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

It’s an episode of three parts this week and there’s been lots of big tech releases to chat through.

Things kick off with Ronan Mc Laughlin and Dave Rome chatting about Campagnolo’s new Record 13 release and why it may prove to be the move to put Campagnolo back in the minds of many.

There’s chat of where Zipp may be gone wrong with its latest 202 wheel release, and Ronan shares some thoughts of BMC’s new gravel racer, the Kaius.

Then Dave gets tech reporter Alex Hunt on the phone to talk about two new cross-country bike releases - the Specialized Epic 9 and Canyon Lux World Cup.

Finally, and as per every episode, members of Escape Collective get Ask a Wrench. Zach Edwards and Dave offer their insights to three member-submitted questions.

Happy geeking!

Time stamps:

• 00:00:00 Introduction, Ronan’s knackered, he’s been testing.
• 00:02:40 Campagnolo release Record 13, cheaper than Super Record, still more expensive than most other things.
• 00:14:17 Zipp 202 wheels for going up hills.
• 00:25:29 BMC Kaius 01 Gravel Racing Bicycle
• 00:37:53 Alex is here to talk about new MTBs
• 00:40:54 The new 2026 Canyon Lux Word Cup
• 00:48:30 The 2026 Specialized Epic 9 has arrived with a big price tag and no frame storage
• 1:02:00 - Ask a Wrench (members only, audio only)
• 1:04:00 - Headset loosening woes and the Ring of Death
• 1:14:00 - Over-preloaded hub woes
• 1:21:10 - Our choice of tubeless tapes

It’s the week after the Sea Otter Classic, and the geeks speak surprisingly little of the products shown there. Instead, Ronan and Dave cover new budget drivetrains from SRAM and Shimano. Dave is thinking about unsustainable warranty policies. And there’s plenty more covered from the world of cycling tech.

As a reminder, members of Escape Collective also get access to Ask a Wrench (at the end of the free episode). This week, Zach Edwards joins Dave in answering a variety of questions from members.

Happy geeking!

Time stamps:

• 00:01:29 - Should you grease headset spacers?
• 00:05:39 - Lifetime warranties on wear items
• 00:16:14 - Sea Otter - lots of 32” wheels and the rise of Chinese brands
• 00:31:38: - SRAM S-Series, where 9 becomes 3
• 00:39:54 - Shimano CUES 2x11 overlapping with Tiagra 2x11
• 00:45:37 - UCI vs SRAM. The UCI will make everything safer with limit screws
• 00:56: 11 - Ronan’s nipples are sore, but it’s in the name of unlocking performance
• 1:00:00 - Ask a Wrench (member-only)
• 1:02:00 - How does new Campagnolo differ in installation?
• 1:15:00 - Tips for maintaining a full suspension MTB
• 1:26:00 - Sweat causing Shimano pedal failures?