Friday News And Views

 USAC Gravel Nationals Moves To Minnesota:

On Wednesday it was announced on USA Cycling's site that the USAC Gravel Nationals will be held in LaCrescent, Minnesota for 2025 and 2026. 

Quoted from the announcement:

“"We are excited to bring our Gravel National Championships to La Crescent/La Crosse for 2025-2026. The region’s diverse landscape offers multiple options for developing unique courses with challenging climbs, creating a new and different experience for riders out on the course. Combining our event with their renowned annual Apple Festival offers another unique experience that our riders and their families can enjoy off the course,” said Kyle Knott, USA Cycling’s Director of National Events."

Comments: Recently it was revealed that the Robidoux Rendezvous would be on "indefinite pause" and it is not understood at this time whether the USAC Gravel Nationals move was in response to this pause or if the pause was a reaction to USAC pulling out.  Reading the tea leaves I would guess it was the former. 

The Driftless Region of Southwestern Minnesota should provide some steep climbs and harrowing descents for those chasing a Stars and Stripes jersey. It will be interesting to see how USAC develops this event. 

The venue is straight across the Mississippi River from LaCrosse, Wisconsin, so there should be plenty of infrastructure and resources for putting the event on at a level USAC will expect. Heck, it is close enough to me that I might have to go and do some live reporting on it. We will see. 

Image courtesy of Canyon Bikes

Canyon Bikes Shows New Stingr CFR Helmet:

Canyon Bikes has a new helmet with an unusual retention system. The helmet, called the Stingr CFR, boasts watt-saving aerodynamics and great cooling as well for the wearer.

The retention system, which eschews the typical Nylon straps and buckles, is called the HighBar System. It uses two arms which articulate off the main chassis of the retention system near where the rider's ears would be. These arms are micro-adjustable with a dial at the chin area. 

Canyon claims this way of retention saves watts, is cooler, and causes less wind-generated noise by the rider's ears. The helmet also utilizes MIPS technology to help protect the rider in the event of a crash.

The helmet weighs 0.6lbs and costs $299.99 USD. 

Comments: A bold move, yet one wonders why helmet manufacturers have held on to the tried and true Nylon strap system all these years. Perhaps it "just works"? Maybe, but I credit Canyon's team for trying something different. 

My concern initially from looking at this would be how this retention system would work with small faces, wider faces, and other human anomalies that may not be compatible with a rigid arm take on helmet retention. I also would have to wonder how much noise really would be reduced by these arms versus straps. I'm thinking Iowa wind doesn't care. I could be wrong...

Podcast News & More:

The recent visit I made to see Ari Andonopoulous resulted in a podcast that I have gotten some good feedback from. Ari and I talked about gravel history, mostly as it pertained to how we did things back then. We also touched upon Trans Iowa a bit. Then we talked about how much things have changed, a bit about event production, and more. In case you missed this episode, you can find it HERE. 

My vision going forward  would be to try to find more participants in the early gravel scene, and specifically from Trans Iowa, but not necessarily from the event alone. I wanted to try to get as many takes on what that time was like to preserve those memories and have a place where those facts can live on. 

But if people don't find that to be an interesting thing to listen to, I may not pursue the idea. Or I might anyway in spite of that. Ari feels folks would dig it. And what about you? Would you find this to be an interesting thing to listen to, or have curated? Let me know in the comments. Or you can e-mail me at g.ted.productions@gmail.com. 

Image courtesy of BMC Bikes.

BMC Overhauls URS Gravel Range:

BMC announced on Thursday that they had revamped the entire URS gravel bike range. The top-line URS Two has an interesting take on geometry. By the way, there is an URS One. That is the frame with the "Micro-Travel" rear end, a feature BMC have had for a few years now. 

Comments: Here we have a great example of a gravel bike being made to appeal to mountain bikers. While I feel elements of MTB geometry are interesting in gravel bikes, (slack head tube, lower bottom bracket, longer top tubes), there is one element I do not think is a good thing in a gravel bike at all. Keeping in mind that a gravel bike is really an "All-Roads" bike, not a mountain bike with drop bars. 

What I don't like is the steep seat tube angles being borrowed from MTB. This doesn't really make a road bike "better". Well, unless you use a dropper post and are scrambling up short, steep climbs on dirt. But again, a gravel bike and a drop bar MTB are two very different things, and they should be. 

Added to that is the limited (47mm in this case) tire clearance and the URS Two becomes an oddball bike. It can neither be a true MTB, (not enough tire clearance), or a good gravel riding bike, (too steep a seat tube angle). I'm sure it is okay, but at the prices people pay for such bikes, you should be getting a bike that is dialed in for one or the other thing. Not an "underbike" that is trying to be something via its geometry that it cannot truly do well. 

That's my take.

Image courtesy of Trek Bikes

Trek Announces New Checkpoint v3 and Checkmate SLR:

Trek announced the version 3 of their venerable Checkpoint bike Thursday alongside a new racing gravel bike called the Checkmate SLR. 

