Friday News And Views

Apologies:

The 32”er wheel news was a mistake on my part and I apologize for the mistake  

Thanks for the folks in the comments who set me straight  I appreciate you all  

New Podcast With Dark Reader Questions:

We like reader questions and Josh, (a local rider. Hello Josh!), loves sending us questions. He sent one in recently which gave rise to the title of our latest episode, "The Death Bike"

Without giving too much away, the premise of the main question was this: You have five good, healthy years left. Then you die. You have ONE bike to ride these last five years, and price is no barrier. What would you build? 

We jokingly called this our "death bike" dream build. So, that is why we named the episode as we have. At any rate, it is Halloween weekend! Please enjoy the new episode, and there is a lot more in there than just that topic to listen to. 

We're closing in on the end of Season 4 of the Guitar 
Ted Podcast. Four seasons and we have already recorded 122 episodes. Thirty-Two just this year alone. The total output of the Guitar Ted Podcast has already outstripped the Riding Gravel Radio Ranch's output in less than half the amount of time. As I look back the decision to take control of the production was a wise one from a podcast production standpoint. 

Hopefully you listeners are enjoying the podcast and we still like doing it. New things are in the works for 2027. Stay tuned....

I Get No Respect:

In the annals of gravel event history in the Modern Era, Barry-Roubaix is often forgotten or ignored for some reason. 

I'm not sure why this is. The event has perennially been one of the largest gravel events anywhere with 5,700 riders annually now. It boasts a prize pool worth $40,000 dollars. It is well sponsored by the cycling industry and is one of the best run events anywhere in cycling. 

But do you ever read or hear anything about this event? If you do, it is rare to see it mentioned in mainstream media that covers cycling. And maybe that is a good thing. Maybe it helps preserve the feel of this event. But the importance and influence this event has, and still does, cannot be denied. 

That influence is important to gravel cycling history. Co-founders of Barry-Roubaix, Rick Plite and his wife, Cathy Plite probably should have already been in the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame by this point. (PLEASE, someone nominate them HERE) They not only deserve being in the Hall, they are a glaring omission from it. 

And by the way, you can register for the 2027 Barry-Roubaix, scheduled for April 17th, 2027, on November 14th on BIKEREG. Barry-Roubaix Homepage HERE.  

Not Much Happening:

Typically I have to edit out several stories from appearing here on the FN&V. However; this week has been a slow news week,and so this FN&V will be a brief one this week. 

There is another circumstance which may be affecting this shorter FN&V if anything breaks news-wise on Thursday. But to learn why that is, you'll have to come back here on Saturday and read that day's entry. 

There are a few things percolating in the background here which I cannot discuss just yet. That all should get announced soon. 

Reviews are all starting to be wrapped up. I think I have something like three more to go before I can put the 2026 review season in the rear view mirror. Speaking of rear view mirrors.... 

I'll be working up my end-of-year stuff soon too. 2026 is quickly coming to a close. Meanwhile we tied a record for temperature here on Wednesday at 79°. 

Ridiculous. 

Okay folks.....go ride those bicycles!

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Trek Bicycles.

Mazda Becomes Official Vehicle Of Trek Off-Road Teams In North America:

On Tuesday a press release went out declaring the Mazda has become the Official Vehicle of Trek North American Off-Road Teams and events. 

Mazda will provide the CX-50 model to Trek in a "multi-year" deal. These vehicles will appear at North American XC MTB events, DH events, and at select gravel events under the "DRFTLSS" moniker. (DRFTLSS example shown) 

Comments: Old timers will recall the Trek VW MTB Team and how they were a staple of the NORBA scene in the mid to late 90's. There were some Trek VW mountain bike models made and sold at dealers, but no such plan has been revealed for this new partnership with Mazda. 

Yeah.....gravel events have come a long, long way. Team cars at gravel events? With big time sponsorship from a worldwide automaker? Crazy.....  I just shake my head in wonder.

Then there is this current trend to avoid vowels. I'm going to say it - I don't like it. I know...... Maybe I'm a fuddy-duddy, but spelling is important to me. At least it seems the terms "groadie" and "groad" have quietly been retired. Those were just plain stupid. I always despised those two terms.

Image courtesy of Trek Bicycles

 You're Almost There!

The "endurance" geometry road bikes have been creeping into "gravel bike" territory for the last couple of years. On Thursday Trek released the fifth generation of the Domane. It is another step closer to where I thought road bikes for the average folks should be at back in 2010. 

Featuring the new frame and fork which has retired the use of IsoSpeed (thankfully!), Trek has otherwise designed in a compliant seat post, (A ROUND seat post? gasp!) and given the bike clearance for tires up to 40mm. The geometry is pretty much "first generation" gravel bike geo, and hilariously, they ditched the down tube storage to lighten the frame. (Take that N.Y. Roll!)  

There are several models to choose from starting at about 8K and going up from there. 

Comments: First of all, Trek's website navigation is a disaster. It seems overly-complex and offensive in its barrage of visual information. Maybe that's just me, but I've seen far easier sites to look at. That much I do know.... 

Okay, the bikes! Well, I find it very interesting that, ten years ago, this would have been a top tier gravel bike without question. Checking into some details, there is even a frame bag mount and a custom fitted bag available for this Domane along with a top tube bag. Fully kitted out, a new Gen 5 Domane would slip right into any current gravel event and no one would bat an eyelash.  

There is a white paper page which goes into all the nerdy details of the ditching of IsoSpeed. I found it fascinating to read that Trek credits tire volumes and disc brakes as things which have negated the need for decoupling their frames. They credit flexing seat posts as a benefit as well as their trotting out the old saw of "vertical compliance and lateral stiffness". (HA!) 

I'm glad Trek figured it out, (finally), but they need to go just a little further with this. Give me clearance for 42/43mm tires, (or 45mm, since the tire folks have kinda landed on a 40-45-50 scheme), and slacken that head angle a half degree or so and we're there. Domane AllRoad, I'd call it. Oh! And maybe not make the entry level bike so dang expensive (carbon), 8K is nuts.  

