This Could Be Big

 NOTE: Large doses of "my opinion" will be handed out in gloppy dollops today. You've been forewarned.....

 Last Friday I reported on the lawsuit that is pending involving Rad Power Bikes. The chatter on "Bicycle Twitter" has been very interesting with some good takes and even with one industry icon weighing in. So, since this has grabbed the attention of a lot of people within and without the cycling industry, I think it bears a closer looking at, and one reason why is that not only will this possibly affect HPC/electrified bike sales, but the "D2C" model in retail. 

The incident that got Rad Power into this hot water revolves around a child operating a Rad Power cargo bike, a fast down hill, a 'wobbly front wheel', and poor brakes. Reportedly, this was on a cargo bike with a passenger on the back. The cyclist lost control and the12 year old female passenger was flung from the bike and eventually succumbed to her injuries. 

Rad Power uses quick release levers on many of their bikes, and Rad Power relies on consumers for the final assembly of their bicycles. Since the wrongful death claim was filed in court, more stories about people experiencing failures on Rad Power bikes have surfaced, as you might imagine, making things seem worse. 

Comments: I assembled a few Rad Power bikes while I was working at Andy's Bike Shop, so I can speak to this somewhat, in terms of what the difficulty level might be for a consumer in assembly of one of these HPC's. 

In my opinion, these types of "Direct To Consumer" (D2C) bikes have a bit poorer fit and finish than, say a Trek, or Specialized does. This, overall, makes assembly a touch more difficult for someone like myself. Now, added into this are the lack of clear instructions for assembly. As a mechanic with decades of experience working with bikes? Not that big of a deal. But I was a bit surprised that directions were so vague and in some cases, critical information was not there at all. I'm sure there is a YouTube channel for that, (there is), but written instructions are best, in my opinion. I took the liberty of looking up the Rad Power manual for the bike shown above, the Rad Rover. In the PDF I downloaded, it says the folowing:

"Assembly and first adjustment of your bike from Rad Power Bikes requires special tools and skills. We recommend that you have this done by a certified, reputable bike mechanic."

I'll bet the marketing schtick doesn't say that..... Then, after some stuff about "death" and serious injury, there is this:

"If you are not sure you have the experience, skills, and tools to correctly perform all assembly steps in the manual and the assembly video at www.radpowerbikes.com/assemble, consult a local, certified, reputable bike mechanic."

I was working at the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective the other day when my assistant, Carl, quipped, "I bet most people would never know that (about bicycles), but you do!" 

I had just explained how wheel dishing centers the rim over a hub and why that is important. Yeah, I don't think about that a lot, but I do know a lot of complex ideas and ways of implementing them correctly that the common person, who hasn't gotten nearly 30 years of experience in bicycle mechanics, wouldn't know. 

One of those things has to do with quick release mechanisms. Rad Power decided to use quick release front wheels over a bolt-on axle or a through-axle bolt style wheel attachment. When you use a quick release mechanism, you introduce a LOT of ways to "do it wrong" versus a bolt-on axle or through-bolt axle. 

You may "think" you've got it tight, but do you really?  I find that the heavier the wheel assembly, the more possibilities there are to get the wheel in not quite right, which can be a problem. Add in an inexperienced person unfamiliar with quick releases and, well..... I can see where that could lead to problems. 

And I've even pulled a quick release fat bike wheel out of its drop outs upon hard braking. Me. And I know all about how quick release mechanisms work. So, this relying upon consumers to assemble a heavy, unwieldy bike with no repair stand and typical household tools and little to no bicycle assembly experience? With a warning in the manual that, let's be honest, probably is not seen, and if it is, gets ignored almost all the time? I find this especially odd when in the pedal installation step in the assembly PDF manual, it asks the consumer to tighten the pedals to 35Nm with a pedal wrench. First off, I did not know a simple pedal wrench had a reading in Newt meters. I'll have to scrutinize my Park pedal wrench more closely! (sarcasm alert!) And how many consumers even know what a pedal wrench is?

So, will D2C have to change fundamentally? I doubt that will happen. Too much money to be made and traditional bike shops are not accessible for many folks. Even when they are, those shops are often not going to work on a Rad Power bike- or any D2C HPC/electrified rig. So, how will things work going forward? My guess is that slight changes in spec, like never using QR's again, would be a good start.  But I don't see all the D2C craziness getting shut down. The genie is out of the bottle and there is no going back on that one.
 
But I could see partnerships develop where D2C purchases are assembled at a "distribution center" in bigger cities and then delivered. Or maybe mobile shops come into the picture, and there already is a high-end outfit doing this with premium level bikes in the USA now. That might not make sense for cheaper bicycles and HPC's, but I think eliminating the consumer as the end assembly person might be a good idea. It just won't be a "bike shop" model if that's how it goes.

This Could Be Big

 NOTE: Large doses of "my opinion" will be handed out in gloppy dollops today. You've been forewarned.....

 Last Friday I reported on the lawsuit that is pending involving Rad Power Bikes. The chatter on "Bicycle Twitter" has been very interesting with some good takes and even with one industry icon weighing in. So, since this has grabbed the attention of a lot of people within and without the cycling industry, I think it bears a closer looking at, and one reason why is that not only will this possibly affect HPC/electrified bike sales, but the "D2C" model in retail. 

The incident that got Rad Power into this hot water revolves around a child operating a Rad Power cargo bike, a fast down hill, a 'wobbly front wheel', and poor brakes. Reportedly, this was on a cargo bike with a passenger on the back. The cyclist lost control and the12 year old female passenger was flung from the bike and eventually succumbed to her injuries. 

Rad Power uses quick release levers on many of their bikes, and Rad Power relies on consumers for the final assembly of their bicycles. Since the wrongful death claim was filed in court, more stories about people experiencing failures on Rad Power bikes have surfaced, as you might imagine, making things seem worse. 

