Two Things

Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles

Make It Make Sense:

The trade paper, "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News", reported recently that Giant, the Taiwanese based bicycle manufacturer, and brand, of course, saw 22% lower revenue for January than it had a year ago. Trade import numbers are down a record amount to levels not seen in decades. 

So, when a new bicycle gets introduced and you see the price tag increase approximately 2K from a similarly spec'ed previous generation model, it doesn't quite compute. 

Maybe you've seen this advertisement from Trek pop up while scrolling social media. It was an ad with the heading "Whoops! We made too many!". In the ad were about five fat bikes and all the rest were electrified bicycles, some with prices slashed by 50%. 

Brands keep pumping out halo-models with high end, 100% human powered designs while some trade papers are saying electrified bicycle imports are higher than normal bicycle imports for the beginning of 2026. I see every electrified "bicycle-shaped-object" you can imagine being motored up and down my local streets and none of these are bike shop brand e-bikes. 

I received a call at the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective the other day from an e-bike owner. His hydraulic brake needed service. Obviously, this is not within our purview, but this person, a Waterloo citizen, has to go to Cedar Falls (admittedly, not that far, but...) to find a full-service bike shop, and then there are only two independent ones. Additionally, if this customer's e-bike is not "the right brand', those two shops won't touch it. 

Oh, and Waterloo is a city of about 70,000+ people, and it doesn't have a bicycle shop. 

Make it make sense. 

Image courtesy of the Wilder 100

Feedback On The "Numbers Not Adding Up" Post:

First of all, a hearty "Thank You" to all who read the article last week and especially to those who took the time to comment. There were great thoughts shared in there. 

One of the thoughts shared is that perhaps gravel cycling is going through a "correction" in terms of participation. This is also something N.Y. Roll and I discussed in our latest podcast. (Spotify link HERE)

Another thought was the social factor isn't there anymore. Another point we spoke about on the podcast as well. But I think what was even more interesting was the comment I read regarding how many do not feel valued, or even seen, because so much focus is on the Pro field these days at gravel events. 

It is true at the "big" events where infrastructure, investment, and  outside media/industry attention is solely focused on elevating the Pro aspect of their events. The comment I found sad was "...in many cases a feeling like "we" aren't even who the event is for anymore." This Pro-focus of events and media/industry seems to be alienating many folks. 

There was an enlightening view expressed that due to how event directors see racing venue design, many events seem too similar. I never thought about this before, but now I can see this and it makes sense. 

On the positive side it seems series events are seen as a way to attend a smaller event without Pro influences and to be able to connect with many of the same folks at each event throughout the season. This also makes sense to me. 

The longer nature of event in some cases was seen as a detriment to continued support from riders in terms of attendance and a barrier to entry. It just takes so much effort and time to train for a longer event. 

And someone hit on the obvious rise in costs. Saying, in contrast to spending a lot to go to a bucket-list event,  "But at now over $200, plus hotel, food, etc. and roads/scenery pretty similar to what I can find close to home in Iowa for free." And this is kind of a killer when it comes to sustainability for these halo gravel events. Once the cycle of folks has had their crack at it, they likely will not come back if they feel alienated, find little social interaction, and had to spend a gob of money to participate in anonymity. 

Of course, it is not all bad news, and many an event will thrive in today's scene, but I would say there are some things changing which give me pause. 

Thanks again to all who read Guitar Ted Productions. 

Bonus: I have a new article up on my Substack, in case you'd like to take a look. 

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PSA: Gravel Grinder News Today At 9:00am:

Just a short note for you early morning blog readers. There is an embargoed announcement being released at 9:00am CST this morning, so please check back for this. (Hint: Salsa Cycles related)

Embargoed information is a sore topic with some folks involved in cycling. Dealers get information with "Respect the Embargo" stamped all over it. They can face some stiff reprimands for showing stuff to the wrong people. Meanwhile internet sleuths dig up images all the time and post them on social sites like Reddit with source material sometimes alongside which may have been shown to someone in confidence. No one ever gets their hand slapped for it, and dealers get shafted by the process sometimes when it devalues current inventory. 

I used to see issues with this all the time when I worked retail. You had customers you could sell the new thing to on the side, but "embargo", so .....? Meanwhile they see it on some subversive's post and wonder why you didn't say anything to help them out and now you are the "bad guy". 

And, of course, you can immediately be blackballed out of sharing PR if you slip up and post something before the embargo, or get greedy to be "first" on a story. 

My stance is that - if the press release is relevant to my focus here - I will post the information when the marketers want me to post it. I'm here to help. I don't care about being first or whatever, and I make zero bucks either way. So.... I'm here to help. But some brands don't see it that way and so I do not hear from them, or I get "second tier" treatment. Whatever.... It doesn't do anything to me. It only hurts them.  

March False Spring > March Snow > March Winter > March Spring:

And the weather! Wow, what a roller coaster we've been on here in Iowa. One minute it's nearly 70°F and then a couple days later it is snowing. 

This makes it hard on me and my schedule is not lining up with the "good days" either. Riding has been limited. 

I know sooner or later this will straighten out, and to be honest, generally speaking we'd still normally be melting off Winter snow pack yet at around this time. So, the teasing of this warmer weather is what has gotten me all turned around. 

And then on a short test ride around the neighborhood the other day I came home and discovered an unpleasant surprise. I picked my Honeman Flyer up and reoriented it for entry into the portal for Guitar Ted Headquarters. I heard a strange noise, looked down and saw a rear spoke dangling in the breeze. 

