Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles

New Timberjack Model:

Salsa Cycles revealed earlier this week that it has a new Timberjack model out. It features a Deore SLX 12 speed 1X drive train and a Rock Shox Psylo Silver fork with 140mm of travel. 

The 6061 T-6 aluminum frame feattures fully lined internal routing, a dropper post route, and plenty of accessory mounts. The bike also has the Alternator V2 drop outs for single speed or varying your wheel base. 

This model is set up with 29" wheels but Timberjacks can also support 27.5"er wheels and tires as well. The Timberjack Deore SLX is listed at $1,699.00 USD. You can see more on this bike HERE. 

Salsa also announced new Rangefinder models. These are Salsa's entry level hardtail MTB's with prices ranging from $899.00 to $1,499.00 in varying spec and colors with 27.5" and 29" wheels. Check those out HERE. 

Finally, Salsa also announced that they now offer a UDH compatible Alternator drop out. See your Salsa dealer for details. 

Blogs Making A Comeback?

Recently I have noticed a very small bit of chatter online concerning social media platforms, content creation, and the desire for created content to have more accessibility and permanence. It seems that many people are seeing certain social media platform owners as being not very palatable, and also there is a feeling of missing connections with prospective viewers/readers due to how social media platforms operate. Content can be dropped and can be buried in a feed quickly, making its impact of little import. 

So, there has been talk of people resurrecting, or creating blogs again. I saw one such instance where a blog which had been dormant since 2012 was started up again. Others are also thinking along these lines and some are pointing to content sites like Substack as a venue for more permanent content holding. 

There used to be a thriving network of cycling related bloggers which one could "make the rounds" on every day or weekly, depending on how often a creator uploaded content. That all died away in the late 2000's when Facebook basically took that role over. However; now many see that social media site as less than optimal. Many see the owner, "Mr Z", as being a person they do not wish to support by using the site. 

Another facet of this may be the disappearance of physical media, the lack of any quality, free centralized informative cycling sites or publications online, and the wish for reading material versus videos. Many have cited videos as being tiring and not how they want to connect. I don't know, but if blogging makes a comeback, I'm here for it. 

They say what comes around goes around....

Image courtesy of Dirtsixer's Instagram

Will 32" Tires Become A Thing?

Dirtysixer, a small company specializing in larger diameter wheeled bicycles, has shown a new tire from Maxxis on one of their gravel bike models recently with a promise that this tire will be available from Dirtysixer on their 32"er wheeled gravel and MTB models. 

Comments: The tire, an Aspen, would make sense from the perspective of being good at gravel, dirt, and broken up surfaces. The tire is a versatile model, very popular in Maxxis' range, and should be a very good performer. 

However; it is what this says about the future of 32" wheels which is possibly of more importance. Understanding that a company like Maxxis isn't going to open a new mold willy-nilly. No, they don't do things like this unless they plan on selling a lot of tires. 

It would seem to me, knowing what I know from the past and 29"er development, that someone else other than Dirtsixer is interested in doing 32"er bikes. Of course, that could be any brand out there, but if I had to guess, I would exclude Trek, Giant, Specialized, and Cannondale off the top. Now certainly, it is entirely possible I am wrong, but usually bigger companies wait on trends to see if they will take hold before stripping away resources from somewhere else to develop a heretofore unknown quantity. 

We will see. Next time you are riding in a big gravel event, look closely at those taller riders. If they are on a Dirtysixer, you may get a close-up of this new Maxxis tire, or the Vee Tire model also being offered in 32" by Dirtysixer. Happy tire spotting!

Image courtesy of Twin Six

A Gravel Road Themed T-Shirt:

Twin Six, the Minneapolis, Minnesota based apparel company, usually launches a "T-shirt of the Month" every 6th of any given month. They have been doing this for years now.  

February's T-shirt of the Month is a gravel road themed design that I have not seen the likes of from Twin Six. In fact, it may be their first ever gravel road oriented t-shirt design. I cannot think of another from the past, but I could be wrong. 

For what it is worth, these Twin Six offerings are fantastic t-shirts. I just got one last year in the Fall (Bicycle riding Jesus) and it feels great and launders well. These shirts from Twin Six run around 28 bucks and should last you for years. 

Okay, so you are probably thinking I'm getting one of these. And I would, but for a hang-up I have with light colored/white t-shirts. I refuse to wear light colored/white t's. I just can't do it. I feel horrible in almost any color that isn't black, but I have been known to wear dark blue, dark grey, maroon, and maybe a few other colors here and there. But yeah.....I wish this woulda been a black T-shirt. But it isn't It's "Oatmeal". 

sigh!

Get yours if you don't have a hang-up like mine soon because Twin Six only does these T's of the Month in limited quantities. 

That's a wrap on this week's FN&V! Now get out there and ride a bicycle!

Friday News And Views

Will Holidays Prop Up Bicycle Industry's Season?

Sluggish sales in many categories have plagued the cycling industry all of 2024. So-called "Black Friday" sales offers and discounts have been piling up in this writer's inbox the entire month of November. I've even seen discounts on already discounted bikes! Deep discounts are tempting, but many seem to be reticent to let go of those funds in their accounts. 

Further muddying the waters are the results of the recent national election which many fear will increase costs to consumers of cycling goods by way of proposed tariffs. Seeing as how most of the stuff cyclists want and consume come from foreign manufacturers, this seems to be a reasonable fear for the cycling consumer. 

Since many consumers are already saying prices are too high, it would seem that any actions taken by the government which would end up increasing the costs of foreign made goods would only further erode consumer's motivations to buy in 2025. Of course, nothing has happened yet, and it may not happen, in regard to the proposed government actions on tariffs. So, we will just have to wait until 2025 and see what really happens. 

In the meantime, are you considering buying now instead of later due to this fear of tariff action? Respond in the comments if you care to sound off.

Trek Lime ...Or Is It Lemon?:

In the late 2000's Shimano introduced a three speed internal geared hub which was shifted by a control box electronically. The power to make this work was from a generator hub in the front wheel. The rider only had to pedal and when certain speeds were met the shifter control box would make a gearing change by way of a servo motor than pulled a short length of cable to work the hub gears. 

