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

Limited edition Japhy. Image by Jason Boucher (Courtesy of Esker Cycles)

Limited Edition Japhy Announced By Esker:

This lovely lavender hard tail bike came across my inbox  on Monday from Esker. They have a special coating in this hue and a special component package for a limited run of bikes.

Dubbed "Shredkote", the Cerakote ceramic finish is very thin and super-durable. I've written about Cerakote before. You can learn more there at the link if you care to.

The bike is tied together by a collaboration with MRP on a "Shredkoted" Raven fork. The bike has clearance for 29" X 2.8" tires and features Esker's "Portage" drop outs. There are only 10 that will be made in this hue and spec, so check it out HERE. The proce is listed at $3.450.00.

Comments: The Japhy is the bike Salsa should have made as the El Mariachi v3. But....they didn't. That's okay because Esker has done it and this bike would rank highly as one I'd want to throw a leg over for mountain biking. Bonus for me as far as this presser goes is that my friend Jason Boucher took the images for this special release. Nice! Congrats Jason on the stellar images.

5DEV cranks. (Image courtesy of 5DEV)

5DEV Expands Range Of Titanium Cranksets:

Relatively new player, 5DEV, who CNC machine titanium into beautiful cranksets and stems, has announced an expansion of choices for their wares. 

The cranksets will be available for Enduro, DH, MTB, gravel, fatbikes, and road bikes in the following lengths: 155, 165, 167.5, 170, 172.5 and 157.5 for eCranks.

The prices will range from $1,399.00 - $1,499.00 a set.

5DEV parts are made in San Diego, California. 

Comments: Titanium can be lighter for frames and components, but the appeal to me has always been corrosion resistance and the ease of maintenance in terms of the finish. What immediately pops out for me here is the fatbike/gravel bike uses when the bike doubles as a commuter/road bike in Winter. Corrosion resistance is a sought after trait, in my view, since Winter roads can eat aluminum components and corrode steel like caterpillar on a leafy green plant. Whatever the heck chemical soup the State uses now is pure evil for bikes. Titanium resists that devil and it flees from its presence. (But the State needs to ditch that evil mixture ASAP anyway) 

An example of Cris King's new Splash: (Image courtesy of Chris King )

Chris King Precision Components Announces New "Splash" Colorway:

Chris King announced on Tuesday that they have a new annodization process which allows for a base color and a "splash" of a contrasting color. This has resulted in their new Splash component offerings. 

Using a bronze-like base color the components feature a bright splash of turquoise color. 

Available in all their components, the new Splash components will be a limited release with only 50 of each component being made. The colorway will be released in Chris King pre-built wheels as well. 

Comments: Good thing Chris King keeps finding ways to reinvent anodizing. It practically is the only thing the company has done to stay relevant in the market place. Sure, the components are really good, but somehow the company's products seem to be less desirable. Maybe that's an impression of mine that misses the mark. Let me know....

This new "Splash" thing? For myself it seems to be the analog to 1980's crackle-finish Super-Strat guitars. (Throws the horns and bobs head) 

Image from 2014 Eurobike courtesy of Frank B.

Wheel Size Causes Consternation Amongst Certain Riders:

Wednesday's post on the new 750D gravel wheels was received with some familiar negativity from certain sectors of the cycling cognoscenti. This was very reminiscent of the push-back seen when 29 inch MTB wheels were proposed in 1999. (YES! It's been 24 years now!)

Ironically the same individual and company is responsible for both wheel sizes to be in existence now. That said, like many ideas in bicycling, or overall, for that matter, this bigger wheel has a similar predecessor. I was forwarded an Italian magazine article from 2014 which showed a 750 sized wheel which was proposed as a wheel which one could swap into a 29"er frame and use as a road riding wheel set. It was also implicated as a possible road bike solution for taller riders. (Thanks to reader "Frank B" for that info!)

Note that this happened before "gravel" became a thing worldwide. The image says the overall diameter of the wheel and the tire is 740mm, so this was called "750" by the developers of the idea. I have no further technical data to share, but the wheels were never commercially available. 

