Friday News And Views

 Who Started This Gravel Bike Nonsense Anyway?

The "Global Cycling Network" is a site and You Tube channel that is very popular. They have a great sense of humor and their videos are always very well produced and written. More like a television production, really. Anyway, last weekend I was alerted to watch their latest (at that time) video on gravel cycling and "who is to blame for it and 'gravel bikes'". 

Well, much to my surprise and enjoyment, they mentioned Trans Iowa and had former Trans Iowa rider and winner of T.I.v5, Joe Meiser on, and he mentions me by name in the interview GCN did with him. (See the video here) The piece was done in association with Salsa Cycles, by the way, so that would account for maybe why I got mentioned, I suppose, but either way, I was pleasantly surprised to see the piece. 

Even if you don't agree about any part I had to play in things, check out the video. It's pretty well done, and the opening bit is hilarious. 

An excerpt from the latest LOOK Bicycles Press Release

LOOK, This Isn't Funny:

I heard about a weird press release a while back out of LOOK Bicycles which featured news about a gravel racing team they were going to support. I eventually must have made the cut to be on their radar as I received the same release only a day later. This was late last week when I saw this. 

So, things start out well enough with the typical marketing banter about gravel, how exciting and popular it is, and how this team is going to be at certain high profile European based gravel events and hopes to be at "....UNBOUND Gravel, the most prestigious event on the American calendar,". 

Okay, that's all fine. No harm, no foul. But then you scroll down and the team members are presented. The image shown here is the first you see- the "Team manager"? Ah........My first reaction was, "It's not April 1st, is it?" Wow! And the other three member's profiles are no better. We have Rémi Aubert, AKA "The Doctor", shown in clinical whites with a .....wait for it.....a hypodermic needle in hand! The next rider is nicknamed "The Gardener", and is shown with a gardening shovel on his shoulder with the tag line of " Legend says that the road is never the same after he has ridden it". I don't even understand that. Must be a French thing. Anyway....

I suppose this was meant to be 'funny' and somehow be genuine and 'down-to-earth', like grassroots gravel, but it sorely misses the mark. It certainly doesn't seem serious, and I still don't know if I should laugh, (it is a joke?) or what I should think of that press release. One thing is for sure- That's maybe the weirdest press release I've ever been sent! 

PRO Vibe Evo handle bar. Image courtesy of Shimano.

Isn't It About Time For Handlebars To Evolve?

For all of the evolution in design we see- from pedals, drive trains, wheels, brakes, and even the clothes we wear for cycling- handle bars seem to have been overlooked. While we get a few different shapes, and maybe a stem clamp diameter change every 20 tears or so, the basic handle bar remains pretty much as it has been for over a century. 

Well, maybe that is all about to change. In my opinion, the only reason handle bars haven't changed radically is due to the archaic way that the controls are attached to them. Especially on drop bar bikes. The ancient band clamp mechanism works, certainly, but it also limits the bar to a certain diameter and shape for much of its length on drop bars. 

The advent of electronic shifting has kind of accelerated the idea of having your shifter work, and mount, in brand new ways. Shift pods, buttons, or other triggering gizmos are going to free up how we shift. Think about the hybridization of mechanical and electronics, as with the Archer Components (scroll down page linked) system I tried last year.  That button system could be molded right into a handle bar of any shape or size. Brake lever perches could be adapted to slide along a track to accommodate different ergonomic needs. It could be pretty interesting.

Obviously 'standards' would need to be set within the industry. This is why a component giant like Shimano should be watched closely as they have the horsepower to set trends. Did you know that it was Shimano, in cahoots with Fox, that got the industry to switch from 20mm through axles to 15mm ones? And flat mount brakes? Who do you suppose started that deal? 

So, when Shimano introduces a new handlebar with integrated grips and an aero shape, it gets me to thinking, maybe something else is coming along these lines. Something for gravel with integrated vibration damping grips, remote 'pod' shifters, and who knows? Maybe even a hybridized electric/mechanical shifting set up. 

SRAM AXS Rival may have a companion gravel group soon called "XPLR".

SRAM to Counter GRX With Rumored "XPLR" Gravel Group:

Rumors are flying that SRAM is about to unleash a new wireless gravel group set of its own to compete with Shimano's GRX groups. 

Rumors have it that the group will be a 1X12 featuring a 10-42t cassette. The name for the group is said to be "XPLR", which is interesting since the tire company Donnelly uses that same name for its gravel tire range. 

Along with the 12 speed rumors scuttlebutt is that there will be a companion dropper seat post and a Rock Shox branded gravel front suspension fork. When these parts will become available, or even announced, is not yet known, but web watchers have reported that some online retailers have already posted listings for the parts, (no images), so introduction seems imminent. 

Stay tuned......
 

Gravel Promenade Tomorrow With N.Y. Roll:

Yes, you too can ride with the great N.Y. Roll! He has a little gravel soiree' lined up for ya. It's about 77 gravelly miles out in Eastern and Southern Black Hawk County. He is leaving at 8:00am sharp from Prairie Grove Park which is in South Waterloo. 

I've ridden all of this, unless he's going places out of Black Hawk County that I haven't been to, and I can vouch for the 'cool' factor here. It's a great route and you will have a good time of it if you go. You should go too, ya know. N.Y. Roll doesn't think anyone will show up, so prove him wrong, why don't-cha?
 

That's a wrap for this week! I hope that y'all get outside and enjoy a ride or two! Thanks for reading G-Ted Productions.

Friday News And Views

 Who Started This Gravel Bike Nonsense Anyway?

The "Global Cycling Network" is a site and You Tube channel that is very popular. They have a great sense of humor and their videos are always very well produced and written. More like a television production, really. Anyway, last weekend I was alerted to watch their latest (at that time) video on gravel cycling and "who is to blame for it and 'gravel bikes'". 

Well, much to my surprise and enjoyment, they mentioned Trans Iowa and had former Trans Iowa rider and winner of T.I.v5, Joe Meiser on, and he mentions me by name in the interview GCN did with him. (See the video here) The piece was done in association with Salsa Cycles, by the way, so that would account for maybe why I got mentioned, I suppose, but either way, I was pleasantly surprised to see the piece. 

Even if you don't agree about any part I had to play in things, check out the video. It's pretty well done, and the opening bit is hilarious. 

