Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles social media

Salsa Cycles Teases Drop Bar MTB:

On Tuesday of this past week, Salsa Cycles dropped a teaser for a new bicycle which is said to be coming to their dealers in January of 2026. 

Tagged only with the words "Curioser and Curioser", the silhouette of the bike is shown against a murky, forest-like scene. Perhaps this hints at the model's new name.

Comments: Whooo-boy! The comments on this are just what you'd expect from the mostly-negative peanut gallery. I won't get into their thoughts as they are not really going to do anything but be noise here.  

What I will say is this looks like stab at a niche which may be pretty far off most folks radar. My guess is this is a "fast bikepacking" platform. But this is just a guess. I highly doubt it is a drop bar alternative for trail riding only, but obviously, it probably will be capable of doing just that. My first impression when seeing this was it could be a full-sus gravel bike, but I think the travel on the fork looks a bit long for this to be pigeon-holed as just a gravel bike. Besides, look at the height of the bottom bracket. This looks much more off-road than on-road. 

I guess we will all find out together in January!

Image courtesy of Mondraker Bicycles.

Mondraker Offers Arid Carbon Unlimited Frameset:

On Wednesday Mondraker Bicycles announced a new version of their Arid Carbon gravel bike called the Arid Carbon Unlimited. This new frame set is painted in a color-shifting "Eclipse" scheme which will look different depending upon the viewer's angle of sight and lighting conditions.  

The frame also features a lighter version of the  Stealth Air Carbon Fork which has the accessory mounts removed for a sleeker look and 60 gram lighter weight. 

Prices in the press release were not given in US dollars, but looking at the listed retail pricing my guess is this would be around $2,500.00 before any tariffs. This is assuming it will even be available in the USA. With this in mind, I still think this is a high-end frame set worth seeking out for its geometry and promised smoother riding qualities.   

Image courtesy of Castelli

Castelli Partners With Polartec For New AirCore™ Jacket Tech:

Castelli released news of a new Perfetto RoS jacket on Tuesday of this past week which uses a new fabric which may radicalize how we view rain wear.  

The inside joke regarding any weather protective jackets has always been you get wetter on the inside than you would on the outside when wearing a rain jacket while cycling. I've tried several rain jackets and this has mostly been the case. I did have one Endura made, Niner Bikes branded soft shell jacket which was the only cycling jacket I ever had which kept me warm, dry, and was almost wind proof and had a little resistance to wetness. But yeah, most claims of "breathability" in rain wear is laughable at best. 

To understand this one must know a lot of the details and tech behind poor weather wear for cycling. Most, if not all, rain wear has three layers. In the simplest terms, the rain is kept at bay while this three layer fabric supposedly allows your perspiration to find its way through to get evaporated into the atmosphere. Trouble is, this happens at such a slow rate in most jackets as to be largely ineffective. 

Then Shakedry, a magical, single layer fabric came out around eight years ago or so which actually did the magic trick of being waterproof and kept you dry inside of it. However; it was difficult to make and was limited by its non-stretchy, and less durable nature. Then it was found to have high levels of PFC's which were being linked to cancer. A ban on PFC's in several countries has led to the discontinuation of Shakedry jackets. Back to the same ol'-same ol"? No.... Not according to Castelli. 

Castelli went to Polartec and asked them to create a new fabric with no PFC's which would repel water and wind yet be actually breathable, not just breathable in theory. So, the claim is now being made. The new AirCore™ fabric, spun from recycled polyesters, is this new wonder-fabric which will breath and repel water and wind. 

This fabric will be an exclusive to Castelli and its sister brand, Sporful, for cycling, but look for AirCore™ to show up in other brand's outwear this Winter. We will see if the mystical combination of weather-proofness and dry interior performance during active use will become a reality.  

Image courtesy of Specialized Bicycles

Specialized Releases Details On Gen4 Diverge:

Specialized on Tuesday released details on a new version of the Diverge, their gravel bike, and there are several new features and tweaks to cover here.

