Two Things

New Guitar Ted Podcast Discusses New And Old Technologies:

The latest Guitar Ted Podcast just dropped. In Episode 84 you will hear a variety of things being discussed. If there is a theme here it is that of how new tech is going to change our view of cycling in the near future. Or at least it is what we think will happen. (Listen to Episode 84)

Of course, I discuss my Singular Cycles Peregrine Mk4, which was the main subject here all of this past week. The newer stuff we talked about is in direct contrast to a bicycle like the Peregrine. 

With the cycling marketplace changing to something most industry experts don't even understand yet, this move to consumer direct sales will have a far-reaching effect upon how bicycles are designed and what components will be bolted to those bicycles. 

We discuss how it may be that frames designed only for electronic gearing with no wires might be a response by the industry to companies wanting to make selling direct to consumers an easier thing for all parties. Imagine a world where all that needs to be done is to pair Bluetooth components to an app and have any adjustments necessary be done through the app. You could literally send a bicycle nearly complete in a box and have all adjustments be led by the app and possibly a YouTube video. 

This would effectively eliminate the need for dealers to have mechanics around to build bicycles up. There will still be repairs, fittings, and accessories, so dealers won't go away, but initial sales will be direct to consumer, cutting out dealers entirely and lessening the need for mechanics on duty all the time. 

Image courtesy of SRAM

SRAM Files Suit Over UCI Gearing Restrictions:

Perhaps you noted on Friday the suit filed in a Belgian case regarding the UCI's gearing restrictions and how this affects SRAM sposored Pro Road racing teams.  

The condensed, overly-simplified story here concerns the UCI's efforts to bring speeds down for racing, and therefore improve  rider safety. The UCI has issued a decree which limits gearing range to an effective 54 X 11T maximum on the high end. SRAM's newest Red AXS has an effective 54 X 10 range. 

SRAM is saying the UCI has arbitrarily eliminated SRAM from Pro racing with this edict and their rule is a misguided attempt to make racing safer. Amongst other things SRAM said, by the way, this seems to be the crux of their issues with this UCI ruling.   

Comments: I tend to agree with SRAM on this one. The rider's safety is important, but limiting gearing is not the way to address excessive speeds. Rider's and teams will adapt, and speeds will return to where they are at, if they are affected at all. 

And maybe the issues are not gear related. Perhaps course design, crowd control, and rider's decision making is to blame here. At any rate, SRAM has a point with their argument. 

However; I disagree with SRAM in their insinuation that the UCI is picking on them specifically. Besides, can't SRAM just, you know, have something made to allow them to comply? Like, how hard is it to make a cassette which would satisfy the UCI when this company can find ways to make chains proprietary, amongst other daft "standards" SRAM has created over the years. 

Garage Sale: T-6 Standard Rando v2 Frame Set

 For Sale:

Twin Six Standard Rando v2 . 59cm 2020 model in "Safron" Carbon Fork upgrade. 

The current Standard Rando with Carbon fork upgrade and a Wolf Tooth head set runs $714.00 USD ON SALE on Twin Six's site. With the frame set I am selling you get an upgraded Enduro Bearings MaxHit head set, ($118.00) and Enduro Bearings "TorqTite" PF 30 bottom bracket ($98.00) and all cable clips to run 2X ($16.00 upgrade) for $450.00 + shipping. (PayPal or cash only) Sale is final, no returns. 

This frame is in VERY GOOD condition with no through-paint scratching or scuffs. It will come with through axles and seat collar, as shown. Carbon fork steer tube has been cut and has a steer tube plg installed. 

The bike fit a 6' 1" rider perfectly. I would give a size range for the bike of  6" 00"" to 6' 2" as being ideal here. Twin Six has a geometry chart you can see by scrolling through the gallery for the model HERE. 

Bike will be expertly packed in a standard bike frame box. Shipping costs will be determined at time of sale. You can also opt for local pick-up. 

Interested? Get a hold of me at g.ted.productions@gmail.com

NOTE: I can provide more images if needed. 

Schwalbe G-One Overland Tires 700 x 50mm: First Impressions

 Note: Guitar Ted was gifted these tires by a friend for his Singular Peregrine Mk4 bicycle build. Guitar Ted is not being paid, nor bribed for this review. Schwalbe is unaware of this review and have no input in the content here. All opinions are Guitar Ted's. 

The Schwalbe G-One Overland tires were introduced back in early September. Due to having to wait for the bicycle I wanted to mount them on having to be shipped and built up, this post was a bit delayed. By the way, if you missed the intro, you can go back and read it HERE. 

Mounting & Initial Measurements: 

The Schwalbe site doesn't give us a lot of information on the casing for this tire, which is dubbed SUPERGROUND, by the way. I do know it has some level of puncture protection. Handling this tire, and many other tires with puncture protection in the past, has led me to a couple of conclusions.

First, despite whatever SUPERGROUND actually is, I believe it is a bead-to-bead puncture protection layer in the casing. I say this because the casing is very stiff, and this made the tire very difficult to mount. Maybe I am incorrect in this guess, but I think not. 

As I have mounted hundreds of different types of tires in the span of a 30+ year career as a bicycle mechanic, I can say these G-One Overlands rank high on the "difficult to mount" range. By the way, I was using a Shimano GRX carbon wheel, so this isn't some narrow, odd carbon rim.

 Secondly, as stated, due to the stiff nature of the G-One Overland tires, the casing felt plasticky, and not very rubber-like, despite the tread feeling grippy. This tire reminds me a lot of the Hutchinson Touareg tires, which also had a bead-to-bead puncture protection layer. I had to run those tires at significantly lower pressures to get a ride feel I wanted and the Hutchinsons took a while to stretch to their designated width as well. Likely due to the not very pliable, or stretchy puncture protection belt. I expect a similar experience with these Schwalbe tires. 