An excerpt from the latest LOOK Bicycles Press Release

LOOK, This Isn't Funny:

I heard about a weird press release a while back out of LOOK Bicycles which featured news about a gravel racing team they were going to support. I eventually must have made the cut to be on their radar as I received the same release only a day later. This was late last week when I saw this. 

So, things start out well enough with the typical marketing banter about gravel, how exciting and popular it is, and how this team is going to be at certain high profile European based gravel events and hopes to be at "....UNBOUND Gravel, the most prestigious event on the American calendar,". 

Okay, that's all fine. No harm, no foul. But then you scroll down and the team members are presented. The image shown here is the first you see- the "Team manager"? Ah........My first reaction was, "It's not April 1st, is it?" Wow! And the other three member's profiles are no better. We have Rémi Aubert, AKA "The Doctor", shown in clinical whites with a .....wait for it.....a hypodermic needle in hand! The next rider is nicknamed "The Gardener", and is shown with a gardening shovel on his shoulder with the tag line of " Legend says that the road is never the same after he has ridden it". I don't even understand that. Must be a French thing. Anyway....

I suppose this was meant to be 'funny' and somehow be genuine and 'down-to-earth', like grassroots gravel, but it sorely misses the mark. It certainly doesn't seem serious, and I still don't know if I should laugh, (it is a joke?) or what I should think of that press release. One thing is for sure- That's maybe the weirdest press release I've ever been sent! 

PRO Vibe Evo handle bar. Image courtesy of Shimano.

Isn't It About Time For Handlebars To Evolve?

For all of the evolution in design we see- from pedals, drive trains, wheels, brakes, and even the clothes we wear for cycling- handle bars seem to have been overlooked. While we get a few different shapes, and maybe a stem clamp diameter change every 20 tears or so, the basic handle bar remains pretty much as it has been for over a century. 

Well, maybe that is all about to change. In my opinion, the only reason handle bars haven't changed radically is due to the archaic way that the controls are attached to them. Especially on drop bar bikes. The ancient band clamp mechanism works, certainly, but it also limits the bar to a certain diameter and shape for much of its length on drop bars. 

The advent of electronic shifting has kind of accelerated the idea of having your shifter work, and mount, in brand new ways. Shift pods, buttons, or other triggering gizmos are going to free up how we shift. Think about the hybridization of mechanical and electronics, as with the Archer Components (scroll down page linked) system I tried last year.  That button system could be molded right into a handle bar of any shape or size. Brake lever perches could be adapted to slide along a track to accommodate different ergonomic needs. It could be pretty interesting.

Obviously 'standards' would need to be set within the industry. This is why a component giant like Shimano should be watched closely as they have the horsepower to set trends. Did you know that it was Shimano, in cahoots with Fox, that got the industry to switch from 20mm through axles to 15mm ones? And flat mount brakes? Who do you suppose started that deal? 

So, when Shimano introduces a new handlebar with integrated grips and an aero shape, it gets me to thinking, maybe something else is coming along these lines. Something for gravel with integrated vibration damping grips, remote 'pod' shifters, and who knows? Maybe even a hybridized electric/mechanical shifting set up. 

SRAM AXS Rival may have a companion gravel group soon called "XPLR".

SRAM to Counter GRX With Rumored "XPLR" Gravel Group:

Rumors are flying that SRAM is about to unleash a new wireless gravel group set of its own to compete with Shimano's GRX groups. 

Rumors have it that the group will be a 1X12 featuring a 10-42t cassette. The name for the group is said to be "XPLR", which is interesting since the tire company Donnelly uses that same name for its gravel tire range. 

Along with the 12 speed rumors scuttlebutt is that there will be a companion dropper seat post and a Rock Shox branded gravel front suspension fork. When these parts will become available, or even announced, is not yet known, but web watchers have reported that some online retailers have already posted listings for the parts, (no images), so introduction seems imminent. 

Stay tuned......
 

Gravel Promenade Tomorrow With N.Y. Roll:

Yes, you too can ride with the great N.Y. Roll! He has a little gravel soiree' lined up for ya. It's about 77 gravelly miles out in Eastern and Southern Black Hawk County. He is leaving at 8:00am sharp from Prairie Grove Park which is in South Waterloo. 

I've ridden all of this, unless he's going places out of Black Hawk County that I haven't been to, and I can vouch for the 'cool' factor here. It's a great route and you will have a good time of it if you go. You should go too, ya know. N.Y. Roll doesn't think anyone will show up, so prove him wrong, why don't-cha?
 

That's a wrap for this week! I hope that y'all get outside and enjoy a ride or two! Thanks for reading G-Ted Productions.

Friday News And Views

The full announcement made Tuesday of this week.

Viruses and Gravel Don't Mix: 

As you all know by now, everything is cancelled that is fun. That or postponed. I don't care if I don't hear "cancelled" or "postponed" again for.......years! I'm getting pretty worn out by it all now, as I am sure many of you out there are as well.

However; there are always consequences. That's one thing we haven't looked at much yet. One of the MAJOR consequences of all these postponements and potential postponements is that the month of October, for whatever reason, is getting all the rescheduled dates I am seeing. Iowa Wind And Rock, is one of the major ones doing that here. But many other events nationwide that should be happening now, or in April, are looking to October now. Why October?

I'm going to take a stab and say that insurance is one reason why. Many policies for events let you slide a date, but only for so long. October may be as late as some can push their events back to. School starting and other concerns may also play a part here, and of course, weather plays a factor here as well. But I know from our C.O.G. 100 rescheduling choices that October is really an attractive choice, but my concern is that all these Spring events are going to essentially cannibalize the already scheduled Fall events. You know, there are only so many things a person can do, and since Spring is, for all intents and purposes, going to be devoid of events, and maybe even the beginning of Summer, (who knows?) everyone is looking to Fall to push their event to and hold it, despite what is already going to be happening anyway.

The big domino yet to fall is the Dirty Kanza. If- and I stress IF - they decide to reschedule, and IF they choose Fall to do that, (and all bets would be pretty sure if you place them on a cooler Fall day for that location), then that event will suck away a huge number of potential riders. Not to mention college football, high school football, school, and other fall activities like cyclo cross. Ya know, I don't see it working out real well if everybody chooses a Fall date. Might be better just to write off 2020 as a complete loss and go to 2021.

But we'll see.

