Breakdown: The Repair

Last week I had my crank arm come loose on me. This was on the fixed gear set up I am using on my Twin Six Standard Rando v2. You can go back and read my post about this occurrence HERE in case you missed this. 

Since those plastic pre-load bolts are scarce in my world, I had to order a new one and I got it in on Tuesday of this past week. I also somehow misplaced my Park tool "wing-nut looking" installation tool for this special bolt. So, I ordered a new tool, but this time I got a Unior tool for the install of the plastic pre-load bolt which cost a lot less than the Park Tool one. 

While I was at it I also bought two of those excellent Lezyne side-loader cages I've purchased and used before. I'll likely do a separate post on water bottle cages soon, and I'll hold off on my comments on the Lezyne cages until I post that article here. 

Ordering a plastic pre-load bolt for a Shimano crank was not as easy as I thought it could have been. I ordered from Jenson USA, and their descriptions were sorely lacking for such a part. Without my background in bicycle repair, I may have missed a choice which - as it turned out - worked for me. I can easily imagine an average rider being very disappointed in the information, or lack thereof, for such parts. 

But Jenson has a huge inventory and who cares about a part that costs a couple of bucks? Well....you cannot run a Shimano two-piece crank set without that stupid plastic bolt, so it is kind of imperative for there to be clear information for consumers. That's my take. 

Making sure the bolts are torqued properly.

Installation is pretty straightforward. I did put a thread locking compound on the plastic threads of the pre-load bolt this time, just for a little extra insurance. We will see how this goes. 

Then I torqued the pinch bolts, using an alternating tightening pattern, to 14nm. It is important to note here that HollowTech crank arms are very intolerant to loosening or tightening one bolt all at once. That is a recipe for crank failure as the uneven loading will crack the arm. It is best practice to alternate when tightening or loosening these bolts, or with other similar set ups such as stems and some other components which use pinch bolt clamping force to stay attached. 

So far, so good. I rode the bike for a good half an hour to test the parts and see if anything loosened up. Next I'll do several short rides, test everything again, and only then will I be satisfied this is good to go. 

Which brings me to another point. Testing. Shop mechanics generally do not get to test a repair, and long term, multi-situation testing? Forget about it! So, most retail bicycle mechanics have to do their repairs not only quickly, but without any real assurance the repair will hold up, in some cases. 

Obviously most mundane repairs are not part of this discussion, but there are some things which only will be proven out, or diagnosed, with time and trials. Consumers are not very tolerant of this, but the reality is that if you want a very secure and trustworthy repair, you have to pay in time and in money. 

Don't blame your mechanic if you are in a hurry, or won't pay him/her what they are worth. 

Breakdown

Happy Valentines Day. This post is about a breakdown, not a break-up. Just so we are clear. It also is not about the Tom Petty song by the same name. Although that is a great tune. Anyway.....

 I've been trying to do some local training rides on the fixed gear Twin Six Standard Rando v2. (From now on called the Fixed Gravel Bus, or FGB for short) I figure slower, steady fixed rides to help build a base of fitness is a good place to start on top of my walking and some other minor isometric type body weight things I do in the house, (when I'm not injured, that is!)

Anyway, this post isn't about training. This is about what happened to the FGB the other day while training. I was out on my usual graveyard loop which is nearly always carless and quiet when I felt something odd in the left crank or pedal. 

 I pulled over thinking maybe I had a pedal coming out only to find that my crank arm was loose! The little preload screw was missing too. Dang it! 

So, I grabbed my tool kit and tried to shove the crank arm on the spindle best I could, then I tightened the pinch bolts on the crank arm down, and hoped it would get me home. 

It did!

Now I had a problem to solve and I am thinking about this style of crank as well. First, I assumed the little preload screw, in this case a metal one I picked up from N.Y. Roll somewhere along the line, was gone. I didn't even bother trying to find it. I just went into my stash of parts and found one off an Ultegra crank set and tried it out on the 105 crank.

 Hmm.... No go. Seems as though there are different lengths to these screws/preload bits. I think the one from the Ultegra crank is too long. I need to find a shorter one. I dug around in my crank stash to see if I could find this screw. (Or is it a bolt? Whatever....) I did find one which was shorter but it had a smaller diameter for the threaded portion. Oh..... So there are three different preload bolt types. Nice! (Part ordered and on the way)

But perhaps more importantly, I wonder if a two piece pinch-bolt style crank even a good idea on a fixed gear bike? I'm beginning to have doubts about the ability of this design to hold up to the rigors of fixed gear riding. This might require a move to a threaded, square taper crank/bottom bracket set up which I have full confidence in as far as holding up to this sort of fixed gear set up.  

Stay tuned... 

Not An Ideal Start

The season of gravel riding for 2026 is very close to starting. March will be here before we know it and with that comes the longer days and warmer weather. I've been itching to get out again now that the cold weather snap which ended January and began February is over.

Trouble is, I got off on the wrong foot, as far as my strategy to get fitness tuned up goes. I had decided a week ago today things were warm enough I'd ride into work. There was a lot of snow around yet from recent light snowfalls we had experienced. And Waterloo doesn't clear the streets at all, or if they do, it isn't done very well, at least in my neighborhood. So riding can be a little treacherous when snow gets compacted into what amounts to a sheet of ice. 

I had removed the studded tires from the Twin Six Standard Rando v2 in anticipation of getting clearer roads soon. So, I rode the Ti Mukluk into work instead, which went well. However; coming home I hit the only patch of black ice around. In between Doughy Joey's and Carpenter's Restaurant there is an alley. I tried steering into this and there it was. There I went down. Quickly. 

I went down so fast I didn't even get my hand out of the pogie to break my fall. My left arm was pinched between pavement and my rib cage. It was then I felt something very unusual. It was a s if a large band under my left side moved upward, then snapped back into place. My whole abdomen shuddered, it was so violent a movement back where whatever it was belonged. And it hurt like the devil, as we say here in the Mid-West. 

Now, I smashed my kneecap on my left leg hard into the pavement as well, but this was a trifle compared to my rib cage. I was stunned for a few moments but able to string together curse words like a sailor. So, I could breathe, and I could stand up. Barely, hut not because of any injury. Because of the ice!

I remounted after walking away from the scene. I was able to pull on the bars, push the pedals, and both with no pain. It felt harder to breathe a bit, but not really significantly. Tuesday was better, Wednesday was okay, and so was Thursday. A steady diet of ibuprofen and Mrs. Guitar Ted's CBD roll-on pain medication worked nicely. My ribs were painful where they joined at the sternum in a couple of places. Then Friday came and I was feeling more pain than before. 

