Friday News And Views

From a 32"er thread on mtbr.com

The 32" Watch: Vittoria Peyote 32" :

I've had a few folks keeping me abreast of what is going on with 32"ers and I have been pointed to a thread on MTBR.com concerning these big wagon wheels. I also was tipped off to the existence of this Peyote 32"er tire, as shown here. (Thanks! You know who you are!)

This is interesting as N.Y. Roll has fallen in love with this tire and so has another local rider, (in 29"er size). It\s a popular tire, seemingly. It's also a new design. So, it is a tire on the cutting edge of tread design and compound makeup. They wouldn't use such a tire and technology unless they had some serious intentions in mind. This is telling us this 32"er thing is serious stuff. 

As if the other things we've already seen aren't enough to convince us. It seems as though all the things we've heard will be coming true. 

Only a few bicycle brands are committed so far to the 32"er along with some custom frame makers. Dirty Sixer, being the long time proponent of bigger than 29"er wheels, of course, and then you have Vassago, Singular, Lenz Sport, Genesis and perhaps a couple others here and there. 

For a look at what a gravel 32'er would maybe look like, see this report from the UK based iceBike Show by Bike Radar showing a Genesis prototype. HERE.  

My feeling is Sea Otter will be when the lid will come off this thing and we will see who of the major brands will be stepping into the 32"er scene. My guess is all of those bikes will be either MTB XC, gravel, or road bikes, in that order of prevalence. I am sure a few will get raced at Sea Otter in XC MTB and during the gravel event. 

Suspension fork prototypes will be shown, and perhaps demoed. Rigid forks will be coming as well, with Enve rumored to be developing one. It's going to be wild. 

New Podcast Episodes

The Guitar Ted Podcast has been churning out episodes at a pretty good clip of late. The latest went up on Wednesday of this week and we posted another the week before. 

This latest episode is about the proposed legislation regarding bicycles in Iowa, motivated by what is going on with e-scooters and e-bikes. The episode we posted last week was all about the latest class to be inducted into the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame. 

So, check those two episodes out in case you missed those. We typically don't do so many episodes in such a short period of time, so apologies if we caught you off guard! There is a reason for this though.

N.Y. Roll is on a "vacation" and we thought it best to get the last three episodes out before he went out on this short trip. A result of this will be that we have a bit of a mini-break and I would not expect our next episode to land until the end of this month. 

 One more thing- If you find our podcast on Spotify, please follow us there. New podcast episode drops will prompt an alert to your inbox, so you won't miss anything. If you find is on other platforms please subscribe, like, and review the show if possible. It helps us out a ton. 

Thanks for listening to the show! 

Gravel Racing For 2026 About To Begin:

February was always the month which kicked off gravel racing since the beginning of CIRREM back in the late 2000's. This year CIRREM is on the last day of February, the 28th. 

Now the international series, Gravel Earth, has its first event this weekend. The event, Santa Vall by the Traka, is located in Spain. So, a full two weeks ahead of CIRREM. 

There are probably some other gravel events in the South, in particular Florida, which are also happening in February. But traditionally speaking, February is the kick-off month for gravel activities in the competitive sense. 

Have you signed up for any races this year? Let me know in the comments section.  

Image provided by Ergon

Canyon-DT Swiss "Alt-Terrain" Team Announced:

Taking part in the season opener for the Gravel Earth Series will be a new team sponsored by DT Swiss, Canyon Biccyles, and Ergon called "Alt-Terrain Racing". 

 The press release says the 13 member team will be competing at the Santa Valla event under the name "The Wildcards". The team will be outfitted with Ergon saddles and handle bar tapes from their Allroad ranges. 

The team will serve as "rolling R&D platforms" for future Ergon products, according to the release. Ergon sees the team as an "unprecedented opportunity" to advance their drop bar product line. 

The team will compete in gravel, ultra-endurance, cyclo cross, and marathon MTB events throughout 2026. From the press release: “We are very much looking forward to working with this new professional team,” says Ergon’s athlete liaison manager Markus Zingen. “The team’s holistic new concept will significantly professionalize gravel racing and create a wide range of opportunities for both the athletes and us as a partner to drive targeted development forward.”

That is a wrap on this edition of the FN&V. Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Get out and ride a bicycle this weekend! 

Three Series: A Contrast & Comparison

2026 Gravel Earth Series Calendar: (Image courtesy of Gravel Earth Series)

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

 As we wind down 2025 many gravel events are ramping up marketing and registrations for 2026. I'll have a report on what trends in enetry fees I find and "value per mile" opinions coming up early next year. Right now I wanted to compare and contrast the three preeminent gravel racing series in the world now: The UCI World Championship Gravel Series, The Life Time Grand Prix, (Could be argued it isn't really a pure gravel series, but...), and the Gravel Earth Series of events. Let's start out with a look at what is in store for each series coming up. I'll kick it off with the Gravel Earth Series. 

Gravel Earth Series: 

This series is kind of the upstart of the three major world-wide series. Last year this organization, based out of Spain, had a confusing calendar with main series events and some events which were kind of satellite events, trial events, or something along those lines. These ancillary events weren't part of the main series, and this year some of those events do not appear on the calendar for 2026. Most notable of those is the Gravel Worlds event out of Lincoln, Nebraska. 

The streamlined calendar for 2026 does include three events on US soil. The Lost and Found, The Oregon Trail, and CORE4 here in Iowa. Gravel Earth organizers also have introduced age categories to "recognize performance across generations". Organizing company Klassmark, who are the event production company for the Gravel Earth Series, will kick things off in Spain and Italy with the first overseas venture being the Lost and Found in June. 

For more details see the Gravel Earth Series website.  

Comments: This series seems to be on the upswing with refinements and a streamlined calendar of events featuring mostly European and USA based events. There are two events outside this norm, with one in Iceland and the other in Kenya.  Last year this series covered more continents and featured a more international palette of choices than this year. I think this is a good thing from a focus standpoint. Obviously, having three US based events is outstanding. 

The pearl of this series is The Traka. Described by many as "Europe's Unbound Gravel", this event has quickly become a premier gravel event on the calendar. So much so that Klassmark is now marketing and producing events dubbed "By The Traka", to reflect how these other events are influenced by the way The Traka feels and is experienced by the riders. Five of the Gravel Earth Series events are now designated as "By The Traka" events.  

