Friday News And Views

Jones Bicycles Debuts 29" X 3.25" Crux Tires:

Back when fat bikes were getting hot there were rumors that a 29" fat bike tire might get produced. That wasn't really a very soild thought though, since mold making machines were barely able to crank out 2.5" width 29"er tires at that point and the over-all diameter of such a tire as a 29' X 3.25" tire would easily exceed anything that could make a tire at that point. 

That said, tire companies that weren't necessarily the biggest dogs in the performance bicycle marketplace started doing odder sized tires just to gain a foothold in the market. (See reference to an example below) Vee Tire and Duro Tires are two brands that, while you may not know it, make tons of bicycle tires for lower end bikes and other brands. They just do not have their name front and center when it comes to tires made under their company name. 

You've likely heard about Vee Tire, and you may have used them on a bike, but they are not a "Maxxis" or "Kenda" in the marketplace. Duro is almost unheard of in the performance tire market for bicycles, although they have made popular DH tires in the past. 

So, it wasn't too surprising then when Vee Tire made there Bulldozer model into a 29" X 3.25" tire, which then Jones Bikes adopted as their featured tire on many of their Jones Bikes builds for bikepacking. Now Jones has worked with Duro Tires to bring another, tubeless ready 29" X 3.25" tire in the Crux model. You can check them out here. 

Ultima Multipath Long Range (Image courtesy of Ultima)

Interesting Molded Composite HPC :

Electrified two wheeled contraptions are a dime a dozen, so when I see one that I actually am interested in, you can bet that there is a good reason why. This bike by Ultima from France is just such an example.

It features technology borrowed from automobile manufacturing and uses an injection molded composite technique to create a unique, monocoque, single-piece structure for the frame and the fork is made in much the same way. I've chosen to highlight Ultima's "Long Range" version of their bike to show here because it has the most radical fork design and is meant for all-roads/terrain. 

Essentially a trekking bike, the Ultima Long range has a single-sided fork, ala a Lefty, with a unique parallelogram linkage suspension, which as far as I can discern is based on a "blade", or leaf spring design. (I could be wrong, but the website isn't 100% clear without me doing more digging)
 

The disc brake arrangement is kind of interesting. It would allow for the rider to remove the front wheel without removing the caliper, but since the caliper is basically upside down, I cannot imagine that debris would not want to collect in the pad area, not to mention moisture. 

But besides this odd design choice, it is a very interesting bicycle. Typically any injection molded type designs in the past have not been successful due to breakage or a lack of stiffness which led to poor user experiences. Examples of this that you may have heard of are GT mountain bikes from the early 2000's and Ross, who were resurrected briefly in the early 2000's and used an injection molded hard tail frame for a few models. 

Ultima is using recycled plastic in this frame and fork and their goal is to use 100% recycled plastic for the French produced frame and fork by 2025. Hopefully they can pull it off, but time will tell. 

The bike weighs a claimed 45lbs plus a little and costs well North of 4K, which in light of many offerings on the market is not bad at all. It's just going to come down to how this frame and fork technology holds up under daily usage.

Drunken Rhino (Image courtesy of Nextie)

Drunken Rhinos & Mammoths: What?!

The world of fat bikes just got a little fatter recently  when Nextie, the Far East carbon rim manufacturer, announced that they have made a 128mm wide carbon fat bike rim with a 120mm internal rim width. Following is a bit of the announcement as seen on Facebook:

"We thought the Xiphias 105mm rim had been compatible enough for the biggest tires currently on the market. But according to the needs of one of our loyal customer fans, who is a fat-bike enthusiast, the Xiphias 105mm is still not wide enough, especially for the ground with very thick snow. Wider rims are much more beneficial. So we decided to design and to develop the world's widest carbon bicycle rim - the Drunken Rhinoceros 128mm. Even though it's an extremely niche product, it's our duty to push the boundaries of carbon fiber cycling if one product could meet the needs of our wide range of customers from all the world."

The identity of the "loyal customer" wasn't hard to figure out for me. That would be Mike Curiak, who is solely responsible for this product's existence. He typically has been the driving force behind fat biking in "trail-less", ungroomed areas where there have been less people and more solitude. You can see Mike's bike he tested these on and read more about how to get the rims here. 

In the Facebook comments on Nextie's announcement a link was made available to a bike that probably has the widest Over Lock Dimension (OLD) of any production bicycle that I am aware of. The Mammoth Empire, apparently available from the Philippines, has an over 200mm bolt-on rear hub. 

Snip from a YouTube video on the Mammoth Empire fat bike

Okay, so you've got these huge rear traingle widths, a big, wide carbon fiber rim, and what tire? Well, actually, the big tire came first. That would be the Vee Tire Snowshoe 2XL at 5.05" in width, and it is at least that wide. I've seen side by side comparisons with the Bud and Lou Surly 4.8"ers and the Vee 2XL is noticeably bigger. 

But......could we be on the verge of seeing something even wider come out? 

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Have a great weekend!

Friday News And Views

Jones Bicycles Debuts 29" X 3.25" Crux Tires:

Back when fat bikes were getting hot there were rumors that a 29" fat bike tire might get produced. That wasn't really a very soild thought though, since mold making machines were barely able to crank out 2.5" width 29"er tires at that point and the over-all diameter of such a tire as a 29' X 3.25" tire would easily exceed anything that could make a tire at that point. 

That said, tire companies that weren't necessarily the biggest dogs in the performance bicycle marketplace started doing odder sized tires just to gain a foothold in the market. (See reference to an example below) Vee Tire and Duro Tires are two brands that, while you may not know it, make tons of bicycle tires for lower end bikes and other brands. They just do not have their name front and center when it comes to tires made under their company name. 

You've likely heard about Vee Tire, and you may have used them on a bike, but they are not a "Maxxis" or "Kenda" in the marketplace. Duro is almost unheard of in the performance tire market for bicycles, although they have made popular DH tires in the past. 

