Looking Forward: 2023

Now that all the "Rear View" stuff has been posted and now that 2022 is over, it is time to look forward to a new year. 2023 is coming and what will this time bring to me? As ever, one cannot really say for certain.

But before I delve into my thoughts for the coming year, I want to make sure that you understand that I am very thankful for each and every one of you that stop by to read this blog. Many of you tell me it is your first read of the day, and that is truly humbling to know. Many of you tell me that you read the blog and appreciate the work and information I provide. This means the world to me. So- Thank You! Without your reading here, and without your encouraging comments, I have to wonder if I'd have stopped doing this long ago now. I think the answer to that is "yes"- I would have stopped. So I appreciate all of you, even if you've never commented before. 

Okay, now what about this coming year? Well, I am not going to push for much new stuff on my plate because I didn't get around to doing a lot of what I wanted to in 2022. For instance, I didn't get a metric century, or a century ride in at all. That's really disappointing to me. However; I had family duties to take care of, a new job that is immensely rewarding, but one that really imposed on my times to ride, and overall, circumstances prevailed against my getting those long rides in. 

So, for 2023, as far as riding goes, my main goals are to make that long ride happen. At least once! And taking a step toward that first, perhaps I can then build upon that. I can tell you that one major event has occurred that will free up some time and that is that my son can drive now. So, there is hope for 2023. 

One of those rides I want to do is a two-day tour which I would do from my home, stay overnight in another location, and then ride back the following day. It's about a 150 mile round trip, as I have it mapped out. Stay tuned on that one...

I missed doing a Death Ride altogether in 2022. That hasn't happened in many a year! So, I'd like to pick back up on that again in 2023. But as far as events go, I am afraid that monetarily and time-wise those sorts of things are off my plate. I just cannot afford to be gone on Saturdays too much and travel expenses are not in my budget anymore, and probably won't be for the foreseeable future. So, I'll be riding pretty much "hyper-local" for the near term. 

The Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame is having the inaugural class of inductees be part of the selection process for the next class of inductees. I guess that means me! I have already been told about how the process will work and that this should be all over with soon, at least as far as my part in that goes. I think how this process looks as far as how inductees are chosen is moving forward is interesting and should help keep the future of the GCHoF relevant for years to come. There could be a trip to Emporia connected to this. We'll see.....

Looking ahead with optimism on starting my 18th year of blogging.

As for the blog, well, this year I finished the "Trans Iowa Series" and I still have not yet begun to know, or have any concept for what to do with that material. So far I have had no real inspiration for where to go with all of that stuff. Any suggestions would be appreciated, because as of now, I cannot see a resolution to my quandary there. 

Obviously the "GTDRI Stories", the tales of the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational, have taken the place of those Trans Iowa stories, and so far I am up to the fifth one out of the 14 total GTDRI's. So, it may be that this series lasts all throughout 2023. I may make it to the end before the end of the year, but I bet I won't. 

In terms of posts this was another "top-five" year in terms of numbers of posts written. Look at the side bar of this blog and you can see for yourself. Again- I cannot promise you daily scribes, but I probably will do that, as long as I can. Another 'top-five' effort? Ah.....well, you never know!

In other blog news, back in November of this year, a certain email I received kind of made me think. The person who sent the email was "amazed you haven't monetized this blog after 18 years". Ha ha! Well, for starters, they cannot count, because it has not been 18 years- yet! But this raises an important point for me to bring up concerning this blog and your enjoyment of it. 

This blog will never be monetized. You will never see sponsored posts, advertisements, or spam here. 

I promise you that, and for anyone wondering why I wouldn't grab whatever cash I could for all this work, well, you see, that was never my intention when I started this blog. So, 'nuff said. I just wanted to get that off my mind. 

Paul Jacobson standing on a road from the T.I.v5 course.

So, what exactly does keep you going all these years? That's easy- I have a need to write and share things. That's number one, most likely.

But when I receive messages, like the one from this past February from Paul Jacobson, letting me know that Trans Iowa v5 was one of his biggest lifetime achievements, and that being a thing he felt so strongly about that he actually stopped on a trip to take an image on the old course back on a cold February day? Well, that's the kind of thing I get motivated by. 

When I receive unasked for and completely unexpected monetary gifts, I get motivated to keep on keepin' on. And that sort of thing has happened in a very significant way. 

Now, I want to add that I don't expect this to make anyone feel that they have to do anything on my behalf. That's not the point here. The point is that I wanted to illustrate why I keep writing this blog for no worldly reward that one might expect me to pursue, at least some people like that e-mailer from November. But that person doesn't understand me. 

No, I don't write all this stuff for reasons of making money. I do it because I want to do it, it is fun for me, and I get encouragement to keep doing it that has deeper meaning than receiving a small amount of money because someone clicked through an ad on my blog. Not that this ever happened, or ever will, it's simply a statement for illustration. 

All that to say that you can pretty much expect 2023 on here to look a whole lot like years previous. So, no big changes are in store that I can foresee. (Note: The "State of the Gravel Scene" will be posted tomorrow and the next day as well.)

Happy New Year! 

Peace and Love!

Guitar Ted

Looking Forward: 2023

Now that all the "Rear View" stuff has been posted and now that 2022 is over, it is time to look forward to a new year. 2023 is coming and what will this time bring to me? As ever, one cannot really say for certain.

But before I delve into my thoughts for the coming year, I want to make sure that you understand that I am very thankful for each and every one of you that stop by to read this blog. Many of you tell me it is your first read of the day, and that is truly humbling to know. Many of you tell me that you read the blog and appreciate the work and information I provide. This means the world to me. So- Thank You! Without your reading here, and without your encouraging comments, I have to wonder if I'd have stopped doing this long ago now. I think the answer to that is "yes"- I would have stopped. So I appreciate all of you, even if you've never commented before. 

Okay, now what about this coming year? Well, I am not going to push for much new stuff on my plate because I didn't get around to doing a lot of what I wanted to in 2022. For instance, I didn't get a metric century, or a century ride in at all. That's really disappointing to me. However; I had family duties to take care of, a new job that is immensely rewarding, but one that really imposed on my times to ride, and overall, circumstances prevailed against my getting those long rides in. 

So, for 2023, as far as riding goes, my main goals are to make that long ride happen. At least once! And taking a step toward that first, perhaps I can then build upon that. I can tell you that one major event has occurred that will free up some time and that is that my son can drive now. So, there is hope for 2023. 

