Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Sklar Bikes

New Bike PPacking Rack From Sklar Bikes:

Sklar Bikes introduced this rack about a week or so ago. Inthe midst of all the Sea Otter madness, it seemed that the news was lost in the haze of 32'ers and all, so I am featuring it here on this FN&V. 

This rack, rated to carry up to 30lbs, weighs in at 1.4lbs including hardware. It is designed as a minimalist rack for light touring or bike packing with mini-panniers. You can also use it to strap on water bottles or just use it for utilitarian errand running around town. 

At $140.00USD it seems like a nicer rack which looks good and should fit a wide range of bikes. 

See Sklar's webpage for this rack HERE.

Comments: One nit about this rack is that the description does not say what it is made out of. Anyway.... I like this rack from the perspective of its design intentions. Minimalist pannier type touring and bike packing uses do not require super-heavy duty racks. Not if you are conscientious and intentional with your loading. And this rack carries up to 30lbs, which, let's be honest, is about the most I'd want to load up with anyway. Especially if you consider what you might be carrying in bags and on racks elsewhere on your bicycle. This might be a little pricey for some folks, and yes -cheaper racks exist, but if you care about how your stuff looks and like this style it is hard to beat it. 

Image courtesy of Q36.5

Q36.5 Offers New Range Of Wind/Rain Gear:

Q36.5 brand is now offering a range of wind and rain jackets and designed to allow cyclists to choose garments specific to their use cases and not have to compromise by a "one size fits all" solution to wind/rain gear.  

The range includes various jackets and vest, with the lightweight "Air" models being the most packable. Q36.5 claims the Air vest will roll up to the size of a gel packet. 

Most of the range called out in the press release doesn't seem to be up on the site yet, but the Air jackets and vests do appear there on their site. You can check those out on the website HERE.  

Comments: I don't know of any other category in cycling which has more wordy press releases and marketing than the apparel side. I mean, look at this jacket. It is rather unremarkable, yes? Yet the site goes on and on about it as if it were some super-tech device. Maybe its just me, but I've reviewed clothing for cyclists for over a decade and this seems to be par for the course across all apparel brands. I find it rather odd.  

Typically most of these apparel press releases are ignored by me, but this one has a feature I think many cyclists would see as being useful in the ultra-packable nature of the Air jacket and vest. I could see this as a great "break-glass-in-case-of-emergency" bail-out when the weather turns on you during a ride. I would imagine the rain wear (which didn't seem up yet on the site) would be similar. 

Image courtesy of Kuat Racks

Picking Up The Rack This Weekend:

Thanks to all who commented on the recent "Rack Me" posts here on the site. I valued each and every comment. I ended up buying a Kuat Piston Pro, and this weekend I am meeting my good friend Ari in St. Donatus, Iowa to pick it up. 

There were many reasons as to why I went with a Kuat, and if you missed the post listing those reasons out, you can go back and read it HERE. 

I will be excited to get this and use it for going to different places to ride. I've been stuck in the local loops for a few years now and it is time to branch out a bit. I've already got a few places in mind to hit up. 

I'll also be excited to visit with Ari again after not seeing him for close to two years now. And visiting St. Donatus will be interesting as well. Look for a report on all of this coming up next week. 

Never fear N.Y. Roll is here!

New Podcast Dropped:

The latest Guitar Ted Podcast episode is HERE.  This episode contains N.Y. Roll's advice on how to be a good event participant. I think it is a good list of things to consider. Too many times we hear about an event in a negative light on social media. It is nice to be reminded to say "Thank you" to event directors, volunteers, and staff when attending events. It is also prudent to air concerns directly with event directors instead of being a coward and running off to social media. Event directors, despite popular opinions, really do care about participants and their event. 

We also gabbed about the 32"er stuff from Sea Otter. I already covered my take on the bigger big wheels HERE, in case you missed it.  

We also covered one other thing, but you'll have to go listen to the episode to find out what this was all about. (Hey! I gotta drive the numbers somehow!) 

We should have another episode posting up soon. So, thanks if you are subscribed to our podcast, or if you have checked it out at some point. We appreciate you folks a lot! 

Image courtesy of Airborne social media

High-Tech Titanium Gravel frame By Airborne Now Available:

Hydroforming and 3D printing are utilized in the manufacturing of Airborne Bicycle Co.\s new Endeavor gravel bike. This frame has other unique features as well. 

Airborne claims this has a 13 position adjustable head set to alter head angle. The titanium material is also double butted for strength and weight reduction. The double-dropped chain stay alignment allows for 700 x 54mm tires. UDH compatible as well. of course. 

The asking price is $3,232.50. You can see and learn more at Airborne's site HERE. 
 

Thank you for checking out Guitar Ted Productions. Now get out there and ride your bicycles! 

Two Things

New Podcast Drop:

This episode features an answer to a listener's question, (Thanks Sam!)) and the audio here kind of goes along with a post I put up here last week. The link to our Spotify home page for this episode is HERE. 

The post I am referring to is found by clicking THIS LINK. 

I guess the bottom line is this: If you are old enough, you have bridged across two important eras of how life is lived. I kind of feel like most of us do not recognize it at all. But the "Analog World" and the "Digital World" eras are so different and completely incompatible with each other that I find it hard to believe this isn't something being studied and dissected by social researchers, historians, and others with an interest in culture change. Maybe you've seen or are aware of such studies. I've got to think it is something smarter folks than I are thinking about. 

Anyway, the contrasts between these two eras affects cycling and how we approach and engage in the activity to a very high degree. At some point, and maybe we are already there, anything cycling without some digital feature attached to it will be seen like we see riding fixed gear all the time is seen now. Yeah, you can do that, but why? 

