Salsa Cycles Gen I Fargo vs Singular Gryphon Mk3

Singular Gryphon Mk3

 After riding the Fargo Gen I I thought it would be a fun experiment to do a comparison between it and the Mk3 Gryphon, which I rode for the Tree In The Road Ride. 

The Fargo Gen I is a unique bicycle in that it was likely the first 29"er which was developed strictly as a drop bar adventure bicycle. The Gryphon Mk1, was developed concurrently with the Fargo Gen I, but totally independently, and with a slightly different mission in mind than the Fargo Gen I had.  The Mk3 is actually more akin, in terms of what the design is for, to the Gen I Fargo, so I feel as thought the comparison is an apt one.

I will also say there are more bicycles like the Gen I Fargo now than there ever have been which are available. The Tumbleweed Stargazer comes to mind here. Moots just announced a bike like this. Ridley Bikes has a model like this. Mason Cycles has something like this as well. But I haven't ridden those bikes, nor have I even seen them, so I am sticking to the Singular and the Fargo. 

So, let's start with what is similar and what is very different between these two bicycles. When I have gotten through those things I will give my opinion on what it is about each bike I like overall and what I do not like.

Similarities:

Obviously both of these bicycles are designed for drop bars and 29"er wheels. So, without further commentary on those things, I'll move on to other, less obvious similarities. 

Both bikes are meant for adventure, not racing. While it is possible to race on these bikes, and I've raced the Gen I Fargo plenty of times, this is not the design intent for either bike. This manifests itself in more comfortable riding positioning, many accessory mounts, longer wheel bases (primarily in the chain stays), and in the stouter tubing choices. They are both "mountain bikes" in that they were tested and designed with passing the certifications for mountain bikes at the time either was made. In other words, neither bike is a fragile object needing particularly delicate handling. No, either of these bikes is up to a bit of bushwhacking, rougher trail, and inclement weather with difficult conditions. 

Both bicycles were available as frame sets, with the Singular being available as a frame set only unless you set something up with Singular's newer USA partner. The Gen I Fargo was available as a complete as well. Both bikes are not designed for front suspension forks. While one could stick one on, you'd be doing a great disservice to yourself and the bike. I wouldn't recommend this at all. 

Differences:

The obvious things here relate to the advancements made in standards, drive train fads, and details. First, the Fargo was always triple chain set compatible in the beginning. The Singular is not. (But wait! You've got one on there!) Yes..... Moving on.... The Singular has through axles and the Fargo Gen I has quick release wheels. The Fargo also, being made in steel and from a traditionalists standpoint, has no removable derailleur hangar. The Singular has a removable derailleur hangar. Finally, the Singular is single speed compatible with the eccentric bottom bracket. Gen I Fargo's were not single speed capable. 

What I Like About The Fargo Gen I:

First and foremost, it is all about the way I fit this bicycle. From the first moment I threw a leg over this bike I felt like I was "home". I've set up other newer bicycles I have obtained since then based off this bike. So fit is number one on this list of likes. Then there is the ride quality and handling. I like the way this bike handles rough roads. One thing about this bike: You have to drive it through the front wheel to make it steer in single track, or on gravel. I was told once that the Fargo Gen I likes being steered like a motorcycle. Since I haven't ridden a motorcycle in 40 plus years, I'll have to take their word on this point.  But once you understand this about a Gen I Fargo, things go a lot more smoothly. Finally, I like the triple compatible drive train capability and the drop outs. Yes- quick release drop outs! The front ones are stainless steel and both are impeccably made. This and their detail make the Gen I Fargo seem almost like custom bikes. 

What I Do Not Like About A Gen I Fargo:

 Probably wheel clearance. While I now have 29" X 2.5" Surly Extraterrestrial's on there now, usually most anything bigger than 2.4" won't fit, and especially on wider rims. Then the non-single speed thing bugs me too. I've been on a ride where a Fargo derailleur mount got mangled and we had to push the rider back to the car, about five plus miles, maybe more. (Remember that Ben?) So, had the Fargo been equipped with a single speed capability in its first generations, this would have been a non-issue. Other than this? Not much bugs me about this bike.

 What I Like About The Singular Cycles Gryphon Mk3:

This version of the Gryphon is a beefed up version over their previous Mk 1 (which I had at one time,) and Mk2 versions. It can handle big loads, and this is good if you bike pack. (I'd like to, but haven't found the right time and venue yet) The bike has a longer front center than a Fargo Gen I, so it drives through corners more like a modern MTB, and no weight-shifting is really required here. I LOVE the 29" X 2.8"/3.0" tire clearances. The geometry is really good as well. very stable but yet not like a wheel barrow. I LOVE the single speed capability, and yes - I even like the eccentric bottom bracket. So there! 

