Happy Labor Day! (And Bonus Post)

Petrie Road's level B Section, taken Wednesday of last week.

 HAPPY LABOR DAY! 

Today is the last major U.S. holiday until Thanksgiving, at the end of November. It is a day that marks the traditional "end of Summer' here. So, to my fellow American's- I hope that you all are having a safe, happy, and memorable Labor Day 2021. 

For those of you from outside of the U.S. that read this blog, here is what this is all about here:

"Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers and is traditionally observed on the first Monday in September. It was created by the labor movement in the late 19th century and became a federal holiday in 1894." - from Wikipedia.

And now, a bonus post! Which, by the way- This is the 6,000th post I've done here on G-Ted Productions.

 What's Happening With The Bicycle Supply Chain

 

This past week the Eurobike show took place in Germany where the chatter was all about supply chain disruptions. This is a really important subject with Europeans because of the electrified bicycle market, which is about 50 times that of anything going on here in America, if the stories are to be believed. 

Demand spiked during the pandemic and - as in North America - supply was depleted. Now with COVID still disrupting ports and factories, and with the craziness in container shipping, parts and bicycles are on long lead times. REALLY long lead times. This was hoped to have worked itself out by the end of this year, but as this Summer went along, the problem did not get any better, it actually has gotten worse. 

Many people want to know why we do not have bikes and parts. There is no singular reason. This is a multi-faceted, multi-national issue. Since it is so complex, estimates of a quick turn around to "normalcy" should never have been made. In fact, now CEO's of the bigger companies are not even hazarding a guess as to when this will rectify itself back to something recognizable as what the economy looked like pre-pandemic. I now offer the following reasons why this problem persists...

• COVID Issues: Factories tied to bicycle production continue to be disrupted by cut-backs and closures/lock downs.  Earlier in the Summer it was Shimano's Malaysian component works which had to be shut down for a little over a month. Now we are hearing factories in Vietnam are being affected, (many brands have frames made there). Ports have been shut down for periods of time during the Summer blocking the exports of products out of China as well due to COVID. As the Delta variant rages worldwide, this issue is still a possible deterrent to getting things back on track.
• Shipping Container Prices: See that Maersk container ship in today's post? It is laden with thousands of 40ft containers. The biggest container ships can haul up to 20,000 - 24,000 in one trip. Pre-pandemic the cost per container was hovering around $1,500.00 to get from China to Europe or North America. Now with world-wide demand going bananas for everything, container shipping prices have ballooned to $20,000/40Ft container and higher.(Some reports now saying that costs are topping $25,000- $30,000/40ft container)  It has gotten to the point where ships coming from China leave their cargo in North American ports, and instead of coming back with exports, they go back with a load of empty containers instead. It is more profitable for them to do that and get back to North America or Europe with another full load of containers from the Far East due to the insane costs to ship containers now. 
• Other Shipping Disruptions: Long lines to get stuff out of the Far East has caused some companies to pay premium prices to essentially cut in line ahead of others waiting to get goods out of port. Whether or not certain bicycle brands are doing this, or being affected by this, is uncertain. But, shipping companies are only far too eager to oblige companies that wave the cash in front of them. Then, once things get here, there are literal parking lots of container ships at anchorage waiting to get into harbor to unladen their cargo ships and return to the Far East. (Currently Los Angeles harbor has a record number of ships parked at anchorage waiting to unload at 44 ships) This waiting can take days and usually weeks. Once the port unloads these containers you have to take them by truck, and sometimes by train, to wherever they are to be distributed. However; wild fires shut down one of the major North-South train routes for several weeks, and as far as trucking goes, there is a shortage of labor to drive the rigs, further backing up the loads at port. 
• Raw Materials, Parts, and Pieces Shortages: To make things worse, now with all the disruptions due to COVID, hurricane Ida, and shipping, the parts, pieces, and raw materials needed to make things are becoming harder to get. Things like steel, aluminum, and rubber - things absolutely vital to the bicycle industry - these things are in very short supply. Try finding gravel tires, or 11 speed chains, or hitch mounted bicycle racks. You get the idea here.
  

It's so bad now that a trade paper quoted Claus Fleischer, the CEO of Bosch e-bike systems, as saying, "I can't promise anything for the next 12 to 18 months." Do the math folks. He said this at the end of August, 2021. That means you are probably not going to see the end of disruptions until August 2022 - late Winter 2023! 

So, the state of things is such as it is due to various world-wide influences and it will take a year to a year and a half from now to get over it. Maybe. Who knows?! 

And when things do come back? Another industry person was quoted as saying, "(The market) will show some decline as a result", but that there will be price increases due to demand and shipping costs. Basically, your dollar will buy less than it could pre-pandemic. That goes for parts and pieces as well. 

So, my advice is this- Keep what you have in excellent working order. Don't bank on getting a new, shiny rig in the next two years, and be patient! Especially when trying to source parts. Be flexible- Those favorite tires? You may have to settle for something available- whatever that may be. Same with chains, cassettes, and more. Get acquainted with the used market. Lots of people bought bikes in 2020 and many are now bailing on them. (So much for the so-called "Bike Boom") Parts are also being offered up from builds that weren't completed during the pandemic. Check out Facebook Marketplace, various Facebook bicycle sales pages, and Craigslist. I've seen tons of stuff up for sale that you cannot find at shops or online. 

And just ride. Getting away from all the nonsense - even this blog - is probably a good thing. Unplug. get out there and enjoy a good bicycle ride.

Happy Labor Day! (And Bonus Post)

Petrie Road's level B Section, taken Wednesday of last week.

 HAPPY LABOR DAY! 

Today is the last major U.S. holiday until Thanksgiving, at the end of November. It is a day that marks the traditional "end of Summer' here. So, to my fellow American's- I hope that you all are having a safe, happy, and memorable Labor Day 2021. 

For those of you from outside of the U.S. that read this blog, here is what this is all about here:

"Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers and is traditionally observed on the first Monday in September. It was created by the labor movement in the late 19th century and became a federal holiday in 1894." - from Wikipedia.

And now, a bonus post! Which, by the way- This is the 6,000th post I've done here on G-Ted Productions.

Friday News And Views

 Shimano Announces Re-opening Of Factory:

 After a full month plus of complete shutdown, and two weeks at 60% output, Shimano has reportedly re-opened their Malaysian factory components works. A factory said to be responsible for parts production from 105 road level and below, and SLX MTB level and below. The component manufacturer, already behind demand leading into the shutdown, is now further behind on making these critical components for the majority of what bike shops sell here in the U.S.A. 

The news, published by a couple of industry specific sites, is good, but with all the critical time lost, coupled with shipping and packaging issues worldwide, this situation has gone from bad to worse for consumers. Things like disc brake pads, disc brake rotors, derailleurs, and wheel components, amongst other bits, are nearly impossible to source. 

