Let's Get This Ball Rolling Already! Part 2

The Noble GX5

So the weather is improving day by day. I've been readying the test fleet and items for review and have started using a few of these items already. To make matters worse, (better?), I got another piece of kit to review yesterday. Plus, I have something I purchased for personal use that I very well could review, but that will have to wait until I get this backlog of stuff ahead of it in line done and out of the way.

Anyway, I wanted to share this rig here, the Noble GX5 gravel bike. It is an evolution of the Tamland, which you long time readers here know I had some influence on when that bike was developed. However; for those who haven't heard the tale, I think it bears repeating here, so please indulge me the chance to briefly bring those who don't know about this up to speed......

In 2012, I was working at the bike shop, wrenching on repairs, when I got a call. It was the brand manager at that time for Raleigh Bikes, Brian Fornes. He had a room of people listening on speaker phone and he wanted to know what I would do if I spec'ed out a gravel bike under the Raleigh banner. Now keep in mind, I had no idea this call was coming and the information I gave Raleigh was right off the top of my head.

To be sure, I had been exploring here on the blog concerning the "ideal gravel bike for me", so the information was fresh. Still, that I was able to convey anything that made any sense to the product engineers sitting there thousands of miles away is pretty incredible. Apparently, it made sense because they used every single suggestion I made in the development of the Tamland, which debuted in 2014.

Fast forward: Mark Landsaat, one of those engineers in that room that day in 2012, started his own brand, Noble Bikes, and he took the "DNA", so to speak, of the Tamland and infused a bit of modernity and his own take on things to come up with the GX5. I know some folks will say that this bike is "just a Roker with a different name", but it isn't at all. It's VERY different from that bike.

I am pretty stoked to get out on the GX5 to see how it stacks up against the Tamland and other bikes I've tried. It is 1X........ahhh, yeah, about that.......This wouldn't be my gig of choice, but it is Force 1 and it does shift great straight out of the box. So, we'll see.........

Bell z20 Aero helmet.

The thing I bought was a helmet. A Bell helmet, to be exact. I'll let you in on a secret- no manufacturers helmets fit my head really well. Bell's come the closest. My hat size is 7 7/8ths, or if you are metric, that's about 63cm around the noggin. Not the biggest head in the world, but to compound matters, my head is long and narrow. Not round. Many helmets, if they even go on my head at all, hit me right in the front and the back with gaping gaps on the sides. Giro helmets do that. They actually hurt me to wear. Lazer, same thing, and on and on.

In fact, if I get a new Bell helmet in size Large, which almost fits me, but not quite, I have to remove all the padding and those pesky Velcro strips, and then and only then does it begin to work. I tried a Bontrager helmet, but it wasn't better than a Bell and it sat up on my head leaving the lower parts exposed and it looked weird. So, I went back to a Bell this time. An aero helmet too. We will see how it goes, but a friend who wears an older Bell aero helmet swears by them and so I figured I'd give one a try. I will say that it doesn't look as odd as the older, super spiky roadie helmets I used to get.

One more confession before I go. If it weren't for friends and my wife, I wouldn't wear a helmet. It feels so much better to not wear one, but I know. Save the "who will take care of you when you are brain injured and drooling in a cup" admonishments. I'm going to be wearing a helmet! I just wish that there were good choices in a helmet that actually fit my head, and not a compromised fit, which honestly, it may not be a whole lot better than not wearing one. Who knows...... (Don't get on me! I'm going to wear a helmet!)

More coming in the weeks ahead......Stay tuned!

Let's Get This Ball Rolling Already! Part 2

The Noble GX5

So the weather is improving day by day. I've been readying the test fleet and items for review and have started using a few of these items already. To make matters worse, (better?), I got another piece of kit to review yesterday. Plus, I have something I purchased for personal use that I very well could review, but that will have to wait until I get this backlog of stuff ahead of it in line done and out of the way.

Anyway, I wanted to share this rig here, the Noble GX5 gravel bike. It is an evolution of the Tamland, which you long time readers here know I had some influence on when that bike was developed. However; for those who haven't heard the tale, I think it bears repeating here, so please indulge me the chance to briefly bring those who don't know about this up to speed......

In 2012, I was working at the bike shop, wrenching on repairs, when I got a call. It was the brand manager at that time for Raleigh Bikes, Brian Fornes. He had a room of people listening on speaker phone and he wanted to know what I would do if I spec'ed out a gravel bike under the Raleigh banner. Now keep in mind, I had no idea this call was coming and the information I gave Raleigh was right off the top of my head.

To be sure, I had been exploring here on the blog concerning the "ideal gravel bike for me", so the information was fresh. Still, that I was able to convey anything that made any sense to the product engineers sitting there thousands of miles away is pretty incredible. Apparently, it made sense because they used every single suggestion I made in the development of the Tamland, which debuted in 2014.

Fast forward: Mark Landsaat, one of those engineers in that room that day in 2012, started his own brand, Noble Bikes, and he took the "DNA", so to speak, of the Tamland and infused a bit of modernity and his own take on things to come up with the GX5. I know some folks will say that this bike is "just a Roker with a different name", but it isn't at all. It's VERY different from that bike.

I am pretty stoked to get out on the GX5 to see how it stacks up against the Tamland and other bikes I've tried. It is 1X........ahhh, yeah, about that.......This wouldn't be my gig of choice, but it is Force 1 and it does shift great straight out of the box. So, we'll see.........

Bell z20 Aero helmet.

The thing I bought was a helmet. A Bell helmet, to be exact. I'll let you in on a secret- no manufacturers helmets fit my head really well. Bell's come the closest. My hat size is 7 7/8ths, or if you are metric, that's about 63cm around the noggin. Not the biggest head in the world, but to compound matters, my head is long and narrow. Not round. Many helmets, if they even go on my head at all, hit me right in the front and the back with gaping gaps on the sides. Giro helmets do that. They actually hurt me to wear. Lazer, same thing, and on and on.

