Thursday News And Views

Dylan Johnson's Leadville bike from 2025. (Image courtesy Johnson's social media)

Thursday News & Views? What the....!!!

(You'll see why tomorrow) 

Life Time Bans Drop Bars At Two Of The Grand Prix Events:

Last weekend news circulated on the internet concerning a new rule for Life Time Events Grand Prix series. This six event series is split between MTB and gravel events. 

Last year a few Pros and top athletes were noted trying out drop bars at the Leadville 100, traditionally seen as a MTB event. 

Now those drop bars are banned by Life Time at the Leadville event and at the penultimate event in the series, Little Sugar, in Arkansas. Perhaps Life Time is trying to preserve the half and half nature of their series by denying the usage of drop bars making the MTB events look like MTB events. Life Time stated this was being done to ensure "riders safety" and "course compatibility". Interestingly, Chequamegon is the only MTB event allowing drop bars. 

Later on it was revealed the riders of the Grand Prix asked for this ban. The thinking was the cost to have multiple bikes for specific course uses was detrimental to those in the series who could not afford a fleet of race bikes. Fair enough. Then don't say it was for "rider safety'" and then let that be the headline, because clearly this wasn't the case.  

Rider safety? Speaking of 'rider safety'....So, what about riders using their fork crowns as a grip area to get an aero advantage, even going so far as to mount remote shifters to actuate their electronic drive trains? (See 2025 women's Leadville winner, Kate Courtney)  

The miscommunication by Life Time had to be rectified by a media story later on clearing up the mess. Does this sound like a logical way to run PR for an event? I don't know, but I still think this has a lot to do with how this series upped the ante' in prize purses and how this affects perceptions of this event series. In the end, it is a small thing to most riders. And it looks silly on the part of Life Time Events. 

BMC Roadmachine One (Image courtesy of BMC Bikes)

While Gravel Tires Get Thicker, Road Bikes Creep Into Gravel Territory:

N.Y. Roll and I discussed this recently, and I think it is an underrated topic in cycling. Road bikes (All-Road Bikes?) are becoming what was once considered a "gravel bike", twelve years or so ago.  

Think about this, the |"original" gravel bike, the Salsa Warbird, which debuted for the 2012 selling season, was only able to handle a 38mm tire with adequate mud clearance. You could squeeze in a 40mm tire, but just barely.  

Contrast this with the BMC Roadmachine, a bike which can easily clear a 40mm tire with a 1X drive train, yet is considered a "road bike". (All-Road Bike?)  My prediction is these bicycles are on the cusp of becoming the next "secret weapon" in gravel racing. 

Many gravel events don't require 50mm and wider tires. Many road conditions in many places are easily ridden on bicycles with 40mm tires. If, as is suggested by the wider tire gravel pundits, the MTB-width tires on gravel are faster, why wouldn't we see this happen in pro road racing, where cobbles and yes - even gravel - sectors exist in some courses? 

Don't be surprised when you hear about some Pro gravel racer showing up on a "traditional" road bike (All-Road Bike?) at some big gravel event someday soon.  

Continental Terra Adventure Reflex (Image courtesy of Continental Tires)

Continental Releases Terra Adventure Reflex Tires:

Continental announced on Tuesday their new model in the Terra range of tires called the Terra Adventure Graphite Reflex. 

Essentially, this is a Terra Adventure tire with a reflective strip on the sidewalls. This provides better visibility to other road users in low-light and dark conditions. Perfect for the racer who lines up for a dark morning start, or for adventurers who ride in darkness many times. 

I reviewed the Terra Adventure, sans reflective stripes, in my post HERE.  

TideAce Carbon 32"er.(Image courtesy of TideAce)

The 32" Watch - TideAce Carbon 32"er Frame:

I received a tip the other day to check out this carbon frame for 32" wheels. It is from a Chinese brand called TideAce. You can see their webpage for it HERE.  

Comments: I'm not familiar with this brand but my source tells me it makes stuff for other brands you may have heard of, so this isn't some oddball product with little engineering behind it, is what my takeaway was from this.  

It was kind of funny, because my source said "Now (N.Y. Roll) will have to "eat more crow". (IYKYK) Because he said something about waiting to see if a carbon 32"er would come out later on. Well, obviously, it already has happened. 

And look at the price! My goodness, but seriously under 1K for a carbon 32"er? Ya gotta hand it to these Chinese brands, they don't sleep on a way to make a buck! 

Gravel Worlds Claims Largest Prize Purse To Be Offered In Gravel Racing:

On Wednesday, an announcement went out from Gravel Worlds which claims the event will offer the largest cash payout in gravel cycling. The $150,000.00 purse is to be fully funded through Goodlife Nutrition. 

