The Path To Discovering Gravel Grinding: Part 1

My number plate from the 2006 Dirty Kanza 200

 As gravel grinding in the Modern Era continues into its 3rd decade, I thought it might be interesting to those who weren't a part of those pioneering days of gravel events to read my experiences and thoughts about those times. 

Twenty years ago I signed up for an event in Kansas being put on by two men most folks had never heard of before. Joel Dyke and Jim Cummins were two guys brought together by their mutual love of two-wheeled, off-road fun, and challenging rides. 

Jim came from the moto world and was into mountain biking. Joel was more into whatever cycling hi-jinx he could find, and if he couldn't find it, he created it. Between the two they had forged an interest in a silly gravel road based event in Iowa called Trans Iowa.  

Joel and Jim had been in contact concerning Trans Iowa with Jeff Kerkove. Jeff was the "point man" of Trans Iowa those first few years. Mostly because Jeff was a well-known solo 24hr endurance racer who had a very popular blog at the time. While I was more of an assistant in those days, it meant I wasn't a big part of the communications going back and forth between we Trans Iowa organizers and the organizers of the DK200. I was verbally kept abreast of all of this though since I worked in close proximity to Jeff. Both literally and figuratively!

An image I pulled off an online source on the Flint Hills back in 2006

Joel came up and rode in the first two editions of Trans Iowa and took many ideas back to Kansas for he and Jim to mull over as they were going to put on a similar event in Kansas. They settled on the Flint Hills for this ride which, originally wasn't called "Dirty Kanza", but nearer to their inaugural running of the event, it took on that name. 

It was kind of an unspoken thing back in the very early days of gravel that if you put on an event and another event organizer came to ride in your event, you went and rode in their event as well. It was a sign of solidarity amongst the early gravel event promoters. So, when Jim and Joel announced registration was open for the 2006 Dirty Kanza 200, I signed up.  

While I could have plied questions and received knowledge from the event organizers, due to the circumstances I was in at the time, I did not do this. Being in a gravel event was a completely new idea back in 2006. Everything you were going to do was pulled from other cycling disciplines and when it came to big decisions, like what bicycle to use, it was an unknown to a degree. Mostly because I, and others coming to the first Dirty Kansas, had no idea what the Flint Hills of Kansas was like. 

I was researching online, looking at pictures, reading stories about the grasslands, and getting to know some of the history of the area including the history of earlier peoples who called the Flint Hills home. Especially the history behind the Kanza people.  I actually learned a lot just because I signed up for an event, so it was a good thing besides the cycling bits. 

I eventually decided on riding my then new On One Inbred as a single speed. It would be my first bicycle race in ten years and it would be 200 miles long! (Look....no one said it was a smart decision!) So, you can see why I was a bit concerned and why I was doing a bunch of research. There were chats online in the Endurance Forum of MTBR.com, there were blog posts from fellow cyclists, and I did actually pick Jeff's mind about nutrition and such, since he was a Pro at it.  

It was an exciting time. There were a lot of unknowns, and decisions made were weightier and harder to make back then. In my next post on this, coming up in a week or two, I'll discuss more about what this event meant in terms of the overall nascent gravel scene  

Friday News And Views

Sour Bikes Pasta Party 32"er (Image courtesy of Sour Bikes)

The 32" Watch: Sour Bikes, TPU Tube News:

The hype and number of bikes surrounding the 32" wheel continues to grow. This week Sour Bikes, a German based company, released news concerning their Pasta Party 32"er. This is a production frame which you can order now. 

Interesting bits on the bike shown on Sour's site include a Manitou fork modified for 32" wheels having a claimed 120mm of travel, Schwalbe Rick Race XC tires, and Reynolds aluminum rims in 32" size. 

Sour claims this bike has only marginally longer chain stays and stack height over the similar Pasta Party 29"er model. They used a very short tapered head tube and a curved seat tube to achieve this result. I think it is very reminiscent of Gary Fisher's early 29"er prototype which also sported a modified Manitou suspension fork, a very short head tube, and a curved seat tube.

Also, a press release was sent out by Tubolito saying they are going to offer TPU tubes for 32" wheels. Tubolito is a German based concern as well. It would seem the Germans are really pushing 32" wheels then as all the companies represented in today's 32" Watch are German based companies. 

Image courtesy of Teravail.

Teravail Launches Component Range:

Teravail is getting into the components game with a range of handle bars in carbon and aluminum, stems in aluminum, and seat posts, including a dropper post. 

News released on Tuesday of this week revealed a few flared drop bars of interest to gravel riders, some MTB flat bars, and  they also dropped news on some grips and handlebar tape as well. 

Comments: The QBP owned brand seems to have a bit of redundancy now considering QBP's Whisky Parts Co. also has similar products. The drop bars look fine, and carbon is good for gravel, so I suspect the products will be good performers. But why double up on product offerings with two different brand names? Curious move.... 

Image courtesy of Castelli

Castelli Announces Unlimited Pro 2 Jersey:

Gravel racing is pushing apparel design into new territory. This Castelli jersey is evidence of a new trend in gravel racing jersey design which combines the function of a jersey with that of a basic hydration pack. 

The jersey is designed for hot weather. Castelli recommends this piece for anything from 64°F - 95°F temperatures. The jersey has a close fitting, race cut. The design features shoulder fabric treatment which is intended to enhance aerodynamic efficiency. The pocket on the upper back of the jersey will hold a 1.5L bladder, (not included) and there is fabric loop to hold the drink hose down across the shoulder and upper chest area. 

The jersey is available in three colors. Paprika, (shown), Elmwood, (a tan hue), or black. Price ius set at $230.00 USD. You can view more details and images of the Unlimited Pro 2 Jersey HERE. 

There is also a matching bib short called the Pro Aero Race S Kit which you can check out HERE. 