Comments: I assembled a few Rad Power bikes while I was working at Andy's Bike Shop, so I can speak to this somewhat, in terms of what the difficulty level might be for a consumer in assembly of one of these HPC's. 

In my opinion, these types of "Direct To Consumer" (D2C) bikes have a bit poorer fit and finish than, say a Trek, or Specialized does. This, overall, makes assembly a touch more difficult for someone like myself. Now, added into this are the lack of clear instructions for assembly. As a mechanic with decades of experience working with bikes? Not that big of a deal. But I was a bit surprised that directions were so vague and in some cases, critical information was not there at all. I'm sure there is a YouTube channel for that, (there is), but written instructions are best, in my opinion. I took the liberty of looking up the Rad Power manual for the bike shown above, the Rad Rover. In the PDF I downloaded, it says the folowing:

"Assembly and first adjustment of your bike from Rad Power Bikes requires special tools and skills. We recommend that you have this done by a certified, reputable bike mechanic."

I'll bet the marketing schtick doesn't say that..... Then, after some stuff about "death" and serious injury, there is this:

"If you are not sure you have the experience, skills, and tools to correctly perform all assembly steps in the manual and the assembly video at www.radpowerbikes.com/assemble, consult a local, certified, reputable bike mechanic."

I was working at the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective the other day when my assistant, Carl, quipped, "I bet most people would never know that (about bicycles), but you do!" 

I had just explained how wheel dishing centers the rim over a hub and why that is important. Yeah, I don't think about that a lot, but I do know a lot of complex ideas and ways of implementing them correctly that the common person, who hasn't gotten nearly 30 years of experience in bicycle mechanics, wouldn't know. 

One of those things has to do with quick release mechanisms. Rad Power decided to use quick release front wheels over a bolt-on axle or a through-axle bolt style wheel attachment. When you use a quick release mechanism, you introduce a LOT of ways to "do it wrong" versus a bolt-on axle or through-bolt axle. 

You may "think" you've got it tight, but do you really?  I find that the heavier the wheel assembly, the more possibilities there are to get the wheel in not quite right, which can be a problem. Add in an inexperienced person unfamiliar with quick releases and, well..... I can see where that could lead to problems. 

And I've even pulled a quick release fat bike wheel out of its drop outs upon hard braking. Me. And I know all about how quick release mechanisms work. So, this relying upon consumers to assemble a heavy, unwieldy bike with no repair stand and typical household tools and little to no bicycle assembly experience? With a warning in the manual that, let's be honest, probably is not seen, and if it is, gets ignored almost all the time? I find this especially odd when in the pedal installation step in the assembly PDF manual, it asks the consumer to tighten the pedals to 35Nm with a pedal wrench. First off, I did not know a simple pedal wrench had a reading in Newt meters. I'll have to scrutinize my Park pedal wrench more closely! (sarcasm alert!) And how many consumers even know what a pedal wrench is?

So, will D2C have to change fundamentally? I doubt that will happen. Too much money to be made and traditional bike shops are not accessible for many folks. Even when they are, those shops are often not going to work on a Rad Power bike- or any D2C HPC/electrified rig. So, how will things work going forward? My guess is that slight changes in spec, like never using QR's again, would be a good start.  But I don't see all the D2C craziness getting shut down. The genie is out of the bottle and there is no going back on that one.
 
But I could see partnerships develop where D2C purchases are assembled at a "distribution center" in bigger cities and then delivered. Or maybe mobile shops come into the picture, and there already is a high-end outfit doing this with premium level bikes in the USA now. That might not make sense for cheaper bicycles and HPC's, but I think eliminating the consumer as the end assembly person might be a good idea. It just won't be a "bike shop" model if that's how it goes.

Friday News And Views

HiRide fork: Image courtesy of HiRide

 What Is Old Is New Again:

Back in the days when mountain bike design was a hot stew with ever changing ingredients, there was a company known as ActionTec. They were the purveyor of an unusual suspension fork design called the "Pro Shock" which consisted of a coil sprung design based around an extended steer tube and encased within the head tube of a mountain bike. 

The design was somewhat well received and copied when Cannondale came out with a similar idea called a "HeadShok". This idea of a head tube based telescopic suspension fork design had a lot of promise for the gravel bike scene, but both ActionTec and Cannondale's HeadShok were gone before the gravel bike became a hot ticket item in the cycling industry. 

But good ideas never die, they just get re-imagined and turn up again. The case of the head tube based, telescopic suspension fork is just one example. Here we have a new take on the old design called HiRide. 

The HiRide fork uses a similar design but limits travel to a manageable 20mm. This should make it an appealing design with regard to aesthetics and from a geometry perspective where changing the fork axle to crown length/head tube angle/bottom bracket height via fork travel is not conducive to fast paced road/unpaved road riding. 

Comments: The desire to mitigate vibrations is a bit different than absorbing bumps and obstacles on a dirt trail. There is overlap here, to be sure, but tackling what a gravel rider/allroad cyclist needs for more smoothness and less vibration induced fatigue by way of mountain bike suspension philosophy is wrongheaded. Besides, despite the claims on HiRide's site, it shouldn't come as a surprise that if the design is tuned so it doesn't bottom out harshly, your last several milimeters of travel are not going to be effective over anything but harsher bumps. That means that you really have a lot less travel to deal with vibrations than you might think.

Add in the fact that this fork weighs about twice that of a good carbon rigid fork and now you are looking at a penalty that may not be worth the trouble. (The suspension component of the HiRide weighs a claimed 850 grams- That's without the fork) Again- a suspension stem like the Cane Creek or Redshift types is a better way to go here. You're adding maybe a 100 grams over a traditional stem, and getting the same amount of travel tuned for vibration reduction. Seems like a no-brainer to me, but this fork is pretty cool. 

