Friday News And Views

Twin Six 3X2 32"er frame set (Image courtesy of Twin Six)

 Order Up! 32"er Companies Pushing Big Wheels:

You may have noted some promotions over the past week, week and a half, by several small purveyors of 32"ers. The orders are going in and minimums must be met to get production started. 

Esker, Twin Six, Curve Cycling, and others were pushing social media posts hard recently in hopes of getting riders to bite on this enticing, (for taller folks, mostly) technology.  

I know someone who has an order in, and I'm sure many of you out there are either in line to get one, or are considering it. One thing to note here: 32 inch wheels will probably not have the "gen I issues" 29"ers had. So, biting on the 32'er bait shouldn't get you an obsolete rig in five years. 

Hopefully..... 

 I'm very curious about 32"ers. But I do not need another bicycle. Plus, I'm willing to wait to see how things shake out. If this is all that and a bag of chips, I can get one whenever I want in the near future. And this means that if things change in regard to geometry, etc with 32"ers, I will not have bought into something that will be obsolete. 

Maybe....

Seeing on social media that Trek will have hard tail and FS 32"ers out in February 2027. (Heard they were taking orders now.) Specialized, Pivot, and Ari Cycles are rumored to be doing 32"ers as well. So, perhaps it won't be obsolete right away.  

Probably..... 

Guitar Ted Approved:

Well folks, I found a silver seat post and a saddle and now the Singular Cycles Peregrine Mk4 is all finished (for the near future - I make no guarantees!)

The seat post is an old Campagnolo aero post. If you are familiar with those, you know they are not very long! I was able to get the correct seat height and still have the minimum insertion mark inside the seat tube, but only just! 

The saddle is a tried and true WTB Silverado, which has been my 'go-to' saddle of late. The two pieces cap of the build and now everything is ready to go for a longer gravel ride. 

The final 'approved by Guitar Ted' action was to sticker the frame up with a Trans Iowa sticker and a 'Jacob' sticker in honor of my late son. So I'm pleased with the switcheroo and all systems are go for gravel travel now. 

Image courtesy of Giant Bicycles

Giant Announces Revolt Advance SL Model With Carbon Hub/Spoke Wheel System

On Tuesday of this week online sites were going ga-ga over Giant's newest gravel bikes. The Revolt Advance SL is the range topper with racing focused geometry and parts. 

And how about those wheels? Carbon hubs and spokes with a wheel weight under 1,300 grams total for front and rear wheels.  

Comments: Fun stuff for the bike nerds to geek out over, but dive into the marketing, specs, and geometry and really let it sink in. This is a bike for the less than 1% of gravel riders. It is a Pro level racing bike and much of the "feature list" descriptions could have been pulled directly from marketing of Tour de France bikes from the 2000's. "Stiffer", "feedback from racers". and  aero everything, of course. 

Is this a bike for The Every-person? No. It is not. But that is who will end up buying this bike because "weight", "aero", and "Pro racing" sells bikes to.....I guess some folks? Anyway, congratulations on race-ifying gravel bikes, Giant.  

And is it just me, or does this bike resemble every Chinese brand gravel bike I've seen recently? Hmm.... 

Date Set For GT's Ride For Jacob:

Thanks to Nick from the Board of the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective, I have secured a date for GT's Ride For Jacob. We will be riding from the North parking lot at Big Woods Lake starting at 8:00am on Saturday, July 25th. 

The ride will consist of a loop from the parking lot at Big Woods Lake to gravel North of Waterloo, Iowa. We will pass through Janesville, Iowa, cross the Cedar River, then we will go on to cross the Shell Rock River and travel through Shell Rock, Iowa. From this most Northern point of the loop we will head West and South towards New Hartford, our last pass-through town. 

The ride will end by coming into Cedar Falls from the West toward downtown on mostly bike path. There could be a stop downtown if folks are so inclined. The ride from downtown to the parking lot at Big Woods Lake is a short one all on bicycle path.  

Stay tuned for any further updates here or on the ride site.  

Image courtesy of WTB

WTB Teases New Unreleased Hub, Hints At New Wheels To Come:

A press release from WTB on Wednesday pointed out a new hub WTB has designed which is being used by the Cannondale Factory Race Team and won with at a recent Elite XCO World Cup event.

Looking through the release I was able to glean out that the rear hub will use a "DLC ratchet ring-drive system". It may be similar to DT Swiss' ratcheting drive design. This is a fairly commonplace move since the patent ran out on the design formerly held by DT Swiss. 

Dubbed "Frequency 7X" hubs, the set for MTB usage is a claimed sub 300 grams for the pair. These hubs spin on "oversized Enduro bearings" and are claimed to be tough enough for World Cup MTB while being amazingly light. 

The press release hinted that these, as yet unreleased hubs, will appear with new carbon rims for MTB and gravel use. So, look for some news on the wheel front from WTB in the near future. Another tidbit I gleaned from a thread on social media is that WTB is also working on an aero gravel tire design. Could it be that the new rims, hubs, and tire will be presented as a racing wheel system for gravel which is very aero? 

Could be a thing. 

That's a wrap on this week! If you are a US citizen, enjoy a safe and enjoyable 4th of July weekend! Get out there and ride some bicycles! 

Do That Again (At Least Once)

I have been saying for several years that I wanted to do a sub24 trip and...... I haven't done one. I don't know why, exactly, it's just that other stuff took precedence, or I let it do so, and I never got around to it. 

But the BRAN trip taught me that I can do this, and it also showed me I had better do it sooner than later or I won't ever do it. 

The gear is all there. I may as well use it. I know it works. There is only one thing I might have to change and that is the sleeping pad. The Thermarest Basecamp is flipping huge. I'd have to find an alternative which wasn't so massive so it did not take up so much space on the bike. Honestly, my old, ancient Thermarest pas might be okay from that standpoint. 

But no excuses. This has to happen at least once more this year. That's the goal. Small, I know, but it would be better than zero. And I have places I can go local to me as well. Maybe they are not that exciting, but that is my perspective. And in the end, it is the options that matter not "how cool/uncool" those places may seem to me. 