Comments: I was offered a chance to test this jersey but since I am built like a linebacker and not a Pro level cyclist I declined the offer. Sizing runs small, by the way. What is shown as 3XL comes out to an American XL, and I'm being generous there, I think.  Suffice it to say that this is a serious bit of kit for anyone who wants to glean every marginal gain they can in competition at unpaved events. 

The price is a bit dear, but if you are attacking the pointy end of the gravel racing scene, you probably already are caught up in the "arms race" and a 230.00 dollar jersey for race day is maybe no big deal. I have it on good authority that Castelli gear is well made and does the job it is intended for well enough that the price seems justified. I'll leave it at that. 

Berd spoke (Image courtesy of Berd)

Berd Offers Light XC MTB Wheels:

Berd Spokes now offers complete wheels for XC racing which tip the scales at barely over 1000 grams. Featuring a carbon, hookless deign for a rim, and Berd branded hubs, these wheels should be some of the lightest wheels out there for XC MTB.

The inner rim width is listed at 30mm, so these are legit MTB racing width rims. The rims are backed by a Lifetime warranty as well. The Berd wheels are dubbed the Hawk30 Gold. A set of the Hawk30 Gold wheels runs $2,395.00 USD and can be purchased direct from Berd HERE. 

Comments: The Berd spokes are picking up steam with racing teams and people looking for the best, lightest, and most comfortable riding spokes. I've been using a set of wheels since 2020 with Berd Spokes and they have been solid wheels with no issues for me. I would imagine these Hawk30 Golds would be fantastic riding wheels, if mine are anything to go by. 

Guitar Ted Podcast Episode #97:

Another podcast dropped this week since N.Y. Roll has made it back from Mexico where he had a little vacation time. 

On this episode we discuss a wide variety of topics beginning with series events and why we like them and don't like them. We also get into the news which came out yesterday concerning those new Conti racing tires and the new Singular Albatross 32"er.  

We also discuss how some event directors are bowing out now who had been producing events for several years. We discuss this within the context of the Raputitsa event, because it has been garnering a lot of attention on Facebook with their recent posts, but this is just a high profile example from what I have noted as being a small exodus of event directors from the gravel scene of late.  

If you'd like to listen to this latest episode, please click THIS LINK to go to the Spotify home page, or find the Guitar Ted Podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Pleas like, subscribe, and leave a review. It sure helps us out on our end if you do. Thanks!

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

Gravel Grinder News: Singular Cycles Albatross 32"er

Image courtesy of Singular Cycles

Singular Cycles Albatross 32" Wheeled Bicycle Announced:

Well, as many of the regular readers of Guitar Ted Productions know, Singular Cycles has been teasing a 32"er for several months now. Today the company head, Sam Alison, makes it officilly "official" and you can pre-order this titanium bicycle as a "rolling chassis". 

Sam Alison has been designing bicycles, mostly around 29" wheels, since the mid-2000's and he understands the unique challenges of getting a bicycle to look great with big wheels and not like some adolescent teenager with disproportionate body parts, as some early 29"er designs looked. The classically inspired Singular range is enhanced then by the new Albatross, despite the distinct possibility for an ungainly looking end result due to the large hoops. 

Utilizing the light, strong tubes of 3Al - 2.5V titanium in butted profiles, the Albatross has been designed for riders from 5'10" and taller. Any shorter than this and the design would suffer and performance, along with looks, would be compromised. So, the Albatross is only offered in L, XL, and XXL sizes. 

Size Large geo chart (Click to enlarge)

In an effort to ease the burden of sourcing 32" specific parts, the Albatross is offered in a "rolling chassis" format, but Singular does also offer each Albatross customer the option of choosing complete build packages. 

The rolling chassis package consists of the following:

•  Albatross frame in 3Al 2.5V seamless Titanium - butted main tubes
• Full carbon Columbus fork
• Hope (White Industries in US) Headset
• A hand-built 32 inch wheel set with a carbon rim upgrade option
• Maxxis Aspen 32x2.4” tires fitted and ready to roll

Size chart for XXL (Click to enlarge)

The pre-orders are now open and there will be a limited run made, and this will be all for now. Price is set at £3450 or $3900. Complete build packages will cost an additional amount. 

See the Product page for the Albatross and find out more behind this model's development and purpose from Sam Alison himself by clicking THIS LINK.

Thanks to Sam Alison/Singular Cycles for the images and information used in this report.  

Gravel Grinder News: Continental Announces New Terra Competition Tires

Continental Terra Competition (Image courtesy of Continental Tires)

Continental Tires has just announced an addition to the Terra line of tires for pavement to off-road riding. The newest tire in this range is the Terra Competition tire. 

Designed for riders wanting to go from pavement to gravel and light off-road rides, the Terra Competition features a new tread design which enhances performance in terms of speed and aerodynamic efficiency. 

The Terra Competition will be offered in Race or Trail casings with the highly regarded Black Chili rubber compound. 

Engineers at Continental have worked to make the Terra Competition Continental's fastest tire in the gravel category. The tread design is optimized for rough tarmac, compressed road surfaces, smooth dirt, and works best in dry to moist conditions. 

Image courtesy of Continental Tires

From the press release:

Alexander Haenke, MTB and Gravel Product Manager, Continental Tires, said: “We set out to create the Terra Competition for riders who don’t want to choose between road speed and off-road capability. As more riders mix surfaces and push performance, the demand for a fast, yet versatile tire continues to grow. Terra Competition delivers that balance, combining efficiency on tarmac with the confidence needed when the route turns to gravel.” 

The Terra Competition specs:

Race Casing: Rapid Compound, textile breaker layer for puncture protection, Black Chili compound, tubeless ready, safe for hookless rims.  

Trail Casing: Grip Compound, Robust, one-ply construction, textile breaker layer for puncture protection, Black Chili Compound, tubeless ready, safe for hookless rims. 

The first gravel tire optimized for aerodynamic efficiency. The Terra Competition in its 700c X 35mm size in the Race casing can save up to 68gms with the 35mm tire weighing a claimed 345 grams each. The 700 X 35mm Race version also shows a 17% reduction in rolling resistance over the same size Terra Speed tire, according to Continental. 

