Review Briefs

 As many of you know, I get in a fair amount of stuff to review on Riding Gravel and sometimes just to give feedback on/test for others. I figured I may as well shoot a few words this way on some things being currently tested and reviewed by giving a few, brief thoughts on those items. As always, The Standard Disclaimer applies. 

Showers Pass Ultra-Light Wind Jacket

Showers Pass Ultra-Light Wind Jacket:

I just received this Showers Pass garment to review for Riding Gravel and it is a redesign of their popular wind jacket which is packable and very lightweight. 

Typically cycling apparel for guys and gals that are not "athletically shaped" is difficult. My wide shoulders and barrel-shaped chest often do not play well with many items made for cycling. 

Then there is sizing. It can be all over the place for me and I have XL, XXL, and XXXL sized jackets, as an example, all which "fit" me. 

What?!!

Yes- sizing for cycling garments, (or any clothing, really), is pretty much a crap-shoot. I really appreciate sizing charts on sites and many utilize these, so that does help tremendously. I get into all of the previous stuff because whenever I get a jacket like this Showers Pass one, even though I've tried several of this company's products, it is always an adventure whenever I slip something on. 

In this case, this jacket, while a 3X was recommended, is very generously sized. I think the shoulder width and arm length is spot on, but the body of this thing is probably big enough that I could layer underneath this with insulating layers for really cold Winter riding. In other words, this ain't no athletic cut here. And maybe that bodes well for you if you are a person with a bigger belly than most. 

I'd be fine with the extra room, but there is no waist draw string, so on me this fits like a blouse. Not sure what to think there, because sizing down might help the abdominal area but would shoulder width be too constricted? I'm thinking so. Especially when the sizing chart puts me dead in the middle of 3X. 

Oh, and this is ninety-nine bucks. More on this one on Riding Gravel soon.

Cardiff grips are available through SOMA.

Cardiff Cork Composite Grips:

When I got the Karate Monkey set up with that Velo Orange Utility flat bar, I needed a classy looking set of grips and my local bike shop happened to have a set on hand that fit the bill. The rubberized Cardiff cork grips. 

These are "rubberized" meaning that the cork is ground up and mixed in with rubber and then formed into a grip. So, they weigh a little more than a typical fully cork wood grip, and they have a better feel and damping. 

The grips have a closed over end which makes for a nicer look and overall are a bit darker in color than a typical all-cork wood grip would be. I also found that they were a bit of a bear to slip on the Utility Bar which may be an issue with a slightly over-sized bar or under-sized grip. Not sure on that, but a liberal dose of WD-40 made them go right on. 

Riding with them on the steel Utility Bar gives a bit of cushion to the hands and grip is excellent with the rubber part lending a lot of paw-traction there.  The shape is a classic curved one which fits the hand nicely. For 15 bucks its a winner. Plus it'll likely keep your hands warmer in cooler weather due to the cork content. Oh! And I bought these with my own money, so there! 

Pedros Tire Levers:

 I've written about tire levers before in a post from last August, but I wanted to revisit my absolute favorite tire levers in my mechanic career, the Pedros Tire lever. 

Why is it my favorite? Because of the shape of the tip, its strength, and it is easy on the hands. Because it doesn't break under extreme pressure. Because they are cheap and not some fashion statement, or weird revision of a simple idea.

Because when you are a service mechanic and you need to get the job done quickly and efficiently with the least amount of resistance, you find what does that for you and you are not swayed off that choice easily if at all. And I feel that way about the Pedros Tire Lever. 

Ironically Pedros is responsible for possibly the very worst tire levers ever made in the old "Milk Lever" which was a tire lever made from recycled plastic milk jugs, or reputably so. This was in the 1990's, so my memory may be vague on that detail. Anyway, I do remember that they were about as stiff as a wet noodle and that they were functionally useless. So, to see Pedros have a lever these days that is superior to just about everything else I've seen or used is quite the turnaround. 

Get some, put them in your bag. You will never need any other tire levers.  (Note: The levers shown were gifted to me by an old employer.)

Review Briefs

 As many of you know, I get in a fair amount of stuff to review on Riding Gravel and sometimes just to give feedback on/test for others. I figured I may as well shoot a few words this way on some things being currently tested and reviewed by giving a few, brief thoughts on those items. As always, The Standard Disclaimer applies. 