Great!

Now I have to remove the tubeless tire, tubeless tape, and fish out a nipple banging around inside the rim. Fun times! Maybe I'll do this when it is forecast to be only 24°F this coming Monday. Hmm..... I wonder if the tulips will survive a day of that? 

Welcome to another Spring in Iowa.......

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Pinarello Grevil MX (Image courtesy of Pinarello)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New Podcast Episode:

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

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

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

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

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

It will be here before we know it!

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 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. 

Two Things

 In today's "Two Things" post, I am going to discuss an idea for gravel bikes which came out of the Checkout discussion and another idea based on a bicycle I posted an image of recently which readers professed admiration for as well. 

My old 2006 Salsa Cycles Dos Niner. 

Dual Suspension Gravel Or Soft-tail?

One of the ideas which came up during the recent discussion about the Trek Checkout was an old MTB design which has not really been thoroughly explored for gravel. This idea is the soft-tail design. I wrote about this idea in detail back in 2022 HERE. 

I tried a soft-tail at the 2010 DK200, and there is merit to this idea. The thing is, no one has yet figured out how to best execute this soft-tail idea for gravel, especially from a vibration reduction standpoint. Unless you want to include Salsa's passive, in-frame designed Class V VRS. Which does do what we are talking about here effectively. (There are some other examples as well)

First of all, suspension for gravel, especially for racing on gravel, is pretty much a no-go. Any kind of interruption of power transfer from human to tire contact patch is a real negative for a racer. So, most anything you try to design for a suspension based vibration reduction system is going to be met with disdain from an efficiency and feel standpoint with a racer's perspective. 

Soft-tail design might actually work if the resources were poured into the damper to give it resistance to movement when power is applied and allow the damper to work below certain power thresholds to help riders be less fatigued over a longer distance. This would probably mean a sophisticated electronic sensor and valve control set up. I think it is 100% possible, but who is going to go "all F1" on this idea? It would cost a LOT of money! 

And then, like I said in the linked article, why not just use a suspension seat post? Less complexity, similar results. It wouldn't be for the Pro and semi-Pro riders, but for everyone else? 

Maybe. 

Does The Past Have Any Answers For Vibration Reduction?

One of my recent images garnered a lot of praise in the comments section. It was of my Honeman Flyer, a custom made frame by King Fabrications, with geometry taken right off a 1936 era track bike combined in a stunning bit of paint work and was the muse of those folks. 

While I could go on about the bike, the paint job, and how much I like this bicycle, I wanted to focus in on a thing I feel many companies miss out on and what was important in the past which maybe should be thought more about now. 

That 'thing'? Ride quality. Maybe you'd call it "ride feel". Which ever way you want to describe this, I think we've lost our way by focusing on gear, electronics, and racing. Maybe we are relying too much on tires and vibration-reducing stems and seat posts. I think the original intentions for the geometry the Honeman Flyer is based upon might be something to consider when it comes to 'ride quality'. 

This type of bicycle was made in the early to late 1930's, a time when extravagance was in short supply. Riders of custom-made bicycles had to pay a dear amount to get their hands on one bicycle. Maybe they threw in together with other riders in a club which afforded these members access to pure-bred racing bikes with stems and seat posts made to adjust to riders of different measurements. This was done as a way to get a racing bike for all club members and share the cost. This was fairly common in these times. 

The predominate form of bicycle racing was still on tracks, but these were few and far between and riders from areas outside of tracks had to make do with training over rough back roads, on gravel, and where possible, on pavement. This meant that for many cyclists of the day who were competitive, their bicycle had to deal with rough roads, gravel, dirt, and be comfortable, handle well, and still perform as a track bike. 

Tall order! But frame builders arrived at certain ways to accommodate this all, and in doing so, created a ride quality which was at once forgiving on rough stuff, a bike which handled well, and still rode fast, and produced good results at track racing events. One such design being produced by John "Pop" Brennan was ridden to national championships on the track by Willie Honeman. This is the design I copied and had Li King execute for me in steel tubing at his shop. 

It is a very unconventional design from our 2025 perspectives, but it rides like a dream. Could it be that a litigious society, testing protocols, designs stemming from one-use mindsets, and fashion has clouded our ability to make a simple bike which rides nicely for the masses? 

Again - Maybe so....

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New Guitar Ted Podcast Discusses New And Old Technologies:

The latest Guitar Ted Podcast just dropped. In Episode 84 you will hear a variety of things being discussed. If there is a theme here it is that of how new tech is going to change our view of cycling in the near future. Or at least it is what we think will happen. (Listen to Episode 84)

Of course, I discuss my Singular Cycles Peregrine Mk4, which was the main subject here all of this past week. The newer stuff we talked about is in direct contrast to a bicycle like the Peregrine. 

With the cycling marketplace changing to something most industry experts don't even understand yet, this move to consumer direct sales will have a far-reaching effect upon how bicycles are designed and what components will be bolted to those bicycles. 

We discuss how it may be that frames designed only for electronic gearing with no wires might be a response by the industry to companies wanting to make selling direct to consumers an easier thing for all parties. Imagine a world where all that needs to be done is to pair Bluetooth components to an app and have any adjustments necessary be done through the app. You could literally send a bicycle nearly complete in a box and have all adjustments be led by the app and possibly a YouTube video. 

This would effectively eliminate the need for dealers to have mechanics around to build bicycles up. There will still be repairs, fittings, and accessories, so dealers won't go away, but initial sales will be direct to consumer, cutting out dealers entirely and lessening the need for mechanics on duty all the time. 

