Garage Sale: T-6 Standard Rando v2 Frame Set

 For Sale:

Twin Six Standard Rando v2 . 59cm 2020 model in "Safron" Carbon Fork upgrade. 

The current Standard Rando with Carbon fork upgrade and a Wolf Tooth head set runs $714.00 USD ON SALE on Twin Six's site. With the frame set I am selling you get an upgraded Enduro Bearings MaxHit head set, ($118.00) and Enduro Bearings "TorqTite" PF 30 bottom bracket ($98.00) and all cable clips to run 2X ($16.00 upgrade) for $450.00 + shipping. (PayPal or cash only) Sale is final, no returns. 

This frame is in VERY GOOD condition with no through-paint scratching or scuffs. It will come with through axles and seat collar, as shown. Carbon fork steer tube has been cut and has a steer tube plg installed. 

The bike fit a 6' 1" rider perfectly. I would give a size range for the bike of  6" 00"" to 6' 2" as being ideal here. Twin Six has a geometry chart you can see by scrolling through the gallery for the model HERE. 

Bike will be expertly packed in a standard bike frame box. Shipping costs will be determined at time of sale. You can also opt for local pick-up. 

Interested? Get a hold of me at g.ted.productions@gmail.com

NOTE: I can provide more images if needed. 

Friday News And Views

Moots new Routt CRD model. (Image courtesy of Moots)

 Moots Announces New Routt Version in the CRD:

Moots, who are best known for their US made titanium creations, has announced a new gravel bike called the Routt CRD. The bike has a lighter tube set and all internally routed cables with a tire size recommendation for 40-42mm tires, although it appears there is clearance for something bigger as well. 

Various packages with SRAM components are offered along with a frame/fork option. Moots also now is offering a line of MOD carbon fiber products which include a fork, handle bar, stem , but no seat post at this time. These MOD components are only available on Moots bikes for the time being.

Comments: I'll preface the following statements by saying that Moots has never been known to bring "bang for your buck" type value. In fact, it is fair to say that Moots demands a premium price for anything they put their name on. They are expensive bikes. Period. 

But when I saw the price for just a Routt CRD frame and fork at $8,888.00........ Okay, you get a carbon handle bar, stem, and a Chris King T-47 bottom bracket, but....WHAT?!! 

Recently N.Y. Roll and I recorded a podcast entitled "Cycling Is Too Expensive". This is what we were talking about there. Expensive brands have their place. I get that, but this seems ridiculously high priced, in my opinion. But again - Moots has never been a value oriented brand. I shouldn't be shocked. 

Speaking Of The Podcast.....

N.Y. Roll got back from RAGBRAI and shared a bit of his experiences with that in our most recent recording, which you can listen to  HERE or wherever you get your podcasts from. We'd appreciate it if you listened in.

Obviously, there is a bit of talk on this episode concerning hot weather riding. Might come in handy yet as Summer winds down. I also give you an "insider's look" at press releases which I get often and how one was messed up recently. In fact, I'll mention that in my next item below. But do listen in to the podcast for some details on that story. 

Oh, and the podcast has an Instagram page now as well, if you care to follow it. The account is under the name @GTD_podcast. Check that out if you want information on upcoming episodes and more.

 

Salsa Cycles Heyday! model (Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles)

Salsa Cycles Announces Fat Bikes For 2023/2024:

As previously mentioned, Salsa sent over a press release concerning what they were bringing out for this season's fat bike offerings. The line up will consist of the Beargrease and the renamed Mukluk model, the Heyday!. 

There are a few levels available for the Beargrease model and only two for the Heyday!. There is also a frame set for the Beargrease which you can order via a Salsa dealer. Otherwise the models are pretty much what you've come to know over the past eight years now. Just different colors and spec. 

Comments: After the social upheavals in 2020, Salsa's parent company, QBP, committed to a very comprehensive, third party investigation of their business practices and brand/model naming conventions as those things apply to diversity, equity, and inclusiveness. (DEI) Subsequently what you notice on the consumer side is that many names of QBP brand bikes have changed. 

Without getting into the weeds on the "why" of these decisions, (which QBP doesn't fully indulge us with anyway), the Beargrease name passed through the process but the Mukluk name did not, so the change was made to that model and it will be known as the Heyday! from now on. And because this change was made so late, some Heyday! bikes won't have a model name at all on them.

Otherwise, the only notable thing here is that a Heyday! model will be offered in 11 speed Shimano CUES. The first spec for that new group that I've seen.

New Additions;

There have been some new additions to the garage sale page on the blog here this past week. I will be adding even more as time goes on and clearing out more space in the Lab.