Showers Pass Ultra-Light Wind Jacket

Showers Pass Ultra-Light Wind Jacket:

I just received this Showers Pass garment to review for Riding Gravel and it is a redesign of their popular wind jacket which is packable and very lightweight. 

Typically cycling apparel for guys and gals that are not "athletically shaped" is difficult. My wide shoulders and barrel-shaped chest often do not play well with many items made for cycling. 

Then there is sizing. It can be all over the place for me and I have XL, XXL, and XXXL sized jackets, as an example, all which "fit" me. 

What?!!

Yes- sizing for cycling garments, (or any clothing, really), is pretty much a crap-shoot. I really appreciate sizing charts on sites and many utilize these, so that does help tremendously. I get into all of the previous stuff because whenever I get a jacket like this Showers Pass one, even though I've tried several of this company's products, it is always an adventure whenever I slip something on. 

In this case, this jacket, while a 3X was recommended, is very generously sized. I think the shoulder width and arm length is spot on, but the body of this thing is probably big enough that I could layer underneath this with insulating layers for really cold Winter riding. In other words, this ain't no athletic cut here. And maybe that bodes well for you if you are a person with a bigger belly than most. 

I'd be fine with the extra room, but there is no waist draw string, so on me this fits like a blouse. Not sure what to think there, because sizing down might help the abdominal area but would shoulder width be too constricted? I'm thinking so. Especially when the sizing chart puts me dead in the middle of 3X. 

Oh, and this is ninety-nine bucks. More on this one on Riding Gravel soon.

Cardiff grips are available through SOMA.

Cardiff Cork Composite Grips:

When I got the Karate Monkey set up with that Velo Orange Utility flat bar, I needed a classy looking set of grips and my local bike shop happened to have a set on hand that fit the bill. The rubberized Cardiff cork grips. 

These are "rubberized" meaning that the cork is ground up and mixed in with rubber and then formed into a grip. So, they weigh a little more than a typical fully cork wood grip, and they have a better feel and damping. 

The grips have a closed over end which makes for a nicer look and overall are a bit darker in color than a typical all-cork wood grip would be. I also found that they were a bit of a bear to slip on the Utility Bar which may be an issue with a slightly over-sized bar or under-sized grip. Not sure on that, but a liberal dose of WD-40 made them go right on. 

Riding with them on the steel Utility Bar gives a bit of cushion to the hands and grip is excellent with the rubber part lending a lot of paw-traction there.  The shape is a classic curved one which fits the hand nicely. For 15 bucks its a winner. Plus it'll likely keep your hands warmer in cooler weather due to the cork content. Oh! And I bought these with my own money, so there! 

Pedros Tire Levers:

 I've written about tire levers before in a post from last August, but I wanted to revisit my absolute favorite tire levers in my mechanic career, the Pedros Tire lever. 

Why is it my favorite? Because of the shape of the tip, its strength, and it is easy on the hands. Because it doesn't break under extreme pressure. Because they are cheap and not some fashion statement, or weird revision of a simple idea.

Because when you are a service mechanic and you need to get the job done quickly and efficiently with the least amount of resistance, you find what does that for you and you are not swayed off that choice easily if at all. And I feel that way about the Pedros Tire Lever. 

Ironically Pedros is responsible for possibly the very worst tire levers ever made in the old "Milk Lever" which was a tire lever made from recycled plastic milk jugs, or reputably so. This was in the 1990's, so my memory may be vague on that detail. Anyway, I do remember that they were about as stiff as a wet noodle and that they were functionally useless. So, to see Pedros have a lever these days that is superior to just about everything else I've seen or used is quite the turnaround. 

Get some, put them in your bag. You will never need any other tire levers.  (Note: The levers shown were gifted to me by an old employer.)

Friday News And Views

I'm wearing the Century CC Jacket on the left. (Image by R. Versteegh)

Rain Jacket Review:

 I just posted my Showers Pass Century CC rain jacket review this week on RidingGravel.com. (Standard Disclaimer) It's probably the most comfortable rain jacket I've yet tried, and I've been sent many to check out over the years. 

Showers Pass was the rain jacket to have back in the early days of Trans Iowa. This was in the time before 'gravel' was a thing, and racing in rain jackets was thought to be done only in one of those mimimalist 'rain capes' which were pretty much clear plastic bags with a hole for the neck, two plastic tubes for sleeves, and a Velcro closure instead of a zipper. Gotta be able to read the sponsor's names emblazoned on yer jersey now! 

