Gravel Grinder News: WTB's New Peacekeeper Tire, Niner's ORE 9 RDO Bike

 Note: All images and information used in today's post were provided by WTB or Niner Bikes. Comments and opinions are Guitar Ted's.

Image courtesy of Niner Bikes

Niner ORE 9 RDO:

The new gravel bike from Niner is dubbed the ORE 9/ Since the beginnings of the company the bike names have been acronyms and this hasn't changed. The "ORE" stands for "Off Road Explorer", and the "RDO" is Niner's acronym which stands for Race Day Optimized. (Essentially designating the frame is carbon fiber)

The ORE 9 was designed to be a "mountain biker's first gravel bike" and allow gravel riders to get "deeper into the woods". To help in this the ORE 9 has a 69° head tube angle and a bit longer reach than a standard gravel bike. The fork is suspension corrected for a 40mm telescopic fork and the tire clearance is good up to 2 inch/50mm tires. The bottom bracket drop/offset is 70mm. 

The ORE 9 is tested to MTB standards, It also features a T-47 bottom bracket for better stiffness in the bottom bracket area. The frame has fully guided internal routing and is dropper post compatible. The post size is 27.2mm.

ORE 9 is available as a frame/fork or in one of several Niner complete builds and it comes in two colors. Price for a frame set starts at $2,499.99. You can check this frame set out and more HERE.

Comments: Okay, first up is what I like about the ORE 9: The head angle, the T-47 bottom bracket, and fully guided cable routing. What I don't like: The price. Is this the result of tariffs or a "new normal" for a carbon frame and fork? Holy cow.... Also, the bottom bracket drop. Too little for a bike meant for big tires, unless......

Unless this is really supposed to be an adventure hard tail MTB. You may have noted the phrasing Niner used above: "mountain biker's first gravel bike". and getting "deeper into the woods". Niner is pitching this bike as a single track/fire road bike. I come from way back. We used to use front suspended, 80mm - 100mm travel hard tail MTB's for this activity. And furthermore; if Niner had dumped the bottom bracket a bit more, I'd be all over this for riding on actual gravel roads. But maybe this is just me being an outlier here, or Niner hitting this angle up because gravel is the cool thing now.

WTB 29" X 2.4" Peacekeeper Tire:

WTB has a new fast rolling trail tire out now with all-around off-road potential. Using WTB's SG2 bead-to-bead puncture protection and Tritec compound, this tire should be a very versatile 29"er tire with good characteristics across a wide range of terrain types

 The WTB Peacekeeper carries an MSRP of $76.95/€69.95

 The tire will only be available in this size and with no skin wall option for now. 

Comments: I typically wouldn't cover a MTB tire here, however, this figures to be a great, fast rolling tire for bikes like the Fargo, or anything related to that bike, which often are used out on gravel. Besides, with some gravel bikes pushing above 2" wide tire clearance, well......you never know. 

For more context here, I used to run a Maxxis Ikon for years on my Fargo Gen I and it was a great gravel road tire. So, this has precedence and I feel it is a relevant choice for dirt or gravel cycling.  For more information please see www.wtb.com. 

Friday News And Views

WCS Mountain Adventure Fork (Image courtesy of Ritchey Design)

 Sea Otter Edition of the FN&V:

Today marks the second to last day of the Sea Otter festival at Laguna Seca Raceway. Here is the first item from Sea Otter for today from Ritchey design.

Ritchey design Releases Mt Adventure Fork, News On A Tom Ritchey Book:

 Today Ritchey Design released news on their new "WCS Mountain Adventure Fork". A carbon fiber fork meant to adapt 120-130mm hard tail 29"ers to full-rigid status. This fork is in a similar vein as the recently announced Wilde "Future Proof Fork".

Featuring rack and fender mounts, internal dynamo lighting route, accessory mounts on each fork leg, and capability to handle a tire up to 2.4" wide, this fork should find a home on bikepacker's rigs. It is light,as well being made from carbon, so the overall weight is listed at 565 grams with an uncut 1 1/8th to 1 1/2" tapered steer tube. Boost spacing should accommodate most modern MTB wheels. No price was listed for the WCS Adventure Fork in the press release but the fork is at Sea Otter in the Ritchey booth. Available from April 15th onward.

Image courtesy of Ritchey Design

Furthermore, Ritchey Design is proud to announce a new book detailing the story of Tom Ritchey's life in "cycling history, professional triumphs and rebounds from near devastating mishaps".

Ritchey is starting a Kickstrater to fund this project. Early adopters will be in for access to (depending on donor level) a choice of a special limited edition of One Ride Away, a discounted from MSRP standard edition or supporter shirt with their purchase.

Comments: The Adventure fork is interesting in that it has a tapered steer tube and is made from carbon fiber. The tapered steer tube would be a non-issue with any other brand, but Ritchey typically eschews this type of steerer saying the straight steer tube designs lend a better ride quality to rigid forks.

I think carbon forks are not that big of a deal when it comes to knocking about on a trail bike or for bikepacking, but a certain element of the cycling world does still have reservations when it comes to carbon. Of course, there are choices, so maybe these folks are more of the type which would choose the Wilde offering. 

Sea Otter Switches To Gravel:

Today the big event will be the kick-off to the Life Time Grand Prix series for 2025. Instead of the traditional XC MTB event, the riders will now be doing a "gravel race", although some of the course will be essentially from the XC event.  (??)

The riders will be taking on the 88.8 total miles on a loop course which is done three times. Prizing has been increased over 2024, so each event in the Grand Prix will now have a purse of  $30,000.00 evenly split between the Men's and Women's fields. That should spark some pretty motivated racing, if this is how you are funding Life through 2025.

Comments: It should be noted the series will also add a XC MTB event at the end of the series with the new "Little Sugar" mtb event which will be the penultimate event in the series which ends with the Big Sugar gravel event. Both of those events happening in Arkansas. 

This new "gravel" event at Sea Otter is kind of weird in that the terrain is super-hilly, but is dirt, pavement, and pretty tame looking gravel not unlike what we have around town here in our alleys. Obviously, they are doing their best to find some kind of a course and honestly, it looks tough. So, we'll see what folks think, but I saw the course preview on You Tube, and the climbing is no joke. Good luck to all that take this on.

Image courtesy of Continental Tires

Continental Introduces New MTB Tires:

Continental released information on three new tires for its MTB range which replace the Race King, Mountain King, and Trail King models. I will only be focusing on the new "Dubnital" XC race tire as it has direct crossover to gravel usage.

The new Dubnital has a fast, lower block tread and features Continentals "Rapid" or "Grip" compounds depending upon the model chosen. Then you can choose between Trail or Race casings. Trail being the tougher of the two with Race being the lightest. These come in black wall or Conti's "tan" wall. Sizes are listed as all 29"er with one exception in black wall/Trail casing/Grip compound for 27.5"ers. Prices are around 67 to 74 bucks each depending upon the model's features.

Comments: I think the go-to tire here would be a Rapid compound, Race casing Dubnital in the 2.20" size, while a Fargo rider might opt for the wider 2.4 in a Trail casing. But either way, these tubeless ready, hookless bead compatible tires look to find a home on many a gravel oriented bicycle's wheels. 

Image courtesy of Niner Bikes.

