Observations

Stan's products recently reviewed here.

 I was considering how 2026 has been a little quiet in terms of new products recently. While I am far from being "in-tune" with the latest goings on with the bicycle industry, it is not hard to see the void in news over the Summer. 

This has been reflected in reviews I've seen and in terms of reviews I've been asked to do as well. There just seems to be a quiet all along the cycling continuum in terms of releases and innovations. 

I think there are some obvious reasons for this. The economy being one. Lack of buyer enthusiasm another. But I think there is one hidden driver in this which many of you may have not considered. 

In terms of marketing, the cycling industry gets a lot of criticism from its audience. While it may seem the marketing departments at cycling brands and the independent market firms have too much weight in terms of what we get to choose from, this industry pales in comparison to most others. 

Automotive has a huge, over-arching impact on not only its market, but on entire economies. Consumer electronics dwarfs the impact of cycling brands.The amounts of money being slung around by those marketing departments would make cycling brand budgets look silly. 

I point this out because any dip in marketing, research and development, or investments in the cycling industry have far more impact on the market in terms of percentages compared to the massive amounts of money being thrown around in other industries. We feel this in subtle ways. One of those ways is in terms of new product introductions. 

In 2011, the cycling industry decided for you that 650B MTB was going to be the "enduro bike" standard. So out with 26" wheels, forget about 29"ers - those wheels would never work in a long travel application - and get ready for 27.5"ers! So much horsepower was diverted toward this movement that, as a reviewer of all things 29"er at the time, I felt immediate impact. 

Ad dollars for the 29"er site dried up. Test bikes and 29"er specific stuff was rare to get our hands on. We almost shuttered the deal in 2012 it was so bad. But then the tide turned again, and 29"ers began to overtake 650B in the enduro field, and elsewhere, so the site soldiered on for a few more years.  

That example is what is happening now, it's just that the categories are different now. Gravel racing, e-MTB, and now 32"ers, are where you are seeing the money being directed toward these days. Cycling categories outside of this aren't getting much attention, unless you want to lump in the pseudo-gravel bikes called "endurance bikes" into this mix. It's still about Gravel™, so whatever. 

This combined with the economic stresses we are weathering is really putting a cap on newer innovations, introductions, and the reviews and news which follows that. 

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Otso Cycles

 Window Dressing:

I mentioned this in last week's FN&V, and  I am still seeing a lot of stagnation in introductions of really new, redesigned or new designs for cycling. But what I am seeing a ton of  is new colors and new spec choices.

Take this Otso Cycles "Special Edition" Waheela C. This bike is not new, it's really just two new color choices and a special spec on their long-standing carbon gravel bike. 

Now, I will say the Rainbow Sparkle is pretty rad, but this is where we are at now. Companies need something to entice you to buy beyond discounting and they cannot afford to chuck up a new design or new idea for a component and sell those as the market has been in stagnation for the better part of three years now.

Part of what is going on is a complex, evolving change in retail. How we purchase things is changing and how things were/are offered to consumers is stagnant, or slow to catch up to these changes. I wrote about these things in a three part series which you can check out by going to this post which has links back to the two other articles in the series.

This cycle of refreshed paint and spec bolted to the same frames and forks may not end soon either. It's all window dressing, but again.....rainbow sparkle. C'mon! Even I can get jazzed by the window dressing from time to time, so I understand how it can work. 

Gravel Earth Series August Events:

A big month for a few USA based gravel events and the Gravel Earth Series. Three of the stalwarts of the gravel calendar now are taking place soon. You've got Rebecca's Private Idaho, the venerable Gravel Worlds, and the newcomer, but an important event now, CORE4 in Iowa.

I find it interesting that the Gravel Earth Series accepts events as they have evolved over time, (Rebecca's, Gravel Worlds), and accepts new events as envisioned, (CORE4). This is quite different to how the UCI structures events, which I have covered here to a fine degree of detail.

While I understand both theories of each entity's series, I find it rather curious when considering what will come out on top, in terms of what matters to the gravel scene overall. There is one key to the puzzle, and neither series - The UCI's or Gravel Earth's - have an opportunity to snag the premier jewel of gravel events because another entity owns it. Consider the magnitude of a decision to sell Unbound, as an event, upon the gravel racing world. 

Whichever entity grabbed that event would instantly become THE racing series worldwide.  Life Time doesn't quite seem to want to, or maybe cannot, separate MTB from gravel and grow a series which would become the premier gravel racing series in the World. Maybe they don't care about such things. I don't know. I just find the whole idea intriguing and whether or not it happens really doesn't natter to me except from a historical standpoint. 

Public Service Announcement:

Recently I've noted a few comments in the comment section which were "nice", but had a hyperlink in them. These may be AI generated spam, or.....? I'm not sure 100% because every one of these is from a "person" with a female name who I have never heard from here before. So, take that as you will. 

