Friday News And Views

 White Industries Introduces Limited Desert Sage Color On Components:

On Tuesday of this week, White Industries released news concerning a limited run of Desert Sage components. This hue is a Cerakote finish, not an anodization, and a finish which White Industries claims is resistant to scratches, stains, and heavy usage. 

Available on select White Industries components for a limited time only. Once the stock is gone, this color will not be offered again.  

For details see White Industries website.  

Comments: An interesting choice for a limited run. I tried wrapping my head around this color, but I am torn as to what I'd do with a head set, crank set, or hubs in a color which, for me, is akin to dried cow droppings. Maybe if I had a dark matte red frame, or an egg plant colored frame. I guess maybe it would work on my pink BMC, or an orange frame. 

Anyway, it is a curious hue to offer, and a weird enough color that - on the right build - could be outstanding.  

Image courtesy of English Cycles

MADE Show This Weekend:

The handmade bicycle show is an idea which has always drawn plenty of attention. It used to be the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, but that show faded away. Now days the show which essentially is the same thing as the old NAHBS is called MADE and is held in Portland, Oregon every year. 

Thanks to the wonderful immediacy of the innergoogles, one doesn't have to attend the show, or wait very long for imagery to pop up concerning the show. NAHBS moved around the country and provided regional access to seeing these creations with your own eyes, but these days I guess this doesn't matter. 

Anyway, guess what everyone is saying the "big deal" will be for this year? You guessed it, I bet. Thirty-Two inch wheeled bicycles. 

I wouldn't be surprised if those bikes garner a lot of attention, but I'll bet other wheel sizes will be shown with equally as cool frames and forks. What the "trends" will be is anyone's guess. 

Notable: A recent Facebook post by NAHBS founder, Don Walker, indicates that 2027 will see the return of NAHBS as the NAHBS Reunion & Invitationsl. The date is set for August 6-8, 2027 at the Palmer Events Center in Austin, Texas. Stay tuned for more details in the future.  

Image courtesy of Mosaic Cycles

Mosaic Offers Production Spec 32"er:

Mosaic Cycles, a custom and boutique brand based in Boulder, Colrado, announced on Tuesday of this week that it now offers a "Batch Built" 32 inch wheeled drop bar bike. 

Dubbed the GT-1 i55 32", this model will be built from double-butted titanium and features completely internal routing. A 1X only design, this bike will clear 32" x 55mm tires. 

Using a T-47 bottom bracket and Mosaic's own 32" specific carbon fork, this model was conceived from the ground-up as a 32" wheeled bike. The wheel spec is 110F 148R, which seems to be the direction 32" bikes will take for the time being in terms of axle spacing.  

For more details see Mosaic's page for this bike HERE.  

Comments: I imagine this is not a moderately priced bicycle, but besides this, it seems to be the direction many custom builders are taking with what is being shaped as 32" wheeled "monster-gravel". The lack of narrower tires in this category kind of forces this trend, in my opinion. Not that anyone is upset about it, but one has to wonder if there were a few choices in 32" x 45mm tires if axle standards and geometry would be a bit different than what we are seeing.  

Image courtesy of Industry Nine

As Long As We Are Talking 32"ers....

Industry Nine took the covers off a new offering they have dubbed "Hush 32 Carbon". Obviously the "carbon" bit is the rims. Otherwise this is a classic I-9 wheel set with their patented alloy spokes and alloy hubs available in several anodized colors. 

The wheels are available now and run $2,199.00. USD. 

Comments: What is weird about this wheel set, to my way of thinking, is the low spoke count. Twenty-four spokes seems like a bit on the edge for lateral wheel stiffness in a 32" hoop. 

Industry Nine makes a nice riding wheel though. I've tested several sets and I own a really old set of I-9's. The alloy spokes may seem weird but they work. So, I'd have a fair amount of confidence in these it's just that the 24 spoke count gives me pause. 

Interesting to see these debut now. I would not be at all surprised to see these wheels featured on something at the MADE Show this weekend.  

Keepin' The Wheel Theme Rollin'....

This week also saw the release ofthe 700c based  BERD Sparrow carbon wheels. These wheels use the fiber spokes by BERD and are laced to your choice of hubs listed on the Sparrow webpage. 

Using BERD's own Talon hubs, a ring drive/ratchet  style hub, the BERD spokes, and the new 50mm deep/30mm wide/25mm internal width carbon rims, you can realize a very light overall wheel weight. With tape and tubeless valves installed BERD claims the Sparrow wheel set weighs 1,068 grams. 

These wheels are pretty reasonably priced at $2.195.00 USD. 

Apparently BERD is also offering this model in a 32" size.  

Comments: N.Y. Roll actually saw a set of these being raced this past weekend at CORE4. The wheels also have been claimed to be good for rider comfort, and last weekend's event probably put that claim to the test. 

I can vouch for the way BERD spokes reduce vibrations, though. I have a set of wheels from 2020 which have I-9 hubs, BERD spokes, and Atomik carbon rims. There is something to the vibration reduction claims. 

Image courtesy of SILCA

 SILCA Offers Gravel Tire Range:

 SILCA announced on Thursday it now has tires for sale. A range dubbed "Protocol" contains one road tire model and three gravel tires. 

These tires all use premium materials, some in new ways, to provide claims of low weight, puncture resistance, and low rolling resistance. 

Offered in black wall only with 45mm, 50mm, and 55mm widths in a range which is defined by a numerical rating. The Protocol RG-1, (shown here) is the all-out race tire with minimalist tread. There is no RG-2 (curiously), so the next one in the range is RG-3 which is meant for all around-conditions gravel. The RG-4 is a deeper tread pattern meant for wet/mud or rougher terrains. 

There is even a 32" offering in the RG-3 HERE.  

All Protocol tires are selling now on SILCA's site and cost $99.00 each.  

You can see the entire range on this page.  Check out the very informative explainer video HERE. 