So, it wasn't too surprising then when Vee Tire made there Bulldozer model into a 29" X 3.25" tire, which then Jones Bikes adopted as their featured tire on many of their Jones Bikes builds for bikepacking. Now Jones has worked with Duro Tires to bring another, tubeless ready 29" X 3.25" tire in the Crux model. You can check them out here. 

Ultima Multipath Long Range (Image courtesy of Ultima)

Interesting Molded Composite HPC :

Electrified two wheeled contraptions are a dime a dozen, so when I see one that I actually am interested in, you can bet that there is a good reason why. This bike by Ultima from France is just such an example.

It features technology borrowed from automobile manufacturing and uses an injection molded composite technique to create a unique, monocoque, single-piece structure for the frame and the fork is made in much the same way. I've chosen to highlight Ultima's "Long Range" version of their bike to show here because it has the most radical fork design and is meant for all-roads/terrain. 

Essentially a trekking bike, the Ultima Long range has a single-sided fork, ala a Lefty, with a unique parallelogram linkage suspension, which as far as I can discern is based on a "blade", or leaf spring design. (I could be wrong, but the website isn't 100% clear without me doing more digging)
 

The disc brake arrangement is kind of interesting. It would allow for the rider to remove the front wheel without removing the caliper, but since the caliper is basically upside down, I cannot imagine that debris would not want to collect in the pad area, not to mention moisture. 

But besides this odd design choice, it is a very interesting bicycle. Typically any injection molded type designs in the past have not been successful due to breakage or a lack of stiffness which led to poor user experiences. Examples of this that you may have heard of are GT mountain bikes from the early 2000's and Ross, who were resurrected briefly in the early 2000's and used an injection molded hard tail frame for a few models. 

Ultima is using recycled plastic in this frame and fork and their goal is to use 100% recycled plastic for the French produced frame and fork by 2025. Hopefully they can pull it off, but time will tell. 

The bike weighs a claimed 45lbs plus a little and costs well North of 4K, which in light of many offerings on the market is not bad at all. It's just going to come down to how this frame and fork technology holds up under daily usage.

Drunken Rhino (Image courtesy of Nextie)

Drunken Rhinos & Mammoths: What?!

The world of fat bikes just got a little fatter recently  when Nextie, the Far East carbon rim manufacturer, announced that they have made a 128mm wide carbon fat bike rim with a 120mm internal rim width. Following is a bit of the announcement as seen on Facebook:

"We thought the Xiphias 105mm rim had been compatible enough for the biggest tires currently on the market. But according to the needs of one of our loyal customer fans, who is a fat-bike enthusiast, the Xiphias 105mm is still not wide enough, especially for the ground with very thick snow. Wider rims are much more beneficial. So we decided to design and to develop the world's widest carbon bicycle rim - the Drunken Rhinoceros 128mm. Even though it's an extremely niche product, it's our duty to push the boundaries of carbon fiber cycling if one product could meet the needs of our wide range of customers from all the world."

The identity of the "loyal customer" wasn't hard to figure out for me. That would be Mike Curiak, who is solely responsible for this product's existence. He typically has been the driving force behind fat biking in "trail-less", ungroomed areas where there have been less people and more solitude. You can see Mike's bike he tested these on and read more about how to get the rims here. 

In the Facebook comments on Nextie's announcement a link was made available to a bike that probably has the widest Over Lock Dimension (OLD) of any production bicycle that I am aware of. The Mammoth Empire, apparently available from the Philippines, has an over 200mm bolt-on rear hub. 

Snip from a YouTube video on the Mammoth Empire fat bike

Okay, so you've got these huge rear traingle widths, a big, wide carbon fiber rim, and what tire? Well, actually, the big tire came first. That would be the Vee Tire Snowshoe 2XL at 5.05" in width, and it is at least that wide. I've seen side by side comparisons with the Bud and Lou Surly 4.8"ers and the Vee 2XL is noticeably bigger. 

But......could we be on the verge of seeing something even wider come out? 

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Have a great weekend!

Tire Religion: Part 1

Pirelli Cinturato Gravel RC (Image courtesy of Pirelli Tires)

Tires: In my time on the internet dabbling in bicycle stuff, in writing reviews, doing product testing, and with years of riding on all sorts of gravel, it is very apparent to me that tires are THE hot button subject in cycling. 

I mean, how many times have you seen the following type of question? 

"Hey! I am signed up for the Super-Duper Gravel X Race and was wondering what is the best tire for this event. What if it is muddy? What pressures do you run?"

I bet you've seen something like that before on a Facebook group, gravel oriented forum, or the like. I almost always avoid getting into those threads like the plague, because people lose the capacity for all rational thought when it comes to tire choices. Additionally, purchasing bias and lack of experience doesn't seem to deter someone from becoming an "expert" on answering tire questions. 

I mean, I get it. You love your tires, but for a multitude of reasons, what one person may think is "best" may not be that for another. Basically, tire beliefs are religion for many. Isn't that one of the two things you're not supposed to talk about with family and friends? Maybe. Perhaps, but here I go anyway....

Maxxis Ignitor tire test from 2005

So, what do I know about tires? If I think many people are 'not as expert in experience with tires as they think they are' what makes me think I know anything? This is a fair and necessary question at this point.

I'll give you my background, and afterward, if you care, you can decide what, if any expertise on tires I might have, is worthy of consideration here.

Of course, like many of you here reading this, I've ridden bicycles most of my life, which means I have thousands of miles on tires. But so what? 

Well, starting in 2005 I was asked to review bicycle components and my very first review was for a WTB Weirwolf 29"er tire. Since 2005 I have reviewed literally hundreds of different 29 inch and 700c gravel tires, with a smattering of 650B, 26 inch, and fat bike tires thrown in for good measure. 

I've helped design a tire, I have been asked to give feedback on tires in development, and I have been consulted on tire designs in the past. 

I've mounted thousands of tires, fixed tubes, mounted hundreds of tubeless tires using many kinds of sealants. I've ridden thousands of miles on various set ups on gravel, dirt, mud, snow, and pavement. 

