Why I Don't Like Telescopic Front Forks For Gravel Bikes

The Otso Waheela S

 Several years ago telescopic front forks for gravel bikes were introduced with the Fox AX model being the most prominent player. Although there were others in the niche as well, Fox, and now Rock Shox, with its limited travel Ruby fork, are now the main purveyors of this tech for gravel. 

I have tested and ridden the previous Fox AX model enough that I have a pretty good handle on what this idea can and cannot accomplish for the typical gravel rider. But first, let's get into why you might want this in the first place.

I'm going to summarize in the way I describe what is going on when you ride rougher roads and gravel, so I am not trying to dive into the science here too much.  Please forgive my broad brush strokes here, but I will try to give you enough to chew on that the rest will make sense. 

Gravel, unpaved roads, or even rough, broken up paved roads cause vibrations. While your tires can and do deal with some of that, some of the energy that is created by you to pedal gets transferred into energy that is known as vibrations and that has to be dissipated somehow. Most of the time this happens in your muscle tissue and that energy is turned into heat, which then has to be dealt with by other means in your body as well. You can see this happening when the muscles in your arms are shaking while riding rough grounds, and that is energy being transferred to you, which you damp out, and that is not an ideal way to handle this for the cyclist.  

So, maybe you can see how a telescopic suspension fork might prove to be an advantage here because it dissipates the energy, not you. Well, ideally it would do this. That is the goal, but these devices don't damp everything out. But you get the picture, hopefully. 

Okay, so back to these "gravel specific" telescopic fork devices. Almost universally they have been hamstrung by what is seen as the necessary geometry for gravel bicycles, which itself is derived from road cycling, and which is focused on aerodynamics and efficiency of the rider, primarily. This means, for this discussion, that a limitation on the axle to crown height of a fork, (acceptable for aero/geometry reasons) is imposed which in turn limits travel on a telescopic design to around 40-50mm of travel. Basic stuff and completely understandable for gravel bikes. 

Now, let's talk some history. Back in the early 1990's, suspension for MTB was in its infancy. The "standard" amount of travel was about 60-65mm, with Rock Shox settling in at 63mm for its famous Mag 21 model. I rode the equivalent Specialized Future Shock model, (a rebadged Mag 21, basically), and it was woefully over its head on "real" mountain bike terrain. The damping on my fork was modified to be such that it would not "blow through its travel" but still, it wasn't enough. Travel that is. This is why you cannot buy a 63mm travel MTB fork anymore. Many think 80mm is too little, and most "XC" forks now are at 100-120mm of travel. Why? Because to actually be effective, the telescopic design needs that much distance to travel to dissipate energy effectively instead of the rider doing that.

The Fox AX was overwhelmed easily by bigger hits if set up to deal effectively with normal gravel

 Okay, now back to my experience with the Waheela S and the Fox AX fork. This fork had tunability and in my experience, it could be set up in several ways. It made sense to me to have the fork working all the time to absorb as much of the vibrations as possible. This would make up for the added weight of the fork over that of a typical fork for gravel, which was anywhere from a pound to a pound and a half difference. (Depending on the rigid fork) Okay. That was great until you hit something bigger than crushed rock. Then the fork would bottom out violently with a loud "clunk" and forget about it being an advantage in Level B road ruts, pot holes, or washboard where the travel was completely overwhelmed. (Remember my MTB Future Shock here)

Now, I could have opted for the damping to only take effect on the bigger stuff and just lived with the buzz of normal gravel, but that sort of defeats the purpose of pushing around the extra weight on, what normally is, most of my rides. Notice; You may have a differing opinion here, but for me? The suspension fork is a no-go. Not as it is currently configured in 2023. 

From Rock Shox social media

Now let's talk about another issue that any suspension fork, (besides the Lauf leaf spring fork) brings to the table, and that is maintenance.

 The image to the left here is a Rock Shox posting on their social media describing what the foam rings do on their forks and how often you should service those. The foam rings help prevent dust from entering the fork's internals where dust would be detrimental to the inner workings. Now, you all know how much dust gravel riding generates, right? So, maintaining good foam rings would be even more challenging in a gravel riding scenario, one could assume. 

Rock Shox states that these foam rings need servicing after every 50 hours of riding. Now, I don't know about you, but that would be about twice a year, at least, for myself. Just roughly guessing here, but at least twice is a safe bet. 

Ever look up what suspension servicing costs at your local bike shop, (if they even do that at all)? It seems from a quick search on the internet that you could expect this to be a $75.00-$100.00 repair. That is a minimum of $150.00/yr for me, and how many days without the bike the fork is on? Maybe a couple weeks? Hard to say.

I don't know about you, but I can find better ways to spend $150.00+ bucks and however many days of downtime that it would incur to do fork maintenance. I just don't see the performance benefits of telescopic front forks for gravel bikes as being an advantage that is worth more than the initial costs, ($500.00 - $850.00) and the maintenance costs of those types of forks. Especially when I can get what I want in terms of vibration damping out of a Redshift or Cane Creek suspension stem, have no maintenance costs, and a lot less initial cash outlay. I also could opt for the venerable Lauf fork, have no maintenance costs, but yeah, it does cost $990.00! 

Verdict: For my money, the best solution here is a tire that works well and a suspension stem, like the Redshift ShockStop stem, which does a great job at the vibration reduction thing. It is also tunable for your ride style and weight. The ShockStop is also swappable from bike to bike in most cases as well, making it more versatile over the long haul for its owner. I do not need a specific "suspension compatible" gravel frame, nor are there any proprietary limitations. 

To make the telescopic fork actually work on a gravel bike, it would necessarily need to have more travel to work with to dissipate both high frequency, mid frequency, and big impact inputs. Only then would its weight penalty, cost penalty, and maintenance penalty over a suspension stem make it a consideration. However; to gain that function the fork would have to have an axle to crown height that would nullify any aerodynamic efficiencies that a gravel bike needs to have.  (Think about how a Fargo or Cutthroat with suspension would do in a headwind vs a typical gravel bike) Yes- you could do this and maybe be a happy rider, but there is no denying the physics here. And still you have all the economic and practical issues to deal with as well.

