Events

My riding plans are about as shoddy and reliable as this. Image courtesy of Rob Evans.

I know.... I have a checkered record when it comes to making riding plans. so, take the following with a grain of salt and don't be surprised if none of it happens. Although, I'm pretty sure something will happen. It's just that a lot of these things are outside of my control, so I cannot say with a high degree of certainty that any one of the following is a "sure thing" for my ride calendar. 

Secondly, since the announcement of the 2025 class of GCHoF inductees was going to influence my plans this year, I had to wait until Monday to start putting some wheels in motion. I mentioned this first event at the end of last year here. but now I can speak a bit more clearly on what might be happening. 

It is a tentative plan to hold another Victory Ride, much like the event held last year which you can read about HERE. This time the location will be somewhere in the Flint Hills of Kansas.

From the 2024 Victory Ride

The date is to be determined, but right now I am thinking that a trip to the Flint Hills in Spring sounds a heck of a lot more comfortable than one in Summer. So, with the information I have now, this looks like an event that will happen sometime from late April to maybe mid-May. 

Again, I am not organizing this, but when I find out more, I will post it here. Some of this may be determined according to when I can find transportation to said Flint Hills. (Remember - I don't have a vehicle anymore) I may have to rent a car. I don't know at this point. Stay tuned..... 

Since the news of Jason Boucher's Fargo series, I have text-chatted with Jason and he floated an idea for a Fargo Reunion Ride. This has not happened for several years and the last one was pretty notable for several reasons! I wrote about that HERE , HERE, and HERE. 

November, 2016. The last Fargo Adventure Ride.

The last Fargo Adventure Ride was in 2016  in November. I was signed up to ride in the inaugural Spotted Horse gravel race, but I nixed that idea when this popped up as a choice in late October that year. While I never ended up doing a Spotted Horse, and I do have a twinge of regret regarding that fact, I am super happy I made the choice to do the Fargo Adventure Ride instead. 

So, being the nutcase about the Gen I Fargo that I am, and being that every adventure on this bike I have has been a memorable one, I will definitely do everything in my power to attend another Fargo themed ride whenever that might be. 

I cannot stress enough that this is an idea, and that I am not the organizer. IF it happens I am going. But as of now, it is a big IF, and it could conflict with the Victory Ride or any of a hundred things, so ya know..... Just stick that idea under your hat for the time being. It is merely a possibility. 

From the 2023 Guitar Ted Death Ride.

Last year I didn't get a really long ride in at all. And.....it may not happen this year either. But I am going to try, and if I do get something in, it will be this year's Guitar Ted Death Ride for 2025. 

I used to invite people to join me on this, and I'm not saying that will never happen again. I did also say I retired from event production and promotions though, so doing the Invitational part kind of goes against that declaration. 

Look.....I'm just trying to be a man of my word. If I "un-retire" you'll all be the first ones to know here. So, the Guitar Ted Death Ride is a solo gig for now. 

I probably will look for any open window to do this and if things align properly, (a day with no responsibilities, the right weather, fitness looks okay), then it will happen at the time it happens. I was stymied for much of last year so I designated the Victory Ride as my 2024 "Death Ride". Cheap and easy choice, I know, but that was how the year shook out. 

Then there are three more riding events for 2025 I have loosely penciled in to try to get done before Winter 2025/26. In no particular order:

N.Y. Roll/Guitar Ted "Fun Ride":

N.Y. Roll and I have bounced around an idea for a group ride somewhere in Iowa this Summer. Could be a ride to "The Tree In The Road". Could be something around here. It also may not happen. We'll see....

The Virtual Turkey Burn Ride: 

Of all my ideas, this and the Victory Ride have the best chances of actually happening. Hopefully the weather is not as frigid as it was for the 2024 version here! The high amount of world-wide feedback I got for this idea makes it a no-brainer to do again. Plus, I suppose it is about as close to an event production as a retired event promoter can get to without actually promoting an event. 

Or something.......

The Redemption Tour:

A two-day bikepacking trip on gravel that will have a lot of personal meaning for myself. That is if I can make this happen. This has been on my radar for three years already, with everything all ready to go, and it still has not happened. I have to make time for this....

So, there you have it. Some super-vague, definitely maybe, probably vaporware events that may or may not happen for me in 2025. Stick around for the excuses, stay tuned for any surprise happenings!

Virtual Turkey Burn Reaction 2024

Thanksgiving Day 2024

 Well, this year's Turkey Burn has come to a close with ten reports, including my own, which has been the most out of any year I've run the challenge. (I had to edit that total thrice after writing this post the first time to reflect late additions!) And this is just for those who actually made the mileage, reported it, and sent it all in to me. It does not count for those who tried, failed, or did the challenge and kept it to themselves. (Somebody out there did this without sending in a report, I just know it)

And yes - The Turkey Burn Ride Challenge is not an event with a huge amount of people nor does this register on the radar of social media or by any metrics that "big time" media would consider. But that was not the point of the Virtual Turkey Burn Challenge at all. 

