Friday News And Views

Shimano RX6 Flint Hills Edition "Moonlight" Shoes:

Shimano recently sent me a pair of these RX6 gravel shoes from their Flint Hills Edition collection. They look so much like RX8's I thought that they were RX8's at first! But no - they are different. Very subtly different. 

The shoes feature a greenish hue on one side which I guess is supposed to be a rendition of "moonlight" in a dark night sky. To me it seems more like the sickly greenish hue of the flowers described by Tokien when he wrote about the Morgul Vale. 

But "moonlight".......okay. 

Anyway, they are pretty cool shoes and the really neat detail to my mind is the course trace which is supposedly based off of the DK200/Unbound. 

I'm going to pop a set of cleats on these soon and I'll be back with what I think makes these different from the RX8's I have and really like. The differences are subtle, as I said, but how that translates during riding, I don't know yet. So stay tuned....

Inventory At Record Levels Spells Deeper Discounts At Retail;

Keeping an eye on the cycling scene at retail and wholesale has been quite the roller coaster ride for the past several years. A recent report from "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" has revealed that we are in unprecedented times. 

According to the report authored by Rick Vosper, the cycling industry is "sitting on three quarters of a billion dollars of inventory." For some context to that, inventory levels pre-pandemic were far less. The report claims that current levels are at 181% of those that were reported in 2018. 

Translation: We've never seen anything like this before. 

According to the article, even deeper discounts than have been offered are probably going to occur, depending upon weather and economic activity. If the industry is still in trouble in August, we may see crazy days-like deals on bicycles and accessories. 

And the fall-out from that, if it happens, will be historic as well. Stay tuned.....

More Gab About Bikepacking:

N.Y. Roll and I just released another "Guitar Ted Podcast" this week. The subject was bikepacking, once again, because we feel this is becoming more of a thing with gravel riders. 

The racing part is becoming more and more about mid to elite level athletes and many are feeling events are focusing more on these riders and leaving the rest out. It used to be about overcoming a challenge, stretching yourself, and fun for everyone. 

Now? It's becoming more about results and how the event makes you feel at the finish line. The challenge part is being neutered and in some case, removed altogether in the name of ......whatever. I'm not sure why an event like Unbound would dismiss time cut-offs, but yeah.... 

Anyway, all that is not a lot of people's idea of "fun" anymore so they have taken up camping, overnights, and mixing it in with cycling in rural areas which is low-key, can be a challenge in a new, different way, and be as long or short as you want it to be. 

So, we thought some more gab about bikepacking was in order. You can listen in here if you like, or wherever you get your podcast feed from.

That's it for this week. Get out and ride! Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions

Friday News And Views

Shimano RX6 Flint Hills Edition "Moonlight" Shoes:

Shimano recently sent me a pair of these RX6 gravel shoes from their Flint Hills Edition collection. They look so much like RX8's I thought that they were RX8's at first! But no - they are different. Very subtly different. 

The shoes feature a greenish hue on one side which I guess is supposed to be a rendition of "moonlight" in a dark night sky. To me it seems more like the sickly greenish hue of the flowers described by Tokien when he wrote about the Morgul Vale. 

But "moonlight".......okay. 

Anyway, they are pretty cool shoes and the really neat detail to my mind is the course trace which is supposedly based off of the DK200/Unbound. 

I'm going to pop a set of cleats on these soon and I'll be back with what I think makes these different from the RX8's I have and really like. The differences are subtle, as I said, but how that translates during riding, I don't know yet. So stay tuned....

Inventory At Record Levels Spells Deeper Discounts At Retail;

Keeping an eye on the cycling scene at retail and wholesale has been quite the roller coaster ride for the past several years. A recent report from "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" has revealed that we are in unprecedented times. 

According to the report authored by Rick Vosper, the cycling industry is "sitting on three quarters of a billion dollars of inventory." For some context to that, inventory levels pre-pandemic were far less. The report claims that current levels are at 181% of those that were reported in 2018. 

Translation: We've never seen anything like this before. 

According to the article, even deeper discounts than have been offered are probably going to occur, depending upon weather and economic activity. If the industry is still in trouble in August, we may see crazy days-like deals on bicycles and accessories. 

And the fall-out from that, if it happens, will be historic as well. Stay tuned.....

More Gab About Bikepacking:

N.Y. Roll and I just released another "Guitar Ted Podcast" this week. The subject was bikepacking, once again, because we feel this is becoming more of a thing with gravel riders. 

The racing part is becoming more and more about mid to elite level athletes and many are feeling events are focusing more on these riders and leaving the rest out. It used to be about overcoming a challenge, stretching yourself, and fun for everyone. 

Now? It's becoming more about results and how the event makes you feel at the finish line. The challenge part is being neutered and in some case, removed altogether in the name of ......whatever. I'm not sure why an event like Unbound would dismiss time cut-offs, but yeah.... 

Anyway, all that is not a lot of people's idea of "fun" anymore so they have taken up camping, overnights, and mixing it in with cycling in rural areas which is low-key, can be a challenge in a new, different way, and be as long or short as you want it to be. 

So, we thought some more gab about bikepacking was in order. You can listen in here if you like, or wherever you get your podcast feed from.

That's it for this week. Get out and ride! Thank you 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!

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

 End Of Year Blog News:

November means that pretty soon I will start my traditional 'end of the year' themed posts on the blog. Since some of you may not know about this stuff I do annually, I figured this post would be a 'fair warning' to you and let others know what to expect here as 2021 comes to a close. 

