Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Pirelli USA.

Pirelli Announces New Offerings In SmarTube Tubes:

Pirelli offers its own version of a TPU tube, tubes that are not butyl rubber, as in traditional tubes, but made from TPU material which is much lighter and can be similar in characteristics to a latex tube but with far better air retention than a latex tube. 

Pirelli announced two new SmarTube offerings, but we are most concerned here with the SmarTube X as it has offerings in sizes for gravel/all-road bikes. 

SmarTube X in the 622-40/622-50 size (fits 40mm to 50mm tires) is three times thicker than the original SmarTube and therefore much more resistant to punctures. yet the tubes are far smaller when stored and take up much less room in a bag or jersey pocket than a similarly sized butyl tube does. 

Available in Schrader or Presta valves, these tubes should provide excellent air retention as well. Currently these are not quite yet available. ETA is set as the end of September. Pricing - SmarTubes are  $39.90/each. 

Comments: I find tubes to be useful in bikes I don't ride often, and I usually carry one on every ride, no matter the bike, just in case. So, these TPU based tubes are pretty nice from that standpoint of space savings, and weighing less. I have tried the Tubolito TPU tubes and have found that they seem to work well. 

Forty bucks a pop is steep, but for the sheer space saving and weight saving benefits, I could see it for someone who runs tubeless and needs an emergency bail-out option that may as well be minimalist if you have to carry that. I also see TPU tubes as being a nice way to get a tubed bike closer to tubeless benefits without going tubeless. You don't get the pinch flat resistance, but other than that, the more robust SmarTube X seems like a decent choice for those not wanting to do the tubeless dance. 

OMM's Basket (Image courtesy of OMM)

A Basket For The Old Man:

Old Man Mountain just released the news publicly about a product they were showing privately at the MADE Show recently. It's a new aluminum basket made to fit most of their current rack line. 

• Stamped and welded aluminum construction is corrosion proof and designed to last.   
• Molle compatible: Customize your basket with accessories designed for Molle mounting pattern.
• Compatible with basket bags designed for “137” baskets.
• Bolts directly to OMM Divide, Divide Fat, Elkhorn, and Pizza Rack for a reliable and rattle free connection.

I'll admit, I am not a basket guy, so a lot of those specs are lost on me, but if the thing bolts directly to an Elkhorn or Divide rack, then I bet these will be rock solid additions to most any bike. These are available now from Old Man Mountain for $80.00. (As are the Ponderosa Panniers and Juniper Trunk Bag I am testing now) For more on this rack, see HERE. 

Image courtesy of 45NRTH

45NRTH Risor Wool Gloves:

 I posted about it being "Light Season" earlier this week, and well....glove season isn't far behind! In that vein, I have been sent a press release from 45NRTH detailing a couple of their glove offerings. One of them caught my eye which is named "Risor"

The Risor is a Merino wool blend glove that will get you by on cool, Fall rides, but it's more than that. This is a perfect liner glove for a Winter mitten, or larger full-fingered gloves. So, it can be a three-season use glove and being that it uses Merino wool, it will stay warm even if you sweat it out. Well, mostly, as it does have a synthetic fabric outer layer to it. 

But that combination of fabrics does give a wool blend glove a longer lifespan, in my experience, so that's good, plus 45NRTH have put that synthetic fabric in places where it matters most for wear. I also like the length of this glove for keeping cold air at bay since you would be able to overlap that cuff with a long sleeved jersey, or jacket, or another glove. 

I guess I should also mention that 45NRTH says this glove is touch-screen compatible. In my experience most gloves that claim this are not all that compatible with touch screens, so take that with a grain of salt. But there- 45NRTH says these gloves work with touch-screens. 

Anyway, I always am on the lookout for nice liner-type handwear for cold weather and this glove looks like it is pretty well thought out. You can pick up a pair for $45.00. Plus, if black isn't your jam it comes in a nice light blue color as well.

Image courtesy of Wolf Tooth

Wolf Tooth Offers 12spd GRX Chainrings:

The "johnny-on-the-spot" award for this week goes to Wolf Tooth, who have offered 12 speed replacement rings for Shimano's new 12 speed GRX before almost anyone has even ridden the stuff yet. 

That's pretty amazing! However, the press release I got says that not only can you get 36T-46T round chain rings, but that you can get the same sizes in oval chain rings, plus Wolf Tooth is promising to have an expansion of offerings going up to 52T!

These rings feature Wolf Tooth's "Drop Stop" design and the GRX 12 compatible version is dubbed "Drop Stop ST", so don't mix that up with the various other versions available there for 11 speed SRAM, Shimano, Campy, and the rest. 

52 teeth rings, eh? Will we be seeing a time trial stage at Unbound using aero gravel bikes? HA! You heard it here first! 

Maybe Wolf Tooth could be persuaded to do inner rings for Shimano 2X GRX 12's and then I could get my preferred 46T/36T set up. Hmm.... Anyway, you can check out the details here on Wolf Tooth's site. 

Gravel with a friend...

Special Guest Gravel Grinding:

Today I should be out on a special ride with someone I haven't seen for many years. That will be going on this morning. Hopefully everything comes together to make this happen.

And you know, there is always the "if factor" and things may not pan out, but "if" they do, I'll have a special Country Views post coming up showing just who this individual is and where we rode. Hopefully.... 

Stay tuned on that one.

In the meantime, have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by to read "Guitar Ted Productions"!

More Gravel Worlds Prep On The MCD

Cue sheet test and calibration check- Done!

   As I stated last time I posted an update on my Gravel Worlds prep, I have most of the major stuff taken care of now. The final details are getting checked and tweaked out if necessary now. Wednesday I got out in this brutal heat and humidity for a short spell to check out several small, but important, details. 

• Cue Sheet Holder: I found my bigger clip and in conjunction with the smaller clip, I think I have a rock solid set up for cues now. Wednesday was pretty breezy, so that made for great testing conditions. I used some old Gravel Worlds cues that I have collected over the years as dummy cues to make sure that they would be readable and not flapping in the breeze as I rode. That checked out all good, so one more item off the list!
• Calibration Check: I needed to know if I would want to calibrate the computer again, or if it was good on mileage measuring. I usually check this against signs that the State put up along US Highway 218/27 by using a side road which parallels the highway. I can look over and see where the State has marked of the tenths of a mile and see if my computer is racking up similarly to what the State has. I checked out within .01 of a mile, so that'll do. Wandering on the road, stopping at convenience stores, or hiking over to a corn field to relieve oneself could easily amount to being off more than that. I have no doubt I'll be good on mileage tracking. I may chuck my GPS head in the bag as a back-up, but I have zero room to mount that head on the bike unless I do that where I cannot read it from the saddle. That seems pointless. I also need to see if I can turn off the scrolling function on this particular Sigma computer. That constantly changing screen is annoying! 
• Heat Acclimation: Of course, I've been doing short rides in the intense heat whenever I can to get used to it. Tuesday was likely the worst I'll see as it was 81° at 90% humidity for a "real-feel' heat index of 99°F, I think it was. Anyway- sweat-city! My grips were slimy and bare-handing it was sketchy. Which led to....
• The Gloves: I figured that the easiest thing to do was to just wear gloves, and I tried that Wednesday, but I don't really want to wear any gloves at all. While the gloves solved the immediate problems with sweat and grip, I found them to be hot and uncomfortable. I just really want to avoid gloves if at all possible. Next up I will try my sleeves which I have used to good effect before. I am reticent to try anything on my wrists as I am really sensitive to any pressure on my skin. It causes numbness really quickly. In fact, I have to loosen my watch band so it bounces around on my wrist or I cannot wear it while riding. More tweaking needs to be done here.
• No Base Layer: I have been thinking about eschewing wearing a base layer at Gravel Worlds. I know- they say base layers keep you cooler. I say it is still like wearing two shirts. When it is hot and humid, do I really need to be wearing two shirts? It doesn't add up to my mind. So, Wednesday I tried just a jersey while on Tuesday I wore a base layer under a loose fitting 'jersey shirt' thing. I have. I could see wearing the slightly flappy jersey-shirt thing with a base layer and the jersey only deal was great. More testing needed... 

