Chicago Bike Swap: Photo Report

Today I wanted to share with you a photo report filed by Ari Andonopoulos. He attended the recent Chicago bicycle swap meet which saw great attendance. I've got several images from Ari here and a bit of a report from him as well. I will also add comments at the end of the images. 

Bike swap meets are an interesting niche in our cycling world which is as much about reconnecting with fellow cyclists as it is about getting a good deal on something. Part "rummage sale" and part reunion, these gatherings are a great distraction from the gray, cold Winters here in the Northern hemisphere. 

With that, here is a line or two from Ari and his images. 

 From Ari:

Here are some photos from the bike swap. It was 8 dollars to get in. Some vintage stuff was high,(priced) but a lot of insane deals. I was thinking that bike swaps are a good way to break up winter and see old friends and make new ones. I loved seeing old friends there.

It appeared the swap was well attended

That's a wrap on this report. Thanks again to Ari Andonopoulos for sharing these images with us! Bike swaps are a great illustration of "one man's junk is another man's treasure" and I think you can get a good feeling for this from Ari's imagery. 

Got any good bike swap finds or stories? Please share them in the comments! And thanks again for reading Guitar Ted Productions! 

Not An Ideal Start

The season of gravel riding for 2026 is very close to starting. March will be here before we know it and with that comes the longer days and warmer weather. I've been itching to get out again now that the cold weather snap which ended January and began February is over.

Trouble is, I got off on the wrong foot, as far as my strategy to get fitness tuned up goes. I had decided a week ago today things were warm enough I'd ride into work. There was a lot of snow around yet from recent light snowfalls we had experienced. And Waterloo doesn't clear the streets at all, or if they do, it isn't done very well, at least in my neighborhood. So riding can be a little treacherous when snow gets compacted into what amounts to a sheet of ice. 

I had removed the studded tires from the Twin Six Standard Rando v2 in anticipation of getting clearer roads soon. So, I rode the Ti Mukluk into work instead, which went well. However; coming home I hit the only patch of black ice around. In between Doughy Joey's and Carpenter's Restaurant there is an alley. I tried steering into this and there it was. There I went down. Quickly. 

I went down so fast I didn't even get my hand out of the pogie to break my fall. My left arm was pinched between pavement and my rib cage. It was then I felt something very unusual. It was a s if a large band under my left side moved upward, then snapped back into place. My whole abdomen shuddered, it was so violent a movement back where whatever it was belonged. And it hurt like the devil, as we say here in the Mid-West. 

Now, I smashed my kneecap on my left leg hard into the pavement as well, but this was a trifle compared to my rib cage. I was stunned for a few moments but able to string together curse words like a sailor. So, I could breathe, and I could stand up. Barely, hut not because of any injury. Because of the ice!

I remounted after walking away from the scene. I was able to pull on the bars, push the pedals, and both with no pain. It felt harder to breathe a bit, but not really significantly. Tuesday was better, Wednesday was okay, and so was Thursday. A steady diet of ibuprofen and Mrs. Guitar Ted's CBD roll-on pain medication worked nicely. My ribs were painful where they joined at the sternum in a couple of places. Then Friday came and I was feeling more pain than before. 

I did a quick ride on the fixed gear Gravel Bus. It made me feel a whole lot better, but this obviously has slowed me down a bit. No sharp pains, nothing like that, just dull, achey pain and stiffness. I just have to take it easy and work back into it. 

Not an ideal start to the effort to get in shape for the Legends of Gravel ride in April. Men my age are not supposed to be slamming themselves into pavement. Well, if they do, it usually breaks things. I am very fortunate I did not break anything. 

Ari, my friend from Chicago, says I need studded fat bike tires. He said, "We need you in one piece!" 

Looks like I'll be getting some new fat bike tires for the next Winter season

E-Bikes And The Law

Image courtesy of A. Andonopoulos

 Recently a new law was signed by the outgoing governor of the State of New Jersey which pretty much treats every electrified bike/two wheeled vehicle as a motorcycle. 

See this excellent explainer video on YouTube HERE for a complete look at what this law might entail.  

Other states are also taking action, or considering to take action. Here in Iowa a recent study bill included language which pretty much would have made riding any bicycle  on any road with a 25mph speed limit or higher illegal. Thankfully this bill has been pulled at the moment. People in New York, Arizona, and in some smaller communities across the USA report similar laws being either enacted or are statutes and ordinances under consideration. 

Essentially, this all boils down to a few key points. 