My point is that any comment waiting for moderation here which has an active hyperlink in it will be deleted summarily. I do not allow live hyperlinks in the comments. You can copy and paste a html link to a webpage in the comments which others can copy and paste into a browser, if they so choose, which  - know - might be a pain, but it is what I will allow in the comments.  

Again, it all may be much fuss about nothing to do with 'real people' here. Thanks for your attention to this message! 

Image courtesy of DT Swiss

DT Swiss Recalls Wheels In CRC, HEC, ERC Ranges:

Possibilities for rim/side wall delamination has caused a stop-ride and recall for DT Swiss wheels in their CRC, HRC, and ERC wheel ranges. A directive was sent out regarding the recall on Wednesday of this week.

On the DT Swiss site the reasons for the recall were detailed as such:

"We would like to inform you that DT Swiss is recalling affected wheel models of the ERC, CRC, and HEC series with rim heights of 35 and 45 mm and models of the ARC series with rim heights of 50, 55, and 65 mm. While the initial Stop-Use Notice applied to selected ERC, CRC, and HEC wheels, the recall includes ARC models manufactured at the same facility. Although no product defects have been reported for the ARC series, in-depth quality checks have revealed manufacturing concerns similar to those previously identified in the ERC/CRC/HEC models."

For more details see the recall page on DT Swiss' site HERE.

Got An Itch To Scratch:

The beginning of 2025 was all about looking forward to the Tree In The Road ride. That one was fun, but it wasn't quite what I was wanting in terms of distance.

I need a long ride. Trouble is, the weather, since the TITRR, hasn't been conducive to achieving this goal of mine. The extreme heat, humidity, and rains have thwarted any ideas for an all-day in the saddle ride.

And now that the heat and humidity have departed for a short time, we have wild fire smoke. Bah!

But August can't bad all bad, can it? So, hopefully very soon I will be able to carve out one day to ride most of that day and get this itch scratched. I am hopeful the weather will at least be tolerable and wildfire smoke goes away soon.

Fall will bring more opportunities and I am going to try to fit in the alley ride, plus the annual Turkey Burn ride. So, at least three or four more big days could happen, or none of them will. I am not hanging all my hopes on any of this because I know how things have gone the past three years and the rest of my life hasn't changed at all in other areas during this time period. If any of these rides happen it will be regarded as "unusual" and a huge blessing. 

Image credit: Google search

An Ode To Tubasti:

A comment was left on the blog the other day by a reader who goes by "scottg". It was a poem credited to an Aldo Ross about tubular glue.

Tubeless goop raises the ire of some riders, but they should be aware that tubular glue, which was used to set up tubular tires, was a thing for decades and we all should be thankful we don't have to deal with it much, if at all, anymore. I never did glue up tubulars, which may surprise some of you, but I caught on very early in my career as a bicycle mechanic that this procedure was not a lot of fun. 

So, I left the deed to others who were either ready to accept the hassles of tubulars or weren't aware of the consequences of using tubular glue.  

 Here's the poem as it was left in the comments for your enjoyment:

Tubasti 

 Tubasti on the sidewalls
Tubasti on the spokes
Tubasti on the workbench
And a bunch of cotter bolts

Tubasti on the visegrips
Tubasti on my arm
Tubasti on my chin and cheek
I hope it won't cause harm

Tubasti on the light switch
Tubasti on the cats
Tubasti on my shoes and socks
And on my car's floor mats

Tubasti on the carpet
Tubasti in my hair
I tried to glue just one damn tire
Now Tubasti's everywhere!

Credited to Aldo Ross. 

Thanks scottg for tipping us off to this gem!  

That's a wrap for this week. Get out and ride those bicycles! 

Thoughts On An Industry In The Midst Of Changes - A Follow-Up

It's time to move from "recreational" to "practical" bike routes.

Tuesday I posted some thoughts on the bicycle industry and where I think it is going both at a macro level and locally. You can go back to read this post HERE if you missed it.

In the comments section for the post linked above I was inspired by a reader to post these follow-up thoughts. I hope you enjoy them.

Paths To Nowhere:

First off, I realized the lack of "feeling safe" on bicycle rides is one major obstacle which is hindering participation in cycling. No matter who you are, or what sort of cycling expectations you may have, if you are afraid of getting killed on a bicycle ride, you are a lot less likely to pursue cycling.

Leaving the entire debate about driver's of automobiles responsibilities aside, it is my opinion that separate infrastructure for cycling is the best route and would enhance participation in cycling in urban areas especially. Now for decades the idea the government has approved of here in the USA is one which treats cycling as a recreational activity. This has led to some wonderful routes separate from car and truck traffic, with wonderful views, and even some economic impacts. However; these are mostly not very useful for day-to-day, practical cycling. 

Until we can go to the dentist, shop for some hardware for a home project, or get to work or school and back safely, cycling will have a tough time being seen as anything but playtime. Separated, practical, useful cycling paths would go a long way to infusing a new attitude about cycling here in the USA. Plus it may even boost the industry's bottom line by helping more people purchase a bicycle because it would be safer to ride one. 

