Two Things

Last delivery of the year.

 Community Service:

This "Two Things" has a common thread. That being the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective where I work these days. 

Last week I delivered the last supplies for the year from our vendor who had my order dropped shipped to the local UPS Store, which is several miles away from the shop. 

While I haven't been there in a few months, the UPS Store employees have gotten to know me and I would wager that is due to my chosen mode of transportation. There probably are not too many cargo bike riders going there to make a pick-up. I always get the side-eye glances and I'm sure many folks think I'm 'stupid' or worse. Once in awhile I get a compliment, and I did on this last run of 2024.

A middle-aged looking lady, who did not look at all like a typical cyclist, saw me run my boxes out and said, "I wondered who had the cargo bike. Cool bike!" I thanked her and went on my way. As I lashed the boxes to the bike, I thought about how rare that interaction is likely to be in Waterloo, Iowa and I smiled as I savored that one. I bet it will be awhile before I hear anything like that again. 

Usually, if anyone dares to say anything, it is more like, "Are you sure that bike can handle that?", or "Ya need a motor on that thing!". When that happens I just smile and nod politely while I'm doing my 'internal eye roll' and thinking that these folks would probably be amazed by eBikes.

Last Thursday I had to hoof it down to the Collective by 7:15 am to let in a group of six John Deere engineers who were volunteering through a program John Deere encourages their employees to get involved in. John Deere wants their employees to volunteer at non-profit organizations that benefit their local community. So, since the Collective is a non-profit, we qualify to host some of the employees throughout the year to help us do our work. 

Typically this is a "tear-down day" where I have the volunteers take bikes down to bare frames and forks. The parts are then sorted into bins and later on I sort those and save what we need to use as a source for rebuilding donated bikes, and in a secondary need, as parts for people trying to build up used bikes that cannot afford bike shop's new part prices. 

I hosted six fellows and in four hours they tore down around 30 bikes and several wheels as well. That'll keep me busy for quite some time! But this program helps us out tremendously at the Collective with being able to process bikes through more efficiently and allows us to continue to help needy people in the community with transportation needs, as well as helping with kid's programs and educational programs. 

Late 1980's vintage Shimano bottom bracket

Old Technology Rears Its Head:

Another thing that happens at the Collective from time to time is what I call "a blast from the past". Something on a bicycle that gets donated that I once knew about but had forgotten until it shows up in the Collective. 

One such thing occurred last week when my co-worker Carl was puzzled by an odd looking bottom bracket in a bicycle he was working on. It looked like a typical cartridge bottom bracket but the plastic cup was on the wrong side. I didn't even have to look at it to know what this was going to be. I was instantly reminded of early Shimano cartridge bottom brackets. 

Now, I may be wrong, but I think these were Shimano's first efforts at a cartridge bottom bracket. At least in the form-factor we know them as today. The main difference being that the steel cup which was attached to the cartridge was on the non-drive side instead of the drive side, which only lasted for a short time before Shimano flip-flopped the cups to what we all know today.  

Also back then, these were adjustable and rebuildable cartridge bottom brackets. I assume Shimano did this to appease the "old ways" and sway mechanics into accepting these new designs. Again, it did not take long for Shimano to abandon this first version of the cartridge bottom bracket for their well known sealed, non-serviceable type. 

I pulled the rubber seal off one end of this bottom bracket to show the ball bearings. The non-drive side has an actual jamb nut and adjusting nut set up, much like a wheel might have, in classic Shimano style. I actually have a Park tool to adjust these with that has followed me to every stop along my mechanic journey since my first shop job in 1993. 

By the way, as I recall, these bottom brackets were already out of the catalog by the time I started wrenching. So, those drive side, left hand threaded plastic cups were like gold! I saved every one I could because they were the weak link in those early cartridge bottom brackets as they were prone to breaking under high-stress pedaling. 

Anyway, it was fun to come across one of those old dinosaurs. Of course, I saved it. I plan on trying to service it later this Winter.

Thinking About Winter

Like it or not, there is a season coming soon called "Winter". I put that in quotation marks because what I used to know as 'that season' is not like what I know Winter as now. There has been a change, and maybe what I used to expect can no longer be banked upon going forward.

I'm not going to delve into the whole climate change thing here. You know Winter is not like what it used to be like if you are over the age of 40. Winter used to be a solid four months of snow, ice, and sub-freezing temperatures. Not anymore......

Last year was a typical, for modern times, Winter where we had like four weeks of snow, two "big" snow storms, and the rest of it was "Brown Season". Too cold and windy to do much country riding, but not snowy and cold enough to do any fat biking worth getting the fat bike out for. Yes.....things may have been vastly different where you live, but here in Iowa? Winters mean something completely different than they used to mean in the days of yore. Maybe we'll cycle around back to that sort of Winter and maybe I'll be eating these words in late December. But I bet that won't be the case.

Last December. Cold enough for pogies - No snow to be seen anywhere!

Well, whatever happens, I probably should get on top of things by maintaining my Ti Muk and Blackborow DS just in case. I need to peel off the 26" x 4" Cake Eater tires and clean out the old sealant, refresh the sealant, and then see to changing out the oil in the Rohloff hub. 

The Blackborow DS probably just needs air in the tires. I think I rode that bike once or twice, at most, last Winter. I feel bad about even owning that bike because it doesn't hardly ever get used anymore. I just do not need a fat bike with the capabilities of the Blackborow if Winter is but a whimper again and again. I almost sold the BLackborow in 2021, but you know "almost" only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. 

And this is how I feel about Winter. It is an "almost, but not quite" season anymore these days. Why even have fat bikes? I probably could do with a stout 29"er with 2.8" tires all Winter if all we see are flurries and the occasional dump big enough to make a snowman from. 

Ha! Do you suppose I've jinxed myself, perhaps? Nah......I don't believe in such nonsense. If we get a Winter, well then huzzah! If not, well then - Same ol' - same ol'......