So, I better get on this. It's now or maybe never.....
 

What Is Up With With Selle SMP Saddles?

 Note: This review is of a used Selle SMP saddle Guitar Ted purchased from the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective. Selle SMP is not aware of this review and all opinions are Guitar Ted's. 

Looking at saddles over the years a strange looking choice popped up which has always intrigued me. The Selle SMP saddles looked......weird compared to everything else I was seeing. I couldn't wrap my mind around the shape. It looked broken. And the huge cut-out section was odd too. Everything about the saddle seemed a bit off to my eyes. Plus, they weren't inexpensive either. 

Then a friend of mine showed up with a well worn one on his bike. He had purchased it new, so it was obvious he liked it and had a lot of time on it. So, of course, I had to ask. "How is that thing to ride?" He said it was the most comfortable saddle he'd ever used. It did not make him numb, and that was a big issue for him in the past. 

Okay.....sample of one. I filed that away in the brain trust, and then kept on riding. 

We're gonna get to the bottom of this....

Then on the recent BRAN ride I noted Jayme had these Growtac shifters on his bike and he offered me a quick test ride on his bike to try them out. (Another subject for another time) I then noted he had a Selle SMP saddle on his bike. So, I also got to see how this saddle felt. 

And you know what? It may look weird, but that short ride told me there was something to this oddball of the cycling saddle world. It just so happened that not long before BRAN a Selle SMP Pro saddle was donated to the Collective. So, when I returned from BRAN, I purchased the saddle and well......here we are!

What It Is: The Selle SMP Pro is their intermediate level saddle for MTB, gravel, or road for both Men or Women. It has a real leather cover, (in black only), or a MicroFiber cover in several different colors. The rails are made of AISI Stainless steel. A carbon railed version is also available. The shell is made of carbon reinforced Nylon 12. The padding is a foamed elastomer. 

The overal width of the SMP Pro is 148mm and the length is 278mm. Claimed weight is 350gm with the stainless steel rails and drops to 295gms with carbon rails. Cost for the Selle SMP Pro is $269.00USD with stainless steel rails and $449.00 with the carbon rails. 

Intentions: The intent of this review is to find out if the Selle SMP works for me at all. I want to see how it feels on longer rides. Is it the bees knees like many say it is, or just an oddball saddle that is merely different and works okay? Is it worth the asking price? How well is it made? How hard is it to set up correctly? 

That last point was something Jayme shared with me. He straight up told me if I set it up incorrectly it won't work for me. He pointed out his saddle and asked me to note how much tilt it had nose-downward. He claimed if I set it up level, with a "bucket/dip in the mid section, it would be bad. "You'll want it tipped down in the nose more than you'd think", he instructed. Although it should be noted that Selle SMP says to start out at level and the nose tilt can be anywhere from +10° to -25° after adjustments. 

But Jayme has a point. I did not catch that my WTB Silverado had slipped back in the seat post clamp at BRAN until Day Two and by then I had already done some nerve damage and caused saddle sores I only just recently have overcome. Set-up means everything with a saddle. So I am prepared to be open to different saddle set ups than I would normally think of doing. 

Initial Impressions: This saddle is not light. So, anyone looking to cut weight on a build probably wouldn't look at this saddle as an option. One likely is looking here at an SMP for relief from numbness or for comfort - or both.  

 It is well made. Very well made. I am impressed with the build quality of this saddle and there are not many saddles I've seen which rival the SMP. The leather is soft, pliable, and has a very even grain. Of course, there is every possibility this saddle is "broken in" already. But it does not appear to have many miles on it as the cover looks pristine and I don't see any marring, wear areas, or scratches. 

In the next post I will talk about set up and have a ride impression for you.  

So, here we go..... Stay tuned. 

Fleet Review: Part 1

I get a lot of ideas for posts from the comments section of this blog. Such was the case last week when I received a comment asking to show all my bicycles. So, since I don't think I've done that - ever - I thought, why not? The thing is, there are a LOT of bicycles and parts of bicycles around here and one post won't cut it. So, this may be a recurring series of sorts spread across several posts. We will see how it all develops.  

My first batch will be my gravel bikes. Anything I primarily use for gravel riding will be included here. Future posts will cover mountain/fat bike, urban/commuter, and "Parts Bikes", which will be a category showing frames and partial bikes I have here. 

Okay, now on with the show.... 

Pofahl Signature Custom

 2007 Pofahl Signature Custom

A design I dreamed up and that Ben Witt refined and had Mike Pofahl braze up. There is guaranteed no other example like this anywhere. Modeled loosely on a first generation Karate Monkey this bike has a loooooong set of chain stays and a taller stack height than a Karate Monkey. It is single speed specific. 

I've ridden this bike at Gravel Worlds, and on several local gravel rides but it doesn't get used as much as I like to see. Some of the parts are special to me like the seat post, a Syncros 27.0 mm post I had on my 1992 Klein Attitude. The Race Face 180mm cranks were from my 1996 Diamond Back V-Link FS 26"er. It's got a Redshift ShockStop stem and a Luxy Bar, of course. 

Raleigh Tamland Two

2014 Raleigh Tamland Two

Long-time blog readers know this bike well. My "OG" gravel specific bike. Many folks forget this was one of the very first gravel specific bikes available and it was, if I dare say so myself, way ahead of its day when it comes to geometry, tire clearance, and overall handling. 

I'm probably going to ride this for the 4th this year as it is a red, white, and blue paint scheme. I've written reams about this bike, its history, and how I'm tied into that, many times, so I won't delve into that again here. But you may see a post again on this bike soon, so stay tuned. 

2008 Salsa Cycles Fargo

2008 Salsa Cycles Fargo 

One of the very first production samples of the Fargo Gen I model, I've had this bike since November 2008. You've likely seen this on the site if you've been around enough reading my posts. There isn't much to say about this bike which hasn't already been said. 

