Friday News And Views

The Bike Flights box comes in two sizes.

 Bike Flights Debuts New Box:

If you've ever had to ship a bike, you know that a cardboard bike box can often be a hassle. Generally speaking, you don't often get a bike box that was meant for your bike. It's either slightly too short one way or the other, and who can pack a bike well without getting those "bloated sides" which can end up becoming an issue with the box failing sometimes. 

Well, consumer bike shipping company, Bike Flights, has seen it all as well. They decided to do something about it. They now have a completely reusable and recyclable box in two sizes. It even comes to you with no-waste in terms of packaging. The entire box can be broken back down flat and stored again for future uses. Now, it isn't a forever bike box, because it isn't that kind of box. Here is what Bike Flights says;

"Designed and rigorously tested to the ISTA 6A standard, the Bike Box offers confidence-inspiring levels of protection for your bike during shipping. It has been engineered to withstand multiple drops of 18 inches and 36 inches, a horizontal compression force up to 229 pounds, a vertical compression force up to 1,732 pounds and sustained vibration while loaded to up to 300 pounds."

The "Bike Box" in small is $119.95 and the larger size is $149.95.

Ted King challenges you to challenge him.

Ted King Asks You To Make Him Go Long: 

I see a lot of fundraiser stuff come across my radar all the time. Much of these issues are deserving, and I wish all of these fundraiser/Kickstarter/GoFundMe deals the best. So, please- Don't get in the comments here with what you are all passionate about. I get it. There are a thousand worthy causes every day. This particular one has a twist that I found interesting. 

Ted King is asking for funds to put toward his King's Challenge Ride which raises funds for the Krempels Center which is an organization that helps adults with brain injuries. You can see the YouTube video here.  What I found interesting is that depending upon the final figure raised, Ted King is willing to ride up to 1000 miles in one sitting. 

That's pretty crazy. So here is how it would work. Ted says normally he raises up about 10K in donations, which would equal a 100 mile ride. He's thinking that he can generate more funds if people see the challenge factor to him and maybe he'll end up riding 300, 500, or maybe even up to 1000 miles in one crack. That would be nuts! 

Want to donate? Go here.

Note: I have no skin in the game, I don't even really know Ted King. Ted King has no idea I'm posting this. I just thought this was cool and a worthwhile thing to share.

The Classified rear hub guts. Image courtesy of Classified.

Mind Blowing Hub Technology 

I came across a couple of things recently that I thought were pretty radical. One is a two speed internal gear rear hub that also has a proprietary cassette for 12 external gears. It's by a company called Classified, and the technology is in production and available, so far, only from Ridley on select bike models. 

Classified claims the hub, through axle, proprietary cassette, and remote shifter weigh the same as a 2X GRX front derailleur, shifter, hub, and cassette. They also claim very good efficiency for the internal bits with shifting under load said to be excellent. 

Comments: Okay, this looks pretty impressive, but......the word proprietary is there and well, that is almost never a good thing. You get a choice from four cassette ratios. Better hope one is your cup-o-tea. Then you have a proprietary wheel set up, which Classified makes sound like it is easily switched up, if you buy completely into the system. Classified then claims excellent efficiency, but hinges part of that upon the claim that "you will have less cross-chaining". Listen, you can have less cross chaining right now. Just stop doing it. But with one chain ring and 12 cassette cogs, you are going to try to tell me that riders won't be cross chaining? Good luck with that Classified! So, I'm not buying the efficiency claim if that part is a requirement. 

On the flip side, the inductor rear axle is genius. The idea, in basic terms, is sound for sure, and not at all new, of course. (SRAM had a rear hub with an internal 3 speed and standard cassette body for years) But Classified has a neat, lightweight idea here that if it works, would be really cool. Time will out all. 

Okay, that's a wrap on this week. Fall colors people! get out and ride to see it all!

Friday News And Views

The Bike Flights box comes in two sizes.

 Bike Flights Debuts New Box:

If you've ever had to ship a bike, you know that a cardboard bike box can often be a hassle. Generally speaking, you don't often get a bike box that was meant for your bike. It's either slightly too short one way or the other, and who can pack a bike well without getting those "bloated sides" which can end up becoming an issue with the box failing sometimes. 

