Roller Cams On The Brain

Roller cam brakes   (Image from a sale ad on social media)

Years ago when I started poking around on the internet, one of the rabbit holes I went down concerned flared drop bars for mountain bikes. If you decide to dive into that hole it won't take you long to find the name "Charlie Cunningham". 

Charlie was a tinkerer, a co-founder of WTB (Wilderness Trail Bikes), and had his own mountain bike frame building company with his name on the downtube. Amongst his many contributions to mountain biking, and cycling in general, Charlie developed a braking system which had better modulation and power than typical cantilever brakes of the 1980's. They had a look unlike anything else out there and were called "roller cam brakes" because they featured a triangular shaped "cam" and rollers, or little wheels, at the ends of the brake arms. 

When I saw that SunTour had licensed the design from Charlie, I started keeping an eye out for a bicycle with those brakes on it. In fact, I had one, (and still do) back in the 90's. It was a Mongoose All-Mountain Pro. It featured the "Cunningham Design" SunTour roller cam on the rear stays. Back in the 1990's, no one knew anything about these weird brakes, and so I was kind of left in the dark, besides some tantalizing tidbits I'd see from time to time in magazines, or in a WTB catalog of the day. 

So, I was fascinated with roller cam brakes from that time onward. I ended up with a bicycle that has them front and rear, (a Schwinn High Sierra), which will be featured soon here on the blog. But recently we had a "barn find" come into the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective which had the brakes on it front and rear. What is more, this bike had the "proper" arrangement: The rear brake was under the chain stay, where it was intended to be. 

See, Charlie Cunningham thought that traditional cantilever boss design placement on the seat stay and lower on the front fork blades was inferior. This traditional placement allowed the stays and fork to bow outward under braking pressure, which represented a loss of braking efficiency. What is more, those typically spindly rear stays could also twist, further degrading braking performance. Charlie's design placed the bosses higher up on the fork blades, near the base of the Unicrown, which was a lot stronger and less prone to flexing outward. In the rear, Charlie advocated for a placement of the bosses to be on the chain stays, which were vastly stiffer and less prone to twisting than the rear seat stays were.Not every bicycle that used roller cam brakes on the rear put them on the chain stays though. Neither of my two examples have that placement.

The red arrow points to where the brake boss is on the chain stay

The roller cam brake idea caught traction, and in the years 1986, 87, and 88 roller cam brakes were a big deal on many mountain bikes with probably 1988 being the "high water mark" of the "under-the-chain stay brake" fad. 

However; riders revolted against these saying they were "mud-catchers". Many were decrying the difficulty in getting rear wheels off to repair flat tires, and their voices were heard. By 1989 rear and front cantilever brakes returned to their "proper places" on frames and the roller cam idea was relegated to WTB bikes, for the most part. They were never heard from again, especially when dual suspension bikes were developed and after 1996, when Shimano introduced the linear pull, "V" brake. WTB folded up production of roller cam brakes in the late 1990's. 

So, roller cam brakes are not often seen anymore since any bike you'd typically see these on is going to be rare, as MTB bikes weren't the big deal in the 1980's as they were in the 90's, and these examples are around 35 years old or so by now. So, when a Dorado branded bike slid into the Collective last week with these brakes, in a size I could ride, well, my brain went into hyper-drive about what I could do with it. 

I don't need this bike. However; I am so smitten by roller cam brakes that I cannot stop thinking about restoring this old, rare beast and turning it into a touring bike, or a gravel rig, or..... Who knows?! 

A little about this bike: It is a "Dorado" branded bike, which, as far as I can come up with, was a house branded MTB made for sale at Costco stores. But instead of being some cheapo, big-box type quality sled, they actually made these out of decent ChroMoly main triangles and slapped quality SunTour bits on them. I also gathered that in today's dollars, a bike like this cost about $700.00, so there probably are not too many "Dorado" bikes around anyway. 

The Bad: It needs paint. The bike sat in a barn for decades and it got pretty scratched up. The wheels need redone, and the cables, housings, and that sort of stuff is needing attention.

The Good: the roller cam brakes are intact, work, and the drive train is also intact with SunTour top mount friction shifters also intact. And....it would fit me like a glove. I took some basic measurement and not only is the saddle already at my optimum height, the top tube is perfect. It has a 9" long head tube, so I could even put drop bars on this.

What Will I do: Don't know yet..... Stay tuned, but I may just salvage the brakes and bits and keep them for spares for my two other roller cam bikes. OR- I may build this up and replace my current 'townie'. Again- I don't need another bike! 

Note: Charlie Cunningham is still alive and has fallen on some difficult times in terms of health. If you are so led, here is a link to a fundraiser to help with his medical bills and recovery costs.

Roller Cams On The Brain

Roller cam brakes   (Image from a sale ad on social media)

Years ago when I started poking around on the internet, one of the rabbit holes I went down concerned flared drop bars for mountain bikes. If you decide to dive into that hole it won't take you long to find the name "Charlie Cunningham". 

Charlie was a tinkerer, a co-founder of WTB (Wilderness Trail Bikes), and had his own mountain bike frame building company with his name on the downtube. Amongst his many contributions to mountain biking, and cycling in general, Charlie developed a braking system which had better modulation and power than typical cantilever brakes of the 1980's. They had a look unlike anything else out there and were called "roller cam brakes" because they featured a triangular shaped "cam" and rollers, or little wheels, at the ends of the brake arms. 

When I saw that SunTour had licensed the design from Charlie, I started keeping an eye out for a bicycle with those brakes on it. In fact, I had one, (and still do) back in the 90's. It was a Mongoose All-Mountain Pro. It featured the "Cunningham Design" SunTour roller cam on the rear stays. Back in the 1990's, no one knew anything about these weird brakes, and so I was kind of left in the dark, besides some tantalizing tidbits I'd see from time to time in magazines, or in a WTB catalog of the day. 

So, I was fascinated with roller cam brakes from that time onward. I ended up with a bicycle that has them front and rear, (a Schwinn High Sierra), which will be featured soon here on the blog. But recently we had a "barn find" come into the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective which had the brakes on it front and rear. What is more, this bike had the "proper" arrangement: The rear brake was under the chain stay, where it was intended to be. 

