Podcasts about road bikes

This week, Ronan and Dave ponder how they would equip an entry-level road bike, and while chatting, realise that maybe the industry has backed itself into a costly corner.Of course, there's a PSA and a bunch of tech news to discuss. Meanwhile, members of Escape Collective get access to Ask a Wrench, where this week Dave and Zach Edwards answer four member-submitted technical questions.Enjoy!Time stamps:3:15 - How would we spec an entry-level road race bike22:30 - A PSA to grease your axles27:20 - Cervelo's new R530:40 - Castelli's PFAS-free poor weather jacket37:00 - SRAM's 1987 Limited Edition Silver group38:00 - What's coming up, plus Escape gets a much-wanted feature42:00 - Ask a Wrench (member's only)44:00 - Suspension service intervals and not riding50:00 - Breaking chainring bolts56:00 - Using a shorter fork on a modern XC bike1:01:30 - Why are aero wheels not a thing in fast MTB races?

Or is there any difference anymore? Today on the show: Is the Vuelta is a real bike race? Is UAE a good bicycle team? Is Chris Hoy the best? And is Geraint Thomas happy he's done? 

An Irish road cyclist walks into the R&D department of an international bike brand and rides a prototype mountain bike. That's the joke.In this episode, Dave and Ronan discuss 32-inch-wheeled mountain bikes and whether Ronan is now a mountain biker.There's a detailed chat about the torque required when working with UDH hangers or SRAM Full Mount derailleurs, along with some buying advice for an appropriate torque wrench.There are new road bikes from Pinarello and Scott worth talking about, while Shimano's new cleats are equally worthy of discussion.The free-version of the episode wraps with a quick chat about Dave's recent counterfeit chain article, while the Member-only version offers some more detailed answers on this matter. Then it's time for Ask a Wrench, where Dave is joined by mechanic Zach Edwards in answering a handful of member-submitted technical questions.Happy geeking!As requested by a few members, we're now offering episode chapters – hope it works as expected! And a language warning for around the 9-minute mark, as Ronan is a potty mouth.Time stamps:1:23 - Corrections Corner for another podcast3:55 - Ronan is now a mountain biker?20:00 - PSA - Torque that UDH and Full Mount, plus a tangent on torque wrench choice33:28 - Shimano's new cleats42:26 - Explaining Pinarello's Dogma F-Series50:12 - Scott's interesting new Addict endurance road bike58:42 - Counterfeit versus Fake Chains1:14:18 - Ask a Wrench: Chain waxing in hot conditions (member only)1:20:50 - Ask a Wrench: Wheels with creaking spokes (member only)1:28:00 - Ask a Wrench: Setting up a kids bike for better shifting (member only)

In this first dispatch from the field, Josh Weinberg talks to Kurt Refsnider, who is attempting to ride the entire Orogenesis Trail from the Canadian border through Washington, Oregon, and California to Mexico via the Baja Divide.On day 12 of his journey, Kurt shares his progress, which entails riding over 500 miles into Washington with nearly 85,000 feet of climbing, much of it on challenging single-track and moto trails.Kurt also discusses the physical and mental demands of this particular trail thus far. He compares the experience to other long-distance trails, such as the Colorado Trail and the Tour Divide, with an emphasis on how rugged and demanding Orogenesis is. Reflecting on the balance between effort and reward, Kurt also touches on the performance of his equipment, camping conditions, and the encouragement he receives from local riders and towns.

Remember when Juan Ayuso was the biggest story of the week? Today on the show: Protests in the Basque Country bring the Vuelta to a halt, GC Pidcock has arrived, maybe? And we still haven't talked about Juan Ayuso officially leaving UAE, so we'll definitely talk about that.

Today on the show: Juan Solo looks to free himself from the new Death Star, rebel fighter Jonas Vingegaard quietly plots his route to destroying the UAE empire, High Prince Kulset is out of a job thanks to his father, and on the distant republic of Edinburgh, the Grand Départ isn't looking as certain as it once was …

Today on the show: Vuelta drama fizzles before it starts and there's been another bike theft.

