Friday News And Views

Iowa Wrestles With E-Moto/E-Bike Regulation:

Another ban (effectively) on all bicycles on city streets was defeated for the short term recently as the city of Waukee. Iowa had a proposal in front of the city council to consider a new ordinance unfriendly to cyclists. 

It's just one example of many scenes in city government buildings across the nation which exemplify the issues with electrified bicycles and scooters which are proliferating in numbers and are popular with under age kids. 

While solutions remain in debate, and fairness to those who need assisted bicycles or are using bicycles from the "3 Class" system are considerations, my concern is how any of this will be enforced. 

Yes, putting laws on the books more clearly defining e-moto from assisted bikes is an admirable and actionable thing to do, my sense is there are no more means to enforce any ordinances or laws making effectiveness of such measures questionable. Resources for law enforcement, ways to monitor trails, and ways to enforce the uses of electric bicycles on streets is not being addressed. A law on the books means nothing without enforcement and real consequences. Do any of these municipalities have the appetite to budget more labor and resources for backing up such laws? No one seems to be thinking about these things. 

If the backing, resources, and consequences are not real, neither will be any bill or ordinance providing for clarity on e-moto/e-bike usage. Signs mean nothing. Social media promotion is hot air. These cities and towns need to consider reality when looking at this problem. 

Spanish component maker seeks investments to avoid bankruptcy

Industry Turmoil Continues Into 2026:

The woes of the cycling industry which were predicted to have been overcome by now are still hanging on. In some cases, brands are folding up shop. Lynskey, a titanium frame manufacturer based in Tennessee, recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy according to recent media reporting.  

Rotor, the Spanish component manufacturer, is seeking out investors to avoid bankruptcy. Giant and Shimano recently reported declines in sales over the first part of 2026. It seems as though the economic footing for many companies is still tenuous. 

It's been too many years now to blame this on the pandemic oversaturation in terms of inventory as most of the glut has been worked through by now. One has to wonder about what other things are holding consumers back from spending on cycling as more time goes by.  

Image courtesy of Assisting Force (Yes, that is really the name!)

China Cycle Show Promises Influx Of Gravel Frames/Forks/Components To USA:

Over the past several years I have started to pay more attention to shows like the China Cycle Show which has been going on this week. 

The trends in cycling are now being set, in part, by what is going on with China's cycling scene. There are many brands there, who have been making stuff you've ridden or heard about, under brand names you know. Now these companies are eyeing the foreign markets, (foreign to China) as places to make their own name directly. 

Take for instance the "Assisting Force" brand. The name may sound goofy, but the company is a serious one, having made frames, forks, and other components for other brands for 20 years now. Instead of selling to a company who slaps a brand name on the down tube and has to hike the price to make a profit (to support Western lifestyles and Pro teams, influencers, marketing, etc.), they now are seeking to sell direct. And since the profit necessary to make this work is only going through one set of hands, so to speak, the retail prices are lower. In some cases, alarmingly so. 

Frame sets, wheel, and even group sets are becoming better, more well known here, and are making inroads which the traditional brands are going to find hard to compete with. The future will be interesting to watch as consumers look at Chinese brands versus traditional brands. Which way this goes will determine a lot of people's futures.  

Image courtesy of Singular Cycles

Singular Offers New Drop Bar 32"er Pterodactyl Model:

At the recent Cycle Show in the UK, Sam Alison brought a new model which is now on offer in Singular Cycles range to show. It is a 32"er called the Pterodactyl which will slot alongside the already notable 32"er offering Singular has in the Albatross. 

The Pterodactyl is a drop bar design in titanium. Singular is offering it now on pre-order through this month only, for now. It features a Super Boost 157mm wide rear hub spacing for the best in wheel stability. A Columbus Futura full-carbon fork handles the front wheel holding job. The hubs spec'ed for now ar from Hope. The rims are a Willow branded aluminum tubeless ready design. Tires will be the Maxxis Ardent 32 X 2.4" although the claimed max clearance is rated at 2.5".  

Rolling chassis pre-orders are due by the end of May and are priced at $4,619.00USD. See more on the Pterodactyl HERE.  

Image courtesy of Otso Cycles

Otso Cycles' Fenrir Now In Steel:

Otso Cycles' entry in the "Fargo-eque" bikepacking range is the Fenrir. This bike was traditionally only available in titanium or stainless steel. Both materials which are nice, but on the pricey side. 

Otso has helped this situation out a little by making the Fenrir available in steel now. The Fenrir Steel is available as a frame set for $1,950.00 or in a few complete build configurations. 

The Fenrir Steel can handle both 650B and 29"er wheels with 650B X 2.8" or 29" x 2.6" tires being the maximum allowable. You can check out all the builds and finer details on Otso Cycles' website for the Fenrir Steel HERE. 

That will be a warp for this week. Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Now get out there and ride those bicycles!

Two Things

Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles

Make It Make Sense:

The trade paper, "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News", reported recently that Giant, the Taiwanese based bicycle manufacturer, and brand, of course, saw 22% lower revenue for January than it had a year ago. Trade import numbers are down a record amount to levels not seen in decades. 

So, when a new bicycle gets introduced and you see the price tag increase approximately 2K from a similarly spec'ed previous generation model, it doesn't quite compute. 

Maybe you've seen this advertisement from Trek pop up while scrolling social media. It was an ad with the heading "Whoops! We made too many!". In the ad were about five fat bikes and all the rest were electrified bicycles, some with prices slashed by 50%. 

Brands keep pumping out halo-models with high end, 100% human powered designs while some trade papers are saying electrified bicycle imports are higher than normal bicycle imports for the beginning of 2026. I see every electrified "bicycle-shaped-object" you can imagine being motored up and down my local streets and none of these are bike shop brand e-bikes. 

I received a call at the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective the other day from an e-bike owner. His hydraulic brake needed service. Obviously, this is not within our purview, but this person, a Waterloo citizen, has to go to Cedar Falls (admittedly, not that far, but...) to find a full-service bike shop, and then there are only two independent ones. Additionally, if this customer's e-bike is not "the right brand', those two shops won't touch it. 