One of those rides I want to do is a two-day tour which I would do from my home, stay overnight in another location, and then ride back the following day. It's about a 150 mile round trip, as I have it mapped out. Stay tuned on that one...

I missed doing a Death Ride altogether in 2022. That hasn't happened in many a year! So, I'd like to pick back up on that again in 2023. But as far as events go, I am afraid that monetarily and time-wise those sorts of things are off my plate. I just cannot afford to be gone on Saturdays too much and travel expenses are not in my budget anymore, and probably won't be for the foreseeable future. So, I'll be riding pretty much "hyper-local" for the near term. 

The Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame is having the inaugural class of inductees be part of the selection process for the next class of inductees. I guess that means me! I have already been told about how the process will work and that this should be all over with soon, at least as far as my part in that goes. I think how this process looks as far as how inductees are chosen is moving forward is interesting and should help keep the future of the GCHoF relevant for years to come. There could be a trip to Emporia connected to this. We'll see.....

Looking ahead with optimism on starting my 18th year of blogging.

As for the blog, well, this year I finished the "Trans Iowa Series" and I still have not yet begun to know, or have any concept for what to do with that material. So far I have had no real inspiration for where to go with all of that stuff. Any suggestions would be appreciated, because as of now, I cannot see a resolution to my quandary there. 

Obviously the "GTDRI Stories", the tales of the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational, have taken the place of those Trans Iowa stories, and so far I am up to the fifth one out of the 14 total GTDRI's. So, it may be that this series lasts all throughout 2023. I may make it to the end before the end of the year, but I bet I won't. 

In terms of posts this was another "top-five" year in terms of numbers of posts written. Look at the side bar of this blog and you can see for yourself. Again- I cannot promise you daily scribes, but I probably will do that, as long as I can. Another 'top-five' effort? Ah.....well, you never know!

In other blog news, back in November of this year, a certain email I received kind of made me think. The person who sent the email was "amazed you haven't monetized this blog after 18 years". Ha ha! Well, for starters, they cannot count, because it has not been 18 years- yet! But this raises an important point for me to bring up concerning this blog and your enjoyment of it. 

This blog will never be monetized. You will never see sponsored posts, advertisements, or spam here. 

I promise you that, and for anyone wondering why I wouldn't grab whatever cash I could for all this work, well, you see, that was never my intention when I started this blog. So, 'nuff said. I just wanted to get that off my mind. 

Paul Jacobson standing on a road from the T.I.v5 course.

So, what exactly does keep you going all these years? That's easy- I have a need to write and share things. That's number one, most likely.

But when I receive messages, like the one from this past February from Paul Jacobson, letting me know that Trans Iowa v5 was one of his biggest lifetime achievements, and that being a thing he felt so strongly about that he actually stopped on a trip to take an image on the old course back on a cold February day? Well, that's the kind of thing I get motivated by. 

When I receive unasked for and completely unexpected monetary gifts, I get motivated to keep on keepin' on. And that sort of thing has happened in a very significant way. 

Now, I want to add that I don't expect this to make anyone feel that they have to do anything on my behalf. That's not the point here. The point is that I wanted to illustrate why I keep writing this blog for no worldly reward that one might expect me to pursue, at least some people like that e-mailer from November. But that person doesn't understand me. 

No, I don't write all this stuff for reasons of making money. I do it because I want to do it, it is fun for me, and I get encouragement to keep doing it that has deeper meaning than receiving a small amount of money because someone clicked through an ad on my blog. Not that this ever happened, or ever will, it's simply a statement for illustration. 

All that to say that you can pretty much expect 2023 on here to look a whole lot like years previous. So, no big changes are in store that I can foresee. (Note: The "State of the Gravel Scene" will be posted tomorrow and the next day as well.)

Happy New Year! 

Peace and Love!

Guitar Ted

Friday News And Views

 The Final FN&V Of 2022!

Well, take a sip of that coffee and congratulate yourself for making it through another entire year of the 'FN&V", your weekly, end-of-week review of news, thoughts, and opinions here on "Guitar Ted Productions".

I've cooked up a special one for y'all today, so I hope that you enjoy this. But first, a bit of trivia concerning this staple of my blog over the years. 

This wasn't planned to be on Fridays. In fact, I think a 'news and views' type of post has appeared on every day but Sunday here on this blog since 2005. The Friday slot wasn't a weekly thing until recently, in terms of this blog, as well, which may surprise some of you. 

But now the "FN&V" has become, on average, the most read post I do every week. There are posts that get a lot more hits than my Friday missives, but on average, more of you dear readers are here today than any other day of the week. So, a tip-o-the-cup to your reading neighbors and cheers! 

New Site Seeks To Be Gravel Event Calendar Hub:

Back in 2008 I was asked by readers of this blog to start a "gravel event calendar", which I did, hosting it on the sidebar of this very blog throughout 2008. There weren't many events back then!

But things changed, I started a calendar in 2009 on a separate site, that morphed into the Riding Gravel Events Calendar in 2014, and by 2019 I had over 600 events which I had listed on the site, most of which I had researched and found out about on my own time. That's right, I would estimate that less than ten percent of those 600+ events were submitted to be on that old calendar.

As you might imagine then, I was very busy with updating that calendar throughout the year. It took probably ten hours a week to maintain it. That's on top of doing all the other stuff I did. It wasn't tenable, and when COVID came along, I took the cue to stop and that was that. Along the way I made a great resource for many for several years. I unwittingly also contributed to some other 'gravel oriented sites' calendars as well, with many of my event descriptions getting copied and pasted word for word into these other "calendar of events".

That's why when I came across this last week that I smiled. I wish this man good will and fortunes on his efforts. It won't be easy, or very sustainable, to simply rely on submissions and word of mouth to get events put on that calendar. (Ask anyone who has compiled events about that) Especially when sites like BikeReg are a de-facto event calendar with major reach and influence. That's why I'd be shocked if this "Gravel Calendar" isn't drawing dates off BikeReg,, or the massive Gran Fondo gravel calendar of events.by the way.

 The calendar is also probably getting data from its partners. The Gravel Calendar has partnered with the Gravel Cyclist website and the Pure Gravel site to "help bolster their calendars", which I take to mean that they are sharing information across their websites to gather more events. That should ease things a tiny bit.

Again- best of luck to all involved. 