I did a quick ride on the fixed gear Gravel Bus. It made me feel a whole lot better, but this obviously has slowed me down a bit. No sharp pains, nothing like that, just dull, achey pain and stiffness. I just have to take it easy and work back into it. 

Not an ideal start to the effort to get in shape for the Legends of Gravel ride in April. Men my age are not supposed to be slamming themselves into pavement. Well, if they do, it usually breaks things. I am very fortunate I did not break anything. 

Ari, my friend from Chicago, says I need studded fat bike tires. He said, "We need you in one piece!" 

Looks like I'll be getting some new fat bike tires for the next Winter season

Project Fixed Gravel Buss: Ride Impressions

Still had the studded tires on here.

A week or so ago I showed you dear readers my latest project bike. A fixed gear version of my Twin Six Standard Rando v2. (LINK) Now I have ridden it quite a bit since then so I feel I can give you my impressions of how this is working out.

First off, if you have never ridden a fixed gear bike, it is a very different experience from bicycles which can coast. You most likely have no idea how much you actually do coast on a bicycle. I know I did not realize how much time I was coasting until I started riding fixed gear regularly. It is eye-opening! 

If you are curious what having to pedal every centimeter of a ride is like, you can put your bike into a bit too high a gear, keep the cadence low so you do not outrun your gear, and never stop pedaling. You'll find you instinctively coast at various points. It's crazy when you focus on this just how much the bicycle you ride lets you have these micro-rests during rides. 

However; you just cannot really understand fixed gear riding in totality until you try it. I encourage everyone to try it as it may make you better at cycling. It definitely will show you that you have muscles you are not engaging much, if at all, while riding a "normal" drive train which can coast. 

I go into all this detail because it is necessary to impart a bit of thought about what riding fixed is like so you can begin to understand my report here. 

My first few rides were during the end of all the icy patches we had around here. Studded tires were required and due to those tires, I wasn't getting a good feel for the bike. However; a thaw occurred and I replaced the studded tires with a set of 700 x 37mm Panaracer Pasela Tour Guard tires.This "woke up" the bike and finally I was able to feel what this set up really offered. 

My my! That gearing! the 39T x 16T set up is challenging and I know immediately when I am not riding flat or down hill. You can instantly feel it in the legs, and with no ability to shift or coast, you just work harder. (Or stop riding) I haven't had to stop and walk.....yet! Steep ramps up to bridges and the like are challenging though unless you carry a lot of momentum. 

Ah! And this is the key. Momentum. Keep it up and things become a LOT easier. This gear feels great at about 12mph and up, so you have to keep up a good clip to maintain this speed. However; it is all worth it when you hit an "up" which would grind you to a snail's pace at slower approach speeds. 

Going down hill is somewhat easier with this taller gear. I cannot explain it fully, but "back-pressure" on the pedals is traditionally how you'd control your descent speed on a fixed gear bicycle. (Brakeless fixed, that is) Now I do have brakes, but I typically only use them in situations where I deem them necessary. Otherwise I am controlling my speed with my legs only. 

Somehow the taller gear allows me to control down hill speeds easier. Maybe it is because I am in a part of the pedal stroke a tiny bit longer than with a lower gear which would spin faster? I don't know..... I just feel this is an easier gear ratio to control. 

I'm running the 37mm Panaracer tires at 30psi and this is probably slightly lower in this colder air than 30psi. The wide Blunt SS rims keep the tires stable, and the ride is smooth, but not draggy or slower than you'd want. This mitigates the stiff T-6 frame and keeps me happier during rides because when you are riding fixed, you just cannot level the pedals and unweight the saddle like you can do on other bikes. I can unweight the saddle a little bit, but your legs are flying around, so this gets trickier to do while riding fixed. 

The stiff frame is a boon when cranking slower cadences and it keeps the frame from twisting, which in turn keeps the drive train happy. Through axles on a fixed gear bike feel amazing and give you insurance the rear wheel is not torquing sideways or slacking the chain unexpectedly. This is very nice! 

I had one longer ride, a night time ride, on this bike. I probably had close to two hours riding time, mostly on city streets and bike paths. The bike is smooth, the gearing feels good as long as I feel comfortable enough to let it rip, and the brakes work great when needed. One thing about riding fixed is you are always working so you get in more work over a shorter period of time than you do on a coaster bike. This and the tall gear worked me out hard! So, I don't know about gravel in this current gearing. I think I'd drop a couple teeth at the minimum in the rear cog if I decide to ride gravel. I could see 39T x 18 or 19 tooth being much better. 

More when I get more time on this.... 
 

Two Things

 Twin Six Standard Rando v2 Fixed Gear Impressions:

Well, I haven't been out in the country yet, and I am loathe to remove the studded tires, but I have several shorter rides now on this bike. I thought I would share how it turned out with you all.

First, I added some fenders and this brought up an issue with the fork I wanted to highlight. The carbon fork I went with has a radius curvature inside the crown which isn't very compatible with fenders. It slopes inward too much and prevents one from "tucking" the fender up as high as needs be to clearance 700c rubber, at least in larger sizes like the 38mm tires I have. 

So, instead of using the full-metal fender on the front as I have in the rear, I grabbed an old metal-core, plastic Hard Core model from Planet Bike and truncated the fender just behind where it would have passed under the fork crown. A simple hacksaw job and a bit of file work later and I had all the protection I really need and tire clearance for me 38mm Gravdal studded tires. There were no issues whatsoever with mounting the rear fender. 

Okay, but the ride. How does it do as a fixed gear bike? Well, I think I was spot on with my feelings concerning the frame being stiff enough to handle the high-torque riding fixed gear riding can dole out to a frame. It does not flex in a perceptible way. It feels very solid, and rides like it always had, which is to say not the greatest in smoothness! I'm super happy I went with a ShockStop stem! Of course, studded tires are not known as "great riding tires" either. 

The gearing.... Ooof! At first I was really worried this was a mistake 39T x 16T is around a 68" gear. However; I was riding the T-6 home from work on Monday evening and it is almost all uphill. Some at a fair steep grade. I found keeping the speed up and cranking smoothly and strongly worked out okay for me. It is a different beast riding fixed and climbing is one area where you'll notice this. I think fixed gear makes climbs a bit easier, in a way, since you have zero dead spots. The bike carries you through the usual dead spot in your cadence with momentum, and there is little "pulsing". Those little micro-coast moments right after you push the pedal through a power stroke. It's hard to explain, but to my mind, it is a difference between single speed (coaster) and fixed (no-coast) style bikes.  