• Deaths and injuries involving electrified bicycles, including fires caused by batteries for such vehicles, is compelling law makers "to do something about it.  This especially becomes a higher priority when people under the age of 21 are involved. 
• Due to how the original class system for electrified bicycles was set up, there were gaps in the system and opportunities for profiteering opened up. This was evidenced by the surge in Far Eastern sourced electrified, two wheeled vehicles which would satisfy the appetite of US citizens for cheap, high-powered two wheeled vehicles which could be ridden with little to no effort. 
• Law enforcement has an insurmountable task in trying to weed out the wheat from the chaff when it comes to the bikes which are undesirable, illegal, or safe. Basically, it is impossible for any law to address this and not affect those who benefit most from assisted cycling. So, "blanket measures" are being written and, in the case of New Jersey, enacted with little to no regard for nuance.

 First of all, the genie is out of the bottle when it comes to the three class system and making that the "standard" for e-Bikes. This has failed and is essentially useless as a way to regulate motorized two-wheeled transportation. So any attempt to point to this system and think we can reverse field and have things the way they were intended to be with the three class system is doomed to fail. 

Okay, what do we do from this point? 

In New Jersey, they essentially are saying all two-wheeled "things" are now going to be treated like motorcycling. License, registration, and DOT approved motorcycle helmets. Insurance. The works. Most non-cyclists and people in government are going to nod their heads in approval with laws in this vein. It makes it easy - No trying to weed out what is this or that. Kill 'em all, let God sort it out. Brutal, but easy to write a law by this standard. 

Of course, it is unenforceable. The law enforcement departments haven't the time, resources, or will to tackle a law like this in totality. So, essentially it becomes a tool for (a) local entities to raise funds via citations, (b) a tool for law enforcement to seek out more serious crime by pulling over people for riding illegally with an intent for looking for evidence , or interrogation leading to arrests for more serious crimes. It also could easily be used as a way to intimidate minorities or whatnot. So, from this standpoint, these sorts of laws are opening doors for abuse and uses not intended by the law specifically. From this standpoint alone these laws should not be allowed on the books.

But what about the kids? 

This is where I think it is prudent to have laws making it illegal for underage individuals to be on these vehicles. It would be easier to enforce, it would have wider support from the cycling community, and it would address the root cause for concern. Meanwhile, our government should regulate imports and force quality checks on these e-Bikes coming in which are not compliant with safety regulations currently. Perhaps e-Bike specific ones, drawing from the three class system, could be implemented as well.  

I;m probably missing a lot here, but those are my initial thoughts on this subject. I do know laws like the one proposed in Iowa are ridiculous and completely unenforceable. Why are we wasting time trying to write lazy law like this? Our representatives should be doing better. And - of course - 100% human powered bicycles should never be a part of this. 

Let me know what you think in the comments. 

CABDA 2026 Show Chicago: Report

 Last year I was able to post a report from my friend, Ari Andonopoulos, on the CABDA Show. CABDA is an acronym for Chicago Area Bicycle Dealers Association. Vendors from the industry come to show a variety of bicycles, components, and tools which may be of interest to the Chicago area bicycle retail trade, and beyond. 

This year Ari was in attendance again and he graciously sent over several images and a nice report. Folowing will be a plethora of images and a few words. Thanks for checking this out, and a big "thank you" to Ari for taking the time to share this with us!

All images credited to Ari Andonopoulos.  

Chicago, Illinois: Report filed by Ari Andonopoulos - I made the drive to the Schaumburg Convention center for the 2026 CABDA show. I also ran into a couple of people I know in the lobby, got signed in, badged, and looked for the coat check. No such luck! 

 

I did some quick rounds to get a sense of what was there. I immediately noticed the hustle and bustle surrounding all the e-bike booths. Aventon was the busiest, so was Velotric. Young and old were taking bikes onto the indoor test track with smiles on their faces.

 

 I was impressed with the Shimano booth. It was perhaps the largest display in the hall. I want to say they probably had everything on display with a large amount of staff helping visitors. They had assembled mini seminars, explaining bleeding brakes, setting up DI2 and MTB stuff. 

 The new Q-Auto system was also on display. I spent a lot of time there. 

Missing were some carbon bike companies that were there last year, like Factor, Cervelo and others. Park tool had their display and were showcasing some new work stands and manual tools. 

 

Absent were also Velocity , which I wanted to check out some 32" rim they were working on. Also absent was Provision Cycling, importer for Campagnolo and Assos .

Billy Flamingo is a new company specializing in winter tires mainly for fat bikes. Studded tires in 27.5x4 inches seem to be the norm up in Alaska, where the company is from. Other notable mentions were Jamis, Abus, Kryptonite, Giant, Pedros , Risse Racing, Koolstop, and Kenda. 