I'll be doing the "Bikes of 2021" posts which will go back over the bikes I used over the past year, any changes made to them, and what the future looks like for each. There won't be as many as I've had in years past because I really focused my riding on fewer bikes than I have in the past. In fact, I looked at a couple of them down there in "The Lab" and was amazed that I hadn't ridden them at all in 2021! (See the previous two days of posts for more on those)

I'll be doing the retrospective on the year. I have done this in a few different ways over the past 15 years of this blog, but I think I will break it down into seasons again this time. So, expect a "Winter", "Spring", "Summer", and a "Fall" overview for 2021. 

I'll probably do another "Top Ten Posts" for the year. It was fun to look back at that last year and to see what it was that tripped you reader's triggers as far as subject matter from this blog over the past year. So, look for another go at that in late December. 

I'll also be doing a post with my picks for the best images on this blog for 2021. That will be 12, one from each month. That will post near the end of the year so I can choose one from December. Then I'll have a last look at what has happened here on the blog and a peek at the future on this channel. That should about do it for any special posts for the end of the year. 

I'll still be doing the "Trans Iowa Stories" posts every Sunday through the end of the year. In 2020, I thought that series would have been concluded by now, but I can clearly see that it will extend well into 2022 now before I close that down. Then I will start up the promised look at the "Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational", which was the annual Summer ride I used to invite people to join me on. Plus, as a bit of look into 2022, I'll do another "State of the Gravel Scene" post.

Look for some of this end-of-year stuff to kick off later this month here.

Shimano Announces New Colors For RX 8 Gravel Shoes:

The Shimano RX 8 Gravel shoe has been out for a couple of years now. The latest new shoes Shimano released did not include an update on the RX 8 design, but they did toss out a couple of new colors for the shoes for your consideration. 

One is the new Bronze color which is offered in their unisex sizing. It goes from a coppery-brown to a fade to black at the back end of the shoe. The other color is "Yellow-Gold", only offered in a narrower, women's specific sizing, and goes from a nice gold color to black at the back end of the shoe. 

Comments: The RX 8 is a fantastic shoe and with its hybrid design it makes great sense as a gravel going shoe. This is much lighter than average MTB fare for the feet and it isn't a three bolt cleat like a road shoe would have, so two bolt, walkable shoes, but with a nod to roadies. I've really liked the two pair I have now (Standard Disclaimer) and they have become my favorite gravel shoes, especially when it is hot out as they flow air very well. 

Even Formula 1 Drivers Are Racing On Gravel Now!

Recently the Belgium Waffle Ride (BWR) series ran it's inaugural event in Kansas. No big whoop except that a current Formula 1 driver used his off-week to race the event. AND he finished top ten! 

I just find this amazing having been around the scene as long as I have been. I mean, there is NO WAY I would have ever have dreamed this could happen. A Formula 1 driver, and a current one at that, riding on gravel in the US? Nope! Never had that on my radar. 

But such is the popularity of these events now. I suspect that we might even see more of this sort of cross-over. I'll be honest and let you know that I have actually thought about NASCAR drivers doing gravel because many of the drivers are cyclists. But their season is so long and they have an off-season over the worst of Winter, so...... Yeah, probably will never happen. 

As an aside, At the BWR, apparently there was a course change and the GPX files, which were handed out ahead of the event, were not going to match up with the changes to course markers. Confusion, predictably, reigned, and also predictably, many folks were angry. (By the way, I saw that the entry fee was $225.00 a head) 

So, yeah, that's all on the promoter(s) and they should learn a lesson here. Obviously they do not understand human nature, nor have they listened to, or taken heed of 15+ years of gravel event history. This has happened before and there are good ways to deal with it. I'm not going to tell anyone how to run their event, but when I see people defaulting to wanting lead cars and follow vehicles, as Pro Road Racing does, well, that's not gravel racing, and that isn't a good solution either. Again- check out what has been done before. It's all out there for anyone to read and learn from. 

Supply Chain Update:

Since I first started writing about the supply chain issues in the bicycle industry this subject has become big-time, mainstream news. I think even the average citizen has heard something about this by this point into the pandemic times. Besides what I have written about this already, the only thing I think I would add here is that the supply chain issues are a LOT more complex than thought at first. With that said, here is a bit of an update as it concerns the bicycle industry in particular.

As of November 2021, the issues surrounding the bicycle industries supply chain issues show no signs of letting up. Where one bottleneck seems to open up, another crops up to take its place, while still others remain unsolved or are reaching critical mass in severity. On the one hand reports are coming out saying Vietnam factories are starting to open up after having been shut down for over four months due to COVID. On the other hand, I'm hearing about inland shipping issues in China due to pandemic issues which have affected shipping up and down the Yangtze River. Meanwhile record numbers of ships are at anchor off the ports of L.A./Long Beach with no relief in sight. Trucking issues, rail issues, and warehousing issues still plague the U.S. supply chain with no resolution in sight. 

All this means that bicycles and parts will be short and in and out of availability on a pre-order basis only for most companies. If you plan on spur of the moment shopping you very well may find things much like they are now in shops and online. Some places may have things, most will not, and that will change on a weekly basis. Parts for repairs will again be scarce. Looking at 2022 my thought would be that you should start looking for replacement parts NOW and maybe you'll have a bike to ride with fresh bits by the Spring of '22. 

Really.

New bikes? Some things will trickle in to traditional retail throughout 2022, BUT- Expect there to be a big move to online order fulfillment by most brands by the end of '22. Due to issues involved in trucking, warehousing, and in just getting products off the ships, brands will start to look at bypassing the traditional local bike shop model and shipping direct to consumer. Plus we very well may see more brands start North American assembly operations like we have already seen with Cannondale and now with HPC's like Rad Power Bikes, who are also planning to assemble and manufacture things here in the States. On-shoring of product assembly and manufacture will become much more attractive as the old 'just-in'time' supply model's long supply chain has been seen to have been exposed as being not very tenable in times of crisis. 

