Long Term Review: Ergon BT Gravel Handle Bar Tape

 NOTE: Ergon had sent over two rolls of BT Gravel Handlebar Tape at no charge, on two separate occasions, for test/review to Riding Gravel. This is a long-term review of those bar tapes, but I also have just purchased another roll at full-retail to replace one of those two rolls I tested. Ergon has not paid, nor bribed me, for this review. All opinions are my own.

Ergon BT Gravel handlebar tape on test during 2023

Handlebar tape for drop bars is another one of those "touch-point" things that can be highly personal. Not only that, but handlebar tape often gets nicked up, dirty, sweat-soaked, and it is not all that cheap. (If you buy quality tape) So, handlebar tape often can need replacement and that might get a bit wearisome if the tape you are buying is $30.00 - $40.00 - or more - per box. Then there is the comfort level, in-hand feel, wet performance, and how it installs. That's a lot of things to consider when you are looking at "just a roll of bar tape". 

By the way, if you don't put much importance in handlebar tape and you are okay with the cheapest roll on the bike shop rack, or on Amazon, then you probably should quit reading here. But if you are curious as to why I feel this handlebar tape is "all that", then read on.....

The other roll of BT tape I tested from late 2022.

What It Is: BT Gravel tape from Ergon is their thickest tape that they offer at 3.2mm thickness. There is the "AllRoad" tape which is slightly thinner at 2.5mm thickness and the "Road" tape at 2mm thickness. 

The BT Gravel tape is made with an EVA foam backing and an "anti-slip" surface texture. Ergon claims reduced vibrations will result for the rider. 

BT Gravel tape comes in two shades of red, black, a swampy green, and metallic blue looking hues. I have had the "Swamp Green" and "Merlot" colors. The Swamp Green is more of an organic, mossy green color and the Merlot has a brownish-red hue which is a muted color. 

Why I Like It: Ergon took forever to come out with a product for drop bars, but when they did, it was apparent that they had done their homework. For starters, there is the installation. I've wrapped hundreds, if not more than a thousand drop bars in my 30+ years as a bicycle mechanic. Thick tape is really difficult to wrap, typically, and I always was dismayed when a customer chose thick tape for me to install. 

It is typically very difficult to get thicker than 2mm tape to lay right and look good after the job is finished. Not that it cannot be done, but thickness makes the job harder. Ergon tape, for its 3.2mm thickness, lays down so much easier than a lot of companies 2.5mm tape does. (Looking at you, Lizard Skins) The end result is pleasing to the eyes, and Ergon's pattern that they used on the tape's surface actually is there to help guide you in wrapping this tape. All in all, a pretty brilliant tape to work with. 

My new roll in Merlot

But none of that matters if the tape is hard on your hands, slippery when wet/perspired on, or if it wears out prematurely. In my experience, Ergon BT Gravel tape has outstanding qualities in all three of those areas. 

BT Gravel tape does help reduce vibrations to the hands. Coupled with a good, vibration reducing handlebar, and maybe a ShockStop stem, you end up with the happiest hands you are going to get on gravel. 

Secondly, I have had various handlebar tapes that get really slick, slimy, or both when perspired upon. Now, maybe it is just me, because I don't wear gloves, typically, on a ride. However; slippery tape is no good on a gravel ride! Ergon's no-slip texture on their tape really works. I have zero fear of perspiration causing me issues on hot Summer rides. While I have not ridden Ergon tape in the rain, I suspect the outcome would be similar. 

Finally, this tape is very durable and long-lasting. While I wouldn't recommend anyone use tape for more than one season on drop bars, (and I would recommend changing tape more often if you are a heavy sweater), the BT Gravel tape holds up well after months and months of sweaty, dust-filled riding. It retains a good look, and it doesn't wilt at the first biff of your bar end on the ground, or when your bike falls in the garage because you didn't park it just right. 

Final Word: Ergon BT Gravel Handlebar Tape is not inexpensive at about forty bucks a pop. However; given its abilities to reduce vibrations so well and for how durable and long-lasting it is, I am what you might call "sold on it". So much so I went and bought another roll. I will say that I am a bit disappointed in the choices for colors. For instance, there is no bright pink, yellows, or greens. There are no straight-up blues or reds either. Ergon went for a weird palette of colors when they made their choices for the BT Ergon  handlebar tapes. I get that the colors are not great for many applications. (Please, Ergon - make this tape in Hot Pink!) 

