Late last week the industry news outlet, "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" related a story that Specialized had laid off 46 employees, mostly in the Global Support staff in Europe. The news was blamed on shutdowns in Europe related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is on top of the news of a week prior when I learned via Facebook that several QBP employees had been furloughed due to the economic downturn caused by the government shutdowns related to the same pandemic issues.
It also has come to my attention that the previously mentioned shortages of product here are now beginning to have an effect upon the industry. While demand is higher in many places due to the city government mandated shelter in place orders and recommendations of the same for most states, the shutdown of factories in China earlier in the year is causing shortages now. It typically takes about 45-90 days for shortages to work through the system, so you can figure that most of the prime selling season for North American bike shops will be negatively affected by this.
Last week I reported on the postponing of RAGBRAI until 2021. I figured the rival Iowa's Ride would follow suit. I figured it was all the pandemic's fault that these rides would be nixed for 2020, but since then developments have come to light which may change my mind a bit. Here following is pure speculation on my part as to what might be going on here.
Last week it was revealed via a story in several Twitter posts and substantiated by this story on a site called "Poynter", that Gannett Corporation, the owners of RAGBRAI, are shedding employees across their newspaper empire. Apparently the reasoning is the COVID-19 crisis and the fact that Gannett recently merged with another media company. Usually mergers are followed up with a clearing of duplicated employees, but that seems to be a bit of a reach in this case. It's obvious that a financial reckoning of a serious nature is occurring within Gannett.
If you are trying to pare down company expenses, and your plumb event looks to be a divided affair, and probably substantially affected by consumer's reticence to be in large groups due to this pandemic, even if restrictions are lifted, well then maybe you postpone your event. Just a thought. Iowa's Ride, and this pandemic, which will have lasting effect for quite a few years going forward, plus a new organizational team- who were thrown together at the eleventh hour, considering money is tight......yeah, I can totally see it.
But again- this is all pure speculation on my part. Oh, and Iowa's ride cancelled for 2020. That came out late Monday evening.
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| The Farr Aero Gravel Bar |
Aero bar usage was a hot-button topic for a hot minute a few years ago at the DK200, but since then, a few small manufacturers have been toying with the idea of a one-piece handle bar/aero bar set up. Redshift Sports showed something they are cooking up called the "Kitchen Sink" bar which will have a loop out front, like an aero bar extension. Well, the other day I came across these- the Farr Aero Gravel Alloy Bars.
These bars seem to have a healthy amount of 'sweep', at the extensions, and the site says that they have 25° of 'flare'. I'm not sure they are talking about 'flare' or 'sweep', but whatever. (Here's a good tutorial I wrote about the features of an off-road drop bar)
Ninety-nine bucks ain't bad. But here's the issue I have with one piece bar/stem/aero bar things. IF you like what the company chose for positions, well then you are good to go. IF however; you want to, let's say, drop the aero bar part down a bit, but leave the hoods of your levers where they are? Too bad. Ya can't do that! So, buyer beware. Unless this company hits a good middle ground of aero bar position versus the rest of the bar, well then it won't be too popular. How would you know if it might work for you?
Pony up Ninety-Nine Bucks. Good luck........
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| T-6 Standard Rando now available with a carbon fork and looky there! Three pack bosses! |
After Tuesday's popular post about two new steel frames for gravel travel, Twin Six did reveal that the optional carbon fork does come with the six warts, or pimples, or whatever smarty-pants thing you want to call them.
Here's the deal from where I sit: Twin Six will sell through those carbon forks like hotcakes because of two things- People's mis-perception that carbon automatically rides better and because they look better than the steel fork does. First off- carbon forks don't ride all that well, most of the time. Usually they are over-engineered to pass the requisite tests products have to pass. Essentially they end up being too stiff. The one thing you will get is a better looking, (if you think so- it is) fork, and it will be significantly lighter than the steel fork is..
I hope I am wrong about this carbon fork being too stiff, but if I had to bet..... No, I think I am going to be correct, but I will be finding out soon enough. (More on that later) The steel fork is also overbuilt for the same reasons, but steel being steel, it generally doesn't kill the ride quality as badly as when you have to sell/spec a beefy carbon fork.
