Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Ridley Bikes

Ridley Announces New Aero Gravel Racing Bike:

On Tuesday of this past week Ridley announced a new aero gravel bike model to compliment their current Kanzo Adventure and Kanzo Fast bicycles. The new bike will be offered in both carbon frame and fork (Astr RS) and a lower grade carbon frame/carbon fork (Astr) models.

The Astr (Is there a fear of vowels in marketing these days?) is a full-on racing bike for gravel which anticipates the expansion of sanctioned gravel events world-wide. (More on that next up) So the Astr models feature clearance for up to 52mm tires in 1X mode with a limitation of 47mm if set up in 2X configurations. Furthermore, head tube angle is 71.5° while the seat tube angle is a steep 74°. This along with a lower stack height puts the rider in a more forward, aerodynamic position on the bike, perfect for a fit athlete to race as fast as possible. (This is no adventure bike!)

As one might expect, all cables are internally routed starting at the handlebars and those bars are an integrated stem/bar in carbon featuring a narrower stance at the hoods. Again - a nod to aerodynamics. The chain stays were also kept as short as possible to give the rider the feeling of instant acceleration. 

The Astr, the lesser grade carbon counterpart to the Astr RS, is a less expensive option for riders that cannot afford the ultra-aero carbon model. The Astr RS frame, fork, seat post is approximately $5,550.00 USD currently. So, the bike is not inexpensive but the Astr model saves you about 3K from that for a frame/fork.  It's just a little heavier and the seat post is not an aero one. 

Notable: The Astr RS is UCI approved. 

Comments: So, with the UCI ramping its sanctioning of gravel events up (see next bit), we are seeing the ultra-race forms of gravel bicycles appearing which will have the influence of making gravel as much like road racing as possible. Expect to see a LOT of companies jumping onboard with high priced aero carbon gravel bikes with an aim to get those customers who believe that riding bikes "just like the Pros ride" is the pinnacle of cycling. Which it isn't, but belief is 9/10's of the truth in this matter, so whatever.... It's here and we are going to see more of it. 

Image courtesy of Union Cycliste Internatinale

Gravel World Championships & More Events Planned for 2025:

In an article published on the Cycling News website (HERE) concerning this year's Gravel World Championships, sanctioned by the UCI, Edwin Vervecken has foreshadowed what the plan is for Golazo/UCI and gravel racing worldwide. 

The plan is to increase the UCI sanctioned worldwide gravel calendar to 35 events under the auspices of Golazo. (For a primer on how Golazo and the UCI are working together, see my  article posted this past June HERE)

Vervecken goes on to say that there will be a limit to how many events a country can host, which is two, with the exception of the USA, Australia, and Canada, which may have up to three.  Vervecken claims that there will be three in the USA next year and possibly a fourth event. (Wait....isn't the limit three? )

Comments: The UCI is really pushing hard to get their grip on US gravel and making the case for it by dangling the carrot of the rest of the World's acceptance of their formatting for gravel events. Again, this flies in the face of what reality is currently for the small field of Pro gravel riders based in North America. But what about world-wide? Well, Gravel World Championships are this weekend and for a "world-wide" event, supposedly drawing from all over the world, the entire Elite Men's and Women's field is 429 riders. (I checked the official start list to get this number) So we're supposed to "do gravel" like this everywhere because less than 500 Pros worldwide want to, (or think they have to) ride the UCI sanctioned way?

As of now, Life Time Event's "Grand Prix" is the "big time" when it comes to gravel events in the USA. Life Time's purse for the events and overall winner is such that overseas travel to participate in a series which culminates in offering a jersey isn't seen as being worthwhile. (See Lauren De Crescenzo) There is no prestige or history behind the rainbow stripes for an unpaved roads World Champion like there is for the Road or MTB versions of the UCI's racing. 