This Fargo has been on more adventures and in more events than any other bike I own. So, it is a very special bicycle to me and I still plan on riding in more events and on more adventures with this Fargo in the future. 

Singular Cycles Gryphon Mk3

2023 Singular Cycles Gryphon Mk3

The quest for a 29+ wheeled gravel bike finally was achieved when I got hold of this Gryphon Mk3 model from Singular Cycles. It is a unique bike with a unique set-up. 

I stuck not only a front derailleur on this supposed 1X only bike, but I used a triple crank set and 9 speed components as well. So, this bike has a weird, 1990's meets modern drop bar MTB look to it. I think it is perfect for chunky gravel, or dirt roads, where smooth riding is valued. The bike is heavy, no doubt, but it handles rough stuff really well. 

2018 Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross Disc (MCD)

2018 Black Mountain Cycles MCD

This pink beast was the bike I took on my recent BRAN trip and has been a great gravel bike  for me for many years now. Black Mountain Cycles no longer offers this model, but the nearest equivalent is their Mod Zero, which has many of this bike's attributes and more. 

This bike is what I refer to as my "skinny Fargo". It isn't a Vaya, which some of you may think of in a similar vein, but it is set up and feels like my Gen I Fargo. Just lighter. And it is pink, so there is that as well. 

Noble Bikes GX5

 2019 Noble Bikes GX5

Another bike ahead of its time and another bike you cannot get anymore. This carbon fiber bike has been a lot of fun to ride and it reminds me a lot of the Tamland Two. It should since Noble Bikes was founded by a former Raleigh engineer who worked on the Tamland. 

Funny story behind this bike: The Noble Bikes founder was adamant that this bike had a 40mm tire clearance, maximum, which wasn't crazy in 2019. However, I've fitted 700 X 47's into the bike, and 45's are no big deal. So, it is a good thing the bike had this clearance when new or I'd have probably moved off of it by now.  

King Fabrications Custom Gravel Bike (Honeman Flyer)

 2024 King Fabrications Custom Gravel Bike (Honeman Flyer)

This is the bike that photographer/writer Erik Mathy made a reality by sheer force of his will to see me, this bike, and Mid-South come together as a story he could shoot and write up. The story never materialized, as far as I know, but the bicycle and Mid-South most certainly did. 

I had come across a 1936 geometry for a track bike and at the suggestion from Coconino Cycles' Steve Garro saying this was proto-gravel geometry, I decided he was right and wanted it made. It was a wish. I did not ever expect it to come true. 

But, as I said, Erik Mathy made sure it did, and I paid my money and had the bike done in time to ride the 2024 version of Mid-South bandit style. 

Love the bike, but I wish it had bigger tire clearances.  

 2025 Singular Cycles Peregrine Mk4:

And of course, the bike shown yesterday is in this category. Nothing to add here other than this has to be counted and so here it is! 

Okay, that's it for gravel bikes. Next will be a much smaller category, MTB/Fat. Stay tuned. It may be a while before I can get this next batch photographed.  

The "XLBird" Passes Testing

 I was text messaging with Ari Andonopoulos last week concerning a rear brake issue with my XL Singular Peregrine Mk4. The mount had gotten painted and it needed facing and we were discussing options to get that done without spending hundreds on a disc brake facing tool. During the conversation Ari referred to the bike as the "XLBird". 

That stuck with me. 

So going forward the XLBird name will be attached to this Peregrine Mk4. I don't make the rules folks. When someone gives you a nick-name, that's it. 

Oh....so about that brake, I ended up doing some very careful, tedious hand filing with a steel file I have and it solved the problem. No more rear brake drag. That and a loose headset were the only two gremlins I had to battle after the initial build of the bike. I did my traditional grave yard test and then a wider ranged neighborhood test ride before these adjustments. 

 Once the initial short range test rides were done, and the rear brake was figured out, I decided I could range out a bit further afield and I did an hour long ride out to the Harold Getty Lake paths. I took alleys back home too. The bike was excellent. No mechanical issues at all. 

 The post previous to this concerning this bike had a comment saying that this bike looked long. It is definitely longer than the size Large Peregrine. You can feel it when you are riding as well. The frame and fork feel like a giant spring at times. The Large Peregrine was much stiffer in this regard. 

Handling was very stable, I thought. Right after a fast downhill I hit some rutted up dirt. The bike pitched sideways but due to the stability of the front end I was easily able to catch the bike, keep it going straight, and out of the rut. Steering around tighter corners was good. Not that this bike will see a lot of single track, but it is nice to understand the bike will carve a corner if I need to do this. 

No rattles, no misshifts, brakes worked, and everything felt good. Now I may have to dig up a silver post and maybe a saddle. Then this bike is good to go. I'm very happy with the outcome of the switch to the XL frame. 

Two Things

The second part of my BRAN experience on audio is HERE

 One Day vs One Week:

 This idea popped into my head as I was writing up all the BRAN recap posts. If you read those, you can attest to all the experiences, scenery, and riding which I was afforded the opportunity to enjoy. It was a lot packed into a full week of fun, challenges, and surprises. 

Considering all the things I was writing about I was made aware that gravel events are not generally like this. They are typically one-day events and you are in and out of there before you have any time to settle into things. 

And maybe the quick in-quick out thing works for you. There is a lot going on in most folks lives and carving out time to play gravel bikes is not easy. However; if you can get a week in Summer off, here is something to consider. 

Going to a single day event has obvious entry fee costs. You have travel expenses. Maybe you can get there and back without any lodging fees, but if you have to stay in a motel, or camp, it is going to cost even more. Obviously you have to eat, and maybe you bring your rations. Most folks are going to subsist on a diet of convenience store fare or go to a restaurant.  More money spent. 

My figuring at a minimal amount spent going to a 100 mile gravel event with an average cost of $1.50 per mile (figured from my gravel event cost survey I posted last January) , using an average cost for gas currently ($3.93/gallon), and throwing in a bit for food and small extras, I come up with around $300.00 for a one day event. That is with zero lodging fees and no restaurants, beer/liquor, entertainment, etc. 

