Friday News And Views

 Today's "News And Views" is going to feature a lot of press release material. There has been an uptick in activity here since the Taipei Cycle show is coming up soon. Okay, on with the FN&V!

Shimano announced new eyewear. (Image courtesy of Shimano)

Shimano Releases New Technium and Twinspark Eyewear:

Shimano announced three new pairs of Sunglasses for all disciplines of cycling on Wednesday. Included in this announcement were the Technium half-framed models, the Technium and lighter weight Technium L, and the full-framed Twinspark. These are in addition to the SPhyre models released last year.

Featuring Shimano's Ridescape lens tech, the glasses come with three lens options and each of those is paired with a clear alternate lens which can be swapped in for low-light or night riding conditions. The glasses have reversible nose pads for a customized fit and also feature "Arkema Rilsan® clear G850 Rnew® 45% bio-based materials that help reduce carbon emissions during the manufacturing process.", according to the press release. 

Prices are $100.00 USD for the Technium models and $65.00 for the Twinspark model. 

Comments: Shimano debuted the Ridescape lens eyewear last year and....I hate to say this, but I was not impressed. (You can read my take on them HERE) I looked to see if Shimano had said anything concerning an update to the lens but I did not see that. (Confirmed by my Shimano contact) I liked everything else about the glasses, but the clarity was....off. Hopefully my pair were an outlier and not representative of the main output of these glasses. 

ABUS Wall Anchor bike storage/security idea. (Image courtesy of ABUS)

ABUS Wall Anchor Secures Bikes In Storage:

A new and interesting idea from ABUS allows you to store a bicycle in a garage or elsewhere that there is a wall and secure it with your cable lock. 

Using a steel angled plate which is held in place by two lag bolts, the Wall Anchor is meant to hold your bicycle in an upright position against a wall by the pedal. A steel loop then allows you to lock the bike to the anchor which has two ball bearings that fit into the fastener heads which are there to prevent anyone from removing the wall anchor. There also is an angled plate which can be placed under the rear wheel to keep the bike from wanting to pivot from the Wall Anchor's pedal grabbing hook. 

In this snip from ABUS' YouTube video, you can see how the bike is supported.

This could be a great solution for those with garage storage of bicycles, an apartment dweller, or for those who have Summer cottages, etc. You can watch a You Tube video explainer HERE. 

The Wall Anchor costs $79.99 and is made in Germany.

Ama Nsek (Image courtesy of Scuderia Pinarello)

Ama Nsek Joins Scuderia Pinarello Team:

USA Cat 1 Elite road race champion Ama Nsek announced he was joining the Scuderia Pinarello Team as an "athlete ambassador" for the 2024 season. Pinarello sent the announcement on Tuesday of this week. 

Nsek will join Scuderia Pinarello's other athletes in a three-tiered team setting consisting of Competitor, Community Leader, and Adventurer categories. 

In all, there are eight riders on the Scuderia Pinarello Team who will be doing competitive events on road and gravel courses while organizing group rides, coaching, and creating a "more inclusive cycling community" while off the bike. 

Other Scuderia Pinarello athletes on the team are Cicily Decker and Ethan Overson (Competitive), Mari Holden and Anthony Carter (Community Leader), and Hillary Allen, Jamie Bestwick, and Johnny Collinson. (Adventurer)

Comments; It is notable that now several brands are skirting the traditional means of athlete/team sponsorships and going into gravel and unsanctioned "adventure/ultra-endurance" cycling events. Specialized pulling sponsorship from athletes notwithstanding, this newer means of aligning a brand with cycling's current hot segments of gravel, social awareness/inclusiveness, and adventure cycling seems to be gaining traction. 

On the athlete side it is interesting that now riders seem to have to piece together a patchwork of sponsors and endorsement deals to make a living at riding a bicycle competitively or on the coattails of gravel and adventure cycling. For some it seems to be working, but I've noted it seems that some are struggling to make ends meet, if social media posts are anything to go by there. 

Courtesy of Panaracer's social media

Let's Speculate!

On Wednesday Panaracer posted a social media short indicating that they will have a new tire, (presumably it is a tire), coming on March 1st. 

Assuming it is another addition to the Gravel King range, what can we draw from the images Panaracer showed in their post? Well, to do that you have to understand what was shown. 

First off they showed a paved road. Then most of the rest of the content was a fast overview of what you see here, which to my eye looks like dirt, or sand. Maybe a desert? Whatever they are showing, it is NOT crushed rock, or as we all know it, "gravel". And maybe it isn't even a "gravel" king tire. Maybe it is "Sand King" or something. So maybe this is not really a gravel tire at all. Still, it may seem odd to many to call it a 'gravel king' if that is what Panaracer is doing here.

But that never stopped Panaracer before. Some of you may remember Panaracer's first "Gravel King" tires which were not anything I'd ever want to ride on "gravel", if we are talking crushed rock roads. Those were 23mm, 25mm, and 28mm tires back in 2013. Crazy, right? Then in 2014 Panaracer came out with a (gasp!) 32mm Gravel King! The brand may have been first to market with a "gravel" tire, but others beat them to producing a "real", 38mm+ width tire for crushed rock roads. So, if this is something on the fringe of what you would consider "gravel", don't be surprised. This brand is known for that. 

Not a criticism of Panaracer at all. Just an observance of what they have done used to speculate about what the brand might be doing. We will see March 1st!

New Podcast Episode:

In the latest "Guitar Ted Podcast" sponsored by CORE4, we attempt to answer the question inspired by Dave Pryor of unPAved of the Susquehanna River Valley fame, which is: "Did gravel cycling save racing?"

We also get into how to grow cycling effectively, plus we gab about nuclear testing, bazaars in Iraq, and tour cycling through Hokah, Minnesota.  Yes. Really. 

