Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Whaleroad

Fourteen Sprockets:

Almost ten years ago now I posted concerning the stir a story caused back then about a patent drawing for a 14 speed Shimano cassette. I wrote about that HERE. It was something Shimano had in its back pocket for years already by that time. So, I knew it was only a matter of time till we saw this in reality. 

But to see it first from a Chinese company called Whaleroad? I did not have this on my 2026 bingo card, as the saying goes. And how about the name of the company? Gotta hand it to the Chinese. When they try to hit on an English language name for a company it doesn't always make sense. It makes for some interesting reactions. 

Anyway - the point Guitar Ted? Ah! Yes...... The point being that I wonder how Whaleroad can pull this off without Shimano having some sort of legal reaction to it. Then my second thought is concerning the "why do this?" question which I am sure many of you are thinking about as well.  

The cassette is an 11T - 46T. The cassette is part of the R7 road group. My feeling is Whaleroad is trying to reduce the differential in tooth count between cogs and to allow a 1X road drivetrain to be competitive with a 2X set up with a similar range of gearing. It is wireless, of course, with the rear derailleur having a removable battery. (SRAM nay have something to say about this as well.) The cassette fits on a standard HG free hub body (Shimano). 

Comments: This may be pointless now, because you probably cannot easily get this stuff, and taking a chance on a new drive train with little track record of success can seem like a bad decision now. And maybe you cannot fathom ever wanting or needing 14 speed cassettes. I get that. We thought 10 speed was crazy in 2010 too.  

But this is coming. Someday new bicycles will have 14 speed cassettes and it will be commonplace. Where it goes from there? I do not know, and maybe more importantly, I do not care. I'm still using 11 speed cassettes and I see no reason to get more than 11 sprockets back there. In fact, two of my bicycles are 9 speed. Think about this - It's 2026 and you can still buy good quality 9 speed components. So, I guess the bottom line here is don't let 14 speed stuff upset your apple cart. You do not have to buy into it. 

Podcast Update:

Just a reminder that the "Guitar Ted Podcast" has been pumping out a new episode about every two weeks. In case you haven't checked out this content, the two latest episodes can be accessed HERE and HERE (Spotify), or from any podcast outlet. 

N.Y. Roll has the new SILCA tires in reserve for his upcoming Twin Six 3X2 32"er build. We talk about our opinions on the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame, cycling in general, and on other subjects as well. We've gotten some great feedback on the episodes so far this year, and we thank you listeners for the encouragement. 

The next and newest episode is one where we talk about the lack of marketing focus on fun and community by cycling brands.I also share my wheel building thoughts.  

It's almost October already! That means we will be coming up on our traditional December mini-break soon. I suspect we will have about 5-6 more episodes before we call it an end to Season #4. If you have any suggestions for content you'd like to hear us speak on, please let me know either in the comments or at g.ted.productions@gmail.com. We listen to any and all feedback and would welcome any suggestions or comments you may have. 

We're having a banner year so far with as many episodes in the can already as we had all of last year. Thanks for the support, and if you are a new listener, Welcome!

Image courtesy of Tailfin

Tailfin Acquired By MVC Group:

It was announced Thursday on several online outlets that the bike packing rack company, Tailfin, had been acquired by the MVC group, a family owned business out of Italy. 

The MVC Group, according to its Linkedin profile, also owns Sportful, Karpos, Castelli and the triathlon brand Zoot. The MVC Group - according to its own press release, is backed by the private equity fund, Equinox.

Comments: I normally do not report on business transactions in the world of cycling, but I was made aware recently that there are some of you folks out there who really do not like "private equity" getting involved in companies you support. or used to support. 

It also dawned on me that the entire thought of private equity funds being involved in a bike packing company acquisition is kind of weird. Bike packing might be the ultimate expression in these times of an independent, self-governed life style. Private equity is seen by some to be one of the things that is wrong with business today and a thing that sucks the life out of brands which were started as family businesses. 