In the meantime, other manufacturers have been tapped to provide parts for brands seeking to get bicycles into dealer's and consumer's hands. Brands like Microshift, which does complete drive trains, and other lesser known companies, are trying to fill the void where Shimano was once dominant. While some bits seem well up to the task, it is apparent- to this mechanic at least - that many of these components are sub-Shimano quality and likely will not have similar performance or longevity. 

Furthermore; it has been whispered that some brands may even skip 2022 model year bikes altogether due to the paucity of parts and shipping woes. Some even say the bigger brands are pushing out the smaller brands for factory capacity to manufacture bicycles. Whatever the truth may be, it sounds a lot like 2022 will be a continuance of 2021 in regard to bicycles and parts.  

The KOM Cycling Saddle Tool Roll on my Noble Bikes GX5.

Tool Roll Wars:

Recently I was sent a KOM Cycling Saddle Tool Roll for test and review on RidingGravel.com. (Free and at no charge- I'm not being paid for this, yadda,yadda, yadda...) It's a new product for them and for me, it is another 'dreaded tool roll' deal. You see, I haven't been too impressed by this sort of storage idea in the past.

I tried a tool roll once from a company I shall not name, and the thing ended up falling off my bike at unawares after being rock solid on there for over a week and I lost all my good riding tools. Bah! 

These things are for the minimal-packing cyclist, but yet they are not all that much lighter or compact than a small under-saddle mounted bag. I should think almost any under-saddle mounted bag wouldn't just fall off your bike. So.....the whole idea of a 'tool roll' was kind of lost on me. But there is a certain romanticized view of such things coming from the road riding world, as I understand it. 

Anyway, the tool roll..... I am testing another one. This is a bit like a Silca tool roll, and I was rudely reminded of this by a commenter on an Instagram post I made about the KOM Saddle Tool Roll. "It's a rip-off...", and I'm like, am I supposed to do something about that? It may be similar, yes- probably, but 'rip-off'? So, I figured why not? I ordered up the Silca one as well. (Paid for, not asked to test, yadda, yadda, yadda....)We'll see about the similarities and compare and contrast. Fair and square, without any negativeness or name-calling. 

Tool Roll Wars. It's on! Stay tuned......

Sea Otter Australia Postponed:

While to us here in the U.S.A. it may seem as though things are all 'back to normal', the rest of the world is still grappling with the effects of COVID-19. The latest cycling related issue regarding the pandemic is the postponing of the Sea Otter event in Australia to early Fall. 

This news comes as case loads of COVID-19 are on the uptick in the U.S.A. Most agree that the Delta variant of COVID is to blame as it is much more contagious than the original COVID strain. It is not engraved in stone that we here in North America won't ever have to isolate, wear masks, or suffer cancellations of events again. This bears watching going forward and things like what we are seeing now in Australia, Japan, Malaysia, (see first entry in today's "FN&V") and elsewhere in the world remind us that despite vaccines being available, this isn't over just yet. 

Cannondale Topstone 2

Andy's Bike Shop Is Now A Cannondale Dealer!

I've known about this for a while now, but the public statement just went out this past week that Cannondale Bicycles will now be sold through Andy's Bike Shop in Cedar Falls, Iowa. (If you are unaware, I work as a mechanic at Andy's) 

 Now Andy's Bike Shop sells Kona Bikes, Cannondale, and Reid Bikes. We were pretty happy to land a Cannondale account since it is a brand that has been represented in the Cedar Valley for 30+ years now. After the shop I last worked at went out of business at the end of 2019, Cannondale bikes have been missing from this market area. Not anymore. 

Obviously bicycles are hard to come by, but by the end of this month Andy's Bike Shop should know more about exactly when the Cannondales will be rolling in. I don't know exactly what we'll be able to get, but I hope to see some Topstones and maybe.......their new Super Six Evo SE gravel bike. That'd be pretty cool. Stay tuned.........

That's a wrap for this week. have a great weekend and stay cool!

Friday News And Views

 Shimano Announces Re-opening Of Factory:

 After a full month plus of complete shutdown, and two weeks at 60% output, Shimano has reportedly re-opened their Malaysian factory components works. A factory said to be responsible for parts production from 105 road level and below, and SLX MTB level and below. The component manufacturer, already behind demand leading into the shutdown, is now further behind on making these critical components for the majority of what bike shops sell here in the U.S.A. 

The news, published by a couple of industry specific sites, is good, but with all the critical time lost, coupled with shipping and packaging issues worldwide, this situation has gone from bad to worse for consumers. Things like disc brake pads, disc brake rotors, derailleurs, and wheel components, amongst other bits, are nearly impossible to source. 

In the meantime, other manufacturers have been tapped to provide parts for brands seeking to get bicycles into dealer's and consumer's hands. Brands like Microshift, which does complete drive trains, and other lesser known companies, are trying to fill the void where Shimano was once dominant. While some bits seem well up to the task, it is apparent- to this mechanic at least - that many of these components are sub-Shimano quality and likely will not have similar performance or longevity. 

Furthermore; it has been whispered that some brands may even skip 2022 model year bikes altogether due to the paucity of parts and shipping woes. Some even say the bigger brands are pushing out the smaller brands for factory capacity to manufacture bicycles. Whatever the truth may be, it sounds a lot like 2022 will be a continuance of 2021 in regard to bicycles and parts.  

The KOM Cycling Saddle Tool Roll on my Noble Bikes GX5.

Tool Roll Wars:

Recently I was sent a KOM Cycling Saddle Tool Roll for test and review on RidingGravel.com. (Free and at no charge- I'm not being paid for this, yadda,yadda, yadda...) It's a new product for them and for me, it is another 'dreaded tool roll' deal. You see, I haven't been too impressed by this sort of storage idea in the past.

I tried a tool roll once from a company I shall not name, and the thing ended up falling off my bike at unawares after being rock solid on there for over a week and I lost all my good riding tools. Bah! 

These things are for the minimal-packing cyclist, but yet they are not all that much lighter or compact than a small under-saddle mounted bag. I should think almost any under-saddle mounted bag wouldn't just fall off your bike. So.....the whole idea of a 'tool roll' was kind of lost on me. But there is a certain romanticized view of such things coming from the road riding world, as I understand it. 

Anyway, the tool roll..... I am testing another one. This is a bit like a Silca tool roll, and I was rudely reminded of this by a commenter on an Instagram post I made about the KOM Saddle Tool Roll. "It's a rip-off...", and I'm like, am I supposed to do something about that? It may be similar, yes- probably, but 'rip-off'? So, I figured why not? I ordered up the Silca one as well. (Paid for, not asked to test, yadda, yadda, yadda....)We'll see about the similarities and compare and contrast. Fair and square, without any negativeness or name-calling. 