Last year the prize purse was $100,000.00 so this is a significant increase. It should be noted this new, higher amount is to be distributed through the Pro fields, evenly between men and women. This surpasses any Life Time Event and one would assume the race will become a significantly important event now for anyone trying to make a living racing gravel. 

Also notable is Gravel Worlds now having controlled intersections for their main 150 mile event. There will also be more law enforcement present than ever before. This should alleviate any issues with regard to riders risking life and limb trying to stay ahead in the Pro fields by darting across uncontrolled intersections. Faster amateurs will also benefit as the time windows for the intersection controls do not end with the passing of the Pro fields.  
 

That's a wrap on this week! If you aren't freezing to death, getting iced over, or digging out from a snow storm, try to ride your bicycles this weekend! And thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions! 

It Is "That Week" Here

I have a confession to make. I am not an indoor cyclist. I tried it several times over the years, but....... Nope! Not for me. I understand many can Zwift, spin cycle, or treadmill their way through a cold snap, but this doesn't work for me. 

You might think I am just being stubborn, or maybe that I am not trying the right thing. Yeah.......no. See, my makeup is that of an outdoors exerciser, and being indoors is excruciatingly boring and limiting to my mind. So, I'm going outside even if it is just to go around the block. 

But this is not to say I am fanatical or insane. There are times I won't go outside, because, well.......it is stupid. Like this week. It is that week we usually get every Winter here where it is just not a very good idea to be outdoors exercising. 

Now, today, for instance, it is great at 32° for a forecast high temperature. I will ride today. Today is an outlier and the best day all week to ride.  However; on Thursday through until sometime on Sunday morning, our air temperature will not get above zero for the entire stretch. That is Fahrenheit, by the way, not Celsius. Add to this the winds and well......this equals "stupid". Stupid cold weather. 

This makes writing about cycling a bit challenging some days. I guess I manage to find something to talk about though! But soon things will improve weather-wise. February brings more heat, longer days, and more riding opportunities. This is but one week where, yeah, being outdoors is extremely challenging. 

Except for today. I'll ride today. 

Two Things

Pinarello Grevil MX (Image courtesy of Pinarello)

Look! It's Another Adventure Bike! (Not Really)

Friday past, Pinarello introduced a bike which they claim combines the "best of both worlds" from Road and MTB into one bike - The Grevil MX. 

"Optimized for 50mm gravel  tires", according to the press release, the Grevil MX incorporates aero elements and the asymmetric frame design Pinarello utilizes on some of their other models separately, but here are brought together.

The suspension specific, drop bar specific design uses a 100mm travel fork. Pinarello President, Fausto Pinarello is quoted in the press release for this bike as follows:  

"The GREVIL MX is designed for riders who push gravel beyond its typical boundaries. It’s a very versatile bike, perfectly suited for races or adventures where you’re riding into the unknown. It can handle long climbs and rocky descents with ease and combines the feeling of a MTB with the ergonomics of a road bike. It’s a unique addition to our gravel range."

Comments: So........a skinny tire Fargo/Cutthroat? At least the design is using a "real suspension device" instead of the inadequate "gravel" suspension devices with limited travel. This part Pinarello got right. And as you can see, it does "something" to the front geometry. You may or may not agree with this "something", but physics are not going to be denied. You either go with a "real" suspension fork, or go rigid. This 40mm - 50mm suspension fork nonsense is ineffective, high maintenance for little benefit, and weighs more for little benefit. 

On the other hand, what this idea does to this bike is undeniable as well. It is a skinny tire MTB with drop bars. Calling this a "gravel bike" diffuses the term "gravel bike" to become almost meaningless. (And don't forget, I never thought the term "gravel bike" was a good idea in the first place.)

But names aside, keeping the tires in a "gravel realm" in terms of width makes this a "gravel bike"? I guess. But to me it is just a miss. Had Pinarello made the Grevil MX capable of handling 2.4" 29"er tires this would have made a lot more sense to me. Then it becomes the bike it looks like it is - an adventure bike in the mold of the Fargo/Cutthroat. 

New Podcast Episode:

Remember the "wish-list" posts from a week or so ago? (One HERE, the other HERE) Well, N.Y. Roll and I were thinking we'd riff on those for the latest Guitar Ted Podcast episode. 

There were some strong opinions voiced in this episode. Especially regarding how much there could be done to lessen the impacts on the Earth from the way the cycling industry is conducted. 

