Alley Riding

A Waterloo, Iowa alley.

 A few days ago I received a comment on my last Country Views post concerning the amount of alleys Waterloo, Iowa has. Ironically this has been something I've been curious about for years. In fact, I have bounced the idea off N.Y. Roll for having a century ride on Waterloo's network of alleys. I was guessing there would be enough mileage in alleyways to pull such a feat off.

Well, this comment from last weekend spurred me into motion to actually do some research. And surprisingly it did not take long to dig up the answer. There was a Facebook post from the City of Waterloo speaking to alley maintenance. The question was asked and posted in the comment left by the social media person for the City. The mileage? 80.5 miles.  

So.....now what? This is the question.

Riding alleys is not a novel idea, and organized rides on alleys happen all the time. "Alleycats", fun rides, or other alley based riding is a big deal in some areas. Oddly enough, almost no one rides alleys here.

Our alleys make you feel as though you are kind of in someone's back yard. Almost in a trespassing kind of way. While alleys are public domain throughways, maintained by the City, many people see them as their personal driveways. They seem to consider you kind of like some intruder into their private space when they see you on a bicycle. So, in light of this unspoken feeling, I can see why cyclists avoid alleys.

Alleys are also rife with potholes, and most are not paved. There are dogs, usually on leashes or behind fences, and lots of cross streets to watch out for. Some alleys are paved, but usually these are cracked, full of bumps, and sometimes glass and garbage. Of course, given the choice to ride paved or unpaved surfaces, most people would choose pavement, not alleys. I'm not one of those people. 

In fact, I've made it a mission to understand the alleys and where they go here. I want to interconnect routes using mostly alleys, at any time I can, so I can stay off the streets. Seeing as how Waterloo has copious amounts of choices in alleys, especially in the older parts of the city I live in, this makes my riding a lot more interesting to me.

 So, I think this the ride of alleys is going to happen. I just need to sit down with a City map and decide what would be the best way to put together a ride and make it a metric century. I may do this on my old 29"er single speed, or use the new set up for the  Singular Buzzard bike and make it a test ride as well. But whatever the bike, I think this ride needs to happen this year.

Stay tuned.... 

I've found long stretches of uninterrupted alley routes, and secret sections which are fun to explore at times. I do purposeful alley rides where I try to do as much alleyway as possible.  

Gravel Grinder News: Pinarello Announces New Dogma GR, Grevil F Gravel Bikes

NOTE: All imagery and information in this article were provided by Pinarello.

The new Dogma GR kitted out with accessory items available separately. 

 Pinarello has announced today their two all - new gravel bikes: The race oriented Dogma GR and the long-distance expert, Grevil F. These two new bicycles are solutions to what Pinarello believes are the needs for the "three types of gravel racing" which are prevalent today.

Pinarello's Philosophy on Gravel: The video presentation for these two bicycles included a statement from the presenter which I found striking. He stated this: "Gravel is a bit of a mess." Which is an interesting viewpoint coming from an Italian spokesperson representing this brand. A brand noted for participation in high-level road and MTB racing across Europe and the world. While I'mnot quite sure what to make of this statement, the presenter did go on to detail what Pinarello sees as what is going on in competitive gravel now, which is relevant to why they produced two different bicycles for gravel.

Three Types: The presentation indicated there are three different types of categories for gravel racing. One is what Pinarello calls "Fast Gravel". This would include mostly shorter, UCI type events, but also Unbound as well. (Which shows the two differing views of what a "premier gravel event should look like, which may explain the "mess" comment)  Pinarello developed the new Dogma GR to address this sort of racing.

Then Pinarello feels there is a category of gravel event which is termed "Light Gravel". A more relaxed event, say like an Eroica gravel event, or gravel fondo. Following this, their view of a third category is what Pinarello calls "Trail Gravel". A more mountain bike influenced gravel riding which could include bike packing, longer distances, and very different needs as compared to "Fast Gravel". Pinarello addresses these events with the Grevl F model. 

The Grevil F set up with Pinarello accessories sold separately. 

Looking at gravel events in this manner, Pinarello asls the rider, "How long do you want to ride?" Longer than five hours? The bicycle for you would be the Grevil F. Shorter than five hour rides are the Dogma GR's range.

If terrain is more the defining parameter, then looking at tire clearances may help. The Dogma GR is relegated to a 45mm front/42mm rear fitment while the Grevil F expands clearance to 50mm front and rear.

Dogma GR:

Now for the finer points of each model. The Dogma GR uses the latest carbon technology for the frame in Pinarello's M40X material. Using this to its optimum, Pinarello has made what they claim to be the lightest gravel racing frame on the market at a claimed 960 grams with a complete bike weight, using SRAM Red, Princeton Grit 45/40 wheels, and 40mmVittoria tires weighing in at a claimed 7.35kg/ 16.20lbs. 

Dogma GR with Gravel TT bars and Bento bag

Aerodynamics are important with this design. Pinarello uses a "nosed" and tapered head tube along with hidden through axle ends on the Onda fork to improve aero efficiencies. The accessory Bento top tube bag mounts with bolts and is optimized to sit without interfering with the rider's pedaling motion and be aero as well. An Aero Load System in-frame storage bag also optimizes space and allows the rider to carry a flat repair system. Both the Bento Bag and in-frame storage bag are included in the claimed frame weight, but must be purchased separately.

Further considerations for aero efficiencies are noted in the handle bar, which Pinarello calls "Talon Ultra-fast GR". It has 7° of flare and inward bend to help optimize rider aero positioning. This can be enhanced by the separately available Gravel TT aero bars which attach via two mounting points molded into the Talon Ultra-fast GR handlebar.

Rider comfort is also a consideration at Pinarello. The Adaptive Seat Post on the Dogma GR has up to 8mm of flex while the Onda fork on the Dogma GR has been optimized for handling and vertical compliance using a 50mm offset and special lay-up of the carbon material.

