Choosing For The L.O.G.

The current state of the Gen I Fargo

 In a little less than three weeks from now I hopefully will be in Kansas for the Legends of Gravel ride. I have ridden quite a bit in Kansas, so I do have somewhat of an idea of what I am getting myself into there. But bicycle choice for an event is always something I end up tripping myself over anyway. It seems inevitable. 

The obvious choice would be to go with my Gen I Fargo. I've ridden this bike down there before and I know it would do quite well. My only concern is for the tires. 

While you do not hear about all the flat tires you used to hear about down there, the chance for tire failure is much higher than anywhere else I might be riding near me. Yes....goat heads, sharp rocks, and thorns reside waiting to assail your tires in other parts of the USA, but around here flat tires are rare. So, it doesn't take much of an increase in risk factor to raise my level of concern, and the Flint Hill demand respect. 

N.Y. Roll has offered me his pair of Vittoria Mezcals to put on this bike. I could do that. I have those Schwalbe G-One AllRoads. I also have a pair of Cannonball tires from Teravail I could use. Actually, the Cannonballs were on this Fargo at one time. Back when my Maxxis Ikons failed just before the DK20 and I had to buy the Cannonballs which were, at that time, the Official Tire of the DK200. (Now Continental is the Official Tires of Unbound) 

Anyway... I'm changing tires, because the ones on there now are not going to be up to the task. 

The Noble GX5

The other bike under consideration is my Noble GX5. The reasoning behind taking this bike would be the lighter weight of this bike. 

Generally I haven't taken this bike anywhere I would be on a remote, longer ride because it only has three bottle mounts. The original fork had no accessory mounts. So, with limited water carrying capabilities, I would end up using another bike instead. 

However; now that it has the State Bicycle Co Monster Fork on there, I have bottle mounts and this alleviates the water carrying issue. A bonus to this fork is that it will clear a 29"er X 2.1" tire. So, that would maybe be handy in the Flint Hills. 

My only concern is this bike does not have a Redshift Sports ShockStop stem on it. I could snatch one off another bike though. If I decide to go with the Noble I'd make the switch. It would be a lot nicer on the body if I did!

The third choice would be the Singular Gryphon. It's got big tires and a ShockStop stem already. It also has one of my favorite drop bars in the Ragley Luxy Bar. It's heavy though, and I'm not in the greatest shape right at the moment due to all the wonky weather we've had since the beginning of the year. 

Gotta make up my mind soon. Stay tuned....

Brown Season: Harvest Finishing Up

Escape Route: Old commute to Andy's Bike Shop

November. The month I generally figure on getting those late season mountain bike rides in and then being shut down for a few months right after Thanksgiving. Snow and ice aren't that far away, and when that stuff hits, it is all over for rides in the country, generally speaking. 

So, subsequently there is a sense of urgency when the leaves fall. A sense that any decent, Sunny day is a day wasted if you haven't ridden a bicycle. I mean, that is, if you are a cyclist. Not everyone is. And when you come across motorists at this time of year, you get the "Alein Freakshow on Parade" stare. It's as if after Labor Day you have to stop wearing white and quit riding bicycles. "The Rules" say so, and ya know.....cyclists are always in the way anyway. So much more so when you "aren't even supposed to be out there".

Trolley Car Trail

The long climb up Grand Boulevard starts in Waterloo.

Well, I was out there, on a weekday, no less, which makes it even more egregious, or marks me as a "retiree" with too much spare time. Whatever it was, the eyeballs were not friendly, for the most part. Only the few random walkers I saw on the bicycle trails going out were nice. Friendly waves and smiles were in stark contrast to much of what I saw in humanity on this day. Oh! And the young child on a porch in Cedar Falls that shouted a "Hello!" to me in a cheery voice as I trundled by on my fully loaded Gryphon. That was nice, but she probably didn't know any better. (sarcasm alert)

Men working on an ancient railroad bridge over the Cedar River in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

 

The last bit of bicycle trail around Big Woods Lake.

Yes, I was riding the Gryphon Mk3 fully loaded with gear to finish off reviewing some items. I was so hoping that this would have been during an actual overnighter or mini-tour, but alas! Things didn't materialize for me that way over the Summer. 

But that said, it was hard to be down about any of the above mentioned things. It was in the 50's already at 9:00am when I left, and the temps were zooming through the 50's to the upper 60's by mid-afternoon. It was Sunny, kind of, and breezy. Sunny, but in that weird "Fall-light" kind of way. That low-angle Sun does some weird things to the atmosphere. 

There still is some harvesting going on.

It's still pretty dusty out, but the roads are primo for riding now.

As the ride went on things warmed up and the Sun shone more. I never was uncomfortable even though I wore baggies and my legs were partially bare. Maybe for the last time on a ride in 2023. I wore a long-sleeved wool jersey with a Twin Six wind vest and no gloves. That turned out to be perfect. 

It is still very dry out as well. The dust was kept down only because of a stiff Southwesterly breeze which swept the dust off the road when a car or truck came by almost immediately. It might rain again Wednesday, but even if it does, it will barely make a dent in this drought. 

A farmer checks his wagon along Mt. Vernon Road

I couldn't spend a lot of time out in the country on this day, since I had to get home to feed the cats. That was probably a blessing anyway, since that loaded Gryphon was heavy and I was working hard to make it go. That was the bad part. The good part was that the load, the big, poofy tires, and the steel frame and fork were so smooth! 

But now that the reviewing is over, and now that any ideas of an overnighter are going to have to be put off again, I am stripping that rack and bag stuff off and going bare with the Gryphon for the rest of the year, such as it is. I want to put in a decent day of riding on just the bike again. 

