Brown Season: Chance Meeting

Escape Route: Waterloo alleys

The last week plus was pretty rough for me. I caught a nasty head cold, which was mainly in my left sinus cavity, and the resulting week of living on the couch or bed, using copious amounts of tissues, and gulping down Hall's cough drops like candy was not a lot of fun. 

Towards the end of last week I began to make gains towards health and every day was much better until Friday came and I felt almost normal. Good enough that an 80+ degree day was not going to get away from me without seeing some gravel.

Now, I was cognizant of my health and I knew I hadn't been out on a longer ride for quite a while. So I did not plan anything "big", or at least I didn't think I had. Besides the Summer-like heat, there was also going to be a really strong Southerly wind blowing. In fact, we had Red Flag Warnings out for fire danger. Turns out I rode in temperatures which hit a new record high for the day at something in the mid-80's and the winds were constant at 25mph gusting to near 50mph at times.

Fun..... I think.

I used the system of bike paths to get out of Evansdale. Here you can see white caps on the Cedar River.

There was a gap to the right I could sneak through!

My plan was to ride the paved trails network through to Evansdale, hop on the Cedar Valley Nature Trail, and then hit up a tiny bit of gravel and Level B Roads outside of Washburn, Iowa. This would keep me sheltered from the wind in many places, and it was relatively flat, so hills wouldn't add to the misery of pushing a single speed into a heavy wind. 

I wore a complete Summer kit for the first time in 2025. I was wondering how my legs got so white..... Oh well! Time to work on getting some color into that skin! And you read tha6t right. I was on a single speed. The Honeman Flyer, to be exact.

The CVNT trail was supposedly under construction and when I arrived at the trail head there was a big "Road Closed" sign and some orange netting. But I spied a gap to the right and that was my "invitation" to come on through. Which is exactly what I did, of course.

Weiden Road.

Rottinghaus Road leading to Gollinvaux Road

I crossed the Cedar River and immediately spied two men walking down the bike trail toward me. A momentary thought crossed my mind which was along the lines of hoping these guys wouldn't give me grief for passing the barricade. One of them did speak up just as I passed them.

"Mark?!"

I turned the bike around and the two men were smiling, so this wasn't a bad confrontation, which I was relieved about, but who were these guys? It turns out they were brothers, and one of them knew me via Ben Witt because he lives in Northfield, Minnesota now. He was down visiting his brother, and they just happened to be revisiting their old childhood haunts which were related to the railway that was once through here and was now the CVNT.

What a wild chance meeting! I chatted with them for several minutes, one of them got my picture to prove to Ben they had met me, and off I went on my adventure again.

Weiden Road going by the "Washburn International Airfield". (That is not the real name oi this grass field aeroport!)

Weiden Road's Level B Section.

 

Heading South on Gollinveaux Road was brootal. That wind had to have been gusting more than not, and my legs were getting fried. It was downright hot as well, which I was definitely not acclimated to either. This all reminded me of Kansas. I rode the DK once with a head cold and suffered mightily. This reminded me of that hot, windy day.

I stopped in the shade of some roadside trees near some grain bins which kept me out of the constant blast of wind. I needed to rest and reset. After some water and about five minutes I pushed off again, but my legs were really worked from that effort into the wind.

McKellar Road and then back to a tailwind!

The ride was about two and half hours out and back. I sure was not ready for all that Sun and wind! It really knocked the stuffings out of me and I paid for it with a couple of sharp cramps when I got home. An electrolyte drink fixed me up so I had no further issues there, but yeah.... That may have been a little too much coming off an illness!

But I was stoked to have gotten back on it again and to have met the guys on the CVNT on this day. What a treat! That doesn't happen everyday! 

What A Hoot!

 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!

Yesterday I told you about how Robins make me nostalgic for Trans Iowa, but Robins were not the only birds which moved me in such a way. There was another bird associated strongly with Trans Iowa, in my opinion, and it may surprise you to learn it is not a hawk, or the eagle, but the owl.

The full moon as seen during Trans Iowa v9

Ironically there is not a long history of owl soundings or sightings connected with Trans Iowa for myself. No, it was on towards the end of this event's run which is where the owl influence comes in. Two specific times, actually.

One was at the end of Trans Iowa v13 as I sat in my truck in the parking lot of the finish line space in the park. There is a small lake or pond there, and around about 4:00am a right proper hootenanny started. Owls all around the lake went bananas with constant, loud hooting for at least a half an hour straight. It was amusing, to say the least! 

But the last Trans Iowa was when this bird cemented its place in my memories as something special. It was around 1:00am, MG and I were parked just West of HWY 146 near Montezuma, Iowa, and MG was fast asleep in his Subaru.  This was on an East-West gravel road. I was standing outside in the cold, waiting for DNF calls and trying not to wake Matt up. There was a tall stand of evergreen trees just to the Southeast of me. The moon was up, and suddenly the lusty hoot of a barred owl went up, breaking the stillness of the night air. A few seconds later, an answering call came across the prairies.

Time stood still and I was at once filled with wonder and awe at the situation I was in at the time. Many feelings were felt which I have not the words to aptly communicate to you, the reader. 

It is a moment fixed in my mind so securely now I can see the image of the backlit pine tress in my mind. Now whenever I hear a barred owl's call I think about this moment in time again.

A T.I.v14 rider navigates down a gravel road in his "bubble of light". Image by Jon Duke

 The moment on the road during T.I.v14 makes me think about night riding as well. This night riding thing, both for Trans Iowas and for other events and fun, has sure come a long, long way since this blog started. I look at the image above and marvel at how bright the light is on the bike and I know how well one can see to ride these days with current lighting systems available in 2025. It is insane to consider riding at night with what we used to use at the speeds we were riding at back then.