Niner Bikes Introduces the O.R.E. RDO Gravel Bike:

Niner Bikes announced a new model this past Monday. It is called the "O.R.E. RDO, in their typical acronym nomenclature. This model's name stands for "Off Road Explorer Race Day Only". The RDO part generally confers the carbon frame material in Niner's range.

The marketing on this bike is pointing straight at the mountain biker who is looking for their first gravel bike. A 69° head tube angle mated with a longer front-center establishes what Niner thinks will be an "at home feel" for the avid mountain biker coming over to gravel. Furthering the MTB-like appeal the O.R.E. RDO is suspension corrected for a 40mm travel gravel fork.

The bike will be available in a few complete build options and as a frame and fork in two colors. Frames start at $2,500.00. 

Comments: A "mountain biker's gravel bike". How many times has this line been used for a gravel bike by a predominantly MTB oriented company? I was a bit dismayed to see only 50mm tire clearance and a 70mm bottom bracket drop. That is not very progressive in this current evolution of gravel bikes, but it isn't terrible. I really scratch my head though when I see high bottom brackets like this, especially when short crank arms are all the rage with MTB'ers these days. That's a T47 bottom bracket, by the way. I like that.

These claims of having this "forward thinking geometry" make me laugh when I look at my Honeman Flyer with geometry that is similar in many ways to this bike and comes from the 1930's. Ha! 

Image courtesy of Velo Orange

Growtac Equal Friction Shifters:

Velo Orange released information on Tuesday for their new Growtac Equal Control Levers. They are friction shifters, which means you don't have any indexing - no 'clicks'. Essentially a rider moves the lever until the chain makes its 'shift' and then the rider can adjust, or 'trim' the derailleur, until the chain is centered over the gear selected. Front derailleurs are infinitely adjustable so rubbing chains can be a thing of the past.

It might sound hard, but once you get the hang of it, (yes- there is some skill involved and a learning curve), it becomes second nature. I used a friction shifting bike as a commuter for several years and it is amazing how 'in-tune' you get to the system over time.

Another bonus: You can mix and match previously unmatchable components. SRAM Eagle derailleur, eight speed cassette, and a triple crank with a Campy front derailleur? Yep. As long as the chain tension can be maintained by the rear derailleur, you are good to go with a friction shifter. 

The Growtac Equal levers are also available as a brake lever only. This makes 1X or single speed set-ups possible without having a need for the shifting bits. The levers look great, and the word from Velo Orange is that they work quite nicely with mechanical disc brakes. You can read more HERE from Velo Orange.

Comments: I am honestly kind of excited about these levers. But holy-moly, the price isn't cheap! At $212.00  per shift lever and $125.00 for each brake lever, these will test your commitment level to friction shifting! Still, a very cool alternative to have available. 

Image courtesy of Allied Bikes

Allied Bikes Debuts Able With Big Tire Clearances:

Allied dropped this new Able bike on Tuesday of this week which features clearances for up to a 57mm 29"er tire.  Boasting "gravel racing geometry", the bike has a 70.5° head tube angle, a 74° seat tube angle, and an 80mm bottom bracket drop.

Due to the massive bottom bracket drop Allied warns Able owners to not use any tire smaller than a 700 X 45mm. This is perhaps a first. A recommendation for minimum tire size! 

Able bikes are ready to be ordered and you can also get a frame set. A frameset will set you back a cool $4,500.00 for the base model and options can take it up from there. (And it isn't even a Made in the USA frame!) More information can be seen on Allied's site HERE. 

Comments: Woo! That is a large tire clearance! Drop bar MTB? Hmm.... I do like the geometry. Raleigh had a bike very similar to this several years ago. I forget the model's name but it was a quite displeasing shade of brown! Anyway, nothing new here in terms of the geometry, so saying things like "gravel racing geometry" is but another phrase from the Book of Marketing Chutzpah.

And yeah.....that's a lotta money for this bike!

That wraps up this FN&V. If I find more Sea Otter stuff to post I'll run another article tomorrow, maybe..... Get on those bikes and Ride!

Three Major Players: 25 Years Of 29"ers

Yesterday I wrote about "The Tire" and wheel diameter as it relates to 29"ers and off-road bicycling.  Today I wanted to highlight three major players in the early 29"er movement that, I believe, without whom the 29"er was doomed to the dust heap. 

The Karate Monkey by Surly as shown at the 2002 Interbike show. (Image courtesy of Surly Bikes)

The Karate Monkey:

In my opinion the Surly Karate Monkey was probably the most influential 29"er ever made. One, because it was the first, widely available, affordable 29"er option that was well thought out. This design was so well done that it inspired a slew of other 29"er models in its wake, not to mention a bunch of custom builders as well who were brazing and welding up new 29"er frames as fast as they could. 

However; the affordability provided by the Karate Monkey maybe was the biggest influence here. One could buy a frame and fork, then pull together the rest of the build from inexpensive parts, parts bin finds, or in whatever way one desired. This provided the 29"er curious an avenue to try bigger wheels before they were forced into plunking down big money for a rare bike shop model or custom build. 

Because Surly built their reputation on versatility, single speed capability, and value to the customer, there perhaps was no better company suited to "evangelizing" the 29"er. You could go a hundred different directions with your build, which was probably another part of why this bike caught on as quickly as it did and was responsible for many converts to big wheels in the early 2000's. 

Niner Bikes was solely focused on 29"ers in 2005. (Image courtesy of Niner Bikes)

The Big Revolution - Niner Bikes:

In late 2004 an advertising banner appeared on the 29"er forum at mtbr.com ballyhooing a new company no one had ever heard of before called Niner Bikes. All it said was "The Big Revolution". No bike was shown. The previous banner for the forum was from a small custom builder called WaltWorks, a builder that had been an early champion of big wheels off road. 

This stirred up a lot of interest and speculation. Was this new imposter really behind 29'ers, or was someone just trying to make a buck on a new trend? Such was the sentiment of many 29"er fans back in the day, earning all of the 29"er crowd the derogatory "29"er zealots" tag from the rest of the MTB community. 

But Chris Sugai and Steve Domahidy were dead serious about this venture. They bankrolled their future success on the big wheels and never looked back. This eventually had a major impact on the 29"er community. By the way, I interviewed both Chris and Steve from Niner Bikes at the time in this "Ted-terview" from 2006.

Niner pushed the boundaries of what 29"ers were capable of from being just a niche, single speed bike to full-on 29"er down hill type rigs. Niner was so confident that 29"ers would eventually be the first choice for wheel size amongst off-roaders that Chris Sugai made the bold statement that 26"ers would be extinct in the near future. 

The bold, forward-thinking direction that Chris and Steve had for 29"ers was a major influence on the cycling industry and showed riders that no off-road discipline was off limits for 29 inch wheels. "Big Revolution" indeed! And what of Chris Sugai's bold prediction? 

You tell me where all the 26"ers are in 2024. 

A titanium Gary Fisher prototype circa 2000. (Image courtesy of Trek Bicycles)

 From The Godfather of Mountain Biking - Gary Fisher Bikes:

Of course, no discussion of this type can be had without the mention of the importance of Gary Fisher and his namesake company. Gary Fisher is also one of those important figures in mountain biking and his influence came to bear behind the scenes in the late 1990's which was critical in the push to get a true 2" wide 29"er tire. Fisher, himself a racer at the time, was interested in how such a larger diameter tire could be utilized to gain an advantage in racing, specifically XC MTB racing. 

