Friday News And Views

The 2025 Gravel Earth Series Calendar

Gravel Earth Series Announces Official Dates For 2025:

The Gravel Earth Series has expanded its palette of offerings to the competitive gravel rider to include several new events to the series. 

Events now span the globe from the Philippines, South America, North America, Iceland, Europe, and Africa. The USA has six dates on the 26 event calendar alone. 

Most interesting to my local readers is that - as reported here previously - CORE4 in Iowa and Gravel Worlds in Nebraska are both Gravel Earth Series events. This will mark the first time that Iowa has figured into any international series or has gotten any spotlight in a world-wide stage, such as the Gravel Earth Series brings. 

More details can be found at the Gravel Earth Series site. 

Comments: This series is ambitious and seems to be aiming to be the preeminent series for gravel racing worldwide. There is, of course, the UCI Gravel World Series, but at this point, if plans come to fruition, the UCI series will have half the events that Gravel Earth Series has in the USA and the UCI has nothing in Iowa or Nebraska at this point. At least the Gravel Earth Series seems to place a heavy emphasis on the birthplace of the modern day gravel scene, both in having events on its calendar and in allowing those events to be what they are uniquely suited to be. 

Now the outlier here is the Life Time Grand Prix, which is a mix of MTB and gravel, but within its smaller series of events, it has a very lucrative payday and the "crown jewel" of gravel, the Unbound event in Emporia, Kansas.  "Crown jewel" in that it is regarded as the most prestigious Pro level event, but that is all. Whatever charm the event had in its early days is being heavily overshadowed or eliminated in favor of a focus on the highest levels of competition, media access, and prizing.

Schwalbe G1 RX gravel tire (Image courtesy of Schwalbe)

Schwalbe Announces G1 RX Gravel Tires:

On Tuesday of last week, Schwalbe announced new G1 RX gravel tires. The tread pattern is Schwalbe's most aggressive pattern for gravel tires. 

Schwalbe also considers this tire as the gravel tire in its range with the best traction and best cornering traction. They also claim good mud clearing abilities, but I wouldn't hold my breath there when it comes to Kansan clay or Iowa's black dirt. 

The G1 RX comes in 700 x 38mm, 700 x 43mm, and 700 x 50mm. Black or tan side walls. Webpage for the black version HERE. 

Comments: I am not all that familiar with Schwalbe gravel tires. I did try a set of their lighter weight MTB treads for my Fargo one year and had a poor experience so I haven't been all that interested in Schwalbe's offerings. There are a LOT of fans of Schwalbe tires, however, so they must be doing some things right. 

I'll have to try a set again someday just to see what the hype is all about. 

Image courtesy of Good Grief Bicycles

These Are Some "Nice Bars":

I follow "Fixie Dave" Nice on several different social media platforms. He has done Trans Iowa in the past and he really does ride fixed gear off-road and everywhere else all the time. Anyway, he was showing these handle bars recently and they struck me as being very familiar looking. 

In fact, they are a dead ringer for the original Jones H-Bars. I first saw those handlebars at the very first DK200 in 2006. I always thought those were cool, but they were expensive, being made from titanium, as they were. 

I ended up buying some Titec H-Bars, which were made out of aluminum and varied a bit from Jeff Jones' design by using a riser center section instead of a plain, straight section of tubing like Jeff Jones had been doing. It was ugly, but man! It was sure awesome on my OS Bikes Blackbuck. 

One thing led to another and those bars came off, others went on, and the Titec bars went to the recyclers. But when I saw these "Nice Bars", (yes- named after Fixie Dave, it seems), I thought I should try a sample, so I have purchased them. 

These are made from steel, not titanium, but the effect will be similar, I hope, to my old Titec H-Bar experience, which is when I thought the Blackbuck was at its best. I'll have more to say when I get them, but if you are curious, here is the website page. And it looks like my handlebars will be here on the 23rd. So, that's pretty quick service from a small fabricator/business. 

Rocky Mountain Solo Carbon 90 gravel bike.

Rocky Mountain Bikes Files For Reorganization:

News broke yesterday that Rocky Mountain Bikes has asked for a "Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act" from the Canadian government, according to this report on the "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" website. 

Citing the all too familiar story of a crash in sales post-COVID and a market-wide drop in pricing, Rocky Mountain hopes to avoid interruption of its business with this move.

Comments: This was the sort of thing I thought we might have seen more of earlier in 2024, but it seems that the end of the year has pushed some companies to the brink and now we are seeing the results expressed as financial troubles. 

One has to wonder when you see the brand being "closed out" on internet sites like Jenson USA where you can buy a Rocky Mountain gravel bike for 50% off. In fact, that retailer can sometimes be used as a barometer for what companies aren't doing so well by looking at the deeper discounted brands. 

Rocky Mountain isn't the only brand with recent troubling news. I'll have another brand featured in next week's "FN&V".

That's a wrap on this week. Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions and remember: Get out there and ride those bicycles!

