mechanic Brad Copeland). It’s a big segment this week with five questions answered, but like every other week, it’s only available on the member-feed. Speaking of which, members can now access these episodes on Spotify! Time stamps: 00:45 - Ronan’s long-awaited tyre testing15:10 - The struggle of picking our favourite products23:00 - It’s the last 5% that counts the most39:00 - The latest Rabbit Holes42:00 - PSA: The organised mess51:00 - Ask a Wrench (members only)52:00 - Servicing hubs and dealing with freehub drag1:01:25 - Singlespeeds and chain wear1:08:30 - Toe spikes and dealing with faulty shoes1:14:00 - Our preferred safety window for Hookless Road1:21:00 - A torque adapter question

04/12/2025

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51 min
03/09/2024

Building Canyon Bikes (Replay)

To most of us it would seem inconceivable to build one of the biggest bike brands in the world from absolutely nothing. Think of the capital it would require, the global distribution network, complex supply chains, logistics, manufacturing, sales, design … It’s a daunting endeavour and hard to imagine where you’d even begin. Well, it didn’t start with all of those elements in mind. Roman Arnold, Canyon's founder, simply started cycling as a way of competing for recognition and approval from his father over his three brothers. His father sold bike parts at his weekend races to help pay for the hobby. And the rest is history. He started from humble beginnings, got his hands dirty, educated himself, and grew Canyon to be one of the largest cycling brands on the planet through baby steps, hard work, diligent spending and most of all, a true passion for cycling. For a brand that feels so young and progressive, some might mistake it for an overnight success. But as you’ve now learned it’s been over 45 years in the making, one small step at a time with the resources that Mr Arnold has had right in front of him. This is Roman’s remarkable story of how he build Canyon Bicycles.

03/09/2024

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1h 9m
20/11/2025

The value of trade shows and new off-road things

In a tech-launch heavy week, Suvi, Josh, and Alex have taken over the pod to chat about what was happening at the recent, season-ending Rouleur Live show, which led them to discuss the value of these cycling exhibitions a little more. To wrap things up, the team chatted through the – admittedly very off-road focused – new product launches from Nukeproof, Ritchey, Velocity USA, and Lazer. If you scroll past the show timestamps, we've also included a little Rouleur Live gallery there for you to browse. Timestamps: 00:10 – Intro, and Suvi's Brompton skills04:49 – Rouleur Live: crowds, vibes & venue05:45 – Show tech highlights: Reap aero gravel bike & POC bags10:30 – What are trade shows even for now?15:00 – Industry networking, media value & meeting members20:39 – Nukeproof is back: new Reactor trail bike25:00 – Ritchey Septimer breakaway gravel bike32:00 – Tangent to talk about travel bikes vs hire vs bags39:44 – 32" wheels & the emerging 32er niche46:40 – New Lazer Impala: Dual Core trail helmet, helmet testing, MIPS rivals & Virginia Tech ratings55:00 – Outro

20/11/2025

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56 min

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