Two Things

Don't Bring Me Down: 

I received an email newsletter from an Iowa bike retailer recently and was not at all surprised to see deep discounts on leftover bicycles. I also was not at all surprised to see the labor packages being discounted for the off-season. 

I always found discounting of labor in the bicycle industry to be offensive as a mechanic. How can you devalue what a bicycle mechanic does just because it is a slower time of the year? Do auto mechanics have this done to them when times are slower? How about a plumber? I really doubt you'll find many businesses featuring skilled laborers having discounts on labor just because the business is slow for a month or three. If I am wrong, let me know in the comments. 

I do know one thing - When a business discounts something every year, consumers catch on that whatever you are discounting is not worth the original asking price, at least in their minds. Why would they think otherwise? Then think about how this discounting has been going on for labor in bike shops for decades, and maybe it makes more sense when my argument is considered. 

But there is also another issue going on simultaneously. There are mechanics, and then there are hacks. Too many times bicycle shops run through mechanics like water. Young men and women who never were trained properly, if at all, are working and learning "on the job", which doesn't work out well in the end. Obviously, discounting their labor is maybe, on the surface of it,  seemingly more palatable. But business owners shouldn't be allowing poorly trained people to touch wrenches in their shop. So, yeah..... I saw this a lot going through the years as well. 

Anyway, discounting labor in the bicycle repair trade is a bad practice all around. 

Cycling Media And Why I Keep Commenting On It:

I know several of you may grow weary of my seemingly always negative comments on mainstream cycling media. I thought after seeing another poorly researched piece on gravel cycling I might take a stab at explaining why I do this and why it is important. 

It isn't a new problem, but misguided takes and poorly researched statements concerning gravel cycling are very irritating to me. Why? because a lie, or half-truth, told often enough, becomes "truth". Take for instance the Unbound gravel event. There will have been 20 consecutive years of gravel events held out of Emporia Kansas next June when they fire the starting gun for Life Time Events Unbound Gravel.  Whether or not you feel Unbound is/was Dirty Kanza 200 or not, this string of events is remarkable, and currently highlighted by Life Time Events in its lottery registration. 

So, why would anyone writing about "top stories in gravel for 2025" be so lame as to say in a recently published piece"..... the free-wheeling domain of gravel and off-road races, which was born more than a decade ago..."? See, here is where things get murky because someone writing an article did not write clearly. Most people will read this as "gravel racing started a decade ago" and move on. But obviously, this is not true. 

Trivial? Maybe, maybe not. I was speaking with the director of a very well-known populist gravel event the other day who told me he has heard from several younger Pro racers who think gravel racing started around 2018. It is a thing, in my opinion, due to how mainstream cycling media tells the story of gravel. 

The entire populist foundation for Pro gravel, the very groups of people Gravel™ was founded upon, is largely ignored and so the story of "where this came from" is completely ignored in many cases. I'm not advocating for myself here, because I understand I am a very small part of the underpinnings of what Gravel™ is today. But unless some people stand up and point to why these young Pros can bank out on gravel today, no one will know, or have the ability to care about those stories and people. I, for one, do not feel this is right, and I am trying to do something about it, along with a few other folks. (Stay tuned on this front) 

This is why I comment on this subject so much. I'm not going to stop, because I care. If this offends you, well maybe this blog is not for you. 

Thanks for reading.  

Fractured Media

Once an independent news source, now owned by Outside

I mentioned yesterday in the weekly "FN&V" that James Huang was going to start his own site hosted on Substack, a kind of "blogging", media/author's site where free to access and pay-walled content is offered. This got me to thinking about the fractured state of media in cycling. I suppose one could also point to any media and news sources as being a mess in a similar way, but I am only going to think about and share my thoughts on cycling media here. 

Traditional print media started to die off in the 2000's and with cycling magazines folding up their tents and going away, or being hosted only online, this form of media consumption for cycling is rare these days. Certainly your weekly or monthly news and tech is not in the print media field anymore. So, what happened?

Even online sites that used to pretty much mirror what print did, only in a digital space, have dried up. What our media looks like is completely alien to what it once was. All I have to do is to look to my two twenty-something year olds that live with me to see how far removed from the 20th Century we are now in terms of how media is consumed. 

I'll get to that in a minute, but it does bear looking at what there is out there now when it comes to "media" for cycling news and tech. One - The sites that dominate MTB and some other niche categories of cycling have been entrenched for a decade or more. Two - Outside Inc probably has had an overly important influence in cycling media, holding some major titles, websites, and even event registration under its umbrella. Their buyouts have caused a seismic shift in journalism, and who works where, more than anything I've noticed in the past 25 years. Three - Social media, and especially YouTube, have undermined credible cycling media to the point that it is hard to tell what is excellent, good, and trash. Now "anyone" can write about cycling and cycling tech, and there are a million places to find these expressions focused on cycling. That didn't used to be the case when your sources were limited and everyone got their news from a limited number of places.

Some media on the visual front gets so popular it becomes targeted by other companies and the fallout can make for frustrated cycling enthusiasts. Outdoor has already ticked off many readers, but the whole GCN+ debacle maybe has been the most offensive to cyclists and the most well known instance of what can happen when a company that was doing good things gets bought out by a bigger corporation that doesn't have cycling's best interests in mind. 