The new Checkpoint features all kinds of accessory mounts, tire clearance for up to 50mm tires, and the ISO rear end compliance design. 

The new Checkmate SLR differes in that it isn't as fully featured in terms of accessory mounts, and it has a narrower maximum tire clearance of 45mm. Most notably this bike features a 4mm deeper bottom bracket drop at 80mm than the Checkpoint does.

The Checkmate SLR (Image courtesy of Trek Bikes.

Trek also tightened up the rear chain stay length and steepened the seat tube angle by about one degree over the Checkpoint v3. 

Comments: Here I see a more road-focused design, which makes sense since unpaved roads are still roads, not MTB trails. I like Trek's take on things, for the most part, but I would rather see a slacker, by one degree, head tube angle and the rear end of the Checkpoint v3 on the SLR with the SLR's lower BB. 

And the frame set is 4K? Ouch! Unbelievable. I'll get a custom frame for that price, thank you very much! (In fact, I could easily buy two steel custom frames for that much!) But I am sure that Trek will sell many of these bikes since a lot of people will think that this is what they have to have to be "competitive", or something!

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Get out there and ride those bicycles people!

Friday News And Views

HiRide fork: Image courtesy of HiRide

 What Is Old Is New Again:

Back in the days when mountain bike design was a hot stew with ever changing ingredients, there was a company known as ActionTec. They were the purveyor of an unusual suspension fork design called the "Pro Shock" which consisted of a coil sprung design based around an extended steer tube and encased within the head tube of a mountain bike. 

The design was somewhat well received and copied when Cannondale came out with a similar idea called a "HeadShok". This idea of a head tube based telescopic suspension fork design had a lot of promise for the gravel bike scene, but both ActionTec and Cannondale's HeadShok were gone before the gravel bike became a hot ticket item in the cycling industry. 

But good ideas never die, they just get re-imagined and turn up again. The case of the head tube based, telescopic suspension fork is just one example. Here we have a new take on the old design called HiRide. 

The HiRide fork uses a similar design but limits travel to a manageable 20mm. This should make it an appealing design with regard to aesthetics and from a geometry perspective where changing the fork axle to crown length/head tube angle/bottom bracket height via fork travel is not conducive to fast paced road/unpaved road riding. 

Comments: The desire to mitigate vibrations is a bit different than absorbing bumps and obstacles on a dirt trail. There is overlap here, to be sure, but tackling what a gravel rider/allroad cyclist needs for more smoothness and less vibration induced fatigue by way of mountain bike suspension philosophy is wrongheaded. Besides, despite the claims on HiRide's site, it shouldn't come as a surprise that if the design is tuned so it doesn't bottom out harshly, your last several milimeters of travel are not going to be effective over anything but harsher bumps. That means that you really have a lot less travel to deal with vibrations than you might think.

Add in the fact that this fork weighs about twice that of a good carbon rigid fork and now you are looking at a penalty that may not be worth the trouble. (The suspension component of the HiRide weighs a claimed 850 grams- That's without the fork) Again- a suspension stem like the Cane Creek or Redshift types is a better way to go here. You're adding maybe a 100 grams over a traditional stem, and getting the same amount of travel tuned for vibration reduction. Seems like a no-brainer to me, but this fork is pretty cool. 

Trek's New Checkpoint ALR driftless model (Image courtesy of Trek)

Trek's New Checkpoint ALR Driftless Shows What 3G Will Get You:

Since the pandemic hit we've heard a lot about this concept of "new-normal", or alternatively, you might think of the "Great Resignation". However you term the sudden change in.....well, about everything! It is apparent that, yes, things are not the same in the '20's as they were in the teens of the 21st Century.

To help illustrate this I present to you an interesting specimen of a gravel bike, the Trek Checkpoint ALR Driftless special edition bike. This bike runs at just shy of 2900 bucks. So, with tax you are looking at plus-3G and change. What do you get for that coin these days?

Well, the bike has GRX 800 bits sprinkled throughout, which is good. I noted that the brake rotors are pretty much bottom of the barrel Shimano ones though. You get a special paint scheme and a frame bag. Okay.... Looking deeper I see a Praxis T-47 bottom bracket, which might be okay, but Praxis stuff doesn't have a very consistent reputation for high quality bits. The wheels are run of the mill Bontrager branded hubs and rims, and the cockpit parts are as well. Then you have the frame. 

It's a highly formed aluminum piece mated to a carbon legged, aluminum steer tube fork. Nothing crazy here. Just pretty straightforward production level fare from a big bicycle brand. Paint notwithstanding, there is nothing really all that great here. So, 3g? 

Hmm, I guess that's where we are at now these days. That's quite a hike in price for what would have easily been 2G five years ago. I just know that I won't miss the guy that wants to have the shop keep the frame bag and knock off $200 bucks off the price and not charge him sales tax. 