Once mounted, the tires aired up easily with a floor pump with the valve cores installed. This was a surprise as I would have guessed an air compressor would have been necessary to set the beads due to the very stiff sidewalls. However; it could be that the G-One Overland's tighter fit, (which also made these difficult to mount, by the way), allowed for the ease of setting the beads in place.

I set the tires up at 30psi each and after a few hours they measured at 49mm and 49.4mm each. This is a good sign for the Overland tires to reach their stated width of 50mm eventually. 

The casing has a rounded look on these 25mm inner width GRX rims. Again, very reminiscent of the Hutchinsons. The center tread section should be speedy due to this casing shape, and unless my pressure setting is too low, I will be expecting a speedy roll on hard pack or pavement.  

Coming Up:

I'll be spending a lot of time with the bicycle the G-One Overlands are on so these tires should get a fair shake before Winter sets in. I think I'll learn everything I can about the Schwalbe G-One Overland tires by the time the leaves are off the trees, so expect a final verdict around that time. 

The Singular Peregrine Mk4 mounted with Schwalbe G-One Overland tires.

 I probably will also post a mid-term update once I have several rides on these tires, so look for this update coming in soon. Until then, all I can say is I can totally see why mechanics or average riders who do their own tubeless set ups may not like these tires much from an installation standpoint. I used this mounting tool to set the Overlands up with and without it I would have been very frustrated. Besides the difficulty in mounting, the airing up and setting of the beads was a cakewalk. So, some bad, some good there. 

Stay tuned for more soon.  

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Singular Cycles

Singular Announces Titanium Kite:

Last week word came down concerning the new drop of titanium Singular Kite frames and forks. While titanium is often used as a frame material, it is less often seen used for a fork. 

I don't mean to gloss over the beautiful Kite model here, because it is a stunning bicycle. However; the fork is pretty amazing, and this comes down to its mode of construction. 

The drop outs and the fork crown are 3D printed, which allows for the exact placement of material for strength, and for aesthetic purposes, which cannot be achieved using traditional titanium stock and joinery methods. 

The Ti fork has a tapered steer tube, and it may not work for every bicycle, but if you have something compatible with this fork, you can purchase it separately HERE. 

I know, it's been a Singular Cycles week here. But I thought the fork on this Kite model was amazing. 

Image courtesy of Dangerholm Facebook page

Your Rims For Gravel Are Wimpy!

The athlete known as "Dangerholm", Gustav Gullholm, has produced a rim for gravel racing which he thinks will revolutionize the sport . Gullholm is a proponent of wide, 29" rubber for gravel and thinks rims are just not where they need to be for these wider tires. 

Working with a company called Faction Bike Studio, Gullholm is saying these 45mm inner rim width rims with a sort of "shark tooth" aero treatment will be the fastest wheel set on gravel in the coming year. For comparison, the rim on the left has a 30mm inner rim width. 

Gullholm feels the wider rim gives a better aero profile with the wider tires he prefers. Saying the 70mm depth profile and overall 52mm width works best with 29" X 2.2" - 2.25" tires, Gullholm claims these rims have proven themselves in simulations done by Faction Bike Studio.

Comments: While I have been a proponent of aero for gravel, this seems a bit extreme. How much do these rims weigh? I have no idea and Gullholm isn't saying at this point. But whatever they weigh, the weight has to be something of a negative here, one could easily assume. We may find out soon enough as Gullholm says these are rideable prototypes and the bike they will be going on will be unveiled at the Dresden Bicycle Show soon.  

Image courtesy of Factor Bikes

Factor Bikes Releases New Aluto Carbon Gravel Bike All-Arounder:

Factor Bikes announced on Thursday their newest gravel bike, the Aluto. Meant for longer days and rider comfort, the Aluto design is a bit different than Fator's Ostro model. 

Eschewing the move by many companies to stuff in larger tires, Factor has designed the Aluto to be optimized around a 45mm tire. Maximum tire clearance is 52mm in the front, but the rear is maxed out at 47mm. 

Factor also went against the grain with a shorter front/center and short reach for the handle bars shipped with this bike. Their reasoning is due to the longer hood length of modern gravel-oriented shifter/brake levers and for better rider comfort during longer rides. 

Image courtesy of Factor Bikes

Factor also states it shortened the rear center, and it steepened the head tube a bit over their Ostro model. Finally, a bit lower bottom bracket height rounds out the tweaks to this gravel bike.

The de rigueur down tube storage and internal everything routing is here as well. 

The Aluto is available as a frame set. with SRAM Force AXS XPLR, or Red AXS XPLR. The frame is also 1X or 2X compatible. (Electronic only)  Prices are $3,999.00 frame set, $6,999.00 Forsce AXS XPLR, and $8,699.00 Red AXS XPLR USD.

Comments: Yeah, this is cool and all, but shorter chain stays and steeper head tube angles? Seems a step backward in terms of rider comfort, in my opinion. (Or a bicycle aimed at roadies coming over to gravel) This bike was ridden by Factor's Brand Director, David Millar at Unbound this past June. He being a former road Pro, it would make sense to me if the Aluto was a more "fast-feeling" bike, and not necessarily an actual advancement in "rider comfort for longer rides" type bicycle. 

Oakley Meta Meta Vanguard Prizm. (Image courtesy of Oakley)

Oakley Releases Meta-Enabled Eyewear:

Your Sunglasses can now be "devices". Oakley has released their new range of "Meta-Enabled" smart-glasses. The new Meta Vanguard Prizm is the model in this range aimed at cyclists. 