The Portland-based Made show has wrapped up for another year, and our website has been buzzing with coverage from the handmade bike event.This week's Geek Warning is a bit different from the usual format, with the conversation focused mainly on what was seen at Made. Here, Dave Rome chats with Escape's US tech editor Josh Weinberg along with famed framebuilder (and Escape contributor!) Rob English.Within you'll hear about emerging trends from the custom bike world, why Rob believes there are no new ideas left for bicycles, and some of Rob and Josh's top picks.As usual, the episode wraps with our regular Ask a Wrench segment, where Zach Edwards (Boulder Groupetto) and Dave Rome answer technical questions from Escape members. You'll need to be on the Escape member podcast feed to listen to this section.See all the coverage from Made 2025 here.Time stamps:2:40 - Explaining Made and industry vibes10:00 - Trends in the handmade scene18:30 - Josh and Rob's favourite bikes of Made31:30 - Rob's absolute favourite - a bike from 197936:00 - A little Aero bike38:30 - Favourite small parts of Made55:45 - Ask a Wrench (Members only)57:00 - A corrections corner related to impact wrenches58:40 - Bottom bracket torque settings1:03:15 - Solving a worn dropout1:09:00 - Sticky cables, sticky drink mix

Today on the show: The Vuelta is underway, Vingegaard is back, and Danny van Poppel can't stop collecting yellow cards.

Today on the show: Mads' middle finger, Pogačar doesn't want you to take his picture, and the Secret Pro is back. And no, we will not be answering the question in the episode title. But you're welcome to guess! 

It's a shorter episode this week as Escape's Suvi Loponen and Dave Rome catch up to discuss the spares they carry and how to ensure they work when you need them most.On the news front, they discuss the latest developments regarding the ongoing Shimano crank recall and an unexpected (and hopefully short-lived) issue affecting older Wahoo Bolt and Roam head units.Finally, Zach Edwards of the Boulder Grupetto returns to Ask a Wrench to answer a number of member-submitted questions.Time stamps:2:00 - Shimano crank recall update11:20 - Older Wahoo devices living in 200615:00 - a PSA to check your spares20:00 - The specific spares we carry35:00 - Made is coming up!37:45 - Ask a Wrench (Member Only)39:25 - Impact wrenches around e-bikes45:20 - Sprockets versus Cogs48:00 - Slipping SPD cleats on carbon shoes53:00 - Hanging up modern bikes

Today on the show: A Vuelta preview from Dane, disqualifications at Romandie with Abby, and Mike Woods is retiring, which makes us sad. Plus, the big green egg Pogačar bought his teammates. 

Head to Escapecollective.com/member to sign up today.Today on the show: Arkea and maybe Jayco are in a little bit of trouble? Tom Pidcock is going for GC again, and Patrick Levefere is angrily posting photos of his sandwiches.

It's time to geek out. This week, Ronan Mc Laughlin and Dave Rome discuss how as bikes progress, market opportunity is often created in what those bikes previously provided. Through this conversation, Ronan and Dave come to an agreement on a specific style of bike that's obviously missing today.You'll hear a PSA relevant to any modern bike, along with a few quick updates that provide a couple of brief tangents.The episode wraps with Ronan and Dave discussing a fancy type of hex key (the topic of Dave's Threaded article this week). We love our members, and so those on the member-only feed of the podcast get a little extra bonus chat before the regular 'Ask a Wrench' segment kicks in.Happy geeking!Time Stamps:4:45 - There is always an opportunity to backfill23:00 - PSA: Don't ignore worn bearings27:30 - No.6's new gravel suspension corrected rigid fork30:15 - Fara's new GR4 gravel bike and a tangent on claimed frame weights38:00 - Dave has sliding T-handle hex keys on his mind (again)42:15 - The best sliding T-handle hex key (Member's only)49:30 - Ask a Wrench (Member's only)50:00 - Can a chain wear out even when it doesn't measure as worn?57:15 - The best spoke wrench to avoid nipple damage1:02:00 - How should you clean a disc brake? How often?

Today on the show: Pogacar is tired, a punch up in Portugal, and Kit went to a show. Let's get to it.

Is Remco's move to Red Bull good? Is Michael Storer an egg thief? Caley, Jonny, and Iain have the answers. 

A mix of rumours circling and the recently reviewed FiftyOne Sika road bike have Ronan and Dave pondering whether the UCI frame sticker is relevant to many of us. Spoiler, it's not.The episode was recorded a few days before we know for sure, but the social media profiles of athletes strongly point toward some interesting drop-bar-converted mountain bikes for the Leadville 100 race ahead.Ronan and Dave discuss a PSA for themselves, and of course, members of Escape Collective get access to the Ask a Wrench segment with Brad Copeland, where this week a handful of drivetrain-related questions are answered, including one about measuring for lateral chain wear.Enjoy!Time stamps:2:20 - The UCI approval sticker overrated16:50 - Wild bikes expected at Leadville31:30 - PSA for those with an air compressor40:00 - Standert's new Keiswerk44:00 - Ask a Wrench with Brad Copeland (Members Only)45:30 - Chasing noises that only occur under high load54:00 - Upgrading an old MTB drivetrain that's locked to an HG freehub1:03:00 - All about lateral chain wear