Why I Don't Like Telescopic Front Forks For Gravel Bikes

The Otso Waheela S

 Several years ago telescopic front forks for gravel bikes were introduced with the Fox AX model being the most prominent player. Although there were others in the niche as well, Fox, and now Rock Shox, with its limited travel Ruby fork, are now the main purveyors of this tech for gravel. 

I have tested and ridden the previous Fox AX model enough that I have a pretty good handle on what this idea can and cannot accomplish for the typical gravel rider. But first, let's get into why you might want this in the first place.

I'm going to summarize in the way I describe what is going on when you ride rougher roads and gravel, so I am not trying to dive into the science here too much.  Please forgive my broad brush strokes here, but I will try to give you enough to chew on that the rest will make sense. 

Gravel, unpaved roads, or even rough, broken up paved roads cause vibrations. While your tires can and do deal with some of that, some of the energy that is created by you to pedal gets transferred into energy that is known as vibrations and that has to be dissipated somehow. Most of the time this happens in your muscle tissue and that energy is turned into heat, which then has to be dealt with by other means in your body as well. You can see this happening when the muscles in your arms are shaking while riding rough grounds, and that is energy being transferred to you, which you damp out, and that is not an ideal way to handle this for the cyclist.  

So, maybe you can see how a telescopic suspension fork might prove to be an advantage here because it dissipates the energy, not you. Well, ideally it would do this. That is the goal, but these devices don't damp everything out. But you get the picture, hopefully. 

Okay, so back to these "gravel specific" telescopic fork devices. Almost universally they have been hamstrung by what is seen as the necessary geometry for gravel bicycles, which itself is derived from road cycling, and which is focused on aerodynamics and efficiency of the rider, primarily. This means, for this discussion, that a limitation on the axle to crown height of a fork, (acceptable for aero/geometry reasons) is imposed which in turn limits travel on a telescopic design to around 40-50mm of travel. Basic stuff and completely understandable for gravel bikes. 

Now, let's talk some history. Back in the early 1990's, suspension for MTB was in its infancy. The "standard" amount of travel was about 60-65mm, with Rock Shox settling in at 63mm for its famous Mag 21 model. I rode the equivalent Specialized Future Shock model, (a rebadged Mag 21, basically), and it was woefully over its head on "real" mountain bike terrain. The damping on my fork was modified to be such that it would not "blow through its travel" but still, it wasn't enough. Travel that is. This is why you cannot buy a 63mm travel MTB fork anymore. Many think 80mm is too little, and most "XC" forks now are at 100-120mm of travel. Why? Because to actually be effective, the telescopic design needs that much distance to travel to dissipate energy effectively instead of the rider doing that.

The Fox AX was overwhelmed easily by bigger hits if set up to deal effectively with normal gravel

 Okay, now back to my experience with the Waheela S and the Fox AX fork. This fork had tunability and in my experience, it could be set up in several ways. It made sense to me to have the fork working all the time to absorb as much of the vibrations as possible. This would make up for the added weight of the fork over that of a typical fork for gravel, which was anywhere from a pound to a pound and a half difference. (Depending on the rigid fork) Okay. That was great until you hit something bigger than crushed rock. Then the fork would bottom out violently with a loud "clunk" and forget about it being an advantage in Level B road ruts, pot holes, or washboard where the travel was completely overwhelmed. (Remember my MTB Future Shock here)

Now, I could have opted for the damping to only take effect on the bigger stuff and just lived with the buzz of normal gravel, but that sort of defeats the purpose of pushing around the extra weight on, what normally is, most of my rides. Notice; You may have a differing opinion here, but for me? The suspension fork is a no-go. Not as it is currently configured in 2023. 

From Rock Shox social media

Now let's talk about another issue that any suspension fork, (besides the Lauf leaf spring fork) brings to the table, and that is maintenance.

 The image to the left here is a Rock Shox posting on their social media describing what the foam rings do on their forks and how often you should service those. The foam rings help prevent dust from entering the fork's internals where dust would be detrimental to the inner workings. Now, you all know how much dust gravel riding generates, right? So, maintaining good foam rings would be even more challenging in a gravel riding scenario, one could assume. 

Rock Shox states that these foam rings need servicing after every 50 hours of riding. Now, I don't know about you, but that would be about twice a year, at least, for myself. Just roughly guessing here, but at least twice is a safe bet. 

Ever look up what suspension servicing costs at your local bike shop, (if they even do that at all)? It seems from a quick search on the internet that you could expect this to be a $75.00-$100.00 repair. That is a minimum of $150.00/yr for me, and how many days without the bike the fork is on? Maybe a couple weeks? Hard to say.

I don't know about you, but I can find better ways to spend $150.00+ bucks and however many days of downtime that it would incur to do fork maintenance. I just don't see the performance benefits of telescopic front forks for gravel bikes as being an advantage that is worth more than the initial costs, ($500.00 - $850.00) and the maintenance costs of those types of forks. Especially when I can get what I want in terms of vibration damping out of a Redshift or Cane Creek suspension stem, have no maintenance costs, and a lot less initial cash outlay. I also could opt for the venerable Lauf fork, have no maintenance costs, but yeah, it does cost $990.00! 

Verdict: For my money, the best solution here is a tire that works well and a suspension stem, like the Redshift ShockStop stem, which does a great job at the vibration reduction thing. It is also tunable for your ride style and weight. The ShockStop is also swappable from bike to bike in most cases as well, making it more versatile over the long haul for its owner. I do not need a specific "suspension compatible" gravel frame, nor are there any proprietary limitations. 

To make the telescopic fork actually work on a gravel bike, it would necessarily need to have more travel to work with to dissipate both high frequency, mid frequency, and big impact inputs. Only then would its weight penalty, cost penalty, and maintenance penalty over a suspension stem make it a consideration. However; to gain that function the fork would have to have an axle to crown height that would nullify any aerodynamic efficiencies that a gravel bike needs to have.  (Think about how a Fargo or Cutthroat with suspension would do in a headwind vs a typical gravel bike) Yes- you could do this and maybe be a happy rider, but there is no denying the physics here. And still you have all the economic and practical issues to deal with as well.

