Friday News And Views

Image posted by an account "John_Doe" on X social media.

 Rumored Cannondale CAAD14:

Rumors and images have been swirling across the internet of late showing what is purportedly the next CAAD road bike. Cannondale is notable for perpetuating aluminum frame racing bikes, despite everyone else's fascination with carbon fiber, (which Cannondale also does, admittedly).  

Interesting features being discussed online are the return to traditional seat stays, rumored 32mm tire clearances, and fully integrated cabling.  

Comments: I'm not a roadie, far from it. I don't typically show road bikes in this space. However; I found this interesting as it is an example of some classic design cues being seen as "refreshing" in comparison to what is seen on offer from many other brands.  

Are riders being drawn toward classic looks while also desiring modern touches? Perhaps this is what has been missed by other brands who are chasing aero and showing sloping top tube frame design as being what is "cutting edge". Perhaps people are missing bicycles that look like.....bicycles? The only thing missing here is silver componentry. 

What do you think of this?  

Calvin Jones. Image courtesy of Park Tool

Director of Education At Park Tool, Calvin Jones To Retire:

Perhaps you've seen this man's face before. No wonder, as Calvin Jones has become "the face" of Park Tool over the past couple of decades. 

Jone's videos have become a staple resource for home mechanics, bike shop employees, and others interested in knowing how bicycles work over his 28 year tenure as Park Tools' Director of Education. Known for his clear, concise explanations of typical repairs, his video legacy will live on bearing witness to his valuable contributions. 

Jones will still be involved in some Park Tool videos and educational efforts, but he says in Park Tools announcement he plans of doing more riding and will be a contributor to local cycling efforts. 

Comments: Congratulations, Mr. Jones! What a career and your contributions to cycling will always be treasured. In some ways, Calvin Jones is the video equivalent to Sheldon Brown, who if he had lived long enough, would have surely been a staple of You Tube as well. Between those two icons of bicycle mechanics, you should be able to accomplish most any typical bicycle repair. 

Image courtesy of Sam Alison/Singular Cycles

The 32"er Watch: Singular Cycles Albatross:

 Sam Alison of Singular Cycles dropped a few images of the new 32"er bicycle he is testing and planning on releasing later this year in a limited drop. Dubbed the "Albatross" for now, this bike is a 32 inch wheeled MTB design. 

 In the comments on the post seen on Facebook, Sam had a few interesting things to say about the bike's performance and ideal rider size. 

 "The most obvious and immediately noticeable thing is just how well they roll and carry speed. The momentum over rough ground is really quite incredible. 

Climbing traction is also pretty insane..... The long stays, low BB and long contact patch combine to get up just about anything. 

 Of course, it's a big old bike and they are some huge wheels, so you do definitely notice the gyroscopic effect - turn initiation is definitely slower. Practically speaking I think riders will need to be > 6'/183cm for these to make sense."

Sam stated he would have rolling chassis available "soon" for pre-order with delivery hopefully this Spring. Look for details on Singular Cycles site, or reported here soon. 

Image courtesy of SRAM 

SRAM Files Patents For Gear Box E-Bike Drive Train Sans Derailleurs:

Some patent images have been making the rounds on the internet of late showing a drive train system utilizing a gear box. This has been met with interest and with some saying "derailleurs are dead!" Well......maybe for electrified bikes. Which, when you consider the slow evolution of these toward becoming electric motorcycles, makes all the sense in the world.  

By the way, in another, separate filing by SRAM, they have revealed they are playing around with wireless -sans hoses and cables - type brakes. 

Yeah....no.  

Comments: Of course, you might guess this will be all integrated into SRAM's AXS protocol for electronics with a likely addition of automatic shifting. I'd say that is quite likely. 

With weight being less an issue with this type of bicycle, (ahem!), if we can call this a bicycle anymore, you will also probably see automatically adjustable suspension as well. Simply plug in your weight, riding style, and  the bike will self-adjust. Then, to activate your "ride", simply start pedaling at whatever cadence and power you want, and the bike will self-adjust to this input with gearing and power assist adjustments. All you have to do is hang on, guide the bike down the correct course, and be able to use brakes. 

Or you could just play video games. Your choice. 

Honestly, this development isn't surprising, or even shocking. But it probably will be expensive. Yeah.....I'm pretty sure about it. 

Image courtesy of Brembo

Motorsports Brake Giant, Brembo, To Enter DH Bicycle Competition:

Brembo, a name more familiar to F1 and NASCAR aficionados, has released news concerning their partnership with Specialized Bicycles in their DH racing program. 

Brembo will supply braking systems with prototype designs exclusively for the team for now. There was no indication the company will begin production of OE or aftermarket brake systems, but one might assume this is in the cards for the future. 

Featuring 18mm pistons with thermal insulators for heat management, the calipers and levers are both DH specific. Braided steel lines connect the two components in the system. Interestingly, Brembo runs their rotor spokes in the opposite orientation than every other bicycle rotor for disc brakes. Their claim is this is how motorcycle rotors are oriented and causes the rotors to work under tension instead of compression. 

Comments: Interesting development. My take is this is Brembo's dress rehearsal for entering the electric bicycle market. I could be wrong, but this makes more sense than a general entry onto bicycle disc brake systems, since DH is a very demanding category on par with demands for electrified bikes which are heavier and need more powerful brakes. 

So, while it is not out of the realm of possibilities, I do not foresee gravel bikes getting Brembo brakes anytime soon. Perhaps I will be proven wrong, but at any rate, it is an interesting development.  

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Get outside and ride those bicycles!

Cycling And Technology: Controlling Your Ride?

A snippet of a data screen. (Image courtesy of SRAM)

 Did you know about SRAM AXS Web? I didn't until yesterday. I've often half-joked that electronic shifting, sensors, rider output data, and controllers could feasibly run your derailleurs automatically based on performance and terrain/weather metrics. It looks as though that might very well be possible at some point.

So, SRAM AXS Web has been around since 2020, but little has been said about it until recently. Apparently features of it will be a part of the upcoming Hammerhead Karoo 3. So, just what is so fantastic about this idea/technology?