But besides colors, I am hard pressed to say anything negative about this product. I recommend it. Definitely a keeper.

No-Coast: First Ride Update

The new Shogun 1000 fixed gear bike has been ridden now. I have some thoughts on this bike and I will get to those in a bit here. First I wanted to cover my initial set up of the bike. Much of the basics were shared in Thursday's post which you can see HERE. But I did add a couple of things which I wanted to talk about. 

I needed to add some repair gear, just in case, so I decided on the Velo Orange Burrito Supreme handlebar bag. That worked great as I utilized the stock headset mounted reflector as a sort of decaleur. Then I found one of my frame pumps that fit and I was set with the repair stuff. I pumped the tires to slightly above 40psi and off I went. 

My first impression is that old school hoods and levers are really skinny! I'm not sure those levers will last long here. More substantive levers have a much more ergonomic feel and make you want to ride. Then there is the traditional bend handle bar with zero flare. Ach! I really don't like that. My mind was immediately looking for a Midge Bar to appear on the front of this bike! So, I may be doing some switching up on stem/handle bar/lever combos in the near future. I know this may mess with the classic look, but I have to want to ride this bike and these current components are not lending themselves to this goal.

The fork must have a pretty short offset as I have to back my foot up on the pedal to prevent toe overlap. Not a really big deal there, but it is annoying. I suppose I could find some shorter cranks or a fork with more offset. 

The Brooks Professional is what I expected. Nice and comfortable! When it breaks in to my anatomy it should feel awesome. I may have to tip the peak up more on it, but it is darn close to where it needs to be right now. 

The brake pads are original to the bike with embossed "Shimano" logo on the aluminum brake block holders. I hate to get rid of them but in typical Shimano fashion, the pads are like bricks and there is zero modulation due to that. With only one working brake, I may need to compromise there. 

I haven't ridden far on tires this skinny in a long, long time, so that was a bit of an eye-opener. I will say that 40psi is about the maximum I'd pump these 700 X 32mm Pasela tires up to because I still could feel every sidewalk crack I rode over at that pressure. 

I picked up right where I had left off with fixed gear riding. However; I went pretty slow and steady on this bike to get acquainted with everything which was going on with it. The wheel base is short, so I had the back end come up when I dropped into a grassy field. A longer wheel base would have helped to keep the bike planted there. The skinny tires were barely hanging in there on the descent down the dike, which I took at an angle. I could hear the tires cutting the grass in places when my weight pressed the tires down into the brown grasses. The term "pizza cutter" came to mind. 

The bumpy grass field exposed the short wheel base in the form of a pretty rough ride. I was happy to get off that bit, but the bike did handle it just fine, considering what I had to work with. The 39T X 20T gearing, close to 2 to 1, was about right for this bike, I think. I could climb and start from a stop without feeling like I was going to pop a knee cap or something. 

I finished off the ride by cruising some alleys and back streets. Then I headed back to the house to consider my ride and what I might want to do from this point. 

My first order of business will be to address the handle bar and stem. I think if I can get a slightly longer stem and maybe add a stem with a bit more height,(this current stem is set to maximum height already), maybe that might work. I also have a stem insert with which I could then utilize any threadless style stem I choose which opens up a lot of handle bar choices. That may take away from the classic look, but make the bike feel much better. 

But after some time on the bike on other short commutes since this first ride I came upon an idea which I am pretty sold on. A mustache bar! I'll try to source one soon. I think that would really be ideal on this bike. 

If all that went well enough and I grew to like this bike a lot, then I might look for shorter cranks to alleviate the toe overlap. As it stands, if I scoot my foot back so my toes barely overhang the fronts of the pedals I am okay. But I'd rather not ride with my feet so far back on the pedals if I can have that option. I'm not too worried about this as the bike will not be ridden longer distances at this point. 

So this is where I am at with the bike so far. I think it has potential, but I do wish it had fatter tires, a longer wheel base, and a bit higher stack height. If something else comes along that fits this bill, well, we'd see what might happen then. But for now? I think this might just work out okay for a while.

Review: State Bicycle Co. Monster Fork v2

Note: State Bicycle Co sent over their Monster Fork v2 for test and review at Guitar Ted Productions at no cost. Guitar Ted is not being bribed, nor paid,for this review and all opinions are his own. 

