Friday News And Views

Ritchey Classic Bigfoot (Image provided courtesy of Ritchey Design)

Ritchey Design Shows New Bigfoot Alloy Flat Pedals. 

Ritchey Design has had a flat pedal in the range for a while now called the Comp Bigfoot. It is a composite Nylon pedal body flat pedal. Now Ritchey has added two models to the Bigfoot range in alloy. The WCS and Classic Bigfoot pedals are machined 6061 alloy bodied pedals with replaceable pins and a concave profile to better retain the foot on the pedal during riding. 

The pedal dimensions are 105mm x 108.5mm and the pedal body is 18.5mm thick. Ten replaceable pins per side are on each pedal.  CroMo spindles run on an inner bushing and an outer sealed bearing for smooth spinning performance. There are two models in the range. The Classic Bigfoot is silver finish. The WCS version is all black anodized. Both cost the same at $119.00 USD. 

WCS Bigfoot (Image courtesy of Ritchey Design)

• Machined extruded 6061 alloy body, 105 x 108.5mm platform, 18.5mm deep
• CroMo axle on a bushing inner bearing and sealed cartridge outer bearing
• Ten replaceable anti-slip steel pins per side
• 63mm crank-to-center, 8.75mm stack height
• 445g +/-5g per pair
• Concave profile for confident foot placement and control 

The pedals will be available now from Ritchey Design and Ritchey dealers.  Pricing is as follows: 

• WCS Bigfoot – €99.90 / $119.95 / £86.90

• Classic Bigfoot – €99.90 / $119.95 / £86.90 

Image courtesy of Life Time

UCI Criticized For Mishandling Women's Pro Field At Euro Gravel Championships:

In an article posted on cyclingnews.com it was reported that the field for the Women's Pro European Gravel Championships was hindered in their event. This was due to having to navigate through the slower men's age group riders who were released onto the course ahead of them. Many top women Pros were quoted in the piece saying it was dangerous, and unfair, with some calling for changes. 

Comments: In a continuing failure to understand how Pro racing does not integrate into the traditional standards of gravel events, the UCI has once again stubbed its toe.  The attempts at having gravel event culture intertwine with the business and rules of "professional racing" often result in conflicts such as the ones described by the article linked above. None of this is news. That the UCI has failed to understand this in 2026 is inexcusable. 

Of course, North American event promoters have already been walking through this quagmire as well. I've said it all along: Traditional gravel events were developed to avoid the types of racers and racing which mainstream media, brands, and pundits define as "real racing". The two elements were at odds on purpose from the beginning.  

Gravel in the Modern Era was set up as a rejection of the racing rules and culture which was primarily motivated by money and notoriety.  Today's top-tier gravel race culture is one where only a select few are seen, or chosen to be, at the 'top of sport'. Whereas gravel originally was set up to celebrate all riders. It was not motivated by money, prizing, or sponsorship, but by gaining a personal growth and an experience not capable of being purchased. 

Image courtesy of Hunt Wheels

Hunt Wheels Offers Frt/R Specific Enduro V3 Rims:

Alloy rims are not very fashionable or noteworthy it seems anymore. However; alloy can represent a value proposition which is hard to ignore. Carbon rims, while not as pricey as they once were, still are not budget friendly. 

Hunt Wheels has just announced a front and rear specific set of Enduro V3 alloy rims with a 30mm internal rim width. (Note: Link is for rear specific rim)

These rims are tested in real world usage by Hunt sponsored enduro and DH riders. Using a sensible 32 spoke design, these are rims for bashing your FS 29"er around and at a cost of $119.00 each, these represent a pretty great bang for the buck. 

Comments: It is great to see a company willing to invest into R&D for alloy rims. In my searching for alloy rims for my Fargo Gen I project, it became apparent rather quickly that alloy rims are a bit less common than you'd think. 

New WTB 7X Hub (Image courtesy of WTB)

WTB 7X Hubs Figure Heavily In MTB World Championship Results:

In a July FN&V I had some news concerning a new hub design being used by Wilderness Trail Bikes. These hubs were being used by the Cannondale Factory Racing Team in World Cup MTB events. 

The design and partnership with the racing team has paid off with the Cannondale factory Racing Team athletes collecting five medals at the recently held World Championships in Val de Sole.  

Comments: WTB claims the hub set weighs in at a paltry "less than 300 grams", which seems crazy. Sporting oversize Enduro bearings and a ratchet drive system, these hubs are promised to appear in future wheel set offerings from WTB. 

There has been no indication WTB plans on selling the hubs as a stand-alone product. The press release states that these hubs will be commercially available as "part of WTB Mountain and Gravel wheel sets."

Look for news on some developments coming soon from WTB.  

New lube to be revealed soon...

New Lube-Off Contender Coming Soon:

I discovered a new contender for the Lube-Off which has some pretty interesting claims. I went ahead and ordered a bottle.  This brings to mind a point I wanted to make about my running lube tests which I feel hasn't been stressed enough. 

I buy all the products I test in this series with very few exceptions.(UPDATE: I did receive Stan's lubes for testing from Stan's, so there is another example of product I did not purchase.) 

Sure, in the past I received a few free samples from events. But I have not tested any lubricants in the last five years or more which I haven't purchased outright with my own money. (With exception of two Stan's lubricants) It is important to me that I am beholden to no company or marketing department when it comes to these tests. 

