Friday News And Views

The Great Plains Gravel Route Released:

The gravel version of The Great Divide Route, (well, this new route was inspired by the GDR, which itself is basically a gravel route), is finally out now. You can check it out HERE.

Comments: I know a lot of people are excited about this route. I am not one of them. I just don't see this project as being a cohesive route. It's essentially a highlights driven exercise with connectors to make it work as a route from end-to-end across the nation. The serpentine nature of the route is pretty much a tell-tale that this is the case here.

Not that this route is a bad idea, it just lacks an overarching theme for me. The Great Divide Route is a ride along the spine of the Great Divide. This makes sense. The Great Plains Gravel Route is a series of highlights which are not all parts of the Great Plains. (Black Hills, Big Bend area of Texas). The "need" to connect the highlights makes for a weird route, in my opinion. Again - in my opinion. This is "Friday News And Views", after all. So, you may not agree, and I understand this.

I would ride parts of this route. But I probably would research my own version of parts of it. So, this isn't something I'd jump at the chance to do as it is written. Maybe you are excited about it? Let me know in the comments.

Where We Came From Featuring Mike Marchand:

In case you missed this, The Guitar Ted Podcast released a new episode last weekend featuring early gravel pioneer and racer Mike Marchand.

Mike shared some incredible stories of events on gravel which pre-date the Modern Gravel Era by a few years, both examples being in Kansas. 

It was fun talking to Mike as I ended up learning a lot about him. It is funny, in a way, how preconceived perceptions of a person can be shattered  once you hear their story, and in Mike's case, I found I had him pegged wrong.

Mike won the 2009 Dirty Kanza 200 and the 2010 Gravel Worlds. Because of this I was under the impression Mike was some kind of racing honch, and had been for years. In fact, the DK200 in 2009 was Mike's first gravel race! Had I known this, I probably would have had a completely different idea of who he was in terms of gravel riding and racing. It was not that Mike wasn't good at gravel racing, because, obviously, he was. I was just under the impression he'd been at it for a long time, when in fact, it was all new to him, for the most part.

Anyway, give the episode a listen and if you like hearing about old, grassroots gravel events, you'll enjoy it, I think.  

A Borealis fat bike in 29"er mode I tested/reviewed in 2014

Borealis Pauses Business:

According to a Colorado news report seen on Facebook, Borealis Bicycles has decided to pause doing business effective at the end of July. 

Citing issues induced by the Trump tariffs, Borealis will sell through remaining stock and the owner said he'd wait to see what will happen after that.  Unfortunately the building Borealis uses and their employees will all be gone at the end of July.

Comments: Honestly, I thought Borealis was gone several years ago. But apparently they were still selling bikes assembled in Colorado. At any rate, this company joins Revel Bikes as recent casualties of tariff policies.

With still soft sales nationwide, I suspect this will not be the last we hear about a bicycle business shutting down.  

Nitto Introduces New Gravel Flared Drop Bar:

As seen on Soma Fabrications Facebook feed, it appears Nitto will have a new gravel oriented flared drop bar coming available soon. It will have "about 15° of flare, minimal reach, and drop. As you can see from the image, it will come in two colors. Soma says the bar will be available in only two widths in 31.8 mm clamp diameter and soon it will come in a 26.0 mm clamp diameter.

No price was listed and as of the time I wrote this, neither was it on Soma's site yet. 

Comments: The name? Uggh.... Whatever. There has always been a certain element of the cycling community which seems to think things having to do with gravel cycling need "cutesy" names. If you like this, fine. I think it is unnecessary. "M138" works for me.

As far as this offering is concerned, I think it is notable only because it is a Nitto product and that it is available in their silver anodized finish, which is really nice. If you are at all familiar with Nitto, you know what I mean.

Beyond this, it is a fine drop bar, but nothing unusual. there was a time when a bar like this would have caused quite the stir. This was when a flared drop bar was rare, and a Nitto offering then would have been a big deal. (I believe they had something early on in a flared drop, but I cannot recall now.)   

Image courtesy of Ritchey Design

Ritchey Announces Their First Platform Pedal:

The Ritchey Bigfoot pedal just dropped on Wednesday and it is a nice choice in a flat pedal.

Boasting replaceable steel traction pins, a reinforced nylon body with an inner bushing and outer cartridge bearing, the Bigfoot should work across four season use. (Metal bodied pedals suck heat from your feet in Winter!)

The pedals will be available now in black with a Desert Sand color coming later in the  year. Price for these is a modest $44.95USD.  