Gotta line up the nutrition stuff next. Then, if Gravel Worlds gets the cues published soon enough, I may transfer them to Trans Iowa style cues. I can read those more easily and I can get more lines on a sheet than they do for Gravel Worlds. I figure that instead of the usual 8-9 sheets Gravel Worlds ends up putting out I might get that down to 7, maybe 8. 

Anyway.... More soon on all this as I wrap things up for next week's trip. Stay tuned......

More Gravel Worlds Prep On The MCD

Cue sheet test and calibration check- Done!

   As I stated last time I posted an update on my Gravel Worlds prep, I have most of the major stuff taken care of now. The final details are getting checked and tweaked out if necessary now. Wednesday I got out in this brutal heat and humidity for a short spell to check out several small, but important, details. 

• Cue Sheet Holder: I found my bigger clip and in conjunction with the smaller clip, I think I have a rock solid set up for cues now. Wednesday was pretty breezy, so that made for great testing conditions. I used some old Gravel Worlds cues that I have collected over the years as dummy cues to make sure that they would be readable and not flapping in the breeze as I rode. That checked out all good, so one more item off the list!
• Calibration Check: I needed to know if I would want to calibrate the computer again, or if it was good on mileage measuring. I usually check this against signs that the State put up along US Highway 218/27 by using a side road which parallels the highway. I can look over and see where the State has marked of the tenths of a mile and see if my computer is racking up similarly to what the State has. I checked out within .01 of a mile, so that'll do. Wandering on the road, stopping at convenience stores, or hiking over to a corn field to relieve oneself could easily amount to being off more than that. I have no doubt I'll be good on mileage tracking. I may chuck my GPS head in the bag as a back-up, but I have zero room to mount that head on the bike unless I do that where I cannot read it from the saddle. That seems pointless. I also need to see if I can turn off the scrolling function on this particular Sigma computer. That constantly changing screen is annoying! 
• Heat Acclimation: Of course, I've been doing short rides in the intense heat whenever I can to get used to it. Tuesday was likely the worst I'll see as it was 81° at 90% humidity for a "real-feel' heat index of 99°F, I think it was. Anyway- sweat-city! My grips were slimy and bare-handing it was sketchy. Which led to....
• The Gloves: I figured that the easiest thing to do was to just wear gloves, and I tried that Wednesday, but I don't really want to wear any gloves at all. While the gloves solved the immediate problems with sweat and grip, I found them to be hot and uncomfortable. I just really want to avoid gloves if at all possible. Next up I will try my sleeves which I have used to good effect before. I am reticent to try anything on my wrists as I am really sensitive to any pressure on my skin. It causes numbness really quickly. In fact, I have to loosen my watch band so it bounces around on my wrist or I cannot wear it while riding. More tweaking needs to be done here.
• No Base Layer: I have been thinking about eschewing wearing a base layer at Gravel Worlds. I know- they say base layers keep you cooler. I say it is still like wearing two shirts. When it is hot and humid, do I really need to be wearing two shirts? It doesn't add up to my mind. So, Wednesday I tried just a jersey while on Tuesday I wore a base layer under a loose fitting 'jersey shirt' thing. I have. I could see wearing the slightly flappy jersey-shirt thing with a base layer and the jersey only deal was great. More testing needed... 

Gotta line up the nutrition stuff next. Then, if Gravel Worlds gets the cues published soon enough, I may transfer them to Trans Iowa style cues. I can read those more easily and I can get more lines on a sheet than they do for Gravel Worlds. I figure that instead of the usual 8-9 sheets Gravel Worlds ends up putting out I might get that down to 7, maybe 8. 

Anyway.... More soon on all this as I wrap things up for next week's trip. Stay tuned......

Randomonium

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

ColdWork M-Pact Glove (Image courtesy of Mechanix Wear)

 Got Cold Hands?

I have heard a lot of riders complain over the years about perpetually cold hands and that things like fat biking are not in the cards for them because they cannot keep their paws warm. Well, some technology in gloves I came across could be cross-purposed and maybe this problem could be rectified for some of you.

How does heated, waterproof, temperature regulated sound to ya? Pretty far out, right? Well, thanks to some rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries and some great materials, these ColdWork M-Pact Gloves might just get you out there riding in the cold. Or hiking, Or whatever..... But of course, they ain't cheap. Two hunnert n fiddy to be exact. 

But if you really want warm hands and to be able to enjoy the outdoors in Winter? Maybe this is your ticket out there. Me? I don't have any issues as long as I am working. Heck, I can take my gloves off for several minutes at a windchill temp of -30°F with no issues. Again- as long as I am working. Shoveling lately has provided the 'work', but if I am fat biking hard, the same applies. So, something like these gloves would be lost on me unless I was going out on a long, multi-hour fat bike ride where I might end up on some easier terrain for long periods. Of course, there are pogies, so......

I just thought it was an interesting product that is very cross-compatible with Winter cycling. Maybe there are cycling gloves that have similar features? I am not aware of them if they exist. It wouldn't surprise me if there  is nothing like this aimed at cycling because gloves seem to be one of the least developed areas of cycling apparel out there. Why this is, I have no clue, but we seem to spend a lot of money on shoes, helmets, bibs/shorts, jerseys, and the like, but gloves seem stuck in the dark ages of cycling. 

WTB Proterra Wheel. (Image courtesy of WTB)

Review Season Is Coming:

February 2021 has brought some of the most brutal cold we've seen in years. Combined with any winds, the snow, and the ice, you can imagine that riding out in the country on gravel at this point isn't going to amount to anything but practicing your survival mode. Sure, you can do it, and some people are, but it is borderline insane, and I mean that with as little hyperbole as humanly possible. It is just plain stupid out there when the wind chills are in the -30 range. 

But before long the tilt of the Earth and that relationship to the Sun will chase this Arctic air away and Spring will begin to appear. It will come eventually, albeit possibly very slightly, and then "Review Season" for me will be kicking in. Frankly, I cannot wait. 

The situation with regard to supply and demand in the cycling industry was bound to have some impact on what I do here with regard to reviewing stuff. I was quite prepared to be idle in that area of my life. I had already made peace with the idea that little to nothing might show up at RidingGravel.com this season. However; it appears that I will be mistaken on that, at least in the short term. I have already received a couple of things, and more is on the way, if tracking numbers are something to put your faith in. It looks as though things are going to kick off rather like a normal year this year. 