In short: 2022 will look a LOT like 2021. 

And that's a wrap on this week's FN&V. Have a great weekend and thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions.

Friday News And Views

 End Of Year Blog News:

November means that pretty soon I will start my traditional 'end of the year' themed posts on the blog. Since some of you may not know about this stuff I do annually, I figured this post would be a 'fair warning' to you and let others know what to expect here as 2021 comes to a close. 

I'll be doing the "Bikes of 2021" posts which will go back over the bikes I used over the past year, any changes made to them, and what the future looks like for each. There won't be as many as I've had in years past because I really focused my riding on fewer bikes than I have in the past. In fact, I looked at a couple of them down there in "The Lab" and was amazed that I hadn't ridden them at all in 2021! (See the previous two days of posts for more on those)

I'll be doing the retrospective on the year. I have done this in a few different ways over the past 15 years of this blog, but I think I will break it down into seasons again this time. So, expect a "Winter", "Spring", "Summer", and a "Fall" overview for 2021. 

I'll probably do another "Top Ten Posts" for the year. It was fun to look back at that last year and to see what it was that tripped you reader's triggers as far as subject matter from this blog over the past year. So, look for another go at that in late December. 

I'll also be doing a post with my picks for the best images on this blog for 2021. That will be 12, one from each month. That will post near the end of the year so I can choose one from December. Then I'll have a last look at what has happened here on the blog and a peek at the future on this channel. That should about do it for any special posts for the end of the year. 

I'll still be doing the "Trans Iowa Stories" posts every Sunday through the end of the year. In 2020, I thought that series would have been concluded by now, but I can clearly see that it will extend well into 2022 now before I close that down. Then I will start up the promised look at the "Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational", which was the annual Summer ride I used to invite people to join me on. Plus, as a bit of look into 2022, I'll do another "State of the Gravel Scene" post.

Look for some of this end-of-year stuff to kick off later this month here.

Shimano Announces New Colors For RX 8 Gravel Shoes:

The Shimano RX 8 Gravel shoe has been out for a couple of years now. The latest new shoes Shimano released did not include an update on the RX 8 design, but they did toss out a couple of new colors for the shoes for your consideration. 

One is the new Bronze color which is offered in their unisex sizing. It goes from a coppery-brown to a fade to black at the back end of the shoe. The other color is "Yellow-Gold", only offered in a narrower, women's specific sizing, and goes from a nice gold color to black at the back end of the shoe. 

Comments: The RX 8 is a fantastic shoe and with its hybrid design it makes great sense as a gravel going shoe. This is much lighter than average MTB fare for the feet and it isn't a three bolt cleat like a road shoe would have, so two bolt, walkable shoes, but with a nod to roadies. I've really liked the two pair I have now (Standard Disclaimer) and they have become my favorite gravel shoes, especially when it is hot out as they flow air very well. 

Even Formula 1 Drivers Are Racing On Gravel Now!

Recently the Belgium Waffle Ride (BWR) series ran it's inaugural event in Kansas. No big whoop except that a current Formula 1 driver used his off-week to race the event. AND he finished top ten! 

I just find this amazing having been around the scene as long as I have been. I mean, there is NO WAY I would have ever have dreamed this could happen. A Formula 1 driver, and a current one at that, riding on gravel in the US? Nope! Never had that on my radar. 

But such is the popularity of these events now. I suspect that we might even see more of this sort of cross-over. I'll be honest and let you know that I have actually thought about NASCAR drivers doing gravel because many of the drivers are cyclists. But their season is so long and they have an off-season over the worst of Winter, so...... Yeah, probably will never happen. 

As an aside, At the BWR, apparently there was a course change and the GPX files, which were handed out ahead of the event, were not going to match up with the changes to course markers. Confusion, predictably, reigned, and also predictably, many folks were angry. (By the way, I saw that the entry fee was $225.00 a head) 

So, yeah, that's all on the promoter(s) and they should learn a lesson here. Obviously they do not understand human nature, nor have they listened to, or taken heed of 15+ years of gravel event history. This has happened before and there are good ways to deal with it. I'm not going to tell anyone how to run their event, but when I see people defaulting to wanting lead cars and follow vehicles, as Pro Road Racing does, well, that's not gravel racing, and that isn't a good solution either. Again- check out what has been done before. It's all out there for anyone to read and learn from. 

Supply Chain Update:

Since I first started writing about the supply chain issues in the bicycle industry this subject has become big-time, mainstream news. I think even the average citizen has heard something about this by this point into the pandemic times. Besides what I have written about this already, the only thing I think I would add here is that the supply chain issues are a LOT more complex than thought at first. With that said, here is a bit of an update as it concerns the bicycle industry in particular.

As of November 2021, the issues surrounding the bicycle industries supply chain issues show no signs of letting up. Where one bottleneck seems to open up, another crops up to take its place, while still others remain unsolved or are reaching critical mass in severity. On the one hand reports are coming out saying Vietnam factories are starting to open up after having been shut down for over four months due to COVID. On the other hand, I'm hearing about inland shipping issues in China due to pandemic issues which have affected shipping up and down the Yangtze River. Meanwhile record numbers of ships are at anchor off the ports of L.A./Long Beach with no relief in sight. Trucking issues, rail issues, and warehousing issues still plague the U.S. supply chain with no resolution in sight. 

