Friday News And Views

The new KS Suspension Ether Carbon Gravel Bar. (Image courtesy of KS)

 KS Gravel Ether Handlebar- A Mystery:

I saw last week a cycling news site pushing a post about a KS Suspension gravel handle bar. What?! KS Suspension?  The company that does dropper posts? Yes - Them! 

So, I tried to check this out and it seems that information is a bit all over the place as far as the details go, and even when the bar came out is somewhat in question. In fact, it may not even be available......yet!

Here's what I could find out: There are two widths- 42cm and 44cm. There is flare, but I cannot find where any site has that information as to the degree of flare. The riser section is 18mm, which comes off the 31.8mm clamp diameter and then takes up all of the tops section. The bar specs for reach are also not online that I could find, but the images seem to show a bit more than most gravel bars. 

Weight was listed in one place at 270 - 275 grams but at another site it was listed as 230 - 235 grams. ??? Price?? Seems like "Ether" was an apt name choice for this handle bar. 

A new version of the Getaway is out. (Image courtesy of Challenge Tire)

Challenge Tire Introduces New Getaway XP:

The Challenge Tire Getaway model, which I reviewed for Riding Gravel here, has now been upgraded with an extra puncture protected layer which runs sidewall to sidewall. It also is available in a 45mm or 40mm width. 

Sorry! No skin wall in this version. The cost is $94.99 for each tire. 

Comments: Seeing as how the Getaway with a single layer of puncture protection was about the most difficult tire to set up tubeless that I've tried, I cannot imagine this being any easier to set up. If you buy, get a bike shop wrench to do the mounting. Whatever they charge will be worth it. 

And how about the price?! Challenge tires are always pretty dear, but this is a bit surprising, especially with regard to surplus discounting on many items everywhere in the cycling world right now. That said, I really enjoyed the Getaway tire's ride, lightweight, and speed. I did not like that Challenge specifies their sealant, and they weren't wrong to do so, because when I tried something different it immediately started leaking through the sidewalls of the tire. So, that's a bit limiting and there are just too many great tires out there that are easier to mount, cheaper to buy, and can use many brands of sealant without issues. 

Maybe this one is different than the Getaway I tried? Hope so.....

Image courtesy of Gravel Worlds

 Gravel Worlds Athletes Promote Rainbow Bands On Their Jerseys:

Many of you may not know that in 2017 I received a cease and desist letter from the legal consul for the UCI. That's right. Me. Why?

Because the UCI thought I/Riding Gravel were the promoters of Gravel Worlds, (Another reason I quit doing the race calendar. It made people think I put on ALL those events!) and the UCI wasn't digging that Gravel Worlds used the rainbow stripes on winner's jerseys and in promotional material on their website, etc. They threatened me with legal action if I did not comply and take down those stripes. 

Well, my Riding Gravel business partner sent back a quick note explaining that we had nothing to do with that, and I took the opportunity to forward that to the Gravel Worlds team. Subsequently Gravel Worlds took the stripes off the website and jerseys. So, if you noticed, there are no stripes on the 2018-2022 jerseys. That's why.

Well, now a solution has been found which turns the stripes into "bands" and the former winners of several Gravel Worlds categories are now sporting their "bands" on their jerseys these days. The press release states the following:

 "The Pirate Cycling League, host of the annual Gravel Worlds gravel cycling event, announced today that current and former champions are leading a movement by choosing to wear the Gravel Worlds rainbow bands on their jerseys in 2023. This new initiative signifies the wearer's status as a past or present Gravel Worlds champion."

Comments: I love it! I'm not saying this is what the PCL/Gravel Worlds team thinks of the bands, but it is kind of an "in your face" gesture to the UCI after all these years since 2017 and for what the UCI is doing now with their "Gravel World Championship Series".

Spinergy Offers Wheel Trade-In Program:

I received a very interesting press release the other day from Spinergy. It is concerning their new wheel trade-in program where Spinergy will take off $200.00 from normal retail for the trade-in on an alloy wheel set or $400.00 on the trade-in on a carbon wheel set. 

The presser states the following:

" In these tough economic times, finding the
resources to upgrade your bike is challenging to say the least. With the unprecedented inventory levels the cycling industry is experiencing, selling off
your old equipment isn’t an option. Spinergy has decided to help out by offering to take your old wheels, and that means any old wheels, in trade for credit towards a new set of Spinergy Road, Gravel, MTB or E bike wheels."

Comments: Well, at least someone is saying the obvious part in the industry! I read that inventory levels are at unprecedented levels and this promotion pretty much confirms that to be the case. What is bad - beyond the obvious - is that this will only further entrench the idea that the cycling industry is "on the take" and everything has always been somewhat of a rip-off in terms of pricing. That couldn't be further from the truth, but I am betting that this will take years to overcome in the marketplace, if we ever get over it. 

As seen on social media. RAGBRAI sandals are back!

RAGBRAI Sandals Are Back:

Years ago now, maybe back around 2002/2003, a Shimano rep told me that Shimano only sold its SPD compatible sandals in Iowa and surrounding Mid-West states and only before RAGBRAI. So, when they said they were discontinuing them, it was because Shimano thought that they weren't popular anywhere else and the small amount that they did sell just was not worth the bother.

And then the hue and cry went up. Shimano reissued the model, but with several unpopular changes. They stuck with it for a bit, but then they went away again. 

A few years back, they did a limited edition run, and that must have lit a light bulb in Shimano headquarters because now they are purposely making a short run again with the RABRAI logo right there on the sandal. I mean, it only took them 20+ years to figure this out! 

I'm of the opinion that sandals went out with the Romans. I kid! But seriously, they are not my style at all. But hey- if you ever wanted sandals for gravel riding, there ya go!
 

That's a wrap for this week! Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Friday News And Views

The new KS Suspension Ether Carbon Gravel Bar. (Image courtesy of KS)

 KS Gravel Ether Handlebar- A Mystery:

I saw last week a cycling news site pushing a post about a KS Suspension gravel handle bar. What?! KS Suspension?  The company that does dropper posts? Yes - Them! 