Well, consumer bike shipping company, Bike Flights, has seen it all as well. They decided to do something about it. They now have a completely reusable and recyclable box in two sizes. It even comes to you with no-waste in terms of packaging. The entire box can be broken back down flat and stored again for future uses. Now, it isn't a forever bike box, because it isn't that kind of box. Here is what Bike Flights says;

"Designed and rigorously tested to the ISTA 6A standard, the Bike Box offers confidence-inspiring levels of protection for your bike during shipping. It has been engineered to withstand multiple drops of 18 inches and 36 inches, a horizontal compression force up to 229 pounds, a vertical compression force up to 1,732 pounds and sustained vibration while loaded to up to 300 pounds."

The "Bike Box" in small is $119.95 and the larger size is $149.95.

Ted King challenges you to challenge him.

Ted King Asks You To Make Him Go Long: 

I see a lot of fundraiser stuff come across my radar all the time. Much of these issues are deserving, and I wish all of these fundraiser/Kickstarter/GoFundMe deals the best. So, please- Don't get in the comments here with what you are all passionate about. I get it. There are a thousand worthy causes every day. This particular one has a twist that I found interesting. 

Ted King is asking for funds to put toward his King's Challenge Ride which raises funds for the Krempels Center which is an organization that helps adults with brain injuries. You can see the YouTube video here.  What I found interesting is that depending upon the final figure raised, Ted King is willing to ride up to 1000 miles in one sitting. 

That's pretty crazy. So here is how it would work. Ted says normally he raises up about 10K in donations, which would equal a 100 mile ride. He's thinking that he can generate more funds if people see the challenge factor to him and maybe he'll end up riding 300, 500, or maybe even up to 1000 miles in one crack. That would be nuts! 

Want to donate? Go here.

Note: I have no skin in the game, I don't even really know Ted King. Ted King has no idea I'm posting this. I just thought this was cool and a worthwhile thing to share.

The Classified rear hub guts. Image courtesy of Classified.

Mind Blowing Hub Technology 

I came across a couple of things recently that I thought were pretty radical. One is a two speed internal gear rear hub that also has a proprietary cassette for 12 external gears. It's by a company called Classified, and the technology is in production and available, so far, only from Ridley on select bike models. 

Classified claims the hub, through axle, proprietary cassette, and remote shifter weigh the same as a 2X GRX front derailleur, shifter, hub, and cassette. They also claim very good efficiency for the internal bits with shifting under load said to be excellent. 

Comments: Okay, this looks pretty impressive, but......the word proprietary is there and well, that is almost never a good thing. You get a choice from four cassette ratios. Better hope one is your cup-o-tea. Then you have a proprietary wheel set up, which Classified makes sound like it is easily switched up, if you buy completely into the system. Classified then claims excellent efficiency, but hinges part of that upon the claim that "you will have less cross-chaining". Listen, you can have less cross chaining right now. Just stop doing it. But with one chain ring and 12 cassette cogs, you are going to try to tell me that riders won't be cross chaining? Good luck with that Classified! So, I'm not buying the efficiency claim if that part is a requirement. 

On the flip side, the inductor rear axle is genius. The idea, in basic terms, is sound for sure, and not at all new, of course. (SRAM had a rear hub with an internal 3 speed and standard cassette body for years) But Classified has a neat, lightweight idea here that if it works, would be really cool. Time will out all. 

Okay, that's a wrap on this week. Fall colors people! get out and ride to see it all!

Friday News And Views

New Bottle Trap colors from Velocity USA.

Velocity USA Debuts New Bottle Trap Colors:

If you've been an observant reader of this blog for some time you've probably heard about Velocity USA's "Bottle Trap" cages. I have been a faithful user of these for quite some time now.

These injection molded cages come in a variety of colors and now Velocity has added three more to its line. They are, from left to right in the image, "Terra Cotta","Sea Foam", and "Mocha".

Me being an artist and all, I see these as, from Left to Right: Brick, Sage, and Limestone. Your mileage may vary. We all see things differently. The bottom line is that these new colors reflect a bit of a muted palette which may fit your bike's paint scheme better than some of the more garish colors Velocity offers in the Bottle Trap.