 

Accell Group Declared Bankrupt By Dutch Court:

In news from the bicycle industry, it was revealed on Wednesday that a Dutch court had declared Accell Group and its brands bankrupt. This is an escalation from the previous designation by the courts which would have provided a means of restructuring the company. 

Accell Group owns the brands Raleigh, Lapierre, Ghost, Haibike, and others. The status of these subsidiaries is  complex due to the multi-national situation. Lapierre, for instance, is seeking to find its way independently, but the success of this move has yet to be determined. 

You can see more details in the story posted on "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" 

Comments: This seemed to me to be the most probable end-game for Accell, who have struggled mightily since the pandemic. It would be easy to blame that time for this news, but I feel Accell's problems started well before this. 

Now.....this is just my opinion, but as I was working at a Raleigh dealer in the USA in the 2010's, I can say that Raleigh was at their pinnacle of potential here in 2014. In that year Raleigh introduced the Tamland range. It was one of the very first, purpose-designed bicycles for gravel. It also sold very well. Raleigh could have made a big dent in the gravel market. 

However; shortly afterward, Raleigh started a consumer direct model of selling bicycles, which Raleigh's US based dealer network was not happy about. 

Subsequently their dealership numbers faded quickly here. This coupled with Raleigh's too soon timing of their D2C move essentially erased Raleigh's presence from the US bicycle market. It could have gone so much differently, but the D2C thing along with a lack of vision for the Tamland and successors in the gravel range pretty much set the tone for what happened after the pandemic.   

unPAved of the Susquehanna River Valley Announces 2026 Events:

A press release sent out on Wednesday announced the details on the 9th unPAved of the Susquehanna River Valley events for 2026. This year the unPAved weekend will be on October 10th - 11th in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. 

Some details include:

Race for Whoopie Pies: For those who want a place on the podium and part of a $3,000 cash purse we've got the Full-130 course battled out over four timed segments that add up to 59 total miles (45% of the full route) of gravel racing. And if that’s not enough, there's the Big Lick-200 for the ultra endurance folks that prefer to race through the night.

Ride at Pierogies Pace: For those just looking for the vibes and the views we've got four choose-your-own-adventure courses from just over 50 miles to the Full-130 course at a civilized pace and lower price. Plus we have added two new courses (40 and 70 miles) for our Pierogi Pacers in 2026 that will start and finish at the Rusty Rail Brewing Company in Mifflinburg, PA.

Have a SlumberPArty: If you're all about gravelmaxxing the weekend our SlumberPArty gives you two days to ride the course. Roll out on Saturday, camp overnight at R.B. Winter State Park, and finish the course with the other riders Sunday. We'll even ferry your gear to and from camp.

Weekend Full of Activities: unPAved has grown from a single-day event to a full 3-day weekend, with gatherings starting on Friday night, and on Saturday there’s the Lewisburg Fall Festival with FUNpaved Rides, vendors, crafters, and kids’ activities followed up by the unPAved Film Festival at the historic Campus Theatre in downtown Lewisburg, PA.

Comments: Highly recommended event and one of the very best gravel events anywhere. Especially for anyone on the East Coast. Register HERE

No Powerline?

Wildfire damage has altered the course for this weekend's Leadville event taking out an iconic climb and making the overall elevation gain for the event less than it typically has. 

Storylines for this year include Quin Simmons attempt at the Men's win, Last year's Woman's winner, Kate Courtney's attempt two double up, 32"ers making a dent, and the 5DEV company offering 12K plus a little to anyone who can win using their Shredville Mount, a system which allows one to use road controls on a flat bar. 

Lots of weirdness possibilities this year, which I think is fun. We'll see how it all turns out. 

Okay, that is a wrap for this week! Get out and ride those bikes! Summer is fading fast!

Friday News And Views

 

Image courtesy of Gravel Worlds

 

 Gravel Worlds Re-brands:

 On Friday of last week news broke concerning a re-branding of Gravel Worlds. The event held annually in Lincoln, Nebraska, is going on its seventeenth year. The event is generally held around the second or third week of August and the course is a loop in and out of Lincoln. 

 Citing Nebraska's status as a top beef producer, the agricultural nature of the Gravel Worlds course, and the fact that the roads Gravel Worlds uses are primarily farm to market roads, the team at Gravel Worlds has designed an iconic logo. A logo which embodies the spirit of these facts. It has also incorporated the name of one of Gravel Worlds sponsors, McGrills, an outdoor grill brand which is manufactured in Beatrice, Nebraska. 

Following is a review of old Gravel Worlds logos, just for kicks..... 

Gravel worlds branding used most through the 2010's

 

Garmin comes on as a sponsor

In 2018 the site header lost the rainbow colors due to a cease and desist from the UCI

 

Celebrating 10 years in 2019

Obviously....

Logo from 2024, the year the founders of the event left and when the current team took over the event.

2025 header/logo

That's a good overview of how this event branded itself for most of its existence. Originally it was just a Pirate Cycling League event and the logo used was the PCL logo, but I did not include those in this mini-review. 

Virtual Ride For Jacob:

I was thinking the other day that there may be a few of you who might want to do a "ride for Jacob" but cannot come to Cedar Falls on the 25th to join me. Well.....what about a virtual Ride For Jacob? 

Here's what you can do. Let me know you've dedicated a ride for my son and tell me a bit about it. I'll send you a "Jacob" sticker. 

Just make sure I get an address to send it to. If you haven't seen one of these stickers they look like the sticker below. 

The story of your ride and why you did it can be sent to me at g.ted.productions@gmail.com.There is no time date stamp, so if you want to do this now, next week, or on the 25th, that is fine with me. I know of one fellow who is doing RAGBRAI who is dedicating a day to this. 

I guess if we want to make this a thing you could also send in a image or two and I'd post your story and images on the blog, much like I do for the Virtual Turkey Burn Ride. 