You can pair these with a Garmin device, take images with the embedded camera, and listen to tunes via the onboard speakers. The Vanguard Prizm goes for about $500.00 USD and the battery will last "up to nine hours", according to Oakley.. 

Comments: They will sell every pair they can make. People are "device-mad" these days and I see no end in sight. Yeah..... I don't know man.... I cannot get away from having to charge this and that fast enough as it is. I'm in the camp of "Lithium-Ion batteries are The Devil" now. 

So, for me? Not so much. But these are amazing technology and Oakley eyewear is pretty much the standard for activities in the Sun to protect your eyeballs. 

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

Review: Singular Peregrine Mk4 - Ride Impressions

 NOTE: Guitar Ted paid for the Peregrine Mk4 out of pocket. Singular Cycles is not paying for, nor has any knowledge of this review, (that is - until Sam reads this post!) All thoughts and opinions are Guitar Ted's.

 First of all, thank you for reading the build series for this bike. If you missed it, the previous three posts to this one should catch you up on things regarding this bicycle. Another thing to note here is the Schwalbe G-One Overland tires will be going on soon and these WTB tires are not the final look for this bicycle. Okay, with this out of the way, I wanted to give you all my first ride impressions from the two test rides I have put in on this bicycle so far.

The first ride was a neighborhood test ride to make sure everything was put together correctly and functioning as it should. I did run into one issue with the bike on this ride which I wanted to speak to here. It has to do with the seat post binder bolt. 

Typically, the non-driveside part of the binder is keyed and the key mates into a slot in the frame so this part of the binder bolt cannot rotate. You adjust the binder from the driveside. However, the binder bolt which was shipped with the frame is not keyed, so I must use two 5mm wrenches to adjust the post height and secure it. No big deal. However; on my first ride the post was slipping, because I didn't get it tight enough, and I did not have two 5mm hex keys along with me. Just a bit annoying is all. 

 I did not glean enough from what the rest of the bicycle was doing on the first ride because I was so annoyed by the slipping seat post. (It was noted about halfway through the test loop) So, I really couldn't tell you much about this bike from this first ride.

The second ride went far better and I brought two hex keys with me on this particular ride. However; I had that post locked down and I ended up not needing the two hex keys, but isn't this the way things go?  

 This time I was able to concentrate on what this bicycle was doing differently than the Twin Six. It was apparent right away that the Peregrine felt springier, less harsh, and definitely a bit more forgiving without being flexy and unpredictable.

I hit some dried out tractor tread tracks. Kind of like a dirt version of rumble strips, and the bike floated over these with just a touch of feedback to my hands. The T-6 would have communicated this to me as a very buzzy, rough patch, but the stiff carbon fork on the T-6 is mostly to blame there. I needed  a Redshift Sports ShockStop stem on the T-6 to help with this issue. On the Peregrine Mk4? I don't find it to be necessary yet.

Overall the bicycle reminded me of an old mountain bike in that it was doing things in compressions and over chatter which I found familiar from my experiences with those old, steel frames and forks. The fact of having the bars behind the front axle makes this even more pronounced, I think. It was slightly better than those old bicycles though, and I think this is due to materials use and through axles. 

I did find I had to really weight the handle bar on the inside of a corner to keep the front tire biting, but during gravel riding, this should not be a big deal. Speaking of.....

This will be the next test. A longer gravel ride. Stay tuned.... 

Singular Peregrine Mk4 Build: Part Three

 The next and final steps of this build were taken on Sunday. I had to cut the steer tube down first which is something I don't get too freaked out about anymore. 

I knew I wanted 50mm of spacers under the stem and maybe 20mm above it, just to be able to go higher at some point if needed. 

That part went well and I was able to get the cables sorted around the fork in a manner which made the most sense. Then I locked the cables down under the metal cable guides and moved on to the front brake. 

Now, since I had to disconnect the hose at the lever to thread the cable through the Twin Six's ported fork, I was worried about having to bleed the brake. However, if you are careful, one can move the hose out of the lever and reconnect it again, (with a new barb and compression fitting), and get away with not bleeding the brake.

While I was building up the rest of the bike I had the hose vertical with the caliper at the bottom hanging by a clip out of the way. This kept mineral oil from coming out, but I also pushed a toothpick in the end of the hose just to make sure. 

 I have a Shimano bleed kit, just in case, but I did not know if I had the barb and compression fitting. Turns out I did have a brand new set of those components, so this was good and I did not have to order those. 

So, I pushed in the barb, put the compression nut and the brass compression fitting  on the hose. Then I inserted the hose into the lever, threaded in the compression nut, and tightened it down. Now......would it work?

 Well, it felt pretty good, so I went with it. But a test ride would have to determine if I was good to go with that. If so, it would be the third time I've gotten away with not bleeding a front Shimano brake after removing the hose and either shortening or rerouting the hose. 

 

Next up was to tune the derailleurs. The front cable routing through these newer Shimano front derailleurs is wonky. Once I had twiddled the cable through the plastic cap thingie I was going forward. Now I had to reset the stops since I cheated the eccentric out on the right just a hair to gain a little clearance for the fatter tires I want to use. GRX is already 2.5mm outboard from a road chain line. I think I'm at about 3mm now. 

One odd thing about the GRX front derailleur is that if you turn the grub screw for the high limit clockwise it pushes the cage outward. Those crazy Shimano guys! 

 The rear derailleur needed a tweak as well on the limit screw on the high side and low side. Weird, but every bike is slightly different. I also had to adjust cable tension a bit as well. Then the gears clicked off just as one would expect. 