• Optimized tread design for reduced drag and increased efficiency across all-road applications
• Weight: 345g (35mm width, 28"), 420g (40mm width, 28"), 470g (45mm width, 28")
• Available in 700 x 35mm, 40mm, and 45mm and in Race and Trail casings
• Pricing:  68.95€ / £59.30 / $76.26

Available now through authorized Continental Tire dealers.  

 Thanks to Continental Tire for the information and images provided for this report.

Review: Ergon Sr Allroad Pro Saddle & BT Orthocell Road Tape

 Note: Ergon sent the SR Allroad saddle and the BT OrthoCell Road handle bar tape to Guitar Ted Productions at no cost for test and review. Ergon has not paid for, nor bribed Guitar Ted for these reviews. All opinions and images, unless noted, belong to Guitar Ted/Guitar Ted Productions.

Welcome to a new season of reviews on Guitar Ted Productions. I'm kicking things off this season with two items from Ergon. They are sponsors of a new cycling team called Canyon/DT Swiss Alt-Terrain. (Reported on HERE in a recent Friday News & Views post)

I am going to be taking a look at a couple of items the team is going to be using throughout 2026. I have an SR Allroad Pro saddle and the BT OrthoCell Road handlebar tape.  (NOTE: The link for the handlebar tape takes you to the Gravel version which is 3mm thick. The tape on review here is not on the site currently)

The reviews will eventually split off but for this introduction I'll be speaking on both products. First up we will take a quick look at the handlebar tape specs and then the saddle. I'll follow up with some comments. 

BT OrthoCell Road Handlebar Tape: The OrthoCell component of this product is really what sets this handlebar tape apart from the rest of the competition. OrthoCell is a product Ergon uses which is made by BASF in Germany. The foam padding is applied to the tape in varying thicknesses. In the case of the Road variant, it is thinner than the BT OrthoCell Gravel tape. Overall, BT OrthoCell Road is 2mm in thickness. Ergon suggests  the wrapping technique used can vary the thickness and feel of the tape according to preferences. 

This tape is 250mm long for each roll so it should cover most modern allroad/gravel handlebars and any road racing type bar.  

The OrthoCell material also figures into another handlebar accessory product Ergon makes in a pad set.  I tested those for another site and I can vouch for the OrthoCell claims. So, I have pretty high expectations for the handlebar tape. Besides, Ergon BT Allroad Gravel tape is a favorite handlebar tape of mine anyway. I just wish they offered it in more colors than they do currently. 

 Price for the BT OrthoCell Road tape is not known since I cannot find it on Ergon's site or anywhere online. This 2mm thick version of OrthoCell tape should cost approximately the same as the 3mm thick Gravel version which costs $44.95 USD. The tape should be available through Ergon eventually. 

SR Allroad Pro Saddle: This saddle has also been infused with the same OrthoCell technology using BASF's Infinergy material. A great explainer of what OrthoCell padding does can be found on Ergon's site HERE. 

The SR Allroad Pro has a microfiber cover over the OrthoCell padding which is textured in the sit bone region and smooth everywhere else. There is a large, vented pressure relief zone down the middle here which is promising relief from numbness. 

Claimed weight is 230 gm but the sample I received is 252 gm.The overall length of the saddle is 248mm and the width is 143mm for the Small/Medium seen here. There is also a Medium/Wide offered which is listed as being 151m in width.A women's variant is also offered in an Allroad Comp version which trades a carbon composite base for a Nylon base. 

The Ergon SR Allroad Pro Saddle retails for $154.95 USD. You can purchase the saddle directly from Ergon or through various online or brick and mortar retailers. 

Impressions: I have used Ergon handlebar tape and an Ergon saddle for a few years now. If you read my Top Ten Recommendos post last November you may have noticed two Ergon products made the list.

The saddle I used was the SR Allroad CORE Comp, and the shape is very similar to this new saddle I have now on test. The big difference is obviously the cut-out. But I also noted the padding is a bit more luxurious and thicker by a little on the newer saddle. 

My expectation is that I will get along with the shape of this new saddle just fine, but I do think the new one will be more comfortable. I should also note here that Ergon plainly sees the OrthoCell padding as being enough to mitigate vibrations and provide comfort because that rigid base is certainly not going to have any give! It is thick and feels like it won't have any problem keeping a firm foundation for your pedaling efforts. 

I know I've seen and heard concerns about saddle cut-outs which pierce through the saddle completely. Some feel debris coming off the rear tire could cause issues. I guess.....maybe, but this is why there are fenders. One could also simply paste a bit of duct tape underneath and cover the opening if it really became something of an issue. 

On the tape, I have used Ergon's 3mm thick Gravel tape and the OrthoCell pad kit, both things I'd be very glad to have on any drop bar bike. I saw this Road tape with a 2mm thickness and immediately wondered if it might not work well for me. However; the OrthoCell material may mitigate my concerns. We will see. I don't doubt it will be difficult to wrap though, as this has been my experience with any Ergon handlebar tape I've used to date. 

Okay, so there is an introduction to these products.; Next I have to choose a bike to put these on and get to riding. When I have installed the saddle and handlebar tape I will get a few rides in and then come back with two separate first impressions posts, one for the saddle and one for the bar tape.  

Stay tuned. This might take a few weeks due to weather concerns.  

Thanks to Ergon for providing these products to test and review.  

NOTE: Tomorrow will feature two press releases. Please make sure to scroll down the page to see both releases set to come out tomorrow morning. Thank you! 

Following Up

Image courtesy of BMC Bikes

Last week a couple of posts drew a lot of attention, commentary, and thought-provoking statements. I thought it would be good to follow up on a few things I noted in the comments and maybe put a bow on those two posts for the time being.

First, the posts. The first one I'll link to was the "Current Carbon Gravel Bike Design - What I Would Change" post. The second was the "Road Bike Trends Toward "All-Road" Territory".

