Bikes Of 2022: Salsa Cycles Ti Mukluk

It's the end of the year and time to review what's up with the bikes I used over the course of 2022. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

The titanium Mukluk I own, which I have dubbed the "Ti Muk 2", because it is the second titanium Mukluk I have owned, was refreshed over the course of late Summer and Fall here. That may remain fresh enough in you reader's minds that I may not have to go over much of that again here. 

Briefly, the drive train is new, including a new bottom bracket, but the Rohloff rear cog is the original one yet. At some point I can take that cog off, reverse it, and continue to use it in the reverse direction until I wear it out completely. I don't foresee that happening anytime soon though. 

So, besides that I did install the new Schmidt Edelux II light unit and here is what I think about that so far. I had been using a Bausch and Mueller light until that failed on me. So, the Schmidt light is different, most definitely. I am still dialing it in on my commutes, but I am very close to having it where I feel it will stay for the duration of its service life. This has to do with aiming the light, by the way.

The Schmidt light "throws" light a LOT further up the road than the previous light did. I wouldn't say that this is necessarily the brightest light, but it illuminates the road in a broad stroke which covers both lanes and I would say that it easily illuminates up to two blocks ahead of me, much as if you were in an automobile, in that respect. I can also see the light reflecting off traffic signs even further away than that, so I am sure approaching motorists are seeing me! That is, unless they are not paying attention. 

By the way, this is at speeds of about 12mph.

The Ti Muk 2 currently.

I also added the Scoutset rack out front which has come in handy for commutes, errands, and I hope for some Wintertime outdoor coffee runs. I did a review of this rack which you can find linked to the page for the rack. (See my link above) (Standard Disclaimer applies) 

In the future I'd like to upgrade my fender situation. What I have now 'works' but it looks horrible. Hopefully I can work on something for that this Winter. Other than that, the Ti Muk 2 is ready to roll.

Look for more Bikes of 2022 soon!

Bikes Of 2022: Salsa Cycles Ti Mukluk

It's the end of the year and time to review what's up with the bikes I used over the course of 2022. You'll get a brief overview, any changes made, and what the future has in store for each bike listed. Enjoy!

The titanium Mukluk I own, which I have dubbed the "Ti Muk 2", because it is the second titanium Mukluk I have owned, was refreshed over the course of late Summer and Fall here. That may remain fresh enough in you reader's minds that I may not have to go over much of that again here. 

Briefly, the drive train is new, including a new bottom bracket, but the Rohloff rear cog is the original one yet. At some point I can take that cog off, reverse it, and continue to use it in the reverse direction until I wear it out completely. I don't foresee that happening anytime soon though. 

So, besides that I did install the new Schmidt Edelux II light unit and here is what I think about that so far. I had been using a Bausch and Mueller light until that failed on me. So, the Schmidt light is different, most definitely. I am still dialing it in on my commutes, but I am very close to having it where I feel it will stay for the duration of its service life. This has to do with aiming the light, by the way.

The Schmidt light "throws" light a LOT further up the road than the previous light did. I wouldn't say that this is necessarily the brightest light, but it illuminates the road in a broad stroke which covers both lanes and I would say that it easily illuminates up to two blocks ahead of me, much as if you were in an automobile, in that respect. I can also see the light reflecting off traffic signs even further away than that, so I am sure approaching motorists are seeing me! That is, unless they are not paying attention. 

By the way, this is at speeds of about 12mph.

The Ti Muk 2 currently.

I also added the Scoutset rack out front which has come in handy for commutes, errands, and I hope for some Wintertime outdoor coffee runs. I did a review of this rack which you can find linked to the page for the rack. (See my link above) (Standard Disclaimer applies) 

In the future I'd like to upgrade my fender situation. What I have now 'works' but it looks horrible. Hopefully I can work on something for that this Winter. Other than that, the Ti Muk 2 is ready to roll.

Look for more Bikes of 2022 soon!