Even after "The Tire" was made, Fisher's effervescent personality and endless energy came to bear on Trek, the parent company, and he was convincing enough that by 2002 Gary Fisher Bicycles had a 29"er MTB in their line up. Keeping the foot in the gas, Fisher convinced team racers to try a 29"er, and by the mid 2000's he saw results as Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski became the first successful 29"er XC racer. More results followed and other brands, teams, and athletes began to take notice. By the time the 2000's came to a close, XC MTB racing was starting to see many more 29"ers on the start lines. This all thanks to Gary Fisher's inestimable influence on big wheels. 

On the retail side the road was bumpy, but Trek stuck behind the 29"er and with the coup Trek pulled by getting Rock Shox to give Fisher Bikes the exclusive on the Reba 29"er fork for a year, sales skyrocketed. Soon 29"ers were outselling 26 inch MTB's at Fisher Bikes, and again, brands were taking note. By the close of the decade you could more easily count those companies who were not offering a 29"er than you could count those who were offering 29"ers. 

Perhaps even less known than all of the above was Fisher's influence on women and 29"er acceptance. By offering 29 inch wheeled MTB's to the woman's team, Fisher encouraged the switch to women riding on 29"ers in races all throughout the world. This very thought, that shorter people could ride 29"ers effectively, was a major criticism of big wheels in the 2000's and this eventually was blown away as well by the late twenty-teens. 

Sadly, Trek folded the Fisher brand into its Trek brand in 2010 by saying "The Gary Fisher Collection" will give Trek retailers acces to a unique product line up of 29"ers". In reality the Fisher brand name disappeared and the legacy of Gary Fisher was hidden from view afterward. Whether Trek honestly believed its own marketing hype, or if it was a veiled attempt at killing off the Fisher brand, I don't know. But in my opinion, it is a travesty on Trek's part that they have erased the Fisher brand from the consciousness of the mountain biking public. 

In Closing: All three of these brands built their legacy in 29"ers off the introduction of the 29" WTB Nanoraptor 25 years ago. Had that tire not happened, and it nearly did not, the landscape of MTB would look radically different today. 

Next: Why "The Tire" Matters Today

Friday News And Views

Pinarello Nytro e-Gravel bike. (Image courtesy of Pinarello)

 Pinarello Announces New "Nytro" e-Gravel Bike:

Hybrid Powered Cycles (HPC's) have been getting more and more diverse and in some cases, hard to tell from fully human powered bicycles. That bike that passes you on that gravel climb in the future may very well be a hybrid powered bike featuring a well integrated electric motor which is giving the rider an unseen advantage. 

This new Pinarello Nytro e-Gravel bike is already such a bike. According to Pinarello, it offers a 300watt at peak assistance boost with 50nm of torque, even at high pedaling cadences. The Nytro e-Gravel has a range of approximately 63 miles, but with an additional "range extender", (the press kit does not say what this is, but it most likely is an external battery accessory), you could ride up to 89 miles. 

But does it weigh a lot? Actually, no- it doesn't. The bike weighs in at a claimed 26-27lbs, depending on the size, and that really is not a lot when you consider that this bike has assist. But yeah....no where near a racing bike for gravel which is going to be sub-20lbs by a fair amount. 

At $7800.00-$8800.00, depending on specifications, this isn't a cheap bike either. So, who is this for? 

Well-heeled, not-so-athletic, race-aspiring folks, I would guess. While there aren't many races coming in at sub-metric century distances, there are a lot that are right at that distance, and well..... Let the "Is this fair to have racing with fully-human powered bikes?" debates begin. Because this is coming everywhere and when battery technology gets better, and the motors are already imperceptibly quiet, well, then you've got a big problem on your hands if you are a race director. 

Fake websites are rearing their heads again.

Buyer Beware: Fake Websites & Counterfeit Goods On The Rise:

With the economy turning the corner in terms of cycling goods from a seller's market to a buyer's market, there has been an observed increase in web-based chicanery, 

This has come in two forms; fake websites and counterfeit goods. This "Bike Radar" story is a good primer on what to look for and how to protect yourself. 

Comments: With more and more on-line ordering going on, I think some of what you used to value in face-to-face retail is applicable to on-line retail. You've got to value the relationship over price. When price becomes the motivating factor, you can easily get burned. 

Now, I shop on-line a fair amount. I also support a local bike shop when I can. I'm not going to name names, but I will say I use the same vendors over and over again because they are very well established on-line retailers or bicycle shops. I've seen things cheaper from sites I never have heard of, and - nope! Not gonna go there. Not worth it in the long run. 

So, you do you, but as the saying goes: "Buyer Beware!"

Grizl CF SL 7 Throwback (Image courtesy of Canyon)

Canyon Grizl CF SL 7 Throwback: A Marketing Exercise With A Goofy Twist:

Tuesday of this week Canyon Bikes had a bicycle making the social news rounds. It is a version of their Grizl series gravel bikes called the Grizl SL 7 Throwback.

It is essentially a paint job and marketing shtick. And does the Canyon marketing team ever lay it on thick here! The theme overall is that "gravel bikes are just rigid 1990's MTB's".

Here's a bit of the blather from the bike's webpage:

"The bikes of the 90s didn’t flatter your skill level, skittering over what modern MTB riders wouldn’t even notice. Making ‘mellow’ trails deliver big grins, just like our gravel bikes do now.
But this time with brakes and shifting that work properly."

Comments: Bah! "brakes and shifting that work properly"? Really? What a load of BS. And later into the page they trot out the old saw that "under-biking" will hone your skill level and bring you more in-tune with your terrain. As if people really want that. (Hint: They don't, or rigid MTB's would still be a big category)

This is a perfect example of what I am calling the "mountain bike-ification" of gravel bikes. It's no where close to a 1990's MTB bike, and nothing like a rigid 29"er either, so yeah..... Don't fall for this ruse by the marketing departments. 

(L-R) President G. Bush, Steve Domahidy, Chris Sugai. circa 2011.

Chris Sugai Leaves Niner Bikes For Gates:

Back in 2005 an unheard of company called "Niner Bikes" appeared as the sponsor banner on the then dominant site for 29'er news and rumors, the 29"er page on MTBR.com. "Who are these guys?", was the comment from us, and we were all very suspicious of the intentions of this new player on the scene. The fear being that this company was just a ruse to make a quick buck on a new trend and that they were not a serious concern that would bring more credibility to the nascent 29"er movement.  

Well, as it turned out, Niner Bikes, and their two founders, Chris Sugai and Steve Domahidy were dead serious and all-in on 29"ers. Nothing to fear here! In fact, I learned as much in a "Ted-terview" I did with the pair back in 2006. (Read a partial text of the interview here)

Chris Sugai famously made a statement at Interbike proclaiming the death of the 26" wheel as the dominant wheel size for MTB, going as far as saying it would die out as a choice. And back then, people thought he was off his rocker. But we all know what happened.....