Review Briefs

 As many of you know, I get in a fair amount of stuff to review on Riding Gravel and sometimes just to give feedback on/test for others. I figured I may as well shoot a few words this way on some things being currently tested and reviewed by giving a few, brief thoughts on those items. As always, The Standard Disclaimer applies. 

Shimano Flint Hills Edition "Moonlight" RX6 Shoes:

Yesterday I mentioned that I got those RX6 shoes in and now that I've had a chance to ride in them and walk around in them I have a few thoughts to share. 

I have been wearing the Shimano gravel shoes since they came out a few years back. The newer RX8's are a definite improvement over the originals and I have liked them quite a bit. So when I saw that the RX6's were very similar I was pretty stoked to give them a try. 

The upper and the BOA are really similar with very little variation between the RX8 and RX6. However; after that you get to the soles and those vary quite a lot in terms of feel while walking and riding. In terms of fit, the RX8 and RX6 are really very close to being identical. That's very good! 

My take is that the big difference in the RX6 is that it isn't so stiff. The RX8 is actually kind of hard to walk in. Not terrible, but it doesn't have very much "give" and that makes walking any distance on harder surfaces a bit tedious and the RX8 fatigues your feet and lower legs a lot more quickly because of that. The RX6 is noticeably easier on the earth-pads and lower legs when you have to walk. 

I imagine this is also why the shoe feels a bit more relaxed while riding as well. I like that, personally. Really stiff shoes fatigue my feet more quickly, so I am hopeful that the stiffness to flex ratio of the RX6 actually will make my feet happier than the RX8's. Time will tell.....

Voler "Pirate Cycling League 15th Anniversary" Windbreaker:

I've tried a lot of windbreakers and I took a chance recently on another one, the Voler branded "Pirate Cycling League 15th Anniversary" windbreaker. I've been able to use this several times over the Spring and I have ended up at a place where this windbreaker has taken the point in my apparel arsenal. 

The biggest reason I jumped on this one was because it has three jersey-type rear pockets. Most windbreakers don't have this feature and I find that a bit frustrating. 

So, right off the mark this windbreaker was a head and shoulders above the rest. But it was in the wearing that I found this one to be tops for me and cooler, windy weather. 

The fit isn't too loose, but it fits without any real tight areas on me either. So, that was a huge plus to have hardly any fabric flapping in the breeze but the jacket didn't make me feel like a sausage in a casing. The zipper is beefy, two-way, and looks solid. It isn't some wimpy zipper that would fail after a season or two. The collar covers the neck well, so if you are in a cold wind this helps keep the air out. The sleeves are well long enough too. 

The fabric is just right- Not too stiff and not at all uncomfortable against the skin. This is almost a long sleeved jersey, actually, but technically, still a windbreaker. 

While you cannot get a 15th Anniversary PCL version, you can get this model windbreaker from Voler. Oh, and I bought this one at full-boat retail. So there! 

Ergon SR Allroad Core Saddle:

This was the first wide/short saddle I ever tried. I didn't know whether or not it would work out and Ergon saddles weren't my favorites. I had tried several over the years and while they were "okay", I never really bonded with any of them.

And what do you know? I ended up really liking this saddle. It didn't feel weird, and in fact, the BASF manufactured padding was actually what Ergon claimed for it, a vibration reducing material. 

This is also the first saddle I have tried that has the big cut-out/channel thing going on. First of all, I didn't really notice anything different. But then again, I don't typically worry about getting numb, I guess I block that bit out because after I paid attention, there was a benefit.

I don't have debilitating numbness issues, but after using the Ergon saddle I noticed I felt better than typical. So, I have changed my mind a bit on that feature since I have been using it. The WTB "Gravelier" I talked about in this "Review Brief", also has the relief cut-out, and it also does well with making me feel better after a longer ride. 

But my favorite between the two is definitely this Ergon SR Allroad. The BASF foam padding is a big reason why I would choose this over the WTB, but both are really pretty good.

Review Briefs

 As many of you know, I get in a fair amount of stuff to review on Riding Gravel and sometimes just to give feedback on/test for others. I figured I may as well shoot a few words this way on some things being currently tested and reviewed by giving a few, brief thoughts on those items. As always, The Standard Disclaimer applies. 

Shimano Flint Hills Edition "Moonlight" RX6 Shoes:

Yesterday I mentioned that I got those RX6 shoes in and now that I've had a chance to ride in them and walk around in them I have a few thoughts to share. 

I have been wearing the Shimano gravel shoes since they came out a few years back. The newer RX8's are a definite improvement over the originals and I have liked them quite a bit. So when I saw that the RX6's were very similar I was pretty stoked to give them a try. 

The upper and the BOA are really similar with very little variation between the RX8 and RX6. However; after that you get to the soles and those vary quite a lot in terms of feel while walking and riding. In terms of fit, the RX8 and RX6 are really very close to being identical. That's very good! 

My take is that the big difference in the RX6 is that it isn't so stiff. The RX8 is actually kind of hard to walk in. Not terrible, but it doesn't have very much "give" and that makes walking any distance on harder surfaces a bit tedious and the RX8 fatigues your feet and lower legs a lot more quickly because of that. The RX6 is noticeably easier on the earth-pads and lower legs when you have to walk. 

