Chasing Colors

Monday was the first "real" taste of Fall weather here. This past weekend we went from the 90's to it being 40°F when I stepped out the door to ride on Monday morning. The brisk Northwest wind made it really feel like the seasons had changed. 

It is about this time of year when I get that feeling that I need to do my "pilgrimage" ride. The ride through the Green Belt which I do every year to mark three things in my life. 

One is the recognition of my introduction to mountain bikes. The Green Belt is where I learned to off-road and it is where I took my first mountain bike to ride it in the late 1980's. 

The second reason I feel the need to do this ride is to enjoy the peak Fall colors. I don't always hit on the perfect time, but I try! I also very much enjoy riding single track in the Fall, so that tracks for me as well.

Finally, I use this ride to assess the condition of the Marky-Mark Trail, a single track connector trail I helped put in the Green Belt with an assist from another friend named Mark. While I did the bulk of the work, I didn't do all of it. Still, I consider this trail to be my work up until this day, 27 years after it was put in. The once or twice a year check is done just to make sure the trail is passable and still there. (Sometimes I do a Spring checkup on Marky-Mark also)

The colors weren't too impressive in the Green Belt until I started coming up on the maple grove.

A little better color here.

This year the maples are popping but everything else is kind of muted. I think the drier latter half of Summer and all of Fall has had a poor effect on some trees and therefore the colors have been negatively affected. Just a guess on my part there, but many trees have dried up leaves and they just are not getting much beyond a pale yellow or brown for color this Fall. 

A monster branch which probably blew down over the weekend.

I came across a branch which had busted off an old ,maple about 25feet up in the air and which had fallen across the trail. We had major gusty winds Sunday, so I am betting that this was felled by a nasty gust then. The tree it came off of had already been damaged previously, and by the looks of it, the tree wasn't well internally. I am no tree doctor, but I have slept in a Holiday Inn before! (IYKYK)

I bet that branch made a mighty crashing noise when it came down from the approximately 25feet high place on the tree where it broke off. Glad I was nowhere near when it did come down! 

The West end of Marky-Mark is looking swell here.

As is the East end of Marky-Mark!

Marky-Mark isn't the name I gave this bit of trail that might be what? A half a mile long, maybe? I don't know, as I've never measured it that I recall. Anyway, I did not name it. Another former resident of the area did that, and I have come to use that name as it fits the trail well, I think. 

I found the trail in remarkably great condition. I moved one small blow-down and there is another that is no big deal, but too big to move on my own. There is also one other place where a dead fall is hanging about ten feet above the trail that should be taken down. A half an hour and a saw would do wonders to clear that up. There are a few tiny branches that could use some trimming back, but honestly, I was surprised at how good everything looked! 

Fall colors on the shores of Green Belt Lake.

I ended up making a partial lap around the Green Belt Lake and then heading home. I may have to throw the axe and a nipper in the Big Dummy and go see about taking down that dead fall and doing a bit of clean-up in Marky-Mark, but I also have to get on some review work before it really gets cold and riding in the country is difficult or impossible. 

More soon....

Goodbye TWNN!

Back when I needed this....

On Saturday I left the "Truck With No Name" at a dealer's lot. It wasn't mine anymore. It isn't a huge deal, as I am not emotionally attached to that vehicle, although maybe I should be? I mean, I only had it for the bulk of Trans Iowa's run and used it for the purpose of putting on that event. 

And it isn't important to most of you except perhaps maybe to a few of you who had done Trans Iowa and remember that truck leading you out to the gravel, or whatever. 

Of course, I'll have my memories. Like the time during T.I.v8 when I suddenly found myself in the midst of a Level B road after cresting a hill. It was muddy, of course, and I was going about 40-45mph and the back end came around. I had to stand on the accelerator, counter steer  holding the wheel at the limit, and I went about a half mile like that. Mud flinging everywhere, and when I came to the end of the mile I got it straightened out without it whipping to the other way, and there was a crossing at a county road. I had to hold it wide open to get up the incline to the intersection just to make it and so there would be no stopping. Fortunately I had split two crossing vehicles and there was no crashing. Yeah.... that was close!

