Escape Collective

Stage 1 of the Tour de France and the home nation, if not the host nation, already have something to cheer about. Caley, Jonny, Ronan, and Joshua Robinson of the Wall Street Journal come to you from a coastal restaurant in Rimini to talk through Romain Bardet's big day out front, Mark Cavendish's rough day out back, and what the next few days might look like. 

It's the eve of the first stage of the Tour de France and Caley, Jonny, and Josh Robinson of the Wall Street Journal (#JRotWSJ) are joined by a live audience in an alley of Florence. On the docket: Visma's new van, press conference vibe checks, a brief mailbag, plus a chat between Jack Haig and Fred Wright. Finally, we have José Been's first cultural instalment. 

Buongiorno from an Italian start to the Tour de France. Caley and Jonny stop at a lovely seaside town en route to the Grand Depart and discuss the contenders and storylines of the upcoming Tour de France. 

For complete access to our Tour de France coverage, become a member for only $1 this month. You'll get bonus episodes and members-only interviews, no paywall on the website, access to our hopping Discord full of fellow cycling fans, and lots more. 

A plan to “ride around Australia” is just one of many nuggets from Lachlan Morton on this week’s Performance Process podcast. The 2024 Unbound Gravel winner also spoke of how his training changed in preparation for this year’s Unbound, all the tweaks and hacks he made to his bike and why he is constantly adjusting his position as he gives us an insight into his incredible versatility and unique take on bike racing.

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

Also, we'd love to get your feedback on this show and our other shows. Share your thoughts at escapecollective.com/podcast-survey.

It’s time to geek out. This week Brad Copeland, Ronan McLaughlin, and Dave Rome are on the pod to talk all the major news in the world of tech and what’s on their minds.

There’s a new road bike from Pinarello, and a new head unit that promises to be self-sustaining, and a more affordable full suspension race bike from Specialized. Plus Dave and Brad share some things on their minds.

Forward warning and an apology as the sound quality on this one doesn’t meet our usual standard. Dave was already under the weather, and if that weren’t enough, he then had mic issues. The information is there, it’s just Dave sounds like virus-riddled bot!

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

Also, we'd love to get your feedback on this show and our other shows. Share your thoughts at escapecollective.com/podcast-survey.

Time stamps:

2:24 - New Pinarello Dogma
11:50 - Coros’ entry into head units
22:05 - More new alloy from Specialized, this time the Chisel FS
28:33 - Spoken has been run, a bonus episode is incoming
29:25 - Spare seatpost length is on Brad’s mind
33:30 - Dave explains why he’s a reformed chain waxer
43:50 - Quick tech bite in the form of Giant’s new kids bike
50:05 - Brad shares a tip for getting tips

On this week's Placeholders, Caley Fretz, Kit Nicholson, and Jonny Long discuss Tadej Pogačar's fueling at the 2023 Tour de France, Remco Evenepoel's floor needs, and more.

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

Also, we'd love to get your feedback on this show and our other shows. Share your thoughts at escapecollective.com/podcast-survey.

We’ve got a two-parter for everyone this week. The first is Loren and I breaking down Tour de Suisse, who will look back on the race happy with their form and who will have a lot of questions with only two weeks to go to the Giro. In the second part Matt de Neef’s calls up Ruby Roseman-Gannon.

Obsessions: Loren – Her new gravel bike!, Abby – Our Tour de France Femmes coverage plans!

And as we noted in the episode, starting next week Wheel Talk will only be available on its own podcast feed. If you’re not subscribed, now is the time to do it! This will help us expand our content and offer you more bonus episodes in the future plus we have our own space, hooray!

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

Also, we'd love to get your feedback on this show and our other shows. Share your thoughts at escapecollective.com/podcast-survey.

An *IMPORTANT NOTE* to start: Moving forward, the How the Race was Won Podcast will only be available either on its own solo feed or on the members-only podcast feed. If you've been listening on the non-members Escape Collective feed and want to keep getting the podcast, search for "How the Race was Won" wherever you get your podcasts, or go here on Spotify or here on iTunes.

