WTB Siverado v2 Saddle: Review Part 2

 NOTE: WTB sent over a Silverado titanium railed saddle to Guitar Ted Productions at no charge for test and review. I was not paid, nor bribed for this review and I always strive to give my honest thoughts and views throughout. 

The new version of the WTB Silverado saddle

Back in September I received a new WTB Silverado saddle, the version 2 of this model, and since then I have been riding it off and on to get a feel for this design. You can read my initial impressions HERE. 

I also rode the Gravelier saddle a few times in between riding the new Silverado to see what, if any differences there are. Both saddles are of the newer 'short-nosed, wide rear' type of saddles many are gravitating toward now. 

The first saddle I rode in this vein was the Ergon saddle, the SR Allroad Comp, and I was very impressed with that saddle. So, along comes the Gravelier and it was good, but there were some things I wasn't 100% liking and it wasn't quite as nice as the Ergon saddle. A very good saddle, to be sure, but that Ergon one was the bees knees. (A brief review of that Gravelier saddle can be found HERE)

Now, this Silverado, well......I was skeptical. I mean this is something I was thinking would not be as good as the version 1 saddle, which I was really liking in the newer 143mm wide version. I was already using that saddle on my Black Mountain Cycles MCD, the bubblegum princess, and I wasn't in a hurry to replace it with some unproven "new" design. 

Add in that I thought that the Gravelier was not quite as good as the old Silverado, and well, you might see that I wasn't in the mood to be very forgiving if the new Silverado wasn't really, really good. So, was it, or was I dissatisfied?

Another view of the new Silverado.

The first few test rides weren't convincing me that I was going to get on with this saddle. But I have learned through testing parts for many years that you shouldn't make any judgement calls until after you've ridden something more than a few times and at least once for several hours. Now I have done this. 

I got a long ride in with Jason Boucher using the new Silverado.

Now that I've ridden it enough, and backed that up with another good gravel ride on my Gravelier, I can say that this new Silverado is 'very' good. It isn't a "very, very" good, but it's close. So, I will probably give this one some more time and see what I think later. 

I want to say now that it is better than a Gravelier, for my posterior, at least. I also want to say that it is as good as the old Silverado, but I cannot say - not yet anyway - that it is better than the old Silverado. And that's a big deal, because if you already own a Silverado, why bother unless this new one is better? 

My feeling is that the main customer for Silverado v2's will be customers replacing old Silverado saddles. So, my testing will see me using an old Silverado versus the new, and then we'll see what I think, anyway. You may not agree, but hey! Saddles are a very personal thing. It is okay if you don't think I get this right.

WTB (New) Silverado Saddle: Review

NOTE: WTB sent over a Silverado titanium railed saddle to Guitar Ted Productions at no charge for test and review. I was not paid, nor bribed for this review and I always strive to give my honest thoughts and views throughout. 

Recently I found out that WTB had redesigned its evergreen model, the Silverado. This model is, I am pretty sure, the longest running current model saddle that WTB still offers. It also happens to be one of my very favorite saddles. Especially so since WTB has offered the 143mm wide version. 

So, when I heard the news I was a bit dismayed. "There they go again! Taking away a dead simple choice for me and now I guess its back to trying new saddles again!", which is always a fun adventure. Hours and hours of riding might have to be done just to figure out if a saddle will work or not. So, when you find "that" saddle, it is time to get ahold of several, because when you least expect it, that saddle will go out of production. 

Great! Just great.....

But my contact at WTB also loves his Silverados and told me he was very critical during the design process and wanted to make sure "his" saddle wasn't ruined by the redesign. He claimed that WTB had succeeded in that effort. 

We'll let my behind be the judge of THAT! (HA!)

The New Silverado:

The new Siverado is one of the new-school saddles which are shorter in the nose, but not so much as far as the typical wide rear end that most newer shorter nosed saddles have. Kind of a hybrid here. WTB also used the same technology they used on the Gravelier called "Fusion Form". It is WTB's balancing of stiffness and flexibility which is achieved by using varying amounts of reinforcing fiber in the nylon base. This allows WTB to tune each model of their saddle range to their intended purposes.

The Silverado is tuned for an aggressive, forward leaning rider much like the Gravelier. Fusion Form also allows the padding to be recessed into the base more creating a thinner profile saddle without sacrificing comfort. 

Pressure mapping revealed to WTB's designers that a flatter profile and shorter nose length were optimal for the new range of Silverado saddles. So, these are 265mm in length now, but you do have the choice between narrow (133mm) and medium (143mm) widths in four rail configurations (CroMo steel, Stainless Steel, Titanium, and Carbon Fiber) The Titanium railed, medium width Silverado tested retails for $142.00 USD. For more details see the website. https://www.wtb.com/products/silverado?variant=40106918346829

Impressions: 

Okay, so looking at this thing, the new Silverado, and then looking at the old Silverado, well, it is almost comical. That silly looking thin, long nose on the old one seems out of place now. Kind of like when I see a 1990's 135mm stem on an old 26"er. I guess this new-school short-nosed saddle thing is becoming more and more "normal" looking to my eyes.

I wouldn't call this "flat", but it is less dished out than the old Silverado was, for sure.

The padding on this new saddle seems a bit more plush than it does on the old Silverado, although WTB claims the padding is the same thickness. Must be a Fusion Form thing, I guess.There is the "Comfort Zone" cut-out underneath, a feature used for quite some time on WTB saddles now, and the Microfiber synthetic cover is always a nice touch. 

I have a Gravelier, and to my old eyes, the Gravelier seems a bit wider through the mid-section than the Silverado does, but both are the same short length. I could see that the new Silverado was flatter in profile, but it isn't completely flat. There still is a slight "kick-up" to the tail, but nothing like the older WTB saddles which were really dramatically kicked-up at the tail-end. 

The "Comfort Zone" cut-out.

I was replacing a fairly current Volt titanium railed saddle and when I compared weights, I was a bit taken aback. In fact, I noted straight away that the new Silverado had more heft than the Volt I was removing had. The scales proved this out to be true.

The Volt weighed in at 216 grams and the new Silverado? 246 grams. That's a significant difference, but hey! Who cares how much the saddle weighs if it is a pain in the butt? So, on the bike it went and I torqued it on per spec for the seat post, then it was off for a very brief test ride. 

More Impressions:

Okay, so like I said up there in the beginning, it may take hours and hours of riding to figure out whether or not the new Silverado is an improvement or just a painful experiment. Initially all I can say is that it has no glaring faults. I think I could ride this for a bit, at any rate. More will be said later on the subject of long ride comfort. 