Image courtesy of Wolf Tooth

Wolf Tooth Introduces "Espresso" Ano Parts:

Wolf Tooth has been on a color adding spree when it comes to their components that they offer. Recently they added an olive green, and now there is a brown anodized color they are calling "Espresso". 

You can get this option across their range. Take a look here if you are interested. 

Comments: So.....Is Wolf Tooth the new Chris King? With all these anodized color choices, a (mostly) made in the USA manufacturing process, and competitive pricing, I'd venture to say, "Yes". 

While Wolf Tooth doesn't make hubs, they make a lot of other stuff, and in my experience, their product is pretty tough, long lasting, and performs at a high level. I've been very pleased with all the Wolf Tooth products I have either bought, or reviewed. (See Standard Disclaimer for my position on reviewed product)

Now brown ano? Yeah.... Not my thing, but on the right frame set? Could be a killer look. I like the brighter, shouty anodized bits like purple, gold, blue, and the like. But then again- I came up through the 90's MTB scene! That may be why I am about the brighter anodized colors. 

A meme which used an image from the 1st GTDRI

GTDRI Series Starts Sunday:

The 'Trans Iowa Stories" series finished up last Sunday, but have no fear! If you are wondering what you'll read instead of that series, well I have already been hard at work on the next thing.

It's going to be the tales, the behind the scenes stories, and historical significance to the gravel scene which is bound up in the "GTDRI Stories" series. 

Readers will also learn how Trans Iowa and this 'no-drop group ride' held every Summer from 2006 through 2019 are interconnected as well. So it is only fitting that this series follows on the heels of the Trans Iowa series. 

There is no other reason to tell these stories about the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational other than that it has significance to the early gravel scene, some connection to industry changes, and just the shenanigans behind this ride which many have never read about before. 

So, I hope that you enjoy this series which should appear every Sunday here for the foreseeable future. 

Rad Power bikes is being sued for a claim of wrongful death 

U.S. Electrified Bike Market May Be Affected By Litigation:

A wrongful death claim against Rad Power Bikes may affect the future of HPC/electrified bikes in the US dependent upon the outcome of the litigation which is taking place soon. 

An unfortunate fatality has led the parents of a 12 year old girl, who died as a passenger on a Rad Power bike, to file a wrongful death claim against Rad Power, according to this "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" article. 

 Apparently, as part of the lawsuit, the plaintiffs claim that the Rad Power bike had poor geometry and features which were pushed by Rad Power regarding the bike's design that led to a death in this instance. One could see how the outcome of this suit might influence lawmakers to look a bit more closely at the way HPC/electrified bikes are sold and how they are not regulated at this point, despite the "three class" system we have in place now. It also would not be out of the question to see insurance companies start to push for more stringent legislation which would further codify these bicycles as "motor vehicles" with all the attendant safety regulations attached. 

Such insurance law was narrowly avoided in Europe recently, which had it been enacted, may have damped sales of electrified bikes to a detrimental degree, according to industry players. Of course, nothing like that may happen at all here in the U.S., but it doesn't take much of a leap to see how it could, since now we have a high-profile case with a child's death attached to it. Similar issues plagued the moped market in the 1980's leading to its demise. 

Time will tell, but this bears watching. 

Note: "HPC" is my term. It stands for "hybrid powered cycles" since these two-wheeled vehicles have a hybrid of human and electric motor power.

That's it for this week. Have a great weekend and get out and ride! Fall is coming!

Friday News And Views

HiRide fork: Image courtesy of HiRide

 What Is Old Is New Again:

Back in the days when mountain bike design was a hot stew with ever changing ingredients, there was a company known as ActionTec. They were the purveyor of an unusual suspension fork design called the "Pro Shock" which consisted of a coil sprung design based around an extended steer tube and encased within the head tube of a mountain bike. 

The design was somewhat well received and copied when Cannondale came out with a similar idea called a "HeadShok". This idea of a head tube based telescopic suspension fork design had a lot of promise for the gravel bike scene, but both ActionTec and Cannondale's HeadShok were gone before the gravel bike became a hot ticket item in the cycling industry. 

But good ideas never die, they just get re-imagined and turn up again. The case of the head tube based, telescopic suspension fork is just one example. Here we have a new take on the old design called HiRide. 

The HiRide fork uses a similar design but limits travel to a manageable 20mm. This should make it an appealing design with regard to aesthetics and from a geometry perspective where changing the fork axle to crown length/head tube angle/bottom bracket height via fork travel is not conducive to fast paced road/unpaved road riding. 

Comments: The desire to mitigate vibrations is a bit different than absorbing bumps and obstacles on a dirt trail. There is overlap here, to be sure, but tackling what a gravel rider/allroad cyclist needs for more smoothness and less vibration induced fatigue by way of mountain bike suspension philosophy is wrongheaded. Besides, despite the claims on HiRide's site, it shouldn't come as a surprise that if the design is tuned so it doesn't bottom out harshly, your last several milimeters of travel are not going to be effective over anything but harsher bumps. That means that you really have a lot less travel to deal with vibrations than you might think.