The Northfield Connection

 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 2011 was a big one, as many were, but on the blog there was a theme that ran from one end of 2011 to the other. That would be my appearances in Northfield, Minnesota. I made several trips Northward during that year, and such was the influence of those trips that there were some serious conversations being held at the Guitar Ted Headquarters about possibly moving North. 

A "mutt bike" built for screwing around inside Mike's Bikes.

There was the trip for Frostbike. By now an annual trip that I looked forward to with great anticipation. The best part being the visiting with locals at Mike's Bikes with Ben Witt, Marty Larson, and some other locals who rotated through the years including Stuart and John, not to mention Mike himself. 

Those were some times! Shenanigans and tomfoolery of the highest degree were accomplished within those walls at Mike's and sometimes outside of them as well. 

Then there was the criterium at Northfield that I went up to help Ben with. We got in a fun gravel ride to the chapel and I got to hang out with Ben's father, Mark, and drive his classic Mustang convertible, plus ride around in a split window 63 Vette. 

There was the trip to Northfield again on Labor Day weekend which was another cool hang and on this occasion I built my wheels for the Snow dog and went on an urban/country combo ride that was a blast. 

The June gravel grinder to the chapel outside of Northfield.

Through it all I was feeling drawn into the Northfield community and friends like Ben and Marty who lived there did nothing to dissuade this. In fact, Ben kept trying to speak it into existence. It was an attractive thought and even Mrs. Guitar Ted was entertaining thoughts of moving to Northfield at one point. 

However; it was not to be. There were a lot of reasons for that, one being that Mrs. Guitar Ted was finishing up her Master's degree and another being that I would have to find new employment. That might be a problem since then I most likely would have had to have given up Trans Iowa, doing my side gig as a reviewer, and it would have impacted my ability to be there for my kids when they went to school and when they got out of school. Financially all of that also did not add up for us either.

Ben Witt clears some rails with his Mukluk fat bike in 2011.

Could we have moved anyway, made it work somehow, and had a different but still awesome life? No doubt, we could have, but at what cost? I don't know. Comfort is the enemy of adventure, but maybe we were wise to stick around in Iowa. 

All I know is that this blog would have been radically different had I moved and who knows if I would even still be writing it today? Life takes you in strange curves and turns sometimes, but in this instance, it was but a dream. Fun to have considered it, but a dream nonetheless.

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Lauf

A "Mountain" Of FN&V!

Lauf Announces An MTB To Their Range:

Lauf, previously best known for their funky leaf sprung forks and gravel bikes has just announced a new XC/Trail mountain bike called the Elja. (Say "ell-yah") 

A single pivot design in carbon fiber, this bike can handle up to 29" X 3.0" tires with no problem. Available in four colors and two spec levels, the Elja XC has 120mm of travel and is also available in a longer travel "Trail" version featuring 130mm of rear travel. Bikes are on a pre-order now for early 2025 delivery. 

Comments: I won't get into the weeds on specs and technical aspects of this design, but I highly encourage you to read Lauf's explanations of their choices for this bike. (You can find all of it on THIS LINK) Scroll that page and read it all. There is, in my opinion, a lot of BS debunking text to chew on there. I will share on example here concerning why vibration reduction is key to gravel bike design, not the "bump eating" types of suspension that are represented in telescopic gravel fork designs. Read this and think about it: (From Lauf's page on the Elja)

"Gravel bikes are mostly subject to vibration from rough surfaces. Gravel bikes benefit from a “low-pass filter”, that wipes out high-frequency “stuff” with minimal friction and energy loss. This is done efficiently by the undamped leaf-springs of Lauf gravel suspension forks."

Of course, Lauf is going to push their product, why wouldn't they? However; this fact applies across all gravel bikes and devices used to make riding more comfortable. What are we dealing with on gravel rides? Trail obstacles or high frequency vibrations? This is something that makes sense and is not what a telescopic gravel fork does best, or at all. 

But that's just one nugget from tat page. Again, it is worth your time to read their thoughts and think it over. A lot of horse sense is shared there and I found it refreshing. It's definitely NOT you average marketing drivel.
 

The Guitar Ted Podcast Episode #58:

N.Y. Roll and I got together again and laid down another podcast episode for you to check out HERE. We kind of go all over the place in this one, but N.Y. Roll texted me after I posted it and said he thought it was one of our best episodes. 

We covered tires, event production, bikes, and more. We especially are intrigued by the use of big tires by the "fast guys" (Pro gravel riders) Reminds me of something I read on Lauf's page linked above, actually now that I think about that. 

At any rate, there is another episode for you to chew on. let me know what you think if you listen to it. By the way, did you know that you can now leave comments on our Spotify page if you listen from there? Or you can comment here or email me also. I would love to hear any comments or suggestions for the podcast you might have. 

This season is coming to a close quickly for the podcast. We will plan on recording through November when we will sign off for a month and reconvene in January of 2025. I suspect we will get in about five, maybe six more episodes for the season. Thank you for listening, if you do. 

Image courtesy of Velo Orange

Velo Orange Announces New Gibbous Cage:

The 'big cage' for big containers and bottles range is getting hotter with new additions for bikepacking and long rides. Velo Orange has the excellent Mojave Cage which I reviewed here and now adds the Gibbous Cage, a side-loader design. 

The stainless steel cage is available in both left and right configurations. It also features several mounting holes in its base to accommodate different mounting positions or to take advantage of the "Three-Pack" bolt arrangements found on some bicycles. 

The cage costs $39.00 USD and you can get one from Velo Orange's site HERE. 

Comments: This cage, and several like it, are great ideas for increasing the water carrying capacity on bikes you may like that were designed before all the "adventure warts" became a popular choice for adventure bikes. Bicycles like my On One Inbred, as an example, could really benefit from having a cage like this on it. 

Image courtesy of Dennis Grelk's Facebook page.

Mind Blown....

