No, It Is Not Bottom Bracket Time!

PF-30 is NOT BB 86. (sigh!)

So, last week I mentioned I had this Enduro Bearings PF-30/Shimano compatible bottom bracket in to hopefully solve my noise problem with the older Wheels Manufacturing bottom bracket. The thing is, I ordered the wrong bottom bracket, and well...... There was actually something else going on.

I'll get to the noise issue later, but first off, I don't know why I did not realize I had a BB-86 bottom bracket in the Noble GX5. I remember I ordered the Wheels Manufacturing one in the bike now way back when I was still working for Europa Cycle and Ski, and after I received the Noble GX5, obviously. I believe the Noble came along in 2018, so this would place the Wheels Manufacturing bottom bracket in the six year old range. It wasn't out of the question that my noises were related to the bottom bracket then. I had diagnosed the bike with it in the stand, and I probably should have taken the chain off, but I did not. It just was really rough feeling when I spun the crank set, and it seemed obvious.

Then the bottom bracket came in, again, exactly what I ordered, just to be clear, and I went to work. Once I went to install the new one I realized what was going on, so I had no immediate option but to go back and re-install the old Wheels Manufacturing one. Now, in between the tear down and the re-installation, I checked the bearings in the old bottom bracket, and while there was not a glassy smoothness, it was not rough. But, where was all the noise and roughness coming from before then?

Not a peep or sense of roughness was felt on Monday\s ride.

Well, I also had removed the wheels from the Noble and replaced them with my older set of Irwin Cycling carbon Aon wheels. I did this to mount the Continental Terra Adventure tires on a slightly wider inner rim width than the WTB wheels have.

Interestingly, those WTB wheels would never run quietly in the Noble GX5 frame until I tried them again this year. They used to squeak a lot back when I had tried them a couple of other times in the past. However; now the noise of squeaking has been replaced by a noise more akin to what a bad bearing sounds like, apparently, because with the Irwin wheels the bike is dead quiet. And even more maddening, these WTB wheels are perfect in my other bikes.

I had gotten away with the WTB wheels being quiet for a while, but I am thinking this was the issue, because I hear no noises anymore. By the way, I think those WTB wheels just do not fit the Noble frame quite right. The through axle interface must not be quite right. Perhaps a different through axle would be a fix? 

Now - I had cleaned and re-greased the interfaces with this latest bottom bracket removal and installation also, so if it was the old bottom bracket which was noisy, I would have taken care of it with the cleaning and re-greasing. But I cannot say for certain now. 

The drive train is quiet now. The noises are gone, so what about this new PF-30 bottom bracket? Well, it would fit my Standard Rando v2 just fine. So, one day IF I wear out the Enduro Bearings bottom bracket in that bike I'll now have a ready-made spare. And I will have to order a BB-86 next time for the Noble. 

Maybe I'd better write this down somewhere, eh?

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Life Time Events

 Life Time To Offer Free Live Coverage Of Unbound Gravel

For the first time in the events history, Unbound Gravel will have live, start to finish race coverage of the Pro Men and Pro Women fields.

In a press release from Tuesday of this week, Life Time promised an approximately seven hour time slot for the  event, saying it will not end coverage until all podium interviews are completed.. 

The timing of coverage seems a bit odd in that the press release states in one place that coverage will start with a pre-race briefing on the event and then turn to the race reporters for an uninterrupted stream of the event on Life Time's You Tube channel. However; this coverage is stated to start at 10:00am CST, which is typically four hours after the event gets going. Further into the release it is stated that the time is yet to be determined. Here is the quote: "The program is due to commence at [insert time here] and conclude following the elite women’s post-race interviews." 

Comments: Obviously there was not a good job of editing before the release went out. If I get clarity on the timing of the coverage I will update this story. Maybe they won't cover the opening hours of the event?

(WARNING! Old Man Yelling At Sky) The release went on and on, with the expected self-congratulatory blather and stating the event is "..the world's premier gravel event". No real argument here, but the blathering and puffery gets a bit tiring. We get it, Life Time, you think highly of how you do things and this event, which you neither created nor elevated to be the World's Premier Gravel Event, was a nice purchase by the corporation. You've shepherded the asset well. I'm sure the shareholders are pleased. 

Now, back to our regularly scheduled gravel event coverage. Thanks to all our noisy helicopters and crews on vehicles scampering across what was once a peaceful prairie causing more mayhem than is necessary so we can be entertained. For "free". 

Image courtesy of Pony Express 150 Gravel event Facebook post.

Another "Mud Year"?

Speaking of Unbound Gravel, it might be that the motos and follow cars won't be able to cover certain portions of the course anyway. As seen in the accompanying image, courtesy of the Pony Express 150 event's Facebook feed, there appears to be an abundance of moisture in the Flint Hills of late.

 Of course, there is an entire week until the event, and things could change, and probably will. So, this may be much adieu about nothing. Then again it is supposed to be unusually cool and wet through the beginning of next week.  .

Definitely something to keep tabs on. The interesting thing is to see commentary over images like this from people who claim that "this isn't gravel racing!" or "whelp! I'm out!".  As I often point out, many of these folks don't know what they don't know. 2015 was a decade ago, and many of the infamous Trans Iowas longer ago than that, so how to deal with mud, or mentally handle it, are seemingly "lost arts" for today's riders.

It will be interesting to see if Unbound modifies the course if this mud persists. You might remember the fiasco from 2023.... We will see.

Image courtesy of Wolf Tooth Components

Wolf Tooth Bottom Bracket Surfaces:

I saw mention during Sea Otter of a new component from Wolf Tooth. A bottom bracket, but no sign of an image or mention of it on Wolf Tooth's site could be found. Well, on Wednesday that changed.

Now the bottom brackets are up on their site (HERE) and several choices of color and type are available, as one would expect from Wolf Tooth.

The 100% user serviceable units come in BSA threaded and T-47 versions now and prices are reasonable with a standard threaded outboard bearing model costing $129.00 USD. These bottom brackets are designed and machined in the USA.

Comments: Another addition to the Wolf Tooth range which makes sense. While their design is touted as "best in class", I really do not see a huge difference in their design versus most other "boutique" brand bottom brackets. It is a machined and anodized cup, a cartridge bearing, and a couple of plastic sleeves.

For my money the Enduro Bearings Max-Hit bottom bracket truly is a different design and one which you can visually see a difference and feel a difference when using it. I'm not saying these Wolf Tooth bottom brackets are "bad" nor that you shouldn't buy one, but they are not what I would call "innovative". They are likely far better than a box-stock OEM model though. So, check them out if you need a good bottom bracket and if you like a touch of color on your bike.