The system had one of Shimano's roller brakes for stopping power. The design also incorporated several visual cues, the most obvious being big, shiny spherical covers over the axles. Shimano marketed it as a group for everyday cycling and for fun. They called it "Coasting". While several companies may have bought into this idea, I only ever saw Treks and Raleighs that were outfitted with the group. 

Recently a Trek Lime with this Coasting set up was donated to the Collective. I noted that it was not shifting. So, as a guitar player I am thinking, "Check all the electronic connections first!", because it is something which can easily be addressed and usually is the issue. Okay, the front generator connector was simple to check. But not so for the shifting mechanism. The shifter box has a cover which has two small Phillips type fasteners, one on each side. Trek put the shifter box under the bike and slightly behind the bottom bracket. They also designed a chain case for this model. The chain case is held on by the flange of the bottom bracket cartridge, and guess what I had to do to access that inner screw on the control box.....

My finger is pointing to where the screw is under the chain case. Had Trek designers just given a bit of access to allow for removal of the shifter box cover, "all I would have had to do" was remove the outer part of the chain case and the crank arm, but noooooo! You have to take the bottom bracket and left crank arm off as well. 

Dumb! 

By the way, the connection was fine. It turns out that the shift point adjustment screw can be adjusted so the bike will not shift. 

Also dumb.

I won't mention the absolutely fantastic rear wheel retention system which utilizes eight fasteners you must remove to get the wheel out to fix a flat tire. Yeah..... This isn't a Lime, it is a lemon! But it works now, so.....

Unbound Announces Qualifying Events :

Last week Unbound sent out a press release showing the qualifying events for a spot in Unbound Gravel events in 2025, 2026, and 2027. Those events that will be a part of the qualifying for Unbound Gravel are as follows:

- April 11, 2025: Life Time Sea Otter Classic Gravel (90 mile) in Monterey, California
- July 12, 2025: Life Time Crusher in the Tushar (70 mile) in Beaver, Utah
- August 10, 2025: Heathland Gravel (100 mile) in Lindburg, Belgium
- September 27, 2025: Life Time Rad Dirt Fest (70 mile and 110 mile) in Trinidad,
Colorado
- October 18, 2025: Life Time Big Sugar Gravel (100 mile) in Bentonville, Arkansas

How it works: Each event will have 50 spots up for grabs. Half of those will go to the top finishers in each category of the event in question. Then the other half of available entries will go to winners of a random draw from a pool of the race's competitors. Winners of entries will be guaranteed a spot on the roster of the Unbound Gravel event that follows the event in question on the calendar. So, as an example, if you won an entry in the 2025 Heathland Gravel event you would be getting a guaranteed entry to the 2026 Unbound Gravel event. 

According to my source at Unbound Gravel this system will carry through at least until the 2026 qualifier events have been held. So the 2027 Unbound Gravel event would be the final event that would carry on with winners of these qualifiers in this format unless things get renewed/changed. 

Comments: This is not "Earth shattering" news by any stretch, but the time stamp for the format is an interesting tidbit. Without saying so, this would indicate to me that Unbound Gravel has no plans currently to become a UCI affiliated gravel event. And from what we already know, it could not carry on as the event is currently formatted if it were a UCI sanctioned event for many reasons, not the least of which is that Unbound's premier distance is about 75 miles too long for the UCI's tastes. 

With the prestige which Unbound holds in gravel cycling's professional ranks, and the allure which it has for the under-classes, the current formatting of Unbound seems prudent to continue. It would appear that will be the case for at least a few years.

Image by Ben Witt

New Teravail MTB Tire Soon?:

Ben Witt of Heath Creek Cycles showed off his new Sklar mountain bike recently on social media. It was noted that the tires are Teravail "Prototype" tires. When a commenter asked Ben about these his reply was that there would be more information coming soon. 

Comments: There are not a lot of "new" 29"er tires coming out anymore because we've had a solid 20 years of development in the size and most "good" tread designs have already been done and copied several times by this point. 

So, it will be interesting to read about what will set this aggressive appearing 29"er tire apart from the crowded MTB tire market. I'm sure there are some interesting details, but from what I can see of the tread design, it doesn't seem that radical or innovative. 

Cropped from an image by Ben Witt

I will say that these Sklar bikes look really cool. Ben is selling them through his Heath Creek Cycles shop and you can check out this bike you see there at Heat Creek Cycles. 

The danger for me would be that I happen to know that Ben sets his bikes up almost to the gnat's eyebrow to how I would, so this bike you see would most definitely fit me as it sits. But don't dismay if you are not a size Large person because Ben has some other Sklars in the shop as well as his being able to order you one if you'd like. 

Interesting note: The 'tall bike' Ben had at Mid-South was built by Sklar but is not a "Sklar Bikes" frame. I know.....weird. But it seemed pretty dialed in and it looked great, so I can only imagine how well these real Sklars are to behold and ride. 

PSA: The Blog Is About To Go Chaotic!

Next week will be double posted almost everyday. This will be due to the addition of the Virtual Turkey Burn Ride Reports, some breaking news on Tuesday, and regular end-of-year stuff I have to squeeze in as well.

This means you probably will need to scroll down the page to make sure that you do not miss anything. You may need two cups of coffee and toast to get through it all. You may roll your eyes and click off to go to another site. 

I don't know, but this message is to let you know one last time that there will be a LOT of content from here on out. So hold on and get comfortable, because things are about to go nuts here!

That's all for this "black Friday" edition of the FN&V. Get out there and burn off a few calories by riding a bicycle this weekend. Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Friday News And Views

Virtual Turkey Burn Challenge Update:

Well, this time next week it will be on! The Virtual Turkey Burn Challenge will be happening all over the place. I'm excited to see where reports will be coming from, but I have had some off-line confirmations and comments elsewhere that lead me to believe that this could be the biggest turnout to date!

Riders living in Tennessee, Nebraska, Kansas, Washington, (the state) and even Spain have indicated to me that they will be taking part in this challenge. 