Tool Roll Wars. It's on! Stay tuned......

Sea Otter Australia Postponed:

While to us here in the U.S.A. it may seem as though things are all 'back to normal', the rest of the world is still grappling with the effects of COVID-19. The latest cycling related issue regarding the pandemic is the postponing of the Sea Otter event in Australia to early Fall. 

This news comes as case loads of COVID-19 are on the uptick in the U.S.A. Most agree that the Delta variant of COVID is to blame as it is much more contagious than the original COVID strain. It is not engraved in stone that we here in North America won't ever have to isolate, wear masks, or suffer cancellations of events again. This bears watching going forward and things like what we are seeing now in Australia, Japan, Malaysia, (see first entry in today's "FN&V") and elsewhere in the world remind us that despite vaccines being available, this isn't over just yet. 

Cannondale Topstone 2

Andy's Bike Shop Is Now A Cannondale Dealer!

I've known about this for a while now, but the public statement just went out this past week that Cannondale Bicycles will now be sold through Andy's Bike Shop in Cedar Falls, Iowa. (If you are unaware, I work as a mechanic at Andy's) 

 Now Andy's Bike Shop sells Kona Bikes, Cannondale, and Reid Bikes. We were pretty happy to land a Cannondale account since it is a brand that has been represented in the Cedar Valley for 30+ years now. After the shop I last worked at went out of business at the end of 2019, Cannondale bikes have been missing from this market area. Not anymore. 

Obviously bicycles are hard to come by, but by the end of this month Andy's Bike Shop should know more about exactly when the Cannondales will be rolling in. I don't know exactly what we'll be able to get, but I hope to see some Topstones and maybe.......their new Super Six Evo SE gravel bike. That'd be pretty cool. Stay tuned.........

That's a wrap for this week. have a great weekend and stay cool!

Friday News And Views

 Beginners On Gravel Series Page:

This past Wednesday I completed the B.O.G. Series of posts which had started out in late February and ran every Wednesday after until this week when it ended. As promised, I posted all the articles on their own page. You can always access the link under the header of the blog where all my page links are located. In fact, if you have not checked out those pages, please do. 

I was taking a bit of a risk with publishing such a series on a blog visited by plenty of seasoned cyclists, experienced in all manner of situations, and who hold varying opinions on 'what is the right way to do that'. Because the B.O.G. was aimed at novice cyclists and at those with little experience at riding rural roads I felt that I may get a little push-back on how I was handling certain topics. That expectation was met, by the way, but overall, I feel that the series was well accepted. 

I have heard a bit of feedback on the series and what I have heard is encouraging. If it truly helps out a cyclist, breaks down a barrier for someone, and seems to enhance a cyclist's experience, then I have done my job. 

MRP introduces the gravel/bikepacking oriented Baxter Fork.

MRP Debuts Another "Gravel Suspension Fork":

This past week saw the introduction of another gravel suspension fork, the MRP Baxter, which I alluded to earlier this week in my "We've Been Here Before" post about such devices. 

Again we have 40mm of travel, like the Fox AX, but the Baxter does have a unique feature in that there are built in mounts for fork mounted water bottle cages. 12mm or 15mm through axles are offered and the fork comes in black or white, when it hits availability, that is, and that is said to be later in the Summer. 

One report I saw also mentioned that a Baxter with longer travel and a Boost front spaced option was also going to be coming soon, but as that fork will have a long axle to crown measurement, it will be unsuitable for almost every gravel bike out there currently. The gravel version of the Baxter is already sitting at 424 mm, which is almost an inch longer than most forks on gravel bikes currently. About 3/4's of an inch to an inch doesn't sound like much, but that is HUGE in terms of how a bike handles. (And yes- I've tested different length forks on one bike before) 

The Baxter goes for about $800.00, so it also is not cheap by any means. Again, I don't see the point in putting sub-standard suspension travel with its extra weight, complexity, initial cost, long-term maintenance cost, and inevitable short shelf life on a gravel bike. But maybe I am an old, hackneyed Luddite and I should not be listened to. You make the call. 

In the meantime, this sort of product does not make a lot of sense to my mind. I would opt for an 80mm-100mm suspension fork on a hardtail style MTB with my preferred drive train any day over what I would  term as a 'band-aid suspension fork for a bike that wasn't designed for that'. Unless, you know, gravel bikes effectively become drop bar MTB's and start looking like, you know, a Fargo?

A screen shot from Reuters News' story on Shimano.

Parts Shortages Make "The News":

It isn't often that mainstream news outlets like Reuters makes mention of the cycling industry, but that happened on Wednesday on Reuters' social media feed.

It isn't news that part of the bottleneck in getting new bicycles and repair parts is that Shimano is not ramping up to build more manufacturing capacity to meet the spike in demand caused during the pandemic. Shimano, who have cleared more capital in the last 12 months than they did over the last ten years combined, (according to the Reuters report), feels that making investments into new factories, or expanding current factories to allow for greater production may not be a wise move. According to the report, Shimano stated that any new expansion in manufacturing capacity would take at least two years to realize, and by that time the 'boom' may have busted. 

So, if the report is to be believed, your wait for parts may be quite a long one. What is more, we're hearing in the industry channels that 'lead times'- the time it takes from when an order is placed to its fulfillment- is now extending into 2023 in some cases. Keeping in mind that we are nearing 2022 at a rapid pace, that sounds more and more credible as we slip into Summer. 

I suspect that we will see a mixed bag of availability, varying parts quality on bikes, varying levels of fit and finish, and more common complaints on bicycles in 2022 and 2023 until all this water gets under the bridge. I also suspect that whatever gains were made by cycling companies in 2020 and 2021 will get tempered by not-so-great sales in '22 and '23 as consumers get frustrated and find other things to do. Finally, any economic upheavals in the next three years will also have a detrimental effect upon cycling as a whole. I gotta say- I side with Shimano on their thoughts on the future, but ironically, their reluctance and inability to keep pace with demand currently is probably a big reason why things will not continue 'booming'. That's what happens when you control an estimated 2/3rds of the business in components for cycling.

That's a wrap on this week. Have a great weekend!

Friday News And Views

 Beginners On Gravel Series Page:

This past Wednesday I completed the B.O.G. Series of posts which had started out in late February and ran every Wednesday after until this week when it ended. As promised, I posted all the articles on their own page. You can always access the link under the header of the blog where all my page links are located. In fact, if you have not checked out those pages, please do. 

I was taking a bit of a risk with publishing such a series on a blog visited by plenty of seasoned cyclists, experienced in all manner of situations, and who hold varying opinions on 'what is the right way to do that'. Because the B.O.G. was aimed at novice cyclists and at those with little experience at riding rural roads I felt that I may get a little push-back on how I was handling certain topics. That expectation was met, by the way, but overall, I feel that the series was well accepted. 