Changed The Tires - Better Or Worse?

I mentioned in my posts late in the year last year I wasn't really very happy about how the Schwalbe G-One Overland tires rode. They felt oddly harsh, no matter what pressure I decided to run them at. 

I ran my SOMA Cazedero 700 x 50mm tires for the tail end of the season. I used TPU tubes in them and it was......okay. I still thought the ride quality could have been better. 

After the post-Thanksgiving Winter blast we got here I decided to swap out tires again to some older Pirelli Cinturato H tires I had tested for review back in 2022. I knew these tires rode well from the time I spent on them, and I remember being a bit sad to have to remove them for another tire review. 

Of course, with this colder weather and a different bicycle, there was a question as to whether or not this would be worth trying. My thoughts were if these tires can even show promise over the Schwalbe and SOMA's it would be a win of sorts. 

Well, I was rewarded with a better ride feel. Only slightly so, but again, it was 40°F and the pathways were odd in that I was running over a lot of really frozen ground. On one hand the vibration damping was better, but I also wasn't getting a rolling resistance I was happy with. It wasn't 'bad', but it wasn't great either. Again, I am attributing this to the colder air. I'll keep trying and when warmer weather comes we will see how it goes. 

But for now, these tires are staying on this bicycle. I've a feeling these are going to work out just fine. 

While We Are Waiting

Winter. There are days you can get out and be somewhat 'okay' around these parts on a bicycle. However; there are a lot of days when getting out on a bicycle is not a great idea. 

Ice, wind, snow, cold rain, or lack of daylight can all factor in as possibilities for cutting rides short, redirecting where you ride, or just plain making riding not a smart choice. 

 Just last week we experienced 25mph winds out of the Northwest, gusting to over 40mph, and it was 13°F. That makes the wind chill temperature, (how it actually feels and what the consequences would really be for exposure) a balmy -17°F. 

In other words, it is a great time to be indoors and not out there on a bicycle. You get the picture, I hope. If you are siting there thinking those conditions are "no big deal" I hope you are signed up for IDITAROD. 

Then fast forward to today when it is supposed to be just above 40 degrees and very Spring-like. Yeah...today it would work. But days like last week's cold shot with wind has been more the norm since December started.  

Anyway, one can do nothing about a cold and windy weather situation with snow and ice. Folks here choose their own adventure instead. Many resort to other activities, like couch surfing, sleeping late, or seeing how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop. (Everyone knows the answer is three, right?) 
 

I suppose you could also go do other outdoors sports like XC skiing, hiking, or go to a gym and lift weights, swim, or enter a spin class. Many of you ride trainers and use services like Zwift, and others, to train and compete. 

Well, I've not tried everything, but I've tried indoor trainers and...... Yuck!  Not for this guy! So, I am either riding outdoors or I am descending into the nether regions of Guitar Ted Headquarters to tinker on bicycles. Snow sports used to be a part of my outdoor regimen in Winter, but with how things go now with snow.... Yeah. Not so much. 

I usually find something to keep me occupied. I can always clean. I also can always weed out things I should get rid of and either donate those things to the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective or toss them. 

I can always clean and tune up bicycles. You all know I have quite a few to mess with around here. This is no problem to get my spare time used up.  

And working on my bicycles is far better for my mind than spending time sweating in one spot, going nowhere. Oh.....sure! You "virtually"are going places and riding with "virtual" training partners. Notice: none of this is real riding with real friends. It is "riding" , of a sort, but as far as I am concerned, it is no match for riding outdoors with real human beings. Your mileage may vary. That is fine.....for you. 

I get out when the conditions are not stupidly cold, windy, or dangerous. Meanwhile, during those other times, I tinker around with my stuff. Like the recent building up of the Twin Six fixed gear bike. I spent some time accessorizing it as well.  

It needed fenders, lights, and a bag and a pump for repairs. These things all presented challenges. Some small, some requiring a bit of time away for thought on 'just how do I want to do this?' thinking. Eventually it all came together and now the Twin Six Standard Rando v2 can be grabbed and ridden at a moment's notice. 

And all this fussing and thinking and doing is one hundred times more enjoyable for me than sweating it out on a ride to nowhere.  Meanwhile if the weather is raging outside. It's okay. 

I can wait...... 

Project Fixed Gravel Bus

The key to it all. (Image by A. Andonopoulos.)

 I have hinted at this all throughout December and now it is time to share what I've been up to over the past four or five weeks. I will also add the weather was mostly not conducive to being outdoors throughout this period, so it was a good thing to have this to do during the dive into deep Winter weather we experienced. 

Just a quick recap for those new to this story: I had a Twin Six Standard Rando v2 set up geared since around 2022, and for a year or two before that, as a single speed. When tires for gravel started to plump out to the 47mm - 50mm widths I was finding the Twin Six to be lacking as it barely handles a 44mm wide tire. So, I dreamt of retiring the T-6 and ended up replacing the T-6 with my Singular Cycles Peregrine Mk4 last September. 

Meanwhile, I had become enamored of riding fixed gear again via my road bike standard Shogun 1000, a 1980's vintage road bike, which has very limited tire clearances. My thoughts began to swirl - What would a fatter tire fixie be like? Then it hit me.....

Build the T-6 as a fixed gear bike, and move the Shogun down the road. So, this is what I have done. This now brings you up to speed on my journey up to the point where this project started.  

The first order of business was to build wheels. 

Thanks to Ari Andonopoulos and Jay Barre, I have this sweet Paul Components fixed WORD through axle hub. It is great Paul Components does this part, because it is not only high-quality stuff, but it is about the only game in town for fixed, through axle, and disc brake all in the same hub. Wacky one-speed rear device indeed!

To build the wheel set I needed rims. Fortunately I had a set of Velocity USA Blunt SS rims just chillin' in my shop. They were waiting for such a time as this! I also needed a front hub. I had used the old original front wheel in the Noble Bikes GX5 before in the Standard Rando, but this wheel was a mismatch from the standpoint of the rim. So, I broke the wheel down and harvested the front Stan;s Neo hub for this project.

