Jonny Long, Kit Nicholson, and Dane Cash join Caley Fretz on this week Placeholders to cover all of the big news as racing is heating up around the world from Oman to Colombia.
In episode one we heard about the unexpected windfall that the cycling industry saw at the start of the pandemic and how many needed to react. Of course that didn’t last forever, and in this episode I’ve titled ‘the storm clouds’ we talk about the early signs that this new demand was coming to an abrupt halt, and the types of behaviour that was happening and the causes of that behaviour that led to the catastrophe that the industry would later see.
Loren Rowney is back to discuss all the action from the UAE Tour with Gracie and Abby. They try to answer questions like: Will Kopecky’s form impact Vollering’s Classics goals, and what will that mean for SD Worx - Protime as a whole? And is there a cuter couple than Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce (there isn’t)?
In this 4 part series, I wanted to explore the events that took place that led the bike industry to the troubling point it’s at now. I spoke to over a dozen industry professionals from all parts of the supply chain. From well run bike shops, forecasting analysts, distributors, the biggest bike brands in the world, and manufacturers. It’s well known that the bicycle industry went through an unprecedented boom during the pandemic from 2020 - 2022. Jump ahead to 2024 and much of the bike industry i...
JP Ballard joins us once again for part one of our Performance Process deep dive into all things aerodynamics. Ballard is founder and CEO of aerodynamics specialists Swiss Side. The Swiss company produces wheels and aero calf sleeves, but the majority of its work is in offering its aerodynamic expertise to other manufacturers in the cycling industry. Ballard first joined us for a pit walk critiquing bikes and equipment of the 2024 WorldTour paddock during the recent Tour Down Under. He had also ...
Welcome back to Geek Warning. In this episode, Dave and Ronan talk through a bunch of the biggest tech news in the cycling world and cover a few test products at the top of their minds. It’s hard to find a new racing product today that doesn’t at least tease the “aero” word, however, TuboLight may just be the first to make such a claim for a product that goes inside the tyre. The recently seen shoe and pedal system from Ekoi caught unwanted attention from the UCI, but them’s the rules. One that ...
Ronan Mc Laughlin, Jonny Long, and Kit Nicholson join Caley Fretz to discuss the rumors of a potential (and large) investment in bike racing from a Saudi Arabian firm as well as the news of the UCI banning a pedal and Zdeněk Štybar's retirement.
Helen Wyman joined Abby for this fantastic episode of the Wheel Talk Podcast. The two talk about all the action from the U23 and Elite races at the World Championships over the weekend, answer listener questions about families in Cyclocross, Lucinda Brand, and more. Plus, lots of laughter. This was such a good episode we’ve even got a longer version exclusively for the members of Escape Collective.
With much of the industry languishing under the post-Covid, brands are trying harder than ever to carve out a niche for themselves to stay afloat. Colnago’s new C68 Gravel bike is super premium by design, but based on their sales figures, the focus on luxury is clearly getting the job done. Campagnolo seems to be falling into the same strategy almost by accident, but is it working as well? That’s not so clear. Hunt also debuted its latest aero wheels and they look like they could be quite the pe...
It’s time for another gathering of the geeks for an episode of Ask a Wrench. In this member’s bonus episode, Zach (of Boulder Gruppetto), James, and Dave answer more technical questions submitted by Escape members. This week, the geeks answer questions related to using alternative cassette options, fitting bigger cassette ranges than allowed, selecting parts for the Paris-Roubaix sportive, replacing a Cannondale Lefty, and using saddlebags with carbon saddle rails. Then the conversation continue...
Abby Mickey, Dane Cash, and Ronan Mc Laughlin join Caley Fretz to talk Red Bull, MyWhoosh, Ekoi, and more ...
This week on the Wheel Talk Podcast, Tils (Matilda Raynolds) is back to chat with Gracie and Abby about the Deakin University Road Race.
This week's episode of Performance Process delves deep into the topic of heat and how it can be both a powerful, free, and accessible training intervention and a major problem. In the podcast, we speak to Chris Bloomfield-Brown, a performance engineer for most of his life, in everything motorsport to pro bike racing and with plenty of work in triathlon along the way. Chris is perhaps best known in the WorldTour peloton for his work in recent years with CORE, the company behind those small rectan...
There’s always something going on in the world of cycling tech. This week, James and Dave discuss a bunch of news items, what their favourite clothing is for shoulder season, and a little safety warning related to new tyres. It’s been a busy week of tech news out of Europe and the UK. First up, the heritage brand of Eddy Merckx is back, but looking at the range today, it looks a lot like business as usual from when we last saw the name on downtubes. French cycling brand Look has officially relea...
There’s an undeniable truth that an overnight success takes about 10 years, not a single night. Almost no one comes up with a winning business idea all at once. And if you’re not Peter and Tom Marchment or those around them who created the aftermarket wheel brand Hunt, you might be mistaken that they came out of nowhere. Tom and Peter are brothers who grew up riding in a small fishing village on the Isle of Man and like most of us at the beginning, cycling was a way to get around and a source of...
