Searching For The "Magic" Alloy: Part 2

Cannondale Topstone 2 CUES (Image courtesy of Cannondale)

Earlier this week I posted about trying to find an aluminum alloy gravel frame which would meet my criteria and not be overly expensive to boot. I asked you dear readers to chime in with suggestions. Many of you did and I was able to check out a lot of great ideas for this post.

One no one mentioned was the alloy Cannondale Topstone models. Maybe because you cannot get a frame, maybe because Cannondale says it limits tires out to 45mm, or maybe because of the price, but if you look at the geometry chart for the Topstone alloy bikes, it shows numbers which fall right into what I'd want for a gravel bike. 

With a head tube angle of 71°, a bottom bracket drop of 75mm, and a seat tube length in my size (large) which isn't too short or too long, it cuts right down the middle of what I'd like in a gravel bike. 

Concerning the tire clearance, I know Cannondale says 45mm, because they have to. Given what I know about regulations, it wouldn't be crazy to assume you could run 47mm tires easily enough, and maybe squeeze in a 50mm tire, depending upon rim width and tire model. 

Concerning the price, I can get a size Large Topstone with 1 x 10 MicroShift Sword on sale for just over 1K. So, for a complete bike, it would be okay, I think at this price.  

The Topstone also comes with all the right accessory mounts for water bottles and bags. A plus from my point of view. The fork is carbon fiber, naturally, and the highly formed frame tubes speak to more current tech in alloy frame building than some of the less expensive choices on the market.. 

I'd be curious to try the CUES 11 speed stuff on the Topstone 2 CUES, just so I had a handle on how it works, (or doesn't), so I can have an informed opinion on the group. The bike lists for $2,200.00, which is pricey, but I really cannot say anything about the CUES stuff, so it could be fine. The other choice in MicroShift Sword is less interesting to me, but would hit my price point more closely. 

Why Do This? Okay, you long-term readers know I have a lot of bikes and I really do not need to get anything for gravel riding. However; I would be retiring one, maybe two bikes I have currently if I get this in. One for sure would be the Raleigh Tamland. It would get stripped down and the frame and fork would go up on the wall, as it represents what it does to me. (IYKYK) The other possible retiree is the Noble GX5. I wouldn't get rid of it right away, but I know I wouldn't leave the Topstone alone for long if I decided to keep it. So, the running gear from the Noble would likely get transferred over to the Topstone. The CUES or MicroShift  stuff would go on the Noble, and I'd sell it that way. 

Just playing around with ideas here, and if something else were to come up which was a frame/fork only, and I could go direct to swapping out parts on the Noble, I would maybe do that instead. So, a lot to think about, and this isn't a slam dunk in any way......yet. 

Stay tuned.

Friday News And Views

2025 Esker Japhy (Image courtesy of Esker Cycles)

You Had Me At "Metal Flake Orange":

Esker Cycles announced an update to their 29" wheeled Japhy steel hard tail frame. There are a few ways to get a Japhy, either complete as a geared bike, complete as a single speed, or as a frame only. 

The updates for 2025 include:

• • Simplified sizing range: SM, MD, LG, XL Updated Geo: 
  • Increased Stack offset with a longer Effective TT
   
• Removed Seatstay Bridge: Increased compliance and ride quality 
• Optimized Dropper Port Location: To ease cable routing 
• Bolt-On Cable Routing: Allowing for bolt-on frame bags and stealthier routing for those using fancy robot shifting…or no shifting at all 
• Custom Chainstay Protector: Its protection for your chainstay…and its custom.

The Japhy frame costs 1K. Not a bad deal these days for a versatile steel hard tail 29"er. Check out all the details and other Esker models at eskercycles.com 

Esker "Woodsy" (Image courtesy of Esker Cycles)

Also, "Howdy" We'd Like To Say There Is A "Woodsy" Too:

In other Esker news, the company released Orion based suspension models in the aluminum "Woodsy" and a shorter travel version of the Woodsy called "Howdy". The Howdy has a titanium variant as well. So does the Woodsy. Both Howdys have 125mm of rear  travel. The longer travel Woodsy has 145m of rear travel. 

All models have up to 29 X 2.6" tire clearance, external cabling, and UDH derailleur hangar compatibility. All models are available as completes or as frame-only.
 

Gravel Amplifier: Get Lost Gravel August 3rd, 2025:

Got an itch to see the mountains from the saddle of your gravel bike? Maybe Get Lost Gravel is your jam then.  

This event will take place out of Red Barn Cycles in Hamilton, Montana. There are two course distances which you can choose from. "The Forge" is their 82 mile course which features over 60 miles of continuous back country gravel and an elevation gain of over 3,000ft. The other distance offered is a shorter course called "The Smelter" which has a big climb on Two Bear Road of 2,500 feet. At the top will be an aid station and everyone that summits will get a special Two Bear Achievement sticker. From there a "ripping descent" is promised back to the start. This course is 47 miles. 

For more information hit that link above. registration is HERE.

Mid South This Weekend:

Last year I experienced Mid South for the first time. It was probably the highlight of my 2024 riding season. Just the enormity of the experience and the new people I was able to meet along with old friends and acquaintances made the weekend trip one to remember. 

Of course, I won't be there this year, but I wanted to take the time here to wish everyone that is going well and I hope all of you bank some incredible memories while you are in Stillwater and the surrounding countryside. 

Interestingly, Mid South has changed their logo, (as seen here) and the tagline for the event is "A Weekend Endurance Festival Celebrating Hard Challenges and the Beauty of Oklahoma Dirt Roads". This tagline is noticeably missing the word "Race" there, and with the words "hard challenges" instead. I like it.

New SRAM brakes? (Image from 'toolboxwars" Threads acct.)

New SRAM XC Brakes?