I imagine this is also why the shoe feels a bit more relaxed while riding as well. I like that, personally. Really stiff shoes fatigue my feet more quickly, so I am hopeful that the stiffness to flex ratio of the RX6 actually will make my feet happier than the RX8's. Time will tell.....

Voler "Pirate Cycling League 15th Anniversary" Windbreaker:

I've tried a lot of windbreakers and I took a chance recently on another one, the Voler branded "Pirate Cycling League 15th Anniversary" windbreaker. I've been able to use this several times over the Spring and I have ended up at a place where this windbreaker has taken the point in my apparel arsenal. 

The biggest reason I jumped on this one was because it has three jersey-type rear pockets. Most windbreakers don't have this feature and I find that a bit frustrating. 

So, right off the mark this windbreaker was a head and shoulders above the rest. But it was in the wearing that I found this one to be tops for me and cooler, windy weather. 

The fit isn't too loose, but it fits without any real tight areas on me either. So, that was a huge plus to have hardly any fabric flapping in the breeze but the jacket didn't make me feel like a sausage in a casing. The zipper is beefy, two-way, and looks solid. It isn't some wimpy zipper that would fail after a season or two. The collar covers the neck well, so if you are in a cold wind this helps keep the air out. The sleeves are well long enough too. 

The fabric is just right- Not too stiff and not at all uncomfortable against the skin. This is almost a long sleeved jersey, actually, but technically, still a windbreaker. 

While you cannot get a 15th Anniversary PCL version, you can get this model windbreaker from Voler. Oh, and I bought this one at full-boat retail. So there! 

Ergon SR Allroad Core Saddle:

This was the first wide/short saddle I ever tried. I didn't know whether or not it would work out and Ergon saddles weren't my favorites. I had tried several over the years and while they were "okay", I never really bonded with any of them.

And what do you know? I ended up really liking this saddle. It didn't feel weird, and in fact, the BASF manufactured padding was actually what Ergon claimed for it, a vibration reducing material. 

This is also the first saddle I have tried that has the big cut-out/channel thing going on. First of all, I didn't really notice anything different. But then again, I don't typically worry about getting numb, I guess I block that bit out because after I paid attention, there was a benefit.

I don't have debilitating numbness issues, but after using the Ergon saddle I noticed I felt better than typical. So, I have changed my mind a bit on that feature since I have been using it. The WTB "Gravelier" I talked about in this "Review Brief", also has the relief cut-out, and it also does well with making me feel better after a longer ride. 

But my favorite between the two is definitely this Ergon SR Allroad. The BASF foam padding is a big reason why I would choose this over the WTB, but both are really pretty good.

Friday News And Views

 Inventory Builds Up As Consumer Demand Cools:

You've already seen the ads on your feeds, most likely. The discounting of bicycles and cycling gear is full-on once again. This marks the final swing induced by the pandemic which will affect us all going into 2023. 

Riders will enjoy more choices and bargains on those choices as time marches on toward the holidays. Inventory levels have reached critical mass in some categories with the result being that shipping costs are being forgiven at lower ordering levels for shops and from what I heard, some folks even lost their jobs due to ordering too much stuff at a certain distributor that shall remain nameless.

The inflationary climate has doused the fires of consumer demand as well, sending retailers skittering toward big sales and discounts as we head into the New Year. Some prognosticators of the cycling industry are claiming the fall-out from this may be that retail will suffer and seeing closures is not out of the question. 

Interesting times, to be sure.

The Esker Lorax in titanium (Image courtesy of Esker)

Ti Lorax Introduced:

Last week Esker Cycles announced a couple of new titanium frame offerings- The Walden fat bike and the Lorax gravel bike. 

The Lorax was a steel offering in Esker Cycles previous incarnation, Advocate Cycles. That was back in 2015, but now the Lorax is not Reynolds 531, but titanium. 

It has several mounting options for accessories, as you would expect, tire clearance is a claimed 2" wide for a 700c wheel, and the geometry is pretty good. 75mm bottom bracket drop, 71.5° head tube angles, and a top tube that isn't sloped super crazy so it won't need a really long seat post. The adjustable "Portage" drop outs are cool in case you have to do the single speed bail-out mission. Price with a Wolf Tooth head set, seat collar, and rear through axle is set at $2300.00 USD.

Comments: Not bad, Esker, not bad at all. I always felt as though that the Lorax was a take on the Vaya from Salsa Cycles, and this titanium version does nothing to dispel that notion for me. That's a good thing, because the Vaya is a great, and very underrated, gravel bike choice. I would suspect that this bike would handle very much in the Vaya's vein, which I welcome. 

The price is more than reasonable here, and with a double butted tube set, I would bet that this bike would ride like a dream.

Riding Gravel Radio Ranch Episode #105: The Gravel Amplifier:

Monday afternoon N.Y. Roll and I met at The Stone Castle Estates and recorded the Riding Gravel Radio Ranch Podcast #105. We're calling it "The Gravel Amplifier". 

