Friday News And Views

Exploded view of a Classified rear hub (Image courtesy of Classified.)

 Classified/Ridley Announce New Gravel Team:

The upstart hub/wheel company, Classified, from Belgium, has just announced a new professional five person gravel racing team. Contesting mostly UCI and Gravel Earth Series events, this team is an expansion for Classified who sponsored a one-man team for 2023. Furthermore, Classified has announced new wheels that are lighter with wider internal rim widths. 

Comments: The press release states that this is the 'first professional factory team in the gravel scene' and
the company boasts former professional road racer Tom Boonen as an investor and team spokesperson. 

It's obvious that racing on the Professional, UCI, sponsored level is seeing a shift to gravel with the UCI Gravel World Series and now with the rival Gravel Earth Series seeing some attention as well. How successful these sorts of ventures are will determine Pro racing's future. Can a gravel based series and a pavement based series coexist on the highest levels of UCI/Pro cycling? Perhaps we are seeing the beginnings of that question being asked. 

And as far as the hub goes, if you are not familiar, I have covered Classified here on these pages before. But essentially it is a two-speed, electronically shifted rear hub that supports a cassette (proprietary) that does what a 2X system on a normal bike would do without a front derailleur or multiple front chain rings.

From "Cyclingnews.com's social media on 1/22/24

SRAM Red AXS Images Leaked:

If you were on social media over the past weekend cruising bicycle related content you may have run across images of a supposed new SRAM Red Axs group.  

Images appeared from a Chinese source showing the claimed new 12 speed SRAM follow up to its top of the range electronic Red group. 

Comments: While little is known at the moment it is entirely feasible that this is, indeed, the new group set. It is a group overdue for a refresh and with the big glut of inventory from last year it would make sense that SRAM are holding back until retailers and bicycle brands can push some of that excess inventory out into the marketplace. 

The obvious thing here is that it appears that SRAM is making a play to dump more grams in an attempt to become the lightest group for road racing. Also notable is the lack of any leaked imagery showing a crank set or a front derailleur, if there actually is a front derailleur. It is possible that this was intended to be a 1X group but Pro teams insisted on a 2X option and SRAM had to wait until it could make that happen. (Just spitballing there, but it is a possibility)

This group is interesting, if indeed the images here are a real look at things to come. Personally? I think what I see isn't all that attractive, but that SRAM aesthetic and design language never really has appealed to me either. Not to mention how it works, which while clever in some ways is kind of a turn-off in others for myself. 

The FOCO Fondo Scratch Lottery (Image courtesy of FOCO Fondo YouTube)

FOCO Fondo #fakelottery Promotion:

Throughout "gravel history" there have been swipes taken at Pro road, the UCI, and even other gravel events. When other gravel based events decide to poke some fun at another gravel event, it usually is directed at one event in particular now that takes place in Emporia, Kansas every early June. That being, of course,  the Unbound events. And previously to Unbound it was directed at the DK200. (Note: I hold the two events as being separate. Your mileage may vary)

Early on, when it was the DK200, there were events like "Kantdu Kanza" or "Sterile Iowan". Now it seems that the FOCO Fondo is taking its turn at poking fun at the Unbound's loterry process in its offering of scratch-type lottery tickets to all its registrants for its June 21'st running of its event this year. 

Comments: Clever. I'll give them that much. That said, this event isn't necessarily all that much different in terms of what it costs than Unbound. In fact, it costs exactly the same amount of money per mile ($1.48/mile)for the 118 mile course to enter the FOCO Fondo as it does to get a ticket to ride the 200 at Unbound. Obviously they are different events, but this hits different than the previous instances of smaller, more grassroots swipes at bigger events. You can watch the You Tue video on the lottery tickets here. 

The new Vamoots 33 (Image courtesy of Moots Cycles)

All-Road Bikes: A New Trend?

Recently I have noted how many companies are starting to make their road bike offerings more 'terrain-friendly' in that they are not bicycles that cannot ride down certain roads. 

It used to be that any road bike was a pretty limited machine due to geometry and tire clearance limitations. Riding a gravel road on 23mm-25mm tires was something you could do, but if you are honest, would you want to? Probably not. Not worth the potential issues and rattling of bones. 

Then "gravel bikes" came along, (Hey! Just ride a cross bike or a touring bike!), and many saw an opportunity to escape the dangerous paved roads filled with distracted drivers who are speeding. The category went nuts compared to what was happening in MTB and traditional road bikes. So, you should not be surprised that those who want to offer a road bike would start to make those road bikes "all-roads" bikes instead of pavement-bound racers. 

The newest Moots road bike, the Vamoots 33, is such a beast. With the capability to accept a 38mm tire, this is truly an "all-roads" capable machine. Reminiscent of road bikes of the mid-20th Century and before which could tackle anything that a vehicle could be driven on. Gravel, bituminous, cement, dirt, or any "road" surface. 

The designers of these bikes often market these bikes by saying that they are versatile, capable bikes that "still can keep up with a club ride", because, you know, we cannot have anyone thinking these are slow bikes. As if going slow or fast depends solely on a bicycle type or design. Pfft! As if going fast as all get out is really all that matters. 

So these bicycles typically stick to skinny-tired, go-fast bike geometry, missing the boat and causing these to not be as stable and, dare I say it- fast - as a bike designed for all-roads. Jumping tire clearances is one piece of the puzzle, but a true "all-roads" bike isn't a racing bike. Racing bike geometry is for pavement racing. 

Thank You!

I just wanted to make sure I thanked all of you readers and friends for the comments on the blog, Facebook posts, messages, and texts regarding my birthday on Tuesday of this week. 

I have been extremely blessed to find myself in the position in Life that I have found myself in. I don't forget that, and I am humbled to have the shout-outs and well wishes. 

The day wasn't anything to write home about, but it was good. We had some light rain and drizzle until around 3:00pm and so I did not go out for a ride in mid-30's temps and wet conditions. But I did get to spend time with my family which is great and more important than a bike ride. Plus Mrs. Guitar Ted got me a turntable to play records on which hasn't happened for me in about 35 years.

That's it for this week! Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Friday News And Views

Trek Dual Sport 2 Gen 5 (Image courtesy of Trek)

Trek Re-markets Dual Sport Bikes As "Gravel Bikes":

The Trek Dual Sport, a hybrid bike developed by Trek in the mid-2000's, is the "bike that saved 29"ers". That's what you'd hear if you talked to anyone at Trek that was there back then. The 29 inch wheel experiment was on 'life support' at the company in 2004 when sales of the wagon-wheeled MTB's were dismal. 