Dogma GR is available in nine sizes and three colors with a SRAM group (Shimano available only in Europe) at $14,500.00 USD. A frame-only option exists for the Dogma GR at approximately $7,825.00, but it is unclear as to whether this is EU only or available in the USA as well. 

Pinarello Grevil F

Grevil F:

The Grevil F differs in several ways from the Dogma GR. The obvious tire clearances aside, the Grevil F has a sharper focus on rider comfort and handling in rougher terrain.

The Grevil F series is also the most affordable in Pinarello's gravel range with five different spec'ed models available. Starting with the Grevil F3 at  #3,700.00 USD. (Note, The Grevil F1 is not available in the US) The top of the range Grevil F9 is $11,000.00 USD. No frame set option is listed in the press release for the Grevil F series.

The Grevil F frame is optimized for comfort by use of three different types of Toray carbon fiber. Pinarello employs the T-900. T-700, and T-600 series in differing layers and areas of the frame to achieve the best balance of traction, rider comfort, and stiffness with a view toward competition and riding in longer events than five hours, and even for multi-day tours or events. 

The rider comfort is further addressed with the "Twin Arm" chain stays and seat stays along with a claimed 10mm of compliance coming from the Adaptive Seat Post. Furtermore; the redesigned Onda fork, available in two, size-specific offsetys of 50mm and 55mm, is optimized for compliance and vibration reduction. This fork also features three-boss mounting points for water bottles or other accessories on each fork leg.

Grevil F shown with separately available accessories from Pinarello.

 The Grevil F can be accessorized with the same Gravel TT aero bars as the Dogma GR which also attach via two mounting points in the handlebar. The same Bento top tube bag exists for the Grevil F as well as a new., aero 1.5L frame bag. A rear aero bike rack and trunk bag round out the offerings for storage. The Grevil F also features the Aero-load down tube storage cavity, which is also a feature of the Dogma GR.

The Grevil F is also optimized for longer times in the saddle by way of its geometry, which Pinarello says is 1cm longer in the top tube for each size, which requires a slightly shorter stem to be utilized. The bottom bracket area also has been tweaked along with the aforementioned Twin-Arm stays.  

Thanks to Pinarello for the information and images used in this article.  

Friday News And Views

 Note: This edition of the "FN&V" will be a bit of a 'catching up' due to not having a FN&V last week. Some of the 'news' will be a bit older than usual as a result..

A view of the inner workings of an Ochain unit (Image courtesy of Ochain)

Last week SRAM announced the acquisition of MTB component maker, Ochain. The company is well-established in the down hill and enduro circuits. Their claim to fame is a device which decouples the direct interface between a chain ring and chain. The Ochain device allows for a certain degree of rotation of the chain ring without the crank moving, thus allowing full-suspension bikes to achieve a more efficient and 'chain free' operation.

Ochain is a device which solves the age-old problem of suspension 'kick-back' and makes suspension work 'freer' due to the decoupling aspect. SRAM claims the Ochain device results in a 'calmer and quieter' bike.

Comments: SRAM has, in the past, filed various patents on chain ring design to address various aspects of 1X drive trains and suspension use. None of which, to my knowledge, have come to see the light of day....yet. However; it is interesting to note SRAM's history of innovation by acquisition. Ochain being the latest brand to be acquired by SRAM. Many people forget SRAM bought brands like Rock Shox, Sachs, (thus bringing chains into their catalog), and TIME (for pedals), along with Hammerhead for GPS/controller duties.

I doubt SRAM will sit with Ochain only being used for MTB and full-sus e-Bikes. I look for some sort of further development to make this acquisition more versatile. Just what may come of this should be interesting. 

Image courtesy of Wheels MFG.

Wheels MFG Announces New Single Speed Kit For Hyperglide:

Wheels Manufacturing announced last week that their Solo Cog single speed kit will be available for Shimano HG style free hubs on August 22nd, 2025. The SOLO HG Single Speed Kit will be available in various anodized colors. This kit will have several spacers for centering your cog, or Wheels MFG Solo Cogs, which will be sold separately.

Both the kit and the cogs are machined from aluminum. The spacers are from 6061 aluminum and the cogs from 7075 series aluminum. The spacer kit, which comes with a color-matched lock ring, goes for $51.9 USD.

The Solo Cogs come in 16T, 18T, and 20T for now with more sizes promised. These cogs are going for $46.99 each USD. 

Comments: At $99.00 for the full set of spacers, lock ring, and cog, this is not a "cheap" option. (You can get a Surly spacer kit and cog for around $75.00 - $80.00), but it is in line with others I can find in aluminum and anodized hues. 

Image courtesy of Ortlieb

Ortlieb Announces New "Quick Rack" System:

If you have a bike which you'd like to have a rack on, but only occasionally, or a bike that doesn't have rack mounts, you might want to check out Ortlieb's new Quick Rack. 

This rack attaches via a unique collar and axle attachment design, (please click the link for details) and Ortlieb claims this can be installed in fifteen seconds. So, an applicable solution for anyone who may need a rack at a moments notice.

With a load capacity of 44lbs, and ability to accept any of Ortlieb's bags for rear racks, this seems like a pretty cool way to add some versatility to a bike you use for any mission.

The Quick Rack sells for $130.00 USD.

Comments: At first I thought this rack attached with an ordinary alloy type seat post collar, but it is not anything like this. (Again, check Ortlieb's site for details) I'm in a situation where I do not have to rely on one or two bicycles for everything, but, if I were in this sort of situation, the Quick rack might come in pretty handy.

I cannot vouch for the incredible quick change out time, but even if it took three times as long, it would be a pretty easy to consider swap, in my opinion. The only other curious thought I have here is if this would be a steady enough platform to rely upon for commutes, or errands, or even touring.

