Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Surly Bikes

 Okay....we're back with a regular FN&I. Finally! This week I'm kicking things off with some items which happened while I was away and reporting on BRAN. 

Surly Brings Back The Steamroller:

After a 23 year run starting in the year 2000, the Surly Steamroller was allowed to pass into the annals of Surly's archives. However, as of June 23rd, you can order a new Steamroller for a limited time. 

Surly didn't mess with the format too much. You still get track bike geometry and clearance for up to a 700 x 38mm tire, but the legal issues surrounding production of brakeless bikes has forced Surly to put cable stops on the frame for brakes. 

Surly says, "once they're gone, they're gone", so if the Anxious Lavender hue appeals to you and you always wanted a new Steamroller, well ya better get on it! $699.00 USD. (What?! Not $666.00?) 

Image courtesy of Thamus Bikes

The 32" Watch: Not Going Anywhere Soon

If you haven't noticed lately, 32" wheels are popping up everywhere. A 32" wheeled bike recently placed top three at a World Cup XC MTB event. Canyon is showing a radical 32"er at Eurobike with a weird, bi-plane handlebar. Esker Cycles is releasing its Lorax model with 32" wheels. Trek reportedly inadvertently showed a 32"er MTB racing bike in its latest documentary film. 

Meanwhile more small builders are producing 32" wheeled bikes for upcoming shows and for customers. 

As noted on these digital pages, we have seen prototype suspension forks for 32" wheels and as of now not many of those forks have shown up yet. This means more 32"ers are coming. (There may be a good reason for the no-show as of now. See below)

My prediction? Many of you readers will see a 32"er by this time next year near you, and many of you will have tried one.The 32"er isn't going anywhere soon, but this doesn't mean they are here to stay either. Think about how entrenched 26"ers were, or how many companies were jumping on 27.5"ers fifteen years ago. The 27.5"er is still hanging on, but I think it is obvious that it is a dead wheel size in gravel and nearly an obscure choice for MTB. The 32" wheel could find itself in a similar situation as these other wheel sizes five years from now. 

Gary Fisher's response to a BikeRumor post about the possible Trek 32"er in the video.

Or not. Time will tell. But I think it is safe to say 32" is an alternative choice which will soon be readily available to anyone soon. So, pretending it is an upcoming trend or curiosity is disingenuous now. So, no more "The 32" Watch" segments. I'll just report on these bikes as another choice from here on out.  

Image courtesy of Shimano

Shimano Keeps Mechanical Shifting Alive:

Shimano recently released news on their Deore and Deore XT level MTB components in a mechanical shifting format.  

XT now features a long cage or short cage rear derailleur in 12 speed for various sized cassettes or a LinkGlide 11 speed version. 

The rear derailleur is also advanced in its abilities to take on hits from trail debris. Manufactured to be able to be mounted on "modern hangars", the Deore XT rear derailleur can be used on any bike meant for derailleur drive trains. The rear pulleys are of a solid design which eliminates debris from catching in the pulleys and causing damage. 

 The rear derailleur now has a dual sprung design which Shimano says increases tension on the chain by 70% helping prevent chain drops and allowing for good shifts even on a worn cassette and chain. 

Deore features much the same upgrades as the XT version with less cost. 

Brakes were also addressed in this news where Shimano has now produced rotors with a 2.2mm thickness. This should provide more robust braking performance over a longer period of time than with the thinner rotors. This is especially critical with regard to modern e-MTB bikes.  

Comments: While SRAM continues to push proprietary electronic groups at least Shimano is keeping the versatility/mechanical shift crowd somewhat happy. XT stuff is impressive and with a mechanical 12 speed option now it should appeal to those who don't want to have batteries to charge or unfixable failures in the field due to software malfunctions. (Which have been reported on SRAM systems by some on social media). 

Image courtesy of Avinox

Avinox Shows Gearbox/E-Motor:

The days when a bicycle becomes more moto are coming sooner than not. The new Avinox E-Bike motor now showing at Eurobike is another step in the full-moto direction. The new motor/gear box eliminates the need for derailleurs and perhaps even traditional shifters. 

While Avinox would likely not agree with my assessment, one has to wonder is this  a step toward full-moto MTB's or is it not? Answering this question is subjective, perhaps, but elimination of key traditional bicycle components and adding more electronic controls and assists - to my way of thinking - is less "bicycle" and "more moto". 

Yes, you will still have to pedal the bike, however, it is getting easier and easier to do so, and at some point, we have to decide if pedals are just another way to have a throttle without having a throttle. 

At any rate, this new Avinox system eliminates the need for a derailleur and shifting can be programmed by the rider. Lots of MTB brands are jumping on this now, so it will be a thing soon out on the trails. See HERE for a list of manufacturers offering this motor and for more details. 

Cannondale Announces Factory MTB Team To Cease At End Of 2026:

Cannondale's Factory Race Teams have competed in MTB events for over three decades but will cease to be after the 2026 season concludes later this year. This according to a news release sent out to Cannondale dealers and the press on Wednesday. 

In its place, Cannondale will introduce a new "Rogues Program". This program will "... bring together professional racers, content creators, community leaders, and emerging voices - a roster larger and more varied than a traditional factory race team" according to Cannondale's release. 

Cannondale seeks to bring its rider experience to more everyday cyclists and to more events by having Rogue Program riders show up at events, group rides, and shops across the USA. Cannondale is also stating it will make a more concerted effort to bring demo rides and event activations to riders which they hope will put more riders on Cannondale bicycles to try them out, and buy them, of course. 

In the release Cannondale states that it still supports the EF cycling team and the women's St. Michaels program. 

Comments: Racing isn't selling bicycles, or so it would seem from this news release. Cannondale is taking a more direct to consumer approach in marketing using influencers, social media, and demo ride experiences instead.  