Or.....you don't have to do anything. Please do not feel obligated to write up anything, or even do a special ride. I'll still send you a sticker if you want one. 

Okay, that's really all I have for this idea. Thanks to "Tim" for the spark which led to this idea.  

Image courtesy of social media post

Wildfires In Northern Minnesota/Canada Affecting Air Quality:

Look, it's wildfire season again! And - of course - we need to be thinking about those losing their homes and livelihoods to these fires. And we need to be thinking about air quality. 

The map here is showing air quality for the Northeastern US for yesterday. Wildfire smoke issues are affecting a wide swath of this part of the nation. 

Whether or not we start seeing this in Iowa will depend on winds and air currents, but as of now we do not have issues here. However; we have had issues in the past and a few years ago, wildfire smoke pretty much shut down outdoor cycling for the month of June. 

Be safe out there! Inhaling smoke-riddled air is no joke, so consider not doing any cycling if your air quality is poor. 

 

Image courtesy of Trek Bikes

Trek Announces E-Fat Bike Models:

Trek announced a new e-Bike range on Thursday.. The new bikes are called "Borrego" and feature fat tires with a hub drive and 80mm suspension forks. 

Two models exist and the price starts at about $2,500.00.  

Comments: This looks a whole lot like the common e-Bike style we've seen from Radpower and other brands sold online. It's fairly obvious Trek is trying to reach those types of consumers here who would otherwise probably not look to Trek for an e-Bike at all.  

The price point may seem a bit steep, compared to the likes of other look-a-like e-Bikes, but here you have a dealer network and ostensibly a dealer network that will actually work on the bike when it inevitably needs work.  Try that with your Amazon sourced e-Fat bike. 

Maybe Trek will make a dent into this market, but it could be also that they are a little too late to jump on this bandwagon. I mean, this bike is totally ten years behind the times, in terms of tech and what is cutting edge now. We shall see how it goes....  

Not much else in the way of news for the week. So, that's a wrap for now. Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Now get out there and RAGBRAI, or ride however you ride!

Road Bike Trends Toward "All-Road" Territory

GP5000's now available in 700 x 35mm (Inage courtesy of Continental Tires)

 Maybe you are a reader here who does not pay attention much to the latest trends in road bikes. That would be understandable if you are a regular here because I do not cover road bikes much, or at all during many months. I may make a mention here or there, but by no means do I tend to bring a lot to the table in regard to this category of bicycle. 

However; I feel this is going to be changing soon now due to where road bikes trends are heading. Just this week Continental announced a 700 x 35mm GP5000 tire. A tire which, just not that long ago was only available in up to a 28mm width. Pirelli has already breached the mid-40mm barrier with one of the their road bike tire models. Vittoria just announced a 700 x 32mm road tire this week as well. 

Trek Madone (Image courtesy of Trek Bikes)

It is also rumored now Trek is considering opening up tire clearances for the next generation of their Madone aero bike. If, say, one could put a 700 x 40mm+ tire in a Madone with confidence, well, does this make a Madone a gravel bike? 

It is a fair question. Take as an example what my parameters for a gravel bike were when I was talking about building a custom gravel bike in 2010. 

I wanted, amongst other things, 700 X 42mm tire clearance. With fenders. Now, since some road tires are being released in nearly this width, and in the case of Pirelli, beyond, how does a road bike from 2026 measure up as a possibility for what I wanted in an "all-roads" bike back in 2010? 

Well, frankly the Madone sucks as an all-road choice from the standpoint of geometry. Another Trek bike is much, much better, and it is the Domane. Current maximum tire size on a Domane is 700 x 38mm. So, I'll use this model as my cross-reference to what I was looking for in an all-roads bike back in 2010. 

The Domane features two of my critical geometry desires well. The bottom bracket drop is listed as being a healthy 78mm in my size 58cm. The head tube angle is listed at 72°. The chain stays are listed at 425mm.

In 2010 I was hoping for a 71.5° head tube angle, something in the realm of 72mm - 75mm bottom bracket drop, and 435mm chain stays. So, the Domane is tantalizingly close. Very close. And if Trek also opens up the tire clearances on the Domane, well.....that's a viable all roads bike right there. 

I'm sure other brands are looking into this trend or the tire makers would not be making such big road tires. It kinda blows my mind when I think about all the customers who balked at 700 x 25mm road tires in the 2010's. Wow..... What a sea change! 

So, yeah. You might start seeing "road bikes" showing up on this page in the near future if this trend continues as I am seeing things go. 

Troubles In Waterloo

 NOTE: Large doses of "my opinion" will be handed out in gloppy dollops today. You've been forewarned.....

Introduction:

I was recently forwarded a link to an article on the "Escape Collective" site by Ronan Mc Laughlin which has painted a troubling picture of industry giant, Trek Bicycles. My link was a "gift" link, so I was able to read the entire article, but this is a paywalled site, so if you have a subscription, go read that and you will get a good feel for what is happening with Trek. Also, if you'd rather listen to N.Y. Roll and I discuss this topic, and others, we get to this in our latest podcast episode HERE. 

From my personal perspective as a person who worked at a Trek retailer for almost two decades, I will give my own take on this subject, as some of what is written about in the article I read has roots going way back with Trek. This also probably will be similar to workings at Specialized, and to a lesser extent, other brands in cycling. 

 The Problems:

There is no doubt that there are two major weights on the cycling business currently. One is still an abundance of inventory in several categories. This has been detailed at length by trade magazines. The second is an ongoing downturn in consumer buying. Several factors go into the consumer part and the consumer part directly relates to the inventory bit.  

In my opinion, Trek, and related cycling brands, haven't pivoted quickly enough, or at all, from their trade practices embedded within their company's cultures. Trying to force excess inventory on dealer's backs, discontinuing popular models, and misdirecting efforts into products with little mass appeal hasn't just been something which has happened recently. These things have been happening for decades. Literally. 