The nice weather is supposed to last through the week. How many more chances will I get? I bet we'll be able to count them on both hands now, and the number will dwindle quickly. That sense of urgency? It's real.

Fat Tires On Gravel: From Krampus To Gryphon

Does The Gryphon Mk3 Measure Up to The Original Vision? 

In  this series I wanted to bring you along historically and philosophically on my journey towards getting a certain 'flavor' of gravel travel exemplified in a specific type of bicycle. I hope that it has come across to anyone that has read the entire series so far that this bicycle I had envisioned was something that, at first, did not exist. Also, that in some ways, history had to evolve to a point where the vision I had could be realized practically. 

In other words, what I was after was probably, most likely, a very odd thing. That said, I presented this series as a way for anyone else that was curious about my Singular Gryphon Mk3 to understand where I was coming from in regard to my high praise of the bike. 

But does the Gryphon Mk3 do everything I wished for in 2014? Is this "that bike" that I had envisioned back almost ten years ago now. That's where this post comes in. Now, this is not a review on the Gryphon Mk3, I already have done that here: "Country Views: A Gryphon On Gravel " This post will be looking to see if what I thought I was getting into a decade ago has panned out with this bike in 2023 and beyond. 

Okay, so first of all, my thoughts were spurred on to this idea by my exposure to the Surly Krampus. That bike's wheels and tires were what I thought were the story. Those Knards in a 29" X 3" size were amazing tires and whatever wheels that the bike had must have been good enough that the tires shined brightly for me. So, the most important part was that the tires and wheels had to work, or this idea may have never happened, or have been possible to pull off, if say the tire market for big, poofy 29" tires went away. Thankfully, that did not happen.

Heavy tires and wheels killed this idea on this Fargo

The wheels and tires, therefore, were paramount to getting where I wanted to go. Surly 29" X 3" Knards are still listed on the Surly site, but they are hard to find out in the wild. Even the Krampus comes with 2.6" tires now, making that bike "just another hardtail". The magic is in the tire size, and to a somewhat lesser extent, the rim width, so getting those right is very important to this idea. 

The tire couldn't be some knobbed-up, enduro type thing either. That would have killed the idea straight away. The appeal for this idea was based mostly on the Knard's easy roll on gravel and its "farm implement" type flotation capabilities. With choices becoming slim, I was forced to look elsewhere for satisfaction, and especially because the 29 X 3 Knard was becoming a rare bird. 

You might say that the Extraterrestrial is what I was looking for, but Surly only makes that in a 2.5 and it is very heavy. I have a set and I wouldn't have pursued this fat tires on gravel thing any further had those been my only tire choice. 

Of course, I ended up with Teravail's Coronado tires in the 29" X 2.8" size. They are that tire that isn't a full-on enduro knobby, and they seemed to occupy a similar space as do the Knards, but even a bit better in terms of capabilities. The 2.8" size I knew well, from my time on the 27.5" X 2.8" Trailblazers, so I knew that the contact patch of a 29"er would only enhance what I liked about the Trailblazer. Plus, the Coronado comes in a lighter, tan walled version, which was even better for my purposes. 

 A rare type of tire best suited to my purposes.

So, the Coronado was sourced and now I had to decide what to do about wheels. Fortunately for me, I had a set of wheels which was perfect for this platform. Those being what I called my "Project Wide Gravel Wheels v2". Those were built to prove a point, and they did that well, but then I had them sitting around because, well.....they sucked on my gravel bikes. But for this Gryphon idea? The axle standards were perfect for the Gryphon Mk3, a stroke of luck, to be sure, and so they ended up becoming perfect for the tires, being a great width, and certainly a great hubset in the DT Swiss 350's. So, a stellar set of wheels for a big, poofy tire and they actually fit the Gryphon Mk3 as well. It was meant to be!

I cannot stress enough the importance of the wheels and tires which are at the heart of the idea for this bike. But without the right frame and fork, I would be without a completion of the dream. Fortunately for me, Sam Alison of Singular Cycles brought forth the Gryphon Mk3. His decisions were paramount in making this dream of mine come to fruition. The Gryphon's design cues: Eccentric bottom bracket, non-suspension corrected frame, drop bar specific design - These were all critical towards making my vision for fat tires on gravel a reality. 

The frame being made from steel, again, a big deal, but not a "deal killer". I am grateful for Sam's insistence that a frame ride well and look 'classic', as if it was a bike that had been evolved from those lines that form what many of us bicycle nerd types think of when we think of "adventure drop-bar bikes". I mean, it is obvious Sam is onboard with that ideal. Just look at anything the man has produced in terms of design and that is readily apparent. So, the aesthetics of the Gryphon Mk3 were appealing to me as well. 

 So, it all came together and it just worked. I had that similar feeling as I once had with the Fat Fargo, but now I had 29"er wheels and tires, not the momentum-sapping 27.5"ers. I had a very comfortable riding position. Not "sit up and beg", like a newer Fargo, but lower. Not so low that I would tire of being in an aero position too long, as with my Noble, or Tamland Two, which have pretty low stack heights for a gravel bike. Those bikes have their place, but I was looking at something that would do a trick those bikes couldn't do, and we are not concerned with aero so much here. I mean, the fat tires kind of took care of that, didn't they? Yes. 

No, this is the bike that will do those days when the gravel is very fresh and chunky and will smooth out the ride. It is the bike I hope to be on when flotation is king. Sand, really loose terrain, or even mild snowy conditions fit that idea. 

Is this "that bike" then which I was wanting? I will say that it has been better than I expected it might be so far. Obviously, it is still pretty new to me, and also obviously I haven't had the opportunities to test every bit of the idea I had envisioned so long ago now. 

But I have a good feeling that this bicycle is that bicycle.