Trek's New Checkpoint ALR driftless model (Image courtesy of Trek)

Trek's New Checkpoint ALR Driftless Shows What 3G Will Get You:

Since the pandemic hit we've heard a lot about this concept of "new-normal", or alternatively, you might think of the "Great Resignation". However you term the sudden change in.....well, about everything! It is apparent that, yes, things are not the same in the '20's as they were in the teens of the 21st Century.

To help illustrate this I present to you an interesting specimen of a gravel bike, the Trek Checkpoint ALR Driftless special edition bike. This bike runs at just shy of 2900 bucks. So, with tax you are looking at plus-3G and change. What do you get for that coin these days?

Well, the bike has GRX 800 bits sprinkled throughout, which is good. I noted that the brake rotors are pretty much bottom of the barrel Shimano ones though. You get a special paint scheme and a frame bag. Okay.... Looking deeper I see a Praxis T-47 bottom bracket, which might be okay, but Praxis stuff doesn't have a very consistent reputation for high quality bits. The wheels are run of the mill Bontrager branded hubs and rims, and the cockpit parts are as well. Then you have the frame. 

It's a highly formed aluminum piece mated to a carbon legged, aluminum steer tube fork. Nothing crazy here. Just pretty straightforward production level fare from a big bicycle brand. Paint notwithstanding, there is nothing really all that great here. So, 3g? 

Hmm, I guess that's where we are at now these days. That's quite a hike in price for what would have easily been 2G five years ago. I just know that I won't miss the guy that wants to have the shop keep the frame bag and knock off $200 bucks off the price and not charge him sales tax. 

Image courtesy of Wolf Tooth

Wolf Tooth Introduces "Espresso" Ano Parts:

Wolf Tooth has been on a color adding spree when it comes to their components that they offer. Recently they added an olive green, and now there is a brown anodized color they are calling "Espresso". 

You can get this option across their range. Take a look here if you are interested. 

Comments: So.....Is Wolf Tooth the new Chris King? With all these anodized color choices, a (mostly) made in the USA manufacturing process, and competitive pricing, I'd venture to say, "Yes". 

While Wolf Tooth doesn't make hubs, they make a lot of other stuff, and in my experience, their product is pretty tough, long lasting, and performs at a high level. I've been very pleased with all the Wolf Tooth products I have either bought, or reviewed. (See Standard Disclaimer for my position on reviewed product)

Now brown ano? Yeah.... Not my thing, but on the right frame set? Could be a killer look. I like the brighter, shouty anodized bits like purple, gold, blue, and the like. But then again- I came up through the 90's MTB scene! That may be why I am about the brighter anodized colors. 

A meme which used an image from the 1st GTDRI

GTDRI Series Starts Sunday:

The 'Trans Iowa Stories" series finished up last Sunday, but have no fear! If you are wondering what you'll read instead of that series, well I have already been hard at work on the next thing.

It's going to be the tales, the behind the scenes stories, and historical significance to the gravel scene which is bound up in the "GTDRI Stories" series. 

Readers will also learn how Trans Iowa and this 'no-drop group ride' held every Summer from 2006 through 2019 are interconnected as well. So it is only fitting that this series follows on the heels of the Trans Iowa series. 

There is no other reason to tell these stories about the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational other than that it has significance to the early gravel scene, some connection to industry changes, and just the shenanigans behind this ride which many have never read about before. 

So, I hope that you enjoy this series which should appear every Sunday here for the foreseeable future. 

Rad Power bikes is being sued for a claim of wrongful death 

U.S. Electrified Bike Market May Be Affected By Litigation:

A wrongful death claim against Rad Power Bikes may affect the future of HPC/electrified bikes in the US dependent upon the outcome of the litigation which is taking place soon. 

An unfortunate fatality has led the parents of a 12 year old girl, who died as a passenger on a Rad Power bike, to file a wrongful death claim against Rad Power, according to this "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" article. 

 Apparently, as part of the lawsuit, the plaintiffs claim that the Rad Power bike had poor geometry and features which were pushed by Rad Power regarding the bike's design that led to a death in this instance. One could see how the outcome of this suit might influence lawmakers to look a bit more closely at the way HPC/electrified bikes are sold and how they are not regulated at this point, despite the "three class" system we have in place now. It also would not be out of the question to see insurance companies start to push for more stringent legislation which would further codify these bicycles as "motor vehicles" with all the attendant safety regulations attached. 

Such insurance law was narrowly avoided in Europe recently, which had it been enacted, may have damped sales of electrified bikes to a detrimental degree, according to industry players. Of course, nothing like that may happen at all here in the U.S., but it doesn't take much of a leap to see how it could, since now we have a high-profile case with a child's death attached to it. Similar issues plagued the moped market in the 1980's leading to its demise. 

Time will tell, but this bears watching. 

Note: "HPC" is my term. It stands for "hybrid powered cycles" since these two-wheeled vehicles have a hybrid of human and electric motor power.

That's it for this week. Have a great weekend and get out and ride! Fall is coming!

Friday News And Views

HiRide fork: Image courtesy of HiRide

 What Is Old Is New Again:

Back in the days when mountain bike design was a hot stew with ever changing ingredients, there was a company known as ActionTec. They were the purveyor of an unusual suspension fork design called the "Pro Shock" which consisted of a coil sprung design based around an extended steer tube and encased within the head tube of a mountain bike. 

The design was somewhat well received and copied when Cannondale came out with a similar idea called a "HeadShok". This idea of a head tube based telescopic suspension fork design had a lot of promise for the gravel bike scene, but both ActionTec and Cannondale's HeadShok were gone before the gravel bike became a hot ticket item in the cycling industry. 

But good ideas never die, they just get re-imagined and turn up again. The case of the head tube based, telescopic suspension fork is just one example. Here we have a new take on the old design called HiRide. 

The HiRide fork uses a similar design but limits travel to a manageable 20mm. This should make it an appealing design with regard to aesthetics and from a geometry perspective where changing the fork axle to crown length/head tube angle/bottom bracket height via fork travel is not conducive to fast paced road/unpaved road riding. 