Industry papers are reporting that Europe factory closures are further damping HPC sales.

HPC Production Further Hurt By Factory Closures In Europe:

The COVID-19 effects roll on as not only has Chinese production taken a hit, but now it is reported that the big electric Hybrid Powered Cycles (HPC) manufacturers are being affected in Europe by factory closures. While sales were expected to increase over last year by double-digit percentages, I would assume expectations are being tempered somewhat by the closures.

This news should also affect saddles and shoes for cycling, not to mention clothing, all of which comes from Northern Italy where the pandemic has hit pretty hard. What the results will be are yet to be seen, but I wouldn't be surprised to see disruptions in supply over the course of 2020 and perhaps into next year depending upon how long this lasts.

Seat post testing: Here the Noble Bikes GX5 is set up with the Specialized C-GR post.

Seat Post Testing: 

Seat posts have the potential for being a vibration absorbing component on many gravel bikes, especially with the extensions many gravel bikes require. All that bare seat post can be effective in making for a smoother ride if the post is designed correctly.

I am using a few posts now which promise to have a nice, vibration absorbing ride. The PRO Dyneema Carbon post was first. Now I've got the Specialized C-GR post cued up and I've ridden it a little bit. My impressions so far are that it is slicing hairs to compare these things. I have also been running a Whiskey carbon post along with the Ti Regulator Salsa post for some time. Really........I gotta say that they are all pretty similar. Maybe one is feeling nicer on one day and a different one feels better on another day. That's how blurry the lines are between all these posts.

I'll continue to explore the differences as the gravel roads get better and the weather warms some more. But I suspect I am going to find that there isn't a hill of beans of difference between all the carbon/titanium posts and they all will compare unfavorably to the suspension posts. There is just a huge difference in feel once you go to a full on mechanically suspended post.  Traditional passive flexing posts just don't match up here.

So, the bottom line will likely be that if you are seeking relief from vibrations and bumps in terms of gravel riding, then go suspended on the seat post. The best a passive flexing post can do is take the zing out of a hit or maybe damp a little bit of the frequency range. I'll come back with a final write up on this subject and I will also give you reasons why a suspension seat post may be a bad idea.

From last year's GTDRI

 Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational 2020 Cancelled:

In light of our new realities here, I am going to go ahead and cancel the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational for 2020. It is my belief that it would be irresponsible to hold such an event in light of the suggestions that the COVID-19 pandemic may not be 100% wrapped up by that time.

And even if it is, which right now would be a minor miracle, I am going to clear this event off people's radar so that they can make other plans, just in case I am wrong. My belief is we won't be out of the woods yet by late July.

My suggestion is that we all do our own adventure rides and get used to being alone, or maybe with another companion. But practicing social distancing in a group is not workable. Not in my opinion. (See yesterday's post)

My intentions are to ride the course to vet it out and then, if it works out, I will use this route I have planned for a 2021 ride. We will see how that all works out. Look for posts concerning this throughout Spring and Summer.

Andy's Bike Shop Video: Earlier this week I promised you all that I would post that link to the video we did reviewing a couple of Giant Revolt gravel bikes. If you care to see that, here is that link. WARNING: They tell me I have more of a "radio face", so be prepared! Ha!

Remember CIOCC?  They are back in the UK.

Italian Speakers Will Laugh Now:

When I first got into working on bicycles, the shop I worked at had a large selection of Italian made frames for sale. There were the "common" Bianchi frames, Colnago, DeBernadi, Gios, and more I cannot remember.

Among all the Italian marques though, the most mysterious one to me was CIOCC. No one seemed to know a whole lot about about them, and then ........how the heck do you pronounce THAT name?!!

Now there were a few people that had those bikes in the area back then and we tried pronouncing the name to the best of our Mid-Western ways. We arrived on something that sounded like "chee-ohch". Well, since no one I knew spoke Italian, how were we to know back in the 90's? It wasn't like we could look it up on the innergoogles, ya know!

So, the other day I get a press release for this brand announcing their return to the UK market. The press release tells how to pronounce the name! So, apparently it is like saying "church" without much of the "r" in that word. Try it. Once you say it, I think a green light will go off and it will make sense. How we used to say that name in the 90's never sat right with me.

Anyway, the bikes! They have a gravel bike, of course, which is steel and is quite fetching, as seen here in brown. But they also do steel classic road frames, titanium road frames (gorgeous, by the way), and carbon fiber. All of Italian manufacture, and all beautiful to look at. Too bad we won't see them over here.

I apologize for the bummer FN&V this week, but it is what it is now. Hopefully better news is on the horizon. Stay safe and stay positive!

Friday News And Views

The full announcement made Tuesday of this week.

Viruses and Gravel Don't Mix: 

As you all know by now, everything is cancelled that is fun. That or postponed. I don't care if I don't hear "cancelled" or "postponed" again for.......years! I'm getting pretty worn out by it all now, as I am sure many of you out there are as well.

However; there are always consequences. That's one thing we haven't looked at much yet. One of the MAJOR consequences of all these postponements and potential postponements is that the month of October, for whatever reason, is getting all the rescheduled dates I am seeing. Iowa Wind And Rock, is one of the major ones doing that here. But many other events nationwide that should be happening now, or in April, are looking to October now. Why October?

I'm going to take a stab and say that insurance is one reason why. Many policies for events let you slide a date, but only for so long. October may be as late as some can push their events back to. School starting and other concerns may also play a part here, and of course, weather plays a factor here as well. But I know from our C.O.G. 100 rescheduling choices that October is really an attractive choice, but my concern is that all these Spring events are going to essentially cannibalize the already scheduled Fall events. You know, there are only so many things a person can do, and since Spring is, for all intents and purposes, going to be devoid of events, and maybe even the beginning of Summer, (who knows?) everyone is looking to Fall to push their event to and hold it, despite what is already going to be happening anyway.

The big domino yet to fall is the Dirty Kanza. If- and I stress IF - they decide to reschedule, and IF they choose Fall to do that, (and all bets would be pretty sure if you place them on a cooler Fall day for that location), then that event will suck away a huge number of potential riders. Not to mention college football, high school football, school, and other fall activities like cyclo cross. Ya know, I don't see it working out real well if everybody chooses a Fall date. Might be better just to write off 2020 as a complete loss and go to 2021.

But we'll see.

