Brown Season: Rare Air

Escape Route: Gates Park

February is a month when I would expect it to snow a lot, be not so great for cycling out in the country, and a month which would test my patience knowing Spring is just around the corner. I do not expect February to act like Spring! 

But ever since the beginning of the month we've been getting warmer and warmer until at the beginning of this past week it was evident we'd end the week with absolutely no snow on the ground at all. None. Like mid to late March, but a whole month earlier than that. 

With temperatures sneaking above 50 degrees by the end of last week, I decided I had to get out and see what was going on in the country. At the rate things are going the frost will begin to start coming out of the ground. When this happens the roads get messy and gooey. I wanted to get out while the roads were still firm. 

North of Waterloo. The roads were perfect.

Even the ditches were mostly clear of snow in many places. 

I went out on the Singular Peregrine Mk4. A bicycle relatively still new to me and one I am still getting used to. I had the Pirelli Cinturato H tires on this time set at 30psi. I think I could go lower, but during cold weather it isn't a good time for me to experiment with air pressure unless I plan on stopping to check the tire pressures a lot during the ride. I don't plan on this, so I lived with 30psi for the time being. It was okay. 

 

This was probably an impressive snow drift three weeks ago. 

I decided not to try to ride too fast or go too far on this first outing for 2026 in the country. Especially so since I am still dealing with the bruised rib from my crash two weeks ago today. So, I went slower than normal and I did just a minimal loop and went back into Waterloo. 

 

I stopped at the Big Rock. The atmosphere was calm. There was barely a breeze blowing. I could hear the mournful cry of some bird or another a long ways off in the distance. I've come out to this rock many a time before. This was different. It seemed very peaceful. 

 

For a first country ride it was good. Not too long, not over the line to the point of being trashed, and the weather was super rare. I shake my head at this when I think about it being February. You have to wonder, is March going to be awful? 

Hmm..... I don't know, but this is a rare treat and I'll enjoy what I can of it.  

Peregrine Mk4 Update

 Someone in the comments said earlier this week the following statement: "Too much Peregrine content?? No way. It’s your New Bike Day/Month! We want all the details! "

Well, be very careful what you ask for, because here is more content about the Peregrine.  

I'm in my "getting to know you" phase of ownership here which includes my making small tweaks to my set up. I can only do this fine tuning after rides lasting from 30 minutes to an hour or so. I ride. I make a tweak. I ride and see if what I did results in what I am after. Rinse and repeat until I finally am satisfied. 

So, to describe why I was 'tweaking' what I was tweaking I have to go back to the original intentions for the build. One of those was to use what I had on the Twin Six as much as possible. This meant avoiding new cables and housings, new brake hoses, and all the things this can entail. In this I was successful. However; because of this I had painted myself in something of a corner which I had to find a way out from behind. 

This mostly had to do with how I was sat on the bike. I was a tiny bit cramped due to the need for the stubby Whisky Parts Co. stem I used. I could not put a longer stem on the bike because I'd have to switch out the rear brake hose, rear cable housing, and rear cable. So, to gain a little bit of the lost reach back, I decided to try to find and use a seat post with a little more setback and a saddle which would also accommodate me in this way as well. I was hoping both things would get me closer to the number I like to see for my reach.  

The Honeman  Flyer with the Thomson seat post, zero offset. 

 Looking at my fleet of bicycles I noted I had not addressed the seat post issue on the Honeman Flyer 100% to my liking.  (The bike with the seemingly never-ending seat post saga!) Anyway..... I had been using a Salsa Cycles Ti Regulator post on this bike which has a fair amount of set back. This was not ideal for the Honeman Flyer's 70° seat tube angle. I started off with a zero offset post on the Flyer and it was better, from an ergonomic standpoint. It was undersized though, and slipped all the time, so it had to go. I eventually landed on the Ti Regulator as a stop-gap solution to end all the slipping seat post madness I was experiencing with this bike. 

Well, if I could find a suitable post for the Honeman Flyer maybe I could poach the seat post for the Peregrine. So, to the seat post bin! (Yes......I have multiple unused seat posts sitting in a big tin can!) I rummaged through this assortment of seat posts and came across a nice silver Thomson post with zero offset. Nice! Now I could swap posts with the Honeman Flyer and maybe get the setback I was looking for. 

The Peregrine Mk4 with the Salsa Ti Regulator and WTB Solano saddle installed. 

