Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of DT Swiss

DT Swiss Offers Gravel Suspension Forks Aftermarket:

Previous to this announcement the only way you could get a DT Swiss gravel suspension fork was to buy a complete bicycle spec'ed with it. Now this has changed with DT Swiss offering two versions of the fork for sale to anyone wanting them. 

There are two versions of DT Swiss' F-132 gravel suspension fork. The base F 132 with no lock-out feature and the F 132 One with remote lock-out. (Shown in image here) 

The forks both feature 40mm of air-sprung travel with PLAINGAIN (f 132 One) or OPENFLOW (F 132) hydraulic damping.  The F 132 One also has adjustable rebound. 

There are three offset options and an offset finder to best match an offset to your gravel bike's geometry. Both forks can also be fitted with the bike packing adapters allowing up to 3Kg of cargo on each leg.  

Prices for the forks are $1,269.00 USD for the F 132 One and  $893.00 USD for the F 132. You can learn more about these forks on DT Swiss' page on the forks HERE. 

Comments: Okay, up front I will remind you dear readers that I am not at all a fan of "gravel suspension forks" of the telescopic type. (Lauf's fork is fine with me) Why? Because the telescopic forks weigh a lot. A Redshift Sports ShockStop stem weighs under 300 grams, in most instances. A suspension fork weighs up to 4 times that amount or more depending on the model. A gravel suspension fork adds a lot of weight over their rigid, carbon siblings. A typical carbon gravel fork weighs around 600 grams, or over half as much as most telescopic gravel suspension forks. A Redshift ShockStop stem only adds about 160 grams to a typical stem weight (aluminum). 

Then you have the maintenance. Fork maintenance intervals for these DT Swiss forks are better than the competition, but a light service after one year (recommended) and a full servicing after two years (recommended), is probably enough labor cost to buy two more ShockStop stems. And those stems require zero maintenance.  

Finally, you might add that 40mm of travel is better than what the ShockStop offers. Yes, in terms of just the numbers, it is. However; it is what those components are meant to do that matters. I want vibration reduction. I don't use a gravel bike as a mountain bike. Your mileage may vary, but "gravel" should really be called "all-roads" with an emphasis on the ROAD part.  Anything OFF-ROAD is mountain biking. Period. If your riding is more OFF-ROAD than a real suspension fork with at least 100mm of travel is what you should probably be running. Rigid fork riders notwithstanding, but this 40mm of travel stuff is not doing what gravel riders need (excessive weight, more maintenance, little benefit) and it is not doing what MTB riders need (too little travel). A suspension stem like the Redshift example reduces vibrations tremendously. I'm much more interested in the vibration reduction myself. 

But that is MY opinion. Certainly, you do not have to agree.  

Image courtesy of Clik Valve

Clik Valve Offers TPU Tubes:

Clik Valve now offers AeroBlue TPU tubes for road, gravel, MTB, and fat bike uses. The AeroBlue TPU tubes also are e-pump safe having been tested to 130°C/266°F. The metal reinforced composite valve stem stays stable and will take repeated e-pump usage no problem. 

The road/gravel AeroBlue TPU tubes are $24.00 USD each and can be seen HERE.  

 Comments: Clik Valve is so easy to use that this application with TPU tubes is a combination which is so right it cannot be wrong. Connecting a Clik Valve pump is so easy and takes so little effort that there is pretty much no way you'll damage a valve stem. 

"But Guitar Ted, my e-pump doesn't have a Clik Valve adapter!" Gotcha covered!  

I just converted one of my tubeless set ups to Clik Valve recently and I am now looking to add more bikes with these TPU options available now. I want to get a set of these tubes in for a test first, but I have little doubt I'll be happy with these as opposed to a straight up old Presta Valve TPU tube.  

Image courtesy of Wolf Tooth

Wolf Tooth Chooses Unique Marketing Strategy With Pedals:

Wolf Tooth announced on Wednesday that they are making a special run of 150 pairs of Shift pedals in a camo anodized finish. But you can only buy them at select bicycle shops. 

The $290.00 USD pedals for Enduro, Downhill, or extreme MTB will be available through 46 selected bicycle shops in store, or you might get a set if you are lucky from an authorized Wolf Tooth dealer as Wolf Tooth held back 20 pairs for dealers who reach out to them. 