The fee to ride BRAN this year was $425.00. You have to feed yourself, get there and back, and any extras are on you. My figure for the week would have been right around 1K. (Had I paid the $425.00 entry fee and the $110.00 bus trip out) That's for seven days of gravel riding WITH support. Seven days of single day events would be $2,100.00 minimum. Probably a lot more than 2K, and especially so if you attend a "bucket list" event in there like Unbound, Gravel Worlds, Mid-South, SBT GRVL, or a Belgium Waffle event. 

If you mechanical, bonk, crash out or anything like that in a single day event? You are done. Game over. Not so at a ride like BRAN, (are there any other rides like BRAN?), where you have mechanical support, sag support, and can recoup the next day and still ride. (Unless a severe crash or medical condition arises, which is an obvious ride ender no matter the format) Plus you get seven days worth of small town charm, meeting people, and lots of cool points of interest to explore. 

Sure, BRAN, or whatever ride there is like it on gravel, is not a competition, but it is a huge experience. Like Jimi said, "Are you experienced?" Or, are you racing to be another place on a finishing roster? Yes, I am biased, and maybe competition gives you something a tour cannot. Good, You know what to do. But if you haven't considered anything beyond the traditional one-day event on gravel, well perhaps this BRAN thing is of interest. That's all...... 

Riding shotgun on ride support for a kid's Summer program

Hope For The Future?

With my being employed by the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective, I get opportunities to help with children's rides during the Summer via another organization which has us volunteer to do the safety checks and ride sweep for the rides. 

Sometimes I lament over the daily sightings in my neighborhood of kids on electric scooters zipping down roads and sidewals. Or kids on throttle-controlled electric two wheeled contraptions of various sorts. It is as though we are entering into the time of the movie "Wall-E" where humans never go outside and hover around on personalized craft instead of exercising. 

But a couple of these kids rides this Summer have given me hope. One in particular where we supported a ride consisting of about six boys of 10 - 11 years of age. All had 'quality' 24" wheeled bicycles in really good condition. They all rode with each other in a small Iowa town but for one young boy from another small town further away. 

These boys were amped to ride and as we went along it was a reminder of what it was that made cycling so fun when I was young. Speed, of course, but the adventure, camaraderie, and the occasional bout of competitiveness in equal parts. This was what drew me into cycling. 

There were no cell phones, stopping to take Instagram images, Snapchats, or the making of Tik-Toks. It was just pure joy and on a bicycle, outdoors, for 12 awesome miles. These boys were all about it. This experience was a shock to the system for me. 

Maybe there is a little hope after all. 

Ride For Jacob: Setting A Date

Things are getting on now and I feel it is time to start planning for my "Ride For Jacob". This is a gravel ride I'm doing this Summer in honor of my son, Jacob Stevenson who died suddenly of unknown causes on August 2nd, 2025. 

Last year I did a ride from Waterloo, Iowa through Janesville, Shell Rock, and then New Hartford before returning to Waterloo via Cedar Falls. 

I plan on doing the same route this Summer. It's a fairly easy route. No drastic climbing, nothing technical about it. Just a fun ride in the country. 

Here's what I am thinking now. My first choice is July 25th, which is a day after what would have been Jacob's birthday this year. My other choice is August 8th, also a Saturday. If I can get a volunteer to take my hours on either of those dates I will write it down in pen as the date. My preference is the July date. 

IF you want to join me, you can. This is not an "event", but if people show up, I will plan on riding a no-drop group ride with them. There will be a GPS file of the route available soon. Time will likely be around 8:00am for a start. The route when I rode it last year was 67 miles. I'd expect that, or near to that, for a total. 

I may start this ride in Cedar Falls, and if I do it will definitely be shorter for anyone joining me. I'm riding from my house so I'll have more miles, at least ten more. 

So, that's all I have for now.I just wanted to get this out there so if anyone wants to put this on their radar as a possible ride opportunity they can do that. I'll have more fine details here and on my alternate blog site for this ride HERE.

Stay tuned for more soon....  

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Surly Bikes

 Okay....we're back with a regular FN&I. Finally! This week I'm kicking things off with some items which happened while I was away and reporting on BRAN. 

Surly Brings Back The Steamroller:

After a 23 year run starting in the year 2000, the Surly Steamroller was allowed to pass into the annals of Surly's archives. However, as of June 23rd, you can order a new Steamroller for a limited time. 

Surly didn't mess with the format too much. You still get track bike geometry and clearance for up to a 700 x 38mm tire, but the legal issues surrounding production of brakeless bikes has forced Surly to put cable stops on the frame for brakes. 

Surly says, "once they're gone, they're gone", so if the Anxious Lavender hue appeals to you and you always wanted a new Steamroller, well ya better get on it! $699.00 USD. (What?! Not $666.00?) 

Image courtesy of Thamus Bikes

The 32" Watch: Not Going Anywhere Soon

If you haven't noticed lately, 32" wheels are popping up everywhere. A 32" wheeled bike recently placed top three at a World Cup XC MTB event. Canyon is showing a radical 32"er at Eurobike with a weird, bi-plane handlebar. Esker Cycles is releasing its Lorax model with 32" wheels. Trek reportedly inadvertently showed a 32"er MTB racing bike in its latest documentary film. 

Meanwhile more small builders are producing 32" wheeled bikes for upcoming shows and for customers. 

As noted on these digital pages, we have seen prototype suspension forks for 32" wheels and as of now not many of those forks have shown up yet. This means more 32"ers are coming. (There may be a good reason for the no-show as of now. See below)

My prediction? Many of you readers will see a 32"er by this time next year near you, and many of you will have tried one.The 32"er isn't going anywhere soon, but this doesn't mean they are here to stay either. Think about how entrenched 26"ers were, or how many companies were jumping on 27.5"ers fifteen years ago. The 27.5"er is still hanging on, but I think it is obvious that it is a dead wheel size in gravel and nearly an obscure choice for MTB. The 32" wheel could find itself in a similar situation as these other wheel sizes five years from now. 