The Gary Fisher brand introduced 29"er MTB's to local bikes shops affiliated with the brand in the USA in 2002. However; retailers and salespeople didn't understand the then new idea of big wheels and how they were a distinct advantage over 26" MTB wheels. The wheel size, which up to that point, had been the standard in MTB riding. As a result, the experiment with these bikes, which was the brainchild of Gary Fisher, were up to be cut from the line-up in 2006. But a new hybrid bike, which was sort of like a 29"er, but wasn't, actually saved the 29"er from what may have been its early demise overall. 

That bike, as stated, was the so-called "Dual Sport", which had 29"er-like qualities, 700c wheels, but was positioned as a more dirt-worthy hybrid bike. Hybrid bikes, which were well understood by salespeople and retailers, were an easy sell, and the Dual Sport was the gateway to 29"er acceptance amongst that important link of the chain. Salespeople had to buy-in, and when they did, the lid was blown off for the acceptance of the 29"er side of MTB and well, you know the rest of that story.

Enter in the Gen 5 Dual Sport, a 27.5" wheeled bike with 2" tires and a very MTB-ish geometry and set up. Only now Trek is marketing it as a "gravel/adventure" bike, because, well.....gravel, don't cha know? That Trek is marketing, what is in all essence a MTB-lite bike as gravel, is fine with me. It's the details that I found interesting. 

For instance, the whole "Gen" thing. Trek has been working toward getting rid of model years for bicycles for at least 15 years now, and has recently enforced that messaging with its retailers. However; Shimano kind of has them held as hostages, along with the rest of the bicycle industry, due to the format of Shimano's component release scheduling. That said, the generational aspect of this marketing idea of Trek's means that consumers won't know that a Gen 4 Dual Sport is a 2022 model and that Gen 5 is 2023. Kind of..... Anyway....

The other thing? The price for this Dual Sport 2 with mostly Shimano Acera and a Chang Star hydraulic brake set is $849.99 (USD- MSRP) Acera at eight hundred and fifty bucks? I'm pretty sure that the bike which was analogous to this Dual Sport, the Trek FX 1, was about 500 bucks in the mid-twenty-teens. That's a big leap upward in pricing, which, as we all know, was expected. But sheesh...... 

The Bookman Monocle (Image courtesy of Bookman)

Bookman "Monocle" Head Lamp:

Recently I was asked to review a product for bicycle lighting by a Swiss company named Bookman. I agreed to take a look and when the package arrived it had another, non-bicycle specific light in there. 

It was a head mounted light for running called the "Monocle". Head mounted lights are nothing new, of course, but with the activity of running in mind, certain design criteria were more important than say, a camp light you might find at the checkout of your local big-box home and lumber supply company. 

And to be honest, I did not know it was a product for running when I received it. In fact, I did not learn that until moments before I wrote this when I researched the company. So, my thoughts on how to make use of this gizmo light were far different than what Bookman may have envisioned. 

Where I work in an old building at the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective, and considering my workshop at home is in a basement that is over 100 years old and wasn't designed to be a workshop, it is no wonder that the lighting is less than desirable. Especially for my old eyes. So my first thought was to use this at work, and conveniently, the day I received it I had to work. I charged it up, strapped it on my head, and wore it for the next five-ish hours. It lit up dark places on bikes and allowed me to have less frustration in getting stuff done. It's "stepless angle adjustment" allowed me to get just the right aim on my work too. I also used it on the way home to see if it might be a good supplementary light for night riding. 

With its claimed 225 Lumens of light at High, which will last a claimed 1.5 hours, I can say that signs were lit up  and I could use it to read cues easily, if I needed to. In fact, 225 is almost too bright for that. Thankfully there is a half power option which lasts four hours that is a bit less brilliant and glaring to use as "cockpit lighting". My only beef so far is that the button to power it on and tab through its three modes is a bit stiff.

The thing costs about $55.00, weighs 40 grams, and the strap has a lot of little reflective details. So far? Impressed. Standard Disclaimer applies. . (More on this and the other Bookman product I was sent will be posted soon)

Titanium chainring from 5Dev (Image courtesy of 5Dev)

Titanium Chainring Promises Less Wear:

Titanium, that grey aerospace metal of fame and renown in bicycle circles, has not often been used for chain rings. But a USA company called "5DEV" may change that. 

The company, probably best known for their far-out designs for titanium stems and crank arms, now offers a 34t or 36T titanium chain ring in raw, or three other anodized colors including a teal (!!).

Benefits claimed are longer wear life, better toughness, and compatibility with SRAM or Shimano chains. 

Comments: I remember when Boone titanium cogs were the big deal for single speeders because they were (a) cool looking and (b) did not wear very much at all. I have a Boone Ti cog somewhere along with those weird wavy titanium spacers they made. I have to say that the cog has held up well over the years. 

That these are only $150.00 bucks isn't bad when you think about it. I know I could totally get on with one of these on my single speed or on my Ti Muk 2 fat bike with the Rohloff set up. I wonder though, how would this hold up on a 1X set up? That cross-chaining that you have to do with 1X usually wears cogs and chains out laterally instead of in the traditional way. 

Anyway, an interesting, if not a bit limited, option for some folks.

Image courtesy of Classified.

Classified Hub Gets A Big Shot Of Cash:

The Classified hub technology, which I first came across in  the Fall of 2020 as seen here in this "FN&V", has recently been infused with a reported 24 million USD in funding from the CEO of investment firm Active Partners and who is also Rapha's chairman. 

Cycling media outlets and commentators are suggesting that new wheel partners are also coming onboard with this technology. Speculation is that the investors want to see the Classified hub system on the same level as SRAM/Shimano in terms of market share and acceptance by the riding public. 

Comments: As always, anything that disrupts the "standards" which cyclists, mechanics, retailers, brands, and manufacturers hold dear is going to have a tough row to hoe when it comes to proprietary drive train ideas. Just look at Rohloff, Pinion, Gates Belts, or components that are slightly out of the main focus of Shimano's and SRAM's main fare. Sure, they are out there and available, but does anyone think that these ideas have taken a hold in mainstream cycling? I have a hard time believing that anyone would say "yes" to that. 