I think about the Moonlight Metric event I rode in back in 2011 or 12 where I had this homemade light that put out like 150 Lumens at maximum power. Ha! I'd consider something like that light as a toy now! I wrote a post a few years ago now about the evolution of lighting for gravel bikes. You can check that post out HERE.  

Now I use a light far brighter than the light I used for the Moonlight Metric which would last most of the night, and costs less than 100 dollars. Rechargeable battery tech inside which would have made my head spin in 2011. Yeah..... There is just no comparison.

We live in some pretty awesome times, when you stop and think about it. Yes, there is a lot of bad stuff, but don't forget about the good stuff as well. 

When The Robins Sing

 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!

When I was young we had football practice starting in early August. Two-a-days, which consisted of one morning practice and another in the afternoon. I don't think the High School Athletic Association here allows this anymore, but during those days, it was a common practice.

When I was out of school, every early August for many years afterward would trigger the feelings I had of being excited for another year of high school football. I only experienced this football thing in August for four years, but somehow, the heat of August, the humidity, the way the Sun shone, all those things made me feel "football feelings" for the next ten-plus years in August.

The "fingernail moon" sets in the Western sky on the dawn of Trans Iowa v10 in 2014.

Now days, it is the song of the Robin which makes me feel a thing I used to experience every April. Of course, I am talking about Trans Iowa. This whole upcoming month of April on this blog used to be dominated by news of the next Trans Iowa event which always happened during the last week of April.

Robins come back to Iowa, if they even leave parts of the state anymore, around the end of February and early March.  However; they often will not start in the morning with their distinctive chaotic warble until late March or early April, depending upon the weather. As soon as I hear my first Robin song of the year, my mind immediately shifts into "Trans Iowa mode". Even after seven years have gone by since the last T.I.

The early morning Sun illuminates the faces of the lead pack during Trans Iowa v10 (Image by Guitar Ted)

The image above represents a time where Robins made a deep mental impression on my mind. I was far out ahead of the riders during the opening hours of Trans Iowa v10 in 2014. I decided to park at the top of one of many big rollers on the course to see if I could spot the lead pack coming and alert my volunteers at the first checkpoint. Maybe I could give them an ETA so they would be ready to get the riders through as quickly as possible.

I arrived at the spot shown above about 40 minutes too early. In the meantime, I stood outside my truck, straining to see when a small dark splotch might move over the Western horizon representing a small pack of riders. As I stood looking Westward, the Sun began to rise, and Robins in the nearby trees in the ditch to the North started singing loudly.

I'm not sure I ever really described what this was like to do in a way which would make an impression on you dear readers of Guitar Ted Productions. But it was a sublime, serene time which I cherish. I was blessed to have several of these types of moments during Trans Iowas. Just soaking it all in, waiting for the brief sighting of riders, anticipating their arrival, experiencing a brief moment of chaotic greetings, then hearing the rider's chatter and the gritty sound of tires on gravel disappear into the landscape again.

Robins singing in Springtime bring all this back to me again and again. But they are not the only birds to figure heavily into my Trans Iowa memories.

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Ridley Bicycles

You May Want A Bigger Cup Of Coffee For This FN&V!

Welcome To "Alpine Gravel":

Ridley Bicycles yesterday did a big press release for their new bike called the Ingnite GTX. A bike the presser said is "an Alpine gravel bike for the roughest terrains".

It is easy to pass this off as a "drop bar mountain bike", however, Ridley takes a different viewpoint. Here is what they say in the press release:

  "A mountain bike is focused purely on mountain biking, while a gravel bike is too limited for rough terrain, and the Ignite GTX fills the gap between these two worlds."

So something in between then? Yes, an "Alpine Gravel Bike" . Ah....I'll come back to this in the comments.

Now as for the details, this is a bicycle which has its geometry inspired by the Ridley XC racing hard tail MTB. There are "flex stays" for comfort, and room for 29" X 2.3" tires. The finishing kit for the Ignite GTX can be had with a carbon fiber "Adventure Fork" or a 100mm travel Rock Shox fork. The drive train is all SRAM with the suspension fork, featuring  a "mullet set up", and the rigid version can have a Shimano 1 X 12 drive train in a GRX "mullet" set up as well. Prices start at $3,040.00 USD.

Ridley sees this bike as something one might use in the Atlas Mountain Bike Race, Tour Divide, and other like ultra-distance, remote, and rough events and rides.

Ignite GTX here shown with the rigid carbon fork. (Image courtesy of Ridley

 Comments: I know....I know! IT"S A FREAKIN' FARGO! (Or Cutthroat, if you will) Now "Adventure by Bike" is going to be re-branded "Alpine Gravel", eh? I don't think this will happen, especially here in the USA, but of course, the Europeans may take to this moniker.

Which makes me wonder, "What about Trekking?" Is that not the original "Alpine Gravel" type bicycle in Europe? Okay, okay....Maybe not for racing, but the intentions are similar, no? My European readers can help me out here, perhaps. Let me know in the comments.

One other thing: I've said until I was blue in the face is that a 40mm travel "gravel suspension fork" was pretty much an exercise in futility. This bike zoomed right past 80mm and went to 100mm's of travel with the SID fork. Now, this is sensible for real suspension benefits, but that sure doesn't look very aero now, does it? Nope. And this is why I think trying to graft suspension on to what amounts to a road racing bike with fat tire clearance is silly.

Scott USA To Go D2C:

Another major brand is capitulating to the times and will offer a direct to consumer option from its USA website for USA customers. This will occur, according to an article in Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, by mid-April of this year. Scott will also be offering a special selection of its range on four major online retailer's sites which also will be able to be shipped direct to the consumer.