I put in many miles of this sort of driving in the TWNN.

There were a lot of Level B Roads traversed in that two-wheel drive truck. I also had many other Trans Iowa related memories with recons, driving to and from recon starting points, and just hauling the stuff for a Trans Iowa to Grinnell and back again. 

But there were also the times that my son, Jacob, would play in the bed of that truck when he was young. Once I was looking for him all over the house. He would have been about ten or eleven then. I finally found him standing in the back of the truck. I asked him what the heck he was doing out there, and he said to me in a calm, assured tone of voice, "Someday this is going to be my truck, Dad."

I laughed then, but you know what? It really did pretty much become his truck this last couple of years. He needed it to finish college, to do his part time job as a security guard at a casino, and then as he transitioned into his full-time job as a CNC machinist. I pretty much have not had a vehicle, in all honesty, since February of this year, but since Jacob needed a vehicle with four wheel drive for Winter driving, we decided to trade the TWNN off and now I really do not have a vehicle since the 4Runner Jacob got is in his name. 

47 years ago I did not have a vehicle either, and now I don't again! Some might try to read into that, but all it means is that I chose to sacrifice my driving my own vehicle so that my son can get his career off the ground and so he did not have to spend more than his means to get this vehicle. I have a bicycle and I know how to use it, so I am fine. 

Anyway, good bye old truck! You were a good one.

Gravel Was Young and Fat Bikes Were Hot!

 In celebration of the twentieth year of this blog, I have a few tales to tell. This post is one of them. This series will occur off and on throughout this anniversary year, I hope to illuminate some behind-the-scenes stories and highlights from the blog during this time. Enjoy!

In 2013 we were experiencing huge growth in two areas: Fat bikes and gravel events. One could say that 2013 was the "heyday" of both things. On fat bikes because this was the zenith of their popularity. The almost rabid appetite for any news on fat bikes was amazing. On gravel events because there was a plethora of what I would say were the "adventure/experiential/grassroots/altruist" type of events which were being fueled by passion and an appetite for adventure and experiences.

I was enamored of fat bikes, like many were and I already had two in my stable. Keep in mind that a turnkey fat bike wasn't available three years prior to this. So, my owning an aluminum and a titanium framed fat bike in 2013 was saying something.

Saying "you were nuts!", most likely, and maybe that was correct. I had done two Triple D fat bike events by January of 2013 and was headed for one more in 2014. I managed to finish all three which are accomplishments I am proud of yet today. 

It is funny when I look back at things because, as it is with many things we do the first time, there was a lot of "pioneering" going on. I had a few posts on the blog here dealing with how to set up fat bike wheels tubeless. I even had one of the first tubeless wheel sets and tires for a fat bike, which I used for the 2015 Triple D. (Thanks Velocity USA!) 

Finishing up the 2013 Triple D. Michael Lemberger clapping.

Things were so new to me that I decided to just ride the Triple D like I did for all my training rides and commuting, with a messenger bag! Hey! It worked great. 

Fat bikes were changing about as fast as PC's in the 2000's with new stuff being rumored about and coming out all year. What is crazy is that by 2015 my four year old Mukluk was outdated already! 

Even my titanium Mukluk, a year newer than my original, was outdated and trying to keep up with all the carbon frames, tubeless options, and the front suspension craze, (remember that?) was just too much. I bought a 2014 Blackborow DS which, at that time, took the biggest tires and rims you could get, and decided I was done. Well, I did get the 2015 Ti Muk, but that was a special deal. More about that in an upcoming post. 

2013 Odin's Revenge

Gravel cycling arguably reached the pinnacle of its "early era" during this time. The range and quality of experiences on offer at gravel events was never more varied and exciting. Now days you expect chip timing, a finish line arch, yada, yada, yada. Go to another event? Same thing, different time and place. But nothing could have been further from the truth during those early days of gravel grinding. 