Take a look at the image here. It shows something already available to anyone, and not necessarily pigeonholed to SRAM users either. The SRAM AXS web can detect what gearing you use and when, how often it was used, and theoretically that could be integrated with your performance metrics. 

Now think about weather data. How could all of that performance data, how your body works in certain gearing on whatever terrain you are riding, and component performance data - How could that be integrated with wind speed, temperature, and humidity? 

Could a certain cadence and gear selection based off input data like that inform you on what to select as a rider for the next shift? Or could we expect that at some point, you'll just be able to pedal, hold a certain power output level that you can sustain, and the bike will use sensor data to select gearing to optimize all that for the best outcome? 

Hmm....

As a mechanic, I can see how this could be used to determine wear patterns and let mechanics know when to swap out chains, cassettes, and chain rings. If finely grained enough, power to spin the drive train could be set at a base level and compared after use to see at what point bearings and components in the drive train are less efficient. 

You could have AI (Artificial Intelligence) involved quite easily. What a world!

Or, ya know, you could just ignore all of that and ride for the fun of it all.

Cycling And Technology: Controlling Your Ride?

A snippet of a data screen. (Image courtesy of SRAM)

 Did you know about SRAM AXS Web? I didn't until yesterday. I've often half-joked that electronic shifting, sensors, rider output data, and controllers could feasibly run your derailleurs automatically based on performance and terrain/weather metrics. It looks as though that might very well be possible at some point.

So, SRAM AXS Web has been around since 2020, but little has been said about it until recently. Apparently features of it will be a part of the upcoming Hammerhead Karoo 3. So, just what is so fantastic about this idea/technology?

Take a look at the image here. It shows something already available to anyone, and not necessarily pigeonholed to SRAM users either. The SRAM AXS web can detect what gearing you use and when, how often it was used, and theoretically that could be integrated with your performance metrics. 

Now think about weather data. How could all of that performance data, how your body works in certain gearing on whatever terrain you are riding, and component performance data - How could that be integrated with wind speed, temperature, and humidity? 

Could a certain cadence and gear selection based off input data like that inform you on what to select as a rider for the next shift? Or could we expect that at some point, you'll just be able to pedal, hold a certain power output level that you can sustain, and the bike will use sensor data to select gearing to optimize all that for the best outcome? 

Hmm....

As a mechanic, I can see how this could be used to determine wear patterns and let mechanics know when to swap out chains, cassettes, and chain rings. If finely grained enough, power to spin the drive train could be set at a base level and compared after use to see at what point bearings and components in the drive train are less efficient. 

You could have AI (Artificial Intelligence) involved quite easily. What a world!

Or, ya know, you could just ignore all of that and ride for the fun of it all.

Randomonium: Three Things

Trek Farley 9 Winter Edition (Image courtesy of Trek Bikes)

 Trek Offers Fully Decked Out Farley:

Trek announced a new Farley fat bike this past week that is fully kitted out. this turnkey fat bike is ready for a long haul, bikepacking, or a quick over-night outing. 

Made from aluminum, the bike features frame and fork mounted racks reminiscent of the 1120 plus-wheeled bike, although these are reportedly somewhat different to address mounting security concerns with the 1120's racks. 

The bike also features a frame bag, dropper post, and a splash guard under the down tube. This all comes in at $3999.99USD with a SRAM Eagle GX drive train. 

Comments: Trek just released this bike as a "Winter Edition" Farley 9. Let that sink in for a moment.....

Hello Spring! So, yeah.....weird timing there Trek! But beyond that, I will note that this bike can certainly be used year-round. Anyway.... The SRAM drive train, aluminum frame, and spec of mostly Bontrager stuff is okay, but 4G for this? Hmm..... I know things have gone up in price, but this bike has aluminum rims, tubes (!), and GX is kinda low spec here. I get it- It is a turnkey solution to roll out the door ready for off-road touring and adventure, and that counts for something. And I realize prices have gone up some, but still.... Great idea. A bit spendy for what you get. 

SRAM AXS Force. (Image courtesy of SRAM)

SRAM Announces New AXS Force Group:

Looking a lot more like the upper end Red group now, SRAM has refreshed the look of Force AXS and refined a few bits, most notably the hood/lever shapes and the power meter integration with the chain rings. 

Otherwise this is pretty much standard fare for SRAM AXS Force. 

Comments: Lots of chatter online about the power meter integration with the chain rings here. (This only applies for the roadie crank set. The "Wide" and 1X crank sets have spindle based power meters) I guess I see their point when a direct mount chain ring set with integrated power meter costs something North of four hundred bucks, but when you are dealing with race-level gear, stuff found on bikes costing around 10K, what's four hundred bucks for a part? Honestly, the entire economics of a "road racing bike" is bonkers these days. 

Chris Skogen from his Instagram post.

 Almanzo 100 Founder & Gravel Cycling Hall of Famer Chris Skogen Announces Gravel Events:

The Almanzo 100 founder and Gravel Cycling Hall of Famer, Chris Skogen surprised many of his social media followers on Thursday last week with an announcement that he was going to facilitate three off-pavement events. The biggest surprise? None of the proposed events will be in Minnesota. 

The only event Mr. Skogen did release a date for was a September 16th date for this year at an undisclosed location in "Northern New Mexico". Here are the details he did specify in his announcement: 

• 100 miles
• 100 people
• $0 to enter
• 0 sponsorships
• 0 brand affiliations

Mr. Skogen did also say that if you wanted more details then you should email him. (Ironically he did not give his email out in the announcement) Mr. Skogen did say that more information would be forthcoming, however. 

Plans are to follow up the 2023 event with one in Oregon and then in 2024 in "upstate New York".

Comments: That the proposed events are "non-sponsored, no brand affiliations" does not surprise me. This is Chris Skogen we are talking about and this is in keeping with his character when it comes to events. I did also hear Chris say at the GCHoF installment ceremonies last year that he had been "bitten by the bug" again and that he was considering putting on an event again. I guess this is evidence of that. 