Comments: One online source wondered aloud concerning this news and stated that they thought this would become the norm for retail bicycle trade in the USA soon. Citing Canyon Bicycles as being able to beat any brick and mortar store on price, it was theorized that all bigger brands would have to reduce prices in turn to keep competitive and force brick and mortar retail out of existence, essentially. 

Will this really happen? If everything hinges upon price, then I see no other alternative. Basically all bicycles sold would eventually become commodities traded on Amazon. (This is already happening anyway) The real question is, if losing brick and mortar store fronts creates a void in the marketplace or does it not matter? If the answer to this question is "Yes, it matters", then what will fill the void left by those old bicycle shops which may vanish soon?  (See yesterday's post for ideas)

Image Courtesy of Ritchey Design

Ritchey Announces New WCS Switch Stem:

Many bicycles are showing up now with fully integrated cabling. So, Ritchey Design decided to address this with its new WCS Switch Stem. 

The stem joins Ritchey's line of Switch components which includes stem spacers with porting for cables, the Switch Adapters, and Switch Headset.

The stem cavity has enough space to accept up to three cables with their housings. There is also a hidden accessory mount which can be deployed which can be a mount for electronics, lights, and cameras.

The stem also features Ritchey's unique "C220 Clamp" which is a special stem face plate that allows a handlebar to have 220° of contact on the stem's body. Ritchey claims this puts less stress on the face plate and allows for lower stem face plate bolt torque. 

The new WCS Switch Stem costs $109.95 USD and is available now through Ritchey retailers.  

Image courtesy of Panaracer

Panaracer Announces 2025 Special Edition Colors:

For several years now Panaracer has offered colored tread tires in their popular Gravel King range. Each year a new pair of colors is released. This year the colors are "Honeybutter" and "Cranberry". The colors can be matched with black casings or tan walls. 

The range will include the SK, X1, SS, or the slick tread Gravel King tread patterns. 45mm and 40mm widths are offered with the exception of the slick tires where only a 40mm option exists.  No 650B tires were listed on the webpage for the 2025 Limited Edition tires in the X1, SS, or Gravel King slicks patterns, but there are 650B and 26" models on the SK page. 

All tires retail for $64.99 USD each. You can check out the range of 2025 colored tires on Panaracer's webpage for the Limited Edition tires HERE.

Comments: Hmm.... Hard pass on the Honeybutter color. I could see getting some 40mm tires in the Cranberry color and sticking those on my King Fab Honeman Flyer. But...

Every year I toy with the idea of getting a pair then I talk myself out of it. Then I see someone's bike with them on and I kick myself, sometimes, especially of the combination of colored tire and bicycle look particularly tasty. I don't know though....  If these trip your trigger get on it now and buy them. These typically sell out fairly quickly.

Image courtesy of Toolbox Wars social media

SRAM Moves All MTB Brakes To Mineral Oil:

A couple of weeks ago in this FN&V I posted an image of a new SRAM XC MTB brake called "Motiv" which was seen on Trek's team bikes. Now news has hit the internet that indeed, SRAM has a new XC MTB brake and it is based on mineral oil as I had postulated.

Not only that, but word is that all mountain bike brakes SRAM is releasing from here on out will be mineral oil based systems.

Comments: This is pretty big news. From a mechanic's point of view, all the DOT brake fluid based brakes were a total pain to deal with and this was because the fluid is toxic and special care had to be taken to deal with the DOT fluids. The move to mineral oil is a welcomed one.

The obvious question is when will we see all of SRAM's brakes move to mineral oil systems? I suspect all further drop bar groups to make this change as well. Oh! And I would be remiss if I did not mention the long-rumored mechanical Eagle 70 and Eagle 90 Transmission MTB groups. It is real and available now. Good news for those who eschew batteries on bikes.

Sea Otter is coming in less than two weeks. SRAM usually makes a big splash announcement for this festival. Plus, there should be a lot of news in the next couple of weeks related to gravel bikes and accessories. Stay tuned to this space...

Tour of Arkansas To Happen In 2026:

On Thursday a press release went out concerning the efforts on the part of All Sports Productions to put on a road event in Northwestern Arkansas called the Tour of Arkansas. The event would start out as a modest road/time trial/criterium event with the aim to expand the event, if successful, to a week long road race.

Comments: While I do not delve into road racing much, I do know there have been several attempts at getting a "Tour of (fill in the blank) " road racing type event going in the past. All have failed at some point. So, this begs the question: "How is this any different and why would this idea become what the promoters envision it to be when so many have failed at the same thing?"

I'd like to think the USA could get a week-long Pro level cycling tour going, but unless there is some massive shift in American interest in Pro road racing, I find it less than believable that it might happen in any long-term, meaningful way.  I would like to be proven wrong here, but I am skeptical at best. 

Courtesy of PinkBike social media

Maxxis Makes 32"er Official:

Way back in February I posted in this FN&V about the Dirty Sixer company's 32"er MTB which had Maxxis tires on it. This was kind of a big deal because it pointed toward OEM interest. Maxxis wasn't going to make 32"er tires for just some small, niche brand. No offense to Dirty Sixer, but companies like Maxxis are looking for big commitments to a model, especially something new and odd, like a 32" diameter MTB tire.  

Well, my hunch turned out to be correct as it was broadcast on PinkBike's social media that Maxxis is indeed coming out with a 32" diameter Aspen. The narrator in the short clip, (an image of which can be seen here), mentioned other possibilities for treads were being discussed and that "several OEM fork manufacturers" were interested in this as well. 

Comments: Shades of the early 00's with 29"er hate is being detected for this already. However; I think more people are being cautious and maybe a bit more open minded this time as a lot of companies and people got burned by their negativity toward 29"ers when they first appeared.

However; certain things we went through with regard to 29 inch wheels will have to be addressed again here with a 3" jump in diameter. First, we have to think about geometry all over again. 32"ers will require a rejigging of everything we already think we know in regard to "what works" in terms of geometry.

