The Redundant Placeholders: Recent Episodes
Caley Fretz
This week, the Placeholders crew talks more takeaways from the Critérium du Dauphiné and the ongoing Tour de Suisse, as well as discussing Ronan Mc Laughlin's latest big ride and race radios coming to the Tour de France broadcast.
SRAM’s new Apex redesign brings AXS wireless electronic shifting to the masses, but there’s also a new mechanical version, and it’s all 1x12 – and we’ve got all the details. Commencal has announced its first gravel bike that’s “not just another gravel bike” (even though it mostly is), RockShox’s Flight Attendant automatic electronic suspension is coming to XC, someone lost something in Lenzerheide, and Ronan outlines some of the tech decisions from his recent record-setting ride in Ireland. And finally, is UDH coming to road bikes now? (Hint: yes, it is).
12:45 – New SRAM Apex! 31:30 – Commencal gets into gravel 37:33 – RockShox’s updated SID spotted in the wild 43:46 – A big oops on the start line in Lenzerheide 48:17 – Ronan optimizes everything for his 15-hour time trial 1:02:15 – SRAM’s UDH is now coming for road bikes, too
In today’s episode, we go to … France. Deep, deep into France. This is the Frenchest of episodes, focused on national hero Thibaut Pinot, eccentric manager Marc Madiot, and a lonely Australian badly in need of some real-life subtitles, Ben O’Connor. Let’s get into it.
This week on Wheel Talk, we discuss the controversy at CIC-Tour Féminin International des Pyrénées with a special guest, Cynisca Cycling DS Gillian Ellsay. Matt de Neef also chats with Chloe Hosking about her decision to sue the owners of the B&B Hotels team that fell apart prior to the season. In the episode’s second half, we answer a few more of your questions.
On this week's Pretty Serious Bike Racing Podcast, Ruth Winder joins Dane Cash and Cosmo Catalano to discuss:
- Vingegaard doing what he needed to do at the Critérium du Dauphiné
- How mostly everyone else didn't really even attempt to take him on on the climbs
- Whether Van Aert and Pidcock could challenge Evenepoel at the Suisse?
- What the heck happened at the Tour des Pyrénées?
Episode 2 is focused on the team of the Tour, Jumbo-Visma. We get an at-home visit with Wout van Aert, plus a training day with Primoz Roglic, and then a glimpse into the tension between Van Aert’s desire and ability to win stages and his role working for Jonas Vingegaard for the overall. Plus Kit's Grand Lord of the Rings Theory of Unchained. Let’s get into it.
Welcome to the Unchained Binge Podcast, where we'll go deep on all eight episodes of Netflix's new Tour de France docuseries.
This first episode comes in fast and crashy, focusing on EF's time trial, a farmer's son, and the incredible return of Fabio Jakobsen.
On this week's Placeholders, Jonny Long, Kit Nicholson, and Dane Cash join Caley Fretz (with Iain Treloar also making an appearance) to cover:
- What we've learned so far from the Dauphiné
- Whether Roglič and Evenepoel should race the Tour
- Scam websites in cycling
- Luke Rowe vibes
There is so much new stuff to talk about this week! Unbound Gravel was a smorgasbord of fresh gravel good, including new bikes from Canyon and Santa Cruz, and a sneak preview of Shimano’s new 12-speed GRX groupset.
We’ve also recently spotted new road bikes from BMC and Factor, and Silca aims to make chain waxing (a lot!) easier. And speaking of Unbound, what was the true material cost of entry for this year’s event? Hint: It's almost certainly much, much more than most participants expected.