Industry papers are reporting that Europe factory closures are further damping HPC sales.

HPC Production Further Hurt By Factory Closures In Europe:

The COVID-19 effects roll on as not only has Chinese production taken a hit, but now it is reported that the big electric Hybrid Powered Cycles (HPC) manufacturers are being affected in Europe by factory closures. While sales were expected to increase over last year by double-digit percentages, I would assume expectations are being tempered somewhat by the closures.

This news should also affect saddles and shoes for cycling, not to mention clothing, all of which comes from Northern Italy where the pandemic has hit pretty hard. What the results will be are yet to be seen, but I wouldn't be surprised to see disruptions in supply over the course of 2020 and perhaps into next year depending upon how long this lasts.

Seat post testing: Here the Noble Bikes GX5 is set up with the Specialized C-GR post.

Seat Post Testing: 

Seat posts have the potential for being a vibration absorbing component on many gravel bikes, especially with the extensions many gravel bikes require. All that bare seat post can be effective in making for a smoother ride if the post is designed correctly.

I am using a few posts now which promise to have a nice, vibration absorbing ride. The PRO Dyneema Carbon post was first. Now I've got the Specialized C-GR post cued up and I've ridden it a little bit. My impressions so far are that it is slicing hairs to compare these things. I have also been running a Whiskey carbon post along with the Ti Regulator Salsa post for some time. Really........I gotta say that they are all pretty similar. Maybe one is feeling nicer on one day and a different one feels better on another day. That's how blurry the lines are between all these posts.

I'll continue to explore the differences as the gravel roads get better and the weather warms some more. But I suspect I am going to find that there isn't a hill of beans of difference between all the carbon/titanium posts and they all will compare unfavorably to the suspension posts. There is just a huge difference in feel once you go to a full on mechanically suspended post.  Traditional passive flexing posts just don't match up here.

So, the bottom line will likely be that if you are seeking relief from vibrations and bumps in terms of gravel riding, then go suspended on the seat post. The best a passive flexing post can do is take the zing out of a hit or maybe damp a little bit of the frequency range. I'll come back with a final write up on this subject and I will also give you reasons why a suspension seat post may be a bad idea.

From last year's GTDRI

 Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational 2020 Cancelled:

In light of our new realities here, I am going to go ahead and cancel the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational for 2020. It is my belief that it would be irresponsible to hold such an event in light of the suggestions that the COVID-19 pandemic may not be 100% wrapped up by that time.

And even if it is, which right now would be a minor miracle, I am going to clear this event off people's radar so that they can make other plans, just in case I am wrong. My belief is we won't be out of the woods yet by late July.

My suggestion is that we all do our own adventure rides and get used to being alone, or maybe with another companion. But practicing social distancing in a group is not workable. Not in my opinion. (See yesterday's post)

My intentions are to ride the course to vet it out and then, if it works out, I will use this route I have planned for a 2021 ride. We will see how that all works out. Look for posts concerning this throughout Spring and Summer.

Andy's Bike Shop Video: Earlier this week I promised you all that I would post that link to the video we did reviewing a couple of Giant Revolt gravel bikes. If you care to see that, here is that link. WARNING: They tell me I have more of a "radio face", so be prepared! Ha!

Remember CIOCC?  They are back in the UK.

Italian Speakers Will Laugh Now:

When I first got into working on bicycles, the shop I worked at had a large selection of Italian made frames for sale. There were the "common" Bianchi frames, Colnago, DeBernadi, Gios, and more I cannot remember.

Among all the Italian marques though, the most mysterious one to me was CIOCC. No one seemed to know a whole lot about about them, and then ........how the heck do you pronounce THAT name?!!

Now there were a few people that had those bikes in the area back then and we tried pronouncing the name to the best of our Mid-Western ways. We arrived on something that sounded like "chee-ohch". Well, since no one I knew spoke Italian, how were we to know back in the 90's? It wasn't like we could look it up on the innergoogles, ya know!

So, the other day I get a press release for this brand announcing their return to the UK market. The press release tells how to pronounce the name! So, apparently it is like saying "church" without much of the "r" in that word. Try it. Once you say it, I think a green light will go off and it will make sense. How we used to say that name in the 90's never sat right with me.

Anyway, the bikes! They have a gravel bike, of course, which is steel and is quite fetching, as seen here in brown. But they also do steel classic road frames, titanium road frames (gorgeous, by the way), and carbon fiber. All of Italian manufacture, and all beautiful to look at. Too bad we won't see them over here.

I apologize for the bummer FN&V this week, but it is what it is now. Hopefully better news is on the horizon. Stay safe and stay positive!

Spiffing Things Up

This Pro Dyneema post has one of the easiest to use seat clamps I've laid hands on.

Technology, and specifically materials technology, is a crazy field, as we all can attest to. I mean, once upon a time aluminum rims were unheard of. Then we got heat treated aluminum rims, and well, now those are just.....whatever. Carbon rims are where it is at now, and we all know how those have improved. Even just in the last several years. It's materials technology folks. Crazy, like I said.

Well, there is a new (ish) game in town for carbon fiber. It is called Dyneema. It is claimed to be the world's strongest fiber. It makes ropes better, protects police from stab and gunshot wounds, and is used in aerospace applications. Now Shimano has it and is using it in seat posts and handle bars.

Shimano sent me a PRO Dyneema post in the 27.2mm size to use on one of my gravel bikes in a review for RidingGravel.com. Note- I was not paid for this blog-post, and Shimano/Pro did not request that I do this. I did not purchase the seat post. I decided to put it on the Noble Bikes GX5 which already has a few PRO components, also being reviewed for Riding Gravel. Unfortunately, I cannot say a whole lot about this stuff yet, because, well......Winter. When things get back to a more ridable state, I'll be out on this stuff.

So......Dyneema? Yeah, supposedly it can be used as "hybridization" material with carbon fiber, making it more impact resistant, and possibly even lighter. (See the science discussed here) So, bicycles would seem to be a great application for this hybridized Carbon/Dyneema material. The bicycle industry is not only interested in light weight and strength, but vibration reduction as well. So, Dyneema supposedly helps here. This post from PRO, as an example, can be made lightweight, (my example weighed in at 218 grams), but it can be made to have thicker walls which then can be allowed to flex more without damage or breaking. In fact, this post has a claimed 10mm of deflection with the rider onboard.