In 2011, co-founder of Niner Bikes, Steve Domahidy, left the company. Several years later, Niner Bikes filed for bankruptcy, and was eventually bought up by the same company that owns Huffy in 2018. Now in 2023, the final original member of Niner Bikes is leaving the company which pioneered and pushed forward the technology of 29"er wheels for the masses. Chris leaves Niner Bikes to join Gates, the belt manufacturer, to work in their mobility department where he will help develop drive train solutions for e-Bikes, e-Scooters, e-Motorcycles, and the like. 

It's a sub-note on the history of 29 inch wheels. I've seen the very beginnings of the genre, its rise, its acceptance as "just a bike", and now this may seem like no big deal. However; there once was a time when what Chris was doing was moving the needle big time in the realm of 29'ers, so I feel as though he, (and Steve) deserve a little respect from the MTB community for his contributions. So, if you ever read this: Thanks Chris! Good luck on your future with Gates and I hope that future is a bright one!  

USAC Announces Gravel National Championships In Gering, NE.:

Well, they finally did it. USAC stakes a claim on legitimacy in the field of gravel racing by announcing that they are holding their inaugural Gravel National Championships in Gering, Nebraska in September of this year. 

Using elements of the remote High Plains area which have been a part of the Robidoux gravel event in the past, USAC is staging this event with no prerequisite requirements for participation other than that you have to be a holder of a USAC license. The price for entry has not been set, but the webpage for the event states that "Pricing will be aligned with other large domestic gravel events." 

There will be several age categories and an Open and Pro/Elite Mens and Womens categories with a further breakdown in classment featuring single speed, para cycling, and collegiate. Both the Mens and Womens Pro/Elite classes will be paid equally with a total prize purse to be $60,000.00 according to the press release. It is claimed to be the biggest single day payout for a gravel race ever. registration opens July 14th. 

Comments: Yeah, I expected something like this, but Gering Nebraska? I was a bit surprised by that.  But this is a plum event landing for the Scottsbluff area. Just for context, the area has close to 25.000 residents. 

Pricing to be "in line with other large gravel events", eh? So, above $200.00 a head? Probably, because USAC is funding most of the prize purse off racer's entry fees. So, those pack-fodder athletes will be paying the people standing on the podium. USAC says they also plan on gaining funds from sponsorships, which in this economic climate may be a bit hard to come by, but we'll see. 

This is a watershed moment for USAC and the UCI in gravel, since this event is a qualifier for the  Gravel World Championships held by the UCI. If they don't get the numbers of folks they need to make it float, it will be a difficult thing to sustain. Don't kid yourself, USAC needs you to buy into this. It's all about money to attract the sponsored Pro athletes, and in the end, the only way they've ever been able to make their system work is to have a LOT of average folks paying money to support the pointy-end of the racer pool. Otherwise, this is going to fail miserably, just like road racing has in the USA under their watch.

That's a wrap on the News and Views for this week! Have a great weekend and get out and ride!

Friday News And Views

Pinarello Nytro e-Gravel bike. (Image courtesy of Pinarello)

 Pinarello Announces New "Nytro" e-Gravel Bike:

Hybrid Powered Cycles (HPC's) have been getting more and more diverse and in some cases, hard to tell from fully human powered bicycles. That bike that passes you on that gravel climb in the future may very well be a hybrid powered bike featuring a well integrated electric motor which is giving the rider an unseen advantage. 

This new Pinarello Nytro e-Gravel bike is already such a bike. According to Pinarello, it offers a 300watt at peak assistance boost with 50nm of torque, even at high pedaling cadences. The Nytro e-Gravel has a range of approximately 63 miles, but with an additional "range extender", (the press kit does not say what this is, but it most likely is an external battery accessory), you could ride up to 89 miles. 

But does it weigh a lot? Actually, no- it doesn't. The bike weighs in at a claimed 26-27lbs, depending on the size, and that really is not a lot when you consider that this bike has assist. But yeah....no where near a racing bike for gravel which is going to be sub-20lbs by a fair amount. 

At $7800.00-$8800.00, depending on specifications, this isn't a cheap bike either. So, who is this for? 

Well-heeled, not-so-athletic, race-aspiring folks, I would guess. While there aren't many races coming in at sub-metric century distances, there are a lot that are right at that distance, and well..... Let the "Is this fair to have racing with fully-human powered bikes?" debates begin. Because this is coming everywhere and when battery technology gets better, and the motors are already imperceptibly quiet, well, then you've got a big problem on your hands if you are a race director. 

Fake websites are rearing their heads again.

Buyer Beware: Fake Websites & Counterfeit Goods On The Rise:

With the economy turning the corner in terms of cycling goods from a seller's market to a buyer's market, there has been an observed increase in web-based chicanery, 

This has come in two forms; fake websites and counterfeit goods. This "Bike Radar" story is a good primer on what to look for and how to protect yourself. 

Comments: With more and more on-line ordering going on, I think some of what you used to value in face-to-face retail is applicable to on-line retail. You've got to value the relationship over price. When price becomes the motivating factor, you can easily get burned. 

Now, I shop on-line a fair amount. I also support a local bike shop when I can. I'm not going to name names, but I will say I use the same vendors over and over again because they are very well established on-line retailers or bicycle shops. I've seen things cheaper from sites I never have heard of, and - nope! Not gonna go there. Not worth it in the long run. 

So, you do you, but as the saying goes: "Buyer Beware!"

Grizl CF SL 7 Throwback (Image courtesy of Canyon)

Canyon Grizl CF SL 7 Throwback: A Marketing Exercise With A Goofy Twist:

Tuesday of this week Canyon Bikes had a bicycle making the social news rounds. It is a version of their Grizl series gravel bikes called the Grizl SL 7 Throwback.

It is essentially a paint job and marketing shtick. And does the Canyon marketing team ever lay it on thick here! The theme overall is that "gravel bikes are just rigid 1990's MTB's".

Here's a bit of the blather from the bike's webpage:

"The bikes of the 90s didn’t flatter your skill level, skittering over what modern MTB riders wouldn’t even notice. Making ‘mellow’ trails deliver big grins, just like our gravel bikes do now.
But this time with brakes and shifting that work properly."

Comments: Bah! "brakes and shifting that work properly"? Really? What a load of BS. And later into the page they trot out the old saw that "under-biking" will hone your skill level and bring you more in-tune with your terrain. As if people really want that. (Hint: They don't, or rigid MTB's would still be a big category)

This is a perfect example of what I am calling the "mountain bike-ification" of gravel bikes. It's no where close to a 1990's MTB bike, and nothing like a rigid 29"er either, so yeah..... Don't fall for this ruse by the marketing departments. 

(L-R) President G. Bush, Steve Domahidy, Chris Sugai. circa 2011.

Chris Sugai Leaves Niner Bikes For Gates:

Back in 2005 an unheard of company called "Niner Bikes" appeared as the sponsor banner on the then dominant site for 29'er news and rumors, the 29"er page on MTBR.com. "Who are these guys?", was the comment from us, and we were all very suspicious of the intentions of this new player on the scene. The fear being that this company was just a ruse to make a quick buck on a new trend and that they were not a serious concern that would bring more credibility to the nascent 29"er movement.  