Add to this the internet. I like to think of this in terms of how we used to access music, and how music is accessed now. At one point, when I was young, (admittedly, back when rocks were soft!), we had the radio, the rare concert, or covers by local bands to learn of new tunage. That was it. Oh.....maybe your local department store played new tunes in the record department. But you get the picture. Access was limited. We were all directed into these similar silos. 

Now/ pffft! Can anyone count the ways music can be accessed now? I doubt it. This is why "record departments" no longer exist in mass quantities anymore. It is why AM/FM radio is unknown to anyone under the age of 40 years. Concerts? Yeah.....maybe. If you've got tons of expendable income, then maybe. 

We refurbish and scrap tons of bicycles every year at the Collective.

So, bike shops were the "radio/record shop/magazine" for bicycles. Now days, you can get bikes anywhere. Used ones, new ones, direct from factory ones, and you can even design your own bicycle and have it made in China and shipped to your doorstep. 

 The Non-Evolution Of Bicycle Retail:

Bicycle brands relying solely, or nearly so, on bicycle shops are cutting off several avenues for reaching consumers. And maybe it doesn't matter. Especially if Trek or some other well known brand is seen as something out of touch with younger consumers. 

Like maybe Trek is the modern day equivalent to rotary phones for the younger generations. A "grandpa/grandma" brand which is so out of touch the youth won't even give them a chance. I don't know, but I do know in the shop I worked at which handled Trek, seeing younger folks actually buying Treks was rare. 

Overproduction: 

Finally, there are just way too many bicycles being produced. At the Collective during the year of 2025 we hauled about 6 metric tons of scrap to the recyclers, all bicycles or bicycle related things. We refurbished well over 100 bikes for sale to the community. All freely donated things. All out of one tiny non-profit shop in a modest sized Mid-Western city. (I'm not counting bicycles we gave to people in need) 

Think about this - If we were to just get the bicycles sitting around in your city up and running again, we wouldn't need any new bicycles. And people are catching on to this. I've seen two recent YouTube videos with subject matter related to restoring old 1990's mountain bikes and how versatile those bikes are. (No lies told either.)

Just the sheer amount of resources and knowledge at our finger tips is also unmasking the decades long secret of over-production of bicycles. There are reasons why it worked for so long though. The marketing over the years created near feral thoughts in consumer's minds which moved us to buy the "latest and greatest" thing. Look, I am not absolving myself here. I am just as guilty as anyone when the new shiny thing comes around. (32" wheels anyone?), so yes - I am also part of this problem. But now more people are catching on that just because a bike is a few years, or even a few decades old, it doesn't mean it is not awesome. This cuts into new bike sales also.

 Conclusions:

  Read the article from the "Escape Collective", if you can. The author makes it sound like pretty dark times are ahead for Trek. You can contrast those thoughts with mine here. Any way you slice it, as I have said here before, bicycle retail is in for a major resetting in the next ten years."Traditional" bicycle shops will be rare. Whatever takes over will not look like the chaos we have now. 

Two Things

 KOM GPS Mount:

So, I was looking for a GPS mount for the Wahoo Elemnt Roam and all of them I have are being used. I wanted to put the Roam on my Gryphon Mk3 for the upcoming Tree In The Road Ride.  Well, since I was unwilling to dismount any of the mounts I have in place now this left me with no other option than to order a new one.

Shopping online led me to KOM Cycling. I've had good performance and experiences with their products such as their tubeless tools, saddle roll, and tube pack. They offer GPS mounts as well, so I decided to roll with one of their Wahoo compatible mounts. The price is very reasonable, and it comes in colors, so this was appealing also.

The mount is made of injection molded plastic. It seems reasonably lightweight, and it has these killer rubber shims for smaller diameter mounting points. They are molded rubber in a cicular shape, and split, so you can slip one over a bar and not have to hold it in place while trying to mount the GPS holder. These are probably the best shims I've ever seen for an accessory.

Which is kind of sad since I didn't need to use either one sent! The GPS mount has an embedded rubber strip for grip if you do not need those impressive shims. The mount uses the ubiquitous single 3mm hex head bolt to clamp down the mount, and with the embedded rubber strip, this clamp feels rock-solid. I expect no movement there. And the Roam fits snugly with no wiggle or chance it would randomly twist out of the mount. So, I am satisfied and I would buy one again if I need to for another bike.

Image from Facebook post.

Trek Full-Sus Gravel Bike Spotted:

Recent ultra-distance events have revealed a Trek branded full-suspension bike which is not in their catalog as of this writing. 

The bike appears to use a linkage driven rear shock tucked up underneath the junction with the top tube and seat tube. The tires look pretty beefy, which is the trend for adventure bikes, and the bike appears to have geometry which would be more mountian-bikish rather than gravel race/riding geometry.

Apparently there is a Reddit thread on this bike where users claim the name of the model is "Checkout".

Comments: Interesting.... My observation is the average bikepacker is looking for less complexity and ease of field repair. While suspension forks are typically used by many bikepackers, a short travel gravel fork seems, well......pointless.No one has convinced me yet that 40mm of travel can do what 100mm of travel does. The reality is 40mm of travel is handcuffing yourself to a compromise which has the same weight, complexity, and maintenance factors as a 100mm fork which, as well all know, actually works. 

I am not against this idea, however, full-suspension hasn't been a hot bikepacking choice, not that I've noted, so acceptance of a model like the Trek shown here doesn't seem a slam dunk. Obviously, we don't know details either, but if the bike has a high bottom bracket and leans into MTB geometry, with its paltry suspension travel, (at least up front), it would seem to be an odd-ball offering.

But I don't know, it could be a big deal. What do you think? 

Friday News And Views

As seen on Trek's "X" account Tuesday

 Welcome To The First FN&V of 2025 Spring!

 Data Acquisition:

Trek entered the data acquisition game with a new app they call "Trek Ride Club" . Promising many of the same benefits which are embedded into most ride apps, Trek Ride Club also features a roadside/trailside repair assistance feature. A rider can call in, for instance, for assistance on how to repair a flat tire on the roadside or on the trail.