That brings this series to a conclusion, for the time being, but look for periodic updates to occur as situations allow. And as always- Thank You For Reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Fat Tires On Gravel: From Krampus To Gryphon

Does The Gryphon Mk3 Measure Up to The Original Vision? 

In  this series I wanted to bring you along historically and philosophically on my journey towards getting a certain 'flavor' of gravel travel exemplified in a specific type of bicycle. I hope that it has come across to anyone that has read the entire series so far that this bicycle I had envisioned was something that, at first, did not exist. Also, that in some ways, history had to evolve to a point where the vision I had could be realized practically. 

In other words, what I was after was probably, most likely, a very odd thing. That said, I presented this series as a way for anyone else that was curious about my Singular Gryphon Mk3 to understand where I was coming from in regard to my high praise of the bike. 

But does the Gryphon Mk3 do everything I wished for in 2014? Is this "that bike" that I had envisioned back almost ten years ago now. That's where this post comes in. Now, this is not a review on the Gryphon Mk3, I already have done that here: "Country Views: A Gryphon On Gravel " This post will be looking to see if what I thought I was getting into a decade ago has panned out with this bike in 2023 and beyond. 

Okay, so first of all, my thoughts were spurred on to this idea by my exposure to the Surly Krampus. That bike's wheels and tires were what I thought were the story. Those Knards in a 29" X 3" size were amazing tires and whatever wheels that the bike had must have been good enough that the tires shined brightly for me. So, the most important part was that the tires and wheels had to work, or this idea may have never happened, or have been possible to pull off, if say the tire market for big, poofy 29" tires went away. Thankfully, that did not happen.

Heavy tires and wheels killed this idea on this Fargo

The wheels and tires, therefore, were paramount to getting where I wanted to go. Surly 29" X 3" Knards are still listed on the Surly site, but they are hard to find out in the wild. Even the Krampus comes with 2.6" tires now, making that bike "just another hardtail". The magic is in the tire size, and to a somewhat lesser extent, the rim width, so getting those right is very important to this idea. 

The tire couldn't be some knobbed-up, enduro type thing either. That would have killed the idea straight away. The appeal for this idea was based mostly on the Knard's easy roll on gravel and its "farm implement" type flotation capabilities. With choices becoming slim, I was forced to look elsewhere for satisfaction, and especially because the 29 X 3 Knard was becoming a rare bird. 

You might say that the Extraterrestrial is what I was looking for, but Surly only makes that in a 2.5 and it is very heavy. I have a set and I wouldn't have pursued this fat tires on gravel thing any further had those been my only tire choice. 

Of course, I ended up with Teravail's Coronado tires in the 29" X 2.8" size. They are that tire that isn't a full-on enduro knobby, and they seemed to occupy a similar space as do the Knards, but even a bit better in terms of capabilities. The 2.8" size I knew well, from my time on the 27.5" X 2.8" Trailblazers, so I knew that the contact patch of a 29"er would only enhance what I liked about the Trailblazer. Plus, the Coronado comes in a lighter, tan walled version, which was even better for my purposes. 

 A rare type of tire best suited to my purposes.

So, the Coronado was sourced and now I had to decide what to do about wheels. Fortunately for me, I had a set of wheels which was perfect for this platform. Those being what I called my "Project Wide Gravel Wheels v2". Those were built to prove a point, and they did that well, but then I had them sitting around because, well.....they sucked on my gravel bikes. But for this Gryphon idea? The axle standards were perfect for the Gryphon Mk3, a stroke of luck, to be sure, and so they ended up becoming perfect for the tires, being a great width, and certainly a great hubset in the DT Swiss 350's. So, a stellar set of wheels for a big, poofy tire and they actually fit the Gryphon Mk3 as well. It was meant to be!

I cannot stress enough the importance of the wheels and tires which are at the heart of the idea for this bike. But without the right frame and fork, I would be without a completion of the dream. Fortunately for me, Sam Alison of Singular Cycles brought forth the Gryphon Mk3. His decisions were paramount in making this dream of mine come to fruition. The Gryphon's design cues: Eccentric bottom bracket, non-suspension corrected frame, drop bar specific design - These were all critical towards making my vision for fat tires on gravel a reality. 

The frame being made from steel, again, a big deal, but not a "deal killer". I am grateful for Sam's insistence that a frame ride well and look 'classic', as if it was a bike that had been evolved from those lines that form what many of us bicycle nerd types think of when we think of "adventure drop-bar bikes". I mean, it is obvious Sam is onboard with that ideal. Just look at anything the man has produced in terms of design and that is readily apparent. So, the aesthetics of the Gryphon Mk3 were appealing to me as well. 

 So, it all came together and it just worked. I had that similar feeling as I once had with the Fat Fargo, but now I had 29"er wheels and tires, not the momentum-sapping 27.5"ers. I had a very comfortable riding position. Not "sit up and beg", like a newer Fargo, but lower. Not so low that I would tire of being in an aero position too long, as with my Noble, or Tamland Two, which have pretty low stack heights for a gravel bike. Those bikes have their place, but I was looking at something that would do a trick those bikes couldn't do, and we are not concerned with aero so much here. I mean, the fat tires kind of took care of that, didn't they? Yes. 

No, this is the bike that will do those days when the gravel is very fresh and chunky and will smooth out the ride. It is the bike I hope to be on when flotation is king. Sand, really loose terrain, or even mild snowy conditions fit that idea. 

Is this "that bike" then which I was wanting? I will say that it has been better than I expected it might be so far. Obviously, it is still pretty new to me, and also obviously I haven't had the opportunities to test every bit of the idea I had envisioned so long ago now. 

But I have a good feeling that this bicycle is that bicycle.