Add in big prize purses for Gravel Worlds and a jersey that actually has history in gravel racing, (the Lincoln, Nebraska version), the Belgian Waffle rides, and a few other events, and you can see that by sticking to a USA based calendar the Pro athlete can make a privateer or marginally backed program work. (It is reported that the top athletes in North American gravel racing receive a six figure income from racing gravel) To get a "real" Pro roadie-like gravel series going it is going to take Pro road-like sponsored teams and that hasn't happened yet. Besides, the USA hasn't proven itself in being able to sustain a team in the Pro roadie ranks long-term, and I don't see that happening for gravel. Add in the Golazo/UCI formula for what they call a gravel event, (lame) and you can see that this is really not workable for the USA based Pro and semi-Pro gravel racer. 

Finally, the views of how Golazo/UCI see Women's racing versus Men's, in terms of distances, etc, would be brought over to gravel here. That's not going to sit well with many folks, (again, read my post from June for details). Not that the UCI won't get their way, but - This is just exchanging pavement for gravel, otherwise it is the same-ol'-same-ol' Pro roadie crap we already have seen here. If that's your bag, you do you, but it isn't "gravel racing" as it was formatted here from the get-go. 

Image courtesy of 45NRTH

45NRTH Offers New Oland Waterproof Boot:

Yeah, Winter is on the way and cold weather riding, either for commuting or sport, is going to be on the menu for many of us. 45NRTH offers their new Oland boot to tackle this problem and promises warm feet and all-day usage. 

Featuring 100 grams of Primaloft insulation and an environmentally conscientious manufacturing process for the leather uppers, this boot is rated down to 20°F and up to 45°F as far as temperature range goes.  

The Oland also features glass fiber bits embedded into the real rubber soles to enhance traction in slippery situations. The Oland has traditional lace closure and is compatible with two-bolt cleat interfaces for clipless pedal usage or leave the removable plate on and ride flat pedals. 

The Oland is available in whole sizes from 38 to 50 and costs $260.00 USD. 

Comments: This boot is going after the commuter and recreational rider, judging by the marketing and styling of the Oland. I think it is a smart move to "normalize" cycling apparel for everyone, and especially cyclists. I'd be more apt to wear this boot than some of the other cycling footwear I see for Winter on my bike and obviously, the Oland is set for off the bike usage as well. 

However; if this is what 45NRTH is thinking of style-wise and for usage type, then I think you can do a whole lot better with other non-cycling brands that do Winter footwear. As an example, I've been a user of Keen footwear on my Winter biking forays for many years and this boot they offer for quite a bit less than the Oland has similar features and twice the insulation. I'm sure other companies are doing similar hiker style boots at notable savings over the 45NRTH offering. Yes, they are not clipless compatible, but I would counter by saying flat pedals are a lot smarter Winter choice and especially composite pedals which will not transfer heat from your feet like a clipless or metal pedal does. Try them and let me know if I am wrong. I'll be here...... 

Camp Snap Camera Update:

Some of you might recall that I purchased a Camp Snap Camera last Spring and reviewed it on the site HERE. In the review I mentioned my poor experience with image quality, especially with the tendency of the sensor to "blow out" images if there was any intense light source, like the Sun, shining. 

Well, Velo Orange, who sell these (as well as other outlets) announced a v2 of the camera is now available which promises better jpeg processing and a "significantly faster shutter speed". This is probably in response to the problems I, and likely others, were having with v1 of the camera. It still is $65.00USD, so not a bad chance to take on a cheaply made camera for fun. 

Image courtesy of Boone Technologies

Boone Technologies Titanium Goodness: 

Somewhere in the depths of time I came into possession of a Boone Titanium single speed cog and matching spacer kit. I treasured those bits and one of my single speed bikes has that set up, (I think it is on my Pofahl Signature single speed gravel bike)

Anyway, the "big deal" was that Boone had gone back to making jewelry and had dropped the cycling products. But I found out via Mike Curiak's blog that they are back again making not only single speed cogs but chain rings, spiders, and titanium crank sets. 

The website is here if you want to check those out. 

What is cool is that now those cogs can be had in various anodized colors. I grabbed an image of a purple one here but there are a lot more colors available. These bits are not cheap. The cogs are nearly a hundred bucks alone, but they are well made, last a long time and are light. Check out this USA based and manufactured product line if you want to get something cool in titanium for your bike. 

Note: I get nothing for mentioning this, I just think these are good products worth checking in to.

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

No-Coast: A New Experiment Begins

The next fixed gear bike trial starts now.

