Two Things

32" wheeled bike seen at Eurobike (Image courtesy of Gary Fisher)

  Thoughts On 32"ers:

On Friday an exc3ellent look at an experimental 32" wheeled XC racing bike was detailed by "Bike Rumor". (See article HERE)

The article shows how BMC engineers cut up an existing Medium sized Four Stroke FS XC bike, modified a DT Swiss fork, and made some customized bits to see if a 32" wheeled bike would make sense as a Pro-level XC bike.

If you are old enough to remember the very beginnings of the 29"er developmental phases, you will find all of this very familiar. Moving to a larger diameter wheel will present a LOT of concerns and challenges. Based upon what we already know about 29"er vs 26"er days, what can we expect from all this development on 32"ers? Will Maxxis release the other tread patterns it says it has ready to go? Will Pirelli release a tire, as suggested in the linked "Bike Rumor"article? Who will pony up the money for a turnkey front suspension fork?

If the industry learned anything from early 29"er development, they should understand rushing to "be first" with 32"ers may prove to be a fatal decision. Early 29"ers weren't very good, quite frankly, and you can see how the wheel size had to grow into its own geometry, axle spacing, and how materials technology had to be developed to make the big wheels work well enough to leave 26"ers and 27.5"ers behind.

In my opinion, 32 inch wheels will demand its own set of geometry tweaks before the bikes will ever hope to outrun 29"ers. Furthermore, the extra weight will have to be addressed by further gains in materials technologies, if this can be done. Thirdly, another set of geometry numbers will have to be addressed here, and this is having to do with wheels. It is my strong belief if 32"ers are adopted you will see wider front hubs, and probably a move to wider rear hub spacing to gain back wheel strength and handling precision lost with a longer, more flexible spoke.

Add in fit and sizing issues and I think 32"ers - while technically possible - will not be quite the same revolution as 29"ers were. Simply because humans in the size range 32"ers will work best for are not going to be as numerous as those who would fit 29"ers well. Therefore your market for products is already limited. Kind of as if you decided to only sell hats larger than 7 7/8ths hat size. You'll sell some, but not like "normal" hat sizes.

Image courtesy of Gravel Worlds

Lauf Gravel Worlds Announces New Awards For Finishers:

Friday saw the press release for Gravel Worlds hit my inbox which detailed the new finisher award concepts for this year's running of Gravel Worlds. These new awards are designed to celebrate thos not in the front, nor those bringing up the rear of the field, but these are for the "everyman/woman" of gravel racing.

First up we have the "Golden Cob"- "Cream of the Crop" award for anyone finishing the 150 distance in under ten hours. Next up we have the 300 Mile (formerly Long Journey) Belt Buckle for anyone finishing the 300 mile distance.

Lauf Gravel Worlds also announced a new 10 mile "Fun Ride" in addition to its other distances on offer.

You can learn more at www.gravelworlds.com 

 Comments: If this reminds you somewhat of a 2010's era gravel event's awards then you are on the right track. The DK200 had similar awards for anyone "beating the Sun" going down in Emporia.

By the way, didn't N.Y. Roll bring this idea up in a recent podcast we did? I think so. While we cannot take credit for the Golden Cob idea, we have to think we were on a similar wavelength there! The belt buckle is a direct nod to the Leadville 100's belt buckles which used to be doled out as awards to finishers under certain time limits.

It is interesting to note that the 300 mile  distance is no longer being called "The Long Voyage", which was originally done in keeping with the Pirate theme since Gravel Worlds was a Pirate Cycling League event for the majority of its years until recently.  

Friday News And Views

Limited edition Japhy. Image by Jason Boucher (Courtesy of Esker Cycles)

Limited Edition Japhy Announced By Esker:

This lovely lavender hard tail bike came across my inbox  on Monday from Esker. They have a special coating in this hue and a special component package for a limited run of bikes.

Dubbed "Shredkote", the Cerakote ceramic finish is very thin and super-durable. I've written about Cerakote before. You can learn more there at the link if you care to.

The bike is tied together by a collaboration with MRP on a "Shredkoted" Raven fork. The bike has clearance for 29" X 2.8" tires and features Esker's "Portage" drop outs. There are only 10 that will be made in this hue and spec, so check it out HERE. The proce is listed at $3.450.00.