Dream Engine in steel (Image courtesy of Wilde Bikes)

Wilde Bikes Introduces The "Dream Engine" In Steel, Titanium:

In case you missed this last week, Wilde Bikes debuted a new "Fargo-like" adventure bike dubbed the Dream Engine. The bike, available as a frame set or built to various spec, is going to be offered in steel and titanium. 

Interestingly, the bike uses a Cutthroat carbon fork by Salsa Cycles, further tying the comparison to the venerable Fargo, which itself is offered in steel and titanium versions. 

These Dream Engine bikes have clearance for 29" X 2.6" tires. The frames also feature stealth dropper routing, and all the accessory mounting points that you would expect on an adventure bike nowadays. Prices are $2,600.00 for the steel frame set and $4,900.00 for the titanium frame set, both coming with custom Jen Green head tube badges. 

Dream Engine in titanium (Image courtesy of Wilde Bikes)

Comments: Well, I have to admit that these are beautiful and well executed examples of a bike with the Fargo influence. They are US built, (but the presser doesn't say by whom), so the pricing is understandable. You are going to pay a premium price for what is essentially a small batch custom frame. 

My only beef with this bike's design is that it cannot be single speed due to the lack of any tensioning system being designed into the frame. (You could use an eccentric bottom bracket, I suppose.) I know, big whoop! You probably are not a single speeder. But you do not have to have a desire to be a one gear person to appreciate the ability to single speed a bike if the derailleur gets destroyed in an incident while you are miles away from anything. 

To my way of thinking, self-extraction from your situation is a prized attribute, and having that ability in a frame set which could be a single speed is a good thing to have in your back pocket, you know, just in case. You may never use that feature, but then again, you may have to. 

So, for that singular reason I would pass on this choice. You are spending a lot of coin to have a bike without a feature that, in my opinion, is a definite "must have" for an off-pavement adventure. Too bad too, it is a beautiful bike. As a gravel pounder? Yeah....I could live without that single speed thing, but not if I am going way off the beaten track. 

Big Changes In Store For Shimano Components?

 Last Thursday I noted a Tweet far down in a thread I was involved in that perked up my ears. It was written by noted cycling journalist, Carlton Reid, who is from the U.K. and has a lot of connections in the cycling business world. In that Tweet, he drops a hint that could signal big changes coming in terms of Shimano group sets in the future.

The context for this Tweet was that "model years" for bicycles are a poor idea, but Shimano, who pretty much steers the ship from behind a curtain when it comes to industry practices, dictates that a model year change shall exist. It does this by introducing new component features and new components nearly every year in March, generally speaking, although Shimano has made introductions in the Fall as well in the past. 

These announcements are years in the making. Component manufacturers and bicycle brands are privy to what is coming out, so that spec can be solidified and parts can be accumulated for production before the public knows about the "new stuff' coming. This is why Mr. Reid probably has some knowledge of what is about to be introduced in March. Someone or another passed along some rather big news along to him, which I believe Mr. Reid is hinting at in his Tweet here.

Another Piece To The Puzzle:

On Friday last week, a few news sources were showing a patent drawing filed by Shimano dated November 2022 that showed a design for a 9 tooth sprocket and lockring. Shimano currently does not support 9 tooth sprockets.  

What Could It Mean? Knowing what I know about Shimano, this has probably got something to do with a complete overhaul of either road components, mountain components, or both simultaneously. I doubt they change GRX, but..... Maybe. 

Does this signal a new standard for free hubs? I would guess that it does, but will Shimano make this compatible with MicroSpline, the newer MTB free hub format they introduced a few years ago? My inclination is that yes- All Shimano rear wheels from 2023 forward will be MicroSpline, 9 tooth cassette compatible. 

That opens up a LOT of possibilities on every front. 1X gravel, MTB, adventure wide range gearing, etc. 13 and 14 speed groups. I know Shimano has had working 14 speed prototype groups since before 2010, so it is not a pipe dream to say that we're headed in that direction.

 Shimano isn't going to produce "new-name" group sets without there being some pretty big changes in those mechanisms. GRX is a new group, relatively speaking, so it would surprise me if they rebrand that after such a short period. But if wholesale changes in either road or MTB happen I could see where that might warrant a new name(s). And Mr. Reid says "several group sets", so I expect a whole nomenclature for group-sets to be retired.

Would that mean no more Dura-Ace, or Ultegra? Or would that mean no more XT or Deore? It's hard to fathom that that sort of legacy would be retired, but reading the Tweet, I don't see any other way to interpret that. (Unless it is an additional group set, but that's not how I read the Tweet)  I guess we will find out in March, won't we? 

Well, that's a wrap on Friday News And Views for today, and for 2022! Once again, THANK YOU for reading these and I'll be back again next week with the start of another year of FN&V posts!

Friday News And Views

 The Final FN&V Of 2022!

Well, take a sip of that coffee and congratulate yourself for making it through another entire year of the 'FN&V", your weekly, end-of-week review of news, thoughts, and opinions here on "Guitar Ted Productions".

I've cooked up a special one for y'all today, so I hope that you enjoy this. But first, a bit of trivia concerning this staple of my blog over the years. 

This wasn't planned to be on Fridays. In fact, I think a 'news and views' type of post has appeared on every day but Sunday here on this blog since 2005. The Friday slot wasn't a weekly thing until recently, in terms of this blog, as well, which may surprise some of you. 

But now the "FN&V" has become, on average, the most read post I do every week. There are posts that get a lot more hits than my Friday missives, but on average, more of you dear readers are here today than any other day of the week. So, a tip-o-the-cup to your reading neighbors and cheers! 

New Site Seeks To Be Gravel Event Calendar Hub:

Back in 2008 I was asked by readers of this blog to start a "gravel event calendar", which I did, hosting it on the sidebar of this very blog throughout 2008. There weren't many events back then!

But things changed, I started a calendar in 2009 on a separate site, that morphed into the Riding Gravel Events Calendar in 2014, and by 2019 I had over 600 events which I had listed on the site, most of which I had researched and found out about on my own time. That's right, I would estimate that less than ten percent of those 600+ events were submitted to be on that old calendar.

As you might imagine then, I was very busy with updating that calendar throughout the year. It took probably ten hours a week to maintain it. That's on top of doing all the other stuff I did. It wasn't tenable, and when COVID came along, I took the cue to stop and that was that. Along the way I made a great resource for many for several years. I unwittingly also contributed to some other 'gravel oriented sites' calendars as well, with many of my event descriptions getting copied and pasted word for word into these other "calendar of events".