Comments: That explainer video is well worth your time. I guarantee you will learn something about tires from it. Josh, (SILCA head honcho) says they use a carbon fiber bead, and says they are making this tire the way they do "..because no one else is doing it." While this seems to be his messaging, I disagree with it. Maxxis has used a carbon fiber bead in some of its road and gravel tires for several years. So, this seems to be a bit of marketing-speak from SILCA on this point. 

But the other data and evidence Josh speaks about in the video seems compelling. Well.....maybe not a hundred bucks a tire compelling, but I am not racing, so I am not the core audience for these tires. Racing is expensive, and these tires prove it. 

I do like the "pseudo-radial" technology and the carbon fiber bead makes a ton of sense. Maybe some more moderately priced tires will eventually pick up on some of this new tech and become available in the near future. 

Winner, Winner....

No, your eyes do not deceive you. That is N.Y. Roll on the podium at CORE4 which occurred just this past weekend. 

Despite the rains all last week, despite the course changes, and despite the chance the event conditions would be poor, N.Y. Roll showed up and finished the course. Because he did all of that, and was the only one in his category to do so, he won. 

This kind of goes back to what I used to say about all the gravel riders in the earlier days of gravel riding. They showed up? They won. If they tried and couldn't finish? They won. If they finished, but were at the front, middle, or the back? They won. 

Anyway.... Check out N.Y. Roll's conversation with me concerning his day and a whole bunch of other stuff HERE on the latest episode of The Guitar Ted Podcast. 

And that wraps up another week here at Guitar Ted Productions! Thanks for reading. Now get out there and ride your bicycle!

Remembering A Big Accomplishment

 The Backstory and a History Lesson:

Ever since a bunch of gravel riding freaks from Lincoln, Nebraska showed up at Trans Iowa v2 I have had a deep admiration for those folks who supported me and my event. This marked the beginning of what would become several relationships with folks from Nebraska and an event or two as well. 

The first of those events was the Good Life Gravel Adventure. Early in the days when gravel events were being thought up, (this would have been from 2005 -2010), anyone who was connected to an event was eager and willing to help out anyone else setting up an event. This was manifested in how event promoters attended and rode in each others events. 

We Trans Iowa folk heard about the Good Life Gravel Adventure in 2008. In fact, we knew there was going to be something big happening in Nebraska for a couple of years. We were definitely keen on helping out if asked. My co-director at that time in Trans Iowa, David Pals, and I decided one of us should go to the event. David was the one who attended the first GLGA and he came away from it insisting I needed to go in 2009. 

I did that and had an awesome time. Although I fell asleep three times on the bike and ended up calling it a day 35 miles from the finish. Thus started my quest to overcome the challenge which became Gravel Worlds in 2010. 

I went to the first Gravel Worlds and I ended up getting carted back to the finish by CVO, the legendary figure whose patch you may have seen on Pirate Cycling League gear. (R.I.P.) And a couple more tries ended similarly before I took a hiatus from going to Lincoln for a few years. 

My friend, Tony McGrane, (L) and I at the start line

 The 2016 Gravel Worlds:

Then in 2015 I returned to doing events like the Dirty Kanza 200, Odin's Revenge, and Gravel Worlds. No love for me in 2015, and so in 2016, I went in to Gravel Worlds with more of a set plan, some newer ideas, and an old bike which I knew like the back of my hand. 

By this point I had hooked up with Tony McGrane, a local firefighter, (just recently retired, by the way), and he and I would travel to Kansas and Nebraska for these long, ultra-distance gravel adventures. This brings me to Gravel Worlds 2016, which occurred ten years ago on this very date. 

I know this may seem like an outlandish take to some, but gravel events had grown tremendously by 2016. Gravel was now mainstream. Yes.....in 2016. 

Anyway, we were all ready to go and ride the 145 mile course set up by Cornbread and Schmidty.  This year we were going anti-clockwise around Lincoln. At the sign-in gathering at Cycleworks the evening before, Nebraskan Kevin Fox, who took the start line image shown above, told me I could have his number to call in case I needed a bail-out, but also he strictly told me NOT to use it because he said, "You aren't going to need it this year." 

I liked the thought, but I also knew this event, and most longer gravel events I tried, were extremely difficult for me to finish. In fact, I had never finished an organized gravel event over 100 miles. (Unless you count my Death Rides, but those were free, no-drop group rides). I had ridden 160+ miles at the Dirty Kanza in 2015, which was my longest single ride attempt at an event. 

Off and rolling at the 2016 Gravel Worlds

I had also done over 160 miles riding a single speed on my first Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational, so I believed I had "it" in me to do Gravel Worlds, I just needed everything to fall into place. The weather, the nutrition, my body, mind, and bike. If I was going to make this ride work, I knew it all had to come together in harmony. One thing out of place and I would find myself in a ditch using that number Kevin gave me, despite his admonition not to use it. 

The roads were difficult to ride because the gravel was loose and sandy.

I had a plan. I had specific nutrition which I had been advised to try by a blog reader here, and in fact, this reader sent me a sample to try out before Gravel Worlds. Dried bananas from Trader Joes was the tip. It seemed to sit with me quite well, so I ordered some off the internet and had this with me for on-the bike nutrition. I had specific pacing ideas, I had clothing chosen specifically to aid in dealing with the typically hot, humid August weather in Lincoln. I had cue sheets for navigation. I had my friend Tony McGrane rooting for me. And now I had Kevin Fox's prophetic blessing as well. But would it all be enough? 

There were plastic pirate figures being handed out at a checkpoint. I picked one up and had some fun with it. 

At an optional "oasis stop", around Mile 40, I picked up a little plastic figurine they had and were handing out to riders. These were all pirate themed figures. I chose a black, swashbuckling figure I dubbed "Blackbeard Micro-Pirate". I drug it out at the stops I made and did some goofy imagery for the blog report I was going to post afterward. Oddly enough, it helped take my mind off things and lowered my anxiety about finishing.But I still had a long way to go. 

It was somewhere between Malcom, Nebraska and Valparaiso, Nebraska that I hit the wall. It was around Mile 100, where I generally always started to fade away in these events. It was very hot by this point. It was very hilly. I was slowing down some. Doubt crept into my mind. Was I running out of gas? 