Dane Cash, Jonny Long, and Kit Nicholson join Caley Fretz on this week's Placeholders to talk about where the Ineos Grenadiers find themselves in 2024, the latest from the 'cross scene, and whether pro cycling should have a draft.
Matilda Raynolds, or Tils as she’s known to the members of the Wheel Talk Podcast Discord group (available to members of Escape Collective), joins Gracie and Abby on the podcast this week with some insider information on the Tour Down Under and some thoughts on the upcoming Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. And, as promised, here is a link to G Flips's cover of Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift .
Rupert Guinness, Ronan Mc Laughlin and Matt de Neef breakdown a fascinating final stage of the men's Tour Down Under and discuss the race's biggest winners and losers. Plus: a look at the logistics of moving the WorldTour peloton over to Victoria for the upcoming Cadel's Race.
Join Rupert Guinness, Ronan Mc Laughlin and Matt de Neef as they dissect stages 4 and 5 of the men's Tour Down Under. The first, another sprint stage where even a messy lead-out couldn't disrupt Bora-Hansgrohe; the second, the much-anticipated return to the iconic Willunga Hill.
The 2024 WorldTour season is under way at the Tour Down Under and Escape Collective is on the ground all week bringing you the latest news, tech, and Escape podcasts. Today we've got a combined Geek Warning and Performance Process tech special episode as Jean Paul Ballard of SwissSide joins us for the first of two podcasts with the former F1 aerodynamicist. In this episode JP takes us on a wandering roam around the Tour Down Under pit zone talking us through which teams and manufacturers are opt...
Dave and Ronan are in thick of the Tour Down Under and have a whole lot of new (and old!) race tech to discuss. The industry has woken up from the holiday break with a flurry of new products worthy of discussion. And, as usual, the geeks cover so much more. Timestamps: 3:00 – Spotting three new helmets on rider heads. 11:10 – Trek working on a knit shoe. 15:15 – New Look pedals, and more from Time. 19:50 – Enve’s new InnerDrive hub and SES AR one-piece handlebar, including a quick tangent on mea...
Rupert Guinness and Ronan Mc Laughlin join Matt de Neef to dissect stages 2 and 3 of the men’s Tour Down Under. Daring late attacks, super sprint lead-outs, a nasty crash - the last few days have had it all. The trio also look forward to the next few stages. Could wind be on the menu before the much-anticipated return to Willunga Hill?
Jonny Long, Abby Mickey, and Dane Cash join Caley Fretz on this week's episode of the Placeholders to discuss the latest in the apparently unending stream of transfer chatter involving Bora and Visma, salads, what we can expect from Sarah Gigante, and so much more. Plus, members will get to hear another installment of the Placeholders After Dark ...
Rupert Guinness and Ronan Mc Laughlin join Matt de Neef to kick off the first men's race of the season. The crew talks takeaways from the pre-race chatter, the fast finish of stage 1, and what's to come across the next week in Australia.
Dave Rome is back on hosting duties with Matt de Neef and Gracie Elvin to chat about stages 2 and 3 of the women's Tour Down Under. Both days delivered potentially unsurprising but incredibly exciting victories, with some teams having to shift focus while others held firm to the plan. In its second year as a WorldTour event the Tour Down Under delivered a race worth watching, but will they add stages in the future? And what can we take away from TDU into the rest of the season?
Performance Process returns for 2024 with the latest in our series delving into how and why World Tour racing is getting so much faster. Coach Jacob Tipper is our guest discussing various aspects of the training that goes into modern performances. Covering everything from the importance of fatigue resistance to off season binges, Tipper talks from his vast experience as a rider and coach to many. Tipper has coached EF's Ben Healy since the under 16 categories and talks us through some of the ste...
Dave Rome takes Abby's place leading the podcast on the ground in Adelaide to talk about the first stage of the women's Tour Down Under. Our favourite tech expert is joined by former professional Gracie Elvin and Escape Collective's managing editor Matt de Neef. The team discusses the event's growing prestige, why the Europeans are showing up to win, how the Aussies can compete, and how the new team kits look in person.
Dave and James have lots of spy photos to discuss this week! Factor’s got a revamp of its Ostro VAM lightweight road bike about to break cover, and Specialized and Trek have some enticing new road shoes roaming about in the wild. Lazer also brings its Kineticore technology to its popular Z1, we debate the pros and cons of anti-seize vs. grease, and we chat about what we look for in our favorite gravel shoes. Timestamps: 1:52 – Ostro’s new Factor VAM may be fast, but it’s not especially pretty – ...
Jonny Long, Kit Nicholson, and Dane Cash join Caley Fretz to take the inside line into Plugge corner and continue the ongoing conversation about Mathieu van der Poel's cyclocross form, among other things. You'll also hear the first Weekly Pain of 2024, while Escape Collective members will get another edition of the Placeholders After Dark.
Abby, Gracie, and Loren are back to talk about Tour Down Under, what Willunga means for the race, our dream teams, and more. Have questions for us? Let us know on the Escape Collective discord! Also, check out the Wheel Talk Newsletter for a stage-by-stage preview ahead of the TDU.