It was an adventure which involved all aspects of the event experience. Getting there, meeting people, seeing how things were (or were not) organized. Getting out into country you'd never have dreamed of seeing, and of course, having that along with weather, friends, and whatever circumstances popped up throughout a day on a bicycle were just outstanding. Many of these event experiences were the way they were because the events were new, or not very old. The "word" hadn't gotten out about them, and mainstream cycling media turned their noses up at gravel cycling then. They thought it was "not racing" so it wasn't worthy of any coverage. 

Of course, my "Gravel Grinder News" website and this blog did cover these things and traffic here was growing exponentially because of the way things were back then. People were hungry for this style of riding and competing. It was so obvious, but the pride that mainstream cycling media had and their dogged stance that only a UCI-type event was "legitimate racing", stymied what could have been a huge sea change in the way we see competitive events today. Of course, gravel cycling got so big that they eventually had to pay attention, and that is why you hear about Unbound, SBT GRVL, Gravel Worlds, and other US events on unpaved roads. 

More soon....

Fall Views: Test Riding

The trees are just starting to pop with color here.

Friday I decided to take a multi-surface test ride to get going on my review of the State Bicycle Co. Monster Fork v2. So, I came up with a plan and headed out on Friday morning. It was cool-ish when I started but we were headed for near record temperatures which was to be around 85°F. The ironic thing about this is the way 85 degrees feels so much different in October than it does in August. It is a completely different experience. 

That is due to how much drier the air is, which is why it can go from being in the low 50's to 70's in an hour's time! It makes dressing for a ride challenging. I wore my new Twin Six Thermal Cargo Bib Knickers, a Pirate Cycling League jersey over a Twin Six base layer, and my Twin Six floral patterned vest. I used a buff rag on my head and wore my Lazer helmet. I had on some cycling socks and Shimano RX801 shoes. I was comfortable the entire ride, but by the end I could tell it was a lot warmer than when I started out!

Trolley Car Trail

I hit up Trolley Car Trail, which isn't paved.....yet, and I hope it never will be. How it is not paved at this time is amazing to me, what with the current thought being that every recreational trail needs paving. I don't get that train of thought, by the way, because pavement causes run-off, needs maintenance, which is not cheap, and encourages motorized traffic, despite that being illegal. Anyway....

Trolley Car Trail never needs maintaining, with the exception of tree and branch clearing after a windstorm. But what trail is immune to that? 

Shirey Way: The inter-city Level B Road.

I took the bike through Shirey Way. People call this "Lower Hartman" but they don't know their history. Most folks now probably don't recall when this was a public road, surfaced with gravel, and open to traffic. Nor do they likely remember that there were homes on this road. There were whispers in the 80's that this road was where the "devil worshipers" sacrificed animals. Crazy times....

I did a little single track in a couple of spots. Riding a drop bar gravel bike on single track is kind of a hoot. As long as things don't get too rowdy or technical, it is an experience you should give a try. Things have been so bone-dry here that there were no worries over mud or moist dirt that would give my tires a challenge. The dry dirt was perfect for the Vulpine S tires. 

I found out what I needed to know and high-tailed it back home. I had other chores to attend to and Winter is coming, so I could not put some things off any longer!

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Lapierre Bicycles.

 A "Fixed" FN&V!

Lapierre Debuts New Crosshill CF Gravel Bike:

Seen at last weekend's Gravel World Championships in Belgium, Lapierre's new gravel bike has stirred up some interest due to its design, specifically around the seat tube/seat stays area of its carbon fiber frame. 

The seat tube and seat stays are decoupled, with the seat stays making connection with the top tube just ahead of the seat tube. This is not a novel idea, but it is unusual looking, to be sure. Obviously the goal here is to provide more comfort to the rider with the longer seat stays and independent seat tube providing flex over small bumps and vibrations. 

Lapierre calls their seat tube design concept "Tubular Endurance" and the seat stays "Flexstays". Lapierre claims that at 40kph this design concept reduces vibrations by 12% over a traditional frame design. 

Image courtesy of Lapierre Bicycles

The Crosshill CF is designed to accept a 40mm gravel suspension fork and up to 45mm 700c tires. The geometry is said to be quite different from the current trends, (more on that in my comments), and several parameters of the geometry vary across the size range. 