“Orogenesis” is the geologic process of mountain building — a gradual evolution powered by unfathomable forces that expand across and transform broad swaths of the landscape.Orogenesis is also set to be the longest mountain biking trail in the United Sates. At 3,500 miles, this new route stretches through Washington, Oregon, California, and then it connects to the existing Baja Divide bikepacking route to add another 1,600 miles to San Jose del Cabo at the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula. The creation of such a trail is an absolutely monumental vision, and endurance cyclist Kurt Refsnider will be guinea pigging his way down the full length of it for the remainder of this year as the first person to attempt the ride in its entirety.In this episode, we talk to Kurt Refsnider about the history of the trail, what drew him to it, and what to expect along the way. We'll then be checking in with him over the next few months as he makes his way from the US/Canadian border to Mexico.

Pauline Ferrand Prevot won the Tour de France Femmes in style, there's big drama in Guadeloupe, Roglic dropped his latest quote, and Remco hasn't moved yet. So much to talk about, and to keep us out of our post-Tour doldrums. Caley, Jonny, and Iain bring you the latest. 

It's fun when directors fight. Lucky for us, we've got a true mano a mano bout in the team cars of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. This week, Caley, Jonny, and Dane chat through Visma vs FDJ, Visma vs UAE, and congratulate Ben Healy on winning a fake bike race twice in one go. 

What in the upside-down world is this? Ronan Mc Laughlin has been investigating rumours around the UCI getting involved with the new 32 in wheelsize, and in this episode of Geek Warning, you'll hear the crew discuss what it may spell.Additionally, you'll hear the geeks (Ronan, Dave, and Alex) talk about some products that have left them a little underwhelmed as of late. New SRAM centerlock lockrings are on Dave's mind. And there's a PSA related to disc brake bed-in.Members of Escape Collective also get access to our popular Ask a Wrench segment, where Dave and pro race mechanic (with Specialized Off-Racing Racing) Brad Copeland answer a number of member-submitted questions with helpful tips for all.Enjoy!Time stamps:1:00 - Products that leave us wanting more9:45 - UCI looking to ban 32in wheels and will it matter?28:00 - SRAM finally has centerlock lockrings33:00 - PSA: Brake bed-in is skipped far too much39:30 - DT Swiss' and Swiss Side's recall43:00 - Ask a Wrench with Brad Copeland (Escape members only)45:00 - A call to action for the industry in regards to manuals51:00 - Best chain lube for indoor cycling58:15 - Stubborn tubeless tyre installs1:09:00 - Dehumidifiers and tubeless sealant longevity

Caley, Jonny, and Kit are back in the Spin Cycle studio for the final (men's) Tour episode. Is Pogačar burned out? Was it a good Tour? We have thoughts. 

From the rain-drenched cobbles of the Champs Élysées, Iain Treloar is joined by Joshua Robinson of the Wall Street Journal and Patrick Redford of Defector to discuss Montmartre, an epic stage win, and the whiplash of arriving in Paris. Also: the famous Escape Collective Tour Award Show.

A breakaway winner was expected for stage 20 of the Tour de France, but did anyone expect it to be Kaden Groves?Iain Treloar is joined by Joshua Robinson of the Wall Street Journal, Patrick Redford of Defector, and Jacob Whitehead from The Athletic to discuss the penultimate stage of this year's race.

The final mountain stage of the Tour de France – shortened though it was for cattle-related reasons – went to Thymen Arensman as Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar mostly watched each other on the final summit finish of the race.Iain is joined by Patrick Redford of Defector and Joshua Robinson of the Wall Street Journal to talk about the racing but also the broader strokes.

Recorded just after watching Tadej and Jonas summit Ventoux on aero bikes, this episode sees Ronan McLaughlin, Dave Rome, and Suvi Loponen discuss whether the latest and lightest road bikes are now designed for consumers, while aero bikes are for the pros.Also within this week's Geek Warning, you'll hear Dave discuss why he thinks too many products are being released in an unfinished state. Of course, there's a useful PSA, one that's useful for anyone running disc brakes. And you'll hear the geeks discuss some of the latest industry news.The episode wraps with the Ask a Wrench segment. Here, Dave chats with pro race mechanic Brad Copeland in answering a number of member-submitted questions, including whether premium bottom brackets are less likely to make noises, a deep dive on SRAM's newest ThreadMount power meters and the cross-compatibility available.As usual, you'll need to be a member of Escape Collective in order to listen the Ask a Wrench segment. You can sign up here and gain access to everything that Escape Collective has to offer.Time stamps:5:05 - Are aero bikes now climbing bikes?14:25 - Unfinished products are on Dave's mind25:00 - PSA to check your rotors30:00 - Rapha and EF-Education to part ways35:30 - YT Industries' “restructuring”40:00 - Rouvy acquires BKool48:00 - Ask a Wrench with Brad Copeland (Member Only)53:00 - Are premium bottom brackets less likely to make noise?1:07:40 - Schwalbe, pronounced1:08:40 - SRAM ThreadMount power meter compatibility1:16:30 - Mixing Shimano wheels and SRAM 12-speed drivetrains