Image courtesy of Mondraker Bikes

Mondraker Offers Arid Gravel Bike In Aluminum:

Last November I posted a story about the new Mondraker Arid carbon gravel bike. I found the story interesting from two standpoints. One: Mondraker was primarily a mountain bike brand before the Arid was offered. Two: The company was making a bigger push into the United States market.  

Actually there was a third reason. I liked the design from a geometry standpoint. The Arid has a "gravel bike geometry". Bicycles which are not in the ball park in terms of geometry just will not see coverage here. I don't see the point of promoting "old" geometry or anything which is too road-ish or is really a cyclo cross bike.

Now Mondraker has offered the Arid, an aluminum version of the Arid C, and it has the same geometry specifications, A 75mm bottom bracket drop coupled with a 70 degree head tube angle. This is the sort of geometry I feel is "right" for gravel and will perform in a way which makes gravel riding more fun and safer.

Of course, an aluminum frame is going to bring the price down. Mondraker Arids start at around $2,500.00. But that isn't what I would call "budget friendly". Compared to carbon? It seems like a bargain. I just wish Mondraker would offer the Arid as a frame set. While it would likely still cost close to 2K, I would be more inclined to build up an Arid transferring parts from my Noble GX5, as an example, than buying an entire complete Arid model.  Of course, I likely do not represent one of a possibly large enough number of sales for Mondraker to pull the trigger on aluminum frame only offerings. (NOTE: You can find Arid carbon frame sets online for about $2.100.00)

An interesting plant is growing outside of the Collective!

Being A Responsible Steward:

Part of the mission the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective has relates to keeping bicycles out of the local landfill. To that end, we collect donated bicycles which are sorted for potential uses. If the parts or bikes are deemed not useful they go to a local metal recycler.

This past week has been a BIG recycling week at the Collective. We had a couple of organizations from Northeast Iowa discover what we are doing and they brought down 44 bicycles to be recycled. We also received nearly 60 bicycles from the local police department.

Of course, what we can save for use by people here in the Cedar Valley we will do, but obviously many bicycles are just not going to be savable. Fortunately many are, and these help underprivileged, destitute, immigrant, veterans in need, and low income folks get on two wheels. An example: We recently have put eight immigrants on bikes so they can get to jobs. We have sold several bicycles to folks recently who cannot afford new, bicycle shop quality bikes. We also have been busy supporting local school programs which have bicycle safety and phys-ed program needs with loaner bikes.

If you are a local reading this, please consider being a part of the efforts of the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective. If you have a local collective, please consider supporting it. Help your local bicycle non-profits be good stewards of bicycles and bicycle knowledge!

Image courtesy of SRAM

Zipp Wheels Now Available With AXS Pressure Sensors:

Zipp announced on Thursday that their 353 NSW and 303 NS wheels will be available with AXS air pressure sensors embedded into the rims. The AXS sensors can send pressure monitoring information to a computer head, (Hammerhead is SRAM's preferred brand since they own it), which will allow riders to detect an issue more quickly. Riders can also set pressure levels which the AXS sensor can react to with a green light, letting the rider know the pressure has been set correctly.

Comments: This may seem unnecessary now, but I feel it is a portent of things to come. No doubt this sensor would be even more useful with a pressure regulating system so riders could air up or down while riding. This sort of system already exists and has been race proven in the Pro roadie ranks.

 I'm not sure how SRAM would do this. Perhaps a green light for your up or down settings and perhaps a red one for out of range indicating a problem? The possibilities are fascinating. Imagine a gravel racer with the ability to set a higher pressure for stretches of pavement and then being able to dump air out for the gravel, or rougher sections with less traction.

That is it for this week! Have a fantastic Memorial Day weekend, if you celebrate this holiday. Otherwise, get out there and ride those bicycles!

Bottom Bracket Time

 The last time I rode the Noble Bikes GX5 out in the country I started hearing something. Maybe "feel" something was more correct. It was a bit windy at the time, so hearing a noise was tough. Plus it only happened on hard efforts. However; as the ride went on the noise became audible and by the end of the ride it was happening upon every crank revolution.

I hung the bike up after the ride and checked on it the next day. Spinning the crank set I could hear and feel the roughness and bearing crackle which any bicycle mechanic with a decent amount of time under their belt has heard thousands of times.  There was no denying it, the bearings were failing. 

This was not the typical PF-30 shell noise. I get those from time to time. A simple removal of the bottom bracket, a good cleaning, re-greasing, and re installation is all that is necessary in those cases. However; a new PF-30/Shimano compatible bottom bracket is a completely different deal. This was going to cost me!

The bottom bracket that was in there wasn't "bad" from a standpoint of service life. I believe I got that one in 2019. So, it has been at least five years going and almost all the miles have been dusty gravel ones. This was a Wheels Manufacturing model, for the record, and I would not hesitate to recommend one to anyone. However; I've had experience with another PF-30, thread-together bottom bracket which I ended up ordering. 

Enduro Bearings Torq-Tite (Image courtesy of Enduro Bearings)

The Standard Rando v2 was set up for a component review last year with a suite of Enduro Bearings products. The Torq-Tite bottom bracket was sent as the Twin Six bike uses that standard. 

And the Torq-Tite isn't bad, it just is not as awesome as the Max-Hit, one of which I have in my Gryphon. So, I'm not sad about it. It'll be good, and I hope it will be an improvement over the Wheels Manufacturing one I was using. I think it will, again, judging from the Standard Rando.

 I received the part early on Wednesday. So here is a look at the thing and an interesting note about how it works which I will point out in my images following...  

The Enduro Torq-Tite bottom bracket. Nice presentation.

 

Unlike other thread-together PF-30 options, the Torq-Tite is threaded on two ends instead of just one.

 By the end of the weekend the ol' Noble GX5 will be gravel-ready again. I'll be curious to see how long things go before I get creaks and have to clean it up, and of course, how long the bearings hold up. If this one is as good as the Wheels one was, I think this bike will be retired before I wear out the bottom bracket. We'll see!

Enduro Bearings Components: Reviewed

 Notice: Enduro Bearings sent over its components in this review for test and review to Guitar Ted Productions at no charge. I am not being paid, nor bribed, for this review, and I always strive to give my honest thoughts and views throughout. 