A little over two weeks ago I featured the State Bicycle Co. Monster Fork v2 in a "Friday News and Views". I had requested a sample to test at that time and now that sample has arrived. I will be installing this fork on my Noble Bikes GX5 and testing it out here. But first, let's review what the fork is all about with its unique drop out/offset feature. 

This fork is all-carbon fiber construction. The steer tube is a typical tapered one, 1 1/8th to 1 1/2", with a very thick-walled, stout look to the steer tube. The stock steer tube is 300mm long, so it should accommodate most head tube lengths out there. Then we work down to the shapely and very beefy looking fork crown. This part of the fork is massive and the span between the fork's legs looks adequate for handling really big tires with room to spare. I'll get around to tire size clearance in a minute. The crown has a threaded boss in the centerline of the fork front and back for things like dynamo light mounts or a fender.

There is a port in the upper part of the fork crown on the non-drive side for the brake housing or hydraulic hose to pass through. Then we work down to the narrower, slightly tapered fork legs. These have the "Triple Boss" mounts for things like cargo cages or water bottles to be mounted to the Monster Fork v2. Maximum load combined is 23Kg/55.12 lbs. 

Note the threaded boss in the fork crown

There is a lower threaded boss for a low rider style rack mount as well. These could also be utilized as lower fender strut mounts. The brake port exit is located midway down the left fork leg on the inner side of that fork leg. This just above the threaded bosses for the flat mount brake. Then we get to the dropouts. 

This is where it gets interesting with the Monster Fork v2. There is a flip-chip, which is a two-sided, oval insert that is sandwiching the carbon pocket it sits in and held together by a small counter-sunk bolt. By "flipping" this aluminum assembly the axle is positioned differently resulting in different handling characteristics and the ability to fit different sized tires and wheels in the fork. 

That's a lot going on for "just a drop out". So, let's break things down a bit to smaller, bite sized chunks of information. 

Tire Clearances: Okay, let's cut to the chase. Most of you will want to know just how big a tire will work in the Monster Fork v2. This fork is compatible with both 650B/27.5" and 700c/29" tires and wheels. The clearances are more in the longer, 55.5mm offset setting. So, for the shorter offset first, which is the 49mm offset the clearances are: up to a 58mm/2.3" tire in 650B/27.5" and up to 55mm/2.1" in a 700c/29"er. Now in the longer 55.5mm offset the clearances are as follows: 650B/27.5 at 62mm/2.45" and in 700c/29" it goes up to a 58mm/2.3" tire. 

The flip-chip offset explainer tab .

Keep in mind that going big on tires increases wheel diameter which also will affect your stand over, bottom bracket height, and gearing. Not to mention the slower/more stable handling bigger tires have versus smaller on the same rims. 

Whew! As if THAT weren't enough, you can change the offset of the fork with smaller tires just to tweak the handling. Also, the way State Bicycle Co. had this designed into the fork, changing offset will also affect a few other things about your bike in minimal, but still notable, ways. 

First, the way the flip-chip was integrated into the carbon fork allows the rider to get the biggest rubber possible in the fork. The angular plane created by the chip for the axle centerline in either placement means that the axle to crown height of the fork is going to be different in each setting. A longer A-C measurement means that your head angle, top tube height, bottom bracket height, and seat tube angle all will be minimally affected. So, if you switch to the 55.5mm offset from the 49mm and seem to find that some things about your bike feel weird, this is why that is. 

Now, about the whole offset thing. Front end geometry for bicycles is largely a misunderstood or unknown subject for many riders. A nerdy, deep dive on front end geometry can be found HERE if you want to dive into that rabbit hole. While that article focuses mainly on 29 inch wheels, the principles are the same for gravel bikes. State Bicycle Co. kind of gets this mixed up in their marketing and info tab on the fork. The correct and salient short story is this: Longer offset = less stable. Shorter offset = more stability. That disregards any changes in wheel diameter, head tube angle, and a few other things which can come into play here, but for most people getting this fork, those other things are locked in with the exception of tire size. So, the simple answer applies here.

Another look at that flip-chip drop out.

What I plan on doing is to use the same wheel and tire combination in the two drop out positions to determine how much of an effect this has on handling of my Noble GX5 gravel bike. I also have a 650B/27.5" wheel set here that I may try some testing with as well. 

A couple of final notes to make on this fork: The material is said to be a "High Grade Carbon Fiber", the 12 X 100m through axle is included, but you will have to purchase a separate steer tube insert for head set adjustment. State offers an FSA plug for an extra $14.99.  State Bicycle Co. offers free exchanges if the fork is not right for you and the fork has a 1 year warranty. Price for the Monster Fork v2 is $299.99 USD. More information on this product can be found HERE.