In fact, if I get a new Bell helmet in size Large, which almost fits me, but not quite, I have to remove all the padding and those pesky Velcro strips, and then and only then does it begin to work. I tried a Bontrager helmet, but it wasn't better than a Bell and it sat up on my head leaving the lower parts exposed and it looked weird. So, I went back to a Bell this time. An aero helmet too. We will see how it goes, but a friend who wears an older Bell aero helmet swears by them and so I figured I'd give one a try. I will say that it doesn't look as odd as the older, super spiky roadie helmets I used to get.

One more confession before I go. If it weren't for friends and my wife, I wouldn't wear a helmet. It feels so much better to not wear one, but I know. Save the "who will take care of you when you are brain injured and drooling in a cup" admonishments. I'm going to be wearing a helmet! I just wish that there were good choices in a helmet that actually fit my head, and not a compromised fit, which honestly, it may not be a whole lot better than not wearing one. Who knows...... (Don't get on me! I'm going to wear a helmet!)

More coming in the weeks ahead......Stay tuned!

Roads: Two Kinds

Rough, (foreground), or smooth, (back ground), I like these sorts of roads best.

In the world of "road cycling" there is a perception that there is only one kind of "road". That would be a paved, smooth, hard surface. Unforgiving, home to copious amounts of automobile and truck traffic, and in many cases, unfit for cycling. Sure, there are quiet nooks and corners in the paved world, but for the most part, you are encroaching upon the playground of heavy, high velocity chunks of rubber, plastic, and steel piloted by distracted drivers and many who deem those on two wheels as some sort of insect to be crushed. Many think this is the only kind of road cycling there is.

They couldn't be more wrong.

There are other roads. Roads that are not paved smooth, but have crushed rock, or even dirt as their passageway. These roads are shunned by automobiles, and are solely the province of the rural resident, who typically sees a two wheeled, pedaling humanoid as someone to wave at and give a wide berth to. These roads are not only the realm of the courteous, but take you back, closer to nature. There is the cleansing of the mind and renewing of the soul. This is where one can disconnect from the connected and get some much needed re-connection with nature.

These are my kind of roads.

Roads: Two Kinds

Rough, (foreground), or smooth, (back ground), I like these sorts of roads best.

In the world of "road cycling" there is a perception that there is only one kind of "road". That would be a paved, smooth, hard surface. Unforgiving, home to copious amounts of automobile and truck traffic, and in many cases, unfit for cycling. Sure, there are quiet nooks and corners in the paved world, but for the most part, you are encroaching upon the playground of heavy, high velocity chunks of rubber, plastic, and steel piloted by distracted drivers and many who deem those on two wheels as some sort of insect to be crushed. Many think this is the only kind of road cycling there is.

They couldn't be more wrong.

There are other roads. Roads that are not paved smooth, but have crushed rock, or even dirt as their passageway. These roads are shunned by automobiles, and are solely the province of the rural resident, who typically sees a two wheeled, pedaling humanoid as someone to wave at and give a wide berth to. These roads are not only the realm of the courteous, but take you back, closer to nature. There is the cleansing of the mind and renewing of the soul. This is where one can disconnect from the connected and get some much needed re-connection with nature.

These are my kind of roads.

The Last Day Of Fall

Minutes after surviving a squall with stinging rain

The forecast was for steadily falling temperatures and increasing winds. Spotty showers were also in the area. The following days were to get much colder and snow was hinted at. Hmm...... Signs were pointing to this as being the last day of Fall. The calendar may not say so, but the weather- that's what rules. 

So, I kitted up and grabbed the Raleigh Roker LTD to test myself against the gale force Southerly wind. The radar showed a shower headed right at me before I left, but with not a lot of time on my hands, I had to take what was coming. Off I went South down the bike path toward the gravel.

I wasn't but a handful of miles in before I could see it headed toward me. It started in as a sprinkle, but I could see wind driven rain up ahead. When it reached me it intensified to the point where the rain was stinging my face and just seeing where I was headed was very difficult. What's that silly list? "The Rules", is it? I was either spot on Rule #9, if you are a bike freak, or some insane, incredibly stupid, worthy of death or worse fool, if you were any commoner that saw me out there right then. I'm not sure it wasn't the latter there for a minute or two.

The squall eventually passed, it got easier to pedal, and the rain let up. One thing I've noticed about 25+ mile per hour winds, and that is if it is raining, you only get wet where the rain hits you, and the leeward sides stay dry.

The light was getting bent in all sorts of odd ways by this cloud formation. 

The gravel was very wet, as you might imagine. Water was streaming down in little rivulets. The packed road way wasn't muddy, per se', but cleaner, and I didn't get the "concrete" skin effect so often seen when folks ride bicycles on wet gravel around here. I was a bit surprised by that, actually. Eventually I turned out of the wind and was in a cross wind situation. The Roker's stability was much appreciated about this time into the ride.

The barren fields will soon be white with snow.

It wasn't long before I came upon a long patch of fresher, deeper gravel, but with things being so wet, I think the rocks were actually easier to ride than it would have been had it been dry and dusty. Then it was time to turn back with the wind, and of course, I flew back to the city with great ease. A short cruise through the city, then I was back home.

There was one or two things I learned on this ride, but one thing in particular I want to point out. That would be that on very windy days out on the gravel, if you are going against the wind, you won't hear any traffic coming from behind you until it is right beside you. That could be a dangerous situation, so please keep that in mind if you find yourself on a lonely road going against a howling wind.

Fall- It was a grand one here in the Mid-West, and I got a lot of fun rides in, but it is over now. Sometimes Winter is kind and allows for the gravel to be traveled by two wheels, but sometimes it isn't that way. Ice, snow, and especially wicked winds with sub-zero wind chills keep me at bay. That is when I turn to the fat bike and stick close to home here. I don't know what this Winter will be like, but it starts today.

