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| Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles |
Salsa Cycles revealed earlier this week that it has a new Timberjack model out. It features a Deore SLX 12 speed 1X drive train and a Rock Shox Psylo Silver fork with 140mm of travel.
The 6061 T-6 aluminum frame feattures fully lined internal routing, a dropper post route, and plenty of accessory mounts. The bike also has the Alternator V2 drop outs for single speed or varying your wheel base.
This model is set up with 29" wheels but Timberjacks can also support 27.5"er wheels and tires as well. The Timberjack Deore SLX is listed at $1,699.00 USD. You can see more on this bike HERE.
Salsa also announced new Rangefinder models. These are Salsa's entry level hardtail MTB's with prices ranging from $899.00 to $1,499.00 in varying spec and colors with 27.5" and 29" wheels. Check those out HERE.
Finally, Salsa also announced that they now offer a UDH compatible Alternator drop out. See your Salsa dealer for details.
Blogs Making A Comeback?
Recently I have noticed a very small bit of chatter online concerning social media platforms, content creation, and the desire for created content to have more accessibility and permanence. It seems that many people are seeing certain social media platform owners as being not very palatable, and also there is a feeling of missing connections with prospective viewers/readers due to how social media platforms operate. Content can be dropped and can be buried in a feed quickly, making its impact of little import.
So, there has been talk of people resurrecting, or creating blogs again. I saw one such instance where a blog which had been dormant since 2012 was started up again. Others are also thinking along these lines and some are pointing to content sites like Substack as a venue for more permanent content holding.
There used to be a thriving network of cycling related bloggers which one could "make the rounds" on every day or weekly, depending on how often a creator uploaded content. That all died away in the late 2000's when Facebook basically took that role over. However; now many see that social media site as less than optimal. Many see the owner, "Mr Z", as being a person they do not wish to support by using the site.
Another facet of this may be the disappearance of physical media, the lack of any quality, free centralized informative cycling sites or publications online, and the wish for reading material versus videos. Many have cited videos as being tiring and not how they want to connect. I don't know, but if blogging makes a comeback, I'm here for it.
They say what comes around goes around....
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| Image courtesy of Dirtsixer's Instagram |
Will 32" Tires Become A Thing?
Dirtysixer, a small company specializing in larger diameter wheeled bicycles, has shown a new tire from Maxxis on one of their gravel bike models recently with a promise that this tire will be available from Dirtysixer on their 32"er wheeled gravel and MTB models.
Comments: The tire, an Aspen, would make sense from the perspective of being good at gravel, dirt, and broken up surfaces. The tire is a versatile model, very popular in Maxxis' range, and should be a very good performer.
However; it is what this says about the future of 32" wheels which is possibly of more importance. Understanding that a company like Maxxis isn't going to open a new mold willy-nilly. No, they don't do things like this unless they plan on selling a lot of tires.
It would seem to me, knowing what I know from the past and 29"er development, that someone else other than Dirtsixer is interested in doing 32"er bikes. Of course, that could be any brand out there, but if I had to guess, I would exclude Trek, Giant, Specialized, and Cannondale off the top. Now certainly, it is entirely possible I am wrong, but usually bigger companies wait on trends to see if they will take hold before stripping away resources from somewhere else to develop a heretofore unknown quantity.
We will see. Next time you are riding in a big gravel event, look closely at those taller riders. If they are on a Dirtysixer, you may get a close-up of this new Maxxis tire, or the Vee Tire model also being offered in 32" by Dirtysixer. Happy tire spotting!
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| Image courtesy of Twin Six |
A Gravel Road Themed T-Shirt:
Twin Six, the Minneapolis, Minnesota based apparel company, usually launches a "T-shirt of the Month" every 6th of any given month. They have been doing this for years now.
February's T-shirt of the Month is a gravel road themed design that I have not seen the likes of from Twin Six. In fact, it may be their first ever gravel road oriented t-shirt design. I cannot think of another from the past, but I could be wrong.
For what it is worth, these Twin Six offerings are fantastic t-shirts. I just got one last year in the Fall (Bicycle riding Jesus) and it feels great and launders well. These shirts from Twin Six run around 28 bucks and should last you for years.
Okay, so you are probably thinking I'm getting one of these. And I would, but for a hang-up I have with light colored/white t-shirts. I refuse to wear light colored/white t's. I just can't do it. I feel horrible in almost any color that isn't black, but I have been known to wear dark blue, dark grey, maroon, and maybe a few other colors here and there. But yeah.....I wish this woulda been a black T-shirt. But it isn't It's "Oatmeal".
sigh!
Get yours if you don't have a hang-up like mine soon because Twin Six only does these T's of the Month in limited quantities.
That's a wrap on this week's FN&V! Now get out there and ride a bicycle!
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