 |
| Ritchey Classic Bigfoot (Image provided courtesy of Ritchey Design) |
Ritchey Design has had a flat pedal in the range for a while now called the Comp Bigfoot. It is a composite Nylon pedal body flat pedal. Now Ritchey has added two models to the Bigfoot range in alloy. The WCS and Classic Bigfoot pedals are machined 6061 alloy bodied pedals with replaceable pins and a concave profile to better retain the foot on the pedal during riding.
The pedal dimensions are 105mm x 108.5mm and the pedal body is 18.5mm thick. Ten replaceable pins per side are on each pedal. CroMo spindles run on an inner bushing and an outer sealed bearing for smooth spinning performance. There are two models in the range. The Classic Bigfoot is silver finish. The WCS version is all black anodized. Both cost the same at $119.00 USD.
 |
| WCS Bigfoot (Image courtesy of Ritchey Design) |
- Machined extruded 6061 alloy body, 105 x 108.5mm platform, 18.5mm deep
- CroMo axle on a bushing inner bearing and sealed cartridge outer bearing
- Ten replaceable anti-slip steel pins per side
- 63mm crank-to-center, 8.75mm stack height
- 445g +/-5g per pair
- Concave profile for confident foot placement and control
The pedals will be available now from Ritchey Design and Ritchey dealers. Pricing is as follows:
- WCS Bigfoot – €99.90 / $119.95 / £86.90
- Classic Bigfoot – €99.90 / $119.95 / £86.90
 |
| Image courtesy of Life Time |
UCI Criticized For Mishandling Women's Pro Field At Euro Gravel Championships:
In an article posted on cyclingnews.com it was reported that the field for the Women's Pro European Gravel Championships was hindered in their event. This was due to having to navigate through the slower men's age group riders who were released onto the course ahead of them. Many top women Pros were quoted in the piece saying it was dangerous, and unfair, with some calling for changes.
Comments: In a continuing failure to understand how Pro racing does not integrate into the traditional standards of gravel events, the UCI has once again stubbed its toe. The attempts at having gravel event culture intertwine with the business and rules of "professional racing" often result in conflicts such as the ones described by the article linked above. None of this is news. That the UCI has failed to understand this in 2026 is inexcusable.
Of course, North American event promoters have already been walking through this quagmire as well. I've said it all along: Traditional gravel events were developed to avoid the types of racers and racing which mainstream media, brands, and pundits define as "real racing". The two elements were at odds on purpose from the beginning.
Gravel in the Modern Era was set up as a rejection of the racing rules and culture which was primarily motivated by money and notoriety. Today's top-tier gravel race culture is one where only a select few are seen, or chosen to be, at the 'top of sport'. Whereas gravel originally was set up to celebrate all riders. It was not motivated by money, prizing, or sponsorship, but by gaining a personal growth and an experience not capable of being purchased.
 |
| Image courtesy of Hunt Wheels |
Alloy rims are not very fashionable or noteworthy it seems anymore. However; alloy can represent a value proposition which is hard to ignore. Carbon rims, while not as pricey as they once were, still are not budget friendly.
Hunt Wheels has just announced a front and rear specific set of Enduro V3 alloy rims with a 30mm internal rim width. (Note: Link is for rear specific rim)
These rims are tested in real world usage by Hunt sponsored enduro and DH riders. Using a sensible 32 spoke design, these are rims for bashing your FS 29"er around and at a cost of $119.00 each, these represent a pretty great bang for the buck.
Comments: It is great to see a company willing to invest into R&D for alloy rims. In my searching for alloy rims for my Fargo Gen I project, it became apparent rather quickly that alloy rims are a bit less common than you'd think.
 |
| New WTB 7X Hub (Image courtesy of WTB) |
WTB 7X Hubs Figure Heavily In MTB World Championship Results:
In a July FN&V I had some news concerning a new hub design being used by Wilderness Trail Bikes. These hubs were being used by the Cannondale Factory Racing Team in World Cup MTB events.
The design and partnership with the racing team has paid off with the Cannondale factory Racing Team athletes collecting five medals at the recently held World Championships in Val de Sole.
Comments: WTB claims the hub set weighs in at a paltry "less than 300 grams", which seems crazy. Sporting oversize Enduro bearings and a ratchet drive system, these hubs are promised to appear in future wheel set offerings from WTB.
There has been no indication WTB plans on selling the hubs as a stand-alone product. The press release states that these hubs will be commercially available as "part of WTB Mountain and Gravel wheel sets."
Look for news on some developments coming soon from WTB.
 |
| New lube to be revealed soon... |
I discovered a new contender for the Lube-Off which has some pretty interesting claims. I went ahead and ordered a bottle. This brings to mind a point I wanted to make about my running lube tests which I feel hasn't been stressed enough.
I buy all the products I test in this series with very few exceptions.
Sure, in the past I received a few free samples from events. But I have not tested any lubricants in the last five years or more which I haven't purchased outright with my own money. It is important to me that I am beholden to no company or marketing department when it comes to these tests.
I will let you know that this newest contender's company owner or marketing guy reached out to me and wanted to send me a sample. But that is not how this deal works. I ordered a bottle, paid for it, and the lube will be here next week.
Stay tuned....
That's all for this week! Get out and ride those bicycles!