All this means that bicycles and parts will be short and in and out of availability on a pre-order basis only for most companies. If you plan on spur of the moment shopping you very well may find things much like they are now in shops and online. Some places may have things, most will not, and that will change on a weekly basis. Parts for repairs will again be scarce. Looking at 2022 my thought would be that you should start looking for replacement parts NOW and maybe you'll have a bike to ride with fresh bits by the Spring of '22. 

Really.

New bikes? Some things will trickle in to traditional retail throughout 2022, BUT- Expect there to be a big move to online order fulfillment by most brands by the end of '22. Due to issues involved in trucking, warehousing, and in just getting products off the ships, brands will start to look at bypassing the traditional local bike shop model and shipping direct to consumer. Plus we very well may see more brands start North American assembly operations like we have already seen with Cannondale and now with HPC's like Rad Power Bikes, who are also planning to assemble and manufacture things here in the States. On-shoring of product assembly and manufacture will become much more attractive as the old 'just-in'time' supply model's long supply chain has been seen to have been exposed as being not very tenable in times of crisis. 

In short: 2022 will look a LOT like 2021. 

And that's a wrap on this week's FN&V. Have a great weekend and thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions.

Gotta Keep The Feet Happy

Three of my four pairs of Shimano cycling shoes

 Going into Gravel Worlds training I started to think about a lot of different things, as one does when attempting a 150 mile gravel ride. Of those many things, I was analyzing which shoes I have that would keep my feet the happiest. 

Now, I am a Shimano shoe guy. Have been that way for years now. My favorite shoes I ever had were some basic, three strap Velcro closure Shimano MTB shoes. They were sooo comfy! Not the stiffest, most efficient shoes in the world, but comfort goes a long way in making a ride successful or not. 

Ironically, I think it was after a Gravel Worlds when I noticed that both of those shoes blew out the toes and I had to retire them. What then? Well, fortunately, at about the same time as I had gotten those three-strap shoes, I also landed a pair of Shimano's best MTB XC shoes. (See Standard Disclaimer) I got those shoes to review on the old "Twentynine Inches" site which I once ran. Anyway, this would have been something like 2012, maybe 2013. So, they are getting on in age. But since I almost never use them anymore, they seem to be hanging on. I'm pretty sure they are the SH-XC90's and they are on the left there in the image. 

Then I got a pair of the Shimano RX-8 shoes to test (Standard Disclaimer again) in black (middle above) and later in the fancy-pants Green/Purple fade. Now I loved the black RX-8's. I still do. They are a little fidgety to get on, but they work well for me. However; when I got the other pair- the green/purple fade pair, those fit differently in the toe box. Huh! Why? They are the same model shoe, same size, everything but the color. Well, that fancier looking shoe fits a bit snugger in the toes, and well, it isn't for a long ride. Not for me anyway. 

So, it came down to me using the RX-8's in black, right? Well.......not so fast! I found the SH-XC90's when I pulled out my travel bag to load it. They were already in the bag! I'd forgotten all about them, so I figured one last test had to be done, and Wednesday I did that. I think that because the toe box is so roomy, and because the support is so good with the SH-XC90's, and because they vent well, I am going to use them.  

Gotta keep the feet happy, ya know? 

NOTE: The "Standard Disclaimer" can be found under the header in the pages tab.

Gotta Keep The Feet Happy

Three of my four pairs of Shimano cycling shoes

 Going into Gravel Worlds training I started to think about a lot of different things, as one does when attempting a 150 mile gravel ride. Of those many things, I was analyzing which shoes I have that would keep my feet the happiest. 

Now, I am a Shimano shoe guy. Have been that way for years now. My favorite shoes I ever had were some basic, three strap Velcro closure Shimano MTB shoes. They were sooo comfy! Not the stiffest, most efficient shoes in the world, but comfort goes a long way in making a ride successful or not. 

Ironically, I think it was after a Gravel Worlds when I noticed that both of those shoes blew out the toes and I had to retire them. What then? Well, fortunately, at about the same time as I had gotten those three-strap shoes, I also landed a pair of Shimano's best MTB XC shoes. (See Standard Disclaimer) I got those shoes to review on the old "Twentynine Inches" site which I once ran. Anyway, this would have been something like 2012, maybe 2013. So, they are getting on in age. But since I almost never use them anymore, they seem to be hanging on. I'm pretty sure they are the SH-XC90's and they are on the left there in the image. 

Then I got a pair of the Shimano RX-8 shoes to test (Standard Disclaimer again) in black (middle above) and later in the fancy-pants Green/Purple fade. Now I loved the black RX-8's. I still do. They are a little fidgety to get on, but they work well for me. However; when I got the other pair- the green/purple fade pair, those fit differently in the toe box. Huh! Why? They are the same model shoe, same size, everything but the color. Well, that fancier looking shoe fits a bit snugger in the toes, and well, it isn't for a long ride. Not for me anyway. 

So, it came down to me using the RX-8's in black, right? Well.......not so fast! I found the SH-XC90's when I pulled out my travel bag to load it. They were already in the bag! I'd forgotten all about them, so I figured one last test had to be done, and Wednesday I did that. I think that because the toe box is so roomy, and because the support is so good with the SH-XC90's, and because they vent well, I am going to use them.  

Gotta keep the feet happy, ya know? 

NOTE: The "Standard Disclaimer" can be found under the header in the pages tab.

Friday News And Views

Pirate Cycling League Announces Virtual Gravel Worlds:

Donate. Ride. Submit.

That's what ya gotta do to participate in this new virtual challenge which the PCL has set up in lieu of holding Gravel Worlds this year, which has been cancelled due to the pandemic. let's see what this deal is about.....