That brings this series to a conclusion, for the time being, but look for periodic updates to occur as situations allow. And as always- Thank You For Reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Fat Tires On Gravel: From Krampus To Gryphon

A computer rendering of the Gryphon Mk3

A couple of things to bear in mind here concerning where I was at in Life in 2022. First of all, Andy's Bike Shop was a victim of the pandemic and closed its doors in December of 2021. That left me without work. I was scrambling to make ends meet and I did receive help unlooked for and I managed to scrape up some cash by doing moving work from time to time for a month spanning the New Year Day holiday. Then I was hired on at the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective. But that job had minimal hours and the pay was not all that great.

This needs to be said because when I came across Singular's site in early 2022, I saw The Bike. The bike I had been waiting for was up for pre-order, and it was coming from a brand I had experience with and from a man I knew was a great bicycle designer. This was too good!

It was, of course, the new Singular Cycles Gryphon Mk3. It had everything I wanted in a fat tired, gravel bike with drop bars. Steel frame. Capability to be single speed just in case. 29+ sized rubber was designed to fit. No suspension corrected frame, so the stack height would not be insanely high. I saw the computer rendering and couldn't believe my eyes. This was it! But I was not in an ideal situation to buy anything.

But times being what they were, the Singular Gryphon Mk3 wasn't due in until later in 2022. October was the first date given. I could manage to sell some stuff, scrape together some cash, maybe go without some things, and order the frame and fork. At least then I'd not miss the boat on this chance, because Singular is a small company, and who knows when, or even if, I'd ever see another chance like this. The price was more than fair. 

Another rendering of the bare frame and fork.

Well, Sam of Singular saw my post I made back in February of 2022 and responded with a fair offer to put something down on the frame so he had a commitment from me. I decided to jump on that, and so I was onboard to get the frame and fork. All I had to do was wait.

And that wait was longer than I anticipated it to be, but I was okay with that. Meanwhile I had more time to gather funds and parts. I wrote an explainer post as to what I was thinking in May of 2022 which you can read HERE. 

So, the bike did not actually land until the beginning of March of this year. A full year after I decided to pull the trigger, but by that time I was in a much better place with my job and the money wasn't nearly the issue that it had been. So, I actually was fine with the longer than anticipated wait. 

Of course, I have a lot of posts up on this bike already, so I won't get into that in this series, but I do want to make one last post to kind of tie together this journey to get that fat tire gravel bike that I believed could happen, and thanks to Sam at Singular Cycles, it did happen. 

Next: Does The Gryphon Mk3 Measure Up to The Original Vision?

Fat Tires On Gravel: From Krampus To Gryphon

A computer rendering of the Gryphon Mk3

A couple of things to bear in mind here concerning where I was at in Life in 2022. First of all, Andy's Bike Shop was a victim of the pandemic and closed its doors in December of 2021. That left me without work. I was scrambling to make ends meet and I did receive help unlooked for and I managed to scrape up some cash by doing moving work from time to time for a month spanning the New Year Day holiday. Then I was hired on at the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective. But that job had minimal hours and the pay was not all that great.

This needs to be said because when I came across Singular's site in early 2022, I saw The Bike. The bike I had been waiting for was up for pre-order, and it was coming from a brand I had experience with and from a man I knew was a great bicycle designer. This was too good!

It was, of course, the new Singular Cycles Gryphon Mk3. It had everything I wanted in a fat tired, gravel bike with drop bars. Steel frame. Capability to be single speed just in case. 29+ sized rubber was designed to fit. No suspension corrected frame, so the stack height would not be insanely high. I saw the computer rendering and couldn't believe my eyes. This was it! But I was not in an ideal situation to buy anything.

But times being what they were, the Singular Gryphon Mk3 wasn't due in until later in 2022. October was the first date given. I could manage to sell some stuff, scrape together some cash, maybe go without some things, and order the frame and fork. At least then I'd not miss the boat on this chance, because Singular is a small company, and who knows when, or even if, I'd ever see another chance like this. The price was more than fair. 

Another rendering of the bare frame and fork.

Well, Sam of Singular saw my post I made back in February of 2022 and responded with a fair offer to put something down on the frame so he had a commitment from me. I decided to jump on that, and so I was onboard to get the frame and fork. All I had to do was wait.

And that wait was longer than I anticipated it to be, but I was okay with that. Meanwhile I had more time to gather funds and parts. I wrote an explainer post as to what I was thinking in May of 2022 which you can read HERE. 

So, the bike did not actually land until the beginning of March of this year. A full year after I decided to pull the trigger, but by that time I was in a much better place with my job and the money wasn't nearly the issue that it had been. So, I actually was fine with the longer than anticipated wait. 

Of course, I have a lot of posts up on this bike already, so I won't get into that in this series, but I do want to make one last post to kind of tie together this journey to get that fat tire gravel bike that I believed could happen, and thanks to Sam at Singular Cycles, it did happen. 

Next: Does The Gryphon Mk3 Measure Up to The Original Vision?

More Enduro Bearings Stuff

 Enduro Bearings sent over its Torqtite Bottom Bracket, Max Hit Head Set, and Direct Line Pulleys for test and review to Riding Gravel/Guitar Ted Productions at no charge. We are not being paid, nor bribed, for this review, and we always strive to give our honest thoughts and views throughout. 

Okay, so a while back I received a Max Hit bottom bracket which I installed on my Singular Cycles Gryphon Mk3. That's been going well for me and after some more communications with the PR company rep that is my contact for Enduro, they decided to provide me these three components at no charge to try out on the Twin Six Standard Rando. So, take that as you may. (Standard Disclaimer)

Okay, that's annoying, but this is 2023, and it's the way the gubmint wants things done now. Onward....