I have heard a bit of feedback on the series and what I have heard is encouraging. If it truly helps out a cyclist, breaks down a barrier for someone, and seems to enhance a cyclist's experience, then I have done my job. 

MRP introduces the gravel/bikepacking oriented Baxter Fork.

MRP Debuts Another "Gravel Suspension Fork":

This past week saw the introduction of another gravel suspension fork, the MRP Baxter, which I alluded to earlier this week in my "We've Been Here Before" post about such devices. 

Again we have 40mm of travel, like the Fox AX, but the Baxter does have a unique feature in that there are built in mounts for fork mounted water bottle cages. 12mm or 15mm through axles are offered and the fork comes in black or white, when it hits availability, that is, and that is said to be later in the Summer. 

One report I saw also mentioned that a Baxter with longer travel and a Boost front spaced option was also going to be coming soon, but as that fork will have a long axle to crown measurement, it will be unsuitable for almost every gravel bike out there currently. The gravel version of the Baxter is already sitting at 424 mm, which is almost an inch longer than most forks on gravel bikes currently. About 3/4's of an inch to an inch doesn't sound like much, but that is HUGE in terms of how a bike handles. (And yes- I've tested different length forks on one bike before) 

The Baxter goes for about $800.00, so it also is not cheap by any means. Again, I don't see the point in putting sub-standard suspension travel with its extra weight, complexity, initial cost, long-term maintenance cost, and inevitable short shelf life on a gravel bike. But maybe I am an old, hackneyed Luddite and I should not be listened to. You make the call. 

In the meantime, this sort of product does not make a lot of sense to my mind. I would opt for an 80mm-100mm suspension fork on a hardtail style MTB with my preferred drive train any day over what I would  term as a 'band-aid suspension fork for a bike that wasn't designed for that'. Unless, you know, gravel bikes effectively become drop bar MTB's and start looking like, you know, a Fargo?

A screen shot from Reuters News' story on Shimano.

Parts Shortages Make "The News":

It isn't often that mainstream news outlets like Reuters makes mention of the cycling industry, but that happened on Wednesday on Reuters' social media feed.

It isn't news that part of the bottleneck in getting new bicycles and repair parts is that Shimano is not ramping up to build more manufacturing capacity to meet the spike in demand caused during the pandemic. Shimano, who have cleared more capital in the last 12 months than they did over the last ten years combined, (according to the Reuters report), feels that making investments into new factories, or expanding current factories to allow for greater production may not be a wise move. According to the report, Shimano stated that any new expansion in manufacturing capacity would take at least two years to realize, and by that time the 'boom' may have busted. 

So, if the report is to be believed, your wait for parts may be quite a long one. What is more, we're hearing in the industry channels that 'lead times'- the time it takes from when an order is placed to its fulfillment- is now extending into 2023 in some cases. Keeping in mind that we are nearing 2022 at a rapid pace, that sounds more and more credible as we slip into Summer. 

I suspect that we will see a mixed bag of availability, varying parts quality on bikes, varying levels of fit and finish, and more common complaints on bicycles in 2022 and 2023 until all this water gets under the bridge. I also suspect that whatever gains were made by cycling companies in 2020 and 2021 will get tempered by not-so-great sales in '22 and '23 as consumers get frustrated and find other things to do. Finally, any economic upheavals in the next three years will also have a detrimental effect upon cycling as a whole. I gotta say- I side with Shimano on their thoughts on the future, but ironically, their reluctance and inability to keep pace with demand currently is probably a big reason why things will not continue 'booming'. That's what happens when you control an estimated 2/3rds of the business in components for cycling.

That's a wrap on this week. Have a great weekend!

Friday News And Views

Canyon's new Grizl gravel adventure bike.

 Canyon Bikes Debuts New Gravel Adventure Rig:

 Canyon Bikes, the direct to consumer brand, has announced a new 'gravel adventure' bike (I'll comment on that later here) which has a carbon frame for now, but will have a less expensive aluminum framed model in the range later on. 

There is room for 50mm tires without fenders and 45mm tires with fenders. The bike comes with fork mounts for extra bottles or the "Anything Cage" type racks. Models will be offered in 1X or 2x drive train set ups with Di2 Shimano GRX 800 being the top of the range for the time being. GRX 400 ten speed equipped Grizl's go for just North of 2G.

Comments: Hoo boy! A Canyon gravel rig without the ding-dong, two-tiered handle bar/stem unit? Yes! But enthusiasm may become a bit tempered here since Canyon uses a 1 1/4' steer tube diameter, meaning that 'normal' stems do not retrofit to this bike. Yep! Gotta get a Canyon stem or pretty much nothing else. This means things like a Redshift ShockStop stem will not go on this bike. That's kind of a big deal if you are aiming this bike at the rougher side of gravel travel. 

Secondly, the geometry chart for the Grizl lays out a bizarre set of numbers. A big bottom bracket drop here which is 75mm on larger sized bikes in the range. Then if you notice the head tube angle- a crazy steep 72.5°! Remember early 29"ers? Those bikes had 72° - 73° head tube angles and shorter offset forks which were roundly criticized for some poor handling traits. This led to 29"ers getting progressively more slack in the head tube angles to, where now with adventure based 29"ers, (what few there are), we have anywhere in the higher 60's for head tube angles with slightly longer offsets. Wouldn't it make more sense then to have a slacker head tube angle and longer offset fork on a gravel bike than something in the 72+ degree range? While one should not completely dismiss a bike solely based upon the numbers, this is a bad look for Canyon, in my opinion. 

There is a lot to like here about the new Grizl, but there are a couple of critical concerns which, even though the price seems attractive, would make me choose elsewhere. I'd like to see a 71° head angle here on larger sizes with a 50+mm offset fork. I'd like to choose my own stem, thank you, and not some over-sized stem which, if you buy into the bigger diameter = stiffer component handle bar theories, is the wrong direction to go here. These opinions are based upon a lot of years of testing bikes and riding gravel roads. Your mileage may vary.....

I get that Canyon thinks this design is a more MTB flavored gravel option, but would they design a hard tail XC/Adventure bike like this? (The answer is no: All their XC oriented hard tails are sub-70 degree head angle bikes.) So why put goofy geometry, which has proven to be sub-standard elsewhere, on an "adventure gravel" rig? I don't know......

When do we go to "MTB Drop Bar Bike" and forget about "gravel"?

Slicing Up A Segment:

 As mentioned above with Canyon, many marketing departments are busy trying to sell you more than 'just a gravel bike'. Now you have to have a racing gravel bike, or an adventure gravel bike, or whatever other nuanced version of the 'all-road' bike (that was never meant to become a mountain trail going rig) type of bike. The companies selling these rigs are trying to appeal to those who are not into the extreme geometry/activities version of mountain biking. A style of mountain biking that some of these very same companies helped to grow over the past 20 years.  

