Friday News And Views

Some of the contents of the Astral O.N.S. seatpost.

 Survival Gear: Should You Consider It For Your Rides?

Recently I did a review on the Astral O.N.S. Seatpost for Riding Gravel. It is a seatpost that contains a survival kit inside the shaft of the component. I also spied a review for some mountain bike shoes that have a tracker beacon embedded into them which doesn't require power and can be detected by search and rescue teams. Apparently some helmets for MTB have the same beacon in them. 

This all has me pondering safety equipment and if I have been too cavalier about my ramblings on the gravel roads in a solo capacity. Of course, I should know better....

I mean, how many times have I seen 'near misses' in Trans Iowa's 14 year history? Plenty, and that link is but one example. Then there is my own experience with an emergency situation. Of course, I was with a group, and in the example of Trans Iowa, there were other riders about that could help, but I ride solo. A lot. What if...... Well, that happened once, and it was touch and go there for awhile.

I know that one has to weigh the chances for themselves when it comes to taking risks, but a little prevention and prudence might not hurt. So, I think the guts of that seatpost may find a home in my solo gravel kit from here on out. 

A scene from the IWAR course. (Image from the IWAR Instagram)

Deadly Tornado Affects The IWAR Gravel Family:

Over the weekend the wild weather we often endure here in the Mid-West included tornadic activity in the area of the Iowa Wind And Rock territory. One of the event race directors, Sarah Cooper, lives in the area. While her and her family are okay, seven people lost their lives in the EF4 tornado which struck that area of Iowa. 

I wanted to share a message seen on IWAR's Instagram on Monday here: 

"Many of you have reached out to us asking what you can do to help. The most direct way to help will be to come to Winterset in April, and spend your time and dollars at the many small businesses in town, no matter how you feel about your level of preparation. On the surface, it's "just a bike race", but the impact it has on the community, especially now, will be significant. If you are unable to make the trip, Sarah donates a large portion of her time as a case worker for the American Red Cross. A donation to the Iowa Chapter, in whatever amount you are comfortable with, will also benefit those affected."

 Link to the The Iowa Wind And Rock website:https://iowawindandrock.com/

Link to the Iowa Chapter of the Red Cross:  https://www.redcross.org/local/iowa.html

More lazer guided bicycles, not lazer guided missiles! (Image from Gizmodo)

Lazer Guided Bicycles:

A reader of this blog sent me a link earlier this week concerning a new application of technology for bicycle navigation using lazer lights projected to the street/road surface. 

The technology is called "LazerCube" and, according to the story produced by "Gizmodo" here, it is basically a projector which can do text, animations, or other images using a lazer light source. 

It isn't cheap. The least expensive version would cost $1000.00 a unit, so this probably won't be replacing your Garmin anytime soon. But could you imagine a gravel race that sent you directions via GPS that this device then could project right on to the road? 

I don't know how well it would work on gravel, but think of the possibilities! I'm not a fan, by the way, but you know that if you've hung out here long enough. I still scribble out my own cues on paper! So old! 

The 'Infinity' by Stephen Henrich. (Image courtesy of Sintratec)

Mad Mono-trac Machine:

Back when we had the Interbike trade show, in its heyday, there would be these outlandish ideas and silly contraptions being hawked along the edges of the show. Sometimes in Interbike's famous 'basement' at the Sands Convention Center, or sometimes in the outer halls, or even outside the venue. 

Now we have 'gone all digital' so that circus show of crazed ideas is no longer a thing to see. But every once in a while a tech company has an idea, (see above) or an individual from outside the bicycle world comes up with a design to 'improve' upon the classic bicycle. 

I came across the Infinity concept by a fellow named Stephen Henrich online this week and it immediately reminded me of those odd, interesting inventions you'd sometimes see at Interbike. While the site, "designboom' describes this as a "bicycle", it really is not. It is a concept. It is a mono-trac machine, much like a tank, or anything utilizing a continuous track for propulsion. The "beach-city cruiser' concept features a centralized crank which appears to use a chain to drive what looks to be an internal geared hub that in turn has a wheel that drives the continuous belt. The belt ends are suspended by dampers which hold apart two cantilevered sections on either end which have integrated 'clips' to keep the track on its axis and not derail. The track itself seems to be designed such that it also provides some structural support. 

I haven't figured out if you can steer the thing, or how that would work if you can. It's just an idea, at this point, and not a reality, after all. But despite that, it is pretty interesting to look at, that's for sure. It's a mad idea, and I have to wonder how this improves upon, (or even if it does at all) the average, ordinary bicycle, which- as it turns out- is not so average or ordinary as we might think.

  Well, that's a wrap for this week. (Bonus: If you are an early reader of this post, look for a model release from Salsa Cycles at 9:00am CST today. It couldn't be put into this "FN&V" due to the embargo. I'll have a report on it tomorrow.) Also- GOOD LUCK to those riding in the Mid-South event this weekend!

Friday News And Views

Some of the contents of the Astral O.N.S. seatpost.

 Survival Gear: Should You Consider It For Your Rides?

Recently I did a review on the Astral O.N.S. Seatpost for Riding Gravel. It is a seatpost that contains a survival kit inside the shaft of the component. I also spied a review for some mountain bike shoes that have a tracker beacon embedded into them which doesn't require power and can be detected by search and rescue teams. Apparently some helmets for MTB have the same beacon in them. 

This all has me pondering safety equipment and if I have been too cavalier about my ramblings on the gravel roads in a solo capacity. Of course, I should know better....

