Friday News And Views

5DEV direct mount chain wheel as shared on their social media.

 The Colorful Edition of the FN&V!

Fashion Plates?

I've been noticing a trend of late on social media. Bicycles with derailleur drive trains being shown with 'pie plate' style, solid chain wheels as 1X drive rings. 

I first noted this back in 2022 at the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame shindig in Emporia, Kansas. I noted a Stormchaser single speed with a brilliant purple, solid chain wheel. 

Then I found out that Absolute Black does a 'pie plate' style ring, which is supposedly aero. It is a rather stark, unusual offering from this company known for its more open designs and industrial looking offerings in several anodized colors. 

Now I am noticing a few custom bikes being shown on the Insta that have silver colored, solid chain wheels. Okay.....something is going on here. I suspect that some more offerings in this style will appear at Sea Otter soon.

I don't know if I am a fan though. Color me jaded by years of working on cheapo BMX kids bikes, but these look like a gussied-up department store bike component. It's hard for me to take the 'pie plate' look seriously. But that's probably just me. What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

Image courtesy of Wolf Tooth.

Wolf Tooth Announces New Colors For SS Cogs:

Now for the other end of the drive train, you have Wolf Tooth announcing new colors for their line of single speed cogs. Gold and Orange are being added to their other offerings in the range. 

These are aluminum, of course, but Wolf Tooth also has a stainless steel single speed cog offering for those of you who want the longest lasting cogs and don't care about fashion. (Ha!) 

Comments: I am happy that someone out there still believes in making single speed stuff. That kind of went away for a while there in the last ten years and for a while I was worried that I'd be scrounging for parts for my several single speed bikes. But Wolf Tooth must be selling these things, otherwise they would not introduce more colors, I would imagine anyway. 

Now I know where to go to replenish the look on my Campstove Green Karate Monkey when I wear out a cog, or want to change gearing, and want a green cog! 

Image courtesy of Wheels Manufacturing.

Wheels Manufacturing Offers Anodized BB-30 Options:

Now on to the bottom bracket! Wheels Manufacturing recently added anodized color options for their range of bottom brackets for 30mm spindles. Now available in seven anodized hues for BSA 30, T-47 internal, T-47 outboard, and PF-30 variants. 

Prices are $100 - $124.00 each. You can check them out HERE along with all their other bottom bracket options. 

Comments: I've used Wheels Manufacturing bottom brackets for repairs and personally for years now and have found them to be very good quality options for a decent price. The anodized colors are just icing on the cake here. 

Image courtesy of Chris Skogen's social media

Almanzo 100 v3?:

Monday a surprise announcement from Chris Skogen, the founder of the seminal and legendary Almanzo 100, came out, via Skogen's Instagram page, announcing that the Almanzo 100 was coming back. 

This would mark the third come-back for Skogen and the second time for the event to come back as well. (A timeline of events documenting the retiring of the Almanzo 100 name and original event can be found HERE) 

In the announcement, Skogen indicated that the 100 mile event would occur this May on the 18th. Other details are yet to be released, but this post will be updated when and if those details become available. 

The announcement reads as follows, taken from Skogen's Instagram:

"***WE’RE BACK***

That’s right, we’re bringing Almanzo back!

WHEN: Saturday, May 18th - 8:00am
WHERE: Starting location will be announced here on May 11th
WHAT: 100 mile self-supported route (no drop bags, no outside support, no GPS)
WHO: Everyone
WHY: Because

See you in a few weeks!!

#nerd #party"

Comments:  Mr. Skogen has been known to make surprise, unexpected announcements at odd times regarding the Alamanzo and its satellite events. (See link above) On April 2nd he posted again saying this was "real" and that he is, "Taking another swing at building community in and around the bike space."