It doesn't get much simpler than fixed gear

Simple & Good:

 The comment which spawned the idea for a follow-up to Tuesday's post was one concerning how bicycles have become too complex and fussy. I would also add the segmentation of the bicycle into countless categories. You don't just buy a bicycle anymore.

No, you find all sorts of non-sense like "gravel bikes", road bikes (whatever that means), "enduro bikes", "downcountry", XC, time-trial, triathlon, BMX, cruiser, urban, cargo, hybrid, city bikes, and on and on. Then add an electric motor. Oh my!

The "tyranny of choice" is palpable. I remember when I was a child we'd go by the hardware store and there was a row of boys bikes, girls bikes, and adult bikes. That was it. It was easy to figure out what was a bike for you. 

I'm not advocating we go back to those times, however, it was easier to choose a bicycle, and that is my point. There are just too many choices now and the casual cyclist is bewildered. Even many salespeople in bicycle shops cannot keep up with the vast choices in one brand's product line. It is overwhelming and unnecessary.

Then we get into the actual bicycle itself. I find it somewhat amusing and ironic that high end, complex bicycles try to look like a fixed gear bike by hiding all cabling and use electronic shifting to streamline the operation of their drive trains. Underneath the seemingly simple exterior is a complicated routing system through the handlebar, head set, and the bottom bracket area which makes servicing a nightmare. Then there are batteries to be charged along with external charging stations and "software updates" every so often. And the price..... Woo!

Mechanics groan when faced with the maintenance on these bicycles and the labor prices to deal with these bicycles is only going to increase. Home mechanics will be pushed aside as proprietary electronic systems will be more and more tied to "approved service technicians" who will have the diagnostic tools and proprietary hand tools to maintenance these techno-wonder bikes. E-bikes will be the worst for this. Do we really want to go down this path?

Maybe the cycling industry could do with a philosophy of "simple and good" mixed with practical ways to ride safely in towns and out in the countryside. Maybe then we'd see an increase in cycling activity and a valuation of  cycling beyond being just playtime.

Is This Some Kind Of Game?

Trek Checkmate SLR - Image courtesy of Trek Bikes

 NOTE: Large doses of "my opinion" will be handed out in gloppy dollops today. You've been forewarned.....

 A few days ago I took a look at what we had to "invent" to use for riding gravel roads. Now, just twenty years later, things have sure changed!

 Looking around at what bicycles there are for gravel road riding lately is pretty bizarre. It seems as though chaos is the rule of the day when it comes to what you can get. You can spend a whole heck of a lot of money, or you can spend a lot less for a similar bicycle. 

New, off the peg bikes, like this top-of-the-range Trek Checkmate SLR, go for well North of 10K. But you can get brand new, deeply discounted gravel bikes from places like Jenson USA for well South of that same 10K and get similar, or the same gear bolted to it. That's thousands of dollars difference. This seems not just significant, but really odd. 

I won't even get into the used marketplace, which is rife with choices in lightly used, very high-end gravel bikes. I see these on Facebook Marketplace on the daily.  I would imagine other sources have even more choices.

It is no wonder then when I see comment sections filled with angry and dismissive comments pointed at the bicycle industry. What is this stuff really worth? Take that Checkmate frame and fork, for example. Trek offers it up at a dollar less than $4,000.00. You can get a very similar frame from the Chinese company, ICAN, for a dollar less than $900.00. Now, come on! Does anyone really believe that Trek's frame and fork are $3,100.00 better? 

Titanium Fargo - Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles

You could buy the ICAN frame and get a titanium Fargo for the price of one Trek Checkmate frame and fork. That just seems really weird. 

This pricing just does not make sense, so I get why many people feel the cycling industry is a "rip-off". Try playing "The Price Is Right" with any cycling related items and you'd be hard pressed to nail the prices with any degree of consistency based on the perceived "value". How can you judge this pricing when it just doesn't add up?

Then you throw in all the major discounting that has been happening, which I have not accounted for in my examples here, and it gets even weirder. I'm all for people getting paid, but when there is no consistency, and no real innovations to point at, it becomes hard to put your trust into anything, especially when it cost thousands of dollars. 

Does it surprise you then when you see sales are flat? Does it surprise you to see companies having difficult financial times? Does it surprise you to hear rumors of companies taking out huge loans to pay employees and keep things afloat? I am not surprised at all. Especially when it becomes so hard to perceive "value" when contrasted with price. 

I also think that there are just far too many bicycles being produced and expected to sell every year. Every marketing trick in the book to get us to feel we need to jump on to the next shiny thing has been tried and now all the tricks have played out. Even adding gears, adding motors, and taking away cables - or hiding them - is not enough to change many people's minds anymore. There simply is just 'too much stuff' out there. We simply do not need it. 

I think it is high time the game changed.