Second - You folks who commented. You do know this is on the internet, right? I mean, polite, thoughtful discussions just do not happen on the internet, or so we are led to believe. Ha! So, thank you for being the good people you are. I truly appreciate the decorum and great discussion your comments brought to the posts linked here. 

Okay, so with this said, I wanted to react to a few points made in the comments which I may delve into further in a subsequent post. The first being crank length. I found it interesting that a few of you touched on the aerodynamic aspects of shorter vs longer cranks. This is something which doesn't get spoken about enough. Position on the bike being tangentially important here as well. I say this because longer cranks were used in the past with time trial bikes, so I think crank length is less important to body position on the bike for the finely tuned athlete. 

Image courtesy of SRAM

Obviously there is a dissenting opinion regarding shorter crank arms for riders which was brought up as well. Leonard Zinn, who has done a lot of research into crank length and bicycle riders has a formula which might point to longer crank arms as being bio-mechanically better for you. 

According to Zinn's formula I should be riding 181mm cranks. Ironically I have used 180mm cranks off and on for many years. Most recently on my "Ride For Jacob" last Summer. (Link to my gear review where I discuss what I thought about 180mm cranks)

Another interesting side-point was made in the road bikes becoming gravel bikes post. It had to do with perspectives of riders being different based upon their primary riding style and bike choice before transitioning over to gravel bikes. 

I find this is a valid way to think about gravel riders currently. However; this won't be so easily delineated when riders start on gravel bikes and go into adulthood/age with gravel bikes. I think this is starting now, to be honest. 

At some point, a drop bar bicycle with fatter tires won't be "gravel" or "road", it will just be an all-around bike with drop bars. This has already happened with 29"ers. Back 20 years ago you were riding a 29"er MTB or a "mountain bike" which was understood to be a 26"er, but no one said "twenty-sixer" then. Eventually 29"ers became "mountain bikes". Almost no one calls these bikes 29"ers anymore if they are under 30 years old. 

Once "gravel bikes" become just another bicycle, I think those who grew up on them will not perceive gravel bicycles as having to be "more road" or "more MTB" anymore. 

Okay, those are some initial thoughts I had after the comments on those two posts. Let me know iof you have any further thoughts as well. 
 

 

Gravel Grinder News: New Minnesota Based Event Series

Image courtesy of the grvlsota site

A new Minnesota based gravel event series has just been announced which will include 12 events over the course of 2026. These events are - for the most part - long-standing gravel events in the state. 

The series will not homogenize each event to fit a mold, and competition, while present, won't be the main focus. The series won't even charge a fee to participate. 

The focus will be to keep each event in the series independent and free to evolve its own identities. Riders can expect an experience at each event not unlike what there was previously. The series will try to enhance participation across Minnesota events, highlighting Minnesota's vast gravel and dirt road network while compiling points for a leader board. Participants who compile the most points will get some sort of season-end recognition. 

Many of the details are being ironed out yet, but you can check in at the "grvlsota" site to see what they end up doing there. 

Image courtesy of the grvlsota site

The current event calendar for the inaugural grvlsota series is as shown below:

May 16 – Spring Valley 100 – Spring Valley
May 23 – Le Grand du Nord Gravel Classic – Grand Marais  
June 6 – Kasners Kick Duchenne (KKD) – Farmington
June 27 – Woodtickr – Hawley
July 11 – Freedhem Gravel – Freedhem
July (TBD) – The Wolf Bikepacking Race – Finland  
Aug. 22 – Hero Gravel Classic – Stillwater
Aug. 30 – River Valley 100 – Mankato
Sept. 5–6 – Gray Duck Grit – Cannon Falls  
Sept. 19 – Rosewood Gramble – Thief River Falls
Sept. 26 – Heck of the North Gravel Classic – Two Harbors  
Sept. 27 – Kato Bike Fall Fest – Mankato

According to the website there will also be a podcast called the "Level Be" podcast which will highlight the events in the series, interview event directors, and cover other event news. 

The grvlsota series is an effort by the non-profit Level Be Adventures organization who aim to promote Minnesota gravel events and tell the stories behind them while tying together a community of riders. They also hope to feature what is good and enjoyable about the courses represented in the series and highlight the small towns and villages these events benefit.  

This will not be the first gravel event series in Minnesota. During the late 2000's Almanzo 100 organizer and Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame inductee, Chris Skogen, started the "Race For The Cup" series, which the Heck of the North was a part of as well. That series was short-lived, however, and happened before gravel events really took hold of the cycling consciousness.   

Breakdown: The Repair

Last week I had my crank arm come loose on me. This was on the fixed gear set up I am using on my Twin Six Standard Rando v2. You can go back and read my post about this occurrence HERE in case you missed this. 

Since those plastic pre-load bolts are scarce in my world, I had to order a new one and I got it in on Tuesday of this past week. I also somehow misplaced my Park tool "wing-nut looking" installation tool for this special bolt. So, I ordered a new tool, but this time I got a Unior tool for the install of the plastic pre-load bolt which cost a lot less than the Park Tool one. 

While I was at it I also bought two of those excellent Lezyne side-loader cages I've purchased and used before. I'll likely do a separate post on water bottle cages soon, and I'll hold off on my comments on the Lezyne cages until I post that article here. 

Ordering a plastic pre-load bolt for a Shimano crank was not as easy as I thought it could have been. I ordered from Jenson USA, and their descriptions were sorely lacking for such a part. Without my background in bicycle repair, I may have missed a choice which - as it turned out - worked for me. I can easily imagine an average rider being very disappointed in the information, or lack thereof, for such parts. 

But Jenson has a huge inventory and who cares about a part that costs a couple of bucks? Well....you cannot run a Shimano two-piece crank set without that stupid plastic bolt, so it is kind of imperative for there to be clear information for consumers. That's my take. 

Making sure the bolts are torqued properly.

Installation is pretty straightforward. I did put a thread locking compound on the plastic threads of the pre-load bolt this time, just for a little extra insurance. We will see how this goes. 