I will let you know that this newest contender's company owner or marketing guy reached out to me and wanted to send me a sample. But that is not how this deal works. I ordered a bottle, paid for it, and the lube will be here next week. 

I will say also that although Stan's sent over product, I do not treat it any differently than I would had I purchased it. But then, you dear readers will have to judge me on this for yourselves. Either way I can sleep at night knowing I've done my best to be objective and non-biased.  

Stay tuned.... 
 

That's all for this week! Get out and ride those bicycles! 

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Surly Bikes

 Surly Sorceress Trail Bike Debuts:

On Tuesday of this week Surly Bikes dropped a new model into their line called the Sorceress. It is a long. low, slack  steel hardtail 29'er (27.5"er in XS) with the capability to be set up geared or single speed.  

Surly worked with SRAM to develop a new rear drop out which can be set up geared using the SRAM UDH hangar or a chip can be subsituted which allows for a single speed set up. Surly calls this new dropout the "DUH". (Yes, seriously they call it this)  

The geometry is slack with a 65° head tube angle using the suggested 140mm travel fork. The seat tube is minimized for maximum length dropper post use. Chain stay length is 429mm and the bike comes in complete form with Teravail 2.5" Kessel rubber. 

The bike comes in three complete specs and as a frame ($999.00) in Elderberry Tonic or Hot Honey Bling. The single speed is priced at $2,199.00, the Deore 12 speed model is $2,499.00, and the range topping SRAM Eagle 90 is $3,199.00. 

Sorceress drop outs (Image courtesy of Surly Bikes)

Comments: Let's see...... I think it was late 2012 when I reviewed that Diamondback Mason hardtail 29"er. It was about the same bike as this Surly model. So.....nothing new here. 

Yeah, its got that drop out the online sites are all ga-ga over. What is this? Like the 39th variation of a rear drop out Surly has designed over the past 20 years? I don't know......it's all right, I guess. Nothing mind-blowing. 

I'm not sure why Surly decided to make this bike now. Are dealers clamoring for something to sell like this? Are Surly "Humanoids| messaging Surly asking for this? Maybe they are. It just seems like a weird bike for Surly to sell because it hasn't got that "make it your own" thing nor does it really do anything oddball like one used to expect from Surly. Yes....it can be set up and purchased as a single speed. At least they got that part right. 

Image courtesy of Bianchi

Bianchi Releases Limited Edition Infinito Celebrating Paris-Roubaix:

 Paris-Roubaix is this weekend. It might be the most romanticized cycling event in world history. More so than any other "monument" of cycling and perhaps more so than the Tour de France as well. In my opinion, Paris-Roubaix has been more influential in regard to cycling competitions than any other cycling event ever. Just look at gravel events which borrow from either its name, its vibe, or both. 

In light of this, it should come as no surprise then to see a company like Bianchi release a very expensive, very limited edition bicycle to celebrate Paris-Roubaix. 

 The Infinito model was chosen to feature a special paint job with details such as cobbles and a commemorative logo on the seat tube. Only 55 Infinito bikes will feature this livery which points to the 55 kilometers of cobbles in the 2026 edition of Paris-Roubaix. 

See this and all Bianchi's bicycles at www.bianchi.com 

Shimano PD-GR400 flats (Image courtesy of Shimano)

Another Flat Pedal Choice:

I may be a bit behind on discovering these Shimano flat pedals, but the PD-GR400 from Shimano is right up my alley. 

The resin-composite body has nine replaceable grip pins per side and the entire pedal weighs a claimed 394 grams. At a cost of $79.99 direct from Shimano, these pedals seem like a pretty good value. 

I like that they come in different colors as well. Six colors to be exact. I'm showing purple because it is the best color ever, and there is no debate. (Ha!) 

I also like resin composite pedals in the colder times when a metal pedal acts like a heat sink and draws heat out of your foot/shoe combo. Not good! Resin is far less adept at transferring heat, which helps keep those tootsies warm in Winter. 

Anyway, these are not the only choice, but they are another choice I think is worth checking out. Personally I have been a big fan of Fyxation Mesa MP's and I have several sets of them running on different bikes. It looks like Fyxation is on the down and outs though, so I may have to use these Shimano pedals in the future. 

Image courtesy of White Industries

White Industries, Brunk Industries, and Moots Team Up for Titanium Cranks:

An unlikely trio of businesses have teamed up to help produce a made in USA titanium crank set. Brunk Industries does the stamping and forming of the titanium arms. White Industries does the precision machining of the arms and spindles. Moots does the welding of the arms and pedal inserts. 

The cranks will be sold through both White Industries and Moots in several lengths from 165mm, 170mm, and 175mm. Different spindle lengths accommodate MTB, Road, and Gravel drive trains. The cranks us 8 bolt SRAM chain ring mounting standard. Spindles can also be DUB standard or 30mm. Some slight detail differences exist between the Moots and White Industries offerings, mostly in the aesthetic realm. Both brands are selling this crank set for $1350.00 USD.  

Image courtesy of Ergon

Ergon Expands GDH Grip Line Sizing:

Ergon has had the GDH grip in the range for some time now but there was only one diameter/size available. Now there will be three sizes and some new colors as well. 