Comments: This is great news. I love my Fyxation Mesa MP's and these pedals are very similar to my favorites. I have no doubt that these will be a great pedal for anyone looking into a flat pedal option and who doesn't want to spend a lot of money on them. My Fyxations hold up really well. In fact, I've yet to have a pair wear out or fail on me, but I do use them sparingly across several bicycles, so my usage case might be skewed a bit!

However; I stand by my recommendation, and especially if you want a nice pedal for cold weather riding. These will not act like a heat sink, sucking warmth from you feet through your boots/shoes like metal pedals can in colder weather.  

UnPAved of the Susquehanna River Valley Announces Cash Purses, More Rider Options For 2025:

A press release sent out late on Wednesday  announced new tweaks to the unPAved of the Susquehanna River Valley Event. While all riders will receive a Whoopie Pie if they finish, now the full, 130 mile course riders will have a shot at a cash prize as well. Racers will vie for this prize over 13 hills, 11,500’ of climbing, and the infamous Longwell Draft “road” that was part of “The Difference” in the first few years of unPAved.

But if this is not for you, don't worry. unPAved routes are made up of interconnecting loops, so many options will be available to any rider. Here's a quote from the presser:

“It’s amazing to see the wide variety of gravel cyclists that come to unPAved,” said Cimarron Chacon, Race Director. “So, we’ve built the event to be with a lot of options. For those that want a big day, the Big Lick-200 is for the experienced backcountry adventurer. My favorite, the SlumberPArty, is a ride focused on camaraderie with a group camp-out and catered breakfast provided by Backyard Beans Coffee Company. And for those not quite ready to explore off road, we even have our FUNpaved rides on Saturday. There really is something for everyone at unPAved.”

Registration is open now HERE. unPAved of the Susquehanna River Valley will be October 10 - 12 in Lewisburg PA.

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Get out and ride those bicycles! Special shout out to anyone going to The Heywood Ride tomorrow, Have a good time!

Wilde Bicycle Co. X Country Bar: Impressions

 Note: Wilde Bikes sent the X Country Bar over to me for test and review at no charge. I am not being paid, nor bribed, for this post.

So, what do I think about the Wilde Bicycle Co. X Country Bar? The bar I introduced on Saturday here?  Well, it is a different ride feel for sure and it rides better than a lot of MTB bars I have tried. 

So that's a good thing. But what does that mean. Well.... That's the hard part. See, you cannot just say that it is "this or that" because you don't notice a lot going on here. (I'll come back to that point, so keep that in mind)

Of course, if you set any handle bar up in a goofy, inconsiderate way, it will feel awful, and the X Country Bar is no exception. However; I actually did consider how I wanted the up-sweep and how I wanted the stem height as I installed the bar. I considered the brake lever angle and set that up the way I generally prefer things. I angled and inset the Paul Thumbie mounts "just so". I am particular about thumb shifter set up because I don't generally use my thumbs to move the levers. I use my fingers and the back side of my hand far more than I use my thumbs. That's from years of thumb shifter usage back in the 90's. 

So, if I considered all those things, and I got that even close to "right" for me, then the handle bar would be a LOT more friendly and enjoyable. And the X Country Bar was just that. Fortunately there is a lot of space to set the controls just the way you might consider setting them up, so that's also very nice. 

The X Country Bar definitely has plenty of "wing span".

The 800mm width is plenty wide for my tastes. I really don't think I'd want wider bars, and at times I choked up on the grips a bit and thought that I maybe could do with about 20mm less width. But since this is a test of the entire bar, I decided to use the entire bar. By the way, there are no cut down marks on the X Country Bar and Wilde doesn't say you can cut them down. Another reason I left well enough alone. I do need to ask about that though..... UPDATED: Jeffrey Frane says about cutting the bars down: " You can cut them down. Though I can’t say how far off the top of my head." So, I guess I'll leave the bars as they are for now!

See, the thing is that our single track zips along and goes through some pretty tight spaces between trees at times. Ever smacked the end of your handle bar on a tree? It isn't an advisable thing to do, by the way. Been there, done that!

So there were a few times I tried to think "skinny", set my sights dead center, and held on tight. So far, I have not encountered any 799mm or less spaces. But I bet it was close a couple of times! Just another reason that, for me, I might want a slightly narrower bar. You? That's for you to decide. 

So besides thinking about how wide these handle bars are from time to time, I didn't think about these handle bars much. Yeah, I realize that I am supposed to be paying attention. It was just that I was ripping corners and honking up short steeps and, you know, generally having myself a bit of fun. Like you are supposed to do when riding single track. 