Wow! Even if these rides don't happen I am really honored and humbled that people are taking this seriously. And I'm sure these folks are 100% in for the challenge, I'm just saying that the mere thought that folks are excited about this is very meaningful to me. Thank you all! 

I'm watching the weather very carefully and trying to get my best shot in. I know weather can be tricky here in the Mid-West this time of the year, and darkness is a thing to contend with as well. So, we will see how it all falls out in a week and some days. 

Meanwhile, if all these folks and some surprise additions come in, I will have to take stock and jam in a lot of reports in a schedule jam-packed with stuff I have to get through for the end-of-year here. It'll be ......interesting! 

Gravel Worlds News:

Gravel Worlds announced last week that they are bringing back the 1000 Women of Gravel initiative where the Gravel Worlds team will try to raise up 1000 female participants across all categories of the event including the new Gravel Triathlon and Duathlon events, both of which are USA Cycling national championship events. 

Gravel Worlds also announced HED Cycling as their official wheel partner for the event as well. Finally, the organization claimed their original web address, "gravelworlds.com" again, which they had lost for several years. 

A Gentle Reminder: 

You've probably noticed that the "end-of-year" posts have kicked in already, but in case you haven't, I just wanted to take a quick minute to remind you all that this past week is pretty much what the rest of the year will look like here. 

I will be reviewing people, bikes, and my experiences throughout 2024. This will be in addition to the 20th anniversary of the blog reviews that are happening about weekly now also. 

Fridays will still be like this, and I will interject news and ride reports where they need to be as they happen. So, if this isn't your cup of tea, I will be back on a "regular schedule" in January. If you are up for the end-of-year stuff, hang on! I've got plenty to cover in the next several weeks! 

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

DT Swiss, Shutter Precision Collaborate On New Dynamo Gravel Wheelset:

News popped up on Wednesday of this week regarding a new DT Swiss offering in conjunction with dynamo hub producer, Shutter Precision. 

The new DT Swiss hub has Shuuter Precision's internals to provide light on demand for any gravel/adventure rider. The hub will be offered on its own as well as a part of two different 350 hub based gravel wheel sets with aluminum rims. 

According to this report I read, the hubs and wheels are beginning to be available now, although for some areas of the world it may take until the end of this year for hubs and wheels to show up in consumer's hands. 

Comments: This should be a great deal, especially the pre-built 1600 and 1800 level wheel sets, for gravel riders. The only downside is that you will need to configure a wiring route suitable for your bike, install it, and buy a head lamp suitable for the dynamo hub. It is initially an expensive proposition, and it is tempting to think a self-contained LED based torch is easier. However; I have both systems and I never fail to be satisfied with my dynamo set up due to its ease of use and care-free nature regarding the need to maintain battery power, as you will have to do with a self-contained LED set up. 

However; you are tethered to THAT one wheel and bike set up. So, if you have multiple bikes you want to use, a self-contained LED set-up will be more efficient and less expensive overall. Plus if that hub goes down, you are without a bike and a light system. While Shutter Precision lights enjoy a reasonably good reputation, my research turned up some issues regarding these hubs and Winter riding in specific. Now DT Swiss' version uses straight-up Shutter Precision guts, but the hub shell and bearings are perhaps a better quality than the original. Hard to say at this point. 

New Episode Dropped!

N.Y. Roll and I had shiggy back on again to talk about tubeless tire stuff. You can check out the new episode HERE. 

We get into some - perhaps long forgotten - tubeless history. Then we talk about tires a bit, rim design, air pressures, and how we mount tires. There are a lot of tips and tricks shared here. 

Then we get into sealants and which work, which do not work, and I even give out MG's Secret Tubeless Formula so you can make your own sauce if you want to. 

Next up we may do a recap of Cold Weather Riding Tips with some updates to that. If you have any questions about the tubeless episode which we did not touch upon, or new questions about cold weather riding, let me know. 

I'm thinking we may squeeze in two more episodes before our Winter break. The last episode will be a recap of 2024 and the gravel scene, most likely. I expect our last episodes to drop in the beginning of December. That will close out Season #2 and we plan on Season #3 to start sometime in mid to late January. 

As always, thanks for reading and get out there and ride those bicycles!

Announcing The Twentieth Anniversary Celebration Of Guitar Ted Productions

Today I am announcing that in mid-May, next month, I will start my Twentieth Anniversary here of blogging. Twenty years! It is hard to believe that it has been THAT many years. 

Throughout the rest of 2024 and beginning of 2025, until mid-May next year, I will periodically be doing some special things to mark the occasion. 

This will definitely include my special "20th Anniversary Headers" which will recap each of the semi-permanent headers used during most of the first ten years of this blog's existence. These will be replicas of the headers with special 20th anniversary marking.

Don't worry if you are a fan of the constantly rotating header as I will still be interspersing those as the year goes on as well. 

I may also offer some other things to celebrate such as stickers, a t-shirt design, and maybe some other stuff. Maybe.... Stickers are almost a given at this point just because I like stickers! But there will be posts all throughout the 20th Anniversary year looking back on certain aspects of the blog, re-postings of popular themes and maybe even posts that were significant throughout those years. Throughout all of it, I hope that some of you will enjoy seeing where this blog, and myself, have been and how it all ended up here. 

Over the course of twenty years much has changed in our worlds and in cycling in particular. Specifically to this blog, the two themes of 29"ers and gravel bikes and events were certainly central to the writing here. I'll aim to cover it all as the blog showed it coming up soon. If you have any suggestions for topics, or questions, please let me know in the comments or email me at g.ted.productions@gmail.com. 

Notice: A special Gravel Grinder News post will show up here at 8:00am 4/16/24 due to an embargo.

Randomonium

 NOTE: Okay folks, if you haven't been around long enough here to know what a "Randomonium" post is, then here is the deal. I ramble, rant, and randomly moan about all things cycling in one, incohesive, bizarre post. "Randomonium", okay?

The top one was first, then I opened the second one, both from the same Chinese take-out meal.