Of course, I've experienced the other side, and my bias shows badly, but I feel we've been cheated and that we have lost something in the exchange going from one side of the timeline to the other. 

Maybe I'm just old and in the way. 

Give the podcast a listen and let me know what you think. 

New Occupant At Guitar Ted Headquarters:

Last June we lost our cat Felix unexpectedly. He was found dead in the hallway on June 6th. It was a devastating occurrence within the family. (And as you may know, not the only one) 

I kind of figured Izabel and Phyllis would want another cat at some point, but for obvious reasons this kind of was pushed back and well, now is the time, I guess. 

Izabel found this tuxedo cat online at our local animal shelter's website and made the arrangements to go get him. So, please welcome "Haroo". 

He's about 7 months old, and he's had all his shots and has been neutered. He's a bit skittish. He was in hiding for the first ten hours or so of arriving here and is now getting more acclimated to us and his surroundings. 

As for his breed, well I don't know but I'd say he's got some Burmese in him by the shape of his head, ears, and by his loud vocalizations and their variances. He also purrs a lot when being pet, very loudly!

Our other cat, Minka, is very curious about him, but for now we're keeping them mostly separated from each other until we can get them to behave with each other unattended. So far, so good. 

And that is the latest from here. Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions.  

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Corima

Corima Shows New Gravel Racing Wheel Set:

Spring cycle shows are not limited to Sea Otter. Recently Cycling World Europe showed consumers and media new wares for sale. One of those being a new wheel set from Corima. Perhaps more well known here in the States for track racing, Corima has been involved in carbon fiber wheel construction for quite some time now. Their newest wheel set is for gravel racing and is called the 50G. 

As indicated by the name, this wheel set has a 50mm deep, aero profile with a 27mm inner rim width which Corima advises is best for 35mm to 60mm wide 700c diameter tires. *Why do Euro brands insist on calling these 28" wheels? Weird)

With hookless rim sidewalls the maximum pressure allowed for 35mm tires is 58psi. Wheel weight for the pair is claimed to be 1,550 grams. The price is approximately $1,850.00 USD. 

Comments: Corima claims gravel racing is getting "smoother, faster, and more competitive". So......more like road racing? Got it. 

Look for more aero stuff to be released soon. I feel as though the lack of unpaved routes outside of the USA and particularly in Europe is going to drive design closer to road racing in one sense. Although plenty of bikes seem to have been shown at Cycling World Europe to give one some hope that this is not going to be totally the case there across the pond. 

Image courtesy of social media

The 32" Watch: Taipei Bike Show 2026:

This week the Taipei Bike Show is wrapping up and several sightings of 32" wheeled product were noted. I won't cover everything in detail here, but I will note a few things I was struck by after seeing what was shown and hearing what attendees had to say about 32"ers. 

First of all, 32"ers are not going to be just a flash in the pan. This category is getting the full Original Equipment treatment. This was evident in offerings in suspension forks from the likes of Sun Tour, Xfusion and a few other mid-level and entry level suspension fork companies. 

This would indicate there are big-brand commitments to offer entry level to mid-tier offerings in the XC hardtail marketplace. Bikes like Rockhoppers and Marlins, as an example. I would think there would be a three-stage sizing scheme where some brand, (Trek?) will offer 27.5 as XS and Small sizes, 29"er at Medium and Large, and 32"ers at Large/XL/XXL. 

Tires: There weren't any big name brand tires dropped but I heard specifically from a video watched that Vittoria's Peyote 32"er is "in development" and "other brands are working on this" size tire. On bike was shown with a 32"er Schwalbe Rick Race XC tire. Forks: With no big name brand forks or tires being introduced/shown, at least publicly, it would indicate to me that IF there are to be Rock Shox/Fox/Marzocchi 32"er forks they would likely be 2027 product and maybe  we'll see some sneak peeks at Sea Otter. 

No talk or sightings of any gravel related product, but..... I think Sea Otter will be interesting. 

Industry chatter from the embedded folks at Taipei Cycle Show seem to indicate a sort of indifference to almost a disappointment in the development of 32"ers. But as I recall, acceptance of the 29"er concept was pretty cool from within the industry as well. Even as far as brands like Specialized, Giant, and Yeti saying 'they would never make a 29"er' and coming up with derogatory terms for the wheel size. Negativity for 32"ers may not be at this level, but we've heard this story before. 

Listener Comments & Questions Episode:

The latest Guitar Ted Podcast just dropped. In this episode we answer a bunch of listener sent questions which cover bike geometry, tires for cornering on gravel, and more.

Give it a listen by finding the Guitar Ted Podcast on your favorite podcast platform or check it out on the Spotify homepage HERE. 

We had a lot of fun fielding these questions and we would like to continue to offer our listeners the chance to ask questions which we will answer in future episodes of "Listener Questions & Comments". 

Just send in any question about cycling, gravel riding, or whatever related cycling question you may have to g.ted.productions@gmail.com. Then listen to the next LQC episode and hear N.Y. Roll and I riff on your questions, comments, or whatever you have on your mind you'd like to hear us chat about.  

Thanks for checking out the podcast! 

The Adventure Monkey Returns:

Years ago a bicycle rider and photographer, Eric Benjamin, was instrumental in popularizing gravel riding.  He started off with his blog and then moved to a proper "dot-com" later on. His site included stories, trip reports, and of course, his stunning imagery from his adventures. 

Eric then had a health scare and kind of dropped out of cycling for several years. But now he is back, and he has jump-started his old site as well. 

