Podcast
Geek Warning
Hosted by Escape Collective · EN
Welcome to Geek Warning, a podcast focused on how bikes work and how to make them better. Hosted by Dave Rome and Caley Fretz, along with whoever else we can find, this weekly show is your fix for tech geekitude, covering the latest tech news, industry trends, and whatever else catches our fancy.
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Oct 13, 202301:11:38Tap to summarizeWelcome back to Geek Warning, the show that proves the world of cycling tech never stops.This week we published our vision for covering tech news. In response, many of you asked for links to see and learn more of what we discuss in the Geek Warning podcast. And just like that, we present links!Zwift has launched its Hub One smart trainer with a single cog. Ronan is working on a review, but in the meantime you can read what DCRainmaker thinks of it.The recently announced Shimano crank recall is picking up steam as other countries roll out their respective recalls. However, it appears to be getting uglier.We discuss BMC’s new all-rounder race bike, the Teammachine R. This bike left Ronan rather impressed, follow the link to find out why.The Gravel World Championships offered a glimpse at a new Merida Silex. Meanwhile, Canyon’s long-awaited Grail CF is finally here, a bike James has a full review on.We also touch on new mountain bike wheels from Princeton CarbonWork's off-shoot brand P1 Race Tech. And being a new week, there are of course, new chainrings from Wolf Tooth.Timestamps:4:58 – Zwift goes singlespeed and many tangents16:05 – Shimano crank recall is getting uglier21:50 – BMC’s new “not an aero bike” aero bike, automotive collabs, and narrow handlebars43:05 – Princeton CarbonWorks launches for mountain bikes46:50 – More new products from Wolf Tooth49:50 – New gravel bikes from World’s57:00 – How we’re thinking about covering tech news Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Hookless rim designs are coming after your aluminum wheels now, too
Oct 5, 202301:09:40Tap to summarizeThere has been a slew of wheel introductions recently, with some of the most interesting ones being from Zipp (lightweight carbon XC!), DT Swiss (“Aero for All”!), and Mavic (hookless aluminum gravel!). Wait, what? Yep, Mavic is now so progressive that its new aluminum gravel wheels feature a hookless profile, and we have some thoughts on the idea.Timestamps:1:37 – A close at DT Swiss’s new “Aero for All” aluminum wheels8:27 – This most definitely is not the Mavic of yesteryear15:04 – Zipp enters the XC wheel market (and their carbon road wheels have quietly gotten heavier)25:56 – Bontrager cozies up with Look for a new range of clipless MTB pedals32:57 – Wahoo Fitness continues to streamline its operations35:58 – Brighter days are hopefully ahead for Parlee Cycles41:35 – The indomitable and indestructible Surly Cross-Check is no more46:30 – Dave is obsessing about what spare parts and – of course – tools to carry on his new bike52:59 – James’s safety rules of the road57:52 – More power or less weight for eMTBs?1:02:08 – Choosing the right chain lube is about saving money, not watts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Snap, crackle, pop: Shimano finally deals with its broken crank problem
Sep 28, 202301:08:55Tap to summarizeRoughly a decade after problems first started surfacing with its bonded aluminum road crankarms, Shimano has finally issued an official recall for certain Ultegra and Dura-Ace models – and we have some thoughts on the matter. SRAM is also making its long-awaited entry into the e-MTB scene with its new Powertrain system, Specialized wants people to start thinking about e-bike performance a little differently, X marks the spot for Pinarello, and there’s some dodgy stuff going on out there when it comes to ultralight road wheels.Timestamps:5:16 – Shimano’s bill has finally come due22:35 – SRAM is now entered the e-MTB game27:45 – How much does e-motor efficiency matter?32:05 – Pinarello’s new endurance road bikes40:31 – Canyon sure does like its CP0018 three-piece integrated cockpit46:28 – Ignore those ETRTO rim dimensions at your own peril51:50 – Introducing Ronan’s new podcast: Performance Process!55:58 – Dave has gone down the eMTB rabbit hole1:00:01 – Should MTB rims switch to Schrader valves?1:04:22 – Ronan’s view on aero gains? Testing, testing, testing Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Recalls, weird brand choices, and more recalls
Sep 21, 202301:02:12Tap to summarizeThis week’s Geek Warning has James, Ronan, and Dave covering a broad range of topics from Fulcrum’s new road wheels, a new airless tyre, and a tyre that’s recalled for being unwantedly airless.There’s also a surprising amount of chat about e-bikes, but perhaps not for the right reasons. There’s the new Moots entering the space, but not with its expected material. Rad Power promises safer batteries, which is great, but also feels late. And yet another recall has us asking whether cheap e-bikes are a responsible product.Timestamps:4:45 – Moots takes an Express train in an unexpected direction16:00 – New mid-range performance road wheels from Fulcrum21:40 – Another attempt at the airless bicycle tyre?25:42 – A road tyre recall from Pirelli28:52 – Rad Power announces safer batteries, bit late?34:38 – And another recall, this one impacts 45,000 bikes!46:42 – Ashton Lambie gets out of a stick’y situation51:50 – High-priced wheels are on Dave’s mind56:45 – A PSA for Shimano Di2 users Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Specialized and Giant have very different takes on what makes the ideal endurance road bike