What I Do Not Like About The Singular Cycles Gryphon Mk3:

The 1X drive train restriction isn't my cup of tea, so I found a way around it. (HA!) I wish this bike could be set up natively with this option, though, it doesn't matter to me anymore.  Hmm.... I think this about covers it for anything major. 

 Final Words: 

No question, I really like both of these bikes. I like that they have no suspension compatibility, which keeps the height of the front end in check. I know this isn't a thing for many riders who seem to want their handle bars really high, but I do not need nor do I want this from my bicycles. Some people like modern Fargos for this very reason. 

I don't really care about the axle differences. Salsa designed the drop outs so well on the Fargo Gen I that they are a joy to work with. Drop out design and execution matters. A LOT. Most bicycles have really crappy drop outs, if we're being honest, and this is partially to blame for why through axles are seen as being "better". No ding on through axles. I like them, but not having through axles can be okay too.  

A fair question would be: "If the Gen I Fargo could have handled 29" X 3.0" tires, would you still have gotten a Singular Gryphon Mk3?" Assuming the 29" X 3.0" tire was around in 2008, yes, I would have stuck with my Fargo. However; the Fargo Gen I predated the 3.0" 29"er tire by about five years, so it was never going to be a thing then. When the Fargo changed in 2011, and became suspension corrected, I got one, and it could handle 27.5" X 2.8" tires easily, but it was too close to being what I had in a Fargo Gen I, and I did not like the 27.5" diameter enough to hang on to my Gen 2 bike. By the time Fargos could handle 29" X 3.0" tires, the geometry was so different I was not interested anymore. This made the Singular much more amenable to me when it came out two years ago. 

So, I like both bikes and both serve me in different ways. I hope this was interesting for you if you made it this far. Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions.  

Bikes Of 2024: Singular Cycles Gryphon Mk3

  It's another late November/December here on the blog. You know what that means? Yep! Another round of my bikes I used in 2024. This round-up will not include some of the bikes I did not use this year much, or at all. I focus only on the bikes that played a big role in my riding during this year.  

As always, any changes or future plans for any bike I feature will also be detailed. I hope that you enjoy this year's round-up.  

The Singular Cycles Gryphon Mk3. Pre-Redshift stem.

The Singular Cycles Gryphon Mk3 was new to me last year. I had big plans for this bike but it only got out on gravel a few times and ended up being mostly a commuter rig in 2024. I still have a big ride in mind for this bike that I just did not get around to in 2024. 

Changes included adding a Redshift Sports ShockStop stem in the 55mm length and going back to the originally spec'ed Ragley Luxy Bar. I kind of miss that silver stem, but Redshift only does black, so......

I might strip the racks off, but then when I do that a window will open up for my long-planned two-day tour. You know that's how it will go....

Country Views: Drying Down

Escape Route: Sergeant Road Bicycle Path

 Remember when I said I'd be out on Labor Day? Well.....I wasn't. I spent time with my family instead. That was the 'right' choice but it didn't make things any easier. Everyone was posting cycling shots from races and rides. Guess I shouldn't be on social media. 

But I did get out on Tuesday. I suppose I was the one in the catbird seat because everyone else was back in school or working. Not me! Day off.....

So, I saw that the winds were out of the Southeast and that meant I was heading South. This time aboard the Gryphon Mk3. My aim was to go ride Petrie Road's Level B section and maybe the three consecutive miles of dirt on 110th in Tama County. 

I didn't get a very good night's sleep so I left myself a choice to bail out if need be. I was happy that I did once I started getting out there. The Southeastern wind was definitely cranking! I was grinding out a decent pace but this was on railroad grade on a paved bicycle path. Gravel, rolling hills, and this wind would be tougher. And I was starting out not well rested. 

Mowing the ditches

Starting the slow transformation to Brown Season

I'm not sure why, but it seems to me that things are sputtering out of life, running their course, and heading toward that long, dark slumber a bit earlier than usual this year. Maybe it was the copious amounts of water in June and July that accelerated growth and therefore the end of the cycle comes sooner? 

I'm not sure, but things just seem to have hit a point where a switch flipped and now the drying down of crops, ditch plants, and grasses is noticeable. The only thing thriving now are the prairie sunflowers. The ditches are run riot with them in places. 

Approaching Petrie Road's dirt sector from the East this time.

Getting down to Petrie Road was a complete slog. The wind was stronger than I was led to believe and I was riding a heavier bike than normal. I will say that the 2.8" Teravail Coronado (now called Oxbow) tires are killer for deep, loose gravel. These things laugh at that while my skinnier 45mm tires get knocked around and 40's get into the "hunting for a line" thing that makes you have to herd the bike down the road. Not so with the big, poofy 29+ tires. 

There are some deep ruts cut into Petrie Road here.