It just goes to show you that cycling companies are always thinking of some way that they can entice you to part with your dollars, and hopefully, at the same time, provide riders with a tangible benefit.

That's a wrap for this week. September is on the doorstep! get out and ride while you can!

Friday News And Views

Limited edition Japhy. Image by Jason Boucher (Courtesy of Esker Cycles)

Limited Edition Japhy Announced By Esker:

This lovely lavender hard tail bike came across my inbox  on Monday from Esker. They have a special coating in this hue and a special component package for a limited run of bikes.

Dubbed "Shredkote", the Cerakote ceramic finish is very thin and super-durable. I've written about Cerakote before. You can learn more there at the link if you care to.

The bike is tied together by a collaboration with MRP on a "Shredkoted" Raven fork. The bike has clearance for 29" X 2.8" tires and features Esker's "Portage" drop outs. There are only 10 that will be made in this hue and spec, so check it out HERE. The proce is listed at $3.450.00.

Comments: The Japhy is the bike Salsa should have made as the El Mariachi v3. But....they didn't. That's okay because Esker has done it and this bike would rank highly as one I'd want to throw a leg over for mountain biking. Bonus for me as far as this presser goes is that my friend Jason Boucher took the images for this special release. Nice! Congrats Jason on the stellar images.

5DEV cranks. (Image courtesy of 5DEV)

5DEV Expands Range Of Titanium Cranksets:

Relatively new player, 5DEV, who CNC machine titanium into beautiful cranksets and stems, has announced an expansion of choices for their wares. 

The cranksets will be available for Enduro, DH, MTB, gravel, fatbikes, and road bikes in the following lengths: 155, 165, 167.5, 170, 172.5 and 157.5 for eCranks.

The prices will range from $1,399.00 - $1,499.00 a set.

5DEV parts are made in San Diego, California. 

Comments: Titanium can be lighter for frames and components, but the appeal to me has always been corrosion resistance and the ease of maintenance in terms of the finish. What immediately pops out for me here is the fatbike/gravel bike uses when the bike doubles as a commuter/road bike in Winter. Corrosion resistance is a sought after trait, in my view, since Winter roads can eat aluminum components and corrode steel like caterpillar on a leafy green plant. Whatever the heck chemical soup the State uses now is pure evil for bikes. Titanium resists that devil and it flees from its presence. (But the State needs to ditch that evil mixture ASAP anyway) 

An example of Cris King's new Splash: (Image courtesy of Chris King )

Chris King Precision Components Announces New "Splash" Colorway:

Chris King announced on Tuesday that they have a new annodization process which allows for a base color and a "splash" of a contrasting color. This has resulted in their new Splash component offerings. 

Using a bronze-like base color the components feature a bright splash of turquoise color. 

Available in all their components, the new Splash components will be a limited release with only 50 of each component being made. The colorway will be released in Chris King pre-built wheels as well. 

Comments: Good thing Chris King keeps finding ways to reinvent anodizing. It practically is the only thing the company has done to stay relevant in the market place. Sure, the components are really good, but somehow the company's products seem to be less desirable. Maybe that's an impression of mine that misses the mark. Let me know....

This new "Splash" thing? For myself it seems to be the analog to 1980's crackle-finish Super-Strat guitars. (Throws the horns and bobs head) 

Image from 2014 Eurobike courtesy of Frank B.

Wheel Size Causes Consternation Amongst Certain Riders:

Wednesday's post on the new 750D gravel wheels was received with some familiar negativity from certain sectors of the cycling cognoscenti. This was very reminiscent of the push-back seen when 29 inch MTB wheels were proposed in 1999. (YES! It's been 24 years now!)

Ironically the same individual and company is responsible for both wheel sizes to be in existence now. That said, like many ideas in bicycling, or overall, for that matter, this bigger wheel has a similar predecessor. I was forwarded an Italian magazine article from 2014 which showed a 750 sized wheel which was proposed as a wheel which one could swap into a 29"er frame and use as a road riding wheel set. It was also implicated as a possible road bike solution for taller riders. (Thanks to reader "Frank B" for that info!)