See, Charlie Cunningham thought that traditional cantilever boss design placement on the seat stay and lower on the front fork blades was inferior. This traditional placement allowed the stays and fork to bow outward under braking pressure, which represented a loss of braking efficiency. What is more, those typically spindly rear stays could also twist, further degrading braking performance. Charlie's design placed the bosses higher up on the fork blades, near the base of the Unicrown, which was a lot stronger and less prone to flexing outward. In the rear, Charlie advocated for a placement of the bosses to be on the chain stays, which were vastly stiffer and less prone to twisting than the rear seat stays were.Not every bicycle that used roller cam brakes on the rear put them on the chain stays though. Neither of my two examples have that placement.

The red arrow points to where the brake boss is on the chain stay

The roller cam brake idea caught traction, and in the years 1986, 87, and 88 roller cam brakes were a big deal on many mountain bikes with probably 1988 being the "high water mark" of the "under-the-chain stay brake" fad. 

However; riders revolted against these saying they were "mud-catchers". Many were decrying the difficulty in getting rear wheels off to repair flat tires, and their voices were heard. By 1989 rear and front cantilever brakes returned to their "proper places" on frames and the roller cam idea was relegated to WTB bikes, for the most part. They were never heard from again, especially when dual suspension bikes were developed and after 1996, when Shimano introduced the linear pull, "V" brake. WTB folded up production of roller cam brakes in the late 1990's. 

So, roller cam brakes are not often seen anymore since any bike you'd typically see these on is going to be rare, as MTB bikes weren't the big deal in the 1980's as they were in the 90's, and these examples are around 35 years old or so by now. So, when a Dorado branded bike slid into the Collective last week with these brakes, in a size I could ride, well, my brain went into hyper-drive about what I could do with it. 

I don't need this bike. However; I am so smitten by roller cam brakes that I cannot stop thinking about restoring this old, rare beast and turning it into a touring bike, or a gravel rig, or..... Who knows?! 

A little about this bike: It is a "Dorado" branded bike, which, as far as I can come up with, was a house branded MTB made for sale at Costco stores. But instead of being some cheapo, big-box type quality sled, they actually made these out of decent ChroMoly main triangles and slapped quality SunTour bits on them. I also gathered that in today's dollars, a bike like this cost about $700.00, so there probably are not too many "Dorado" bikes around anyway. 

The Bad: It needs paint. The bike sat in a barn for decades and it got pretty scratched up. The wheels need redone, and the cables, housings, and that sort of stuff is needing attention.

The Good: the roller cam brakes are intact, work, and the drive train is also intact with SunTour top mount friction shifters also intact. And....it would fit me like a glove. I took some basic measurement and not only is the saddle already at my optimum height, the top tube is perfect. It has a 9" long head tube, so I could even put drop bars on this.

What Will I do: Don't know yet..... Stay tuned, but I may just salvage the brakes and bits and keep them for spares for my two other roller cam bikes. OR- I may build this up and replace my current 'townie'. Again- I don't need another bike! 

Note: Charlie Cunningham is still alive and has fallen on some difficult times in terms of health. If you are so led, here is a link to a fundraiser to help with his medical bills and recovery costs.

Are These The "Real" Mountain Bikes?

These are billed as "adventure bikes", but isn't that what an MTB is supposed to be?

 Today Wilde Bikes of Minnesota is announcing a new bike called the "Supertramp", a bike which they bill as being ".....our bike packing, trekking, and all terrain bicycle platform."

Wait.......did they mention "all terrain"? Yes! And as we who have been around a while know, that's just code for "mountain bike".  A brief history, if I may....

The term "mountain bike" was once actually a brand name for a bicycle company that made "all-terrain" bicycles. Bicycles meant for mountains, fire roads, and yes......gravel roads too. Anything that was not paved was game for an all-terrain bicycle. Of course, what we know as mountain bikes now are completely different than this idea, and the term, "all-terrain" is pretty much meaningless these days. 

In today's parlance, a mountain bike is a pretty niche device for tackling extreme, mountainous terrain only. Yes- you can ride one on lame-o, flattish single track, or in the Mid-West, or on gravel roads, but they are really focused on a lot rougher and gravity oriented terrain than that. That wasn't the case early on into the all-terrain phase of off-roading in the early 1980's. 

 Troy on a Schwinn Voyager (L), me on a 1984 Mongoose All-Terrain Pro

In 1994, things had already changed for mountain bikes. Anything you bought in those days had a heavy influence from XC racing and it showed. Gone were all the accoutrements of touring, or as we call them today, "adventure warts". Gone was the stable geometry, the all-day riding comfort, the wide, capable rims, and the fat, poofy tires. 

In 1994 I went on a tour. A self-supported tour with panniers and bags. Today it would have been fashionable to call what I did "bikepacking", but that wasn't a term to choose from to describe what it was I did back then. I also did not use a modern MTB for the tour. Instead, I purchased a ten year old Mongoose All-Mountain Pro, a bike from the "all-terrain" era of 26" wheeled off road bicycling. 

A similar sutuation exists today. If you were to go on a bikepacking tour now, would you choose a bicycle with a long, slack, and low geometry fitted with a 130-160mm travel suspension fork? Well......you could, or you could use a Ghost Grappler, as shown up top, or this new Wilde Bikes Supertramp bike. 

Wilde Bikes Supertramp. An "all-terrain", off-road touring bike.

Not that there are not a lot of other bikes that could be categorized in this "all-terrain", adventure bike niche, but the idea here is that, as Wilde Bikes states about their Supertramp: "It's designed to take
you anywhere in the world you care to go in comfort and style. From month-long backcountry tours
to trips to the corner store and everything in between, it is an incredibly versatile platform for living
your life via bicycle."

Sounds a lot like what the intentions were for "all terrain" bikes from the likes of MounatinBike, Ritchey, and others back when the modern day all-terrain movement got started. Where did we get off the rails?

Marketing based upon an unhealthy focus on racing got that started. Then it was niche-creating, to sell more product. Before we knew what happened, the "incredibly versatile platform for living your life by bicycle" became a down hill bike, a free-ride bike, a dual-suspension bike, a back-country bike, a down-country bike, an enduro bike......... You get the picture. 