Gary Fisher's response to a BikeRumor post about the possible Trek 32"er in the video.

Or not. Time will tell. But I think it is safe to say 32" is an alternative choice which will soon be readily available to anyone soon. So, pretending it is an upcoming trend or curiosity is disingenuous now. So, no more "The 32" Watch" segments. I'll just report on these bikes as another choice from here on out.  

Image courtesy of Shimano

Shimano Keeps Mechanical Shifting Alive:

Shimano recently released news on their Deore and Deore XT level MTB components in a mechanical shifting format.  

XT now features a long cage or short cage rear derailleur in 12 speed for various sized cassettes or a LinkGlide 11 speed version. 

The rear derailleur is also advanced in its abilities to take on hits from trail debris. Manufactured to be able to be mounted on "modern hangars", the Deore XT rear derailleur can be used on any bike meant for derailleur drive trains. The rear pulleys are of a solid design which eliminates debris from catching in the pulleys and causing damage. 

 The rear derailleur now has a dual sprung design which Shimano says increases tension on the chain by 70% helping prevent chain drops and allowing for good shifts even on a worn cassette and chain. 

Deore features much the same upgrades as the XT version with less cost. 

Brakes were also addressed in this news where Shimano has now produced rotors with a 2.2mm thickness. This should provide more robust braking performance over a longer period of time than with the thinner rotors. This is especially critical with regard to modern e-MTB bikes.  

Comments: While SRAM continues to push proprietary electronic groups at least Shimano is keeping the versatility/mechanical shift crowd somewhat happy. XT stuff is impressive and with a mechanical 12 speed option now it should appeal to those who don't want to have batteries to charge or unfixable failures in the field due to software malfunctions. (Which have been reported on SRAM systems by some on social media). 

Image courtesy of Avinox

Avinox Shows Gearbox/E-Motor:

The days when a bicycle becomes more moto are coming sooner than not. The new Avinox E-Bike motor now showing at Eurobike is another step in the full-moto direction. The new motor/gear box eliminates the need for derailleurs and perhaps even traditional shifters. 

While Avinox would likely not agree with my assessment, one has to wonder is this  a step toward full-moto MTB's or is it not? Answering this question is subjective, perhaps, but elimination of key traditional bicycle components and adding more electronic controls and assists - to my way of thinking - is less "bicycle" and "more moto". 

Yes, you will still have to pedal the bike, however, it is getting easier and easier to do so, and at some point, we have to decide if pedals are just another way to have a throttle without having a throttle. 

At any rate, this new Avinox system eliminates the need for a derailleur and shifting can be programmed by the rider. Lots of MTB brands are jumping on this now, so it will be a thing soon out on the trails. See HERE for a list of manufacturers offering this motor and for more details. 

Cannondale Announces Factory MTB Team To Cease At End Of 2026:

Cannondale's Factory Race Teams have competed in MTB events for over three decades but will cease to be after the 2026 season concludes later this year. This according to a news release sent out to Cannondale dealers and the press on Wednesday. 

In its place, Cannondale will introduce a new "Rogues Program". This program will "... bring together professional racers, content creators, community leaders, and emerging voices - a roster larger and more varied than a traditional factory race team" according to Cannondale's release. 

Cannondale seeks to bring its rider experience to more everyday cyclists and to more events by having Rogue Program riders show up at events, group rides, and shops across the USA. Cannondale is also stating it will make a more concerted effort to bring demo rides and event activations to riders which they hope will put more riders on Cannondale bicycles to try them out, and buy them, of course. 

In the release Cannondale states that it still supports the EF cycling team and the women's St. Michaels program. 

Comments: Racing isn't selling bicycles, or so it would seem from this news release. Cannondale is taking a more direct to consumer approach in marketing using influencers, social media, and demo ride experiences instead.  

This will be embraced by the promoters of events as something like a Cannondale expo/demo adds value to their events. Shops also should benefit likewise. As riders, it is a boon to decision making as being able to actually ride a bike before buying is a big deal and should allay concerns over buying consumer direct where there is always that risk that the bike won't be quite what you expected. 

My take ultimately is that this could be a smart marketing decision if implemented correctly. And if it does pan out for Cannondale, look for other brands to follow suit. This should be interesting, but we will have to wait until 2027 to see if it flies or if it dies.  

Hey, Thanks Folks!

A special "thank you" to all who read through the BRAN coverage recently. I was quite amazed by the amount of readers who checked in during the week of BRAN and the week afterward when I did the ride recap. 

I even received advice on how to get my Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM to behave which made the remainder of the week a lot better. So, I really do appreciate those of you who have read the blog and give your feedback on it. 

You never know how odd things like BRAN are going to be received by the audience out there and I was a bit concerned how that would all go over with you all. Apparently it was a good thing. I don't know if I will ever get another opportunity like that, so I had to take it and I am very happy I did on several fronts. 

Thanks again and now it is time to get out there and ride those bicycles! 

Singular Switch-Up: Part 2

Well......That Didn't Take Long!

After I determined the frame would fit and my stem choice was good, I then decided to make a switch to the old, long discontinued Luxy Bar. Ironically, the Luxy Bar is the key to making this whole swap successful (so far). I also went geared. 

A little backing up with this story is in order here, I think, to give context to why the Luxy Bar is the key to the build. So, this entire group, the GRX Limited Edition silver group, was originally on the Twin Six Standard Rando. 

The GRX Limited Silver group on the Standard Rando in September of 2025

 The switch over to the Peregrine Mk4 included a switch to silver Cowchipper alloy handle bars. The slight differences in geometry between the Cowchipper and whatever bar I had on the Standard Rando was in reach and stack. The Cowchipper being ever so slightly longer/taller. This in turn made the rear brake hose appear to be too short. The Peregrine also had a short cockpit area, and it just didn't feel quite 'right'. 

Singular Peregrine Mk4 size Large. 