But touring cyclists were all about the effective, versatile rain gear for cycling. That's kind of where Showers Pass made its hay early on in its history. And subsequently when Trans Iowa riders were looking for that good rain jacket, the Showers Pass jackets were discovered. I remember talking with some of the early T.I. riders about what they were using, and the Showers Pass stuff came up often and got good comments from the folks using them. 

I had aims to buy one of their Century jackets for quite some time, but I had never gotten around to it, mostly because I was getting sent all these other jackets to try out. But recently Showers Pass came out with a budget priced version of the Century Jacket dubbed the Century CC, and I am now finding out what all the fuss was about. Showers Pass says a new version of that stalwart Century is going to be coming out. It might just be another great one for poor weather gravel riding. 

Continental Introduces A New Bike Packing Tire:

Continental, the German based tire company, have announced a new tire called the Terra Hardpack..It is a 50mm wide tire with a unique, low tread pattern for gravel, smooth dirt, and rougher roads. 

Offered in a 700 X 50mm width, the tire features Continental's Shieldwall puncture protection belt, a tubeless ready bead, and the new PureGrip compound which features excellent grip but long wearing properties, according to Continental. 

According to reports, Continental is also offering this in a 650B X 50mm size, but there are no other sizes available at this time. No pricing was found at this time either. 

Comments: Continental has always been a conservative company when it comes to stepping into new markets, so this late entry into the bike packing/wide gravel realm is not surprising. The Terra Hardpack has an interesting, almost scaly looking tread. My experiences with Continental have been that their tires often do not come out to be as wide as stated, so if that still is the case, this may fit into more bikes than you might think. 

Growtac brand "Equal" flat mount brake calipers. Image courtesy of Velo Orange

 Thems The Brakes:

In a world of parts shortages it is always interesting to find a new option that is actually in stock. Such is the case with a new flat mount disc brake option from Velo Orange called Growtac Equal Flat Mount Disc Brakes. 

These single-side actuated, mechanical disc brakes calipers come complete with hardware, adapters for the front, cables, housings, ferrules, and come in several anodized colors. The calipers weigh in at a claimed 135 grams each and do not come with rotors. Price is listed at $350.00/both wheels.

Comments: I was looking for flat mount disc brakes the other day and there were not many choices out there. This adds another interesting choice. The price might seem high, but you get everything you need minus rotors. (And good luck finding those!) But still.... You can get hybrid cable/hydraulic Juin Tech brakes for less. Those do come with rotors (six bolt though) and no cables or housings, but even with that you'd be well under $350.00 for both wheels. I mention these Juin Tech's as they are identical to the highly touted Yokozuna hybrid calipers and they work really well. 

TIME Bicycles' ADHX gravel bike. Image courtesy of TIME Bicycles USA.

TIME Bicycles Introduces Complete Bikes In USA:

A news announcement came out this week saying TIME Bicycles were again available in the USA. TIME has a new gravel bike they are excited about that uses a new lay-up of carbon mixed with Dyneema fabric for more strength and vibration reduction. 

Comments: This is a great example of some pretty cool ideas with a couple of fatal misses in design and geometry. First off, TIME specifies that the ADHX is good for tires from 38mm-40mm. What? Have these designers not seen what has been going on around them for the past five to seven years? A 'new' design that can only handle a 40mm tire is pretty much 2012 technology. 

Secondly, they have a great bottom bracket drop, but the head angle at 72.5° for a Large is waaay too steep! Again- it smacks of a geometry chart dredged up for a gravel bike made in the early twenty-teens. I fail to see how this bike would be really great at anything other than rough paved roads and very smooth dirt. But yeah.....racing bikes. I hear ya. 

Again with the wrong bike for the wrong reasons.

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! I hope that you all can get out for a ride or two this weekend!

Friday News And Views

I'm wearing the Century CC Jacket on the left. (Image by R. Versteegh)

Rain Jacket Review:

 I just posted my Showers Pass Century CC rain jacket review this week on RidingGravel.com. (Standard Disclaimer) It's probably the most comfortable rain jacket I've yet tried, and I've been sent many to check out over the years. 