 Last May I wrote about making my Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross (Orange Crush) a fixed gear bike. I ended up binning that idea, but the dream of having another fixed gear bike did not go away. 

In fact, when I went to Chicago in August to visit Ari I mentioned that I was still wanting a fixed gear bike to ride. Since then, I've been keeping my eyes peeled for a good deal on a road frame that would make a good fixed gear candidate. 

It had to have horizontal drop outs for obvious reasons. You have to be able to tension that chain properly! I also wanted an older, steel bike which would more than likely have room for bigger tires. Any racing bike from about 1990 on would probably have room for 25mm tires at best. That's too skinny for me! 

Of course, the frame had to fit me. That meant a 58cm bike, but something close that was good might be workable. I wanted a road bike due to the less crazy geometry which modern day track bikes have. I prefer a lower bottom bracket , slacker angles, a longer wheel base, and the classic looks of a steel road bike. So, a track bike was out. Well.....unless it was a really old one! But that was not likely to be affordable for me. That was the final part - the bike had to be insanely affordable. I already have too many bicycles, so adding another one had to make sense somehow. Spending any amount would be too much, but over a hundred? Out of the question. 

So, one day we got a donation at the collective. An old road bike, nearly complete, and little used by the looks of it. 1980's vintage, most likely judging by the Shimano 600 component group. It looked like it might fit. The seat tube measured 60cm, a hair too big, but the top tube measured out at 55cm!? Who does that? Well, Shogun did, apparently. Anyway, I decided to get the bike since we would have scrapped it out anyway. It is too old and outdated to get anyone's interest, and we can hardly give away a road bike at the Collective. 

I had converted another fixed gear bike earlier in the year to a coaster, and the wheel set I had saved for such a project. Since this Shogun 1000 was an older road bike, the rear spacing was 126mm and I only had to add a couple of threaded spacers to each side of the 120mm spaced fixed gear wheel to accommodate the Shogun. 

The wheel has a flip-flop, fixed/fixed hub, which has two differently sized cogs one tooth off from each other. I set the bike up using the larger of the two cogs so when I go to the smaller cog it will make the wheel base a tad longer. But I doubt I'll swap it around at this point. I may change that to a slightly bigger cog for an even lower ratio, but we will see. That's waaaay down the road yet! 

I removed the two derailleurs, the shifters, and derailleur cables. I mounted the wheels, which have Panaracer Pasela 700 X 32mm tires on them, and aired up the tires to 40psi. The wheels spun! There was clearance, but not much! However; after a short ride. I was hearing some tire scraping something giving me that tell-tale high pitched whine. I stopped and looked, but could see nothing. Then I figured it out. The act of riding compressed the wheel enough that the tire was kissing the bottom of the front brake. 

With no front brake there is plenty of clearance for the 32mm tire.

So, I had to remove the front brake and I was able to leave the rear brake which has plenty of clearance. So, one brake should be fine. 

The bike appeared to be little used so the components left, like the bottom bracket and headset, appear to be fine. Also, as stated, these are all Shimano components and are well made being from the 600 group. Yes - this is the group with the fluted head set lock nut. I happen to have the wrench for it too! 

I can barely stand over the frame, but with its short top tube it seems a little cramped. I may have to look for a slightly longer stem. It has about a 90mm or 100mm at most on there. I doubt I'll find a seat post with more offset since it is a 26.6mm diameter.

You can see where the tire was rubbing the front brake

So, due to that the cockpit seems a bit cramped and maybe a tad too low and forward. That's common with many road bikes of this era. The Shogun is less that than some I've tried, and the slightly lower bottom bracket than some bikes I've tried helps here. 

I took the stock Shimano 600 pedals off and screwed in some flats. I removed the front brake and wire, the stock chain, (replaced with a cheapo Bell single speed 1 1/8th pitch chain. Gold in color though!) and I removed the outer 53T ring on the crankset. Otherwise the bike is stock. 

The Brooks Professional with big copper rivets was on it and in excellent condition. I left that on, naturally. I've ridden it all of a mile, so it will take some time to break it in. 