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Discover Gravel LLC

New Flint Hills Route For Touring/Ultra-Distance Challenges:

Monday saw the "official" announcement for the Flint Hills Ultra-Gravel Route. This is a self-supported, 1,050 mile loop set up by Discover Gravel LLC's Bobby Thompson. It is pretty much his "love letter to gravel" in that there are no plans for him to profit off of this. As he said to me in an email, his wish is that this route will be "....ultimately providing an experience for the Riders that will hopefully fan the gravel fire for another generation."

From the press release:

 "The route is entirely on public roads and is available to ride year round. FHUGR takes you through 16 counties in two states. Fourteen of those counties are in Kansas and two are in Oklahoma. The two Oklahoma counties are Kay and Osage. Kay county is home to the Kaw Nation. Osage county is home to the Osage Nation. Towns in all 16 counties vary from "ghost" to towns of a few thousand. Emporia KS is by far the largest town on the route although many others are within a few hours pedal from the route."

There will be a mass start for this route called the "Flint Hills Ultra Gravel Tour". this will occur on Memorial Day Weekend out of Emporia, Kansas. Riders are invited to take on the route starting in front of the Emporia Zoo at 8am on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. While there is no entry fee, Bobby is asking folks to pre-register so he can navigate logistical planning better. Things like long term parking, etc.. 

To learn more you can go to www.discovergravel.com. I also will have Bobby on for an interview on   "The Guitar Ted Podcast" soon. 

The Easton EC90 ALX Carbon Gravel Bar (Image courtesy of Easton)

Easton Announces New, Racer-Oriented Carbon Drop Bar:

Elite athletes in the upper echelons of gravel racing are influencing product design now and one of the areas that racers have not liked about traditional gravel style is flared drop bars. 

So, now we're seeing a trend towards less flare and less wide bars in a quest for more aerodynamically efficient racing. Obviously carbon and lightweight are also concerns here. Easton has developed, along with the input from several of their sponsored athletes in the gravel scene, this new EC90 ALX Carbon Drop Bar. 

Featuring 10° of flare only, these bars have optimized, size-specific carbon profiles aimed at reducing vibrations for the rider. The ergonomic top section is optimized for each size as well, giving a similar ride feel across the range of sizes available. Those sizes include a new, 38cm width which was also requested by some of the the Easton sponsored athletes. 

Ridden by overall Life Time Grand Prix winner, Haley Hunter-Smith and other top gravel athletes, this bar weighs in at 205 grams for the 42cm size and costs $299.99 USD/$399.99CAD.

Comments: As the "roadification" of gravel steams forward at an alarming pace, it is no wonder that bars like these are being offered. Knowing how the 12° of flare in a Salsa Cycles Cowbell bar works though, I suspect that this bar will be okay as well. Still, I would contend that anytime a compromise for going fast is made, it takes away from comfort, in general. Easton claims this bar has an engineered-in comfort factor while it is supposed to retain torsional stiffness. I guess I'll find out soon enough. Easton has one on the way in for test and review for Riding Gravel. Stay tuned....
 

That's N.Y. Roll's dog, Ella.

Podcast Alert:

We posted another podcast episode late last week. (AND one THIS week here.) In case you missed that, the link to listen is HERE. (or HERE!- for this week's show) Thanks to those who have, or will listen, and especially to those of you that have donated to help support the podcast. (Interested in supporting the show? Simply donate at PayPal to g.ted.productions@gmail.com)

In news for the podcast, we picked up a new sponsor in The Spinistry, a Texas based outfit that has been promoting gravel events since 2010. They have and still put on popular gravel events like the Red River Riot, the Texas Chainring Massacre, and the ultra-distance, gravel/bikepacking event, the RAT. (Ride Across Texas)

We are also lining up interviews now with a couple of promoters of gravel events from different states, as noted above in the FHUG story above. So, look for that to be happening in the weeks to come. You might also notice a slight change to the name of the podcast. I will be trying to make tweaks and changes that make sense for the show this year. If you have any suggestions, I'm all ears. 

Fox Racing's Union in Red (Image courtesy of Fox)

Fox Racing Enters The MTB Shoe Market:

Those of you that know that Fox Racing got its start in the late 70's in motocross know that Fox has done boots for moto riders for years. Well, now they have tossed their helmet into the ring as a cycling shoe manufacturer as well.

They introduced the Union range of MTB shoes yesterday. These tend toward the flat pedal, street shoe look, and not the roadie/XC MTB type of shoe. A couple of the shoes even have laces. So, I feel that these shoes will appeal to the adventurous gravel rider, bike packer, and tourist as well as being a shoe for MTB.

The top of the range Union BOA has, as you might expect, BOA closures and is the most expensive at $249.95. The mid-range Union is the one I think is the most interesting as it has laces, still has the SPD capabilities of the Union BOA. but clocks in at $179.95. About 70 bucks less, and basically is the same shoe functionally. The Union Flat is cheaper still at about 30 bucks less, but is for flat pedals only and lacks the Velcro strap to harness in those loose laces. 

I may have a pair show up here to test. Stay tuned on that......
 
That's a wrap for this week. Have a great weekend and get out and ride if you can! Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions.

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Discover Gravel LLC

New Flint Hills Route For Touring/Ultra-Distance Challenges:

Monday saw the "official" announcement for the Flint Hills Ultra-Gravel Route. This is a self-supported, 1,050 mile loop set up by Discover Gravel LLC's Bobby Thompson. It is pretty much his "love letter to gravel" in that there are no plans for him to profit off of this. As he said to me in an email, his wish is that this route will be "....ultimately providing an experience for the Riders that will hopefully fan the gravel fire for another generation."

From the press release:

 "The route is entirely on public roads and is available to ride year round. FHUGR takes you through 16 counties in two states. Fourteen of those counties are in Kansas and two are in Oklahoma. The two Oklahoma counties are Kay and Osage. Kay county is home to the Kaw Nation. Osage county is home to the Osage Nation. Towns in all 16 counties vary from "ghost" to towns of a few thousand. Emporia KS is by far the largest town on the route although many others are within a few hours pedal from the route."