The news sizes vary 2mm smaller and2mm larger than the original GDH, so if you are a fan of the OG grip, no worries. It is now called Medium sized. 

The grips will all have the "GravityControl" grip compound, progressive damping, and anatomic finger boxes. 

Check out these grips on Ergon\s product page: ergonbike.com/en/lp/gdh-color and US riders can : buy them here. 

Grinduro Returns To PA:

Lockhaven, PA, July 18th, 2026 is the date and place for Grinduro Pennsylvania. Registration is open now. 

Grinduro is timed segment event. This means there are segments where you will be in competition, but there are also segments where you can just cruise and enjoy the ride. 

The event will be going through Sproul State Forest and will feature stunning views, top-notch aid stations, and live entertainment. The event will also feature the following:

• Four timed race segments with plenty of adventure in between
• Festive aid stations with proper fueling and the treats that will lift you spirits
• A lively post-ride celebration and “hootenanny”
• On-site camping available Friday and Saturday
• Possible “Hellbender” salamander sightings all weekend

Proceeds from Grinduro PA will benefit the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Cycling League #morekidsonbikes 

That's a wrap on this week. Stay in the saddle and ride!  
 

All About Pedals

 Recently I was messaged about doing an "explainer post" on the subject of pedals. The person told me that they used clip and strap pedals and were wondering about clipless and shoes and all of that. So, I thought that we cannot assume that everyone knows about pedals. Because  - obviously - there are questions. I hope that this post provides answers and is valuable to some of you out there. 

Pedals. They are invaluable for cycling and are one of the three VERY important "contact points" humans have with bicycles. As such, I feel that pedals actually deserve more scrutiny than they get from the cycling brands and pundits. A bad, or even a mediocre pedal can ruin a ride, make cycling no-fun, and no one wants that! 

Types of Pedals: There are different pedals but essentially they can be grouped in three categories: Clip & Strap, Clipless, and Flats. I'll discuss the tree types and then we will get into why you might choose one over the other. Plus, I'll share what I think as well about pedals for my cycling purposes.

A typical clip & strap pedal (Image snagged from eBay)

Clip & Strap Pedals: These pedals were developed late into the 19th Century to help racers feet stay on the pedals. Having no ability to coast due to their fixed gear drive trains of the day, these single speeders were in danger of having their legs beaten by whirling crank sets and crashing when their feet slipped off unexpectedly. A metal "clip" was developed that went from the front edge of the pedal, wrapped around the front of the rider's shoe, and the came up over the instep a bit. That end had a loop with a strap through it which crossed the foot, went through the pedal body, and was adjustable for tension. Good for securing the foot to the pedal. Not so good if you had to execute a quick dismount of your bicycle! 

Clip & Strap pedals were usually only used then by racers and cycling enthusiasts who toured or were into racing bikes and track riding. However; when mountain bikes came along, with their rough terrain and often wet, muddy, and therefore slippery aspects, the clip & strap pedal became the defacto MTB pedal of choice by the late 1980's and every good MTB was equipped with them from that point until 1992. Then.....

Dual-entry clipless pedal

Clipless Pedals: In the mid-1980's, LOOK, a ski binding manufacturer, came up with a binding for cycling, made it in a pedal format, and provided a shoe with a corresponding cleat attached to the bottom that would snap into the pedal via a sprung cleat pocket. This single-sided entry pedal was marketed at first to road racers. Instead of having to reach down to release a toe-strap on a clip & strap pedal, now the rider could disengage from the pedal by simply twisting sideways with the heel. The name "clipless" came about because the pedal LOOK came up with did not have to have the "clip" over the front of the foot. Thus "clipless", even though most people would say that a clipless pedal is one you "clip into", so this is confusing for many folks. 

By 1992 Shimano developed the clipless pedal for mountain biking with a dual-sided entry pedal, two-bolt cleat type shoe interface which became the de-facto industry standard for off-road a few years later. Since then, clip & straps for MTB has fallen out of favor with most mountain bikers.

Of course, the advantages of clipless are that you will not slip off the pedal and you can easily disengage from it, unlike toe clips and straps. Plus your feet won't suffer damage from overly-tight toe straps.  Disadvantages are that you have to have a corresponding shoe and proper cleat. 

A single-sided "road" pedal that takes a two-bolt cleat.

There are typically two types of clipless pedals. MTB and Road. The difference is that Road can usually only be clipped into one way while MTB pedals typically can be clipped into on both sides. The "cleats" vary as well. MTB cleats typically are "two-bolt" while Road cleats typically are triangular in shape and require three bolts to attach to the shoe. And yes, shoes vary according to this standard as well. So, if you have a road bike with road pedals and a mountain bike with mountain bike pedals you will have two sets of pedals and two pairs of shoes. One set for Road, one for MTB.

One note about clipless pedal specific shoes: These can vary wildly, and have styles all over the map. Some look like normal "civvie" shoes while others may look like something an alien fashion model might wear. The general idea, besides matching up with a Road or MTB standard, is that the shoe gives you a better, stiffer platform to pedal off of, theoretically making you more efficient. However; cycling specific shoes can make walking a real chore, or next to impossible, depending upon the shoe. Some of the more casual cycling shoes actually aren't too bad to wear on the daily, but conversely, you might feel compromised while pedaling. 