This goes along with the post I made Tuesday which also is about the same thing. But do make sure you click through to the podcast, because there I list a few more events than I did on Tuesday. (See those in the Show Notes)

So, going forward, this could become a series, but that is entirely up to you- the readers. If I get submissions and they pass the sniff test, boom! Amplification happens. If I get radio silence? Then I move on, and nothing gets amplified. I'm not doing the search and destroy for this anymore these days. Here's why......

You'll hear a bit about this if you listen to the podcast, but when I started the Gravel Grinder News calendar in 2009, there was no one else doing what I was doing. As gravel became more popular and more lucrative, players came in to capitalize on my work, and much of what I had dug up and compiled ended up becoming their "content" with no recognition or acknowledgement for where it came from. 

I get it- It's all public knowledge, but it was a cheesy, classless way to obtain a calendar which I did not appreciate. So, I am not going to publish and maintain a calendar to benefit other sites. They can dig up their own stuff. But I will take submissions for certain events, amplify them, and spread the word as best as I can on my channels. So, no calendar of events, but I will help to push those events that otherwise would not get any publicity in cycling media. 

If you are a fan of an event, or like what is happening at an event and want to see it succeed, let me know. Likewise for event promoters. I am here for ya.....

Lay-offs Affect Cyclingtips:

Late on Tuesday afternoon word started to spread via social media that several cuts were made at Outside and especially at Cyclintips, which is a news/technical review site that employs some very well known cycling media personalities. There were several social media posts claiming that Outside had released up to 12% of the staff. (Now confirmed) One person that was confirmed as a lay-off was Senior Editor, Caley Fretz who had joined Cyclingtips in late 2017. 

Lead technical writer for Cyclingtips, James Huang, who retained his position with the company, Tweeted the following on Tuesday evening, "To be clear, I’m still at CyclingTips. But given everyone who was let go, it still feels like I lost a close friend today."

Outside, who had acquired Cyclingtips, Pink Bike, and Trailforks in 2021, also made cuts to Cyclingtips and shut down the mountain bike title, Beta, completely earlier this year in May. 

Comments: As I said, back in May, I don't trust corporations that own a bunch of media titles. But, on the other hand, what should they do? It would seem that most people consume their "news" on social media, podcasts, or on YouTube these days. It would seem that "real", physical magazines are now dinosaurs. It would also appear that trying to get people to give up money to get behind a paywall is not drawing the money/numbers that some thought it might. Advertisers are looking for max-clicks, and apparently, Cyclingtips wasn't drawing big enough numbers. (For a more in-depth look at the situation see this Cycling Industry News article or this from AdWeek)

Interestingly, Pink Bike, which is said to be Outside's biggest draw digitally speaking, is a massive success. It would seem that we are in an era of consolidation/ending of titles and singular, monolithic entities will now control recreational media and, perhaps someday, even your events. (See both Outside and Life Time for examples) 

Lauf, Gravel Worlds, PCL Debut Collab On Seigla Gravel Bike:

Wednesday big news came from the gang at Gravel Worlds. They have partnered with long-time sponsor, Lauf Cycling, to bring a PCL themed Seigla to the masses. 

The Seigla is the newest incarnation of a gravel bike from Lauf  which features the unmistakable Lauf Grit fork, now in its third generation, and clearances for up to 57mm tires. 

Comments: This is a cool collaboration. I like the bike but for its high bottom bracket, which is something I cannot compromise on, but that's maybe just me. 

I love that Lauf and the folks at Gravel Worlds arrived on, what I consider to be, the classic PCL colors of army green and black. I recall that in 2011 at Trans Iowa v7, second place finisher Troy Krause had on the original PCL Army Green/Black jersey and that I just loved that combo. The PCL came out with a reissue of that design which I snagged right away. So, this scheme on the Seigla is a really great idea, to my mind. 

Want one? Check out this link. 
 

 That's all for this week! get out and ride! (Layer up, y'all!) Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Friday News And Views

 Inventory Builds Up As Consumer Demand Cools:

You've already seen the ads on your feeds, most likely. The discounting of bicycles and cycling gear is full-on once again. This marks the final swing induced by the pandemic which will affect us all going into 2023. 

Riders will enjoy more choices and bargains on those choices as time marches on toward the holidays. Inventory levels have reached critical mass in some categories with the result being that shipping costs are being forgiven at lower ordering levels for shops and from what I heard, some folks even lost their jobs due to ordering too much stuff at a certain distributor that shall remain nameless.

The inflationary climate has doused the fires of consumer demand as well, sending retailers skittering toward big sales and discounts as we head into the New Year. Some prognosticators of the cycling industry are claiming the fall-out from this may be that retail will suffer and seeing closures is not out of the question. 

Interesting times, to be sure.

The Esker Lorax in titanium (Image courtesy of Esker)

Ti Lorax Introduced:

Last week Esker Cycles announced a couple of new titanium frame offerings- The Walden fat bike and the Lorax gravel bike. 

The Lorax was a steel offering in Esker Cycles previous incarnation, Advocate Cycles. That was back in 2015, but now the Lorax is not Reynolds 531, but titanium. 