The Last Day Of Fall

Minutes after surviving a squall with stinging rain

The forecast was for steadily falling temperatures and increasing winds. Spotty showers were also in the area. The following days were to get much colder and snow was hinted at. Hmm...... Signs were pointing to this as being the last day of Fall. The calendar may not say so, but the weather- that's what rules. 

So, I kitted up and grabbed the Raleigh Roker LTD to test myself against the gale force Southerly wind. The radar showed a shower headed right at me before I left, but with not a lot of time on my hands, I had to take what was coming. Off I went South down the bike path toward the gravel.

I wasn't but a handful of miles in before I could see it headed toward me. It started in as a sprinkle, but I could see wind driven rain up ahead. When it reached me it intensified to the point where the rain was stinging my face and just seeing where I was headed was very difficult. What's that silly list? "The Rules", is it? I was either spot on Rule #9, if you are a bike freak, or some insane, incredibly stupid, worthy of death or worse fool, if you were any commoner that saw me out there right then. I'm not sure it wasn't the latter there for a minute or two.

The squall eventually passed, it got easier to pedal, and the rain let up. One thing I've noticed about 25+ mile per hour winds, and that is if it is raining, you only get wet where the rain hits you, and the leeward sides stay dry.

The light was getting bent in all sorts of odd ways by this cloud formation. 

The gravel was very wet, as you might imagine. Water was streaming down in little rivulets. The packed road way wasn't muddy, per se', but cleaner, and I didn't get the "concrete" skin effect so often seen when folks ride bicycles on wet gravel around here. I was a bit surprised by that, actually. Eventually I turned out of the wind and was in a cross wind situation. The Roker's stability was much appreciated about this time into the ride.

The barren fields will soon be white with snow.

It wasn't long before I came upon a long patch of fresher, deeper gravel, but with things being so wet, I think the rocks were actually easier to ride than it would have been had it been dry and dusty. Then it was time to turn back with the wind, and of course, I flew back to the city with great ease. A short cruise through the city, then I was back home.

There was one or two things I learned on this ride, but one thing in particular I want to point out. That would be that on very windy days out on the gravel, if you are going against the wind, you won't hear any traffic coming from behind you until it is right beside you. That could be a dangerous situation, so please keep that in mind if you find yourself on a lonely road going against a howling wind.

Fall- It was a grand one here in the Mid-West, and I got a lot of fun rides in, but it is over now. Sometimes Winter is kind and allows for the gravel to be traveled by two wheels, but sometimes it isn't that way. Ice, snow, and especially wicked winds with sub-zero wind chills keep me at bay. That is when I turn to the fat bike and stick close to home here. I don't know what this Winter will be like, but it starts today.

Repair Schedule

 Tire repair- Refresh sealant. Ready!

Wednesday was weird. First off, my daughter didn't feel well enough to go to school. so I was off work anyway and became the nurse for the morning. Thankfully, by mid-afternoon she was herself again. However; that time was all that was open for riding, so I had to get something else done around the house, not make a ton of noise, (while she was sleeping), and stay within close proximity in case I was needed.

That set of requirements best fit a schedule of repair on some bikes that I had been putting off for a while. I also tackled a swap or two that I had in mind. It was like going to work, except I didn't get paid by my boss for it! Well, at least I benefited from it directly, and hey.......the labor was free! 

First up, I wanted to peel off the Cannonball tires from the American Classic rims on the Roker LTD and put those on the trusty HED Ardennes + rims on the Black Mountain Cycles rig. That went pretty well, with the HED rims taking on the Cannonball tires with a bit of a blast from my teeny-tiny air compressor, and setting up with zero issues. Then I took the rig for a blast around the neighborhood to get a feel for the tires. (Don't worry. My daughter was up and about by this time.) Still not totally convinced on those tires......

Those fancy-pants Cannonball tires will live on this bike for a while now.

Then it was on to my OS Bikes Blackbuck, which I had a puncture on several weeks ago when I rode it. The sealant initially did the trick, sealed the cut, and I got home, but the next day it went flat. I knew I'd need more sealant, as it blew out a lot just getting the initial puncture to seal up.

I wasn't sure on this one, because I figured that more sealant would just blow out again, but much to my surprise it sealed up, and my blast around the neighborhood on it showed no chinks in the armor. Good to go then and on to the next bike.

The next project was a swap again. This time the swap was a fork swap with the Blackborow DS going from Bluto to rigid again. I took the time to blast out the crud from the semi-sealed lower head set bearing, and repack it with grease for the Winter. Then I popped on the rigid fork. I always have a back and forth on stems and how straight they are, eventually just giving up. I know there are little tricks to help with this but my brain and eyes like to play little tricks with me when I do this. My brain and eyes think it is funny. I don't play the game long before I just turn away and torque down the bolts. If I keep looking at it I'll drive myself crazy and give my brain and my eyes the very thing they are wanting- to make me go nuts. So, enough was enough. Moving along now!

Ready for Winter duty.

Then I attended to the chain and cogs on this bike, with a bit of cleaning and lube. I also had to bolt on one of the Anything Cage HD's that I had taken off for a proposed display at work that didn't happen. With that accomplished I had the Blackborow DS ready for Winter commuting and more.

After this it was time to wrench on my other fat bike- the Ti Muk. It developed a flattish rear tire, but it never lost all of its air. So, I took the tube out. I may have put sealant in this tube, but danged if I can remember. That could be taken care of if I kept a log book on each bike! I should do that......

Anyway, I dunk tanked the tube in the kitchen sink and found nuthn'! So, I scoured the tire and found nuthin'! Hrummpff! Okay, well maybe I did put sealant in that tire, but if I did, I couldn't tell other than the fact that it weighed more than it should. Whatever! I took the opportunity to put a new rim strip in the wheel. I hadn't put a new one in since 2011, so it was over due for that wheel. I should do the front as well, but it is in better condition.