Essentially, if and until Shimano gets displaced as the de-facto arbiter of what is happening in mainstream tech for cycling, anything like Classified's hub will only ever be like a Rohloff Speedhub, or a Pinion system- Something that is an option for some people, but definitely not "the next big thing". 

That's a wrap on this week! Have a great weekend and get out and ride. Spring is coming soon!

Friday News And Views

Trek Dual Sport 2 Gen 5 (Image courtesy of Trek)

Trek Re-markets Dual Sport Bikes As "Gravel Bikes":

The Trek Dual Sport, a hybrid bike developed by Trek in the mid-2000's, is the "bike that saved 29"ers". That's what you'd hear if you talked to anyone at Trek that was there back then. The 29 inch wheel experiment was on 'life support' at the company in 2004 when sales of the wagon-wheeled MTB's were dismal. 

The Gary Fisher brand introduced 29"er MTB's to local bikes shops affiliated with the brand in the USA in 2002. However; retailers and salespeople didn't understand the then new idea of big wheels and how they were a distinct advantage over 26" MTB wheels. The wheel size, which up to that point, had been the standard in MTB riding. As a result, the experiment with these bikes, which was the brainchild of Gary Fisher, were up to be cut from the line-up in 2006. But a new hybrid bike, which was sort of like a 29"er, but wasn't, actually saved the 29"er from what may have been its early demise overall. 

That bike, as stated, was the so-called "Dual Sport", which had 29"er-like qualities, 700c wheels, but was positioned as a more dirt-worthy hybrid bike. Hybrid bikes, which were well understood by salespeople and retailers, were an easy sell, and the Dual Sport was the gateway to 29"er acceptance amongst that important link of the chain. Salespeople had to buy-in, and when they did, the lid was blown off for the acceptance of the 29"er side of MTB and well, you know the rest of that story.

Enter in the Gen 5 Dual Sport, a 27.5" wheeled bike with 2" tires and a very MTB-ish geometry and set up. Only now Trek is marketing it as a "gravel/adventure" bike, because, well.....gravel, don't cha know? That Trek is marketing, what is in all essence a MTB-lite bike as gravel, is fine with me. It's the details that I found interesting. 

For instance, the whole "Gen" thing. Trek has been working toward getting rid of model years for bicycles for at least 15 years now, and has recently enforced that messaging with its retailers. However; Shimano kind of has them held as hostages, along with the rest of the bicycle industry, due to the format of Shimano's component release scheduling. That said, the generational aspect of this marketing idea of Trek's means that consumers won't know that a Gen 4 Dual Sport is a 2022 model and that Gen 5 is 2023. Kind of..... Anyway....

The other thing? The price for this Dual Sport 2 with mostly Shimano Acera and a Chang Star hydraulic brake set is $849.99 (USD- MSRP) Acera at eight hundred and fifty bucks? I'm pretty sure that the bike which was analogous to this Dual Sport, the Trek FX 1, was about 500 bucks in the mid-twenty-teens. That's a big leap upward in pricing, which, as we all know, was expected. But sheesh...... 

The Bookman Monocle (Image courtesy of Bookman)

Bookman "Monocle" Head Lamp:

Recently I was asked to review a product for bicycle lighting by a Swiss company named Bookman. I agreed to take a look and when the package arrived it had another, non-bicycle specific light in there. 

It was a head mounted light for running called the "Monocle". Head mounted lights are nothing new, of course, but with the activity of running in mind, certain design criteria were more important than say, a camp light you might find at the checkout of your local big-box home and lumber supply company. 

And to be honest, I did not know it was a product for running when I received it. In fact, I did not learn that until moments before I wrote this when I researched the company. So, my thoughts on how to make use of this gizmo light were far different than what Bookman may have envisioned. 

Where I work in an old building at the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective, and considering my workshop at home is in a basement that is over 100 years old and wasn't designed to be a workshop, it is no wonder that the lighting is less than desirable. Especially for my old eyes. So my first thought was to use this at work, and conveniently, the day I received it I had to work. I charged it up, strapped it on my head, and wore it for the next five-ish hours. It lit up dark places on bikes and allowed me to have less frustration in getting stuff done. It's "stepless angle adjustment" allowed me to get just the right aim on my work too. I also used it on the way home to see if it might be a good supplementary light for night riding. 

With its claimed 225 Lumens of light at High, which will last a claimed 1.5 hours, I can say that signs were lit up  and I could use it to read cues easily, if I needed to. In fact, 225 is almost too bright for that. Thankfully there is a half power option which lasts four hours that is a bit less brilliant and glaring to use as "cockpit lighting". My only beef so far is that the button to power it on and tab through its three modes is a bit stiff.

The thing costs about $55.00, weighs 40 grams, and the strap has a lot of little reflective details. So far? Impressed. Standard Disclaimer applies. . (More on this and the other Bookman product I was sent will be posted soon)

Titanium chainring from 5Dev (Image courtesy of 5Dev)

Titanium Chainring Promises Less Wear:

Titanium, that grey aerospace metal of fame and renown in bicycle circles, has not often been used for chain rings. But a USA company called "5DEV" may change that. 

The company, probably best known for their far-out designs for titanium stems and crank arms, now offers a 34t or 36T titanium chain ring in raw, or three other anodized colors including a teal (!!).

Benefits claimed are longer wear life, better toughness, and compatibility with SRAM or Shimano chains. 

Comments: I remember when Boone titanium cogs were the big deal for single speeders because they were (a) cool looking and (b) did not wear very much at all. I have a Boone Ti cog somewhere along with those weird wavy titanium spacers they made. I have to say that the cog has held up well over the years. 

That these are only $150.00 bucks isn't bad when you think about it. I know I could totally get on with one of these on my single speed or on my Ti Muk 2 fat bike with the Rohloff set up. I wonder though, how would this hold up on a 1X set up? That cross-chaining that you have to do with 1X usually wears cogs and chains out laterally instead of in the traditional way. 

Anyway, an interesting, if not a bit limited, option for some folks.

Image courtesy of Classified.

Classified Hub Gets A Big Shot Of Cash:

The Classified hub technology, which I first came across in  the Fall of 2020 as seen here in this "FN&V", has recently been infused with a reported 24 million USD in funding from the CEO of investment firm Active Partners and who is also Rapha's chairman. 