Getting Lit: Part 3

Shiny! A look from the cockpit of the Ti Muk 2

 As I mentioned Friday, I got the Schmidt Edelux II light mounted and tested on my Ti Muk 2. I know that the Schmidt light looks rather simple and plain, but there is a lot going on "under the hood" here and I'll get to explaining all of that. It should help to make sense of the $270.00+ price tag for this piece of kit. 

Yeah.....that's expensive, but a good LED rechargeable is at least $120+ now, and you have to, you know......recharge the thing sometimes. You will do that a LOT if you run the light all the time at its brightest setting too. So, you have to keep that perspective when you compare an LED light to a stand-alone dynamo system. 

I'm not saying the Schmidt light is "better" or "worse". It is an option, and it may or may not make sense to you. For me and my purposes, this makes sense, especially on this bicycle. 

The Edelux II is Schmidt's latest version of this light and it features the following things;  

•  High light output thanks to optimal LED-cooling with copper heat sink and aluminum-housing
• Easy handling with magnetic switch and automatic light sensor
• Long lifetime with potted electronics, robust housing and coaxial cable
• Bright standlight
• Conforms with German legal regulations StVZO
• Made in Germany | 5 years guarantee

The lens is an anti-reflective glass, not plastic, so it lets more light through and it will not degrade over time. It can be set off, on "light sensing mode", which allows the head lamp to turn on only when it gets dark enough to need a light, or "Always On" mode for day time running lights. This is all controlled by the magnetic switch and reed switch which allows the internals of the head lamp to remain sealed to the outside world. 

All the internal electronics are potted, (encased in silicone, most likely) to further protect them from the elements. The wire Schmidt uses is a coaxial wire instead of the double stranded, plastic coated wires you typically see and which are pretty fragile. The coaxial cable, if you aren't familiar, is a single strand in the center of copper wires encased in a heavy insulation which then is surrounded by a second conductor of braided copper wires and then this is encased in a thick, rubber insulation coating. This is a far more robust way to run a wire to the hub. 

Furthermore, the light came with a grounding tab and has a port with a spade connector for the SON rear tail light I have. So, that was a big plus in this case for me to purchase the Schmidt light. 

I only wanted to buy a head light once, so in my opinion, the Schmidt Edelux II was my best option here. 

The set up from the front.....

 It was important to me to have the light not be interfered by cables or any potential bags/loads I may choose to carry up front. This meant that in my case, a mount up high on the handlebars was optimal. I already had the Bausch and Mueller light mount, so I employed that to mount the Edelux II from. This put the light 'out front' of the cables and well above any load I may choose to place on the front rack. 

Note how the cable runs from the bottom of the light unit into an old floor pump hose which is peeking out on the non-drive side of the head tube by the Salsa Cycles head badge there. I did this with the previous cable as well. It insures an extra layer of protection against the elements in case things get mucky, wet, or rough. 

....and from the back side where the SON tail lamp is mounted to my rack.

Again, the SON tail lamp is rack mountable, and has a coaxial cable like the head lamp does. I ran that cable up another section of floor pump hose to the front of the bike from underneath the rack to underneath the top tube up to the head tube. From there that cable exits the floor pump hose and runs via some spiral-wound plastic wire loom protector, (much like you'd see on spark plug wire looms in automobiles) to the head lamp. 

 The connections at the hub.

Schmidt makes a coaxial connector for the disconnection of wires at the hub to ease front wheel removal. I did not get this option as I do not take the front wheel out often, or hardly ever, so I deemed that this feature was unnecessary for me. Although I did leave enough wire to install that should I decide to go with that in the future. 

So, that's about it. The light is pretty bright. Brighter than the previous Bausch and Mueller light, for sure. The SON tail lamp seems brighter as well. I don't know if that is possible, but that's my impression now. Of course, having the stand light feature is a big plus with being a commuter and all. I also like the stand light as it illuminates my way back into the house at night without trying to fumble for a light switch. 

That should wrap up the repairs and maintenance I started on this bike back in September! I'm good to go now through till next year sometime before I'll need to do another oil change on the Rohloff hub. 

Thanks to Waterloo Bicycle Works and Angry Catfish for the support and excellent service!

