Friday News And Views

32" wheel of a SE Racing cruiser (Image courtesy of SE Racing)

MADE Show Features 32"ers:

The MADE Show, which happened last weekend in Portalnd, Oregon, finished up with not much news other than the buzz surrounding a few 32 inch wheeled custom bikes which were on display.

The stories online were kind of interesting for the narratives which were being pushed. "Will this be the Next Big Thing?" is basically what was being asked coming out of this show.

Comments: This has been the cycling industry's question since the "Bike Boom" of the early to mid 1970's. What will drive sales in the future? The "next big thing" after the Bike Boom was MTB's, then it was 29"ers. Then the internet came along and pretty much flooded people's eyeballs with every sort of contraption known to mankind. This was when "The Next Big Thing" was pretty much killed. Fat bikes made a stab at it, but faded quickly. Gravel? This is more difficult in that there ended up being a bike for it, but Gravel, as a thing, predated the bike for it by several years. So I would be hesitant to point at a gravel bike and say it was the "last Next Big Thing". In my opinion, Gravel would have kept growing with or without a specific bicycle for the activity.

Now electric two wheeled contraptions have taken off, but this has been mostly outside of the traditional bicycle industry 'food chain'. (In the USA, at any rate)  So, the 32"er comes along and people are seemingly thinking (in certain circles) that this will be the "Next Big Thing" like 29"ers were. Bzzzzt! I'm sorry, but this is incorrect. Next!

Why is this wrong? Look at most 32"ers and if you are paying attention you can see the ways these bikes are being designed to fit. Small to Medium folks? Not a chance this is a thing for you. Large? You are on the fringes. There just are not enough people who might benefit from this large a wheel. I think there will be a small, niche market for them, but like fat bikes, once those who benefit most from 32"ers have them, the market will nosedive significantly. I just don't see this as a sustainable market. 

And searching for the "Next Big Thing" in terms of a type of bicycle in cycling is the wrong thing to pursue anyway. 

Comments On 2025 Gravel Worlds:

Gravel Worlds happened last weekend, and while I was not there, I couldn't help but notice a few things. Mostly because of all the social media posts they put up. An odious amount of them, by the way.

First, there was some grousing about the muddy MMR road from the viewpoint of the Pro's and some media covering the event. I was pointed to a video on Instagram by N.Y. Roll concerning the woman's event. Yeah.... So here is a brief thought concerning this, which I have expressed here before.

Gravel events (The BIG ones getting all the media coverage now) used to be about Adventure, Challenge, Competition, and Camaraderie.  The Pro/Monetary element, introduced to gravel events in a big way since COVID, has reduced some of these events to just being about Competition. So, there is no room for something as integral to gravel events as muddy conditions, or Challenges, or Adventure, not to mention Camaraderie. It's about Results, Money, and Competition at these events now. 

So, they are not really "gravel events" anymore. They are merely Pro roadie events on a different surface. And that is my stance on this faction of so-called "Pro Gravel" categories. .(I'm not commentating on the other categories, which probably are not as affected)

Then there is all the coverage. Gah! You may have heard the theory which states that you should always leave people wanting more, yes? Well, I could not wait for my feed to clear out all the glut of Gravel Worlds coverage. Another interesting note was looking at the likes each post was getting, and in many cases it was less than 200, and in more than a few, less than 100. Maybe it's just me, but my money is on "less is more". And this goes for Mid-South and Unbound as well.   

Wahoo BOLT 1 (Image courtesy of Wahoo Sports)

Remember Y2K?

Maybe you are not old enough,to remember, but this recent story concerning original Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM, and BOLT GPS devices reminded me of those Y2K times. Apparently, a "limited ten bit clock" in those original Wahoo GPS devices ran out on time in mid-August, reverting the internal clocks to 2015. This caused the devices to fail in function, becoming essentially useless.

Fortunately, Wahoo has been able to update firmware for these old GPS devices and if you happen to own one of them, you can access the fix HERE. NOTE: This page only had firmware updates for the original ROAM and BOLT devices. They state they are still working on a firmware update for the ELEMNT at the time of this writing.