The inner casing of the tire was coated in talc powder, then I put the tube in and mounted it up. Now I have another, geared fat bike ready to go for the Winter fun and commuting. With that bike done and out of the repair list, I was pretty much done for the day. A good day of repairs and I even cleared up a bit of space on my cluttered bench as well. All in all a good day at the home office.

Repair Schedule

 Tire repair- Refresh sealant. Ready!

Wednesday was weird. First off, my daughter didn't feel well enough to go to school. so I was off work anyway and became the nurse for the morning. Thankfully, by mid-afternoon she was herself again. However; that time was all that was open for riding, so I had to get something else done around the house, not make a ton of noise, (while she was sleeping), and stay within close proximity in case I was needed.

That set of requirements best fit a schedule of repair on some bikes that I had been putting off for a while. I also tackled a swap or two that I had in mind. It was like going to work, except I didn't get paid by my boss for it! Well, at least I benefited from it directly, and hey.......the labor was free! 

First up, I wanted to peel off the Cannonball tires from the American Classic rims on the Roker LTD and put those on the trusty HED Ardennes + rims on the Black Mountain Cycles rig. That went pretty well, with the HED rims taking on the Cannonball tires with a bit of a blast from my teeny-tiny air compressor, and setting up with zero issues. Then I took the rig for a blast around the neighborhood to get a feel for the tires. (Don't worry. My daughter was up and about by this time.) Still not totally convinced on those tires......

Those fancy-pants Cannonball tires will live on this bike for a while now.

Then it was on to my OS Bikes Blackbuck, which I had a puncture on several weeks ago when I rode it. The sealant initially did the trick, sealed the cut, and I got home, but the next day it went flat. I knew I'd need more sealant, as it blew out a lot just getting the initial puncture to seal up.

I wasn't sure on this one, because I figured that more sealant would just blow out again, but much to my surprise it sealed up, and my blast around the neighborhood on it showed no chinks in the armor. Good to go then and on to the next bike.

The next project was a swap again. This time the swap was a fork swap with the Blackborow DS going from Bluto to rigid again. I took the time to blast out the crud from the semi-sealed lower head set bearing, and repack it with grease for the Winter. Then I popped on the rigid fork. I always have a back and forth on stems and how straight they are, eventually just giving up. I know there are little tricks to help with this but my brain and eyes like to play little tricks with me when I do this. My brain and eyes think it is funny. I don't play the game long before I just turn away and torque down the bolts. If I keep looking at it I'll drive myself crazy and give my brain and my eyes the very thing they are wanting- to make me go nuts. So, enough was enough. Moving along now!

Ready for Winter duty.

Then I attended to the chain and cogs on this bike, with a bit of cleaning and lube. I also had to bolt on one of the Anything Cage HD's that I had taken off for a proposed display at work that didn't happen. With that accomplished I had the Blackborow DS ready for Winter commuting and more.

After this it was time to wrench on my other fat bike- the Ti Muk. It developed a flattish rear tire, but it never lost all of its air. So, I took the tube out. I may have put sealant in this tube, but danged if I can remember. That could be taken care of if I kept a log book on each bike! I should do that......

Anyway, I dunk tanked the tube in the kitchen sink and found nuthn'! So, I scoured the tire and found nuthin'! Hrummpff! Okay, well maybe I did put sealant in that tire, but if I did, I couldn't tell other than the fact that it weighed more than it should. Whatever! I took the opportunity to put a new rim strip in the wheel. I hadn't put a new one in since 2011, so it was over due for that wheel. I should do the front as well, but it is in better condition.

The inner casing of the tire was coated in talc powder, then I put the tube in and mounted it up. Now I have another, geared fat bike ready to go for the Winter fun and commuting. With that bike done and out of the repair list, I was pretty much done for the day. A good day of repairs and I even cleared up a bit of space on my cluttered bench as well. All in all a good day at the home office.

Plastic Fantastic Magical Tire Musings

The Raleigh Roker LTD

Okay, so usually I don't get to check out the top-flight groups or frames in my years gigging as a reviewer of stuff. That's okay with me, as those "halo bikes" and bits of jewelry typically don't find their way into too many people's hands anyway. I'd rather chat and blather on about stuff that does make a dint in the "real lives" of the "average cyclist", however that might be defined.

Well, sometimes I have gotten a chance at a sweet, top-o-the range rig to test out, and oddly enough, the other one that comes immediately to mind is a Raleigh as well. Anyway, this Roker LTD has that carbon fiber thing going on, but that isn't a really earth shattering idea anymore these days. What is still fairly odd-ball about this bike is the electronic shifting, and that engenders far more conversation about this bike than anything else. So, how is that electronic shifting?

Well, I will say that it took some getting used to. Buttons are not like levers and the tactile feel of the buttons and the tactile feel of the pushing of them is somewhat ambiguous. Did I shift? Whoops! Wrong button! Those were two common thoughts during the first few rides. However; I started to come around. The fact that you can hold the button down to get several shifts was fun a couple of times. That isn't really going to be that big of a deal on most rides. The one thing I think was a big deal was that I could shift under power, whenever I wanted.

A champ a shifting......whenever you want to.

This is an important thing to stop and consider, because if you haven't used electronic shifting, your ingrained, habitual let ups and work-arounds to make your drive train work are something that is not noticed. You just have learned to shift this way. It's what you do before a hill, during a long climb, or coming out of a corner, that you just have lived with, but with electronic shifting, you don't have to anymore.

I found this to be a "light bulb" moment when I swung around a right hander into a climb, chose a gear, and stomped on the pedals. Whoops! Too high of a gear choice there, but- ya know- you just got to gut it out, because with this much pressure on the pedals, you probably won't get the shift. Unless.......zing! You have electronic shifting, which seems to be impervious to how hard you are cranking out the power. My shift made the climb more bearable. Interestingly, the chain actually did make a zing sound and the resulting vibrations could be felt through the carbon frame, the chain was so taught. I also was able to shift the front rings under power, standing up. It just doesn't seem to matter. All your preconceived notions, all your habitual shifting patterns and strategies are now completely useless with Di2. Those servos don't care. They shift no matter. It really makes things easier and.....better. 