You can read about his journey HERE.  It's an open, honest, raw look at what Eric has gone through. Plus you will get a sense of what it was that drew many of us toward riding gravel back in the 2000's. Well worth your time to read. 

I'm linking Eric's Adventure Monkey blog to the right sidebar here so when he posts new material it will show up there. Make sure you check it out and support him as you can.  

Image courtesy of Wolf Tooth Components

Wolf Tooth Components Introduces "Mark0" Component Line:

Wolf Tooth Components has just announced a high-end range of race-oriented, tweaked components which they are calling "Mark0". (MK0 for short) 

Identified by their Shadow Gray anodized surfaces, these components are optimized by Wolf Tooth for the highest performance and lightest weight possible. 

Wolf Tooth's press release says: "Design detail examples include ceramic bearings, DLC-coated titanium hardware, and finely-detailed machine profiles to shave every possible gram in pursuit of speed."

You can check out all the MK0 components HERE.  

 Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Go ride those bikes today!

Two Things

Image courtesy of Inno Racks

Rack Me:

Okay readers, I am in the market for a two bike hitch rack. I thought I knew what I wanted, then I started looking online. 

Whooo-boy! Are there a lot of zealous One Up rack users! 

Anyway, I gotta admit I am suffering a bit of sticker-shock regarding what these things cost. I get it now though. The prices are the prices. I think I'm settling in on spending something either side of 1K. Preferably under. 

Here are my parameters for purchase:

• Two bike carrier, 2" receiver hitch compatible.
• Lightweight construction. Mrs. Guitar Ted has to be able to wrestle this thing. 
•  I prefer a no-touch rack like a One-Up, or like system. 
• Integrated locking system for security
• It'd be nice if I could put my fat bike on it, but this is not a deal-breaker.  

What I do not care about:

• Ramps
• Heavy duty for e-Bikes ratings
•  Lights
• Add-ons for more than two bikes.
• Made In USA. (Nice but not necessary)
• Where I buy it from

 I've looked at Kuat, One-Up, Quick-R, Inno, Yakima, Thule, and some other brand I cannot recall right now, but they weren't too great anyway! In my looking at online reviews and sites for racks too many focus on stuff I don't care about like hauling e-Bikes, modular benefits, add-ons, and what not. I just need a two-bike rack, and I will buy one before mid-April because I am going on a trip to Kansas, if everything works out. And that will lead me to......

The Guitar Ted Podcast Episode #100:

Oh yeah! We made it to 100 episodes in just over 4 years. My last podcast I was involved with took like a decade to reach that milestone, so I feel pretty good about our work on the GTP show. 

The new episode features Ryan "Uncle Dudley" Dudley. We talked about a lot of stuff, but the main point was his producing an event called The Legends Of Gravel. 

this is a casual gathering planned to be a celebration of some of us old geezers who have been at the forefront of the gravel scene back when this Modern Era of gravel got going in the mid-2000's. 

The show can be accessed on several podcast platforms, but here is the Spotify Link in case you want to give this a listen. 

We also got around to some other stuff after Uncle Dudley signed off. There was some 32"er news, and a few other tidbits. Please check out the episode, and keep in mind we can really use 5 star ratings, and subs to the podcast, or sharing it on your socials. These are the best ways to support N.Y. Roll and I in our efforts. 

Plus, we are asking for listener questions. Just email any questions you may have to g.ted.productions@gmail.com. We'll do our best to answer those in the next episode. 

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Neuhaus Metalworks

The 32" Watch: Neuhaus Metalworks Nova 32" Rigid MTB:

Another new production 32"er has hit the marketplace in Neuhaus Metalworks Nova 32. The bike is designed as a rigid MTB with a carbon fork. Quad-butted steel alloy is used for the frame tubing. 

The Nova 32 comes in three sizes recommended for Medium/Large to XL folks. The current availability is for frame/fork only, but rolling chassis can be ordered up now as well. Completes are coming soon. 

Comments: We had a nice chat with Sam of Singular Cycles about 32"ers and geometry experimentation is still happening around this wheel size. One thing which isn't completely nailed down is bottom bracket height/drop. 

Sam was of the mind 32"ers should be equivalent in physical height from the ground as a 29"er to help prevent sky-high seating which would inhibit users abilities to ride such bikes to some degree. In his opinion this would result in bottom bracket drops longer than 100mm, and closer to 110mm. I see the Nova 32 is in the 90's for bottom bracket drop. 

Something to consider.... 

New Podcast Episode:

The latest episode of the Guitar Ted Podcast is out now. Our show can be found on most podcast platforms, but here is a link to the latest episode which is on our Spotify home page.  

In this one we yak about some 32"er gearing issues, how road bikes are becoming gravel bikes, and whether or not gravel cycling is in a state of decline. 

There are probably a few other odd bits in there as well. One thing I missed and it relates to the episode's numbering. 

I mistakenly say it is episode number 98 when in reality it was episode #99. This means the next episode is number 100. 

Maybe we should do a special episode with celebration and whatnot. I know we have a special guest coming on, (you'll have to wait and see who it is). There could be some other surprises as well. Or....

Maybe not! We will see. I expect to have this next episode out by the end of next week, so you'd better get on this episode toot-sweet or you'll get behind! (Just kidding) Thanks for checking out the podcast if you do.  

Image courtesy of Teravail

Teravail Offers Gen 2 Gravel Tires:

Teravail has updated versions of their popular gravel tire range available now. Models included are the Cannonball, Rampart, Rutland, and Washburn tread designs. 

These four models are now all built on 120TPI casings. The size ranges have been streamlined as well. 