I re-wrapped the left side of the lever since I had to unwrap it to get at the brake hose fitting. I may have to put on new tape, but this will do for now. Then after this I was on the home run stretch. I just had a few details to cover and the bike would be finished. And now........

 There ya go! The finished bicycle. I did a short neighborhood test ride and I did not die and things did not fail, so now I think the next step will be a gravel ride out in the country. Stay tuned for a ride report. Thanks for following along with this build. 

Singular Peregrine Mk4 Build: Part Two

As the build progressed beyond the eccentric bottom bracket issue, I was able to get the crank set installed and the bicycle started to look more finished. 

The Shimano bottom bracket felt smooth and spun nicely with the crank installed. Then I was able to set up the front derailleur at the proper height on the seat tube. Fortunately the Standard Rando and the Peregrine use the same seat tube outside diameter, so the shims which were already in place worked perfectly with the Peregrine. 

I started locking down the cables into their appropriate places. A couple of things of note here. First, I always work rear to front when re-cabling a mechanical drive train which uses full run housings. This allows you to have to use less guesswork on what to leave for length at the back, and when you get up to the shifters you can more easily figure out exact length for your housings with no fear of having to pull some rearward because you did not estimate your rear lengths correctly.

Secondly, the use of removable cable stops allows for the least amount of zip ties possible. I think I used four on the Peregrine's frame and two on the fork. The fewer zip ties the better, in my opinion. It would be neat if someone could make an easy to use metal cable retention system for the stays of a frame, on the order of removable stops like the Peregrine uses on the down tube. 

Arguably the centerpiece of the GRX Limited drive train. Just beautiful!

Did you note the release of the SRAM silver 1987 group? Well, Shimano beat them to the punch using silver anodization by a few years when they introduced GRX Limited. 

Silver ano was the only  choice for drive train bits for decades until the MTB bike revolutionized things with black anodization bits for drive trains. Black then took over everything, which I was dismayed by, if I am honest. So, this silver stuff is welcomed here, and you can see how it contrasts with the British Racing Green frame nicely.  

 The rear derailleur then went on and then the chain. I reused the chain as it was still in good shape and it is mated to the cassette to some degree as well.  Notable was the fact that I had to use a new quick link for the Shimano chain. As a mechanic, I like to test recommendations knowing full well what the outcome may be. I am willing to risk the consequences for my decisions. I thought I'd try to reuse the old quick link, but I never even had the chance to install it because the pin came out on one half of the link and fell to the ground just as I was about to reinstall it.

Maybe that's why you shouldn't reuse those, eh? 

I put both wheels in the frame, mocked up a stack-o-spacers on the steer tube, and fixed the handle bar in place to get a bead on fit. A few measurements, and then I sat on the Peregrine for the first time.

Nailed the saddle height, but this is to be expected. The reach? Hmm..... Different, but still well within my comfort zone. Interestingly the front wheel looks "way out there" compared to my other bicycles. This is probably due to the stubby stem and set back seat post I am using. (A Ritchey Classic, by the way) 

Comparing handle bar height, the Peregrine seems to be well within the range of some other of my bicycles. It is pretty much identical in this manner to my Noble GX5. 

As you can see, there is tons of tire clearance using the WTB Raddler 700 x 44mm tires which were on the T-6 as well before this. You may remember my image of the bare minimum clearance on the Standard Rando using this wheel/tire combination. 

Okay, with the fit looking good, and the mechanical bits coming into place, it is time to finish this build off. I needed to get to the cutting of the steer tube, running the cables to their final destinations, and installing and bleeding the front brake. 

Stay tuned....

Singular Peregrine Mk4 Build: Part One

Most of the parts from this bike are being used for the Peregrine build.

The first step in building up the Peregrine Mk4 was to get the Twin Six Standard Rando torn down. This was necessary because most of the parts from this bike were going to be used on the Peregrine.

Even the wheels are going over, and for now, the WTB tires are staying on there as well. The reason for this is to help me contrast and compare the ride of the Peregrine to the Standard Rando v2, which had these wheels on it. 

Again, I'll say the internally routed front brake cable is just dumb. You may say it is more "aero". I say, put a channel on the backside of the left fork leg, integrate clips to hold the hose in, and make everyone's lives a lot easier and aero. Internal routing for the average cyclist is just not necessary.  It is a step backward for most cyclists and mechanics as well.

Okay......rant over, now on with the build!

There were a couple of things I could not switch over. The head set, for one, was not compatible with the Peregrine, so I got the Chris King 1 1/8th silver head set as seen previously to accommodate this build. The other bit was the bottom bracket. 

The Twin Six uses a PF-30 shell, and I have a screw-together Enduro bottom bracket in there now. The Peregrine Mk4 uses a traditional English threaded 68mm bottom bracket. So I was going to need to find if I had one around to use, or if I needed to purchase one. 

I had thought I had a Chris King bottom bracket somewhere, but I could not find it. So, while searching for the Chris King I came across a brand new Shimano bottom bracket. These are okay, but their durability and longevity is not so great. I decided to use it up on the Peregrine and when it goes bad, I'll put something nicer in there. 

While I could have used the seat post and saddle, along with the stem, I decided against those parts due to their being black in color. I wanted bright, polished parts if I could find them. So, I ended up using the seat post and saddle from the Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross frame, (which is being retired as well), along with a stubby, 60mm Whisky Parts stem which I had on the Singular Gryphon Mk3, ironically, before this.  

Even the through-axles are emblazoned with the brand name!

