Geek Warning

Are full-blown aero gravel bikes all they’re cracked up to be? Dave and Ronan share some strong thoughts on why this may be the wrong path, or at least, why it’s still early days for these being the faster choice. 

For those in the workshop, Dave shares the importance of good lighting and some of his favourite hand-held options for seeing better. 

Alex Hunt then jumps on to talk about XC tech from the opening round of World Cup racing, including why the conditions caused so many dropped chains. 

Of course, members of Escape Collective get Ask a Wrench, this week with guru Colin Williams. Dave and Colin answer a handful of questions, but a chunk of the time is spent chatting about their most underrated and overrated tools. 

Time stamps: 

00:02:13 - A Traka load of new, unreleased gravel bikes from Factor and Ridley 
00:06:46 - Cervelo Aspero 5 where it’s good and where it’s really not
00:13:41 - Has gravel learned everything it knows from XC?
00:18:03 - Is the Factor Sarana Ronan McLaughlin’s bike for ultras or just confusing?
00:29:42 - A good thing to share about lighting 
00:41:47 - Alex joins to talk MTB World Cup
00:43:51 - New bikes spotted in South Korea from Scott and Lapierre
00:51:56 - Lots of mud and 1x drivetrains aren’t a good match
01:01:15 - Ask a Wrench (member-only feed) 
01:02:40 - Best mechanical shifting options for dropbar? 
01:12:10 - Chainline variance and e-bikes 
01:17:30 - Squeaky shoes with SPD 
01:22:00 - Our most overrated and underrated tools 

Show Notes

Are full-blown aero gravel bikes all they’re cracked up to be? Dave and Ronan share some strong thoughts on why this may be the wrong path, or at least, why it’s still early days for these being the faster choice. 

For those in the workshop, Dave shares the importance of good lighting and some of his favourite hand-held options for seeing better. 

Alex Hunt then jumps on to talk about XC tech from the opening round of World Cup racing, including why the conditions caused so many dropped chains. 

Of course, members of Escape Collective get Ask a Wrench, this week with guru Colin Williams. Dave and Colin answer a handful of questions, but a chunk of the time is spent chatting about their most underrated and overrated tools. 


Time stamps: 


  • 00:02:13 - A Traka load of new, unreleased gravel bikes from Factor and Ridley 
  • 00:06:46 - Cervelo Aspero 5 where it’s good and where it’s really not
  • 00:13:41 - Has gravel learned everything it knows from XC?
  • 00:18:03 - Is the Factor Sarana Ronan McLaughlin’s bike for ultras or just confusing?
  • 00:29:42 - A good thing to share about lighting 
  • 00:41:47 - Alex joins to talk MTB World Cup
  • 00:43:51 - New bikes spotted in South Korea from Scott and Lapierre
  • 00:51:56 - Lots of mud and 1x drivetrains aren’t a good match
  • 01:01:15 - Ask a Wrench (member-only feed) 
  • 01:02:40 - Best mechanical shifting options for dropbar? 
  • 01:12:10 - Chainline variance and e-bikes 
  • 01:17:30 - Squeaky shoes with SPD 
  • 01:22:00 - Our most overrated and underrated tools 

What is Geek Warning?

Welcome to Geek Warning, a podcast focused on deciphering the world of cycling tech, explaining how bikes work, and how to make them better. Hosted by Dave Rome, Ronan Mc Laughlin and Brad Copeland, this weekly show is your fix for tech geekitude, covering the latest tech news, industry trends, answering mechanical questions, and whatever else is on our minds.

Escape Collective is member-funded. If you like this podcast please consider supporting us by becoming a member: https://escapecollective.com/member/