This will be embraced by the promoters of events as something like a Cannondale expo/demo adds value to their events. Shops also should benefit likewise. As riders, it is a boon to decision making as being able to actually ride a bike before buying is a big deal and should allay concerns over buying consumer direct where there is always that risk that the bike won't be quite what you expected. 

My take ultimately is that this could be a smart marketing decision if implemented correctly. And if it does pan out for Cannondale, look for other brands to follow suit. This should be interesting, but we will have to wait until 2027 to see if it flies or if it dies.  

Hey, Thanks Folks!

A special "thank you" to all who read through the BRAN coverage recently. I was quite amazed by the amount of readers who checked in during the week of BRAN and the week afterward when I did the ride recap. 

I even received advice on how to get my Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM to behave which made the remainder of the week a lot better. So, I really do appreciate those of you who have read the blog and give your feedback on it. 

You never know how odd things like BRAN are going to be received by the audience out there and I was a bit concerned how that would all go over with you all. Apparently it was a good thing. I don't know if I will ever get another opportunity like that, so I had to take it and I am very happy I did on several fronts. 

Thanks again and now it is time to get out there and ride those bicycles! 

Mud, 32"ers, & Grit: Reactions To Unbound 2026

 NOTE: Images from Unbound's Instagram page unless otherwise noted.  A shorter version of this posted on my Substack a couple of days ago. All opinions are Guitar Ted's

Well, they cooked up another tasty dirt/mud fest for Unbound this year. With this being the "20th anniversary*" of an event run on gravel at this time of year in Emporia, the organizers wanted something special. 

Dan Hughes, himself a winner of the Dirty Kanza 200, the event which inaugurated this 20 year run, said in an interview that this year's course was an amalgam of all the "favorite roads" from past DK200's and Unbound events. So, instead of a "North" or "South" course, they ran a course which encompassed Emporia from the North, West, And South. It was to be a celebration of the best that the Flint Hills had to offer in a gravel event. 

The only thing beyond the organizer's control, of course, was the weather. Apparently the need to amp-up things further was in the cards as rain fell overnight before the race and rain was falling at times during the 200. This made the dreaded mud come to life and yes- there were DNF's and even some minor injuries. 

Old gravel folk will smile and nod their heads in an understanding way. This was part and parcel to the gravel experience, and for some, a requisite part of having a "great race experience". But as money, fame, careers, and sponsorship has infiltrated this style of racing, some have an opposing attitude when it comes to the mud and weather. 

A rider tries wrenching his bars into plane after a crash.

One of the comments, ironically left two days prior to the event, on Unbound's Instagram account, by a person going by"german_belgian_waffle" reads: "When is unbound finally going to realize they have outgrown their ability to safely hold this during severe weather months? With all the tents, campers, lack of hotels and basements… it is one severe weather event from catastrophe due to the vast area the event covers. Have it two weekends before nebraska gravel worlds in early august. The mudpit and tornado/hail alley is a mess that does not need to be dealt with anymore. Its too great of an event to trash so many competitors bikes"

Another commenter on Facebook commenting on a post by Unbound said "Not real racing" 

Now, longtime readers of this blog will know how I, as a race event director, would have answered this. I would have replied, "Well, perhaps this event is not for you." 

And I still feel a lot of people just do not understand how American gravel racing came to be. Weather was part of the adventure and broken bikes and parts were also seen as a probable outcome of submitting oneself to trying to overcome such challenges. I have personally witnessed people walking miles, scootering unpedalable bikes, and making repairs until they just couldn't continue. One media source had a post on "X" saying the XL winner, Robert Gemperle, was "..forced to walk 21K"  (Gemperle's estimate, not likely the reality)

I would say he chose to walk (approximately, maybe...) 21K. And it is a good thing he did, because he won .So.....there is that. 

 But again, money, fame, career, and sponsorship backing come with different expectations. One Pro rider, knocked out by another rider running into him while he was walking a minimum maintenance road, had a deep look of frustration, but to his credit, he did not publicly take the other rider to task for essentially ruining his day. But he did say the past two weeks seemed like a huge waste of time due to the incident and the consequences of that crash. 

I think we, as outsiders looking in, really have no say in this matter. This - of course - won't stop the negativity. As for myself, I do not think there is any way to "sanitize" gravel to the point where wild cards like unruly weather, poor road conditions, and just bad circumstances would be eliminated. Certainly just changing Unbound's date, or even location, guarantees nothing. That is basically a very poor argument against what we saw over the weekend. 

Scott 32"er (Image from Cameron Jones Instagram)

32"ers Figure Heavily In The Events:

Scott Bikes brought two 32"ers to Unbound with Cameron Jones on one for the 200 and Robert Gemperle on another in the XL, which he won in a little over 21 hours. 

I didn't note any big 32"er news officially, but there was a bike shown from Mosaic with WTB tires on it. They looked like Resolutes, and if so, these would be gravel specific tires. Again, this plays into my notions that 32"ers will eventually become a gravel dominate wheel size despite their being on MTB bikes first. 

There was an old maxim used in the automobile world that went: "Race on Sunday, Sell on Monday". While I do not think the bicycling world will be taken over by 32" wheels, it certainly doesn't hurt that a 32"er figured heavily at the front of the 200 and that a 32"er won the XL. The Cameron Jones ridden Scott 32"er bagged a top ten result in the 200. Scott couldn't have hoped for much better. Yes - Scott said this was not going to be a bike they put into production. Companies say a lot of things. Take Specialized, Yeti, or Giant, all who said 29"ers were a fad and that their respective companies wouldn't offer them for sale. 

Yeah.....right. 

So, let's say Scott is true to their words. It doesn't mean they won't ever do a 32"er. It will float the boats of all the others who do/will offer a 32"er as winning races and showing great results does affect sales. So, we will see, Scott. We will see.....  