I'll have a rain jacket to get out in the wet weather with. I've got a bunch of lubricant, grease, and cleaning products to use. I'll have a new set of budget priced wheels, a very "alt" handle bar to check out, and some bar tape to go with that. I don't have anything else on my radar after these things, but if this is any indication, I may be surprised to find 2021 busier than last year was. Anyway, first things first. I have the aforementioned items coming in, and that is all I truly know. This is all supposedly going to come together in the coming weeks and if the weather turns in that time, I can hit the ground running. We'll see. 

Where Am I Going?

The aforementioned 'review season' begs the question: "Where are you going to be riding this year, GT"? And that is a great question. I've been giving some thought to this lately. The answer is......complicated. 

Much of what I do will have to be local, given my shop job and limited time off. So, thanks to the gravel road challenge I accomplished last year, I now have a new menu of routes to do which should keep boredom down compared to previous years. Locally I have several routes that I have found that I want to tweak out into new ways of connecting things. Some areas deserve to be ridden several times again, while there are some places in Black Hawk County which will likely never see me or my tire tracks again. 

There are a few places I can add in which are a short car trip away, for example Traer, Iowa, which opens up a huge amount of very challenging hills and many Level B Maintenance roads. I also want to get over to the East of where I live, but those will have to be weekend trips and special, since the localities I have in mind are an hour or more away by car from here. The same applies for routes I want to ride in other places in Iowa. An example of this would be Grinnell, where I have two routes already laid out and waiting for me to tackle. 

So, as you may have noticed, there are no events in my plans. That's right, I'm not planning on any events. Gravel Worlds.....maybe. Basically, I am taking 2021 as a 2020 v2. And quite frankly, I am perfectly fine with that. For many reasons........ But I am not getting into all of that here. The point is, I will be doing a lot of solo riding again in 2021 and I am excited to get back out there. My riding will be free, won't require reservations about this pandemic, and I can go where I want to go. There won't be the pressures of an event weekend. Just me and my bike and a gravel road. 

Unbound Gravel, and other events, are still planning on being held in 2021.

And Speaking Of Events.....

I've been trying to find a good way to deal with the fact that certain events seem hell bent for leather to have people come and ride while others are taking the much more prudent approach and just cancelling again for 2021. I've done a lot of looking into this, and I've tried to make sense of why any event would try to be having a gathering when others happening at the same time are postponing till Fall or outright cancelling. What gives? Why such inconsistency?

RAGBRAI is pushing through its event despite a new virus mutation which is said to be much more transmissible being detected in the US. Same for Unbound Gravel which is supposedly still happening the first weekend of June. Fall? Maybe then, but Summer? Yeesh! This seems rather inconsistent with what experts are saying which is that we need to continue social distancing, mask wearing, and sanitary practices all throughout the Summer. Vaccines are out there, yes, but do your research- they are not a "get out of jail free card". So, all this planning on going ahead by these "big time" events seems really out of touch with what experts are saying reality will be. If these events cancelled in 2020, why are they still being planned for 2021? 

And as I have said, I've researched this and looked into who is behind these events in question. Why would they be motivated to basically look the other way and act as though "we'll be alright here" when there is no clear evidence that anything will be any different than last year? I think this has to do with money, staying in business, and cutting losses. That's my take. 

Look at these big events and you'll find multi-million dollar corporations behind them, and in many cases, sponsors that are big corporate concerns as well. They have boards to answer to, and losing money because you are not generating revenue is not sitting well with them. Having the events in any fashion possible is therefore going to be preferable to having zero income and losing money. 

But what about smaller events? Yes, many are planning on happening as well. But in these cases, many times the events are small enough that preventing contact, and that with locals, can be achieved with ease. We're not talking thousands of participants, like we are in the cases of RAGBRAI, or Unbound Gravel and the like. And as well, many of these smaller events are cancelling.

So, it comes down to the riders then. In my opinion, you are going to have to make a decision to partake in the generation of income, pandemic be damned, or do something different, like maybe not partake in the generation of income for a corporation, because of a damn pandemic. Some are saying this is overblown, it isn't a big deal, we're all outside riding, don't worry...... Well, some have said that since a year ago. Look where we are now.......

Randomonium

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

ColdWork M-Pact Glove (Image courtesy of Mechanix Wear)

 Got Cold Hands?

I have heard a lot of riders complain over the years about perpetually cold hands and that things like fat biking are not in the cards for them because they cannot keep their paws warm. Well, some technology in gloves I came across could be cross-purposed and maybe this problem could be rectified for some of you.

How does heated, waterproof, temperature regulated sound to ya? Pretty far out, right? Well, thanks to some rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries and some great materials, these ColdWork M-Pact Gloves might just get you out there riding in the cold. Or hiking, Or whatever..... But of course, they ain't cheap. Two hunnert n fiddy to be exact. 

But if you really want warm hands and to be able to enjoy the outdoors in Winter? Maybe this is your ticket out there. Me? I don't have any issues as long as I am working. Heck, I can take my gloves off for several minutes at a windchill temp of -30°F with no issues. Again- as long as I am working. Shoveling lately has provided the 'work', but if I am fat biking hard, the same applies. So, something like these gloves would be lost on me unless I was going out on a long, multi-hour fat bike ride where I might end up on some easier terrain for long periods. Of course, there are pogies, so......

I just thought it was an interesting product that is very cross-compatible with Winter cycling. Maybe there are cycling gloves that have similar features? I am not aware of them if they exist. It wouldn't surprise me if there  is nothing like this aimed at cycling because gloves seem to be one of the least developed areas of cycling apparel out there. Why this is, I have no clue, but we seem to spend a lot of money on shoes, helmets, bibs/shorts, jerseys, and the like, but gloves seem stuck in the dark ages of cycling. 

WTB Proterra Wheel. (Image courtesy of WTB)

Review Season Is Coming:

February 2021 has brought some of the most brutal cold we've seen in years. Combined with any winds, the snow, and the ice, you can imagine that riding out in the country on gravel at this point isn't going to amount to anything but practicing your survival mode. Sure, you can do it, and some people are, but it is borderline insane, and I mean that with as little hyperbole as humanly possible. It is just plain stupid out there when the wind chills are in the -30 range. 

But before long the tilt of the Earth and that relationship to the Sun will chase this Arctic air away and Spring will begin to appear. It will come eventually, albeit possibly very slightly, and then "Review Season" for me will be kicking in. Frankly, I cannot wait. 

The situation with regard to supply and demand in the cycling industry was bound to have some impact on what I do here with regard to reviewing stuff. I was quite prepared to be idle in that area of my life. I had already made peace with the idea that little to nothing might show up at RidingGravel.com this season. However; it appears that I will be mistaken on that, at least in the short term. I have already received a couple of things, and more is on the way, if tracking numbers are something to put your faith in. It looks as though things are going to kick off rather like a normal year this year. 

I'll have a rain jacket to get out in the wet weather with. I've got a bunch of lubricant, grease, and cleaning products to use. I'll have a new set of budget priced wheels, a very "alt" handle bar to check out, and some bar tape to go with that. I don't have anything else on my radar after these things, but if this is any indication, I may be surprised to find 2021 busier than last year was. Anyway, first things first. I have the aforementioned items coming in, and that is all I truly know. This is all supposedly going to come together in the coming weeks and if the weather turns in that time, I can hit the ground running. We'll see. 