Flat Pedals (Platform Pedals): These are , like the name implies, a flat platform for your feet to push on. These are the type of pedals you probably learned to ride a bike with. These can vary in form-factor quite a bit. You'll see the most basic, cheaply made flat pedals on department store bikes and even on entry level bike-shop quality bikes. These usually are not very good, being made of poor quality plastic and having poor quality bearings. 

Fyxation Mesa MP flat pedals. (Image courtesy of Fyxation)

However; there are high-quality, durable flat pedals made from composites and plastics. Obviously there are also aluminum ones as well. These can vary in price greatly. 

Most notably used for steep mountain biking, fixed gear, and recreational riding, flat pedals can actually be kind of freeing. You can wear whatever shoes are on your feet, mostly, and there are no special accessories necessary. 

Some flat pedals have pins which provide grip on the shoe to keep your foot in place. These same pins can shred your shin if you inadvertently do slip a pedal and end up slamming the pedal into your leg. Other flat pedals are smoother surfaced but may have a friction material applied to help with foot slippage issues. 

What Pedal is Right For You?: This is a great question and your bicycle may help you answer it. That and how you ride will be your ultimate guide here. So, let's think about some obvious things first. Then I'll get into what I think personally and I will give you some recommendations. 

 The style of bike you have may be all you need to guide you. That said, Road bikes can be fitted with dual-sided MTB pedals and flats. A mountain bike could have flats or road bike pedals. You get the picture. Traditionally Road pedals go on Road bikes and MTB pedals go on MTB's, etc. Flats used to be the realm of BMX bikes but now a lot of different uses for flats have been noted. 

This Ergon flat pedal has a sandpaper-like friction material bonded to it.

I don't think you have to think about the bike much, but rather, how you want to live with your bike. That is most important. Are you the type that doesn't sweat getting a personal record on a segment and just wants to have fun riding? Maybe you are more practically motivated and you use your bicycle for errands and transportation. Maybe you like simplicity and low cost. Maybe all of the above? Then this points you to flat pedals. 

Flats are no less efficient than clipless, and but for foot retention purposes, flats would be the number one choice, in my view. Flats pretty much allow you to use any shoe or boot and the cost is kept low due to that. Plus, the pedals themselves can be less expensive and very high quality. 

But, if foot retention is a high-priority, and ground clearance is an issue, then clipless pedals are better. Also, if you have specific needs based around issues with your feet, you can get customized orthotics and even cycling shoes that mold to your feet. Plus, cycling shoes are more efficient than most civvie shoes, and cooler when it is hot. (If you get warm-weather cycling shoes, that is.) Clipless often is best in severe, muddy, rainy weather and might allow you to do tricks easier than with flat pedals like "bunny-hopping" or moving either wheel sideways or off the ground. 

A variation of the strap system for foot retention. (Image courtesy of Fyxation)

The old-school clip & strap pedals are pretty archaic. You can use them, but if foot retention is an issue, clipless is a lot safer to get in and out of while riding. The safety factor alone is worth the price of the shoes and pedals, in my view. 

There is the fixie single strap type pedal and these may be a good compromise between pure flats and clip and strap styles. 

My personal view is that flat pedals rule. They allow me to just hop on a bike and go at a moments notice. That said, I do like my clipless on gravel. The dust and heat in Summer is best taken in while using cycling shoes which can be vented and cooler. Plus, the rougher sections won't shake me out of my pedals, nor will unseen potholes and ruts. 

So, there you go. The basics of pedals. I can get into the "how" and mechanical bits about pedals if anyone wants to read that. Or, maybe you have questions? Suggestions and questions can be sent to me via the comments or at g.ted.productions@gmail.com

As always, thanks for reading G-Ted Productions!

Are Flat Pedals Good For Gravel?

The Redshift Sports flat pedals w/lights installed.

While I do not focus on mountain biking here much anymore, I do pay attention to what is going on with mountain biking. One of the trends I see growing is the use of "flat" pedals. The pedals that non-cyclists would call "normal" pedals. 

Before Shimano introduced the PD-M737 clipless pedals in the early 1990's, "flat" pedals are what all mountain bikers were riding. Well, those pedals weren't the flat pedals of today, but they were not clipless pedals either. No, mostly we were using caged pedals with toe straps.Uggh! Those were truly awful. 

At least they were for MTB, which required a lot of get-offs and remounts. Toe straps were just an impediment to doing what you had to do. 'True' flat pedals existed then, but weren't used widely, at least not around here. I say that because trends were a lot more regionally driven then than they are today. 

Nowadays I am seeing more flat pedals being made and more introductions of shoes for flat pedal mountain biking. Seeing as how mountain biking has an influence on gravel riding, I am wondering if flat pedal usage is going to be a thing in gravel riding. Could it become a trend in gravel much as it seems to be doing in MTB?

New flat pedal shoes from Unparalleled Sports. (Image from their site)

The title for today's post asks if this sort of flat pedal set up is "good for gravel". Well, of course it is! I've already proven that for myself, and in my mind there is no question that for every gravel pursuit outside of Pro/Semi-Pro gravel racing, flat pedals definitely have a space in the gravel riding niche. 

But..... There is always a "but"! This probably won't really take off as a trend for gravel until the shoes are made for it. The current MTB specific shoes just don't quite have "it". 