Also of note: Joe Meiser of QBP/Salsa Cycles finished the 200 on his Fargo 32"er. Specialized's new Crux v5 bike, debuting at Unbound, took the top two places in the Men's and the Women's 200. Prepare for an onslaught of ads from the Big S.

Joe Meiser finishing on a 32" Fargo (Image courtesy of Mike Reimer)

 Gritty Performances - Disappointing Failures:

On one hand when riders overcome conditions such as we have witnessed this year at Unbound, their reward is becoming part of legend. They also have that feather in the cap. They overcame, as one media source put it, "horrible conditions". On the other hand you get riders like Peter Stetina and Ted King crashing out and having "DNF" next to their names in the results.  Some decry these outcomes as being "unfair", or as the commenter I quoted above saying things like, "we can't be trashing all these great bikes". 

Really? You cannot have it both ways. As I've often pointed out, Paris- Roubaix is the classic it is because it was rough, muddy, and it broke humans and their machines. The ones who overcame with a layer of French farm mud covering their faces were the "heroes". The ones celebrated forever in art, story, and whispered tales in bike shops. This doesn't happen if we are more worried about not breaking bikes, worried about not breaking spirits, and expecting everyone to finish. 

Racer/ You Tuber/ Cycling Coach and sponsored athlete Dylan Johnson posted this on Facebook after the event: " This is the second time I’ve hemorrhaged massive time at a muddy Unbound. It’s clearly something I need to figure out, because that will always be part of this race. I actually think that’s part of what makes the race so special. Riders need to be ready for anything, and it rewards mental toughness and perseverance. "

The 2026 Unbound, in my opinion, was a classic ultra-distance gravel event in every way. Riders should feel pride in even having been in this event. But there will be naysayers and critics who want something different. 

Well then, maybe this event is not for you.  

*I consider 2006 - 2019 as an evolution of DK200. From 2020 till the present it has become a completely different affair. Your mileage may vary) 

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Cameron Jones Instagram

The 32" Watch: Cameron Jones To Race 32"er Scott Bike At Unbound:

With a stern message from Scott that this bike is "only a prototype with no plans for production", the images of a Scott gravel bike with 32" tires has set the internet buzzing since images hit on Tuesday morning earlier this week. 

While Scott can say whatever they want, it would be foolish of them to put out this bike without some sort of plan to at least garner interest in the platform. It may not be this exact bike, but I am going to say Scott has something in the works for 2027. 

However this may turn out, we do know the bike is outfitted with Schwalbe G-One rubber. According to a comment made by Cameron Jones on his Instagram post of this bike, those tires are 32" x 50mm. This would lead me to believe earlier rumors of 32" gravel bikes in the pipeline. 

And look at those deep section carbon wheels. You must know that something like this is not a one-off. I'd look for aero 32"er rims to be a thing very soon. 

Tomorrow will be interesting in Kansas. I would not at all be surprised to see some other 32"ers break cover there also. 

In other 32"er news "Bike Rumor" posted a story about a prototype 32"er DT Swss front suspension fork being spotted at a recent World Cup MTB event along with 32"er DT Swiss wheels.  

Image courtesy of Specialized Bicycles

 Specialized Introduces "The Fastest Gravel Race Bike"

 Claiming the new 5th version of the Specialized Crux is the fastest gravel race bike in existence is a heady claim. But that is what Specialized is saying about this new Crux. 

The version 5 of the Crux leaves the classically shaped round tubes for a predictably more aero tube design, but Specialized did not go all-in on aero. They used data gathered from athletes riding in events like Unbound and inserted the data into their design plans. What came out was a theory that real-world racing conditions - Slower and more technically demanding - trumped aerodynamics to a degree, requiring a different design than what an all-out aero driven design may have demanded. 

Specialized dropped the bottom bracket some and tweaked the head tube angle a bit due to the new trend of running huge tires on gravel bikes. This results in a maximum tire clearance for the Crux 5 of 55mm in width.  Designers did not want to utilize dropped chain stays or longer chain stays so this design is 1X compatible only. 

Of course, it is expensive. But you would have guessed this anyway. Check out the range on Specialized's site HERE.  

Image courtesy of  Pardus

Chinese Brand Commits To European Sales Model:

China's top high-performance cycling brand, Pardus, have announced a commitment to enter the European cycling market with sales support in Europe and by selling through brick and mortar bike shops only. This news came via a press release sent out earlier this week.  

Comments: You may not see much of importance here. However; this bears watching and I think it could be an interesting development for US based cycling companies.  

Watch the You Tube videos of the Shanghai Bicycle Show from this year and you most likely will see Pardus bikes on their stand. Often cited as the most popular Chinese high-performance brand, their integrated manufacturing model, where all facets of frame and fork production are done in-house, could pose to be a formidable force in the European market due to Pardus advantage on price. 

This could push sales away from European Trek, Specialized, Cannondale, and Giant dealers. These brands all are already scrapping and fighting to get every sale they can in an atmosphere where the oxygen is scarce.  

Having a new, heavy-hitter come into the market in Europe could upset things even on these shores. Much more so if a Pardus type brand landed product directly here for sale. I'm keeping an eye on this.  

Image courtesy of Twin Six

The 32" Watch Part Deux - Twin Six 32"er To Be Offered Soon

I was informed by a "reliable source" that pre-orders for the Twin Six 32"er will go live "...in a few weeks.". 

Spec details will be released at the same time the pre-orders go live. As of now, there isn't much to go on concerning this new 32"er offering. 

I do know it was designed to be set up with flat or drop bars. I also know the person riding the prototype is super-stoked on the ride. Stating it is "pure fun". 

I can only speculate based upon past history with Twin Six and say this bike should be a classy looking rig with a reasonable price tag. I wouldn't be shocked if it had an eccentric bottom bracket for single speed but I also wouldn't expect this in titanium from Twin Six, as they typically do not offer the eccentric in their titanium offerings. 