Overall the Silverado seems similar to the old Silverado in the back half, but that short nose is evident. The padding seems nicer on the new one. That should bode well. But where is that extra 30 grams coming from? Seems odd. If the dimensions are smaller then "less" should equal "less", not more. 

I have a query in to WTB concerning my questionable math. We'll see what they say. Until then, it is time to ride this thing. I'll be back with more soon...

Gravel Grinder News: American Classic Tires, WTB Saddles

The new "Grus" by American Classic. (Image courtesy of American Classic)

American Classic Debuts New Tires:

With Eurobike humming along over the pond we are getting a few new tidbits thrown our way. Despite the news of a clogged up supply chain, some companies are still showing new stuff.

One such company is American Classic, the company that came back from the dead to establish itself as the value leader in bicycle tires which have good performance characteristics.  They recently added three new tires, the Grus gravel tire and two new 29"er tires. 

The Grus will come in only black, only one size, (for now) 700 X 40mm, and is a claimed just-over-500 gram tire. 120TPI and it has American Classic's Class 5S puncture protection belt. The tire sells for $45.00 USD and can be found on American Classic's Amazon store. 

The American Classic Cumbre 29" X 2.25" (Image courtesy of American Calssic)

Comments: I'm mildly interested in the Cubre 29"er tire as it looks fast and American classic is claiming it weighs in at around 690 grams, which for a tire this big would be stellar. 

But.....I have serious doubts about that weight. For one thing, this is a 2.25" tire, and I have 700 X 45mm tires that weight that much here in the house. Note: The same press release says that the Grus weighs 550 grams and it is a 40mm tire. Yeah.....

American Classic says the tire is puncture protected too, and even if that is only under the tread cap, that adds weight. So..... Either the tire isn't that light, really, or it isn't that wide. If it is, I'd be pretty surprised by that. 

That all said, the Grus does look fast. Might be a great tire at that price. 

The new WTB Silverado (Image courtesy of WTB)

WTB Updates Silverado, Volt Saddles:

WTB announced recently that they have taken what they learned from designing the new Gravelier saddle and have applied that to their popular Silverado and Volt models. 

The saddles have the new Fusion Form nylon bases where the amount of reinforcing fiber can be manipulated for the best comfort outcomes. the Volt remains pretty much unchanged with the exception of that Fusion Form tech and a refreshed look. The Silverado is where the big changes occurred.  

WTB found through rigorous ride testing that the Silverado was better if it was a tad bit shorter and had less of a "dip" in its midsection. It really looks similar to the Gravelier now, to my eyes, without the cut-out. 

Both saddles will be available in several price points based upon their rail material, mostly. I am a bit skeptical on the Silverado, and I would be really kind of bummed if it weren't for the fact that I know that the Gravelier is a really great saddle. Because if I hadn't have ridden the Gravelier I'd be sad that they changed the Silverado, as it is amongst my very favorite saddles now. But if it is like a Gravelier, I'd be good with that. 

Maybe we'll see about that soon...

Gravel Grinder News: American Classic Tires, WTB Saddles

The new "Grus" by American Classic. (Image courtesy of American Classic)

American Classic Debuts New Tires:

With Eurobike humming along over the pond we are getting a few new tidbits thrown our way. Despite the news of a clogged up supply chain, some companies are still showing new stuff.

One such company is American Classic, the company that came back from the dead to establish itself as the value leader in bicycle tires which have good performance characteristics.  They recently added three new tires, the Grus gravel tire and two new 29"er tires. 

The Grus will come in only black, only one size, (for now) 700 X 40mm, and is a claimed just-over-500 gram tire. 120TPI and it has American Classic's Class 5S puncture protection belt. The tire sells for $45.00 USD and can be found on American Classic's Amazon store. 

The American Classic Cumbre 29" X 2.25" (Image courtesy of American Calssic)

Comments: I'm mildly interested in the Cubre 29"er tire as it looks fast and American classic is claiming it weighs in at around 690 grams, which for a tire this big would be stellar. 

But.....I have serious doubts about that weight. For one thing, this is a 2.25" tire, and I have 700 X 45mm tires that weight that much here in the house. Note: The same press release says that the Grus weighs 550 grams and it is a 40mm tire. Yeah.....

American Classic says the tire is puncture protected too, and even if that is only under the tread cap, that adds weight. So..... Either the tire isn't that light, really, or it isn't that wide. If it is, I'd be pretty surprised by that. 

That all said, the Grus does look fast. Might be a great tire at that price. 

The new WTB Silverado (Image courtesy of WTB)

WTB Updates Silverado, Volt Saddles:

WTB announced recently that they have taken what they learned from designing the new Gravelier saddle and have applied that to their popular Silverado and Volt models. 

The saddles have the new Fusion Form nylon bases where the amount of reinforcing fiber can be manipulated for the best comfort outcomes. the Volt remains pretty much unchanged with the exception of that Fusion Form tech and a refreshed look. The Silverado is where the big changes occurred.  

WTB found through rigorous ride testing that the Silverado was better if it was a tad bit shorter and had less of a "dip" in its midsection. It really looks similar to the Gravelier now, to my eyes, without the cut-out. 

Both saddles will be available in several price points based upon their rail material, mostly. I am a bit skeptical on the Silverado, and I would be really kind of bummed if it weren't for the fact that I know that the Gravelier is a really great saddle. Because if I hadn't have ridden the Gravelier I'd be sad that they changed the Silverado, as it is amongst my very favorite saddles now. But if it is like a Gravelier, I'd be good with that. 

Maybe we'll see about that soon...

Unintentional Testing

From the dank, dark confines of G-Ted HQ.

 Sometimes I discover things by accident. Probably the most easily remembered time where that occurred for me was when I figured out that on tubed tires I could pump them up and when they felt 'right' days later I would make note of that pressure that they had leaked down to and then set them up that way every time. The first time that happened was completely by accident. "Unintentional Testing", is what I call it. 

Well, another instance of that just occurred here recently. It has to do with the Raleigh Tamland Two. Now generally I don't ride the Tamland a whole lot anymore because I have moved on to other 'test mules' for RidingGravel.com. So the bike often sits for weeks and sometimes a month or two before I get back to it for some reason or another.

I cannot remember when I put the Ti Regulator post on the bike, but it's been a long time now and then that Silverado saddle has been on there a while as well. Anyway, you all probably know that I grabbed this bike to do the Tubolito review. Well, just the other day when I went for a ride I thought, "Hey! I forgot how well this bike fit me." I was feeling really comfortable on it. Well, I rode it to work and after my shift was over I sat the bike against the bike repair stand for a minute while I pulled on my helmet and got ready to go home. And I glanced at that Silverado and I noticed it then.