Timestamps:
6:40 – What’s this new BMC race bike? 13:20 – Will the new Factor 02 VAM be even lighter? 17:44 – Shimano GRX 12-speed spotted at Unbound, plus our thoughts on 1x vs 2x for gravel. 28:05 – A more mountain bike-like Santa Cruz Stigmata on the way? 30:05 – Canyon Grail is due to get one less handlebar. 34:30 – Silca’s new Chain Stripper, the future of chain lubes, and why Caley is back on wax. 45:15 – Highlights of the Handmade Bicycle Show Australia. 54:12 – On your mind, and over the head of your family: Caley gives a shout-out to modern mountain bikes. 58:42 – James asks whether event participants consider the true cost of entry. 1:08:32 – PSA for your spare inner tube.
This week Abby Mickey, Loren Rowney, and Gracie Elvin answer some listener questions about whether they can sing or prefer to dance, hot pants, SD Worx dominance, and more.
This week on the Pretty Serious Bike Racing Podcast, Abby Mickey joins Dane Cash and Cosmo Catalano to...
- Break down the action so far at the Critérium du Dauphiné
- Look ahead to the brewing GC battle in the Tour's biggest tune-up race
- Discuss the evolution of rules and regulations in gravel racing as seen at Unbound
This week on the Placeholders, Jonny Long, Kit Nicholson, and Dane Cash join Caley Fretz to ...
- Rate the Giro
- Celebrate the undiluted good vibes
- Consider Jumbo-Visma's plan for the Tour
- Talk about the Evenepoel to Ineos rumors
Our trio of diehard in-house tech geeks – James, Dave, and Ronan – are on hand this week to talk about the dropped chain that nearly derailed Primož Roglič’s Giro d’Italia, Campagnolo’s new (and outrageously expensive) Super Record Wireless electronic road groupset, fancy new spokes from DT Swiss, and our new comprehensive guide to buying your first custom bike.
Also, all three of us apparently have issues staying upright, Ronan has thoughts on disc brakes in road racing, and a PSA on hidden caffeine.
6:58 — Roglic’s nearly disastrous chain drop
20:37 — Campagnolo goes wireless and ditches the thumb buttons
43:40 — New high-end MTB spokes from DT Swiss
48:37 — The impending return of the Handmade Bicycle Show Australia
49:59 — The return of Matt Wikstrom!
52:10 — Dave fell down
53:41 — James fell down
54:43 — Ronan fell down
55:12 — Ronan has thoughts on road racing with disc brakes
1:00:03 — Seat tube angles aren’t always what they seem
1:02:20 — Ronan needs to start reading the fine print
This week we chat all about the three days of action at the RideLondon Classique, a conversation made even better by the presence of Rebecca Charlton! We also talk about the SD Worx clean sweep at LOTTO Thüringen Ladies Tour and the ongoing WorldTour relegation battle.
On the heels of a thrilling finale at the 2023 Giro d'Italia as well as a weekend of racing on British roads at the RideLondon Classique, Kit Nicholson joined Dane Cash and Cosmo Catalano for the Pretty Serious Bike Racing Podcast to cover the action. The crew talks:
- Roglič's winning tactics when it all mattered at the Giro
- The unheralded riders of the race
- The moments that made the Giro
- Charlotte Kool establishing herself in sprinting's top tier
Ronan Mc Laughlin and Jonny Long join Caley Fretz on the Placeholders Podcast for a Rascast redux and more. In this week's show, the crew talks:
- The joy of riding Ireland's biggest race
- Jonny's soigneur skills
- Mark Cavendish's impending retirement
- The GC battle (finally) heating up at the Giro d'Italia
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 Allez
16:52 — Kask Elemento
22:11 — Trek vs. Bontrager
27:52 — Wahoo is back?
30:54 — Aerocoach measures the Vittoria Corsa Pro
35:16 — Which crank is stiffest?
43:40 — Dave likes things saggy
48:30 — Zach likes inexpensive track bikes
55:08 — James slips back into weight weenieism
1:02:34 — The Ring of Death, revisited
Abby Mickey, Matt de Neef, and Gracie Elvin chat about the Vuelta a Burgos and why the race was and wasn’t boring. Plus, the upcoming RideLondon Classique promises some exciting sprint stages!