I think electronic shifting bits are okay at this point, but I have to wonder how slippery a slope we are on. How, or even if, electronic shifting might take things out of our hands and start making decisions for us. Sound far fetched? I don't think so when you consider ANT+, Bluetooth, power meters, and electronic shifting and how that could all be integrated into an "automatic" shifting drive train.

It's an "official tire" for a certain event, but is it for you?

Then there are these tubeless tires from QBP's new brand, Teravail. They have poured a dump truck load of R&D, marketing, and promotion into this brand and in particular, the Cannonball 40mm tire. It's a tire that they have pinned a lot of hopes on, and it is the official tire of the Dirty Kanza 200, dontcha know. There is even a tire release party at Emporia this weekend. So.....yeah. It's a big deal.

Are these tires all that and a bag of chips? Well, there are over a 100 miles on the set I have here, and I can say that they are decent tires. I'm not all blown away by them, or at least, not yet. They may break in and ride better than they do now. Many gravel tires seem to be this way. Stiff, wooden feeling casings get more lively and cushy as the miles pile on. I was texting back and forth with my good friend, MG about this last night, and we recounted several tires we have both used that acted in this manner. That said, I'm not going to tell you these tires are so amazing they should have their own release party, because, well, that's just silly.  They do well tubeless though, and for that, I think they are definitely worth considering. I'll have more to say about these in the future.....

So, this bike as a whole, it is definitely interesting. It has a very unique ride quality that I have found that another guy at the shop, who I let ride it the other day, confirmed for me. In some ways it isn't very surprising, and in some ways the ride of the Roker is doing two things at once which is very unlike my steel bikes. Is it "bad" or is it "good"? I just don't quite know the answer to that just yet. I'll be moving the tires off this and slapping something I'm more attuned to to help me dissect this beast.

Until then, I'll be riding this plastic fantastic rig some more to get to the bottom of it all.

Plastic Fantastic Magical Tire Musings

The Raleigh Roker LTD

Okay, so usually I don't get to check out the top-flight groups or frames in my years gigging as a reviewer of stuff. That's okay with me, as those "halo bikes" and bits of jewelry typically don't find their way into too many people's hands anyway. I'd rather chat and blather on about stuff that does make a dint in the "real lives" of the "average cyclist", however that might be defined.

Well, sometimes I have gotten a chance at a sweet, top-o-the range rig to test out, and oddly enough, the other one that comes immediately to mind is a Raleigh as well. Anyway, this Roker LTD has that carbon fiber thing going on, but that isn't a really earth shattering idea anymore these days. What is still fairly odd-ball about this bike is the electronic shifting, and that engenders far more conversation about this bike than anything else. So, how is that electronic shifting?

Well, I will say that it took some getting used to. Buttons are not like levers and the tactile feel of the buttons and the tactile feel of the pushing of them is somewhat ambiguous. Did I shift? Whoops! Wrong button! Those were two common thoughts during the first few rides. However; I started to come around. The fact that you can hold the button down to get several shifts was fun a couple of times. That isn't really going to be that big of a deal on most rides. The one thing I think was a big deal was that I could shift under power, whenever I wanted.

A champ a shifting......whenever you want to.

This is an important thing to stop and consider, because if you haven't used electronic shifting, your ingrained, habitual let ups and work-arounds to make your drive train work are something that is not noticed. You just have learned to shift this way. It's what you do before a hill, during a long climb, or coming out of a corner, that you just have lived with, but with electronic shifting, you don't have to anymore.

I found this to be a "light bulb" moment when I swung around a right hander into a climb, chose a gear, and stomped on the pedals. Whoops! Too high of a gear choice there, but- ya know- you just got to gut it out, because with this much pressure on the pedals, you probably won't get the shift. Unless.......zing! You have electronic shifting, which seems to be impervious to how hard you are cranking out the power. My shift made the climb more bearable. Interestingly, the chain actually did make a zing sound and the resulting vibrations could be felt through the carbon frame, the chain was so taught. I also was able to shift the front rings under power, standing up. It just doesn't seem to matter. All your preconceived notions, all your habitual shifting patterns and strategies are now completely useless with Di2. Those servos don't care. They shift no matter. It really makes things easier and.....better. 

I think electronic shifting bits are okay at this point, but I have to wonder how slippery a slope we are on. How, or even if, electronic shifting might take things out of our hands and start making decisions for us. Sound far fetched? I don't think so when you consider ANT+, Bluetooth, power meters, and electronic shifting and how that could all be integrated into an "automatic" shifting drive train.

It's an "official tire" for a certain event, but is it for you?

Then there are these tubeless tires from QBP's new brand, Teravail. They have poured a dump truck load of R&D, marketing, and promotion into this brand and in particular, the Cannonball 40mm tire. It's a tire that they have pinned a lot of hopes on, and it is the official tire of the Dirty Kanza 200, dontcha know. There is even a tire release party at Emporia this weekend. So.....yeah. It's a big deal.

Are these tires all that and a bag of chips? Well, there are over a 100 miles on the set I have here, and I can say that they are decent tires. I'm not all blown away by them, or at least, not yet. They may break in and ride better than they do now. Many gravel tires seem to be this way. Stiff, wooden feeling casings get more lively and cushy as the miles pile on. I was texting back and forth with my good friend, MG about this last night, and we recounted several tires we have both used that acted in this manner. That said, I'm not going to tell you these tires are so amazing they should have their own release party, because, well, that's just silly.  They do well tubeless though, and for that, I think they are definitely worth considering. I'll have more to say about these in the future.....

So, this bike as a whole, it is definitely interesting. It has a very unique ride quality that I have found that another guy at the shop, who I let ride it the other day, confirmed for me. In some ways it isn't very surprising, and in some ways the ride of the Roker is doing two things at once which is very unlike my steel bikes. Is it "bad" or is it "good"? I just don't quite know the answer to that just yet. I'll be moving the tires off this and slapping something I'm more attuned to to help me dissect this beast.