The saddle was slid all the way back on the rails in the saddle clamp. 

Now as a mechanic for many years this generally means one thing- that clamp on the seat post is loose. It doesn't have to be very loose. It doesn't even have to be noticeable. Just your pedaling motion, your weight, and impacts from riding are enough to get that saddle creeping backward until it cannot slide back any further due to the rails shape changing as it goes up into the saddle's nose. So, I knew something was up and I grabbed a 5mm hex key.

The drive side clamp bolt was loose! Wow..... So, here I had been riding a changing saddle position over a period of time until it stopped at its furthest point back that it could go and it felt right. Now, this is shocking to me because the Ti Regulator has a healthy set back and I almost would never set a saddle up like that. Never! Hmm.... 

I grabbed a tape measure and took a measurement thinking, well, it had to be a way longer saddle to bar length now. Right? Funny thing. It was near spot on to what I have always preferred. Weird. 

But that's cool. I found out how the Tamland feels best after all these years and I never would have found out this by trying.

Unintentional Testing

From the dank, dark confines of G-Ted HQ.

 Sometimes I discover things by accident. Probably the most easily remembered time where that occurred for me was when I figured out that on tubed tires I could pump them up and when they felt 'right' days later I would make note of that pressure that they had leaked down to and then set them up that way every time. The first time that happened was completely by accident. "Unintentional Testing", is what I call it. 

Well, another instance of that just occurred here recently. It has to do with the Raleigh Tamland Two. Now generally I don't ride the Tamland a whole lot anymore because I have moved on to other 'test mules' for RidingGravel.com. So the bike often sits for weeks and sometimes a month or two before I get back to it for some reason or another.

I cannot remember when I put the Ti Regulator post on the bike, but it's been a long time now and then that Silverado saddle has been on there a while as well. Anyway, you all probably know that I grabbed this bike to do the Tubolito review. Well, just the other day when I went for a ride I thought, "Hey! I forgot how well this bike fit me." I was feeling really comfortable on it. Well, I rode it to work and after my shift was over I sat the bike against the bike repair stand for a minute while I pulled on my helmet and got ready to go home. And I glanced at that Silverado and I noticed it then.

The saddle was slid all the way back on the rails in the saddle clamp. 

Now as a mechanic for many years this generally means one thing- that clamp on the seat post is loose. It doesn't have to be very loose. It doesn't even have to be noticeable. Just your pedaling motion, your weight, and impacts from riding are enough to get that saddle creeping backward until it cannot slide back any further due to the rails shape changing as it goes up into the saddle's nose. So, I knew something was up and I grabbed a 5mm hex key.

The drive side clamp bolt was loose! Wow..... So, here I had been riding a changing saddle position over a period of time until it stopped at its furthest point back that it could go and it felt right. Now, this is shocking to me because the Ti Regulator has a healthy set back and I almost would never set a saddle up like that. Never! Hmm.... 

I grabbed a tape measure and took a measurement thinking, well, it had to be a way longer saddle to bar length now. Right? Funny thing. It was near spot on to what I have always preferred. Weird. 

But that's cool. I found out how the Tamland feels best after all these years and I never would have found out this by trying.

Review Of Parts Past: WTB SST Saddle

Note: Occasionally I will be struck as to the awesomeness of some part or piece that I use on my bicycles. This was the genesis for the idea of "Review Of Parts Past" where I do a review of a piece or part I use that, perhaps, is no longer in production or that I feel deserves more notice.

WTB SST Saddle: The first time I heard about the SST saddle was late in 1996 when word came out in some MTB magazine that WTB had introduced a new MTB specific saddle that was radically different than the then currently available fare. It was swoopy, curvy, and with that droopy nose, kinda weird looking. I decided to bite on an industry only offer to buy one of the first ones and placed an order over the phone to WTB directly. (Who does THAT anymore?)

Well, my SST came and immediately became my favorite saddle. My first one was a top of the line Titanium railed and leather covered one. Later versions had steel rails, sparkle covers in vinyl, and there were less expensive, Original Equipment versions which weren't really anything like the nicer ones. My suspicions are that the less expensive, OE ones were actually made in a completely different factory. (That's not uncommon, by the way) 

My 1996 vintage SST saddle has resided on several bikes. It spent a long time on my OS Bikes Blackbuck, but recently has found a new lease on life on my Black Mountain Cycles MCD. In a mix-up with a review bike, I ended up with another leather covered SST, only this one has the Kevlar bumpers, and that is now on the Blackbuck. I have a sparkle SST, in gold, which I got from an old friend who sourced it off e-bay. That one was on the Fargo Gen I for ages until I removed it back a few years ago. That sparkle SST was the one I rode 155 miles on in the DK200 in 2015, one of my longest single day rides ever. 

So, there's the history. Saddles are a very personal thing. You may not like the SST, but for me it works really well. However; maybe not quite as you might expect. I like my SST saddles a bit more 'nose-up' than most folks ever would. That is just the way I feel sat the best on them. And, obviously, it agrees with me and still does. Now I've gone off for other saddles since then, thinking I'd found "saddle nirvana", but the SST keeps satisfying my posterior the best. It's the shape, of course, and the leather versions are nicer for sure than the vinyl covered ones are. But none of that matters since they do not make it anymore. 

Interestingly, the SST shape has informed many subsequent WTB saddles. You can still discern the drooped nose idea and "bellied" center section on saddles like the Pure V, the Silverado, and to a very minor degree, the Volt, which has since become WTB's most popular saddle ever. I love the Volt and Silverado, but I really wish WTB would re-introduce a vintage styled SST again. That would be a rad throwback!

Review Of Parts Past: WTB SST Saddle

Note: Occasionally I will be struck as to the awesomeness of some part or piece that I use on my bicycles. This was the genesis for the idea of "Review Of Parts Past" where I do a review of a piece or part I use that, perhaps, is no longer in production or that I feel deserves more notice.

WTB SST Saddle: The first time I heard about the SST saddle was late in 1996 when word came out in some MTB magazine that WTB had introduced a new MTB specific saddle that was radically different than the then currently available fare. It was swoopy, curvy, and with that droopy nose, kinda weird looking. I decided to bite on an industry only offer to buy one of the first ones and placed an order over the phone to WTB directly. (Who does THAT anymore?)