Life Time Grand Prix:

This event series is a six race series split evenly between MTN and gravel based courses. Some might argue this series really isn't a gravel or a mountain biking series, and while technically true, we have seen cross-over with regard to not only athletes, but equipment choices in this series in the past. This blurs the lines at times between MTB and gravel to make the Life Time Grand Prix a sort of hybrid event series which features some of gravel's top athletes in both the women's and men's fields. 

New for this season is a significant uptick in prize money. Now featuring $175,000.00 for Men and Women each across ten placings, this series has become the plumb racing series for top athletes in North America, if not world-wide, in gravel specifically. Each event will now have a prize purse in total for both men and women Pros in the series of $30,000.00 split evenly between genders and paid out to tenth place. Double the 30 grand to 60 grand total for Unbound and the Leadville 100. 

2026 will see four of the series six events have live, real-time coverage of the contest.  Most notable of these is Unbound, by far the World's most important gravel event. The series will also bring back the "Wild Card" entrants who are chosen based upon results up to and through Unbound Gravel in June. Those qualifying athletes are added to the limited roster of men and women in the series who are chosen via application/lottery by Life Time to participate. 

For more details see the Grand Prix website.  

Comments: There are two things which stand out to me concerning Life Time's Grand Prix series. One - This series would be background noise if it were not for (a) Unbound Gravel and (b) the amount of money set forth for prizing. Both these things are what bring the eyeballs to the Grand Prix. There is no question in my mind concerning the impact of the series if Unbound Gravel is taken out of the equation. Sure, Leadville has cache, and Chequamegon has tradition, but in terms of what makes cycling go 'round in 2026, it is gravel, and Unbound Gravel is king in terms of importance world-wide. 

Second, it is the exclusivity and discrimination exemplified by the selection of Life Time's organizers when the roster for the Grand Prix is considered. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, but it is not how gravel got its footing amongst cyclists. But then again, is the Grand Prix even a "gravel series"? This is a legitimate question, and again, without Unbound, who would even care? (Well, there is that money they are waving around, so....)

Image courtesy of the UCI Gravel Worlds Series

UCI Gravel World Series:

The UCI, (Union Cycliste Internationale) has had a gravel world series now for a few years with 2025 being their most ambitious effort to date with 33 events world-wide. 

2025 saw the first US-based UCI gravel events with the addition of California's Mammoth Tuff and the Highlands Classic in Arkansas.  The UCI has been criticized and kept at arm's length here in the USA due to its formulaic way of producing events with a disregard to how traditional gravel events have been produced here. 

Because of this, the UCI's gravel series hasn't been well covered or received here in the States. This is a series with much more import in Europe, where 23 of the 33 events are held. Of course, the UCI has promised more US-based gravel events will be coming online, and we've yet to see the 2026 calendar, so perhaps this stands to be changed in the near future. 

For details on the UCI Gravel World Series see their webpage.  

Comments: The UCI has been ambitiously chasing the gravel money-making machine for nearly ten years now. Slowly, the organization, which represents the pinnacle of sport in MTB and road racing, is gaining a foothold. However; even in 2025, it is difficult to name a top racer in their series here as a US citizen. The coverage and impact of the UCI's efforts is not all that great. With the lack of 'star power' (see Tadej Pogacar, et al) spectacle, or any real legacy/premier gravel event on the calendar, (see Unbound Gravel/The Traka), the UCI has quite an uphill battle on its hands to gain the sort of stranglehold it has currently on MTB and road racing.  

Image courtesy of Life Time Events

 Conclusions:

While gravel events have evolved in terms of professional participation and import on the industry and average cyclists, the foundational base of gravel in the USA remains strong and healthy going into 2026. How these three series actually affect anything regarding "gravel culture" is hard to gauge. It probably has more impact at the retail bicycle level than it does anywhere else. 

This is manifested in hardware which reflects the Pro. Wireless shifting, aerodynamics, and efficiencies which are really best for ultra-fit, high-end athletes seem to be getting all the attention inside the main brand's headquarter. Much like the bicycles and hardware from the heyday of the 'Lance Era ' did which affected road bikers to a high degree. This is not only unnecessary, but detrimental to people coming into gravel for the first time. 

Besides the way companies fall into thinking "F-1" type bicycles and gear are what everyone wants, (it isn't what we want), and need, I'm not sure any of these gravel series really matters. In other words, these series tend to have far too much influence than they should have over certain aspects of cycling.  

Perhaps the Gravel Earth Series comes closest to keeping something of what gravel cycling was meant to be in its productions.Their concern for how the culture and local impact of an event is received by riders is to be commended. The UCI doesn't care, in reality, as their cookie-cutter approach to events completely ignores what made gravel "gravel" in the first place. Essentially, their events are produced like a Pro road event with only the surface raced on being different. Finally, the Grand Prix is spectacle and largely forgettable all in one series with a big, fat wallet being waved in front of a select few athletes. besides Unbound, it really has no relevance to gravel at all.  

In a "what if" world, it is fun to consider what the gravel racing landscape might be like in 2026 if the UCI could have somehow pried the Dirty Kanza 200 (which became Unbound) from Jim Cummings' hands. This one possibility probably would have catapulted the UCI to heights unheard of in the world of cycling. But then again, had they completely overhauled the format, and made it a "UCI event" in practice, would this event even exist anymore? My bet is the UCI would have totally mismanaged this possibility. It is a fascinating exercise in thought, but obviously, (and thankfully), nothing to sweat over.  

So, there you go. My thoughts and comments on the three preeminent gravel series in 2026.  

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Otso Cycles

 Window Dressing:

I mentioned this in last week's FN&V, and  I am still seeing a lot of stagnation in introductions of really new, redesigned or new designs for cycling. But what I am seeing a ton of  is new colors and new spec choices.

Take this Otso Cycles "Special Edition" Waheela C. This bike is not new, it's really just two new color choices and a special spec on their long-standing carbon gravel bike. 

Now, I will say the Rainbow Sparkle is pretty rad, but this is where we are at now. Companies need something to entice you to buy beyond discounting and they cannot afford to chuck up a new design or new idea for a component and sell those as the market has been in stagnation for the better part of three years now.

Part of what is going on is a complex, evolving change in retail. How we purchase things is changing and how things were/are offered to consumers is stagnant, or slow to catch up to these changes. I wrote about these things in a three part series which you can check out by going to this post which has links back to the two other articles in the series.