I've mentioned the name of Trans Iowa v7 winner Dennis Grelk here before, but what you did not know is that Dennis is a mechanical mastermind the sort which used to be seen much more of in times past. This mind-blowing 2 wheel drive, 2 wheel steering, fully suspended, belt driven recumbent is such a cool machine that I thought it deserved a bit wider attention. I'm quite certain Dennis would not approve, but look at this! It is amazing, right? And it has been trail-tested. 

In a world of marginal gains and electrified everything, this bicycle stands out of the crowd as being something truly innovative. Yeah.....just amazing! Well done, Dennis! 

I'll leave you all with that bit of inspiration. Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Get out and ride those bikes!

Big Tires, Drop Bars, and Racing On Gravel

Tires like this WTB Resolute 50mm are becoming more common in gravel racing

"Ahh! It's just a mountain bike with drop bars now!", is what I read online recently when the subject of big 700c tires for gravel racing came up. That's a typical knee-jerk reaction to a trend that has been settling in with gravel racing at the top levels for about a year or so now. 

This bigger tire trend is setting in because of how the bicycle industry works. There are two things at play here. One: Racers, sponsors, and media want "more exciting" racing and bicycles. Bicycles  capable of handling courses with elements that make for that "excitement". Generally speaking, this trends towards more "mountain bike-like" courses. While there is an element of road racing in gravel racing these days, aero being a trend from that, it is mountain biking that is drawing gravel to its sphere of influence more and more, thus the bigger tires.

Secondly, most areas of the world do not have gravel to ride on. They have unpaved roads, and those roads are not covered with a carpet of three inch deep crushed limestone rocks in most cases. To find this, you must come to the Mid-West of the United States, where gravel racing and riding was born. 

Add those two things together and it becomes easier to see why mountain biking is more relevant and adjacent to gravel cycling world-wide than what we in the Mid-West think of as "gravel" cycling. Here gravel cycling was borne out of a necessity of road riders who were trying to get some resistance training for the road racing season. "Gravel grinders" were training rides in the Mid-West that were done on road bikes. This led to a search for some more capable components and bicycles to tackle roads here, and that is why the original gravel machines in the early twenty-teens were more road bike oriented.

A Salsa Cycles Warbird prototype as raced at Trans Iowa in April of 2012.

Back then, bigger tires were heavy, not very aerodynamic, and collected more mud in wet races. Tire sizes most gravel racers were gravitating to back then were in the 40mm - 43mm size range. 

That seemed to hold serve until something happened to gravel racing that has radically changed the top end of the sport. This change can be summed up in one word.

Money.

When prize money got the attention of retiring roadies and those athletes who weren't getting into the top tiers of road racing at the World Tour level, event promoters of the more popular gravel events started to cater their races more towards this attention-getting, tiny subset of gravel riders. This is also when most high-end gravel bicycles and components started looking like what this small subset of people wanted to see. 

Courses started popping up all over the world that were not "gravel", as in crushed rock roads, but were what are unpaved roads and trails wherever these events unfolded. Many times being the same tracks where early mountain bike events were held. This mixing of MTB type terrain and "gravel bikes" is epitomized in Life Time Events "Grand Prix" which is a mix of MTB courses and gravel events with the same field of Pro riders. While the athletes in the Grand Prix switch between MTB bikes and gravel bikes depending upon the course, one could easily see how a fatter tired, drop bar bike might end up being cross-purposed for at least two of the Grand Prix events. Both the Chequamegon 40 and Leadville 100 events might be an opportunity for this sort of "underbiking" to be an advantage, and in fact, both events saw drop bars being used. 

There is a LOT going on here that could be discussed even in more detail which would illuminate my hypothesis, but in short, I feel gravel cycling, at least as far as how traditional media, brands, and top racers will want to see things, will be more MTB influenced going forward. We are already seeing this with telescopic front forks, MTB influenced geometry, big tires, and more. 

Is this what most gravel riders need or want? Probably not in terms of the bicycles, and this will be seen very soon. I just got an embargoed press release for a new top-tier gravel racer bike that fits big tires but has a lot of things going on that won't be good, or all that great, for most gravel riders. 

Keep in mind that this flashy, top end stuff is really being driven by a very small percentage of very talented and fit athletes. It is not for most people, although the marketing people will do what marketing people do to get you to believe that it is for you. 

What I see as a benefit from all of this is a wider range of fatter gravel tires in the 45mm - 50mm, and maybe bigger, ranges. We all love tires, and so that part will be embraced. But beware of the weird, super-short wheel base, oddly front position biased, "aero" gravel racing bikes which you are going to see coming soon. They are for very fit, fast, racing folks who are getting paid and put in hours and hours of training to do what they do. That is not most gravel riders. This should not be the gravel equivalent of the "Lance Effect" for gravel bikes, because if that is where this big tire thing takes us, we're in for the demise of gravel riding as we know it. 

One more thing: Many people are not down with bigger tires. They claim that they are slower, heavier, and "feel dead". It is that last bit that bears looking at. 

Trek Checkmate. *Image courtesy of Trek Bicycles)

There is an old adage that goes, "If it feels fast, it IS fast." This is how many people discern speed and why more smooth, comfortable, and often times faster bikes and components are panned as being "slow", dead feeling, and not what fast riders want. 

We went through this when suspended forks for MTB came about. Many riders hated them because they "felt slow" and obviously they were heavier than traditional unicrown steel forks of the day. But when stopwatches kept showing faster times, minds began to change. Nowadays power meters tell the tale, but it has been proven that wider tires have lower rolling resistance and in the case of gravel racers, the tires can lend more comfort, control, and less vibrations to the rider over a long course like Unbound's 200 miles of flinty gravel roads. 

Now mountain bikes still had a lot to figure out when suspension came about, and one of those things was that more travel was necessary. But it could be argued that the finer points of mountain bike suspension are still being refined a full 35 years afterward. Gravel is just getting started down that path. Bigger tires are a part of this. More will happen in the future in this realm. 