So, I tried to check this out and it seems that information is a bit all over the place as far as the details go, and even when the bar came out is somewhat in question. In fact, it may not even be available......yet!

Here's what I could find out: There are two widths- 42cm and 44cm. There is flare, but I cannot find where any site has that information as to the degree of flare. The riser section is 18mm, which comes off the 31.8mm clamp diameter and then takes up all of the tops section. The bar specs for reach are also not online that I could find, but the images seem to show a bit more than most gravel bars. 

Weight was listed in one place at 270 - 275 grams but at another site it was listed as 230 - 235 grams. ??? Price?? Seems like "Ether" was an apt name choice for this handle bar. 

A new version of the Getaway is out. (Image courtesy of Challenge Tire)

Challenge Tire Introduces New Getaway XP:

The Challenge Tire Getaway model, which I reviewed for Riding Gravel here, has now been upgraded with an extra puncture protected layer which runs sidewall to sidewall. It also is available in a 45mm or 40mm width. 

Sorry! No skin wall in this version. The cost is $94.99 for each tire. 

Comments: Seeing as how the Getaway with a single layer of puncture protection was about the most difficult tire to set up tubeless that I've tried, I cannot imagine this being any easier to set up. If you buy, get a bike shop wrench to do the mounting. Whatever they charge will be worth it. 

And how about the price?! Challenge tires are always pretty dear, but this is a bit surprising, especially with regard to surplus discounting on many items everywhere in the cycling world right now. That said, I really enjoyed the Getaway tire's ride, lightweight, and speed. I did not like that Challenge specifies their sealant, and they weren't wrong to do so, because when I tried something different it immediately started leaking through the sidewalls of the tire. So, that's a bit limiting and there are just too many great tires out there that are easier to mount, cheaper to buy, and can use many brands of sealant without issues. 

Maybe this one is different than the Getaway I tried? Hope so.....

Image courtesy of Gravel Worlds

 Gravel Worlds Athletes Promote Rainbow Bands On Their Jerseys:

Many of you may not know that in 2017 I received a cease and desist letter from the legal consul for the UCI. That's right. Me. Why?

Because the UCI thought I/Riding Gravel were the promoters of Gravel Worlds, (Another reason I quit doing the race calendar. It made people think I put on ALL those events!) and the UCI wasn't digging that Gravel Worlds used the rainbow stripes on winner's jerseys and in promotional material on their website, etc. They threatened me with legal action if I did not comply and take down those stripes. 

Well, my Riding Gravel business partner sent back a quick note explaining that we had nothing to do with that, and I took the opportunity to forward that to the Gravel Worlds team. Subsequently Gravel Worlds took the stripes off the website and jerseys. So, if you noticed, there are no stripes on the 2018-2022 jerseys. That's why.

Well, now a solution has been found which turns the stripes into "bands" and the former winners of several Gravel Worlds categories are now sporting their "bands" on their jerseys these days. The press release states the following:

 "The Pirate Cycling League, host of the annual Gravel Worlds gravel cycling event, announced today that current and former champions are leading a movement by choosing to wear the Gravel Worlds rainbow bands on their jerseys in 2023. This new initiative signifies the wearer's status as a past or present Gravel Worlds champion."

Comments: I love it! I'm not saying this is what the PCL/Gravel Worlds team thinks of the bands, but it is kind of an "in your face" gesture to the UCI after all these years since 2017 and for what the UCI is doing now with their "Gravel World Championship Series".

Spinergy Offers Wheel Trade-In Program:

I received a very interesting press release the other day from Spinergy. It is concerning their new wheel trade-in program where Spinergy will take off $200.00 from normal retail for the trade-in on an alloy wheel set or $400.00 on the trade-in on a carbon wheel set. 

The presser states the following:

" In these tough economic times, finding the
resources to upgrade your bike is challenging to say the least. With the unprecedented inventory levels the cycling industry is experiencing, selling off
your old equipment isn’t an option. Spinergy has decided to help out by offering to take your old wheels, and that means any old wheels, in trade for credit towards a new set of Spinergy Road, Gravel, MTB or E bike wheels."

Comments: Well, at least someone is saying the obvious part in the industry! I read that inventory levels are at unprecedented levels and this promotion pretty much confirms that to be the case. What is bad - beyond the obvious - is that this will only further entrench the idea that the cycling industry is "on the take" and everything has always been somewhat of a rip-off in terms of pricing. That couldn't be further from the truth, but I am betting that this will take years to overcome in the marketplace, if we ever get over it. 

As seen on social media. RAGBRAI sandals are back!

RAGBRAI Sandals Are Back:

Years ago now, maybe back around 2002/2003, a Shimano rep told me that Shimano only sold its SPD compatible sandals in Iowa and surrounding Mid-West states and only before RAGBRAI. So, when they said they were discontinuing them, it was because Shimano thought that they weren't popular anywhere else and the small amount that they did sell just was not worth the bother.

And then the hue and cry went up. Shimano reissued the model, but with several unpopular changes. They stuck with it for a bit, but then they went away again. 

A few years back, they did a limited edition run, and that must have lit a light bulb in Shimano headquarters because now they are purposely making a short run again with the RABRAI logo right there on the sandal. I mean, it only took them 20+ years to figure this out! 

I'm of the opinion that sandals went out with the Romans. I kid! But seriously, they are not my style at all. But hey- if you ever wanted sandals for gravel riding, there ya go!
 

That's a wrap for this week! Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Gravel History With Guitar Ted: The Challenge Tires "Gravel Grinder"

Challenge Tires' "Gravel Grinder" model.

Welcome To Gravel History With Guitar Ted! This will be a random series here on the blog where I will give you my take on the history of gravel riding and racing in the modern era.* 

There may be a "Ted-terview" or two where I speak with those from the early days of the Modern era of Gravel as well. 

 In this episode of "Gravel History With Guitar Ted" we will explore the story of Challenge Tires' "Gravel Grinder" model and an a mutual agreement to not seek legal action. 

Back in the Discovery Era  in these times of the Modern Gravel scene, we would often use touring tires for gravel road riding. I remember the Schwalbe Marathon series of tires as being one of the more popular choices due to that model being available in 40+mm sizes along with a very popular 38mm size.