Getting Lit: Part 3

Shiny! A look from the cockpit of the Ti Muk 2

 As I mentioned Friday, I got the Schmidt Edelux II light mounted and tested on my Ti Muk 2. I know that the Schmidt light looks rather simple and plain, but there is a lot going on "under the hood" here and I'll get to explaining all of that. It should help to make sense of the $270.00+ price tag for this piece of kit. 

Yeah.....that's expensive, but a good LED rechargeable is at least $120+ now, and you have to, you know......recharge the thing sometimes. You will do that a LOT if you run the light all the time at its brightest setting too. So, you have to keep that perspective when you compare an LED light to a stand-alone dynamo system. 

I'm not saying the Schmidt light is "better" or "worse". It is an option, and it may or may not make sense to you. For me and my purposes, this makes sense, especially on this bicycle. 

The Edelux II is Schmidt's latest version of this light and it features the following things;  

•  High light output thanks to optimal LED-cooling with copper heat sink and aluminum-housing
• Easy handling with magnetic switch and automatic light sensor
• Long lifetime with potted electronics, robust housing and coaxial cable
• Bright standlight
• Conforms with German legal regulations StVZO
• Made in Germany | 5 years guarantee

The lens is an anti-reflective glass, not plastic, so it lets more light through and it will not degrade over time. It can be set off, on "light sensing mode", which allows the head lamp to turn on only when it gets dark enough to need a light, or "Always On" mode for day time running lights. This is all controlled by the magnetic switch and reed switch which allows the internals of the head lamp to remain sealed to the outside world. 

All the internal electronics are potted, (encased in silicone, most likely) to further protect them from the elements. The wire Schmidt uses is a coaxial wire instead of the double stranded, plastic coated wires you typically see and which are pretty fragile. The coaxial cable, if you aren't familiar, is a single strand in the center of copper wires encased in a heavy insulation which then is surrounded by a second conductor of braided copper wires and then this is encased in a thick, rubber insulation coating. This is a far more robust way to run a wire to the hub. 

Furthermore, the light came with a grounding tab and has a port with a spade connector for the SON rear tail light I have. So, that was a big plus in this case for me to purchase the Schmidt light. 

I only wanted to buy a head light once, so in my opinion, the Schmidt Edelux II was my best option here. 

The set up from the front.....

 It was important to me to have the light not be interfered by cables or any potential bags/loads I may choose to carry up front. This meant that in my case, a mount up high on the handlebars was optimal. I already had the Bausch and Mueller light mount, so I employed that to mount the Edelux II from. This put the light 'out front' of the cables and well above any load I may choose to place on the front rack. 

Note how the cable runs from the bottom of the light unit into an old floor pump hose which is peeking out on the non-drive side of the head tube by the Salsa Cycles head badge there. I did this with the previous cable as well. It insures an extra layer of protection against the elements in case things get mucky, wet, or rough. 

....and from the back side where the SON tail lamp is mounted to my rack.

Again, the SON tail lamp is rack mountable, and has a coaxial cable like the head lamp does. I ran that cable up another section of floor pump hose to the front of the bike from underneath the rack to underneath the top tube up to the head tube. From there that cable exits the floor pump hose and runs via some spiral-wound plastic wire loom protector, (much like you'd see on spark plug wire looms in automobiles) to the head lamp. 

 The connections at the hub.

Schmidt makes a coaxial connector for the disconnection of wires at the hub to ease front wheel removal. I did not get this option as I do not take the front wheel out often, or hardly ever, so I deemed that this feature was unnecessary for me. Although I did leave enough wire to install that should I decide to go with that in the future. 

So, that's about it. The light is pretty bright. Brighter than the previous Bausch and Mueller light, for sure. The SON tail lamp seems brighter as well. I don't know if that is possible, but that's my impression now. Of course, having the stand light feature is a big plus with being a commuter and all. I also like the stand light as it illuminates my way back into the house at night without trying to fumble for a light switch. 

That should wrap up the repairs and maintenance I started on this bike back in September! I'm good to go now through till next year sometime before I'll need to do another oil change on the Rohloff hub. 