I was cruising social media the other day and I came across this image of a conspicuously green caliper with a caption of "New brake, new name..." posted on an account called toolboxwars on Threads. A hashtag for SRAM was also there.

Further sleuthing turned up one article online showing the Trek XC team bikes with the brakes at a recent recon of a mountain biking course. 

Of course, this is a new model, which looks production ready, if it is indeed a SRAM caliper. I am going to speculate that this will be a mineral oil brake much like SRAM's Maven brakes, which came out a year ago or more. It makes sense as well since DOT fluid is pretty toxic and mineral oil technology is getting better all the time. 

Sea Otter is just around the corner, so I would guess the news will break on these officially just before the event, or during the event. 

Cannondale Revamps Topstone Gravel Bike:

Cannondale revealed on Tuesday that it had a newly designed Topstone gravel bike range on offer with five new carbon Topstone models available.

The carbon frames feature fully integrated cabling, a storage cavity in the down tube, and multiple accessory mounting points. Still featuring the Kingpin rear suspension, the geometry has been tweaked to address a couple shortcomings which the original Topstone Carbon gravel bike had.

Now with a lower bottom bracket, (74mm drop,) and matched up with a slightly slacker than 71° head tube angle, this new Topstone should feel more planted and stable on looser gravel roads. The steering should still be snappy with the 55mm offset carbon fork. There is also a Lefty Oliver model in teh range as well for those who want the full suspension gravel bike thing. 

The Topsstone Carbon range starts out at $3,400.00 and tops out at $7,300.00 for the Di2 GRX model shown here. See the Topstone page on Cannondale's website HERE for more. 

Image courtesy of Specialized Bicycles.

Specialized Announces New Gravel Tires: 

Tuesday we learned that Specialized has overhauled its tire range and with that has three new gravel tires for 2025 and will be closing out the previous models to simplify their range. Here we see the new Pathfinder Pro TLR which is available in black or tan walls, (shown). 

Specialized claims the new Pathfinder TLR is faster and more cut resistant than the outgoing model. Available in 700 X 35mm, 700 X 40mm, and 700 X 45mm widths. These tires have 120TPI casings and will sell for a reasonable $55.00 each.

There are also the Tracer TLR tires and Terra TLR tires each featuring progressively more aggressive tread designs.  

Comments: In my opinion, aggressive tread design is a waste on crushed rock and harder gravel roads. Obviously it is 100% unnecessary on pavement of any kind. This is why racers are gravitating more and more toward semi-slick designs. 

I feel as though a tread design with some knobs is okay for a "do anything" bike on any roads, but the overtly MTB-ish tread designs are really for dirt trails, which is fine if that is where you ride your gravel bike. From these three tires I would choose the Pathfinder Pro, but maybe you will choose differently. That is why there are choices. Just remember: "Tire tread design is a fashion show". Choose accordingly.

That's all for this week. Have a great weekend and ride those bicycles!

Friday News And Views

The new alloy version of Cannondale's Topstone (Image courtesy of Cannondale)

Cannondale Debuts New Alloy Topstone Range:

Just last week I mentioned in this space that I don't report on every new gravel bike that hits the scene anymore unless that bike is unique in some way. Well, Cannondale met that criteria with me as it made news last Monday with its new alloy Topstone range. 

The main things I noted right away were the slacker head angle (71°) paired with a longer offset (55mm) which isn't typical "gravel bike" fare. However; Cannondale didn't stop there and went with a deep bottom bracket drop of 75mm and chain stays in at 435mm which I think is a sweet spot for good handling on looser gravel. 

Comments: Yes- I like this geometry. This is pretty much smack-dab in the range of numbers I'd call out for a good riding bike. But is the Topstone in alloy form going to be that? Well, there are still a lot of ways to fail in terms of bicycle design and spec, so I cannot say for certain. 

Keeping in mind that the top of the range Topstone 2 that Cannondale lists now sits under 2G, you are not going to get the cutting edge componentry here. Still, Shimano GRX 10 speed is pretty solid fare and should be easy on the wallet when it comes time for maintenance. The wheels are pretty average, but not terrible. You get a fully carbon fork. Light? Probably. Nice riding? Ahh.... Not going to hold my breath there. Could be though.

Overall, I find this bike intriguing enough that I would cautiously recommend it as a great starter gravel bike that should be easy on the wallet and potentially ride really well. Cannondale has all that "connectivity" trickery installed and ready to go here on this bike, which I find gimmicky, and not up my alley. Dropper post ready, yeah..... Take it or leave it. But it does have a lot of versatility with mounting points and it is fender capable, so I like it at this point. 

Feedback Sports New Pro Mechanic HD Stand:

Wednesday Feedback Sports introduced a new version of their popular and versatile repair stand. A beefed up version they call the "Pro Mechanic Stand HD". Featuring bigger legs, main tube, and completely new jaws and clutch mecanisms, the Pro Mechanic HD stand should be able to tackle any heavy two wheeled project in the bicycle or HPC range. 

The stand still folds up and is easily transported. Total weight is said to be 18lbs, so it is light! Max load capacity is 120lbs. The stand also has an available carrying bag, like the original stand does. Jaws have a soft, non-marring rubber insert which is replaceable and shouldn't be an issue with paint jobs. That clamp opens up to 2.6" so it can grab a pretty large diameter tube when necessary. 

Comments: I own and use a stand from when this company was called Ultimate Repair Stands. It has been really pretty reliable and only recently have I had any issues with the clutch mechanism not working 100%. Keep in mind- I have owned this stand for over 20 years! So, whenever folks ask about portable repair stands, I always recommend Feedback Sports' stuff. 

It is expensive, but I'd pay the money again for one considering how long this one I have has lasted. This new HD version is just a tic under five hundred bucks, but if you want the best and want a repair stand you can rely on for years, then I'd not hesitate to go with a Feedback Sports stand.