This week on the Pretty Serious Bike Racing Podcast, Dane Cash and Cosmo Catalano are joined by Abby Mickey and Kit Nicholson to talk:
- Demi Vollering's convincing GC win in Burgos
- Chloe Dygert's impressive climbing performance
- Thrilling breakaway action at the Giro
- Giro GC hopefuls mostly keeping their powder dry so far...
On this week's Placeholders episode, Caley Fretz is joined by Ronan Mc Laughlin and some of his teammates at the Rás Tailteann, as well as their soigneur Jonny Long, to talk:
- What it's like to compete in Ireland's biggest race
- What the Rás means for the Irish racing scene
- Hectic days at the Giro d'Italia
- Tao Geoghegan Hart's departure from the Grand Tour
- Jonathan Milan's rise
This week’s episode of Geek Warning sees former World Cup mechanic Brad Copeland join the team to talk all things bike tech. With Brad onboard, it was time we kicked off the first "Ask a Wrench" segment, which answers questions from our live audience of Escape Collective members.
Before the geeks get to answering questions, they discuss some of the latest tech seen at the opening round of the mountain bike World Cup.
Abby Mickey and Loren Rowney are joined by retired professional cyclist for SD Worx and Canada Karol-Ann Canuel to discuss Itzulia Women. At the end of the episode, Abby catches up with Kasia Niewiadoma to talk about how her season is going, how the level is changing, and what she’s targeting this season.
This week on the Pretty Serious Bike Racing Podcast, Abby Mickey joined Dane Cash and Cosmo Catalano to talk:
- Remco Evenepoel's Giro d'Italia departure
- The Ineos Grenadiers vs. Jumbo-Visma battle
- The many climbs to come
- Marlen Reusser's emergence at SD Worx
It's time for another bonus episode of the Wheel Talk Podcast! In between racing La Vuelta Femenina and Itzulia Women former Danish national champion Emma Norsgaard sat down with Abby to chat about why she loves the Spanish team, the truth about being teammates with Annemiek van Vleuten, and why she’s adapted her strengths as a rider.
With the Giro d'Italia now well underway, Ronan Mc Laughlin, Abby Mickey, and Jonny Long join Caley Fretz for this week's Placeholders to talk Soudal-QuickStep's tactics in support of Remco Evenepoel, crashes, crashes, and more crashes, and the action to come.
Meanwhile, away from the Giro, the crew looks ahead to the Women's Itzulia, and Ronan's own upcoming race program.
Don't you dare call it a tire; it's "endurance engineering"!
Jokes aside, Specialized and Vittoria are upping their games when it comes to high-end road tires that (supposedly) won't leave you stranded, Chris King is expanding its range of thermoplastic carbon wheels with a new aero all-road model, we debate the pros and cons of the latest crop of fancy bike care products, and Ronan outlines the UCI's latest foibles. And as always, Dave has tools on his mind.
A manually curated list of time stamps:
2:30 - The narrow tread of the new Vittoria Corsa Pro tyres.
13:00 - “Don’t call it a tyre!” Specialized’s Mondo tyre.
21:42 - Chris King brings thermoplastic rims to road
29:22 - CeramicSpeed’s new Bike Care line and a discussion on wax lubes.
42:57 - The growing segment of Bike Care products.
46:50 - More price drops! This time it’s Salsa.
47:53 - Rome gets excited about new bearing removal tools.
50:37 - An update on the peculiar new UCI product registration rules coming to the TDF.
56:45 - Does the UCI need a Jig for its Jig?
1:02:45 - On Rome’s mind and over the head of his family.
1:08:07 - News for next week’s episode!
Woah. What a stage race that was! Abby, Matt and Gracie get together to recap (almost) everything that happened at La Vuelta Femenina. From Realini’s first WorldTour win to Vollering’s climbing to why we love the G.O.A.T.