Rampart - 700c x 35, 40, and 45mm

Washburn - 700c x 40, 45, and 50mm

Cannonball - 700c x 40, 45, 50, and 55mm

Rutland - 700c x 40, 45, and 50mm

 The previous size range was 38mm, 42mm, and 47mm. There is also now a special limited edition Mid-South Updraft tire available as well. Finally, some of the MTB tires are also part of the Gen 2 updates. See all the gravel tires on offer from Teravail HERE. 

Image courtesy of Wolf Tooth Components

Aero Headsets Avaialble From Wolf Tooth:

A new aero headset offering is now available from Wolf Tooth Components. 

Featuring Wolf Tooth's triple seal system and Enduro stainless steel bearings, the aero headset also comes in an array of anodized colors. 

The Semi-internal head set (official name) goes for $179.95 and you can check out the details on them HERE. 

Comments: Internal routing is a curse. I mean, it complicates things, makes changes in your cockpit of your bicycle more expensive, and the head set here is not cheap either. The whole ruse just to gain a watt or two and look "cleaner" is bonkers when it really just doesn't matter in terms of how fast the average person will ride. 

And when you stop to think about this, what is being routed internally anymore? The rear brake. That's all. Everything else runs by wireless or through the front fork. Can we just stop with this sort of internal routing of a rear brake cable? It's just dumb. It is an example of how racing affects the average person negatively. 

Mid-South Weekend:

This weekend is the Mid-South events in Stillwater, Oklahoma. In fact, there are things going on as you read this on Friday, March 13th. 

The expo was yesterday and today there are running events, music, and more. Tomorrow is the big day for the ride for amateurs. There is a free feed to see the Pro field. (Which is happening today) Just check out the Mid-South's website for more on this. 

I attended and rode the 50 mile course in 2024 and it was a lot of fun. The weather looks like it will hold up for this year, so I suspect it will be one good time again for everyone in attendance. Here's a tailwind wish and safe travels to all who are gathered in Stillwater for Mid-South this weekend. 

That should do it for this week here on Guitar Ted Productions. As always, thank you for reading. Now, get out there and ride your bicycles before Winter comes back!

The 32" Watch: Sam Alison Explains

 Excitement For 32"ers Builds:

I was honored on Tuesday of this week to speak with Sam Alison of Singular Cycles. I wanted to get him on the Guitar Ted Podcast since he has spent plenty of time designing bicycles and has a deep background on geometry and how to apply it for certain characteristics which are desirable in a good handling bicycle. 

Sam also has a fair amount of time on the new-ish 32" wheels which are about to hit the cycling world in a big way here in about a month. 

If you'd rather skip the rest of this and head on over to the audio, here is the link on Spotify for the episode.  

 I should mention we had an idea for saving Sam from having to phone in his interview and end up spending an exhorbitant amount on the call. The idea was sound, (no pun intended), but my audio was the side which suffered. It sounding like a digital phone call even though I was working through my PC here with a USB condenser microphone. 

Oh well..... If I continue to have opportunities to speak over the oceans with folks about cycling I probably will have to invest into something like Riverside FM, or another platform instead of trying to get by not spending money on something I don't often do. We will see. But enough about the technical difficulties. 

The Singular Albatross 32" wheeled bicycle. (Image courtesy of Singular Cycles)

 Sam said something I had not heard before about the early development of 32"ers by Trek. Yes......Trek. Apparently Travis Brown was dabbling with these bigger hoops. Sam said something about stitching tires together and rolling up bigger aluminum rims to test this out with. That's a story which I would like to know more about someday. 

Other than that nugget, Sam did a great job of presenting the good and the maybe not-so-good of 32" wheels. He gave us some great insight on the geometry changes from 29"ers to 32"ers, and  he spoke to who might benefit from bigger wheels. 

Sam also seems to think that Sea Otter will be where this 32" thing will blow up big time. What gets revealed around mid-April should be pretty exciting. I know about one surprise which is coming out, but there will be several, I am sure, which will knock us all back a step due to the impact of the introduction. 

Sam expressed excitement about all of it. And to be honest, this might be the best thing about 32" wheels. That something is worth anticipation and excitement. We really haven't had that in cycling since this decade started. 

And we all know this industry could use some positive energy now. 

Stay tuned...... 

Friday News And Views

Sour Bikes Pasta Party 32"er (Image courtesy of Sour Bikes)

The 32" Watch: Sour Bikes, TPU Tube News:

The hype and number of bikes surrounding the 32" wheel continues to grow. This week Sour Bikes, a German based company, released news concerning their Pasta Party 32"er. This is a production frame which you can order now. 

Interesting bits on the bike shown on Sour's site include a Manitou fork modified for 32" wheels having a claimed 120mm of travel, Schwalbe Rick Race XC tires, and Reynolds aluminum rims in 32" size. 

Sour claims this bike has only marginally longer chain stays and stack height over the similar Pasta Party 29"er model. They used a very short tapered head tube and a curved seat tube to achieve this result. I think it is very reminiscent of Gary Fisher's early 29"er prototype which also sported a modified Manitou suspension fork, a very short head tube, and a curved seat tube.

Also, a press release was sent out by Tubolito saying they are going to offer TPU tubes for 32" wheels. Tubolito is a German based concern as well. It would seem the Germans are really pushing 32" wheels then as all the companies represented in today's 32" Watch are German based companies. 

Image courtesy of Teravail.

Teravail Launches Component Range:

Teravail is getting into the components game with a range of handle bars in carbon and aluminum, stems in aluminum, and seat posts, including a dropper post. 