I've written about this many times before, but the high-end, decent handling, comfortable hard tail MTB with a rigid fork pretty much died out in the late 2000's. 29"ers represented the last good bikes in this category. Bikes like Salsa's El Mariachi, Niner Bikes SIR 9, (which is still around), Redline's Monocog, and others with rigid forks made great 'all-arounders'. But they fell prey to expensive, longer travel suspension forks, the 'long-low-slack' geometry trend, and 1X drive trains that limit speed on flatter terrain and smoother down hills. While those bikes are great, they came in at the expense of those previous hard tail designs which disappeared.

Instead of a return to what was great about hard tail MTB's, we see companies trying to reach back into this category via 'gravel' with drop bar designs. Bikes similar to Fargos, but more 'road-ish', if you will. It's as if 30+ years of great hard tail MTB design never happened. I find it odd, but more than this, I find that companies trying to invent more niche categories within the umbrella of 'gravel' rather telling. 

First of all, most trends in cycling end up this way because the marketing wonks still haven't figured out how to get the non-cycling public interested in cycling. You know, things might grow more if we just made our streets safer. Things might grow for cycling if we had less emphasis on cars and more on the alternative forms of moving folks, cycling included. Tie in the physical and mental health benefits, the other pluses of cycling, and grow the pie from that angle. Your new "more MTB-ish grav-grav bike" is not going to do diddly-squat in terms of making 'new cyclists'. 

Sorry- not sorry.

Not what you want to keep seeing......

A Quick Update On The Guitar Ted Lube-Off:

I thought I'd give you all a quick update on how things are going with the lubricants in this edition of the 'Guitar Ted Lube-Off', my simple look at what lubricant is best for a bicycle chain being used for gravel grinding.

You might recall that I am using NFS 'Blue Devil" lube and the SCC Tech Lube. I used both lubricants on new Wippermann chains and one, the SCC Tech, is on the noble GX5 and the Blue Devil lube is on the pink MCD. 

Well, NFS says you'll get a bit of a dark residue off their lube but that it doesn't 'gunk up' and collect dirt or whatnot. Yeaaaaahhhh......hmmm....let's just say I have not experienced that, not yet anyway. There is a gunk building up very slightly on the jockey wheels and cassette, but I'll give this a few more long rides and then we will see. It has been very dusty out there, so this is a good test of the lubricants. 

The other lube, the SCC Tech, well, that is also leaving a black mark after I do the "\Finger Swipe Test". But again, I'm going to give both of these lubes some grace here and keep on keeping on for a while. I figure on doing about three good rides on each before I give any more first impressions. So far? Not super impressed with either of these lubricants versus DuMonde Tech and Muc-Off C3 Ceramic lubricants. But we will see soon....  

All manner of parts are still rare and hard to get, like rims.

Parts Shortages Persist:

Obviously by now you've all figured out that 2021 is not a good time to be looking for a new bicycle. (Well, in case you haven't....HELLO!) The parts for bicycles are also still hard to find as well, although this changes now with sporadic supplies and quick depletion of that supply due to pent up demand. So, here's the latest.....

Chains and cassettes are still super hard to come by. There was a spurt in supply late in the Winter but most bike shops grabbed what there was for upcoming seasonal repairs and stock lists as of this writing show nothing available. Last year it was 7-8 speed stuff but this year everything is really hard to find. 

Another perennial out of stock item is tires. 26 inch tires have had a run on them since the beginning of 2020 and it hasn't let up. The good news is that a stock of 26"ers just hit the states and has reached distributors and shops right now. I suspect that this bubble of supply will be gone in a couple weeks or less. You know things are bad here when powerhouse distributor, Quality Bicycle Products, puts up the pile of Maxxis 26"ers they got on all their social media channels.  Twenty-six inch tires! Something to get excited about in 2021? Who'd a thunk it? 

Crank sets are non-existent, chain rings as well, and square taper bottom brackets are due late Summer. So, yeah......doing repairs is even getting dicey. This situation with regard to local bicycle shops is getting really tenuous. If we cannot sell new bicycles because there are none and if we cannot repair your old bicycles because parts are nonexistent, what then? 

Strange days indeed. 

That's a wrap for this week. get out and ride if ya can!

Friday News And Views

Canyon's new Grizl gravel adventure bike.

 Canyon Bikes Debuts New Gravel Adventure Rig:

 Canyon Bikes, the direct to consumer brand, has announced a new 'gravel adventure' bike (I'll comment on that later here) which has a carbon frame for now, but will have a less expensive aluminum framed model in the range later on. 

There is room for 50mm tires without fenders and 45mm tires with fenders. The bike comes with fork mounts for extra bottles or the "Anything Cage" type racks. Models will be offered in 1X or 2x drive train set ups with Di2 Shimano GRX 800 being the top of the range for the time being. GRX 400 ten speed equipped Grizl's go for just North of 2G.

Comments: Hoo boy! A Canyon gravel rig without the ding-dong, two-tiered handle bar/stem unit? Yes! But enthusiasm may become a bit tempered here since Canyon uses a 1 1/4' steer tube diameter, meaning that 'normal' stems do not retrofit to this bike. Yep! Gotta get a Canyon stem or pretty much nothing else. This means things like a Redshift ShockStop stem will not go on this bike. That's kind of a big deal if you are aiming this bike at the rougher side of gravel travel. 

Secondly, the geometry chart for the Grizl lays out a bizarre set of numbers. A big bottom bracket drop here which is 75mm on larger sized bikes in the range. Then if you notice the head tube angle- a crazy steep 72.5°! Remember early 29"ers? Those bikes had 72° - 73° head tube angles and shorter offset forks which were roundly criticized for some poor handling traits. This led to 29"ers getting progressively more slack in the head tube angles to, where now with adventure based 29"ers, (what few there are), we have anywhere in the higher 60's for head tube angles with slightly longer offsets. Wouldn't it make more sense then to have a slacker head tube angle and longer offset fork on a gravel bike than something in the 72+ degree range? While one should not completely dismiss a bike solely based upon the numbers, this is a bad look for Canyon, in my opinion. 

There is a lot to like here about the new Grizl, but there are a couple of critical concerns which, even though the price seems attractive, would make me choose elsewhere. I'd like to see a 71° head angle here on larger sizes with a 50+mm offset fork. I'd like to choose my own stem, thank you, and not some over-sized stem which, if you buy into the bigger diameter = stiffer component handle bar theories, is the wrong direction to go here. These opinions are based upon a lot of years of testing bikes and riding gravel roads. Your mileage may vary.....