GCN+ was famously acquired by Warner Bros. Discovery which promptly axed GCN+ and took the live cycling content to other WBD companies like Eurosport, Discovery+ and Max. Eventually GCN was bought back by a couple of its originators, one of which happens to be a principal in a big cycling brand marketing company, by the way. So, a very complex web of cycling influence exists there with many layers. It's a bit maddening. 

Back to what my two kids watch these days. I note that most of what they watch for content is spread across smaller content creators on YouTube, gaming platforms, and Netflix with additional content from niche media like Crunchyroll, an anime' streaming platform. Also, neither one of my twenty-somethings use Twitter/X, Facebook, or Instagram at all. Like, never. So, where do you start if you are trying to reach a younger audience? Things are so "all-over the place" and fractured, that newer cyclists aren't consuming media in one place. They are all over on the internet, and this makes targeting, or even reaching those folks, a crap shoot at best for marketers and brands. 

And meanwhile traditional cycling media writers are gathering behind paywalls and hoping to continue to eke out a living doing what they had done for years, which, much like print media, is a dying art form. Sure, there will be some vestiges of that sort of media for years to come, but things are changing - have changed, really, and unless a way is found to attract fans for cycling from underneath all the rocks where they are hiding now, things will look to be pretty bleak. 

As the old saw goes, "The only constant is Change". Cycling hasn't kept up with the myriad changes in how young consumers consume information,and it has gotten a lot harder to catch their attention as a result. Time will tell if cycling can reverse course, but the way I see it now, cycling is way off the back.

Two Things

Iowa gravel

 Bad Takes And The UCI Gravel World Championships:

I tried resisting doing any commentary on two articles published last week about the UCI Gravel World Championships. However; the takes were so poorly done that I have to say something about it or I feel I would be inherently supporting those who wrote such garbage takes on gravel cycling. As you might suspect, I do not support any of what was said. 

I'm not going to give the honor of linking to either article. That would be giving the authors of these two pieces way too much credit. But I may quote a couple of lines they wrote to illustrate how far off these takes were. 

Here's a zinger: "So now three years into gravel being a "sport" ", which was written that way because the author is trying to intimate that only the UCI makes gravel a "sport". Hogwash! Such a bogus statement. Then the same author tries to legitimize the World Championship course in Belgium by saying that Unbound in Kansas is a "boring road race on unfinished roads". By the way, the Belgium course is 50/50 pavement to gravel (claimed) and has forest paths and bike paths as part of the course because, in the author's words, "The forests near major cities are small and rarely connect without crossing highways, so planning a 187km race is pretty hard to do. So a 50/50 split of road/off-road is pretty good."

From FLO Racing YouTube: Women's decisive move on the "gravel course".

A 116 mile course, with half of it paved or not gravel is "pretty good" but Unbound's nearly 90% gravel course is "boring"?

I don't think we need to go any further with that. The other piece I read was  lamenting the fact that a North American probably won't win the World Championship UCI jersey and that this will "set back gravel as a sport" in the USA. There was more rubbish, but I won't get into anymore of that. 

Apparently mainstream cycling media feels that we all should fan in the way they want us to, because kowtowing to the supremacy of less than 500 Pro, Elite gravel riders worldwide is what we should be doing to legitimize gravel as a "sport". Of course, that should be happening for USA riders on USA courses, if you listen to some writers. 

Newsflash: Most riders don't care about the UCI, their form of "gravel", or an arbitrary jersey award that means nothing in reality. You do you. We built "gravel" to be what it is in most corners of this country long before the UCI came around and made their little mark in the "sport".  You "fan" your way, we'll do it our way. 

The Guitar Ted Podcast Goes Commuting:

The latest podcast episode is up and N.Y. Roll and I cover our experiences commuting by bicycle. We go all over the place covering bicycles, gear, how to plan routes, lights, and more. 

We also get into the State Bicycle Co. Monster Fork v2, but since that is tomorrow's post subject, I won't say more about that. We do get into the weeds a little bit concerning fork offset. So, be prepared to nerd out if you listen in!

I also have  a bit of a rant about internal cable routing on forks. 

But the most important messages come in the last eight minutes of the episode where N.Y. Roll gives a passionate message concerning who is a cyclist. You have to listen in for this, as I agree 100% and I give my own example concerning this message and its impact on me. 

If you don't listen to the podcast, know this: You should consider and support anyone that pedals as a cyclist. 

Nuff said. 

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Ride 1Up.

 Electric Gravel: Coming Your Way In 2024:

If you've been paying attention over the last several "FN&V" posts, you will have noticed a lot of electrified gravel bike chatter. That's not going to stop anytime soon. It is a trend, and it will be showing up at your local gravel group rides, races, and events in 2024.

This week a "budget" entrant into the gravel eBike/HPV scene emerged when Ride 1Up introduced their $2500.00 CF Racer model. It has a Bafang motor, an integrated downtube encased battery, and is equipped with SRAM Rival 11 speed drive train bits. 1X, natch!

So, this isn't just for the "doctors and lawyers" out there who might drop 10K+ on a gravel bike with a motor and battery. This is the price of many commonplace carbon fiber gravel bikes without motors and batteries. Don't think for a minute that there are not other, similarly priced "gravel bikes" out there. But in the longer view, how many choices there are is a moot point when considering the effects this might have on gravel racing. 

