Friday News And Views

Ze Mango ze Tango!

 Chris King Brings Matte Mango Back:

Despite the dark times of the late 90's/early 2000's, Chris King has been a stalwart against the "Age of Black". Those days when cycling went dark and everybody was trying to make their bikes as black as possible. I never did get on with that ide.

Black........ Boring!

 Well, that is, unless you add in splashes of color, and Chris King was about the only game in town for many years. Then other companies started bringing the color, and well, Chris King had to "innovate", so they started doing odd anodized colors, like Coffee Brown, and then matte finishes in various anodized colors. They were successes, but there was a problem.

Despite CK's experiences in the anodization process, which they fully control and know inside and out, variances in batch colors affected certain runs, especially that Matte Mango color, so CK pulled that from the line about 18 months ago. But now that the process of anodizing Matte Mango has been refined, King felt compelled to bring the color back again and make it a part of their regular line once more. Those hues include Black, Matte Black, Two Tone Black Gold, Midnight, Matte Turquoise, Red, Silver, Gold, and 3D Violet.

The fizik Ergolace GTX shoe (Image courtesy of fizik)

And More Colorful Stuff For Your Viewing Pleasure:

Colors other than black or white, (mostly seen in the roadie side of cycling) were also once rare. But over the past several years components and apparel have taken on more colorful patterns and hues. 

Take for instance the collaboration here between PEdALED and fizik with the brick red and tan Ergolace GTX shoes. That's a bold look, and fizik isn't the only company stepping outside the traditional boundaries of what cycling apparel and components have been. 

My first job in cycling was at a shop in Cedar Falls, Iowa where I worked for a man named Tom Webb who said something to the effect of, "Cycling is a colorful sport. Your stuff should reflect that. It's fun, so why not?" I found that sentiment to have a great impact upon me and I have always remembered the late Mr. Webb's philosophy on cycling apparel and components. 

I know colors are really hard on retailers because then we start getting into fashion and that usually has a shelf-life measured in months. What was 'cool' for anodized bits one season could be next season's pariah. Having a bunch of 3D Violet bits in a case that no one wants makes for bad profit and loss statements. 

Or that's how it used to be, at any rate. Now? Well, it seems color sells and I think more companies are emboldened to stick their necks out with more risky options, like the fizik shoes here. 

Grip Idea:

Recently I have tested out the new evolution of Ergon's GP1, the GP1 Evo, (seen here) and it got me to thinking about those Redshift Sports Cruise Control grips and others like those (seen here). That made me wonder why in the heck haven't I been using those Cruise Control grips lately? 

So, that was one thing. The next part is that I don't think I have ridden my gen I Fargo at all this year. Not even once. Crime committed!

It just so happens that I have a Kitchen Sink bar from Redshift on the Fargo. So..... Those Cruise Control grips are going on there, and I have a few other tweaks in mind for that bike which also will be implemented. That's my next project and I have a goal in mind to make the bike rideable with the new updates. Look for more on that ride idea in tomorrow's post. 

I hope to get all this fixed up and test ridden soon, so stay tuned here for a post detailing the changes and I am really looking forward to riding the Fargo again real soon. I cannot believe I haven't ridden it for so long! 

Big Discounts Expected For Black Friday:

In other Turkey Day related news, the feeling I get from different sources is that this early Holiday season will be marked by some incredible deals on bicycles, components, and accessories. 

I am already getting hit in my inbox with messages from companies telling me to be on the look-out for deals the weekend after Thanksgiving, and especially that day known as "Black Friday"

Pre-holiday discounting is already on the upswing. I have also noted several 25%-30% deals on apparel and other stuff out there. It just continues to point to the fact that the industry is bloated in terms of inventory and will be seeking to offer deals "too good to be true" for the end of 2023. 

So, let's say that all this massive discounting of overstock is successful. Will people be looking to buy during the opening months of 2024? Why would they be, if, as is somewhat hoped for by the business, people have all they need going into the New Year? 

It doesn't bode well, and I suspect that either way, successful sell-off or no, that depressed sales will be the norm and overstock will take a while to trickle out over the next six months to a year. And I would think that current manufacturing orders are down by a lot. Once the glut moves through, you may see another short-supply situation again until the market can finally find its bearings. And who knows how long that will take. 

At any rate, this situation brought on by the crazy daze of the pandemic are going to affect the cycling marketplace for months to come, maybe over a year yet. 

That's it for today! Have a fantastic weekend and thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions.

Friday News And Views

The new Maxxis Reaver. (Image courtesy of Maxxis)

Maxxis Introduces New Reaver Gravel Tire:

Earlier this week Maxxis revealed a new gravel tire called the Reaver. It is a semi-slick, low center tread affair meant for "racing", as Maxxis puts it. 