Well, as it turned out, Niner Bikes, and their two founders, Chris Sugai and Steve Domahidy were dead serious and all-in on 29"ers. Nothing to fear here! In fact, I learned as much in a "Ted-terview" I did with the pair back in 2006. (Read a partial text of the interview here)

Chris Sugai famously made a statement at Interbike proclaiming the death of the 26" wheel as the dominant wheel size for MTB, going as far as saying it would die out as a choice. And back then, people thought he was off his rocker. But we all know what happened.....

In 2011, co-founder of Niner Bikes, Steve Domahidy, left the company. Several years later, Niner Bikes filed for bankruptcy, and was eventually bought up by the same company that owns Huffy in 2018. Now in 2023, the final original member of Niner Bikes is leaving the company which pioneered and pushed forward the technology of 29"er wheels for the masses. Chris leaves Niner Bikes to join Gates, the belt manufacturer, to work in their mobility department where he will help develop drive train solutions for e-Bikes, e-Scooters, e-Motorcycles, and the like. 

It's a sub-note on the history of 29 inch wheels. I've seen the very beginnings of the genre, its rise, its acceptance as "just a bike", and now this may seem like no big deal. However; there once was a time when what Chris was doing was moving the needle big time in the realm of 29'ers, so I feel as though he, (and Steve) deserve a little respect from the MTB community for his contributions. So, if you ever read this: Thanks Chris! Good luck on your future with Gates and I hope that future is a bright one!  

USAC Announces Gravel National Championships In Gering, NE.:

Well, they finally did it. USAC stakes a claim on legitimacy in the field of gravel racing by announcing that they are holding their inaugural Gravel National Championships in Gering, Nebraska in September of this year. 

Using elements of the remote High Plains area which have been a part of the Robidoux gravel event in the past, USAC is staging this event with no prerequisite requirements for participation other than that you have to be a holder of a USAC license. The price for entry has not been set, but the webpage for the event states that "Pricing will be aligned with other large domestic gravel events." 

There will be several age categories and an Open and Pro/Elite Mens and Womens categories with a further breakdown in classment featuring single speed, para cycling, and collegiate. Both the Mens and Womens Pro/Elite classes will be paid equally with a total prize purse to be $60,000.00 according to the press release. It is claimed to be the biggest single day payout for a gravel race ever. registration opens July 14th. 

Comments: Yeah, I expected something like this, but Gering Nebraska? I was a bit surprised by that.  But this is a plum event landing for the Scottsbluff area. Just for context, the area has close to 25.000 residents. 

Pricing to be "in line with other large gravel events", eh? So, above $200.00 a head? Probably, because USAC is funding most of the prize purse off racer's entry fees. So, those pack-fodder athletes will be paying the people standing on the podium. USAC says they also plan on gaining funds from sponsorships, which in this economic climate may be a bit hard to come by, but we'll see. 

This is a watershed moment for USAC and the UCI in gravel, since this event is a qualifier for the  Gravel World Championships held by the UCI. If they don't get the numbers of folks they need to make it float, it will be a difficult thing to sustain. Don't kid yourself, USAC needs you to buy into this. It's all about money to attract the sponsored Pro athletes, and in the end, the only way they've ever been able to make their system work is to have a LOT of average folks paying money to support the pointy-end of the racer pool. Otherwise, this is going to fail miserably, just like road racing has in the USA under their watch.

That's a wrap on the News and Views for this week! Have a great weekend and get out and ride!

Friday News And Views

2007: You can't do that with 29"er wheels. 2021: Hold my beer...

Niner Bikes Releases New WFO-9:

Occasionally something significant still happens in the world of big wheels. Recently it came from a company once known for pushing boundaries with big, 29"er wheels. That company has been a bit silent in the 29"er scene over the past decade, but this week, Niner Bikes once again lived up to their moniker and posted news concerning a big wheeled monster of a bike, the WFO-9. 

When the first WFO-9 was whispered about in 2007, it drew a lot of criticism and negativity. "You can't do that with 29"er wheels!", and more was heard on all the major forums. However, Niner, only a couple of years into their existence, was pushing ahead regardless of their not being 'real tires' or 'real forks' for this endeavor. It was cutting edge, forward thinking, and disruptive. Looking back on that early WFO-9, one can now see that Niner Bikes, whatever you may think of them today, should be credited with helping to break the barriers down to what a 29'er could be. 

Another individual who also brought big wheels and long travel together in a way that shocked the mainstream was Devin Lenz. His Lenz Sport brand also has to be recognized in the same breath as Niner as Devin was also independently pushing the big wheeled idea forward with amazingly capable rides that blew away the criticisms of 29 inch wheeled bikes and what they were capable of. 

It's a crazy world of big wheeled bikes these days and back in the 00's, no one was thinking things would be like they are today. Well, except a couple of crazy companies that turned out not to be quite so crazy as we thought. Congratulations to Niner Bikes on the new WFO-9. It may seem like no big deal in 2021, but when you consider that at one time, 29"ers were relegated to being thought of only as single speed bikes or maybe XC bikes, it is a big deal. 

It Costs How Much?

Zipp Wheels have never been what I would call "inexpensive" wheels. Many of their past models would easily be called "halo products"- Products with heady price tags which people aspire to own, but probably never will. 

Well, Zipp didn't do anything to dent that reputation with the recent introduction of their new "353 NSW" wheel set. Yep, you need four thousand Benjamins to get these in your mitts. Carbon wheels for bicycles have been trending downward in price of late, but Zipp? Ha! Obviously they went in the opposite direction with the 353 NSW.

Okay, so what do you get for 4G, (and I ain't talkin' about ancient cell phone connectivity rates). Well, you'd better be getting a light wheel set, and Zipp delivers there with a sub-1300 gram wheel set weight. Okay, well, you'd better be getting an aerodynamic, watt-saving wheel. Once again- if the claims can be believed - Zipp delivers. That saw-toothed design is supposedly a big deal here. Okay- well, what about being able to use it for gravel? Actually- this is the most interesting part. This is basically a gravel wheel set. 25mm internal width? That's not a road racing inner rim width folks. Add in a disc only brake standard and this wheel screams "aero-gravel".

I tested the FLO Cycling wheels last year and stated that these would not be the last we'd here about aero wheels for gravel. While Zipp doesn't claim that these are only for gravel, a companion press release sent at the same time features Zipps rebadged 40mm gravel tire and shows it on.....you guessed it- the 353 NSW wheel set. They may not say it overtly, but this is aimed at the gravel market.
 

Bike Shop News: 

In the world of bike shops, I have been hearing that shortages are happening all across the nation yet. It seems to ebb and flow between different products, but certainly the situation with tires, tubes, cassettes, chains, free wheels, and other maintenance/wear items is still a bad situation. Getting accessory items is also still hit or miss. We've gotten in some stuff, like floor pumps, which were rare last year, yet we cannot get other things at all right now. It's unpredictable and frustrating for everyone. 

In terms of bicycles we actually are getting some few things through the shop. We get them built and they disappear about as fast as we build them. But I am hopeful that at least a trickle of bikes will continue throughout the Summer.  

In other bike shop related news, my friend and El Presidente' of the Slender Fungus, Ari, has been telling me that the Chicago metro region shops are desperate for qualified bicycle mechanics. Ari tells me most shops are four weeks behind in repairs in the region and that there is no end in sight. If you know how to wrench on bikes, and if you want to hang in the Chi-town area for the Spring and Summer, you can definitely find work. 