Add in the fact that this fork weighs about twice that of a good carbon rigid fork and now you are looking at a penalty that may not be worth the trouble. (The suspension component of the HiRide weighs a claimed 850 grams- That's without the fork) Again- a suspension stem like the Cane Creek or Redshift types is a better way to go here. You're adding maybe a 100 grams over a traditional stem, and getting the same amount of travel tuned for vibration reduction. Seems like a no-brainer to me, but this fork is pretty cool. 

Trek's New Checkpoint ALR driftless model (Image courtesy of Trek)

Trek's New Checkpoint ALR Driftless Shows What 3G Will Get You:

Since the pandemic hit we've heard a lot about this concept of "new-normal", or alternatively, you might think of the "Great Resignation". However you term the sudden change in.....well, about everything! It is apparent that, yes, things are not the same in the '20's as they were in the teens of the 21st Century.

To help illustrate this I present to you an interesting specimen of a gravel bike, the Trek Checkpoint ALR Driftless special edition bike. This bike runs at just shy of 2900 bucks. So, with tax you are looking at plus-3G and change. What do you get for that coin these days?

Well, the bike has GRX 800 bits sprinkled throughout, which is good. I noted that the brake rotors are pretty much bottom of the barrel Shimano ones though. You get a special paint scheme and a frame bag. Okay.... Looking deeper I see a Praxis T-47 bottom bracket, which might be okay, but Praxis stuff doesn't have a very consistent reputation for high quality bits. The wheels are run of the mill Bontrager branded hubs and rims, and the cockpit parts are as well. Then you have the frame. 

It's a highly formed aluminum piece mated to a carbon legged, aluminum steer tube fork. Nothing crazy here. Just pretty straightforward production level fare from a big bicycle brand. Paint notwithstanding, there is nothing really all that great here. So, 3g? 

Hmm, I guess that's where we are at now these days. That's quite a hike in price for what would have easily been 2G five years ago. I just know that I won't miss the guy that wants to have the shop keep the frame bag and knock off $200 bucks off the price and not charge him sales tax. 

Image courtesy of Wolf Tooth

Wolf Tooth Introduces "Espresso" Ano Parts:

Wolf Tooth has been on a color adding spree when it comes to their components that they offer. Recently they added an olive green, and now there is a brown anodized color they are calling "Espresso". 

You can get this option across their range. Take a look here if you are interested. 

Comments: So.....Is Wolf Tooth the new Chris King? With all these anodized color choices, a (mostly) made in the USA manufacturing process, and competitive pricing, I'd venture to say, "Yes". 

While Wolf Tooth doesn't make hubs, they make a lot of other stuff, and in my experience, their product is pretty tough, long lasting, and performs at a high level. I've been very pleased with all the Wolf Tooth products I have either bought, or reviewed. (See Standard Disclaimer for my position on reviewed product)

Now brown ano? Yeah.... Not my thing, but on the right frame set? Could be a killer look. I like the brighter, shouty anodized bits like purple, gold, blue, and the like. But then again- I came up through the 90's MTB scene! That may be why I am about the brighter anodized colors. 

A meme which used an image from the 1st GTDRI

GTDRI Series Starts Sunday:

The 'Trans Iowa Stories" series finished up last Sunday, but have no fear! If you are wondering what you'll read instead of that series, well I have already been hard at work on the next thing.

It's going to be the tales, the behind the scenes stories, and historical significance to the gravel scene which is bound up in the "GTDRI Stories" series. 

Readers will also learn how Trans Iowa and this 'no-drop group ride' held every Summer from 2006 through 2019 are interconnected as well. So it is only fitting that this series follows on the heels of the Trans Iowa series. 

There is no other reason to tell these stories about the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational other than that it has significance to the early gravel scene, some connection to industry changes, and just the shenanigans behind this ride which many have never read about before. 

So, I hope that you enjoy this series which should appear every Sunday here for the foreseeable future. 

Rad Power bikes is being sued for a claim of wrongful death 

U.S. Electrified Bike Market May Be Affected By Litigation:

A wrongful death claim against Rad Power Bikes may affect the future of HPC/electrified bikes in the US dependent upon the outcome of the litigation which is taking place soon. 

An unfortunate fatality has led the parents of a 12 year old girl, who died as a passenger on a Rad Power bike, to file a wrongful death claim against Rad Power, according to this "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" article. 

 Apparently, as part of the lawsuit, the plaintiffs claim that the Rad Power bike had poor geometry and features which were pushed by Rad Power regarding the bike's design that led to a death in this instance. One could see how the outcome of this suit might influence lawmakers to look a bit more closely at the way HPC/electrified bikes are sold and how they are not regulated at this point, despite the "three class" system we have in place now. It also would not be out of the question to see insurance companies start to push for more stringent legislation which would further codify these bicycles as "motor vehicles" with all the attendant safety regulations attached. 

