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| Image courtesy of Onza Tires |
Onza Tires, better known for mountain bike fare, has just announced a new range of gravel tires called "Alegra X". In an effort to guide riders to a "best tire" choice, these tires are arrayed in a ranking to categorize them from least grippy, best rolling resistance to most grippy, higher rolling resistance. With "1" having the fastest tread all the way to "6", with the most off-road ready" tread, Onza expects riders will better be able to dial in an Alegra X model which best suits their needs.
All models seem to have 120TPI casings, single compound rubber, and a choice of tan or black wall sidewalls. Most are $59.99 USD. Sizes range from 40mm to 50mm, but not all models are available in all sizes or sidewall styles.
See Onza's website for more details HERE.
Comments: The ranking system is similar to how Vittoria Tires is doing things now within their range of gravel tires. Onza is not a big name in the States, so it remains to be seen how this range will be accepted. However; in my opinion this looks like a more budget friendly, high-value, low in features range. Tread designs are right in the current fashion trends for gravel, and you might be reminded of several better known brands and models while perusing the Onza range.
Everything in the Alegra X range looks "safe" as far as how it will work on gravel, and I suspect these will all be okay for most people. However; I don't see much in the way of innovative design or anything overly inspiring here. Most of these tread designs are derivative, and look to be based off designs known to work just fine. Maybe Onza makes a dent here, but there are a LOT of choices in gravel tires in 2025/26, so the competition for space on rider's wheels is intense.
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| Image courtesy of Madrone Cycles |
Last year I featured the Madrone Cycles rear mech prototype in an FN&V segment. Now the rear derailleur for 1X systems from Shimano or SRAM is available to purchase.
With a configurable, rebuildable design, the Jab rear mech promises versatility, longevity, and customization based upon the choice of different anodized colors. The Jab has received decent reviews so far, so the product looks promising.
Prices will range depending upon configuration, but a standard gravel Jab runs about $298.00 USD. A Jab configured with a purple body and for Shimano 11 speed gravel usage, (shown) would run $327.00 USD.
You can learn more on the page for the Jab HERE.
Comments: Rebuildable? Okay......when was the last time you thought, "Hey! Why can't I rebuild my rear mech?" Maybe you've destroyed one in a wreck, or in poor conditions. Okay, maybe then. However, most rear derailleurs I have replaced over the past 30 years of repair work were 50% - 100% destroyed. You'd likely have to purchase a new rear mech anyway, unless Madrone sells all the individual parts for the Jab aftermarket. Sure, they sell most of the parts now, but what if you tweak the linkage parallelogram bits?
Then there is the price of admission. Again, as I stated in 2024, you can buy a brand new Shimano GRX rear mech for quite a bit less money. SRAM as well. Obviously, the Madrone offering looks completely cool and rad, but is it worth that much more? This is really what the piece boils down to. The way you answer this question will determine the part's value to you. There is no "wrong" answer here for a consumer, assuming it does its job. It's just that I'm not seeing what question this piece answers from a technical standpoint.
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| Courtesy of Salsa Cycles social media |
Salsa Reveals Another New Drop Bar Model:
The Mega Mid-South happened last weekend and both the men's and women's events were won on a new Salsa Cycles model which has not been released yet.
The bike was feted in a Salsa Cycles social media post this week and the name of the model was revealed. The new model is going to be known as the "Flyway".
This bike will, according to Salsa Cycles, be released this coming February. Details are said to become known about the Flyway in January, most likely because this is when dealers will be informed of those details.
You may recall another teased new model from Salsa Cycles earlier in the Fall. I reported on this in an FN&V HERE. You may note that bike being a full suspension model with drop bars. This is not the same as the Flyway, which obviously is a hard tail, rigid front fork bike in the image shown here.