Grand Tour season is in full swing, and the Pretty Serious crew is here to break down the action. Ruth Winder and Caley Fretz join Dane Cash and Cosmo Catalano this week to talk:
- Overperformers and underperformers from the Giro's opening TT
- A changing of the guard for the sprinters?
- Controversy with the timing of a key move and decisions made by officials at the Vuelta Femenina
- A thrilling conclusion to the race
On this week's Placeholders episode, we catch up on the Vuelta Femenina, discuss Matteo Jorgensen's approach to the season, and look ahead to the Giro d'Italia. Remco Evenepoel and Primož Roglič look like the favorites to take the win, and we'll name a few outsiders as well. Plus, Greg Van Avermaet is hanging up the wheels. All that and more in the podcast ...
Modern cross-country mountain bike racing is absolutely on fire these days. The riders are faster, more skilled, and more interesting than ever, the courses are technical and physically demanding, and the bikes are so capable they'd put the "trail bikes" of yesteryear to shame. But one has to look no further than some dyed-in-the-wool road brands to see how hot the segment is right now, because even they're getting into the game.
Also, in this week's show: (some) bikes are getting cheaper, there are prototype cross-country suspension forks everywhere, and the UCI dropped a logistical bomb on teams just weeks ahead of the Tour.
Episode time stamps (oh, that’s new for us!):
2:35 - BMC’s TT bike and company news.
13:30 - Pinarello is returning to mountain bikes.
16:35 - What are P1 Race Tech mountain bike wheels?
19:29 - Cervelo getting deeper into XC.
21:23 - A flurry of forks and the boom of XC.
30:35 - Lauf drops Seigla prices in the USA. Plus other price drops.
35:30 - Will we see new UCI technical controls at the TDF?
49:45 - The growth of tyre inserts.
60:00 - On our minds and debating cup and cone bearing hubs
In this week's episode of the Pretty Serious Bike Racing Podcast, Abby Mickey joins Dane Cash and Cosmo Catalano to talk:
- A big week for both Brits and Colombians at the Tour de Romandie
- Matteo Jorgensen's versatility
- Ally Wollaston's emergence
- What to expect at the Vuelta Femenina
We are dropping this week’s Wheel Talk Podcast episode a little earlier because La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es kicks off on Monday, May 1 with a TTT in Torrevieja. Amanda Spratt of Trek-Segafredo, who will be racing this week in Spain, joins Loren and Abby to talk about the stages and riders to watch at the race.
On this bonus episode of the Wheel Talk Podcast, Abby caught up with up-and-coming American talent Megan Jastrab to discuss her years at Team DSM and her experience racing the team pursuit at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics while working to graduate from college in four years.
In the latest episode of the Placeholders, Caley Fretz, Dane Cash, and Abby Mickey talk Soudal-QuickStep's 2023 campaign, the latest from the Tour de Romandie, Tadej Pogačar's injury, Miguel Ángel López, and the new CRIT series, while Iain Treloar provides an update on Primož Roglič's Twitter tribulations and Joe Lindsay offers some insight into what has been going on over at the Zaaf Cycling Team.
On this week's episode of Geek Warning... Specialized says its new Epic World Cup will replace hardtails for racing, and while the bike looks interesting, this isn't the first time we've heard such a thing and hardtails have proven time and again that they've got a lot of lives.
Also in this week's show: Wahoo is probably for sale, but who should buy it? Might you soon be taking your e-bike to an auto mechanic for service? Why did Boyd Cycling open up an aluminum rim factory in South Carolina? And James gives a recap of the shiny new stuff – both affordable and expensive – he saw at last week's Sea Otter Classic, along with a PSA on how your DRL might not be providing the visibility you think it is.
Abby, Matt and Gracie break down the final two races of the Spring Classics and Ardennes week. Both La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège had potentially inevitable winners but kept us on the edge of our seats.