The new Rondo MYLC Steel (Image courtesy of Rondo)

Rondo Announces New MYLC Range:

Okay, another odd-ball gravel bike. This time it's from Rondo, the brand that seems to be coming at the whole "allroad" bicycle thing from an 'under-biking', mountain biking viewpoint. 

This model I am highlighting is the Rondo MYLC ST, a steel version of this MYLC range which also includes a rather severe looking, angular carbon frame and an aluminum counterpart no less angular. I like the steel version which looks less severely 'artistic' and weird. Maybe that's just me....

The thing here is that this bike goes a long way toward MTB geometry in the front end. Depending on where you set the front fork geometry altering axle chip, you get about a 68-ish degree head tube angle, and a correspondingly steep seat tube angle around the 74 degree mark. The bottom bracket drop changes also, but I think their geo chart is off. In the "Low" setting the drop is listed as 70mm and in the "High" setting it is listed as 75mm. Hmm.......methinks that is backwards. If it were "Bottom Bracket Height", that would be correct, but it is not that. Anyway....

Interesting geometry. I'm not sure how all that matches up if your largest tire you can fit is a 47mm tire. Again, the whole "under-biking" thing is weird to me. Just get a MTB hard tail already. Or, if you really want to "under-bike", find a rigid fork 1992 Klein Attitude with 26" X 1.75 XC tires and try that out. That was true 'under-biking'!

Tweet from highly regarded cycling journo, James Huang

More Supply Chain Madness:

Remember last Friday in the "FN&V" where I pontificated on the current supply chain issues? 

Well, a brief update. I stated last week that "The bicycle business has always suffered most when demand is low, inflation high, and supply is abundant. That's exactly the scenario it seems we are headed for. So, by this Fall don't be surprised to see some sales and lots of inventory in stock everywhere."

And I guess industry analyst, Rick Vosper, was on the same page, since he just got published in "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" saying pretty much the same thing. Only he did it with more words and with some backing in terms of stats and historical data. 

Again- things may seem in short supply in a few areas yet, but look out for Fall and Winter. I am betting that the supply chain glut is coming and that we're going to see a lot of disruption, business failures, and more coming soon.  

That's it for today. I'll have some more thoughts on some newsy stuff from this week tomorrow, so check that out. But really- You should just get out and ride! Thanks for Reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Friday News And Views

The new alloy version of Cannondale's Topstone (Image courtesy of Cannondale)

Cannondale Debuts New Alloy Topstone Range:

Just last week I mentioned in this space that I don't report on every new gravel bike that hits the scene anymore unless that bike is unique in some way. Well, Cannondale met that criteria with me as it made news last Monday with its new alloy Topstone range. 

The main things I noted right away were the slacker head angle (71°) paired with a longer offset (55mm) which isn't typical "gravel bike" fare. However; Cannondale didn't stop there and went with a deep bottom bracket drop of 75mm and chain stays in at 435mm which I think is a sweet spot for good handling on looser gravel. 

Comments: Yes- I like this geometry. This is pretty much smack-dab in the range of numbers I'd call out for a good riding bike. But is the Topstone in alloy form going to be that? Well, there are still a lot of ways to fail in terms of bicycle design and spec, so I cannot say for certain. 

Keeping in mind that the top of the range Topstone 2 that Cannondale lists now sits under 2G, you are not going to get the cutting edge componentry here. Still, Shimano GRX 10 speed is pretty solid fare and should be easy on the wallet when it comes time for maintenance. The wheels are pretty average, but not terrible. You get a fully carbon fork. Light? Probably. Nice riding? Ahh.... Not going to hold my breath there. Could be though.

Overall, I find this bike intriguing enough that I would cautiously recommend it as a great starter gravel bike that should be easy on the wallet and potentially ride really well. Cannondale has all that "connectivity" trickery installed and ready to go here on this bike, which I find gimmicky, and not up my alley. Dropper post ready, yeah..... Take it or leave it. But it does have a lot of versatility with mounting points and it is fender capable, so I like it at this point. 

Feedback Sports New Pro Mechanic HD Stand:

Wednesday Feedback Sports introduced a new version of their popular and versatile repair stand. A beefed up version they call the "Pro Mechanic Stand HD". Featuring bigger legs, main tube, and completely new jaws and clutch mecanisms, the Pro Mechanic HD stand should be able to tackle any heavy two wheeled project in the bicycle or HPC range. 

The stand still folds up and is easily transported. Total weight is said to be 18lbs, so it is light! Max load capacity is 120lbs. The stand also has an available carrying bag, like the original stand does. Jaws have a soft, non-marring rubber insert which is replaceable and shouldn't be an issue with paint jobs. That clamp opens up to 2.6" so it can grab a pretty large diameter tube when necessary. 

Comments: I own and use a stand from when this company was called Ultimate Repair Stands. It has been really pretty reliable and only recently have I had any issues with the clutch mechanism not working 100%. Keep in mind- I have owned this stand for over 20 years! So, whenever folks ask about portable repair stands, I always recommend Feedback Sports' stuff. 

It is expensive, but I'd pay the money again for one considering how long this one I have has lasted. This new HD version is just a tic under five hundred bucks, but if you want the best and want a repair stand you can rely on for years, then I'd not hesitate to go with a Feedback Sports stand.

The new Rondo MYLC Steel (Image courtesy of Rondo)

Rondo Announces New MYLC Range:

Okay, another odd-ball gravel bike. This time it's from Rondo, the brand that seems to be coming at the whole "allroad" bicycle thing from an 'under-biking', mountain biking viewpoint. 

This model I am highlighting is the Rondo MYLC ST, a steel version of this MYLC range which also includes a rather severe looking, angular carbon frame and an aluminum counterpart no less angular. I like the steel version which looks less severely 'artistic' and weird. Maybe that's just me....