Again, this situation doesn't seem to have any resolution in sight for the near future. It's so odd working under such constraints and during such unusual times. How this shakes out is anybody's guess at the present time. All I know is that this roller coaster of a bike season in Iowa is going to be an odd one. Especially with RAGBRAI happening. (Oh, and what the heck happened with that whole "Iowa's Ride" thing? Who knows.....)

The shortages are also affecting what I do at RidingGravel.com as well. But it's all okay. Somehow we'll muddle through this. I'm not worried. I just marvel at the weirdness and how it seems to have no end at this point. They keep saying 2022...... We'll see. 

Podcast And Shirts:

Hey, just a reminder that the Riding Gravel Radio Ranch podcast has it's latest episode up. Hear it here or wherever you get your podcast feed from. We try to keep these episodes at about an hour or a little less, so you don't have to invest a ton of your time into these. My co-host is Andy of Andy's Bike Shop, so sometimes we drop a little local stuff as well. 

Also, you can still get the "Riding Stones - Shaking Bones" or "Addicted To Gravel" shirt designs at the RidingGravel.com website. The link to those shirt designs is here. 

And finally, my own designs for the former C.O.G 100 in hats and jerseys and G-Ted merch are still available and you can find that link over there on the right side or just go to the Garage Sale Page for the C.O.G. 100 stuff. 

NOTE: I've been blogging for over 15 years now, I have been doing Riding Gravel since 2015, and putting on events for 20 years or more. These small ways of making some money help me to keep going, defray some costs for making some of the content I put out, and honestly, with the C.O.G. stuff, I just don't want it to go to waste. In the case of the G-Ted merchandise, that actually helps my daughter and I don't get any monetary benefit there at all. I'm not going to apologize for occasionally making you all aware of these things as I feel it is just giving you an opportunity to give recognition to, and give back to what I have have been doing for all these years. If you don't feel led to do anything, no big deal. I'm good. I just wanted to provide the opportunity for you all to say "thanks" and if that speaks to you it does. If not, don't worry about me. I'll keep on keepin' on regardless of whether this stuff gets purchased or not. 

So, don't pull out your credit card unless you really want to. (But get this C.O.G. stuff outta here, or it is going to the landfill before long)
 

That's a wrap for this week. Hoping for warmer weather here. I also hope you get out for a ride!

Friday News And Views

2007: You can't do that with 29"er wheels. 2021: Hold my beer...

Niner Bikes Releases New WFO-9:

Occasionally something significant still happens in the world of big wheels. Recently it came from a company once known for pushing boundaries with big, 29"er wheels. That company has been a bit silent in the 29"er scene over the past decade, but this week, Niner Bikes once again lived up to their moniker and posted news concerning a big wheeled monster of a bike, the WFO-9. 

When the first WFO-9 was whispered about in 2007, it drew a lot of criticism and negativity. "You can't do that with 29"er wheels!", and more was heard on all the major forums. However, Niner, only a couple of years into their existence, was pushing ahead regardless of their not being 'real tires' or 'real forks' for this endeavor. It was cutting edge, forward thinking, and disruptive. Looking back on that early WFO-9, one can now see that Niner Bikes, whatever you may think of them today, should be credited with helping to break the barriers down to what a 29'er could be. 

Another individual who also brought big wheels and long travel together in a way that shocked the mainstream was Devin Lenz. His Lenz Sport brand also has to be recognized in the same breath as Niner as Devin was also independently pushing the big wheeled idea forward with amazingly capable rides that blew away the criticisms of 29 inch wheeled bikes and what they were capable of. 

It's a crazy world of big wheeled bikes these days and back in the 00's, no one was thinking things would be like they are today. Well, except a couple of crazy companies that turned out not to be quite so crazy as we thought. Congratulations to Niner Bikes on the new WFO-9. It may seem like no big deal in 2021, but when you consider that at one time, 29"ers were relegated to being thought of only as single speed bikes or maybe XC bikes, it is a big deal. 

It Costs How Much?

Zipp Wheels have never been what I would call "inexpensive" wheels. Many of their past models would easily be called "halo products"- Products with heady price tags which people aspire to own, but probably never will. 

Well, Zipp didn't do anything to dent that reputation with the recent introduction of their new "353 NSW" wheel set. Yep, you need four thousand Benjamins to get these in your mitts. Carbon wheels for bicycles have been trending downward in price of late, but Zipp? Ha! Obviously they went in the opposite direction with the 353 NSW.

Okay, so what do you get for 4G, (and I ain't talkin' about ancient cell phone connectivity rates). Well, you'd better be getting a light wheel set, and Zipp delivers there with a sub-1300 gram wheel set weight. Okay, well, you'd better be getting an aerodynamic, watt-saving wheel. Once again- if the claims can be believed - Zipp delivers. That saw-toothed design is supposedly a big deal here. Okay- well, what about being able to use it for gravel? Actually- this is the most interesting part. This is basically a gravel wheel set. 25mm internal width? That's not a road racing inner rim width folks. Add in a disc only brake standard and this wheel screams "aero-gravel".

I tested the FLO Cycling wheels last year and stated that these would not be the last we'd here about aero wheels for gravel. While Zipp doesn't claim that these are only for gravel, a companion press release sent at the same time features Zipps rebadged 40mm gravel tire and shows it on.....you guessed it- the 353 NSW wheel set. They may not say it overtly, but this is aimed at the gravel market.
 

Bike Shop News: 

In the world of bike shops, I have been hearing that shortages are happening all across the nation yet. It seems to ebb and flow between different products, but certainly the situation with tires, tubes, cassettes, chains, free wheels, and other maintenance/wear items is still a bad situation. Getting accessory items is also still hit or miss. We've gotten in some stuff, like floor pumps, which were rare last year, yet we cannot get other things at all right now. It's unpredictable and frustrating for everyone. 

In terms of bicycles we actually are getting some few things through the shop. We get them built and they disappear about as fast as we build them. But I am hopeful that at least a trickle of bikes will continue throughout the Summer.  

In other bike shop related news, my friend and El Presidente' of the Slender Fungus, Ari, has been telling me that the Chicago metro region shops are desperate for qualified bicycle mechanics. Ari tells me most shops are four weeks behind in repairs in the region and that there is no end in sight. If you know how to wrench on bikes, and if you want to hang in the Chi-town area for the Spring and Summer, you can definitely find work. 

Again, this situation doesn't seem to have any resolution in sight for the near future. It's so odd working under such constraints and during such unusual times. How this shakes out is anybody's guess at the present time. All I know is that this roller coaster of a bike season in Iowa is going to be an odd one. Especially with RAGBRAI happening. (Oh, and what the heck happened with that whole "Iowa's Ride" thing? Who knows.....)

The shortages are also affecting what I do at RidingGravel.com as well. But it's all okay. Somehow we'll muddle through this. I'm not worried. I just marvel at the weirdness and how it seems to have no end at this point. They keep saying 2022...... We'll see. 