Oh, and Waterloo is a city of about 70,000+ people, and it doesn't have a bicycle shop. 

Make it make sense. 

Image courtesy of the Wilder 100

Feedback On The "Numbers Not Adding Up" Post:

First of all, a hearty "Thank You" to all who read the article last week and especially to those who took the time to comment. There were great thoughts shared in there. 

One of the thoughts shared is that perhaps gravel cycling is going through a "correction" in terms of participation. This is also something N.Y. Roll and I discussed in our latest podcast. (Spotify link HERE)

Another thought was the social factor isn't there anymore. Another point we spoke about on the podcast as well. But I think what was even more interesting was the comment I read regarding how many do not feel valued, or even seen, because so much focus is on the Pro field these days at gravel events. 

It is true at the "big" events where infrastructure, investment, and  outside media/industry attention is solely focused on elevating the Pro aspect of their events. The comment I found sad was "...in many cases a feeling like "we" aren't even who the event is for anymore." This Pro-focus of events and media/industry seems to be alienating many folks. 

There was an enlightening view expressed that due to how event directors see racing venue design, many events seem too similar. I never thought about this before, but now I can see this and it makes sense. 

On the positive side it seems series events are seen as a way to attend a smaller event without Pro influences and to be able to connect with many of the same folks at each event throughout the season. This also makes sense to me. 

The longer nature of event in some cases was seen as a detriment to continued support from riders in terms of attendance and a barrier to entry. It just takes so much effort and time to train for a longer event. 

And someone hit on the obvious rise in costs. Saying, in contrast to spending a lot to go to a bucket-list event,  "But at now over $200, plus hotel, food, etc. and roads/scenery pretty similar to what I can find close to home in Iowa for free." And this is kind of a killer when it comes to sustainability for these halo gravel events. Once the cycle of folks has had their crack at it, they likely will not come back if they feel alienated, find little social interaction, and had to spend a gob of money to participate in anonymity. 

Of course, it is not all bad news, and many an event will thrive in today's scene, but I would say there are some things changing which give me pause. 

Thanks again to all who read Guitar Ted Productions. 

Bonus: I have a new article up on my Substack, in case you'd like to take a look. 

Troubles In Waterloo

 NOTE: Large doses of "my opinion" will be handed out in gloppy dollops today. You've been forewarned.....

Introduction:

I was recently forwarded a link to an article on the "Escape Collective" site by Ronan Mc Laughlin which has painted a troubling picture of industry giant, Trek Bicycles. My link was a "gift" link, so I was able to read the entire article, but this is a paywalled site, so if you have a subscription, go read that and you will get a good feel for what is happening with Trek. Also, if you'd rather listen to N.Y. Roll and I discuss this topic, and others, we get to this in our latest podcast episode HERE. 

From my personal perspective as a person who worked at a Trek retailer for almost two decades, I will give my own take on this subject, as some of what is written about in the article I read has roots going way back with Trek. This also probably will be similar to workings at Specialized, and to a lesser extent, other brands in cycling. 

 The Problems:

There is no doubt that there are two major weights on the cycling business currently. One is still an abundance of inventory in several categories. This has been detailed at length by trade magazines. The second is an ongoing downturn in consumer buying. Several factors go into the consumer part and the consumer part directly relates to the inventory bit.  

In my opinion, Trek, and related cycling brands, haven't pivoted quickly enough, or at all, from their trade practices embedded within their company's cultures. Trying to force excess inventory on dealer's backs, discontinuing popular models, and misdirecting efforts into products with little mass appeal hasn't just been something which has happened recently. These things have been happening for decades. Literally. 

Add to this the internet. I like to think of this in terms of how we used to access music, and how music is accessed now. At one point, when I was young, (admittedly, back when rocks were soft!), we had the radio, the rare concert, or covers by local bands to learn of new tunage. That was it. Oh.....maybe your local department store played new tunes in the record department. But you get the picture. Access was limited. We were all directed into these similar silos. 

Now/ pffft! Can anyone count the ways music can be accessed now? I doubt it. This is why "record departments" no longer exist in mass quantities anymore. It is why AM/FM radio is unknown to anyone under the age of 40 years. Concerts? Yeah.....maybe. If you've got tons of expendable income, then maybe. 

We refurbish and scrap tons of bicycles every year at the Collective.

So, bike shops were the "radio/record shop/magazine" for bicycles. Now days, you can get bikes anywhere. Used ones, new ones, direct from factory ones, and you can even design your own bicycle and have it made in China and shipped to your doorstep. 

 The Non-Evolution Of Bicycle Retail:

Bicycle brands relying solely, or nearly so, on bicycle shops are cutting off several avenues for reaching consumers. And maybe it doesn't matter. Especially if Trek or some other well known brand is seen as something out of touch with younger consumers. 

Like maybe Trek is the modern day equivalent to rotary phones for the younger generations. A "grandpa/grandma" brand which is so out of touch the youth won't even give them a chance. I don't know, but I do know in the shop I worked at which handled Trek, seeing younger folks actually buying Treks was rare. 

Overproduction: 

Finally, there are just way too many bicycles being produced. At the Collective during the year of 2025 we hauled about 6 metric tons of scrap to the recyclers, all bicycles or bicycle related things. We refurbished well over 100 bikes for sale to the community. All freely donated things. All out of one tiny non-profit shop in a modest sized Mid-Western city. (I'm not counting bicycles we gave to people in need) 

Think about this - If we were to just get the bicycles sitting around in your city up and running again, we wouldn't need any new bicycles. And people are catching on to this. I've seen two recent YouTube videos with subject matter related to restoring old 1990's mountain bikes and how versatile those bikes are. (No lies told either.)

Just the sheer amount of resources and knowledge at our finger tips is also unmasking the decades long secret of over-production of bicycles. There are reasons why it worked for so long though. The marketing over the years created near feral thoughts in consumer's minds which moved us to buy the "latest and greatest" thing. Look, I am not absolving myself here. I am just as guilty as anyone when the new shiny thing comes around. (32" wheels anyone?), so yes - I am also part of this problem. But now more people are catching on that just because a bike is a few years, or even a few decades old, it doesn't mean it is not awesome. This cuts into new bike sales also.