To be perfectly honest, the VTBC is more about getting myself out there to do some riding. Secondly, seeing as how I need that proverbial "kick in the pants", I figured perhaps someone else might be like myself as well. Maybe a challenge to take on would get them riding when maybe they would not consider doing that due to weather, time, or other mitigating circumstances. 

Judging from the reports, I think this was the case for some of the folks. Tom, Muddy Matt, Mike, Scott, Warren, Shiggy, and Ari come to mind, all who were battling weather, poor roads, or time crunches to get the challenge in. I know for myself it was weather related. This near-zero wind chill stuff is for the birds, but I managed to overcome my distaste for riding in such weather. Hey, I guess we all were pretty much in the same boat, come to think of it!

I also got the sense that some of you do this challenge as a way to show your appreciation for the blog and what I do. If that is near the mark, I am truly humbled and honored by this. Thank you!! 

I also wanted to say that I ran the reports as I received them. I also ran a couple as stand-alone posts for that particular day due to their length and imagery content. Other reports were combined as they were brief and had few images. If anyone that submitted reports is offended by my editorial decisions, just let me know and I can explain myself further.

From the first Virtual Turkey Burn Ride Challenge in 2021

This ride has a bit of a history now. The first one was in 2021, and I received four reports! I was not able to participate in 2022 due to a severe head cold, but I ran the challenge anyway and a few folks chimed in with reports, and one came in from overseas, which was nice. In 2023 I received a few as well, but this year's response was by far the best. The weather was the worst here since I started the Challenge which has had typically warmer than usual days to get the miles in. I guess we are back to a more typical pattern for Winter this time around.

The overall results are positive. Some folks were motivated which equals a win in my estimation. Yes, it created content for the blog, but let's be real folks - I am not wanting for content in late November or early December. That is not the reason I put out the VTBRC at all. 

Thanks again to all who participated in any way, whether or not we know it. Thanks for reading the reports, if you did, and I hope that you enjoyed them. But more importantly, I hope that these reports have motivated you to choose to ride a bicycle and keep the car parked one more time. 

Cheers until next year.....

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

If you celebrate the day, I hope that you have a wonderful time remembering all the things you have been blessed by in 2024. If you do not celebrate the day where you live, I hope you take some time out today to be thankful for all the things you have been blessed by this year as well. 

On another note, today is the day that the Virtual Turkey Burn Challenge starts. It ends on Sunday, so if you are partaking in this endeavor, I hope that you have a safe and enjoyable ride, or rides.

Friday News And Views

Virtual Turkey Burn Challenge Update:

Well, this time next week it will be on! The Virtual Turkey Burn Challenge will be happening all over the place. I'm excited to see where reports will be coming from, but I have had some off-line confirmations and comments elsewhere that lead me to believe that this could be the biggest turnout to date!

Riders living in Tennessee, Nebraska, Kansas, Washington, (the state) and even Spain have indicated to me that they will be taking part in this challenge. 

Wow! Even if these rides don't happen I am really honored and humbled that people are taking this seriously. And I'm sure these folks are 100% in for the challenge, I'm just saying that the mere thought that folks are excited about this is very meaningful to me. Thank you all! 

I'm watching the weather very carefully and trying to get my best shot in. I know weather can be tricky here in the Mid-West this time of the year, and darkness is a thing to contend with as well. So, we will see how it all falls out in a week and some days. 

Meanwhile, if all these folks and some surprise additions come in, I will have to take stock and jam in a lot of reports in a schedule jam-packed with stuff I have to get through for the end-of-year here. It'll be ......interesting! 

Gravel Worlds News:

Gravel Worlds announced last week that they are bringing back the 1000 Women of Gravel initiative where the Gravel Worlds team will try to raise up 1000 female participants across all categories of the event including the new Gravel Triathlon and Duathlon events, both of which are USA Cycling national championship events. 

Gravel Worlds also announced HED Cycling as their official wheel partner for the event as well. Finally, the organization claimed their original web address, "gravelworlds.com" again, which they had lost for several years. 

A Gentle Reminder: 

You've probably noticed that the "end-of-year" posts have kicked in already, but in case you haven't, I just wanted to take a quick minute to remind you all that this past week is pretty much what the rest of the year will look like here. 

I will be reviewing people, bikes, and my experiences throughout 2024. This will be in addition to the 20th anniversary of the blog reviews that are happening about weekly now also. 

Fridays will still be like this, and I will interject news and ride reports where they need to be as they happen. So, if this isn't your cup of tea, I will be back on a "regular schedule" in January. If you are up for the end-of-year stuff, hang on! I've got plenty to cover in the next several weeks! 