Thanks to Waterloo Bicycle Works and Angry Catfish for the support and excellent service!

Friday News And Views

Nominations are open NOW!

Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame Nominations:

Just a reminder that nominations are open through the month of November for the next class of the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame. 

So, if you feel strongly enough about a person getting their due, then ask them, or their family in case of a death, and get permission to nominate them. Then write up a convincing paragraph as to why that person should be in the GCHof.

Then send that into the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame by November 30th, 2022. After all the nominations have been gathered they will be given to the nominating committee for consideration and they will vote on the Class of 2023. 

Okay, so now you know, and you cannot say that no one told you so.

Getting Lit - An Update:

So the stuff came in this week. I have attached an image here showing everything I received in the box, minus some cool stickers that somebody at Angry Catfish threw in. I appreciated those, so whomever did that, "Thank You!"

So, Spoiler Alert! The stuff worked. I'll have a post on Monday that will detail all my thoughts on the installation and my initial reaction to how the light works. 

I said I'm done, but actually I have a few details to attend to regarding my set up. I need to weather seal a couple things and I need to address the leads to the wheel, since I left them a tad bit long. 

I'm pretty happy I was able to get this done now because we are entering that season where a fat bike is a thing and commuting with a dynamo light is really nice. There is one more thing that I need to do for the Ti Muk, and it is unrelated to the lights, it is fenders. 

I want to come up with something a bit more "full-coverage" than I have, which is a bodge of a few "origami" style clip-on type fat bike fenders. I see Jones Bikes is offering something interesting, but at $180.00....... Ouch! More on that idea later....

As If It Weren't Already Hard Enough To Get There:

Have you noticed that "That Certain Event In Emporia" has been getting harder and harder to get into? Well, now it has gotten even more difficult, well- that is unless you are a Life Time Fitness member.

Yup! That's how you become more inclusive, by being more exclusive. Gotta be so, right? I mean, this is a gravel event, after all. Or is it anymore? Maybe it's something else altogether these days.

 Look, I don't really care about Unbound Gravel as an event anymore. It isn't for me and that's fine. And of course, they can do whatever the heck they want down there. People will do whatever dance they need to do to get there, if they are into it. 

I will only say that this is completely the antithesis of "gravel events" now. I suspect it will only drift further away from its roots as well. I just have a really hard time believing this event represents the "premier gravel event in North America" anymore. I mean, who declared that? Oh! Yeah, the Unbound folks grabbed that claim, didn't they. Hmm.... 

I think if this were put to a vote, and people knew what they could vote for out there, something like THIS event would be a LOT higher up the ladder than Unbound is. And this event as well. Talk about inclusivity. Talk about having a grasp on gravel culture, well, Unbound is about as far from genuine gravel culture in terms of how its run than the East is from the West. 

Speaking Of Events....

Somehow I came across this event I hadn't heard of before on social media this past week. It's called the Starrucca Crossing. It is a 100 mile, (if you do the full-boat. A 75 miler is also offered), that is held in Northeastern Pennsylvania. 

The date is May 20, 2023, and I thought it sounded like fun. There isn't much to go on, actually, but the short blurb about the course I saw said "...a course that is almost 80% dirt roads"

I thought that sounded intriguing, so I asked N.Y. Roll about the area, since it isn't far from New York and he goes through that way to get back to his home. 

N.Y. Roll said it was "all up and down", typical Appalachian bedrock based road beds. He said it would be quite the haul as far as doing that event. 

So, what exactly am I covering this for here? Am I going? Well......probably not. Number one- I can't afford going most anywhere anymore and two- I work on Saturdays, and getting a substitute to cover for me when there are two employees and a bunch of volunteers? Hard to do. So, just spit-ballin' here. But you should do this. It sounds like fun, and it's $65.00 if you register now. Pretty good deal there. 

I may feature events I think are cool from time to time here, so if you have any you think I should consider, hit me up in the comments or at g.ted.productions@gmail.com. 

