Friday News And Views

Early FOX gravel sus fork effort

Will Your Next Gravel Bike Really Be A Drop Bar MTB?

Recently a "Bike Rumor" article showing an in-development DT Swiss gravel fork surfaced. Coupled with this are the various social media reports from Pro level gravel riders that they are running 29"er XC racing tires on their "gravel bikes". Wheels are starting to pop up with inner rim widths of 30mm or wider for "gravel". Most "gravel" related social media posts showing any of this look freakishly similar to what I recall seeing for MTB racing at one time. Lots of dirt single and double track, steep descents, and lots of rocks. Which reminds me, tire inserts are another trend for "gravel". 

I won't belabor the whole "gravel suspension fork" thing here as I already have tackled that subject in detail HERE. But what I do want to point out is that perhaps we are seeing this development and push for a mash-up of gravel and MTB because of two things. 

One: Gravel cycling is still the fastest growing market in cycling in terms of bikes and events. That is fact. At least here in the USA it is. Second: Mountain biking, on the other hand, is struggling to be relevant in terms of events and in terms of sales of new mountain bikes things are dismal. Current inventories of MTB bikes are still at too-high levels, and the demand is flat for them. Price -slashing on MTB bikes currently in stock is amazing at the moment. 

Combined that puts pressure on marketing and research departments to come up with solutions. Maybe if these "gravel bikers" would see drop bar bikes being used as MTB bikes they might gravitate to getting back into MTB. And to be sure, that will work for a lot of people. I've already seen and heard about people leaving gravel bikes for MTB. 

But for the vast majority of "gravel"/all-road riders this trend is not beneficial. These fatter tired, suspended bikes will work less well on paved and harder surfaced roads. They will be heavier, in most cases, than previous non-suspended, "skinnier" tired gravel bikes are. In other words, the cycling industry is once again hell-bent on turning a category into what Pros want and "maybe" need versus what is good for most folks. 

Perhaps making more utilitarian MTB hard tails would be more prudent. I know I am selling every decent spec, 1990's hard tail MTB I can get my hands on at the Collective where I work. Simple, easy to maintain, and versatile bikes which are reasonably lightweight and not full of techno-wow electronic bits. But yeah....that's not very exciting, I guess.  

USAC Gravel Nationals:

Did you even know this happened? Well, it did. Once again it was not very well attended by elite level athletes. Much like last year's Gravel Nats weren't well attended, only 49 Elite males and 17 Elite females took the start. Notable: The largest fields in the age group cats were the 50 years old to 70 years old males. Go figure.....

You can see the results HERE.

That sounds not so good for a National gravel race that awards a Stars and Stripes jersey, right? But let's compare. What did Gravel Worlds get for Elite/Pro fields? Looking at their officially posted results, it appears that only a field of 37 male riders and a field of 15 women toed the line. Now contrast this with Unbound Gravel, whose officially posted results show a men's field of 135 starters and a women's field of 56 starters.

It is abundantly clear which event is producing the best competitive results. But look at those numbers a minute and consider this: All the media hype and much of what you see now as being "good for gravel" is based around this minuscule amount of riders. Ask yourself this: Does that seem like the right thing to do? The "fair thing" to do? 

In other words, most cycling media and many brands aren't catering to what the most people need or want. Of course, you could say the same about most facets of our society now..... 

Image courtesy of Planet Bike

Planet Bike Beamer 400:

Planet Bike is a company that puts out some solid kit for utilitarian purposes. I have had fantastic luck with several of their fender models over the years. Planet Bike also offers some nice, inexpensive lighting options for your bike, front and rear. 

Their newest bike front light is the Beamer 400, which, as the name implies, has a maximum power output of 400 Lumens at 3.5hr run time (claimed). 

Featuring TIR lens technology for better reflective properties and a clamp which adjusts to handle bars from 25.4 mm to 31.8 mm, this $35.00 retail light might be just the thing for your townie or commuter rig. The one feature I am impressed by is the ability of the light to adapt to mount on to any Garmin type computer mount using the adapter provided with the light. Planet Bike also has a new heavy-duty chain link lock which retails for $40.00 which you can check out HERE. 

Image courtesy of Wolf Tooth

Another App:

Wolf Tooth announced on Tuesday that they now have a smart phone app that will help you figure out where to start with air pressure on any bicycle. Users download the Wolf Tooth app, enter in their type of bike, wheel size, tire width, rider weight, and then get a customized starting point for air pressure experimentation. 

Comments: N.Y. Roll told me he has the app on his phone and gave it a try. He stated that it led him to a recommendation about 3 psi higher than he was already using. Not bad....

Here's the thing, "There are no single, RIGHT tire pressures, but there are a LOT OF WRONG PRESSURES." Much of the mystery of what your particular tire pressure should be is wrapped up in some things which are in constant flux. Things like air temperature, terrain conditions, and rider/load overall weight. If your stance on air pressure is not taking those things into consideration then you are probably not using the "right" tire pressure in any particular instance. 

There is no "set it and forget it" if you really care about this when it comes to bicycle tires. You can do things in this manner, but if you do, please - don't ever advise anyone on tire pressure in any online forum. While it may seem like a pain in the behind, getting pressures set correctly involves a lot of thought, observation, trial and error, and experiential considerations. But again - you do you. 

Image courtesy of Growtac

Velo Orange To Offer Growtac Levers:

Back in March of 2023, I wrote in another "FN&V" that Growtac of Japan would be offering a combination brake/shifter lever that would work on almost any drive train from 2 speed to 13 speeds. It is a mechanical shifting lever with mechanical brake compatibility. Note: Growtac makes a high-end mechanical disc brake caliper already. 

Comments: The levers look set to be released soon by Velo Orange. Reports are that by the end of November these will be on their site. As of now there is no official word from Velo Orange. Prices are not set or even hinted at as of this writing. 

It also remains to be seen if Velo Orange will offer the full range of options for the levers or if they just sell it as a friction shifter. I'm sure that the word will come down soon. 

If these do appear as an option it will be a step up from my old Gevenalle set ups and I would be extremely interested in getting a set in to try out. So, stay tuned to see what happens on this front.
 

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Now get out there and ride those bicycles!

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Garmin

 A "Fair & Balanced Computer News" FN&V

Garmin Announces Flagship Cycling GPS Device:

Tuesday Garmin unleashed their latest GPS device, the 1050, on the masses. The news here is a brighter LCD display, new touch-screen abilities, a speaker, an electronic bell, and ability to pay for your coffee. 

The device is available now and costs $699.99.  You can see more on the 1050 on Garmin's site HERE.