News released on Tuesday of this week revealed a few flared drop bars of interest to gravel riders, some MTB flat bars, and  they also dropped news on some grips and handlebar tape as well. 

Comments: The QBP owned brand seems to have a bit of redundancy now considering QBP's Whisky Parts Co. also has similar products. The drop bars look fine, and carbon is good for gravel, so I suspect the products will be good performers. But why double up on product offerings with two different brand names? Curious move.... 

Image courtesy of Castelli

Castelli Announces Unlimited Pro 2 Jersey:

Gravel racing is pushing apparel design into new territory. This Castelli jersey is evidence of a new trend in gravel racing jersey design which combines the function of a jersey with that of a basic hydration pack. 

The jersey is designed for hot weather. Castelli recommends this piece for anything from 64°F - 95°F temperatures. The jersey has a close fitting, race cut. The design features shoulder fabric treatment which is intended to enhance aerodynamic efficiency. The pocket on the upper back of the jersey will hold a 1.5L bladder, (not included) and there is fabric loop to hold the drink hose down across the shoulder and upper chest area. 

The jersey is available in three colors. Paprika, (shown), Elmwood, (a tan hue), or black. Price ius set at $230.00 USD. You can view more details and images of the Unlimited Pro 2 Jersey HERE. 

There is also a matching bib short called the Pro Aero Race S Kit which you can check out HERE. 

Comments: I was offered a chance to test this jersey but since I am built like a linebacker and not a Pro level cyclist I declined the offer. Sizing runs small, by the way. What is shown as 3XL comes out to an American XL, and I'm being generous there, I think.  Suffice it to say that this is a serious bit of kit for anyone who wants to glean every marginal gain they can in competition at unpaved events. 

The price is a bit dear, but if you are attacking the pointy end of the gravel racing scene, you probably already are caught up in the "arms race" and a 230.00 dollar jersey for race day is maybe no big deal. I have it on good authority that Castelli gear is well made and does the job it is intended for well enough that the price seems justified. I'll leave it at that. 

Berd spoke (Image courtesy of Berd)

Berd Offers Light XC MTB Wheels:

Berd Spokes now offers complete wheels for XC racing which tip the scales at barely over 1000 grams. Featuring a carbon, hookless deign for a rim, and Berd branded hubs, these wheels should be some of the lightest wheels out there for XC MTB.

The inner rim width is listed at 30mm, so these are legit MTB racing width rims. The rims are backed by a Lifetime warranty as well. The Berd wheels are dubbed the Hawk30 Gold. A set of the Hawk30 Gold wheels runs $2,395.00 USD and can be purchased direct from Berd HERE. 

Comments: The Berd spokes are picking up steam with racing teams and people looking for the best, lightest, and most comfortable riding spokes. I've been using a set of wheels since 2020 with Berd Spokes and they have been solid wheels with no issues for me. I would imagine these Hawk30 Golds would be fantastic riding wheels, if mine are anything to go by. 

Guitar Ted Podcast Episode #97:

Another podcast dropped this week since N.Y. Roll has made it back from Mexico where he had a little vacation time. 

On this episode we discuss a wide variety of topics beginning with series events and why we like them and don't like them. We also get into the news which came out yesterday concerning those new Conti racing tires and the new Singular Albatross 32"er.  

We also discuss how some event directors are bowing out now who had been producing events for several years. We discuss this within the context of the Raputitsa event, because it has been garnering a lot of attention on Facebook with their recent posts, but this is just a high profile example from what I have noted as being a small exodus of event directors from the gravel scene of late.  

If you'd like to listen to this latest episode, please click THIS LINK to go to the Spotify home page, or find the Guitar Ted Podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Pleas like, subscribe, and leave a review. It sure helps us out on our end if you do. Thanks!

That's a wrap on this week. Get out and ride those bicycles!
 

Friday News And Views

From a 32"er thread on mtbr.com

The 32" Watch: Vittoria Peyote 32" :

I've had a few folks keeping me abreast of what is going on with 32"ers and I have been pointed to a thread on MTBR.com concerning these big wagon wheels. I also was tipped off to the existence of this Peyote 32"er tire, as shown here. (Thanks! You know who you are!)

This is interesting as N.Y. Roll has fallen in love with this tire and so has another local rider, (in 29"er size). It\s a popular tire, seemingly. It's also a new design. So, it is a tire on the cutting edge of tread design and compound makeup. They wouldn't use such a tire and technology unless they had some serious intentions in mind. This is telling us this 32"er thing is serious stuff. 

As if the other things we've already seen aren't enough to convince us. It seems as though all the things we've heard will be coming true. 

Only a few bicycle brands are committed so far to the 32"er along with some custom frame makers. Dirty Sixer, being the long time proponent of bigger than 29"er wheels, of course, and then you have Vassago, Singular, Lenz Sport, Genesis and perhaps a couple others here and there. 

For a look at what a gravel 32'er would maybe look like, see this report from the UK based iceBike Show by Bike Radar showing a Genesis prototype. HERE.  

My feeling is Sea Otter will be when the lid will come off this thing and we will see who of the major brands will be stepping into the 32"er scene. My guess is all of those bikes will be either MTB XC, gravel, or road bikes, in that order of prevalence. I am sure a few will get raced at Sea Otter in XC MTB and during the gravel event. 

Suspension fork prototypes will be shown, and perhaps demoed. Rigid forks will be coming as well, with Enve rumored to be developing one. It's going to be wild. 

New Podcast Episodes

The Guitar Ted Podcast has been churning out episodes at a pretty good clip of late. The latest went up on Wednesday of this week and we posted another the week before. 