I get that Canyon thinks this design is a more MTB flavored gravel option, but would they design a hard tail XC/Adventure bike like this? (The answer is no: All their XC oriented hard tails are sub-70 degree head angle bikes.) So why put goofy geometry, which has proven to be sub-standard elsewhere, on an "adventure gravel" rig? I don't know......

When do we go to "MTB Drop Bar Bike" and forget about "gravel"?

Slicing Up A Segment:

 As mentioned above with Canyon, many marketing departments are busy trying to sell you more than 'just a gravel bike'. Now you have to have a racing gravel bike, or an adventure gravel bike, or whatever other nuanced version of the 'all-road' bike (that was never meant to become a mountain trail going rig) type of bike. The companies selling these rigs are trying to appeal to those who are not into the extreme geometry/activities version of mountain biking. A style of mountain biking that some of these very same companies helped to grow over the past 20 years.  

I've written about this many times before, but the high-end, decent handling, comfortable hard tail MTB with a rigid fork pretty much died out in the late 2000's. 29"ers represented the last good bikes in this category. Bikes like Salsa's El Mariachi, Niner Bikes SIR 9, (which is still around), Redline's Monocog, and others with rigid forks made great 'all-arounders'. But they fell prey to expensive, longer travel suspension forks, the 'long-low-slack' geometry trend, and 1X drive trains that limit speed on flatter terrain and smoother down hills. While those bikes are great, they came in at the expense of those previous hard tail designs which disappeared.

Instead of a return to what was great about hard tail MTB's, we see companies trying to reach back into this category via 'gravel' with drop bar designs. Bikes similar to Fargos, but more 'road-ish', if you will. It's as if 30+ years of great hard tail MTB design never happened. I find it odd, but more than this, I find that companies trying to invent more niche categories within the umbrella of 'gravel' rather telling. 

First of all, most trends in cycling end up this way because the marketing wonks still haven't figured out how to get the non-cycling public interested in cycling. You know, things might grow more if we just made our streets safer. Things might grow for cycling if we had less emphasis on cars and more on the alternative forms of moving folks, cycling included. Tie in the physical and mental health benefits, the other pluses of cycling, and grow the pie from that angle. Your new "more MTB-ish grav-grav bike" is not going to do diddly-squat in terms of making 'new cyclists'. 

Sorry- not sorry.

Not what you want to keep seeing......

A Quick Update On The Guitar Ted Lube-Off:

I thought I'd give you all a quick update on how things are going with the lubricants in this edition of the 'Guitar Ted Lube-Off', my simple look at what lubricant is best for a bicycle chain being used for gravel grinding.

You might recall that I am using NFS 'Blue Devil" lube and the SCC Tech Lube. I used both lubricants on new Wippermann chains and one, the SCC Tech, is on the noble GX5 and the Blue Devil lube is on the pink MCD. 

Well, NFS says you'll get a bit of a dark residue off their lube but that it doesn't 'gunk up' and collect dirt or whatnot. Yeaaaaahhhh......hmmm....let's just say I have not experienced that, not yet anyway. There is a gunk building up very slightly on the jockey wheels and cassette, but I'll give this a few more long rides and then we will see. It has been very dusty out there, so this is a good test of the lubricants. 

The other lube, the SCC Tech, well, that is also leaving a black mark after I do the "\Finger Swipe Test". But again, I'm going to give both of these lubes some grace here and keep on keeping on for a while. I figure on doing about three good rides on each before I give any more first impressions. So far? Not super impressed with either of these lubricants versus DuMonde Tech and Muc-Off C3 Ceramic lubricants. But we will see soon....  

All manner of parts are still rare and hard to get, like rims.

Parts Shortages Persist:

Obviously by now you've all figured out that 2021 is not a good time to be looking for a new bicycle. (Well, in case you haven't....HELLO!) The parts for bicycles are also still hard to find as well, although this changes now with sporadic supplies and quick depletion of that supply due to pent up demand. So, here's the latest.....

Chains and cassettes are still super hard to come by. There was a spurt in supply late in the Winter but most bike shops grabbed what there was for upcoming seasonal repairs and stock lists as of this writing show nothing available. Last year it was 7-8 speed stuff but this year everything is really hard to find. 

Another perennial out of stock item is tires. 26 inch tires have had a run on them since the beginning of 2020 and it hasn't let up. The good news is that a stock of 26"ers just hit the states and has reached distributors and shops right now. I suspect that this bubble of supply will be gone in a couple weeks or less. You know things are bad here when powerhouse distributor, Quality Bicycle Products, puts up the pile of Maxxis 26"ers they got on all their social media channels.  Twenty-six inch tires! Something to get excited about in 2021? Who'd a thunk it? 

Crank sets are non-existent, chain rings as well, and square taper bottom brackets are due late Summer. So, yeah......doing repairs is even getting dicey. This situation with regard to local bicycle shops is getting really tenuous. If we cannot sell new bicycles because there are none and if we cannot repair your old bicycles because parts are nonexistent, what then? 

Strange days indeed. 

That's a wrap for this week. get out and ride if ya can!

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Shimano Social Media.

 Mavic Out- Shimano In:

Tuesday it was revealed that Mavic would not be supplying neutral support cars in the Amaury Sports Organization, (conductor of the Tour de France, other major cycling, golf, and motorsports events), races going forward. Mavic had been supplying the nuetral support via their now famous "Yellow Car" since 1973. Mavic, who fell upon hard financial times in recent years, went into receivership, came out with new owners, but no longer has the means to carry on with the traditional support. 

Shimano, a robust company which is has obvious ties to cycling, has stepped in with the "Blue Car" of Shimano Neutral Support and will now serve in that capacity for all Amaury Sports Organization cycling races. 

Comments: Many reactions to this I've seen have been characterized by dismay and a question of whether or not Shimano can be a truly 'neutral' support option for ASO events. So, here's what I have to say in response to those points.....

The traditionalism which is the backbone of Pro Road Racing is not helping the sport to grow. The reaction to the exit of Mavic from its iconic position as a nuetral support in Le Tour is just a symptom of the cancer that lies underneath Pro road racing and should indicate that changes are needed. However; the infrastructure surrounding the monolith which is Pro Road Racing will be tough to move. I mean, the fight to remove the spectacle of 'podium girls' was characterized by far too much resistance by fans of the sport than a modern reading of the room in the 21st Century might indicate. Imagine what those fans would be reacting like if more pressing issues of race relations, gender equity in terms of racing, and fairness were brought to the fore. So, to see the moans of fans when Mavic goes away is to be expected, I suppose. 