There will be a mass start for this route called the "Flint Hills Ultra Gravel Tour". this will occur on Memorial Day Weekend out of Emporia, Kansas. Riders are invited to take on the route starting in front of the Emporia Zoo at 8am on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. While there is no entry fee, Bobby is asking folks to pre-register so he can navigate logistical planning better. Things like long term parking, etc.. 

To learn more you can go to www.discovergravel.com. I also will have Bobby on for an interview on   "The Guitar Ted Podcast" soon. 

The Easton EC90 ALX Carbon Gravel Bar (Image courtesy of Easton)

Easton Announces New, Racer-Oriented Carbon Drop Bar:

Elite athletes in the upper echelons of gravel racing are influencing product design now and one of the areas that racers have not liked about traditional gravel style is flared drop bars. 

So, now we're seeing a trend towards less flare and less wide bars in a quest for more aerodynamically efficient racing. Obviously carbon and lightweight are also concerns here. Easton has developed, along with the input from several of their sponsored athletes in the gravel scene, this new EC90 ALX Carbon Drop Bar. 

Featuring 10° of flare only, these bars have optimized, size-specific carbon profiles aimed at reducing vibrations for the rider. The ergonomic top section is optimized for each size as well, giving a similar ride feel across the range of sizes available. Those sizes include a new, 38cm width which was also requested by some of the the Easton sponsored athletes. 

Ridden by overall Life Time Grand Prix winner, Haley Hunter-Smith and other top gravel athletes, this bar weighs in at 205 grams for the 42cm size and costs $299.99 USD/$399.99CAD.

Comments: As the "roadification" of gravel steams forward at an alarming pace, it is no wonder that bars like these are being offered. Knowing how the 12° of flare in a Salsa Cycles Cowbell bar works though, I suspect that this bar will be okay as well. Still, I would contend that anytime a compromise for going fast is made, it takes away from comfort, in general. Easton claims this bar has an engineered-in comfort factor while it is supposed to retain torsional stiffness. I guess I'll find out soon enough. Easton has one on the way in for test and review for Riding Gravel. Stay tuned....
 

That's N.Y. Roll's dog, Ella.

Podcast Alert:

We posted another podcast episode late last week. (AND one THIS week here.) In case you missed that, the link to listen is HERE. (or HERE!- for this week's show) Thanks to those who have, or will listen, and especially to those of you that have donated to help support the podcast. (Interested in supporting the show? Simply donate at PayPal to g.ted.productions@gmail.com)

In news for the podcast, we picked up a new sponsor in The Spinistry, a Texas based outfit that has been promoting gravel events since 2010. They have and still put on popular gravel events like the Red River Riot, the Texas Chainring Massacre, and the ultra-distance, gravel/bikepacking event, the RAT. (Ride Across Texas)

We are also lining up interviews now with a couple of promoters of gravel events from different states, as noted above in the FHUG story above. So, look for that to be happening in the weeks to come. You might also notice a slight change to the name of the podcast. I will be trying to make tweaks and changes that make sense for the show this year. If you have any suggestions, I'm all ears. 

Fox Racing's Union in Red (Image courtesy of Fox)

Fox Racing Enters The MTB Shoe Market:

Those of you that know that Fox Racing got its start in the late 70's in motocross know that Fox has done boots for moto riders for years. Well, now they have tossed their helmet into the ring as a cycling shoe manufacturer as well.

They introduced the Union range of MTB shoes yesterday. These tend toward the flat pedal, street shoe look, and not the roadie/XC MTB type of shoe. A couple of the shoes even have laces. So, I feel that these shoes will appeal to the adventurous gravel rider, bike packer, and tourist as well as being a shoe for MTB.

The top of the range Union BOA has, as you might expect, BOA closures and is the most expensive at $249.95. The mid-range Union is the one I think is the most interesting as it has laces, still has the SPD capabilities of the Union BOA. but clocks in at $179.95. About 70 bucks less, and basically is the same shoe functionally. The Union Flat is cheaper still at about 30 bucks less, but is for flat pedals only and lacks the Velcro strap to harness in those loose laces. 

I may have a pair show up here to test. Stay tuned on that......
 
That's a wrap for this week. Have a great weekend and get out and ride if you can! Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions.

News Season: Sea Otter

 With pandemic restrictions relaxed and the virus seemingly being on the downward trend, the trade show/festival in California known as Sea Otter is back full-force. In advance of this many brands and marketing firms are pushing new product news. Here I will show a few of the more interesting news items I've seen in the gravel cycling sector.

Otso Waheela C in Copper/Black (Image courtesy of Otso cycles)

Otso Cycles Has Three New Colors For Waheela C:

First up is Otso Cycles excellent, but underrated Waheela C. This is the carbon version of their gravel bike range which also includes the Waheela S and Warakin stainless steel bikes. Otso was one of the very first companies to put out a gravel bike that could hold a 50+ mm tire with ease and still have 2x and 1X compatibility. That's all the rage now, but Otso has been doing this for a few years already. 

The adjustable geometry is nice as well which is accomplished by their "Tuning Chip™" rear drop out which can turn the Waheela C into more of a cyclo cross geometry and flipped can allow for a lower bottom bracket height and slacker head angle. 

The new colors are "Copper & Black", "Turquoise & Teal", and "Lilac & Purple". See more on the Waheela C here: https://otsocycles.com/collections/waheela-c

Mason Cycles "Exposure" prototype (Image courtesy of Mason Cycles)

Mason Cycles debuts new "Exposure" Steel Framed Gravel Bike:

It isn't often that a company introduces a steel framed gravel bike anymore these days. However; Mason Cycles, a UK based company, isn't your typical bicycle brand. They have done a bang-up job of making some excellent road and adventure style bicycles and now they have expanded their offerings to include this new steel framed gravel bike.