I gave some thought as to my route once I had some time to stop at Petrie Road in the midle of the Level B section. I figured I would need to ride several miles South back into a head wind and then back in a cross wind several miles if I were to go to 110th Street and ride that dirt. I just did not have the will to do that on this day with being so tired and low on energy to start out with. So I cut bait and put my back to the wind and sailed on back toward Waterloo. 

The year is petering out on me and I haven't done anything "big" since the Victory Ride in June. It wears on me. Plus I cannot get out of town to ride anywhere since I effectively do not have a vehicle at this time. I decided to make my truck available to my son so he can get to his work now. My decision, and I own that, but it hasn't been without consequences that drag me down a bit sometimes. 

Fall is on the doorstep.The year isn't over quite yet. I'll keep pedaling......

Review: One Year With The Singular Cycles Gryphon M3

The current State of the Gryphon Mk3

Note: This review is of a bike that I paid for out of pocket. Singular Cycles has no idea that I am doing this and have no influence on my opinion. 

While I was piecing together the Honeman Flyer it dawned on me that I had been doing a similar thing almost exactly one year ago. That was when I was putting together the new Singular Cycles Gryphon Mk3.

The new Mk3 Gryphon was the culmination of years of searching for the bike with "plus" sized wheels that I could use for deep gravel, loose fluff, sand, light snow duties, and general off-road cycling. The wheels and the frame and fork clearance were key to my wanting this bike. The Mk3 Gryphon can clear up to a 29" X 3" tire. I decided on 2.8"ers from Teravail.  

A couple of notes on my particular build. First off, the Mk3 doesn't support a triple crank nor does it have cable routing for a front derailleur. I managed a workaround for that and mounted a 2000's era XT triple crankset with a bottom pull front derailleur. 

The build was supposed to be a gravel bike+ kind of idea, but when opportunities popped up with Old Man Mountain, the bike became a defacto off-road tourer/bikepacking platform for most of last year. So, with those two things in mind here, I will give you my one year take on this bike.

Before all the racks were installed, I did a gravel ride or two in on the Gryphon Mk3.

 The Gryphon was all I dreamt about from the standpoint of a fat tire gravel cruiser. It flattens deep, chunky gravel and soaks up vibrations pretty well. This makes for what would be normally be a tough ride on a 700c X 45mm tire a "no big deal" ride. 

Then all the racks came and I had the Gryphon loaded with a tent, sleep system, food, clothes, and spares. This is where the 9spd triple crankset came into its own. The Gryphon Mk3 handled "okay" with a load like I had on it. You could induce a fair amount of flex in the frame if you rode with a lack of skill and finesse. I think cycling requires a skill set, so this flex when loaded is no big deal in my opinion. 

The first loaded set up.

I have a trip planned over gravel for this bike but as of yet, I haven't been able to find time to get it done. This is still a trip on my radar for 2024 so perhaps, hopefully, I will get around to doing that. In the meantime I've done enough testing of the set up that I feel very confident in how the Gryphon will handle this. 

The final, and heavier, set up.

One thing about the Gryphon that I found was that those big, poofy 2.8" tires make for a nice, smooth ride if the bike is unloaded. So, you can kind of have your cake and eat it too with regard to ride quality. I don't doubt that this Gryphon is a lot stiffer overall than the original Gryphon model which I had as well. But that first Gryphon was limited to 2.4"ers and you could only squeeze so much compliance out of a tire set like that. Imagine a load like I was using, and the tube set of the original Gryphon probably wasn't stiff enough. So, unless all you wanted was a very niche, classic looking drop bar MTB, this Gryphon Mk3 is, in my opinion, a far better bike. And this version still carries over classic good looks. 

I could recommend this to anyone who rides off road mountain bike trails that don't require 140mm of suspension and are DH oriented. Double-track, XC-ish paths, primitive roads, buff single track, and more are right up this bikes alley. Obviously the Gryphon Mk3 is a gravel cruise ship you could while away the days on with its great ride quality. You probably are not going to win any races on the Gryphon, but in my opinion, that's not a bad thing. 

I believe the Gryphon is the bike for those who seek adventure at their own pace, unhindered by competitive barriers, and want to view the world at a "bicycle speed". Thanks to Sam Alison for making this machine a possibility for me to purchase. I highly recommend it as a drop bar MTB/gravel bike/bikepacking rig.

Brown Season: Ford Road Access Adventure

Escape Route: Old Commute Route To Andy's

My Turkey Burn Ride for 2023 was a ride up the Washington-Union Access Trail and then back on Ford Road and then through Cedar Falls and Waterloo. There was one thing eating at me ever since I did that ride. "Where was the intersection of the Washington-Union Access Trail and the Ford Road Access Trail?

