About this episode

The episode discusses new bike launches ahead of the Tour de France and features a conversation about frame size options with Daan Teugels.

It’s the week of the Tour de France Grand Départ, and with it have come a few big bike launches. Escape’s senior tech editors, Dave Rome and Ronan Mc Laughlin, jump on to discuss whether Specialized’s new Tarmac hits the mark. There’s also a new bike from Orbea. Plus Dave asks Ronan to confirm just how progressive his fit is, and as it turns out, the answer is not very. Ronan then jumps on a call with Daan Teugels from Belgian Cycling Factory to discuss how Eddy Merckx’s reduced-frame-size options can still meet racers' needs. As always, members of Escape Collective don’t just support independent journalism; they get access to everything we have to offer. For Geek Warning, that means access to the weekly Ask a Wrench segment, where pro mechanics answer our member’s tech questions. And apologies for the audio this week, as Dave accidentally landed on his backup microphone. Time stamps: 00:01:39 - Specialized’s new SL9 is a little too familiar 00:19:50 - Kinky steerer tubes aren’t as naughty as they sound 00:23:45 - Orbea’s new Orca Aero 00:32:00 - How progressive is Ronan’s position? 00:40:00 - An aero-optimised run at the Tour Divide 00:45:20 - Giant’s new Revolt Advanced SL (and…

People in this episode

Hosts: Dave Rome, Ronan Mc Laughlin

Guest: Daan Teugels

Topics covered

• bike launches
• Tour de France
• bike fitting
• frame size options
• cycling technology

Keywords

• Specialized Tarmac
• Orbea Orca Aero
• bike fitting
• Eddy Merckx
• Tour Divide
• Campagnolo
• Zipp wheels

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Specialized, Orbea, Belgian Cycling Factory, Escape Collective

Books & works: Tour de France, Eddy Merckx

More episodes of Geek Warning

• Aero bottles are often a step too far · July 16, 2026 · 54 min
• Rumours all around and the aero cost of being in the Yellow jersey · July 9, 2026 · 1h 8m
• The fastest sleeves you've ever seen | TDF Tech special · July 2, 2026 · 53 min
• The consequences of big wheels and being gaslit · June 25, 2026 · 59 min
• Exploring progressive road geometry · June 18, 2026 · 52 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Geek Warning podcast page.