Ride Right: A PSA

Image courtesy of the Tama County Sheriff Department

 A long time ago the Pirate Cycling League used to harp on riders participating in their Gravel Worlds events to "Ride Right". This meant more than the obvious. I was reminded of this maxim the other day when I saw a post by the Tama County Sheriff's Department showing a head-on collision between two vehicles on a gravel road. 

The vehicles were coming from opposite directions up a hill and when they crested, with both vehicles in the road's center, the head-on crash was the result. Both drivers are okay, by the way, according to reports. 

Why does this matter to gravel cyclists? 

Because, the old farmer's rule of "Drive Right" up hills was meant to help prevent crashes like this, and gravel riders would do well to also heed this advice. 

Maybe the old ways are not being passed down any longer, but I was taught to set my car on the edge of the road, as far right as possible, when cresting hills on gravel roads. Rural people, (at least they used to) expect this rule to be followed for the safety of all road users. Clearly, according to the story from the Tama County Sheriffs, this wasn't the case with the operators of these two vehicles. Perhaps even if one of the drivers was on the far right, the accident may have been avoided. 

However that goes, one thing is a solid takeaway here - You never know when you are going to meet a vehicle on gravel. I remember several examples of not even hearing a car before it was suddenly just "there" at the top of a hill. Riders cresting hills on gravel in the middle of the road or on the left side are taking a huge risk with possible consequences of death or serious injury.  

Don't be that gravel rider! Ride Right! 

Friday News And Views

A render found on Reddit. Supposedly a new Kona model

 Rumored Kona Unit Y Model Seen On Social Media:

Over the past weekend I came across a mention of a new Kona bike packing bike called the Unit Y. Searching the interwebs turned up a thread on Reddit showing the bike and what was purported to be the specs on this new model.  

Interesting details are the obviously bowed downtube and the "mullet" 29"er front/650B X 3" rear wheel with Boost 148 spaced dropouts in the back and Boost spaced front dropouts up front.  

The appears to be a ton of frame accessory mounting points and a front rack, presumably for sleeping bags/tents/luggage.  

Apparently the leaked info was on a dealer's website by mistake and was taken down later. But not before it was seen and spread around on social media.  

Comments: A wild looking bicycle, for sure! I wouldn't be too keen on the different wheel sizes here as it would mean two different sized tubes for "just in case" bail-outs. I suppose you could mitigate this by using TPU tubes. (Yes, there are TPU tubes in the correct sizes for this bike) 

Finally, I am not sure what question this bike is an answer to. Mostly based on the mullet set up. Comfort in riding usually is influenced by frame design, and with the shorter tubing used in the rear end of this bike, and with such a compact geometry for those tubes, it would seem like stiffness would be an issue. As in "too much of it". Especially since you probably are not going to get a lot of deflection from a dropper post to help ease the pain of bumpy trails. Also, panniers will be more difficult with a short rear as this bike has, although it could be argued this bike is a frame bag/seat pack bike. 

Corsa Pévélé - Image courtesy of Eddy Merckx Bikes

Eddy Merckx Bikes Offers Titanium Unpaved Road Bikes:

Today Eddy Merckx Bikes released news of two bikes in their unpaved/gravel range now offered in Columbus Hyperion tubing and featuring UDH drop outs. 

The Corsa Pévélé is the more road-ish of the two and features up to 40mm of tire clearance in a 1X drive train. The bike has top tube accessory mounts and the ability to carry three water bottles. This should prove to be a nice, long-distance road mileage machine. 

The Corsa Pévélé Ti also can be fitted with mudguards. However; there are no rack mounts. 

The Corsa Pévélé is offered in multiple drive train configurations from SRAM and Shimano. The bike can be ordered as a frame/fork combination allowing the buyer to custom build to their own specifications. 

Corsa Strasbourg Ti (Image courtesy of Eddy Merckx Bikes)

The Corsa Strasbourg is the full-on gravel model. This bike has up to 50mm of tire clearance, accessory mounts on the frame and fork, and the capability to be fitted with mudguards. 