Just about this time I ran across a small group of riders gathered around a pick-up truck with some woman and her kids who were handing out sodas to hot, tired riders. A "Trail Angel", as they were known by us gravel riders there. Not "sanctioned" by the event, but allowed support from a local. The truck was at the top of a steep climb. I was going to keep going, but decided to pull over at the last minute. Then I saw him. 

It was Tony! He looked me up and down and asked me how I was feeling. I told him I felt okay, I had stopped for a nature break, and I was going a bit slower. He stared me in the eyes and said "Good!". 

Somehow I knew right here we were going to finish. 

Tony McGrane leading me to the finsih line of the 2016 Gravel Worlds

The next town up the road was Valparaiso and a convenience store stop. I got a Coca Cola and this fired me up pretty good for the last 35 miles.We had one more checkpoint at Otto Pond farm to go through. The afternoon was wearing on. The Sun was unrelenting as were the hills. "How did Schmidty find all these hills?", I kept asking myself as I geared down for another long climb. 

The Checkpoint was passed. Now we had approximately 20 miles to finish this thing off. There was a minimum maintenance road in this section where Tony dumped his bike in a big mud puddle, but even this did not deter us. 

Then Kevin Fox appeared and he took some images of us as we pushed up hills and coasted down the back sides of them. (Note: The header on the blog this week is from Kevin Fox and shows this section) He left us off with an encouragement and a promise to see us soon at the finish line.  

Those last ten miles seemed to take forever; but we persevered, and eventually Schillingbridge Tap House came into view.......

Tony told me recently this is his favorite cycling image ever.

 And Kevin did see us there at the finish. In fact, he took the above image. Documenting the one and only time I have finished an ultra-distance gravel event. I'm really grateful he was there to take that image. Especially now since I just do not ever see myself going to another Gravel Worlds. 

We wanted to "beat the Sun", which was a bit of self-motivation we borrowed from the DK200. Tony came up with the idea. And we did beat the Sunset by 23 minutes. So, another little accomplishment there which, doesn't mean anything other than to myself and Tony. 

Epilogue:  

The recent Ride For Jacob brought Kevin Fox, Tony McGrane, and I back together again. We chatted a bit about that weekend on the old deck of the bridge across the West Fork of the Cedar River. Kevin reminded me about not using the bail-out number he gave me that day. Kevin looked at me and with a smile said, "....and you didn't need it. I knew you wouldn't." 

I wish I had been so confident, but I guess it goes to show you that when certain people are in your corner, it can really make the difference between success and failure. Thanks to Tony and Kevin, I found success for once on a long gravel course.  

A Dry Spell, You Say?

 This has been a crazy August so far. Ever since we have put the Ride For Jacob behind us it has either been so hot it was not a good decision to ride out in the country, or it was raining. 

I was talking with N.Y. Roll the other day and we were trying to think if there was a dry day last week. We couldn't come up with anything. Sunday it did not rain, Saturday it also did not rain, but it was so humid everything stayed wet. And well......it was misty. Does that count?

So now we are coming out of this rainy pattern, finally, although it rained again this morning here briefly. The thing is, I just need it to quit, especially on days I have open to ride. I've got a lot of things I'm behind on, and Fall is coming quickly.  

Here's hoping the weather has been better wherever you live. I know, things could be far worse. Excessive rain is one thing, hurricanes and record shattering flooding is quite another. So, I know..... I'm doing well and I'm grateful, it is just hard on a person who lives to ride to not to be able to do so. Weather issues? This will pass. 

Some folks are facing far greater issues. Shout out to my brother MG. I'm praying for ya, Brother. And I know there are others facing big hurdles to riding as well. 

Keep moving forward.

Redshift Sports Quickdraw Saddle Bag: Review

Note: Redshift Sports sent over two Quickdraw Saddle Bags for test and review to Guitar Ted at no charge. Guitar Ted is not being paid, nor bribed for this review. All opinions are Guitar Ted's. 

Saddle bags, tool rolls, or seat packs. These accessory items go by various names depending upon who you speak to. The theme here is a bag, made from sturdy fabric, usually, which straps under a saddle. This bag can hold things like a spare tube, tools, or more if they are large. 

I don't know......there must be ten million variations on this theme out there. Anyone who has done any time cycling has seen one of these. You have to wonder, what could possibly be done to improve upon this idea? 

Well, leave it to the smart folks at Redshift Sports, who seem to keep cranking out new ideas, to come up with a twist on the old idea. Introducing the Quickdraw Saddle Bag. 

What It Is: Redshift calls this a saddle bag. I think it is almost a tool roll. Hmm.... Anyway, their take on this classic design is to make the space minimalist, and to attach it in a very unique way. The bag itself is rectangular in shape. I received both the Small and Medium sizes. Right now, this is all that is available. These measure approximately as such: 

Medium: 

Weight: 79gm bag only*

Length/Width/Depth: 125mm x 85mm x 55mm

Price: $69.99 USD ($99.99 CAD, £64.99 GBP, €74.99 EUR,$114.99 AUD)

Small:

Weight: 72 gm bag only*

Length/Width/Depth: 130mm x 85mm x 50mm 

Price:  $69.99 USD ($99.99 CAD, £64.99 GBP, €74.99 EUR,$114.99 AUD)

Other: Extra Strap/clips available for $19.99 USD ($29.99 CAD, £19.99 GBP, €24.99 EUR, $34.99 AUD) Lifetime warranty and 90 day risk-free trial. www.redshiftsports.com/products/quickdraw-saddle-bag

*Note: These are my measurements and may not reflect what you see for examples in your hands.The strap and saddle rail clip adds about 35 grams.

Okay, so these two sizes of the Quickdeaw Saddle Bag don't seem that different on paper, but in reality, they are very different, as far as what you can expect to carry inside of them.  