Showers Pass was the rain jacket to have back in the early days of Trans Iowa. This was in the time before 'gravel' was a thing, and racing in rain jackets was thought to be done only in one of those mimimalist 'rain capes' which were pretty much clear plastic bags with a hole for the neck, two plastic tubes for sleeves, and a Velcro closure instead of a zipper. Gotta be able to read the sponsor's names emblazoned on yer jersey now! 

But touring cyclists were all about the effective, versatile rain gear for cycling. That's kind of where Showers Pass made its hay early on in its history. And subsequently when Trans Iowa riders were looking for that good rain jacket, the Showers Pass jackets were discovered. I remember talking with some of the early T.I. riders about what they were using, and the Showers Pass stuff came up often and got good comments from the folks using them. 

I had aims to buy one of their Century jackets for quite some time, but I had never gotten around to it, mostly because I was getting sent all these other jackets to try out. But recently Showers Pass came out with a budget priced version of the Century Jacket dubbed the Century CC, and I am now finding out what all the fuss was about. Showers Pass says a new version of that stalwart Century is going to be coming out. It might just be another great one for poor weather gravel riding. 

Continental Introduces A New Bike Packing Tire:

Continental, the German based tire company, have announced a new tire called the Terra Hardpack..It is a 50mm wide tire with a unique, low tread pattern for gravel, smooth dirt, and rougher roads. 

Offered in a 700 X 50mm width, the tire features Continental's Shieldwall puncture protection belt, a tubeless ready bead, and the new PureGrip compound which features excellent grip but long wearing properties, according to Continental. 

According to reports, Continental is also offering this in a 650B X 50mm size, but there are no other sizes available at this time. No pricing was found at this time either. 

Comments: Continental has always been a conservative company when it comes to stepping into new markets, so this late entry into the bike packing/wide gravel realm is not surprising. The Terra Hardpack has an interesting, almost scaly looking tread. My experiences with Continental have been that their tires often do not come out to be as wide as stated, so if that still is the case, this may fit into more bikes than you might think. 

Growtac brand "Equal" flat mount brake calipers. Image courtesy of Velo Orange

 Thems The Brakes:

In a world of parts shortages it is always interesting to find a new option that is actually in stock. Such is the case with a new flat mount disc brake option from Velo Orange called Growtac Equal Flat Mount Disc Brakes. 

These single-side actuated, mechanical disc brakes calipers come complete with hardware, adapters for the front, cables, housings, ferrules, and come in several anodized colors. The calipers weigh in at a claimed 135 grams each and do not come with rotors. Price is listed at $350.00/both wheels.

Comments: I was looking for flat mount disc brakes the other day and there were not many choices out there. This adds another interesting choice. The price might seem high, but you get everything you need minus rotors. (And good luck finding those!) But still.... You can get hybrid cable/hydraulic Juin Tech brakes for less. Those do come with rotors (six bolt though) and no cables or housings, but even with that you'd be well under $350.00 for both wheels. I mention these Juin Tech's as they are identical to the highly touted Yokozuna hybrid calipers and they work really well. 

TIME Bicycles' ADHX gravel bike. Image courtesy of TIME Bicycles USA.

TIME Bicycles Introduces Complete Bikes In USA:

A news announcement came out this week saying TIME Bicycles were again available in the USA. TIME has a new gravel bike they are excited about that uses a new lay-up of carbon mixed with Dyneema fabric for more strength and vibration reduction. 

Comments: This is a great example of some pretty cool ideas with a couple of fatal misses in design and geometry. First off, TIME specifies that the ADHX is good for tires from 38mm-40mm. What? Have these designers not seen what has been going on around them for the past five to seven years? A 'new' design that can only handle a 40mm tire is pretty much 2012 technology. 

Secondly, they have a great bottom bracket drop, but the head angle at 72.5° for a Large is waaay too steep! Again- it smacks of a geometry chart dredged up for a gravel bike made in the early twenty-teens. I fail to see how this bike would be really great at anything other than rough paved roads and very smooth dirt. But yeah.....racing bikes. I hear ya. 

Again with the wrong bike for the wrong reasons.

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! I hope that you all can get out for a ride or two this weekend!