That deflection translates to rider comfort and less vibrations. We've run tests at RidingGravel.com in the past using several different seat posts to determine which were best at deflecting and therefore, rider comfort. Others have done this as well. It's a pretty universally acceptable way to make the road smoother. In fact, it is why I run Salsa Regulator Titanium posts on three of my bikes

Now, all that is cool, but one of my pet peeves, when it comes to saddles and seat posts, is installing a seat on a seat post. Most of the time this task can be a curse word fest and in some cases you have to disassemble the entire seat post clamp just to install a saddle. Well, this PRO post is the polar opposite of that. In fact, I would go so far as to say that seat installation was easy with this post. I don't say that lightly either.

Anyway, I have only been able to cruise the snow/ice free zone in front of Guitar Ted Productions' headquarters and while that isn't much to go on, I can say things look promising here. (We have some pretty crappy pavement out front here) That and the fact that this carbon post flexes and is claimed to be stronger, well, that goes a long way with me. I've broken a carbon post before, and while I escaped injury, I do not want to tempt fate twice. (Thus the Ti Regulators and aluminum posts on most of my bikes)

All dressed up, too much snow to go.

So, the GX5 is all spiffed up and I have no where to go with it just yet. I'll probably be checking out the gravel on a fat bike soon, but I saw some images on social media which made the roads look pretty snowy. It'll be a while before I get to put much time on this post and see what the deal is for sure. Look for a review to appear on Riding Gravel in the future. Hopefully sooner than later. I'm ready to go!

Spiffing Things Up

This Pro Dyneema post has one of the easiest to use seat clamps I've laid hands on.

Technology, and specifically materials technology, is a crazy field, as we all can attest to. I mean, once upon a time aluminum rims were unheard of. Then we got heat treated aluminum rims, and well, now those are just.....whatever. Carbon rims are where it is at now, and we all know how those have improved. Even just in the last several years. It's materials technology folks. Crazy, like I said.

Well, there is a new (ish) game in town for carbon fiber. It is called Dyneema. It is claimed to be the world's strongest fiber. It makes ropes better, protects police from stab and gunshot wounds, and is used in aerospace applications. Now Shimano has it and is using it in seat posts and handle bars.

Shimano sent me a PRO Dyneema post in the 27.2mm size to use on one of my gravel bikes in a review for RidingGravel.com. Note- I was not paid for this blog-post, and Shimano/Pro did not request that I do this. I did not purchase the seat post. I decided to put it on the Noble Bikes GX5 which already has a few PRO components, also being reviewed for Riding Gravel. Unfortunately, I cannot say a whole lot about this stuff yet, because, well......Winter. When things get back to a more ridable state, I'll be out on this stuff.

So......Dyneema? Yeah, supposedly it can be used as "hybridization" material with carbon fiber, making it more impact resistant, and possibly even lighter. (See the science discussed here) So, bicycles would seem to be a great application for this hybridized Carbon/Dyneema material. The bicycle industry is not only interested in light weight and strength, but vibration reduction as well. So, Dyneema supposedly helps here. This post from PRO, as an example, can be made lightweight, (my example weighed in at 218 grams), but it can be made to have thicker walls which then can be allowed to flex more without damage or breaking. In fact, this post has a claimed 10mm of deflection with the rider onboard.

That deflection translates to rider comfort and less vibrations. We've run tests at RidingGravel.com in the past using several different seat posts to determine which were best at deflecting and therefore, rider comfort. Others have done this as well. It's a pretty universally acceptable way to make the road smoother. In fact, it is why I run Salsa Regulator Titanium posts on three of my bikes

Now, all that is cool, but one of my pet peeves, when it comes to saddles and seat posts, is installing a seat on a seat post. Most of the time this task can be a curse word fest and in some cases you have to disassemble the entire seat post clamp just to install a saddle. Well, this PRO post is the polar opposite of that. In fact, I would go so far as to say that seat installation was easy with this post. I don't say that lightly either.

Anyway, I have only been able to cruise the snow/ice free zone in front of Guitar Ted Productions' headquarters and while that isn't much to go on, I can say things look promising here. (We have some pretty crappy pavement out front here) That and the fact that this carbon post flexes and is claimed to be stronger, well, that goes a long way with me. I've broken a carbon post before, and while I escaped injury, I do not want to tempt fate twice. (Thus the Ti Regulators and aluminum posts on most of my bikes)

All dressed up, too much snow to go.

So, the GX5 is all spiffed up and I have no where to go with it just yet. I'll probably be checking out the gravel on a fat bike soon, but I saw some images on social media which made the roads look pretty snowy. It'll be a while before I get to put much time on this post and see what the deal is for sure. Look for a review to appear on Riding Gravel in the future. Hopefully sooner than later. I'm ready to go!

Getting My GRX On: Update

There she be! The Noble GX5 with GRX on it. (That's a lot of "G's" and "X's"!)

The installation of the new Shimano GRX components and PRO brand stuff I was sent has been accomplished. I rode the bike on its first legit gravel ride Monday for over two hours.

The 1X thing hasn't really been appealing to me for quite some time. I had to stick with it since this bike is not routed for a front derailleur. (I could use an electronic one) So 1X GRX was spec'ed and that's what you see there in the image.

So far, since I have run Force 1X and now this GRX 1X, I have "gotten used to it", but it doesn't have as deep a range as I can get with a 2X set up, and that might end up becoming an issue at some point with the current set up. Which is a 42T drive ring turning an 11-42T cassette, by the way. So "low" is 1 to 1, and you don't get to go lower than that.

Now where I live? That is likely alright. I've run across a couple of situations where less than a one to one ratio would have been nice. Usually on century rides. But for the one to five hour range of rides? I probably am fine. Going somewhere else with this bike? Maybe not so much. But I've got other bikes too, so it isn't imperative that I have 2X on the Noble GX5.