Until then, I'll be riding this plastic fantastic rig some more to get to the bottom of it all.

Rainy Day Fiddlin'

Once I get this plugged in, then it's on!

With hurricane Patricia's remains about to drench us, I had no alternative but to high tail it home, even though I had a bit of spare time on my hands in the afternoon. So, I started fiddlin' with this new Raleigh Roker LTD that was sent over for test/review on RidingGravel.com.

I bought some Teravail Cannonball tires to check out, and the Roker LTD has tubeless ready American Classic Argent disc wheels on it, so......why not? I got the front one done quite easily, but the back one? That will have to wait until tomorrow. Why? Because I have to plug the bike in. 

Yep. This is a Di2 equipped rig, and the battery is completely dead. It came out of the box stuck in its lowest gear in the back, so until I can get that rear derailleur shifted out of the way, the back tire remains tubed. Yeah.......I could get the wheel out, but I figure I'll wait till I get the battery charged first. So......why don't I have it charged yet? Well, you see, I didn't get the charger, which is specific to this set up, with the bike. I mistakenly thought we had all we needed at the shop, but apparently this new stuff takes a different charger. Well........of course it does. No worries. A new charger should be here today and I'll get that battery charged up, ride the bike a bit, then swap out that tire tomorrow, most likely.

Batteries, chargers, and bicycles? I never thought I'd be saying those three words in the same sentence, but that's the way things have gone now. I hear great things about the Di2 stuff, so now I will get to try it and judge it for myself. Stay tuned......

Rainy Day Fiddlin'

Once I get this plugged in, then it's on!

With hurricane Patricia's remains about to drench us, I had no alternative but to high tail it home, even though I had a bit of spare time on my hands in the afternoon. So, I started fiddlin' with this new Raleigh Roker LTD that was sent over for test/review on RidingGravel.com.

I bought some Teravail Cannonball tires to check out, and the Roker LTD has tubeless ready American Classic Argent disc wheels on it, so......why not? I got the front one done quite easily, but the back one? That will have to wait until tomorrow. Why? Because I have to plug the bike in. 

Yep. This is a Di2 equipped rig, and the battery is completely dead. It came out of the box stuck in its lowest gear in the back, so until I can get that rear derailleur shifted out of the way, the back tire remains tubed. Yeah.......I could get the wheel out, but I figure I'll wait till I get the battery charged first. So......why don't I have it charged yet? Well, you see, I didn't get the charger, which is specific to this set up, with the bike. I mistakenly thought we had all we needed at the shop, but apparently this new stuff takes a different charger. Well........of course it does. No worries. A new charger should be here today and I'll get that battery charged up, ride the bike a bit, then swap out that tire tomorrow, most likely.

Batteries, chargers, and bicycles? I never thought I'd be saying those three words in the same sentence, but that's the way things have gone now. I hear great things about the Di2 stuff, so now I will get to try it and judge it for myself. Stay tuned......

Friday News And Views

Raleigh Roker Limited

Something Special:

So this just happened" I was offered the opportunity to test ride the Raleigh Roker Limited. This is kind of a big deal and an honor. Here's why....

Long time readers here know the story, but for those newer here, the Roker is based off the Tamland steel bike Raleigh does, and that bike was influenced by myself. Raleigh asked my opinion on geometry and features, and that got implemented into the Tamland, and subsequently all the gravel/back road bikes Raleigh does. So, to have this, top of the range, cutting edge bike be based off some crazy ideas I have, well...... Anyway, that's pretty humbling. The other thing is that this is currently the only rideable sample Raleigh has available. So I am quite honored they felt compelled to let me check it out now. Thank you Raleigh!!

I am pretty excited about getting a chance to throw a leg over this. While it isn't "revolutionary" in terms of what I am used to with regard to geometry on the Tamland, it does have the carbon frame, and the bottom bracket is a touch lower even than what I am riding now with my Raleigh. Lighter weight, carbon, Di2..... This will be a fun ride, I think. Stay tuned here and at RidingGravel.com for updates.

Trans Iowa v12 Updates:

Okay, this has been a big deal of a week from the standpoint of registration. The Rookies window to get cards in ends tomorrow. The Finishers/Winners window also ends tomorrow. The Vets window starts tomorrow. Lots going on!

That said, things should slow down once we get past Saturday. Then the Vets slots will likely fill up rather quickly, and I am betting the registration will be mostly over by Wednesday or Thursday at the latest. Then all eyes will be on the lottery for the 40 Rookie spots. I have to announce a specific time that will occur on Saturday October 31st, but there is one thing I do know. The lottery will be broadcast. I tried Periscope and it broadcasts to Twitter live. So, if you are interested in seeing the drawing live, it will be on my account which is @guitarted1961 on Twitter.

The way it seems to work with Periscope is that you can hop on at anytime during the broadcast, but if you miss something, you can watch the broadcast in its entirety afterward. I'm not an expert on Periscope, far from it, but this should prove to be fun stuff for those interested.

And before anyone hops to the next level..... No. There will be no live Periscope from the course of Trans Iowa v12. While that sounds like a good thing, I think it steps over the line in regards to the spirit of the event. Nuff said.......

The Teravail Cannonball 38mm tire

Teravail Cannonball Tires:

I just purchased some of these Teravail Cannonball tires with the tread design that is supposed to be good on "coarse gravel". That sounds like Iowa to me!

They are also supposed to be good as tubeless tires, which is what any new tire really should be these days. But what is really interesting to me is how these tires were designed. 

It used to be that tires were pretty much well thought out guesses at best, or just fashionably good looking at worst. What really worked was anybody's best guess, and typically a simple square knob, file tread, or slick turned out to be all one really needed depending upon the conditions and/or bike used. The "science" of tread was mostly not a prerequisite for coming up with something new. That isn't the case with these Teravail tires, as I understand it.

