Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Vittoria Tire

 Vittoria Offers New 42mm Size In Road Tire Range:

News came out on Tuesday of a new addition to the Ride Armor tire range from Vittoria. This is a road tire range with copious amounts of puncture protection and sidewall protection, yet is supposedly lightweight and rides nicely.  

The range now includes a 42mm wide tire. The tire is tubeless ready.  Claimed weight for the 700 x 42mm tire is 480 gm. The Ride Armor tires cost $89.99 each. 

See the range on Vittoria's site HERE.  

Comments: I'm actually interested in this tire for my Twin Six fixed gear Standard Rando. I think it is a very interesting product from an application standpoint as well. There are a lot of places where a 42mm road tire is all you would ever need. Gravel, as long as it isn't super loose and chunky, would be fioe with a tire like this. Smooth dirt roads, double track, pathways, and on and on. This tire has a weight and protection qualities which would recommend it for  much of what we call "gravel" these days. 

Of course, I haven't ridden it, and perhaps this all goes out the window because it is a tire which has a terrible ride quality. I don't know. But it is intriguing. Coupled with the current trends for "endurance road bikes" and I could easily see those bikes taking over much of the "gravel market" since "gravel" is becoming more "drop bar mountain bike" than it has been.  

Confused yet? The marketing departments apologize and will promise to work harder at blurring lines and confusing you in the future. And then there is this......

Image courtesy of Pirelli Tires

Pirelli Introduces New Cinturato Evo Tire Sizes:

Not to be outdone by Vittoria, Pirelli also added new, wider Evo road tires to their Cinturato range. Pirelli now has 700 x 40mm, 45mm, 50mm, and 55mm (!!!) widths out in this range. 

These tires also feature new rubber compounds and Pirelli's Techwall protection layers. You can check out the range on Pirelli's site HERE.  

Comments: Fifty-five millimeter road tires? Well, maybe these are really touring tires with a new category name. Back in the day, there were some pretty beefy touring tires out there like the Avocet and Continental examples from the 1990's. 

But again, with road endurance bikes getting wider clearances, and maybe some gravel bike purchasers having slick-tire regrets, these tires maybe have a place out there. I just find this entire segment of tires fascinating and I look forward to seeing how the bicycle brands and consumers use these in the future.  

Image courtesy of Ergon

Ergon Updates Grip Model Ranges:

Ergon announced on Tuesday that it has retired the GA2 and GA3 grips and have replaced them with the new GMA and GMS grip models. 

The GMA is the grip which is rounder, but has varying shaping to it to better fit the hand. This and the new GMS have what Ergon is calling "Smart Texture Rhythm Surface". It is a "deliberately engineered pattern that varies the density of the surface breaks across the grip to deliver zone specific damping." Ergon claims this lends the rider better vibration absorption and comfort for long rides and technical terrain.  

The CMS carries on with the mini-wing platform and a tweaked grip shape with a new "thumb saddle" and outer grip stop. All CMA and CMS grips come in multiple color options so you can best address your bike's color scheme. 

Hit the links for each model above to see more details. 

Salsa Cycles Beargrease Eagle 70 (Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles)

Salsa Cycles New Beargrease Fat Bikes & 45NRTH Carbon Fat Bike Rims Announced:

Salsa Cycles revamped their Beargrease fat bike to have a different, slacker, trail oriented geometry including a steeper seat tube. The range starts with the aluminum framed Eagle 70 (shown) and goes carbon frame after this up to the 6K range topping Beargrease C GX AXS. Besides the five model range there is also a frame set offered for 2K. 

More details and images can be seen at Salsa Cycles website HERE.  

Image courtesy of 45NRTH

The new 45NRTH Levitas carbon fat bike rims, which comes on the new range topping Beargrease model only, is offered in 27.5" and 26" versions. Thirty-two spoke holes only here. The 27.5"er is 76mm internal/83mm external width while the 26 inch version is 84mm internal/91mm external width. 

• 32-hole drill pattern for strong wheel builds
• Optimized relationship between tire volume and rim width for consistent contact patch and tire profile
• 35mm rim depth
• Recommended single layer of 30mm rim tape
• Recommended valve length 65mm (or longer)
• Fits 4-5" wide tires
• Max inflation 30 psi
• Tested to ASTM Category 3, suggested weight limit of 300 lbs
• MSRP: $599.00 (USD)

Image courtesy of Lezyne

Lezyne E Drive Electric Pump Debuts:

Those mini-electric compressors you may have seen are becoming more ubiquitous within our cycling community. Heck, even N.Y. Roll bailed me out with his little electric pump a week or so ago now. 

Lezyne, whose accessories I have used and have recommended for years, now offer their version of one of these pumps. It has some interesting features like a cooling fan, a removable/replaceable battery, and it is compatible with Presta, Schrader, and Clik valves. 

Lezyne claims the battery will last long enough to fully inflate six tires or last long enough to do 15-20 pre-ride top-offs.  The battery is USB C standard rechargeable. The pump will achieve a pressure of 120psi, likely high enough for most any bicycle tire most of us have. 

The price is #149.99. More images and details can be found at Lezyne's page for the E Drive HERE.  

Image courtesy of Dahon

Dahon Introduces Mariner XL Folding Bike For Bigger, Taller Riders:

Dahon, known for their innovative folding bicycles, has introduced the new Mariner XL model which has been designed with bigger, taller riders in mind. 

The Mariner has been tested at levels 30% - 50% above folding bike testing standards and is rated to carry up to 330lbs and should fit riders from 5'1" to 6'7" according to the press release.  

Equipped with a Shimano 8 speed drive train and Tektro hydraulic disc brakes the Mariner XL is slated to retail at $1,299.00.

Comments: I do not typically cover urban/micro-mobility bicycles and accessories. However; the fact that Dahon saw fit to address riders who typically are either too heavy, too tall, or both to safely ride folding bikes is commendable.  

The level of detail Dahon went to in designing the bike is impressive as well. With increased stiffness by 15% over their standard folding bike, it shows Dahon is serious here. They also tested the steer post and seat post to levels commensurate with their rider recommendations and addressed this underserved portion of the market with a fairly priced alternative. Good job Dahon!