I mean, how many times have I seen 'near misses' in Trans Iowa's 14 year history? Plenty, and that link is but one example. Then there is my own experience with an emergency situation. Of course, I was with a group, and in the example of Trans Iowa, there were other riders about that could help, but I ride solo. A lot. What if...... Well, that happened once, and it was touch and go there for awhile.

I know that one has to weigh the chances for themselves when it comes to taking risks, but a little prevention and prudence might not hurt. So, I think the guts of that seatpost may find a home in my solo gravel kit from here on out. 

A scene from the IWAR course. (Image from the IWAR Instagram)

Deadly Tornado Affects The IWAR Gravel Family:

Over the weekend the wild weather we often endure here in the Mid-West included tornadic activity in the area of the Iowa Wind And Rock territory. One of the event race directors, Sarah Cooper, lives in the area. While her and her family are okay, seven people lost their lives in the EF4 tornado which struck that area of Iowa. 

I wanted to share a message seen on IWAR's Instagram on Monday here: 

"Many of you have reached out to us asking what you can do to help. The most direct way to help will be to come to Winterset in April, and spend your time and dollars at the many small businesses in town, no matter how you feel about your level of preparation. On the surface, it's "just a bike race", but the impact it has on the community, especially now, will be significant. If you are unable to make the trip, Sarah donates a large portion of her time as a case worker for the American Red Cross. A donation to the Iowa Chapter, in whatever amount you are comfortable with, will also benefit those affected."

 Link to the The Iowa Wind And Rock website:https://iowawindandrock.com/

Link to the Iowa Chapter of the Red Cross:  https://www.redcross.org/local/iowa.html

More lazer guided bicycles, not lazer guided missiles! (Image from Gizmodo)

Lazer Guided Bicycles:

A reader of this blog sent me a link earlier this week concerning a new application of technology for bicycle navigation using lazer lights projected to the street/road surface. 

The technology is called "LazerCube" and, according to the story produced by "Gizmodo" here, it is basically a projector which can do text, animations, or other images using a lazer light source. 

It isn't cheap. The least expensive version would cost $1000.00 a unit, so this probably won't be replacing your Garmin anytime soon. But could you imagine a gravel race that sent you directions via GPS that this device then could project right on to the road? 

I don't know how well it would work on gravel, but think of the possibilities! I'm not a fan, by the way, but you know that if you've hung out here long enough. I still scribble out my own cues on paper! So old! 

The 'Infinity' by Stephen Henrich. (Image courtesy of Sintratec)

Mad Mono-trac Machine:

Back when we had the Interbike trade show, in its heyday, there would be these outlandish ideas and silly contraptions being hawked along the edges of the show. Sometimes in Interbike's famous 'basement' at the Sands Convention Center, or sometimes in the outer halls, or even outside the venue. 

Now we have 'gone all digital' so that circus show of crazed ideas is no longer a thing to see. But every once in a while a tech company has an idea, (see above) or an individual from outside the bicycle world comes up with a design to 'improve' upon the classic bicycle. 

I came across the Infinity concept by a fellow named Stephen Henrich online this week and it immediately reminded me of those odd, interesting inventions you'd sometimes see at Interbike. While the site, "designboom' describes this as a "bicycle", it really is not. It is a concept. It is a mono-trac machine, much like a tank, or anything utilizing a continuous track for propulsion. The "beach-city cruiser' concept features a centralized crank which appears to use a chain to drive what looks to be an internal geared hub that in turn has a wheel that drives the continuous belt. The belt ends are suspended by dampers which hold apart two cantilevered sections on either end which have integrated 'clips' to keep the track on its axis and not derail. The track itself seems to be designed such that it also provides some structural support. 

I haven't figured out if you can steer the thing, or how that would work if you can. It's just an idea, at this point, and not a reality, after all. But despite that, it is pretty interesting to look at, that's for sure. It's a mad idea, and I have to wonder how this improves upon, (or even if it does at all) the average, ordinary bicycle, which- as it turns out- is not so average or ordinary as we might think.

  Well, that's a wrap for this week. (Bonus: If you are an early reader of this post, look for a model release from Salsa Cycles at 9:00am CST today. It couldn't be put into this "FN&V" due to the embargo. I'll have a report on it tomorrow.) Also- GOOD LUCK to those riding in the Mid-South event this weekend!

Brown Season: Downhill and a Tailwind to the End

Croxton Road

 Well........it's over! I've completed "The Quest", and just in time! Winter returned over the weekend and the Spring-like temperatures of Thursday are now a distant memory. I'm glad I have that wrapped up for many reasons, but not the least of which is that it would be infinitely more difficult to ride longer section of gravel out in the open now. I'm very glad I don't have that to worry about!

So, a lesson learned which I will now share. Last Summer I was out in Eastern Black Hawk County on one of these quest rides and I looped through Jesup Iowa and headed out of town South and West to catch the end of Young Road and eventually find my way back to Waterloo. Well, as fate would have it, I rode right past Croxton Road. I knew it had to be an 'out-and-back' section of road as it went South straight towards Highway 20, which is a limited access highway. I figured I'd get back to that, besides, I hadn't studied the maps to even realize that Croxton Road was there or how I might make it work into another route. It wasn't on my radar that day anyway. So I rode straight on by. 

Big mistake!

But not only that, I had a second chance to bag it last month and I passed on that opportunity. Now Croxton Road was a pox on my brain. A short crumb of gravel left out there dangling that now I was going to have to make a special effort to go ride. What a pain! I should have just knocked it out when I first saw it, and you wanna know why? The kicker is that it is all of a quarter mile long! 