I watched a pretty comprehensive YouTube video on this device and it is impressive, but do we really need all this? To my way of thinking, wouldn't it be cool to have the bright LCD screen, great navigation, a few of the safety features, and basic cycling computer metrics and that is it? A 'stripped down' version of this with the same battery? 

I don't need a speaker, an electronic bell, or the ability to pay for a latte'. I'm not saying this is 'bad', I'm just thinking many of us don't really need such a complex device. I know it would never be offered, but you have to wonder if a simpler version of the 1050 wouldn't be wildly popular and cost a lot less than 700 bucks. I mean, when DC Rainmaker's review snippet on YouTube says "Garmin Edge 1050 In-Depth Review 21 things to know.", I'm thinking that is about 15 things to know too many.

Then too, the recently announced Coros Dura, if that company gets that device squared away, is going to put a lot of pressure on this device as it costs a little less than one third of the Garmin and does some pretty neat stuff as well. But then again, Garmin is the 'king' of GPS devices, despite Wahoo and Hammerhead. Time will tell, but at what this 1050 thing costs I'd rather buy something else that wasn't so complex and feature laden, but had the nicer screen and good navigation. But that's just me.....

Image courtesy of Planet Bike

Planet Bike Offers New "Blinky Squared" Taillight:

Planet Bike announced a new blinking taillight for your bicycle recently called "Blinky Squared" It is a 1.25" square unit with 15 LED's arranged in a circular pattern. 

The Blinky Squared has four modes. Two steady modes and two flashing modes. The light has an onboard Lithium-polymer battery that has a run time of up to 15 hours. The light is rated at 30 Lumens. The light recharges via the included USB C cable. Cost for the Blinky Squared is a reasonable $19.99.

The mount is adjusted for use on a seat post and attaches via a rubber "O" ring type strap. Planet Bike suggests that the Blinky Squared is good for daytime usage as well as night for better visibility to motorists. 

Comments: The pace at which lighting technology for cycling has advanced is something I never get over. I mean, twenty bucks gets you this? I find that amazing, and I think it isn't alone in the marketplace at that spec and price. In fact, my favorite taillight currently is the Ravemen TR30M which costs about the same and features 360° visibility with about the same run times. 

It's crazy how little you have to spend and how easy it is to use these lights which can aid in bringing better visibility of cyclists to motorists on roads and in cities. 

Image courtesy of OneUp Components.

OneUp Gets Into Hubs:

OneUp, the company probably best known for its dropper post, has announced a new hub set for Boost spaced MTB's and Adventure bikes. 

Now that DT Swiss' ratchet design mechanism patent has run out, we are starting to see a lot of companies adopt that design and offer hubs using the proven technology. 

OneUp is another of those companies doing this. Their hub comes in a variety of anodized colors in 32 or 28 hole drillings. The cost is pretty reasonable as well. You can buy the hubs separately or as a set. Check out the details on the OneUp site HERE. 

Comments: Wait! Is this the mid-1990's again? It seems like every week I have seen another anodized bit introduced by another company. One might think it is a trend. I, for one, am fine with this as years of black, black, and more black have been pretty boring. Now let's see some silver component groups and we'll be talkin'! Or not.......read on!

Image courtesy of MicroShift.

MicroShift Debuts 9spd Affordable Gravel Groupset:

MicroShift, the component company that makes hay living in the spaces that Shimano and SRAM have left behind, has announced a new "gravel groupset" called Sword Black. 

The groupset was heralded by multiple outlets releasing the news on Wednesday of this week in a coordinated marketing plan, not unlike what many industries are utilizing these days. (That's a story for another time)

The deal here is that we have an "entry level" 9 speed component group which can be purchased as a 1X or 2X set that features low gearing, a square taper bottom bracket interface for the crankset, and a low price of (reportedly) $350.00. That garners you a crankset, levers, cassette, rear derailleur, and in the case of 2X, a front derailleur. 

Comments: It's probably fine for the price. MicroShift have "borrowed" several details from Shimano's GRX groupset even down to the chain ring bolt pattern. It is a mechanical group, obviously, and the marketing makes a big deal out of this fact. It is true that mechanical group sets are fairly straightforward in terms of set-up and adjustment. That said, not everyone understands or can do set-up and adjustments on any bicycle, so this supposed "feature" is perhaps lost on many cyclists. 

And take a look at how MicroShift got to that low gear on the 1X group. Holy "big jumps", Batman! Then you have the 17 tooth disparity between the big and small chainrings on the 2X crankset. I'm not a fan because when you select either front ring you have to make a few compensatory shifts in the rear or you find yourself spinning out or mashing a big gear. 

You know what would cure that? A triple crank. But no one is going to do that. Maybe it is where I live, but these 2X cranks with huge gaps between the rings and cassettes with 4+ tooth jumps are not a 'good thing', in my opinion.Finally, Shimano CUES is only for flat bar shifting now, but I have a feeling that when, not "if", Shimano adds drop bar levers to CUES it will blow this MicroShift stuff out of the water.

That's a wrap on this week. Have a great weekend and ride those bicycles! Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Shop Work Between Storms

 Last week when I got out for a ride on that wet gravel I noted that my drive train had a serious "skip" to it that felt like a worn out chain. I was thinking I still had that old gold-colored Wipperman chain on this bike, but no! I had a brand new Shimano 11 speed chain on it. 

I had forgotten I had swapped out parts. I did not use a new cassette, but an old XTR one that N.Y. Roll had downloaded to me a while back that he thought might still have some life left in it. 

Guess it did not.

Soooo.... I decided to bail on that cassette and just get a brand new one coming. I went with my old tried and true choice, a SRAM PG 1130 model that has 11-36T cassette cog range. It's not the 40T low I had with that old XTR but hey! I've been getting along fine with the 36T low all this time, so no big deal there. 

Anyway, once that gets here I should be sorted, but I am taking a look at some new chain rings and perhaps a new crankset. I still rather prefer my 36/46 cyclo-cross inspired ring set, but we will see. 

The next order of business was to get those Planet Bike Cascadia ALX fenders off my bench and on to my Raleigh Tamland 2. I really have been pretty happy with the Cascadia ALX since I made the switch several years ago now. They are a LOT more stable and quiet than the Planet Bike Freddy Fenders I used to use which were great fenders, but noisy and really floppy, especially in the rear. While the Cascadia ALX's are more expensive and heavier, I think that trade off is more than worth it. 

The Planet Bike Cascadia ALX fenders over 700 X 44mm WTB Raddler tires.