If you've never tried a Bottle Trap, well, these are what they say in the name. They can vary a bit in terms of grip from "almost impossible to remove the bottle", to "Kinda Tough To Get Out", to "Meh! No Big Deal!". I have had all three, and let me tell ya, the first type is a pain! They can loosen up a bit with use, but even the loosest ones grip your bottle VERY securely. That's why I recommend them for fork mount cages, or anywhere you want to store a bottle on a bike where you don not need hand access to said bottle while riding.

For cages that you need to get to while riding I'd recommend Blackburn stainless steel, Lezyne side mounts, or the ultimate, King Cage. But if you like the colors, and you need a really safe cage, in terms of not losing a bottle, this is one of the least expensive and best for the job.

Revelate Designs, Wolf Tooth Collab On "ToolCash" Product: 

Tool rolls are a really efficient, highly organized way to carry "in-the-field" tools and small items like valve cores or a rolled up derailleur cable. This genre of products includes a lot of goofy ideas, but some of the better ones are of the 'wallet' type. This new collaboration between Wolf Tooth and Revelate Design is such a beast.

The ToolCash is made from Revelate's "Rev-X-Pac" fabric and ideally made to hold Wolf Tooth's own Pack Pliers and EnCase System, this little tri-fold wallet sells for $44.95.

Of course, you can put whatever you want into this wallet as long as it fits. So, money, quick links, extra bits of chain, wet-wipes, nutrition pills, tire patches- you get the idea. Whatever smaller items that you pack that might normally be easily lost in the whirlwind of stuff in a cyclists bag can be safely corralled in the ToolCash wallet.

The size is nice too. It is said to fit easily into a jersey pocket, so that means it'll easily go into most seat bags, handle bar bags, or feed bags. It might even fit into some top tube bags as well. That makes it a pretty cool organizational item.

One final thought. In these "Pamdemic Times", if you are out on a ride and need to buy something, keeping a card or cash in the wallet, along with a pair of disposable gloves, might not be a bad idea. Anti-septic wipes could go in there as well. Just a thought......

Teravail Tires Now Available On-Line:

Teravail Tires, a brand started up by powerhouse bicycle and bicycle parts distributor QBP, has announced that Teravail Tires are now available consumer direct. Previously Teravail Tires were only available through local bike shops Teravail will give a portion of each online sale to the nearest local Teravail dealer.

Comments: This isn't anything surprising when you look and see that most tires are available direct from manufacturers/brands these days. It makes buying more convenient for riders and that's obviously a good thing for the brands.

However; if you take the time to think about this as a shop owner, "why would you give any shelf space to a company that sells consumer direct?" That space needs to turn a profit, and if the convenience of a store having them on-hand is superseded by  on-line availability, then you maybe start looking at something else that isn't available online that would be worth the trip for a consumer.

This is why the days of super-stocked bike shops is coming, or more correctly, already has come to a close. Repair parts? Yes. Those have to be at hand for obvious reasons. But for those who look to upgrade and want that "different" thing? Well, there is where the old days are gone. And that is a workable deal for shops as long as their service department is good and open to "cooking other restaurants hamburgers", as it were.

It used to be that shops would turn up their noses and refuse to work on stuff not purchased through their retail business, but if any shops are still doing that, well, I don't see that as being a workable strategy going forward. Obviously, there are certain things a shop just cannot do. Things like working on unsafe bicycles, putting things together that shouldn't be together, or working on specialized product, like some HPC/electrified bicycles that require specialized diagnostic equipment. (yes- like automobiles)

But outside of those obvious exclusions, shops just have to focus more on service and less on offering a wide array of parts and accessories. Decisions like those of QBP/Teravail and others like them just make it so that shop owners cannot afford to carry items, and really- have no motivation to do so when consumers can order things direct from the confines of their own bathroom throne- if that's what they dig. Whatever..... I'm just saying that there needs to be a compelling reason to go to a store these days, and the internet has pretty much usurped any of those reasons to make the effort to go. Add in these crazy times and the reasons are even less than ever.

Maybe in the area where things need to fit, in terms of actual color perception, and when things are very technical, there are reasons to visit a store. But when things we buy experience commoditization, no- Then the reasons to make the effort to go to a shop to see them becomes less and less.

Special Shout-Out: To my son, Jacob, who turns 17 today. I love you, Son!

Well, that's it for this week! have a great weekend and stay safe! Roll those miles of smiles!

Friday News And Views

New Bottle Trap colors from Velocity USA.