The thing here is that this bike goes a long way toward MTB geometry in the front end. Depending on where you set the front fork geometry altering axle chip, you get about a 68-ish degree head tube angle, and a correspondingly steep seat tube angle around the 74 degree mark. The bottom bracket drop changes also, but I think their geo chart is off. In the "Low" setting the drop is listed as 70mm and in the "High" setting it is listed as 75mm. Hmm.......methinks that is backwards. If it were "Bottom Bracket Height", that would be correct, but it is not that. Anyway....

Interesting geometry. I'm not sure how all that matches up if your largest tire you can fit is a 47mm tire. Again, the whole "under-biking" thing is weird to me. Just get a MTB hard tail already. Or, if you really want to "under-bike", find a rigid fork 1992 Klein Attitude with 26" X 1.75 XC tires and try that out. That was true 'under-biking'!

Tweet from highly regarded cycling journo, James Huang

More Supply Chain Madness:

Remember last Friday in the "FN&V" where I pontificated on the current supply chain issues? 

Well, a brief update. I stated last week that "The bicycle business has always suffered most when demand is low, inflation high, and supply is abundant. That's exactly the scenario it seems we are headed for. So, by this Fall don't be surprised to see some sales and lots of inventory in stock everywhere."

And I guess industry analyst, Rick Vosper, was on the same page, since he just got published in "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" saying pretty much the same thing. Only he did it with more words and with some backing in terms of stats and historical data. 

Again- things may seem in short supply in a few areas yet, but look out for Fall and Winter. I am betting that the supply chain glut is coming and that we're going to see a lot of disruption, business failures, and more coming soon.  

That's it for today. I'll have some more thoughts on some newsy stuff from this week tomorrow, so check that out. But really- You should just get out and ride! Thanks for Reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Friday News And Views

THIS is gravel riding? From Cannondale marketing imagery.

Cannondale Says Your Gravel Bike Is Really A MTB Rig: (With Motorized Content)

By this time you've all heard the news about the new 2021 Topstone models. I won't get into too much about specifics other than a note about the continuance of that wonky geometry for the Carbon Topstone.

No, what really stood out above all the Neo this, connected app that, were these marketing images Cannondale distributed to the media. Out of the 12 or so "lifestyle" images, maybe four could be on actual gravel roads. The rest were all right out of a page from your typical MTB marketing plans.

So, besides the fact that the biggest tire you can put on any of these is a 650B X 47mm, (on non-HPC versions), and that the suspension travel is a 1992 inspired 30mm, aren't these really mountain bikes with drop bars? Again- I'll ask the question- Where are all the 70-sish degree head angle, rigid hard tail, flat bar MTB's? I mean, if you are going to go single tracking, ya know?

Man! Somebody has to make an El Mariachi-like hard tail again. It'd be five times the bike these Topstones are, especially at what these marketers are saying these bikes are supposedly for, at a third of the price of these Topstones. Cheapest non-motorized one is $3750.00 from what I saw on the release. Then there are the motorized ones. Going up....... Those are nearly 6G and up. And get this- they showed these as if they were MTB's as well. 

I don't know where to start. 28 hole rims on an electrified bike? How about a 59mm bottom bracket drop on an XL? (I get it- they have suspension, but really?) Limited tire clearances? (700 X 37 max or 650 B X 42 max on electrified Topstone Neo) Pffft! I just don't know......

It's an odd marketing campaign for a weird bike, in my opinion.

Throwin' it back to 2009. Best DK200 logo EVER.

Another Virtual Experience 

The DK events are postponed to the weekend of September 12th, 2020, but if you are jonesing for some DK action this week, 'cause this would have been the week, then you can get on yer virtual horse tomorrow and ride, or upload a GPS file of your ride which would have been your race distance, (socially distanced, natch!) and share in the virtual joy with others.

The DK team has been doing some virtual stuff since Wednesday and that was all sent out to the folks that are signed up, so if you are one of them, then y'all know what I am talkin' about already.

It's a good way to keep the DK spirit alive, but with things getting relaxed all over the place now, some smaller events are now filling the need of many who are itching for some dusty competition. The 'anti-DK 200' event, The Sterile Iowan, is going off unhindered, unmasked, and unashamed this weekend near Iowa Falls. I'm sure others are getting their gravelly goodness on very soon at some other smaller events.

These are weird times and weird things are going on all over. I'm not sure about any of it, to be honest. Time will suss out all, that I am sure of that much. As for me..... I'm still on the solo train. Virtual stuff? Not so much.

A US made Schwinn? It's coming....

 Detroit Bikes To Build New Schwinn Collegiate Bikes for 125th Anniversary of Marque. 

Back when I started in the bicycle biz and probably up through 2010, many people still thought Schwinn was made in the USA. Well, Walmart, et al, made sure folks got that nasty idea outta their heads. But now, a Walmart exclusive Collegiate model will be sold for Schwinn's 125th anniversary, and it will be built by Detroit Bikes in the USA. Just in time to confuse the whole situation once again.

While that sounds cool and all, take a really close look at this bike. 1 X 7 drive train, lower end rear derailleur, and side pull calipers? This cannot be much more than a $350.00 price range bike, in terms of what is available in a comparable type bicycle elsewhere. That is, unless they get you on the collectable/limited edition front. Assuming a CrMo frame too. If this is a mild steel alloy frame and fork, well then.... That's different. I'd take even more off that $350.00 figure.

I've no idea what sort of numbers production will be for this, nor what price this will be. I don't see anything in this article on it. There is some yearly production goal for all of Detroit Bikes customers, stated in the article, which is set at 20,000 mark for 2021. So, I'm betting these Collegiates will only amount to a very small number of that overall total production goal.

Note: Image of the Collegiate is a stock media image posted all around the internet. No idea on source, but I'm guessing it is Pacific Cycles. 

 Riding Gravel Radio Ranch Episode #45:

The episodes keep rolling out. Of all the goals I set for myself for 2020, this is one I can truthfully say now that I have accomplished. That goal would be to get more podcasts produced and on a more regular basis. Here's a link to the latest one.