Well, my SST came and immediately became my favorite saddle. My first one was a top of the line Titanium railed and leather covered one. Later versions had steel rails, sparkle covers in vinyl, and there were less expensive, Original Equipment versions which weren't really anything like the nicer ones. My suspicions are that the less expensive, OE ones were actually made in a completely different factory. (That's not uncommon, by the way) 

My 1996 vintage SST saddle has resided on several bikes. It spent a long time on my OS Bikes Blackbuck, but recently has found a new lease on life on my Black Mountain Cycles MCD. In a mix-up with a review bike, I ended up with another leather covered SST, only this one has the Kevlar bumpers, and that is now on the Blackbuck. I have a sparkle SST, in gold, which I got from an old friend who sourced it off e-bay. That one was on the Fargo Gen I for ages until I removed it back a few years ago. That sparkle SST was the one I rode 155 miles on in the DK200 in 2015, one of my longest single day rides ever. 

So, there's the history. Saddles are a very personal thing. You may not like the SST, but for me it works really well. However; maybe not quite as you might expect. I like my SST saddles a bit more 'nose-up' than most folks ever would. That is just the way I feel sat the best on them. And, obviously, it agrees with me and still does. Now I've gone off for other saddles since then, thinking I'd found "saddle nirvana", but the SST keeps satisfying my posterior the best. It's the shape, of course, and the leather versions are nicer for sure than the vinyl covered ones are. But none of that matters since they do not make it anymore. 

Interestingly, the SST shape has informed many subsequent WTB saddles. You can still discern the drooped nose idea and "bellied" center section on saddles like the Pure V, the Silverado, and to a very minor degree, the Volt, which has since become WTB's most popular saddle ever. I love the Volt and Silverado, but I really wish WTB would re-introduce a vintage styled SST again. That would be a rad throwback!

Getting My GRX On: Update

There she be! The Noble GX5 with GRX on it. (That's a lot of "G's" and "X's"!)

The installation of the new Shimano GRX components and PRO brand stuff I was sent has been accomplished. I rode the bike on its first legit gravel ride Monday for over two hours.

The 1X thing hasn't really been appealing to me for quite some time. I had to stick with it since this bike is not routed for a front derailleur. (I could use an electronic one) So 1X GRX was spec'ed and that's what you see there in the image.

So far, since I have run Force 1X and now this GRX 1X, I have "gotten used to it", but it doesn't have as deep a range as I can get with a 2X set up, and that might end up becoming an issue at some point with the current set up. Which is a 42T drive ring turning an 11-42T cassette, by the way. So "low" is 1 to 1, and you don't get to go lower than that.

Now where I live? That is likely alright. I've run across a couple of situations where less than a one to one ratio would have been nice. Usually on century rides. But for the one to five hour range of rides? I probably am fine. Going somewhere else with this bike? Maybe not so much. But I've got other bikes too, so it isn't imperative that I have 2X on the Noble GX5.

So, enough about the gearing. Here is a run down of all the new parts on the bike:

• Shimano GRX 800 Mechanical 11 speed Right hydraulic lever.
• Shimano GRX 800 Dummy Left Lever set up for Dropper Post actuation. (See Note below)
• Shimano GRX 800 Hydraulic Brake Calipers F/R 160mm Rotors F/R
• Shimano GRX 800 Crank w/42T drive ring, 172.5mm
• Shimano GRX 800 Rear Derailleur (Mechanical 11 spd)
• Shimano GRX Wheel set
• Shimano XTR/Dura Ace 11 speed chain
• Shimano XT 11spd 11-42T Cassette
• Shimano XT pedals
• Shimano PRO seat post
• Shimano PRO stem
• Shimano PRO bar tape
• Shimano PRO bottle cages
• Shimano Discovery Series Big Flare handle bar
• WTB Volt saddle, medium width
• Wheels Manufacturing BB86 Thread-together bottom bracket

The GRX rear derailleur has a clutch, like the MTB line, but it feels far different

(NOTE: Disclaimer dead ahead. Skip ahead if you don't care)

That's most of the bike! I should also note here that besides the bottom bracket, which I purchased, the rest is all sent for no charge to Riding Gravel for test and review. I am not being paid, nor bribed for this post here.

Now- with that out of the way, I got this all set up and everything went quite well, actually. The first legit gravel ride went well too. Shifting required a slight tweak from the barrel adjuster, (standard issue on the GRX derailleur- Huzzah!), and I imagine I'll have a couple more tweaks to that before it settles in. The brakes are fantastic. Probably the best drop bar Shimano hydro brakes yet. Maybe best ever? Close. Really quiet too.......so far. 

The brake hoods feel awesome too. They put some nice texturing on it for grip, and the rubber they used feels nice. The shape is excellent with a nicer, flatter radiused shape with a nice width to them. I also like Shimano's hydraulic hood shape far more than SRAM's which looks ugly in my opinion. At any rate, Shimano's shape looks a lot less weird and more like the fully mechanical levers they make. The big deal here is the lever blades. They shaped the blade and while that may seem like not such a big deal, it is when you feel them under your fingers. The shapes and contours just feel really good.

The GRX levers feel great under the hand.

So besides those stand outs, the bike was like before. Good wheels, no issues there, and everything else just worked like it should. Now I will say a bit about the saddle, the WTB Volt, because there is an interesting story.

WTB has the "Fit Right System" now where you measure your wrist and then a calculation their system does based upon some preferences and that wrist measurement spits out what saddle is right for you out of their line. I had been preferring the WTB Pure series of saddles, which measures out to be in their "wide" size range. Now I have to back track a bit to several years ago when I tried Bontrager's saddle fit system and I was measured out in their "medium" width category, which I think is something like 143mm or round about there. So, I tried that, and I just never got along with their saddles at all. I abandoned them after sitting on a Pure V and liking that. So, I pursued getting a bunch of those saddles and for a time, all was well.

Recently I have been not as pleased with Pure V's as I have been getting soreness which I cannot remember having. Age changes things. Maybe that was it? Dunno. But change in my saddle of choice was going to be necessary. Then last Summer I got the chance to try a new, medium width Silverado. I really liked it. This was a 142mm width saddle, which was interesting to me, remembering the old Bontrager measurement.

The medium width Volt from WTB

Fast forward to August and Gravel Worlds where I saw the WTB Fit Right System in operation. Later on I was asked to go through the system and WTB wanted to send me a saddle or two, write up a review, and see what I thought. I got two Volts. One in Medium and one in Wide.

One ride on the Wide one was all it took for me to realize that it wasn't right. The saddle was hitting me just like a Pure V and no wonder. They have almost identical shapes. Then I tried the Medium saddle. Goldilocks! This was really good, and again- 142mm.