The Crosshill CF comes in seven models with variants having 2X and 1X drive trains, both in mechanical and electronic groups. Prices range from approximately $3,075.00 to $7,685.00 USD (prices converted from Euros at the time of the press release) These bikes are also UCI approved, (If that matters to you, then there you go!)

Comments: Lapierre says this bike has a shorter top tube per size than you might be used to. (Note: As of this writing, Lapierre did not have the Crosshill CF on their site, so the following opinions are mine and the numbers came off their press release) I found the sizing to be strange with what would be my normal choice, a Large, being slightly small at a 52cm seat tube, a 601mm stack, and a 57cm top tube. The next size up, the XL, has a 55cm seat tube, 620mm stack, and a 58.5cm top tube. This leaves me in an in between state and I'd likely go for the XL, if I was dead set on the Crosshill CF. 

Other numbers weren't too inspired. "Normal", perhaps? The head angle is listed for my size at 71.5° and the bottom bracket has a 70mm drop. Kind of 2015-ish numbers there. So, with the all-internal routing, including the handle bar and stem, and along with the weird geometry, this doesn't strike me as a great option, but that's my opinion. 

Additionally, this effort has comfort/compliance built into the rear with no regard, (unless you get a front telescopic fork) for the front end vibration reduction. I rode a bike from a now defunct company that had a design much like this one that made a similar mistake. Again, this was like ten years ago. 

So, with this bike being strikingly different from "normal" designs, it may seem like an innovation, but in my opinion, this design is a bit dated. 

Ritchey Design Releases Limited Edition Garden City Fixed Gear Frameset:

A "true" track bike in design, (nothing like my 1930's inspired Honeman Flyer!), the Ritchey "Garden City" frame set is a fixed gear design with a bit of versatility mixed in. 

The bike is steel, of course, with the Ritchey standard 1 1/8th steer tube and steel fork to match. Typically steep geometry and high bottom bracket allow for super quick handling and the ability to lean into corners without clipping a pedal. 

The "versatility" comes in the form of two bottle cage mounts. Most "true" track frames don't have any bottle mounts. The frame and fork are rated for 30mm tires so you won't have to run skinny tires on this one if you don't want to. (Yes, a Surly Steamroller can take a bigger tire. ) The Garden City could be your "never die" commuter, a training bike, or your first try at fixed gear. The frame set is $1,199,00USD and is available now. Check it out on Ritchey's site HERE.

Update On The Shogun Fixed Gear Bike:

The "No Coast" experiment is off to a great start with a major change now to the handlebar set up. I mentioned in my last update on this bike that I was probably going to put a mustache bar on the bike to alleviate my distaste for classic drop bar geometry. Plus the brake hoods of those old Shimano 600 levers were like trying to hold a knife edge compared to modern day hoods and levers. 

Well, I just so happen to have a Whisky Winston Bar, a carbon fiber mustache style bar that can take road or MTB standard controls. That went on via a stem insert that allowed me to use a threadless stem. That in turn allowed me to utilize the Winston Bar with its 31.8mm clamp diameter for a stem interface. 

This has simply transformed this bike from something I was tolerating to being a fun bicycle. I may flip the Winston to its "riser" position verses what I have now in its "drop" position, but besides that, this is a winning combination. The brake lever is a Velo Orange Grand Cru lever which I have a pair of, but am only using the one here due to clearance issues on the fork which preclude my use of two brake calipers. The bag is also from Velo Orange and is the Burrito Supreme bag. I added an old Blackburn frame pump, a Lezyne light set, and boom! A fixed gear commuter! 

I've used it a few times now for commutes and for just bombing around the neighborhood because it is a ton of fun. I recommend everyone at least try a fixed gear bike once. If you are a cyclist, you owe it to yourself to have this experience. It is unlike riding anything else. Just remember: no coasting! 

Gravel Grinder News

News On Life Time's Grand Prix & SBT GRVL:

Next year's dates are starting to get announced now and first up we have news from Life Time Fitness concerning next year's Grand Prix. 