Rough Stuff MTB Rally:

Wilde Bicycle Company is sponsoring the Rough Stuff Rally August 1 -3, 2025 at Copper Harbor, Michigan. Jeffrey Frane, of Wilde Bicycle Company has this to say about the festival:

 "The Rally is two days of riding, revelry, and community on some of the best trails in the world. Friday we have shuttle runs from 4-8pm accessing legendary trails such as The Flow, Danimal, and Overflow followed by a bluff top sunset Happy Hour. Saturday is the main event, a 22 or 43mile loop of the trail system taking in a highlight reel of singletrack followed by a gourmet dinner at the Campground hosted by Chef Adam Blake with bonfire, music and free refreshments from Fat Tire to follow." 

Interested? Registration is open now and you can join in for $120.00. by checking in HERE. Entry gets you free shuttle service on Friday, an event t-shirt, an stocked aid station on Saturday, the free meal, and free refreshments Friday night and Saturday night. 

A schedule of events for the Rally can be found HERE. 

Image courtesy of Surly Bikes.

Surly Shows Updated Ogre:

Surly Bikes showed on Thursday an update to their Ogre 29" inch wheeled commuter/bike packing bike. With tire clearance for 29" X 2.5" tires, or 27.5" X 2.8" tires (with fenders!!), this bike could be a very versatile bike in a person's bike stable. Or it easily could be your only bike.

As one might expect from Surly, the Ogre has a plethora of mounts, is Rohloff compatible, and has a mount for Surly's own Bill or Ted trailer. This version of the Ogre is in a hue Surly calls "Orlock's Shadow". Se mor about the Ogre and other surly products by clicking the link HERE. 

Comments: The Ogre has, in my opinion, "old school" 29"er geometry. If it looks like the front end has been pushed in, this is because the Ogre has a 72° head tube angle, which most 29"er's haven't used for well over a decade now. Not that this is "bad", but it is unique now in 2025. 

This Ogre reminds me a lot of what a modernized version of my 2003 Karate Monkey would maybe look like. It even is close to the same color, which is Campstove Green. So, the comparison is easier for me to make, I suppose. 
 

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! NOTE: A press release from Pinarello will be featured at 7;30am CST today here. Stay tuned...

Lost In The Transaction

The reasons we rode gravel are now ghosts of the past.

 I was in line at the Post Office the other day waiting to drop off a package to be shipped. A couple of people were ahead of me. One man. a tall, thin, athletic looking older gentleman, had on a t-shirt with a small logo on the back. I recognized it as the Life Time logo and just underneath it was the Unbound logo.

I smiled, thinking about how I was a part of what made the Unbound event what it is today. Then I started thinking about how that seminal, top-tier gravel event no longer represents what it did 20 years ago. 

Of course, I know why this is, and I just enjoyed the memories I have of what it was which motivated us back then.. Things this man ahead of me at the Post Office that morning likely does not know about, or care to know about.  And why should he? Gravel is big business now in cycling. It is a UCI recognized sport, and there is a UCI "World Champion" in gravel racing now with events spread across the entire globe. The gentleman probably thinks this is normal. It is how it is. Right? Why should he, or anyone who attends a UCI gravel event, or who reads the cycling internet sites, or attends Unbound, think otherwise.

It is dangerous for me to write about things concerning gravel riding and racing in 2025 because most folks coming across these thoughts probably have a completely different viewpoint than I do. And my viewpoint is unique in that I am looking at gravel events and modern day gravel cycling from "the beginning', so to speak. In other words, I have two decades of perspective on this sport. If you've been riding gravel for five years, or ten, your perspective is going to be quite a bit different. I understand this: Many people reading my perspectives may think I'm crazy.

I've recounted this story a few times here before, but I will risk one more retelling, since it has relevance to this subject. Many years ago, Joel Dyke, one of the co-founders of the event which became Unbound and a Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame member, emailed me after he had stepped away from the event. He was encouraging me to stick to my way of doing Trans Iowa, the gravel event I used to promote and produce. Trans Iowa was free to enter, self-supported, and ultra-distance with hard time cut-offs. We had no "podium" awards ceremonies, no prize money to 'winners', and no finish line furnishings or hoopla. The entire reason Trans Iowa existed was to be an alternative to what racing had become. An alternative to just focusing on "the Winner" and disregarding all other competitors. At Trans Iowa, if you even lined up to start, you won.

Joel knew this, and his event he started with Jim Cummings, (again - why isn't Jim in the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame?), was like Trans Iowa in the beginning, but it "grew" and changed, and well, Joel finally had had enough of that. Joel messaged me, as I said, and stated that "...when the money comes into it, it will ruin gravel."

UCI Gravel Worlds (Image courtesy of the UCI)

Ruin? Well......c'mon! I mean, look what we have now. Gravel tires, bicycles, gear, and even gravel specific bibs, for cryin' out loud! How would we have any of this without gravel cycling becoming a money-making machine? Who would invest their time doing anything for gravel cycling unless they could make a living out of it?

Well, I don't know.......ask me. I can tell you how that works. But I'm not like most people, so I understand.

But was Joel correct in his prophecy? Can we look around and see how "gravel is ruined", or is it at the pinnacle of cycling in terms of popularity? I would say it is a pretty big deal now, and thanks to gravel being big business for this. So, "ruin" in terms of the overall impacts of gravel, yeah.... This sport has put a LOT of people on bicycles, so just from this standpoint, I think the prophecy is not correct. But this is not the only way to look at what gravel has become.

There has always been something about what Joel emailed me which stuck with me though. In the context of what gravel cycling once was, and where it is now? Maybe there is something to this "prophecy" which is true.

I always felt what he meant, and in my heart, I knew something was right about what Joel, and to be honest, many others, were saying back then. Gravel cycling was done for many reasons, but there was an element of gravel cycling which was unique, had nothing to do with who crossed a line first, and was something which any person could experience, whether they were blessed with a top-tier athletic ability or not at all. 

Recently, a press release and an old public television episode helped me make sense of these feelings.

The press release came from a European cycling brand. They sent out a press release about their athlete's experiences at the 2025 Unbound event. I got eight seconds in before I stopped and sat aghast at what I had heard. I assumed this was from their male athlete in the event. His quote was this: "I don't think there is any reason to come here (Unbound) unless you have a chance to win the race".