Speaking of the inside, you have a nice sealed zipper with a pull which has a shrink tube over cording that makes for a nice zipper pull. Now we get to one difference from most saddle bags. This bag opens "suitcase style". So the zipper goes around three sides and the bag opens up with a "lid" portion and a "body" portion. Inside you'll see some red lining, a nice contrasting color to most things you will carry, and an extra Neoprene black colored pouch/pocket in the "lid". 

The Quickdraw Saddle Bag is different in that it opens "suitcase" style. Note the inner pocket in the "lid". 

Both bags are not meant to be opened on the bike. So, just how does this bag come off? Well, now we're getting to the really interesting part. 

The Quickdraw Saddle Bag has a Neodymium magnet sewn on top of it and a matching magnet in the strap.  

 The Quickdraw Saddle Bag has a magnetic design. The magnets are what allows you to quickly take the bag on and off your bike. Thus the name. One magnet is sewn on top of the bag itself. The other is part of the strap design, which includes a saddle rail clip. This clip centers the magnet on the strap between the rails. Then the bag snaps into place the same way every time. The strap is the "insurance" that the bag stays put. What is more, the strap can be loosened just enough to remove the bag and when it is replaced, you can simply tighten the strap with a pull and the hook and loop material does what it does. 

A look at the saddle rail clips and strap with central magnetic "box" on an old Campy Aero seat post. 

 Features:

Here is a list of features and benefits from Redshift's press release: 

  Super Fast Access & Removal: Engineered for seamless one-handed operation, allowing you to hold your bike with one hand while removing or attaching the bag with the other.

•  Zero-Fuss Magnetic Mounting: An internal magnet holds the bag securely in place while you compress and lock it in place with the single main strap—no more tedious looping around saddle rails to reattach.
•  Multi-Bike Versatility: Purchase a second strap for another bike and seamlessly swap the Quickdraw bag between bikes.
•  Dropper & Suspension Seatpost Compatible: The bag mounts securely to the saddle rails alone and does not contact the seatpost, ensuring flawless operation on dropper posts and suspension seatposts.
•   Luggage-Style Opening: Unzip and open the bag like a book: you can access all your gear without the risk of it all falling out. The high-visibility interior lining makes it easy to see everything you have.
•  Smart Internal Storage: The bag features a dedicated interior neoprene pocket for your multi-tool or other items you want kept separate. 
•  Optimized for Every Discipline: Available in two sizes: small for road and narrow tire gravel and medium for MTB and wider tire gravel.

Impressions:

The bags are well made using abrasion resistant fabrics and there are reflective elements incorporated into the design as well for better nighttime visibility. The zippers are weatherproof and glide open and shut easily. 

Redshift designed the saddle rail clips to be secure and not so bulky or long that you cannot use the Quickdraw Saddle Bag. For instance, I have a bike set up with an SMP Pro saddle and to get my position correct, I have it slid forward on its rails quite a bit. This leaves little exposed rail in the back to attach most saddle bags. In some instances, a saddle bag would not work. 

Due to the design of the Quickdraw's saddle rail clamp, I was able to get the bag on this saddle. I thought this was impressive. If you typically run your saddle forward, and have had past difficulties finding a nice seat bag, the Quickdraw may be an answer for you.  

I would classify the Quickdraw as a minimalist bag. This is not the bag you are going to stuff with an extra windbreaker, a sandwich, and all your repair tools. This is much more akin to a flat repair type bag, although it can do a little more than this. I have ideas, which I will share later. 

Overall, the design is solid, and it looks classy. This bag is easily removed, and re-installed. A plus over many other bags and which lends it to being used in different ways. Redshift offers extra straps/saddle rail clip assemblies separately, so you can set your entire fleet up with straps and just transfer a single bag around as necessary. A smart way to go if you own and ride multiple bicycles. 

The Medium Quickdraw with some cargo installed

 How I Used The Quickdraw Saddle Bag:

I grabbed some tubes and multi-tools, with a tire lever for each bag, and used the Quickdraw as a flat repair kit to get the test rolling. Strapping on one Quickdraw to my Raleigh Tamland Two and the other to my Singular Cycles Peregrine Mk4, I was ready to test. While I could have tried other cargo, I always do this basic test with bags. Once while testing a tool roll I had set up with some of my prized, on-the-bike repair items, I lost the entire tool roll on a ride due to a flaw in the bag's design. So..... once bitten, twice shy!

My Singular Cycles Peregrine Mk4 on the morning of a metric century. The Quickdraw looks right on point here. 

 Ride Impressions:

Of course, the two main functions of any bag on a bicycle is to (a) not fall off, and (b) hold your stuff without breaking. look good, and not be a nuisance while riding. (Okay, I stuffed a couple of extras in there!)  

The Quickdraw Saddlebag does all this and more. No rattles, nothing to even indicate it is on the bike, which is a good thing. I rode a metric gravel century, many multi-surface rides, and did some rougher stuff just to make sure the strap and magnet would hold up. It all works just fine. I really see no reason at all to doubt the integrity of this product.  

My only negative thing I found was that these bags, while weather resistant, are not waterproof. I conducted a rain test, since it was so rainy here recently. The material the bag is made from wetted out after an hour sitting in a moderate rain. Your cargo will get wet on a longer, rainy, wet ride. So, just be aware of that if you carry steel tools or anything which might get damaged by wetness in the Quickdraw.  

The Quickdraw Saddle Bag on my Raleigh Tamland Two

Overall Thoughts:

In the future, I probably wouldn't use the Quickdraw Saddle Bag as a tool kit, Here's why: Because it is easily removable. This got me to considering something during the metric century ride I did. 

Many of the rides I enjoy involve stopping with friends at convenience stores, coffee shops, or bakeries. Fiddling with cash, cards, and receipts can be a hassle when you are in a hurry to get through a checkout. Scooping up your booty is chaos at times. And where do you stuff this on your bike?. Your jersey pockets? They get sweaty. No good. 