One wonders if the original developers of the Wahoo GPS devices figured that by now almost all of these platforms would be so out of date, or broken, that no one would care to be using them. Apparently there are more than a few folks still rocking these units.  

Which, in a way, is heartening. I like that people want to extend the usage and lifespan on these as far as possible, and also I like that Wahoo is willing to help those people out with a firmware update. Wahoo did not have to do this. So, kudos to Wajhoo for being nice about this and not killing off these first gen units making them nothing but fodder for the landfill.  

Image courtesy of Esker Cycles

 Esker Shows New Single Speed Specific Frame/Fork:

A dedicated to single speed bicycle is always going to grab my attention. This beauty was released by Esker Cycles on Wednesday this past week. Called the Solitaire, (Perfect name, by the way), this bike is based on their popular Hayduke model. Esker says there will only be 50 made and each will have a numbered Jen Greene headtube badge in brass. 

Prices start at $1,250.00 and go up with options. See the details on Esker Cycles site HERE.  

Comments: This is a cool looking bike with reasonable geometry which would work for a variety of off-road pursuits.  There are plenty of accessory mounts, and the rigid "Fork-Yeah!" steel fork appeals to my sensibilities while the design does allow for a suspension device if so desired. Plus, it has clearance for up to 29" x 3.0" tires. Nice!

Thank You:

I just wanted to take a minute to thank everyone for reading through the GTRFJ posts this week. This ride was important for me, which you probably can understand why this was the case, and for so many folks to have read through the report also was meaningful for me. So, thanks for doing that and for your support of myself and this blog.

As far as this Ride For Jacob thing goes, yes - It will happen again next year in August. Also yes - I am going to invite people along who may wish to join me in this ride to honor my son's memory. So, I will be talking about this next year and I will have details regarding the ride when I feel it is time to start talking about this ride again.

All I know now is a this ride is important to me. I want to share it with others, but I'm going to do it regardless of anyone else's attendance. So, mark it down for next August if you are interested and stay tuned for more on this in the future. 
 

 That is a wrap for this week! Get out there and ride those bicycles! Have a safe and fun Labor Day Weekend if you are in the USA!

Friday News And Views

2025 Esker Japhy (Image courtesy of Esker Cycles)

You Had Me At "Metal Flake Orange":

Esker Cycles announced an update to their 29" wheeled Japhy steel hard tail frame. There are a few ways to get a Japhy, either complete as a geared bike, complete as a single speed, or as a frame only. 

The updates for 2025 include:

• • Simplified sizing range: SM, MD, LG, XL Updated Geo: 
  • Increased Stack offset with a longer Effective TT
   
• Removed Seatstay Bridge: Increased compliance and ride quality 
• Optimized Dropper Port Location: To ease cable routing 
• Bolt-On Cable Routing: Allowing for bolt-on frame bags and stealthier routing for those using fancy robot shifting…or no shifting at all 
• Custom Chainstay Protector: Its protection for your chainstay…and its custom.

The Japhy frame costs 1K. Not a bad deal these days for a versatile steel hard tail 29"er. Check out all the details and other Esker models at eskercycles.com 

Esker "Woodsy" (Image courtesy of Esker Cycles)

Also, "Howdy" We'd Like To Say There Is A "Woodsy" Too:

In other Esker news, the company released Orion based suspension models in the aluminum "Woodsy" and a shorter travel version of the Woodsy called "Howdy". The Howdy has a titanium variant as well. So does the Woodsy. Both Howdys have 125mm of rear  travel. The longer travel Woodsy has 145m of rear travel. 

All models have up to 29 X 2.6" tire clearance, external cabling, and UDH derailleur hangar compatibility. All models are available as completes or as frame-only.
 

Gravel Amplifier: Get Lost Gravel August 3rd, 2025:

Got an itch to see the mountains from the saddle of your gravel bike? Maybe Get Lost Gravel is your jam then.  