To be fair, the MVC Group is a family business, and maybe this acquisition is a good thing. I do not know. I only point this out since I have found there is a subset of people who find private equity distasteful. At the very least, this high-level business decision seems like an uncomfortable bedfellow with bike packing.

Image courtesy of Teravail 

QBP Brands To Be Sold On Amazon:

Earlier this week news spread across the internet regarding a letter sent to QBP (Quality Bicycle Products) dealers which detailed a strategy QBP would be implementing on the Amazon platform. 

In the communication QBP stated it would become an seller of record and would be offering proprietary brands on Amazon for sale to consumers. A list of those brands included Teravail and 45NRTH amongst others. 

Comments: This should not be a surprise. Independent bicycle shops are becoming scarcer and consumers buying habits have changed dramatically. Amazon is open 24-7, 365. Your local bike shop is not. It is the way it is and this move is, I think, due in part to this new reality. 

By the way, Teravail is blowing out tires at about half price right now on their site. If you are in need of some tires this might be a good time to shop. 

 That's it for this week! Have a great weekend and get out and ride those bicycles!

Review: WTB Course & Byway Aero Gravel Tires - First Impressions

 Note: WTB sent over a pair of the 700 x 50mm Byway tires and a pair of the 700 x 52mm Course tires for test and review. Guitar Ted Productions was neither paid or bribed for this review. All thoughts and opinions are Guitar Ted's. 

Singular Peregrine Mk4 with WTB Course tires

The WTB aero gravel tires are being put to the test here - that is when it isn't raining buckets and lightning outside. Whew! It's been a rough September here so far. 

But be that as it may, I have some impressions of these tires to share so far, So, this post will be about sharing those thoughts. If you missed the technical stats and measurement articles, please go back and read those articles HERE and HERE. 

As a reminder, the two tire sets I received to be reviewed are the 700 X 50mm Byway and the 700 X 52mm Course tires. While getting "real gravel riding" in has been next to impossible, I do have rides on many surfaces including decomposed gravel, dirt, broken pavement, and regular paved streets and bike paths. 

700 x 50mm WTB Byway tires on the BMC MCD

Impressions:

Visually the two models of WTB aero gravel tires look very rounded. I don't think I've run a tire with such a round casing since I had the Challenge Tire Getaway model  on for review back in 2020. 

Rounded off tires seem to be a good idea if you are trying to make things more aero, I would guess. But however this was decided upon at WTB, it does do certain things to handling. Things like less tire hitting the surface you are riding on. There is one other trait here which I will touch upon when I speak to the Byway specifically. For now, I want to focus in on the speed aspect. 

Less tire hitting paved surfaces means a fast roll, and that is great. However; I remember looking at that Challenge Getaway and thinking it was going to act like a prow of a boat and try to push its way through loose gravel instead of rolling up and over the loose rocks. I'm not sure how the WTB tires will hndle this yet. With the 120TPI casings the hope is the tire will be supple enough that it will be like the Getaway and absorb the rocks, go over them, and not plow through them. We shall see. 

The Byway essentially is a slick

Now, getting to the Byway. This tire is essentially a road slick. Sure, there are some tread blocks....kind of, but I'm not leaning over that far to find out whether they will work or not. 

You might think, "Well, air it down and see if you can get tread block engagement that way>" Okay, I did this. First of all, it did not help with traction. The tire is sketchy on anything slick, muddy, or wet. It acts like it looks. I'm not surprised by this at all. 

What I was surprised by was the self-steer in the front and how much drag I was feeling compared to when the tire was at 35psi - 40psi. I was running a little above 20psi, and well, this tire doesn't work well down that low. Not for myself. I'll try something closer to 30psi next time and see if I can find a sweet spot. The point was that the Byway doesn't gain much, if any, traction at lower psi settings. It is just going to act like a slick tire, in my opinion. 

The Course is very happy at 35 psi and rolls fast. The tread on this tire does lend traction and I found going through corners on decomposed gravel, dirt, and even on pavement was fun. 

This tire is also very fast feeling. I've not run the pressures down on this tire yet, and given how the Byway responded to very low pressure, I'll likely stick to something around 30psi for that test. 

