Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Surly Bikes

 Okay....we're back with a regular FN&I. Finally! This week I'm kicking things off with some items which happened while I was away and reporting on BRAN. 

Surly Brings Back The Steamroller:

After a 23 year run starting in the year 2000, the Surly Steamroller was allowed to pass into the annals of Surly's archives. However, as of June 23rd, you can order a new Steamroller for a limited time. 

Surly didn't mess with the format too much. You still get track bike geometry and clearance for up to a 700 x 38mm tire, but the legal issues surrounding production of brakeless bikes has forced Surly to put cable stops on the frame for brakes. 

Surly says, "once they're gone, they're gone", so if the Anxious Lavender hue appeals to you and you always wanted a new Steamroller, well ya better get on it! $699.00 USD. (What?! Not $666.00?) 

Image courtesy of Thamus Bikes

The 32" Watch: Not Going Anywhere Soon

If you haven't noticed lately, 32" wheels are popping up everywhere. A 32" wheeled bike recently placed top three at a World Cup XC MTB event. Canyon is showing a radical 32"er at Eurobike with a weird, bi-plane handlebar. Esker Cycles is releasing its Lorax model with 32" wheels. Trek reportedly inadvertently showed a 32"er MTB racing bike in its latest documentary film. 

Meanwhile more small builders are producing 32" wheeled bikes for upcoming shows and for customers. 

As noted on these digital pages, we have seen prototype suspension forks for 32" wheels and as of now not many of those forks have shown up yet. This means more 32"ers are coming. (There may be a good reason for the no-show as of now. See below)

My prediction? Many of you readers will see a 32"er by this time next year near you, and many of you will have tried one.The 32"er isn't going anywhere soon, but this doesn't mean they are here to stay either. Think about how entrenched 26"ers were, or how many companies were jumping on 27.5"ers fifteen years ago. The 27.5"er is still hanging on, but I think it is obvious that it is a dead wheel size in gravel and nearly an obscure choice for MTB. The 32" wheel could find itself in a similar situation as these other wheel sizes five years from now. 

Gary Fisher's response to a BikeRumor post about the possible Trek 32"er in the video.

Or not. Time will tell. But I think it is safe to say 32" is an alternative choice which will soon be readily available to anyone soon. So, pretending it is an upcoming trend or curiosity is disingenuous now. So, no more "The 32" Watch" segments. I'll just report on these bikes as another choice from here on out.  

Image courtesy of Shimano

Shimano Keeps Mechanical Shifting Alive:

Shimano recently released news on their Deore and Deore XT level MTB components in a mechanical shifting format.  

XT now features a long cage or short cage rear derailleur in 12 speed for various sized cassettes or a LinkGlide 11 speed version. 

The rear derailleur is also advanced in its abilities to take on hits from trail debris. Manufactured to be able to be mounted on "modern hangars", the Deore XT rear derailleur can be used on any bike meant for derailleur drive trains. The rear pulleys are of a solid design which eliminates debris from catching in the pulleys and causing damage. 

 The rear derailleur now has a dual sprung design which Shimano says increases tension on the chain by 70% helping prevent chain drops and allowing for good shifts even on a worn cassette and chain. 

Deore features much the same upgrades as the XT version with less cost. 

Brakes were also addressed in this news where Shimano has now produced rotors with a 2.2mm thickness. This should provide more robust braking performance over a longer period of time than with the thinner rotors. This is especially critical with regard to modern e-MTB bikes.  

Comments: While SRAM continues to push proprietary electronic groups at least Shimano is keeping the versatility/mechanical shift crowd somewhat happy. XT stuff is impressive and with a mechanical 12 speed option now it should appeal to those who don't want to have batteries to charge or unfixable failures in the field due to software malfunctions. (Which have been reported on SRAM systems by some on social media). 

Image courtesy of Avinox

Avinox Shows Gearbox/E-Motor:

The days when a bicycle becomes more moto are coming sooner than not. The new Avinox E-Bike motor now showing at Eurobike is another step in the full-moto direction. The new motor/gear box eliminates the need for derailleurs and perhaps even traditional shifters. 

While Avinox would likely not agree with my assessment, one has to wonder is this  a step toward full-moto MTB's or is it not? Answering this question is subjective, perhaps, but elimination of key traditional bicycle components and adding more electronic controls and assists - to my way of thinking - is less "bicycle" and "more moto". 

Yes, you will still have to pedal the bike, however, it is getting easier and easier to do so, and at some point, we have to decide if pedals are just another way to have a throttle without having a throttle. 

At any rate, this new Avinox system eliminates the need for a derailleur and shifting can be programmed by the rider. Lots of MTB brands are jumping on this now, so it will be a thing soon out on the trails. See HERE for a list of manufacturers offering this motor and for more details. 

Cannondale Announces Factory MTB Team To Cease At End Of 2026:

Cannondale's Factory Race Teams have competed in MTB events for over three decades but will cease to be after the 2026 season concludes later this year. This according to a news release sent out to Cannondale dealers and the press on Wednesday. 

In its place, Cannondale will introduce a new "Rogues Program". This program will "... bring together professional racers, content creators, community leaders, and emerging voices - a roster larger and more varied than a traditional factory race team" according to Cannondale's release. 

Cannondale seeks to bring its rider experience to more everyday cyclists and to more events by having Rogue Program riders show up at events, group rides, and shops across the USA. Cannondale is also stating it will make a more concerted effort to bring demo rides and event activations to riders which they hope will put more riders on Cannondale bicycles to try them out, and buy them, of course. 

In the release Cannondale states that it still supports the EF cycling team and the women's St. Michaels program. 

Comments: Racing isn't selling bicycles, or so it would seem from this news release. Cannondale is taking a more direct to consumer approach in marketing using influencers, social media, and demo ride experiences instead.  

This will be embraced by the promoters of events as something like a Cannondale expo/demo adds value to their events. Shops also should benefit likewise. As riders, it is a boon to decision making as being able to actually ride a bike before buying is a big deal and should allay concerns over buying consumer direct where there is always that risk that the bike won't be quite what you expected. 

My take ultimately is that this could be a smart marketing decision if implemented correctly. And if it does pan out for Cannondale, look for other brands to follow suit. This should be interesting, but we will have to wait until 2027 to see if it flies or if it dies.  