Cycling media outlets and commentators are suggesting that new wheel partners are also coming onboard with this technology. Speculation is that the investors want to see the Classified hub system on the same level as SRAM/Shimano in terms of market share and acceptance by the riding public. 

Comments: As always, anything that disrupts the "standards" which cyclists, mechanics, retailers, brands, and manufacturers hold dear is going to have a tough row to hoe when it comes to proprietary drive train ideas. Just look at Rohloff, Pinion, Gates Belts, or components that are slightly out of the main focus of Shimano's and SRAM's main fare. Sure, they are out there and available, but does anyone think that these ideas have taken a hold in mainstream cycling? I have a hard time believing that anyone would say "yes" to that. 

Essentially, if and until Shimano gets displaced as the de-facto arbiter of what is happening in mainstream tech for cycling, anything like Classified's hub will only ever be like a Rohloff Speedhub, or a Pinion system- Something that is an option for some people, but definitely not "the next big thing". 

That's a wrap on this week! Have a great weekend and get out and ride. Spring is coming soon!

Friday New And Views

The Nine hub by 3X3 (Image courtesy of Eurobike Show Daily)

 New Internal Geared Hub Choice:

Eurobike is happening again and part of the news is a new IGH appeared which is being touted as a very versatile choice for bicycles or electrified bikes, especially cargo bikes. 

The hub is by a new company called "3X3" and the model they make is a 9 speed internally geared hub called, wait for it.....the Nine! 

 Name aside, the hub is able to be used by through axles and in a few varying axle widths. (Nothing listed for fat bikes, by the way)

The article I saw claims this hub has a 554% gear range, which is huge. But, as you might expect, that makes for some hefty jumps between gears- 23.76%. A 14 speed Rohloff hub, by comparison, has a 526% gear range and has a claimed 13.6% jump between each gear. 

Weight for the Nine hub is a claimed 2K. A 14 speed Rohloff is a claimed 1.82K, so a little lighter. No price was given for the Nine hub but a Rohloff with shifter and all the bits is approaching 2 Grand now. 

Series news for the blog

Blog News Concerning Series For Trans Iowa, GTDRI:

The three year-plus long "Trans Iowa Stories" series will wrap up at the end of this month. The final version of Trans Iowa has already been covered and now all that remains is a couple of things to close up the books on that. Speaking of books.....

So, all along, the idea of a physical book has been toyed with, but I also have had the idea of doing this as an audio book as well, or instead of a physical book. 

Either way, I am going to go back after July is over and refine what I have here and perhaps edit out bits that are redundant, not necessary, or that I don't like. Once that process is over, I want to hand off a manuscript to some folks for review and suggestions. Then a decision will be made as to what to do with all that material. 

Now that the Trans Iowa series is almost complete, I have started writing up entries for a series on the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational. This will replace the Trans Iowa series on Sundays, so if you've enjoyed reading the T.I. stuff once a week, I'll have that in GTDRI form for you starting the first Sunday of August. 

Supply Chain Issues Ease:

 From all I can gather from my contacts and sources, it seems that the supply chain issues are easing somewhat. Parts are becoming easier to get. Certain bicycles are becoming more available than they had been. 

But now the potential is that there will be a "whiplash effect" in the supply chain. Meaning that due to the frenzied focus on production, and hiccups regarding delivering goods, there very well could be a glut of product coming through the pipeline very soon.

While shipping and warehousing issues may mitigate this yet in 2022, the fear amongst industry insiders is that a huge inventory of bikes and parts are not going to find enough demand in the market place, at least not in the near future. 

The bicycle business has always suffered most when demand is low, inflation high, and supply is abundant. That's exactly the scenario it seems we are headed for. So, by this Fall don't be surprised to see some sales and lots of inventory in stock everywhere. 

The Belador Allroad by Beria (Image courtesy of Beria)

Beria Belador Allroad Gravel Bike:

An interesting gravel bike came out this week. A "Spanish performance brand" called Beria has introduced a concept not unlike what we've seen with the Cannondale Topstone Carbon bike. The "Active Flex Concept" rear has an upper seat stay pivot and those stays are lower down on the seat tube to promote "give" and lend a smoother ride to the rider without sacrificing speed and a quick acceleration feel. 

The model is actually called the Belador Allroad. (See how sensible the Spanish are with names? "Allroad". Nice!) The bike will have five different specs  across the range with the entry level bike being different in that it will have a different frame made of aluminum. 

There are Shimano, SRAM, and a Campy EKAR equipped model to choose from, and yes- they are expensive. 

Comments: I wouldn't usually post about a new gravel bike these days what with the literally hundreds out there to choose from. You have to have a pretty unique take on the genre' anymore to catch my- or anyone else's - attention anymore. Well, putting pivots on seat stays gets my attention. This is a LOT like a Cannondale Topstone carbon, just done in a way that, in my opinion, makes a lot more sense. 

Lower bottom bracket, decent head tube angle, and a racy stance for what it is. (Low stack height for one thing!) I'm not a huge fan of the super-short chain stays, but this isn't necessarily my kind of bike either. Racing? If I was 50lbs lighter and 30 years younger? Yeah, then it would make sense. But I still find the idea intriguing.

I'm not sure a pivot bearing is of any real advantage here. I mean, there is a claimed 26mm of movement at the axle. How much rotation of a bearing do you really think there will be? Can't be much more than a few degrees of rotation there, but I could very well be wrong. Still- an interesting bike. Not like the rest, that's for sure! 

Cut-away view of the Cinturato RC tire. (Image courtesy of Pirelli)

New Cinturato RC Tires:

Pirelli Tires are advancing their presence in the gravel scene with another tire introduction. This time it is with a "race" tire called the Cinturato RC. 

This new tire has bead-to-bead puncture protection, a tread design with a fast, lower knobbed center and wider spaced out shoulder knobs, and it comes in tan or black side walls. 

Widths available are 700c X 35, 700c X 40, and 700c X 45mm. These are available now. 

Comments: I tested out the Pirelli Cinturato Gravel H last year and thought that the tire was a pretty good one for gravel roads. With the smoother tread, I thought it was more toward the touring/recreational side of gravel. Now with the addition of the Cinturato RC, there is a more aggressive, supposedly lighter, and faster tire from the brand. 

If it is anything like the Cinturato Gravel H, then I think this will be another "Tire You Should Know About". 

That's a wrap for this week! Have a safe and enjoyable weekend!