Chart provided by Enduro Bearings

Late in July of this year I received some Enduro Bearings components to install in my bicycles. I chose the Twin Six Standard Rando as my test sled. Previously, I had installed an outboard bearing, Shimano-type bottom bracket in my Singular Gryphon Mk3, which I will also talk about here as well. The introduction to this review can be found HERE. 

Since I do not have sophisticated means for testing bearing performance, my aim for this review was to ride the components throughout the Summer and Fall, gain an understanding of how they perform, and gauge their effectiveness as best I could through subjective means. So, that's somewhat limiting, but I wanted to give an honest assessment up front of what to expect here.

I have 30+ years of experience dealing with bearings for bicycles and thousands of miles of riding experiences with all sorts of bearings, both good and bad. So, take that into consideration as well. In the end, this is my opinion on these products, and your opinion may vary.

Okay, with all that behind us, I am going to take a quick look at each bit I received and give you my take on that particular component in an unvarnished manner. First up are the bottom brackets.

The MaxHit outboard bottom bracket is in this bike.

MaxHit Bottom Bracket:

I spoke to this component in the introduction linked above pretty specifically. I won't bother covering old ground here other than to say that this bottom bracket, at $180.00 plus, is expensive, but in my opinion it is worth every penny. The component has a lifetime guarantee, and I suspect it may last as long as I can ride that bike, or want to. It spins so freely and smoothly, even under extreme pressure with a load as you see here, that I cannot fathom not wanting to buy one of these now for a bike build I planned on keeping around for several years. I mean, don't bother putting this into a bike you will hardly ever ride, because that smoothness would be a criminal thing to deprive yourself of. 

I am only half-kidding. It's totally eye-opening.

I wasn't quite so taken with the Torqtite Bottom Bracket.

TorqTite PF-30 to 24mm Bottom Bracket:

The TorqTite PF-30 to 24mm conversion bottom bracket I am using in the Twin Six Standard Rando v2 was not quite as impressive. This one has a bit more complexity to my take than the MaxHit bottom bracket did.

So, first off, this bottom bracket spins very freely. I was super impressed right away after installing it by that. Most bottom brackets, when new, exhibit a fair amount of "seal drag" which may get to be less and less as the bottom bracket settles in. However; the TorqTite spun impressively well immediately. It would only get better as I rode it in. 

But you will recall that I have mentioned in the introduction to this review (linked above) that typical Shimano bottom bracket has this weird "rumble" to the bearings when you are applying pressure to the down stroke of your pedaling cycle. I noticed something similar here, with the TorqTite, that resembled that feeling I got through the crank arms and pedals with typical Shimano bottom brackets. 

It wasn't the same exact feeling, but it was there, and it made me miss the smoothness of the MaxHit version of an Enduro bottom bracket. So, should you spring for the MaxHit instead? Well, the TorqTite sells for around $200.00, and unfortunately, MaxHit doesn't come in this configuration. (MaxHit uses the actual outer cup portion as a bearing race whereas TorqTite uses a separate, pressed in bearing) You could upgrade to the Ceramic bearing version for an extra $80.00 or so, (depending upon retailer), but here is the kicker: A Wheels Manufacturing PF-30 to 24mm bottom bracket feels pretty good and costs $80.00 less than a Torqtite bottom bracket. 

If the free-spinning nature of the TorqTite suits you, then get that. It definitely is a noticeable benefit over the Wheels BB.

MaxHit Headset:

Here's a component that you just don't think about until it starts giving you troubles. Headsets don't spin much, so bearings seem superfluous on the surface of it. But have you ever ridden a bike with bad headset bearings, or headset bearings that are too tight, or not spinning freely? That makes a bike nearly unrideable. 

So, a headset is a critically important part of your bike. Thing is, it is hard to justify spending a lot on one when good, fairly reliable headsets are well below $100.00 these days. 

That said, a good, high quality headset will run around $100.00 plus a little, and that's right where you'll find the MaxHit headset priced at. What do you get for that sort of expenditure? 

Well, you get a stainless steel construction - fully stainless steel - , bomber reliability, and 440C stainless bearings which are sealed in high-pressure grease which adds up to a Lifetime guarantee. The bearings are actually larger than a typical headset's are, they are angular contact bearings which handle loading better, (most other head sets, including Cane Creek, are not), and all that spreads loads out better and headsets get a LOT of loading. 

So, yeah. It isn't all blingy-anodized and matchy-matchy, so if that is your thing, you won't be at all interested in this headset. But if you want a high degree of reliability, longer bearing life, and silver is a color you can get behind, then this one is a recommended choice.

Enduro DirectLine Pulleys:

Derailleur pulleys in the aftermarket are a weird world of innovation and bold claims of efficiency gains. Some have their own proprietary cages to accommodate their bloated diameters. Prices for these visual assaults on our senses can be frighteningly high. 

Enduro takes a different approach to these components than many others do. Enduro believes that the original functionality of any rear derailleur is somewhat predicted upon the size of pulleys the manufacturer designed for their particular models of rear changers. Change that and you run the risk of getting poor shifting, or not as good a shifting performance as you might with standard/stock sized pulleys.

Enduro uses a special Delrin material to machine the pulleys out of that is Teflon infused. Enduro claims that this interfaces with the chain more efficiently than titanium or aluminum does, increasing overall drive train efficiency. They also claim this will get better the more miles that you ride the pulleys. The pulleys are guaranteed against corrosion for life. 

Okay then- "What did I think?" Well, these pulleys certainly aided in the free-running feel of this drive train. Shifting was always spot-on as long as my cable was adjusted right, so no worries with the pulleys there at all. I guess what I saw that impressed me most was that the typical ring of gunk that builds up on most Nylon/plastic pulleys was never noted with these DirectLine pulleys. They were dusty, for sure, but I never saw one bit of build-up on them. That's amazing right there. 

Now, the pulleys I put into my GRX rear derailleur cost $140.00. That's twenty bucks more than the rear derailleur cost alone. So, does doubling the cost of your rear mech make any sense? 

When I spin this drive train backward it spins a few times easily and comes to a halt. My other drive trains? Maybe the drive train will spin around one and a half times.  Efficiencies are hard to gain in high-end bicycles without spending a lot of time and money on yourself or money on your bicycle. If I were racing? This makes sense to have these pulleys. If I am toodling around and riding for fun? 

That's a tougher answer to come up with then. It comes down to appreciation for the claims of Enduro Bearings. I can only tell you that these pulleys, (and the bottom bracket), make a discernible difference in how easily the parts move. And again - you shouldn't probably do this to a bicycle you'd hardly ever ride or to a lower quality bike. That doesn't make any sense as there are likely several more meaningful upgrades to make in those cases, or a better, more used bike in your stable to utilize this stuff on. 