So, maybe I don't know what I am talking about, but maybe I do...

Okay, enough of that. I don't really like to write about myself in that tone of voice, but with how some folks get in regards to their passions for their tires, I feel it is a necessary element to have down up front regarding where I am coming from with my opinions. And as always, I welcome reasoned alternative and opposing opinions and I always am willing to change my opinion if what I am reading makes sense. 

Tire testing: December 2022

 Now about those 'forum questions' and why I feel trying to answer them is a big waste of time, generally speaking. First of all, there is the human element, or 'How The Rider Rides'. I've seen people destroy tires I have had no issues with whatsoever. Why is that? Well, is the tire junk? Maybe I didn't ride it as much, or maybe I wasn't riding the tire where the other person did? Or.......maybe it is in how one person rides a bike versus another. 

Cycling is a skill set. Not everyone possesses the same attributes in terms of skills and knowledge as others do.  This can be true within a discipline, but for example, in an extreme sense, I can illustrate this point thusly: Fixed gear riders do things differently than geared riders do. You might think, "Oh! Well that is a 'Captain Obvious' point right there. No-duh, Ted!" But this goes just as much for two gravel riders as it can for a fixie and a geared rider. Some folks know how to ride over terrain with grace, some do it brutally. Some folks are in between somewhere on that continuum. Your gear will suffer different consequences based upon how you ride. Tires will react and perform completely differently depending upon the rider.

So, there is such a thing as a 'skill set', and that is one variable. Another is weight and tire pressure. This should require no explanation, but if you carry more weight, (gear + rider), than another, the tires being the same, there will be definitive and qualitative differences in outcomes concerning tires. 

Tire pressures are another easy to understand difference here. But these settings should always change with weight, terrain concerns, and with regard to the weather conditions. Tire pressures are "set and forget' for many riders, but this is an oversimplification and those folks are cheating themselves of the best results that they could have. But then again, if you don't care......

So, to say to anyone that 'this tire is best' is a bad piece of advice. Even saying "Well, this is what works for me." That's awesome, but it may be the worst thing for another person to follow that advice. Tires are expensive, and making a lot of wrong choices can be a hard pill to swallow, leading to poor outcomes in many ways. I get it. Asking for advice to short-cut your pursuit of tire nirvana is only understandable. But unfortunately, it isn't as easy as asking a question on a forum. 

Next time: I will discuss what one can do to 'thinker their way through' to a better result with regard to tire choices for a gravel event.

Tire Religion: Part 1

Pirelli Cinturato Gravel RC (Image courtesy of Pirelli Tires)

Tires: In my time on the internet dabbling in bicycle stuff, in writing reviews, doing product testing, and with years of riding on all sorts of gravel, it is very apparent to me that tires are THE hot button subject in cycling. 

I mean, how many times have you seen the following type of question? 

"Hey! I am signed up for the Super-Duper Gravel X Race and was wondering what is the best tire for this event. What if it is muddy? What pressures do you run?"

I bet you've seen something like that before on a Facebook group, gravel oriented forum, or the like. I almost always avoid getting into those threads like the plague, because people lose the capacity for all rational thought when it comes to tire choices. Additionally, purchasing bias and lack of experience doesn't seem to deter someone from becoming an "expert" on answering tire questions. 

I mean, I get it. You love your tires, but for a multitude of reasons, what one person may think is "best" may not be that for another. Basically, tire beliefs are religion for many. Isn't that one of the two things you're not supposed to talk about with family and friends? Maybe. Perhaps, but here I go anyway....

Maxxis Ignitor tire test from 2005

So, what do I know about tires? If I think many people are 'not as expert in experience with tires as they think they are' what makes me think I know anything? This is a fair and necessary question at this point.

I'll give you my background, and afterward, if you care, you can decide what, if any expertise on tires I might have, is worthy of consideration here.

Of course, like many of you here reading this, I've ridden bicycles most of my life, which means I have thousands of miles on tires. But so what? 

Well, starting in 2005 I was asked to review bicycle components and my very first review was for a WTB Weirwolf 29"er tire. Since 2005 I have reviewed literally hundreds of different 29 inch and 700c gravel tires, with a smattering of 650B, 26 inch, and fat bike tires thrown in for good measure. 

I've helped design a tire, I have been asked to give feedback on tires in development, and I have been consulted on tire designs in the past. 

I've mounted thousands of tires, fixed tubes, mounted hundreds of tubeless tires using many kinds of sealants. I've ridden thousands of miles on various set ups on gravel, dirt, mud, snow, and pavement. 

So, maybe I don't know what I am talking about, but maybe I do...

Okay, enough of that. I don't really like to write about myself in that tone of voice, but with how some folks get in regards to their passions for their tires, I feel it is a necessary element to have down up front regarding where I am coming from with my opinions. And as always, I welcome reasoned alternative and opposing opinions and I always am willing to change my opinion if what I am reading makes sense. 

Tire testing: December 2022

 Now about those 'forum questions' and why I feel trying to answer them is a big waste of time, generally speaking. First of all, there is the human element, or 'How The Rider Rides'. I've seen people destroy tires I have had no issues with whatsoever. Why is that? Well, is the tire junk? Maybe I didn't ride it as much, or maybe I wasn't riding the tire where the other person did? Or.......maybe it is in how one person rides a bike versus another. 

Cycling is a skill set. Not everyone possesses the same attributes in terms of skills and knowledge as others do.  This can be true within a discipline, but for example, in an extreme sense, I can illustrate this point thusly: Fixed gear riders do things differently than geared riders do. You might think, "Oh! Well that is a 'Captain Obvious' point right there. No-duh, Ted!" But this goes just as much for two gravel riders as it can for a fixie and a geared rider. Some folks know how to ride over terrain with grace, some do it brutally. Some folks are in between somewhere on that continuum. Your gear will suffer different consequences based upon how you ride. Tires will react and perform completely differently depending upon the rider.