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

DT Swiss, Shutter Precision Collaborate On New Dynamo Gravel Wheelset:

News popped up on Wednesday of this week regarding a new DT Swiss offering in conjunction with dynamo hub producer, Shutter Precision. 

The new DT Swiss hub has Shuuter Precision's internals to provide light on demand for any gravel/adventure rider. The hub will be offered on its own as well as a part of two different 350 hub based gravel wheel sets with aluminum rims. 

According to this report I read, the hubs and wheels are beginning to be available now, although for some areas of the world it may take until the end of this year for hubs and wheels to show up in consumer's hands. 

Comments: This should be a great deal, especially the pre-built 1600 and 1800 level wheel sets, for gravel riders. The only downside is that you will need to configure a wiring route suitable for your bike, install it, and buy a head lamp suitable for the dynamo hub. It is initially an expensive proposition, and it is tempting to think a self-contained LED based torch is easier. However; I have both systems and I never fail to be satisfied with my dynamo set up due to its ease of use and care-free nature regarding the need to maintain battery power, as you will have to do with a self-contained LED set up. 

However; you are tethered to THAT one wheel and bike set up. So, if you have multiple bikes you want to use, a self-contained LED set-up will be more efficient and less expensive overall. Plus if that hub goes down, you are without a bike and a light system. While Shutter Precision lights enjoy a reasonably good reputation, my research turned up some issues regarding these hubs and Winter riding in specific. Now DT Swiss' version uses straight-up Shutter Precision guts, but the hub shell and bearings are perhaps a better quality than the original. Hard to say at this point. 

New Episode Dropped!

N.Y. Roll and I had shiggy back on again to talk about tubeless tire stuff. You can check out the new episode HERE. 

We get into some - perhaps long forgotten - tubeless history. Then we talk about tires a bit, rim design, air pressures, and how we mount tires. There are a lot of tips and tricks shared here. 

Then we get into sealants and which work, which do not work, and I even give out MG's Secret Tubeless Formula so you can make your own sauce if you want to. 

Next up we may do a recap of Cold Weather Riding Tips with some updates to that. If you have any questions about the tubeless episode which we did not touch upon, or new questions about cold weather riding, let me know. 

I'm thinking we may squeeze in two more episodes before our Winter break. The last episode will be a recap of 2024 and the gravel scene, most likely. I expect our last episodes to drop in the beginning of December. That will close out Season #2 and we plan on Season #3 to start sometime in mid to late January. 

As always, thanks for reading and get out there and ride those bicycles!

Announcing The 2024 Virtual Turkey Burn Challenge: Rules And More

From last year's VTBC

 Virtual: (In terms of meeting) A virtual meeting is when people around the world, regardless of their location, use video, audio, and text to link up online. Virtual meetings allow people to share information and data in real-time without being physically located together.

Turkey Burn: (relating to cycling) The day after or weekend after Thanksgiving when cyclists ride long distances to "burn" off their Thanksgiving feast. A way to kick off the Winter cycling training season. Also a means for getting outdoors when it is cold. 

For the last three years I have held a "Virtual Turkey Burn" challenge to you readers and you have all responded nicely each time I have asked you to do this. Last year I had another good response and so I figured I may as well offer the chance to join in this virtual group ride once again this year. 

Following is the original post from 2021 which will spell out the idea and time-stamp for this challenge. (Dates changed to reflect 2024) The challenge starts in two weeks from today! So you've got plenty of time to get ready.

_____________________________________

The idea is that perhaps I could call for a 'virtual' ride to be done on your bike which you have maybe left out of your plans more than you might like over the past, oh I don't know.....year? Last few years? Whatever. You don't necessarily even have to do this on a 'forlorn, forgotten bike'. It could be your favorite one. No matter. Here's the deal......

I propose a "Virtual Turkey Burn Century". Here are the parameters for participation:

1. Pick a bike. As stated, the more 'forlorn, forgotten, and neglected' of your choices, all the better. But also- Run what ya brung. If you want to use your favorite, most used bike- go for it. 
2. Ride a "century". Metric or full-on hundy, I don't care. Pavement, single track, gravel, back alleys, whatever. You decide. 
3. Take a picture. Take several if you want to. Digital works best for this.
4. Send me your pic(s) and a few words with a name I can credit to. 
5. Do this challenge between Thursday, November 28th to Sunday December 1st. (Thanksgiving 'weekend' in the USA) You can do a century over several days even- if you want to. Whatever.
   
6. Send in your pics and words to g.ted.productions@gmail.com by Tuesday December 3rd. I will put up a "Virtual Turkey Burn Report" Monday December 9th, (or after- Depending upon the number of submissions)  showing off everyone's submissions. (That is, if there are any daring enough to actually do this deal.)