Now the Flyer also had a WTB Solano saddle fitted, so I knew this saddle was pretty good with me, and it had a fair amount of rail to use for adjustment. With the saddle slid back as far as allowed, and with the set back on the Ti Regulator, I gained back almost all my preferred reach. Almost, which is fine, because I wanted to try a little less reach and see if I wasn't setting my bicycles up with too much reach, ending up being too stretched out, perhaps. We will see. Remember: Test & Tweak.  Now on to one other interesting point about this bike. 

I'd say that looks like a good half of an inch there.

I had a reader ask about toe overlap with the Peregrine Mk4. Good question! Since this bike can handle big tires, this could be a concern, right? Well, I went out with my size 46 Shimano gravel shoes on, clipped in, and tried to get my foot to touch the front tire. This tire is a 700 X 50mm Schawlbe G-One Overland, for reference. The crank arm length is 172.5mm. 

The image here shows the closest I could get to touching the tire with my toes. I'd say this is not very close! Also, I try to set my cleats back as far as I can, but not all the way back. Very close to it, but I would still have room for my foot even if my cleats were slammed all the way back.

So, the good news here is that a size Large should not cause any issues with toe overlap. Maybe if I were running fenders, I might have toe overlap with this big of a tire, but I bet I'd still be good, if just barely so. 

Had I been sporting the biggest tire which would clear the Peregrine's frame and fork, I probably would get a bit of toe contact, in my opinion, but I'm not planning on going to the extreme which would cause this to happen. 

Next, I had someone in the comments ask about contrasting the ride of the Peregrine with my Gen I Fargo. So, this is really an apples and oranges thing, in my opinion. The Fargo Gen I being a more MTB-leaning drop bar bike, while the Peregrine is based on a classical road bike. Certainly the two overlap in certain aspects, but as far as the ride quality, these are very different bicycles.  

I think it might prove to be enlightening if I just put it this way: I'm not getting rid of either of the two bikes and they will do different things for me. Now if one was doing the same thing for me as the other? One would have to go away, as I wouldn't ride one of them. As it stands, again for myself, this is not the case and both bikes will remain in my service for the time being. 

If anything, this Peregrine is probably more like my Black Mountain Cycles MCD. But I will have to do some back-to-back comparisons to verify this. Keeping in mind the MCD can run 'up to' a 50mm tire, while the Peregrine can handle even slightly larger tires.  

Okay, I think I've covered just about everything I wanted to get to on this update. I hope you folks who had indicated you were fine with more Peregrine content are satisfied! Ha! 

I'll have more to share here soon. I know of one more tweak which is coming, and there may be more. Plus I hope for ride content as well. Stay tuned. 

Country Views: Fall Is Here

Escape Route: Northern Waterloo Alleys

It has been a while now since I've had a ride out into the country. These off and on again thundershowers and rain have made scheduling a ride difficult  for me of late. In fact, I generally just had to dash out when the opportunity arose to just get in a brief ride in my neighborhood.

Things finally straightened out enough this past weekend to allow for chancing a ride out of town. However; I had to make it brief due to a few things going on with us at home. 

One was a bathroom remodel. A project which was to have started a few days after my son's death, and was put on hold for obvious reasons. Next was Mrs. Guitar Ted's knee surgery, (a clean-up, not a replacement), which had been scheduled for over a month. This meant Mrs. Guitar Ted could not drive, so anything requiring driving was now on my plate. So, yeah.....chaos. 

But on Sunday there was a window of time where everything came together to allow for a brief ride, so I grabbed the chance. Of course, I rode the Singular Peregrine Mk4. Since this was to be its first foray on "real gravel", I had to take it to the "Big Rock", because this has kind of become tradition with me and gravel bikes. 

It seems things are a bit advanced as far as where the crops are at for harvesting.

The skies were moody on this day.

Once I reached the rural areas it was plain to see the corn was totally dried down and harvesting had been taking place. I have seen a lot of harvesting images on social media from Iowa, but here everything is on hold. There were places which have received over three inches of rain around Waterloo over the past week. Those harvesters won't get out there in these fields until things firm up a bit more. 

Even some of the trees are in full-color already here.

The visitation

The calendar says it is "officially Fall" now, and it shows up all around. Even some of the trees are all in color now. Again, seems a bit advanced from a normal year. I think of early October for this sort of color and the beginning of harvesting corn. Maybe I am way off, but this is my perception of things. 

 

Lying in wait. Ready to attack!

I made it to the Big Rock and took a brief assessment of my time and condition. Oh, I forgot! I tweaked my right shoulder muscles somehow while hauling scrap out of the basement at the Collective the other day. I did not want to exacerbate this issue as it was feeling a bit better for the first time on Sunday. So, with all the things going on, I made the call to make this a short ride. 