This week, Cosmo Catalano and Dane Cash discuss the Tour de Suisse, where Adam Yates, João Almeida, and UAE Team Emirates dominated the competition in a show of force ahead of the Tour de France.

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

Also, we'd love to get your feedback on this show and our other shows. Share your thoughts at escapecollective.com/podcast-survey.

Welcome back to The Rest Day with Jack Haig. This is another solo episode, a life update of sorts, as Jack prepares to take on the 2024 Tour de France. 

This week's Performance Process podcast is a TT special as we trial a new format. First we kick off with a performance news round up and then delve into an interview with none other than Stefan Küng. We ask the former European and Swiss TT champion if "watt monsters" are an endangered species in time trialling, if he is actually a TT specialist, and if time trialling is now just an arms race and too dangerous. Plus, we get an update on his lost wedding ring.

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

Also, we'd love to get your feedback on this show and our other shows. Share your thoughts at escapecollective.com/podcast-survey.

The tech never stops. This episode Brad Copeland and Dave Rome discuss a handful of new dropbar bikes, a recall, common mistakes with fitting chains, and their favourite… grease. Oh yes, it’s Geek Warning!

Those new bikes include the fascinatingly simple Specialized Crux DSW, a refreshed Bianchi Arcadex gravel bike, and OBED’s entry into the endurance road space. Meanwhile the geeks discuss Ellsworth’s recent return and entry into gravel.

Following a repair during the week, on Brad’s mind is how chain direction matters and it spurs a larger conversation about other common chain-related mistakes. Then Dave asks the hard hitting questions, asking Brad to pick a single grease of choice.

The episode wraps with a recall from Kuat and a tease for the upcoming Spoken Show (formerly Handmade Bicycle Show Australia) in Melbourne, Australia.

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

Also, we'd love to get your feedback on this show and our other shows. Share your thoughts at escapecollective.com/podcast-survey.

Time stamps:

5:25 - Specialized’s new alloy bike and why simple wins
20:00 - Bianchi new Arcadex and why UDH is now the common feature in gravel
26:48 - Ellsworth returns to the dropbar world
33:00 - OBED RVR is another option with a taller stack height
39:25 - Chain direction is on Brad’s mind
46:40 - Pick one: Grease. Yes, grease.
53:50 - Roval releases a Team version of its Rapide CLX II road wheels
58:32 - Kuat has a recall that impacts 86,000 racks
1:01:30 - High-fives await in Melbourne

With the release of season 2 of Netflix's Tour de France: Unchained, the Unchained Binge podcast is back. In this first episode of the year, Kit Nicholson, Jonny Long, and Caley Fretz dive into the first episode, which sets the scene for another season of drama behind the scenes at the Tour.

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

Also, we'd love to get your feedback on this show and our other shows. Share your thoughts at escapecollective.com/podcast-survey.

On this week's Placeholders, Jonny Long and Kit Nicholson join Caley Fretz to do a form check of the big contenders ahead of the Tour de France and field a few questions from members.

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

Also, we'd love to get your feedback on this show and our other shows. Share your thoughts at escapecollective.com/podcast-survey.

This week Abby is joined by Matilda Raynolds and a very special guest - Shawn Clarke, DS for Liv AlUla Jayco. They chat Tour of Britain, how teams decide which DS goes to which race, the transfer market, and more.

Obsessions: Abby - Fall Guy, Shawn - Tour de Gatineau and Bike Race Ottawa, Tils - Timeshifter app

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

Also, we'd love to get your feedback on this show and our other shows. Share your thoughts at escapecollective.com/podcast-survey.

A €9,000 frame, a €27k build, and €22K spent on developing the bottle alone… Wilier has a new TT bike.