From the first VTBC in 2021

You can join in the fun or just come back to see if anyone actually did something and read about it here. I am committed to the idea, so there will be one report, at the least. What do you get as a participant? Just a fun activity and possibly an infamous reputation from having your images and words posted on Guitar Ted Productions. Sorry, but if you participate, that's the only reward folks! This ain't no fancy-pants organization here. If you get laughed at by your peers for having your stuff show up here, well then, I am sorry, but I warned ya! 

Okay, that's the plan. Now..... GO! 

_______________________________________

 

Keep in mind that anyone wanting to participate doesn't have to submit an entry here concerning your ride, but if you choose to, it adds to the fun for the readers here. Those who choose to send in a report, please include an image or two and a name for image credits by December 3rd via email as indicated above. 

The Virtual Turkey Burn Challenge Bike: Update

 The Virtual Turkey Burn Challenge which will be happening  November 28th - December 1st will be done on this Fargo. I had changed up the set up in terms of the stem/handle bar position recently and I needed to take that out on a bit of a test ride to see how that was going to suit me. 

The original intentions for the Fargo were that it would be a drop bar, mountain bike adventure machine. In light of that, the drop bars were supposed to be set up so that the primary position would be hands in the drops. That's why Gen I Fargos have tall stack heights despite being non-suspension corrected. 

Now you may be thinking, "Hold on there a minute, Guitar Ted! What's all this "stack height" and "non-suspension corrected" stuff have to do with my preference in handlebar set up?" Well, seeing as how Fargos get - what shall we say? Personalized? Set up in odd ways according to whims of their owners? Hmm.... I think you catch my drift here. What I am saying is "original intentions" mean nothing to many Fargo owners. But if you want to know, riding in the drops is how it was meant to be done. 

So that's how I set mine up. See those black grips, those Redshift Sports Cruiser grips? Now imagine that that spot is where a flat bar and its grip would be in space, lower the head tube a bit, level out the top tube a bit, and if you are still following me here what we would end up with is a box-stock El Mariachi from 2008. 

Besides the bar/stem changes I needed to make sure the drivetrain was up to snuff. As I was checking that out I was reminded of how darn reliable, simple, and maintenance-free those Gevenalle shifters are. Now, of course, these are really just perches for old school bar end shifters. 

Mine are Shimano Ultegra 9 speed shifters. They probably will never wear out. Heck, they've been on this bike or my Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross bike for so long now that I cannot remember how old they are without checking the blog archives here. I do know that when I got these red (now faded to pink) anodized shifter perches the company was called Retroshift! So, that's been a while now. 

The other bit that I was thinking about with regard to the Fargo here was how my crank set is completely not on the cutting edge!  Nine speed, triple rings, and arms at 180mm long! I mean, you cannot get anymore "out of date" with what is hot now than this crankset. 

But there you go. This Fargo Gen I is a kind of a throw-back, kind of a 'classic which is being copied now' type of  bike all wrapped up in a durable "Fun Guy Green" powdercoat. It's a bike that I've been on during many an adventure. I sure hope that the Virtual Turkey Burn will be another fine chapter in this bicycle's annals. 

Yeah, so mechanically I am good to go. Now I have a route in mind and I just need to plot it out, see what weather I am going to get to deal with, and go from there. 

Stay tuned....

The Virtual Turkey Burn Challenge Bike

The Gen I Fargo circa 2021

Back in 2021 I did a Virtual Turkey Burn Ride Challenge and was originally thinking about using the Gen I Fargo. That did not happen and I used my "Gravel Bus", 2020 Twin Six Standard Rando instead. 

Fast forward to 2024 and I have been planning this ride again. I had been of the mind that I should use one of my bicycles that has been "neglected" for much of the year leading up to the VTBRC. This year that bike is the Gen I Fargo. 

This bike wasn't my first choice for the VTBRC. That honor went to my single speed Pofahl Signature bike. But the more I thought about it the more I felt like the Gen I Fargo was the right answer for this ride. I haven't been on enough longer rides, so I think I have not built up the sort of stamina I need to do a longer single speed ride with a high degree of success. The Fargo also has some deeper gears than many of my gravel bikes. Plus it has a bit more upright seated position, which may be a plus for the ride I have sketched out in my mind. 

However; it was a bit too upright, and to solve this issue I had moved the Redshift Sports ShockStop Stem down the steer tube and swapped the spacers to being above the stem. I still wasn't happy, so just this week I got around to flipping the stem to its negative rise option. This requires a reorientation of the internal parts.

A 'third hand' bungee cord

Correct orientation for the elastomers and holding bracket.