Stay tuned. If I find out anything more I'll post here about it all.  UPDATE: Mr. Skogen released these details today (Saturday,March 4th, 2023)

How to enter…

Mail a letter (yes, a letter…in the mail…I know, I’m such an ass) of declaration which must include the following:

Name (first & last)
Age
Email
Favorite book
Something from your local bike shop (if this one is a struggle, DM me)

That’s it. Just those five things, in an envelope sent to the address below before 4/20/23.

Mister Skogen
959 Weeks Ave SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414

You might be asking why to the letter and maybe even why this event needs to exist at all. Don’t worry I’ll explain later.

For now, the first 100 people to register by letter will be notified accordingly.

Randomonium: Three Things

Trek Farley 9 Winter Edition (Image courtesy of Trek Bikes)

 Trek Offers Fully Decked Out Farley:

Trek announced a new Farley fat bike this past week that is fully kitted out. this turnkey fat bike is ready for a long haul, bikepacking, or a quick over-night outing. 

Made from aluminum, the bike features frame and fork mounted racks reminiscent of the 1120 plus-wheeled bike, although these are reportedly somewhat different to address mounting security concerns with the 1120's racks. 

The bike also features a frame bag, dropper post, and a splash guard under the down tube. This all comes in at $3999.99USD with a SRAM Eagle GX drive train. 

Comments: Trek just released this bike as a "Winter Edition" Farley 9. Let that sink in for a moment.....

Hello Spring! So, yeah.....weird timing there Trek! But beyond that, I will note that this bike can certainly be used year-round. Anyway.... The SRAM drive train, aluminum frame, and spec of mostly Bontrager stuff is okay, but 4G for this? Hmm..... I know things have gone up in price, but this bike has aluminum rims, tubes (!), and GX is kinda low spec here. I get it- It is a turnkey solution to roll out the door ready for off-road touring and adventure, and that counts for something. And I realize prices have gone up some, but still.... Great idea. A bit spendy for what you get. 

SRAM AXS Force. (Image courtesy of SRAM)

SRAM Announces New AXS Force Group:

Looking a lot more like the upper end Red group now, SRAM has refreshed the look of Force AXS and refined a few bits, most notably the hood/lever shapes and the power meter integration with the chain rings. 

Otherwise this is pretty much standard fare for SRAM AXS Force. 

Comments: Lots of chatter online about the power meter integration with the chain rings here. (This only applies for the roadie crank set. The "Wide" and 1X crank sets have spindle based power meters) I guess I see their point when a direct mount chain ring set with integrated power meter costs something North of four hundred bucks, but when you are dealing with race-level gear, stuff found on bikes costing around 10K, what's four hundred bucks for a part? Honestly, the entire economics of a "road racing bike" is bonkers these days. 

Chris Skogen from his Instagram post.

 Almanzo 100 Founder & Gravel Cycling Hall of Famer Chris Skogen Announces Gravel Events:

The Almanzo 100 founder and Gravel Cycling Hall of Famer, Chris Skogen surprised many of his social media followers on Thursday last week with an announcement that he was going to facilitate three off-pavement events. The biggest surprise? None of the proposed events will be in Minnesota. 

The only event Mr. Skogen did release a date for was a September 16th date for this year at an undisclosed location in "Northern New Mexico". Here are the details he did specify in his announcement: 

• 100 miles
• 100 people
• $0 to enter
• 0 sponsorships
• 0 brand affiliations

Mr. Skogen did also say that if you wanted more details then you should email him. (Ironically he did not give his email out in the announcement) Mr. Skogen did say that more information would be forthcoming, however. 

Plans are to follow up the 2023 event with one in Oregon and then in 2024 in "upstate New York".

Comments: That the proposed events are "non-sponsored, no brand affiliations" does not surprise me. This is Chris Skogen we are talking about and this is in keeping with his character when it comes to events. I did also hear Chris say at the GCHoF installment ceremonies last year that he had been "bitten by the bug" again and that he was considering putting on an event again. I guess this is evidence of that. 

Stay tuned. If I find out anything more I'll post here about it all.  UPDATE: Mr. Skogen released these details today (Saturday,March 4th, 2023)

How to enter…

Mail a letter (yes, a letter…in the mail…I know, I’m such an ass) of declaration which must include the following:

Name (first & last)
Age
Email
Favorite book
Something from your local bike shop (if this one is a struggle, DM me)

That’s it. Just those five things, in an envelope sent to the address below before 4/20/23.

Mister Skogen
959 Weeks Ave SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414

You might be asking why to the letter and maybe even why this event needs to exist at all. Don’t worry I’ll explain later.

For now, the first 100 people to register by letter will be notified accordingly.

Friday News And Views

SRAM AXS Force- Could a Rival version be on the way?

 SRAM Pricing Increase And Rumors:

The mechanic's world is all buzzing about a 15% price increase across the board for new SRAM replacement parts and groups which reportedly went into effect February 1st. As I have speculated all along, parts prices would be rising due to materials costs and shipping issues all throughout 2021. 

This should also translate to complete, new bikes for 2021 and 2022. What this means for the consumer is that at the lower, entry levels, price increases will be keenly felt. We are seeing it already. "Bike shop quality" bikes are going to probably start in the $500-$600 range now going forward. I also cannot imagine that box store bikes, or "Mall Wart" bikes, as I call them, won't be a lot more expensive as well. Just from a tariff standpoint, because tariffs went into effect on good from China, now including bicycles, on January 1st.  Not that any of those bikes have SRAM parts, but some do. 

Another tidbit being tossed about online is a SRAM Rival AXS group announcement, which some are claiming will happen this Summer. (UPDATE: Some sources are now confirming it is on the way) For the record, I don't know anything and I am not breaching any embargo, since I never was contacted about this. The fact is, many are chattering online about this, and it makes sense. This bodes well for those wanting an electronic group on a new bike at a lower price, but much of this will get offset by rising costs, so a Rival AXS may not have quite the impact it would have had in, say 2019. Additionally, now I am seeing that the mere existence of a Rival AXS may in fact push mechanical drive train parts by the wayside. So, this is indicating that once you go 12 speed, at least in SRAM's ecosystem, you will have to go wireless and electronic.