I also know N.Y. Roll is excited about getting one of these. We will have to see what sort of size range Twin Six ends up offering, but my guess is the smallest size would be a Medium and then Large, XL, and perhaps an XXL would be the sizing range which is what we have seen other companies do. (Salsa Cycles notwithstanding) 

Stay tuned for further updates on this bike.

The Unbound Section of the FN&V

Courtesy of @ministerofgravel Instagram

20 Years Later And You Get All This And More:

Of course, I cannot go into this weekend without a nod to the twentieth anniversary of a gravel event which has changed so dramatically it is almost comical. 

In 2006 you got nothing. Basically show up, sign in, "Here's your number and a course map", show up on time the next day and ride. I remember not knowing anything about Emporia, Kansas, the Flint Hills in general, or knowing anything about the event at all. 

Now? 

Well, everyone knows about Emporia, Kansas. Gravel cycling product has the name on it. The event is known world-wide in gravel cycling circles, at least. The Flint Hills? Lots of information on that area out there now. Roads you'd never had a need to hear of now are famous. Geographical points, like Texaco Hill, are known to thousands of riders. 

And if you are one of the few yet clueless to what Unbound courses are like, there is a livestream of the event, or you can get all the information, images, and advice you'd ever want from lots of sites. Even a local known as "The Minister of Gravel" (Neil Taylor,an actual Christian minister), gives detailed course reviews of this years Unbound courses. It was this event preview I watched to learn about what the riders will be facing this year. 

So even I know what to expect, and I'm not even going to the event! Ha! What a change from 20 years ago. The advancements in technology have demystified this once mystical experience and perhaps has turned it into a commodity. I know the 2026 riders will not have anywhere near the types of experiences we used to have, and maybe they like it that way. 

I think that is a loss for anyone who feels that way, but hey - ride on! You'll get an experience, of some sort, and that is what matters most. 

Pretty sure this road is part of the 200 this year. From DK My Way 2017

Is This A Wet Year 200?

Looking at the forecast for tomorrow in Kansas things look wet. Scattered showers should persist over most of Southern Kansas and perhaps up into the Flint Hills due to a weird jet stream pattern which has a lot of Pacific moisture streaming in from the Southwest.  

It would be fitting if in fact it were raining this year since the course is utilizing the same three mile stretch of minimum maintenance roads used in the infamous "Wet Year" of 2015.  

As stated above, you can find out all sorts of stuff you couldn't possibly have known was going on in Emporia ten years ago. One of those things are what bicycle set ups the big-time Pro riders are using. 

I noted a bike run down from one of the top male contenders and it was interesting to hear this one particular racer say the focus is all on the aero. So much so that he had numbers for how a 50mm tire up front is better than the fad of running a XC MTB tire in a 29" X 2+ inch width is for aero. Interestingly this person also stated suspension gravel forks are notoriously not very good aerodynamically. His choice? An inverted Cane Creek design which his team developed fairings for to get it within a half a watt in aero compared to a rigid fork. 

Maybe fat tires and suspension forks are really MTB things? It would seem so from this rider's standpoint. 

If the rains hold off or are minimal this could be the fastest 200 ever because the course is using flatter roads, especially in the last sections, and not the really gnarly, mountain-bikish terrain which was used in recent years. 

Tailwinds to all riding tomorrow out of Emporia!

That'll do it for this week. I'll have a commentary on the inductees to the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame tomorrow. Now, get out there and ride those bicycles! 

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Ritchey Design

 Ritchey Design Offers New Superlogic Carbon Handlebars:

Ritchey Design specializes in components along with frames and forks for bicycles. I am of the opinion that one of their most underrated ranges is their handlebar range. 

This week Ritchey sent out a press release concerning a new range of Superlogic Mountain Bars in carbon. 

The three handlebar range is aimed at cross country and trail riding, but these could just as easily be used on gravel bikes utilizing flat bars, or on bike packing rigs. The bars have zero, 20mm, or 40mm of rise. The flat bar has 7° of back sweep while the two with rise go one more degree to 8°.  

Width on all three is 760mm with cut-down marks for those wanting a narrower bar. Weight for the Superlogic Mountain Bars is as follows: Flat- 155gm, 20mm rise-  170gm, 40mm- 175gm. All three feature 5° of upsweep and all three feature the 31.8mm clamp diameter for interfacing with stems.  

Prices are as follows: Flat -  $239.95 / €199.90 (inc. VAT) / £173.90 (inc. VAT) 20mm rise- $251.95 / €209.90 (inc. VAT) / £182.90 (inc. VAT) 40mm rise- $263.95 / €219.90 (inc. VAT) / £191.90 (inc. VAT)

See Ritchey Design's website for more details. These bars are available now.  

Image courtesy of White Industries

White Industries Seat Post Collars Offered In Colors:

White Industries, who are known mostly for their hub sets, are now offering seat post collars in a variety of anodized finishes. 

The collars come in a variety of sizes to fit most frames which require a separate seat post clamp. 

White Industries makes these in California to exacting standards which results in a seat post collar that fits well, clamps evenly, and will work with repeated use over a long period of time. 

Priced at a reasonable $54.99USD, these collars and the rest of White Industries products can be seen HERE. 

Image courtesy of Canyon Bicycles

Canyon Offers Grzl Gravel Adventure Bike In Aluminum:

Earlier this year I was thinking about aloy gravel frames and possibly getting one in. The trouble was that an alloy frame was either oddball geometry, but reasonably affordable, or it was a great design, but as expensive as some carbon frames. 

There did not seem to be any alternatives. Now Canyon has an aluminum version of its GRZL adventure/gravel bike available. Just not as a frame/fork only! 

The GRZL AL does tick almost every box though, as I see it. The geometry is good, with the exception of weird sizing. According to what I am seeing on Canyon's site, I would best fit a Medium, which never happens. Usually I am on a size large. 