Trek Ride Club can also be the one-stop source for all your ride data as it will pull in data from Strava accounts and other apps for you.

Comments: Cannondale has been trying to get riders hooked on their data acquisition model for well over five years now, so Trek's efforts are not the first in this field. It stands to reason though to assume most big brands will likely roll out some sort of ride/data programs in the future because of the perceived benefits to the rider, but more importantly, for what that data can tell the brands.

Cannondale's app is modeled after a safety/maintenance theme while Trek's looks like any other ride app from a GPS computer company.  In fact, this begs the question: Is Trek going to get into the GPS computer game? It would make total sense since they already have the app and a GPS unit, say a Bontrager branded one, would further integrate users into the Trek ecosystem.

While that may or may not happen in the future, in my opinion, this is all about Trek gathering data on its customers and not so much about a "club".  

Cannondale Habit 26 (Image courtesy of Cannondale Bicycles)

 Cannondale Habit 26 - Wait...What?!

So, I cruise the internet for bicycle news for this post weekly and sometimes I discover an oddball thing or two. This happened this week as I decided to bite on a social media post by Cannondale concerning their Habit full suspension Limited 29"er model.

As I perused the range a bike caught my eye, in particular, the name: Habit 26.

Wait! A twenty six inch wheeled full suspension bike? Yep! It is aimed at the youth market, and I see a lot of wisdom in having a model like this. Get the kid on a serious FS MTB, the kid gets the bug for MTB, and hopefully continues into adulthood as a mountain biker. Makes sense.

But what made me smile was the idea of a 26 inch wheeled full suspension bike design being derived from a 29 inch wheeled design. Maybe this has happened before, but if it has, I am not aware of it. Ten years ago this would have been unthinkable. Certainly 15 years ago it was not considered possible.

And getting back to this idea from a practical standpoint, I like that it costs well under 2G. But why Cannondale did not spec a dropper post is beyond me. If there ever were a perfect application for a dropper post, this qualifies, in my opinion.

Image courtesy of Kogel Bearings

It's Huge, It's Kolossos:

Kogel Bearings just announced a less expensive derailleur cage/pulley product in their Kolossos ST. It uses the same cage material and pulleys as the normal Kolossos but trades in the ceramic ball bearings for stainless steel ones.

The new Kolossos ST sells for $324.99 and you can find it at www.kogel.cc

Of course, that thing is for roadies. If you are a gravel person, Kogel has you covered as well. Here is a link to their GRX compatible 11 speed cage. There is a 12 speed one as available also.

Comments: I get the idea. Less chain articulation equals less losses to efficiency. But man....those are expensive gizmos! I've only ever seen a few at gravel events, but then again, I am not riding with the "fast guys and gals" either.

Have you used one of these things? I'd love to hear about it in the comments.

Image courtesy of Ritchey Design

New Colors, New Size For Ritchey Outback:

Ritchey Design sent out news on Thursday concerning a few tweaks to their classic Outback gravel/adventure frame set. 

Now available in an XXL size, the Outback has six sizes available now in two new colorways: Aurora and Winter Sage.

There is also now internal dropper post routing and the frameset comes with the carbon, straight 1 1/8th steer tube, Adventure Fork which has a drilling on the fork crown and internal routing for a dynamo hub. 

Pricing is set at $1,599.00 USD,  €1599 (inc. VAT), and £1392 (inc. VAT) See your Ritchey dealer or check out this frameset at ritcheylogic.com    

Comments: I wanted to like the Outback when it came out several years ago. However, it was another of those offerings which tried to be a 700c and 650B compatible design. The compromise there is the bottom bracket has to have less drop, in case the end user wants to go with 650B wheels.

This made sense then. Also, tire clearances are- for 700c, 48mm maximum, and for 650B it is 2.0". That was great several years ago, but now? Well, first of all, 650B is, for all intents and purposes, dead to me, at any rate. So, any design making a compromise to fit something I'd never consider using is a waste. Secondly, with the move toward wider tires across the gravel-sphere, this frame set loses a bit of its appeal for me in this regard as well.

Keep in mind that my 2014 Raleigh Tamland has about the same exact clearances for both wheel sizes, so I feel this illustrates how the Outback is a bit dated in this regard.

That's it for this week! Look for some gravel related releases next week on these digital pages. Until then, get out and "spring" forth on those bicycles!

Friday News And Views

Will Holidays Prop Up Bicycle Industry's Season?

Sluggish sales in many categories have plagued the cycling industry all of 2024. So-called "Black Friday" sales offers and discounts have been piling up in this writer's inbox the entire month of November. I've even seen discounts on already discounted bikes! Deep discounts are tempting, but many seem to be reticent to let go of those funds in their accounts. 

Further muddying the waters are the results of the recent national election which many fear will increase costs to consumers of cycling goods by way of proposed tariffs. Seeing as how most of the stuff cyclists want and consume come from foreign manufacturers, this seems to be a reasonable fear for the cycling consumer. 

Since many consumers are already saying prices are too high, it would seem that any actions taken by the government which would end up increasing the costs of foreign made goods would only further erode consumer's motivations to buy in 2025. Of course, nothing has happened yet, and it may not happen, in regard to the proposed government actions on tariffs. So, we will just have to wait until 2025 and see what really happens. 

In the meantime, are you considering buying now instead of later due to this fear of tariff action? Respond in the comments if you care to sound off.

Trek Lime ...Or Is It Lemon?:

In the late 2000's Shimano introduced a three speed internal geared hub which was shifted by a control box electronically. The power to make this work was from a generator hub in the front wheel. The rider only had to pedal and when certain speeds were met the shifter control box would make a gearing change by way of a servo motor than pulled a short length of cable to work the hub gears. 

The system had one of Shimano's roller brakes for stopping power. The design also incorporated several visual cues, the most obvious being big, shiny spherical covers over the axles. Shimano marketed it as a group for everyday cycling and for fun. They called it "Coasting". While several companies may have bought into this idea, I only ever saw Treks and Raleighs that were outfitted with the group. 