That's a wrap on this week! Have a great weekend and go ride a bicycle if you can!

Friday News And Views

Nominations are open NOW!

Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame Nominations:

Just a reminder that nominations are open through the month of November for the next class of the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame. 

So, if you feel strongly enough about a person getting their due, then ask them, or their family in case of a death, and get permission to nominate them. Then write up a convincing paragraph as to why that person should be in the GCHof.

Then send that into the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame by November 30th, 2022. After all the nominations have been gathered they will be given to the nominating committee for consideration and they will vote on the Class of 2023. 

Okay, so now you know, and you cannot say that no one told you so.

Getting Lit - An Update:

So the stuff came in this week. I have attached an image here showing everything I received in the box, minus some cool stickers that somebody at Angry Catfish threw in. I appreciated those, so whomever did that, "Thank You!"

So, Spoiler Alert! The stuff worked. I'll have a post on Monday that will detail all my thoughts on the installation and my initial reaction to how the light works. 

I said I'm done, but actually I have a few details to attend to regarding my set up. I need to weather seal a couple things and I need to address the leads to the wheel, since I left them a tad bit long. 

I'm pretty happy I was able to get this done now because we are entering that season where a fat bike is a thing and commuting with a dynamo light is really nice. There is one more thing that I need to do for the Ti Muk, and it is unrelated to the lights, it is fenders. 

I want to come up with something a bit more "full-coverage" than I have, which is a bodge of a few "origami" style clip-on type fat bike fenders. I see Jones Bikes is offering something interesting, but at $180.00....... Ouch! More on that idea later....

As If It Weren't Already Hard Enough To Get There:

Have you noticed that "That Certain Event In Emporia" has been getting harder and harder to get into? Well, now it has gotten even more difficult, well- that is unless you are a Life Time Fitness member.

Yup! That's how you become more inclusive, by being more exclusive. Gotta be so, right? I mean, this is a gravel event, after all. Or is it anymore? Maybe it's something else altogether these days.

 Look, I don't really care about Unbound Gravel as an event anymore. It isn't for me and that's fine. And of course, they can do whatever the heck they want down there. People will do whatever dance they need to do to get there, if they are into it. 

I will only say that this is completely the antithesis of "gravel events" now. I suspect it will only drift further away from its roots as well. I just have a really hard time believing this event represents the "premier gravel event in North America" anymore. I mean, who declared that? Oh! Yeah, the Unbound folks grabbed that claim, didn't they. Hmm.... 

I think if this were put to a vote, and people knew what they could vote for out there, something like THIS event would be a LOT higher up the ladder than Unbound is. And this event as well. Talk about inclusivity. Talk about having a grasp on gravel culture, well, Unbound is about as far from genuine gravel culture in terms of how its run than the East is from the West. 

Speaking Of Events....

Somehow I came across this event I hadn't heard of before on social media this past week. It's called the Starrucca Crossing. It is a 100 mile, (if you do the full-boat. A 75 miler is also offered), that is held in Northeastern Pennsylvania. 

The date is May 20, 2023, and I thought it sounded like fun. There isn't much to go on, actually, but the short blurb about the course I saw said "...a course that is almost 80% dirt roads"

I thought that sounded intriguing, so I asked N.Y. Roll about the area, since it isn't far from New York and he goes through that way to get back to his home. 

N.Y. Roll said it was "all up and down", typical Appalachian bedrock based road beds. He said it would be quite the haul as far as doing that event. 

So, what exactly am I covering this for here? Am I going? Well......probably not. Number one- I can't afford going most anywhere anymore and two- I work on Saturdays, and getting a substitute to cover for me when there are two employees and a bunch of volunteers? Hard to do. So, just spit-ballin' here. But you should do this. It sounds like fun, and it's $65.00 if you register now. Pretty good deal there. 

I may feature events I think are cool from time to time here, so if you have any you think I should consider, hit me up in the comments or at g.ted.productions@gmail.com. 

That's a wrap on this week! Have a great weekend and go ride a bicycle if you can!