It has several mounting options for accessories, as you would expect, tire clearance is a claimed 2" wide for a 700c wheel, and the geometry is pretty good. 75mm bottom bracket drop, 71.5° head tube angles, and a top tube that isn't sloped super crazy so it won't need a really long seat post. The adjustable "Portage" drop outs are cool in case you have to do the single speed bail-out mission. Price with a Wolf Tooth head set, seat collar, and rear through axle is set at $2300.00 USD.

Comments: Not bad, Esker, not bad at all. I always felt as though that the Lorax was a take on the Vaya from Salsa Cycles, and this titanium version does nothing to dispel that notion for me. That's a good thing, because the Vaya is a great, and very underrated, gravel bike choice. I would suspect that this bike would handle very much in the Vaya's vein, which I welcome. 

The price is more than reasonable here, and with a double butted tube set, I would bet that this bike would ride like a dream.

Riding Gravel Radio Ranch Episode #105: The Gravel Amplifier:

Monday afternoon N.Y. Roll and I met at The Stone Castle Estates and recorded the Riding Gravel Radio Ranch Podcast #105. We're calling it "The Gravel Amplifier". 

This goes along with the post I made Tuesday which also is about the same thing. But do make sure you click through to the podcast, because there I list a few more events than I did on Tuesday. (See those in the Show Notes)

So, going forward, this could become a series, but that is entirely up to you- the readers. If I get submissions and they pass the sniff test, boom! Amplification happens. If I get radio silence? Then I move on, and nothing gets amplified. I'm not doing the search and destroy for this anymore these days. Here's why......

You'll hear a bit about this if you listen to the podcast, but when I started the Gravel Grinder News calendar in 2009, there was no one else doing what I was doing. As gravel became more popular and more lucrative, players came in to capitalize on my work, and much of what I had dug up and compiled ended up becoming their "content" with no recognition or acknowledgement for where it came from. 

I get it- It's all public knowledge, but it was a cheesy, classless way to obtain a calendar which I did not appreciate. So, I am not going to publish and maintain a calendar to benefit other sites. They can dig up their own stuff. But I will take submissions for certain events, amplify them, and spread the word as best as I can on my channels. So, no calendar of events, but I will help to push those events that otherwise would not get any publicity in cycling media. 

If you are a fan of an event, or like what is happening at an event and want to see it succeed, let me know. Likewise for event promoters. I am here for ya.....

Lay-offs Affect Cyclingtips:

Late on Tuesday afternoon word started to spread via social media that several cuts were made at Outside and especially at Cyclintips, which is a news/technical review site that employs some very well known cycling media personalities. There were several social media posts claiming that Outside had released up to 12% of the staff. (Now confirmed) One person that was confirmed as a lay-off was Senior Editor, Caley Fretz who had joined Cyclingtips in late 2017. 

Lead technical writer for Cyclingtips, James Huang, who retained his position with the company, Tweeted the following on Tuesday evening, "To be clear, I’m still at CyclingTips. But given everyone who was let go, it still feels like I lost a close friend today."

Outside, who had acquired Cyclingtips, Pink Bike, and Trailforks in 2021, also made cuts to Cyclingtips and shut down the mountain bike title, Beta, completely earlier this year in May. 

Comments: As I said, back in May, I don't trust corporations that own a bunch of media titles. But, on the other hand, what should they do? It would seem that most people consume their "news" on social media, podcasts, or on YouTube these days. It would seem that "real", physical magazines are now dinosaurs. It would also appear that trying to get people to give up money to get behind a paywall is not drawing the money/numbers that some thought it might. Advertisers are looking for max-clicks, and apparently, Cyclingtips wasn't drawing big enough numbers. (For a more in-depth look at the situation see this Cycling Industry News article or this from AdWeek)

Interestingly, Pink Bike, which is said to be Outside's biggest draw digitally speaking, is a massive success. It would seem that we are in an era of consolidation/ending of titles and singular, monolithic entities will now control recreational media and, perhaps someday, even your events. (See both Outside and Life Time for examples) 

Lauf, Gravel Worlds, PCL Debut Collab On Seigla Gravel Bike:

Wednesday big news came from the gang at Gravel Worlds. They have partnered with long-time sponsor, Lauf Cycling, to bring a PCL themed Seigla to the masses. 

The Seigla is the newest incarnation of a gravel bike from Lauf  which features the unmistakable Lauf Grit fork, now in its third generation, and clearances for up to 57mm tires. 

Comments: This is a cool collaboration. I like the bike but for its high bottom bracket, which is something I cannot compromise on, but that's maybe just me. 

I love that Lauf and the folks at Gravel Worlds arrived on, what I consider to be, the classic PCL colors of army green and black. I recall that in 2011 at Trans Iowa v7, second place finisher Troy Krause had on the original PCL Army Green/Black jersey and that I just loved that combo. The PCL came out with a reissue of that design which I snagged right away. So, this scheme on the Seigla is a really great idea, to my mind. 

Want one? Check out this link. 
 