But there was a void. A place for a "real mountain bike" to emerge and capture that wanderlust, that sense of adventure that was lacking in the bikes which catered to a certain look and lifestyle. Bikes that could be personalized and molded into that bike you'd ride anywhere for anything. For some of us that became the "gravel bike", (an unfortunate name if there ever was one). But in terms of fat-tired fun times, these bikepacking/adventure rigs? In my opinion, these are the "real mountain bikes". 

Are These The "Real" Mountain Bikes?

These are billed as "adventure bikes", but isn't that what an MTB is supposed to be?

 Today Wilde Bikes of Minnesota is announcing a new bike called the "Supertramp", a bike which they bill as being ".....our bike packing, trekking, and all terrain bicycle platform."

Wait.......did they mention "all terrain"? Yes! And as we who have been around a while know, that's just code for "mountain bike".  A brief history, if I may....

The term "mountain bike" was once actually a brand name for a bicycle company that made "all-terrain" bicycles. Bicycles meant for mountains, fire roads, and yes......gravel roads too. Anything that was not paved was game for an all-terrain bicycle. Of course, what we know as mountain bikes now are completely different than this idea, and the term, "all-terrain" is pretty much meaningless these days. 

In today's parlance, a mountain bike is a pretty niche device for tackling extreme, mountainous terrain only. Yes- you can ride one on lame-o, flattish single track, or in the Mid-West, or on gravel roads, but they are really focused on a lot rougher and gravity oriented terrain than that. That wasn't the case early on into the all-terrain phase of off-roading in the early 1980's. 

 Troy on a Schwinn Voyager (L), me on a 1984 Mongoose All-Terrain Pro

In 1994, things had already changed for mountain bikes. Anything you bought in those days had a heavy influence from XC racing and it showed. Gone were all the accoutrements of touring, or as we call them today, "adventure warts". Gone was the stable geometry, the all-day riding comfort, the wide, capable rims, and the fat, poofy tires. 

In 1994 I went on a tour. A self-supported tour with panniers and bags. Today it would have been fashionable to call what I did "bikepacking", but that wasn't a term to choose from to describe what it was I did back then. I also did not use a modern MTB for the tour. Instead, I purchased a ten year old Mongoose All-Mountain Pro, a bike from the "all-terrain" era of 26" wheeled off road bicycling. 

A similar sutuation exists today. If you were to go on a bikepacking tour now, would you choose a bicycle with a long, slack, and low geometry fitted with a 130-160mm travel suspension fork? Well......you could, or you could use a Ghost Grappler, as shown up top, or this new Wilde Bikes Supertramp bike. 

Wilde Bikes Supertramp. An "all-terrain", off-road touring bike.

Not that there are not a lot of other bikes that could be categorized in this "all-terrain", adventure bike niche, but the idea here is that, as Wilde Bikes states about their Supertramp: "It's designed to take
you anywhere in the world you care to go in comfort and style. From month-long backcountry tours
to trips to the corner store and everything in between, it is an incredibly versatile platform for living
your life via bicycle."

Sounds a lot like what the intentions were for "all terrain" bikes from the likes of MounatinBike, Ritchey, and others back when the modern day all-terrain movement got started. Where did we get off the rails?

Marketing based upon an unhealthy focus on racing got that started. Then it was niche-creating, to sell more product. Before we knew what happened, the "incredibly versatile platform for living your life by bicycle" became a down hill bike, a free-ride bike, a dual-suspension bike, a back-country bike, a down-country bike, an enduro bike......... You get the picture. 

But there was a void. A place for a "real mountain bike" to emerge and capture that wanderlust, that sense of adventure that was lacking in the bikes which catered to a certain look and lifestyle. Bikes that could be personalized and molded into that bike you'd ride anywhere for anything. For some of us that became the "gravel bike", (an unfortunate name if there ever was one). But in terms of fat-tired fun times, these bikepacking/adventure rigs? In my opinion, these are the "real mountain bikes". 

Friday News And Views

Cervelo's new MTB: Image courtesy of Cervelo

Cervelo Debuts New MTB:

I saw where Cervelo entered the mountain bike market this past week with the unveiling of their newest bicycles, the ZHT-5 series MTB's. I honestly was a bit surprised that Cervelo did not already have a mountain bike in their history of manufacturing bicycles, but there you go. A new frontier for the company and I wish them well in this endeavor.

Comments: Umm....did you see the price for the top of the range? Nearly 10K?!! For a hardtail MTB? That's insane money. I get that it has electronic shifting and all, but wow! That's crazy in my opinion. Now it should be noted that if you take a step down you can spend $4,200.00 less for the GX Eagle AXS model. 

$4,200.00 less. 

I don't know about you, but that leaves me scratching my head. The economics of that makes little sense to my mind. Maybe I'm way off......

Riding Gravel News:

I recently added an update to the Shimano GRX Carbon wheel set review on Riding Gravel. You can go read that if you are interested in that HERE. 

They are pretty good wheels, in my estimation. You can spend less, and you can get lighter wheels at about the same price, but these are Shimano wheels which means that you should be able to get them serviced about anywhere if they would ever need to be serviced. That's kind of an intangible point in terms of value there. 

Also, I have another Riding Gravel Radio Ranch podcast up with my co-host, N.Y. Roll. If you want to listen to that episode the link is HERE.I've had a few questions about availability on different platforms and I understand that the old feeds aren't working. That's because the podcast is distributed completely differently now due to issues with getting my work posted via the old platform and process I was using. 

Basically, the podcast is starting again from scratch, but at least I know the content will get posted in a timely manner now because I have control over that now. I apologize to anyone who has been disappointed in the change, but it was necessary for me to make some kind of change so that things could flow in a manner that made sense and that was in my hands to do something about.That has happened now, and I understand that the podcast will have to basically grow again from zero.

Tiny Turdette:

I got an email earlier this week from Jen Reed, the RD of "Turds of Misery", (which was actually a rock band's name from the 1970's- really!), and she informed me that there will be no long course event this year. 

But in its place she came up with a 44 mile, filled with Level B Road course. The event is called the "Tiny Turdette", and you can ride it at no charge. Riders are asked to show up at Maquoketa Caves State Park Saturday, October 15th at 10am. 

Jen says that there are no resupply points along the course. It is a fully self-supported ride, and YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOURSELF.  That said, Jen says that there are 5 sections of dirt to enjoy along the course. So, check that out if you want to have a fun day on the bike next week. Wish I could be there, but I have to put in my time at the Collective. 