Donate: From the Gravel Worlds website: "In order to participate in Gravel Worlds Virtual, you must donate at least $10 to the Randy Gibson Fund at the Lincoln Parks Foundation. The Lincoln Parks Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit; therefore, the donation will be tax deductible. Our event promotion team will not receive any of the money that is donated. All donations go directly to the non-profit, Lincoln Parks Foundation."

The Randy Gibson Fund is something set up to help pay for a special rest stop on a recreational trail in the Lincoln area to honor Randy Gibson, a very influential local cyclist, and a volunteer/graphic designer for many of the Gravel Worlds events in the past. It's a worthy cause and the outcome will honor the life and influence of Randy Gibson, who is dearly missed by many in the Lincoln cycling scene, not to mention his family. 

Ride: The PCL has several courses set up in the Lincoln area to use for the challenge. Riders are encouraged to do 150 mile, 75 mile, or 50K distances to be a part of this. From the website again: "After the donation, the participants have three distance options to choose from: 150 miles, 75 miles or the 50 km. Speed isn’t essential to participate. You just need to be able to complete the distance(s). Any course anywhere in the World will work. It doesn’t need to be on gravel. Just get out and ride! Create your own route and ride in your City!"

The PCL is offering this challenge through the month of August. Anyone anywhere in the World can participate. The only stipulations being that you must donate and you must complete the distance you choose. Riders can also do all three challenge distances, but each ride must be accompanied by a separate donation, so if you did all three rides, you must donate three different times at the 10 dollar minimum. Now you are two thirds of the way there! Finally.......


Submit: No.....this isn't about some weird dictatorship or oddball sexual practices. This only refers to getting your ride into the hopper at Gravel Worlds so you can be documented and be a part of a random raffle to win one of many prizes that the generous sponsors of Gravel Worlds has offered to be given away.

You must fill out the form showing you donated. Then, you can upload them a gpx file, you can take an image of your device showing the mileage completed, you can send the PCL a photo documentary of your challenge ride. You could maybe even send the PCL a handwritten manuscript including images of your journey. A pirate map? Why not! Just submit your ride details to the PCL via their website instructions.

I'll be joining in the fun, since Gravel Worlds was on my calendar of things to do in 2020. Stay tuned for my attempt to be documented here.

The Mason Cycles "In Search Of" model is very much like a Fargo.

Interesting Fargo Alternative From The UK:

There are not too many alternatives to a Salsa Cycles Fargo out there. Some bikes come close, (as we examined earlier here and here), but most aren't quite 'there' in one way or another. I have noted the company Mason Cycles in the past as an interesting company focused upon adventure, challenge, and fun. They use aluminum a lot, but steel is also in their vocabulary there, as well as titanium, at times. Their model dubbed the "In Search Of" looks very interesting if you are in mind to have a bike like a Fargo, but different than most would choose.

First off, the frame is top notch and made from Reynolds 853 steel. Sounds good already! They custom form it, (note the bend in the down tube, as an example) and top that off with their own 100mm suspension corrected carbon fiber fork with the requisite "adventure warts", of course. It also features those mounting points you'd expect to find on such an adventure bike as well. Multiple bottle mounts, and it is upgrade-able to a special dynamo lighting package Mason Cycles offers.

The obvious 'bendy downtube' is only one of the unique aesthetic features of the ISO. It also has a kind of splash guard/rack thing-a-ma-bob over the front wheel that Mason is rather proud of. They say it can carry up to 2kg of cargo. Cute...... Not sure it is of much use, but its there if you like it.

I'll say that, if you can get by the odd-duck looks, this is a pretty close alternative to a Fargo. It doesn't have any way to bail you out if you should experience a derailleur failure. (Yes- that really can happen. I've had to push a fellow Fargo rider that was on a pre-Alternator Fargo out of the woods on one occasion) That omission kind of seems like an oversight to me, but otherwise, this might be a cool rig. You don't hear much about these 'over here', so I thought I'd share what I've seen is a good choice in "Fargo-like" adventure bikes.

If you want to cosplay at a gravel event as The Joker, well then....Image courtesy of Shimano

 Shimano Shows New Color For The RX8 Gravel Shoe: 

Sometimes when I get a press release I say, "Wow!", and at other times I also say, "Wow!", followed by some 'other thoughts'.

I opened a recent Shimano press release and the 'wow' came out followed by, "are you kidding me?" Yeah.....those are some fancy, flashy slippers for cycling right there! And those colors! 

Now listen people- I like green and purple. A LOT! My favorite two colors ever right there. But on my shoes? Ah.........sheesh! I'm not so sure about that. Maybe if they were all one color or the other? Yes. Then I would be down with that. All purple or all green. But this mix?

Supposedly this is inspired by the Southwest's deserts and the blossoms on prickly pear cactus. Thus the name of the color, "Cactus Berry. I dunno..... They look more like The Joker's footwear to me, but I could be way off there. I'm thinking the 60's era, made for T.V., Cesar Romero Joker. Anyway....

That's all for this week. Have a great weekend and keep on keepin' on!

Friday News And Views

Pirate Cycling League Announces Virtual Gravel Worlds:

Donate. Ride. Submit.

That's what ya gotta do to participate in this new virtual challenge which the PCL has set up in lieu of holding Gravel Worlds this year, which has been cancelled due to the pandemic. let's see what this deal is about.....

Donate: From the Gravel Worlds website: "In order to participate in Gravel Worlds Virtual, you must donate at least $10 to the Randy Gibson Fund at the Lincoln Parks Foundation. The Lincoln Parks Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit; therefore, the donation will be tax deductible. Our event promotion team will not receive any of the money that is donated. All donations go directly to the non-profit, Lincoln Parks Foundation."