Then I torqued the pinch bolts, using an alternating tightening pattern, to 14nm. It is important to note here that HollowTech crank arms are very intolerant to loosening or tightening one bolt all at once. That is a recipe for crank failure as the uneven loading will crack the arm. It is best practice to alternate when tightening or loosening these bolts, or with other similar set ups such as stems and some other components which use pinch bolt clamping force to stay attached. 

So far, so good. I rode the bike for a good half an hour to test the parts and see if anything loosened up. Next I'll do several short rides, test everything again, and only then will I be satisfied this is good to go. 

Which brings me to another point. Testing. Shop mechanics generally do not get to test a repair, and long term, multi-situation testing? Forget about it! So, most retail bicycle mechanics have to do their repairs not only quickly, but without any real assurance the repair will hold up, in some cases. 

Obviously most mundane repairs are not part of this discussion, but there are some things which only will be proven out, or diagnosed, with time and trials. Consumers are not very tolerant of this, but the reality is that if you want a very secure and trustworthy repair, you have to pay in time and in money. 

Don't blame your mechanic if you are in a hurry, or won't pay him/her what they are worth. 

The Bottom Bracket That Was Too Good

When I built up this bike in '03 I used a UN series BB

A while back, a reader here asked a question in the comments which has inspired this post. It is about one of my favorite bicycle components of all time - the UN series of bottom brackets by Shimano. 

The Background:

First of all, it may be a good thing to consider the context of the times before Shimano created the cartridge bottom bracket. This was when all bicycles in bike shops generally had some sort of square taper spindle bottom bracket which was "fully serviceable". 

What I mean by the term "fully serviceable" is that the component could be torn apart, inspected, have parts replaced, re-lubricated, and reassembled making the potential for the component to last a long time fairly high.

Diagram showing a cup & cone serviceable bottom bracket

While there were variants on the theme, a serviceable bottom bracket was typically made up of a hardened steel spindle, loose ball bearings, also in steel, two "cups", and usually some sort of lock ring. 

In this sort of arrangement it was absolutely critical for the frame to have clean, straight threads inside the bottom bracket shell and that the faces where the bottom bracket tube faced outward on either side be 100% parallel to each other. If these things weren't true, the bottom bracket would wear prematurely, or be unusable due to poor adjustment capabilities. 

The cup and cone set up of this type of bottom bracket required skill to set correctly or the bearings would wear out, along with the cups and spindle, before they should. This adjustment required various different spanners, specific to certain types of bottom brackets. Additionally, this sort of bottom bracket was prone to contamination from wet weather riding, dust, and dirt. 

Take these things and add the dozens of variants (differing spindle lengths and thread types) and a repair shop could quite literally have a machinist's cabinet full of spares to service these bottom brackets. Not to mention the time required to install and adjust these bottom brackets.

The Cartridge Bottom Bracket: 

Along about 1992 Shimano introduced a new bottom bracket which was sealed up inside a metal tube so you could not see the bearings. They called it a "cartridge" type bottom bracket. While the first cartridge style bottom brackets looked very similar to what you can still buy today, there were a couple of weird quirks regarding the originals.  

Originally the plastic cup was on the drive side.

Oddly enough, the plastic non-driveside cup you might be familiar with on a cartridge style Shimano bottom bracket was actually on the driveside originally. Obviously these are left-hand thread and are exceedingly rare. Because the plastic wasn't quite up to the rigors of drive side pressure, Shimano quickly switched the arrangement to what is currently available today. 

Another oddity was the original cartridge style bottom brackets were serviceable. You could take the bearings out, re-grease the unit, and the cones were adjustable via a specialized tool sold by Shimano. I happen to have the tool, oddly enough! 

Additionally, the cartridges were not specific to bottom bracket shell length originally. This difference between 68mm and 73mm shells was accounted for by the shoulder in the inside diameter of the plastic cup. A wider shoulder was for 73mm shells and a narrow shoulder was for the 68mm shells. You could use a cartridge unit in either shell as long as you had the proper non-driveside cup. This reduced the number of variants Shimano had to make since every cartridge worked with both bottom bracket shell widths.

Finally, and most importantly for mechanics, the Shimano cartridge system reduced the number of bottom bracket variants by a very significant amount. There were less spindle length variants and you didn't have to worry about bearing race variations between similar width spindles either. This made stocking bottom brackets easier for shops and easier for manufacturers as well, since Shimano only offered certain spindle lengths. In fact, now you pretty much only have three spindle lengths which cover almost every application.

The original UN series was split up into three levels matching the old DX/LX/XT hierarchy for MTB and the 105/Ultegra/Dura Ace on the road side. XT, and eventually XTR, along with Dura Ace had metal non-driveside cups instead of plastic and were UN-90 series. The mid-level was UN-70 series, and the original entry level cartridges were UN-50 series. Later on lower series cartridge bottom bracket variants were offered to accommodate entry level MTB/Hybrid applications, and some road bike/touring bike applications as well. 

Image from a recent eBay listing for a UN-71 cartridge bottom bracket

Just Too Good!

As I said, these were made so well they were too good! Shimano sealed the units so well they resisted contamination to a great degree, making the units last far longer. While the UN-70 and 90 series were lighter and had better machining, the UN-50 series was so much better than previous serviceable bottom brackets, and went for such ridiculously low prices, everyone used these when they could. Of course, Shimano eventually made less expensive, lower-tier cartridge bottom brackets and those - while possessing the long-wearing traits of the upper end units - were far less quality in terms of bearings and free-movement. 

Eventually Shimano moved on to pipe spindle type bottom brackets around the year 2000. The square taper bottom brackets fell out of favor as crank sets became two-piece with spindles and bearings were housed in separate cups. This was when I started hoarding square taper UN-50 series bottom brackets. 