To learn more click HERE. 

Seen on "X" from Trek's social media account

Trek 32"er Prototype To Be Raced In Utah:

Seen on social media, Trek revealed that their factory racing team will be onboard the new 32" wheeled XC bike prototype in the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Cup bike race in Utah this weekend.  

 Comments: I saw another social media post from a female athlete on the team showing her test riding a 32"er prototype as well. So, Trek is making a big statement with this bike. At the very least, the investment into the wheel size is substantial. 

No doubt all eyes will be on the team to see what sort of results they can squeeze out from these big wheelers, but it also is notable that the athletes agreed to ride them. That permission is not forced or a slam dunk in most situations. I'm sure Trek wants this to happen, but I also am sure, based upon what I knew about past Trek MTB teams, that this is not a required participation situation. 

If good results come from using 32 inch wheels you are going to see a major shift in mountain bike XC racing in 2027. This should prove to be an interesting race this weekend.  

 That's all for this week! Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Now get out there and ride those bicycles!

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Ritchey Design

Ritchey Design Announces Comp El Camino Handlebar:

Ritchey Design makes a lot of cool handlebars and is one of the brands which keeps the "alt bar" flag flying high. Their latest design hearkens back to cruiser bike design and is called the Comp El Camino. 

Featuring a generous 35° degrees of backsweep, 50mm of rise and a 750mm width, the Comp El Camino could be a great addition to many types of bicycles. 

The handlebar is constructed from double butted 6061 aluminum alloy which gets the weight down to a nice 340 grams (claimed) and should result in a nice ride quality. The bar comes in "BB Black" and is priced at $59.95 USD. (€51.90 (inc. VAT), £45.90 (inc. VAT))

Comments: This is a cool handlebar. I cannot count how many times I've seen similar handlebars at the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective which were steel, chrome plated, with rust pits, and thought, "This would be such a great handlebar if it were modernized". Well, this El Camino design is about as close as you can get to that old shape but with modern appointments such as the 31.8mm clamp section, room to mount accessories, and in a decent width. 

Image courtesy of Life Time

Sea Otter Soon:

This time in two weeks we will be in the thick of Sea Otter craziness. Before this I would expect several press releases will go live. In fact, I know this because I am sitting on several. (Embargoed, don't cha know!)

Without giving anything away, what can we expect? 

Well, we all are waiting to see what gets shown in the way of 32"ers. I can say there will be news. It definitely will spark debate and attention. 

Besides 32"ers? Well......not a lot to be excited about, really. There is some component news, but nothing earth-shattering. I do suspect Shimano will drop something 13 speed, probably Dura Ace, I don't know, but Shimano typically announces stuff at Sea Otter and the road side is up for change after Shimano overhauled their MTB groups recently. 

SRAM typically has a big deal announcement at Sea Otter as well, so I'd expect something there, but again, we'd probably not be too surprised by anything they would announce either. At this point with electronically controlled shifting the only big surprise I could see would be wireless braking, which SRAM has worked on, and something I'd have ZERO interest in even looking at. Maybe I'm the odd man out. 

At any rate, stay tuned.... Things are going to be busy for a bit on the news front. 

Image courtesy of Vittoria Tires

Vittoria Offers Really Wide Road Tires:

Vittoria Tires says, " Road tires are getting bigger. Much bigger."

Several weeks ago I talked a bit on this site about the move many companies are making to include wider tire clearances on their "endurance" road bike models. 

Vittoria's introduction of a 700 x 38mm and 700 x 42mm Corsa Pro Control road tire points to this being a solid trend. Although it should be mentioned that Vittoria also sees these tires as being replacements for gravel treads where riders are focused more on pavement. 

I'll also mention a comment left on my February 19th post, (link above) mentioned the 42mm Corsa Pro was on a Cervelo as stock, but the person commenting did not know if the tire was available separately. It would appear that this is now the case. 

On their Facebook page, Vittoria posted about the Corsa Pro tires by saying the following: "Developed to bring race-level road performance to the new generation of crossover bikes, these slick tires are built to handle asphalt, pavé, cobbles, and compact gravel while preserving the speed and ride feel of the Corsa PRO family."

Comments: This also lines up with my thoughts of how the "road bikes for the people" will be wider tired, less racy bikes with a LOT more capability when it comes to terrain use. Honestly, a bicycle with 42mm tires like the Corsa Pro tires is right up my alley. There are a lot of times when a tire like this with a wide-range drive train makes tons of sense here, especially a bike that has fender mounts. 

In my opinion, most tread is useless on crushed rock roads. I've ridden a Donnelly tire which was very similar to this Vittoria tire on gravel here and it was fine. You can run the pressures down and on a wider rim something like this, with its lighter weight and nicer ride quality would be awesome. 

Image courtesy of Aeron TPU Tubes

Review Announcement: Aeron TPU Tubes:

 Today I should be receiving some Aeron TPU tubes in the post which I plan on reviewing here for GTP. 

You may have seen my Rene Herse TPU tube review from last year.  I've also looked at WTB TPU tubes, (With an update on those HERE) and the original TPU tube, Tubolito. 

As you might notice from looking at all those reviews and updates, if you do, you will mark a slow evolution in TPU tubes and performance. Most notably around the valve stem part of the TPU tube. 

Manufacturers are still dialing in and fine tuning TPU tubes to be reliable, easy to use, and have better features. My attention has been brought to bear on what Aeron is offering and I thought it would be good to see how this product stacks up against others in this field. 

The Aeron valve stem is partially threaded for grip when using friction interface pumps and screw-on pump heads.  The valve core is removable as well. Aeron claims their tube is a multi-layer construction and this allows the tube to fit anywhere from a 32mm tire to a 52mm tire. Quite a difference from previous TPU tubes I've tried. 

This and the price is just under 30 bucks a pop. So, there is a lot of promise there and the expectations are high. Stay tuned for this review to be started next week.  

That is a wrap for this week. Get out there and ride those bicycles! 