Getting Lit: Part 2

Hooray! the light is on its way! Saturday I received an email from the folks at Angry Catfish that they had received a few Schmidt Edelux II lights and wondered if I wanted a polished silver or a satin silver one. 

I went with the shiny silver one, and so I should have it in hand by the end of the week. I have to say- so far anyway- that Angry Catfish has been really good in terms of customer service. I am impressed. Typically you do not get emails direct from employees and any emails you do get are auto-generated types, if you even get that. So, I am noting that this experience has been reassuring and, as I say- so far- very impressive. 

I should also note that I am getting the standard wired version in a longer length, not the coaxial cable type shown here, mostly because I needed to have a longer wire and the coaxial cable in the extra long length is seemingly not available, or at least I did not see that option. I could have missed that, but if I did, it's okay. I'm alright dealing with wires, especially so since I "MacGyvered" a conduit from an air pump hose to run the wires through anyway. 

Quick update on my weekend: Rain! Wind! So, no real riding at all. I'll be out again, hopefully this week, so look for more "Brown Season" posts soon!

Getting Lit: Part 2

Hooray! the light is on its way! Saturday I received an email from the folks at Angry Catfish that they had received a few Schmidt Edelux II lights and wondered if I wanted a polished silver or a satin silver one. 

I went with the shiny silver one, and so I should have it in hand by the end of the week. I have to say- so far anyway- that Angry Catfish has been really good in terms of customer service. I am impressed. Typically you do not get emails direct from employees and any emails you do get are auto-generated types, if you even get that. So, I am noting that this experience has been reassuring and, as I say- so far- very impressive. 

I should also note that I am getting the standard wired version in a longer length, not the coaxial cable type shown here, mostly because I needed to have a longer wire and the coaxial cable in the extra long length is seemingly not available, or at least I did not see that option. I could have missed that, but if I did, it's okay. I'm alright dealing with wires, especially so since I "MacGyvered" a conduit from an air pump hose to run the wires through anyway. 

Quick update on my weekend: Rain! Wind! So, no real riding at all. I'll be out again, hopefully this week, so look for more "Brown Season" posts soon!

Friday News And Views

Riding Gravel Radio Ranch:

The newest "Riding Gravel Radio Ranch" Episode #103, is out now. (You can get the link here) We're podcasting about once every two weeks now and have the podcast moved to Anchor.fm hosting for a better, more timely distribution of the episodes than we experienced it before. 

I've had some concerns voiced over access. Well, we are growing the podcast from 'ground zero' now and that means our old access was gone and we had to start small and grow it. We are now on Apple podcast as of this episode, so that should help. We are also on Google podcast and on Spotify also. 

So, give it a listen, spread the news, and help this thing grow. I'll have more things to offer in the future, so stay tuned for that as I get to it. As always, please make comments and suggestions if you are so inclined.

From Surly's social media on Tuesday this week.

What's Up At Surly?

These days, social media is the prime vehicle for spreading news and for keeping brands in front of people's eyes.You don't have any media on paper anymore to do that. So, there are no ads to read. There are no "catalogs" either. Independent bike shops don't give you any bandwidth since there are far less of them than there used to be. So, the various social media marketing opportunities are all you really have these days. Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Maybe Tic-Tok and Reddit. If a brand isn't on YouTube you seem to be missing something .

This is why what was witnessed on social media on Tuesday was so puzzling. Surly's social media person posted that - apparently- they were leaving the brand, which, in and of itself, is not such a big deal. But the line that indicated that "It is possible this channel will not be monitored for some time.", that was a bit concerning. Without any new content, that "channell" will go dead really fast. People won't see "Surly" and the brand will fall away from the forefront, because if you don't have it shoved down your eyeballs on socials, then it doesn't exist.

This Surly product was intro'ed by the QBP social, not Surly's

Comments: Of course, what that actually means in terms of Surly the brand and business is purely speculation at this point. But if I were a Surly dealer or fan, this would raise some red flags with me. It'll bear watching, for sure. 