 Now the Luxy Bar has a entirely unique layout. Of all the flared drop bars, it is a unicorn in that it has a severe flare and swept extensions. The only other flared drop bar that ever came close was the Salsa Cycles Woodchipper and in reality, the Woodchipper is not even in the same zip code as the Luxy Bar. 

One thing about the Luxy Bar which is unique which doesn't strike you upon first seeing it is how narrow the bar sets the hoods apart from each other. The difference between the Luxy Bar and, say the Cowchipper, is tremendous.  This closer positioning of the hoods, and the canted position of the levers, makes the cable runs shorter than if you use a conventional flared drop bar. 

So, my too short rear brake cable? It is perfect with the Luxy Bar, and on an XL frame with a longer top tube. Additionally I am running a longer stem than before as well. But that's not all. The stack height on the XL is taller also, which should make the rear brake hose too short, but nope! 

Sat on the bike the XL now shows me the classic "bars hide the front axle" thing, which I know, bike fitters and younger folk think is dumb. The 1.25" of spacers I removed also helps things look cleaner and more classic, in my opinion. I should mention the new frame did come with a new fork, but I retained the old one because it was cut to length and already had a star nut installed.  

Singular Peregrine Mk4 XL

So, you can compare and contrast the two set ups here. They are radically different. You can see on the Large I biased everything rearward as far as how I was sat on the bike. The XL allowed me to push everything forward a bit more. 

You can also see how radically different a Luxy Bar is compared to a Cowchipper. Very different. Big different. The levers lay over a LOT with Luxy Bars and some folks don't like that for various reasons. I happen to like it a lot and I find it to work well ergonomically. Pushing more downward with your hands (to shift) is more natural than pushing inward laterally compared to your body. Try it by sticking your arm out and when you push inward you'll feel more tension in your forearms. 

As I stated earlier, the seat post and saddle are placeholders for the time being. However; I used to love SST's, so maybe it stays. I have test rides to do so we shall see about this. I may swap back to the GRX wheels and 50mm tires as well. But the Irwins are fast wheels and the Conti tires are very smooth. I have options, so that is nice. 

So, now all that is left is to ride. I will see if this is a smart move or not, but so far I have been happier with this XL frame. Stay tuned.....
 

Singular Switch-Up: Part 1

Okay, now that BRAN is in the rear view I can get back to more varied topics here. The first order of business is to catch up on a project which hit the porch just before BRAN happened. 

I posted about this early in the month HERE, so I am not going to go over the "how" this is happening again now. Go hit the link if you want to refresh your memory or find out how this switcheroo came about. 

The sizing of bicycles in stock runs sometimes leaves one as a "tweener". I've experienced this before. Salsa Cycles in the 2000's was a prime example of my "tweener" status as I could ride their Medium or Large El Mariachi bike. Fisher was another brand where a 19.5" or a 21" could work for me. 

Singular seems to be my next "tweener brand" as the size Large Peregrine Mk4 was a tiny bit too small. I never would have ordered a Size XL, but here I am. The modern bike buying experience seems to be shooting in the dark, to a degree, when trying on a bike for size, and sometimes you miss slightly. That's just the way it is for many of us these days. 

The new XL Peregrine also offers me a chance to switch up my set up. I've been contemplating a few changes and one is to go single speed. I know.....I have single speed gravel bikes. It's just that I like single speeds. What can I say? 

But first, I needed to mock up where this bike was going to set me. Literally, as in how I would sit on it. To get there, I needed to swap over the fork from the old one and the head set, of course. This meant I got to use the Park Tools cutting and facing tools I have. This does not happen often anymore!

Once I had the head set in, the fork installed, and a stem and bars installed, I needed to find a placeholder seat post and stem. Digging around, I found this short, carbon fiber two-bolt seat post which for the life of me I could not remember where it came from. Anyway, that was set up with an ancient WTB SST leather saddle, None of this will likely be final choices, but these will help me gauge where I am at with fit on an XL.

Using my Irwin carbon wheels which are set up with 700 X 45mm Continental tires, I found the top tube is going to be a wee bit cozy in terms of stand over. 

But the rest of it looks far better. It is a similar set up to the old Twin Six Standard Rando. Longer top tube by a little, but the stack height is better. I got rid of an inch and a quarter's worth of spacers by going with the larger frame. 

So, now I have to get the old frame stripped down and sent back to Singular. Then I can contemplate how this one will be built. I already have made a switch to a silver Luxy Bar. 

Stay tuned.... 

BRAN Gear Review

Now that the experience has been documented and my final thoughts on BRAN have been shared, it's time to check out what worked for me and what did not work. 

I'm going to cover a lot of stuff here since I did tent camp and that is another layer on top of the normal cycling gear I review. So, these won't be in-depth reviews of items. I don't have the space here to deep-dive everything I used. I will give a brief take on all the things that stood out negatively or positively to me throughout the week. 

I'll start off with the cycling specific stuff and end with the camping gear. If I miss anything, or if you want me to provide some clarity on any item I mention here, please hit me up in the comment section. I read every comment left and will answer every question to the best of my abilities. 

The Black Mountain Cycles MCD

Black Mountain Cycles MCD: 

This bike is a great bike for BRAN and I am really happy I decided to take it out there for this tour. It handled all the gravel, climbs, descents, and long hours without any failures or concerns.  The capability to run 700 X 50mm tires was definitely a plus out on the sandier, looser pea gravel sections. The ride quality and handling are spot on. Now you cannot buy a MCD anymore, but the bike which replaced this in Black Mountain Cycles' range is the Mod Zero, and I can definitely recommend this model as well. 

My gearing was 46T/36T crank with an 11 -40T cassette. I was in the 40 quite a bit. Newer GRX runs a 48/31T crank and that may actually have been just enough lower gearing to make some of those climbs nicer. That said, I only had to get off and walk once.  

Redshift Sports ShockStop Stem:

Get one. That is all you need to know. I would not ride without this component. It makes all the difference in the world in hand comfort, lack of fatigue, and handling, especially when you are dealing with the kind of washboard road surfaces we were seeing.  