Vee Rubber is working on 20"x4" tires for e-bikes ,which we use a lot at the shop where I work. I talked to a lot of the vendors and everyone seemed optimistic for a good 2026 bike season. I spent more time this year than last and had better conversations with the vendors. Glad I made the trek out there. 

 

Thanks Ari! It looks as though it was a big and well attended show. Interesting to see the focus on electrified bikes that, for better or worse, seem to be in the crosshairs of governments across the USA now. 

This will wrap up the report section of the CABDA 2026 report. In the next post there will be a photo dump with no words, other than some captions. 

 

Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions, and another shout-out toAri Andonopoulos for providing us with this report.   

CABDA 2026 Show Chicago: Photo Dump

Thanks to Ari Andonopoulos for all the imagery in today's post! There won't be any commentary, but this will give you an idea of what caught Ari's eye at the dealer show held in Chicago earlier this week. I may include a few captions here and there. 

Feel free to ask questions in the comments. Ari and I will do our best to get you answers. In the meantime, enjoy the image show and thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! 

Also, look for the report from Ari and more images in the following post for today, (which may appear ahead of this post if you are checking out the blog on your PC.) 

Alloy Giant bike without drive train or brakes.

Bike Rags Apparel is an Iowa based company

A rare and expensive Colnago gravel bike.

Billy Flamingo is a fat bike tire and accessory company from Alaska. This is the 27.5 "Quill Pig"

Billy Flamingo only offers 27.5" fat bike tires currently. 

The company also offers studs in different anodized colors along with a studding tool.

Kenda isn't at the top of most folks gravel tire desires. Kenda hopes to change that with the Crusher.

Here's the Crusher in a black wall version. 

A close up of the Kenda Alluvium Pro gravel tire.

Kenda makes several "e-Fat tires" for various electric bike applications,

Kinekt was there at CABDA showing their vibration absorbing stems and seat posts.

Pedros makes several tools which are mechanic favorites.

A good looking Sage Titanium Storm King with a suspension fork.

The only 32"er at CABDA was this SE Bikes "Colossal Ripper". Aptly named!

Stans on tap? I'll pass....

You may know Thomson for components like stems and seat posts. But did you know they have bicycles too?

This MTB hardtail is decked out in Thomson components. 

This track bike is pretty awesome looking. 

Well, that will be it for this photo dump from the 2026 CABDA show in Chicago. Thanks once again to Ari Andonopoulos for his time and energy in providing this content for Guitar Ted Productions. 

Look for the report from Ari and more images here as well.  

Friday News And Views

Airborne Bicycle Co To Launch New Product Soon:

As I was cruising social media earlier this week I came across an old name I hadn't seen much of in recent years. Airborne bikes were semi-famous in the early 2000's as a titanium brand with very inexpensive bikes. (For titanium, that is). Several models were available and Airborne was one of the first titanium 29"er bikes you could buy as a complete offering. 

Airborne was then sold to Huffy Bicycles and they revived the company as a budget oriented brand for mountain biking. I actually tested a Goblin 29 model back around 2012 or so for the 29"er site I wrote for. 

Then Airborne fell off my radar. Well, according to the comments made by "Airborne Bicycle Co." in the Facebook post I saw, the company was bought back by its original owner and since those days it has been quietly running with what appears to be only a couple MTB bikes. (See website HERE)

Supposedly there will be announcements in the coming weeks with new bikes. What these may be are hinted at in that Facebook post I saw. A dirt jumper, some MTB bikes, a return to titanium. But whether or no there will be gravel bikes, there was no hint given. I would bet there has to be something there. We will see.....

Proposed Iowa Bill May Make RAGBRAI, Gravel Riding A Crime:

Thanks to www.bikiowa.com, a new study bill in the Iowa legislature has been exposed which could have several unintended consequences for Iowa cyclists and tourism based on cycling in Iowa. 

Read the Bikeiowa article here and get all the details. 

Comments: Instigated as a way to regulate "devices" on public roadways with speed limits over 25mph, this broad-swath approach to law making could have a detrimental effect on cycling in the state. Unfortunately, this includes gravel roads as well. 

As of Wednesday morning the bill had been pulled. I would assume this is due to all the hub-bub created by Iowa cyclists. Postings about this bill were noted on several social media sites all expressing a negative take on the bill and its possible effects.  

While things seem to have cooled down for now, this hasn't gone away 100%. Worst case scenario is the law passes with no modifications. In my opinion it is unenforceable. Black Hawk county has approximately 550 miles of gravel and dirt roads, and you think you would have time, resources, and technology available to cover just this part to enforce the law? Give me a break! There is no way that happens. 