One of the things I have found over the last several years is that I rarely, if ever, go "mountain biking" here in this area anymore. There are several reasons for that, but suffice it to say that I have no reason at all to be hanging on to some of the stuff I have that maybe someone else could get some use out of. 

Besides, I also have found that my fat bikes can do single track around here just fine, and of course, I have that rare OS Bikes Blackbuck that I can ride if I truly want the MTB experience around here. Anyway, check out that page for some stuff and stay tuned for more coming soon. It won't all be MTB related either, just so you know. I actually don't have a whole lot of that anymore here.. 

That's a wrap for this week. Thank you for reading Guitar ted Productions.

Friday News And Views

Moots new Routt CRD model. (Image courtesy of Moots)

 Moots Announces New Routt Version in the CRD:

Moots, who are best known for their US made titanium creations, has announced a new gravel bike called the Routt CRD. The bike has a lighter tube set and all internally routed cables with a tire size recommendation for 40-42mm tires, although it appears there is clearance for something bigger as well. 

Various packages with SRAM components are offered along with a frame/fork option. Moots also now is offering a line of MOD carbon fiber products which include a fork, handle bar, stem , but no seat post at this time. These MOD components are only available on Moots bikes for the time being.

Comments: I'll preface the following statements by saying that Moots has never been known to bring "bang for your buck" type value. In fact, it is fair to say that Moots demands a premium price for anything they put their name on. They are expensive bikes. Period. 

But when I saw the price for just a Routt CRD frame and fork at $8,888.00........ Okay, you get a carbon handle bar, stem, and a Chris King T-47 bottom bracket, but....WHAT?!! 

Recently N.Y. Roll and I recorded a podcast entitled "Cycling Is Too Expensive". This is what we were talking about there. Expensive brands have their place. I get that, but this seems ridiculously high priced, in my opinion. But again - Moots has never been a value oriented brand. I shouldn't be shocked. 

Speaking Of The Podcast.....

N.Y. Roll got back from RAGBRAI and shared a bit of his experiences with that in our most recent recording, which you can listen to  HERE or wherever you get your podcasts from. We'd appreciate it if you listened in.

Obviously, there is a bit of talk on this episode concerning hot weather riding. Might come in handy yet as Summer winds down. I also give you an "insider's look" at press releases which I get often and how one was messed up recently. In fact, I'll mention that in my next item below. But do listen in to the podcast for some details on that story. 

Oh, and the podcast has an Instagram page now as well, if you care to follow it. The account is under the name @GTD_podcast. Check that out if you want information on upcoming episodes and more.

 

Salsa Cycles Heyday! model (Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles)

Salsa Cycles Announces Fat Bikes For 2023/2024:

As previously mentioned, Salsa sent over a press release concerning what they were bringing out for this season's fat bike offerings. The line up will consist of the Beargrease and the renamed Mukluk model, the Heyday!. 

There are a few levels available for the Beargrease model and only two for the Heyday!. There is also a frame set for the Beargrease which you can order via a Salsa dealer. Otherwise the models are pretty much what you've come to know over the past eight years now. Just different colors and spec. 

Comments: After the social upheavals in 2020, Salsa's parent company, QBP, committed to a very comprehensive, third party investigation of their business practices and brand/model naming conventions as those things apply to diversity, equity, and inclusiveness. (DEI) Subsequently what you notice on the consumer side is that many names of QBP brand bikes have changed. 

Without getting into the weeds on the "why" of these decisions, (which QBP doesn't fully indulge us with anyway), the Beargrease name passed through the process but the Mukluk name did not, so the change was made to that model and it will be known as the Heyday! from now on. And because this change was made so late, some Heyday! bikes won't have a model name at all on them.

Otherwise, the only notable thing here is that a Heyday! model will be offered in 11 speed Shimano CUES. The first spec for that new group that I've seen.

New Additions;

There have been some new additions to the garage sale page on the blog here this past week. I will be adding even more as time goes on and clearing out more space in the Lab.

One of the things I have found over the last several years is that I rarely, if ever, go "mountain biking" here in this area anymore. There are several reasons for that, but suffice it to say that I have no reason at all to be hanging on to some of the stuff I have that maybe someone else could get some use out of. 

Besides, I also have found that my fat bikes can do single track around here just fine, and of course, I have that rare OS Bikes Blackbuck that I can ride if I truly want the MTB experience around here. Anyway, check out that page for some stuff and stay tuned for more coming soon. It won't all be MTB related either, just so you know. I actually don't have a whole lot of that anymore here.. 

That's a wrap for this week. Thank you for reading Guitar ted Productions.