Bearings are important and yes, they really do make a difference. As a bicycle mechanic, you learn fairly quickly that a precise bearing system rolls/turns/pivots far more easily and with less unwanted movement than lower quality bearing systems. It isn't just about the ball bearings either. This has to extend to the races, the grease, and the precision to which those all are manufactured. A high quality bearing system costs more. A lot more, but a high quality bearing system will outlast cheaper options and give you a more efficient machine to ride. Who doesn't want more efficiency? Well, maybe single speeders, but other than those freaks..... HA! 

The Max Hit bottom bracket in this bike has made a very noticeable difference.

My experiences so far with the Max Hit bottom bracket have been very encouraging. But let's talk about the practicality of the Max Hit bottom bracket a minute. Keeping in mind that this bottom bracket costs one hundred and eighty bucks, which is pretty expensive. 

The "standard" I will measure against here is the lowly Shimano outboard bearing bottom bracket. You can pick up an XTR version, (Shimano's top of the line bearings) for around $40.00 these days. That's a heck of a lot less expensive than the Enduro Max Hit. I could go through 4 XTR bottom brackets before I spent the money for one Max Hit bottom bracket. So, I get it. If penny-pinching is the only thing you consider here, then you may as well move on from this review. 

Now, remember what I said about efficiency? It matters and it hurts your efforts to be using a less than efficient bottom bracket, or wheel bearings, or what have you. In my personal experience, great bearings are a lot easier to ride, and especially in terms of wheels, where I feel top quality bearings have a huge effect on how a bicycle rides and feels to pedal. (Speaking of pedals, the bearings matter there too.) But next to wheels, what components are spinning on a bicycle that bear more forces than a bottom bracket? I'd say there aren't any that compare. (Okay, maybe pedals!)  So, a really good bottom bracket makes as much sense, or more, to me as a great wheel bearing. Why wouldn't I want a really nice, free-spinning, precision made bottom bracket? 

The Torqtite bottom bracket.

So, there is a difference and the Max Hit bottom bracket pedals so smoothly that I did not realize that the standard Shimano bottom bracket I was using before was so "not very good". The Shimano one "rumbles" when pedaled hard, and that is inefficiency exemplified right there. It's amazing to feel how that affects your ride. I bet it is measurable with a power meter, actually. However; I'm not able to find out. I don't have access to anything that measures power. It would be fun to get a set of those power measuring pedals to see what, if any, differences there are to find. 

Now I also have these Direct Line pulleys which went into the Shimano GRX rear derailleur and that is a component choice which also can make an increase in efficiency for a cyclist. This has been known for decades, but what is new is that now many feel a larger diameter pulley is more efficient still. This is why my GRX lower pulley is larger than what we used to use back in the day. But really....derailleur pulleys that are more efficient? Yes, and there is data to prove this. One report I found is here. (Note: An Enduro model scored pretty highly in this test)

So, I feel that a rear derailleur pulley upgrade isn't maybe cost effective for many, but if you are looking to eek out the last bits of watt savings, well..... You could do worse than buying a new set of jockey wheels. 

The Direct Line pulleys are not cheap, but they do make a demonstrable difference in efficiency.

Finally, we have the Max Hit head set. This component is made entirely of 440C stainless steel. So, it is heavier than your box-stock, ubiquitous Cane Creek type head set. Surprisingly it isn't crazy expensive at about 120 bucks. That's right in there with many aftermarket head sets. 

I guess this one is a bit harder to justify though. I mean, for a little more you can accessorize your bike with an anodized head set, or you can buy the Cane Creek 40 series one for about 50 or 60 bucks and heck, it'll do fine. But for the longevity and durability factors, I can see the Enduro Max Hit one as being something worth checking out. This is a bit heavier head set, but for severe conditions/uses, this might then be a head set that you could get behind. 

It might be a bit tougher to make a case for this.

The stuff all went in correctly, easily, and there were no issues at all. The riding I did over the weekend proved that nothing should fail out of the gate, at least, and that I did my job correctly! 

Sometimes I have worried about non-stock derailleur pulleys not shifting well. A lot of folks may not realize it, but the derailleur jockey wheels are a major player in shifting precision. Get the pulley wrong, in any way, and shifting suffers. 

I will say that I had nothing to worry about there with the Enduro Direct Line pulleys as each shift was accomplished as I expected. Quickly and quietly, just as I have come to know from Shimano. So, that was nice to find out.

The Torqtite bottom bracket is a bit of a mystery as to what it is I am feeling here. At times I feel a vibration, but at times I do not. I wonder if the thread-together system that Enduro uses is so rigid that I am feeling something else through the bottom bracket and that this is not the bottom bracket bearings at all. I need more time on the bike to figure this out. But I will say that the typical Shimano "grumble", or shudder on hard pedaling, is gone. 

The head set did not come loose. Bonus! The bike steered well, and well, what else is there to say about a head set? 

So, there you have it....for the time being. I need to run this stuff for a good, long time, and when that time comes to an end, I'll be doing a final take on these things. Until then.....

More Enduro Bearings Stuff

 Enduro Bearings sent over its Torqtite Bottom Bracket, Max Hit Head Set, and Direct Line Pulleys for test and review to Riding Gravel/Guitar Ted Productions at no charge. We are not being paid, nor bribed, for this review, and we always strive to give our honest thoughts and views throughout. 

Okay, so a while back I received a Max Hit bottom bracket which I installed on my Singular Cycles Gryphon Mk3. That's been going well for me and after some more communications with the PR company rep that is my contact for Enduro, they decided to provide me these three components at no charge to try out on the Twin Six Standard Rando. So, take that as you may. (Standard Disclaimer)

Okay, that's annoying, but this is 2023, and it's the way the gubmint wants things done now. Onward....