The Corsa Strasbourg is meant for 1X drive trains only. Complete bikes can purchased with SRAM or Campagnolo 1X drive trains. This bike is also offered as a frame/fork as well. 

Furthermore; Eddy Merckx Bikes is offering customers an online configuration tool which allows riders to choose different downtube/head tube logos and Wolf Tooth components in five different colors. 

The two new titanium bikes are available from today from Eddy Merckx retailers. More details and images of the Corsa Pevele and Corsa Strasbourg bikes can be seen at www.eddymerckx.com 

Image Courtesy of SRAM

SRAM Offering Shorter Crank Lengths:

In keeping with the move to shorter crank arm lengths for racers, SRAM is now offering crank arms in their Red series from 150mm to 175mm in length. 

DUB spindles and 8 bolt spider standard is here, of course. The main news is the shorter offerings which many will be happy to see offered now from SRAM. 

Comments: The press release came out Tuesday and also featured aero TT levers with a hydraulic mechanism rather than traditional cable actuation. This probably indicates the end of caliper brake offerings across the board for road bikes in the future.  

Aero calipers were also featured in the Red and Rival ranges which feature "Stealth-a-majig" connectors  This might be a good match for those with travel bikes featuring hydraulic brakes. 

Finally a UDH hangar with a silver bolt and washer (ooo!), and a new Quick charger for batteries with a promised 60 minute recharge time were news from the press release.  

Comments: Short cranks are all the fashion now and SRAM now can offer bike fitters and those with short crank acquisition syndrome something from their ecosystem. Cool. It is quite a commitment since with this many options you never know what will be popular as a manufacturer and what you may need to focus on as far as supply goes. Hoping here that SRAM can keep supplies dialed in for those looking for an option for short crank sets from them.  

Image courtesy of SILCA

SILCA  Debuts Rim Tape, Hi-Flow Tubeless Valves:

SILCA just released some tubeless products for riders. First we have their Ultimate Rim tape, a tubeless tape offered in two widths for most applications. Claiming a residue free removal, tear-free performance, (important when changing tires), and a trilaminate construction with "just the right amount of stretch". 

The tape costs USD $24.00 a roll. 

Ultimate Tubeless Valves come in two lengths. 50mm or 70mm. SILCA claims the Ultimate Tubeless Valve stem is compatible with tire inserts and has a higher flow rate than standard valve stems. A pair of the valve stems can be had for USD $28.00 for the 50mm and USD $29.00 for the longer 70mm stems.  

Comments: The rim tape is what I'd be interested in most. The thing is, I found Tessa tape from Uline for a lot less money and it works as well or better than most branded bicycle tapes. If SILCA somehow has a tape with much better properties, than I would be all in on trying it, but for the price, it would have to be darn near miraculously better for me to switch.  

The 32" Watch: Berd Spokes Launch 32"er Lengths For Wheel Building:

Berd, the manufacturer of advanced polymer spokes in textile form have announced lengths to build 32" wheels are now available. New was reported by "Bike Rumor" on Thursday. 

Comments: High-end lightweight spokes for the 32" wheels is another indication this wheel size is legit. With tires, rims, and bicycles trickling in as news and rumors already, this trend is picking up steam quickly. 

I've said it earlier here, but look to Sea Otter to be the place this year where a lot of 32" news will break. In fact, I would not be surprised to see 32"ers being used by at least one racer in the Life Time Grand Prix kick-off event there for the 2026 season. 
 

That is a wrap for this week! Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions. Now get out there and ride those bicycles!  

Some Things I Am Thinking About

I put short-ish cranks on last year.

 It's Winter. Not much of a chance for longer country rides. With the lack of snow, fat biking went out the window as well. So, I've been left with sitting around more than I'd care to and thinking. 