I tramped around that day back in November and found nothing but dead ends. So, I figured on getting back to there and attacking from the Ford Road side where I knew there was good trail from Ford Road. 

Through family events, sickness, weather, and time for snow to melt, I bade my time until things were ripe for an adventure out that way again. Without cutting the approach short by using my truck, it takes nearly an hour to get out there at a fair pace. So, it isn't as though I could just hop on over there and check things out.

By nearly Valentine's Day I was seeing reports from all over the Mid-West that mountain bike trails were open. That is simply unheard of this time of the year. So, with that knowledge, I assumed a trip down the dirt trail that I knew as Ford Road Access Trail would be dry enough to pass through. That is, if one could pass through. See, years ago I recall riding through there and having to bushwhack a portion of that trail, nearly crawling/dragging my bike in places. There was a time shortly after that which saw clear passage through to the fire road (Washington - Union Access Trail) Who know what I'd find this time.

Nearly 50°F, barely a whisper of a breeze. February! Where art thou?

Barns For Jason: I don't think I've ever photographed this one.

The weather was darn near perfect for March. Only it is February! I decided to wear bib tights, a base layer, a long-sleeved wool jersey, and my PCL windbreaker. On my head was a buff, and a helmet, and on my feet were wool socks and Northwave winter boots. It was a perfect get-up for this ride. The bike was the Singular Gryphon Mk3. I wanted those wider tires in case I ran into mud, soft grounds, or some leftover snow patches. 

Ford Road. The gravel rode more like chip seal due to the Winter conditions.

Barns For Jason: Another one that has escaped me over the years.

While the weather was nearly perfect, at least for this time of the year, that long slog out to get to Ford Road is not perfect in the least. I tried to slip in as many alleys and bike paths as possible, but the terrain is so flat most of the time, due to my paralleling the Cedar River, more or less, that you end up just pedaling all the time. Good for training. Sucks the fun out though. 

What wind there was was out of the Northwest so I was working against that as well. Eventually I got out there, but I could not find the Ford Road Access Trail parking area off Ford Road. So, I stopped to consult my "map". (iPhone)

A quick stop to research where I missed the trailhead.

Aha! There you are!

Somehow I passed the entrance which was plain as the nose on my face, but I eventually found it. I dove in knowing the first fifty yards or so were good and led to a steep down hill section. After that, I did not know what I might find. 

Initially things were good. The trail was wide, looked to have been mown, and dead falls were cut back. It was encouraging and I thought this would end quickly at the Washington - Union Access Trail and show me where I had missed the intersection. 

But then the adventure part began!

The trail suddenly narrowed after I passed a field on my right where there was an opening to the field. That field looked kind of familiar to me as I had puttered around a field looking for the Ford Road Access last November. Could it be that I missed the access by mere feet? 

Maybe, because while the trail I was on kept following a fence line, it was soon littered with deadfalls and looked unkempt. I kept pressing on, as it was clear that there had been a trail here at one time. But then the trail veered to the right, went down steeply into a ravine, and disappeared. 

Things were looking good for a while.....

...until they weren't.

I kept probing forward but all I found was the flotsam and jetsam from decades of flooding. This was a lowland area and probably marshy in "normal" times. But with two years worth of drought this area had all but dried up and all that was left were the tangled masses of branches and grasses. It was no place to be hiking and that with a bicycle. 

I decided to hike back to the fence line and follow it Westward which I figured lead me to where the trail was. After a bit, I saw a place where I could cross the downed fence over into the field. It was getting nigh unto impossible to walk where I was walking due to all the bramble and dead falls. By this point any semblance of a trail was gone. 

I then came out to a place at the corner of the field where, if I went straight, I would be walking through more fallow land, lots of tall dead grasses, and who knows what lay underneath. At this point there was a high-tension electrical pole carrying lots of cables. Those five or six story high behemoths that march across the prairies here. I had seen that this line crossed Ford Road on my way out. I grabbed the "map" again for some consultation. 

Follow the poles!

Annnnd.....Back on Ford Road!

The map showed that I had about a mile to get back to Ford Road. I assumed that the utility's right of way would allow me somewhat clear passage back to Ford Road, but I did have to hike-a-bike it for well over a hundred yards to get to clear double-track where I could ride again. 

I came out in between two farms and I was hoping I didn't catch anyone outside that could see me, because, well... Even though I was on the easement I was fair game for some confrontation. But nothing of the sort happened and after a short while I was back on Ford Road and pedaling back home. 

Conclusion: I did not miss the Ford Road Access intersection with the Washington-Union Access Trail because it no longer exists. Maybe I could have bailed out onto that field I saw but that is most likely private property. 