Friday News And Views

From a 32"er thread on mtbr.com

The 32" Watch: Vittoria Peyote 32" :

I've had a few folks keeping me abreast of what is going on with 32"ers and I have been pointed to a thread on MTBR.com concerning these big wagon wheels. I also was tipped off to the existence of this Peyote 32"er tire, as shown here. (Thanks! You know who you are!)

This is interesting as N.Y. Roll has fallen in love with this tire and so has another local rider, (in 29"er size). It\s a popular tire, seemingly. It's also a new design. So, it is a tire on the cutting edge of tread design and compound makeup. They wouldn't use such a tire and technology unless they had some serious intentions in mind. This is telling us this 32"er thing is serious stuff. 

As if the other things we've already seen aren't enough to convince us. It seems as though all the things we've heard will be coming true. 

Only a few bicycle brands are committed so far to the 32"er along with some custom frame makers. Dirty Sixer, being the long time proponent of bigger than 29"er wheels, of course, and then you have Vassago, Singular, Lenz Sport, Genesis and perhaps a couple others here and there. 

For a look at what a gravel 32'er would maybe look like, see this report from the UK based iceBike Show by Bike Radar showing a Genesis prototype. HERE.  

My feeling is Sea Otter will be when the lid will come off this thing and we will see who of the major brands will be stepping into the 32"er scene. My guess is all of those bikes will be either MTB XC, gravel, or road bikes, in that order of prevalence. I am sure a few will get raced at Sea Otter in XC MTB and during the gravel event. 

Suspension fork prototypes will be shown, and perhaps demoed. Rigid forks will be coming as well, with Enve rumored to be developing one. It's going to be wild. 

New Podcast Episodes

The Guitar Ted Podcast has been churning out episodes at a pretty good clip of late. The latest went up on Wednesday of this week and we posted another the week before. 

This latest episode is about the proposed legislation regarding bicycles in Iowa, motivated by what is going on with e-scooters and e-bikes. The episode we posted last week was all about the latest class to be inducted into the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame. 

So, check those two episodes out in case you missed those. We typically don't do so many episodes in such a short period of time, so apologies if we caught you off guard! There is a reason for this though.

N.Y. Roll is on a "vacation" and we thought it best to get the last three episodes out before he went out on this short trip. A result of this will be that we have a bit of a mini-break and I would not expect our next episode to land until the end of this month. 

 One more thing- If you find our podcast on Spotify, please follow us there. New podcast episode drops will prompt an alert to your inbox, so you won't miss anything. If you find is on other platforms please subscribe, like, and review the show if possible. It helps us out a ton. 

Thanks for listening to the show! 

Gravel Racing For 2026 About To Begin:

February was always the month which kicked off gravel racing since the beginning of CIRREM back in the late 2000's. This year CIRREM is on the last day of February, the 28th. 

Now the international series, Gravel Earth, has its first event this weekend. The event, Santa Vall by the Traka, is located in Spain. So, a full two weeks ahead of CIRREM. 

There are probably some other gravel events in the South, in particular Florida, which are also happening in February. But traditionally speaking, February is the kick-off month for gravel activities in the competitive sense. 

Have you signed up for any races this year? Let me know in the comments section.  

Image provided by Ergon

Canyon-DT Swiss "Alt-Terrain" Team Announced:

Taking part in the season opener for the Gravel Earth Series will be a new team sponsored by DT Swiss, Canyon Biccyles, and Ergon called "Alt-Terrain Racing". 

 The press release says the 13 member team will be competing at the Santa Valla event under the name "The Wildcards". The team will be outfitted with Ergon saddles and handle bar tapes from their Allroad ranges. 

The team will serve as "rolling R&D platforms" for future Ergon products, according to the release. Ergon sees the team as an "unprecedented opportunity" to advance their drop bar product line. 

The team will compete in gravel, ultra-endurance, cyclo cross, and marathon MTB events throughout 2026. From the press release: “We are very much looking forward to working with this new professional team,” says Ergon’s athlete liaison manager Markus Zingen. “The team’s holistic new concept will significantly professionalize gravel racing and create a wide range of opportunities for both the athletes and us as a partner to drive targeted development forward.”

That is a wrap on this edition of the FN&V. Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Get out and ride a bicycle this weekend! 

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Wilde Bicycle Co. 

Wilde Bicycle Co. Announces Heighliner Titanium Adventure Bike:

Due to a leak of information, Wilde Bicycle Co has decided to release the information and pre-orders on its newest model dubbed the Heighliner. 

Featuring clearance for 29" 2.25" tires, fully internal cable housing, and UDH compatibility, this new model is Wilde Bicycle Co. head Jeffrey Frane's favorite bike currently. In fact, he designed the geometry himself. 

The frame has double-butted titanium tubing with a T-47 bottom bracket. There are two water bottle mounts in the front triangle, one Three-Pack mount under the down tube, and a top tube bag accessory mount on the top tube. 

The frame is made at the ORA factory in Taiwan. Pre-orders for a June 2026 delivery are open now. Price for the frame and fork is $3,300.00. The details can be reviewed on the webpage for the Heighliner HERE. 

Image courtesy of Moots

Moots Announces Scrambler Adventure Bike:

Moots released information yesterday on a new model called the Scrambler. This drop-bar, wide tired bicycle is designed around a 100mm travel suspension fork.  

Available as a frame only or with a Rock Shox SID fork and Shimano GRX/XT build, the bike will only be available for  -according to the press release - "a limited time".  (End of January 2026, to be exact)

Tire clearance is stated at 20" x 2.4" maximum. The frame is a Boost spaced frame. Completes will ship with Chris King MTN30 AL29" wheels. Tires will be the WTB MACRO 29" X 2.4".  

For details see Moots page for this model HERE.  

A Gen 2 Fargo pictured in 2015.

The "OG" Would Like To Have A Word:

This trend to 29"er MTB sized rubber, drop bars, and a penchant for telescopic front forks in the realm of "Gravel™" these days reminds me of something....

I cannot quite put my finger on it now. Was it some bike back in 2008 or 2009 with a marketing tagline which went something like "Adventure by Bike"?

Anyway, you get my point by now, I am sure. It was inevitable we'd see all things garvel eventually reach a point where the lines were blurred and what we were looking at now became what we already have seen for sixteen years now.  

