Welcome back to the cycling tech podcast with a Geek Warning. 

This week, Escape’s tech editors Dave Rome and Ronan Mc Laughlin discuss what’s been on their minds. For Dave, that’s how good modern chains have become and a cool upgrade option for DT Swiss hub users.For Ronan, it’s the new wheels from Zipp that have been occupying his time. This is a fairly long episode for members of Escape Collective (go here). Those on the member-only podcast feed won’t just hear what’s new, but rather will hear some criticism of Zipp’s new built-in pressure gauges and whether the company has addressed Ronan’s concerns about hookless.

As always, members also get our Ask a Wrench segment, which this week sees Dave Rome and pro race mechanic Brad Copeland answer a handful of questions related to disc brakes, along with one about the trend to toward wide gravel tyres and where suspension comes into that. Members can submit new questions here.

3:30 - Corrections corner: 14-speed cassettes do exist, sigh.
4:30 - Williams Racing Product’s Zero Drag Kit is cool
9:30 - Some things are really good, especially new chains
17:30 - PSA: Don’t pluck your (tyre) hairs
20:50 - Gunnar and Waterford names return
21:30 - Standert’s new scandium alloy road racer
24:30 - Pirelli’s new endurance road tyre that goes to 55 mm wide
31:15 - Rex releases its Black Magik drip wax
34:30 - Silca’s first grease and Dave’s go-to grease
37:00 - Zipp’s new range of wheels
42:15 - Wolf Tooth’s new Clik valves and bottom brackets
49:00 - Opinions on Zipp’s new wheels and sensors (member-only)
1:03:00 - Where we stand on hookless (member-only)
1:13:00 - Ask a Wrench (member-only)
1:15:00 - Dealing with rubbing discs
1:26:00 - Crop circles on disc rotors
1:32:00 - Cleaning with disc brakes
1:39:00 - Pondering wide tyres versus gravel suspension for Unbound