 UPDATED 4/7/24: Mr. Skogen posted on Saturday on Instagram a list of gravel events with some designated as events he will attend. Quoted: "I’ll be at the events in BOLD." One of those events he marked in bold, on May 18th, is The Heywood Ride, the ride that Mr. Skogen handed over to the organizers of The Heywood, when it was called the Almanzo,  and asked that they not use the name "Almanzo" for it. So, they came up with "The Heywood Ride".

So, is the Heywood going back to being called the Almanzo? 

Stay tuned........

Kit for a Cause Jersey image from Gravel Worlds social media.

Jersey To Benefit Cancer Causes:

Gravel Worlds announced recently that they are offering "Kits For A Cause" now through their jersey vendor, Voler USA. 

The first is a design by Kevin Wilkins that features dogs biting one another with a sign on the rear that says "Chase me!"

All profits from the sales of the jerseys are going toward cancer survivor @kevinwilkins and the organization Grind For Life.org which has a mission to provide financial assistance to cancer patients and their families when traveling long distances to doctors and hospitals.

You can check out the kit and order at this link:  www.gravel-worlds.com/kit

Orders for this kit close on April 15th. Gravel Worlds says there will be other efforts similar to this in the future.  

The Guitar Ted Podcast Sponsored by The Spinistry:

A new episode of the Guitar Ted Podcast is up now. In this one N.Y. Roll and I discuss the celebrations of last place, the Sardine Tool, and N.Y. Roll's experience in Texas recently where he rode the Red River Riot.

You can listen to the episode by clicking THIS LINK. 

We are working on new episodes concerning tires and their construction, how gravel roads are made and why, and more. If you have any episode ideas, let me know in the comment section. 

Thanks again to The Spinistry for their continued support of The Guitar Ted Podcast and check out their Gravel 1000 challenge which anyone can engage in from any location. You can find out more about this challenge by clicking THIS LINK.
 

That's a wrap on this colorful edition of the FN&V for this week. Have a great weekend and thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Friday News And Views

Chris Skogen as seen at a recent gravel event in Kansas.

Skogen 'Pulls Plug' On Event Promotions: 

In a March 4th post here I reported on a social media post by Chris Skogen that indicated that he was going to put on a series of events in a few different states in the USA. 

Now in another social media post, Skogen has informed the followers of his account that he no longer wants to produce those cycling events. 

Following is a quote from the May 2nd post seen on Instagram where he describes his feelings after announcing his intentions to put on these gravel events.

"Time passed and I realized I was chasing my old self. My ego took over. At the same time all of the stress trauma from the first time I did all of this event stuff came rushing back. It was ugly. I was ugly…so I pulled the plug on the event and let everyone that had signed up know that it wouldn’t be happening.

Relief set in."

 Comments: There was a lot of his post that rang true with me. Especially the parts about "stress trauma". I am intimately familiar with a lot of things regarding putting on events like Mr. Skogen has in the past, and, in my opinion anyway, I think I understand him in a way that maybe few others can. 

I'm not saying that to brag. There just is a set of experiences that I feel only a subset of people in the gravel scene have a deep understanding of and that some other people maybe would not fully grasp. To those who are still in the trenches, doing all the things they have to do to produce a gravel event to the best of their ability, I tip my cap to you. I am pretty sure that those people understand this statement of Mr. Skogen's also. 

Is this "retirement" for Mr. Skogen in terms of doing anything on gravel for cyclists to enjoy? In my interpretation of his full statement, I would say the answer is "yes". 

GCHoF 2023 Trip:

As of last Tuesday I have all the details nailed down for another trip to Emporia, Kansas to attend the 2nd induction of people into the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame. 

My trip will land me in Emporia on Tuesday, then on Wednesday there is a ride of 20 miles which is to feature the Hall of Fame members. That is slated for 11:00am and then there will be the induction ceremony and after-party. The following day I will be hanging out for a little bit, then heading back home. 