First Impressions: 

The Monster Fork v2 looks sleek with its legs having a curvish rake to their backside giving the optical illusion that the legs bend backward a bit, but they do not in reality. I like the look, and maybe the tapered legs will offer some compliance? 

The matte black, satin finish looks classy and the logos are very subtle. So, as far as looks go, this fork should compliment any frame it is intended to work for. The "adventure warts" are a welcomed thing in my opinion. I know that there is a trend to separate "serious" racing gravel bikes from the ones with these extra bosses by many brands but to my way of thinking this is a silly notion. The upper tier of supported racing is so tiny that it is almost laughable to think everyone else needs to worry about a few extra bolt mounting points. Many of us riders of gravel can use those as a way to make our rides more fun, and that's kind of the whole point about riding gravel isn't it? 

State claims the Monster Fork v2 weighs 510 grams with an uncut steer tube. This sample weighed in at 550 grams, but I wonder if the six bolts in the fork legs and the through axle  were in the sample weighed by State. 

The fork appears to be well made and everything looks sano. State Bicycle Co. sent along an FSA plug and a lower head set assembly, (both would be extra charges from State), and I could use that assembly on my Twin Six Standard Rando but the Noble GX5 has an integrated head set so all I will need there is the metal, split crown race and possibly the bearing. 

One nit to pick here, and this is just a personal opinion on any fork with an integrated brake route through the fork leg. This feature causes a lot of extra work. Had the routing been external this fork swap would be a piece of cake and I would have it all done in under 30 minutes. However, now I have to disconnect the hydraulic hose from the GRX lever, being careful not to introduce any air into the system, and if I do, it's a brake bleed added to the work. Of course, this means removing handle bar tape on the left side as well. If all goes awry then I need to wrap the entire handle bar with new tape. Not to mention the threading of the hose through the fork, setting up the brakes, (with the high possibility of a brake bleed additional), and cutting the steer tube down to size. Now this could be a hour plus long process for what? To have a "cleaner look"? This is a costly feature that brings little benefit, in my opinion. 

Of course, mechanical brake systems are much easier in this regard. So, again - I get it, but I find the integrated brake line to be of little benefit and potentially a lot of hassle and extra money for the rider. 

So Far... There is a lot going on here and I hope to get to each facet of the fork design and its effects on handling, the benefits to the rider, and how these bring a lot of versatility in one fork. In the meantime I need to get it mounted and do a couple of short test rides to get to know this fork. Then I plan on a longer ride or two out on the gravel after which time I will bring another update to this review. 

But this looks to be a good candidate for anyone looking to upgrade to a carbon fork at a reasonable price that could have a lot of versatility and benefits to the rider. It is light, good looking, and seems well made. Stay tuned for the update in a couple of weeks or so.

Two Things

Iowa gravel

 Bad Takes And The UCI Gravel World Championships:

I tried resisting doing any commentary on two articles published last week about the UCI Gravel World Championships. However; the takes were so poorly done that I have to say something about it or I feel I would be inherently supporting those who wrote such garbage takes on gravel cycling. As you might suspect, I do not support any of what was said. 

I'm not going to give the honor of linking to either article. That would be giving the authors of these two pieces way too much credit. But I may quote a couple of lines they wrote to illustrate how far off these takes were. 

Here's a zinger: "So now three years into gravel being a "sport" ", which was written that way because the author is trying to intimate that only the UCI makes gravel a "sport". Hogwash! Such a bogus statement. Then the same author tries to legitimize the World Championship course in Belgium by saying that Unbound in Kansas is a "boring road race on unfinished roads". By the way, the Belgium course is 50/50 pavement to gravel (claimed) and has forest paths and bike paths as part of the course because, in the author's words, "The forests near major cities are small and rarely connect without crossing highways, so planning a 187km race is pretty hard to do. So a 50/50 split of road/off-road is pretty good."

From FLO Racing YouTube: Women's decisive move on the "gravel course".

A 116 mile course, with half of it paved or not gravel is "pretty good" but Unbound's nearly 90% gravel course is "boring"?

I don't think we need to go any further with that. The other piece I read was  lamenting the fact that a North American probably won't win the World Championship UCI jersey and that this will "set back gravel as a sport" in the USA. There was more rubbish, but I won't get into anymore of that. 