So, both the Bontrager system and the Fit Right System were correct, it's just that WTB stuff agrees with me and the old Bontrager stuff never really did. Now the Silverado will get pitted against the Volt and I'll have to see which feels correct, or just better, and go with it. Or.....maybe both will be fine. Possible. Testing will be necessary.

What else? Hmm.... Oh yeah! The seat post. I have a left lever that was modified by Shimano for dropper post actuation. I didn't get the correct dropper post when Shimano sent me the stuff, but when they have the right one, I will be making the switch and checking that out as well. I remember really liking a dropper on an Otso test bike I had a year and a half ago or so now. It will be interesting to see what that does for Winter riding, as I'll likely be trying that out whenever conditions allow for it over the Winter months.

So, yeah.... So far so good. Both on the GRX and the saddle. Stay tuned here and at Riding Gravel for future updates.

Getting My GRX On: Update

There she be! The Noble GX5 with GRX on it. (That's a lot of "G's" and "X's"!)

The installation of the new Shimano GRX components and PRO brand stuff I was sent has been accomplished. I rode the bike on its first legit gravel ride Monday for over two hours.

The 1X thing hasn't really been appealing to me for quite some time. I had to stick with it since this bike is not routed for a front derailleur. (I could use an electronic one) So 1X GRX was spec'ed and that's what you see there in the image.

So far, since I have run Force 1X and now this GRX 1X, I have "gotten used to it", but it doesn't have as deep a range as I can get with a 2X set up, and that might end up becoming an issue at some point with the current set up. Which is a 42T drive ring turning an 11-42T cassette, by the way. So "low" is 1 to 1, and you don't get to go lower than that.

Now where I live? That is likely alright. I've run across a couple of situations where less than a one to one ratio would have been nice. Usually on century rides. But for the one to five hour range of rides? I probably am fine. Going somewhere else with this bike? Maybe not so much. But I've got other bikes too, so it isn't imperative that I have 2X on the Noble GX5.

So, enough about the gearing. Here is a run down of all the new parts on the bike:

• Shimano GRX 800 Mechanical 11 speed Right hydraulic lever.
• Shimano GRX 800 Dummy Left Lever set up for Dropper Post actuation. (See Note below)
• Shimano GRX 800 Hydraulic Brake Calipers F/R 160mm Rotors F/R
• Shimano GRX 800 Crank w/42T drive ring, 172.5mm
• Shimano GRX 800 Rear Derailleur (Mechanical 11 spd)
• Shimano GRX Wheel set
• Shimano XTR/Dura Ace 11 speed chain
• Shimano XT 11spd 11-42T Cassette
• Shimano XT pedals
• Shimano PRO seat post
• Shimano PRO stem
• Shimano PRO bar tape
• Shimano PRO bottle cages
• Shimano Discovery Series Big Flare handle bar
• WTB Volt saddle, medium width
• Wheels Manufacturing BB86 Thread-together bottom bracket

The GRX rear derailleur has a clutch, like the MTB line, but it feels far different

(NOTE: Disclaimer dead ahead. Skip ahead if you don't care)

That's most of the bike! I should also note here that besides the bottom bracket, which I purchased, the rest is all sent for no charge to Riding Gravel for test and review. I am not being paid, nor bribed for this post here.

Now- with that out of the way, I got this all set up and everything went quite well, actually. The first legit gravel ride went well too. Shifting required a slight tweak from the barrel adjuster, (standard issue on the GRX derailleur- Huzzah!), and I imagine I'll have a couple more tweaks to that before it settles in. The brakes are fantastic. Probably the best drop bar Shimano hydro brakes yet. Maybe best ever? Close. Really quiet too.......so far. 

The brake hoods feel awesome too. They put some nice texturing on it for grip, and the rubber they used feels nice. The shape is excellent with a nicer, flatter radiused shape with a nice width to them. I also like Shimano's hydraulic hood shape far more than SRAM's which looks ugly in my opinion. At any rate, Shimano's shape looks a lot less weird and more like the fully mechanical levers they make. The big deal here is the lever blades. They shaped the blade and while that may seem like not such a big deal, it is when you feel them under your fingers. The shapes and contours just feel really good.

The GRX levers feel great under the hand.

So besides those stand outs, the bike was like before. Good wheels, no issues there, and everything else just worked like it should. Now I will say a bit about the saddle, the WTB Volt, because there is an interesting story.

WTB has the "Fit Right System" now where you measure your wrist and then a calculation their system does based upon some preferences and that wrist measurement spits out what saddle is right for you out of their line. I had been preferring the WTB Pure series of saddles, which measures out to be in their "wide" size range. Now I have to back track a bit to several years ago when I tried Bontrager's saddle fit system and I was measured out in their "medium" width category, which I think is something like 143mm or round about there. So, I tried that, and I just never got along with their saddles at all. I abandoned them after sitting on a Pure V and liking that. So, I pursued getting a bunch of those saddles and for a time, all was well.

Recently I have been not as pleased with Pure V's as I have been getting soreness which I cannot remember having. Age changes things. Maybe that was it? Dunno. But change in my saddle of choice was going to be necessary. Then last Summer I got the chance to try a new, medium width Silverado. I really liked it. This was a 142mm width saddle, which was interesting to me, remembering the old Bontrager measurement.

The medium width Volt from WTB

Fast forward to August and Gravel Worlds where I saw the WTB Fit Right System in operation. Later on I was asked to go through the system and WTB wanted to send me a saddle or two, write up a review, and see what I thought. I got two Volts. One in Medium and one in Wide.

One ride on the Wide one was all it took for me to realize that it wasn't right. The saddle was hitting me just like a Pure V and no wonder. They have almost identical shapes. Then I tried the Medium saddle. Goldilocks! This was really good, and again- 142mm.

So, both the Bontrager system and the Fit Right System were correct, it's just that WTB stuff agrees with me and the old Bontrager stuff never really did. Now the Silverado will get pitted against the Volt and I'll have to see which feels correct, or just better, and go with it. Or.....maybe both will be fine. Possible. Testing will be necessary.

What else? Hmm.... Oh yeah! The seat post. I have a left lever that was modified by Shimano for dropper post actuation. I didn't get the correct dropper post when Shimano sent me the stuff, but when they have the right one, I will be making the switch and checking that out as well. I remember really liking a dropper on an Otso test bike I had a year and a half ago or so now. It will be interesting to see what that does for Winter riding, as I'll likely be trying that out whenever conditions allow for it over the Winter months.

So, yeah.... So far so good. Both on the GRX and the saddle. Stay tuned here and at Riding Gravel for future updates.