I think both tires have a nice, damped ride quality. It isn't super impressive in this regard, but it is very good, I think. 

Both have held air well enough and I see no concerns with that. There has been no signs of casing weep, nothing negative at all in this regard, and I think the short term outlook is great with these tires. Whatever WTB did with materials and construction has been proven to be good....so far. 

In the next post I will have some "real gravel rides" logged in and then we will learn even more about these new tires from WTB. 

Getting Excited About Wheel Sizes: A Cautionary Tale

Janis 650B FS from the 2009 Interbike

 I just watched some YouTube coverage concerning the recent Sea Otter Europe bike gathering. (Yes - Sea Otter Europe) There was supposedly going to be a big buzz concerning the new 32" wheels over there. So I wanted to gauge what the online media was harping on about. 

First of all, 32" wheel bikes did show there, but I think this was more 'click-bait' than any real trend making when it comes to that wheel size and the future of cycling. There is still a ton of skepticism surrounding this wheel size and the bikes? Many look kind of goofy, like an adolescent teenager. Negative rise stems, and geometry tweaked to fit around those gargantuan hoops. 

Maybe it is just a shock from the norm and we'd get used to it all eventually. But I will say some 32 inch wheeled bikes look completely normal as well. So I'm not sure the shock and awe is all there is to that.  

I will say that while some think 32"ers are inevitably going to "be a thing" in the future, I would caution against having this opinion. Why? Because 17 years ago another wheel size was purportedly going to "take over the market". Many bikes were made and sold to make one feel that "this is an inevitable thing". And then, a mere six years later? 

It was over.

Lenz "Lunch Box" 6" travel 29"er in 2008

I'm talking about the 650B/27.5"er "revolution" in long travel mountain biking. Supposedly the thinking was that 29"er wheels would never make a viable long travel full suspension bike. Anything beyond three inches of travel was going to be too goofy in terms of geometry, too ungainly, and no fun to ride. 

Companies invested in the nascent "enduro" MTB scene were all onboard with promoting 5"- 6" travel 27.5 wheeled machines and the industry went whole-hog with the idea for a few years. This was purportedly going to be the realm of 650B wheels for the foreseeable future. All Enduro and DH bikes were going to be this wheel size. But....

That didn't happen. Meanwhile, as the industry geared up for the "next big thing" in wheels starting around 2010-2011, there were companies proving that 29"ers were completely viable long-travel MTB bikes. They just needed the proper components, (forks, wheels, tires) to get the job done. Geometry was a little bit of a problem, but with the advent of 1X and the elimination of front derailleurs, this became an easily fixed problem for full-suspension 29"ers.  

Then it was discovered that 29"ers actually rolled over stuff better, and still could be made to fit almost everyone. Dropper posts were another boon to bringing bigger wheels to Enduro and DH courses. By 2017-2018, the 29"er wheel had pretty much put the kibosh on any future 27.5"er advancements. 

So....what's the lesson here? Couldn't 32"ers follow the same path as 29"ers? Possibly. However; as I've stated before, now with this larger diameter wheel, you are cutting off a lot of people on the shorter end of the scale in terms of who can ride 32". Marketing 32" as "The Next Big Thing", (no pun intended), is made a lot more difficult when a large portion of your potential sales won't ever fit on that wheel size. 

Every so-called scientific test of 32" wheels points to a gain in speed and grip, but perhaps we've reached a point of diminishing returns when it comes to who can actually benefit from this. And weight matters. 32"ers are never going to be as light as 700c based wheels. The logical fall off of benefit versus an increase in negatives starts to become more apparent as we reach 32" diameters and larger wheels. 

So, based on what you see, you'd think, "Well, this 32" thing has some legs!". But don't forget what happened to 27.5"ers. Just because there is activity in the industry that doesn't always indicate success in sales. I'd stay wary of any predictions regarding the success of 32"ers in the future. It might stick, but then again, it might be just a little bit too much for many people to accept or even be able to use.  