Dangerous activity, I know, but here are a few things I've been thinking about recently which I may or may not delve into further in 2026.  

No particular order here, just a few things I thought I'd share. 

Shorter Cranks: I've been intrigued by this idea over the past year or so. I put on a set of 170mm cranks on my Raleigh Tamland Two last year to try something out which I had not done before. 170mm may not seem "short", I understand, but this is where I was willing to start. If it was somewhat worse than 172.5mm, (my preferred gravel length up until this point), then it couldn't be that much worse. However, say I went with 165mm cranks and did not like them. Well.......

I guess so far I seem to feel a difference in a positive way running 170mm cranks. So, I could see trying 165mm cranks on a gravel bike. Thing is, I am not into 12 and 13 speed drive trains, and well..... Maybe I could set up something in 11 speed, I just have not looked that hard yet. Something I'm still thinking about.... 

Singular Albatross 32"er prototype. Image courtesy of Singular Cycles.

32'er Bikes: So, I've been interested in this entire development on the 32"er platform. Not so much from a mountain biking perspective, but from a gravel riding one.

Of course, no one else seems to be onboard with this idea, so all the prototyping and testing has been centered around off-road type equipment.  

32" seems a no-brainer from a gravel riding perspective to me though. Momentum of those bigger wheels has to be a factor in being able to carry more speed over the rollers here. Additionally the longer tire contact patch will be something which will make vibrations less, and make the bike more stable on fast, loose gravel descents. 

I know MG is getting one of these bikes to try out, and he will probably try it on gravel. I cannot wait to hear his take on this. Until then, I will be dreaming of a drop bar set up for gravel and 32"ers. 

Maybe someday....

Clik Valve

Clik Valve vs BBB CoreCap: Inflation in terms of cycling is a good thing. You know.....for your tires? I know people are keen on this subject bcause of the number of hits I got covering Clik Valve last year. 

I really like the system. It is SUPER easy to use, and otherwise is no issue at all. Yes - You have to have a proper Clik Valve pump head to enjoy all the benefits of Clik Valve. So, in this way, it is a big commitment. 

A competing valve standard has arisen promising big airflow, less clogged valves, and ease of use. It is from BBB and is called CoreCap. 

CoreCap utilizes the Schrader compatibility you already have and is a system which simply replaces a removable Presta valve core. Simple. Could be a winner. 

I can see the benefits from a tubeless user's standpoint. I do not see it as being "easier" to use, because Clik Valve is so stupidly easy to use it would take a miracle to beat it out in terms of ease of usage. However; the standard does require a change which many people will balk at. (Note: You can inflate a Clik Valve equipped tire with a standard pump. You just lose the ease of use.) 

You can read more about the BBB CoreCap on my blogging compatriot's site HERE. Muddy Moles will be testing these out soon, so keep abreast of his updates, or just visit his blog. I have it linked in the right sidebar on this page. 

That's about it from my brain dump today! More thinkering (if the Winter drags on) to come.  

Four Years Down The Road

Working on a 1992 Shimano shifter

This week marks my 4th year of working at the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective. This has been an amazing job so far and I thought it might be good to tell the story of how this job has changed me and how much the Collective has changed since I've been there. 

December 2021. Andy, the owner of Andy's Bike Shop, where I had been working for a short time, told me the pandemic and how the economics of the time were crushing his ability to stay afloat. He was going to cut the cord before things got out of hand financially and so, I was out of a job. At the time I was a 60 year old man with no apparent future employment. 

I know everyone has their struggles, and maybe you are reading this and thinking this is not a big deal. I will tell you for me, it was a big deal. I had saved a bit to get through a Winter I knew I wouldn't be working, since this was how Andy had handled the Winter of '20/'21, but after the money would run out, what then? I was in a bit of a pickle.

Lots of options were considered. Worse case scenario, I could go work at a convenience store. However; I was not wanting to work customer-facing retail anymore after doing that most of my life. However; if needs be, then I was willing. Thankfully, this wasn't my course in life. 