You'll note I did not write any "Comments" for the first two entries. This is the comment section on those two entries. Welcome to "Adventure by Bike" Moots and Wilde. There's plenty of room on the couch here and for the rest of you brands who think they have discovered something here.  

I'm not criticizing here, but unless you remind people of the past, they will make up their own stories. So, check the history and be informed.  

Image courtesy of Vittoria Tire

Vittoria Announces Future Availability Of Eco-Friendly Brown Hued Tires:

On the heels of my recent post concerning these tires (HERE), it has come to light recently that Vittoria Tire is indeed going to sell the eco-friendly, brown gravel tires. Tires which have been claimed to be faster than their carbon black infused siblings. 

The full range of Vittoria's PRO gravel catalog will eventually be available in this compound and casing made with 92% renewable, recyclable materials. 

Vittoria claims this brown-hued compound is 5% faster, has 19% more grip, and has 18% better puncture resistance than its current gravel tire range. 

All this performance and earth-friendliness comes at a price though.  Tires in the range are well over $100.00 each at $112.99. This compares to Vittoria's current range which runs at $81.99 for each tire. 

Comments: Wooo! That's a big jump in performance at a big jump in price. Would you be willing to slap on nearly $225.00 of tires, (before shipping and taxes), and have your bike seen with brown rubber? Yeah..... That's a big ask, but I'm willing to bet a lot of people are going to give this a go on their gravel bike. 

A comment left indicating the Luxy Bar redux is a possibility. 

Do You Really Want It? Then Say So!

Thursday (yesterday) an long ago memory was stirred when I saw "Brant Richards" pop up in my email.  

Brant Richards was heavily involved in UK MTB as a writer and parts designer up until about seven years ago when he and a partner opened up a boutique clothing business called HebTroCo. But before the trousers came into Brant's life, he designed a lot of cool stuff like the On One Inbred, some nice forks, steel frames for trail MTB, and this odd flared drop bar called the Luxy Bar. 

Now Brant seems as though he's back into bicycles, at least for a bit. He hit me up yesterday asking what I thought about a reissue Luxy Bar. So lokk, if you ever wanted one, wanted another one, or are "Luxy-Curious", give a shout. Hit the comments and say something. 

If you don't ask, you won't receive anything.  

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

Your Bicycle Tires May Not Be Black In The Future

Vittoria's "green" tan colored tire. (Image by Ari Andonopoulos)

 Last February I was honored to present a report from CABDA (Chicago Area Bicycle Dealers Association) which was sent to me by my good friend Ari Andonopoulos. In the report, Ari had an image of one of Vittoria's new "green initiatives". A tire made from 95% recycled materials. Because Vittoria is trying to reach a "carbon neutral" state in manufacturing, no material was added to make the rubber black. (Which, somewhat ironically, is called carbon black.)

Now it appears these tires with a "natural tan" color, are actually outperforming Vittoria's typical gravel tires. Several Pro athletes sponsored by Vittoria were using the tan colored tires at the recent UCI Gravel World Championships, according to an online report recently. 

With claims coming from the athletes making it sound as though these tires are faster rolling and have excellent traction qualities, will we see more of these tires in the future? 

As of now, Vittoria does not offer these gravel tires for sale, but one would have to think this will change soon. Especially if racers are sharing glowing comments about them. The amateurs will be clamoring for similar benefits, no doubt! 

From a social media sale post

Now, if you are old enough to remember, Tioga, (and a few other brands) were doing weirdly colored tires for mountain bikes in the 1990s. There were the Onza Porcupines with those round knobs in a white hue. There were Specialized "Umma Gumma" tires in a gray colored rubber. Ritchey had a reddish colored Z-Max tire. The Tiogas were a "butterscotch" and I have no idea if they would have been anything like today's Vittoria tires, but they did have a reputation for being fast wearing and fragile. So, there is that historical reference. 

You may be thinking there would be "no way" you'd ever run these "ugly" Vittorias, but let me tell you, don't be surprised if these get popular. Tioga "Butterscotch" Psychos were very trendy in the 1990's. Lots of brands stuck them on their mountain bikes back then, and they were a hot item there for a "hot minute". 

Plus, Panaracer has proven there is a market for colored rubber on your gravel tires. How many years have they offered weirdly colored tires now? So, yeah, I think there is a market for this.  

Psychos went out of favor due to their shortcomings in terms of performance and durability. However; if Vittoria has cracked the code on this, and the tires are faster than black ones, I think they will catch on. The fact the tires Vittoria are developing have a 95% recycled content makes this technology appealing to younger riders who have a deep sense of environmental preservation. Judging from what I have heard from young people, this is not a small number. So, the performance factor and the "green" factor matter here. 

I'd rock a set too. I always kind of liked those odd-colored tires back in the 90's! 

Sea Otter: Left-Overs

Vittoria's T50 gravel tire (Image courtesy of Vittoria)

Vittoria Simplifies Tire Names, Introduces New T50 Tire:

Vittoria is going to move away from its current naming conventions for its gravel tire line up. Apparently the Mezcal will also be switching to this new way of naming Vittoria's gravel range.

In effect, the new naming convention will help riders determine what tire is best for their riding intentions. So, a smoother, faster tire, like the Terreno Zero, will be a T10. Something more aggressive will have a much higher "T" score going all the way to 100. Vittoria will support this with a "tire-finder" on their site which will ask riders questions to help funnel them to tires which fit their riding needs best.

To illustrate this range we have the new Terreno T50, so, a tire right smack-dab in the middle of the new range and as one would expect, is being marketed as an all-arounder.  This tire is punture-protected, has a sidewall protection, and will come in a new "tan" sidewall along with the standard black. Gone are the grey sidewalls of the past. This tire currently is only offered in 700 x 40mm.

Comments: Okay...... I don't know if this new tire-finder way of naming these tires will make all that much difference. Initially, as Vittoria works through changing the range this Summer, my thought would be if someone is looking for a Mezcal and doesn't see any, (because now it is a "T" something tire), they won't buy Vittoria. But maybe the "Mezcal" part lives alongside the "T" bit for awhile, easing the transition. Otherwise, I don't see this "T" thing as a big benefit to the consumer. Most riders are going to listen to their group-think advisors online anyway, since bike shops are fading, and media cannot possibly cover every tire.