Topped off with hand-cut DT Swiss spokes from Ari in the rear, and Wheelsmith spokes for the front, and this set of wheels was ready to go. Of course, I used my "signature wheel set" spoke scheme where I use half black, half silver spokes and nipples. The black spokes on one side get silver nipples and the silver spokes on the other side get black nipples.  

The wheel builds were fairly straight forward and besides one spoke, I had no real issues. Then it came to drive train parts. I had two screw-on fixed gear cogs to choose from. One was an All City 17T but is an 1 1/8th pitch. I also have a Dura Ace, vintage 3/32nds pitch cog in a 16T.  Both are black anodized steel. Not sure how they do that, but they are definitely black and definitely steel! 

I went the all-3/32nds route and so I have the Dura Ace part on the hub. For a crank set I came up with a 172.5mm Shimano 105 triple, Hollowgram crank set and I dismounted the three rings and replaced the middle one with a 39T steel ring from some old road crank set. It is a Shimano ring though. 

This meant I had to modify my Wheels Manufacturing Eccentric insert for a PF-30 shell. The left side bearing has that old, pre-DU(M)B spindle which had a 24mm drive side diameter and stepped down non drive side bearing. I knocked the SRAM specific bearing out, grabbed a Shimano outboard bearing sealed bearing cartridge, a plastic bushing, (top-hat) from same bottom bracket, modified the plastic bit, and used this. It worked perfectly. 

With a new SRAM PC 853 chain it now is locked-in and ready to roll. All I needed now were controls, brakes, and cabling. The handle bar is an old favorite, the Kitchen Sink Bar from Redshift Sports. I also used the same Redshift Sports ShockStop stem I had on the T-6 before I broke it up. A Shimano PRO seat post topped with a WTB Silverado saddle gifted to me recently by MG was the seating arrangement. (Thanks MG!!!) Then old Tektro levers in black were mounted as well. All I needed were cables, housings, and brake calipers. 

With everything but the calipers, tape, and cabling. 

 So, with the year closing out I was on the hunt for some brake calipers. It was the only thing I didn't have yet to make this a complete bicycle. Of course, I needed flat mount brakes, but they also needed to be mechanically operated. This leaves you with precious few options. 

You could do the bougie route. Paul Components Klampers or Growtac brakes (Velo Orange sells them), but we're talking hundreds of dollars for two brake calipers. Then you have the next step down in TRP Spyre brakes. Far less money for sure, but no big drop-off in performance. TRP/Tektro has a lower end version of the Spyre, which is slightly less money. Then you get into the sub-100 dollar per caliper brakes which of the lot, only Shimano is a brand I would trust. 

I hemmed and hawed about what to do. I was texting with Ari a few days before Christmas and he pointed out the half price offer on TRP Spyre calipers from an online store. I ended up ordering those as it put the per-caliper price under $65.00. 

Two days before Christmas. No calipers, but I just couldn't resist a test ride!

 I had strung the cables, but no wires, by a couple of days ahead of Christmas. It was pretty nice out for late December, and I had time, so I decided to go out for a short, brakeless ride. This would be on totally flat terrain and maybe for a few blocks and back, but I wanted to get a read on how this gearing was going to work out for me. I knew it was a little steeper than I had my Shogun set up with. 

I think it will be fine for most flattish terrain, but hills will be interesting! I'll just have to see how it goes over the course of Spring and determine what to do after that. 

 I think if Winter is going away, and for good, (fingers crossed), I will set up a different set of tires, But the 45NRTH Gravdal studded tires will grip ice and snow well. In case Winter comes back again, (more than likely), I'll keep them on. So we will see about tubeless tires at some point. Fenders may appear here in either case. I've got metal Planet Bike fenders or a brand new set of plastic Giant Revolt fenders too. We'll see how things fit to decide there. 

Finished Saturday evening 12/27/25

 Twin Six Standard Rando v2 (2020) in Saffron 

• Size: 59cm
• Frame: Steel (Twin Six never really says what, if anything, is special about their tube set) 
• Fork: Carbon T-6 (Again, no details but it does have internal routing for the front brake cable, Three-Pack mounts, and a 12mm through axle.) 
• Wheels: Hand-built using Velocity USA Blunt SS rims (28 spoke hole drilling), Mix of Wheelsmith (front) and DT Swiss spokes. Spokes in each wheel are all black on one side  with silver nipples, and all silver on the other side of the wheel with black nipples. Three cross lacing. (Guitar Ted Special Wheel build) Hubs are Paul Components WORD Fixed Disc (rear) and Stan's Neo (Front) 
• Track Cog: Vintage NOS black Dura Ace, 16T x 3/32nds.
• Chain: SRAM PC-853
• Chain Ring: Steel 39T Shimano of unknown vintage. (Likely 7 speed) 
• Crank Arms: Shimano 105 10 speed Triple modified for single speed use. 172.5mm length.
• Bottom Bracket: Modified Wheels Manufacturing Eccentric for PF-30 shell. 
• Seat Post: Shimano PRO
• Saddle: WTB Silverado
• Head Set: Enduro MaxHit stainless steel.
• Stem; Redshift Sports ShockStop Pro
• Handle Bars: Redshift Sports Kitchen Sink (46cm)
• Bar Tape: Ergon AllRoad
• Levers: Tektro short pull
• Brakes: TRP Spyre/Shimano rotors/Jagwire Pro housings.
• Pedals Fyxation Mesa MP's
• Tires: 45NRTH Gravdal, fully studded, with tubes. 
• Frame Pump: 1990's vintage Blackburn 

I'll have a ride report up once I can get out with this bike for a decently long ride. Indications are the stiffer T-6 frame will be a big benefit toward making the fixed drive train work its best. Gearing? Yeah..... I don't know yet! 

Stay tuned...  

A Quick Catching Up Post

Paul Components WORD Fixed Disc hub

 Hey! I wanted to sneak in here amongst all the end-of-year madness going on this blog to give you readers an update on a project and a couple of other things going on around Guitar Ted Headquarters. 

First, I have decided to turn my old Twin Six Standard Rando v2 into a fixed gear bicycle, as I told a week ago or so in the last FN&V. The process has begun already with the main ingredient being a Paul Components WORD Fixed Disc rear hub. 

Oh, and it is a through-axle hub as well. A true "unicorn" in the bicycle component world. I am not aware of any other choices in something along these lines. Good thing it is a high-quality, reliable component! 