Image courtesy of SRAM

SRAM Files Suit Over UCI Gearing Restrictions:

Perhaps you noted on Friday the suit filed in a Belgian case regarding the UCI's gearing restrictions and how this affects SRAM sposored Pro Road racing teams.  

The condensed, overly-simplified story here concerns the UCI's efforts to bring speeds down for racing, and therefore improve  rider safety. The UCI has issued a decree which limits gearing range to an effective 54 X 11T maximum on the high end. SRAM's newest Red AXS has an effective 54 X 10 range. 

SRAM is saying the UCI has arbitrarily eliminated SRAM from Pro racing with this edict and their rule is a misguided attempt to make racing safer. Amongst other things SRAM said, by the way, this seems to be the crux of their issues with this UCI ruling.   

Comments: I tend to agree with SRAM on this one. The rider's safety is important, but limiting gearing is not the way to address excessive speeds. Rider's and teams will adapt, and speeds will return to where they are at, if they are affected at all. 

And maybe the issues are not gear related. Perhaps course design, crowd control, and rider's decision making is to blame here. At any rate, SRAM has a point with their argument. 

However; I disagree with SRAM in their insinuation that the UCI is picking on them specifically. Besides, can't SRAM just, you know, have something made to allow them to comply? Like, how hard is it to make a cassette which would satisfy the UCI when this company can find ways to make chains proprietary, amongst other daft "standards" SRAM has created over the years. 

Two Things

Nick at a recent ride support gig.

 Two things: The "Heroes" You Otherwise Won't Hear About.

Today's "Two Things" focuses on two cycling stories with some folks who you will never hear about anywhere else. But their stories deserve to be told, in my opinion, so here we go...

Nick Arendt: 

The Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective has a board made up of around seven or eight folks. One of these memebers is Nick Arendt. Nick was the volunteer for the most recent Bike Valet service the Collective provides at downtown Waterloo, Iowa events like "Fridayloo", which features a live band on the riverfront stage.

RAGBRAI is going on right now, and people come from all over the world to participate in this, the largest recreational bike ride in the world. The ride started this year in the Northwestern corner of the state of Iowa. Since Waterloo is on HWY 20, the fastest, most Northern route across Iowa, it would stand to reason that we may have a few travelers coming through the city on their way to RAGBRAI's start.

On Saturday we had a big complex of thunderstorms move through the area and everything was soaking wet. I was at the Collective by 7:30am to get the day rolling as we are open from 8:00am - noon on Saturdays. Not long after the doors opened in came Nick to bring back the Bike Valet supplies and gear we use for this service. But he had a wheel in his hands. And this was no ordinary wheel!

Image courtesy of Hunt Wheels

This was a carbon fiber rim with a nice 30mm road tire on it. A disc rim with a through axle, so whatever it went on must have been a fairly nice road bike. We surmised this wheel, which Nick found in the motel parking lot behind the shop, was probably left behind when a person was loading their bike onto a rack which required front wheel removal and then inadvertently left it behind.

We also guessed this was likely a RAGBRAI rider heading out to the start who had stayed the evening in Waterloo on their travels. So, I suggested to Nick he go to the two neighboring motels and put in a word at their front desks about him finding this wheel.

Nick left and not three minutes later a frenzied young man entered into the Collective asking breathlessly if anyone had brought in a wheel. I immediately connected this young man with the wheel Nick had in his possession, so I texted Nick. Nick was quick to return and the young man was overjoyed.

Claiming we had "saved his RAGBRAI, he exited and that was that. But this could have gone very wrong for that young man had Nick not shown up on the scene when he did, and not some other person who may have just figured it was a "bicycle wheel" and taken it as a prize they had found. Nick, you are a good man!

Charlie Farrow (Image from social media)

Charlie Farrow - An Upper-Mid-West Hero.

Not long ago here on these digital pages I wished Charlie Farrow a safe and successful ride on his Tour Divide attempt. Well, now news comes to me that on the 19th of July, Charlie finished his ride in Antelope Wells, New Mexico in 37 days and some change. 

I've lauded Charlie on his legendary status in Trans Iowa  before. However, what many may not know is Charlie has accomplished so much in his endurance cycling pursuits. Tour Divide is just another feather in Charlies very feathered helmet.

Trans Iowa saw some very outstanding performances from Charlie, but these are but a pittance in his palmares.  Charlie has attempted and finished the Iditarod in Alaska, the Arrowhead 135 winter ultra, the Almanzo 100, other gravel events, several 24hr MTB events, and probably more stuff I don't know about.

Those who know Charlie hold him in high regard. He is humble, erudite, and quick with a good word. It is hard not to like Charlie if you meet him. So, when you add his excellent character with his amazing cycling accomplishments, it is an example of one rare human being. I know I will always think of Charlie as a "hero" of cycling, especially in terms of the long-distance, ultra-cycling events held off-pavement.

Congratulations Charlie on your latest long-distance triumph! 

Two Things

32" wheeled bike seen at Eurobike (Image courtesy of Gary Fisher)

  Thoughts On 32"ers:

On Friday an exc3ellent look at an experimental 32" wheeled XC racing bike was detailed by "Bike Rumor". (See article HERE)

The article shows how BMC engineers cut up an existing Medium sized Four Stroke FS XC bike, modified a DT Swiss fork, and made some customized bits to see if a 32" wheeled bike would make sense as a Pro-level XC bike.