Speaking of AXS, SRAM announced earlier in the week that they had a 36T compatible AXS for road now, which was obviously necessary since they are up against Shimano GRX Di2 which has already been out over a year now and has been dominating spec on gravel bikes for 2021 and likely 2022. And speaking of Shimano.....

Not to be missing out, but there is a TON of scuttlebutt running amok online concerning Shimano's newest Dura Ace Di2 being wireless, or partially wireless, which would be considered a direct response to SRAM since SRAM has been wireless on electronic groups from the start. Time will tell, but at least 2021 seems like it will reveal a lot of promise for 2022 bikes. 

The Velo Orange Crazy Bars v2. Image courtesy of Velo Orange

Velo Orange Announces Crazy Bars v2:

If you've been a reader here for a long time you know that I have a certain affinity for weird handle bars. I like to call them "Alt Bars", but they are typically handle bars out of the standard box of risers, flats, and roadie drops. 

Well, Velo Orange announced last week that they are coming out with a redesign of their Crazy Bars. While I wasn't a big fan of the first version, this new version looks very intriguing. They tweaked the angle of the sweep to be at 35° and that compares to a Jones Bar which is 45°. I have thought that the Jones Bar had a bit too much sweep, and so this new Crazy Bar sweep is interesting to me now. The extensions, or 'horns' as Velo Orange calls them, which look like old, old school Moots ends, (the OG of bar ends), is something I don't know I'd need. Maybe if I tried that? Maybe. But the good news here is that Velo Orange is going to offer the same bar without the 'horns' and call it the Seine Bar. 

They are going to offer these in silver and black as well, so you can get your black handle bars, if you must! But don't get your hopes up just yet. Velo Orange isn't expecting these until Summer, and the way things are going, that may get pushed back a bit. 

I'm thinking I'd like to try these though. They are wide enough, have a very interesting sweep, and not a ton of rise, so they could be set up in a way I would like them, I think. I'd likely put these on my One One Inbred or maybe even a set could be had for my Blackbuck, but without the horns on that bike. i think they'd work very well on either bike. Now, if these were ever to be made in carbon, which I highly doubt, since this is Velo Orange we are talking about here, I'd put them on my fat bikes. But I will not entertain the thought of alloy bars for my fat bikes anymore. Carbon just keeps my hands a LOT warmer in Winter, and I am not willing to give that up. 

Froome: Not a fan of the road disc scene.

Meet Chris Froome - Retrogrouch:

I don't usually post anything about Pro Roadie personalities here, but a recent story about Tour de France winner, (amongst other high profile races)  Chris Froome, was interesting since he was commenting about components. 

It's only natural for a Pro road rider to be concerned and intimately familiar with how components work. Froome, having spent his career mainly on caliper brakes, has had to make the switch to road disc since he now rides for a team bike sponsor that does not offer a caliper equipped bike. 

At a recent press meeting where Froome was going over the finer points of his new Factor race machine, he mentioned that he wasn't a big fan of disc brakes on road bikes. He didn't like the disc rub, pistons not retracting right, the fussing with his mechanics, and he's not convinced the current road disc brakes are up to severe use as seen on fast, long mountain descents. Hmm......where have I heard those things before? 

It is ironic because when the whole road disc thing happened several companies and entities were saying the same things yet the industry pushed the idea ahead anyway because 'change equals new sales and old technology gets deleted to support more sales.'  I've said it all along- disc brakes are overkill and unnecessary on gravel bikes, but I will also add that wheels are far more swappable with big tires and in different diameters. Something that is difficult to impossible with cantilever based brakes. 

Otso Cycles finally offers a SS option for the Tuning Chip drop out.

Otso Cycles Offer SS Chip For Metal Bikes:

Back when I reviewed the Otso Warakin stainless steel bike I told Otso Cycles that they should offer a single speed option for their Tuning Chip drop outs. It was so obvious that this would work that I was a bit surprised to find out at the beginning of the review that Otso didn't have that option. Not only that, but they didn't seem too interested in doing one either. It seemed so obvious that it would be a benefit to them to offer the option that I thought they were making a bit of a mistake. Otso however was convinced that there just wasn't enough interest in the idea to make it happen.

Well, be that as it may, I liked the Warakin. It was, and still is, a really great bike. I may have gotten one had the single speed option been there before. That said, Otso Cycles has it now and it makes the Warakin even more of a compelling bike. It's got a nice geometry, big tire capability, and it rides nicely in the stainless steel version. You can even get a titanium version of the frame now, which is expensive, but cool. 

Obviously, Otso Cycles finally made the decision to do the single speed option. They claim that they had gotten a lot of interest in the idea. (It is NOT for their carbon bikes though) Again, I can't believe it took nearly four years to happen, but at least it did. Maybe someday there will be room in the stable for a Warakin, and maybe someday I'll get one.  

Podcast And Reminders:

Just a few end of week reminders for you all. First up- The Riding Gravel Radio Ranch posted up two new episodes this week. One featuring endurance athlete legend John Stamstad, who I mentioned last week. The LINK 

You can also find the podcast on your favorite podcast feeds.  

Also- don't forget that there is still a few jerseys and hats left from the C.O.G.100. You can peruse the selection on my Garage Sale page.  I try to keep that list of inventory current, so what you see there is what is left. Own a piece of gravel grinding history!

Finally, I will remind you that merch reflecting the 15th year of Guitar Ted Productions can be had by clicking THIS LINK.  A portion of every sale goes to support my daughter's artistic efforts. I've seen a few of the offerings there on people and they look great. Have a look and see if you want to fly the G-Ted logo (As seen to the left here) 
 

That's a wrap for this week! Stay warm!

Friday News And Views

SRAM AXS Force- Could a Rival version be on the way?

 SRAM Pricing Increase And Rumors:

The mechanic's world is all buzzing about a 15% price increase across the board for new SRAM replacement parts and groups which reportedly went into effect February 1st. As I have speculated all along, parts prices would be rising due to materials costs and shipping issues all throughout 2021. 