The elastomers in a Redshift stem must always be oriented 'on top' with the holding bracket on the bottom as you look at the stem from the front opening with the stem cap removed. So, if you want to 'flip' the stem you have to reorient the elastomers and bracket as well. Not a huge deal, but something that does take a bit more time to do over a simple, standard stem. 

The Fargo set up after the stem change.

So the swap did not radically change my seated position, but at least the hoods are at the saddle height now, which is what I prefer. Actually below the saddle height is better for me, but with the Fargo Gen I the only way I'm getting more slammed is by cutting down the head tube extension, and I am not going to do that!

So, there you go! Add a few bottles, maybe a saddle bag, (but probably not since I have the Kitchen Sink Bag on the bars), and I am ready. I may come up with a light mount to get around having the bag on the bars, but this will depend upon my ride timing. 

Okay! So, I have to do a test ride of this set up and then wait for the day to go. Stay tuned.

Friday News And Views

Welcome To November's First FN&V!

Norpine Valley Fat Bike Classic:

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

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

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

End Of Year Schedule For Guitar Ted Productions:

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

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

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

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

Image courtesy of Shimano

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Did Trek Just Release A Flat Bar Gravel Bike?:

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

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

So, take the following with a grain of salt. 

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

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

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

Gravel Grinder News

USAC Announces Junior's Series of Grave Events:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nominations will close November 30th.

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

Virtual Turkey Burn Reports: Kurt Frank & Ben Doom

The final two Virtual Turkey Burn reports are shorter and with less visuals than Tom's report had yesterday. So, I am combining them together into one post. First up we have "Kurt's Metric Turkey Burn Report" which came in without any images. I'll let Kurt explain....

" Mr. Ted,

I accomplished the metric riding 3/4 days. I traveled pavement, gravel, trail, and no trail in daylight and darkness and ultimately through the snow. I have no documentation because frozen old I Phones tell no tales. They are also useless for navigation and communication which did cause some distress, more so for my family than me. Maybe a person should plan to ride a little earlier rather than a little later in the day this time of year? Thank You for the blog Mr. Ted. You are a prolific and entertaining writer.

Kurt"

Thanks Kurt! Congrats on persevering and getting that metric in over several days! You did better than I did.

Next up we have Ben Doom, a noted long-distance cyclist from Central Minnesota and a Trans Iowa Vet (T.I.v7). He sent in the following images and a bit of text. I noted that we had some snow down our way and I asked how bad it was for him during his long ride. Here's his response with his images following.

" I had no idea it was going to snow!  No ice. Climbing out of the saddle the rear wheel slipped some. It’s time though. Let it snow!"

Bike: Rodeo Labs TrailDonkey 4.0
Ride: long way to my wife's grandma's house for our 2nd Thanksgiving
Weather: First snow! Not much but fun.

 

Impressive ride, Ben! Thanks for submitting those images for us to check out. That gravel in Minnesota sure looks a bit different than what we're used to here in Iowa!

This brings to a close the 2023 Virtual Turkey Burn. Thanks again to Tom, Kurt, and Ben for playing along this year! 

Friday News And Views

Virtual Turkey Burn Reports Start Soon!

The response to last week's Virtual Turkey Burn Challenge has been surprisingly good. Thanks to everyone who sent me a note, pictures, or both. 

My plan is to start running the reports next week starting on Monday. Two will be combined together and one will run singly due to their length. 

This was a lot of fun and I hope that you all that read the reports find some inspiration and shared experiences as I roll these out next week. Tomorrow will be John Ingham's long-form paper, and Sunday will be the typical place for the GTDRI stories. So, stay tuned for Monday and see who took up the challenge and where they rode.

A Note About My Review Work:

As of today, I have brought all my reviewing work over to "Guitar Ted Productions". I won't be writing reviews for the time being anywhere else. That may change in the future. I don't know.....

I'm doing this for several reasons, and at this time, that's all I am able to say about that. I can tell you that this has been something percolating for some time and that it has been a very negative experience for the last year and a half.

So, you've likely noticed an uptick in reviews posted here and now you have some clue as to why that might be. I may designate certain days to be review days here so I still have to sort through that as I get into 2024. 

That said, I suspect that reviewing opportunities will dwindle as I am not associated with any "official outlets" at this time. That's fine with me. I've been caught up in that scene since 2006 and that's quite a long time when I think about that. So, as of now I've no idea how this will all pan out here. Things could change and maybe they won't. I just wanted to give you all some kind of notice here that this may be happening (and already is, actually) and to expect a bit more of the review stuff to continue on at least in the short term. However it all pans out, I am excited to carry onward. 

Geometry drawing courtesy of 3T

3T's New Extreme Itlalia: A Study In Geometry:

You may have noted several online purveyor's of cycling industry press releases showing off this new 3T Extreme Italia model. (3T's site on the bike is HERE) I won't get into all the technical aspects of this "aero-twenty-niner" gravel bike. It takes biggie tires and looks crazy and is uber-expensive. 