The Marathon Extreme model also had a very tough puncture protection quality that was prized by gravel grinders especially for doing the race in Kansas then known as the Dirty Kanza 200. Its cut resistance was phenomenal, but if you did puncture, they were a bearcat to dismount and replace a tube in. This and they were pretty heavy tires as well, which put a lot of riders off. So it wasn't a perfect solution to our needs.

Gravel Grinder News header circa 2011

Along about 2011 or so, some tire manufacturers were looking into making a tire for gravel which, in all likelihood was sparked by the insider knowledge of Salsa Cycles development of a gravel racing bike at that time. One of those companies was Challenge Tire.

Challenge Tire was, and still is, a small company with few employees. Their niche was mainly cyclo cross and road racing tubulars and "open tubulars" which are Challenge Tires' version of their tubular tires in a clincher format.

Challenge decided to utilize their expertise in cyclo cross and use a model they had developed for grassy CX courses, fatten it up to 38mm, and rename it the "Gravel Grinder". Whether or not Challenge Tires was aware of my little site at that time, I don't know, but it soon came to their attention that there was a website using the same name. This could have gone pear-shaped, but fortunately, nothing of the sort happened. 

What did happen was that I ended up meeting the head of Challenge Tires operations at a Quality Bicycle Products "Frostbike" open house. We chatted, and ostensibly, I was only there for tire news, as I had heard Challenge was making a play to release a gravel tire. When the head man showed me the Gravel Grinder, he acknowledged that the name could be a stumbling block, since my website had the same name, unless, of course, I would be okay with that coincidence. He stuck out his hand, and stated, "There will be no legal ramifications to this situation from our side, how about you?", and of course, I said it would be fine and shook his hand. 

And that's how you get things done without lawyers getting in the way! 

Meanwhile, we had a lighter, capable choice in a gravel tire. Clement (Donnelly now) wasn't far behind, and the gravel gear choices only got better from then on out.

Gravel History With Guitar Ted: The Challenge Tires "Gravel Grinder"

Challenge Tires' "Gravel Grinder" model.

Welcome To Gravel History With Guitar Ted! This will be a random series here on the blog where I will give you my take on the history of gravel riding and racing in the modern era.* 

There may be a "Ted-terview" or two where I speak with those from the early days of the Modern era of Gravel as well. 

 In this episode of "Gravel History With Guitar Ted" we will explore the story of Challenge Tires' "Gravel Grinder" model and an a mutual agreement to not seek legal action. 

Back in the Discovery Era  in these times of the Modern Gravel scene, we would often use touring tires for gravel road riding. I remember the Schwalbe Marathon series of tires as being one of the more popular choices due to that model being available in 40+mm sizes along with a very popular 38mm size.

The Marathon Extreme model also had a very tough puncture protection quality that was prized by gravel grinders especially for doing the race in Kansas then known as the Dirty Kanza 200. Its cut resistance was phenomenal, but if you did puncture, they were a bearcat to dismount and replace a tube in. This and they were pretty heavy tires as well, which put a lot of riders off. So it wasn't a perfect solution to our needs.

Gravel Grinder News header circa 2011

Along about 2011 or so, some tire manufacturers were looking into making a tire for gravel which, in all likelihood was sparked by the insider knowledge of Salsa Cycles development of a gravel racing bike at that time. One of those companies was Challenge Tire.

Challenge Tire was, and still is, a small company with few employees. Their niche was mainly cyclo cross and road racing tubulars and "open tubulars" which are Challenge Tires' version of their tubular tires in a clincher format.

Challenge decided to utilize their expertise in cyclo cross and use a model they had developed for grassy CX courses, fatten it up to 38mm, and rename it the "Gravel Grinder". Whether or not Challenge Tires was aware of my little site at that time, I don't know, but it soon came to their attention that there was a website using the same name. This could have gone pear-shaped, but fortunately, nothing of the sort happened. 

What did happen was that I ended up meeting the head of Challenge Tires operations at a Quality Bicycle Products "Frostbike" open house. We chatted, and ostensibly, I was only there for tire news, as I had heard Challenge was making a play to release a gravel tire. When the head man showed me the Gravel Grinder, he acknowledged that the name could be a stumbling block, since my website had the same name, unless, of course, I would be okay with that coincidence. He stuck out his hand, and stated, "There will be no legal ramifications to this situation from our side, how about you?", and of course, I said it would be fine and shook his hand. 

And that's how you get things done without lawyers getting in the way! 

Meanwhile, we had a lighter, capable choice in a gravel tire. Clement (Donnelly now) wasn't far behind, and the gravel gear choices only got better from then on out.

Friday News And Views

So, even though it is a holiday, there has been a bit too much going on to 'let slide by' without noting it on the blog. So, here's a special "Christmas Edition" of the FN&V for you all to ponder while you put off that dreaded Face-Time call with the relatives annoying kids. (Just kidding, I know that you simply ADORE them! Ha!)

And while we're here, I may as well pass along that 2020 looks to be on track for the year I posted the most on this blog with 388 being the current record. This post is probably going to push me past that total, but this wasn't something I had planned on doing. It just turned out that way. 

I wouldn't expect there to be as many next year, but I have to admit, I kind of have a personal competition with myself when it comes to blog posting. That said, I also suspect that I'll never quite get this many posts in a year again. I say that for several reasons, but also- They say "Never Say Never- Never Say Always". 

So there is that. Finally, if you didn't get what you wanted for Christmas, I'll mention the G-Ted merch link, which I have posted about previously, is HERE.

Enjoy this bonus post of the "FN&V", the last of 2020. 

2021 Checkpoint SL-5 (Image courtesy of Trek Bikes)

Velo News Gives Checkpoint "Bike of the Year" Status: 

A gravel bike gets "Velo News" "BOTY" award? (!!) 

