Randomonium

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

The Cotic Cascade

Fargo-like Bikes Appear To Satisfy Fat Tire Adventurers:

Recently I've noted that there is a rash of drop bar adventure bike choices out there now which can trace their lineage back to Salsa Cycle's original Fargo. Modernized a bit, to be sure, and set up with all the "Adventure Warts®" one could ever need. (Note- the term "Adventure Warts®" is my technical term for mounting bosses. ) 

The brand-spankin' new Cotic (Like 'psycotic' without the 'psy') Cascade model being one such introduction. This particular model derives more from a Gen 2 Fargo since it has a suspension corrected fork and no single speed option. Then there is the Panorama Cycles Taiga EXP which is more reminiscent of a current Fargo with a single speed option in the sliding rear drop outs. The Singular Gryphon is also set to make a comeback, but I'll have more to say about that one tomorrow along with some words about Panorama's flat bar Taiga bike on Saturday. 

Grinder Nationals Moves Venue:

The US Endurance sanctioning group has held a Gravel Grinder Nationals in Lawrence, Kansas for the past five years. Winners in each category have been awarded National Championship jerseys. Did you know that? Yep! Way before the bunch over at USA Cycling got a whiff of the gravel scene, these US Endurance folks have been paying attention and jumped in a while back. 

Anyway, after five years in the same place, US Endurance is moving Grinder Nationals. Here's a bit from the press release:

"After a 5-year residency in Lawrence, Kansas, the Gravel
Grinder National Championship presented by US Endurance is moving to the MidAtlantic and
scheduled to take place in beautiful Loudoun County, Virginia on May 7, 2022. Registration opens
Tuesday, February 1, 2022 on BikeReg.com

This year’s event, in conjunction with Dirty Kitten Productions, will feature a 100-mile “Grinder
Nationals” championship race and a 30-mile “Mini G” recreational ride on historic Loudoun
County gravel roads. Riders will start at B Chord Brewing Company & Farm in Round Hill, VA then
wind their way through the surrounding areas of Bluemont, Philomont, Purcellville, and Lovettsville."

Registration is HERE and you can check out more details at their website. 

Rim profiles for the new "Send" rims from Black Bird.

Interesting New Rim Extrusion For MTB From Black Bird:

Rims for bicycle wheels have changed a lot in the past 20 years. Probably the most notable advancement has been in materials technology which has allowed for carbon fiber to be utilized as a material suitable for making rims for all manner of bicycles. 

One thing that has come out of the carbon rim designs of recent years is a use of a wider rim bead/edge to help tires not pinch flat when ridden at lowered pressures and on rocky terrain. Carbon is pretty easy to mold into any shape, so this feature was typically reserved for the most expensive of rims for mountain and gravel biking. 

Well, Ibis Cycles has now spun off a new brand and have designed an aluminum extrusion which mimics the same benefits in terms of pinch flat protection for enduro MTB racing, and presumably, any suitable mountain biking style. The brand Ibis created is called "Black Bird" and the new rim model is called the "Send". 

Ibis cleverly engineered a hollow section at the bead, creating the wider, blunter profile that carbon has utilized for a rim bead, but without the weight penalty of a solid aluminum structure there. The Send II model goes one step further with an extrusion featuring a supportive "strut" underneath the rim bead which further stiffens and strengthens the entire rim. 

Comments: This feature of the Black Bird Send rims is not completely unheard of. I searched the internet and found a few examples of hollow rim bead extrusions, but it is rare, and in this application, totally unique. It would be interesting to see this brought over to the gravel riding segment.

A Country View from 2015

Thinking About 'Riding Plans' Instead Of 'Events':

So, I see events are starting to really push registrations and therefore, commitments, for 2022. Can't say as I blame anyone on either side of the equation here. Promoters are eager to host folks after two years of sparse event choices and riders are eager to rub shoulders with other riders. 

I get that. However; if I've learned anything over this past two year period it is that I dearly love making my own challenges and I don't like the pressures associated with getting ready, preparing to travel, and dealing with logistics that are part and parcel of going to an 'event'. Not to mention the monetary commitment. 

I'm not saying "I'm not doing events." NO! Not at all. I am saying that it will have to be a pretty darn special deal if I am going to put up with the pressures and stresses created by how I deal with events. It's a personal issue, I am sure, and many of you probably don't understand why I wouldn't want to do a bunch of events on gravel. Just think about all the "fun" I'd miss out on by secluding myself to only what I want to put up with. 

I understand completely why many of you might be thinking that. I say- you do you. I'm not saying you should not go all over and see all kinds of people and ride rad gravel events and get all the props for finishing that you deserve. Good on ya! It just doesn't really do much for me anymore. 