The rear hub is built up already on a Velocity USA Blunt SS rim. The front wheel will be a Stans hub with the same Velocity USA Blunt SS rim. What is fun about the fixed hub is it will be interchangeable with  the Honeman Flyer, so I can set up either bike fixed or free. 

The corresponding move here will be the elimination of the Shogun 100 from the stable. It will likely go back to the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective as a donation. At this point, I need to start whittling down the fleet, not add to it. 

I'll have more on this bike after the New Year.

This snow is almost gone now with the warmer weather!

The 4Runner got a new end gate. When Jacob bought the vehicle I kind of let him be in charge of questions and looking everything over. So, it wasn't until afterward, when he lifted the end gate one day, that I heard a weird noise from inside the end gate and looked up to see a big hole in the bottom of the end gate where moisture had rusted through from the inside. 

I figured at some point Jacob would have to decide  to have this repaired, but then he died and when I got the vehicle the repair fell to be my responsibility. So, anyway, it has been done and now the vehicle is in excellent shape. 

Ironically the end gate was so rusted, and the rest of the vehicle wasn't, that the body shop guys were puzzled. Even the rear speakers had rusty voice coils and were inoperable. So, I got new rear speakers as well. But now it is all good to go, so I've got a vehicle now I can rely on.  

Besides those things I have just been doing a little bit of fat biking, dodging ice patches, and going to work at the Collective where I am catching up on closing up the books for 2025. Mid-January will mark my fourth year working there! 

Okay, there is a quick update. Expect the next update after the New Year once all the end-of-year stuff is out of the way. 

Thank you for reading Guitar ted Productions! 

Well, It Looks Like THIS Is Going To Happen!

It will probably end up looking a lot like this.

 I have loved fixed gear riding ever since I first tried it out many years ago. However, I did not ever really have a dedicated fixed gear bike worth a hoot. That is, until a couple of years ago when I built up the Shogun I found at the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective. 

Since I was able to build that bike up with a 'proper' fixed gear rear hub, I have ridden the Shogun consistently ever since. So much so that I was wishing for a fixed gear bike with bigger tires. 

I had such bikes fixed in the past. My Karate Monkey has been set up fixed gear a couple of times. The old Surly 1X1 I had was fixed gear most every Winter I rode the bike. Both bikes had proper wide tires in the 2.2" to 2.5" wide range. 

The Shogun has 28's on it and this is as wide a tire as I can squeeze into the frame and fork. In fact, the front tire is mere millimeters from rubbing the underside of the fork crown. Leaves get stuck under there all the time now, it is so close. 

I've dreamt of fat tires and fixed gears long enough now that I have finally found a solution. It sure looks like this is about to happen too, so I figured I may as well share it with all of you here. My old Standard Rando v2 is going to become my fixed gear sled in the near future. 

The Shogun will get donated, well most of it, to the Collective. So, it will be one bike in - one out. That is important to me. I do not need more bikes than I have already.  

Image courtesy of Paul Components

The key to it all will be the Paul Components Fixed Disc WORD rear hub. I was recently chatting with my friend Ari and was telling him my idea. He quickly pointed out this hub for its through-axle compatibility, which I was surprised by. Obviously, the Standard Rando v2 uses a 142mm through axle standard, and the hub here does also. Perfect!

I have two Velocity Blunt SS rims, brand new, sitting in the shop. Those will be laced up with an appropriate front hub and the wheels will be sussed. 

I have a black, 175mm TruVative single ring crank set which should work perfectly with my Wheels Manufacturing eccentric bottom bracket insert, which I used with my T-6 Standard Rando. I'll probably move the Whisky Parts Co. carbon mustache bars over from the Shogun. I may start out with only a front brake since I don't think I have a pair of mechanical flat mount brakes at the moment. 

A chain. seat post, saddle, and flat pedals. Boom! Done. Oh! And I will use some tires I already have. Probably some WTB Raddlers. So, what do you think? A fixed gear bike with a penchant for gravel travel? It all sounds good to me. 

Garage Sale: T-6 Standard Rando v2 Frame Set

 For Sale:

Twin Six Standard Rando v2 . 59cm 2020 model in "Safron" Carbon Fork upgrade. 

The current Standard Rando with Carbon fork upgrade and a Wolf Tooth head set runs $714.00 USD ON SALE on Twin Six's site. With the frame set I am selling you get an upgraded Enduro Bearings MaxHit head set, ($118.00) and Enduro Bearings "TorqTite" PF 30 bottom bracket ($98.00) and all cable clips to run 2X ($16.00 upgrade) for $450.00 + shipping. (PayPal or cash only) Sale is final, no returns. 

This frame is in VERY GOOD condition with no through-paint scratching or scuffs. It will come with through axles and seat collar, as shown. Carbon fork steer tube has been cut and has a steer tube plg installed. 

The bike fit a 6' 1" rider perfectly. I would give a size range for the bike of  6" 00"" to 6' 2" as being ideal here. Twin Six has a geometry chart you can see by scrolling through the gallery for the model HERE. 

Bike will be expertly packed in a standard bike frame box. Shipping costs will be determined at time of sale. You can also opt for local pick-up. 

Interested? Get a hold of me at g.ted.productions@gmail.com

NOTE: I can provide more images if needed. 

Last Ride For The Gravel Bus

The 2020 Twin Six Standard Rando v2 I dubbed "The Gravel Bus" 

 I suppose many of you fine readers are aware I am about to take delivery of a Singular Peregrine Mk4. This frame and fork will be built up using most of the parts from the Twin Six Standard Rando I have. I've gone over all the reasoning for this in past posts about these two bicycles. If you want the lowdown see HERE and HERE for the story. 

Since this Standard Rando v2 is about to be dismantled, I thought one final ride was in order to get a benchmark on how it rides again and to give it a proper send-off from my stable of bicycles.  It isn't that this bike is "bad", or even a bicycle which isn't quite "good enough" when it comes to why I am passing it on, because it is a great bicycle. It is just that I have grown to love fatter tires again on gravel and the T-6 just cannot get me where I need to be in this regard. So, I have decided to move on from this bicycle mainly based upon this fact. 

If you look closely, you can see how minimal the tire clearance is with this WTB tire which is listed as a 700 X 44mm. 

 Currently I have a 700 X 44mm WTB Raddler mounted on Shimano GRX rims which measure 25mm inner rim width. This wheel is standard width now days for gravel use. Some are advocating for even wider rims, but for what I typically use here, 25mm - 30mm inner rim width is going to be the maximum for my needs. 