Recently a Trek Lime with this Coasting set up was donated to the Collective. I noted that it was not shifting. So, as a guitar player I am thinking, "Check all the electronic connections first!", because it is something which can easily be addressed and usually is the issue. Okay, the front generator connector was simple to check. But not so for the shifting mechanism. The shifter box has a cover which has two small Phillips type fasteners, one on each side. Trek put the shifter box under the bike and slightly behind the bottom bracket. They also designed a chain case for this model. The chain case is held on by the flange of the bottom bracket cartridge, and guess what I had to do to access that inner screw on the control box.....

My finger is pointing to where the screw is under the chain case. Had Trek designers just given a bit of access to allow for removal of the shifter box cover, "all I would have had to do" was remove the outer part of the chain case and the crank arm, but noooooo! You have to take the bottom bracket and left crank arm off as well. 

Dumb! 

By the way, the connection was fine. It turns out that the shift point adjustment screw can be adjusted so the bike will not shift. 

Also dumb.

I won't mention the absolutely fantastic rear wheel retention system which utilizes eight fasteners you must remove to get the wheel out to fix a flat tire. Yeah..... This isn't a Lime, it is a lemon! But it works now, so.....

Unbound Announces Qualifying Events :

Last week Unbound sent out a press release showing the qualifying events for a spot in Unbound Gravel events in 2025, 2026, and 2027. Those events that will be a part of the qualifying for Unbound Gravel are as follows:

- April 11, 2025: Life Time Sea Otter Classic Gravel (90 mile) in Monterey, California
- July 12, 2025: Life Time Crusher in the Tushar (70 mile) in Beaver, Utah
- August 10, 2025: Heathland Gravel (100 mile) in Lindburg, Belgium
- September 27, 2025: Life Time Rad Dirt Fest (70 mile and 110 mile) in Trinidad,
Colorado
- October 18, 2025: Life Time Big Sugar Gravel (100 mile) in Bentonville, Arkansas

How it works: Each event will have 50 spots up for grabs. Half of those will go to the top finishers in each category of the event in question. Then the other half of available entries will go to winners of a random draw from a pool of the race's competitors. Winners of entries will be guaranteed a spot on the roster of the Unbound Gravel event that follows the event in question on the calendar. So, as an example, if you won an entry in the 2025 Heathland Gravel event you would be getting a guaranteed entry to the 2026 Unbound Gravel event. 

According to my source at Unbound Gravel this system will carry through at least until the 2026 qualifier events have been held. So the 2027 Unbound Gravel event would be the final event that would carry on with winners of these qualifiers in this format unless things get renewed/changed. 

Comments: This is not "Earth shattering" news by any stretch, but the time stamp for the format is an interesting tidbit. Without saying so, this would indicate to me that Unbound Gravel has no plans currently to become a UCI affiliated gravel event. And from what we already know, it could not carry on as the event is currently formatted if it were a UCI sanctioned event for many reasons, not the least of which is that Unbound's premier distance is about 75 miles too long for the UCI's tastes. 

With the prestige which Unbound holds in gravel cycling's professional ranks, and the allure which it has for the under-classes, the current formatting of Unbound seems prudent to continue. It would appear that will be the case for at least a few years.

Image by Ben Witt

New Teravail MTB Tire Soon?:

Ben Witt of Heath Creek Cycles showed off his new Sklar mountain bike recently on social media. It was noted that the tires are Teravail "Prototype" tires. When a commenter asked Ben about these his reply was that there would be more information coming soon. 

Comments: There are not a lot of "new" 29"er tires coming out anymore because we've had a solid 20 years of development in the size and most "good" tread designs have already been done and copied several times by this point. 

So, it will be interesting to read about what will set this aggressive appearing 29"er tire apart from the crowded MTB tire market. I'm sure there are some interesting details, but from what I can see of the tread design, it doesn't seem that radical or innovative. 

Cropped from an image by Ben Witt

I will say that these Sklar bikes look really cool. Ben is selling them through his Heath Creek Cycles shop and you can check out this bike you see there at Heat Creek Cycles. 

The danger for me would be that I happen to know that Ben sets his bikes up almost to the gnat's eyebrow to how I would, so this bike you see would most definitely fit me as it sits. But don't dismay if you are not a size Large person because Ben has some other Sklars in the shop as well as his being able to order you one if you'd like. 

Interesting note: The 'tall bike' Ben had at Mid-South was built by Sklar but is not a "Sklar Bikes" frame. I know.....weird. But it seemed pretty dialed in and it looked great, so I can only imagine how well these real Sklars are to behold and ride. 

PSA: The Blog Is About To Go Chaotic!

Next week will be double posted almost everyday. This will be due to the addition of the Virtual Turkey Burn Ride Reports, some breaking news on Tuesday, and regular end-of-year stuff I have to squeeze in as well.

This means you probably will need to scroll down the page to make sure that you do not miss anything. You may need two cups of coffee and toast to get through it all. You may roll your eyes and click off to go to another site. 

I don't know, but this message is to let you know one last time that there will be a LOT of content from here on out. So hold on and get comfortable, because things are about to go nuts here!

That's all for this "black Friday" edition of the FN&V. Get out there and burn off a few calories by riding a bicycle this weekend. Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Friday News And Views

 Triple D 2025:

The long running Winter endurance race, Triple D, will happen again this coming January 18th in Dubuque, Iowa. The event has a running and fat biking component. Fat bike riders can choose from three distances. There is the full-course 70 mile, the half-distance 35, and the non-timed fun ride with a 17 mile distance which also is a "poker ride" adding to the fun factor. 

Runners can sign up for a 50K Ultra-Marathon, a full or half Marathon distances, and there is a fun "stroll", which is a walking distance of 5K. (You can run it as well)

Registration is open now HERE. 