Comments: The product aside, this is an interesting way to market product.  For one thing, Wolf Tooth says this is the "first" offering of a limited edition product through its dealer network. Obviously this leaves the door open for other things. 

But what is interesting to me is that this could lead to a "co-op" approach for LBS dealers. Imagine 20 independent bike shops getting a run of gravel bikes from a Chinese brand. Or a run of clothing, exclusive to certain brick and mortar shops. 

Getting individual bike shops to coordinate a project like I am suggesting may seem laughable to many, but imagine what could happen if dealers decided to band together on mass ordering certain products. There is great potential there. This could be done in a pre-order style, so there would be no overstock issues and exclusivity would make buying in for customers a bit more enticing.  

Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame Nominations Open For 2027:

The next class of Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame folks will be inducted into the hall next June. The nominations for this class are open now and will be accepted through to November 30th. 

To learn how you should nominate someone for inclusion in the GCHoF see THIS PAGE. 

Image courtesy of SILCA

SILCA Offers Omata 'Mechatronic' Cycling Computer:

 You are riding in a group and about 150 yards from your next turn everyone's GPS device starts beeping and squawking as though there were a raft of droids along for the adventure. Maybe this is accepted "cycling culture" in the 2020's, but SILCA now offers an alternative to the digital interference. 

SILCA offers what they claim is the "world's first mechatronic cycling computer" which silently shows speed, distance, and elevation. All while collecting data internally for later consumption. It features an all-analog display using a dial indicator type of look.

The Omata mounts on a typical Garmin or Wahoo cleat mounting standard and is USB rechargeable. It is housed in an aluminum case with a rotating bezel for mode selection. The unit is also ANT+ compatible so power data, heart rate, and cadence can be collected for later reference. 

The Omata is available now and costs an expensive $800.00 USD. You can check out the Imperial version HERE. There is a metric version available as well.  

Comments: I love the idea of a simple, basic computer. I love the no-LED read-out. The form factor is cool. But the price? Yikes! 

Don't get me wrong, it is most likely a very fair price, (see the video for the Omata HERE),  but I am disappointed in the cost as it is prohibitive and I am unlikely to get this for myself. 

That's a wrap on this week. Get out there and ride those bikes! 

Review: WTB Course & Byway Aero Gravel Tires - Update On The Course Tire

 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. 

It is finally time to give a ride update on the WTB Course 700 X 52mm tire set I am testing. Earlier I gave my update on the Byway 700 X 50mm tires and you can check that out HERE. 

In my First Impressions article on the new WTB aero gravel tires, I noted that the Course was being run at 35psi. I did lower the pressure to around 30psi and for my last run I was in the upper 20's psi. I'll get to what this did for the ride quality and performance of this tire shortly. 

I have run this tire on similar roads and terrain as I have the Byway. That being decomposed gravel, dirt, pavement, broken up pavement, and gravel. Something a little different from the Byway test was an addition of some dirt single track and deep, fresh gravel which was ridden with the Course tires. 

Conditions were mostly dry to very dry. I haven't run this tire through any mud to speak of, but I have found that the rounded profile of this tire has a very pronounced effect on handling in looser terrain. So, what little wet ground was ridden over provided me with a hint as to how this tire will handle mud. 

The rounded profile, an integral part of this tire's aero performance, does cause this tire to be predisposed to lack lateral stability. The knobs are there, yes, but in my testing, even at lower pressures, you are only riding on the central strip of tread. Those side knobs?...

Oh! Wait, aren't those "side knobs" actually those aero doohickeys?  Yes, those are the aero features which are supposed to help detach the air flow over the tire. So, in reality, there aren't really any side knobs for cornering here. Besides, the way those are arranged on the casing, you'd have to lean over pretty far to get them engaged in the surface anyway. .

So, these tires are really about volume and aero. The Byway and this Course tire do ride nicely, that much I'll give them. The aero part? Again, I have no way to quantify this aspect of these tires. Maybe there is something to this. 

I need to report on the current width of these tires which is 51.3mm on the WTB CGR i23 rims. Yes, the slightly narrower rim seems to hold back a true 52mm measurement, but not by much. A wider rim internally might prove to be a better fit here, this is true, but these are the wheels I had available at the time for testing. 