Plus, we answer a couple of listener questions and talk about what we’ve been obsessed with lately (non-cycling related, of course).
Ruth Winder and Kit Nicholson join Dane Cash and Cosmo Catalano to talk...
- Vollering's dominance in Liège
- Trek-Segafredo's solid effort
- Soudal-QuickStep's lead-out to Evenepoel's move on La Redoute
- Pogačar's absence
- The upcoming Tour de Romandie
Caley, Ronan, and Jonny are back this week to dive into the biggest stories in cycling, including:
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Is Fleche Wallone the ideal mid-week snack?
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Things not to do with AI
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Brits at the Tour of the Alps
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A Liege-Bastogne-Liege preview with Dane Cash
This week on Geek Warning, James, Ronan, and Caley talk through rumors of a new Specialized Tarmac SL8, dig into the worst bike James has ever ridden, the return of Mavic (but not where you think they would be), and much more.
Ruth Winder and Caley Fretz joined Dane Cash and Cosmo Catalano this week to talk...
- SD Worx bouncing back after Paris-Roubaix with a dominant Amstel Gold Race
- Tadej Pogačar being untouchable, again
- Race vehicles and drafting
- Ardennes action ahead
Trek-Segafredo’s Brodie Chapman joins Abby, Loren and Matt de Neef to watch the final 27 km of the Amstel Gold Race. They chat about Brodie’s return from injury, the SD Worx “problem” and more.
Paris-Roubaix has been a better predictor of the bike tech that will be common in the future than any other pro race. It was the first with bigger tires, the first with disc brakes, the first with endurance frames.
So what were teams riding this year? Ronan Mc Laughlin and Caley Fretz dive into the cutting edge of cobble-worthy bike tech.
Lots of news in this week's live episode! Fresh patent filings have revealed Campagnolo's upcoming wireless electronic groupsets will have thumb buttons after all, we've got an intriguing new thermoplastic wheel brand as well as two more wheel intros from Roval, Garmin is chasing the sun with new solar-powered GPS computers, Trek seems to be moving away from the Bontrager label, and Q36.5 announces its latest effort to prevent road rash. James also shares his thoughts on headset-based cable routing for mountain bikes (it's dumb), and Dave offers his opinion on race-style repair stands, and we answer a bunch of from our live studio audience.
Abby Mickey and Kit Nicholson join Dane Cash and Cosmo Catalano to cover...
- Alison Jackson's stunning win from the breakaway
- An unusual misstep for SD Worx
- Mathieu van der Poel and Alpecin-Deceuninck bossing the pavé
- The chaos of the cobbles derailing Jumbo-Visma
- Jonas Vingegaard's statement performance at the Itzulia Basque Country
Ronan Mc Laughlin, Jonny Long, Kate Wagner, Andy McGrath, and Caley Fretz are in Compiègne, at Quivy, at the tail end of the Arenberg, and on the fresh new turf at the Roubaix velodrome in this special episode from the Hell of the North.
Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift had everything. Heartbreak, excitement, frustration and a worthy winner. It had all of us on the edge of our seats or jumping up and down on the sofa. Matt de Neef joins Abby, Loren and Gracie to break down the race.
A special episode straight to you from the rough roads between Denain and Roubaix, where the Escape team has found itself for the third Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift. Caley, Kate, Jonny, and Ronan pull in special guests, hear from directors and riders, and bring you along for a day along the cobbles.
On this bonus episode of the Wheel Talk Podcast, Abby and Loren preview the startlist and course for Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift. Plus Abby chats with EF Education-TIBCO-SVB’s Alison Jackson and Canyon//SRAM’s Maike van der Duin.
Ronan, Jonny, and Caley are in Belgium this week and bring you tales from Roubaix recon with Trek-Segafredo and from Ronan’s first kermesse in a decade, plus a preview of this weekend’s main events.