Apparently mainstream cycling media feels that we all should fan in the way they want us to, because kowtowing to the supremacy of less than 500 Pro, Elite gravel riders worldwide is what we should be doing to legitimize gravel as a "sport". Of course, that should be happening for USA riders on USA courses, if you listen to some writers. 

Newsflash: Most riders don't care about the UCI, their form of "gravel", or an arbitrary jersey award that means nothing in reality. You do you. We built "gravel" to be what it is in most corners of this country long before the UCI came around and made their little mark in the "sport".  You "fan" your way, we'll do it our way. 

The Guitar Ted Podcast Goes Commuting:

The latest podcast episode is up and N.Y. Roll and I cover our experiences commuting by bicycle. We go all over the place covering bicycles, gear, how to plan routes, lights, and more. 

We also get into the State Bicycle Co. Monster Fork v2, but since that is tomorrow's post subject, I won't say more about that. We do get into the weeds a little bit concerning fork offset. So, be prepared to nerd out if you listen in!

I also have  a bit of a rant about internal cable routing on forks. 

But the most important messages come in the last eight minutes of the episode where N.Y. Roll gives a passionate message concerning who is a cyclist. You have to listen in for this, as I agree 100% and I give my own example concerning this message and its impact on me. 

If you don't listen to the podcast, know this: You should consider and support anyone that pedals as a cyclist. 

Nuff said. 

Country Views: Dusty Daze

Escape Route: Martin Luther King Jr BLVD bike path

It seems that this year will be a year book-ended by dust. We started out very dry, in a severe drought, by the way, then it flip-flopped to very wet. Now it hasn't rained in any significant amount for almost two months and everything is turning brown. The dust on the gravel roads is at about the worst levels I've seen in a while. That's saying something since we've had two and a half years of very dry conditions with a mini-break this past Summer with a few other wet spots here and there. 

The warm temperatures and every plant dying and drying down doesn't help matters. But since it has been so nice, I am still riding in Summer kit. Usually by this point I've been in tights and a vest or wind shell a few times. 

This past Friday was breezy out of the East-Southeast, so I grabbed the Tamland Two and headed out East on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard on the bike path there. Then it was out to the country on Newell Road.

The low angle of the Sun makes it look late but in reality it was only about 2:00pm when I took this image.

Many fields have received their Fall "hair cut".

I'm not sure what it was but the wind didn't really get to me as much as it does sometimes. Why that was I cannot say, but it felt good just to cruise into the wind at a steady pace. Now, I won't lie, it was great to turn out of the wind on Pilot Grove Road heading South. I hadn't been down that way in a while either, so it was nice to get reacquainted with the scenery.

Lounging bovines.

The corn harvest is just getting cranked up now.

I found it rather odd this day to not find anyone harvesting. I know it has been a kind of touch-and-go situation with how dry it is. There was one big field fire that destroyed a cornfield already in Iowa and several counties have instituted "burn bans" in the open due to how dry it is. 

Check out the dust hanging in the air after a vehicle had passed by this place.

You could literally see dust moving through the air in the form of clouds being driven by the steady, strong wind. My nose was getting gritty inside, and whenever a vehicle passed the dust was so thick it blinded me momentarily. Then if I was going East-West, the dust kind of hovered over the road for a bit. The wind didn't really move it off, and I was amazed by that since this was no small breeze blowing. 

A motorcyclist traveling South on McStay Road.

This was taken several minutes after I was dusted by a passing vehicle.

I figured to leave the dust behind South of Elk Run and get on pavement but it was about the least of my worries as I discovered that some of my non-driveside rear wheel spokes were unwinding themselves and causing some bad wobble. I was quite concerned, having several miles to go to get back home, but I nursed it along and eventually made it back in one piece. 

I guess I'll have to try and test the Irwin Cycles wheel set and see if it holds up, like I believe it will. Meanwhile I have  a wheel set repair to address. 

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Ridley Bikes

Ridley Announces New Aero Gravel Racing Bike:

On Tuesday of this past week Ridley announced a new aero gravel bike model to compliment their current Kanzo Adventure and Kanzo Fast bicycles. The new bike will be offered in both carbon frame and fork (Astr RS) and a lower grade carbon frame/carbon fork (Astr) models.