With this episode we have now done as many podcasts in 2020 as we put out in 2018 and 2019 combined. And to think we didn't get started this year until March! We are getting episodes out more or less weekly and there are no signs of slowing down anytime soon. So, with almost a half of the year done, I think I can safely check that goal off the list.

Now my goal is to get you, the listeners, more engaged. Please send me ideas, questions, and comments to guitarted@ridinggravel.com and I will try to get those ideas, comments, and questions into circulation via the podcast. Hearing about things that riders want to hear about will help diversify the subject matter and help us keep content fresher and more interesting. As an example, we will be doing the "Single Speed Nerd-Out" podcast next, which was a suggestion for a topic that a rider e-mailed me about. It's going to happen. See how that works?


Have a great weekend! 

Friday News And Views

THIS is gravel riding? From Cannondale marketing imagery.

Cannondale Says Your Gravel Bike Is Really A MTB Rig: (With Motorized Content)

By this time you've all heard the news about the new 2021 Topstone models. I won't get into too much about specifics other than a note about the continuance of that wonky geometry for the Carbon Topstone.

No, what really stood out above all the Neo this, connected app that, were these marketing images Cannondale distributed to the media. Out of the 12 or so "lifestyle" images, maybe four could be on actual gravel roads. The rest were all right out of a page from your typical MTB marketing plans.

So, besides the fact that the biggest tire you can put on any of these is a 650B X 47mm, (on non-HPC versions), and that the suspension travel is a 1992 inspired 30mm, aren't these really mountain bikes with drop bars? Again- I'll ask the question- Where are all the 70-sish degree head angle, rigid hard tail, flat bar MTB's? I mean, if you are going to go single tracking, ya know?

Man! Somebody has to make an El Mariachi-like hard tail again. It'd be five times the bike these Topstones are, especially at what these marketers are saying these bikes are supposedly for, at a third of the price of these Topstones. Cheapest non-motorized one is $3750.00 from what I saw on the release. Then there are the motorized ones. Going up....... Those are nearly 6G and up. And get this- they showed these as if they were MTB's as well. 

I don't know where to start. 28 hole rims on an electrified bike? How about a 59mm bottom bracket drop on an XL? (I get it- they have suspension, but really?) Limited tire clearances? (700 X 37 max or 650 B X 42 max on electrified Topstone Neo) Pffft! I just don't know......

It's an odd marketing campaign for a weird bike, in my opinion.

Throwin' it back to 2009. Best DK200 logo EVER.

Another Virtual Experience 

The DK events are postponed to the weekend of September 12th, 2020, but if you are jonesing for some DK action this week, 'cause this would have been the week, then you can get on yer virtual horse tomorrow and ride, or upload a GPS file of your ride which would have been your race distance, (socially distanced, natch!) and share in the virtual joy with others.

The DK team has been doing some virtual stuff since Wednesday and that was all sent out to the folks that are signed up, so if you are one of them, then y'all know what I am talkin' about already.

It's a good way to keep the DK spirit alive, but with things getting relaxed all over the place now, some smaller events are now filling the need of many who are itching for some dusty competition. The 'anti-DK 200' event, The Sterile Iowan, is going off unhindered, unmasked, and unashamed this weekend near Iowa Falls. I'm sure others are getting their gravelly goodness on very soon at some other smaller events.

These are weird times and weird things are going on all over. I'm not sure about any of it, to be honest. Time will suss out all, that I am sure of that much. As for me..... I'm still on the solo train. Virtual stuff? Not so much.

A US made Schwinn? It's coming....

 Detroit Bikes To Build New Schwinn Collegiate Bikes for 125th Anniversary of Marque. 

Back when I started in the bicycle biz and probably up through 2010, many people still thought Schwinn was made in the USA. Well, Walmart, et al, made sure folks got that nasty idea outta their heads. But now, a Walmart exclusive Collegiate model will be sold for Schwinn's 125th anniversary, and it will be built by Detroit Bikes in the USA. Just in time to confuse the whole situation once again.

While that sounds cool and all, take a really close look at this bike. 1 X 7 drive train, lower end rear derailleur, and side pull calipers? This cannot be much more than a $350.00 price range bike, in terms of what is available in a comparable type bicycle elsewhere. That is, unless they get you on the collectable/limited edition front. Assuming a CrMo frame too. If this is a mild steel alloy frame and fork, well then.... That's different. I'd take even more off that $350.00 figure.

I've no idea what sort of numbers production will be for this, nor what price this will be. I don't see anything in this article on it. There is some yearly production goal for all of Detroit Bikes customers, stated in the article, which is set at 20,000 mark for 2021. So, I'm betting these Collegiates will only amount to a very small number of that overall total production goal.

Note: Image of the Collegiate is a stock media image posted all around the internet. No idea on source, but I'm guessing it is Pacific Cycles. 

 Riding Gravel Radio Ranch Episode #45:

The episodes keep rolling out. Of all the goals I set for myself for 2020, this is one I can truthfully say now that I have accomplished. That goal would be to get more podcasts produced and on a more regular basis. Here's a link to the latest one.

With this episode we have now done as many podcasts in 2020 as we put out in 2018 and 2019 combined. And to think we didn't get started this year until March! We are getting episodes out more or less weekly and there are no signs of slowing down anytime soon. So, with almost a half of the year done, I think I can safely check that goal off the list.

Now my goal is to get you, the listeners, more engaged. Please send me ideas, questions, and comments to guitarted@ridinggravel.com and I will try to get those ideas, comments, and questions into circulation via the podcast. Hearing about things that riders want to hear about will help diversify the subject matter and help us keep content fresher and more interesting. As an example, we will be doing the "Single Speed Nerd-Out" podcast next, which was a suggestion for a topic that a rider e-mailed me about. It's going to happen. See how that works?