Bearings are important and yes, they really do make a difference. As a bicycle mechanic, you learn fairly quickly that a precise bearing system rolls/turns/pivots far more easily and with less unwanted movement than lower quality bearing systems. It isn't just about the ball bearings either. This has to extend to the races, the grease, and the precision to which those all are manufactured. A high quality bearing system costs more. A lot more, but a high quality bearing system will outlast cheaper options and give you a more efficient machine to ride. Who doesn't want more efficiency? Well, maybe single speeders, but other than those freaks..... HA! 

The Max Hit bottom bracket in this bike has made a very noticeable difference.

My experiences so far with the Max Hit bottom bracket have been very encouraging. But let's talk about the practicality of the Max Hit bottom bracket a minute. Keeping in mind that this bottom bracket costs one hundred and eighty bucks, which is pretty expensive. 

The "standard" I will measure against here is the lowly Shimano outboard bearing bottom bracket. You can pick up an XTR version, (Shimano's top of the line bearings) for around $40.00 these days. That's a heck of a lot less expensive than the Enduro Max Hit. I could go through 4 XTR bottom brackets before I spent the money for one Max Hit bottom bracket. So, I get it. If penny-pinching is the only thing you consider here, then you may as well move on from this review. 

Now, remember what I said about efficiency? It matters and it hurts your efforts to be using a less than efficient bottom bracket, or wheel bearings, or what have you. In my personal experience, great bearings are a lot easier to ride, and especially in terms of wheels, where I feel top quality bearings have a huge effect on how a bicycle rides and feels to pedal. (Speaking of pedals, the bearings matter there too.) But next to wheels, what components are spinning on a bicycle that bear more forces than a bottom bracket? I'd say there aren't any that compare. (Okay, maybe pedals!)  So, a really good bottom bracket makes as much sense, or more, to me as a great wheel bearing. Why wouldn't I want a really nice, free-spinning, precision made bottom bracket? 

The Torqtite bottom bracket.

So, there is a difference and the Max Hit bottom bracket pedals so smoothly that I did not realize that the standard Shimano bottom bracket I was using before was so "not very good". The Shimano one "rumbles" when pedaled hard, and that is inefficiency exemplified right there. It's amazing to feel how that affects your ride. I bet it is measurable with a power meter, actually. However; I'm not able to find out. I don't have access to anything that measures power. It would be fun to get a set of those power measuring pedals to see what, if any, differences there are to find. 

Now I also have these Direct Line pulleys which went into the Shimano GRX rear derailleur and that is a component choice which also can make an increase in efficiency for a cyclist. This has been known for decades, but what is new is that now many feel a larger diameter pulley is more efficient still. This is why my GRX lower pulley is larger than what we used to use back in the day. But really....derailleur pulleys that are more efficient? Yes, and there is data to prove this. One report I found is here. (Note: An Enduro model scored pretty highly in this test)

So, I feel that a rear derailleur pulley upgrade isn't maybe cost effective for many, but if you are looking to eek out the last bits of watt savings, well..... You could do worse than buying a new set of jockey wheels. 

The Direct Line pulleys are not cheap, but they do make a demonstrable difference in efficiency.

Finally, we have the Max Hit head set. This component is made entirely of 440C stainless steel. So, it is heavier than your box-stock, ubiquitous Cane Creek type head set. Surprisingly it isn't crazy expensive at about 120 bucks. That's right in there with many aftermarket head sets. 

I guess this one is a bit harder to justify though. I mean, for a little more you can accessorize your bike with an anodized head set, or you can buy the Cane Creek 40 series one for about 50 or 60 bucks and heck, it'll do fine. But for the longevity and durability factors, I can see the Enduro Max Hit one as being something worth checking out. This is a bit heavier head set, but for severe conditions/uses, this might then be a head set that you could get behind. 

It might be a bit tougher to make a case for this.

The stuff all went in correctly, easily, and there were no issues at all. The riding I did over the weekend proved that nothing should fail out of the gate, at least, and that I did my job correctly! 

Sometimes I have worried about non-stock derailleur pulleys not shifting well. A lot of folks may not realize it, but the derailleur jockey wheels are a major player in shifting precision. Get the pulley wrong, in any way, and shifting suffers. 

I will say that I had nothing to worry about there with the Enduro Direct Line pulleys as each shift was accomplished as I expected. Quickly and quietly, just as I have come to know from Shimano. So, that was nice to find out.

The Torqtite bottom bracket is a bit of a mystery as to what it is I am feeling here. At times I feel a vibration, but at times I do not. I wonder if the thread-together system that Enduro uses is so rigid that I am feeling something else through the bottom bracket and that this is not the bottom bracket bearings at all. I need more time on the bike to figure this out. But I will say that the typical Shimano "grumble", or shudder on hard pedaling, is gone. 

The head set did not come loose. Bonus! The bike steered well, and well, what else is there to say about a head set? 

So, there you have it....for the time being. I need to run this stuff for a good, long time, and when that time comes to an end, I'll be doing a final take on these things. Until then.....

Test Run For The Bikepacking Set-Up

Tuesday I was recording the latest "Guitar Ted Podcast" with N.Y. Roll and afterward he mentioned the plans for a sub-24 overnighter saying, "We've gotta plan a date for this camping trip!". His sense of urgency spurred me into deeper thought about my set up. Also, I needed to test it out!

So Wednesday I got out to test the bikepacking set up. No big ride, just a cruise through a bit of the Green Belt, a few ascents and descents of the dike along the Black Hawk Creek, and a bit of rough fields and gravel thrown in for good measure. 