Friday New And Views

The Nine hub by 3X3 (Image courtesy of Eurobike Show Daily)

 New Internal Geared Hub Choice:

Eurobike is happening again and part of the news is a new IGH appeared which is being touted as a very versatile choice for bicycles or electrified bikes, especially cargo bikes. 

The hub is by a new company called "3X3" and the model they make is a 9 speed internally geared hub called, wait for it.....the Nine! 

 Name aside, the hub is able to be used by through axles and in a few varying axle widths. (Nothing listed for fat bikes, by the way)

The article I saw claims this hub has a 554% gear range, which is huge. But, as you might expect, that makes for some hefty jumps between gears- 23.76%. A 14 speed Rohloff hub, by comparison, has a 526% gear range and has a claimed 13.6% jump between each gear. 

Weight for the Nine hub is a claimed 2K. A 14 speed Rohloff is a claimed 1.82K, so a little lighter. No price was given for the Nine hub but a Rohloff with shifter and all the bits is approaching 2 Grand now. 

Series news for the blog

Blog News Concerning Series For Trans Iowa, GTDRI:

The three year-plus long "Trans Iowa Stories" series will wrap up at the end of this month. The final version of Trans Iowa has already been covered and now all that remains is a couple of things to close up the books on that. Speaking of books.....

So, all along, the idea of a physical book has been toyed with, but I also have had the idea of doing this as an audio book as well, or instead of a physical book. 

Either way, I am going to go back after July is over and refine what I have here and perhaps edit out bits that are redundant, not necessary, or that I don't like. Once that process is over, I want to hand off a manuscript to some folks for review and suggestions. Then a decision will be made as to what to do with all that material. 

Now that the Trans Iowa series is almost complete, I have started writing up entries for a series on the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational. This will replace the Trans Iowa series on Sundays, so if you've enjoyed reading the T.I. stuff once a week, I'll have that in GTDRI form for you starting the first Sunday of August. 

Supply Chain Issues Ease:

 From all I can gather from my contacts and sources, it seems that the supply chain issues are easing somewhat. Parts are becoming easier to get. Certain bicycles are becoming more available than they had been. 

But now the potential is that there will be a "whiplash effect" in the supply chain. Meaning that due to the frenzied focus on production, and hiccups regarding delivering goods, there very well could be a glut of product coming through the pipeline very soon.

While shipping and warehousing issues may mitigate this yet in 2022, the fear amongst industry insiders is that a huge inventory of bikes and parts are not going to find enough demand in the market place, at least not in the near future. 

The bicycle business has always suffered most when demand is low, inflation high, and supply is abundant. That's exactly the scenario it seems we are headed for. So, by this Fall don't be surprised to see some sales and lots of inventory in stock everywhere. 

The Belador Allroad by Beria (Image courtesy of Beria)

Beria Belador Allroad Gravel Bike:

An interesting gravel bike came out this week. A "Spanish performance brand" called Beria has introduced a concept not unlike what we've seen with the Cannondale Topstone Carbon bike. The "Active Flex Concept" rear has an upper seat stay pivot and those stays are lower down on the seat tube to promote "give" and lend a smoother ride to the rider without sacrificing speed and a quick acceleration feel. 

The model is actually called the Belador Allroad. (See how sensible the Spanish are with names? "Allroad". Nice!) The bike will have five different specs  across the range with the entry level bike being different in that it will have a different frame made of aluminum. 

There are Shimano, SRAM, and a Campy EKAR equipped model to choose from, and yes- they are expensive. 

Comments: I wouldn't usually post about a new gravel bike these days what with the literally hundreds out there to choose from. You have to have a pretty unique take on the genre' anymore to catch my- or anyone else's - attention anymore. Well, putting pivots on seat stays gets my attention. This is a LOT like a Cannondale Topstone carbon, just done in a way that, in my opinion, makes a lot more sense. 

Lower bottom bracket, decent head tube angle, and a racy stance for what it is. (Low stack height for one thing!) I'm not a huge fan of the super-short chain stays, but this isn't necessarily my kind of bike either. Racing? If I was 50lbs lighter and 30 years younger? Yeah, then it would make sense. But I still find the idea intriguing.

I'm not sure a pivot bearing is of any real advantage here. I mean, there is a claimed 26mm of movement at the axle. How much rotation of a bearing do you really think there will be? Can't be much more than a few degrees of rotation there, but I could very well be wrong. Still- an interesting bike. Not like the rest, that's for sure! 

Cut-away view of the Cinturato RC tire. (Image courtesy of Pirelli)

New Cinturato RC Tires:

Pirelli Tires are advancing their presence in the gravel scene with another tire introduction. This time it is with a "race" tire called the Cinturato RC. 

This new tire has bead-to-bead puncture protection, a tread design with a fast, lower knobbed center and wider spaced out shoulder knobs, and it comes in tan or black side walls. 

Widths available are 700c X 35, 700c X 40, and 700c X 45mm. These are available now. 

Comments: I tested out the Pirelli Cinturato Gravel H last year and thought that the tire was a pretty good one for gravel roads. With the smoother tread, I thought it was more toward the touring/recreational side of gravel. Now with the addition of the Cinturato RC, there is a more aggressive, supposedly lighter, and faster tire from the brand. 

If it is anything like the Cinturato Gravel H, then I think this will be another "Tire You Should Know About". 

That's a wrap for this week! Have a safe and enjoyable weekend!

Friday News And Views

The Bike Flights box comes in two sizes.

 Bike Flights Debuts New Box:

If you've ever had to ship a bike, you know that a cardboard bike box can often be a hassle. Generally speaking, you don't often get a bike box that was meant for your bike. It's either slightly too short one way or the other, and who can pack a bike well without getting those "bloated sides" which can end up becoming an issue with the box failing sometimes. 

Well, consumer bike shipping company, Bike Flights, has seen it all as well. They decided to do something about it. They now have a completely reusable and recyclable box in two sizes. It even comes to you with no-waste in terms of packaging. The entire box can be broken back down flat and stored again for future uses. Now, it isn't a forever bike box, because it isn't that kind of box. Here is what Bike Flights says;

"Designed and rigorously tested to the ISTA 6A standard, the Bike Box offers confidence-inspiring levels of protection for your bike during shipping. It has been engineered to withstand multiple drops of 18 inches and 36 inches, a horizontal compression force up to 229 pounds, a vertical compression force up to 1,732 pounds and sustained vibration while loaded to up to 300 pounds."

