Friday News And Views

 Note: This edition of the "FN&V" will be a bit of a 'catching up' due to not having a FN&V last week. Some of the 'news' will be a bit older than usual as a result..

A view of the inner workings of an Ochain unit (Image courtesy of Ochain)

Last week SRAM announced the acquisition of MTB component maker, Ochain. The company is well-established in the down hill and enduro circuits. Their claim to fame is a device which decouples the direct interface between a chain ring and chain. The Ochain device allows for a certain degree of rotation of the chain ring without the crank moving, thus allowing full-suspension bikes to achieve a more efficient and 'chain free' operation.

Ochain is a device which solves the age-old problem of suspension 'kick-back' and makes suspension work 'freer' due to the decoupling aspect. SRAM claims the Ochain device results in a 'calmer and quieter' bike.

Comments: SRAM has, in the past, filed various patents on chain ring design to address various aspects of 1X drive trains and suspension use. None of which, to my knowledge, have come to see the light of day....yet. However; it is interesting to note SRAM's history of innovation by acquisition. Ochain being the latest brand to be acquired by SRAM. Many people forget SRAM bought brands like Rock Shox, Sachs, (thus bringing chains into their catalog), and TIME (for pedals), along with Hammerhead for GPS/controller duties.

I doubt SRAM will sit with Ochain only being used for MTB and full-sus e-Bikes. I look for some sort of further development to make this acquisition more versatile. Just what may come of this should be interesting. 

Image courtesy of Wheels MFG.

Wheels MFG Announces New Single Speed Kit For Hyperglide:

Wheels Manufacturing announced last week that their Solo Cog single speed kit will be available for Shimano HG style free hubs on August 22nd, 2025. The SOLO HG Single Speed Kit will be available in various anodized colors. This kit will have several spacers for centering your cog, or Wheels MFG Solo Cogs, which will be sold separately.

Both the kit and the cogs are machined from aluminum. The spacers are from 6061 aluminum and the cogs from 7075 series aluminum. The spacer kit, which comes with a color-matched lock ring, goes for $51.9 USD.

The Solo Cogs come in 16T, 18T, and 20T for now with more sizes promised. These cogs are going for $46.99 each USD. 

Comments: At $99.00 for the full set of spacers, lock ring, and cog, this is not a "cheap" option. (You can get a Surly spacer kit and cog for around $75.00 - $80.00), but it is in line with others I can find in aluminum and anodized hues. 

Image courtesy of Ortlieb

Ortlieb Announces New "Quick Rack" System:

If you have a bike which you'd like to have a rack on, but only occasionally, or a bike that doesn't have rack mounts, you might want to check out Ortlieb's new Quick Rack. 

This rack attaches via a unique collar and axle attachment design, (please click the link for details) and Ortlieb claims this can be installed in fifteen seconds. So, an applicable solution for anyone who may need a rack at a moments notice.

With a load capacity of 44lbs, and ability to accept any of Ortlieb's bags for rear racks, this seems like a pretty cool way to add some versatility to a bike you use for any mission.

The Quick Rack sells for $130.00 USD.

Comments: At first I thought this rack attached with an ordinary alloy type seat post collar, but it is not anything like this. (Again, check Ortlieb's site for details) I'm in a situation where I do not have to rely on one or two bicycles for everything, but, if I were in this sort of situation, the Quick rack might come in pretty handy.

I cannot vouch for the incredible quick change out time, but even if it took three times as long, it would be a pretty easy to consider swap, in my opinion. The only other curious thought I have here is if this would be a steady enough platform to rely upon for commutes, or errands, or even touring.

Rough Stuff MTB Rally:

Wilde Bicycle Company is sponsoring the Rough Stuff Rally August 1 -3, 2025 at Copper Harbor, Michigan. Jeffrey Frane, of Wilde Bicycle Company has this to say about the festival:

 "The Rally is two days of riding, revelry, and community on some of the best trails in the world. Friday we have shuttle runs from 4-8pm accessing legendary trails such as The Flow, Danimal, and Overflow followed by a bluff top sunset Happy Hour. Saturday is the main event, a 22 or 43mile loop of the trail system taking in a highlight reel of singletrack followed by a gourmet dinner at the Campground hosted by Chef Adam Blake with bonfire, music and free refreshments from Fat Tire to follow." 

Interested? Registration is open now and you can join in for $120.00. by checking in HERE. Entry gets you free shuttle service on Friday, an event t-shirt, an stocked aid station on Saturday, the free meal, and free refreshments Friday night and Saturday night. 

A schedule of events for the Rally can be found HERE. 

Image courtesy of Surly Bikes.

Surly Shows Updated Ogre:

Surly Bikes showed on Thursday an update to their Ogre 29" inch wheeled commuter/bike packing bike. With tire clearance for 29" X 2.5" tires, or 27.5" X 2.8" tires (with fenders!!), this bike could be a very versatile bike in a person's bike stable. Or it easily could be your only bike.

As one might expect from Surly, the Ogre has a plethora of mounts, is Rohloff compatible, and has a mount for Surly's own Bill or Ted trailer. This version of the Ogre is in a hue Surly calls "Orlock's Shadow". Se mor about the Ogre and other surly products by clicking the link HERE. 

Comments: The Ogre has, in my opinion, "old school" 29"er geometry. If it looks like the front end has been pushed in, this is because the Ogre has a 72° head tube angle, which most 29"er's haven't used for well over a decade now. Not that this is "bad", but it is unique now in 2025. 

This Ogre reminds me a lot of what a modernized version of my 2003 Karate Monkey would maybe look like. It even is close to the same color, which is Campstove Green. So, the comparison is easier for me to make, I suppose. 
 

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! NOTE: A press release from Pinarello will be featured at 7;30am CST today here. Stay tuned...

MADE Show Highlights And Commentary

Over the past weekend close to seventy frame builders were in attendance at a show in Portalnd, Oregon called the MADE Bicycle Show. In MADE's own words, this show is: "A multi-day trade event with consumer-facing days, as well as industry-only days for media meetings, content creation, and community building."