Fresh off his round-the-world hot air balloon trip, James Huang is back! And so is our resident GrumpyH8ter mechanic, Zach Edwards. They sit down with Dave Rome to chat about a trio of new bike releases, Time’s monstrous new carbon fiber factory, the pros and cons of cable vs. electronic mountain bike shifting, and a PSA about safely pulling your tubeless-equipped bikes out of hibernation.
After a Tour of Flanders for the ages, Ruth Winder joins Cosmo Catalano and Dane Cash to cover:
- Tadej Pogačar's brilliance
- How will Jumbo-Visma's Classics campaign be remembered?
- SD Worx continuously living up to expectations
- Could anyone have done anything differently on Sunday?
- What's next at the Tour of the Basque Country and Paris-Roubaix
We come to you from Belgium, where it's very cold but the racing is superb. In this special episode, Caley, Ronan, and Jonny react to a stunning men's Tour of Flanders.
We speak with Tadej Pogačar's teammates Mikkel Bjerg and Matteo Trentin to dig into how UAE's plan was executed, plus chat with the two Americans in the top 10, Neilson Powless and Matteo Jorgenson, and nearly-man Fred Wright, who seems destined to be an all-the-day-there man sometime soon.
It's almost Holy Week, bike fans! That means plenty of drama coming out of Belgium, and plenty for the Placeholders to discuss.
This week Kate, Dane, Jonny, and Caley dig into...
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The Wout Gift Debate
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Jumbo's sponsor
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Movistar is the new Quickstep
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Kate's jacket update
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The Flanders preview
In this week's Geek Warning, Dave Rome, Ronan Mc Laughlin, and Caley Fretz dive into...
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Dave's hurt feelings
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Taipei Cycle Show
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Specialized's wild-looking Sirius
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Ronan's spec-bikes thing
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Wax lub on our minds
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and a PSA.
In this super special episode of the Wheel Talk Podcast multi-time ITT World Champion Ellen van Dijk joins Abby and Loren to watch the final 27 km of Gent-Wevelgem live. They chat about Ellen's plans after she has her baby, her interest in directing, and take some listener questions for a live audience.
We’re getting into the thick of the Classics campaign now, and the Pretty Serious crew is here to break down all the racing. Abby Mickey and Kit Nicholson join Dane Cash to talk:* Van Aert making a statement at E3 * Jumbo-Visma dominating the men’s Gent-Wevelgem * Reusser’s solo triumph at the women’s Gent-Wevelgem * Roglic’s quiet brilliance and Evenepoel’s tactics at the Volta a Catalunya
Iain, Jonny, Kate, and Caley are back this week to dive into the biggest stories in cycling, including but not limited to...
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The Astana sunglasses debacle
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Latvian politics
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Press the Garmin button (again)
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The UCI won't email Iain back
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Quickstep and the classics
Dave Rome, Ronan Mc Laughlin, and Caley Fretz are back with another nerdy episode, this week they dive into...
- Two broken handlebars in the same race
- The broader implications of SRAM's new derailleur hanger-killer
- The crazy levels of excess stock in the bike industry right now
This week on the Wheel Talk Podcast we talk about one of the oldest one-days on the women's calendar Trofeo Alfredo Binda. We dive into the winning team's tactics, and what other teams maybe did wrong. Plus we answer questions about a women's Milan-Sanremo and more.
We promised deep dive episodes, and here's the first of many more. In this episode, Dave Rome sits down with SRAM's Lachlan McKillop to discuss the nitty-gritty details of the new Eagle Transmissions. This episode may focus on new mountain bike technology, but plenty here could influence future road bike design.
Check out escapecollective.cc for Dave's review of the new XX SL.
One-day racing is really heating up! In episode three of the PSBRP, Ronan Mc Laughlin and Ruth Winder join Dane Cash and Cosmo Catalano to cover...* Mathieu van der Poel’s Milan-San Remo brilliance * Trek-Segafredo's dominance at the Trofeo Alfredo Binda * A very busy week to come that includes the Volta a Catalunya and a bunch of big races in Belgium
This week’s Geek Warning episode lands with some big news! No, it’s not the new cover art (which is great), but rather that we now have a website that can be found at EscapeCollective.cc.