I'd thought about using the Quickdraw as my "wallet". A place to store my card, money, receipts, and extra camera batteries, or personal items. The bag is so easily taken off and replaced on your bike you can use the Quickdraw in this manner. This is not the case with most other seat packs. The suitcase style opening makes seeing what is in there a breeze. This also prevents stuff from inside falling out on the ground. Plus, and most importantly, the strap stays on the bike. So the bag is essentially like a mini-purse, in a way. I don't mind saying I quite like this idea. 

I also thought this bag would be great little organizer inside a larger bag. Say you want to have personal items, or smaller repair spares separated within a larger bag with no inner pockets. This Quickdraw bag could be a way to quickly access those items without digging through a bunch of stuff floating around inside a bigger bag. 

Of course, if you want to stuff the Quickdraw bag with tools, TPU tubes, or a bottle of chain lube, that is appropriate and smart as well. One thing I will note here is that the ever more popular mini-compressors may not fit this bag, and if they do, it would be all you'd get in there, I think. I found a few which, if the dimensions are correct, would fit, but these would leave little room for anything beside the compressor. 

 Final Thoughts:

Not all bags work for everyone, and this is why we have different bags. The Redshift folks took a stab at the minimalist seat pack, and came away with something which is truly unique, and actually makes sense. 

This is not an easy thing to accomplish after decades of saddle bag designs which have flooded the market. Looking at it this way,  Redshift Sports has impressed me and I appreciate this bag range from that standpoint. 

But besides the smart design, it is a well made and easily used product. If the Quickdraw Saddlebag fits what you need from an on-bike storage solution, then I cannot think of anything I could recommend above this bag. Yes, I do like other bags for different reasons, but because this bag works in the manner it does, I feel it has versatility other seat packs simply do not possess. 

Also, the Quickdraw bags seems to be well made, durable, and they look great on the bike. I can recommend this bag as a minimalist tool bag, or as a way to carry important smaller items with you on and off the bicycle. However you decide to employ the Quickdraw Saddle Bag, I don't think you'll be disappointed. 

Observations

Stan's products recently reviewed here.

 I was considering how 2026 has been a little quiet in terms of new products recently. While I am far from being "in-tune" with the latest goings on with the bicycle industry, it is not hard to see the void in news over the Summer. 

This has been reflected in reviews I've seen and in terms of reviews I've been asked to do as well. There just seems to be a quiet all along the cycling continuum in terms of releases and innovations. 

I think there are some obvious reasons for this. The economy being one. Lack of buyer enthusiasm another. But I think there is one hidden driver in this which many of you may have not considered. 

In terms of marketing, the cycling industry gets a lot of criticism from its audience. While it may seem the marketing departments at cycling brands and the independent market firms have too much weight in terms of what we get to choose from, this industry pales in comparison to most others. 

Automotive has a huge, over-arching impact on not only its market, but on entire economies. Consumer electronics dwarfs the impact of cycling brands.The amounts of money being slung around by those marketing departments would make cycling brand budgets look silly. 

I point this out because any dip in marketing, research and development, or investments in the cycling industry have far more impact on the market in terms of percentages compared to the massive amounts of money being thrown around in other industries. We feel this in subtle ways. One of those ways is in terms of new product introductions. 

In 2011, the cycling industry decided for you that 650B MTB was going to be the "enduro bike" standard. So out with 26" wheels, forget about 29"ers - those wheels would never work in a long travel application - and get ready for 27.5"ers! So much horsepower was diverted toward this movement that, as a reviewer of all things 29"er at the time, I felt immediate impact. 

Ad dollars for the 29"er site dried up. Test bikes and 29"er specific stuff was rare to get our hands on. We almost shuttered the deal in 2012 it was so bad. But then the tide turned again, and 29"ers began to overtake 650B in the enduro field, and elsewhere, so the site soldiered on for a few more years.  

That example is what is happening now, it's just that the categories are different now. Gravel racing, e-MTB, and now 32"ers, are where you are seeing the money being directed toward these days. Cycling categories outside of this aren't getting much attention, unless you want to lump in the pseudo-gravel bikes called "endurance bikes" into this mix. It's still about Gravel™, so whatever. 

This combined with the economic stresses we are weathering is really putting a cap on newer innovations, introductions, and the reviews and news which follows that. 

Deconstruction: Part 1

Well, since I've been getting rained out here I figured I may as well get cracking on with the new wheel build for the Fargo Gen I. "New" as in a new assemblage of older parts I have. The spokes and nipples may be the only new thing I use. 

The rims will be the venerable Bontrager Duster rims. These were off the Trek Sawyer I once had. The hubs will be the old Chris King hubs, the very same hub set I used over a decade ago during the "Mud Year" of 2015 at the DK200. 

The plan will be to do the "Guitar Ted Special" build, which is black spokes on one side, silver on the other, with one wheel having a reverse arrangement from the other. Black spokes will get silver nipples and silver spokes will get black nipples. I know, it sounds weird, but it looks rad - to my eyes - and I have a few wheel sets already built up using this scheme. 

Other details will include removal of the stickers on the rims, getting the hubs checked out inside, and re-using the Bontrager TLR rim strips. Bontrager TLR Rim strips? Yes..... I'll show you. 

But first, I had to begin things by blowing apart the old wheels. Let the deconstruction commence!

Dismounting the Extraterrestrials was no small task. This was due mostly to the TLR rim strip. Dislodging the bead of the tire from the bead channel molded into the TLR rim strip is a chore. Good thing if you flat while riding because it is unlikely the TLR rim strip will let your tire go. Bad if you want to actually remove a tire. 

So, to dislodge the bead from the TLR bead channel, I devised a tool from a Pedros tire lever. The purpose of this was to push the bead over the inner part of the bead channel and into the rim well. It worked! Good thing because I could not roll it off with my hands at all. 

After this, you'd think things would get easier. Nope! Next you have to remove the TLR rim strip to reveal the spoke holes and nipples. You want to do this very carefully. The reason being is that the edges of the rim strip are delicate and it is easy to damage the molded strip. I was able to get it out okay. 