The "Bike Box" in small is $119.95 and the larger size is $149.95.

Ted King challenges you to challenge him.

Ted King Asks You To Make Him Go Long: 

I see a lot of fundraiser stuff come across my radar all the time. Much of these issues are deserving, and I wish all of these fundraiser/Kickstarter/GoFundMe deals the best. So, please- Don't get in the comments here with what you are all passionate about. I get it. There are a thousand worthy causes every day. This particular one has a twist that I found interesting. 

Ted King is asking for funds to put toward his King's Challenge Ride which raises funds for the Krempels Center which is an organization that helps adults with brain injuries. You can see the YouTube video here.  What I found interesting is that depending upon the final figure raised, Ted King is willing to ride up to 1000 miles in one sitting. 

That's pretty crazy. So here is how it would work. Ted says normally he raises up about 10K in donations, which would equal a 100 mile ride. He's thinking that he can generate more funds if people see the challenge factor to him and maybe he'll end up riding 300, 500, or maybe even up to 1000 miles in one crack. That would be nuts! 

Want to donate? Go here.

Note: I have no skin in the game, I don't even really know Ted King. Ted King has no idea I'm posting this. I just thought this was cool and a worthwhile thing to share.

The Classified rear hub guts. Image courtesy of Classified.

Mind Blowing Hub Technology 

I came across a couple of things recently that I thought were pretty radical. One is a two speed internal gear rear hub that also has a proprietary cassette for 12 external gears. It's by a company called Classified, and the technology is in production and available, so far, only from Ridley on select bike models. 

Classified claims the hub, through axle, proprietary cassette, and remote shifter weigh the same as a 2X GRX front derailleur, shifter, hub, and cassette. They also claim very good efficiency for the internal bits with shifting under load said to be excellent. 

Comments: Okay, this looks pretty impressive, but......the word proprietary is there and well, that is almost never a good thing. You get a choice from four cassette ratios. Better hope one is your cup-o-tea. Then you have a proprietary wheel set up, which Classified makes sound like it is easily switched up, if you buy completely into the system. Classified then claims excellent efficiency, but hinges part of that upon the claim that "you will have less cross-chaining". Listen, you can have less cross chaining right now. Just stop doing it. But with one chain ring and 12 cassette cogs, you are going to try to tell me that riders won't be cross chaining? Good luck with that Classified! So, I'm not buying the efficiency claim if that part is a requirement. 

On the flip side, the inductor rear axle is genius. The idea, in basic terms, is sound for sure, and not at all new, of course. (SRAM had a rear hub with an internal 3 speed and standard cassette body for years) But Classified has a neat, lightweight idea here that if it works, would be really cool. Time will out all. 

Okay, that's a wrap on this week. Fall colors people! get out and ride to see it all!

Friday News And Views

The Bike Flights box comes in two sizes.

 Bike Flights Debuts New Box:

If you've ever had to ship a bike, you know that a cardboard bike box can often be a hassle. Generally speaking, you don't often get a bike box that was meant for your bike. It's either slightly too short one way or the other, and who can pack a bike well without getting those "bloated sides" which can end up becoming an issue with the box failing sometimes. 

Well, consumer bike shipping company, Bike Flights, has seen it all as well. They decided to do something about it. They now have a completely reusable and recyclable box in two sizes. It even comes to you with no-waste in terms of packaging. The entire box can be broken back down flat and stored again for future uses. Now, it isn't a forever bike box, because it isn't that kind of box. Here is what Bike Flights says;

"Designed and rigorously tested to the ISTA 6A standard, the Bike Box offers confidence-inspiring levels of protection for your bike during shipping. It has been engineered to withstand multiple drops of 18 inches and 36 inches, a horizontal compression force up to 229 pounds, a vertical compression force up to 1,732 pounds and sustained vibration while loaded to up to 300 pounds."

The "Bike Box" in small is $119.95 and the larger size is $149.95.

Ted King challenges you to challenge him.

Ted King Asks You To Make Him Go Long: 

I see a lot of fundraiser stuff come across my radar all the time. Much of these issues are deserving, and I wish all of these fundraiser/Kickstarter/GoFundMe deals the best. So, please- Don't get in the comments here with what you are all passionate about. I get it. There are a thousand worthy causes every day. This particular one has a twist that I found interesting. 

Ted King is asking for funds to put toward his King's Challenge Ride which raises funds for the Krempels Center which is an organization that helps adults with brain injuries. You can see the YouTube video here.  What I found interesting is that depending upon the final figure raised, Ted King is willing to ride up to 1000 miles in one sitting. 

That's pretty crazy. So here is how it would work. Ted says normally he raises up about 10K in donations, which would equal a 100 mile ride. He's thinking that he can generate more funds if people see the challenge factor to him and maybe he'll end up riding 300, 500, or maybe even up to 1000 miles in one crack. That would be nuts! 

Want to donate? Go here.

Note: I have no skin in the game, I don't even really know Ted King. Ted King has no idea I'm posting this. I just thought this was cool and a worthwhile thing to share.

The Classified rear hub guts. Image courtesy of Classified.

Mind Blowing Hub Technology 

I came across a couple of things recently that I thought were pretty radical. One is a two speed internal gear rear hub that also has a proprietary cassette for 12 external gears. It's by a company called Classified, and the technology is in production and available, so far, only from Ridley on select bike models. 

Classified claims the hub, through axle, proprietary cassette, and remote shifter weigh the same as a 2X GRX front derailleur, shifter, hub, and cassette. They also claim very good efficiency for the internal bits with shifting under load said to be excellent. 

Comments: Okay, this looks pretty impressive, but......the word proprietary is there and well, that is almost never a good thing. You get a choice from four cassette ratios. Better hope one is your cup-o-tea. Then you have a proprietary wheel set up, which Classified makes sound like it is easily switched up, if you buy completely into the system. Classified then claims excellent efficiency, but hinges part of that upon the claim that "you will have less cross-chaining". Listen, you can have less cross chaining right now. Just stop doing it. But with one chain ring and 12 cassette cogs, you are going to try to tell me that riders won't be cross chaining? Good luck with that Classified! So, I'm not buying the efficiency claim if that part is a requirement. 