I guess I didn't really think much about the bars and how they felt until I stopped briefly and leaned on the bars a minute. "Hmm.... These do have a bit of 'give' to them, don't they?" And that's when I noted that I hadn't felt that dreaded "zing" in the palms of my hands when your front tire hits a trail feature, like an embedded rock, suddenly. Remember, this is a rigid fork. So, yeah. That was very nice!

The bars didn't feel dead, but they weren't giving me fits in corners or on climbs  when I was leveraging the bars for some added "grunt". So again, very nice! 

What I didn't notice and all that was "very nice" added up to a positive experience with the Wilde X Country Bar. I'd go so far to say it has been a pretty "moto" component so far. And you know what they say about components that ain't moto. 

Stay tuned for some gravel travel experiences with the X Country Bar.

Drop Bars: Catching Up With The Testing

I've been doing some drop bar research over the course of the year in between all the other stuff I do around here. I thought it was high time I get a round up together of where I am at so far with regards to checking out all the various choices I have been able to get around to. (What a problem to have, by the way! Four years ago, there was the Midge and Gary I bar, and that was it!)

So, here is a bit of a snap shot as to where I am at so far with an eye towards maybe getting some of this wrapped up soon so I can move on to some other bars....

Origin 8 Gary II Bar

The Gary Bar, Take Two: 

I've been using the Gary Bar, version II since early in the year. This one is about done as far as testing is concerned.

Essentially, this is a rendition of a deep drop road bar with minimal flare. It is so radically different from the original Gary Bar as to be something that really deserves its own name.

It is comfortable enough, sure, and I've put down some long miles with it. This bar reminds me of the older touring bars with deep drops we used to use 15-20 years ago. I don't particularly care for it off road though. The drops are just too deep, and the sweep and flare is too minimal for my liking.

The Ragley Luxy Bar

And Now For Something Completely Different: 

The Ragley Luxy Bar is so far to the other extreme from the Gary II that I can't imagine how a drop bar meant for off road could be anymore different. Shallow, really flared, and really swept, this bar is either a "like it or hate it" proposition.

I've tried it with gears, (STI shifters, to be exact), but my favorite way to use these is with a single speed set up. The Luxy is so wide and swept that it just lends itself to single speeding. I think it offers more leverage out of the saddle. However; the width can be an issue in tighter trees and in fast single track where clipping those swept ends is a definite possibility.

The Cowbell 2

Ding! Dong! Is This One A Winner?

The Salsa Cycles Cowbell 2 came along this summer and I have put hundreds of gravel road miles on it so far.

I wouldn't really like it for off roading though, because much like the Gary II Bar above, the Cowbell just doesn't flare or sweep quite enough for my tastes. If it did, it would probably be my "go to" off road bar, since it is tantalizingly close to what I would want in a single trackin' off road drop bar.

However; for gravel travel, or rough roads, or heck......just plain road ridin', the Cowbell is the best handle bar I can imagine for use with today's "brifters". (Soon we'll all be just pushin' buttons and none of this will matter. In fact, I bet someone will figure out pretty soon that Shimano's levers are unnecessary for Di2 to work, and will run whatever old, lighter aero levers they are used to.) Anyway, these are to die for if you need a slightly swept, variable radius drop bar. I just wish Salsa would come out with silver ones!

Salsa Cycles Woodchipper Bar

Old Reliable:

I continue to use a Salsa Cycles Woodchipper as well. It does seem to cut a good middle ground between bars like the Luxy and Gary I Bars and the bars like the Gary II Bars and the Cowbell.

It works great with STI levers and it works great with a single speed set up. It seems to be pretty decent off road too.

The only issue is like with the Luxy Bar- The sweep may cause you to clip a tree now and again, so this may not work best for tighter, woodsy trails.

I really like the Woodchipper though, and it has a great balance of comfort and ergonomics. I don't like the bend coming off the drops to the extensions though- or I should say, the radius of that bend, which I feel isn't tight enough, but it isn't terrible.

Other Bars: I've ridden Midge Bars a ton, and have two sitting around here still. I also still occasionally use the Gary I bars, and have two sets of those yet. (No wait! Three!)

I would still like to get a WTB drop bar, and that Nitto bar I mentioned a while back, but those will have to wait until fall.

Once I get rides on all of these, look for a detailed ride report on one page. Stay tuned!

