Geek Warning

What do matching bike fits and cordless air tools have in common? Truthfully, very little, but you’ll hear them both discussed in this week’s episode of Geek Warning. Join Ronan Mc Laughlin, Dave Rome, and Zach Edwards as they discuss these topics on their minds, plus share the latest in tech. Listeners on our free feed will get a whole hour, meanwhile members of Escape Collective get treated to a...

It was an idea teased in a previous episode of the Geek Warning podcast, and we’ve finally done it! Welcome to a pilot episode of In for Review – a special and approximately-monthly edition of Geek Warning that chats about some of the bikes and products we’re actively testing, the things on our minds related to those products, and the tangents that follow. This episode is entirely free for all to...

It’s a geek-packed episode as senior tech editors Dave Rome and Ronan Mc Laughlin, plus Zach Edwards (Boulder Groupetto) discuss the week in tech. Ronan ponders the real highs and lows of Lidl-Trek experimenting with SRAM XPLR 1x13 drivetrains in road races. There’s a skeptical point of view to integrated pressure sensors in tubeless wheels. And the geeks discuss the importance of Trail figures in...

In this special episode, we chat with Ultra-Distance specialist Kevin Benky Benkenstein on his bike and gear selections for a recent race across the Moroccan Atlas Mountain Range. That big ride is the Atlas Mountain Race (AMR), a beast of a ride that covers some 1,300 km with 23,000 m of elevation. It covers every surface imaginable, and both rider and bike are tested thoroughly in the little over...

Why don’t you see much wind tunnel-based testing on Escape Collective? It’s something the geeks are forever discussing internally, and in this week’s episode, they discuss some of the difficulties in getting such testing to provide truly useful results. You’ll also hear Ronan McLaughlin, Dave Rome, and Zach Edwards (Boulder Groupetto) cover the latest news in the world of cycling tech, including a...

The derailleur looks set to continue ruling the roost, but the increased attention to gearboxes is one to watch. In this week’s shorter-than-usual episode, the geeks chat about Fox Factory’s recently approved patent in the space. You’ll also hear some early speculation about Fizik’s entry into helmets, some new EU-based helmets standard inbound, and what our go-to tubeless tyre sealants are. Tech...

PFAS – also known as “forever chemicals” – are in everything from waterproof jackets to chain lubes and electronics. They’re praised for their stain, friction, and water resistant properties but notorious for their environmental and health risks. These chemicals never break down, accumulating in water, soil, and even our bodies. As regulations restricting the use of PFAS roll in, the cycling indus...

It’s a new week and that means a new episode of the Geek Warning podcast. This week you’ll hear Suvi Loponen and Zach Edwards (Boulder Groupetto) join Dave Rome in covering the big tech topics of the week. You’ll get a beginner’s guide to PFAS (forever chemicals) and why you should care. Thoughts are shared on the new Cannondale SuperX gravel race bike. And a widespread leak teases new full wirele...

This week on The Geek Warning podcast, join Ronan McLaughlin, Zach Edwards, and Dave Rome as they discuss the latest happenings in the world of cycling tech. The geeks cover what is believed to be the first win for tubeless in a cyclocross World Championship. There’s a UCI rider survey circling that strongly points to a few technical changes being considered. An approved patent and many rumours po...

Oh hi, welcome back to Geek Warning! There are some things to tell this week. We’ve had a number of changes to the pod over the past few months (sorry!), and we’ve got a few more to share. Ask a Wrench, which sits at the end of our episodes, is now members-only . That means you’ll need to be on our member podcast feed to hear that extra part of the podcast. Meanwhile, the first hour of goodness is...

At the 2024 edition of the Tour Down Under, Ronan Mc Laughlin was joined by aerodynamicist JP Ballard as they walked through the pits to talk about the aero hits and misses within the latest bikes of the WorldTour. For 2025 we’re back with something of a similar theme. This time Dave Rome is joined by the Head of Aerodynamics at South Australian Sports Institute (SASI), John Pitman. Now, with acce...

Hey Geeks! With the 2025 WorldTour kicking off in Australia, this episode dives straight into the bikes (and bits of tech) that caught our eyes, whether for the right or wrong reasons. The cast of Dave, Suvi, Ronan, and Alex discuss the recently leaked SRAM Force update and the ethical dilemma in covering such an unreleased product. And of course, there’s plenty more new things discussed, too. Tow...