 That's all for this week! get out and ride! (Layer up, y'all!) Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Thursday News And Views

 So much news this week! I had to break it up into two posts because had I stuffed this all into one "FN&V" this would have been a novel-length post. And this sort of thing is not unprecedented for the blog. Older readers might recall that "News and Views" posts used to pop up on random days all the time back when this blog got started. So, with that said, let's dive in.....

The logo for the new "Randy's Ride" event.

Pirate Cycling League Announces "Randy's Ride":

Randy Gibson, a co-promoter for Gravel Worlds for years, was senselessly killed by a drunk driver while he was riding his bicycle in 2017. Since then, PCL members have honored Randy and his legacy in several ways, one of which was a ride on the last gravel route Randy did on the first weekend in October.  

More and more folks have joined in over the years, and so Gravel Worlds/PCL have decided to create an event celebrating Randy Gibson and the gravel cycling community he loved with the announcement of "Randy's Ride" to be held October 2nd, 2022. 

The event will definitely just be a ride. There will be no hoopla or event schwag, prizes, or timing. Basically it will be a group ride for fun and as an aside we can donate to several causes along with the PCL who will match donations up to $2,000.00. Benefactors will be  Randy Gibson Memorial Fund, Adventure for All, and Nebraska NICA.

Five bucks gets you registered for the ride. Registration is here.  https://www.bikereg.com/randys-ride.

Spinergy Wheels Stands With Ukraine:

Generally I don't get political here, but this effort on the part of Spinergy Wheels is commendable, I think. They are giving a portion of every sale of special "Stand With Ukraine" wheel sets to an outfit called World Central Kitchen who are feeding Ukrainian refugees at eight points along the border as well as supporting restaurants within the country to help feed people in the war-torn country. 

You can do this customization of their PBO spokes with one yello and one blue spoke on any Spinergy wheel set on their site that uses those spokes including the GX and GXX wheels, both of which I have and ride on. (Standard Disclaimer)

You can learn more at Spinergy's website.
 

An image I used in my RidingGravel.com review of the Breakaway bottles.

Polar Bottles Breakaway Series:

So, I just got done posting my review of Polar Bottles Breakaway series of bottles for the bike that includes a nifty little one called the Session Muck. It really was developed with full-suspension MTB's in mind, but it also works really well with the under-the-down-tube placement on a gravel or touring bike where clearances might get a little tight with the front wheel.  

Well, they also have a 30 ounce size perfect for my long-distance rides. Bonus- they do not leak goo all over my bike if I use a hydration mix. Nice! So, as many of you know from last year, I was searching for ways to carry high capacity water bottles and I was dealing with under-the-down tube mounting issues as well. These bottles help solve all of that for me.  

So, I got to keep the reviewed bottles, of course, but Polar is sending me a few more, so once again- Standard Disclaimer applies. I'll be having more to say about my bottle/hydration strategies as the season progresses. 

Ergon Announces CLF ALLROAD Carbon Seatposts, Bar Tape, Orthocell Pads:

Sea Otter is coming in a couple weeks or so, and the news is percolating up to the surface from different companies already. Ergon sent a press release out Wednesday covering new ALLROAD offerings. 

Some of you may remember the Ergon ALLROAD saddle I reviewed late last year. Well, the full line of those saddles are on the way and should be out later this Spring. 

The often seen, but seldom used Ergon suspension seat post finally gets released full-scale now under the ALLROAD range. Previously, there really was no market for the post because you could not use it for mountain biking and gravel riding was in its infancy. Earlier than this, I had actually had my hands on one of these seatposts but then Ergon suddenly did an about face and pulled it from the market.  This post, or an early version of it, has been seen since about 2006 off and on.

The post weighs a bit more than 200 grams at 220 claimed. The post will retail at $249.95 USD. There are set back and straight versions. The setback has 25mm of offset. 

I have been asked off and on over the years why Ergon had straight bar grips but there was no option for drop bars. Well, now there is the "BT Gravel" and "BT ALLROAD" bar tapes at 3.5mm and 2.5mm thicknesses respectively. The tapes will be $39.95 and $37.95 USD respectively. The BT tapes will be offered in five colors each, but there was no images or descriptions given as to what those might be. 

Additionally, there was announced an "Orthocell Pad Kit", which is like those four piece gel pad kits you can get for under the bar tape comfort. The difference here is that Ergon is using a high density foam instead of gel.  An Orthocell Pad Kit will set you back $29.95. 

Okay, look for another slew of news tomorrow! Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Thursday News And Views

 So much news this week! I had to break it up into two posts because had I stuffed this all into one "FN&V" this would have been a novel-length post. And this sort of thing is not unprecedented for the blog. Older readers might recall that "News and Views" posts used to pop up on random days all the time back when this blog got started. So, with that said, let's dive in.....

The logo for the new "Randy's Ride" event.

Pirate Cycling League Announces "Randy's Ride":

Randy Gibson, a co-promoter for Gravel Worlds for years, was senselessly killed by a drunk driver while he was riding his bicycle in 2017. Since then, PCL members have honored Randy and his legacy in several ways, one of which was a ride on the last gravel route Randy did on the first weekend in October.  