This event will take place out of Red Barn Cycles in Hamilton, Montana. There are two course distances which you can choose from. "The Forge" is their 82 mile course which features over 60 miles of continuous back country gravel and an elevation gain of over 3,000ft. The other distance offered is a shorter course called "The Smelter" which has a big climb on Two Bear Road of 2,500 feet. At the top will be an aid station and everyone that summits will get a special Two Bear Achievement sticker. From there a "ripping descent" is promised back to the start. This course is 47 miles. 

For more information hit that link above. registration is HERE.

Mid South This Weekend:

Last year I experienced Mid South for the first time. It was probably the highlight of my 2024 riding season. Just the enormity of the experience and the new people I was able to meet along with old friends and acquaintances made the weekend trip one to remember. 

Of course, I won't be there this year, but I wanted to take the time here to wish everyone that is going well and I hope all of you bank some incredible memories while you are in Stillwater and the surrounding countryside. 

Interestingly, Mid South has changed their logo, (as seen here) and the tagline for the event is "A Weekend Endurance Festival Celebrating Hard Challenges and the Beauty of Oklahoma Dirt Roads". This tagline is noticeably missing the word "Race" there, and with the words "hard challenges" instead. I like it.

New SRAM brakes? (Image from 'toolboxwars" Threads acct.)

New SRAM XC Brakes?

I was cruising social media the other day and I came across this image of a conspicuously green caliper with a caption of "New brake, new name..." posted on an account called toolboxwars on Threads. A hashtag for SRAM was also there.

Further sleuthing turned up one article online showing the Trek XC team bikes with the brakes at a recent recon of a mountain biking course. 

Of course, this is a new model, which looks production ready, if it is indeed a SRAM caliper. I am going to speculate that this will be a mineral oil brake much like SRAM's Maven brakes, which came out a year ago or more. It makes sense as well since DOT fluid is pretty toxic and mineral oil technology is getting better all the time. 

Sea Otter is just around the corner, so I would guess the news will break on these officially just before the event, or during the event. 

Cannondale Revamps Topstone Gravel Bike:

Cannondale revealed on Tuesday that it had a newly designed Topstone gravel bike range on offer with five new carbon Topstone models available.

The carbon frames feature fully integrated cabling, a storage cavity in the down tube, and multiple accessory mounting points. Still featuring the Kingpin rear suspension, the geometry has been tweaked to address a couple shortcomings which the original Topstone Carbon gravel bike had.

Now with a lower bottom bracket, (74mm drop,) and matched up with a slightly slacker than 71° head tube angle, this new Topstone should feel more planted and stable on looser gravel roads. The steering should still be snappy with the 55mm offset carbon fork. There is also a Lefty Oliver model in teh range as well for those who want the full suspension gravel bike thing. 

The Topsstone Carbon range starts out at $3,400.00 and tops out at $7,300.00 for the Di2 GRX model shown here. See the Topstone page on Cannondale's website HERE for more. 

Image courtesy of Specialized Bicycles.

Specialized Announces New Gravel Tires: 

Tuesday we learned that Specialized has overhauled its tire range and with that has three new gravel tires for 2025 and will be closing out the previous models to simplify their range. Here we see the new Pathfinder Pro TLR which is available in black or tan walls, (shown). 

Specialized claims the new Pathfinder TLR is faster and more cut resistant than the outgoing model. Available in 700 X 35mm, 700 X 40mm, and 700 X 45mm widths. These tires have 120TPI casings and will sell for a reasonable $55.00 each.

There are also the Tracer TLR tires and Terra TLR tires each featuring progressively more aggressive tread designs.  

Comments: In my opinion, aggressive tread design is a waste on crushed rock and harder gravel roads. Obviously it is 100% unnecessary on pavement of any kind. This is why racers are gravitating more and more toward semi-slick designs. 

I feel as though a tread design with some knobs is okay for a "do anything" bike on any roads, but the overtly MTB-ish tread designs are really for dirt trails, which is fine if that is where you ride your gravel bike. From these three tires I would choose the Pathfinder Pro, but maybe you will choose differently. That is why there are choices. Just remember: "Tire tread design is a fashion show". Choose accordingly.

That's all for this week. Have a great weekend and ride those bicycles!