Velocity USA Debuts New Bottle Trap Colors:

If you've been an observant reader of this blog for some time you've probably heard about Velocity USA's "Bottle Trap" cages. I have been a faithful user of these for quite some time now.

These injection molded cages come in a variety of colors and now Velocity has added three more to its line. They are, from left to right in the image, "Terra Cotta","Sea Foam", and "Mocha".

Me being an artist and all, I see these as, from Left to Right: Brick, Sage, and Limestone. Your mileage may vary. We all see things differently. The bottom line is that these new colors reflect a bit of a muted palette which may fit your bike's paint scheme better than some of the more garish colors Velocity offers in the Bottle Trap.

If you've never tried a Bottle Trap, well, these are what they say in the name. They can vary a bit in terms of grip from "almost impossible to remove the bottle", to "Kinda Tough To Get Out", to "Meh! No Big Deal!". I have had all three, and let me tell ya, the first type is a pain! They can loosen up a bit with use, but even the loosest ones grip your bottle VERY securely. That's why I recommend them for fork mount cages, or anywhere you want to store a bottle on a bike where you don not need hand access to said bottle while riding.

For cages that you need to get to while riding I'd recommend Blackburn stainless steel, Lezyne side mounts, or the ultimate, King Cage. But if you like the colors, and you need a really safe cage, in terms of not losing a bottle, this is one of the least expensive and best for the job.

Revelate Designs, Wolf Tooth Collab On "ToolCash" Product: 

Tool rolls are a really efficient, highly organized way to carry "in-the-field" tools and small items like valve cores or a rolled up derailleur cable. This genre of products includes a lot of goofy ideas, but some of the better ones are of the 'wallet' type. This new collaboration between Wolf Tooth and Revelate Design is such a beast.

The ToolCash is made from Revelate's "Rev-X-Pac" fabric and ideally made to hold Wolf Tooth's own Pack Pliers and EnCase System, this little tri-fold wallet sells for $44.95.

Of course, you can put whatever you want into this wallet as long as it fits. So, money, quick links, extra bits of chain, wet-wipes, nutrition pills, tire patches- you get the idea. Whatever smaller items that you pack that might normally be easily lost in the whirlwind of stuff in a cyclists bag can be safely corralled in the ToolCash wallet.

The size is nice too. It is said to fit easily into a jersey pocket, so that means it'll easily go into most seat bags, handle bar bags, or feed bags. It might even fit into some top tube bags as well. That makes it a pretty cool organizational item.

One final thought. In these "Pamdemic Times", if you are out on a ride and need to buy something, keeping a card or cash in the wallet, along with a pair of disposable gloves, might not be a bad idea. Anti-septic wipes could go in there as well. Just a thought......

Teravail Tires Now Available On-Line:

Teravail Tires, a brand started up by powerhouse bicycle and bicycle parts distributor QBP, has announced that Teravail Tires are now available consumer direct. Previously Teravail Tires were only available through local bike shops Teravail will give a portion of each online sale to the nearest local Teravail dealer.

Comments: This isn't anything surprising when you look and see that most tires are available direct from manufacturers/brands these days. It makes buying more convenient for riders and that's obviously a good thing for the brands.

However; if you take the time to think about this as a shop owner, "why would you give any shelf space to a company that sells consumer direct?" That space needs to turn a profit, and if the convenience of a store having them on-hand is superseded by  on-line availability, then you maybe start looking at something else that isn't available online that would be worth the trip for a consumer.

This is why the days of super-stocked bike shops is coming, or more correctly, already has come to a close. Repair parts? Yes. Those have to be at hand for obvious reasons. But for those who look to upgrade and want that "different" thing? Well, there is where the old days are gone. And that is a workable deal for shops as long as their service department is good and open to "cooking other restaurants hamburgers", as it were.

It used to be that shops would turn up their noses and refuse to work on stuff not purchased through their retail business, but if any shops are still doing that, well, I don't see that as being a workable strategy going forward. Obviously, there are certain things a shop just cannot do. Things like working on unsafe bicycles, putting things together that shouldn't be together, or working on specialized product, like some HPC/electrified bicycles that require specialized diagnostic equipment. (yes- like automobiles)

But outside of those obvious exclusions, shops just have to focus more on service and less on offering a wide array of parts and accessories. Decisions like those of QBP/Teravail and others like them just make it so that shop owners cannot afford to carry items, and really- have no motivation to do so when consumers can order things direct from the confines of their own bathroom throne- if that's what they dig. Whatever..... I'm just saying that there needs to be a compelling reason to go to a store these days, and the internet has pretty much usurped any of those reasons to make the effort to go. Add in these crazy times and the reasons are even less than ever.