Have a great weekend! 

Friday News And Views

Let's look at these flowers from my yard and try to forget about the rain.

Trails Close Due To Flood Damage As More Rain Hits The Area:

Wednesday it was learned that a major connector trail from down town Cedar Falls to the George Wyth State Park had been closed due to flood damage and also from damage incurred when a person drove a car down that part of the trail.

This is on top of the closure of the River Loop Trail in Waterloo for repair of a sewage line that ruptured and is sending raw sewage into the Cedar River.

As if that weren't bad enough, now we are supposed to have possibly severe weather and up to two inches of rain through Sunday. What do you suppose our water logged ground and swollen rivers will do with that? Yeah..... Hopefully it isn't as bad as they say it might be.

Then there is the chances for bad weather as I try to get to Nebraska. I'll have to be on guard for any severe weather and gauge my chances carefully before trying to drive through any potential storms. Saturday looks better down that way than Friday, but I have to get there safely first. If I manage to miss the bad weather, things should be okay, but I imagine the roads will be wet to start out with for the event.

Stay tuned.......

The Topstone Carbon Ultegra RX. The Kingpin rear end is pretty interesting.

Cannondale Introduces The Topstone Carbon With Kingpin Rear "Suspension". 

Secrets..... For about as long as I've been writing this blog I have had some secret or another I have had to keep under my hat. The Topstone Carbon bike is one of those secrets. Yesterday it was finally announced, so now I can talk about it openly.

I've known much about this bike for about a month, and I saw actual images of one a few weeks ago. In fact, MG, who broke the story on RidingGravel.com yesterday, has one. Of course, if you think about it, we all pretty much knew Cannondale would eventually come out with a carbon version of their Topstone aluminum bike, but the Kingpin rear end was not foreseen.

As far as the bike goes, I am sure there is something to it. It makes sense, and I think the idea is sound, but as with anything that moves on a bike, it eventually will become a problem. How this Kingpin deal wears and acts after a couple of thousand miles is what I am interested in.

I'm a little dismayed at the lack of tire clearances, (40mm tops for 700c) , but I feel this is more of a Domane competitor than it is a gravel bike. The whole geometry package is basically a Synapse, so that kind of tells the story there. Cannondale isn't concerned about working on a solution for the front end of the bike to mitigate vibrations because they are hedging their bets against a fall off in the gravel scene. If that happens, well, with Synapse geometry and a slick 32mm road tire this is right in the Domane/Roubaix bike wheelhouse. Not that this is a bad thing, but I think Cannondale isn't really making a gravel bike in the vein of a Warbird, for example, either.

Next thing ya know they will make brake actuation electronic.

 In The "Answers To Questions Unasked" File: 

I know you've been wondering when these brake manufacturers were going to get rid of those unsightly and snaggy brake lines. They are just always in the way, right? (Said no one ever) Well, Magura is your huckleberry as they have just announced a hidden master cylinder/hydraulic hose/handle bar set up which only leaves the lever sticking out now.

This is radical stuff. It's cool that they can do this, but do we really need it? Sometimes I like to turn the reality of new designs on their head and look at it 180° differently. So, in the case of these levers, what if we all had this sort of set up, and had it for years. Then suddenly we get an introduction of a product with exposed brake lines. What would be "better" about that than the internal, hidden brake stuff? Then I like to take the answers for that and compare to what the marketing says about the "new" way. Magura says the new set up is more crash resistant, (real world data? I just don't see this myself), and the design is "cleaner and more integrated". Soooooo.......it's about looks? 

The way we've been doing things allows for quick and easy stem swaps, handle bar changes, and ease of installation. Brake systems can be moved from bike to bike easier, and replaced without much fuss.

You tell me which way is better. If you want to explore this concept more, the Magura page on this "innovation" is here.

That's it for this week. Have a great Solstice and get out and ride if you can. The days get shorter from here!

Friday News And Views

Let's look at these flowers from my yard and try to forget about the rain.

Trails Close Due To Flood Damage As More Rain Hits The Area:

Wednesday it was learned that a major connector trail from down town Cedar Falls to the George Wyth State Park had been closed due to flood damage and also from damage incurred when a person drove a car down that part of the trail.

This is on top of the closure of the River Loop Trail in Waterloo for repair of a sewage line that ruptured and is sending raw sewage into the Cedar River.

As if that weren't bad enough, now we are supposed to have possibly severe weather and up to two inches of rain through Sunday. What do you suppose our water logged ground and swollen rivers will do with that? Yeah..... Hopefully it isn't as bad as they say it might be.

Then there is the chances for bad weather as I try to get to Nebraska. I'll have to be on guard for any severe weather and gauge my chances carefully before trying to drive through any potential storms. Saturday looks better down that way than Friday, but I have to get there safely first. If I manage to miss the bad weather, things should be okay, but I imagine the roads will be wet to start out with for the event.

Stay tuned.......

The Topstone Carbon Ultegra RX. The Kingpin rear end is pretty interesting.

Cannondale Introduces The Topstone Carbon With Kingpin Rear "Suspension". 

Secrets..... For about as long as I've been writing this blog I have had some secret or another I have had to keep under my hat. The Topstone Carbon bike is one of those secrets. Yesterday it was finally announced, so now I can talk about it openly.

I've known much about this bike for about a month, and I saw actual images of one a few weeks ago. In fact, MG, who broke the story on RidingGravel.com yesterday, has one. Of course, if you think about it, we all pretty much knew Cannondale would eventually come out with a carbon version of their Topstone aluminum bike, but the Kingpin rear end was not foreseen.

As far as the bike goes, I am sure there is something to it. It makes sense, and I think the idea is sound, but as with anything that moves on a bike, it eventually will become a problem. How this Kingpin deal wears and acts after a couple of thousand miles is what I am interested in.