Friday News And Views

Esker's new 2023 Hayduke (Image courtesy of Esker)

Esker Introduces New Hayduke:

The newest Esker Hayduke for 2023 features a geometry centered around 29 inch wheels and an "all-day" ride feel in its ChroMo steel frame. 

The frame features all the mounting points you might want for bike-packing or adventure cycling. The frame is dropper post compatible and uses externally routed cables with full-run houings and an internally routed dropper post seat tube. The frame also uses the tried-and-true threaded type bottom bracket with a 73mm width. 

The Hayduke can also be fitted with recommended widths of 29'er tires of 2.2" - 2.8" in width. The wider end of that spectrum requires adjustment of the stepped, Portage Dropout to its longer settings. 

Esker offers frames or two different complete builds in three colors and five sizes. See the site for more details. 

Comments: This looks like a decent 29"er hard tail which, when set up with the recommended 120mm travel suspension fork, should handle most anything anywhere. Not too slack or low, and not too steep and short here. Just a nicely designed steel hard tail frame. 

The price seems reasonable at 1G for the frame too. I'd likely go for this if I was into a hard tail for MTB. But as it stands, I have a bike coming that would do similar things and I don't need a dedicated MTB hard tail at this point. Maybe you do? Check it out....

Haley Smith (Image courtesy of Maxxis Factory Race Team)

Interviewed Again:

Recently I was contacted by Haley Smith, of Maxxis Factory Racing, and a researcher at the Queen's University at their School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, for an interview which would be a part of a research study on gravel cycling, its culture, and concerning how that might be preserved and explained to future event RD's, team managers, etc. 

Now, bear in mind, when I was contacted by Ms Smith, I did not know anything about her, or that she has been and currently is an elite level mountain biker/gravel cyclist. 

I just thought she was a research student from Queen's University in Canada. Which, honestly, was a good thing. I went into this with zero preconceived notions about the study, what the outcomes may be, nor did I care, frankly. That's probably something that made this interview more worthwhile for both Ms Smith and I, in my opinion. I just let the hair down and was as "real" as I could be, which, if I had to guess, is exactly what Ms Smith would have been hoping.

Anyway, it was fun and if you know me, I like to talk, so it was easy as well. Okay, now what about this study? What does it mean? What will happen with all this research? 

I do not know, actually. I have a clue, a hint, but nothing more. But here is my takeaway- Colleges are doing freaking research into what makes the grassroots gravel thing tick! This is a new level of "I never would have guessed it" in terms of where this thing has gone and where it came from. College level, peer reviewed, scientific research? Are you kidding me? 

I am not the only person they are conducting interviews with either. The aim, according to what Ms Smith relayed to me, was to cast as wide a net across all classes and types of humans that are involved in gravel riding as possible. So, that's even radder than I would have imagined. Just really unbelievable.

I mean, ten years ago we were wishing we could get a good gravel tire or two! Just think about that for a minute! Now the gravel scene is being seriously studied at the collegiate level? Nuh-uh! No way! But it is......  

New S-Phyre glasses (Image courtesy of Shimano)

Shimano Announces Second Gen Eyewear:

The new Aerolite and S-Phyre eyewear pieces are out now from Shimano. The S-Phyre being the expensive, high-end glasses with the Aerolite being the more budget oriented option here. 

The big deal here, as I see it, is that the lenses, which are interchangeable via magnetic contacts, is that Shimano engineered the lenses to have specific functions. One of the six options is specified as being best for "gravel".

Well, that's a bold claim, and what it amounts to is a claimed ability to see contrasts in surfaces and to be able to be used across gravel, dirt, or pavement. I dunno..... This sounds more "all-around" than a glass that is for gravel specifically. 

And maybe I'll get to find out. Word is that Riding Gravel is getting a pair in to test. Stay tuned..... 

Image courtesy of Ritchey Design

Ritchey Announces WCS "Gravel Grip":

Looking a lot like a track grip, Ritchey Design announced on Wednesday a new drop bar grip they call the "WCS Gravel Grip". (Of course!) It is meant to slip on over the extensions of the drops and provide grip and vibration damping with its 4mm closed cell foam construction. They go for $14.95 a set. 

Comments: Honestly, not a new idea here. I am pretty sure ESI makes, or made a grip similar to this which I was using back ten years ago or more. (Note: Yes, these are still available here) I also used an ergonomic style grip from Redshift Sports here. 

The idea is sound, but unless you - you know - actually use the drops, this idea is lost on you. Many people could just as well cut off the drops below the levers and never miss a beat. So, this is a limited use idea, and while it may sound appealing, one needs to review how they use a drop bar to begin with. 