With all the end-of-year stuff going on I figured I would take this opportunity to do a little catching up around here. So, without any real cohesiveness to this post, (Random- get it?), I will do just that- catch y'all up on the latest goings on here at Guitar Ted Productions.

So, the weather! What the heck! It was awesome for three days last week, as in far too nice for December, and then it got downright December-like, just without the snow. I got a ride in Monday, but Tuesday and especially on Wednesday I did not plan on cycling due to the big winds. By the way, we did not have any real significant damage from Wednesday night's storms. Some folks in Iowa had tornadoes though. 

On a side note: If you hadn't heard yet, Andy's Bike Shop is out of business, so I am job-less at the moment. But I have picked up a very part-time gig as a mover. Yes.....it's odd, but a friend works at this place and they are desperate for help and I said I could lend a hand. That said, I have a prospect which -if it works out- may be the direction I decide to go in for the future. Stay tuned...... 

Projects:

I've been busy doing some clearing out of old stuff and clearing out some space for a long-planned 'hobby' I am pursuing. (More on that when I am ready), but along the way I've had to start trying to decide what to do with some stuff around here. 

It's not easy, because after nearly 20 years of doing review stuff and after all this time in the bike shop, I have accumulated a lot of 'stuff' I figured was valuable at one point or another. I have a bad habit of being a 'pack-rat' and justifying it on the odd occasions when I hold up a very obscure part or tool and 'save the day' on a repair. But......is carrying all this obscure inventory worth the bother? 

And I know that the answer to that question- most often- is "No". So, coming to terms with these decisions is what really is going on here. But suffice it to say that I have committed to clearing out a bunch of stuff around here and maybe a few of the items worth 'something' will show up on the garage sale page here. We'll see.

I have enough parts to turn some of this into complete bicycles, but I think I will only do that in one case for now. I figure on getting that old 'gravel mutt' I spray bombed up and running as a townie with fenders. If I can score a rack for it I will, and then maybe put a trunk bag on it for smaller items. 

If it works out I may retire the barn-built Trek from errand duties and do a 650B conversion on it. Then that would end up eventually becoming the light-touring/rando/gravel rig. If that happens it will be a huge project due to the fact that I will have to braze on some new brake studs and lace up some rim brake wheels, besides getting the rest of the drive train together. 

But I think that old Ishiwata tubed frame has the right geometry for 650B wheels and would make for a great road rig in that configuration. It'd probably be limited to 650B X 42's, but that would be just fine by me. It has been an idea I've had for this bike for a long time. maybe now is the time.....

Meanwhile I think I need to swap out tires on the Raleigh Tamland two and put fenders on that bike. I also have to go through a few of the other bikes in terms of quick tune-ups and cleanings so that I am all set to go for Spring. But there isn't a whole lot to do on that end of things, so that is good. 

It's hard to get a clear image of perpetual motion.

It's Like Herding Cats:

I've been babysitting this new cat, named Felix, quite a bit of late also. He's a ball of kitten energy, of course, but that isn't the biggest issue we are dealing with.

See, we have had a cat, named Minka, and she's full grown, and used to doing things 'her way'. Felix has been, as the young folk say, a 'disrupter' of the status quo around here. And another thing, Felix has no fear. Zero. The fact that Minka can swat him across the room does not faze him in the least. he comes right back for more.

So, Minka, to put a 'swift end' to things, generally gets over Felix's back and bites his neck. Then we have to intervene and the whole thing starts again. It's like refereeing a WWF wrestling match. 

But generally their has been less trouble as the days go by. I figure one cat just has to grow up, calm down a little, and the other has to adjust to the 'new normal'. And the really great thing is that everyone is pitching in to make things work. Well......except the cats, of course!

USAC Names New CEO:

News broke last week that USA Cycling lost its CEO to the mattress company Purple and then made a new hire in Brendan Quirk, who had held a high level executive position at Rapha, and was co-founder of Competitive Cyclist, which was sold to Backcountry.com. 

Quirk has reportedly been on the board of USA Cycling since October and was program director for the Runway Group, and investment group centered on Northwest Arkansas which is headed by the Walton brothers. 

 In an article published in "Velo News", Quirk mentions one of his goals for USAC is to grow 'grassroots cycling" and he mentions the boom in gravel events later in his statement. He also mentions that USAC will be focused heavily on developing new talent for the upcoming 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. 

 Comments: With a wide ranging statement which really did not reveal any new ideas, Quirk hasn't done anything, in my opinion, to make me think that USAC will change much of anything going forward. The focus is on competitive racing and Olympic development, seemingly, and with the resources USAC has, I would be surprised to see much of anything change in regard to that in the near term. 

Obviously, there is a relationship with the Walton family and Northwest Arkansas which, theoretically, could be leveraged to help USAC squeeze their way into the gravel world, but with Life Time Fitness having a big event already there in the Fall, I would be surprised to see any ground gained there. But, I have been surprised before.

And additionally, USAC seems to be the focus for the social issues some people are championing. There was a bit of controversy over a group protesting trans athletes at Cyclo Cross Nationals last week which USAC drew a lot of criticism over for their lack of response to some people who wanted the protests and heckling of athletes to be stopped by USAC. (By the way, is it not strange that a group like Life Time Fitness doesn't see these same issues?) So, USAC will probably see the same scrutiny if they propose something along the lines of a Gravel National Championship. Not to mention the fact that there already is a "Gravel Nationals" put on by the USE. So they'd have to navigate those murky naming rights issues there.

Busy Holiday Time: 

So, that about wraps it up here for now. I had a very busy week last week with Mrs. Guitar Ted and my daughter having birthdays two days apart from each other. The end of this week is Christmas, and then a week after is New Year's and the 2nd of January will be my wedding anniversary. So, lot's happening with my life in this period. 

I may get a few rides in, but typically this period doesn't see me out a whole bunch due to the aforementioned life stuff and whatnot. I'll be back with more riding in the New Year as weather permits. Until that happens, riding reports will be slim here. 