Hey, Thanks Folks!

A special "thank you" to all who read through the BRAN coverage recently. I was quite amazed by the amount of readers who checked in during the week of BRAN and the week afterward when I did the ride recap. 

I even received advice on how to get my Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM to behave which made the remainder of the week a lot better. So, I really do appreciate those of you who have read the blog and give your feedback on it. 

You never know how odd things like BRAN are going to be received by the audience out there and I was a bit concerned how that would all go over with you all. Apparently it was a good thing. I don't know if I will ever get another opportunity like that, so I had to take it and I am very happy I did on several fronts. 

Thanks again and now it is time to get out there and ride those bicycles! 

Some Thoughts On 2025 Eurobike Trends

Image courtesy of PandaPodium

 Eurobike just happened in Franfurt, Germany. I watched the news and went through a few videos to see what the vibe was from the show floor. As always, there is a lot of stuff you and I will never see outside the walls of Eurobike. However, there were a few things which caught my eyes and one thing I've heard from a credible source which may have impacts on our cycling futures.

Stringy Spokes: 

First is fiber-based spokes for wheels. Now Berd has been at this the longest, unless you want to talk about Spinergy, which would be a credible argument. But yeah, those two companies are the first to really put fibrous spokes on the map.

Now the Chinese companies are bringing in competition for this market, which was seen at the latest Taipei Cycle Show. Goosyn, as an example, has a fibrous spoke product which seems to be very derivative of Berd's design. There were others on offer there as well.

But the Eurobike show has me thinking this fiber spoke trend is about to take off. I say this because one You Tube video I saw showed Sapim fiber spokes. Sapim is a big player in bicycle spokes, so if they have a fiber spoke product hitting the market, you can bet we are going to see it spec'ed as stock on some brand's bicycles soon enough. So, this is a trend now and I think you are going to see a lot more of the fiber spoked wheels in the future. 

Will The Real Wagon Wheels For Bikes Please Stand Up! 

Image courtesy of Dirty Sixer

Gary Fisher was spouting off on social media during Eurobike on the 32" wheels for MTB and gravel. He claims he has a design for a MTB which would fit 32" wheels that would work for a 5'5" human. 

Now......that's something I'd have to see, but despite my doubts, there are no doubts regarding 32" wheels and the industry's buzz behind the scenes concerning this monster wheel.

I have spoken with a person who has ridden these bigger big wheels and the reaction was somewhat positive. Let's say "guarded optimism" was the feeling I got from this person's take on the 32's. This probably will supplant the WTB 750D idea which seems dead in the water now. 

As I stated earlier this year when news of a Maxxis Aspen 32" tire came out: If Maxxis is making this, then it will become available to the public on a name-brand bike you know. Stay tuned on this one.....

T-47 Rules: 

Image courtesy of Chris King

 T-47 bottom brackets have been around a while already, but I noted many newer bicycles being shown at Eurobike are being designed to utilize this standard.

The larger bore diameter over most other bottom brackets not only provides a better environment for bearings, (unless you are using DUB), and it also allows larger bearings to be used. It also makes for a stiffer junction for chain stays, down tube, and seat tube. 

PF-30's were based on this idea, except there were no threads, because, well, it was easier/cheaper for manufacturers to make frames without precise machined and threaded bottom bracket shells. But the creaking which resulted from this made PF-30 a byword amongst mechanics and some riders for years.  

I've got no beef with T-47's as long as the shells are threaded and machined, or have a threaded shell molded into the frame, in the case of carbon fiber. Press-fit or Thread-together styles just are not necessary. I mean, it is the entire point for having T-47's anyway. Now if SRAM would just make DUB a little smaller so we can have real-world sized bearings, that would be great. 

Integrated Everything? 

Image courtesy of Winspace

Integration is a trend in cycling with the most obvious things having to do with aerodynamics. Bars, stems, and cables are all affected by this integration of components and aero concerns.

Well, we've seen one instance of a flat bar, fully-integrated set up shown before, but I've heard this will be pushed to new limits by a major brand sooner than later with a fully integrated drop bar set up.

All components: Stem, bar, and levers- will be integrated into a single, I assume carbon fiber, component which will have its main focus being on aero. I wouldn't at all be surprised if a GPS head unit is part of this integration as well. (There was a company at Eurobike showing their own computer embedded into an integrated flat bar component, so it is a thing) 

I know......I can hear the hue and cry from bike-fitters and mechanics already. 

Image courtesy of Cervelo

Gravel Bikes At The Show:

A pre-show press release from Eurobike stated that this year would be heavy with gravel bikes. From every outlet I saw, this seemed to hold up. Gravel bikes are being offered by almost every bicycle brand now. Not only is this seemingly true, but the category isn't being taken lightly. The bikes I was able to see online are deeply technical, high end, and meant for a purpose - Either for Pro level racing, or adventure. In either case, aerodynamics are a big theme with the gravel bikes seen at Eurobike.

All the latest aero road bike trends are now found on gravel bikes as well. Deep profile carbon aero rims, aero handle bars, and frames optimized for slicing through the air were seen in Frankfurt. This trend will infiltrate all levels of gravel bikes going forward. 

Aero touches all aspects of modern gravel bike frames and forks now with completely hidden cables, hidden seat binders, and forks which blend in at the crown seamlessly into the down tube shapes. I also noted aero water bottle solutions are again being pushed for the top-tier gravel racing bikes.

The adventure gravel segment can easily be spotted by the appearance of the "triple-boss" mounts on forks. Credit to Salsa Cycles for their early use of this idea as now it is ubiquitous on any gravel bike meant for ultra-distance, bikepacking, or adventure. Of course, other accessory mounts abound on these bicycles as well. Both types of gravel bikes are also sporting in-tube down tube storage if they are made with carbon frames. It seems any bicycle without this feature is missing a trick.

Also noted: BIG tires are a theme with most showing 700 X 45mm tires and up. I recall when I was running 700 X 43mm Gravel Kings and people telling me I was running tires which were too wide! Now it seems 45mm is the new "gravel skinny". I say, "Welcome to the party!"

That is what I noted from Eurobike. What did you see or read about which caught your attention? let me know in the comments. 