First off, the Future Shock system gets an upgrade on the higher end models with hydraulic damping and adjustability for rider weight and preferences. The geometry has been tweaked by way of a longer front-center for each size matched up with a slack head angle and 5mm lower bottom bracket across the range. Tire clearance is up to 700 X 50mm, and alloy models now get down tube frame storage capabilities. Prices start at 2K and range up to 10K for the top-end model. Se the range HERE. 

Comments: The social media commentary on gravel bikes, including this one, is hilarious. Many think 2017 MTB's are "old school", that gravel bikes are "just pretend flat bar hard tail MTB's", and seeing many trying to wrap their minds around an 85mm bottom bracket drop is particularly fun. 

Anyway, this new Diverge was developed through feedback from Specialized sponsored Pro gravel racers, so anyone making comments on these bicycles being lacking, or dumb in any way are just not getting the message. Racers want what racers believe they need to go faster. Much of what they believe is data-driven, so this is not just a bunch of marketing hoo-ha cooked up to strip the riding populace of their hard-earned dollars. 

Oddly enough, many of the details which the Pros seem to want in a gravel bike align with what I think works best for "just riding around", on gravel. Besides the lack of versatility which racers do not need or want, I'm in. This is the only nit I would have with the Diverge.  

Image courtesy of Santa Cruz Bicycles

New Stigmata HTSQD Colorway Debuts:

Santa Cruz showed off this special colorway of their Stigmata gravel bike recently which can be had as a full-build or frame and fork. The frame and fork combo is listed at $2,799.00 USD. 

The frame/fork combo can be seen HERE. 

Comments: N.Y. Roll has an older Stigmata, and he seems to like it well enough to keep it around for now. I like this newer version, maybe as a more racy option for myself, at any rate. 

The geometry on this is a bit longish and sizing this bike is a bit of a conundrum fror me. I think I'd opt for the Large but with a 52.5cm seat tube length it would require quite a lot of seat post extension. I suppose this is by design to accommodate dropper posts, which these MTB-centric brands like to put on their gravel bikes. 

Cool colors, at any rate. I do like this about the new Stiggy. 

That's a wrap for this week! Have a great weekend and ride those bicycles!

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Life Time Events

 Life Time To Offer Free Live Coverage Of Unbound Gravel

For the first time in the events history, Unbound Gravel will have live, start to finish race coverage of the Pro Men and Pro Women fields.

In a press release from Tuesday of this week, Life Time promised an approximately seven hour time slot for the  event, saying it will not end coverage until all podium interviews are completed.. 

The timing of coverage seems a bit odd in that the press release states in one place that coverage will start with a pre-race briefing on the event and then turn to the race reporters for an uninterrupted stream of the event on Life Time's You Tube channel. However; this coverage is stated to start at 10:00am CST, which is typically four hours after the event gets going. Further into the release it is stated that the time is yet to be determined. Here is the quote: "The program is due to commence at [insert time here] and conclude following the elite women’s post-race interviews." 

Comments: Obviously there was not a good job of editing before the release went out. If I get clarity on the timing of the coverage I will update this story. Maybe they won't cover the opening hours of the event?

(WARNING! Old Man Yelling At Sky) The release went on and on, with the expected self-congratulatory blather and stating the event is "..the world's premier gravel event". No real argument here, but the blathering and puffery gets a bit tiring. We get it, Life Time, you think highly of how you do things and this event, which you neither created nor elevated to be the World's Premier Gravel Event, was a nice purchase by the corporation. You've shepherded the asset well. I'm sure the shareholders are pleased. 

Now, back to our regularly scheduled gravel event coverage. Thanks to all our noisy helicopters and crews on vehicles scampering across what was once a peaceful prairie causing more mayhem than is necessary so we can be entertained. For "free". 

Image courtesy of Pony Express 150 Gravel event Facebook post.

Another "Mud Year"?

Speaking of Unbound Gravel, it might be that the motos and follow cars won't be able to cover certain portions of the course anyway. As seen in the accompanying image, courtesy of the Pony Express 150 event's Facebook feed, there appears to be an abundance of moisture in the Flint Hills of late.