I hope you all have a fantastic week and have an easy time during this busy Holiday stretch. Look for more end-of-year stuff the rest of the week and next as 2022 comes on like a freight train! And as always, thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Randomonium

 NOTE: Okay folks, if you haven't been around long enough here to know what a "Randomonium" post is, then here is the deal. I ramble, rant, and randomly moan about all things cycling in one, incohesive, bizarre post. "Randomonium", okay?

The top one was first, then I opened the second one, both from the same Chinese take-out meal.

With all the end-of-year stuff going on I figured I would take this opportunity to do a little catching up around here. So, without any real cohesiveness to this post, (Random- get it?), I will do just that- catch y'all up on the latest goings on here at Guitar Ted Productions.

So, the weather! What the heck! It was awesome for three days last week, as in far too nice for December, and then it got downright December-like, just without the snow. I got a ride in Monday, but Tuesday and especially on Wednesday I did not plan on cycling due to the big winds. By the way, we did not have any real significant damage from Wednesday night's storms. Some folks in Iowa had tornadoes though. 

On a side note: If you hadn't heard yet, Andy's Bike Shop is out of business, so I am job-less at the moment. But I have picked up a very part-time gig as a mover. Yes.....it's odd, but a friend works at this place and they are desperate for help and I said I could lend a hand. That said, I have a prospect which -if it works out- may be the direction I decide to go in for the future. Stay tuned...... 

Projects:

I've been busy doing some clearing out of old stuff and clearing out some space for a long-planned 'hobby' I am pursuing. (More on that when I am ready), but along the way I've had to start trying to decide what to do with some stuff around here. 

It's not easy, because after nearly 20 years of doing review stuff and after all this time in the bike shop, I have accumulated a lot of 'stuff' I figured was valuable at one point or another. I have a bad habit of being a 'pack-rat' and justifying it on the odd occasions when I hold up a very obscure part or tool and 'save the day' on a repair. But......is carrying all this obscure inventory worth the bother? 

And I know that the answer to that question- most often- is "No". So, coming to terms with these decisions is what really is going on here. But suffice it to say that I have committed to clearing out a bunch of stuff around here and maybe a few of the items worth 'something' will show up on the garage sale page here. We'll see.

I have enough parts to turn some of this into complete bicycles, but I think I will only do that in one case for now. I figure on getting that old 'gravel mutt' I spray bombed up and running as a townie with fenders. If I can score a rack for it I will, and then maybe put a trunk bag on it for smaller items. 

If it works out I may retire the barn-built Trek from errand duties and do a 650B conversion on it. Then that would end up eventually becoming the light-touring/rando/gravel rig. If that happens it will be a huge project due to the fact that I will have to braze on some new brake studs and lace up some rim brake wheels, besides getting the rest of the drive train together. 

But I think that old Ishiwata tubed frame has the right geometry for 650B wheels and would make for a great road rig in that configuration. It'd probably be limited to 650B X 42's, but that would be just fine by me. It has been an idea I've had for this bike for a long time. maybe now is the time.....

Meanwhile I think I need to swap out tires on the Raleigh Tamland two and put fenders on that bike. I also have to go through a few of the other bikes in terms of quick tune-ups and cleanings so that I am all set to go for Spring. But there isn't a whole lot to do on that end of things, so that is good. 

It's hard to get a clear image of perpetual motion.

It's Like Herding Cats:

I've been babysitting this new cat, named Felix, quite a bit of late also. He's a ball of kitten energy, of course, but that isn't the biggest issue we are dealing with.

See, we have had a cat, named Minka, and she's full grown, and used to doing things 'her way'. Felix has been, as the young folk say, a 'disrupter' of the status quo around here. And another thing, Felix has no fear. Zero. The fact that Minka can swat him across the room does not faze him in the least. he comes right back for more.

So, Minka, to put a 'swift end' to things, generally gets over Felix's back and bites his neck. Then we have to intervene and the whole thing starts again. It's like refereeing a WWF wrestling match. 

But generally their has been less trouble as the days go by. I figure one cat just has to grow up, calm down a little, and the other has to adjust to the 'new normal'. And the really great thing is that everyone is pitching in to make things work. Well......except the cats, of course!

USAC Names New CEO:

News broke last week that USA Cycling lost its CEO to the mattress company Purple and then made a new hire in Brendan Quirk, who had held a high level executive position at Rapha, and was co-founder of Competitive Cyclist, which was sold to Backcountry.com. 

Quirk has reportedly been on the board of USA Cycling since October and was program director for the Runway Group, and investment group centered on Northwest Arkansas which is headed by the Walton brothers. 

 In an article published in "Velo News", Quirk mentions one of his goals for USAC is to grow 'grassroots cycling" and he mentions the boom in gravel events later in his statement. He also mentions that USAC will be focused heavily on developing new talent for the upcoming 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. 

 Comments: With a wide ranging statement which really did not reveal any new ideas, Quirk hasn't done anything, in my opinion, to make me think that USAC will change much of anything going forward. The focus is on competitive racing and Olympic development, seemingly, and with the resources USAC has, I would be surprised to see much of anything change in regard to that in the near term. 

Obviously, there is a relationship with the Walton family and Northwest Arkansas which, theoretically, could be leveraged to help USAC squeeze their way into the gravel world, but with Life Time Fitness having a big event already there in the Fall, I would be surprised to see any ground gained there. But, I have been surprised before.

And additionally, USAC seems to be the focus for the social issues some people are championing. There was a bit of controversy over a group protesting trans athletes at Cyclo Cross Nationals last week which USAC drew a lot of criticism over for their lack of response to some people who wanted the protests and heckling of athletes to be stopped by USAC. (By the way, is it not strange that a group like Life Time Fitness doesn't see these same issues?) So, USAC will probably see the same scrutiny if they propose something along the lines of a Gravel National Championship. Not to mention the fact that there already is a "Gravel Nationals" put on by the USE. So they'd have to navigate those murky naming rights issues there.

Busy Holiday Time: 

So, that about wraps it up here for now. I had a very busy week last week with Mrs. Guitar Ted and my daughter having birthdays two days apart from each other. The end of this week is Christmas, and then a week after is New Year's and the 2nd of January will be my wedding anniversary. So, lot's happening with my life in this period. 