Also discussed in this episode…
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Official and unofficial things from Campagnolo.•Mountain bike shoes that should please bike fitters.
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An aero helmet that looks funny, but is said to provide benefits that are no joke.•Dave and Ronan discuss what they’ve been obsessing over lately.
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And then we throw to the live member audience for questions.
Caley, Ronan, Kate, and Jonny are back to talk through the biggest stories from the week in cycling. This week, they dive into...
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Faulkner's glucose monitor
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Roglic is back and never left
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Tao won a real Giro
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An MSR preview
Welcome to the Wheel Talk Podcast, a podcast breaking down the ins and outs of the Women's WorldTour. Hosted by Abby Mickey, Loren Rowney and Gracie Elvin with special guest Tilda Price.
This week we talk about a very snowy, and short, edition of Ronde van Drenthe, a lot of WorldTour racing that we missed out on, plus we answer a few listener questions about Marta Cavalli, Movistar's ability to challenge Trek-Segafredo and SD Worx, and more.
Find us on Twitter @thewheeltalkpod!
For whatever reason, someone is still letting us talk about bike racing. In episode two of the PSBRP, Ronan Mc Laughlin and Abby Mickey join Dane Cash and Cosmo Catalano to cover...* Tadej Pogačar's Paris-Nice dominance * Primož Roglič's return to form at Tirreno-Adriatico * Lorena Wiebes and another big win for SD Worx at the Ronde van Drenthe * The fast-approaching Milan-San Remo and Trofeo Alfredo Binda
The Escape Collective has officially launched and with that, it’s time to kick off our first show in front of a (virtual) audience. This week Dave, Ronan, and Caley discuss...• New and old tyre-related things from Conti, Specialized, and Tubolito.• Ronan shares that he doesn’t want to look forward in his free time.• Dave worries about whether we want to go where mechanical shifting is headed.• And then we throw to the live audience for questions.
This week on the Placeholders, Kit, Kate, Ronan, and Caley chat about...
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The new one-man TTT finish at Paris-Nice
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Whoops, the green jersey looks like Bora-Hansgrohe
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Tom Boonen's comments on Pogacar's Colnago
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The final word on the Strade Bianche women's finish
If you've been waiting for the Placeholders to get a bit more serious about bike racing, we've got just the show for you. In a brand new podcast, we take a closer look into the key moments of key races, and then discuss what's coming up. In the very first episode of the show, Dane Cash, Cosmo Catalano, Caley Fretz, and Ruth Winder cover...* The tactics, the drama, the horse on the course, the heralded and the unheralded, and so much more from Strade Bianche * The early returns from the action at Paris-Nice * A busy week of racing ahead that includes Tirreno-Adriatico and the Ronde van Drenthe
It’s been a big week for the Geek Warning crew and we’ve got an equally big episode! This week Dave, Ronan, Caley and one other familiar voice discuss...* Shimano’s biggest product release, ever? * New SRAM and how it stacks up * A win for Princeton CarbonWorks * That new Cannondale and its triangular-shaped steerer * How to Listen to your disc brake pads * And much more!
It's here! Head over to escapecollective.cc to sign up.
This week Ronan, Caley, Dane, and Kate announce our new Media Empire™ before diving into Omloop, Kuurne, and the impending battle between Pogačar and Vingegaard.
Thanks you every single one of you for listening, sharing, and getting us to today. We hope you love what we're building.
This week Dave, Ronan, and Caley discuss...
- New Silca pumps
- A 62-tooth chainring at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
- New Enve gravel bike
- New Pinarellos
- Bad news for a power meter
- New ETRTO standards
- A dropper that's also an upper
- What you can do to stop your steerer tube from crashing you
In this episode of the Placeholders:
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Omloop is this weekend!