Besides the GCHoF stuff I should be getting a bit of audio for the podcast from interviews or short conversations with individuals there. I may have a meeting with another individual which might result in a review opportunity. We'll see, but the point is, I am trying to muti-task this trip to make it a bit more valuable for me to be gone for that time and spend the money to do it. 

Of course, I am happy to attend and especially so because this is the class that will include Joel Dyke posthumously. Joel lost his life in a tragic home accident several years ago now. But for me, personally speaking, Joel was a behind-the-scenes supporter of mine. He seemed to be able to send me a message of support via email just when I needed it, and his sign-off of "Big Grin", and his calling me, as he did many others he cared about, "sexy pants", meant something really special. I cherished every interaction I had with him, and to see him get this honor will be a very special moment for many of us in attendance. 

Podcast Updates:

Since I've taken over the reins in terms of podcast production and editing, the "Guitar Ted Podcast" has been steadily growing. So, if you are one of our listeners, I thank you. I think the timely and steady releases of new episodes has been working in our favor. 

We (N.Y. Roll and I) have been blown away by the responses and by the growth in the audience from all over the world. As of last count, we have had people listening in from over 30 different nations. That's amazing to me. We even have had great sponsor support and we will be announcing a new sponsor partner this Summer which we are excited about.

As mentioned above, I hope to grab some interviews at the GCHoF gathering and we have plans to try to interview more folks from the gravel scene, past and present. Plus our usual general banter. The latest episode (art work for it is shown here) can be heard at THIS LINK or wherever you get your podcast from. 

Future plans are to record and publish episodes up until this late Fall or early Winter. Then we will call an end to "Season 1" and take a break for a bit. In the meantime, give it a listen if you care to. Episodes typically are about an hour in length.  Thanks!

Racks full of bikes - Not many people are buying.

Over-Supply - Underwhelming Sales Plague Industry in 2023:

 The whiplash effect of massive sales, which wiped out supply, and the resulting over-ordering, which has flooded retail shelves, is in full force now. 

Stock levels are at near-record levels in many areas, but surprisingly, a few high-end segments are still in short supply. That said, the sales and "deals" have been coming left and right lately.

The trouble is that consumers seem to be mostly unimpressed by all of this. Furthermore, there is an undercurrent of opinions that represent resentment on the part of consumers. A resentment which says that prices were too high before and now that these companies are suffering overstocks that they can just pound sand. 

Ooof!

Consumer sentiments don't seem to be very positive and with prices still higher than they were pre-pandemic, it would seem that the only way the glut of stock gets moved down the pipeline is that even deeper discounts will need to be employed to finally entice consumers into parting with their digitized dollars. That will likely come at the expense of a few companies and several jobs that won't be sustainable through these difficulties. And if what I am reading from several consumers is true, there will be rejoicing in the streets over it all. 

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Have a great weekend!

Friday News And Views

Chris Skogen as seen at a recent gravel event in Kansas.

Skogen 'Pulls Plug' On Event Promotions: 

In a March 4th post here I reported on a social media post by Chris Skogen that indicated that he was going to put on a series of events in a few different states in the USA. 

Now in another social media post, Skogen has informed the followers of his account that he no longer wants to produce those cycling events. 

Following is a quote from the May 2nd post seen on Instagram where he describes his feelings after announcing his intentions to put on these gravel events.

"Time passed and I realized I was chasing my old self. My ego took over. At the same time all of the stress trauma from the first time I did all of this event stuff came rushing back. It was ugly. I was ugly…so I pulled the plug on the event and let everyone that had signed up know that it wouldn’t be happening.

Relief set in."

 Comments: There was a lot of his post that rang true with me. Especially the parts about "stress trauma". I am intimately familiar with a lot of things regarding putting on events like Mr. Skogen has in the past, and, in my opinion anyway, I think I understand him in a way that maybe few others can. 