Spoiler alert, this athlete did not win. (At least his name did not pop up in results for winners of Unbound) So......I guess he shouldn't come back again and this year was a waste? Admittedly, there could be something worthwhile about this person's experiences which came out through the video, but I couldn't get past those first eight seconds. I had heard enough. And this is why it is dangerous for me to write about this sort of thing. 

Here is another quote. This time from a person who had ultra-distance cycling experience and knew competitive cycling norms from before 2010. His name, Jeff Frings. He filmed and produced the award winning documentary, "300 Miles of Gravel", which Iowa Public Television picked up on when they ran a portion of this film and interviewed Jeff about it. 

Image courtesy of Mondraker Bicycles.

Jeff was struck by Gravel Cycling Hall of Famer, Cory, "Cornbread" Godfrey's efforts in Trans Iowa v7, the version of Trans Iowa Jeff filmed. In describing this effort, Jeff asked some questions which summed up the very reasons all of us engaged in gravel cycling events in the early days of gravel. He said, "Can I finish this? Can I push myself beyond what I thought I could do?"

Looking at gravel cycling in this way, if you simply engaged in the activity, you were "winning". It did not matter who crossed a line, as long as it was a line you didn't think was possible for you to cross. This made gravel events inclusive of everyone. All bodies, all levels of fitness and talents. It did not matter a whit what bicycle you had as long as it was what made you happy and successful in reaching goals for yourself, or going beyond those to reach points you never dreamed of before.

So, was Joel right in this view of things? I think we have lost something here in 2025. We've exchanged a personal growth aspect to attain a business growth aspect. We've left the focus on "everyone" and focused on the riders so talented we could never hope to be like them. Where does this leave us who cannot attain to such heights?

Well, maybe you have no reason to come "here" (grave cycling) anymore. This wasn't how things used to be though.

pfft! I probably should watch the end of that video.....but I probably won't. 

A Pictorial Review Idea

During the Tree In The Road Ride a discussion of an idea from Jason Boucher came up which I thought might make for a good event, and maybe more. The idea would be to present a photographic review of Trans Iowa's history. 

Now, before we get too excited here, let's consider a few things. First off, there are several image takers which would have to be consulted and to get permissions from before any sort of show or more could be considered. Just to give you an idea, there are nine major contributors to Trans Iowa's imagery and several minor contributors. That's a LOT of permissions and editing to cull the best shots for any sort of showing.

I have well over 1,000 images alone which I have collected from those nine individuals, including my own, and from other minor contributors. To say that there is a wealth of images is not an understatement. Plus, I know there are thousands  of images no one has seen but the image takers themselves.

Wally Kilburg accounts for a vast amount of iconic T.I. Images. 

One snag is the fact that Wally Kilburg is no longer with us, and getting permissions for using his imagery, or even accessing it, is a big hurdle to overcome as of now.

I know Wally would be 100% all-in on this idea, but we cannot ask him anymore, so without those images, I'd be rather reticent to pursue the idea at all. Wally would have to be represented in anything like this idea.

Then you have a venue, a space to hold an event like this in, and what does this entail? Yeah, not totally insurmountable, but you all know if we picked a site there would be cries of it being unfair to those far away. Plus, any date chosen would be a big snag with several folks as well. Personally, I don't care about those two issues, because there is an inevitability about any of those two things. It will happen no matter what we do, so whatever.... 

It's a nice idea, but it wouldn't be easy to pull off. Maybe we would have to do some kind of a book to make it worthwhile, and this would complicate things further, but I know making money off this would be something some of the contributors would want to see happen to make it worth their time and efforts. Plus, you have to recognize the talent and product realized by these artists. Would this idea work if it could result in a coffee table type book? Maybe.

Look, I have no clear idea for this, and it is just an idea now. If enough folks wanted to see it happen, maybe the effort would be worth the time. I really do not know. It would have to be a collaborative effort, because I just do not see myself pulling this off alone. So, this really is not up to my decision. Plus, the whole thing with getting nine entities/people to enter into a collaborative agreement. That's a big ask.

But....I thought I'd throw it out there. You never know unless you try, even if it is just throwing something out to see what sticks. And maybe nothing will come of this. I'm good either way. 

Crazy Idea: Update

Back in mid-June I showed you dear readers this "sketch" I had for the old Singular Buzzard. If you missed the introduction to my nutty thoughts, you can go back and read them HERE. 

The short story, in case you don't go back to read the first post on this, is that I wanted to rebuild the Buzzard, but not as a trail bike. I am going with a "bikepacking/Pugsley" idea, where the rear and front wheels will be interchangeable.

The first order of business was to rebuild the single speed rear hub I have, which was laced to a 26" Marge Lite rim, as seen in the image above/left here. (depending on which platform you are viewing the blog on)

Then, since I wanted to reuse the On One Chunky Monkey 29" x 2.4" tires, I had to clean out all the old sealant. Let me tell you, there was a lot of 'skin to peel' off! But it came out swell, and the tire looked great, even if it is about a dozen years old! By the way, I will have to do the same with the rear, but I haven't gotten around to it quite yet.

With the tire cleaned up, and the 29" Dually rim rebuilt onto the single speed hub, I had to re-tape the rim, and I decided that for now I would insert a tube. This will press the tape down nice and evenly onto the rim's inner walls, and suffice for the time being to test out the idea. If things pan out, I will set up the bike tubeless, or maybe I'll go TPU. We will see when, and if, I get to this point what I decide.
 

The second mock-up looks more promising. I think I am warming up to this idea!