 Conclusions:

  Read the article from the "Escape Collective", if you can. The author makes it sound like pretty dark times are ahead for Trek. You can contrast those thoughts with mine here. Any way you slice it, as I have said here before, bicycle retail is in for a major resetting in the next ten years."Traditional" bicycle shops will be rare. Whatever takes over will not look like the chaos we have now. 

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of ROTOR

ROTOR Unveils UNO Electronic Shifting Group Set:

ROTOR, the Spanish company best known for oval chain rings and crank sets, had Wheeltop, a Chinese component manufacturer, buy a majority stake in the company last year. Long rumored to be having an electronic group set in the making with Rotor branding, this now has become a reality with UNO. 

The "Gravel Upgrade Kit" version of UNO consists of the levers, hydraulic brake calipers, and the rear derailleur. Compatible with 1X only and with a 46T rear cassette limitation, the group set will cost $948.42 USD (Odd pricing, but likely a conversion from a foreign currency figure) 

The group set's rear derailleur is carbon with 7005 series aluminum bits. ROTOR claim the rear mech will shift up to 15,000 times on one battery charge. Interestingly, this group set is compatible with 10, 11, 12, and 13 speed cassettes as long as the rear cassette does not exceed a 46T low gear.

Comments: Well, another electronic, wireless choice which is breaking the 1K price point. Wheeltop's collaboration here is notable as previous efforts by ROTOR to make a group set were hydraulically controlled. This would appear to be more Wheeltop than not. Wheeltop users on the internet have reported mixed results with their group sets, and how ROTOR's UNO will fare is not known at this time. 

We will have to wait for the results to come in via real world usage, but for now, this marks a further march toward a wireless bicycle era which will feature no cables on bicycles. 

Image courtesy of Velo Orange

Velo Orange Announces Raffle For Charity:

Here's a fun bit of news. Velo Orange is holding a raffle for a Neutrino rolling chassis which has been custom Cerakoted by Weichel Coatings and has components from ATW Builds . Each $5.00 chance gets you in line for possibly winning this size Large Neutrino partial build. 

All proceeds go to helping out the mission of Happy Helpers of the Homeless, a charity who bring meals and support to homeless and poverty stricken men and women every weekend in the Halethorpe, Maryland area. 

The raffle runs through now to October 15th. A winner will be chosen at random the week of October 20th. See all details and rules for this raffle HERE. 

IMage courtesy of IRD Components

Airdrop Seat Post Provides Dropper Feature In Silver Ano:

IRD Components, who do a variety of niche items, have a new Airdrop dropper post which has a few unique features. You'll notice right away it is offered in a silver anodized finish rather than the common black anodization. 

The Airdrop also has no cable running to it or a lever to deal with on your handle bar. Rather, it uses a simple lever located off the seat post head to raise and lower the post through its 100mm of drop. 

The Airdrop comes in the common 27.2mm size only and has an overall length of 400mm. The maximum insertion is listed at 190mm and minimum insertion for the post is listed at 90mm.  

The Airdrop is available on IRD's site and runs $129.00 USD. 

Comments: This is kind of cool for anyone with a silver anodized build who may want to explore a dropper post on a gravel bike. Why would you want to do this? Well, for one, a dropper post can be used as a way to easily mount and dismount a bike by lowering the saddle when stopped. This is of particular benefit if you have a very heavily laden touring bike set up, or if you are bikepacking. 

Secondly, lowering the post on any longer downhill will help you get lower on the bike, and more aero. You'll bomb hills far faster with a dropper post lowered than not. It can be rather eye-opening, actually. Of course, there is the benefit while descending steep, rough terrain as well. 

US Customs Cites Giant For Forced Labor Practices, Holds Imports:

On Wednesday, "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" broke a story in which Giant Bicycles is being investigated for forced labor practices at its Taiwan factories. As a result, all Giant product and other branded product made there is being held at port until the matter is solved.  Giant is reportedly filing a petition to revoke the Withhold Release Order.,

You can read the story HERE.

Comments: This is an interesting development as it is widely known Giant also makes bicycles for several other well known brands. If, in fact, the Withhold Release Order is upheld, this could further disrupt the chain of supply and cause detriment to an already depressed economy for the cycling industry. 

This could also be seen as a bad public relations event, if this ends up becoming a larger issue. 

UPDATE: 9/26/25:  (From Bicycle Retailer and Industry News X Account) UPDATE: Giant clarified to BRAIN this morning that CBP is currently not holding any shipments from the company. The CBP's Withhold Release Order announced Wednesday applies to any products arriving after the order.

Image courtesy of Trek Bikes

That Full Suspension Gravel Bike From Trek Finally Is Official:

On Thursday Trek Bikes finally unleashed the Checkout SL- a 9K carbon fiber full-suspension gravel/bike packing bike. Replete with 55mm wide tires out of the box and the new Rudy XL (released yesterday) on the front. This bike has 60mm of travel up front, and according to a Instagram post I saw, 55mm in the back. 

Rumors and images of this bicycle were floating around the web since around the Unbound event back in early June, so those who caught the pictures then probably are not surprised here. 

And look at the flares and swept tops on this drop bar. Pretty radical for a 2025 release. I happen to like this sort of thing, but it does go in the opposite direction from the racing type handlebars on most newer gravel bikes. 

Comments: Hmm.... Much can be said about a bicycle like this. I will say it looks a little ungainly and the "Miami Vice| color palette is not my cup of tea. (The Checkout SL 5 is a more subdued black, by the way) The images of this bike kitted out for bikepacking look great, but the bare bike is sort of jarring to the eye with the tipped forward rack and MTB-looking fork. 

I could see an aluminum, more budget friendly version of this bike at some point if they sell these things. $8,999.00 for the Checkout SL 7 is no joke though, so you have to wonder if many of these will be sold. Mostly because (a) it is an oddball bike, not really XC MTB and not really gravel, and (b) it is a carbon frame bike. Most bikepackers are looking for Titanium or steel in this space. It is an interesting bicycle, nonetheless. 
 

That's a wrap on this week's news and views. Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions. Get out and ride those bicycles!
 

Friday News And Views

Scene from Andy's Bike Shop (R.I.P.) circa 2020.