We will have to wait and see what that might look like.

Review: Redshift Sports Short ShockStop Stems - Final Word

  Note: Guitar Ted Productions received a Redshift Sports ShockStop stem at no charge for test and review. Guitar Ted was not paid nor bribed for this review and will strive to give his honest thoughts and opinions throughout. 

Redshift Sports Short ShockStop Stems come in 55mm and 70mm lengths.

The vibration reducing ShockStop Stems have been a staple of my kit for several of my bikes for many years now. In my opinion these devices do a better job of reducing vibrations on gravel rides than a telescopic suspension fork and are more user friendly and versatile than some proprietary stems that do a similar thing. 

So, I am a 'fan' of these stems from Redshift for many reasons. Am I biased in my take on these new shorter Redshift Stems? Only in that I expected the new short version to be as good as the original ShockStop stems are. If there were  any drop off in performance or feel in the new stems I would be very disappointed. The new stems have a completely new inner working as well. Had this been harder to deal with than the previous version that would have been another negative against the new, shorter stems. 

So, is this new version as good as the original design of the ShockStop Stem? The answer is no, it is not 'as good', it is better than the originals.

Gut-shot of the new design's innards.

I found the new version of the ShockStop stem to be better in a couple of significant ways. First was in the ride feel. This shorter stem was obviously going to allow for less leverage from the handle bar, which is how the stem gets activated over vibrations and small bumps. I was concerned that this might make the feel of the shorter stem to be stiffer than the original ShockStop stems. However; I found that not to be the case.

In fact, this stem may be even more compliant than the original version. Of course, this all depends upon how you set the stem up with the internal elastomers. This sets the spring rate of the stem, and therefore it affects ride feel and vibration absorption to a large degree. So, while I was pleased with this stem I tried out of the box, I could tune it further with the included extra elastomers. This leads me to the second way in which the new short version ShockStop is better than the original.

That would have to do with the internal design change made for the shorter version of the ShockStop stem. It is what I would term as a cartridge with two elastomers sitting side by side. This cartridge slides out of the stem's body after removal of the stem face plate and handlebar.  Elastomers are easily slid in and out for tuning. The whole process is easy and intuitive. 

Compared to the original ShockStop guts, which has a long threaded bolt that must be carefully installed along with the elastomers being in the correct orientation, and it becomes easy to see which process is more desirable. Now I have to say that I don't think the difference is that big, but the simplicity and effectiveness of the new design is just more pleasing to work with. 

The ShockStop Stem (and the big tires) made short work of this grassy field traverse.

Final Word: With the perspective that the Redshift ShockStop stems are vibration reducing devices and not suspension, I have to say that this new shorter version of the ShockStop Stem has been a pleasant surprise. I had serious doubts that Redshift could pull this off with such a short stem shaft, but they have, and it works very well. 

I had great feel from any point on my handlebars and the stem lent a smoother, almost vibration free ride over many types of surfaces. That is a welcomed thing when it comes to my hands which are prone to becoming fatigued and numbed by too much vibration absorption. But this goes beyond hands to my shoulders and upper body which all feel some relief from what would otherwise be constant vibrations having to be absorbed by those parts of my body. Something like a vibration absorbing stem may feel like a gimmick to you, but once you've tried one, it shouldn't take much to note that you end a ride feeling fresher and less recovery time will be needed before another outing. 

Again, I am a fan of Redshift's ShockStop Stems, and I had my doubts that a shorter version would be good. I was ready to pan this effort, but much to my relief, I don't have to because this shorter version is not only as good at what it does compared to the original ShockStop Stems, it is even better in some significant ways. If you have a gravel rig that requires a short stem, this may be just what you are looking for to add a bit of comfort and relief to your ride. Check it out if so. 

Redshift Sports site: https://redshiftsports.com/

Note: The first image in this post is courtesy of Redshift Sports. All other images are Guitar Ted Productions.

Is It Fixed?

New crank set: Will it "fix" the problems?

Last week I mentioned that I had finally diagnosed the issues with my Tamland Two. The crank set rings had been on the bike for a decade (!) and it was cheaper to buy a complete crank set rather than buy two chain rings. However; the narrative in the comments was all about crank length as I mentioned that I had ordered a 170mm length crank set. 

Well, the crank set came in and I decided that maybe I should try just the crank set first.The chain measured good yet and the cassette was put on at the same time as the chain. If the chain rings were the issue, the skipping of the chain over the teeth would most likely be eliminated with the new crank set. 

After installation a short neighborhood test ride revealed nothing but smooth going. So, a longer gravel ride was in store, and it happened on Saturday. 

The good news? I had no issues. Yet.... I'm not 100% convinced and more riding will be necessary before I am ready to say this is fixed. However; I will say this new crank shifts really good and smoothly. Just from that standpoint alone the change was worth it. 

Soooooo..... What about that crank length? You know, I'm not sure there is anything there. Not that there couldn't be, but again - I need to ride the bike more. All I can say now is the bike worked the way it was supposed to work.

I don't have power meters nor any technical equipment which would let me know if the shorter crank was better or worse. Maybe I had a good day Saturday and felt okay, or maybe it was something else. Actually, it was something else. It was the heat and wind! I don't know if you can really hang your hat on a crank length thing. Sure, bio-mechanically your knees may be happier, or maybe you adapted. Humans are good at adapting, by the way. Really good at it. 

Whatever. I'll keep riding these for a while and see. Meanwhile, I'm a lot more excited about how the bike is working as far as the drive train goes. No doubt, you readers are a lot more interested in crank length. Well, judging from the last post on this you all were seemingly all about that life. 

Stay tuned....

Country Views: Harvest Begins

Escape Route: Sergeant Road Trail.

Saturday is a rare day for me to get in a ride anymore these days. I have to work at the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collectivc until noon. Then I go home, eat lunch with my family (very important to me) and then generally we go grocery shopping in the afternoon, and well, that pretty much shoots the day for riding. 