Otherwise this bike has 54mm tire clearance, a T-47 bottom bracket, and everything is internally routed, of course. Thare are plenty of accessory mounts, as one would expect on a bike billed as an adventure bike. So, it would probably have everything I'd want in a modern day gravel/adventure bike in alloy, but I do not wish to buy a complete bike. So, while a sub-2K complete bike is very reasonable, I'm just not interested in parting out a SRAM drive train.  

Niner Bikes One-9 frame from 2005

Niner Bikes Reportedly Shutting Down Operations:

The original 29"er only bicycle company, Niner Bikes, has reportedly shut its doors according to "several reports". 

On Monday evening I saw a post on Facebook of a screen shot with a message saying Niner Bikes had closed its shop and operations while placing all employees on layoff. On Tuesday  major online sources were also reporting the same story, so it would appear that Nine Bikes is - at least for now - no more. 

Company officials at United Wheels are saying Niner as a brand is "paused" for now.  

The company hit the market in 2005 as a relatively unknown entity which sponsored the 29" page on mtbr.com, which raised some eyebrows at the time. The two co-founders of Niner Bikes, Steve Domahidy and Chris Sugai, were industry vets who decided 29" wheels were the future, with Sugai famously saying 29"ers would become the dominant wheel size in mountain biking. 

The company lost Domahidy who left and started his own Viral Bikes brand. Sugai eventually left the company as well and now is working for Gates, the belt company. Niner carried on, however, but then ran into financial issues causing the company to go into bankruptcy in 2017. The company was then purchased by United Wheels, also owner of Huffy Bicycles, for 3.1 million dollars. 

Then in late 2023 United Wheels consolidated Niner with Huffy and moved Niner Bikes headquarters to Ohio from Colorado. In 2024 Niner established a presence in Colorado again. However; with little innovation of their legacy MTB products, Niner was reliant on sales in the competitive gravel bike segment. Although new redesigns and upgrades began to appear in Ninre's line up late in 2025, it seems this was too little, too late.  

 Steve Domahidy commented on a story concerning this subject by "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" on Facebook by saying "Very sad news today. I poured 8 years of my full and total commitment to making this business what it was and saddened to see what it's (sic) has become,"

From Facebook on Twin Six's feed

The 32" Watch: Twin Six To Offer A 32"er:

Early this past week I was sent a sneak peek of a titanium 32"er from Twin Six. The image came from one of the co-owners of the brand I have known for years. He didn't say I could post the image,  so I didn't. Now I have seen the bike on Twin Six's Facebook page, so I am sharing their image here. 

All I know is the bike is designed for drops or flat bars. I was told it was "coming soon". The person I was contacted by said drop bars are going on it this week.  

N.Y. Roll says he's getting this. He already has a T-6 FSU bike he really likes. I know my friend Ari in Chicago is interested as well. Me? Well.......titanium is not cheap. Big hoops and tires would have to procured. I am spending money like I have it to go on this Nebraska trip. So.....I don't see it now, but never say never. 

Image courtesy of Twin Six

It's obvious the niche brands in cycling are scrambling to get behind this wheel size before any mid-tier or one of the "Big Four" brands gets a 32"er out. Selling your titanium 32"er will be a lot easier now than it will be when some entrenched brand comes around with a sub-2K 32"er. 

And it would appear the majority of sales are going to be flat bar/MTB style and not too many drop bar options will seemingly be on the table early on. There is a rumbling concerning Surly coming out with a 32"er, but all I'm hearing is that it will be based upon the Krampus or Karate Monkey design. 

So, I am all about trying one of these beasts on gravel around here, but a MTB? Yeah...... I don't see it for myself. I'd rather see  adrop bar garvel leaning bike which would definitely make me more interested. 

Everyone I've gotten feedback from who has actually ridden one of these 32"ers has positive things to say. It sounds all good, but I don't know right now if I'm in on this wheel size. 

Again, never say never, never say always. Maybe...... Stay tuned. 

That'll do it for this week. Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Have a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend if you are reading this in the USA. Get out and ride those bicycles! 

Two Things

 

 Testing 1,2,3....

 Just testing out this shiny new laptop I got Friday for this BRAN gig coming up in a couple of weeks. 

I need to be able to update the blog from the road, and well.....  Dragging a PC around isn't very practical. So this laptop was procured and it should provide me with the means to do some writin' on the road. 

I'm still testing this thing out and hopefully images won't be too hard to get the way I want them. You know, technology isn't my best area of expertise, although I will advocate for myself a little here and claim a bit of competency in dealing with new things. 

So, wish me well. 

And for the tech nerds out there I will head off any questions in the comments and let you know what device we ended up with. It is a Lenovo Yoga (I say "Yoda", but Mrs. Guitar Ted doesn't like that!)

So, there ya go. Stay tuned for more from the Yoda laptop soon. 

Note: The above part was posted on the laptop. Now back to the regular PC.... 

Joe Meiser with a Ti Fargo 32 (Image by Steve Fuller)

The 32" Watch: Ti Fargo 32 Completes Century Gravel Ride:

Have you, like me, been thinking a 32"er might be good for gravel road riding? Well, apparently Quality Bicycle Products' own Joe Meiser, a former Trans Iowa winner, thinks it does. He just used a 32"er Ti Fargo to complete the century distance at this past weekend's Heywood Ride. 

Thanks to volunteer Steve Fuller, we have this image and a few details. Apparently Joe chose Teravail Ciclos carbon rims and had these laced to Berd hubs with the Berd spokes which, I would imagine, results in a very lightweight wheel set. 

Those are the Teravail Cannonball 32" tires on there as well. Steve got a quick ride on it and said the bike felt pretty natural to him. It is an XL size, by the way. 

32" Fargos will be available in titanium and steel coming later this year. See your Salsa Cycles dealer for more details. 

And....