I'd say that if the bike is a quality piece that is going to see significant use, and if you care about efficiency, then the answer is yes.  Then these pulleys are worth the extra expense. 

Conclusions: 

MaxHit Shimano-style outboard bearing bottom bracket? All day, every day. I'm sold. Recommended highly. Even despite the expense. I have gone through several cheapo Shimano BB's which would easily equal what I would pay for a single purchase of the MaxHit BB and I'm getting a smoother bottom bracket to boot. One bottom bracket versus many and smoother? You know the answer.

The TorqTite bottom bracket I have a harder time with. It is not as smooth feeling as the MaxHit bottom bracket and it is expensive. I mean, it's a fine bottom bracket, but it is harder to recommend it over less expensive options. 

The head set is a no-brainer if you don't care about fashion. If you do? Then look elsewhere. If you just do not care about headsets? Get a Cane Creek 40. 

The DirectLine pulleys are not cheap. But..... If you have a high-end rear mech they are worth the dough. They don't gather the gunk, which is a big deal to me, and they are guaranteed against corrosion, which is impressive. They do spin very freely and the claims of chain to pulley efficiencies make more sense to me than some of the wattage savings claims other aftermarket cage/pulley purveyors make. Plus, my mech's design is preserved so there is no loss of shifting performance or messing about with affixing an abomination of a cage to my derailleur. 

The pulleys I could convince myself to invest in, but only for a well-used bike or for racing. 

Thanks to Enduro Bearings for the components and a chance to review them. For more information on Enduro Bearing products see their website here: https://cycling.endurobearings.com/

Review Briefs

 As many of you know, I get in a fair amount of stuff to review and sometimes just to give feedback on/test for others. I figured I may as well shoot a few words this way on some things being currently tested and reviewed by giving a few, brief thoughts on those items. As always, The Standard Disclaimer applies. 

Twin Six Standard Super Thermal Jersey:

Twin Six just came out with a cool/cold weather top called the Standard Super Thermal Jersey. It tickled my fancy because it isn't your standard issue thermal long sleeved piece and it isn't a soft-shell jacket either. It falls somewhere in between those two things, in my opinion. 

Twin Six says it is a "jersey", and that's really closer to the mark than "jacket", but this isn't something you'll want to wear on cool Summer mornings or on Sunny Fall days either. This is more of a "shoulder-season" piece, in my opinion, and paired with a wind vest, it about does everything I'd want in terms of Fall to Winter temperature cycling. 

It's made from a fleeced-up Lycra that Twin Six bills as "Lycra Wool". It is not really wool, so don't let that trip you up. I'll have a bit more to say about that in a moment. But for now, here are the bullet point features:

• Back brushed insulated Lyrca Wool body
• Two-ply collar with zipper garage
• Easy-pull semi-autolock zipper with full length insulated backing
• Three deep back storage pockets with additional hidden internal zipper pocket
• Designed for temperatures below 45˚F
• Silicone gripper around the bottom to hold everything in place

Sizing: Twin Six has a super-helpful and accurate sizing chart, but let me say this, "I don't believe I am a 3XL." But that's how this is sized. Yeah....I am a big guy, but no way am I a 3XL in anything else in this world but cycling clothing. That's not just a Twin Six thing either. That's industry-wide. 

That's super-weird and not very size-inclusive, by the way, since 3XL is the largest size on offer and I know a lot of cyclist bigger than I am. That said, this thing fits perfectly. Could we have called this an "XL" and made two even bigger sizes? That would have been nice for some folks, I bet. 

GT in the Standard Super Thermal Jersey

Impressions: The fleeced interior of this jersey is really nice and I wore this as a jersey using only a base layer under it (A Twin Six one, natch) The "Lycra Wool" is actually kinda like wool in how it feels against the skin. At least when new. We'll see how it launders and feels after several rides. 

The sleeves are a great length and I have pretty long arms. In the saddle the arms, shoulders, and back are perfectly situated on my body and there is no restriction to movement whatsoever. The sleeves end in nice, flat cuffs which will integrate with gloves well and not sag or get in the way. 

The zipper is "good" and doesn't seem like a cheap one. No two-way zipping here, and it is a jersey, so I would not expect that feature. However; some may have wanted that. Personally, I don't care for that sort of thing, but to each their own. Finally, that zipper has a nice pocket, or as they call them "garages" to hide in and it won't bite you or pull your beard hairs, should you be sportin' such. 

Riding: The cut is short in the front, long in the back, so it fits while you are riding very well. It sits just right, and I never felt the need to pull at anything or readjust the jersey. That's a good sign that this is designed and put together well.

I used this on a cool Fall morning with temperatures just above 40°F and with little wind. Still, I mated the Super Thermal with a Twin Six wind vest to cut down on any wind intrusions that might make me chilly. I rode a combination of cityscape, bike tails, single track, and out in the wide-open for maximum wind exposure. In all instances I was very comfortable. 

Good back pockets, by the way, and there is a hidden, zippered pocket for a credit/debit card, keys, or other small items. So far this is a winner and I look forward to wearing this piece a lot this Fall and layered with other things this Winter. 

Oh! And I payed full-pop retail for this which is $140.00. So there.

Ergon GP1 Evo:

Saturday I reported in my "Two Things" post about the new Ergon GP1 Evo grips. This bit of today's post will just be a brief ride impression for this new grip.

Okay, so I have to give you all a bit of my background in issues I have with my hands so there is some context for this. I am a bicycle mechanic and have been for a long time. I have pulled on, banged on, twisted, and gripped tools with my hands on an almost daily basis for all of those years. My hands have suffered some damage for sure. 

Then there is the fact that I have not got a lot of "meat" on my mitts. They bruise easily and I have a propensity to bust open veins at times which can really hurt. Then due to my age and injuries I have a bit of arthritis in my right thumb joint. Riding regular handle bars, especially flat bars, with "normal" grips is hard to do, and even with drop bars, I can get numb hands very quickly. That or my hands just hurt, which can be a problem.

I usually just try to shake it off, move my hands a lot, or change tape/grips. Ergon's GP1, the originals, helped a lot with all of my hand issues on my flat bar bikes.  But these new grips feel better than any other grips I have tried.. They are really a better grip than the original GP1. Too bad there isn't a drop bar version....