Garmin Gravel Worlds Announces Diversity Future Initiative:

From the press release:

  The Pirate Cycling League, hosts of Garmin Gravel Worlds, have announced their Diversity Future Initiative that will help foster the next generation of cyclists in Lincoln, Nebraska.

In 2023, Garmin Gravel Worlds will donate $2 per rider to a scholarship fund that will support young athletes (Age 12-18) from diverse backgrounds including the BIPOC community, low-income families, and non-binary gender expansive communities.

According to Garmin Gravel Worlds Executive Director and event founder, Corey Godfrey, the initiative is simply to help foster the next generation of cyclists.

“Cycling can be an expensive sport which can create a financial barrier for some,” Godfrey said. “We acknowledge that there are so many kids and families who will never have the opportunity to enjoy cycling because of the that financial barrier to entry. This Diversity Future Initiative and scholarship fund will help support those athletes and eliminate or reduce the financial barrier.”

Garmin Gravel Worlds Director of Operations and Marketing, Jason Strohbehn, said the Diversity Future Initiative will support several local athletes through the local Lancaster Composite team, which competes under the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA).

“Our goal is to raise well over $5,000 that should support 5-8 young athletes and get everything they need to succeed,” Strohbehn said. “Working closely with our local NICA team, this scholarship will provide a bike, equipment, clothing, cycling team, coaching, community, and a supportive environment.

“We want Lincoln, Nebraska to be at the forefront of supporting athletes who are too often left behind, and this scholarship fund could be life changing for many.”

Riders registering for Garmin Gravel Worlds will also have an opportunity to match Gravel Worlds’ $2 donation when they register for any cycling distance for the 2023 event

Comments: I think at one point I suggested that if an event really wanted to make a dent in terms of getting disadvantaged and under-represented folks to their event, maybe they might want to think about paying their way, getting them bikes, and transporting them to their events. Well, I am not suggesting that anyone at Gravel Worlds listens to me, or reads my rants, but this is spot-on to what I was referring to. 

Question: Is the UCI Gravel "World Championships" doing anything like this? How about other U.S. based gravel events? Hmm...... I'm thinking the answer is mostly a big fat "no" on that. Correct me please if I am wrong. I'd like that if I were wrong about that, by the way.  

The Otso "Arctodus" frameset- Image courtesy of Otso Cycles.

Otso Cycles Announces New Arctodus Fat Bike:

There has not been much going on in the world of fat bikes for several years in terms of innovations. However; Otso Cycles has found a way to advance the genre' a bit with the introduction of the Arctodus.

The Arctodus is a CroMoly frame with a carbon fiber fork that has been "future-proofed" to accept tires on 100mm fat bike rims that do not exist yet. But if they did, you could slot in 26" X 5.25'ers, 27.5" X 4.5"ers, or the already available 29"er X 3.0" tires.  

Featuring Otso's "Tuning Chip" rear drop out, owners of the Arctodus will be able to tweak the geometry slightly. The frame is said to accept up to a 36T round chain ring and clear 12 cog cassettes with no tire to chain interference. Otso managed this by offsetting the 12mm X 197 rear end to the drive side by 5mm. Owners will also be able to use an "angle changing head set" from Wolf Tooth to further change the head angle which is a slack, for a fat bike, 68.5°. The fork offset is 51mm. 

Comments: A steel frame set? Interesting. A nod to backcountry type riding and bikepackers should really like this frame for that reason. It'll be interesting also to see if this signals a bigger fat bike tire since they are really making a big deal about the clearances. We'll see, but I'm keeping an eye out here. My old Blackborrow can handle a bigger tire than a 4.8"er too, but maybe not that big!

That's a wrap for this week! Have a safe and happy weekend. Watch out for those harvesters! Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Friday News And Views

Cervelo's new MTB: Image courtesy of Cervelo

Cervelo Debuts New MTB:

I saw where Cervelo entered the mountain bike market this past week with the unveiling of their newest bicycles, the ZHT-5 series MTB's. I honestly was a bit surprised that Cervelo did not already have a mountain bike in their history of manufacturing bicycles, but there you go. A new frontier for the company and I wish them well in this endeavor.

Comments: Umm....did you see the price for the top of the range? Nearly 10K?!! For a hardtail MTB? That's insane money. I get that it has electronic shifting and all, but wow! That's crazy in my opinion. Now it should be noted that if you take a step down you can spend $4,200.00 less for the GX Eagle AXS model. 

$4,200.00 less. 

I don't know about you, but that leaves me scratching my head. The economics of that makes little sense to my mind. Maybe I'm way off......

Riding Gravel News:

I recently added an update to the Shimano GRX Carbon wheel set review on Riding Gravel. You can go read that if you are interested in that HERE. 

They are pretty good wheels, in my estimation. You can spend less, and you can get lighter wheels at about the same price, but these are Shimano wheels which means that you should be able to get them serviced about anywhere if they would ever need to be serviced. That's kind of an intangible point in terms of value there. 

Also, I have another Riding Gravel Radio Ranch podcast up with my co-host, N.Y. Roll. If you want to listen to that episode the link is HERE.I've had a few questions about availability on different platforms and I understand that the old feeds aren't working. That's because the podcast is distributed completely differently now due to issues with getting my work posted via the old platform and process I was using. 

Basically, the podcast is starting again from scratch, but at least I know the content will get posted in a timely manner now because I have control over that now. I apologize to anyone who has been disappointed in the change, but it was necessary for me to make some kind of change so that things could flow in a manner that made sense and that was in my hands to do something about.That has happened now, and I understand that the podcast will have to basically grow again from zero.

Tiny Turdette:

I got an email earlier this week from Jen Reed, the RD of "Turds of Misery", (which was actually a rock band's name from the 1970's- really!), and she informed me that there will be no long course event this year. 

But in its place she came up with a 44 mile, filled with Level B Road course. The event is called the "Tiny Turdette", and you can ride it at no charge. Riders are asked to show up at Maquoketa Caves State Park Saturday, October 15th at 10am. 

Jen says that there are no resupply points along the course. It is a fully self-supported ride, and YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOURSELF.  That said, Jen says that there are 5 sections of dirt to enjoy along the course. So, check that out if you want to have a fun day on the bike next week. Wish I could be there, but I have to put in my time at the Collective. 