I'm a little dismayed at the lack of tire clearances, (40mm tops for 700c) , but I feel this is more of a Domane competitor than it is a gravel bike. The whole geometry package is basically a Synapse, so that kind of tells the story there. Cannondale isn't concerned about working on a solution for the front end of the bike to mitigate vibrations because they are hedging their bets against a fall off in the gravel scene. If that happens, well, with Synapse geometry and a slick 32mm road tire this is right in the Domane/Roubaix bike wheelhouse. Not that this is a bad thing, but I think Cannondale isn't really making a gravel bike in the vein of a Warbird, for example, either.

Next thing ya know they will make brake actuation electronic.

 In The "Answers To Questions Unasked" File: 

I know you've been wondering when these brake manufacturers were going to get rid of those unsightly and snaggy brake lines. They are just always in the way, right? (Said no one ever) Well, Magura is your huckleberry as they have just announced a hidden master cylinder/hydraulic hose/handle bar set up which only leaves the lever sticking out now.

This is radical stuff. It's cool that they can do this, but do we really need it? Sometimes I like to turn the reality of new designs on their head and look at it 180° differently. So, in the case of these levers, what if we all had this sort of set up, and had it for years. Then suddenly we get an introduction of a product with exposed brake lines. What would be "better" about that than the internal, hidden brake stuff? Then I like to take the answers for that and compare to what the marketing says about the "new" way. Magura says the new set up is more crash resistant, (real world data? I just don't see this myself), and the design is "cleaner and more integrated". Soooooo.......it's about looks? 

The way we've been doing things allows for quick and easy stem swaps, handle bar changes, and ease of installation. Brake systems can be moved from bike to bike easier, and replaced without much fuss.

You tell me which way is better. If you want to explore this concept more, the Magura page on this "innovation" is here.

That's it for this week. Have a great Solstice and get out and ride if you can. The days get shorter from here!

Friday News And Views

The Path Less Pedaled Interviews Guitar Ted:

There is another podcast out right now that features myself yakking about the gravel scene and a bit about Trans Iowa. It was an interview conducted by Russ from "The Path Less Pedaled" and if you'd like to hear the almost one hour gab session, click here.

A couple of notes here- First off, this was recorded before Trans Iowa v14. So......I couldn't let on that T.I.v14 was the last, or the cat would have been outta the bag too early. But you may wonder about that because the podcast didn't get released until earlier this week. Well.......

I was supposed to have been video interviewed, but the connection wasn't working for video, so we just recorded the audio track and Russ said he'd make it work out. He wanted an image from me of myself, but Trans Iowa was up next, and then the DK200, and then...... I forgot all about that. I didn't know when Russ planned on releasing the audio, so I kept the news about T.I. mum during the recording.

 So, Russ grabbed some video shot during the beginning of the DKXL event at the Dirty Kanza 200 weekend. (I wrote about that moment here on the blog) and pasted that in front of the interview as a lead in. That's something I didn't know he was going to do, so I was a bit surprised by that, and the point of views he used I never had seen before. At any rate, I had no idea even if this podcast would ever get released, much less when, so the deal was a big surprise this week when I came across the mention on Twitter. Check it out if you'd like.......

The new Cannondale Topstone gravel bike

Cannondale Debuts New Gravel Rig:

Maybe you saw my post on this bike for RidingGravel.com. But in case you haven't, Cannondale is now making a 700c based gravel rig. The Slate, the front suspended, 650B rig, continues in the line up as well, but this new rig ticks a lot of "standard" boxes when it comes to current gravel rigs. 42mm tire clearances, (probably a slightly bigger tire will work as well), dropper post compatibility, three bottle bosses with the down tube one being a triple, "Three Pack" type set of braze ons, rack and fender mounts, and through axles front and rear. All carbon fork on all three models. All the basics here. By the way, it has been said it will accept a 650B x 47mm tire as well. They just won't be offered in 650B.

While all that is well and fine, and the bike is aimed at the entry to mid-level buyer, what I was very impressed by was the geometry. Cannondale pushed a few models into their gravel category that were really cyclo-cross bikes and the geometry showed it. Now the Topstone will have, what in my opinion is, an aggressively slack head angle mated with an aggressively low bottom bracket. 71° and 75mm respectively. I like those numbers a lot, and in fact, that was my preferred set of numbers for the Tamland, but in 2012 I thought that telling Raleigh to do that was too radical. 

The Topstone will come in three model specs and the top is shown here in SRAM Apex 1. The other two are Shimano 105 and Sora, both with double ring chainsets. I dig that blue color, but I do not dig that drive train! The 105 is a glossy, conservative grey and the Sora is forest green, or close to that with a starting price of 1G. The others go up from there. $1650.00 and 2G actually. The bikes are available now.....

Topstone Sora

Topstone 105

The Bubblegum Princess Update:

I didn't really give a review of the pink MCD Black Mountain Cycles rig after Gravel Worlds, but I will say a few words now since I have a space to here.

First off, I am not changing a thing. I may as well saw off the steer tube now where I have the stem set and call it finished since I have zero complaints about the way I fit the bike. All the careful measuring I took off my other bikes paid off with a perfect fit the first time. Trust me, I am pretty surprised I nailed it!

The big tires are the way to go for me. The Riddlers are good. I think Resolutes would be even better. I need to try them on here sometime. But other than that, the bike is perfect. Thanks to Ben Witt and Whiskey Parts for the incredible No. 9 24 Drop Bar and the super-smooth No. 7 Seatpost. The ride of this bike is totally calm and smooth mainly due to these two components. Also, my bum left shoulder has never been happier! Well, since it's been a "bum shoulder", that is.  So, I am tickled pink, (sorry!), about these parts on this bike.