I think the Ford Road Access could be opened up again, but with little traffic, if any, most of the time, it would be hard to keep it that way for long. The County, or whomever did the maintaining closer to Ford Road doesn't seem interested in pushing the trail through. So, I doubt anything is going to happen there. 

At least that mystery has been solved and I can put that to bed. I got a little over three hours straight of hike-a-bike and riding, so it was a great time on a fantastic day in February.

Review Updates: OMM, Tumbleweed, WTB

The OMM Axle Pack

 I have a few review projects in the works here at Guitar Ted Productions. Two were put on hold by the weather and one just arrived Tuesday afternoon. This post will serve as an update on the ongoing reviews and a teaser for the new one that is coming up soon. 

Please keep in mind that all these items being mentioned in today;s post were provided to me at no charge for test and review.  I am not being bribed, nor paid for this review and I always strive to give my honest thoughts and opinions throughout.

First we have the Old Man Mountain Axle Pack (last updated HERE) This is a rack strip that you can mount to any fork that does not have bottle bosses or "Three-Pack" mounts and then attach cages or racks to that to carry more stuff. 

I have the one sent to me all ready to go on the Noble Bikes GX5 carbon gravel rig and I should be able to get some country rides in on that set-up soon with these crazy warm temperatures which are forecast. So, hopefully I can get finished up on that one real soon. 

Next up I have that Tumbleweed Big Dipper handlebar that I am reviewing. (Last update HERE) I have a very specific test and route in mind for this review and I need the weather to clear up and warm up before I can get that review put to bed. However; in the meantime I probably will be doing a mid-mid-term update. (Ha!) I have been riding the bike off and on that the handlebar is on. Plus, in light of the aero/narrow drop bar trend, I thought it might be a good idea to compare and contrast what super-narrow bars give you versus the mega-wide drops like the Big Dipper. 

The Big Dipper bars on my Singular Gryphon Mk3.

Finally I have news of a new review that will start on these pages in March. This one I cannot 100% say much about other than the products I received to review are from WTB. 

I will say that one of the products is pretty surprising, but it does make sense in a way. Yeah.....I better stop there. Look for this stuff to be revealed sometime in March when I will have already had several weeks of riding done on the stuff and will give a final review on the products. 

Oh! And the Honeman Flyer single speed should be finished up sometime soon and sent out to me to complete the build on. There's a LOT more to this whole project than just a bike, so stay tuned for more on that as well. 

And as always; Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Tinkering

The current state of the Gryphon Mk3

 Over the Holidays I tackled the issues I had resulting from the addition of that Tumbleweed Big Dipper Bar I installed in November. (Review so far is HERE) The stem and the rear brake are both now perfect.

The Big Dipper bar added width which was just enough to cause the rear brake cable and housing to be a tiny bit too short. I could ride the bike, but turning the bars to the right just a bit too far would activate the rear brake. Not at all what you want, to say nothing of the cable housing rub on the head tube. 

So, my first thought was to get a hold of a shorter stem. That original 80mm stem was stretching me out a bit too much anyway, so I ordered up a 60mm Whiskey stem in a polished finish to keep my silver theme for the Gryphon intact. While the stem did fix the fit issue, it didn't take the brake issues all the way out of the equation. 

So, I thought about what I had to do there. The obvious answer would be to add new longer housing and and cable. However; that would mean tearing into the bar tape I had just put on, and that may or may not go well. Plus, it would be a lot of work and expense. I came up with a better, less intrusive and less expensive idea. Lengthen the housing, buy a new cable, insert it, and boom! The problem was just how  I would lengthen the housing without replacing it. Then I had some inspiration....

The new Whiskey stem shows more of the Tumbleweed branding here.

This bit was originally for a time trial bike's rear brake.

I have a "pack-rat" mentality when it comes to cast-off or extra parts that are unusual. So, when I have an unusual situation to tackle, I often sift through my stuff and see if anything strikes up an idea. This time I saw a piece that originally came off a replacement tri-bike rear brake. The original piece was retained and the new "noodle", if you will, went unused, so I kept that bit. This time the piece was perfectly suited for the task of lengthening my full-run housing a bit. 

Since the flexible steel and aluminum bit was about three inches long, I just scooched the full-run housing forward carefully through the cable-tied mounting points along the frame and added it at the end before the caliper. A new, extra-long rear brake cable was purchased at the local bike shop and when installed I had solved the problem. Now the overall length of the system allowed for full-on right hand turns and the housing was off the head tube! 

So, the final tweaking bit I did was an experiment more than anything. A reader of the blog here sent me some images of a "cut-off" light mod that he hacked from a flat piece of plastic or something similar, then he attached it to his Bookman Volume light so that it looked kind of like a visor over the lighting element. This would prevent the beam from shining up higher than the lighting unit. His images he sent of the beam pattern were encouraging enough that I thought I'd give it a try. 