Podcast And Shirts:

Hey, just a reminder that the Riding Gravel Radio Ranch podcast has it's latest episode up. Hear it here or wherever you get your podcast feed from. We try to keep these episodes at about an hour or a little less, so you don't have to invest a ton of your time into these. My co-host is Andy of Andy's Bike Shop, so sometimes we drop a little local stuff as well. 

Also, you can still get the "Riding Stones - Shaking Bones" or "Addicted To Gravel" shirt designs at the RidingGravel.com website. The link to those shirt designs is here. 

And finally, my own designs for the former C.O.G 100 in hats and jerseys and G-Ted merch are still available and you can find that link over there on the right side or just go to the Garage Sale Page for the C.O.G. 100 stuff. 

NOTE: I've been blogging for over 15 years now, I have been doing Riding Gravel since 2015, and putting on events for 20 years or more. These small ways of making some money help me to keep going, defray some costs for making some of the content I put out, and honestly, with the C.O.G. stuff, I just don't want it to go to waste. In the case of the G-Ted merchandise, that actually helps my daughter and I don't get any monetary benefit there at all. I'm not going to apologize for occasionally making you all aware of these things as I feel it is just giving you an opportunity to give recognition to, and give back to what I have have been doing for all these years. If you don't feel led to do anything, no big deal. I'm good. I just wanted to provide the opportunity for you all to say "thanks" and if that speaks to you it does. If not, don't worry about me. I'll keep on keepin' on regardless of whether this stuff gets purchased or not. 

So, don't pull out your credit card unless you really want to. (But get this C.O.G. stuff outta here, or it is going to the landfill before long)
 

That's a wrap for this week. Hoping for warmer weather here. I also hope you get out for a ride!

Friday News And Views

Showers Pass Debuts Elements Rain Jacket:

The news cycle has kicked back into high gear again. Today I have a few newsy bits to share. First up is the new review on the just announced Showers Pass Elements Jacket which went live yesterday. I got this jacket back in August when it was 90° every day and it wasn't raining. So, I had to really pay attention when it did rain and try to get out in it to test the thing.  

This made it kind of tough on the ol' review since wearing almost anything against rain here in Summer is a fifty/fifty situation wherein you are warding off rain but perspiring so much due to the heat and effort of riding that you get wet anyway. Kind of defeats the point. Kind of like when we say "Six of one, half a dozen of another". You pick yer poison and end up wet no matter. So, they say there are real "breathable" rain jackets out there, but yeah..... I'm guessing these jackets are not tested in Iowa, or Houston, Texas, or anywhere it is humid when it rains. Rain jackets are good when it is cold and raining, and that is about it. So, any rain jacket is up against that here. The Showers Pass one at least feel good against the skin and is made of a light enough fabric that it seems nicer to wear than other rain jackets I've tried. 

The Showers Pass folks wanted this to be packable, and it is to an extent. For this reason they left off pit zips. That is a mistake in my estimation. It makes for a really sweaty arm area since it is almost impossible to vent your arms without pit zips. Oh well, you give up that for pack-ability. They (Showers Pass) also said pit zips are almost never waterproof. Hmm...... I will have to defer to their superior knowledge of rain gear there. 

But it is a nice jacket. Go read the review. (NOTE- Showers Pass sent this jacket for test/review at Riding Gravel. I was not paid, nor bribed, for this mention.)

Niner Bikes RLT e9 RDO. Image courtesy of Niner Bikes.

Niner Bikes Debuts RLT e9 RDO:

Electrified gravel rigs are a thing. Not a big thing, like eMTB is, but they are out there roaming around the countryside now. Niner Bikes bit on the HPC trend and introduced a new electrified gravel rig with a Bosch motor. It's an interesting bike when you look at the details. 

First of all, it is boost spaced in the rear. This bike is also flat bar compatible, and suspension corrected for a "gravel suspension fork". Ever heard of trekking bikes? It'd take Niner about three spec changes to swap this over to a flat bar trekking bike ready for European sales. Or dealers could sell this as a commuter rig with a few key swaps. This isn't so much a gravel rig as it is a hits all the marks rig. 

One more thing- this bike costs $5695.00 USD. Hmm..... I wondered.... "What can you get for a motorcycle for less than 6G?". Ever Google that? You know, there are a LOT of capable rigs in the motorcycle arena and some even adept at doing gravel travel. I know....I know... These people on HPC's are getting a "work out", or whatever you want to say about their efforts. Fine. I'm not going there except to say that if you pedal an HPC, you aren't using the most efficient form of either a bicycle or a motorcycle. This seems .........odd. But carry on....  

Either way, these are here and besides costing an arm and a leg for what you get, I suppose they are appealing to certain folks. They are complex machines, for sure, and servicing these things is causing quite the stir in the bicycle industry and with consumers. For example, you know how frustrating it is that cars all have these proprietary electronic servicing tools? Well, the situation with HPC's is fairly analogous to that experience. Be prepared to have some hassles with service if you need it on an HPC unless you happen upon a good dealer for the brand you own. And be prepared to open up the bank account when it comes time to pay. Right now it's the "Wild West" when it comes to service costs, but once things get streamlined on that end, you can bet the prices will be .......not cheap. 

Riding Gravel Video Ranch?

Andy and I, (well......mostly Andy, to be honest), did a thing the other day. We started a, some may say long overdue, You Tube channel for Riding Gravel. And maybe you could give a rip. I don't know. I just know that some people are visual and that they like seeing what we are reviewing and not so much reading about it all. 

I don't know exactly how this is all going to go yet, but I can give y'all a few hints on what to expect. We aren't going to have anything fancy. No sets, no crazy video production. We might get a drone.....maybe. I am working on doing our own music for this. But simplicity is the main theme. So, it's going to be kind of different than many of the established You Tuber's channels out there that are in the cycling space. 

It's going to stretch me a bit, for sure, (thus another reason to ditch the calendar thing), but I like this challenge more than I do dredging up calendar dates, so I am okay with that. The thing will be coming up with good content, and going into 2021, that may be hard to do. That's because there may not be a whole lot "new" to talk about. This will be detailed in my next segment.....

Pandemic Driven Shortages To Reach Well Into 2021:

As if 2020 weren't weird enough, it won't stop affecting things well into 2021. That's because the disruption in the supply chain has been so damaging that manufacturers, in some cases, are not even giving future ETA's for important components and accessories needed to build bicycles. Think I'm nuts? Here's an excerpt from a manufacturer's letter to suppliers and dealers that's been circulated on social media:

"Component lead times are stretching way out into the future for new orders:

Fox will no longer quote a lead time
Rock Shox quote 250 days
Suntour and Tektro quote 210 days
Shimano stating July to October ‘21 with many dates already in calendar year ‘22
With this level of uncertainty there is no clear indication when MY22 will arrive."

Comments further indicate that these lead times are being modified out further since this letter was publicized. The authority of this info seems to be verified as well, since its source is one of the major factories supplying one of the "Big Four" bike brands. Another of the "Big Four" (Cannondale, Trek, Giant, Specialized) is telling its dealers not to expect MY2021 bikes until April at the earliest. This isn't just concerning mountain bikes, or high end, expensive bikes, but all price levels. 

What does that all mean: Look after your drive trains, baby those bikes, and don't throw out those half-used up tires. Shortages are certainly going to roll through the retail sector for well over a year from now. New bikes? Some, maybe. Mostly hardly anything, at least in terms of wide selections. If you want a bicycle, it will be hard to find a certain model. It will be hard to get the spec you thought you wanted. You'll pretty much be having to take what is offered or go without. 