This should also translate to complete, new bikes for 2021 and 2022. What this means for the consumer is that at the lower, entry levels, price increases will be keenly felt. We are seeing it already. "Bike shop quality" bikes are going to probably start in the $500-$600 range now going forward. I also cannot imagine that box store bikes, or "Mall Wart" bikes, as I call them, won't be a lot more expensive as well. Just from a tariff standpoint, because tariffs went into effect on good from China, now including bicycles, on January 1st.  Not that any of those bikes have SRAM parts, but some do. 

Another tidbit being tossed about online is a SRAM Rival AXS group announcement, which some are claiming will happen this Summer. (UPDATE: Some sources are now confirming it is on the way) For the record, I don't know anything and I am not breaching any embargo, since I never was contacted about this. The fact is, many are chattering online about this, and it makes sense. This bodes well for those wanting an electronic group on a new bike at a lower price, but much of this will get offset by rising costs, so a Rival AXS may not have quite the impact it would have had in, say 2019. Additionally, now I am seeing that the mere existence of a Rival AXS may in fact push mechanical drive train parts by the wayside. So, this is indicating that once you go 12 speed, at least in SRAM's ecosystem, you will have to go wireless and electronic.

Speaking of AXS, SRAM announced earlier in the week that they had a 36T compatible AXS for road now, which was obviously necessary since they are up against Shimano GRX Di2 which has already been out over a year now and has been dominating spec on gravel bikes for 2021 and likely 2022. And speaking of Shimano.....

Not to be missing out, but there is a TON of scuttlebutt running amok online concerning Shimano's newest Dura Ace Di2 being wireless, or partially wireless, which would be considered a direct response to SRAM since SRAM has been wireless on electronic groups from the start. Time will tell, but at least 2021 seems like it will reveal a lot of promise for 2022 bikes. 

The Velo Orange Crazy Bars v2. Image courtesy of Velo Orange

Velo Orange Announces Crazy Bars v2:

If you've been a reader here for a long time you know that I have a certain affinity for weird handle bars. I like to call them "Alt Bars", but they are typically handle bars out of the standard box of risers, flats, and roadie drops. 

Well, Velo Orange announced last week that they are coming out with a redesign of their Crazy Bars. While I wasn't a big fan of the first version, this new version looks very intriguing. They tweaked the angle of the sweep to be at 35° and that compares to a Jones Bar which is 45°. I have thought that the Jones Bar had a bit too much sweep, and so this new Crazy Bar sweep is interesting to me now. The extensions, or 'horns' as Velo Orange calls them, which look like old, old school Moots ends, (the OG of bar ends), is something I don't know I'd need. Maybe if I tried that? Maybe. But the good news here is that Velo Orange is going to offer the same bar without the 'horns' and call it the Seine Bar. 

They are going to offer these in silver and black as well, so you can get your black handle bars, if you must! But don't get your hopes up just yet. Velo Orange isn't expecting these until Summer, and the way things are going, that may get pushed back a bit. 

I'm thinking I'd like to try these though. They are wide enough, have a very interesting sweep, and not a ton of rise, so they could be set up in a way I would like them, I think. I'd likely put these on my One One Inbred or maybe even a set could be had for my Blackbuck, but without the horns on that bike. i think they'd work very well on either bike. Now, if these were ever to be made in carbon, which I highly doubt, since this is Velo Orange we are talking about here, I'd put them on my fat bikes. But I will not entertain the thought of alloy bars for my fat bikes anymore. Carbon just keeps my hands a LOT warmer in Winter, and I am not willing to give that up. 

Froome: Not a fan of the road disc scene.

Meet Chris Froome - Retrogrouch:

I don't usually post anything about Pro Roadie personalities here, but a recent story about Tour de France winner, (amongst other high profile races)  Chris Froome, was interesting since he was commenting about components. 

It's only natural for a Pro road rider to be concerned and intimately familiar with how components work. Froome, having spent his career mainly on caliper brakes, has had to make the switch to road disc since he now rides for a team bike sponsor that does not offer a caliper equipped bike. 

At a recent press meeting where Froome was going over the finer points of his new Factor race machine, he mentioned that he wasn't a big fan of disc brakes on road bikes. He didn't like the disc rub, pistons not retracting right, the fussing with his mechanics, and he's not convinced the current road disc brakes are up to severe use as seen on fast, long mountain descents. Hmm......where have I heard those things before? 

It is ironic because when the whole road disc thing happened several companies and entities were saying the same things yet the industry pushed the idea ahead anyway because 'change equals new sales and old technology gets deleted to support more sales.'  I've said it all along- disc brakes are overkill and unnecessary on gravel bikes, but I will also add that wheels are far more swappable with big tires and in different diameters. Something that is difficult to impossible with cantilever based brakes. 

Otso Cycles finally offers a SS option for the Tuning Chip drop out.

Otso Cycles Offer SS Chip For Metal Bikes:

Back when I reviewed the Otso Warakin stainless steel bike I told Otso Cycles that they should offer a single speed option for their Tuning Chip drop outs. It was so obvious that this would work that I was a bit surprised to find out at the beginning of the review that Otso didn't have that option. Not only that, but they didn't seem too interested in doing one either. It seemed so obvious that it would be a benefit to them to offer the option that I thought they were making a bit of a mistake. Otso however was convinced that there just wasn't enough interest in the idea to make it happen.

Well, be that as it may, I liked the Warakin. It was, and still is, a really great bike. I may have gotten one had the single speed option been there before. That said, Otso Cycles has it now and it makes the Warakin even more of a compelling bike. It's got a nice geometry, big tire capability, and it rides nicely in the stainless steel version. You can even get a titanium version of the frame now, which is expensive, but cool. 

Obviously, Otso Cycles finally made the decision to do the single speed option. They claim that they had gotten a lot of interest in the idea. (It is NOT for their carbon bikes though) Again, I can't believe it took nearly four years to happen, but at least it did. Maybe someday there will be room in the stable for a Warakin, and maybe someday I'll get one.  