I'm going to keep on trying these out in different situations and maybe swap them over to a different bike, but so far, I am really getting along with the new GP1 Evo. 

The Gryphon Mk3 has an Enduro outboard bottom bracket.

Enduro Bearings:

The Enduro bearings I have been testing in the Gryphon and the Standard Rando v2 have been an interesting experience. Kind of a tale of two experiences, really. 

The tale of what went into the Standard Rando v2 can be read HERE. That bike got a load of Enduro stuff put into it and then I rode that bike in a metric ton of Summer drought induced gravel dust. 

The Gryphon has been doing duty as a truckster, of sorts, carrying around this load of stuff of late. Between the two bikes I have noted different things. The Gryphon Mk3 experience with that MaxHit bottom bracket has been an eye opening one. I used a Shimano compatible outboard bearing type bottom bracket on that frame and it has 100% eliminated that weird "rumble" I get with every Shimano outboard bearing bottom bracket I've ever tried when pedaling hard or under a heavy load. This Enduro bottom bracket is noticeably smoother and easier to rotate. I would not hesitate to use one of these MaxHit outboard bearing bottom brackets again. 

Now as for the Twin Six, that bike has a PF-30 type insert with a Shimano compatible bearing. The bottom bracket screws together and has been dead quiet despite all the grit and dust. However; it still has a slight "rumble" of the sort that I eliminated with the Enduro bottom bracket in the Gryphon. The T-6 bike's crank spins great though. Better than with the previous Wheels Manufacturing bottom bracket. 

The jockey wheels, bottom bracket, and head set are all Enduro products on this bike.

The other Enduro components, the derailleur jockey wheels and the head set? I cannot tell any difference at all. I mean, the drive train spins in the stand far more freely, so I know that it is better from a friction standpoint, but honestly, you cannot feel that. Same with the head set. It hasn't given me any troubles, but neither did the Cane Creek head set that was in there before this. 

Maybe the jockey wheels are worth a few watts? I wish I could say that definitively, but I have no way to measure that. Plus, those jockey wheels are very expensive! The head set? Great head set, but probably overkill here. If I lived where it was wetter, or if this bike saw a lot of snow or gritty mud that maybe would help this headset stand out. 

I suppose it is more durable, being that it is stainless steel and from the MaxHit line, so that means it should last a long time and stay smooth. That's worth something if you plan on keeping a bike for a long time and want minimal maintenance. 

So, MaxHit outboard bearing bottom bracket? Big thumbs up. The Press Fit 30 one? Good, but the Wheels Manufacturing one felt as good. The jockey wheels? Meh... If you are a racer looking for those elusive watts? Then yes. The head set? Yeah.... That could go either way. It's good, but there are so many good heads sets and it's hard to say "you gotta get the Enduro one!" when it really doesn't seem to be all that different in practice.

More Enduro Bearings Stuff

 Enduro Bearings sent over its Torqtite Bottom Bracket, Max Hit Head Set, and Direct Line Pulleys for test and review to Riding Gravel/Guitar Ted Productions at no charge. We are not being paid, nor bribed, for this review, and we always strive to give our honest thoughts and views throughout. 

Okay, so a while back I received a Max Hit bottom bracket which I installed on my Singular Cycles Gryphon Mk3. That's been going well for me and after some more communications with the PR company rep that is my contact for Enduro, they decided to provide me these three components at no charge to try out on the Twin Six Standard Rando. So, take that as you may. (Standard Disclaimer)

Okay, that's annoying, but this is 2023, and it's the way the gubmint wants things done now. Onward....

Bearings are important and yes, they really do make a difference. As a bicycle mechanic, you learn fairly quickly that a precise bearing system rolls/turns/pivots far more easily and with less unwanted movement than lower quality bearing systems. It isn't just about the ball bearings either. This has to extend to the races, the grease, and the precision to which those all are manufactured. A high quality bearing system costs more. A lot more, but a high quality bearing system will outlast cheaper options and give you a more efficient machine to ride. Who doesn't want more efficiency? Well, maybe single speeders, but other than those freaks..... HA! 

The Max Hit bottom bracket in this bike has made a very noticeable difference.

My experiences so far with the Max Hit bottom bracket have been very encouraging. But let's talk about the practicality of the Max Hit bottom bracket a minute. Keeping in mind that this bottom bracket costs one hundred and eighty bucks, which is pretty expensive. 

The "standard" I will measure against here is the lowly Shimano outboard bearing bottom bracket. You can pick up an XTR version, (Shimano's top of the line bearings) for around $40.00 these days. That's a heck of a lot less expensive than the Enduro Max Hit. I could go through 4 XTR bottom brackets before I spent the money for one Max Hit bottom bracket. So, I get it. If penny-pinching is the only thing you consider here, then you may as well move on from this review. 

Now, remember what I said about efficiency? It matters and it hurts your efforts to be using a less than efficient bottom bracket, or wheel bearings, or what have you. In my personal experience, great bearings are a lot easier to ride, and especially in terms of wheels, where I feel top quality bearings have a huge effect on how a bicycle rides and feels to pedal. (Speaking of pedals, the bearings matter there too.) But next to wheels, what components are spinning on a bicycle that bear more forces than a bottom bracket? I'd say there aren't any that compare. (Okay, maybe pedals!)  So, a really good bottom bracket makes as much sense, or more, to me as a great wheel bearing. Why wouldn't I want a really nice, free-spinning, precision made bottom bracket? 

The Torqtite bottom bracket.

So, there is a difference and the Max Hit bottom bracket pedals so smoothly that I did not realize that the standard Shimano bottom bracket I was using before was so "not very good". The Shimano one "rumbles" when pedaled hard, and that is inefficiency exemplified right there. It's amazing to feel how that affects your ride. I bet it is measurable with a power meter, actually. However; I'm not able to find out. I don't have access to anything that measures power. It would be fun to get a set of those power measuring pedals to see what, if any, differences there are to find. 

Now I also have these Direct Line pulleys which went into the Shimano GRX rear derailleur and that is a component choice which also can make an increase in efficiency for a cyclist. This has been known for decades, but what is new is that now many feel a larger diameter pulley is more efficient still. This is why my GRX lower pulley is larger than what we used to use back in the day. But really....derailleur pulleys that are more efficient? Yes, and there is data to prove this. One report I found is here. (Note: An Enduro model scored pretty highly in this test)

So, I feel that a rear derailleur pulley upgrade isn't maybe cost effective for many, but if you are looking to eek out the last bits of watt savings, well..... You could do worse than buying a new set of jockey wheels. 