A stop-gap money-making opportunity arose at a local moving company. I knew one of the secretaries there and she hooked me up with a "cash under the table" part timer gig helping movers there. This wasn't 'small time' moving bits and things, this was serious, big time moving. Large diesel trucks, huge wooden shipping crates, military home moves, and lots of heavy lifting. I was called up about once every two weeks to fill in when employees missed time or if they had a need for extra hands. 

Let me tell you - moving stuff is a young man's job. It was very physically demanding work, but I was glad for the pay and it helped me and my family out tremendously. Then another opportunity arose which I found out about via a friend. N.Y. Roll indicated a bicycle related job might have an opening and he encouraged me to apply. It was at a non-profit, something I had little knowledge about, but if bicycles were part of the gig, I was in. By mid-January of 2022 I had secured employment at the Collective. 

What cannot be used again gets recycled responsibly

When I started the shop was still "closed" due to the pandemic. Over the past two years before I arrived the shop had not allowed much, if any, public access. The place was a shambles as a result of previous mismanagement and carelessness due to the situation. I was tasked with a massive clean-up, rearranging, and restoring of the place to be operational and a functional contributing entity in the community. 

I guess most people would have assessed the place as having been overrun by junk. I cannot argue with the statement, as there were things being saved which not only were unnecessary for the Collective, but were things taking up huge amounts of space and making clutter. It was mind-boggling. 

There were lots of trips to the recycler, sorting, arranging, and storing of parts we were going to keep. There was a ton of organizational stuff from a programs point of view which I had to wade through, but I had a job! And it was something which was turning in a way I hadn't foreseen. 

I was finding out all about the people you just don't see in a city. The underprivileged, the forgotten, the needy, and destitute. People who lived on the margins of society. I became acquainted with several of these people. Some have become friends. Some have died and are missed. 

Then there were the immigrants, the forgotten veterans of our military, and just people in need. Transportation is critical and bicycles are cheap and readily available. Thanks to donations from the community I am able to be a part of something which helps these folks get moving, be able to get to jobs, and make appointments on time. This part of my job has been extremely gratifying and I wasn't ready for it when I took the job four years ago. 

A volunteer tear-down day where we disassemble bikes for parts and scrap.

I've been able to get volunteer days going utilizing people from the local John Deere plant to help tear down bicycles for scrap and parts harvesting. I've been able to meet a lot of nice folks through this program. I also have been able to assist children's programs by way of bicycle checks and bicycle rodeos. It's been a lot of fun.

Besides this, I have been able to visit a couple of other non-profit bicycle related shops in Ames and Des Moines, while also meeting people from other Collectives. It has been eye-opening, for sure, to have been hired four years ago by the Collective here. 

And one of the best parts is this is not retail. It makes what I am doing 100% different and far more fulfilling. This is the best job I've ever had and I look forward to working the three days I work a week. 

There is a lot more to this job than I have space or time to write about here, but this should give you all a taste of what it is I do for a job these days. I highly encourage anyone interested in this sort of effort to contact your local bicycle related non-profit and if you do not have a local one, maybe start one. It really makes a big difference in a lot of people's lives. 

A Look At Events For 2026

Well, it seems every year I have written up a post concerning what I am going to be planning for in terms of events for the year. A few things have changed since last year and I have a couple of things I want to accomplish before next Winter on the bike. 

Keep in mind this is a list of plans. Many times our plans do not work out. I am no exception to the rule. So, while I may have a strong desire to do the events I am about to list, it doesn't mean it will happen. 

Okay, with the disclaimer out there saying I am not 100% in charge of the future, here we go with what I have on my plate for 2026 in terms of gravel events. 

Leading up to April my goal is to just put in some decent, three to four hour rides weekly. This should get me into riding shape. I do not plan on doing any events, but I may crack off a longer ride if the weather and timing lines up. We will see. My main focus will be just getting out there. 