So, there is such a thing as a 'skill set', and that is one variable. Another is weight and tire pressure. This should require no explanation, but if you carry more weight, (gear + rider), than another, the tires being the same, there will be definitive and qualitative differences in outcomes concerning tires. 

Tire pressures are another easy to understand difference here. But these settings should always change with weight, terrain concerns, and with regard to the weather conditions. Tire pressures are "set and forget' for many riders, but this is an oversimplification and those folks are cheating themselves of the best results that they could have. But then again, if you don't care......

So, to say to anyone that 'this tire is best' is a bad piece of advice. Even saying "Well, this is what works for me." That's awesome, but it may be the worst thing for another person to follow that advice. Tires are expensive, and making a lot of wrong choices can be a hard pill to swallow, leading to poor outcomes in many ways. I get it. Asking for advice to short-cut your pursuit of tire nirvana is only understandable. But unfortunately, it isn't as easy as asking a question on a forum. 

Next time: I will discuss what one can do to 'thinker their way through' to a better result with regard to tire choices for a gravel event.

Friday News And Views

I'm wearing the Century CC Jacket on the left. (Image by R. Versteegh)

Rain Jacket Review:

 I just posted my Showers Pass Century CC rain jacket review this week on RidingGravel.com. (Standard Disclaimer) It's probably the most comfortable rain jacket I've yet tried, and I've been sent many to check out over the years. 

Showers Pass was the rain jacket to have back in the early days of Trans Iowa. This was in the time before 'gravel' was a thing, and racing in rain jackets was thought to be done only in one of those mimimalist 'rain capes' which were pretty much clear plastic bags with a hole for the neck, two plastic tubes for sleeves, and a Velcro closure instead of a zipper. Gotta be able to read the sponsor's names emblazoned on yer jersey now! 

But touring cyclists were all about the effective, versatile rain gear for cycling. That's kind of where Showers Pass made its hay early on in its history. And subsequently when Trans Iowa riders were looking for that good rain jacket, the Showers Pass jackets were discovered. I remember talking with some of the early T.I. riders about what they were using, and the Showers Pass stuff came up often and got good comments from the folks using them. 

I had aims to buy one of their Century jackets for quite some time, but I had never gotten around to it, mostly because I was getting sent all these other jackets to try out. But recently Showers Pass came out with a budget priced version of the Century Jacket dubbed the Century CC, and I am now finding out what all the fuss was about. Showers Pass says a new version of that stalwart Century is going to be coming out. It might just be another great one for poor weather gravel riding. 

Continental Introduces A New Bike Packing Tire:

Continental, the German based tire company, have announced a new tire called the Terra Hardpack..It is a 50mm wide tire with a unique, low tread pattern for gravel, smooth dirt, and rougher roads. 

Offered in a 700 X 50mm width, the tire features Continental's Shieldwall puncture protection belt, a tubeless ready bead, and the new PureGrip compound which features excellent grip but long wearing properties, according to Continental. 

According to reports, Continental is also offering this in a 650B X 50mm size, but there are no other sizes available at this time. No pricing was found at this time either. 

Comments: Continental has always been a conservative company when it comes to stepping into new markets, so this late entry into the bike packing/wide gravel realm is not surprising. The Terra Hardpack has an interesting, almost scaly looking tread. My experiences with Continental have been that their tires often do not come out to be as wide as stated, so if that still is the case, this may fit into more bikes than you might think. 

Growtac brand "Equal" flat mount brake calipers. Image courtesy of Velo Orange

 Thems The Brakes:

In a world of parts shortages it is always interesting to find a new option that is actually in stock. Such is the case with a new flat mount disc brake option from Velo Orange called Growtac Equal Flat Mount Disc Brakes. 

These single-side actuated, mechanical disc brakes calipers come complete with hardware, adapters for the front, cables, housings, ferrules, and come in several anodized colors. The calipers weigh in at a claimed 135 grams each and do not come with rotors. Price is listed at $350.00/both wheels.

Comments: I was looking for flat mount disc brakes the other day and there were not many choices out there. This adds another interesting choice. The price might seem high, but you get everything you need minus rotors. (And good luck finding those!) But still.... You can get hybrid cable/hydraulic Juin Tech brakes for less. Those do come with rotors (six bolt though) and no cables or housings, but even with that you'd be well under $350.00 for both wheels. I mention these Juin Tech's as they are identical to the highly touted Yokozuna hybrid calipers and they work really well. 

TIME Bicycles' ADHX gravel bike. Image courtesy of TIME Bicycles USA.

TIME Bicycles Introduces Complete Bikes In USA:

A news announcement came out this week saying TIME Bicycles were again available in the USA. TIME has a new gravel bike they are excited about that uses a new lay-up of carbon mixed with Dyneema fabric for more strength and vibration reduction. 

Comments: This is a great example of some pretty cool ideas with a couple of fatal misses in design and geometry. First off, TIME specifies that the ADHX is good for tires from 38mm-40mm. What? Have these designers not seen what has been going on around them for the past five to seven years? A 'new' design that can only handle a 40mm tire is pretty much 2012 technology. 

Secondly, they have a great bottom bracket drop, but the head angle at 72.5° for a Large is waaay too steep! Again- it smacks of a geometry chart dredged up for a gravel bike made in the early twenty-teens. I fail to see how this bike would be really great at anything other than rough paved roads and very smooth dirt. But yeah.....racing bikes. I hear ya. 

Again with the wrong bike for the wrong reasons.

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! I hope that you all can get out for a ride or two this weekend!

Friday News And Views

I'm wearing the Century CC Jacket on the left. (Image by R. Versteegh)

Rain Jacket Review:

 I just posted my Showers Pass Century CC rain jacket review this week on RidingGravel.com. (Standard Disclaimer) It's probably the most comfortable rain jacket I've yet tried, and I've been sent many to check out over the years. 

