The online news source, "Axios Des Moines" reported Monday concerning a runner's attempt to beat the FKT across the state of Iowa. The runner, Paul Noble, started in Muscatine, Iowa last Sunday and was hoping to reach Sigourney that day. His itinerary from there: Sigourney to Indianola, Indianola to Messena, Messena to Council Bluffs.
The route followed Highway 92, for the most part. Noble hoped to be done sometime on Wednesday. The time to beat? His friend, Taylor Ross holds the record to beat at 4 days, 15 hours, 32 minutes, and 41 seconds.
And Paul Noble pulled it off. "Axios Des Moines" reported yesterday that Noble made it to Council Bluffs with a total time of 94 hours and 50 minutes. Congratulations Paul Noble!
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| From Cannondale/CX World's social media feed. |
Cannondale/CX World Ends Cyclo Cross Efforts:
On Monday a bombshell was dropped by Cannondale/CX World Team that they were ceasing operations immediately. The team had contested cyclo cross races in North America and Europe for 16 years.
Comments: Pretty stunning news when you consider that this team was a stalwart of the North American scene and was the last big outfit doing cyclo cross in North America.
One has to wonder if the gravel scene's rise to prestige in North America, the UCI recognizing gravel with a series, and the series like Life Time's Grand Prix are taking away riders and focus from cyclo cross now to the point that marketing is switching gears to gravel.
If I had to venture a guess, I'd say that this has something to do with it, but there probably is more to it than just that. Supply chain shortages generally mean that niche, low selling items get cut to make way for higher value production. (Noticed a Twitter pole asking when CX riders last bought a complete CX bike at a shop. Average answer? Five years ago, and most said they never had, preferring to build up their own from frames or they bought used) Inflation pressures certainly have to be considered here. Travel and staffing costs for the team have probably been a heavy burden of late.
But a lot of athletes are turning to the gravel scene now. So, you have to think that this- especially here in North America- is a really big issue for cyclo cross.
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| State Bicycle's 4130 Alouette is a fixed gear gravel bike. |
State Bicycle announced this past week that they have a new fixed gear gravel bike called the 4130 Alouette. It is steel, (natch!) and can take up to a 42mm tire, comes in four color schemes, and in either a flat bar or drop bar configuration for sub-600 bucks.
Comments: Fixed gear gravel riders are nothing new. Rare- yes - but the fixed gear gravel rider has existed for a long time. I came into contact with fixed gear via gravel during Trans Iowa. In fact, it was a bicycle you probably would never have pegged for an appearance at Trans Iowa. It was a fixed gear Rivendell with a rack and panniers ridden by Ken Yokanovich. And he finished the 300+ mile T.I.v3 course in 15th place out of the 24 official finishers that year.
That was back in 2007. We had another fixed gear finisher in Ben Shockey two years later, and finally, the last guy to pull off the feat on a fixie in Trans Iowa was Jay Barre in T.I.v10. All did 300+ miles fixed in less than 34 hours.
And fixed gear riders have appeared in several other gravel events as well. So, while it may seem really crazy and odd, I get it, and it is not a new thing. That State Bicycle has come out with this should only help propel the idea and I expect at least a few more folks will take up fixed gear gravel riding.
As far as the bike- it's good enough,but the geometry they chose is just too steep and high for my liking. Too 'track-ish', if you will. I still want a fixed gear gravel bike, but it would have to be done in the geometry I prefer: Low bottom bracket (I don't lean in corners enough to worry about clipping pedals) and a slacker head tube angle. The State 4130 Alouette has a 65mm bottom bracket drop. No thank you! I'd have to have at least a 70mm drop for my way of riding, but that's just me.
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| Mid-South overall winner Cole Paton (L) with Bobby Wintle (Image courtesy of Orange Seal) |
Mid-South Goes Off With Dry-ish Year:
Uncharacteristically cold morning temperatures gave way to warmer, but windier weather for the Mid-South 2022 event which led to a dry-ish course for the assembled riders. Cole Paton, of the Orange Seal Off Road Team won the event overall.
Comments: Two years ago the Mid-South event marked the end of "normal affairs" for quite some time. With the COVID-19 virus moving from 'pandemic' status to 'endemic' status, the return of the Mid-South was welcomed by many gravel riders and I could sense a joy and happiness from social media posts I saw over that weekend which communicated somewhat of the atmosphere surrounding the event.
Oddly enough, or maybe not...Mid-South doesn't crack the door open much in the endemic cycling media. Mid-South, for as 'big' as it has gotten, still seems to carry that stigma of being a 'not-a-race' race where there is certainly worthy competition for media coverage but it gets either zero (Velo News) or it gets pushed down the page in a hurry.
Whatever. I'm here for it and I hope that Mid-South keeps it real. If anything, I think it would be great to see that event take an even more focused slant toward the 'everyman' riders and the Pro teams and riders can go do those other fancy-pants events. But I know that is probably a very unrealistic viewpoint these days. And furthermore- It isn't my event. So, my opinion here- that's all....... But I do appreciate Bobby Wintle's efforts to celebrate everyone and not just focus on the prestigious front runners.