Friday News And Views

Showers Pass Debuts Elements Rain Jacket:

The news cycle has kicked back into high gear again. Today I have a few newsy bits to share. First up is the new review on the just announced Showers Pass Elements Jacket which went live yesterday. I got this jacket back in August when it was 90° every day and it wasn't raining. So, I had to really pay attention when it did rain and try to get out in it to test the thing.  

This made it kind of tough on the ol' review since wearing almost anything against rain here in Summer is a fifty/fifty situation wherein you are warding off rain but perspiring so much due to the heat and effort of riding that you get wet anyway. Kind of defeats the point. Kind of like when we say "Six of one, half a dozen of another". You pick yer poison and end up wet no matter. So, they say there are real "breathable" rain jackets out there, but yeah..... I'm guessing these jackets are not tested in Iowa, or Houston, Texas, or anywhere it is humid when it rains. Rain jackets are good when it is cold and raining, and that is about it. So, any rain jacket is up against that here. The Showers Pass one at least feel good against the skin and is made of a light enough fabric that it seems nicer to wear than other rain jackets I've tried. 

The Showers Pass folks wanted this to be packable, and it is to an extent. For this reason they left off pit zips. That is a mistake in my estimation. It makes for a really sweaty arm area since it is almost impossible to vent your arms without pit zips. Oh well, you give up that for pack-ability. They (Showers Pass) also said pit zips are almost never waterproof. Hmm...... I will have to defer to their superior knowledge of rain gear there. 

But it is a nice jacket. Go read the review. (NOTE- Showers Pass sent this jacket for test/review at Riding Gravel. I was not paid, nor bribed, for this mention.)

Niner Bikes RLT e9 RDO. Image courtesy of Niner Bikes.

Niner Bikes Debuts RLT e9 RDO:

Electrified gravel rigs are a thing. Not a big thing, like eMTB is, but they are out there roaming around the countryside now. Niner Bikes bit on the HPC trend and introduced a new electrified gravel rig with a Bosch motor. It's an interesting bike when you look at the details. 

First of all, it is boost spaced in the rear. This bike is also flat bar compatible, and suspension corrected for a "gravel suspension fork". Ever heard of trekking bikes? It'd take Niner about three spec changes to swap this over to a flat bar trekking bike ready for European sales. Or dealers could sell this as a commuter rig with a few key swaps. This isn't so much a gravel rig as it is a hits all the marks rig. 

One more thing- this bike costs $5695.00 USD. Hmm..... I wondered.... "What can you get for a motorcycle for less than 6G?". Ever Google that? You know, there are a LOT of capable rigs in the motorcycle arena and some even adept at doing gravel travel. I know....I know... These people on HPC's are getting a "work out", or whatever you want to say about their efforts. Fine. I'm not going there except to say that if you pedal an HPC, you aren't using the most efficient form of either a bicycle or a motorcycle. This seems .........odd. But carry on....  

Either way, these are here and besides costing an arm and a leg for what you get, I suppose they are appealing to certain folks. They are complex machines, for sure, and servicing these things is causing quite the stir in the bicycle industry and with consumers. For example, you know how frustrating it is that cars all have these proprietary electronic servicing tools? Well, the situation with HPC's is fairly analogous to that experience. Be prepared to have some hassles with service if you need it on an HPC unless you happen upon a good dealer for the brand you own. And be prepared to open up the bank account when it comes time to pay. Right now it's the "Wild West" when it comes to service costs, but once things get streamlined on that end, you can bet the prices will be .......not cheap. 

Riding Gravel Video Ranch?

Andy and I, (well......mostly Andy, to be honest), did a thing the other day. We started a, some may say long overdue, You Tube channel for Riding Gravel. And maybe you could give a rip. I don't know. I just know that some people are visual and that they like seeing what we are reviewing and not so much reading about it all. 

I don't know exactly how this is all going to go yet, but I can give y'all a few hints on what to expect. We aren't going to have anything fancy. No sets, no crazy video production. We might get a drone.....maybe. I am working on doing our own music for this. But simplicity is the main theme. So, it's going to be kind of different than many of the established You Tuber's channels out there that are in the cycling space. 

It's going to stretch me a bit, for sure, (thus another reason to ditch the calendar thing), but I like this challenge more than I do dredging up calendar dates, so I am okay with that. The thing will be coming up with good content, and going into 2021, that may be hard to do. That's because there may not be a whole lot "new" to talk about. This will be detailed in my next segment.....