Note that this happened before "gravel" became a thing worldwide. The image says the overall diameter of the wheel and the tire is 740mm, so this was called "750" by the developers of the idea. I have no further technical data to share, but the wheels were never commercially available. 

It just goes to show you that cycling companies are always thinking of some way that they can entice you to part with your dollars, and hopefully, at the same time, provide riders with a tangible benefit.

That's a wrap for this week. September is on the doorstep! get out and ride while you can!

Friday News And Views

Riding Gravel Jersey Update:

Last week I posted that we at RidingGravel.com were thinking about rebooting the jersey idea and I posted two new designs courtesy of Bike Rags. I then asked you readers, if you cared to, to give me feedback on which one you'd like. I also posted these designs to the Riding Gravel Facebook page for consideration.

So, after all of that..... there was no clear winner! So, I'm not quite sure what to make of those results. Here's the kicker: We are not doing both. So the decision will likely fall on my shoulders to make. I'm going to allow this to carry on through the week next week, and if I do not get anymore feedback, the light blue one (with a slight mod) will be my choice. 

Now.......there is still time to swing things the other way, so let me know now or it will definitely be the lighter blue one. The changes I want to make would be to go with a shade darker orange and add a strip of orange to the top of the rear pockets like the dark blue design has on it.

The orange on the darker jersey is not how dark I would go on the lighter blue jersey, just for reference. The orange on the light blue one just looks a bit too 'creamsicle' for my tastes. And if the deal is left in my hands to make the call, that's what it'll be. 

So, one more week and we will then see how it goes. This isn't a super-high priority deal for RidingGravel.com. We do have our eyes on doing two t-shirts, classic designs we have done in the past that we are bringing back, and maybe a hoodie design. Stay tuned......

There also will be sticker packs and maybe one other kind of goodie as well. I doubt that we will get any of this off the ground for gift giving this holiday season. It will likely be later into the Winter before anything becomes available, unless I get surprised by something. We will see. 

Oh! And just for the record, I don't hate the darker blue design, I just like it less than the lighter blue design. Plus, the lighter blue is more in keeping with our other jersey we put out a few years back. So, the continuity of that appeals to me a bit. Just thought I'd throw that out there. 

The new Japhy from Esker Cycles.

Esker Cycles Debuts The Japhy Hardtail:

I had heard via Esker Cycles' head honcho on Facebook that there would be a new hardtail capable of handling a 29+ tire. Well, it was released Tuesday and it is a steel frame called the Japhy. 

You may be familiar with the Esker Hayduke, which has been around now for a while. This seems to be Esker's 27.5 platform now that the Japhy is out which has been designated the 29"er in the range. The Japhy has all the up-to-date slack/long/low thing going on with its geometry. No real difference from many bikes like it in that regard. But what I see here is a great value in a steel hard tail.

The Japhy frame set, which has a 148 Boost rear through axle, the sliding Portage rear drop out, a seat collar, and a Wolf Tooth head set, is fairly priced at $750.00. Not just in one color either. No, you get to choose from four different colors. That's crazy value, but the frame isn't some gas pipe tube set either. Esker says it is a quad-butted, seamless ChroMoly tube set. It has a dropper route, and with those Portage drop outs, it can be set up to accept various hub widths and supports a rack as well. 

I think it is a fetching bike for the buck. Especially compared to many others in this category. I'd look strongly at getting one if I lived in a place where it would make sense. The thing is, I don't live in a place where this makes sense. 

Image courtesy of Twampa

Wood You? Ride A Wooden Bike, That Is.....

The idea for using wood as a structural element isn't anything newsworthy, but when it comes to something that is like a bicycle? Well, that's a bit more unusual, although not unprecedented. Wood has been used to make bicycles and parts of bicycles for the entirety of the history of bicycles. But you'd have to agree that it isn't something you see everyday now. 