I'm not saying that to brag. There just is a set of experiences that I feel only a subset of people in the gravel scene have a deep understanding of and that some other people maybe would not fully grasp. To those who are still in the trenches, doing all the things they have to do to produce a gravel event to the best of their ability, I tip my cap to you. I am pretty sure that those people understand this statement of Mr. Skogen's also. 

Is this "retirement" for Mr. Skogen in terms of doing anything on gravel for cyclists to enjoy? In my interpretation of his full statement, I would say the answer is "yes". 

GCHoF 2023 Trip:

As of last Tuesday I have all the details nailed down for another trip to Emporia, Kansas to attend the 2nd induction of people into the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame. 

My trip will land me in Emporia on Tuesday, then on Wednesday there is a ride of 20 miles which is to feature the Hall of Fame members. That is slated for 11:00am and then there will be the induction ceremony and after-party. The following day I will be hanging out for a little bit, then heading back home. 

Besides the GCHoF stuff I should be getting a bit of audio for the podcast from interviews or short conversations with individuals there. I may have a meeting with another individual which might result in a review opportunity. We'll see, but the point is, I am trying to muti-task this trip to make it a bit more valuable for me to be gone for that time and spend the money to do it. 

Of course, I am happy to attend and especially so because this is the class that will include Joel Dyke posthumously. Joel lost his life in a tragic home accident several years ago now. But for me, personally speaking, Joel was a behind-the-scenes supporter of mine. He seemed to be able to send me a message of support via email just when I needed it, and his sign-off of "Big Grin", and his calling me, as he did many others he cared about, "sexy pants", meant something really special. I cherished every interaction I had with him, and to see him get this honor will be a very special moment for many of us in attendance. 

Podcast Updates:

Since I've taken over the reins in terms of podcast production and editing, the "Guitar Ted Podcast" has been steadily growing. So, if you are one of our listeners, I thank you. I think the timely and steady releases of new episodes has been working in our favor. 

We (N.Y. Roll and I) have been blown away by the responses and by the growth in the audience from all over the world. As of last count, we have had people listening in from over 30 different nations. That's amazing to me. We even have had great sponsor support and we will be announcing a new sponsor partner this Summer which we are excited about.

As mentioned above, I hope to grab some interviews at the GCHoF gathering and we have plans to try to interview more folks from the gravel scene, past and present. Plus our usual general banter. The latest episode (art work for it is shown here) can be heard at THIS LINK or wherever you get your podcast from. 

Future plans are to record and publish episodes up until this late Fall or early Winter. Then we will call an end to "Season 1" and take a break for a bit. In the meantime, give it a listen if you care to. Episodes typically are about an hour in length.  Thanks!

Racks full of bikes - Not many people are buying.

Over-Supply - Underwhelming Sales Plague Industry in 2023:

 The whiplash effect of massive sales, which wiped out supply, and the resulting over-ordering, which has flooded retail shelves, is in full force now. 

Stock levels are at near-record levels in many areas, but surprisingly, a few high-end segments are still in short supply. That said, the sales and "deals" have been coming left and right lately.

The trouble is that consumers seem to be mostly unimpressed by all of this. Furthermore, there is an undercurrent of opinions that represent resentment on the part of consumers. A resentment which says that prices were too high before and now that these companies are suffering overstocks that they can just pound sand. 

Ooof!

Consumer sentiments don't seem to be very positive and with prices still higher than they were pre-pandemic, it would seem that the only way the glut of stock gets moved down the pipeline is that even deeper discounts will need to be employed to finally entice consumers into parting with their digitized dollars. That will likely come at the expense of a few companies and several jobs that won't be sustainable through these difficulties. And if what I am reading from several consumers is true, there will be rejoicing in the streets over it all. 

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Have a great weekend!

Randomonium: Three Things

Trek Farley 9 Winter Edition (Image courtesy of Trek Bikes)

 Trek Offers Fully Decked Out Farley:

Trek announced a new Farley fat bike this past week that is fully kitted out. this turnkey fat bike is ready for a long haul, bikepacking, or a quick over-night outing. 