Showers Pass was the rain jacket to have back in the early days of Trans Iowa. This was in the time before 'gravel' was a thing, and racing in rain jackets was thought to be done only in one of those mimimalist 'rain capes' which were pretty much clear plastic bags with a hole for the neck, two plastic tubes for sleeves, and a Velcro closure instead of a zipper. Gotta be able to read the sponsor's names emblazoned on yer jersey now! 

But touring cyclists were all about the effective, versatile rain gear for cycling. That's kind of where Showers Pass made its hay early on in its history. And subsequently when Trans Iowa riders were looking for that good rain jacket, the Showers Pass jackets were discovered. I remember talking with some of the early T.I. riders about what they were using, and the Showers Pass stuff came up often and got good comments from the folks using them. 

I had aims to buy one of their Century jackets for quite some time, but I had never gotten around to it, mostly because I was getting sent all these other jackets to try out. But recently Showers Pass came out with a budget priced version of the Century Jacket dubbed the Century CC, and I am now finding out what all the fuss was about. Showers Pass says a new version of that stalwart Century is going to be coming out. It might just be another great one for poor weather gravel riding. 

Continental Introduces A New Bike Packing Tire:

Continental, the German based tire company, have announced a new tire called the Terra Hardpack..It is a 50mm wide tire with a unique, low tread pattern for gravel, smooth dirt, and rougher roads. 

Offered in a 700 X 50mm width, the tire features Continental's Shieldwall puncture protection belt, a tubeless ready bead, and the new PureGrip compound which features excellent grip but long wearing properties, according to Continental. 

According to reports, Continental is also offering this in a 650B X 50mm size, but there are no other sizes available at this time. No pricing was found at this time either. 

Comments: Continental has always been a conservative company when it comes to stepping into new markets, so this late entry into the bike packing/wide gravel realm is not surprising. The Terra Hardpack has an interesting, almost scaly looking tread. My experiences with Continental have been that their tires often do not come out to be as wide as stated, so if that still is the case, this may fit into more bikes than you might think. 

Growtac brand "Equal" flat mount brake calipers. Image courtesy of Velo Orange

 Thems The Brakes:

In a world of parts shortages it is always interesting to find a new option that is actually in stock. Such is the case with a new flat mount disc brake option from Velo Orange called Growtac Equal Flat Mount Disc Brakes. 

These single-side actuated, mechanical disc brakes calipers come complete with hardware, adapters for the front, cables, housings, ferrules, and come in several anodized colors. The calipers weigh in at a claimed 135 grams each and do not come with rotors. Price is listed at $350.00/both wheels.

Comments: I was looking for flat mount disc brakes the other day and there were not many choices out there. This adds another interesting choice. The price might seem high, but you get everything you need minus rotors. (And good luck finding those!) But still.... You can get hybrid cable/hydraulic Juin Tech brakes for less. Those do come with rotors (six bolt though) and no cables or housings, but even with that you'd be well under $350.00 for both wheels. I mention these Juin Tech's as they are identical to the highly touted Yokozuna hybrid calipers and they work really well. 

TIME Bicycles' ADHX gravel bike. Image courtesy of TIME Bicycles USA.

TIME Bicycles Introduces Complete Bikes In USA:

A news announcement came out this week saying TIME Bicycles were again available in the USA. TIME has a new gravel bike they are excited about that uses a new lay-up of carbon mixed with Dyneema fabric for more strength and vibration reduction. 

Comments: This is a great example of some pretty cool ideas with a couple of fatal misses in design and geometry. First off, TIME specifies that the ADHX is good for tires from 38mm-40mm. What? Have these designers not seen what has been going on around them for the past five to seven years? A 'new' design that can only handle a 40mm tire is pretty much 2012 technology. 

Secondly, they have a great bottom bracket drop, but the head angle at 72.5° for a Large is waaay too steep! Again- it smacks of a geometry chart dredged up for a gravel bike made in the early twenty-teens. I fail to see how this bike would be really great at anything other than rough paved roads and very smooth dirt. But yeah.....racing bikes. I hear ya. 

Again with the wrong bike for the wrong reasons.

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! I hope that you all can get out for a ride or two this weekend!

Friday News And Views

The Cotic eMTB prototype. (Image courtesy of Cotic social media)

One Example Of The "New Normal":

As time with this pandemic eases on it has become increasingly apparent that we are in an era, (however short or long it ends up being), of delays, shortages, and long lead times as a result. 

Case in point: Cotic, the UK based MTB brand, has announced that they are working on a motorized MTB rig. You can read all about the finer details here. That post on the Cotic site is a pretty good representation of what it takes for smaller brands to get things done during this 'new era' we find ourselves in.

Comments: So, if you place orders now you 'might' see product by the end of 2023? Did I get that right? Wow! Obviously larger brands will command better terms, but this is not a good sign for the consumer. That would indicate that this coming year will be a lot like the last two years- stuff will be hard to get. As I've said in the past, it wouldn't be a bad idea for consumers to stock up on spares: Chains, cassettes, brake pads, etc, whenever you see what you need in stock. Then you'll have it when you actually need it, instead of scrambling at the last minute to source parts.  

Just A Friendly Reminder:

This is the month of retrospect here on "Guitar Ted Productions". No doubt you've already noted some posts with that theme. Expect much of the same throughout the month of December.

I'll have limited space for 'regular posting' due to the volume of stuff I am working through, so if you are here jonesing for 'current events' then this month will have slim pickings. I'll return to a more familiar schedule here in January, which isn't all that far away! Stay tuned!

In the meantime, I'll point out that many days this month will have double postings. Two posts in one day- so to ensure you don't miss anything, scroll down the page, or consult the right column (on desk top versions of this blog) where my current posts for the month are listed individually. I'll double post if anything exciting or newsworthy (or both) comes up, so don't worry about missing anything in that regard due to my schedule of posts being so intense this month. 

By the way, I have four "Virtual Turkey Burn" reports to share starting with N.Y. Roll's submission tomorrow, which will be followed by the other three in a shot-gun style. So look for all four tomorrow. 