Moots Routt in the California Dreamin' ano scheme. (Image courtesy of Moots)

Moots Calfornia Dreamin' Limited Edition Routt:

Look at it. It is anodized titanium, high-end parts, and costs an eye-watering amount of money. Twenty-five will be made available by Moots. It's called "California Dreamin'". Got it....

Moving on.... 

Image courtesy of Maxxis Tires

Maxxis Debuts New Compound Across Gravel Tire Range:

Maxxis Tires announced a new compound for their rubber used across their four tire gravel range. Called "HYPR-X", this new compound is going to be integrated throughout the range during 2025.

The new compound borrows from Maxxis' HYPR road tire compound which is known for low rolling resistance. This is mixed with Maxxis' XC racing tire compound called "MaxxisSpeed". The result will be a tough, low rolling resistance compound for gravel.

Maxxis claims the new gravel oriented HYPR-X will lend riders 19% better cornering traction over the previous compound used and 25% less rolling resistance.  A new, even stronger Nylon will be used for the casings in the 120TPI tires which Maxxis says will "vastly increase tread durability". The EXO sidewall protection will also be applied to the range. All sizes in the gravel range will now be tubeless ready. Note the new tire hot patches, which will replace current branding. All tires will ship in new, recyclable paper packaging as well.

The Reaver and Rambler in 700 x 45mm will be the first to get the new compound  and casing with the other tires and sizes in the range to follow. See more on Maxxis' site. 

Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles

Salsa Revamps Full Sus Range:

Salsa Cycles announced last Thursday they had revamped the entire full suspension range of bikes, including e-bike FS. I'm not going to go into detail on the entire range, but I will speak to the one bike in the whole range which I found interesting: The 'entry level' Spearfish C Eagle Transmission.

 This bike has 120mm front/rear travel via Rock Shox SID range dampers. Decent wheels and tires, a good geometry, and that 'Dusty Rose' hue looks pretty cool.

Comments: I am amused this bike costs 5G. The range-topping Spearfish C DLX XO is over twice as expensive. So....I could buy two C Eagle Transmission models and have money left over compared to the XO model?

Ridiculous. How did we get here?  

Courtesy of Sage Titanium's Instagram

Sage Titanium "Dropinator" Points To MTB Trend In Gravel:

Sage Titanium showed off a new bike at Sea Otter which grafted gravel bike geometry with a 100mm suspension fork. The bike dubbed "The Dropinator" also has  a dropper seat post, 1X SRAM drive train, and Rock Shox Attendant Control electronics for the fork and dropper post. 

Comments: As I have often stated here on these digital pages, 40mm - 50mm of "gravel suspension fork t5ravel" is functionally useless. You can see here 100mm is where the action is going to be, that is if this takes off as a "thing".  

I've also said the Fargo/Cutthroat class of drop bar MTB was already doing this sort of job, but what I see here is a trend toward taking the concept to a racier, lighter chassis than a bikepacking bike has.

But in the end, this all points to what is happening in the upper echelons of Pro XC MTB, just with a drop bar variant thrown in. Keeping in mind this bicycle debuted at an event which had been a XC MTB event up until this year. Does this have any bearing on the reason the bike exists? Possibly, but I think more so this points, once again, to "gravel" being the hot ticket. If we can disguise a hard tail XC rocket ship as a drop bar gravel bike with a suspension fork and call it "monster gravel", or whatever they end up calling this concept, then you have something to get folks excited about.

In the end, I think this concept is fine. I did something similar with a Gen 2 Fargo and an 80mm travel Reba fork once. But it was not a "gravel bike".  It just wasn't the same on actual unpaved roads, which is where a gravel bike really shines. Drop bar MTB is really cool, and I do like it, but again - this Sage model and bikes like this are a drop bar MTB bikes. Let's not kid ourselves here.

Testing For The Single Speed Century: Part 2.1

New tires.

Yesterday I shared with you all about these new Vittoria Terreno XC tires. Well, I got them mounted and test ridden yesterday. Verdict?

These are going to be really good, I think.

There are some attributes which the Schwalbe tires had that I tried at Gravel Worlds last year that these Vittoria tires have. The really fast roll and the suppleness are both there. Equal to the Schwalbe for sure. The Schwalbe was a bigger tire though. 2.4" vs the 2.1" of the Terreno XC. I measured these new tires at 40psi and they came out at 52.2mm. That's not quite 2.1".......yet. The thing about tubeless tires is that they tend to stretch a bit. I'll give these a few days and check again. If they stay the same, I'm really okay with that.

The other thing I've noted is that these exhibit similar traction in corners and climbs that the narrower Terreno Dry 40mm tires have. That's a characteristic that the Schwalbe tires did not have at all, by the way. Another thing which is different- the profile of the Terreno XC. It has a lower "C" shape where the Schwalbe was really rounded in comparison. This makes the Terreno XC a bit more stable in loose, sandier stuff, which I got a taste of on my extensive test ride as well.

The Schwalbe tires were a tic lighter, as I recall, but these are waaaay better tires already, just judging from one ride. And the tubeless set up? Not even close! The Terreno XC tires set up with zero issues. The Schwalbe tires barely went tubeless at all, and after Gravel Worlds they pretty much would not even work tubeless no matter how hard I tried. So, I'm really pleased with these tires and I expect that they will not give me any troubles at all going forward.

Gravel travel is planned soon as a final test for these tires and set up. Stay tuned.....

Testing For The Single Speed Century: Part 2.1

New tires.

Yesterday I shared with you all about these new Vittoria Terreno XC tires. Well, I got them mounted and test ridden yesterday. Verdict?

These are going to be really good, I think.