I have seen wooden rims, handle bars, and a complete wooden bicycle before. The last one I recall being pretty noteworthy was the Renovo road bike. I actually worked on one at the shop I was at prior to my gig at Andy's Bike Shop. (Renovo went out of business in 2018) Wood is a very qualified material to use to make a bicycle frame. It has its challenges, but the unique characteristics of wood become immediately familiar when we associate its use in some everyday things we know well. Like tool handles. Many are made from hardwoods like ash because they are strong and absorb shock well. Think about Major League baseball bats. They are made from wood as well for similar reasons. 

So, it makes sense that a frame for a gravel bike made from ash might be a worthwhile thing to do, and that's exactly where the company Twampa, from the U.K., is coming from with its new 'GR 1.0' gravel bike. Their unique take on a bicycle uses some cool machine work which features puzzle-piece junctions at major frame member joints and looks like a regular frame with, you know......wood grain.

Image courtesy of Twampa

Now, I looked over the Twampa website and there was no overt reference to pricing, but using the old Renovo bikes as a historical touch point, I cannot imagine these bikes would be inexpensive. A story I saw about the company said a frame is about $3000,00 USD though. Then we in North America know that the Emerald Ash Borer beetle has decimated ash tree populations here and it is expected that ash will no longer be available as a material to work with very soon. You have to wonder if English ash trees are under any similar threat. 

Then you have the suitability for any given bit of timber to be used in a structure like a bicycle frame where a material's characteristics are pushed to their outer limits. Select trees may only produce a finite amount of suitable material. That's probably why you don't see a lot of wooden bicycle frames. Getting a consistency from 'nature' in quantities on demand at fair prices? Good luck with that. That's why prices for such objects generally are quite high. (Thinking about guitars here especially)

But it is an interesting thought- a wooden bike- and I would ride one, given the opportunity. It would have to be spectacularly awesome and loads more comfortable than say, carbon fiber, or steel, for me to even give thought to buying one. Why? because I don't see the value proposition being an advantage over what I can buy for, (likely) a lot less. I mean, if this frame alone, with no fork, mind you, is 3K? Yeah..... That's very difficult to justify unless it is so much better than titanium, carbon, or high end steel. But, you'd have an unusual bike, that's for sure! 

And that's a wrap. REJECT BLACK FRIDAY! Go for a bicycle ride.....or a walk even...instead! have an awesome weekend!

Friday News And Views

Riding Gravel Jersey Update:

Last week I posted that we at RidingGravel.com were thinking about rebooting the jersey idea and I posted two new designs courtesy of Bike Rags. I then asked you readers, if you cared to, to give me feedback on which one you'd like. I also posted these designs to the Riding Gravel Facebook page for consideration.

So, after all of that..... there was no clear winner! So, I'm not quite sure what to make of those results. Here's the kicker: We are not doing both. So the decision will likely fall on my shoulders to make. I'm going to allow this to carry on through the week next week, and if I do not get anymore feedback, the light blue one (with a slight mod) will be my choice. 

Now.......there is still time to swing things the other way, so let me know now or it will definitely be the lighter blue one. The changes I want to make would be to go with a shade darker orange and add a strip of orange to the top of the rear pockets like the dark blue design has on it.

The orange on the darker jersey is not how dark I would go on the lighter blue jersey, just for reference. The orange on the light blue one just looks a bit too 'creamsicle' for my tastes. And if the deal is left in my hands to make the call, that's what it'll be. 

So, one more week and we will then see how it goes. This isn't a super-high priority deal for RidingGravel.com. We do have our eyes on doing two t-shirts, classic designs we have done in the past that we are bringing back, and maybe a hoodie design. Stay tuned......

There also will be sticker packs and maybe one other kind of goodie as well. I doubt that we will get any of this off the ground for gift giving this holiday season. It will likely be later into the Winter before anything becomes available, unless I get surprised by something. We will see. 

Oh! And just for the record, I don't hate the darker blue design, I just like it less than the lighter blue design. Plus, the lighter blue is more in keeping with our other jersey we put out a few years back. So, the continuity of that appeals to me a bit. Just thought I'd throw that out there. 