Slow Times:

Maybe you are too busy riding to notice, and I do hope this is the case, but there has been a dearth of news and releases this Summer from the bicycle industry.

Of course, there is some activity  on the news front, but I've noted a big drop off in press releases across the media and social media sites in the past month, month and a half.

Maybe this is due to all the hullabaloo with tariffs, or maybe it has something to do with consumer habits and slow sales. I would bet it is something of both of those things. But whatever it is, I know this has been one of the quietest Summers from the standpoint of new bicycle releases I've experienced.

Just this week the news I've seen is very slim, and has to do with oddball things like 'unobtanium' 3D printed saddles, a refresh of a full suspension trail e-Bike in aluminum instead of carbon fiber, and a gravel bike introduced earlier this year now available in multiple customer chosen hues.

Big Tires For Gravel And Gearing:

 Back in the late 2000's, when triple crank sets were still dominate, the then new 29 inch wheel bike was still finding its way in terms of specific-to-29" wheel components and gear, One of those needs back then was for a lower geared cassette.

The problem was the change in diameter from a 26"er wheel to a 29"er wheel. The larger diameter effectively skewed the then available cassette gearing ranges to a faster/"harder" range. Instead of allowing 29"er riders to scale steeps like a 26"er rider, the lack of lower gearing made riding a 29"er in hilly terrain harder. 

Of course, lower gears eventually did become available, 29"ers evolved and left 26"ers in the dust, and all is well now. How does this past experience with the move to larger diameter wheels inform gravel riders today? Does any of this even matter?

My friend, Ari, a bicycle mechanic in the Chicago area, asked about this recently. I went ahead and did some basic calculations using All City's excellent gear calculator page.  I found interesting results from comparing different tire widths and how these affect your gear range.

Most riders are considering larger volume tires for gravel.The times when 40mm tires were thought to be the optimum size for gravel is a time long past. Now riders are mostly in the mid-40's for tire widths and even 50mm+ width tires are being eyed for gravel riding and racing in some instances. Does this wider, and therefore larger, diameter tire affect your gearing range in a negative way, like it did for 29"er riders versus their 26"er counterparts back in the day?

The short answer? The effect is negligible. According to my research, which could be wrong, a rider would have to move up 15mm in tire width, (and assuming volume follows at a linear rate), to equal a one tooth difference in gearing. That's a lot, and obviously, moving from 43mm to - let's say 50mm, is even less of a difference.  

So, should you sweat the details of gearing if you are moving from a 45mm tire to a 50mm tire? Maybe. I would do so only if you are already feeling as though your gearing is at a limit on the low side at a 45mm tire. Otherwise, I think it is not a big deal.

SON Ladelux Light and switch/charging port. (Image courtesy of Nabendynam.de)

SON Show New Ladelux Dynamo Light/Switch: 

A new light with the capability to charge devices via USB has been introduced by SON Nabendynamo. The new Ladelux light also features a high beam setting which is a more full, more long-distance throw light which is switchable to a Low setting via SON's new switching system. 

The new light is capable of up to a 14 watt power output which is approximately 4 watts higher than the competition's most powerful models. The "Low" beam is claimed to shine at 150Lux and on high the light has a 200 Lux capability. The light housing also contains a stand alone battery which is charged by the dynamo hub. This battery acts as a buffer between the hub and device which is being charged. The battery, when charged up, provides a smoother delivery of electrons which a hub dynamo is incapable of doing. This intermittent charging directly off a hub dynamo sometimes can damage the batteries in devices and is not an optimal way to charge devices.

The switch is unique as it has a sealed, metal construction and relies on pressure to switch light modes. Therefore there is no possibility for moisture intrusion. The switch features a magnetic cord attachment for charging either Apple devices or any USB C device. For more details see the SON Nabendynamo site HERE. 

Comments: Cost for the light alone with switch is approximately $570.00, which isn't cheap by any stretch, but in my experience with SON products, well worth the money.  I probably wouldn't need such a full-featured set up, since I don't have a need to charge a device while riding, typically. However; on a cross-country trek, or for a few days of bike packing, this might be an ideal thing to look into. Of course, cords, satellite accessories, the dynamo hub, and labor to build a wheel make this a pretty expensive way to go. That's a big commitment for sure. But if I did this sort of riding which makes a set up like this worthwhile often enough, then it begins to make a lot of sense. 

That is a wrap on this week! Have a great weekend and get out and ride a bicycle!

Friday News And Views

YT Industries Enters Self-Administration, Cites Troubled Market:

Direct to consumer mountain bike brand, YT Industries, entered 'self-administration' in Germany to restructure its finances in order to survive as a company. According to a story recently in "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News", the company has "exciting new products" coming but financial troubles have forced the company to reorganize its finances to continue onward. 

Comments: As expected, I thought we'd be seeing news like this crop up this year. To be honest, I expected to read more news like this. Battling back from the post-COVID mistakes and having to battle deep discounting across the industry has to be taxing on any company's financials. One way we can note this would be the lack of new product introductions.

Hopefully news like this ceases and economic times are rosier in the near term, however; I'm not expecting this to be the case. 

New Guitar Ted Podcast Episode:

It has been a while since we have dropped a new Guitar Ted Podcast episode, but there is one out now which we posted this week. The Spotify link is HERE, but you should be able to find the podcast on your favorite platform as well. 

We went kind of long on this episode, (an hour and a half!), so you may want to listen on a trip, while doing some mundane task, or if you need to go to sleep. (Just kidding on the last suggestion, maybe.....)

We talked a lot about several different subjects this time including the two tire reviews, the Tree In The Road Ride, and about the recent relegation at Coast To Coast event in Michigan.

With Summer on the wane, we will be looking at getting back into some more "Where We Came From" episodes again. If you have anyone in mind who you would like to hear from, let me know in the comments. We typically are looking for an interview with someone who was prominent in gravel riding and racing previous to 2015. 

I figure we will be doing around 15 more episodes for 2025 and then we will take our normal holiday break over December and the first week or so of January. Thanks for checking out the podcast, if you do. If not, give this one a whirl and see if you might enjoy it.  