Nicky Brooks: Saved

Nicky Brooks before restoration....

 You may remember a "Two Things" post recently where I showed an old Brooks saddle I was going to restore. Well, this post will cover the results of the restoration and what I did to achieve the results I got. 

If you missed the first post I have an image here of the "before" and you can go re-read the post HERE in case you feel so inclined.  

This saddle wasn't in too bad a shape, really. I dusted it off and cleaned up the rust from the frame. Then I applied Proofide, Brooks' own product for preserving and restoration of Brooks leather saddles, and I applied a good amount on top and underneath. I worked it in with a clean, dry cloth and then I let that marinate for several days. 

Once I was convinced the Proofide was dry enough, I hit the saddle with a rag, polishing it up, and then finished that off with a shoe-shine brush. I took my Dremel tool and cleaned up those risty rivets, (they are indeed silver) , and I got this result......

 

I also tensioned it up, just a touch, because whomever rode it previous to the saddle falling into my hands had sagged the top,out a bit. I maybe only put a few turns on the adjusting nut, but it seemed to straighten up the shape a bit. Then I had to find a seat post, mount Nicky Brooks to it, and slide that post into my Karate Monkey to go for a test ride. 

I used a Salsa seat post, the one designed by Ross Shafer. It is, to my way of thinking, the smartest seat post design ever. So easy to use. And it is strong. It is too bad this design has been shelved by QBP. 

So, there you go! Nicky Brooks has been saved. Now it is time to get some miles on this saddle and see how it holds up. It sure is nice to start out with a broken in Brooks saddle! And I think it looks the part on the Karate Monkey since the saddle is nicked up a bit, just like the bike is.  

The Future Of Cycling

Snipped from Honda's video on their upcoming e-mtb

 I work at a non-profit cycling collective in Waterloo, Iowa. This job has provided me with a perspective I feel was sorely missing previous to my working there. That is, the cycling industry makes far too many bicycles. Also - The cycling industry makes cycling way too complicated and focused on performing. 

Many times I have feelings which find expression in other people's words. Such is the case with a recent discovery of video content on Instagram from a U.K. company called Starling Cycles. . I'm not sure who the gent is that takes the time to do these social media posts for Starling. I imagine it is the head of the company, I do not know. But he's got some good, thought-provoking statements and this particular Instagram post is well worth listening to. 

His point is essentially we don't need all these new bicycles. And it isn't just on the boutique, high-end, or mainstream brands that this is true. It is really evident on the low end. The amount of straight-up "bicycle shaped garbage" we recycle at the collective is amazing to me. The bikes were never meant to be repaired, last long, or give any joy in usage. They exist only for the reason of monetary extraction from the poorer folks to the richer folks. That's it. That is the story of big-box cycling.  

This is why we should be cycling: To build community and have FUN.

On the latest "Guitar Ted Podcast" - amongst other subjects - I mentioned why I thought the cycling industry has it all wrong. The focus is way off. 

Performance is all you ever hear about in the brand messaging, media coverage, and event coverage. Where is the "FUN" at? 

How about we think more about that and how being together doing the cycling thing is a good time. Less about grams, weight, and weird clothing would go miles with getting more people on "real" bicycles. The major appealing thing for the youth when it comes to scooters and mopeds powered by electricity is (a) they can be themselves - No weird accoutrements required, and (b), it's easy. Just hop on and go. 

That used to be under the purview of "real" cycling. I used to grab my bicycle when I was young and just pedal to wherever the day took me. No weird shoes to wear. No helmets, (Yes, this is a hindrance to cycling) No focus on performing a certain way. We rode to get together, go places, have some fun. These kids today are doing the exact same thing, but just not on bicycles. Why? Because bicycles they can afford are complete garbage or the bicycles that would work are far too expensive. Plus there is all this helmet, jersey, shoe weirdness, and the kids do not want it. 

This doesn't exist in the e-world, and as a bonus, they don't have to get sweaty to go someplace. It's easy. The parents don't have to drag the kids around by car to wherever either. 