But if you do use the drops a lot, this is a nicely priced option. They look great, and I suspect they do what is claimed, based on my experiences with the ESI and Redshift options I have used. 

Guitar Ted has a "Garage Sale"!

Guitar Ted's Garage  Sale:

Just a quick reminder that I maintain a "Garage Sale" page here on this blog where I list items I want to move on from. The items get changed from time to time, so it is worthwhile checking back to see if I posted anything new for sale there.

I've put a bunch of new items in there recently in case you haven't looked in a while. All items are either gently used or N.O.S. items I have been collecting over the years. I will and have had anything from bikes, frames, forks, and even accessory items like tents and clothing in there from time to time.

That's a wrap on this week. Have a great weekend and start off February right with a bike ride!

Friday News And Views

Esker's new 2023 Hayduke (Image courtesy of Esker)

Esker Introduces New Hayduke:

The newest Esker Hayduke for 2023 features a geometry centered around 29 inch wheels and an "all-day" ride feel in its ChroMo steel frame. 

The frame features all the mounting points you might want for bike-packing or adventure cycling. The frame is dropper post compatible and uses externally routed cables with full-run houings and an internally routed dropper post seat tube. The frame also uses the tried-and-true threaded type bottom bracket with a 73mm width. 

The Hayduke can also be fitted with recommended widths of 29'er tires of 2.2" - 2.8" in width. The wider end of that spectrum requires adjustment of the stepped, Portage Dropout to its longer settings. 

Esker offers frames or two different complete builds in three colors and five sizes. See the site for more details. 

Comments: This looks like a decent 29"er hard tail which, when set up with the recommended 120mm travel suspension fork, should handle most anything anywhere. Not too slack or low, and not too steep and short here. Just a nicely designed steel hard tail frame. 

The price seems reasonable at 1G for the frame too. I'd likely go for this if I was into a hard tail for MTB. But as it stands, I have a bike coming that would do similar things and I don't need a dedicated MTB hard tail at this point. Maybe you do? Check it out....

Haley Smith (Image courtesy of Maxxis Factory Race Team)

Interviewed Again:

Recently I was contacted by Haley Smith, of Maxxis Factory Racing, and a researcher at the Queen's University at their School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, for an interview which would be a part of a research study on gravel cycling, its culture, and concerning how that might be preserved and explained to future event RD's, team managers, etc. 

Now, bear in mind, when I was contacted by Ms Smith, I did not know anything about her, or that she has been and currently is an elite level mountain biker/gravel cyclist. 

I just thought she was a research student from Queen's University in Canada. Which, honestly, was a good thing. I went into this with zero preconceived notions about the study, what the outcomes may be, nor did I care, frankly. That's probably something that made this interview more worthwhile for both Ms Smith and I, in my opinion. I just let the hair down and was as "real" as I could be, which, if I had to guess, is exactly what Ms Smith would have been hoping.

Anyway, it was fun and if you know me, I like to talk, so it was easy as well. Okay, now what about this study? What does it mean? What will happen with all this research? 

I do not know, actually. I have a clue, a hint, but nothing more. But here is my takeaway- Colleges are doing freaking research into what makes the grassroots gravel thing tick! This is a new level of "I never would have guessed it" in terms of where this thing has gone and where it came from. College level, peer reviewed, scientific research? Are you kidding me? 

I am not the only person they are conducting interviews with either. The aim, according to what Ms Smith relayed to me, was to cast as wide a net across all classes and types of humans that are involved in gravel riding as possible. So, that's even radder than I would have imagined. Just really unbelievable.

I mean, ten years ago we were wishing we could get a good gravel tire or two! Just think about that for a minute! Now the gravel scene is being seriously studied at the collegiate level? Nuh-uh! No way! But it is......  

New S-Phyre glasses (Image courtesy of Shimano)

Shimano Announces Second Gen Eyewear:

The new Aerolite and S-Phyre eyewear pieces are out now from Shimano. The S-Phyre being the expensive, high-end glasses with the Aerolite being the more budget oriented option here. 

The big deal here, as I see it, is that the lenses, which are interchangeable via magnetic contacts, is that Shimano engineered the lenses to have specific functions. One of the six options is specified as being best for "gravel".

Well, that's a bold claim, and what it amounts to is a claimed ability to see contrasts in surfaces and to be able to be used across gravel, dirt, or pavement. I dunno..... This sounds more "all-around" than a glass that is for gravel specifically. 

And maybe I'll get to find out. Word is that Riding Gravel is getting a pair in to test. Stay tuned..... 