Then again, it all could just be a program to bring all QBP's social media under "one roof", as it were. QBP has mostly run each brand it has as a separate company under the umbrella of QBP. But that may be getting streamlined as cost-cutting measures take hold of the cycling industry.  It would seem foolish, perhaps, to run separate social media departments when you could get that job done by a single department, for example. 

QBP has already had a round of lay-offs. Does this point to more? Could be. We're seeing many companies laying off from all sectors. Saris went bankrupt, The Pro's Closet, an online entity, cut staff, Thule cut 34 jobs and moved its R&D to Swedish headquarters from the USA. MIPS, the helmet technology supplier, saw sales dip 39% in the third quarter according to an industry report. So, if QBP has more cost-cutting to do, it would come as no surprise. Or- Is this a result of the recent lay-offs? That could very well be also.

Shimano RX801 Shoes On Test:

Well, Shimano made some big news this week about its shoe line. They updated the RX8's with the new 801's, but what probably was a bigger deal here was the RX8R, a shoe that adds in a feature found on many Enduro cycling shoes. That would be a "cuff" that is supposedly there to keep debris out and your feet dry. 

It may not seem as though the new RX801's are any different than their predecessor was, but upon careful inspection I found several differences. This is more of an 'evolution' of the RX8. A slightly "tweaked" version of the original, if you will.

One thing I didn't like about the original RX8 was that it was a bit of a pain to put it on and take it off your foot. Shimano addressed this by removing that elastic strap that held the top of the upper to the footbed inside the shoe and by separating the over-flap into what is more like two straps over the instep. 

At first glance, this new shoe seems like no big deal, but when you put the old one on one foot and the new one on the other, you feel a tremendous difference and the new one is definitely better. By the way, MG has the new RX8R, the one with the ankle-high cuff, and he says much the same as I am about the refinements. More soon.... (Standard Disclaimer applies) 

Schmidt Edelux II Dynamo Light. (Image courtesy of Cycle Monkey)

Need A Light:

So, you may recall that my Busch and Mueller IQ-X went belly-up on the Ti Muk II so now I need a light unit for that bike which runs a SON dynamo hub. The logical choice is a Schmidt light to stay with the hub brand I already have. 

I have settled on getting the Edelux II with the Co-Axial Adapter. This new connector set-up looks more durable than the old blade connectors and those fine wires. 

I just have to decide what orientation I want the light in. (You have to chose due to the cut-off beam) So, when I do that, I am going to pull the trigger. That will get me back on the Ti Muk II and that needs to happen sooner than later since, well, you know.  Winter, that's why. 

Otherwise that bike is all good to go. I had just redone the drive train and had just done the hub service. So, having the light go down on me right after all of that was kind of a deflating experience. I guess I was a bit disappointed and, maybe even more so, I was just down about looking at spending a couple hundred plus more than I was prepared to spend. But it isn't as if I don't have the funds now. I just need to do it.

Okay folks, that'll do it for this week. I hope that you all get out for a ride. We're to have our "false Summer" spree here with temps in the 80's for the weekend. The Spotted Horse riders will melt! (Good luck to anyone doing that event this weekend, by the way.) 

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Friday News And Views

Riding Gravel Radio Ranch:

The newest "Riding Gravel Radio Ranch" Episode #103, is out now. (You can get the link here) We're podcasting about once every two weeks now and have the podcast moved to Anchor.fm hosting for a better, more timely distribution of the episodes than we experienced it before. 

I've had some concerns voiced over access. Well, we are growing the podcast from 'ground zero' now and that means our old access was gone and we had to start small and grow it. We are now on Apple podcast as of this episode, so that should help. We are also on Google podcast and on Spotify also. 

So, give it a listen, spread the news, and help this thing grow. I'll have more things to offer in the future, so stay tuned for that as I get to it. As always, please make comments and suggestions if you are so inclined.

From Surly's social media on Tuesday this week.

What's Up At Surly?

These days, social media is the prime vehicle for spreading news and for keeping brands in front of people's eyes.You don't have any media on paper anymore to do that. So, there are no ads to read. There are no "catalogs" either. Independent bike shops don't give you any bandwidth since there are far less of them than there used to be. So, the various social media marketing opportunities are all you really have these days. Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Maybe Tic-Tok and Reddit. If a brand isn't on YouTube you seem to be missing something .