Now, as far as ride quality goes on gravel I will say again that the tire is damped well. It is not the best at this quality, but the Course and Byway are near the top of tires I have tried in this regard. The Course is also fast rolling, maybe a tic off the Byway. In my roll down test the Course did not fare as well as the Byway on the paved portion, but it did just as well on the gravel portion of the test. The Course is a better rolling tire than most gravel tires I have tested. 

On really rough, deep, loose gravel this tire tended to want to dance around a bit. Note: The Byway wasn't ridden on gravel this challenging. This would be the kind of gravel conditions which would make most riders not want to ride, for reference. It was tough sledding. Here in Iowa, you can run across a few miles of this type of deep, loose gravel on any given ride. 

This is the kind of road surface where aero has no bearing, but a supple casing and a good design will shine. The Course was above average in these conditions. Again, like the Byway, these tires did not squirt out rocks sideways as many tires will do in these conditions. I feel this speaks to the casing design and construction being above the average for gravel tires. 

On smoother gravel the tire's speed was quite noticeable. Again, whether the aero factor played into this I cannot say. I just know these tires seemed very free to roll and I was able to sustain speed and coasting to a greater degree than I would see with many other gravel tires I have tried. 

Other soft surfaces were simply average on these tires. Dirt is fine, as long as it isn't loamy. loose over hard pack, or sandy. The roundness of the casing just is not going to allow you to put down a very large contact patch given the girth of the casing. Add in how these tires do not do well at the lower end of the pressure range and it all points to a tire which is really about speed over dry, harder gravel and dirt surfaces. 

Okay, the next time I update this review it will be a final look at both the Byway and the Course tires. Stay tuned....

Country Views: Harvest Begins

Escape Route: Rainbow Avenue

The weather has been nicer of late, but really hot for October. We've had several 80 degree days nearly touching on 90 degrees. Not normal! 

But there has been little to no rain, the humidity has backed way off, and some days have been near perfect for cycling. Tuesday was one of those days. 

It was only in the 70's! Not too hot at all, and the wind was light. I decided to go do the "Northwest Passage" route. It takes me Northwest along the Cedar River until I get to Cedar Falls where I cross the river to the North side and then take a combination of bike trail, black top, and chip seal to get to the gravel North of town. 

This might have been the last time I wear just a Summer kit for the year as it is forecast to be actual Fall temperatures by the weekend. We'll see...... Next week might get warm again. Anyway, it felt odd to be wearing just a jersey and shorts on October 13th! 

I rode the XLBird since it has some chain lube on it I am testing along with those WTB tires. (More on those things coming soon) I regretted riding that bike afterward. You'll see why soon... 

Trolley Car Trail in Cedar Falls.

One of my favorite views in Black Hawk County

I got over to Cedar Falls alright and as I started up Big Woods Lake Trail I passed by a couple of casual e-Bikers. I turned my head back a second and out of the side of my eye I caught something bearing down on me faster than I was going. I waited and then a few seconds later I heard the tell-tale sound of an electric motor, squeaky suspension bits, and fat tires coming. E-moto kid passed me by doing at least 20 something mph. At least he had a motorcycle helmet on....

Big views

Big Chunk

With all that nearly perfect road I had last time out I knew I was not going to get that type of road surface again soon. Nope. And I was correct in my assumptions as the County had been out very recently and poured some deep, fresh gravel carpet out there to welcome me. 

One thing I noted was how differently the yellowish gravel rode compared to the whiter stuff.  It's all limestone, crushed to a certain size, and dumped across the roadway. But my wheels reacted to each type slightly differently. I thought this was interesting. By the way, it seemed Western Mount Vernon Road was of the yellow type and Eastern was the whiter, grayer type. Different quarry sources results in different types of gravel. 

At any rate, both types were rattling the crap out of me and my right shoulder was aching. Now I do not have a ShockStop stem on this bike because I don't want a black stem. The stem must be silver. I have requested a silver ShockStop stem from Redshift, by the way. Who else would buy a silver ShockStop stem? Let me know in the comments. 

 

The chunky goodness was slowing me down and working me harder. I tried getting over on the edges of the roadway where the fresh gravel stopped and there was maybe five or six inches before the grass started. But this was mostly soft. I suppose because of the recent heavy rains. The end result was that there was just no relief and I would have to power through it anyway. 