If you are old enough to remember the very beginnings of the 29"er developmental phases, you will find all of this very familiar. Moving to a larger diameter wheel will present a LOT of concerns and challenges. Based upon what we already know about 29"er vs 26"er days, what can we expect from all this development on 32"ers? Will Maxxis release the other tread patterns it says it has ready to go? Will Pirelli release a tire, as suggested in the linked "Bike Rumor"article? Who will pony up the money for a turnkey front suspension fork?

If the industry learned anything from early 29"er development, they should understand rushing to "be first" with 32"ers may prove to be a fatal decision. Early 29"ers weren't very good, quite frankly, and you can see how the wheel size had to grow into its own geometry, axle spacing, and how materials technology had to be developed to make the big wheels work well enough to leave 26"ers and 27.5"ers behind.

In my opinion, 32 inch wheels will demand its own set of geometry tweaks before the bikes will ever hope to outrun 29"ers. Furthermore, the extra weight will have to be addressed by further gains in materials technologies, if this can be done. Thirdly, another set of geometry numbers will have to be addressed here, and this is having to do with wheels. It is my strong belief if 32"ers are adopted you will see wider front hubs, and probably a move to wider rear hub spacing to gain back wheel strength and handling precision lost with a longer, more flexible spoke.

Add in fit and sizing issues and I think 32"ers - while technically possible - will not be quite the same revolution as 29"ers were. Simply because humans in the size range 32"ers will work best for are not going to be as numerous as those who would fit 29"ers well. Therefore your market for products is already limited. Kind of as if you decided to only sell hats larger than 7 7/8ths hat size. You'll sell some, but not like "normal" hat sizes.

Image courtesy of Gravel Worlds

Lauf Gravel Worlds Announces New Awards For Finishers:

Friday saw the press release for Gravel Worlds hit my inbox which detailed the new finisher award concepts for this year's running of Gravel Worlds. These new awards are designed to celebrate thos not in the front, nor those bringing up the rear of the field, but these are for the "everyman/woman" of gravel racing.

First up we have the "Golden Cob"- "Cream of the Crop" award for anyone finishing the 150 distance in under ten hours. Next up we have the 300 Mile (formerly Long Journey) Belt Buckle for anyone finishing the 300 mile distance.

Lauf Gravel Worlds also announced a new 10 mile "Fun Ride" in addition to its other distances on offer.

You can learn more at www.gravelworlds.com 

 Comments: If this reminds you somewhat of a 2010's era gravel event's awards then you are on the right track. The DK200 had similar awards for anyone "beating the Sun" going down in Emporia.

By the way, didn't N.Y. Roll bring this idea up in a recent podcast we did? I think so. While we cannot take credit for the Golden Cob idea, we have to think we were on a similar wavelength there! The belt buckle is a direct nod to the Leadville 100's belt buckles which used to be doled out as awards to finishers under certain time limits.

It is interesting to note that the 300 mile  distance is no longer being called "The Long Voyage", which was originally done in keeping with the Pirate theme since Gravel Worlds was a Pirate Cycling League event for the majority of its years until recently.  

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 Saving Brooks:

Well, as I wrote some time ago now, I have been working to save this Brooks B-72 saddle from the edge of dry-rot oblivion.  It has been quite the process with multiple applications of Proofide and some rudimentary 'blocking' attempts to bring back some semblance of form to the formerly dried out chunk of cow hide.

The results are encouraging so far. I have been letting the saddle sit to dry out some, with occasional buffings. I also have to finish up taking care of the undercarriage, now that things are looking as though this activity will be worthwhile to do. 

Now, this might be the hardest part of all - What bike do I put this on? Plus, because this saddle uses a dual rail design, a sandwich clamp is used, which means I have to use a headless seat post. This limits how I can use the saddle, but fortunately I happen to know a place that has an alloy 27.2mm headless seat post on hand.

The B-72 requires an application where the rider sits more upright, so my gravel bikes are out, and probably so are my three fat bikes, which don't make sense anyway from the standpoint of cold, wet weather usage. Yeah, this may be something for someone else, but I would like to enjoy the 'fruit of my labors' for a little bit! 

 

Still work to do under here....

The cracks did not go away, but they are only in the upper layer or two of the hide, so I think this should work out fine, although it doesn't look 100% great. There is evidence here and there which I noted while restoring this saddle which leads me to believe it was originally black in color. If I am correct, then the condition I found this saddle in is even more remarkable as it did not look black at all when I saw it first. Far from it! I thought it was a honey colored saddle at first.

Well, whatever color it was when new, I am about ready to ride this saddle and see how it feels. Stay tuned for this and more about the saddle soon.

Buzzard's Beginnings:

I mentioned the 'crazy idea' I had on Monday and I started to act on it yesterday. My first order of business was to tear down the fat bike wheel with the 135OLD single speed rear hub laced to it and tear down the original Velocity Dually wheel for the rim.

The Dually still had the On One Chunky Monkey 29" x 2.4" tire mounted to it, so I had to remove this, the tape, and the valve stem to gain access to the spoke nipples. When I tore off the tubeless valve tape, I revealed the Velocity build sticker, which they sign and date when the wheel was built and by whom.

I had forgotten how long ago this wheel came to me! 2013! That seems like a long time ago now. I wonder if "Austin" still works at Velocity USA. Anyway...

Once I get everything apart, I can measure the hub, throw the ERD and all the other pertinent data into the wheel spoke calculator, press "Calculate", and then find out if I have the proper spokes or no. By the way, I forgot the original spokes Velocity used in this build are bladed. Hopefully I can reuse some of those.