Friday News And Views

Eddy Merckx Strasbourg 80 (Image courtesy of Eddy Merckx Bikes)

 Eddy Turned 80:

Tuesday of this past week Eddy "The Cannibal" Merckx turned 80 years old. You may have heard of him, but I know younger folks probably have not, or just know there is some old dude that won a lot of road races behind the name.

Today we have dominant racers, one in particular named Pogacar. A great young cyclist, and a consistent winner, to be sure, but even he has a long way to go to become anywhere near to being compared to the impact and historical importance of "Eddy". 

You may hate him, love him, or disregard him, but Eddy is a generational talent who was the dominant Pro road cyclist of his time, and possibly of all time. At any rate, celebrating his 80th birthday, the company bearing his name has released two special liveries on a road and a gravel bike in a limited edition. The gravel bike is the Strasbourg C 80. (Shown here) You can check out more on this model at the Eddy Merckx website. 

Eurobike 2025 Next Week:

Starting June 25th and running through to Sunday of next week, the Eurobike trade show will feature the latest in cycling trends, technologies, and as a compass for the direction of the cycling industry in the near future.

Gravel cycling is going to be a main focus of the show, according to a press release from Eurobike dated June 10th. In the release a figure from the German Bicycle Industry (ZIV) is quoted and states that in 2024, gravel bikes accounted for a 6.5% total market share in Germany. It is also worth noting figures for e-gravel bikes were twice that of e-road bikes. Although, the press release states the e-gravel bike hasn't "quite kept up" with gravel bike sales.

Expect to hear a lot about gravel bikes from the show then. However; there will be other news, of course, and some of this will be shown here as I have two embargoed press releases sitting in my inbox right now.. I will probably combine those and add a few Eurobike findings of my own in a single post next week. 

Image courtesy of Shimano

Shimano Announces XT, Deore 12spd Di2 Wireless Groups:

On Wednesday Shimano announced two new wireless 12 speed MTB groups with the biggest surprise being the new Deore level wireless Di2. You can check out Shimano's presentation on Deore XT 12speed Di2 wireless HERE. 

With a slew of new features including an automatically resetting derailleur if impacted, this group set announcement changes the landscape in MTB offerings where SRAM had previously been the only choice for more budget friendly wireless shifting.

Comments: Probably the most noteworthy capabilities of the new Deore Di2 12 speed wireless is the capability for use with Shimano's AutoShift and FreeShift features which allow automatic shifting based on speed and torque and shifting while coasting. While those features are most likely going to be found alongside electric motors, this is a feature set worth noting. Making riding 'easier' and without having to make so many split-second decisions on when to shift may be met with some scrutiny by certain sets of riders while others may embrace these aids to riding with open arms.

As a mechanic I noted the offering of a 12 speed 9T - 45T XT cassette. Nine tooth? Oh boy! I've not seen a lot in my time as a mechanic which would give me much confidence that a 10T or 9T cassette cog is a good idea. Maybe? We will see. 

From a gravel rider's perspective you have to think this wireless stuff is eventually coming for GRX. Maybe a 13 speed version will end up as wireless. I'm betting this will happen.

UCI Rules Changes Ruffle Feathers:

Recent news stories in the cycling world have detailed several new Pro road cycling rules being considered or which are changing in the near future. A few of these new edicts being handed down by the UCI are gaining traction in a negative way. One having to do with a handle bar width rule is being taken to task by women riders who think the bar width minimum being considered is too wide for many females and some males as well. That minimum width is reportedly 40cm.

The other rule being discussed, which I find interesting, is a gear rule which seeks to reduce speeds in Pro Men's racing. A great 'nerd-out' covering this is over at Cyclingnews.com. (Here)

Comments: While it is easy to dunk on the UCI's edicts, the gearing ruling is something I find is a subject the UCI is stuck in a bad place despite having good intentions for rider safety.

While training tactics, material technologies, and nutrition have all advanced and made riders faster and with less differences than ever before in speed, the UCI has been kind of caught flat-footed. The UCI has not addressed this soon enough. It is something which should have been looked at and taken care of years ago. At least they are looking to make changes now.

Some folks will cry foul, but with bad crashes and speeds on the rise, I don't think the UCI can ignore this any longer. It may mean some "innovations" will become obsolete, and it may hurt certain companies, but rider's safety should trump this, in my opinion. And yes - course design should also be a big part of the discussions as well.  

Read the linked article and comment if you feel led to. I'd love to read your takes on this.

That's a wrap on this week. Have a great weekend, be safe with this heat, and ride your bicycles. 
 

Friday News And Views: Eurobike Edition

Eurobike Madness in Today's FN&V!

Image courtesy of Classified

Classified Introduces Gravel Group With TRP:

Classified and TRP have teamed up to offer an electronically shifted 12 speed rear, 2 speed internal rear gear system leveraging TRP's brake and lever technology in conjunction with Classified's current 12 speed rear cassette and two speed internal hub gear system. 

Comments: The press release had a provocative headline declaring the system dubbed "Vistar" as having a "1 X 16" drive train. Of course, that's a bit confusing when the cassette is only a 12 cog stack. 

Digging into the release reveals that what the headline really means is that the system 'can have' 16 distinct gear choices, no overlap. That's for the 'road' version too. The 'gravel' version has 15 distinct gear choices. Obviously, the entire system has 24 options in total for gears, or if you'd rather look at it this way: 12 speeds with two ranges. 

Clever marketing, but definitely not a 16 gear cassette, as the headline reads. Also, that Classified rear wheel and cassette are proprietary components. You'd have to "buy into the idea" to use it. (Sorry about the pun!) 

Interestingly the TRP electronic levers are also being configured to work with Rohloff 14 speed internal geared hubs as well as a few other applications. 

Stan's Launches Line Of Cleaners, Lubes, Oils:

Stan's does more than sealant and wheels these days. The brand which pioneered tubeless sealant now has a line of cleaners, lubes, and greases out. 

The press release boasts: "All of Stan’s Biobased Bicycle Care products are made from organic ingredients that cause less harm to the people who use them and the nature around us."

Comments: I'm seeing a lot of companies doing "bio-friendly" products in this area of maintenance products, but what hits me here is the offering of chain lube. Talk about a crowded market for a product to get into! 

