Geek Warning is back for the new year! In this week’s episode, Dave and James chat about some mysterious Boa dial failures and how some pros are using gravel bikes this cyclocross season, how 3D-printing is becoming just as much a marketing tool as a manufacturing one, and what we look for in our favorite handlebar tapes. You might also just want to head out to the shed and check your disc brake rotor thicknesses, and the story of a lost bike in Colorado may help restore your faith in humanity. ...
Jan 05, 2024•50 min•Ep. 225
This week on the show: Red Bull's buy-in at Bora-Hansgrohe, Mathieu van der Poel's spit, Ronan's beard, and our New Year's resolutions for professional cycling. To get access to the members-only Escape After Dark segment of this podcast, sign up here.
Jan 03, 2024•42 min•Ep. 224
Following a break for our inaugural Awards episode, Dave and Ronan return with an episode of a familiar format. There’s plenty on the minds of the geeks, plus a sprinkling of new tech to know in this final Geek Warning episode for 2023 ... The biggest news is that the UCI wants to control just how weird racers can get with the angles of brake hoods. Dave and Ronan discuss the claimed safety concerns, and what are arguably the far larger concerns, too. For a detailed report, check out our coverag...
Dec 21, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 223
The Geeks are back for another round of Ask a Wrench. In this member’s bonus episode, Zach (of Boulder Gruppetto), James, and Dave answer a bunch of technical questions submitted by Escape members. This week, our geeks discuss how to find a good mechanic, how to torque bolts when there are multiples, change of crank bolt material for easier removal, servicing of cartridge bearings, rattling saddle bags, how to prep a bike for winter use, and plenty more.
Dec 21, 2023•31 min•Ep. 222
Jonny Long hosts the final Placeholders episode of the year, a quiz showdown with Iain Treloar, Kit Nicholson, and Ronan Mc Laughlin. Who will emerge as the end-of-year champion? Listen to find out ...
Dec 20, 2023•49 min•Ep. 221
For our final episode of the year, Gracie, Loren and I chat the recent Giro d’Italia Women route announcement, development pathways from Australia for women, the UCI’s weird wildcard decision, and more. Plus we answer a handful of your questions. Stay tuned for an exclusive members only episode with the three of us coming next week.
Dec 19, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 220
This week's Performance Process is the latest in our series delving into how and why World Tour racing is getting so much faster. The first of our deep dive episodes on the specifics of how racing is getting faster, Dr Tim Podlogar is our guest to discuss all things "high-carb." The jokingly self-professed Mr Carbohydrate, Podlogar is an exercise physiologist at Birmingham University focusing on sports nutrition, exercise metabolism, environmental physiology and endurance performance. He is a fo...
Dec 15, 2023•32 min•Ep. 219
We’re skipping the usual news this week because it’s once again time for our annual tech awards! 2023 was certainly a memorable year for a multitude of reasons, but what were the cycling tech-related things that stuck in our minds of our resident geeks, James, Dave, and Ronan? What were the biggest trends? What were our favorite products? Who was doing things right? What was the biggest flop? What was the best thing we bought this year? We’ve got all of that – and much, much more – in this don’t...
Dec 15, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 218
On this week's Placeholders, Abby Mickey, Jonny Long, Kit Nicholson, and Iain Treloar cover the uncertainty surrounding where up-and-comer Cian Uijtdebroeks will be riding next year as well as comparing Classics and discussing Belgian cycling awards.
Dec 13, 2023•42 min•Ep. 217
On this week's Members Only Escape Collective Wheel Talk Podcast (phew), Abby chats with Floorje Mackaij about moving from DSM to Movistar after 10 years with the same team, alongside her close friend Liane Lippert, and riding for Annemiek van Vleuten, plus Bella, her adorable dog who has become a honorary member of her Spanish team.