This latest episode is about the proposed legislation regarding bicycles in Iowa, motivated by what is going on with e-scooters and e-bikes. The episode we posted last week was all about the latest class to be inducted into the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame. 

So, check those two episodes out in case you missed those. We typically don't do so many episodes in such a short period of time, so apologies if we caught you off guard! There is a reason for this though.

N.Y. Roll is on a "vacation" and we thought it best to get the last three episodes out before he went out on this short trip. A result of this will be that we have a bit of a mini-break and I would not expect our next episode to land until the end of this month. 

 One more thing- If you find our podcast on Spotify, please follow us there. New podcast episode drops will prompt an alert to your inbox, so you won't miss anything. If you find is on other platforms please subscribe, like, and review the show if possible. It helps us out a ton. 

Thanks for listening to the show! 

Gravel Racing For 2026 About To Begin:

February was always the month which kicked off gravel racing since the beginning of CIRREM back in the late 2000's. This year CIRREM is on the last day of February, the 28th. 

Now the international series, Gravel Earth, has its first event this weekend. The event, Santa Vall by the Traka, is located in Spain. So, a full two weeks ahead of CIRREM. 

There are probably some other gravel events in the South, in particular Florida, which are also happening in February. But traditionally speaking, February is the kick-off month for gravel activities in the competitive sense. 

Have you signed up for any races this year? Let me know in the comments section.  

Image provided by Ergon

Canyon-DT Swiss "Alt-Terrain" Team Announced:

Taking part in the season opener for the Gravel Earth Series will be a new team sponsored by DT Swiss, Canyon Biccyles, and Ergon called "Alt-Terrain Racing". 

 The press release says the 13 member team will be competing at the Santa Valla event under the name "The Wildcards". The team will be outfitted with Ergon saddles and handle bar tapes from their Allroad ranges. 

The team will serve as "rolling R&D platforms" for future Ergon products, according to the release. Ergon sees the team as an "unprecedented opportunity" to advance their drop bar product line. 

The team will compete in gravel, ultra-endurance, cyclo cross, and marathon MTB events throughout 2026. From the press release: “We are very much looking forward to working with this new professional team,” says Ergon’s athlete liaison manager Markus Zingen. “The team’s holistic new concept will significantly professionalize gravel racing and create a wide range of opportunities for both the athletes and us as a partner to drive targeted development forward.”

That is a wrap on this edition of the FN&V. Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Get out and ride a bicycle this weekend! 

The 32" Watch: Yakking About Big Hoops

Yep..... Another Guitar Ted Podcast just dropped. You'd think we both had nothing else better to do. (Correct) So, anyway, maybe you'd like to check out our ramblings on these monster sized hoops. Click Here

So, as far as this whole new wheel size becoming a thing or not, here is a nugget of wisdom I gleaned from my time covering the cycling industry. It is a "sure thing" something is going to be marketed heavily if this one thing occurs. 

The one thing? Original Equipment Manufacturer orders. Often abbreviated to "OEM" or even "OE", this means some factory is receiving an order from a company/brand to make something in mass quantities. 

In other words, to give you a clearer picture, Fox is not coming out with a 32" suspension fork unless some company/brand orders thousands of them. Same goes for tires, or rims/wheels. Anything specific to a standard ordered by a company/brand, in this case, 32" wheels, is a tip-off as to what is going to happen. 

We know Maxxis is coming out with several 32" tire models. We have a strong indication via insiders that a Fox suspension fork is coming out. Manitou will have a 32"er suspension fork by mid-2027. I posted about Schwalbe's tire plans last week. It isn't a question anymore. 32" tires/wheels will become available to purchase world-wide in the very near future. 

Expect a ton of marketing to show up this Spring showing the benefits of these wheels. Expect a ton of push-back on site comment sections and on social media. I suspect we all will be pretty tired of the hype by mid-Summer. 

Rich Dillen's Vassago 32"er (Image courtesy of Rich Dillen)

 If I had to say, my opinion is bikes with 32" wheels will become available in shops and online by the Fall. More options will hit from then onward until Spring 2027. Some second tier brands will be certain to have them in their line up. Maybe......maybe one of the big four - Trek, Specialized, Cannondale,or Giant will also, but my bet is they all are going to come later, if they come at all. I'm not saying one of these four mainstream brands will not make a 32"er, but it is certainly possible one or more of them will make a 32"er, or several versions of them. I just think they will be amongst the latter offerings. 

And you will see gravel, recreational, and eBike versions with giant hoops on them. More than just MTB's will be 32"ers. Anyway..... There is a lot more detail to this. Listen to the episode. Let me know what you think in the comments.    

Real World Feedback: 

Of course, it's all blue sky until the reality of what a 32"er actually can or cannot do is discovered by riders. I was fortunate enough to have had Rich Dillen message me after his recent ride in a local short track event. 

Image courtesy of R.Dillen by Pisgah Paparazzi

Rich has a blog where you can check out his takes on the 32" wheels, but suffice it to say that after about 45 minutes of him messaging me he pretty much convinced me of this wheel size and its benefits. 

I won't belabor the points he made here, (again - See his blog for more), but suffice it to say that even if half of what he said is true 32"ers will be the preferred single track bike in the Midwest. 

 I know many will scoff, and many won't give 32"ers a chance. Look......I get it. I went through all of the skepticism surrounding 29"ers too. They said 29"ers were dumb, a fad, and worse things about those who rode them. 26"ers weren't going anywhere. But look around your local bike shop or peruse your favorite online MTB purveyors. How many new 26" wheeled MTB's do you find for sale in 2026?