Ritchey Venturemax Carbon handlebars:

Again, these saved my hands and upper body from a lot of pain and fatigue. Expensive but worth the upgrade. Caveat: You have to like the "bio-bump" in the drops, but if you get on with that these are top-notch gravel handle bars.  

Bike Bag Dude Top Tube Garage:

I LOVE this bag and I have several of them. Bike Bag Dude is from Australia, but he does ship to the USA. Worth checking out.  

Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM GPS Device:

Once the auto-reroute feature was turned off, this device behaved well. I had someone tell me they thought GPS devices for bicycles still are not all that great, but Wahoo seems to work well considering this. I like the climb feature a lot. Final word: It's okay.  

Schwalbe G-One Overland Tires 700 X 50mm:

I wasn't super impressed with these tires initially but they seem to have broken in (finally!), and they roll very fast on paved sections. From an all-around usage standpoint, it is hard to beat the G-One Overlands. They did sandy gravel and paved roads equally well and they held air pressure very well all week long.  

Sierra Designs Full Moon

Camping Gear:

Since I had to tent camp, I needed to upgrade and buy additional gear for camping. Following are some quick takes on what I got and whether or not it worked. 

Sierra Designs Full Moon: My old Sierra Designs tent was great, so I had high expectations for the new one. I was not let down. I rode out a gusty thunderstorm with heavy rain, light rain, high winds, and just every day usage with the Full Moon tent. 

I had enough room for myself and my gear, which included a humongous duffel bag, and venting was easily done. I mean, it is still a tent, so somethings are going to be what they are with any tent. That said, set up and tear down was fast, easy, and the tent packed up well every day. I'd recommend this one for the casual bike packer and occasional back packer. It's probably a little heavy for serious usage, but the tent is well made and holds up in weather well. 

Thermarest pad: The one I got was the Base Camp pad. It's way too big for serious bike packing/back packing, but it was VERY comfortable and easy to regulate for softness/stiffness to dial in the best sleep experience I could have hoped for. 

Amazon Inflatable Pillow: I know this pillow is packable, light, and easy to use. I used it one night. It just wasn't my cup of tea. I ended up using either my sleeping bag in its stuff sack as a pillow, (excellent, by the way), or a bag with dirty laundry inside of it. Hey! I'm not fussy and I like a big pillow! 

Sleeping Bag: I don't even know what brand it is, but it is the lightest bag I could get and only rated down to 40°F. Perfect for this hot blooded guy in Summer. Like I said, several nights it didn't even come out of its stuff sack. 

DuPont Tyvek Ground Cloth: IYKYK.

Miscellaneous: As stated, everything went into a monstrous duffel bag and much of the smaller items, electronics, cords, etc went into a messenger bag. BRAN allows two bags and these bags were leveraged to the hilt, being stuffed as they were. Both held up to being tossed around and handled roughly well. 

I brought enough bibs and jerseys for the week, as there is no laundry. You can rinse out your gear in the showers, which I did, as did several others. You could see shirts and shorts hung all over flapping in the breeze in camp daily. I brought three changes of street clothes for the week, using each set twice. Maybe three times, I guess, because we were there for parts of nine days total. Anyway. I stretched the street clothes out over that time period and used liberal amounts of body spray to smell okay. Ha! 

I think I got by with $30.00 - $40.00 a day spending money and this covered food, beverages, and an occasional extra thing or two. BRAN doesn't provide meals, but they do have excellent on-ride aid stations with water and snacks of various types. 

Okay, like i said, I'm probably forgetting a lot, but hit me up with any and all questions. I'm happy to answer in the comments or a follow-up post if necessary. 
 

BRAN Epilogue

BRAN 44 was an interesting experience for me personally. I was in need of a distraction coming into Summer. This provided the perfect antidote to just slowly approaching some anniversary dates and ruminate on loss. 

But my mission on this gig was to spread the word about BRAN and specifically their gravel offering. So, I wanted to tie that thought up here as I do have some views on BRAN, Nebraska in general, and what opportunities await those who want to check out gravel roads out in a state with a very misunderstood story.

I think my recap shows, if nothing else, the vast variety of scenes and terrain types Nebraska has on offer. Of course, this particular BRAN route ran along the Niobrara River, the Missouri River, and cut down across Eastern Nebraska near the end of the route. It is but a small slice of what Nebraska has to offer the adventurous gravel rider. 

So, if you wanted to experience the Great Plains, or rural farmland, or both, Nebraska has this. I know from experience in West Central Nebraska that there are canyons and wide expanses of grasslands dotted with ranches and farms with amazing views. BRAN actually moves its route every year, so it would be worth keeping an eye on their site to see where they take things next year. 

One thing I thought about BRAN, and which we touched upon in the "Bran Recap" on the Guitar Ted Podcast, was how BRAN could serve as a bike packing test ground for anyone considering Tour Divide, or other bike packing adventures. The way BRAN creates the gravel routes helps provide bail-out opportunities. Considering Pork Belly Adventures support, one could even leverage the baggage cartage as a way to provide relief if needed. 

BRAN also provides many ways to consume the event. Besides the choices between paved and road routes, you can choose other options. You can do one, two, three days, the whole week, or become a volunteer and ride a couple of days as well. There are so many ways to get your toes dipped into the event it is fascinating to consider the possibilities. 

From an event production standpoint it was evident to me that BRAN is striving to evolve and become the best it can possibly be. This is all based on volunteers who are passionate about the ride. I don't think it can be stressed enough how no one is making bank off this ride. To my way of thinking, this means those who are working the aid stations, creating the routes, doing the heavy lifting behind the scenes, and dotting "I's" and crossing "T's" really care.  I believe if you were to go on BRAN in 2027, you'd quickly see and feel this passion. BRAN folks care about the ride and the riders. Period, end of story. 

BRAN provides a unique experience due to its size as well. You never get the feeling you are overwhelmed, or unseen on BRAN due to large crowds or lack of being able to connect with other riders. It's rather easy to disappear into the blur of the human circus in Iowa the last week of July doing "that ride", and perhaps this is what you like. But if something a bit more intimate and less stressful is your bag, you should check out BRAN.