 Of course, there is an entire week until the event, and things could change, and probably will. So, this may be much adieu about nothing. Then again it is supposed to be unusually cool and wet through the beginning of next week.  .

Definitely something to keep tabs on. The interesting thing is to see commentary over images like this from people who claim that "this isn't gravel racing!" or "whelp! I'm out!".  As I often point out, many of these folks don't know what they don't know. 2015 was a decade ago, and many of the infamous Trans Iowas longer ago than that, so how to deal with mud, or mentally handle it, are seemingly "lost arts" for today's riders.

It will be interesting to see if Unbound modifies the course if this mud persists. You might remember the fiasco from 2023.... We will see.

Image courtesy of Wolf Tooth Components

Wolf Tooth Bottom Bracket Surfaces:

I saw mention during Sea Otter of a new component from Wolf Tooth. A bottom bracket, but no sign of an image or mention of it on Wolf Tooth's site could be found. Well, on Wednesday that changed.

Now the bottom brackets are up on their site (HERE) and several choices of color and type are available, as one would expect from Wolf Tooth.

The 100% user serviceable units come in BSA threaded and T-47 versions now and prices are reasonable with a standard threaded outboard bearing model costing $129.00 USD. These bottom brackets are designed and machined in the USA.

Comments: Another addition to the Wolf Tooth range which makes sense. While their design is touted as "best in class", I really do not see a huge difference in their design versus most other "boutique" brand bottom brackets. It is a machined and anodized cup, a cartridge bearing, and a couple of plastic sleeves.

For my money the Enduro Bearings Max-Hit bottom bracket truly is a different design and one which you can visually see a difference and feel a difference when using it. I'm not saying these Wolf Tooth bottom brackets are "bad" nor that you shouldn't buy one, but they are not what I would call "innovative". They are likely far better than a box-stock OEM model though. So, check them out if you need a good bottom bracket and if you like a touch of color on your bike.

Image courtesy of Mondraker Bikes

Mondraker Offers Arid Gravel Bike In Aluminum:

Last November I posted a story about the new Mondraker Arid carbon gravel bike. I found the story interesting from two standpoints. One: Mondraker was primarily a mountain bike brand before the Arid was offered. Two: The company was making a bigger push into the United States market.  

Actually there was a third reason. I liked the design from a geometry standpoint. The Arid has a "gravel bike geometry". Bicycles which are not in the ball park in terms of geometry just will not see coverage here. I don't see the point of promoting "old" geometry or anything which is too road-ish or is really a cyclo cross bike.

Now Mondraker has offered the Arid, an aluminum version of the Arid C, and it has the same geometry specifications, A 75mm bottom bracket drop coupled with a 70 degree head tube angle. This is the sort of geometry I feel is "right" for gravel and will perform in a way which makes gravel riding more fun and safer.

Of course, an aluminum frame is going to bring the price down. Mondraker Arids start at around $2,500.00. But that isn't what I would call "budget friendly". Compared to carbon? It seems like a bargain. I just wish Mondraker would offer the Arid as a frame set. While it would likely still cost close to 2K, I would be more inclined to build up an Arid transferring parts from my Noble GX5, as an example, than buying an entire complete Arid model.  Of course, I likely do not represent one of a possibly large enough number of sales for Mondraker to pull the trigger on aluminum frame only offerings. (NOTE: You can find Arid carbon frame sets online for about $2.100.00)

An interesting plant is growing outside of the Collective!

Being A Responsible Steward:

Part of the mission the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective has relates to keeping bicycles out of the local landfill. To that end, we collect donated bicycles which are sorted for potential uses. If the parts or bikes are deemed not useful they go to a local metal recycler.

This past week has been a BIG recycling week at the Collective. We had a couple of organizations from Northeast Iowa discover what we are doing and they brought down 44 bicycles to be recycled. We also received nearly 60 bicycles from the local police department.