Event directors are going to have to either ban these, (pressing the "easy button", essentially), or they are going to have to offer separate categories, and possibly provide battery swapping options, or maybe even have special distances for these bikes to allow people to use them. The dynamics of having electrified bikes mixed in with human powered bikes is going to be something of an unknown quantity as well. Typically issues have arisen between the two ways of powering a bicycle. This further complicates accommodating Hybrid Powered Cycles into traditional gravel events. 

I'll touch on this more in an upcoming opinion piece I am doing concerning teaching skills and etiquette when it comes to gravel riding.

New Pirate Cycling League Jacket In:

Long-time blog readers will know that I have been a supporter of the Pirate Cycling League, a loose-knit rabble of pedalers centered in Lincoln, Nebraska, for years now. The PCL offers "team kit" every so often and every time that they do it is generally a limited edition design. They've really only ever 'repeated' a design once, and that was of their original "year one" offering. 

This time the designs on offer were based around a "Miami Vice" theme. (A television show popular in the 1980's here in the USA, if you're wondering what Miami Vice refers to.)

It's getting harder and harder for me to rep a jersey anymore because, I mean, how many does one really need? So I've been doing other accessory gear for the last two design drops. Last time I got a wind jacket. This time I went for the Winter Thermal jacket. 

I've been a big fan of what is called a "soft-shell" Winter jacket. I had an awesome "Niner Bikes" branded one which was made by Endura, I believe, but my son lost it one day when he wore it to middle school and I've been on the search for a good replacement ever since. Of course, Endura quit making the one I had. 

This PCL jacket is made by Voler, which has been doing PCL kit for a long time now. This is not as nice as the Endura jacket I had but it is pretty good. At least it has the three rear jersey style pockets, which for me, is a prerequisite for me to consider buying any jacket. That or a "marsupial" style rear zippered pocket. 

Since this is really made like a jersey, only with a big collar and thicker, fleeced material, I would use this more like a jersey. For my money, a "jacket" has inner pockets, and maybe a zippered outer chest pocket. But maybe that's just me.

Gents Race 14 Announced:

Looks like I have a chance to get back to the Gents Race in 2024, that is, if my team will have me again! The event for 2024 was announced on Tuesday of this past week.

This has become one of those traditions amongst us that have been on the same team since the first Gents Race over a decade ago now. It is the only time, really, all year I see any of these guys anymore, or a lot of folks that attend this event, for that matter.

It is an announcement that fills the last open slot I reserve on the calendar for cycling events. (Official ones, not my GTDR which is not really an event.) This and my appearance again at the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame Awards Ceremonies in Emporia, Kansas at the end of May/early June are my only cycling plans I can make room for in 2024. I work Saturdays and getting time off takes away from my limited paycheck. Plus there are other reasons I don't take more time off, but those are not anything I can or will talk about here. So, at least I have 2024 plans in play now!

Artificial Intelligence, Affiliate Links, and How Cycling Media Makes Money:

Recently the journalism trade has been shaken up by a scandal involving "Sports Illustrated" and "AI" (Artificial Intelligence) generated stories. (Read about it HERE)

Since that story broke a lot of chatter has been going on regarding how content is generated, how revenue is generated for media companies, and how, specifically, the highly leveraged "affiliate link" model is being corrupted since traditional "advertisement revenue" has been drying up and is, for all intents and purposes, gone in 2023. 

First of all, none of that affects me. I don't make a red cent off my writing. It may come as some surprise to many, but I have not received a paycheck, or any monetary benefits from any website owner for any of my writing in over a year. Before that I might occasionally receive a check here and there. But what constitutes a living wage? I've never received enough to live on for a year from my writing. You could combine all the money over the years I've written stuff  and it wouldn't come close to a year's salary for the average American. (Currently that is $60,575.00) I'd guess I maybe have made less than 10% of that figure since 2006.

Essentially, I got some "pocket change" when I did get paid, which wasn't very often, and never on a regular basis. I'm not complaining, I only am telling you all this because I want it understood that I am not motivated by making a profit when it comes to writing and especially for review work. Because if that were the case, I would have opted out in 2008. 

So, you will never see "affiliate links" on this blog. Never. Anything I link to is a courtesy to you, my dear readers, and is there if you want to check into something for yourself. That's it. But that is how the cycling media companies make money. You would see those affiliate links embedded right in text for reviews, and you'll see those ads all over sidebars and inserted in between paragraphs. Sites I used to write for had those, but I never benefited from them, so I cannot speak to how valuable those were/are. I've been told that they were worth pennies, but articles I've read recently make those out to be worth a decent amount. Again, I cannot speak to that directly. 

 And of course, I am not artificial, and depending on who you ask, I might not be very intelligent either. So any writing you see here was generated out of Guitar Ted's grey matter, or something like that. Anyway, I don't own a piece of paper that says I am a "journalist" so it doesn't matter, I guess. That said, I receive a ton  of requests to have paid-for guest posts and "generated content". It's crazy. So, I know that it is a thing in traditional media circles. 

Kona Process 153 29 (Courtesy of Kona Bikes)

Kona BOGO On MTB's:

For the last six months or more I've been reminding you that bicycle brands were in trouble. Well, the end of the year is coming, businesses like to close their books for the year, and new product is about to be shipped from Asia. Time to move the pile of bikes sitting around. Kona Bikes has maybe done the unthinkable here to clear out their inventory. 