I may get a few rides in, but typically this period doesn't see me out a whole bunch due to the aforementioned life stuff and whatnot. I'll be back with more riding in the New Year as weather permits. Until that happens, riding reports will be slim here. 

I hope you all have a fantastic week and have an easy time during this busy Holiday stretch. Look for more end-of-year stuff the rest of the week and next as 2022 comes on like a freight train! And as always, thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Friday News And Views

The Cotic eMTB prototype. (Image courtesy of Cotic social media)

One Example Of The "New Normal":

As time with this pandemic eases on it has become increasingly apparent that we are in an era, (however short or long it ends up being), of delays, shortages, and long lead times as a result. 

Case in point: Cotic, the UK based MTB brand, has announced that they are working on a motorized MTB rig. You can read all about the finer details here. That post on the Cotic site is a pretty good representation of what it takes for smaller brands to get things done during this 'new era' we find ourselves in.

Comments: So, if you place orders now you 'might' see product by the end of 2023? Did I get that right? Wow! Obviously larger brands will command better terms, but this is not a good sign for the consumer. That would indicate that this coming year will be a lot like the last two years- stuff will be hard to get. As I've said in the past, it wouldn't be a bad idea for consumers to stock up on spares: Chains, cassettes, brake pads, etc, whenever you see what you need in stock. Then you'll have it when you actually need it, instead of scrambling at the last minute to source parts.  

Just A Friendly Reminder:

This is the month of retrospect here on "Guitar Ted Productions". No doubt you've already noted some posts with that theme. Expect much of the same throughout the month of December.

I'll have limited space for 'regular posting' due to the volume of stuff I am working through, so if you are here jonesing for 'current events' then this month will have slim pickings. I'll return to a more familiar schedule here in January, which isn't all that far away! Stay tuned!

In the meantime, I'll point out that many days this month will have double postings. Two posts in one day- so to ensure you don't miss anything, scroll down the page, or consult the right column (on desk top versions of this blog) where my current posts for the month are listed individually. I'll double post if anything exciting or newsworthy (or both) comes up, so don't worry about missing anything in that regard due to my schedule of posts being so intense this month. 

By the way, I have four "Virtual Turkey Burn" reports to share starting with N.Y. Roll's submission tomorrow, which will be followed by the other three in a shot-gun style. So look for all four tomorrow. 

And the 'regularly scheduled posts', like the "FN&V" you are reading now, will still appear. Okay, that's enough about that! Thanks again for your patronage here and for your patience with me this month.

Mason Cycles Debuts New "RAW" MTB frame:

You just don't see many steel hardtail MTB debuts anymore, unless you count UK MTB purveyors. For whatever reason, the UK has never really abandoned steel MTB bikes. 

Mason Cycles just announced a new offering which seems pretty interesting as it is aimed at bikepacking/MTB all-around use, not just for DH/Enduro or go-fast XC-ing, which many times is the case with a hard tail offering from a US based designer. 

The RAW can take up to a 2.6" 29"er tire with a max 34T big ring. That's pretty good there, I think. Then you have the 66° head angle and short-ish chain stays. I've had my say on that here before and I seem to be outnumbered when it comes to that opinion, but I still think we're seeing the outer fringes of slack head angle design and at some point we're going to find a 'pulling back' on those numbers. Closer to 70° but not quite that, in the future. 

We'll see... 

So this is a pretty cool bike. The "Signal Yellow" paint is somewhat reminiscent of the "Fun Guy Green" Fargo coloration, but more yellow. I kind of like that as well. The frame comes with a Rock Shox SID Ultimate fork, so yeah......it's expensive. But what isn't these days compared to just a few years ago? Not that it matters to me, but if I were to get a MTB, this one would be high on the list.   

Recycling Rubber:

Getting rid of old, unwanted tires has been a plague on me since this whole reviewing process started up. What to do? The entire life cycle of tires has always really bothered me from an environmental aspect. There just was no really good options for recycling them at all. 

Well, now things may be changing in regard to this as I see an article on "Pink Bike" here that indicates Schwalbe, the German based tire manufacturer, is working to bring tire recycling for bicycle tires to reality. 

Now how far this gets is anyone's guess, but it is a start. It would be nice to see a program where anywhere that sells tires (for anything) has to recycle them if they are dropped off to them, or something similar. I know we used to have a service come pick up used car tires once a month when I worked on automobiles. Yes- it would be a hassle for retailers, but it would be much better than filling our land fills with tires, or even worse, burning them, which is still done as well. 

That's a wrap for this week. Have a great weekend and get outside!

Friday News And Views

The Cotic eMTB prototype. (Image courtesy of Cotic social media)

One Example Of The "New Normal":

As time with this pandemic eases on it has become increasingly apparent that we are in an era, (however short or long it ends up being), of delays, shortages, and long lead times as a result. 

Case in point: Cotic, the UK based MTB brand, has announced that they are working on a motorized MTB rig. You can read all about the finer details here. That post on the Cotic site is a pretty good representation of what it takes for smaller brands to get things done during this 'new era' we find ourselves in.

Comments: So, if you place orders now you 'might' see product by the end of 2023? Did I get that right? Wow! Obviously larger brands will command better terms, but this is not a good sign for the consumer. That would indicate that this coming year will be a lot like the last two years- stuff will be hard to get. As I've said in the past, it wouldn't be a bad idea for consumers to stock up on spares: Chains, cassettes, brake pads, etc, whenever you see what you need in stock. Then you'll have it when you actually need it, instead of scrambling at the last minute to source parts.  

Just A Friendly Reminder:

This is the month of retrospect here on "Guitar Ted Productions". No doubt you've already noted some posts with that theme. Expect much of the same throughout the month of December.

I'll have limited space for 'regular posting' due to the volume of stuff I am working through, so if you are here jonesing for 'current events' then this month will have slim pickings. I'll return to a more familiar schedule here in January, which isn't all that far away! Stay tuned!