I was told by one of the product designers on the project that they studied tread design and how that interacted with gravel. The idea was to get to a tread design that caused the least amount of "squirm" on loose gravel and had the lowest rolling resistance. The tread design is definitely something unlike any other tire out there. The width at 38mm is a pretty good place to be at and I'll have to see what the tire's profile is once I get these things mounted tubeless.

Will they be the schiznit? Well, we'll find out. Stay tuned......

That's all for this week. Stay healthy, get outside, and ride those bicycles!

Friday News And Views

Raleigh Roker Limited

Something Special:

So this just happened" I was offered the opportunity to test ride the Raleigh Roker Limited. This is kind of a big deal and an honor. Here's why....

Long time readers here know the story, but for those newer here, the Roker is based off the Tamland steel bike Raleigh does, and that bike was influenced by myself. Raleigh asked my opinion on geometry and features, and that got implemented into the Tamland, and subsequently all the gravel/back road bikes Raleigh does. So, to have this, top of the range, cutting edge bike be based off some crazy ideas I have, well...... Anyway, that's pretty humbling. The other thing is that this is currently the only rideable sample Raleigh has available. So I am quite honored they felt compelled to let me check it out now. Thank you Raleigh!!

I am pretty excited about getting a chance to throw a leg over this. While it isn't "revolutionary" in terms of what I am used to with regard to geometry on the Tamland, it does have the carbon frame, and the bottom bracket is a touch lower even than what I am riding now with my Raleigh. Lighter weight, carbon, Di2..... This will be a fun ride, I think. Stay tuned here and at RidingGravel.com for updates.

Trans Iowa v12 Updates:

Okay, this has been a big deal of a week from the standpoint of registration. The Rookies window to get cards in ends tomorrow. The Finishers/Winners window also ends tomorrow. The Vets window starts tomorrow. Lots going on!

That said, things should slow down once we get past Saturday. Then the Vets slots will likely fill up rather quickly, and I am betting the registration will be mostly over by Wednesday or Thursday at the latest. Then all eyes will be on the lottery for the 40 Rookie spots. I have to announce a specific time that will occur on Saturday October 31st, but there is one thing I do know. The lottery will be broadcast. I tried Periscope and it broadcasts to Twitter live. So, if you are interested in seeing the drawing live, it will be on my account which is @guitarted1961 on Twitter.

The way it seems to work with Periscope is that you can hop on at anytime during the broadcast, but if you miss something, you can watch the broadcast in its entirety afterward. I'm not an expert on Periscope, far from it, but this should prove to be fun stuff for those interested.

And before anyone hops to the next level..... No. There will be no live Periscope from the course of Trans Iowa v12. While that sounds like a good thing, I think it steps over the line in regards to the spirit of the event. Nuff said.......

The Teravail Cannonball 38mm tire

Teravail Cannonball Tires:

I just purchased some of these Teravail Cannonball tires with the tread design that is supposed to be good on "coarse gravel". That sounds like Iowa to me!

They are also supposed to be good as tubeless tires, which is what any new tire really should be these days. But what is really interesting to me is how these tires were designed. 

It used to be that tires were pretty much well thought out guesses at best, or just fashionably good looking at worst. What really worked was anybody's best guess, and typically a simple square knob, file tread, or slick turned out to be all one really needed depending upon the conditions and/or bike used. The "science" of tread was mostly not a prerequisite for coming up with something new. That isn't the case with these Teravail tires, as I understand it.

I was told by one of the product designers on the project that they studied tread design and how that interacted with gravel. The idea was to get to a tread design that caused the least amount of "squirm" on loose gravel and had the lowest rolling resistance. The tread design is definitely something unlike any other tire out there. The width at 38mm is a pretty good place to be at and I'll have to see what the tire's profile is once I get these things mounted tubeless.

Will they be the schiznit? Well, we'll find out. Stay tuned......

That's all for this week. Stay healthy, get outside, and ride those bicycles!

Friday News And Views

They grow up so fast!..........sniff! (Image courtesy of B Fornes)

Raleigh Introduces A Carbon Gravel Bike:

Back when I got my Tamland Two, I guessed in a post here that if this gravel bike thing caught on, there would soon be carbon examples for the genre. I turned out to be correct, but I was disappointed to find out most of them have cyclo cross inspired geometry, or are merely cyclo cross bikes with more tire clearances. That isn't at all what would work best for gravel road cycling. It is merely marketing to a group of cyclists with what is convenient. It is easier, and therefore, you get the following: "why do you need a gravel specific bike when cyclo cross bikes already do that." Or: "All road bikes are gravel bikes". That last one is one of my favorites. Daft logic for sure.

Anyway, Raleigh didn't fashion this carbon bike by tweaking an existing cyclo cross offering. Nope- this has Tamland geometry, now in carbon fiber. Even the fork rake is the same as the Tamland's is. It's dubbed the "Roker", and will be available in early Fall, '15. It features three bottle mounts, a flared drop bar, and will come with tubeless ready wheels.

WARNING! My Opinion Follows: I'll tell ya what- if it rides like my Tamland does, it will be the premier gravel road riding rig available today. I've seen what the projected weight is for the complete Roker Two, and it is very, very competitive with the upcoming Warbird Carbon. That Salsa bike may have those wild seat stays, and the Roker may not have that sort of compliance, but I'm betting this new Raleigh will be neck and neck with the Salsa, and handle slightly better. We'll see......

Twin Six's Standard Rando (Image courtesy of Twin Six)

Steel For Gravel:

However cool a carbon fiber gravel travel bike may be, there are many that adhere to the steel frame camp for crushed rock roads and won't be changing their minds soon. Twin Six has just started shipping their "Standard Rando" rig to satisfy such cravings and at a very reasonable price. $600.00- $670.00 gets you the frame, fork, and maybe some cool painted to match fenders if you go to the upper end of that range. 

