Review: SILCA Terra Floor Pump - Update

(L-R) SILCA Pista Plus, Topeak Joe Blow, SILCA Terra

 Note: Guitar Ted purchased a SILCA Terra Floor Pump with his own money to test and review on Guitar Ted Productions. SILCA has had no prior knowledge of this review and has neither paid nor bribed Guitar Ted for these posts. 

Last Monday I introduced the SILCA Terra floor pump as my next review. Check that link for that article in case you missed it. In this post I am going to compare and contrast my experiences with the SILCA Pista Plus and Terra, (so far), and with the Topeak Joe Blow pump. 

A little background on the Pista Plus and Joe Blow now for context. The Joe Blow pump was not a considered purchase when I bought it. It was an 'emergency' purchase when I was on vacation in El Paso, Texas and realized I had forgotten my floor pump when I left Iowa. As I recall, this would have been around 2007, so I've had this pump for around seventeen years now! 

The Pista Plus I received as an item to review for "Riding Gravel.com" in 2018. I did not pay for the pump and I was allowed to keep it after the review was completed. I wrote up a long follow-up review on the Pista Plus for this site in 2022 which you can check out HERE if you like. 

Both the SILCA Pista Plus and the Topeak Joe Blow pump have been used extensively in day-to-day operations here at Guitar Ted Productions. Hardly a day goes by where I don't use one or both of those pumps. So, I have a very intimate knowledge of what they can do and what their durability is over a long time period. Of course, I just purchased the SILCA Terra floor pump, so I do not know how it will go over the long haul with that pump just yet, but judging from other SILCA products I have owned and used in the past, I am expecting a long use cycle for the Terra with little to no issues. 

So, I want to skip to some pertinent (to me) differences between these pumps and remind you that two of the three are rebuildable. I expect all three will last a long time if cared for properly. Now, I will say that I don't do anything in particular to maintain the pumps I have had with the exception of replacing worn parts when necessary and that only once so far with the Joe Blow. 

Gauges: A floor pump should have a clear, accurate gauge which is durable and reliable. I would say that out of the three here that the Joe Blow is not my favorite due to its tiny numerals and while it isn't terrible in accuracy, the SILCA pumps are better when checked against digital gauges I have. 

Now, "accuracy" in a pump gauge is relative, in my opinion. These are not scientific, high-grade instruments, so the accuracy of them is what it is. If I can get consistent results over a long period of time, then the gauge, whatever it says, is "good". The Joe Blow was, and is still, consistently "good". So is the Pista Plus. The Terra gauge should prove to be similar, but with its dedicated lower range readout, it rises above the other two in readability.

It is more about how well I can read the darn things when I am pumping up a tire in a dimly lit basement in a 100 plus year old home. I've added lights, but my environment down there is tough. So out of the three  gauges, in my estimation, the new Terra pump wins because I can actually see the thing easily. Especially in the range I typically pump tires to, which is under 40psi. 

Pump Heads: The other critical aspect which I deem as very important in a pump is the pump head. How easy is it to use? Does it work equally as well on Schrader and Presta valves? 

The Joe Blow pump has a dual-headed design. You push the head on and flip the locking lever appropriately to the position pointing away from the valve. Grey is the Schrader side, black is the Presta side. 

The Joe Blow never worked well on the Schrader side, and many pumps like this, including many so-called "Smart Head" designs, which I have used in the past, are garbage. You have to work very hard to get a positive attachment to a Schrader valve with the Joe Blow and many times I just couldn't get it to work. 

So, subsequently I end up just using this pump for Presta valves. It does those quite well, but so do a LOT of other pumps. It is always the Schrader valve that trips up many floor pumps and it can become quite a frustration. 

On the plus side, as mentioned, the Joe Blow can be rebuilt, and usually that means the pump head has replacement parts. That pump head is subjected to a lot of wear, especially with regard to the rubber inserts under the plastic caps on the head. I thought it was pretty amazing in 2019 when I was able to get parts for a pump which was over ten years old from Topeak.

The Pista Plus has what looks like, at first glance, to be a traditional track pump head for Presta only. In fact, I did not realize the Pista Plus could be used on a Schrader valve for a long time! 

But of course you can do this with the Pista Plus. It is a brilliant pump head. It unscrews where you see the knurled, larger diameter portion of the head, leaving the Schrader attachment exposed, which then screws on to your valve. 

I like that the pump head actually screws on because having to use a friction sealed head, like the Joe Blow, often pushes the valve stem back into the rim, or causes stress to the base of a Schrader valve tube where the stem meets the tube. This can cause tube failures. At the very least the valve getting pushed back into the rim well is frustrating. So, I give high marks to the Pista Plus for the Schrader valve interface. 

The Presta interface is much like any other SILCA track pump and relies on friction created by a rubber insert to stay on and seal the head to the valve. These typically wear out over a period of time. Of course, the whole pump head and pump itself is rebuildable via SILCA's admirable dedication to spare parts stock. However; I might have preferred a screw on head for Presta as well as the Schrader side which would eliminate the friction interface, which, honestly, can be a pain to push on and off on some valve stems. 

The Terra pump head is actually straight off the Tattico mini-pump SILCA designed and sells, which is an excellent mini-pump, by the way. The head slips on easily to a Presta valve and the lever locks on to the valve stem with great force. I do have somewhat of an issue with how tough the locking lever cams over, but perhaps that will relax with time and use. We will see. 

Schrader interface is also just as easy and to access the Schrader side you simply unscrew the bronze colored end and flip it 180°, screw it back in, and that's the Schrader interface which works just like the Presta side does. Each end is also marked in case you cannot tell which end is which, and this is a nice touch. 

Out of the three then the Terra is the nicest in terms of pump head and ease of use. Longevity and parts replacement isn't known at this point, so I cannot speak to that. Currently SILCA does not show parts for the Terra or Tattico pump head. That may be something SILCA provides as these pumps age, but as for now the rebuildable aspect for Terra pumps does not seem possible. That gives the Pista Plus and Joe Blow the edge there. 