The Queen stage of the Tour de France is now behind us. One mountain stage remains. Ben O'Connor played perfect legs with perfect tactics and took home a huge win for Jayco, while behind the battle for yellow wimpered and the battle for third, the white jersey, and the crucial Red Bull classification were absolutely firing. 

A straightforward sprint stage turned out to be anything but. A storm rolled into Valence just before the peloton did and led to a huge pileup in the finale. The good news? The fight for the green jersey is on. And tomorrow? The Alps. 

A beautiful day on Mont Ventoux capped by Johan Bruyneel calling UCI President David Lappartient the "Selfie King." Does it get any better? 

Ever have a question about the Tour de France? We've got you covered. 

Out of the Pyrenees and into the breakaway. The last stage before the final rest day of this Tour de France brought plenty of action, most of it off the front. Plus Pogačar admitted he's been a bit sick and Visma was attacking itself. 

One of the hardest stages of this Tour de France is now behind us. What did we learn? Vingegaard attacked but didn't get anywhere, Pogačar looks comfortable, and the race for 4th-6th is on. Plus, we found some juice on a gondola and there's a new maillot sable in town. 

If a time trial happens at the Tour de France and Ronan isn't there to see it, does it make a sound? Caley, Jonny, and Iain are joined by Defector's Patrick Redford to talk through a TT that ended up tighter (in some ways) than we expected. Plus, more on the 2012 Sky/Brailsford saga and the photographers are in trouble. 

We're in thick of race season and there's plenty to discuss on the tech front. The mountain bike world is rubbing their eyes at the sight of a 32-inch-wheeled full suspension. Meanwhile, on the road, it's the Time Trial that continues to tease future tech trends. Join Ronan Mc Laughlin, Dave Rome, and Alex Hunt as they discuss these new sightings.Outside of racing, you'll also hear the geeks talk about a revised scoring system from the helmet test lab of Virginia Tech. Meanwhile, Dave has a PSA closely related to the latest edition of his Threaded workshop series. Plus there's chat about news from DT Swiss, Pinarello, and Lightweight.Members of Escape Collective get access to the popular Ask a Wrench segment at the end of the episode. This week, pro race mechanic Brad Copeland joins Dave Rome in answering questions related to narrowing down choices in buying a gravel wheelset, how to go about converting a certain suspension fork for use with dropbars, and whether there's a difference between Shimano GRX and Ultegra brakes.Time stamps:2:00 - BMC's big wheel testing13:40 - Tour Time Trial tech23:40 - Virginia Tech updates its helmet star ratings32:00 - a PSA that every part is safety critical41:00 - Lightweight's big update47:40 - Pinarello's new gravel bikes49:20 - DT Swiss' stop ride notice52:30 - Alex's new bike day53:30 - Ask a Wrench with Brad Copeland (member only)54:45 - Thoughts on upgrading gravel bike wheels1:10:00 - Converting a MTB to dropbar with a remote lockout suspension1:20:00 - Shimano Ultegra versus GRX brakes

Alternate headline: Jesus Christ PogačarWelcome to a podcast in three parts. Caley, Jonny, and Iain first join from the Tourmalet, then a traffic jam, and then a fascinating restaurant in Lourdes. Tadej Pogačar is the story of the day but there are plenty of other bits to dig into. 

What a stage. The stage of the Tour so far? We think so. It had everything, from breakaway wins to big GC crashes to finish line protesters. Caley, Jonny, and Iain are joined by Joshua Robinson of the Wall Street Journal and (briefly) Defector's Patrick Redford to talk through the day. Today's podcast title brought to you by Jason Gay of the Wall Street Journal. 

We did it. We made it to the first rest day of the Tour de France. It took ten days but we got there. Caley, Jonny, and Iain sit down in Toulouse to answer your rest day questions. 

