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
• 00:53:45 - Chatting reduced frame size options with Eddy Merckx
• 01:13:15 - Back to Ronan and Dave
• 01:15:00 - Ask a Wrench (members only)
• 01:17:00 - Bearing maintenance after a big event
• 1:26:30 - Can an event like Unbound ruin a new chain?
• 1:32:00 - MTB disc brake caliper alignment woes
• 1:42:30 - A fix for leaky ProMax brakes