I've run the same UN-52 BB in this bike since it was built in '07

I ended up with several since I was a mechanic and when folks upgraded, or thought these were bad, I had first crack at owning them. I used a few on bikes I still ride today like my Karate Monkey, my OS Bikes Blackbuck, and my Pofahl Signature. 

I had to replace the one in the Karate Monkey after 4 Winters of abuse, That one was frozen in the frame! I had to remove it piecemeal. 

I maybe have had to replace one other of my used bottom brackets due to it being worn out. 

So, you perhaps can see why Shimano moved on to stiffer pipe spindle bottom brackets and different designs, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with a square taper crank and a Shimano cartridge style bottom bracket. You can purchase brand new UN-55's yet, and used UN-70 series bottom brackets are out there for right around $35.00 - $40.00 each. 

If you have any further questions about these or other components, let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Friday News And Views

US Patent Office image of SRAM UBM

SRAM Universal Brake Mount:

SRAM, who promoted the UDH derailleur mount, which is being widely adopted now, has patented a new MTB brake mount called Universal Brake Mount. 

The patent was granted last year, and the idea was discussed a bit in certain circles of the bike industry, but now it is seemingly gaining some traction in mentions of a near future adoption by the industry. 

The mount centers the brake mount from the axle, and everything references off this point instead of being a jig for each frame, or a different set of parameters to be used. This does make the mount dependent on an attachment point on the seat stay. 

Obviously, this idea would be a bit more difficult if we were still in a quick release world. However; since through axles are ubiquitous on MTB, road, and gravel bikes now, this idea makes sense. Obviously, this is a post mount brake standard, but perhaps a flat mount standard could be developed as well. 

I can see how the design would require extra beef on seat stays and how it might limit some full suspension designs, or designs which employ seat stays as flexing members for comfort. So, I do not believe this is a "universal" solution for everyone, but I also see how manufacturing frames would be easier and more streamlined by using this standard. Saving factories and brands more money will be the motivation for adopting this. 

Image courtesy of Zirbel Bike social media

Zirbel Bike Offers "Electronic Grip Shift" Type Shifters

Grip Shift - Remember that? It was largely forgotten after SRAM moved off of doing mechanical flat bar shifters with the introduction of AXS. 

But a company called Zirbel Bike  has adapted a wireless twist ring style shifter reminiscent of Grip Shift to operate a SRAM AXS/Transmission rear derailleur.  

They also make a trigger style ring which has minimal mass and takes up little handlebar space. The trigger can be easily operated by a thumb.  

Some riders preferred a twist style shifter due to hand issues which make using triggers painful or difficult. This Zirbel product could be a solution then for such individuals. 

Prices look to be reasonable and the shifters can be purchased as a unit complete with flat bar and stem for a mountain bike.  

Comments: Now that I've seen this, it seems odd SRAM did not attempt to go in a similar direction with AXS for MTB/flat bars. The product Zirbel offers takes up little space which is a big deal now with MTB cockpits having dropper levers and shock lockouts competing with brake levers and shifters for space on handlebars.  

Image courtesy of Jay Petervary's social media.

IDITAROD Trail Race Sunday:

One of the older ultra-distance bicycle events in North America is set to occur this Sunday. The IDITAROD Trail Invitational will send off its riders on Sunday. 

I grabbed this image of Jay Petervary's fat bike set up from his social media to show just how far things have come in bicycle design for this event. It seems a longer wheel base, slacker front end, and different width rims are the hot set-up in 2026. 

Obviously a credit to materials technology and its application to fat bike components has to be recognized here. Without carbon rims, carbon components, and lighter weight, titanium tubing a machine like this would have weighed a silly amount 20 years ago. 

I would also think recent developments in tire set ups are making machines like this even more capable. I asked Jay about the wheels here. The tires are the same but the rims are different. I find it interesting that Jay is using differing rim sizes. The rear is 105mm wide and the front is a whopping 128mm wide. This gives the tires a truly different shape and, I would imagine, a different type of performance on snowy trails.  I don't know what the thinking he has is on this is, but I would be interested to hear is take on this idea. 

What do you think of Jay's bike set-up? Let me know in the comments. 

Image courtesy of fizik

The Arione Is Back!

Almost 20 years ago fizik introduced a very long, flat, kind of tear-dropped shaped saddle which was so different you could identify the model from a distance easily. It was the fizik Arione, a saddle which pushed the limits of UCI regulations, and which many riders grew to love for its allowance for several comfortable positions across its length. 

Now the Arione is back, and it has some features which are unique. The length has been trimmed back from the original's nearly aircraft carrier deck length to a more modern length. Not surprising there. However; the flat profile remains, as does the "boat-tail" rear extension. 

Of course, there are 3D printed covers, (shown) and there are more traditional covers available as well. The range features  rail choices, from carbon to fizik's "Kium" hollow alloy rails, and the S-Alloy rails. . Top range models get the Adaptive padding while there are EVA and PU foam padded models when you move down the range, which is reflected in the price. 

Image courtesy of fizik

Interestingly, fizik addresses how many racers want there saddles positioned as forward as possible in relation to the bottom bracket by attaching the rear of the rails to the saddle base in a unique way. This allows for a very forward saddle placement which is not available in any other saddle model I am aware of currently. 

Times have certainly changed! I recall a day when we could not get our saddles far enough back on a seat post. So, this is an interesting development in saddles and rider fit. 

Arione R 5 (Image courtesy of fziik)

The Arione is available in available in five models. The top of the range features the Arione R1 Adaptive with carbon rails. The Arione Adaptive R1 Light has EVA padding instead of a 3D printed cover. This model also features an ergonomic cutaway central channel for pressure relief. Next we have the Arione R3 Adaptive which has the same 3D printed cover as the R1 but has Kium alloy hollow rails. 

Then we move to the Arione R3 and R5 models which have the PU foam padding and differ mostly in the rail choice with the R3 having the hollow Kium alloy and the R5 having the S-Alloy rail. 

Prices range from $399.00 for the range topping Arione R1 Adaptive to $99.99 for the Arione R5. All saddles come in two widths - 145mm or a narrower 135mm. 

