Tree In The Road Ride Report: Pre-Ride Festivities

Image by N.Y. Roll

 The long awaited Tree In The Road Ride occurred on Saturday. This report will start out with happenings from Friday and this will be a two-part report. Today will deal with everything leading up to the ride.

Any ride like this I am involved with putting together usually has at least one surprise attendee. This ride was no exception. The surprises started out on Thursday when Tom, a local rider contacted me via email to say he was coming to ride. Then on Friday morning, I received a text from Jason Boucher who said he was coming.

Okay then! Two surprises! But then on the way out, I received a an email from Tom stating he wasn't coming as he had crashed his bike and was a little torn up from the spill. Now we're down to one surprise rider. But this was fine. I was going to be happy if anyone showed up for this ride besides N.Y. Roll and I.

Ready for the load-out on Friday

 See, I almost did not get to go on this ride at all. My son fainted at work on Wednesday and was hospitalized. They ran a battery of tests on him which all came back negative, thankfully, but I had to sit with him all afternoon on Thursday waiting for his all-clear. Had something been more serious I would have had to have called off the ride altogether.

But I was able to go, and N.Y. Roll stopped to collect me and my things Friday afternoon and we were off on our trip down to Atlantic, Iowa. Along the way we stopped to drop off Morgan, N.Y. Roll's girlfriend, and then we went along back roads through little small Iowa villages with names like "Lyle" and "Jamaica".  Eventually we came into Atlantic.

We checked into the Rock Island Inn and Suites, (recommended), and then went in search of some evening meal fare. We were directed to check out the Rancho Grande by the staff of the motel, so this is what we did.

I'm not sure if saying this was "fast food" in the sense of how little time it took to be served, is fair, because the food wasn't "fast food" fare. It was really pretty good. But N.Y. Roll and I were amazed at how quickly we were served. It took about 50 minutes from the time we walked in the door to when we left! We didn't even have time to eat one basket of chips!

Then we repaired back to our room and I received a text from Jason asking about where I thought we should go for coffee. He also asked about when we were getting into Atlantic. We then realized he was at the same motel, and had a room right across from us!

So, Jason stopped by and we had a nice chat for a bit. Then he bid us goodbye as he needed to eat and get something from the local grocers. Meanwhile, we settled on going to the Downtowner Cafe on Chestnut Street in Atlantic for our morning coffee. It is located in an old hotel. They were one of the only choices which opened before 8:00am. Most other places opened at 8:00am and this was too late for us as we wanted to get going by then.  

Sunrise over Atlantic, Iowa on Saturday, June 28th, 2025.

 You know it is going to be a brutal, hot day when the Sun comes up in a hazy sky and you are already feeling hot and sweaty at 6:30am. This was when we arrived downtown in Atlantic to meet up with Jason and get some coffee.

The Downtowner Cafe is a time-capsule of a joint located in a very well kept old motel building on Chestnut Street in Atlantic. In fact, the entire downtown area is really neat. Atlantic somehow escaped the curse of Walmart and has retained its down town which was well kept, clean, and had many old-growth, mature trees lining the street on each side.

Inside the cafe we found a neat diner with food on offer. So we had breakfast as well. I am really glad we skipped the continental breakfast offered at our motel. This was a much better experience and the food was very good. While we were there, I noted the cafe had an outdoor seating area. This will be an important note for later in this tale. 

Eventually Jason showed up and when he had finished we heard from Matt and Matt. (Yes - there were two Matts) They had just arrived. We went up to meet them at the City square several blocks away. There we gave our greetings and hugs all around. It was great to see MG again after so long and MW was a great treat as I haven't seen or spoken with him in forever, it seems.

Round about this time I learned of the "real" surprise attendee of the event, Kat, who had texted N.Y. Roll that she was going to be there very soon. Along with the local to me couple, the Fry's, this made our group of eight riders a nice bunch. 

The "staging area" at the municipal square. 

 

Jason Boucher's custom titanium Meriweather as seen at the Downtowner Cafe. 

We had to get the group all in one place so we had to gather up the Fry's at the "official start" point in the Mexican restaurant's parking lot, Then we had to go back and meet up with Kat who was a tad bit late. She was parked at the City square park. Whew!

A little back-and-forth there. A few words to thank everyone for showing up, and we were off! What would the ride be like with this heat and humidity? We really had no clue, and speaking of surprise attendees to the ride, there was more in store for us in terms of 'surprises' to come after the start. 