Comments: The desire to mitigate vibrations is a bit different than absorbing bumps and obstacles on a dirt trail. There is overlap here, to be sure, but tackling what a gravel rider/allroad cyclist needs for more smoothness and less vibration induced fatigue by way of mountain bike suspension philosophy is wrongheaded. Besides, despite the claims on HiRide's site, it shouldn't come as a surprise that if the design is tuned so it doesn't bottom out harshly, your last several milimeters of travel are not going to be effective over anything but harsher bumps. That means that you really have a lot less travel to deal with vibrations than you might think.

Add in the fact that this fork weighs about twice that of a good carbon rigid fork and now you are looking at a penalty that may not be worth the trouble. (The suspension component of the HiRide weighs a claimed 850 grams- That's without the fork) Again- a suspension stem like the Cane Creek or Redshift types is a better way to go here. You're adding maybe a 100 grams over a traditional stem, and getting the same amount of travel tuned for vibration reduction. Seems like a no-brainer to me, but this fork is pretty cool. 

Trek's New Checkpoint ALR driftless model (Image courtesy of Trek)

Trek's New Checkpoint ALR Driftless Shows What 3G Will Get You:

Since the pandemic hit we've heard a lot about this concept of "new-normal", or alternatively, you might think of the "Great Resignation". However you term the sudden change in.....well, about everything! It is apparent that, yes, things are not the same in the '20's as they were in the teens of the 21st Century.

To help illustrate this I present to you an interesting specimen of a gravel bike, the Trek Checkpoint ALR Driftless special edition bike. This bike runs at just shy of 2900 bucks. So, with tax you are looking at plus-3G and change. What do you get for that coin these days?

Well, the bike has GRX 800 bits sprinkled throughout, which is good. I noted that the brake rotors are pretty much bottom of the barrel Shimano ones though. You get a special paint scheme and a frame bag. Okay.... Looking deeper I see a Praxis T-47 bottom bracket, which might be okay, but Praxis stuff doesn't have a very consistent reputation for high quality bits. The wheels are run of the mill Bontrager branded hubs and rims, and the cockpit parts are as well. Then you have the frame. 

It's a highly formed aluminum piece mated to a carbon legged, aluminum steer tube fork. Nothing crazy here. Just pretty straightforward production level fare from a big bicycle brand. Paint notwithstanding, there is nothing really all that great here. So, 3g? 

Hmm, I guess that's where we are at now these days. That's quite a hike in price for what would have easily been 2G five years ago. I just know that I won't miss the guy that wants to have the shop keep the frame bag and knock off $200 bucks off the price and not charge him sales tax. 

Image courtesy of Wolf Tooth

Wolf Tooth Introduces "Espresso" Ano Parts:

Wolf Tooth has been on a color adding spree when it comes to their components that they offer. Recently they added an olive green, and now there is a brown anodized color they are calling "Espresso". 

You can get this option across their range. Take a look here if you are interested. 

Comments: So.....Is Wolf Tooth the new Chris King? With all these anodized color choices, a (mostly) made in the USA manufacturing process, and competitive pricing, I'd venture to say, "Yes". 

While Wolf Tooth doesn't make hubs, they make a lot of other stuff, and in my experience, their product is pretty tough, long lasting, and performs at a high level. I've been very pleased with all the Wolf Tooth products I have either bought, or reviewed. (See Standard Disclaimer for my position on reviewed product)

Now brown ano? Yeah.... Not my thing, but on the right frame set? Could be a killer look. I like the brighter, shouty anodized bits like purple, gold, blue, and the like. But then again- I came up through the 90's MTB scene! That may be why I am about the brighter anodized colors. 

A meme which used an image from the 1st GTDRI

GTDRI Series Starts Sunday:

The 'Trans Iowa Stories" series finished up last Sunday, but have no fear! If you are wondering what you'll read instead of that series, well I have already been hard at work on the next thing.

It's going to be the tales, the behind the scenes stories, and historical significance to the gravel scene which is bound up in the "GTDRI Stories" series. 

Readers will also learn how Trans Iowa and this 'no-drop group ride' held every Summer from 2006 through 2019 are interconnected as well. So it is only fitting that this series follows on the heels of the Trans Iowa series. 

There is no other reason to tell these stories about the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational other than that it has significance to the early gravel scene, some connection to industry changes, and just the shenanigans behind this ride which many have never read about before. 

So, I hope that you enjoy this series which should appear every Sunday here for the foreseeable future. 

Rad Power bikes is being sued for a claim of wrongful death 

U.S. Electrified Bike Market May Be Affected By Litigation:

A wrongful death claim against Rad Power Bikes may affect the future of HPC/electrified bikes in the US dependent upon the outcome of the litigation which is taking place soon. 

An unfortunate fatality has led the parents of a 12 year old girl, who died as a passenger on a Rad Power bike, to file a wrongful death claim against Rad Power, according to this "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" article. 

 Apparently, as part of the lawsuit, the plaintiffs claim that the Rad Power bike had poor geometry and features which were pushed by Rad Power regarding the bike's design that led to a death in this instance. One could see how the outcome of this suit might influence lawmakers to look a bit more closely at the way HPC/electrified bikes are sold and how they are not regulated at this point, despite the "three class" system we have in place now. It also would not be out of the question to see insurance companies start to push for more stringent legislation which would further codify these bicycles as "motor vehicles" with all the attendant safety regulations attached. 

Such insurance law was narrowly avoided in Europe recently, which had it been enacted, may have damped sales of electrified bikes to a detrimental degree, according to industry players. Of course, nothing like that may happen at all here in the U.S., but it doesn't take much of a leap to see how it could, since now we have a high-profile case with a child's death attached to it. Similar issues plagued the moped market in the 1980's leading to its demise. 

Time will tell, but this bears watching. 

Note: "HPC" is my term. It stands for "hybrid powered cycles" since these two-wheeled vehicles have a hybrid of human and electric motor power.