And right now, I'm not sure what "it" is. But I do know that MTB specific flat shoes are a bit too "heavy duty" and not as thin and breathable as I would want to wear. But I'm also not a shoe designer. Maybe I'll know it when I see it, but for now, I'm just going to say that the MTB flat shoes are not what I'd be looking for. 

I have done 100 miles of gravel on flat pedals wearing.........Vans! Yes those traditional skate/fashion sneakers that are canvas and rubber. They were fairly light, which was good, breathable, which was good, but they let in a lot of tiny bits of gravel and the soles were less than stiff for pedaling. So, not those shoes, but I am thinking whatever comes out, if anything comes out, will be closer to Vans than these MTB flat pedal shoes. 

And maybe this will never happen. I hope that it does, because I think a lot of people would ride more if their gravel bikes had flat pedals and shoes to go with that.

Are Flat Pedals Good For Gravel?

The Redshift Sports flat pedals w/lights installed.

While I do not focus on mountain biking here much anymore, I do pay attention to what is going on with mountain biking. One of the trends I see growing is the use of "flat" pedals. The pedals that non-cyclists would call "normal" pedals. 

Before Shimano introduced the PD-M737 clipless pedals in the early 1990's, "flat" pedals are what all mountain bikers were riding. Well, those pedals weren't the flat pedals of today, but they were not clipless pedals either. No, mostly we were using caged pedals with toe straps.Uggh! Those were truly awful. 

At least they were for MTB, which required a lot of get-offs and remounts. Toe straps were just an impediment to doing what you had to do. 'True' flat pedals existed then, but weren't used widely, at least not around here. I say that because trends were a lot more regionally driven then than they are today. 

Nowadays I am seeing more flat pedals being made and more introductions of shoes for flat pedal mountain biking. Seeing as how mountain biking has an influence on gravel riding, I am wondering if flat pedal usage is going to be a thing in gravel riding. Could it become a trend in gravel much as it seems to be doing in MTB?

New flat pedal shoes from Unparalleled Sports. (Image from their site)

The title for today's post asks if this sort of flat pedal set up is "good for gravel". Well, of course it is! I've already proven that for myself, and in my mind there is no question that for every gravel pursuit outside of Pro/Semi-Pro gravel racing, flat pedals definitely have a space in the gravel riding niche. 

But..... There is always a "but"! This probably won't really take off as a trend for gravel until the shoes are made for it. The current MTB specific shoes just don't quite have "it". 

And right now, I'm not sure what "it" is. But I do know that MTB specific flat shoes are a bit too "heavy duty" and not as thin and breathable as I would want to wear. But I'm also not a shoe designer. Maybe I'll know it when I see it, but for now, I'm just going to say that the MTB flat shoes are not what I'd be looking for. 

I have done 100 miles of gravel on flat pedals wearing.........Vans! Yes those traditional skate/fashion sneakers that are canvas and rubber. They were fairly light, which was good, breathable, which was good, but they let in a lot of tiny bits of gravel and the soles were less than stiff for pedaling. So, not those shoes, but I am thinking whatever comes out, if anything comes out, will be closer to Vans than these MTB flat pedal shoes. 

And maybe this will never happen. I hope that it does, because I think a lot of people would ride more if their gravel bikes had flat pedals and shoes to go with that.

Flats Make Me Want To Ride

Every time I went down to grab a bike to commute on, I'd look at this one bike and think, "That would be fun to use as a commuter, but it has clipless pedals. Meh! I don't want to mess with shoes today!". Then I'd grab the Ti Muk 2, or the Surly 1 X 1, or lately, the Sawyer. All fun bicycles to ride that I have set up with flats.

This also figures heavily into which bicycles I choose to run errands on. Flats are best, since I can just hop on and go. No "special cycling gear" required at all. It's a barrier to riding if I have to stop, sit down, and switch out shoes just to ride a bicycle.

A couple things make me this way, perhaps. My best memories of riding when I was younger were on rides that required zero special gear. That means flat pedals. The other thing is that I don't like hassling with finding a set of shoes and then having to switch shoes both at work and at home. So, those things combined make me like just riding flats sometimes. Not all the time, but a lot of the time.

And maybe I would still use flat pedals in events and bigger rides if I didn't think the shoes were holding me back. Not that I have a problem with clipless- I don't, so I guess I just believe in the stories about how it is more efficient and I go clipless. I should just throw a set of flats in my truck. If I had flats that time I forgot my cycling shoes for the Prairie Burn, well...... Anyway.

The Karate Monkey will get ridden more now that it has flat pedals, and that's a good thing.

Tuesday I looked at the Karate Monkey again and thought, "You know, I really should put flats on that bike." I wasn't going to ride it, and I had actually dragged up another bike to use that did have flats. Then I decided this madness had gone on long enough.

I took that bike back down, grabbed some flats, put the Karate Monkey in the work stand, and spun off those clipless pedals. Once they had been replaced with some old flats I have, I was set to cruise to work. Now......that's much better! Another choice for errands, commutes, and big deal if I go out on gravel with flat pedals. In fact, I not only commuted yesterday on the KM, but I also ran a quick errand with it.

Flat pedals rule.