This cycle of refreshed paint and spec bolted to the same frames and forks may not end soon either. It's all window dressing, but again.....rainbow sparkle. C'mon! Even I can get jazzed by the window dressing from time to time, so I understand how it can work. 

Gravel Earth Series August Events:

A big month for a few USA based gravel events and the Gravel Earth Series. Three of the stalwarts of the gravel calendar now are taking place soon. You've got Rebecca's Private Idaho, the venerable Gravel Worlds, and the newcomer, but an important event now, CORE4 in Iowa.

I find it interesting that the Gravel Earth Series accepts events as they have evolved over time, (Rebecca's, Gravel Worlds), and accepts new events as envisioned, (CORE4). This is quite different to how the UCI structures events, which I have covered here to a fine degree of detail.

While I understand both theories of each entity's series, I find it rather curious when considering what will come out on top, in terms of what matters to the gravel scene overall. There is one key to the puzzle, and neither series - The UCI's or Gravel Earth's - have an opportunity to snag the premier jewel of gravel events because another entity owns it. Consider the magnitude of a decision to sell Unbound, as an event, upon the gravel racing world. 

Whichever entity grabbed that event would instantly become THE racing series worldwide.  Life Time doesn't quite seem to want to, or maybe cannot, separate MTB from gravel and grow a series which would become the premier gravel racing series in the World. Maybe they don't care about such things. I don't know. I just find the whole idea intriguing and whether or not it happens really doesn't natter to me except from a historical standpoint. 

Public Service Announcement:

Recently I've noted a few comments in the comment section which were "nice", but had a hyperlink in them. These may be AI generated spam, or.....? I'm not sure 100% because every one of these is from a "person" with a female name who I have never heard from here before. So, take that as you will. 

My point is that any comment waiting for moderation here which has an active hyperlink in it will be deleted summarily. I do not allow live hyperlinks in the comments. You can copy and paste a html link to a webpage in the comments which others can copy and paste into a browser, if they so choose, which  - know - might be a pain, but it is what I will allow in the comments.  

Again, it all may be much fuss about nothing to do with 'real people' here. Thanks for your attention to this message! 

Image courtesy of DT Swiss

DT Swiss Recalls Wheels In CRC, HEC, ERC Ranges:

Possibilities for rim/side wall delamination has caused a stop-ride and recall for DT Swiss wheels in their CRC, HRC, and ERC wheel ranges. A directive was sent out regarding the recall on Wednesday of this week.

On the DT Swiss site the reasons for the recall were detailed as such:

"We would like to inform you that DT Swiss is recalling affected wheel models of the ERC, CRC, and HEC series with rim heights of 35 and 45 mm and models of the ARC series with rim heights of 50, 55, and 65 mm. While the initial Stop-Use Notice applied to selected ERC, CRC, and HEC wheels, the recall includes ARC models manufactured at the same facility. Although no product defects have been reported for the ARC series, in-depth quality checks have revealed manufacturing concerns similar to those previously identified in the ERC/CRC/HEC models."

For more details see the recall page on DT Swiss' site HERE.

Got An Itch To Scratch:

The beginning of 2025 was all about looking forward to the Tree In The Road ride. That one was fun, but it wasn't quite what I was wanting in terms of distance.

I need a long ride. Trouble is, the weather, since the TITRR, hasn't been conducive to achieving this goal of mine. The extreme heat, humidity, and rains have thwarted any ideas for an all-day in the saddle ride.

And now that the heat and humidity have departed for a short time, we have wild fire smoke. Bah!

But August can't bad all bad, can it? So, hopefully very soon I will be able to carve out one day to ride most of that day and get this itch scratched. I am hopeful the weather will at least be tolerable and wildfire smoke goes away soon.

Fall will bring more opportunities and I am going to try to fit in the alley ride, plus the annual Turkey Burn ride. So, at least three or four more big days could happen, or none of them will. I am not hanging all my hopes on any of this because I know how things have gone the past three years and the rest of my life hasn't changed at all in other areas during this time period. If any of these rides happen it will be regarded as "unusual" and a huge blessing. 

Image credit: Google search

An Ode To Tubasti:

A comment was left on the blog the other day by a reader who goes by "scottg". It was a poem credited to an Aldo Ross about tubular glue.

Tubeless goop raises the ire of some riders, but they should be aware that tubular glue, which was used to set up tubular tires, was a thing for decades and we all should be thankful we don't have to deal with it much, if at all, anymore. I never did glue up tubulars, which may surprise some of you, but I caught on very early in my career as a bicycle mechanic that this procedure was not a lot of fun. 

So, I left the deed to others who were either ready to accept the hassles of tubulars or weren't aware of the consequences of using tubular glue.  

 Here's the poem as it was left in the comments for your enjoyment:

Tubasti 

 Tubasti on the sidewalls
Tubasti on the spokes
Tubasti on the workbench
And a bunch of cotter bolts

Tubasti on the visegrips
Tubasti on my arm
Tubasti on my chin and cheek
I hope it won't cause harm

Tubasti on the light switch
Tubasti on the cats
Tubasti on my shoes and socks
And on my car's floor mats

Tubasti on the carpet
Tubasti in my hair
I tried to glue just one damn tire
Now Tubasti's everywhere!

Credited to Aldo Ross. 

Thanks scottg for tipping us off to this gem!  

That's a wrap for this week. Get out and ride those bicycles! 

Friday News And Views

The 2025 Gravel Earth Series Calendar

Gravel Earth Series Announces Official Dates For 2025:

The Gravel Earth Series has expanded its palette of offerings to the competitive gravel rider to include several new events to the series. 

Events now span the globe from the Philippines, South America, North America, Iceland, Europe, and Africa. The USA has six dates on the 26 event calendar alone. 

Most interesting to my local readers is that - as reported here previously - CORE4 in Iowa and Gravel Worlds in Nebraska are both Gravel Earth Series events. This will mark the first time that Iowa has figured into any international series or has gotten any spotlight in a world-wide stage, such as the Gravel Earth Series brings. 

More details can be found at the Gravel Earth Series site. 