Stan's Collab With Swiss Daysaver Tool Results In Incredible DART:

Stan's released their newest DART tubeless repair kit in collaboration with Swiss tool maker Daysaver. Called the "Incredible DART", this tool hides a DART plug readied to go at the twist of the black portion of the tool. This releases the DART like a switchblade knife and you can get to plugging that leak more quickly.

The Incredible DART also can be configured to reside inside your handle bar end with a kit offered by Stan's at an extra cost. The Incredible DART is made from aluminum and also houses three extra DART plugs which come with the purchase price of $72.00 USD. 

Comments: That's not cheap, but I can see this if you are a racer with seconds burning up as you pull over for a repair with this DART tool. You would be ready at a moments notice to use the DART and get back on the course with less downtime. But other than that, yeah... A standard DART tool is $25.00 for comparison. 

I have to admit to having several tubeless repair kits and never having had to use one. Not in the seventeen years I've been running bicycle tires tubeless all over the Mid-West, so maybe this is all lost on me. If you've had experiences with one of these tools, let me know in the comments.

Image courtesy of Lapierre Bikes

Does The New Lapierre Pulsium Show Gravel Bike Influence?

I received a press release this past week concerning Lapierre's new endurance/ultra-distance road bike, the Pulsium. It is a very interesting bike from the standpoint of a gravel cyclist. 

While it is a road bike, the Lapierre Pulsium is rated for 38mm tires with fenders, which indicates to me that this may as well be representative of what we were looking at for gravel bikes five to seven years ago. At least from a tire clearance perspective. 

But looking at other aspects of this design, it becomes apparent that cues from the gravel cycling world are being heeded in today's road cycling marketplace. Things like flared drop bars (10° on this bike) and the unique seat stay design that Lapierre calls "3D Tubular". The stays pass the seat tube, are not connected to it, but terminate at a point at the top tube ahead of the seat tube. These stays are arched slightly to allow for a spring-like movement which translates to better rider comfort over lower frequency bumps, according to Lapierre's press release.

Image courtesy of Lapierre Bikes

This sort of design idea (flexing seat stays) has been utilized by several gravel bikes, but none more famous, perhaps, than Salsa Cycles Class 5 VRS stays. So, wider tires, flex stays, and flared drop bars? Seems pretty "gravel-ish" to me. While this is only one bike, other companies have been bringing in classic design cues from gravel into their road lines also. It makes perfect sense since "gravel" is the category which has captivated the buying public now for several years. 

This also makes sense for how I, and others, envisioned this "all-road" idea to be back in the late 2000's. That was a time when you were lucky to get a road bike with 25mm tire clearances, and the geometry, even for entry level road bikes, was the same for those Pro level bikes meant for super-fit, athletic builds. While there is always a place for such a bicycle, most people could use more of an all-roads approach which would be versatile, utilitarian, and have lightweight, durable, long lasting design for frames, forks, and components. 

Just to be clear, I don't think we are seeing the ultimate vision for this sort of all-roads bicycle yet. But we are a lot closer than we were in 2008. 

Guitar Ted Podcast Episode #61:

In case you missed it, here is the link to last week's podcast, Episode #61.  But what I really need to have your help with is for our next episode. 

We are going to talk about tubeless tire sealants. What works, what does not work, failures and successes. We plan on having 'shiggy' back again who will have his perspective from a drier, warmer climate versus ours which comes from a wetter, and colder (in Winter) perspective. Obviously local conditions will help us out as well to give the listener more varied experiences and opinions. 

What I want to know is what you, the reader here, thinks is a good topic to cover regarding sealants for tubeless tires. What would you like to know? Do you have any experiences that are unique, frustrating, or noteworthy for their success? 

Let me know in the comments, or email me at g.ted.productions@gmail.com. 

Should This "Pipedream" Become Reality?

Trek showed this bike, dubbed the "Pipedream", on their social media on Wednesday. The text that went along with it read:

"Meet PipeDream: a Trek prototype by Kyle Neuser with a steel main frame and Top Fuel rear stays for classic strength and modern performance. Exposed cable routing, bolt-on shock mounts, and retro-inspired paint—built for today’s trails."

Comments: Asking readers, "Should we make this?", I think the answer may already be in play. Typically you don't see stuff like this unless there is a marketing plan in place to sell it. 

I also have to admit that when I saw this I had a double-take because, well.....Trek. This company doesn't typically float prototype ideas and, if I recall correctly, they really haven't done anything like that since the 2000's. But I like this, and if it were to be sold looking like this, or similarly, with minimal badging? I'd be a fan. Would I buy one? 

Well, "pipe dreams" sometimes do come true, but I would be willing to bet that this bike would be somewhere between 5k and 10k and that's simply far above a price I'd pay to have a part-time usage bike in my stable. Granted, I am not the core customer for a bicycle like this, but it is refreshing to see Trek have a take on the typically British idea of a full-suspension trail bike with a steel main frame.

Redshift Sports Arclight Pedals Back: 

Erik from Redshift recently let me know that Redshift Sports recently had restocked on Arclight Pedals. I guess that they had been out of stock for some time. 

I did a review of the Arclight Pro pedals which you can access HERE. Check that out if you want, but I will say now that if you ride in a city at night, these pedals will definitely increase your safety and make you more noticeable to other vehicle operators. 

Besides that, who doesn't like being part of a rolling light show? That's the fun part of these pedals and I always smile when I see people craning their necks to try and figure out "what I am" while riding with these pedals.

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

Friday News And Views

Welcome To November's First FN&V!

Norpine Valley Fat Bike Classic:

The fat biking season is just around the corner and fat bike racing is right on its heels. The Norpine Fat Bike Classic is an event happening up in Lutsen, Minnesota at the Cascade Lodge. The event will take place on January 10th and 11th, 2025. 

Two course options exist with the "Short Pine Course" being 14 miles and the "Long Pine Course" being 25 miles in length. Registration is open now and cost $110.00 until November 24th when the registration fee will jump to $150.00 until the day of the event. The field is limited to 150 riders, so make sure you hop on this sooner than later if you are interested. Stick around on Sunday after the race and hit up a group ride for more casual fat biking on groomed trails. 