And the 'regularly scheduled posts', like the "FN&V" you are reading now, will still appear. Okay, that's enough about that! Thanks again for your patronage here and for your patience with me this month.

Mason Cycles Debuts New "RAW" MTB frame:

You just don't see many steel hardtail MTB debuts anymore, unless you count UK MTB purveyors. For whatever reason, the UK has never really abandoned steel MTB bikes. 

Mason Cycles just announced a new offering which seems pretty interesting as it is aimed at bikepacking/MTB all-around use, not just for DH/Enduro or go-fast XC-ing, which many times is the case with a hard tail offering from a US based designer. 

The RAW can take up to a 2.6" 29"er tire with a max 34T big ring. That's pretty good there, I think. Then you have the 66° head angle and short-ish chain stays. I've had my say on that here before and I seem to be outnumbered when it comes to that opinion, but I still think we're seeing the outer fringes of slack head angle design and at some point we're going to find a 'pulling back' on those numbers. Closer to 70° but not quite that, in the future. 

We'll see... 

So this is a pretty cool bike. The "Signal Yellow" paint is somewhat reminiscent of the "Fun Guy Green" Fargo coloration, but more yellow. I kind of like that as well. The frame comes with a Rock Shox SID Ultimate fork, so yeah......it's expensive. But what isn't these days compared to just a few years ago? Not that it matters to me, but if I were to get a MTB, this one would be high on the list.   

Recycling Rubber:

Getting rid of old, unwanted tires has been a plague on me since this whole reviewing process started up. What to do? The entire life cycle of tires has always really bothered me from an environmental aspect. There just was no really good options for recycling them at all. 

Well, now things may be changing in regard to this as I see an article on "Pink Bike" here that indicates Schwalbe, the German based tire manufacturer, is working to bring tire recycling for bicycle tires to reality. 

Now how far this gets is anyone's guess, but it is a start. It would be nice to see a program where anywhere that sells tires (for anything) has to recycle them if they are dropped off to them, or something similar. I know we used to have a service come pick up used car tires once a month when I worked on automobiles. Yes- it would be a hassle for retailers, but it would be much better than filling our land fills with tires, or even worse, burning them, which is still done as well. 

That's a wrap for this week. Have a great weekend and get outside!

Friday News And Views

The Cotic eMTB prototype. (Image courtesy of Cotic social media)

One Example Of The "New Normal":

As time with this pandemic eases on it has become increasingly apparent that we are in an era, (however short or long it ends up being), of delays, shortages, and long lead times as a result. 

Case in point: Cotic, the UK based MTB brand, has announced that they are working on a motorized MTB rig. You can read all about the finer details here. That post on the Cotic site is a pretty good representation of what it takes for smaller brands to get things done during this 'new era' we find ourselves in.

Comments: So, if you place orders now you 'might' see product by the end of 2023? Did I get that right? Wow! Obviously larger brands will command better terms, but this is not a good sign for the consumer. That would indicate that this coming year will be a lot like the last two years- stuff will be hard to get. As I've said in the past, it wouldn't be a bad idea for consumers to stock up on spares: Chains, cassettes, brake pads, etc, whenever you see what you need in stock. Then you'll have it when you actually need it, instead of scrambling at the last minute to source parts.  

Just A Friendly Reminder:

This is the month of retrospect here on "Guitar Ted Productions". No doubt you've already noted some posts with that theme. Expect much of the same throughout the month of December.

I'll have limited space for 'regular posting' due to the volume of stuff I am working through, so if you are here jonesing for 'current events' then this month will have slim pickings. I'll return to a more familiar schedule here in January, which isn't all that far away! Stay tuned!

In the meantime, I'll point out that many days this month will have double postings. Two posts in one day- so to ensure you don't miss anything, scroll down the page, or consult the right column (on desk top versions of this blog) where my current posts for the month are listed individually. I'll double post if anything exciting or newsworthy (or both) comes up, so don't worry about missing anything in that regard due to my schedule of posts being so intense this month. 

By the way, I have four "Virtual Turkey Burn" reports to share starting with N.Y. Roll's submission tomorrow, which will be followed by the other three in a shot-gun style. So look for all four tomorrow. 

And the 'regularly scheduled posts', like the "FN&V" you are reading now, will still appear. Okay, that's enough about that! Thanks again for your patronage here and for your patience with me this month.

Mason Cycles Debuts New "RAW" MTB frame:

You just don't see many steel hardtail MTB debuts anymore, unless you count UK MTB purveyors. For whatever reason, the UK has never really abandoned steel MTB bikes. 

Mason Cycles just announced a new offering which seems pretty interesting as it is aimed at bikepacking/MTB all-around use, not just for DH/Enduro or go-fast XC-ing, which many times is the case with a hard tail offering from a US based designer. 

The RAW can take up to a 2.6" 29"er tire with a max 34T big ring. That's pretty good there, I think. Then you have the 66° head angle and short-ish chain stays. I've had my say on that here before and I seem to be outnumbered when it comes to that opinion, but I still think we're seeing the outer fringes of slack head angle design and at some point we're going to find a 'pulling back' on those numbers. Closer to 70° but not quite that, in the future. 

We'll see... 

So this is a pretty cool bike. The "Signal Yellow" paint is somewhat reminiscent of the "Fun Guy Green" Fargo coloration, but more yellow. I kind of like that as well. The frame comes with a Rock Shox SID Ultimate fork, so yeah......it's expensive. But what isn't these days compared to just a few years ago? Not that it matters to me, but if I were to get a MTB, this one would be high on the list.   

Recycling Rubber:

Getting rid of old, unwanted tires has been a plague on me since this whole reviewing process started up. What to do? The entire life cycle of tires has always really bothered me from an environmental aspect. There just was no really good options for recycling them at all. 

Well, now things may be changing in regard to this as I see an article on "Pink Bike" here that indicates Schwalbe, the German based tire manufacturer, is working to bring tire recycling for bicycle tires to reality. 