Life Time is tweaking their event schedule by turning the opener at Sea Otter into a gravel event which previously was one of three MTB events. To counter that Life Time has added a "Little Sugar" MTB event in Northwestern Arkansas as a compliment to the required Big Sugar gravel event which rounds out the season. The series will be a best five of six events to determine a Men's and Women's overall winner. 

The series is also cutting back on the field roster limit by 10 riders, reducing the field from a maximum of 35 allowed in 2024 to 25 in 2025. It was noted that this season Life Time only saw approximately 25 women and 30 men take multiple starts in the series so far, so this reduction may be a reflection of a lack of demand for spots in the series. 

SBT GRVL, the embattled event held in Routt County, Colorado, has made some major changes to comply with Routt County Commissioner's recommendations and demands stemming from complaints from the ranching community there. This coming year the event will move out of its traditional August date to a two-day June affair on June 28th and 29th. The first date will see a non-competitive "fondo" event for up to 1,800 riders. The following day a competitive event with a field limitation of 750 riders will be held on a 37-mile gravel circuit with a rolling enclosure for both Elite (3 laps) and Amateur riders (2 laps) South of Hayden, Colorado. The dates were moved to avoid overlapping with Routt County haying season. 

Comments: I've noted small fields in Pro level events the last two years in the USA and seeing a reduction in the roster limit for Grand Prix events is no surprise then. It will be interesting to see if SBT GRVL has anywhere near 750 elite athletes showing up. The June date also is an interesting choice coming only approximately three weeks after Unbound and during peak Sun period for a high elevation event. 

What all this portends will be watched as the cycling industry, rightly or wrongly, bases its "barometer" of how things are going off of Pro racing and because gravel is the hot category now, that is where the focus is. 

Have a great weekend! Ride those bikes and peep some leaves!

Review: Redshift Sports Top Shelf Handlebar Bag

Note: Redshift S[ports sent over a Top Shelf Handlebar Bag for test and review to Guitar Ted Productions at no charge. Guitar Ted is not being paid, nor bribed for this review and all opinions are his own. 

The Top Shelf Handlebar Bag

Redshift Sports' Top Shelf Bar has been quite a popular handlebar with their customers. So, Redshift decided to design a handlebar bag to work with that handlebar. Of course, they called it the Top Shelf Handlebar Bag. 

What It Is: The Top Shelf Handlebar Bag is designed specifically to mount to the Top Shelf Bar with four hook and loop straps which can be positioned to accommodate the higher or lower rise versions of the Top Shelf Bar. The "four-point" attachment should make for a very secure and solid mount. 

The bag is sort of a trapezoidal shape with the front being a bit narrower than the back and the top being larger than the bottom. Much like the Kitchen Sink Bag, the new Top Shelf bag has a magnetic closure for the lid which can also be zipped shut on each side. Riders can either leave the zippered sides open and use the magnetic closure for easy on-the-bike access to the bag's interior space, or zip the sides for the most secure containment of your cargo. You can carry a lot in this bag as well with its 1.75L capacity. 

As for other pockets you will find the Top Shelf Bag has many ways to organize your stuff. There is a padded pocket against the back on the inside, two mesh "stash" pockets on the inner sides, and a zippered mesh pocket under the lid. Plus there is another pocket on the front inside. I have an image below that will help illustrate one way you could use the Top Shelf Bag to organize you things. 

As you can see, there are a lot of ways one could organize inside this bag, or you could simply use the interior space as one open area if that suits you. Options are good to have at hand and the Top Shelf Bag has them. By the way, there is one exterior mesh pocket on the bag on the left side. I would imagine this as a place to stash trash, used gel packets, or something smaller you wanted at hand without opening the top. 

We're not quite done with the versatility and features of the Top Shelf Bag though. Much like the Kitchen Sink Bag, the Top Shelf Bag uses Redshift Sports' GPS mounting system which is comprised of two halves in a plastic which connect into the bar-tacked strips on the Top Shelf bag's lid and which is held together by a single screw. There are mounts for both Garmin and Wahoo GPS units available. 