Gah! Oh well. I had to take my medicine and drive all the way out there, hop on my bike, and within about ten minutes I was done with that one. Then it was on to the last loop. The last bit of 'The Quest' that was left out there. It was a loop which would have about eight miles of road that I had to bag yet, plus another 3/4's of a mile I needed to get nearby. These were close enough together that I could combine it all into one bigger ride. 

The end of Croxton Road was right on Highway 20 near Jesup.

The stub end of Miller Creek Road that is East of HWY 218

After dealing with the mistake of ignoring Croxton Road I went to an access off the Cedar Valley Nature Trail just North of Ripple Road which I could ride to and take Ripple Road over Highway 218, go West to Cotter Road, North then to Miller Creek Road, and then east to bag the road as an out-and-back. Then I would retrace my steps to Cotter Road and find Quarry Road Eastward to Kline Road, which began my 'new-to-me' section. 

Now when I reached Miller Creek Road, I'll be danged if that Eastward section wasn't chip sealed! Arrgh! Once again, the State DOT map was wrong. I went to Highway 218 anyway because the last tiny bit East of the highway was gravel and I bagged it and went on my way. 

Miller Creek Road's terminus East of Highway 218.

Barns For Jason #1 - This on Kober Road

The wind was up out of the South, and unlike the previous day, this time the wind was significant. The flags were standing straight out and rippling fiercely, so whatever that wind speed is, that is what it was. All I know is that the wind was tough to ride against. But this route direction was chosen so I would dispense with the rough part first. I just needed to be patient and 'eat my broccoli'. Dessert would be served later. 

Kober Road looking into Benton County in the distance.

Barns For Jason #'s 2 & 3: This is at the corner of 14th Ave & 50th St. Dr in Benton County.

I jig-a-jogged over to Kober Road and then south through to Benton County where I could take the next Westbound road and return North, eventually coming out on Kline Road in Black Hawk County. 

Barns For Jason #'s 4 & 5: This round barn on 50th St. Dr. One of three made of ceramic tiles thought to have been sold by James McQuilkin of the Johnson Brothers Clay Works. 

Kline Road looking North

Once I rounded the corner down in Benton County I could get the benefit of the big Southern breeze. But that also meant that it would feel much hotter and the air temperature was soaring. When I started out at Croxton Road it was still nippy. In the upper 30's. But by this time the mercury had soared up into the low 50's and it would scrape 60 before the end of the ride. I had to find a way to ditch my heavy Bontrager windbreaker. I already had removed my gloves by this point. But where to stow this stuff? I had only a Bike Bag Dude Garage Bag and nothing else. 

I dug around in the top tube bag and found an old ByKyle junk strap from Trans Iowa v5, I think! I have a few extras of those, anyway.... I also had several rolled up Velcro straps from Giant bike builds which I had saved, rolled up into tiny balls, and stuffed into that top tube bag. Who knows when you'll need those! Well, that 'when' was right now! 

It was super dusty out there, as you can see by the 'contrail' left by a semi-tractor trailer which had just passed on a crossing road.

Barns For Jason #6 and #7 on Kline Road

I rolled up the Bontrager windbreaker as tightly as I could. I "X" wrapped it tightly with the straps and then with my last one I hung it from the handle bars in front of the head tube. Perfect! With the ear flaps in the 'up' position on my Walz Caps wool cycling hat, I was ready to take on the final miles of this ride, and of "The Quest" overall, which lay before me.

An unmarked cemetery just a bit west of LaPorte City on Kline Road. 

It doesn't look like much, but this is a downhill on Ripple Road, the last gravel of "The Quest".

I had a mahoosive tailwind and so it didn't take long, or much effort, to clear the rollers and get back to Ripple Road, my final descent to the CVNT and then just a short mile back to the truck. Ripple Road ends on a dirt two-track before it reaches the recreation trail, and as I went through a bit of a depression in the road, I heard a "SNAP!" and then my saddle felt all wonky. I thought at first the saddle clamp had rotated and that my saddle was severely 'nose up' now. But when I stopped I saw that I had actually snapped the seat post!

Well, that's the end of the line for that Specialized C-GR post!

Dang! I was sure glad THAT never happened out in the middle of nowhere! I don't know how many gravel miles I've put on that post this Summer, Fall, and now Winter, but it has been a LOT. 

Anyway, this meant the last mile plus was done standing up. At least that was on flat rec trail! Looking back, if you had to break a seat post, this is how you'd want it to go. It didn't snap off, it didn't cut me, it didn't leave me with 30 miles to go, and "The Quest" is over. How about them apples?

Well, I didn't buy the post new, I bought it used and only for $35.00, so I don't have a warranty and I got what I paid for out of it and more. No hard feelings, but it does raise some concerns about carbon fiber seat posts again. This will be the second one I've broken. Some posts are better than others, so I don't know that it is 'carbon' necessarily, but when carbon fails...... Yikes! 

Anyway, this is about finishing up "The Quest", not about a stupid seat post! Yes! I am finished! I cannot say I had any standout feelings about finishing up as I rode in, pre-breaking post. I did laugh out loud at one point when I thought about how ridiculous this whole ruse was. Ride every gravel road in the county? Ha! What a dumb idea! Or was it? 

I'll have a post following where I will look back specifically at my thoughts and feelings concerning this crazy idea. There I will share my thoughts more fully about completing this deal and what I have learned from doing it. So, for now I am free of this burden I created for myself. It kind of took over my 2020, but......what else was I gonna do?!

Stay tuned for the final look at The Quest.   

