Friday News And Views

Limited edition Japhy. Image by Jason Boucher (Courtesy of Esker Cycles)

Limited Edition Japhy Announced By Esker:

This lovely lavender hard tail bike came across my inbox  on Monday from Esker. They have a special coating in this hue and a special component package for a limited run of bikes.

Dubbed "Shredkote", the Cerakote ceramic finish is very thin and super-durable. I've written about Cerakote before. You can learn more there at the link if you care to.

The bike is tied together by a collaboration with MRP on a "Shredkoted" Raven fork. The bike has clearance for 29" X 2.8" tires and features Esker's "Portage" drop outs. There are only 10 that will be made in this hue and spec, so check it out HERE. The proce is listed at $3.450.00.

Comments: The Japhy is the bike Salsa should have made as the El Mariachi v3. But....they didn't. That's okay because Esker has done it and this bike would rank highly as one I'd want to throw a leg over for mountain biking. Bonus for me as far as this presser goes is that my friend Jason Boucher took the images for this special release. Nice! Congrats Jason on the stellar images.

5DEV cranks. (Image courtesy of 5DEV)

5DEV Expands Range Of Titanium Cranksets:

Relatively new player, 5DEV, who CNC machine titanium into beautiful cranksets and stems, has announced an expansion of choices for their wares. 

The cranksets will be available for Enduro, DH, MTB, gravel, fatbikes, and road bikes in the following lengths: 155, 165, 167.5, 170, 172.5 and 157.5 for eCranks.

The prices will range from $1,399.00 - $1,499.00 a set.

5DEV parts are made in San Diego, California. 

Comments: Titanium can be lighter for frames and components, but the appeal to me has always been corrosion resistance and the ease of maintenance in terms of the finish. What immediately pops out for me here is the fatbike/gravel bike uses when the bike doubles as a commuter/road bike in Winter. Corrosion resistance is a sought after trait, in my view, since Winter roads can eat aluminum components and corrode steel like caterpillar on a leafy green plant. Whatever the heck chemical soup the State uses now is pure evil for bikes. Titanium resists that devil and it flees from its presence. (But the State needs to ditch that evil mixture ASAP anyway) 

An example of Cris King's new Splash: (Image courtesy of Chris King )

Chris King Precision Components Announces New "Splash" Colorway:

Chris King announced on Tuesday that they have a new annodization process which allows for a base color and a "splash" of a contrasting color. This has resulted in their new Splash component offerings. 

Using a bronze-like base color the components feature a bright splash of turquoise color. 

Available in all their components, the new Splash components will be a limited release with only 50 of each component being made. The colorway will be released in Chris King pre-built wheels as well. 

Comments: Good thing Chris King keeps finding ways to reinvent anodizing. It practically is the only thing the company has done to stay relevant in the market place. Sure, the components are really good, but somehow the company's products seem to be less desirable. Maybe that's an impression of mine that misses the mark. Let me know....

This new "Splash" thing? For myself it seems to be the analog to 1980's crackle-finish Super-Strat guitars. (Throws the horns and bobs head) 

Image from 2014 Eurobike courtesy of Frank B.

Wheel Size Causes Consternation Amongst Certain Riders:

Wednesday's post on the new 750D gravel wheels was received with some familiar negativity from certain sectors of the cycling cognoscenti. This was very reminiscent of the push-back seen when 29 inch MTB wheels were proposed in 1999. (YES! It's been 24 years now!)

Ironically the same individual and company is responsible for both wheel sizes to be in existence now. That said, like many ideas in bicycling, or overall, for that matter, this bigger wheel has a similar predecessor. I was forwarded an Italian magazine article from 2014 which showed a 750 sized wheel which was proposed as a wheel which one could swap into a 29"er frame and use as a road riding wheel set. It was also implicated as a possible road bike solution for taller riders. (Thanks to reader "Frank B" for that info!)

Note that this happened before "gravel" became a thing worldwide. The image says the overall diameter of the wheel and the tire is 740mm, so this was called "750" by the developers of the idea. I have no further technical data to share, but the wheels were never commercially available. 

It just goes to show you that cycling companies are always thinking of some way that they can entice you to part with your dollars, and hopefully, at the same time, provide riders with a tangible benefit.

That's a wrap for this week. September is on the doorstep! get out and ride while you can!