Weight: I know that weight of a floor pump might not be top of mind or even a concern at all for most folks, but perhaps someone will find this interesting. The weight of the Joe Blow is 1.75kg or 3.86lbs. The Pista Plus comes in at 1.55kg or 3.42lbs. The weight of the Terra Floor Pump is 1.11kg or 2.45lbs. That may make a difference if you are flying and taking a floor pump, or you might just like the fact that the Terra is easy to grab and carry due to its weight, or lack thereof. 

I'll have a final look at the SILCA Terra Floor Pump coming soon.

Gravel, Single Track, and Windsheild Time

 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!

I mentioned last week in this recurring series of posts about happenings from this blog's past that there was a weekend that was pretty crazy at the end of August 2009. This weekend was a snapshot of my entire year of '09 and is a perfect example of how nuts things were at that time. 

The weekend in question was started out by working at my old bike mechanic position at Europa Cycle & Ski. I got off probably around 3:00pm or maybe 4:00pm back then, I don't recall now, and had to get my ducks in a row for a four-plus hour long drive to Omaha, Nebraska. The trip was arranged so that my wife and two kids could stay with friends we had living there who also had children and the parents were longtime friends of my wife. So, it was agreed that I could go do a gravel race Saturday and then check out a venue for the Big Wheeled Ballyhoo I was involved in putting on near Brady, Nebraska.
 

This was how the Pofahl Signature single speed was set up for the Good Life Gravel Adventure.

Unfortunately my camera which I had at that time needed recharging but I had zero extra time for that. So images are either from previous to that weekend or from others. This bites because the Good Life Gravel Adventure, which I partook in, was a blast and one of the original gravel grinders in the nation. 

After getting to Omaha I spent a little time with the family and friends there and then drove solo to Lincoln, Nebraska in the dark and found what was then known as the "D Street Hotel" where Corey Godfrey was waiting for me. But before that I had stopped at Matt Gersib's house and chatted up some folks staying with him to ride the next day's event. They were Joel Dyke and Joe Fox. I did not6 remember this until I read a passing sentence about it in my brief pre-report report on the Good Life Gravel Adventure. 

Now this is a good thing, but it is a reminder that I have regrets. On the one hand, I mentioned this meeting with MG, Joel Dyke, and Joe Fox which otherwise I would have completely forgotten about. The regret is that I did not get any images and no record of the time spent with those three other than that brief mention of our time together. Joel is dead and I rarely see Joe Fox anymore, although I did get to see him in March when I went to Mid-South. This is a reminder to make a record when I see someone because I may not ever see them again. 

The regrets continue with the lack of images from the GLGA, meeting Corey at midnight as he waited on the porch at the D Street house. Riding with Matt Wills, Troy Krause, and I think one other as we sped through back yards and across streets to the MOPAC Trail and the event's start. No images of Ben and Oliver whom I rode a big chunk of the event with. No images of Troy Krause, the winner of that year's GLGA, picking my worn out body and bike in Courtland where I DNF'ed. 

But - I do have vivid memories of events from that weekend. So there is that. Ironically I was half out of my mind with lack of sleep and my typical for then lack of proper nutrition and hydration. I fell asleep on the bike three times too. It is amazing I lived through it all! 

Me riding at Potters Pasture on the Horseshoe Loop. Image by "Llama".

After the GLGA, the afternoon it ended, MG and I hopped in my car and drove to Gothenburg, Nebraska and drank Red Bull Cola to keep awake, as we did not arrive there until well after dark. The black top road out to Potter's Pasture, where we were to meet a few people to ride the following day, was black as night with the only light coming from our headlights. 

On the way out I wrote that I was "hallucinating" seeing myself riding down a gravel road and then realizing Matt was driving us down an interstate highway. Weird! But I was so into sleep deprivation and exhausted physically from riding all day that it was no wonder. And then there was that Red Bull Cola....

The next day was a blur. We rode some and then I had to get back to Waterloo, Iowa, which was over 500 miles away and seven hours straight through. But I had to stop in Lincoln and in Omaha, so my travel time was longer by three hours. 

That was but one weekend in my life during 2009. There was a lot more with family illnesses, work, vacation, and trips for the Twenty Nine Inches site. Trans Iowa was looming, and that all would be a big time suck also. How I found any time to write a daily blog and do all that stuff was amazing. All I can do is shake my head and remember what I did write down, which, as I said, wasn't enough looking back. 

From the Potter's Pasture ride. Image by Llama

Ironically the weekend represented a new beginning and an ending. A transition was happening in my life, as I stated before. It was also represented in this crazy weekend. The Good Life Gravel Adventure saw 42 people toe the line. The following year, 2010, Corey and Craig Schmidt decided to call it Gravel Worlds and have rainbow jerseys for winners. The event saw over 100 people attend. Gravel was taking off.

Conversely the Big Wheeled Ballyhoo was a bit of a failure due to my not being able to attend as my father-in-law had to go in for emergency open heart surgery just days before the event was to happen. Then a freak snow storm dumped up to ten inches of snow on Potter's Pasture the night before the event was to happen. It would be the last mountain bike event I would be involved in. 29"ers became "just bikes" in the ensuing years, and my involvement in that scene faded as that acceptance of that wheel size became ubiquitous across the globe. I started Gravel Grinder News late in 2009, and the trajectory of my writing changed as a result for this blog.

More craziness from 2009 in future installments of this series will be coming. Stay tuned...

Country Views: These Are The Days

Escape Route: That's the new 11th Street bridge

The haze from wild fires out West was high in the skies here during the back end of the week, It also was really dry, as in very low humidity for this time of year. But it all started to change on Thursday as a tropical storm headed up the Mississippi Valley toward Iowa. I was able to get out and ride on Thursday afternoon for a bit and enjoy the day for a while from the saddle of my Tamland Two. 

I decided to head out East because the breezes were from the Southeast and I wanted to ride into it first and have the benefit of a tailwind later on. That meant a sojourn out to the Eastern side of Black Hawk County was on tap. 

The sky had a grey look as I left with a stiff breeze out of the Southeast and temperatures in the upper 80's. I decided to head out on Newell Road first and figure things out as I rode along. The Tamland Two doesn't have a Redshift ShockStop stem on it so I was leaving myself an "out" in case my shoulders and hands weren't up to it on the ride. This would depend on how the roads were. Too much fresh gravel would likely send me home sooner.