So, enough about the gearing. Here is a run down of all the new parts on the bike:

• Shimano GRX 800 Mechanical 11 speed Right hydraulic lever.
• Shimano GRX 800 Dummy Left Lever set up for Dropper Post actuation. (See Note below)
• Shimano GRX 800 Hydraulic Brake Calipers F/R 160mm Rotors F/R
• Shimano GRX 800 Crank w/42T drive ring, 172.5mm
• Shimano GRX 800 Rear Derailleur (Mechanical 11 spd)
• Shimano GRX Wheel set
• Shimano XTR/Dura Ace 11 speed chain
• Shimano XT 11spd 11-42T Cassette
• Shimano XT pedals
• Shimano PRO seat post
• Shimano PRO stem
• Shimano PRO bar tape
• Shimano PRO bottle cages
• Shimano Discovery Series Big Flare handle bar
• WTB Volt saddle, medium width
• Wheels Manufacturing BB86 Thread-together bottom bracket

The GRX rear derailleur has a clutch, like the MTB line, but it feels far different

(NOTE: Disclaimer dead ahead. Skip ahead if you don't care)

That's most of the bike! I should also note here that besides the bottom bracket, which I purchased, the rest is all sent for no charge to Riding Gravel for test and review. I am not being paid, nor bribed for this post here.

Now- with that out of the way, I got this all set up and everything went quite well, actually. The first legit gravel ride went well too. Shifting required a slight tweak from the barrel adjuster, (standard issue on the GRX derailleur- Huzzah!), and I imagine I'll have a couple more tweaks to that before it settles in. The brakes are fantastic. Probably the best drop bar Shimano hydro brakes yet. Maybe best ever? Close. Really quiet too.......so far. 

The brake hoods feel awesome too. They put some nice texturing on it for grip, and the rubber they used feels nice. The shape is excellent with a nicer, flatter radiused shape with a nice width to them. I also like Shimano's hydraulic hood shape far more than SRAM's which looks ugly in my opinion. At any rate, Shimano's shape looks a lot less weird and more like the fully mechanical levers they make. The big deal here is the lever blades. They shaped the blade and while that may seem like not such a big deal, it is when you feel them under your fingers. The shapes and contours just feel really good.

The GRX levers feel great under the hand.

So besides those stand outs, the bike was like before. Good wheels, no issues there, and everything else just worked like it should. Now I will say a bit about the saddle, the WTB Volt, because there is an interesting story.

WTB has the "Fit Right System" now where you measure your wrist and then a calculation their system does based upon some preferences and that wrist measurement spits out what saddle is right for you out of their line. I had been preferring the WTB Pure series of saddles, which measures out to be in their "wide" size range. Now I have to back track a bit to several years ago when I tried Bontrager's saddle fit system and I was measured out in their "medium" width category, which I think is something like 143mm or round about there. So, I tried that, and I just never got along with their saddles at all. I abandoned them after sitting on a Pure V and liking that. So, I pursued getting a bunch of those saddles and for a time, all was well.

Recently I have been not as pleased with Pure V's as I have been getting soreness which I cannot remember having. Age changes things. Maybe that was it? Dunno. But change in my saddle of choice was going to be necessary. Then last Summer I got the chance to try a new, medium width Silverado. I really liked it. This was a 142mm width saddle, which was interesting to me, remembering the old Bontrager measurement.

The medium width Volt from WTB

Fast forward to August and Gravel Worlds where I saw the WTB Fit Right System in operation. Later on I was asked to go through the system and WTB wanted to send me a saddle or two, write up a review, and see what I thought. I got two Volts. One in Medium and one in Wide.

One ride on the Wide one was all it took for me to realize that it wasn't right. The saddle was hitting me just like a Pure V and no wonder. They have almost identical shapes. Then I tried the Medium saddle. Goldilocks! This was really good, and again- 142mm.

So, both the Bontrager system and the Fit Right System were correct, it's just that WTB stuff agrees with me and the old Bontrager stuff never really did. Now the Silverado will get pitted against the Volt and I'll have to see which feels correct, or just better, and go with it. Or.....maybe both will be fine. Possible. Testing will be necessary.

What else? Hmm.... Oh yeah! The seat post. I have a left lever that was modified by Shimano for dropper post actuation. I didn't get the correct dropper post when Shimano sent me the stuff, but when they have the right one, I will be making the switch and checking that out as well. I remember really liking a dropper on an Otso test bike I had a year and a half ago or so now. It will be interesting to see what that does for Winter riding, as I'll likely be trying that out whenever conditions allow for it over the Winter months.

So, yeah.... So far so good. Both on the GRX and the saddle. Stay tuned here and at Riding Gravel for future updates.

Getting My GRX On: Update

There she be! The Noble GX5 with GRX on it. (That's a lot of "G's" and "X's"!)

The installation of the new Shimano GRX components and PRO brand stuff I was sent has been accomplished. I rode the bike on its first legit gravel ride Monday for over two hours.

The 1X thing hasn't really been appealing to me for quite some time. I had to stick with it since this bike is not routed for a front derailleur. (I could use an electronic one) So 1X GRX was spec'ed and that's what you see there in the image.

So far, since I have run Force 1X and now this GRX 1X, I have "gotten used to it", but it doesn't have as deep a range as I can get with a 2X set up, and that might end up becoming an issue at some point with the current set up. Which is a 42T drive ring turning an 11-42T cassette, by the way. So "low" is 1 to 1, and you don't get to go lower than that.

Now where I live? That is likely alright. I've run across a couple of situations where less than a one to one ratio would have been nice. Usually on century rides. But for the one to five hour range of rides? I probably am fine. Going somewhere else with this bike? Maybe not so much. But I've got other bikes too, so it isn't imperative that I have 2X on the Noble GX5.

So, enough about the gearing. Here is a run down of all the new parts on the bike:

• Shimano GRX 800 Mechanical 11 speed Right hydraulic lever.
• Shimano GRX 800 Dummy Left Lever set up for Dropper Post actuation. (See Note below)
• Shimano GRX 800 Hydraulic Brake Calipers F/R 160mm Rotors F/R
• Shimano GRX 800 Crank w/42T drive ring, 172.5mm
• Shimano GRX 800 Rear Derailleur (Mechanical 11 spd)
• Shimano GRX Wheel set
• Shimano XTR/Dura Ace 11 speed chain
• Shimano XT 11spd 11-42T Cassette
• Shimano XT pedals
• Shimano PRO seat post
• Shimano PRO stem
• Shimano PRO bar tape
• Shimano PRO bottle cages
• Shimano Discovery Series Big Flare handle bar
• WTB Volt saddle, medium width
• Wheels Manufacturing BB86 Thread-together bottom bracket

The GRX rear derailleur has a clutch, like the MTB line, but it feels far different

(NOTE: Disclaimer dead ahead. Skip ahead if you don't care)

That's most of the bike! I should also note here that besides the bottom bracket, which I purchased, the rest is all sent for no charge to Riding Gravel for test and review. I am not being paid, nor bribed for this post here.