Gotta love that old Raleigh! When I told the Raleigh team in 2012 that this bike should fit 700 X 42mm tires with fenders they knocked the final product out of the park. There are not too many gravel bikes out there that can do what you are looking at here: 700c X 44mm tires on 25mm internal width rims and fenders? With clearance to spare? 

Yep. 

Now I'm set for 'slop-season' riding which is about what we've been getting here, but for the actual cold wind chills and colder days interspersed between days up into the 40's. Monday it actually rained here all day. Today? It is supposed to start snowing and we're set to see 4"-8" of heavy, wet snow. Oh joy! 

Looks like we might actually have a fat bike season ahead of us here.

Shop Work Between Storms

 Last week when I got out for a ride on that wet gravel I noted that my drive train had a serious "skip" to it that felt like a worn out chain. I was thinking I still had that old gold-colored Wipperman chain on this bike, but no! I had a brand new Shimano 11 speed chain on it. 

I had forgotten I had swapped out parts. I did not use a new cassette, but an old XTR one that N.Y. Roll had downloaded to me a while back that he thought might still have some life left in it. 

Guess it did not.

Soooo.... I decided to bail on that cassette and just get a brand new one coming. I went with my old tried and true choice, a SRAM PG 1130 model that has 11-36T cassette cog range. It's not the 40T low I had with that old XTR but hey! I've been getting along fine with the 36T low all this time, so no big deal there. 

Anyway, once that gets here I should be sorted, but I am taking a look at some new chain rings and perhaps a new crankset. I still rather prefer my 36/46 cyclo-cross inspired ring set, but we will see. 

The next order of business was to get those Planet Bike Cascadia ALX fenders off my bench and on to my Raleigh Tamland 2. I really have been pretty happy with the Cascadia ALX since I made the switch several years ago now. They are a LOT more stable and quiet than the Planet Bike Freddy Fenders I used to use which were great fenders, but noisy and really floppy, especially in the rear. While the Cascadia ALX's are more expensive and heavier, I think that trade off is more than worth it. 

The Planet Bike Cascadia ALX fenders over 700 X 44mm WTB Raddler tires.

Gotta love that old Raleigh! When I told the Raleigh team in 2012 that this bike should fit 700 X 42mm tires with fenders they knocked the final product out of the park. There are not too many gravel bikes out there that can do what you are looking at here: 700c X 44mm tires on 25mm internal width rims and fenders? With clearance to spare? 

Yep. 

Now I'm set for 'slop-season' riding which is about what we've been getting here, but for the actual cold wind chills and colder days interspersed between days up into the 40's. Monday it actually rained here all day. Today? It is supposed to start snowing and we're set to see 4"-8" of heavy, wet snow. Oh joy! 

Looks like we might actually have a fat bike season ahead of us here.

Review: Planet Bike Dual Blaze 1500 Light- Part 1

Today I want to start the review of a light from Planet Bike, the Dual Blaze 1500. Right up front I want to make it understood that I was provided this light to review by Planet Bike and I will point you to my Standard Disclaimer page for reference regarding that point. 

The LED light technology changes continue to amaze and the Dual Blaze 1500 is no exception. The two Nichia NVSW319BT emitters are powered by Samsung's 5000 mAh lithium ion battery to give you up to 1500 Lumen of lighting power at a retail price of $100.00 USD. That's crazy!

It wasn't all that long ago that a 1500 Lumen bicycle light, if you could find one, was well over that price and it had a ginormous external battery pack. (I have such a light yet from around the early twenty-teens) And that was for a bargain priced, Chinese made, internet only option. 

Now this Dual Blaze light is a self-contained unit with USB charging and a light weight for the entire unit in a compact package. Obviously, at this price you are not getting all the bells and whistles that maybe a more expensive LED unit might have, but if you are looking for simplicity and if you are on a budget, this is a great light to look at. 

 Specs:

Run Times; 2.5 hrs (high - 1500 lm), 6 hrs (medium - 800 lm), 12 hrs (low - 400 lm), and up to 45 hrs (Superflash™ Day - 1500 lm)

Battery: Samsung 5000 mAh lithium ion battery charges in 3.5 hours with USB C 

Features: Provides 275° of visibility with side lens, water resistance rated to IP64 standard, and weighs in at 185 grams. 

Accessories: Included Quick Twist™ mount fits 25.4mm to 31.8mm handle bars. Aftermarket accessories include helmet mount, fork mount, and extra handle bar mounts. (See website for details) 

The Dual Blaze 1500 has a plastic casing which helps reduce weight to under 200 grams even with the mount.

First Impressions: The Dual Blaze 1500 is about 10% smaller than a recently reviewed 1600 Lumen light I tried and it is obviously lighter in the hand than most lights with this sort of power. I'm not sure where the weight savings is coming from 100%, but obviously, the plastic housing is saving some mass here. Most lights in this category have metal housings for better heat dissipation. More on that in a minute....

The Quick Twist mount was not hard to figure out. It utilizes a slip joint to accommodate several handle bar diameters. Pretty clever that. Once you get the proper setting it is easy to tighten the mount for a secure base for the Dual Blaze to sit on. 

The Quick Twist Mount seems secure enough for rough gravel travel.

Once again, I should remind you that this light cost $100.00 bucks. The fact that it doesn't feature a lot of things higher priced lights do should come as no surprise then. For instance, you do not get a mode indicator. You do get a nice On/Off button that tabs through the four modes. The button also seems to glow in the dark slightly, making finding it easier. 

That button turns on and turns off the light easily by holding it down momentarily. It is maybe the easiest button to use on a light of this type I've ever tried. Many lights have fussy On/Off/Mode buttons that are a bit frustrating. The bad thing about a button that is easy to use? It could turn on at an unwanted time in a bag, or when stored in luggage. To avoid an issue with this you must put the light in "Lock Mode", which is attained by holding the button down for 5-6 seconds at which time the light will flash quickly several times to let you know you've got it locked. Do the same procedure for unlocking the light. 

 By the way, the button flashes a blue light when charging that goes solid blue when the battery is topped off. If you get too low on battery power the button will glow red indicating a 20% power level reserve is all you have left.

Another 'hidden feature' was that the light unit swivels on the Quick Twist Mount slightly, maybe a few degrees. But that is all you need to get that beam pointed in the direction you want and could be a great feature if your bars sweep backward after leaving the stem clamp. 

Once I had the mount secured on my handle bar the Dual Blaze was easy to slide into place. I have to say that it doesn't give you a reassuring "CLICK" or provide any resistance to give you a feeling that it is locked into place. A gentle tug on the light head did show I had it on there well enough though. 