So there is what I have so far. I like what I am seeing now much better. A few points to note here:

• The seat height is correct, so I am happy with the saddle-to-bar drop I am seeing without adding more spacers. The fact that this fork was made for a first generation titanium Mukluk helps in that the steer tube was extra long.
• Speaking of that Enabler fork, this is the key to the entire idea being worthwhile, in my opinion. The context here is that Salsa, for better or worse, based the first iterations of their fat bike on the Surly Pugsley, which had as one of its central ideas the interchangeable front and rear wheel feature. This was done to allow for a "bail-out" option where a failed derailleur or frozen up free hub could be swapped out as an entire wheel assembly for your front wheel which would have a single speed free wheel mounted, or a fixed cog. (Or if you went with only a rear brake, both fixed and free wheel single speed options!)  This meant that the Enabler fork was designed with a 135mm, rear brake specific, quick release drop out spacing. The same as the rear of the Singular Buzzard. 
• The Velo Orange Utility Bar and Utility Rack will be utilized for water bottle mounts as well as cargo-carrying duties. The original set up on the Buzzard was predicated on a MTB usage which was based upon the assumption a rider would be using a hydration pack. This one-bottle set up was not going to cut it as a bikepacking rig, so the additional capacity for the Utility Bar and Rack to handle water bottles is a boon here. Obviously the Enabler Fork also adds two water bottle mounts. So water carrying needs are all covered here.
• I will make use of a Topeak rear seat bag/dry bag carrier for more cargo capacity when necessary. I will also be looking to add a "gas tank" style top tube bag.
• The drive train will be a 2X 11 speed set up utilizing an XTR shifter and  rear derailleur which I was gifted by N.Y. Roll. (The current STX rear mech will be replaced). 

There will be a lot of details to take care of before I get this thing up and running, so I am far from the finish line with this project. However; I am encouraged by the outcome so far. If you have any comments or suggestions, I would welcome them.

Stay tuned.... 

WTB Solano Saddle Review: Final Verdict

 Note: WTB sent two Solano saddles to Guitar Ted Productions at no cost for test and review. WTB has not paid for, nor bribed Guitar Ted for these reviews. All opinions and images, unless noted, belong to Guitar Ted/Guitar Ted Productions.

The time has arrived to render a final verdict on the WTB Solano saddles I was sent to review. The opening review with all the technical data and first impressions was posted HERE and the first follow-up after this can be seen HERE. 

In this final post in this reveiw I will give my final thoughts on the Solano and also I will pass along what I have heard from N.Y. Roll who is using the Solano SL, which was sent to me in a wider size than I typically use.

A Bit Of A Surprise:

On my final 3.5 hr ride I did before this final review I stopped about seven miles in to rest and have a "nature break" when I realized I was numb in the groin area. I had not ever experienced this with the Solano, and it alarmed me. Just to be clear, there had been no change in the seat position at all.

What may be even more surprising is that for the remainder of the ride I was fine. No numbness at all once I had walked it off at my first stop. I can only point to the bibs I was wearing as a possibility for the initial numbness as I had not used those Summer-weight GORE bibs with this saddle until that last ride. 

This experience was baffling, so I am not quite sure what to make of it other than perhaps it was an anomaly. Yet I thought it was worth mentioning. I can say the first miles were all done grinding into a stiff 20mph wind, and completely seated with no relief from standing. Again, it wasn't as though I hadn't ridden this saddle that way before, so it was a mystery to me as to what happened there.

N.Y. Roll, on the other hand, had nothing but praise for the Solano SL he is using. I would probably not ever get it back unless I pried it from his hands.. So, I think it is safe to say the wider Solano SL fits him quite well.

Final Verdict: The Solano SL seems to (mostly) be a fine gravel saddle on my rides. I never had any kind of irritations or hot-spot issues at all. There was the odd situation detailed above. Other than this, I do like the saddle quite a bit.

It is better than the WTB Gravelier, at least in how it fits my anatomy. The Gravelier was always a saddle which I never quite felt 100% great on. It was a saddle I waffled on as far as being one I would stick with or take off. So far, it has stayed on the bike. The Solano will likely stay on also, unless I have more issues with numbness, which I do not anticipate.  

Weekly Top Five

 Welcome to the weekly Top Five" showing links to five of the week's most read articles on the blog.
Sometimes those will be current posts, but sometimes not. I will also post commentary with perspective on some of the older posts, and try to give some context as to why I wrote what I wrote then, which may not reflect what I'd say in 2025. With all of the above said, here is this week's list.

Riders L-R: Guitar Ted, Matt Will, Matt Gersib Image by Jason Boucher

 The Tree In The Road Ride Report: Technical Snafus & Heat - Tuesday July 1st, 2025 - The meat of the report from the Tree In The Road Ride saw a lot of interest. I was a bit surprised by this, to be honest. 

Gear Review From The TITRR & Final Thoughts - Wednesday, July 2nd, 2025 -  I almost didn't write this post because I thought there would be little interest in what I used and what I thought about those things and the ride. I guessed wrong. I am happy I posted it now!

Tips On Dealing With The Mighty Red Winged Blackbird: Thursday July 9th, 2020 - I was thinking about this post on my July 4th ride this year. I was remarking to myself how the Red Winged Blackbirds are not so aggressive this year. Have I jinxed myself? 

The Open Source Naming Project: Tuesday September 24th, 2013 - Here's a sometimes top-fiver which pops up now and again. It is about what we should have called "gravel bikes" instead of "gravel bikes".  

Some Thoughts On 2025 Eurobike Trends: Thursday July 3rd, 2025 -  My opinions about things which will affect cyclists going forward which were shown at Eurobike recently. 

That's it for this week. Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! 

Country Views: July 4th, 2025

Escape Route: Waterloo's vast alley network

I've been doing "July 4th" rides for as many years as this blog has been around, I think. So, of course, I was out again this year.

It was a 'firecracker' day, for sure, with temperatures in the upper 80's. This was cooler than last week's Tree In The Road Ride, however, the humidity was worse, so it felt almost exactly the same.

Now, it was July 4th, so I wore my ancient Stars and Stripes jersey and a new-to-me cycling hat which was in a red, white, and blue theme. You know, it is weird how some folks in the cycling community are against whatever they are against, and this may mean they won't celebrate something like the 4th of July. You know, the alternative scenario for us here isn't known. Can't be. But I'd wager it wouldn't be as good. Probably worse. And this is our country. Not perfect, by any means, but with so many people trying to get here, it must not be all that bad either.