Rabbit Trail Alert! And really, this entire segment of the market is just slammed with choices. I find, in my experience, most people are totally clueless that this stuff even exists. This includes regular cycling people. How can it be that with dozens of types of degreasers, cleaners, sprays, and - not to mention chain lubes, that most people haven't heard of any of these things? 

I blame the breakdown of the way we get information about cycling. It used to be that we had a handful of magazines and bike shops which we relied upon to tell us about "What's new?". I remember that being the first thing shoppers would ask when they came into a shop. Now?

Ha! There are probably literally thousands of ways that anyone with a computer/smart phone can access new information now. Accessing that information was once fun and an advantage, but people have grown weary of the internet. They don't visit bike shops. They are distracted by social apps and binge-watching garbage shows on their smartphones and laptops. How do you reach these addicted minds? It ain't easy.... And that's my theory on why these brands get lost in a haze of information these daze...... End Of Rabbit Trail!

Image courtesy of Schwalbe

Schwalbe Shows Off New Valve Type:

As a mechanic for over 30 years, I have witnessed the confusion and frustration of cyclists who struggled to understand and use Presta valves on bicycles. Apparently, this observation struck Schwalbe's partner in this launch, Clik Valve inventor John Quintana, as well. He observed his children struggling to inflate bicycle tires. So he invented the new Clik Valve to be as easy to use as possible. Simply click the Clik Valve design pump head on the Clik Valve and pump. Disengagement is as easy as well. 

But you might ask, "Is this something completely different and incompatible with older designs?" Actually, it is backward compatible with the current Presta valve. You only need to install a Click Valve core into your valve stem, or there is an screw-on adapter. Same with the pump head, an adapter is all that is required that fits nearly all existing floor pumps and most portable pumps as well.  Schwalbe offers conversion kits for both valves and pumps. Schwalbe will be producing Clik Valve tubes soon. Pump manufacturer SKS is already producing Clik Valve pumps and Schwalbe promises that more manufacturers will follow. 

Benefits not only include super-easy usage, but a claimed 10% higher airflow should attract tubeless users as well. You can learn more about Clik Valve at Schwalbe's site HERE. 

Image courtesy of Schwalbe.

 Comments: Okay, new standards (usually) really bug me, but this one seems to have promise to be actually a better way to go, if in fact it works as advertised. I will say that it looks like it is essentially a mini-Schrader valve with some kind of 'click-on' retention mechanism to hold the pump head on the valve so it doesn't blow off during inflation. 

Secondly, I did not know until I read the press release that a Presta valve, or sometimes known as a French Valve, was technically called a "Sclaverand Valve" after its inventor, Etienne Sclaverand. (The more you know....) Also - These valves will be in for testing soon. Stay tuned....

Image courtesy of Giant Bicycles

Giant Unveils 4th Gen Revolt Gravel Bike:

Giant has had a gravel bike for many years now as they were one of the first "big" brands to jump on the gravel train. That bike was called the Revolt, and it is now in its 4th generation as shown Wednesday of this week by Giant.

The bike is carbon fiber and offered in two models. (There is also an aluminum Revolt) The two Advance models are equipped with SRAM AXS components. The $7,000.00 Advance Pro 0 is equipped with Force while the $5,800.00 Advance Pro 1 is equipped with Rival. Both have completely integrated cabling, frame storage in the downtube, and clearance for up to a 53mm wide tire. Most unique here, in my opinion, is the "flip-chip" rear drop out which lengthens or shortens the wheel base and affects tire clearance.

Comments: The Advance models are interesting from a couple of standpoints. Giant claims to have worked closely with its sponsored athletes to develop the new Revolts. This would be something we might assume has affected some geometry choices. If you look at the charts for these two bikes, a couple of things stand out right away for me. 

The head angle is nominally 72° across the size range. Which is kinda steep these days. However, the bottom bracket drop is, depending upon the rear drop out chip setting, about 76mm-80mm. A drop  which is pretty deep. But when considering the spec here that this bike can take up to a 53mm wide tire, essentially a 29"er tire, then things start to make more sense. That steeper head angle is "first gen 29"er geometry" all the way, and paired with 50mm of fork offset, the trail figure will be reasonable for a gravel bike with big tires mounted to it. The same thing goes for bottom bracket drop, which should be more for a bike with big tires.  

All that points to the trend of bigger tires for gravel and this bike has obviously been designed to be set up this way. It comes with 40mm tires mounted, curiously enough, but I suspect that will be the narrowest tire that any gravel racer would put in this bike. One final comment- I love this Meteor Storm color on the Advance Pro 1.

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

Friday News And Views

Inventory Levels High - Sales Low:

Halfway into 2023 and the situation for the bicycle retailing sector has worsened. Unprecedented levels of unsold inventory sits while consumer interests are at a low level. The apathy in buyer interest has caused some heretofore unusual tactics to lure in customers. 

As a for instance, back in Spring Trek dealers were hawking free "gifts" of cycling accessory items just for coming in and trying out an e-bike. Just a test ride could net a potential bike purchaser a water bottle, floor pump, or maybe even a Trek Travel trip, all free, just for trying a bike out. The tactic is still in use up to now, and that just tells you the situation is dire.

Of course, the hope is that when you come in the sales staff will have their game on and get you to buy a bike, but you don't have to. This is a very unusual tactic and one I have not witnessed in my 25 or so years of bicycle retail employment. 

Other outlandish deals exist all over the internet including up to 40% and more off of Rock Shox suspension products, 25% -40% off name brand cycling shoes, and 20% -25% discounts being so common I cannot name them all here. 

But bicycles themselves are the big ticket item clogging the pipeline now, and with no real significant movement in that trade, it will definitely have some negative effects which will ripple throughout the industry. 

6/15/23 Air quality. I'm under the 143 on the map here.

Where There's Smoke There's Big Trouble:

Canadian wildfires have been wreaking havoc on my riding here the entire month of June. I don't know about you, but I am not considering a ride when just breathing air in the house gives me a rough feeling throat. 

Combined with this, we've had a really dry month of June as well, falling an inch and a half plus short on rainfall in this area. My grass in the lawn looks crispy and it appears more like late August out there than it does mid-June. 

It's nothing new to you folks out West, I get that, but this is highly unusual for Iowa, or the Mid-West in general, and the corn and bean crop is going to suffer mightily unless things clear up and get wet soon. That will affect everybody.