Now how far this gets is anyone's guess, but it is a start. It would be nice to see a program where anywhere that sells tires (for anything) has to recycle them if they are dropped off to them, or something similar. I know we used to have a service come pick up used car tires once a month when I worked on automobiles. Yes- it would be a hassle for retailers, but it would be much better than filling our land fills with tires, or even worse, burning them, which is still done as well. 

That's a wrap for this week. Have a great weekend and get outside!

Friday News And Views

Do I have to "Throw the Horns" if I ride tires made of METL? (Image courtesy of the SMART TIRE Co.)

SMART Tire Company Wants To Deflate Your Tires:

"Here we go again!", I thought to myself as I read the press release. More airless tire nonsense! But wait! This is NASA level tech used for rovers on foreign planets. It might be a bit different, and, as it turns out, it is very different. 

The tires are called METL and are, of course, made out of 'metal'. A Nickle/Titanium mixture, to be exact, and are made in a mesh. Think 'microphone screen' and you might get an idea, if you've ever pondered the cover of a Shure SM-58.  The mesh can deform and spring back, in a manner better than a fine bicycle tire's casing, the company claims. 

The tires use no air, and are claimed to have a lifespan greater than that of your bicycle. Of course, whenever you hear 'great things' you can expect some 'not so great things' are probably following not far behind. So, as a for instance, the SMART METL tires for bicycles will have an outer tread of rubber which can wear away and will need regular replacement. Ah.......okay? And, of course, no weights were given and no prices were revealed. Also......how you install them wasn't mentioned. 

Comments: There is too much unrevealed here for me to really give a take on these, but the fact that much important information was withheld for the time being says that I should be very skeptical of this being a workable solution for my bicycle. Another obvious thing about the SMART Tire Company is revealed right in their mission statement: "....The SMART Tire Company, with hopes of becoming the next, great American tire company..." 

The 'next great American tire company', eh? So, bicycles are really just a proof of concept exercise? Sounds like it to me. Maybe I'm being too cynical. We'll see........ 

My Apple Watch face on March 22nd, 2021.

A Time Marker:

Lots of people are marking dates now with regard to the ongoing pandemic. "It's been a year since....." whatever happened in relation to COVID-19 type reminisces have been filling social media. Well, I haven't been one to be any different in that regard. This was, and still is, kind of a 'big deal' in my life. 

I'm not sure what ever prompted me to start a streak to fill all three 'rings' of activity monitoring on my Apple Watch on March 22nd, 2020, but I bet I had some personal challenge in mind having to do with keeping my mind focused on something positive during that dark time. Whatever the motivation was, it stuck.

Monday I completed all three rings- Move, Exercise, and Stand, for the 365th consecutive day. A full year. This challenge I undertook has changed me. I did gain fitness, for sure, but more importantly, I gained a new habit or two, and I am able to tear myself away from social media, website work, and be free from technology without feeling like I am missing something, or feeling the least little bit guilty about it. 

To me, that is huge. But trust me, I have a long way to go yet. I have seen a little bit of 'the Light', if you will, and it is tantalizing. If I can move away from this seat I am sat in as I type this more during 2021 than I did in 2020 it will be counted as another goal and a success. You may be thinking I should include my mobile smart phone in this, but I forget about that thing far too often as it is. In fact, I lose it about three times a day and it doesn't bother me. Well, it doesn't until I have to find it!

So, where do I go from here? I figure I may as well keep on truckin'. Why not? It has been a good thing and I don't see a downside. Also- I am already at peace having set a year straight goal and achieving it, so if a day comes where I get sick or injured and cannot do one or all three 'rings' of activity, I am okay with that too. No worries now. But heck- why not go for two years straight? So, that's the plan for now. We'll see how it pans out in a year. 

Shimano Celebrates 100th Anniversary Of Business:

Shimano is the big bicycle parts manufacturer from Japan which we all might be familiar with, but do you know what their first bicycle part was? It was made in 1921 and it was a single speed free wheel called the "3.3.3.". Shimano also went on to make internal gear hubs, and of course, they were the first into MTB specific parts and the first to market a gravel specific group, amongst many other fine accomplishments. Some of you also may not know that Shimano is a big player in the fishing reel segment. I happen to own a fine example of an 80's era Shimano spinning reel. 

Want to check out more Shimano history? They have a special Centennial website here.

You're always on my mind....

Can't Stop Thinking About You:

Back in my 20's, I often would get a feeling come around about August time. The way the Sun light hit the grass, and the smell of a fresh-cut lawn would send my mind back to football practice. Two-a-days and humidity, sore muscles and running, running, running....Those memories haunted me every Fall for several years. And to think I only played organized football games for what? Five or six seasons? That memory really stuck with me for quite a while into my early adulthood though.

So, it should come as no surprise to me that every Spring the sights, sounds, and smells take me back to something I did for 15 years. I put on an organized bicycle event that exacted a lot of energy and emotion. Such was the case over this past week as the grass started turning greener and the smells of earth and whatever aromatic sensations are carried to me by the stiff Spring winds began to stir thoughts of organizing gravel events. 

How I did things still rolls around in my head from time to time. This past week it was how I organized the logistics regarding navigation for the event. Things that were getting to be a concern, and would be now, prompted a thought for a solution. It was exciting, if I am honest, to wonder how this new idea would play out. 

But don't get too aroused out there folks. I am not going to come out of retirement anytime soon. It is just that since I have been doing that thing for so many years that it is hard to just throw the switch and turn it off. Frankly, for me at any rate, that isn't possible. My mind will probably be permanently altered due to all those years of thinking about gravel events and how to do them from a director's viewpoint. 

Oh well.....

LATE BREAKING NEWS: Gravel Worlds has just announced that they have received approval from their local Health Department and have added 250 extra roster spots as a result. From the press release:

"Lincoln, Neb. (Mar 25,2021) — The Pirate Cycling League has received approval from Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department to hold Gravel Worlds 2021 as an in-person event the weekend of August 21, 2021. The LLCHD also approved 250 additional rider entries, bringing the total number of participants to 1,600."