Okay, so that's the build and the story behind the bike. Now what? Well, I have to ride it some all over town to see what I might want changed, if anything, and whether or not this will work. I liked my old Raleigh Grand Prix fixed gear bike a lot, but I had a really sketchy rear wheel, a somewhat suspect front wheel, and it was flexy! I eventually scrapped that bike at the Collective a couple years ago, I think. This Shogun 1000 is Tange "2" double butted CroMo, so it stands to reason that it should be a bit stouter frame than the Raleigh had. 

The finish on the bike looks excellent for a bike that is likely 41 years old. (Based on the Shimano 600 components) The lugs are well executed and the head tube is painted in a complimentary color. The decals are not clear-coated, and it is also likely this was wet-painted and not powder coated. I barely wiped the frame off just to knock off a layer of dust and it looks magnificent. It should polish up well. 

But all that is a moot point if, like the Gravel Mutt v3 from last year, it doesn't fit or ride well. So, I have a plan to cruise the local bike paths and see what I think. If it is a failure I'm not out much money or time. In fact, the Brooks saddle makes it worth while right there. But if it does work out?  I'll have a fun fixed gear bike to run errands on, commute with, and just bomb around on anytime I need a fixed gear, well.....fix! 

Stay tuned....

Review: Twin Six Thermal Cargo Bib Knickers

 Note: The Twin Six Thermal Cargo Bib Knickers were purchased by Guitar Ted for reviewing on Guitar Ted Productions. Twin Six does not have any input on this review. All opinions are Guitar Ted's. 

Twin Six Thermal Cargo Bib Knickers (Image courtesy of Twin Six)

Like it or not, this warm Fall weather will soon turn to cooler, windier days and Winter won't be far behind. This means it is time to reach for layers, jackets, vests, and maybe some tights to cover the legs. One item I've always been envious of when I saw cyclists wearing them was the thermal bib knicker. A warmer, slightly less obtrusive choice versus bibs and tights, or the full-on bib tights which typically are really for very cold weather. 

Some call it "shoulder season" and I find this is the time of year when choosing what to wear can be tricky as days can start out cool and end up being fine and even hot by noon. Something that matches the 'inbetweeness' of the weather this time of the year in terms of apparel is always something I'm looking at to add to my arsenal of cycling gear. So, I finally bit on a pair of bib knickers from Twin Six. 

What It Is: The knicker part of this bit of apparel is easy to understand. Basically these are bib shorts that cover the knees and come down to the tops of your calf. You have the option of wearing longer socks for a fully covered from wind and cold take to allowing some skin to show with shorter socks for warmer weather and some cooling. The "thermal" bit is heavier weight, 230 gram thermal nylon/spandex material that is back-brushed to give it loft inside the garment. This traps air which helps you stay warmer. Here is the full-feature list off Twin Six's page for this product: 

• Mid-calf length
• Back brushed 230g thermal nylon / spandex body
• Ultra-thin stretchable flat-laying bib straps
• Laser perforated upper back
• Completely seamless form fitting men's chamois
• Reflective strips on each leg to increase low-light visibility
• Silicone grippers around your calves to keep everything in place

Now these knickers are also cargo carrying knickers. What does that mean? Pockets, that's what. You get two, one on each side of the thigh area, and these are good for a pair of gloves, a cell phone, gel packets, or maybe a credit card or a key. I've never had any bottoms with pockets in terms of bibs, so this will be my first go-round with anything like that. Thank "gravel" for this feature, by the way. 

The Thermal Cargo Bib Knickers come in seven sizes and retail for $160.00. 

First Impressions: Out of the box the Thermal Cargo Bib Knickers felt the part. I have had 'thermal' cycling wear before and these have that beefier feel to the material. The form-fitting chamois looked very nice and the ultra-flat bib straps feel stout and have a quality feel unlike some delicate bib straps I have on other bib tights from a well known company with a four letter name. 

Trying these on, I was happy with the fit I chose based upon Twin Six's guidelines on their site. By the way, they put a size chart in the item's gallery you are considering instead of making you go to another page. A nice touch that the Twin Six site has employed for years. 

The mid-calf length is great for longer socks and you can get 100% leg coverage with socks plus these knickers. I could have worn shorter socks had I wanted some bare skin as well. This opens up a lot of ways I can use these knickers in warm to pretty cold temperatures. 