Friday News And Views

RAGBRAI Forges Ahead:

Since Tuesday's announcement that the entire RAGBRAI staff had resigned and decided to start up a different ride called "Iowa's Ride", everyone concerned with the issue had been wondering what RAGBRAI would do. Well, on Wednesday a statement was released by RAGBRAI via its newsletter to email subscribers from a marketing person stating that RAGBRAI would, in fact, occur in July 2020.

Obviously the Des Moines Register is scrambling to get an organization set up to take care of the production of the event. No details were given that anyone had been hired or appointed as of yesterday.

Also, yesterday the Iowa Bicycle Coalition announced its support of "Iowa's Ride". Here is an excerpt from their announcement: "We believe that Iowa’s Ride will be the most successful way to continue the iconic annual bicycle ride across Iowa, not only in 2020 but for many years to come. The team that has formed Iowa’s ride and that will be organizing and managing it have unmatched experience and success in doing so. They are the best hope for continuing this proud tradition. We also believe that a cross-state ride will be best operated and most likely to succeed as a stand-alone and independent entity. This is what Iowa’s Ride offers."

On one hand you have a seasoned team in Iowa's Ride that knows how to do this deal. However; this ride has no equity with traditional RAGBRAI riders, many who won't give a rip about the Carson King Affair. They just want to do RAGBRAI, since.....well RAGBRAI. It's a religion with some folks. That said.....

RAGBRAI has a pickle to deal with, and they won't have anyone with the sort of experience that T.J. Juskiewicz and his team have. What sort of production can we expect from a rookie team? Then too, will mainstay vendors stick with the ride? There are a lot of issues with RAGBRAI, and like anything that's been around a long time, a lot of grumbling factions, some of which may want to jump ship to see their visions possibly become reality.

In fact, that's probably the underlying reason why the folks behind Iowa's Ride left RAGBRAI in the first place.

Measure Your Wrists- Find Your Saddle Size! Really!

Many of you may be aware that saddle size for your bicycle is like shoes, or gloves, or helmets. One size does not fit all. Or even most, for that matter. So, in the last ten years or so, a few ideas have been put forth to help people sort out which size saddle they could be more comfortable on. (Note- I said "could be")

Sometimes this might be effected by having a sample run of saddles that you actually tried out on your own bicycle. Several companies went that direction, including WTB, back a decade ago or so. Then Bontrager had a system which included a gel filled cushion on a small bench. You sat yourself within the center of this, and theoretically, your sit bones would push away the gel and a color coded scale would lead you to your correct saddle width choice. It was a start, for sure, and I realized when using this system that I had been using a saddle too narrow for me.

Once I had narrowed that down I still had to search for a saddle shape and padding that worked for me. Eventually I ended up on mostly WTB stuff with a smattering of Brooks saddles thrown in for good measure. Last year WTB announced new, wider widths for some of their saddle line and I got to try out the Silverado in a 143mm width. Oh! New favorite saddle!

Then at Gravel Worlds the fit system was being talked about at the WTB booth. I was......pretty skeptical. I watched as my friend Tony went through the four steps and had a width suggested to him along with a couple saddles that matched his profile. Then I went back home and pretty much forgot about it.

In that time I started experiencing some discomfort with my old standby, the WTB Pure. As we age, things change. Maybe I needed to start thinking about a new saddle. The Silverado? Maybe. Then WTB's marketing guy sent me an e-mail asking if I wouldn't go through the saddle finder system and try a saddle or would I? So, I agreed, and this new Volt is what I was sent. Stay tuned for the results.....

One sided, but made for gravel travel.

TIME Does Gravel:

TIME is a well known pedal and shoe purveyor that has been most used in the road cycling circles, but they do have an excellent MTB pedal that is shamefully under-represented in the mountain biking and gravel road segments.

Recently TIME announced a new pedal aimed at, what else, gravel riding. Well, to be fair, they are saying this was also influenced by the needs of cyclo-tourists as well. The deal here is that road pedals have a great, supportive platform, but generally use a cleat that necessitates a shoe design which is awkward to walk in. TIME solved this issue with their new Ciclo pedal.

I used road pedals and shoes once, for a short time, in the early 1990's. The ones I tried were those Shimano two bolt cleat ones, remember those? They were smallish and harder than heck to get into, at least I thought so. And those shoes! Gah! Not for me. And then I went MTB shoes/pedals and never looked back. So, I really have no reference point for this "support" you get with more of a platform pedal.

This will be newer territory for me, and I am going in with an open mind to see what, if any, real differences there are. I am quite familiar with carbon soled shoes and stiffer soled MTB style shoes, while my preference usually was for a bit more flex than not. In fact, one of my all-time favorite shoes of recent years was a pair of middling Shimano three strap MTB shoes.

I'll probably bolt these cleats to my old 45NRTH bootie shoes, since, ya know, Fall has progressed to the point that traditional shoes are not going to be a good choice. Stay tuned for how this all works out.

Note: TIME and WTB sent the items mentioned in today's post to RIDING GRAVEL for review at no charge. There was no money exchanged or promises made to include these items in today's post. 

That's it for this week. get out and ride, but be careful of all the farmers this weekend if you ride out in the country in the Mid-West. 

Friday News And Views

RAGBRAI Forges Ahead:

Since Tuesday's announcement that the entire RAGBRAI staff had resigned and decided to start up a different ride called "Iowa's Ride", everyone concerned with the issue had been wondering what RAGBRAI would do. Well, on Wednesday a statement was released by RAGBRAI via its newsletter to email subscribers from a marketing person stating that RAGBRAI would, in fact, occur in July 2020.

Obviously the Des Moines Register is scrambling to get an organization set up to take care of the production of the event. No details were given that anyone had been hired or appointed as of yesterday.

Also, yesterday the Iowa Bicycle Coalition announced its support of "Iowa's Ride". Here is an excerpt from their announcement: "We believe that Iowa’s Ride will be the most successful way to continue the iconic annual bicycle ride across Iowa, not only in 2020 but for many years to come. The team that has formed Iowa’s ride and that will be organizing and managing it have unmatched experience and success in doing so. They are the best hope for continuing this proud tradition. We also believe that a cross-state ride will be best operated and most likely to succeed as a stand-alone and independent entity. This is what Iowa’s Ride offers."

On one hand you have a seasoned team in Iowa's Ride that knows how to do this deal. However; this ride has no equity with traditional RAGBRAI riders, many who won't give a rip about the Carson King Affair. They just want to do RAGBRAI, since.....well RAGBRAI. It's a religion with some folks. That said.....