I used some bit of old Iowa license plat aluminum and some tape to temporarily mount the "visor" to my Bookman light. I must say though that my test didn't really show any improvement over not having the visor thingie on and if I wanted to accomplish what I'd seen it would take a much longer piece to do that. 

So, two wins and a fail. I'll report back if I try the light hack again.

Bikes Of 2023: Singular Cycles Gryphon Mk3

It's another December here on the blog. You know what that means? Yep! Another round of my bikes I used in 2023. This round-up will not include some of the bikes I did not use this year much, or at all. I focus only on the bikes that played a big role in my riding during this year.  

As always, any changes or future plans for any bike I feature will also be detailed. I hope that you enjoy this year's round-up. 

The Gryphon Mk3 fresh out of the Lab.

 The newest bike in the stable is my Singular Cycles Gryphon Mk3. This bike represents the culmination of a dream bike that I have chased for years. I wrote a series of posts on the blog earlier this year called "Fat Tires On Gravel: From Krampus To Gryphon". That was back in July.

The Gryphon is my MTB, touring bike, and fat tire gravel bike all wrapped up into one. I have already had it all loaded out and test ridden on single track and I have done an adventure ride with it as well. I am looking forward to using it more and more during 2024. 

The only change I've made so far is to review that Tumbleweed Big Dipper bar and I put a 20mm shorter stem on it as well. Oh! And I tested out those State Bicycle Co. brakes on it, and they are still on there. In the future I may look at alternative wheels for this, but keeping in mind that this has a 15mm front through axle, those wheels would have to be non-boost MTB types, most likely. That or an end cap swappable front. But I am thinking of a set of smoother, fatty touring wheels and tires for pavement. 

I would like to spend more time doing some long gravel rides on the Gryphon in 2024

Next year I look forward to maybe, finally, getting a sub24 using this bike in the books. Maybe this long 2 day tour on gravel as well, which I have had mapped out for a year and a half at this point. But time will be found, the bike is the biggest hurdle, and this one can do these things I've been dreaming about. 

So, without the burdens of a schedule of review stuff to get through, (at least at this point), I maybe can get around to doing this stuff more often, or at all. Time is running and won't be waiting for me to find it.....

Friday News And Views

Virtual Turkey Burn Reports Start Soon!

The response to last week's Virtual Turkey Burn Challenge has been surprisingly good. Thanks to everyone who sent me a note, pictures, or both. 

My plan is to start running the reports next week starting on Monday. Two will be combined together and one will run singly due to their length. 

This was a lot of fun and I hope that you all that read the reports find some inspiration and shared experiences as I roll these out next week. Tomorrow will be John Ingham's long-form paper, and Sunday will be the typical place for the GTDRI stories. So, stay tuned for Monday and see who took up the challenge and where they rode.

A Note About My Review Work:

As of today, I have brought all my reviewing work over to "Guitar Ted Productions". I won't be writing reviews for the time being anywhere else. That may change in the future. I don't know.....

I'm doing this for several reasons, and at this time, that's all I am able to say about that. I can tell you that this has been something percolating for some time and that it has been a very negative experience for the last year and a half.

So, you've likely noticed an uptick in reviews posted here and now you have some clue as to why that might be. I may designate certain days to be review days here so I still have to sort through that as I get into 2024. 

That said, I suspect that reviewing opportunities will dwindle as I am not associated with any "official outlets" at this time. That's fine with me. I've been caught up in that scene since 2006 and that's quite a long time when I think about that. So, as of now I've no idea how this will all pan out here. Things could change and maybe they won't. I just wanted to give you all some kind of notice here that this may be happening (and already is, actually) and to expect a bit more of the review stuff to continue on at least in the short term. However it all pans out, I am excited to carry onward. 

Geometry drawing courtesy of 3T

3T's New Extreme Itlalia: A Study In Geometry:

You may have noted several online purveyor's of cycling industry press releases showing off this new 3T Extreme Italia model. (3T's site on the bike is HERE) I won't get into all the technical aspects of this "aero-twenty-niner" gravel bike. It takes biggie tires and looks crazy and is uber-expensive. 

No, what I wanted to focus in on is the strange geometry choices 3T made for this bicycle. I have perused the geometry chart from 3T's site and I have some observations. You will have to scroll the page waaaaay down, but I have the chart linked HERE so you can check this out. 

First, you might note a couple things. There is no standover height listed and the largest frame size is listed as something that should fit riders from 6' to 6'5". That's a wide spread! I suspect that stand-over clearance is tough to give when you have such a wide range of tire fitment as well. Still, this is odd to leave out. Especially for a frame/fork that costs over 5G. 

