Escape Collective

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Channel • 9 Shows

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Updated weekly
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Updated 3 Mar
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Updated twice weekly
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Sports News

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Updated 14/01/2025

6 MAR

Is aero the new all-rounder?

From hookless hubs to the latest in 11-speed shifting, the past week of tech has been quite the rollercoaster for the tech-minded. This week on Geek Warning, Ronan, Dave, and Alex from Escape Collective’s tech team catch up to run through the news and offer plenty of thoughts along the way. This one is a little heavier on the news than we typically like to do, but it’s been quite the busy week on that front! Of course, members of Escape Collective also get access to the full version of the episode that tacks on Ask a Wrench at the end. Zach Edwards joins Dave in answering a handful of interesting member questions, including one from a former winner of Unbound 200. Time stamps: 2:40 - The new Cervelo Caledonia 3:34 - OneUp joins the XC SPD pedal game 6:40 - Nobl’s new sub-1,000 gram MTB wheels 9:20 - MicroShift’s Advent MX 1x11 shifting 10:10 - Shimano Tiagra goes 11-speed 11:50 - Hookless hub failures in the WorldTour 17:00 - Giant’s vaguely new Propel 22:00 - Merida’s new Reacto is finally released 31:00 - Closely overlapping road range confusion 50:30 - A SPD to flat pedal adapter that’s a Good Thing 53:50 - Ask a Wrench (Members Only feed) 54:45 - Getting specific with 2x shifting on Cane Creek EEwings cranks 1:01:50 - Do you need to bleed brakes after undoing and/or cutting hoses? 1:09:40 - Rusty chains, chain wax, and when to replace 1:19:00 - A real fancy bike behind Zach

6 Mar

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55 min
26 FEB

Can we stop talking in absolutes?

It’s common for everyone to chase the simple answer for what the best product is. In this week’s Geek Warning, Dave and Ronan discuss why those chasing the best of something may be landing upon fiction. Additionally, you’ll hear about the differing paths in aero road wheel design between the latest from Princeton Carbon Works and Cadex. Of course, there’s a PSA. And our Good Thing segment returns. As with every week, members of Escape Collective get access to our Ask a Wrench segment. This week, Zach Edwards joins Dave to discuss greasing principles, whether to lube electronic derailleurs, mixing-and-matching SRAM brakes, and more. If you like the show, then please consider leaving a review. It’s much appreciated. Happy geeking! Time stamps: 1:20 - Princeton Carbon Works’ research into rim widths 10:50 - Cadex’s new aero combo 20:00 - SRAM’s new gravity MTB products 22:55 - Ibis has a new XC bike 24:00 - On our mind: There is no best 36:50 - PSA: Know when you don’t know 46:00 - Good thing: Sync Ergonomics Aerobar Three 51:00 - Ask a Wrench (Members only) 51:30 - Do you lube the pivots of electronic derailleurs? 59:20 - Shimano MTB vs Road on an indoor trainer 1:04:00 - Mixing SRAM dropbar shifters with four-piston calipers 1:09:30 - Applying grease to a thread and how much to use

26 Feb

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51 min
20 FEB

Bonus: Speaking spokes

Oh hi, Dave Rome here. It’s time to get geeky about spokes. I recently wrapped up a long-term review (now live on Escape Collective) where I compared two identical gravel wheelsets, one built with bladed steel spokes and the other built with Berd spokes, a spoke made from a Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene, aka, Dyneema. Those white Berd spokes have been growing steadily in popularity, and off the back of Tom Pidcock and Pauline Ferrand Prevot winning the last Olympic games on them, I was ever more curious. To help with that curiosity, Tristan Thomas of the New Zealand-based wheel company, WheelWorks, lent me some wheels in order to get some answers to questions I had. This episode is a sit-down with Tristan to discuss spokes and the considerations around an interesting polymer product like Berd. Happy geeking!

20 Feb

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31 min
18 FEB

Performance bikes are like phones

Think of recent times when Apple, Samsung, or Google have once again claimed to change the phone, just for you to find out that you can now photograph everyone’s wrinkles a little more clearly. Ronan believes we’re in an age where performance bikes are like phones, and of course, the geeks discuss it. On Geek Warning this week, Dave and Ronan discuss Cannondale’s latest bikes and what they may spell for some other emerging trends. Meanwhile, the PSA segment returns with a warning regarding increasingly common hood slippage. All of that is free to all, while members of Escape Collective also gain access to our popular Ask a Wrench segment at the end of the episode. From our favourite bearing greases to headset woes, there’s plenty answered and discussed this week. Happy geeking! Time stamps: 1:45 - Cannondale SuperSix Evo 4.5 12:50 - TT frames as aero road bikes? 24:00 - Favero doubles battery longevity, for free 25:50 - Trek turns 50 26:30 - New Factor Ostro Gravel spotted 30:30 - RIP King Liu 31:30 - Performance bicycles are like phones 45:00 - PSA related to slipping hoods 54:30 - Ask a Wrench with Boulder Grupetto (member only) 55:48 - Mixing and matching SRAM Transmission with other cassettes 1:00:15 - Specialized Crux headset loosening woes 1:10:00 - Quick connectors for fully integrated drop bar bikes? 1:17:20 - Servicing versus replacing bottom brackets, and our go-to bearing greases

18 Feb

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55 min
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
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
18/04/2025

Wrapping Roubaix and Sea Otter tech

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 tyres6:40 - 13-speed shifting taken to 12 and what tells of SRAM road of the future17:30 - UCI is measuring things. Why?25:20 - Colnago’s new V5RS33:30 - Sea Otter is a Classic39:00 - The rise of the gearbox47:30 - Upside-down suspension returns53:00 - 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 bike1:13:00 - Ask a Wrench (members only)1:17:00 - Upgrading bolts, where and where not1:26:00 - SRAM Transmission on a non-Boost bike1:35:00 - Wheels taking on water

18/04/2025

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1h 16m
5 FEB

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

5 Feb

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54 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
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

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

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