Cruisin' The Strip

 In celebration of the twentieth year of this blog, I have a few tales to tell. This post is one of them. This series will occur off and on throughout this anniversary year, I hope to illuminate some behind-the-scenes stories and highlights from the blog during this time. Enjoy!

The 2008 "Urban Social" ride put on by Bikehugger on the Las Vegas Strip

 I hadn't been blogging for 3.5 years and I was at a point where I was going to Interbike, the former trade show held in Las Vegas, Nevada, back then, and was covering the burgeoning 29"er scene for "Twentynine Inches", the site I was "working for", at the time. 

It was a crazy year at Interbike. This would be the last time I would be there working for someone else. The scene was pretty nuts with a house rented to put us up in and all sorts of craziness in regard to activities outside of the show and within it. 

2008 was a weird time for many reasons. The country was experiencing The Great Recession of 2008, social media was juuuust getting going, but hadn't really changed how we did things quite yet. And we were at the last strands of what I call "The Analog Age", or in layman's terms "how we used to do things". 

This extended to the trade show, and was exemplified by the activities surrounding it. Interbike, for years, was known as the trade show where bike industry people went to "blow off some steam". or in other words, "do stupid stuff they would never get away with back at home". Things like having drunken all-nighters, going to strip clubs, or just being stupid socially. Things that would end up on Facebook, Tik-Tok, and X and get you fired, cancelled, and more these days. Nuff said.....

I was there and heard all about some of this nonsense. I did not partake unless it was for the ever-flowing free beer at the end of each day on the show floor. That was my vice back then. Then there was the fun stuff, like the time I rode on The Strip with about 50 other folks from The Sands Convention Center to Mandalay Bay resort and back on bicycles! 

There was a guy with a cargo bike who had rigged a thumping stereo onboard and was pumping out the jams all the way out. Each stop light was a portrait of how bicycles and vehicles were somewhat at odds with each other. and how one was "fun" and the other was not fun at all. We got friendly honks, great comments, and thumbs up from many going out. However, on the way back? 

There were three of us that wanted to get back to our beds and we raced down the Strip on bicycles, avoiding taxis and traffic as though our very lives were at stake, which they probably were. Unfriendliness was shown in the form of angry honks and cars cutting in front of us. I was on a 26' wheeled Dahon folding bike with a single speed rear gearing set up and I was tapped out and spinning like a mad man trying to keep up with my two companions. I'll never forget that ride until I cannot remember anything. That was terrifying! 

But I got to ride The Strip in Las Vegas on a bicycle. Not too many folks can probably say that!

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Twin Six

 The "I'm Green With Envy" Edition of the FN&V:

This past week Twin Six introduced another new color for its Standard Rando v2 frame set. This time it comes in a green they call "Grasshopper". Very appropriate as it is currently grasshopper season in the upper Mid-West!

I just posted about my "Saffron" colored Twin Six Standard Rando v2 yesterday. Love the bike! This was my dedicated single speed gravel bike until I got the Limited Edition GRX group and then had to build  up the Honeman Flyer to replace it with. Now it is my geared classic looking gravel grinder. 

I love this green color! The original Standard Rando was also green and I owned one until I sold it because the original had QR axles and everything was going to through axle standard. I was without a T-6 bike until the new v2 Rando emerged in 2020. I liked the original green T-6 Rando, but that was a darker hue than this one and I like this hue better. But I already have a yellow one, so....

The Standard Rando v2 will not win any lightweight awards nor does it have fancy internal cable routing or anything "aero". It is that stalwart, durable, reliable frame set that rides the way it should and can take anything you throw at it. (Within reason, of course) All that with a stellar price and classic good looks. Recommended. (I get nothing for saying that. It is how I feel about the bike. Take that for what it is worth to you.)

Guitar Ted Podcast Covers CORE4 & More:

The latest "Guitar Ted Podcast" is pretty good, if I do say so myself. I interviewed Morgan Osgood, who I interviewed last year when she was just dipping her toes into the gravel scene. (Learning From A Beginner) This time she shares her CORE4 experience and what she has learned since her last event. (LINK)

Then I tried to interview N.Y. Roll about his experience at CORE4, but it all went sideways. Hey! I tried! He and I ended up gabbing about how motivations for racing are vastly different between the Pro and everyone else doing gravel and how that informs events and whatnot. 

Anyway, give it a listen if you dare! (You might get offended, just a warning!)

I'll try to get someone on to give us a look at gravel history from a first hand perspective on one of the next upcoming episodes, so stay tuned for that.

Storm Clouds Of Doping Gathering On The Horizon?

As professional gravel racing develops and becomes more lucrative, I am hearing more rumblings concerning doping in gravel racing. 

It stands to reason that since most gravel events have no organization overseeing the enforcement of fair play in regards to doping the blood, or for detecting the use of illegal human performance drugs, that it might be happening out there now. 

This started to become an issue several years ago, according to one Pro racer that gave me a heads up under the conditions of anonymity. Now I am hearing that people in the competitive end of gravel racing are suggesting that it might be happening as well. 

Is there an unfair advantage, which some racers are enjoying, which is fueled by chemical enhancements that are forbidden? Is there blood doping going on, such as we have heard about in Pro road cycling? The undercurrent amongst many would suggest that - yes - it is happening. 

And as for myself, I believe it. People are prone to cheating in events with zero financial gain and hardly any notoriety regionally or nationally. Several instances of age group category cheating have surfaced at road events and criteriums across the nation. So, why would gravel cycling, at least at the "pointy end", not be included in this form of cheating as well? Certainly there is monetary and career motivations for doing so. Other forms of gaining an unfair competitive advantage are most likely happening also, especially in the ultra-long distance events which most event organizers let run with little to no oversight because of the lack of resources to do so. 