I did manage to stay away from at least one subject I could have "gone off" on. We will be seeing shortly if I will be provoked into writing about it soon. Until then, I will be keeping my peace regarding the thoughts and opinions I have. 

Anyway, if you care to listen to this newest episode, here is the link to the Spotify hosted episode. 

Of course, you can find the Guitar Ted Podcast on other podcast platforms as well. N.Y. Roll has a "vacation" planned for early February, so we should have another episode coming out soon. Man....February! Things are going by quickly. Hopefully we will have a few episodes in February which will get you stoked for the upcoming riding season. 

It will be here before we know it!

The 32" Watch: Schwalbe Tires

Schwalbe 32"er proto. (Image courtesy of Schwalbe Tires)

Schwalbe Testing 32" Tires For Future Production:

A reader of the blog recently tipped me off to news on Schwalbe's site regarding their testing and development of 32" MTB tires. 

According to the site, Schwalbe LAB has developed a radial tire which has "set a completely new benchmark for performance"

Citing more stable handling, more grip over rooty, rocky terrain, and higher cornering speeds, the results sound hauntingly familiar to the benefits of 29"er tires over 26" MTB tires.Scwhalbe also reports that their own laboratory measurements confirm 32" tires offer "measurable advantages in rolling resistance."

Image courtesy of Schwalbe Tires

Schwalbe also states, "32-inch tires are a promising technology with real and tangible advantages - across market segments and beyond purely performance focused tires." Perhaps Schwalbe is coming out with a range of tires to suit all riders across genres? Perhaps we can see gravel oriented tires as well? 

Schwalbe doesn't see any 32"er tires coming out this year, but does hint that 2027 will be the year they will release these big hoops of rubber upon the masses. Could this mean OE orders and bicycle brands developing different styles of 32" wheeled bicyles? This would make sense given the time it takes to go from prototype to a finished bicycle model.  

At any rate, this would seem to seal up the deal and make 32"ers a virtual lock to be  something we will be able to buy from many outlets within the next year, year and a half. Now all which remains to be seen is if riders will respond by actually purchasing these wagon-wheelers.  

Extra Bonus: Here is a link to a French online site featuring a 32'er the journalists designed, built, and tested in cooperation with a French MTB brand.  

Project Fixed Gravel Buss: Ride Impressions

Still had the studded tires on here.

A week or so ago I showed you dear readers my latest project bike. A fixed gear version of my Twin Six Standard Rando v2. (LINK) Now I have ridden it quite a bit since then so I feel I can give you my impressions of how this is working out.

First off, if you have never ridden a fixed gear bike, it is a very different experience from bicycles which can coast. You most likely have no idea how much you actually do coast on a bicycle. I know I did not realize how much time I was coasting until I started riding fixed gear regularly. It is eye-opening! 

If you are curious what having to pedal every centimeter of a ride is like, you can put your bike into a bit too high a gear, keep the cadence low so you do not outrun your gear, and never stop pedaling. You'll find you instinctively coast at various points. It's crazy when you focus on this just how much the bicycle you ride lets you have these micro-rests during rides. 

However; you just cannot really understand fixed gear riding in totality until you try it. I encourage everyone to try it as it may make you better at cycling. It definitely will show you that you have muscles you are not engaging much, if at all, while riding a "normal" drive train which can coast. 

I go into all this detail because it is necessary to impart a bit of thought about what riding fixed is like so you can begin to understand my report here. 

My first few rides were during the end of all the icy patches we had around here. Studded tires were required and due to those tires, I wasn't getting a good feel for the bike. However; a thaw occurred and I replaced the studded tires with a set of 700 x 37mm Panaracer Pasela Tour Guard tires.This "woke up" the bike and finally I was able to feel what this set up really offered. 

My my! That gearing! the 39T x 16T set up is challenging and I know immediately when I am not riding flat or down hill. You can instantly feel it in the legs, and with no ability to shift or coast, you just work harder. (Or stop riding) I haven't had to stop and walk.....yet! Steep ramps up to bridges and the like are challenging though unless you carry a lot of momentum. 

Ah! And this is the key. Momentum. Keep it up and things become a LOT easier. This gear feels great at about 12mph and up, so you have to keep up a good clip to maintain this speed. However; it is all worth it when you hit an "up" which would grind you to a snail's pace at slower approach speeds. 

Going down hill is somewhat easier with this taller gear. I cannot explain it fully, but "back-pressure" on the pedals is traditionally how you'd control your descent speed on a fixed gear bicycle. (Brakeless fixed, that is) Now I do have brakes, but I typically only use them in situations where I deem them necessary. Otherwise I am controlling my speed with my legs only. 

