Review: Ergon SR Allroad Pro Saddle & BT Orthocell Road Tape: First Impressions

 Note: Ergon sent the SR Allroad saddle and the BT OrthoCell Road handle bar tape to Guitar Ted Productions at no cost for test and review. Ergon has not paid for, nor bribed Guitar Ted for these reviews. All opinions and images, unless noted, belong to Guitar Ted/Guitar Ted Productions.

The Ergon SR Allroad Pro saddle and BT Orthocell Road Tape have been installed on my single speed gravel bike, the Honeman Flyer. In this post I will give you my experience regarding the installation of the bar tape and some initial first impressions after a few test rides. 

For the introduction to these products, please see my article HERE. There you will get all the tech information and pricing for these two items.

Installing The BT OrthoCell Tape:

In the past, the Ergon handlebar tapes I have used from the Gravel range have been some of the nicest, longest lasting handlebar tapes I've ever used. Those tapes have also been some of the most difficult tapes to install as well. I've installed handlebar tape as a retail repair mechanic for around thirty years, so I have a lot of experience with many different types of handlebar tapes. Ergon is easily in my top three hardest tapes to install. 

So, it came as a very nice surprise to me when I cracked open the BT OrthoCell Road tape and started working with it and I found it to be......normal. It installs very nicely and quickly, at least from my perspective. It is far easier to install than the previously mentioned Ergon tapes.  So far so good!

The saddle I will mention briefly in terms of installation. It went like any other saddle. Issues regarding the installations of saddles are more predicated upon seat post designs than they are saddle designs. So, no issues at all with the Ergon saddle here. The Whisky Parts Co. seat post? That's another story..... At least the saddle is mounted. 

Initial Ride Impressions:

The subject of any touch-point on a bicycle is fraught with frustrations and multitudinous theories and opinions. You've heard how the reviews of such items are subjective and how "this worked/did not work for me and your mileage may vary. So, what is the point of even trying to review such items, especially saddles? 

First of all, a saddle choice is going to require on-the-bike research and it will be costly.  This is not what you want to hear, and you may balk at this, but I have seen no "easy button" to push to instantly find your perfect saddle. Yes, there are certain things you can do to narrow down your choices. However; the bottom line here is that you will have to ride a saddle for multiple rides (most likely) and for longer rides (over three hours is my baseline) to know a saddle works or does not work. Here are a few points to get you started if you are on a saddle search: 

• Get A Professional Bike Fitting Done: This is paramount if you are serious about cycling and want to be as comfortable, or fast, or both - as possible. This will take a lot of the guess-work out of saddle choice. 
• Find A Sit-Bone Calculator/Guide: If a professional fitting is out of the question, getting to know your sit-bone width is the next thing I'd recommend. You can use various calculators online from most major brand saddle sellers, or you might get this done at certain full-service bike shops. I've used the WTB Fit-Right System to great success in the past. Ergon offers their Saddle Selector as well. 
• Buy Used Saddles: There are a lot of people dissatisfied with their saddle choice selling saddles on the used marketplace. I find these a lot on Facebook Marketplace. I am sure other forums which focus on cycling have classifieds as well which may be mined for saddle research. This will cut down on costs and provide a way to get rid of unsatisfactory saddles as well.  

Whew..... Okay! Now what did I think of this SR Allroad Pro? Well, so far it seems just fine. I've been on several shorter rides and I've noted no glaring faults. I am fine tuning the positioning yet, but hopefully I can speak to how it feels on longer rides when I post a final review on the saddle in a month or so. 

I will say the SR Allroad is probably going to work out for me as long as the longer, three hour plus test comes out well. 

Again, with regard to the BT OrthoCell Tape, I need to put in longer rides on it, but so far I am impressed with how this thinner tape is working. Typically my better experiences have been on tape in the 2mm - 3mm thickness range. This tape is right at 2mm thick, but feels cushier than this thickness would imply. 

The grip is good to very good. I would like to see if it gets slimy-slippery when wet. But my impressions are it will be fine. The BT OrthoCell Tape has a bit of an open pore look and feel to it, so I think it will deal with moisture from water or sweat well. 