Podcast And Reminders:

Just a few end of week reminders for you all. First up- The Riding Gravel Radio Ranch posted up two new episodes this week. One featuring endurance athlete legend John Stamstad, who I mentioned last week. The LINK 

You can also find the podcast on your favorite podcast feeds.  

Also- don't forget that there is still a few jerseys and hats left from the C.O.G.100. You can peruse the selection on my Garage Sale page.  I try to keep that list of inventory current, so what you see there is what is left. Own a piece of gravel grinding history!

Finally, I will remind you that merch reflecting the 15th year of Guitar Ted Productions can be had by clicking THIS LINK.  A portion of every sale goes to support my daughter's artistic efforts. I've seen a few of the offerings there on people and they look great. Have a look and see if you want to fly the G-Ted logo (As seen to the left here) 
 

That's a wrap for this week! Stay warm!

Friday News And Views

SBT GRVL, amongst other Colorado based events, cancelled for 2020.

2020 Is Cancelled: Part 2- 

This past week saw the cancellation of a few major gravel events, mostly Colorado based, as the uncertainty surrounding the recovery from the pandemic continues.

The SBT GRVL, Leadville, and the FoCo Fondofest all went down on the same day as officials in Colorado detailed their plans for social gatherings through the Summer. Large group gatherings, not only in Colorado, but in other areas, are being frowned upon as fears of overwhelming local medical facilities, who are already under pressure from handling COVID-19 cases, as well as fears of infecting people, have been voiced.

Events through August seem to be affected and many people are looking at their schedules wondering if this will start to affect Fall schedules as well. Obviously, no one knows anything at this point. The best bet is to keep your ears close to the ground, contact promoters/Race Directors, and be prepared to have a fluid schedule. At this point, I would think it might be best just to write it all off and look at 2021.

Some are saying smaller events are going to be the ticket here as they will be better able to handle social distancing and medical facilities won't be put under pressure. However; I wouldn't count on that either at this point. Secondly, there seems to be a lot of virtual challenge type things being set up in the meantime to help riders get their ya-yas out this year. Some are pretty creative.

SRAM AXS makes a splash with low range drop bar gearing options.

SRAM AXS Gearing Goes Lower:

SRAM announced its answer to Shimano's GRX this week with an addition to AXS. The addition included a new crank set, 43/30 ratio, and a similar slightly outboard chain line, ostensibly to deal with shorter chain stays and wider tires preferred by drop bar riders on adventure bikes. While this was introduced in the Force level, many speculate that a Red level system is not far off.

Comments: Welcome to yet another bolt circle diameter and proprietary chain ring set up. Hooray! (sarcasm) And you'd better like 43/30, because that's all you get. Yes- there are other SRAM crank sets, but they all are wide range doubles or 1X's and you cannot mix and match rings. Boo. People are saying this is great because you get lower gearing. (?) What happened to using your cassette to get some help? SRAM gives you a 10-36T 12 speed cassette here. Really? Why not stick with larger chain rings and use big rear cassette gears, like, ya know......Eagle? Sheesh!

This whole move to get people wider gearing ratios with double crank sets would be met with derisive laughter circa 1980. People would point to your folly and tell you that using a triple ring crank set would be far more elegant and solve your problems in a more efficient manner for the cyclist. But......you'd need to understand how to actually use a triple ring crank set. Most people cannot figure them out.

As far as shifting concerns with triples, park those concerns at the door. Modern technologies you take for granted on your double ring set ups, especially Shimano, have not been applied to a triple crank set. High end triples pretty much disappeared ten years ago. SRAM XX in 2010 actually shifted awesomely. If adventurers need wide range- fast gears and wall climbing gears- you cannot do that in any more efficient and elegant manner than with a triple crank. This is where we need to go. Heck, make it electronic, with SyncroShift mated to a close ratio cassette. It'd be so good you'd never go back to wide range doubles.

Oh! And one more thing. Drop the proprietary crap already. 

LOOK 765 gravel bike- This one is the DK200 Limited edition model.

 LOOK (!) It's a Dirty Kanza Limited Edition Bike!

French bicycle manufacturer, LOOK, has been making a gravel bike for a while now. It's their 765 model in carbon. It's a unique, racy rig, with limited (to 40mm) tire clearance and a pretty slack, for gravel, 70.3° head angle. But now......

You can get one in a very limited edition Dirty Kanza 200 version. Yep! This ain't no Salsa Cycles Warbird here folks! This is a high-falutin', honest ta goodness rare bird here! In fact, they are only offering eight of these babies at a cool 8K asking price.

You get the above mentioned SRAM AXS 43/30T crank with the 10-36T cassette, new Corima carbon gravel wheels, which retail for over 2K on their own, and tha cache' of riding one of Europe's storied bike brands.

I dunno about you, but this whole gravel bike, gravel event, premier this and that, it's gotten waaaaay outta hand. I mean......this is a freakin' doctor/lawyer rig. It's a cool bicycle in many ways, but...... Wow. Does this tell you that the whole Pro roadie thing is really in a down cycle or what?

By the way, there are other LOOK 765 models available at nearly half the price of this DK200 Limited edition model, just to be fair.

From the back room of some defunct Cedar Falls bike shop.....

 Got Any Bikes For Sale? 

This pandemic thing has disrupted the market for bicycles in a major way. The shops with inventory will clean up in the short term because stock lists are so low now most items are gone until late Summer. I see a few shops that had the horsepower to pull in pallets full of bikes, and then there are others sitting with empty racks. Consumers are telling me that they cannot locate recreational fitness bikes in our area. Used bikes? Pffft! Rare as hen's teeth in most locales.

One of the longest term bicycle blog sites, "Bike Hugger", Tweeted out the following on Wednesday:

"Hugga's site traffic is up 41%. If I saw this coming, would've prepped a handful of purchase decision validation videos that said, "Yes, you did great buying that $800 bike from your local shop." Even better getting one repaired Keep riding it. "

Truer words have not been Tweeted. To add to that, we're seeing the dustiest, barn-rotted bikes I've seen in a long while. People are pulling down 20+ year old bikes which, for all intents and purposes, look barely ridden, to get them up and running for some use during these socially distanced times. All great stuff, but as the country looks toward "opening up" and what not, can this mini-boom be sustained? 