Something to think about, anyway, and that is all I have to say here about this. 

The route was the anticlockwise Tour of Southern Black Hawk County. Seeing as how the winds were out of the Southwest, this made sense to me to go South first, then East. So that is what I did.

First quick rest stop about seven miles in.

There used to be two cool old barns here. Now it is just another nondescript corner.

The wind was pretty stiff at around 20mph. There was almost no clouds. The Sun was heating things up, but I seemed to be doing okay. I was concerned because ever since the Tree In The Road Ride my legs have been in some form of pain. One day my hamstrings were sore. The next day it would be my glutes. Then another day my knees were sore. Weird! Of course, I was riding a little every day and many days on a fixed gear.

There used to be a home here. All that is left is the swing set and flowers someone planted years ago. 

I stopped again at the intersection of Aker and Quarry Road to stretch. I was riding my Honeman Flyer single speed. This bike is weird, and I shouldn't like it as much as I do, but I love getting out on it. There is a certain smoothness to this bike which is just great, and the stability of the bike is good. This means it doesn't get pinged around on chunky, loose gravel and it mostly allows me to ride whatever line I want regardless of the state of the gravel. 

I know I said Friday I was going to ride my red, white, and blue Tamland, but the siren song of the single speed won me over.  

The corn is about as high as usual. I didn't think it would get there, but it did!

Black Hawk County views may not be as good as Cass and Audubon County views, but I'll take it. 

Once I started East up Quarry Road, I noticed a set of bicycle tracks meandering along on the same side of the road as I was on. The tires looked bigger. Maybe 650B's or fat 700's. Whatever size they were, they were fairly fresh. Probably they were laid down earlier on the 4th, or maybe on the evening of the 3rd, but no older than this. I kept wondering who these tracks were laid down by. My bet was Tom, but it could have been anyone. 

I did not see the bird here in this image until I got home and was processing the images I took. 

 

A surprising number of people walk gravel. Maybe I should start a site called "Walking Gravel"!

Eventually the rider I was tracking must have turned aside as the tracks ceased to exist on Quarry Road. Oh well! It was fun while it lasted. Just about this time I ran across a set of tracks left by a walker. I actually saw a few folks out walking on this ride. This is not totally uncommon either. I think there are more folks walking gravel than we might think. 

This place is always neat as a pin.

Now this is an impressive "grass farmer". Look at the size of this mown field!

Farmers love to either have a wild, unkempt appearance to their lands or they seem to manicure the living daylights out of their homestead. I never could understand why some mow such huge tracts of tillable land. Why not grow something and make a bit more money off of it? Perhaps allow it to be pasture for some farm animals. But to mow these huge tracts of land is doing what? Taking up a lot of resources, I would say.

 

Foulk Road is really pretty flat. You have to pedal every inch of it.

Heading back toward Waterloo, I was still having some assistance via the quartering tailwind, so it was not as bad as it could be with this route. Foulk Road is one of those roads you get no relief from. Pedal, pedal, pedal. It is flat and coasting is rare. But the tailwind helped and at least the road wasn't super-chunky as it has been in recent years. 

A random American flag was spotted just down from the intersection with Foulk Road and East Schrock Road.

A 'detour' for some Level B road action.

Once I got back to more urban areas, I went on a bit of a lollipop route to take in the dirt of McKeller and Weiden Roads. The irrigated field on McKellar has some monster-sized corn this year! I was thinking it may have been the tallest I'd seen all day. Then I went and road down Weiden Road's Level B section, which takes you to Washburn. From there I went down the blacktop East to catch Golinvaux Road. This then looped me back toward Evansdale.

 

Weiden Road looking South.

Golinvaux Road looking North.

I ended up back home after 3.5 hours and I wasn't too bad as far as being whooped goes. I did double up on dosage with electrolytes this time, and I was sweating a LOT. It was soooo humid Friday! I was wishing I would have brought gloves or that I had worn Sun-sleeves as my sweat was making my grip compromised. I also wished I had brought something to eat as I was bonking by the time I reached the house. A bite or two of chicken kabob and some chocolate milk later and I was all fixed up.

It was a great way to celebrate my freedom to ride and my thankfulness for this country.  

Happy 4th of July!

Man high by the 4th of July!

 Happy 4th of July! 

 There will be no FN&V today as it is the 4th of July in the USA. Look for a return of that venerable series coming next week.

Hopefully today I am out riding to celebrate the fact I can ride and ride free. I hope wherever you are that you can get out and spin some pedals as well.

Look for a detailed ride report to come on Monday. most likely. I have a modest plan for a ride and hope to accomplish it on my red, white, and blue Raleigh Tamland Two, of course.

Thank you for checking in here at Guitar Ted Productions! 

Some Thoughts On 2025 Eurobike Trends

Image courtesy of PandaPodium

 Eurobike just happened in Franfurt, Germany. I watched the news and went through a few videos to see what the vibe was from the show floor. As always, there is a lot of stuff you and I will never see outside the walls of Eurobike. However, there were a few things which caught my eyes and one thing I've heard from a credible source which may have impacts on our cycling futures.

Stringy Spokes: 

First is fiber-based spokes for wheels. Now Berd has been at this the longest, unless you want to talk about Spinergy, which would be a credible argument. But yeah, those two companies are the first to really put fibrous spokes on the map.

Now the Chinese companies are bringing in competition for this market, which was seen at the latest Taipei Cycle Show. Goosyn, as an example, has a fibrous spoke product which seems to be very derivative of Berd's design. There were others on offer there as well.

But the Eurobike show has me thinking this fiber spoke trend is about to take off. I say this because one You Tube video I saw showed Sapim fiber spokes. Sapim is a big player in bicycle spokes, so if they have a fiber spoke product hitting the market, you can bet we are going to see it spec'ed as stock on some brand's bicycles soon enough. So, this is a trend now and I think you are going to see a lot more of the fiber spoked wheels in the future. 