We won't be worrying much about riding bicycles if this keeps up because we'll have bigger things to keep us occupied. But for now, I can say this smoke sucks and it is mildly depressing when one cannot get in a bicycle ride because the air is too dangerous to breath in.

Ergon Announces GreenLab Circular Program:

Ergon is announcing a new initiative just befoe Eurobike kicks off which features their SR AllRoad Core Saddle, This new GreenLab Circular program is aimed at creating products that can be recycled into another like-product. In this case, when the SR AllRoad Core Circular saddle reaches the end of its lifecycle, it could be recycled to make another SR AllRoad Core Circular Saddle. 

Ergon partnered in this project with BASF, the company already involved with Ergon and making component parts for their saddles, namely the padded layer in the SR AllRoad saddles. BASF determined that by not using the pigmentation normally applied to the materials of the SR AllRoad Core, that the resulting end product would make for a better material to recycle, thus the pale appearance of the component parts as seen in the image here provided by Ergon. 

The saddle rails are made from TiNox (stainless steel) and can be removed by hand when the saddle is ready for recycling. The top cover is a new material developed by BASF especially to conform to this projects goals. Look for more on this after Euro bike.  

That's me on the left at the DK200 2015.

Podcast Update:

In case you missed it: We've posted three podcasts in the last two weeks (!!) covering the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame inductions and the recently run Unbound Gravel which has caused seemingly no end of debate. N.Y. Roll and I cover parts of the debate in two of the three episodes posted. 

You can find Episodes #'s 17, 18, and 19 on Spotify here, or wherever you get your podcast feed from. 

With the flurry of podcasts of late, we're going to take a little break here and be back in July, (probably, if not the last week of June), and have another podcast, hopefully with an interview guest I have in mind. Stay tuned on that... 

The master plan is to do approximately 15 more episodes which should take us into November when we will plan a longer break and end the "season". N.Y. Roll and I have been encouraged by many of you out there who have listened and given us your feedback. We appreciate you listening in and for giving us helpful feedback that we hope to use to continue to grow the audience. 

SRAM AXS Apex 12 Image courtesy of SRAM

SRAM Debuts 12spd AXS Apex & 12spd Apex Mechanical Groups.

In a totally expected move by SRAM, Apex AXS has been released. 12 speed, all the Eagle MTB mechs can be made to work with it, and it is cheaper. Just like SRAM has always done. 

Same innards, just heavier materials. So, unless you are weight conscious, Apex AXS will do you just fine. 

At 1400 bucks, it isn't too pricey for an electronic group set. I imagine that this will see a lot of OE spec once things start getting made again. There is even a $225.00 power meter upgrade available. Nice. 

Comments: SRAM is a curious company. You can get the same high performing mechanical/electronic performance with heavier and cheaper materials as you go down the range. It begs the question: Why pay more for the upper end stuff? There really isn't a great reason to do so unless, well, you can't help yourself, you've got scads of cash sitting around, or you are a sponsored athlete. With Shimano you have significant construction, materials, and tolerance differences as well as design tweaks as you work your way up their ranges. It make sense to get XT then if you are running Deore stuff now. 

But SRAM doesn't do things that way and they haven't since they came out with road components in the 2000's. I guess that's why I rarely, if ever saw a Red group on a bike come through my repair stand and hardly ever saw anything from the Force group either. Most of the time the SRAM road stuff I saw was from the Rival group, and why not? It had the same guts doing the actual work that Red did. 

It just seems weird to me how SRAM does this sort of undermining of their own upper-end group sets.

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

Friday News And Views

Inventory Levels High - Sales Low:

Halfway into 2023 and the situation for the bicycle retailing sector has worsened. Unprecedented levels of unsold inventory sits while consumer interests are at a low level. The apathy in buyer interest has caused some heretofore unusual tactics to lure in customers. 

As a for instance, back in Spring Trek dealers were hawking free "gifts" of cycling accessory items just for coming in and trying out an e-bike. Just a test ride could net a potential bike purchaser a water bottle, floor pump, or maybe even a Trek Travel trip, all free, just for trying a bike out. The tactic is still in use up to now, and that just tells you the situation is dire.

Of course, the hope is that when you come in the sales staff will have their game on and get you to buy a bike, but you don't have to. This is a very unusual tactic and one I have not witnessed in my 25 or so years of bicycle retail employment. 

Other outlandish deals exist all over the internet including up to 40% and more off of Rock Shox suspension products, 25% -40% off name brand cycling shoes, and 20% -25% discounts being so common I cannot name them all here. 

But bicycles themselves are the big ticket item clogging the pipeline now, and with no real significant movement in that trade, it will definitely have some negative effects which will ripple throughout the industry. 

6/15/23 Air quality. I'm under the 143 on the map here.

Where There's Smoke There's Big Trouble:

Canadian wildfires have been wreaking havoc on my riding here the entire month of June. I don't know about you, but I am not considering a ride when just breathing air in the house gives me a rough feeling throat. 

Combined with this, we've had a really dry month of June as well, falling an inch and a half plus short on rainfall in this area. My grass in the lawn looks crispy and it appears more like late August out there than it does mid-June. 

It's nothing new to you folks out West, I get that, but this is highly unusual for Iowa, or the Mid-West in general, and the corn and bean crop is going to suffer mightily unless things clear up and get wet soon. That will affect everybody.

We won't be worrying much about riding bicycles if this keeps up because we'll have bigger things to keep us occupied. But for now, I can say this smoke sucks and it is mildly depressing when one cannot get in a bicycle ride because the air is too dangerous to breath in.

Ergon Announces GreenLab Circular Program:

Ergon is announcing a new initiative just befoe Eurobike kicks off which features their SR AllRoad Core Saddle, This new GreenLab Circular program is aimed at creating products that can be recycled into another like-product. In this case, when the SR AllRoad Core Circular saddle reaches the end of its lifecycle, it could be recycled to make another SR AllRoad Core Circular Saddle. 

Ergon partnered in this project with BASF, the company already involved with Ergon and making component parts for their saddles, namely the padded layer in the SR AllRoad saddles. BASF determined that by not using the pigmentation normally applied to the materials of the SR AllRoad Core, that the resulting end product would make for a better material to recycle, thus the pale appearance of the component parts as seen in the image here provided by Ergon. 