But Iowans, and you, dear readers, should be taking this seriously. Already we have seen New Jersey pull off a law making e-Bikes have to be licensed and registered as vehicles with insurance. Don't think for a minute your state isn't watching what happens and that your representatives aren't fiddling with similar ideas. 

Surly Offers Midnight Special With Carbon Fork:

Surly Bikes revealed on Tuesday of this past week a new offering of the Midnight Special with a carbon fork. 

The bike, dubbed an "endurance bike for backroads" by Surly, features a Waxwing carbon fork which Surly claims "has a knack for reducing road chatter"

The bike is also set up with Teravail's own carbon rims and tires. The drive train consists mostly of Shimano 105 12 speed parts. List price for this version of the Midnight Special is $3,499.00. 

Comments: Surly continues to "un-Surly" its offerings with this introduction of carbon fiber into its line. My audible chuckle was heard when I read the bit about "reducing road chatter". I have the very same Waxwing fork on my Honemann Flyer. I can tell ya......it ain't all that great at reducing chatter". In fact, I slapped a Redshift Sports ShockStop stem on the bike to do what Surly says the fork does, but does not do.  

And that geometry is pretty weird. 73° head tube angle matched with a 65mm bottom bracket drop? (Looking at a 58cm example) What is this? A Trek cyclo cross bike? I think the geometry is very similar. Anyway, it is about as far away from a "backroads bike" as I can think of for myself. Your mileage may vary.  

Image courtesy of the Gravel Cycling Hall of fame

GCHoF News Snubbed:

Several hours after the news broke on Wednesday morning about the new class of 2026 inductees for the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame, I checked several major cycling news sites. I noted no mention of the 2026 class for the GCHoF. Note: I did eventually find one well written story posted six hours after the announcement on Cycling Weekly by Anne-Marije Rook. HERE.

This is very interesting. 

The cycling industry has benefited greatly due to the development of gravel events and the subsequent innovations the industry has made to accommodate gravel cyclists. It is arguable that gravel, as a category, has made the transition from post pandemic troubles a bit less burdensome on brands and other companies with gravel products. 

There is no question that gravel events draw more participants than most other niches of cycle sport the mainstream sites froth over in their coverage. News on road cycling, MTB, or even such mundane things as the layoff situation at Campagnolo grabbed space in their news feeds. 

How gravel history and its impact on the industry is so conveniently ignored by all of the mainstream news sites is not going unnoticed. Also, for the record, those sites were afforded the opportunity to mention the GCHoF's Class of 2026 by way of a press release I know they were sent. (I happen to know the PR guy, so there is that...)

I don't know, but the way mainstream cycling media pushes news like this to the back burner is rather curious. 

Also, our take on the Guitar Ted Podcast can be heard on our latest podcast episode HERE.  

Bobcat tracks I saw in 2006

Bobcats More Common In Iowa:

As a cyclist, I enjoy seeing wildlife on my gravel rides. I was pretty curious and thrilled then when back in 2006 I came across bob cat tracks near Hickory Hills on a gravel ride.  

As I recall this was a ride in January which took me all the way down Ansborough Avenue Southward to the "T" intersection in Tama County where I stopped and refreshed myself with water and nutrition I had at the time. It was then when I spied those tracks in the snowy ditch. 

Bobcats were rare animals then and I felt fortunate to have even found tracks. But according to State biologists, the species has rebounded in the last 20 years to the point of becoming observed in urban areas. 

Mating season for the bobcat is now through March. So, males may be more on the move at this time. Keep an eye out for bobcats in fields along wooded areas or check for tracks when you stop. If you see one, don't panic. They are very wary of humans, and it would be a very chance occurrence if you did see one on a ride. But......there is a chance. A much better one than I had 20 years ago.  

Image courtesy of State Bicycle Co. social media

The 32" Watch: State Bicycle Co. Teases 32"er

State Bicycle Co., purveyors of budget and value driven bicycles and components, recently showed a bike with a front wheel that is 32" in diameter. Sporting the now ubiquitous Maxxis Aspen 32" X 2.4" tire, State seems to be testing the waters here. 

It is worth keeping an eye on if you are 32"er curious as anything State might put out there with a 32 inch wheel will likely be very competitively priced. 

Will they do this? I'm thinking there is a very good chance they will, but if so, my bet is nothing shows up for sale until 2027. It would take at least this long to develop a bike, components, and if they are going to provide a budget suspension choice, this might tack on a bit more time to get into production as well. 
 

That's a wrap on this week's FN&V. Thanks for reading Guitar ted Productions. Get out and ride a bicycle soon!