Their current promotion until December 31st is that you can buy one in-stock FS bike and get another of equal value or less that is in-stock FOR FREE. 

Not only that, but many of their other MTB's are 50% off. I've said it for a long time here, you will not see these deals again in your lifetime. But I get it. If you don't have the money, you may not be able to take advantage of this, or other deals. 

Previous deals were pretty radical. We saw Salsa and Surly knock off 30%, which is essentially stripping out all the profit margin which bicycle dealers never made any money on anyway. Now, at 30% off,  you are just pretty much covering the brand's investment. But a BOGO deal, or 50% off? That's loosing money big time. And we're talking about really nice MTB's too, not some weird brand you've never heard of. 

Crazy days, but wait until next year......
 

That's it for this week. Have a great weekend and thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Friday News And Views

The Enve MOG gravel bike (Image courtesy of ENVE)

 Enve Adds Gravel Bike:

It used to be that Enve was all about carbon wheels and a few other carbon components. Now they sell.....all kinds of stuff. It's a bit weird, but whatever. 

Last week Enve announced a new gravel bike called the MOG and a bunch of people went weak in the knees over it. It's cool and all, and there a lot of things I like about it, but there are two things I kind am bugged by concerning this bike.

One is the move that seems to be the thing to do these days in terms of increasing tire clearances to nearly 29"er sizes. I already gave my two cents on this design trend in last week's "FN&V". So, I won't delve into that anymore here. If you want to know bad enough what I think, you can click that link and read the bit about Hutchinson tires. 

The other thing that bugs me here is that the frame, fork, handle bar, seat post, stem, and head set costs $5500.00 . A cost that is pretty ridiculous, in my opinion. Sure, its got internal routing, "in bike storage", yadda, yadda, yadda. This seems pretty expensive when compared to a Trek Checkpoint SL which also has internal routing, in bike storage, and ISO Speed decouplers for 3100 bucks less. Yeah, yeah.... No handle bars, seat post, or stem, which the MOG comes with, but I think I can spend less than 3100 bucks on those items.

And then there are the websites like the one for the MOG which have TONS of marketing blah-blah which you have to scroll through and you have to click off to another page just to find out the details and pricing. To be fair, Enve is not alone in this. It is something I've noted across many websites lately and I find it annoying. 

Anyway..... Maybe I'm just being grumpy....

The Motorola Defy (Image courtesy of Motorola)

Motorola Debuts Device For Backcountry Adventurers:

Credit to my friend Ari Andonopoulous for pointing this one out to me. This is a device that looks like a key fob that connects to your smart phone and enables you to text from.....well, anywhere, I guess.

It's much like a Garmin InReach in what it does as far as communications and for working as an emergency beacon. However; it costs a lot less at $99.00 for the device and $5.00/month subscription. 

You can read all about this device here. (NOTE: Updated link. Previous link was pay-walled. Apologies for any inconveniences)

Comments: One day having everything run off satellites and internet is going to bite us. We've mostly forgotten how to survive without these things. This goes for this device in my way of thinking, but on the other hand, if it saves a life? Who can argue with that?

But in some sense, are things like this enabling us to think we're "off the hook" for considering our risk taking more seriously? I think that happens to a degree with a lot of things, not just in the case of this device. Think about cycling related things. Would you attempt that drop off on your MTB without a helmet and suspension, for instance? 

It's a thorny discussion and maybe there is no "right" answer. But a part of me is saddened for some reason every time something like this comes along. As my friend Ari said to me via a message, "We used to live in a free world."

My workbench circa 2007

New Data Showing Shop Rates/Wages For Mechanics Up:

In a recently published article in "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" there is new data to suggest that mechanics wages and shop rates have increased since the pandemic. 

Pre-pandemic, shop rates and mechanic's wages were woefully low compared to other skilled trades. (Yes- being a bicycle mechanic is a skilled trade folks.) Riders enjoyed under-priced labor for decades when it came to shop rates and mechanic's wages. I know- It was rather jarring to go from what I made while working on cars to what I made while working on bicycles. 

In the article, shop owners were asked what they are paying now and charging consumers now for shop rates versus pre-pandemic. Rates, on average, are up just slightly over what inflation has been over the last three years. While this may make it seem like shops are being "opportunistic" and "taking advantage of consumers", (both complaints I see a lot of in comments sections now), the reality is that shop rates and labor prices have been too cheap for far too long.

Mechanically inclined riders with enough disposable income to purchase tools and parts may scoff, but realize that you are a minority, albeit a very vocal one, and that most everyone else that rides is not in your position. They rely on mechanics and shops to service complex electronic and mechanical systems found on today's road, MTB, and HPC/eBike bicycles. 

Going shop labor rates seem to be about $100-$120.00/hr for labor and pay for employees is averaging $20.00-$25.00/hr for well qualified mechanics. Beginner mechanics seem to be drawing just under $20.00 on average per hour worked. Obviously there are exceptions to this.

I had to laugh at one shop owner who stated that his shop charges $20.00 for a flat change and the tube price is extra. I'm thinking that would fly like a lead balloon here in the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area. But shouldn't it cost that much? Yes- it should cost that much. It takes years of experience and lots of insider knowledge to be a bicycle mechanic - a good one - and not just anyone can do it, or do it well. 

I never benefited from right-priced labor and shop pay. But I sure hope more bicycle mechanics do in the future.  