Newell Road looking East

This place had a nice batch of flowers near the road.

Fortunately the gravel was not super chunky or deep. As I traveled Eastward things got better from that aspect, but it was really dusty again. The lack of rain in August has caught up with us and it sounds like we are not going to see much at all from the tropical storm. 

I also found that the breeze was actually a stiff wind. Nice! Well.....it would be once I turned back toward home! But moving into it was a chore. I tried to get as small as I could and just kept spinning in my inner chain ring. 

Newell Road is a long one and due to this fact I was afforded a long time to try and find things to take my mind off the wind. I was thinking about how a lot of people now are getting drawn into the morass that is our political situation heading into a big election. I was thinking about how some folks are worried, angry, or otherwise bent out of shape. Maybe some of them are wishing that "the old days" would return. No social media, less "noise" and more straight talk, no fears every second about something. 

Well, that thinking about the "old days" is stinky. Those days are not coming back. The "good old days" are today. I was thinking about this, living in the moment, doing the best that I can now, not trying to teleport myself mentally backward to some cocked up "golden days" of yore. I like football and many times I hear the players say they have to do their best version of themselves every day. Be the best "one eleventh", and this is all anyone can ask for. Forget the last play, good or bad. The play you are about to make is all that matters. 

I happened to stop to take a look at my iPhone map app to judge what my options were to finish the ride off when I saw a message from an old friend. I messaged him back concerning what I had been thinking about. He messaged me back with the following:

"Don't look back. Don't worry about tomorrow. Live today."

Sometimes my friends are more efficient at saying what I am thinking than I am, so I hope that this person doesn't mind my sharing that here. It succinctly says everything. 

I may have had a tear in my eye as I rode off thinking about how awesome my life was right then and that I was alive and breathing to enjoy it. I do not take that for granted. Oh....and I figured out how to take advantage of the wind in the best way possible. This was very good as well.

Soon all the good spots to have a "nature break" will all be gone for the Winter.

This one will need some work before I take it out again.

My heart was full, the Sun came out, the wind was at my back, and while not everything was all roses, (it never is, is it?), I was grateful. These are the days. Every new day is another chance to make it one of those "good ol' days". 

I hope that you can find some good stuff to celebrate today and be your best in the time you are in. Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Friday News And Views

Early FOX gravel sus fork effort

Will Your Next Gravel Bike Really Be A Drop Bar MTB?

Recently a "Bike Rumor" article showing an in-development DT Swiss gravel fork surfaced. Coupled with this are the various social media reports from Pro level gravel riders that they are running 29"er XC racing tires on their "gravel bikes". Wheels are starting to pop up with inner rim widths of 30mm or wider for "gravel". Most "gravel" related social media posts showing any of this look freakishly similar to what I recall seeing for MTB racing at one time. Lots of dirt single and double track, steep descents, and lots of rocks. Which reminds me, tire inserts are another trend for "gravel". 

I won't belabor the whole "gravel suspension fork" thing here as I already have tackled that subject in detail HERE. But what I do want to point out is that perhaps we are seeing this development and push for a mash-up of gravel and MTB because of two things. 

One: Gravel cycling is still the fastest growing market in cycling in terms of bikes and events. That is fact. At least here in the USA it is. Second: Mountain biking, on the other hand, is struggling to be relevant in terms of events and in terms of sales of new mountain bikes things are dismal. Current inventories of MTB bikes are still at too-high levels, and the demand is flat for them. Price -slashing on MTB bikes currently in stock is amazing at the moment. 

Combined that puts pressure on marketing and research departments to come up with solutions. Maybe if these "gravel bikers" would see drop bar bikes being used as MTB bikes they might gravitate to getting back into MTB. And to be sure, that will work for a lot of people. I've already seen and heard about people leaving gravel bikes for MTB. 

But for the vast majority of "gravel"/all-road riders this trend is not beneficial. These fatter tired, suspended bikes will work less well on paved and harder surfaced roads. They will be heavier, in most cases, than previous non-suspended, "skinnier" tired gravel bikes are. In other words, the cycling industry is once again hell-bent on turning a category into what Pros want and "maybe" need versus what is good for most folks. 

Perhaps making more utilitarian MTB hard tails would be more prudent. I know I am selling every decent spec, 1990's hard tail MTB I can get my hands on at the Collective where I work. Simple, easy to maintain, and versatile bikes which are reasonably lightweight and not full of techno-wow electronic bits. But yeah....that's not very exciting, I guess.  

USAC Gravel Nationals:

Did you even know this happened? Well, it did. Once again it was not very well attended by elite level athletes. Much like last year's Gravel Nats weren't well attended, only 49 Elite males and 17 Elite females took the start. Notable: The largest fields in the age group cats were the 50 years old to 70 years old males. Go figure.....

You can see the results HERE.

That sounds not so good for a National gravel race that awards a Stars and Stripes jersey, right? But let's compare. What did Gravel Worlds get for Elite/Pro fields? Looking at their officially posted results, it appears that only a field of 37 male riders and a field of 15 women toed the line. Now contrast this with Unbound Gravel, whose officially posted results show a men's field of 135 starters and a women's field of 56 starters.

It is abundantly clear which event is producing the best competitive results. But look at those numbers a minute and consider this: All the media hype and much of what you see now as being "good for gravel" is based around this minuscule amount of riders. Ask yourself this: Does that seem like the right thing to do? The "fair thing" to do? 

In other words, most cycling media and many brands aren't catering to what the most people need or want. Of course, you could say the same about most facets of our society now..... 

Image courtesy of Planet Bike

Planet Bike Beamer 400:

Planet Bike is a company that puts out some solid kit for utilitarian purposes. I have had fantastic luck with several of their fender models over the years. Planet Bike also offers some nice, inexpensive lighting options for your bike, front and rear. 

Their newest bike front light is the Beamer 400, which, as the name implies, has a maximum power output of 400 Lumens at 3.5hr run time (claimed). 

Featuring TIR lens technology for better reflective properties and a clamp which adjusts to handle bars from 25.4 mm to 31.8 mm, this $35.00 retail light might be just the thing for your townie or commuter rig. The one feature I am impressed by is the ability of the light to adapt to mount on to any Garmin type computer mount using the adapter provided with the light. Planet Bike also has a new heavy-duty chain link lock which retails for $40.00 which you can check out HERE. 