So, as you can see above, putting a 45mm+ width tire on a current issue Standard Rando just is not going to work with today's rim widths. So, this issue is solved by the Peregrine Mk4 quite handily. This is but one reason I am moving on from the T-6, but I had to have a certain look and feel in the replacement bike, and I feel the Singular does this. See the linked post above if you want to know more about this. 

 The Standard Rando is a great bicycle and my wish would be for Twin Six to come up with a v3 of this model with the capability to handle up to a 50mm tire. But at this point, I cannot get the bike in the configuration I would like. This is sad, in a way, because the Standard Rando is a fun bicycle to ride. I love the water bottle capacity, the classic look, and the way it handles is very predictable. Maybe a tad on the stiff side, yes, but with the ShockStop stem, I can tame this characteristic of the Standard Rando v2 easily. 

I'm going to miss this bicycle, for sure. However; it is plain to see to me, at least, that I am more apt to grab a bicycle from my stash with larger tires than what this bicycle can handle. As an example, this ride I took the other day was the first time I had ridden the Standard Rando in 2025. So, yes, it was time to rectify the situation, and my expectation is for the Singular Peregrine Mk4 to do this for me. 

The switch over of components should begin this weekend as the Peregrine is expected to find its perch here on Friday. You may wonder what is going to happen to the Standard Rando v2 frame and fork.  I initially thought I might sell it, but..... I could use a fatter tire fixie. Hmm...... 

The Dilemma

What should I do with the Gravel Bus?

 Back in 2020 when I purchased the Standard Rando v2 frame set, running 40mm - 45mm tires was considered to be "on the big side" of the gravel tire spectrum. In 2025, this is now considered to be on the narrow side of the spectrum!

The 'goal posts' have moved. There is no doubt about it - Bigger, wider gravel tires are where it is at now. But why should I care? Run what you want to run, right?

And I would definitely do just that, however, also at about the same time as I purchased the Standard Rando v2, I started trying out 45mm - 47mm tires. And you know what?

I ended up really liking them.

So, what has all of this got to do with the bike I call the Gravel Buss? Well, those larger sized tires do not clear the frame of the Standard Rando. I can run 43mm -44mm tires, maybe, and have a tiny bit of clearance on the rear. So, I'm not inclined to ride this bike when my other bikes do clear larger tires. Now I will also say that I don't have a 'gravel bike' I'm comfortable with sticking 50mm tires on a wheel either. (The BMC MCD barely clears 50's) So, I would like to have the capability to do this and then move on from the Standard Rando.

My "skinny" tire gravel bike would then be my Honeman Flyer by King Cycles which has 40mm Ritchey tires on it that measure out to 44mm currently. I have a single speed gravel bike which handles 29"er tires already, so I'm covered there.

Anyway, just a thought exercise. I wish Twin Six would come out with a 'v3' of the Standard Rando which would clear big tires, but who knows if that will ever happen. Also - I have enough bicycles, so this is not a pressing issue.  

Friday News And Views

Cross-State Route Announced In Texas:

Last week I received a press release stating that a new bikepacking/hiking/horseback trail across Texas was being introduced. Called "xTx", the trail consists of paved roads, "back roads", gravel, and possibly some single track. 

Starting at Orange, Texas, just Northeast of Huston, the trail meanders Westward until it reaches the Big Bend area of Texas where the trail takes a wild South then North trek and then it darts straight West to El Paso. 

The trail, a 1,500 mile route, according to xTx, was conceived of by Charlie Gandy and is an effort of Bike Texas, a non-profit organization. A "test ride" of the first 100 miles of the trail is set to happen on March 10th out of Orange, Texas. You can find out more by checking out their site HERE. 

Comments: This is interesting, especially in light of the work already done by The Spinistry to establish cycling routes on back roads and gravel that cross Texas. I know the Spinistry's routes are pretty well vetted out and verified. This new xTx route seems a bit on the rushed side, seeing as it was conceived of only just last year. 

Then there is the gratuitous zig-zag across the Big Bend area in order to include some admittedly spectacular mountains, but if you've ever been in West Texas, (I have) it is a truly unforgiving area. I would rather skip both the most Southern and Northern extremes of the route there and shoot straight over to El Paso. But that's just me. 

Image courtesy of Twin Six

Twin Six Releases New Standard Rando Color:

Twin Six's Standard Rando v2 frame and fork is really a great platform for anything from - well....randonneuring to gravel, commuting to light touring/bikepacking. The frame was redesigned in 2020 and ever since then T-6 has offered the model in various colors. I happen to have one in the original "Saffron" yellow. 

The new hue is called "Cheeky", but to my eyes it looks like a lavender color. I like it. It would be pretty rad with a bunch of ultra-violet anodized bits on there. Or pink ano..... Ah! I'd better stop. It will drive me crazy and I don't need another one of these! 

But maybe you are looking for a new whip to get out there on this year? I think the asking price of $850.00 USD for the frame and steel fork is pretty reasonable. 

New MTB Festival Announced:

Wilde Bicycles led by Jeffrey Frane has announced the inaugural Midwest Mountain Bike Fest happening June 20-22nd in Cuyuna, Minnesota. 

The event will feature an expo where riders will be able to try out various mountain bike offerings from different brands. There will be group rides, clinics, happy hours, and raffles. 

 “It’s time for a new generation of cycling events, ones not rooted in competition but in fellowship and stewardship. This is the chance to truly engage all of the riding community to come together for one magnificent weekend. It’s going to be a good old fashioned dirt party, on some of the best trails around..” - Event Director Jeff Frane

More information will be available on the event site: midwestmountainbikefest.com. 

Comments: This idea is an excellent one and ever since "Dirt Rag's" Dirt Fest there really hasn't been anything quite like this which I have been aware of East of the Rockies. Cuyuna is a destination trail system that is not that far away from Iowa and many other upper Mid-Westerners, so hopefully there will be a good turnout for what is planned to be a yearly event. 

Image courtesy of SILCA

New SILCA Ultimate Sealant Formula Released:

SILCA announced that they have a version 2 of their Ultimate Sealant out now that has been in development for two and a half years. 

The new sealant has shortened carbon fiber strands which are claimed to remain more isolated in the new natural and synthetic latex liquid. This is allowing for sealant puncture protection for up to 6mm holes, as claimed by SILCA. 

Another complaint against the original formula was that it was not injectionable through the valve stem. This has now been addressed with the new sealant's ability to be injected through the valve, as seen in the accompanying image here. 