Garmin Gravel Worlds Announces Diversity Future Initiative:

From the press release:

  The Pirate Cycling League, hosts of Garmin Gravel Worlds, have announced their Diversity Future Initiative that will help foster the next generation of cyclists in Lincoln, Nebraska.

In 2023, Garmin Gravel Worlds will donate $2 per rider to a scholarship fund that will support young athletes (Age 12-18) from diverse backgrounds including the BIPOC community, low-income families, and non-binary gender expansive communities.

According to Garmin Gravel Worlds Executive Director and event founder, Corey Godfrey, the initiative is simply to help foster the next generation of cyclists.

“Cycling can be an expensive sport which can create a financial barrier for some,” Godfrey said. “We acknowledge that there are so many kids and families who will never have the opportunity to enjoy cycling because of the that financial barrier to entry. This Diversity Future Initiative and scholarship fund will help support those athletes and eliminate or reduce the financial barrier.”

Garmin Gravel Worlds Director of Operations and Marketing, Jason Strohbehn, said the Diversity Future Initiative will support several local athletes through the local Lancaster Composite team, which competes under the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA).

“Our goal is to raise well over $5,000 that should support 5-8 young athletes and get everything they need to succeed,” Strohbehn said. “Working closely with our local NICA team, this scholarship will provide a bike, equipment, clothing, cycling team, coaching, community, and a supportive environment.

“We want Lincoln, Nebraska to be at the forefront of supporting athletes who are too often left behind, and this scholarship fund could be life changing for many.”

Riders registering for Garmin Gravel Worlds will also have an opportunity to match Gravel Worlds’ $2 donation when they register for any cycling distance for the 2023 event

Comments: I think at one point I suggested that if an event really wanted to make a dent in terms of getting disadvantaged and under-represented folks to their event, maybe they might want to think about paying their way, getting them bikes, and transporting them to their events. Well, I am not suggesting that anyone at Gravel Worlds listens to me, or reads my rants, but this is spot-on to what I was referring to. 

Question: Is the UCI Gravel "World Championships" doing anything like this? How about other U.S. based gravel events? Hmm...... I'm thinking the answer is mostly a big fat "no" on that. Correct me please if I am wrong. I'd like that if I were wrong about that, by the way.  

The Otso "Arctodus" frameset- Image courtesy of Otso Cycles.

Otso Cycles Announces New Arctodus Fat Bike:

There has not been much going on in the world of fat bikes for several years in terms of innovations. However; Otso Cycles has found a way to advance the genre' a bit with the introduction of the Arctodus.

The Arctodus is a CroMoly frame with a carbon fiber fork that has been "future-proofed" to accept tires on 100mm fat bike rims that do not exist yet. But if they did, you could slot in 26" X 5.25'ers, 27.5" X 4.5"ers, or the already available 29"er X 3.0" tires.  

Featuring Otso's "Tuning Chip" rear drop out, owners of the Arctodus will be able to tweak the geometry slightly. The frame is said to accept up to a 36T round chain ring and clear 12 cog cassettes with no tire to chain interference. Otso managed this by offsetting the 12mm X 197 rear end to the drive side by 5mm. Owners will also be able to use an "angle changing head set" from Wolf Tooth to further change the head angle which is a slack, for a fat bike, 68.5°. The fork offset is 51mm. 

Comments: A steel frame set? Interesting. A nod to backcountry type riding and bikepackers should really like this frame for that reason. It'll be interesting also to see if this signals a bigger fat bike tire since they are really making a big deal about the clearances. We'll see, but I'm keeping an eye out here. My old Blackborrow can handle a bigger tire than a 4.8"er too, but maybe not that big!

That's a wrap for this week! Have a safe and happy weekend. Watch out for those harvesters! Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Death Of The Top Tube

Spanish brand "UNNO" just announced the Dash. (Image courtesy of UNNO)

I've been keenly interested in mountain bikes since the late 1980's. Since that time, there have been several permutations of mountain bikes and much evolution in thought within the mountain bike design community. 

This is perhaps most evident in some of the newer designs I have seen in the last several years. Things are at such a state that, if it were possible to time-travel backward and show these bikes to designers from 20 years ago, they might just cause quite the stir. I'm positive that would be the case. Take this bike I am featuring today from the Spanish brand UNNO. Their Dash model is a 150mm/140mm travel dual suspension, "all-mountain" bike.

Something like 25 years ago now, in the seminal mountain bike magazine known as "Dirt Rag" (R.I.P.), there was an article I recall which gathered together a symposium of then current movers and shakers in the mountain bike design and manufacturing communities. There were questions about where MTB design might be going in the future. 

Of course, suspension design was a hot topic then, and "all-mountain", "free-ride" bikes like Cannondale's  Super V were blowing the doors off of conventional design theories. Those Super V bikes were polarizing- You either loved them or thought that they were the ugliest thing ever designed, but they were a portent of things to come. 

Catalog snip of a Cannondale Super V 3000.

But however they affected people, those bicycles and others were challenging the conventional design thought of the day. How much suspension travel was too much? How would longer travel forks integrate with the rider and the ergonomics of the bicycle?

I recall that one of the so-called "limiting factors" for design was front end height. Keep in mind that all throughout the 1990's the 'pinnacle' of mountain bike design was thought to have been achieved by the then ubiquitous "NORBA geometry hard tail". It might be hard to understand this now, because examples of such bikes are rare anymore.

But imagine a steep head angle- 71°- and a what would be considered laughably slack now 73° seat tube angle. Consider that 29" wheels did not exist- Everyone was on 26"ers, and that was the ONLY choice. Then throw in the "long travel" forks which were 80mm, with 38mm fork offsets, and you can begin to see that these bikes were radically different than what we have today. My favorite feature of bikes from that era are the stem lengths. Think about this factoid; A 135mm long stem was considered as "short" in those days! 

And all of that hampered the Cannondale Super V's and other designs of their time. So when the designers were asked what the limits were, these conventions were where they were coming from. You simply could not imagine a fork with longer than 100mm travel because it would jack the front end up so high, mostly due to that steep head angle, that the bike would be laughable. Top tubes would become so sloped, to accommodate stand over, that these bikes would look like- excuse me here, but this was the term back then- "girl's bikes". 