There are some attributes which the Schwalbe tires had that I tried at Gravel Worlds last year that these Vittoria tires have. The really fast roll and the suppleness are both there. Equal to the Schwalbe for sure. The Schwalbe was a bigger tire though. 2.4" vs the 2.1" of the Terreno XC. I measured these new tires at 40psi and they came out at 52.2mm. That's not quite 2.1".......yet. The thing about tubeless tires is that they tend to stretch a bit. I'll give these a few days and check again. If they stay the same, I'm really okay with that.

The other thing I've noted is that these exhibit similar traction in corners and climbs that the narrower Terreno Dry 40mm tires have. That's a characteristic that the Schwalbe tires did not have at all, by the way. Another thing which is different- the profile of the Terreno XC. It has a lower "C" shape where the Schwalbe was really rounded in comparison. This makes the Terreno XC a bit more stable in loose, sandier stuff, which I got a taste of on my extensive test ride as well.

The Schwalbe tires were a tic lighter, as I recall, but these are waaaay better tires already, just judging from one ride. And the tubeless set up? Not even close! The Terreno XC tires set up with zero issues. The Schwalbe tires barely went tubeless at all, and after Gravel Worlds they pretty much would not even work tubeless no matter how hard I tried. So, I'm really pleased with these tires and I expect that they will not give me any troubles at all going forward.

Gravel travel is planned soon as a final test for these tires and set up. Stay tuned.....

Testing For The Single Speed Century: Part 2

New tires for the effort: Vittoria Terreno XC Race 2.1's.

Last time I was talking about the tires on the Pofahl Signature Custom I am going to use for the Single Speed Century, I mentioned that the ones that are on there now are not tubeless rated and I wanted to ride tubeless tires for this effort.

The reasons why are that- (1) Tubeless tires have lower rolling resistance than tubed tires. This is not at all important to anyone riding short distances or for short time periods. It is important for a multi-hour effort where saving some effort (watts) in lower rolling resistance can make doing something like a century ride on gravel a little less difficult. Also, (2) Tubeless tires self-heal smaller punctures, saving time and effort in repairing flat tires during strenuous efforts.

For me, the first thing is most important. I need every advantage in my corner I can afford to get. Tubeless tires are an easy add for me, so why not? The second point could be a big deal, but getting flat tires where I ride is rare. Not that it couldn't happen, but it is not common at all. (Now watch......I'll flat three times!)

The tires I chose were Vittoria Terreno XC Race tires because I have tried the Terreno Dry tires, which are very similar and they are stellar tires. The Graphene treatment does do something. Vittoria says it can give the tire more grip while retaining lower rolling resistance. This is true to a point with this tread pattern. I've felt that in action. Vittoria also claims this tire resists punctures better due to the Graphene. I cannot personally speak to that. However; if that pans out, all the better. The Terreno XC's also have a 120TPI casing, which also should make the tires more resistant to puncturing, and add some suppleness to the ride.

The Pofahl Signature Custom for reference. Tubed Ardents are shown here.

The Terreno XC's also have a tan side wall, which doesn't do a darn thing but look cool. I happen to like the look, so that's a plus for me. Some would say that a tan side wall does give you a more supple casing. Generally speaking? That might be true, but it does not guarantee a smooth ride in every instance.

I'll say this- these don't seem like 2.1" tires to me. Maybe 50 mm? Maybe.... We will see. They weigh in at 612/620 grams, so that's pretty good, I think. They will be big enough and light enough, so I am not fretting about that bit. I don't need them to be huge, really. This bike needs a bigger tire though with those 180mm Race Face cranks.

The rims are Bontrager Duster rims, which by today's standards are gravel rims. Back in the day these were Bontrager's premier trail bike rims. My how times have changed! I'm hoping the Vittoria tubeless beads get along with the old Bontrager plastic rim strips though. If they do, tubeless set up should be a breeze.

I think once this bit is done I'll try a bit longer stem and then if that gets sorted I'll be pretty much ready to roll. Next I will choose a date and then set sail for the hundy. Stay tuned for more on this coming soon.....

Testing For The Single Speed Century: Part 2

New tires for the effort: Vittoria Terreno XC Race 2.1's.

Last time I was talking about the tires on the Pofahl Signature Custom I am going to use for the Single Speed Century, I mentioned that the ones that are on there now are not tubeless rated and I wanted to ride tubeless tires for this effort.

The reasons why are that- (1) Tubeless tires have lower rolling resistance than tubed tires. This is not at all important to anyone riding short distances or for short time periods. It is important for a multi-hour effort where saving some effort (watts) in lower rolling resistance can make doing something like a century ride on gravel a little less difficult. Also, (2) Tubeless tires self-heal smaller punctures, saving time and effort in repairing flat tires during strenuous efforts.

For me, the first thing is most important. I need every advantage in my corner I can afford to get. Tubeless tires are an easy add for me, so why not? The second point could be a big deal, but getting flat tires where I ride is rare. Not that it couldn't happen, but it is not common at all. (Now watch......I'll flat three times!)

The tires I chose were Vittoria Terreno XC Race tires because I have tried the Terreno Dry tires, which are very similar and they are stellar tires. The Graphene treatment does do something. Vittoria says it can give the tire more grip while retaining lower rolling resistance. This is true to a point with this tread pattern. I've felt that in action. Vittoria also claims this tire resists punctures better due to the Graphene. I cannot personally speak to that. However; if that pans out, all the better. The Terreno XC's also have a 120TPI casing, which also should make the tires more resistant to puncturing, and add some suppleness to the ride.

The Pofahl Signature Custom for reference. Tubed Ardents are shown here.

The Terreno XC's also have a tan side wall, which doesn't do a darn thing but look cool. I happen to like the look, so that's a plus for me. Some would say that a tan side wall does give you a more supple casing. Generally speaking? That might be true, but it does not guarantee a smooth ride in every instance.

I'll say this- these don't seem like 2.1" tires to me. Maybe 50 mm? Maybe.... We will see. They weigh in at 612/620 grams, so that's pretty good, I think. They will be big enough and light enough, so I am not fretting about that bit. I don't need them to be huge, really. This bike needs a bigger tire though with those 180mm Race Face cranks.