SILCA is so confident in this new formula's performance that they are offering a $500.00 "Bad Day Bonus" to those sponsored athletes who use this sealant in Life Time's Grand Prix. Here's a quote from a recent email blast sent out by SILCA: "...we're offering a $500 Bad Day Bonus to any SILCA-sponsored GP athlete who has a puncture that doesn't seal during a Life Time Grand Prix race."

You can check out this sealant by clicking HERE. 

Slop Season To Begin Next Week:

Well, this past week is pretty much utterly forgettable. We were below zero more than we were above zero, and the bitter winds made things even worse than the ambient air temperature would lead you to believe. 

I'm happy this will all be left behind soon, but now we will have the transition  to Spring I call "Slop Season". The time for fenders and lots of post-ride cleaning! 

Temperatures are said to be going up into the upper 40's for a bit, and that will clear the way for some country riding, I hope, which will be nice after being cooped up the last two weeks or so. 

I'll probably start off on the Karate Monkey single speed with those Nice Bars on it because the tires are wider and I am not worried about the drive train bits or the finish on the bike, which is over two decades old by now. A few more scratches or a bit more wear and tear on the Campstove Green powdercoat won't make much difference anymore. 

If I manage to get out, look for a ride report later in the week next week. 

Guitar Ted Podcast Episode #67:

So, I was hoping this would have come out a week ago, but I wasn't up to recording the day which N.Y. Roll and I wanted to record on. So....

You can listen to us carry on this week, or any time after now, really, and hear what we have to say about air pressures, N.Y. Roll's fat bike race, and other nonsense. The episode can be accessed on any podcast provider's platform by searching "Guitar Ted Podcast" or you can listen on Spotify HERE. 

I am starting to line up a few guests for upcoming episodes which will feature news about a certain statewide gravel resource, gravel pioneers and their stories, and more. N.Y. Roll and I are really excited about presenting conversations with the first modern-day gravel riders and sharing history you'll never get anywhere else.
 

Until then, thanks for Reading Guitar Ted Productions! Get out and ride those bikes!

Bikes Of 2024: Twin Six Standard Rando v2

  It's another late December here on the blog. You know what that means? Yep! Another round of my bikes I used in 2024. This round-up will not include some of the bikes I did not use this year much, or at all. I focus only on the bikes that played a big role in my riding during this year.  As always, any changes or future plans for any bike I feature will also be detailed. I hope that you enjoy this year's round-up. 

This bike barely made this list for 2024! I hadn't used it at all for the year until I did a Delium Tire review mid-Summer which required me to have two or three bikes available to run those tires through their paces. One of those bikes ended up being the Standard Rando v2. 

The tires weren't that great, so when I finished the review I decided to swap a few things out, and the tires were one thing. I had strongly considered removing the WTB Graveleur saddle, but I ended up not doing that. I still am conflicted on whether or not that saddle is 'good' or no. For myself, that is. It hits me 'just' wrong on some rides then on others it is perfect. Weird...

The one major change, other than tires, was the switch out to a Redshift Sports ShockStop Stem. This bike really needs that stem since the fork on the Standard Rando rides like a brick. In fact, I almost put that State Bicycle Co. Monster Fork v2 on this bike to see if that might help, but I didn't go that route. 

So, there were a couple changes, and I still am on the fence regarding the saddle and fork. The fork would radically change how this bike looks and it may still ride the same, so I am hesitant to go that direction. The ShockStop stem should help out, but since I parked the bike again after the swap, I still am not sure. 

I think Twin Six needs a v3 Standard Rando withj50mm tire clearance. Until they do that, this bike is sticking around, although I was looking at a Singular Cycles Peregrine frame just a minute ago that does all the things I need plus some, but is out of stock in my size. Now that could be a wonderful alternative to a Standard Rando, We'll see.....

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Twin Six

 The "I'm Green With Envy" Edition of the FN&V:

This past week Twin Six introduced another new color for its Standard Rando v2 frame set. This time it comes in a green they call "Grasshopper". Very appropriate as it is currently grasshopper season in the upper Mid-West!

I just posted about my "Saffron" colored Twin Six Standard Rando v2 yesterday. Love the bike! This was my dedicated single speed gravel bike until I got the Limited Edition GRX group and then had to build  up the Honeman Flyer to replace it with. Now it is my geared classic looking gravel grinder. 

I love this green color! The original Standard Rando was also green and I owned one until I sold it because the original had QR axles and everything was going to through axle standard. I was without a T-6 bike until the new v2 Rando emerged in 2020. I liked the original green T-6 Rando, but that was a darker hue than this one and I like this hue better. But I already have a yellow one, so....

The Standard Rando v2 will not win any lightweight awards nor does it have fancy internal cable routing or anything "aero". It is that stalwart, durable, reliable frame set that rides the way it should and can take anything you throw at it. (Within reason, of course) All that with a stellar price and classic good looks. Recommended. (I get nothing for saying that. It is how I feel about the bike. Take that for what it is worth to you.)

Guitar Ted Podcast Covers CORE4 & More:

The latest "Guitar Ted Podcast" is pretty good, if I do say so myself. I interviewed Morgan Osgood, who I interviewed last year when she was just dipping her toes into the gravel scene. (Learning From A Beginner) This time she shares her CORE4 experience and what she has learned since her last event. (LINK)

Then I tried to interview N.Y. Roll about his experience at CORE4, but it all went sideways. Hey! I tried! He and I ended up gabbing about how motivations for racing are vastly different between the Pro and everyone else doing gravel and how that informs events and whatnot. 

Anyway, give it a listen if you dare! (You might get offended, just a warning!)

I'll try to get someone on to give us a look at gravel history from a first hand perspective on one of the next upcoming episodes, so stay tuned for that.

Storm Clouds Of Doping Gathering On The Horizon?

As professional gravel racing develops and becomes more lucrative, I am hearing more rumblings concerning doping in gravel racing. 

It stands to reason that since most gravel events have no organization overseeing the enforcement of fair play in regards to doping the blood, or for detecting the use of illegal human performance drugs, that it might be happening out there now. 

This started to become an issue several years ago, according to one Pro racer that gave me a heads up under the conditions of anonymity. Now I am hearing that people in the competitive end of gravel racing are suggesting that it might be happening as well. 

Is there an unfair advantage, which some racers are enjoying, which is fueled by chemical enhancements that are forbidden? Is there blood doping going on, such as we have heard about in Pro road cycling? The undercurrent amongst many would suggest that - yes - it is happening. 