Yep! Gravel bikes have jumped the shark, as they say. Well, you all knew that. But what I find funny is that these cycling news media moguls stuck with picking road racing bikes for so many years. It took until 2020 to choose a gravel bike for your largely meaningless "BOTY" award? Awesome! That's fantastic. (It should be noted that "Velo News" did choose some "Best Gravel Bikes Of The Year" in 2016 here)

I mean, in all my years doing bicycle retail, no one has ever told me that they bought a bike because someone at a magazine said it was the "BOTY". Never. Not once. So, I don't see the point, really, but it's cool. They like the Checkpoint and it is a great execution in gravel bike design. I've always thought so.  

The other thing that is kind of silly about this all is that they waited until almost 2021 to say a model you can't get anymore is the "BOTY" because Trek moved on to its 2021 models. They always choose these "BOTY" awards after a model year. It doesn't make sense to push a bike as being all that and a bag-o-chips if you cannot get 'that exact model' anymore. Well, at least in this case, with the Trek Checkpoint it's mostly just color changes. 

Silly idea, "Velo News", but I like the Checkpoint, so I thought it was interesting. 

Canyon bike image courtesy of Canyon bikes

Bike Companies Start To Refuse Shipments Into The UK: 

Weird trade and country affiliation nonsense (BREXIT) is causing some bicycle companies to start announcing the cessation of sales into the UK. While this isn't anything that affects me in the USA directly, (at least I don't think it does), I find it alarming and odd. 

Details are rather vague, but it would appear that direct to consumer brands are seeing sales into the UK as being too much of an uncertainty now due to the unknowns of the trade situations. How that goes for these brands and residents of the UK going forward is something I don't know. Canyon, at least as reported in this news article, say the cessation of sales is temporary until they can figure out what is happening. A German brand called Rose has not indicated it will come back to the UK with sales.

I do know that supplies for 2021 (for sure) and possibly beyond are going to be tight. Throwing trade uncertainties on top of an already difficult situation is fodder for trouble. It is not known at this time if other brands will be following suit, or if raw materials imports to UK manufacturers might affect products coming out of the UK. Things like Hope components coming to the USA might be impacted if so.

The Challenge Tire Getaway 700c X 40mm.

A Bit Of An Update On The Challenge Tires Getaway Tire:

While it is true that we had some 40+ degree days of late, they all were marked by winds which were heinous to the point of being dangerous to ride in. That's not good for evaluating products. So, instead I decided to stick to wind breaks and urban stretches of unpaved loveliness. We have a lot of that around here as well. 

So, one of the first tires I ever reviewed for gravel specific use was from Challenge Tire. The "Gravel Grinder" model, and they still offer it. That model name was similar to my gravel site's name, "Gravel Grinder News", back before I joined up with Riding Gravel. I actually had a handshake deal with Challenge Tires not to pursue legal action in regard to the name "Gravel Grinder". I thought that was rare and unusual. Anyway.....back on track!

The Getaway is the newest tire from Challenge Tire for gravel travel. It is a true 700 X 40mm wide and it is tubeless. So far? Well, first off- It is one of the most difficult tires to mount I have ever worked with. Had Challenge Tire not sent along a tire mounting tool, I doubt I would have gotten these things on. We're talking tight! Of course, that meant that they aired up perfectly with my poor functioning Bontrager Charger pump with little problem. 

These tires are a bit more 'peaked' in profile, but they have this supple, soft casing, so with that, and whatever Challenge is doing with the rubber compound, lends this tire more grip than you'd expect and a very fast roll. I'll have to see how they do out in the country, but so far, so good! I also will have to swap to a different wheel set and see how much, if any, the Getaway stretches. Perhaps it will be easier to mount the next time. I suspect it will be.

 Note: Challenge Tires sent over the Getaway tires, Smart Bead Seating Tool, and Smart Sealant for test and review to Riding Gravel at no charge. We were not paid, nor bribed for this review and we strive to give our honest thoughts and opinions throughout. 

That's a wrap for this special Christmas Edition of the FN&V. Happy Holidays!

Friday News And Views

So, even though it is a holiday, there has been a bit too much going on to 'let slide by' without noting it on the blog. So, here's a special "Christmas Edition" of the FN&V for you all to ponder while you put off that dreaded Face-Time call with the relatives annoying kids. (Just kidding, I know that you simply ADORE them! Ha!)

And while we're here, I may as well pass along that 2020 looks to be on track for the year I posted the most on this blog with 388 being the current record. This post is probably going to push me past that total, but this wasn't something I had planned on doing. It just turned out that way. 

I wouldn't expect there to be as many next year, but I have to admit, I kind of have a personal competition with myself when it comes to blog posting. That said, I also suspect that I'll never quite get this many posts in a year again. I say that for several reasons, but also- They say "Never Say Never- Never Say Always". 

So there is that. Finally, if you didn't get what you wanted for Christmas, I'll mention the G-Ted merch link, which I have posted about previously, is HERE.

Enjoy this bonus post of the "FN&V", the last of 2020. 

2021 Checkpoint SL-5 (Image courtesy of Trek Bikes)

Velo News Gives Checkpoint "Bike of the Year" Status: 

A gravel bike gets "Velo News" "BOTY" award? (!!) 

Yep! Gravel bikes have jumped the shark, as they say. Well, you all knew that. But what I find funny is that these cycling news media moguls stuck with picking road racing bikes for so many years. It took until 2020 to choose a gravel bike for your largely meaningless "BOTY" award? Awesome! That's fantastic. (It should be noted that "Velo News" did choose some "Best Gravel Bikes Of The Year" in 2016 here)

I mean, in all my years doing bicycle retail, no one has ever told me that they bought a bike because someone at a magazine said it was the "BOTY". Never. Not once. So, I don't see the point, really, but it's cool. They like the Checkpoint and it is a great execution in gravel bike design. I've always thought so.  

The other thing that is kind of silly about this all is that they waited until almost 2021 to say a model you can't get anymore is the "BOTY" because Trek moved on to its 2021 models. They always choose these "BOTY" awards after a model year. It doesn't make sense to push a bike as being all that and a bag-o-chips if you cannot get 'that exact model' anymore. Well, at least in this case, with the Trek Checkpoint it's mostly just color changes. 

Silly idea, "Velo News", but I like the Checkpoint, so I thought it was interesting. 

