You probably have noticed it. All the "Black Friday" sales stuff which kicked in right after Halloween was over here. We may as well call the month of November "Black Friday" and have no days other than Friday for 30 calendar days until December 1st.
News coming out of all the trade publications are still showing sales numbers mostly down for the Summer. You can tell because some companies have been running ridiculous discounts for months already.
There have been a few businesses shutting down, and many bicycle shops seem to be closing up across the world, not just here. I'm certain there are parts where shops are thriving and business is brisk, but this seems to be less common now.
And there are "bicycle deserts" which are getting larger all the time. The city I live in currently has no bicycle shops at all. None. It's crazy to think about it. There are several places in Iowa which have no close local bicycle services at all. I'm sure nationwide it is commonplace.
It will be interesting to see if 2026 brings any positive changes.
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| Prototype known as "D62" Image courtesy of Brant Richards |
Last Friday I asked if anyone was interested in a Luxy Bar reissue. (IYKYK) I wanted to give those interested parties an update, as far as what I know.
The Luxy Bar was sold through Chain Reactions Cycles, an online retailer which had many "in-house" brands. One of those brands was Ragley, and the main designer for Ragley Bikes at the time of the Luxy Bar's availability was Brant Richards. The Luxy was sold as a Ragley Bikes product.
I do not know the particulars involved in a possible revival of a component which has a license through a company which went through financial distress and I do not know who owns the rights to the Luxy now. All I know is Brant is getting back into bicycle stuff again and asked if I thought the Luxy was a viable offering in 2025/26.
I posted about this, as I stated, last Friday, and Brant has seen all of your comments. So, if those carry any weight, then .......maybe. Also, I did ask for a carbon version to which Brant replied to by saying, "You can ask. But I’m sticking with metal. Not plastic!"
You can read into this statement if you'd like. I am saying it still is a big "what if" until I see one for real. Stay tuned.....
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| Image courtesy of Ratio Tech |
Ratio Mech Now Available:
Early in October I reported in another FN&V regarding Ratio Technologies stab at making a rear derailleur with an aim to be versatile enough to work with several different shifters. It appears now this component is now available from the U.K. based company and is called the "Mech".
Riders can choose the correct Mech configuration for their preferred cassette and shifter right from the webpage. The Mech can also be configured for traditional derailleur hangars or UDH style mounting.
Comments: I think this sort of mechanical rear derailleur is really a thing filling a void. The major component makers have, for the most part, abandoned cable pull derailleurs. This Ratio offering fills a void in the marketplace for those who want 12 and 13 speed drive trains but do not want electronic shifting for whatever reasons they may have.
The asking price of approximately $457.00 (based upon current exchange rates and no tariff or VAT) seems steep, but a SRAM AXS XPLR rear mech is only about one hundred bucks less. Given some competition in this space for high-end, cable pull rear mechs and some decent amount of demand, I could see this 257 number coming down.
But who knows? Perhaps this will only be a niche offering for old-school, cable pull holdouts. Once the demand is met, and those folks age out, perhaps all we wil see is electronic rear mechs in the future. Either way, it is nice to see a company offering an alternative to electronic shifting.
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| Image courtesy of Ritchey Design |
Whoops! I had to redact this news last Friday because I didn't read the embargo date correctly, so if you've already seen this here, or thought you might have, you did!
My bad! Sorry Ritchey Design!
So, anyway, the Septimer is a break-away frame design in carbon. Ritchey has its own design for travel frames which come apart and can be packed into a small travel bag which can be checked at airports as regular baggage, saving on shipping costs for folks who like to travel with a bicycle.
If you are interested you can check out the Ritchey Septimer and all their other fine products HERE.
More 32"er Watch Rumors:
I was pointed to a mtbr.com thread by fellow blogger Rich Dillen which detailed the latest in 32"er news. With Mike Curiak being the current "Central Scrutinizer" of all things 32" in the MTB world, at least here in the USA, it was enlightening.
Apparently the scuttlebutt from Mike is that at least "5-6 new 32" tires " are due out next year. I would assume this would mostly become news around and at Sea Otter, given the MTB nature of the event in April.
Chatting via text messenger with "Mr Vague Idea Racing", we both agreed gravel stands to be addressed with the 32" wand as well. What exactly becomes of this is anyone's guess as of now, but more companies than Maxxis will have to jump in to make this viable. My guess is the German based tire brands will not be included due to their notorious conservative natures, I'd look for brands like Kenda, (who could use a shot in the arm), Panaracer, or maybe WTB to be brands which come in with 32" offerings for tires in 2026.
This 32 inch nonsense reminds me a LOT of the heady days of 29"ers, fat bikes, and early gravel bike tire threads online where certain individuals were looked to for breaking news and posters would theorize on stuff they had no idea about. Ah! I recall this sort of thing and I understand it is "fun", but I'm not going to press into this too hard myself. The rewards are ethereal and fleeting for the amount of "grind" one has to exert. But with this said, I will be keeping a close eye on things in relation to 32" wheels and gravel bikes.
That is a wrap on this week! The FN&V will be taking a break next week (unless there is breaking news) for Thanksgiving. Look for the next FN&V to appear at the end of the first week of December.
Now get out and ride those bicycles!
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