I have seen an image of another prototype 32"er which I have been told will work with drop bars or flat bars which will be offered "very soon." This will be coming from a company not known primarily as a bicycle company, by the way. 

Stay tuned..... 

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Stinner Bikes

The 32" Watch: Sinner Refugio 32"er: 

Yeah.....another 32"er! I don't think it is shocking to see another 32" wheeled bicycle anymore. Unless Trek, Specialized, Cannondale, or Giant come out with one, this is now not a head-turning deal these days. (If you are a bike nerd, that is) 

So, I think it is time to start paying attention to how this idea of a huge, wagon-wheeled bicycle is being refined. Especially in terms of geometry. 

Stinner presents the titanium Refugio model as a gravel bike. So we're going to start looking at where drop-bar 32" stuff is heading. I will do a bit of cross-comparison to the new Singular Pterodactyl, a drop bar 32"er I featured last week in the FN&V. 

While Singular is being a bit cagey about the geometry of the Pterodactyl, we know a few things from press releases sent out to various online media. The head tube angle is a steep 71° versus Stinner's Refugio 32"er's which ranges from 68° for the Medium, (What will be the smallest size for most 32'ers, the Fargo 32 notwithstanding), to a steep 71.5° on the XXL size. 

Sam Alison, of Singular Cycles, stated on a podcast interview we did with him, that 32"ers would necessarily have to go far greater with bottom bracket drop than with 29"ers. Bottom bracket drop, in case you are unfamiliar with the term, is the distance below a line drawn though both axles of the wheel, horizontal with the ground, that the center of your crank spindle sits. It determines how stable a bike feels and where in space your center of gravity sits in relationship to the wheels. 

Singular Pterodactyl Image courtesy of Singular Cycles

Sam thought something more than 100mm of drop would eventually be where 32"ers end up, and Stinner seems to agree with their bottom bracket drop on the Refugio 32 being 105mm. 

Chain stay lengths are obviously going to have to be longer, as Sam Alison showed us by saying the 32" wheel is roughly 10% larger in diameter than a 29"er wheel is. Stinner seems to have landed on a 455mm length on the Refugio. Typical gravel bikes range from 420mm to 435mm in 700c format.  This seems a tad bit shorter than what one might expect for a 32' wheel based upon Sam's estimates. So, I would look for a 455mm - 465mm range in a "good" design for 32" wheels. This is assuming we are going to stick with 32" x 2.25" - 2.5" tires for the 32" format. 

Stack height is another difficult thing to tackle with the tall 32" wheels.  Note the size small Fargo shown recently with handle bars above the saddle height as an example. Negative rise stems will likely be a thing with 32"ers, if they catch on, in the future. 

There is a long way to go with 32"ers, but I think we are in the "honing in" stages of geometry already with this format.  

Image courtesy of fizik

fizik Announces New Ergolace 2 Shoe Range:

I've been on the hunt for new shoes for gravel travel lately and I have a couple of things I know I like which I have not seen done in combination before. 

I am looking for a shoe which is not race-focused because those are typically too stiff and make my feet hurt, cramp, or both. 

I am looking for grippy soles for walking on things like sketchy dirt roads and up steeps that I cannot ride up, plus be reasonable to walk in for stops at convenience stores and the like. 

Finally, I wanted something lighter in color after speaking with Jeff Kerkove who told me white shoes on gravel rides keep his feet cooler. And yeah.....price matters as well. 

Image courtesy of fizik

Well, fizik just released the new Ergolace 2 range of shoes which have seemingly everything I want. While the white is really off-white, this might be better for gravel usage. 

I like the lightweight uppers with breathable characteristics. The soles look grippy. The upper has a foot entry which is like a cuff, which would keep stones out better. (And possibly make them a pain in the butt to put on?) 

I don't know much about fizik shoes. They said they made the toe box roomier. I don't need this as my feet are shaped like skis and are narrow, but I've had to put up with shoes which did not fit great most of my life due to this. 

At least the prices look reasonable. So, does anyone have any experience with fizik shoes? I'd be curious to read any comments you'd like to share. Typically I have worn Shimano footwear, so that is where I am coming from. You can see the Ergolace range HERE.

Image courtesy of Life Time Fitness

UNBOUND Gravel Features New Twists For Pro Riders: 

The information for the UNBOUND Gravel 200 course was sent out this week and there is a new twist to things which further separates the Pros from the "age groupers" in this event. 

Now instead of the Pro field being mixed into the same area for resupply as everyone else, there will be separated feed zones for the Pro fields at three different spots on the course. There will be no team vehicles or motos allowed in the Pro feed Areas.  

 The rest of the course looks like a mix of a Southern route and a Northern route. Essentially the route loops South, West, North, and back East to Emporia. One thing I noted which may be an issue is that the course looks to be on the Flint Hills Nature Trail coming out of Council Grove for several miles to the Southeast. Whether the trail will be closed to other users during the event is not known at this time, but if it is open, there is a chance for user conflicts. The Flint Hills Nature Trail is a rail way conversion trail and is at railroad grade with a narrow, pea gravel surface. 

A couple of other notable points on course, one of which is the near pass to Cottonwood Falls.  Riders will come within about a mile of the city. The other interesting bit comes not long after this where the course ends a long Northward push at Mile 137.9 and turns West. If a rider were to turn right here and go one mile they could cut off an almost 40 mile section of the Northern loop, but they would miss going through the third checkpoint at Council Grove. Cheaters exist, so this would be a tempting place to do this. (Note: You'd only have to go 20 miles and when you pass through Americus you could resupply.)

Anyway, I'll be interested to see how these bits and more play out in Kansas soon.  

Image courtesy of Enve Composites

Enve Announces New Wide, Aero Gravel Wheel Set:

Enve, the wheel and component brand from Ogden, Utah announced a new wide gravel wheel set with deep aero profiling called the G SES 6.7 Pro. 