That's why when I came across this last week that I smiled. I wish this man good will and fortunes on his efforts. It won't be easy, or very sustainable, to simply rely on submissions and word of mouth to get events put on that calendar. (Ask anyone who has compiled events about that) Especially when sites like BikeReg are a de-facto event calendar with major reach and influence. That's why I'd be shocked if this "Gravel Calendar" isn't drawing dates off BikeReg,, or the massive Gran Fondo gravel calendar of events.by the way.

 The calendar is also probably getting data from its partners. The Gravel Calendar has partnered with the Gravel Cyclist website and the Pure Gravel site to "help bolster their calendars", which I take to mean that they are sharing information across their websites to gather more events. That should ease things a tiny bit.

Again- best of luck to all involved. 

Dream Engine in steel (Image courtesy of Wilde Bikes)

Wilde Bikes Introduces The "Dream Engine" In Steel, Titanium:

In case you missed this last week, Wilde Bikes debuted a new "Fargo-like" adventure bike dubbed the Dream Engine. The bike, available as a frame set or built to various spec, is going to be offered in steel and titanium. 

Interestingly, the bike uses a Cutthroat carbon fork by Salsa Cycles, further tying the comparison to the venerable Fargo, which itself is offered in steel and titanium versions. 

These Dream Engine bikes have clearance for 29" X 2.6" tires. The frames also feature stealth dropper routing, and all the accessory mounting points that you would expect on an adventure bike nowadays. Prices are $2,600.00 for the steel frame set and $4,900.00 for the titanium frame set, both coming with custom Jen Green head tube badges. 

Dream Engine in titanium (Image courtesy of Wilde Bikes)

Comments: Well, I have to admit that these are beautiful and well executed examples of a bike with the Fargo influence. They are US built, (but the presser doesn't say by whom), so the pricing is understandable. You are going to pay a premium price for what is essentially a small batch custom frame. 

My only beef with this bike's design is that it cannot be single speed due to the lack of any tensioning system being designed into the frame. (You could use an eccentric bottom bracket, I suppose.) I know, big whoop! You probably are not a single speeder. But you do not have to have a desire to be a one gear person to appreciate the ability to single speed a bike if the derailleur gets destroyed in an incident while you are miles away from anything. 

To my way of thinking, self-extraction from your situation is a prized attribute, and having that ability in a frame set which could be a single speed is a good thing to have in your back pocket, you know, just in case. You may never use that feature, but then again, you may have to. 

So, for that singular reason I would pass on this choice. You are spending a lot of coin to have a bike without a feature that, in my opinion, is a definite "must have" for an off-pavement adventure. Too bad too, it is a beautiful bike. As a gravel pounder? Yeah....I could live without that single speed thing, but not if I am going way off the beaten track. 

Big Changes In Store For Shimano Components?

 Last Thursday I noted a Tweet far down in a thread I was involved in that perked up my ears. It was written by noted cycling journalist, Carlton Reid, who is from the U.K. and has a lot of connections in the cycling business world. In that Tweet, he drops a hint that could signal big changes coming in terms of Shimano group sets in the future.

The context for this Tweet was that "model years" for bicycles are a poor idea, but Shimano, who pretty much steers the ship from behind a curtain when it comes to industry practices, dictates that a model year change shall exist. It does this by introducing new component features and new components nearly every year in March, generally speaking, although Shimano has made introductions in the Fall as well in the past. 

These announcements are years in the making. Component manufacturers and bicycle brands are privy to what is coming out, so that spec can be solidified and parts can be accumulated for production before the public knows about the "new stuff' coming. This is why Mr. Reid probably has some knowledge of what is about to be introduced in March. Someone or another passed along some rather big news along to him, which I believe Mr. Reid is hinting at in his Tweet here.

Another Piece To The Puzzle:

On Friday last week, a few news sources were showing a patent drawing filed by Shimano dated November 2022 that showed a design for a 9 tooth sprocket and lockring. Shimano currently does not support 9 tooth sprockets.  

What Could It Mean? Knowing what I know about Shimano, this has probably got something to do with a complete overhaul of either road components, mountain components, or both simultaneously. I doubt they change GRX, but..... Maybe. 

Does this signal a new standard for free hubs? I would guess that it does, but will Shimano make this compatible with MicroSpline, the newer MTB free hub format they introduced a few years ago? My inclination is that yes- All Shimano rear wheels from 2023 forward will be MicroSpline, 9 tooth cassette compatible. 

That opens up a LOT of possibilities on every front. 1X gravel, MTB, adventure wide range gearing, etc. 13 and 14 speed groups. I know Shimano has had working 14 speed prototype groups since before 2010, so it is not a pipe dream to say that we're headed in that direction.

 Shimano isn't going to produce "new-name" group sets without there being some pretty big changes in those mechanisms. GRX is a new group, relatively speaking, so it would surprise me if they rebrand that after such a short period. But if wholesale changes in either road or MTB happen I could see where that might warrant a new name(s). And Mr. Reid says "several group sets", so I expect a whole nomenclature for group-sets to be retired.

Would that mean no more Dura-Ace, or Ultegra? Or would that mean no more XT or Deore? It's hard to fathom that that sort of legacy would be retired, but reading the Tweet, I don't see any other way to interpret that. (Unless it is an additional group set, but that's not how I read the Tweet)  I guess we will find out in March, won't we? 

Well, that's a wrap on Friday News And Views for today, and for 2022! Once again, THANK YOU for reading these and I'll be back again next week with the start of another year of FN&V posts!

Bikes Of 2022: Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross

It's the end of the year and time to review what's up with the bikes I used over the course of 2022. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

Another 'long hauler' of my bicycle fleet, the Black Mountain cycles "Monstercross" I have came out of the very first batch of frames Mike Varley made available back in 2011. Due to that fact, my bike has a bit different geometry and a bit different front fork than many Monstercross bikes that came later on. 

That made this bike not the greatest on really loose gravel on high speed descents. I mean, you could ride it, but it was sketchy and didn't feel as planted and stable as I'd like a bike to be in that situation. So, the BMC "Orange Crush", as I like to call it, became a bit of a conundrum for me. I liked the bike, but it wasn't the best at gravel in my region. 