Escape Collective had exclusive access to the development of this new bike in a seemingly impossible time frame. Leading the design project was Marco Genovese, Head of Design at Wilier Triestina. With 14 years of experience in developing over 100 frames, Genovese knows a thing or two about carbon frame design. Escape Tech Editor Ronan Mc Laughlin sat down with Genovese to deep dive on all things frame design to discuss everything from brainwaves in the shower to initial concepts and from modern design tools to made-up UCI rules.

The Supersonica may be a time trial bike, but this bonus episode of the Geek Warning podcast is for anyone who has ever wondered how bikes are designed.

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

Also, we'd love to get your feedback on this show and our other shows. Share your thoughts at escapecollective.com/podcast-survey.

Cosmo Catalano and Dane Cash break down the 2024 Critérium du Dauphiné, where Primož Roglič narrowly held off Matteo Jorgensen to win the overall title, and discuss what it all means ahead of the Tour de France.

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

Also, we'd love to get your feedback on this show and our other shows. Share your thoughts at escapecollective.com/podcast-survey.

It’s been said that Kona is 'The Smallest Biggest Bike Company in the World'. They’re best known as the quintessential North Shore bike brand, yet their global head office is just down over the border in Ferndale, Washington.

The quirky company stood out with outrageous bike model names such as the Stinky Dee-Lux, Sex One, Sex Too, and, Jackshit, which placed them well and truly as the "alternative" bicycle company.

The business was founded by Dan Gerhard, Jacob Heilbron in Vancouver, BC along with mtb hall of famer Joe Murray as their designer.

With a rich history of iconic bikes and factory race teams, it was all overshadowed by the recent events of their former owners, Kent Outdoors, who were responsible for running Kona into the ground (my words, not theirs) before the original founders bought the company back last month. 

Only a few weeks after Dan and Jake bought the company back, I spoke to Jake about Kona’s founding story that dates back to 36yrs ago in 1988, the sale of the business to a private equity-backed company, and what happened that led them to buying Kona back. 

If you like this podcast and want to hear more, please support our work by becoming a member: https://escapecollective.com/member/

A lot has happened in the world of cycling tech over the past week. The Dauphine has teased new bikes getting dialled in for the Tour. While Unbound has shown that gravel tech is still progressing at a rapid rate, including wider tyres, new 1x drivetrains, and aero-shaped suspension.

There’s a full cast of geeks to chat about it, with Ronan Mc Laughlin tuning in to discuss what’s new in the road space, while Dave Rome and new-old voice Brad Copeland discuss the rest.

Of course the geeks discuss something on their mind which should prove helpful for anyone with a stuck crank. The episode closes with tech news including Fulcrum’s new Sharq wheels, a new gravel race handlebar from Pro, a well-priced mountain bike shifter upgrade from SRAM, and more.

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

Also, we'd love to get your feedback on this show and our other shows. Share your thoughts at escapecollective.com/podcast-survey.

Time stamps:

4:26 - A swarm of new road bikes are coming from Canyon, Willier, Pinarello, and more
24:00 - A corrections corner
24:51 - New tech seen at Unbound Gravel, including things from SRAM, wider wheels, aero Fox suspension, and new bikes
42:20 - On our mind: stubborn crank bolts and methods for overcoming them
55:00 – Bianchi’s ribbon-cutting ceremony has us giggling
58:20 – Fulcrum’s new wavy-shaped Sharq wheels
1:02:40 – Pro Bike Gear’s new Discover Aero Carbon handlebar for better GRX integration
1:08:10 - SRAM’s new Pod Rocker upgrade for AXS

Dane Cash and Jonny Long join Caley Fretz on this week's Placeholders to discuss Unbound, Unchained, and the unmistakeable approach of the Tour de France as the Critérium du Dauphiné gets underway.

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

Also, we'd love to get your feedback on this show and our other shows. Share your thoughts at escapecollective.com/podcast-survey.

This week Abby, Matt and Gracie answer listener questions about the Olympic road race course, the season so far, which team they would want to be on and more.

Obsessions: Abby - Hook, Matt - Three Body Problem, Gracie - Slow Horses *and other TV shows

Dane Cash and Cosmo Catalano break down the first two stages of the Critérium du Dauphiné, field some questions in a Q&A session, and look at what's next on the bike racing docket.