More and more folks have joined in over the years, and so Gravel Worlds/PCL have decided to create an event celebrating Randy Gibson and the gravel cycling community he loved with the announcement of "Randy's Ride" to be held October 2nd, 2022. 

The event will definitely just be a ride. There will be no hoopla or event schwag, prizes, or timing. Basically it will be a group ride for fun and as an aside we can donate to several causes along with the PCL who will match donations up to $2,000.00. Benefactors will be  Randy Gibson Memorial Fund, Adventure for All, and Nebraska NICA.

Five bucks gets you registered for the ride. Registration is here.  https://www.bikereg.com/randys-ride.

Spinergy Wheels Stands With Ukraine:

Generally I don't get political here, but this effort on the part of Spinergy Wheels is commendable, I think. They are giving a portion of every sale of special "Stand With Ukraine" wheel sets to an outfit called World Central Kitchen who are feeding Ukrainian refugees at eight points along the border as well as supporting restaurants within the country to help feed people in the war-torn country. 

You can do this customization of their PBO spokes with one yello and one blue spoke on any Spinergy wheel set on their site that uses those spokes including the GX and GXX wheels, both of which I have and ride on. (Standard Disclaimer)

You can learn more at Spinergy's website.
 

An image I used in my RidingGravel.com review of the Breakaway bottles.

Polar Bottles Breakaway Series:

So, I just got done posting my review of Polar Bottles Breakaway series of bottles for the bike that includes a nifty little one called the Session Muck. It really was developed with full-suspension MTB's in mind, but it also works really well with the under-the-down-tube placement on a gravel or touring bike where clearances might get a little tight with the front wheel.  

Well, they also have a 30 ounce size perfect for my long-distance rides. Bonus- they do not leak goo all over my bike if I use a hydration mix. Nice! So, as many of you know from last year, I was searching for ways to carry high capacity water bottles and I was dealing with under-the-down tube mounting issues as well. These bottles help solve all of that for me.  

So, I got to keep the reviewed bottles, of course, but Polar is sending me a few more, so once again- Standard Disclaimer applies. I'll be having more to say about my bottle/hydration strategies as the season progresses. 

Ergon Announces CLF ALLROAD Carbon Seatposts, Bar Tape, Orthocell Pads:

Sea Otter is coming in a couple weeks or so, and the news is percolating up to the surface from different companies already. Ergon sent a press release out Wednesday covering new ALLROAD offerings. 

Some of you may remember the Ergon ALLROAD saddle I reviewed late last year. Well, the full line of those saddles are on the way and should be out later this Spring. 

The often seen, but seldom used Ergon suspension seat post finally gets released full-scale now under the ALLROAD range. Previously, there really was no market for the post because you could not use it for mountain biking and gravel riding was in its infancy. Earlier than this, I had actually had my hands on one of these seatposts but then Ergon suddenly did an about face and pulled it from the market.  This post, or an early version of it, has been seen since about 2006 off and on.

The post weighs a bit more than 200 grams at 220 claimed. The post will retail at $249.95 USD. There are set back and straight versions. The setback has 25mm of offset. 

I have been asked off and on over the years why Ergon had straight bar grips but there was no option for drop bars. Well, now there is the "BT Gravel" and "BT ALLROAD" bar tapes at 3.5mm and 2.5mm thicknesses respectively. The tapes will be $39.95 and $37.95 USD respectively. The BT tapes will be offered in five colors each, but there was no images or descriptions given as to what those might be. 

Additionally, there was announced an "Orthocell Pad Kit", which is like those four piece gel pad kits you can get for under the bar tape comfort. The difference here is that Ergon is using a high density foam instead of gel.  An Orthocell Pad Kit will set you back $29.95. 

Okay, look for another slew of news tomorrow! Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Friday News And Views

We Were Warned! Late last winter/early spring tire companies were sending out dour predictions for higher tire prices. It was all due, they said, to weather related issues where the rubber plantations are which caused a significant reduction in rubber producing trees. Claims of double digit price hikes were not uncommon.

Can you believe these are $80.00 each?

Most riders didn't pay any attention, of course, since tires in the pipeline already were unaffected by these predictions. However; now those tires are all out the door, and suppliers have no choice but to jack up the prices. And boy, have I noticed an increase!

Those Maxxis tires in the image? Yeah......about $80.00 each now! I just picked up some Kenda shoes that are marked at $64.00 each. Yowza!

So, what does it all mean? probably that more inexpensive tires will be sold, and that more folks will actually wear out their treads before swapping out again. The big bummer will be if folks are having ripped sidewalls, or other failures. Time to weed out the weak tires, suck it up, and run some heavier beefier tires? Maybe.

We'll probably see more tubeless conversions as well, since tube prices are going up right along side of tire prices, and running sans tubes may make more sense than before. Either that or folks will start having "patchin' parties" again, like we used to. Gather up all the punctured tubes from the season, get some "adult beverages", and turn on the music some cold winter night. Patch until the wee hours!

It is going to affect more than tires and tubes though. This will be part of price increases on anything that uses rubber in it, like grips, for instance. 