The Randy Gibson Fund is something set up to help pay for a special rest stop on a recreational trail in the Lincoln area to honor Randy Gibson, a very influential local cyclist, and a volunteer/graphic designer for many of the Gravel Worlds events in the past. It's a worthy cause and the outcome will honor the life and influence of Randy Gibson, who is dearly missed by many in the Lincoln cycling scene, not to mention his family. 

Ride: The PCL has several courses set up in the Lincoln area to use for the challenge. Riders are encouraged to do 150 mile, 75 mile, or 50K distances to be a part of this. From the website again: "After the donation, the participants have three distance options to choose from: 150 miles, 75 miles or the 50 km. Speed isn’t essential to participate. You just need to be able to complete the distance(s). Any course anywhere in the World will work. It doesn’t need to be on gravel. Just get out and ride! Create your own route and ride in your City!"

The PCL is offering this challenge through the month of August. Anyone anywhere in the World can participate. The only stipulations being that you must donate and you must complete the distance you choose. Riders can also do all three challenge distances, but each ride must be accompanied by a separate donation, so if you did all three rides, you must donate three different times at the 10 dollar minimum. Now you are two thirds of the way there! Finally.......


Submit: No.....this isn't about some weird dictatorship or oddball sexual practices. This only refers to getting your ride into the hopper at Gravel Worlds so you can be documented and be a part of a random raffle to win one of many prizes that the generous sponsors of Gravel Worlds has offered to be given away.

You must fill out the form showing you donated. Then, you can upload them a gpx file, you can take an image of your device showing the mileage completed, you can send the PCL a photo documentary of your challenge ride. You could maybe even send the PCL a handwritten manuscript including images of your journey. A pirate map? Why not! Just submit your ride details to the PCL via their website instructions.

I'll be joining in the fun, since Gravel Worlds was on my calendar of things to do in 2020. Stay tuned for my attempt to be documented here.

The Mason Cycles "In Search Of" model is very much like a Fargo.

Interesting Fargo Alternative From The UK:

There are not too many alternatives to a Salsa Cycles Fargo out there. Some bikes come close, (as we examined earlier here and here), but most aren't quite 'there' in one way or another. I have noted the company Mason Cycles in the past as an interesting company focused upon adventure, challenge, and fun. They use aluminum a lot, but steel is also in their vocabulary there, as well as titanium, at times. Their model dubbed the "In Search Of" looks very interesting if you are in mind to have a bike like a Fargo, but different than most would choose.

First off, the frame is top notch and made from Reynolds 853 steel. Sounds good already! They custom form it, (note the bend in the down tube, as an example) and top that off with their own 100mm suspension corrected carbon fiber fork with the requisite "adventure warts", of course. It also features those mounting points you'd expect to find on such an adventure bike as well. Multiple bottle mounts, and it is upgrade-able to a special dynamo lighting package Mason Cycles offers.

The obvious 'bendy downtube' is only one of the unique aesthetic features of the ISO. It also has a kind of splash guard/rack thing-a-ma-bob over the front wheel that Mason is rather proud of. They say it can carry up to 2kg of cargo. Cute...... Not sure it is of much use, but its there if you like it.

I'll say that, if you can get by the odd-duck looks, this is a pretty close alternative to a Fargo. It doesn't have any way to bail you out if you should experience a derailleur failure. (Yes- that really can happen. I've had to push a fellow Fargo rider that was on a pre-Alternator Fargo out of the woods on one occasion) That omission kind of seems like an oversight to me, but otherwise, this might be a cool rig. You don't hear much about these 'over here', so I thought I'd share what I've seen is a good choice in "Fargo-like" adventure bikes.

If you want to cosplay at a gravel event as The Joker, well then....Image courtesy of Shimano

 Shimano Shows New Color For The RX8 Gravel Shoe: 

Sometimes when I get a press release I say, "Wow!", and at other times I also say, "Wow!", followed by some 'other thoughts'.

I opened a recent Shimano press release and the 'wow' came out followed by, "are you kidding me?" Yeah.....those are some fancy, flashy slippers for cycling right there! And those colors! 

Now listen people- I like green and purple. A LOT! My favorite two colors ever right there. But on my shoes? Ah.........sheesh! I'm not so sure about that. Maybe if they were all one color or the other? Yes. Then I would be down with that. All purple or all green. But this mix?

Supposedly this is inspired by the Southwest's deserts and the blossoms on prickly pear cactus. Thus the name of the color, "Cactus Berry. I dunno..... They look more like The Joker's footwear to me, but I could be way off there. I'm thinking the 60's era, made for T.V., Cesar Romero Joker. Anyway....

That's all for this week. Have a great weekend and keep on keepin' on!

Unlooked For Adventure

 

Wednesday I wanted to go for a single speed ride in the country, but I noted that a pretty solid line of thunderstorms was moving through the state. The air was ripe with humidity, and you could tell it was going to rain in the way that the air felt. It was too iffy for me to go out and dodge potential lightning strikes. So, I waffled around and finally pulled out the Fargo Gen I as it needed to have those MSO tires ridden in some more to get the tubeless set up right.

So, I pumped up the tires, got into some riding clothes, threw on those snazzy new RX-8 Shimano gravel shoes, and headed out the door from the house to......

Yeah, where was I going? I had nothing I really was excited about, but I figured I hadn't been to George Wyth State Park for a while, so I headed over in that general direction. Along the way I hit up some good alleys. Around these parts, alleyways are everywhere and probably 98% of them are gravel. I used a bunch of these pieced together to get over to the network of bike paths, over the Cedar River, and into George Wyth. This park has been a mountain biking area for close to 30 years now. I've been around for most of that. It's a very familiar area to me.