Of course, what we can save for use by people here in the Cedar Valley we will do, but obviously many bicycles are just not going to be savable. Fortunately many are, and these help underprivileged, destitute, immigrant, veterans in need, and low income folks get on two wheels. An example: We recently have put eight immigrants on bikes so they can get to jobs. We have sold several bicycles to folks recently who cannot afford new, bicycle shop quality bikes. We also have been busy supporting local school programs which have bicycle safety and phys-ed program needs with loaner bikes.

If you are a local reading this, please consider being a part of the efforts of the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective. If you have a local collective, please consider supporting it. Help your local bicycle non-profits be good stewards of bicycles and bicycle knowledge!

Image courtesy of SRAM

Zipp Wheels Now Available With AXS Pressure Sensors:

Zipp announced on Thursday that their 353 NSW and 303 NS wheels will be available with AXS air pressure sensors embedded into the rims. The AXS sensors can send pressure monitoring information to a computer head, (Hammerhead is SRAM's preferred brand since they own it), which will allow riders to detect an issue more quickly. Riders can also set pressure levels which the AXS sensor can react to with a green light, letting the rider know the pressure has been set correctly.

Comments: This may seem unnecessary now, but I feel it is a portent of things to come. No doubt this sensor would be even more useful with a pressure regulating system so riders could air up or down while riding. This sort of system already exists and has been race proven in the Pro roadie ranks.

 I'm not sure how SRAM would do this. Perhaps a green light for your up or down settings and perhaps a red one for out of range indicating a problem? The possibilities are fascinating. Imagine a gravel racer with the ability to set a higher pressure for stretches of pavement and then being able to dump air out for the gravel, or rougher sections with less traction.

That is it for this week! Have a fantastic Memorial Day weekend, if you celebrate this holiday. Otherwise, get out there and ride those bicycles!

Gravel Grinder News: Mondraker Introduces Arid Carbon Gravel Bike Range

Note: The information and images in this article were provided by Mondraker Bikes. "Comments" are the opinions of Guitar Ted and may not reflect the views of anyone else.

The new Mondraker Bikes Arid Carbon is their first non-assisted gravel bike.

 Mondraker Bikes is probably not a brand that you have either heard of or seen much of if you live in the USA. (There are a little over a dozen shops that carry the brand in North America) However; the brand is an innovator and probably better known in Europe. With the category of "gravel" being the hottest in non-assisted cycling world wide, and with North America being the "home" of gravel, this model is something that deserves attention, because Mondraker is aiming to make inroads into the USA scene. 

With that in mind, Mondraker says that they realize the term "gravel" can mean different things to different people. So, they set out to design the Arid Carbon "to be able to adapt to just about anyone". This is a bold statement, so it demands we look at what this bike actually is designed to be. 

Design & Frame Construction:

The Arid Carbon uses Mondraker's "Stealth Air Carbon" technique which is an optimization of lay-up technique, design cues, and all with an eye to durability. Mondraker tests the Arid Carbon frames to meet ISO mountain bike standards to ensure the rider that this model can take the rough stuff. 

Obviously, the eye is drawn to the unique seat stay junction at the seat tube. Mondraker claims this is a structural element that will allow for a smoother ride for the rider while remaining strong. 

Further design elements are common to many top-range gravel bikes which include fully hidden cabling, (with internal guides), down tube storage for tools or supplies, UDH rear derailleur hangar, and a threaded bottom bracket shell, (T-47). Clearance for tires in the frame and fork are claimed to be "50mm with room to spare", so this is also up to date. 

There are six water bottle mounts on the bike as well, adding to the versatility. Double ring crank users will be disappointed to learn that the Arid Carbon is 1X only. 

Geometry:

The Arid Carbon range comes in five sizes and features a "M/L" size which is kind of an odd mix of a traditional 56cm and 58cm frame sizing using really a short seat tube length (48cm) with a 58cm top tube length and a 591mm stack height. 

Beyond sizing, the Arid Carbon comes in with a 70° head tube angle across the board with a 75mm bottom bracket drop mated with an aggressive 425mm chain stay length. Seat tube angles are 73° across the range. 

Spec:

There are four models with three being SRAM - Rival, Force AXS, Red AXS - and one Shimano GR610 offering.  Prices range from about $4,700.00 to $9,800.00 USD for the top of the line model. Check with your Mondraker dealer for details. 