Secondly, wheels will, once again, be pushed to their limitations much more quickly in a 32" package. 29"ers forced a wider axle and a more solid connection to the frame in through axles. Will 32"ers have to be SuperBoost by default? Will front forks go to 142mm through axles? I think all this and more would have to be considered.

Then you have the problem finding who this would be for. Taller people is an obvious choice, but how many XL and XXL frames are these wheels going to sell? Where is the cutoff for shorter people? All things which would need answering, and then all these answers plugged into marketing data to see if it would make sense to sell these on a large scale. Then factor in these times where people are not spending their money and you get, what I think is, a very tenuous situation for 32"ers to make it as a viable product to sell. 

What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

That's a wrap on things for this week. Have a great weekend and ride those bicycles!

Thoughts On An Industry In The Midst Of Changes: A Parallel Universe

 Last week I posted my first article on this subject with thoughts I had concerning why the bicycle industry finds itself where it does now and what I thought about what the industry could do going forward.

A couple of days later I posted this follow-up, and I figured this would be the end of the discussion from my end concerning this pickle the industry is in these days. However; I've come across something which made me think and I feel this source I am sharing today has several interesting and applicable thoughts for how the retail bicycle trade might look going into the future. 

This all came about as I was on You Tube and saw a thumbnail for a guitar shop whose videos I have watched a few times. The title "You're Fired!- Guitar Stores Are Firing Customers", made me think this would be a video about customer relations and how sometimes retailers have to tell customers to walk. While it was a tiny bit about this subject, there were a lot more ideas shared about how customers are "fired" by what retail is becoming in the guitar world.  

The retail bicycle trade is not alone in today's difficult marketplace, with regard to post-COVID inventory issues, and lessons learned from COVID times. A run on guitars during the pandemic and the resultant over production of instruments during and after COVID have caused many similar issues in the guitar industry as we see with the bicycle industry. So, I feel what Mark, the man in the video, has to say are relevant and applicable here. A somewhat parallel universe to bicycles, you could say. But I also think the guitar world is a bit ahead in their thinking as a group versus the bicycle folks. 

First of all, independent guitar shops are disappearing across the country. Just as with the retail bicycle trade, shops are finding the economics of selling products with ever lowering profit margins in competition with online retailers and even their own vendors is suffocating.

So, with less and less retail outlets, customers are beginning to forgo the "I have to touch it and see it first" traditional way of the past for a more "instant gratification" model which also reduces human interactions.  You may think this is anathema for your shopping experience desires, but many younger customers see this as a "normal" way of transacting today.

Due to what COVID forced on retailers, many shop owners are also finding the less human interaction mode of selling is more palatable. Retailers do not have to deal with various personalities and find ways to placate them. As Mark in the video says, "Buy it or don't!".  This parallels the D2C retail model of Canyon, and now some other major cycling brands who are following suit. Of course, we can point out several accessory brands which have been onboard with this sort of retail strategy for years already.

Another interesting "the customer is fired" strategy the guitar world is employing is the "by appointment only" model. This eliminates the, as Mark in the video says, "randos" and puts customers in your shop who probably have a very high percentage of parting with their money. You, as the shop owner, have a focused interaction with a motivated customer. A much easier sales approach, and generally a much more successful one.

I have noted one local shop here in my area employ this model for the past several Winters now. I feel as though this shop may just keep on doing the "by appointment only" model all year. I find it interesting, and I can see how it keeps day-to-day nonsense out of the retail experience. Whether or not it will be profitable for this shop, I cannot say

Then there are the local, "garage shops" which have always been there, but now may find themselves becoming the focus locally for the everyday repairs like flat tires, adjustments, or cheap sources for parts and accessories. In the bicycle world, this is mostly the realm of the "mobile shop". However; I think if manufacturers, and especially distributors were to loosen their reins a bit, we might see the neighborhood "garage shop" become a viable source for bicyclists needs at a ground floor level.

Anyway, it is an interesting video and I feel it has  information which parallels the retail bicycle issues we are experiencing today. Give it a listen and see if you agree.

Just In Case...

Shimano XT 11-40 11 speed cassette

All this talk of tariffs on stuff like steel and aluminum made me think about getting a head of things, you know....just in case.

I mean, what if steel prices go bananas? That would make maintaining my "fleet" of bicycles kind of a painful thing. The good news is I essentially had all the bikes on new chains last year, so drive train reliability should be excellent for some time. I even had to put a new crank set on the Tamland. I should be fine for quite awhile now.

But I had itchy fingers so I hopped online late last week and ordered three new chains and two cassettes. My cassettes last and last because I am always flipping wheels in and out of the bikes I own. To wear out a cassette takes some doing then. Chains do not get swapped around nor do they get to sit idle for weeks at a crack, so those I wear out much more quickly. Fortunately, those chains are not all that expensive...yet!

Actually the chains I use are still on sale due to over-inventories of them. I generally like to go with Shimano chains and I have been using 11 speed Ultegra chains, for the most part, with the brief exception of using Wipperman chain during the COVID times. That was due to Shimano chains being unavailable due to high demand at the time.

I do not have a bike with 12 speed. So, I have the liberty to use some lesser expensive 11 speed parts which are usually pretty good quality bits. Like the 11 - 36T SRAM PG 1130, and the XT cassette shown here. Both work on all my gravel bikes. Yes....even on the GRX rear derailleur. Shifts in and out of that 40T cog just fine, thank you!

Anyway, the parts will be here soon. I'll squirrel them away for future usage. How about you? Are you making any preemptive purchases, ya know....just in case?

Gravel Grinder News: Continental Terra Adventure Tires

 Note: All information and all images courtesy of Continental Tires.  