Comments: The Japhy is the bike Salsa should have made as the El Mariachi v3. But....they didn't. That's okay because Esker has done it and this bike would rank highly as one I'd want to throw a leg over for mountain biking. Bonus for me as far as this presser goes is that my friend Jason Boucher took the images for this special release. Nice! Congrats Jason on the stellar images.

5DEV cranks. (Image courtesy of 5DEV)

5DEV Expands Range Of Titanium Cranksets:

Relatively new player, 5DEV, who CNC machine titanium into beautiful cranksets and stems, has announced an expansion of choices for their wares. 

The cranksets will be available for Enduro, DH, MTB, gravel, fatbikes, and road bikes in the following lengths: 155, 165, 167.5, 170, 172.5 and 157.5 for eCranks.

The prices will range from $1,399.00 - $1,499.00 a set.

5DEV parts are made in San Diego, California. 

Comments: Titanium can be lighter for frames and components, but the appeal to me has always been corrosion resistance and the ease of maintenance in terms of the finish. What immediately pops out for me here is the fatbike/gravel bike uses when the bike doubles as a commuter/road bike in Winter. Corrosion resistance is a sought after trait, in my view, since Winter roads can eat aluminum components and corrode steel like caterpillar on a leafy green plant. Whatever the heck chemical soup the State uses now is pure evil for bikes. Titanium resists that devil and it flees from its presence. (But the State needs to ditch that evil mixture ASAP anyway) 

An example of Cris King's new Splash: (Image courtesy of Chris King )

Chris King Precision Components Announces New "Splash" Colorway:

Chris King announced on Tuesday that they have a new annodization process which allows for a base color and a "splash" of a contrasting color. This has resulted in their new Splash component offerings. 

Using a bronze-like base color the components feature a bright splash of turquoise color. 

Available in all their components, the new Splash components will be a limited release with only 50 of each component being made. The colorway will be released in Chris King pre-built wheels as well. 

Comments: Good thing Chris King keeps finding ways to reinvent anodizing. It practically is the only thing the company has done to stay relevant in the market place. Sure, the components are really good, but somehow the company's products seem to be less desirable. Maybe that's an impression of mine that misses the mark. Let me know....

This new "Splash" thing? For myself it seems to be the analog to 1980's crackle-finish Super-Strat guitars. (Throws the horns and bobs head) 

Image from 2014 Eurobike courtesy of Frank B.

Wheel Size Causes Consternation Amongst Certain Riders:

Wednesday's post on the new 750D gravel wheels was received with some familiar negativity from certain sectors of the cycling cognoscenti. This was very reminiscent of the push-back seen when 29 inch MTB wheels were proposed in 1999. (YES! It's been 24 years now!)

Ironically the same individual and company is responsible for both wheel sizes to be in existence now. That said, like many ideas in bicycling, or overall, for that matter, this bigger wheel has a similar predecessor. I was forwarded an Italian magazine article from 2014 which showed a 750 sized wheel which was proposed as a wheel which one could swap into a 29"er frame and use as a road riding wheel set. It was also implicated as a possible road bike solution for taller riders. (Thanks to reader "Frank B" for that info!)

Note that this happened before "gravel" became a thing worldwide. The image says the overall diameter of the wheel and the tire is 740mm, so this was called "750" by the developers of the idea. I have no further technical data to share, but the wheels were never commercially available. 

It just goes to show you that cycling companies are always thinking of some way that they can entice you to part with your dollars, and hopefully, at the same time, provide riders with a tangible benefit.

That's a wrap for this week. September is on the doorstep! get out and ride while you can!

Friday News And Views

Limited edition Japhy. Image by Jason Boucher (Courtesy of Esker Cycles)

Limited Edition Japhy Announced By Esker:

This lovely lavender hard tail bike came across my inbox  on Monday from Esker. They have a special coating in this hue and a special component package for a limited run of bikes.

Dubbed "Shredkote", the Cerakote ceramic finish is very thin and super-durable. I've written about Cerakote before. You can learn more there at the link if you care to.

