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![An Abbey Bike Tools employee feeds tube stock into a machine. Dave's face is jankily superimposed over the employee's.](https://escapecollective.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Factory-tour-Abbey-bike-tools-escape-collective-Dave-Rome-8-copy.jpg)
Extra than simply device discuss: highlights in a 12 months of Dave’s distinctive tech protection.
Welcome to our year-end Favourite Stories series. To select the most effective of our over 1,000 tales printed this 12 months, we assigned every of our employees and core contributors to write down about another person. Immediately, Iain Treloar assesses the legacy in a 12 months of Dave Rome’s content material.
It takes a mix of expertise, obsession, and peer respect to be seen as one of many world’s main authorities in a class, however that’s an area the place Dave Rome sits. Over his prolonged tenure within the biking business – in retail, in wholesale, and for the final decade or so in media – he’s constructed a formidable status as The Software Man.
At Escape Collective, Dave’s ardour for this topic has made its pure evolution right into a recurring publication, Threaded, in addition to the common franchise, New Tools Day. These codecs permit Dave to write down at size about completely different themes within the device world – per week devoted to the history and evolution of the screwdriver, say – or showcase the newest additions to his intensive device assortment.
Instruments are simply part of what makes Dave who he’s, however the best way he engages with the topic additionally give a lens for understanding his appreciable presents as a tech reporter – he approaches his work with ardour, curiosity and element. That informs his bike opinions; he has such a wealthy understanding of the best way bikes work (and why) that he’s capable of detect the subtleties, and communicate them in an accessible way, normally accompanied by lovely and detail-rich pictures. He’s additionally extraordinarily personable, nice on a podcast, a master of the pun, and deeply engaged with readers in social media, Discord and article feedback.
What I really like essentially the most about Dave’s work, although, is after I can see the love and fervour he has for his topics shine by. It’s a reminder that he’s not just a few dry authority within the house on a pedestal someplace, however a key animator of it.
Listed here are a few of Dave’s tales this 12 months that struck a chord for me. In case you’d prefer to learn extra (which you’d), hit up his author page.
Threaded #1: You by no means thought a single hex key could possibly be so fascinating
For the primary instalment of the Threaded publication, Dave began robust: a deep exploration of hex keys – particularly of the 4 mm measurement, however with a heap of helpful info that’s relevant for different sizes, too. You assume {that a} single measurement of hex key’s too area of interest a topic to maintain an entire article? You haven’t learn Dave earlier than, as a result of it’s not only one hex key however detailed tips about 11 completely different types of them, every with their very own strengths and weaknesses, every lovingly defined and photographed.
The Threaded collection continues to at the present time, with Dave’s columns turning into a financially crippling gateway drug to the thrill of high quality instruments for folks the world over.
Learn “Threaded #1: Don’t make me pick one hex key” here.
Workers Pleasure Rides: A have a look at one among Dave Rome’s very personal rides
That spotlight to element clearly (clearly!) applies to Dave’s personal bikes, and his Workers Pleasure Rides function on his luxurious Issue Lando hardtail gave an enchanting glimpse into his course of when speccing and placing collectively a machine of his personal.
Need to know why he’d select that cassette, or that outsized pulley? Need to know precisely how slim Dave’s Q-factor is, and the way he shaved 8.5 grams from the stem? This text has all that meticulous element and extra.
Learn “Staff Joy Rides: Dave Rome’s Factor Lando HT” here.
Does each mountain bike model now have a gravel bike?
![](https://escapecollective.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Commencal-gravel-bike.jpg)
One other key element of what Dave brings to the desk is his big-picture view of the form and path of the biking business, honed over years of shrewd remark. That enables him to write down items like his July article in regards to the drop-bar infiltration into the product strains of conventional mountain bike manufacturers, the place the Venn diagrams of gravel and MTB more and more intersect.
Dave’s perspective right here – supported by interviews with manufacturers which have insightful issues to say – provides a nuanced image of the path of the market and this class specifically, and is a lower above the vast majority of enterprise case-studies you’ll see in biking media.
Learn “Does every mountain bike brand now have a gravel bike?” here
Gallery: A manufacturing unit tour of Dave’s happiest place
You know the way wonderful it’s when folks you want have issues go their approach, and the peripheral pleasure that you simply get out of seeing their pleasure? That’s kinda how I feel many people felt about Dave’s manufacturing unit tour of Abbey Bike Instruments earlier this 12 months. Understanding his ardour for high-end, high-quality instruments, there’s a palpable enthusiasm that got here by on this fantastically shot gallery, which provides an enchanting glimpse contained in the inner-workings of one of many leaders within the house.
One of many triumphs of Dave’s work – and I feel it’s showcased rather well right here – is that it will get different folks enthusiastic about the subject material. I get that wanting by this gallery crammed with lustworthy inexperienced instruments that I wouldn’t even start to know what to do with, and its a credit score to Dave’s real pleasure in regards to the topic shining by in each body.
Learn Dave’s factory tour of Abbey Bike Tools here.
Pleasure Rides: you always remember your first customized bike
Dave’s nice at making a head-to-head assessment of workstands fascinating, however the enchantment of that topic will not be essentially going to search out curiosity in each reader. Lovely bikes, although: that’s one thing that just about any bike owner can get behind. Dave’s protection of motorcycle reveals like MADE and the Handmade Bicycle Present Australia are crammed with rigorously composed, technically fascinating and typically simply plain attractive pictures of wonderful craftsmanship.
It’s exhausting to decide on a favorite of those galleries (this might be mine, however they’re all beautiful) so as an alternative I’ll throw to a different gallery from our Pleasure Rides collection: this extremely cool Prova made for a really fortunate five-year-old.
Take a look at the gallery and story behind this stunning custom Prova kids mountain bike here.
What did you consider this story?
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