Boy! Have we come a long way in many areas, but I wanted to paint a picture here of where we've come from in terms of design. Top tubes? What top tubes? If ever there was a bike that could claim the name "full-suspension mixte'", it would be the UNNO above, and I think this is a design which features currently held design maxims which- in my opinion- will be gone in the future as well. We've rid ourselves of those pesky top tubes, the seat tube will be next!

GAS GAS trials moto (Image courtesy of Motocross Action)

I think about motorcycle trials bikes here. These bikes typically have no saddles or any provision for one. Of course, they have a motor to propel them, so pedaling is not a concern. How would one eliminate the seat tube to gain maximum clearance for the rider on a bicycle? How about eliminating the seat post/seat tube idea and making a telescoping seat tube instead? 

The unit could be so compact that it would take that bike in the first image and make it look a heck of a lot more like the motorcycle to the left. (Or a parallelogram linkage saddle which could be raised and lowered.) Imagine it with an integrated electric motor/transmission, such as what we are seeing proposed now for HPC/ebikes, and you could easily see something that looks a heck of a lot like the trials bike here. 

Just like the elimination of conventional top tubes seemed unthinkable to that panel of experts in the late 90's, this idea may seem out-to-lunch to you now. However; I think it has legs, especially when you see how goofy that provision for a seat post is on the Dash above. The top tube is dead! Seat tubes? We're coming for you next!

Death Of The Top Tube

Spanish brand "UNNO" just announced the Dash. (Image courtesy of UNNO)

I've been keenly interested in mountain bikes since the late 1980's. Since that time, there have been several permutations of mountain bikes and much evolution in thought within the mountain bike design community. 

This is perhaps most evident in some of the newer designs I have seen in the last several years. Things are at such a state that, if it were possible to time-travel backward and show these bikes to designers from 20 years ago, they might just cause quite the stir. I'm positive that would be the case. Take this bike I am featuring today from the Spanish brand UNNO. Their Dash model is a 150mm/140mm travel dual suspension, "all-mountain" bike.

Something like 25 years ago now, in the seminal mountain bike magazine known as "Dirt Rag" (R.I.P.), there was an article I recall which gathered together a symposium of then current movers and shakers in the mountain bike design and manufacturing communities. There were questions about where MTB design might be going in the future. 

Of course, suspension design was a hot topic then, and "all-mountain", "free-ride" bikes like Cannondale's  Super V were blowing the doors off of conventional design theories. Those Super V bikes were polarizing- You either loved them or thought that they were the ugliest thing ever designed, but they were a portent of things to come. 

Catalog snip of a Cannondale Super V 3000.

But however they affected people, those bicycles and others were challenging the conventional design thought of the day. How much suspension travel was too much? How would longer travel forks integrate with the rider and the ergonomics of the bicycle?

I recall that one of the so-called "limiting factors" for design was front end height. Keep in mind that all throughout the 1990's the 'pinnacle' of mountain bike design was thought to have been achieved by the then ubiquitous "NORBA geometry hard tail". It might be hard to understand this now, because examples of such bikes are rare anymore.

But imagine a steep head angle- 71°- and a what would be considered laughably slack now 73° seat tube angle. Consider that 29" wheels did not exist- Everyone was on 26"ers, and that was the ONLY choice. Then throw in the "long travel" forks which were 80mm, with 38mm fork offsets, and you can begin to see that these bikes were radically different than what we have today. My favorite feature of bikes from that era are the stem lengths. Think about this factoid; A 135mm long stem was considered as "short" in those days! 

And all of that hampered the Cannondale Super V's and other designs of their time. So when the designers were asked what the limits were, these conventions were where they were coming from. You simply could not imagine a fork with longer than 100mm travel because it would jack the front end up so high, mostly due to that steep head angle, that the bike would be laughable. Top tubes would become so sloped, to accommodate stand over, that these bikes would look like- excuse me here, but this was the term back then- "girl's bikes". 

Boy! Have we come a long way in many areas, but I wanted to paint a picture here of where we've come from in terms of design. Top tubes? What top tubes? If ever there was a bike that could claim the name "full-suspension mixte'", it would be the UNNO above, and I think this is a design which features currently held design maxims which- in my opinion- will be gone in the future as well. We've rid ourselves of those pesky top tubes, the seat tube will be next!

GAS GAS trials moto (Image courtesy of Motocross Action)

I think about motorcycle trials bikes here. These bikes typically have no saddles or any provision for one. Of course, they have a motor to propel them, so pedaling is not a concern. How would one eliminate the seat tube to gain maximum clearance for the rider on a bicycle? How about eliminating the seat post/seat tube idea and making a telescoping seat tube instead? 

The unit could be so compact that it would take that bike in the first image and make it look a heck of a lot more like the motorcycle to the left. (Or a parallelogram linkage saddle which could be raised and lowered.) Imagine it with an integrated electric motor/transmission, such as what we are seeing proposed now for HPC/ebikes, and you could easily see something that looks a heck of a lot like the trials bike here. 

Just like the elimination of conventional top tubes seemed unthinkable to that panel of experts in the late 90's, this idea may seem out-to-lunch to you now. However; I think it has legs, especially when you see how goofy that provision for a seat post is on the Dash above. The top tube is dead! Seat tubes? We're coming for you next!

Friday News And Views

Specialized teased the new Globe brand redux Tuesday. Image courtesy of Specialized

Specialized Re-Ups Globe Brand As EV Line:

You may remember in the late 90's, early 00's that Specialized offered city and cruiser bikes under the "Globe" brand name. (And a touring bike by that name in the 80's and an electric bike line recently that failed) Well, that name is coming back, (again) and will be electrified (again) when it does in late 2022. 

According to Specialized's Globe landing page, these bikes will be dealer only and Specialized claims that they will have a comprehensive support system using their dealer network which will help make the launch a success.

Interestingly, Specialized chose to use the term "EV" instead of "ebike" or "pedal assist" when describing the Globe brand's products in the language on the landing page. If you don't know, "EV" stands for "Electric Vehicle" which leaves the door open to fully-electric vehicles in this brand launch. 

Comments: In the world of electrified bicycles, it is a well known fact within the traditional bicycle industry that internet brands selling product in the HPV (Hybrid Powered Cycles) segment is kicking butt and taking names. Traditional brands in the industry are looking on as brands like Pedego, Rad Power, and others sell bike after bike. 