Comments: This series is ambitious and seems to be aiming to be the preeminent series for gravel racing worldwide. There is, of course, the UCI Gravel World Series, but at this point, if plans come to fruition, the UCI series will have half the events that Gravel Earth Series has in the USA and the UCI has nothing in Iowa or Nebraska at this point. At least the Gravel Earth Series seems to place a heavy emphasis on the birthplace of the modern day gravel scene, both in having events on its calendar and in allowing those events to be what they are uniquely suited to be. 

Now the outlier here is the Life Time Grand Prix, which is a mix of MTB and gravel, but within its smaller series of events, it has a very lucrative payday and the "crown jewel" of gravel, the Unbound event in Emporia, Kansas.  "Crown jewel" in that it is regarded as the most prestigious Pro level event, but that is all. Whatever charm the event had in its early days is being heavily overshadowed or eliminated in favor of a focus on the highest levels of competition, media access, and prizing.

Schwalbe G1 RX gravel tire (Image courtesy of Schwalbe)

Schwalbe Announces G1 RX Gravel Tires:

On Tuesday of last week, Schwalbe announced new G1 RX gravel tires. The tread pattern is Schwalbe's most aggressive pattern for gravel tires. 

Schwalbe also considers this tire as the gravel tire in its range with the best traction and best cornering traction. They also claim good mud clearing abilities, but I wouldn't hold my breath there when it comes to Kansan clay or Iowa's black dirt. 

The G1 RX comes in 700 x 38mm, 700 x 43mm, and 700 x 50mm. Black or tan side walls. Webpage for the black version HERE. 

Comments: I am not all that familiar with Schwalbe gravel tires. I did try a set of their lighter weight MTB treads for my Fargo one year and had a poor experience so I haven't been all that interested in Schwalbe's offerings. There are a LOT of fans of Schwalbe tires, however, so they must be doing some things right. 

I'll have to try a set again someday just to see what the hype is all about. 

Image courtesy of Good Grief Bicycles

These Are Some "Nice Bars":

I follow "Fixie Dave" Nice on several different social media platforms. He has done Trans Iowa in the past and he really does ride fixed gear off-road and everywhere else all the time. Anyway, he was showing these handle bars recently and they struck me as being very familiar looking. 

In fact, they are a dead ringer for the original Jones H-Bars. I first saw those handlebars at the very first DK200 in 2006. I always thought those were cool, but they were expensive, being made from titanium, as they were. 

I ended up buying some Titec H-Bars, which were made out of aluminum and varied a bit from Jeff Jones' design by using a riser center section instead of a plain, straight section of tubing like Jeff Jones had been doing. It was ugly, but man! It was sure awesome on my OS Bikes Blackbuck. 

One thing led to another and those bars came off, others went on, and the Titec bars went to the recyclers. But when I saw these "Nice Bars", (yes- named after Fixie Dave, it seems), I thought I should try a sample, so I have purchased them. 

These are made from steel, not titanium, but the effect will be similar, I hope, to my old Titec H-Bar experience, which is when I thought the Blackbuck was at its best. I'll have more to say when I get them, but if you are curious, here is the website page. And it looks like my handlebars will be here on the 23rd. So, that's pretty quick service from a small fabricator/business. 

Rocky Mountain Solo Carbon 90 gravel bike.

Rocky Mountain Bikes Files For Reorganization:

News broke yesterday that Rocky Mountain Bikes has asked for a "Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act" from the Canadian government, according to this report on the "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" website. 

Citing the all too familiar story of a crash in sales post-COVID and a market-wide drop in pricing, Rocky Mountain hopes to avoid interruption of its business with this move.

Comments: This was the sort of thing I thought we might have seen more of earlier in 2024, but it seems that the end of the year has pushed some companies to the brink and now we are seeing the results expressed as financial troubles. 

One has to wonder when you see the brand being "closed out" on internet sites like Jenson USA where you can buy a Rocky Mountain gravel bike for 50% off. In fact, that retailer can sometimes be used as a barometer for what companies aren't doing so well by looking at the deeper discounted brands. 

Rocky Mountain isn't the only brand with recent troubling news. I'll have another brand featured in next week's "FN&V".

That's a wrap on this week. Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions and remember: Get out there and ride those bicycles!

Friday News And Views

Welcome To November's First FN&V!

Norpine Valley Fat Bike Classic:

The fat biking season is just around the corner and fat bike racing is right on its heels. The Norpine Fat Bike Classic is an event happening up in Lutsen, Minnesota at the Cascade Lodge. The event will take place on January 10th and 11th, 2025. 

Two course options exist with the "Short Pine Course" being 14 miles and the "Long Pine Course" being 25 miles in length. Registration is open now and cost $110.00 until November 24th when the registration fee will jump to $150.00 until the day of the event. The field is limited to 150 riders, so make sure you hop on this sooner than later if you are interested. Stick around on Sunday after the race and hit up a group ride for more casual fat biking on groomed trails. 

It's all put on by the Superior Cycling Organization. Check it out if you need some real fat bike conditions to race on this Winter.

End Of Year Schedule For Guitar Ted Productions:

As is my tradition on this blog, November will be the month that I close down all my reviewing activities. December will bring on the end of year reviews which I traditionally do here and which take up most of the dates in that month.

I may even start doing some of the end of year stuff after Thanksgiving. That is yet to be determined. But I also want to point out, speaking of Thanksgiving, that I will be asking you readers to join me on the "Virtual Turkey Burn Ride Challenge". This will be the fourth year for the VTBRC and I will be posting a full reminder later in the month. 

If you are interested and want to start making plans now, see this link.  There you will find all the parameters and requirements for this challenge. (Dates will be adjusted to reflect 2024 Thanksgiving) Check it out! 

Finally, N.Y. Roll and I will be recording our final episode of the Guitar Ted Podcast for season 2 soon. If you have any final requests, or anything you'd like to hear us rant about, now is the time to let us know! We will resume podcasting in January to start season number 3. Thanks for checking it out, if you choose to. 

Image courtesy of Shimano

Shimano CUES Q-Shift Auto-shifting Set For 2025 Debut:

Several reports have been floated during this Fall with news that Shimano is going to have an auto-shifting drive train which will be available on several OE bike offerings in 2025. 

Called "Q-Shift", this technology will store data on users performance traits and use this information to allow its self-energized servos to shift a derailleur based drive train up and down an 11 speed cassette. 