Quick Ride Impressions: I received this light in April but we had such cold, windy, and wet weather that I put off trying the light out until now, and of course it feels like Mid-Summer out there now! Anyway, my initial impressions are good. The 1500 Lumen setting was a bit of a surprise in that it did not just wash out the features I would look for while navigating a gravel road. There was a nice flooded area of light to see by and spill-over was wide enough to illuminate a broad swath of roadway. Throw was good enough for fast riding too. 

One thing I noted was that at the highest setting, the casing got pretty toasty. Perhaps this is a compromise for getting that lighter weight plastic casing in lieu of using a heat dissipating metal casing. But whatever the case may be there, I found that the high setting was throwing off a decent amount of heat to the point of maybe being too hot for sensitive hands. 

On Medium the light was okay for general gravel travel, I thought, and it ran noticeably cooler. This 800 Lumen setting was what I was most interested in checking out. This is where I would use the light most often. Especially since you get a claimed six hours of ride time in that mode. Plenty for my needs. 

Interestingly, the light 'temperature' or 'color', was not that blinding bluish hue, but a warmer, almost yellowish tone, much like old automobile headlamps. It was easy on the eyes of this old man, if not all that impressive. That harsher, bluish light makes an impression, but it gets fatiguing to look at after a while, in my opinion. So, this "800 Lumen" of light wasn't going to wow anyone, but it might be better in the long haul than something which seems to have more punch, but is less kind to the eyeballs. 

I did see some mild artifacts from the lens on High beam, but this seemed to disappear at Medium. By the way, Low beam was essentially a commuter, "I am here" light, in my opinion. Not really all that great at first glance, but I'll try it some more before I fully pass on that mode. 

So, there is what I think so far. I plan on taking this out for a longer gravel ride and directly comparing it with the light I used for my Tour of Black Hawk County last year. Stay tuned for that and more on the Dual Blaze 1500 soon.

Review: Planet Bike Dual Blaze 1500 Light- Part 1

Today I want to start the review of a light from Planet Bike, the Dual Blaze 1500. Right up front I want to make it understood that I was provided this light to review by Planet Bike and I will point you to my Standard Disclaimer page for reference regarding that point. 

The LED light technology changes continue to amaze and the Dual Blaze 1500 is no exception. The two Nichia NVSW319BT emitters are powered by Samsung's 5000 mAh lithium ion battery to give you up to 1500 Lumen of lighting power at a retail price of $100.00 USD. That's crazy!

It wasn't all that long ago that a 1500 Lumen bicycle light, if you could find one, was well over that price and it had a ginormous external battery pack. (I have such a light yet from around the early twenty-teens) And that was for a bargain priced, Chinese made, internet only option. 

Now this Dual Blaze light is a self-contained unit with USB charging and a light weight for the entire unit in a compact package. Obviously, at this price you are not getting all the bells and whistles that maybe a more expensive LED unit might have, but if you are looking for simplicity and if you are on a budget, this is a great light to look at. 

 Specs:

Run Times; 2.5 hrs (high - 1500 lm), 6 hrs (medium - 800 lm), 12 hrs (low - 400 lm), and up to 45 hrs (Superflash™ Day - 1500 lm)

Battery: Samsung 5000 mAh lithium ion battery charges in 3.5 hours with USB C 

Features: Provides 275° of visibility with side lens, water resistance rated to IP64 standard, and weighs in at 185 grams. 

Accessories: Included Quick Twist™ mount fits 25.4mm to 31.8mm handle bars. Aftermarket accessories include helmet mount, fork mount, and extra handle bar mounts. (See website for details) 

The Dual Blaze 1500 has a plastic casing which helps reduce weight to under 200 grams even with the mount.

First Impressions: The Dual Blaze 1500 is about 10% smaller than a recently reviewed 1600 Lumen light I tried and it is obviously lighter in the hand than most lights with this sort of power. I'm not sure where the weight savings is coming from 100%, but obviously, the plastic housing is saving some mass here. Most lights in this category have metal housings for better heat dissipation. More on that in a minute....

The Quick Twist mount was not hard to figure out. It utilizes a slip joint to accommodate several handle bar diameters. Pretty clever that. Once you get the proper setting it is easy to tighten the mount for a secure base for the Dual Blaze to sit on. 

The Quick Twist Mount seems secure enough for rough gravel travel.

Once again, I should remind you that this light cost $100.00 bucks. The fact that it doesn't feature a lot of things higher priced lights do should come as no surprise then. For instance, you do not get a mode indicator. You do get a nice On/Off button that tabs through the four modes. The button also seems to glow in the dark slightly, making finding it easier. 

That button turns on and turns off the light easily by holding it down momentarily. It is maybe the easiest button to use on a light of this type I've ever tried. Many lights have fussy On/Off/Mode buttons that are a bit frustrating. The bad thing about a button that is easy to use? It could turn on at an unwanted time in a bag, or when stored in luggage. To avoid an issue with this you must put the light in "Lock Mode", which is attained by holding the button down for 5-6 seconds at which time the light will flash quickly several times to let you know you've got it locked. Do the same procedure for unlocking the light. 

 By the way, the button flashes a blue light when charging that goes solid blue when the battery is topped off. If you get too low on battery power the button will glow red indicating a 20% power level reserve is all you have left.

Another 'hidden feature' was that the light unit swivels on the Quick Twist Mount slightly, maybe a few degrees. But that is all you need to get that beam pointed in the direction you want and could be a great feature if your bars sweep backward after leaving the stem clamp. 

Once I had the mount secured on my handle bar the Dual Blaze was easy to slide into place. I have to say that it doesn't give you a reassuring "CLICK" or provide any resistance to give you a feeling that it is locked into place. A gentle tug on the light head did show I had it on there well enough though. 

Quick Ride Impressions: I received this light in April but we had such cold, windy, and wet weather that I put off trying the light out until now, and of course it feels like Mid-Summer out there now! Anyway, my initial impressions are good. The 1500 Lumen setting was a bit of a surprise in that it did not just wash out the features I would look for while navigating a gravel road. There was a nice flooded area of light to see by and spill-over was wide enough to illuminate a broad swath of roadway. Throw was good enough for fast riding too. 

One thing I noted was that at the highest setting, the casing got pretty toasty. Perhaps this is a compromise for getting that lighter weight plastic casing in lieu of using a heat dissipating metal casing. But whatever the case may be there, I found that the high setting was throwing off a decent amount of heat to the point of maybe being too hot for sensitive hands. 