Pandemic Driven Shortages To Reach Well Into 2021:

As if 2020 weren't weird enough, it won't stop affecting things well into 2021. That's because the disruption in the supply chain has been so damaging that manufacturers, in some cases, are not even giving future ETA's for important components and accessories needed to build bicycles. Think I'm nuts? Here's an excerpt from a manufacturer's letter to suppliers and dealers that's been circulated on social media:

"Component lead times are stretching way out into the future for new orders:

Fox will no longer quote a lead time
Rock Shox quote 250 days
Suntour and Tektro quote 210 days
Shimano stating July to October ‘21 with many dates already in calendar year ‘22
With this level of uncertainty there is no clear indication when MY22 will arrive."

Comments further indicate that these lead times are being modified out further since this letter was publicized. The authority of this info seems to be verified as well, since its source is one of the major factories supplying one of the "Big Four" bike brands. Another of the "Big Four" (Cannondale, Trek, Giant, Specialized) is telling its dealers not to expect MY2021 bikes until April at the earliest. This isn't just concerning mountain bikes, or high end, expensive bikes, but all price levels. 

What does that all mean: Look after your drive trains, baby those bikes, and don't throw out those half-used up tires. Shortages are certainly going to roll through the retail sector for well over a year from now. New bikes? Some, maybe. Mostly hardly anything, at least in terms of wide selections. If you want a bicycle, it will be hard to find a certain model. It will be hard to get the spec you thought you wanted. You'll pretty much be having to take what is offered or go without. 

Used bikes will be hot! The used market will become a seller's market with top-dollar asking prices getting paid since no good supplies of new bikes will be available. It also will mean an uptick in thefts of bicycles is a distinct possibility since supplies of new bikes will be so scarce. Repair parts will also be scarce as those old jalopies will continue to be brought in to be resurrected since new and used bikes will be harder to come by. 

Perhaps this will all be wrong, but indications I'm seeing are that these unprecedented shortages are not going away over the Winter, nor by next Spring, and probably not until 2022. 

That's enough 'fun' for one week. have a great weekend, stay safe, and get out and ride!

Friday News And Views

Showers Pass Debuts Elements Rain Jacket:

The news cycle has kicked back into high gear again. Today I have a few newsy bits to share. First up is the new review on the just announced Showers Pass Elements Jacket which went live yesterday. I got this jacket back in August when it was 90° every day and it wasn't raining. So, I had to really pay attention when it did rain and try to get out in it to test the thing.  

This made it kind of tough on the ol' review since wearing almost anything against rain here in Summer is a fifty/fifty situation wherein you are warding off rain but perspiring so much due to the heat and effort of riding that you get wet anyway. Kind of defeats the point. Kind of like when we say "Six of one, half a dozen of another". You pick yer poison and end up wet no matter. So, they say there are real "breathable" rain jackets out there, but yeah..... I'm guessing these jackets are not tested in Iowa, or Houston, Texas, or anywhere it is humid when it rains. Rain jackets are good when it is cold and raining, and that is about it. So, any rain jacket is up against that here. The Showers Pass one at least feel good against the skin and is made of a light enough fabric that it seems nicer to wear than other rain jackets I've tried. 

The Showers Pass folks wanted this to be packable, and it is to an extent. For this reason they left off pit zips. That is a mistake in my estimation. It makes for a really sweaty arm area since it is almost impossible to vent your arms without pit zips. Oh well, you give up that for pack-ability. They (Showers Pass) also said pit zips are almost never waterproof. Hmm...... I will have to defer to their superior knowledge of rain gear there. 

But it is a nice jacket. Go read the review. (NOTE- Showers Pass sent this jacket for test/review at Riding Gravel. I was not paid, nor bribed, for this mention.)

Niner Bikes RLT e9 RDO. Image courtesy of Niner Bikes.

Niner Bikes Debuts RLT e9 RDO:

Electrified gravel rigs are a thing. Not a big thing, like eMTB is, but they are out there roaming around the countryside now. Niner Bikes bit on the HPC trend and introduced a new electrified gravel rig with a Bosch motor. It's an interesting bike when you look at the details. 

First of all, it is boost spaced in the rear. This bike is also flat bar compatible, and suspension corrected for a "gravel suspension fork". Ever heard of trekking bikes? It'd take Niner about three spec changes to swap this over to a flat bar trekking bike ready for European sales. Or dealers could sell this as a commuter rig with a few key swaps. This isn't so much a gravel rig as it is a hits all the marks rig. 