I rode an early version of this technology in 2007 when Gary Fisher pulled me aside to try out a bike outfitted with a 27 speed drive train that shifted automatically according to cadence and speed. Another version of this technology was actually produced for consumers in the late 2000's when Shimano introduced the short lived Coaster group. That was an internal 3 speed hub with a front hub generator that energized a servo mounted on the seat tube when the bike was in motion. The servo would switch gears in the hub as you rode based upon speed. 

Shimano hopes that auto-shifting will enable riders to use bicycles without concern for learning how to shift and when to shift, as the automated technology inside the system will do all that for you. This, Shimano hopes, will be a less expensive alternative to eBikes with mid-drive motors, and it should prove to be lighter weight as well. 

Comments: Neat. It will work as advertised, I have no doubt. However; if what I am observing in the average populace here is any indicator of mass appeal, it won't be all that successful as a pedal-platform only offering. Most folks I see want to pedal less, if at all. Just the other day I was passed on the bike path by what amounts to a full-suspension motorcycle powered by a battery and it had no pedals. E-scooters are al the rage amongst the youth here. Pedaling? Really? I don't see it as being something that will attract anyone to cycling with all the alternatives that only require the body to be able to sit or stand upright. 

2025 Trek FX Sport 6 (Image courtesy of Trek Bicycles)

Did Trek Just Release A Flat Bar Gravel Bike?:

Trek is starting to roll out 2025 models this Fall. (They are also using "Generation" numbers in an attempt to leave the model year scheme, but...) Is this Trek FX Sport 6 a flat bar gravel bike? Trek is marketing it as one of this model's uses. 

Of course, you can ride any bicycle on gravel and call it a "gravel bike". Take for instance the Trek 830 steel 1990's era MTB I saw on Facebook Marketplace recently that had gravel tires, a drop bar fitted, and an upgraded drive train with an asking price of 1K. Listed as a "gravel bike", of course. 

So, take the following with a grain of salt. 

My take? Sure! This could be a great flat bar gravel bike, but..... Why did Trek spec it with quick release wheels and their goofy 5mm through bolts? The frame is carbon. It could easily have the now standard through axle sizes of 100 X 12mm and 142mm X 12mm, but noooooo! Then there is the geometry. 

This is a bike aimed at the fitness geek that wants the best fitness bike out there. Why on Earth spec this bike with a 65mm bottom bracket drop? That's insane. The bike would have made so much more sense with a lower bottom bracket which would support stability and ease of getting on/off versus a cyclo cross high bottom bracket. 

But what do I know? By the way, this carbon fiber fitness rocket sells for $2,999.00. That's a lot of cabbage. 

Gravel Grinder News

USAC Announces Junior's Series of Grave Events:

Well, it had to happen at some point, and maybe this is the way USAC gets its mitts on the pulse of the elite racing side of the gravel scene. It was announced recently that USAC has a five gravel event series for junior aged racers which includes SBT GRVL and Unbound Gravel. 

The ultimate goal for USAC is encapsulated in this statement about the series from their website:

"Top-ranked riders from the series will be invited to a USA Cycling Junior Talent Identification Camp in October 2025. This new, invitation-only camp provides young athletes with a dedicated pathway into elite-level road racing and an Olympic discipline. "

Sounds pretty "inclusive" and just what the original organizers of gravel events were thinking of when they started this whole thing in motion. (Sarcasm Alert)

Thankfully there are a ton of gravel events that are not focused on the few. But guess what cycling media wants to tell you? You know the answer to that.....

Meanwhile, in other gravel series news: Gravel Worlds has aligned itself with the Gravel Earth Series, a world-wide gravel series which now will have a "world championship" event in direct competition with the UCI's. This should prove interesting.... Especially since the UCI has no currently announced US based events and this series includes the Grasshopper Adventure Series, Gravel Worlds, The Oregon Trail Gravel event, and CORE 4 in Iowa.  It's a bit confusing, as I'm not sure in what way the Gravel Earth Series is aligned with all these events, but stay tuned as I learn more. 

Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame Noms Open Today: Wednesday the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame announced that nominations for the fourth class of nominees to be inducted into the GCHoF will open today. The format to nominate someone worthy of the hall has been tweaked slightly. Now the GCHoF will require two well written paragraphs on the person being nominated. Anyone submitting a nomination without two paragraphs, (or with lists or what have you) will be thrown out. 

Nominations will close November 30th.

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions. Get out there and ride this weekend!

Friday News And Views

Exploded view of a Classified rear hub (Image courtesy of Classified.)

 Classified/Ridley Announce New Gravel Team:

The upstart hub/wheel company, Classified, from Belgium, has just announced a new professional five person gravel racing team. Contesting mostly UCI and Gravel Earth Series events, this team is an expansion for Classified who sponsored a one-man team for 2023. Furthermore, Classified has announced new wheels that are lighter with wider internal rim widths. 

Comments: The press release states that this is the 'first professional factory team in the gravel scene' and
the company boasts former professional road racer Tom Boonen as an investor and team spokesperson. 

It's obvious that racing on the Professional, UCI, sponsored level is seeing a shift to gravel with the UCI Gravel World Series and now with the rival Gravel Earth Series seeing some attention as well. How successful these sorts of ventures are will determine Pro racing's future. Can a gravel based series and a pavement based series coexist on the highest levels of UCI/Pro cycling? Perhaps we are seeing the beginnings of that question being asked. 

And as far as the hub goes, if you are not familiar, I have covered Classified here on these pages before. But essentially it is a two-speed, electronically shifted rear hub that supports a cassette (proprietary) that does what a 2X system on a normal bike would do without a front derailleur or multiple front chain rings.

From "Cyclingnews.com's social media on 1/22/24

SRAM Red AXS Images Leaked:

If you were on social media over the past weekend cruising bicycle related content you may have run across images of a supposed new SRAM Red Axs group.  

Images appeared from a Chinese source showing the claimed new 12 speed SRAM follow up to its top of the range electronic Red group. 

Comments: While little is known at the moment it is entirely feasible that this is, indeed, the new group set. It is a group overdue for a refresh and with the big glut of inventory from last year it would make sense that SRAM are holding back until retailers and bicycle brands can push some of that excess inventory out into the marketplace. 