On Medium the light was okay for general gravel travel, I thought, and it ran noticeably cooler. This 800 Lumen setting was what I was most interested in checking out. This is where I would use the light most often. Especially since you get a claimed six hours of ride time in that mode. Plenty for my needs. 

Interestingly, the light 'temperature' or 'color', was not that blinding bluish hue, but a warmer, almost yellowish tone, much like old automobile headlamps. It was easy on the eyes of this old man, if not all that impressive. That harsher, bluish light makes an impression, but it gets fatiguing to look at after a while, in my opinion. So, this "800 Lumen" of light wasn't going to wow anyone, but it might be better in the long haul than something which seems to have more punch, but is less kind to the eyeballs. 

I did see some mild artifacts from the lens on High beam, but this seemed to disappear at Medium. By the way, Low beam was essentially a commuter, "I am here" light, in my opinion. Not really all that great at first glance, but I'll try it some more before I fully pass on that mode. 

So, there is what I think so far. I plan on taking this out for a longer gravel ride and directly comparing it with the light I used for my Tour of Black Hawk County last year. Stay tuned for that and more on the Dual Blaze 1500 soon.

Friday News And Views

Scope is a company from the Netherlands who make this air pressure adjusting hub.

 On-Bike Air Pressure Adjusting Hub To Debut In Paris-Roubaix:

The Dutch company, Scope, has a new hub accessory for bicycles which can adjust air pressure on the bike and give real-time read-out via Bluetooth on a computer head. 

Dubbed the "Atmoz", the system is "hub mounted" and does not alter a wheel system. A hose attached to a spoke runs from the device to a tubeless valve stem. Sensors monitor air pressure and relay the information to the rider who can adjust- up or down- the air pressure via two buttons electronically connected by wireless to the device. Apparently, it is reported that there are no moving parts, compressors, or the like in this design. Just how it works seems to be a closely guarded secret, as of now. 

That may change as a prominent Pro Road team is reportedly using the Atmoz in this weekend's Paris-Roubaix road race.Want it for your bike? Cough up $4,340.95 US and it is yours. (Not clear if that is per wheel or for both)

Comments: Correct me if I am wrong, but I could swear I've seen this idea on a fat bike somewhere before. That said, this is something that would be a prime candidate for SRAM to grab up and file under their AXS umbrella of electronic components. If that happens, don't be surprised! 

Paris-Roubaix has perennially been an event where future-tech for bicycles debuts. Think about road bike suspension like the new FOX AX StepCast fork. Or think about electronically shifted derailleurs. Those ideas appeared in Paris-Roubaix in the 90's. So, while it may not happen right away, if this idea works, I would not at all be surprised to see an add-on device for fat bikes, mountain bikes, and gravel bikes in the future.

SEIDO Spade tire

SEIDO Components And Accessory Brand Debuts:

Bombtrack Bikes, the Germanic company who are best known for adventure style bikes, are announcing a component/accessory brand for their range of bikes and available separately dubbed SEIDO. 

The range will cover everything from hardware like crank sets, wheels, and handle bars all the way to items like tires, bar tape, and saddles. 

Their debut product will be a carbon fork and they plan on releasing more things as the year progresses. 

Comments: After a quick perusal of the site I think it is fair to say that what Bombtrack is doing here is officially releasing their "in-house" component brand into the wild. Typically you don't see much of that from the cycling industry where the big exceptions to that rule are Bontrager (Trek) and Roval (Specialized). Normally those more basic, yeoman parts are only found on whatever brand of bikes they support. 

And typically a 'deeper dive' will reveal that these sorts of components and accessories are what is known in the cycling industry as 'catalog parts'. Meaning that Far East Asia companies who contract out to the cycling brands have a literal catalog of accessories and parts that any brand can have private labeled, manufactured, and installed on bikes made overseas. Those parts are then not typically made for individual sales outside of those brands. (However e-Bay, Alibaba and Amazon will net you access to such companies here) 

I'm not castigating Bombtrack, SEIDO, or the idea of this in any negative way, but I'm probably not far off the mark here. And, these parts look nice enough, honestly. But pricing is not known and no one has anything to really weigh in on quality levels, performance, and the like yet. So, this bears watching. It could be a good deal, or it might be just another 'no-big-deal' thing.

Planet Bike's Dual Blaze light.

Planet Bike Debuts New Dual Blaze Light:

LED light technology is amazing. It is a constantly changing thing, and what you could get for lights, even five years ago, is out of date today- unless you spent the big bucks on something really premium. But that's the thing- you don't have to spend the big bucks.....

Case in point: The new Planet Bike Dual Blaze light with 1500 lumen of Samsung lithium battery powered, Nichia NVSW319BT high powered LED brightness. 

Now, when I shop LED lights, I don't shop for the high-powered beam settings. Nope. I look at what 'medium' settings offer and what their run times are. 1-2 hours of blinding light is cool sounding, and maybe 'just right' for a mountain bike ride, but if I am doing a gravel ride at night, we are talking 2+ hours and most high beams are going to deplete my battery life at those ride times. So, a great lumen output at medium, with a lot of run-time 'headroom', if you will, is what I want in a light. 

And checking out the specs here on the Dual Blaze, I see it has a claimed run time of 6 hours at 800 lumen. That'll do it! But check out that claimed run time on high- 2.5 hours?! That's pretty crazy! 1500 lumen for 2 and a half hours is nuts. I cannot even think of a light that was out five years ago that would do that for $100.00. Yes- you read that right. A hundred bucks!

Now this may not have a fancy-pants interface, or the kind of run time indicators some lights have. Nor does it have the feature of being able to be controlled from a computer head, or app. But hey! For a hundy, that seems like quite a good value on a light that would likely be too bright on high for many gravel travelers. 800 lumen is plenty! 

Sea Otter 2022:

While I have not been to Sea Otter since 2009, I have had the pleasure of seeing it through the eyes of my friend from SoCal, Grannygear, many a year since. However; even he stopped going about five years ago, and of course, the last two years it wasn't possible anyway.

So, with the way things are now, the reunion-of-sorts at Sea Otter took place and I- once again- was able to see the festival through Grannygear's eyes. (RidingGravel.com report here)

Grannygear pretty much was taken most by the Turner Bikes Cyclosys titanium frame and I must say, I agree. With a 71° head angle and 73mm bottom bracket drop matched up with a 430mm chain stay length, it seems to be right in my wheel house. And, of course, it is a titanium frame. 