The new Japhy from Esker Cycles.

Esker Cycles Debuts The Japhy Hardtail:

I had heard via Esker Cycles' head honcho on Facebook that there would be a new hardtail capable of handling a 29+ tire. Well, it was released Tuesday and it is a steel frame called the Japhy. 

You may be familiar with the Esker Hayduke, which has been around now for a while. This seems to be Esker's 27.5 platform now that the Japhy is out which has been designated the 29"er in the range. The Japhy has all the up-to-date slack/long/low thing going on with its geometry. No real difference from many bikes like it in that regard. But what I see here is a great value in a steel hard tail.

The Japhy frame set, which has a 148 Boost rear through axle, the sliding Portage rear drop out, a seat collar, and a Wolf Tooth head set, is fairly priced at $750.00. Not just in one color either. No, you get to choose from four different colors. That's crazy value, but the frame isn't some gas pipe tube set either. Esker says it is a quad-butted, seamless ChroMoly tube set. It has a dropper route, and with those Portage drop outs, it can be set up to accept various hub widths and supports a rack as well. 

I think it is a fetching bike for the buck. Especially compared to many others in this category. I'd look strongly at getting one if I lived in a place where it would make sense. The thing is, I don't live in a place where this makes sense. 

Image courtesy of Twampa

Wood You? Ride A Wooden Bike, That Is.....

The idea for using wood as a structural element isn't anything newsworthy, but when it comes to something that is like a bicycle? Well, that's a bit more unusual, although not unprecedented. Wood has been used to make bicycles and parts of bicycles for the entirety of the history of bicycles. But you'd have to agree that it isn't something you see everyday now. 

I have seen wooden rims, handle bars, and a complete wooden bicycle before. The last one I recall being pretty noteworthy was the Renovo road bike. I actually worked on one at the shop I was at prior to my gig at Andy's Bike Shop. (Renovo went out of business in 2018) Wood is a very qualified material to use to make a bicycle frame. It has its challenges, but the unique characteristics of wood become immediately familiar when we associate its use in some everyday things we know well. Like tool handles. Many are made from hardwoods like ash because they are strong and absorb shock well. Think about Major League baseball bats. They are made from wood as well for similar reasons. 

So, it makes sense that a frame for a gravel bike made from ash might be a worthwhile thing to do, and that's exactly where the company Twampa, from the U.K., is coming from with its new 'GR 1.0' gravel bike. Their unique take on a bicycle uses some cool machine work which features puzzle-piece junctions at major frame member joints and looks like a regular frame with, you know......wood grain.

Image courtesy of Twampa

Now, I looked over the Twampa website and there was no overt reference to pricing, but using the old Renovo bikes as a historical touch point, I cannot imagine these bikes would be inexpensive. A story I saw about the company said a frame is about $3000,00 USD though. Then we in North America know that the Emerald Ash Borer beetle has decimated ash tree populations here and it is expected that ash will no longer be available as a material to work with very soon. You have to wonder if English ash trees are under any similar threat. 

Then you have the suitability for any given bit of timber to be used in a structure like a bicycle frame where a material's characteristics are pushed to their outer limits. Select trees may only produce a finite amount of suitable material. That's probably why you don't see a lot of wooden bicycle frames. Getting a consistency from 'nature' in quantities on demand at fair prices? Good luck with that. That's why prices for such objects generally are quite high. (Thinking about guitars here especially)

But it is an interesting thought- a wooden bike- and I would ride one, given the opportunity. It would have to be spectacularly awesome and loads more comfortable than say, carbon fiber, or steel, for me to even give thought to buying one. Why? because I don't see the value proposition being an advantage over what I can buy for, (likely) a lot less. I mean, if this frame alone, with no fork, mind you, is 3K? Yeah..... That's very difficult to justify unless it is so much better than titanium, carbon, or high end steel. But, you'd have an unusual bike, that's for sure! 

And that's a wrap. REJECT BLACK FRIDAY! Go for a bicycle ride.....or a walk even...instead! have an awesome weekend!