Team Cofidis Targeted By Thieves:

Disaster at the tour de France earlier this month for Team Cofidis was averted after 22 bikes were stolen out of their team trailer, but were quickly recovered the following day. However; news has come out telling of another robbery of Cofidis team bikes, this time from the women's team.

According to the story, the women's team bikes were not the time trial bikes which the Cofidis woman's team rode for the opening stage of the Baloise Ladies Tour. Which bikes were stolen and how many were taken was not information released to the public pending investigation by the authorities.

Comments: Kind of unbelievable that the Cofidis teams are suffering such bad luck with thievery. Hopefully the ladies bikes can be recovered quickly. One might think Team Cofidis LOOK bikes shouldn't be too hard to find out in public, but I wonder if these types of robberies are more about stripping valuable group sets off the frames along with wheels which would be harder to trace back to the thieves.

Courtesy of 'girlsgonegravel' social media.

Elite Woman Gravel Riders Have Concerns Over Rider Safety:

A trend has appeared recently within the women's field of Elite gravel racers contesting UCI gravel events. The discontent stems from the UCI's formatting of the Pro Women gravel event within male 'age-group' fields at UCI gravel events on the Gravel World Series calendar.

Apparently more Pro and Elite women are opting out of the fields for these UCI gravel events stating that crashes, poor riding skills, and just a general dissatisfaction with having to deal with riders not in their category has women deciding not to contest these events. This obviously is something of an issue since women's fields typically are not as deep as male fields in the Pro and Elite categories of gravel racing.

Comments: We've noted similar issues in the USA with Pro/Elite gravel racers on the women's side. Drafting issues, male fields being a way to create 'picks' for other women riders, and so on. Unbound finally separated women from men in the Elite category recently, and some other US based events have done things to help the woman's field have more equity and less mixing in  with other fields.

Image courtesy of Ritchey Design

 Ritchey Design Offers Team Issue P-29 Frame:

 The P-29 frame from Ritchey Design is not new, but the new Team Issue color is. This is a classic Ritchey color scheme. One the Team racing bikes has used since the late 1980's.

Ritchey P-29's are interesting in that they can be built up with a drop bar, flat bar, rigid fork, or with front suspension. I was attracted to the rigid, drop bar example shown here.

While this bike is an XC hard tail MTB, I think Ritchey is doing well to sell it as a platform to make of it what you will. I also will add that this is the sort of bicycle sorely missing from many brand's ranges now. A basic steel hard tail with options. A "Trek SingleTrack Series" bike for the modern off-roader, if you will. I say this because Ritchey resists the "long, slack. low" design which has taken over the hard tail MTB market.

The price is also pretty reasonable. Plus you get the classic Ritchey name and now, the signature paint job to go with it. While Red, White, and Blue may not be everyone's cup of tea, Ritchey also offers this in a blood red hue also. 

I always thought owning a Ritchey would be fun and their bikes were ones I thought were cool back in my earlier years. But I need another bike like I need another hole in my head, so.... 

 That's a wrap for this week. Have a great weekend and good luck to all the RAGBRAI riders! 

Friday News And Views

Gravel Worlds Foundation Announces "Aloha Gravel" Event In Hawaii:

Yesterday the Gravel Worlds Foundation, a new, non-profit arm of Gravel Worlds, announced a benefit ride in Hawaii called "Aloha Gravel" Benefitting the Imua Family Services, an organization committed to the critical support to children and families across Maui County (Islands of Maui, Lanai, and Molokai), the event will send all profits to help out with their cause.

The event itself will consist of a 9 mile gravel and single track loop which riders are encouraged to ride as many laps as possible on within the six and a half hour time limitation. The event will happen at  Kappalua, Maui, Hawaii. One week after this event a Gran Fondo will be held which riders are encouraged to stay for as well. For more details see https://www.alohagravel.com/
 

Tariffs, Supplies, And Pricing News:

Recent upheavals with importing products into the USA due to tariff policies have started to wreak havoc on the bicycle industry. Coupled with sales which are not  taking off as well as hoped for the start of the 2025 cycling season here and it appears that there are going to be several issues forthcoming for cyclists.

First up, I am still seeing several sales with BIG discounts on certain bicycles.  Locally shops are offering up to 50% off on certain bicycles which is unheard of in past years. Accessories in the clothing segment are all really deeply discounted in many cases. Then on the other hand, certain bicycles and gear is non-existent and if you can find it, the price has been jacked up due to reactions to tariff pricing. (I just saw a confidential communique from a major brand indicating an average 9% price hike across its range)

Some reports in the industry indicate many suppliers are not going to import any new inventory until things get sorted out, or until tariffs are dropped. This may induce some shortages and definitely will drive up prices if demand is there. One industry organization, People For Bikes, is claiming the situation faced by companies is going to induce layoffs and perhaps even shutdowns, as was the case with Revel Bikes out of Colorado recently.

All in all, it looks to be a bumpy ride for cyclists for the remainder of 2025. 

Update On Pre-2013 Events List:

A few days ago, I wrote about which events in gravel grinding history were the seminal, genre-defining events. These events were either prototypical, and influenced later gravel events, or they were events which personified what "grassroots gravel" means.

I chose the pre-2013 date as, to my mind, this was when we left the "pioneering - discovery" phase of gravel riding and sport, and then we moved into the era where the cycling industry and professionalism began to take root as major influencers of the gravel scene. I wrote a breakdown/timeline of gravel history previously HERE. 

Since the post went up a few days ago I have received a lot of feedback on the post comments, via messenger texts, and email. I wanted to list some of those events here so you all know where the list stands at the moment. Note: I am not going to list 'the obvious events', just the ones which are outside the "normal" lists one might expect to see concerning this topic.

• Blackfly Challenge
• Odin's Revenge (LOTS of feedback was given on this one!)
• Flint Hills Death Ride (Organizer of the FHDR, John Hobbs, is a 2025 inductee to the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame)
• Renegade Gent's Race
• Heck of the North
• Ride to Paradise - A Kansas ride started by Erin Bogan Renard in 2003 from her ranch just North of Russell Kansas to Paradise Kansas and back again. Influential event to the Wicked Wilson gravel event. (Thanks to Mike Marchand for the tip!)
  