One interesting tidbit is the flared drop bar and stem system is not one piece. This will come as a relief to bike fitters and should allow for some rider customization. 

Comments: 

Generally speaking, this is a pretty good looking bike from a design and spec standpoint. I think Mondraker nailed the important numbers which I look for in a good gravel bike for all-around riding purposes. These include the bottom bracket drop, head tube angle, and tire clearances. Mondraker said they wanted to design this bike to adapt to almost anyone, and the geometry shows they were not kidding around there. I question the short seat tube lengths a bit, but seeing many bikes in the field which have saddle to bar height ratios which are tilted toward the bars being higher than the saddle, I can see maybe where Mondraker is thinking this short seat tube would appeal to those folks. As for me, it would require a 400mm length seat post set at almost maximum height. 

The lack of any variability across the size range to the geometry in terms of the seat tube and head tube angles is a bit out of the ordinary for such a high-end bike. 

It is interesting to note that any mention of aero is missing in their press release, along with any mention of racing gravel. Rather, Mondraker sells the idea for this bike being a commuter, an exploration machine, showing it with bikepacking bags, and as just a "fun bike to ride". This was a refreshing change of pace from the normal race oriented pressers featuring such high end bicycles. 

The seat stay thing? Well, it certainly sets the Arid Carbon apart from the crowd, I would say. I have no idea how it actually will work in the field, but if every bike has to have some feature which separates it from the rest, and as long as Mondraker have done their homework and the bike holds up? I have to say, I don't mind the look, to be honest. 

 Mondraker said they wanted to make a gravel bike "to be able to adapt to just about everyone". I guess that with prices starting at almost 5K and up that they did not mean that pricing was one of those adaptations. Maybe entry level customers were not within their target customer range? Maybe something in aluminum would get that range extended downward toward those on tighter budgets? However; for now, if you don't have that sort of budget, then this means you are probably looking to go elsewhere for your gravel bike fix.

Interesting bikes for certain. I wouldn't mind trying one out. What about you? Have you ridden a Mondraker bicycle? Let me know in the comments. 

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Mondraker

Olympics And Bikes!

Mondraker Shows Off Olympic Liveries:

Tuesday Mondraker Bikes showed off two Olympic liveries for two of their sponsored riders who are contesting the games in the XCO MTB category. The bike shown is the Mondraker F-Podium and this one is done up in a special livery for rider Bec Henderson who will represent Australia. 

Comments: The Olympics are a big deal in cycling and especially for MTB. I don't really follow Pro MTB anymore, so what struck me about this announcement was how much XC-ish bikes have changed in the last ten years or so. 

First of all, Bec Henderson is 5'2" tall, and she is on a 29"er. Now, I have been amazed by all the places 29"ers have made inroads, but the smaller riders still racing 29"ers has been something of a ongoing surprise for me. I know many women were really into the stability and safer feeling of the big wheels having been told this straight from some high-profile female racers back fifteen years ago now. (15 years ago!! What?!!) 

So, it's really something when you consider many would have said "No way women should be riding 29"ers, especially shorter women!", which is something I used to hear back then. Given the existence of performance oriented tires and wheels in 650B, that's even more crazy to consider. (And yes- I am aware some folks do use those wheels) 

And then there is the bike, a dual suspension model. A dual suspension XC racer wasn't super common, back in the day, but now it seems to be at least a fairly commonly chosen option. Anyway, just noting how things have changed in that scene.  

Image courtesy of KASK Helmets.

KASK Shows New Nirvana Aero Helmet:

Tuesday also saw the announcement by KASK Helmets who now offer a new aero helmet called the Nirvana. 

KASK used CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) programs to develop the Nirvana which KASK claims has displayed a 35% more reduction in  aerodynamic drag and a 19% increase in air-flow through the helmet to make this their most aero and comfortable helmet in the category. (Compared to "best aero helmets in the category" according to the press release)

KASK does its own internal safety testing which has resulted in their exclusive Multi-Pod Technology. A new design which incorporates a 3-D printed pad which KASK claims is resistant to rotational and linear impacts, yet allows direct airflow to the rider's scalp. 