Since both the Twin Six Standard Rando v2 and the Singular Peregrine Mk4 use full-run cable housings, I was able to just drop the rear brake caliper, hose, rear derailleur, housing, and cable, and the housing and cable for the front derailleur as a unit with the handlebar. 

The plan being to just swap all these bits wholesale onto the new bike. The front derailleur could not be brought along with this assembly since there was no way the derailleur could pass through the tiny window between the stay bridge and the bottom bracket shell. It simply had to come off as its own bit. 

My only concerns were if everything was going to be long enough. The Singular Peregrine runs longer chain stays than does the Standard Rando v2, and the stack heights might have figured into cable length as well. I did a dry run with the wheels on and handle bar in place using a 90mm long Ritchey Classic stem. This looked close, so I was pretty sure the 60mm Whisky stem would give me just enough slack to fit everything and still be able to turn the bike. 

Worse case scenario I would have to re-cable and bleed the rear caliper. I still may have to do this, but I cannot determine this just quite yet. I am trying to avoid this, if possible. Again, if I had cable actuated brakes I'd be a lot less reticent to swap every cable housing and cable. 

Dremel to the rescue!

The frame has an eccentric insert at the bottom bracket. Now these should always be greased, or at least some sort of anti-seize paste should be used here. Since almost every eccentric bottom bracket (EBB), I've ever worked on straight from the box has never been greased, I decided to take a wee peek inside to find if there were a need for some slippery-stuff.

Well, first I had to be able to remove the insert! It was stuck in there as if it were a press fit unit. I tapped on it with the wooden handle of my dead blow hammer and noticed a little movement. I continued with this until I had it removed. Oh!...... Yes, I removed the grub screws. So, don't wonder about that part!

Once I had the insert removed, a very nicely made, Singular branded, black anodized aluminum insert, I tried to see what could be the problem. I noted a varying amount of paint and corrosion treatment. Perhaps this, or a warped eccentric shell from welding were the cause of my issues. Hopefully it was just the paint and coating.

Dremel to the rescue! I used 220 grit sandpaper on a barrel attachment to remove most of the paint and coating. It worked! The EBB went in very nicely with just a bit of effort. I cleaned up everything and layered in a coating of Finish Line Premium Grease. The insert glided right in this time, and I then put on some blue thread locking compound on the grub screws and tightened up those to 6nm.   

With the problem solved the insert went in like a champ. Next - Installation of the crank set. 

With this big hurdle cleared, I had a bit of an easier time installing the crank set and a few more odds and ends. The next bit would include getting cables sorted and managed, installing the chain, and then determining fit from where I had things at this time with my other bicycles. 

In the next installment for this build I will get into those things and more. Stay tuned....  

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.

 Closure: Wednesday, September 10th, 2025 - The post letting everyone know about the Medical Examiner's report on Jacob. 

Winter Is Coming: Monday, September 8th, 2025 - A post concerning my Ti Muk 2's Rohloff SpeedHub maintenance. 

Friday News And Views: Friday September 12th, 2025 - The latest Friday News And Views post finds its way on the list this week.  

Last Ride For The Gravel Bus: Thursday, September 11th, 2025 - A post about the final ride on the Gravel Bus and why this bike is being dismantled.  

Incoming: Schwalbe G-One Overland 700 X 50mm Tires: Saturday, September 6th, 2025 - People love tires for bicycles. This post helps prove this theory.  

And there are your Top Five posts for this week. Once again, the numbers for hits have been going nuts. This past week was at another level. My intuition says this is an artificially inflated data set due to the influence of AI bot crawlers which use posts like this to "learn" from. 

Maybe... Hard to really know, and maybe I'm just being paranoid. 

At any rate, if you are actually a human and reading this: Thank You!  

Review: Singular Peregrine Mk4

NOTE: Guitar Ted paid for the Peregrine Mk4 out of pocket. Singular Cycles is not paying for, nor has any knowledge of this review, (that is - until Sam reads this post!) All thoughts and opinions are Guitar Ted's.

The Singular Cycles Peregrine Mk4 fresh out of the box

 As mentioned earlier here on the blog, the Singular Cycles Peregrine Mk4 was headed to me here at Guitar Ted HQ. Well, as you can obviously see here, it has arrived. I wanted to give my first impressions of this frame set as I took it out of its shipping box and unwrapped the thing to see it with my own eyes now for the first time. Technical data be damned, at least for now, because all I want to convey with this first post is what I am thinking about this frame set initially. Techy stuff will come later. (Or you could click the link toi the Peregrine Mk4 page above. )

First of all, I want to point out the images here are of the frame and fork directly after unpacking. There was no attempt made to clean up the finish from all the fingerprints, dust, and shipping detritus accumulated since the frame and fork were packed up at Singular Cycles US warehouse. So, no apologies for the dullness of the colors here and there. This will look a lot prettier once I have it cleaned up.

Okay, with this out of the way, this thing is gorgeous. In a very neo-classic cycling way, that is. Sam Alison, Singular Cycles founder, has a way of taking classic bicycle design and paint scheme cues and integrating those within a fully modernized bicycle which makes no compromises, in a general sense, because of those classic influences. 

So here we have through axles, disc brakes, (flat mount, natch!), and accommodation for large gravel tires in 700c or 650B sizes. Full accessory mounts are integrated in a way which seems unobtrusive and does not detract from the classic looks. Of course, the paneled British Racing Green and Ivory only adds to those classic looks leanings. Worth noting is the custom paint option Singular offers, at an up-charge, should this hue just not appeal to you. 