 "Escape"aims to revolutionize cycling media. (Image courtesy of Escape social media)

"Escape" Online Cycling Media Concern Is Unveiled:

In January, I posted in an "FN&V" that there was a new cycling media concern being hatched behind the scenes that would be "subscription based" and that would harness the talents of several recently ousted cycling media personalities. 

This new outlet is to be known as  "Escape". It will be made up of a list of some well known cycling media personalities and some maybe not quite so well known ones. 

The mission statement, I suppose, is the following from the "Escape" website: "We have a voice and responsibility to make cycling better, to hold those in power to account, and to educate and inform. We’ll provide coverage of important topics while also writing and recording things that put a smile on your face. We will not take the unserious seriously. We will take the serious seriously."

Comments: Last time I commented on this idea it spurred some passionate response and I find that a bit odd. I doubt in the least what I write here has any bearing whatsoever upon "Escape". its writers, or its fans. But be that as it may, I have my opinions and I am sticking to them since I have no reasons presented before me to change my mind. 

When I last commented on this business idea I was under the impression that there would be seven journalists, but the reality is three times that many and maybe more. (UPDATE: Here's a "Colorado Sun" story with more details. Apparently they have 8 full-time writers) The site does say that certain elements to their plan would be "unlocked" depending upon how much support that they can drum up at a $99.00/year subscription price or a one-time $1000.00 give for 'lifetime' access.

Interestingly, the site says that they are a "collective". Typically, in a business sense, that means an organization that is managed without hierarchy. I cannot speak as to how that might work for "Escape", but we will see.... 

Wishing everyone involved all the best.

In a larger sense does this signal an end to "free" professional level journalism? Paywalled articles are perhaps the only way forward for working writers, but on the other hand, it alienates a large section of the populace that won't see, or have enough funds to access, opinions and facts. I'm not sure that's a good thing, or how it will all work out, but we will be finding out sooner than later. 

Industry 9 has head sets now. (Image courtesy of Industry 9)

New Industry 9 Headsets Announced:

Industry 9 announced on Wednesday of this week that they now have an array of headset options for your bike in their typical palette of gorgeous anodized colors. 

Their design utilizes a tool-free crown race and compression ring set up for ease of installation. You can pick up one for about $195.00. They call this headset the "iRix", by the way.

Comments: Another USA made headset option here which can be utilized to customize your look on your bike. This makes what?  Four USA made colorful options for a headset now? (Industry 9, Chris King, White Industries, and Wolf Tooth. Am I missing any?)

The price on these seems a bit high, but there ya go. They aren't out of line with Chris King pricing and just a bit more than White Industries. Another option that is out there, at any rate. Pricing on premium head sets is way up these days over what they were about five years ago. It used to be that a premium, anodized head set was around $120.00. Not anymore, it would seem.

 That's all for this week. I hope everyone gets outside and I thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions.

Friday News And Views

The Enve MOG gravel bike (Image courtesy of ENVE)

 Enve Adds Gravel Bike:

It used to be that Enve was all about carbon wheels and a few other carbon components. Now they sell.....all kinds of stuff. It's a bit weird, but whatever. 

Last week Enve announced a new gravel bike called the MOG and a bunch of people went weak in the knees over it. It's cool and all, and there a lot of things I like about it, but there are two things I kind am bugged by concerning this bike.

One is the move that seems to be the thing to do these days in terms of increasing tire clearances to nearly 29"er sizes. I already gave my two cents on this design trend in last week's "FN&V". So, I won't delve into that anymore here. If you want to know bad enough what I think, you can click that link and read the bit about Hutchinson tires. 

The other thing that bugs me here is that the frame, fork, handle bar, seat post, stem, and head set costs $5500.00 . A cost that is pretty ridiculous, in my opinion. Sure, its got internal routing, "in bike storage", yadda, yadda, yadda. This seems pretty expensive when compared to a Trek Checkpoint SL which also has internal routing, in bike storage, and ISO Speed decouplers for 3100 bucks less. Yeah, yeah.... No handle bars, seat post, or stem, which the MOG comes with, but I think I can spend less than 3100 bucks on those items.

And then there are the websites like the one for the MOG which have TONS of marketing blah-blah which you have to scroll through and you have to click off to another page just to find out the details and pricing. To be fair, Enve is not alone in this. It is something I've noted across many websites lately and I find it annoying. 

Anyway..... Maybe I'm just being grumpy....

The Motorola Defy (Image courtesy of Motorola)

Motorola Debuts Device For Backcountry Adventurers:

Credit to my friend Ari Andonopoulous for pointing this one out to me. This is a device that looks like a key fob that connects to your smart phone and enables you to text from.....well, anywhere, I guess.

It's much like a Garmin InReach in what it does as far as communications and for working as an emergency beacon. However; it costs a lot less at $99.00 for the device and $5.00/month subscription. 

You can read all about this device here. (NOTE: Updated link. Previous link was pay-walled. Apologies for any inconveniences)

Comments: One day having everything run off satellites and internet is going to bite us. We've mostly forgotten how to survive without these things. This goes for this device in my way of thinking, but on the other hand, if it saves a life? Who can argue with that?

But in some sense, are things like this enabling us to think we're "off the hook" for considering our risk taking more seriously? I think that happens to a degree with a lot of things, not just in the case of this device. Think about cycling related things. Would you attempt that drop off on your MTB without a helmet and suspension, for instance? 