Somehow the taller gear allows me to control down hill speeds easier. Maybe it is because I am in a part of the pedal stroke a tiny bit longer than with a lower gear which would spin faster? I don't know..... I just feel this is an easier gear ratio to control. 

I'm running the 37mm Panaracer tires at 30psi and this is probably slightly lower in this colder air than 30psi. The wide Blunt SS rims keep the tires stable, and the ride is smooth, but not draggy or slower than you'd want. This mitigates the stiff T-6 frame and keeps me happier during rides because when you are riding fixed, you just cannot level the pedals and unweight the saddle like you can do on other bikes. I can unweight the saddle a little bit, but your legs are flying around, so this gets trickier to do while riding fixed. 

The stiff frame is a boon when cranking slower cadences and it keeps the frame from twisting, which in turn keeps the drive train happy. Through axles on a fixed gear bike feel amazing and give you insurance the rear wheel is not torquing sideways or slacking the chain unexpectedly. This is very nice! 

I had one longer ride, a night time ride, on this bike. I probably had close to two hours riding time, mostly on city streets and bike paths. The bike is smooth, the gearing feels good as long as I feel comfortable enough to let it rip, and the brakes work great when needed. One thing about riding fixed is you are always working so you get in more work over a shorter period of time than you do on a coaster bike. This and the tall gear worked me out hard! So, I don't know about gravel in this current gearing. I think I'd drop a couple teeth at the minimum in the rear cog if I decide to ride gravel. I could see 39T x 18 or 19 tooth being much better. 

More when I get more time on this.... 
 

Ride Right: A PSA

Image courtesy of the Tama County Sheriff Department

 A long time ago the Pirate Cycling League used to harp on riders participating in their Gravel Worlds events to "Ride Right". This meant more than the obvious. I was reminded of this maxim the other day when I saw a post by the Tama County Sheriff's Department showing a head-on collision between two vehicles on a gravel road. 

The vehicles were coming from opposite directions up a hill and when they crested, with both vehicles in the road's center, the head-on crash was the result. Both drivers are okay, by the way, according to reports. 

Why does this matter to gravel cyclists? 

Because, the old farmer's rule of "Drive Right" up hills was meant to help prevent crashes like this, and gravel riders would do well to also heed this advice. 

Maybe the old ways are not being passed down any longer, but I was taught to set my car on the edge of the road, as far right as possible, when cresting hills on gravel roads. Rural people, (at least they used to) expect this rule to be followed for the safety of all road users. Clearly, according to the story from the Tama County Sheriffs, this wasn't the case with the operators of these two vehicles. Perhaps even if one of the drivers was on the far right, the accident may have been avoided. 

However that goes, one thing is a solid takeaway here - You never know when you are going to meet a vehicle on gravel. I remember several examples of not even hearing a car before it was suddenly just "there" at the top of a hill. Riders cresting hills on gravel in the middle of the road or on the left side are taking a huge risk with possible consequences of death or serious injury.  

Don't be that gravel rider! Ride Right! 

Friday News And Views

A render found on Reddit. Supposedly a new Kona model

 Rumored Kona Unit Y Model Seen On Social Media:

Over the past weekend I came across a mention of a new Kona bike packing bike called the Unit Y. Searching the interwebs turned up a thread on Reddit showing the bike and what was purported to be the specs on this new model.  

Interesting details are the obviously bowed downtube and the "mullet" 29"er front/650B X 3" rear wheel with Boost 148 spaced dropouts in the back and Boost spaced front dropouts up front.  

The appears to be a ton of frame accessory mounting points and a front rack, presumably for sleeping bags/tents/luggage.  

Apparently the leaked info was on a dealer's website by mistake and was taken down later. But not before it was seen and spread around on social media.  

Comments: A wild looking bicycle, for sure! I wouldn't be too keen on the different wheel sizes here as it would mean two different sized tubes for "just in case" bail-outs. I suppose you could mitigate this by using TPU tubes. (Yes, there are TPU tubes in the correct sizes for this bike) 

Finally, I am not sure what question this bike is an answer to. Mostly based on the mullet set up. Comfort in riding usually is influenced by frame design, and with the shorter tubing used in the rear end of this bike, and with such a compact geometry for those tubes, it would seem like stiffness would be an issue. As in "too much of it". Especially since you probably are not going to get a lot of deflection from a dropper post to help ease the pain of bumpy trails. Also, panniers will be more difficult with a short rear as this bike has, although it could be argued this bike is a frame bag/seat pack bike. 