I was a bit surprised also by the lack of fields harvested. Perhaps the rains made the fields too wet and they just are not quite dried enough yet? I could see that being the case for the corn. I would imagine the soybean fields dry out more quickly. Maybe.... I don't know. I'm not a farmer. I just observe them! 

A pumpkin patch

Once I started back South again the roads were much better. I soon learned why. Harvesting traffic! The big semi-tractor trailers and these behemoth machines used to carry corn and beans were the reason why. Those vehicles just pulverize crushed rock and turn it into dust. Lots of dust!

The roads going South were much smoother.

I had to stop to let the light breeze clear the air after a behemoth machine passed me by. 

Some bizarre contraption John Deere has created passed by me and the dust storm folowing it was so thick I could not make out the road. I actually had to stop and wait several minutes for the light breeze from the Northwest to clear the air. I was glad for how the big heavy machines had crushed up the chunk, but the dust was extreme! I was a bit surprised it was this bad, to be honest. 

 

N.Y. Roll needs to explain the existence of this monster green machine to me. He works for The Big Green Tractor Company.

By the way, I think I actually got a little sunburn from this ride. It was definitely bright out, until I got back to town, that is. Then I saw the eves of a rain storm on the way. I was glad I was not still out in the country yet. Perhaps the rain will settle the dust for a bit! 

What Cycling Is And What It Is Not

Image courtesy of Des Moines Street Collective

 The latest episode of the "Guitar Ted Podcast" has elicited possibly the strongest and the most commentary we have ever received after an episode. Some of the comments are the positive reinforcement types which one might expect fans of the podcast to return to us. However; a few have been centered around this issue which pervades cycling today. The question concerning eBikes and what is an eBike and what is not an eBike. 

The image here from the Des Moines Street Collective's social media earlier in this year is typical of the messaging which is being portrayed by much of the cycling advocacy and some brands as well. This is guidance for governments - both state and city - to help them formulate laws and ordinances. It is also there as a purported educational tool for cyclists, although I would offer that those who need to hear this message will never do so because they do not care to listen. 

That's a whole 'nuther nut to crack and discuss. 

What I feel is missing here is really more about a question I do not see being asked and an answer would go a long way, I think, in helping anyone make sense of this madness. The question? "What is cycling, and what is not cycling? 

In a sense, that is what the poster above is trying to answer. E-bike? Cycling. E-Moto? Not cycling. Pretty straightforward.....or is it? 

I would focus on the rider, not the machine. Cycling involves participation on the rider's part. In other words, cycling is pedaling.  If you do not have to pedal, it is not cycling and is something else. What you call "the something else" - moto, moped, just being a passenger - That's up to you, and frankly, I do not care what you call it. It is NOT cycling. That is what is important here. 

This shouldn't be vague, because e-scooters are not cycling. 

Anything which allows the rider to not pedal at all at any time is not a bicycle. Period, end of story. Those devices should be regulated and enforcement of rules and ordinances could be very simply enforced. An officer sees you just sitting, standing, or otherwise being moved without pedaling? Ticket. Citation. Maybe even confiscation. 

As a cyclist I can see the difference when I am out riding. I do not need to see what the machine is, I just have to observe what the rider is doing, or not doing. Now, you may say, "What about a normal bicycle and coasting? Fair question.

As I said, as a cyclist, I can see when a bicycle should be pedaled. Obviously up a hill is one such instance. But it also doesn't take a genius observer to see when an object is coasting further than it should be on flatter terrain. Speed is also a factor in this. A little training for officials - who have to make judgement calls on other vehicles already - shouldn't be all that difficult to communicate. To my mind, "cycling action" needs to occur or the device is not a bicycle.

So now all the so-called "pedal assist" bikes would be okay. Those must be pedaled to move the vehicle and its rider down a trail. There is pedaling going on. Scooters, e-motos, throttle equipped bikes? No-go. These are what would be - essentially - banned from the privileges actual cyclists enjoy. Those vehicles should require licenses and insurance.  And while we're at it, so should side-by-sides and ATV's..... But that is another issue. 