Maybe in the area where things need to fit, in terms of actual color perception, and when things are very technical, there are reasons to visit a store. But when things we buy experience commoditization, no- Then the reasons to make the effort to go to a shop to see them becomes less and less.

Special Shout-Out: To my son, Jacob, who turns 17 today. I love you, Son!

Well, that's it for this week! have a great weekend and stay safe! Roll those miles of smiles!

The "FN&V" Story

Yesterday was the first Friday of 2020 and there was no "Friday News And Views" post. Maybe you missed that? I am thinking many of you do, as the "FN&V" posts are often my highest read posts in terms of views based upon my stat counter. It's obvious that many readers of the blog tend to look for that.

So, I thought it might be fun to look into where that came from, because I didn't always do those posts. The "FN&V" is a fixture of the blog these days, but when did that start? I didn't know, or couldn't remember, so I started doing a bit of research.

I noticed that over the years that I had been doing the "Minus Ten Review" that "FN&V" posts weren't happening on any regular basis, and in fact, I just would post a "News And Views" post any ol' day I felt like it, apparently. There were "News And Views" posts on every day of the work week, Monday through Friday, just randomly, for several years on the blog. My favored day for a while was Wednesday, as I had come across many a "Wednesday News And Views" post, but in one instance that I am aware of, I did a "News And Views" post three days in a row!

I noted during my research that a "FN&V" post started becoming more of a thing in 2010, but I was still doing Wednesdays, Thursdays, or nothing at all, randomly, all that year. This seemed to persist through the beginning of 2011, but along about July of that year I seem to have settled upon doing the "FN&V" and it has been that way ever since, as far as I could see.

The whole "Friday News And Views" post thing really started taking off, as far as stats, a few years ago now. It is by far the busiest day, or at least the most viewed post, of any week here. Only "hot button" issues seem to garner bigger numbers, like the just concluded series, or when I announced I was leaving my old job, and only then do I see numbers that surpass an "FN&V" post. The seasonal "views" posts, (Spring Views, Country Views, Winter Views, etc), get some bigger numbers, but generally "FN&V" surpasses even those.

So, if you wonder why I keep doing those "Friday News And Views" posts, or if you wonder if I had maybe forgotten this week, or stopped them altogether, well, now you know. I'm not going to quit doing the most popular thing on the blog.

The "FN&V" Story

Yesterday was the first Friday of 2020 and there was no "Friday News And Views" post. Maybe you missed that? I am thinking many of you do, as the "FN&V" posts are often my highest read posts in terms of views based upon my stat counter. It's obvious that many readers of the blog tend to look for that.

So, I thought it might be fun to look into where that came from, because I didn't always do those posts. The "FN&V" is a fixture of the blog these days, but when did that start? I didn't know, or couldn't remember, so I started doing a bit of research.

I noticed that over the years that I had been doing the "Minus Ten Review" that "FN&V" posts weren't happening on any regular basis, and in fact, I just would post a "News And Views" post any ol' day I felt like it, apparently. There were "News And Views" posts on every day of the work week, Monday through Friday, just randomly, for several years on the blog. My favored day for a while was Wednesday, as I had come across many a "Wednesday News And Views" post, but in one instance that I am aware of, I did a "News And Views" post three days in a row!

I noted during my research that a "FN&V" post started becoming more of a thing in 2010, but I was still doing Wednesdays, Thursdays, or nothing at all, randomly, all that year. This seemed to persist through the beginning of 2011, but along about July of that year I seem to have settled upon doing the "FN&V" and it has been that way ever since, as far as I could see.

The whole "Friday News And Views" post thing really started taking off, as far as stats, a few years ago now. It is by far the busiest day, or at least the most viewed post, of any week here. Only "hot button" issues seem to garner bigger numbers, like the just concluded series, or when I announced I was leaving my old job, and only then do I see numbers that surpass an "FN&V" post. The seasonal "views" posts, (Spring Views, Country Views, Winter Views, etc), get some bigger numbers, but generally "FN&V" surpasses even those.