The obvious thing here is that it appears that SRAM is making a play to dump more grams in an attempt to become the lightest group for road racing. Also notable is the lack of any leaked imagery showing a crank set or a front derailleur, if there actually is a front derailleur. It is possible that this was intended to be a 1X group but Pro teams insisted on a 2X option and SRAM had to wait until it could make that happen. (Just spitballing there, but it is a possibility)

This group is interesting, if indeed the images here are a real look at things to come. Personally? I think what I see isn't all that attractive, but that SRAM aesthetic and design language never really has appealed to me either. Not to mention how it works, which while clever in some ways is kind of a turn-off in others for myself. 

The FOCO Fondo Scratch Lottery (Image courtesy of FOCO Fondo YouTube)

FOCO Fondo #fakelottery Promotion:

Throughout "gravel history" there have been swipes taken at Pro road, the UCI, and even other gravel events. When other gravel based events decide to poke some fun at another gravel event, it usually is directed at one event in particular now that takes place in Emporia, Kansas every early June. That being, of course,  the Unbound events. And previously to Unbound it was directed at the DK200. (Note: I hold the two events as being separate. Your mileage may vary)

Early on, when it was the DK200, there were events like "Kantdu Kanza" or "Sterile Iowan". Now it seems that the FOCO Fondo is taking its turn at poking fun at the Unbound's loterry process in its offering of scratch-type lottery tickets to all its registrants for its June 21'st running of its event this year. 

Comments: Clever. I'll give them that much. That said, this event isn't necessarily all that much different in terms of what it costs than Unbound. In fact, it costs exactly the same amount of money per mile ($1.48/mile)for the 118 mile course to enter the FOCO Fondo as it does to get a ticket to ride the 200 at Unbound. Obviously they are different events, but this hits different than the previous instances of smaller, more grassroots swipes at bigger events. You can watch the You Tue video on the lottery tickets here. 

The new Vamoots 33 (Image courtesy of Moots Cycles)

All-Road Bikes: A New Trend?

Recently I have noted how many companies are starting to make their road bike offerings more 'terrain-friendly' in that they are not bicycles that cannot ride down certain roads. 

It used to be that any road bike was a pretty limited machine due to geometry and tire clearance limitations. Riding a gravel road on 23mm-25mm tires was something you could do, but if you are honest, would you want to? Probably not. Not worth the potential issues and rattling of bones. 

Then "gravel bikes" came along, (Hey! Just ride a cross bike or a touring bike!), and many saw an opportunity to escape the dangerous paved roads filled with distracted drivers who are speeding. The category went nuts compared to what was happening in MTB and traditional road bikes. So, you should not be surprised that those who want to offer a road bike would start to make those road bikes "all-roads" bikes instead of pavement-bound racers. 

The newest Moots road bike, the Vamoots 33, is such a beast. With the capability to accept a 38mm tire, this is truly an "all-roads" capable machine. Reminiscent of road bikes of the mid-20th Century and before which could tackle anything that a vehicle could be driven on. Gravel, bituminous, cement, dirt, or any "road" surface. 

The designers of these bikes often market these bikes by saying that they are versatile, capable bikes that "still can keep up with a club ride", because, you know, we cannot have anyone thinking these are slow bikes. As if going slow or fast depends solely on a bicycle type or design. Pfft! As if going fast as all get out is really all that matters. 

So these bicycles typically stick to skinny-tired, go-fast bike geometry, missing the boat and causing these to not be as stable and, dare I say it- fast - as a bike designed for all-roads. Jumping tire clearances is one piece of the puzzle, but a true "all-roads" bike isn't a racing bike. Racing bike geometry is for pavement racing. 

Thank You!

I just wanted to make sure I thanked all of you readers and friends for the comments on the blog, Facebook posts, messages, and texts regarding my birthday on Tuesday of this week. 

I have been extremely blessed to find myself in the position in Life that I have found myself in. I don't forget that, and I am humbled to have the shout-outs and well wishes. 

The day wasn't anything to write home about, but it was good. We had some light rain and drizzle until around 3:00pm and so I did not go out for a ride in mid-30's temps and wet conditions. But I did get to spend time with my family which is great and more important than a bike ride. Plus Mrs. Guitar Ted got me a turntable to play records on which hasn't happened for me in about 35 years.

That's it for this week! Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Friday News And Views

Paris to Ancaster To Celebrate 30 Years:

Many events in cycling have some semblance to the current gravel craze, and preceded the "Modern Era" of gravel by several years. The Flint Hills Death Ride, which was viewed as a mountain bike event by many people in the 1990's, is but one example of this.

Another prototypical cycling event that fits this theme is Paris to Ancaster. This Canadian cycling event was fashioned to mimic the Paris-Roubaix, the famous Pro road event that takes in several cobbled sections of French rural roads. 

While it never was billed as a "gravel" event, the Paris to Ancaster could fit that category in today's view. Regardless, after 30 years, it is pretty crazy to think that almost no US cycling media even mentions the event at all. Just another example of how media and the perceptions it foments amongst the cycling cognoscenti is not always a reliable measure of reality. 

For more on this April 28th, 2024 event, check out this LINK. 

Image courtesy of Gravel Earth Series

Gravel Earth Series: Truly A "World Series":

News broke last week about the new schedule of events for the Gravel Earth Series. The series started out as a mostly European gravel series of events, but that was not the end-vision for the organization. From their website;

"The Gravel Earth Series was born with the aim of driving Gravel to the highest standards.

Respect for the environment, love for the territory and values with a positive impact are the result of the creation of the first Gravel earth."

Comments; Ironic that the UCI Gravel World Series is not as comprehensive and inclusive as this series strives to be. But then, they have very different aims. 

Of course, since the cradle of "gravel" racing is in the USA, it hasn't gone unnoticed that the US gets only two events while Europe has several. Now, that may change in the future, but I find it rather curious that two organizations are making gravel events out to be Euro-centric, whether by design or omission, I don't know. 

The little trailer video on the site shows a lot of exotic locales and not a ton of what I would call "gravel" but that ship has sailed in terms of "what is gravel" a long time ago now. People use the term more in the vein of a "style" of an event than to help you determine what surface the event is on. 

Anyone interested in finding out more about the Gravel Earth series can go HERE for details. 

 

GCN+ Is Dead- Cycling Coverage To Continue On Warner Bros Max:

While many cycling fans have bemoaned the loss of cycling coverage from GCN+ news came out last week that the Warner Bros owned HBO Max will carry cycling racing and analysis as an add-on package to its sports coverage. The asking price for the add-on is reportedly $9.95 and, of course, whatever the level of Max you want to have in the first place. The report I saw mentioned that prices start at $9.99/month. 