Where Am I Going?

The aforementioned 'review season' begs the question: "Where are you going to be riding this year, GT"? And that is a great question. I've been giving some thought to this lately. The answer is......complicated. 

Much of what I do will have to be local, given my shop job and limited time off. So, thanks to the gravel road challenge I accomplished last year, I now have a new menu of routes to do which should keep boredom down compared to previous years. Locally I have several routes that I have found that I want to tweak out into new ways of connecting things. Some areas deserve to be ridden several times again, while there are some places in Black Hawk County which will likely never see me or my tire tracks again. 

There are a few places I can add in which are a short car trip away, for example Traer, Iowa, which opens up a huge amount of very challenging hills and many Level B Maintenance roads. I also want to get over to the East of where I live, but those will have to be weekend trips and special, since the localities I have in mind are an hour or more away by car from here. The same applies for routes I want to ride in other places in Iowa. An example of this would be Grinnell, where I have two routes already laid out and waiting for me to tackle. 

So, as you may have noticed, there are no events in my plans. That's right, I'm not planning on any events. Gravel Worlds.....maybe. Basically, I am taking 2021 as a 2020 v2. And quite frankly, I am perfectly fine with that. For many reasons........ But I am not getting into all of that here. The point is, I will be doing a lot of solo riding again in 2021 and I am excited to get back out there. My riding will be free, won't require reservations about this pandemic, and I can go where I want to go. There won't be the pressures of an event weekend. Just me and my bike and a gravel road. 

Unbound Gravel, and other events, are still planning on being held in 2021.

And Speaking Of Events.....

I've been trying to find a good way to deal with the fact that certain events seem hell bent for leather to have people come and ride while others are taking the much more prudent approach and just cancelling again for 2021. I've done a lot of looking into this, and I've tried to make sense of why any event would try to be having a gathering when others happening at the same time are postponing till Fall or outright cancelling. What gives? Why such inconsistency?

RAGBRAI is pushing through its event despite a new virus mutation which is said to be much more transmissible being detected in the US. Same for Unbound Gravel which is supposedly still happening the first weekend of June. Fall? Maybe then, but Summer? Yeesh! This seems rather inconsistent with what experts are saying which is that we need to continue social distancing, mask wearing, and sanitary practices all throughout the Summer. Vaccines are out there, yes, but do your research- they are not a "get out of jail free card". So, all this planning on going ahead by these "big time" events seems really out of touch with what experts are saying reality will be. If these events cancelled in 2020, why are they still being planned for 2021? 

And as I have said, I've researched this and looked into who is behind these events in question. Why would they be motivated to basically look the other way and act as though "we'll be alright here" when there is no clear evidence that anything will be any different than last year? I think this has to do with money, staying in business, and cutting losses. That's my take. 

Look at these big events and you'll find multi-million dollar corporations behind them, and in many cases, sponsors that are big corporate concerns as well. They have boards to answer to, and losing money because you are not generating revenue is not sitting well with them. Having the events in any fashion possible is therefore going to be preferable to having zero income and losing money. 

But what about smaller events? Yes, many are planning on happening as well. But in these cases, many times the events are small enough that preventing contact, and that with locals, can be achieved with ease. We're not talking thousands of participants, like we are in the cases of RAGBRAI, or Unbound Gravel and the like. And as well, many of these smaller events are cancelling.

So, it comes down to the riders then. In my opinion, you are going to have to make a decision to partake in the generation of income, pandemic be damned, or do something different, like maybe not partake in the generation of income for a corporation, because of a damn pandemic. Some are saying this is overblown, it isn't a big deal, we're all outside riding, don't worry...... Well, some have said that since a year ago. Look where we are now.......

Leather And Elastomers

Smell the glove...... It smells like leather! Get yer mind outta the gutter!

So, a little back story is in order here. Generally speaking, I do not wear cycling gloves when it is warm enough to not have to wear full fingered gloves. The reason being is that short fingered, cycling type gloves always make my fingers and hands go numb. Like really quickly. Sometimes I can put on a pair of summer cycling gloves and my hands start tingling within minutes, I don't even have to be riding!

This brought me a lot of frustration and pain until I discovered Ergon grips and started riding radical drop bars like the Luxy Bar. There were still times when my grip was compromised due to sweat or when I biffed and scraped up my hands, but at least I could feel my digits! I couldn't figure out why I had such an issue. I tried all sorts and brands of short fingered gloves and nothing worked for me. Eventually I just gave up trying.

Well, then I got an email from this guy in Texas that runs a business called Recovered Cycling. He had designed some leather cycling gloves, had them made overseas, and wondered if I wanted to give them a shot. They were called "Cuero" gloves, ("leather" in Spanish), and were pretty classy looking. Short fingered, but......well, it had been a long time. Maybe these would be different? I was advised to measure my hand in a certain manner and then to order the gloves. I decided to order a size larger than I was guided to. Then I waited......

Well, they showed up, smelling all leathery and awesome, and looked even classier than I thought. They fit perfectly, (glad I sized up!), and I rode with them on my 50 miler on the 4th.

No hand numbness!

That was nice! And the gloves are working out well, obviously, but I need to do some more rides to see how they wear in and hold up. Stay tuned...........

The Twin Six Standard Rando with the Redshift ShockStop stem on it. This stem is the business.

I also have been blessed to be able to try out this stem from Redshift Sports. Okay, so this guy from Redshuft sent me an email at my RidingGravel.com address and it says something about a "suspension stem". I briefly looked at it and shook my head before sending it to the trash bin. I never gave it a second thought. Suspension stems! What a load of crap those things were! (YES- I actually tried one back in the day) I worked on many of the more notable ones and saw a few rare ones in my time, but all were eventually destined for that mtb parts dust bin, never to be seen again. Good riddance! I couldn't imagine how this Redshift one could be any different.

Then the guy sent me another email.

Out of respect for his persistence, I actually went to their website and dug around a bit. Okay.....maybe. Just maybe this is different. I emailed back with questions, and I got answers, and eventually I got a stem in for review. So, okay.......I was all wrong about the ShockStop. It actually does what they claim and it is nearly an "invisible" component. Go ahead and click the link above to read my review so far.

So, between those two things, and the puffy WTB Byway tires don't hurt either, my Cowchipper equipped T-6 Standard Rando is now a fun bike to ride again. Not that it  wasn't when I got it, but my shoulder injury I got the Winter the bike was purchased really changed things for me and then that bike's set up was painful. These new items have really made that bike a go-to rig once again.

Note- WTB sent over the Byways, Redshift sent over the Shockstop, and Recovered Cycling sent over the Cuero gloves at no charge for test and review to RidingGravel.com. I chose to chat about them here on G-Ted Productions.  I have not been paid nor bribed for these reviews. I will strive to give my honest thoughts and opinions throughout.

Leather And Elastomers

Smell the glove...... It smells like leather! Get yer mind outta the gutter!

So, a little back story is in order here. Generally speaking, I do not wear cycling gloves when it is warm enough to not have to wear full fingered gloves. The reason being is that short fingered, cycling type gloves always make my fingers and hands go numb. Like really quickly. Sometimes I can put on a pair of summer cycling gloves and my hands start tingling within minutes, I don't even have to be riding!