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Madrone Derailleur

 We Can Rebuild It!

Madrone Derailleur Shown:

In the "I Missed This Earlier" files we have today the item originally shown this past April at Sea Otter called the Madrone Derailleur. 

This alternative to SRAM or Shimano for 12 speed MTB is rebuildable, according to Madrone, who also makes replacement parts for 12 speed SRAM AXS and Eagle rear derailleurs along with sealed bearing pulleys. 

This new complete rear derailleur can work with SRAM or Shimano by simply swapping out the cam on the derailleur body. 

The Madrone Derailleur is still in the prototype stage and is promised to be available later in the year. Asking price is $395.00USD.

Comments: These "alt derailleurs" always fascinate me, I don't know why, because they are very expensive and typically don't hold up well or are "unobtanium" for the average rider. Maybe Madrone's efforts will prove otherwise. I know that the INGRID rear derailleur, for instance, an all-CNC'ed piece, is about $750.00 and supposedly rebuildable also, but man! A Di2 GRX 12 speed rear mech is just over four hundred bucks. Mechanical GRX is just over a hundred bucks. Hard to justify these alt rear mechs that may or may not hold up under stressful gravel use. 

From Mid-South's Instagram

Mid-South Announces Mega-Mid-South For September:

Many "big-time" gravel events have added 300-ish mile, self-supported gravel challenges in recent years. The first to do it was DK200/Unbound with the originally named DKXL, (now just Unbound XL). Then Gravel Worlds popped off with "The Long Voyage", a 300-ish mile loop. Now it is Mid-South's turn and they are dubbing their event the "Mega-Mid-South". 

It will be a 300 mile loop that will encompass some of the previous Mid-South routes. The event will occur September 18th, 2024 and will start at 8:00am in front of District Bicycles in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The event has no entry fee and will require all participants to be responsible for themselves. Featuring over 15,000ft of elevation, this event will be held in the heart of central Oklahoma on Oklahoma's red dirt roads. 

Comments: I have no idea if any of these longer routes these gravel events put out there are inspired by Trans Iowa, with the exception of the XL (DKXL), which I was told directly from the RD at the time (Jim Cummings) was inspired by Trans Iowa. But I gotta believe a little of what Trans Iowa stood for is embodied in those events. Especially when I see "You Are Responsible For Yourself" used in the marketing. And I know Bobby Wintle is well aware of what Trans Iowa was and is a fan. Maybe....

But whatever. This is right up my alley. I love the idea. My only thing would be to have NO GPS files and make everyone use a cue sheet navigation with cues not available until they left. But hey! I am an old school, lost soul in a techno-world. I get it. You cannot fathom doing a course by paper cues. It makes your brain hurt thinking about it. I say, "Exactly!" But yeah....

Image courtesy of Esker Bikes

Esker Announces Steel Lorax, Smokey Frames And Completes:

Esker Cycles announced on Tuesday of this week that their Smokey hard tail MTB and their Lorax adventure bikes would now be offered in steel framed versions. These models are also available in titanium. 

Emphasizing ease of maintenance both models feature external cable routing (!!) and threaded bottom brackets. 44mm head tubes will also be used across both models. Both models feature many accessory mounting points as well. 

The steel Smokey will be available as a frame only for 1K. Then both the Smokey and Lorax can be had with forks at $1,600.00 or starting at $3,000.00 for completes. See Esker Cycles for details. 

Comments: I took a look at the Esker Cycles Lorax and liked a lot about that bike. However; the sizing is weird. I am at the extreme end for a large at 6'1" and smack dab in the range for an XL. Then I look at the differences and the XL seems too big, but.... I don't know. I remember Salsa Cycles back around the late 2000's and their sizing which was putting me in a similar pickle between their Medium and Large. Neither was really "right" for me. Maybe that's where I am getting the weird vibes about Esker's sizing. 

Image courtesy of fizik.

fizik Introduces New "Road Meets Gravel" Shoe:

Combining elements of the latest road shoes with a walkable sole and two-bolt cleat interface, fizik launched their newest shoe called the Beat on Wednesday of this week.

