Friday News And Views

Fox AX TaperCast fork (Image found on Internet)

 Fox To Update Gravel Suspension Fork?

According to several social media accounts and some endemic cycling media, Fox is set to announce a successor to their original gravel suspension fork, which came out in 2017. 

Reportedly this fork will have a three position damper setting, 40mm of travel, and Kashima coated stanchions. Price is rumored to be $1400.00 or so. 

Comments: Pffft! Really?! This seems like a big miss to me. I've covered this ground here before, but for those in the back, or who are new to this....

Forty millimeters of travel does not a suspension fork make. In other words, why have an expensive, heavy fork with minimal amounts of travel when you could be riding a trail bike, you know....an XC hard tail MTB? get you 100mm - 120mm of suspension travel that actually doesn't bottom out when set to be supple? I don't know, maybe I'm the crazy guy here, but a drop bar bike with a measly 40mm of constantly overwhelmed travel (if it is set to work all the time) is not sounding too ideal to me. 

Especially when you can bolt on 20mm of really effective vibration eating travel that doesn't claim to be anything else but just that. That fork may have 40mm of travel but how much does it weigh? And what will it cost me to maintain that fork? And does all that disappear during the other 80-90% of the time I don't need it? No? Yeah....well then.... 

If we are going to ride drop bar bikes with suspension, here's one great option that has been around for years. Quit trying to make a gravel bike something it is not. 

More Bike Parts Thievery In The News:

According to a "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" article posted on Monday, March 21st, there was a theft of PNW branded bicycle parts from a truck on March 16th somewhere in San Bruno, California. The parts were valued, according to the story, at $500,000.00 USD and were headed to PNW's warehouse. 

Authorities and PNW ask consumers to be on the lookout for PNW components at suspicious pricing and to report any suspicious product offerings to PNW Components. PNW makes dropper posts, dropper levers, stems, and other service parts. 

Comments; Supply chain shortages, the increase in demand, inflation, and the ease of internet sales makes piracy of bikes and bike parts a potentially lucrative criminal activity. We're seeing it again now with this latest report of PNW stolen bike parts and the recommendation to look out for "suspicious pricing and product offerings". 

This really hurts the niche brands like PNW who have had shortages for over a year while demand outstrips supply due to several issues out of their control. When they finally get a resupply, then this happens to them. It could be a devastating blow to a smaller company like this. 

Tubolito Announces X-Tubo CX/Gravel Tubes:

Tubolito announced Monday that they have a new re-engineered Tubolito CX/Gravel tube, (which I reviewed last year here) and have named it the "X-Tubo CX/Gravel. 

Tubolito tubes are made from thermoplastic polyurethane, and so they do not have the same traits as a butyl rubber tube, like a susceptibility to punctures, and they do not have the same weight issues as butyl rubber tubes. 

The Tubolito can therefore have very similar low rolling resistances as would your latex rubber tubes, and very nearly that of tubeless set ups without the hassles of tubeless sealant. Now with the X-Tubo, Tubolito is offering those who purchase and register their Tubolito X-Tubo tubes a one year replacement program. If you were to puncture an X-Tubo tube within that year, you could mail in the tube for a replacement from Tubolito. 

X-Tubo CX/Gravel Tubolito tubes can be purchased online here for 29.95 Euros/$35.00USD each. 

Comments: I don't have a lot more to add to the Tubolito opinions that I have already expressed here, but this new version might be a great alternative solution for those who cannot get into tubeless tires for whatever reasons. The one year replacement policy is a pretty decent deal, in my opinion. Again- I am a tubeless guy through and through. After nearly fifteen years of doing the tubeless dance, I have the processes down and I've done hundreds of tubeless set ups on more tires than I can count. So, my experience leads me to success more times than not. You may be new to tubeless, so if it doesn't feel like something you want to mess with, these Tubolito tubes are "next level" tube technology. I would strongly recommend that anyone in that situation take a look at them.

From my perspective I would probably rely on these most as a bail-out solution when and if I had a catastrophic tubeless failure in the field. These Tubolito's weigh next to nothing and pack up to slightly larger than a golf ball in size, so they do not take a lot of room in your repair kit.

Ashton Lambie (center) and MG at the '19 Solstice 100.

Ashton Lambie Joins Jukebox Gravel Racing Team:

World record holder and track cycling champion, Ashton Lambie, is set to join the Jukebox Cycling Team. 

On the team's page for Lambie, it says, "And this season, he plans to focus more on gravel racing, one of his first loves in cycling, while giving his track bike a break "

Comments: Lambie is kind of a hero to us here in the Mid-West. Generally speaking, cycling champions of the World don't come from here, or from America, really. So, he's kind of a "big deal". In fact, Lambie says in a "Nebraska Public Media" story that he is held in high regard in Europe where people ask him to autograph his hero cards for track cycling. 

What I found really interesting about this development is what Lambie says about the future of cycling team organization. He claims that the old ways won't work anymore. Jukebox Cycling employs a rather individualistic approach to sponsorship and racing programs for their athletes. Riders can bring in their own sponsors and focus on events to their liking rather than have to be a part of a multi-member team and ride according to team tactics. (Not that Jukebox Cycling couldn't employ team tactics in an event) 

So, with that I want to wish Ashton Lambie all the best. There are reasons Lambie is highly regarded that go beyond his obvious physical prowess. He happens to be a really nice, down to earth kind of person, and I think this contributes greatly to his popularity. 

Well, that's a wrap on this week! Get out there and ride and thanks for reading G-Ted Productions!