This is a sticky wicket, isn't it? No one wants to have shade thrown their way in regard to having people think they may have "cheated" in some way, especially if they know they haven't. Event directors may bristle at the thought of someone thinking they haven't covered all their bases with regard to cheating. However; it is highly probable that some gravel racers are not on the up-and-up when it comes to "racing clean" and taking advantage of "grey areas" in the rules, or cheating when oversight is not present from the event organizers. 

What to do? I imagine USAC/UCI would love to step in and provide their turnkey solutions to cheating, but this would certainly come at a "cost", both in freedom to run events as seen fit and monetarily. So what then? I believe if the events in question offer thousands of dollars in prizing they might consider investing some of their monetary resources in enforcement of internationally recognized doping controls and in having better oversight in regard to how racers execute their race in the ultra-long distance events. Or....

Just let it all be the "Wild, Wild West" and see what happens. The current course is such and will lead to problems in the future. How each event wants to deal with this is certainly their business, and I'm "just a guy" out here "yelling at the clouds", perhaps. But knowing what I know about human behavior in competitive events, I would be very cautious about considering keeping things as they are now with regard to doping and cheating. That's just me..... 

unPAved Of The Susquehanna River Valley:

My friend in PA, Dave Pryor, is one of the principals running the unPAved gravel event out in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. He wanted me to let you all know that registration is open now for the unPAved of the Susquehanna River Valley October 11th - 13th event. 

Featuring a scenic course with multiple distance options and even an overnight bikepacking option, this event is a unique event in gravel. The "race" is a part of it, but instead of a full-course timed competition, unPAved has timed segments and the rest of the course can be done at your leisure. Want to stop and get a photo of that beautiful overlook? You can, or not. Only the timed sections are competitive, so you can tailor your experience to how you want the ride to go. 

When you finish you can get a local treat to savor called a "Whoopie Pie". Now I always thought this was a commercial treat like a Hostess cake or something, or maybe one of those convenience store treats I've seen, but I was wrong. Thanks to a video Dave sent (HERE) I now understand that a Whoopie Pie is a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch treat which unPAved has handmade for their finish line prizing. 

So, anyway, if I could, I would go to this event. You should consider it. Recommended by Guitar Ted Productions as a good time. 

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Have a great Labor Day Weekend (USA) and ride those bicycles!

Working On The Gravel Bus

Before.....

I like to try to get all my bikes ridden in the year, and if I have had one sitting for too long unridden it starts to wear on my brain. I don't like that I don't ride a certain bicycle I have and the longer it goes on the worse I feel about it. 

So, lately one of those bikes on this "list" came off the list as I started to ride the Twin Six Standard Rando v2 again. This is the bike I've dubbed "The Gravel Bus" because of the yellow and black scheme it sports which is not unlike the school bus paint schemes you may be familiar with. 

I decided to use the Gravel Bus for the Delium tire review I did recently and as I was doing that I noted I was feeling pretty beat up after one particular ride. Sore shoulders and rear end. Hmmm.... 

I considered swapping out the saddle, thinking it was the profile of the WTB saddle that was bugging me, but after comparing it to the Silverado I was going to swap over to, I noted the profile was nearly identical to the Silverado, so it wouldn't have been worth swapping to. The Silverado is a very comfortable saddle for me, so I'm chalking it up to a bibs issue. 

But I didn't particularly care for the Delium tires and I had a Redshift Sports ShockStop stem on another bike (that IS on the "List" of bikes to get out on) and I swapped the stem while going ahead with the tire change. 

.....and after.

The Gravel Bus has limited tire clearances, compared to many currently offered gravel bikes, at a claimed 43mm maximum. I ended up sliding in these WTB Raddler 700 X 44mm which are measuring out right at 44mm on GRX wheels with 25mm internal rim width. I've still got 'breathing room' too, so this should be a good pairing and I have always liked how Raddlers handle looser gravel. 

Now I need this ridiculously hot and humid weather to pass so I can test out everything in the country. I'm hopeful that I have hit on a good combination here and I will not have to keep experimenting. But you never know, and perhaps more changes will be coming.  

Was The Luxy Bar Ahead Of Its Time?

The now rare, unusual Luxy Bar as shown in 2012.

 I was over at N.Y. Roll's "Stone Castle Estate" to record a podcast the other day and I had ridden over on my Singular Cycles Gryphon Mk3 bike which is now set up with a Luxy Bar once again. 

I remarked to Mr. Roll that this handlebar is just what is in vogue now with the Pro riders - Narrow at the hoods, canted in levers, and wide at the drops. Could this be the coolest aero bar of them all, given what "The Rules" are now days? 

I find it sort of an ironic situation. That is because when the Luxy Bar came out, almost 15 years ago now, lots of folks scoffed at it. One of the biggest criticisms of this bar, and many others including the very popular, at that time,  Midge Bar, was that the hoods were canted weirdly and pointed inward. That was "dumb" and "who would find that comfortable?" Plus everyone said it just looked too weird to consider the Luxy Bar anyway. They dismissed this concept out of hand. 

Last year these started popping up.

The UCI has had to take into account a trend recently for Pro road riders to want to cant their levers inward in an attempt to gain an aerodynamic advantage. This coupled with super-narrow widths for the handlebars prompted a rule to be enacted regarding the possibility for these things to cause instability, broken handlebars, and crashes in the Pro ranks. 