The uppers are fabric and have a lace-up closure, The soles are a Nylon reinforced TPU, (yes, the same stuff those tubes are made from), and the shoe comes in a white, a beige/tan that fizik calls "Desert", and black with the white and tan shoes having multi-colored soles. All three retail for $179.99USD.

The stiffness rating of the sole is "4", so not the stiffest soles out there. fizik claims this will aid in comfort over rougher roads. The Beat also features a wider toe box, according to the press release, which fizik claims is a new shape for the company.  The shoes weigh a claimed 355 grams. 

Image courtesy of fizik.

Comments:

Look! A white shoe for gravel! This gets the "Jeff Kerkove" seal of approval for hot weather riding. (He told me the reasons for white shoes a year ago that made a lot of sense.) 

I'm not sure about those TPU multi-colored soles though. Pick orange or purple, but the fade? Meh... It probably won't matter once they get scarred up from pedal mashing, walking on concrete and gravel, and with a nice coating of limestone dust all over them. 

It's a bit curious that fizik went with such a flexible sole. But at this price-point, you don't normally get a lot of features and expensive materials. So, if the idea was to reach the more recreational, "semi-serious" rider, this shoe makes sense. You get what looks like a top of the range road shoe at a much nicer price and a shoe that could cross over to gravel, road, or adventure cycling where walking is a much bigger part of the picture. 

Image courtesy of fizik

Getting back to that theory of Jeff's concerning white shoes. He told me a year ago while we were riding the GCHoF ride in Emporia that white shoes were preferable because the typical black shoe uppers were heat absorbers and as Jeff said to me then, "Who wants hotter feet? I know I don't!". 

So, on one hand this seems to make sense. On the other hand, my gravel shoes look dingy and cruddy 90% of the time and washing them is not all that effective in bringing back the "new". So, I could imagine what a white shoe will end up looking like after a few rides. Maintenance city, man! Too much fussing around for me. 

But I get it. I understand the heat absorption thing. I was standing outside the other day when it was 90-something degrees and the humidity was pretty bad in a dark colored t-shirt and you could feel the shirt start to cook in a few minutes. So, I buy into that theory, Jeff, I just don't know if I could put up with white shoes after a few rides on our gravel roads and then have to look at those dingy shoes afterward.

That's a wrap on this week. Good Luck to all the RAGBRAI riders! Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Esker Cycles

 Hey! It's New Bike Day On The FN&V!

Esker Cycles Introduces The Smokey Ti:

Esker introduced a new bicycle on Monday called the Smokey Ti. It is a long travel, hard tail, titanium framed bicycle with signature Esker features. 

Designed around a 160mm travel fork, the Smokey Ti also features Esker's Portage drop outs which can be used to adjust your wheelbase or to set up the bike as a single speed. 

The Smokey Ti has a slack head angle of 64.5° and comes in four sizes. Frames are $2.500.00, and adding a fork to that brings you to $3,100.00. The single speed complete starts at $4.200.00 and geared completes start at $4,500.00. Contact Esker Cycles for more options. 

Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles

Salsa Cycles Updates Stormchaser Model:

Salsa Cycles announced yesterday that the new edition of the Stormchaser is now available. It comes in the traditional single speed issue with a new "Storm Grey" color. This version costs $1,799.00. 

The geared version has an Apex Eagle set up, a Rock Shox Rudy suspension device, and a dropper post, all in a Berry color for $3,199.00. 

The Stormchaser has copious tire clearance, (It will easily take a 700 X 50mm tire), and has the Class 5 VRS stays which give the rider some comfort in the rear end of the bike. The tension for the chain in single speed mode comes via the clever sliding drop outs Salsa developed for this model. 

The Storm Grey single speed. Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles

 There is a frame only option in black as well for $1,249.00. It includes a carbon fiber fork, head set, Stealth Dropper Post routing, abrasion plates, and rack and fender mounts. See your Salsa Cycles dealer for details. 