The saddle rails are made from TiNox (stainless steel) and can be removed by hand when the saddle is ready for recycling. The top cover is a new material developed by BASF especially to conform to this projects goals. Look for more on this after Euro bike.  

That's me on the left at the DK200 2015.

Podcast Update:

In case you missed it: We've posted three podcasts in the last two weeks (!!) covering the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame inductions and the recently run Unbound Gravel which has caused seemingly no end of debate. N.Y. Roll and I cover parts of the debate in two of the three episodes posted. 

You can find Episodes #'s 17, 18, and 19 on Spotify here, or wherever you get your podcast feed from. 

With the flurry of podcasts of late, we're going to take a little break here and be back in July, (probably, if not the last week of June), and have another podcast, hopefully with an interview guest I have in mind. Stay tuned on that... 

The master plan is to do approximately 15 more episodes which should take us into November when we will plan a longer break and end the "season". N.Y. Roll and I have been encouraged by many of you out there who have listened and given us your feedback. We appreciate you listening in and for giving us helpful feedback that we hope to use to continue to grow the audience. 

SRAM AXS Apex 12 Image courtesy of SRAM

SRAM Debuts 12spd AXS Apex & 12spd Apex Mechanical Groups.

In a totally expected move by SRAM, Apex AXS has been released. 12 speed, all the Eagle MTB mechs can be made to work with it, and it is cheaper. Just like SRAM has always done. 

Same innards, just heavier materials. So, unless you are weight conscious, Apex AXS will do you just fine. 

At 1400 bucks, it isn't too pricey for an electronic group set. I imagine that this will see a lot of OE spec once things start getting made again. There is even a $225.00 power meter upgrade available. Nice. 

Comments: SRAM is a curious company. You can get the same high performing mechanical/electronic performance with heavier and cheaper materials as you go down the range. It begs the question: Why pay more for the upper end stuff? There really isn't a great reason to do so unless, well, you can't help yourself, you've got scads of cash sitting around, or you are a sponsored athlete. With Shimano you have significant construction, materials, and tolerance differences as well as design tweaks as you work your way up their ranges. It make sense to get XT then if you are running Deore stuff now. 

But SRAM doesn't do things that way and they haven't since they came out with road components in the 2000's. I guess that's why I rarely, if ever saw a Red group on a bike come through my repair stand and hardly ever saw anything from the Force group either. Most of the time the SRAM road stuff I saw was from the Rival group, and why not? It had the same guts doing the actual work that Red did. 

It just seems weird to me how SRAM does this sort of undermining of their own upper-end group sets.

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

Friday News And Views

Gary Fisher And Trek Part Ways:

In a recent article posted on "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News", it was revealed that Trek and Gary Fisher have parted ways since March of this year. The 71 year old Mountain Bike Hall of Famer and general icon of the mountain bike and 29'er scenes, is now reportedly having fun "...being Gary Fisher". 

The article also indicates that Fisher is open to collaborating with other brands on ideas now and has spent a lot of time talking with several companies at the recently completed Eurobike show. 

Comments: I've said it before here on the blog, but I've met Gary Fisher several times before in the past. One of those times was back in the late 2000's at a press camp in Santa Cruz, California. At a special introduction for Trek product, Gary Fisher was in attendance. As we spent time in between presentations, I noted Gary bending the ears of several of the Trek engineers and product managers in attendance. One of them, who managed to break away from Gary's banter, mentioned to me that Gary was well known to the engineering department for having many great ideas. So many, in fact, that the engineer told me it was overwhelming and made him weary. 

So, at 71 I do believe that Gary Fisher still has something left to do in the cycling industry, or, as he indicated in the linked article, in the field of advocacy. I would not at all be surprised to find Gary's name on some future cycling product either. 

Finally, I am still baffled that Trek squandered the equity they had in the Gary Fisher bicycle brand. In 2010, they folded the brand into Trek, naming some of their models as being in the "Gary Fisher Collection", which now has been phased out of existence as well. How a brand like Gary Fisher is excluded from being a part of mountain biking in some form is a crime. I suppose one could say that about Klein as well, while Le Mond lives on separately and Bontrager is a well known accessory and component brand. C'mon Trek! This is more than a missed opportunity, it is criminal. 

A 3D printed bicycle frame in Aluminum. Image by Gary Fisher

3D Aluminum Printed Frame By Canyon & More Eurobike Interesting Things:

 I figured something was up with Gary Fisher as he was posting images from Eurobike like a madman, which he did not used to do when he was with Trek. (Probably not allowed to) Anyway, Gary posted this weird canyon 3D printed Aluminum frame which was shown at Eurobike. 

It totally reminded me of the fringe aisles at Interbike, (or better yet, the old basement floor vendors in the Sands Convention Center) where you could often see ideas that were interesting. Sometimes these ideas were better off unseen, but the Canyon bike seems to have its redeeming qualities. As an exercise to see what you could do, it may result in some interesting products down the road. 

There wasn't much of interest in terms of innovation coming out of this show, and that may be due to the supply chain pressures most industry companies face. Why show new things when you cannot even get the current stuff out? But there were a few other interesting bits I saw online.

• FSA 12spd Electronic Shifting Group: It is a new generation of FSA's electronically shifted drive train. Oh? You didn't already know that FSA has an electronic drive train option out? Exactly.....
• Classified Expands Brands That Make Their Rear Hub/Wheel System: I've talked about the Classified rear hub here before. I didn't think it would get anywhere without more widespread industry support. Now they number seven brands that will have their wheel/hub system available including FSA, DT Swiss, and Spinergy. This will go a long way toward reaching that goal. However; you still will have the inefficiencies of a 1X chain line and proprietary cassettes. 
• Scope Cycling Atmoz Air Pressure Changing System: Recently used at Paris-Roubaix, the new hub mounted system from Scope Cycling has wireless controls for up or down pressure on the handle bars and the actual air pressure read-out can be displayed on most Bluetooth compatible GPS computers. This might have legs for Pro level gravel racing. Bears watching......

Ridley Kanzo Fast with aero Apidura frame bags. Image courtesy of Ridley

Aero Gravel: Get Ready, Here It Comes:

 Aero Gravel- I've said it was a thing for years, and I was scoffed at, made fun of, and dismissed. People said that Gravel™ doesn't need "aero". "It'll ruin everything", they said. 