The rims are Bontrager Duster rims, which by today's standards are gravel rims. Back in the day these were Bontrager's premier trail bike rims. My how times have changed! I'm hoping the Vittoria tubeless beads get along with the old Bontrager plastic rim strips though. If they do, tubeless set up should be a breeze.

I think once this bit is done I'll try a bit longer stem and then if that gets sorted I'll be pretty much ready to roll. Next I will choose a date and then set sail for the hundy. Stay tuned for more on this coming soon.....

Took The Weekend Off

N.Y. Roll brought in the Terreno XC for me to look at.

This past weekend I ddidn't do anything with bicycles. No big rides, no work on the fleet, nuthin. I took both days completely off from anything bicycle related.

There were a few reasons why. I needed time away from it, for one thing. As you all know here, I spend almost all my spare time doing bicycle stuff 365 days a year, or it seems so. Yeah......I take holidays off, and that sort of thing knocks a few days off that total, but otherwise, it is all bicycles all the time. I thought it would be nice to just not do that for one weekend.

Secondly, I haven't felt 100% well for about a week. I have a really stiff feeling in my upper torso, a runny nose, and stuffed up sinuses of late. I needed a break physically.

Of course, yesterday was Mother's Day too. I decided to cook for the family as part of the way we honored Mrs. Guitar Ted. So, that was a plan that took up a big chunk of Sunday. I also played at church which took all morning, so that was the day yesterday.

However; I cannot totally escape. I was doing a bit of gardening work Saturday when N.Y. Roll showed up on his rig which he had mounted his new Vittoria Terreno XC tires on. He came by my work Friday to show them to me out of the box first. So, that's how I got the image here today. the tires feel really light, very supple, and looked great. Anyway, N.Y. Roll put on about a 100 miles Saturday on them and pronounced them as being "good" through his fatigue induced mental haze.

That's "good enough" of an endorsement for me. I'm getting some for the Fargo Gen I bike and will be mounting them up here before long. I'm looking forward to trying these out. And, I am looking forward to riding again. Hopefully I start feeling better too. This funk I have is getting on my nerves.

Took The Weekend Off

N.Y. Roll brought in the Terreno XC for me to look at.

This past weekend I ddidn't do anything with bicycles. No big rides, no work on the fleet, nuthin. I took both days completely off from anything bicycle related.

There were a few reasons why. I needed time away from it, for one thing. As you all know here, I spend almost all my spare time doing bicycle stuff 365 days a year, or it seems so. Yeah......I take holidays off, and that sort of thing knocks a few days off that total, but otherwise, it is all bicycles all the time. I thought it would be nice to just not do that for one weekend.

Secondly, I haven't felt 100% well for about a week. I have a really stiff feeling in my upper torso, a runny nose, and stuffed up sinuses of late. I needed a break physically.

Of course, yesterday was Mother's Day too. I decided to cook for the family as part of the way we honored Mrs. Guitar Ted. So, that was a plan that took up a big chunk of Sunday. I also played at church which took all morning, so that was the day yesterday.

However; I cannot totally escape. I was doing a bit of gardening work Saturday when N.Y. Roll showed up on his rig which he had mounted his new Vittoria Terreno XC tires on. He came by my work Friday to show them to me out of the box first. So, that's how I got the image here today. the tires feel really light, very supple, and looked great. Anyway, N.Y. Roll put on about a 100 miles Saturday on them and pronounced them as being "good" through his fatigue induced mental haze.

That's "good enough" of an endorsement for me. I'm getting some for the Fargo Gen I bike and will be mounting them up here before long. I'm looking forward to trying these out. And, I am looking forward to riding again. Hopefully I start feeling better too. This funk I have is getting on my nerves.

Friday News And Views

Paul Thumbies- New! (But not really) Image courtesy of Paul Components

You Should Totally E-Bay Those!

Wednesday I'm cruising my Twitter feed when I scroll up on some newsy bits from a couple of sources saying that Paul Components has released a SRAM TT shifter compatible mount that turns these bar end shifters into old school thumb shifters. Now normally, I would just scroll right on by something like that. However; I was immediately struck by the fact that someone, (actually it was Tweeted by three different accounts I follow), thought these were "new". "They are not new!", I thought to myself.  Heck, I could walk down into my Lab and grab a pair I've had kicking around for years now. New? I don't think so. I went down, within two minutes had them in hand, and shot an image, then tweeted it out asking if my circa 2011 Paul Thumbies could be "new".

A couple of the accounts I "@'ed" (code for adding an account to a Tweet which then directs said Tweet "at" the account.- Pronounced "at-ed") responded with a social media equivalent of a shrug, and they in turn "@'ed" Paul Components account for a definitive answer.

The answer I got from Paul Components on Twitter

So, I had jumped on getting those at the right time, apparently, because back then, I had no clue they were a very limited edition sort of product. I actually got them for my Ti Mukluk, which I used the right shifter by itself at first since I ran 1 X 10 SRAM to start out with. That didn't last long, the shifter came off, and the pair of mounts has been basically sitting on my bench in my little box of bar end shifter parts ever since. I just don't do much with geared, flat bar bikes these days. Anyway, I thanked Paul Components and figured that was that.

Then one of the accounts that was part of the thread snaps back with "hangs up, dials e-bay......" I replied back that this was a well played comment, but I wasn't looking to make a buck from my newfound knowledge dumped on me by Paul Components. Then another follower of mine on Twitter basically answered that and said "take the money and run!"

Social media. Weird. Sometimes it's a fun, knowledge builder. Other times.....well. 

Ingrid's 12 sped rear derailleur Courtesy of Ingrid's Instagram feed

 They Said It Would Last Forever:

Back on the 1990's heyday of CNC craziness, I purchased a "Made In The USA", CNC'ed, lightweight rear derailleur by a company called ProShift. It was "totally rebuild-able" and theoretically would last "forever" since you would be able to purchase any piece or part of that derailleur and rebuild it. It was VERY EXPENSIVE. I bolted it to my 1992 Klein Attitude and started riding.