What a day in the mountains. Two races in one, a fantastic yellow jersey, and the first hints of a coming GC battle. Caley, Jonny, and Iain are joined by Chris Marshall Bell to talk through the day's stories. Alternate episode titles today (feel free to suggest your own):Massif Bental St Martins CollegePhilippe Philippe Simon is Massif France's Bastille Day Bungle is Massif

Jonas Rickaert had a dream.A fast, chaotic sprint made even more interesting thanks to some heroics (or insanity? Fine line) from Mathieu van der Poel on the road to Chateauroux. Caley, Jonny, and Iain break down the stage.

Sprint day! It was a hot one in central France and Jonathan Milan won the drag race up a slight rise to take his first Tour de France stage. Did Alpecin-Decueuninck back the wrong man? And is Pogačar a threat for the green jersey? Caley, Jonny, and Iain break it all down and then extol the virtues of a Bergadou breakaway and discuss Feed Zone Gate. 

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 Reacto5:50 - Cervelo's new S5 and Ronan's early impressions14:20 - Cervelo has a new R5 coming, too18:30 - Musical Saddles of Sponsorships26:00 - Updates inbound for the UCI's handlebar width change?37:45 - 1x gearing is on the rise47:00 - Ask a Wrench with Brad Copeland (members only)48:30 - Rust-protecting a steel frame52:30 - Chain droop when riding in smaller cassette cogs1:03:00 - Fixing the SRAM brake turkey gobble

We thought it would be a breakaway day, and indeed it was. Ben Healy put on a show, sneaking away at just the right moment to take his first Tour stage win. Behind, weird decisions from UAE and Visma left the pod crew with many questions. Caley and Jonny are joined by pro photographer Zac Williams and reporter Chris Marshall Bell to break down the motivations of those big teams, how Healy pulled it off, and plenty more. 

Time trial day! It's Ronan's Christmas, birthday, and birth of his first child all rolled into one. The man could not be more excited. Jonny and Caley, in contrast, are just hoping for literally anything interesting to happen. Lucky for us, it did. Jonas Vingegaard underperformed (or did he?), Remco Evenepoel smashed it, and sweet Kevin Vauquelin (or is it VauqueliCAN) rode his way into the top three. 

Another lumpy finish, another string of attacks, another brave French boy, and Pogačar's first (and 100th) stage win. Caley, Jonny, and Ronan come to you from Rouen where they discuss the finale, Evenepoel's motivation level, Ralph Denk's aura farming, and much more. 

A whole lot of nothing, then lots all at once. That was the feeling from stage 3 of the Tour de France, where a processional day was punctuated by a nasty crash and the exit of Jasper Philipsen, then even more crashes in a hectic finale in Dunkirk. Caley, Jonny, and Ronan break down the stage, bring you news from Bryan Coquard and the Cofidis bus, and more. 

The French boys were so brave today. Caley, Ronan and Jonny bring you the latest from stage 2 of the Tour de France, where Mathieu van der Poel soared to the stage win and was handed the yellow jersey by Alpecin-Deceuninck teammate Jasper Philipsen. Elsewhere, we've got the latest on Remco Evenepoel heading to the exit door at Soudal-Quick Step, and likely off to Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe.

Visma-Lease a Bike is not going to roll over this week. Stage 1 of the 2025 Tour de France was a cracker, for a sprint stage, with wind and crashes playing a role in setting early GC gaps and Jasper Philipsen pulling on the first yellow jersey of the Tour. Caley, Jonny, and Ronan join you from a canalside in Lille, 50 meters from the Visma bus. We hear from Matteo Jorgenson on his team's plan and how it was executed, do a little Echelon 101 schooling, and smell a few smells. 

It's Tour de France eve. Caley is back, joined by Jonny, Ronan, and special guest Matt Stephens to discuss the Jonas Vingegaard's press conference, why Kaden Groves is at the Tour, and lots more. 

Cycling's a beautiful sport. It's also a nightmare for new fans to get into – a mess of jargon, history, and tactics. Journalism professor (and new cycling fan) Holly Johnson has questions, and together with Iain Treloar, is on a mission to decipher pro cycling. In the first episode: a chat with Jonathan Vaughters about how teams work.

Welcome back to the Tour Daily! These are our daily Tour de France episodes, brought to you by the same crew as Spin Cycle. We're on the ground in France, Lille specifically, to take in the vibes, ask questions at press conferences, and generally get this bike race started. In this first Tour episode, Ronan, Jonny and Chris Marshall-Bell gather on a grassy field next to a bar to cap off what has been an inauspicious start to the 2025 Tour de France for Escape Collective. Nevertheless, they bring you the latest from the pre-Tour press conferences and Ronan has been wandering around sniffing out some tech truffles.