Such insurance law was narrowly avoided in Europe recently, which had it been enacted, may have damped sales of electrified bikes to a detrimental degree, according to industry players. Of course, nothing like that may happen at all here in the U.S., but it doesn't take much of a leap to see how it could, since now we have a high-profile case with a child's death attached to it. Similar issues plagued the moped market in the 1980's leading to its demise. 

Time will tell, but this bears watching. 

Note: "HPC" is my term. It stands for "hybrid powered cycles" since these two-wheeled vehicles have a hybrid of human and electric motor power.

That's it for this week. Have a great weekend and get out and ride! Fall is coming!

Friday News And Views

Steve Potts teams up with Far East manufacturers to offer components

 New Steve Potts Designs & Branded Components:

Steve Potts is a name maybe that you've not heard of, but if you are into MTB or gravel travel, you should know this name. Steve Potts was one of the NorCal MTB pioneers who started out building custom frames and forks for the mountain bikers back in the very early 1980's. He then was one of the four founding partners in Wilderness Trail Bikes. Steve Potts continued to make custom frames under his own brand, but also did designs and frames for WTB up until around 1995-96 when he left WTB. 

Steve then continued making titanium and some steel custom frames and forks, developing the Type II fork into something that became somewhat of a cult favorite and his titanium frames are without peer. However; even with his son helping out, keeping on top of fork production was difficult. To help get more forks under more folks, Steve Potts has come into a partnership with some Far East companies in Japan and Taiwan to bring not only Type II forks in, but new hubs, and more things in the future, like tires made by Panaracer. See this story for more details. 

Comments: Steve Potts designs some pretty cool stuff, and that Type II fork is highly regarded. Expectations for the hubs and whatever else comes forth from this are high. The hubs, reportedly made by Suzue, should be quite nice with interchangeable hub caps for 12mm through or QR, Campy, SRAM XD, or Shimano free hubs, and in black or a highly polished silver anodization. 

Also interesting: This component line with a future tire and maybe more is very reminiscent of 80's/90's era WTB catalog stuff. What comes around goes around? Maybe. Whatever the case, this is something to keep an eye on, because if the high standards held by Steve Potts hold up through the imported line of components, then these items will be highly sought after by those in the know.    

Trek's new redesigned Checkpoint

Trek Releases News On Redesigned Checkpoint Models:

Last week news broke on Trek's new Checkpoint model which has been redesigned from the ground up. While at first glance it may look similar to the outgoing model, there are some significant differences here.

Gone is the Trek seat mast which was a carryover idea from the Madone/Domane and had it's problems. The new Checkpoint looks to be using a much more sensible 27.2mm post size. You'll note also that the head tube is completely different. It would appear that the head tube lengths have been slightly increased per size compered to the outgoing Checkpoint's. The front-center has also been extended in the theme of many newer gravel bikes. This results in rider's needing shorter stems than with older geometry. Trek also claims that the head tube is slightly slacker, but at this time I have no geometry chart to share. 

I would suspect also that there will be a price increase over the older Checkpoint which topped out at less than 7K for the range topping model. Obviously lesser spec'ed models will come in for less money. I would also assume that the aluminum Checkpoint will also receive similar updates, but as of now, Trek hasn't revealed anything to that effect. By the way, it should also be mentioned that there are a whole set of bikepacking bags with the Bontrager branding that go with this new Checkpoint- top tube bags, tank bags, handle bar and seat bags. 

Comments; Trek's Checkpoint is a well designed gravel bike and this updated Checkpoint should appeal to a large number of riders. The ISO Speed rear is somewhat of an Achilles's heel, as it can be problematic in use, but it is a valid idea on rider comfort. If Trek has worked out some of the gremlins in their design, I would not hesitate to ride one of these.

Cannondale's new Super Six Evo SE

Cannondale Releases Info On The New Super Six Evo SE:

Another new gravel bike, this time an aero gravel bike, from Cannondale. This is not a Topstone, but an evolution of the Super Six model. basically a Super Six with 45mm maximum tire clearances. 

Comments: It is carbon, of course, so it is expensive. It also is prone to damage from mud and grit, like all carbon frames for gravel made without any nod to chain stay and fork protection where mud and grass and what have you can grind out a carbon frame in a heartbeat. To be completely fair, hardly any company gets this. But it is a real issue and it happens fairly often. 

That and since Cannondale is using the exact same frame for its flagship cross bike, the bottom bracket drop pretty much is old cross style at 68mm. That's not modern gravel geometry at all. (See the Checkpoint above) Essentially, this is a cross bike foisted off as a gravel bike. Companies did a LOT of this in the mid-teens of this century because gravel as a category was taking off and many companies thought that they could simply pass off CX geo and be a part of the money-grab. Nope! And now Cannondale tries a ten year old trick? Not happening. Love the 71° head angle, but a quick look at the top tube lengths, wheel base, and the level-ish top tube, (great for CX bike shouldering), and it is easy to see which discipline this bike is really for.  