I do like riding.On gravel. A LOT! Just not with a number pinned on and all that comes with that. I like stopping, or going, when I like, or when a small group likes to, and not being caught up in big time event pressures. If I want to lay in a ditch and take a nap, (like I did at Gravel Worlds more than once, and elsewhere) I don't want to feel 'bad' about that. If I decide to cut my day short, I don't want to feel like I 'wasted my money' or disappointed anyone rooting for me because it was an event. I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars to travel and stay in a motel when I could camp, or ride somewhere near Waterloo. 

I've done all that and I've stayed around here and have done my own 'riding plans' and I know which way was more fun. So, unless an event is REALLY compelling, yeah...... I'm not real sure I'll be going to anything soon. Not saying 'never going anywhere', far from it. I just have really enjoyed things like my "quest" in 2020 and the ToBHC that I did last year. More of that- less of the organized, big production stuff for me. 

That's a wrap on this Randomonium. Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions

Randomonium

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

The Cotic Cascade

Fargo-like Bikes Appear To Satisfy Fat Tire Adventurers:

Recently I've noted that there is a rash of drop bar adventure bike choices out there now which can trace their lineage back to Salsa Cycle's original Fargo. Modernized a bit, to be sure, and set up with all the "Adventure Warts®" one could ever need. (Note- the term "Adventure Warts®" is my technical term for mounting bosses. ) 

The brand-spankin' new Cotic (Like 'psycotic' without the 'psy') Cascade model being one such introduction. This particular model derives more from a Gen 2 Fargo since it has a suspension corrected fork and no single speed option. Then there is the Panorama Cycles Taiga EXP which is more reminiscent of a current Fargo with a single speed option in the sliding rear drop outs. The Singular Gryphon is also set to make a comeback, but I'll have more to say about that one tomorrow along with some words about Panorama's flat bar Taiga bike on Saturday. 

Grinder Nationals Moves Venue:

The US Endurance sanctioning group has held a Gravel Grinder Nationals in Lawrence, Kansas for the past five years. Winners in each category have been awarded National Championship jerseys. Did you know that? Yep! Way before the bunch over at USA Cycling got a whiff of the gravel scene, these US Endurance folks have been paying attention and jumped in a while back. 

Anyway, after five years in the same place, US Endurance is moving Grinder Nationals. Here's a bit from the press release:

"After a 5-year residency in Lawrence, Kansas, the Gravel
Grinder National Championship presented by US Endurance is moving to the MidAtlantic and
scheduled to take place in beautiful Loudoun County, Virginia on May 7, 2022. Registration opens
Tuesday, February 1, 2022 on BikeReg.com

This year’s event, in conjunction with Dirty Kitten Productions, will feature a 100-mile “Grinder
Nationals” championship race and a 30-mile “Mini G” recreational ride on historic Loudoun
County gravel roads. Riders will start at B Chord Brewing Company & Farm in Round Hill, VA then
wind their way through the surrounding areas of Bluemont, Philomont, Purcellville, and Lovettsville."

Registration is HERE and you can check out more details at their website. 

Rim profiles for the new "Send" rims from Black Bird.

Interesting New Rim Extrusion For MTB From Black Bird:

Rims for bicycle wheels have changed a lot in the past 20 years. Probably the most notable advancement has been in materials technology which has allowed for carbon fiber to be utilized as a material suitable for making rims for all manner of bicycles. 

One thing that has come out of the carbon rim designs of recent years is a use of a wider rim bead/edge to help tires not pinch flat when ridden at lowered pressures and on rocky terrain. Carbon is pretty easy to mold into any shape, so this feature was typically reserved for the most expensive of rims for mountain and gravel biking. 

Well, Ibis Cycles has now spun off a new brand and have designed an aluminum extrusion which mimics the same benefits in terms of pinch flat protection for enduro MTB racing, and presumably, any suitable mountain biking style. The brand Ibis created is called "Black Bird" and the new rim model is called the "Send". 

Ibis cleverly engineered a hollow section at the bead, creating the wider, blunter profile that carbon has utilized for a rim bead, but without the weight penalty of a solid aluminum structure there. The Send II model goes one step further with an extrusion featuring a supportive "strut" underneath the rim bead which further stiffens and strengthens the entire rim. 

Comments: This feature of the Black Bird Send rims is not completely unheard of. I searched the internet and found a few examples of hollow rim bead extrusions, but it is rare, and in this application, totally unique. It would be interesting to see this brought over to the gravel riding segment.

A Country View from 2015

Thinking About 'Riding Plans' Instead Of 'Events':

So, I see events are starting to really push registrations and therefore, commitments, for 2022. Can't say as I blame anyone on either side of the equation here. Promoters are eager to host folks after two years of sparse event choices and riders are eager to rub shoulders with other riders. 

I get that. However; if I've learned anything over this past two year period it is that I dearly love making my own challenges and I don't like the pressures associated with getting ready, preparing to travel, and dealing with logistics that are part and parcel of going to an 'event'. Not to mention the monetary commitment. 