The Direct Line pulleys are not cheap, but they do make a demonstrable difference in efficiency.

Finally, we have the Max Hit head set. This component is made entirely of 440C stainless steel. So, it is heavier than your box-stock, ubiquitous Cane Creek type head set. Surprisingly it isn't crazy expensive at about 120 bucks. That's right in there with many aftermarket head sets. 

I guess this one is a bit harder to justify though. I mean, for a little more you can accessorize your bike with an anodized head set, or you can buy the Cane Creek 40 series one for about 50 or 60 bucks and heck, it'll do fine. But for the longevity and durability factors, I can see the Enduro Max Hit one as being something worth checking out. This is a bit heavier head set, but for severe conditions/uses, this might then be a head set that you could get behind. 

It might be a bit tougher to make a case for this.

The stuff all went in correctly, easily, and there were no issues at all. The riding I did over the weekend proved that nothing should fail out of the gate, at least, and that I did my job correctly! 

Sometimes I have worried about non-stock derailleur pulleys not shifting well. A lot of folks may not realize it, but the derailleur jockey wheels are a major player in shifting precision. Get the pulley wrong, in any way, and shifting suffers. 

I will say that I had nothing to worry about there with the Enduro Direct Line pulleys as each shift was accomplished as I expected. Quickly and quietly, just as I have come to know from Shimano. So, that was nice to find out.

The Torqtite bottom bracket is a bit of a mystery as to what it is I am feeling here. At times I feel a vibration, but at times I do not. I wonder if the thread-together system that Enduro uses is so rigid that I am feeling something else through the bottom bracket and that this is not the bottom bracket bearings at all. I need more time on the bike to figure this out. But I will say that the typical Shimano "grumble", or shudder on hard pedaling, is gone. 

The head set did not come loose. Bonus! The bike steered well, and well, what else is there to say about a head set? 

So, there you have it....for the time being. I need to run this stuff for a good, long time, and when that time comes to an end, I'll be doing a final take on these things. Until then.....

More Enduro Bearings Stuff

 Enduro Bearings sent over its Torqtite Bottom Bracket, Max Hit Head Set, and Direct Line Pulleys for test and review to Riding Gravel/Guitar Ted Productions at no charge. We are not being paid, nor bribed, for this review, and we always strive to give our honest thoughts and views throughout. 

Okay, so a while back I received a Max Hit bottom bracket which I installed on my Singular Cycles Gryphon Mk3. That's been going well for me and after some more communications with the PR company rep that is my contact for Enduro, they decided to provide me these three components at no charge to try out on the Twin Six Standard Rando. So, take that as you may. (Standard Disclaimer)

Okay, that's annoying, but this is 2023, and it's the way the gubmint wants things done now. Onward....

Bearings are important and yes, they really do make a difference. As a bicycle mechanic, you learn fairly quickly that a precise bearing system rolls/turns/pivots far more easily and with less unwanted movement than lower quality bearing systems. It isn't just about the ball bearings either. This has to extend to the races, the grease, and the precision to which those all are manufactured. A high quality bearing system costs more. A lot more, but a high quality bearing system will outlast cheaper options and give you a more efficient machine to ride. Who doesn't want more efficiency? Well, maybe single speeders, but other than those freaks..... HA! 

The Max Hit bottom bracket in this bike has made a very noticeable difference.

My experiences so far with the Max Hit bottom bracket have been very encouraging. But let's talk about the practicality of the Max Hit bottom bracket a minute. Keeping in mind that this bottom bracket costs one hundred and eighty bucks, which is pretty expensive. 

The "standard" I will measure against here is the lowly Shimano outboard bearing bottom bracket. You can pick up an XTR version, (Shimano's top of the line bearings) for around $40.00 these days. That's a heck of a lot less expensive than the Enduro Max Hit. I could go through 4 XTR bottom brackets before I spent the money for one Max Hit bottom bracket. So, I get it. If penny-pinching is the only thing you consider here, then you may as well move on from this review. 

Now, remember what I said about efficiency? It matters and it hurts your efforts to be using a less than efficient bottom bracket, or wheel bearings, or what have you. In my personal experience, great bearings are a lot easier to ride, and especially in terms of wheels, where I feel top quality bearings have a huge effect on how a bicycle rides and feels to pedal. (Speaking of pedals, the bearings matter there too.) But next to wheels, what components are spinning on a bicycle that bear more forces than a bottom bracket? I'd say there aren't any that compare. (Okay, maybe pedals!)  So, a really good bottom bracket makes as much sense, or more, to me as a great wheel bearing. Why wouldn't I want a really nice, free-spinning, precision made bottom bracket? 

The Torqtite bottom bracket.

So, there is a difference and the Max Hit bottom bracket pedals so smoothly that I did not realize that the standard Shimano bottom bracket I was using before was so "not very good". The Shimano one "rumbles" when pedaled hard, and that is inefficiency exemplified right there. It's amazing to feel how that affects your ride. I bet it is measurable with a power meter, actually. However; I'm not able to find out. I don't have access to anything that measures power. It would be fun to get a set of those power measuring pedals to see what, if any, differences there are to find. 

Now I also have these Direct Line pulleys which went into the Shimano GRX rear derailleur and that is a component choice which also can make an increase in efficiency for a cyclist. This has been known for decades, but what is new is that now many feel a larger diameter pulley is more efficient still. This is why my GRX lower pulley is larger than what we used to use back in the day. But really....derailleur pulleys that are more efficient? Yes, and there is data to prove this. One report I found is here. (Note: An Enduro model scored pretty highly in this test)

So, I feel that a rear derailleur pulley upgrade isn't maybe cost effective for many, but if you are looking to eek out the last bits of watt savings, well..... You could do worse than buying a new set of jockey wheels. 

The Direct Line pulleys are not cheap, but they do make a demonstrable difference in efficiency.

Finally, we have the Max Hit head set. This component is made entirely of 440C stainless steel. So, it is heavier than your box-stock, ubiquitous Cane Creek type head set. Surprisingly it isn't crazy expensive at about 120 bucks. That's right in there with many aftermarket head sets. 

I guess this one is a bit harder to justify though. I mean, for a little more you can accessorize your bike with an anodized head set, or you can buy the Cane Creek 40 series one for about 50 or 60 bucks and heck, it'll do fine. But for the longevity and durability factors, I can see the Enduro Max Hit one as being something worth checking out. This is a bit heavier head set, but for severe conditions/uses, this might then be a head set that you could get behind. 