Made from aluminum, the bike features frame and fork mounted racks reminiscent of the 1120 plus-wheeled bike, although these are reportedly somewhat different to address mounting security concerns with the 1120's racks. 

The bike also features a frame bag, dropper post, and a splash guard under the down tube. This all comes in at $3999.99USD with a SRAM Eagle GX drive train. 

Comments: Trek just released this bike as a "Winter Edition" Farley 9. Let that sink in for a moment.....

Hello Spring! So, yeah.....weird timing there Trek! But beyond that, I will note that this bike can certainly be used year-round. Anyway.... The SRAM drive train, aluminum frame, and spec of mostly Bontrager stuff is okay, but 4G for this? Hmm..... I know things have gone up in price, but this bike has aluminum rims, tubes (!), and GX is kinda low spec here. I get it- It is a turnkey solution to roll out the door ready for off-road touring and adventure, and that counts for something. And I realize prices have gone up some, but still.... Great idea. A bit spendy for what you get. 

SRAM AXS Force. (Image courtesy of SRAM)

SRAM Announces New AXS Force Group:

Looking a lot more like the upper end Red group now, SRAM has refreshed the look of Force AXS and refined a few bits, most notably the hood/lever shapes and the power meter integration with the chain rings. 

Otherwise this is pretty much standard fare for SRAM AXS Force. 

Comments: Lots of chatter online about the power meter integration with the chain rings here. (This only applies for the roadie crank set. The "Wide" and 1X crank sets have spindle based power meters) I guess I see their point when a direct mount chain ring set with integrated power meter costs something North of four hundred bucks, but when you are dealing with race-level gear, stuff found on bikes costing around 10K, what's four hundred bucks for a part? Honestly, the entire economics of a "road racing bike" is bonkers these days. 

Chris Skogen from his Instagram post.

 Almanzo 100 Founder & Gravel Cycling Hall of Famer Chris Skogen Announces Gravel Events:

The Almanzo 100 founder and Gravel Cycling Hall of Famer, Chris Skogen surprised many of his social media followers on Thursday last week with an announcement that he was going to facilitate three off-pavement events. The biggest surprise? None of the proposed events will be in Minnesota. 

The only event Mr. Skogen did release a date for was a September 16th date for this year at an undisclosed location in "Northern New Mexico". Here are the details he did specify in his announcement: 

• 100 miles
• 100 people
• $0 to enter
• 0 sponsorships
• 0 brand affiliations

Mr. Skogen did also say that if you wanted more details then you should email him. (Ironically he did not give his email out in the announcement) Mr. Skogen did say that more information would be forthcoming, however. 

Plans are to follow up the 2023 event with one in Oregon and then in 2024 in "upstate New York".

Comments: That the proposed events are "non-sponsored, no brand affiliations" does not surprise me. This is Chris Skogen we are talking about and this is in keeping with his character when it comes to events. I did also hear Chris say at the GCHoF installment ceremonies last year that he had been "bitten by the bug" again and that he was considering putting on an event again. I guess this is evidence of that. 

Stay tuned. If I find out anything more I'll post here about it all.  UPDATE: Mr. Skogen released these details today (Saturday,March 4th, 2023)

How to enter…

Mail a letter (yes, a letter…in the mail…I know, I’m such an ass) of declaration which must include the following:

Name (first & last)
Age
Email
Favorite book
Something from your local bike shop (if this one is a struggle, DM me)

That’s it. Just those five things, in an envelope sent to the address below before 4/20/23.

Mister Skogen
959 Weeks Ave SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414

You might be asking why to the letter and maybe even why this event needs to exist at all. Don’t worry I’ll explain later.

For now, the first 100 people to register by letter will be notified accordingly.