You can find the latest episode at your favorite podcast provider or you can listen by clicking THIS LINK. 

The "Guitar Ted Podcast" is sponsored by CORE4. Thanks for listening!


 Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Who Is Watching You?

Gravel riding in rural areas is calming, relatively safe, and obviously, it also must be a lot of fun, because so many people are engaged in the activity now. There are a few things one should know when riding in rural areas, and many of those things are obvious. Dogs? yep, we've been aware of that. How about how to read roads? Yes, you've seen articles on that. Finding routes? You betcha! 

But have you considered the rural residents, their attitudes about strangers, and how that intersects with a rise in distrust generally amongst the populace? Connect the dots and you might be surprised to find out that this has resulted in a rise of security measures on the part of rural residents. In other words- you are being watched. 

Security cameras are nothing new. They used to be big, metallic covered, clunky, and easily spotted devices, but that is no longer the case. Today's cameras are often camouflaged, wireless, and can "see" in a wide range, and even in the dark. Basically, you never know when someone might be sitting at a computer desk, or lounging with a laptop, just, you know, 'checking the cameras', and see you on their property, or 'just passing by". 

The most obvious places to find this technology is around homes and outbuildings, but you should also be aware that 'game cameras' often are mounted along roads, and especially low maintenance roads, where hunters like to find game. So, just because you are out of eyesight of a house, are you really? 

Modern security cameras have wide fields of view and can see in the dark

 And maybe you think its 'no big deal', right? I mean, who cares if you ride a Level B road, or poach that Level C road, (which is illegal, by the way) Well, if that's how you think, you have no clue as to how the residents of rural areas see you. 

Rural Iowans, (and I suspect many rural residents across the USA), are very suspicious of strangers, and oddballs on bicycles don't typically help that feeling along. Sure, most folks are kind, and even very helpful to us as cyclists. Heck, I had a young man in a pick-up truck stop to ask if I was okay as I was resting on a bridge just last week, But typically suspicion is their first emotion, and if it is an odd time of day, or at night, you can bet that the suspicions will run higher. And also- You never know who you are dealing with. 

I've run across the more suspicious types, and with a bit of conversation, the atmosphere gets cleared. However; if you are poking around an outbuilding looking for a good place to take your "nature break", you are going to have to accept that there may be some unpleasant consequences. And that may be chalked up to security cameras on the scene. 

I'm not trying to brow-beat, or talk anyone out of riding rural areas. To the contrary! I happen to enjoy the rides out of town immensely, and I highly recommend that you do it as well, if you can. However; it pays to be aware that times have changed, and technology is creeping all over the world. The 'eyes' of someone who is invisible to you just may be on you and your activities anywhere, literally, these days. And you know, this surveillance is only going to increase.

Always be aware and ask, "Who is watching me now?", before you do something off the bike, or before you ride a non-public road or area. The answer to that question might very well be, "Someone is watching!", and you should act accordingly. Remember- "Choices come with Consequences" - Are you willing to accept that? 

Choose carefully.

Who Is Watching You?

Gravel riding in rural areas is calming, relatively safe, and obviously, it also must be a lot of fun, because so many people are engaged in the activity now. There are a few things one should know when riding in rural areas, and many of those things are obvious. Dogs? yep, we've been aware of that. How about how to read roads? Yes, you've seen articles on that. Finding routes? You betcha! 

But have you considered the rural residents, their attitudes about strangers, and how that intersects with a rise in distrust generally amongst the populace? Connect the dots and you might be surprised to find out that this has resulted in a rise of security measures on the part of rural residents. In other words- you are being watched. 

Security cameras are nothing new. They used to be big, metallic covered, clunky, and easily spotted devices, but that is no longer the case. Today's cameras are often camouflaged, wireless, and can "see" in a wide range, and even in the dark. Basically, you never know when someone might be sitting at a computer desk, or lounging with a laptop, just, you know, 'checking the cameras', and see you on their property, or 'just passing by". 

The most obvious places to find this technology is around homes and outbuildings, but you should also be aware that 'game cameras' often are mounted along roads, and especially low maintenance roads, where hunters like to find game. So, just because you are out of eyesight of a house, are you really? 

Modern security cameras have wide fields of view and can see in the dark

 And maybe you think its 'no big deal', right? I mean, who cares if you ride a Level B road, or poach that Level C road, (which is illegal, by the way) Well, if that's how you think, you have no clue as to how the residents of rural areas see you. 

Rural Iowans, (and I suspect many rural residents across the USA), are very suspicious of strangers, and oddballs on bicycles don't typically help that feeling along. Sure, most folks are kind, and even very helpful to us as cyclists. Heck, I had a young man in a pick-up truck stop to ask if I was okay as I was resting on a bridge just last week, But typically suspicion is their first emotion, and if it is an odd time of day, or at night, you can bet that the suspicions will run higher. And also- You never know who you are dealing with. 

I've run across the more suspicious types, and with a bit of conversation, the atmosphere gets cleared. However; if you are poking around an outbuilding looking for a good place to take your "nature break", you are going to have to accept that there may be some unpleasant consequences. And that may be chalked up to security cameras on the scene. 

I'm not trying to brow-beat, or talk anyone out of riding rural areas. To the contrary! I happen to enjoy the rides out of town immensely, and I highly recommend that you do it as well, if you can. However; it pays to be aware that times have changed, and technology is creeping all over the world. The 'eyes' of someone who is invisible to you just may be on you and your activities anywhere, literally, these days. And you know, this surveillance is only going to increase.

Always be aware and ask, "Who is watching me now?", before you do something off the bike, or before you ride a non-public road or area. The answer to that question might very well be, "Someone is watching!", and you should act accordingly. Remember- "Choices come with Consequences" - Are you willing to accept that? 

Choose carefully.