For more details see fizik's site HERE

Life Time Announces Wildcard Rosters

Last year the Life Time Grand prix announced a "wildcard" category which allowed racers who qualified to enter into the opener for the series, and any man or woman in the top three placings for either category would get on the Wildcard chance at Unbound to possibly race their way into the Grand Prix series. In fact, the Grand Prix Men's overall winner, Cameron Jones, came out of the Wildcard category. 

A press release received Thursday here at Guitar Ted Productions lines out the rosters for possible Wildcard entrants. There are 27 women on that side of the roster. Notably in this roster I see Haley Smith, former Canadian Olympian and Grand Prix rider. 

On the Men's side there are 59 individuals listed with several notable names in the running. Russel Finsterwald, Dylan Johnson, and Adam Roberge being but a few of the names listed . 

My reading of the press release may be off, but as I understand this, the rosters listed must race Sea Otter where the top three in Men's and Women's categories from the WildCard rosters can then compete in Unbound and then whomever is the best of the three in each category there will be added to the Grand Prix riders. 

Again- apologies if I have this wrong but the press release wasn't 100% clear to me on these points. 

So, the bigger question is, does any of this matter to you? (I already know what N.Y. Roll will say!)

Image courtesy of Surly Bikes

 

 Disc Trucker Update:

Surly released an updated Disc Trucker complete and frame set available now through your Surly dealer. As before, smaller sizes are available in 26" wheels and 56cm and up is 700c. 

The Disc Trucker is an amalgamation of old touring bikes and new technology/components. You've got that steel frame, a spoke holder, rack mounts galore, fender mounts, and good ol' touring bike geometry. 

Modernization come in the form of tubeless ready tires, disc brakes, and through axles. Honestly, all good things. 

Gotta give a shout out to the externally routed cables and dynamo routed fork. There is a nice, upright seated position here also, which is great for long, all-day riding. 

Touring nerds will probably sniff at the 2X crank set with 46T/30T gearing. Not that it doesn't provide a low enough gear with a 39T low gear in the cassette, but because you don't get that nice "transition" range with, say a 36T middle ring. Ah! ..............But triples are too confusing. Hmm..... Okay. I believe cycling is a skill set. This stuff can be learned. But I digress.... 

And did you notice you could put a set of down tube shifters on this frame? Now that is old school right there! Ha ha! Also of note: 36 spoke wheels. Nice! 

That is going to wrap things up for this week here at Guitar Ted Productions. Thank you for reading here and please, get outside and ride a bicycle this weekend!

Road Bike Trends Toward "All-Road" Territory

GP5000's now available in 700 x 35mm (Inage courtesy of Continental Tires)

 Maybe you are a reader here who does not pay attention much to the latest trends in road bikes. That would be understandable if you are a regular here because I do not cover road bikes much, or at all during many months. I may make a mention here or there, but by no means do I tend to bring a lot to the table in regard to this category of bicycle. 

However; I feel this is going to be changing soon now due to where road bikes trends are heading. Just this week Continental announced a 700 x 35mm GP5000 tire. A tire which, just not that long ago was only available in up to a 28mm width. Pirelli has already breached the mid-40mm barrier with one of the their road bike tire models. Vittoria just announced a 700 x 32mm road tire this week as well. 

Trek Madone (Image courtesy of Trek Bikes)

It is also rumored now Trek is considering opening up tire clearances for the next generation of their Madone aero bike. If, say, one could put a 700 x 40mm+ tire in a Madone with confidence, well, does this make a Madone a gravel bike? 

It is a fair question. Take as an example what my parameters for a gravel bike were when I was talking about building a custom gravel bike in 2010. 

I wanted, amongst other things, 700 X 42mm tire clearance. With fenders. Now, since some road tires are being released in nearly this width, and in the case of Pirelli, beyond, how does a road bike from 2026 measure up as a possibility for what I wanted in an "all-roads" bike back in 2010? 

Well, frankly the Madone sucks as an all-road choice from the standpoint of geometry. Another Trek bike is much, much better, and it is the Domane. Current maximum tire size on a Domane is 700 x 38mm. So, I'll use this model as my cross-reference to what I was looking for in an all-roads bike back in 2010. 

The Domane features two of my critical geometry desires well. The bottom bracket drop is listed as being a healthy 78mm in my size 58cm. The head tube angle is listed at 72°. The chain stays are listed at 425mm.

In 2010 I was hoping for a 71.5° head tube angle, something in the realm of 72mm - 75mm bottom bracket drop, and 435mm chain stays. So, the Domane is tantalizingly close. Very close. And if Trek also opens up the tire clearances on the Domane, well.....that's a viable all roads bike right there. 

I'm sure other brands are looking into this trend or the tire makers would not be making such big road tires. It kinda blows my mind when I think about all the customers who balked at 700 x 25mm road tires in the 2010's. Wow..... What a sea change! 

So, yeah. You might start seeing "road bikes" showing up on this page in the near future if this trend continues as I am seeing things go. 

Current Carbon Gravel Bike Design - What I Would Change

Today I thought it would be a fun thought exercise to take each part of a carbon bike design for gravel and critique it with my take on what could be different. My thoughts are going to be constrained to keeping things optimized for what I believe is in the best interest of the average rider, not necessarily for racing.

My opinion being that most brands make bicycles their racers want, or the bike a designer would race, and these designs are not focused on the everyday rider. Racing many times eschews comfort, practicality, and value. Media focuses on these "halo bikes" as being the thing which is "most interesting" to the reader. It would be as if every bicycle rider only rode what the equivalent automobile in racing is for a daily driver. An unaffordable, expensive to maintain, impractical car. Why do we do this in the bicycle industry? It's stupid. 

Anyway....

Image courtesy of Factor Bikes' social media.

I'm going to use this image grab from a Factor Bikes' social media post showing a racing bike from the recent Traka gravel event in Spain which shows a reportedly new Factor gravel bike model. This will serve as a model for the misguided racing focus on gravel bike design. 