Comments: I've got no horse in this race, because I don't stream cycling events. For my money, I'd rather be riding than watching, and many times watching a cycling event is like watching golf. Your mileage may vary there.

That all said, many that do care seem put out by the fact that GCN+ was only cycling and could be listened to in native tongues of broadcasters worldwide. Now you have to have a package of sports that you may not want, listen to "experts" from other fields try to dissect cycling events, and maybe not every race gets any coverage. I don't know, but it all sounds like a step backward from where things were with GCN+. 

Flint Hills Gravel- Old School Gravel Still Exists:

The Flint Hills Gravel event will take place next year on April 13th in Americus, Kansas, which is a small village just North of Emporia, Kansas. 

This event is right outta my playbook for Trans Iowa: A new course every year, cue sheet navigation, you don't know the course till you get there. I like all of that. Plus the field is limited to 120 riders (for the longest distance of 120 miles.) There are also 80-ish and 35 mile course options with GPX files for those who want the "modern experience".

Registration is open and can be found HERE. 

Comments: I love this sort of an event where the course is navigated by cue sheets and you don't have a bunch of chances for supporters to be seen out on course because the GPX files allow for that. You get a more "real" experience of being "out there", if that's what trips your trigger. That's my cup of tea, but I get that some folks would find cruising in a bigger group along roads easily navigated by the "beep" of a GPS device. 

I'd dearly love to go ride this event because I've been in those hills and it is awesome to ride there. But my job isn't conducive to doing weekend events anymore so, alas! I won't be able to go. But you should.

That's a wrap on the second to last FN&V of the year! Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions and I hope you all have a safe and happy Holiday weekend! 

Friday News And Views

The Horsethief Carbon XT for 2023 Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles

 Salsa Cycles Shows Updates To Horsethief FS Bikes:

Salsa Cycles released the new colors and spec on the range of Horsethief full suspension bikes that they offer. 

Salsa has resisted the current theme many MTB companies use for their designs which make for a bent toward "gravity" oriented styles of riding. 

I like that Salsa hasn't gone all-in on that. Yes- these are not honed for Mid-West single track specifically, but they won't suck if you ride them here either. That's a nice nod to those many off-road bicyclists that do not live in mountainous areas. 

There is a lot more news if you are curious, and I'm sure many sites are covering this, or you could go to Salsa Cycles site and learn more. 

A snippet from the Trek Travel site

Used Bikes For Sale Direct?

It is no secret that Direct To Consumer sales are being done, or 'sort-of' being done, by most bigger bicycle companies nowadays. New bikes typically are sold nearly built, or in many cases direct to the local bike shop, where customers can then collect them, but avoid working through the local shop for payment. 

But recently I came across Trek Travel's site selling used bicycles at big discounts. I would assume that these were the same bikes used for Trek Travel's tours over the past year, and now they are liquidating them via D2C over the internet. 

Comments: I am 100% speculating here, but HPC/eBikes in the upper echelon of price range are not an easy sell for a local bike shop. Think about how a dealer might feel if they had an 8K HPC road bike like that Domane+ sitting on the floor and a customer came in and told them that they bought one "just like that", (disregarding that it was used, of course!), from Trek Travel for 40% off of the asking price. 

I'm sure that gives dealers a warm fuzzy feeling. But I could be wrong...... 

Tumbleweed Stargazer Ti. Image courtesy of Tumbleweed Bikes

Tumbleweed Bikes Announces Ti Stargazer:

Last year I posted about the then new Tumbleweed Stargazer and said it was a "modernized Fargo Gen I" bike. That bike is a steel bike, and the next logical step for the Stargazer was to have it made in titanium.

Well, Tumbleweed has taken that 'next step', and the new Stargazer Ti is on pre-order. 

Tumbleweed copy on that linked page makes it sound as if this is a one-time deal, so if that Stargazer in steel was tempting you, but you needed it to be titanium, don't miss your chance, I guess.... Although things can always change, and I imagine that if enough orders went unfulfilled you'd have to think Tumbleweed would find a way to accommodate those potential sales. 

One thing I missed, I think, about the Stargazer was that it has a crazy "stack height" figure, which means that the handle bar would end up a lot higher in space than on many of my other bikes. Not sure I'd be about that. Otherwise, this seems like a solid choice for an adventure/bike packing rig. 

The Gravel Earth Series appears to be a European affair.

Gravel Earth Series Announced:

A new, a mostly European based, seven event series, dubbed "Gravel Earth Series", has been announced for 2023. 

With a promise that the organization behind the Gravel Earth Series is "..ready to change the rules", the series seems to draw at least some of its inspiration from Lincoln, Nebraska's Gravel Worlds. The event organizers claim a vision to: ".... make a dream come true, uniting some of the most impressive events in the world. The Gravel Earth Series was born with the aim of driving Gravel to the highest standards."

The first six events will set up the finale, (location is to be determined) and will be based off a points system set up by the organizers. Dates and more event information are on the site. Also, interested parties can sign up for their newsletter to keep abreast of the developments. 

Comments: Their site has a very annoying "dot" that follows your cursor around like an unwanted horsefly. Man! I generally don't comment on site formatting, but that's a new one on me that drove me crazy.Anyway.....

Their rules, which are......ah.....vague? Yeah.... The rules are more vision casting than actual rules. The points system seemed a bit complex to me, but okay. That's probably just me. Three categories, no mention of age groups, claims for lots of socializing (parties), and the like. Sounds like the venues are super cool. I look forward to hearing more about this. 

Grip Grab Overshoes: Image courtesy of Grip Grab

Grip Grab Gravel Overshoes:

The European based company, Grip Grab, has a new "Explorer" overshoe for gravel riding which is pretty interesting. It is waterproof, highly stretchable (probably a good thing) and has reinforcements in important places to enhance durability.

The Explorer overshoe is not distributed in the US yet, but you could order this direct from Grip Grab for about $95.00 plus shipping.

Comments:  First off, I have a few bad experiences with overshoe type covers and therefore I may be a bit more inclined to have a negative view of anything like these Explorer overshoes. That said, can you imagine pulling these on and off without a zipper of any kind? Or not having any other opening at all besides the leg opening?