They already have a fine gravel bike in the aluminum framed "Bokeh", (note the photographic theme to their bike model names?), but this steel frame is pretty cool and features some nifty details that many other companies do not hit upon. Most obvious of those being the seat stay mounted water bottle boss inserts. 

I like what Mason Cycles is doing with their designs. Too bad you cannot get the raw steel version shown here. That's a one-off prototype, but they will have a couple of exclusive introductory colors and some nice stock colors to choose from. See all the details here: https://masoncycles.cc/blog/mason-exposure-launch-edition-pre-order-now

 

Trek's new FX Sport Carbon blurs the lines between MTB Hard tail and gravel (Image courtesy of Trek Bikes)

Trek Debuts New FX Sport Carbon:

With a new frame and a bent toward adventure, Trek has taken the "fitness bike" theme out and has blurred the lines between MTB and gravel with a new model here which should be at dealers soon.

You kind of get the feeling that a few of the original tenets of mountain biking - adventure, exploration, and touring - are getting repackaged as "gravel" and this bike sure does nothing to dissuade those notions. Add in my next featured news bit and we'd be right there back in the 1990's MTB scene!

The new Fox TaperCast AX (Image from the web)

New Fox TaperCast AX Fork: A Bit Of A Rant

You've likely seen this ballyhooed all over the internet and on many endemic cycling news sites already. Fox has ditched the previous version of their gravel fork and have made several improvements to the design. Hey! You can change the travel now to 50mm! Woo!

I've read a few reviews of this, and of the new Rock Shox gravel suspension fork, the Rudy, and in all of the reviews there is a subtle theme which goes something like this:

"So, yeah, this fork does add weight, but you'll probably not notice it, besides, it is better than riding rigid!"

One reviewer was up front enough to mention that the Fox shock will require maintenance after 125 hours of ride time. For reference, that's about once every year for most serious gravel riders, which I know of, at least. Okay, add that cost in to your investment.

And on weight: If we are spending thousands of dollars on bicycles that are not bringing light weight as one of the benefits, we are probably buying motorized bikes, or what? More 'grace" on certain types of terrain? Maybe. A couple of the reviewers alluded to this by mentioning that they felt these forks were good for those "off-road" or single track sections of "trail" that rigid gravel bikes cannot go "fast" through. 

Excuse me, but is that not what mountain bikes are good for? 

These reviewers would agree that yes- a mountain bike is just for that, but what about on open roads? Ha! Well, they are saying gravel bikes are the answer outfitted with suspension and dropper posts. I'm saying that you are all cocked up here. The real problem is that (a) geometry of hard tail MTB's is too extreme toward the "slack & low" side and (b) your gearing is optimized for one thing: Winching your butt up to the next flowy down hill section. 

Look at that Trek above-  The frame can be set up with a front derailleur for wide range gearing that can do both the going up and the coming down. MTB's shed that versatility when they dropped front derailleurs and went 1X. The real fix is not to muddy the waters with gravel bikes bent on becoming drop bar MTB's, but to fix the extreme design of MTB hard tails which has gone too far off the deep end for anything but going down fast. 

Again: "Quit trying to make gravel bikes into mountain bikes."

News Season: Sea Otter

 With pandemic restrictions relaxed and the virus seemingly being on the downward trend, the trade show/festival in California known as Sea Otter is back full-force. In advance of this many brands and marketing firms are pushing new product news. Here I will show a few of the more interesting news items I've seen in the gravel cycling sector.

Otso Waheela C in Copper/Black (Image courtesy of Otso cycles)

Otso Cycles Has Three New Colors For Waheela C:

First up is Otso Cycles excellent, but underrated Waheela C. This is the carbon version of their gravel bike range which also includes the Waheela S and Warakin stainless steel bikes. Otso was one of the very first companies to put out a gravel bike that could hold a 50+ mm tire with ease and still have 2x and 1X compatibility. That's all the rage now, but Otso has been doing this for a few years already. 

The adjustable geometry is nice as well which is accomplished by their "Tuning Chip™" rear drop out which can turn the Waheela C into more of a cyclo cross geometry and flipped can allow for a lower bottom bracket height and slacker head angle. 

The new colors are "Copper & Black", "Turquoise & Teal", and "Lilac & Purple". See more on the Waheela C here: https://otsocycles.com/collections/waheela-c

Mason Cycles "Exposure" prototype (Image courtesy of Mason Cycles)

Mason Cycles debuts new "Exposure" Steel Framed Gravel Bike:

It isn't often that a company introduces a steel framed gravel bike anymore these days. However; Mason Cycles, a UK based company, isn't your typical bicycle brand. They have done a bang-up job of making some excellent road and adventure style bicycles and now they have expanded their offerings to include this new steel framed gravel bike.

They already have a fine gravel bike in the aluminum framed "Bokeh", (note the photographic theme to their bike model names?), but this steel frame is pretty cool and features some nifty details that many other companies do not hit upon. Most obvious of those being the seat stay mounted water bottle boss inserts. 

I like what Mason Cycles is doing with their designs. Too bad you cannot get the raw steel version shown here. That's a one-off prototype, but they will have a couple of exclusive introductory colors and some nice stock colors to choose from. See all the details here: https://masoncycles.cc/blog/mason-exposure-launch-edition-pre-order-now

 

Trek's new FX Sport Carbon blurs the lines between MTB Hard tail and gravel (Image courtesy of Trek Bikes)

Trek Debuts New FX Sport Carbon:

With a new frame and a bent toward adventure, Trek has taken the "fitness bike" theme out and has blurred the lines between MTB and gravel with a new model here which should be at dealers soon.

You kind of get the feeling that a few of the original tenets of mountain biking - adventure, exploration, and touring - are getting repackaged as "gravel" and this bike sure does nothing to dissuade those notions. Add in my next featured news bit and we'd be right there back in the 1990's MTB scene!

The new Fox TaperCast AX (Image from the web)

New Fox TaperCast AX Fork: A Bit Of A Rant

You've likely seen this ballyhooed all over the internet and on many endemic cycling news sites already. Fox has ditched the previous version of their gravel fork and have made several improvements to the design. Hey! You can change the travel now to 50mm! Woo!