Drop Bars: Catching Up With The Testing

I've been doing some drop bar research over the course of the year in between all the other stuff I do around here. I thought it was high time I get a round up together of where I am at so far with regards to checking out all the various choices I have been able to get around to. (What a problem to have, by the way! Four years ago, there was the Midge and Gary I bar, and that was it!)

So, here is a bit of a snap shot as to where I am at so far with an eye towards maybe getting some of this wrapped up soon so I can move on to some other bars....

Origin 8 Gary II Bar

The Gary Bar, Take Two: 

I've been using the Gary Bar, version II since early in the year. This one is about done as far as testing is concerned.

Essentially, this is a rendition of a deep drop road bar with minimal flare. It is so radically different from the original Gary Bar as to be something that really deserves its own name.

It is comfortable enough, sure, and I've put down some long miles with it. This bar reminds me of the older touring bars with deep drops we used to use 15-20 years ago. I don't particularly care for it off road though. The drops are just too deep, and the sweep and flare is too minimal for my liking.

The Ragley Luxy Bar

And Now For Something Completely Different: 

The Ragley Luxy Bar is so far to the other extreme from the Gary II that I can't imagine how a drop bar meant for off road could be anymore different. Shallow, really flared, and really swept, this bar is either a "like it or hate it" proposition.

I've tried it with gears, (STI shifters, to be exact), but my favorite way to use these is with a single speed set up. The Luxy is so wide and swept that it just lends itself to single speeding. I think it offers more leverage out of the saddle. However; the width can be an issue in tighter trees and in fast single track where clipping those swept ends is a definite possibility.

The Cowbell 2

Ding! Dong! Is This One A Winner?

The Salsa Cycles Cowbell 2 came along this summer and I have put hundreds of gravel road miles on it so far.

I wouldn't really like it for off roading though, because much like the Gary II Bar above, the Cowbell just doesn't flare or sweep quite enough for my tastes. If it did, it would probably be my "go to" off road bar, since it is tantalizingly close to what I would want in a single trackin' off road drop bar.

However; for gravel travel, or rough roads, or heck......just plain road ridin', the Cowbell is the best handle bar I can imagine for use with today's "brifters". (Soon we'll all be just pushin' buttons and none of this will matter. In fact, I bet someone will figure out pretty soon that Shimano's levers are unnecessary for Di2 to work, and will run whatever old, lighter aero levers they are used to.) Anyway, these are to die for if you need a slightly swept, variable radius drop bar. I just wish Salsa would come out with silver ones!

Salsa Cycles Woodchipper Bar

Old Reliable:

I continue to use a Salsa Cycles Woodchipper as well. It does seem to cut a good middle ground between bars like the Luxy and Gary I Bars and the bars like the Gary II Bars and the Cowbell.

It works great with STI levers and it works great with a single speed set up. It seems to be pretty decent off road too.

The only issue is like with the Luxy Bar- The sweep may cause you to clip a tree now and again, so this may not work best for tighter, woodsy trails.

I really like the Woodchipper though, and it has a great balance of comfort and ergonomics. I don't like the bend coming off the drops to the extensions though- or I should say, the radius of that bend, which I feel isn't tight enough, but it isn't terrible.

Other Bars: I've ridden Midge Bars a ton, and have two sitting around here still. I also still occasionally use the Gary I bars, and have two sets of those yet. (No wait! Three!)

I would still like to get a WTB drop bar, and that Nitto bar I mentioned a while back, but those will have to wait until fall.

Once I get rides on all of these, look for a detailed ride report on one page. Stay tuned!

Really Big, Fat Tires And Drop Bars

Nitto RM-14

I was just made aware of another drop bar for off-road. It comes from the company that pretty much helped kick off the whole off-road drop bar scene in the 80's- Nitto.

Nitto was the maker of a few of the well known drop bars used on mtb's back then, including the "Dirt Drop", a model whose name has been appropriated to mean any drop bar with flare and/or sweep meant for off roading.

There is also another, similar Nitto bar still available called the RM-13, which has less flare and sweep. (Think Cowbell-ish) However; it is the RM-14 which has caught my eye. It is silver, for one thing, and that in itself makes it interesting. However, it also is made with a 31.8mm clamp diameter, which should beef the bar up a bit for rougher handling.

I want to add this into my off-road drop bar comparo. It isn't a cheap bar, retailing at almost $90.00. That may put some off, but since Nitto bars are the "real deal" in off-road drops, and the finish quality is typically second to none, I think it may be an interesting addition to the mix.