Good thing too. I was two blocks from home when my incapacitated wife put out a distress call. Nothing major, but I was sure happy I was close to home!  

Singular Peregrine Mk4 Build: Part Two

As the build progressed beyond the eccentric bottom bracket issue, I was able to get the crank set installed and the bicycle started to look more finished. 

The Shimano bottom bracket felt smooth and spun nicely with the crank installed. Then I was able to set up the front derailleur at the proper height on the seat tube. Fortunately the Standard Rando and the Peregrine use the same seat tube outside diameter, so the shims which were already in place worked perfectly with the Peregrine. 

I started locking down the cables into their appropriate places. A couple of things of note here. First, I always work rear to front when re-cabling a mechanical drive train which uses full run housings. This allows you to have to use less guesswork on what to leave for length at the back, and when you get up to the shifters you can more easily figure out exact length for your housings with no fear of having to pull some rearward because you did not estimate your rear lengths correctly.

Secondly, the use of removable cable stops allows for the least amount of zip ties possible. I think I used four on the Peregrine's frame and two on the fork. The fewer zip ties the better, in my opinion. It would be neat if someone could make an easy to use metal cable retention system for the stays of a frame, on the order of removable stops like the Peregrine uses on the down tube. 

Arguably the centerpiece of the GRX Limited drive train. Just beautiful!

Did you note the release of the SRAM silver 1987 group? Well, Shimano beat them to the punch using silver anodization by a few years when they introduced GRX Limited. 

Silver ano was the only  choice for drive train bits for decades until the MTB bike revolutionized things with black anodization bits for drive trains. Black then took over everything, which I was dismayed by, if I am honest. So, this silver stuff is welcomed here, and you can see how it contrasts with the British Racing Green frame nicely.  

 The rear derailleur then went on and then the chain. I reused the chain as it was still in good shape and it is mated to the cassette to some degree as well.  Notable was the fact that I had to use a new quick link for the Shimano chain. As a mechanic, I like to test recommendations knowing full well what the outcome may be. I am willing to risk the consequences for my decisions. I thought I'd try to reuse the old quick link, but I never even had the chance to install it because the pin came out on one half of the link and fell to the ground just as I was about to reinstall it.

Maybe that's why you shouldn't reuse those, eh? 

I put both wheels in the frame, mocked up a stack-o-spacers on the steer tube, and fixed the handle bar in place to get a bead on fit. A few measurements, and then I sat on the Peregrine for the first time.

Nailed the saddle height, but this is to be expected. The reach? Hmm..... Different, but still well within my comfort zone. Interestingly the front wheel looks "way out there" compared to my other bicycles. This is probably due to the stubby stem and set back seat post I am using. (A Ritchey Classic, by the way) 

Comparing handle bar height, the Peregrine seems to be well within the range of some other of my bicycles. It is pretty much identical in this manner to my Noble GX5. 

As you can see, there is tons of tire clearance using the WTB Raddler 700 x 44mm tires which were on the T-6 as well before this. You may remember my image of the bare minimum clearance on the Standard Rando using this wheel/tire combination. 

Okay, with the fit looking good, and the mechanical bits coming into place, it is time to finish this build off. I needed to get to the cutting of the steer tube, running the cables to their final destinations, and installing and bleeding the front brake. 

Stay tuned....

Singular Peregrine Mk4 Build: Part One

Most of the parts from this bike are being used for the Peregrine build.

The first step in building up the Peregrine Mk4 was to get the Twin Six Standard Rando torn down. This was necessary because most of the parts from this bike were going to be used on the Peregrine.

Even the wheels are going over, and for now, the WTB tires are staying on there as well. The reason for this is to help me contrast and compare the ride of the Peregrine to the Standard Rando v2, which had these wheels on it. 

Again, I'll say the internally routed front brake cable is just dumb. You may say it is more "aero". I say, put a channel on the backside of the left fork leg, integrate clips to hold the hose in, and make everyone's lives a lot easier and aero. Internal routing for the average cyclist is just not necessary.  It is a step backward for most cyclists and mechanics as well.

Okay......rant over, now on with the build!

There were a couple of things I could not switch over. The head set, for one, was not compatible with the Peregrine, so I got the Chris King 1 1/8th silver head set as seen previously to accommodate this build. The other bit was the bottom bracket. 

The Twin Six uses a PF-30 shell, and I have a screw-together Enduro bottom bracket in there now. The Peregrine Mk4 uses a traditional English threaded 68mm bottom bracket. So I was going to need to find if I had one around to use, or if I needed to purchase one. 