But last Saturday I had freedom in the afternoon to get out for a ride. It was the last "official day" of Summer, it was 90+ degrees, and the winds were gusting up to 30mph out of the Southwest. Oh well! You take the chances you get. 

So, I saddled up on the recently fixed up Raleigh Tamland Two and headed Southwest on the Sergeant Road Bike Trail. Hot, big wind, and lots of Sun is a recipe for me to get overheated fast, so I tried to throttle it back and spin. It seemed to be working fine until I got a few miles out on the gravel and the relentless wind was working me pretty hard. 

I wasn't out into the country long before I noted that everything looked very dry, there were a LOT of ag tread tracks in the gravel, and that a soybean field I was passing by had been harvested. Then I saw it.....

A combine harvesting soybeans South of Waterloo.

Grain being loaded into a semi-tractor trailer.

I decided to try going a mile or so Eastward and then back South, then East, and maybe shorter stints into the wind would extend the ride. I decided to get to the corner of Ansborough and Washburn Road before making a call on the ride distance. Unfortunately I was just not feeling well enough to crack off another hour plus in that heat and wind. Plus I was being conscientious of the harvest as big trucks and machinery were everywhere in fields where I was riding. That and dust was bad enough. Getting dusted by an 18 wheeler wouldn't have been much fun. In more ways than one!

The wind was about to rip flags off flag poles.

The rate at which everything has dried up this year is amazing.

Turning back North was pretty awesome! However; it was still hot, and the drier wind made it feel like I was racing a hot and windy DK200 from back in the day. That heat and drier air just sucks the life out of you. 

I had to stop where I found shade on the road twice just to cool down some. It was quite the last day of Summer, and now we've flipped a switch and gone quite a bit cooler with rain and winds out of the Northwest instead of the Southwest. Sometimes the weather matches the calendar, I guess! 

More soon on the Tamland, by the way. Stay tuned.....

SBT GRVL Asked To Downsize

Image courtesy of Marley Blonski's social media.

 This post is a follow-up to a post I wrote on September 8th where I posited that perhaps "growth" in gravel events was not always the best move. SBT GRVL was used as an example and now it seems that if this event is to carry onward into the future, it will have to downsize. A recent article in the "Steamboat Pilot & Today" written by Trevor Ballentyne states that Routt County Sheriff, Doug Sherar and Colorado State Patrol Captain, Ryan Parker have advised that SBT GRVL cannot continue as formatted this year where 3,000 individuals took part in the event. 

This despite efforts on the part of SBT GRVL to mitigate complaints coming from local ranchers and residents who were complaining of being obstructed from traveling roads and who were offended by certain acts of the riders including public urination. SBT GRVL held several "listening sessions" to obtain feedback and address the concerns of the locals. SBT GRVL even had riders sign "oaths" and made changes to the route, also adding more spots for riders to relieve themselves without exposure to public view. 

According to Sherar and Parker, it was the sheer numbers of riders that was at issue, and they have recommended that the ride field be reduced to between 1,500 and 1,800 riders. Furthermore, Routt County Commissioners are now asking SBT GRVL be held with no prize money and are still on the fence regarding a definitive field limit. Regardless of what the outcome there might be, the County is pretty solidly decided on limiting what SBT GRVL can do for an event. Stating limitations on resources, specifically in manning patrols for course safety, the County is probably not in a mood to allow anything resembling what SBT GRVL was in 2024. 

Comments: In my linked post from earlier in September I wrote, "What should be defined as "successful" when it comes to gravel events?" SBT GRVL pursued the "bigger, more pro, more high polished, socially conscious" route to "success", but now finds itself being redirected due to lack of foresight when they expanded and grew the event, The consequences seem to be severe, but not if SBT GRVL is willing to pivot from its previous format to one that prioritizes more on the rider experiences, and not the competition and field size side. SBT GRVL can still be a "success" doing more with less. 

Whatever SBT GRVL ends up doing, what has already happened is a cautionary tale for other gravel events across the USA. "Success" doesn't have to be predicated on large rider fields or Pro competition. Successful events don't necessarily mean a steady, livable income for event/race directors. Game planning ahead of growth may lead to discovering issues before they happen. 

It will be interesting to watch any future developments. 

Note: Thanks to shiggy for the tip to the article in the "Steamboat Pilot & Today".

Review: 700 X 45mm Vulpine - 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.

This will now be the final review on the trio of WTB tires I received back in late May of this year. The previous Vulpine update can be seen HERE.

This review will tie in with the final on the Vulpine S review, which you can refer to HERE if you would like to. The reason for the tie-in is due to the wheel set I ran with the Vulpine S to start out with. The wheel set I refer to is the BERD spoked, Industry 9 hubbed, carbon rimmed wheel set, which you can learn more about at the link .

Okay, I apologize for this confusion of wheels and tires, but the wheel set did color my impressions and I wanted to be very clear on that point. Now, on with the review of the Vulpine!

The Vulpine is great on fast, dry dirt tracks like this.

To be fair, I swapped the Vulpine tires over to the wheels with the BERD spokes and yes.....it felt the same as when I had the Vulpine S tires on those wheels. So, it wasn't that the Vulpine S tires were better riding tires, it was the wheels. 

What was different was that I had more grip, which stands to reason as the Vulpine is a fully treaded tire. The grip came into play on corners and in a few spots on my test track that had looser dirt. The tires tracked better with less slippage. 

However; it is important to note that the Vulpine is definitely a dry weather tire. Soft dirt and mud are not its friend and deeper, loose chunky gravel is still going to be a chore with the Vulpine tires. I would not use these for those conditions. That would be where I would run the Resolute. But if it is dry, on firmer roads and dirt? Absolutely I would run the Vulpines. They are decent on pavement, although not as fast as the smoother tread on the Vulpine S, and again, this is no big surprise. Choose accordingly. 