RAGBRAI has a pickle to deal with, and they won't have anyone with the sort of experience that T.J. Juskiewicz and his team have. What sort of production can we expect from a rookie team? Then too, will mainstay vendors stick with the ride? There are a lot of issues with RAGBRAI, and like anything that's been around a long time, a lot of grumbling factions, some of which may want to jump ship to see their visions possibly become reality.

In fact, that's probably the underlying reason why the folks behind Iowa's Ride left RAGBRAI in the first place.

Measure Your Wrists- Find Your Saddle Size! Really!

Many of you may be aware that saddle size for your bicycle is like shoes, or gloves, or helmets. One size does not fit all. Or even most, for that matter. So, in the last ten years or so, a few ideas have been put forth to help people sort out which size saddle they could be more comfortable on. (Note- I said "could be")

Sometimes this might be effected by having a sample run of saddles that you actually tried out on your own bicycle. Several companies went that direction, including WTB, back a decade ago or so. Then Bontrager had a system which included a gel filled cushion on a small bench. You sat yourself within the center of this, and theoretically, your sit bones would push away the gel and a color coded scale would lead you to your correct saddle width choice. It was a start, for sure, and I realized when using this system that I had been using a saddle too narrow for me.

Once I had narrowed that down I still had to search for a saddle shape and padding that worked for me. Eventually I ended up on mostly WTB stuff with a smattering of Brooks saddles thrown in for good measure. Last year WTB announced new, wider widths for some of their saddle line and I got to try out the Silverado in a 143mm width. Oh! New favorite saddle!

Then at Gravel Worlds the fit system was being talked about at the WTB booth. I was......pretty skeptical. I watched as my friend Tony went through the four steps and had a width suggested to him along with a couple saddles that matched his profile. Then I went back home and pretty much forgot about it.

In that time I started experiencing some discomfort with my old standby, the WTB Pure. As we age, things change. Maybe I needed to start thinking about a new saddle. The Silverado? Maybe. Then WTB's marketing guy sent me an e-mail asking if I wouldn't go through the saddle finder system and try a saddle or would I? So, I agreed, and this new Volt is what I was sent. Stay tuned for the results.....

One sided, but made for gravel travel.

TIME Does Gravel:

TIME is a well known pedal and shoe purveyor that has been most used in the road cycling circles, but they do have an excellent MTB pedal that is shamefully under-represented in the mountain biking and gravel road segments.

Recently TIME announced a new pedal aimed at, what else, gravel riding. Well, to be fair, they are saying this was also influenced by the needs of cyclo-tourists as well. The deal here is that road pedals have a great, supportive platform, but generally use a cleat that necessitates a shoe design which is awkward to walk in. TIME solved this issue with their new Ciclo pedal.

I used road pedals and shoes once, for a short time, in the early 1990's. The ones I tried were those Shimano two bolt cleat ones, remember those? They were smallish and harder than heck to get into, at least I thought so. And those shoes! Gah! Not for me. And then I went MTB shoes/pedals and never looked back. So, I really have no reference point for this "support" you get with more of a platform pedal.

This will be newer territory for me, and I am going in with an open mind to see what, if any, real differences there are. I am quite familiar with carbon soled shoes and stiffer soled MTB style shoes, while my preference usually was for a bit more flex than not. In fact, one of my all-time favorite shoes of recent years was a pair of middling Shimano three strap MTB shoes.

I'll probably bolt these cleats to my old 45NRTH bootie shoes, since, ya know, Fall has progressed to the point that traditional shoes are not going to be a good choice. Stay tuned for how this all works out.

Note: TIME and WTB sent the items mentioned in today's post to RIDING GRAVEL for review at no charge. There was no money exchanged or promises made to include these items in today's post. 

That's it for this week. get out and ride, but be careful of all the farmers this weekend if you ride out in the country in the Mid-West. 

Friday News And Views

Make that 2019. It's on!

DKXL On For '19:

This past week came news from the DK Promotions team regarding next year's events that they promote. The DK200 and 100 will see new routes using the "return of iconic checkpoint towns", which I would believe has to be a nod toward a route North of Emporia and West as well. They also mention roster increases, but don't give a number.

But the interesting news to me is the DKXL is now going to be opened up to the "public"....... kind of. Checking the DKXL page, it looks like the DK Promotions team is taking up to 200 applications, and then they will screen those and give permission as they see fit. Applications are opened December 1st and are open for the next 8 days, closing on the 9th. No word on what qualifications they are looking for, or how the process will be accomplished. Interestingly, in a Trans Iowa-like twist, they are not refunding entry fees if you drop and there doesn't seem to be any waiting list, nor are transfers going to be allowed.

There isn't any word on roster limitations, nor is there an entry fee specified at this time. But we can infer a couple of things from the release of this info. First, if they are taking 200 applications only, and maybe 200 won't even try to sign on, then we know the roster limit is less than that. The event, if run like this year's, would be totally self-supported in terms of water, food, etc. So- no support at any checkpoints, if there are any checkpoints. Last June they did the whole 350 straight through, and they ran riders through towns so they could resupply, but no "official" checkpoints were set up. This means that, due to the very nature of the Kansas Flint Hills, they cannot run all that many through these towns and expect the stores available to absorb the kind of pressure a couple of hundred riders would bring. That is if they do this like the first one. 

My guess would be that the roster cut off is around 100 or less, but we'll see for real later this year, I am sure. They could do aid stations set up just for this part of the event too, and that would be a totally different scenario then. Who knows? Only they do at DK Promotions right now. That and the entry fee, which I am going to guess is more than that for the 200 miler. But again, I am speculating here.

This perch is good!  WTB Siverado

WTB Siverado 142mm Width:

I just wrote up a review on two WTB saddles now offered in wider widths. One, the SL8, was "okay", but it didn't fit me great. Still, it is a very nice saddle for those who might get on with its features. I ended up giving the Silverado the nod, and I ended up really getting along with that one.

My good friend, MG, is a devotee of the OG Silverado, but it was too skinny for my behind. But I know he liked that saddle a lot because it came up in almost every conversation we had about saddles. Now I understand why. The wider 142mm width works well for me and the shape of the Silverado, sort of like a pared down Pure V, really works well underneath me. It has all those WTB saddle trademarks but maybe a bit more subtly so than the old SST and Pure V series did.

Like I said though in yesterday's post, this saddle may be "the one" for the Tamland. Time will tell. I like the light weight, it's got Ti rails, so it has a bit of give to it, and the Microfiber cover is nice. Not too grippy but not slippery either.