And as for myself, I believe it. People are prone to cheating in events with zero financial gain and hardly any notoriety regionally or nationally. Several instances of age group category cheating have surfaced at road events and criteriums across the nation. So, why would gravel cycling, at least at the "pointy end", not be included in this form of cheating as well? Certainly there is monetary and career motivations for doing so. Other forms of gaining an unfair competitive advantage are most likely happening also, especially in the ultra-long distance events which most event organizers let run with little to no oversight because of the lack of resources to do so. 

This is a sticky wicket, isn't it? No one wants to have shade thrown their way in regard to having people think they may have "cheated" in some way, especially if they know they haven't. Event directors may bristle at the thought of someone thinking they haven't covered all their bases with regard to cheating. However; it is highly probable that some gravel racers are not on the up-and-up when it comes to "racing clean" and taking advantage of "grey areas" in the rules, or cheating when oversight is not present from the event organizers. 

What to do? I imagine USAC/UCI would love to step in and provide their turnkey solutions to cheating, but this would certainly come at a "cost", both in freedom to run events as seen fit and monetarily. So what then? I believe if the events in question offer thousands of dollars in prizing they might consider investing some of their monetary resources in enforcement of internationally recognized doping controls and in having better oversight in regard to how racers execute their race in the ultra-long distance events. Or....

Just let it all be the "Wild, Wild West" and see what happens. The current course is such and will lead to problems in the future. How each event wants to deal with this is certainly their business, and I'm "just a guy" out here "yelling at the clouds", perhaps. But knowing what I know about human behavior in competitive events, I would be very cautious about considering keeping things as they are now with regard to doping and cheating. That's just me..... 

unPAved Of The Susquehanna River Valley:

My friend in PA, Dave Pryor, is one of the principals running the unPAved gravel event out in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. He wanted me to let you all know that registration is open now for the unPAved of the Susquehanna River Valley October 11th - 13th event. 

Featuring a scenic course with multiple distance options and even an overnight bikepacking option, this event is a unique event in gravel. The "race" is a part of it, but instead of a full-course timed competition, unPAved has timed segments and the rest of the course can be done at your leisure. Want to stop and get a photo of that beautiful overlook? You can, or not. Only the timed sections are competitive, so you can tailor your experience to how you want the ride to go. 

When you finish you can get a local treat to savor called a "Whoopie Pie". Now I always thought this was a commercial treat like a Hostess cake or something, or maybe one of those convenience store treats I've seen, but I was wrong. Thanks to a video Dave sent (HERE) I now understand that a Whoopie Pie is a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch treat which unPAved has handmade for their finish line prizing. 

So, anyway, if I could, I would go to this event. You should consider it. Recommended by Guitar Ted Productions as a good time. 

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Have a great Labor Day Weekend (USA) and ride those bicycles!

Working On The Gravel Bus

Before.....

I like to try to get all my bikes ridden in the year, and if I have had one sitting for too long unridden it starts to wear on my brain. I don't like that I don't ride a certain bicycle I have and the longer it goes on the worse I feel about it. 

So, lately one of those bikes on this "list" came off the list as I started to ride the Twin Six Standard Rando v2 again. This is the bike I've dubbed "The Gravel Bus" because of the yellow and black scheme it sports which is not unlike the school bus paint schemes you may be familiar with. 

I decided to use the Gravel Bus for the Delium tire review I did recently and as I was doing that I noted I was feeling pretty beat up after one particular ride. Sore shoulders and rear end. Hmmm.... 

I considered swapping out the saddle, thinking it was the profile of the WTB saddle that was bugging me, but after comparing it to the Silverado I was going to swap over to, I noted the profile was nearly identical to the Silverado, so it wouldn't have been worth swapping to. The Silverado is a very comfortable saddle for me, so I'm chalking it up to a bibs issue. 

But I didn't particularly care for the Delium tires and I had a Redshift Sports ShockStop stem on another bike (that IS on the "List" of bikes to get out on) and I swapped the stem while going ahead with the tire change. 

.....and after.

The Gravel Bus has limited tire clearances, compared to many currently offered gravel bikes, at a claimed 43mm maximum. I ended up sliding in these WTB Raddler 700 X 44mm which are measuring out right at 44mm on GRX wheels with 25mm internal rim width. I've still got 'breathing room' too, so this should be a good pairing and I have always liked how Raddlers handle looser gravel. 

Now I need this ridiculously hot and humid weather to pass so I can test out everything in the country. I'm hopeful that I have hit on a good combination here and I will not have to keep experimenting. But you never know, and perhaps more changes will be coming.  

Bikes Of 2023: Twin Six Standard Rando v2

 It's another December here on the blog. You know what that means? Yep! Another round of my bikes I used in 2023. This round-up will not include some of the bikes I did not use this year much, or at all. I focus only on the bikes that played a big role in my riding during this year.  

As always, any changes or future plans for any bike I feature will also be detailed. I hope that you enjoy this year's round-up. Note; Throughout December there will be a lot of double-post days. Scroll back to make sure you haven't missed anything!

The Twin Six Standard Rando v2 from Fall this year.

The Twin Six Standard Rando v2 saw the majority of gravel miles that I put in during 2023. That was mostly due to it being a test mule for a handle bar and the WTB Gravelier saddle, (which is still on it), and a set of Pirelli tires as well. 

I also received, tested, and wrote a review for some Enduro bearings parts which were installed on this bike also. So, you can see that a LOT of stuff needed to be ridden and this is why I used this bike to the exclusion of some of my other rigs in 2023. As an example, I only ever rode my Fargo Gen I as a commuter bike because I had to do most of my gravel rides on the Standard Rando.

This years Guitar Ted Death Ride was done on the Standard Rando and ended up being my longest ride of 2023.

Not that riding this bike all the time was a bad thing, but seeing as how tire clearance is limited to a 43mm-44mm sized tire, I sometimes would have rather been on one of my other bikes that have larger tires. Or my lighter Noble GX5, for instance, on that long Guitar Ted Death Ride I did this past Summer.

Changes? They would be minimal going forward. I already swapped back to my preferred Salsa Cycles Cowchipper bar and I may swap out the Gravelier at some point for the more comfortable Silverado or the Ergon gravel saddle which I have on the Noble GX5. But the wheels, the drive train, and that sort of stuff is remaining unchanged here. I'll even probably run out those Pirelli tires on this rig until they wear out.