But take a look at what is happening now in the field of gravel racing. (Note- This is quite different from Gravel Riding, which is what most of us do) Gravel events are quickly being pushed into the divisions of "Pro" and "Everything Else" categories when it comes to events. I doubt I'll see a whole lot of "aero-gravel" stuff at most events I attend in the future, but now you may have that "wannabee" dude that shows up with something like this Ridley Kanzo Fast decked out with aero bags from Apidura. 

Will stuff like this "ruin" gravel riding? No. It's the people that do that. 

So, I don't have a problem with aero stuff being employed in the gravel scene. If it makes sense, who am I to argue with the math and science stuff behind it? I've tried a few aero things on gravel, and I am here for it. It seems to make things a bit less hard. I like that. And if someone shows up with a slick, aero set up, and is cool with everyone and whatnot, well, I'm not going to say that "aero stuff ruined Gravel™".

But if I see someone come to a gravel event, look down their nose at my mostly inefficient rig while they walk by with an aero gravel bike acting like they are all that and a bag-o-chips? That's where Gravel™ loses. That's when the scene becomes just another ego-boosting, exasperating scene like XC MTB was in the 90's and road racing was for most of the last three decades. 

Remember, it isn't about the equipment. It's about the People. And when the People quit being cool, then the Scene will Die. 

UCI Gravel Series Not Making Much Noise:

I'm not sure how it is going elsewhere in the World, but as far as coverage of chit-chat about the inaugural UCI gravel series goes, it is pretty minimal. 

Obviously this months events in that series go up against the Tour de France, and well.... You aren't going to get much coverage, if any, during this month in traditional cycling media unless you are connected to that titan of cycling events. So, recently this is no surprise. 

But even in previous months, this tour hasn't gotten the coverage I thought it might from traditional cycling media. Maybe it will take some time to catch on, or perhaps this will fade away and not have much impact. 

"Gravel" cycling in its competitive form still seems to be mostly a North American thing, even though there are Italian and other European based gravel events that get some nods here. Still, it would seem that the focus is on traditional road race competitions and the rising women's Pro scene has a lot to do with that, I think. We'll see, but for now, the whole UCI/USAC getting into gravel doesn't seem to be having the effects that many in the gravel riding scene thought it might.

That's it for this week! Have a fantastic weekend, stay cool if you can, and get out and ride. Good luck and good riding to anyone doing RAGBRAI next week!

Friday News And Views

Gary Fisher And Trek Part Ways:

In a recent article posted on "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News", it was revealed that Trek and Gary Fisher have parted ways since March of this year. The 71 year old Mountain Bike Hall of Famer and general icon of the mountain bike and 29'er scenes, is now reportedly having fun "...being Gary Fisher". 

The article also indicates that Fisher is open to collaborating with other brands on ideas now and has spent a lot of time talking with several companies at the recently completed Eurobike show. 

Comments: I've said it before here on the blog, but I've met Gary Fisher several times before in the past. One of those times was back in the late 2000's at a press camp in Santa Cruz, California. At a special introduction for Trek product, Gary Fisher was in attendance. As we spent time in between presentations, I noted Gary bending the ears of several of the Trek engineers and product managers in attendance. One of them, who managed to break away from Gary's banter, mentioned to me that Gary was well known to the engineering department for having many great ideas. So many, in fact, that the engineer told me it was overwhelming and made him weary. 

So, at 71 I do believe that Gary Fisher still has something left to do in the cycling industry, or, as he indicated in the linked article, in the field of advocacy. I would not at all be surprised to find Gary's name on some future cycling product either. 

Finally, I am still baffled that Trek squandered the equity they had in the Gary Fisher bicycle brand. In 2010, they folded the brand into Trek, naming some of their models as being in the "Gary Fisher Collection", which now has been phased out of existence as well. How a brand like Gary Fisher is excluded from being a part of mountain biking in some form is a crime. I suppose one could say that about Klein as well, while Le Mond lives on separately and Bontrager is a well known accessory and component brand. C'mon Trek! This is more than a missed opportunity, it is criminal. 

A 3D printed bicycle frame in Aluminum. Image by Gary Fisher

3D Aluminum Printed Frame By Canyon & More Eurobike Interesting Things:

 I figured something was up with Gary Fisher as he was posting images from Eurobike like a madman, which he did not used to do when he was with Trek. (Probably not allowed to) Anyway, Gary posted this weird canyon 3D printed Aluminum frame which was shown at Eurobike. 

It totally reminded me of the fringe aisles at Interbike, (or better yet, the old basement floor vendors in the Sands Convention Center) where you could often see ideas that were interesting. Sometimes these ideas were better off unseen, but the Canyon bike seems to have its redeeming qualities. As an exercise to see what you could do, it may result in some interesting products down the road. 

There wasn't much of interest in terms of innovation coming out of this show, and that may be due to the supply chain pressures most industry companies face. Why show new things when you cannot even get the current stuff out? But there were a few other interesting bits I saw online.

• FSA 12spd Electronic Shifting Group: It is a new generation of FSA's electronically shifted drive train. Oh? You didn't already know that FSA has an electronic drive train option out? Exactly.....
• Classified Expands Brands That Make Their Rear Hub/Wheel System: I've talked about the Classified rear hub here before. I didn't think it would get anywhere without more widespread industry support. Now they number seven brands that will have their wheel/hub system available including FSA, DT Swiss, and Spinergy. This will go a long way toward reaching that goal. However; you still will have the inefficiencies of a 1X chain line and proprietary cassettes. 
• Scope Cycling Atmoz Air Pressure Changing System: Recently used at Paris-Roubaix, the new hub mounted system from Scope Cycling has wireless controls for up or down pressure on the handle bars and the actual air pressure read-out can be displayed on most Bluetooth compatible GPS computers. This might have legs for Pro level gravel racing. Bears watching......

Ridley Kanzo Fast with aero Apidura frame bags. Image courtesy of Ridley

Aero Gravel: Get Ready, Here It Comes:

 Aero Gravel- I've said it was a thing for years, and I was scoffed at, made fun of, and dismissed. People said that Gravel™ doesn't need "aero". "It'll ruin everything", they said. 