The gravel bit is great. I loved all of it, but difficulties and adventure is what I feel make gravel unique and a better option than pavement. Your mileage may vary. But I think this is a big reason why gravel appeals to so many riders. 

Now, BRAN is far from perfect. I think they know this as well. I think the average age of riders is creeping upward, just like it is for many events I am aware of on gravel and pavement. This is concerning overall and for rides like BRAN, it is vital that they figure out a way to reverse the trend. I also feel BRAN, and other rides as well, could be more diverse. But you cannot make people want to ride BRAN, or other rides. You have to present a package which is appealing and attractive. I think BRAN has a lot of what they need to be successful, but how this shakes out in the future is anyone's guess now. 

Hopefully my shining a light on this event will help. 

Now comes the big question: Would I do BRAN again? 

My answer is a qualified "Yes". I would do this ride again if I could take some other folks along to join me. I would do it again if it made financial sense at the time for me personally. I would do it again if I could find a way to integrate Mrs. Guitar Ted into the week's events. So, maybe it would all work out. I do know the ride is worth the money BRAN asks for it. No question about it. This is a killer value. There are ways to do it piecemeal if a whole week is too much. So you do have options, as discussed above. 

Ironically my favorite day of BRAN 44 was the day we rode the worst gravel, which was the day from Crofton to Wayne. That day was so fun, challenging, and had surprises along the way which kept me engaged and wanting more. My second favorite day was Springview to Spencer because the scenery was so different than anything I get around here. 

So, if BRAN could cook up another banger of a gravel route I'd be all-in, if the rest of my life was at a place that it would work. I think anyone who likes gravel riding should seriously consider this ride over something like, say, Unbound, which could cost you around the same amount of money overall. You'd get seven days versus one, and more experiences than you could ever imagine.  

I'm sure I am leaving some things out here, so if there are any questions or comments, feel free to chime in on the comment section. I always read all the comments and answer any questions presented there. 

Thanks for reading. Tomorrow will be the BRAN Gear Review. 

BRAN Report: Day Seven

A Sunrise in Oakland, Nebraska on Day Seven of BRAN 44

The last day of BRAN! What was supposed to be a quick, short run into Arlington, Nebraska of 34.7 miles turned into chaos. Weather reared its ugly head and what I thought would happen was the furthest thing from what actually happened. 

Per BRAN's urgings the evening before I was up before 5:00am and scuffling off to the porta-jon and to grab a cup of java to jump start my systems. On my way to fill water bottles I saw BRAN staff hurriedly moving through the camp and word spread quickly that thunderstorms were moving in from the Southwest which would have severe possibilities and at the least, lots of lightning. We were told to pack up as quick as possible and head inside Oakland High School.  

Fortunately Oakland citizens had planned an onsite breakfast so we did not have to go far for some biscuits and gravy. I sat munching my morning's fare wondering where this would end up. There was still hope we'd get to ride, but it would be later in the morning. Michael and Jayme informed me gravel was off the menu and IF we got to ride it would be pavement. 

With my baggage in the truck, I took my bicycle inside the high school, as did many others, and waited to see what might happen. Time slipped on and my gut was telling me this ride was probably over. 

Instead of a bicycle, I rode a high school bus to Arlington, Nebraska

 Inside the school word spread of some riders who dared to take off and try to beat the storms. They were pinned down in a small village between Oakland and Arlington and reporting heavy rain and lightning. Rain was falling in Arlington as well. Jayme then showed me a smoking field where a lightning strike from cloud to ground occurred which had been sent in by a rider minutes beforehand. I was convinced riding was out of the question. 

But what would BRAN do? I was standing near Jacquie Phelan and Michael when a BRAN staffer made an announcement that school busses would ferry us to Arlington while Pork Belly Adventures would transport our gear and bikes there as well. Jacquie looked around at us all and said, "Well, I guess this is farewell then Toodle-loo!". 

On the way to Arlington

 I walked out immediately, saw a buss pulling in, and when it stopped I hopped onboard. About 20 minutes later we were bouncing down a paved highway toward the end of BRAN. 

Once again I was alone. My thoughts were a mess. I cried. I felt sad. I wanted to get in my 4Runner and go home. This wasn't how this ride was supposed to end. Then I straightened up and a woman across the aisle from me offered to share the gravel rider's images we participated in at Oakland the evening before. BRAN invited all who took part of any of the gravel routes to be a part of a group photo. The woman was kind to share this with me, as I had no idea where the images resided at the time. 

The 2026 "Gravel Class" of BRAN 44

 Eventually we rolled into the Washington County Fairgrounds and I saw what a mess the dirt roads had become. It was a place swimming in sticky, gooey mud. I saw where Pork Belly had dumped out the baggage so I went and fetched my bags and slogged them over a couple hundred yards of wet, sticky mud to my 4Runner. By the time I reached my vehicle my feet looked like mud clown shoes. 

I tried to dress in street clothes and eventually decided I needed to just throw open the side doors, step in between them, and undress and dress like we used to do at XC races in the 1990's. Frankly, I didn't care who looked. I just wanted out of my kit and into the clothes I would be driving home in. 

 I had some cookies in the truck, so I "toasted" Michael, The Cookie King Of BRAN, and ate them. 

 

Eventually the bikes arrived and...... That was the end. 

Pork Belly arrived with the bikes a little before noon. By 12:30pm I was off to drive about 5 hours home. BRAN was over, just like that. 

It was not how anyone envisioned it to end, and it was a bit of a bummer. But I was ready to get home to my family, to rest up, and savor the week I just experienced. Of course, I was, and still am very grateful for the experience. A once-in-a-lifetime trip. I won't forget it. 

With the seventh day covered I will now do an epilogue for the event tomorrow.. The following day I will post my gear review of what worked, and what did not work. Then the BRAN coverage will come to a close with the possible exception of a podcast episode.  

Thanks for checking this recap out. I appreciate you readers more than you know.