While it only has clearance for up to a claimed 45mm tire, that's plenty for my needs in most cases, and I have other bikes that would go beyond there, so I would be okay with that. $2600.00 sounds about right these days for a quality made, low production number titanium framed bike. While I am sure I could find something similar, we're talking what was at Sea Otter, and I think I'm with Grannygear here- That would be the bike I would have come home with from this year's show.

That's a wrap on this week! Stay warm and Have a Blessed Easter if you observe that day.

Friday News And Views

Scope is a company from the Netherlands who make this air pressure adjusting hub.

 On-Bike Air Pressure Adjusting Hub To Debut In Paris-Roubaix:

The Dutch company, Scope, has a new hub accessory for bicycles which can adjust air pressure on the bike and give real-time read-out via Bluetooth on a computer head. 

Dubbed the "Atmoz", the system is "hub mounted" and does not alter a wheel system. A hose attached to a spoke runs from the device to a tubeless valve stem. Sensors monitor air pressure and relay the information to the rider who can adjust- up or down- the air pressure via two buttons electronically connected by wireless to the device. Apparently, it is reported that there are no moving parts, compressors, or the like in this design. Just how it works seems to be a closely guarded secret, as of now. 

That may change as a prominent Pro Road team is reportedly using the Atmoz in this weekend's Paris-Roubaix road race.Want it for your bike? Cough up $4,340.95 US and it is yours. (Not clear if that is per wheel or for both)

Comments: Correct me if I am wrong, but I could swear I've seen this idea on a fat bike somewhere before. That said, this is something that would be a prime candidate for SRAM to grab up and file under their AXS umbrella of electronic components. If that happens, don't be surprised! 

Paris-Roubaix has perennially been an event where future-tech for bicycles debuts. Think about road bike suspension like the new FOX AX StepCast fork. Or think about electronically shifted derailleurs. Those ideas appeared in Paris-Roubaix in the 90's. So, while it may not happen right away, if this idea works, I would not at all be surprised to see an add-on device for fat bikes, mountain bikes, and gravel bikes in the future.

SEIDO Spade tire

SEIDO Components And Accessory Brand Debuts:

Bombtrack Bikes, the Germanic company who are best known for adventure style bikes, are announcing a component/accessory brand for their range of bikes and available separately dubbed SEIDO. 

The range will cover everything from hardware like crank sets, wheels, and handle bars all the way to items like tires, bar tape, and saddles. 

Their debut product will be a carbon fork and they plan on releasing more things as the year progresses. 

Comments: After a quick perusal of the site I think it is fair to say that what Bombtrack is doing here is officially releasing their "in-house" component brand into the wild. Typically you don't see much of that from the cycling industry where the big exceptions to that rule are Bontrager (Trek) and Roval (Specialized). Normally those more basic, yeoman parts are only found on whatever brand of bikes they support. 

And typically a 'deeper dive' will reveal that these sorts of components and accessories are what is known in the cycling industry as 'catalog parts'. Meaning that Far East Asia companies who contract out to the cycling brands have a literal catalog of accessories and parts that any brand can have private labeled, manufactured, and installed on bikes made overseas. Those parts are then not typically made for individual sales outside of those brands. (However e-Bay, Alibaba and Amazon will net you access to such companies here) 

I'm not castigating Bombtrack, SEIDO, or the idea of this in any negative way, but I'm probably not far off the mark here. And, these parts look nice enough, honestly. But pricing is not known and no one has anything to really weigh in on quality levels, performance, and the like yet. So, this bears watching. It could be a good deal, or it might be just another 'no-big-deal' thing.

Planet Bike's Dual Blaze light.

Planet Bike Debuts New Dual Blaze Light:

LED light technology is amazing. It is a constantly changing thing, and what you could get for lights, even five years ago, is out of date today- unless you spent the big bucks on something really premium. But that's the thing- you don't have to spend the big bucks.....

Case in point: The new Planet Bike Dual Blaze light with 1500 lumen of Samsung lithium battery powered, Nichia NVSW319BT high powered LED brightness. 

Now, when I shop LED lights, I don't shop for the high-powered beam settings. Nope. I look at what 'medium' settings offer and what their run times are. 1-2 hours of blinding light is cool sounding, and maybe 'just right' for a mountain bike ride, but if I am doing a gravel ride at night, we are talking 2+ hours and most high beams are going to deplete my battery life at those ride times. So, a great lumen output at medium, with a lot of run-time 'headroom', if you will, is what I want in a light. 

And checking out the specs here on the Dual Blaze, I see it has a claimed run time of 6 hours at 800 lumen. That'll do it! But check out that claimed run time on high- 2.5 hours?! That's pretty crazy! 1500 lumen for 2 and a half hours is nuts. I cannot even think of a light that was out five years ago that would do that for $100.00. Yes- you read that right. A hundred bucks!

Now this may not have a fancy-pants interface, or the kind of run time indicators some lights have. Nor does it have the feature of being able to be controlled from a computer head, or app. But hey! For a hundy, that seems like quite a good value on a light that would likely be too bright on high for many gravel travelers. 800 lumen is plenty! 

Sea Otter 2022:

While I have not been to Sea Otter since 2009, I have had the pleasure of seeing it through the eyes of my friend from SoCal, Grannygear, many a year since. However; even he stopped going about five years ago, and of course, the last two years it wasn't possible anyway.

So, with the way things are now, the reunion-of-sorts at Sea Otter took place and I- once again- was able to see the festival through Grannygear's eyes. (RidingGravel.com report here)

Grannygear pretty much was taken most by the Turner Bikes Cyclosys titanium frame and I must say, I agree. With a 71° head angle and 73mm bottom bracket drop matched up with a 430mm chain stay length, it seems to be right in my wheel house. And, of course, it is a titanium frame. 

While it only has clearance for up to a claimed 45mm tire, that's plenty for my needs in most cases, and I have other bikes that would go beyond there, so I would be okay with that. $2600.00 sounds about right these days for a quality made, low production number titanium framed bike. While I am sure I could find something similar, we're talking what was at Sea Otter, and I think I'm with Grannygear here- That would be the bike I would have come home with from this year's show.

That's a wrap on this week! Stay warm and Have a Blessed Easter if you observe that day.

More Testing

Fenders installed and that Whatchamacallit Bar.

Over the weekend I got the fenders installed on the BMC MCD bike. They are the excellent, highly recommended Planet Bike Cascadia ALX fenders. I have been using these on a couple of my bikes for several years now and I have to say that they are really good. I maybe would like a tiny bit more coverage, but hey! For the money, for the ease of installation, and for the bomber performance? I'm all in on these. Get you some.....

