Friday News And Views

 Clik Valve Metal Dust Caps:

Clik Valve now offers metal dust caps for their valves and valve cores. These thread-on metal caps can be had in four different anodized hues. The cap features an integrated valve core removal tool as well.

Clik Valve went with the thread-on metal cap versus their 'click-on' plastic caps so the cap could be capable of taking a hit and not getting knocked off. Plus this thread-on design helps keep dust and dirt out while giving the bike another place to show some color. You can check these caps out HERE. 

Comments: I have been duly impressed by Clik Valve and I fully expect this valve to start gaining more of a foothold on the cycling industry in the months and years to come. It is nice to see companies like SILCA, Wolf Tooth, and Lezyne hop on board with products compatible with Clik Valve. These caps are just icing on teh cake, in a way, to make jumping on this standard a little easier. 

1983 Ross Force 1 MTB:

My job at the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective can be pretty interesting at times. You just never know what will come in for donations. I've had 1950's and 60's Schwinn cruisers, a late model, all carbon fiber triathlon bike, and odd-ball things you'd never expect to see. One such donation happened last Saturday.

The fellow who donated this 1983 Ross Force 1 mountain bike was the original owner. He purchased it new at a bike shop called Sunshine Cycles in Hudson, Iowa. I happen to know the former owner who verified the dating of the bike for me on Monday.

Fortunately, the bike has all its original equipment intact. Right down to the knock-off Snake Belly tires in 26" X 2.125" width on gold anodized Ukai rims. The drive train is all SunTour and the brakes are DiaCompe levers and cantilevers. Even the saddle is original

The rack is a Blackburn, (natch!) and the bag is an original Cannondale bag. This was from when Cannondale only did bags! Note the frame clips to hold the rear brake cable on. There are also pump mounts which have spring-loaded tips. I've never seen those before. The pump, not shown, is a red anodized Zefal and still is in working condition.The pedals are Shimano DX and in excellent shape. 

My research, which could be wrong, led me to this being built in Allentown Pennsylvania, which tracks with the frame sticker on the bike. The frame is a lugged and brazed frame, but it is high-tensile steel, so not a big deal in this regard. Ross had a high-end frame builder on staff, but most of its bicycles which were produced during this period were of mid to lower quality. This one weighs at least 30+ pounds!

Still, it is a cool time capsule look into what MTB was like in the early 1980's. The original owner said he thought this might be the first MTB in Black Hawk County, Iowa! You can check out the spec and another example of this bike by clicking HERE. 

Image courtesy of Campagnolo

New Super Record From Campagnolo: Portent Of Things To Come For Gravel?

This week saw the introduction of Campagnolo's newest Super Record group. Their range-topping offering has 13 cogs in the cassette and is 100% wireless making it the first group set of its kind available. Campy fans will also note the levers have the famous "Campy thumb shifter" back in the design. 

No doubt, the "star" of this intro is the levers. Featuring a separate lever behind the brake lever for shifting and the aforementioned thumb lever, the wireless shifter uses a CR2032 coin battery in each lever. There is a "Smart Button" which can be configured through the MyCampy app to function as a computer/GPS controller, or to control any Blue Tooth enabled device. The Smart Button can also function as a shifter.

Derailleurs are powered by a battery pack which is the same for front or rear and can be removed from each derailleur for charging. The batteries can also be charged through their USB C port while on the bike as well. 

Comments: "So, big deal, Ted. Why talk about an uber-expensive road group here?" Because digging through the specs, I found some interesting things which could be used in a gravel racing setting. Plus, if you noticed, many of the top riders at Unbound were using 2X set ups and Shimano GRX was well represented. Campy has a gravel group with 13 speeds in Ekar, but it is 1X only, so...

How about a 2X Super Record crank set with 45T/29T gearing? Or there is a 48T/32T as well. Both would stand up well as gravel crank sets. Pair this with a 13 speed 11 -36T cassette and the gearing range is there for racers.

Campagnolo could trickle this down through Chorus and other lower tiered groups, or - more likely - offer an Ekar 2X. Either way, don't count out Campy in the gravel racing scene just yet.