The cable routing is all external, and this may seem, upon first considerations, to be a 'not very modern' way of doing things. Given the hidden cables craze, it would seem very 'retro', but it is by far the most practical and easily maintained way to run cables. I like the removable cable guides in case you should decide to run a single speed/fixed gear set up.

Some folks are surprised to find the Peregrine uses lugged steel construction in several places on the frame. This is a huge attraction for myself, as I love lugged steel frames. Plus, a modern lugged steel frame is a pretty rare thing in 2025. This is also appealing to me.

Look at the head tube! Straight 1 1/8th as it should be with a standard external cup Chris King headset installed. Obviously classic, and easily maintained for the foreseeable future. 

I mean, a 'clean' looking integrated headset can be okay, but those are not 'classic', and many have parts not easily obtained in case of a need for replacement arises. This Chris King head set will likely outlast me!

Besides, a straight steer tube gives a bit, which enhances comfort, and this will be plenty strong enough. So stiffer is maybe okay for Pro roadie sprinters, but this is not what I am looking for in my gravel bikes. I have always thought tapered steer tubes were overkill for road and gravel for the vast majority of the riding public. 

Standards for this frame are all pretty basic. Flat mount brakes, 27.2mm seat post, threaded bottom bracket. the aforementioned head set, standard through axles. Nothing proprietary or odd here. 

These are all things I like to see. These are the things which make building up a bicycle like this far easier.

 For instance, my Twin Six Standard Rando v2 has a port through the front fork for the brake hose. To get this out, or installed, one has to disconnect the hydraulic hose from the lever and thread the hose through the fork, reattach the hose with a new barb and compression nut, then bleed the system. 

What a hassle! Just to switch components in or out from the fork.  This is something which I find irritating. Your mileage may vary. The Peregrine has a much easier set up and ability to swap components. 

Of course,it wouldn't be a true Singular unless you could run it as a single speed bike! Sam Alison usually integrates an eccentric bottom bracket into his designs which allows for an easy way to go single speed/fixed. Not all Singulars were made this way, but I appreciate this feature in the Peregrine Mk4.

In my opinion, a single speed option is critical for any self-supported type cycling. Having this option could help you pedal home in case of a catastrophe regarding the rear derailleur. So, as a cyclist who spends a lot of time alone in remote county areas, I desire this sort of "bail out" option in my bikes. 

Another, less considered feature of the eccentric bottom bracket is the ability to alter your effective bottom bracket drop. Of course, this only applies if you are running a geared set up, but where you place the eccentric will affect your seat height slightly, and with big tires, I probably will set my eccentric at the "six o'clock" position to accommodate for this. 

I know some folks are down on eccentric bottom brackets due to rumors or old experiences with these making noise. I have had several eccentric bottom bracket bicycles and I can report this has never been an issue with any of those bicycles so equipped. 

I said I wasn't going to get all techy, didn't I? Oh well! These are things I see when I look at a frame and fork. So, forgive my more "mechanic's viewpoint", but again, this bike is just really good looking. Sam knocked it out of the park with the Peregrine Mk4 as far as the aesthetics go. 

I mean, just look at the fork crown! If you do not find this part of the frame attractive I have no words for you. 

Okay, enough of this! I have to quit writing and start turning wrenches!

I'll be posting a build series around this bike in the next few days and then, hopefully, a first ride post. In case you missed it, I plan on putting on a 2X GRX Limited Silver group with my GRX wheel set and those Schwalbe G-One Overland tires I introduced the other day. 

The plan after this is to use the Peregrine Mk4 as my main bicycle for gravel travel for the remainder of the gravel riding season of 2025. This should provide a good basis for giving a final verdict on the Peregrine Mk 4 as a gravel riding platform. 

Thanks to Sam Alison for getting the frame and fork shipped out so promptly and for the excellent customer service. Look for more on the Peregrine Mk4 coming soon! 

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles social media

Salsa Cycles Teases Drop Bar MTB:

On Tuesday of this past week, Salsa Cycles dropped a teaser for a new bicycle which is said to be coming to their dealers in January of 2026. 

Tagged only with the words "Curioser and Curioser", the silhouette of the bike is shown against a murky, forest-like scene. Perhaps this hints at the model's new name.

Comments: Whooo-boy! The comments on this are just what you'd expect from the mostly-negative peanut gallery. I won't get into their thoughts as they are not really going to do anything but be noise here.  

What I will say is this looks like stab at a niche which may be pretty far off most folks radar. My guess is this is a "fast bikepacking" platform. But this is just a guess. I highly doubt it is a drop bar alternative for trail riding only, but obviously, it probably will be capable of doing just that. My first impression when seeing this was it could be a full-sus gravel bike, but I think the travel on the fork looks a bit long for this to be pigeon-holed as just a gravel bike. Besides, look at the height of the bottom bracket. This looks much more off-road than on-road. 

I guess we will all find out together in January!

Image courtesy of Mondraker Bicycles.

Mondraker Offers Arid Carbon Unlimited Frameset:

On Wednesday Mondraker Bicycles announced a new version of their Arid Carbon gravel bike called the Arid Carbon Unlimited. This new frame set is painted in a color-shifting "Eclipse" scheme which will look different depending upon the viewer's angle of sight and lighting conditions.  

The frame also features a lighter version of the  Stealth Air Carbon Fork which has the accessory mounts removed for a sleeker look and 60 gram lighter weight. 

Prices in the press release were not given in US dollars, but looking at the listed retail pricing my guess is this would be around $2,500.00 before any tariffs. This is assuming it will even be available in the USA. With this in mind, I still think this is a high-end frame set worth seeking out for its geometry and promised smoother riding qualities.   

