Thursday News And Views

 So much news this week! I had to break it up into two posts because had I stuffed this all into one "FN&V" this would have been a novel-length post. And this sort of thing is not unprecedented for the blog. Older readers might recall that "News and Views" posts used to pop up on random days all the time back when this blog got started. So, with that said, let's dive in.....

The logo for the new "Randy's Ride" event.

Pirate Cycling League Announces "Randy's Ride":

Randy Gibson, a co-promoter for Gravel Worlds for years, was senselessly killed by a drunk driver while he was riding his bicycle in 2017. Since then, PCL members have honored Randy and his legacy in several ways, one of which was a ride on the last gravel route Randy did on the first weekend in October.  

More and more folks have joined in over the years, and so Gravel Worlds/PCL have decided to create an event celebrating Randy Gibson and the gravel cycling community he loved with the announcement of "Randy's Ride" to be held October 2nd, 2022. 

The event will definitely just be a ride. There will be no hoopla or event schwag, prizes, or timing. Basically it will be a group ride for fun and as an aside we can donate to several causes along with the PCL who will match donations up to $2,000.00. Benefactors will be  Randy Gibson Memorial Fund, Adventure for All, and Nebraska NICA.

Five bucks gets you registered for the ride. Registration is here.  https://www.bikereg.com/randys-ride.

Spinergy Wheels Stands With Ukraine:

Generally I don't get political here, but this effort on the part of Spinergy Wheels is commendable, I think. They are giving a portion of every sale of special "Stand With Ukraine" wheel sets to an outfit called World Central Kitchen who are feeding Ukrainian refugees at eight points along the border as well as supporting restaurants within the country to help feed people in the war-torn country. 

You can do this customization of their PBO spokes with one yello and one blue spoke on any Spinergy wheel set on their site that uses those spokes including the GX and GXX wheels, both of which I have and ride on. (Standard Disclaimer)

You can learn more at Spinergy's website.
 

An image I used in my RidingGravel.com review of the Breakaway bottles.

Polar Bottles Breakaway Series:

So, I just got done posting my review of Polar Bottles Breakaway series of bottles for the bike that includes a nifty little one called the Session Muck. It really was developed with full-suspension MTB's in mind, but it also works really well with the under-the-down-tube placement on a gravel or touring bike where clearances might get a little tight with the front wheel.  

Well, they also have a 30 ounce size perfect for my long-distance rides. Bonus- they do not leak goo all over my bike if I use a hydration mix. Nice! So, as many of you know from last year, I was searching for ways to carry high capacity water bottles and I was dealing with under-the-down tube mounting issues as well. These bottles help solve all of that for me.  

So, I got to keep the reviewed bottles, of course, but Polar is sending me a few more, so once again- Standard Disclaimer applies. I'll be having more to say about my bottle/hydration strategies as the season progresses. 

Ergon Announces CLF ALLROAD Carbon Seatposts, Bar Tape, Orthocell Pads:

Sea Otter is coming in a couple weeks or so, and the news is percolating up to the surface from different companies already. Ergon sent a press release out Wednesday covering new ALLROAD offerings. 

Some of you may remember the Ergon ALLROAD saddle I reviewed late last year. Well, the full line of those saddles are on the way and should be out later this Spring. 

The often seen, but seldom used Ergon suspension seat post finally gets released full-scale now under the ALLROAD range. Previously, there really was no market for the post because you could not use it for mountain biking and gravel riding was in its infancy. Earlier than this, I had actually had my hands on one of these seatposts but then Ergon suddenly did an about face and pulled it from the market.  This post, or an early version of it, has been seen since about 2006 off and on.

The post weighs a bit more than 200 grams at 220 claimed. The post will retail at $249.95 USD. There are set back and straight versions. The setback has 25mm of offset. 

I have been asked off and on over the years why Ergon had straight bar grips but there was no option for drop bars. Well, now there is the "BT Gravel" and "BT ALLROAD" bar tapes at 3.5mm and 2.5mm thicknesses respectively. The tapes will be $39.95 and $37.95 USD respectively. The BT tapes will be offered in five colors each, but there was no images or descriptions given as to what those might be. 

Additionally, there was announced an "Orthocell Pad Kit", which is like those four piece gel pad kits you can get for under the bar tape comfort. The difference here is that Ergon is using a high density foam instead of gel.  An Orthocell Pad Kit will set you back $29.95. 

Okay, look for another slew of news tomorrow! Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!