While there is a lot of 'hope' being expressed that this will stick with a lot of folks, here's some reasons it may not. First of all, the bike shortage, in the near term, will bite a lot of potential for making cyclists in the butt. You cannot get a bike now? Well, you go do something else. Then there are all those mart-bike purchases, which, as we bike nerds know, tend to turn people off more than on, because of the inherent issues these bike-shaped objects have. We've already seen a bit of disappointment over these things crop up. I expect to see a lot more in the coming weeks and months. But all that pales in light of the worst thing against making more of these seekers into cyclists for life.

Bicycle safety and lack of infrastructure. If where you live was not all that bicycle friendly in 2019, then when things start to go back to normal again, you can expect that unsafe/unfriendly monster to come back again. What do you suppose that will do for the newer converts? I'm betting it will be a big ol' "turn off". 

Hope I'm wrong, but I'll be surprised if a lot of these bikes don't find themselves gathering dust once folks get back behind the wheels of automobiles again. 

Have a great weekend! Get out and make some memories.

Friday News And Views

SBT GRVL, amongst other Colorado based events, cancelled for 2020.

2020 Is Cancelled: Part 2- 

This past week saw the cancellation of a few major gravel events, mostly Colorado based, as the uncertainty surrounding the recovery from the pandemic continues.

The SBT GRVL, Leadville, and the FoCo Fondofest all went down on the same day as officials in Colorado detailed their plans for social gatherings through the Summer. Large group gatherings, not only in Colorado, but in other areas, are being frowned upon as fears of overwhelming local medical facilities, who are already under pressure from handling COVID-19 cases, as well as fears of infecting people, have been voiced.

Events through August seem to be affected and many people are looking at their schedules wondering if this will start to affect Fall schedules as well. Obviously, no one knows anything at this point. The best bet is to keep your ears close to the ground, contact promoters/Race Directors, and be prepared to have a fluid schedule. At this point, I would think it might be best just to write it all off and look at 2021.

Some are saying smaller events are going to be the ticket here as they will be better able to handle social distancing and medical facilities won't be put under pressure. However; I wouldn't count on that either at this point. Secondly, there seems to be a lot of virtual challenge type things being set up in the meantime to help riders get their ya-yas out this year. Some are pretty creative.

SRAM AXS makes a splash with low range drop bar gearing options.

SRAM AXS Gearing Goes Lower:

SRAM announced its answer to Shimano's GRX this week with an addition to AXS. The addition included a new crank set, 43/30 ratio, and a similar slightly outboard chain line, ostensibly to deal with shorter chain stays and wider tires preferred by drop bar riders on adventure bikes. While this was introduced in the Force level, many speculate that a Red level system is not far off.

Comments: Welcome to yet another bolt circle diameter and proprietary chain ring set up. Hooray! (sarcasm) And you'd better like 43/30, because that's all you get. Yes- there are other SRAM crank sets, but they all are wide range doubles or 1X's and you cannot mix and match rings. Boo. People are saying this is great because you get lower gearing. (?) What happened to using your cassette to get some help? SRAM gives you a 10-36T 12 speed cassette here. Really? Why not stick with larger chain rings and use big rear cassette gears, like, ya know......Eagle? Sheesh!

This whole move to get people wider gearing ratios with double crank sets would be met with derisive laughter circa 1980. People would point to your folly and tell you that using a triple ring crank set would be far more elegant and solve your problems in a more efficient manner for the cyclist. But......you'd need to understand how to actually use a triple ring crank set. Most people cannot figure them out.

As far as shifting concerns with triples, park those concerns at the door. Modern technologies you take for granted on your double ring set ups, especially Shimano, have not been applied to a triple crank set. High end triples pretty much disappeared ten years ago. SRAM XX in 2010 actually shifted awesomely. If adventurers need wide range- fast gears and wall climbing gears- you cannot do that in any more efficient and elegant manner than with a triple crank. This is where we need to go. Heck, make it electronic, with SyncroShift mated to a close ratio cassette. It'd be so good you'd never go back to wide range doubles.

Oh! And one more thing. Drop the proprietary crap already. 

LOOK 765 gravel bike- This one is the DK200 Limited edition model.

 LOOK (!) It's a Dirty Kanza Limited Edition Bike!

French bicycle manufacturer, LOOK, has been making a gravel bike for a while now. It's their 765 model in carbon. It's a unique, racy rig, with limited (to 40mm) tire clearance and a pretty slack, for gravel, 70.3° head angle. But now......

You can get one in a very limited edition Dirty Kanza 200 version. Yep! This ain't no Salsa Cycles Warbird here folks! This is a high-falutin', honest ta goodness rare bird here! In fact, they are only offering eight of these babies at a cool 8K asking price.

You get the above mentioned SRAM AXS 43/30T crank with the 10-36T cassette, new Corima carbon gravel wheels, which retail for over 2K on their own, and tha cache' of riding one of Europe's storied bike brands.

I dunno about you, but this whole gravel bike, gravel event, premier this and that, it's gotten waaaaay outta hand. I mean......this is a freakin' doctor/lawyer rig. It's a cool bicycle in many ways, but...... Wow. Does this tell you that the whole Pro roadie thing is really in a down cycle or what?

By the way, there are other LOOK 765 models available at nearly half the price of this DK200 Limited edition model, just to be fair.

From the back room of some defunct Cedar Falls bike shop.....

 Got Any Bikes For Sale? 

This pandemic thing has disrupted the market for bicycles in a major way. The shops with inventory will clean up in the short term because stock lists are so low now most items are gone until late Summer. I see a few shops that had the horsepower to pull in pallets full of bikes, and then there are others sitting with empty racks. Consumers are telling me that they cannot locate recreational fitness bikes in our area. Used bikes? Pffft! Rare as hen's teeth in most locales.