Tomorrow: Part Two of the Tree In The Road Ride Report. 

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.

Image courtesy of Niner Bikes

 Gravel Grinder News: WTB's Peacekeeper Tires, Niner's ORE 9 RDO Bike - Monday, June 23rd, 2025 - A press relese day for a couple of items debuting on the week of Eurobike. Note: Anymore I like to show just the frame of a gravel bike because we can get so lost in componentry, which is not specific to bicycle brands, which I feel takes the spotlight off the design of a frame and fork.

Rene Herse TPU Tubes: Final Verdict - Sunday, June 22nd, 2025 - A look at some very expensive TPU tubes which are okay, but this field is getting more competitive, and prices are coming down somewhat. I'd wait and see if you are on the fence on TPU, but these tubes should eventually become very common  in the future. 

Tips On Dealing With The Mighty Red Winged Blackbird: Thursday, July 8th, 2020 - After missing the Top Five last week this post resurfaces. We are at the height of Red Winged Blackbird activity here, so this makes sense. 

Two Ways To Tour: Wednesday, June 26th, 2025 -  A look at racked or rackless touring, and a message to just get out there and do it.

Country Views: Pre-Heat Gravel: Saturday, June 21st, 2025 - My latest ride out in the country makes the Top-Five list for this week. 

That's a wrap for this week's list. Stay tuned for the Tree In The Road ride report tomorrow.  

14 Speed: It Is Nothing New

In the bicycle world of 2025, Shimano has the reputation of making excellent gear, but many riders feel Shimano is not an "innovator". This may be because Shimano's main competitor in the component world is SRAM. SRAM seems to "beat Shimano to the punch" in terms of releases of new technology and gear.

This has been a misinformed take by almost everyone in the cycling world. Unless you are quite familiar with the cycling industry's inner workings, you may be one of those who  have this misinformed take. Shimano innovates behind closed doors and often in ways unfamiliar to Western minds. This can be seen as a detriment to Shimano in terms of their perception amongst the cycling public, or it might just be their strength.

I have often said Shimano was well ahead of everyone else and this was due to a meeting I had with some of then Shimano's Skunk Works test riders in 2010. The setting was a rare Shimano Road Show which was traveling across the USA at select cities. I attended the show in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The event was to celebrate Shimano's DynaSys 10 speed MTB components. Along with the Skunk Works test riders, select engineers and top company officials from Shimano Japan were in attendance. Shimano had never tried a PR effort like this before then, and to my knowledge, they have not done anything quite like it since. 

From a 1999 patent filed by Shimano

I mentioned this meeting on the latest "Guitar Ted Podcast" episode #78. I was told by a Skunk Works rider about Shimano's "secret warehouse" where Shimano kept working prototypes of designs and ideas for the future. At this 2010 meeting I was told Shimano had working group sets up to 14 speed.

A listener to the podcast named "Chris" sent me an email and in it shared these images and the patent filing from 1999 for Shimano 14 speed gearing.

That's 1999. As in 'the last century' people.

Do you suppose SRAM had anything like this sitting around in 1999 that actually worked? While I do not know the answer to the question, I will speculate and say "no", SRAM wasn't anywhere near this level of innovation in 1999.

But you might argue that SRAM not only caught up with Shimano, but has passed them. Look at 13 speed AXS XPLR! Shimano just released wireless electronic groups where SRAM has been at it for several years. So what about this?

Well, remember what I stated above concerning how our Western minds might not perceive how Shimano works?  This was a lesson I learned about the company at the road show in 2010. Shimano is an R&D company. SRAM is a marketing company. There is a BIG difference there.

How a 14 speed cassette might look

Shimano works up ideas, tests them, then they test them again. THEN Shimano releases the tested components to the world. It is a process which is slow, but a process which has gained Shimano a respected place amongst the cycling industry, and is why Shimano has gained the control they have enjoyed for well over three decades.

Shimano is not immune to failures and misses when it comes to what they manufacture and offer to the public. Widespread failures of road HollowTech cranks caused a recall for Shimano. Sometimes things like the Coasting group fall flat and don't seem to make sense at the time of their release. But Shimano has, for the most part, a very respectable track record when it comes to high performance bicycle parts.

SRAM has its successes, but in terms of what I experienced as a mechanic in a shop setting, SRAM was much more prone to being problematic on both the mechanic's side and on the consumer's side, than Shimano.