Until Next Time:

I will be doing those longer rides and hopefully sussing out what these two products can do for me on gravel and pavement. I would expect a final word in about a month or so. I may post separate reviews, as mentioned in the previous introduction. If I decide to do so, I will link back to each final review here and from each final review for easier reference. 

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

The Honeman Flyer: Two Years With A Weirdo

The Honemann Flyer March 2026

 This marks the beginning of Year 3 with the bike I dubbed "The Honeman Flyer", a single speed bicycle built by King Fabrications in California. 

Regular blog readers will know this bike well. I thought I would give my impressions of the bike again in view of my previous comments. If this bike is new to you, I have an AI overview of the bike, which is pretty spot-on, concise, and will serve as a way to bring you up to date:

 "The Honeman Flyer is a custom, single-speed gravel bike built by King Fabrications for Guitar Ted Productions, designed based on the 1930s-era track bike geometry of national champion Willie Honeman. It is a unique, super-smooth riding, -framed bike featuring a slack seat tube and modern components, intended to test the relevance of classic geometry for modern gravel riding."

I'll only add that the geometry and the frame and fork Willie rode to three national championships on the track was built by John "Pop" Brennan.  

My last look at this bike was last December in my "Bikes of 2025" post.  You can check that one out if you'd like to. 

Ben Petty (L) and Guitar Ted riding the Honeman Flyer last October

 I have written a ton about this bike so I won't try to rewrite again things I've covered before. I will say this bike seems to be tied to seat post changes. I went with a carbon Whisky Parts Co. post on this, switching out the old post in early March. About a week ago, to be exact. Early returns are good with the original look being present once again, which I happen to like better. 

I re-wrapped the bars with Ergon AllRoad tape. I also installed the Ergon saddle I recently recieved in for review. Both parts were introduced HERE. The black handlebar tape really looks different. I'm so used to running pink hues for handlebar tape on this bicycle. With all the black additions I think it brings out the black crackle overcoat on the paint job. 

I'll be doing a lot of riding on this bike in 2026. Again, it is one of my better riding bicycles. Li King did a great job choosing tubing and fabricating the design. It's kind of funny, but Li hasn't ever shown or mentioned this bicycle since. I would imagine because it seems too weird for many folks to even contemplate. 

It is not in the latest geometry trends or feature trends for a gravel bike. It won't take anything wider than a 44mm tire. It really should be a 40mm tire. It is steel. It doesn't have gears. No down tube storage box. And that radical rear end of this bike. 

I mean, how does anyone ride a bike like this in 2026? 

Easy - One pedal stroke at a time!

And what about this experiment's relevance to modern day gravel geometry? I'd say everything from the bottom bracket forward is spot on. The back end? Weird. Not relevant at all.  

Anyway, the bike is surprisingly fun to ride, it handles very well for myself, and in the end, this is all that really matters. It suits me very well. I would not expect anyone else to like such a weird bike. To ride, at any rate. It does also look cool, which is good, but yeah - 1980's crackle finish paint is not everyone's cup of tea. 

Weird bike, weird paint job, weirdo rider. Seems like a match made in heaven.  

The Path To Discovering Gravel Grinding: Part 2

This is Part 2 of a mini-series of posts telling the story of what it was like to attend events in the early days of the Modern Gravel Era. This story will focus on the part the Dirty Kanza 200 played in those days from my perspective. Please read Part 1 also to help with the context of this post. 

Researching on the internet concerning an unknown entity (gravel racing) in a fairly desolate part of the USA (Flint Hills) was not very rewarding. Most of what was on the internet in 2005/2006 centered around cattle grazing, the National Grasslands, and the Native American ancestors who once lived there. 

Bicycles? There was precious little information regarding riding a bicycle in the Flint Hills of Kansas. Even the event's predecessor, the Flint Hills Death Ride, was barely mentioned and it was, at that time, considered a mountain bike event. 