Kicking It Old School: The National Championship mountain bike races were held recently, and while you usually talk about the top three guys in any given event, there was a man of particular interest that came in 14th that day.

"Dedly Nedly" Still Is

Ned Overend, a name from mountain biking's past, is also a name from mountain biking's present. Arguably the fellow with the longest competitive career off road, Ned cmae from 20th place or so at the start to bag a top fifteen finish on one of the toughest national XC courses in recent memory.

What is even more remarkable, perhaps, is that Ned wasn't riding the best of the best hard tail Specialized makes. Nope. He was riding a new Carve model, (no doubt tweaked out from stock, but still...), and it was an aluminum framed bike, not the usual carbon fiber ridden at this level. I don't think an aluminum frame for XC is all that bad of an idea, by the way.

Also noteworthy- Ned says he doesn't ride any 26 inch hard tails anymore. All 29"ers, all the time. Old Guys Rule!

Interestingly, Ned says he doesn't think much about the age thing. He's just hungry to do well, and keeps the age thing in perspective. It is great to see a champion like Ned still doing well at 56 years young!

Get Here: Lincoln, Nebraska, home to the Pirate Cycling League, is hosting the Gravel Worlds again this year on the 20th. I think you can still get on the roster for this, and if you can- you should.

I want to go- really bad! But, I don't know how the rest of the month is shaping up yet. I will say this- You'll not meet a finer bunch of gentleman than the folks from the Pirate Cycling League/Lincoln Nebraska scene. This race is awesome, yet has that "low down in the streets" feel, but in the country, sort of. (I know----it's hard to 'splain, Lucy!)

All I know is, these cats have it goin on down there and if you go, I guarantee a Guitar Ted good time. (Whatever that's worth to ya!)

So, go out, grind some gravel, ride some roads, and cut up some trail. Whatever, get some bike ridin' in. Have a great weekend!

Friday News And Views

We Were Warned! Late last winter/early spring tire companies were sending out dour predictions for higher tire prices. It was all due, they said, to weather related issues where the rubber plantations are which caused a significant reduction in rubber producing trees. Claims of double digit price hikes were not uncommon.

Can you believe these are $80.00 each?

Most riders didn't pay any attention, of course, since tires in the pipeline already were unaffected by these predictions. However; now those tires are all out the door, and suppliers have no choice but to jack up the prices. And boy, have I noticed an increase!

Those Maxxis tires in the image? Yeah......about $80.00 each now! I just picked up some Kenda shoes that are marked at $64.00 each. Yowza!

So, what does it all mean? probably that more inexpensive tires will be sold, and that more folks will actually wear out their treads before swapping out again. The big bummer will be if folks are having ripped sidewalls, or other failures. Time to weed out the weak tires, suck it up, and run some heavier beefier tires? Maybe.

We'll probably see more tubeless conversions as well, since tube prices are going up right along side of tire prices, and running sans tubes may make more sense than before. Either that or folks will start having "patchin' parties" again, like we used to. Gather up all the punctured tubes from the season, get some "adult beverages", and turn on the music some cold winter night. Patch until the wee hours!

It is going to affect more than tires and tubes though. This will be part of price increases on anything that uses rubber in it, like grips, for instance. 

Kicking It Old School: The National Championship mountain bike races were held recently, and while you usually talk about the top three guys in any given event, there was a man of particular interest that came in 14th that day.

"Dedly Nedly" Still Is

Ned Overend, a name from mountain biking's past, is also a name from mountain biking's present. Arguably the fellow with the longest competitive career off road, Ned cmae from 20th place or so at the start to bag a top fifteen finish on one of the toughest national XC courses in recent memory.

What is even more remarkable, perhaps, is that Ned wasn't riding the best of the best hard tail Specialized makes. Nope. He was riding a new Carve model, (no doubt tweaked out from stock, but still...), and it was an aluminum framed bike, not the usual carbon fiber ridden at this level. I don't think an aluminum frame for XC is all that bad of an idea, by the way.

Also noteworthy- Ned says he doesn't ride any 26 inch hard tails anymore. All 29"ers, all the time. Old Guys Rule!

Interestingly, Ned says he doesn't think much about the age thing. He's just hungry to do well, and keeps the age thing in perspective. It is great to see a champion like Ned still doing well at 56 years young!

Get Here: Lincoln, Nebraska, home to the Pirate Cycling League, is hosting the Gravel Worlds again this year on the 20th. I think you can still get on the roster for this, and if you can- you should.

I want to go- really bad! But, I don't know how the rest of the month is shaping up yet. I will say this- You'll not meet a finer bunch of gentleman than the folks from the Pirate Cycling League/Lincoln Nebraska scene. This race is awesome, yet has that "low down in the streets" feel, but in the country, sort of. (I know----it's hard to 'splain, Lucy!)

All I know is, these cats have it goin on down there and if you go, I guarantee a Guitar Ted good time. (Whatever that's worth to ya!)

So, go out, grind some gravel, ride some roads, and cut up some trail. Whatever, get some bike ridin' in. Have a great weekend!