This wild design for a chain for 14 speed is amazing. 

But we can debate this all day long. The point is Shimano seems to be behind SRAM in terms of when something gets released to the public. But what you may not understand is Shimano has already been where you see SRAM is at now. You just did not see this.

Shimano is not so much concerned about what you think upon a component release. Shimano is concerned about what you think about a component a month after release, a year after a release, or five years after a release. Shimano would rather not have any failures at all, and to help prevent those failures from happening, they would rather test more, and release a product later. 

SRAM, in my experience, wants to get customers excited about a release, out riding the stuff, and if it fails they will send you a new whatever it is that failed. In the meantime, you have a broken part or failed thing which takes time to deal with. But hey! You got a new part and it didn't cost anything, or was just a labor charge. This is based upon what I saw over many years working in a shop environment. SRAM was even offering shops free chains and cassettes at one point for our labor to fix a failed component back in the late 2010's. As I said, SRAM is a marketing company. They win you over with their messaging. Shimano would rather win you over with stuff that works with minimal marketing.

You can debate which way is best, but there is no debate about who innovates and is ahead of the curve. Shimano has very likely had wireless shifting groups for years. You just did not know this. And maybe you just don't care. This is okay. But to say Shimano is not an innovator? Nah.... That is just flat out wrong.  

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Feedback Sports

 Feedback Sports Shows New Pro Air Lift, Pnuema CC Floor Pump:

Feedback Sports (Formerly Ultimate Stands) announced a new workstand for consumers with air-lift capabilities. The stand is activated by a floor pump. The stand can lift any bicycle up to 100lbs. When the work has been completed, the foot pedal on one of the workstand legs can be depressed to gently let the bike back down again. 

The Pro Air Lift will be available in late autumn for a price of $725.00 USD.

Also, the Pnuema CC floor pump is a new offering from Feedback Sports which can be pressurized to aid in mounting tubeless tires, or at the flip of a switch, be used as a standard high-pressure floor pump.  

The new floor pump will also be available in late autumn at a price of  $150.00 USD. 

Comments: The workstand is a bit pricey, but for some context here, I have had an Ultimate repair stand, *Feedback Sports old name) for over two decades. I finally wore out the clamp mechanism, and Feedback still offers the part I need to get it back going, so when it becomes available, I will have my portable workstand back going again. So, I think the new workstand is certainly worth the money if you do your own repairs and maintenance on heavy bikes like cargo bikes, e-Bikes, full suspension bikes, and the like. 

New Episode Dropped!

The latest Guitar Ted Podcast episode just dropped. In this one N.Y. Roll and I talk about the Continental Terra Adventure 700 X 45mm tires, the new Vittoria Peyote 29" X 2.4" tires, the new Maxxis Reiver, and more. 

We discuss the Rene Herse TPU tubes, and talk a little about TPU tubes in general. Then we get on to discussing the new Shimano GRX wireless group.

That is about when things went sideways. See, Mabel the Rhodesian Ridgeback got rowdy and would not settle down. We tried talking more, but we finally had to shut the episode down because she was getting out of hand.

Give this one a listen, and you can find the episode on most any podcast platforms, but here is the Spotify link in case you want to hit this up now. Listen HERE.

If you would, please recommend the podcast to friends, leave reviews, if you can, and help us out with the channel. We appreciate it very much!

When it says "uncomfortably humid"  Yeah...

Tree In The Road Ride Tomorrow!

Tomorrow I will be doing the Tree In The Road Ride. It is a free to join, group ride, no one left behind type deal. If you've been reading here regularly you are aware of this ride, so I won't get to far in the weeds about it here.

The forecast is brutal. Of course it is! Any ride I am a part of in Summer features stupid amounts of humidity, no matter what Summer month I choose. So, yeah..... I expected no less. 

Well, I'll just try to have fun no matter what. I expect the people who show up will be like-minded. Speaking of, I know of six others besides myself and N.Y. Roll who are planning to attend. I'm sure there will be a surprise or two.

Look for a full recounting of the sweat-filled, fun ride coming up Monday. 

Image courtesy of Trek Bicycles

Gen 3 Checkpoint ALR Announced By Trek:

The third generation of the Checkpoint in aluminum brings several new details to Trek's budget friendly gravel bike.

Now with tire clearance up to 700 X 50mm (without fenders, 42mm with fenders), and a T-47 bottom bracket, the Checkpoint ALR Gen 3 looks to be a good value for those who don't want carbon, or cannot afford it.

