Making the test provide the desired result

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 the Liv Devote Advanced SL)

00:48:50 - Campagnolo and Zipp’s new price point wheel options