But the point is, enough with the three-class nonsense, enough with trying to decipher one machine from another. If the device does not REQUIRE pedaling to move, it is not a bicycle or a tricycle. 

Related Article: How New York City Is Proposing To Deal With Micro-Mobility Issues.  (Bicycle Retailer and Industry News)

The Replacement

Image courtesy of Cannondale Bikes

I am on the lookout for loose ends here on the blog. Things needing to be finished, (mostly reviews), stories untold, and stories I have to wrap up, or at least pick back up. 

One of those stories is dealing with what I will get to replace the Noble GX5 and probably the Tamland Two in my stable of bicycles. I was on this thread back in February. (See HERE for a refresher) I was close to pulling te triger on a Topstone Alloy from Cannondale, (like the one in the image), but I did not because I didn't like the color the bike available at the time came in. 

I know.....fickle! So, that was that as other things came up and I left the idea in limbo. That is, until recently, when I got a little intel from an undisclosed source which perked up my ears. Now I have reached out and have set something in motion which may happen at a later date. 

I know......vague-blogging! But all that to say that the idea for an alloy gravel bike to replace a couple of others I have is still on the table and now things are in motion. I wouldn't look for anything to happen right away. I just thought, you know, I'd kick this story back into gear and let you know something is in the works which may result in an actual bicycle in the near future. 

 

The Guitar Ted Lube-Off: Super-Secret 2.0 Update 2

  NOTICE:  The Guitar Ted 'Lube-Off' is a comparison of different lubrication products for bicycle chains that is undertaken in 'real world' conditions in a set way. Then I compare and contrast the results with past 'Lube-Off' products to see "which one is best for me". This is done for entertainment purposes and the reader should apply their own reasoning and discernment while reading my 'Lube-Off' entries. What works for me may not work for you at all.

Hey all! It is time for a quick update on the Super-Secret v2 lube. The last update on this lube can be seen HERE. 

In this update I will show you the chain and cassette and discuss how things were done throughout a very rainy period of time here in Iowa. My aim is to discover how this updated lube does in dry conditions, so I had to pick and choose when I could actually ride the bike this lube is on so I would not contaminate the process with rain or moisture. Let me tell ya....it wasn't easy!

I also am going to do a bit of a bonus side bar to the Lube-Off which I typically would not do. However; a situation arose in the comments which prompted me to investigate a couple of things more deeply. 

First of all, my mechanic friend in Chicago had mentioned he had read the articles on the Super-Secret v2. He had already used the V1 product and was familiar with it. But he was excited about the V2 product, so he purchased some to try out. Interestingly, he mentioned he thought the V2 did not cure/dry out as quickly as the V1 product did. 

So, I ran a test on this which I will share at the end of this article. I also will address how I apply Super-Secret in both of its versions and show why my method is valid. 

Now, on to the update on how this lube is doing, (V2) and what I expect going forward into the final stage of the Lube-Off. 

As stated, it hasn't been easy finding dry, dusty terrain around here! But I have been making miles on the lube and I have a couple observation.Firstly, and most importantly, it seems to have cured completely. This now is acting like I thought it should quite a while ago. Now, I have thoughts on this, so I'll hold off until later in this article. 

Secondly, the bike shifts really well, and the chain is not super-noisy, as it can be with some dry lubricants. Oiled chains, or wet lube chains are generally much quieter. Drip wax chains vary in this manner, and some other lubes, like DuMonde Tech, are really noisy. I don't mind Super-Secret V2, as it is on the quieter end of the scale, but it is not 'silent' either. 

Okay, you can see above here that the chain is pretty clean. It is 'gunk-free' and the cassette looks fine. Again, I haven't been in any "severe" dust yet, but I should get that done soon. But with that left, I still am pretty impressed by this lube so far. 

But why did it not cure right away? Yeah, the only thing I can come up with is that Stan's degreaser, which I was sure I got off the chain, but..... Maybe even a tiny amount of this degreaser keeps the drip wax from curing 100% for a while.  

Now, I wanted to get into a very nit-picky lubricant application discussion where the placement of the drip lube on the chain is coming into debate. SILCA says you should apply lube while backpedaling the chain and by dripping the lube on top of the chain where it is about to interface with the cassette. 