Canyon bike image courtesy of Canyon bikes

Bike Companies Start To Refuse Shipments Into The UK: 

Weird trade and country affiliation nonsense (BREXIT) is causing some bicycle companies to start announcing the cessation of sales into the UK. While this isn't anything that affects me in the USA directly, (at least I don't think it does), I find it alarming and odd. 

Details are rather vague, but it would appear that direct to consumer brands are seeing sales into the UK as being too much of an uncertainty now due to the unknowns of the trade situations. How that goes for these brands and residents of the UK going forward is something I don't know. Canyon, at least as reported in this news article, say the cessation of sales is temporary until they can figure out what is happening. A German brand called Rose has not indicated it will come back to the UK with sales.

I do know that supplies for 2021 (for sure) and possibly beyond are going to be tight. Throwing trade uncertainties on top of an already difficult situation is fodder for trouble. It is not known at this time if other brands will be following suit, or if raw materials imports to UK manufacturers might affect products coming out of the UK. Things like Hope components coming to the USA might be impacted if so.

The Challenge Tire Getaway 700c X 40mm.

A Bit Of An Update On The Challenge Tires Getaway Tire:

While it is true that we had some 40+ degree days of late, they all were marked by winds which were heinous to the point of being dangerous to ride in. That's not good for evaluating products. So, instead I decided to stick to wind breaks and urban stretches of unpaved loveliness. We have a lot of that around here as well. 

So, one of the first tires I ever reviewed for gravel specific use was from Challenge Tire. The "Gravel Grinder" model, and they still offer it. That model name was similar to my gravel site's name, "Gravel Grinder News", back before I joined up with Riding Gravel. I actually had a handshake deal with Challenge Tires not to pursue legal action in regard to the name "Gravel Grinder". I thought that was rare and unusual. Anyway.....back on track!

The Getaway is the newest tire from Challenge Tire for gravel travel. It is a true 700 X 40mm wide and it is tubeless. So far? Well, first off- It is one of the most difficult tires to mount I have ever worked with. Had Challenge Tire not sent along a tire mounting tool, I doubt I would have gotten these things on. We're talking tight! Of course, that meant that they aired up perfectly with my poor functioning Bontrager Charger pump with little problem. 

These tires are a bit more 'peaked' in profile, but they have this supple, soft casing, so with that, and whatever Challenge is doing with the rubber compound, lends this tire more grip than you'd expect and a very fast roll. I'll have to see how they do out in the country, but so far, so good! I also will have to swap to a different wheel set and see how much, if any, the Getaway stretches. Perhaps it will be easier to mount the next time. I suspect it will be.

 Note: Challenge Tires sent over the Getaway tires, Smart Bead Seating Tool, and Smart Sealant for test and review to Riding Gravel at no charge. We were not paid, nor bribed for this review and we strive to give our honest thoughts and opinions throughout. 

That's a wrap for this special Christmas Edition of the FN&V. Happy Holidays!

Cold Days-Slow Days

I got some new Challenge Tires treads to review.

 It's late December and as usual, things are slow and low around the G-Ted Headquarters. Not much going on, that's for sure! This has been a really tough time of the year for me for a long time. Maybe a few of you out there have a hard time dealing with this particular season of the year? If so, I maybe can empathize with you there.

The Holiday Season is something many people really gear up for and go all-out with social gatherings, decorations, traditions, and the obvious religious ceremonies and whatnot. Well, not me. I'm really glad just to get through this time of year without anything dragging me down. Fortunately, I've been pretty blessed that way over the last several years. Anyway.... nuff said about that!

 So, what else? The weather is rough, not really great for gravel travel, so I've been sticking around closer to home of late doing some testing and looking for those days that pop up above freezing without a ton of wind to get out and do something in the country. As long as the roads are clear, I'll do that. However; that hasn't been possible until this past weekend and maybe today. 

This usually means that I start in maintenance and modifying of the bike fleet for the next season. Review work generally slows way down for me at this time of year, although I did get in a set of Challenge Tires recently. Their newest model, the Getaway, is typical of the brand with their handmade construction, but these are true tubeless tires. I've got these on my Noble GX5 here and I hope to be able to get out and do some gravel riding soon. 

But outside of that rare occasion for this time of year, and maybe some rambles in the woods on my fat bikes, I will be hunkered down in the Lab doing projects during the darkened and frozen times we have to look forward to. It doesn't look like we'll be getting enough snow to have decent fat biking for a while yet, so unless we go the other way and have some unusual warmth, these in between times will be hard to get motivated for. I like it to be one way or the other- Really snowy or really warm (for this time of year) This in between stuff is for the birds.

Cold Days-Slow Days

I got some new Challenge Tires treads to review.

 It's late December and as usual, things are slow and low around the G-Ted Headquarters. Not much going on, that's for sure! This has been a really tough time of the year for me for a long time. Maybe a few of you out there have a hard time dealing with this particular season of the year? If so, I maybe can empathize with you there.

The Holiday Season is something many people really gear up for and go all-out with social gatherings, decorations, traditions, and the obvious religious ceremonies and whatnot. Well, not me. I'm really glad just to get through this time of year without anything dragging me down. Fortunately, I've been pretty blessed that way over the last several years. Anyway.... nuff said about that!

 So, what else? The weather is rough, not really great for gravel travel, so I've been sticking around closer to home of late doing some testing and looking for those days that pop up above freezing without a ton of wind to get out and do something in the country. As long as the roads are clear, I'll do that. However; that hasn't been possible until this past weekend and maybe today. 

This usually means that I start in maintenance and modifying of the bike fleet for the next season. Review work generally slows way down for me at this time of year, although I did get in a set of Challenge Tires recently. Their newest model, the Getaway, is typical of the brand with their handmade construction, but these are true tubeless tires. I've got these on my Noble GX5 here and I hope to be able to get out and do some gravel riding soon. 

But outside of that rare occasion for this time of year, and maybe some rambles in the woods on my fat bikes, I will be hunkered down in the Lab doing projects during the darkened and frozen times we have to look forward to. It doesn't look like we'll be getting enough snow to have decent fat biking for a while yet, so unless we go the other way and have some unusual warmth, these in between times will be hard to get motivated for. I like it to be one way or the other- Really snowy or really warm (for this time of year) This in between stuff is for the birds.