Will it usurp the Pure or the Brooks Cambium as my favorite saddle? Might. I don't know yet. Longer rides will tell the tale, but until then, I think the Silverado is on my short list of saddles that work for me in just about every sense.

The Sawyer out on the single track in town the other day.

Should It Stay Or Should It Go?

I've got a LOT of bicycles. No doubt about that. I do not need all of them, but some of them are special in one way or another. That gets in the way of practicality. It gets in the way of what makes sense too. It isn't an easy road to navigate for me.

Which brings me to the Sawyer. That was a two year and out model Trek did right when they folded Gary Fisher into the Trek brand. (Still one of the biggest mistakes Trek ever made, in my opinion.) I've no doubt that the Sawyer was destined to have Gary Fisher livery, but Trek deep sixed the name at the eleventh hour the year they pulled the trigger on the brand change. I was told only a small handful of Trek's highest brass ever knew that was happening until they unleashed the news one fateful Summer day.

Anyway, the Sawyer was, and to this day still is, one of the best renderings of a cruiser/paper boy style bike ever done with fat tires. That includes all custom bikes I've ever seen. To know that this was a production bike, and to see all the fine detail that went into its design and manufacture, well, it wouldn't be hard to pass off the Sawyer as a custom one-off.

That said, I've had a love-hate relationship with this bike over the years. I made the mistake of putting a too-long of a fork on it and couldn't figure out what it was that made the bike stink so bad afterward. Then I got the right length fork on it and it came back alive. A switch to 27.5+ wheels then sealed the deal. I like the bike and it rides very well. But, now what? I hardly ever ride it. Someone should be enjoying this rig. It's a shame to let it sit so much, despite the fact I think so much of its design and now- how it rides.

The thing is, if I let it go, I likely will never get anything close to it again, and I do like to ride it now and again. Just like the past few days where I have been commuting on it. But.....

Bah! 

First world problems.

Have a great weekend and stay safe on this Labor Day Holiday!

Friday News And Views

Make that 2019. It's on!

DKXL On For '19:

This past week came news from the DK Promotions team regarding next year's events that they promote. The DK200 and 100 will see new routes using the "return of iconic checkpoint towns", which I would believe has to be a nod toward a route North of Emporia and West as well. They also mention roster increases, but don't give a number.

But the interesting news to me is the DKXL is now going to be opened up to the "public"....... kind of. Checking the DKXL page, it looks like the DK Promotions team is taking up to 200 applications, and then they will screen those and give permission as they see fit. Applications are opened December 1st and are open for the next 8 days, closing on the 9th. No word on what qualifications they are looking for, or how the process will be accomplished. Interestingly, in a Trans Iowa-like twist, they are not refunding entry fees if you drop and there doesn't seem to be any waiting list, nor are transfers going to be allowed.

There isn't any word on roster limitations, nor is there an entry fee specified at this time. But we can infer a couple of things from the release of this info. First, if they are taking 200 applications only, and maybe 200 won't even try to sign on, then we know the roster limit is less than that. The event, if run like this year's, would be totally self-supported in terms of water, food, etc. So- no support at any checkpoints, if there are any checkpoints. Last June they did the whole 350 straight through, and they ran riders through towns so they could resupply, but no "official" checkpoints were set up. This means that, due to the very nature of the Kansas Flint Hills, they cannot run all that many through these towns and expect the stores available to absorb the kind of pressure a couple of hundred riders would bring. That is if they do this like the first one. 

My guess would be that the roster cut off is around 100 or less, but we'll see for real later this year, I am sure. They could do aid stations set up just for this part of the event too, and that would be a totally different scenario then. Who knows? Only they do at DK Promotions right now. That and the entry fee, which I am going to guess is more than that for the 200 miler. But again, I am speculating here.

This perch is good!  WTB Siverado

WTB Siverado 142mm Width:

I just wrote up a review on two WTB saddles now offered in wider widths. One, the SL8, was "okay", but it didn't fit me great. Still, it is a very nice saddle for those who might get on with its features. I ended up giving the Silverado the nod, and I ended up really getting along with that one.

My good friend, MG, is a devotee of the OG Silverado, but it was too skinny for my behind. But I know he liked that saddle a lot because it came up in almost every conversation we had about saddles. Now I understand why. The wider 142mm width works well for me and the shape of the Silverado, sort of like a pared down Pure V, really works well underneath me. It has all those WTB saddle trademarks but maybe a bit more subtly so than the old SST and Pure V series did.

Like I said though in yesterday's post, this saddle may be "the one" for the Tamland. Time will tell. I like the light weight, it's got Ti rails, so it has a bit of give to it, and the Microfiber cover is nice. Not too grippy but not slippery either.

Will it usurp the Pure or the Brooks Cambium as my favorite saddle? Might. I don't know yet. Longer rides will tell the tale, but until then, I think the Silverado is on my short list of saddles that work for me in just about every sense.

The Sawyer out on the single track in town the other day.

Should It Stay Or Should It Go?

I've got a LOT of bicycles. No doubt about that. I do not need all of them, but some of them are special in one way or another. That gets in the way of practicality. It gets in the way of what makes sense too. It isn't an easy road to navigate for me.

Which brings me to the Sawyer. That was a two year and out model Trek did right when they folded Gary Fisher into the Trek brand. (Still one of the biggest mistakes Trek ever made, in my opinion.) I've no doubt that the Sawyer was destined to have Gary Fisher livery, but Trek deep sixed the name at the eleventh hour the year they pulled the trigger on the brand change. I was told only a small handful of Trek's highest brass ever knew that was happening until they unleashed the news one fateful Summer day.

Anyway, the Sawyer was, and to this day still is, one of the best renderings of a cruiser/paper boy style bike ever done with fat tires. That includes all custom bikes I've ever seen. To know that this was a production bike, and to see all the fine detail that went into its design and manufacture, well, it wouldn't be hard to pass off the Sawyer as a custom one-off.

That said, I've had a love-hate relationship with this bike over the years. I made the mistake of putting a too-long of a fork on it and couldn't figure out what it was that made the bike stink so bad afterward. Then I got the right length fork on it and it came back alive. A switch to 27.5+ wheels then sealed the deal. I like the bike and it rides very well. But, now what? I hardly ever ride it. Someone should be enjoying this rig. It's a shame to let it sit so much, despite the fact I think so much of its design and now- how it rides.

The thing is, if I let it go, I likely will never get anything close to it again, and I do like to ride it now and again. Just like the past few days where I have been commuting on it. But.....

Bah! 

First world problems.

Have a great weekend and stay safe on this Labor Day Holiday!