Now, about the bike, for those who may not know this one. It was my first 29"er back in the Spring of 2003. Probably the first 29"er in the area, and maybe one of the first in Iowa. There weren't too many wagon wheelers around in '03! It's always been a single speed, and for most of its time with me, it has been a drop bar bike. I started out gravel grinding with this rig back in '05, it was my main commuter rig for four years, and went through four Winters. The Winter riding nearly killed the bike when my original bottom bracket, a 90's era UN-52, got frozen into the frame. The bike sat around unused for probably a good five years because of that problem. Fortunately, in 2016, I got that bottom bracket out.

I had planned on using that bike for the 2016 GTDRI, but those plans fell through, and another year went by. Finally, in February of 2017, I got the bike assembled in its final form. Then I rode it a few times and.......clipless pedals. So, I just decided this situation needed to change. This bike isn't going anywhere, as it was my first 29"er and I did my second longest ride ever on it back in 2006. I have ridden thousands of miles of gravel on this bike, commuted on it for years, and it has just got to be a rideable bike, not a garage queen. So, the flats are perfect.

Flats Make Me Want To Ride

Every time I went down to grab a bike to commute on, I'd look at this one bike and think, "That would be fun to use as a commuter, but it has clipless pedals. Meh! I don't want to mess with shoes today!". Then I'd grab the Ti Muk 2, or the Surly 1 X 1, or lately, the Sawyer. All fun bicycles to ride that I have set up with flats.

This also figures heavily into which bicycles I choose to run errands on. Flats are best, since I can just hop on and go. No "special cycling gear" required at all. It's a barrier to riding if I have to stop, sit down, and switch out shoes just to ride a bicycle.

A couple things make me this way, perhaps. My best memories of riding when I was younger were on rides that required zero special gear. That means flat pedals. The other thing is that I don't like hassling with finding a set of shoes and then having to switch shoes both at work and at home. So, those things combined make me like just riding flats sometimes. Not all the time, but a lot of the time.

And maybe I would still use flat pedals in events and bigger rides if I didn't think the shoes were holding me back. Not that I have a problem with clipless- I don't, so I guess I just believe in the stories about how it is more efficient and I go clipless. I should just throw a set of flats in my truck. If I had flats that time I forgot my cycling shoes for the Prairie Burn, well...... Anyway.

The Karate Monkey will get ridden more now that it has flat pedals, and that's a good thing.

Tuesday I looked at the Karate Monkey again and thought, "You know, I really should put flats on that bike." I wasn't going to ride it, and I had actually dragged up another bike to use that did have flats. Then I decided this madness had gone on long enough.

I took that bike back down, grabbed some flats, put the Karate Monkey in the work stand, and spun off those clipless pedals. Once they had been replaced with some old flats I have, I was set to cruise to work. Now......that's much better! Another choice for errands, commutes, and big deal if I go out on gravel with flat pedals. In fact, I not only commuted yesterday on the KM, but I also ran a quick errand with it.

Flat pedals rule.

Now, about the bike, for those who may not know this one. It was my first 29"er back in the Spring of 2003. Probably the first 29"er in the area, and maybe one of the first in Iowa. There weren't too many wagon wheelers around in '03! It's always been a single speed, and for most of its time with me, it has been a drop bar bike. I started out gravel grinding with this rig back in '05, it was my main commuter rig for four years, and went through four Winters. The Winter riding nearly killed the bike when my original bottom bracket, a 90's era UN-52, got frozen into the frame. The bike sat around unused for probably a good five years because of that problem. Fortunately, in 2016, I got that bottom bracket out.

I had planned on using that bike for the 2016 GTDRI, but those plans fell through, and another year went by. Finally, in February of 2017, I got the bike assembled in its final form. Then I rode it a few times and.......clipless pedals. So, I just decided this situation needed to change. This bike isn't going anywhere, as it was my first 29"er and I did my second longest ride ever on it back in 2006. I have ridden thousands of miles of gravel on this bike, commuted on it for years, and it has just got to be a rideable bike, not a garage queen. So, the flats are perfect.

Country Views: The First Hot Day

Rollin gravel Eastbound.

Wednesday it was a gorgeous day and was the very first day I would call "Summer-like". The skies were blue bird clear and the wind was nought but a breeze, not even worth mentioning, really. I was itching to get out there, but I had to work on RidingGravel.com first and then all the drama about the Almanzo events distracted me for a bit. But shortly after noon, I managed to load up the State Bicycle Company Warhawk single speed and I headed South, but with a twist.

Generally speaking, I go South and a mile over or so east or west and then straight back North when I'm headed out that way. But yesterday I decided to travel more toward the East than is my norm. The roads East are good, and I don't know why I don't get out that way more than I do. So, I made a concerted effort to get out of my rut in the route choice and go a different way. I am really glad that I did for several reasons, as we will see here.

Now, of course, the Warhawk is a single speed, but I took it out of fixed mode since I wrecked my hips riding it fixed a while back now. So, I wasn't worried about that, and the hills aren't super steep East and South of town until you get around Hickory Hills, but I wasn't going to have time to go quite that far.

I was able to wear just shorts and a shirt, a wool shirt, to be exact, from Showers Pass. It's a light weight Summer wool shirt with a chest pocket and it doesn't look like a cycling jersey at all. The shorts were also Showers Pass and were baggies. (Note: I reviewed the clothing here) I like not wearing Lycra stuff whenever I can. Oh yeah, and I put flats on the Warhawk and rode in the new Giant shoes I have for flat pedals. So, I was total non-racer out there. With my 39 X 18T gearing, I was all good to go. It was just gorgeous out, actually, borderline too hot at times.