Continental's most aggressive gravel tire, the new Terra Adventure

Continental has released news today regarding an addition to its Terra range of gravel tires. The newest tire also is Continental's most aggressive gravel tread suitable for rough roads and even of-road trails.

Dubbed the Terra Adventure, this tire will come in a 700 X 45mm width with 50mm and 55mm widths as well, making this tire suitable for adventure riding and long-distance gravel events where comfort and control are desired over speed and aerodynamics.

The Terra Adventure features a tread pattern inspired by Continental's XC MTB line. All options provide sidewall and center reinforcement for puncture protection and feature state-of-the-art tubeless-ready technology. The Terra Adventure is hookless bead compatible. Prices for the Terra Adventure are set at 61.95€ and $69.95 USD. Available currently from many online and brick and mortar retailers. 

Comments: This introduction is interesting from the standpoint of a few other developments in adventure riding, one of which will appear in a couple of days from a European based brand. Another development being the new Fox 34 Step cast 130mm travel XC fork. 

While drop bar MTB is nothing new, and "adventure" style bicycles and accessories have been around for nearly two decades already, European brands are starting to trend toward this as being something new. You'll see a new term coined soon which reflects this shift from "trekking", which was the traditional Euro style of "adventure biking", to this swing toward MTB-ish styling and marketing. 

Again, here in the USA this all may seem a bit 'ho-hum', and old news. However; it appears that marketing for some companies, like Conti and other Euro brands, are trying to tap into the ultra-distance and "adventure" side of the gravel craze. This makes sense because "gravel", or more correctly, crushed rock roads, do not feature heavily in the European network of roads and pathways. Not like it does here and especially in the Mid-West.

Changes Which May Extend Gravel Greatness

 Yesterday I opined about the reasons which may be pointing to a decline in the popularity of gravel riding. I also stated I did not feel gravel cycling was going away. It will survive in some form or another for as long as there is gravel and bicycles. 

In this post I want to share some reasons why gravel riding might stay as popular as it is today, and maybe even grow more in popularity. These are ideas which are being used today for both recreational, adventurous, and competitive events and rides.

First of all, in terms of competitive events, I would like to spotlight the efforts of the unPAved of the Susquehanna River Valley event. One of this event's co-founders, Dave Pryor, was a guest on the most recent Guitar Ted Podcast, (listen to Episode #70 here)

Borrowing from enduro stage type events, and from ideas forged out of dealing with the COVID - 19 pandemic in 2020, Dave and his team came up with several features which not only have made the event more enjoyable, according to its participants, but safer as well. I encourage you to listen to the entire podcast, but here is a bullet point list of some of these ideas:

• Segment Timing: This allows competitors to ride casually in non-timed sections and then race hard in the timed sections. This allows competitors on the fast end to ride with their friends who may not be so fast, and of course, you can come up with other ways this makes sense as well. Secondly, non-timed sections can be placed at difficult road intersections, dangerous downhill bits, or near the end to prevent fast paced craziness in an urban setting. Other examples could also be utilized here as well. 
• Start Time Window: This idea allows a rider to decide when they want to start. For instance, the start time window could be 6:00am - 9:00am. Forgot your gloves, or nutrition? You've got time to go back and get it.  Pros can start later because it will take less time for them to do the course. And then they get to rub shoulders with other riders. (Now, this may not always be desirable, but see the first point, and I think it works. )
•  Course Length Choice: Feeling like a hero at the checkpoint but you signed up for the short course? Or - Maybe you are just off on this day and a hundy doesn't sound very fun, but 50? Yeah, that'd work! This rule allows a rider to switch courses at a prescribed point. The idea of allowing a person to finish in whatever way they choose opens up more chances for rider satisfaction. 

Now, you may say, "But that isn't how the big races are done.", and you are correct in saying this. The thing is, many gravel promoters decided their events should mimic a "certain other pattern" set before. However; while this may work for certain instances and for a certain, very small segment of talented athletes, these sorts of events which many promoters try to mimic with their gravel productions are one of  the very reasons gravel racing started. Gravel racing originally was in direct defiance of that ultra-competitive style of event and a rejection of all the rules and hoopla which those events represented. Over time though, it seems event promoters were wooed by the way big time Pro road style events did things.

Noted gravel cycling fun hog, Dave Pryor cracking an IC Lite.

"It's a trap", as the noted Star Wars general said, which is easily fallen into. However; as Mr. Pryor said in the podcast, "Not all gravel events have to be the same" and he is not only right, but he takes his own medicine. And it works.

But this is not all Mr. Pryor and his accomplices are doing to set a course for gravelly goodness. They are trying to promote gravel riding as a lifestyle.

Getting people to be jazzed about riding gravel in Pennsylvania is what is next on the menu. This includes events promotions, but it is also going to be more than this. Highlighting cool places to ride, cool places to visit, and the businesses and people which will help tie all this together will hopefully begin to put Pennsylvania's gravel roads on people's radar as a destination for vacations, adventures, and maybe even a place they'd want to call home.

These are the sort of ideas which go beyond creating a "bucket list" event to come and ride once, or a few times in one's life. That is all fine, of course, but there are only so many people who will be attracted to doing those types of events. Maybe you just want to have an adventure, or historical, cultural, and geographical highlights are what gets your interests up. What unpavedpennsylvania.com hopes to accomplish is being the information hub to guiding riders to come to Pennsylvania to ride for all the reasons stated above.

It is my opinion that efforts like this are what will extend gravel cycling's popularity and also could make gravel cycling something non-cyclists might want to help foster due to its potential economic and social benefits. Benefits that last beyond a weekend's impact from an event.

I think it is obvious where this could go in terms of impact. Other states should take note. I know Kansas has something similar, but not an all-encompassing effort such as this one I am highlighting today.