The Astr (Is there a fear of vowels in marketing these days?) is a full-on racing bike for gravel which anticipates the expansion of sanctioned gravel events world-wide. (More on that next up) So the Astr models feature clearance for up to 52mm tires in 1X mode with a limitation of 47mm if set up in 2X configurations. Furthermore, head tube angle is 71.5° while the seat tube angle is a steep 74°. This along with a lower stack height puts the rider in a more forward, aerodynamic position on the bike, perfect for a fit athlete to race as fast as possible. (This is no adventure bike!)

As one might expect, all cables are internally routed starting at the handlebars and those bars are an integrated stem/bar in carbon featuring a narrower stance at the hoods. Again - a nod to aerodynamics. The chain stays were also kept as short as possible to give the rider the feeling of instant acceleration. 

The Astr, the lesser grade carbon counterpart to the Astr RS, is a less expensive option for riders that cannot afford the ultra-aero carbon model. The Astr RS frame, fork, seat post is approximately $5,550.00 USD currently. So, the bike is not inexpensive but the Astr model saves you about 3K from that for a frame/fork.  It's just a little heavier and the seat post is not an aero one. 

Notable: The Astr RS is UCI approved. 

Comments: So, with the UCI ramping its sanctioning of gravel events up (see next bit), we are seeing the ultra-race forms of gravel bicycles appearing which will have the influence of making gravel as much like road racing as possible. Expect to see a LOT of companies jumping onboard with high priced aero carbon gravel bikes with an aim to get those customers who believe that riding bikes "just like the Pros ride" is the pinnacle of cycling. Which it isn't, but belief is 9/10's of the truth in this matter, so whatever.... It's here and we are going to see more of it. 

Image courtesy of Union Cycliste Internatinale

Gravel World Championships & More Events Planned for 2025:

In an article published on the Cycling News website (HERE) concerning this year's Gravel World Championships, sanctioned by the UCI, Edwin Vervecken has foreshadowed what the plan is for Golazo/UCI and gravel racing worldwide. 

The plan is to increase the UCI sanctioned worldwide gravel calendar to 35 events under the auspices of Golazo. (For a primer on how Golazo and the UCI are working together, see my  article posted this past June HERE)

Vervecken goes on to say that there will be a limit to how many events a country can host, which is two, with the exception of the USA, Australia, and Canada, which may have up to three.  Vervecken claims that there will be three in the USA next year and possibly a fourth event. (Wait....isn't the limit three? )

Comments: The UCI is really pushing hard to get their grip on US gravel and making the case for it by dangling the carrot of the rest of the World's acceptance of their formatting for gravel events. Again, this flies in the face of what reality is currently for the small field of Pro gravel riders based in North America. But what about world-wide? Well, Gravel World Championships are this weekend and for a "world-wide" event, supposedly drawing from all over the world, the entire Elite Men's and Women's field is 429 riders. (I checked the official start list to get this number) So we're supposed to "do gravel" like this everywhere because less than 500 Pros worldwide want to, (or think they have to) ride the UCI sanctioned way?

As of now, Life Time Event's "Grand Prix" is the "big time" when it comes to gravel events in the USA. Life Time's purse for the events and overall winner is such that overseas travel to participate in a series which culminates in offering a jersey isn't seen as being worthwhile. (See Lauren De Crescenzo) There is no prestige or history behind the rainbow stripes for an unpaved roads World Champion like there is for the Road or MTB versions of the UCI's racing. 

Add in big prize purses for Gravel Worlds and a jersey that actually has history in gravel racing, (the Lincoln, Nebraska version), the Belgian Waffle rides, and a few other events, and you can see that by sticking to a USA based calendar the Pro athlete can make a privateer or marginally backed program work. (It is reported that the top athletes in North American gravel racing receive a six figure income from racing gravel) To get a "real" Pro roadie-like gravel series going it is going to take Pro road-like sponsored teams and that hasn't happened yet. Besides, the USA hasn't proven itself in being able to sustain a team in the Pro roadie ranks long-term, and I don't see that happening for gravel. Add in the Golazo/UCI formula for what they call a gravel event, (lame) and you can see that this is really not workable for the USA based Pro and semi-Pro gravel racer. 

Finally, the views of how Golazo/UCI see Women's racing versus Men's, in terms of distances, etc, would be brought over to gravel here. That's not going to sit well with many folks, (again, read my post from June for details). Not that the UCI won't get their way, but - This is just exchanging pavement for gravel, otherwise it is the same-ol'-same-ol' Pro roadie crap we already have seen here. If that's your bag, you do you, but it isn't "gravel racing" as it was formatted here from the get-go. 