Image courtesy of Otso Cycles

Otso Cycles Announces Hoot Ti Trail Bike:

Otso Cycles announced on Tuesday of this week that they now have a hard tail, long travel, slacked out mountain bike of their own called the "Hoot Ti". As the name suggests, the frame is made out of titanium. 

The frame features 3D printed titanium drop outs and chain stay yoke. The 65° head tube angle on the Hoot Ti is optimized for 140mm travel fork, but Otso worked with Fox to get a 36mm stanchion version made to increase stiffness and lateral rigidity of this fork. The fork features Fox's new Grip X damper, 44mm offset, and bleeders on the lowers. Otso had Fox make the fork with black lowers and black anodized stanchions as well. 

Otso allows for a 150mm travel fork, but cautions against anything longer than that or shorter than 140mm. They claim the geometry will be altered too much affecting the intended handling of the design negatively.  

The Hoot Ti frame can be had for $3,300.00 with completes starting at $6,100.00. See Otso's website HERE for more details.

Image courtesy of Pilot Cycles

Pilot Cycles Debuts Completely 3D Printed Titanium Frame:

Pilot Cycles asks the question, "Have you ever seen a completely 3D printed road bike?" Well, there it is! Pilot, a Dutch company, have claimed to have made the first rideable, tested road bike made completely out of 3D printed titanium. 

The idea was driven by a desire to find a way to make a more sustainable frame for lightweight purposes than what carbon fiber is, but have it be competitive with carbon in performance. Pilot Cycles claims to have achieved this goal. 

You can read about the details HERE. 

The model is called the Seiren, and Pilot claims that by using titanium in this way, the bike can be tuned for ride quality and performance, just as with carbon fiber. Titanium can obviously be recycled into another titanium product, but recycling is very difficult with carbon fiber. 

Comments: One would suspect also that the titanium frame might be more durable, and in testing this has been the case so far. However; we don't know what "real world" lifespan for 3D titanium is just yet, as far as cycling goes. It's all too new to know this. But again, even if it isn't quite the "forever titanium frame" that your drawn tube titanium is, it can be recycled. 

Image courtesy of Ritchey Design/John Watson

Ritchey Design Announces New P-29 Hard Tail:

Ritchey Design announced yesterday that a newly designed P-29 hard tail frame is now available. Using proprietary triple-butted Logic steel tubing this new frame updates the old P-29 with Boost spacing and a capability to handle a 120mm travel suspension fork or a 500mm axle to crown Boost rigid fork. 

The frame can handle up to a 2.3" 29"er tires (depending upon rim choice) and has stealth dropper routing as well. The color is called "Dirt in Blood" and the frame retails for $999.00USD. 

Comments: This is an interesting 29"er frame and I love a few things about it. First is the color and the name of the color which is pretty cool. But practicality-wise I love that this bike is steel, and that it is so inexpensive. Furthermore; I love that Ritchey sent out a press release showing multiple builds of this frame and a couple used Ritchey drop bars. 

I don't like the tire clearance, but 2.3" is plenty for gravel and single track around here. That said, if I were looking to add a MTB to the Guitar Ted stable of bicycles I would strongly consider this one.

Victory Ride Tomorrow!.

Tomorrow will be the 50+ mile "Victory Ride" which was conceived of by Warren Weibe and facilitated by N.Y. Roll as a ride to celebrate 'something' and myself, I guess..... I'm not sure what this is about, really, other than Warren wanted to come up and spend some time with me on a bicycle ride. Maybe I'll get clarification on that and report back Monday. Oh! Yes, there will be a report here. 

I do "know" of about 10-11 of us that will be planning to show up. You may be coming too? If so, the route file from Ride With GPS is HERE. 

Otherwise I have not much more to say about this here. Of course, it is self-supported, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOU!, and NO DROP rules are in effect. There likely will be a 'surprise visitor' rider, and maybe more than one. N.Y. Roll and I have our ideas on who that may be, but tomorrow will tell the tale.

Weather looks.....adventurous. Perhaps there will be some moisture. Hmm..... Stay tuned for the report to see how it all went on Monday. 

Until then, thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions and have a safe and happy weekend. Ride those bicycles!