 Trans Iowa- Gravel Grinding History- In The News Again:

 
A few weeks ago now I was interviewed by a young woman over the phone from the AXIOS Des Moines news site. I was asked about the history of gravel cycling and how it has gotten so big. Someone tipped her off and told her I might have had something to do with it all. 

So, I answered her questions as best that I could, and then I subscribed to the AXIOS Des Moines feed to see if, and when, this might pop up. It has taken a while, but author Linh Ta has posted her write up and you can read it here on AXIOS. (It's free, I believe, to check out) 

I always find it interesting to see how people interpret the story about Trans Iowa and how it started the ball rolling with gravel events and eventually, the entire gravel scene. As with most of these interviews, there are details that get translated incorrectly, but the gist of it all is very spot on. It isn't that I am not grateful- on the contrary - I am very grateful for the interview. I mean, who would have thought that three years after the last Trans Iowa that any media person would ever care about it at all? I wouldn't have suspected it. 

Thanks to AXIOS and Linh Ta for the opportunity to share the Trans Iowa story with a wider audience! 

That's a wrap for this week! have a great weekend - It's LABOR DAY weekend in the USA, so stay safe!

Friday News And Views

Steve Potts teams up with Far East manufacturers to offer components

 New Steve Potts Designs & Branded Components:

Steve Potts is a name maybe that you've not heard of, but if you are into MTB or gravel travel, you should know this name. Steve Potts was one of the NorCal MTB pioneers who started out building custom frames and forks for the mountain bikers back in the very early 1980's. He then was one of the four founding partners in Wilderness Trail Bikes. Steve Potts continued to make custom frames under his own brand, but also did designs and frames for WTB up until around 1995-96 when he left WTB. 

Steve then continued making titanium and some steel custom frames and forks, developing the Type II fork into something that became somewhat of a cult favorite and his titanium frames are without peer. However; even with his son helping out, keeping on top of fork production was difficult. To help get more forks under more folks, Steve Potts has come into a partnership with some Far East companies in Japan and Taiwan to bring not only Type II forks in, but new hubs, and more things in the future, like tires made by Panaracer. See this story for more details. 

Comments: Steve Potts designs some pretty cool stuff, and that Type II fork is highly regarded. Expectations for the hubs and whatever else comes forth from this are high. The hubs, reportedly made by Suzue, should be quite nice with interchangeable hub caps for 12mm through or QR, Campy, SRAM XD, or Shimano free hubs, and in black or a highly polished silver anodization. 

Also interesting: This component line with a future tire and maybe more is very reminiscent of 80's/90's era WTB catalog stuff. What comes around goes around? Maybe. Whatever the case, this is something to keep an eye on, because if the high standards held by Steve Potts hold up through the imported line of components, then these items will be highly sought after by those in the know.    

Trek's new redesigned Checkpoint

Trek Releases News On Redesigned Checkpoint Models:

Last week news broke on Trek's new Checkpoint model which has been redesigned from the ground up. While at first glance it may look similar to the outgoing model, there are some significant differences here.

Gone is the Trek seat mast which was a carryover idea from the Madone/Domane and had it's problems. The new Checkpoint looks to be using a much more sensible 27.2mm post size. You'll note also that the head tube is completely different. It would appear that the head tube lengths have been slightly increased per size compered to the outgoing Checkpoint's. The front-center has also been extended in the theme of many newer gravel bikes. This results in rider's needing shorter stems than with older geometry. Trek also claims that the head tube is slightly slacker, but at this time I have no geometry chart to share. 

I would suspect also that there will be a price increase over the older Checkpoint which topped out at less than 7K for the range topping model. Obviously lesser spec'ed models will come in for less money. I would also assume that the aluminum Checkpoint will also receive similar updates, but as of now, Trek hasn't revealed anything to that effect. By the way, it should also be mentioned that there are a whole set of bikepacking bags with the Bontrager branding that go with this new Checkpoint- top tube bags, tank bags, handle bar and seat bags. 

Comments; Trek's Checkpoint is a well designed gravel bike and this updated Checkpoint should appeal to a large number of riders. The ISO Speed rear is somewhat of an Achilles's heel, as it can be problematic in use, but it is a valid idea on rider comfort. If Trek has worked out some of the gremlins in their design, I would not hesitate to ride one of these.

Cannondale's new Super Six Evo SE

Cannondale Releases Info On The New Super Six Evo SE:

Another new gravel bike, this time an aero gravel bike, from Cannondale. This is not a Topstone, but an evolution of the Super Six model. basically a Super Six with 45mm maximum tire clearances. 

Comments: It is carbon, of course, so it is expensive. It also is prone to damage from mud and grit, like all carbon frames for gravel made without any nod to chain stay and fork protection where mud and grass and what have you can grind out a carbon frame in a heartbeat. To be completely fair, hardly any company gets this. But it is a real issue and it happens fairly often. 