I disagree with this and adhere to applying lube on the inner run of the chain between the lower jockey wheel and where the chain interfaces with the lower part of a front chain ring. I could get into all the minutiae of the reasons why, but suffice it to say that I believe in gravity, centrifugal forces, and using the least amount of lube possible. 

SILCA claims their method is better and proven by "science", but hasn't proffered up any evidence other than to say, "we said so".  SILCA also dismisses my using minimal amounts of Super-Secret so it does not "just drip off onto the floor", and does not address where the lubricant drips off to by using their method. Maybe they will. But here is what I did.... 

I took two spare lengths of new chain which were cut off when installing on other bicycles. I cleaned the living daylights out of both using a degreaser first, then some Dawn dish soap followed up by a water rinse and drying. 

I then applied one drop of Super Secret V1 on the longer length of chain on top of each roller and one drop of the V2 on the shorter length of chain on each roller.  

I noted the time and waited 24 hours to check and see how they cured. This would prove out whether or not V2 was slower to cure than V1. I also was looking to see if gravity would wick the lubricant through the rollers and on to the absorbent shop towel I had the chains on. This would prove, without any mechanical manipulation of the chain, whether or not my chain lubrication method was a valid way to do a drip wax application or not. 

After 24 hours you can see how the lubricants both worked their way through the chain and on to the shop rag. Interestingly, I noted straight away upon application that V1 was much less viscous than the V2. By the way, I shook both bottles several minutes before applying the lubes. 

This is why there is more absorbed residue from the V1 chain, but both did show that the drip wax made it through the chain side plates, rollers, and pins, to get on to the shop rag and be absorbed before they cured. 

Finally, I could find no discernible wetness from either chain. Both seemed to have fully cured in 24 hours, which is my standard, not SILCA's, by the way. 

Both chains were very slightly discolored and both were very slippery! So, I think our curing issues are an anomaly, and I will not hold what I experienced with the V2 curing against it. However; I am also fully convinced my chain lubrication method is perfectly fine as well. 

Keep in mind that what you see soaked into the shop rag is all the work of gravity, and was evident not long after I applied the lubricants. Had I been working on a drive train installation, the cogs, chain rings, and gravity all would have worked to wick the lube through to the inner parts of the chain with no issues at all. 

I'm not going to say SILCA is wrong about how they do their drip wax application, but I also can see how I have been applying lubricant is not inferior to their way of doing things. Full stop. I also can see how V1 works through the chain, due to it being less viscous, easier than V2 does, but both end up getting where you need it. 

Anyway, nitpicking. You do you. I'll stick to how I do this until I see a better way. 

Next I hope to put this all to bed after a few dustier rides. I'm pretty sure I have what I need from the Stan's Polar Drip, but the Triboflux and this Super-Secret v2 still need some more riding time. Stay tuned.....

Random Thoughts

Various Bicycle Research freewheel tools

A Few More Thoughts On Bicycle Mechanics:

This past week I posted an article concerning a report out of Europe that there is, and will continue to be, a shortage of bicycle mechanics. (See it HERE)

I had a client in at the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective recently with a problem concerning the removal of a Positron gear cluster from an old Schwinn rear wheel. (27" natch!) 

The tool required to remove this bit is an arcane free wheel removal tool which, if you have been a mechanic for as long as I have, you might be familiar with. You will also find it difficult to source such a tool if you do not have this in your tool box. 

But regardless of the specifics, I doubt many younger folks would even know where to look for such a tool, nor would they want to bother. "Just get a new wheel", I can hear them saying, and this wouldn't be a bad idea at all. 

However; I feel as though the casual, tossing off of even trying to fix old stuff is related to how new stuff is made. Many items, especially electronic ones, are binned when they get damaged, or even before that, they are outdated. Just get a new one! 

Are we teaching mechanics to fix stuff, or just throw parts on a bike to get it rolling again? Are we relying on the app to make fine adjustments, and when the piece goes awry, we don't repair it, we replace it? When the wheel or bottom bracket get bad bearings, we just press out and press in. 

Then when something old comes in, which can be serviced, these newer mechanics.....will they know how to do the servicing? Will they even have the proper tools? Who will teach these young folks to do this stuff? Will young folks even want to learn the old ways? 

Just some random thoughts I had when dealing with that old Schwinn wheel the other day.