That's it for this week. Have a great weekend and get out and ride! Fall is coming!

Friday News And Views

Specialized teased the new Globe brand redux Tuesday. Image courtesy of Specialized

Specialized Re-Ups Globe Brand As EV Line:

You may remember in the late 90's, early 00's that Specialized offered city and cruiser bikes under the "Globe" brand name. (And a touring bike by that name in the 80's and an electric bike line recently that failed) Well, that name is coming back, (again) and will be electrified (again) when it does in late 2022. 

According to Specialized's Globe landing page, these bikes will be dealer only and Specialized claims that they will have a comprehensive support system using their dealer network which will help make the launch a success.

Interestingly, Specialized chose to use the term "EV" instead of "ebike" or "pedal assist" when describing the Globe brand's products in the language on the landing page. If you don't know, "EV" stands for "Electric Vehicle" which leaves the door open to fully-electric vehicles in this brand launch. 

Comments: In the world of electrified bicycles, it is a well known fact within the traditional bicycle industry that internet brands selling product in the HPV (Hybrid Powered Cycles) segment is kicking butt and taking names. Traditional brands in the industry are looking on as brands like Pedego, Rad Power, and others sell bike after bike. 

Obviously, it is a better experience and a safer bet to buy an electrified vehicle from a known brand with a wide network of dealerships. However; the mainstream brands have hogtied themselves to the Class I, II, and III code for electric bicycles and have mainly been providing variations on traditional bicycles fitted with electric motors and batteries. Meanwhile, brands like Rad Power are not tied to that design philosophy and have offered bicycles with a decidedly different take on two-wheeled transportation which has struck a nerve with the younger demographic and non-cycling crowds. 

Taking a look at the image Specialized provided, it is easy to see that this is a more "Rad Power-like" take on an HPV cargo rig. So, I suspect that Globe will not be providing bikes for the Lycra clad crowd and will be going after that same demographic that Rad Power, Pedego, and their ilk has tapped into. Meanwhile, that use of the term "EV" on the landing page is interesting. We will have to wait until this Fall to see what is up.

FDNY PSA about Lithium-Ion battery charging safety.

Fires Blamed On HPV Battery Charging:

Recently two fires connected to the charging of Lithium-Ion batteries for electrified bicycles has been in the news. 

The first was from a Florida bicycle shop, but when more information was released on that particular incident, it seemed that it was partially a user error situation. 

However; in the New York City borough of Queens, it appears that a spark caused the fire in the mid-afternoon which caused severe damage and sent some firemen to the hospital to be treated. 

Comments: This has been an ongoing issue for bike shops who are asked to service electrified bicycles, tricycles, and the like when consumers have purchased the bicycles on-line or used. The risk of fire is rather daunting, especially when Lithium-Ion fires are difficult to extinguish. Insurance policies often do not provide coverage for such fires for businesses and this also puts shop owners in a bind. 

The problem will need to be addressed as the electrification movement gathers steam. As it stands now, many shops refuse work when it comes to electrified bicycles, trikes, and scooters unless they are from a brand that they serve. So, if you are in the market for something like this, make sure you understand the dangers of charging and handling batteries and that maintenance may be difficult to obtain. 

Jingle Cross Cancelled:

In a surprise announcement on Wednesday, the race director of Jingle Cross announced that due to a scheduling issue, Jingle Cross was cancelled for 2022. In the announcement seen on Bike Iowa's website here, race coordinator John Meehan, MD, states that he had secured a date for the event, which was not going to be a World cup event this year, but two months after the typical World Cup scheduling deadline, "the UCI awarded a nearby UCI World Cup on the same weekend." Presumably that would be the UCI World Cup event slated for October 15th in Fayetteville, Arkansas. 

Attempts to reschedule the event were unsuccessful, so the result was that the event was cancelled after an 18 year run. The announcement did not indicate whether or not there would ever be another Jingle Cross event with Meehan only signing off by saying, " Hope to see you down the road."

Comments: It might be worth noting here that Fayetteville is the home of the Walmart family's efforts in terms of cycling and that the Fayetteville based January 2022 UCI Cyclo-Cross event was sponsored by Walmart. The UCI also requires a pretty sizable investment from the promoters to host a World Cup event. Seeing that Jingle Cross 'elected not to pursue a World Cup' and that the UCI filled that void with the Fayetteville event, it might point to a money issue at the heart of this matter. 

Whatever the main issue was, it seems to point to the end of the run for an Iowa based cyclo cross event of national caliber. I could be wrong, but after 18 years and with no written assurance of future Jingle Cross events in the announcement, the door seems to be closing on this chapter of Iowa cycling.

Simworks Doppo High Plains Drifter. Image courtesy of Simworks.

Simworks introduces Klunker  Style MTB:

Simworks made a splash this week by introducing a klunker style MTB which they say is a modernized version of the style for today's mountain biker/bike packer. 

Sporting a steel, twin-top tube design, and having clearance for either 29" X 2.3' tires or 27.5" X 2.6" tires, the Doppo High Plains Drifter can be had for $2500.00. (It's not entirely clear to me whether that is for a frame and fork or...?) 

Comments: I love a klunker/cruiser style bike and especially one with 29" wheels. This looks good, but only 2.3" tires? Ahh...... Hmm. And that price? Not sure what you are getting there, but if it is a frame/fork only? Yeah...... Not sure from the website what is up there. Maybe you can figure it out... My guess is that's just the frame/fork. 

It's a fine choice, but my take is that if you are into these klunker style MTB's, an old Sawyer or an OS Cycles Blackbuck, if you can track one down, is a much nicer bike and looks as good, if not better, and takes bigger tires. (Note- Cue comments section with modern-day, currently available choices) 

Guitar Ted on a GTDRI a few years back. Image by Rob Evans.