Transformation

Velocity rim/hub on lower left- Bontrager rim/Velocity hub upper right

Okay, so back a few years ago I heard that Challenge Tires were going to make a big, fat tubular for gravel riding. In fact, they asked me if I'd try out a pair if they made them. Since I am all about tires, of course, I said "yes".

Trouble was that I did not have a tubular wheel set. That's kind of a problem if you want tubular tires. So, something had to be done!

That "something" was fulfilled by Velocity USA and they set me up with a Major Tom Disc wheel set. Disc because.....oh, I don't know. I figured that would be the coming thing then. I was mostly right about that part!  So, anyway, here I was, all set for some fat tubular gravel tire action. I was told that the ride quality would be amazing, and I still do not doubt that it would be the case. I was also told that there would be a new, pressure sensitive tape which would make gluing up tubulars a thing of the past. I was stoked about it all. So, I waited, and waited.....and waited........

And it never happened. Those wheels hung in the Lab for years.....no tubulars. I looked in to buying some to just give the idea a try out. Gulp! Fat, quality tubulars exist, but my goodness......... No, I wasn't going to pay that price for an experiment that, in all reality, not many people would have benefited from, and I wasn't that curious. So, what the heck! I had these wheels that were no good to me.

I tried selling them, but to no avail. So, I came up with this crazy idea to "spoke over" some compatible rim to this wheel set, freeing me from tubular prison. I looked at the wheels and they were 24 spoke count wheels?!! Uggh! That made finding a good rim candidate a lot harder. As did the ERD for the Major Tom, which is larger than many rims in the 700c category for disc use. 

Finally, I came across some close out Bontrager Scandium rims which would work. So, they were rim brake rims. Ahh.......at this point, I didn't care. I got them and the process of swapping the rims out is complete now. Wheels transformed! Now I can actually make use of them. They are TLR, meaning the rims are designed to use the excellent Bontrager tubeless rim strip, so that will be getting installed soon along with tubeless valve stems. I was pretty happy that the wheels ended up weighing 1600 grams on the dot. Not bad at all.

Now, the wheel with the silver rim pictured above is not the "before", tubular wheel. It is a completely different wheel  from a set I just bought from a co-worker. That wheel set is going to go on the rebuild of my original Inbred 29"er. So, stay tuned for that.....

Transformation

Velocity rim/hub on lower left- Bontrager rim/Velocity hub upper right

Okay, so back a few years ago I heard that Challenge Tires were going to make a big, fat tubular for gravel riding. In fact, they asked me if I'd try out a pair if they made them. Since I am all about tires, of course, I said "yes".

Trouble was that I did not have a tubular wheel set. That's kind of a problem if you want tubular tires. So, something had to be done!

That "something" was fulfilled by Velocity USA and they set me up with a Major Tom Disc wheel set. Disc because.....oh, I don't know. I figured that would be the coming thing then. I was mostly right about that part!  So, anyway, here I was, all set for some fat tubular gravel tire action. I was told that the ride quality would be amazing, and I still do not doubt that it would be the case. I was also told that there would be a new, pressure sensitive tape which would make gluing up tubulars a thing of the past. I was stoked about it all. So, I waited, and waited.....and waited........

And it never happened. Those wheels hung in the Lab for years.....no tubulars. I looked in to buying some to just give the idea a try out. Gulp! Fat, quality tubulars exist, but my goodness......... No, I wasn't going to pay that price for an experiment that, in all reality, not many people would have benefited from, and I wasn't that curious. So, what the heck! I had these wheels that were no good to me.

I tried selling them, but to no avail. So, I came up with this crazy idea to "spoke over" some compatible rim to this wheel set, freeing me from tubular prison. I looked at the wheels and they were 24 spoke count wheels?!! Uggh! That made finding a good rim candidate a lot harder. As did the ERD for the Major Tom, which is larger than many rims in the 700c category for disc use. 

Finally, I came across some close out Bontrager Scandium rims which would work. So, they were rim brake rims. Ahh.......at this point, I didn't care. I got them and the process of swapping the rims out is complete now. Wheels transformed! Now I can actually make use of them. They are TLR, meaning the rims are designed to use the excellent Bontrager tubeless rim strip, so that will be getting installed soon along with tubeless valve stems. I was pretty happy that the wheels ended up weighing 1600 grams on the dot. Not bad at all.

Now, the wheel with the silver rim pictured above is not the "before", tubular wheel. It is a completely different wheel  from a set I just bought from a co-worker. That wheel set is going to go on the rebuild of my original Inbred 29"er. So, stay tuned for that.....

Almanzo 100 Report: Ringing The Bell

Dave Roll's BMW packed and ready to......well, roll!

If you would have asked me last Thursday what I was going to be doing this past weekend, I probably would have told you that I had been thinking of a long bike ride starting on Saturday morning. That clearly wasn't what I ended up doing.

Things changed when on Thursday I found out that my partner in RidingGravel.com was going to be stepping in for a company that had pulled out of supporting the third checkpoint on the Almanzo 100 course. Originally, Ben had thought he'd hang out, take a few images, and do a bit of a photo gallery, maybe, for the site. Well, when the opportunity came up to be the checkpoint support, he jumped in and well.......I couldn't just let him do it alone! I got with Mrs. Guitar Ted, did a bit of reconnoitering, found a willing partner in "New York Roll", and on Friday evening we were piling 20 gallons of water on a shopping cart along with some other supplies to take up to the Almanzo 100.

This was also a unique trip because I took my son along as well. Jacob and I got up Saturday morning, got a hearty breakfast, and then headed home where NY Roll met us with his Beemer SUV and we loaded it up, piled in with him and his dog, Ella, and together we headed north. Before we knew it, we were rolling up on Cherry Grove, Minnesota. A small village just across the border from Iowa. On the way up, I learned that we would be joined in our efforts by Challenge Tire, the company that makes the Almanzo tire, named after this very event. So, after a total loss of support for this checkpoint only a few days prior, we were going to throw what we could at the problem and try to be a good representative of the sport for the riders. Could it be done? I was pretty anxious about it all as we arrived.