Brakes will be next up after this, and then a bunch of smaller details. I won't do the eccentric right away. I want to do a 'proof of concept' ride or three after my initial build is complete to see how the bike handles and all.Then, if I am satisfied the bike handles well, I will order the eccentric and install the thing. But if this fails, I will go a completely different direction. We will see... 

I should have an update on this one soon. 
 

Two Things

I'm free! Finally I am free!

 Freedom For Cooks Crank:

Back in 2003 when I first put together my Campstove Green Karate Monkey, I used a Cooks Brothers crank set in the build. I set it up with a Big Cheese chain ring and ran the bike single speed for years afterward with this set up.

I actually wore out one Big Cheese ring and put on another, only to find that when it wore out as well, that hidden chain ring bolt was frozen together. I suppose several Winter's of use might do something like that. Hmm...

I freely admit I am not a BMX parts hound so I was at a bit of a loss as to whether or not the spider could come off this drive arm. It had an M8 bolt holding the spider to the crank arm, so I removed this, (and promptly lost it), then I found out the spider was peened on at the spindle and well.....

So now I had a real pickle. I couldn't get the ring off and I lost a "special bolt". Okay, so I bailed on this crank at the time and went with a 180mm White Industries single speed crank I had purchased with a square taper interface. This is the crank set on the bike currently.

Every once in awhile over the ensuing years I would fiddle with the Cooks crank and see if I could find a suitable M8 bolt or if I could remove the chain ring bolt. I guess last week was finally the time for release of trapped chain rings because I was able to finally get the dang nut apart!

Well, at least now I could clean up the arms and start searching again for a suitable M8 bolt amongst my massive stash of fasteners I have saved up over the years. The cleaning part went well. The arms are in decent shape and the spider still looks really nice. At least for a part that is likely 35+ years old and went through several Iowa Winters and gravel miles.

But finding a bolt? This was not as successful. I could find a ton of metric thread fasteners which would turn in three times and bind, indicating they had the wrong thread pitch. This took a while to get through all my fasteners so I ended up wasting a lot of time on this, but I know now I don't have a bolt for this crank arm.

I got to wondering, perhaps Cook Brothers used a SAE thread pitch on this bit, since it was produced in the U.S.A. This would make sense, but I just am not knowledgeable on these enough to say if this is the case or not. I also do not have SAE fasteners. I am a bicycle mechanic, after all!

One good thing came out of all of this though. In searching for the M8 fastener I found my lost Wahoo Elemnt ROAM. It was underneath a bunch of computer mounts in a bowl on the bench. Why? Uh.....I probably figured all the computer stuff should go in this bowl here while I was cleaning up one day and then I likely promptly forgot about it. This would totally track with me. Anyway, I found the Wahoo, so wahoo!   

SILCA SAGA

You may remember my ordering a gauge for my SILCA pump recently? Well, I did receive a package from SILCA. It was curiously light, and my red flags started to wave as I walked back from the mailbox. Hmm.... Something seems wrong here.

Well, as I opened up the bubble pack envelope, I saw the box inside and I knew immediately something was for certain way off. I opened up the box to find.......a spanner wrench?!

What?!

How...... I..... This was really weird! I mean, I could see sending out the wrong gauge, but a spanner wrench? This was super odd.

That's not a gauge!

 

Now that is a gauge!

I sent a quick email to SILCA and their answer was that someone must have been in a hurry in the shipping department and got their wires crossed. An actual gauge would be on the way pronto. 

Finally I have the gauge! And my Pista Plus pump is back in service again. I must say SILCA was very prompt and responsive during this entire process. I always received communication within an hour of sending an email and shipments were made ASAP. I have to say SILCA wins the customer service award from Guitar Ted Productions. I've not ever had such great, prompt, and courteous service from any company I've dealt with over the years. 

Yes, they made a mistake, but they rectified it and all is well. Now, back to pumping up tires....

Two Things

Fat Tires For Gravel? Nothing New, Maybe Not The Best Thing Either...

Besides cycling media, racers, and brands harping on "aero" lately, I've seen a lot of digital space given to running mountain bike tires as "gravel tires" on "gravel bikes". Okay, so here's my opinion on all of this.

First of all, most  "gravel bikes" are not, and should not be racing bikes for gravel. Just as all squares are rectangles but not all rectangles are squares. Also, not everyone should be looking to racers, or gravel racing, for their direction to take for riding a bicycle on gravel. 

However; this has been, and still is modus operandi for the cycling industry in the USA. Everything revolves around racing, to the great detriment of the average cyclist and those who might become cyclists. (I know, I probably sound like Grant Petersen here) What is happening in "gravel" cycling now is a repeat of the story which happened to road cycling and mountain biking. Competitive ______ racing (fill in the blank) is the measuring stick for ALL ______ biking (fill in the blank) cyclists. The equipment is put up as the "best", and all the things racers do are "better" for you, (even though you probably are the furthest thing from those Professional racers) and their actions and equipment are the goals you are to attain to. 

This is one of the main drivers for all the weird standards, ill fitting bike designs (ill fitting for average shaped humans), and expensive bicycles. But bringing it back to the tire thing, some racer said MTB tires are "better" for gravel, and there is "no reason" to race gravel on 40mm tires. Here's the really bad part about this sort of messaging.