Corsa Pévélé - Image courtesy of Eddy Merckx Bikes

Eddy Merckx Bikes Offers Titanium Unpaved Road Bikes:

Today Eddy Merckx Bikes released news of two bikes in their unpaved/gravel range now offered in Columbus Hyperion tubing and featuring UDH drop outs. 

The Corsa Pévélé is the more road-ish of the two and features up to 40mm of tire clearance in a 1X drive train. The bike has top tube accessory mounts and the ability to carry three water bottles. This should prove to be a nice, long-distance road mileage machine. 

The Corsa Pévélé Ti also can be fitted with mudguards. However; there are no rack mounts. 

The Corsa Pévélé is offered in multiple drive train configurations from SRAM and Shimano. The bike can be ordered as a frame/fork combination allowing the buyer to custom build to their own specifications. 

Corsa Strasbourg Ti (Image courtesy of Eddy Merckx Bikes)

The Corsa Strasbourg is the full-on gravel model. This bike has up to 50mm of tire clearance, accessory mounts on the frame and fork, and the capability to be fitted with mudguards. 

The Corsa Strasbourg is meant for 1X drive trains only. Complete bikes can purchased with SRAM or Campagnolo 1X drive trains. This bike is also offered as a frame/fork as well. 

Furthermore; Eddy Merckx Bikes is offering customers an online configuration tool which allows riders to choose different downtube/head tube logos and Wolf Tooth components in five different colors. 

The two new titanium bikes are available from today from Eddy Merckx retailers. More details and images of the Corsa Pevele and Corsa Strasbourg bikes can be seen at www.eddymerckx.com 

Image Courtesy of SRAM

SRAM Offering Shorter Crank Lengths:

In keeping with the move to shorter crank arm lengths for racers, SRAM is now offering crank arms in their Red series from 150mm to 175mm in length. 

DUB spindles and 8 bolt spider standard is here, of course. The main news is the shorter offerings which many will be happy to see offered now from SRAM. 

Comments: The press release came out Tuesday and also featured aero TT levers with a hydraulic mechanism rather than traditional cable actuation. This probably indicates the end of caliper brake offerings across the board for road bikes in the future.  

Aero calipers were also featured in the Red and Rival ranges which feature "Stealth-a-majig" connectors  This might be a good match for those with travel bikes featuring hydraulic brakes. 

Finally a UDH hangar with a silver bolt and washer (ooo!), and a new Quick charger for batteries with a promised 60 minute recharge time were news from the press release.  

Comments: Short cranks are all the fashion now and SRAM now can offer bike fitters and those with short crank acquisition syndrome something from their ecosystem. Cool. It is quite a commitment since with this many options you never know what will be popular as a manufacturer and what you may need to focus on as far as supply goes. Hoping here that SRAM can keep supplies dialed in for those looking for an option for short crank sets from them.  

Image courtesy of SILCA

SILCA  Debuts Rim Tape, Hi-Flow Tubeless Valves:

SILCA just released some tubeless products for riders. First we have their Ultimate Rim tape, a tubeless tape offered in two widths for most applications. Claiming a residue free removal, tear-free performance, (important when changing tires), and a trilaminate construction with "just the right amount of stretch". 

The tape costs USD $24.00 a roll. 

Ultimate Tubeless Valves come in two lengths. 50mm or 70mm. SILCA claims the Ultimate Tubeless Valve stem is compatible with tire inserts and has a higher flow rate than standard valve stems. A pair of the valve stems can be had for USD $28.00 for the 50mm and USD $29.00 for the longer 70mm stems.  

Comments: The rim tape is what I'd be interested in most. The thing is, I found Tessa tape from Uline for a lot less money and it works as well or better than most branded bicycle tapes. If SILCA somehow has a tape with much better properties, than I would be all in on trying it, but for the price, it would have to be darn near miraculously better for me to switch.  

The 32" Watch: Berd Spokes Launch 32"er Lengths For Wheel Building:

Berd, the manufacturer of advanced polymer spokes in textile form have announced lengths to build 32" wheels are now available. New was reported by "Bike Rumor" on Thursday. 

Comments: High-end lightweight spokes for the 32" wheels is another indication this wheel size is legit. With tires, rims, and bicycles trickling in as news and rumors already, this trend is picking up steam quickly. 

I've said it earlier here, but look to Sea Otter to be the place this year where a lot of 32" news will break. In fact, I would not be surprised to see 32"ers being used by at least one racer in the Life Time Grand Prix kick-off event there for the 2026 season. 
 

That is a wrap for this week! Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions. Now get out there and ride those bicycles!