Image courtesy of Wolf Tooth

Another App:

Wolf Tooth announced on Tuesday that they now have a smart phone app that will help you figure out where to start with air pressure on any bicycle. Users download the Wolf Tooth app, enter in their type of bike, wheel size, tire width, rider weight, and then get a customized starting point for air pressure experimentation. 

Comments: N.Y. Roll told me he has the app on his phone and gave it a try. He stated that it led him to a recommendation about 3 psi higher than he was already using. Not bad....

Here's the thing, "There are no single, RIGHT tire pressures, but there are a LOT OF WRONG PRESSURES." Much of the mystery of what your particular tire pressure should be is wrapped up in some things which are in constant flux. Things like air temperature, terrain conditions, and rider/load overall weight. If your stance on air pressure is not taking those things into consideration then you are probably not using the "right" tire pressure in any particular instance. 

There is no "set it and forget it" if you really care about this when it comes to bicycle tires. You can do things in this manner, but if you do, please - don't ever advise anyone on tire pressure in any online forum. While it may seem like a pain in the behind, getting pressures set correctly involves a lot of thought, observation, trial and error, and experiential considerations. But again - you do you. 

Image courtesy of Growtac

Velo Orange To Offer Growtac Levers:

Back in March of 2023, I wrote in another "FN&V" that Growtac of Japan would be offering a combination brake/shifter lever that would work on almost any drive train from 2 speed to 13 speeds. It is a mechanical shifting lever with mechanical brake compatibility. Note: Growtac makes a high-end mechanical disc brake caliper already. 

Comments: The levers look set to be released soon by Velo Orange. Reports are that by the end of November these will be on their site. As of now there is no official word from Velo Orange. Prices are not set or even hinted at as of this writing. 

It also remains to be seen if Velo Orange will offer the full range of options for the levers or if they just sell it as a friction shifter. I'm sure that the word will come down soon. 

If these do appear as an option it will be a step up from my old Gevenalle set ups and I would be extremely interested in getting a set in to try out. So, stay tuned to see what happens on this front.
 

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Now get out there and ride those bicycles!

Proto Gravel

 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!

Back in 2009 I was riding the wave of everything I had found myself involved with which was a crazy time in my life. This all spilled out on the blog in an almost dizzying stream of posts with varying subjects ranging from event productions, gravel riding and racing, 29"er news and development, and my shop job. Honestly, looking back on this time, I have no idea how I managed to fit it all together. 

To think this all happened because I started this blog is incredible. In four short years I was on a crazy train of bicycle related things which, somehow, did not derail into a mass of smoking carnage. It came really close to it, but thankfully it did not happen. 

I'll spend a lot of time breaking down 2009 and this blog in future 20th anniversary posts, but for today's entry I wanted to focus in on something that was a time-stamp in the nascent gravel racing scene. That being the appearance of a dedicated gravel racing bike. 

Not many people ever saw this bike, or knew of its existence.

In early May of 2009, (the only Trans Iowa not held during the last full weekend of April) a grey framed, metal bicycle with traditional cantilever brakes appeared at the start line of an ultra-distance gravel event. You may think that this is "no big deal", but you don't know the context of what this bike meant for a certain, very small subset of cyclists and why this was a cog that helped propel gravel cycling into the heights which we now know in 2024. 

Previously to this, all bicycles that were ridden at gravel events were intended for other disciplines. Imagine this world if you can! Predominantly gravel events were ridden using cyclo cross bicycles or mountain bikes. Yes, there was the odd road bike, touring bike, and maybe someone used a recumbent in there at some point. However; the point is that a "gravel specific bike", while being thought of by many at the time, just was not a reality. 

Joe Meiser, an engineer at Quality Bicycle Products and often allocated to working on designs for Salsa Cycles, a QBP owned brand, was at Trans Iowa v3 in 2007. Apparently this and a few other gravel events sparked an interest in gravel cycling within the walls at Quality Bicycle Products and specifically at Salsa Cycles. Work began on a design focused on the needs of racers at these events. 

Many gravel events weren't very big back then. This is the results from the GLGA in 2008.

Which, if you consider how many folks were actually gravel racing then, is amazing. Rosters for these early gravel events were tiny in comparison to what we see today. That did not seem to matter to Salsa and its designers who came to Trans Iowa and the DK200 in 2009 with the bicycle shown above.

 The bike was a titanium prototype which kind of walked the line between cyclo cross and gravel. This made sense in 2007/2008 because a business had to hedge their bets on gravel which wasn't big enough then to support a bicycle specifically dedicated for gravel only. The time period this bike came from also shows up in the quick release axle standard, the cantilever brakes, and the straight steer tube. Note the two bottle mounts with no other accessory mounting points. 

I snagged the image above during Joe Meiser's stop at a convenience store during Trans Iowa v5 in North English, Iowa. Joe would go on to win the event overall. At the time I had squirreled away this image as Salsa hadn't been offering anything other than Scandium aluminum and steel frames up to that point. But toward the end of the year Salsa introduced titanium frames so I posted the image on the blog then. 

It didn't catch on with many folks that a gravel specific bicycle was on the way, but of course, we all know now that happened in 2012. In the meantime I actually got to see other Salsa prototype gravel bikes at Trans Iowa, but those were never discussed on this blog out of respect for Salsa and the people I knew there at the time. 

And a note on that Good Life Gravel Adventure results image: David Pals was so impressed with that event in 2008 that he insisted I go do it in 2009. Which I did and was a part of a crazy, insane weekend which I will document in a future 20th Anniversary post coming soon. 

Stay tuned for that...

Two Things

Tire Swaps:

I took that new SILCA Terra pump and did a couple of tire swaps the other day. First up was to switch the WTB Vulpine S tires to another wheel set. I decided on the DT Swiss hubbed Roval wheels I have. 

These are mountain bike wheels, they have six bolt rotor interface, and convertible axle interface, and are narrow. I think the internal width is something like 21mm? I cannot recall, but it is skinny. 