Most people don't consider the source and the context of commentary like this. Maybe for a particular course, and for a small handful of humans who are professional (read: Have tons of time to train, are sponsored, or paid to race) these recommendations may have some merit. But telling me not to consider 40mm tires for gravel racing is pretty bogus. What if the bike I have to "race gravel on" is also my daily driver? Maybe I have pavement for long stretches of my ride, or I commute. A MTB tire at 29" X 2.2" is kinda "not the right tire", perhaps? 

And no - none of what these racers are saying about gravel racing in terms of tires is "new". These racers, and many who are influenced by these racers just don't know what they don't know. That is a completely different story for another day. Point is, if you are not a professional racer, you may want to sift what they suggest very carefully before jumping on their bandwagon. 

Or not...... 

 When It Becomes "Not An All - Roads Bike", What Is It?

Image courtesy of Ridley Bikes

This fat tire gravel thing is leading some down a road which looks suspiciously like XC mountain biking with drop bars. I reported on the Ridley bike in a recent FN&V here. Ridley call this concept "Alpine Gravel"

Another online cycling media outlet asked if full-suspension gravel bikes were the "vision" going forward for gravel bikes.

A certain photographer I follow on social media answered back with, "You mean a drop-bar mountain bike? No." 

Some people have far more sense than the media, or cycling brands give them credit for. Just about anyone with a decent amount of time in mountain biking, gravel riding, or cycling in general can see right through all of this crap. The thing is, most of these brands and media sources don't really care. Their narrative will win out the day eventually if they keep banging the drum for whatever they deem is "The Next Big Thing" and as long as it sells units.

Drop bar mountain bikes, in and of themselves, are not a 'bad' thing. What is wrong about this is how these bikes are being sold to the naive cyclist as something 'new' and different. An XC mountain bike hard tail with drop bars is nothing new. Not even one with 29"er wheels. And especially in this instance, it is laughable to try to push this narrative.

These bikes also do not really fit the originally intended purposes of what became known as "gravel bikes". In the beginnings of all of this, the idea was to have a bicycle which would cover the area between single track and fully paved roads. A bicycle for roads, no matter what their surface was. Not single track. Not mountainous, rock infested terrain. We already had mountain bikes for this activity. We already had great choices for bicycles which did well on fully paved roads.

Somewhere along the way we have been asked to think gravel bikes are mountain bikes as well. Why? Maybe because gravel is a hot category, and XC MTB is not? Yes.....that's pretty much it right there. 

NOTE: Next week a lot of press releases come off embargo previous to Sea Otter. I'll have some news posting at odd times. Thank you for your patience in this matter and for reading Guitar Ted Productions

Two Things

This is my photo of Jim Cummings (L) and Joel Dyke, co-founders of the DK200

The Guitar Ted Podcast Episode #66:

The latest podcast dropped last Friday evening. This one was inspired by you, the readers of Guitar Ted Productions. I received a couple comments which were questions and I took them to the podcast to give you all some longer answers. Plus we get N.Y. Roll's perspective as well. 

I also covered the recent news from the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame. You can refer to the post I made when the news came out by clicking HERE. 

In that post I mentioned the issue I had with Jim Cummings exclusion from the Hall. While some of you may have noticed, some of you may not read the comments to my posts. I received a comment from a GCHoF board member who completely ignored the question of Jim's exclusion and instead restated that the current direction of the GCHoF will be maintained going forward. 

I only bring this up because I reference this in the podcast. So there is some context for my remarks should you choose to listen in. The episode can be accessed HERE on Spotify, or you can find the Guitar Ted Podcast on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts from.

New PCL jersey

New Jersey Day:

The Pirate Cycling League (PCL) is an entity that has been around now for almost 20 years. You could argue that its roots go back further than 2006, but the jersey says 2006, so... I'm going with that. 

One of the latest designs for a jersey from the PCL just arrived here at GT Headquarters and I must say, I like it a lot! This jersey says - to me at least - what it is about gravel cycling that I found attractive in the first place. 

A couple of things come to mind immediately. First, gravel cycling was, at least originally, a rebellion. The act of putting on events, be they competitive or not, on gravel was an act of defiance in several ways. There was the rejection of overly complicated rules, uppity attitudes, and against the licensing/entry fees that seemed to be designed to fleece the rider and enrich....somebody. 

That is reflected in the motorcycle gang-like faux denim look with 'patches' and non-matching fonts. It also is a bit "punk rock" in that way. Knowing the mind(s) behind this, I'm leaning more punk rockish here. 

Then there is the historical aspect. The front features several "patches" which represent notable people and events from the PCL's past. You have "CVO", (Christopher Van Oyen) and the rainbow striped "g" for Randy Gibson. Two "pirates" that we lost far too soon. 

You've got the "TODR" patch (Tour of Dirt Roads), which represents the PCL's first event promoted that took in the area around Lincoln, Nebraska's dirt roads or "MMR's" as they are known as around those parts. 

Then maybe my favorite thing on the jersey is the "Hello" sticker. It hearkens back to a time when events were smaller, less structured, and everyone was interested in everyone else. No pretenses, just humans in honest fellowship. 

I need another jersey like I need a another hole in my head, but this spoke to me and I had to grab one. It will go alongside my other PCL jerseys and I'll likely be wearing this one a bunch during 2024. I know it may not matter to anyone else, but this PCL thing means something - to me, at any rate. 

The PCL's motto, "Ride Free", encapsulates so much of what I like about gravel and some gravel events from the past to the present. It eschews corporatization, barriers to entry, and any attempts to codify the sport by way of rules or a culture driven only by competition. 