Barns For Jason: Check out the pattern in the brickwork of the silo.

The roads are really coming around too. There is still a lot of damage to take care of, but the mud is gone, many of the ruts have been graded down, and there were lots of fresh gravel patches. There are also a lot of smooth-as-a-table-top parts, and along with that are plenty of loose, almost sandy parts. The dust was bad coming off the cars and trucks I met. So, the roads are bone dry now.

'merica. Check out that rare cab-over semi tractor. Don't see many of those around anymore.

Lots of gravel, green grass, and black earth on the ride. Farmers are planting like crazy now.

Like I said, there wasn't really anything to the wind, and despite it being a headwind going South, it was no big deal. I was glad for it actually. It helped drift the clouds of gravel dust off the roadway whenever a car or truck passed. Plus, it helped keep me cooler. It wasn't humid, but I was sweating! The softer roads in many places was making me earn those miles.

Lots of chunky, fresh gravel is being laid down too.

Another of the several planter rigs I saw working the fields of Black Hawk County. Note the dust.

I ended up crossing Kimball, then Highway 21, but I didn't get as far East as V-37, so then I turned South for a bit and back West on Reinbeck Road. When I came back across Highway 21, I saw that where I crossed was a stopping point for a pilot car to guide folks through a construction zone. The man holding the stop sign was busy looking at his phone, (what else?!), as a long line of cars and trucks waited behind him for their turn to follow the pilot car. As I crossed the pavement, I said hello to the man, who looked up in amazement with his mouth agape. I don't think he ever thought he'd see a cyclist on a gravel road, much less one that far out of town.

There are planted fields everywhere, but many are waiting to be worked yet.

It was a great ride. I was super happy to have gotten out and going a different way than usual was fun. As I rolled up the last miles into Waterloo, I realized something. I hadn't been accosted by any dogs! Maybe all I had to do was declare 2019 as the "Year Of The Dog" and that took care of things. Maybe I have paid my dues. Maybe it was just too warm for those furry beasts to give chase. I don't know, but that was the first time in a long time I haven't had to dismount to deal with angry mongrels.

It could have been the different route. I don't know, but I'll take it. Almost 30 miles, and I felt fantastic. The sickness I had been battling is almost a distant memory now and I am starting to feel more like myself again. Both on and off the bike.

Country Views: The First Hot Day

Rollin gravel Eastbound.

Wednesday it was a gorgeous day and was the very first day I would call "Summer-like". The skies were blue bird clear and the wind was nought but a breeze, not even worth mentioning, really. I was itching to get out there, but I had to work on RidingGravel.com first and then all the drama about the Almanzo events distracted me for a bit. But shortly after noon, I managed to load up the State Bicycle Company Warhawk single speed and I headed South, but with a twist.

Generally speaking, I go South and a mile over or so east or west and then straight back North when I'm headed out that way. But yesterday I decided to travel more toward the East than is my norm. The roads East are good, and I don't know why I don't get out that way more than I do. So, I made a concerted effort to get out of my rut in the route choice and go a different way. I am really glad that I did for several reasons, as we will see here.

Now, of course, the Warhawk is a single speed, but I took it out of fixed mode since I wrecked my hips riding it fixed a while back now. So, I wasn't worried about that, and the hills aren't super steep East and South of town until you get around Hickory Hills, but I wasn't going to have time to go quite that far.

I was able to wear just shorts and a shirt, a wool shirt, to be exact, from Showers Pass. It's a light weight Summer wool shirt with a chest pocket and it doesn't look like a cycling jersey at all. The shorts were also Showers Pass and were baggies. (Note: I reviewed the clothing here) I like not wearing Lycra stuff whenever I can. Oh yeah, and I put flats on the Warhawk and rode in the new Giant shoes I have for flat pedals. So, I was total non-racer out there. With my 39 X 18T gearing, I was all good to go. It was just gorgeous out, actually, borderline too hot at times.

Barns For Jason: Check out the pattern in the brickwork of the silo.

The roads are really coming around too. There is still a lot of damage to take care of, but the mud is gone, many of the ruts have been graded down, and there were lots of fresh gravel patches. There are also a lot of smooth-as-a-table-top parts, and along with that are plenty of loose, almost sandy parts. The dust was bad coming off the cars and trucks I met. So, the roads are bone dry now.

'merica. Check out that rare cab-over semi tractor. Don't see many of those around anymore.

Lots of gravel, green grass, and black earth on the ride. Farmers are planting like crazy now.

Like I said, there wasn't really anything to the wind, and despite it being a headwind going South, it was no big deal. I was glad for it actually. It helped drift the clouds of gravel dust off the roadway whenever a car or truck passed. Plus, it helped keep me cooler. It wasn't humid, but I was sweating! The softer roads in many places was making me earn those miles.

Lots of chunky, fresh gravel is being laid down too.

Another of the several planter rigs I saw working the fields of Black Hawk County. Note the dust.

I ended up crossing Kimball, then Highway 21, but I didn't get as far East as V-37, so then I turned South for a bit and back West on Reinbeck Road. When I came back across Highway 21, I saw that where I crossed was a stopping point for a pilot car to guide folks through a construction zone. The man holding the stop sign was busy looking at his phone, (what else?!), as a long line of cars and trucks waited behind him for their turn to follow the pilot car. As I crossed the pavement, I said hello to the man, who looked up in amazement with his mouth agape. I don't think he ever thought he'd see a cyclist on a gravel road, much less one that far out of town.