I think the idea is sound, but the execution of the idea puts me off. The last thing I'd want to do after a muddy, wet, cold ride is to wrestle with a long overshoe, trying to peel it off over my shoes. No thank you! 

Especially when things like this or this exist which have no possibility of letting the elements in, and come off your feet far easier. (I know- There are other examples as well) Comparing those examples to this Grip Grab product, there is no cleat hole to accumulate and cause ingress of cold, wet mud, snow, or ice to allow those elements to suck the heat out from the bottom of your feet. There is no possibility that the cleat screw mounting hole of you cycling shoes allowing water to find its way to your foot. Basically, there are none of those overshoe's shortcomings. 

Hey, maybe it works as an idea for you, so don't let me yuck on your yum, (as N.Y. Roll is fond of saying). But I just have a hard time seeing how this would be any fun to use for my type of riding.
 

Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Have a fantastic weekend.

Friday News And Views

The Horsethief Carbon XT for 2023 Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles

 Salsa Cycles Shows Updates To Horsethief FS Bikes:

Salsa Cycles released the new colors and spec on the range of Horsethief full suspension bikes that they offer. 

Salsa has resisted the current theme many MTB companies use for their designs which make for a bent toward "gravity" oriented styles of riding. 

I like that Salsa hasn't gone all-in on that. Yes- these are not honed for Mid-West single track specifically, but they won't suck if you ride them here either. That's a nice nod to those many off-road bicyclists that do not live in mountainous areas. 

There is a lot more news if you are curious, and I'm sure many sites are covering this, or you could go to Salsa Cycles site and learn more. 

A snippet from the Trek Travel site

Used Bikes For Sale Direct?

It is no secret that Direct To Consumer sales are being done, or 'sort-of' being done, by most bigger bicycle companies nowadays. New bikes typically are sold nearly built, or in many cases direct to the local bike shop, where customers can then collect them, but avoid working through the local shop for payment. 

But recently I came across Trek Travel's site selling used bicycles at big discounts. I would assume that these were the same bikes used for Trek Travel's tours over the past year, and now they are liquidating them via D2C over the internet. 

Comments: I am 100% speculating here, but HPC/eBikes in the upper echelon of price range are not an easy sell for a local bike shop. Think about how a dealer might feel if they had an 8K HPC road bike like that Domane+ sitting on the floor and a customer came in and told them that they bought one "just like that", (disregarding that it was used, of course!), from Trek Travel for 40% off of the asking price. 

I'm sure that gives dealers a warm fuzzy feeling. But I could be wrong...... 

Tumbleweed Stargazer Ti. Image courtesy of Tumbleweed Bikes

Tumbleweed Bikes Announces Ti Stargazer:

Last year I posted about the then new Tumbleweed Stargazer and said it was a "modernized Fargo Gen I" bike. That bike is a steel bike, and the next logical step for the Stargazer was to have it made in titanium.

Well, Tumbleweed has taken that 'next step', and the new Stargazer Ti is on pre-order. 

Tumbleweed copy on that linked page makes it sound as if this is a one-time deal, so if that Stargazer in steel was tempting you, but you needed it to be titanium, don't miss your chance, I guess.... Although things can always change, and I imagine that if enough orders went unfulfilled you'd have to think Tumbleweed would find a way to accommodate those potential sales. 

One thing I missed, I think, about the Stargazer was that it has a crazy "stack height" figure, which means that the handle bar would end up a lot higher in space than on many of my other bikes. Not sure I'd be about that. Otherwise, this seems like a solid choice for an adventure/bike packing rig. 

The Gravel Earth Series appears to be a European affair.

Gravel Earth Series Announced:

A new, a mostly European based, seven event series, dubbed "Gravel Earth Series", has been announced for 2023. 

With a promise that the organization behind the Gravel Earth Series is "..ready to change the rules", the series seems to draw at least some of its inspiration from Lincoln, Nebraska's Gravel Worlds. The event organizers claim a vision to: ".... make a dream come true, uniting some of the most impressive events in the world. The Gravel Earth Series was born with the aim of driving Gravel to the highest standards."

The first six events will set up the finale, (location is to be determined) and will be based off a points system set up by the organizers. Dates and more event information are on the site. Also, interested parties can sign up for their newsletter to keep abreast of the developments. 

Comments: Their site has a very annoying "dot" that follows your cursor around like an unwanted horsefly. Man! I generally don't comment on site formatting, but that's a new one on me that drove me crazy.Anyway.....

Their rules, which are......ah.....vague? Yeah.... The rules are more vision casting than actual rules. The points system seemed a bit complex to me, but okay. That's probably just me. Three categories, no mention of age groups, claims for lots of socializing (parties), and the like. Sounds like the venues are super cool. I look forward to hearing more about this. 

Grip Grab Overshoes: Image courtesy of Grip Grab

Grip Grab Gravel Overshoes:

The European based company, Grip Grab, has a new "Explorer" overshoe for gravel riding which is pretty interesting. It is waterproof, highly stretchable (probably a good thing) and has reinforcements in important places to enhance durability.

The Explorer overshoe is not distributed in the US yet, but you could order this direct from Grip Grab for about $95.00 plus shipping.

Comments:  First off, I have a few bad experiences with overshoe type covers and therefore I may be a bit more inclined to have a negative view of anything like these Explorer overshoes. That said, can you imagine pulling these on and off without a zipper of any kind? Or not having any other opening at all besides the leg opening?

I think the idea is sound, but the execution of the idea puts me off. The last thing I'd want to do after a muddy, wet, cold ride is to wrestle with a long overshoe, trying to peel it off over my shoes. No thank you! 

Especially when things like this or this exist which have no possibility of letting the elements in, and come off your feet far easier. (I know- There are other examples as well) Comparing those examples to this Grip Grab product, there is no cleat hole to accumulate and cause ingress of cold, wet mud, snow, or ice to allow those elements to suck the heat out from the bottom of your feet. There is no possibility that the cleat screw mounting hole of you cycling shoes allowing water to find its way to your foot. Basically, there are none of those overshoe's shortcomings. 

Hey, maybe it works as an idea for you, so don't let me yuck on your yum, (as N.Y. Roll is fond of saying). But I just have a hard time seeing how this would be any fun to use for my type of riding.
 

Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Have a fantastic weekend.