May 24, 2023

Geek Warning: Good entry-level aluminum bikes are rad

1 hour 12 minutes

Lots of new stuff to chat about this week! Specialized’s Allez revamp is hardly revolutionary, but there’s a lot to be said for a no-frills and accessible bike that’s executed well. Dave has some (bad) ideas for Kask on how to market its new Elemento flagship helmet, Wahoo’s founder owns his company again, and Trek makes an interesting move with the Bontrager brand name.

We also chat about Aerocoach’s latest round of rolling resistance tests, and Fairwheel Bikes’ intriguing crank stiffness tests. And finally, Dave shares some thoughts on cross-country mountain bike suspension, Zach reveals his secret love of cheap track bikes, James revisits his weight-weenie past, and we all take a leap through the Ring of Death.

2:45 — Specialized Allez16:52 — Kask Elemento22:11 — Trek vs. Bontrager27:52 — Wahoo is back?30:54 — Aerocoach measures the Vittoria Corsa Pro35:16 — Which crank is stiffest?43:40 — Dave likes things saggy48:30 — Zach likes inexpensive track bikes55:08 — James slips back into weight weenieism1:02:34 — The Ring of Death, revisited

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