So far, this is an interesting list. I know there are more events we are missing, but I can scour my old events list on Gravel Grinder News and find some more gems. I'm thinking of events like Melting Mann in Michigan and maybe some Northeast events like those traditionally held in vermont. But if you have suggestions, keep those coming.

And with a sparse news week, that should do it for this week's FN&V. Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions, and get out and ride those bicycles!

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Ridley Bicycles

You May Want A Bigger Cup Of Coffee For This FN&V!

Welcome To "Alpine Gravel":

Ridley Bicycles yesterday did a big press release for their new bike called the Ingnite GTX. A bike the presser said is "an Alpine gravel bike for the roughest terrains".

It is easy to pass this off as a "drop bar mountain bike", however, Ridley takes a different viewpoint. Here is what they say in the press release:

  "A mountain bike is focused purely on mountain biking, while a gravel bike is too limited for rough terrain, and the Ignite GTX fills the gap between these two worlds."

So something in between then? Yes, an "Alpine Gravel Bike" . Ah....I'll come back to this in the comments.

Now as for the details, this is a bicycle which has its geometry inspired by the Ridley XC racing hard tail MTB. There are "flex stays" for comfort, and room for 29" X 2.3" tires. The finishing kit for the Ignite GTX can be had with a carbon fiber "Adventure Fork" or a 100mm travel Rock Shox fork. The drive train is all SRAM with the suspension fork, featuring  a "mullet set up", and the rigid version can have a Shimano 1 X 12 drive train in a GRX "mullet" set up as well. Prices start at $3,040.00 USD.

Ridley sees this bike as something one might use in the Atlas Mountain Bike Race, Tour Divide, and other like ultra-distance, remote, and rough events and rides.

Ignite GTX here shown with the rigid carbon fork. (Image courtesy of Ridley

 Comments: I know....I know! IT"S A FREAKIN' FARGO! (Or Cutthroat, if you will) Now "Adventure by Bike" is going to be re-branded "Alpine Gravel", eh? I don't think this will happen, especially here in the USA, but of course, the Europeans may take to this moniker.

Which makes me wonder, "What about Trekking?" Is that not the original "Alpine Gravel" type bicycle in Europe? Okay, okay....Maybe not for racing, but the intentions are similar, no? My European readers can help me out here, perhaps. Let me know in the comments.

One other thing: I've said until I was blue in the face is that a 40mm travel "gravel suspension fork" was pretty much an exercise in futility. This bike zoomed right past 80mm and went to 100mm's of travel with the SID fork. Now, this is sensible for real suspension benefits, but that sure doesn't look very aero now, does it? Nope. And this is why I think trying to graft suspension on to what amounts to a road racing bike with fat tire clearance is silly.

Scott USA To Go D2C:

Another major brand is capitulating to the times and will offer a direct to consumer option from its USA website for USA customers. This will occur, according to an article in Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, by mid-April of this year. Scott will also be offering a special selection of its range on four major online retailer's sites which also will be able to be shipped direct to the consumer.

Comments: One online source wondered aloud concerning this news and stated that they thought this would become the norm for retail bicycle trade in the USA soon. Citing Canyon Bicycles as being able to beat any brick and mortar store on price, it was theorized that all bigger brands would have to reduce prices in turn to keep competitive and force brick and mortar retail out of existence, essentially. 

Will this really happen? If everything hinges upon price, then I see no other alternative. Basically all bicycles sold would eventually become commodities traded on Amazon. (This is already happening anyway) The real question is, if losing brick and mortar store fronts creates a void in the marketplace or does it not matter? If the answer to this question is "Yes, it matters", then what will fill the void left by those old bicycle shops which may vanish soon?  (See yesterday's post for ideas)

Image Courtesy of Ritchey Design

Ritchey Announces New WCS Switch Stem:

Many bicycles are showing up now with fully integrated cabling. So, Ritchey Design decided to address this with its new WCS Switch Stem. 

The stem joins Ritchey's line of Switch components which includes stem spacers with porting for cables, the Switch Adapters, and Switch Headset.

The stem cavity has enough space to accept up to three cables with their housings. There is also a hidden accessory mount which can be deployed which can be a mount for electronics, lights, and cameras.

The stem also features Ritchey's unique "C220 Clamp" which is a special stem face plate that allows a handlebar to have 220° of contact on the stem's body. Ritchey claims this puts less stress on the face plate and allows for lower stem face plate bolt torque. 

The new WCS Switch Stem costs $109.95 USD and is available now through Ritchey retailers.  

Image courtesy of Panaracer

Panaracer Announces 2025 Special Edition Colors:

For several years now Panaracer has offered colored tread tires in their popular Gravel King range. Each year a new pair of colors is released. This year the colors are "Honeybutter" and "Cranberry". The colors can be matched with black casings or tan walls. 

The range will include the SK, X1, SS, or the slick tread Gravel King tread patterns. 45mm and 40mm widths are offered with the exception of the slick tires where only a 40mm option exists.  No 650B tires were listed on the webpage for the 2025 Limited Edition tires in the X1, SS, or Gravel King slicks patterns, but there are 650B and 26" models on the SK page. 

All tires retail for $64.99 USD each. You can check out the range of 2025 colored tires on Panaracer's webpage for the Limited Edition tires HERE.

Comments: Hmm.... Hard pass on the Honeybutter color. I could see getting some 40mm tires in the Cranberry color and sticking those on my King Fab Honeman Flyer. But...

Every year I toy with the idea of getting a pair then I talk myself out of it. Then I see someone's bike with them on and I kick myself, sometimes, especially of the combination of colored tire and bicycle look particularly tasty. I don't know though....  If these trip your trigger get on it now and buy them. These typically sell out fairly quickly.

Image courtesy of Toolbox Wars social media

SRAM Moves All MTB Brakes To Mineral Oil:

A couple of weeks ago in this FN&V I posted an image of a new SRAM XC MTB brake called "Motiv" which was seen on Trek's team bikes. Now news has hit the internet that indeed, SRAM has a new XC MTB brake and it is based on mineral oil as I had postulated.