Dec 12, 2023•9 min•Ep. 216
Hoo boy, it’s been a big week in tech, and our resident geeks had a lot to talk about. It was just a matter of time before Cervelo jumped into the e-bike market, and that day has finally come with the new Rouvida . The same frame is used for two road and two gravel models, but Cervelo has incorporated flip chips in the front and rear dropouts to adjust the geometry accordingly. Despite the sizable battery hidden away inside the down tube, the carbon fiber frame looks pretty good, too – not entir...
Dec 07, 2023•54 min•Ep. 215
It's time to treat our members to another bonus episode of the Geek Warning podcast. This week, Brad Copeland – former World Cup pro mechanic and now service director at Hush Money Bikes – joins James and Dave to geek out on all things related to building a dream home workshop. In this episode, you'll learn about how to build out a tool kit, our thoughts on tool organisation, what to do if you don't have a dedicated workspace, and a whole lot more. While the weekly Geek Warning podcast remains u...
Dec 07, 2023•27 min•Ep. 214
Ronan Mc Laughlin, Kit Nicholson, Dane Cash, and Joe Lindsey all join Caley Fretz on this week's Placeholders to talk Campagnolo, the media landscape, swords, milk, and more.
Dec 06, 2023•49 min•Ep. 213
With 2024 just around the corner Abby chatted with EF Education-Cannondale’s new General Manager Esra Tromp about the process of building a team from scratch, the hurdles the team might come against in the new year, and more.
Dec 06, 2023•8 min•Ep. 212
This week's Performance Process is the first in a series delving into how and why World Tour racing is getting so fast. Year after year we see average records increase and record times tumble. Alex Dowsett is our guest on this week's podcast. Alex is a former pro, former World Hour record holder, the only known elite professional sportsman with haemophilia, not to mention six time British National Time Trial champion, two time Giro stage winner, and YouTuber . Having been a pro for 12 years, it'...
Dec 01, 2023•25 min•Ep. 211
Good chain lubes can extend the life of your drivetrain, and bad ones can shorten them – but do you know how much that might actually cost you? A new online calculator using Zero Friction Cycling’s data aims to tell you just that. Our crew of geeks also pick their favorite road helmets, Ronan has some thoughts on stock component sizes, the UCI is at it again, 3T and Bianchi have some fancy new gravel bikes, and if come across some new Pinarellos that seem way, way too cheap, there might be a rea...
Nov 30, 2023•50 min•Ep. 210
On this week's Placeholders, Dane Cash, Kit Nicholson, and Abby Mickey join Caley Fretz to bid farewell to AG2R's iconic brown shorts, discuss some late-breaking transfer stories, analyze the Rigoberto Urán telenovela, and more.
Nov 29, 2023•56 min•Ep. 209
Surprise. We are interrupting our usual fortnightly episodes of Performance Process to bring you a bonus episode with Frank Overton of FasCat coaching. When we announced Performance Process a little under two months ago, we promised we'd bring you some of the insightful conversations we would be having anyway with experts and industry insiders. That's exactly what we are doing in this episode. It's less a performance process and more an insight into an interesting offering. Hence why it is a bon...
Nov 24, 2023•24 min•Ep. 208
This week's regular (and free!) episode of Geek Warning has James Huang, Zach Edwards (of the Boulder Grupetto), and Dave Rome back on the mics. With only a small amount of news to discuss, much of the conversation surrounds bigger and broader-reaching topics. Seeing so many sales out of the bike industry is great for those in the market for a new bike, but it's a worrying sign of financial struggles ahead. It's obvious the boom is over , and it may be a few years for stock glut to clear. The mo...
Nov 24, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 207
Jonny Long, Kit Nicholson, and Ronan Mc Laughlin join Caley Fretz on this week's Placeholders to talk about the changes behind the scenes at the Ineos Grenadiers, potential calendar challenges, and, of course, super blood worms.
Nov 22, 2023•56 min•Ep. 206
It's time for another bonus episode of The Geek Warning podcast, exclusive to our members. This week, Brad Copeland – former world cup pro mechanic and now service director at Hush Money Bikes – joins James and Dave to answer member-submitted questions. This week, the geeks answer questions related to chain waxing, degreasing, what grease goes where, removing stuck cassettes, tool tips, how we store small parts, how to solve noisy brakes, and plenty more. While the weekly Geek Warning podcast re...