I've read a few reviews of this, and of the new Rock Shox gravel suspension fork, the Rudy, and in all of the reviews there is a subtle theme which goes something like this:

"So, yeah, this fork does add weight, but you'll probably not notice it, besides, it is better than riding rigid!"

One reviewer was up front enough to mention that the Fox shock will require maintenance after 125 hours of ride time. For reference, that's about once every year for most serious gravel riders, which I know of, at least. Okay, add that cost in to your investment.

And on weight: If we are spending thousands of dollars on bicycles that are not bringing light weight as one of the benefits, we are probably buying motorized bikes, or what? More 'grace" on certain types of terrain? Maybe. A couple of the reviewers alluded to this by mentioning that they felt these forks were good for those "off-road" or single track sections of "trail" that rigid gravel bikes cannot go "fast" through. 

Excuse me, but is that not what mountain bikes are good for? 

These reviewers would agree that yes- a mountain bike is just for that, but what about on open roads? Ha! Well, they are saying gravel bikes are the answer outfitted with suspension and dropper posts. I'm saying that you are all cocked up here. The real problem is that (a) geometry of hard tail MTB's is too extreme toward the "slack & low" side and (b) your gearing is optimized for one thing: Winching your butt up to the next flowy down hill section. 

Look at that Trek above-  The frame can be set up with a front derailleur for wide range gearing that can do both the going up and the coming down. MTB's shed that versatility when they dropped front derailleurs and went 1X. The real fix is not to muddy the waters with gravel bikes bent on becoming drop bar MTB's, but to fix the extreme design of MTB hard tails which has gone too far off the deep end for anything but going down fast. 

Again: "Quit trying to make gravel bikes into mountain bikes."

Friday News And Views

Fox AX TaperCast fork (Image found on Internet)

 Fox To Update Gravel Suspension Fork?

According to several social media accounts and some endemic cycling media, Fox is set to announce a successor to their original gravel suspension fork, which came out in 2017. 

Reportedly this fork will have a three position damper setting, 40mm of travel, and Kashima coated stanchions. Price is rumored to be $1400.00 or so. 

Comments: Pffft! Really?! This seems like a big miss to me. I've covered this ground here before, but for those in the back, or who are new to this....

Forty millimeters of travel does not a suspension fork make. In other words, why have an expensive, heavy fork with minimal amounts of travel when you could be riding a trail bike, you know....an XC hard tail MTB? get you 100mm - 120mm of suspension travel that actually doesn't bottom out when set to be supple? I don't know, maybe I'm the crazy guy here, but a drop bar bike with a measly 40mm of constantly overwhelmed travel (if it is set to work all the time) is not sounding too ideal to me. 

Especially when you can bolt on 20mm of really effective vibration eating travel that doesn't claim to be anything else but just that. That fork may have 40mm of travel but how much does it weigh? And what will it cost me to maintain that fork? And does all that disappear during the other 80-90% of the time I don't need it? No? Yeah....well then.... 

If we are going to ride drop bar bikes with suspension, here's one great option that has been around for years. Quit trying to make a gravel bike something it is not. 

More Bike Parts Thievery In The News:

According to a "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" article posted on Monday, March 21st, there was a theft of PNW branded bicycle parts from a truck on March 16th somewhere in San Bruno, California. The parts were valued, according to the story, at $500,000.00 USD and were headed to PNW's warehouse. 

Authorities and PNW ask consumers to be on the lookout for PNW components at suspicious pricing and to report any suspicious product offerings to PNW Components. PNW makes dropper posts, dropper levers, stems, and other service parts. 

Comments; Supply chain shortages, the increase in demand, inflation, and the ease of internet sales makes piracy of bikes and bike parts a potentially lucrative criminal activity. We're seeing it again now with this latest report of PNW stolen bike parts and the recommendation to look out for "suspicious pricing and product offerings". 

This really hurts the niche brands like PNW who have had shortages for over a year while demand outstrips supply due to several issues out of their control. When they finally get a resupply, then this happens to them. It could be a devastating blow to a smaller company like this. 

Tubolito Announces X-Tubo CX/Gravel Tubes:

Tubolito announced Monday that they have a new re-engineered Tubolito CX/Gravel tube, (which I reviewed last year here) and have named it the "X-Tubo CX/Gravel. 

Tubolito tubes are made from thermoplastic polyurethane, and so they do not have the same traits as a butyl rubber tube, like a susceptibility to punctures, and they do not have the same weight issues as butyl rubber tubes. 

The Tubolito can therefore have very similar low rolling resistances as would your latex rubber tubes, and very nearly that of tubeless set ups without the hassles of tubeless sealant. Now with the X-Tubo, Tubolito is offering those who purchase and register their Tubolito X-Tubo tubes a one year replacement program. If you were to puncture an X-Tubo tube within that year, you could mail in the tube for a replacement from Tubolito. 

X-Tubo CX/Gravel Tubolito tubes can be purchased online here for 29.95 Euros/$35.00USD each. 

Comments: I don't have a lot more to add to the Tubolito opinions that I have already expressed here, but this new version might be a great alternative solution for those who cannot get into tubeless tires for whatever reasons. The one year replacement policy is a pretty decent deal, in my opinion. Again- I am a tubeless guy through and through. After nearly fifteen years of doing the tubeless dance, I have the processes down and I've done hundreds of tubeless set ups on more tires than I can count. So, my experience leads me to success more times than not. You may be new to tubeless, so if it doesn't feel like something you want to mess with, these Tubolito tubes are "next level" tube technology. I would strongly recommend that anyone in that situation take a look at them.

From my perspective I would probably rely on these most as a bail-out solution when and if I had a catastrophic tubeless failure in the field. These Tubolito's weigh next to nothing and pack up to slightly larger than a golf ball in size, so they do not take a lot of room in your repair kit.

Ashton Lambie (center) and MG at the '19 Solstice 100.

Ashton Lambie Joins Jukebox Gravel Racing Team:

World record holder and track cycling champion, Ashton Lambie, is set to join the Jukebox Cycling Team. 