The bike is tied together by a collaboration with MRP on a "Shredkoted" Raven fork. The bike has clearance for 29" X 2.8" tires and features Esker's "Portage" drop outs. There are only 10 that will be made in this hue and spec, so check it out HERE. The proce is listed at $3.450.00.

Comments: The Japhy is the bike Salsa should have made as the El Mariachi v3. But....they didn't. That's okay because Esker has done it and this bike would rank highly as one I'd want to throw a leg over for mountain biking. Bonus for me as far as this presser goes is that my friend Jason Boucher took the images for this special release. Nice! Congrats Jason on the stellar images.

5DEV cranks. (Image courtesy of 5DEV)

5DEV Expands Range Of Titanium Cranksets:

Relatively new player, 5DEV, who CNC machine titanium into beautiful cranksets and stems, has announced an expansion of choices for their wares. 

The cranksets will be available for Enduro, DH, MTB, gravel, fatbikes, and road bikes in the following lengths: 155, 165, 167.5, 170, 172.5 and 157.5 for eCranks.

The prices will range from $1,399.00 - $1,499.00 a set.

5DEV parts are made in San Diego, California. 

Comments: Titanium can be lighter for frames and components, but the appeal to me has always been corrosion resistance and the ease of maintenance in terms of the finish. What immediately pops out for me here is the fatbike/gravel bike uses when the bike doubles as a commuter/road bike in Winter. Corrosion resistance is a sought after trait, in my view, since Winter roads can eat aluminum components and corrode steel like caterpillar on a leafy green plant. Whatever the heck chemical soup the State uses now is pure evil for bikes. Titanium resists that devil and it flees from its presence. (But the State needs to ditch that evil mixture ASAP anyway) 

An example of Cris King's new Splash: (Image courtesy of Chris King )

Chris King Precision Components Announces New "Splash" Colorway:

Chris King announced on Tuesday that they have a new annodization process which allows for a base color and a "splash" of a contrasting color. This has resulted in their new Splash component offerings. 

Using a bronze-like base color the components feature a bright splash of turquoise color. 

Available in all their components, the new Splash components will be a limited release with only 50 of each component being made. The colorway will be released in Chris King pre-built wheels as well. 

Comments: Good thing Chris King keeps finding ways to reinvent anodizing. It practically is the only thing the company has done to stay relevant in the market place. Sure, the components are really good, but somehow the company's products seem to be less desirable. Maybe that's an impression of mine that misses the mark. Let me know....

This new "Splash" thing? For myself it seems to be the analog to 1980's crackle-finish Super-Strat guitars. (Throws the horns and bobs head) 

Image from 2014 Eurobike courtesy of Frank B.

Wheel Size Causes Consternation Amongst Certain Riders:

Wednesday's post on the new 750D gravel wheels was received with some familiar negativity from certain sectors of the cycling cognoscenti. This was very reminiscent of the push-back seen when 29 inch MTB wheels were proposed in 1999. (YES! It's been 24 years now!)

Ironically the same individual and company is responsible for both wheel sizes to be in existence now. That said, like many ideas in bicycling, or overall, for that matter, this bigger wheel has a similar predecessor. I was forwarded an Italian magazine article from 2014 which showed a 750 sized wheel which was proposed as a wheel which one could swap into a 29"er frame and use as a road riding wheel set. It was also implicated as a possible road bike solution for taller riders. (Thanks to reader "Frank B" for that info!)

Note that this happened before "gravel" became a thing worldwide. The image says the overall diameter of the wheel and the tire is 740mm, so this was called "750" by the developers of the idea. I have no further technical data to share, but the wheels were never commercially available. 

It just goes to show you that cycling companies are always thinking of some way that they can entice you to part with your dollars, and hopefully, at the same time, provide riders with a tangible benefit.

That's a wrap for this week. September is on the doorstep! get out and ride while you can!

Another New Wheel Size?!

750D (L), 700c (R) Image courtesy of Mark Slate/WTB

 In February of 2018 I received an email from Mark Slate, designer and head honcho over at WTB. In that email was an image - what you see here to the left. A new wheel size was being tested. Slate called it "29.5", but also referred to it as "750D". He was playing around with it as a gravel bike wheel/tire size. 