This brought me a lot of frustration and pain until I discovered Ergon grips and started riding radical drop bars like the Luxy Bar. There were still times when my grip was compromised due to sweat or when I biffed and scraped up my hands, but at least I could feel my digits! I couldn't figure out why I had such an issue. I tried all sorts and brands of short fingered gloves and nothing worked for me. Eventually I just gave up trying.

Well, then I got an email from this guy in Texas that runs a business called Recovered Cycling. He had designed some leather cycling gloves, had them made overseas, and wondered if I wanted to give them a shot. They were called "Cuero" gloves, ("leather" in Spanish), and were pretty classy looking. Short fingered, but......well, it had been a long time. Maybe these would be different? I was advised to measure my hand in a certain manner and then to order the gloves. I decided to order a size larger than I was guided to. Then I waited......

Well, they showed up, smelling all leathery and awesome, and looked even classier than I thought. They fit perfectly, (glad I sized up!), and I rode with them on my 50 miler on the 4th.

No hand numbness!

That was nice! And the gloves are working out well, obviously, but I need to do some more rides to see how they wear in and hold up. Stay tuned...........

The Twin Six Standard Rando with the Redshift ShockStop stem on it. This stem is the business.

I also have been blessed to be able to try out this stem from Redshift Sports. Okay, so this guy from Redshuft sent me an email at my RidingGravel.com address and it says something about a "suspension stem". I briefly looked at it and shook my head before sending it to the trash bin. I never gave it a second thought. Suspension stems! What a load of crap those things were! (YES- I actually tried one back in the day) I worked on many of the more notable ones and saw a few rare ones in my time, but all were eventually destined for that mtb parts dust bin, never to be seen again. Good riddance! I couldn't imagine how this Redshift one could be any different.

Then the guy sent me another email.

Out of respect for his persistence, I actually went to their website and dug around a bit. Okay.....maybe. Just maybe this is different. I emailed back with questions, and I got answers, and eventually I got a stem in for review. So, okay.......I was all wrong about the ShockStop. It actually does what they claim and it is nearly an "invisible" component. Go ahead and click the link above to read my review so far.

So, between those two things, and the puffy WTB Byway tires don't hurt either, my Cowchipper equipped T-6 Standard Rando is now a fun bike to ride again. Not that it  wasn't when I got it, but my shoulder injury I got the Winter the bike was purchased really changed things for me and then that bike's set up was painful. These new items have really made that bike a go-to rig once again.

Note- WTB sent over the Byways, Redshift sent over the Shockstop, and Recovered Cycling sent over the Cuero gloves at no charge for test and review to RidingGravel.com. I chose to chat about them here on G-Ted Productions.  I have not been paid nor bribed for these reviews. I will strive to give my honest thoughts and opinions throughout.

Planet Bike Snack Shack, Borealis Glove Review

Okay, I've been rocking the Planet Bike Snack Shack and Borealis Gloves for all of the late fall and now into "winter", (if we can call what we've had a winter so far!). I would have chimed in sooner, but for the strangeness of the weather, which was preventing a full on test, especially for the gloves, but be that as it may, I will continue onwards.

Planet Bike's Snack Shack: It's a top tube bag!

Snack Shack: First up I have my thoughts on the Snack Shack. This is a typically shaped top tube bag for endurance pursuits. It resembles a small motorcycle gas tank in overall shape. I suppose in some ways it is a gas tank!

Well, you can actually use it for a lot of things, which I'll get to in a moment, but first, here are the particulars on this bag.

• Holds a claimed 43 cubic inches of volume. 
• Has a white lined interior, which is supposed to make finding your things easier. 
• The bag is padded and holds its shape when empty. The outside features reflective piping and a small Planet Bike logo.
• Dual Pull zippers and Velcro fastener make the bag secure and easy to close and open. 
• Two Velcro attachment points: One in the front, and one in the middle of the bag, underneath. 

Impressions: The Snack Shack could be a .......shack for your snacks, but I used it for what I typically use a top tube bag for: A place to hold my small point and shoot camera, cell phone, or maybe a small multi tool. Sometimes I even used it to hold a small head lamp battery for a light I mounted on my handle bars.

The Snack Shack on my Mukluk

My brain is filled with little sayings I've heard throughout my life. One of which is, "No matter how big your garage is, you'll fill it up." What's that got to do with a top tube bag? Well, sometimes the bigger the bag is, the more stuff you "stuff", and maybe that isn't a good thing. To that end, the 43 cubic inches of the Snack Shack was a lesson in what I really needed versus what I wanted to carry.

I don't mean this to sound negative. Actually, I thought it was a good thing. I could bring my all important point and shoot, a small multi tool, and the aforementioned small battery pack for my back up trail light, and that was it. Sometimes I put a cell phone and the camera in there. Once I stuffed my much larger Panasonic LX-3 camera in there, which barely would be swallowed by the Snack Shack. Point is, you may want more room, but if you don't, the Snack Shack works for a few smaller items. Need more? Planet Bike does a bigger top tube bag called the Lunch Box.

I could get in a ton of gels, energy bars, and candy in the Snack Shack. Enough for a six hour ride, so if that is what you want to use this for, it will pack a fair slug of calories. Even abusive loading, as with my LX-3 camera, showed no ill effects on the Snack Shack, but I wouldn't recommend it on a regular basis.

In use, the bag opens and closes really easily with the dual pull zips. I had to slam the lid down on the bag a few times when I needed both hands on the bars suddenly, but with the Velcro fastener, the lid, although not zipped, didn't allow things to bounce out of the Snack Shack. That's a nice touch. The white lining does help in dim lighting or at night when you are looking for that last morsel of food.

Conclusions: For the asking price of MSRP $16.99, the Snack Shack seems like a pretty great value, and I think it is. My only concern was that the reflective piping showed some flaking of the reflective material, but overall the construction and performance of the Snack Shack is impressive. If the size works for you, I can highly recommend it. One caveat: It may not be compatible with frame bags, or even the same frame bag on different bikes may cause an issue with compatibility. Check your bags before buying to make sure this will work with your set up.

Planet Bike Borealis Gloves

Planet Bike Borealis Gloves: Next up we have the winter glove system from Planet Bike called the Borealis. This is an all new re-design of this model for 2012. The Borealis is a system of an inner fleece glove and an outer "mitten" that can be worn as separate components or together for the ultimate warm hand protection against the elements.

Features are as follows:

• Two pieces for wider temperature ranges. The inner and outer layers can be combined for coldest weather, or worn separately into warmer temperatures. 
• The outer glove/mitten has a windproof back panel and forchettes. The glove/mitten outer is water resistant, and features a Neoprene cuff/pull tab with a hook and loop closure. Reflective piping on the outer.
• The inner is a simple fleece glove.

Impressions: The fall weather first called out for the inner liner only. In crisp, cool weather, these inner fleece gloves worked well to ward off chill, but they definitely are not wind resistant, and of course, wetter weather isn't their friend either. So, actual versatility is somewhat limited to dry days with regard to the inner liner.

I thought the fit was a bit short in the fingers, but otherwise was okay. My only other concern was with the fingers, which were slippery without any tacky or textured areas to use for smoother aluminum controls like STI levers. Off the bike this manifested itself as slipperiness on car steering wheels, as an example.