Trek has always had an interesting way of doing geometry for their bicycles. The new generation of the Checkpoint ALR is no different. Looking at the charts, the typical size Large/58cm choice I would generally choose is not correct, as Trek has inserted a "M/L" (Medium-Large) into the sizing which more closely reflects what I would fit on. Additionally, Trek varies the head tube angle across the sizing range, which is somewhat uncommon these days. Not that it is rare, but I do not see this being done as often as I used to see it.

Besides the geometry, the Checkpoint ALR features full internal routing, a full-carbon fork, triple-boss mounts on the seat tube, and a pair of those on the inner side of the down tube, while underneath the down tube is a standard pair of mounting points. The fork has triple bosses on either leg. There is also a bolt-on top tube bag mount with what looks like bolt-on top tube inner frame bag mounts as well. A chain guide, through axles, seat collar round out the offerings on the frame set. Of course, several build levels are offered as well ranging from about $1,400.00 to $2.500.00 USD. The frame only is $1,099.00.

Comments: I kind of like this. It has many carbon frame features without the stupid expensive price. If I were to get a M/L frame set, I would be a tiny bit disappointed in the slightly steep (for 2025 gravel bikes) 72.2° head angle. And does the chart say 72.8° for the seat tube angle? Why yes, it does. That's odd. 

At any rate, this is a very interesting offering by Trek.

Image courtesy of SILCA

SILCA Announces New Shock Pump:

I haven't had to deal with shock pumps for sevral years, but I used to note many of what was available for shock pumps back then were terrible. Some were "okay" and these often included top name brands like Fox or Rock Shox. The landscape for shock pumps was dismal. Apparently SILCA seems to think so as well

This new shock pump SILCA offers has several details and features I have never seen on a shock pump. Plus it is only $125.00 and is rebuildable. If it is also somewhat durable, well then.... Why buy anything else? I have no endorsement from SILCA nor do I get any benefit from mentioning their products, but more often than not, their stuff, especially within the pump field, is really nice. 

I don't much have a need for a shock pump, but if I had a 7K full-sus MTB this would be the pump I would want for setting a bike like that up. 
 

That's it for this week! Have a fantastic weekend and ride those bicycles!
 

Good Grief Bikes' Nice Bar: Review Update

  Note: Guitar Ted purchased the Nice Bar at full retail for personal use and review from Good Grief Bikes. Good Grief Bikes has no input on this review and all opinions are Guitar Ted's.

I will forgive anyone who has forgotten I was reviewing the Good Grief Bikes "Nice Bar", named after "Fixie Dave" Nice. I last updated this review back in February! (Here) While I am still not finished with what I wanted to do with these handlebars, (!!), I do have some things to share which I think are interesting concerning this handlebar. 

The main use for the Karate Monkey so far in 2025 has been for urban/commuting type rides. I have done my in-town test loop several times as well which is a multi-surface connection of pavement and deteriorated gravel. So, it isn't as though I haven't been using this handlebar, and I do have a small amount of miles on it so far.

The number one impression I get every time I ride the Nice Bar is exactly what I wrote back in February, which I will paste here for your convenience: 

"The Nice Bar does have a bit of give and so it doesn't really have that "zing" when you hit a sharp bump. This is subtle, so the bar feels direct and nothing like a "noodle" when you get up and yank on the bars for a sprint or sharply inclined climbing. "

So, it is very comfortable over rougher pavement and it seems forgiving enough to ride all-day. The rubber infused cork grips help a lot with this as well. The junction where the extensions are brazed to the center cross bar is such a nice place for my hands to just cruise around on that I have visions of this being great out on a longer gravel ride. (One reason I am not done with the review is that I need to do some gravel riding yet with the Karate Monkey)

Unfortunately the cool burned in finish mars easily.

One thing I was dismayed about the Nice Bar was the custom, burned finish doesn't hold up to much abuse.I had a slight clash with another bike's controls which immediately left the marks you can see here in my image. Bummer....

I guess the point here is be careful if you want to preserve the finish or just enjoy your new "character marks" and keep riding. 

And other than this minor detail the Nice Bar has been great. I do want to do more riding on gravel to ascertain the bar's worthiness as a flat bar alternative gravel cycling handlebar. I'm hoping this will pan out, but until I manage to get this bike out in the country I will withhold final judgment. 