One more thing- this bike costs $5695.00 USD. Hmm..... I wondered.... "What can you get for a motorcycle for less than 6G?". Ever Google that? You know, there are a LOT of capable rigs in the motorcycle arena and some even adept at doing gravel travel. I know....I know... These people on HPC's are getting a "work out", or whatever you want to say about their efforts. Fine. I'm not going there except to say that if you pedal an HPC, you aren't using the most efficient form of either a bicycle or a motorcycle. This seems .........odd. But carry on....  

Either way, these are here and besides costing an arm and a leg for what you get, I suppose they are appealing to certain folks. They are complex machines, for sure, and servicing these things is causing quite the stir in the bicycle industry and with consumers. For example, you know how frustrating it is that cars all have these proprietary electronic servicing tools? Well, the situation with HPC's is fairly analogous to that experience. Be prepared to have some hassles with service if you need it on an HPC unless you happen upon a good dealer for the brand you own. And be prepared to open up the bank account when it comes time to pay. Right now it's the "Wild West" when it comes to service costs, but once things get streamlined on that end, you can bet the prices will be .......not cheap. 

Riding Gravel Video Ranch?

Andy and I, (well......mostly Andy, to be honest), did a thing the other day. We started a, some may say long overdue, You Tube channel for Riding Gravel. And maybe you could give a rip. I don't know. I just know that some people are visual and that they like seeing what we are reviewing and not so much reading about it all. 

I don't know exactly how this is all going to go yet, but I can give y'all a few hints on what to expect. We aren't going to have anything fancy. No sets, no crazy video production. We might get a drone.....maybe. I am working on doing our own music for this. But simplicity is the main theme. So, it's going to be kind of different than many of the established You Tuber's channels out there that are in the cycling space. 

It's going to stretch me a bit, for sure, (thus another reason to ditch the calendar thing), but I like this challenge more than I do dredging up calendar dates, so I am okay with that. The thing will be coming up with good content, and going into 2021, that may be hard to do. That's because there may not be a whole lot "new" to talk about. This will be detailed in my next segment.....

Pandemic Driven Shortages To Reach Well Into 2021:

As if 2020 weren't weird enough, it won't stop affecting things well into 2021. That's because the disruption in the supply chain has been so damaging that manufacturers, in some cases, are not even giving future ETA's for important components and accessories needed to build bicycles. Think I'm nuts? Here's an excerpt from a manufacturer's letter to suppliers and dealers that's been circulated on social media:

"Component lead times are stretching way out into the future for new orders:

Fox will no longer quote a lead time
Rock Shox quote 250 days
Suntour and Tektro quote 210 days
Shimano stating July to October ‘21 with many dates already in calendar year ‘22
With this level of uncertainty there is no clear indication when MY22 will arrive."

Comments further indicate that these lead times are being modified out further since this letter was publicized. The authority of this info seems to be verified as well, since its source is one of the major factories supplying one of the "Big Four" bike brands. Another of the "Big Four" (Cannondale, Trek, Giant, Specialized) is telling its dealers not to expect MY2021 bikes until April at the earliest. This isn't just concerning mountain bikes, or high end, expensive bikes, but all price levels. 

What does that all mean: Look after your drive trains, baby those bikes, and don't throw out those half-used up tires. Shortages are certainly going to roll through the retail sector for well over a year from now. New bikes? Some, maybe. Mostly hardly anything, at least in terms of wide selections. If you want a bicycle, it will be hard to find a certain model. It will be hard to get the spec you thought you wanted. You'll pretty much be having to take what is offered or go without. 

Used bikes will be hot! The used market will become a seller's market with top-dollar asking prices getting paid since no good supplies of new bikes will be available. It also will mean an uptick in thefts of bicycles is a distinct possibility since supplies of new bikes will be so scarce. Repair parts will also be scarce as those old jalopies will continue to be brought in to be resurrected since new and used bikes will be harder to come by. 

Perhaps this will all be wrong, but indications I'm seeing are that these unprecedented shortages are not going away over the Winter, nor by next Spring, and probably not until 2022. 

That's enough 'fun' for one week. have a great weekend, stay safe, and get out and ride!