It's a thorny discussion and maybe there is no "right" answer. But a part of me is saddened for some reason every time something like this comes along. As my friend Ari said to me via a message, "We used to live in a free world."

My workbench circa 2007

New Data Showing Shop Rates/Wages For Mechanics Up:

In a recently published article in "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" there is new data to suggest that mechanics wages and shop rates have increased since the pandemic. 

Pre-pandemic, shop rates and mechanic's wages were woefully low compared to other skilled trades. (Yes- being a bicycle mechanic is a skilled trade folks.) Riders enjoyed under-priced labor for decades when it came to shop rates and mechanic's wages. I know- It was rather jarring to go from what I made while working on cars to what I made while working on bicycles. 

In the article, shop owners were asked what they are paying now and charging consumers now for shop rates versus pre-pandemic. Rates, on average, are up just slightly over what inflation has been over the last three years. While this may make it seem like shops are being "opportunistic" and "taking advantage of consumers", (both complaints I see a lot of in comments sections now), the reality is that shop rates and labor prices have been too cheap for far too long.

Mechanically inclined riders with enough disposable income to purchase tools and parts may scoff, but realize that you are a minority, albeit a very vocal one, and that most everyone else that rides is not in your position. They rely on mechanics and shops to service complex electronic and mechanical systems found on today's road, MTB, and HPC/eBike bicycles. 

Going shop labor rates seem to be about $100-$120.00/hr for labor and pay for employees is averaging $20.00-$25.00/hr for well qualified mechanics. Beginner mechanics seem to be drawing just under $20.00 on average per hour worked. Obviously there are exceptions to this.

I had to laugh at one shop owner who stated that his shop charges $20.00 for a flat change and the tube price is extra. I'm thinking that would fly like a lead balloon here in the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area. But shouldn't it cost that much? Yes- it should cost that much. It takes years of experience and lots of insider knowledge to be a bicycle mechanic - a good one - and not just anyone can do it, or do it well. 

I never benefited from right-priced labor and shop pay. But I sure hope more bicycle mechanics do in the future.  

 "Escape"aims to revolutionize cycling media. (Image courtesy of Escape social media)

"Escape" Online Cycling Media Concern Is Unveiled:

In January, I posted in an "FN&V" that there was a new cycling media concern being hatched behind the scenes that would be "subscription based" and that would harness the talents of several recently ousted cycling media personalities. 

This new outlet is to be known as  "Escape". It will be made up of a list of some well known cycling media personalities and some maybe not quite so well known ones. 

The mission statement, I suppose, is the following from the "Escape" website: "We have a voice and responsibility to make cycling better, to hold those in power to account, and to educate and inform. We’ll provide coverage of important topics while also writing and recording things that put a smile on your face. We will not take the unserious seriously. We will take the serious seriously."

Comments: Last time I commented on this idea it spurred some passionate response and I find that a bit odd. I doubt in the least what I write here has any bearing whatsoever upon "Escape". its writers, or its fans. But be that as it may, I have my opinions and I am sticking to them since I have no reasons presented before me to change my mind. 

When I last commented on this business idea I was under the impression that there would be seven journalists, but the reality is three times that many and maybe more. (UPDATE: Here's a "Colorado Sun" story with more details. Apparently they have 8 full-time writers) The site does say that certain elements to their plan would be "unlocked" depending upon how much support that they can drum up at a $99.00/year subscription price or a one-time $1000.00 give for 'lifetime' access.

Interestingly, the site says that they are a "collective". Typically, in a business sense, that means an organization that is managed without hierarchy. I cannot speak as to how that might work for "Escape", but we will see.... 

Wishing everyone involved all the best.

In a larger sense does this signal an end to "free" professional level journalism? Paywalled articles are perhaps the only way forward for working writers, but on the other hand, it alienates a large section of the populace that won't see, or have enough funds to access, opinions and facts. I'm not sure that's a good thing, or how it will all work out, but we will be finding out sooner than later. 

Industry 9 has head sets now. (Image courtesy of Industry 9)

New Industry 9 Headsets Announced:

Industry 9 announced on Wednesday of this week that they now have an array of headset options for your bike in their typical palette of gorgeous anodized colors. 

Their design utilizes a tool-free crown race and compression ring set up for ease of installation. You can pick up one for about $195.00. They call this headset the "iRix", by the way.

Comments: Another USA made headset option here which can be utilized to customize your look on your bike. This makes what?  Four USA made colorful options for a headset now? (Industry 9, Chris King, White Industries, and Wolf Tooth. Am I missing any?)

The price on these seems a bit high, but there ya go. They aren't out of line with Chris King pricing and just a bit more than White Industries. Another option that is out there, at any rate. Pricing on premium head sets is way up these days over what they were about five years ago. It used to be that a premium, anodized head set was around $120.00. Not anymore, it would seem.

 That's all for this week. I hope everyone gets outside and I thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions.

Friday News And Views

Trek Travel social media post showing new gravel vacation options

Trek Travel Goes Gravel:

Trek Travel did a social media campaign and email blast to subscribers concerning its new options for gravel vacations. Trek Travel has mostly been all about road biking getaways and they have done a few MTB based vacations as well.