The outer glove didn't really get the ultimate, below zero cold test, but we got close enough on a few days to get an idea here. The unique grouping of the last two digits on the hand and independent index and middle fingers was nice for drop bar riding and didn't seem to bother me in regard to keeping warm. In fact, I thought the outer of the Borealis was enough for me to keep warm in most any reasonable situation for cycling. The fit was loose-ish, which I tend to prefer with regard to a winter hand covering.

With the inner combined with the outer, I found the "toast level" was a bit too extreme for my tastes, but more importantly, I thought the fit of the size XL was a bit restrictive. The too tight feeling was unpleasant, in my opinion, and I would recommend going a size up, if you can, if you think you will really need both layers together. I don't see myself ever using the two together, as my hands were warm enough with just the outers here, but everyone has different needs when it comes to cold weather.

The Borealis inner fleece liner glove

Conclusions: Essentially, with the Borealis, you are buying two pairs of hand wear items. One is basically a cool weather ride, fleece glove, and the other is for more serious cold protection. Adding both together could be the ultimate in cold weather hand wear for a cyclists, if the fit is okay for you. Because of this, I strongly recommend you try on the Borealis first with both layers to see if the fit is to your liking.

The inner liner is best suited for dry, cool days only, and it isn't a great casual wear item due to the slick, slippery texture of the fleece. The outer is a definite winner in my mind, and if you already have a thin, wool liner glove, it may be the ultimate weapon against cold that you are looking for. I found the outer only to be just fine for me, but I have a bit higher tolerance to cold than your average bear. I will say that the outer is comfy by itself, and works really well for drop bar riding.

The bottom line here is that the Borealis isn't a bad system, but an improvement or two in the inner liner would be welcomed, in my opinion. Fit with both pieces together might be an issue for folks with larger hands. Still, for the MSRP $41.99 asking price, this is a lot of glove. Competing models seem to be significantly more. Check out the Borealis at your local bike shop and see if it might work for you.

Planet Bike sent out these gloves and the top tube bag at no charge for test/review. I was not paid, nor bribed for my review, and I strive to give my honest opinion and thoughts throughout any review here. Thanks to Planet Bike for letting me check these items out!

Planet Bike Snack Shack, Borealis Glove Review

Okay, I've been rocking the Planet Bike Snack Shack and Borealis Gloves for all of the late fall and now into "winter", (if we can call what we've had a winter so far!). I would have chimed in sooner, but for the strangeness of the weather, which was preventing a full on test, especially for the gloves, but be that as it may, I will continue onwards.

Planet Bike's Snack Shack: It's a top tube bag!

Snack Shack: First up I have my thoughts on the Snack Shack. This is a typically shaped top tube bag for endurance pursuits. It resembles a small motorcycle gas tank in overall shape. I suppose in some ways it is a gas tank!

Well, you can actually use it for a lot of things, which I'll get to in a moment, but first, here are the particulars on this bag.

• Holds a claimed 43 cubic inches of volume. 
• Has a white lined interior, which is supposed to make finding your things easier. 
• The bag is padded and holds its shape when empty. The outside features reflective piping and a small Planet Bike logo.
• Dual Pull zippers and Velcro fastener make the bag secure and easy to close and open. 
• Two Velcro attachment points: One in the front, and one in the middle of the bag, underneath. 

Impressions: The Snack Shack could be a .......shack for your snacks, but I used it for what I typically use a top tube bag for: A place to hold my small point and shoot camera, cell phone, or maybe a small multi tool. Sometimes I even used it to hold a small head lamp battery for a light I mounted on my handle bars.

The Snack Shack on my Mukluk

My brain is filled with little sayings I've heard throughout my life. One of which is, "No matter how big your garage is, you'll fill it up." What's that got to do with a top tube bag? Well, sometimes the bigger the bag is, the more stuff you "stuff", and maybe that isn't a good thing. To that end, the 43 cubic inches of the Snack Shack was a lesson in what I really needed versus what I wanted to carry.

I don't mean this to sound negative. Actually, I thought it was a good thing. I could bring my all important point and shoot, a small multi tool, and the aforementioned small battery pack for my back up trail light, and that was it. Sometimes I put a cell phone and the camera in there. Once I stuffed my much larger Panasonic LX-3 camera in there, which barely would be swallowed by the Snack Shack. Point is, you may want more room, but if you don't, the Snack Shack works for a few smaller items. Need more? Planet Bike does a bigger top tube bag called the Lunch Box.

I could get in a ton of gels, energy bars, and candy in the Snack Shack. Enough for a six hour ride, so if that is what you want to use this for, it will pack a fair slug of calories. Even abusive loading, as with my LX-3 camera, showed no ill effects on the Snack Shack, but I wouldn't recommend it on a regular basis.

In use, the bag opens and closes really easily with the dual pull zips. I had to slam the lid down on the bag a few times when I needed both hands on the bars suddenly, but with the Velcro fastener, the lid, although not zipped, didn't allow things to bounce out of the Snack Shack. That's a nice touch. The white lining does help in dim lighting or at night when you are looking for that last morsel of food.

Conclusions: For the asking price of MSRP $16.99, the Snack Shack seems like a pretty great value, and I think it is. My only concern was that the reflective piping showed some flaking of the reflective material, but overall the construction and performance of the Snack Shack is impressive. If the size works for you, I can highly recommend it. One caveat: It may not be compatible with frame bags, or even the same frame bag on different bikes may cause an issue with compatibility. Check your bags before buying to make sure this will work with your set up.

Planet Bike Borealis Gloves

Planet Bike Borealis Gloves: Next up we have the winter glove system from Planet Bike called the Borealis. This is an all new re-design of this model for 2012. The Borealis is a system of an inner fleece glove and an outer "mitten" that can be worn as separate components or together for the ultimate warm hand protection against the elements.

Features are as follows:

• Two pieces for wider temperature ranges. The inner and outer layers can be combined for coldest weather, or worn separately into warmer temperatures. 
• The outer glove/mitten has a windproof back panel and forchettes. The glove/mitten outer is water resistant, and features a Neoprene cuff/pull tab with a hook and loop closure. Reflective piping on the outer.
• The inner is a simple fleece glove.

Impressions: The fall weather first called out for the inner liner only. In crisp, cool weather, these inner fleece gloves worked well to ward off chill, but they definitely are not wind resistant, and of course, wetter weather isn't their friend either. So, actual versatility is somewhat limited to dry days with regard to the inner liner.

I thought the fit was a bit short in the fingers, but otherwise was okay. My only other concern was with the fingers, which were slippery without any tacky or textured areas to use for smoother aluminum controls like STI levers. Off the bike this manifested itself as slipperiness on car steering wheels, as an example.

The outer glove didn't really get the ultimate, below zero cold test, but we got close enough on a few days to get an idea here. The unique grouping of the last two digits on the hand and independent index and middle fingers was nice for drop bar riding and didn't seem to bother me in regard to keeping warm. In fact, I thought the outer of the Borealis was enough for me to keep warm in most any reasonable situation for cycling. The fit was loose-ish, which I tend to prefer with regard to a winter hand covering.