There are planted fields everywhere, but many are waiting to be worked yet.

It was a great ride. I was super happy to have gotten out and going a different way than usual was fun. As I rolled up the last miles into Waterloo, I realized something. I hadn't been accosted by any dogs! Maybe all I had to do was declare 2019 as the "Year Of The Dog" and that took care of things. Maybe I have paid my dues. Maybe it was just too warm for those furry beasts to give chase. I don't know, but that was the first time in a long time I haven't had to dismount to deal with angry mongrels.

It could have been the different route. I don't know, but I'll take it. Almost 30 miles, and I felt fantastic. The sickness I had been battling is almost a distant memory now and I am starting to feel more like myself again. Both on and off the bike.

Friday News And Views

Paul Thumbies- New! (But not really) Image courtesy of Paul Components

You Should Totally E-Bay Those!

Wednesday I'm cruising my Twitter feed when I scroll up on some newsy bits from a couple of sources saying that Paul Components has released a SRAM TT shifter compatible mount that turns these bar end shifters into old school thumb shifters. Now normally, I would just scroll right on by something like that. However; I was immediately struck by the fact that someone, (actually it was Tweeted by three different accounts I follow), thought these were "new". "They are not new!", I thought to myself.  Heck, I could walk down into my Lab and grab a pair I've had kicking around for years now. New? I don't think so. I went down, within two minutes had them in hand, and shot an image, then tweeted it out asking if my circa 2011 Paul Thumbies could be "new".

A couple of the accounts I "@'ed" (code for adding an account to a Tweet which then directs said Tweet "at" the account.- Pronounced "at-ed") responded with a social media equivalent of a shrug, and they in turn "@'ed" Paul Components account for a definitive answer.

The answer I got from Paul Components on Twitter

So, I had jumped on getting those at the right time, apparently, because back then, I had no clue they were a very limited edition sort of product. I actually got them for my Ti Mukluk, which I used the right shifter by itself at first since I ran 1 X 10 SRAM to start out with. That didn't last long, the shifter came off, and the pair of mounts has been basically sitting on my bench in my little box of bar end shifter parts ever since. I just don't do much with geared, flat bar bikes these days. Anyway, I thanked Paul Components and figured that was that.

Then one of the accounts that was part of the thread snaps back with "hangs up, dials e-bay......" I replied back that this was a well played comment, but I wasn't looking to make a buck from my newfound knowledge dumped on me by Paul Components. Then another follower of mine on Twitter basically answered that and said "take the money and run!"

Social media. Weird. Sometimes it's a fun, knowledge builder. Other times.....well. 

Ingrid's 12 sped rear derailleur Courtesy of Ingrid's Instagram feed

 They Said It Would Last Forever:

Back on the 1990's heyday of CNC craziness, I purchased a "Made In The USA", CNC'ed, lightweight rear derailleur by a company called ProShift. It was "totally rebuild-able" and theoretically would last "forever" since you would be able to purchase any piece or part of that derailleur and rebuild it. It was VERY EXPENSIVE. I bolted it to my 1992 Klein Attitude and started riding.

Well, one day, under no extraordinary circumstances, I heard a "ker-CHUNK!", felt a tug on the chain, and then no power. I looked down and what was left of that derailleur was dangling from a very slack chain. In fact, the only part that survived was a jockey wheel! Every other part was ripped, twisted, or bent beyond recognition. I boxed up all the bits I could find, shipped it to ProShift, and they sent me another under warranty. That derailleur suffered the same fate exactly two weeks later. Again- the only part that survived was the lower jockey wheel.

Well, I had had enough. I got a "real" rear derailleur, went on my merry way, and ProShift quickly became a thing of mountain bike legend. I was reminded of that story again when I read about an Italian based company called "INGRID".

They have, what looks like CNC'ed metal, in the form of a rear derailleur and are saying "it will last forever because it is rebuild-able". Yeah.......

Once bitten, twice shy.

Flat pedal shoes from Giant Bicycles.

 Shoes To Get The Fargo Ready:

Yes, you read that right. I've got some shoes and that is motivating me to get the Fargo up and running. Why? Because the Fargo has flat pedals on it now. The idea is that I am going off to do some longer gravel rides on flats. To test the shoes. The shoes I have on test for RidingGravel.com. Those shoes.....

Anyway, I think it is high time for some new treads for the Fargo as well. I've got me eye on the new Vittoria Terreno Cross Country tires. They have the Graphene compound and I've had experience with this in their Terreno Dry 40mm tire. Those Graphene infused tires have "something" going on and that is something good. It is an uncanny tire in that it shouldn't grip as well as it does, nor roll as fast as it does, but it does. I've also heard it wears like iron. Too good to be true? Maybe, but I am convinced there is a lot more good to these tires than bad.

So, once the tires are on, I am shooting to do some longer rides on flats and hopefully get ready for the Prairie Burn 100 and the Solstice 100, both events coming up really soon! I need to get some miles in my legs and fast.

That's all for this cold, wet week. Let's hope the weather turns around and warmer weather comes. Oh.....and Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there!