Yes, Gravel Worlds was a PCL event until recently. You could say that Gravel Worlds strayed from the molds cast originally by the PCL, and you'd get no argument from me. But now that the PCL has separated itself from Gravel Worlds, I think the ideas behind what the PCL stands for are better represented. That's just my opinion on matters.

Two Things

1959 Schwinn Corvette 3 speed

 Cruiser Update:

Last week I posted about the Schwinn Corvette 3 speed and how I had freed up the frozen rear hub. I thought I would give you all an update on this bike. I've taken things as far as I can given the mission of the Collective. Now it will have to move on to someone else that will either give it a home as a object to admire or as a restoration project. 

My goal was to make the bike operative, inspect it, and clean it up. I have no idea how long the bike had set, but given that it will be 66 years old this year, I'm betting it sat for the better part of half a century. 

I think I am on to something here because this bike has all of its original parts right down to the grips, pedals, tires, and all else. There is only one thing missing here and that is the headlight. The mount is still there, but the piece broke when my assistant at the Collective was doing the initial clean-up on this project. 

What amazes me about things like this Corvette 3 speed is the detail on the bike. There are things I found on this bicycle that made me stop and wonder. Like that "AS" stamped stem wedge bolt. Or the piece of steel, about 3mm thick, tack welded behind the chain guard where it attaches to the rear of the frame. A thing done to help reinforce that area so it would not fail. Did any buyer of a Schwinn cruiser ever know about this detail? I doubt it, but Schwinn did this to make the chain guard more durable. 

Other details like the bearing races, which are machined and not stamped out like they would be now, and the sharp, crisp edges on bolts, are things you just never see on bicycles today. Of course, ALL the fasteners were SAE standard and not Metric. Not that one is better, but it just points to the USA manufacture of this piece. Which leads me to one more thing about bicycles for kids from this era....

They are TANKS! These things were made to last and last. Wearable parts are serviceable and replaceable, well.....back then they were! It is not easy to find parts now, but you get the picture. 

Bonus picture of this Schwinn Typhoon from 1963 which was donated with the Corvette.

 
We received a Schwinn Typhoon, which according to my research, (which could be wrong), is from 1963. These two Schwinns came in together, and both were salvageable. The Typhoon, if anything, is even in better shape than the Corvette. It simply is mind boggling to me that any boy's bike from this era would ever survive use. I am left to assume that both bicycles were little used, seeing that both have original tires, and other wearable parts like the grips and pedals. Cool feature on the Typhoon= It has a "red stripe" two speed kick-back hub. It works as well. Pretty neat. 

These are available from the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective if you are interested. My thought is that we'd raffle them off as a fundraiser during our next membership drive, but that is not written in stone. Hit me up if you are interested.

More Industry Musings:

Last Sunday's post stirred up some of you out there. I could tell by the numbers that post drew out of the gate. This isn't a subject which is relegated to me, or even a few social media savants. This seems to be perplexing and has had an effect upon many folks from disparate parts of cycling. 

Once we exited the pandemic, many were predicting that sometime during 2024 things would right themselves, inventory levels would be "normal" again, and that we'd be out of the woods in terms of the post-COVID sales slump. 

Well.....that hasn't happened. So, we are seeing many folks scratching their heads wondering what is going on here. I've seen athletes posting about lost sponsorships, I've seen sales discounting continuing, and rumors worse than anything I've heard before are beginning to swirl. 

N.Y. Roll asked me to listen to a podcast, (I won't name it here because I don't want to throw anyone "under the bus"), and I gave him my reaction as to what I think is going on here. Like I said Sunday, part of this is the old way of thinking which includes just pumping out more product every year that the industry assumes will find a home. Well, that doesn't seem to be working anymore. Anyway, here are my thoughts in bullet point form:

1. The all-human powered bicycling folks are aging out of cycling
2. Many youth are not interested in cycling, (USA) and if they are, they are most interested in assisted cycling or e-scooters. They are least interested in 100% human powered cycling.
3. There are NO SAFE PLACES TO RIDE (in most cases)
4. COVID skewed the market. Those that would have purchased bicycles from 2020 - 2025 did so in two year's time from 2020 - 2021. They have their bicycles and are out of the market. 
5. Overreaction to demand spike caused over-production leading to massive inventory levels at historic levels which are still being worked through. 
6. Current pricing, even at discounted levels, is not attracting buyers as hoped

Meanwhile employees, rents, bills, and  all else needs to be payed out but revenues are lacking in many cases. Even the robust European e-bike market pre-COVID has taken it on the chin. So, it is a perplexing issue and unless more people can be enticed into cycling I just do not see how this gets better. 

Maybe I'm all wrong....

Two Things

Revival Time

 Things have slowed down quit a bit at the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective, but they haven't come to a standstill. By no means! This is the time of the year that I try to get into those "projects" that will take up some time and will require a lot of focus. Things that are not wise to try to do when you might be getting interrupted on a fairly consistent basis. 

One of those projects is a 1959 Schwinn Corvette 3 speed. We had this bike up in the stand back in the Fall but when I realized that the internals of the Austrian made 3 speed hub were frozen up, I had to take a different approach to the job. 

The bike, overall, was in pretty decent condition considering its nearly 66 years of existence on the planet. Sure, it was scarred up, but it had all its original equipment parts still on it, which, for a boy's bicycle, is rare. Even the fenders were decent. 