During the Gravel Worlds event I had really awesome stability due to the geometry of the bike and the tire/rim combination. The looser sand and pea gravel down there never threw me for a loop and I could even dart across the center line of the road at high down hill speeds without fear of washing out or fishtailing. The wasboard, which was all over the course, was sucked up big time by the bar, post, and my Redshift Shock Stop stem. The whole package really made it so my body wasn't beat up at all over the course of the 24hrs of Cumming or Gravel Worlds.

Finally, a word about the fork. It is really smooth. I was afraid that since the disc brake change was coming that the new fork wasn't going to feel like the old cantilever brake Monster Cross fork does. But I have no worries about that after having done two different kinds of gravel in two different states. That fork works very well, and you can see it working. Just like you can with the cantilever based fork.

In my humble opinion, both Monster Cross variants are home runs for gravel or all-road riding. Mike Varley has done it again, and now I have another bike I'll never be letting go of. I look forward to a lot of adventures on my new Bubblegum Princess and continued adventures on the Orange Crush.

That's all for this week. Have a great weekend and get out and ride!

Friday News And Views

The Path Less Pedaled Interviews Guitar Ted:

There is another podcast out right now that features myself yakking about the gravel scene and a bit about Trans Iowa. It was an interview conducted by Russ from "The Path Less Pedaled" and if you'd like to hear the almost one hour gab session, click here.

A couple of notes here- First off, this was recorded before Trans Iowa v14. So......I couldn't let on that T.I.v14 was the last, or the cat would have been outta the bag too early. But you may wonder about that because the podcast didn't get released until earlier this week. Well.......

I was supposed to have been video interviewed, but the connection wasn't working for video, so we just recorded the audio track and Russ said he'd make it work out. He wanted an image from me of myself, but Trans Iowa was up next, and then the DK200, and then...... I forgot all about that. I didn't know when Russ planned on releasing the audio, so I kept the news about T.I. mum during the recording.

 So, Russ grabbed some video shot during the beginning of the DKXL event at the Dirty Kanza 200 weekend. (I wrote about that moment here on the blog) and pasted that in front of the interview as a lead in. That's something I didn't know he was going to do, so I was a bit surprised by that, and the point of views he used I never had seen before. At any rate, I had no idea even if this podcast would ever get released, much less when, so the deal was a big surprise this week when I came across the mention on Twitter. Check it out if you'd like.......

The new Cannondale Topstone gravel bike

Cannondale Debuts New Gravel Rig:

Maybe you saw my post on this bike for RidingGravel.com. But in case you haven't, Cannondale is now making a 700c based gravel rig. The Slate, the front suspended, 650B rig, continues in the line up as well, but this new rig ticks a lot of "standard" boxes when it comes to current gravel rigs. 42mm tire clearances, (probably a slightly bigger tire will work as well), dropper post compatibility, three bottle bosses with the down tube one being a triple, "Three Pack" type set of braze ons, rack and fender mounts, and through axles front and rear. All carbon fork on all three models. All the basics here. By the way, it has been said it will accept a 650B x 47mm tire as well. They just won't be offered in 650B.

While all that is well and fine, and the bike is aimed at the entry to mid-level buyer, what I was very impressed by was the geometry. Cannondale pushed a few models into their gravel category that were really cyclo-cross bikes and the geometry showed it. Now the Topstone will have, what in my opinion is, an aggressively slack head angle mated with an aggressively low bottom bracket. 71° and 75mm respectively. I like those numbers a lot, and in fact, that was my preferred set of numbers for the Tamland, but in 2012 I thought that telling Raleigh to do that was too radical. 

The Topstone will come in three model specs and the top is shown here in SRAM Apex 1. The other two are Shimano 105 and Sora, both with double ring chainsets. I dig that blue color, but I do not dig that drive train! The 105 is a glossy, conservative grey and the Sora is forest green, or close to that with a starting price of 1G. The others go up from there. $1650.00 and 2G actually. The bikes are available now.....

Topstone Sora

Topstone 105

The Bubblegum Princess Update:

I didn't really give a review of the pink MCD Black Mountain Cycles rig after Gravel Worlds, but I will say a few words now since I have a space to here.

First off, I am not changing a thing. I may as well saw off the steer tube now where I have the stem set and call it finished since I have zero complaints about the way I fit the bike. All the careful measuring I took off my other bikes paid off with a perfect fit the first time. Trust me, I am pretty surprised I nailed it!

The big tires are the way to go for me. The Riddlers are good. I think Resolutes would be even better. I need to try them on here sometime. But other than that, the bike is perfect. Thanks to Ben Witt and Whiskey Parts for the incredible No. 9 24 Drop Bar and the super-smooth No. 7 Seatpost. The ride of this bike is totally calm and smooth mainly due to these two components. Also, my bum left shoulder has never been happier! Well, since it's been a "bum shoulder", that is.  So, I am tickled pink, (sorry!), about these parts on this bike.

During the Gravel Worlds event I had really awesome stability due to the geometry of the bike and the tire/rim combination. The looser sand and pea gravel down there never threw me for a loop and I could even dart across the center line of the road at high down hill speeds without fear of washing out or fishtailing. The wasboard, which was all over the course, was sucked up big time by the bar, post, and my Redshift Shock Stop stem. The whole package really made it so my body wasn't beat up at all over the course of the 24hrs of Cumming or Gravel Worlds.

Finally, a word about the fork. It is really smooth. I was afraid that since the disc brake change was coming that the new fork wasn't going to feel like the old cantilever brake Monster Cross fork does. But I have no worries about that after having done two different kinds of gravel in two different states. That fork works very well, and you can see it working. Just like you can with the cantilever based fork.

In my humble opinion, both Monster Cross variants are home runs for gravel or all-road riding. Mike Varley has done it again, and now I have another bike I'll never be letting go of. I look forward to a lot of adventures on my new Bubblegum Princess and continued adventures on the Orange Crush.

That's all for this week. Have a great weekend and get out and ride!