And support cars? You all know what I think about that! Now, I wouldn't advocate for an immediate suspension of support cars in the Tour, but why replace Mavic at all? I mean, every team already has a team car. The whole idea of Mavic neutral support came about when in 1972 a team car went down and the principal person at Mavic then decided to loan out a Mavic car to help out. The next year, Mavic neutral support was born. But again, can't we wean these teams off that altogether? I would argue having less cars and motorcycles on route should be the goal, until you have just the Amaury Sports Organization's vehicles out there to facilitate the event. But again- you know where I am coming from with those thoughts. 

Cargo ship image courtesy of Maersk

Evidence That 2020 Might Be A Bit Tight On Parts:

I've been banging on about this for weeks now, but that doesn't mean I am done yet talking about how hard it is going to be to get parts (and complete bikes) in 2021. The shortages are real, and they will affect all aspects of cycling throughout the year. Lately I've noted several things. Specifics are kept out to protect the folks involved....

• Big brands are allocating bikes where the bigger dealers are and/or where the money is waiting. That means that you probably will not get many, or maybe no chances, at test rides or choices to bargain against. There will be limited stock, so you may have to defer on color choices, or equipment spec. You may have to just take what is there at the time you look, because if you do not, someone else will. And no- there will be no sales. No discounts. And from what I've already had a peek at, prices are up significantly over last season. 
• More Smaller Brands Are Going Consumer Direct:  With bikes at a premium, and bigger brands shutting out small brands on dealer floors, look for more consumer direct marketing. There is a network of delivery being set up now that will deliver bikes 100% assembled and I expect many smaller brands to start using this service. It is a nationwide service and should ease folk's fears about consumer direct sales. With this happening on the horizon I fully expect that these smaller brands will start preselling models for delivery at later dates. Prices will reflect that there will no longer be any 'middleman' or bike shop sales. 
• Parts Are Being Rationed To Bike Shops: I've seen this already. Shops will not be able to order bits and pieces at your whim for delivery tomorrow anymore than Amazon will be able to. All across the board parts will be rationed due to severe shortages. Some niche parts, like fat bike hubs, are being found in short supply, or completely unavailable, as manufacturers concentrate on mainstream parts for common usages. So, chains, tires, cassettes, brake pads- All will be harder to get in 2021. Plan ahead! Far ahead! 
• 2021 Models Will Have shorter Runs And Fewer Variants: With short supply of parts, brands will have to take what they can get for 2021, and in some cases I already know that choices are limited to one spec on a model which may have had three to four spec choices in the past. Again- if you see the bike in the right size- you may have to just buy it. Even if you hate the color and don't like the spec, unless you can wait until 2022. 

Here's another chunk of evidence. This from the Niner Bikes folks. Read their take on things here.

The Emporia GA Pro Silver Edition wheel.

HED Offers Polished Silver Wheels:

In a land of black anodized components, HED offering a silver edition of their Emporia GA Pro wheels is 'news'. back in 1990, that news would have been met with a solid chorus of 'So what?!!" Why? Because back then, it was black, not silver, which was the oddball anodization color for components. In fact, when Shimano got into the high end road bike market, it made a splash when it debuted with black anodized Dura Ace parts. Weirdos! Didn't they know that road bike parts are always silver? (Yes- actually that was the predominant thinking back then)

Well, that may help you understand why it is that in 2021 when silver anodized anything is seen as weird. In a sea of black anodized bits and baubles, the way to make your limited edition wheels stand out is to make them silver. And not just silver, but polished silver, for that gleaming, sparkly look. 

Actually, Velocity USA has offered polished silver as an option for years. I happen to have a nice set of A23 wheels in polished silver. But that doesn't make silver common, not by a long shot, and when you see all the modernistic design put into today's components, you most often see black, or worse, flat black. Gah! That's the worst of all. I wish more classic design and silver anodization would come back. That would be a refreshing change from the post-modern style of plastiky looking, boring black stuff that is put out there now. 

Maybe one reason we see so much black and not the silver, smooth, glowing anodization we used to see is that there has to be a lot of polishing done to the surface to gain that smooth, chrome-like look. If you are a fan of Velocity stuff, you may know they charge a not insignificant fee for the polished look. Similarly, these HED wheels cost more due to the silver polished appearance. So, from that standpoint, I get why black is all we see, but I am willing to bet that many people would be willing to pay the price if the latest stuff was offered in silver- and if it looked classy- not like some art project gone wrong. 

Public Service Announcement: 

 

It was brought to my attention this past week via social media that some people missed that I am no longer producing, putting on, or devising events for people to come ride. 

 

I decided to retire from those endeavors since I was put into a spot during 2020 where the pandemic kind of took all of those old habits of producing events off my plate. I had no choice, really. I couldn't in good conscious put on any sort of an event. 

 

This in turn led to many miles of riding alone, contemplating my life, amongst other things. After some time went by, I came to realize that I was enjoying riding my bicycles a lot more. I wasn't thinking about events or what they demanded from me to put on. I didn't have deadlines to meet. I didn't have loose ends to tie up. I could just ride my bicycles. And.......it turns out I had a lot more fun doing that than I had been having recently with regard to events production. 

 

I realized I had been doing this- putting together routes and events- for 15+ years. That's a long time to have a lot on your mind. I figured I had done my best to give a lot of folks an experience. Experiences that I hope made a difference in their lives. But I had to call an end to it once I realized that it was just time to turn the page on that part of my life. I was an event director, a 'race director', if you will. I've done that. I don't need to keep pushing into that as I've accomplished a lot of goals for myself, learned loads, and pretty much have mined that vein out. Now I will be turning to other challenges. 

 

So, if you missed coming to one of my events over the years, but always wanted to 'someday', well, let this be a lesson. There is no "Someday". That is a myth constructed to make you miss out on growing and doing. (See yesterday's post!) There is only "Today", and if the opportunities of Today are there, there is no guarantee that they will be in the future. Best to grab that bull by the horns and go do it. Everyone is different in this respect, so I cannot say anything specific for you. Just don't put "it" off, whatever that "it" is for you.

That's it for this week. Have a safe and active weekend!

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Shimano Social Media.

 Mavic Out- Shimano In:

Tuesday it was revealed that Mavic would not be supplying neutral support cars in the Amaury Sports Organization, (conductor of the Tour de France, other major cycling, golf, and motorsports events), races going forward. Mavic had been supplying the nuetral support via their now famous "Yellow Car" since 1973. Mavic, who fell upon hard financial times in recent years, went into receivership, came out with new owners, but no longer has the means to carry on with the traditional support. 

Shimano, a robust company which is has obvious ties to cycling, has stepped in with the "Blue Car" of Shimano Neutral Support and will now serve in that capacity for all Amaury Sports Organization cycling races. 

Comments: Many reactions to this I've seen have been characterized by dismay and a question of whether or not Shimano can be a truly 'neutral' support option for ASO events. So, here's what I have to say in response to those points.....