There is also a bar-tacked strip across the front of the Top Shelf Bag allowing you to attach a small light, or another smaller bag via hook and loop strips. 

Here you can see the strip you can attach things to along with the elasticized securing string in case you use this bag with other handle bars.

The outer mesh side pocket has an elasticized opening

The two open slots are where the attachment strips would go if you have the 70mm ride Top Shelf Bar.

A close up of the GPS mounting system. This is a Wahoo mount.

First Impressions: The Top Shelf Handlebar Bag came out of the box and was what I expected from Redshift Sports. This is a very high-quality piece and every detail has been attended to. The zippers work smoothly, the magnetic lid opens and closes faultlessly, the GPS mount is super-secure. Add in the features for organization and the bag seems like a bargain at its $110.00 retail price. (Actually, at the time of this writing the Top Shelf Handlebar Bag is on sale for under a hundred bucks!)  I don't know how Redshift packs all this in at the asking price, but they do and it is impressive. 

Redshift Sports also offers a "360° Ride Guarantee" which allows the purchaser to try the bag risk-free up to 90 days. See the site for details. 

Ride Impressions: I attached the Top Shelf bag to my Top Shelf handlebar easily and could immediately see it was going to be super stable on rough roads and gravel. But my smile on my face was due to something else that the Top Shelf Handlebar Bag wasn't doing that a lot of other handlebar bags do. This would be how many bar bags rub on the top of the head tube. 

Yeah....helicopter tape it. I hear you, but why bother when you can get a handlebar and bag system like this? This is probably my favorite thing about both of these products. Odd, I know, but somehow I found the way these two handlebar products worked together to be satisfying. You might not see it that way, and you may like the organizational possibilities of this bag, or the magnetic top. Both things are cool. I would agree with that. 

Again, this bag is solid and stable on gravel, and with the lid design being so easy to operate, you can grab stuff from inside the Top Shelf bag easily while riding. I also like that the weight of my GPS makes it so that there is no way the wind is blowing this open and if it were to happen, well I'd probably be getting blown in the ditch anyway! 

So, what's not to like? I really only have one minor issue with this bag. That relates to the GPS mount and to how I prefer my handlebar set up. 

Since I lean more toward having the drop extensions being more parallel to the ground, this puts the plane formed by the Top Shelf handlebar's two cross members perpendicular to the ground as seen from the side, or nearly so. When I attached the Top Shelf Handlebar Bag to this set up it "leaned forward" just a bit. That in turn makes my GPS sit with the front edge of the unit slightly lower than the rear, kind of facing away from me a tiny bit. 

That's not ideal. Not a deal breaker, as I love having the Wahoo there, but it also cannot be adjusted unless I change the attitude of my handle bar, and I'd rather not do this. I like the bar where it is. sigh! 

But listen, there could be a lot worse things to have go against this bag and really, besides that tiny issue this bag is a winner. Especially if you are looking for a bag and already own a Top Shelf Bar. By the way, you can use this bag with other handlebars, but it won't be quite the same as it would be with the Top Shelf Bar. 

So Far... The Top Shelf Handlebar Bag is a well designed, versatile, value-packed item that dovetails right in if you already own a Top Shelf Bar. The magnetic lid, GPS mount, and many pockets are very nice touches. The bag rides stable and is easy to use while riding making your rides more fun and enjoyable. 

I'll be trying out this bag on more rides soon and will come back with a final word in a few weeks time. So far this is quite the impressive product, but I've come to expect nothing less from Redshift Sports.

State Bicycle Co. Monster Fork v2 - First Impressions

 Note: State Bicycle Co sent over their Monster Fork v2 for test and review at Guitar Ted Productions at no cost. Guitar Ted is not being bribed, nor paid,for this review and all opinions are his own. 

Monday of this week I introduced the State Bicycle Co. Monster Fork v2 review HERE. I've got all the technical information on this fork there including some impressions of the design and the aesthetics of the fork out of the box. In this post I will cover the installation and my findings after mounting the fork including a brief test ride. 