On the flip side, the inductor rear axle is genius. The idea, in basic terms, is sound for sure, and not at all new, of course. (SRAM had a rear hub with an internal 3 speed and standard cassette body for years) But Classified has a neat, lightweight idea here that if it works, would be really cool. Time will out all. 

Okay, that's a wrap on this week. Fall colors people! get out and ride to see it all!

A Big, Fat, Titanium Thank You

GT (L) and Sam Auen with the Ti Mukluk

Okay..... I'm not sure where to start with this, so I'll just go to the beginning of this story and hopefully it will all make sense. I'm still processing through what happened and I may never fully get my head around this, but here goes......

Several years ago, when I had my original Ti Muk, Ben Witt and I were gabbing about how "the perfect fat bike set up" would be a titanium frame and a Rohloff based drive train. Well, I already had my bike and a Rohloff is, while awesome, very expensive. That didn't stop Ben from trying though. He got a 2015 Titanium Mukluk frame and had built a rear wheel using a Whiskey carbon rim with a then new 170mm rear spaced Rohloff 14 speed internal geared hub. I remember seeing this in his basement when I stayed with him during the 2016 Fargo Reunion Ride.

Okay, fast forwrad a bit to when Sam Auen bought the partial rolling chassis from Ben and obtained another Whiskey carbon rim, (via from myself - long story), and built the bike up into rideable shape. Sam then added the bike to his fleet and did a few rides here and there on it. Then came the time when my good friend Sam realized he needed to "thin the herd". The Ti Muk was on the short list of candidates for him to shed off the fleet to someone who would use it more than he was.

Sam then posted the idea of selling the bike on social media where I jumped in and commented something to the effect that this was the "perfect fat bike set up" and that someone should own this dream bike. My intentions were to help bring some notice to Sam's trying to sell the bike because I wanted to help a friend. Then I forgot about it because it was a temptation I could ill afford anyway, even though I would have purchased it on the spot had I had the money. I figured some other lucky person would get it, and that would be that.

14 internal hub gears of doom.

Then this is where MG got involved. He texted me that very day asking about some things. One of the things mentioned was what I thought about Sam selling that bike. Did I really think that was a "dream build" for a fat bike? I responded to MG that I felt it was "the perfect fat bike set up" for me. That was that. We moved on to other things, and I went about my life, unsuspecting. MG, on the other hand, had a plan.

He contacted a list of people and got them, somehow or another, to contribute to an effort to make the bike mine. Their motivation for doing so was not, and is not, totally understood by me. MG wrote me and explained it this way

" It's funny how your influence stretches much farther than you might think. All of the people who donated have been touched by you and/or your work in one way or another....."

I still find this hard to believe.......

Anyway, it happened. I have the bike and a big list of people I need to thank, so this post is a public thank you to those folks. MG has said that these folks are okay with my publishing their names on the blog, (If you do have issue with that, let me know and I'll strike your name from the list, but I felt you all deserved recognition for this uncommon gesture). So this, in no particular order, are the folks who made it possible for me to get this awesome Ti Mukluk Saturday.

• Bobby & Crystal Wintle
• The Gibson family – Christy, Russ and Sofia
• Joe Billsbach
• Jason Boucher
• Bruce Currin
• Steve Fuller
• Corey Godfrey
• Ben Shockey
• John Wilmeth 
• Venny Alub
• Rob Evans
• Ed and Janelle Gerlach
• Gary Little
• Kristi and Tim Mohn
• Errin Vasquez
• Walter Zitz
• Timothy Stephen
• Todd Masters
• Jim Phillips
• Joe Reed
• Joe Pahr
• Warren Weibe
• Ben Welnak
• Matt Gersib
• Sam Auen

And here it is. Thanks doesn't say enough, but THANK YOU!

 So, this past weekend my family and I visited my good brother Sam, collected the bike, and brought it home finally. This arrangement by my other good brother, MG is mind blowing. Wow...... Anyway, still wrapping my brain around what happened.

So, I cannot express my feelings. I just don't have the words to show my gratitude here. So, I'll talk about the bike, since it is unusual and I''m sure some of you are curious.

The fork is from an Advocate Watchman fat bike. It was the only 150mm spaced fork Sam could get his hands on at the time he built the bike up. He wanted that spacing for the SON dynamo hub he had someone lace the Whiskey carbon rim to.The handle bar is a Jones Carbon H-Bar with the ESI made Jones grips and the requisite Rohloff shifter. The seat post is another Salsa Regulator, which I love. The saddle is a Salsa branded WTB Silverado, (I think it is a Silverado), and that may go if it is too narrow. (Looks like it) The rims are the aforementioned Whiskey carbon ones in a 70mm width. The tires are the 45NRTH Dunder/Flowbeist models. I'll probably just run those till they are done. Brakes are simple Avid BB-5's with Avid levers.

Can-o-gears

The crank is a Race Face Turbine with a Race Face ring. Obviously, pretty basic outboard drive train stuff because the business end is all inside the 14 speed Rohloff hub.

The Rohloff is the 170mm OD model which came out a few years ago. Basically the internal gear hub is pretty bomb proof. As long as I keep changing the oil when it needs it and keep up on the maintenance of the external cog/chain/chain ring, the drive train shouldn't ever let me down either. That was why I was dreaming one day of owning a Rohloff. That and there are no "dangly bits"to get whacked off during explorations and in nasty conditions. 

I have ridden the bike for a bit. I haven't owned a Rohloff equipped bike before, but I have worked on a lot of internal geared hub bikes and they all have one thing in common- They do not like being shifted under power. Unlike a derailleur drive train, you cannot just shift while mashing the pedals. There is a bit of a special "hiccup" you have to learn to shift a IGH. (Internally Geared Hub) This is especially true with a down shift to get up a hill. I will need a lot of practice before I get this down smoothly with the Rohloff.

I also need to tidy up the wiring on the awesome Busch and Mueller IQ-X lighting system. It works fine, but there is a lot of extra wire and it needs to be routed a bit more permanently. This is also my first dynamo hub experience and so far, I totally see the appeal. I have worked on dynamo hubs before and I have a basic understanding of them, but owning/living with one is going to be a new learning experience.

Basically the entire set up will require some familiarization on my part. Just getting wheels on and off will be a bit more involved than your typical bike due to the complexities with wires, cables, and whatnot. But that said, this bike........wow! Sam insisted several times when I got it from him Saturday that I have "adventures" on it, and get some good use out of it. That is the plan for sure. So stay tuned for a lot of that to happen in the coming weeks and months.