The gravel options are mostly split between Europe and the U.S.A. The new destinations include Girona, Spain, Bentonville, Arkansas, The Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, The Swiss Alps, The Tuscany district of Italy, and Vermont, U.S.A. 

Prices vary from $1799.00 - $3600.00 USD. You can find out more by visiting the Trek Travel site.

Comments: Well, you knew it would happen someday- Curated gravel trips for those folks who want to try it out and see what the fuss is. Honestly, I don't have an issue here, and to be clear, I think this is a great option for the person who wants to experiment and see what gravel cycling is all about without having to spend 5K+ on a bike, gear, and accessories to check out the scene. I see this as an especially attractive option for those who live in very urban areas that have little access to gravel/back road cycling. 

Also, having had worked at a Trek dealer for many years, I have heard a lot of good things about Trek Travel. So, if Trek Travel has managed to uphold its standards, I would expect that this would be a great option for certain folks.

Guitar Ted Productions Podcast News:

A new change in the back ground of the podcast has occurred with the creative control, business, and distribution aspects of the podcast now fully under my control. My assistant and co-host of the podcast is N.Y. Roll. Besides this, a slight tweak in the name will be noticed, but otherwise nothing else should be different from what you've heard before. (Assuming that you have listened at all, of course.) If you are new here or if you have never listened to the podcast, here is a LINK to the Spotify GTPP site. The podcast is also available on Apple, Google, and Podchaser. 

The Guitar Ted Productions Podcast should be releasing episodes about twice monthly throughout the year. The plan is to cover the gravel scene and interview interesting race directors, athletes, and industry folks. By the way, we should have a sponsor (working on that) but we are always interested in episode sponsors, news, and interview requests. Just contact me @ g.ted.productions@gmail.com for comments, questions, or suggestions. 

The latest episode of the Guitar Ted Productions Podcast published just this past Tuesday and is an interview with Iowa Gravel Series director, Chris McQueen. 

You can check it out HERE if you'd like to listen to the episode which runs a bit over an hour in length.

Thank You!

Former Outside Media Journos To Start New Media Company:

I noted a call for applicants to look into employment for a new cycling oriented media company were pushed via social media over the past week. The end of 2022 saw a lot of cycling media get laid off and terminated by a few notable companies. This left a lot of mainstream cycling media journos out in the cold. 

The announcement was followed up by this post on Substack which details what the vision for this new cycling media outlet is. Apparently, this will be a "membership based" entity. The aim is to provide, "...the best damn cycling media and community you’ve ever seen.", according to the Substack post. 

Comments: So, a modern-day equivalent to magazines? Without a way to attract new readers via a "digital news stand exposure"? Seems to be similar by the sounds of it. The author of that Substack seems to think that, "They underestimate the audience." Detractors and pessimists, I think is what that refers to, but there is a reality to the situation here that must be considered. 

That being that our media choices are now spread across so many format choices that it is bewildering. We have hundreds of choices across social media, both written, audio, and visual. That was not the case even ten years ago. That's only going to make another choice harder to push on a national scale. Also, it isn't as though there won't be "free" to access media focused on cycling anytime soon. So, given the choice of perusing a thought piece on a particular facet of cycling at a cost, and digesting a three minute read with easy to understand cliche's and slick images for free, I'm going with the latter as being more popular and more importantly, easier to find. 

The author warns against "fluff" and AI generated content. I'm not so sure that we haven't been getting spoon-fed, AI generated content for years already, to be honest. It doesn't seem to faze many folks and I'm betting that continues into the future. The danger with a smaller, community driven, paid for media is that it becomes insular and self-satisfying. You'll have to keep that money coming in so you'll have to give those subscribers what they want, not necessarily what they need. Or, probably even more importantly, any way of reaching beyond those pay-walled borders to build that audience into something more than a cycle-clubhouse. 

Salsa Cycles Timberjack XT Z2 (Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles)

Salsa Cycles Announces New Spec/Colors On Timberjack Models:

The Timberjack from Salsa Cycles continues on into 2023 with three model levels and a frame set. The range-topping bike is the Timberjack XT Z2 featuring an unusual choice in a fork, the Marzocchi Z2 Rail at 130mm of travel. 

There is also a choice of wheel size with both 27.5" and 29" wheeled models on offer. Prices range from $2199.00 - $2899.00 USD. For more details see Salsa Cycles. 

Comments: The Timberjack, which appeared in 2016 as a 2017 model, used to retail below 2K. Let that sink in for a minute.... 

Of course, you have the Rangefinder, which will be your entry-level hard tail and probably still available at sub-2K in some form, but seeing a rather unremarkable hard tail bike with an aluminum frame retailing at well over 2k is a bit jarring to these old eyes. It is another reminder that cycling, at least in terms of using new equipment, is pretty exclusive and getting worse every year. 

I am sure the Timberjack is a fine bicycle, and I am in no way disparaging it, but I only am dismayed by the incredible leap prices have taken in ten years. Salsa Cycles is not the only example here. That said, I'm sure income levels haven't kept pace, and so how do we justify this? I don't have the answers... 

Sorry about that rabbit trail.... Anyway, there you go. New Timberjack bikes. 

That's a wrap for this week! Have a safe weekend and get out to ride if you can!

Friday News And Views

Trek Travel social media post showing new gravel vacation options

Trek Travel Goes Gravel:

Trek Travel did a social media campaign and email blast to subscribers concerning its new options for gravel vacations. Trek Travel has mostly been all about road biking getaways and they have done a few MTB based vacations as well.