Surly Moonlander prototype

Redefining "Fat Bike": Surly is at their best when they push the boundaries of what folks think about bicycles, their uses, and in their insistence that everything be made from 4130 ChroMoly and have single speed compatibility.

Their first bike, in the late '90's, the "1X1 Rat Ride", was a slap in the face to the industry that had wholly adopted aluminum frame construction and geared mountain bikes. Then they threw out the Cross Check, a cyclo-cross bike, fer cryin' out loud, looooong before "cross was cool".

Things continued with the first affordable 29"er frame and fork, the Karate Monkey, then they put out the first real, workable, widely available cargo bike, the Big Dummy, and of course, revolutionized winter biking with their Pugsley fat bike.

Now that fat biking has graduated to an all year long pursuit, and several other companies have upped the ante, Surly has taken the chance to basically "one-up" everyone. Welcome to the "Moonlander".

What is it? Well, it is a steel frame that will have 4.5 inch wide tires mounted to it, that's what. Major floatation. Surly says: "The very wide rims and very large tires, as you might expect, make for amazing traction, floatation, and minimal ground impact. " The rims will be called "Clownshoe" rims and will be 100mm wide. The tire will be similar to the 3.8" Larry tire, but will be called the "Big Fat Larry", most appropriately, I should say.


Single speed? Yup. Same drop outs as the Pugsley, so going with one gear or an internally geared hub can be done as well. Good ol' Surly!

Surly indicates this will be sold as a frame/fork and as a complete. Do I want one? Oh man....... I have to be honest and say yes, I do. But I dunno. I have an almost complete fat bike hanging in the basement I need to take care of first, so we'll see!(Yes- still no word, or wheel from Phil Wood & Co.)

At any rate, I will definitely be taking a very close look at the Moonlander at Interbike!

Really Big, Fat Tires And Drop Bars

Nitto RM-14

I was just made aware of another drop bar for off-road. It comes from the company that pretty much helped kick off the whole off-road drop bar scene in the 80's- Nitto.

Nitto was the maker of a few of the well known drop bars used on mtb's back then, including the "Dirt Drop", a model whose name has been appropriated to mean any drop bar with flare and/or sweep meant for off roading.

There is also another, similar Nitto bar still available called the RM-13, which has less flare and sweep. (Think Cowbell-ish) However; it is the RM-14 which has caught my eye. It is silver, for one thing, and that in itself makes it interesting. However, it also is made with a 31.8mm clamp diameter, which should beef the bar up a bit for rougher handling.

I want to add this into my off-road drop bar comparo. It isn't a cheap bar, retailing at almost $90.00. That may put some off, but since Nitto bars are the "real deal" in off-road drops, and the finish quality is typically second to none, I think it may be an interesting addition to the mix.

Surly Moonlander prototype

Redefining "Fat Bike": Surly is at their best when they push the boundaries of what folks think about bicycles, their uses, and in their insistence that everything be made from 4130 ChroMoly and have single speed compatibility.

Their first bike, in the late '90's, the "1X1 Rat Ride", was a slap in the face to the industry that had wholly adopted aluminum frame construction and geared mountain bikes. Then they threw out the Cross Check, a cyclo-cross bike, fer cryin' out loud, looooong before "cross was cool".

Things continued with the first affordable 29"er frame and fork, the Karate Monkey, then they put out the first real, workable, widely available cargo bike, the Big Dummy, and of course, revolutionized winter biking with their Pugsley fat bike.

Now that fat biking has graduated to an all year long pursuit, and several other companies have upped the ante, Surly has taken the chance to basically "one-up" everyone. Welcome to the "Moonlander".

What is it? Well, it is a steel frame that will have 4.5 inch wide tires mounted to it, that's what. Major floatation. Surly says: "The very wide rims and very large tires, as you might expect, make for amazing traction, floatation, and minimal ground impact. " The rims will be called "Clownshoe" rims and will be 100mm wide. The tire will be similar to the 3.8" Larry tire, but will be called the "Big Fat Larry", most appropriately, I should say.


Single speed? Yup. Same drop outs as the Pugsley, so going with one gear or an internally geared hub can be done as well. Good ol' Surly!

Surly indicates this will be sold as a frame/fork and as a complete. Do I want one? Oh man....... I have to be honest and say yes, I do. But I dunno. I have an almost complete fat bike hanging in the basement I need to take care of first, so we'll see!(Yes- still no word, or wheel from Phil Wood & Co.)

At any rate, I will definitely be taking a very close look at the Moonlander at Interbike!