Meanwhile gravel riders have also taken to canting their levers inward more with an aim to use a narrower flared drop. The thinking there being that a wider drops position is needed for descending sketchy terrain and for stabilizing the bike in looser conditions as well. The tops and hoods position can be narrower due to the narrower tops and canted in levers giving the rider an aero benefit without the aid of aero bars, which are prohibited at many gravel events. 

Imagine an updated carbon Luxy Bar with an aero/flattened tops section and maybe a bit less sweep to the extensions. Sounds like the perfect racing drop bar for gravel, right?

The good ol' Luxy Bar was perhaps just too far ahead of its time to click with the gravel riders out there, but it certainly does the things that many of the faster riders are looking for these days, it would seem to me anyway.

Review: WTB 700 X 50mm Resolute - Final Word

 Note: WTB sent over one set each of the Vulpine S, Vulpine, and Resolute tires for testing and review to Guitar Ted Productions at no cost. I was not paid nor bribed for this review and I will always strive to give my honest thoughts and opinions throughout.

 First off, if you have missed the previous installments on the Resolute, you can go back HERE.

Now with a Summer's worth of riding the WTB Resolute in the 50mm width I have enough miles in to make a final verdict on the tires. In this post I will focus on how a wider Resolute compares to the previously available 42mm Resolutes and also how the wider Resolute fares in varied conditions. 

I've said it before in may posts here, but my favorite overall gravel tire for years was the original tan-wall Resolute 700 X 42mm tires. Whatever WTB was doing then as far as factory used and materials sourced for those tires, I was smitten with the performance on gravel and the ride quality, which was really top-tier, in my opinion. 

Resolutes do really well on loose, deep gravel. The 50's even more so.

However; a lot of riders reported troubles with sidewalls getting sliced up in sharp rocks and some others noted accelerated wear issues. WTB then began to change subsequent Resolute production runs and finally introduced the SG puncture protected casing for the tire. 

While gravel performance was not affected negatively by these changes, I always felt that the ride quality did suffer. A trade-off often seen when trying to balance durability with ride quality. 

Here is where the new, wider Resolute, with the SG+ casing, changes the game for me. The larger air volume of the 50mm casing allows me to gain back some of that lost ride quality, so now I not only have a wider, more stable footprint on loose terrain, but I have a bit more grace in ride quality and tunability which the narrower 42mm casings do not afford me. 

Just as with narrower Resolutes, the knobs will "round-off" as wear is noted.

In varied terrain the wider Resolute shines as a tire that will allow you to manage well. It is not the ultimate traction tire for cobbly, rock infested roads, nor is the Resolute the tire that will show up as the fastest hard conditions or pavement choice. However; it holds its own everywhere, so if you are a rider that sees varied terrain on many rides, this might be that "one tire" you can rely on to get you through. 

Since the Resolute does sport a flatter crown, and since the wider width enhances this characteristic, it can exhibit a bit of self-steer. Self-steer is an issue that many fat bikers are aware of, but if you do not know the term or what it describes, it is the tendency for a tire to grab a line and pull the bike in that direction, usually which is contrary to what you want to do. I experienced this when riding a grassy, two-track with weeds so high they obscured a rut. The Resolute caught this rut in the rut's depression and was trying to climb up the side of the rut contrary to my direction of travel. This resulted in a fall for me. 

It is not a terrible characteristic, and I could not see the rut to make a preemptive correction, so I do not blame the Resolute, but it is a cautionary tale if your riding sees a lot of rutted out dirt roads. 

The Resolute also did well in very fine, loose silt and carried me over wet, slightly muddy sections with aplomb. The silt sections were barely passed, and with a narrower tire, these would have been impossible to ride through. Credit the new 50mm width here. Dirt sections are where the Resolute is perhaps the best, with those knobs lending above average traction, at least as long as those knobs are not worn down. Resolute knobs have always been subject to rounded edges as they wear which reduces those knobs effectiveness in dirt. 

Final Words: This is now a tire which - for myself - brings ride quality and versatility with the SG+ casing protection together in a tire which rides really well and does a variety of things in a manner that is acceptable. Not great at any one thing, but a tire that shines in varied conditions and terrains. I would highly recommend the 700 X 50mm version as long as it fits your frame and as long as your riding has varied surfaces. This also might be the choice for rides taking you into unknown territory where you may not know what to expect for roads or paths. Of course, with technology and social media being what it is, it is becoming increasingly rare for "unknown territory" to exist. 

The 700 X 50mm Resolute has a tough casing, holds air quite well over a period of time, and with its volume is quite a "tunable" tire for varied conditions and for ride quality. It does what it is intended to do quite well. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great all-rounder choice for their gravel or adventure bike.

MADE Show Highlights And Commentary

Over the past weekend close to seventy frame builders were in attendance at a show in Portalnd, Oregon called the MADE Bicycle Show. In MADE's own words, this show is: "A multi-day trade event with consumer-facing days, as well as industry-only days for media meetings, content creation, and community building."

One would be probably correct in assuming that the show is a way for custom bicycle builders to get the word out about their services and gain new customers in the process. So, given MADE's statement, which is a nice set of thoughts, this show will continue to exist as long as the custom builders see the benefits of real sales coming out of the show. It is a fairly new show, having only been in existence a couple of years, but boasted over 5,000 attendees last year.

Image courtesy of MADE

I've received a few press releases concerning new bikes and products that were shown at this show over the weekend. I'll share those here with more of my own commentary about the show in general as well. 