Final Word:

Ever since WTB redesigned the Vulpine and introduced it as a 70 X 38mm tire I have longed for the day when it would be offered in a wider, more voluminous size. That day is here, and hopefully with these new "wider is better" trends in racing we will see an even wider 50mm Vulpine. But at 45+mm, even if a 50mm Vulpine never happens, this size for the Vulpine makes the most sense to me. 

The Vulpine is fast, grips enough in drier conditions to be fun on buff dirt, and it handles gravel well enough that it could be a really good alternative as an all-around gravel tire for many people. I still would go with a Resolute as my go-to all-around gravel tire because it does get wet here at times and the Resolute will handle wet grounds in a better way than a Vulpine. However; if you live in a dry climate, or if you just want a good, fast gravel tire that isn't missing tread, the Vulpine in the 45mm size could be just right for you.

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of State Bicycle Co.

 State Bicycle Co. Announces Monster Fork v2:

On Tuesday of this past week, State Bicycle Co. announced a version two of their Carbon Monster Fork. The new version features an all-carbon construction with a tapered steer tube. The eye-catcher here is the adjustable drop out to attain two different off sets for the fork. 

The off sets are 49mm and 55.5mm. More on this in a minute, but the user can change the offset by flipping a "chip" in the drop out cavity. The fork is compatible with 27.5" tires and 700c tires. Maximum tire size allowable is determined by the offset chosen. So, for the 49mm offset you can go up to 27.5 X 2.3" or 700 X 55mm. In the longer, 55.5mm offset you can go to a 27.5 X 2.45" or 700 X 58mm tire. The Monster Fork also has rack and fender mounts along with the triple boss sets of accessory mounting points on each fork leg. Maximum load is set at 25Kg or 55lbs. Axle to crown is 396 in the short offset and 404mm in the longer offset. The price for the Monster Fork is set at $299.99 USD.

Comments: Now, let's get back to the offset options this fork provides. The marketing copy on State's site gets this wrong, which is a commonly made mistake. I wrote an offset explainer in 2007 for the blog which you can read HERE. That was written concerning 29"ers, but the same principles apply for any wheel size and geometry. The short version is that, all else remaining the same, your shorter off sets are going to bring more stability while your longer offsets bring less stability. Many people feel that a longer offset is more stable, but that is not how bicycle front end geometry works. 

The other bit State doesn't point out is that due to the chip being at an angle to the ground when mounted to a bicycle, the flipping of the chip will minutely change your bottom bracket height, head tube angle, handle bar height, seat angle, and all that may be noticeable to some folks. Some may not ever notice it. The changes would be minimal, but it is worth noting that any axle to crown variances, which are called out in the differing axle to crown specs, will change all that other stuff as well. 

I love the idea here, of course, being a nerd about geometry. But typically swapping stuff around like offset chips isn't really a big deal to most riders, and additionally, humans are so adept at adapting, (ha!), that most riders probably would feel fine either way you set the fork up after two or three rides. (I know, I've run an experiment concerning this.)

Image courtesy of  Fusion Media.

Six USA Athletes To Compete In eSports Championships in Abu Dhabi:

Coming up on October 26th, the top 20 male and top 20 female eSports riders are convening in Abu Dhabi for the World Championship eSports sanctioned by the UCI. 

The event consists of three parts, or "races", in which the contestants will accumulate points based upon finishes. The riders with the most points at the end of the day will be crowned as World Champions. 

Six riders, three male and three female, are included from the USA. They are Kristen Kulchinsky, Jacqueline Godbe, Ellexi Snover, Hayden Pucker, Neal Fryett and Zach Nehr. 

Comments: Would this even be a thing had it not been for COVID? I wonder about that. Anyway, kudos to any athlete that competed in this format. I cannot stand indoor cycling myself, but "trainer rides to no-where" are a staple of some folks riding. I know, I know....You can do courses, compete against others, yada, yada, yada.... But the fact remains that you are still sitting in the same spot where you began at the end. I'm not down with that. 

Not that I haven't tried. I used to own Krietler rollers, I've had various stationary trainers, and I even have a "smart trainer" in the house I've never used. Probably won't ever use it. Maybe I'll donate that to someone.....or the Collective, but in the two and a half plus years I've worked there we cannot give a trainer away and we have several nice ones. Says something there to me.... 

But I'm not dissing on anyone that gets into this stuff. You do you! I'll cheer you on from outside. Literally! 

Image courtesy of Brompton Bicycle USA.

Brompton Bicycles Offers New Folding Gravel Bike:

News came out this week, and was all over the internet and social channels, concerning Brompton's new "G Line" folding 20" wheeled bicycle. It has an 8 speed Alfine internally geared hub, beefy 20" wheels, and a "revised geomeyrty" for all-road riding. Plus you can stuff the claimed 30+ lbs bike into the back of almost any car or truck for easy transportation to adventures. 

The G Line will cost $2,399.00 USD when it becomes available in 2025. There also will be an electrified version of the bike coming as well. 

Comments: Okay, neat, I guess. Here's what I know to be true. Smaller diameter wheels are at a disadvantage to larger diameter wheels. It is a physics thing. Alfine hubs are limited in gearing range and require frequent servicing to keep them alive. 

Why have an internally geared hub design and a tensioner that hangs down like a derailleur waiting to get ripped off in the next muddy section? This seems to be a disadvantage when internally geared hubs are a great idea partially because they allow the riddance of "dangly bits"

At 30 plus pounds (non-electrified) and at twenty-four hundred bucks? Ahh..... No. Maybe for certain people this opens up possibilities, and for them I am happy. But for most riders, in my opinion, this seems pricey and not very well thought out.

Bicycle Retail Continues To Struggle:

Getting into the last quarter of 2024 now and it seems that bicycle retail is still struggling to find its footing two years post-COVID. There are many reasons why this is happening. Among the many reasons is the anachronistic way bicycle retail is handled in the 21st Century. 