If gravel cycling going to keep riding at the high level it finds itself at now, it has to do so based upon more than a few "bucket list events" and competitiveness in general. This does not mean what is going on in Pennsylvania in regard to events and more is comprehensive and the exact template other states or regions should use. It is a fine example of what could be done though, and in my opinion, thinking like this just might save gravel cycling in the long run. 

Note: I'd like to thank and credit Dave Pryor for the images and information used in this post.

Gravel Cycling Faces A Dusty Descent

I've written about gravel cycling now going on 20 years, and I have paid close attention to its growth, development, and eventual rise to prominence. One thing I've said, amongst many things, is gravel will eventually fade as a popular way to pedal. Everything has an end. Gravel cycling's hot run as a trend is not immune to this fact.

Now, it will never go away completely, but it will not be as big as it is now in the future. Maybe even in the very near future.

I have noted on social media some chatter regarding soft turn-outs for some 2025 gravel events. I have seen one event cancel due to a lack of interest. And I have also noted a different sentiment arising in the gravel cycling ranks which may point to a larger issue going on in the segment.

N.Y. Roll and I had quite a text message chat the other day concerning this very subject. He is of the mind that gravel cycling has reached a point where it is essentially road cycling in all but the surface used. Anything that was part of the early gravel scene has been swallowed up by tech, attitude, and professional cycling's demands.

I, on the other hand, feel this has something to do with how people are reacting to the current political climate, economic situations, and the over-saturated gravel market. It has become exhausting emotionally for many to the point which some are saying they would rather just ride locally for fun.

And, of course, it is entirely possible that it could be elements of both our positions, or that neither of us are right! I still think there is something to it when you see one promoter saying registration numbers are off by around 50% this year compared to 2022. Something is definitely going on, and promoters are starting to see the downtrend.

Another sign pointing to a fading away of gravel cycling's peak days are the negative reports coming out of Far East bicycle factories where double digit declines and multi-million dollar losses are becoming commonplace news early in 2025. Brands are ordering less bicycles, inventories remain at high levels, and customers on the retail side are reticent to part with cash during these uncertain times. The prices for staple items are rising as well, which usually results in a retraction of funds put towards recreational activities by consumers. (Events, purchases of new bicycles and gear) All this negatively affects cycling in general, and gravel riding in particular is not escaping the effects of this. 

Maybe it is just a dip, and when things settle down, we will see a resurgence of gravel cycling's popularity. While this is possible, I don't quite see it this way, not unless some changes are made. Several factors are in play, one being the trend for younger people to not be out cycling at the levels we were used to seeing years ago. As gravel cyclists "age out", the new, young gravel cyclists are not filling in the void left, as much as we'd hope. I think this, at any rate, is partially why things are in decline, as far as participation numbers go. 

I said it a few years back - we were at "peak gravel", and I feel we are just past that peak now. We'll see where things go from here. Tomorrow I will have a post up which will point to an example of how the future for gravel cycling could be different, both in terms of events, and in other ways.

Mixing Gravel And Dirt Since The Beginning

 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!

 Since the very beginnings of the blog I have mixed gravel and dirt cycling. Now days it is more on the gravel side. That wasn't the intention at the beginning of this blog. I was a mountain biker first,  but since this blog was partially spawned by my association with Trans Iowa, and since this blog became the de facto long-form informational source for the event, gravel has figured heavily as subject matter here.

A road intended for the Trans Iowa v2 event which no one ever got to ride! Image from April 1st, 2006.

 Although the "gravel" part was almost always Trans Iowa related, other gravel events started creeping in as well early on as subject matter here. The Dirty Kanza 200 was certainly here from the earliest days. Later on I would write about the Almanzo events, and Barry-Roubaix, along with the other "Paris-Roubaix" inspired gravel events which popped up early on in gravel's modern day history.

This image, sent to me by Steve Domahidy, then of Niner Bikes, appeared here on 4/08/06.

 However; early on this blog was often the source for news, (real news too) about 29"er developments. One example shown here is from my interview with Chris Sugai and Steve Domahidy, the original founders of Niner Bikes.

I not only scooped the interview for this blog, but Steve sent me pre-production prototype images of their new, upcoming full suspension R.I.P. 9 bikes. At this time I also was able to squeeze some info out of some of the bicycle shop's reps who visited where I worked at the time. Through this I was able to drop news about Fisher's 29"er developments, Cannondale's F-9 Lefty equipped hardtail, and Raleigh's geared XXIX hard tail, to name a few.

Those were different times! Blogs were still untamed, the entire culture of internet. online, instantaneous sharing of information was all new to brands who had relied on magazines, for the most part, to disseminate news and teasers for new products. Because of this, there were fewer rules. (No rules?) This made getting interviews, scoops on new products, and rumors easier than it was even a couple of years beyond 2006.

There was no stranglehold on information as there is today. Back then, the walls were breaking down. Info flowed more freely, and traditional media was at a loss to pivot quickly and become a part of this. They lost out, and for the most part, have yet to recover, if they ever do. Meanwhile, more financially powerful entities took hold and based on digital platforms, these new sites took over the roles that traditional print media held. Walls went back up, and bloggers like myself, once again, found themselves outside looking in, for the most part.

I was very fortunate in that I started writing about both 29"ers and gravel long before  those two things went mainstream. I gained a foothold, and somehow became well known in both circles, although I doubt many young mountain bikers would know anything about the early 29"er days now. Well.....you probably could say that about gravel stuff too!

Back to being unknown again! Woo Hoo! 

Friday News And Views

As seen on Trek's "X" account Tuesday

 Welcome To The First FN&V of 2025 Spring!

 Data Acquisition:

Trek entered the data acquisition game with a new app they call "Trek Ride Club" . Promising many of the same benefits which are embedded into most ride apps, Trek Ride Club also features a roadside/trailside repair assistance feature. A rider can call in, for instance, for assistance on how to repair a flat tire on the roadside or on the trail.