The day was another great one with plenty of Sun and hardly any wind in the morning. I had to do a few chores before heading out the door. I also had to properly load up everything on the bike to get a good read on where, if anywhere, my set-up was lacking. So clothes, five full bottles of water, and food were onboard along with my tent and sleep system. Check the air pressure,(set at 20psi front/rear with the 29" X 2.8" Coronados), and I threw on a couple of Bike Bag Dude Chaff Bags to hold a tube, pump, tire levers, and my camera. 

The tube, pump, and levers may have been a redundancy, but better to be safe than sorry! I will have to inventory everything again before I go on a trip to make sure I know what I have for sure. 

Green Belt single track during peak "jungle conditions".

A lone kayaker glides across the Green Belt Lake.

The bike loaded as it is now is front-heavy. I suppose that's okay since when I mount up and ride the bike that should evenly distribute the loads. I think it worked out that way by the feel of things. The bike isn't so heavy that I cannot lift it up the steep basement stairs going down to the Lab, it's just that with all that weight flopping the fork around, the bike gets a bit much to handle due to the awkwardness of that weight distribution when I am not on the bike. 

Stretches of sand like this were no match for the Coronado tires.

I was treated to the full bikepacking experience when I had to portage over these fallen tree limbs.

The Ride:

So, the bike handled pretty well, actually. I was a bit dismayed that maybe I did not get into rough enough territory with the set up, but even a grassy field felt smooth. I am thinking the combination of fat, poofy tires, steel frame, and the load I had on made everything work to smooth out the terrain I was riding over. 

The drive train performed excellently. I had to use the granny twice to scale the dike along Black Hawk Creek and was able to do so easily, which means about anything else I come up against shouldn't be a big deal. The dikes have a very steep pitch to them, so if I can scale that, any gravel road will be a piece of cake, as long as I have the legs. 

I was concerned about my sleeping pad twisting on the rack deck, but that could easily be rectified. However; I am now thinking about putting that into the handle bar bag and putting the sleeping bag in there on the rack deck. I'll play around with that a bit. I have time as N.Y. Roll is going on RAGBRAI next week.

Other than doing an inventory of the stuff to make sure I am carrying what I should, and after possibly changing the front rack load, I am all ready to go now. This bike will stay as is, for the most part, until the sub-24 overnighter happens.

Test Run For The Bikepacking Set-Up

Tuesday I was recording the latest "Guitar Ted Podcast" with N.Y. Roll and afterward he mentioned the plans for a sub-24 overnighter saying, "We've gotta plan a date for this camping trip!". His sense of urgency spurred me into deeper thought about my set up. Also, I needed to test it out!

So Wednesday I got out to test the bikepacking set up. No big ride, just a cruise through a bit of the Green Belt, a few ascents and descents of the dike along the Black Hawk Creek, and a bit of rough fields and gravel thrown in for good measure. 

The day was another great one with plenty of Sun and hardly any wind in the morning. I had to do a few chores before heading out the door. I also had to properly load up everything on the bike to get a good read on where, if anywhere, my set-up was lacking. So clothes, five full bottles of water, and food were onboard along with my tent and sleep system. Check the air pressure,(set at 20psi front/rear with the 29" X 2.8" Coronados), and I threw on a couple of Bike Bag Dude Chaff Bags to hold a tube, pump, tire levers, and my camera. 

The tube, pump, and levers may have been a redundancy, but better to be safe than sorry! I will have to inventory everything again before I go on a trip to make sure I know what I have for sure. 

Green Belt single track during peak "jungle conditions".

A lone kayaker glides across the Green Belt Lake.

The bike loaded as it is now is front-heavy. I suppose that's okay since when I mount up and ride the bike that should evenly distribute the loads. I think it worked out that way by the feel of things. The bike isn't so heavy that I cannot lift it up the steep basement stairs going down to the Lab, it's just that with all that weight flopping the fork around, the bike gets a bit much to handle due to the awkwardness of that weight distribution when I am not on the bike. 

Stretches of sand like this were no match for the Coronado tires.

I was treated to the full bikepacking experience when I had to portage over these fallen tree limbs.

The Ride:

So, the bike handled pretty well, actually. I was a bit dismayed that maybe I did not get into rough enough territory with the set up, but even a grassy field felt smooth. I am thinking the combination of fat, poofy tires, steel frame, and the load I had on made everything work to smooth out the terrain I was riding over. 

The drive train performed excellently. I had to use the granny twice to scale the dike along Black Hawk Creek and was able to do so easily, which means about anything else I come up against shouldn't be a big deal. The dikes have a very steep pitch to them, so if I can scale that, any gravel road will be a piece of cake, as long as I have the legs. 

I was concerned about my sleeping pad twisting on the rack deck, but that could easily be rectified. However; I am now thinking about putting that into the handle bar bag and putting the sleeping bag in there on the rack deck. I'll play around with that a bit. I have time as N.Y. Roll is going on RAGBRAI next week.

Other than doing an inventory of the stuff to make sure I am carrying what I should, and after possibly changing the front rack load, I am all ready to go now. This bike will stay as is, for the most part, until the sub-24 overnighter happens.

Two Things

 Rechargeable Air Compressor Device In For Review:

I mentioned this last week, and well.....here it is. The device that claims to make all your inflation jobs easier. And then some... Oh! I purchased this device with my own money and the company has no idea I am reviewing this item. (I'll have more on why this statement is here later)

Out of the box I have been impressed. This borders on maybe being too much to have for casual rides around town or even longer gravel rides out into the country, but if I were on a tour? Or if I were on a really long ride? Yeah, I could make space for this because it could be a back-up for a device that you'd need an emergency charge for and it has the ability to be a flashlight.  So making repairs in the dark, or setting up camp in the dark, might be an easier task with the light function. Oh, and it also can double as a digital pressure gauge.