The Nirvana is available in matte black, matte white, Cherry Burst, Blueberry Fade, and Ultraviolet. The US price for the Nirvana is $400.00.

Comments: Aero is a thing in gravel, although KASK doesn't market the Nirvana helmet as being a "gravel helmet". My bet is that the fast folks will show up with these at gravel events. Notice in the image how the helmet covers the tops of the ears? That's right folks! Your ears are not aero! (HA!) Of course, anyone who has noted the time trials in the TDF recently, or at any point in the last 40 years, has already been well aware of this. It is kind of strange to me that this sort of treatment and design hasn't been utilized in road helmets much, if at all. 

No MIPS here! And did you see that price? Ouch!  

Image courtesy of State Bicycle Co.

State Bicycle Co. Debuts Titanium AllRoad:

State Bicycle Co. announced a pretty compelling AllRoad variant in titanium on Tuesday of this week. The bike features double butted, "Gr9 3AL/2.5V titanium", according to State Bicycle Co. The frame also has internally routed cables, room for 50mm 700c tires, or 2.2" 650B tires, and it has PVD graphics over a sand blasted finish. 

The carbon fork has a stealth through-axle and flat mount brakes with a internally routed cable port. 

The bike can be had as a complete starting at $2,499.00 on up or as a frame only at $1,299.00 (no fork). There are a lot of options so check out the page for the bike HERE. 

Comments: Notice the maximum tire size? This will be the new gravel bike standard going forward. Long gone are the days of maximum tire clearances being under 45mm. These new gravel bikes will be criticized and said to be "drop bar MTB's" by many folks but that just doesn't quite fit here. Too many small details separate the two things. 

I like the aggressive pricing on this bike and most of the details. I do not see 650B as being a big deal for buyers anymore and while the ability to swap in those wheels once made sense it really doesn't anymore. Once you could get that 45+ millimeter tire by going to a 650B X 47mm tire, and maybe a bit larger, but with these new rigs handling 50mm+ sized 700c tires, the question becomes more about the size and height of the rider when it comes to using 650B wheels. I still think 650B makes a lot of sense for shorter riders, but most folks that can should ride larger diameter wheels for their inherent benefits. 

Because State doggedly sticks to their "two wheel diameter - one bike" marketing schtick they have to compromise on bottom bracket drop to allow for smaller diameter wheels. And that is the only thing that would keep me off this bike. There are just too many bikes hitting all the numbers for me to compromise on a design like this State AllRoad Ti. But that's me. I still think it is a smoking hot value. 

USA Gravel National Championships Adds Spots For UCI World Gravel Championship Race:

Besides a $40,000.00 prize purse split equally between the Men's and Women's Elite classes, now it has been revealed that there will be ten spots to the World Gravel Championships to be held in Belgium for those who win those spots. 

The USA Gravel National Championships will be held on a 131.1 mile course with an estimated 5,715ft of elevation gain. The event will be held again in Gering, Nebraska on September 8th. There will be three shorter courses available for amateurs as well. 

Comments: Interesting that the USAC event now is $20,000.00 poorer than last year's event was. But how does USAC/UCI fund racing in the USA with this kind of total competitive flavor? This has been the perennial issue with racing at this level for road for decades. I see no reason why gravel should be exempt when the pattern for everything USAC is doing in gravel mirrors everything they were doing with road events.

The pot was sweetened (or was it?) by the offering of spots to the 2024 World Gravel Championships to be held in October in Flanders. Of course, that sounds all good, but I'm betting the dime to get there is on the competitors, and you'd have roughly a month to come up with the dollars to fly back and forth, get lodging, and of course, food and drink. So, it isn't that big of a deal unless someone else is footing the bill, and I suspect no one is sponsoring this. Maybe a brand of one of the lucky winners would chip in, but with the cycling industry strapped as it is? I doubt it would happen.

Okay, that is a wrap on this week! Thank you for reading the Guitar Ted Productions site!