The traditionalism which is the backbone of Pro Road Racing is not helping the sport to grow. The reaction to the exit of Mavic from its iconic position as a nuetral support in Le Tour is just a symptom of the cancer that lies underneath Pro road racing and should indicate that changes are needed. However; the infrastructure surrounding the monolith which is Pro Road Racing will be tough to move. I mean, the fight to remove the spectacle of 'podium girls' was characterized by far too much resistance by fans of the sport than a modern reading of the room in the 21st Century might indicate. Imagine what those fans would be reacting like if more pressing issues of race relations, gender equity in terms of racing, and fairness were brought to the fore. So, to see the moans of fans when Mavic goes away is to be expected, I suppose. 

And support cars? You all know what I think about that! Now, I wouldn't advocate for an immediate suspension of support cars in the Tour, but why replace Mavic at all? I mean, every team already has a team car. The whole idea of Mavic neutral support came about when in 1972 a team car went down and the principal person at Mavic then decided to loan out a Mavic car to help out. The next year, Mavic neutral support was born. But again, can't we wean these teams off that altogether? I would argue having less cars and motorcycles on route should be the goal, until you have just the Amaury Sports Organization's vehicles out there to facilitate the event. But again- you know where I am coming from with those thoughts. 

Cargo ship image courtesy of Maersk

Evidence That 2020 Might Be A Bit Tight On Parts:

I've been banging on about this for weeks now, but that doesn't mean I am done yet talking about how hard it is going to be to get parts (and complete bikes) in 2021. The shortages are real, and they will affect all aspects of cycling throughout the year. Lately I've noted several things. Specifics are kept out to protect the folks involved....

• Big brands are allocating bikes where the bigger dealers are and/or where the money is waiting. That means that you probably will not get many, or maybe no chances, at test rides or choices to bargain against. There will be limited stock, so you may have to defer on color choices, or equipment spec. You may have to just take what is there at the time you look, because if you do not, someone else will. And no- there will be no sales. No discounts. And from what I've already had a peek at, prices are up significantly over last season. 
• More Smaller Brands Are Going Consumer Direct:  With bikes at a premium, and bigger brands shutting out small brands on dealer floors, look for more consumer direct marketing. There is a network of delivery being set up now that will deliver bikes 100% assembled and I expect many smaller brands to start using this service. It is a nationwide service and should ease folk's fears about consumer direct sales. With this happening on the horizon I fully expect that these smaller brands will start preselling models for delivery at later dates. Prices will reflect that there will no longer be any 'middleman' or bike shop sales. 
• Parts Are Being Rationed To Bike Shops: I've seen this already. Shops will not be able to order bits and pieces at your whim for delivery tomorrow anymore than Amazon will be able to. All across the board parts will be rationed due to severe shortages. Some niche parts, like fat bike hubs, are being found in short supply, or completely unavailable, as manufacturers concentrate on mainstream parts for common usages. So, chains, tires, cassettes, brake pads- All will be harder to get in 2021. Plan ahead! Far ahead! 
• 2021 Models Will Have shorter Runs And Fewer Variants: With short supply of parts, brands will have to take what they can get for 2021, and in some cases I already know that choices are limited to one spec on a model which may have had three to four spec choices in the past. Again- if you see the bike in the right size- you may have to just buy it. Even if you hate the color and don't like the spec, unless you can wait until 2022. 

Here's another chunk of evidence. This from the Niner Bikes folks. Read their take on things here.

The Emporia GA Pro Silver Edition wheel.

HED Offers Polished Silver Wheels:

In a land of black anodized components, HED offering a silver edition of their Emporia GA Pro wheels is 'news'. back in 1990, that news would have been met with a solid chorus of 'So what?!!" Why? Because back then, it was black, not silver, which was the oddball anodization color for components. In fact, when Shimano got into the high end road bike market, it made a splash when it debuted with black anodized Dura Ace parts. Weirdos! Didn't they know that road bike parts are always silver? (Yes- actually that was the predominant thinking back then)

Well, that may help you understand why it is that in 2021 when silver anodized anything is seen as weird. In a sea of black anodized bits and baubles, the way to make your limited edition wheels stand out is to make them silver. And not just silver, but polished silver, for that gleaming, sparkly look. 

Actually, Velocity USA has offered polished silver as an option for years. I happen to have a nice set of A23 wheels in polished silver. But that doesn't make silver common, not by a long shot, and when you see all the modernistic design put into today's components, you most often see black, or worse, flat black. Gah! That's the worst of all. I wish more classic design and silver anodization would come back. That would be a refreshing change from the post-modern style of plastiky looking, boring black stuff that is put out there now. 

Maybe one reason we see so much black and not the silver, smooth, glowing anodization we used to see is that there has to be a lot of polishing done to the surface to gain that smooth, chrome-like look. If you are a fan of Velocity stuff, you may know they charge a not insignificant fee for the polished look. Similarly, these HED wheels cost more due to the silver polished appearance. So, from that standpoint, I get why black is all we see, but I am willing to bet that many people would be willing to pay the price if the latest stuff was offered in silver- and if it looked classy- not like some art project gone wrong. 

Public Service Announcement: 

 

It was brought to my attention this past week via social media that some people missed that I am no longer producing, putting on, or devising events for people to come ride. 

 

I decided to retire from those endeavors since I was put into a spot during 2020 where the pandemic kind of took all of those old habits of producing events off my plate. I had no choice, really. I couldn't in good conscious put on any sort of an event. 

 

This in turn led to many miles of riding alone, contemplating my life, amongst other things. After some time went by, I came to realize that I was enjoying riding my bicycles a lot more. I wasn't thinking about events or what they demanded from me to put on. I didn't have deadlines to meet. I didn't have loose ends to tie up. I could just ride my bicycles. And.......it turns out I had a lot more fun doing that than I had been having recently with regard to events production. 

 

I realized I had been doing this- putting together routes and events- for 15+ years. That's a long time to have a lot on your mind. I figured I had done my best to give a lot of folks an experience. Experiences that I hope made a difference in their lives. But I had to call an end to it once I realized that it was just time to turn the page on that part of my life. I was an event director, a 'race director', if you will. I've done that. I don't need to keep pushing into that as I've accomplished a lot of goals for myself, learned loads, and pretty much have mined that vein out. Now I will be turning to other challenges. 

 

So, if you missed coming to one of my events over the years, but always wanted to 'someday', well, let this be a lesson. There is no "Someday". That is a myth constructed to make you miss out on growing and doing. (See yesterday's post!) There is only "Today", and if the opportunities of Today are there, there is no guarantee that they will be in the future. Best to grab that bull by the horns and go do it. Everyone is different in this respect, so I cannot say anything specific for you. Just don't put "it" off, whatever that "it" is for you.

That's it for this week. Have a safe and active weekend!