The future of cycling is bleak because the industry is missing the points which would draw in the youth. And now? With electrified easy transpo, you are going to be hard  pressed to get kids to go back to pedaling, unless some drastic thing happens in the near future to change the availability of those devices.

I don't know about where you live, but this is the reality where I am.  

Building Up: Wheels For Fargo Gen 1- Part 2

In the previous update the wheel build for the Gen I Fargo was nearing completion.  With both wheels having been tensioned up, it was time for the accessory mounting phase. Rim strips, tires, sealant, rotors, cassette, and final check over is what was left here to show you. 

In case you missed the actual wheel building part, you can check that out HERE. 

I will say a few words about tensioning spokes before I move on. This process is important to get everything settled into each other. Nipples seating into their places on the rim. Spokes not hanging up on each other where they cross. Spoke heads and the length of spokes just past the head being seated, and not bowed out, but straight as can be. 

All these things are usually under the umbrella of "de-stressing" the wheel. You usually see this being done by a wheel builder when the builder squeezes pairs of spokes or if they take the wheel out of the stand and put lateral pressure on it in various ways. All of this is basically done to align spokes and nipples and to get better readings from a spoke tensionometer. 

Spoke tensionometers measure tension in kilograms of force. (kgf) Usually spokes are rated for optimum tension range. In my case it is 110kgf for the spokes I used. It is also noteworthy to know what the rim is rated to as well. Finally, more tension does not necessarily mean a stronger wheel. In fact, maximum tension allowable sometimes is not a good idea. (You limit the possibilities of truing a wheel maxed out on tension at its beginning of service later on if it comes out of true). 

The Bontrager TLR rim strip is a brilliant product.

After the wheels were finished up in the tensioning phase I moved on to placing the Bontrager TLR rim strips into the rim cavity of the Duster rims. This system is a brilliantly conceived of and executed way to seal off a rim bed for tubeless tire set ups. 

The TLR strip fits in like a Tupperware lid on a container. It is a bit stretchy, plasticky material which needs to be handled with care, but once in the rim, you have zero worries about leaking tape, or having to prep and install tape in the first place. 

I suppose it is a bit heavier than tape, but I'll take the bombproof reliability of this way of doing tubeless any day over having to use tape. Too bad Bontrager locked this idea up because I think it would be a huge benefit to riders if it could have been an open standard.  

Also- The TLR rim strips can be reused as long as you don't damage them when removing them from a rim. They are super easy to clean sealant off of, and the built up area for the valve stems insures that you can get a good, tight seal on the valve stem. 

I decided to use the Surly Extraterrestrial tires in the 29" x 2.5" size which were on these rims before. I currently have two other wheel sets with tires mounted which can be used on this Fargo. One is a HED Ardennes wheel set I have had forever and those have Rene Herse tires on them with Aeron TPU tubes. The other is a set of the original wheels off the Tamland Two set up with 29" x 2.2 (I think) Vittoria Terreno Dry tires. 

With the HED wheel set having the skinniest tires, the Terreno Dry being in between, I figured the 2.5" tires would slot in well and give me a kind of "over landing" wheel set for the Fargo. Besides, those fat Surly tires just look rad on the Gen I Fargo. 

This meant I needed to clean up the Extraterrestrials before I remounted them. I could have used a cleaner, but I took my time and just rolled off the old sealant with my thumbs. This took approximately two hours. (Note: I was not in any hurry)

Then it came time to mount the tires. I had to use my Challenge Tires "Smart Bead Seating Tool" to jack the last six inches of the tires onto the rim. That tool has been a lifesaver at times. Highly recommend it. 

Anyway, then I put in about 160ml's of sealant in each tire, (these are big volume tires!), and aired one up with just a floor pump. The other I had to remove the core, but it went up with a floor pump as well. Everything sat where it belonged at about 30psi. Not bad! 

With the tires mounted up I moved on to the final assembly of the wheels. This included mounting rotors, the cassette, and adjusting the brake calipers. 