(And for the record, I paid my own damn money for the set on this bike I have and I was not asked to write that glowing review. It's what I really think- So there!)

Sad that we live in a world where disclaimers have to be added, but anyway.....

I stuffed the Teravail Rutland 700 X 47mm tires under those fenders and they barely fit! But they fit! That's pretty cool since I was hoping to be able to run these tires quite a bit in 2021. I have really enjoyed them and they remind me a lot of my favorite WTB Resolutes, only these are a bit bigger than Reso's are. In fact, I was thinking that in the mid-00's, these would have been passed off as 29"er tires. I remember testing some Bontrager tires, in particular, that were sub-50mm tires that were being called 29"er tires. 

At any rate, I would not run a much bigger tire since the MCD is pretty close on clearances with these as it is. There is mud room- barely. Obviously there is enough room to squeeze in fenders, but where I am looking- the chain stays - The room is pretty minimal there. 

Oh! I suppose you were wondering about those whatchamacallit bars and those weird grips on there? Well, that's another silly thing, see- It's called a media embargo. I know, I know...... Just following the rules here, that's all. More can be said in about a week or so. Stay tuned......

More Testing

Fenders installed and that Whatchamacallit Bar.

Over the weekend I got the fenders installed on the BMC MCD bike. They are the excellent, highly recommended Planet Bike Cascadia ALX fenders. I have been using these on a couple of my bikes for several years now and I have to say that they are really good. I maybe would like a tiny bit more coverage, but hey! For the money, for the ease of installation, and for the bomber performance? I'm all in on these. Get you some.....

(And for the record, I paid my own damn money for the set on this bike I have and I was not asked to write that glowing review. It's what I really think- So there!)

Sad that we live in a world where disclaimers have to be added, but anyway.....

I stuffed the Teravail Rutland 700 X 47mm tires under those fenders and they barely fit! But they fit! That's pretty cool since I was hoping to be able to run these tires quite a bit in 2021. I have really enjoyed them and they remind me a lot of my favorite WTB Resolutes, only these are a bit bigger than Reso's are. In fact, I was thinking that in the mid-00's, these would have been passed off as 29"er tires. I remember testing some Bontrager tires, in particular, that were sub-50mm tires that were being called 29"er tires. 

At any rate, I would not run a much bigger tire since the MCD is pretty close on clearances with these as it is. There is mud room- barely. Obviously there is enough room to squeeze in fenders, but where I am looking- the chain stays - The room is pretty minimal there. 

Oh! I suppose you were wondering about those whatchamacallit bars and those weird grips on there? Well, that's another silly thing, see- It's called a media embargo. I know, I know...... Just following the rules here, that's all. More can be said in about a week or so. Stay tuned......

Friday News And Views

Dot Watchers will be busy for the next month or so. Tour Divide starts today.

Musings On The Tour Divide:

Today is the day a lot of riders full of hope will clip in somewhere around Banff, Canada for a long ride down the spine of the Rocky Mountains to Antelope Wells, New Mexico. Maybe some of their hope will win out and they will actually accomplish this feat.

I used to get really excited about this event, but anymore......meh! It isn't the event it once was, and for me at least, it isn't as intriguing as it once was. Actually, I think the Tour Divide is responsible, in part, for why the "shine is gone" off this event after 12 or so years of its existence.

That's right. "TD" has only been around about a dozen years. But you may have heard about events like the Tour Divide that predate this. You aren't wrong, but it was a completely different event. It was an event that left from the "Port Of Roosville" Montana and ended in Antelope Wells. That event had cutoff timing points, a rule against cell phone use, and was largely done in an era where "social media" was either absent, or did not even exist yet. The ubiquitous SPOT trackers which generate the "dots" which fascinate today's Tour Divide watchers weren't a thing then. The only real feedback anyone could get outside of actually participating in the Great Divide race were the phone calls some riders would post along the way on a specific call in site. For a great look at what once was the Great Divide race, check out John Billman's excellent write up for "Outside" HERE.

John's story heralds the event as "The World's Toughest Bike Race", and back then, there was a plausible argument to be made for that claim. There are those who would say that the Tour Divide is still "that sort of an event", but to my way of thinking, that ship set sail a LONG time ago. In fact, I wrote a bit about this in a past "Minus Ten Review" on the blog a couple of years back now. I was musing on what the Great Divide Race once was compared to today.

".....that was a time when "bikepacking" had yet to become a term on the tongue of every wannabee hipster wanderer with a beard and a high priced bivy. There were lots of people using racks and hard mounted bags. SPOT trackers weren't a thing yet, but they were coming on strong by that time. Cell phones didn't work throughout most of the route, and GPS wasn't something most folks even had access to yet. There weren't ten ways to follow someone on the route, there was only one, and if they had a "dot" to watch, it was a bonus. Most of the time you had only the uploaded call ins, if a rider made call ins at all.

Am I saying that the Great Divide was a bit "purer" event than the TD is now? Maybe. You could make an argument for that for sure. I guess I don't know the answer to that question, but I do know I liked the event back then better than I do now."

I still feel the same about it today. You know though, that's just me. I'm probably an outlier. I know that there are "different levels of self-support" events and everyone has their own definition. I've written about that before as well.  

The thing is, the TD has become a marketing tool, a social media scene, and more. It obviously is difficult, and it has elements of the previous years events which are laudable and worthy of pursuit. That said, it isn't as tough to ride 2,000 plus miles today as it was back ten plus years ago alone with no Facetime, no "likes" to count, and no interaction on digital platforms. There was no Salsa top cap pie token, no folks camped out looking for you along the way, and you had to hustle because there was only an allotted 25 days to "get 'er done". If you didn't get there within the time allotments, it didn't count. Imagine if that were the case today. 

GTDRI Reactions:

It's funny, because in years past I would never know if anyone would show up for this ride. I posted about it, asked for comments, or if anyone was coming, and......... crickets. Usually a good handful would show, but one year I had only two other guys show up! This year I have already had at least a half a dozen folks say they were coming. 

Last year I had the most riders ever show up. Now you never know, but it would't at all surprise me to see that equaled or surpassed this time. Then again, maybe only a half dozen will show up! One thing that has been a bit of a disappointment over the years is that there have been very few women that have ever done the GTDRI. Maybe three years we had any women show up. It sure would be great to get some of the females out along with the group.

But whatever..... I'm riding no matter if anyone shows up or not. So, in my opinion, when folks do show up, I count it as an amazing thing, and I am very grateful for it when people decide to come spend the day with me. 

Mud guard success evidence.