Elsewhere in their marketing spiel 3T claims to be using an extreme fork offset of 61mm - 73mm coupled with what 3T says is a "slightly slacker headtube angle". So, I read that before I got to the geometry chart, and I was left thinking, "Wow! They must have gone with something far less than a 70° angle there." Nope.... Their head angles are relatively conservative, in terms of a gravel bike, using 70+ degree angles for the three largest sizes with only the smallest size under 70°. Make no mistake, the smaller sizes are slacker because they are trying to avoid toe-overlap. Period. 

The offset then becomes concerning. That's going to result in a pretty low-ish trail figure, which on the largest size with a 72° head tube angle might be pretty twitchy. Perhaps 3T is making concessions for a loaded front end here in terms of bikepacking weight, but that is not specifically spelled out, and unloaded, this would make for a bike that I wouldn't be all that interested in, in terms of potential handling issues. And for its price, I'm certainly not going to be interested in taking chances. 

The bottom bracket drop is also fairly conservative, again owing perhaps to the thought that this bike might end up being used more in a MTB-light application. But I would point out that many similarly purposed bikes have deeper bottom bracket drops for the bigger tires meant for those bikes. 

In the end, I find the asking price and the design to be a bit of a negative. Other concepts of the bike I have no issues with, but I do think mixing aero road, gravel, and MTB is s stew that is perhaps best not eaten.

New "Shorty" Stem For The Gryphon Mk3:

I am testing out those new Tumbleweed Big Dipper Bars and when I initially set the Singular Gryphon Mk3 up with those handlebars I realized that the rear cable run to the brake was on the "tight" side. 

I was using an 80mm long stem so I figured since that stretched me out a wee bit too much on that bike that a shorter stem might kill two birds at once. So, I ordered a 60mm Whisky No. 7 silver stem.

I received the stem this week and stuck it on the Gryphon. A test ride with a front bag loaded down showed that it was fine, in terms of handling, the brake strain is relieved somewhat, ( but still not 100% gone), and my position on the bike seems much improved. 

I guess I could live with the results, but that cable being a touch too short yet still bugs me. I could replace the entire full run housing and cable, or..... 

I had an idea as I was working on this post. Stay tuned and we will see if it worked or not. 

It May Not Be Much, But It Is A Podcast!

Since I host my podcast on Spotify, I get a "Spotify Wrapped" overview of the last year, (December doesn't count?), and a lot of stats to go along with that. 

Of course, since the "Guitar Ted Podcast " essentially started at the beginning of 2023, all the stat lines look impressive. But really, this isn't a big deal. The podcast, that is. I mean, we don't move the needle in comparison to many other sports and cycling related pods. 

But the point I wanted to make is that some of you do listen,and for that, I am very grateful. With all the media blasting out all around us, the fact that some folks choose to listen to myself and N.Y. Roll have banter is amazing. It really is. 

So, the numbers are the numbers. You can laugh, scoff, or make fun all you want. I don't do the podcast for "numbers". I do the podcast because N.Y. Roll and I have fun doing it. When that ceases to be the case, or if some other unforeseen thing comes along, we may stop doing recordings, no matter what the numbers are, good or bad. 

Again, if you listen, that's awesome and I appreciate you very much for doing so. The latest podcast, which is an "end-of-year" retrospective, can be listened to HERE or wherever you get your podcasts from.

That's it for this week! Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions.

Turkey Burn Report: Part 1

Escape Route; Out of the darkness....Into the Light!

My Thanksgiving actually happened on Wednesday because all members of my household family had that day off this year. So, Thursday was a wide open day for me. It also was going to be the best day for the weekend to ride out in the country, but even then, it wasn't "awesome", despite the brilliant sunshine. A stiff Northwest wind kept the "real-feel" down into a pretty chilly range, and out in the open areas it was a brutal headwind if you were going North or even West. 

And as well, I had no gumption to attack the conditions to knock out the metric century goal in one ride. So, I made up my mind after much going back-and-forth to do a big push on Thursday and a few smaller rides sprinkled throughout what became a much chillier weekend. 

Plus, I had to get more time on that Tumbleweed Big Dipper bar, so I came up with a plan to hit the Washington-Union Access trail and then some gravel on the way back into town. The Washington-Union Access is Northwest of where I live, but much of the way out I would be hugging the Cedar River and staying in the woods, out of the wind. 

It isn't yet 2:00pm at this point and it looks like the Sun is setting! Well....at this time of year, it is!

 

The new bike trail along Center Street in Cedar Falls. (Old HWY 218)

The Singular Gryphon, with its big 2.8" tires, was like a floaty magic carpet ride on the way out. Those big tires would be a huge asset on the Washington-Union Access trail coming up. This trail has been a fire road type corridor for decades that not many people utilize in their riding. I first heard about it way back in my college days when I overheard some UNI football players speaking about using it as a training run course. 