MADE is a show which takes the space where formerly NAHBS resided. (North American Handbuilt Bicycle Show) That show grew over time and was eventually weighed down, and maybe watered down is a more appropriate term here,  by component makers, and things not really associated with the pure "handmade" frame building aspect of custom bicycles. The organizer eventually bailed out and the show fell into dormancy after 2019. Given that COVID disrupted everything, it makes sense that the first MADE Show did not happen until 2022. 

MADE seems to be focusing on a more simplified, directed approach where the main thing is frame building. Seeing the show as a way for content creators to aggregate content ideas and stories from, MADE embraces that aspect of current media creation and invites content creators to have more access than NAHBS used to provide to these outlets. Otherwise, it seems to be a very similar idea at its core to what NAHBS had envisioned originally. 

Image courtesy of Sage Titanium

Sage Titanium:

Sage Titanium showed their custom Storm King and Storm King GP with Classified/TRP Vistar drive train and shifting. 

This drive train set up uses the new Vistar TRP electronic shift/brake levers and rear derailleur paired up with Classified's 2 speed rear hub mechanism. Shifting is completely wireless and programmable. 

The Storm King is Sage Titanium's non-suspension gravel bike with 3D printed dropouts. The bike features several mounts for water bottles and a bento box on the top tube. The Storm King GP differs in that it is suspension corrected for a gravel suspension fork, such as a Rock Shox Rudy, or the like. 

Comments: An interesting collaboration between TRP and Classified which brings another choice to riders. In my opinion this appeals to the "I want something different" customer. I personally would be more interested in a TRP Vistar only bike as the Classified rear hub gear system is proprietary and probably not as efficient as a 2X traditional front derailleur. I say "probably" because I don't have specific independently tested data, but traditionally hub gearing doesn't have the efficiencies of an external chain derailleur drive train. 

Image courtesy of Wilde Bicycle Co.

Wilde Bicycle Co. Shows Two New Lugged Frame Bikes:

Wilde Bicycle Co., run by former All City head man Jeffrey Frane, has introduced two new lugged frame bicycles. 

First up we have the handsome "Sugarfoot" 650B wheeled rando inspired bike. This bike is limited to a run of 10 to begin with and will feature Columbus tubing, Richard Sachs lugs, a Pacenti fork crown, and Imron paint. 

There  will be rack and fender mounts, water bottle mounts for three bottles, and internal rear brake cable routing. The rim brake only bike will sell for $3,900.00 USD. Delivery is scheduled for March/April 2025. 

Image courtesy of Wilde Bicycle Co.

Next up we have a lugged version of the gravel bike Wilde calls the "Earth Ship Lugged Frameset". This uses a special Chris Bishop designed lugset and a very thin walled Columbus Life tube set. This has required Wilde to put a weight limit of 240lbs on this bike. 

The frame will come with Wilde's own Wayfinder carbon fork with triple boss mounts on each fork leg. The bike will also feature three water bottle mounts, a top-tube bag mount, and fender mounts. 

Tire clearance for the Earth Ship Lugged is set at 45mm in 700c diameter. The price for the frame and fork is set at $3,400.00. 

Comments: These frames are made by a single builder in the USA, so the price isn't completely out of line here. That said, it isn't a choice for the faint of heart in terms of finances. This will also make these bikes rare and if you ever see one out and about it will be a red letter day. 

It is interesting to me to observe the trajectory of Wilde since its beginnings. They came off, at least to me, as a bit higher-end All City-like alternative and now have veered even further into exclusive and expensive upper end niche territory. 

Image courtesy of No. 22

No. 22 Bikes Shows Wild 3D Printed Ti Aero Bike:

Probably one of the most interesting bicycles I've seen in a while is this fully 3D printed titanium aero road bike from No. 22 Bicycle Company. 

Called the Reactor Aero, the bike uses Grade 5 titanium powder which is monolithically 3D printed into this shape that you see here. The only bit that is not titanium is the aero optimized seat tube which is carbon fiber. 

No. 22 Bicycle Company states that final production Reactor Aero frames will be 3D printed in sections and welded together and machined in house to allow for tighter control of tolerances and finishes. 

The press release has a quote from No. 22 Bicycle Company co-founder, Bryce Gacey:

"3D printed titanium has phenomenal structural properties. The ability to print internal support structures anywhere in the frame gives us a level of control over the ride quality that has not been possible before. We are able to add stiffness in high load areas like the bottom bracket, dropouts, and head tube for very little weight, while playing with structure in fine detail throughout the frame to ensure it delivers the ride quality we need”

Comments: Yeah....wow! That's a crazy bike and a really cool process of manufacturing. No. 22 says that they can actually tune the ride quality and strength of the structure?  Pretty dang cool if you ask me. And.....pretty dang expensive, I would imagine. That said, maybe someday we will all be riding steel 3D printed frames and forks. Who knows? 

Image courtesy of Wheels Manufacturing.

Colorado Copper Available From Wheels Manufacturing:

Wheels Manufacturing brought several pieces to MADE done up in what they are calling "Colorado Copper" anodized finish. Several parts can now be ordered from stock with this hue amongst the many other colors of anodization that they offer on their parts. 

Comments: Yeah...brown. Didn't Chris King call this "Mocha"? I am pretty sure that Surly had a "Jim Brown" hub set in this hue as well. (Actually, I have a set of those hubs!) So, nothing really spectaculary new here but just another choice to be aware of. 

Meanwhile, how about those single speed conversion kits for MicroSpline and SRAM XD drivers? No batteries required!