So, I had to guess the best that I could. Weather was a wildcard. What hills would be included, and how often, and how many, were all mysteries. The event organizers had one checkpoint where riders could have a drop bag sent and waiting for them. There were very few towns and villages. Getting resupplied was supposed to be done at convenience stores, but there were only three for the entire 200 miles. Council Grove, Cottonwood Falls, and then a long haul down to Eureka, and then back to Emporia. 

I decided on a single speed. Less stuff to go wrong in the middle of nowhere. Plus, I was going with zero support. If things went upside down, well..... If I could still walk, I was going to have to do that. Cell coverage was iffy to nonexistent. I had no idea if there were farms, like we had in Iowa, or just vast, empty spaces. 

The 2005 On One Inbred single speed 29"er as I rode it at the inaugural Dirty Kanza 200.

I decided to run a hydration pack, mostly because this was the only way to hope to have enough water for the long stretches between resupplies. Things like fork mounted bottles, "feed bags", or other commonly seen accessories for endurance gravel/road riding today weren't available yet in the mid-2000's. 

Nutrition was another reason to haul a rucksack with you. Your jersey pockets would also provide some space to carry food, but not enough for 200 miles. Plus, you needed repair items, just in case, as well. Those had to go somewhere. I think I settled on a Topeak seat bag, as I recall, for the spares. 

And navigation. Ha ha! People would throw a fit today if they were sent out on a forlorn, desolate route with just a map with a highlighted route on it. This is what we were led to believe we'd have to navigate by previous to the event. In the end, Joel and Jim marked the entire 200 mile course so well a map was barely a necessity, unless you made a wrong turn somewhere. 

So, a wired or wireless computer was a necessity. GPS? Yeah...... Think again. This was 2006. Such devices were not quite a thing yet in those days. Calibration of your computer was a fine art. Then you also had to account for how you wanted to carry your maps. Early gravel events had cues or maps and there was no agreed upon standard sizing for such things. So sometimes this was a late decision based upon whatever the event directors landed on for sheet size. Zip-loc food bags were your best bet along with a clip to hold all the sheets together. 

Decisions, decisions! Then added in was whatever you thought you'd need for clothing going into a night time finish. It was pretty crazy trying to navigate all the unknowns then! But this is what made these events so fun and memorable. 

Next: Learning lessons as a rider and event director.  

Gravel Grinder News: Spring Valley Wilder 100 Event Announced.

Image courtesy of the Spring Valley EDA

 The Spring Valley Wilder 100 & Wilder 60 Events For 2026:

History: The long history of gravel events out of Spring Valley, Minnesota continues with the announcement recently of the Spring Valley Wilder 100 and Wilder 60 events. 

Based out of Spring Valley, Minnesota for many years, Gravel Cycling Hall of Famer, Chris Skogen, moved his iconic Almanzo 100 event to the Southeastern Minnesota village from Rochester, Minnesota, where the event originated. Skogen ran the event for several years as a free to enter gravel challenge. Eventually longer distances were also added with 165 miles and 400 miles being on the table. Skogen left the event for a time and the Spring Valley tourism board ran the event for a few years. Then Skogen came back just before he decided to  move the event to Northfield, Minnesota. Through a series of odd social media posts and negotiations behind the scenes, Skogen then handed off the event to a group which then changed the name to the Heywood Ride. 

Subsequently, Spring Valley found itself without an event. However, a new director took the task over and put on an event which was known as the Spring Valley 100. This event used the "original" Spring Valley based Almanzo 100 course.

After a time, this event was ran again by Spring Valley Economic Development Association.  Now the event has a new director who is working the event under the Spring Valley EDA. 

Called The Spring Valley Wilder 100 and Wilder 60, the event will take place this year on May 16th from downtown Spring Valley, Minnesota. .Entry for either distance is set at $35.00 and you can register now HERE. 

Gravel Grinder News: Bianchi's New Infinito "Allroads" Bike

Note: All information and images used for this article were provided by Bianchi. Comments are Guitar Ted's opinions and may not reflect those of Bianchi.