Go to  www.gravel-worlds.com to register.

That's a wrap for this week! I hope you all have a safe and enjoyable weekend , hopefully on bicycles.

Friday News And Views

Do I have to "Throw the Horns" if I ride tires made of METL? (Image courtesy of the SMART TIRE Co.)

SMART Tire Company Wants To Deflate Your Tires:

"Here we go again!", I thought to myself as I read the press release. More airless tire nonsense! But wait! This is NASA level tech used for rovers on foreign planets. It might be a bit different, and, as it turns out, it is very different. 

The tires are called METL and are, of course, made out of 'metal'. A Nickle/Titanium mixture, to be exact, and are made in a mesh. Think 'microphone screen' and you might get an idea, if you've ever pondered the cover of a Shure SM-58.  The mesh can deform and spring back, in a manner better than a fine bicycle tire's casing, the company claims. 

The tires use no air, and are claimed to have a lifespan greater than that of your bicycle. Of course, whenever you hear 'great things' you can expect some 'not so great things' are probably following not far behind. So, as a for instance, the SMART METL tires for bicycles will have an outer tread of rubber which can wear away and will need regular replacement. Ah.......okay? And, of course, no weights were given and no prices were revealed. Also......how you install them wasn't mentioned. 

Comments: There is too much unrevealed here for me to really give a take on these, but the fact that much important information was withheld for the time being says that I should be very skeptical of this being a workable solution for my bicycle. Another obvious thing about the SMART Tire Company is revealed right in their mission statement: "....The SMART Tire Company, with hopes of becoming the next, great American tire company..." 

The 'next great American tire company', eh? So, bicycles are really just a proof of concept exercise? Sounds like it to me. Maybe I'm being too cynical. We'll see........ 

My Apple Watch face on March 22nd, 2021.

A Time Marker:

Lots of people are marking dates now with regard to the ongoing pandemic. "It's been a year since....." whatever happened in relation to COVID-19 type reminisces have been filling social media. Well, I haven't been one to be any different in that regard. This was, and still is, kind of a 'big deal' in my life. 

I'm not sure what ever prompted me to start a streak to fill all three 'rings' of activity monitoring on my Apple Watch on March 22nd, 2020, but I bet I had some personal challenge in mind having to do with keeping my mind focused on something positive during that dark time. Whatever the motivation was, it stuck.

Monday I completed all three rings- Move, Exercise, and Stand, for the 365th consecutive day. A full year. This challenge I undertook has changed me. I did gain fitness, for sure, but more importantly, I gained a new habit or two, and I am able to tear myself away from social media, website work, and be free from technology without feeling like I am missing something, or feeling the least little bit guilty about it. 

To me, that is huge. But trust me, I have a long way to go yet. I have seen a little bit of 'the Light', if you will, and it is tantalizing. If I can move away from this seat I am sat in as I type this more during 2021 than I did in 2020 it will be counted as another goal and a success. You may be thinking I should include my mobile smart phone in this, but I forget about that thing far too often as it is. In fact, I lose it about three times a day and it doesn't bother me. Well, it doesn't until I have to find it!

So, where do I go from here? I figure I may as well keep on truckin'. Why not? It has been a good thing and I don't see a downside. Also- I am already at peace having set a year straight goal and achieving it, so if a day comes where I get sick or injured and cannot do one or all three 'rings' of activity, I am okay with that too. No worries now. But heck- why not go for two years straight? So, that's the plan for now. We'll see how it pans out in a year. 

Shimano Celebrates 100th Anniversary Of Business:

Shimano is the big bicycle parts manufacturer from Japan which we all might be familiar with, but do you know what their first bicycle part was? It was made in 1921 and it was a single speed free wheel called the "3.3.3.". Shimano also went on to make internal gear hubs, and of course, they were the first into MTB specific parts and the first to market a gravel specific group, amongst many other fine accomplishments. Some of you also may not know that Shimano is a big player in the fishing reel segment. I happen to own a fine example of an 80's era Shimano spinning reel. 

Want to check out more Shimano history? They have a special Centennial website here.

You're always on my mind....

Can't Stop Thinking About You:

Back in my 20's, I often would get a feeling come around about August time. The way the Sun light hit the grass, and the smell of a fresh-cut lawn would send my mind back to football practice. Two-a-days and humidity, sore muscles and running, running, running....Those memories haunted me every Fall for several years. And to think I only played organized football games for what? Five or six seasons? That memory really stuck with me for quite a while into my early adulthood though.

So, it should come as no surprise to me that every Spring the sights, sounds, and smells take me back to something I did for 15 years. I put on an organized bicycle event that exacted a lot of energy and emotion. Such was the case over this past week as the grass started turning greener and the smells of earth and whatever aromatic sensations are carried to me by the stiff Spring winds began to stir thoughts of organizing gravel events. 

How I did things still rolls around in my head from time to time. This past week it was how I organized the logistics regarding navigation for the event. Things that were getting to be a concern, and would be now, prompted a thought for a solution. It was exciting, if I am honest, to wonder how this new idea would play out. 

But don't get too aroused out there folks. I am not going to come out of retirement anytime soon. It is just that since I have been doing that thing for so many years that it is hard to just throw the switch and turn it off. Frankly, for me at any rate, that isn't possible. My mind will probably be permanently altered due to all those years of thinking about gravel events and how to do them from a director's viewpoint. 

Oh well.....

LATE BREAKING NEWS: Gravel Worlds has just announced that they have received approval from their local Health Department and have added 250 extra roster spots as a result. From the press release:

"Lincoln, Neb. (Mar 25,2021) — The Pirate Cycling League has received approval from Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department to hold Gravel Worlds 2021 as an in-person event the weekend of August 21, 2021. The LLCHD also approved 250 additional rider entries, bringing the total number of participants to 1,600."

Go to  www.gravel-worlds.com to register.

That's a wrap for this week! I hope you all have a safe and enjoyable weekend , hopefully on bicycles.