It’s Tour time and tech editor Ronan McLaughlin has been on the ground capturing all the latest little tricks and tidbits. In this week’s Geek Warning, Dave Rome, and Ronan get together to talk through some of the bigger tech stories and finds coming from the biggest race.

Within you’ll hear about new bikes from Merida and Cervelo, some behind-the-scenes sponsorship movements, how front derailleurs are becoming less common, and why the UCI’s handlebar width ruling is likely set to change (again).

In Ask a Wrench, members of Escape Collective will hear pro race mechanic Brad Copeland and Dave Rome answer questions related to rust-proofing steel frames, solving for a drooping chain, and how to solve the dreaded disc brake turkey gobble. As an added bonus, you’ll hear Brad’s impression of a turkey.

Time stamps:

2:00 - Merida’s unreleased Reacto
5:50 - Cervelo’s new S5 and Ronan’s early impressions
14:20 - Cervelo has a new R5 coming, too
18:30 - Musical Saddles of Sponsorships
26:00 - Updates inbound for the UCI’s handlebar width change?
37:45 - 1x gearing is on the rise
47:00 - Ask a Wrench with Brad Copeland (members only)
48:30 - Rust-protecting a steel frame
52:30 - Chain droop when riding in smaller cassette cogs
1:03:00 - Fixing the SRAM brake turkey gobble

The drowsiness of Eurobike has barely faded just as the Tour is about to kick off. This week, Escape’s tech team members Suvi Loponen, Ronan Mc Laughlin, and Dave Rome are on Geek Warning to discuss the biggest tech of the week and some things on their minds.

A recap of Eurobike is provided by Suvi, along with pondering what the future holds for this event that seems to be in decline.

Ronan and Dave go deep on Enve’s new road wheels, which quite surprisingly, have a hooked rim. That’s big news from a company that pioneered the hookless road space.

Dave poses the impossible question of what coloured spokes he should choose. And there’s a fun PSA related to the countless problematic adverts seen from brands that create maintenance products.

The end of the episode wraps with our usual Ask a Wrench segment. This is typically exclusive to members of Escape Collective, but not this week! This week is a free week and so everyone will hear the full member-only version that includes pro race mechanic Brad Copeland answering a few member-submitted technical questions.

Time stamps:

1:00 - Eurobike recap and whether such trade shows are still relevant
18:20 - A deep chat on Enve’s new SES 4.5 Pro going hooked
33:00 - Canyon’s new Grizl and a new weird handlebar
38:30 - On Dave’s mind: Silver hubs, but what coloured spokes?
44:00 - PSA: Be cautious of maintenance product brands giving you maintenance advice on socials.
48:00 - Apidura’s Aero System
53:00 - Ask a Wrench (open to all for this week!)
54:30 - Footwear for mechanics
1:03:00 - How to find a mystery clicking noise
1:14:00 - General thoughts on hitch racks

In this special Performance Process x Geek Warning crossover, Dave Rome grills Ronan Mc Laughlin about every technical detail from his 3,000 km unsupported lap of Ireland. From aero bag hacks and drivetrain quirks to cleat regrets and a failed light, this is a deep dive into the tech setup behind a truly personal and punishing ultra-endurance ride. Ronan shares what worked, what didn’t, and what he’d change next time – all while reflecting on how the gear supported his mission to raise awareness for food allergy research.

The fundraiser is still open here, every contribution makes a real difference.

• £10 provides allergy education packs for a school
• £25 trains 50 teachers to support allergic kids
• £100 covers a life-saving dose of treatment for a child
• £1,500 funds six months on the life-changing Natasha Clinical Trial

Hitting the target, could fund 20 trial places for allergic children, and take a real step toward a future where no child has to live in fear of their food.