Trek Ride Club can also be the one-stop source for all your ride data as it will pull in data from Strava accounts and other apps for you.

Comments: Cannondale has been trying to get riders hooked on their data acquisition model for well over five years now, so Trek's efforts are not the first in this field. It stands to reason though to assume most big brands will likely roll out some sort of ride/data programs in the future because of the perceived benefits to the rider, but more importantly, for what that data can tell the brands.

Cannondale's app is modeled after a safety/maintenance theme while Trek's looks like any other ride app from a GPS computer company.  In fact, this begs the question: Is Trek going to get into the GPS computer game? It would make total sense since they already have the app and a GPS unit, say a Bontrager branded one, would further integrate users into the Trek ecosystem.

While that may or may not happen in the future, in my opinion, this is all about Trek gathering data on its customers and not so much about a "club".  

Cannondale Habit 26 (Image courtesy of Cannondale Bicycles)

 Cannondale Habit 26 - Wait...What?!

So, I cruise the internet for bicycle news for this post weekly and sometimes I discover an oddball thing or two. This happened this week as I decided to bite on a social media post by Cannondale concerning their Habit full suspension Limited 29"er model.

As I perused the range a bike caught my eye, in particular, the name: Habit 26.

Wait! A twenty six inch wheeled full suspension bike? Yep! It is aimed at the youth market, and I see a lot of wisdom in having a model like this. Get the kid on a serious FS MTB, the kid gets the bug for MTB, and hopefully continues into adulthood as a mountain biker. Makes sense.

But what made me smile was the idea of a 26 inch wheeled full suspension bike design being derived from a 29 inch wheeled design. Maybe this has happened before, but if it has, I am not aware of it. Ten years ago this would have been unthinkable. Certainly 15 years ago it was not considered possible.

And getting back to this idea from a practical standpoint, I like that it costs well under 2G. But why Cannondale did not spec a dropper post is beyond me. If there ever were a perfect application for a dropper post, this qualifies, in my opinion.

Image courtesy of Kogel Bearings

It's Huge, It's Kolossos:

Kogel Bearings just announced a less expensive derailleur cage/pulley product in their Kolossos ST. It uses the same cage material and pulleys as the normal Kolossos but trades in the ceramic ball bearings for stainless steel ones.

The new Kolossos ST sells for $324.99 and you can find it at www.kogel.cc

Of course, that thing is for roadies. If you are a gravel person, Kogel has you covered as well. Here is a link to their GRX compatible 11 speed cage. There is a 12 speed one as available also.

Comments: I get the idea. Less chain articulation equals less losses to efficiency. But man....those are expensive gizmos! I've only ever seen a few at gravel events, but then again, I am not riding with the "fast guys and gals" either.

Have you used one of these things? I'd love to hear about it in the comments.

Image courtesy of Ritchey Design

New Colors, New Size For Ritchey Outback:

Ritchey Design sent out news on Thursday concerning a few tweaks to their classic Outback gravel/adventure frame set. 

Now available in an XXL size, the Outback has six sizes available now in two new colorways: Aurora and Winter Sage.

There is also now internal dropper post routing and the frameset comes with the carbon, straight 1 1/8th steer tube, Adventure Fork which has a drilling on the fork crown and internal routing for a dynamo hub. 

Pricing is set at $1,599.00 USD,  €1599 (inc. VAT), and £1392 (inc. VAT) See your Ritchey dealer or check out this frameset at ritcheylogic.com    

Comments: I wanted to like the Outback when it came out several years ago. However, it was another of those offerings which tried to be a 700c and 650B compatible design. The compromise there is the bottom bracket has to have less drop, in case the end user wants to go with 650B wheels.

This made sense then. Also, tire clearances are- for 700c, 48mm maximum, and for 650B it is 2.0". That was great several years ago, but now? Well, first of all, 650B is, for all intents and purposes, dead to me, at any rate. So, any design making a compromise to fit something I'd never consider using is a waste. Secondly, with the move toward wider tires across the gravel-sphere, this frame set loses a bit of its appeal for me in this regard as well.

Keep in mind that my 2014 Raleigh Tamland has about the same exact clearances for both wheel sizes, so I feel this illustrates how the Outback is a bit dated in this regard.

That's it for this week! Look for some gravel related releases next week on these digital pages. Until then, get out and "spring" forth on those bicycles!

Thoughts On An Industry In The Midst Of Changes - A Follow-Up

It's time to move from "recreational" to "practical" bike routes.

Tuesday I posted some thoughts on the bicycle industry and where I think it is going both at a macro level and locally. You can go back to read this post HERE if you missed it.

In the comments section for the post linked above I was inspired by a reader to post these follow-up thoughts. I hope you enjoy them.

Paths To Nowhere:

First off, I realized the lack of "feeling safe" on bicycle rides is one major obstacle which is hindering participation in cycling. No matter who you are, or what sort of cycling expectations you may have, if you are afraid of getting killed on a bicycle ride, you are a lot less likely to pursue cycling.

Leaving the entire debate about driver's of automobiles responsibilities aside, it is my opinion that separate infrastructure for cycling is the best route and would enhance participation in cycling in urban areas especially. Now for decades the idea the government has approved of here in the USA is one which treats cycling as a recreational activity. This has led to some wonderful routes separate from car and truck traffic, with wonderful views, and even some economic impacts. However; these are mostly not very useful for day-to-day, practical cycling. 

Until we can go to the dentist, shop for some hardware for a home project, or get to work or school and back safely, cycling will have a tough time being seen as anything but playtime. Separated, practical, useful cycling paths would go a long way to infusing a new attitude about cycling here in the USA. Plus it may even boost the industry's bottom line by helping more people purchase a bicycle because it would be safer to ride one. 