The gravel options are mostly split between Europe and the U.S.A. The new destinations include Girona, Spain, Bentonville, Arkansas, The Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, The Swiss Alps, The Tuscany district of Italy, and Vermont, U.S.A. 

Prices vary from $1799.00 - $3600.00 USD. You can find out more by visiting the Trek Travel site.

Comments: Well, you knew it would happen someday- Curated gravel trips for those folks who want to try it out and see what the fuss is. Honestly, I don't have an issue here, and to be clear, I think this is a great option for the person who wants to experiment and see what gravel cycling is all about without having to spend 5K+ on a bike, gear, and accessories to check out the scene. I see this as an especially attractive option for those who live in very urban areas that have little access to gravel/back road cycling. 

Also, having had worked at a Trek dealer for many years, I have heard a lot of good things about Trek Travel. So, if Trek Travel has managed to uphold its standards, I would expect that this would be a great option for certain folks.

Guitar Ted Productions Podcast News:

A new change in the back ground of the podcast has occurred with the creative control, business, and distribution aspects of the podcast now fully under my control. My assistant and co-host of the podcast is N.Y. Roll. Besides this, a slight tweak in the name will be noticed, but otherwise nothing else should be different from what you've heard before. (Assuming that you have listened at all, of course.) If you are new here or if you have never listened to the podcast, here is a LINK to the Spotify GTPP site. The podcast is also available on Apple, Google, and Podchaser. 

The Guitar Ted Productions Podcast should be releasing episodes about twice monthly throughout the year. The plan is to cover the gravel scene and interview interesting race directors, athletes, and industry folks. By the way, we should have a sponsor (working on that) but we are always interested in episode sponsors, news, and interview requests. Just contact me @ g.ted.productions@gmail.com for comments, questions, or suggestions. 

The latest episode of the Guitar Ted Productions Podcast published just this past Tuesday and is an interview with Iowa Gravel Series director, Chris McQueen. 

You can check it out HERE if you'd like to listen to the episode which runs a bit over an hour in length.

Thank You!

Former Outside Media Journos To Start New Media Company:

I noted a call for applicants to look into employment for a new cycling oriented media company were pushed via social media over the past week. The end of 2022 saw a lot of cycling media get laid off and terminated by a few notable companies. This left a lot of mainstream cycling media journos out in the cold. 

The announcement was followed up by this post on Substack which details what the vision for this new cycling media outlet is. Apparently, this will be a "membership based" entity. The aim is to provide, "...the best damn cycling media and community you’ve ever seen.", according to the Substack post. 

Comments: So, a modern-day equivalent to magazines? Without a way to attract new readers via a "digital news stand exposure"? Seems to be similar by the sounds of it. The author of that Substack seems to think that, "They underestimate the audience." Detractors and pessimists, I think is what that refers to, but there is a reality to the situation here that must be considered. 

That being that our media choices are now spread across so many format choices that it is bewildering. We have hundreds of choices across social media, both written, audio, and visual. That was not the case even ten years ago. That's only going to make another choice harder to push on a national scale. Also, it isn't as though there won't be "free" to access media focused on cycling anytime soon. So, given the choice of perusing a thought piece on a particular facet of cycling at a cost, and digesting a three minute read with easy to understand cliche's and slick images for free, I'm going with the latter as being more popular and more importantly, easier to find. 

The author warns against "fluff" and AI generated content. I'm not so sure that we haven't been getting spoon-fed, AI generated content for years already, to be honest. It doesn't seem to faze many folks and I'm betting that continues into the future. The danger with a smaller, community driven, paid for media is that it becomes insular and self-satisfying. You'll have to keep that money coming in so you'll have to give those subscribers what they want, not necessarily what they need. Or, probably even more importantly, any way of reaching beyond those pay-walled borders to build that audience into something more than a cycle-clubhouse. 

Salsa Cycles Timberjack XT Z2 (Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles)

Salsa Cycles Announces New Spec/Colors On Timberjack Models:

The Timberjack from Salsa Cycles continues on into 2023 with three model levels and a frame set. The range-topping bike is the Timberjack XT Z2 featuring an unusual choice in a fork, the Marzocchi Z2 Rail at 130mm of travel. 

There is also a choice of wheel size with both 27.5" and 29" wheeled models on offer. Prices range from $2199.00 - $2899.00 USD. For more details see Salsa Cycles. 

Comments: The Timberjack, which appeared in 2016 as a 2017 model, used to retail below 2K. Let that sink in for a minute.... 

Of course, you have the Rangefinder, which will be your entry-level hard tail and probably still available at sub-2K in some form, but seeing a rather unremarkable hard tail bike with an aluminum frame retailing at well over 2k is a bit jarring to these old eyes. It is another reminder that cycling, at least in terms of using new equipment, is pretty exclusive and getting worse every year. 

I am sure the Timberjack is a fine bicycle, and I am in no way disparaging it, but I only am dismayed by the incredible leap prices have taken in ten years. Salsa Cycles is not the only example here. That said, I'm sure income levels haven't kept pace, and so how do we justify this? I don't have the answers... 

Sorry about that rabbit trail.... Anyway, there you go. New Timberjack bikes. 

That's a wrap for this week! Have a safe weekend and get out to ride if you can!