This is why what was witnessed on social media on Tuesday was so puzzling. Surly's social media person posted that - apparently- they were leaving the brand, which, in and of itself, is not such a big deal. But the line that indicated that "It is possible this channel will not be monitored for some time.", that was a bit concerning. Without any new content, that "channell" will go dead really fast. People won't see "Surly" and the brand will fall away from the forefront, because if you don't have it shoved down your eyeballs on socials, then it doesn't exist.

This Surly product was intro'ed by the QBP social, not Surly's

Comments: Of course, what that actually means in terms of Surly the brand and business is purely speculation at this point. But if I were a Surly dealer or fan, this would raise some red flags with me. It'll bear watching, for sure. 

Then again, it all could just be a program to bring all QBP's social media under "one roof", as it were. QBP has mostly run each brand it has as a separate company under the umbrella of QBP. But that may be getting streamlined as cost-cutting measures take hold of the cycling industry.  It would seem foolish, perhaps, to run separate social media departments when you could get that job done by a single department, for example. 

QBP has already had a round of lay-offs. Does this point to more? Could be. We're seeing many companies laying off from all sectors. Saris went bankrupt, The Pro's Closet, an online entity, cut staff, Thule cut 34 jobs and moved its R&D to Swedish headquarters from the USA. MIPS, the helmet technology supplier, saw sales dip 39% in the third quarter according to an industry report. So, if QBP has more cost-cutting to do, it would come as no surprise. Or- Is this a result of the recent lay-offs? That could very well be also.

Shimano RX801 Shoes On Test:

Well, Shimano made some big news this week about its shoe line. They updated the RX8's with the new 801's, but what probably was a bigger deal here was the RX8R, a shoe that adds in a feature found on many Enduro cycling shoes. That would be a "cuff" that is supposedly there to keep debris out and your feet dry. 

It may not seem as though the new RX801's are any different than their predecessor was, but upon careful inspection I found several differences. This is more of an 'evolution' of the RX8. A slightly "tweaked" version of the original, if you will.

One thing I didn't like about the original RX8 was that it was a bit of a pain to put it on and take it off your foot. Shimano addressed this by removing that elastic strap that held the top of the upper to the footbed inside the shoe and by separating the over-flap into what is more like two straps over the instep. 

At first glance, this new shoe seems like no big deal, but when you put the old one on one foot and the new one on the other, you feel a tremendous difference and the new one is definitely better. By the way, MG has the new RX8R, the one with the ankle-high cuff, and he says much the same as I am about the refinements. More soon.... (Standard Disclaimer applies) 

Schmidt Edelux II Dynamo Light. (Image courtesy of Cycle Monkey)

Need A Light:

So, you may recall that my Busch and Mueller IQ-X went belly-up on the Ti Muk II so now I need a light unit for that bike which runs a SON dynamo hub. The logical choice is a Schmidt light to stay with the hub brand I already have. 

I have settled on getting the Edelux II with the Co-Axial Adapter. This new connector set-up looks more durable than the old blade connectors and those fine wires. 

I just have to decide what orientation I want the light in. (You have to chose due to the cut-off beam) So, when I do that, I am going to pull the trigger. That will get me back on the Ti Muk II and that needs to happen sooner than later since, well, you know.  Winter, that's why. 

Otherwise that bike is all good to go. I had just redone the drive train and had just done the hub service. So, having the light go down on me right after all of that was kind of a deflating experience. I guess I was a bit disappointed and, maybe even more so, I was just down about looking at spending a couple hundred plus more than I was prepared to spend. But it isn't as if I don't have the funds now. I just need to do it.

Okay folks, that'll do it for this week. I hope that you all get out for a ride. We're to have our "false Summer" spree here with temps in the 80's for the weekend. The Spotted Horse riders will melt! (Good luck to anyone doing that event this weekend, by the way.) 

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!