With the inner combined with the outer, I found the "toast level" was a bit too extreme for my tastes, but more importantly, I thought the fit of the size XL was a bit restrictive. The too tight feeling was unpleasant, in my opinion, and I would recommend going a size up, if you can, if you think you will really need both layers together. I don't see myself ever using the two together, as my hands were warm enough with just the outers here, but everyone has different needs when it comes to cold weather.

The Borealis inner fleece liner glove

Conclusions: Essentially, with the Borealis, you are buying two pairs of hand wear items. One is basically a cool weather ride, fleece glove, and the other is for more serious cold protection. Adding both together could be the ultimate in cold weather hand wear for a cyclists, if the fit is okay for you. Because of this, I strongly recommend you try on the Borealis first with both layers to see if the fit is to your liking.

The inner liner is best suited for dry, cool days only, and it isn't a great casual wear item due to the slick, slippery texture of the fleece. The outer is a definite winner in my mind, and if you already have a thin, wool liner glove, it may be the ultimate weapon against cold that you are looking for. I found the outer only to be just fine for me, but I have a bit higher tolerance to cold than your average bear. I will say that the outer is comfy by itself, and works really well for drop bar riding.

The bottom line here is that the Borealis isn't a bad system, but an improvement or two in the inner liner would be welcomed, in my opinion. Fit with both pieces together might be an issue for folks with larger hands. Still, for the MSRP $41.99 asking price, this is a lot of glove. Competing models seem to be significantly more. Check out the Borealis at your local bike shop and see if it might work for you.

Planet Bike sent out these gloves and the top tube bag at no charge for test/review. I was not paid, nor bribed for my review, and I strive to give my honest opinion and thoughts throughout any review here. Thanks to Planet Bike for letting me check these items out!

Friday News And Views

Analog calendar, digitally produced!

It's That Time Of Year Again: Part II

I like paper calendars that you can hang on the wall. I don't use them so much for keeping appointments, or for putting notes down on them, or for anything much beyond using them for a visual reference of time.

Well, there is that and imagery. I like calendars as a kind of monthly change of imagery. You know, its almost like a new picture on the wall every month. I like that aspect about calendars with big, colorful imagery.

Now it is getting around to that time of year again where a new set of 12 images needs to go up on the wall, and of course, the better the images, the....well, better! To that end, I have come across a calendar by none other than the mountain bike dude extraordinaire, Mike Curiak.

If you don't know Mike, well you should click that link and get to know him a bit. If you like the outdoors and cycling, I have a feeling you might enjoy what you find there. If you do know about him, he needs no introductions from me. Just know that this calendar has some really great imagery, and all taken by Mike hisself. Click here for details on how to get yourself a calendar. I paid and got mine in the mail yesterday! (Thanks Mike!)

Fargo Gen II Update: I have been poking around on this build since I got this in, and last night I got it mostly done. Here is a rundown on what parts I decided to throw at this build.

Drive train: This was a bit of a decision. I could go to 10 speed, since that is what almost all mountain bikes are going to be sooner than later. I could go with SRAM, or I could go with......SRAM. Yeah, you see, Shimano STI and mountain bike derailleurs do not play well together in the 10 speed world. Okay, so if I went with Shimano, I go 9spd. Then there was the costs. STI or SRAM brifters are expensive! I could do bar end shifters and Tektro 520 brake levers for under half as much money. That's substantial. Then I looked at a SRAM or Shimano set up. SRAM would mean that I would have to get deraillers. I had Shimano derailleurs front and rear sitting around.

Decision made. Shimano 9spd bar end shifter with a SLX front derailleur and a Ultegra 9spd rear long cage.

Moving on- Brake calipers and rotors- Avid BB-7 mtn, wheels from Velocity. Blunt SL hoops laced to Velocity hubs. Tubeless of course. Cane Creek Thudbuster SL post, Salsa stem, On One Midge Bar, Bontrager Rhythm saddle. Generic head set that will get replaced with a green Sotto Voce Chris King to match the installed green Chris King bottom bracket which supports a LX level two piece Shimano crank with 42/32/22 gearing. SRAM 9spd cassette out back. Pics soon. Stay tuned....

Ergon HE2 Gloves.

Tuxedo, ebony and ivory, yin and yang. there is just something about a good black and white scheme, that if done right, just looks really classy.

Take for instance these Ergon HE2 mitts. We got to review these and the post on that can be found here. This will not be about how those gloves worked, but I am going to say that these hand covers are possibly the coolest looking, classiest All Mountain, Trail type gloves I have ever seen.

The overall look is just too nice. I kind of felt guilty if they got a little dirty, you know. Kind of like when you are wearing that nice pair of pants and playing a game of catch that turns into a re-creation of "Super Bowl Whatever" and the next thing you know, you've got grass stains on your knees and your gal is coming out to the car to go to the movie.

Well, you know what I mean!

The good news is that the Ergon gloves are washable. That restored my faith in wearing them for mountain biking. Not that I actually washed them, mind you. Just knowing I could was enough. I didn't wash them for fear that they would return to the shrink wrap fit that I didn't really care for at first when I got them. I was told they would stretch out, and they did- to a perfect feeling fit. I wasn't about to ruin that by washing them! Fortunately for me, Ergon HE2's and "The Funk" never got hooked up during my review. (By the way, I hear they do just fine after washing, so all my worrying was for naught!)

Well, at any rate, the things looked "mahvelous dah-ling!" Much better than a mountain bike glove has a right to.

Okay, there's another week gone by and 2011 is fast coming to a close. Get out and make some tracks on yer bicycles and take some pics! have a great weekend!

Friday News And Views

Analog calendar, digitally produced!

It's That Time Of Year Again: Part II

I like paper calendars that you can hang on the wall. I don't use them so much for keeping appointments, or for putting notes down on them, or for anything much beyond using them for a visual reference of time.

Well, there is that and imagery. I like calendars as a kind of monthly change of imagery. You know, its almost like a new picture on the wall every month. I like that aspect about calendars with big, colorful imagery.

Now it is getting around to that time of year again where a new set of 12 images needs to go up on the wall, and of course, the better the images, the....well, better! To that end, I have come across a calendar by none other than the mountain bike dude extraordinaire, Mike Curiak.

If you don't know Mike, well you should click that link and get to know him a bit. If you like the outdoors and cycling, I have a feeling you might enjoy what you find there. If you do know about him, he needs no introductions from me. Just know that this calendar has some really great imagery, and all taken by Mike hisself. Click here for details on how to get yourself a calendar. I paid and got mine in the mail yesterday! (Thanks Mike!)

Fargo Gen II Update: I have been poking around on this build since I got this in, and last night I got it mostly done. Here is a rundown on what parts I decided to throw at this build.

Drive train: This was a bit of a decision. I could go to 10 speed, since that is what almost all mountain bikes are going to be sooner than later. I could go with SRAM, or I could go with......SRAM. Yeah, you see, Shimano STI and mountain bike derailleurs do not play well together in the 10 speed world. Okay, so if I went with Shimano, I go 9spd. Then there was the costs. STI or SRAM brifters are expensive! I could do bar end shifters and Tektro 520 brake levers for under half as much money. That's substantial. Then I looked at a SRAM or Shimano set up. SRAM would mean that I would have to get deraillers. I had Shimano derailleurs front and rear sitting around.