Brown Season: Downhill and a Tailwind to the End

Croxton Road

 Well........it's over! I've completed "The Quest", and just in time! Winter returned over the weekend and the Spring-like temperatures of Thursday are now a distant memory. I'm glad I have that wrapped up for many reasons, but not the least of which is that it would be infinitely more difficult to ride longer section of gravel out in the open now. I'm very glad I don't have that to worry about!

So, a lesson learned which I will now share. Last Summer I was out in Eastern Black Hawk County on one of these quest rides and I looped through Jesup Iowa and headed out of town South and West to catch the end of Young Road and eventually find my way back to Waterloo. Well, as fate would have it, I rode right past Croxton Road. I knew it had to be an 'out-and-back' section of road as it went South straight towards Highway 20, which is a limited access highway. I figured I'd get back to that, besides, I hadn't studied the maps to even realize that Croxton Road was there or how I might make it work into another route. It wasn't on my radar that day anyway. So I rode straight on by. 

Big mistake!

But not only that, I had a second chance to bag it last month and I passed on that opportunity. Now Croxton Road was a pox on my brain. A short crumb of gravel left out there dangling that now I was going to have to make a special effort to go ride. What a pain! I should have just knocked it out when I first saw it, and you wanna know why? The kicker is that it is all of a quarter mile long! 

Gah! Oh well. I had to take my medicine and drive all the way out there, hop on my bike, and within about ten minutes I was done with that one. Then it was on to the last loop. The last bit of 'The Quest' that was left out there. It was a loop which would have about eight miles of road that I had to bag yet, plus another 3/4's of a mile I needed to get nearby. These were close enough together that I could combine it all into one bigger ride. 

The end of Croxton Road was right on Highway 20 near Jesup.

The stub end of Miller Creek Road that is East of HWY 218

After dealing with the mistake of ignoring Croxton Road I went to an access off the Cedar Valley Nature Trail just North of Ripple Road which I could ride to and take Ripple Road over Highway 218, go West to Cotter Road, North then to Miller Creek Road, and then east to bag the road as an out-and-back. Then I would retrace my steps to Cotter Road and find Quarry Road Eastward to Kline Road, which began my 'new-to-me' section. 

Now when I reached Miller Creek Road, I'll be danged if that Eastward section wasn't chip sealed! Arrgh! Once again, the State DOT map was wrong. I went to Highway 218 anyway because the last tiny bit East of the highway was gravel and I bagged it and went on my way. 

Miller Creek Road's terminus East of Highway 218.

Barns For Jason #1 - This on Kober Road

The wind was up out of the South, and unlike the previous day, this time the wind was significant. The flags were standing straight out and rippling fiercely, so whatever that wind speed is, that is what it was. All I know is that the wind was tough to ride against. But this route direction was chosen so I would dispense with the rough part first. I just needed to be patient and 'eat my broccoli'. Dessert would be served later. 

Kober Road looking into Benton County in the distance.

Barns For Jason #'s 2 & 3: This is at the corner of 14th Ave & 50th St. Dr in Benton County.

I jig-a-jogged over to Kober Road and then south through to Benton County where I could take the next Westbound road and return North, eventually coming out on Kline Road in Black Hawk County. 

Barns For Jason #'s 4 & 5: This round barn on 50th St. Dr. One of three made of ceramic tiles thought to have been sold by James McQuilkin of the Johnson Brothers Clay Works. 

Kline Road looking North

Once I rounded the corner down in Benton County I could get the benefit of the big Southern breeze. But that also meant that it would feel much hotter and the air temperature was soaring. When I started out at Croxton Road it was still nippy. In the upper 30's. But by this time the mercury had soared up into the low 50's and it would scrape 60 before the end of the ride. I had to find a way to ditch my heavy Bontrager windbreaker. I already had removed my gloves by this point. But where to stow this stuff? I had only a Bike Bag Dude Garage Bag and nothing else. 

I dug around in the top tube bag and found an old ByKyle junk strap from Trans Iowa v5, I think! I have a few extras of those, anyway.... I also had several rolled up Velcro straps from Giant bike builds which I had saved, rolled up into tiny balls, and stuffed into that top tube bag. Who knows when you'll need those! Well, that 'when' was right now! 

It was super dusty out there, as you can see by the 'contrail' left by a semi-tractor trailer which had just passed on a crossing road.

Barns For Jason #6 and #7 on Kline Road

I rolled up the Bontrager windbreaker as tightly as I could. I "X" wrapped it tightly with the straps and then with my last one I hung it from the handle bars in front of the head tube. Perfect! With the ear flaps in the 'up' position on my Walz Caps wool cycling hat, I was ready to take on the final miles of this ride, and of "The Quest" overall, which lay before me.

An unmarked cemetery just a bit west of LaPorte City on Kline Road. 

It doesn't look like much, but this is a downhill on Ripple Road, the last gravel of "The Quest".

I had a mahoosive tailwind and so it didn't take long, or much effort, to clear the rollers and get back to Ripple Road, my final descent to the CVNT and then just a short mile back to the truck. Ripple Road ends on a dirt two-track before it reaches the recreation trail, and as I went through a bit of a depression in the road, I heard a "SNAP!" and then my saddle felt all wonky. I thought at first the saddle clamp had rotated and that my saddle was severely 'nose up' now. But when I stopped I saw that I had actually snapped the seat post!

Well, that's the end of the line for that Specialized C-GR post!

Dang! I was sure glad THAT never happened out in the middle of nowhere! I don't know how many gravel miles I've put on that post this Summer, Fall, and now Winter, but it has been a LOT. 