I first went up it back in the 1990's on my MTB bikes, but since then I don't hear a lot of chatter about people using it. Fortunately it has received a bit of attention from the County as it has been maintained better than it had been in the early 2000's. 

The trail starts at this inauspicious looking gate. Beyond it is where Adventure begins!

Looking back here. Right off the get-go you get this very rocky section.

 There has been a bit of maintenance done quite recently that mitigates the former severity of the rocky section which I usually would have to dismount for. Loose, baby head sized river-washed limestone boulders were strewn across this section and if you had a full-suspension rig, yeah maybe then. But I wouldn't risk it on a slow-roll, such as it is, on a full-rigid bike previous to this new situation. Still, you never know what is underneath that carpet of leaves! 

The Washington-Union Access Trail is pretty wide and smooth in spots.

I made some navigational errors starting at this beautiful meadow

My original plan was to find the intersection of the Ford Road Access Trail with the Washington-Union Access Trail. I had been on the Ford Road section from Ford Road about a month prior to this ride, and it was looking to be in fantastic shape. However; I was snookered into following a trail that turned out to be a dead end instead. 

The Sunlight was running out and making circles in the forest was not on my radar. I was a bit frustrated, but I wasn't through making gaffs just yet. Not long after I rejoined the Washington-Union Access Trail I saw a sign that said something about the Cedar Valley Savanna Project and a fresh-cut trail that led off in the general direction of the Ford Road Access. 

That was a complete disaster as it was a trail so new that it had a thousand sticks and branches laying in the bumpy, tractor-tracked up trail which was a recipe for a sheared derailleur if I ever saw one. Fortunately I extricated myself without any damage to myself or machine. But not before I had probably wasted another fifteen minutes chasing a trailhead I never found. 

Back to the main trail! Time was running out on this day!

Coming back out of the Cedar Valley Savanna Project trail which was a total dead end for me.

This field marks the ending of the trail on the North side. Those woods are where the Washington-Union Access is located.

The Sun was Westering and I needed to get a move-on. I was smart enough to have a full lighting kit with me though, so I was only really concerned with getting back into the city environs before I lost all Sunlight. 

Plus, I would have the benefit of a fairly stiff tailwind all the way back home, and I was looking forward to that. I figured I might even claw back some of the time I lost going in circles trying to find that Ford Road cut-off. 

Riding alongside County C-57. I stayed on the gravel shoulder.

And now the tailwind section starts! Ford Road looking South from C-57.

I reached C-57 just East of the bridge over the Cedar River which marks that river's confluence with the Shell Rock River. Just a bit further upstream on the Shell Rock is where the West Fork of the Cedar River joins the Shell Rock River. This entire area was once a large hardwood forest and a gathering place for Native American tribes in the past to do their Summer hunting. This went on until the late 1850's until the last of the Ho-Chunk people quit coming there due to the encroachments of European settlers which began hacking back at the Big Wood for lumber, farmland clearing, and road construction. 

It was the Native Americans which gave this area its name, "The Turkey Foot", because the waterways formed a sort of "turkey footprint" on the land. Now it has become a popular riparian area and a place where Americans now build their rural "McMansions". 

Another new "McMansion" going up on the North side of Ford Road.

The shadows grow long on Ford Road

Ford Road was in excellent condition for fast gravel-travel. I pushed the pace to try to beat the Sun before it set and get back to Cedar Falls, at the least. I was pleased with my pace as the Sun seemed to linger on the horizon.

That round, dome shaped building is the Cedar Falls Ice House Museum. Yes- it is an old surviving ice house.

Our Redeemer Lutheran Church stands awash in the last glow of Thanksgiving Day, 2023.

I made it back into Cedar Falls. The Sun was setting, but I turned my tail light and head light on low anyway. I suspected not many motorists would think a cyclist would be out at that time of day on a Thanksgiving. 

I quickly rode along darkening city streets and bicycle trails. Maybe I would make it back before it got really dark. That tailwind really helped me out! I was thankful for that for sure!

I encountered an abnormal amount of people on the Trolley Car Trail, and amazingly, each group or individual was walking a dog. Weird! I must have hit the jackpot on dog walkers. 

A last ray of Sunlight strikes this graffiti art. As seen on my way through Cedar Falls.

The Sun finally sets just as I crossed Black Hawk Creek, a half mile from home.

I rounded the corner to see my home just as it was getting dark enough to have to have the lights on. I was able to squeeze every last bit of the day out enjoying that ride, for the most part. Those minutes lost scrambling around on fresh-cut trail notwithstanding. It was a great nearly four hour adventure, and I figure it left me with about half the mileage to go on a metric. (I should have run a GPS, but I didn't!)

Let's see in tomorrow's post if I am able to chew into that deficit some more.