Episode notes
We’re going back to basics in this week’s episode. While Geek Warning is usually for tech-obsessed cyclists, this edition covers the common conversations a bicycle mechanic would have with a client. It’s for everyone and anyone who does a little of their own bike maintenance. Many road cyclists are still relatively new to disc brakes, so Jack Duncan and Dave Rome start the episode with a deep dive into many facets of ownership. The basics of chain lube and drivetrain wear are covered later on, as are some thoughts about tyre wear and who tubeless may be right for. After all that, members of…
Podcast
Geek Warning
Escape Collective · Sport · English
Welcome to Geek Warning, a podcast focused on deciphering the world of cycling tech, explaining how bikes work, and how to make them better. Hosted by Dave Rome and Ronan Mc Laughlin, this weekly show is your fix for tech geekitude, covering the latest tech news, industry trends, answering mechanica
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This week sees a big first for the Geek Warning podcast as the entirety of Escape Collective’s tech crew meet up in person over in Takayama, Japan. With that, we recorded live in front of a select group of Escape members! It’s certainly been a huge week on the tech front for our entire tech team to be away riding bikes at the annual Member Summit. Not only is the Vuelta a España in its first week (where new Dura-Ace prototypes were seen), we also had the last Mountain Bike World Cup round prior to the World Championships. And if that wasn’t enough, MADE was held over in Portland, Oregon, the…
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Bonus: The business of batch-built versus custom metal bikes
It’s time for another bonus edition of Geek Warning. This chat is a brief opener to our upcoming coverage of Made, North America’s Custom Bicycle Show. Held this coming weekend (21-23rd of August), the Portland-based show has grown to be a key event on the calendar for bike lovers, tech nerds, makers, and the like. A show like this also consistently serves as a crystal ball into emerging segments and tech trends. One such trend is the emergence of custom frame builders offering pre-built options. In the USA, a number of local frame builders have reduced purchase barriers by offering set…
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The endurance bike some of us have been waiting for
This week on Geek Warning, Dave is joined by Escape’s Suvi Loponen and Alex Hunt to talk about the latest in cycling tech. Alex was on the ground at the Tour de France Femmes and came away pondering why 1x hadn’t hit the women’s field like it has the men. Meanwhile, Suvi has spent the past couple of months riding the new Trek Domane endurance road bike. Dave and Suvi discuss why this bike is likely to be a big win for Trek. Then, as usual, those on our member-only podcast feeds get access to Ask a Wrench. This week Dave is joined by Colin Williams to answer questions related to replicating…
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The spectrum of XC race bikes
This week, Dave and Jack from the Escape Collective tech team talk modern cross-country bikes and where the nuance between race and downcountry sits. Plus, Dave shares why he believes remote lockouts are a race-day product. Meanwhile, the geeks discuss why rounded bolts are most often user error and how to avoid them (also check out Dave’s Threaded #15 article on the topic ). Like every week, members of Escape Collective (on the exclusive member-only feeds) get access to the full episode, including Ask a Wrench. This week Colin Williams is back on the mic to answer questions from our…
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Pros are not not slamming their stems
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16 Jul 2026 · 54 min
Aero bottles are often a step too far
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Rumours all around and the aero cost of being in the Yellow jersey
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Making the test provide the desired result
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The fastest sleeves you've ever seen | TDF Tech special
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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…
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