The Vulpine S tires are 45mm wide and they look great on these rims. As in they set up well and look fine, as far as how they should perform goes. Aesthetically? Well, this scheme on the rims is a little "shouty", and that really isn't in vogue these days. But the Rovals are probably 12 years old. So times have changed. 

One thing is certain, not only are the graphics out of date, but the inner rim width is as well. However; as with most trends, I feel the "wider is better" trend is going to pull back some from the extremes it is reaching for now. Maybe things won't go back to 21mm inner rim width, but I can see 23mm - 25mm being a "sweet spot" where inner rim widths for road and gravel will eventually settle into. 

I don't think I am wrong because if you look at how light wider rims are now for gravel, just think how light they could be using less material in a narrower rim. The performance won't suffer, and 42mm -45mm tires will be just fine in the inner rim width range. There are no downsides. I know tire sizes are reaching toward 50mm+ on gravel bikes the racers use, but I think even this trend will pull back for similar reasons. Lighter, more aero, and easier to attain mud clearances. 

But I digress...

The tire swaps will encourage more riding, allow me to get some more review stuff done and buttoned up, and keep me riding. All good things. 

A Success Story:

The Honeman Flyer by King Fabrications based upon a 1930's track bike design has become something of an obsession with me. I am constantly reaching for this bike even just to go around the block once if that is all the time I have. 

I did not expect this to happen. The radically slack seat angle and long chain stays are laughable on paper. No one would choose this for their bicycle in 2024. 

But perhaps they should consider this. 

I'm not going to sit here and claim that this is "the next big thing" but I've never ridden a bicycle that handles like this one does. Well.....maybe my old 20" banana seat bike did. I recall that bike being really stable, but think about what the effective seat angle is on a bicycle with a long, 'banana' style saddle. Pretty slack, I bet. 

So, maybe that is where I developed an affinity for the set up on the Honeman Flyer. Or, perhaps, those old builders were on to something in the 1930's. I mean, they weren't doing this to make the bicycles slower, or less racy. This design won a track championship, so it isn't like it was some cruiser meant for recreational riding. 

All I know is that, while the design might be crazy, I love it. This has been the most fun bicycle to ride that I have owned since I got the Gen I Fargo in late 2008. I just cannot seem to stop wanting to ride it. So, for me the Honeman Flyer is a success.

Guitar Ted Lube-Off: Final Results For 2024

NOTICE: The Guitar Ted 'Lube-Off' is a comparison of different lubrication products for bicycle chains that is undertaken in 'real world' conditions in a set way. Then I compare and contrast the results with past 'Lube-Off' products to see "which one is best for me". This is done for entertainment purposes and the reader should apply their own reasoning and discernment while reading my 'Lube-Off' entries. What works for me may not work for you at all. None of the companies represented in this Lube-Off have any knowledge of this review, nor are they sponsoring me at all.  

Okay folks! The results are in and I have a decision on this year's contenders. This test has been carried out over the past several months on Iowa gravel roads in dry, dusty conditions. Things changed in terms of conditions over the Summer and this played into the results. But before we get to all that I wanted to link back to the previous posts so you can check on how things progressed throughout this test, if you care to do that. 

Introduction, Update #1, Update #2, Update #3, and Update #4. 

 Overall Comments: 

This test was conducted in only dry conditions. Starting out it was extremely dry! We were in severe drought conditions at the beginning which created copious amounts of dust on every ride. But since the month of July we have come out of that and now have had plenteous amounts of rainfall to the point which we have come out of drought conditions completely. 

This has had the effect of returning the roads to "normal" dry conditions with far less dust. The latest results have bourne this out and while that has been noted it did not affect the outcome. So, with all the hoopla out of the way, let's get stuck in......

SILCA Super-Secret Lube:

This was the winner last year and was clearly superior to the contenders last season. I expected the Super-Secret Lube to do exceptionally well with the super-dusty conditions since we experienced similar conditions last year. 

Overall Super-Secret Lube is easy to apply, lasts a long time in the tested conditions, and cleans up well when a micro-fiber cloth is used to knock off accumulated dust. Jockey wheels stay relatively free from "gunk" build-up also, which is nice to see. The same applies for chain rings which saw minimal gunk accumulations over the testing period. Chain wear is normal with Super-Secret lube and the chain rollers seem to self-clean well, which I attribute the low-wear to when using this lubricant. 

The "Touch-Test" revealed a similar amount of dirt/dust which I have seen come off chains I've used Super-Secret lube on in the past. No surprises there! While I was tempted to re-lube this chain I resisted and after several miles in dusty conditions I was not at all surprised to see that this lube, which was applied last year, is still holding up quite nicely. 

Noises in the drive train are normal. You do get a bit more chain noise with these dry lubricants since oil damps vibrations and therefore quiets down chain noise. However; it is not necessarily an indication of excessive wear issues and anyway, on gravel roads, in wind, with all that loose rock, you are not going to hear your chain making noise until it is too late to do anything about it. 

Flowerpower Wax Lubricant:

This was a new entrant to the lubrication choices recently and so I thought, after reading the marketing hype, I should give this a try. So far, it has been a very, very impressive lube.

All throughout the test Flowerpower Wax has shown a cleaner level of performance, in terms of what sticks to it, versus anything I've yet tried. It will accumulate dirt, as I found out after riding Mid-South's red dirt roads, but talk about an extreme condition! That is about as bad as anything I am aware of, and after a wipe-down, the chain was fine. 

Noise was comparable to SILCA's wax lubricant, so that is a wash, and to be expected anyway. The shifting performance was on par with SILCA as well, so no real issues with that either. Longevity of use before needing reapplication? Also on par with SILCA and most other lubricants I've grown to admire and use in the past. 

So, the only real difference I see here is in cleanliness. The Flowerpower Wax leaves very little residue and very little build-up on chain rings and jockey wheels. The chain appears cleaner as well. If I had to tip one way or the other here I think my hand goes for the Flowerpower Wax lubricant. 

Final Verdict: Honestly, either one here is worthy of your consideration for a dry conditions lubricant for chains. Both are stellar in regard to cleanliness, lubricity, and longevity between applications. This may be different when it comes to exposure to moisture or wet conditions, but that sort of thing was not in my parameters for testing. 