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

In this episode, Jack catches up with Ineos' young climber Carlos Rodríguez from the Parador Hotel on Tenerife, where both are located for an altitude training camp before the Tour de France. The two discuss the hardest days they've had on camp, life at altitude, how Rodriguez prepared (and what he overcame) for his Tour de France stage win last year, his university degrees, and more. 

In the episode, Ronan talks to Sadie Fitton. Sadie has a Stage IV breast cancer diagnosis and recently attempted the 24-hour elevation gain world record.

Stage IV, also known as Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC), is when the cancer that has moved beyond the breast to other parts of the body. It is different from earlier-stage breast cancer in that it is treatable but incurable. In the episode, Sadie tells of her journey from a prior world record attempt to cancer patient in a foreign country in a matter of weeks right the way up to a second attempt at the world record.

Cancer will touch all of our lives and so this podcast is a must listen for all. Sadie tells us what we need to know about that journey and all the fantastically nerdy optimisation work that went into a 24-hour elevation record attempt. You do not want to miss that! You can follow Sadie’s journey at UpstageMBC on Instagram and donate to her fundraiser for the Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation at upstagembc.com

It's time for another bonus episode of Geek Warning.

Typically, we keep these bonus episodes for subscribers and members of Escape Collective, however, this one is being left open to all as a teaser for the type of stuff you’re missing by not being a member. If you like this and want more, sign up here.

This episode is about gravel tire selection and trends in the thinking that bigger is better. It all came about through an Instagram post by former WorldTour pro-turned Gravel Pro Alex Howes, who had shared just how much he had been obsessing over tire selection for the 2024 edition of Unbound Gravel. And what makes this conversation all the more interesting is that Howes isn’t sponsored by a single tire brand, but rather an online retailer that sells all the brands - biketiresdirect.

Dave Rome and Howes cover a lot of ground in this one, including chatting slicks versus treads, picking the biggest volume possible, inserts or not, what to carry on a self-supported race like Unbound, and why white bar tape.If you don’t care about why, where, when, or how, and assuming the weather holds, Howes plans to race on Vittoria Terreno Zero tyres, in a 50 mm width up front and a 47 mm rear with inserts. He expects to start the day with approximately 19 psi in the front, and 24 psi rear. Still, if you find these details interesting, you’ll surely appreciate the conversation. Enjoy!

Welcome back to Geek Warning, a podcast by the Escape Collective, that covers everything to know in the world of bicycle tech. James Huang said farewell in our past episode, and with that, Dave is joined by a new voice that knows a thing or two about bicycle-related things – Brad Copeland.With a mountain bike World Cup race at Nové Město freshly finished, Dave and Brad discuss things in use by the winners, technical problems by a race favourite, and trends in tyre tech.The geeks share their favourite tubeless tyre sealants and a PSA applicable to all.It’s a relatively light week in terms of tech news, still, Brad and Dave share their thoughts on DT Swiss’ new premium gravel wheelsets, new well-priced carbon wheels from Easton, and a new gravel race jersey with its own sweat-patch.

Time stamps:
4:10 – Pre-Olympic tech spotted in use by Pauline Ferrand-Prevot and Tom Pidcock
10:55 – Speculating about Victor Koretzky’s tech woes
15:20 – Are wider tyres always better for gravel and MTB? What does that mean for the future of tyre inserts?
37:25 - Pick one: tubeless tyre sealant
50:05 - PSA: test your spares!
57:10 - New DT Swiss GRC 1100 and 1400 Dicut gravel wheels
1:08:00 - Easton’s new EC90 ALX gravel and all-road hoops
1:10:40 - Castelli adds a hydration bladder to an aero jersey, so gravel

Off the back of the Transparency Report we published on the site a couple of weeks ago, we followed up with a live Discord Q&A with many of our members. We tried to turn that into a podcast, but it didn’t work very well. With so many of our members being podcast listeners, we felt it was important to do a good job at making our Transparency Report Q&A into something this significant portion of our membership would listen to. We hope you enjoy it. 