Image courtesy of Castelli

Castelli Partners With Polartec For New AirCore™ Jacket Tech:

Castelli released news of a new Perfetto RoS jacket on Tuesday of this past week which uses a new fabric which may radicalize how we view rain wear.  

The inside joke regarding any weather protective jackets has always been you get wetter on the inside than you would on the outside when wearing a rain jacket while cycling. I've tried several rain jackets and this has mostly been the case. I did have one Endura made, Niner Bikes branded soft shell jacket which was the only cycling jacket I ever had which kept me warm, dry, and was almost wind proof and had a little resistance to wetness. But yeah, most claims of "breathability" in rain wear is laughable at best. 

To understand this one must know a lot of the details and tech behind poor weather wear for cycling. Most, if not all, rain wear has three layers. In the simplest terms, the rain is kept at bay while this three layer fabric supposedly allows your perspiration to find its way through to get evaporated into the atmosphere. Trouble is, this happens at such a slow rate in most jackets as to be largely ineffective. 

Then Shakedry, a magical, single layer fabric came out around eight years ago or so which actually did the magic trick of being waterproof and kept you dry inside of it. However; it was difficult to make and was limited by its non-stretchy, and less durable nature. Then it was found to have high levels of PFC's which were being linked to cancer. A ban on PFC's in several countries has led to the discontinuation of Shakedry jackets. Back to the same ol'-same ol"? No.... Not according to Castelli. 

Castelli went to Polartec and asked them to create a new fabric with no PFC's which would repel water and wind yet be actually breathable, not just breathable in theory. So, the claim is now being made. The new AirCore™ fabric, spun from recycled polyesters, is this new wonder-fabric which will breath and repel water and wind. 

This fabric will be an exclusive to Castelli and its sister brand, Sporful, for cycling, but look for AirCore™ to show up in other brand's outwear this Winter. We will see if the mystical combination of weather-proofness and dry interior performance during active use will become a reality.  

Image courtesy of Specialized Bicycles

Specialized Releases Details On Gen4 Diverge:

Specialized on Tuesday released details on a new version of the Diverge, their gravel bike, and there are several new features and tweaks to cover here.

First off, the Future Shock system gets an upgrade on the higher end models with hydraulic damping and adjustability for rider weight and preferences. The geometry has been tweaked by way of a longer front-center for each size matched up with a slack head angle and 5mm lower bottom bracket across the range. Tire clearance is up to 700 X 50mm, and alloy models now get down tube frame storage capabilities. Prices start at 2K and range up to 10K for the top-end model. Se the range HERE. 

Comments: The social media commentary on gravel bikes, including this one, is hilarious. Many think 2017 MTB's are "old school", that gravel bikes are "just pretend flat bar hard tail MTB's", and seeing many trying to wrap their minds around an 85mm bottom bracket drop is particularly fun. 

Anyway, this new Diverge was developed through feedback from Specialized sponsored Pro gravel racers, so anyone making comments on these bicycles being lacking, or dumb in any way are just not getting the message. Racers want what racers believe they need to go faster. Much of what they believe is data-driven, so this is not just a bunch of marketing hoo-ha cooked up to strip the riding populace of their hard-earned dollars. 

Oddly enough, many of the details which the Pros seem to want in a gravel bike align with what I think works best for "just riding around", on gravel. Besides the lack of versatility which racers do not need or want, I'm in. This is the only nit I would have with the Diverge.  

Image courtesy of Santa Cruz Bicycles

New Stigmata HTSQD Colorway Debuts:

Santa Cruz showed off this special colorway of their Stigmata gravel bike recently which can be had as a full-build or frame and fork. The frame and fork combo is listed at $2,799.00 USD. 

The frame/fork combo can be seen HERE. 

Comments: N.Y. Roll has an older Stigmata, and he seems to like it well enough to keep it around for now. I like this newer version, maybe as a more racy option for myself, at any rate. 

The geometry on this is a bit longish and sizing this bike is a bit of a conundrum fror me. I think I'd opt for the Large but with a 52.5cm seat tube length it would require quite a lot of seat post extension. I suppose this is by design to accommodate dropper posts, which these MTB-centric brands like to put on their gravel bikes. 

Cool colors, at any rate. I do like this about the new Stiggy. 

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

Last Ride For The Gravel Bus

The 2020 Twin Six Standard Rando v2 I dubbed "The Gravel Bus" 

 I suppose many of you fine readers are aware I am about to take delivery of a Singular Peregrine Mk4. This frame and fork will be built up using most of the parts from the Twin Six Standard Rando I have. I've gone over all the reasoning for this in past posts about these two bicycles. If you want the lowdown see HERE and HERE for the story. 

Since this Standard Rando v2 is about to be dismantled, I thought one final ride was in order to get a benchmark on how it rides again and to give it a proper send-off from my stable of bicycles.  It isn't that this bike is "bad", or even a bicycle which isn't quite "good enough" when it comes to why I am passing it on, because it is a great bicycle. It is just that I have grown to love fatter tires again on gravel and the T-6 just cannot get me where I need to be in this regard. So, I have decided to move on from this bicycle mainly based upon this fact. 

If you look closely, you can see how minimal the tire clearance is with this WTB tire which is listed as a 700 X 44mm. 

 Currently I have a 700 X 44mm WTB Raddler mounted on Shimano GRX rims which measure 25mm inner rim width. This wheel is standard width now days for gravel use. Some are advocating for even wider rims, but for what I typically use here, 25mm - 30mm inner rim width is going to be the maximum for my needs. 

