Rear View 2024: Top Ten Posts Of 2024

 Every year of late I have been looking back at the Top Ten posts here on the blog. Last year's Top Ten can be seen HERE. I thought it was another fun way to look back over the year via the perspective of what caught the reader's attention here. 

 I thought it would be fun to rank the Top Ten posts again. This time from the blog during the calendar year 2024. These posts are ranked according to what Blogger stats tell me were the most read posts of the year. 

I'll start with #10 and work up to #1. Each post will be linked so you can go back and read it if you so choose. Then I will comment a bit on each post. 

#10: Gravel Grinder News: Hall Of Fame Inductees & Rock Cobbler Race Report:

At Number 10 on this year's list I have a post about two disparate things, so one may wonder which of the two subjects garnered the looks over the other. In my opinion, it was my take on the GCHoF class of 2024. Here is a quote from the article. " I was a bit surprised at first when I saw who had been elected into the Hall,.... but what the electors are seeing as "important" is not necessarily what I see as the Hall's reason for being. I think all you have to do is look at the first class, compare it to last year's, and then see the progression to this year's class and - if you've been around the gravel scene since the early days, you start to see a pattern developing. "

This got the attention of one of the GCHoF Board members and has still seemed to be a bone of contention with that particular Board member if recent communication is any indication of caring on that person's part. I still hold to this opinion, and I know that most of the electors do not know the history, or seemingly do not care. It's obvious as the nose on my face, but maybe only to those older gravel riders. If you don't know - you don't know, and so you get what you get. 

There is a move afoot to induct a few people this time around that might change my mind about this position I hold to concerning the GCHoF. We will see..... Link to post HERE. 

#9: The Mid-South Report: Getting Home & Thoughts On The Events: 

There is no denying that Mid-South is a very unique gravel event on the calendar. It has grown to be a super-popular early season stop for many gravel riders, yet it retains its roots in the basic tenets of the early gravel scene. This event, in my opinion, has usurped Gravel Worlds spot as the event that is best at walking that thin line between being "too big and fancy" and yet run in a way that makes you feel like it is a "professionally run or serious event". While many events have run off the deep end of the corporate, money-driven, for-profit end of the spectrum, Mid-South retains that passion from the organizers that permeates everything that happens each Spring in Stillwater, Oklahoma. 

My take on the event was one of the most popular posts of 2014. You can read it HERE. 

#8: Unbound's Evolutionary Changes Further Distances Event From Its Roots:

Again, another early gravel event that has changed to the point that it no longer resembles anything of its early roots. This was written before Life Time announced that Unbound would now pay out cash prizes to the winners. This post spurred a lot of interesting thoughts in the comments. And why shouldn't it have? It is well understood that Unbound is the gravel event regarded as being the pinnacle of competitive gravel racing, bar none. 

My stance on Unbound was set out in a specific comment which I have taken a quote from here:  "Unbound is a "premier gravel event" because many believe that. You don't have to believe that at all. You also do not have to subscribe to my - or anyone else's definition of "grassroots gravel". This is one of the biggest reasons "Gravel™" became as big as it has become. It wasn't hamstrung by ONE governing oversight of what IT is." Read the entire post and comments HERE. 

#7: Honeman Flyer Update: Finished & Test Ride Impressions:

Here is a take on the weird, (compared to most gravel bikes) 1930's inspired Honeman Flyer single speed gravel bike I had made by King Fabrications. This was one of my "Bikes of 2024" and I've written reams about the thing over the past year extending back to late 2023. So, I am not going to get back down that rabbit hole again. Suffice it to say that there is not another gravel bike in the world right now like this and you can read all about why that is HERE.  

#6:Review: Redshift Sports Top Shelf Bar - Intro: 

The year 2024 was my first complete year outside of a separate reviewing website, and bringing reviews back to the blog was a big risk. Would I lose opportunities? I figured that is exactly what might happen. However; I was surprised to find that it was not what happened. The Redshift Sports Top Shelf Bar was one such review that brought a LOT of eyeballs to "Guitar Ted Productions" for the very first time. 

I'm pretty sure a lot of the traffic this post has garnered over the year is being driven by Redshift's own link or by some other forum links I am unaware of now. But whatever the case may be, it was not the only review that stacked views in 2024. You can read the post HERE.