Hall of Fame Ride Reminder:

Okay, so this Hall of Fame deal goes down in less than three weeks in Emporia, Kansas. If you are going to be there June 1st, you can buy a ticket to the banquet and see me get feted for gravel tomfoolery over the years. 

But if that doesn't fit your schedule and you'd like to come on a ride set up by N.Y. Roll which aims to recognize my accomplishments, then see this post on his blog. N.Y. Roll is adding details as they become clearer. So, check back there from time to time, or check the "FN&V" weekly coming up to the date set. If anything comes up, I repost it here on Fridays. 

A Note On The Date Chosen: N.Y. Roll thought- ya know - it might be cool if I was on this ride, so the date chosen reflects the time I have open to do the ride. That just so happens to be a Sunday, since I work on Saturdays. This also happens to be a Sunday where I don't have to play at church in the band. So, I apologize for a date that may not work for you, but again- since this is a ride honoring me, it seemed to make sense for me to be there to N.Y. Roll. So, no giving N.Y. Roll a hard time about the scheduling of this deal, okay? 

That's a wrap for this week! Thanks for reading G-Ted Productions!

Friday News And Views

Specialized teased the new Globe brand redux Tuesday. Image courtesy of Specialized

Specialized Re-Ups Globe Brand As EV Line:

You may remember in the late 90's, early 00's that Specialized offered city and cruiser bikes under the "Globe" brand name. (And a touring bike by that name in the 80's and an electric bike line recently that failed) Well, that name is coming back, (again) and will be electrified (again) when it does in late 2022. 

According to Specialized's Globe landing page, these bikes will be dealer only and Specialized claims that they will have a comprehensive support system using their dealer network which will help make the launch a success.

Interestingly, Specialized chose to use the term "EV" instead of "ebike" or "pedal assist" when describing the Globe brand's products in the language on the landing page. If you don't know, "EV" stands for "Electric Vehicle" which leaves the door open to fully-electric vehicles in this brand launch. 

Comments: In the world of electrified bicycles, it is a well known fact within the traditional bicycle industry that internet brands selling product in the HPV (Hybrid Powered Cycles) segment is kicking butt and taking names. Traditional brands in the industry are looking on as brands like Pedego, Rad Power, and others sell bike after bike. 

Obviously, it is a better experience and a safer bet to buy an electrified vehicle from a known brand with a wide network of dealerships. However; the mainstream brands have hogtied themselves to the Class I, II, and III code for electric bicycles and have mainly been providing variations on traditional bicycles fitted with electric motors and batteries. Meanwhile, brands like Rad Power are not tied to that design philosophy and have offered bicycles with a decidedly different take on two-wheeled transportation which has struck a nerve with the younger demographic and non-cycling crowds. 

Taking a look at the image Specialized provided, it is easy to see that this is a more "Rad Power-like" take on an HPV cargo rig. So, I suspect that Globe will not be providing bikes for the Lycra clad crowd and will be going after that same demographic that Rad Power, Pedego, and their ilk has tapped into. Meanwhile, that use of the term "EV" on the landing page is interesting. We will have to wait until this Fall to see what is up.

FDNY PSA about Lithium-Ion battery charging safety.

Fires Blamed On HPV Battery Charging:

Recently two fires connected to the charging of Lithium-Ion batteries for electrified bicycles has been in the news. 

The first was from a Florida bicycle shop, but when more information was released on that particular incident, it seemed that it was partially a user error situation. 

However; in the New York City borough of Queens, it appears that a spark caused the fire in the mid-afternoon which caused severe damage and sent some firemen to the hospital to be treated. 

Comments: This has been an ongoing issue for bike shops who are asked to service electrified bicycles, tricycles, and the like when consumers have purchased the bicycles on-line or used. The risk of fire is rather daunting, especially when Lithium-Ion fires are difficult to extinguish. Insurance policies often do not provide coverage for such fires for businesses and this also puts shop owners in a bind. 

The problem will need to be addressed as the electrification movement gathers steam. As it stands now, many shops refuse work when it comes to electrified bicycles, trikes, and scooters unless they are from a brand that they serve. So, if you are in the market for something like this, make sure you understand the dangers of charging and handling batteries and that maintenance may be difficult to obtain. 

Jingle Cross Cancelled:

In a surprise announcement on Wednesday, the race director of Jingle Cross announced that due to a scheduling issue, Jingle Cross was cancelled for 2022. In the announcement seen on Bike Iowa's website here, race coordinator John Meehan, MD, states that he had secured a date for the event, which was not going to be a World cup event this year, but two months after the typical World Cup scheduling deadline, "the UCI awarded a nearby UCI World Cup on the same weekend." Presumably that would be the UCI World Cup event slated for October 15th in Fayetteville, Arkansas. 

Attempts to reschedule the event were unsuccessful, so the result was that the event was cancelled after an 18 year run. The announcement did not indicate whether or not there would ever be another Jingle Cross event with Meehan only signing off by saying, " Hope to see you down the road."

Comments: It might be worth noting here that Fayetteville is the home of the Walmart family's efforts in terms of cycling and that the Fayetteville based January 2022 UCI Cyclo-Cross event was sponsored by Walmart. The UCI also requires a pretty sizable investment from the promoters to host a World Cup event. Seeing that Jingle Cross 'elected not to pursue a World Cup' and that the UCI filled that void with the Fayetteville event, it might point to a money issue at the heart of this matter. 

Whatever the main issue was, it seems to point to the end of the run for an Iowa based cyclo cross event of national caliber. I could be wrong, but after 18 years and with no written assurance of future Jingle Cross events in the announcement, the door seems to be closing on this chapter of Iowa cycling.

Simworks Doppo High Plains Drifter. Image courtesy of Simworks.

Simworks introduces Klunker  Style MTB:

Simworks made a splash this week by introducing a klunker style MTB which they say is a modernized version of the style for today's mountain biker/bike packer. 