It is available in two sizes: 700 X 40mm and 700 X 45mm. All can be had in either black wall or tan wall versions. 

• 120 TPI tubeless ready casing
• Dual compound
• EXO sidewall protection

Reaver tires are $70.00 each and can be purchased directly from Maxxis HERE. 

Comments: I like the looks of this tire a lot. I wouldn't peg it as just a racing tire though. Low tread in the center is fine. Think about it. Your are riding on crushed rock, (that is - IF you actually are riding on gravel), and tread is generally useless there, with one minor exception. That being outer tread blocks. If they are designed correctly they can act as a bit of a stabilizing element to the tire, and they can aid in cornering, of course. Additionally they can also have the effect of making the tire present as more of a flatter surface in cross section to the gravel, aiding in flotation, instead of cutting into the gravel. 

It could be a winner on Iowa gravel, but not because it is a "racing tire". 

Garbaruk Road/Gravel crankset (Image courtesy of Garbaruk)

So That's What It Is! -

Back in June, when I was at the Unbound week and attending the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame ceremonies, I was asked by Jason Strobehn if I would be willing to be interviewed for the "Gravel Family Podcast". I agreed and when I was there that morning to get interviewed I noted this young man on a single speed zipping around the area. He had several anodized bits on the bike, none more striking than this purple chain ring on some crank that was unfamiliar to me. I couldn't take my eyes off it, but the identity of the crankset was a mystery to me, until this week.

Social media to the rescue! On "X", or whatever that is now, (formerly Twitter), I saw a story on Garbaruk's aluminum crankset and when I saw the star-like, minimalist chain ring, I knew I'd seen that before. It is the crank and chain ring I saw in Emporia last June. 

Garbaruk claims that this aluminum chain ring and crank are as light as carbon without the downfalls of carbon. They claim that there Road/Gravel crank with a 42T ring weighs in at an astonishing 480.5 grams. You might be thinking it is prohibitively expensive. Not really, I think anyway. The rings are sold separately, but if you bought a 42t ring and the crank arms you'd be in for $505.00USD with free shipping. Not too bad. 

Oh, and you can get these in several anodized colors, so that explains the blindingly purple chain ring I saw in Emporia! Mystery solved.

Bontrager's OCLV NEXT rim (Image courtesy of Trek bikes)

Thermoplastic Carbon Rims: The Future Of Carbon Rim Manufacturing?

 Yesterday the newswire for cycling was ballyhooing these new OCLV NEXT carbon Aeolus wheels from Bontrager. I searched the web and found the source information on Trek's website and many of the claims and features being made started to sound familiar.

Where had I seen this before?

Well, as it turns out, a very similar idea was released early this year by Chris King. I talk about it here in a February "FN&V". The new technology is made by a company called "CSS Composites" and this is the company making the rims for Chris King. But are they the same company making the Bontrager rim? I thought maybe Trek developed their own thermoplastic manufacturing process, but maybe not. Here is a line buried way down the page on the wheels from Trek's site:

"Aeolus Pro 37V and 49V wheels are assembled in Waterloo, WI, with rims manufactured in the United States and global components like DT-Swiss Aerolite spokes and DT-Swiss Pro Lock nipples.". 

Note: emphasis is mine. So.......if they actually were making the rims, wouldn't you think they would say exactly that? The wheels "are assembled in Waterloo, WI" indicating that Trek does not actually manufacture the rims. So, are they CSS Composites made rims? I'm guessing, "Yes" on that one. 

If this stuff is the bee's knees in rim manufacturing, at some point we're going to see them coming from the Far East, and much cheaper. Time will tell.

Single Speed Nerd-Out On The Podcast:

We had a request to do a single speed specific episode of the Guitar Ted Podcast so the latest episode is just that. 

Check that out at that link or wherever you get your podcast feed from. Tell a friend, leave a rating, and like and subscribe and all that. I and N.Y, Roll would really appreciate it. 

In the episode I give my take on the ultimate single speed (for me) gravel bike. I chose a Twin Six Standard Rando Titanium frame to base my build off of. But if I had to pick the single speed gravel bike that was my favorite that I had ever ridden? Well, that would be the bike in the thumbnail there, the original copper-colored Stormchaser. 

That bike would fit 29" X 2.0 tires and it rode fantastically well with those bigger tires. Plus, that copper color was stunning. Butit wasn't all roses. That fork? WOW! Was that fork a jackhammer or what? I definitely would rock a Redshift ShockStop stem there. OR- Find a better fork! 

Anyway, give that episode a listen and let me know what ya think there.

That's a wrap for this week! Have a fantastic weekend and thank you 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!