I began my journey in bicycle retail and repair in the early 1990's. I can honestly say that not much has changed in the thirty-plus  years since then. That doesn't reflect the massive change in riders, buying habits, and desires of riders in 2024 and beyond. 

I find, and have found, that certain issues have stymied advancement of bicycle retail and now that alternatives exist, bicycle retail as we have known it may on its way to becoming extinct, leaving nothing in its wake to replace it. At least nothing at scale or worthy of servicing the riders in this country. 

Of course, there are some bright spots, but they are few and far between. How will those spots be able to survive without the backing of the industry or without revolutionary changes, I am not sure. Right now the industry has done what it has done for many years, and that is to hook up its wagon to whatever trend can be the horse to pull that wagon, as broken and busted up as it is, lurching forward into the next phase of cycling that takes off. Then the industry will hitch itself to that trend and hope for better days again, like it has for a half a century. 

Here's what I see as the deficiencies of bicycle retail in 2024:

• Employee training and retention. With rampant employee turnover, it is impossible to build a knowledgeable, trustworthy employee people will want to lean on.  
• Poor Compensation: The industry practically guarantees employee turnover with its poor wages and benefits. 
• Focus on Racing: The high-end support of brands on racing in all disciplines is misplaced and takes away from what the largest portion of potential riders needs and wants. Practical bicycle safety in routes and in bicycles for everyday riding is something most brands give lip service to only, and nothing gets done in reality because of this. The response of the average citizen is predictably poor. Shops can only do so much against this and many don't do a thing at all. 

I could go on. There is a good perspective on this subject from a former colleague of mine, Arleigh Jenkins, which can be listened to on her YouTube channel HERE. 

Image courtesy of Pivot Cycles

New Pivot Vault Version Now On Offer:

Pivot Cycles announced on Thursday that a new version of their Vault model is now available. The bike has more tire clearance and more capability to carry water and accessories than before while still coming in at a lighter weight than the outgoing version. 

The frame features a decoupled seat post/seat tube arrangement which Pivot calls "ISO FLEX", which provides more rider comfort. New also is Pivot's "TOOL SHED", a cable management and storage system allowing riders to stash items inside the frame. There is also cable guides through the frame to prevent rattling over rough surfaces. There are several accessory mounting points and the frame can hold two water bottles on the top of the down tube, one underneath, and one on the seat tube. 

The frame is 2X front derailleur capable, has dropper post routing, and the frame is also suspension corrected for 40mm travel gravel suspension forks. The new Vault carbon rigid fork is designed for better compliance as well. Tire clearance is a generous 50mm in 1X mode and 47mm with a 2X crankset. 

The geometry is a bit different with sizing running longer top tube measurements than what you might be used to. Pivot advises using a short stem. The bottom bracket is not on the low side, but is pretty decent, striking a good middle ground for current gravel geometry. The head tube angle is on the slacker side with models in their five size range checking in at 70° for a small to 71° for the XL. Sizes in between range accordingly between those two extremes. The chain stay length is a tight 420mm, which is on the short side for gravel. 

Prices range from $5,649.00 to $6,149.00 using Pivot's specs for complete bikes. 

Comments: This is an interesting bike. Pivot's Vault model was originally a cyclo cross bike but now is a fully MTB influenced gravel bike design. Pivot has infused several interesting features with their water bottle capacity and that short rear end. I like that they thought of a way to introduce some compliance in the seat post area and that they thought about the fork compliance as well. And the price isn't bad compared to many other brand's high-end gravel offerings.

That's all for this week! Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Get out and ride those bikes!

Atomik/BERD Wheels: Long Term Review

NOTE: Back in 2020 I received a set of Atomik/BERD wheels for test and review while I was writing for Riding Gravel. I did not pay for these wheels and was allowed to keep them after the review period. Since then I have seen a little interest in the wheels due to my mention of them during my recent WTB tire reviews. I thought it would be good to give everyone a long-term review of the wheels and talk a little more about the technical aspects behind the BERD spokes, which you might not be familiar with.  

Atomik and BERD have no idea I am writing this, they have no influence on what I am saying in this article, and all opinions are mine. I will be quoting liberally from my previous writings on these wheels. Some of the material will be new views since 2020. Let's dig in.....

Obviously the 'star' of this show is the BERD spoke. BERD spokes are not made from metal. In fact, if I were to show one not under tension it might look to you like a rope or braided thread. (See image below)  It would be limp and pliable. Not what you might think of for a good spoke! Here's what BERD has to say from their site:

"Berd spokes are made with Dyneema® (also known as ultra high molecular weight polyethylene). Dyneema® has 15 times the strength-to-weight ratio of steel and floats on water. Berd spokes have an improved fatigue life over steel and are impervious to the elements. This is what makes Berd spokes the lightest, strongest, and most durable spokes ever invented."

Well, now what do you think? Pretty impressive! But how do you make this stuff into a spoke and then lace it into a wheel? That's a special skill set. BERD trains wheel builders to use their spokes and how to tension a wheel set using them to provide long-term results. So, not just anyone can do this, but more wheel builders are getting certified as BERD wheel builders all the time, so these are not rare anymore. For any technical questions on BERD spokes, click that link above and read all their data and FAQ. I'll just say here that the claims and tech data is VERY impressive and I have no qualms whatsoever about riding these wheels. 

One of those claims is that BERD spokes can reduce vibrations to the rider by up to 200%. Whoa! That sounds too good to be true, and I was super suspicious of that upon first reading the claim. Here is what I wrote in November of 2020 about my feelings on this after riding the wheels for several months:

" The Atomik/Berd Ultimate wheels do damp vibrations. Is it 200% better? That’s the big question. I have to say that over a standard type of through axle wheel, such as the all aluminum construction with steel spoked Shimano GRX wheels, yes- The Atomik/Berd Ultimate wheels are definitely approaching a massive amount of wheel vibration reduction here. Compared to a stiff carbon wheel though, the sensation of vibration reduction, while still there, is not as great. "

Image courtesy of BERD.