Then things went dark on that front....

Just yesterday, my friend in SoCal, Grannygear sends me a text with an image cut from a You Tube video. The caption said "New gravel wheel size! 750D". 

Huh! Wait a minute!........

Where have I seen this before?, I thought to myself. (It has been five years plus some since I had that email from Slate.) At first I thought it was some arcane wheel size being resurrected. I hopped on Sheldon Brown's site (R.I.P.) and checked out all the antique wheel size info there but no dice. Hmm..... "I know I've seen this before!", I thought, but where? 

Then Mark Slate popped into my mind. I searched my email archives, and BOOM! There it was. The entire email thread starting in February of 2018. Well, at least that mystery was solved now! So, about this video... (Watch here)  

The video seems to indicate that, at least initially, this is for larger, taller riders. That's funny because it is exactly what people thought about 29"ers as well. So, don't write this off just yet. The thing I see here is that you get the outer diameter of a 29"er without the weight of a 29"er tire and rim. Oh.... Those are both 40mm Nano's in the image there. Could wider tires be done as well? Maybe that is where it will go, but here is what I think is happening....

Current image of Mark Slate's personal 750D bike. Courtesy of Mark Slate

The trend in gravel bikes is that you can fit "up to a 29" X 2.0" tire", sometimes even larger. What if you can also fit in this 750D'er? Bigger diameter, less weight. Get all the washboard killing roll-over without having the grunt of making a heavier tire and wheel go up a hill? 

I'm not saying that is where WTB's head is at with this 750D thing, but.....maybe?

Or.... It's going to be its own thing. Maybe it will be for larger riders. The bike above equates to about a 59-ish centimeter frame, for reference. So, it would work for "average" sized folks, most likely. Time will tell, but this certainly will fire up all those keyboard warriors who bemoan every new thing as "not necessary", a ploy to make money, or worse.

Another New Wheel Size?!

750D (L), 700c (R) Image courtesy of Mark Slate/WTB

 In February of 2018 I received an email from Mark Slate, designer and head honcho over at WTB. In that email was an image - what you see here to the left. A new wheel size was being tested. Slate called it "29.5", but also referred to it as "750D". He was playing around with it as a gravel bike wheel/tire size. 

Then things went dark on that front....

Just yesterday, my friend in SoCal, Grannygear sends me a text with an image cut from a You Tube video. The caption said "New gravel wheel size! 750D". 

Huh! Wait a minute!........

Where have I seen this before?, I thought to myself. (It has been five years plus some since I had that email from Slate.) At first I thought it was some arcane wheel size being resurrected. I hopped on Sheldon Brown's site (R.I.P.) and checked out all the antique wheel size info there but no dice. Hmm..... "I know I've seen this before!", I thought, but where? 

Then Mark Slate popped into my mind. I searched my email archives, and BOOM! There it was. The entire email thread starting in February of 2018. Well, at least that mystery was solved now! So, about this video... (Watch here)  

The video seems to indicate that, at least initially, this is for larger, taller riders. That's funny because it is exactly what people thought about 29"ers as well. So, don't write this off just yet. The thing I see here is that you get the outer diameter of a 29"er without the weight of a 29"er tire and rim. Oh.... Those are both 40mm Nano's in the image there. Could wider tires be done as well? Maybe that is where it will go, but here is what I think is happening....

Current image of Mark Slate's personal 750D bike. Courtesy of Mark Slate

The trend in gravel bikes is that you can fit "up to a 29" X 2.0" tire", sometimes even larger. What if you can also fit in this 750D'er? Bigger diameter, less weight. Get all the washboard killing roll-over without having the grunt of making a heavier tire and wheel go up a hill? 

I'm not saying that is where WTB's head is at with this 750D thing, but.....maybe?

Or.... It's going to be its own thing. Maybe it will be for larger riders. The bike above equates to about a 59-ish centimeter frame, for reference. So, it would work for "average" sized folks, most likely. Time will tell, but this certainly will fire up all those keyboard warriors who bemoan every new thing as "not necessary", a ploy to make money, or worse.