Comments: Salsa Cycles has not redesigned, or tweaked the Warbird gravel racing bike for several years. It is long overdue for a refresh. Could the Flyway be a Warbird replacement? My guess is it will be replacing the Warbird, as Salsa's parent company has been sanitizing model names for several years. The Warbird refresh is a perfect time to axe the "militaristic" nomenclature and christen the refresh with a new, unoffensive name. Besides this, Salsa posted on their Facebook page that this bike is their "..... fifth generation gravel racing bike." Note: This is purely speculation on my part, but we've already seen a few re-namings in Salsa's line, so this would track if it is true.
We can deduce from the images the Flyway has a suspension corrected fork, larger tire clearances, and accessory fork mounts. The sloping top tube can be seen in this escape collective post, (paywalled if you want to read the entire post), which indicates dropper post compatibility. I'd also assume there is in-frame storage, full-internal routing, and possibly no support for mechanical group-sets, as is the fashion these days.
We'll be keeping our eyes open for more on this "new" model after the turn of the New Year.
More and more it seems apparent the 32 inch MTB wheel is going to be a thing in 2026. Rumors are being passed around saying more choices in tires are on the way, and more people are starting to move in a direction which points to small production runs of frames and forks for the wheel size.
While I have ridden a 36"er, I haven't ridden one off-road, so I cannot say what a 32"er would be like. Furthermore, I'm not really interested in spending a bunch of money on an off-road bike I'd barely ever use.
If I were to get into this wheel size, it would be for gravel, and for my sort of riding, a 32"er wheel makes a ton of sense. So, I am interested in what becomes of this sort of idea, and if it ever became possible, and the tires were there which made sense, I'd probably get one of these newer, bigger wagon wheelers for my stable.
I think the rolling momentum of such a wheel would be primo for the rolling hills of Iowa. The vibration reducing possibilities are tantalizing for a man of my age who is not getting any younger. A drop bar, single speed 32"er makes a lot of sense to me, and if I would have to use 2"-plus wide tires, I'm good with it as long as the geometry is correct.
So, while I do not need another gravel bike, I might need a 32"er, especially if it was something which would extend my years as a gravel cyclist.
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| Image courtesy of Ritchey Design |
On Wednesday Ritchey Design released news about a new breakaway frame set in carbon fiber. The breakaway feature allows the frame to come apart in two sections and be packed is a special case for travel.
This bike frame and fork, executed in carbon fiber, has external cable routing for easier breakdown and travel duties. It has tire clearance for up to 48mm tires as well.
The frame set is named for the Septimer Pass in the Alps where a Roman era road exists which Tom Ritchey explored back in the 1980's. Price for the frame set is set at $3,499.00 and can be ordered now via Ritchey Design dealers.
Comments: What a cool bike! Breakaway design has been around for quite a while now. I've never seen it on a carbon fiber frame before, but it makes a lot of sense for the frequent travelr who wants a fine, all-road option to take on their travels.
The geometry is spot on with nothing out of the ordinary to my eyes. Even without the Breakaway feature, this would be a cool bike, albeit a tad spendy.
In a surprise announcement via Gorewear's parent company, WL Gore & Associates GmbH, it has been learned the Gore cycling business will cease operations and remaining inventory will be sold out with no further replacements.
Citing economic hardships in the business, Gore stated in a letter to retailers obtained by a German bicycle industry publication that they saw no good future prospects for success for the brand. You can read more about the closing of Gorewear in this Bike Radar article HERE.
Comments: Gore was very aggressive in terms of marketing throughout the last 15 years. They were not shy about sending kit to several outlets, including some I have been associated with in the past. However; it never seemed as though Gore could gain a foothold against the Raphas, MAAP's, and other trendy companies.
Gore did find itself with a hit when they developed the Shake Dry rain jacket, (shown) which had immediate effect in the marketplace, being heralded as a major technology breakthrough in wet weather cycling gear. However; it had to pull the technology off the market due to PFAS concerns and Gore's own commitments to environmentally friendly products. This was something that was a blow to the company as they never really had any answer to the Shake Dry jacket.
This news comes on the heels of YT Bikes closure in North America, and with a slew of deep-discount sales for "Pre-Black Friday" within the industry. All of this is not very encouraging heading into Winter.
That's a wrap on this week! Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Now get out and ride a bicycle!
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