 So, "it depends", is the actual answer. The point is, however, that the BERD spokes will definitely be noticeably nicer riding wheels, and will always be better in that regard compared with anything else. One unique quality in the Atomik/BERD wheels I noted, and one BERD doesn't even mention, is how the wheels feel "softer" over certain ruts and depressions in the roadway. Here again is what I wrote back in 2020 concerning this:

" I also noted how this wheel set was capable of smoothing out dips and depressions, transitions from pavement to gravel, or lumpy chip sealed roads. There is a vertical compliance component to these wheels which is remarkable. But that isn’t to say that the Atomik/Berd Ultimate wheels have anything approaching a bump damping/absorbing characteristic because anything sharper edged, like a rail road crossing, or a pot hole, is still going to zing you a bit. Quick, sharp hits are still going to be an issue. "

So when I was first riding the Vulpine S tires I was feeling this "smoothing effect" and forgetting that it was the BERD spokes and it was not the tires. Coupled with the notable vibration reductions and you can see how maybe a wheel set like this is not a good platform for tire reviews! My bad!

Over The Long Haul:

Now four years down the line I can say that the Atomik/BERD wheel set has been no problem at all and if it weren't for how light they are (1400 grams for the pair with 28 spokes each) and how nicely they ride, I wouldn't have anything to report. I did 'de-sticker' them, as I did not care for the "billboard" decals, but otherwise they are unmodified and I have not lifted a finger to maintain these other than cleaning and using new rim tape now and again. So, they are pretty reliable spokes and the Industry 9 hubs have been perfect so far. 

Are they worth the money? Well, BERD spokes are not cheap. At eight bucks a shot times 56 holes to fill that's $448.00 just in spokes alone! Add in carbon rims, a set of Industry 9 hubs, and labor, and you can see how the price for these wheels adds up in a hurry. 

The Noble GX5 bike with the Atomik/BERD wheels

 But here's where I would point to my Noble GX5 and tell you it is one of the only bikes I own without a Redshift ShockStop stem on it and that my hands are relatively okay with that. As I get on in age my hands have become even more sensitive to vibrations and I would not ride a bike long without something to damp down the gravel vibrations. The BERD spokes help me do that as well as the Whisky carbon handle bar, the carbon seat post, and that excellent Ergon bar tape and saddle. 

If I were racing longer distance gravel events or if I craved a smoother ride without adding a suspension fork or stem, these wheels would be well worth the extra cash. They are durable and well made. The spokes may seem weird, but they have been around a while and they look like they will be around for a while longer, judging by the buzz these BERD spokes are getting lately. So, it depends upon what you value in wheels, but I will only say that they work and ride like nothing else I've ever tried. 

I don't plan on taking them off my bike anytime soon either!

When It Gets Old

Shimano FC-RS510 crank (Image courtesy of the internet)

 I think some of you who are regular readers here might recall that I had been having troubles with a wheel set which I had been using on my Tamland Two gravel bike. It is a carbon Irwin Cycles wheel set and I was having, what I thought was, issues with the free hub. As it seems to be turning out now, that is not the case.

Apologies to Irwin Cycles.

You might also recall how I had recently installed a DT Swiss hubbed Roval carbon wheel set on the Tamland Two, thinking that I had eliminated the issue with the free hub on the Irwin wheels, which, as it seems to be now, was not what was going on. 

I had been toying with the idea of blowing apart that Irwin rear wheel, getting a new rear hub, and relacing the new hub to the old carbon hoop. However; every time I picked up that wheel and spun the free hub it felt perfect. I happen to have two other Irwin wheels with similar rear hubs with a LOT less miles on them and they felt exactly the same. I also did not see any evidence of wear or damage inside the hub I suspected of causing my issues. So, I was reticent to blow up the wheel if it was still in good operable condition. 

And now I am happy I did not blow that wheel apart. 

Late into last week's ride I started to get similar "skipping" issues, but as I was feeling before with the Irwin wheels, it was now getting worse. I immediately knew I misdiagnosed the issue and I knew what was going on. 

My drive train was shot.

Specifically the crank chain rings. I thought about this as I shifted to the big ring for the remainder of the ride, and remembered that these chain rings were installed in late 2014! 

Doh! No wonder that small chain ring was allowing the chain to jump teeth! So, a complete swap of chain rings, chain, and cassette (although the cassette isn't all that old, I probably should swap it out), is in order. Time to research!

I found many times when a customer at the bike shops I used to haunt as a mechanic would need chain rings it was actually cheaper  to buy a crank set than it was to buy separate chain rings. Crazy, but true, and in my case, that still is true. I was able to source my preference in gearing, which is 46T/36T in a Shimano FC-RS510 crank for under 100 bucks. Two chain rings in those sizes would cost well over 100 bucks! Especially the Shimano ones which I would necessarily have to buy to fit the original Ultegra crank set on the Tamland. 

I also opted to try an experiment. The new fad is to go shorter on cranks. Now, I do not have any extenuating circumstances that would point me to using shorter cranks. No knee pains, nothing like that. So, maybe this won't matter, but I ordered 170mm cranks to try them out. Some folks rave about the shorter cranks and they have gone waaaay shorter with 165's or less. I'm not into radical changes because my belief is that minor changes can make huge differences. Let's take a "baby step" and see.... 

The RS-510's are a heavy crank set, since they are not made in the HollowTech manner, but are hot-forged aluminum and solid in nature. If the shorter cranks are 'meh!' or if I see no reasons to keep them on the bike, I will swap the chain rings to the older Ultegra crank set and donate the RS-510's to the Collective. I figure I am getting the arms for free anyway. 

So, are you a 'short crank' devotee?  N.Y. Roll already is singing the praises of shorter cranks, so I've heard a bit of The Hype. Let me know in the comments.