Then all I needed to do was start cleaning things up and move on to the next wheel. But I won't get into all of that here. The next update will show you the rims cleaned up and what my spokes will be for the build. After this, I need to verify the condition of the rear King hub, in particular, and build up the wheels, of course. 

The TLR rim strip in situ.

 

Here the TLR rim strip is removed.

One more thing about the system. This was the first, good tubeless rim system ever made. Everything fit together like puzzle pices, but you were locked into Bontrager stuff. Maybe not necessarily in regard to tires, but the rim, rim strip, and valve were all proprietary technology. Brilliant in design though, and it worked perfect most every time. 

No tape to fail, tires were held securely, and things were serviceable. It's too bad it wasn't an industry wide standard, really. Anyway.... 

Stay tuned. 

CORE-Wet

Today CORE4 is supposedly happening. (Note- I wrote this post up before Saturday, so if it was postponed/cancelled, I didn't know about it yet)

Rain has plagued Iowa, and especially the center section of the state from East to West, all week long with flash flood emergencies being issued by the National Weather Service. Rain came down hard on the course Friday morning and overnight as well. 

I spoke with N.Y. Roll on Friday 'fore-noon' and he mentioned the courses for wet weather were all in effect except the Pro 120. Furthermore, parking at the venue is now banned and has been moved approximately three miles away to a paved lot area. There will be shuttles available for volunteers, spectators, and runners, but cyclists will have to ride that three-ish miles to the start and back again to the lot. I'm going to assume Pros will have rides provided by team members or sponsors. 

It promises to be chaotic, stressful, and possibly quite the adventure. As a former event promoter, I know all to well about last minute weather intrusions and having to adjust accordingly. I have also ridden in events which were modified by weather. So, I've experienced both sides. 

My hope is the attendees have some grace with the promoters. Getting the event in some way is going to be their top priority balanced with rider safety. It is NOT an easy thing to do. It IS easy to get on your digital soapbox afterward and complain bitterly about how "this or that" sucked and should have been done in a different way. (Although most folks never offer any real, applicable solutions)

Well, we shall see what happens soon enough. Maybe N.Y. Roll with have an eyewitness report if he decides to go take this event on after all. 

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Trek Bicycles.

Mazda Becomes Official Vehicle Of Trek Off-Road Teams In North America:

On Tuesday a press release went out declaring the Mazda has become the Official Vehicle of Trek North American Off-Road Teams and events. 

Mazda will provide the CX-50 model to Trek in a "multi-year" deal. These vehicles will appear at North American XC MTB events, DH events, and at select gravel events under the "DRFTLSS" moniker. (DRFTLSS example shown) 

Comments: Old timers will recall the Trek VW MTB Team and how they were a staple of the NORBA scene in the mid to late 90's. There were some Trek VW mountain bike models made and sold at dealers, but no such plan has been revealed for this new partnership with Mazda. 

Yeah.....gravel events have come a long, long way. Team cars at gravel events? With big time sponsorship from a worldwide automaker? Crazy.....  I just shake my head in wonder.

Then there is this current trend to avoid vowels. I'm going to say it - I don't like it. I know...... Maybe I'm a fuddy-duddy, but spelling is important to me. At least it seems the terms "groadie" and "groad" have quietly been retired. Those were just plain stupid. I always despised those two terms.

Image courtesy of Trek Bicycles

 You're Almost There!

The "endurance" geometry road bikes have been creeping into "gravel bike" territory for the last couple of years. On Thursday Trek released the fifth generation of the Domane. It is another step closer to where I thought road bikes for the average folks should be at back in 2010. 

Featuring the new frame and fork which has retired the use of IsoSpeed (thankfully!), Trek has otherwise designed in a compliant seat post, (A ROUND seat post? gasp!) and given the bike clearance for tires up to 40mm. The geometry is pretty much "first generation" gravel bike geo, and hilariously, they ditched the down tube storage to lighten the frame. (Take that N.Y. Roll!)  

There are several models to choose from starting at about 8K and going up from there. 

Comments: First of all, Trek's website navigation is a disaster. It seems overly-complex and offensive in its barrage of visual information. Maybe that's just me, but I've seen far easier sites to look at. That much I do know.... 

Okay, the bikes! Well, I find it very interesting that, ten years ago, this would have been a top tier gravel bike without question. Checking into some details, there is even a frame bag mount and a custom fitted bag available for this Domane along with a top tube bag. Fully kitted out, a new Gen 5 Domane would slip right into any current gravel event and no one would bat an eyelash.  

There is a white paper page which goes into all the nerdy details of the ditching of IsoSpeed. I found it fascinating to read that Trek credits tire volumes and disc brakes as things which have negated the need for decoupling their frames. They credit flexing seat posts as a benefit as well as their trotting out the old saw of "vertical compliance and lateral stiffness". (HA!) 

I'm glad Trek figured it out, (finally), but they need to go just a little further with this. Give me clearance for 42/43mm tires, (or 45mm, since the tire folks have kinda landed on a 40-45-50 scheme), and slacken that head angle a half degree or so and we're there. Domane AllRoad, I'd call it. Oh! And maybe not make the entry level bike so dang expensive (carbon), 8K is nuts.  

 

Accell Group Declared Bankrupt By Dutch Court:

In news from the bicycle industry, it was revealed on Wednesday that a Dutch court had declared Accell Group and its brands bankrupt. This is an escalation from the previous designation by the courts which would have provided a means of restructuring the company. 

Accell Group owns the brands Raleigh, Lapierre, Ghost, Haibike, and others. The status of these subsidiaries is  complex due to the multi-national situation. Lapierre, for instance, is seeking to find its way independently, but the success of this move has yet to be determined. 

You can see more details in the story posted on "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" 

Comments: This seemed to me to be the most probable end-game for Accell, who have struggled mightily since the pandemic. It would be easy to blame that time for this news, but I feel Accell's problems started well before this. 

Now.....this is just my opinion, but as I was working at a Raleigh dealer in the USA in the 2010's, I can say that Raleigh was at their pinnacle of potential here in 2014. In that year Raleigh introduced the Tamland range. It was one of the very first, purpose-designed bicycles for gravel. It also sold very well. Raleigh could have made a big dent in the gravel market. 