But take a look at what is happening now in the field of gravel racing. (Note- This is quite different from Gravel Riding, which is what most of us do) Gravel events are quickly being pushed into the divisions of "Pro" and "Everything Else" categories when it comes to events. I doubt I'll see a whole lot of "aero-gravel" stuff at most events I attend in the future, but now you may have that "wannabee" dude that shows up with something like this Ridley Kanzo Fast decked out with aero bags from Apidura. 

Will stuff like this "ruin" gravel riding? No. It's the people that do that. 

So, I don't have a problem with aero stuff being employed in the gravel scene. If it makes sense, who am I to argue with the math and science stuff behind it? I've tried a few aero things on gravel, and I am here for it. It seems to make things a bit less hard. I like that. And if someone shows up with a slick, aero set up, and is cool with everyone and whatnot, well, I'm not going to say that "aero stuff ruined Gravel™".

But if I see someone come to a gravel event, look down their nose at my mostly inefficient rig while they walk by with an aero gravel bike acting like they are all that and a bag-o-chips? That's where Gravel™ loses. That's when the scene becomes just another ego-boosting, exasperating scene like XC MTB was in the 90's and road racing was for most of the last three decades. 

Remember, it isn't about the equipment. It's about the People. And when the People quit being cool, then the Scene will Die. 

UCI Gravel Series Not Making Much Noise:

I'm not sure how it is going elsewhere in the World, but as far as coverage of chit-chat about the inaugural UCI gravel series goes, it is pretty minimal. 

Obviously this months events in that series go up against the Tour de France, and well.... You aren't going to get much coverage, if any, during this month in traditional cycling media unless you are connected to that titan of cycling events. So, recently this is no surprise. 

But even in previous months, this tour hasn't gotten the coverage I thought it might from traditional cycling media. Maybe it will take some time to catch on, or perhaps this will fade away and not have much impact. 

"Gravel" cycling in its competitive form still seems to be mostly a North American thing, even though there are Italian and other European based gravel events that get some nods here. Still, it would seem that the focus is on traditional road race competitions and the rising women's Pro scene has a lot to do with that, I think. We'll see, but for now, the whole UCI/USAC getting into gravel doesn't seem to be having the effects that many in the gravel riding scene thought it might.

That's it for this week! Have a fantastic weekend, stay cool if you can, and get out and ride. Good luck and good riding to anyone doing RAGBRAI next week!

Some (More) Eurobike Musings

A new tapered steer tube standard- 1 1/9th to 1.8", as seen on the 2020 Bulls Sonic Evo

 NOTE: Large doses of "my opinion" will be handed out in gloppy dollops today. You've been forewarned.....

While watching it rain yesterday, I decided to peruse more show news from Eurobike. This has quickly become the de facto "dealer trade show" for the world now that the pesky Interbike show has finally gone by the wayside. With technology having the impact that it has had, one show for the World is maybe all we really need.

To wit: "pinkbike", the mtb site, had virtual video tours through the halls of Eurobike showing off highlights for mountain bikers. They also showed some of what is charming about trade shows, and that is the weird and wonderful gadgets, inventions, and ephemera that one can find while wandering around at one of these events. Kudos to the site for making no commentary on some of these weird things. Raspberries to the site for the occasional show of "bro-culture humor". But anyway......

The single most interesting thing I saw was from Bulls, a German based brand. They have HPC's, (e-mtb's, for those stuck with that bad moniker) of course, and one of their newest ones, the Sonic Evo, has a new tapered steer tube dimension. It is a traditional 1 1/8th at the top, but swells out to a 1.8" at the crown of the fork. Rock Shox and SunTour are buying into this idea, for now, and are making the standard "open", meaning other companies (Fox) are open to using it if they so choose. Okay.....so why? 

Rock Shox was quoted in an article I read, and their officials were saying, it was a customer request and that they would watch to see "where this goes" for the future. (Read: Will there be any further OEM interest? If so, it's on like Donkey Kong! If not- it will die) SunTour said that it was a necessary evolution of fork/headset/frame design pushed by the electrification of mountain bikes. The heavier bikes with more power are exerting higher peak loads and this idea will help to handle that. Who is right?

Both are. 

Will it become an adopted standard? The folks at "pinkbike" weren't so quick to say it will. Here's the thing- If other manufacturers see the benefit in terms of marketing, engineering, and in preventing possible warranty/liability issues, then yes. It's going to be pushed out for HPC's particularly. If so, since HPC's and human powered bicycles are still so closely related, you might see some cross-pollination with DH bikes, or really long travel 29"ers. But one could also argue that this points to where HPC (at least on the MTB side) and human powered bicycles start to part ways.

Once standards start getting developed for electrified two wheelers, then the dam may break, and many connections to standard bicycles may cease to exist. Just like what happened a hundred years ago when folks found out that simply strapping on a gasoline motor to a bicycle wasn't enough. Parts and pieces had to be developed to handle the higher peak loads and forces a motor brings to the table. And we all know where that ended up.

And standards are being changed for HPC's in the MTB realm. Both Hope and Magura have 220mm rotors and brake adapters now in an answer for a need for better brakes on electrified MTB's. Magura also has an integrated cockpit specifically for these rigs which has a built in controller, hidden master cylinders, and internally routed brake lines. It looks as huge and clunky as it sounds. Fork manufacturers are already busy modifying internals to adapt to the heavier vehicles and different dynamics they bring to motorized two wheeled trail riding.

This will all continue to develop and change, in my opinion, and then at some point lines are going to start getting blurred between what a "bicycle is" and what a motorcycle is, as motorcycle companies continue to electrify their product. At what point do you say, "Well, I could by this 6-10K electrified bicycle deal, which I have to pedal a little bit, or spend about the same on a better electric trail bike I don't have to pedal at all?" When the motor cycle companies get there, and they will, this will likely be the death of the so-called "e-mtb".

You'll say, "But those things without pedals are banned!", and I say, when they all start looking similar, how will anyone be able to tell one from the other? Inspections at parking lots? Who has the time and money for that? These things will be silent, or nearly so, so how would you catch them on a trail? Maybe you are of the mind that law abiding citizens wouldn't do such things? Maybe some, but c'mon! We already have trail poachers, people who don't stop when its muddy, and laziness abounds.

But time will tell. It's going to be an ever shifting landscape for several years to come.