It might be a bit tougher to make a case for this.

The stuff all went in correctly, easily, and there were no issues at all. The riding I did over the weekend proved that nothing should fail out of the gate, at least, and that I did my job correctly! 

Sometimes I have worried about non-stock derailleur pulleys not shifting well. A lot of folks may not realize it, but the derailleur jockey wheels are a major player in shifting precision. Get the pulley wrong, in any way, and shifting suffers. 

I will say that I had nothing to worry about there with the Enduro Direct Line pulleys as each shift was accomplished as I expected. Quickly and quietly, just as I have come to know from Shimano. So, that was nice to find out.

The Torqtite bottom bracket is a bit of a mystery as to what it is I am feeling here. At times I feel a vibration, but at times I do not. I wonder if the thread-together system that Enduro uses is so rigid that I am feeling something else through the bottom bracket and that this is not the bottom bracket bearings at all. I need more time on the bike to figure this out. But I will say that the typical Shimano "grumble", or shudder on hard pedaling, is gone. 

The head set did not come loose. Bonus! The bike steered well, and well, what else is there to say about a head set? 

So, there you have it....for the time being. I need to run this stuff for a good, long time, and when that time comes to an end, I'll be doing a final take on these things. Until then.....

Friday News And Views

The latest is up now at your favorite podcast outlets.

Guitar Ted Podcast Episode #20: "Give A Hoot":

N.Y. Roll and I sat down at his place Wednesday and recorded another episode of the podcast. Episode #20 contains some inetresting takes on the recent Lutzen 99er race, N.Y. Roll's rant on hunting, and more.

You can check it all out at THIS LINK. 

This episode is sponsored by the CORE4 event. 

We will be taking the week of the 4th off and we will probably resume podcasting again sometime in mid-July. Got any requests for guests? Hit me up in the comments. I think our next episode will be on dogs and how to deal with them. Got any good tips on how to handle dogs? I'll share them in our next podcast. 

Enduro Direct Line pulleys. (Image courtesy of Enduro)

Enduro Pushes Pulley Update For Derailleurs:

I remember reading an advert in cycling magazines back in the early 90's for sealed bearing derailleur pulleys. The claim was that drive train efficiency was improved by using sealed bearing derailleur pulleys which took less energy for the rider to pedal through. Less resistance meant more power to the wheels. 

I don't recall that many of us were concerned by the loss of watts to draggy derailleur pulleys, but we did buy into the anodized aluminum pulleys which came in a variety of colors.  These pulleys were about fashion ore than performance. 

As a mechanic I can tell you that derailleur pulleys can really affect not only your performance, but they can affect your shifting quality as well. Most people don't know that the upper pulley is perhaps the most important part of your derailleur shifting performance as it is this component that guides the chain to where you want it to go. If that pulley is not operating correctly, you aren't going to see great shifting performance. Note: The placement of that pulley in relationship to your cassette is also of paramount importance. 

So, upgrading the pulleys on your derailleur is a good idea, since many derailleur pulleys are , honestly, pretty poor. Their Delrin/Nylon bushings can distort, get galled, and they lose their lubricity rather quickly. This is where Enduro has stepped in with higher quality materials and actual bearings, (who knew!) to vastly improve pulley function. Plus, these do not require your cage to be replaced. No, they aren't cheap, but if you are running a high end bike that is fairly new, I'm betting you spent 3K-6K on it, so 300 bucks on pulleys isn't too bad. You can check their offerings out here. 

Work Continues Despite The Bad Air:

So, Tuesday I was to meet with several Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective volunteers and representatives of the Waterloo Police Department to retrieve bicycles that were released from cases, or which had identified owners, or that had been abandoned in the city. 

The Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective took in 62 bikes of which 42 were not viable for restoration, or that did not have good enough parts to harvest. Those went to the local recyclers where they counted 1,100+ pounds of scrap to our credit which is not going into our local landfill. 

Plus, of the 20 bikes kept, we already have provided one free of charge to a needy person in the halfway house program and sold another to a father for his son to ride this Summer. 

This operation took about three and a half hours of which I was outdoors for probably three hours of that. Our air quality was bad enough that I contracted a pretty decent headache out of the deal along with a scratchy throat. Not good...

And now they are saying the record wildfires in Canada are going to keep burning all Summer long. 

Great!

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

Friday News And Views

The latest is up now at your favorite podcast outlets.

Guitar Ted Podcast Episode #20: "Give A Hoot":

N.Y. Roll and I sat down at his place Wednesday and recorded another episode of the podcast. Episode #20 contains some inetresting takes on the recent Lutzen 99er race, N.Y. Roll's rant on hunting, and more.

You can check it all out at THIS LINK. 

This episode is sponsored by the CORE4 event. 

We will be taking the week of the 4th off and we will probably resume podcasting again sometime in mid-July. Got any requests for guests? Hit me up in the comments. I think our next episode will be on dogs and how to deal with them. Got any good tips on how to handle dogs? I'll share them in our next podcast. 

Enduro Direct Line pulleys. (Image courtesy of Enduro)

Enduro Pushes Pulley Update For Derailleurs:

I remember reading an advert in cycling magazines back in the early 90's for sealed bearing derailleur pulleys. The claim was that drive train efficiency was improved by using sealed bearing derailleur pulleys which took less energy for the rider to pedal through. Less resistance meant more power to the wheels. 

I don't recall that many of us were concerned by the loss of watts to draggy derailleur pulleys, but we did buy into the anodized aluminum pulleys which came in a variety of colors.  These pulleys were about fashion ore than performance. 

As a mechanic I can tell you that derailleur pulleys can really affect not only your performance, but they can affect your shifting quality as well. Most people don't know that the upper pulley is perhaps the most important part of your derailleur shifting performance as it is this component that guides the chain to where you want it to go. If that pulley is not operating correctly, you aren't going to see great shifting performance. Note: The placement of that pulley in relationship to your cassette is also of paramount importance. 

So, upgrading the pulleys on your derailleur is a good idea, since many derailleur pulleys are , honestly, pretty poor. Their Delrin/Nylon bushings can distort, get galled, and they lose their lubricity rather quickly. This is where Enduro has stepped in with higher quality materials and actual bearings, (who knew!) to vastly improve pulley function. Plus, these do not require your cage to be replaced. No, they aren't cheap, but if you are running a high end bike that is fairly new, I'm betting you spent 3K-6K on it, so 300 bucks on pulleys isn't too bad. You can check their offerings out here. 