No, what I wanted to focus in on is the strange geometry choices 3T made for this bicycle. I have perused the geometry chart from 3T's site and I have some observations. You will have to scroll the page waaaaay down, but I have the chart linked HERE so you can check this out. 

First, you might note a couple things. There is no standover height listed and the largest frame size is listed as something that should fit riders from 6' to 6'5". That's a wide spread! I suspect that stand-over clearance is tough to give when you have such a wide range of tire fitment as well. Still, this is odd to leave out. Especially for a frame/fork that costs over 5G. 

Elsewhere in their marketing spiel 3T claims to be using an extreme fork offset of 61mm - 73mm coupled with what 3T says is a "slightly slacker headtube angle". So, I read that before I got to the geometry chart, and I was left thinking, "Wow! They must have gone with something far less than a 70° angle there." Nope.... Their head angles are relatively conservative, in terms of a gravel bike, using 70+ degree angles for the three largest sizes with only the smallest size under 70°. Make no mistake, the smaller sizes are slacker because they are trying to avoid toe-overlap. Period. 

The offset then becomes concerning. That's going to result in a pretty low-ish trail figure, which on the largest size with a 72° head tube angle might be pretty twitchy. Perhaps 3T is making concessions for a loaded front end here in terms of bikepacking weight, but that is not specifically spelled out, and unloaded, this would make for a bike that I wouldn't be all that interested in, in terms of potential handling issues. And for its price, I'm certainly not going to be interested in taking chances. 

The bottom bracket drop is also fairly conservative, again owing perhaps to the thought that this bike might end up being used more in a MTB-light application. But I would point out that many similarly purposed bikes have deeper bottom bracket drops for the bigger tires meant for those bikes. 

In the end, I find the asking price and the design to be a bit of a negative. Other concepts of the bike I have no issues with, but I do think mixing aero road, gravel, and MTB is s stew that is perhaps best not eaten.

New "Shorty" Stem For The Gryphon Mk3:

I am testing out those new Tumbleweed Big Dipper Bars and when I initially set the Singular Gryphon Mk3 up with those handlebars I realized that the rear cable run to the brake was on the "tight" side. 

I was using an 80mm long stem so I figured since that stretched me out a wee bit too much on that bike that a shorter stem might kill two birds at once. So, I ordered a 60mm Whisky No. 7 silver stem.

I received the stem this week and stuck it on the Gryphon. A test ride with a front bag loaded down showed that it was fine, in terms of handling, the brake strain is relieved somewhat, ( but still not 100% gone), and my position on the bike seems much improved. 

I guess I could live with the results, but that cable being a touch too short yet still bugs me. I could replace the entire full run housing and cable, or..... 

I had an idea as I was working on this post. Stay tuned and we will see if it worked or not. 

It May Not Be Much, But It Is A Podcast!

Since I host my podcast on Spotify, I get a "Spotify Wrapped" overview of the last year, (December doesn't count?), and a lot of stats to go along with that. 

Of course, since the "Guitar Ted Podcast " essentially started at the beginning of 2023, all the stat lines look impressive. But really, this isn't a big deal. The podcast, that is. I mean, we don't move the needle in comparison to many other sports and cycling related pods. 

But the point I wanted to make is that some of you do listen,and for that, I am very grateful. With all the media blasting out all around us, the fact that some folks choose to listen to myself and N.Y. Roll have banter is amazing. It really is. 

So, the numbers are the numbers. You can laugh, scoff, or make fun all you want. I don't do the podcast for "numbers". I do the podcast because N.Y. Roll and I have fun doing it. When that ceases to be the case, or if some other unforeseen thing comes along, we may stop doing recordings, no matter what the numbers are, good or bad. 

Again, if you listen, that's awesome and I appreciate you very much for doing so. The latest podcast, which is an "end-of-year" retrospective, can be listened to HERE or wherever you get your podcasts from.

That's it for this week! Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions.

Friday News And Views

The Guitar Ted Podcast Episode # 33 1/3rd:

Hey, in case you missed it, N.Y. Roll and I did another podcast that dropped last weekend and is available on Spotify, Apple, Google
Podcasts, and other podcast outlets. You can also listen via This Link.

Of course, we talk about not just our tips and tricks for route finding, but that new Tumbleweed handle bar also. Check it out if you have a spare hour to hear our thoughts. 

Programming Note: The next episode, #35, (Hey! I was never good at math!), will be our last one for the year. N.Y. Roll and I plan on taking the month of December off to recharge and spend time with our people. We may meet at some point in there to discuss Season #2 which we plan on cranking up in January. 

If you have any episode ideas, please drop them in the comments below. They do not have to be gravel related, by the way. We can and will be doing podcasts with varying subject matter over the course of the New Year. And as always, thanks for listening, if you choose to.