Randomonium: Three Things

Trek Farley 9 Winter Edition (Image courtesy of Trek Bikes)

 Trek Offers Fully Decked Out Farley:

Trek announced a new Farley fat bike this past week that is fully kitted out. this turnkey fat bike is ready for a long haul, bikepacking, or a quick over-night outing. 

Made from aluminum, the bike features frame and fork mounted racks reminiscent of the 1120 plus-wheeled bike, although these are reportedly somewhat different to address mounting security concerns with the 1120's racks. 

The bike also features a frame bag, dropper post, and a splash guard under the down tube. This all comes in at $3999.99USD with a SRAM Eagle GX drive train. 

Comments: Trek just released this bike as a "Winter Edition" Farley 9. Let that sink in for a moment.....

Hello Spring! So, yeah.....weird timing there Trek! But beyond that, I will note that this bike can certainly be used year-round. Anyway.... The SRAM drive train, aluminum frame, and spec of mostly Bontrager stuff is okay, but 4G for this? Hmm..... I know things have gone up in price, but this bike has aluminum rims, tubes (!), and GX is kinda low spec here. I get it- It is a turnkey solution to roll out the door ready for off-road touring and adventure, and that counts for something. And I realize prices have gone up some, but still.... Great idea. A bit spendy for what you get. 

SRAM AXS Force. (Image courtesy of SRAM)

SRAM Announces New AXS Force Group:

Looking a lot more like the upper end Red group now, SRAM has refreshed the look of Force AXS and refined a few bits, most notably the hood/lever shapes and the power meter integration with the chain rings. 

Otherwise this is pretty much standard fare for SRAM AXS Force. 

Comments: Lots of chatter online about the power meter integration with the chain rings here. (This only applies for the roadie crank set. The "Wide" and 1X crank sets have spindle based power meters) I guess I see their point when a direct mount chain ring set with integrated power meter costs something North of four hundred bucks, but when you are dealing with race-level gear, stuff found on bikes costing around 10K, what's four hundred bucks for a part? Honestly, the entire economics of a "road racing bike" is bonkers these days. 

Chris Skogen from his Instagram post.

 Almanzo 100 Founder & Gravel Cycling Hall of Famer Chris Skogen Announces Gravel Events:

The Almanzo 100 founder and Gravel Cycling Hall of Famer, Chris Skogen surprised many of his social media followers on Thursday last week with an announcement that he was going to facilitate three off-pavement events. The biggest surprise? None of the proposed events will be in Minnesota. 

The only event Mr. Skogen did release a date for was a September 16th date for this year at an undisclosed location in "Northern New Mexico". Here are the details he did specify in his announcement: 

• 100 miles
• 100 people
• $0 to enter
• 0 sponsorships
• 0 brand affiliations

Mr. Skogen did also say that if you wanted more details then you should email him. (Ironically he did not give his email out in the announcement) Mr. Skogen did say that more information would be forthcoming, however. 

Plans are to follow up the 2023 event with one in Oregon and then in 2024 in "upstate New York".

Comments: That the proposed events are "non-sponsored, no brand affiliations" does not surprise me. This is Chris Skogen we are talking about and this is in keeping with his character when it comes to events. I did also hear Chris say at the GCHoF installment ceremonies last year that he had been "bitten by the bug" again and that he was considering putting on an event again. I guess this is evidence of that. 

Stay tuned. If I find out anything more I'll post here about it all.  UPDATE: Mr. Skogen released these details today (Saturday,March 4th, 2023)

How to enter…

Mail a letter (yes, a letter…in the mail…I know, I’m such an ass) of declaration which must include the following:

Name (first & last)
Age
Email
Favorite book
Something from your local bike shop (if this one is a struggle, DM me)

That’s it. Just those five things, in an envelope sent to the address below before 4/20/23.

Mister Skogen
959 Weeks Ave SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414

You might be asking why to the letter and maybe even why this event needs to exist at all. Don’t worry I’ll explain later.

For now, the first 100 people to register by letter will be notified accordingly.