Are pro-only road bikes the future?

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.