It’s common for everyone to chase the simple answer for what the best product is. In this week’s Geek Warning, Dave and Ronan discuss why those chasing the best of something may be landing upon fiction.

Additionally, you’ll hear about the differing paths in aero road wheel design between the latest from Princeton Carbon Works and Cadex. Of course, there’s a PSA. And our Good Thing segment returns.

As with every week, members of Escape Collective get access to our Ask a Wrench segment. This week, Zach Edwards joins Dave to discuss greasing principles, whether to lube electronic derailleurs, mixing-and-matching SRAM brakes, and more.

If you like the show, then please consider leaving a review. It’s much appreciated.

Happy geeking!

Time stamps:

• 1:20 - Princeton Carbon Works’ research into rim widths
• 10:50 - Cadex’s new aero combo
• 20:00 - SRAM’s new gravity MTB products
• 22:55 - Ibis has a new XC bike
• 24:00 - On our mind: There is no best
• 36:50 - PSA: Know when you don’t know
• 46:00 - Good thing: Sync Ergonomics Aerobar Three
• 51:00 - Ask a Wrench (Members only)
• 51:30 - Do you lube the pivots of electronic derailleurs?
• 59:20 - Shimano MTB vs Road on an indoor trainer
• 1:04:00 - Mixing SRAM dropbar shifters with four-piston calipers
• 1:09:30 - Applying grease to a thread and how much to use

Oh hi, Dave Rome here. It’s time to get geeky about spokes.

I recently wrapped up a long-term review (now live on Escape Collective) where I compared two identical gravel wheelsets, one built with bladed steel spokes and the other built with Berd spokes, a spoke made from a Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene, aka, Dyneema.

Those white Berd spokes have been growing steadily in popularity, and off the back of Tom Pidcock and Pauline Ferrand Prevot winning the last Olympic games on them, I was ever more curious. To help with that curiosity, Tristan Thomas of the New Zealand-based wheel company, WheelWorks, lent me some wheels in order to get some answers to questions I had.

This episode is a sit-down with Tristan to discuss spokes and the considerations around an interesting polymer product like Berd. Happy geeking!

Think of recent times when Apple, Samsung, or Google have once again claimed to change the phone, just for you to find out that you can now photograph everyone’s wrinkles a little more clearly. Ronan believes we’re in an age where performance bikes are like phones, and of course, the geeks discuss it.

On Geek Warning this week, Dave and Ronan discuss Cannondale’s latest bikes and what they may spell for some other emerging trends. Meanwhile, the PSA segment returns with a warning regarding increasingly common hood slippage.

All of that is free to all, while members of Escape Collective also gain access to our popular Ask a Wrench segment at the end of the episode. From our favourite bearing greases to headset woes, there’s plenty answered and discussed this week.

Happy geeking!

Time stamps:

• 1:45 - Cannondale SuperSix Evo 4.5
• 12:50 - TT frames as aero road bikes?
• 24:00 - Favero doubles battery longevity, for free
• 25:50 - Trek turns 50
• 26:30 - New Factor Ostro Gravel spotted
• 30:30 - RIP King Liu
• 31:30 - Performance bicycles are like phones
• 45:00 - PSA related to slipping hoods
• 54:30 - Ask a Wrench with Boulder Grupetto (member only)
• 55:48 - Mixing and matching SRAM Transmission with other cassettes
• 1:00:15 - Specialized Crux headset loosening woes
• 1:10:00 - Quick connectors for fully integrated drop bar bikes?
• 1:17:20 - Servicing versus replacing bottom brackets, and our go-to bearing greases