Installation: The tricky part here was the integrated brake route and that because of my GRX hydraulic brakes. I was going to have to disconnect the brake line from the lever so I could thread the hose through the fork and then reattach the lever to the hose after I had the fork installed, all without introducing air to the system. Any air introduced would have to be bled out in a brake bleeding session, which I was hoping to avoid. 

Fortunately through careful planning and execution I managed to not have to go through a brake bleed. I did have to purchase a new olive and barb, shorten the brake line by about half a centimeter, and go through some carefully planned positioning of the lever and hose/caliper assembly to avoid any air getting in. Again, all of this will cost the owner of the State Bicycle Co. Monster Fork v2 extra time and money whether you do this yourself or whether you have someone else handle the job for you. So, make sure you add that cost on to the fork if you run hydraulic brakes. A mechanical brake won't cause much more effort than a standard fork swap, so if you run mechanical brakes, all the better. 

Beyond the brake, everything was straight forward. The provided FSA steer tube plug, (another extra cost on top of the fork for buyers of the Monster Fork v2) worked great. Ironically the original head set in the Noble GX5 was an FSA headset so everything just went back together really well. State uses an FSA branded bearing and crown race for this fork, again available at an extra cost.

The front wheel I was using, which has an Industry 9 hub, was a bit difficult to install in the Monster Fork V2. There was a bit narrower space in between the eccentric plates which made getting the front wheel in a bit fussy, but it did go in. The through axle seemed a bit vague in where it wanted to stop giving me a less than confident feeling that the fork was secured to the wheel. I tried removing and reinstalling the through axle several times just to make sure it wasn't the threading or some other issue but this seemingly did not alleviate the issue. The wheel seems rock-solid in the fork, so I tried riding it. 

Test Ride Impressions: This was a ride just around the neighborhood to make sure I didn't leave something loose or that something was amiss. Due to this, I was tentative. So, don't read a whole lot into this just yet, but my initial feelings were that the Monster Fork v2 feels a bit less stiff than the stock fork. The wheel was totally stable in the fork, by the way, so I guess the through axle is doing its job well despite my concerns over the feel of its operation.

By the way, the stock fork seems to be a tiny bit lighter than the Monster Fork v2. I weighed it after removal. It was lighter by maybe about 50 grams, but the original fork has no accessory bosses or bolts like the Monster Fork v2 has. There was a steer tube plug in the old fork when I weighed it, but no through axle. There were bolts and a through axle in the State fork when I weighed it. I would call it a wash here. I certainly did not feel any difference in the weight of the bike afterword. 

Braking seemed normal. No shudder or weird handling traits. The steering felt fine. Nothing out of the ordinary really. The stock off set on the Noble GX5 is 52mm, by the way, so this 49mm offset is pretty close and I'd be hard pressed to know the difference.  I cruised back to the shop and decided to measure the head tube angle. If the axle to crown height was very different from my original fork, it should show up in the head angle. 

 The head tube angle measured in at 71.5°, bang-on for the stock listed head tube angle, so I was pleased with that. I looked like the axle to crown was very similar to my eye, so I wasn't surprised. Again, this was in the shorter offset placement for the axle. 

So Far... Okay, so the hose route went as well as it could and I have a niggle with how the front wheel goes in the fork. I will try a couple of other wheels to see if it is an isolated occurrence with one brand of hub or if it is possibly this fork that is causing the wheel to install with a bit of difficulty. 

Besides that, it is time to ride. Switch offsets, put a front load on the bike, ride, take the load off, switch the offset again, ride.....you get the picture here. I'll be back again after a few weeks with an update.

Long Term Review: Ergon BT Gravel Handle Bar Tape

 NOTE: Ergon had sent over two rolls of BT Gravel Handlebar Tape at no charge, on two separate occasions, for test/review to Riding Gravel. This is a long-term review of those bar tapes, but I also have just purchased another roll at full-retail to replace one of those two rolls I tested. Ergon has not paid, nor bribed me, for this review. All opinions are my own.