Sporting a steel, twin-top tube design, and having clearance for either 29" X 2.3' tires or 27.5" X 2.6" tires, the Doppo High Plains Drifter can be had for $2500.00. (It's not entirely clear to me whether that is for a frame and fork or...?) 

Comments: I love a klunker/cruiser style bike and especially one with 29" wheels. This looks good, but only 2.3" tires? Ahh...... Hmm. And that price? Not sure what you are getting there, but if it is a frame/fork only? Yeah...... Not sure from the website what is up there. Maybe you can figure it out... My guess is that's just the frame/fork. 

It's a fine choice, but my take is that if you are into these klunker style MTB's, an old Sawyer or an OS Cycles Blackbuck, if you can track one down, is a much nicer bike and looks as good, if not better, and takes bigger tires. (Note- Cue comments section with modern-day, currently available choices) 

Guitar Ted on a GTDRI a few years back. Image by Rob Evans.

Hall of Fame Ride Reminder:

Okay, so this Hall of Fame deal goes down in less than three weeks in Emporia, Kansas. If you are going to be there June 1st, you can buy a ticket to the banquet and see me get feted for gravel tomfoolery over the years. 

But if that doesn't fit your schedule and you'd like to come on a ride set up by N.Y. Roll which aims to recognize my accomplishments, then see this post on his blog. N.Y. Roll is adding details as they become clearer. So, check back there from time to time, or check the "FN&V" weekly coming up to the date set. If anything comes up, I repost it here on Fridays. 

A Note On The Date Chosen: N.Y. Roll thought- ya know - it might be cool if I was on this ride, so the date chosen reflects the time I have open to do the ride. That just so happens to be a Sunday, since I work on Saturdays. This also happens to be a Sunday where I don't have to play at church in the band. So, I apologize for a date that may not work for you, but again- since this is a ride honoring me, it seemed to make sense for me to be there to N.Y. Roll. So, no giving N.Y. Roll a hard time about the scheduling of this deal, okay? 

That's a wrap for this week! Thanks for reading G-Ted Productions!

Randomonium

'22 Trek Verve 2 Disc (Image courtesy of Trek)

 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?

Sticker Shock: 

 One of the benchmarks for bicycle prices we use in this area is the price of 'entry level' pavement bikes. Bikes with flat bars and multiple gear, derailleur  drive trains which are sometimes called 'hybrid bikes' or 'fitness hybrids', or something along those lines. The price point on these bikes is where the 'meat' of the market is for many Mid-Western bicycle dealers. 

Well, as we have suspected, the price of entry is going up. Not by just a little bit either. I saw a price the other day for what I would term as Trek's most popular bike in this category, the Verve 2. I was shocked, quite frankly, and I think many consumers will be as well once they can come in and see new bicycles on dealer floors again. And that brings up another good point.

These are the type of customers who need to see the bike before they will buy. I don't discern any difference here when it comes to age groups either. Young, old, and in between- all want a test ride and to 'see what ya got' before parting with their hard earned, and now less powerful, dollars. 

Thinking about this, I feel like the last time any regular human being had any sense of what a bicycle from a bike shop cost, it was 2019. The pandemic erased market knowledge since, well....you know, there weren't any bicycles to look at. Now when these same folks see new bicycles, maybe in 2022, they will see completely different pricing. 

Here's what I found: A 2019 Trek Verve 2 (with rim brakes) was $569.00 MSRP. Trek has Verve 2 Disc bikes on their site right now at $749.00 MSRP. Yes- disc vs rim brake, but with the remaining specs being nearly identical, I'm not falling for a disc brake upgrade costing $180.00 more. Nope, and neither will consumers. All they will see is that bikes cost a LOT more now than they did pre-pandemic. And that is going to dampen sales to some degree. I'm thinking to a large degree, but I could be wrong. 

Bike boom? Ha! Hold my beer......

Rad Power Bikes To Build In The USA?

Last Thursday news broke that Rad Power Bikes, the direct-to-consumer brand for lower priced Hybrid Power Cycles (HPC's) was now funded again to the tune of $329 million USD. That's all well and fine, and some in the industry press have kind of poo-pooed this news, but it remains significant because of how Rad Power has made inroads into the US market. 

While other companies have more horsepower and have invested heavily into HPC (ebike) tech, they aren't actually showing up on the streets. Not like Rad Power and Pedego, (another upstart HPC brand) are around the US. Rad Power is beating the traditional brands in innovative ways, and at prices far below what traditional brands can offer, so what if 'bigger companies' have invested more? 

Anyway, what is really interesting is a hint given in a story on this new round of funding for Rad Power found online at "electrek" in this story. In that article it is hinted that something is going to be produced in the USA for Rad Power and it would stand to reason that it could mean assembly of bikes, much as with what I posted on concerning Cannondale in last week's "FN&V" post. But whatever happens there, it is obvious that Rad Power is going around end on major brands in several ways. This is the company that has purchased their own containers and leases smaller cargo ships to insure that they have product flowing into the market where other brands are stuck in the current supply chain morass. It is Rad Power that is bringing product that many consumers want, (Fat tires, On-demand throttle) whereas traditional bike companies tend to focus on eMTB and price thier fitness hybrid HPC's far above that of brands like Pedego and Rad Power. 

I see it in our area. Rad Power bikes are proliferating. So are other non-traditional brands of HPC's. Trek? Specialized? Giant? Not so much. I am afraid that traditional brands are really not understanding the consumer that an electrified bike appeals to. 

From Saturday's ride.

Twin Six "Ritual" Wind Vest Update:

Okay, so I thought I would give a quick update on this Twin Six wind vest I just got not long ago. You can read about the thing here if you missed it earlier. 

I thought I would say that first- this works as well as I'd hoped it would. It fits great and does keep the wind out. I LOVE the three pockets. But you knew I would if you'd have read the linked post above. 

What I really wanted to get at here with this quick update is that I have noticed that I have not had an issue with the zipper. You might recall that in my linked post above that I made note of the two-way zipper and how I thought that was a weak link in this vest.  