Bianchi Re-imagines the Infinito as an AllRoads Bike:

On Friday Bianchi released news of a redesigned Infinito. Their endurance road bike now becomes a bike with no limitations to road surfaces. In fact, it would have passed for a gravel racing bike ten years ago. 

What Bianchi has done with the new Infinito is then quite relevant today for anyone who sees their riding to be on pavement, rougher roads, and all the way to crushed rock roads. 

The new Infinito incorporates Bianchi's latest rider comfort features as well. The ground-up new design of the Infinito is an opportunity for a rider to get a bike"that makes you feel like you could ride forever". The Infinito does this by way of a special carbon fiber lay-up called "Countervail". 

The carbon is layered up with a special visco-elastic material which Bianchi claims is 20% lighter than the outgoing Infinito's was. This works as a vibration absorbing material which is enhanced in certain areas by way of special shaping. Most notably in the seat mast. 

Of course, aero efficiency was important for this new Infinito. Bianchi claims a 12 watt improvement over the previous generation of the Infinito. This has been done with the aid of a systemic approach to frame and fork design. 

Bianchi also took this opportunity with the new design to refine the Infinito's geometry. They increased the stack height, which Bianchi claims helps with comfort for a ridier on longer rides. Bianchi also lengthened the chain stays in an effort to increase stability. Finally, the seat mast features a zero offset design which helps open up the rider's hips, enhancing pedaling abilities and allows for easier breathing. Furthermore, the frame is offered in seven sizes to better fit riders. 

The Infinito Launch Edition will be limited to 200 units.

 Gravel Versatility

Finally, the part many of you might have been waiting for here. Bianchi opened up tire clearances to allow the Infinito to accept up to a 40mm tire. Bianchi also says the new Infinito will support both gravel and road groups. There is even down tube storage on this bike, which is something generally only seen on gravel bikes up to this point. 

NOTE: Reading Bianchi's site for this new bike, I found the geometry chart to be mismarked. Obvious errors in the identification for measurements exist, but one could infer a few things based upon generally accepted geometry for a bicycle like this. 

 Prices:

Pricing for the new Infinito models will be as folows:

Launch Edition: Custom Infinito Pro build and exclusive finish. Priced at €7,790. $9,050.00 USD*

Infinito Pro: Premium build, available in five colourways with 2x12-speed SRAM Force AXS/Rival AXS and Shimano Ultegra Di2/105 Di2 groupset options, starting from €4,950. $5,750.00 USD *

Infinito: Standard build, available in two colourways with 12-speed Shimano 105 Di2 and mechanical groupset options, starting from €2,790. $3,250.00 USD*

*Prices for USA are estimates and do not include any shipping/tariffs. 

Comments: So, again we see road bikes encroaching on territory once reserved for "gravel bikes" and any other type of bicycle which could handle a big, poofy tire. It is hard to deny Bianchi's assertion that the new Infinito is a "light gravel" choice for riders now with the capability to handle a 700 x 40mm tire. 

This bicycle is just one of many I think is going to be coming out in the next couple of years which will force riders and brands to rethink what a "road bike" really is. Now, as far as I could gather from the mismarked geometry chart on Bianchi's site, this bike still retains a very road bike-like geometry. The head angle is pretty steep from a gravel perspective. The bottom bracket drop is merely "okay". Obviously many riders now wouldn't consider a bike for gravel unless it could make do with wider tires than 40mm. 

However; there is a lot here which crosses over, and for many riders, 40mm is quite enough as it lends the pavement rider ability to cross gravel roads to connect to pavement again. Or perhaps a smooth dirt road stands between you and that sweet stretch of vacated road way. Maybe you have an abandoned highway near you that is a little rough with 30mm tires but 40's? Let's go!

I'm waiting for this category to become the preferred road bike for most people. Gravel-only is not as appealing to many riders as a bike which "could" go graveling but is still a road bike. This Bianchi says "road bike" but with benefits. I think this is what more people want more than they want "true gravel" bikes. 