I had thought I had a Chris King bottom bracket somewhere, but I could not find it. So, while searching for the Chris King I came across a brand new Shimano bottom bracket. These are okay, but their durability and longevity is not so great. I decided to use it up on the Peregrine and when it goes bad, I'll put something nicer in there. 

While I could have used the seat post and saddle, along with the stem, I decided against those parts due to their being black in color. I wanted bright, polished parts if I could find them. So, I ended up using the seat post and saddle from the Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross frame, (which is being retired as well), along with a stubby, 60mm Whisky Parts stem which I had on the Singular Gryphon Mk3, ironically, before this.  

Even the through-axles are emblazoned with the brand name!

Since both the Twin Six Standard Rando v2 and the Singular Peregrine Mk4 use full-run cable housings, I was able to just drop the rear brake caliper, hose, rear derailleur, housing, and cable, and the housing and cable for the front derailleur as a unit with the handlebar. 

The plan being to just swap all these bits wholesale onto the new bike. The front derailleur could not be brought along with this assembly since there was no way the derailleur could pass through the tiny window between the stay bridge and the bottom bracket shell. It simply had to come off as its own bit. 

My only concerns were if everything was going to be long enough. The Singular Peregrine runs longer chain stays than does the Standard Rando v2, and the stack heights might have figured into cable length as well. I did a dry run with the wheels on and handle bar in place using a 90mm long Ritchey Classic stem. This looked close, so I was pretty sure the 60mm Whisky stem would give me just enough slack to fit everything and still be able to turn the bike. 

Worse case scenario I would have to re-cable and bleed the rear caliper. I still may have to do this, but I cannot determine this just quite yet. I am trying to avoid this, if possible. Again, if I had cable actuated brakes I'd be a lot less reticent to swap every cable housing and cable. 

Dremel to the rescue!

The frame has an eccentric insert at the bottom bracket. Now these should always be greased, or at least some sort of anti-seize paste should be used here. Since almost every eccentric bottom bracket (EBB), I've ever worked on straight from the box has never been greased, I decided to take a wee peek inside to find if there were a need for some slippery-stuff.

Well, first I had to be able to remove the insert! It was stuck in there as if it were a press fit unit. I tapped on it with the wooden handle of my dead blow hammer and noticed a little movement. I continued with this until I had it removed. Oh!...... Yes, I removed the grub screws. So, don't wonder about that part!

Once I had the insert removed, a very nicely made, Singular branded, black anodized aluminum insert, I tried to see what could be the problem. I noted a varying amount of paint and corrosion treatment. Perhaps this, or a warped eccentric shell from welding were the cause of my issues. Hopefully it was just the paint and coating.

Dremel to the rescue! I used 220 grit sandpaper on a barrel attachment to remove most of the paint and coating. It worked! The EBB went in very nicely with just a bit of effort. I cleaned up everything and layered in a coating of Finish Line Premium Grease. The insert glided right in this time, and I then put on some blue thread locking compound on the grub screws and tightened up those to 6nm.   

With the problem solved the insert went in like a champ. Next - Installation of the crank set. 

With this big hurdle cleared, I had a bit of an easier time installing the crank set and a few more odds and ends. The next bit would include getting cables sorted and managed, installing the chain, and then determining fit from where I had things at this time with my other bicycles. 

In the next installment for this build I will get into those things and more. Stay tuned....  

Review: Singular Peregrine Mk4

NOTE: Guitar Ted paid for the Peregrine Mk4 out of pocket. Singular Cycles is not paying for, nor has any knowledge of this review, (that is - until Sam reads this post!) All thoughts and opinions are Guitar Ted's.

The Singular Cycles Peregrine Mk4 fresh out of the box

 As mentioned earlier here on the blog, the Singular Cycles Peregrine Mk4 was headed to me here at Guitar Ted HQ. Well, as you can obviously see here, it has arrived. I wanted to give my first impressions of this frame set as I took it out of its shipping box and unwrapped the thing to see it with my own eyes now for the first time. Technical data be damned, at least for now, because all I want to convey with this first post is what I am thinking about this frame set initially. Techy stuff will come later. (Or you could click the link toi the Peregrine Mk4 page above. )

First of all, I want to point out the images here are of the frame and fork directly after unpacking. There was no attempt made to clean up the finish from all the fingerprints, dust, and shipping detritus accumulated since the frame and fork were packed up at Singular Cycles US warehouse. So, no apologies for the dullness of the colors here and there. This will look a lot prettier once I have it cleaned up.