I'm not saying 29"ers will be supplanted by 32"ers, but the 32"er is not going away anytime soon either. Naysayers will come and go, but once people get onboard a 32"er and find out what it can and cannot do, then the results will determine the outcome of this wheel size. And again, based upon this real-world feedback, things seem to be looking good for the 32"er. 

Nuff said..... 

Two Things

Pinarello Grevil MX (Image courtesy of Pinarello)

Look! It's Another Adventure Bike! (Not Really)

Friday past, Pinarello introduced a bike which they claim combines the "best of both worlds" from Road and MTB into one bike - The Grevil MX. 

"Optimized for 50mm gravel  tires", according to the press release, the Grevil MX incorporates aero elements and the asymmetric frame design Pinarello utilizes on some of their other models separately, but here are brought together.

The suspension specific, drop bar specific design uses a 100mm travel fork. Pinarello President, Fausto Pinarello is quoted in the press release for this bike as follows:  

"The GREVIL MX is designed for riders who push gravel beyond its typical boundaries. It’s a very versatile bike, perfectly suited for races or adventures where you’re riding into the unknown. It can handle long climbs and rocky descents with ease and combines the feeling of a MTB with the ergonomics of a road bike. It’s a unique addition to our gravel range."

Comments: So........a skinny tire Fargo/Cutthroat? At least the design is using a "real suspension device" instead of the inadequate "gravel" suspension devices with limited travel. This part Pinarello got right. And as you can see, it does "something" to the front geometry. You may or may not agree with this "something", but physics are not going to be denied. You either go with a "real" suspension fork, or go rigid. This 40mm - 50mm suspension fork nonsense is ineffective, high maintenance for little benefit, and weighs more for little benefit. 

On the other hand, what this idea does to this bike is undeniable as well. It is a skinny tire MTB with drop bars. Calling this a "gravel bike" diffuses the term "gravel bike" to become almost meaningless. (And don't forget, I never thought the term "gravel bike" was a good idea in the first place.)

But names aside, keeping the tires in a "gravel realm" in terms of width makes this a "gravel bike"? I guess. But to me it is just a miss. Had Pinarello made the Grevil MX capable of handling 2.4" 29"er tires this would have made a lot more sense to me. Then it becomes the bike it looks like it is - an adventure bike in the mold of the Fargo/Cutthroat. 

New Podcast Episode:

Remember the "wish-list" posts from a week or so ago? (One HERE, the other HERE) Well, N.Y. Roll and I were thinking we'd riff on those for the latest Guitar Ted Podcast episode. 

There were some strong opinions voiced in this episode. Especially regarding how much there could be done to lessen the impacts on the Earth from the way the cycling industry is conducted. 

I did manage to stay away from at least one subject I could have "gone off" on. We will be seeing shortly if I will be provoked into writing about it soon. Until then, I will be keeping my peace regarding the thoughts and opinions I have. 

Anyway, if you care to listen to this newest episode, here is the link to the Spotify hosted episode. 

Of course, you can find the Guitar Ted Podcast on other podcast platforms as well. N.Y. Roll has a "vacation" planned for early February, so we should have another episode coming out soon. Man....February! Things are going by quickly. Hopefully we will have a few episodes in February which will get you stoked for the upcoming riding season. 

It will be here before we know it!

Friday News And Views

 

Image courtesy of Shimano North America

GRX717 Di2 Introduced As Shimano's Budget Gravel Group:

On December 16th, news came out regarding a new level of GRX gravel components from Shimano. This new GRX717 level is electronic, 12 speed, 1X only, and is priced to compete with  SRAM's more entry level offerings. 

The new 717 is wireless, just like its more expensive sibling. In fact, it is practically a mash-up of current 105/Deore wireless 12 speed components with GRX branding. The 717 rear derailleur features the same WideLink design, ability to reset after a blow to the cage, and the same low-profile design as Deore MTB Di2.  

Levers are essentially 105 design, lacking the grippier hoods of the top-tier GRX Di2 12 speed. It bears mentioning the hoods are textured a little bit though. 

Crank set options include a 40T and 42T option. The rear cassette is meant to be a 10-51T range 12 speed MicroSpline compatible cassette. It should be noted also that all 12 speed wireless Di2 is interchangeable. So....say you want flat bar GRX, you just add flat bar Di2 Deore shifters and you are there. Other possibilities are available as long as you stick to the Shimano 12 speed wireless Di2 ecosystem. 

Comments: Prediction - Shimano sees more spec with this offering. They had ceded this segment of the market to SRAM by not having a more budget friendly option for electronic 12 speed shifting. Now that this is out there, Shimano only is missing a top-tier, super light Di2 gravel racing group. 

Special Statement Concerning The Virtual Turkey Burn Ride Challenge:

I was made aware of a VTBRC report which may have been sent and was received in the spam folder of my email instead of the regular email folder. Now I am aware this is a possibility, and now I have to wonder if other reports went to the same folder. The thing is, I never look at what is in the folder, I simply delete the whole thing every day. 

So, from comments left on the blog it seems at least one report met this fate and perhaps others have as well. I apologize for this! I was not thinking such a thing would become a problem, but there it is. 

So, in the future I will be more careful when deleting the spam file during times I expect reports on rides like the VTBRC. I sincerely hope those of you who sent in reports will forgive me of this oversight and I would be 100% good with publishing those reports if you let me know you'd like to do this. 

This little machine saved my bacon

Fixed Gear Build:

The Standard Rando v2 is being converted into a fixed gear bike and things have been progressing slowly with this build all December long. 