Sure, the trails have changed, new ones added, old ones are gone, but Geo Wyth is still that twisty, mostly flat, river bottom single track that it has always been. I see now they have actually posted the names on the trails. Novel idea, that. I dove into one and went for a fair piece until I ran into lots of dead fall. We had pretty harsh winds out here last week and the leavings from the trees are still laying on the trails there, in some places to much too ride through. I cleared a little bit off, then headed in the general direction of the paved path. The thought here wasn't that I wanted to do single track. So, a little reminder was all it took to tell me I had enough of that, and now it was time to find something else to capture the mind.

That turned out to be the Canfield Access road which used to be private, but now is part of the park. It was muddy, ridden with big stretches of water, and......more of an adventure than trying to dodge a million dead branches on single track. I took this out to the boat access and then the Park road to the bike path. Then I headed back home. Along the way I actually learned a thing or two I can write about concerning the Shimano gravel shoes. Bonus. Then it was more alley ways, and eventually back home.

Bike rides are good for the soul, even if you don't know where you are going. Oh, and less than an hour after I got back it started raining. Good timing!

Unlooked For Adventure

 

Wednesday I wanted to go for a single speed ride in the country, but I noted that a pretty solid line of thunderstorms was moving through the state. The air was ripe with humidity, and you could tell it was going to rain in the way that the air felt. It was too iffy for me to go out and dodge potential lightning strikes. So, I waffled around and finally pulled out the Fargo Gen I as it needed to have those MSO tires ridden in some more to get the tubeless set up right.

So, I pumped up the tires, got into some riding clothes, threw on those snazzy new RX-8 Shimano gravel shoes, and headed out the door from the house to......

Yeah, where was I going? I had nothing I really was excited about, but I figured I hadn't been to George Wyth State Park for a while, so I headed over in that general direction. Along the way I hit up some good alleys. Around these parts, alleyways are everywhere and probably 98% of them are gravel. I used a bunch of these pieced together to get over to the network of bike paths, over the Cedar River, and into George Wyth. This park has been a mountain biking area for close to 30 years now. I've been around for most of that. It's a very familiar area to me.

Sure, the trails have changed, new ones added, old ones are gone, but Geo Wyth is still that twisty, mostly flat, river bottom single track that it has always been. I see now they have actually posted the names on the trails. Novel idea, that. I dove into one and went for a fair piece until I ran into lots of dead fall. We had pretty harsh winds out here last week and the leavings from the trees are still laying on the trails there, in some places to much too ride through. I cleared a little bit off, then headed in the general direction of the paved path. The thought here wasn't that I wanted to do single track. So, a little reminder was all it took to tell me I had enough of that, and now it was time to find something else to capture the mind.

That turned out to be the Canfield Access road which used to be private, but now is part of the park. It was muddy, ridden with big stretches of water, and......more of an adventure than trying to dodge a million dead branches on single track. I took this out to the boat access and then the Park road to the bike path. Then I headed back home. Along the way I actually learned a thing or two I can write about concerning the Shimano gravel shoes. Bonus. Then it was more alley ways, and eventually back home.

Bike rides are good for the soul, even if you don't know where you are going. Oh, and less than an hour after I got back it started raining. Good timing!

Friday News And Views

Bigger, heavier,because- motors.

The Evolution Toward Heavier, More Durable Parts Continues;

One of the things I've been saying about HPC (Hybrid Powered Cycle) vehicles is that the parts necessary to make these things safe is the antithesis of over a century of bicycle design and engineering. The main point has been to make things lighter, stronger, and more efficient since pure human power is reliant on the maximization of those things for the betterment of the experience. However; when motors were added, these ideals were abandoned.

Now it is becoming necessary to beef up components and make things heavier, since motors introduce forces not seen on a purely human powered bicycle. Magura is the latest to announce such a component. Now they are offering a 220mm rotor and braking system optimized for motorized bicycles. Of course, tires, chains, and wheels have all been beefed up due to the forces imparted by electric motors on those components.

Again, history reflects this in the move to fit gasoline powered engines on to bicycles in the early 20th Century. Parts made for purely human powered transportation by two wheels could not withstand the forces imparted on them by motors. Heavier parts were fitted, frames got beefier, and the next thing you know, pedals were shed. You know the rest of that story.

Oh, and I saw another HPC being hawked the other day in a video where the clip lasted 3+ minutes and the rider did not pedal once. What's the message there? Yeah......it ain't about bicycling. 

Those shoes.

 Gravel Shoes? 

In a time when the industry wants to electrify or gravel "all the things", another item listed as a "gravel ____" (fill in the blank) will cause groans and raised eyebrows. That's how it goes. Marketing seems to always take things just a little bit too far, especially in the cycling industry. (This includes HPC stuff too)

So, when Shimano announced the RX8 as a "gravel specific shoe", well.....yeah right! It's a freakin' cycling shoe, yes? 

But sometimes we get jaded and lose our open mindedness to things that, upon further review, are actually legitimate ideas. Take these shoes, as an example.

We used to always use MTB shoes as our gravel biking shoes back in the day. The alternative? Road shoes. Ahhh........no! They did not have a sole to walk on, were far too stiff, and those cleats! Try walking a muddy ditch in those things. Good luck! So, no......we wore MTB shoes because we had to. The "other choice" was not tenable.