The knickers are average as far as your "nature break" access goes. The straps are comfortable and do not pinch or bind in any way. They stayed put as well so I did not even notice them while riding. The chamois felt fine, but I'm reserving judgement on that until I can get a multi-hour ride in these knickers.

So Far.. Twin Six has continued to up their apparel game throughout the years and lately I feel their stuff has reached new highs of comfort and quality. These knickers seem to follow this trend. 

Again, I will have to come back with a final word after more time in the saddle. I also did not test the cargo feature with these knickers which I will have to get around to as well. I can say the pockets will easily swallow my iPhone 15, so they are big and capable of stuffing a pair of gloves in, for instance. 

I'll probably wait for several weeks before coming back with my final post on these knickers. But I expect that they will continue to impress and be much like the Twin Six Standard Super Thermal Jersey I reviewed HERE. In fact, I can't wait for it to cool off enough to pair these two garments together. 

Stay tuned.....

Review: Tifosi Moab Eyewear

 Note: Tifosi Optics sent the Moab model eyewear to Guitar Ted Productions at no charge for test/review. I am not being paid nor bribed for this review and all opinions expressed are my own. 

The Tifosi Optics Moab in the Sahara colorway.

Tifosi has been around quite a while now. I first came into contact with the brand when Tifosi sponsored the first Trans Iowa in 2005 by providing each entrant a free pair of glasses. Since then Tifosi has been a brand I have used off and on for my eye protection needs on the bike. Last year I was able to review their Rail model glasses, and now comes the brand new Moab model which I am reviewing here. 

What It Is: In typical Tifosi style, the Moab is available in several colors and with a couple of options in lenses including Fototec, Tifosi's photo-chromatic lens technology, Interchange, which includes three lenses for varying light conditions, and the Clarion lens which has a water repellent enhancement to prevent excessive moisture build-up. The frame is made of Gryllamid and has hydrophobic ear and nose pieces which get grippier with moisture build up and are also adjustable for a premium fit. The Polycarbonate lenses are scratch-resistant, shatterproof, and on the Moab, have ventilation spaces to allow for anti-fogging. The Moab weighs a claimed 31 grams and is recommended for Medium to Large faces. The price for the Moab is $79.95

The two optional lenses which come with the Interchange package.

I received the Interchange package with my Moab frames which includes a mirrored lens, a reddish colored lens called "Red AC", and the clear lens for night time or low-light conditions. 

The lenses are not too bad when it comes to exchanging them, but you will have to clean them each time you do this since it is nearly impossible not to switch lenses without touching them in the process. Fortunately Tifosi's included bag for the storage of the Moab doubles as a cleaning cloth. There is also a soft case in the box which you can stash the two unused lenses in, and which holds the Moab frames. 

Fit And Function: 

The Moab is a "sheild" style of eyewear that is popular these days with cyclists and the lens bridges across both eyes in one piece. This provides excellent peripheral vision without obstruction. I found I could only see tiny portions of the frame while wearing the Moab, despite its full-frame design, and even that was no distraction at all. 

The Moab looks okay on my large face, if I do say so myself. Others thought they looked good on me. So much for that. This doesn't matter while riding, really, but it was nice to know that people thought these enhanced my appeal, I suppose. 

As for riding, yes, they do the job. I did notice less air turbulence behind the lens and around my eyes. The day I tried these was a very windy one with gusts up to and over 30mph often during the ride. This did not deter the Moab in its mission to keep my eyes from dealing with that. Plus it was full-Sun out and the Moab did a bang-on job of helping me discern which lines were best in the gravel as I rode. 

The day also happened to be well into the 90's for temperature and the nose piece and ear pieces did their job of keeping the Moab on my face where I wanted the Moab to sit. No sliding down the nose at all. 

So Far... Tifosi does it again with a great style for cyclists and with their typical value-packed, feature-rich glasses. I do like this style of eyewear and it is nice to see it offered at a reasonable price. I'll be trying out the Red AC lens next and I expect similar results as I experienced with the Red AC lens in the Rail model last year. 

Stay tuned for a Final Word coming in a few weeks.