Image courtesy of Ritchey Design

Ritchey Announces WCS "Gravel Grip":

Looking a lot like a track grip, Ritchey Design announced on Wednesday a new drop bar grip they call the "WCS Gravel Grip". (Of course!) It is meant to slip on over the extensions of the drops and provide grip and vibration damping with its 4mm closed cell foam construction. They go for $14.95 a set. 

Comments: Honestly, not a new idea here. I am pretty sure ESI makes, or made a grip similar to this which I was using back ten years ago or more. (Note: Yes, these are still available here) I also used an ergonomic style grip from Redshift Sports here. 

The idea is sound, but unless you - you know - actually use the drops, this idea is lost on you. Many people could just as well cut off the drops below the levers and never miss a beat. So, this is a limited use idea, and while it may sound appealing, one needs to review how they use a drop bar to begin with. 

But if you do use the drops a lot, this is a nicely priced option. They look great, and I suspect they do what is claimed, based on my experiences with the ESI and Redshift options I have used. 

Guitar Ted has a "Garage Sale"!

Guitar Ted's Garage  Sale:

Just a quick reminder that I maintain a "Garage Sale" page here on this blog where I list items I want to move on from. The items get changed from time to time, so it is worthwhile checking back to see if I posted anything new for sale there.

I've put a bunch of new items in there recently in case you haven't looked in a while. All items are either gently used or N.O.S. items I have been collecting over the years. I will and have had anything from bikes, frames, forks, and even accessory items like tents and clothing in there from time to time.

That's a wrap on this week. Have a great weekend and start off February right with a bike ride!

Cleaning House

Time to clean out some stuff again.

 It was a busy weekend with work and with family stuff. I spent some time down in the Lab cleaning, rearranging stuff, and thinking. I ended up donating a few items to the Collective, and I think more will be coming out of the dark hiding places later which I will also donate to the Collective. 

I dunno..... I guess I am in a "de-cluttering phase". The swirling mass of detritus in the lab gets me off track a lot of the time and I don't need distractions. I get 'ideas' and I run down a rabbit trail with possibilities and next thing I know I am exhausted and I go back to something else, leaving the Lab and all the chaos behind.

 To that end, N.Y. Roll and I were batting around the idea of a "lawn sale" of  bike parts. Kind of part 'swap meet' and part 'garage sale'. There are details to be worked out, but the more I thought about this the more I like the idea. I have a LOT of stuff to, as some say, "move on down the road". 

And I know a lot of you readers would be interested, but here's the thing: This is stuff not worth shipping. I'm talking about old pairs of tires, old, old wheel sets, and components that are lightly used, but which I cannot ask a lot of money for. It would cost me way more in time and materials, not to mention cost to ship, than this stuff is worth. 

So, this is for the locals, most likely. 

There might be an addition or two on the "Guitar Ted's Garage Sale" page if I find something worth shipping.  Some of the stuff on there may end up at this theoretical 'lawn sale' as well. 

Anyway....that's what I did most of the weekend. I was sorting through stuff I need to divest myself of now. Thinning things down, making my life about things I need versus "The Things" I have. I have far too much 'stuff' and it needs to be gone.

Cleaning House

Time to clean out some stuff again.

 It was a busy weekend with work and with family stuff. I spent some time down in the Lab cleaning, rearranging stuff, and thinking. I ended up donating a few items to the Collective, and I think more will be coming out of the dark hiding places later which I will also donate to the Collective. 

I dunno..... I guess I am in a "de-cluttering phase". The swirling mass of detritus in the lab gets me off track a lot of the time and I don't need distractions. I get 'ideas' and I run down a rabbit trail with possibilities and next thing I know I am exhausted and I go back to something else, leaving the Lab and all the chaos behind.

 To that end, N.Y. Roll and I were batting around the idea of a "lawn sale" of  bike parts. Kind of part 'swap meet' and part 'garage sale'. There are details to be worked out, but the more I thought about this the more I like the idea. I have a LOT of stuff to, as some say, "move on down the road". 

And I know a lot of you readers would be interested, but here's the thing: This is stuff not worth shipping. I'm talking about old pairs of tires, old, old wheel sets, and components that are lightly used, but which I cannot ask a lot of money for. It would cost me way more in time and materials, not to mention cost to ship, than this stuff is worth. 

So, this is for the locals, most likely. 

There might be an addition or two on the "Guitar Ted's Garage Sale" page if I find something worth shipping.  Some of the stuff on there may end up at this theoretical 'lawn sale' as well. 

Anyway....that's what I did most of the weekend. I was sorting through stuff I need to divest myself of now. Thinning things down, making my life about things I need versus "The Things" I have. I have far too much 'stuff' and it needs to be gone.