What in the upside-down world is this? Ronan Mc Laughlin has been investigating rumours around the UCI getting involved with the new 32 in wheelsize, and in this episode of Geek Warning, you’ll hear the crew discuss what it may spell.

Additionally, you’ll hear the geeks (Ronan, Dave, and Alex) talk about some products that have left them a little underwhelmed as of late. New SRAM centerlock lockrings are on Dave’s mind. And there’s a PSA related to disc brake bed-in.

Members of Escape Collective also get access to our popular Ask a Wrench segment, where Dave and pro race mechanic (with Specialized Off-Racing Racing) Brad Copeland answer a number of member-submitted questions with helpful tips for all.

Enjoy!

Time stamps:

1:00 - Products that leave us wanting more
9:45 - UCI looking to ban 32in wheels and will it matter?
28:00 - SRAM finally has centerlock lockrings
33:00 - PSA: Brake bed-in is skipped far too much
39:30 - DT Swiss’ and Swiss Side’s recall
43:00 - Ask a Wrench with Brad Copeland (Escape members only)
45:00 - A call to action for the industry in regards to manuals
51:00 - Best chain lube for indoor cycling
58:15 - Stubborn tubeless tyre installs
1:09:00 - Dehumidifiers and tubeless sealant longevity

Recorded just after watching Tadej and Jonas summit Ventoux on aero bikes, this episode sees Ronan McLaughlin, Dave Rome, and Suvi Loponen discuss whether the latest and lightest road bikes are now designed for consumers, while aero bikes are for the pros.

Also within this week’s Geek Warning, you’ll hear Dave discuss why he thinks too many products are being released in an unfinished state. Of course, there’s a useful PSA, one that’s useful for anyone running disc brakes. And you’ll hear the geeks discuss some of the latest industry news.

The episode wraps with the Ask a Wrench segment. Here, Dave chats with pro race mechanic Brad Copeland in answering a number of member-submitted questions, including whether premium bottom brackets are less likely to make noises, a deep dive on SRAM’s newest ThreadMount power meters and the cross-compatibility available.

As usual, you’ll need to be a member of Escape Collective in order to listen the Ask a Wrench segment. You can sign up here and gain access to everything that Escape Collective has to offer.

Time stamps:

5:05 - Are aero bikes now climbing bikes?
14:25 - Unfinished products are on Dave’s mind
25:00 - PSA to check your rotors
30:00 - Rapha and EF-Education to part ways
35:30 - YT Industries’ “restructuring”
40:00 - Rouvy acquires BKool
48:00 - Ask a Wrench with Brad Copeland (Member Only)
53:00 - Are premium bottom brackets less likely to make noise?
1:07:40 - Schwalbe, pronounced
1:08:40 - SRAM ThreadMount power meter compatibility
1:16:30 - Mixing Shimano wheels and SRAM 12-speed drivetrains

We’re in thick of race season and there’s plenty to discuss on the tech front. The mountain bike world is rubbing their eyes at the sight of a 32-inch-wheeled full suspension. Meanwhile, on the road, it’s the Time Trial that continues to tease future tech trends. Join Ronan Mc Laughlin, Dave Rome, and Alex Hunt as they discuss these new sightings.

Outside of racing, you’ll also hear the geeks talk about a revised scoring system from the helmet test lab of Virginia Tech. Meanwhile, Dave has a PSA closely related to the latest edition of his Threaded workshop series. Plus there’s chat about news from DT Swiss, Pinarello, and Lightweight.

Members of Escape Collective get access to the popular Ask a Wrench segment at the end of the episode. This week, pro race mechanic Brad Copeland joins Dave Rome in answering questions related to narrowing down choices in buying a gravel wheelset, how to go about converting a certain suspension fork for use with dropbars, and whether there’s a difference between Shimano GRX and Ultegra brakes.

Time stamps:

2:00 - BMC’s big wheel testing
13:40 - Tour Time Trial tech
23:40 - Virginia Tech updates its helmet star ratings
32:00 - a PSA that every part is safety critical
41:00 - Lightweight’s big update
47:40 - Pinarello’s new gravel bikes
49:20 - DT Swiss’ stop ride notice
52:30 - Alex’s new bike day
53:30 - Ask a Wrench with Brad Copeland (member only)
54:45 - Thoughts on upgrading gravel bike wheels
1:10:00 - Converting a MTB to dropbar with a remote lockout suspension
1:20:00 - Shimano Ultegra versus GRX brakes