Well, there are some things about road shoes that make sense for gravel travel. They typically are lighter, have efficient soles for pedaling, and have great ventilation. MTB shoes have some great attributes. They are walkable, resist scuffing, are easily dried when they get wet, and use two bolt cleats which are minimalist, and work better in mud and grit. So.....why not mix the better attributes of both for gravel? 

 Yes- why not? And Shimano did. Now, you can miss it and throw the thought of these "gravel" shoes away like a bad newspaper, but if you do, you are going to miss some good news. These shoes are the real deal, as far as I can tell so far. They aren't cheap, and they are maybe more "race" than "good times", but they are no joke. I've got a review going up on RidingGravel.com this weekend on them. Check it out if you have the time.

It's the official pedal of the DK200, dontcha know?

LOOK- It's The Official Pedal Of The DK200:

And speaking of pedaling- LOOK has signed on to be the "official pedal" of the Dirty Kanza 200. Their X-trac pedal being the one featured, not the KEO carbon fiber roadie thing-a-ma-bob.

When I saw that news it rang a bell with me. Yes....yes indeed. RidingGravel.com reviewed this pedal. It passed with flying colors, so there is that. It's funny, but besides the KEO, you hardly hear a thing about LOOK pedals for cycling. But they are the OG of clipless pedals. They were way ahead of Shimano, and LOOK even had a pretty highly regarded MTB pedal in the early 90's, despite the fact it weighed a metric ton. As I recall, it was, (and maybe still is) Tinker Jaurez's favorite pedal. (You younginz should look up Tinker. MONSTER MTB dude.)

Anyway, I digress.....

Congratulations to the DK200 on picking up a pedal sponsor. It'll be interesting to see what they do to partner up in that relationship.

Labor Day Weekend, y'all! Get sum! (Bicycling, that is) Be safe! Thanks for reading, as always!

 

Friday News And Views

Bigger, heavier,because- motors.

The Evolution Toward Heavier, More Durable Parts Continues;

One of the things I've been saying about HPC (Hybrid Powered Cycle) vehicles is that the parts necessary to make these things safe is the antithesis of over a century of bicycle design and engineering. The main point has been to make things lighter, stronger, and more efficient since pure human power is reliant on the maximization of those things for the betterment of the experience. However; when motors were added, these ideals were abandoned.

Now it is becoming necessary to beef up components and make things heavier, since motors introduce forces not seen on a purely human powered bicycle. Magura is the latest to announce such a component. Now they are offering a 220mm rotor and braking system optimized for motorized bicycles. Of course, tires, chains, and wheels have all been beefed up due to the forces imparted by electric motors on those components.

Again, history reflects this in the move to fit gasoline powered engines on to bicycles in the early 20th Century. Parts made for purely human powered transportation by two wheels could not withstand the forces imparted on them by motors. Heavier parts were fitted, frames got beefier, and the next thing you know, pedals were shed. You know the rest of that story.

Oh, and I saw another HPC being hawked the other day in a video where the clip lasted 3+ minutes and the rider did not pedal once. What's the message there? Yeah......it ain't about bicycling. 

Those shoes.

 Gravel Shoes? 

In a time when the industry wants to electrify or gravel "all the things", another item listed as a "gravel ____" (fill in the blank) will cause groans and raised eyebrows. That's how it goes. Marketing seems to always take things just a little bit too far, especially in the cycling industry. (This includes HPC stuff too)

So, when Shimano announced the RX8 as a "gravel specific shoe", well.....yeah right! It's a freakin' cycling shoe, yes? 

But sometimes we get jaded and lose our open mindedness to things that, upon further review, are actually legitimate ideas. Take these shoes, as an example.

We used to always use MTB shoes as our gravel biking shoes back in the day. The alternative? Road shoes. Ahhh........no! They did not have a sole to walk on, were far too stiff, and those cleats! Try walking a muddy ditch in those things. Good luck! So, no......we wore MTB shoes because we had to. The "other choice" was not tenable.

Well, there are some things about road shoes that make sense for gravel travel. They typically are lighter, have efficient soles for pedaling, and have great ventilation. MTB shoes have some great attributes. They are walkable, resist scuffing, are easily dried when they get wet, and use two bolt cleats which are minimalist, and work better in mud and grit. So.....why not mix the better attributes of both for gravel? 

 Yes- why not? And Shimano did. Now, you can miss it and throw the thought of these "gravel" shoes away like a bad newspaper, but if you do, you are going to miss some good news. These shoes are the real deal, as far as I can tell so far. They aren't cheap, and they are maybe more "race" than "good times", but they are no joke. I've got a review going up on RidingGravel.com this weekend on them. Check it out if you have the time.

It's the official pedal of the DK200, dontcha know?

LOOK- It's The Official Pedal Of The DK200:

And speaking of pedaling- LOOK has signed on to be the "official pedal" of the Dirty Kanza 200. Their X-trac pedal being the one featured, not the KEO carbon fiber roadie thing-a-ma-bob.

When I saw that news it rang a bell with me. Yes....yes indeed. RidingGravel.com reviewed this pedal. It passed with flying colors, so there is that. It's funny, but besides the KEO, you hardly hear a thing about LOOK pedals for cycling. But they are the OG of clipless pedals. They were way ahead of Shimano, and LOOK even had a pretty highly regarded MTB pedal in the early 90's, despite the fact it weighed a metric ton. As I recall, it was, (and maybe still is) Tinker Jaurez's favorite pedal. (You younginz should look up Tinker. MONSTER MTB dude.)

Anyway, I digress.....

Congratulations to the DK200 on picking up a pedal sponsor. It'll be interesting to see what they do to partner up in that relationship.

Labor Day Weekend, y'all! Get sum! (Bicycling, that is) Be safe! Thanks for reading, as always!