The rotors I used were a set of ancient Avid rrotors the likes of which the Fargo would have had on it as new. Back in the day, people were not too jazzed about these rotors, but they hold up well, cut mud better than most, and - for me- are always pretty quiet. 

I did use brand new rotor bolts on this wheel set. That blue LocTite is a pain in the patukis.  

I did have to dress the splines on the Chris King free hub because it is made out of aluminum and free cogs in a cassette tend to raise up burs and cut little slots into the spline faces. Fortunately I happen to have a jeweler's file for just such an occasion. 

Once this was done and the cassette (from the HED wheel set, by the way) was mounted it was time for the wheels to go into the bike. Then I had to tweak the caliper positions on both ends, another pain in the patukis, but hey! I got it done! Finally I could hear that characteristic buzz from the rear hub. Nice! Then it was time to don a helmet and go for a test ride.....

 

Shout out to Kwik Star for the use of their privacy fence! 

And there you have it! The wheels are done and dusted. I think this wheel set will live on the Fargo most often. I really like the big Extraterrestrials on this bike and they sure do make rough gravel smoother. The rims look fantastic without those distracting stickers and my black/silver spoke theme looks amazing, in my opinion, as well. 

So.....if it ever stops raining, I will get out there on this bike yet this Fall. This one has the Super-Secret v1 chain lube on it, so it is a "control" bike for the current Lube-Off. That means I have to get out on some dry gravel when I can. Not to mention using the other bikes in the test!) 

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the wheel saga and I will give an update on things once I ride this more.  

Two Things

Image courtesy of Canyon Bikes

Full-Circle:

During the 2000's when I was a mechanic at a local bicycle shop I could see where the whole "Lance Effect" had turned road bikes into "road racing-inspired" bikes that were not comfortable, practical, or inexpensive. People believed "fast" meant the lightest bike with the skinniest, high pressure tires they could get. 

Laugh all you want, I remember these customers. Almost to a person they ended up having to compromise the vision they initially believed to be true and make more practical choices. Sometimes even getting a different bicycle, and in some cases, they just quit riding. Racing bikes in any guise were not the answer.

Fast-forward to 2026. Canyon Bikes introduces a third generation Grail, their gravel bike. Of course, it is all based on the latest racing tech and fads of the day. Online pundits are writing up reviews saying the bike isn't racy enough. 

What are we doing here? 

:Looking at the Grail, and other recently introduced "gravel bikes", I do not see a bicycle most folks would feel comfortable on. I see "racing influence". Which probably will not get more people to ride. It failed to produce any long-lasting results 20 years ago. I am betting it won't work in 2026 either. 

Image courtesy of Wolf Tooth

Wolf Tooth Hubs:

I saw one social media post from an online media source which went something like this:"It would be easier to list the things Wolf Tooth does not make". 

Hard to argue this point. 

You may have seen the company from Minnesota has hubs now. No big surprise there. But I was a bit disappointed to see the offering for road/gravel is a straight pull spoke design with only 24 spokes supported. 

As a wheel builder and a fan of the wheel in general, a straight pull design locks you down and limits you to only straight pull stock if you need a replacement spoke. Straight pull spokes are around, for sure, but many shops and online sources do not carry them. J-bend spokes are everywhere. Spoke blanks in J-Bend can be cut and threaded to size at many shops, but they do not always have straight pull spokes. 

But okay- maybe you do not break spokes (yet.....you will if you ride enough), but the 24 hole thing? Hmmm... Pretty limiting, I'd say. That spoke count would work for many folks, but I'd have preferred a 28 hole choice. 

On price Wolf Tooth is very good for a USA made hub. Onyx and Chris King are both over $500.00 for a rear hub while the Wolf Tooth is $489.95 USD. So, there is an advantage there, but I wouldn't buy the Wolf Tooth based upon price only. For my money though, the winner is White Industries CLD hub which is $467.00 USD for the rear and comes in five colors. Of course, it has J-bend spoke compatibility. 

It is nice to have another Made in the USA hub option, but this one is not for me.