So, if you wonder why I keep doing those "Friday News And Views" posts, or if you wonder if I had maybe forgotten this week, or stopped them altogether, well, now you know. I'm not going to quit doing the most popular thing on the blog.

Friday News And Views

Bow Tie Strap Adapters-  Sorry! This widget remains under wraps for now!

Problem Solvers Introduces New Widgets:

More "News Season" stuff today and this time it is a couple of items from the QBP brand Problem Solvers. This new little gizmo is called a "Bow Tie Strap Adapter".


Editor's Note: Sorry folks! The info on that widget has been redacted at the request of Problem Solvers who didn't say it was embargoed. Hmm...... Communication and all.... Anyway...

The next bit they allowed, as they are in stock now, so carry on, and again- Thanks for reading "Guitar Ted Productions" 

Problem Solvers is also reviving an idea which gained some popularity in the 90's. Back then some folks complained that their fingers would slip off brake levers so some companies made these neoprene brake lever covers to give you better grip. A couple were actually stick-on type grip enhancers. Well, Problem Solvers has something like this for drop bar and flat bar applications called "Lever Grippies".

Available now, just in time for cyclo cross season. These might also be nice for fat bikes or anyone running a bike in cold conditions as it would provide another barrier between you and cold metal.

Surly 1X1 hauler.

No Rack? No Worries!

 I have been really liking the Surly 1X1 "Mechanic's Bike" since I've gotten the Velocity Cliffhanger/Velo Orange wheel set on there with the Extraterrestrial tires. I set it up fixed/free but have been running it fixed all year so far this year. I have really enjoyed riding fixed gear on this bike a lot.

But there was one thing that bugged me about this bike, and that was that it was built at a time when "purpose" and "commitment" to single speed meant that you ran a stripped down frame and fork. The fact that you can even mount fenders on this is somewhat amazing, given the philosophy of Surly circa 1999 when this was made.

Making a mountain bike purpose built to be a single speed derby bike into a versatile urban/commuter rig is asking a LOT. Probably not a good idea there. But I was so enamored of how this bike made me feel when I rode it that I searched for ways I could easily make it into the bike I wanted. Sure, I could have just pitched this and gotten a Troll. That would probably make more sense, but when did making sense come into the equation here? 

Anyway, I had some spare bikepacking bags lying about so I stuck them on there with my rain gear tucked into a seat bag. The perfect urban commuter ready for anything! But I had no where to stuff groceries, or tires I bought, or......beer! My old Schwinn townie had a rack and my old panniers on it, which could carry a week's worth of groceries if I wanted it to, but the 1X1 is way more fun to ride. Finally, I got my wits about me and solved the problem.

I have a Banjo Brothers Water Proof Saddle Trunk in size Ginormous. Really. The thing is so big it is ridiculous. Anyway, I needed a gallon of milk. I had the empty container in the recycling bin, so I filled it with water to see if the big ol' Banjo Brothers sack would hold it. It passed the test, so off to the convenience store and a gallon of moo juice was procured for the family. The pic here shows the Saddle Trunk with the milk jug inside.

So, I should have figured that out a long time ago! This saddle trunk will now live on the Surly after I do some tweaking to the set up. I now have the bike I wanted. A single speed, fixed gear, fat tired grocery getter/commuter.

Thanks for reading this week! Have a great weekend and if you are out on the East Coast, be safe!

Friday News And Views

Bow Tie Strap Adapters-  Sorry! This widget remains under wraps for now!

Problem Solvers Introduces New Widgets:

More "News Season" stuff today and this time it is a couple of items from the QBP brand Problem Solvers. This new little gizmo is called a "Bow Tie Strap Adapter".


Editor's Note: Sorry folks! The info on that widget has been redacted at the request of Problem Solvers who didn't say it was embargoed. Hmm...... Communication and all.... Anyway...

The next bit they allowed, as they are in stock now, so carry on, and again- Thanks for reading "Guitar Ted Productions" 

Problem Solvers is also reviving an idea which gained some popularity in the 90's. Back then some folks complained that their fingers would slip off brake levers so some companies made these neoprene brake lever covers to give you better grip. A couple were actually stick-on type grip enhancers. Well, Problem Solvers has something like this for drop bar and flat bar applications called "Lever Grippies".