 You can see the Nice Bar and other tasty bicycle related stuff at Good Grief Bikes' site here: https://www.goodgrief.bike/

Two Ways To Tour

Frame bags or....

 How Do You Carry Your Cargo For Overnights?

With Tour Divide in full swing, and a press release I received prompting my thoughts, I wanted to dive into the two ways to tour.  I have extensive experience with racks and bags, but while I do have all the stuff here to do a rackless type set up, I have not actually spent much time using this way of touring. My thoughts on the matter may be skewed, but I thought this exercise would be a fun one to consider.

Racks and bags have been the default way to tour for decades. When I participated in two fully-self-contained tours in the 90's, racks and bags were the only option. However; when the Great Divide Race/Tour Divide got rolling in the 2000's, rackless type set ups quickly became a thing based upon certain advantages this style of touring has. Okay- I can hear some of you already saying "bikepacking". But let's be honest: Bikepacking is touring. You can do this off-pavement or on pavement. Being a temporary homeless person via bicycle is essentially no different either way you decide to carry your stuff. So, let's get on with deciding which way is best.

....fully racked and bagged?

Full disclosure: I wrote a bit on this back in 2023. So, why dig into this again? Well, for a few reasons. First of all being that N.Y. Roll and I have a believe more and more people are tiring of |racing and want to have experiences via bicycle in a more non-competitive, relaxed manner. Focusing more on camaraderie and shared experiences instead, and what better way to do this than by touring?

Secondly, more rack options are becoming available which are easier to install and take off, making it easy to configure your bicycle for specific rides and not having to dedicate a bike to being "the bag-bike". Furthermore; frame bags are fine, but they have to be custom-made to fit, and again - dedicated to a specific bicycle. The "convertible" and versatile set ups, which often do not even require a bicycle to be rack compatible, are making touring and sub-24's easier than ever.

Frame bags have to be custom-fitted to a specific bicycle for best results. However; they are easily removed, unlike many racks. 

As I stated, I have a lot of frame bags, seat packs, top tube bags, and other bags as well. It was not until recently when I started reviewing some Old Man Mountain gear that I was reintroduced to racked touring options.One of the many features of their gear is one which I found fascinating, and that was the ability of thir racks to fit almost any type of bicycle.

It used to be racks only went on bicycles with rack mounts. Those eyeletted frames and forks were most often found on hard tails, touring bikes, and hybrid bicycles made from metal. Carbon fiber bikes? Yeah......rrrright! (Said in a Patrick Warburton voice) But no more! Even carbon bikes, full-suspension bikes, and non-eyeletted bikes can all have racks nowadays.

Who said you had to use racks or frame bags? Why not both!

And now quick-mount/dismount racks are making things even easier for those who want to just pop on a rack, attach a couple of panniers, and go have a picnic, or an over-night trip. So, choosing a rack system over a frame bag system is becoming less of a defined line. Heck, you can even use both types of systems on one bike.

There are finer points to discuss and you can get way into the weeds when it comes to bikepacking/touring stuff, but I think all those details only dampen the itch to go out and try something. I'd caution against too much thinking about details which really don't matter a lot. I will say a few things here which I have learned over the years which may help you out though, and are important to consider. I did mention three things to think about in the previous post mentioned above, and those are Weight, Wheels/Tires, and Comfort. I'll add a few things here and the first has to do with weight. 

Brakes: More weight means more to stop when the time comes. Your brakes need to be in tip-top shape. Not only that, but if your brakes are rim brakes, this means your rims need to be in good shape as well. Rims wear out at the braking track, so if those wheels are old, and your brake track feels concave when you check it out, it may be time for new wheels. (And your spokes and hubs will be better as well.) Disc brake pads wear out, as do rotors, and these points of possible failure are imperceptibly fine lines which, if crossed, can be catastrophic to you and your adventure. Cables, housings, and brake lines/fluid, (if using hydraulic brakes) should be in good order as well.

Air Pressure: Heavier loads will require you to adjust your air pressure upward. Using what usually works for your normal riding isn't going to be correct for loaded riding. Make sure to check tire recommendations and rim spec so you do not go overboard, but raising your air pressure somewhat from normal will be a best practice for loaded touring. 