Now- with that out of the way, I got this all set up and everything went quite well, actually. The first legit gravel ride went well too. Shifting required a slight tweak from the barrel adjuster, (standard issue on the GRX derailleur- Huzzah!), and I imagine I'll have a couple more tweaks to that before it settles in. The brakes are fantastic. Probably the best drop bar Shimano hydro brakes yet. Maybe best ever? Close. Really quiet too.......so far. 

The brake hoods feel awesome too. They put some nice texturing on it for grip, and the rubber they used feels nice. The shape is excellent with a nicer, flatter radiused shape with a nice width to them. I also like Shimano's hydraulic hood shape far more than SRAM's which looks ugly in my opinion. At any rate, Shimano's shape looks a lot less weird and more like the fully mechanical levers they make. The big deal here is the lever blades. They shaped the blade and while that may seem like not such a big deal, it is when you feel them under your fingers. The shapes and contours just feel really good.

The GRX levers feel great under the hand.

So besides those stand outs, the bike was like before. Good wheels, no issues there, and everything else just worked like it should. Now I will say a bit about the saddle, the WTB Volt, because there is an interesting story.

WTB has the "Fit Right System" now where you measure your wrist and then a calculation their system does based upon some preferences and that wrist measurement spits out what saddle is right for you out of their line. I had been preferring the WTB Pure series of saddles, which measures out to be in their "wide" size range. Now I have to back track a bit to several years ago when I tried Bontrager's saddle fit system and I was measured out in their "medium" width category, which I think is something like 143mm or round about there. So, I tried that, and I just never got along with their saddles at all. I abandoned them after sitting on a Pure V and liking that. So, I pursued getting a bunch of those saddles and for a time, all was well.

Recently I have been not as pleased with Pure V's as I have been getting soreness which I cannot remember having. Age changes things. Maybe that was it? Dunno. But change in my saddle of choice was going to be necessary. Then last Summer I got the chance to try a new, medium width Silverado. I really liked it. This was a 142mm width saddle, which was interesting to me, remembering the old Bontrager measurement.

The medium width Volt from WTB

Fast forward to August and Gravel Worlds where I saw the WTB Fit Right System in operation. Later on I was asked to go through the system and WTB wanted to send me a saddle or two, write up a review, and see what I thought. I got two Volts. One in Medium and one in Wide.

One ride on the Wide one was all it took for me to realize that it wasn't right. The saddle was hitting me just like a Pure V and no wonder. They have almost identical shapes. Then I tried the Medium saddle. Goldilocks! This was really good, and again- 142mm.

So, both the Bontrager system and the Fit Right System were correct, it's just that WTB stuff agrees with me and the old Bontrager stuff never really did. Now the Silverado will get pitted against the Volt and I'll have to see which feels correct, or just better, and go with it. Or.....maybe both will be fine. Possible. Testing will be necessary.

What else? Hmm.... Oh yeah! The seat post. I have a left lever that was modified by Shimano for dropper post actuation. I didn't get the correct dropper post when Shimano sent me the stuff, but when they have the right one, I will be making the switch and checking that out as well. I remember really liking a dropper on an Otso test bike I had a year and a half ago or so now. It will be interesting to see what that does for Winter riding, as I'll likely be trying that out whenever conditions allow for it over the Winter months.

So, yeah.... So far so good. Both on the GRX and the saddle. Stay tuned here and at Riding Gravel for future updates.

Randomonium

NOTE: Okay folks, if you haven't been around long enough here to know what a "Randomonium" post is, then here is the deal. I ramble, rant, and randomly moan about all things cycling in one, incohesive, bizarre post. "Randomonium", okay?

The Fargo has new - old - shoes. 

 Fargo Back Up & Running:

This past weekend I got the Fargo sorted with some different tires that actually worked. The solution I found worked super easily. I forgot I had a pair of used Donnelly MSO 700 X 50mm tires. They went on the i23 Team Frequency rims with a burp from an air compressor and have been rock solid since mounted.

I tried the Schwalbe G-Ones on that wheel set that is based upon a Stan's rim dimension and, while I got them on with a plastic tire lever, they are what I would deem as being too tight. Not good if anything were to happen that required a tube to be inserted to continue going. But, that mere fact that the tire went on a Stan's dimension rim tells me it would definitely be too loose for most modern tubeless ready rims. Again- in my opinion- this is inexcusable in 2019.

My Schwalbe may have been an outlier, maybe from a bad batch? Hard to say, but for what I spent on them, I am not willing to take another shot at trying anything from Schwalbe. That brand has been struck from my "willing to buy" list. In 2019, and beyond, there will be, and are now, many, many choices in tires that will work as advertised set up tubeless easily. I know this because I get to try a LOT of tires out in my reviewing gig. If a tire takes multiple tries to get set up the first time, and then will not set up at all after one dismounting, well...... Hard pass. Nuff said.

Rendering of a Scott's Oriole

A Bird Lost? 

(NOTE: This isn't about cycling. So, it is even more random!) Sunday I walked out on the porch and I saw a flash of yellow and black. It was a bird I spooked out of the flower bed. It was so stunning and outstanding in appearance that I thought I had seen a vision. But it was real. It quickly hid in the thick cover of a tree across the street. Hmm...weird, but maybe just something I dreamed up? I still wasn't sure that I saw what I had seen. It was just so yellow and intensely colored that it didn't look real at all.

Then Monday, my wife and I walked out onto the porch and the same thing- An intensely yellow colored and black patched bird jumped out of the flower bed and quickly took cover in the same tree across the street.  Okay- this time I had a witness. I wasn't crazy. There was a weird bird and neither one of us had seen anything like it.

I did some checking online, and the closest thing I could find to what we had seen was a rendering of a Scott's Oriole. It seems to have the same pattern and intensely yellow coloring of the bird we saw. However; the range for this species is no where near Iowa. In fact, it is over a 1000 miles away from its Northernmost range to Iowa. Is this a Scott's Oriole that we had seen, or maybe something else? Is it a lost bird? Maybe.