I'm not saying "I'm not doing events." NO! Not at all. I am saying that it will have to be a pretty darn special deal if I am going to put up with the pressures and stresses created by how I deal with events. It's a personal issue, I am sure, and many of you probably don't understand why I wouldn't want to do a bunch of events on gravel. Just think about all the "fun" I'd miss out on by secluding myself to only what I want to put up with. 

I understand completely why many of you might be thinking that. I say- you do you. I'm not saying you should not go all over and see all kinds of people and ride rad gravel events and get all the props for finishing that you deserve. Good on ya! It just doesn't really do much for me anymore. 

I do like riding.On gravel. A LOT! Just not with a number pinned on and all that comes with that. I like stopping, or going, when I like, or when a small group likes to, and not being caught up in big time event pressures. If I want to lay in a ditch and take a nap, (like I did at Gravel Worlds more than once, and elsewhere) I don't want to feel 'bad' about that. If I decide to cut my day short, I don't want to feel like I 'wasted my money' or disappointed anyone rooting for me because it was an event. I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars to travel and stay in a motel when I could camp, or ride somewhere near Waterloo. 

I've done all that and I've stayed around here and have done my own 'riding plans' and I know which way was more fun. So, unless an event is REALLY compelling, yeah...... I'm not real sure I'll be going to anything soon. Not saying 'never going anywhere', far from it. I just have really enjoyed things like my "quest" in 2020 and the ToBHC that I did last year. More of that- less of the organized, big production stuff for me. 

That's a wrap on this Randomonium. Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions

Friday News And Views

This and three other designs coming soon....

Stickers:

I found out yesterday that my partner in Riding Gravel, Ben Welnak, has come up with four new stickers that should be available sometime soon. When I know more I will pass it along here.

There will be "Addicted To Gravel" stickers in this run, in case you were wondering. Stay tuned.....

News on next year's Grinder Nats has come out...

 Grinder Nats, Gravelleurs Raid Join Forces:

The Gravelleur's Raid event has been an annual event for a while now and when Grinder Nationals announced that they were going to have an event in the same area, but later in June, it sent out a red flag to the organizers. To their credit, instead of fighting with each other these events have now joined forces and Grinder Nationals will now happen in conjunction with Gravelleur's Raid on April 7th, 2018.

Here's the Press release:

PRESS RELEASE: Alright gravel peeps here we go.
The Gravelleur's Raid 100 mile gravel road race will now be your gravel Grinder Nationals event. It will be a fully supported gravel event.
It is owned and operated by the United States Endurance Cycling Federation. http://www.usecf.com/
We will be growing the event and making it one of the top gravel races in the United States.
More info to come.
The 50 mile non-competitive event will be called Gravelleur's Raid and become a bigger and better event also.

There ya go......

Commentary: There will be a lot of folks that want to piss and moan about how "gravel racing is being  ruined", or by expressing some similar comments. I have talked with one of the USECF head honches, Troy, worked alongside of him, and have interviewed him. He gets it. The USECF grew up out of a grassroots background. The USECF wants to keep the vibe that gravel racing has always had, but they want to also have an opportunity for its best racers to gain recognition and be rewraded with a jersey that shows that. As far as I know, that's all they want to do. 

Like I have said, I've spoken with Troy from the USECF. Have any of the other commenters dug into this and asked folks from the organization what's up? Or are we just shooting from the hip? Uh huh.......

I will pass along this: The USECF jumped at the chance to do a "Gravel Nationals" because they knew that the USAC Federation was going to try to do it. I doubt that USAC would be interested in doing things in a "grassroots way" judging by how they have operated throughout their history. So, there is that nugget to chew on as well.

Finally, I feel that the Grinder Nationals is not doing anything now, or will do anything in the future that say, an event like Dirty Kanza has not already done before. That's likely what the organizers are shooting for here. So, the DK200 draws well over 2000 racers and supporting folks to Emporia every June. If that is the Grinder Nats template, I don't see how that "ruins" gravel racing, or the scene. I guess if it rankles your feathers, you could always just not bother with it, ya know....... We do have a choice.

2018 Trek Roscoe 8- A 27.5+ rig (Image courtesy of Trek Bicycles)

Trek Resurrects The Roscoe Model, Gives it Plus Wheels:

Remember the old Fisher Roscoe? Well, Trek has dredged up another old Fisher Bikes model name and tacked it on to this new, 27.5+ wheeled hard tail. You can think of it as a smaller wheeled Stache.