But after reverting back to single speed use, and after installing 180mm long cranks, which made me lower the saddle a tad, effectively negating that high bottom bracket to a small degree, I think that this bike has found its niche in my stable.

Then later this past Summer this bike became a part of a handle bar swap with the Fargo Gen I bike. It also brought the BMC "Orange Crush" back full circle to its beginnings here. Here's how it all started....

In 2014, late in the year, I had a bad fall on ice which was the second bad fall on my left shoulder that year. I really did a number on it and on my left side of my rib cage. In fact, early on during the 2015 riding season I determined that I pretty much had to ride a Luxy Bar or a Midge Bar as they were the only two handle bars I could use that allowed me to ride for more than about an hour. Otherwise my shoulder would ache so badly that I had to stop riding. 

That meant a bar swap for the Fargo Gen I to a Luxy Bar and my other green Gen 2 Fargo got a Midge Bar, as those were my "long haul gravel bikes" for 2015, for the most part. (Also, come to think of it, I got hit by a truck on the 2014 GTDRI as well, which may have contributed to all of this)

Anyway, I never swapped the bars back off the Gen I Fargo and the Gen 2 Fargo was sold. I decided that the old BMC would someday get Luxy Bars again, but it did not happen until I had to review a Kitchen Sink Bar Bag on the Gen I Fargo this Summer. That freed up the Luxy Bar I needed and that ended up on the Orange Crush. Whew! Sometimes things take a long time to work out around here! 

As far as any other changes I might want to upgrade things like the brakes and get a single speed specific rear wheel going for this bike. But it is fine as it is, really. So, I may just let it go.

Bikes Of 2022: Pofahl Custom Signature

  It's the end of the year and time to review what's up with the bikes I used over the course of 2022. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

The Pofahl Custom Signature single speed I have had since 2007 was a strange idea I had for a 29"er based off my Karate Monkey single speed. It never would have seen the light of day had it not been for Ben Witt who pretty much put me and Mike Pofahl together to get this project done. 

The bike was always going to be a single speed, so there are no provisions for a rear or a front derailleur. There is only a full run housing stop circuit for the rear brake. 

In recent times this has become a favorite for longer single speed gravel travels. I wish I would have had the foresight to have had Mike put on fork mounted bottle cage bosses, but I have managed to get by with a seat post mounted bottle and Chaff Bags from Bike Bag Dude used as bottle holders as well. I've been running a set of Industry 9 tubeless compatible wheels on this for several years now and other than that, not much has been swapped out on this bike. 

I did score a 27.0mm USE seat post for this bike since it has that oddball size. I don't ever expect my original 1990's era Syncros to give up the ghost on me, but you never know, and 27.00mm posts are hard to come by in anything that doesn't weigh a ton and that is not a cheap replacement grade. 

And the only thing I can add about this bike is that I really love to ride it. I am glad I got it out in the country the few times that I have this past year. Hopefully that continues in 2023.

Bikes Of 2022: Pofahl Custom Signature

  It's the end of the year and time to review what's up with the bikes I used over the course of 2022. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

The Pofahl Custom Signature single speed I have had since 2007 was a strange idea I had for a 29"er based off my Karate Monkey single speed. It never would have seen the light of day had it not been for Ben Witt who pretty much put me and Mike Pofahl together to get this project done. 

The bike was always going to be a single speed, so there are no provisions for a rear or a front derailleur. There is only a full run housing stop circuit for the rear brake. 

In recent times this has become a favorite for longer single speed gravel travels. I wish I would have had the foresight to have had Mike put on fork mounted bottle cage bosses, but I have managed to get by with a seat post mounted bottle and Chaff Bags from Bike Bag Dude used as bottle holders as well. I've been running a set of Industry 9 tubeless compatible wheels on this for several years now and other than that, not much has been swapped out on this bike. 

I did score a 27.0mm USE seat post for this bike since it has that oddball size. I don't ever expect my original 1990's era Syncros to give up the ghost on me, but you never know, and 27.00mm posts are hard to come by in anything that doesn't weigh a ton and that is not a cheap replacement grade. 

And the only thing I can add about this bike is that I really love to ride it. I am glad I got it out in the country the few times that I have this past year. Hopefully that continues in 2023.

Bikes Of 2022: Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross

It's the end of the year and time to review what's up with the bikes I used over the course of 2022. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

Another 'long hauler' of my bicycle fleet, the Black Mountain cycles "Monstercross" I have came out of the very first batch of frames Mike Varley made available back in 2011. Due to that fact, my bike has a bit different geometry and a bit different front fork than many Monstercross bikes that came later on. 

That made this bike not the greatest on really loose gravel on high speed descents. I mean, you could ride it, but it was sketchy and didn't feel as planted and stable as I'd like a bike to be in that situation. So, the BMC "Orange Crush", as I like to call it, became a bit of a conundrum for me. I liked the bike, but it wasn't the best at gravel in my region. 

But after reverting back to single speed use, and after installing 180mm long cranks, which made me lower the saddle a tad, effectively negating that high bottom bracket to a small degree, I think that this bike has found its niche in my stable.

Then later this past Summer this bike became a part of a handle bar swap with the Fargo Gen I bike. It also brought the BMC "Orange Crush" back full circle to its beginnings here. Here's how it all started....

In 2014, late in the year, I had a bad fall on ice which was the second bad fall on my left shoulder that year. I really did a number on it and on my left side of my rib cage. In fact, early on during the 2015 riding season I determined that I pretty much had to ride a Luxy Bar or a Midge Bar as they were the only two handle bars I could use that allowed me to ride for more than about an hour. Otherwise my shoulder would ache so badly that I had to stop riding. 

That meant a bar swap for the Fargo Gen I to a Luxy Bar and my other green Gen 2 Fargo got a Midge Bar, as those were my "long haul gravel bikes" for 2015, for the most part. (Also, come to think of it, I got hit by a truck on the 2014 GTDRI as well, which may have contributed to all of this)

Anyway, I never swapped the bars back off the Gen I Fargo and the Gen 2 Fargo was sold. I decided that the old BMC would someday get Luxy Bars again, but it did not happen until I had to review a Kitchen Sink Bar Bag on the Gen I Fargo this Summer. That freed up the Luxy Bar I needed and that ended up on the Orange Crush. Whew! Sometimes things take a long time to work out around here! 

As far as any other changes I might want to upgrade things like the brakes and get a single speed specific rear wheel going for this bike. But it is fine as it is, really. So, I may just let it go.