For years, bikepacker Lael Wilcox wasn't sure whether she wanted to try and break the Around The World record. But with politics and climate change threatening global stability, the 36-year-old thought it was now or never, and has set out to try beat Jenny Graham's 2018 record by two weeks by circumnavigating the globe in 110 days.

Jonny Long and Ronan Mc Laughlin join Caley Fretz to discuss Pogačar's Giro effort, time trialing as a specialty, and the recovery of Vingegaard and Van Aert, and Joe Lindsey pops in to discuss Olympic selection for the United States.

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

Abby and Loren are joined this week by Matilda Raynolds and Matt de Neef to chat RideLondon Classique, Lizzy Banks, and Elisa Longo Borghini’s possible transfer, and to revisit the Wheel Talk draft!

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

Dane Cash and Cosmo Catalano break down the final week of the 2024 Giro d'Italia and discuss some of the bigger takeaways from the race as a whole.

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

Ever feel like you’d like a lighter bike? Now imagine what your current bike would feel like if it was half of your body weight. For all too many kids who are learning to ride bikes, that’s exactly what it feels like to them. Premium kids’ bikes are a relatively new category, but also one that’s rapidly growing with more brands, models, sizes, and genres than ever before. Are they expensive? As compared to what you’d find in a big-box store, sure. But when you really think about what your kid might get out of a nicer bike, what actually goes into them, and even what you might get out of them once they’ve outgrown them, the numbers become easier to justify.

Fair warning: The full episode is only available to Escape Collective members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

It’s just a regular week in May, but you can bet the bike industry is its usual buzz of activity. James Huang and Dave Rome offer some strong thoughts related to Shimano’s latest release of GRX Di2. There’s chat about Felt clawing its way back into the spotlight. Of course the geeks can't ignore the return of Kona Bikes. And there are rumblings that the old Interbike tradeshow may be coming back, too.

We’ve got custom bikes on our minds. We fail at picking one saddle. And there’s a PSA for all. The episode wraps with a round-up of new wheel-related things from Reynolds, Zipp, Roval, Chris King, and Hunt.

And then James shares his own news. Indeed this is the last episode you’ll hear James’ voice as he hangs up his digital gauge.

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

Time stamps:

2:00 - Shimano GRX 12-speed Di2
16:40 - Felt’s new VR endurance road bike
20:25 - Kona is back!
25:45 - Is the Interbike tradeshow coming back?
30:40 - On our mind: would we buy our own fully custom bike?
43:25 - Pick one: saddles
56:45 - You get accustomed to things being crummy
1:01:10 - Talking new wheel-related things from Reynolds, Zipp, Hunt, Roval, and Chris King
1:11:30 - James’ heart sinking news (tear emoji)

Kit Nicholson and Jonny Long join Caley Fretz on this week's Placeholders to discuss Pogačar's benevolent dominance, Vingegaard's tattoo, and more.

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

This week Abby and Loren were joined by Matilda ‘Tils’ Raynolds to talk about the Vuelta a Burgos, Demi Vollering, and sprint finish safety. They also dove into a few of the lesser one-day events and tried to make sense of USA Cycling’s Olympic team.

Obsessions: Abby - Bridgerton Season 3, Loren - her bike, Tils - Racing Unbound!

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

Cosmo Catalano and Dane Cash discuss the wholesome breakaway wins, the clear sprint leader, the shifting meta, and the dominant GC rider at the Giro d'Italia.

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

In this episode:
Jack chats with teammate Matevž Govekar from a pre-Dauphiné Tenerife training camp about altitude, why teams pick various high-altitude locations, being a pro with celiac, making one's way into the pro peloton, and lots more. 

Sign up to be a member: https://escapecollective.com/member

This week we add some dirt to our ongoing bike position conversation as former World Tour pro and gravel privateer, Nathan Haas joins the show to discuss bike fits for gravel.