So, yeah- the plan is in play for me to be getting a frame and fork. We are working on the details at Andy's Bike Shop and I'll know more soon, but this bike is the one that will be taking over duties from the old Raleigh Tamland Two which I have had in service since 2014? (Checks blog) Yes! Since late March of 2014. So, that's a lot of hard riding in mostly severe conditions. Not that the Tamland couldn't continue onward, because it certainly could. No, it's just woefully out of date in terms of certain standards, like with the wheels and brakes, and steer tube size. But don't worry! The Tamland isn't going away. No......not that bike. You who know that story know why.
Initially the plan will be to set the T-6 up as a 1X with a SRAM Force 1 group I have laying around the shop. I've got the XD driver wheels, running gear, hydraulic brakes- everything. The seat post, stem, bars, saddle, yeah. Got that. So, once I can lay my mitts on the bike it should be go time for a build.
Stay tuned......
Andy from Andy's Bike Shop joins me for the latest episode of the Riding Gravel Radio Ranch podcast here. You should be able to click the link and listen from there, or you should be able to find the podcast on Apple or other podcast providers feeds.
In this episode Andy and I cover more about the latest Riding Gravel reviews, news about RAGBRAI and then we cover more in-depth on the Dirty Kanza 200 name controversy. We've already got Episode #42 recorded and off to production, so check this one out and stay up to date with us as we try to keep the content coming during these strange days.
Thanks for reading this week! Stay safe, stay healthy, and get some riding in!
6 comments:
I'm interested in what you think of the Twin Six. I'm really thinking of pre-ordering one (with the steel fork).
@Daniel - Thanks! I should be finding out probably alongside you. My order is in, and I suspect it should be very similar to the last one, which I thought rode fantastic. Cheers and thanks for the comment!
I'd be interested in the T6 frame, but for the life of me I cannot understand why they chose a PF BB. I know that they can be fine when done correctly, but I vastly prefer the ease of a threaded BB.
On another note, would you mind discussing why you are getting the T6 when you have the MCD? I'm curious what it will do for you that the MCD does not do. What attributes are you lacking in the MCD, etc.? Thanks
@Anon - To be honest, I need another bike like I need another hole in my head. The thing is, I have to be set up to test bike components, wheels, and mainly tires, for Riding Gravel. There are times I have a few sets of tires, or two sets of wheels, or a handle bar in for review, (that's all happened at the same time in the past), and a few good solid bikes are necessary for that sort of thing. May as well be ones I like too, right?
My original T-6 Standard Rando was a review bike, and I liked it so much I bought it. But standards changed, so I sold it to move into through axle bikes which at that time were just starting to get hot.
The Raleigh is a bike I have personal ties to, so it stuck around a lot longer than it would have otherwise. And as I said- I'll not be getting rid of it. It just is being 'retired' from duty, so to speak.
While I could have gotten another MCD, and I considered doing that, by the way, it would have been a little redundant and not as interesting for several reasons.
If I weren't doing this review gig, well things would be quite different, but I cannot say how. I just know it would be. That said, I need the T-6 for doing what I do, and it tics a lot of boxes for me in terms of what I like, so I am getting it.
I can tell you why they chose PF-30 Press fit. It is because T-6 is big on single speeds. This system gives you the opportunity to do an eccentric PF-30 insert and have a really clean SS set up. Or you can do an internal geared Alfine set up as well.
Thanks for the comment and the great question!
I read about the Farr Aero Gravel Alloy bar when they introduced the bag that fits in the aero bar. That pack got me thinking about bar storage versus a feed bag, which I have, for gravel riding. But like you point out, they are welded on, you gotta love'em or not.
The one spec that turned me off was the width. I want to try a wider drop bar like the Cowchipper in a 50. I run wide bars on my MTB's which what inspired me.
I have a 46cm Cowchipper on my Moots Mooto-X 29 single speed that transformed the bike for me and it IS wide. I thought, why not a 50! Because I thought the 52 would be wayyy too wide! Lol! So, I am waiting for Q to release them to put on a single speed cx bike I commute and ride gravel along the river parkway.
Makes complete sense from the testing perspective. I have nothing against adding bikes to the collection. I was just curious if you were trying to fill a deficit of some sort. The extra test sled is completely reasonable.
I hadn’t even considered the PF for the eccentric BB. I haven’t seen one of those for years. I guess they are still popular with those slow guys that like to putter around the Northwoods.
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