In the meantime, I'll point out that many days this month will have double postings. Two posts in one day- so to ensure you don't miss anything, scroll down the page, or consult the right column (on desk top versions of this blog) where my current posts for the month are listed individually. I'll double post if anything exciting or newsworthy (or both) comes up, so don't worry about missing anything in that regard due to my schedule of posts being so intense this month. 

By the way, I have four "Virtual Turkey Burn" reports to share starting with N.Y. Roll's submission tomorrow, which will be followed by the other three in a shot-gun style. So look for all four tomorrow. 

And the 'regularly scheduled posts', like the "FN&V" you are reading now, will still appear. Okay, that's enough about that! Thanks again for your patronage here and for your patience with me this month.

Mason Cycles Debuts New "RAW" MTB frame:

You just don't see many steel hardtail MTB debuts anymore, unless you count UK MTB purveyors. For whatever reason, the UK has never really abandoned steel MTB bikes. 

Mason Cycles just announced a new offering which seems pretty interesting as it is aimed at bikepacking/MTB all-around use, not just for DH/Enduro or go-fast XC-ing, which many times is the case with a hard tail offering from a US based designer. 

The RAW can take up to a 2.6" 29"er tire with a max 34T big ring. That's pretty good there, I think. Then you have the 66° head angle and short-ish chain stays. I've had my say on that here before and I seem to be outnumbered when it comes to that opinion, but I still think we're seeing the outer fringes of slack head angle design and at some point we're going to find a 'pulling back' on those numbers. Closer to 70° but not quite that, in the future. 

We'll see... 

So this is a pretty cool bike. The "Signal Yellow" paint is somewhat reminiscent of the "Fun Guy Green" Fargo coloration, but more yellow. I kind of like that as well. The frame comes with a Rock Shox SID Ultimate fork, so yeah......it's expensive. But what isn't these days compared to just a few years ago? Not that it matters to me, but if I were to get a MTB, this one would be high on the list.   

Recycling Rubber:

Getting rid of old, unwanted tires has been a plague on me since this whole reviewing process started up. What to do? The entire life cycle of tires has always really bothered me from an environmental aspect. There just was no really good options for recycling them at all. 

Well, now things may be changing in regard to this as I see an article on "Pink Bike" here that indicates Schwalbe, the German based tire manufacturer, is working to bring tire recycling for bicycle tires to reality. 

Now how far this gets is anyone's guess, but it is a start. It would be nice to see a program where anywhere that sells tires (for anything) has to recycle them if they are dropped off to them, or something similar. I know we used to have a service come pick up used car tires once a month when I worked on automobiles. Yes- it would be a hassle for retailers, but it would be much better than filling our land fills with tires, or even worse, burning them, which is still done as well. 

That's a wrap for this week. Have a great weekend and get outside!

Randomonium

 NOTE: Okay folks, if you haven't been around long enough here to know what a "Randomonium" post is, then here is the deal. I ramble, rant, and randomly moan about all things cycling in one, incohesive, bizarre post. "Randomonium", okay?

Feedback:

I ran a question by y'all last Friday about what it was you liked about this blog and should I run a survey to ascertain whether or not I should focus this blog on certain, more popular elements which might be more interesting for those who come here. 

Well, I think it would be fair to say that the result of the feedback is that (a) NO- there will not be a survey if you have anything to say about that, and (b) DON"T GO CHANGIN' THE BLOG! 

Okay, I hear ya, loud and clear! I also want to thank you that commented for such kind and encouraging words. You folks are the best! Thank you! Now, since you've spoken so clearly and in the numbers that you have, I will just keep on 'keepin' on' with things as they have been. Oh, yeah.....there may be a tweak here and there. A new idea for a series, perhaps. But as far as I can tell, y'all don't mind that, so I'll plan on forging ahead for the foreseeable future.

Ahh!! It burns!!

A Note On The "Virtual Turkey Burn": 

I realized pretty early on that this is going to take more space than this coming Saturday can handle. So, (as of this writing), I am aware of two reports which, on their own, are separate blog posts. What to do?

I have a really packed line up for the blog this December. Bike reports, looking back on 2021, and more have all been features here which fill a lot of space in December. I'm already scheduling double posts on "Bikes of 2021" as it is. 

So, I have decided that if I get more detailed reports, which would be fantastic, that they will be scheduled as separate posts in between all the normal end of the year fare here. That means that tomorrow you will get my report, and the others will follow in the order that I receive them, starting Saturday. If some are a mention, a line or two, and an image, those will be compiled into one post. 

I'm not sure what, if anything, will be submitted beyond the two I am aware of now, so this all may be much fuss about not much. Stay tuned......

From a GTDRI

International Influence:

There are some "negative nancy's" out there who say that "It doesn't matter what you do, your individual actions don't matter. The World will keep on turning and 'The Man' will always win.", or some such depressing malediction based on that thought. Well, I'm here to tell you that all is simply rubbish. 

How can I be so bold? Well, at the risk of looking like a braggart, 'look at me', as an example, and I bet YOU reading this are also a part of this. What am I talking about? Well, it's gravel grinding! That's all! It's something that has spread so far and so wide that the bicycle industry is all gaga over it, events on the magnitude of the largest cycling events ever are based upon it, and it has reached world-wide proportions. If you've turned a pedal on gravel here in the USA, go ahead, pat yerself on the back, because you helped push this thing along until even writers in foreign countries are asking me about what the heck is going on here. 

The latest example of just how far this nutty idea has gone was exemplified to me recently when a journalist from Italy contacted me on Instagram asking about Trans Iowa and whether or not some images could be used which this journalist had come across. After a few messages and a bit of time, this article appeared on a site called "Lifegate", which is in the Italian language. 

I encourage you to translate that article (Google Translate works well) and tell me if you don't think that is a beautifully written article about the gravel scene. Maybe it is just me, but anything I have read or heard from an Italian language writer or speaker has a little extra passion and 'something' to it that hits me a lot differently than English writers and speakers do. Anyway, it's well worth the effort to translate it and read. 