Anyway, this meant the last mile plus was done standing up. At least that was on flat rec trail! Looking back, if you had to break a seat post, this is how you'd want it to go. It didn't snap off, it didn't cut me, it didn't leave me with 30 miles to go, and "The Quest" is over. How about them apples?

Well, I didn't buy the post new, I bought it used and only for $35.00, so I don't have a warranty and I got what I paid for out of it and more. No hard feelings, but it does raise some concerns about carbon fiber seat posts again. This will be the second one I've broken. Some posts are better than others, so I don't know that it is 'carbon' necessarily, but when carbon fails...... Yikes! 

Anyway, this is about finishing up "The Quest", not about a stupid seat post! Yes! I am finished! I cannot say I had any standout feelings about finishing up as I rode in, pre-breaking post. I did laugh out loud at one point when I thought about how ridiculous this whole ruse was. Ride every gravel road in the county? Ha! What a dumb idea! Or was it? 

I'll have a post following where I will look back specifically at my thoughts and feelings concerning this crazy idea. There I will share my thoughts more fully about completing this deal and what I have learned from doing it. So, for now I am free of this burden I created for myself. It kind of took over my 2020, but......what else was I gonna do?!

Stay tuned for the final look at The Quest.   

Seat Post Testing: Final Thoughts And Observations

L-R: The PRO Carbon post, Whiskey Carbon post, Specialized C-GR

Over the past month, month and a half, I have been trading off rides on various vibration absorbing seat posts. I'll admit right up front that this article is all about my subjective opinions and that these observations are not scientifically arrived at. So, boo-hoo if you are looking for numbers and data to crunch here because I'm not going to go into that realm. Not that science is bad, I just cannot afford it. So, you get my considered opinions. If that matters to you, great, if not......well, see ya next time. 

The posts I used included the Specialized C-GR, the Whiskey Parts No. 7 seat post, the PRO Carbon post, the PRO Aluminum post, and the vaunted Redshift Sports ShockStop suspension seat post.

So, let me get the obvious out of the way right up front: Nothing was as comfortable to ride as the Redshift post. Not even close. Secondly- nothing else was nearly as heavy as the Redshift post. To get that level of isolation from vibrations, that comes at a monetary and weight compromise, versus something like the Whiskey No. 7 Carbon Post, which is light and costs under a hundred bucks. But obviously, that Whiskey post, or the others I mentioned, don't have anywhere near that level of smooth.

So, with the Redshift post being the outlier, what post would I go with out of the others? The PRO Carbon post, with the Dyneema fabric, is really light at about 215 grams or so. The C-GR is supposedly pretty cushy too, and that Whiskey post is the least expensive of the lot and has a smooth ride to boot. They are all at about the same level of comfort here, but that said, there are some clear distinctions.

The C-GR is clearly the best feeling post, in terms of what you don't feel. That isn't to say that its claims of 'travel' are there. I didn't feel it being any smoother than the Whiskey post, as an example. However; it does mute a lot of vibrations. In that area, it was the best of the lot of rigid posts. (I classify it as rigid since I don't get any sensation the C-GR actually has any travel) The bad thing? Set back, which the C-GR has a LOT of. If you don't like a lot of set back- don't even look at this post.

The PRO Carbon was probably the next best at vibration absorbing. It supposedly has deflection as well, but the C-GR and this post have similar feeling bump absorbing capabilities. The C-GR just mutes a bit different frequencies, and I thought it edged out the PRO, but barely. Obviously, this post has a reasonable set back, a very usable saddle fore/aft range, and it has the easiest to use clamp of the lot by far.

The PRO Carbon post here.

The Whiskey Post has probably the most deflection here, so if bumps are more of an issue, this post is by far the winner. It does okay in terms of vibration damping, but it doesn't surpass or even attain to the C-GR or the Pro Carbon. It weighs a bit more than the C-GR and is quite a bit heavier than the featherweight PRO Carbon post at 273 grams. As mentioned, this post costs the least amount, by far.

The PRO Aluminum post was the control here, and it does what the majority of good aluminum posts do. By the way, I have three titanium Salsa Cycles Regulator posts as well. That post is the heaviest of the rigid posts here and has about the same deflection as most of these. It is probably the toughest post of all here. So, I'll throw that out as well. (For a bit more detail on the Ti Regulator, here is a post I wrote about it)

All these posts have clear, winning attributes, it just depends on what you expect out of a post. Here is my breakdown;

• Specialized C-GR: Best at vibration damping. Bad at positioning unless you like set back, expensive.
• PRO Carbon, Almost as good at vibration damping as the C-GR, reasonable set back, best clamp, lightest, but EXPENSIVE. 
• Whiskey No. 7: Great bump eater, reasonably light, CHEAP, but a tad heavy. TONS of value for a gravel bike here. 
• Salsa Cycles Regulator Ti. HEAVY, TOUGH, EXPENSIVE. Probably will not break. Good ride feel. 

Winner for me? Whiskey No. 7. It does all the things reasonably well and doesn't break your wallet into tiny pieces forever. But a 'money-no-object' winner would be the PRO Carbon post for sure. Finally, the Ti Regulator is probably going to outlast me, is cool looking, and rides well enough. If carbon is out of the question, then that would be my choice. I cannot recommend the C-GR to many people. That massive set back is just too extreme.

But oh! That Redshift post is sooooo smoove! Damn the weight. That's my long distance winner everyday.