Rear View 2022: Top Ten Posts Of 2022

 Last year I posted concerning the top posts of the past year. I thought it was another fun way to look back over the year via the perspective of what caught the reader's attention here. 

So, I thought it would be fun to rank the Top Ten posts from the blog during the calendar year 2022. These posts are ranked according to what Blogger stats tell me were the most read posts of the year. 

I'll start with #10 and work up to #1. Each post will be linked so you can go back and read it if you so choose. Then I will comment a bit on each post. 

 #10: Two Things For Today 

This made the top ten, which really surprised me because this was just a really disjointed post about two completely different subjects. I almost dubbed it a "Randomonium" post, but I only had two things to discuss, so there ya go- That's how the post was entitled. 

The Specialized gravel bike has since been panned pretty hard by those on social media, and as far as the article I linked and discussed, well, that has been a hot topic of discussion all year. I'm not sure which part of the article drove the numbers here, but judging from the comments, I'd say it was the bike in this case.  

#9: (Tie) Country Views: Focusing On The Good & Not The Bad and Country Views: Red, White, & Blue Ride

Now this was a complete surprise to me for this year. Not only has a "Country Views" post never been on the Top Ten Posts list before, but I also have never had two posts tie each other for views. 

I guess I shouldn't be surprised though, because I have heard from several of you readers that have told me that these posts are some of your favorites that I write up. (See the end of the "Top Ten Posts of 2020" for a reference) While that may have always been true for many of you, I am guessing that many more of you are deciding that is the case as well, because the numbers of views has been going higher for these posts. 

#8: Trans Iowa Stories: Acknowledgements & Credits

Posting a single view more than the two tied at #9, this was the only Trans Iowa related post to have ever made this Top Ten List. Not all that surprising since none of the Trans Iowa Stories posts ever drew that many views. But this one? It out-did the others by six times the views on average. Why? I wondered about that for several weeks as I saw the numbers for this post climb. 

I think, and this is only a guess, that this particular post was a synopsis of the entire series. A 'condensed history', if you will, and I feel that my listing of all the important checkpoint towns was somewhat interesting for many of you. (Note: We went through many more towns and villages than what I listed there.) Obviously all the names associated with the event was another interesting point for many, I would think.

But whatever! It sticks in as the #8th most read post of 2022.  

#7: Country Views: Boulders, Flowers, & Birds 

Another Country Views post! Again, a Summer post and I noted that the the three Country View posts that made this year's list were all in the Summertime of 2022. Did that make a difference? I don't understand, really, so who knows?

This would end up being the highest drawing post of its type for 2020, but all three were within four views of each other! how odd is THAT?!  

#6: A Comparison & Contrast: GPS Computer Experiences

Uggh! Okay, I admit up front that I have issues with interfacing with 'technology'. (Just ask Mrs. Guitar Ted) So, when it comes to GPS computers for cycling, my experiences perhaps are not all that representative of the masses. That said, I feel that a lot of technology misses the boat when it comes to user experiences, and this is not limited to cycling computers. 

So, this post must have resonated with a lot of you out there as well,since it slots in at #5 for the most read posts of 2022.  

#5: Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame: The Induction & After-Party

Not much of a surprise here, as the GCHoF thing was the biggest thing that happened to me all year, and obviously it was of great interest to my readers as well. Makes sense to me that this would end up on the list somewhere. 

This day was a really surreal experience, and even after six months, I find it hard to believe it happened. I still have trouble contextualizing this deal. What does being in this organization or being recognized in this way even mean for me? I don't know. 

So, while it was indeed the "biggest thing" to have happened to me all year, I also think it is "not that life-changing" either. At least, not yet it hasn't been. So, I have mixed feelings about it all right now. But the experience's documentation ranks as #5 on the most read posts for 2022. 

#4: Guitar Ted's Massive, Huge Flared Drop Bar Review 

Flared drop bars have been a subject for posts on my blog since the early days of blogging here. I figured that there might be some interest in my collection of flared drops and the history of this type of handle bar since the year 2000.  

I had fun doing the post and it would seem that, judging by the numbers this post is still drawing, that readers find it interesting. I would not at all be surprised that later on this would end up becoming #2 or perhaps even #1 on this list in the years and months to come, but for now it resides at a solid #4 on this list.

#3: A Twofold Anniversary: The Story Of The Warbird & A Disclaimer

Appearing as the number three most read post for 2022 is this one that I had been anticipating on writing for quite sometime. The whole "gloppy dollops" thing comes up a lot when I write my opinions for this blog. I knew that the ten year anniversary of the beginning of that disclaimer's usage was coming up this year. I figured that the story behind all of that would be of interest to many of you readers. I guess I was correct in thinking that.

But I also think that a lot of people have forgotten what the original Warbird model was all about, so the telling of that part of this story may have been the actual draw here. Just think what may have happened had Salsa decided to offer a Warbird back then in steel instead of aluminum and if they had allowed for bigger tires. I think the whole trajectory of the gravel scene may have been altered had that happened.

But it didn't, so that's the story and I'm sticking to it! 

#2: More Cleaning Up & A Favor To Ask

Well, you never know what people will read here, and this post is evidence of that as it was a pretty random post to end up at #2 for 2022. I was writing about having a big scrap pile to wade through at the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective, which was my brand new job at that time in February when I posted this one. 

But apparently the donation of a Sarto carbon fiber frame and fork was the draw for this post. I have no reason to believe that it wasn't, because the first part of the post was pretty mundane. I will tell you that we ended up selling the frame and fork for a song, so if you did not contact me about that, and thought maybe you should have, well.....you should have! 

Anyway, I feel like this is a very strange post to have ended up so high on the list, or to be on it at all. Weird! 

#1: The Bicycle Retail & Service Model Is Ripe For Disruption

And with the #1 slot, this post was - by far and away - the top read post here all year long.  I'll be honest here and tell you that I am immensely proud that this post ended up #1. It also - again - points out the absurdity of the previous #2 post being #2. Yeah.....it makes no sense to me! 

 But back to the post at hand here- This post is important, and not because I wrote it, but because it is pretty much going to be reality. I really don't think that is 'my opinion' either. Something has to give, and I feel that if all the things I detailed out in that post come true, and at the same time we take off a laser focus on automobile infrastructure and importance, we could literally change the world. 

Wouldn't THAT be cool? 