Featuring an internal rim width of 35mm and a deep aero section of 60mm front/67 mm rear, this wheel set promises great aero results with tire from 44mm in width " and larger tires", according to the webpage for this product. (Up to 52mm listed in 'Features')

The wheel set weighs a claimed 1,580 grams. The G SES 6.5 Pro wheels are offered only in 700c and standard 12mm through axle dimensions of 100mm front, 142mm rear. Hubs are Enve's Innerdrive hubs with straight pull spokes. The brake rotor mounting is Center Lock standard.Maximum allowable tire pressure is 50psi. 

The price for a set of G SES 6.5 Pro wheels is $1,400.00 USD.  

Comments: That is a really wide internal rim width! I tested some 30.5mm internal rim width rims in 2021 with a couple of different gravel tires and was not all that impressed. So running what ENVE says will work at 44mm seems a bit dodgy to me.  

My assessment in 2021 was that such a wide width internally would work best on 700 x 50mm tires and wider. However; in 2021 there weren't really many gravel bikes with this sort of clearance. Now?

Well, an aero MTB wheel makes sense now with wider XC MTB tires. Let's be honest, this is what people are really doing. They can call it "gravel", but really? We know what's up here!  

New Guitar Ted Podcast Episode #107

Okay, here is another podcast drop to check out which started out innocently enough as a compare and contrast between two gravel racing bikes. Then....

Well we went off the rails a few times. Then I got into some esoteric changes in the upcoming Unbound 200. (See above) Nobody probably cares but me about those things, but I talked about it all anyway. 

Anywho... If you want to listen to this one, check it out HERE on our Spotify home page, or find the Guitar Ted Podcast on your favorite podcast provider's sites. 

That's a wrap for the week. Get out and ride those bicycles! 

The 32" Watch: What Have We Learned?

From Maxxis' social media

Sea Otter is over. All the news of big wheels has been spilled. What have we learned now the cats are out of their bags? 

The long known rumors were mostly proven to be true. There is a 32" Fargo. Maxxis did actually produce more tread patterns in 32". Other tires were introduced. (Teravail, Kenda) 

But there were disappointments. No one was racing a 32"er at Sea Otter in the gravel event. There were small brands/builders showing 32"ers, but no real hints of which second tier, or main brands, which might be toying with the idea of producing a 32"er. At least no rumors are being spread openly. I'm sure some folks came away from Sea Otter with hints and perhaps news, sworn to secrecy. 

Sun Tour openly showed its 32"er suspension fork. This would indicate we will see an entry level MTB bike, at least, with 32"er wheels. Ari Bikes, (Formerly known as Fezzari), showed an FS 32"er prototype with a prototype Fox 32"er fork. Probably to gauge interest, but this also could be a pointing to an OE order which would, in turn, point to a mid-tier MTB offering, at least. 

Image courtesy of Teravail

Comments: Salsa Cycles Fargo in 32 will come in a size small. This was a surprise as it is commonly held that a medium is about as small as one can reasonably get with 32" wheels. The geometry chart for the size small Fargo 32 shows this just may be correct, as the stack height on the small with 32" wheels is going to lead to very upright seated positions for small sized riders. Probably not ideal. So, besides potential toe overlap issues, I think size medium is the lower limit of sizing for 32" wheels. 

Things seem to be moving along at blazing speed when it comes to 32"ers, but remember, 29 inch came into being right at the end of the Analog Age, and 29"er development broke the ceiling of bicycle design which 32" wheels do not have to hinder their development. 

You can see this in the nearly instantaneous offering of several tires. We don't even have bikes available in mass quantities to put these tires on, not to mention rims, yet tire rolling resistance testing has already been done showing glowing results for 32"ers. 

29"ers grew in a grassroots, organic way. Slowly, and yet sooilidly forming a base to help manufacturers see there was a buying public for the wheel size. The 32"er smacks of a more "manufactured" story, with lots of rave results from tests, but with barely any kind of organic feel to these results. There is a very harsh blowback in comments sections regarding 32"ers, but maybe this won;t matter in the end. 

But maybe it will.

Image courtesy of Teravail

Bicycle shops, distributors, and some brands will be resistant to having another tire size to deal with. This resistance was felt with 29"ers, but the difference there was 29"ers used an existing rim size. Obviously, this is not the case for 32"ers. 

My feeling is that once all the folks who want 32"ers have 32"ers, we will see a marked decline in interest. I do not believe 32"ers will diappear as quickly as they arrived, and perhaps something of a small, niche element of the size will hang on for years, like 27" wheels and tires have. But I firmly believe the industry will, in the end, winnow out one of the current wheel sizes. 

My take is this will be the 32"ers. My belief is the market for the size is limited to taller folks while medium to smaller sized folk will be best served by 29"ers, despite all the recent testing results for 32"ers. The 32" diameter is just a bit too big for many things other than small to some medium sized folk. I think we'll be seeing this in the near future as well. 

And 27.5", while diminished in popularity, will be great for youth and "smaller" small adults. So, I do not believe 27.5" is the size the industry will ax out of existence either. I could be wrong, but looking at what has come out of Sea Otter, and from my observations in the cycling world over a long period of time, I would say my vision of how the 32"er will go forward is closer to the mark than not. 

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Panaracer

 Panaracer Announces New ZX Gravel King Tires:

Panaracer's Gravel King range of tires has an addition now with the latest racing focused Gravel King ZX.  

The ZX features a slick center section for speed. The shoulders have elongated tread blocks for cornering and braking traction. The Gravel King ZX also has a rounded casing which should promote riding on the center section for straight line speed and then as the rider leans into corners those side lugs come into play for stability in corners. 

The ZX version of the Gravel King will have Panaracer's proprietary ZSG Gravel compound developed specifically for gravel. This single compound will lend great ride characteristics and promote long-term durability. The Gravel King ZX tires also will have other Panaracer technologies utilized such as BeadLock and TufTex. 