Virtual Turkey Burn Challenge:

Just a gentle reminder that I put out that Turkey Burn ride challenge a while back and if you wanted to participate, you can read how to do that HERE. 

You have from today through Sunday to complete a metric or full century ride, snap a few images, write a few words, and hit me up at g.ted.productions@gmail.com. Submissions must be in by Tuesday, November 28th. 

I will run my report, if nothing else, but if I get submissions I will run those Starting Monday, December 4th until I get through them all. Again, that is if I get any submissions. 

Last year I got a few and one from Europe! So that was really surprising and fun. Let's see what shows up this year. 

Salsa Cycles announced this promotion last Monday.

I Wouldn't Get Used To This:

Okay, okay! I get that you probably are swimming in ads and promotional sales stuff today, but that isn't really my point here. I'm just trying to point out that these are unprecedented times. 

30% off Salsa bicycles? When has that ever happened before? And I saw one deal that had some specially selected bikes at sixty percent off! 

All of this is unsustainable, of course, and this is really the industry trying to move the pile sitting in their warehouses now so that they can start getting some cash-flow to pay the bills off. 

And if you, as a consumer, don't buy? Well, if enough sit on their hands, there is going to be a reckoning coming soon, and it won't be a pretty thing to see. People will lose their jobs if that's the case, and brands you know well may disappear from the marketplace. 

Compounding this are the boatloads of used bikes on the market as well. Recent models too, not just old, clapped-out rigs. And due to market pressures, those folks are going to have to start taking less money as well, or you know, you may as well just buy a heavily discounted new bike. 

Image courtesy of Sate Bicycle Co.

State Bicycle Co. Announces Fat Bike:

State Bicycle Co. announced on Monday this past week that they now offer a fat bike. Retailing for $999.00 USD, the bike features a Shimano Altus 1 X 9 drive train, Tektro brakes, and a 6061 aluminum frame and fork. 

The frame can handle up to 4.5" X 26" tires and comes with Kenda Juggernauts in that size fitted to the bike. You can check out the Wildberry version HERE.

Comments: State usually has some pretty decent designs This fat bike kind of kicks it back to the old Pugsley geometry with a 71°/73° head/seat tube angle. The bottom bracket is a cartridge square taper type. 100mm wide shell, natch. The axle spacing is also a bit odd in that the fork is a 135mm spaced fork but the rear axle is a 190mmOLD. The price is good, I think, for a decent fat bike for a fat-bike-curious person, or for the tinkerer that wants to bling out a platform. 

Downsides that I can see are the solid aluminum, double-walled rims, which portend a heavy wheel. That rear mech looks like a cheap Altus rear derailleur, quick release wheels instead of through-axles, and a limited gear range. All that adds up and the claimed weight for a size Large is about 40lbs.

Public Service Announcement:

I'm posting this today because the "FN&V" gets a lot of eyeballs on it and this affects the blog here.

The "End of Year" posts will be coming! Now, that isn't necessarily something to be alarmed about, but you should know that the month of December here can be busy.

I'll have multiple posts hitting most days. So that means you may have to scroll down the page, or check out the right side margin for the current posts. Scroll down to "Blog Archive" to find those latest posts listed. Those are clickable links, by the way, so you can go directly to a post from that list.  

I have an "End Of Year Announcements" post already to go which will drop on December 4th that will spell everything out in detail, so stay tuned for that if you'd like to know more. OR - You can go to the Blog Archive, pick any year, and it will take you to December where you can scroll backward to see what a December typically looks like here now. 

That's a wrap for this week! Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Well, It's About Time!

Saturday in the Turkey Burn announcement, (You missed it? Click Here!), I mentioned that I was going to use the Fargo Gen I because I didn't think that I had ridden it all year. 

Well, upon thinking about that further, I was in error. I had ridden it several times to work earlier in the year. But....I hadn't had the bike out of town on a ride and not since last year had I ridden gravel with it. 

So, I decided it was about time to get that out of the way and end that drought for the Fargo. To that end, I needed to do a few things to get it back into tip-top shape. Plus, I wanted to add some more comfort to the set up for the metric century I have planned for the Virtual Turkey Burn. So, that's what this post will be about.

The first thing to tackle was the sealant refresh. I noted that the rear tire wouldn't hold air overnight after I tried pumping both tires up last week. That's a sure-sign that the sealant needs a refresh, so I went ahead and did that to both wheels. The drive train was relatively new and I did not need to do anything there. 

So I focused on a few details. One being the handlebars. I had thought initially I was going to invert the stem from its positive rise to a negative to lower the bars a bit. However; after a short test ride I decided that, for now, things won't change. Even though this bike has the tallest handlebar in my stable, it just feels "right" for now.