Available now, just in time for cyclo cross season. These might also be nice for fat bikes or anyone running a bike in cold conditions as it would provide another barrier between you and cold metal.

Surly 1X1 hauler.

No Rack? No Worries!

 I have been really liking the Surly 1X1 "Mechanic's Bike" since I've gotten the Velocity Cliffhanger/Velo Orange wheel set on there with the Extraterrestrial tires. I set it up fixed/free but have been running it fixed all year so far this year. I have really enjoyed riding fixed gear on this bike a lot.

But there was one thing that bugged me about this bike, and that was that it was built at a time when "purpose" and "commitment" to single speed meant that you ran a stripped down frame and fork. The fact that you can even mount fenders on this is somewhat amazing, given the philosophy of Surly circa 1999 when this was made.

Making a mountain bike purpose built to be a single speed derby bike into a versatile urban/commuter rig is asking a LOT. Probably not a good idea there. But I was so enamored of how this bike made me feel when I rode it that I searched for ways I could easily make it into the bike I wanted. Sure, I could have just pitched this and gotten a Troll. That would probably make more sense, but when did making sense come into the equation here? 

Anyway, I had some spare bikepacking bags lying about so I stuck them on there with my rain gear tucked into a seat bag. The perfect urban commuter ready for anything! But I had no where to stuff groceries, or tires I bought, or......beer! My old Schwinn townie had a rack and my old panniers on it, which could carry a week's worth of groceries if I wanted it to, but the 1X1 is way more fun to ride. Finally, I got my wits about me and solved the problem.

I have a Banjo Brothers Water Proof Saddle Trunk in size Ginormous. Really. The thing is so big it is ridiculous. Anyway, I needed a gallon of milk. I had the empty container in the recycling bin, so I filled it with water to see if the big ol' Banjo Brothers sack would hold it. It passed the test, so off to the convenience store and a gallon of moo juice was procured for the family. The pic here shows the Saddle Trunk with the milk jug inside.

So, I should have figured that out a long time ago! This saddle trunk will now live on the Surly after I do some tweaking to the set up. I now have the bike I wanted. A single speed, fixed gear, fat tired grocery getter/commuter.

Thanks for reading this week! Have a great weekend and if you are out on the East Coast, be safe!

Friday News And Views

It Wasn't Always On Friday:

This post, "Friday News And Views", has become one of the most popular posts on my site. Week after week the numbers for Friday are way bigger than any other day on average. It's interesting to me that these posts tend to get a lot of attention.

Since this is the last "FN&V" post for the year, I thought it might be fun to note that this regular weekly post didn't always land on a Friday. I used to publish bits as soon as I got them, so the "News And Views" posts have hit on just about every day of the week at some time or another. Since placing the newsy bits and my pithy commentary on those bits on Fridays, I have only done a few, non-Friday newsy bits. Usually it has to be a pretty big deal for me not to hold off till Friday anymore.

I don't plan on changing anything with regard to this blog in the near term, so if you are one of those folks that only comes here on Fridays, don't worry about this going away anytime soon. I'll be continuing on right into 2018.

I met Craig at Odin's Revenge in 2013. That's him up ahead grinding out his single gear.

Kind Words:

Trans Iowa has had the unique situation of having had not to call out for volunteers. I may have asked once or twice, so sue me if I have forgotten, but typically, no- I never have to ask for help and I generally end up turning people away.

I know that is very unusual for any event. I get it. I am super-blessed and I don't take it lightly. So, when I get a shout out from someone even before they have volunteered, well, that's some unprecedented territory right there! But that's just what happened when Craig Groseth figured out he could get the time off from work and family to come out and be a volunteer for Trans Iowa. He even was so stoked he wrote about it here.

I am blown away by Craig's kind words on his blog. I know he isn't the only one that feels like being a Trans Iowa volunteer is special, because others have said as much, but the way Craig has put it is very eloquent. So, a public "thank you" goes out to Craig here and I certainly hope his experience in Iowa doing Trans Iowa volunteering lives up to his lofty expectations! I have some work to do to make sure I have my end as good as it can get. That's for sure!

A mysterious package arrived the other day with this bag inside of it.