Ronan quizzes Nathan on why his gravel fit is so different to his road bike setup and the polar opposite of the progressive saddle positions this podcast has covered previously. In return, Nathan explains the principles guiding his bike fitting, his hopes to become an osteopath, and the current neurology blind spot in much of bike fitting.

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network, and to get access to this full episode.

Not surprisingly given the big product launch this week, Dave and James have a lot to dive into with SRAM’s new Red AXS wireless road groupset: what’s different about it, what’s not so different, what’s been improved, and what’s stayed the same – and the thing everyone will invariably ask us, whether we’d choose that or the latest Shimano Dura-Ace. We also chat about the neat features embedded into the new Hammerhead Karoo GPS computer, and the significance of the new tire partnership between Zipp and Goodyear, Dave gets his thoughts about road bike cockpit reach off his chest, we choose our favorite tubeless plug kits, and we’re still worried about loose headsets.

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

Timestamps:

2:05 – A neat detail about Chris King’s new hubs we overlooked
3:51 – A clarification on our position regarding road hookless tubeless wheels and tires
6:04 – The lowdown on SRAM’s new Red AXS road groupset
12:22 – Do we like it?
16:19 – SRAM Red AXS or Shimano Dura-Ace Di2?
21:15 – Don’t call it the Hammerhead Karoo 3
25:45 – Goodyear’s new tires are Zipp-specific, but we’re not entirely sure why
30:02 – Effective reach is an overlooked fit dimension
36:50 – Pick One! Our favorite tubeless plug kits
47:20 – We’re still worried about loose headsets
53:08 – Ratio Technology has a neat cage option for SRAM Transmission rear derailleurs
55:53 – Pirelli has gotten even more Italian

Kit Nicholson, Jonny Long, and Abby Mickey join Caley Fretz to discuss Decathlon's recent success, the Intergiro, transfers in the women's peloton, and more ...

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

Much leaked and recently teased, SRAM has now officially unveiled the latest iteration of its Red AXS road groupset. This top-tier offering introduces a new approach to shifter ergonomics and braking, along with a number of other smaller changes.

Shile at the product launch, tech editor Dave Rome sat down with a few key members of SRAM’s road product and engineering team to discuss what’s new, what isn’t, and why. Following the chat about new SRAM things, Dave then sat down with the team from Hammerhead to discuss the equally new Karoo computer.

You can also read our thoughts (and see photos) of these new products over at escapecollective.com.

This deep dive is a bonus episode of Geek Warning podcast. Full access to such bonus episodes are typically limited to Escape Collective members, however, this one is free for all to access. If you enjoyed this content then please consider supporting our mission of being a wholly member-funded and independent media outlet. You can join at escapecollective.com/member.

This week Abby, Loren and Matt de Neef marvel over SD Worx-Protime’s Itzulia statistics, their approach to the race, and why the courses were so good. Plus, rumours!

Obsessions: Abby - TTPD Live (bonus: Album Files podcast) live, Matt - Dune, Loren - the weather

Dane Cash and Cosmo Catalano tackle the talking points of the Giro so far, where Tadej Pogačar and his aura of invincibility have taken control of the GC, but where plenty of stage battles have provided intrigue.

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

There are so many people who make pro cycling tick along who never get TV time, don't see the limelight, but are nonetheless indispensable. In this episode, Jack sits down with Elias, one of the bus drivers for Bahrain-Victorious to discuss his role in keeping pro cycling moving. 

We know, we know, it’s been ages since we did our last Ask a Wrench episode – late January, in fact. Guilty as charged. Better late than never? But as a nice bonus, our panel of geeks had an extra-long list of repair and maintenance questions to answer this time around, like why bedding in your new brakes is important, what not to do with your fancy digital torque wrench, how to diagnose a curious front-end clunk, how to protect your fancy new bike for the long haul, the best way to fix a paint chip, and much more.