Not only that, but word is that all mountain bike brakes SRAM is releasing from here on out will be mineral oil based systems.

Comments: This is pretty big news. From a mechanic's point of view, all the DOT brake fluid based brakes were a total pain to deal with and this was because the fluid is toxic and special care had to be taken to deal with the DOT fluids. The move to mineral oil is a welcomed one.

The obvious question is when will we see all of SRAM's brakes move to mineral oil systems? I suspect all further drop bar groups to make this change as well. Oh! And I would be remiss if I did not mention the long-rumored mechanical Eagle 70 and Eagle 90 Transmission MTB groups. It is real and available now. Good news for those who eschew batteries on bikes.

Sea Otter is coming in less than two weeks. SRAM usually makes a big splash announcement for this festival. Plus, there should be a lot of news in the next couple of weeks related to gravel bikes and accessories. Stay tuned to this space...

Tour of Arkansas To Happen In 2026:

On Thursday a press release went out concerning the efforts on the part of All Sports Productions to put on a road event in Northwestern Arkansas called the Tour of Arkansas. The event would start out as a modest road/time trial/criterium event with the aim to expand the event, if successful, to a week long road race.

Comments: While I do not delve into road racing much, I do know there have been several attempts at getting a "Tour of (fill in the blank) " road racing type event going in the past. All have failed at some point. So, this begs the question: "How is this any different and why would this idea become what the promoters envision it to be when so many have failed at the same thing?"

I'd like to think the USA could get a week-long Pro level cycling tour going, but unless there is some massive shift in American interest in Pro road racing, I find it less than believable that it might happen in any long-term, meaningful way.  I would like to be proven wrong here, but I am skeptical at best. 

Courtesy of PinkBike social media

Maxxis Makes 32"er Official:

Way back in February I posted in this FN&V about the Dirty Sixer company's 32"er MTB which had Maxxis tires on it. This was kind of a big deal because it pointed toward OEM interest. Maxxis wasn't going to make 32"er tires for just some small, niche brand. No offense to Dirty Sixer, but companies like Maxxis are looking for big commitments to a model, especially something new and odd, like a 32" diameter MTB tire.  

Well, my hunch turned out to be correct as it was broadcast on PinkBike's social media that Maxxis is indeed coming out with a 32" diameter Aspen. The narrator in the short clip, (an image of which can be seen here), mentioned other possibilities for treads were being discussed and that "several OEM fork manufacturers" were interested in this as well. 

Comments: Shades of the early 00's with 29"er hate is being detected for this already. However; I think more people are being cautious and maybe a bit more open minded this time as a lot of companies and people got burned by their negativity toward 29"ers when they first appeared.

However; certain things we went through with regard to 29 inch wheels will have to be addressed again here with a 3" jump in diameter. First, we have to think about geometry all over again. 32"ers will require a rejigging of everything we already think we know in regard to "what works" in terms of geometry.

Secondly, wheels will, once again, be pushed to their limitations much more quickly in a 32" package. 29"ers forced a wider axle and a more solid connection to the frame in through axles. Will 32"ers have to be SuperBoost by default? Will front forks go to 142mm through axles? I think all this and more would have to be considered.

Then you have the problem finding who this would be for. Taller people is an obvious choice, but how many XL and XXL frames are these wheels going to sell? Where is the cutoff for shorter people? All things which would need answering, and then all these answers plugged into marketing data to see if it would make sense to sell these on a large scale. Then factor in these times where people are not spending their money and you get, what I think is, a very tenuous situation for 32"ers to make it as a viable product to sell. 

What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

That's a wrap on things for this week. Have a great weekend and ride those bicycles!

Does The Cycling Industry Have a Data Problem?

 We've probably all heard the tale of COVID and the bicycle industry by now. Big demand leads to wiped out stores, which led to big orders, swamped factories, and late deliveries. Then the big glut of inventory hit just as consumer demand slowed way down, and we were supposed to be recovered from all of this sometime in 2024. 

Of course, it is a mixed bag, but it is obvious the cycling industry is still reeling from what happened and is not back to normal. Part of the reasoning behind this, in my opinion, is the industry hasn't known where it was at, in terms of overall health, for certain, at any given time in the past 40 - 50 years. 

This was, and still is, because most data is not shared across brands and marketing companies. Trek would rather Specialized not know anything about Trek's sales and vice versa. This goes for many brands, and is just an illustration to show the data gathered by companies who are the watchdogs for the cycling industry is, at best, vague. Making any observations on data from the industry is mixed with a healthy dose of speculation due to the current circumstances. 

Take this recent quote from a Forbes article by Jim Vinoski where Ken Lonsberg, CEO of SRAM, is quoted as saying, "I would say, as much as anything, people were hoping 2024 would be the recovery year, but they didn't really have much data or science behind it. They knew what their situation was, but they didn't know what their competitors or suppliers that they don't use. Nobody really knew how much true inventory was in the complete channel, they really just knew their portion.”

Contrast this with an industry dealing with similar issues stemming from the COVID days, the guitar industry. One of the largest producers of guitars and accessories is Fender who are led by CEO Andy Mooney who has led Nike, and did a stint with Disney. He is keenly interested in data.  In a podcast interview with Zak Kuhn, Mooney speaks to the issue and the data Fender uses to navigate the future. I was most interested in what I heard at about the 32 minute mark of the interview. (Click here for the full episode) 

Mooney stated that even before COVID that the "abandonment rate" for new guitar purchases was approximately 90%. So, that means 90% of new guitar sales end up with the purchaser putting the guitar down, or selling it used. Does any of that sound familiar?

A load of bikes donated to CVBC.

It does to me, but I've never heard a statistic like this coming from the cycling industry. I know it happens because I've seen the evidence. I see it almost every time I work at the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective.  Bicycles with - if they had fifty miles of use I'd be surprised. Bike shop quality bicycles too. Not just big-box store stuff, although we see a fair share of these as well. 

So, it would be very interesting to know what the "abandonment rate" is with retail bicycles. Now that wasn't all I gleaned from the podcast. Mr. Mooney had this observation. He posited that if the guitar abandonment rate was similar post COVID to what it was leading up to the pandemic, then he felt the 30 million dollar boost in sales meant that 24 million dollars worth of guitars ended up either on the used market or were parked in closets and under beds. 