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Kona Bicycles

 Kona Offers Steel Drop Bar Mountain Bike:

Kona released news on Tuesday concerning a new steel framed drop bar mountain bike they are calling the "LBF" (Legend of Big Fork) 

This new model sees Kona adopting a rather "Fargo-like" bicycle with several features like multiple bosses for bottles or bags, a Rock Shox SID XC suspension fork, and 2.4" tires on Race Face rims. 

The drive train is from SRAM and features bits from their NX, GX, and Apex offerings. The brakes are SRAM four piston caliper/Apex lever units and the handlebar and stem are Ritchey Design models. With a slack head angle of 67° and a fork offset of 44mm this bike should be really stable on off-road trails. 

Retail is set at $3,699.00 USD and more details can be seen at Kona's webpage for this bike HERE.  

Comments: Again, another Fargo-like offering with a real focus on the MTB stuff. I'm all for this, but the tire choice seems narrow-ish and the price seems a bit steep. Is that just me, or is this bike pricey? I'm thinking it might be just me because I have an embargoed release set to go live next week with something sort of similar to this with a very similar price point. 

Guitar Ted On Substack:

Just a PSA concerning my work appearing on Substack. Right now I have only one article up, and it is something which appeared here already, so if you are a regular reader here, you've seen this before. 

I may not be posting there on the daily, in fact, I can tell you I will not be doing that. But I will post over there and it probably will be a bit different content. Stuff not necessarily bicycle related. I won't be doing a regular schedule either. I am not going to tie myself down in that regard. 

If you are interested in content from me which will likely range from the more personal side to maybe talk about other subjects I find interesting, such as guitar, music, and racing cars, well maybe this will be of interest to you. 

If you want to get notifications of anything which may pop up there please subscribe on Substack and you will be notified when I publish something. No charge. No big commitment. Thanks for considering this. 

Image courtesy of Wilde Bicycle Co,

Wilde Bicycle Co. Announces One "Just For The Fun Of It"

Wilde Bicycle Co. is headed up by Jeffrey Frane, who was the head of All City Bikes for QBP, and a Minneapolis cyclist for quite some time. One of his favorite bikes to get around on is an old Surly 1 X 1. So, it may not come as much of a surprise then that Wilde Bicycles is offering a cruiser inspired 26"er.  

The model, dubbed the "Moto Cruiser", will be offered as a frame/for/handlbar module or as a complete single speed or geared bike. 

Pre-orders are open now at Wilde Bicycle's site HERE.  

Comments: I loved my old Surly 1 X 1 cruiser when I had it even though it was a size too small for me. I could see this Wilde model being someones fun get-around urban bike in a similar way. The color of this bike is right up my alley too. But all this said, I have to keep calm and let it pass. I've just got too many bicycles already, and I need to cut down on the fleet as it is. 

I probably could cut one, maybe two out to bring the Moto Cruiser in, but I'd rather do the first part without the Moto Cruiser. We shall see if I can manage to trim down this year.  

Image courtesy of Wolf tooth Components

Wolf Tooth Updates Tire Pressure App:

Wolf Tooth just sent out news of an update to their tire pressure setting app. The app, which takes into account different specs and aspects of a rider's wheel/tire combo and riding style, helps riders to arrive at a recommended air pressure setting. 

New updates include: 

• Added MX/Mullet option for mountain
• Added 32” tire option for mountain and gravel
• Added radial tire casing option for mountain
• Added option to use casing width in inches for gravel
• Added tire width up to 3.3” for mountain
• Misc bug fixes

You can learn more about the Wolf Tooth Tire Pressure App HERE.  

Comments: I've heard good things about this app, (and the SILCA one), so I should probably give them a try. Might make for an interesting review later on.  If you've used one of these apps, or another I am unfamiliar with, let me know what you think of them in the comments. Thanks!

GRVL Apparel Company To Promote 12/24hr Gravel Challenges:

The challenge is a self-supported 12 or 24 hour ride on curated courses across the UK, Ireland, and Italy. 

From the press release: 

"Riders can select from a range of GRVL and Ambassador designed routes spanning iconic cycling regions including the Chilterns, Cornwall, North Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Peak District, Yorkshire, South Wales, Kent, and more."