That and since Cannondale is using the exact same frame for its flagship cross bike, the bottom bracket drop pretty much is old cross style at 68mm. That's not modern gravel geometry at all. (See the Checkpoint above) Essentially, this is a cross bike foisted off as a gravel bike. Companies did a LOT of this in the mid-teens of this century because gravel as a category was taking off and many companies thought that they could simply pass off CX geo and be a part of the money-grab. Nope! And now Cannondale tries a ten year old trick? Not happening. Love the 71° head angle, but a quick look at the top tube lengths, wheel base, and the level-ish top tube, (great for CX bike shouldering), and it is easy to see which discipline this bike is really for.  

 Trans Iowa- Gravel Grinding History- In The News Again:

 
A few weeks ago now I was interviewed by a young woman over the phone from the AXIOS Des Moines news site. I was asked about the history of gravel cycling and how it has gotten so big. Someone tipped her off and told her I might have had something to do with it all. 

So, I answered her questions as best that I could, and then I subscribed to the AXIOS Des Moines feed to see if, and when, this might pop up. It has taken a while, but author Linh Ta has posted her write up and you can read it here on AXIOS. (It's free, I believe, to check out) 

I always find it interesting to see how people interpret the story about Trans Iowa and how it started the ball rolling with gravel events and eventually, the entire gravel scene. As with most of these interviews, there are details that get translated incorrectly, but the gist of it all is very spot on. It isn't that I am not grateful- on the contrary - I am very grateful for the interview. I mean, who would have thought that three years after the last Trans Iowa that any media person would ever care about it at all? I wouldn't have suspected it. 

Thanks to AXIOS and Linh Ta for the opportunity to share the Trans Iowa story with a wider audience! 

That's a wrap for this week! have a great weekend - It's LABOR DAY weekend in the USA, so stay safe!

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!

Friday News And Views

New Alivio 9spd crank set

Shimano Upgrades Lower End MTB Range:

This was quietly announced this past week, but it could be a big deal for many who still feel 9 speeds are enough and triple crank sets are still a thing. (They are, but don't tell anyone!)

The new cranksets are available in Alivio, Acera, and Altus levels and all will finally be pipe spindle, outboard bearing type crank sets with removable chain rings (!!!). Ranges are 44/32/22 or 40/30/22 so you can tailor your gearing a bit there. I don't know if a trekking version of the crank set is going to be available in Europe, but if there is I bet a 48/36/26 or something might be possible to source. Sometimes Shimano does stuff like that for Europe.

In my opinion these cranks should present a great value. I was fortunate enough to ride a 10 speed Deore crankset on a mtb in 2014 which I reviewed in my past gig life. (In fact, it was the last bike I reviewed for that site). The newer generation of derailleurs and crank sets shift amazingly well. Far better than triples you might remember. So, for something along the lines of a bike packing bike, cargo rig, commuter, or for anyone wanting a triple, wide range crank set, these should prove to be durable, great shifting products, especially the Alivio version.

The Trek Reps Checkpoint SL6 at the shop yesterday

More Thoughts On The Trek Checkpoint:

Ya know, this bike got a lot of buzz going yesterday. It's funny, because reading things about it, and from speaking to our rep about it, it is obvious that Trek isn't sure what is going to happen with the bike. Things like, "Well, a Project One version could happen depending on how this sells.....", were giving me the distinct impression that Trek is holding back a lot here to see how sales go. Think about it....

No ISO Speed front ends on the carbon bikes, no ISO Speed on the aluminum bikes, no Di2 option, and on and on. This line might grow, or it may stall out, but if it gets to a point where the bean counters at Trek say it is making money, you can bet that 2019 will be bringing more Checkpoint heat.

Yeah, yeah..... Trek says the ISO Speed doesn't work with fatter tires. Whatever! They put it on a freaking 29"er, so what the heck! I'm not buying it. Nope. Trek is holding their cards close to their chest and being conservative here, and in this bike climate, who could blame them? 

What About Checkpoint vs Warbird Carbon? That's a great question, and here's the deal- Trek, by really looking at the market, went in for versatility and not just for a pure racing bike, like Salsa did with the Warbird. Try fitting your Wabird with fenders, or a rack. Yeah......not easily done. The Warbird is rated for 43mm tires and the Checkpoint for 45's. Okay, without getting into a pissing match with you commenters, let's call that a draw. Then there is the final straw.....Try turning your Warbird into a single speed without buying anything beyond stock parts. Yeah..... To my mind, a good rig for the longer gravel days, adventures, and definitely for longer gravel events, must have a single speed option to bail yourself out with. In my opinion, that feature, which the Checkpoint has, alone trumps the Warbird. But there is more, like water carrying capacity, which the Checkpoint beats the Warbird in, and fork mounts, which the Warbird lacks. Then there is price. The Ultegra SL6 Checkpoint is sub-4G while the Warbird eclipses that price by a fair amount. To me, the choice is clear.