I wish I would have gotten a picture, but as skittish as this bird was, I am lucky to have seen it twice!

Another drop bar hits the market.

The Off-Road Drop Bar Becomes Commonplace:

With over ten years of blogging here I can go back and see how things have changed over time. One of the things that's changed a ton is the amount of off-road, flared drop bars that are available.

When Trans Iowa started, and when I started riding a lot of gravel, you had about two choices for this type of bar. I used an On One Midge bar. You could get an Origin 8 Gary Bar, (the original one), and there was the odd WTB bar which had survived and were going for $150.00 a pop.

Now that gravel has become such a "thing" we have soooo many more flared drops that it is bewildering. A new one is out now from Shimano's PRO Brand which is called the Discover Big Flare Bar. It's an interesting handle bar that has some cool features- the 30° flare, the nice sweep- and some straight up roadie drop bar parts, like the weird radius to the drop and the shorter extensions. It's an unique bar in that it has such odd bits paired together.

I've yet to use it on gravel, but I'm sure it has its good and bad features there as well. The funny thing is, every bar has to be different, or it is a copy, and that won't do now, will it? No. So we get these weird things put out there at times that, well........they just do not work. And that's the thing with these flared drops. Not all of them really work, and so you get just a few that become the "standards" of the industry. Bars like Salsa Cycles' Cowchipper and Cowbell, which have spawned more than a few near-ripoffs. Or the previously mentioned On One Midge Bar, which spawned an almost perfect knock-off bar by another company, and inspired a few other bar designs. 

Once in a great while you get the super-weird bar and it works, for some reason. The Woodchipper and Luxy Bar come to mind here. But those are certainly acquired tastes, and it is easy to see why those bars are so polarizing.

Anyway, what a long way we have come! I never would have guessed that in 2019 there would be so many choices for off-road and flared drop bars as there is now. I'm still amazed by it all.

Randomonium

NOTE: Okay folks, if you haven't been around long enough here to know what a "Randomonium" post is, then here is the deal. I ramble, rant, and randomly moan about all things cycling in one, incohesive, bizarre post. "Randomonium", okay?

The Fargo has new - old - shoes. 

 Fargo Back Up & Running:

This past weekend I got the Fargo sorted with some different tires that actually worked. The solution I found worked super easily. I forgot I had a pair of used Donnelly MSO 700 X 50mm tires. They went on the i23 Team Frequency rims with a burp from an air compressor and have been rock solid since mounted.

I tried the Schwalbe G-Ones on that wheel set that is based upon a Stan's rim dimension and, while I got them on with a plastic tire lever, they are what I would deem as being too tight. Not good if anything were to happen that required a tube to be inserted to continue going. But, that mere fact that the tire went on a Stan's dimension rim tells me it would definitely be too loose for most modern tubeless ready rims. Again- in my opinion- this is inexcusable in 2019.

My Schwalbe may have been an outlier, maybe from a bad batch? Hard to say, but for what I spent on them, I am not willing to take another shot at trying anything from Schwalbe. That brand has been struck from my "willing to buy" list. In 2019, and beyond, there will be, and are now, many, many choices in tires that will work as advertised set up tubeless easily. I know this because I get to try a LOT of tires out in my reviewing gig. If a tire takes multiple tries to get set up the first time, and then will not set up at all after one dismounting, well...... Hard pass. Nuff said.

Rendering of a Scott's Oriole

A Bird Lost? 

(NOTE: This isn't about cycling. So, it is even more random!) Sunday I walked out on the porch and I saw a flash of yellow and black. It was a bird I spooked out of the flower bed. It was so stunning and outstanding in appearance that I thought I had seen a vision. But it was real. It quickly hid in the thick cover of a tree across the street. Hmm...weird, but maybe just something I dreamed up? I still wasn't sure that I saw what I had seen. It was just so yellow and intensely colored that it didn't look real at all.

Then Monday, my wife and I walked out onto the porch and the same thing- An intensely yellow colored and black patched bird jumped out of the flower bed and quickly took cover in the same tree across the street.  Okay- this time I had a witness. I wasn't crazy. There was a weird bird and neither one of us had seen anything like it.

I did some checking online, and the closest thing I could find to what we had seen was a rendering of a Scott's Oriole. It seems to have the same pattern and intensely yellow coloring of the bird we saw. However; the range for this species is no where near Iowa. In fact, it is over a 1000 miles away from its Northernmost range to Iowa. Is this a Scott's Oriole that we had seen, or maybe something else? Is it a lost bird? Maybe.

I wish I would have gotten a picture, but as skittish as this bird was, I am lucky to have seen it twice!

Another drop bar hits the market.

The Off-Road Drop Bar Becomes Commonplace:

With over ten years of blogging here I can go back and see how things have changed over time. One of the things that's changed a ton is the amount of off-road, flared drop bars that are available.

When Trans Iowa started, and when I started riding a lot of gravel, you had about two choices for this type of bar. I used an On One Midge bar. You could get an Origin 8 Gary Bar, (the original one), and there was the odd WTB bar which had survived and were going for $150.00 a pop.

Now that gravel has become such a "thing" we have soooo many more flared drops that it is bewildering. A new one is out now from Shimano's PRO Brand which is called the Discover Big Flare Bar. It's an interesting handle bar that has some cool features- the 30° flare, the nice sweep- and some straight up roadie drop bar parts, like the weird radius to the drop and the shorter extensions. It's an unique bar in that it has such odd bits paired together.

I've yet to use it on gravel, but I'm sure it has its good and bad features there as well. The funny thing is, every bar has to be different, or it is a copy, and that won't do now, will it? No. So we get these weird things put out there at times that, well........they just do not work. And that's the thing with these flared drops. Not all of them really work, and so you get just a few that become the "standards" of the industry. Bars like Salsa Cycles' Cowchipper and Cowbell, which have spawned more than a few near-ripoffs. Or the previously mentioned On One Midge Bar, which spawned an almost perfect knock-off bar by another company, and inspired a few other bar designs. 

Once in a great while you get the super-weird bar and it works, for some reason. The Woodchipper and Luxy Bar come to mind here. But those are certainly acquired tastes, and it is easy to see why those bars are so polarizing.

Anyway, what a long way we have come! I never would have guessed that in 2019 there would be so many choices for off-road and flared drop bars as there is now. I'm still amazed by it all.