Geek Warning

New bikes are now rolling in from all directions with both the road and mountain bike race seasons in full swing. In this week’s episode, Dave chats with new hire Jack Duncan about what he’s been seeing at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (aka, the Dauphine). 
Later in the episode, Jack and Dave discuss new cross-country mountain bikes from Orbea and Lapierre. Then Alex Hunt joins to talk about his experience with the new Scott Spark. 
Not even prompted by Dave, the geeks also cover space and weight-efficient tools for travel. And as per usual, members of Escape Collective get access to our popular Ask a Wrench segment at the end of the episode.

Time stamps:

00:01:10 - Pre-Tour tech at the Dauphine 

00:09:00 - A tangent on big brand wheels 

00:14:00 - Mystery new shoes 

00:15:20 - New climbing bikes are being seen, but rarely raced 

00:23:30 - How to pack tools for travel is on our mind 

00:41:00 - It’s a week of new 29er XC MTB, starting with the Orbea Oiz and Lapierre XR 

00:49:30 - Alex Hunt joins to talk about Scott’s Spark update 

00:59:00 - RIP Charlie Cunningham 

01:01:40 - Ask a Wrench with Colin Williams (members only) 

01:03:00 - Small electric inflators where low pressures matter 

01:13:00 - Discontinued pedal lubes and PFAS’

01:20:30 - What on saddles makes them a wear item? 

01:27:00 - Pondering a handlebar that turns more freely 

01:30:30 - Talking about our mechanical work

Geek Warning gets a new voice as Escape’s new US tech editor - Jack Duncan - joins the motley crew. 
Together with Dave Rome and Ronan Mc Laughlin, the geeks cover a broad range of topics from Unbound tech, UCI doing UCI things, Ronan’s custom inner sole journey, and hubs that allow cassettes to fall off. 
Of course, members of Escape Collective also get Ask a Wrench. This week, Dave is joined by Jack Duncan to answer a number of questions from our members. Also, Dave sends his apologies to members listening to Ask a Wrench as his mic settings had changed without warning. 
Time stamps: 

00:00:00 - An introduction to Jack Duncan 

00:04:30 - Unbound tech wrap 

00:16:25 - Disqualification over 20 grams 

00:28:00 - Cassettes that fall off and Dave’s Public Rambling Rant 

00:33:00 - Carbon inner soles are on Ronan’s mind

00:49:30 - Ask a Wrench (members only) 

00:51:00 - Running a 12-speed chain on a 11-speed cassette 

00:57:45 - battery drain issues in an AXS shifter 

1:04:00 - How to add grip to a slippery brake lever

Howdy geeks! It’s Unbound race week, and with that, we’ve seen an expected amount of fresh new tech in the gravel space.

This week, Escape’s senior tech editors Dave Rome and Ronan Mc Laughlin discuss Specalized’s long-awaited update to the Crux. There’s, of course, a bit of big wheel chatter. A fun new project product from Wheels Manufacturing. And plenty more.

As a reminder, members of Escape Collective also get access to Ask a Wrench, where member questions are answered by Dave Rome and a quest mechanic (this week, Colorado-based Colin Williams returns).  

If you liked this episode, please leave us a review. It helps like-minded cyclists discover us.

Time stamps:

00:00:30 - Ronan went racing

00:07:15 - Ronan rides the new Specialized Crux

00:14:50 - But is it actually aero?

00:23:47  - Are pure aero gravel bikes what we need? 

00:30:05  - Scott’s 32in gravel bike for Unbound

00:36:50  - Wheels Manufacturing’s better mud stick 

00:42:29  - Paragon Machine Works has been acquired

00:43:56 - Good thing: Mechanics you can trust

00:51:00 - Ask a Wrench (Members-Only feed) 

00:52:30 - Weird pulley wheel wear 

1:03:00 - When is it time to replace a wheel? 

1:12:00 - A Dangerholm-inspired Full-Suspension gravel bike?

With Unbound on next week, and the Gralloch on last weekend, it felt timely to talk about going further on gravel. For this, Escape’s tech and industry reporter, Suvi Loponen, joins Dave Rome. Also joining this week is special guest (and occasional Escape contributor) Kevin ‘Benky’ Benkenstein, a familiar face in the ultra world. 
There's also talk of whether the trend in wide gravel rims is a good direction. And of course, there’s plenty more. Just a quick note that Kevin did have some internet issues, so we apologise for the occasional delay in the recording. 
Members of Escape Collective get the full episode (and no ads!), where mechanic Colin Williams joins Dave to answer technical questions. 
Time stamps: 

00:01:31 - Suvi's time at the Gralloch

00:10:48 - How to get comfortable when going far on gravel

00:17:13 - New Specialized and Canyon spotted at the Gralloch

00:18:29 - What benefits the pros doesn’t always benefit us

00:20:33 - Unbound is coming

00:35:07 - New Enve gravel wheels 

00:41:49 - Is wider really better, or is this just a trend?

00:45:55 - Niner bikes goes on pause

00:49:00 - Ask a Wrench (member-only feed) 

00:50:30 - How long does a bag of wax last? 

00:55:15 - Running a road cassette with mountain bike derailleurs 

00:59:30 - Building a tool to stress relieve a wheel 

1:06:04 - Does suspension need servicing after storage?

In a rare treat, Caley Fretz (aka, The Hammer) makes a return to Geek Warning. Joined by Escape's Senior Tech Editor Dave Rome, this week’s chat covers electronic suspension on mountain bikes and whether it makes sense for future gravel bikes. 
Time stamps: 

00:00:00 - Intro, Caley is back

00:02:01 - Caley is a fan of Flight Attendant

00:25:30 - Electronics for gravel suspension? 

00:34:30 - Endurace CF range

00:41:00 - Rotor in trouble

00:42:00 - Why Escape Collective

00:44:56 - Ask a Wrench (members only) 

00:45:50 - Can you fix a creaking saddle? 

00:50:10 - How to find info on older bikes? 

00:56:30 - More Cannondale Ai oddness 

01:02:20 - Why don’t mechanics provide their own tools?