I still think that mostly, but I noticed that I did not have any issues at all with the zipper on my long ride Saturday. I had to stop, what was it? Three times, I think, to take a "Nature Break", and all three times I had to unzip the vest and re-zip when I was done. (Thermal bib tights, ya know?) Anyway, it was during one of those stops when I realized that the zipper went right up with no issues. Just like it should. No extra fidgeting with the thing at all. 

First, kudos once again to Twin Six for using a quality zipper. Secondly....yeah, but it still is a two-way zipper. It's a component with an extra point to fail. I'm not saying it will, but as I stated in my opener on this, I just am not a fan of this type of zipper. I see no reason to have it, but maybe I'm missing something here? Tell me if I am, but to my mind it is an unnecessary feature which could cause a failure of the zipper in the future. I've had other two-way zippers foul up, and long before the rest of the garment was ready to be retired. 

We'll see.......

And with that this brings this "Randomonium" to an end.

Randomonium

'22 Trek Verve 2 Disc (Image courtesy of Trek)

 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?

Sticker Shock: 

 One of the benchmarks for bicycle prices we use in this area is the price of 'entry level' pavement bikes. Bikes with flat bars and multiple gear, derailleur  drive trains which are sometimes called 'hybrid bikes' or 'fitness hybrids', or something along those lines. The price point on these bikes is where the 'meat' of the market is for many Mid-Western bicycle dealers. 

Well, as we have suspected, the price of entry is going up. Not by just a little bit either. I saw a price the other day for what I would term as Trek's most popular bike in this category, the Verve 2. I was shocked, quite frankly, and I think many consumers will be as well once they can come in and see new bicycles on dealer floors again. And that brings up another good point.

These are the type of customers who need to see the bike before they will buy. I don't discern any difference here when it comes to age groups either. Young, old, and in between- all want a test ride and to 'see what ya got' before parting with their hard earned, and now less powerful, dollars. 

Thinking about this, I feel like the last time any regular human being had any sense of what a bicycle from a bike shop cost, it was 2019. The pandemic erased market knowledge since, well....you know, there weren't any bicycles to look at. Now when these same folks see new bicycles, maybe in 2022, they will see completely different pricing. 

Here's what I found: A 2019 Trek Verve 2 (with rim brakes) was $569.00 MSRP. Trek has Verve 2 Disc bikes on their site right now at $749.00 MSRP. Yes- disc vs rim brake, but with the remaining specs being nearly identical, I'm not falling for a disc brake upgrade costing $180.00 more. Nope, and neither will consumers. All they will see is that bikes cost a LOT more now than they did pre-pandemic. And that is going to dampen sales to some degree. I'm thinking to a large degree, but I could be wrong. 

Bike boom? Ha! Hold my beer......

Rad Power Bikes To Build In The USA?

Last Thursday news broke that Rad Power Bikes, the direct-to-consumer brand for lower priced Hybrid Power Cycles (HPC's) was now funded again to the tune of $329 million USD. That's all well and fine, and some in the industry press have kind of poo-pooed this news, but it remains significant because of how Rad Power has made inroads into the US market. 

While other companies have more horsepower and have invested heavily into HPC (ebike) tech, they aren't actually showing up on the streets. Not like Rad Power and Pedego, (another upstart HPC brand) are around the US. Rad Power is beating the traditional brands in innovative ways, and at prices far below what traditional brands can offer, so what if 'bigger companies' have invested more? 

Anyway, what is really interesting is a hint given in a story on this new round of funding for Rad Power found online at "electrek" in this story. In that article it is hinted that something is going to be produced in the USA for Rad Power and it would stand to reason that it could mean assembly of bikes, much as with what I posted on concerning Cannondale in last week's "FN&V" post. But whatever happens there, it is obvious that Rad Power is going around end on major brands in several ways. This is the company that has purchased their own containers and leases smaller cargo ships to insure that they have product flowing into the market where other brands are stuck in the current supply chain morass. It is Rad Power that is bringing product that many consumers want, (Fat tires, On-demand throttle) whereas traditional bike companies tend to focus on eMTB and price thier fitness hybrid HPC's far above that of brands like Pedego and Rad Power. 

I see it in our area. Rad Power bikes are proliferating. So are other non-traditional brands of HPC's. Trek? Specialized? Giant? Not so much. I am afraid that traditional brands are really not understanding the consumer that an electrified bike appeals to. 

From Saturday's ride.

Twin Six "Ritual" Wind Vest Update:

Okay, so I thought I would give a quick update on this Twin Six wind vest I just got not long ago. You can read about the thing here if you missed it earlier. 

I thought I would say that first- this works as well as I'd hoped it would. It fits great and does keep the wind out. I LOVE the three pockets. But you knew I would if you'd have read the linked post above. 

What I really wanted to get at here with this quick update is that I have noticed that I have not had an issue with the zipper. You might recall that in my linked post above that I made note of the two-way zipper and how I thought that was a weak link in this vest.  

I still think that mostly, but I noticed that I did not have any issues at all with the zipper on my long ride Saturday. I had to stop, what was it? Three times, I think, to take a "Nature Break", and all three times I had to unzip the vest and re-zip when I was done. (Thermal bib tights, ya know?) Anyway, it was during one of those stops when I realized that the zipper went right up with no issues. Just like it should. No extra fidgeting with the thing at all. 

First, kudos once again to Twin Six for using a quality zipper. Secondly....yeah, but it still is a two-way zipper. It's a component with an extra point to fail. I'm not saying it will, but as I stated in my opener on this, I just am not a fan of this type of zipper. I see no reason to have it, but maybe I'm missing something here? Tell me if I am, but to my mind it is an unnecessary feature which could cause a failure of the zipper in the future. I've had other two-way zippers foul up, and long before the rest of the garment was ready to be retired. 

We'll see.......

And with that this brings this "Randomonium" to an end.