Seat Post Testing: Final Thoughts And Observations

L-R: The PRO Carbon post, Whiskey Carbon post, Specialized C-GR

Over the past month, month and a half, I have been trading off rides on various vibration absorbing seat posts. I'll admit right up front that this article is all about my subjective opinions and that these observations are not scientifically arrived at. So, boo-hoo if you are looking for numbers and data to crunch here because I'm not going to go into that realm. Not that science is bad, I just cannot afford it. So, you get my considered opinions. If that matters to you, great, if not......well, see ya next time. 

The posts I used included the Specialized C-GR, the Whiskey Parts No. 7 seat post, the PRO Carbon post, the PRO Aluminum post, and the vaunted Redshift Sports ShockStop suspension seat post.

So, let me get the obvious out of the way right up front: Nothing was as comfortable to ride as the Redshift post. Not even close. Secondly- nothing else was nearly as heavy as the Redshift post. To get that level of isolation from vibrations, that comes at a monetary and weight compromise, versus something like the Whiskey No. 7 Carbon Post, which is light and costs under a hundred bucks. But obviously, that Whiskey post, or the others I mentioned, don't have anywhere near that level of smooth.

So, with the Redshift post being the outlier, what post would I go with out of the others? The PRO Carbon post, with the Dyneema fabric, is really light at about 215 grams or so. The C-GR is supposedly pretty cushy too, and that Whiskey post is the least expensive of the lot and has a smooth ride to boot. They are all at about the same level of comfort here, but that said, there are some clear distinctions.

The C-GR is clearly the best feeling post, in terms of what you don't feel. That isn't to say that its claims of 'travel' are there. I didn't feel it being any smoother than the Whiskey post, as an example. However; it does mute a lot of vibrations. In that area, it was the best of the lot of rigid posts. (I classify it as rigid since I don't get any sensation the C-GR actually has any travel) The bad thing? Set back, which the C-GR has a LOT of. If you don't like a lot of set back- don't even look at this post.

The PRO Carbon was probably the next best at vibration absorbing. It supposedly has deflection as well, but the C-GR and this post have similar feeling bump absorbing capabilities. The C-GR just mutes a bit different frequencies, and I thought it edged out the PRO, but barely. Obviously, this post has a reasonable set back, a very usable saddle fore/aft range, and it has the easiest to use clamp of the lot by far.

The PRO Carbon post here.

The Whiskey Post has probably the most deflection here, so if bumps are more of an issue, this post is by far the winner. It does okay in terms of vibration damping, but it doesn't surpass or even attain to the C-GR or the Pro Carbon. It weighs a bit more than the C-GR and is quite a bit heavier than the featherweight PRO Carbon post at 273 grams. As mentioned, this post costs the least amount, by far.

The PRO Aluminum post was the control here, and it does what the majority of good aluminum posts do. By the way, I have three titanium Salsa Cycles Regulator posts as well. That post is the heaviest of the rigid posts here and has about the same deflection as most of these. It is probably the toughest post of all here. So, I'll throw that out as well. (For a bit more detail on the Ti Regulator, here is a post I wrote about it)

All these posts have clear, winning attributes, it just depends on what you expect out of a post. Here is my breakdown;

• Specialized C-GR: Best at vibration damping. Bad at positioning unless you like set back, expensive.
• PRO Carbon, Almost as good at vibration damping as the C-GR, reasonable set back, best clamp, lightest, but EXPENSIVE. 
• Whiskey No. 7: Great bump eater, reasonably light, CHEAP, but a tad heavy. TONS of value for a gravel bike here. 
• Salsa Cycles Regulator Ti. HEAVY, TOUGH, EXPENSIVE. Probably will not break. Good ride feel. 

Winner for me? Whiskey No. 7. It does all the things reasonably well and doesn't break your wallet into tiny pieces forever. But a 'money-no-object' winner would be the PRO Carbon post for sure. Finally, the Ti Regulator is probably going to outlast me, is cool looking, and rides well enough. If carbon is out of the question, then that would be my choice. I cannot recommend the C-GR to many people. That massive set back is just too extreme.

But oh! That Redshift post is sooooo smoove! Damn the weight. That's my long distance winner everyday.

Friday News And Views

The full announcement made Tuesday of this week.

Viruses and Gravel Don't Mix: 

As you all know by now, everything is cancelled that is fun. That or postponed. I don't care if I don't hear "cancelled" or "postponed" again for.......years! I'm getting pretty worn out by it all now, as I am sure many of you out there are as well.

However; there are always consequences. That's one thing we haven't looked at much yet. One of the MAJOR consequences of all these postponements and potential postponements is that the month of October, for whatever reason, is getting all the rescheduled dates I am seeing. Iowa Wind And Rock, is one of the major ones doing that here. But many other events nationwide that should be happening now, or in April, are looking to October now. Why October?

I'm going to take a stab and say that insurance is one reason why. Many policies for events let you slide a date, but only for so long. October may be as late as some can push their events back to. School starting and other concerns may also play a part here, and of course, weather plays a factor here as well. But I know from our C.O.G. 100 rescheduling choices that October is really an attractive choice, but my concern is that all these Spring events are going to essentially cannibalize the already scheduled Fall events. You know, there are only so many things a person can do, and since Spring is, for all intents and purposes, going to be devoid of events, and maybe even the beginning of Summer, (who knows?) everyone is looking to Fall to push their event to and hold it, despite what is already going to be happening anyway.

The big domino yet to fall is the Dirty Kanza. If- and I stress IF - they decide to reschedule, and IF they choose Fall to do that, (and all bets would be pretty sure if you place them on a cooler Fall day for that location), then that event will suck away a huge number of potential riders. Not to mention college football, high school football, school, and other fall activities like cyclo cross. Ya know, I don't see it working out real well if everybody chooses a Fall date. Might be better just to write off 2020 as a complete loss and go to 2021.