Okay, with this out of the way, this thing is gorgeous. In a very neo-classic cycling way, that is. Sam Alison, Singular Cycles founder, has a way of taking classic bicycle design and paint scheme cues and integrating those within a fully modernized bicycle which makes no compromises, in a general sense, because of those classic influences. 

So here we have through axles, disc brakes, (flat mount, natch!), and accommodation for large gravel tires in 700c or 650B sizes. Full accessory mounts are integrated in a way which seems unobtrusive and does not detract from the classic looks. Of course, the paneled British Racing Green and Ivory only adds to those classic looks leanings. Worth noting is the custom paint option Singular offers, at an up-charge, should this hue just not appeal to you. 

The cable routing is all external, and this may seem, upon first considerations, to be a 'not very modern' way of doing things. Given the hidden cables craze, it would seem very 'retro', but it is by far the most practical and easily maintained way to run cables. I like the removable cable guides in case you should decide to run a single speed/fixed gear set up.

Some folks are surprised to find the Peregrine uses lugged steel construction in several places on the frame. This is a huge attraction for myself, as I love lugged steel frames. Plus, a modern lugged steel frame is a pretty rare thing in 2025. This is also appealing to me.

Look at the head tube! Straight 1 1/8th as it should be with a standard external cup Chris King headset installed. Obviously classic, and easily maintained for the foreseeable future. 

I mean, a 'clean' looking integrated headset can be okay, but those are not 'classic', and many have parts not easily obtained in case of a need for replacement arises. This Chris King head set will likely outlast me!

Besides, a straight steer tube gives a bit, which enhances comfort, and this will be plenty strong enough. So stiffer is maybe okay for Pro roadie sprinters, but this is not what I am looking for in my gravel bikes. I have always thought tapered steer tubes were overkill for road and gravel for the vast majority of the riding public. 

Standards for this frame are all pretty basic. Flat mount brakes, 27.2mm seat post, threaded bottom bracket. the aforementioned head set, standard through axles. Nothing proprietary or odd here. 

These are all things I like to see. These are the things which make building up a bicycle like this far easier.

 For instance, my Twin Six Standard Rando v2 has a port through the front fork for the brake hose. To get this out, or installed, one has to disconnect the hydraulic hose from the lever and thread the hose through the fork, reattach the hose with a new barb and compression nut, then bleed the system. 

What a hassle! Just to switch components in or out from the fork.  This is something which I find irritating. Your mileage may vary. The Peregrine has a much easier set up and ability to swap components. 

Of course,it wouldn't be a true Singular unless you could run it as a single speed bike! Sam Alison usually integrates an eccentric bottom bracket into his designs which allows for an easy way to go single speed/fixed. Not all Singulars were made this way, but I appreciate this feature in the Peregrine Mk4.

In my opinion, a single speed option is critical for any self-supported type cycling. Having this option could help you pedal home in case of a catastrophe regarding the rear derailleur. So, as a cyclist who spends a lot of time alone in remote county areas, I desire this sort of "bail out" option in my bikes. 

Another, less considered feature of the eccentric bottom bracket is the ability to alter your effective bottom bracket drop. Of course, this only applies if you are running a geared set up, but where you place the eccentric will affect your seat height slightly, and with big tires, I probably will set my eccentric at the "six o'clock" position to accommodate for this. 

I know some folks are down on eccentric bottom brackets due to rumors or old experiences with these making noise. I have had several eccentric bottom bracket bicycles and I can report this has never been an issue with any of those bicycles so equipped. 

I said I wasn't going to get all techy, didn't I? Oh well! These are things I see when I look at a frame and fork. So, forgive my more "mechanic's viewpoint", but again, this bike is just really good looking. Sam knocked it out of the park with the Peregrine Mk4 as far as the aesthetics go. 

I mean, just look at the fork crown! If you do not find this part of the frame attractive I have no words for you. 

Okay, enough of this! I have to quit writing and start turning wrenches!

I'll be posting a build series around this bike in the next few days and then, hopefully, a first ride post. In case you missed it, I plan on putting on a 2X GRX Limited Silver group with my GRX wheel set and those Schwalbe G-One Overland tires I introduced the other day. 

The plan after this is to use the Peregrine Mk4 as my main bicycle for gravel travel for the remainder of the gravel riding season of 2025. This should provide a good basis for giving a final verdict on the Peregrine Mk 4 as a gravel riding platform. 

Thanks to Sam Alison for getting the frame and fork shipped out so promptly and for the excellent customer service. Look for more on the Peregrine Mk4 coming soon!