In this week’s Geek Warning, the tech team — Dave Rome, Alex Hunt, Ronan McLaughlin, and Suvi Loponen — explore AI’s role in cycling tech, from training and design to marketing, while questioning even is truly “AI” and what’s just advanced machine learning – or marketing. Whether we’re all sick of hearing about it or think it has a place in some applications, you’ll find out. As the off-season is...

Welcome back to the first episode of Geek Warning for 2025. There’s plenty to discuss with the geeks having had a few weeks to dwell on their thoughts. Within, you’ll hear discussion over the industry woes continuing, some well-known brands suffering, and some big related moves. Switching things up, SRAM recently got approval for a patent related to a UDH equivalent of a brake mount. As the geeks...

Are modern road bike geometries due for an overhaul? As riders adopt more forward positions and longer stems, handling and weight distribution are facing new challenges. In this episode, Ronan McLaughlin talks to renowned frame builder Rob English about the intricacies of frame design and geometry. They explore topics such as progressive geometries, seat tube angles, bottom bracket drop, and how s...

It’s not the usual weekly show format this week, as instead, it’s time for our annual tech awards. Don’t worry, this isn’t just us praising new products, in fact, there’s hardly any of that. These are awards you won’t likely see promoted by the respective brand, as afterall, a poo emoji isn’t likely to help sell product. It’s not all negative though as the full cast of geeks discuss the biggest ne...

Just when we started to think the bike industry was moving toward do-it-all road race bikes, we then get word that it’s all about to change once again. Dedicated aero bikes never entirely left, but as you’ll hear from the geeks, they’re very much coming back. This week, Ronan Mc Laughlin, Suvi Loponen, Brad Copeland, and Dave Rome are all on the pod to discuss the latest new bikes and what is driv...

In this bonus episode of Geek Warning, Ronan McLaughlin sits down with the Colnago design team to dissect the design and development of their latest aero road bike, the Y1-RS. They explore how recent changes to UCI regulations opened up new possibilities in frame design, the challenges of balancing aerodynamics, stiffness, and rider comfort, and why the bike looks the way it does. The discussion c...

Welcome back to Geek Warning! This week Ronan Mc Laughlin, Dave Rome, Suvi Loponen, and Brad Copeland are on the pod to discuss things such as Wahoo’s gigantic new head unit, Campagnolo’s return to the WorldTour, and the worrying trend of many cycling products being disposable. On our minds, and a general theme of the episode, is how to better cover sustainability aspects in the products we review...

This week, Escape’s newest tech writer, Alex Hunt becomes the latest voice on the show. Joined by Suvi, Dave, and Brad, the geeks discuss the biggest news in the week of tech, a tech development that could have a game-changing application, and answer several technical questions. There is Scott’s newly renewed focus on weight and what appears to be crazily light tyres coming from Schwalbe. Dave thi...

It’s a big week in the cycling tech world with Strava dropping a bomb on many connected apps. To learn more about what this upcoming change could mean for you, Ray Maker, aka DCRainMaker , joins the pod. Following that chat, you’ll hear from Suvi, Ronan, Dave, and Brad on various topics, ranging from Rouleur Live, a bunch of new bikes, and answering a couple of member questions. Plus, Dave shares...

Join Ronan, Dave, Suvi, and Brad as they discuss all things related to modern tyres. You’ll hear why Ronan now prefers hard-to-fit tyres, tips to make the installation easier, and our favourite online (free) pressure calculators. Of course, there are a few bits of news to cover, including an interesting new freehub patent from Lauf. And as usual, Brad and Dave answer a few mechanical questions sub...

Welcome back to Geek Warning. It’s a big cast with Suvi Loponen, Ronan Mc Laughlin, Brad Copeland, and Dave Rome chatting through the latest new tech and answering some mechanic-related questions. Ronan is quizzed over the “too long didn’t read” for the newly Spotted Ridley Noah Fast , plus what Pirelli is up to with its FSC-certified tyres . SRAM chains have been back in the media this week after...

It may be the off-season in the racing world, but the land of bike tech never sleeps. In this episode of Geek Warning, you’ll hear Suvi, Dave, and Brad discuss an intriguing shifter-related patent from Campagnolo that perhaps can’t come soon enough. The geeks then discuss what they each seek in a drop handlebar and what their favourites are. Within this extended segment, you’ll hear about one-piec...

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