Will The Real Wagon Wheels For Bikes Please Stand Up! 

Image courtesy of Dirty Sixer

Gary Fisher was spouting off on social media during Eurobike on the 32" wheels for MTB and gravel. He claims he has a design for a MTB which would fit 32" wheels that would work for a 5'5" human. 

Now......that's something I'd have to see, but despite my doubts, there are no doubts regarding 32" wheels and the industry's buzz behind the scenes concerning this monster wheel.

I have spoken with a person who has ridden these bigger big wheels and the reaction was somewhat positive. Let's say "guarded optimism" was the feeling I got from this person's take on the 32's. This probably will supplant the WTB 750D idea which seems dead in the water now. 

As I stated earlier this year when news of a Maxxis Aspen 32" tire came out: If Maxxis is making this, then it will become available to the public on a name-brand bike you know. Stay tuned on this one.....

T-47 Rules: 

Image courtesy of Chris King

 T-47 bottom brackets have been around a while already, but I noted many newer bicycles being shown at Eurobike are being designed to utilize this standard.

The larger bore diameter over most other bottom brackets not only provides a better environment for bearings, (unless you are using DUB), and it also allows larger bearings to be used. It also makes for a stiffer junction for chain stays, down tube, and seat tube. 

PF-30's were based on this idea, except there were no threads, because, well, it was easier/cheaper for manufacturers to make frames without precise machined and threaded bottom bracket shells. But the creaking which resulted from this made PF-30 a byword amongst mechanics and some riders for years.  

I've got no beef with T-47's as long as the shells are threaded and machined, or have a threaded shell molded into the frame, in the case of carbon fiber. Press-fit or Thread-together styles just are not necessary. I mean, it is the entire point for having T-47's anyway. Now if SRAM would just make DUB a little smaller so we can have real-world sized bearings, that would be great. 

Integrated Everything? 

Image courtesy of Winspace

Integration is a trend in cycling with the most obvious things having to do with aerodynamics. Bars, stems, and cables are all affected by this integration of components and aero concerns.

Well, we've seen one instance of a flat bar, fully-integrated set up shown before, but I've heard this will be pushed to new limits by a major brand sooner than later with a fully integrated drop bar set up.

All components: Stem, bar, and levers- will be integrated into a single, I assume carbon fiber, component which will have its main focus being on aero. I wouldn't at all be surprised if a GPS head unit is part of this integration as well. (There was a company at Eurobike showing their own computer embedded into an integrated flat bar component, so it is a thing) 

I know......I can hear the hue and cry from bike-fitters and mechanics already. 

Image courtesy of Cervelo

Gravel Bikes At The Show:

A pre-show press release from Eurobike stated that this year would be heavy with gravel bikes. From every outlet I saw, this seemed to hold up. Gravel bikes are being offered by almost every bicycle brand now. Not only is this seemingly true, but the category isn't being taken lightly. The bikes I was able to see online are deeply technical, high end, and meant for a purpose - Either for Pro level racing, or adventure. In either case, aerodynamics are a big theme with the gravel bikes seen at Eurobike.

All the latest aero road bike trends are now found on gravel bikes as well. Deep profile carbon aero rims, aero handle bars, and frames optimized for slicing through the air were seen in Frankfurt. This trend will infiltrate all levels of gravel bikes going forward. 

Aero touches all aspects of modern gravel bike frames and forks now with completely hidden cables, hidden seat binders, and forks which blend in at the crown seamlessly into the down tube shapes. I also noted aero water bottle solutions are again being pushed for the top-tier gravel racing bikes.

The adventure gravel segment can easily be spotted by the appearance of the "triple-boss" mounts on forks. Credit to Salsa Cycles for their early use of this idea as now it is ubiquitous on any gravel bike meant for ultra-distance, bikepacking, or adventure. Of course, other accessory mounts abound on these bicycles as well. Both types of gravel bikes are also sporting in-tube down tube storage if they are made with carbon frames. It seems any bicycle without this feature is missing a trick.

Also noted: BIG tires are a theme with most showing 700 X 45mm tires and up. I recall when I was running 700 X 43mm Gravel Kings and people telling me I was running tires which were too wide! Now it seems 45mm is the new "gravel skinny". I say, "Welcome to the party!"

That is what I noted from Eurobike. What did you see or read about which caught your attention? let me know in the comments. 

Gear Review From The TITRR & Final Thoughts

With the outcome of my ride so heavily influenced by weather and my fitness level, it may not make a lot of sense to delve into the gear, on the surface of it. However; I wanted to look at what I used and give my opinion on how it worked, and what could I have done better or worse.

I'll also give a few final thoughts on the matter of the Tree In The Road Ride. Then I'll move along to other things.

Okay, so let's dig in. My first thoughts were about the bike. I used the Singular Gryphon Mk3. This was, by far, it's biggest ride I've done on it so far. "Big" as in the level of importance and the difficulty level of the ride, which was pretty "big",in my opinion. 

I chose the Gryphon because MG wanted to see it, on the one hand, but I had my reasons for why I thought this bike would be a great choice. First of all, I knew it would be a comfortable bike, and not just because of the poofy, 29 X 2.8" Teravail tires. I had put the rare Luxy Bar on it, which is the friendliest bar for my upper body there is, I put Redshift Sports Cruise Control grips on the bar, furthering its potential for comfort.

The cherry on top of all this was the Redshift Sports ShockStop stem. With the front end addressed, I went with some tried and mostly true seating components. First up, I used a titanium Salsa Cycles Regulator seat post. These are strong enough, but not so stiff, and this combination is perfect on gravel. Some carbon posts are nice, yes, but when you want something that likely will not break, titanium is a good choice. Suspension seat posts are okay, but almost every one I try has too much give, and honestly, it drives me nuts after a while, so they come off and the titanium post goes back on.