Image courtesy of @william_bender

 Scarab Cycles Announces Composite Damping System:

Scarab Cycles out of Columbia, (the country) , announced a new rando model called the Andes, but what I found most interesting was the Composite Damping System which is available on the Paramo gravel bike, Apuna allroad bike, and Scarab's Santa Rosa road bike, shown above in the stunning "Fractal Fruit" paint scheme. 

Composite Damping System centers around the addition of a carbon fiber seat mast which is inserted through a short section of seat tube where the seat cluster of the frame is at. The cap on the seat mast allows for a modicum of saddle height adjustment, which should be okay since all Scarab bikes are made to measure. 

The CDS mod adds $800.00 to the base price of the frame and fork which for a Paramo gravel bike is $3,400.00 USD.

Image courtesy of Velo Orange

Velo Orange Debuts New Chessie Model:

Velo Orange showed a new model called "Chessie" which is a non-suspension corrected design in aluminum. The bike is said to have "big tire clearances" and sliding drop outs for a single speed set up if desired. The images showed a tapered aluminum head tube, lots of accessory mounting points, and external, full run housings. Probably a 27.2mm seat post there by the looks of it as well. The show bike had Pirelli Cinturato M's mounted in what looked to be the 700 X 45mm wide size. Velo Orange described the Chessie as "...a monster of a gravel bike".

Comments: Not many details were released on Velo Orange's communications, but details are coming soon. Look for more on this bike in a future "FN&V". I like what I see here a lot though, and given that Velo Orange sells frames at pretty reasonable prices, this should prove to be a popular bike.

Thanks to all the companies represented in this post for sending press releases. All images and information in this post was provided by these fine companies.

Two Things

As seen August 22nd, 2012 at a Salsa Demo

Warbird Debut:A Missed Opportunity

The world found out something I was aware of for a while in the Summer of 2012. It was the fact that there was a bicycle specifically designed to race on gravel roads. Of course, I am speaking of the Salsa Cycles Warbird. The anniversary of my checking the bike out "officially" was this past week.

Trans Iowa was a proving ground for the model, as was the DK200 in Kansas. Both races were long, arduous, and tested man and machine to their limits. I was in the front seat to see the development of Salsa Cycles work in the gravel field going back to 2009 when I saw what became (briefly) the titanium La Cruz gravel/cyclo cross bike. That quickly gave way to another new prototype bike which saw duty in Trans Iowa v7 and v8. This bike I actually was able to get an up-close look at and ride briefly at T.I.v8. The bike became the Warbird and was shown at Quality Bicycles Summer "Saddledrive" show in 2012 to dealers and then to the public at several demo stops during that Summer. I saw and rode both the titanium model and the aluminum model in August up in the Twin Cities at a demo. 

The bike, at least the titanium version, was a fine introduction, despite its ridiculously narrow tire clearances, even for 2012. However; while the focus was on that fancy grey-silver metal frame, there was another Warbird that kind of flew under the radar. That was the aluminum version of the bike. Costing far less than the fancy titanium bike, the aluminum bike was not very well received. 

In my opinion, and in the opinion of many others at the time, Salsa Cycles made a mistake. While aluminum was a fine choice, it was not the popular one. Had Salsa Cycles decided upon a steel Warbird, I feel the sales would have been much more brisk out of the gate for the bike. The perception of that time was that a steel or a titanium bike was more well suited for gravel than a carbon or an aluminum alloy bike would be. 

Of course, we will never know if that was correct, as Salsa never did do a steel framed Warbird, at least not one for sale, and when they moved to the Class 5 VRS rear end, steel was not strong enough to handle the stresses the design imparted on the frame, so it became a moot point at that juncture.

Gravel Worlds Memories:

Also, the Gravel Worlds event happened yesterday. This was a time-marker for me for several years and my memories of attending the event run deep and strong yet today. I have not been to a Gravel Worlds since 2021, but that doesn't mean I didn't miss going there, at least a little bit. 

I have many friends and dearly loved people I miss because I cannot attend the event these days. These people, of course, are a big reason I feel left out here in Iowa. It would be a ton of fun to be around those folks again, at least for a little while. 

But another part of me misses Gravel Worlds from the times that I did the event. The event is not the way it used to be anymore, so perhaps I would feel a bit let down if I did attend the event now. I cannot say 100% that this would be the case, but for certain, a part of the nostalgia for "how things used to be" is part of what I feel. 

A few shots from my Gravel Worlds past...

That's me bombing a long downhill in 2015. Photographer unknown.

Back in the day, you could be assured of riding large chunks of the event all alone.

Tony McGrane (L) and myself. 2016 - The only time I ever finished the event.

My last go-round with Gravel Worlds in 2021. Image by M. McColgan

There are a lot more I could post, but I'll spare you the boredom of looking at wide expanses of Nebraskan rolling hills! Maybe I'll make it out there again someday, but some things will have to change here for me if I ever do get a chance  to go back to Gravel Worlds.

Analog Navigation

 In celebration of the twentieth year of this blog, I have a few tales to tell. This post is one of them. This series will occur off and on throughout this anniversary year, I hope to illuminate some behind-the-scenes stories and highlights from the blog during this time. Enjoy!

 In speaking with Ari a couple weeks ago (and featured in the podcast I did with him), the subject of cue sheet navigation was brought up. I was reminded how most riders do not understand the impact of cue sheets on events and what a different challenge that can be for the riders. Also, with this blog often serving as the "long-form" explainer for Trans Iowa related issues and topics, the cue sheet idea has bearing on the history of this blog. 

A typical Trans Iowa cue sheet

Now, maybe you are reading this and you don't know what a "cue sheet" is. Maybe you do know what they are, but have never ridden an event using them. Let me tell you, these things can really be a difference maker. 