I ran into a situation which had me in a bit of a pickle. I was building the front wheel when I discovered one spoke was not accepting a nipple. This after I had everything laced up and ready to tension. 

To make matters worse, it was the only silver spoke I had which would fit this application, and I did not have access to a bike shop, as this happened at an odd time. 

So, I grabbed my Hozan Spoke Screwing Machine, an extra long silver spoke, and got to work. I first cut the spoke down to the proper length. Then I mounted the Spoke Screwing machine in my vise. A few minutes later and I had a replacement spoke ready to install. Problem solved!  

These little machines can be a life saver. While one could thread spokes for an entire wheel build with this little guy, I wouldn't recommend it. This is best suited for spoke replacements running up to a handful of spokes in number. More than a half dozen and you'll get real tired, real fast of the tediousness of the process. You have to be patient with this machine! 

These are still available, so if you think you'd like one, you should be able to find one easily enough. By the way, I'll have a lot more on this build coming up here on the blog soon.  

L.O.G. Ride  Logo Updated:

I received an email a while back here from Jesse Petersen, a reader of these digital pages and a graphic designer, by the looks of it. He took my caveman drawing of the L.O.G. Ride logo, "cleaned it up a bit", and sent it my way so it can be used by the promoters of the ride. 

(That is right, I'm not in charge of this ride. I just came up with an idea for a logo)

If you want to know more about the Legends Of Gravel Ride, seek the page out on Facebook for all the news. And thank you Jesse for an awesome "clean up" job on my artwork! 

I did get confirmation that the registration should be up by now, or any day now. The Legends of Gravel will have two levels you can sign up for. One: Anyone wanting to stay at the Lodge, and Two: Those staying elsewhere, but wanting to join the ride. Sorry, this is all I know at this time, but you can check out BikeReg and search "Legends of Gravel" to learn more, or go to the Facebook group page for this event.  

Adventure Cycling Debuts Golden Gravel Trail Route:

The Adventure Cycling organization is about to celebrate its 50th year. To do this they decided to draw up a mostly gravel road route from Oregon to the Mississippi River on Missouri's border. The route will total 3,700 miles and will be released to the public in March of this year on their Ride With GPS  account. 

Route diagram courtesy of Adventure Cycling

The route is described on the Adventure Cycling blog page (HERE) as being somewhat similar to the Great Divide Route (Tour Divide), and riders should expect similar experiences. 

Adventure Cycling reminds riders who want to ride this route that it is not going to be 100% perfect and will likely need tweaking in its infancy. 

Comments: Obviously this is what Adventure Cycling is all about, but also it is noteworthy they chose a mostly (reportedly 70% gravel) gravel route. NOT a paved route. Also notable is their West-East routing versus what the Great Plains Gravel Route does, which is to meander North-South. Also, The Spinistry is developing a route which will traverse the entire nation East to West on mostly unpaved roads, (See the next story for more). So, the Adventure Cycling folks are not the only group doing things like this. 

It stands to reason a route like this would be done, as gravel is more safely traversed these days due to distracted drivers on paved roads. But then again - You need to know even in the remotest places you could still get smoked by an inattentive driver. Just ask Jay Petervary. 

So, when will the race be announced? (Only half kidding)

TUBA Trail: The Longest Off-Pavement Route Being Developed:

In other long route news of the unpaved sort, N.Y. Roll and I were able to pin down the industrious Kevin Lee of the Spinistry for a chat. Our conversation centered around the newest off-pavement route for bike packing and touring, the TUBA Trail. 

Kevin and The Spinistry are no strangers to long off-pavement routes. They have developed the RAT 1000, a route across Texas and have been maintaining it for several years already. In fact, the RAT 1000 route idea is the genesis for the idea for the TUBA Trail. 

I won't dive into too much of the detail on this new trail route, but you can check out the conversation we had with Kevin by listening to the latest Guitar Ted Podcast HERE. (Spotify home page link, but you can find the show on most major podcast platforms.) 

I enjoyed hearing about how Kevin pays attention to details which I related to having routed Trans Iowa over the years I did that. I also appreciated Kevin's mentioning the costs involved in doing route finding, a thing most riders tend not to appreciate.  

I also wanted to thank Kevin again for his time and for sharing the news of the TUBA Trail, which is set to be completed sometime this year.  

Image courtesy of Singular Cycles

The 32" Watch: One More For The Album:

Singular Cycles posted this image on their socials and asked for names for this new model with 32" wheels. Most Singular models are named for avians, so the bulk of the suggestions were of this nature. 

Comments: This is a good look at what this model may look like in production. If I had to guess, this appears to be titanium. I hope Sam Alison is thinking about a steel version because a titanium version would be quite pricey. Nice, but expensive for sure. 

I've no idea for a name for this, but I'm sure it will be appropriately named. One thing you can always count on from Singular Cycles, and that is they have always done things with class. From aesthetics to the names for their models, it is hard to find fault with anything the company has done. Not that Singular is perfect, mind you. Far from it. I will only say other "big wheeled" purveyors do not have the same level of attention to detail when it comes to how their products are presented and perceived in the marketplace. It doesn't hurt any to have bicycles which handle and ride nicely also, and Singular has a reputation for this as well. 

So, I expect nothing less than a really well sorted and classy looking 32"er from Singular. My proclivities run more toward trying a 32 inch wheel out in a drop bar format. Maybe Sam could name it the  "Hræsvelgr". I think that would be appropriate. 

Give me that and a reissued Luxy Bar. I might have to get rid of a bike to bring one like this in.  

Thanks for reading! Get out and put in your first ride of 2026, if you have not already!