Friday News And Views

Teravail Cannonball 32"ers Available:

Image courtesy of Teravail

The 32" wheel introductions have most often been focused on MTB product. However; gravel usage has been teased by several manufacturers and now we have a true gravel component in 32" diameter. The first "gravel" tire for 32'ers is the Teravail Cannonball. 

The Cannonball design was intentionally focused on gravel usage, so while this tire in a 2.2" width may strike some as still being XC MTB focused, it is by design intentions a gravel tire. 

The 32" Cannonball features Teravail's Superstructure Casing which is made up of extra-fine, hardened Nylon fibers to help reduce punctures but retain a supple riding casing. The rubber compound is Teravail's Fast Plus which is claimed to be Teravail's fastest rolling rubber compound in their range. 

You can check out either the tan wall or black wall version of the 32" Cannonball by clicking HERE. 

From Wilde Bicycle Co. social media.

32"er News From Wilde Bicycle Co. 

Seen on social media this week: A Wilde Bicycle Co. post teasing a new, as yet unreleased 32"er MTB XC bike. The post indicated this is a test mule for possible future production. 

There were no concrete dates or timelines given as Wilde wants to wait on a suitable suspension fork to test the frame with. 

Comments: Again, 32"ers are being jumped on by smaller, more agile companies which don't have to wait on production lines to be geared up for large runs. 

Although, I have heard through the grapevine that current factory production is not anywhere near maximum levels, and this may also play into how smaller companies have been able to push smaller production runs through for 32"ers. 

However this plays out, my theory is that there is a small amount of 32"er curious, bike nerdy folks who are possible sales targets for 32" wheels and once those folks have their bikes? I think any sort of larger, general cycling population being interested in 32"ers won't be as eager to bite on the unknown. Big brands who aren't going to have 32"ers out until late this year or early in 2027 may find the 32"er market has satisfied their appetite for this wheel size by buying from the smaller companies who were able to pivot to 32"ers more quickly. 

And I could be completely off my rocker. We will see.......
 

Image courtesy of SILCA

SILCA Announces Super-Secret v2 Lubricant:

SILCA Super-Secret lubricant has always fared quite well in my "Guitar Ted Lube-Off" tests and it is my current go-to lubricant for my gravel bikes. It does exceptionally well in dry gravel conditions. However; it wasn't all that great in the wet and so I never really trusted it for Spring, Winter, or if things got wet at any time of the year. 

SILCA has now upped its game with Super-Secret v2 lubricant. The claim is that it is faster, longer lasting, and holds up even in wet conditions. So, I bought some and it will be here shortly. Look for more "Guitar Ted Lube-Off" content soon!

And speaking of the Lube-Off, I last updated the testing HERE.  That was later into last year. I haven't been lax in testing since then, I just haven't updated anything here yet. This will certainly change, obviously, with the new Super-Secret v2 coming here soon. 

 I also have another lube which just arrived and is not yet on the open market. I will be testing it as well. So, this new Lube-Off should be interesting and pitted against the old contenders. Those include Super-Secret v1, the Effetto Mariposa Flowerpower wax lube, and Stan's Dry Lubricant. This Lube-Off should prove to reveal the best lubricant ever for gravel riding. 

I know.....big claim. But I think it will be true, and I am excited to try out these two new lubricants over the end of Summer and into Fall. Stay tuned..... 

New Dura Ace C-50 (mage courtesy of Shimano)

 Do New Dura Ace Wheels Point To What Could Come For Gravel?

On Wednesday Shimano released the poorly held secret that they have new Dura Ace carbon wheels available now. 

These are a range of rim depths and a rear disc wheel for road, triathlon, and perhaps cyclo cross usage. They don't have current "fashionable" inner rim widths for gravel. 

However; what we do see are carbon fiber spokes. The total wheel weight for the 50mm deep Dura Ace wheels (shown) is 1,302 grams for the pair. Curent Shimano RX-880 wheels have a 25mm (vs 23mm for Dura Ace) inner rim width and a 32mm depth vs the 50mm depth of the new Dura Ace. The total weight of the RX-880's is just shy of 1,400 grams at 1,397 grams. This is with stainless steel spokes. 

Obviously trends have changed and Shimano, never one to jump on changes right away, may not be pushing the cutting edges of wheel tech with a new RX series wheel yet. But it is hard to discount what Chinese wheel companies are doing now and for the prices they are doing it at, which are pretty incredibly low. 

Should Shimano come out with an even wider inner rim width gravel wheel set with carbon spokes with a total wheel weight of under 1,400 grams, it would be a huge development. Let's say the newer wheel had a 30mm inner rim width, and carbon spokes. Maybe a 40mm rim depth. It would be very competitive, as long as you bought a bike with those wheels already on it. Dura Ace wheels are well over 2K for the pair, and this is not at all competitive with Chinese gravel wheel sets, many selling for well under 1K for a pair.  

With Shimano you do get a company with service, widespread availability of repair parts, and most bike shops understand and can work on Shimano components. Chinese wheel sets? Hmm..... Not so much. But if you are willing to take a chance..... 

Image courtesy of DT Swiss

DT Swiss Revamps 1800 Wheel Range

Usually we talk about the bougie, expensive wheels here on the FN&V, but not everyone wants, needs, or can afford those carbon fiber wonder-wheels. So, what's a regular Joe or Jill supposed to look for?

How about a reliable, durable, and practical wheel set? This describes DT Swiss' 1800 range of wheels to a "T". 

There are three newly refreshed wheels in the 1800 Spline range now with the Aero (A), Endurance (E), and the Gravel (G) 1800 models. In those three divisions there are some options as well, most notably the option to get a front wheel with a DT Swiss branded Shutter Precision dynamo hub. 

Most of the range goes for a little north of $600.00 USD, so these won't break the bank and you can get solid DT Swiss reliability from the 370 hubs to the spokes and the new rims featuring a 26mm inner width. There are separate rims from this range available also for those looking to build some wheels. 

See the range HERE.  

Image courtesy of Ritchey Design

Ritchey Updates Streem Handlebar:

It seems that the old odball tag which used to be used for flared drop bars is no longer valid. No more "alt-bar" descriptions for these drop bars in 2026. 

Especially since a traditional road drop bar like the Streem now has 10° of flare. This road riding bar now has what Ritchey said in their press release is a design which is "...in line with how riders approach road riding today." And this - "....the compact shape, gentle backsweep, and increasing-radius bends give riders a natural interface for their hands when the road goes long or the pace gets honest. So, backsweep and flare. Hmm..... Gravel has made a dent, it would seem. 

The new Streem is available in aluminum construction in the WCS and Comp ranges with the difference being the WCS has triple-butted tubing. Check out the new bars, which have been priced lower than the outgoing models, and all of Ritchey's handlebar options HERE. 
 

Thanks so much for reading Guitar Ted Productions. Now get out there and ride those bicycles! Summer is fading fast!