I'm very tempted to give the nod to Flowerpower Wax lubricant here, but there is one thing that separates these lubes, the SILCA and the Effetto Mariposa brands, and that is cost and availability. My bottle of Flowerpower Wax came from Switzerland and cost $33.00 with shipping and took a week to get to me. The SILCA Super-Secret Lube cost $25.00 total and has 25ml more lube in the bottle. Plus it took less time to get to me.

SILCA literally spams the cycling social media and you are in for a constant stream of emails if you sign on to their list. Effetto Mariposa? Who can name the last time anyone has seen a post or social media mention for them? I know we all grow weary of constant bombardment from brands, but tell me, how else do these brands get any notice? We don't employ paper, physical media anymore so advertisements are dead. There is no radio, T.V., or other mainstream way for brands like this to get their messages out. So while you might not agree, I have to tip the hat to SILCA for at least being the brand you've heard about and maybe even trust. Effetto Mariposa? Meh... Not that their stuff is untrustworthy, no! Far from it! But you are not going to find them unless you specifically seek them out, maybe even due to this post! 

Considering all angles this is a tie. If I only look at it from my perspective? Flowerpower wins the day. Again - both lubricants are excellent. You cannot go wrong with either one, but Flowerpower does cost more. So, choose according to your needs and values there. 

 Thus ends another season for the Guitar Ted Lube-Off. I'll be back again next year with another run at it with something else that hits my radar here in the field of chain lubricant. If you have any suggestions for lubricants let me know in the comments or you can always reach me via my email at g.ted.productions@gmail.com. 

Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions and as always, keep ridin' those bicycles!

Review: SILCA Terra Floor Pump

 Note: Guitar Ted purchased a SILCA Terra Floor Pump with his own money to test and review on Guitar Ted Productions. SILCA has had no prior knowledge of this review and has neither paid nor bribed Guitar Ted for these posts. 

SILCA is an icon of cycling known best for their ubiquitous floor pumps. The best known of those being the Pista, the original portable floor pump. Made in Italy for decades the company now is owned by Josh Poertner who purchased the SILCA from the original family owners of the brand. 

I've had the pleasure of owning several SILCA pumps and I have reviewed the Pista Plus before. That pump became my 'go-to' pump since that review and I have used it consistently with excellent results. 

So, when it "disappeared" recently and I could not find it I was distraught, to the degree that anyone should be distraught over a floor pump. Which is probably less than you should be upset about anything, most likely, but perhaps mechanics out there will understand what it is like to misplace a favorite tool. It was like that for myself. 

So, after deciding that the Pista Plus was gone for good I hopped online and searched SILCA\s site for what they had available. I landed on the Terra Floor Pump since it is optimized for the lower end of the pressure scale and because it has a big dial with larger numerals that old eyes can see more easily. Hey! It's a thing!

Of course, the day after I ordered the Terra I found my Pista Plus pump.......(sigh!)

But whatever! I am here with a new pump and thought I would share my experience with it. Now that I have the Pista Plus back in my hands I can actually compare and contrast the two pumps, so all is not lost.

What It Is: the Terra Floor Pump is SILCA's rebooting of the Terra concept from the late 80's with new non-linear gauge scale technoilogy. What that means is that the pump is optimized to read more accurately up to 30psi, the range where most people woul be using MTB tires, fat bike tires, and even larger volume gravel tires. 

Note how half the gauge's needle sweep is dedicated to the range below 30psi. SILCA claims that this lower range has a 0.5 psi accuracy while at 120 psi the pump has an accuracy of 2.0psi. 

The pump is made with an aluminum shaft, base, and an ash handle. The pump has a gauge face diameter of approximately 75mm, so it is fairly easy to read the scale. The pump head uses SILCA's award winning Tattico locking pump head design with a reversible head to switch from Schrader to Presta valve use. 

It is notable that the Terra Floor Pump utilizes an all-metal construction with the exception of the wooden handle. 

The pump is approximately 26" from the base to the top of the amber tinted ash handle. The pump has a muted light flat sage colored green shaft and darker flat green accents on the pump head and base. It is a handsome, light weight floor pump. The price is $145.00 USD. You can check out the Terra Floor Pump on SILCA's site HERE.

First Impressions: The Terra pump looks classy and I like the flat green two-tone look. I am most interested in the gauge and low-end pressure accuracy of this pump. I almost never pump anything I have here for a bike over 40psi, and most of the time I am using something between 30psi and 40psi for gravel. My larger sized tires, such as the Gryphon Mk3, with the 29" X 2.8" tires, I run at around 20psi. Fat bikes, of course, are even lower psi than that. 

The hose is a nice length. Not too short but not ridiculously long either. The Tattico pump head I am somewhat familiar with having tested a Tattico mini pump before. The locking mechanism on the head has a pretty aggressive ratio for the cam action and it is a bit difficult to activate, in my opinion. The pump head is easily reversible for switching from Presta to Schrader and back again. No extra parts to fiddle with there.

The Terra has a slightly longer barrel and pushes a bit more air than the Pista Plus. This makes sense as the Terra is aimed at high-volume, lower pressure tires. My first time using the Terra showed me that it is super-easy to get to your desired pressure and that big gauge with easy to read numerals makes seeing what you are doing an enjoyable effort versus my squinting to make out the much smaller gauge on the Pista Plus. 

The Tattico pump head may seem like a trifle to you, but if you think this way it is almost guaranteed that you have not used one. The interface with a valve is positive and precise. No wiggling or any big outlet of pressure as you place the pump head on the valve. As stated, the locking lever takes a bit more effort to cam over, but it is solid and feels very positive versus many other pump heads I have had the displeasure of using. In short, choosing the Tattico pump head was a wise choice by SILCA for the Terra Floor Pump. 

So Far... My initial impressions are very favorable at this time. I still don't know how well the Terra will do with a tubeless set up, and I want to explore daily usage before I say anything more. I will also be doing a side-by-side comparison with the Pista Plus from SILCA in the future. 

My guess is that the Terra Floor Pump will end up displacing my favor for the Pista Plus, but let's wait out the review process here and make sure.

"More" Is Not Always A Good Idea: A Follow Up.