It's all put on by the Superior Cycling Organization. Check it out if you need some real fat bike conditions to race on this Winter.

End Of Year Schedule For Guitar Ted Productions:

As is my tradition on this blog, November will be the month that I close down all my reviewing activities. December will bring on the end of year reviews which I traditionally do here and which take up most of the dates in that month.

I may even start doing some of the end of year stuff after Thanksgiving. That is yet to be determined. But I also want to point out, speaking of Thanksgiving, that I will be asking you readers to join me on the "Virtual Turkey Burn Ride Challenge". This will be the fourth year for the VTBRC and I will be posting a full reminder later in the month. 

If you are interested and want to start making plans now, see this link.  There you will find all the parameters and requirements for this challenge. (Dates will be adjusted to reflect 2024 Thanksgiving) Check it out! 

Finally, N.Y. Roll and I will be recording our final episode of the Guitar Ted Podcast for season 2 soon. If you have any final requests, or anything you'd like to hear us rant about, now is the time to let us know! We will resume podcasting in January to start season number 3. Thanks for checking it out, if you choose to. 

Image courtesy of Shimano

Shimano CUES Q-Shift Auto-shifting Set For 2025 Debut:

Several reports have been floated during this Fall with news that Shimano is going to have an auto-shifting drive train which will be available on several OE bike offerings in 2025. 

Called "Q-Shift", this technology will store data on users performance traits and use this information to allow its self-energized servos to shift a derailleur based drive train up and down an 11 speed cassette. 

I rode an early version of this technology in 2007 when Gary Fisher pulled me aside to try out a bike outfitted with a 27 speed drive train that shifted automatically according to cadence and speed. Another version of this technology was actually produced for consumers in the late 2000's when Shimano introduced the short lived Coaster group. That was an internal 3 speed hub with a front hub generator that energized a servo mounted on the seat tube when the bike was in motion. The servo would switch gears in the hub as you rode based upon speed. 

Shimano hopes that auto-shifting will enable riders to use bicycles without concern for learning how to shift and when to shift, as the automated technology inside the system will do all that for you. This, Shimano hopes, will be a less expensive alternative to eBikes with mid-drive motors, and it should prove to be lighter weight as well. 

Comments: Neat. It will work as advertised, I have no doubt. However; if what I am observing in the average populace here is any indicator of mass appeal, it won't be all that successful as a pedal-platform only offering. Most folks I see want to pedal less, if at all. Just the other day I was passed on the bike path by what amounts to a full-suspension motorcycle powered by a battery and it had no pedals. E-scooters are al the rage amongst the youth here. Pedaling? Really? I don't see it as being something that will attract anyone to cycling with all the alternatives that only require the body to be able to sit or stand upright. 

2025 Trek FX Sport 6 (Image courtesy of Trek Bicycles)

Did Trek Just Release A Flat Bar Gravel Bike?:

Trek is starting to roll out 2025 models this Fall. (They are also using "Generation" numbers in an attempt to leave the model year scheme, but...) Is this Trek FX Sport 6 a flat bar gravel bike? Trek is marketing it as one of this model's uses. 

Of course, you can ride any bicycle on gravel and call it a "gravel bike". Take for instance the Trek 830 steel 1990's era MTB I saw on Facebook Marketplace recently that had gravel tires, a drop bar fitted, and an upgraded drive train with an asking price of 1K. Listed as a "gravel bike", of course. 

So, take the following with a grain of salt. 

My take? Sure! This could be a great flat bar gravel bike, but..... Why did Trek spec it with quick release wheels and their goofy 5mm through bolts? The frame is carbon. It could easily have the now standard through axle sizes of 100 X 12mm and 142mm X 12mm, but noooooo! Then there is the geometry. 

This is a bike aimed at the fitness geek that wants the best fitness bike out there. Why on Earth spec this bike with a 65mm bottom bracket drop? That's insane. The bike would have made so much more sense with a lower bottom bracket which would support stability and ease of getting on/off versus a cyclo cross high bottom bracket. 

But what do I know? By the way, this carbon fiber fitness rocket sells for $2,999.00. That's a lot of cabbage. 

Gravel Grinder News

USAC Announces Junior's Series of Grave Events:

Well, it had to happen at some point, and maybe this is the way USAC gets its mitts on the pulse of the elite racing side of the gravel scene. It was announced recently that USAC has a five gravel event series for junior aged racers which includes SBT GRVL and Unbound Gravel. 

The ultimate goal for USAC is encapsulated in this statement about the series from their website:

"Top-ranked riders from the series will be invited to a USA Cycling Junior Talent Identification Camp in October 2025. This new, invitation-only camp provides young athletes with a dedicated pathway into elite-level road racing and an Olympic discipline. "

Sounds pretty "inclusive" and just what the original organizers of gravel events were thinking of when they started this whole thing in motion. (Sarcasm Alert)

Thankfully there are a ton of gravel events that are not focused on the few. But guess what cycling media wants to tell you? You know the answer to that.....

Meanwhile, in other gravel series news: Gravel Worlds has aligned itself with the Gravel Earth Series, a world-wide gravel series which now will have a "world championship" event in direct competition with the UCI's. This should prove interesting.... Especially since the UCI has no currently announced US based events and this series includes the Grasshopper Adventure Series, Gravel Worlds, The Oregon Trail Gravel event, and CORE 4 in Iowa.  It's a bit confusing, as I'm not sure in what way the Gravel Earth Series is aligned with all these events, but stay tuned as I learn more. 

Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame Noms Open Today: Wednesday the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame announced that nominations for the fourth class of nominees to be inducted into the GCHoF will open today. The format to nominate someone worthy of the hall has been tweaked slightly. Now the GCHoF will require two well written paragraphs on the person being nominated. Anyone submitting a nomination without two paragraphs, (or with lists or what have you) will be thrown out. 

Nominations will close November 30th.

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions. Get out there and ride this weekend!