Attention To Details: I know I intimated earlier to not sweat the small stuff too much, but if you plan on spending hours in the saddle to get somewhere, then those niggling bits you've been meaning to address should be taken care of before you embark on your voyage.  That dangling bit of bar tape, the stem that is slightly off center, or the squeaky seat you've been putting up with should be cleared up so you have one or two less things to stress you out mentally while you are traveling by bicycle. This isn't a point about "do this or that" as much as it is about getting mentally comfortable for long hours in the saddle. Little things you could get cleaned up before hand will bug the crap out of you on longer rides if you don't address them.

Racks or frame bags? Just get out there!

So, back to the way to go - Racks and bags or frame bags? You can go back and forth on either one, but whichever way you go, there are a lot more important things to think about hen going touring for a day or a month. The main thing should be "the main thing" and that would be just to get out there and do it.

Plus, who said you had to use racks and bags or frame bags? Use whatever you can get your hands on, and works for you, and get out there.

Also, I am writing this to myself more than any of you dear readers. I need to just get out there and do an overnight trip. I've had one planned for several years which I've wanted to do, and time keeps slipping away. It is a problem I need to address myself, so I am not trying to be preachy or whatever.

Hopefully I make the trip happen this Summer. Stay tuned.... 

Gravel Grinder News: Shimano Releases 1 X 12 GRX Wireless

 Note: All information and images provided by Shimano.

The new 1 X 12 wireless GRX rear derailleur

Shimano announced today, on the heels of their XTR wireless announcement, a new GRX variant. This is in addition to the partially wired GRX 2 X 12 speed group and has an entirely new GRX rear derailleur.

Like its XTR sibling,the new GRX features the new low profile design with "skid plate" and resetting functionality after a strike to it. These features are for better "survivability" in rougher, less than ideal conditions.

Like XTR, this derailleur has a removable battery, which is housed in the derailleur's more rounded form factor which should allow this derailleur to be less prone to catching on grass, or being knocked out of shape. 

The rear derailleur comes in a long cage only and costs $565.00 USD. Don't forget the battery charger which costs $45.00 USD. Extra batteries are $55.00 USD each. 

The other bit which is new is a "dummy" left lever for the 1X set up. This lever still retains the extra "bonus" button of the GRX Di2 group. This means a rider can assign this button to act as a Bluetooth trigger, or a shift lever, or as a compliment to the right lever functionality. This left lever costs $385.00 USD. (The right lever is $595.00 USD.) 

The left lever still features a "Bonus Button" function. 

 Additionally, the wireless factor brings in a host of options to the rider as GRX wireless is compatible with Di2 12 speed Dura Ace, Ultegra, XTR, and Deore controls. Obviously, the previously released GRX Di2 is also compatible with this new rear derailleur.

Shimano is carrying over the same 1X GRX crank it introduced with Di2 GRX and the cassette recommended is the 10-51T 12 speed MicroSpline model.

Shimano also took this opportunity to release a budget friendly aluminum wheel set with a 25mm internal rim width. The rims are hooked, and the cassette free hub body is easily exchanged from MicroSpline to an HG type covering bases from 1 X 12 to 12 speed, and many 11 and 10 speed cassettes. This wheel set weighs in at just over 2,000 grams and costs $285.00 USD.  

Comments: Somewhat curious timing here, but if Shimano did not want to tip its hand by releasing this at Unbound, which would have signaled what XTR was going to be, then I understand. But this begs the question: "Why do we still have a 2X 12 partially wired group? A front derailleur may be sitting waiting on a shelf, (which I would 100% bet money on), so perhaps this portends a new GRX 13 speed group to come which would have a 2X wireless set up.

It is hard to say since Shimano's GRX can be tied to both road and mountain bike technologies. One would assume then that a 13 speed GRX wireless group would not precede, say, a 13 speed wireless Dura Ace group. (The Tour is starting soon though, so.....???

It is also interesting to note that Di2 isn't different for MTB, Gravel, or Road. There is no "cable pull", and 12/13 speeds limits differentiation based upon use because the spaces are so tight now. My belief is the future will be marked by what is or is not supported by software updates. So, if Shimano wanted to, let's say, eliminate 12 speed Di2 GRX at some point, it could cease supporting the hardware with software updates. (Which is what they did to 10 speed Di2) OR it could make 13 speed backward compatible with previous 12 speed by a simple update to the lever.

Currently there still is a mechanical 12 speed GRX, but does this survive a move to 13 speed. Does SRAM introduce a budget mechanical 13 speed XPLR group, which forces Shimano to introduce a 13 speed gravel group? 

The future will be interesting....