Nov 22, 2023•16 min•Ep. 205
In this week's Performance Process, we talk to Mehdi Kordi, PhD and Head Coach (Track Sprint) at the Dutch National Cycling Federation. Kordi recently coached Jeffrey Hoogland to a new Kilo World Record, and having spoken with him for our optimising deep dive looking inside that new World Record , we knew we had to get Mehdi on the podcast. In this episode, Mehdi talks us through his unique route into coaching, including a detour into researching CPR techniques for use in space on the one-way mi...
Nov 18, 2023•27 min•Ep. 204
A quieter week in the world of tech news means Dave and Ronan have more time in this week's episode of Geek Warning to ramble about what's on their minds, their favourite eyewear, and servicing pedals. Princeton Carbon Works has released its 5th iteration of its Wake 6560 wheels . Perhaps best known as the wheel company used by Ineos over their sponsor-correct Shimano options, Princeton continues with its wavy rim design, plenty of colour options, and a whole lot of choice in hubs, too. As we di...
Nov 17, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 203
News dropped on Wednesday that GCN+ and the GCN app will be shuttered in December. We have thoughts. We have emotions. Caley Fretz, Joe Lindsey, and Cosmo Catalano got together to talk through it.
Nov 16, 2023•41 min•Ep. 202
This week on the show: Jonny’s adventures in Asia, Geraint Thomas getting on the beers, and some doping news out of Spain. Unfortunately, the GCN+ news broke after we recorded this episode. We have a special episode on the topic coming tomorrow.
Nov 15, 2023•46 min•Ep. 201
The Geeks answer your questions. The Geek Warning podcast is growing! Today, we’ve launched our first bonus episode exclusively for Escape Collective members. While the weekly Geek Warning podcast remains unchanged, we’re now providing additional bonus episodes each fortnight. These bonus episodes will be a mix of Ask a Wrench, deep-dives, or interviews with the people behind popular products. The Geek Warning Bonus eps are exclusively available to Escape Collective members. That means this free...
Nov 10, 2023•10 min•Ep. 200
What do Aston Martin, Lizard Skins, Cinelli, Chris Froome, and bleed kits all have in common? We’re not entirely sure, but they’re all discussed in this week’s episode of Geek Warning ! Hot on the heels of Lotus’ new bike comes an announcement from Aston Martin – they too have a new superbike. Made with 3D titanium-printed lugs and carbon tubes, this one is built in true collaboration with custom frame maker J Laverack. Aston Martin previously dabbled in bicycles with the help of Storck, but thi...
Nov 09, 2023•58 min•Ep. 199
Dane Cash and Cosmo Catalano join Caley Fretz on this week's Placeholders to discuss Tadej Pogačar's recent comments about his calendar and how he plans to keep targeting races beyond just the Tour de France. Plus, we get a cyclocross update and then the podcast debuts the first ever member showdown in the Weekly Pain segment.
Nov 08, 2023•46 min•Ep. 198
Aerodynamics have taken over cycling in the past decade or two. From frames to wheels to clothing, riders can now aero-optimise every aspect of their ride. We also know aerodynamics are highly individual, a fast helmet for one rider might be slow for another. Despite the uptake and understanding of aerodynamics, individual testing lags way behind. In this week's Performance Process, we talk to Escape Collective member, Notio Konect aero meter inventor/founder, and World Tour aero consultant Marc...
Nov 03, 2023•15 min•Ep. 197
An unexpected stop-ride notice from SRAM, a new bike from Lotus, and thoughts on tyre widths and pedal choice gave our tech team plenty to discuss in this week’s Geek Warning podcast. Rumours of a Lotus road bike have been circling for some time, but we didn't expect it to be an aero-e-road bike. The Type 136 takes design concepts from current Lotus-designed track bikes, adding a lightweight HPS mid-drive e-bike system for a complete claimed weight of just 9.8 kg. Lotus has launched the bike wit...
Nov 02, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 196