It doesn't get much simpler than fixed gear

Simple & Good:

 The comment which spawned the idea for a follow-up to Tuesday's post was one concerning how bicycles have become too complex and fussy. I would also add the segmentation of the bicycle into countless categories. You don't just buy a bicycle anymore.

No, you find all sorts of non-sense like "gravel bikes", road bikes (whatever that means), "enduro bikes", "downcountry", XC, time-trial, triathlon, BMX, cruiser, urban, cargo, hybrid, city bikes, and on and on. Then add an electric motor. Oh my!

The "tyranny of choice" is palpable. I remember when I was a child we'd go by the hardware store and there was a row of boys bikes, girls bikes, and adult bikes. That was it. It was easy to figure out what was a bike for you. 

I'm not advocating we go back to those times, however, it was easier to choose a bicycle, and that is my point. There are just too many choices now and the casual cyclist is bewildered. Even many salespeople in bicycle shops cannot keep up with the vast choices in one brand's product line. It is overwhelming and unnecessary.

Then we get into the actual bicycle itself. I find it somewhat amusing and ironic that high end, complex bicycles try to look like a fixed gear bike by hiding all cabling and use electronic shifting to streamline the operation of their drive trains. Underneath the seemingly simple exterior is a complicated routing system through the handlebar, head set, and the bottom bracket area which makes servicing a nightmare. Then there are batteries to be charged along with external charging stations and "software updates" every so often. And the price..... Woo!

Mechanics groan when faced with the maintenance on these bicycles and the labor prices to deal with these bicycles is only going to increase. Home mechanics will be pushed aside as proprietary electronic systems will be more and more tied to "approved service technicians" who will have the diagnostic tools and proprietary hand tools to maintenance these techno-wonder bikes. E-bikes will be the worst for this. Do we really want to go down this path?

Maybe the cycling industry could do with a philosophy of "simple and good" mixed with practical ways to ride safely in towns and out in the countryside. Maybe then we'd see an increase in cycling activity and a valuation of  cycling beyond being just playtime.

Rocks And Dirt

 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!

 One of the things I used to write about here was my occasional trips to Texas which happened over the course of the first half of the 20 years of this blog. These were to see my wife's family and to let them spend time with my two kids. The side benefit was that I was able to ride in the Franklin Mountains which are right in the city of El Paso where my folks lived.

The "Tin Cowboy" of Conlen, Texas.

 We used to travel by car down I-35. We used Highway 54 starting in Wichita Kansas and then we'd go all the way across Kansas, diagonally through the Panhandle of Oklahoma, and the Panhandle of Texas, then diagonally, more or less, across New Mexico, and finally to El Paso on the very Western tip of the state of Texas. 

Along the way I kept seeing this tall, goofy looking statue in the Panhandle of Texas standing in a lawn in a tiny "spot-in-the-road" village. I kept trying to get an image of it, but I was either driving, it was at night, or I would miss getting the shot because we were doing 65 -70mph while I was trying to take the shot. After several missed opportunities, I finally got him in 2010. I know that is an odd story, but I think the "Tin Cowboy of Conlen, Texas" is a treasure from times gone by, and I doubt many know about this oddity. Sometimes I wonder if it is even still there....

The trail runs down the center of this image and off to the left.

Now on to things that actually were important to the blog here!

I never was successful in telling you dear readers about the difficulty in riding trails in the Franklin Mountains. It is hard to convey how different this type of riding is. The terrain is unforgiving, the heat is devastatingly hot and dry, and riding ten miles is akin to riding three times that much single track here. Oh, and if you are a flatlander, like myself, the elevation will kick your butt as well.

I did find one image, posted here, that might help portray the difficulty of riding in the Franklin Mountains. There is a trail running right down from the center of the image which sweeps off to the lower left as you look at it there. Notice the size of the rocks? They are mostly all loose, shifty, and if you go even a tiny bit off the tread of the trail you are met with nasty, pokey things called "plant life".

It was always fun, but always brutal and hard. Then near the end of my days riding there I discovered the West side of Franklin Mountain is where the fall out from the smelting plant had occurred and had altered the environment. ("Asarco - Look it up some time. It is a really sad story) It was then I realized why I never saw wildlife, much for plant life, and hardly anyone riding that side. It was all due to the decades of contamination. The one time I rode the East side was a revelation. People, flowers, animals.... Just crazy.

From the recon of Trans Iowa v6 in March, 2010

Those El Paso trips were generally taken during Spring Break. When I arrived back home, it was Trans Iowa time! I had loose ends to tie up, courses to check, and cue sheet production to take care of. It was always a busy, stressful month, month and a half, which led up to the event. 

I chose to show an image for this post which came from March 2010. It may look somewhat unremarkable to you, but this image represents a few things which were important to me for several years.

First, this recon was for our first Trans Iowa out of Grinnell, Iowa, and the city could not have been better to us. Grinnell had a special place in my heart then, and it still does to this day. We pulled out from in front of Bikes To You, the bike shop on Broad Street in downtown Grinnell,  a total of nine times before I put Trans Iowa to bed in 2018.

The second thing this image reminds me of is that it was the first Trans Iowa which I used the "Truck With No Name". The previous year was the swan song for the "Dirty Blue Box", my 1991 Honda Civic hatchback/wagon. That Toyota truck saw some really bad roads, and despite it being a two wheel drive vehicle, it always pulled me through. It was featured here on the blog several times.

I spent hours and hours plying Iowa's gravel roads in that truck. I finally let it go last year when I allowed my son to trade it in on a vehicle for himself. I'll tell ya, I got all the goody out of that truck! The dealer told me several weeks later they had to scrap the truck out because a frame rail on it was so rusted it was about to fall apart, which would have broken the truck in half!