But I did add the Redshift Sports Cruise Control Grips, (only the lower ones) and those are going to really help with hand pain. I re-used the old Salsa tape and just wrapped it with more overlay. That thickens things up, but more importantly, it gives those parts of the handlebars more "cush". And, of course, I didn't have to use up more handlebar tape when this stuff was still good. 

The Cruise Control grip is a lock-on style grip.

Much like the Ergon grips, you have to fine tune the angle of the 'paddle' on the Cruise Control Grip or it will seem like a waste of time to put it on. Once you get it right, it will be very noticeable. 

The grip is also a lock-on style grip, so it probably is a no-go on a carbon drop bar. Maybe if your carbon bar is rated for bar end shifters, but in any case, I'd check with the manufacturer of the carbon drops before trying to use a Cruise Control Grip. I am using the aluminum Redshift Sports Kitchen Sink Bar here. 

The Kitchen Sink Bar has a loop out front which, at first glance, would seem like an aero bar kind of design. But the extension of that loop precludes it from really being used 'long-term' in that position. It does, however, make a great place to hang a bag from. And that's exactly what the folks at Redshift Sports must have been thinking because they made a nifty little bag that fits into the negative space outlined by the loop out front of the Kitchen Sink Bar.

The Kitchen Sink Bar Bag also has a Garmin/Wahoo mount.

This bag is pretty cool with its zippered and magnetically closed top. I leave mine unzipped most of the time so I can just flop the top open and let the magnet hold it closed, which it does well with the Wahoo Elemnt ROAM on top of it. That GPS unit fits because the bag comes with a Garmin mount that can be turned 90° so it can work with a Wahoo GPS as well. 

That helps solve a bit of storage issues with plenty of room in the bag for a camera and snacks. The light, a Raveman unit I bought a couple years ago, mounts off the front of the bar and so all my electronics can be right at hand along with that storage space. It makes the shortcomings concerning the aero bar use of this handlebar's loop a bit less of a bummer. 

I did a longer multi-terrain test ride Sunday and I am pleased. I need to do some cable housing/cable maintenance at some point. Those old housings are breaking down, but I will need an extra long rear derailleur cable, so I'll have to visit the local bike shop Tuesday. Stay tuned....

Virtual Turkey Burn 3

Virtual: (In terms of meeting) A virtual meeting is when people around the world, regardless of their location, use video, audio, and text to link up online. Virtual meetings allow people to share information and data in real-time without being physically located together.

Turkey Burn: (relating to cycling) The day after or weekend after Thanksgiving when cyclists ride long distances to "burn" off their Thanksgiving feast. A way to kick off the Winter cycling training season. Also a means for getting outdoors when it is cold. 

For the last two years I have held a "Virtual Turkey Burn" challenge to you readers and you have all responded nicely both years I have asked you to do this. last year I had an overwhelming response and so I figured I may as well offer the chance to join in this virtual group ride once again this year. 

Following is the original post from 2021 which will spell out the idea and time-stamp for this challenge. (Dates changed to reflect 2023)

The idea is that perhaps I could call for a 'virtual' ride to be done on your bike which you have maybe left out of your plans more than you might like over the past, oh I don't know.....year? Last few years? Whatever. You don't necessarily even have to do this on a 'forlorn, forgotten bike'. It could be your favorite one. No matter. Here's the deal......

I propose a "Virtual Turkey Burn Century". Here are the parameters for participation:

1. Pick a bike. As stated, the more 'forlorn, forgotten, and neglected' of your choices, all the better. But also- Run what ya brung. If you want to use your favorite, most used bike- go for it. 
2. Ride a "century". Metric or full-on hundy, I don't care. Pavement, single track, gravel, back alleys, whatever. You decide. 
3. Take a picture. Take several if you want to. Digital works best for this.
4. Send me your pic and a few words with a name I can credit to. 
5. Do this between Thursday, November 23rd to Sunday November 26th. (Thanksgiving 'weekend' in the USA) You can do a century over several days even- if you want to. Whatever.
   
6. Send in your pics and words to g.ted.productions@gmail.com by Tuesday November 28th. I will put up a "Virtual Turkey Burn Report" Monday December 4th, (or after- Depending upon the number of submissions)  showing off everyone's submissions. (That is, if there are any daring enough to actually do this deal.)
   

You can join in the fun or just come back to see if anyone actually did something and read about it here. I am committed to the idea, so there will be one report, at the least. What do you get as a participant? Just a fun activity and possibly an infamous reputation from having your images and words posted on Guitar Ted Productions. Sorry, but if you participate, thems the ree-wards folks! This ain't no fancy-pants organization here. If you get laughed at by your peers for having your stuff show up here, well then, I am sorry, but I warned ya! 

Okay, that's the plan. Now..... GO!