Not your usual checkpoint fare, perhaps, but Chris Clinton of Challenge Tire, (L) and Ben, (slightly cropped out here), had a good plan. 

We had a road sign! The Challenge Tire pop-up tents were making us "look official".

The whole feel and history of the Almanzo 100, and its attendant events, the Royal 165 and Alexander 380, were created with great care and passion by their founder, Chris Skogen. A couple years back, changes began to occur that resulted in Skogen eventually handing off the event to the Spring Valley Tourism Board, while the basic nuts and bolts of running the event were eventually handled mostly by Penn Cycle. Last year was the first year under the new arrangements and things seemed to go well.

I have had the honor of sitting down and speaking with Chris Skogen, I have ridden briefly with him, and I believe I have an insight into what this creation means to him, because I found many similarities to his thoughts about the Almanzo to my feelings on Trans Iowa. That said, I have always been derailed from my intentions to ride in the Almanzo by one thing or another. Still, I always held the event in high regard and cared about how it was growing. So, when the switch happened, I was a bit concerned. Yes....they all said they would keep it the same, but you know how that goes. This opportunity to help support the event was going to be a good way for me to get a feel for things on the ground. If there was one thing I remembered about what Chris Skogen felt about his event, it was in this quote from a story in Gear Junkie posted last year.

"What I tried to do was create the best possible cycling experience with the least amount of barriers."

While I wouldn't be able to view the entire event, I would get a good snapshot of it from Checkpoint #3, and I also felt that I was somewhat responsible for keeping that standard of offering the "best possible cycling experience".  Could we do that? Or, would we embarrass ourselves and let down the spirit of the event so carefully cultivated by Chris?

Things were lonely for a while. My son is anxiously looking for cyclist up the road. 

The 25mph-30mph winds were making the day colder and rougher than a day in May should be.

Ben had a great idea, and Chris Clinton from Challenge Tires had the grill. Ben had 25lbs of bacon and a big jug of Jack Daniels to give to the riders. We brought the water and bananas. Ben had candy and soda, along with the usual bike race beer selections. Somehow, some way, it all came together in a manner that actually looked fairly well planned out. Trust me. It wasn't. We were very fortunate to have everything fall into place the way that it did. Of all of the things we had gathered, I was most concerned about the water. I didn't think we had nearly enough.

Finally, riders started stopping at the oasis.

The morning went by, noon came and went, and yet we had not seen a rider. All we heard were the ripping sounds of the incessant wind, and the constant moan of a riding mower over in the cemetery across the street. My son, Jacob, was anxious to see some checkpoint action. He stood out in the intersection peering up the road to the East, thinking he was seeing riders, but he wasn't. Meanwhile, Ben and Chris developed a good system for cooking bacon, and the brats were amazing as well. Suddenly, NY Roll comes up with this brilliant idea- wrap a pickle in bacon. It was, in a word, amazing. I cannot believe I haven't heard about this before.

Then the first riders were spotted. Straggling, worn out, beaten by the wind, but moving. Support people handed up musette bags for the riders to replenish themselves. The bags were foraged in, and then discarded up the road, after which the support folks would run up the road to retrieve the bags. Jacob was disappointed none of them were stopping. He was impressed by seeing his first hand up, and thought that was amazing. Of course, riders eventually not thinking about a high placing began to stop, and then the stream of riders became fairly constant from about 2:00pm until about 5:00pm when the last bits of the Almanzo 100 for 2016 began to filter through.

Riders leaving the checkpoint were making curious comments about our sign as they passed.

Mid-afternoon saw a constant stream of riders in and out of the checkpoint at mile 76.

Late in the afternoon we started to break everything down.

In between those times we rang bells, hawked whiskey, handed out bacon, gave out over 200 cans of soda, lots of beer, but we never ran out of water. I was flabbergasted by that fact. I loaded up just over half the water we brought up to take back home. Amazing!

Everything else went over really well. The supplies ran low about mid-afternoon and Ben made a run to get some more stuff. Good thing he did it when he did, because we were in danger of running out of stuff as he arrived back at the checkpoint. In the end, Chris, Chris's wife, Ben, NY Roll, and myself all deemed the venture a success. Riders were very stoked and appreciative. Maybe we did actually "enhance the cycling experience" at the Almanzo 100 this year. It sure seemed that way to us. Oh.........and then the mower finally stopped after over six hours of mowing! 

My son, well he had a spectacular experience. He was helping fill water bottles, running around getting stuff for riders, and generally having a good time. We shared bell ringing duties and also blowing notes on the drop bar we brought along. Fanfare and ringing bells seem like a good thing to have going on to bring up the level of excitement for poor, worn out cyclists. Hopefully that helped as well. NY Roll was the whiskey man and he made many folks glad with his elixir. Bottom line- we had a damn good time. Hopefully everyone that came through did as well.

At the end of a long day.

We got everything packed up to go, and we said our goodbyes. NY Roll, Jacob, Ella the dog, and I made it home safely. I was pretty spent after having stood around out in that wind all day ringing a bell and cheering on the riders, but I was no where near as spent as they were. I saw good friends and met others that read the blog and websites I write for. I made a few new friends too.

Post ride response seemed to point to the fact that we had, in fact, enhanced the cycling experience for many. If that is true, we at least managed to come close to the standards set by this event's founder.

That's all we could really have hoped for. Thanks Almanzo 100!

Almanzo 100 Report: Ringing The Bell

Dave Roll's BMW packed and ready to......well, roll!

If you would have asked me last Thursday what I was going to be doing this past weekend, I probably would have told you that I had been thinking of a long bike ride starting on Saturday morning. That clearly wasn't what I ended up doing.

Things changed when on Thursday I found out that my partner in RidingGravel.com was going to be stepping in for a company that had pulled out of supporting the third checkpoint on the Almanzo 100 course. Originally, Ben had thought he'd hang out, take a few images, and do a bit of a photo gallery, maybe, for the site. Well, when the opportunity came up to be the checkpoint support, he jumped in and well.......I couldn't just let him do it alone! I got with Mrs. Guitar Ted, did a bit of reconnoitering, found a willing partner in "New York Roll", and on Friday evening we were piling 20 gallons of water on a shopping cart along with some other supplies to take up to the Almanzo 100.