Lezyne XL Caddy Rear Seat Pack:

So the day after Christmas I got a package with this bag inside of it from Lezyne. Apparently the seat pack deal is all the rage these days. These kind of things happen like they do because of popularity and the ease of getting bags made. "Bikepacking" is all the rage now so companies that are not known for bags are jumping in "just so they have a foothold in the market". Kind of like when every rock band made a disco record in the 70's because.........well, disco! So, this isn't anything new.

Anyway, the Lezyne XL Seat Caddy is something relatively new in form, but not in name. Lezyne had a similarly named product that was nothing like this in the past. It seems pretty well built with thick fabrics, P.U. coated underneath for weather protection, and it also has some structural side panels to give it some form. The back end is a roll top type closure with a nice rubbery strip of material that has lots of horizontally placed slits for the attachment of a rear light at about any angle you want.

I'll give it a whirl on my bikes and I should have a word or two to say more about this seat pack later on in Winter.

Happy New Year! If you are bugging out for the weekend to go someplace to see in the New Year, I just wanted to say "Happy New Year" to you and thank you for your continued stopping by to check out the "Guitar Ted Productions" blog during 2017. I really appreciate all of you and hope that you all will continue to check in next year.

Friday News And Views

It Wasn't Always On Friday:

This post, "Friday News And Views", has become one of the most popular posts on my site. Week after week the numbers for Friday are way bigger than any other day on average. It's interesting to me that these posts tend to get a lot of attention.

Since this is the last "FN&V" post for the year, I thought it might be fun to note that this regular weekly post didn't always land on a Friday. I used to publish bits as soon as I got them, so the "News And Views" posts have hit on just about every day of the week at some time or another. Since placing the newsy bits and my pithy commentary on those bits on Fridays, I have only done a few, non-Friday newsy bits. Usually it has to be a pretty big deal for me not to hold off till Friday anymore.

I don't plan on changing anything with regard to this blog in the near term, so if you are one of those folks that only comes here on Fridays, don't worry about this going away anytime soon. I'll be continuing on right into 2018.

I met Craig at Odin's Revenge in 2013. That's him up ahead grinding out his single gear.

Kind Words:

Trans Iowa has had the unique situation of having had not to call out for volunteers. I may have asked once or twice, so sue me if I have forgotten, but typically, no- I never have to ask for help and I generally end up turning people away.

I know that is very unusual for any event. I get it. I am super-blessed and I don't take it lightly. So, when I get a shout out from someone even before they have volunteered, well, that's some unprecedented territory right there! But that's just what happened when Craig Groseth figured out he could get the time off from work and family to come out and be a volunteer for Trans Iowa. He even was so stoked he wrote about it here.

I am blown away by Craig's kind words on his blog. I know he isn't the only one that feels like being a Trans Iowa volunteer is special, because others have said as much, but the way Craig has put it is very eloquent. So, a public "thank you" goes out to Craig here and I certainly hope his experience in Iowa doing Trans Iowa volunteering lives up to his lofty expectations! I have some work to do to make sure I have my end as good as it can get. That's for sure!

A mysterious package arrived the other day with this bag inside of it.

Lezyne XL Caddy Rear Seat Pack:

So the day after Christmas I got a package with this bag inside of it from Lezyne. Apparently the seat pack deal is all the rage these days. These kind of things happen like they do because of popularity and the ease of getting bags made. "Bikepacking" is all the rage now so companies that are not known for bags are jumping in "just so they have a foothold in the market". Kind of like when every rock band made a disco record in the 70's because.........well, disco! So, this isn't anything new.

Anyway, the Lezyne XL Seat Caddy is something relatively new in form, but not in name. Lezyne had a similarly named product that was nothing like this in the past. It seems pretty well built with thick fabrics, P.U. coated underneath for weather protection, and it also has some structural side panels to give it some form. The back end is a roll top type closure with a nice rubbery strip of material that has lots of horizontally placed slits for the attachment of a rear light at about any angle you want.

I'll give it a whirl on my bikes and I should have a word or two to say more about this seat pack later on in Winter.

Happy New Year! If you are bugging out for the weekend to go someplace to see in the New Year, I just wanted to say "Happy New Year" to you and thank you for your continued stopping by to check out the "Guitar Ted Productions" blog during 2017. I really appreciate all of you and hope that you all will continue to check in next year.