One of the longest term bicycle blog sites, "Bike Hugger", Tweeted out the following on Wednesday:

"Hugga's site traffic is up 41%. If I saw this coming, would've prepped a handful of purchase decision validation videos that said, "Yes, you did great buying that $800 bike from your local shop." Even better getting one repaired Keep riding it. "

Truer words have not been Tweeted. To add to that, we're seeing the dustiest, barn-rotted bikes I've seen in a long while. People are pulling down 20+ year old bikes which, for all intents and purposes, look barely ridden, to get them up and running for some use during these socially distanced times. All great stuff, but as the country looks toward "opening up" and what not, can this mini-boom be sustained? 

While there is a lot of 'hope' being expressed that this will stick with a lot of folks, here's some reasons it may not. First of all, the bike shortage, in the near term, will bite a lot of potential for making cyclists in the butt. You cannot get a bike now? Well, you go do something else. Then there are all those mart-bike purchases, which, as we bike nerds know, tend to turn people off more than on, because of the inherent issues these bike-shaped objects have. We've already seen a bit of disappointment over these things crop up. I expect to see a lot more in the coming weeks and months. But all that pales in light of the worst thing against making more of these seekers into cyclists for life.

Bicycle safety and lack of infrastructure. If where you live was not all that bicycle friendly in 2019, then when things start to go back to normal again, you can expect that unsafe/unfriendly monster to come back again. What do you suppose that will do for the newer converts? I'm betting it will be a big ol' "turn off". 

Hope I'm wrong, but I'll be surprised if a lot of these bikes don't find themselves gathering dust once folks get back behind the wheels of automobiles again. 

Have a great weekend! Get out and make some memories.

Friday News And Views

More New Gravel Tires:

Tires. Say no more! Tires are argued about more, fussed over more, worried about more, and have maybe the biggest effect on bikes than anything else. So, when we see another new tire coming out, it gets folks excited. No one says, "Really? More tires? Stop it!", at least I don't see that. Also worth noting- We have so many 'gravel tires' now that I cannot keep track of them. I remember scouring the distributor's catalogs trying to find any 700c tire between 33mm (cyclo cross) and 50mm, (29"er) that wasn't a hybrid, wire bead tire, or some over-built touring tire. That wasn't all that long ago, by the way.

Hutchinson has been around a long time and have made many bicycle tires. You may not even know that. You could be forgiven for that easily. Hutchinson isn't known well in North America, and much less so in terms of gravel tires. So you may not have even known about their previous effort called the Overide. Frankly, I wasn't all that impressed with that tire. But this new one looks better. In fact, it looks a lot like a Donnelly MSO, so if it acts like a MSO, well then it should be pretty awesome. The big question isn't so much the tread, it's how the casing rides. If it isn't stiff, and has a modicum of forgiveness, I'll probably like it, at the least.

Hutchinsom is hitting all the most obvious things here. Skin wall, black wall options, and sizes in 700c X 40mm and 45mm along with 650B X 47mm. I noticed that their website says they have a 700c X 47mm. I'm pretty sure that was supposed to be 650B X 47. It wouldn't make any sense to do a 45mm tire and a 47mm one. Besides that, there is a puncture protection belt, which goes bead to bead, and these are tubeless ready, of course. All sizes and variations are $64.99 each MSRP.

RidingGravel.com will be getting some of these to check out, so hopefully you'll get to see them here as well. Stay tuned......

 SRAM AXS Pressure Guide:

SRAM, who call their electronic shifting group AXS, have an interesting tool on the AXS website which can guide you to a suggested air pressure setting for any tire, bicycle, and rider. It's unique and is based on an algorithm that calculates the outcome based upon user defined values. We've tried it at Andy's Bike Shop, and while it isn't perfect, we think it gives the rider a good reference starting point. As the site says, you should use the value suggested as a starting point for experimentation. We couldn't agree more.

At the very least, it is going to show casual, recreational cyclists that they are likely using too high a pressure. Obviously, we bike nerds are more tuned in to such minutiae, but maybe some of you are not? Give that site a whirl and let me know what you think. I think it is decent, but not perfect.

Riding Gravel Radio Ranch Podcast Rolls On:

The podcast, which already has more episodes published than it has for the last year and a half, is rolling along really well. That was one of my main goals for the podcast going into 2020. Which, by the way, has had many goals trashed due to this damn pandemic. (Latest episode here)
 .

My hope is that we can manage to keep things rolling throughout 2020 this way. But in order to be more inclusive, I am asking you readers here to let me know what you would like to hear. Just post something in the comments, or as always, feel free to email me @g.ted.productions@gmail.com. I'd love to hear your suggestions.

We have started one new feature. It's called "Gravel History With Guitar Ted". We talked about the Flint Hills Death Ride last Tuesday. But I'd like to hear about more old events, or just stories to look in to. I have some ideas based upon my experiences, but I don't know everything. Let's hear it folks!

Bike Bag Dude Top Tube Bag known as "The Garage".

 Parts Acquisition Mode: ON

Well, we'll be having a Twin Six Standard Rando v2 frame and fork headed this way soon, so I need to get accessorized. I do have a ton of stuff around to get that frame built up, but there are a few things missing that I need to get this bike 'just so'.

Actually, I was rummaging through my vortex of stuff in the Lab to find a top tube bag for the Pofahl the other day when I realized I just needed to get more Bike Bag Dude stuff to really solve the problem here.

Kath and Kedan of the Bike Bag Dude company live in Australia and are some of the most dedicated, finest bag makers around. You probably know a few very talented endurance athletes who use their bags, sometimes without the "BBD" logo, because they are supposed to be using their sponsor's stuff, but they thought BBD was better. That speaks volumes to me, but hey! I already know BBD stuff is the bomb because I've been using it for years. Like......almost ten years. 

Their stuff is really well made and lasts and lasts. I already have two of their "Garage" Top Tube Bags, and they are the 'just right size' top tube bags that don't get in the way and have a really pleasing shape to them. So, I already know I'm going to like the new ones. The best part? BBD can make these (and their other stuff) in a wide palette of colors, so one of the Garage Bags will be black and yellow to go with the new T-6 Standard Rando. The other will be more neutral colored to go with other bikes.


Okay, that's a wrap for this week. Have a great weekend and get out to ride some bikes if ya can!