However; shortly afterward, Raleigh started a consumer direct model of selling bicycles, which Raleigh's US based dealer network was not happy about. 

Subsequently their dealership numbers faded quickly here. This coupled with Raleigh's too soon timing of their D2C move essentially erased Raleigh's presence from the US bicycle market. It could have gone so much differently, but the D2C thing along with a lack of vision for the Tamland and successors in the gravel range pretty much set the tone for what happened after the pandemic.   

unPAved of the Susquehanna River Valley Announces 2026 Events:

A press release sent out on Wednesday announced the details on the 9th unPAved of the Susquehanna River Valley events for 2026. This year the unPAved weekend will be on October 10th - 11th in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. 

Some details include:

Race for Whoopie Pies: For those who want a place on the podium and part of a $3,000 cash purse we've got the Full-130 course battled out over four timed segments that add up to 59 total miles (45% of the full route) of gravel racing. And if that’s not enough, there's the Big Lick-200 for the ultra endurance folks that prefer to race through the night.

Ride at Pierogies Pace: For those just looking for the vibes and the views we've got four choose-your-own-adventure courses from just over 50 miles to the Full-130 course at a civilized pace and lower price. Plus we have added two new courses (40 and 70 miles) for our Pierogi Pacers in 2026 that will start and finish at the Rusty Rail Brewing Company in Mifflinburg, PA.

Have a SlumberPArty: If you're all about gravelmaxxing the weekend our SlumberPArty gives you two days to ride the course. Roll out on Saturday, camp overnight at R.B. Winter State Park, and finish the course with the other riders Sunday. We'll even ferry your gear to and from camp.

Weekend Full of Activities: unPAved has grown from a single-day event to a full 3-day weekend, with gatherings starting on Friday night, and on Saturday there’s the Lewisburg Fall Festival with FUNpaved Rides, vendors, crafters, and kids’ activities followed up by the unPAved Film Festival at the historic Campus Theatre in downtown Lewisburg, PA.

Comments: Highly recommended event and one of the very best gravel events anywhere. Especially for anyone on the East Coast. Register HERE

No Powerline?

Wildfire damage has altered the course for this weekend's Leadville event taking out an iconic climb and making the overall elevation gain for the event less than it typically has. 

Storylines for this year include Quin Simmons attempt at the Men's win, Last year's Woman's winner, Kate Courtney's attempt two double up, 32"ers making a dent, and the 5DEV company offering 12K plus a little to anyone who can win using their Shredville Mount, a system which allows one to use road controls on a flat bar. 

Lots of weirdness possibilities this year, which I think is fun. We'll see how it all turns out. 

Okay, that is a wrap for this week! Get out and ride those bikes! Summer is fading fast!

Two Things

Graphic courtesy of Max Velocity YouTube channel

 Wet Weather, Dumb Decisions Hinder Riding:

I've been wanting to get back on the bike and do some chain lube testing, but the weather isn't having any of that. And neither has my gut, but that part is my fault. I'll explain. 

We've been getting rained on at times when I could go out, and when I have had dry periods, it's been so humid that I just don't have the gumption to pedal through it. Not when the heat index is near or at 100°F. That's not good for me. 

And then I did something dumb last Friday and ate a big bowl of ice cream at a friends ice cream shop he was proud to show me. And on an empty stomach. This caused big intestinal issues over the weekend. (Perhaps I'm more lactose intolerant than I thought), and I suffered like a dog until Monday. So, yeah....

Good times. 

Moving forward, I will have to get in rides whenever I can. Today is sketch. Friday we get more rain, and so on and on...

The good news is this won't last, but this certainly hasn't been a very productive time. 

The Last Chapter

Well, this week I finally got my BRAN 44 jersey. To be fair, I did not order it in time for the ride. Also, it came right when it was expected to. No disappointments there. 

But it is the final line in the BRAN 44 story for me. It's kind of funny now, but I was not really knowing what to expect out of this ride when I left Waterloo, Iowa on June 5th. 

It could have been a real slog. I wasn't trained up as good as I would have liked to have been, but then again, I had about a month's notice, so..... 

It could have been a bad experience. But thankfully, it was far from that. In fact, it was more than I could have imagined it to be. Which isn't usually the expectation for an event. 

But BRAN lived up to the reputation I had heard about it from others and even they did not convey the experience I actually had, but then again, who could have predicted I'd randomly meet Jacquie Phelan on this ride? 

Well, the answer is no one could have. And that wasn't all.  

My family thinks the jersey looks nice. It is pretty cool. 

I did not have to get it. I have more jerseys than I really need. But as I told the family, I may never get out to ride that ride again, so...why not? It's a good souvenir, at the least, and a decent jersey which is unlike anything else in my collection. So, it works for me. 

I met some very nice people on this ride. I think it is one of the benefits of any sort of travel. You leave behind the masks of socialization, the ability to hide behind a keyboard, and deal with people face to face on common ground. It's something more of us should be doing. 

Yeah.....I suppose for younger people it could be scary. But maybe us older folks are just putting limitations on them with our views of screen-raised younginz. I think this kind of backdrop to looking at society is not exactly how it works out in the field. There, in rural Nebraska, I was riding with a teenager. He got along with us just fine. It didn't mater that I was his grandfather's age, and I didn't care that he was a bit of a whippersnapper. We communicated just fine. 

But more to the point - we had different world views. Many of us did. But.....it doesn't really matter when you are together encouraging each other up steep hills. We are more the same than we think. 

That's what this jersey will remind me of when I wear it.  

Rim Wars: Sometimes The Solution Is Right In Front Of You.

Just the other day 'shiggy person' asked me to see if I had a Surly Extraterrestrial to measure. Well, in fact, I do. 

The wheel set I rode last year for the Ride For Jacob is the original wheel set from a Trek Sawyer I used to have, Because the wheel was spec'ed with a heavy Shimano hub set, I was not too stoked about riding them and ended up throwing various different wheels at that bike until I sold it. 