To Summarize 2022's Posts: Overall 2022 has seen bigger numbers for views here. Typically a post scores a certain amount of views, and has for several years here, but for whatever reasons, 2022 saw an uptick. I also can tell you that all the posts on this year's Top Ten List outperformed, on average, any of the rest of the year's posts by 3 to 4 times. 

Looking at all of that, 2022 was a banner year here on Guitar Ted Productions, and all of those views and successes are due to you, the readers. 'Thank you' doesn't even come close to expressing the gratitude I have for your patronizing this site throughout 2022 and for all the years this blog has existed. But that's all I have other than my promise to all of you that I will do my level best in 2023 to keep up the standards I have set, and hopefully higher, for my work here. 

Stay tuned for a look at what I think is to come for 2023.

Rear View 2022: Top Ten Posts Of 2022

 Last year I posted concerning the top posts of the past year. I thought it was another fun way to look back over the year via the perspective of what caught the reader's attention here. 

So, I thought it would be fun to rank the Top Ten posts from the blog during the calendar year 2022. These posts are ranked according to what Blogger stats tell me were the most read posts of the year. 

I'll start with #10 and work up to #1. Each post will be linked so you can go back and read it if you so choose. Then I will comment a bit on each post. 

 #10: Two Things For Today 

This made the top ten, which really surprised me because this was just a really disjointed post about two completely different subjects. I almost dubbed it a "Randomonium" post, but I only had two things to discuss, so there ya go- That's how the post was entitled. 

The Specialized gravel bike has since been panned pretty hard by those on social media, and as far as the article I linked and discussed, well, that has been a hot topic of discussion all year. I'm not sure which part of the article drove the numbers here, but judging from the comments, I'd say it was the bike in this case.  

#9: (Tie) Country Views: Focusing On The Good & Not The Bad and Country Views: Red, White, & Blue Ride

Now this was a complete surprise to me for this year. Not only has a "Country Views" post never been on the Top Ten Posts list before, but I also have never had two posts tie each other for views. 

I guess I shouldn't be surprised though, because I have heard from several of you readers that have told me that these posts are some of your favorites that I write up. (See the end of the "Top Ten Posts of 2020" for a reference) While that may have always been true for many of you, I am guessing that many more of you are deciding that is the case as well, because the numbers of views has been going higher for these posts. 

#8: Trans Iowa Stories: Acknowledgements & Credits

Posting a single view more than the two tied at #9, this was the only Trans Iowa related post to have ever made this Top Ten List. Not all that surprising since none of the Trans Iowa Stories posts ever drew that many views. But this one? It out-did the others by six times the views on average. Why? I wondered about that for several weeks as I saw the numbers for this post climb. 

I think, and this is only a guess, that this particular post was a synopsis of the entire series. A 'condensed history', if you will, and I feel that my listing of all the important checkpoint towns was somewhat interesting for many of you. (Note: We went through many more towns and villages than what I listed there.) Obviously all the names associated with the event was another interesting point for many, I would think.

But whatever! It sticks in as the #8th most read post of 2022.  

#7: Country Views: Boulders, Flowers, & Birds 

Another Country Views post! Again, a Summer post and I noted that the the three Country View posts that made this year's list were all in the Summertime of 2022. Did that make a difference? I don't understand, really, so who knows?

This would end up being the highest drawing post of its type for 2020, but all three were within four views of each other! how odd is THAT?!  

#6: A Comparison & Contrast: GPS Computer Experiences

Uggh! Okay, I admit up front that I have issues with interfacing with 'technology'. (Just ask Mrs. Guitar Ted) So, when it comes to GPS computers for cycling, my experiences perhaps are not all that representative of the masses. That said, I feel that a lot of technology misses the boat when it comes to user experiences, and this is not limited to cycling computers. 

So, this post must have resonated with a lot of you out there as well,since it slots in at #5 for the most read posts of 2022.  

#5: Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame: The Induction & After-Party

Not much of a surprise here, as the GCHoF thing was the biggest thing that happened to me all year, and obviously it was of great interest to my readers as well. Makes sense to me that this would end up on the list somewhere. 

This day was a really surreal experience, and even after six months, I find it hard to believe it happened. I still have trouble contextualizing this deal. What does being in this organization or being recognized in this way even mean for me? I don't know. 

So, while it was indeed the "biggest thing" to have happened to me all year, I also think it is "not that life-changing" either. At least, not yet it hasn't been. So, I have mixed feelings about it all right now. But the experience's documentation ranks as #5 on the most read posts for 2022. 

#4: Guitar Ted's Massive, Huge Flared Drop Bar Review 

Flared drop bars have been a subject for posts on my blog since the early days of blogging here. I figured that there might be some interest in my collection of flared drops and the history of this type of handle bar since the year 2000.  

I had fun doing the post and it would seem that, judging by the numbers this post is still drawing, that readers find it interesting. I would not at all be surprised that later on this would end up becoming #2 or perhaps even #1 on this list in the years and months to come, but for now it resides at a solid #4 on this list.

#3: A Twofold Anniversary: The Story Of The Warbird & A Disclaimer

Appearing as the number three most read post for 2022 is this one that I had been anticipating on writing for quite sometime. The whole "gloppy dollops" thing comes up a lot when I write my opinions for this blog. I knew that the ten year anniversary of the beginning of that disclaimer's usage was coming up this year. I figured that the story behind all of that would be of interest to many of you readers. I guess I was correct in thinking that.

But I also think that a lot of people have forgotten what the original Warbird model was all about, so the telling of that part of this story may have been the actual draw here. Just think what may have happened had Salsa decided to offer a Warbird back then in steel instead of aluminum and if they had allowed for bigger tires. I think the whole trajectory of the gravel scene may have been altered had that happened.

But it didn't, so that's the story and I'm sticking to it! 

#2: More Cleaning Up & A Favor To Ask

Well, you never know what people will read here, and this post is evidence of that as it was a pretty random post to end up at #2 for 2022. I was writing about having a big scrap pile to wade through at the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective, which was my brand new job at that time in February when I posted this one. 

But apparently the donation of a Sarto carbon fiber frame and fork was the draw for this post. I have no reason to believe that it wasn't, because the first part of the post was pretty mundane. I will tell you that we ended up selling the frame and fork for a song, so if you did not contact me about that, and thought maybe you should have, well.....you should have! 