The "big" deal this year will hopefully be this Legends Of Gravel ride in April down in the Flint Hills of Kansas. 

Once again, in case you haven't heard of this, here is a link to a post about this ride.  

I will also add again the fact that I am not in charge of the organizing nor do I have any influence on how this ride is set up. I was asked to come, (along with certain others) so the ride is named what it is named because of this. 

Link to registration:  https://www.bikereg.com/legends-of-gravel

Once I get beyond this point in the year I have to bring focus to what the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective is doing. May and June are the busiest months there, and extracurricular events are at their height during this point in the season for the organization. Due to these things, I am not considering any events during those times, especially since I am taking off time in April from my job there already. 

This means things like a planned bike packing trip around West Central Nebraska I was invited to are not in the cards for me. It was a nice thing to have included me in the invitation, but I just cannot leave people hanging who are depending upon my participation. Further,ore, being on a limited income, I cannot afford the time off either.  

At some point in July or August I will be doing another ride in honor of my son, Jacob Stevenson. This will get announced when I see a time window for the ride maybe in June. I want to do around a metric to maybe a full century ride on a course somewhat local to Waterloo. 

Details will be fine tuned as the Spring and Summer go along, but this is an important ride for me and I will make GT's Ride For Jacob happen. Worst case scenario is I do it alone on a weekday when I am off work, because typically Saturdays I have to work. But this is all yet to be determined. 

Then the only other thing I am committing to is the Virtual Turkey Burn Challenge in November. Other than this idea, I probably will end up doing something with N.Y. Roll at some point during the year, but we haven't had any discussions on an idea, and it remains to be seen if we do or if we do not do a ride like the Tree In The Road Ride we did last year. 

Besides those ideas, I just want to focus on getting outside, riding as much as I can, and having fun. I don't need for, want to do, or have much interest in attending the "big organized rides" like Unbound, Gravel Worlds, or Mid South again. I'd rather ride for an adventure, and in other places, than do those things over and over again. 

And that's about it. So, nothing hugely exciting here, but if I get to ride all of what I have outlined here it will be a big year of riding for me. I do not expect it all to happen though, except for the ones I have stated I really want to do, (really only a few), and if this is all I get in, well that'd be great too. 

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Poof! Just Like That!

Current state of the Fargo Gen I

 Since the Ride For Jacob on my Fargo Gen I, I haven't ridden the bike much. I wanted to make a couple of changes first. Now that the two main things I wanted to do have been taken care of, I can share the outcome with you all here. 

The first order of business was to swap out the 180mm XT crank set for the 175mm crank set seen in the image here. I also wanted to swap wheel and tires, but this took a strange turn recently. 

See, I did not have any tires I was jazzed about using. Plus, I thought I really wanted a fancy wheel set for this bicycle. I'd be talking about hundreds of dollars just to satisfy a whim. In other words, I could not really afford to do this just now and I did not have anything by way of tires in mind at all. 

A week ago, on Monday, a dear reader of this blog donated a bunch of items to the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective. One of those items was a set of tires. 700c X 2.2", to be exact. A size we at the Collective would probably rarely - if ever - use in the next year or two. Instead of having these two tires just sit around taking up space, I purchased them. 

The tires? Ironically they are Rene Herse Fleecer Ridge tires in the Endurance casing. They had been used, for sure, but they were in very good condition otherwise. Now, all I needed was a wheel set. I barely have any quick release wheels anymore these days! 

But I identified a set which came on my Raleigh Tamland Two. They are not real heavy, but they are not lightweight either. Not in terms of what is out there now which one could purchase. So anyway, I set up the Fleecer Ridge tires with a WTB TPU tube in the rear and a standard butyl tube up front. Now it was time for a test ride. 

First thing I noticed was the vibrations these tires produce. I could feel it everywhere- saddle, pedals, handlebar. I set the tires up at 30psi and was riding in 40° temperatures. The Fleecers rode fast on pavement but on my gravel sections it was tough since we had an inch and a third of rain. This made the tires cut into the surface on unpaved, gravelly bits. 