Used bikes will be hot! The used market will become a seller's market with top-dollar asking prices getting paid since no good supplies of new bikes will be available. It also will mean an uptick in thefts of bicycles is a distinct possibility since supplies of new bikes will be so scarce. Repair parts will also be scarce as those old jalopies will continue to be brought in to be resurrected since new and used bikes will be harder to come by. 

Perhaps this will all be wrong, but indications I'm seeing are that these unprecedented shortages are not going away over the Winter, nor by next Spring, and probably not until 2022. 

That's enough 'fun' for one week. have a great weekend, stay safe, and get out and ride!

Friday News And Views

Showers Pass Debuts Elements Rain Jacket:

The news cycle has kicked back into high gear again. Today I have a few newsy bits to share. First up is the new review on the just announced Showers Pass Elements Jacket which went live yesterday. I got this jacket back in August when it was 90° every day and it wasn't raining. So, I had to really pay attention when it did rain and try to get out in it to test the thing.  

This made it kind of tough on the ol' review since wearing almost anything against rain here in Summer is a fifty/fifty situation wherein you are warding off rain but perspiring so much due to the heat and effort of riding that you get wet anyway. Kind of defeats the point. Kind of like when we say "Six of one, half a dozen of another". You pick yer poison and end up wet no matter. So, they say there are real "breathable" rain jackets out there, but yeah..... I'm guessing these jackets are not tested in Iowa, or Houston, Texas, or anywhere it is humid when it rains. Rain jackets are good when it is cold and raining, and that is about it. So, any rain jacket is up against that here. The Showers Pass one at least feel good against the skin and is made of a light enough fabric that it seems nicer to wear than other rain jackets I've tried. 

The Showers Pass folks wanted this to be packable, and it is to an extent. For this reason they left off pit zips. That is a mistake in my estimation. It makes for a really sweaty arm area since it is almost impossible to vent your arms without pit zips. Oh well, you give up that for pack-ability. They (Showers Pass) also said pit zips are almost never waterproof. Hmm...... I will have to defer to their superior knowledge of rain gear there. 

But it is a nice jacket. Go read the review. (NOTE- Showers Pass sent this jacket for test/review at Riding Gravel. I was not paid, nor bribed, for this mention.)

Niner Bikes RLT e9 RDO. Image courtesy of Niner Bikes.

Niner Bikes Debuts RLT e9 RDO:

Electrified gravel rigs are a thing. Not a big thing, like eMTB is, but they are out there roaming around the countryside now. Niner Bikes bit on the HPC trend and introduced a new electrified gravel rig with a Bosch motor. It's an interesting bike when you look at the details. 

First of all, it is boost spaced in the rear. This bike is also flat bar compatible, and suspension corrected for a "gravel suspension fork". Ever heard of trekking bikes? It'd take Niner about three spec changes to swap this over to a flat bar trekking bike ready for European sales. Or dealers could sell this as a commuter rig with a few key swaps. This isn't so much a gravel rig as it is a hits all the marks rig. 

One more thing- this bike costs $5695.00 USD. Hmm..... I wondered.... "What can you get for a motorcycle for less than 6G?". Ever Google that? You know, there are a LOT of capable rigs in the motorcycle arena and some even adept at doing gravel travel. I know....I know... These people on HPC's are getting a "work out", or whatever you want to say about their efforts. Fine. I'm not going there except to say that if you pedal an HPC, you aren't using the most efficient form of either a bicycle or a motorcycle. This seems .........odd. But carry on....  

Either way, these are here and besides costing an arm and a leg for what you get, I suppose they are appealing to certain folks. They are complex machines, for sure, and servicing these things is causing quite the stir in the bicycle industry and with consumers. For example, you know how frustrating it is that cars all have these proprietary electronic servicing tools? Well, the situation with HPC's is fairly analogous to that experience. Be prepared to have some hassles with service if you need it on an HPC unless you happen upon a good dealer for the brand you own. And be prepared to open up the bank account when it comes time to pay. Right now it's the "Wild West" when it comes to service costs, but once things get streamlined on that end, you can bet the prices will be .......not cheap. 

Riding Gravel Video Ranch?

Andy and I, (well......mostly Andy, to be honest), did a thing the other day. We started a, some may say long overdue, You Tube channel for Riding Gravel. And maybe you could give a rip. I don't know. I just know that some people are visual and that they like seeing what we are reviewing and not so much reading about it all. 

I don't know exactly how this is all going to go yet, but I can give y'all a few hints on what to expect. We aren't going to have anything fancy. No sets, no crazy video production. We might get a drone.....maybe. I am working on doing our own music for this. But simplicity is the main theme. So, it's going to be kind of different than many of the established You Tuber's channels out there that are in the cycling space. 

It's going to stretch me a bit, for sure, (thus another reason to ditch the calendar thing), but I like this challenge more than I do dredging up calendar dates, so I am okay with that. The thing will be coming up with good content, and going into 2021, that may be hard to do. That's because there may not be a whole lot "new" to talk about. This will be detailed in my next segment.....

Pandemic Driven Shortages To Reach Well Into 2021:

As if 2020 weren't weird enough, it won't stop affecting things well into 2021. That's because the disruption in the supply chain has been so damaging that manufacturers, in some cases, are not even giving future ETA's for important components and accessories needed to build bicycles. Think I'm nuts? Here's an excerpt from a manufacturer's letter to suppliers and dealers that's been circulated on social media:

"Component lead times are stretching way out into the future for new orders:

Fox will no longer quote a lead time
Rock Shox quote 250 days
Suntour and Tektro quote 210 days
Shimano stating July to October ‘21 with many dates already in calendar year ‘22
With this level of uncertainty there is no clear indication when MY22 will arrive."

Comments further indicate that these lead times are being modified out further since this letter was publicized. The authority of this info seems to be verified as well, since its source is one of the major factories supplying one of the "Big Four" bike brands. Another of the "Big Four" (Cannondale, Trek, Giant, Specialized) is telling its dealers not to expect MY2021 bikes until April at the earliest. This isn't just concerning mountain bikes, or high end, expensive bikes, but all price levels. 

What does that all mean: Look after your drive trains, baby those bikes, and don't throw out those half-used up tires. Shortages are certainly going to roll through the retail sector for well over a year from now. New bikes? Some, maybe. Mostly hardly anything, at least in terms of wide selections. If you want a bicycle, it will be hard to find a certain model. It will be hard to get the spec you thought you wanted. You'll pretty much be having to take what is offered or go without. 

Used bikes will be hot! The used market will become a seller's market with top-dollar asking prices getting paid since no good supplies of new bikes will be available. It also will mean an uptick in thefts of bicycles is a distinct possibility since supplies of new bikes will be so scarce. Repair parts will also be scarce as those old jalopies will continue to be brought in to be resurrected since new and used bikes will be harder to come by. 

Perhaps this will all be wrong, but indications I'm seeing are that these unprecedented shortages are not going away over the Winter, nor by next Spring, and probably not until 2022. 

That's enough 'fun' for one week. have a great weekend, stay safe, and get out and ride!