What Is A Negative About The Checkpoint? Well, there is one main thing I am not liking about the Checkpoint, and that is that Trek, (and some in the media), feel that these sort of bikes must have sporty handling. In other words, they should feel and ride like a Pro Tour bike, or they get tagged as being "cumbersome", which in their vernacular is the worst thing ever. So, many bikes like this get stffer-than-all-get-out forks, because if vibrations are muted, the bike feels "dead" and that means it must be slow, right? The front end has to be able to be "flickable", so you can change direction in a flash, because.....it feels fast. But here's the thing, feeling fast and actually being fast are often completely different things. But without getting down this rabbit hole further, Trek decided to stick with a stiff fork and a steep-ish head angle to appease roadie tendencies, because they are playing to what is the current fashion with media and racers. Not what the general populace really would benefit from.

More on this bike in the future if it warrants it......

Okee-dokee, that's enough to chew on for one post. Have a great weekend and keep the rubber side down!

Friday News And Views

New Alivio 9spd crank set

Shimano Upgrades Lower End MTB Range:

This was quietly announced this past week, but it could be a big deal for many who still feel 9 speeds are enough and triple crank sets are still a thing. (They are, but don't tell anyone!)

The new cranksets are available in Alivio, Acera, and Altus levels and all will finally be pipe spindle, outboard bearing type crank sets with removable chain rings (!!!). Ranges are 44/32/22 or 40/30/22 so you can tailor your gearing a bit there. I don't know if a trekking version of the crank set is going to be available in Europe, but if there is I bet a 48/36/26 or something might be possible to source. Sometimes Shimano does stuff like that for Europe.

In my opinion these cranks should present a great value. I was fortunate enough to ride a 10 speed Deore crankset on a mtb in 2014 which I reviewed in my past gig life. (In fact, it was the last bike I reviewed for that site). The newer generation of derailleurs and crank sets shift amazingly well. Far better than triples you might remember. So, for something along the lines of a bike packing bike, cargo rig, commuter, or for anyone wanting a triple, wide range crank set, these should prove to be durable, great shifting products, especially the Alivio version.

The Trek Reps Checkpoint SL6 at the shop yesterday

More Thoughts On The Trek Checkpoint:

Ya know, this bike got a lot of buzz going yesterday. It's funny, because reading things about it, and from speaking to our rep about it, it is obvious that Trek isn't sure what is going to happen with the bike. Things like, "Well, a Project One version could happen depending on how this sells.....", were giving me the distinct impression that Trek is holding back a lot here to see how sales go. Think about it....

No ISO Speed front ends on the carbon bikes, no ISO Speed on the aluminum bikes, no Di2 option, and on and on. This line might grow, or it may stall out, but if it gets to a point where the bean counters at Trek say it is making money, you can bet that 2019 will be bringing more Checkpoint heat.

Yeah, yeah..... Trek says the ISO Speed doesn't work with fatter tires. Whatever! They put it on a freaking 29"er, so what the heck! I'm not buying it. Nope. Trek is holding their cards close to their chest and being conservative here, and in this bike climate, who could blame them? 

What About Checkpoint vs Warbird Carbon? That's a great question, and here's the deal- Trek, by really looking at the market, went in for versatility and not just for a pure racing bike, like Salsa did with the Warbird. Try fitting your Wabird with fenders, or a rack. Yeah......not easily done. The Warbird is rated for 43mm tires and the Checkpoint for 45's. Okay, without getting into a pissing match with you commenters, let's call that a draw. Then there is the final straw.....Try turning your Warbird into a single speed without buying anything beyond stock parts. Yeah..... To my mind, a good rig for the longer gravel days, adventures, and definitely for longer gravel events, must have a single speed option to bail yourself out with. In my opinion, that feature, which the Checkpoint has, alone trumps the Warbird. But there is more, like water carrying capacity, which the Checkpoint beats the Warbird in, and fork mounts, which the Warbird lacks. Then there is price. The Ultegra SL6 Checkpoint is sub-4G while the Warbird eclipses that price by a fair amount. To me, the choice is clear.

What Is A Negative About The Checkpoint? Well, there is one main thing I am not liking about the Checkpoint, and that is that Trek, (and some in the media), feel that these sort of bikes must have sporty handling. In other words, they should feel and ride like a Pro Tour bike, or they get tagged as being "cumbersome", which in their vernacular is the worst thing ever. So, many bikes like this get stffer-than-all-get-out forks, because if vibrations are muted, the bike feels "dead" and that means it must be slow, right? The front end has to be able to be "flickable", so you can change direction in a flash, because.....it feels fast. But here's the thing, feeling fast and actually being fast are often completely different things. But without getting down this rabbit hole further, Trek decided to stick with a stiff fork and a steep-ish head angle to appease roadie tendencies, because they are playing to what is the current fashion with media and racers. Not what the general populace really would benefit from.

More on this bike in the future if it warrants it......

Okee-dokee, that's enough to chew on for one post. Have a great weekend and keep the rubber side down!