We use to use cue sheets because when we started gravel events there were no GPS cycling computers. None. 

Imagine this if you can!

So, to send someone out on a course with no markings, (I know! Another nearly unfathomable thing for some folks), we had to give riders 'directions'. You can think of cue sheets as "riding directions" which you must follow to stay on course. 

Using cues meant that you had to do several things. One: You had to be able to read the cues. This may seem obvious, but think about it: How do you read a cue sheet while riding? You must consider several things. First, you have to have something to hold the cues with. Make sure the wind and the bumping around doesn't knock them off your bike! How do you move from one cue page to another? How can you see a cue sheet - either with poor vision or at night? Almost none of this is necessary for using GPS navigation these days. 

Next, you need to pay more attention to your mileage, sight cues, and the cue sheet! Again, with modern GPS you simply listen for the audible prompt and check the arrow to see which way to turn. You don't read signs, landmarks, or mileage on a computer or cue. Simple. Faster. Easier. 

Cues had their own "language" which varied from event to event. There was no real "standard" unless you were using "tulip" style cues which a lot of events were using back then. To my knowledge Trans Iowa was one of the only events to use strictly alphanumerical cues. You had to read them, as there were no symbols used besides the occasional "arrow". This put a premium on "paying attention" to not only the cues, but your surroundings. 

I could give a long dissertation here on why I think cue sheets are a good idea for events, but I'll just say here that the whole "paying attention" thing was the reason I made a  deliberate and intentional move to include as much "vagueness" in my cues as I could while still providing the clearest directions I could possibly give. 

For instance, I quit giving information as to where you were in a city, town, or village, as that should have been readily apparent to the rider if they were observant. Only in the case of crossing highways and County blacktops did I give any warning ahead of getting there.That was a safety concern. 

Anyway, getting back to the blog, I had to use "Guitar Ted Productions" as a means to give long-form explainers for cue sheets, and this became even more necessary as time went on as more and more I found new riders to be unfamiliar with the cue sheet navigation idea. As an example, you can read THIS POST from 2017 where I went into great detail about how the cues were to be used for Trans Iowa v`13.

I did this to not only inform the riders of Trans Iowa, but to keep the formatting of the Trans Iowa site in its mostly unmolested form which Jeff Kerkove set up in late 2004. I think, and have always thought this, that the OG Trans Iowa blog page is a treasure to be archived and curated so that anyone curious about how things got started could maybe get a feel for the event through that page. Especially the rules which were copied outright or borrowed heavily from by a LOT of following gravel events. 

So, in a way, I leveraged this blog to be what maybe should always have been on an event site, but now you know why I never considered that as an option.

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Wilde Bicycles

Wilde, Cane Creek Team Up On One Inch Head Sets:

With the sub-culture of restoration of late 1980's mountain and road bicycles being quite popular now, and with a certain special project from Wilde on the horizon, Wilde Bicycles and Cane Creek have teamed up to release a limited time option to get yourself a Cane Creek 110 quality threaded headset in one inch size. 

Why Wilde Bicycles? Well, they have a project called the Side Quest which will be using these head sets. To get the MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) to green light the project, Wilde is offering the chance to purchase a one inch threaded headset from Cane Creek. 

The Wilde X Cane Creek 110ZN headsets will be offered in black or silver and the cost is projected to be $120.00 USD. The head sets will be a pre-book and should be delivered in October. 

Specs:

● Fork type: 1" English threaded
● Stack height: 41mm
● S.H.I.S. Upper: EC30 / 25.4-24tpi
● S.H.I.S. Lower: EC30
● Crown Race: ISO (26.4mm)
● Machined from 7075 series aluminum
● ZN40 Sealed Cartridge Bearings
● Weight: 91g 

Get in on the action at www.wildebikes.com

Image courtesy of Merit Bikes

Czechoslovakian Company Merit Goes 750D Gravel:

Now you can buy a 750D wheeled gravel bike from Merit Bikes which they call, appropriately, the "Merit Jumbo 750d Gravel Bike". Never heard about 750D wheels? I last wrote about them in a "Two Things" post in July which you can read HERE. There are further links back to other posts I have written about these bigger wheels to be found there as well. 

Merit is a Czech based company and has been making high-end titanium and carbon bikes for gravel for a while now. This time they are offering pre-orders for October delivery for this carbon frame and fork gravel bike with the bigger 750D wheels being provided by WTB. They are currently the only manufacturer doing these bigger wheels and tires. 

The Jumbo comes in three sizes: Large, XL, and XXL. Obviously Merit feels this wheel size caters to a taller rider. For reference I ride a 58cm bike at 6'1". The Merit Jumbo size Large would work for me, but the others are way too big! 

The approximately $4,350.00 bike (at current exchange rates) features the aforementioned carbon frame and fork, SRAM Rival drivetrain, and Ritchey Design cockpit parts. The geometry is interesting as the bike is said by Merit to be able to handle 50mm wide 700c tires and wheels along with the 750D X 45mm WTB tires. The numbers on the geometry all are pretty spot on though with a surprising low stack height for the bike that would fit me. 

This, in my opinion, is going to be a litmus test for 750D wheels and tires. If more companies jump on this idea, WTB will not be the only game in town for these tires and wheels for long. But that all remains to be seen. Stay tuned....

Image courtesy of Velocity USA

Velocity USA Refreshes AERO Model:

Velocity USA announced on Tuesday of this past week that they have a newly refreshed version of their original rim, the AERO, out now. Velocity partnered with Arizona based Profile Precision Extrusion to bring a Velocity USA exclusive alloy for this new design. 