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Pogačar won't stop winning
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EF is good?
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UAE sprint showdown (Cav watch) (It was a tie)
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A new ugly but probably fast helmet (https://twitter.com/CaleyFretz/status/1627727127721177093)
Welcome back to Geek Warning. This week Dave, Ronan, and Caley dig into...
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A Parlee restructuring update
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Peaks and bulges as the lawsuit between Zipp and Princeton Carbon goes to trial
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Lab71, the fastest Cannondales
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Strava's CEO is stepping down. What does Strava need?
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Why are heart rate straps terrible these days?
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PSA: Bleed your damn brakes
In this week's episode:
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The woman to take on Lorena Wiebes was part of her old leadout
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Love Island Jonny, explained
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Jaen Paraiso, the Spanish Strade Bianche
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Pogaçar is nice to his bikes
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Chicken nuggets and fish fingers, if you listen long enough (welcome to Iain's Briain)
Geek Warning is here! This week Dave, Ronan, and Caley discuss...
- Ideal Everesting geometry
- A phone holder that doesn't
- Parlee's bankruptcy
- '90s mountain bike grips
- A very cool toolbox
This week Caley, Dane, and Iain are joined by How The Race Was Won™ creator Cosmo Catalano to chat...
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Cross worlds and drones
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Quickstep's pillow fights
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Alexander Kristof's used bike sales
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The happy tears of Esteban Chavez
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Talent spotting Thomas Gloag
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Something about sarsaparilla
This week's episode of the Placeholders dives into ...
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The world's fastest wombat
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The best sprinters so far
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A drink for swerving cyclists
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Peter Sagan's psyche
Side note: You can follow Kit and the Doddie Cup 555 on Twitter @DoddieGump on Instagram at @doddie_aid.
On this week's Placeholder podcast:
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Tom Boonen's legs, obviously
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Jay Vine is legit
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Quintana's sad end
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Price drops (not sales!) on bikes are starting
WorldTour racing is back! And Cavendish finally has a home. This week Caley, Dane, and Dave are joined by Rupert Guinness and Abby Mickey to chat through...
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The triumphant (international) return of the Tour Down Under
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Astana's new sprinter
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Strange prologue handlebar positions
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A Scott recall
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A SRAM motor
This week Dane, Dave, and Caley are joined by freelance cycling journalist Iain Treloar to discuss:
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New Aussie national champions
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TDU without Willunga
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Dane's chicken
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Valverde racing again
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Mechanical shifting ain't dead
The Placeholders are back with the first episode of 2023. This week we chat about:
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The new National Cycling League, where it's come from and where it's going
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MVDP vs. Wout vs. Pidders in the fields of Belgium
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Some (alleged) dopers
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The man who climbed a million vertical meters in one year
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Predictions for 2023
In this week's episode:
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Cav, again, FFS
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Ineos copycats
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The pro team kit that looks like a tampon box
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A Magnus Sheffield chat
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Internal routing on mountains bikes and other harbingers of humanity's impending collapse
What's in today's episode, featuring Rupert Guinness, Dave Rome, Dane Cash, and Caley Fretz:
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What B&B Hotels management is saying about Cavendish
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Geraint Thomas's sunglasses are no more
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Caleb Ewan living his crit life
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Specialized influencers lose influence
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We learn more about the robots
In this week's episode:
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A little dive into artificial intelligence
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Big layoffs at Wahoo and, we uncovered some disturbingly bad financials
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A TT to finish the 2024 Tour (just like 1989!)
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Your handlebars are too thick.
Dane is back! The Placeholders return with discussion of chain tools, Nairo Quintana, Mark Cavendish, and the wanderings in the proverbial desert.
This was a bad week for us. We're not entirely sure what's next, but we're pretty sure it'll involve a subscribe button, so click away.