One would be probably correct in assuming that the show is a way for custom bicycle builders to get the word out about their services and gain new customers in the process. So, given MADE's statement, which is a nice set of thoughts, this show will continue to exist as long as the custom builders see the benefits of real sales coming out of the show. It is a fairly new show, having only been in existence a couple of years, but boasted over 5,000 attendees last year.

Image courtesy of MADE

I've received a few press releases concerning new bikes and products that were shown at this show over the weekend. I'll share those here with more of my own commentary about the show in general as well. 

MADE is a show which takes the space where formerly NAHBS resided. (North American Handbuilt Bicycle Show) That show grew over time and was eventually weighed down, and maybe watered down is a more appropriate term here,  by component makers, and things not really associated with the pure "handmade" frame building aspect of custom bicycles. The organizer eventually bailed out and the show fell into dormancy after 2019. Given that COVID disrupted everything, it makes sense that the first MADE Show did not happen until 2022. 

MADE seems to be focusing on a more simplified, directed approach where the main thing is frame building. Seeing the show as a way for content creators to aggregate content ideas and stories from, MADE embraces that aspect of current media creation and invites content creators to have more access than NAHBS used to provide to these outlets. Otherwise, it seems to be a very similar idea at its core to what NAHBS had envisioned originally. 

Image courtesy of Sage Titanium

Sage Titanium:

Sage Titanium showed their custom Storm King and Storm King GP with Classified/TRP Vistar drive train and shifting. 

This drive train set up uses the new Vistar TRP electronic shift/brake levers and rear derailleur paired up with Classified's 2 speed rear hub mechanism. Shifting is completely wireless and programmable. 

The Storm King is Sage Titanium's non-suspension gravel bike with 3D printed dropouts. The bike features several mounts for water bottles and a bento box on the top tube. The Storm King GP differs in that it is suspension corrected for a gravel suspension fork, such as a Rock Shox Rudy, or the like. 

Comments: An interesting collaboration between TRP and Classified which brings another choice to riders. In my opinion this appeals to the "I want something different" customer. I personally would be more interested in a TRP Vistar only bike as the Classified rear hub gear system is proprietary and probably not as efficient as a 2X traditional front derailleur. I say "probably" because I don't have specific independently tested data, but traditionally hub gearing doesn't have the efficiencies of an external chain derailleur drive train. 

Image courtesy of Wilde Bicycle Co.

Wilde Bicycle Co. Shows Two New Lugged Frame Bikes:

Wilde Bicycle Co., run by former All City head man Jeffrey Frane, has introduced two new lugged frame bicycles. 

First up we have the handsome "Sugarfoot" 650B wheeled rando inspired bike. This bike is limited to a run of 10 to begin with and will feature Columbus tubing, Richard Sachs lugs, a Pacenti fork crown, and Imron paint. 

There  will be rack and fender mounts, water bottle mounts for three bottles, and internal rear brake cable routing. The rim brake only bike will sell for $3,900.00 USD. Delivery is scheduled for March/April 2025. 

Image courtesy of Wilde Bicycle Co.

Next up we have a lugged version of the gravel bike Wilde calls the "Earth Ship Lugged Frameset". This uses a special Chris Bishop designed lugset and a very thin walled Columbus Life tube set. This has required Wilde to put a weight limit of 240lbs on this bike. 

The frame will come with Wilde's own Wayfinder carbon fork with triple boss mounts on each fork leg. The bike will also feature three water bottle mounts, a top-tube bag mount, and fender mounts. 

Tire clearance for the Earth Ship Lugged is set at 45mm in 700c diameter. The price for the frame and fork is set at $3,400.00. 

Comments: These frames are made by a single builder in the USA, so the price isn't completely out of line here. That said, it isn't a choice for the faint of heart in terms of finances. This will also make these bikes rare and if you ever see one out and about it will be a red letter day. 

It is interesting to me to observe the trajectory of Wilde since its beginnings. They came off, at least to me, as a bit higher-end All City-like alternative and now have veered even further into exclusive and expensive upper end niche territory. 

Image courtesy of No. 22

No. 22 Bikes Shows Wild 3D Printed Ti Aero Bike:

Probably one of the most interesting bicycles I've seen in a while is this fully 3D printed titanium aero road bike from No. 22 Bicycle Company. 

Called the Reactor Aero, the bike uses Grade 5 titanium powder which is monolithically 3D printed into this shape that you see here. The only bit that is not titanium is the aero optimized seat tube which is carbon fiber. 

No. 22 Bicycle Company states that final production Reactor Aero frames will be 3D printed in sections and welded together and machined in house to allow for tighter control of tolerances and finishes. 

The press release has a quote from No. 22 Bicycle Company co-founder, Bryce Gacey:

"3D printed titanium has phenomenal structural properties. The ability to print internal support structures anywhere in the frame gives us a level of control over the ride quality that has not been possible before. We are able to add stiffness in high load areas like the bottom bracket, dropouts, and head tube for very little weight, while playing with structure in fine detail throughout the frame to ensure it delivers the ride quality we need”

Comments: Yeah....wow! That's a crazy bike and a really cool process of manufacturing. No. 22 says that they can actually tune the ride quality and strength of the structure?  Pretty dang cool if you ask me. And.....pretty dang expensive, I would imagine. That said, maybe someday we will all be riding steel 3D printed frames and forks. Who knows? 

Image courtesy of Wheels Manufacturing.

Colorado Copper Available From Wheels Manufacturing:

Wheels Manufacturing brought several pieces to MADE done up in what they are calling "Colorado Copper" anodized finish. Several parts can now be ordered from stock with this hue amongst the many other colors of anodization that they offer on their parts. 

Comments: Yeah...brown. Didn't Chris King call this "Mocha"? I am pretty sure that Surly had a "Jim Brown" hub set in this hue as well. (Actually, I have a set of those hubs!) So, nothing really spectaculary new here but just another choice to be aware of. 

Meanwhile, how about those single speed conversion kits for MicroSpline and SRAM XD drivers? No batteries required!

Image courtesy of @william_bender

 Scarab Cycles Announces Composite Damping System:

Scarab Cycles out of Columbia, (the country) , announced a new rando model called the Andes, but what I found most interesting was the Composite Damping System which is available on the Paramo gravel bike, Apuna allroad bike, and Scarab's Santa Rosa road bike, shown above in the stunning "Fractal Fruit" paint scheme. 

Composite Damping System centers around the addition of a carbon fiber seat mast which is inserted through a short section of seat tube where the seat cluster of the frame is at. The cap on the seat mast allows for a modicum of saddle height adjustment, which should be okay since all Scarab bikes are made to measure. 

The CDS mod adds $800.00 to the base price of the frame and fork which for a Paramo gravel bike is $3,400.00 USD.

Image courtesy of Velo Orange

Velo Orange Debuts New Chessie Model:

Velo Orange showed a new model called "Chessie" which is a non-suspension corrected design in aluminum. The bike is said to have "big tire clearances" and sliding drop outs for a single speed set up if desired. The images showed a tapered aluminum head tube, lots of accessory mounting points, and external, full run housings. Probably a 27.2mm seat post there by the looks of it as well. The show bike had Pirelli Cinturato M's mounted in what looked to be the 700 X 45mm wide size. Velo Orange described the Chessie as "...a monster of a gravel bike".

Comments: Not many details were released on Velo Orange's communications, but details are coming soon. Look for more on this bike in a future "FN&V". I like what I see here a lot though, and given that Velo Orange sells frames at pretty reasonable prices, this should prove to be a popular bike.

Thanks to all the companies represented in this post for sending press releases. All images and information in this post was provided by these fine companies.

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Eddy Merckx Bikes.

Eddy Merckx Bikes Announces Steel Gravel Model:

It isn't often that we see steel as a frame material get a new lease on life as a gravel bike. Today is unusual in that there is news out from Eddy Merckx Bikes that their Strasbourg model is now available in triple butted Columbus steel. 

The bike is welded by one man in Belgium and built up with components of your choosing from SRAM or Shimano. (What?! No Campy Ekar option?) The paint can even be customized per the "Configurator" on the Eddy Merckx site. 

Prices aren't too bad for all of this and there is even a frame set option. Tire clearances are limited, compared to more progressive gravel bikes, at 45mm in 1X and 42mm in 2X set ups. Three sets of bottle bosses are on the main triangle and there are fork mounts as well. The frame features semi-internal routing. The geometry is conservative, but should work for racing or general purpose gravel riding. 

Comments: I wonder if people much younger than I even know who Eddy Merckx is and are aware of his accomplishments. It's been a while since the "Cannibal" has won an event. Perhaps the attacking riding style of Tadej Pogačar in the Giro now and the comparisons of him with Eddy will bring some folks that awareness of Eddy's dominating past. 

That said, it is interesting to note that this gravel bike is named "Strasbourg" because that is the place where Eddy famously won a sprint on a dirt road. So the name for this model seems fitting, yes? 

Image courtesy of SRAM

SRAM Unvieils New Red AXS:

We all knew it was coming, the spy shots have been on the internet for months now. SRAM finally pulled back the curtains to reveal what it claims is the lightest road group set ever, SRAM Red AXS. 

New ergonomics and brake design are said to be more comfortable. The pivot point and mechanics of the brake have been redesigned to yield a brake requiring a claimed 80% less effort to actuate from the hoods and 33% less effort to actuate from the drops. The rotors have also been updated to be lighter weight (aluminum carrier redesign) and have a new design for the brake track which is said to aid in giving the rider more stopping power than the previous generation of SRAM rotors. 

The rear derailleur has a new, larger lower jockey wheel and the maximum allowed cassette low gear is 36T. Several gearing ratios are possible via the different options for crank sets which are 46/33, 48/35, 50/37, 52/39, 54/41, and 56/43. Several crank arm lengths are available ranging from 160mm - 175mm. Power metered cranks are also available. 

New to this group is the integration of the Hammerhead Karoo computer which can be used to control derailleur parameters, shifter functions, and more. SRAM purchased the Hammerhead computer company earlier and the deeper integration of the GPS unit was expected. The Hammerhead Karoo will come with aftermarket purchases of the Red AXS group and on some OEM builds that use SRAM AXS Red. 

Comments: Noting a move to silver polish accents and calipers. Nice! Interestingly in SRAMS's own marketing for this group, they state the reason for the larger jockey wheel in the rear derailleur is, "To match current aesthetic preferences..." Hilarious! 

The integration of the Hammerhead computer is interesting. Hopefully they got those things to work better than the two failures of two separate Karoo 2 GPS navigation units that I experienced. Of course, this assuming that many people will buy into that ecosystem. I look for several Karoo units to be on the "used" marketplaces in the future. 

Look between the cage and the frame. (Image courtesy of Knog)

Knog Introduces Scout Bike Alarm:

A new bike alarm from Knog looks promising for those who need an alert if their bicycle gets moved by anyone including people with ill intentions. 

The Scout Bike Alarm is a rechargeable unit that mounts on any two-bolt water cage mount using Knog's tamper-proof screws. The alarm can be armed with a button or via Knog's iOS app. (Sorry! No Android app at this time) 

If the bike gets moved a loud 80db alarm will sound. The unit will also work with Apple's "Find My" app. LED's show the alarm's status and battery level. The battery is claimed to last 2 - 6 months depending upon frequency of use. The battery is rechargeable via USB-C cable (not included). 

There is a cover for the device if it is used without a bottle cage, or you can mount a bottle cage on top of it for stealth usage. 

The price for the Knog Scout Alarm is @59.95 USD. The unit weighs 25 grams. 

Comments: Ever get the worries when running in for a resupply of water at a convenience store stop? This device could be good for things like that. The fact that you can use a "Find My" app on Apple products also goes a ways in making this device seem worthwhile. 

Perhaps we will all find out together. Supposedly one is on its way to me for testing. Stay tuned.....

Image courtesy of Wheels Manufacturing

Wheels Manufacturing Offering Anodized UDH Hangars:

More anodized bits for your matchy-matchy pleasure. Wheels Manufacturing has UDH rear derailleur hangars which feature any of their current anodized color choices. 

UDH is coming sooner than later for all bicycles and I've noted that gravel bikes being introduced of late feature this sort of hangar now. 

I've got no particular beef with the idea, it is fine, and I suppose stronger as well. Anything to eliminate the umpteen number of puzzle-piece rear hangars that proliferated over the course of the last 30 years. 

But that's another story! The point is, now you have another point where you can accessorize your bike with a bit of color and be "oh-so fashionable". 

That's a wrap for this week. Have a great weekend and ride those bikes! Special shout-out to the Heywood Ride happening tomorrow in Northfield Minnesota. Wish I could be there!

Friday News And Views

5DEV direct mount chain wheel as shared on their social media.

 The Colorful Edition of the FN&V!

Fashion Plates?

I've been noticing a trend of late on social media. Bicycles with derailleur drive trains being shown with 'pie plate' style, solid chain wheels as 1X drive rings. 

I first noted this back in 2022 at the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame shindig in Emporia, Kansas. I noted a Stormchaser single speed with a brilliant purple, solid chain wheel. 

Then I found out that Absolute Black does a 'pie plate' style ring, which is supposedly aero. It is a rather stark, unusual offering from this company known for its more open designs and industrial looking offerings in several anodized colors. 

Now I am noticing a few custom bikes being shown on the Insta that have silver colored, solid chain wheels. Okay.....something is going on here. I suspect that some more offerings in this style will appear at Sea Otter soon.

I don't know if I am a fan though. Color me jaded by years of working on cheapo BMX kids bikes, but these look like a gussied-up department store bike component. It's hard for me to take the 'pie plate' look seriously. But that's probably just me. What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

Image courtesy of Wolf Tooth.

Wolf Tooth Announces New Colors For SS Cogs:

Now for the other end of the drive train, you have Wolf Tooth announcing new colors for their line of single speed cogs. Gold and Orange are being added to their other offerings in the range. 

These are aluminum, of course, but Wolf Tooth also has a stainless steel single speed cog offering for those of you who want the longest lasting cogs and don't care about fashion. (Ha!) 

Comments: I am happy that someone out there still believes in making single speed stuff. That kind of went away for a while there in the last ten years and for a while I was worried that I'd be scrounging for parts for my several single speed bikes. But Wolf Tooth must be selling these things, otherwise they would not introduce more colors, I would imagine anyway. 

Now I know where to go to replenish the look on my Campstove Green Karate Monkey when I wear out a cog, or want to change gearing, and want a green cog! 

Image courtesy of Wheels Manufacturing.

Wheels Manufacturing Offers Anodized BB-30 Options:

Now on to the bottom bracket! Wheels Manufacturing recently added anodized color options for their range of bottom brackets for 30mm spindles. Now available in seven anodized hues for BSA 30, T-47 internal, T-47 outboard, and PF-30 variants. 

Prices are $100 - $124.00 each. You can check them out HERE along with all their other bottom bracket options. 

Comments: I've used Wheels Manufacturing bottom brackets for repairs and personally for years now and have found them to be very good quality options for a decent price. The anodized colors are just icing on the cake here. 

Image courtesy of Chris Skogen's social media

Almanzo 100 v3?:

Monday a surprise announcement from Chris Skogen, the founder of the seminal and legendary Almanzo 100, came out, via Skogen's Instagram page, announcing that the Almanzo 100 was coming back. 

This would mark the third come-back for Skogen and the second time for the event to come back as well. (A timeline of events documenting the retiring of the Almanzo 100 name and original event can be found HERE) 

In the announcement, Skogen indicated that the 100 mile event would occur this May on the 18th. Other details are yet to be released, but this post will be updated when and if those details become available. 

The announcement reads as follows, taken from Skogen's Instagram:

"***WE’RE BACK***

That’s right, we’re bringing Almanzo back!

WHEN: Saturday, May 18th - 8:00am
WHERE: Starting location will be announced here on May 11th
WHAT: 100 mile self-supported route (no drop bags, no outside support, no GPS)
WHO: Everyone
WHY: Because

See you in a few weeks!!

#nerd #party"

Comments:  Mr. Skogen has been known to make surprise, unexpected announcements at odd times regarding the Alamanzo and its satellite events. (See link above) On April 2nd he posted again saying this was "real" and that he is, "Taking another swing at building community in and around the bike space."

 UPDATED 4/7/24: Mr. Skogen posted on Saturday on Instagram a list of gravel events with some designated as events he will attend. Quoted: "I’ll be at the events in BOLD." One of those events he marked in bold, on May 18th, is The Heywood Ride, the ride that Mr. Skogen handed over to the organizers of The Heywood, when it was called the Almanzo,  and asked that they not use the name "Almanzo" for it. So, they came up with "The Heywood Ride".

So, is the Heywood going back to being called the Almanzo? 

Stay tuned........

Kit for a Cause Jersey image from Gravel Worlds social media.

Jersey To Benefit Cancer Causes:

Gravel Worlds announced recently that they are offering "Kits For A Cause" now through their jersey vendor, Voler USA. 

The first is a design by Kevin Wilkins that features dogs biting one another with a sign on the rear that says "Chase me!"

All profits from the sales of the jerseys are going toward cancer survivor @kevinwilkins and the organization Grind For Life.org which has a mission to provide financial assistance to cancer patients and their families when traveling long distances to doctors and hospitals.

You can check out the kit and order at this link:  www.gravel-worlds.com/kit

Orders for this kit close on April 15th. Gravel Worlds says there will be other efforts similar to this in the future.  

The Guitar Ted Podcast Sponsored by The Spinistry:

A new episode of the Guitar Ted Podcast is up now. In this one N.Y. Roll and I discuss the celebrations of last place, the Sardine Tool, and N.Y. Roll's experience in Texas recently where he rode the Red River Riot.

You can listen to the episode by clicking THIS LINK. 

We are working on new episodes concerning tires and their construction, how gravel roads are made and why, and more. If you have any episode ideas, let me know in the comment section. 

Thanks again to The Spinistry for their continued support of The Guitar Ted Podcast and check out their Gravel 1000 challenge which anyone can engage in from any location. You can find out more about this challenge by clicking THIS LINK.
 

That's a wrap on this colorful edition of the FN&V for this week. Have a great weekend and thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Friday News And Views

The Bombtrack Arise

Bombtrack Arise Single Speed Gravel Bike:

I came across an article about the "Ten Best Single Speed/Fixed Gear Bikes" on a UK based website recently and one of their choices was this Bombtrack Arise single speed gravel bike. 

Well, it is steel, and single speed, so at least that part was right! Ha ha! You all know I have a big soft spot for single speed or fixed gear bikes that can do gravel roads. So, I checked it out, and you know what? It is something I would buy. But I really do not need it! So, no.... You won't see this bike in my posts in the future, but if I was in the market for a single speed gravel rig, this bike ticks all the boxes for me in terms of geometry. 

I would want a bit lower bottom bracket if I had my druthers, but otherwise? This is good. It's not "great" though. It is heavy-ish, the parts are pretty pedestrian, and the tire limit is 42mm. But you get spoke holders! Who does that anymore? It's also kinda expensive for a single speed, but any brand's single speed bikes tend to be, in my opinion, overpriced for what they are. Bombtrack is no exception. 

Anyway, it isn't often I find a bike that is mostly agreeable with me and single speed to boot. I just thought you all might find it interesting as well.

Logos wheels use new open standard developed by HUGI in the 90's.

Open Standard: When Exclusivity Dies, More Choices Open Up: 

In an announcement last week made by new wheel and component company, Logos, I learned that the old proprietary Star Ratchet design is now an open standard. Patents are weird things, but yeah, you only hold them for so long before the design is an "open standard" useable by anyone. I guess as long as the design isn't purchased by someone and held, (see Shimano), then things are different. 

I remember using a wheel set back in the 1990's with a Hugi free hub and it was very noticeably better than pawl/spring designs most often used then, and still to this day. Hugi used a two spring design, but when DT Swiss bought the design they went to a single spring. The advantage of using two springs is that when the hub is under torque, and the chain is basically trying to rip the free hub body off the hub shell sideways, a typical pawl/spring design will be under the possibility of 'skipping' due to distortion of the materials. The ratchet design helps eliminate the need for concentricity and therefore escapes the dreaded pawl skipping possibilities. A dual sprung design essentially is floating, which is even better in that regard.

So, I was a bit surprised to see this design in another brand's hub that wasn't a licensed design from DT Swiss. This makes me wonder, will we be seeing more companies switching to this star ratchet design now? If it is demonstrably better than a pawl/spring design, I think the answer is "Yes".

Wheels Manufacturing added colors! (Image courtesy of Wheels manufacturing)

More Ano!:

My 2015 Salsa Cycles Mukluk is in need of a new bottom bracket, (UPDATE: It's been fixed! I'll have more on that next week)  so I went a-searchin' fer one. Then I came across these colors on Wheels Manufacturing's site and was surprised. I didn't know that they were offering anodized components. 

I've had good experiences with Wheels Manufacturing bottom brackets and I have used a few in my bicycles with good success. They are reasonably priced, durable, and get the job done. I especially have liked their screw-together, Press-Fit style bottom brackets, one of which I just installed in my Twin Six Standard Rando v2. 

So, if you are looking for an anodized color and need a bottom bracket, check those out. By the way, I am not being paid, nor bribed for this recommendation. I buy my bottom brackets just like you would, at retail. So, just a friendly recommendation here. 

National Cycling League Announced:

A new criterium based league and series has been announced which will take its first start in 2023 in Miami, Florida. The league will be minority owned and run. The league will be made up of teams which will travel the country to its biggest cities to contest its events. A modest schedule has been announced but in coming years this could expand to include upwards of 20+ cities on the tour.

There will be equality in pay between men and women participating and these "teams" which will make up the series will be co-ed. The races will have separate events for men and women, but riders will accumulate points and teams will blend their accumulated men's race and women's race points to determine which co-ed teams will take home the prizes. 

A virtual component will also be a part of the series where fans can obtain data generated by the athletes and also participate virtually via a Zwift-type interface. 

An excellent story about the series with more details can be read from the "Miami Herald" online for free here. 

Comments: Older roadies may remember something like this from back in the 80's-90's. (The linked article talks about this) There have been other national criterium series as well as local and regional series which have found some success. This new venture seems a bit more focused on the "team" aspect and on tech. It'll be interesting to see how this holds up against the USAC sanctioned criteriums. 

With the saturation level of 'gravel events' being at an all-time high, it might be a good time for "something different" to find a foothold. Especially in bigger urban areas where actual gravel roads and back roads are rare and hard to find. 

Gravel Worlds This Weekend:

Today and tomorrow are the dates for the Gravel Worlds events. This year the event took on the challenge of getting 1000 women there to ride, (challenge met) and have raised awareness and increased participation for marginalized people in several groups. 

A running component was also added with a tie-in to Mid-South's running event. All this will be over by Saturday evening. It will be the largest Gravel Worlds that has been held since the event started in 2010. 

Comments: First of all: I hope that everyone involved with Gravel Worlds has a great time. I hope all are safe traveling to and from the event, and during the event I hope all stay safe and whole. All the best to the riders, and the promoters, who have toiled and put in untold hours to participate in and create this happening. Most of all- Thanks to anyone volunteering. I get it- I used to put on events like this and they do not work without volunteers.

And no- I am not going to be there for the first time since 2015, excluding the pandemic year of 2020 when the event wasn't held in Lincoln.  I also have ridden in the inaugural Gravel Worlds and one other year as well. That's a long, long run, and I needed a break. Not to mention the fact that due to my job changing again for the second time in two years which has stressed finances to the limit. So either way- I wasn't going to be able to attend. 

I'll miss seeing everyone. But that's the way of it sometimes. Ride on Pirates!

That's a wrap for this week! Have a great weekend and thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Friday News And Views

The Bombtrack Arise

Bombtrack Arise Single Speed Gravel Bike:

I came across an article about the "Ten Best Single Speed/Fixed Gear Bikes" on a UK based website recently and one of their choices was this Bombtrack Arise single speed gravel bike. 

Well, it is steel, and single speed, so at least that part was right! Ha ha! You all know I have a big soft spot for single speed or fixed gear bikes that can do gravel roads. So, I checked it out, and you know what? It is something I would buy. But I really do not need it! So, no.... You won't see this bike in my posts in the future, but if I was in the market for a single speed gravel rig, this bike ticks all the boxes for me in terms of geometry. 

I would want a bit lower bottom bracket if I had my druthers, but otherwise? This is good. It's not "great" though. It is heavy-ish, the parts are pretty pedestrian, and the tire limit is 42mm. But you get spoke holders! Who does that anymore? It's also kinda expensive for a single speed, but any brand's single speed bikes tend to be, in my opinion, overpriced for what they are. Bombtrack is no exception. 

Anyway, it isn't often I find a bike that is mostly agreeable with me and single speed to boot. I just thought you all might find it interesting as well.

Logos wheels use new open standard developed by HUGI in the 90's.

Open Standard: When Exclusivity Dies, More Choices Open Up: 

In an announcement last week made by new wheel and component company, Logos, I learned that the old proprietary Star Ratchet design is now an open standard. Patents are weird things, but yeah, you only hold them for so long before the design is an "open standard" useable by anyone. I guess as long as the design isn't purchased by someone and held, (see Shimano), then things are different. 

I remember using a wheel set back in the 1990's with a Hugi free hub and it was very noticeably better than pawl/spring designs most often used then, and still to this day. Hugi used a two spring design, but when DT Swiss bought the design they went to a single spring. The advantage of using two springs is that when the hub is under torque, and the chain is basically trying to rip the free hub body off the hub shell sideways, a typical pawl/spring design will be under the possibility of 'skipping' due to distortion of the materials. The ratchet design helps eliminate the need for concentricity and therefore escapes the dreaded pawl skipping possibilities. A dual sprung design essentially is floating, which is even better in that regard.

So, I was a bit surprised to see this design in another brand's hub that wasn't a licensed design from DT Swiss. This makes me wonder, will we be seeing more companies switching to this star ratchet design now? If it is demonstrably better than a pawl/spring design, I think the answer is "Yes".

Wheels Manufacturing added colors! (Image courtesy of Wheels manufacturing)

More Ano!:

My 2015 Salsa Cycles Mukluk is in need of a new bottom bracket, (UPDATE: It's been fixed! I'll have more on that next week)  so I went a-searchin' fer one. Then I came across these colors on Wheels Manufacturing's site and was surprised. I didn't know that they were offering anodized components. 

I've had good experiences with Wheels Manufacturing bottom brackets and I have used a few in my bicycles with good success. They are reasonably priced, durable, and get the job done. I especially have liked their screw-together, Press-Fit style bottom brackets, one of which I just installed in my Twin Six Standard Rando v2. 

So, if you are looking for an anodized color and need a bottom bracket, check those out. By the way, I am not being paid, nor bribed for this recommendation. I buy my bottom brackets just like you would, at retail. So, just a friendly recommendation here. 

National Cycling League Announced:

A new criterium based league and series has been announced which will take its first start in 2023 in Miami, Florida. The league will be minority owned and run. The league will be made up of teams which will travel the country to its biggest cities to contest its events. A modest schedule has been announced but in coming years this could expand to include upwards of 20+ cities on the tour.

There will be equality in pay between men and women participating and these "teams" which will make up the series will be co-ed. The races will have separate events for men and women, but riders will accumulate points and teams will blend their accumulated men's race and women's race points to determine which co-ed teams will take home the prizes. 

A virtual component will also be a part of the series where fans can obtain data generated by the athletes and also participate virtually via a Zwift-type interface. 

An excellent story about the series with more details can be read from the "Miami Herald" online for free here. 

Comments: Older roadies may remember something like this from back in the 80's-90's. (The linked article talks about this) There have been other national criterium series as well as local and regional series which have found some success. This new venture seems a bit more focused on the "team" aspect and on tech. It'll be interesting to see how this holds up against the USAC sanctioned criteriums. 

With the saturation level of 'gravel events' being at an all-time high, it might be a good time for "something different" to find a foothold. Especially in bigger urban areas where actual gravel roads and back roads are rare and hard to find. 

Gravel Worlds This Weekend:

Today and tomorrow are the dates for the Gravel Worlds events. This year the event took on the challenge of getting 1000 women there to ride, (challenge met) and have raised awareness and increased participation for marginalized people in several groups. 

A running component was also added with a tie-in to Mid-South's running event. All this will be over by Saturday evening. It will be the largest Gravel Worlds that has been held since the event started in 2010. 

Comments: First of all: I hope that everyone involved with Gravel Worlds has a great time. I hope all are safe traveling to and from the event, and during the event I hope all stay safe and whole. All the best to the riders, and the promoters, who have toiled and put in untold hours to participate in and create this happening. Most of all- Thanks to anyone volunteering. I get it- I used to put on events like this and they do not work without volunteers.

And no- I am not going to be there for the first time since 2015, excluding the pandemic year of 2020 when the event wasn't held in Lincoln.  I also have ridden in the inaugural Gravel Worlds and one other year as well. That's a long, long run, and I needed a break. Not to mention the fact that due to my job changing again for the second time in two years which has stressed finances to the limit. So either way- I wasn't going to be able to attend. 

I'll miss seeing everyone. But that's the way of it sometimes. Ride on Pirates!

That's a wrap for this week! Have a great weekend and thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Family Time

Squeezing in some time to do review work, but that's about it right now.

I am not real stoked on 2019, I'll tell y'all that right now. This year is going to go down as one of the most down years I've had both personally and professionally in a long time. But that will all come out later. I can't even talk about some of the stuff that is going on now.

Anyway, I wanted to say that several of you must be sensing this because I've been getting a decent amount of "Is everything okay?" messages of late. To you who have reached out. Thank you. It means a lot. But again- I am okay- it's just that several situations suck right now, and getting through this will see me doing better and being stronger. That's what I believe.

Anyway, one of the things I've had to deal with is Mrs.Guitar Ted and her knee issue. She developed pain and a "catch" in her right knee over the Summer which got progressively worse and then we decided it was time to get something done about it. Surgery to scope out what was going on was required, I think they cleaned up a tear in a ligament, (we get the full report Tuesday), and she's been laid up since Friday now. This precipitated my missing the unPAved event in Pennsylvania over the weekend, and I've been real busy doing the job of two parents since then.

So, I've had to stick close to help my wife if she needed anything. That meant I spent a lot of time cleaning the shop. Which, by the way, has been neglected for far too long anyway. So, that was a good thing. I also got my drop bar Badger back in the game, re-upped sealant on the "Orange Crush" BMC, and worked on the Noble Bikes GX5, which had developed a creaking noise.

The creaking wasn't that sort that I associate with a bottom bracket. But it was higher pitched in frequency, which lead me to think pedals, chain ring bolts, or something like that. So, I removed the crank set, a SRAM Force 1X, and checked the bolts. two were loose. So.......hopefully I put the thing back together and rode it. Still had the same creak, but quieter. Hmm..... I did clean the cranks up a bit. I don't know if my cleaning solution got into the interface of aluminum spider and carbon arm, quieting down a creak? Maybe.

At least Noble Bikes used the Wheels MFG Thread Together BB

I still do not think it is the bottom bracket since Noble Bikes had the good sense not to use standard Press Fit plastic crap for cups in a carbon frame. Nope! They used the Wheels MFG Thread Together unit, which I have installed in a few bikes at work. They seemed to quiet the bikes I put them in down quite a lot, and I was happy to see Noble using this component.

I still might remove it and clean everything up just because. It certainly wouldn't hurt. Besides......something is happening soon that will require it anyway. Stay tuned....... I am pretty stoked to have this development happening, and sooner than later I can talk about that. (So, 2019 isn't all bad!) 

So, yeah...... No big bicycle outings for me this past weekend, and probably not for several days yet. Mrs. Guitar Ted is dealing with a fair bit of pain, so far, but the hope is she'll be back going again in a couple weeks or so. In the meantime, family is priority number one here and it has been all hands on deck with me and the two kids pitching in. Oh! By the way, pardon me while I go check on the laundry...........I'll be back tomorrow.

Family Time

Squeezing in some time to do review work, but that's about it right now.

I am not real stoked on 2019, I'll tell y'all that right now. This year is going to go down as one of the most down years I've had both personally and professionally in a long time. But that will all come out later. I can't even talk about some of the stuff that is going on now.

Anyway, I wanted to say that several of you must be sensing this because I've been getting a decent amount of "Is everything okay?" messages of late. To you who have reached out. Thank you. It means a lot. But again- I am okay- it's just that several situations suck right now, and getting through this will see me doing better and being stronger. That's what I believe.

Anyway, one of the things I've had to deal with is Mrs.Guitar Ted and her knee issue. She developed pain and a "catch" in her right knee over the Summer which got progressively worse and then we decided it was time to get something done about it. Surgery to scope out what was going on was required, I think they cleaned up a tear in a ligament, (we get the full report Tuesday), and she's been laid up since Friday now. This precipitated my missing the unPAved event in Pennsylvania over the weekend, and I've been real busy doing the job of two parents since then.

So, I've had to stick close to help my wife if she needed anything. That meant I spent a lot of time cleaning the shop. Which, by the way, has been neglected for far too long anyway. So, that was a good thing. I also got my drop bar Badger back in the game, re-upped sealant on the "Orange Crush" BMC, and worked on the Noble Bikes GX5, which had developed a creaking noise.

The creaking wasn't that sort that I associate with a bottom bracket. But it was higher pitched in frequency, which lead me to think pedals, chain ring bolts, or something like that. So, I removed the crank set, a SRAM Force 1X, and checked the bolts. two were loose. So.......hopefully I put the thing back together and rode it. Still had the same creak, but quieter. Hmm..... I did clean the cranks up a bit. I don't know if my cleaning solution got into the interface of aluminum spider and carbon arm, quieting down a creak? Maybe.

At least Noble Bikes used the Wheels MFG Thread Together BB

I still do not think it is the bottom bracket since Noble Bikes had the good sense not to use standard Press Fit plastic crap for cups in a carbon frame. Nope! They used the Wheels MFG Thread Together unit, which I have installed in a few bikes at work. They seemed to quiet the bikes I put them in down quite a lot, and I was happy to see Noble using this component.

I still might remove it and clean everything up just because. It certainly wouldn't hurt. Besides......something is happening soon that will require it anyway. Stay tuned....... I am pretty stoked to have this development happening, and sooner than later I can talk about that. (So, 2019 isn't all bad!) 

So, yeah...... No big bicycle outings for me this past weekend, and probably not for several days yet. Mrs. Guitar Ted is dealing with a fair bit of pain, so far, but the hope is she'll be back going again in a couple weeks or so. In the meantime, family is priority number one here and it has been all hands on deck with me and the two kids pitching in. Oh! By the way, pardon me while I go check on the laundry...........I'll be back tomorrow.

pMCD Update: The Build And First Ride Report

Wolf Tooth head sets are the bomb!

The Build:

I started building up the pMCD frame Wednesday night but a text message that evening kind of made me put the brakes on the build till Friday. It was okay, since the turn in plans eventually was something that was better than I was going to do in the first place.

When I build a bicycle up from a frame and fork, the very first order of business is to get the head set in. Now you may want to do it a different way, but to my way of thinking, a frame is a bad unicycle until the fork is on it!

So, I installed the purple Wolf Tooth head set first and then came the conundrum of where to cut the steer tube. I did not measure the stock steer tube length, but it is looooong! I decided to go with 11 1/2" length and cut it there, because I didn't want to leave myself short with no option to have a healthy amount of exposed steer tube. However, Mike Varley of Black Mountain Cycles had designed the frame to have an extended head tube so that steer tube spacer use would be at a minimum. So, with that unknown hanging out there, I measured bikes I already have here and approximated as best I could, with an eye towards leaving too much steer tube rather than cutting it close.

I'm glad that I did, because it came out that I had too much steer tube, but not a ridiculous amount. For the record, I think I cut off about three inches! I know I could go lower, but I'll try riding it with different arrangements of the stem and spacers until I arrive at what I like. Then there will be a final cut and that will be that.

Wheels Manufacturing angular contact bearing bottom bracket here. Made in the USA!

After a head set gets installed and a fork is mounted, the next task I go after is to get the bottom bracket in there. You can scooter if you'd like, but a bicycle is pretty worthless without a crank set and pedals.

Mike Varley preps every frame before it leaves his Black Mountain Cycles shop to you, so the threading on the bottom bracket was super smooth and allowed easy installation of my Wheels Manufacturing angular contact bearing bottom bracket. Then I slotted in my Shimano CX series 46T/36T crank set for 11spd.

Now normally at this point I'd set up a stem and handle bar, and then work on mounting controls. However; part of the text mentioned above made me decide not to go that way. Instead, I mounted my Spyre brakes and tested them with the Irwin Cycling Aon GX 35  carbon wheels I already had waiting on this build. I ended up having to spacer out the rear caliper a bit, but otherwise I had zero issues getting things to line up.

I tried running a few cable housings just to get a feel for how I would route things. The cable routing is really well thought out on this bike. Everything going to the rear of the bike is full run housing. The front brake, obviously being a disc, is as well. Only the front derailleur is a bottom run, exposed cable set up. That may seem weird, but here is why that is actually brilliant. The break in the housing run from the shifter goes to a traditionally mounted road bike style cable stop with a barrel adjuster. This means no oddball in-line cable adjuster is necessary and the front derailleur can be easily adjusted on the fly. Those worried about mud fouling the cable have too much time to think about things. In all my years of riding, that style of cable run has never been the reason my front derailleur did not work. Your mileage may vary......

The finished product. (Well......almost finished!)

Friday I received a set of Whisky No. 9 Carbon 24F handle bars. In that package was also a No. 7 Carbon seat post. Friday evening I spent down in the Lab putting it all together. There were some old parts from my Raleigh Tamland Two. The Ultegra levers, front and rear derailleurs, and the aforementioned calipers for the brakes. I got a new SRAM 11-36T 11 speed cassette and I used a Shimano 11 speed chain, the new Ultegra one with the quick link. (Yay!) The stem was my Redshift Sports ShockStop stem in the 90mm length. The saddle is my Brooks Cambium from the old T-6 I sold.

Tires are an old set of WTB Riddler 45mm tires that barely went on. Those Irwin rims fit tires tightly! I won't be worrying about throwing off a tire if one goes flat, and burping a tire seems very unlikely. I used an old beat up set of Shimano SPD's and added three purple Velocity Bottle Traps. I got three pink ones, but the purple looked better to my eyes.

Then it was nearly time to ride after I set up my tires tubeless with "MG's Special Sauce", (a home brew recipe- you cannot buy it from the bike shop!), and that was successful due to one product. That would be Uncle Dick's Bead Slip. No issues with getting the tires straight and even using Uncle Dick's. Note- I'm not sure where you get this stuff anymore, but if I find out I'll let ya know.

Whiskey No. 7 Carbon post

The Whisky components look great on the bike. I like the "ghost" branding and the sheen of the black is cool. The only issue with that post is that it uses a thumb wheel up under the saddle as one of the securing fasteners. It is easier to use than some I've encountered, so at least there wasn't any swearing.

The handle bar is much the same as far as looks. The shape is very similar to a Cowchipper, but different...... It's hard to describe. The flare is 24° but the reach seems less and the drop seems less. Not by much either. And this bar features flat sections to accommodate cable runs and a little wider 31.8mm center clamp section that makes mounting accessories easier.

The bar was covered in the Marque handle bar tape salvaged from the T-6 when I sold it. Then I capped off the Whiskey Components bar's ends with pink bar end caps. It all is good with the pink frame and helps tie the look together since the parts look more like an ensemble instead of a hodge podge.

There she be!

The Ride:

The Black Mountain Cycles rig is fun to ride for sure. Smooth? Oh yeah! But that may be because of the ShockStop stem and the Whiskey No. 7 post. That post has a sweet ride to it. Plus the Whisky No. 9 24F carbon bar also has a bit of give at the extensions so that when you are in the drops it feels smoother yet. Add in 45mm Riddler tires and it gets smooth fast. But that said, the frame is pretty nice in this regard. While the disc factor caused the fork to be stiffer than my rim brake BMC, it still can be seen working over the rough stuff on gravel. It isn't the "immovable object" that many carbon fiber forks are.

I stuck the bars at a height that was neither the highest I could go, nor the lowest. I'm close, but I'll be swapping around stem spacers till I get it figured out. But otherwise the position I was able to get is spot on. Not too much seat post is extended, and I don't have to get a crazy different length stem. In fact, I may go a touch longer depending upon where I end up at with bar height.

Something struck me as I was riding it. That was that I was feeling similar feelings to something I'd ridden in the past. The steel frame of the MCD felt somehow familiar. Then it hit me. The Vaya! I used to love that bike for its crazy ability to give back what you put into it, eventually. Kind of like winding up a spring and then it recoils. Anyway, the MCD felt like that, like the Vaya used to.

So, is it the uber-Vaya? Maybe. It just reminds me of that old bike. Only the Black Mountain Cycles bike has more features. More tire clearance, through axles, livelier tubing choices, a better steel fork, and smarter details. So, it is a different beast altogether.

I'll be doing some tweaking in the near future beyond the stem position. I may be switching bar tape, tweaking out the saddle position, and stuff like that. I'll also be doing a switch on the wheels to try 650B X 47mm tires. That said,  yes- I am happy. I like it, and I don't think this one will be going anywhere unless I am riding it in the near future.

Don't ask what it weighs, because I won't tell you. That isn't the point of this bike, but if you have other questions, I'm happy to answer them.