On the team's page for Lambie, it says, "And this season, he plans to focus more on gravel racing, one of his first loves in cycling, while giving his track bike a break "

Comments: Lambie is kind of a hero to us here in the Mid-West. Generally speaking, cycling champions of the World don't come from here, or from America, really. So, he's kind of a "big deal". In fact, Lambie says in a "Nebraska Public Media" story that he is held in high regard in Europe where people ask him to autograph his hero cards for track cycling. 

What I found really interesting about this development is what Lambie says about the future of cycling team organization. He claims that the old ways won't work anymore. Jukebox Cycling employs a rather individualistic approach to sponsorship and racing programs for their athletes. Riders can bring in their own sponsors and focus on events to their liking rather than have to be a part of a multi-member team and ride according to team tactics. (Not that Jukebox Cycling couldn't employ team tactics in an event) 

So, with that I want to wish Ashton Lambie all the best. There are reasons Lambie is highly regarded that go beyond his obvious physical prowess. He happens to be a really nice, down to earth kind of person, and I think this contributes greatly to his popularity. 

Well, that's a wrap on this week! Get out there and ride and thanks for reading G-Ted Productions! 

Friday News And Views

Fox AX TaperCast fork (Image found on Internet)

 Fox To Update Gravel Suspension Fork?

According to several social media accounts and some endemic cycling media, Fox is set to announce a successor to their original gravel suspension fork, which came out in 2017. 

Reportedly this fork will have a three position damper setting, 40mm of travel, and Kashima coated stanchions. Price is rumored to be $1400.00 or so. 

Comments: Pffft! Really?! This seems like a big miss to me. I've covered this ground here before, but for those in the back, or who are new to this....

Forty millimeters of travel does not a suspension fork make. In other words, why have an expensive, heavy fork with minimal amounts of travel when you could be riding a trail bike, you know....an XC hard tail MTB? get you 100mm - 120mm of suspension travel that actually doesn't bottom out when set to be supple? I don't know, maybe I'm the crazy guy here, but a drop bar bike with a measly 40mm of constantly overwhelmed travel (if it is set to work all the time) is not sounding too ideal to me. 

Especially when you can bolt on 20mm of really effective vibration eating travel that doesn't claim to be anything else but just that. That fork may have 40mm of travel but how much does it weigh? And what will it cost me to maintain that fork? And does all that disappear during the other 80-90% of the time I don't need it? No? Yeah....well then.... 

If we are going to ride drop bar bikes with suspension, here's one great option that has been around for years. Quit trying to make a gravel bike something it is not. 

More Bike Parts Thievery In The News:

According to a "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" article posted on Monday, March 21st, there was a theft of PNW branded bicycle parts from a truck on March 16th somewhere in San Bruno, California. The parts were valued, according to the story, at $500,000.00 USD and were headed to PNW's warehouse. 

Authorities and PNW ask consumers to be on the lookout for PNW components at suspicious pricing and to report any suspicious product offerings to PNW Components. PNW makes dropper posts, dropper levers, stems, and other service parts. 

Comments; Supply chain shortages, the increase in demand, inflation, and the ease of internet sales makes piracy of bikes and bike parts a potentially lucrative criminal activity. We're seeing it again now with this latest report of PNW stolen bike parts and the recommendation to look out for "suspicious pricing and product offerings". 

This really hurts the niche brands like PNW who have had shortages for over a year while demand outstrips supply due to several issues out of their control. When they finally get a resupply, then this happens to them. It could be a devastating blow to a smaller company like this. 

Tubolito Announces X-Tubo CX/Gravel Tubes:

Tubolito announced Monday that they have a new re-engineered Tubolito CX/Gravel tube, (which I reviewed last year here) and have named it the "X-Tubo CX/Gravel. 

Tubolito tubes are made from thermoplastic polyurethane, and so they do not have the same traits as a butyl rubber tube, like a susceptibility to punctures, and they do not have the same weight issues as butyl rubber tubes. 

The Tubolito can therefore have very similar low rolling resistances as would your latex rubber tubes, and very nearly that of tubeless set ups without the hassles of tubeless sealant. Now with the X-Tubo, Tubolito is offering those who purchase and register their Tubolito X-Tubo tubes a one year replacement program. If you were to puncture an X-Tubo tube within that year, you could mail in the tube for a replacement from Tubolito. 

X-Tubo CX/Gravel Tubolito tubes can be purchased online here for 29.95 Euros/$35.00USD each. 

Comments: I don't have a lot more to add to the Tubolito opinions that I have already expressed here, but this new version might be a great alternative solution for those who cannot get into tubeless tires for whatever reasons. The one year replacement policy is a pretty decent deal, in my opinion. Again- I am a tubeless guy through and through. After nearly fifteen years of doing the tubeless dance, I have the processes down and I've done hundreds of tubeless set ups on more tires than I can count. So, my experience leads me to success more times than not. You may be new to tubeless, so if it doesn't feel like something you want to mess with, these Tubolito tubes are "next level" tube technology. I would strongly recommend that anyone in that situation take a look at them.

From my perspective I would probably rely on these most as a bail-out solution when and if I had a catastrophic tubeless failure in the field. These Tubolito's weigh next to nothing and pack up to slightly larger than a golf ball in size, so they do not take a lot of room in your repair kit.

Ashton Lambie (center) and MG at the '19 Solstice 100.

Ashton Lambie Joins Jukebox Gravel Racing Team:

World record holder and track cycling champion, Ashton Lambie, is set to join the Jukebox Cycling Team. 

On the team's page for Lambie, it says, "And this season, he plans to focus more on gravel racing, one of his first loves in cycling, while giving his track bike a break "

Comments: Lambie is kind of a hero to us here in the Mid-West. Generally speaking, cycling champions of the World don't come from here, or from America, really. So, he's kind of a "big deal". In fact, Lambie says in a "Nebraska Public Media" story that he is held in high regard in Europe where people ask him to autograph his hero cards for track cycling. 