Obviously, it is a better experience and a safer bet to buy an electrified vehicle from a known brand with a wide network of dealerships. However; the mainstream brands have hogtied themselves to the Class I, II, and III code for electric bicycles and have mainly been providing variations on traditional bicycles fitted with electric motors and batteries. Meanwhile, brands like Rad Power are not tied to that design philosophy and have offered bicycles with a decidedly different take on two-wheeled transportation which has struck a nerve with the younger demographic and non-cycling crowds. 

Taking a look at the image Specialized provided, it is easy to see that this is a more "Rad Power-like" take on an HPV cargo rig. So, I suspect that Globe will not be providing bikes for the Lycra clad crowd and will be going after that same demographic that Rad Power, Pedego, and their ilk has tapped into. Meanwhile, that use of the term "EV" on the landing page is interesting. We will have to wait until this Fall to see what is up.

FDNY PSA about Lithium-Ion battery charging safety.

Fires Blamed On HPV Battery Charging:

Recently two fires connected to the charging of Lithium-Ion batteries for electrified bicycles has been in the news. 

The first was from a Florida bicycle shop, but when more information was released on that particular incident, it seemed that it was partially a user error situation. 

However; in the New York City borough of Queens, it appears that a spark caused the fire in the mid-afternoon which caused severe damage and sent some firemen to the hospital to be treated. 

Comments: This has been an ongoing issue for bike shops who are asked to service electrified bicycles, tricycles, and the like when consumers have purchased the bicycles on-line or used. The risk of fire is rather daunting, especially when Lithium-Ion fires are difficult to extinguish. Insurance policies often do not provide coverage for such fires for businesses and this also puts shop owners in a bind. 

The problem will need to be addressed as the electrification movement gathers steam. As it stands now, many shops refuse work when it comes to electrified bicycles, trikes, and scooters unless they are from a brand that they serve. So, if you are in the market for something like this, make sure you understand the dangers of charging and handling batteries and that maintenance may be difficult to obtain. 

Jingle Cross Cancelled:

In a surprise announcement on Wednesday, the race director of Jingle Cross announced that due to a scheduling issue, Jingle Cross was cancelled for 2022. In the announcement seen on Bike Iowa's website here, race coordinator John Meehan, MD, states that he had secured a date for the event, which was not going to be a World cup event this year, but two months after the typical World Cup scheduling deadline, "the UCI awarded a nearby UCI World Cup on the same weekend." Presumably that would be the UCI World Cup event slated for October 15th in Fayetteville, Arkansas. 

Attempts to reschedule the event were unsuccessful, so the result was that the event was cancelled after an 18 year run. The announcement did not indicate whether or not there would ever be another Jingle Cross event with Meehan only signing off by saying, " Hope to see you down the road."

Comments: It might be worth noting here that Fayetteville is the home of the Walmart family's efforts in terms of cycling and that the Fayetteville based January 2022 UCI Cyclo-Cross event was sponsored by Walmart. The UCI also requires a pretty sizable investment from the promoters to host a World Cup event. Seeing that Jingle Cross 'elected not to pursue a World Cup' and that the UCI filled that void with the Fayetteville event, it might point to a money issue at the heart of this matter. 

Whatever the main issue was, it seems to point to the end of the run for an Iowa based cyclo cross event of national caliber. I could be wrong, but after 18 years and with no written assurance of future Jingle Cross events in the announcement, the door seems to be closing on this chapter of Iowa cycling.

Simworks Doppo High Plains Drifter. Image courtesy of Simworks.

Simworks introduces Klunker  Style MTB:

Simworks made a splash this week by introducing a klunker style MTB which they say is a modernized version of the style for today's mountain biker/bike packer. 

Sporting a steel, twin-top tube design, and having clearance for either 29" X 2.3' tires or 27.5" X 2.6" tires, the Doppo High Plains Drifter can be had for $2500.00. (It's not entirely clear to me whether that is for a frame and fork or...?) 

Comments: I love a klunker/cruiser style bike and especially one with 29" wheels. This looks good, but only 2.3" tires? Ahh...... Hmm. And that price? Not sure what you are getting there, but if it is a frame/fork only? Yeah...... Not sure from the website what is up there. Maybe you can figure it out... My guess is that's just the frame/fork. 

It's a fine choice, but my take is that if you are into these klunker style MTB's, an old Sawyer or an OS Cycles Blackbuck, if you can track one down, is a much nicer bike and looks as good, if not better, and takes bigger tires. (Note- Cue comments section with modern-day, currently available choices) 

Guitar Ted on a GTDRI a few years back. Image by Rob Evans.

Hall of Fame Ride Reminder:

Okay, so this Hall of Fame deal goes down in less than three weeks in Emporia, Kansas. If you are going to be there June 1st, you can buy a ticket to the banquet and see me get feted for gravel tomfoolery over the years. 

But if that doesn't fit your schedule and you'd like to come on a ride set up by N.Y. Roll which aims to recognize my accomplishments, then see this post on his blog. N.Y. Roll is adding details as they become clearer. So, check back there from time to time, or check the "FN&V" weekly coming up to the date set. If anything comes up, I repost it here on Fridays. 

A Note On The Date Chosen: N.Y. Roll thought- ya know - it might be cool if I was on this ride, so the date chosen reflects the time I have open to do the ride. That just so happens to be a Sunday, since I work on Saturdays. This also happens to be a Sunday where I don't have to play at church in the band. So, I apologize for a date that may not work for you, but again- since this is a ride honoring me, it seemed to make sense for me to be there to N.Y. Roll. So, no giving N.Y. Roll a hard time about the scheduling of this deal, okay? 

That's a wrap for this week! Thanks for reading G-Ted Productions!

Friday News And Views

Specialized teased the new Globe brand redux Tuesday. Image courtesy of Specialized

Specialized Re-Ups Globe Brand As EV Line:

You may remember in the late 90's, early 00's that Specialized offered city and cruiser bikes under the "Globe" brand name. (And a touring bike by that name in the 80's and an electric bike line recently that failed) Well, that name is coming back, (again) and will be electrified (again) when it does in late 2022. 

According to Specialized's Globe landing page, these bikes will be dealer only and Specialized claims that they will have a comprehensive support system using their dealer network which will help make the launch a success.