On August 19th I wrote a post about how some gravel events try to reach for importance and relevance in the scene by having "more". The promoters of the bigger events often try to grow their events in a way that seems rote and are uninspiring when it comes to preserving the elements that brought gravel events to prominence in the first place. 

The growth in some gravel events is often not met with a keen eye toward consequences from the intended "growth" and these consequences have started to rise up and become major issues. 

Two recent events seem to have become prime examples of how "more" can be a big problem, or at least a potential problem. 

SBT GRVL has been the poster child for these issues, but the event is not alone in this. Since the focus is on this event currently, and more non-traditional coverage has been done on the SBT GRVL's struggles with county government, I'll take a quick look at the fall-out from SBT GRVL's most recent event first. 

I recommend reading this excellent article from the "Steamboat Pilot & Today" written by Trevor Ballentyne. It covers all angles and issues with great reporting from riders, ranchers, and the county government's positions. Most of these things I have written about as well, but the one quote from Routt County Sheriff, Doug Sherar I will share here. As quoted from the linked article:

“The bottom line is (SBT GRVL) it’s  too big, in my opinion,” the sheriff said. “And I don’t know how we mitigate that. I have gone over and over in my mind on how we can make that safer and I don’t have any answers other than having a full rolling closure … and that is definitely not feasible for the sheriff’s office.”

Former Gravel Worlds winner, John Borstelmann's Facebook comment on his recent post about issues at Gravel Worlds this year.

As stated, SBT GRVL isn't the only event with issues regarding size and rules enforcement. Gravel Worlds was criticized by former winner, John Borstelmann in a Facebook post where he showed several images from the Gravel Worlds' live feed illustrating his problems with riders cresting hills on the left and with media cars and vehicles cresting hills on the left alongside riders. Both things which should raise alarm with the riding community and with the event directors. 

Check out the latest GTP episode for more on this subject

Again, is "more" what we need? Perhaps less, as in less riders at events, or less hoopla (media frenzy around live feeds) might be prudent. Are these things (bigger fields and media broadcast) what we need to be successful? What should be defined as "successful" when it comes to gravel events? Were those big fields and media coverage the things which built gravel as a cycling discipline? Should a gravel event "take over" the countryside, or should a gravel event be a minor blip on the radar for residents who live in these rural environs? 

How is it that gravel events strive to be like Pro road racing now when gravel events were not trying to be Pro road racing to start out with, and in fact, were done in rebellion of the trappings of the road scene? Can't it be that gravel racing could be different than Pro road racing? Could it be we find that money, big sponsorships, and media coverage only pushes us out of the very things we loved about gravel events? 

Maybe less is actually "more". Some things to think about......

Changes In The Wind

 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 year 2013 was a pivotal year for this blog in terms of my direction in focus on cycling. This was a time that was about the turning of the page in mountain biking. The "wheel wars" between 26', 27.5", and 29" were about to swing hard toward 29"ers as being the de facto wheel size for MTB. 27.5" had made a big push, but would finally be supplanted by 29"ers in a few years hence. 26 inch was effectively dead by this point, and who would have ever guessed that would have happened even five years prior? 

This all had the effect of making 29"ers mainstream and therefore, not a niche segment relegated to weirdos blogging on the Internet anymore. Now "professional" coverage of the wheel size was dominant, and that meant that what I had been doing for a decade already was now outdated. Once I had been promised a paycheck for doing my 29"er stuff, but in 2013? Heck, our site could hardly scare up decent review stuff anymore and money? Ha! What money?

In 2013 my focus had shifted to gravel cycling. Image from T.I.v10 recon.

The minor addition of a calendar of known gravel events to this blog in 2008 led to a full-fledged blog covering gravel called "Gravel Grinder News". The gravel based content and my involvement in the 29"er scene coexisted for several years but ultimately proved to be too much. All of this combined with Trans Iowa coming fully under my purview as a promoter in late 2011 forced changes. 

I didn't execute my plan for leaving the 29"er site until the last month of 2014, but I started to lay the groundwork for getting out in 2013. That year I also started up "Gravel Grinder News" as its own website with the help of "Grannygear", my friend in SoCal. Another gravel oriented site, "Riding Gravel", popped up about the same time, and that would end up becoming where I went online, but that's another story. 

2013 - My last trip I made to Interbike.

2013 was a beginning and an ending. This blog catapulted me into the realms of cycling reporters and to the industry. 29"ers were the reason why that happened as well. But now that was all fading away, and I was attracted to gravel cycling all along. I had been a fixture of the scene as the director of Trans Iowa since 2005. Gravel was where my heart was really at in those days. 

So, whatever was going to happen with gravel did not matter to me. I was going to follow my heart and get back to things I cared deeply about in terms of cycling. The rest of the world of cycling could go on its merry way, deriding gravel cycling, as they were wont to do often. I cared nothing about that, and I wasn't deterred in my passions for turning this blog's focus toward gravel cycling. I was going to do what I was going to do. 

Of course, we all know now where that took me. But in 2013 that wasn't a thought. I was tired of beating down doors and having promises made with no regard to following up on them. I was done with the traditional cycling media's focus on upper echelon racers and racing gear. I saw gravel as the every-person's cycling scene. But yeah.....

Now gravel has become "that" thing as well. This is why we cannot have nice things.

More soon.....

Friday News And Views

The new Surly Moonlander (Image found on various Internet sites)

A 'Fat' Friday News And Views

Surly's New Fat Bike:

Last week I found an image of an information card featuring a 24" X 6.2" wheel and tire combo called the Clown Royal and Molenda respectively. I posted the image I found on "X" (Twitter) and then was contacted via Facebook messenger about the wheel/tire combo and I was told the wheel and tire combo was real. It was coming on a new Surly fat bike to be introduced in about a month. Guess a 'month' was a few 'days' in reality!

Tuesday I found a Bike Radar story featuring the same and this bike is the new Moonlander which has a Pinion gearbox. The bike features the 9 speed Pinion gearbox located where the bottom bracket on a typical frame would be. This 9 speed gearbox allows for a single speed external, 1 to 1 ratio drive train set up. (Other sizes for the drive ring could be utilized as well) The bike does not have wider axle or bottom bracket standards (with a twist, you'll learn in a bit) and can also accept 26" X 5.1" tires, 27.5" X 4.8", or 29" X 3.0" tires. 