Sep 14, 202301:16:49Tap to summarizeSpecialized announced its latest Roubaix and Giant launched its fifth-generation Defy Advanced this week, but while they’re both “endurance road bikes”, they could hardly be more different.We’ve also got a new aero all-rounder from Ridley, fancy 3D-printed titanium derailleur hangers, new indoor developments from Wahoo and Zwift, a whole day of hour records, thoughts on the UCI’s minimum weight limit, and a word of caution to maybe not trust that little map on your GPS computer *too* much.Timestamps:6:55 - A Specialized Roubaix, but no Cable Cobbler (yet)21:45 - More endurance road bikes and Giant’s new Defy fills a gap.32:20 – Silca has derailleur hangers with holes in them38:45 - News from Wahoo with special guest, GPLama (https://gplama.com/)!52:22 - A quick mention of Zwift things54:50 - Ridley replaces the Helium SLX1:01:30 - A new testing facility at MIPS1:03:43 - There’s a day of Hour Records and Ronan is very excited1:05:50 - The UCI weight limit is on Ronan’s mind1:11:14 - A PSA that James and Dave hadn’t considered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Trek’s new Domane AL goes all-road, Bontrager goes thermoplastic, and a deep dive into Columbus Trittico
Sep 7, 202301:03:55Tap to summarizeTrek has just announced its fourth-generation Domane AL, and it’s even more of a budget-friendly workhorse than before. Over on the Bontrager side, its new ProV all-road/gravel models are the latest to switch to thermoplastic construction (courtesy of CSS Composites).Also, want to know more about Columbus’s new Trittico component family for internal routing? We’ve got the scoop.Timestamps:3:22 – The skinny on Trek’s new (and very versatile) Domane AL entry-level “road” bike13:50 – Bontrager’s latest road wheels signal a possible widespread shift to thermoplastic carbon fiber rims25:35 – What the heck is a Reaver?28:58 – Supacaz is getting into eyewear37:59 – Columbus has a new turnkey internal routing system for small builders48:18 – Dave exercises a remarkable level of restraint at Harbor Freight55:25 – A dream comes true for James1:00:06 – It turns out torque wrenches need time to warm up, too Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →A wrap on MADE with Rob English
Sep 1, 202301:14:37Tap to summarizeTwo episodes of Geek Warning in one week? Oh yes!This second episode has a more familiar format, but there’s still a twist. First, we have James and Dave chatting about what’s new this week and their thoughts from the MADE bike show.And then, you’ll hear from famed frame builder and Escape Collective contributor Rob English about the show, plus thoughts on the handmade scene.Timestamps:2:35 – A brief recap of new gravel and road groups from Shimano14:57 – Layoffs at Wahoo17:50 – James and Dave chat Made.32:18 – Hello Rob English! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →A deep dive on new Shimano GRX and 105 12-speed mechanical
Aug 31, 202300:40:52Tap to summarizeWelcome to a special episode, brought to you by the geeks of Escape Collective. In this deep dive, tech editor Dave Rome interviews Nick Legan and Dave Lawrence from Shimano about all that’s new (and not) in the latest GRX 12-speed mechanical groupset.At some point in the chat it’s mentioned that new 105 12-speed mechanical is also inbound, and so the conversation covers that, too.Tune in to hear about all that’s new, how HG+ works, an explainer on freehub compatibility, cable durability concerns, and a few bad (excellent) puns. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →750D wheels and questionable cockpits
Aug 25, 202300:47:28Tap to summarizeThis week’s Geek Warning episode sees James and Dave hanging out in a hotel room together with plenty to talk about and not enough sleep to do it professionally.The MADE show is on the horizon, and James and Dave touch on some of the things they expect to see. There's a good conversation about the restraints that modern road design is forcing on consumers. And of course, much more.Enjoy!Timestamps:2:35 – Driven raising equity.4:15 – Moots teases a new wheel size.9:48 – Trek’s Madone gets a slightly cheaper choice.16:13 – New things from Wolf Tooth.20:49 – Leap Components doing cool things and wobbly derailleur pivots.25:45 – Still thinking about the woes of certain internally cabled bikes, proprietary cockpits, and fit limitations.34:43 – James goes on an AliExpress shopping spree.41:59 - A PSA to keep those freehub internals fresh. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Ask a handful of Wrenches
Aug 16, 202301:01:15Tap to summarizeThis week's Geek Warning episode is a little different. With James off racing bikes, and Dave travelling (for work), the Geeks instead gathered to answer a bucket full of tech questions from Escape Collective members. Joining James and Dave are former MTB World Cup mechanic Brad Copeland and dream bike builder Zach (of Boulder Grupetto).Don't worry, the regular weekly show will return soon! In the meantime, enjoy and please let us know what you think of this format. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →