Two Things

Image courtesy of Canyon Bikes

Full-Circle:

During the 2000's when I was a mechanic at a local bicycle shop I could see where the whole "Lance Effect" had turned road bikes into "road racing-inspired" bikes that were not comfortable, practical, or inexpensive. People believed "fast" meant the lightest bike with the skinniest, high pressure tires they could get. 

Laugh all you want, I remember these customers. Almost to a person they ended up having to compromise the vision they initially believed to be true and make more practical choices. Sometimes even getting a different bicycle, and in some cases, they just quit riding. Racing bikes in any guise were not the answer.

Fast-forward to 2026. Canyon Bikes introduces a third generation Grail, their gravel bike. Of course, it is all based on the latest racing tech and fads of the day. Online pundits are writing up reviews saying the bike isn't racy enough. 

What are we doing here? 

:Looking at the Grail, and other recently introduced "gravel bikes", I do not see a bicycle most folks would feel comfortable on. I see "racing influence". Which probably will not get more people to ride. It failed to produce any long-lasting results 20 years ago. I am betting it won't work in 2026 either. 

Image courtesy of Wolf Tooth

Wolf Tooth Hubs:

I saw one social media post from an online media source which went something like this:"It would be easier to list the things Wolf Tooth does not make". 

Hard to argue this point. 

You may have seen the company from Minnesota has hubs now. No big surprise there. But I was a bit disappointed to see the offering for road/gravel is a straight pull spoke design with only 24 spokes supported. 

As a wheel builder and a fan of the wheel in general, a straight pull design locks you down and limits you to only straight pull stock if you need a replacement spoke. Straight pull spokes are around, for sure, but many shops and online sources do not carry them. J-bend spokes are everywhere. Spoke blanks in J-Bend can be cut and threaded to size at many shops, but they do not always have straight pull spokes. 

But okay- maybe you do not break spokes (yet.....you will if you ride enough), but the 24 hole thing? Hmmm... Pretty limiting, I'd say. That spoke count would work for many folks, but I'd have preferred a 28 hole choice. 

On price Wolf Tooth is very good for a USA made hub. Onyx and Chris King are both over $500.00 for a rear hub while the Wolf Tooth is $489.95 USD. So, there is an advantage there, but I wouldn't buy the Wolf Tooth based upon price only. For my money though, the winner is White Industries CLD hub which is $467.00 USD for the rear and comes in five colors. Of course, it has J-bend spoke compatibility. 

It is nice to have another Made in the USA hub option, but this one is not for me. 

Friday News And Views

 White Industries Introduces Limited Desert Sage Color On Components:

On Tuesday of this week, White Industries released news concerning a limited run of Desert Sage components. This hue is a Cerakote finish, not an anodization, and a finish which White Industries claims is resistant to scratches, stains, and heavy usage. 

Available on select White Industries components for a limited time only. Once the stock is gone, this color will not be offered again.  

For details see White Industries website.  

Comments: An interesting choice for a limited run. I tried wrapping my head around this color, but I am torn as to what I'd do with a head set, crank set, or hubs in a color which, for me, is akin to dried cow droppings. Maybe if I had a dark matte red frame, or an egg plant colored frame. I guess maybe it would work on my pink BMC, or an orange frame. 

Anyway, it is a curious hue to offer, and a weird enough color that - on the right build - could be outstanding.  

Image courtesy of English Cycles

MADE Show This Weekend:

The handmade bicycle show is an idea which has always drawn plenty of attention. It used to be the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, but that show faded away. Now days the show which essentially is the same thing as the old NAHBS is called MADE and is held in Portland, Oregon every year. 

Thanks to the wonderful immediacy of the innergoogles, one doesn't have to attend the show, or wait very long for imagery to pop up concerning the show. NAHBS moved around the country and provided regional access to seeing these creations with your own eyes, but these days I guess this doesn't matter. 

Anyway, guess what everyone is saying the "big deal" will be for this year? You guessed it, I bet. Thirty-Two inch wheeled bicycles. 

I wouldn't be surprised if those bikes garner a lot of attention, but I'll bet other wheel sizes will be shown with equally as cool frames and forks. What the "trends" will be is anyone's guess. 

Notable: A recent Facebook post by NAHBS founder, Don Walker, indicates that 2027 will see the return of NAHBS as the NAHBS Reunion & Invitationsl. The date is set for August 6-8, 2027 at the Palmer Events Center in Austin, Texas. Stay tuned for more details in the future.  

Image courtesy of Mosaic Cycles

Mosaic Offers Production Spec 32"er:

Mosaic Cycles, a custom and boutique brand based in Boulder, Colrado, announced on Tuesday of this week that it now offers a "Batch Built" 32 inch wheeled drop bar bike. 

Dubbed the GT-1 i55 32", this model will be built from double-butted titanium and features completely internal routing. A 1X only design, this bike will clear 32" x 55mm tires. 

Using a T-47 bottom bracket and Mosaic's own 32" specific carbon fork, this model was conceived from the ground-up as a 32" wheeled bike. The wheel spec is 110F 148R, which seems to be the direction 32" bikes will take for the time being in terms of axle spacing.  

For more details see Mosaic's page for this bike HERE.  

Comments: I imagine this is not a moderately priced bicycle, but besides this, it seems to be the direction many custom builders are taking with what is being shaped as 32" wheeled "monster-gravel". The lack of narrower tires in this category kind of forces this trend, in my opinion. Not that anyone is upset about it, but one has to wonder if there were a few choices in 32" x 45mm tires if axle standards and geometry would be a bit different than what we are seeing.  

Image courtesy of Industry Nine

As Long As We Are Talking 32"ers....

Industry Nine took the covers off a new offering they have dubbed "Hush 32 Carbon". Obviously the "carbon" bit is the rims. Otherwise this is a classic I-9 wheel set with their patented alloy spokes and alloy hubs available in several anodized colors. 

The wheels are available now and run $2,199.00. USD. 

Comments: What is weird about this wheel set, to my way of thinking, is the low spoke count. Twenty-four spokes seems like a bit on the edge for lateral wheel stiffness in a 32" hoop. 

Industry Nine makes a nice riding wheel though. I've tested several sets and I own a really old set of I-9's. The alloy spokes may seem weird but they work. So, I'd have a fair amount of confidence in these it's just that the 24 spoke count gives me pause. 

Interesting to see these debut now. I would not be at all surprised to see these wheels featured on something at the MADE Show this weekend.  

Keepin' The Wheel Theme Rollin'....

This week also saw the release ofthe 700c based  BERD Sparrow carbon wheels. These wheels use the fiber spokes by BERD and are laced to your choice of hubs listed on the Sparrow webpage. 

Using BERD's own Talon hubs, a ring drive/ratchet  style hub, the BERD spokes, and the new 50mm deep/30mm wide/25mm internal width carbon rims, you can realize a very light overall wheel weight. With tape and tubeless valves installed BERD claims the Sparrow wheel set weighs 1,068 grams. 

These wheels are pretty reasonably priced at $2.195.00 USD. 

Apparently BERD is also offering this model in a 32" size.  

Comments: N.Y. Roll actually saw a set of these being raced this past weekend at CORE4. The wheels also have been claimed to be good for rider comfort, and last weekend's event probably put that claim to the test. 

I can vouch for the way BERD spokes reduce vibrations, though. I have a set of wheels from 2020 which have I-9 hubs, BERD spokes, and Atomik carbon rims. There is something to the vibration reduction claims. 

Image courtesy of SILCA

 SILCA Offers Gravel Tire Range:

 SILCA announced on Thursday it now has tires for sale. A range dubbed "Protocol" contains one road tire model and three gravel tires. 

These tires all use premium materials, some in new ways, to provide claims of low weight, puncture resistance, and low rolling resistance. 

Offered in black wall only with 45mm, 50mm, and 55mm widths in a range which is defined by a numerical rating. The Protocol RG-1, (shown here) is the all-out race tire with minimalist tread. There is no RG-2 (curiously), so the next one in the range is RG-3 which is meant for all around-conditions gravel. The RG-4 is a deeper tread pattern meant for wet/mud or rougher terrains. 

There is even a 32" offering in the RG-3 HERE.  

All Protocol tires are selling now on SILCA's site and cost $99.00 each.  

You can see the entire range on this page.  Check out the very informative explainer video HERE. 

Comments: That explainer video is well worth your time. I guarantee you will learn something about tires from it. Josh, (SILCA head honcho) says they use a carbon fiber bead, and says they are making this tire the way they do "..because no one else is doing it." While this seems to be his messaging, I disagree with it. Maxxis has used a carbon fiber bead in some of its road and gravel tires for several years. So, this seems to be a bit of marketing-speak from SILCA on this point. 

But the other data and evidence Josh speaks about in the video seems compelling. Well.....maybe not a hundred bucks a tire compelling, but I am not racing, so I am not the core audience for these tires. Racing is expensive, and these tires prove it. 

I do like the "pseudo-radial" technology and the carbon fiber bead makes a ton of sense. Maybe some more moderately priced tires will eventually pick up on some of this new tech and become available in the near future. 

Winner, Winner....

No, your eyes do not deceive you. That is N.Y. Roll on the podium at CORE4 which occurred just this past weekend. 

Despite the rains all last week, despite the course changes, and despite the chance the event conditions would be poor, N.Y. Roll showed up and finished the course. Because he did all of that, and was the only one in his category to do so, he won. 

This kind of goes back to what I used to say about all the gravel riders in the earlier days of gravel riding. They showed up? They won. If they tried and couldn't finish? They won. If they finished, but were at the front, middle, or the back? They won. 

Anyway.... Check out N.Y. Roll's conversation with me concerning his day and a whole bunch of other stuff HERE on the latest episode of The Guitar Ted Podcast. 

And that wraps up another week here at Guitar Ted Productions! Thanks for reading. Now get out there and ride your bicycle!

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Ritchey Design

 Ritchey Design Offers New Superlogic Carbon Handlebars:

Ritchey Design specializes in components along with frames and forks for bicycles. I am of the opinion that one of their most underrated ranges is their handlebar range. 

This week Ritchey sent out a press release concerning a new range of Superlogic Mountain Bars in carbon. 

The three handlebar range is aimed at cross country and trail riding, but these could just as easily be used on gravel bikes utilizing flat bars, or on bike packing rigs. The bars have zero, 20mm, or 40mm of rise. The flat bar has 7° of back sweep while the two with rise go one more degree to 8°.  

Width on all three is 760mm with cut-down marks for those wanting a narrower bar. Weight for the Superlogic Mountain Bars is as follows: Flat- 155gm, 20mm rise-  170gm, 40mm- 175gm. All three feature 5° of upsweep and all three feature the 31.8mm clamp diameter for interfacing with stems.  

Prices are as follows: Flat -  $239.95 / €199.90 (inc. VAT) / £173.90 (inc. VAT) 20mm rise- $251.95 / €209.90 (inc. VAT) / £182.90 (inc. VAT) 40mm rise- $263.95 / €219.90 (inc. VAT) / £191.90 (inc. VAT)

See Ritchey Design's website for more details. These bars are available now.  

Image courtesy of White Industries

White Industries Seat Post Collars Offered In Colors:

White Industries, who are known mostly for their hub sets, are now offering seat post collars in a variety of anodized finishes. 

The collars come in a variety of sizes to fit most frames which require a separate seat post clamp. 

White Industries makes these in California to exacting standards which results in a seat post collar that fits well, clamps evenly, and will work with repeated use over a long period of time. 

Priced at a reasonable $54.99USD, these collars and the rest of White Industries products can be seen HERE. 

Image courtesy of Canyon Bicycles

Canyon Offers Grzl Gravel Adventure Bike In Aluminum:

Earlier this year I was thinking about aloy gravel frames and possibly getting one in. The trouble was that an alloy frame was either oddball geometry, but reasonably affordable, or it was a great design, but as expensive as some carbon frames. 

There did not seem to be any alternatives. Now Canyon has an aluminum version of its GRZL adventure/gravel bike available. Just not as a frame/fork only! 

The GRZL AL does tick almost every box though, as I see it. The geometry is good, with the exception of weird sizing. According to what I am seeing on Canyon's site, I would best fit a Medium, which never happens. Usually I am on a size large. 

Otherwise this bike has 54mm tire clearance, a T-47 bottom bracket, and everything is internally routed, of course. Thare are plenty of accessory mounts, as one would expect on a bike billed as an adventure bike. So, it would probably have everything I'd want in a modern day gravel/adventure bike in alloy, but I do not wish to buy a complete bike. So, while a sub-2K complete bike is very reasonable, I'm just not interested in parting out a SRAM drive train.  

Niner Bikes One-9 frame from 2005

Niner Bikes Reportedly Shutting Down Operations:

The original 29"er only bicycle company, Niner Bikes, has reportedly shut its doors according to "several reports". 

On Monday evening I saw a post on Facebook of a screen shot with a message saying Niner Bikes had closed its shop and operations while placing all employees on layoff. On Tuesday  major online sources were also reporting the same story, so it would appear that Nine Bikes is - at least for now - no more. 

Company officials at United Wheels are saying Niner as a brand is "paused" for now.  

The company hit the market in 2005 as a relatively unknown entity which sponsored the 29" page on mtbr.com, which raised some eyebrows at the time. The two co-founders of Niner Bikes, Steve Domahidy and Chris Sugai, were industry vets who decided 29" wheels were the future, with Sugai famously saying 29"ers would become the dominant wheel size in mountain biking. 

The company lost Domahidy who left and started his own Viral Bikes brand. Sugai eventually left the company as well and now is working for Gates, the belt company. Niner carried on, however, but then ran into financial issues causing the company to go into bankruptcy in 2017. The company was then purchased by United Wheels, also owner of Huffy Bicycles, for 3.1 million dollars. 

Then in late 2023 United Wheels consolidated Niner with Huffy and moved Niner Bikes headquarters to Ohio from Colorado. In 2024 Niner established a presence in Colorado again. However; with little innovation of their legacy MTB products, Niner was reliant on sales in the competitive gravel bike segment. Although new redesigns and upgrades began to appear in Ninre's line up late in 2025, it seems this was too little, too late.  

 Steve Domahidy commented on a story concerning this subject by "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" on Facebook by saying "Very sad news today. I poured 8 years of my full and total commitment to making this business what it was and saddened to see what it's (sic) has become,"

From Facebook on Twin Six's feed

The 32" Watch: Twin Six To Offer A 32"er:

Early this past week I was sent a sneak peek of a titanium 32"er from Twin Six. The image came from one of the co-owners of the brand I have known for years. He didn't say I could post the image,  so I didn't. Now I have seen the bike on Twin Six's Facebook page, so I am sharing their image here. 

All I know is the bike is designed for drops or flat bars. I was told it was "coming soon". The person I was contacted by said drop bars are going on it this week.  

N.Y. Roll says he's getting this. He already has a T-6 FSU bike he really likes. I know my friend Ari in Chicago is interested as well. Me? Well.......titanium is not cheap. Big hoops and tires would have to procured. I am spending money like I have it to go on this Nebraska trip. So.....I don't see it now, but never say never. 

Image courtesy of Twin Six

It's obvious the niche brands in cycling are scrambling to get behind this wheel size before any mid-tier or one of the "Big Four" brands gets a 32"er out. Selling your titanium 32"er will be a lot easier now than it will be when some entrenched brand comes around with a sub-2K 32"er. 

And it would appear the majority of sales are going to be flat bar/MTB style and not too many drop bar options will seemingly be on the table early on. There is a rumbling concerning Surly coming out with a 32"er, but all I'm hearing is that it will be based upon the Krampus or Karate Monkey design. 

So, I am all about trying one of these beasts on gravel around here, but a MTB? Yeah...... I don't see it for myself. I'd rather see  adrop bar garvel leaning bike which would definitely make me more interested. 

Everyone I've gotten feedback from who has actually ridden one of these 32"ers has positive things to say. It sounds all good, but I don't know right now if I'm in on this wheel size. 

Again, never say never, never say always. Maybe...... Stay tuned. 

That'll do it for this week. Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Have a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend if you are reading this in the USA. Get out and ride those bicycles! 

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Surly Bikes

 Surly Sorceress Trail Bike Debuts:

On Tuesday of this week Surly Bikes dropped a new model into their line called the Sorceress. It is a long. low, slack  steel hardtail 29'er (27.5"er in XS) with the capability to be set up geared or single speed.  

Surly worked with SRAM to develop a new rear drop out which can be set up geared using the SRAM UDH hangar or a chip can be subsituted which allows for a single speed set up. Surly calls this new dropout the "DUH". (Yes, seriously they call it this)  

The geometry is slack with a 65° head tube angle using the suggested 140mm travel fork. The seat tube is minimized for maximum length dropper post use. Chain stay length is 429mm and the bike comes in complete form with Teravail 2.5" Kessel rubber. 

The bike comes in three complete specs and as a frame ($999.00) in Elderberry Tonic or Hot Honey Bling. The single speed is priced at $2,199.00, the Deore 12 speed model is $2,499.00, and the range topping SRAM Eagle 90 is $3,199.00. 

Sorceress drop outs (Image courtesy of Surly Bikes)

Comments: Let's see...... I think it was late 2012 when I reviewed that Diamondback Mason hardtail 29"er. It was about the same bike as this Surly model. So.....nothing new here. 

Yeah, its got that drop out the online sites are all ga-ga over. What is this? Like the 39th variation of a rear drop out Surly has designed over the past 20 years? I don't know......it's all right, I guess. Nothing mind-blowing. 

I'm not sure why Surly decided to make this bike now. Are dealers clamoring for something to sell like this? Are Surly "Humanoids| messaging Surly asking for this? Maybe they are. It just seems like a weird bike for Surly to sell because it hasn't got that "make it your own" thing nor does it really do anything oddball like one used to expect from Surly. Yes....it can be set up and purchased as a single speed. At least they got that part right. 

Image courtesy of Bianchi

Bianchi Releases Limited Edition Infinito Celebrating Paris-Roubaix:

 Paris-Roubaix is this weekend. It might be the most romanticized cycling event in world history. More so than any other "monument" of cycling and perhaps more so than the Tour de France as well. In my opinion, Paris-Roubaix has been more influential in regard to cycling competitions than any other cycling event ever. Just look at gravel events which borrow from either its name, its vibe, or both. 

In light of this, it should come as no surprise then to see a company like Bianchi release a very expensive, very limited edition bicycle to celebrate Paris-Roubaix. 

 The Infinito model was chosen to feature a special paint job with details such as cobbles and a commemorative logo on the seat tube. Only 55 Infinito bikes will feature this livery which points to the 55 kilometers of cobbles in the 2026 edition of Paris-Roubaix. 

See this and all Bianchi's bicycles at www.bianchi.com 

Shimano PD-GR400 flats (Image courtesy of Shimano)

Another Flat Pedal Choice:

I may be a bit behind on discovering these Shimano flat pedals, but the PD-GR400 from Shimano is right up my alley. 

The resin-composite body has nine replaceable grip pins per side and the entire pedal weighs a claimed 394 grams. At a cost of $79.99 direct from Shimano, these pedals seem like a pretty good value. 

I like that they come in different colors as well. Six colors to be exact. I'm showing purple because it is the best color ever, and there is no debate. (Ha!) 

I also like resin composite pedals in the colder times when a metal pedal acts like a heat sink and draws heat out of your foot/shoe combo. Not good! Resin is far less adept at transferring heat, which helps keep those tootsies warm in Winter. 

Anyway, these are not the only choice, but they are another choice I think is worth checking out. Personally I have been a big fan of Fyxation Mesa MP's and I have several sets of them running on different bikes. It looks like Fyxation is on the down and outs though, so I may have to use these Shimano pedals in the future. 

Image courtesy of White Industries

White Industries, Brunk Industries, and Moots Team Up for Titanium Cranks:

An unlikely trio of businesses have teamed up to help produce a made in USA titanium crank set. Brunk Industries does the stamping and forming of the titanium arms. White Industries does the precision machining of the arms and spindles. Moots does the welding of the arms and pedal inserts. 

The cranks will be sold through both White Industries and Moots in several lengths from 165mm, 170mm, and 175mm. Different spindle lengths accommodate MTB, Road, and Gravel drive trains. The cranks us 8 bolt SRAM chain ring mounting standard. Spindles can also be DUB standard or 30mm. Some slight detail differences exist between the Moots and White Industries offerings, mostly in the aesthetic realm. Both brands are selling this crank set for $1350.00 USD.  

Image courtesy of Ergon

Ergon Expands GDH Grip Line Sizing:

Ergon has had the GDH grip in the range for some time now but there was only one diameter/size available. Now there will be three sizes and some new colors as well. 

The news sizes vary 2mm smaller and2mm larger than the original GDH, so if you are a fan of the OG grip, no worries. It is now called Medium sized. 

The grips will all have the "GravityControl" grip compound, progressive damping, and anatomic finger boxes. 

Check out these grips on Ergon\s product page: ergonbike.com/en/lp/gdh-color and US riders can : buy them here. 

Grinduro Returns To PA:

Lockhaven, PA, July 18th, 2026 is the date and place for Grinduro Pennsylvania. Registration is open now. 

Grinduro is timed segment event. This means there are segments where you will be in competition, but there are also segments where you can just cruise and enjoy the ride. 

The event will be going through Sproul State Forest and will feature stunning views, top-notch aid stations, and live entertainment. The event will also feature the following:

• Four timed race segments with plenty of adventure in between
• Festive aid stations with proper fueling and the treats that will lift you spirits
• A lively post-ride celebration and “hootenanny”
• On-site camping available Friday and Saturday
• Possible “Hellbender” salamander sightings all weekend

Proceeds from Grinduro PA will benefit the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Cycling League #morekidsonbikes 

That's a wrap on this week. Stay in the saddle and ride!  
 

Wednesday News And Views

 NOTE: There has been a lot of news percolating up since last week's "FN&V" post which I didn't want to hold over a week for this Friday. So, you get a rare "Wednesday News and Views"! I hope that you all enjoy it!

Did this KHS catalog entry reveal the new mechanical 105 group?

Possible Shimano Mech 12spd 105 Leak:

Last week several cycling websites were speculating over an image and spec sheet first revealed on "Bicycling" which showed a KHS road bike with what would appear as a 12 speed mechanical 105 group. 

Sleuths pointed to the brake/shift levers as evidence here and that the spec list shows a heretofore unknown Shimano part number for them. Many of the other 12 speed parts like the chain and cassette could be crossovers from other Shimano 12 speed groups currently in production. 

Comments: That Shimano would do this makes sense with current offerings and historically, as Shimano often "trickles down" range topping tech features to lower tiered group sets over time. So, as far as the existence of this, I find it completely plausible and probable. 

But the unsaid things here bear thinking about. If true, the 12 speed 105 mechanical group set completes the demise of 11 speed road based componentry from Shimano's range unless there is also a new Tiagra or equivalent new level road group in the wings. Could it be that Tiagra and Sora will be 11 and 10 speed groups? This would also make sense, and it would spell the complete demise of 9 speed from the Shimano performance range. 

It also bears watching in terms of a new GRX which also could be a 12 speed group. If GRX doesn't go to 12, then that would remain as Shimano's lone 11 speed offerings that could be purposed to the road side. 

Also, keep in mind this Shimano news (found at the bottom of that FN&V post) which could also be a part of all of this. 

Note; Image of the KHS bike is assumed to have been the one found on the KHS website that has since been redacted. 

Snip from Amprio's homepage.

SRAM Purchases German eBike Motor Company:

Also last week, it was reported that SRAM has taken ownership of a German based eBike motor company called Amprio. 

SRAM has been working on an eBike motor design as seen by this report filed last Summer in "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News". While the motor shown in that report does not appear to be similar to that image I have shown from Amprio's webpage, that really doesn't mean anything. 

Comments: Shimano has a multi-year leg up on SRAM when it comes to motorized bicycle parts and engines. It only makes sense that SRAM would push into this segment of component design and manufacture and especially so with the booming eBike/HPC market world-wide. SRAM, although off the back in terms of an offering in this segment, has the advantage of having a complete drive train/brake/wheel offering already in the range ready to go here. Other automobile and independent companies in this market cannot say that. In fact, it is rumored that when this motor is released by SRAM it will come complete with an electronically shifted and controlled group that will all run off the single battery for the motor, thus cutting down on batteries needed to run an electronic based bicycle, (moped, motorcycle.... You decide.)

Alec White of White Industries (Image courtesy of White industries)

White Industries Takes Over Rolf Prima/Astral:

White Industries, makers of US manufactured hubs, cranks, head sets and more, announced last Friday that the company had taken ownership of Rolf Prima/Astral, the wheel maker based in Oregon. 

The companies will remain as separate entities for the time being with Rolf Prima/Astral owner Brian Roddy moving on to "other ventures" for the future. 

Comments: I like White Industries hubs a lot, and I have a set of their cranks on one of my bicycles which work great as well. I've used their hubs on wheel builds and I own a set which are on my OS Bikes Blackbuck currently. I have always been pretty impressed with their goods. 

Rolf Prima has been making wheels for quite some time. Their "Paired Spoke" technology was pretty well regarded, (Bontrager's take on the design? Not so much), and Rolf Prima continues to make well regarded wheel sets. With the addition on Astral a few years ago, traditional wheel sets in aluminum were also made available. Now with White Industries, who were already making the hubs for Rolf's premium wheels, they will have a nice synergy and offerings for the future.

 That's a wrap on this Randomonium

Wednesday News And Views

 NOTE: There has been a lot of news percolating up since last week's "FN&V" post which I didn't want to hold over a week for this Friday. So, you get a rare "Wednesday News and Views"! I hope that you all enjoy it!

Did this KHS catalog entry reveal the new mechanical 105 group?

Possible Shimano Mech 12spd 105 Leak:

Last week several cycling websites were speculating over an image and spec sheet first revealed on "Bicycling" which showed a KHS road bike with what would appear as a 12 speed mechanical 105 group. 

Sleuths pointed to the brake/shift levers as evidence here and that the spec list shows a heretofore unknown Shimano part number for them. Many of the other 12 speed parts like the chain and cassette could be crossovers from other Shimano 12 speed groups currently in production. 

Comments: That Shimano would do this makes sense with current offerings and historically, as Shimano often "trickles down" range topping tech features to lower tiered group sets over time. So, as far as the existence of this, I find it completely plausible and probable. 

But the unsaid things here bear thinking about. If true, the 12 speed 105 mechanical group set completes the demise of 11 speed road based componentry from Shimano's range unless there is also a new Tiagra or equivalent new level road group in the wings. Could it be that Tiagra and Sora will be 11 and 10 speed groups? This would also make sense, and it would spell the complete demise of 9 speed from the Shimano performance range. 

It also bears watching in terms of a new GRX which also could be a 12 speed group. If GRX doesn't go to 12, then that would remain as Shimano's lone 11 speed offerings that could be purposed to the road side. 

Also, keep in mind this Shimano news (found at the bottom of that FN&V post) which could also be a part of all of this. 

Note; Image of the KHS bike is assumed to have been the one found on the KHS website that has since been redacted. 

Snip from Amprio's homepage.

SRAM Purchases German eBike Motor Company:

Also last week, it was reported that SRAM has taken ownership of a German based eBike motor company called Amprio. 

SRAM has been working on an eBike motor design as seen by this report filed last Summer in "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News". While the motor shown in that report does not appear to be similar to that image I have shown from Amprio's webpage, that really doesn't mean anything. 

Comments: Shimano has a multi-year leg up on SRAM when it comes to motorized bicycle parts and engines. It only makes sense that SRAM would push into this segment of component design and manufacture and especially so with the booming eBike/HPC market world-wide. SRAM, although off the back in terms of an offering in this segment, has the advantage of having a complete drive train/brake/wheel offering already in the range ready to go here. Other automobile and independent companies in this market cannot say that. In fact, it is rumored that when this motor is released by SRAM it will come complete with an electronically shifted and controlled group that will all run off the single battery for the motor, thus cutting down on batteries needed to run an electronic based bicycle, (moped, motorcycle.... You decide.)

Alec White of White Industries (Image courtesy of White industries)

White Industries Takes Over Rolf Prima/Astral:

White Industries, makers of US manufactured hubs, cranks, head sets and more, announced last Friday that the company had taken ownership of Rolf Prima/Astral, the wheel maker based in Oregon. 

The companies will remain as separate entities for the time being with Rolf Prima/Astral owner Brian Roddy moving on to "other ventures" for the future. 

Comments: I like White Industries hubs a lot, and I have a set of their cranks on one of my bicycles which work great as well. I've used their hubs on wheel builds and I own a set which are on my OS Bikes Blackbuck currently. I have always been pretty impressed with their goods. 

Rolf Prima has been making wheels for quite some time. Their "Paired Spoke" technology was pretty well regarded, (Bontrager's take on the design? Not so much), and Rolf Prima continues to make well regarded wheel sets. With the addition on Astral a few years ago, traditional wheel sets in aluminum were also made available. Now with White Industries, who were already making the hubs for Rolf's premium wheels, they will have a nice synergy and offerings for the future.

 That's a wrap on this Randomonium

Twin Six Standard Rando v2: One Year Review

The current state of the Twin Six Standard Rando v2.

 Today marks the one year anniversary of the first running of my Twin Six Standard Rando v2 bike. So, I thought I would give a long view of owning this bike and what I think of it now. Along the way I will call out a few specific things- both good and bad- about the bike and the components I've used on it so far. 

This bike was originally intended to be a geared bike but it turned into a single speed pretty quickly once the pandemic hit and parts were scarce. Now, I could have gone geared by now, but I probably will not, and that has something to do with the frame on this bike.

The Standard Rando v2, like its predecessor, is made from CrMo steel and it does not have the lightest drawn and butted tubes in the world. Not even close! So a geared version of this bike gets a bit portly in terms of weight unless you throw your credit card at it and festoon the thing with every carbon bit you can. Which, I suppose, is pretty much exactly what I did! So, the point is, this bike has mass and it gets heavy quickly with average parts builds. I did not want that. Single speed kind of takes care of that to a degree. 

Secondly, that very fact of how much mass there is in this frame (No, I did not weigh it, so do not ask!) is actually a good thing in terms of single speed activities. It tends to not twist up and get flexy where that would be a bad thing on a single speed. For instance, no matter how much I have torqued on this frame, (mashing- if you will), I have never gotten the chain to pop off a cog tooth. I have done that on almost all my other single speed bikes. You may not quite know what I mean here, but if you are a single speed person, you know what I know......

From a year ago today and the first ride of the Standard Rando v2.

The other bit, the Wheels Manufacturing Eccentric PF30 insert, has been perfect as well. I have had zero creaks from it, and it has never slipped. Not once. As far as a single speed function goes, this one bike here is pretty much one of the best I have ever had. I did have to tighten the modular drop outs once, but otherwise? Maintenance free riding here. 

The ride is everything I expected. The low bottom bracket (75mm drop) keeps this bike planted and stable on rough gravel, fast descents, and in corners. The bike, for as stiff as it is for single speed, is uncannily comfortable. It feels like it has a longer seat post than it does. The front end is actually stiffer feeling, to me, than the back end is. I feel like the front/center maybe is a tad shorter than I'd like it to be, but that is not a big deal. 

Components were mostly what I had around at the time. I am using a Force crank set with a 1X SRAM ring. Not ideal, but it works. I've used a couple of wheel sets on this bike but the main ones have been the Irwin Cycling Carbon Aon 35 wheels. I have a 650B set and a 700c set all set up for this bike. After riding both sizes of wheels on this bike, I have come to prefer the 700c set, but there are times when that 650B set are nice too. 

The future may hold some changes for the "Gravel Buss". I would like to switch out the crank set to a White Industries one. I'd like to get a single speed specific disc, through-axle hub, so I don't have to tie up a good cassette compatible wheel set. Then I'd be set, but for one more thing.....the handlebar set up. 

The carbon Winston mustache bar may be coming off soon.

I'm almost ready to give up on the Winston Bar. I have fiddled around with it a LOT and I just cannot get 100% satisfied with it, and if I am thinking about that on almost every ride I am thinking about it too much to keep it on there. 

There are times I am in love with the bar, but there are times I really would just rather have some flared drop bars. So, I have a set of Whiskey carbon drop bars sitting idle at this point and they could just be swapped right in on this bike easily. 

Anyway, that really has nothing to do with the Standard Rando v2 in a basic way, but it affects how I feel about riding it some days, and that isn't good. So, I am probably going back to drop bars again and not looking back. Otherwise, this is a perfect bike for gravel single speed use. The extra bottle cage mounts really upped the range of use in that way for me, and having fork mounted cages is a nice thing.

About that fork..... The cage mounts are not symmetrical from one side to another. Now, I don't mind, but I find that really odd. I wonder sometimes if other Standard Rando carbon forks are that way. I would imagine it would drive some folks who are a bit more on the "OCD" side of the scale nutso. I just laugh about it. As long as they work? I'm fine. But it bears mentioning as that seems to me to be a bit of an oversight on a bike from a company with lazer sharp attention to detail. 

Okay, I guess that about wraps up my take on owning this bike for a year. It's a 'keeper', and I wouldn't be thinking of the upgrades I am thinking about if it weren't. I have plans for adventures that include this bike, so there ya go.... An endorsement of sorts. And by the way, I paid for this bike, and I was not paid, nor bribed to give this review. So there!

Twin Six Standard Rando v2: One Year Review

The current state of the Twin Six Standard Rando v2.

 Today marks the one year anniversary of the first running of my Twin Six Standard Rando v2 bike. So, I thought I would give a long view of owning this bike and what I think of it now. Along the way I will call out a few specific things- both good and bad- about the bike and the components I've used on it so far. 

This bike was originally intended to be a geared bike but it turned into a single speed pretty quickly once the pandemic hit and parts were scarce. Now, I could have gone geared by now, but I probably will not, and that has something to do with the frame on this bike.

The Standard Rando v2, like its predecessor, is made from CrMo steel and it does not have the lightest drawn and butted tubes in the world. Not even close! So a geared version of this bike gets a bit portly in terms of weight unless you throw your credit card at it and festoon the thing with every carbon bit you can. Which, I suppose, is pretty much exactly what I did! So, the point is, this bike has mass and it gets heavy quickly with average parts builds. I did not want that. Single speed kind of takes care of that to a degree. 

Secondly, that very fact of how much mass there is in this frame (No, I did not weigh it, so do not ask!) is actually a good thing in terms of single speed activities. It tends to not twist up and get flexy where that would be a bad thing on a single speed. For instance, no matter how much I have torqued on this frame, (mashing- if you will), I have never gotten the chain to pop off a cog tooth. I have done that on almost all my other single speed bikes. You may not quite know what I mean here, but if you are a single speed person, you know what I know......

From a year ago today and the first ride of the Standard Rando v2.

The other bit, the Wheels Manufacturing Eccentric PF30 insert, has been perfect as well. I have had zero creaks from it, and it has never slipped. Not once. As far as a single speed function goes, this one bike here is pretty much one of the best I have ever had. I did have to tighten the modular drop outs once, but otherwise? Maintenance free riding here. 

The ride is everything I expected. The low bottom bracket (75mm drop) keeps this bike planted and stable on rough gravel, fast descents, and in corners. The bike, for as stiff as it is for single speed, is uncannily comfortable. It feels like it has a longer seat post than it does. The front end is actually stiffer feeling, to me, than the back end is. I feel like the front/center maybe is a tad shorter than I'd like it to be, but that is not a big deal. 

Components were mostly what I had around at the time. I am using a Force crank set with a 1X SRAM ring. Not ideal, but it works. I've used a couple of wheel sets on this bike but the main ones have been the Irwin Cycling Carbon Aon 35 wheels. I have a 650B set and a 700c set all set up for this bike. After riding both sizes of wheels on this bike, I have come to prefer the 700c set, but there are times when that 650B set are nice too. 

The future may hold some changes for the "Gravel Buss". I would like to switch out the crank set to a White Industries one. I'd like to get a single speed specific disc, through-axle hub, so I don't have to tie up a good cassette compatible wheel set. Then I'd be set, but for one more thing.....the handlebar set up. 

The carbon Winston mustache bar may be coming off soon.

I'm almost ready to give up on the Winston Bar. I have fiddled around with it a LOT and I just cannot get 100% satisfied with it, and if I am thinking about that on almost every ride I am thinking about it too much to keep it on there. 

There are times I am in love with the bar, but there are times I really would just rather have some flared drop bars. So, I have a set of Whiskey carbon drop bars sitting idle at this point and they could just be swapped right in on this bike easily. 

Anyway, that really has nothing to do with the Standard Rando v2 in a basic way, but it affects how I feel about riding it some days, and that isn't good. So, I am probably going back to drop bars again and not looking back. Otherwise, this is a perfect bike for gravel single speed use. The extra bottle cage mounts really upped the range of use in that way for me, and having fork mounted cages is a nice thing.

About that fork..... The cage mounts are not symmetrical from one side to another. Now, I don't mind, but I find that really odd. I wonder sometimes if other Standard Rando carbon forks are that way. I would imagine it would drive some folks who are a bit more on the "OCD" side of the scale nutso. I just laugh about it. As long as they work? I'm fine. But it bears mentioning as that seems to me to be a bit of an oversight on a bike from a company with lazer sharp attention to detail. 

Okay, I guess that about wraps up my take on owning this bike for a year. It's a 'keeper', and I wouldn't be thinking of the upgrades I am thinking about if it weren't. I have plans for adventures that include this bike, so there ya go.... An endorsement of sorts. And by the way, I paid for this bike, and I was not paid, nor bribed to give this review. So there!

Spiffing Up The Blackbuck

Current state of the Blackbuck

Yawn........ another single speed on Guitar Ted Productions? Really?

Yes.

Long time readers all have seen this rare bird several times before. This is a 2006 OS Bikes Blackbuck, in case you did not know. I guess this is almost a "vintage" 29"er" now days! It's old enough a lot of people have probably never heard about "OS Bikes" and this single speed.

OS Bikes was a short-lived outside project of Mark Slate's. Mark is one of the founders of WTB, a Mountain Bike Hall of Fame member, and one of the true 'pioneers' of the modern mountain bike, and certainly a big part of why the first 29"er tire ever was made. So, to say that Mr. Slate was a highly influential man in cycling is no hyperbole. In fact, he still is pretty important at WTB, and still has a hand on what riders are doing with their MTB's and gravel bikes in the year 2020, more than 40+ years since he got started.

Mark's biggest influence was on tires and saddles, (he designed the saddle on this bike you see here) He was not particularly known for his design of bicycles, but this is one of his efforts. This particular Blackbuck comes from the first run of 500 bikes that were made. I purchased it as a frame/fork. The original rigid fork was super short, had a 51mm offset, and resulted in a ridiculous 74° head angle with a trail figure down into the upper 40's, as I recall. This resulted in a textbook example of "Twitchiness".

I tried it a couple of times but it was so nervous that I just didn't jive with it. So, I have tried a multitude of forks on this bike and finally arrived at what you see here as being the best thing I tried out of them all. That fork is a Bontrager Switchblade, a fork steeped in mystery and rumors. I'll maybe get around to writing about that fork and its history with me later sometime.

Ultra-modern bar standards- Ultra-old school 29"er vibes.

The OS Bikes name actually stands for "Of Spirit Bikes", and why a Blackbuck, well, I'm not sure. I'm betting there is a story there, I just am not sure I know what it is. Anyway, the point is that I really like the bike and my aim is to slowly bring this up to a coherent looking build versus the hodge-podge of anodized stuff I've hung off the bike in years past.

My first "spiff" was to jettison the tired Salsa Shaft seat post in favor of a Thompson lay back, which is what the build deserves from a class and era-correct viewpoint. The next spiff happened when Grannygear gifted me his White ENO front and rear hubs and the excellent White Industries freewheel. I paired all of that up with the aforementioned fork, which also features silver anodized bits, and the look is coming together well. Finally, I threw on a Bontrager 35mm bar clamp diameter stem with matching Bontrager handle bar.

I need to score some Paul Love Levers in silver, a silver 1 1/8th King head set, (or equivalent), and a silver seat collar. Finally, I have a first gen (silver, natch!) XTR 180mm crankset, courtesy of the same Grannygear, which will be paired with either a black ring or silver ring. OR- I will get a White Industries crankset in silver.

Maybe I should go all White Industries/Paul Components. Get the White Industries head set, crank set, and the Paul levers and brake calipers. Ditch the Thomson post for a Paul Components Tall and Handsome, maybe... Except those parts are priced beyond what the Gross National Product of several nations is. Yeah.......maybe not!

The point is, with some silver bottle cages, I would be all silver and black then, and the bike would finally look 'right', ya know? OR- I could just shut up and actually, ya know.......go ride some single track with it already! 

 Yeah. Going riding then........

Spiffing Up The Blackbuck

Current state of the Blackbuck

Yawn........ another single speed on Guitar Ted Productions? Really?

Yes.

Long time readers all have seen this rare bird several times before. This is a 2006 OS Bikes Blackbuck, in case you did not know. I guess this is almost a "vintage" 29"er" now days! It's old enough a lot of people have probably never heard about "OS Bikes" and this single speed.

OS Bikes was a short-lived outside project of Mark Slate's. Mark is one of the founders of WTB, a Mountain Bike Hall of Fame member, and one of the true 'pioneers' of the modern mountain bike, and certainly a big part of why the first 29"er tire ever was made. So, to say that Mr. Slate was a highly influential man in cycling is no hyperbole. In fact, he still is pretty important at WTB, and still has a hand on what riders are doing with their MTB's and gravel bikes in the year 2020, more than 40+ years since he got started.

Mark's biggest influence was on tires and saddles, (he designed the saddle on this bike you see here) He was not particularly known for his design of bicycles, but this is one of his efforts. This particular Blackbuck comes from the first run of 500 bikes that were made. I purchased it as a frame/fork. The original rigid fork was super short, had a 51mm offset, and resulted in a ridiculous 74° head angle with a trail figure down into the upper 40's, as I recall. This resulted in a textbook example of "Twitchiness".

I tried it a couple of times but it was so nervous that I just didn't jive with it. So, I have tried a multitude of forks on this bike and finally arrived at what you see here as being the best thing I tried out of them all. That fork is a Bontrager Switchblade, a fork steeped in mystery and rumors. I'll maybe get around to writing about that fork and its history with me later sometime.

Ultra-modern bar standards- Ultra-old school 29"er vibes.

The OS Bikes name actually stands for "Of Spirit Bikes", and why a Blackbuck, well, I'm not sure. I'm betting there is a story there, I just am not sure I know what it is. Anyway, the point is that I really like the bike and my aim is to slowly bring this up to a coherent looking build versus the hodge-podge of anodized stuff I've hung off the bike in years past.

My first "spiff" was to jettison the tired Salsa Shaft seat post in favor of a Thompson lay back, which is what the build deserves from a class and era-correct viewpoint. The next spiff happened when Grannygear gifted me his White ENO front and rear hubs and the excellent White Industries freewheel. I paired all of that up with the aforementioned fork, which also features silver anodized bits, and the look is coming together well. Finally, I threw on a Bontrager 35mm bar clamp diameter stem with matching Bontrager handle bar.

I need to score some Paul Love Levers in silver, a silver 1 1/8th King head set, (or equivalent), and a silver seat collar. Finally, I have a first gen (silver, natch!) XTR 180mm crankset, courtesy of the same Grannygear, which will be paired with either a black ring or silver ring. OR- I will get a White Industries crankset in silver.

Maybe I should go all White Industries/Paul Components. Get the White Industries head set, crank set, and the Paul levers and brake calipers. Ditch the Thomson post for a Paul Components Tall and Handsome, maybe... Except those parts are priced beyond what the Gross National Product of several nations is. Yeah.......maybe not!

The point is, with some silver bottle cages, I would be all silver and black then, and the bike would finally look 'right', ya know? OR- I could just shut up and actually, ya know.......go ride some single track with it already! 

 Yeah. Going riding then........

Blackbuck Report

So back on October 1st I wrote about the upgraded Blackbuck. I mentioned that I wanted to get out and ride it after that, and well........I did. 

Once.

But knowing that bike like I do, I knew right off how good- or how bad- it was. There really are no surprises anymore with that bike. But there are things you might forget, and then be reminded of, after such a long time off the bike.

Things like how stiff that chassis is, or how a Thomson post is pretty unforgiving. I'd kind of forgotten how a steeper head angle worked with a long- for today's standards- stem. But those things came back to me and then were immediately familiar. I was just out for a cruise. I wasn't trying to rip-roar as fast as I could go. Besides, it was wet and the mud made things loose and sketchy. Wet leaves made for treacherous corners. No need to go and remind myself of what happens when you tempt fate in such conditions. Been there- done that.

I don't know what I expected. The wheels were......fine. No big deal. The White Industries bits worked. Just like they would, ya know. So, nothing Earth-shattering here, just a ramble on an old friend of a bike I've had for years. In fact, I found I missed this old thing. I was envisioning more single track rides and where I could go to test my legs on this bike. That's a good sign and I am glad that this bike is up and running again.

This was right about the time when Winter arrested Fall and held it hostage.

One thing I had forgotten about this bike. That is that it has the original style Avid BB-7's. You can tell when you get these by the calipers and the adjuster knobs. The adjusters are different. They do not have the Torx fitting in the center. The calipers are one piece. Not split and bolted together like all the ones you've probably seen all your life. These Avid BB-7's are fundamentally different than subsequent issues of this model. My calipers are vintage 2003, so you have to go pretty far back to find these. And.....you should. They are fantastic. They make newer BB-7's feel like junk.

In fact, I've heard rumors that trailsin guys seek these early BB-7's out for the one piece caliper design because of their superior clamping power. All I know is that paired with my Avid long pull levers from the mid-90's, these brakes have hydraulic power and feel. These are better than 90% of the hydraulic brakes I've ever used on flat bar MTB's. It doesn't hurt that these were the OG brakes on my 2003 Karate Monkey, which I moved to my first Inbred, and ultimately over to this bike. So, we have history.

One of these days I want to transition the off-color bits to silver or red anodized parts so I will eventually have a bike that looks like it makes sense visually. That said, this bike makes a ton of sense on trails, so I won't be making any radical component changes at all.