Interestingly, Specialized chose to use the term "EV" instead of "ebike" or "pedal assist" when describing the Globe brand's products in the language on the landing page. If you don't know, "EV" stands for "Electric Vehicle" which leaves the door open to fully-electric vehicles in this brand launch. 

Comments: In the world of electrified bicycles, it is a well known fact within the traditional bicycle industry that internet brands selling product in the HPV (Hybrid Powered Cycles) segment is kicking butt and taking names. Traditional brands in the industry are looking on as brands like Pedego, Rad Power, and others sell bike after bike. 

Obviously, it is a better experience and a safer bet to buy an electrified vehicle from a known brand with a wide network of dealerships. However; the mainstream brands have hogtied themselves to the Class I, II, and III code for electric bicycles and have mainly been providing variations on traditional bicycles fitted with electric motors and batteries. Meanwhile, brands like Rad Power are not tied to that design philosophy and have offered bicycles with a decidedly different take on two-wheeled transportation which has struck a nerve with the younger demographic and non-cycling crowds. 

Taking a look at the image Specialized provided, it is easy to see that this is a more "Rad Power-like" take on an HPV cargo rig. So, I suspect that Globe will not be providing bikes for the Lycra clad crowd and will be going after that same demographic that Rad Power, Pedego, and their ilk has tapped into. Meanwhile, that use of the term "EV" on the landing page is interesting. We will have to wait until this Fall to see what is up.

FDNY PSA about Lithium-Ion battery charging safety.

Fires Blamed On HPV Battery Charging:

Recently two fires connected to the charging of Lithium-Ion batteries for electrified bicycles has been in the news. 

The first was from a Florida bicycle shop, but when more information was released on that particular incident, it seemed that it was partially a user error situation. 

However; in the New York City borough of Queens, it appears that a spark caused the fire in the mid-afternoon which caused severe damage and sent some firemen to the hospital to be treated. 

Comments: This has been an ongoing issue for bike shops who are asked to service electrified bicycles, tricycles, and the like when consumers have purchased the bicycles on-line or used. The risk of fire is rather daunting, especially when Lithium-Ion fires are difficult to extinguish. Insurance policies often do not provide coverage for such fires for businesses and this also puts shop owners in a bind. 

The problem will need to be addressed as the electrification movement gathers steam. As it stands now, many shops refuse work when it comes to electrified bicycles, trikes, and scooters unless they are from a brand that they serve. So, if you are in the market for something like this, make sure you understand the dangers of charging and handling batteries and that maintenance may be difficult to obtain. 

Jingle Cross Cancelled:

In a surprise announcement on Wednesday, the race director of Jingle Cross announced that due to a scheduling issue, Jingle Cross was cancelled for 2022. In the announcement seen on Bike Iowa's website here, race coordinator John Meehan, MD, states that he had secured a date for the event, which was not going to be a World cup event this year, but two months after the typical World Cup scheduling deadline, "the UCI awarded a nearby UCI World Cup on the same weekend." Presumably that would be the UCI World Cup event slated for October 15th in Fayetteville, Arkansas. 

Attempts to reschedule the event were unsuccessful, so the result was that the event was cancelled after an 18 year run. The announcement did not indicate whether or not there would ever be another Jingle Cross event with Meehan only signing off by saying, " Hope to see you down the road."

Comments: It might be worth noting here that Fayetteville is the home of the Walmart family's efforts in terms of cycling and that the Fayetteville based January 2022 UCI Cyclo-Cross event was sponsored by Walmart. The UCI also requires a pretty sizable investment from the promoters to host a World Cup event. Seeing that Jingle Cross 'elected not to pursue a World Cup' and that the UCI filled that void with the Fayetteville event, it might point to a money issue at the heart of this matter. 

Whatever the main issue was, it seems to point to the end of the run for an Iowa based cyclo cross event of national caliber. I could be wrong, but after 18 years and with no written assurance of future Jingle Cross events in the announcement, the door seems to be closing on this chapter of Iowa cycling.

Simworks Doppo High Plains Drifter. Image courtesy of Simworks.

Simworks introduces Klunker  Style MTB:

Simworks made a splash this week by introducing a klunker style MTB which they say is a modernized version of the style for today's mountain biker/bike packer. 

Sporting a steel, twin-top tube design, and having clearance for either 29" X 2.3' tires or 27.5" X 2.6" tires, the Doppo High Plains Drifter can be had for $2500.00. (It's not entirely clear to me whether that is for a frame and fork or...?) 

Comments: I love a klunker/cruiser style bike and especially one with 29" wheels. This looks good, but only 2.3" tires? Ahh...... Hmm. And that price? Not sure what you are getting there, but if it is a frame/fork only? Yeah...... Not sure from the website what is up there. Maybe you can figure it out... My guess is that's just the frame/fork. 

It's a fine choice, but my take is that if you are into these klunker style MTB's, an old Sawyer or an OS Cycles Blackbuck, if you can track one down, is a much nicer bike and looks as good, if not better, and takes bigger tires. (Note- Cue comments section with modern-day, currently available choices) 

Guitar Ted on a GTDRI a few years back. Image by Rob Evans.

Hall of Fame Ride Reminder:

Okay, so this Hall of Fame deal goes down in less than three weeks in Emporia, Kansas. If you are going to be there June 1st, you can buy a ticket to the banquet and see me get feted for gravel tomfoolery over the years. 

But if that doesn't fit your schedule and you'd like to come on a ride set up by N.Y. Roll which aims to recognize my accomplishments, then see this post on his blog. N.Y. Roll is adding details as they become clearer. So, check back there from time to time, or check the "FN&V" weekly coming up to the date set. If anything comes up, I repost it here on Fridays. 

A Note On The Date Chosen: N.Y. Roll thought- ya know - it might be cool if I was on this ride, so the date chosen reflects the time I have open to do the ride. That just so happens to be a Sunday, since I work on Saturdays. This also happens to be a Sunday where I don't have to play at church in the band. So, I apologize for a date that may not work for you, but again- since this is a ride honoring me, it seemed to make sense for me to be there to N.Y. Roll. So, no giving N.Y. Roll a hard time about the scheduling of this deal, okay? 

That's a wrap for this week! Thanks for reading G-Ted Productions!