#5: Review: Ortlieb Fuel-Pack & Toptube-Bag: 

Reviews of products often focus on fine details, subjective takes on functionality, and "value". However; every once in a while a product comes along that has some baffling characteristics which impinge upon its function and appeal. Such was the case with one of the Ortlieb bags I received to review last Summer. Both had weird, overly complicated mounting systems and seemed to be a bit fiddly to deal with on skinny-top tubed bikes such as what I have the most of in my stable. 

Once again, I have a feeling the traffic on this post was generated via a marketing firm, the brand, or a forum somewhere. However it went, this post garnered top five viewage in 2024. You can read the review HERE. 

#4: Review: WTB Vulpine 45, Vulpine S 45, and Resolute 50 Tires:

Tires get views. It is a fact, and it doesn't matter if it is a social media post, You Tube, blog, or website. Tires, especially MTB and gravel tires, get hits like no other product. So seeing these three new WTB treads in the trendy wider widths for gravel get the views that this post has gotten, (and continues to get, by the way), is no surprise to me. 

This was the opener and I broke out the tires as individual reviews later throughout the rest of the Summer and into Fall. You can read the initial introductory post, which lands at number 4 for 2024, HERE. 

#3: Review: Camp Snap Camera:

Another review kind of outside the cycling realm, but Velo Orange was pushing these, and it seemed like an interesting bikepacking or knock-about camera, so I bought one to try out. Once again, this proved that not all products have 100% 'good' things about them. 

I was disappointed in this thing. It is a cheaply made toy, really, if I am honest. I would have been thrilled to claw one out in a carnival midway machine with my quarter spent in fun, but at the price this thing sells for, it came off as a poor experience. Again, not everything is a home run, or even gets you to first base. You can check out the review here. To be completely fair, Camp Snap has a version two out now which claims to have addressed some of my concerns, although I have not handled that version myself. 

#2: WTB Nano Air TPU Tubes Reviewed:

 At number 2 is this post about WTB's TPU tubes. It missed being number 1 but bot by much! But between this one and #1, these posts were nearly double the views of #3 on this list! That's crazy. But the other thing is that TPU tubes are really gaining some ground now and the buzz on them was high this past Summer. I'm still running the TPU WTB tube I wrote about in this review HERE. I don't see any downsides and for those who do not need puncture protection, the TPU tube is better than tubeless as far as maintenance is concerned, and I think performance is very similar.

#1: The Six String Side: Boss IR-2 Amp & Cabinet Pedal:

 And at Number One in views for 2024 - Another oddball product for the blog, but I figured since I am "Guitar Ted", and I actually do play guitar, why not? Last year I reviewed a Roland JC-40 amplifier and it is the number one viewed post on this blog all-time. I get views on the post into the hundreds of views every month.

So when I purchased a Boss IR-2 Amp and Cabinet Pedal, I decided to review that as well. Odd to review an audio product without sound samples, but hey! That's how it used to be when I was young. Magazines were printed on paper and did not reproduce sound! 

This post cruised at Number 1 all year. You can read the highest viewed post of 2024 HERE.

Comments: What a year! I noted that several top-viewed posts were review posts. I also noted that not a single "Country Views" post even sniffed getting into the Top Ten for this year. The once popular post series I do for rides seems to have lost its shine since 2022 when I had several of those in the Top Ten.

But overall, those posts - the "Country Views" ones - get the same or maybe a bit more views as they did two or three years ago. It's just that the other posts have boomed in terms of views since. For instance, #10 on this year's list would have been nearly #1 three years ago! And #10 this year was beaten by #1 on this year's list by over three times the views!

So, the viewership of certain posts has skyrocketed here while others have gained views compared to last year making 2024 the most viewed on this blog all-time! Thank you one and all for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Rear View 2023: Top Ten Posts Of 2023

Every year of late I have been looking back at the Top Ten posts here on the blog. Last year's Top Ten can be seen HERE. I thought it was another fun way to look back over the year via the perspective of what caught the reader's attention here. 

 I thought it would be fun to rank the Top Ten posts again. This time from the blog during the calendar year 2023. These posts are ranked according to what Blogger stats tell me were the most read posts of the year. 

I'll start with #10 and work up to #1. Each post will be linked so you can go back and read it if you so choose. Then I will comment a bit on each post. 