I decided the unpaved areas were too soft to really get a read on the tires, so I bailed and hit the City side streets. About a mile from the house I heard a "pfffft-ssssssshhhhhheeeeeeeah.  

Poof! Just like that. A flat tire!

See anything missing here? (Check area around where the arrow is pointing)

 Okay. Great...... I cannot remember the last time I had a flat tire. Was it the tire? The TPU tube? I didn't know, but the irony of what I have said about Rene Herse tires was not lost on me in the moment. I turned around and took the walk of shame, a mile back to the house. 

Once I was home I took the wheel off, peeled back the tire, and started pulling the TPU tube out. I figured I would make a mental note of the relationship between the valve stem and the hot patch of the tire as I pulled the TPU tube out. Then suddenly I noted something. 

There was no valve stem!

Upon further investigation it was apparent the plastic valve broke off at the very bottom of the base of the TPU/valve instantaneously dumping all the air out of my tube. It was a failure of the TPU tube, not the Fleecer Ridge tires. 

Phew!

So, this was good news. Now I am not too impressed with the WTB TPU tube, I will say that. Note: There was no valve nut to force too much pressure, pulling the valve apart because the plastic valve is not threaded. This wasn't cut by the rim, because it was obvious the plastic was broken down inside that sheath you see still protruding out of the TPU material. It was an irregular, crystalline looking break. 

No, this was a failure of the material. So, a new thing for me. I've never seen anything like this before. It is but another reason I think TPU tubes need mechanically connected, aluminum threaded valve stems. I think TPU tubes are really great, and I will continue to use them, but these early efforts at TPU product are not without some growing pains. 

On the other hand, later on I remembered hearing something, (maybe a stick?) , tinkle through the rear wheel not long before the valve stem failed. Maybe whatever that was knocked the valve stem? It is a possibility, if what I heard was what I thought I heard. I did not stop or verify this, as things like this happen all the time and unless I feel resistance in the drive train I tend to let things like this go uninvestigated or at least they are of little concern. 

N.Y. Roll said to me on the phone when I was telling him this story that he was glad I was taking these chances so he could learn from my misfortunes. 

Hey! Someone has to do the testing! 

The 32" Watch: Forks Are Coming!

Image forwarded to me. Originally from Rich Dillen

 Back when 29"ers were being developed one of the big stumbling blocks to their acceptance was the availability of suspension forks. "Real" suspension from one of the big brands like Fox or Rock Shox were seemingly vaporware. 

Yes, there were efforts by Marzocchi, White Brothers, and there were modified Manitou forks, but no "real" high performance choice existed until 2005 when Rock Shox released the Reba 29. Fox followed two years later, and then 29"ers were basically on the map to stay.  

Keep in mind 29"ers first hit bike shops in 2001/2002. The wait took a few years, but the forks eventually did come. This will seemingly not be the case for the 32" wheel. 

A reader of this blog, who himself is possibly acquiring a 32"er, sent me the image shown here of what looks like a modified Manitou fork said to fit a 32" wheel application. Ironically it was a modified Manitou fork which Gary Fisher used on an early 29"er which became famous as one of the first suspended 29'ers. 

Rich Dillen's 32"er. (Image from Dillen's social media)

 My source also told me there is a 32" Fox fork in the works as well. This means a couple of things. (1) 32"ers are a legitimate choice, at least in the short term, for an off-road bicycle. (2) It means OE brands are ordering this product to put on future 32"ers from well a well known brand or perhaps several brands. It probably also points to development of a 32"er fork from SRAM, especially if the Fox rumor is true. 

Whatever happens, it does appear there will be an accelerated timeline for 32"ers versus the 29"er and its early development. My guess? You'll see mainstream branded 32"ers by late Summer. I would bet Sea Otter will be rife with these things in April. 

Stay tuned.....