Well, one day, under no extraordinary circumstances, I heard a "ker-CHUNK!", felt a tug on the chain, and then no power. I looked down and what was left of that derailleur was dangling from a very slack chain. In fact, the only part that survived was a jockey wheel! Every other part was ripped, twisted, or bent beyond recognition. I boxed up all the bits I could find, shipped it to ProShift, and they sent me another under warranty. That derailleur suffered the same fate exactly two weeks later. Again- the only part that survived was the lower jockey wheel.

Well, I had had enough. I got a "real" rear derailleur, went on my merry way, and ProShift quickly became a thing of mountain bike legend. I was reminded of that story again when I read about an Italian based company called "INGRID".

They have, what looks like CNC'ed metal, in the form of a rear derailleur and are saying "it will last forever because it is rebuild-able". Yeah.......

Once bitten, twice shy.

Flat pedal shoes from Giant Bicycles.

 Shoes To Get The Fargo Ready:

Yes, you read that right. I've got some shoes and that is motivating me to get the Fargo up and running. Why? Because the Fargo has flat pedals on it now. The idea is that I am going off to do some longer gravel rides on flats. To test the shoes. The shoes I have on test for RidingGravel.com. Those shoes.....

Anyway, I think it is high time for some new treads for the Fargo as well. I've got me eye on the new Vittoria Terreno Cross Country tires. They have the Graphene compound and I've had experience with this in their Terreno Dry 40mm tire. Those Graphene infused tires have "something" going on and that is something good. It is an uncanny tire in that it shouldn't grip as well as it does, nor roll as fast as it does, but it does. I've also heard it wears like iron. Too good to be true? Maybe, but I am convinced there is a lot more good to these tires than bad.

So, once the tires are on, I am shooting to do some longer rides on flats and hopefully get ready for the Prairie Burn 100 and the Solstice 100, both events coming up really soon! I need to get some miles in my legs and fast.

That's all for this cold, wet week. Let's hope the weather turns around and warmer weather comes. Oh.....and Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there!

Friday News And Views

Paul Thumbies- New! (But not really) Image courtesy of Paul Components

You Should Totally E-Bay Those!

Wednesday I'm cruising my Twitter feed when I scroll up on some newsy bits from a couple of sources saying that Paul Components has released a SRAM TT shifter compatible mount that turns these bar end shifters into old school thumb shifters. Now normally, I would just scroll right on by something like that. However; I was immediately struck by the fact that someone, (actually it was Tweeted by three different accounts I follow), thought these were "new". "They are not new!", I thought to myself.  Heck, I could walk down into my Lab and grab a pair I've had kicking around for years now. New? I don't think so. I went down, within two minutes had them in hand, and shot an image, then tweeted it out asking if my circa 2011 Paul Thumbies could be "new".

A couple of the accounts I "@'ed" (code for adding an account to a Tweet which then directs said Tweet "at" the account.- Pronounced "at-ed") responded with a social media equivalent of a shrug, and they in turn "@'ed" Paul Components account for a definitive answer.

The answer I got from Paul Components on Twitter

So, I had jumped on getting those at the right time, apparently, because back then, I had no clue they were a very limited edition sort of product. I actually got them for my Ti Mukluk, which I used the right shifter by itself at first since I ran 1 X 10 SRAM to start out with. That didn't last long, the shifter came off, and the pair of mounts has been basically sitting on my bench in my little box of bar end shifter parts ever since. I just don't do much with geared, flat bar bikes these days. Anyway, I thanked Paul Components and figured that was that.

Then one of the accounts that was part of the thread snaps back with "hangs up, dials e-bay......" I replied back that this was a well played comment, but I wasn't looking to make a buck from my newfound knowledge dumped on me by Paul Components. Then another follower of mine on Twitter basically answered that and said "take the money and run!"

Social media. Weird. Sometimes it's a fun, knowledge builder. Other times.....well. 

Ingrid's 12 sped rear derailleur Courtesy of Ingrid's Instagram feed

 They Said It Would Last Forever:

Back on the 1990's heyday of CNC craziness, I purchased a "Made In The USA", CNC'ed, lightweight rear derailleur by a company called ProShift. It was "totally rebuild-able" and theoretically would last "forever" since you would be able to purchase any piece or part of that derailleur and rebuild it. It was VERY EXPENSIVE. I bolted it to my 1992 Klein Attitude and started riding.

Well, one day, under no extraordinary circumstances, I heard a "ker-CHUNK!", felt a tug on the chain, and then no power. I looked down and what was left of that derailleur was dangling from a very slack chain. In fact, the only part that survived was a jockey wheel! Every other part was ripped, twisted, or bent beyond recognition. I boxed up all the bits I could find, shipped it to ProShift, and they sent me another under warranty. That derailleur suffered the same fate exactly two weeks later. Again- the only part that survived was the lower jockey wheel.

Well, I had had enough. I got a "real" rear derailleur, went on my merry way, and ProShift quickly became a thing of mountain bike legend. I was reminded of that story again when I read about an Italian based company called "INGRID".

They have, what looks like CNC'ed metal, in the form of a rear derailleur and are saying "it will last forever because it is rebuild-able". Yeah.......

Once bitten, twice shy.

Flat pedal shoes from Giant Bicycles.

 Shoes To Get The Fargo Ready:

Yes, you read that right. I've got some shoes and that is motivating me to get the Fargo up and running. Why? Because the Fargo has flat pedals on it now. The idea is that I am going off to do some longer gravel rides on flats. To test the shoes. The shoes I have on test for RidingGravel.com. Those shoes.....

Anyway, I think it is high time for some new treads for the Fargo as well. I've got me eye on the new Vittoria Terreno Cross Country tires. They have the Graphene compound and I've had experience with this in their Terreno Dry 40mm tire. Those Graphene infused tires have "something" going on and that is something good. It is an uncanny tire in that it shouldn't grip as well as it does, nor roll as fast as it does, but it does. I've also heard it wears like iron. Too good to be true? Maybe, but I am convinced there is a lot more good to these tires than bad.

So, once the tires are on, I am shooting to do some longer rides on flats and hopefully get ready for the Prairie Burn 100 and the Solstice 100, both events coming up really soon! I need to get some miles in my legs and fast.

That's all for this cold, wet week. Let's hope the weather turns around and warmer weather comes. Oh.....and Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there!