Coming soon in sizes from 700 x 35mm,  700 x 40mm, 700 x 45mm, 700 x 50mm, and 700 x 55mm with the 45mm tire weighing a claimed 510 grams and the 50mm weighing 600 grams each. Price for each Gravel King ZX tire is set at $84.99 USD. Availability on the 45mm and 50mm tires is May 2026 with the 40mm scheduled for July, the 50mm scheduled for August, and the 35mm tire slated to be available in October 2026. 

Comments: The profile of this tire, with a flattened top section where the slicker part of the tread is, reminds me a lot of the old, original WTB Vulpine. The air pressure settings you used on that old Vulpine really were critical to the performance of the tire. Too much and the tire felt odd when leaned over in a turn. Too little and you started dragging those shoulder knobs into contact with the ground on straight sections, which kind of defeats the intentions of the design, I would be wary of the Gravel King ZX being similar in this vein.  

Confluence CUES 11 (Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles)

Salsa Cycles Announces Confluence CUES 11

Salsa Cycles has released a new version of the Confluence e-gravel bike. This Sea Foam Green bike features Shimano CUES 11 speed and a Mahle hub motor for an extra boost which Salsa claims can last up to 45 miles. 

Check out this bike at Salsa Cycles site HERE.  

A Viral Post:

I know most of you have heard the term "it's gone viral" or some form of this term. One thing I never thought I'd see is one of my social media posts going viral. I mean, most of what I post is either very cycling specific or just downright goofy. The latter was what my April 1st Instagram post could be defined as being. 

Here's the text I posted with the accompanying image. "When a steel bicycle frame reaches maturity it splits open and releases its reproductive spores into the atmosphere. These spores the settle in frame building shops where they bond with other frame spores to become new bicycles again."

I misspelled "then" by omitting the "n", but I did not care at the time because I figured hardly anyone would see this off the cuff April Fools post. But I was wrong.

So wrong!  

24,260 views and counting! It's kind of crazy. I cannot say why this took off, but "The Algorithm" must have thought it was funny, I guess.  

From Shimano social media

Shimano Offers Larger GRX 1X Chainrings, Shorter GRX Cranks, & New CUES 11's Rear Mech:

Shimano offered a few tweaks to GRX, its gravel going component group, recently. The trend toward shorter cranks and larger drive rings were addressed with the addition of a 44T and 46T 1X GRX rings coupled with a couple of shorter crank arm choices in GRX. 

Nothing crazy there, but a nice option for those who have a desire to follow this trend with their gravel set ups. 

The CUES thing is a bit more interesting, in my opinion. CUES has been out for a while now and while it was ballyhooed as a versatile, lifestyle group for the average cyclist, enthusiasts have largely ignored it. This is because CUES was designed in its own ecosystem which rendered it incompatible with other Shimano products past and present. 

CUES RD U6030 (Image courtesy of Shimano

Recently Shimano upgraded its lower tier Tiagra group from ten speed to eleven speed and in this upgrade they introduced an 11-36T cassette. Interestingly, CUES, which previous to this new CUES derailleur was designed for LinkGlide technology, has this new derailleur working with HyperGlide, which is what the Tiagra cassette technology is based upon. 

This raises some questions. Is CUES switching over to HypeGlide? What is the hierarchy placement for this new CUES versus Tiagra? Reports say the new CUES rear mech is actually lighter than other CUES derailleurs and the new Tiagra 11 speed rear mech. 

According to reporting online, Shimano has said this new CUES introduction is more about gravel bikes and Tiagra is for sport road riding, citing slight differences in chain line and Q factor between the two groups. 

So, this then leaves us with a question about CUES and Shimano's GRX groups. Shimano, at GRX's introduction, made the top tier GRX 800 an eleven speed group and the lower tiered GRX 400 was ten speed. Is this new CUES derailleur a precursor to a lower tiered GRX eleven or twelve speed group because GRX is going to 13 speeds at the top of the range?  

Maxxis 32" range. (Image poached off social media)

The 32" Watch: Maxxis Delivers On Rumors:

Yesterday at Sea Otter Maxxis showed a full range of MTB tires in 32" size. This was a rumor for months and now it has become a reality. 

This points to OEM acceptance of 32" wheels as a viable retail product. I will be very surprised if most top-tier brands do not have 32"ers in their ranges by 2027, (this Fall). 

In other 32"er news, there was the Fargo and Teravail tire intros yesterday. (See yesterday's post on these things for more details) Velo Orange showed a 32" rim in silver. Also, a couple of prototype bicycles were shown. One was from Esker Cycles and was based on the Lorax. The other was from Revel Bikes and was a 32"er titanium hardtail. Revel also had a "mullet 29"/32" bike in titanium as well.  

In perhaps the biggest news and sign that 32"ers are here to stay, at least for a while, was the spotting of a prototype 32" Fox fork on an Ari Bikes 32"er FS model. You know what this means? It means Fox has an OEM on the hook for production, or thinks it will soon. My bet is XC MTB bikes from one of the bigger brands will be the model type this shows up on.  

Image courtesy of Open Cycles

Open WI.DE 2.0 Announced:

Open Cycles sent a press release showing off its upcoming OPEN WI.DE 2.0 carbon adventure drop bar frame and fork.  

Claiming an amazing tire clearance of  29" x 2.6" (700 x 66mm)! To get this to work OPEN had to use a double-dropped chain stay design. OPEN claims that going from a 50mm to the 66mm tire doubles air volume. This will allow the rider to tackle even rougher terrain. 

To get this all to work, OPEN had quite a challenge on their hands. The result was still lighter, by only a little bit, than the outgoing model. Additionally only 1X drive trains are supported while retaining gravel group set compatibility.  

The OPEN WI.DE frame and fork is going into production now with a promised late Summer 2026 delivery.  

That's a wrap for this week. Get out there and ride a bicycle this weekend!