Once again...... Thank You! I am overwhelmed by this act of kindness.

A Big, Fat, Titanium Thank You

GT (L) and Sam Auen with the Ti Mukluk

Okay..... I'm not sure where to start with this, so I'll just go to the beginning of this story and hopefully it will all make sense. I'm still processing through what happened and I may never fully get my head around this, but here goes......

Several years ago, when I had my original Ti Muk, Ben Witt and I were gabbing about how "the perfect fat bike set up" would be a titanium frame and a Rohloff based drive train. Well, I already had my bike and a Rohloff is, while awesome, very expensive. That didn't stop Ben from trying though. He got a 2015 Titanium Mukluk frame and had built a rear wheel using a Whiskey carbon rim with a then new 170mm rear spaced Rohloff 14 speed internal geared hub. I remember seeing this in his basement when I stayed with him during the 2016 Fargo Reunion Ride.

Okay, fast forwrad a bit to when Sam Auen bought the partial rolling chassis from Ben and obtained another Whiskey carbon rim, (via from myself - long story), and built the bike up into rideable shape. Sam then added the bike to his fleet and did a few rides here and there on it. Then came the time when my good friend Sam realized he needed to "thin the herd". The Ti Muk was on the short list of candidates for him to shed off the fleet to someone who would use it more than he was.

Sam then posted the idea of selling the bike on social media where I jumped in and commented something to the effect that this was the "perfect fat bike set up" and that someone should own this dream bike. My intentions were to help bring some notice to Sam's trying to sell the bike because I wanted to help a friend. Then I forgot about it because it was a temptation I could ill afford anyway, even though I would have purchased it on the spot had I had the money. I figured some other lucky person would get it, and that would be that.

14 internal hub gears of doom.

Then this is where MG got involved. He texted me that very day asking about some things. One of the things mentioned was what I thought about Sam selling that bike. Did I really think that was a "dream build" for a fat bike? I responded to MG that I felt it was "the perfect fat bike set up" for me. That was that. We moved on to other things, and I went about my life, unsuspecting. MG, on the other hand, had a plan.

He contacted a list of people and got them, somehow or another, to contribute to an effort to make the bike mine. Their motivation for doing so was not, and is not, totally understood by me. MG wrote me and explained it this way

" It's funny how your influence stretches much farther than you might think. All of the people who donated have been touched by you and/or your work in one way or another....."

I still find this hard to believe.......

Anyway, it happened. I have the bike and a big list of people I need to thank, so this post is a public thank you to those folks. MG has said that these folks are okay with my publishing their names on the blog, (If you do have issue with that, let me know and I'll strike your name from the list, but I felt you all deserved recognition for this uncommon gesture). So this, in no particular order, are the folks who made it possible for me to get this awesome Ti Mukluk Saturday.

• Bobby & Crystal Wintle
• The Gibson family – Christy, Russ and Sofia
• Joe Billsbach
• Jason Boucher
• Bruce Currin
• Steve Fuller
• Corey Godfrey
• Ben Shockey
• John Wilmeth 
• Venny Alub
• Rob Evans
• Ed and Janelle Gerlach
• Gary Little
• Kristi and Tim Mohn
• Errin Vasquez
• Walter Zitz
• Timothy Stephen
• Todd Masters
• Jim Phillips
• Joe Reed
• Joe Pahr
• Warren Weibe
• Ben Welnak
• Matt Gersib
• Sam Auen

And here it is. Thanks doesn't say enough, but THANK YOU!

 So, this past weekend my family and I visited my good brother Sam, collected the bike, and brought it home finally. This arrangement by my other good brother, MG is mind blowing. Wow...... Anyway, still wrapping my brain around what happened.

So, I cannot express my feelings. I just don't have the words to show my gratitude here. So, I'll talk about the bike, since it is unusual and I''m sure some of you are curious.

The fork is from an Advocate Watchman fat bike. It was the only 150mm spaced fork Sam could get his hands on at the time he built the bike up. He wanted that spacing for the SON dynamo hub he had someone lace the Whiskey carbon rim to.The handle bar is a Jones Carbon H-Bar with the ESI made Jones grips and the requisite Rohloff shifter. The seat post is another Salsa Regulator, which I love. The saddle is a Salsa branded WTB Silverado, (I think it is a Silverado), and that may go if it is too narrow. (Looks like it) The rims are the aforementioned Whiskey carbon ones in a 70mm width. The tires are the 45NRTH Dunder/Flowbeist models. I'll probably just run those till they are done. Brakes are simple Avid BB-5's with Avid levers.

Can-o-gears

The crank is a Race Face Turbine with a Race Face ring. Obviously, pretty basic outboard drive train stuff because the business end is all inside the 14 speed Rohloff hub.

The Rohloff is the 170mm OD model which came out a few years ago. Basically the internal gear hub is pretty bomb proof. As long as I keep changing the oil when it needs it and keep up on the maintenance of the external cog/chain/chain ring, the drive train shouldn't ever let me down either. That was why I was dreaming one day of owning a Rohloff. That and there are no "dangly bits"to get whacked off during explorations and in nasty conditions. 

I have ridden the bike for a bit. I haven't owned a Rohloff equipped bike before, but I have worked on a lot of internal geared hub bikes and they all have one thing in common- They do not like being shifted under power. Unlike a derailleur drive train, you cannot just shift while mashing the pedals. There is a bit of a special "hiccup" you have to learn to shift a IGH. (Internally Geared Hub) This is especially true with a down shift to get up a hill. I will need a lot of practice before I get this down smoothly with the Rohloff.

I also need to tidy up the wiring on the awesome Busch and Mueller IQ-X lighting system. It works fine, but there is a lot of extra wire and it needs to be routed a bit more permanently. This is also my first dynamo hub experience and so far, I totally see the appeal. I have worked on dynamo hubs before and I have a basic understanding of them, but owning/living with one is going to be a new learning experience.

Basically the entire set up will require some familiarization on my part. Just getting wheels on and off will be a bit more involved than your typical bike due to the complexities with wires, cables, and whatnot. But that said, this bike........wow! Sam insisted several times when I got it from him Saturday that I have "adventures" on it, and get some good use out of it. That is the plan for sure. So stay tuned for a lot of that to happen in the coming weeks and months.

Once again...... Thank You! I am overwhelmed by this act of kindness.