Furthermore; the time when the challenge is attempted is optional (Editor's Note: I would imagine there are reasonable limits to the window for these challenges) The best times being Spring and Summer according to the press release. 

The challenge is dubbed "Nychthemeron", a word derived from the Greek meaning "Night and Day", or a complete 24hr period. If you want to learn more see the site link HERE. 

That is a wrap for this week! Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions. Now go ride a bicycle!

The 32" Watch: Sam Alison Explains

 Excitement For 32"ers Builds:

I was honored on Tuesday of this week to speak with Sam Alison of Singular Cycles. I wanted to get him on the Guitar Ted Podcast since he has spent plenty of time designing bicycles and has a deep background on geometry and how to apply it for certain characteristics which are desirable in a good handling bicycle. 

Sam also has a fair amount of time on the new-ish 32" wheels which are about to hit the cycling world in a big way here in about a month. 

If you'd rather skip the rest of this and head on over to the audio, here is the link on Spotify for the episode.  

 I should mention we had an idea for saving Sam from having to phone in his interview and end up spending an exhorbitant amount on the call. The idea was sound, (no pun intended), but my audio was the side which suffered. It sounding like a digital phone call even though I was working through my PC here with a USB condenser microphone. 

Oh well..... If I continue to have opportunities to speak over the oceans with folks about cycling I probably will have to invest into something like Riverside FM, or another platform instead of trying to get by not spending money on something I don't often do. We will see. But enough about the technical difficulties. 

The Singular Albatross 32" wheeled bicycle. (Image courtesy of Singular Cycles)

 Sam said something I had not heard before about the early development of 32"ers by Trek. Yes......Trek. Apparently Travis Brown was dabbling with these bigger hoops. Sam said something about stitching tires together and rolling up bigger aluminum rims to test this out with. That's a story which I would like to know more about someday. 

Other than that nugget, Sam did a great job of presenting the good and the maybe not-so-good of 32" wheels. He gave us some great insight on the geometry changes from 29"ers to 32"ers, and  he spoke to who might benefit from bigger wheels. 

Sam also seems to think that Sea Otter will be where this 32" thing will blow up big time. What gets revealed around mid-April should be pretty exciting. I know about one surprise which is coming out, but there will be several, I am sure, which will knock us all back a step due to the impact of the introduction. 

Sam expressed excitement about all of it. And to be honest, this might be the best thing about 32" wheels. That something is worth anticipation and excitement. We really haven't had that in cycling since this decade started. 

And we all know this industry could use some positive energy now. 

Stay tuned...... 

It Is Too Late

Recently mountain biking and trials riding legend, Hans Rey, penned a piece for "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" where he opines on the mess which exists in the e-Bike categories. 

In the article Rey asks for clear language surrounding pedal assist, and other, high-powered, non-assist electric two-wheeled vehicles. His main complaint is seemingly all of these vehicles are lumped into a single category by law-makers. Lawmakers who are trying to sort through issues stemming from unregulated products coming in and creating issues like fires, crashes, and parts failures which unfortunately sometimes results in deaths. 

I see this as a problem as well. However; it would seem Rey is asking for something which, unfortunately, it is too late to ask for. The genie is out of the bottle, and the bicycle industry has proven to be ineffective at self-regulation. 

Now the government is stepping in, asking law enforcement to enact new measures. Laws which, as in the case most recently reported on from New Jersey, make all electric two-wheeled contraptions essentially motorcycles. 

In other words, the government is not interested in the "three-class" system the bicycle brands dreamed up and most likely doesn't have the resources to sort it all out anyway. The regulations should have come first, then - perhaps - we could have stopped the importation of devices clearly outside of the set parameters. However; this wasn't done, and now we have the equivalent of an "E-Bike Wild, Wild West". 

Even the endemic brands to e-biking are pushing "updates" to make their machines more powerful. Easier to ride, and more power/torque? Maybe not a great idea for dirt riding especially.

I'm all for the electric bike which helps those who otherwise could not ride to get exercise, but the problems are not being created, for the most part, by this group. Unfortunately, it appears the solutions to the problems will affect this group, and that is a shame.