Decision made. Shimano 9spd bar end shifter with a SLX front derailleur and a Ultegra 9spd rear long cage.

Moving on- Brake calipers and rotors- Avid BB-7 mtn, wheels from Velocity. Blunt SL hoops laced to Velocity hubs. Tubeless of course. Cane Creek Thudbuster SL post, Salsa stem, On One Midge Bar, Bontrager Rhythm saddle. Generic head set that will get replaced with a green Sotto Voce Chris King to match the installed green Chris King bottom bracket which supports a LX level two piece Shimano crank with 42/32/22 gearing. SRAM 9spd cassette out back. Pics soon. Stay tuned....

Ergon HE2 Gloves.

Tuxedo, ebony and ivory, yin and yang. there is just something about a good black and white scheme, that if done right, just looks really classy.

Take for instance these Ergon HE2 mitts. We got to review these and the post on that can be found here. This will not be about how those gloves worked, but I am going to say that these hand covers are possibly the coolest looking, classiest All Mountain, Trail type gloves I have ever seen.

The overall look is just too nice. I kind of felt guilty if they got a little dirty, you know. Kind of like when you are wearing that nice pair of pants and playing a game of catch that turns into a re-creation of "Super Bowl Whatever" and the next thing you know, you've got grass stains on your knees and your gal is coming out to the car to go to the movie.

Well, you know what I mean!

The good news is that the Ergon gloves are washable. That restored my faith in wearing them for mountain biking. Not that I actually washed them, mind you. Just knowing I could was enough. I didn't wash them for fear that they would return to the shrink wrap fit that I didn't really care for at first when I got them. I was told they would stretch out, and they did- to a perfect feeling fit. I wasn't about to ruin that by washing them! Fortunately for me, Ergon HE2's and "The Funk" never got hooked up during my review. (By the way, I hear they do just fine after washing, so all my worrying was for naught!)

Well, at any rate, the things looked "mahvelous dah-ling!" Much better than a mountain bike glove has a right to.

Okay, there's another week gone by and 2011 is fast coming to a close. Get out and make some tracks on yer bicycles and take some pics! have a great weekend!

New Stuff To Share: Planet Bike, Bontrager

A bunch of new stuff to test has hit the door of late and I thought I would introduce some of it here for your enjoyment and information. Let's take a look at some new Planet Bike products for 2012.

Planet Bike's "Snack Sack"

Snack Sack: I love top tube bags and with the adventure bicycling thing heating up, not to mention gravel grinders, these types of bags are getting very popular. Enter Planet Bike with their "Snack Sack" top tube bag.

This is a pretty smartly designed bag which is rated at 43 cubic inches. It should easily hold a small digital camera, a cell phone, and some nutritional products all at the same time with ease. Or.....you could just fill it with grub!  The choice is yours.

The loop on the back that you can see here attaches to two zippers and opens a flap that is attached with Velcro at the top/front of the bag as a sort of safety measure. I like that. many times you only have a  moment to grab something quick, and with this bag, you can flap the lid down and the Velcro will hold the lid fast until you get a chance to zipper it up again.

The other thing I like here is that it has a form that holds itself in the basic shape you see here. This keeps the bag stable on the top tube, and not flopping over sideways or something. The front is shaped to nestle into the steer tube, and the attaching straps, (one in front, one below), are wide and the Velcro is pretty aggressive.

Planet Bike also offers a bigger 74 cubic inch version called the "Lunch Box" if something bigger trips your trigger. The MSRP on the Snack Sack is $16.99 and the Lunch Box MSRP's at 20.99

Borealis Glove, er Mitten, or...whatever!

Borealis: Planet Bike has a new version of this hand warming device that should work as a colder/cold weather solution for cycling. What they have here is a two piece glove/over mitten design tailored to cycling activities.

The inner glove is fleece and is pretty beefy. On its own it should suffice for your cooler fall riding and into winter. With the outer mitten, you add a windproof back of the hands panels and "forchettes", and a water resistant, reinforced Serino palm area. The cuff on the outer mitten is neoprene and features a good hook and loop closure to help seal out the searching winds of winter. Of course, you could also just wear the outer mitten part as another way to make the system more versatile.

The Borealis also has reflective piping on the outer layer for better nighttime visibility. There is a good patch of fleece on the back side of the thumb for "nose wiping" duties too. The design of the outer layer groups your pinky and "ring fingers" together, but allows freedom of independent movement of the remaining digits, so you can operate drop bar levers, and grip Shifters for sure. Trigger shifters? The jury is still out on those, but I'll know when it gets colder.

The Borealis MSRP's for $41.99 and comes in sizes Small - XXX-Large

Captain Safety Super Fun Reflective Stickers: 

Stickers.  Yup! I like 'em. Always have, so when I heard about these "super fun" safety stickers, I was hooked. So, what exactly makes them "safety" and "super fun"?

Well, these stickers have a reflective coating, so when you see them at night illuminated by car lights, for instance, they are supposed to "pop" and look like little beacons of light. (I don't know if they do yet or not)

The "fun" part comes with the star shapes, dots, and strips that can be used in creative ways to express your inner kid, or to just be weird if you want.

The flexible stickers conform well to three dimensional shapes and seem to have a decent adhesive on them.

These have an MSRP of $7.49

Re-designed and updated tires!

Bontrager 29"er Tires:

Bontrager  down loaded some new tread designs and an updated Mud X model for me to try out. Here's the skinny on these...

29-4: (Left in image) The 29-4 gets a completely new tread design going forward. Now instead of the claw-like, elongated shapes it had, we see a block shaped tread pattern with a chevron shaped grouping starting from the center of the casing out to the edges of the casing. The central tread blocks are slightly ramped for better rolling resistance, and the spacing to the outer blocks is a bit more open. The blocks themselves are low-ish in profile. The outer blocks are reinforced at their bases with tie-bars and all have slight siping. This is rated at 2.3" width and there is an Expert and Team version here. Both are TLR tubeless compatible. Bontrager says these are good for rocky, loose grounds and are okay in mud and wetter terrain.

Mud X: (Center in image) The Mud X continues on with the same tread pattern and width as before, but now has an improvement to the rubber compound for better grip and mud shedding abilities. (Which were already at stellar levels, in my opinion) TLR tubeless ready, of course.

29-1: (Right in image) This is the replacement for the XR-1. Bontrager has re-designed the tread pattern here to retain the speed of the XR-1, but to give the tire some much needed lateral grip. XR-1's were way too easy to drift or to have slide out sideways on you. To combat this, the 29-1 has more elongated knobs placed laterally at the edges of the casing, which are slightly bigger, and spaced wider apart than the XR-1's tiny blocks were. The center of the 29-1 retains the blocky. low knobs with slightly ramped leading edges that made the XR-1 so speedy. This tire is a Team Issue and now is TLR tubeless ready, which the old XR-1 was not. Width is rated at a slightly wider than XR-1 2.2", so it should have a bigger volume as well.

I'll have mentions of how things are going with these products here, but look for detailed reviews on Twenty Nine Inches for the tires, and The Cyclistsite for the Planet Bike stuff later.

Note: All products were submitted for review at no charge. I am not being paid, nor bribed for these reviews and will strive to give my honest thoughts and opinions throughout.