The saddle was the Brooks Cambium, and usually those are "okay" with me. I was going to tilt the nose down slightly before the ride, but you know you should never mess with your saddle right before a big ride, right? So I didn't. With these bits I was pretty convinced I'd be alright. 

And in practice I could not have been happier. Everything worked really well. In the future I would try that saddle tilt, and maybe a new, zero-offset titanium seat post. The reach on this bike is juussst a bit much yet. 

The gearing was spot-on. I never wanted a deeper gear, and the front derailleur worked great. I did drop the chain once, so I could maybe add a chain watcher or look at my derailleur stop and adjust this bit again.

Despite my running a 3 X 9 speed set up, which would be considered antique by today's standards, I can say I would not go back to a 1X on this bike, since this is what the Singular is designed to have. Call me crazy, but the wonky chain line in lower gears on 1X set ups is something I do not like the feel of while riding.

If I could, I think I'd get a shorter crank arm length than the 175mm arms on the Gryphon currently. My thinking is that 170mm cranks would work a bit better.

The wheels were fine, and the big tires were stable and grippy, but I cannot help but feel these were overkill and that the weight of this assembly was unnecessarily heavy for such a climb-heavy course. I probably will think long and hard about getting a separate, lighter wheel set with lighter, narrower tires mounted on it for a ride like we did Saturday. Or......just choose another bike I have. 

The Black Mountain Cycles MCD would have probably been my alternative here. I have an XTR 11-40T 11 speed cassette I could have used with it's Spinergy wheel set which would have made the climbs fine and the bike would have been lighter. The wheel set has 700 X 50 WTB Resolutes on it as well, so grip should have bee good also.

I also could have shoe-horned in one of my carbon wheel sets for an even lighter alternative. Then another way I could have gone was with my Fargo Gen I.

The trouble there would be that it is still almost as heavy as the Gryphon and I have 180mm cranks on it as an experiment! I do have a fairly light wheel set for it, but I just don't have time to swap everything around on that bike just for one ride.

Finally, I could have brought my lightest bike, the Noble GX5, but being a 1X, the gearing is limited unless I convert to a mullet set-up using a lot lower geared cassette. Again, a lot of faffing around for one ride. So, the Gryphon, while not being the lightest choice, had the gearing and the comfort bits covered. 

In terms of my kit I was completely satisfied. I wore an old Showers Pass wool "shirt"/jersey thing which they no longer offer, sadly. Mine is about due for the bin soon and I cannot find anything like it with real rear jersey pockets and a loose fitting cut to it. Underneath was a base layer from Endura. I wore some lightweight, Summer season GORE bibs, and those were perfect. The Mint socks and Shimano shoes were great, along with my bandana and new Trek Circuit helmet.

The Wahoo Elemnt ROAM was a curse and a blessing. Maybe it is me. Maybe not, because others were experiencing GPS issues also. But when Life throws a curve ball into your route out of the gate, (a freight train, in this instance), and the GPS goes berserk, and it gets worse from there? Yeah..... I'm still not impressed with turn-by-turn functionality.

However; I did like the Climb notification and how the climb was broken down on the screen for me. This is a help, and knowing what to expect helped me meter out effort in a way I was not able to do without a GPS unit with this feature. So, on a ride like this, where climbing was a seemingly constant thing, I appreciated the Wahoo.

If I could criticize the Climb feature at all it would be when I was on a climb it did not recognize for whatever reason. There were more than a few where I felt I could have used the feature and it was not automatically popping up on screen for me.

Another annoyance was the way the Wahoo was always on the turn-by-turn map screen and would not show me time of day, mileage total, or elevation. I probably could have switched over to a different page for this, but I was not willing to mess with the unit thinking I'd best leave well enough alone. I still like having the Wahoo over anything else I've yet tried, but this thing is far from perfect. 

Final Thoughts on the Tree In The Road Ride:

I had been looking forward to this ride for months and thanks to N.Y. Roll, it was something that came true for me. Without his assistance and care, I would not have ever had a chance at getting out of town for any kind of a ride. So, thanks to N.Y. Roll, this was a success.

My son's health issues and my wife having car trouble over 200 miles from home on Friday nearly derailed this ride for me. I am glad neither thing did, and both things seem to be either resolved, or on their way to being so. But that was close! 

We had a bad draw on weather. The only thing which could have been worse would have been severe storms and rain. But you cannot choose your weather, so it was what we had to work with.

Then also I could have been in better shape, but as it turned out, I think a few of the others, at least, were happy the route was cut short. So, while I have some disappointment in my self, and in not completing the planned route, I am somewhat consoled by  how others were seemingly satisfied.

I was so glad I finally had the chance to ride in this portion of Iowa. As Jason Boucher said several times during the ride, he was always looking at the terrain around Atlantic on his way to other destinations and longing to follow those white gravel ribbons over the rolling hills he was seeing from his vehicle. Now he has done this, and so have I.

I cannot recommend Atlantic, Iowa and the surrounding area to ride and visit strongly enough. As Steve Fuller told me, "Atlantic is just big enough to have decent services". But it still has the distinct small-town Iowa flavor. Plus those hills and the views are as good as anything I've experienced in Iowa or in many other Mid-Western states, for that matter.  

Image by N.Y. Roll

I regret the Frys had experienced the accident coming home. I wish this would not have happened.  I have always been worried about everyone else's travels and experiences connected to my rides, so this hurt me. But my main concern is for Robert and Cary's well being and restoration. Similarly I was bummed for Dan Buettner who missed out joining our group by a handful of minutes. 

I was filled to the brim with happiness and joy from being able to see my friends and to ride with them. So, thank you to all who made the trip out and back. You all made me very happy. 

Now it is time to move on.

I have a ride planed for the 4th of July, as I am wont to do every 4th. Besides this, I may get out on something big and adventurous later in the year, but more than likely I will be plying the gravel roads of Black Hawk, and maybe a couple of other counties, for the remainder of 2025.  There are still things to get done on the bike....