The unit and accessories seem well done. I see no reason at all why it wouldn't work well, and the waterproof carrying bag is a nice touch. Stay tuned here and on Riding Gravel for more. 

N.Y. Roll said something about a sub-24 outing. So, I had to get busy.....

 Sub-24 Set Up:

One of my goals for the year was to do a sub-24 camp trip which is going to lead into a special two-day trip I have wanted to do since about this time last year. I hadn't gotten around to setting up the Singular Gryphon Mk3 with the Old Man Mountain Elkhorn Rack I have, but I had meant to get that done and then to start messing with the set up for a sub-24 and eventually this trip. 

N.Y. Roll blurted out something the other day which was quite unexpected, but he wondered if I was up for a sub-24 trip. Now, I don't think he knew what I was thinking about, but it was perfect timing and the kick in the rear I needed to get started.

So, what you see above is basically a "sketch" of a set up. This could all change, and some of it definitely will. But here is what I had in mind so you can understand where I am possibly going here. 

• Rack: I thought I'd try the Elkhorn up front. I see a lot of bikepackers doing this and it makes sense to a degree.
• Rear Seat Pack: That's a Topeak unit I have and it has that removable dry sack so the bag stays on the bike. It's big enough to hold my two-man tent, so that's where I stuffed that for now.
• Topeak also made the extendable water bottle cage which I put underneath and because the front center of the Singular is longer than a gravel bike's, I can stuff a 32oz bottle in there. Perfect! 
• Water: Speaking of bottles, with the Elkhorn not interfering with the water bottle cages, I can have five bottles, and I could use a Bike Bag Dude Chaff bag for a sixth, if I wanted that, but this amount should do with one chance at a resupply. 
• Cargo: Okay, here's where I am not 100% yet. I need to rethink my using that old Thermarest pad which is that orangey-brown roll on the rack deck. It still works just fine, but that's as small as I can make it and I really should have it in something. I may just use one of those windshield Sun protectors that some minimalist bikepackers go with. And maybe I don't need to take so much stuff? That's always something I wrestle with, but the Outdoor Research handle bar roll really can handle a lot of my clothing and my sleeping bag, so I'm not sure how much I'll need that rack for in the first place. 

I could buddy-up that Salsa dry bag of the front of the OR handlebar roll, and maybe I don't need the Elkhorn, or....? Still trying to work that all out. But I test rode this set up and it would be okay. So, I am encouraged. I just need to do some decision making on the finer bits and she's ready. 

Stay tuned.....

Two Things

 Rechargeable Air Compressor Device In For Review:

I mentioned this last week, and well.....here it is. The device that claims to make all your inflation jobs easier. And then some... Oh! I purchased this device with my own money and the company has no idea I am reviewing this item. (I'll have more on why this statement is here later)

Out of the box I have been impressed. This borders on maybe being too much to have for casual rides around town or even longer gravel rides out into the country, but if I were on a tour? Or if I were on a really long ride? Yeah, I could make space for this because it could be a back-up for a device that you'd need an emergency charge for and it has the ability to be a flashlight.  So making repairs in the dark, or setting up camp in the dark, might be an easier task with the light function. Oh, and it also can double as a digital pressure gauge.

The unit and accessories seem well done. I see no reason at all why it wouldn't work well, and the waterproof carrying bag is a nice touch. Stay tuned here and on Riding Gravel for more. 

N.Y. Roll said something about a sub-24 outing. So, I had to get busy.....

 Sub-24 Set Up:

One of my goals for the year was to do a sub-24 camp trip which is going to lead into a special two-day trip I have wanted to do since about this time last year. I hadn't gotten around to setting up the Singular Gryphon Mk3 with the Old Man Mountain Elkhorn Rack I have, but I had meant to get that done and then to start messing with the set up for a sub-24 and eventually this trip. 

N.Y. Roll blurted out something the other day which was quite unexpected, but he wondered if I was up for a sub-24 trip. Now, I don't think he knew what I was thinking about, but it was perfect timing and the kick in the rear I needed to get started.

So, what you see above is basically a "sketch" of a set up. This could all change, and some of it definitely will. But here is what I had in mind so you can understand where I am possibly going here. 

• Rack: I thought I'd try the Elkhorn up front. I see a lot of bikepackers doing this and it makes sense to a degree.
• Rear Seat Pack: That's a Topeak unit I have and it has that removable dry sack so the bag stays on the bike. It's big enough to hold my two-man tent, so that's where I stuffed that for now.
• Topeak also made the extendable water bottle cage which I put underneath and because the front center of the Singular is longer than a gravel bike's, I can stuff a 32oz bottle in there. Perfect! 
• Water: Speaking of bottles, with the Elkhorn not interfering with the water bottle cages, I can have five bottles, and I could use a Bike Bag Dude Chaff bag for a sixth, if I wanted that, but this amount should do with one chance at a resupply. 
• Cargo: Okay, here's where I am not 100% yet. I need to rethink my using that old Thermarest pad which is that orangey-brown roll on the rack deck. It still works just fine, but that's as small as I can make it and I really should have it in something. I may just use one of those windshield Sun protectors that some minimalist bikepackers go with. And maybe I don't need to take so much stuff? That's always something I wrestle with, but the Outdoor Research handle bar roll really can handle a lot of my clothing and my sleeping bag, so I'm not sure how much I'll need that rack for in the first place. 

I could buddy-up that Salsa dry bag of the front of the OR handlebar roll, and maybe I don't need the Elkhorn, or....? Still trying to work that all out. But I test rode this set up and it would be okay. So, I am encouraged. I just need to do some decision making on the finer bits and she's ready. 

Stay tuned.....