Ergon BT Gravel handlebar tape on test during 2023

Handlebar tape for drop bars is another one of those "touch-point" things that can be highly personal. Not only that, but handlebar tape often gets nicked up, dirty, sweat-soaked, and it is not all that cheap. (If you buy quality tape) So, handlebar tape often can need replacement and that might get a bit wearisome if the tape you are buying is $30.00 - $40.00 - or more - per box. Then there is the comfort level, in-hand feel, wet performance, and how it installs. That's a lot of things to consider when you are looking at "just a roll of bar tape". 

By the way, if you don't put much importance in handlebar tape and you are okay with the cheapest roll on the bike shop rack, or on Amazon, then you probably should quit reading here. But if you are curious as to why I feel this handlebar tape is "all that", then read on.....

The other roll of BT tape I tested from late 2022.

What It Is: BT Gravel tape from Ergon is their thickest tape that they offer at 3.2mm thickness. There is the "AllRoad" tape which is slightly thinner at 2.5mm thickness and the "Road" tape at 2mm thickness. 

The BT Gravel tape is made with an EVA foam backing and an "anti-slip" surface texture. Ergon claims reduced vibrations will result for the rider. 

BT Gravel tape comes in two shades of red, black, a swampy green, and metallic blue looking hues. I have had the "Swamp Green" and "Merlot" colors. The Swamp Green is more of an organic, mossy green color and the Merlot has a brownish-red hue which is a muted color. 

Why I Like It: Ergon took forever to come out with a product for drop bars, but when they did, it was apparent that they had done their homework. For starters, there is the installation. I've wrapped hundreds, if not more than a thousand drop bars in my 30+ years as a bicycle mechanic. Thick tape is really difficult to wrap, typically, and I always was dismayed when a customer chose thick tape for me to install. 

It is typically very difficult to get thicker than 2mm tape to lay right and look good after the job is finished. Not that it cannot be done, but thickness makes the job harder. Ergon tape, for its 3.2mm thickness, lays down so much easier than a lot of companies 2.5mm tape does. (Looking at you, Lizard Skins) The end result is pleasing to the eyes, and Ergon's pattern that they used on the tape's surface actually is there to help guide you in wrapping this tape. All in all, a pretty brilliant tape to work with. 

My new roll in Merlot

But none of that matters if the tape is hard on your hands, slippery when wet/perspired on, or if it wears out prematurely. In my experience, Ergon BT Gravel tape has outstanding qualities in all three of those areas. 

BT Gravel tape does help reduce vibrations to the hands. Coupled with a good, vibration reducing handlebar, and maybe a ShockStop stem, you end up with the happiest hands you are going to get on gravel. 

Secondly, I have had various handlebar tapes that get really slick, slimy, or both when perspired upon. Now, maybe it is just me, because I don't wear gloves, typically, on a ride. However; slippery tape is no good on a gravel ride! Ergon's no-slip texture on their tape really works. I have zero fear of perspiration causing me issues on hot Summer rides. While I have not ridden Ergon tape in the rain, I suspect the outcome would be similar. 

Finally, this tape is very durable and long-lasting. While I wouldn't recommend anyone use tape for more than one season on drop bars, (and I would recommend changing tape more often if you are a heavy sweater), the BT Gravel tape holds up well after months and months of sweaty, dust-filled riding. It retains a good look, and it doesn't wilt at the first biff of your bar end on the ground, or when your bike falls in the garage because you didn't park it just right. 

Final Word: Ergon BT Gravel Handlebar Tape is not inexpensive at about forty bucks a pop. However; given its abilities to reduce vibrations so well and for how durable and long-lasting it is, I am what you might call "sold on it". So much so I went and bought another roll. I will say that I am a bit disappointed in the choices for colors. For instance, there is no bright pink, yellows, or greens. There are no straight-up blues or reds either. Ergon went for a weird palette of colors when they made their choices for the BT Ergon  handlebar tapes. I get that the colors are not great for many applications. (Please, Ergon - make this tape in Hot Pink!) 

But besides colors, I am hard pressed to say anything negative about this product. I recommend it. Definitely a keeper.