But we'll see.

Industry papers are reporting that Europe factory closures are further damping HPC sales.

HPC Production Further Hurt By Factory Closures In Europe:

The COVID-19 effects roll on as not only has Chinese production taken a hit, but now it is reported that the big electric Hybrid Powered Cycles (HPC) manufacturers are being affected in Europe by factory closures. While sales were expected to increase over last year by double-digit percentages, I would assume expectations are being tempered somewhat by the closures.

This news should also affect saddles and shoes for cycling, not to mention clothing, all of which comes from Northern Italy where the pandemic has hit pretty hard. What the results will be are yet to be seen, but I wouldn't be surprised to see disruptions in supply over the course of 2020 and perhaps into next year depending upon how long this lasts.

Seat post testing: Here the Noble Bikes GX5 is set up with the Specialized C-GR post.

Seat Post Testing: 

Seat posts have the potential for being a vibration absorbing component on many gravel bikes, especially with the extensions many gravel bikes require. All that bare seat post can be effective in making for a smoother ride if the post is designed correctly.

I am using a few posts now which promise to have a nice, vibration absorbing ride. The PRO Dyneema Carbon post was first. Now I've got the Specialized C-GR post cued up and I've ridden it a little bit. My impressions so far are that it is slicing hairs to compare these things. I have also been running a Whiskey carbon post along with the Ti Regulator Salsa post for some time. Really........I gotta say that they are all pretty similar. Maybe one is feeling nicer on one day and a different one feels better on another day. That's how blurry the lines are between all these posts.

I'll continue to explore the differences as the gravel roads get better and the weather warms some more. But I suspect I am going to find that there isn't a hill of beans of difference between all the carbon/titanium posts and they all will compare unfavorably to the suspension posts. There is just a huge difference in feel once you go to a full on mechanically suspended post.  Traditional passive flexing posts just don't match up here.

So, the bottom line will likely be that if you are seeking relief from vibrations and bumps in terms of gravel riding, then go suspended on the seat post. The best a passive flexing post can do is take the zing out of a hit or maybe damp a little bit of the frequency range. I'll come back with a final write up on this subject and I will also give you reasons why a suspension seat post may be a bad idea.

From last year's GTDRI

 Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational 2020 Cancelled:

In light of our new realities here, I am going to go ahead and cancel the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational for 2020. It is my belief that it would be irresponsible to hold such an event in light of the suggestions that the COVID-19 pandemic may not be 100% wrapped up by that time.

And even if it is, which right now would be a minor miracle, I am going to clear this event off people's radar so that they can make other plans, just in case I am wrong. My belief is we won't be out of the woods yet by late July.

My suggestion is that we all do our own adventure rides and get used to being alone, or maybe with another companion. But practicing social distancing in a group is not workable. Not in my opinion. (See yesterday's post)

My intentions are to ride the course to vet it out and then, if it works out, I will use this route I have planned for a 2021 ride. We will see how that all works out. Look for posts concerning this throughout Spring and Summer.

Andy's Bike Shop Video: Earlier this week I promised you all that I would post that link to the video we did reviewing a couple of Giant Revolt gravel bikes. If you care to see that, here is that link. WARNING: They tell me I have more of a "radio face", so be prepared! Ha!

Remember CIOCC?  They are back in the UK.

Italian Speakers Will Laugh Now:

When I first got into working on bicycles, the shop I worked at had a large selection of Italian made frames for sale. There were the "common" Bianchi frames, Colnago, DeBernadi, Gios, and more I cannot remember.

Among all the Italian marques though, the most mysterious one to me was CIOCC. No one seemed to know a whole lot about about them, and then ........how the heck do you pronounce THAT name?!!

Now there were a few people that had those bikes in the area back then and we tried pronouncing the name to the best of our Mid-Western ways. We arrived on something that sounded like "chee-ohch". Well, since no one I knew spoke Italian, how were we to know back in the 90's? It wasn't like we could look it up on the innergoogles, ya know!

So, the other day I get a press release for this brand announcing their return to the UK market. The press release tells how to pronounce the name! So, apparently it is like saying "church" without much of the "r" in that word. Try it. Once you say it, I think a green light will go off and it will make sense. How we used to say that name in the 90's never sat right with me.

Anyway, the bikes! They have a gravel bike, of course, which is steel and is quite fetching, as seen here in brown. But they also do steel classic road frames, titanium road frames (gorgeous, by the way), and carbon fiber. All of Italian manufacture, and all beautiful to look at. Too bad we won't see them over here.

I apologize for the bummer FN&V this week, but it is what it is now. Hopefully better news is on the horizon. Stay safe and stay positive!

Friday News And Views

The full announcement made Tuesday of this week.

Viruses and Gravel Don't Mix: 

As you all know by now, everything is cancelled that is fun. That or postponed. I don't care if I don't hear "cancelled" or "postponed" again for.......years! I'm getting pretty worn out by it all now, as I am sure many of you out there are as well.

However; there are always consequences. That's one thing we haven't looked at much yet. One of the MAJOR consequences of all these postponements and potential postponements is that the month of October, for whatever reason, is getting all the rescheduled dates I am seeing. Iowa Wind And Rock, is one of the major ones doing that here. But many other events nationwide that should be happening now, or in April, are looking to October now. Why October?