Velocity says on the webpage for the AERO rims the following: "6069 alloy offers improved resistance to denting and fatigue damage. Riders who are tough on wheels will enjoy greater impact resistance; those who pile on miles can expect a longer service life compared to traditional 6061 or 6063 alloy."

Velocity states that, besides the traditional offerings, they will have 36 hole and 40 hole versions of the AERO also. They also said all their Deep Custom options can be applied to this model as well, which includes some wild anodized colors and schemes. Stock rims will be available in Silver, Black, or Polished. 

Velocity states that this rim is optimized for tire widths from 28mm - 50mm and will be available in 650B and 700c diameters. The AERO weighs a claimed 500 grams each and is priced at $198.00 USD each. 

Comments: I gotta admit, when I saw the price for this rim I was a bit surprised. Apparently it is this new tougher alloy that makes the price what it is. I like that Velocity is trying this because it makes a lot of sense for heavier riders or touring/bikepacking applications where wheel failure is not an option. I'd gladly pay the price for that peace of mind. My only wish is that Velocity would do a wider internal width in a similar rim. Heck, just looking over their "gravel" rim range makes me wish that Velocity would do this with the entire range. 

As it stands now I am really only interested in using Blunt SS rims from Velocity for gravel. The inner rim width is a bit wider at 26.6mm which is kind of a sweet spot for tires in the 43mm - 50mm range.

Salsa Shows Off 2025 Cutthroat C Force XO AXS Transmisson Bike:

Salsa Cycles showed its latest incarnation of its long-running Cutthroat bikepacking/adventure/gravel bike. The elongated named Cutthroat C Force XO AXS Transmission (whew!) is set up with - obviously - SRAM's new 12 speed Transmission rear drive train components and an Eagle Transmission crank with a 34T ring onboard. 

You get a UDH compatible frame, and the "Road Boost" set up which allows a maximum 50T/34T crank set up. All that and the typical Cutthroat amenities you've become accustomed to at a price of  $7,499.00 USD. 

Comments: Well, what the heck is "Road Boost" anyway? Yep! Get used to seeing that as this is where we will start to see a move in gravel bikes away from the old 100mm/142mm through axle standard. Frame makers will adopt this "new" 110mm/148mm "road" spacing as a way to better accommodate the trend for riders to gravitate toward fatter gravel tires in the 45mm+ range up to 2.2" 29"er rubber. 

This all started with Shimano offsetting GRX 2.5mm outboard and then SRAM doing a similar thing as well to get better clearances for bigger gravel tires, at that time in the 45mm - 47mm range. But with the big switch to top-tier gravel riders riding 2.2" wide XC rubber on gravel bikes this "Road Boost" thing has legs and whether the meat and potatoes of gravel riders wants it or not, this is how the bicycle industry has always operated - At the whim and fancy of the high-end competitive fields in any discipline. They call it "progress", but it is really just another marketing tool in the end. 

Whether or not anyone likes it, it will be the next trend in gravel bikes. At least the comments sections of social media will be interesting for the short term future. 

Okay, that's a wrap on this week! Get out and ride those bicycles!

Country Views: A Road With A Chameleon Personality

Escape Route: Traffic on the Sergeant Road Trail

We've had a switch from hot, humid weather to a few days of cooler, less humid air here in Iowa and I was able to get out to enjoy it a bit on Wednesday. Days like these in August don't come around often, so I was blessed to be able to take advantage of the day.

I also needed to ride the fat Resolute tires I have here to review and I had a special place I wanted to take those tires to. This place, curiously, is not well ridden or even well known to locals, as far as I can tell. One person, maybe two, ride it on occasion other than myself, and typically I never see any other bicycle tire tracks out there. Once you've seen this road you might wonder why this is such a rare treat for the locals to partake in. Don't as me for the answer. I have no idea why local gravel cyclists don't flock to ride down this spectacular road. 

I was riding the pink MCD Black Mountain Cycles bike this time and with the weather being what it was, normal cycling garb was all that I needed to be wearing. Since this particular road I was going to ride was South of town, I headed out on the Sergeant Road bike path. I had the unique experience of having to pass a mower doing trail maintenance which was a bit sketchy, but once I got by it was smooth sailing out to the gravel.

Washburn Road. That's Hudson, Iowa's water tower over on the left horizon line.

Real American Gravel

I decided to make the approach to this particular road from the West side, which I typically don't do. However; I wanted to make sure I could actually ride this road as the Western side gets wet and can flood out much easier than the hilly, more well drained Eastern side of that road. This took me just East of Hudson, Iowa and then South of there a bit further. 

Just a bit further....

Petrie Road's Level B section. Yes....this is a road!

Well, maybe you guessed it before you saw the image above, but it is indeed Petrie Road. I've said this before, and I fully expect this to happen, but this 7/8ths of a mile of awesomeness is probably not long for public consumption. I fully expect this road to be gated and turned into a C Level Maintenance road soon. So far though, it has escaped that fate. Not that the local farmer adjacent to this road hasn't been trying to get it closed off. 

This is the same section of Petrie Road as shown in the previous image from 2016.

The local farmer that lives just to the South of this road has wanted this closed up since I spoke with the wife of the couple that farms the land there back during T.I.v12 in 2016. Since then, that Level B sign has disappeared, and the green street sign indicating this is Petrie Road has also mysteriously disappeared. Only the street sign pole remains. Hmm... 

And as you can see, zero maintenance has been done on that road since we did T.I.v12. It is fairly obvious that someone is wanting this to be declassified, and I am betting I know who that someone is. 

But anyway....

This road changes personality at least three times in less than a mile.