Image courtesy of Shimano

Shimano XTR Di2 Wireless Announced:

Shimano was rumored to be having a new XTR out and the rumors proved true as Shimano released news on Wednesday concerning their newest Di2 MTB group.

The big news here is the group is wireless. Now following with SRAM, (and Campy as seen above), Shimano will have removable batteries in the rear derailleur (no 2X option) and will offer 11 speed options for e-Bikes and 12 speed options as well.

You can check out all the details at Shimano's site HERE.  

Comments: While the obvious trickle-over feature will certainly be wireless for gravel at some point, there was one other notable bit of news with regard to this new group set and that has to do with the brakes.

Shimano XTR brakes now will use a new, "low viscosity" mineral oil. This easier flowing fluid will enhance braking feel and response, says Shimano. It is something worth keeping an eye on for the gravel rider.

Another small detail which caught my eye was the solid derailleur jockey wheels. This feature was utilized for less accumulation of debris in the rear derailleur cage. I could also see this as an upgrade to GRX in its next iteration. 

Trek Lime, a Shimano Coasting group bike

Shimano Announces Q-Auto Shifting: An Old Idea Renewed:

Shimano is primarily an R&D company. They have ideas and have had ideas which are workable prototypes in a big, secret warehouse I was told about years ago by a Shimano Skunk Works rider. 

Typically Shimano keeps everything under wraps until they get something they feel comfortable with releasing to the public. But rest assured that the Shimano engineers are not sleeping when you see something from SRAM which Shimano does not offer to you yet. In all likelihood, Shimano already has something like it in that warehouse. 

Take for instance Shimano's "new" Q-Auto shifting technology which automatically takes over shifting for you via a powered Di2 system run by a generator hub. Q-Auto also utilizes "learning technology" which customizes shift points based on how a person rides. This all is nothing new, in reality, and had anyone been paying attention, this is one technology which Shimano has shown their hand with a few times in the past. 

Probably the most blatant example of this was Shimano's ill-fated Coasting group from the late 2000's. This was an automatically shifted three speed internal hub gear system which ran off a generator hub. Pretty easy to make the leap here to a derailleur based drive train with electronic derailleurs.

But also, at about this same time, Shimano was giving a few folks a glimpse into the future with a fully automated 27 speed hybrid bicycle with a 3X front crank and a 9 speed rear. I actually was able to ride this example of an early Q-Auto idea when Gary Fisher pulled me aside at a press camp for Trek in Santa Cruz, California to allow me the opportunity to ride his sample. I must say, it worked flawlessly up and down the steep hills of Santa Cruz's beach front down town streets. 

Now, this idea, updated with electronic derailleurs and adaptive computer controls is available. There will be a CUES based offering and most of this will be aimed at e-Bikers and commuters at first. However; it will be coming for you on MTB trails, paved roads, and on gravel roads sooner than later.

While this will certainly make entry level and casual cyclists happy, I feel it will ultimately be a crutch and perhaps will end up becoming what kills off the skills needed to use a mechanical shifter. Much like how e-Bikes have rendered how to choose an appropriate gear to ride in a useless skill, this Q-Auto will likely put the nail in the coffin for how to properly use a derailleur drive train because no one will have to learn the skill.  

Guitar Ted Podcast New Episode:

The latest in the "Where We Came From" series is with Ryan "Uncle" Dudley. Ryan started a ride to benefit the local swimming pool in Eskridge, Kansas. The ride, called Gravel Ride for Masie's Pride, brought Ryan into the gravel culture and he met a lot of friends along the way.

Ryan's tales of Masie's days are awesome examples of what "grassroots gravel" was all about. Learning as he went, he eventually was successful in his goals and made a mark in the early gravel days.

Ryan also perticipated in nine DK200's and the msot recent Unbound 200 event. We get Ryan's perspectives on this as well, which is really interesting. Plus, you get to hear Ryan yell at his lawn mowing guy. (Yes, really!)

It's a fun, rollicking conversation. You can check it out HERE (Spotify link) or whereveer you get your podcasts from. 
 

That's a wrap for this week! Get out there and ride those bicycles!