SILCA Tubeless Tire Sealant Announced:
Sporting a foaming latex formula laced with 6mm, 9mm, and 12mm carbon fibers reclaimed from carbon wheels, F-1 racing parts, and airplane carbon fiber, SILCA Ultimate Tubeless Sealant claims to easily seal up to a "6+mm" puncture.
The sealant is so effective at coagulating that it must be introduced to the tire by pouring the sealant in at the time of tire mounting. SILCA claims it will easily plug up any injector or valve stem.
Comments: Hmm.... " Must be poured into the tire during tire install!" (Copy quoted directly from marketing material provided by SILCA) Okay, well that means that I'd have to crack open a bead after the claimed wet period for this sealant which is 160-180 days to reintroduce more sealant? That is about six months, which I would be surprised to find to be true, but let's say that pans out. Well, can you wear out your tire in six months? Maybe some of you would,but for those that would not, then you have to go through the hassle of remounting a bead, and sometimes that can be a crap shoot. Tires stretch, and sometimes rim to tire fit is loose anyway. Sometimes you have a puncture protected belt that makes mounting a nightmare anyway.
If you could just crack open that valve stem and reintroduce sealant, it would alleviate any potential headaches. But if you buy into the SILCA Ultimate sealant, well, sorry..... Now you have that trade off. Maybe for some it will be worth it. And one has to wonder- Will this clog my valve stem more easily anyway? I'd recommend airing up with your valve stem at 10 o'clock or two o'clock to help prevent just that.
Meanwhile, there are at least six other really good sealants that you don't have that compromise to deal with. That leaves me to think that this is for that person that wants to feel like they have the ultimate sealing sealant, and the marketing guys at SILCA made sure you will with the name. (See what they did there?)
Hmm.... As for me? I just don't see the advantage for my riding here.
That's a wrap for this week! Have a great weekend and get out and ride!
4 comments:
I was interested in that Silca sealant too - living in MI, I wondered about cold weather performance. I learned that refreshes after initial installation DO go through the stem, but they're from a different bottle, one labeled "replenisher." Turns out the replenisher is apparently an extreme cold sealant by itself. I have nothing to do with SILCA other than interest in some of their products, but I'm intrigued about this sealant.
@ Jon Bakker - Hmm... Interesting. So.....Why not just use the "Replenisher" off the get-go? Seems less of a hassle. Plus, I don't have to buy TWO sealants to do one job.
Like I said in the post, there are other sealants that do REALLY great jobs at sealing punctures without any of SILCA'a drawbacks. I am still not convinced this sealant is that much better that having to futz around with the hassles SILCA's presents is worth the price. At least not where I ride.
Maybe for those who get tons of punctures? Maybe the hassles will be worth it and they will benefit.
@Guitar Ted - yes, your points stand. And having just switched from winter to summer tires on my fatbike and my Fargo, I was really pleased that the orange variety of sealant had not only remained in liquid form over the winter, but that 3 of the 4 tires showed evidence of having sealed small punctures in the tread area. And what I never had all winter was a flat tire from a puncture!
I think Silca's major selling point is the carbon fiber bits, and the "foaminess" of their sealant. As far as my needs, like you, it solves a problem that doesn't seem to arise from the riding I do, but perhaps the rationale has to do with higher-pressure road tubeless setups, or preventing catastrophic failure at a race where time is of the essence?
The refresher seemed like something they had to figure out after the fact to allow replenishment once the tires are mounted. I say this after having gone and watched Joshua Portner's promotional videos on the sealant at Silca's website - and I must ask, is there a better video pitch man than Josh from Silca in cycling today?
@Jon Bakker - On "foaminess": I once tried a sealant from then "GEAX" (Vittoria) that was a foam straight out of the can. It was a bit difficult to get into your tires without a bit of waste, (the spray out of the can can be best described as a bit wild) and it was very sticky stuff. But it sealed punctures like a champ. I got a 5mm sized gash in a sidewall during a ride in Texas that it not only sealed, which was amazing due to where the puncture was, but that seal lasted for a couple years afterward until I took the tire off and retired it from use.
Also- Cafe Latex is a 'foaming sealant' which I have had success using in the past. So, in my view, what SILCA has in this 'foaminess' is really smart. However; I just cannot buy into a product that is harder to use than most of its competitor's products when those products do as well, and perhaps better than, SILCA's.
To be fair- Many of the so-called "Race Day" sealants are prone to clogging injectors and valves. So, it isn't just a SILCA thing and it isn't something I'm shouting from the couch, with no background or experiences with to back me up.
That said- To each their own, and I am not discounting that this SILCA sealant isn't for someone. I'm sure people will love it for certain situations, as you say- Races where failing is not an option, or way outback adventures where a failure could be catastrophic. But for most folks? Yeah.....I'm not convinced this is the best option out there.
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