Image courtesy of 45NRTH

45NRTH Offers New Oland Waterproof Boot:

Yeah, Winter is on the way and cold weather riding, either for commuting or sport, is going to be on the menu for many of us. 45NRTH offers their new Oland boot to tackle this problem and promises warm feet and all-day usage. 

Featuring 100 grams of Primaloft insulation and an environmentally conscientious manufacturing process for the leather uppers, this boot is rated down to 20°F and up to 45°F as far as temperature range goes.  

The Oland also features glass fiber bits embedded into the real rubber soles to enhance traction in slippery situations. The Oland has traditional lace closure and is compatible with two-bolt cleat interfaces for clipless pedal usage or leave the removable plate on and ride flat pedals. 

The Oland is available in whole sizes from 38 to 50 and costs $260.00 USD. 

Comments: This boot is going after the commuter and recreational rider, judging by the marketing and styling of the Oland. I think it is a smart move to "normalize" cycling apparel for everyone, and especially cyclists. I'd be more apt to wear this boot than some of the other cycling footwear I see for Winter on my bike and obviously, the Oland is set for off the bike usage as well. 

However; if this is what 45NRTH is thinking of style-wise and for usage type, then I think you can do a whole lot better with other non-cycling brands that do Winter footwear. As an example, I've been a user of Keen footwear on my Winter biking forays for many years and this boot they offer for quite a bit less than the Oland has similar features and twice the insulation. I'm sure other companies are doing similar hiker style boots at notable savings over the 45NRTH offering. Yes, they are not clipless compatible, but I would counter by saying flat pedals are a lot smarter Winter choice and especially composite pedals which will not transfer heat from your feet like a clipless or metal pedal does. Try them and let me know if I am wrong. I'll be here...... 

Camp Snap Camera Update:

Some of you might recall that I purchased a Camp Snap Camera last Spring and reviewed it on the site HERE. In the review I mentioned my poor experience with image quality, especially with the tendency of the sensor to "blow out" images if there was any intense light source, like the Sun, shining. 

Well, Velo Orange, who sell these (as well as other outlets) announced a v2 of the camera is now available which promises better jpeg processing and a "significantly faster shutter speed". This is probably in response to the problems I, and likely others, were having with v1 of the camera. It still is $65.00USD, so not a bad chance to take on a cheaply made camera for fun. 

Image courtesy of Boone Technologies

Boone Technologies Titanium Goodness: 

Somewhere in the depths of time I came into possession of a Boone Titanium single speed cog and matching spacer kit. I treasured those bits and one of my single speed bikes has that set up, (I think it is on my Pofahl Signature single speed gravel bike)

Anyway, the "big deal" was that Boone had gone back to making jewelry and had dropped the cycling products. But I found out via Mike Curiak's blog that they are back again making not only single speed cogs but chain rings, spiders, and titanium crank sets. 

The website is here if you want to check those out. 

What is cool is that now those cogs can be had in various anodized colors. I grabbed an image of a purple one here but there are a lot more colors available. These bits are not cheap. The cogs are nearly a hundred bucks alone, but they are well made, last a long time and are light. Check out this USA based and manufactured product line if you want to get something cool in titanium for your bike. 

Note: I get nothing for mentioning this, I just think these are good products worth checking in to.

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! get out there and ride those bicycles!

No-Coast: A New Experiment Begins

The next fixed gear bike trial starts now.

 Last May I wrote about making my Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross (Orange Crush) a fixed gear bike. I ended up binning that idea, but the dream of having another fixed gear bike did not go away. 

In fact, when I went to Chicago in August to visit Ari I mentioned that I was still wanting a fixed gear bike to ride. Since then, I've been keeping my eyes peeled for a good deal on a road frame that would make a good fixed gear candidate. 

It had to have horizontal drop outs for obvious reasons. You have to be able to tension that chain properly! I also wanted an older, steel bike which would more than likely have room for bigger tires. Any racing bike from about 1990 on would probably have room for 25mm tires at best. That's too skinny for me! 

Of course, the frame had to fit me. That meant a 58cm bike, but something close that was good might be workable. I wanted a road bike due to the less crazy geometry which modern day track bikes have. I prefer a lower bottom bracket , slacker angles, a longer wheel base, and the classic looks of a steel road bike. So, a track bike was out. Well.....unless it was a really old one! But that was not likely to be affordable for me. That was the final part - the bike had to be insanely affordable. I already have too many bicycles, so adding another one had to make sense somehow. Spending any amount would be too much, but over a hundred? Out of the question. 