The thing that I love about this road is how different it is in feel and terrain as you travel it from one end to the other. On the East side it starts out as a typical gravel road. Then about an eighth of a mile in, it goes to dirt two-track, and then it crosses a low water crossing which is typically only wet during Spring run-off. This is all big rock and dirt. Then it goes up, two-track, sandy, and with embedded rock. Then it goes on with a big mud hole up top that very rarely is ever dry, descends down a silty two-track, and then about a quarter mile of flat, grass-filled and severely rutted out two-track which skirts several mud-pits and water filled ruts. 

Now I did that in reverse and about 50 yards in my front tire self-steered up a rut unexpectedly, since I could not see anything for the four foot high weeds, and I was dumped unceremoniously off my bike with another ridge from a rut hitting me mid-back and across the bottom of my shoulder blades. Fun times!

Coming out on the East side.

 

Back to your regularly scheduled gravel program!

I was okay and rode the rest of the way out to the Eastern exit of the Level B Section and on down Petrie Road to its other terminus at Ansborough Avenue. The gravel had been refreshed down here and it had been done very close to when I rode these roads. There were no good lines and the Resolutes had to do for getting me through it, which they do quite well. 

I did not see a deer this time but I was ambushed by a dog. The dog appeared out of a ditch and was silent until the mutt took off after me.  Fortunately this mutt's angle of pursuit was off and I was out in front of the pooch enough that I was able to crack off a nice "dog sprint". This was enough to break the dog's engagement and I was dog free! I did see another couple of dogs in a farm yard but they gave me nothing but a few barks as I cruised on by them.

The Pink MCD

It turned out all to the good and I made it back home in one piece. All the while I was wondering why folks around here don't take advantage of Petrie Road's varying personalities along that section of Level B road. One day, sooner than later, it won't be an option. Too bad for those who don't get down that way now. They are missing out on some good fun!

Review: Delium Tires - Final Word

  Note: Delium Tire sent over two pairs of tires to Guitar Ted Productions at no cost. I am not being paid, nor bribed, for this review and I will always strive to give my honest thoughts and opinions throughout.

Delium Tire is a fairly unknown name in bicycle tires to most riders, and likely to you as well. The company is based in Indonesia and claims to be that country's largest tire producer. I am told that Delium Tire has made tires under other, more well known to cyclists brands, but I have no idea which brands that those might be. 

Does Delium have what it will take to move brands like Maxxis, WTB, Specialized, or Schwalbe off a bit to make room for sales for their gravel tires? 

Certainly the prices for their tires doesn't hurt in that cause. However; while there are certain good things about the Delium gravel tires I have tried here, there are some definite concerns as well. 

You can read a bit about those concerns HERE in my last update. There is a link in that post to the introduction with the specs and prices as well which you can check out. In this final post I am going to give you a bit more on the riding performance of the AllRounder and Speed-X tires. Then I will give my final verdict on the tires at the end.

Both sets of Delium Tires ended up feeling fast and well damped on gravel.

Okay, so out of the two sets of tires I received for this review I ended up liking the Speed-X the best. The AllRounder, the tire that looks so close to a Gravel King SK it is scary, was a bit too rounded in profile for my liking. I thought the rounded casing made the tire feel unstable and it had trouble in looser gravel and wet mud laterally, losing grip and sliding sideways, or getting kicked sideways by a bigger rock, for instance. I will say this tire felt fast and easy to spin up. I will give the AllRounder that much. 

The Speed-X was a more stable tire in the same conditions and it had a really nice ability to absorb rock and therefore it felt very smooth. I think the AllRounder has a similar casing, but the rounded profile the tire has sort of extinguishes its abilities in this regard. 

I probably could live with either tire in terms of ride quality though. Both exceed expectations for a tire costing as little as these do. However; one characteristic of both tires is a bit concerning to me. This would be the ability, or lack thereof, for these tires to retain air pressure. 

Initially both sets weren't good in this regard. However; as I tended to want to ride the Speed-X more, I thought I had ridden the tire enough that air retention was no issue. Then I parked that bike and got on the AllRounder which, as I expected, had almost zero air pressure in them after about a month. I rode the AllRounder a few times and checked on the Speed-X and.... The back tire was flat! Maddening. The front had air but was down significantly as well. 

The AllRounder copies the Gravel King right down to how it throws small stones.

I guess you are good to go if you ride the Deliums every day or nearly so, but let the bike sit for a week and the tires loose a significant amount of air. By the way, I'm using WTB sealant which has proven to work really well in every other application I have used the sealant in before. 

Final Word: I really like the Speed-X tires, and if they held air better I would highly recommend these. For the asking price these tires definitely ride and perform on gravel better than you would expect. The AllRounder is, as the name suggests, "round" in profile. Too much so for my tastes. This doesn't mean other folks might not like this tire, but given the poor air retention issues I am seeing, I find it hard to recommend these tires. And then again - why not just buy a Gravel King SK and be done with it?

So, from where I sit, Delium has work to do to crack the crowded market for gravel tires. I would suggest working on a better tubeless set up experience, better air retention, and maybe ditch the AllRounder for a design of their own. These tires are not bad tires. These tires do have some undesirable quirks and because of that, I think these are a pass for gravel riders as they are now. If Delium decides to pursue the issues I am seeing and address them in new models, I might then be of a mind to change my view on their tires. 

Note: I wrote this final take several days ago. Since then both sets of tires seem to be holding air better. Go figure! Well, at any rate, even if this seems to hold up, the tires are inconsistent and take far too long to settle in. I may come back with an update at some point.....