What I found really interesting about this development is what Lambie says about the future of cycling team organization. He claims that the old ways won't work anymore. Jukebox Cycling employs a rather individualistic approach to sponsorship and racing programs for their athletes. Riders can bring in their own sponsors and focus on events to their liking rather than have to be a part of a multi-member team and ride according to team tactics. (Not that Jukebox Cycling couldn't employ team tactics in an event) 

So, with that I want to wish Ashton Lambie all the best. There are reasons Lambie is highly regarded that go beyond his obvious physical prowess. He happens to be a really nice, down to earth kind of person, and I think this contributes greatly to his popularity. 

Well, that's a wrap on this week! Get out there and ride and thanks for reading G-Ted Productions! 

Friday News And Views

The New Fox Transfer SL Dropper Post.

 FOX Debuts New Dropper For XC/Gravel Bikes:

Dropper posts, the seat posts which have the ability to lower via a mechanical connection to a lever at your handlebar, are generally thought of as a mountain biking thing. The ability to get that saddle down and out of the way is a boon to off-road cyclists on descents. But the aerodynamic benefits to gravel riders seems to be less known. That benefit, perhaps best described when one thinks about that banned 'top tube seated position' that Pro road racers used to use, is definitely something you have to feel to have it be believed. 

FOX, just this week, debuted a new FOX Transfer SL post which has been lightened quite a bit to get around the complaints many gravel and XC MTB riders have about traditional dropper post weight. This new post weighs a little over 300 grams, (327 claimed), which is about 130 grams more than many fancy, carbon seat posts. (Of course, that doesn't include the lever to operate the post, nor the cable and housing)

Posts will be available in 27.2mm, 30.9mm, and 31.6mm at $399.00 for the Factory version and $329.00 for the Elite version. Various dropper lengths will also be available. 

How did FOX drop the weight so far? Well, they made this post operate via a coil spring with only two positions instead of an infinitely settable positioning within limitations of the dropper. FOX claims that most gravel and XC MTB riders only want 'all the way down' or 'all the way up' positions anyway. This allowed FOX to ditch all the air seals, hydraulic fluids, and the attendant mechanisms to house that within the post. 

Comments: So, in other words, FOX remade Specialized's Command Post from almost ten years ago. I happen to have a Command Post and it operates almost identically to this new FOX post. It has two positions: All the way down or what Specialized called a "Cruiser" height. It is a cable operated post, like the new Transfer SL, and the only difference is that Specialized used an air spring versus FOX's coil spring. 

Otherwise this will appeal to those who want light weight and dropper ability. The downsides are that grit and grime from dirt road/gravel road riding will affect the operation of this sort of post negatively, especially when you see that FOX took away all the sealing mechanisms in order to attain the weight target they set. Time will tell, but the seemingly low-tech seat post, which most of us take for granted, undergoes tremendous amounts of stress and torque while riding. Not to mention exposure to dirt, dust, mud, rain, etc. How this post will hold up to all of that is yet to be seen. 

The Cannondale "Bugger" trailer (Image from old Cannondale marketing print)

Cannondale Turns 50:

Hard to believe it, but Cannondale, as a brand, turns 50 years old this month. Back in 1971 the company started by Joe Montgomery offered its first product, a touring trailer towed by the bicycle. The first product of its kind ever offered. 

The idea was to get the load off the back of the cyclist and using the same positioning, the trailer was designed so that the load could be carried with no weight put on the bike at all. This saved wheels from being stressed more than they would have been with the weight bourne by the bicycle. Of course, this all happened at the dawn of the height of bicycle tourism, so the product found an audience fairly quickly. In fact, one could argue that 'bikepacking' was invented by the brand back in the 70's. 

That history can be read on the MOMBAT page for the brand here. I highly recommend that you check it out. Cannondale was not just a bicycle brand! There are a few things I learned there which I had never known before I researched this entry for today's 'FN&V'. 

My introduction to Cannondale was via mountain bikes, of course, and more intimately through my touring days, which you can read about by clicking the "The Touring Series" tab just under the header on the upper right here. I was exposed to cool Cannondale panniers and Cannondale cycling clothing through those experiences. 

Congratulations to Cannondale on 50 years! 

Good Luck Unbound Riders:

Last week I riffed on this new event's name, which has a really weird reason for being in existence. I say that because 99.9% of folks are just rolling over the DK200 into this and basically 'the why' of this has been swept under a rug. Okay....so be it. Not my circus.....

That said, I do wish everyone a safe, fun, successful event.

Looks like the weather will be pretty okay. Basically pretty typical for this event. "High" humidity, which for them is around what? 40%? And there will be wind. Oh yes.... From the South too, so getting back to Emporia will be tougher than going out. 

Lots of Sunshine too, so, as a person who has experienced all of this there in the past, you'd better stay on top of that hydration, measure out your pace, and keep moving. Sitting around will not be a good play unless you are overheating, dehydrated, and hurting. 

The "North" route tends to be the more gnarly way down there, so I suspect that I will hear about a lot of attrition, biffs, flat tires, and stories about dragging tail to Emporia from this one. That's par for the course down there with this sort of weather set up. 

I hear a lot of folks are going with road shoes and pedals. Hope that you do not have to hike-a-bike on some rocky bits with those. Otherwise this event really caters to that sort of set up and the weather is looking to be playing into that set up as well. Should be interesting. 

Anyway, I am not there, obviously, since I have a family to collect tomorrow, which leads me to the next and last entry today......

Been 'Batchin' It: 

So all this week, a short week, I admit, I have been home alone here. My son graduated last week and since the El Paso relatives could not come to celebrate with us, we sent most of the family down to see them. I, of course, stayed behind to take care of our cat, the plants, and to be able to work the days I could. 

So, with the way the timing of everything worked out with this trip, it precluded me from even thinking about going to Emporia. I will be on the road tomorrow to collect my family from the airport down in Des Moines. Yes- we have to go 2 hours to get to an airport sometimes. That's just how it worked out to be the least expensive way for us. 

Never fear though! I will be sneaking in  a ride, I hope, and that will get reported on next week. Until then, be well, stay safe, ride, have fun, and I'll see y'all soon here on G-Ted Productions. Thanks for reading!