Image first posted by fatbike.com

Surly went with a compact triangle on this bike eschewing the huge frame bag idea in favor of a bike that can be mounted and dismounted more easily.  The bottom bracket is high to allow for more clearance over uneven or deep terrain. The rear end is extended to better center the rider's weight over both tires. This is a flotation bike, of course, so that all makes 100% sense. Perhaps more surprising than the wheels is that the front axle is also spaced at 197mm like the rear end.

There is a bunch of accessory mounts, as one might expect, and the bike comes in four sizes, Small, Medium, Large, and XL. The bike is priced at $4,199.99 and there is only one spec level. Steel frame, natch! There is a rack sold separately that fits this bike.

(L-R) Molenda and Bud.  Image courtesy of Surly

Comments: Wow! This is likely the most unexpected fat bike innovation yet. People have been dreaming of super-fat tires for years. Is this the way to go? While I have not seen all the dimensions given for this wheel, the overall diameter is  31" (according to this detailed and fair review by Neil Beltchenko on Bikepacking.com) Surly couldn't have used 26" or larger diameter compatible wheels because the weight and the height of those wheels would have limited the bike's appeal and fit for smaller folks. Besides, when it comes to flotation, contact patch is what it all is about. 

And that really is what this bike is all about - Flotation. Unless you are trying to ride deep sand, loose snow, or mud, (or other unrideable loose, deep grounds), this bike is not going to be all that fun to ride. (See linked review above for confirmation of this) I suppose you could build up a wheel set with 29 X 3's, but why? That kind of defeats the whole idea behind this bike, which is to go where no other bike can go. That Pinion box and single speed drive train set up add to the off limits versatility. That said, you have a rear derailleur hangar there as well.

Cool rig. Expensive, but probably not out of line seeing that these tires and wheels have to be pretty expensive on their own due to low production numbers. That and the gearbox drive the price on this. I don't need it as I have my flotation covered with the Blackborow DS and it's 4.8" tires (although I could put 5.1"ers on it). Also, did Neil say the bike he reviewed had TPU tubes in it? What?!!

Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles

Salsa Shows New Colors/Spec For 2024/25 Fat Bikes:

Salsa Cycles showed a pared down offering of fat bikes for 2024/2025 in their Beargrease and Heyday ranges. (Heyday used to be Mukluk)

Both the Beargrease and Heyday are now only available in two specs and colors. There are frame/fork only options as well. Heyday is a 26" wheeled bike and the Beargrease is optimized for 27.5" fat bike wheels. 

Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles

Comments: The interesting thing here is the usage of Shimano CUES on one spec level each for Beargrease and Heyday. CUES, as you might recall, is Shimano's new system for drive trains from 9 speed to 11 speed with all components swappable. CUES does have its own pull ratio in the shifters and cassette spacing is different so it cannot be mixed and matched with other current Shimano groups. 

While Salsa did not provide pricing at the release of this information it is assumed that CUES is a more budget friendly drive train, so the interest is high in it. However; there are some claims by mechanics that the quality level is somewhat concerning. So, it will be interesting to see how this goes over on a fat bike with a carbon fiber frame and fork. 

Image courtesy of CUBE Bikes

Shimano CUES To Come To Drop Bar Bikes In 2025:

Speaking of CUES, it was revealed on Wednesday that CUBE, a European brand, has a bike for 2025 showing CUES drop bar levers. The bike, called the Nuroad Pro, comes in at $1,325.00 in US dollars at current exchange rates. 

Comments: This is a big deal for budget bikes and people who are looking for super-wide range gearing on drop bar bikes outside of SRAM and the lesser component makers. That is because CUES drop bar levers (Shimano part #ST-U6030) will be using the same cable pull ratio as CUES flat bar levers making all Shimano CUES rear derailleurs and cassettes fair game to use with these drop bar levers. Looking at CUBE's renderings, it appears that the CUES left lever can operate a front derailleur as well. 

Furthermore; CUES drop bar levers are hydraulic, meaning that savvy mechanics could graft in any Shimano brake caliper so these brake levers could operate post mount calipers on a MTB, for instance. CUBE's spec on the Nuroad shows flat mount calipers.

I suspect CUES will gain a lot of spec on OE bikes coming out in 2025 due to CUES being available in 11 speed. However; 10spd and 9spd set ups will surely be on more budget priced bikes as well. This represents some pretty exciting possibilities here for gearing coming our way. Look for the CUES drop bar levers to appear for sale here in early 2025.

You Know What They Say About "Assume"?

 Recently a discussion found on Facebook between some local (to me) cyclists raised concerns over group ride etiquette and communication in particular. It seems to me that an air of arrogance mixed in with lack of communication skills is combining to be a gate-keep for newer folks to the groups. 

Now, I don't mean to speak for everyone, but I have seen similar issues arise in other places. N.Y. Roll and I thought the issue was important enough that we did a podcast episode on this subject HERE. We got so much feedback on this subject we followed it up with another episode HERE.

It is hard to be welcoming, and you have to work at it to get good at doing the things which, hopefully, become natural after a while. Too many times riders get caught up in being comfortable with their group and lose the ability to see how others that may want to join a group ride need detailed communication and even some training. It may seem tedious and so simple that "anyone should know this", but remember - there was a time you did not know what you now take for granted. 

It is easy to fall into the trap of pushing off the need for a welcoming, kind, and patient attitude when all those communicative and knowledge based things you take for granted are assumed to be "easy" for others to pick up on. News flash: It isn't easy or natural for new riders to understand these things. 

Yes, it may seem ignorant to you if someone leaves for a ride without an air pump or a tube, or that they do not understand what a "drop ride" is. It doesn't matter what you may assume to be "common knowledge" if a rider gets left behind, gets discouraged, and ends up leaving cycling because the group neglected to be welcoming, communicative, and a leader in passing on knowledge. I know. I was "that guy" that was left behind once, and I recall how that made me feel, and I will never forget the person that came back, encouraged me, and rode me back on the group again.

We can all do better....

That's it for this week! Have a great weekend and ride those bicycles!