Let me first say I am not against having racing bikes. What I am saying is the influence these designs have on everyday gravel rider's bicycle choices is far too great. In fact, it should have little if any impact on gravel bike design. Why? Because the vast majority of riders don't race, and do not need racing bikes. 

My thoughts will correspond to the numbers I have placed on the image starting with the seat post at #1 and going in a clockwise rotation from there to number 7 which will end my thoughts on current design for gravel bikes. 

#1 - Seat Post: This is easy, but any design using an aero seat post generally is adding more discomfort to the rider. This is because most aero seat posts are not designed to flex along their length, like a good carbon seat post does.  

#2 - Integration: The fad these days is to tuck away all the cables out of the wind. This is easier with today's penchant for wireless shifting, but those pesky brake cables still need to be hidden, apparently. This seems fine until you want to change your handlebar/stem combo for reasons of fit, comfort, choice, or all of the above. Integrated bars and stems take away all those choices. Fine for racers. Dumb for everyone else. Let those cables be free! Losing a few watts to air drag is nothing for the average rider, but they will gain choices, and less expensive maintenance costs down the road.  

#3 - Carbon Forks: For the sake of this exercise, metal forks will be excluded. Carbon is wonderfully light, strong, and supposedly "tunable" for ride qualities.  However; no carbon fork manufacturer has decided to take advantage of the tunability of carbon for rider comfort when it comes to forks. Either it cannot be done at all, or it cannot be done without assurance of avoiding failures and thus, liability for injuries, or designers just don't care about comfort in fork designs. I'm choosing the liability fears here, but that is purely speculation on my part. Whatever the case may be, carbon forks are overly-stiff and this is especially true on race designs. 

#4 - MTB Sized Tires: My theory on this is in relation to the point above concerning forks. These big, poofy MTB tires are being employed because forks are too stiff and stems with any built-in forgiveness are not possible due to integration and weight concerns. Ditch the heavier tires, use a commonsense approach to cable management, and maybe make the fork nicer to ride for we who are not the less than 1% of riders who are top-tier racers.  

#5 - Front Derailleurs and 1X: Chain management for a 2X system is now programmable on wireless drive trains. You don't even need to think about "when to shift" anymore, and so, why do we stick to the thought that a massively out of whack chain line on 1X is okay? It isn't. Racers feel 1X is more aero. This is laughable to the ordinary cyclist.  Even if aero is a thing with front derailleurs, and even if a mechanical system relies on the rider to make shifts, a 2X system is more efficient, does not rely on huge jumps in rear cog spacing, and can be made so the parts are less expensive, especially in regard to the cassette. 

#6 - Chain Stay Length: Racers want the rear tire tucked right up underneath their rear ends. Fine for racing, perhaps. It certainly will make you feel faster because, well......you'll feel every bump. Where is the seat on a bus with the roughest ride? Right over the rear axle. Average riders do not need short chain stays. I'm not saying we need really long chain stays either. Just don't put me on a bike with a rear wheel tucked right underneath me. 

#7 - Tire Clearance: Just a thought here on tire clearances. I enjoy my 45mm and 50mm tires, but I also really like lightweight tires. There is a point of diminishing returns with regard to tire width. Especially if you want some kind of tougher casing or puncture protection. I'd rather ride a narrower tire which falls under 600 grams for my do-all roads bike choice. (Note - I did not say "gravel", although that surface is included) If I am mountain biking, I'll choose a proper MTB. I think a distinction is already there and trying to blur those lines is not only unnecessary, but confusing to consumers.  

Okay, those are my takes on current top-end gravel bike design and why I think much of what is being done is the wrong direction for most people.  I know not everyone will agree. I'd love to see what you think about these ideas. Let me know in the comments. 

 Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions 

The 32" Watch: Some Background On Those Bigger Big Wheels

Not really a novel concept. (Image courtesy of Baum Cycles)

 The 32"er wheel thing is all the buzz in certain circles of the cycling innerwebs. I decided today to take a cruise through the archives of 20 years of information logged on this platform to see if anything might pop up concerning bigger big wheels. 

Like so many other times I research this blog I found things I had forgotten about. Stories about 36'ers and 32" wheels which might surprise you from the standpoint of how long ago some of this stuff has been percolating in the background.  

My first introduction to anything larger than a 29"er wheel was back in 2006 at Frostbike when Ben Witt had brought his creation to the show to share with the bike nerds in attendance. It was a frame welded up by Mike Pofahl with Ben's 36" wheels attached. It was a raw, unpainted idea, and it was very impressive. 

The first 36"er. I had a chance to buy this thing. 

To my knowledge Ben's bike was the first 36" wheeled bike around. I knew of a 32"er cruiser made with Coker branding, but not a 36"er. The bike was an amazing experience. But a parking lot ride does not tell the complete story. 

Fortunately, I was afforded the chance to try the big 36"er out for a couple of months when Ben was considering selling the bike. By this time it had been painted red. This would have been back in 2009. I used it primarily for commuting, and a lot of what people are saying about 32"ers is very true for 36"ers. Big stability, major roll-over capabilities, lots of steering inertia. I was thinking hard about buying the bike and doing gravel on it, but in the end I passed on the offer. 

Eventually someone did do a proper gravel bike with 36" wheels. I wrote about this in 2021. So, yeah.....big wheels on gravel has been a thing for a while already. And if you click the link and read my post from back then, you'll see reference to the idea dating back to 2006. Right about the same time Ben made his first 36"er, and in fact, the idea was spawned by Ben's bike. 

Even as recently as two years ago, Curve Cycling from Australia was producing a big wheeled gravel bike. I posted about that and made my case for Ben Witt's pioneering influence then. So, I think it is a good perspective to give Ben some props for sparking interest in larger than 29"er wheels. Would it have happened anyway? Yeah.....probably. But it happened the way it did. 

And I think that is worth noting.