This was also a unique trip because I took my son along as well. Jacob and I got up Saturday morning, got a hearty breakfast, and then headed home where NY Roll met us with his Beemer SUV and we loaded it up, piled in with him and his dog, Ella, and together we headed north. Before we knew it, we were rolling up on Cherry Grove, Minnesota. A small village just across the border from Iowa. On the way up, I learned that we would be joined in our efforts by Challenge Tire, the company that makes the Almanzo tire, named after this very event. So, after a total loss of support for this checkpoint only a few days prior, we were going to throw what we could at the problem and try to be a good representative of the sport for the riders. Could it be done? I was pretty anxious about it all as we arrived.

Not your usual checkpoint fare, perhaps, but Chris Clinton of Challenge Tire, (L) and Ben, (slightly cropped out here), had a good plan. 

We had a road sign! The Challenge Tire pop-up tents were making us "look official".

The whole feel and history of the Almanzo 100, and its attendant events, the Royal 165 and Alexander 380, were created with great care and passion by their founder, Chris Skogen. A couple years back, changes began to occur that resulted in Skogen eventually handing off the event to the Spring Valley Tourism Board, while the basic nuts and bolts of running the event were eventually handled mostly by Penn Cycle. Last year was the first year under the new arrangements and things seemed to go well.

I have had the honor of sitting down and speaking with Chris Skogen, I have ridden briefly with him, and I believe I have an insight into what this creation means to him, because I found many similarities to his thoughts about the Almanzo to my feelings on Trans Iowa. That said, I have always been derailed from my intentions to ride in the Almanzo by one thing or another. Still, I always held the event in high regard and cared about how it was growing. So, when the switch happened, I was a bit concerned. Yes....they all said they would keep it the same, but you know how that goes. This opportunity to help support the event was going to be a good way for me to get a feel for things on the ground. If there was one thing I remembered about what Chris Skogen felt about his event, it was in this quote from a story in Gear Junkie posted last year.

"What I tried to do was create the best possible cycling experience with the least amount of barriers."

While I wouldn't be able to view the entire event, I would get a good snapshot of it from Checkpoint #3, and I also felt that I was somewhat responsible for keeping that standard of offering the "best possible cycling experience".  Could we do that? Or, would we embarrass ourselves and let down the spirit of the event so carefully cultivated by Chris?

Things were lonely for a while. My son is anxiously looking for cyclist up the road. 

The 25mph-30mph winds were making the day colder and rougher than a day in May should be.

Ben had a great idea, and Chris Clinton from Challenge Tires had the grill. Ben had 25lbs of bacon and a big jug of Jack Daniels to give to the riders. We brought the water and bananas. Ben had candy and soda, along with the usual bike race beer selections. Somehow, some way, it all came together in a manner that actually looked fairly well planned out. Trust me. It wasn't. We were very fortunate to have everything fall into place the way that it did. Of all of the things we had gathered, I was most concerned about the water. I didn't think we had nearly enough.

Finally, riders started stopping at the oasis.

The morning went by, noon came and went, and yet we had not seen a rider. All we heard were the ripping sounds of the incessant wind, and the constant moan of a riding mower over in the cemetery across the street. My son, Jacob, was anxious to see some checkpoint action. He stood out in the intersection peering up the road to the East, thinking he was seeing riders, but he wasn't. Meanwhile, Ben and Chris developed a good system for cooking bacon, and the brats were amazing as well. Suddenly, NY Roll comes up with this brilliant idea- wrap a pickle in bacon. It was, in a word, amazing. I cannot believe I haven't heard about this before.

Then the first riders were spotted. Straggling, worn out, beaten by the wind, but moving. Support people handed up musette bags for the riders to replenish themselves. The bags were foraged in, and then discarded up the road, after which the support folks would run up the road to retrieve the bags. Jacob was disappointed none of them were stopping. He was impressed by seeing his first hand up, and thought that was amazing. Of course, riders eventually not thinking about a high placing began to stop, and then the stream of riders became fairly constant from about 2:00pm until about 5:00pm when the last bits of the Almanzo 100 for 2016 began to filter through.

Riders leaving the checkpoint were making curious comments about our sign as they passed.

Mid-afternoon saw a constant stream of riders in and out of the checkpoint at mile 76.

Late in the afternoon we started to break everything down.

In between those times we rang bells, hawked whiskey, handed out bacon, gave out over 200 cans of soda, lots of beer, but we never ran out of water. I was flabbergasted by that fact. I loaded up just over half the water we brought up to take back home. Amazing!

Everything else went over really well. The supplies ran low about mid-afternoon and Ben made a run to get some more stuff. Good thing he did it when he did, because we were in danger of running out of stuff as he arrived back at the checkpoint. In the end, Chris, Chris's wife, Ben, NY Roll, and myself all deemed the venture a success. Riders were very stoked and appreciative. Maybe we did actually "enhance the cycling experience" at the Almanzo 100 this year. It sure seemed that way to us. Oh.........and then the mower finally stopped after over six hours of mowing! 

My son, well he had a spectacular experience. He was helping fill water bottles, running around getting stuff for riders, and generally having a good time. We shared bell ringing duties and also blowing notes on the drop bar we brought along. Fanfare and ringing bells seem like a good thing to have going on to bring up the level of excitement for poor, worn out cyclists. Hopefully that helped as well. NY Roll was the whiskey man and he made many folks glad with his elixir. Bottom line- we had a damn good time. Hopefully everyone that came through did as well.

At the end of a long day.

We got everything packed up to go, and we said our goodbyes. NY Roll, Jacob, Ella the dog, and I made it home safely. I was pretty spent after having stood around out in that wind all day ringing a bell and cheering on the riders, but I was no where near as spent as they were. I saw good friends and met others that read the blog and websites I write for. I made a few new friends too.

Post ride response seemed to point to the fact that we had, in fact, enhanced the cycling experience for many. If that is true, we at least managed to come close to the standards set by this event's founder.

That's all we could really have hoped for. Thanks Almanzo 100!