There will be two models offered to start with. The Roscoe 7 will retail for right at a grand and the Roscoe 8 will basically be $1200.00 list. The Orange Roscoe 8 has an aluminum frame with internal rear derailleur and dropper post routing, an NX 1X 11 group, and comes with a dropper. It also has a 141mm, open drop out rear end that is like a Boost hub but with a quick release. The fork has 120mm travel, by the way, and the bike is surprisingly shown with Schwalbe tires.I imagine at some point Bontrager will have 27.5+ rubber for these bikes.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out going forward because the X Cal series, also redesigned for 2018, is in this same price point. Trek will certainly be eyeballing which line does better and I wouldn't be surprised to see one or the other go away in the future. But then again, this is Trek and they manufacture a boat load of models.

I like the Roscoe 8. It seems like a better spec than a Timberjack and you'll likely be able to actually find one to test ride. I am a little leery of the rear axle spacing, which seems out of step with the current "axle du jour" standards. But otherwise it seems like a decent entry to plus bikes from a good name brand company.

Okay, that's it for this week. Have a great weekend and stay cool!

Friday News And Views

This and three other designs coming soon....

Stickers:

I found out yesterday that my partner in Riding Gravel, Ben Welnak, has come up with four new stickers that should be available sometime soon. When I know more I will pass it along here.

There will be "Addicted To Gravel" stickers in this run, in case you were wondering. Stay tuned.....

News on next year's Grinder Nats has come out...

 Grinder Nats, Gravelleurs Raid Join Forces:

The Gravelleur's Raid event has been an annual event for a while now and when Grinder Nationals announced that they were going to have an event in the same area, but later in June, it sent out a red flag to the organizers. To their credit, instead of fighting with each other these events have now joined forces and Grinder Nationals will now happen in conjunction with Gravelleur's Raid on April 7th, 2018.

Here's the Press release:

PRESS RELEASE: Alright gravel peeps here we go.
The Gravelleur's Raid 100 mile gravel road race will now be your gravel Grinder Nationals event. It will be a fully supported gravel event.
It is owned and operated by the United States Endurance Cycling Federation. http://www.usecf.com/
We will be growing the event and making it one of the top gravel races in the United States.
More info to come.
The 50 mile non-competitive event will be called Gravelleur's Raid and become a bigger and better event also.

There ya go......

Commentary: There will be a lot of folks that want to piss and moan about how "gravel racing is being  ruined", or by expressing some similar comments. I have talked with one of the USECF head honches, Troy, worked alongside of him, and have interviewed him. He gets it. The USECF grew up out of a grassroots background. The USECF wants to keep the vibe that gravel racing has always had, but they want to also have an opportunity for its best racers to gain recognition and be rewraded with a jersey that shows that. As far as I know, that's all they want to do. 

Like I have said, I've spoken with Troy from the USECF. Have any of the other commenters dug into this and asked folks from the organization what's up? Or are we just shooting from the hip? Uh huh.......

I will pass along this: The USECF jumped at the chance to do a "Gravel Nationals" because they knew that the USAC Federation was going to try to do it. I doubt that USAC would be interested in doing things in a "grassroots way" judging by how they have operated throughout their history. So, there is that nugget to chew on as well.

Finally, I feel that the Grinder Nationals is not doing anything now, or will do anything in the future that say, an event like Dirty Kanza has not already done before. That's likely what the organizers are shooting for here. So, the DK200 draws well over 2000 racers and supporting folks to Emporia every June. If that is the Grinder Nats template, I don't see how that "ruins" gravel racing, or the scene. I guess if it rankles your feathers, you could always just not bother with it, ya know....... We do have a choice.

2018 Trek Roscoe 8- A 27.5+ rig (Image courtesy of Trek Bicycles)

Trek Resurrects The Roscoe Model, Gives it Plus Wheels:

Remember the old Fisher Roscoe? Well, Trek has dredged up another old Fisher Bikes model name and tacked it on to this new, 27.5+ wheeled hard tail. You can think of it as a smaller wheeled Stache.

There will be two models offered to start with. The Roscoe 7 will retail for right at a grand and the Roscoe 8 will basically be $1200.00 list. The Orange Roscoe 8 has an aluminum frame with internal rear derailleur and dropper post routing, an NX 1X 11 group, and comes with a dropper. It also has a 141mm, open drop out rear end that is like a Boost hub but with a quick release. The fork has 120mm travel, by the way, and the bike is surprisingly shown with Schwalbe tires.I imagine at some point Bontrager will have 27.5+ rubber for these bikes.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out going forward because the X Cal series, also redesigned for 2018, is in this same price point. Trek will certainly be eyeballing which line does better and I wouldn't be surprised to see one or the other go away in the future. But then again, this is Trek and they manufacture a boat load of models.

I like the Roscoe 8. It seems like a better spec than a Timberjack and you'll likely be able to actually find one to test ride. I am a little leery of the rear axle spacing, which seems out of step with the current "axle du jour" standards. But otherwise it seems like a decent entry to plus bikes from a good name brand company.

Okay, that's it for this week. Have a great weekend and stay cool!