Now, ya know this rig is going to look killer because it was designed by those Minneapolis whiz-bang designers at Twin Six. Their stuff has been cool since like, '05 or so. They are trying their hand again at doing a bicycle line, and this time I think they hit it outta the park. The geometry is pretty dang good, and it has clearances for big tires, which is good. Overall, "good" is going to work well for most folks. Plus, like I say, it looks awesome. The price is right, and if it rides well, then this could be the best deal in a steel frame for gravel out there.

Well, well! Looky there! (Image courtesy of TNI.com)

The 27.5+ Wave:

My friend, Grannygear, who steers the ship over at Twentynineinches.com these days, told me he expected a huge wave of 27.5+ stuff at Sea Otter, and it looks as though he wasn't wrong about that!

I checked the Facebook page and all there is to see are 27.5+ rigs from Jamis, Specialized, Rocky Mountain, and over at the WTB booth, he saw this strange apparition with Salsa livery.

Now, I am betting that this whole "Plus" sized wheel thing will go in two directions: One is for Enduro. The bigger meats with higher volume will be perfect for swallowing smaller bumps, giving beau-coup traction benefits, and a boost in diameter to almost 29"er proportions for better roll-ability. Two: Bikepacking/Adventure riders will eat this up because of the easier acceleration of the smaller than 29+ wheels and fatness of those larger wheels in smaller packages which should help with sizing up smaller folk as well.

Don't get me wrong- 29+ has a place at the table too, but the "Industry" is going to decide that 27.5+ is where the focus will be at, so get used to it folks. It's the "Next Big Thing" in mountain biking and we're just seeing the tip of the ol' berg, as it were.

Oh! And that bike is a prototype Salsa rig with Boost148/Boost110 axle spacings and 120mm of travel.  We'll probably see more of that around Saddledrive time, I'd expect.

Okay, that's a wrap for today. Get ready next week for an onslaught of Trans Iowa craziness as I am one week away from the Big Dance. Weather, packing, last minute preparations, and more will all be discussed and fretted over. Have a great weekend!

Friday News And Views

They grow up so fast!..........sniff! (Image courtesy of B Fornes)

Raleigh Introduces A Carbon Gravel Bike:

Back when I got my Tamland Two, I guessed in a post here that if this gravel bike thing caught on, there would soon be carbon examples for the genre. I turned out to be correct, but I was disappointed to find out most of them have cyclo cross inspired geometry, or are merely cyclo cross bikes with more tire clearances. That isn't at all what would work best for gravel road cycling. It is merely marketing to a group of cyclists with what is convenient. It is easier, and therefore, you get the following: "why do you need a gravel specific bike when cyclo cross bikes already do that." Or: "All road bikes are gravel bikes". That last one is one of my favorites. Daft logic for sure.

Anyway, Raleigh didn't fashion this carbon bike by tweaking an existing cyclo cross offering. Nope- this has Tamland geometry, now in carbon fiber. Even the fork rake is the same as the Tamland's is. It's dubbed the "Roker", and will be available in early Fall, '15. It features three bottle mounts, a flared drop bar, and will come with tubeless ready wheels.

WARNING! My Opinion Follows: I'll tell ya what- if it rides like my Tamland does, it will be the premier gravel road riding rig available today. I've seen what the projected weight is for the complete Roker Two, and it is very, very competitive with the upcoming Warbird Carbon. That Salsa bike may have those wild seat stays, and the Roker may not have that sort of compliance, but I'm betting this new Raleigh will be neck and neck with the Salsa, and handle slightly better. We'll see......

Twin Six's Standard Rando (Image courtesy of Twin Six)

Steel For Gravel:

However cool a carbon fiber gravel travel bike may be, there are many that adhere to the steel frame camp for crushed rock roads and won't be changing their minds soon. Twin Six has just started shipping their "Standard Rando" rig to satisfy such cravings and at a very reasonable price. $600.00- $670.00 gets you the frame, fork, and maybe some cool painted to match fenders if you go to the upper end of that range. 

Now, ya know this rig is going to look killer because it was designed by those Minneapolis whiz-bang designers at Twin Six. Their stuff has been cool since like, '05 or so. They are trying their hand again at doing a bicycle line, and this time I think they hit it outta the park. The geometry is pretty dang good, and it has clearances for big tires, which is good. Overall, "good" is going to work well for most folks. Plus, like I say, it looks awesome. The price is right, and if it rides well, then this could be the best deal in a steel frame for gravel out there.

Well, well! Looky there! (Image courtesy of TNI.com)

The 27.5+ Wave:

My friend, Grannygear, who steers the ship over at Twentynineinches.com these days, told me he expected a huge wave of 27.5+ stuff at Sea Otter, and it looks as though he wasn't wrong about that!

I checked the Facebook page and all there is to see are 27.5+ rigs from Jamis, Specialized, Rocky Mountain, and over at the WTB booth, he saw this strange apparition with Salsa livery.

Now, I am betting that this whole "Plus" sized wheel thing will go in two directions: One is for Enduro. The bigger meats with higher volume will be perfect for swallowing smaller bumps, giving beau-coup traction benefits, and a boost in diameter to almost 29"er proportions for better roll-ability. Two: Bikepacking/Adventure riders will eat this up because of the easier acceleration of the smaller than 29+ wheels and fatness of those larger wheels in smaller packages which should help with sizing up smaller folk as well.

Don't get me wrong- 29+ has a place at the table too, but the "Industry" is going to decide that 27.5+ is where the focus will be at, so get used to it folks. It's the "Next Big Thing" in mountain biking and we're just seeing the tip of the ol' berg, as it were.

Oh! And that bike is a prototype Salsa rig with Boost148/Boost110 axle spacings and 120mm of travel.  We'll probably see more of that around Saddledrive time, I'd expect.

Okay, that's a wrap for today. Get ready next week for an onslaught of Trans Iowa craziness as I am one week away from the Big Dance. Weather, packing, last minute preparations, and more will all be discussed and fretted over. Have a great weekend!