I'm going to take a stab and say that insurance is one reason why. Many policies for events let you slide a date, but only for so long. October may be as late as some can push their events back to. School starting and other concerns may also play a part here, and of course, weather plays a factor here as well. But I know from our C.O.G. 100 rescheduling choices that October is really an attractive choice, but my concern is that all these Spring events are going to essentially cannibalize the already scheduled Fall events. You know, there are only so many things a person can do, and since Spring is, for all intents and purposes, going to be devoid of events, and maybe even the beginning of Summer, (who knows?) everyone is looking to Fall to push their event to and hold it, despite what is already going to be happening anyway.

The big domino yet to fall is the Dirty Kanza. If- and I stress IF - they decide to reschedule, and IF they choose Fall to do that, (and all bets would be pretty sure if you place them on a cooler Fall day for that location), then that event will suck away a huge number of potential riders. Not to mention college football, high school football, school, and other fall activities like cyclo cross. Ya know, I don't see it working out real well if everybody chooses a Fall date. Might be better just to write off 2020 as a complete loss and go to 2021.

But we'll see.

Industry papers are reporting that Europe factory closures are further damping HPC sales.

HPC Production Further Hurt By Factory Closures In Europe:

The COVID-19 effects roll on as not only has Chinese production taken a hit, but now it is reported that the big electric Hybrid Powered Cycles (HPC) manufacturers are being affected in Europe by factory closures. While sales were expected to increase over last year by double-digit percentages, I would assume expectations are being tempered somewhat by the closures.

This news should also affect saddles and shoes for cycling, not to mention clothing, all of which comes from Northern Italy where the pandemic has hit pretty hard. What the results will be are yet to be seen, but I wouldn't be surprised to see disruptions in supply over the course of 2020 and perhaps into next year depending upon how long this lasts.

Seat post testing: Here the Noble Bikes GX5 is set up with the Specialized C-GR post.

Seat Post Testing: 

Seat posts have the potential for being a vibration absorbing component on many gravel bikes, especially with the extensions many gravel bikes require. All that bare seat post can be effective in making for a smoother ride if the post is designed correctly.

I am using a few posts now which promise to have a nice, vibration absorbing ride. The PRO Dyneema Carbon post was first. Now I've got the Specialized C-GR post cued up and I've ridden it a little bit. My impressions so far are that it is slicing hairs to compare these things. I have also been running a Whiskey carbon post along with the Ti Regulator Salsa post for some time. Really........I gotta say that they are all pretty similar. Maybe one is feeling nicer on one day and a different one feels better on another day. That's how blurry the lines are between all these posts.

I'll continue to explore the differences as the gravel roads get better and the weather warms some more. But I suspect I am going to find that there isn't a hill of beans of difference between all the carbon/titanium posts and they all will compare unfavorably to the suspension posts. There is just a huge difference in feel once you go to a full on mechanically suspended post.  Traditional passive flexing posts just don't match up here.

So, the bottom line will likely be that if you are seeking relief from vibrations and bumps in terms of gravel riding, then go suspended on the seat post. The best a passive flexing post can do is take the zing out of a hit or maybe damp a little bit of the frequency range. I'll come back with a final write up on this subject and I will also give you reasons why a suspension seat post may be a bad idea.

From last year's GTDRI

 Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational 2020 Cancelled:

In light of our new realities here, I am going to go ahead and cancel the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational for 2020. It is my belief that it would be irresponsible to hold such an event in light of the suggestions that the COVID-19 pandemic may not be 100% wrapped up by that time.

And even if it is, which right now would be a minor miracle, I am going to clear this event off people's radar so that they can make other plans, just in case I am wrong. My belief is we won't be out of the woods yet by late July.

My suggestion is that we all do our own adventure rides and get used to being alone, or maybe with another companion. But practicing social distancing in a group is not workable. Not in my opinion. (See yesterday's post)

My intentions are to ride the course to vet it out and then, if it works out, I will use this route I have planned for a 2021 ride. We will see how that all works out. Look for posts concerning this throughout Spring and Summer.

Andy's Bike Shop Video: Earlier this week I promised you all that I would post that link to the video we did reviewing a couple of Giant Revolt gravel bikes. If you care to see that, here is that link. WARNING: They tell me I have more of a "radio face", so be prepared! Ha!

Remember CIOCC?  They are back in the UK.

Italian Speakers Will Laugh Now:

When I first got into working on bicycles, the shop I worked at had a large selection of Italian made frames for sale. There were the "common" Bianchi frames, Colnago, DeBernadi, Gios, and more I cannot remember.

Among all the Italian marques though, the most mysterious one to me was CIOCC. No one seemed to know a whole lot about about them, and then ........how the heck do you pronounce THAT name?!!

Now there were a few people that had those bikes in the area back then and we tried pronouncing the name to the best of our Mid-Western ways. We arrived on something that sounded like "chee-ohch". Well, since no one I knew spoke Italian, how were we to know back in the 90's? It wasn't like we could look it up on the innergoogles, ya know!

So, the other day I get a press release for this brand announcing their return to the UK market. The press release tells how to pronounce the name! So, apparently it is like saying "church" without much of the "r" in that word. Try it. Once you say it, I think a green light will go off and it will make sense. How we used to say that name in the 90's never sat right with me.

Anyway, the bikes! They have a gravel bike, of course, which is steel and is quite fetching, as seen here in brown. But they also do steel classic road frames, titanium road frames (gorgeous, by the way), and carbon fiber. All of Italian manufacture, and all beautiful to look at. Too bad we won't see them over here.

I apologize for the bummer FN&V this week, but it is what it is now. Hopefully better news is on the horizon. Stay safe and stay positive!