Anyway, I feel like this is a very strange post to have ended up so high on the list, or to be on it at all. Weird! 

#1: The Bicycle Retail & Service Model Is Ripe For Disruption

And with the #1 slot, this post was - by far and away - the top read post here all year long.  I'll be honest here and tell you that I am immensely proud that this post ended up #1. It also - again - points out the absurdity of the previous #2 post being #2. Yeah.....it makes no sense to me! 

 But back to the post at hand here- This post is important, and not because I wrote it, but because it is pretty much going to be reality. I really don't think that is 'my opinion' either. Something has to give, and I feel that if all the things I detailed out in that post come true, and at the same time we take off a laser focus on automobile infrastructure and importance, we could literally change the world. 

Wouldn't THAT be cool? 

To Summarize 2022's Posts: Overall 2022 has seen bigger numbers for views here. Typically a post scores a certain amount of views, and has for several years here, but for whatever reasons, 2022 saw an uptick. I also can tell you that all the posts on this year's Top Ten List outperformed, on average, any of the rest of the year's posts by 3 to 4 times. 

Looking at all of that, 2022 was a banner year here on Guitar Ted Productions, and all of those views and successes are due to you, the readers. 'Thank you' doesn't even come close to expressing the gratitude I have for your patronizing this site throughout 2022 and for all the years this blog has existed. But that's all I have other than my promise to all of you that I will do my level best in 2023 to keep up the standards I have set, and hopefully higher, for my work here. 

Stay tuned for a look at what I think is to come for 2023.

Bikes Of 2022: Raleigh Tamland Two

  It's the end of the year and time to review what's up with the bikes I used over the course of 2022. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

The Raleigh Tamland Two. Yeah..... You all know this bike if you've been here any amount of time at all since 2014. 

That was when I bought mine at employee discount from a former bike shop job I had. There isn't much here that is original to the bike anymore other than the seat collar, the rear derailleur, the crankset, and the main frame. 

I just switched to a carbon set of wheels, my Irwin Aon Carbon 35's, to be exact, and I think I've swapped out the handle bar this year and installed new handle bar tape. The carbon wheels are a nice upgrade and something I should have done a long time ago. 

This bike was to have been retired three years ago now. Guess not, eh?

I probably won't be changing much on this bike besides the obvious wear items. I have a TRP Hydro braking system on there now which may end up getting retired and see me going back to TRP Spyre brakes or something cable actuated hydraulic. We'll see. No hurry on any of that.

Other than that, this bike keeps reminding me about how it represents what a gravel bike/all-road geometry is about. I see press releases a lot and many for gravel bikes that have so-called "modern" or "radical" geometry for a gravel bike. I check out the geometry charts, and unless they are designs derived from current state of the art mountain bike numbers, they are almost all very similar to, or not even as pushed forward, as the Tamland's. 

When I got this bike in 2014, it was one of the rare choices that was "gravel specific". Now in 2022/23, it still stands tall when compared against the hordes of bicycles called "gravel bikes". A bike ahead of its time?

It would seem so, and it isn't going out of style anytime soon, it would appear.

Bikes Of 2022: Raleigh Tamland Two

  It's the end of the year and time to review what's up with the bikes I used over the course of 2022. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

The Raleigh Tamland Two. Yeah..... You all know this bike if you've been here any amount of time at all since 2014. 

That was when I bought mine at employee discount from a former bike shop job I had. There isn't much here that is original to the bike anymore other than the seat collar, the rear derailleur, the crankset, and the main frame. 

I just switched to a carbon set of wheels, my Irwin Aon Carbon 35's, to be exact, and I think I've swapped out the handle bar this year and installed new handle bar tape. The carbon wheels are a nice upgrade and something I should have done a long time ago. 

This bike was to have been retired three years ago now. Guess not, eh?

I probably won't be changing much on this bike besides the obvious wear items. I have a TRP Hydro braking system on there now which may end up getting retired and see me going back to TRP Spyre brakes or something cable actuated hydraulic. We'll see. No hurry on any of that.

Other than that, this bike keeps reminding me about how it represents what a gravel bike/all-road geometry is about. I see press releases a lot and many for gravel bikes that have so-called "modern" or "radical" geometry for a gravel bike. I check out the geometry charts, and unless they are designs derived from current state of the art mountain bike numbers, they are almost all very similar to, or not even as pushed forward, as the Tamland's. 

When I got this bike in 2014, it was one of the rare choices that was "gravel specific". Now in 2022/23, it still stands tall when compared against the hordes of bicycles called "gravel bikes". A bike ahead of its time?

It would seem so, and it isn't going out of style anytime soon, it would appear.

Bikes Of 2022: Noble Bikes GX5

 It's the end of the year and time to review what's up with the bikes I used over the course of 2022. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

The Noble Bikes GX5 started out as a review bike for RidingGravel.com back in 2019. For some odd reason it seems that I've had this bike longer than that, but there it is. 2019 was when it showed up here. 

Of course, that means that the Standard Disclaimer applies to this bike. I realize how fortunate I am to have a bicycle of this caliber available for me to ride. trust me, I think about that often as I would not have been eyeing a carbon fiber bike had it not been for this rig appearing in my life. 

Also, it is by extension, an evolution of the bike I advised Raleigh to make in 2012, as Mark Landsaat, the owner of Noble Bikes, was one of the engineers on the Raleigh Tamland project and took those ideas to use on the GX5. The Tamland and GX5 are almost identical in terms of geometry. So, it stands to reason that I'd have a liking for the GX5 and to be honest, it is probably right up there in terms of my favorites of all the bikes I've had. 

The GX5 as it stands today.

I've also swapped out everything on this bike except the head set. It was a SRAM bike when I received it, but now it is a Shimano GRX equipped bike. The seat post, bars, saddle, and even the bottom bracket are all different from when I got this bike here. 

Changes? there may be several, or hardly any at all. This kind of depends upon the whims of what comes in for review at RidingGravel.com. The Noble is my "test mule" for the site, so this is why it gets all these new parts on it all the time. 

For a carbon fiber bike, it is holding up pretty well, I think, but I also know that at some point it will need replacing. I've been keeping an eye out for replacements, actually, because you just never know with a carbon bike when it might fail due to impacts from rocks, or worse! But the reality is that it probably will be here next year for this same rundown of my bikes. Because I love riding it, and I see no reason now why I would stop riding it.

Stay tuned for more Bikes Of 2022 soon!