Work Continues Despite The Bad Air:

So, Tuesday I was to meet with several Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective volunteers and representatives of the Waterloo Police Department to retrieve bicycles that were released from cases, or which had identified owners, or that had been abandoned in the city. 

The Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective took in 62 bikes of which 42 were not viable for restoration, or that did not have good enough parts to harvest. Those went to the local recyclers where they counted 1,100+ pounds of scrap to our credit which is not going into our local landfill. 

Plus, of the 20 bikes kept, we already have provided one free of charge to a needy person in the halfway house program and sold another to a father for his son to ride this Summer. 

This operation took about three and a half hours of which I was outdoors for probably three hours of that. Our air quality was bad enough that I contracted a pretty decent headache out of the deal along with a scratchy throat. Not good...

And now they are saying the record wildfires in Canada are going to keep burning all Summer long. 

Great!

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

Review Briefs

 As many of you know, I get in a fair amount of stuff to review on Riding Gravel and sometimes just to give feedback on/test for others. I figured I may as well shoot a few words this way on some things being currently tested and reviewed by giving a few, brief thoughts on those items. As always, The Standard Disclaimer applies. 

Fizik Vento Microtex Tacky Bartape:

This was some handlebar tape I threw into an order from Jenson USA on a whim to boost my cart into the free shipping category. I had zero expectations for this tape and was just curious to see how it might do. 

I have been a fan of older models of fizik bar tape in the past, so I was curious to see if there were any current fizik offerings that I may like. Turns out that the Vento Microtex Tacky bartape is right up my alley. 

Typical to my experiences with previous fizik tapes, this stuff wraps well and is actually a thinner tape than what I am used to using from fizik. It reminds me of butyl inner tube rubber, but in a better, more refined way, and it has a similar feel to an innertube tape job, (Yes - I have done this before!) The way it layers is a bit more abrupt in that you feel the edges of this tape where it overlaps. That feels like extra grip to me but if that thought bothers you and you like smoother transitions to your tape job then this isn't for you. 

It lives up to the "tacky" name too. VERY grippy tape here! I am super-curious to see how it handles sweaty hands, but with this rash of cooler weather we've had I don't know the answer to that question yet. I do know that gloved hands will find copious amounts of grip with this tape. Good stuff from fizik!

Redshift Sports Arclight Pro Pedals:

I've been riding these for a couple of months now and they have been really nice to have around. These are flat pedals with a couple of tricks up its sleeves. 

First of all, they are modular in design. So, you have a lot of options in how to configure the Arclights. Secondly, they have a safety feature in that they have a "Smart LED" design which you can make use of, or take off the pedals as you wish. 

So, there is a lot going on here. I'll stick to how I've been using these, but keep in mind, these can be configured in several ways. I decided to keep the "wings" on to make use of a larger platform, but in the future I may pare these down to being just typical clipless pedals for a bit. I removed one side of the clipless feature to get a dual-purpose pedal. One side I have installed the pins on for street-shoe usage and the clipless module is on the other side making these compatible with my cycling shoes as well. 

The image above here shows the LED modules in place which are held in by powerful neodymium magnets. The lights are activated by depressing a button on each module and you can select from steady or flashing patterns. The LED lights will automatically go red if facing rearward and white if facing forward. I don't know how, but it works. And at night these put on a light show that is amazing! If you get hit while using these it is because the driver was distracted or blind. 

You can also see here how the pedal looks without the light modules in place. I removed the modules during a ride which is super-easy and does not require any tools. The light modules come with a four bay charger so you can get the pedals ready to put on the light craziness at night a little more quickly than if you had to charge them one at a time. 

The bearings are fantastically smooth in these pedals as well. I have had no complaints whatsoever with them. They are really easy to use, clip in and out of (The tension is adjustable much like a Shimano SPD) and the light show factor is definitely commuter friendly. I'll have more to say about these later on, but so far, I am very impressed. 

Enduro "Max-Hit" Bottom Bracket:

Bottom bracket bearings might just be the most abused bearings in a bicycle. And of course, without them you are going nowhere fast. But c'mon! A lifetime bottom bracket guarantee? 

That's exactly what it says on the Max-Hit bottom bracket page on Enduro's site. They are pretty confident that this design will last and last and last. 

One of the unique things about this particular bottom bracket in the Max-Hit range is that there is no separate "cup" and a cartridge bearing pressed into that. The part you put the wrench to while installing it is the outer bearing race, not just a carrier for the cartridge bearing, as with most other outboard bearing bottom brackets out there. 

This allows Enduro to use bigger bearings and get more contact area on the races than would be possible with a more traditional design. Does this make any sense? I mean, is it actually doing anything for the rider? Enduro says it saves watts and that it makes the bottom bracket feel smoother too. Ahhhh....okay, let's see. 

And there is something going on with all of this. Maybe it is just me, but have you ever put the wood to a crank that is spinning a traditional Shimano outboard bottom bracket bearing and felt a "rumbly-vibration-like" thing on down strokes? I have. Even on brand new Shimano bottom brackets. Of course, it gets worse with age and wear, but for me, Shimano outboard bearing BB's have always done this. The Enduro one? Nope. Nothing at all like that. Smooth. 

Huh! Well, it will take some time, but I'll keep grinding and see if this thing lives up to its billing.

Teravail Coronado 29" X 2.8" Tires:

 These "plus-sized" 29"er tires were my choice for the Singular Cycles Gryphon Mk3 bike and I have sure been impressed with these tires so far. I got the "Light and Supple" tan walled versions and they look and ride great. 

I have been running these at sub-20 psi all along and they have had a great combination of smoothness, lower rolling resistance, and air retention. I'm running WTB sealant in these, by the way for reference. 

Grip level on dirt is subjective and varies according to terrain types, but so far I cannot complain. You can see the type of dried up, dirt single track we have here in the accompanying image. The Coronado grips this very well. 

The tires absorb embedded roots and rocks like a champ too, so you get a bit of cush out of all that volume but they still roll quite nicely due to their somewhat lighter weight. On gravel they are amazingly smooth, but yeah, they'd better be with all that tire volume! 

Many tires in this size range are really off-road specific to the point that their versatility is limited, but in my opinion the Coronado strikes a great balance between off-road traction and low rolling resistance on harder surfaces. Plus the "Light and Supple" tag is largely truth here, not just marketing hype. 

We will have to wait to see how they wear, but for now I am a happy camper with this purchase. (Yes, these and the bar tape were purchased by me with my own damn money, so there!)

Stay tuned for more "Review Briefs" in the future.