Friday News And Views

 Cost Of Crushed Rock At Historically High Levels:

Crushed rock, or more commonly known as gravel, is getting expensive. A recent story by kchanews.com, a radio station in Floyd County, Iowa, claims that Floyd County will pay an estimated 1.5 million or more in 2024 for crushed rock for their gravel road maintenance. 

The price per ton two years ago was $13.88 and the price today has risen to $15.28 per ton, the highest amount the county has ever paid for rock for their gravel roads. 

Comments: Obviously a lot of things have increased in price, but I feel as though there are some things we can point to which have caused counties to have to maintain the roads more often than in the past. 

One thing is the drought. Dry conditions seem to cause the gravel to break down more quickly, but I could be wrong about that. It just seems that way to me. Secondly, heavier agricultural equipment and the widespread use of semi tractor-trailers for grain transportation have wreaked havoc on the roads. Finally, Winter plowing grinds off gravel and pushes it into ditches. In years past such aggressive snow removal tactics were not employed. 

All this means now is that taxes extracted from residents will be stretched to cover higher priced materials to maintain the public roads. Paved roads cost even more, so paving everything is not the answer. In my opinion, farmers need to bear more of the responsibility for what their equipment does to roads. 

Image courtesy of Hayes/Manitou

Manitou Throws It Back To The 90's:

Manitou, who were there at the beginning of the suspension revelotion in mountain bikes, has announced a special edition Mattoc Pro fork all done up to look like Manitou's famous elastomeric suspension fork from the early 1990's. 

Those early Manitou forks were black and silver with a reputation for being rather flexy and having nearly no damping characteristics at all. but then again, most early suspension fork efforts were pretty dismal compared to the wild technology we have today. 

At about $1100.00, it is not cheap, but it surely is about 1100 times better than the original the fork is made to look like. 

Manitou doesn't get the "love" these days like Fox and Rock Shox, but they do make nice things which I think more folks should be taking a look at. Take this Mattoc Pro, for instance. It comes out of the box set at 140m of travel, but any user can adjust that at home with a simple procedure to go anywhere from 110mm to 150mm of travel making this 1750 gram fork versatile from XC to light enduro riding. 

Image courtesy of Esker Cycles

Houchin To Ride Esker Ti Japhy For 2024:

Ultra-distance athlete and single speeder Alexandera Houchin was announced as a sponsored rider by Esker Cycles this week. 

Houchin rides single speed a lot, but will also be using geared and possibly full-suspension bikes from Esker Cycles range in the future, according to a statement in the press release. 

Houchin is a well known and accomplished rider in the off-road ultra-distance field. She has set, or holds several records including the fastest single speed ride for Women and first woman overall at the 2019 Tour Divide, a record setting and winning ride in the Women's category at the Colorado Trail Race, plus many more wins and records. Alexandera has logged an incredible 6 consecutive Colorado Trail starts and finishes. Along with 3 consecutive Arizona Trail Race 800 starts and finishes. 

The Guitar Ted Podcast Episode #42: The Mid-South Review

I know many of you already waded through my written version of things concerning the Mid-South,
and if you did read that report, thank you! 

But if you are game for more, or would rather listen to two old dudes gab, the podcast version can be accessed HERE or wherever you get your podcasts from these days. 

There is a bit more content here concerning riding bandit, as well as some banter about the "fast folk" doing things that could be seen as unfair. 

Plus we do a Gravel Amplifier on two events also. What's that? Oh....well it is my opinion that mainstream cycling media thinks there are only Pro level gravel events. I don't adhere to that take, so N.Y. Roll and I search out smaller, affordably priced gravel events in places we think a lot of people would find interesting. We talk about that instead of hyping all the European and North American events the pro riders are doing. They get enough amplification.

Also, I'll throw it out here that we are always looking for events to bring to our audience's attention, so if you have any gravel events you think should get some run on "The Guitar Ted Podcast" then you can send me the information to: g.ted.productions@gmail.com

Image courtesy of Race Face

Race Face Introduces ERA Carbon MTB Wheels:

Race Face introduced a new mountain bike wheel set yesterday called ERA. This is an all-new wheel with Race Face's Vault hubs and a 30mm internal rim width. The wheels are available in 29" or 27.5" sizes.