Does a bunch of used guitars flooding the market sound familiar to you who buy and sell bicycles? It sure does to me!

However; Mooney also said that a committed guitarist, a life-long player, would be worth $10,000.00 more in retail sales over the life of that player. This maths out to the 3 million players who did stick with the guitar after COVID being worth 3 Billion in retail sales for the remainder of their lives. 

Now, obviously, that is both impressive and speculative, to a degree, because Mooney was surmising that committed numbers were similar to pre-COVID data. But the point is the cycling industry doesn't look at sales in this manner. In my opinion, this way makes a LOT more sense. 

We do get some cycling experts saying that numbers of riders went up during COVID and the numbers of riders are still up. However; in my opinion, I don't think this can be verified at all. At best, it is a mere guess based off known industry numbers which are generally either incomplete due to most companies not sharing data, or are guessed at via import numbers and other extraneous data. For instance, do we really know the exact number of gravel bikes sold last year? Add in any used sales and I think the answer is that this is an impossibility due to the way the data is lacking in this industry. 

Until we can get real, hard data in the cycling industry, I don't know how anyone can diagnose or forecast this industries woes.

Friday News And Views

 Job Anniversary: 

This past week I observed my third anniversary of starting work at the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective. In case you are unfamiliar with this organization, they are a non-profit organization which benefits the community by recycling used bicycles either back into service or by being responsibly recycled via a local recycling/scrap company. 

We benefit local veterans who need transportation by providing free bicycles and accessories, as well as providing bicycles for other individuals in need. We support various area children's bicycling programs such as bicycle rodeos, Summer programs, and childrens benefit organizations. We also provide safety checks and educational opportunities as well as supporting local events via our Bike Valet program. 

There is more to it than that, but as you might be able to see by now, this is no "bike shop" gig. I get to turn wrenches, do mechanical repairs, and solve problems like I always have done for years, but added into the mix is a genuinely rewarding experience in helping others and making a difference in the community. Things I did not really get out of being a bike shop rat. 

So, I remember this week with gratitude and I don't take this opportunity lightly. It has been an amazing three years, and I cannot believe it has been three years already. But it has and I hope to add more years to that total going forward. If you have a bicycle cooperative/collective/non-profit in your community, I urge you to support that organization in some way this year. Either by volunteering or by donation. These organizations really impact the environment and the people who need bicycles for transportation and recreation.

A Light & Motion bike light on a handlebar (Image courtesy of Grannygear)

Light & Motion Ceases Business Activities:

On January 14th news hit the web concerning the bicycle, scuba, video, and photography lighting company, Light & Motion, who published an announcement that they were ceasing operations immediately. 

A story from "Bikemag" with some comments from the CEO of Light & Motion can be seen by clicking HERE. 

Comments: While many brands have ceased operations after the exit from COVID, this is one of the more well-known brands to close its doors. While Rocky Mountain and GT Bikes have "paused operations", which might leave the door open for some sort of "unpausing", I would assume, this announcement has a bit more of an air of finality to it. 

Citing "political winds" as one of the reasons for the closure, Light & Motion ends with an over 35 year run of manufacturing its products in the USA. It is no secret that the LED lighting segment for cycling is a super-competitive market and that many companies offer excellent lights for very competitive price points. So, by sticking to its guns with regard to doing things stateside, and by having product that was priced at a more premium level, it is not hard to understand how that and the downturn in sales for cycling overall has perhaps forced this action by Light & Motion. 

Snow Dog Update:

Since I rolled out the old Snow Dog again to test those BIKETUBES TPU fat bike tubes, I had to do some updating. I was using an old Archer electronic shifting box deal which could shift incompatible parts, and well, that was no longer an option here. Archer is done as a company and I didn't want to try using the app anymore to set up the thing since it isn't being supported as far as I could tell. 

So I fished out a roll of 4mm derailleur housing in silver and an old SRAM 9 speed shifter. I already had a SRAM rear derailleur mounted, so I figured that would work.

Except this was a SRAM shifter compatible with Shimano. Doh! Okay..... Back to the bins. I fished around and found an 11 speed Ultegra long cage derailleur. Probably the one that came on my Tamland Two? Maybe.... Well, that went on there and with a few adjustments, bingo! I had a working rear derailleur and shifter. 

You may be thinking, "Wait! That's an 11 speed rear derailleur running with a 9 speed chain and shifter? Isn't that forbidden?" And I say, "Don't try this at home, folks!" It's another instance of a mechanic doing what "they say" cannot be done. That's all. I would never tell anyone else this would work. Why? Because, well.....for you it probably wouldn't, and then it would be my fault for saying it does work. That's why. So, I'm saying "this doesn't work", but I'm going with it anyway. 

Remember, it is all fun and games until it breaks. Then if that describes you, and you end up with a failure, or worse, it is because you tried this. It will be your fault. I said it does not work. So there. 

And I will have an update on the tubes soon. 

Image from the Jan. 15th social media post.

Robidoux Roubaix Is Back:

Last August the race director of the Robidoux Roubaix, a gravel race in Western Nebraska, announced that the event was on "indefinite pause" status. 

Specifying a lack of concern by riders for safety and other safety related concerns for race directors of gravel events, the event was taken off the calendar. Now in an Instagram post dated January 15th, the event posted the following quote pulled from a longer statement. 

"It turns out that a little four month break, escaping an unfulfilling 9 to 5, and starting to ride bikes again was enough of a mental boost to remember why I’ve always loved hosting Robidoux!"

Comments: The statement directed readers to register now and that more details would be released about the new routes and more soon.

No mention of the concern about rider safety and conduct at gravel races. This, on one hand, seems odd, but it all may get addressed in future communications, so as of this time, I cannot really comment on this point other than to say the question is there to be answered. What about the previous safety concerns? 

I like that this event came back, however, if just for selfish reasons. I think the area would be a spectacular place to ride, and so I've always had a soft spot in my heart for doing the event. Not that it will ever happen. Especially now with a carless Guitar Ted! 

That's it for this time. Have a great weekend and ride those bicycles!