When Mud Guards Are Good:

This past Spring was a wet, cool affair and the roads were often messy. I have two rigs set up with fenders and they worked great this Spring keeping me cleaner and my bike less goopy. My choice? Planet Bike ALX fenders. 

I have been a Planet Bike fender user for years, but the Cascadia ALX is their top choice for me these days. The hardware is stainless steel, the fenders are aluminum, and the simplicity of mounting these and removing them is tops. One set resides permanently on the Black Mountain Cycles "Orange Crush" single speed and the other I installed on the Raleigh Tamland Two last year. 

Well, with summer here I figured I would remove the fenders from the Raleigh. I took the rear fender off first, and it was dirty underneath, certainly, but when I removed the front fender, I was shocked. 

First of all, it was oddly heavy in the hand. The ALX fenders have a bit of heft to them, which I appreciate since that heft results in strength and rigidity. The ALX fenders are dead quiet on the bike. But I knew they didn't weight this much! I turned the fender over to find what you see in the image to the left here. I was amazed!

The part you see between my feet? That was level full of dried up mud. My tires must have had barely any clearance! And as I recall, during one of my recent rides on the Tamland, I heard some high pitched whining/buzzing, which was this mud scraping the tire, most likely! Obviously, I cleaned that out before storing them until later in the year when I will remount them for Winter and early Spring. 

That's a wrap for this week. Get some riding in and thanks for reading!

Friday News And Views

Dot Watchers will be busy for the next month or so. Tour Divide starts today.

Musings On The Tour Divide:

Today is the day a lot of riders full of hope will clip in somewhere around Banff, Canada for a long ride down the spine of the Rocky Mountains to Antelope Wells, New Mexico. Maybe some of their hope will win out and they will actually accomplish this feat.

I used to get really excited about this event, but anymore......meh! It isn't the event it once was, and for me at least, it isn't as intriguing as it once was. Actually, I think the Tour Divide is responsible, in part, for why the "shine is gone" off this event after 12 or so years of its existence.

That's right. "TD" has only been around about a dozen years. But you may have heard about events like the Tour Divide that predate this. You aren't wrong, but it was a completely different event. It was an event that left from the "Port Of Roosville" Montana and ended in Antelope Wells. That event had cutoff timing points, a rule against cell phone use, and was largely done in an era where "social media" was either absent, or did not even exist yet. The ubiquitous SPOT trackers which generate the "dots" which fascinate today's Tour Divide watchers weren't a thing then. The only real feedback anyone could get outside of actually participating in the Great Divide race were the phone calls some riders would post along the way on a specific call in site. For a great look at what once was the Great Divide race, check out John Billman's excellent write up for "Outside" HERE.

John's story heralds the event as "The World's Toughest Bike Race", and back then, there was a plausible argument to be made for that claim. There are those who would say that the Tour Divide is still "that sort of an event", but to my way of thinking, that ship set sail a LONG time ago. In fact, I wrote a bit about this in a past "Minus Ten Review" on the blog a couple of years back now. I was musing on what the Great Divide Race once was compared to today.

".....that was a time when "bikepacking" had yet to become a term on the tongue of every wannabee hipster wanderer with a beard and a high priced bivy. There were lots of people using racks and hard mounted bags. SPOT trackers weren't a thing yet, but they were coming on strong by that time. Cell phones didn't work throughout most of the route, and GPS wasn't something most folks even had access to yet. There weren't ten ways to follow someone on the route, there was only one, and if they had a "dot" to watch, it was a bonus. Most of the time you had only the uploaded call ins, if a rider made call ins at all.

Am I saying that the Great Divide was a bit "purer" event than the TD is now? Maybe. You could make an argument for that for sure. I guess I don't know the answer to that question, but I do know I liked the event back then better than I do now."

I still feel the same about it today. You know though, that's just me. I'm probably an outlier. I know that there are "different levels of self-support" events and everyone has their own definition. I've written about that before as well.  

The thing is, the TD has become a marketing tool, a social media scene, and more. It obviously is difficult, and it has elements of the previous years events which are laudable and worthy of pursuit. That said, it isn't as tough to ride 2,000 plus miles today as it was back ten plus years ago alone with no Facetime, no "likes" to count, and no interaction on digital platforms. There was no Salsa top cap pie token, no folks camped out looking for you along the way, and you had to hustle because there was only an allotted 25 days to "get 'er done". If you didn't get there within the time allotments, it didn't count. Imagine if that were the case today. 

GTDRI Reactions:

It's funny, because in years past I would never know if anyone would show up for this ride. I posted about it, asked for comments, or if anyone was coming, and......... crickets. Usually a good handful would show, but one year I had only two other guys show up! This year I have already had at least a half a dozen folks say they were coming. 

Last year I had the most riders ever show up. Now you never know, but it would't at all surprise me to see that equaled or surpassed this time. Then again, maybe only a half dozen will show up! One thing that has been a bit of a disappointment over the years is that there have been very few women that have ever done the GTDRI. Maybe three years we had any women show up. It sure would be great to get some of the females out along with the group.

But whatever..... I'm riding no matter if anyone shows up or not. So, in my opinion, when folks do show up, I count it as an amazing thing, and I am very grateful for it when people decide to come spend the day with me. 

Mud guard success evidence.

When Mud Guards Are Good:

This past Spring was a wet, cool affair and the roads were often messy. I have two rigs set up with fenders and they worked great this Spring keeping me cleaner and my bike less goopy. My choice? Planet Bike ALX fenders. 

I have been a Planet Bike fender user for years, but the Cascadia ALX is their top choice for me these days. The hardware is stainless steel, the fenders are aluminum, and the simplicity of mounting these and removing them is tops. One set resides permanently on the Black Mountain Cycles "Orange Crush" single speed and the other I installed on the Raleigh Tamland Two last year. 

Well, with summer here I figured I would remove the fenders from the Raleigh. I took the rear fender off first, and it was dirty underneath, certainly, but when I removed the front fender, I was shocked. 

First of all, it was oddly heavy in the hand. The ALX fenders have a bit of heft to them, which I appreciate since that heft results in strength and rigidity. The ALX fenders are dead quiet on the bike. But I knew they didn't weight this much! I turned the fender over to find what you see in the image to the left here. I was amazed!

The part you see between my feet? That was level full of dried up mud. My tires must have had barely any clearance! And as I recall, during one of my recent rides on the Tamland, I heard some high pitched whining/buzzing, which was this mud scraping the tire, most likely! Obviously, I cleaned that out before storing them until later in the year when I will remount them for Winter and early Spring. 

That's a wrap for this week. Get some riding in and thanks for reading!