The big deal with these rims on the ERA wheel set is the compliance Race Face has tried to engineer into the wheels. Race Face believes that vertical compliance is a good thing, but that lateral compliance is also key to a successful ride off-road.

They point to how a rigid wheel with no give laterally will "ping" you off rocks and trail obstacles, knocking you off-line and causing handling to go out the window. The ERA wheels are designed to absorb some of that energy that would otherwise be sending you in a new direction.

Will it work? That's the big question here, but you have to give it to Race Face for trying. You can find out for yourself by ponying up $1599.00USD. 

That's a wrap on this week's news and views. Have a great weekend and thanks for reading the Guitar Ted Productions blog!!

Esker Debuts Hayduke LVS

Be Like J.P.: The Esker Hayduke LVS (Image Courtesy of Esker)

Many of you dear readers have no doubt seen and heard about Jay Petervary's tragic ending to his Great Divide Unearthed ride aboard a prototype long wheelbased bike packing bike from Esker Cycles. Well, good news on two fronts: JP is aggressively attacking rehab, as you'd expect, and making progress. Secondly, Esker Cycles has released the Hayduke LVS for your consideration as a bikepacking/touring platform. 

The frame is made out of titanium with cold-formed tubing. It features the same front triangle as Esker's Hayduke hard tail bike. So, it can handle up to a 120mm travel suspension fork. Tire clearance is up to 29" X 2.8" tires. 

The frame also features 24 accessory mounting points for bolt on frame bags, or water bottle cages. The frame has 6mm rack mounting points and Esker also has created the "MOLLE Rackwald" (Ha!) rack which utilizes the MOLLE accessory/pack mounting standard. The rack is available separately at $300.00. The Hayduke LVS is also compatible with Salsa, Old Man Mountain, and other rear racks.

The Hayduke LVE shown with the MOLLE Rackwald and Cedaero frame bags.

Frame bag companies already set up for making Hayduke LVS bags are as follows: Cedaero, Rogue Panda, and JPacks. I would assume others will follow if this bike goes as well as planned. 

The frame has the new version of the Portage dropouts which can allow a single speed, bail-out option. This dropout also is compatible with the UDH hangar and SRAM Transmission rear derailleurs. 

All images in this post are courtesy of Esker Cycles.

Price: $2950.00 USD or a complete bike can be had for $4950.00 USD. See the webpage for the Hayduke LVS HERE. 

Comments: The concept of this bike is intriguing. It draws obvious comparisons to the old Salsa Cycles Blackborow (v2) which was a fat bike with a very similar profile. A bike JP actually used for his successful Iditarod attempt to Nome, Alaska several years ago. 

I've heard nothing but good things about how that Salsa fat bike handles, climbs, and rides. Esker claims that this is a superior ride quality bike packing rig, and with it being made in titanium, I've no doubt that this is the case. JP seemed plenty pleased with his prototype that was sadly destroyed in the crash he suffered at the hands of motor vehicle operator. 

I'm interested in the bike since it can handle 29 X 2.8" tires, which I would want to run on something like this at times. (Most of the time?) I love the frame material. I am intrigued by the frame pack capacity, although this could be like purses and garages: The bigger they are, the more stuff you fill them with. Maybe unnecessary stuff... 

I'm a bit reticent to consider this on the basis of its price, fair as that may be, and maybe more importantly, because the bike is long, probably ungainly to portage, and a chore (on my end) to park it when not in use. But those are my problems, not necessarily your problems, so take that under advisement. 

Overall I think this is a rad idea for gravel, rough-road, and off-road touring. It should be a really sweet riding bike, but of course, I don't know that, I am speculating here. However; if JP has nothing but good things to say, that's a heady endorsement. Expensive, yes, but worth it if it does the tricks it claims it will do. It will be fun to see what people make of this as time goes on.

Thanks to Esker Cycles for the press release and information used in this post.