So, one day we got a donation at the collective. An old road bike, nearly complete, and little used by the looks of it. 1980's vintage, most likely judging by the Shimano 600 component group. It looked like it might fit. The seat tube measured 60cm, a hair too big, but the top tube measured out at 55cm!? Who does that? Well, Shogun did, apparently. Anyway, I decided to get the bike since we would have scrapped it out anyway. It is too old and outdated to get anyone's interest, and we can hardly give away a road bike at the Collective. 

I had converted another fixed gear bike earlier in the year to a coaster, and the wheel set I had saved for such a project. Since this Shogun 1000 was an older road bike, the rear spacing was 126mm and I only had to add a couple of threaded spacers to each side of the 120mm spaced fixed gear wheel to accommodate the Shogun. 

The wheel has a flip-flop, fixed/fixed hub, which has two differently sized cogs one tooth off from each other. I set the bike up using the larger of the two cogs so when I go to the smaller cog it will make the wheel base a tad longer. But I doubt I'll swap it around at this point. I may change that to a slightly bigger cog for an even lower ratio, but we will see. That's waaaay down the road yet! 

I removed the two derailleurs, the shifters, and derailleur cables. I mounted the wheels, which have Panaracer Pasela 700 X 32mm tires on them, and aired up the tires to 40psi. The wheels spun! There was clearance, but not much! However; after a short ride. I was hearing some tire scraping something giving me that tell-tale high pitched whine. I stopped and looked, but could see nothing. Then I figured it out. The act of riding compressed the wheel enough that the tire was kissing the bottom of the front brake. 

With no front brake there is plenty of clearance for the 32mm tire.

So, I had to remove the front brake and I was able to leave the rear brake which has plenty of clearance. So, one brake should be fine. 

The bike appeared to be little used so the components left, like the bottom bracket and headset, appear to be fine. Also, as stated, these are all Shimano components and are well made being from the 600 group. Yes - this is the group with the fluted head set lock nut. I happen to have the wrench for it too! 

I can barely stand over the frame, but with its short top tube it seems a little cramped. I may have to look for a slightly longer stem. It has about a 90mm or 100mm at most on there. I doubt I'll find a seat post with more offset since it is a 26.6mm diameter.

You can see where the tire was rubbing the front brake

So, due to that the cockpit seems a bit cramped and maybe a tad too low and forward. That's common with many road bikes of this era. The Shogun is less that than some I've tried, and the slightly lower bottom bracket than some bikes I've tried helps here. 

I took the stock Shimano 600 pedals off and screwed in some flats. I removed the front brake and wire, the stock chain, (replaced with a cheapo Bell single speed 1 1/8th pitch chain. Gold in color though!) and I removed the outer 53T ring on the crankset. Otherwise the bike is stock. 

The Brooks Professional with big copper rivets was on it and in excellent condition. I left that on, naturally. I've ridden it all of a mile, so it will take some time to break it in. 

Okay, so that's the build and the story behind the bike. Now what? Well, I have to ride it some all over town to see what I might want changed, if anything, and whether or not this will work. I liked my old Raleigh Grand Prix fixed gear bike a lot, but I had a really sketchy rear wheel, a somewhat suspect front wheel, and it was flexy! I eventually scrapped that bike at the Collective a couple years ago, I think. This Shogun 1000 is Tange "2" double butted CroMo, so it stands to reason that it should be a bit stouter frame than the Raleigh had. 

The finish on the bike looks excellent for a bike that is likely 41 years old. (Based on the Shimano 600 components) The lugs are well executed and the head tube is painted in a complimentary color. The decals are not clear-coated, and it is also likely this was wet-painted and not powder coated. I barely wiped the frame off just to knock off a layer of dust and it looks magnificent. It should polish up well. 

But all that is a moot point if, like the Gravel Mutt v3 from last year, it doesn't fit or ride well. So, I have a plan to cruise the local bike paths and see what I think. If it is a failure I'm not out much money or time. In fact, the Brooks saddle makes it worth while right there. But if it does work out?  I'll have a fun fixed gear bike to run errands on, commute with, and just bomb around on anytime I need a fixed gear, well.....fix! 

Stay tuned....