The ironic bit is that the Sawyer had the Chris King hubs on it when I sold it. But those were offered back to me earlier this year and I bought them to use for a nice wheel set for the Fargo Gen I,

Which....again in a bit of irony..was the bike I used the Bontrager Duster/Shimano hub set on when I did the Ride For Jacob last year. Again, this wheel set hasn't been a favorite of mine but the Duster rims best suited the Extraterrestrials, so I rolled them. 

So, while I was measuring the Extraterrestrial for 'shiggy', (62.63mm @ 19psi, by the way), I realized that I would like this wheel a lot better if the Chris King hubs were laced in their. 

Boom.....

So I think this is the direction I'm going to go in. I'll set up the Dusters with the King hub set. Then The Surly tires will go back on. Problem solved. 

Chasing The Latest

Prototype Wilde 32"er Image courtesy of Wilde Bicycle Co.

The buzz around 32" wheels I see in some circles reminds me of whenever anything new comes out. "New" as in "technological advancements", which is a debatable subject all on its own. 

But let's say for argument that something comes out which early adopters and testers say is actually an advantage. This is all it seems to take to conjure up a certain psychological need in cyclists brains to "have to have it". 

I see it all the time. Electronic shifting, disc brakes, 'one more gear' on the cassette. All things certain cyclists jumped onboard with while another segment of cyclists deride said idea. 

Remember when disc brakes were being discussed for road racing bikes? I saw an article referencing this over the weekend. This was ten years ago, and there were heated discussions about how the rotors were going to slice up people in crashes, and how the technology to run disc brakes was heavier. Some said disc brakes would open up a new world in terms of lower wheel weights and tire options. 

The adopters were right in this instance. That worked out. Now try finding a rim brake road bike in any form. They are rare now. But the main point was that there were adopters and detractors. Sometimes the adopters are right, sometimes they are not. But should disc brakes eliminate rim brake road bikes? Seems this is the way. 

I still hold that 1X is - overall - not the right thing for most bicycles. This is one which came about mainly due to MTB. More than 11 speeds seems like another thing people adopted 'just because' it was the latest thing. So, I could go on. But this is a subject I find a bit fascinating. 

The chasing of the latest and "greatest" and passing on of things proven to work and work well is an ongoing trend in cycling lasting decades. People are fickle. I don't ever see this ending, and frankly, this is what drives a lot in the world of cycling. 

Virtual Ride For Jacob Report: Pedro del Río Muñoz

A surprise showed up in my inbox this past weekend. It was a very nice message from Pedro del Rio Munoz, a reader from Spain. Pedro may strike a memory for some of you as he has submitted reports for the Virtual Turkey Burn Ride and is a regular in the comments. 

So, here is Pedro's report, as he sent it to me with a lot of nice imagery. It means a lot to me that anyone would take the time and effort to honor my deceased son, Jacob, and especially so from someone overseas. What an honor! Thank you, Pedro! 

And with no further fanfare......

Ride for Jacob 2026

Well, Mr. Guitar Ted has inspired us once again, this time with an incredibly sad but beautiful reason to ride. And I would very much like my support to reach him from here.

For reasons that aren't important and don't really belong in this story, I had barely ridden since January, so this was an excellent reason to get back into a good habit.

I met up with a friend and suggested a route that I really enjoy. Completely flat. Technically very easy. Mostly gravel, with around 7 km of tarmac, for a total of 61 km.

There was only one condition: we would take it easy, and if we found an open bar or café along the way, we would stop for coffee.

Sadly, the coffee part never happened.

We set off at 7:00 a.m. from our meeting point and rode around the outskirts of my hometown, El Puerto de Santa María, as dawn began to break. A few cars and a handful of people on their way home after a night out were pretty much all we encountered, so it was a very peaceful start.

As we left town, we had our first taste of dirt and headed onto the trails, where we faced the first climb of the day. A very short 10% ramp, less than 400 metres long.

 

From there, it was dirt tracks all the way to the next city, Jerez de la Frontera. Riding through Jerez with the sun already up but still low in the sky is quite something. We crossed right through the historic centre and the Santiago neighborhood, with its 15th–16th century church. The silence of an area that is usually busy makes riding through it at that hour rather special.

From there, the route really begins.

Good gravel roads, surrounded by farmland, now dry and waiting for the next planting season.

As the route progresses, so does the sun — and the temperature. At this time of year, temperatures quickly reach 30°C, so we went through quite a lot of water.

We were firmly in touring mode. Zone 1, for those who still insist on calling everything  "training" 

We rode along having a pleasant conversation, mixed with those moments when each of us was simply lost in our own thoughts.

 

In my case, and especially on this ride, many of those thoughts were obviously with Mr. Guitar Ted and his family. I found myself wondering how I would face such a sad and terrible situation.

The support of family, friends and community must surely be fundamental when facing something that, perhaps, can never truly be understood.

And somewhere between conversation and reflection, the kilometres kept passing.

 

Despite my very obvious lack of cycling fitness, I held up surprisingly well — and, importantly, my backside didn't complain about the saddle.

My Ergon is probably one of the most comfortable saddles I've ever owned, and it 's quite easy to adjust. My other saddle, a Brooks Cambium C15, is comfortable too, but much more difficult to dial in and get that feeling just right.

My trusty Jones Spaceframe, running 2.8-inch tyres, is certainly not the world's greatest gravel bike. It's heavy, not particularly aerodynamic, has Plus tyres...

But somehow, for me, it has become a combination I absolutely love.I find it incredibly comfortable for simply riding, riding and riding. I feel integrated into the frame rather than perched on top of it, with my weight supported by the saddle and pedals —something I really like. And its length makes it extremely stable.

All of that helped me finish those 61 kilometres tired, but happy.

I hope that, wherever Jacob may be, my prayers reached him.

Wishing strength to your entire family.

El Puerto de Santa María, Spain

Ride for Jacob 2026 – Sunday 26 th July 2026

Written: 9 August 2026

Pedro