So, as you can see above, putting a 45mm+ width tire on a current issue Standard Rando just is not going to work with today's rim widths. So, this issue is solved by the Peregrine Mk4 quite handily. This is but one reason I am moving on from the T-6, but I had to have a certain look and feel in the replacement bike, and I feel the Singular does this. See the linked post above if you want to know more about this. 

 The Standard Rando is a great bicycle and my wish would be for Twin Six to come up with a v3 of this model with the capability to handle up to a 50mm tire. But at this point, I cannot get the bike in the configuration I would like. This is sad, in a way, because the Standard Rando is a fun bicycle to ride. I love the water bottle capacity, the classic look, and the way it handles is very predictable. Maybe a tad on the stiff side, yes, but with the ShockStop stem, I can tame this characteristic of the Standard Rando v2 easily. 

I'm going to miss this bicycle, for sure. However; it is plain to see to me, at least, that I am more apt to grab a bicycle from my stash with larger tires than what this bicycle can handle. As an example, this ride I took the other day was the first time I had ridden the Standard Rando in 2025. So, yes, it was time to rectify the situation, and my expectation is for the Singular Peregrine Mk4 to do this for me. 

The switch over of components should begin this weekend as the Peregrine is expected to find its perch here on Friday. You may wonder what is going to happen to the Standard Rando v2 frame and fork.  I initially thought I might sell it, but..... I could use a fatter tire fixie. Hmm...... 

Closure

 Note: This post is a follow-up for all those who were concerned about the death of my son, Jacob Stevenson, on August 2nd, 2025. If this is news to you as you read this, I am sorry for this, but for everyone else, I felt answers were being looked for, and this post is here to provide some closure.

 Okay, so as many of you know, this death was unexpected and, maybe more importantly, unexplained. When someone this young (22 yrs old in this case) dies there is a curiosity and need for "a reason". This extends to the official account needed by our medical and government officials. This also affects the closure of accounts and such financials, as you might imagine, which are important in a secondary realm. 

Because of all these reasons, an autopsy was performed immediately afterward which showed no obvious conclusions for Jacob's death. So there were samples taken and sent off to laboratories for further examination and tests including genetic and toxicology testing. These things take time, but last Saturday we received the results of all the testing and an official end to this part of our dealing with our son's death. 

The results showed Jacob died of "natural causes".   

In other words, there was no explanation for "why he died". 

We were prepared for this answer and while it is difficult, we now can rest. Rest in the fact of there being no reasons for us to believe we did not do something we should have while raising him. Something which may have been missed by us in our living with and taking care of Jacob throughout the years we had him in our lives. We also know Jacob was not doing anything to endanger himself, nor was there any medically related issue which can be pinpointed for his death. I hope this also answers some of those who were concerned about Jacob's death and concerned about us here afterward dealing with it all. 

Of course, the "why" of it all is left hanging. Sometimes we as humans have to accept we cannot, and will not ever know why some things happen. You may deal with this fact of life in several ways. We here have our Faith and we lean heavily into that. For those of you who pray, know we have felt this and appreciate each and every one of you who did, and may still be, praying for us.  

We also want to thank all of those who have reached out, and still do, to see how we are doing and all of you who have contributed to our family in any way in the last month or so. You are all greatly appreciated. 

Now that this chapter is closed I will move onward to my regular postings, but I wanted to make sure these things were communicated and I hope this brings those who had questions about Jacob's death some closure.  

SRAM Announces Limited Edition 1987 Eagle Transmission Group

 Note: Information and images i9n this post were provided to Guitar Ted Productions by SRAM.

SRAM's 1987 Eagle Transmission Group (Inage courtesy of SRAM)

 

 
In 1987 the USA and the world experienced many things. The "Black Monday" stock market crash, Ronald Reagan's "Tear down this wall" speech, and Whitney Houston's emergence on the music scene. But did you know this was the year SRAM designed its first cycling product?

Yep! It was the Grip Shift shifter which mounted on drop bars, triathlete bars, and flat bars. It was, to be kind, a dismal failure as a shifter, but SRAM quickly redesigned the shifter, and by the mid-1990's it was a serious competitor to Shimano and others in the flat bar shifting market. Also, SRAM introduced the cycling world to 2.5mm hex keys, which I still haven't quite gotten over yet, but this is another story for another time. 

But this is about a celebration of an anniversary, not my grudge against 2.5mm hex keys! SRAM decided to mark this year, their 38th, with a sort of throw-back to a silver finish on the components which was common for cycling componentry in 1987. 

AXS shifters (L) and the special logo SRAM Flat-Top chain from the 1987 group (Image courtesy of SRAM)

 

Special Features & Accessories: 

SRAM has done a few nice tweaks to this Transmission group to make it special besides the silver finishes. They managed to carve out another 25 grams from the 10 - 52T cassette to make this the lightest Transmission cassette of all. SRAM also notes this cassette is NOT compatible with eMTB's. 

Each of the group sets will come with a special Flat-Top chain which has "SRAM" in founder Stan Day's handwriting  emblazoned on every other outer link along with an individual serial number for each group from 1 to 1,987, which is all SRAM is making of this special group set. 

Each group set will be boxed with 32 and 34 tooth chain rings and a special tool to install the threaded chain ring lock nut. Each crank set will be offered only in a 170mm length and has built-in power meters for left and right power measuring. Each group set will ship with a 4-battery charger and two extra AXS batteries. 

As mentioned, this group set is limited to 1,987 units world-wide. So, hit up your local SRAM retailer or online outlet to see if you can get your hands on one of these new silver groups. 

(Note: At the time of this writing SRAM had not provided any pricing for the 1987 Transmission AXS group. Also, please check for the regular post which proceeded this post to learn more about the Schwalbe G-One Overland tires which are being reviewed here.)