So, I wanted to try to save the originality of the bike and not swap out the wheel for a similar one. My first approach was to soak the internals in penetrant, which thankfully was easily enough done due to the design of the hub. The manufacturer pretty much copied a Sturmey Archer design right down to the metal oiling port cap. I simply opened it up and loaded the hub with penetrant and sat the wheel in a corner for a month and a half. 

Recently I got back to this project and focused on the hub. I partially disassembled the axle which allowed access to the internal Sun and planetary gears. I was able to get those loosened up and then I was also able to get the hub to shift again. A little cleaning up, reassembly, and new oil and she's good to go now! 

That means the Corvette project can proceed. Next hurdle: Tires (maybe) and a different saddle. 

Image from a warmer time...

The Wheel Saga Continues

That DT Swiss wheel I have worked on is still giving me fits. I replaced all the alloy nipples and test rode it this past week and....

tick.......tick......tick......

Gah! What the....!!!

Okay, so it could be a spoke loading and unloading in its straight pull socket. It could be something else. All I know is that this tick-ticking will not be tolerated. So..... 

 I'll try another wheel set just to make sure it actually is the DT/Roval wheels. And if it is, then....

I have a set of Velocity Blunt SS rims sitting there doing nothing. I would just need to buy some nice hubs and well, build a proper set of wheels. There are possibilities to rebuild that DT Swiss hubbed Roval rimmed wheel set too, and yeah.....I could go that way, but either way, a set of J-bend hubs and spokes would need to be purchased. 

I think something like this needs to happen. Funny what an annoying noise will do to a bicycle mechanic. The thing is, at single-digit wind chills and with that cold possibly skewing my results I think this may have to wait until things warm up a bit. Then if that noise is what I think, there will need to be some hubs and spokes ordered.

Two Things

Image courtesy of Iowa Wind and Rock

 Iowa Wind And Rock Event Thoughts:

The event called "Iowa Wind and Rock", or IWAR for short, is going to happen again in April 2025. (Registration is open now, by the way) This is the event, for those who may be unaware, which sprang from the ashes of Trans Iowa in 2018. Trans Iowa being the event I put on with a LOT of help from others, from 2005 - 2018.

From the IWAR site: "For 14 years, TransIowa, one of the most difficult gravel races in the US, took place in Iowa at the end of April. It was difficult not only because of the terrain, but also due to notoriously fickle Iowa weather, and the challenges it required riders to overcome just to make it to the starting line. The end of TransIowa in 2018 meant that a unique chapter of gravel racing history closed. As Iowans, TransIowa finishers, and people who enjoy stretching personal boundaries, we didn’t want to see this unique opportunity for people to challenge themselves disappear."

So, in a way, the event spirit and format for IWAR is a lot like Trans Iowa's because the founders of IWAR wanted a "Trans Iowa-like" event to continue. So, the line going back from now to 2005 when the first Trans Iowa was held is, up to this point, an unbroken one, from the standpoint of what events like these entail: Self-support in a real sense, cue sheet navigation, mental and physical testing, and weather challenges. 

Iowa Wind and Rock continues the traditions set by Trans Iowa. Probably the most curious reaction, in my mind, to how this event is held is the reaction to the cue sheet navigation part. I'm just going off what I see being chatted about this on Facebook, so if anyone else has a different perspective, I'm all ears. 

But to my way of thinking, this points to a few things I find interesting. One: Most gravel riders and competitors do not have any idea how the sport was run long ago. Two: It's all on the internet, the history, that is, if anyone really cares to look it up. Three: Not many people care and anything like cue sheet navigation is seen as being an unnecessary burden on the competitor and is something of a deal-breaker for those curious about an event like IWAR. 

At the risk of being "an old man yelling at the clouds", as I have been accused of being, I think a big part of this is a lack of understanding which could be addressed by the event(s) that use cue sheets, and of course, the reliance on technology for finding our way through our world today. Folks maybe do not even realize that they have lost a huge portion of what our ancestors took for granted. Way-finding is a skill that was necessary for survival at one time and made minds sharper and gifted us a unique way of looking at nature which is lost on many today to our detriment, it would seem.  

We Were Supposed To Be Clear Of This By Now:

It is obvious to anyone that pays attention to bicycle retail that major discounting is still happening. The difference now is that it does not apply literally to every segment of cycling. There are sales bright spots, and high-end road bikes are one such area of fairly decent sales with little discounting going on there.

However; it seems that as I look around that the post-COVID corrections in the market have not ended, and so this is starting to beg a question: "Is this a new reality for cycling going forward?"

I see issues on the back end with European based companies in reorganization or with factories being consolidated or closed altogether. I see a big slow down in sales being reported in Europe when it comes to electrified bikes, which was a bell cow segment for European cycling before COVID. 

I see US based YouTube videos from bike shop folks decrying the poor state of retail in the US cycling scene. I have observed that there have been a lot less "new bike day" posts from social media as well. My local shops are selling hybrid bikes starting at a price of around $600.00 and this has stymied local sales. When I last worked retail, in 2020/2021, things were shifting into a weird mode, but right before that, an entry level hybrid bike was less than $500.00.  

I don't know that we will see any big jumps in sales either. Winter will certainly put that off, as will whatever the fallout from this recent election will be. That seems to feel like a negative in the cycling realm at this point, which does not bode well for sales. 

I remember in 2022 that pundits were saying it would take up to a full two years to climb out of this glut of inventory that was being noted back then. Well, the inventories are down, but sales have not really bounced back. We will see what happens, but looking around right now, it doesn't look like we've gotten past the COVID induced hangover we've been in for a while now. And I won't even get into the possibility of tarrifs.....