Fair warning: The full episode is only available to Escape Collective members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

Welcome back to Geek Warning! This week, James and Dave have a varied conversation covering tech related to road, gravel, and mountain bike.

The Giro has begun and Tadej Pogačar took a little tumble that many were quick to blame the equipment for. James and Dave discuss that such finger pointing was not warranted this time.

At the opposite end of UCI disciplines, the conversation then turns to aero gains returning to professional downhill mountain bike racing.

In the tech new front, the geeks praise Chris King’s new Gen 4 hubs and discuss why Forge+Bond entry into the road market may not be hugely successful. Plus there’s discussion of a new Bike Yoke dropper, Zwift’s price rises, and more.

Meanwhile, a new Shimano Di2 patent has surfaced teasing wireless 13-speed shifting. Dave got Terry of BetterShifting.com on the phone to discuss the discovered patent and what it may mean.

Our pick one this week is perhaps better described as a buyer’s guide to selecting a wheelset for gravel. From rim choices, to spoke choices, to hub choices, you’ll hear what our geeks prefer for their own bikes.

Please jump into the comments section on our website for any feedback or questions related to the episode.

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

Time stamps:

4:00 - Hookless now getting undeserved blame..
9:25 - Downhill mountain bike racing getting aero?
16:30 - Chris King’s new Gen 4 hubs
21:45 - Forge+Bond brings its thermoplastic rims to road
28:40 - Chatting with Terry of BetterShifting.com about a certain Di2 patent
36:07 - e-Cargo bikes being covered by car media is on James’ mind
40:50 - Picking one gravel wheelset, or at least, what we look for
52:00 - A member-submitted PSA
56:15 - 3T’s Strada Italia, made in Italy
57:15 - Bike Yoke’s Revive V3 dropper looks great
59:20 - Wolf Tooth updates its chainguides
1:00:25 - Zwift price increases
1:04:20 – A gimmicky indoor stationary bike on Kickstarter

On this week's Placeholders, Kit Nicholson and Jonny Long join Caley Fretz to talk Tadej Pogačar's Giro approach, Demi Vollering's Nike deal, and more.

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/member to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

Loren, Gracie and Abby have a lot to say about this year’s La Vuelta España Femenina. They discuss the final two stages, but also general takeaway from a week of racing in Spain and what it could mean for the rest of the season.

The episode includes audio diaries from Maike van der Duin of Canyon-SRAM, Brodie Chapman of Lidl-Trek, Kim Cadzow of EF Education-Cannondale, Alessia Vigilia of FDJ-Suez, and Georgia Baker of Liv AlUla Jayco.

Obsessions this week: Abby - The Idea of You on Amazon Prime, Loren - Low Tox Life, Gracie - The Giro! (catch her on the first 8 stages of SBS commentary).

Dane Cash and Cosmo Catalano break down the action from the first few stages of the 2024 Giro d'Italia and also discuss the Vuelta España Femenina, a bit of Eschborn-Frankfurt, and what's coming up at the Giro.

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/join to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

Dan Bigham once said something along the lines of, get aero and train the body to sustain it: it's easier than getting stronger. As much as that makes sense, it's also not how we have typically thought of bike fitting. Our focus has typically been on comfort, power production, perhaps symmetry. But like so much in cycling, how we think about bike fitting is changing.

In this episode of Performance Process episode Ronan is joined by Daniel Schade, CEO of Gebiomized and the fitter working with Bigham at at the Ineos Grenadiers to find a balance in those aero positions , to discuss how bike fitting is changing and the pros and cons of some of the current trends.

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/join to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.

On this special episode of the Wheel Talk podcast, Abby calls up Matt de Neef to briefly discuss stages 5 and 6 of La Vuelta España Femenina, with audio diaries from Alessia Vigilia (FDJ-Suez), Kim Cadzow (EF Education-Cannondale), Georgia Baker (Liv AlUla Jayco) and Elynor Backstedt (Lidl-Trek).

Escape Collective's podcasts are made possible by our members. Head on over to escapecollective.com/join to support this show and everything else on our podcast network.