Geek Warning

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

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

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?

Whoa, what a week to be a cycling fan. And for the nerds among us, Roubaix rolling into Sea Otter is always great.

This week Ronan, Alex, and Dave discuss some of the bigger tech finds and blunders of Roubaix and what they may spell for future products and trends. Many tangents are had. Ronan got to ride the new Colnago C72 and shares why he’s always dreamed of owning a C-Series.

Of course, the geeks also cover some tech news, and there’s a PSA. It’s a long one, but we think it’s a good one! As usual, members of Escape Collective get Ask a Wrench (via the member-only podcast feeds). It’s perhaps one not to miss for the chain waxers among us.

Time stamps: 

3:55 - New Shimano SLR pedals break cover

7:48 - MVDP not on that new Endurace

16:42 - 1x everywhere from Shimano and SRAM 

25:30 - Tyres wider than first assumed? 

29:00 - What's going on with all the punctures? 

34;10 - Inflatable inserts from Odyssey Optis 

41:30 - On your mind: The Roubaix-specific bike may still have its day again

49:15 - Roubaix’s most intriguing tech picks (glue)

57:00 - Colnago’s new C72 

1:06:15 - Shimano finally adds crank options to GRX

1:07:15 - Dave’s Tool Lust (Cushcore) 

1:11:35 - Sea Otter Classic is here

1:12:15 - PSA: Be careful not to make a candle

1:17:30 - Ask a Wrench with Zach Edwards (Escape members only) 

1:18:40 - Chain wax for ultra endurance applications 

1:28:00 - Fixing a stuck brake hose olive 

1:32:20 - Time XC pedal creak

1:39:55 - Why isn’t Nitrogen used in tyres?

A recent review comparing SRAM XPLR AXS to Shimano GRX Di2 1x brought up an interesting comment from a reader: does electronic shifting kill the soul of a bicycle? It’s a topic of discussion in this week’s episode. 
Also in this episode, tech editor and industry reporter Suvi Loponen rejoins Geek Warning to talk about Canyon’s somewhat confusing new Endurace CFR release. You’ll also hear about some other bits of new tech. Meanwhile, the PSA this week doesn’t mince words, calling out a new product on Kickstarter as one to avoid. 
 
 Of course, members of Escape Collective also get access to Ask a Wrench, where this week Dave is joined by pro wrench Colin Williams to answer a number of your questions. 
Time stamps: 

02:41 - Is electronic shifting lacking a soul? 

16:36 - New Canyon Endurace CFR isn’t an Endurace 

31:59 - New things from Easton, Vittoria and Surly

41:28 - PSA: You can’t lube a chain with nonsense

50:00 - Ask a Wrench with Colin Williams (Member’s Only) 

52:00 - Should I clear coat raw aluminium? 

57:35 - Mystery Di2 chain dropping issue 

1:05:00 - SRAM dropbar sticky pistons 

1:10:20 - Bringing a bike out of winter storage