Welcome back to the first episode of Geek Warning for 2025. There’s plenty to discuss with the geeks having had a few weeks to dwell on their thoughts.

Within, you’ll hear discussion over the industry woes continuing, some well-known brands suffering, and some big related moves. Switching things up, SRAM recently got approval for a patent related to a UDH equivalent of a brake mount. As the geeks discuss, it’s certainly something to watch out for.

On Ronan’s mind is whether we’re about to see a new wave of pro-only race bikes, where the viability of selling the things is wholly ignored in favour of just serving sponsored riders the next advantage. The geeks reason how this would sit with increased discussion over reducing peloton speeds.

There’s some fresh tech from Garmin, Wolf Tooth, No6 (No.22’s composites brand), and Core. Plus, there’s a naming quibble between Factor and Scarab Cycles.

Finally, Brad Copeland jumps on with Dave to answer a few mechanical questions from Escape members. Questions span from removing tight cranks, cleaning off grossly stuck-on bar tape, and whether fancy bottom brackets are worth the cash.

This episode is longer than usual, but we hope you enjoy the broad range of topics.

Are modern road bike geometries due for an overhaul? As riders adopt more forward positions and longer stems, handling and weight distribution are facing new challenges.

In this episode, Ronan McLaughlin talks to renowned frame builder Rob English about the intricacies of frame design and geometry. They explore topics such as progressive geometries, seat tube angles, bottom bracket drop, and how subtle tweaks can transform bike performance. Rob discusses how he designs bikes to match a rider’s contact points first and foremost, and why sometimes tradition and aesthetics still play a role in bike design.

Tune in for a fascinating conversation on how the future of road bike geometry might look, and whether your next bike should have a custom fit that challenges conventional design.

It’s not the usual weekly show format this week, as instead, it’s time for our annual tech awards. Don’t worry, this isn’t just us praising new products, in fact, there’s hardly any of that.

These are awards you won’t likely see promoted by the respective brand, as afterall, a poo emoji isn’t likely to help sell product. It’s not all negative though as the full cast of geeks discuss the biggest new tech trends, a few most desired products, and the most anticipated new products for 2025.

With absolutely no sensical order to anything, let’s dive into the Geek Warning tech awards of 2024! Thanks for a great year, and you’ll hear from us again when 2025 arrives.

Warning, spoilers (aka time stamps) below:

1:00: Biggest tech trends of 2024 - All-road bikes, wider gravel tyres, converging categories, and shorter cranks
13:00: The unexpected gimmick we don’t hate - Head units with integrated bicycle bells
15:40: Silliest new product of 2024 - RAF’s aero backpack
18:40: Thought-invoking/Most nuanced/potentially bad award - Zipp XPLR 303 gravel wheels, Highbar helmet system, Visma’s TT Giro Aerohead II helmet
29:00: Most desired small product that doesn’t yet exist - A “long press” SRAM Blip shifter and a self-dropping dropper post
34:00: Best new aero thing - Time-trial saddles for road bikes
37:00: Best new maintenance tool thing - A different way to check chain wear from Abbey Bike Tools and disc brake piston presses
41:30: Great new product most likely to bankrupt us - Scott Addict RC, RockShox Flight Attendant suspension, Body Rocket Aero Sensor (guess who picked what?)
47:00: Glasshouse of the year - GCN Tech Show #359
48:30: Worst trend of 2024 - Half-baked products being released for sale (looking at Wahoo and Coros as examples) and product leaks
59:00: It’s about time they fixed it (aka most improved) - Pinarello Dogma F, SRAM Red AXS shifters, and SRAM brakes in general
1:08:30: The more of this please bike industry award - Genuinely serviceable and repairable components, better representation in the industry, and less waste in general.
1:14:00: Most anticipated new product for 2025 (which hopefully happens) - Shimano GRX Di2 1x, Shimano XTR Di2, SRAM mechanical T-Type shifting, Specialized reVenge, Fox’s answer to Flight Attendant suspension
1:21:00: Looking to 2025 and some changes to the Geek Warning team