The bottom line here though is that Italians have taken to this form of cycling enjoyment with a verve and passion that I find refreshing. It is important to me that the writer saw that it isn't all just a racing scene- far from it! I only wish that our mainstream cycling journalists could see that competitiveness isn't the focus or goal of the gravel scene. 

New Twists In Shipping Saga:

Occasionally I update you all here on what is going on in the supply chain. When I first started referencing these issues, hardly anyone was talking about it, but now you see news on mainstream news outlets talking about the L.A./Long Beach ship 'parking lot' issues and what not. But as I've said all along, this entire deal is so complex that it is not due to just ships piling up at one point in the world.

The latest news is that China has imposed a seven week quarantine for any seamen coming into the country to help quell COVID issues. China is much more aggressive than just about anywhere else when it comes to lock downs involving COVID. Their policies are very strict, and this fairly new edict which involves crew changes and the ability of crew members to disembark in China is going to have a big effect on the supply chain going forward. 

There are some really interesting , (and rather alarming), motivations for this and other things China is doing with regard to worldwide shipping. I keep up with most of it by watching a You Tube channel called "What's Going On With Shipping", by the way. You can check out the latest video where I learned about this new issue with the quarantining of seamen here. If you find these sorts of things fascinating, subscribe to that channel and you'll find out all sorts of things you never knew. (Just seeing how much sea traffic is out there is mind blowing!) Check it out....

Okay, enough random stuff for one day! Thanks for reading G-Ted Productions!

Randomonium

 NOTE: Okay folks, if you haven't been around long enough here to know what a "Randomonium" post is, then here is the deal. I ramble, rant, and randomly moan about all things cycling in one, incohesive, bizarre post. "Randomonium", okay?

Feedback:

I ran a question by y'all last Friday about what it was you liked about this blog and should I run a survey to ascertain whether or not I should focus this blog on certain, more popular elements which might be more interesting for those who come here. 

Well, I think it would be fair to say that the result of the feedback is that (a) NO- there will not be a survey if you have anything to say about that, and (b) DON"T GO CHANGIN' THE BLOG! 

Okay, I hear ya, loud and clear! I also want to thank you that commented for such kind and encouraging words. You folks are the best! Thank you! Now, since you've spoken so clearly and in the numbers that you have, I will just keep on 'keepin' on' with things as they have been. Oh, yeah.....there may be a tweak here and there. A new idea for a series, perhaps. But as far as I can tell, y'all don't mind that, so I'll plan on forging ahead for the foreseeable future.

Ahh!! It burns!!

A Note On The "Virtual Turkey Burn": 

I realized pretty early on that this is going to take more space than this coming Saturday can handle. So, (as of this writing), I am aware of two reports which, on their own, are separate blog posts. What to do?

I have a really packed line up for the blog this December. Bike reports, looking back on 2021, and more have all been features here which fill a lot of space in December. I'm already scheduling double posts on "Bikes of 2021" as it is. 

So, I have decided that if I get more detailed reports, which would be fantastic, that they will be scheduled as separate posts in between all the normal end of the year fare here. That means that tomorrow you will get my report, and the others will follow in the order that I receive them, starting Saturday. If some are a mention, a line or two, and an image, those will be compiled into one post. 

I'm not sure what, if anything, will be submitted beyond the two I am aware of now, so this all may be much fuss about not much. Stay tuned......

From a GTDRI

International Influence:

There are some "negative nancy's" out there who say that "It doesn't matter what you do, your individual actions don't matter. The World will keep on turning and 'The Man' will always win.", or some such depressing malediction based on that thought. Well, I'm here to tell you that all is simply rubbish. 

How can I be so bold? Well, at the risk of looking like a braggart, 'look at me', as an example, and I bet YOU reading this are also a part of this. What am I talking about? Well, it's gravel grinding! That's all! It's something that has spread so far and so wide that the bicycle industry is all gaga over it, events on the magnitude of the largest cycling events ever are based upon it, and it has reached world-wide proportions. If you've turned a pedal on gravel here in the USA, go ahead, pat yerself on the back, because you helped push this thing along until even writers in foreign countries are asking me about what the heck is going on here. 

The latest example of just how far this nutty idea has gone was exemplified to me recently when a journalist from Italy contacted me on Instagram asking about Trans Iowa and whether or not some images could be used which this journalist had come across. After a few messages and a bit of time, this article appeared on a site called "Lifegate", which is in the Italian language. 

I encourage you to translate that article (Google Translate works well) and tell me if you don't think that is a beautifully written article about the gravel scene. Maybe it is just me, but anything I have read or heard from an Italian language writer or speaker has a little extra passion and 'something' to it that hits me a lot differently than English writers and speakers do. Anyway, it's well worth the effort to translate it and read. 

The bottom line here though is that Italians have taken to this form of cycling enjoyment with a verve and passion that I find refreshing. It is important to me that the writer saw that it isn't all just a racing scene- far from it! I only wish that our mainstream cycling journalists could see that competitiveness isn't the focus or goal of the gravel scene. 

New Twists In Shipping Saga:

Occasionally I update you all here on what is going on in the supply chain. When I first started referencing these issues, hardly anyone was talking about it, but now you see news on mainstream news outlets talking about the L.A./Long Beach ship 'parking lot' issues and what not. But as I've said all along, this entire deal is so complex that it is not due to just ships piling up at one point in the world.

The latest news is that China has imposed a seven week quarantine for any seamen coming into the country to help quell COVID issues. China is much more aggressive than just about anywhere else when it comes to lock downs involving COVID. Their policies are very strict, and this fairly new edict which involves crew changes and the ability of crew members to disembark in China is going to have a big effect on the supply chain going forward. 

There are some really interesting , (and rather alarming), motivations for this and other things China is doing with regard to worldwide shipping. I keep up with most of it by watching a You Tube channel called "What's Going On With Shipping", by the way. You can check out the latest video where I learned about this new issue with the quarantining of seamen here. If you find these sorts of things fascinating, subscribe to that channel and you'll find out all sorts of things you never knew. (Just seeing how much sea traffic is out there is mind blowing!) Check it out....

Okay, enough random stuff for one day! Thanks for reading G-Ted Productions!