#10: GCHoF 2023: Inductees & Comments - June 3rd, 2023 -

This was a post from my reports on going to the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. The 2023 class was an interesting one and in this post I gave my comments on each person. And then the "thing" category, which was a surprise to most there, which was the Salsa Cycles Chaise Lounge. The "Gravel Icon" category will be noted again for 2024. What will it be this time? Who knows..... Apparently a lot of you folks were interested to read my take on the GCHoF Class of 2023. You can read this post HERE. 

#9: Entry Fees Up - January 26th, 2023 - 

This post was done after I did some research into what gravel event fees were for 2023 events. A small survey of events was done according to my criteria. Then I showed my results and gave some commentary on them. This post stirred up the bee hive! It's probably why it got enough hits to show up on the Top Ten list this year. This post can be seen HERE. 

#8: Country Views: Smoke, Dogs, & Wind - April 8th, 2023 -

Last year I had a few "Country Views" posts hit this list. But this year this post from early in April was the only Country Views post to come close to being in the Top Ten. Maybe it made it because I had "Dogs" in the title. Or maybe "Smoke". You never know what "The Algorithm" will pick up on! You can read this post HERE.  

#7: A Search For "Gravel" Geometry Part 2: Myths & Traditions, September 20th, 2023 -

I ran a series of posts concerning the background and history of geometry for gravel bicycles. This particular post in the series received more than three times the hits that the rest of the series posts did. I would imagine that some ruffled feathers may have posted links on a forum somewhere that drove the numbers for this particular post higher. You can see this post HERE. 

#6: A Search & Rescue Mission - April 4th, 2023:   

This one was a spiritual journey aboard my Dorado Sherpa in the mist to find a pair of eyeglasses. You can see this post HERE. 

#5: Velo Orange Utility Bar & Utility Rack Review - June 24th, 2023:

This, along with the next two posts in the countdown, were about the Velo Orange Utility Bar and Utility Rack. Velo Orange linked to all three of these posts on their social media and on their site. Obviously it drove the traffic to those posts! You can read the review HERE. 

#4: Velo Orange Utility Bar & Rack - May 18th, 2023:

This short little blurb about the Utility Bar and Rack drew an unprecedented amount of views. It is a bit of a mystery why that is, but as I said, it very well may be because of Velo Orange's pushing the post on their end. You can read the post HERE.

#3: Going Flat: Velo Orange Utility Bar & Utility Rack - May 10th, 2023:

This was the initial post on the Utility Bar and Rack which came out of my deciding to run the Karate Monkey as a flat bar bike again after many years of it being fitted with a drop bar. You can read this post HERE. 

#2:When Gravel Was Trying To Find Its Way, The Cross Check Helped It Get There - October 4th, 2023:

If it hadn't been for the top post of 2023, this would have been the #1 cycling related post of the year by a long shot. Surly Bikes decided to discontinue the venerable Cross Check model after a 24 year run. This post details why I think this bike deserves a place in the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame. You can read this post HERE. 

#1: The Six String Side: Roland Jazz Chorus JC40 Amplifier - January 14th, 2023:

A huge surprise to me, but this post took on a life of its own during 2023. The links back to that post must exist on some music/gear page because the post gains about 10 - 20 views per week, right up to this very time! Heck, maybe I oughta be a music gear reviewer. Ha! This amplifier was my 2022 Christmas gift and my 2023 Anniversary gift all rolled into one. I decided to write up the review thinking it might get a few looks. I hadn't ever dreamed that anyone would find that review and spread it to wherever it got linked at. You can read the amplifier review HERE. 

Comments: So I think this year's posts on this list were greatly affected by outside influences. It's hard for me to peel out those influences to see what you, the actual day-to-day blog readers really liked. That said, these posts listed here represent hit counts multiple times that of the average daily count here. Not all ten were driven up by algorithms, I wouldn't think, but perhaps they all were. 

At any rate, I assume that "real" people were looking at the blog and even with a conservative view to these numbers, the views were up from 2022. Noticeably higher counts on all the posts on the list, and most days on the blog, there were more people checking in. 

What will 2024 bring? Can the end of 19th year of the blog in May and the start of the 20th year measure up against the growth over the last several years? We will see.....

As always, thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions!