Fattening Up

Going back a year or so ago I rode the Tamland Two I have with a set of Irwin Cycling wheels. GX35's, I want to say, and while they had been great wheels up to that point, I noted an issue cropping up. The free wheel wasn't engaging correctly and I experienced a few "hiccups" in the engaging process after coasting. 

It had been extremely dusty up to that point and I thought that perhaps the grease in the free hub body was too thick due to dust intrusion which might account for my problem.

I got the bike back to my shop and re-greased the hub after cleaning it out. That seemed to have a positive effect as I did not notice any problems for several rides after that. However; on this latest ride I did, I noted the issue again, and this time it seemed worse. In fact, I thought that I may not make it back to the house. 

Well, that did it for me and those Irwin hubs. I cannot afford to get stranded out in the country by a sketchy hub that won't engage properly anymore. My plan was to swap out wheels and then do something with the Irwin carbon rims and another, new hub set, But in the meantime I wanted to get the Raleigh back up and running as soon as possible. The problem is that I've wholesale swapped over to through axle wheels, and quick release is almost a dead thing to me now. 

Fortunately I still have a few options in the house. One of them found its way onto the Raleigh, but now I have a different problem! The Raleigh was never meant for "fat" gravel tires, but they are so close to fitting that I had to give it a try.

The Tamland Two with some older Roval XC MTB wheels.

The plan entailed taking off these old Roval wheels I got from my friend in SoCal, Grannygear, and use the tires that were already mounted on them which are SOMA Cazadero 700 X 50mm tires. They looked a bit narrow on the Roval rims and so I thought maybe, just maybe, they might squeeze into the frame and fork. 

The Roval wheels are pretty much a set of DT Swiss carbon wheels seeing as how they have DT Swiss spokes and hubs and then you have the Far East manufactured carbon rim with Roval stickers slapped on there. The partially red theme works a lot better on the Raleigh than it did on the Fargo, where they were mounted previously. (More on the Fargo in a minute)

Obviously the wheels and tires went in, but that rear tire jussssst grazes the chain stay where the wheel is slightly out of true. Too little leeway to play with there, so a different set of tires will have to be mounted on the wheels. 

No daylight there!

Bummer! I was so hoping to ride fatter rubber on this bike, but hey, what do you expect? The bike was designed in 2012 and there weren't any gravel tires above 40mm - 42mm then. So, making clearance for 50's would not have even been imagined at that time. I get it. And I'll be okay. No big deal! 

Okay, so I'll have the Raleigh sorted soon with a wheel set that is reliable and won't cause me any worries in the hub department, at least. That ratchet design DT uses is pretty robust. But that wheel set came of the Gen I Fargo, and well, now what to do?

Fortunately, I still had the older wheel set I was using on the Fargo hanging in the rafters. That would only need to have the cassette swapped out to what I had been using on the Fargo and to have a tubeless sealant refresh. And this is what that will look like......

Tires so fat they wouldn't fit in the frame of the image!

The Surly Extraterrestrials on Duster rims fit here with room to spare. That's a 29" X 2.5" tire, and it slots in nicely between what I have going on with the Singular Gryphon Mk3 and the other gravel bikes I own. I just need to refresh the sealant and that one is good to go. I may end up doing a little tweaking on the stem/handlebar set up by reversing the ShockStop Stem to negative rise and lowering that stem on the steer tube by a couple of spacers. 

But otherwise this bike is set for some gravel touring duties and I intend to use it for that this year. The relaxed position, Redshift Shift ShockStop Stem, and those fat tires will make for a much more comfortable and smooth ride. Plus, it can carry a ton of water! 

Anyway, that's what I've been up to over these rainy days we've been having. I'll have an update on the tires for the Raleigh soon. Stay tuned.....

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Industry 9

 I'm gone, but the FN&V rolls on!

Industry 9 Announces SOLiX Wheel and Hub Range:

Yesterday it was announced that a new range of wheels and hubs are now available from Industry 9. Dubbed "SOLiX", these wheels cover the needs of gravel, cyclo cross, and road riders. 

The range comes in two flavors - SOLiX SL and SOLiX G. The SOLiX SL wheels feature the new SOLiX hub with straight-pull Sapim CX-Ray spokes. The range of SOLiX SL wheels includes carbon and alloy rims with weights starting as low as  a claimed 1270 grams per set (carbon rims) to as much as nearly 1500 grams per set (alloy rims) and everything in between. Prices range from  just shy of 1300 bucks to around 2200 bucks. 

The SOLiX G wheels are the traditional aluminum Industry 9 spoked wheels you may associate with I9. Available in several anodized colors, these spokes make any bike 'pop' with their intensely colored aluminum spokes.  These wheel sets range in price from around 1500 bucks to a little over 2500. Weights go from a claimed 1320 grams per set on up. There is also a 650B option in this series as well. 

SOLiX hubs can also be purchased separately as the SOLiX Classic, which comes only in black and for "J" bend spokes. The new SOLiX hubs in all ranges are made with a new design that incorporates different pawl spring design, a new sealing design, and a new ratchet ring design which I9 claims makes the new SOLiX hubs quieter and better free-coasting than previous I9 hubs.

Rim, hub, and wheel spec can be seen at the Industry 9 website.  

Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles

Salsa Cycles Tributary e-Bikepacking Bikes:

Salsa announced the availability of its new Tributary models last week. Powered by Bosch mid-motor designs, the Tributary is an aluminum framed bike with 29" X 2.4" tires and is intended for gravel and bikepacking pursuits. 

Two models are offered in the range. A GRX 600 equipped rigid fork bike which goes for $5,499.00 or a Apex 1 equipped bike with a Rock Shox 35 Gold fork with 120mm of travel. This one goes for $5,999.00.

Tributary models can be accessorized with a range-extender battery pack at an extra charge. Maximum tire clearance is 29" X 2.6". The frames are internal dropper post routing compatible and SRAM UDH compatible. 

Comments: The Salsa site lists a "Canada" version and a separate US version, but I did not see an obvious reason why. I would have guessed the prices would have been different but the spec sheet looks the same between both. Anyway.... 

Definite Cutthroat vibes here. You are left to wonder "what if?" As in, "What if an aluminum Cutthroat 100% human powered bike been offered?" Gotta think that could maybe have been your entry level adventure bike, kind of like the Journeyer.  Squint hard and imagine the Tributary as a 100% human powered bike and you might see what could have been. But now you have a 5K+ rig that needs a 5 hour rest to recharge when the battery gets depleted. 

Image courtesy of Gravel Worlds

Gravel Worlds Registration Opens:

The Garmin Gravel Worlds registration announcement went out last Thursday and can be accessed HERE. The event is run out of Lincoln Nebraska and will occur on August 23rd - 24th. 

Many categories are available for contestants to choose from, and there are the Land Ho! running events also. The main fare consists of the traditional 150 miles of Nebraska rolling hills and gravel and will cost $165.00 to enter for 2024. The longer "Long Voyage" event of 300 miles will cost $180.00. 

There are shorter distances as well including the 75 miler and a 50K. Extra chippy folks can enter to do the 25K run on Friday and the 150 mile ride Saturday. 

Image courtesy of The Heywood's social media.

The Heywood Ride Registration Is Open: 

If Garmin Gravel Worlds is a little too spendy and "processed gravel" for you, check out The Heywood. It's coming up soon, (May 18th) and offers the rider a gravel course in several lengths and a much more grassroots, laid-back attitude. Registration is $25.00 and you can reserve a spot HERE. 

The Heywood is the spiritual descendant of the former Almanzo 100 event. (Chris Skogen pretty much handed over the reins to the Heywood's organizers back in 2019.) 

That should tell you that this event based out of Northfield Minnesota is not going to have the hoopla and high-competitive atmosphere of a Gravel Worlds. Not that you cannot race the Heywood, you can, but you don't have to, and honestly, you'd miss the point of the event if you did that. Anyone who rode the Almanzo could probably vouch for that. 

I will be hanging with the organizers even as you read this at Mid-South. Look for some reports headed to this channel coming up on Tuesday next week.

Leaked on Chinese social media.

Will SRAM Gravel Groups All Be "Transmission" Going Forward?:

Leaked on Chinese social media this past week and seen around many YouTube channels, this image of what looks to be a SRAM Red XPLR group was being talked about a lot. 

It is pretty obvious that it is a Transmission/UDH only compatible rear derailleur. This might be a sign that many new gravel bikes going forward will support this new standard. 

It also is speculated that the new Red level group will be lighter than Dura Ace and cost just shy of 5G USD. Others speculated that the brakes will be mineral oil, which would be in line with SRAM's latest enduro/DH brake introduction recently. 

Whatever it is, apparently all signs are pointing to a mid-May release date, so we won't have to wait long.

New Podcast Is Up!

The Mid South trip gets talked up a bit but N.Y. Roll and I ramble on about several other topics as well. 

We get on about why people ride gravel (Experience vs winning/podiums) We talk a bit about those WTB TPU tubes. We discuss an event that has a burrito bag as schwag and ask if a burrito should come with that. 

Yes, it gets weird in places, but ya know..... This IS N.Y. Roll and myself we're talking about here. If you want to - or dare to - listen, here is THE LINK.

That's a wrap on this FN&V! Have an awesome weekend and thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Thinking About Some Blog Stuff

 A commenter late in December triggered a few thoughts concerning this blog when they said something to the effect that "You've written on this and other similar subjects on the blog here before". 

That got me to thinking. With this blog nearly at 7000 posts (!!!) there are a lot of subjects that I've written about already and which my commentary for is still relevant. In other words, I am at risk of repeating myself daily here to a much higher degree than ever. 

I've been a little diligent in some areas by compiling series or subjects into their own pages. (Trans Iowa Stories, Drop Bar Articles) That said, more might need to be done there to make referencing for me and others a bit easier to do. 

I may be doing some house-cleaning in along those lines this year. But since the "GTDRI Stories" is winding up soon, (and should be getting its own page as well), I thought a Sunday series based on topics might be good, and it would be a post with a lot of links and serve as a kind of portal to those similar posts done in the past. I could just tell you to search a term in the search box (upper left corner by the Blogger icon), but who is going to do that? No one.... 

I also have to do a back-up of this entire blog on a hard drive or to the "cloud", but I could use some advice on that, so if any of you have suggestions, just hit me up in the comments or at g.ted.productions@gmail.com.

Nearing the start of the 20th year of blogging here in May, so I wanted to tidy things up around here. It would be a shame to have all this go "poof!" and not have it backed up anywhere easily accessible. 

Any other comments on these subjects? Let me know.....

Garage Sale:

Just thought I'd post a few things that will be going up on the Garage Sale Page soon. If you are interested in any of the following items, this is your early-bird notice before I go and post these on the page and elsewhere for sale. 

This will mostly be wheels. I have a pair of carbon Irwin GX 35 650B carbon wheels (one shown in the image here), a pair of Easton EA70 AX aluminum 700c wheels, a pair of HED Eroica (Now called Emporia) wheels in 700c, and a pair of WTB Proterra wheels in 700c. E-mail me at g.ted.productions@gmail.com for prices. They will be very good deals. Shipping to lower 48 only will be extra. Prefer PayPal payment unless you are local.  

I am also considering strongly selling my Blackborow DS as shown here. (Yes, the pogies would be included) This would be best sold locally,as shipping this would be prohibitively expensive. 

It's been upgraded where it matters as far as I was concerned. I only swapped out the handle v=bar for a Carbon Jones H Bar and the seat post is a Thomson. Otherwise I have only had to install a new chain, (fresh, zero miles on it) and that's it. 

This won't be cheap, but I will sell it for a reasonable price. Again, I'm not interested in shipping it. I'll hang on to it rather than do that at this point, but someone that will ride it more than I do should have this bike. 

That's about all for now. Thanks for reading G-Ted Productions!

Friday News And Views

The Bombtrack Arise

Bombtrack Arise Single Speed Gravel Bike:

I came across an article about the "Ten Best Single Speed/Fixed Gear Bikes" on a UK based website recently and one of their choices was this Bombtrack Arise single speed gravel bike. 

Well, it is steel, and single speed, so at least that part was right! Ha ha! You all know I have a big soft spot for single speed or fixed gear bikes that can do gravel roads. So, I checked it out, and you know what? It is something I would buy. But I really do not need it! So, no.... You won't see this bike in my posts in the future, but if I was in the market for a single speed gravel rig, this bike ticks all the boxes for me in terms of geometry. 

I would want a bit lower bottom bracket if I had my druthers, but otherwise? This is good. It's not "great" though. It is heavy-ish, the parts are pretty pedestrian, and the tire limit is 42mm. But you get spoke holders! Who does that anymore? It's also kinda expensive for a single speed, but any brand's single speed bikes tend to be, in my opinion, overpriced for what they are. Bombtrack is no exception. 

Anyway, it isn't often I find a bike that is mostly agreeable with me and single speed to boot. I just thought you all might find it interesting as well.

Logos wheels use new open standard developed by HUGI in the 90's.

Open Standard: When Exclusivity Dies, More Choices Open Up: 

In an announcement last week made by new wheel and component company, Logos, I learned that the old proprietary Star Ratchet design is now an open standard. Patents are weird things, but yeah, you only hold them for so long before the design is an "open standard" useable by anyone. I guess as long as the design isn't purchased by someone and held, (see Shimano), then things are different. 

I remember using a wheel set back in the 1990's with a Hugi free hub and it was very noticeably better than pawl/spring designs most often used then, and still to this day. Hugi used a two spring design, but when DT Swiss bought the design they went to a single spring. The advantage of using two springs is that when the hub is under torque, and the chain is basically trying to rip the free hub body off the hub shell sideways, a typical pawl/spring design will be under the possibility of 'skipping' due to distortion of the materials. The ratchet design helps eliminate the need for concentricity and therefore escapes the dreaded pawl skipping possibilities. A dual sprung design essentially is floating, which is even better in that regard.

So, I was a bit surprised to see this design in another brand's hub that wasn't a licensed design from DT Swiss. This makes me wonder, will we be seeing more companies switching to this star ratchet design now? If it is demonstrably better than a pawl/spring design, I think the answer is "Yes".

Wheels Manufacturing added colors! (Image courtesy of Wheels manufacturing)

More Ano!:

My 2015 Salsa Cycles Mukluk is in need of a new bottom bracket, (UPDATE: It's been fixed! I'll have more on that next week)  so I went a-searchin' fer one. Then I came across these colors on Wheels Manufacturing's site and was surprised. I didn't know that they were offering anodized components. 

I've had good experiences with Wheels Manufacturing bottom brackets and I have used a few in my bicycles with good success. They are reasonably priced, durable, and get the job done. I especially have liked their screw-together, Press-Fit style bottom brackets, one of which I just installed in my Twin Six Standard Rando v2. 

So, if you are looking for an anodized color and need a bottom bracket, check those out. By the way, I am not being paid, nor bribed for this recommendation. I buy my bottom brackets just like you would, at retail. So, just a friendly recommendation here. 

National Cycling League Announced:

A new criterium based league and series has been announced which will take its first start in 2023 in Miami, Florida. The league will be minority owned and run. The league will be made up of teams which will travel the country to its biggest cities to contest its events. A modest schedule has been announced but in coming years this could expand to include upwards of 20+ cities on the tour.

There will be equality in pay between men and women participating and these "teams" which will make up the series will be co-ed. The races will have separate events for men and women, but riders will accumulate points and teams will blend their accumulated men's race and women's race points to determine which co-ed teams will take home the prizes. 

A virtual component will also be a part of the series where fans can obtain data generated by the athletes and also participate virtually via a Zwift-type interface. 

An excellent story about the series with more details can be read from the "Miami Herald" online for free here. 

Comments: Older roadies may remember something like this from back in the 80's-90's. (The linked article talks about this) There have been other national criterium series as well as local and regional series which have found some success. This new venture seems a bit more focused on the "team" aspect and on tech. It'll be interesting to see how this holds up against the USAC sanctioned criteriums. 

With the saturation level of 'gravel events' being at an all-time high, it might be a good time for "something different" to find a foothold. Especially in bigger urban areas where actual gravel roads and back roads are rare and hard to find. 

Gravel Worlds This Weekend:

Today and tomorrow are the dates for the Gravel Worlds events. This year the event took on the challenge of getting 1000 women there to ride, (challenge met) and have raised awareness and increased participation for marginalized people in several groups. 

A running component was also added with a tie-in to Mid-South's running event. All this will be over by Saturday evening. It will be the largest Gravel Worlds that has been held since the event started in 2010. 

Comments: First of all: I hope that everyone involved with Gravel Worlds has a great time. I hope all are safe traveling to and from the event, and during the event I hope all stay safe and whole. All the best to the riders, and the promoters, who have toiled and put in untold hours to participate in and create this happening. Most of all- Thanks to anyone volunteering. I get it- I used to put on events like this and they do not work without volunteers.

And no- I am not going to be there for the first time since 2015, excluding the pandemic year of 2020 when the event wasn't held in Lincoln.  I also have ridden in the inaugural Gravel Worlds and one other year as well. That's a long, long run, and I needed a break. Not to mention the fact that due to my job changing again for the second time in two years which has stressed finances to the limit. So either way- I wasn't going to be able to attend. 

I'll miss seeing everyone. But that's the way of it sometimes. Ride on Pirates!

That's a wrap for this week! Have a great weekend and thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Friday News And Views

The Bombtrack Arise

Bombtrack Arise Single Speed Gravel Bike:

I came across an article about the "Ten Best Single Speed/Fixed Gear Bikes" on a UK based website recently and one of their choices was this Bombtrack Arise single speed gravel bike. 

Well, it is steel, and single speed, so at least that part was right! Ha ha! You all know I have a big soft spot for single speed or fixed gear bikes that can do gravel roads. So, I checked it out, and you know what? It is something I would buy. But I really do not need it! So, no.... You won't see this bike in my posts in the future, but if I was in the market for a single speed gravel rig, this bike ticks all the boxes for me in terms of geometry. 

I would want a bit lower bottom bracket if I had my druthers, but otherwise? This is good. It's not "great" though. It is heavy-ish, the parts are pretty pedestrian, and the tire limit is 42mm. But you get spoke holders! Who does that anymore? It's also kinda expensive for a single speed, but any brand's single speed bikes tend to be, in my opinion, overpriced for what they are. Bombtrack is no exception. 

Anyway, it isn't often I find a bike that is mostly agreeable with me and single speed to boot. I just thought you all might find it interesting as well.

Logos wheels use new open standard developed by HUGI in the 90's.

Open Standard: When Exclusivity Dies, More Choices Open Up: 

In an announcement last week made by new wheel and component company, Logos, I learned that the old proprietary Star Ratchet design is now an open standard. Patents are weird things, but yeah, you only hold them for so long before the design is an "open standard" useable by anyone. I guess as long as the design isn't purchased by someone and held, (see Shimano), then things are different. 

I remember using a wheel set back in the 1990's with a Hugi free hub and it was very noticeably better than pawl/spring designs most often used then, and still to this day. Hugi used a two spring design, but when DT Swiss bought the design they went to a single spring. The advantage of using two springs is that when the hub is under torque, and the chain is basically trying to rip the free hub body off the hub shell sideways, a typical pawl/spring design will be under the possibility of 'skipping' due to distortion of the materials. The ratchet design helps eliminate the need for concentricity and therefore escapes the dreaded pawl skipping possibilities. A dual sprung design essentially is floating, which is even better in that regard.

So, I was a bit surprised to see this design in another brand's hub that wasn't a licensed design from DT Swiss. This makes me wonder, will we be seeing more companies switching to this star ratchet design now? If it is demonstrably better than a pawl/spring design, I think the answer is "Yes".

Wheels Manufacturing added colors! (Image courtesy of Wheels manufacturing)

More Ano!:

My 2015 Salsa Cycles Mukluk is in need of a new bottom bracket, (UPDATE: It's been fixed! I'll have more on that next week)  so I went a-searchin' fer one. Then I came across these colors on Wheels Manufacturing's site and was surprised. I didn't know that they were offering anodized components. 

I've had good experiences with Wheels Manufacturing bottom brackets and I have used a few in my bicycles with good success. They are reasonably priced, durable, and get the job done. I especially have liked their screw-together, Press-Fit style bottom brackets, one of which I just installed in my Twin Six Standard Rando v2. 

So, if you are looking for an anodized color and need a bottom bracket, check those out. By the way, I am not being paid, nor bribed for this recommendation. I buy my bottom brackets just like you would, at retail. So, just a friendly recommendation here. 

National Cycling League Announced:

A new criterium based league and series has been announced which will take its first start in 2023 in Miami, Florida. The league will be minority owned and run. The league will be made up of teams which will travel the country to its biggest cities to contest its events. A modest schedule has been announced but in coming years this could expand to include upwards of 20+ cities on the tour.

There will be equality in pay between men and women participating and these "teams" which will make up the series will be co-ed. The races will have separate events for men and women, but riders will accumulate points and teams will blend their accumulated men's race and women's race points to determine which co-ed teams will take home the prizes. 

A virtual component will also be a part of the series where fans can obtain data generated by the athletes and also participate virtually via a Zwift-type interface. 

An excellent story about the series with more details can be read from the "Miami Herald" online for free here. 

Comments: Older roadies may remember something like this from back in the 80's-90's. (The linked article talks about this) There have been other national criterium series as well as local and regional series which have found some success. This new venture seems a bit more focused on the "team" aspect and on tech. It'll be interesting to see how this holds up against the USAC sanctioned criteriums. 

With the saturation level of 'gravel events' being at an all-time high, it might be a good time for "something different" to find a foothold. Especially in bigger urban areas where actual gravel roads and back roads are rare and hard to find. 

Gravel Worlds This Weekend:

Today and tomorrow are the dates for the Gravel Worlds events. This year the event took on the challenge of getting 1000 women there to ride, (challenge met) and have raised awareness and increased participation for marginalized people in several groups. 

A running component was also added with a tie-in to Mid-South's running event. All this will be over by Saturday evening. It will be the largest Gravel Worlds that has been held since the event started in 2010. 

Comments: First of all: I hope that everyone involved with Gravel Worlds has a great time. I hope all are safe traveling to and from the event, and during the event I hope all stay safe and whole. All the best to the riders, and the promoters, who have toiled and put in untold hours to participate in and create this happening. Most of all- Thanks to anyone volunteering. I get it- I used to put on events like this and they do not work without volunteers.

And no- I am not going to be there for the first time since 2015, excluding the pandemic year of 2020 when the event wasn't held in Lincoln.  I also have ridden in the inaugural Gravel Worlds and one other year as well. That's a long, long run, and I needed a break. Not to mention the fact that due to my job changing again for the second time in two years which has stressed finances to the limit. So either way- I wasn't going to be able to attend. 

I'll miss seeing everyone. But that's the way of it sometimes. Ride on Pirates!

That's a wrap for this week! Have a great weekend and thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Neglected But Not Forgotten: Part 3

New-ish Soma Cazaderos on old, old wheels!

So, I don't know if many of you noticed, but 2021 did not feature much of the old Gen I Fargo here. That's because I did not ride it much at all. Maybe a few times back and forth to work earlier in the year, but then most of this Summer and Fall? Not a day. It sat near the back of the stable most of that time. 

A couple of weeks ago now I started thinking about why that was. Obviously I was busy reviewing stuff and most of that happened with other bikes. Not that I couldn't have used the Fargo, I just didn't. 

Anyway, there it sat, unused, and without any real inspiration to dig it out, I let it go for weeks. Weeks turned into months, and you know what is next, and I did not want that to happen. So I needed to consider why it was I felt like I did concerning this bike and it boiled down to the heavy wheels and tires I had on there. While the fat Extraterrestrials were fun, they are just so darn heavy, and that pedestrian wheel set I was using, while okay, was pretty heavy as well. It made for an uninspiring ride. 

That meant they needed to go, but for what? Later on, when I was clearing out some junk that had accumulated, I got inspired to do something about all the tires I had gathering and taking up space, and that led to a wheel inventory. That's when I started putting some ideas together. 

I had these almost new Soma Cazadero tires in 700 X 50mm and a set of Sun Ringle' Black Flag 29"er wheels I had tested waaaaay back for "Twentynine Inches" which they didn't want back. (Standard Disclaimer) Those are pretty lightweight aluminum rimmed wheels with a really narrow inner rim width. In fact I have to laugh because these so-called MTB rims are actually narrower than current gravel rims. 

So, I had to refresh some tape, clean up some old sealant, and I set those wheels and tires up on the old Gen I Fargo and came up with this.....

The current state of things with the Fargo Gen I

I think it looks pretty all-right with these wheels and tires. More importantly, it is much more fun to ride, and much more comfortable. You'd think that those Extraterrestrials would ride smooth, and they do, but not like the Cazaderos do. These new tires should be a lot of fun on this bike and I look forward to riding it in this configuration for quite a while. 

I also now can mount fenders to this, if I want, while the old set up did not leave room for that. So that's a bonus to these wheels and tires as well. The drive train on this bike was getting on in wear, but I won't worry about that now until next Spring as I may use this some during the Winter.

Neglected But Not Forgotten: Part 3

New-ish Soma Cazaderos on old, old wheels!

So, I don't know if many of you noticed, but 2021 did not feature much of the old Gen I Fargo here. That's because I did not ride it much at all. Maybe a few times back and forth to work earlier in the year, but then most of this Summer and Fall? Not a day. It sat near the back of the stable most of that time. 

A couple of weeks ago now I started thinking about why that was. Obviously I was busy reviewing stuff and most of that happened with other bikes. Not that I couldn't have used the Fargo, I just didn't. 

Anyway, there it sat, unused, and without any real inspiration to dig it out, I let it go for weeks. Weeks turned into months, and you know what is next, and I did not want that to happen. So I needed to consider why it was I felt like I did concerning this bike and it boiled down to the heavy wheels and tires I had on there. While the fat Extraterrestrials were fun, they are just so darn heavy, and that pedestrian wheel set I was using, while okay, was pretty heavy as well. It made for an uninspiring ride. 

That meant they needed to go, but for what? Later on, when I was clearing out some junk that had accumulated, I got inspired to do something about all the tires I had gathering and taking up space, and that led to a wheel inventory. That's when I started putting some ideas together. 

I had these almost new Soma Cazadero tires in 700 X 50mm and a set of Sun Ringle' Black Flag 29"er wheels I had tested waaaaay back for "Twentynine Inches" which they didn't want back. (Standard Disclaimer) Those are pretty lightweight aluminum rimmed wheels with a really narrow inner rim width. In fact I have to laugh because these so-called MTB rims are actually narrower than current gravel rims. 

So, I had to refresh some tape, clean up some old sealant, and I set those wheels and tires up on the old Gen I Fargo and came up with this.....

The current state of things with the Fargo Gen I

I think it looks pretty all-right with these wheels and tires. More importantly, it is much more fun to ride, and much more comfortable. You'd think that those Extraterrestrials would ride smooth, and they do, but not like the Cazaderos do. These new tires should be a lot of fun on this bike and I look forward to riding it in this configuration for quite a while. 

I also now can mount fenders to this, if I want, while the old set up did not leave room for that. So that's a bonus to these wheels and tires as well. The drive train on this bike was getting on in wear, but I won't worry about that now until next Spring as I may use this some during the Winter.

Need To Lace Something Up For Myself

I think this is the last set of wheels I built for myself.

 Well, as I have been on the down-low as far as riding lately, I have been doing some assessments and looking at what needs to be done around my home shop that I call "The Lab", although "Dank Dungeon of Doom and Some Bike Stuff" might be more appropriate for a hundred-plus year old basement. But I've always been one to be a bit goofy about my humble abode and whatnot.

Anywho...... As I was contemplating what I need to do to clear up the wheel madness going on down there, I realized that I don't have any current wheels that I built. Not that I am some maestro of spoke weaving, but I can build a pretty mean wheel when I have a mind to.  So, I do like to have a set or two that I built that I can use for bikes that I use often. 

Let's see...... Now there is one 29"er set around here I built. That's been on the Fargo off and on. But otherwise I have no current wheels I built for any of my gravel bikes. I did have a set that was nice but I was talked into selling them to a then co-worker of mine back at the old shop. I guess those are still being used too, ironically on another Tamland! (See the image here of those wheels on my Tamland)

So, I figured it is high time that I built up some wheels for myself again. I'll be looking at hubs to start out with. Last time I used White Industries hubs, and those were sweet. I don't have to go that way again, but you know, those are high on my list. Of course, the stalwart DT Swiss choices are there, along with the boutique stuff from Chris King, or Onyx, or Industry 9. Big bucks, those hubs, but pretty cool too. 

I also need rims, obviously, and I have had great luck with WTB and Velocity, but in these times it may come down to what I can actually get my hands on. Spokes would be my regular Wheelsmith choice, with an outside chance I might use DT Swiss or Sapim. I've built with all three, but Wheelsmith has been my go-to spoke for years. 

So stay tuned for the slow search to grind away here as I get to looking at hubs first. I have no idea how long this might take as supply may affect choices. But the goal will be to get something built by Spring to ride on and I will document the process here as I go along.

Need To Lace Something Up For Myself

I think this is the last set of wheels I built for myself.

 Well, as I have been on the down-low as far as riding lately, I have been doing some assessments and looking at what needs to be done around my home shop that I call "The Lab", although "Dank Dungeon of Doom and Some Bike Stuff" might be more appropriate for a hundred-plus year old basement. But I've always been one to be a bit goofy about my humble abode and whatnot.

Anywho...... As I was contemplating what I need to do to clear up the wheel madness going on down there, I realized that I don't have any current wheels that I built. Not that I am some maestro of spoke weaving, but I can build a pretty mean wheel when I have a mind to.  So, I do like to have a set or two that I built that I can use for bikes that I use often. 

Let's see...... Now there is one 29"er set around here I built. That's been on the Fargo off and on. But otherwise I have no current wheels I built for any of my gravel bikes. I did have a set that was nice but I was talked into selling them to a then co-worker of mine back at the old shop. I guess those are still being used too, ironically on another Tamland! (See the image here of those wheels on my Tamland)

So, I figured it is high time that I built up some wheels for myself again. I'll be looking at hubs to start out with. Last time I used White Industries hubs, and those were sweet. I don't have to go that way again, but you know, those are high on my list. Of course, the stalwart DT Swiss choices are there, along with the boutique stuff from Chris King, or Onyx, or Industry 9. Big bucks, those hubs, but pretty cool too. 

I also need rims, obviously, and I have had great luck with WTB and Velocity, but in these times it may come down to what I can actually get my hands on. Spokes would be my regular Wheelsmith choice, with an outside chance I might use DT Swiss or Sapim. I've built with all three, but Wheelsmith has been my go-to spoke for years. 

So stay tuned for the slow search to grind away here as I get to looking at hubs first. I have no idea how long this might take as supply may affect choices. But the goal will be to get something built by Spring to ride on and I will document the process here as I go along.

Friday News And Views

2020 Cutthroat frame/fork

 Salsa Cycles Issues Recall Notices On Cutthroat, Cutthroat Frame sets, And Carbon Forks: 

Earlier this week Salsa Cycles issued recall notices for certain Cutthroat, Cutthroat frame sets, and after market carbon forks. See the specifics here: https://salsacycles.com/cutthroat-carbon-v2-fork-recall

The statement released by Salsa Cycles reads as follows: 

"In some instances, the fork can crack or break which could lead to a crash. Stop riding your bicycle immediately and take it to a Salsa Authorized Retailer for inspection or replacement if necessary."

The models are listed on the site at the link provided above. Be aware that you cannot identify fork batch serial numbers without removing the fork, so an outward inspection is not enough. Please follow recommendations and check out your Cutthroat at a Salsa Cycles dealer if you think it may be affected by this recall.  

The fizik Alpaca Tool Carrier as mounted to a Terra XC saddle. Image courtesy of fizik.

fizik Debuts Tool Storage Solution:

Remember in last week's "FN&V" post where I shared with you all about that 'gravel specific Terra saddle from fizik? Well, they just announced a tool storage solution to go along with those saddles also. It is called the Alpaca Tool Carrier. 

It is not completely obvious how the Alpaca Tool Carrier integrates with the Terra saddles, but fizik says in its press release that" For a secure, integrated connection, the Tool Carrier easily affixes to your Alpaca saddle with a single screw." At any rate, you get a 12 function multi-tool and a place for two CO2 cartridges. The multi-tool body does double duty as an air inflation head. You also get "removable housing for two C02 cartridges, reusable zip ties and extra space for other small essentials. "

This isn't the first integrated tool carrying solution which works with a cycling saddle. THAT distinction would go to the Brooks B-17, most likely. Those two metal tabs on the back edge of Brooks B-17's are supposed to be mounting points for a leather tool bag, which Brooks also makes, (or did until recently). 

The fizik solution may appeal to those who buy into this saddle. It's kind of a neat, streamlined way to do things if you are all about CO2 carts. I know many of you are not really fans for various reasons. I also am not, but many folks dig the idea and this may be something that appeals to your needs. 

Arc8's new 'Eero' model gravel bike. Image courtesy of Arc8

A Look At The Latest In 'Gravel' Bikes: 

You may have noticed the mainstream cycling press sounding off on a new 'gravel' bike from a Swiss company called Arc8. The model the sites were carrying on about is the Eero, which is the first name of a famous rally car driver from the past with a penchant for gravel road performances, apparently. 

At any rate, while the marketing claims and hyperbole surrounding this release is somewhat laughable, I wanted to see what, if anything, this bike has that 'gravel' bikes had back in 2014 when the Tamland came around. So with that in mind, let's scrutinize the differences, shall we?

The Eero has what has been termed a 'more racy gravel geometry' which is not all slacked out. Hmm.... Okay, I found that these bikes sport a 71° head angle with a 50mm fork offset. The Tamland sported a 71.5° head angle with the same 50mm offset. The Eero has a 75mm bottom bracket drop with 420mm chain stays and clearances for 'up to a 50mm tire'. The Tamland had a 72.5mm bottom bracket drop with 435mm chain stays and clearances for up to a 50mm tire. 

The Eero has a frame which is carbon fiber, with claimed stiffness in the bottom bracket and a stiffer head tube than previous models offered by Arc8. The Tamland had a Reynolds 631 frame and fork with a beautiful 'steel' ride, and not at all like a carbon bike. 

The Eero also has the now prized 'clean' look since ALL it's cables are internally routed starting at the stem. The Raleigh had traditional, external routed cables with full run housing for both front and rear brakes.  Both bikes have two water bottle bosses inside the front triangle. The Eero also has a 'bento box' mount on the top tube and an additional cage mount underneath the down tube, as did later Tamlands. 

Comments: The geometry hasn't changed all that much with the exception of 'road racer' inspired short chain stays, which some say make the bike feel 'snappier'. I don't know about that, but I do know shoving the rear wheel underneath your butt more, (especially on larger sized riders) is a recipe for a bouncier ride off pavement. It also sketches out loose gravel descents. Noted also that the stiffness of the Eero was touted. Again- not exactly what we gravel riding folks are looking to have there. 

There are no provisions for bottle mounts on the forks of either this or the Tamland. However; you probably wouldn't want to ride a really stiff bike long enough to drink five water bottles worth of fluids either.  Or maybe you would. Good luck with that. 

Anyway, this whole 'gravel' thing should really be seen as an 'anti-racing', all-road, adventure, utility bike, better than racing bikes bike. Not a super-stiff race rocket, which is pretty much what the Eero sounds like to me. Maybe I'm all wrong, but if this is what becomes of gravel bikes, well some of it is right on, but rider comfort and control are, once again, being sacrificed. Not to mention ease of maintenance with the stupid internally routed stem cables. Gah! At least the Eero has a threaded bottom bracket. 

The WTB CZR rim in 23mm internal width. Image courtesy of WTB.

WTB Announces New Carbon Rims With The CZR:

Thursday WTB released news that they had a new offering for carbon rims dubbed CZR. Coming in two internal width sizes of 23mm and 30mm, WTB is aiming at the gravel and MTB riders here. This rim is lightweight, obviously, but according to WTB's press release, the CZR rims have also been tested and found to be very tough and stiff laterally. Both very desirable traits in a rim for off-pavement usage.   

The CZR also features WTB's 4D spoke hole 'geometry', which as a wheel builder myself, having used this feature, I can tell you that it does reduce unwanted tensions on the spoke where it exits the rim. This theoretically leads to a longer spoke life. I built an aluminum rimmed wheel set using WTB's 4D spoke drilling back 8 years ago and those wheels are still going with zero spoke issues. That's one data point, but it also is something to consider. 

Now for the bad part: $569.95 for EACH rim. Ouch! But......here's how I would look at this: You build up a set here with a decent hub set, let's say you spend around $600-$700 on that, then spokes, nipples, rim tape, and these rims. For under 2G you'd have a premium set of wheels, hand built, and I would expect them to last years and years. I mean, for gravel road riding? I'd think well over ten years would be nothing. You'd replace hub bearings maybe a time or three, but that's it. So, it would make sense for someone to build up a set IF they were thinking they would be cycling seriously and a lot for many years with a bike style that would fit this wheel's MO. 

Now on the MTB side, eh......less of a long term prospect here. Why? Well, wheel standards have changed what? Three times in the last ten years?  Changed so much that hubs are completely different lengths and with completely different interfaces. So, given that history, I would be remiss if I didn't think that trend would continue. In my opinion, the gravel bike thing is less likely to change, but even so- one could re-lace these to a new hub set. So, you would have to maybe think along those lines to justify the price. 

At any rate, an interesting new carbon rim here and something that can be used to lace up to any high end hub. There is a crash replacement warranty and a limited lifetime warranty on these as well. Check it out at WTB's site.  

That's a wrap for this week. Hope you all are getting outside! 

Friday News And Views

2020 Cutthroat frame/fork

 Salsa Cycles Issues Recall Notices On Cutthroat, Cutthroat Frame sets, And Carbon Forks: 

Earlier this week Salsa Cycles issued recall notices for certain Cutthroat, Cutthroat frame sets, and after market carbon forks. See the specifics here: https://salsacycles.com/cutthroat-carbon-v2-fork-recall

The statement released by Salsa Cycles reads as follows: 

"In some instances, the fork can crack or break which could lead to a crash. Stop riding your bicycle immediately and take it to a Salsa Authorized Retailer for inspection or replacement if necessary."

The models are listed on the site at the link provided above. Be aware that you cannot identify fork batch serial numbers without removing the fork, so an outward inspection is not enough. Please follow recommendations and check out your Cutthroat at a Salsa Cycles dealer if you think it may be affected by this recall.  

The fizik Alpaca Tool Carrier as mounted to a Terra XC saddle. Image courtesy of fizik.

fizik Debuts Tool Storage Solution:

Remember in last week's "FN&V" post where I shared with you all about that 'gravel specific Terra saddle from fizik? Well, they just announced a tool storage solution to go along with those saddles also. It is called the Alpaca Tool Carrier. 

It is not completely obvious how the Alpaca Tool Carrier integrates with the Terra saddles, but fizik says in its press release that" For a secure, integrated connection, the Tool Carrier easily affixes to your Alpaca saddle with a single screw." At any rate, you get a 12 function multi-tool and a place for two CO2 cartridges. The multi-tool body does double duty as an air inflation head. You also get "removable housing for two C02 cartridges, reusable zip ties and extra space for other small essentials. "

This isn't the first integrated tool carrying solution which works with a cycling saddle. THAT distinction would go to the Brooks B-17, most likely. Those two metal tabs on the back edge of Brooks B-17's are supposed to be mounting points for a leather tool bag, which Brooks also makes, (or did until recently). 

The fizik solution may appeal to those who buy into this saddle. It's kind of a neat, streamlined way to do things if you are all about CO2 carts. I know many of you are not really fans for various reasons. I also am not, but many folks dig the idea and this may be something that appeals to your needs. 

Arc8's new 'Eero' model gravel bike. Image courtesy of Arc8

A Look At The Latest In 'Gravel' Bikes: 

You may have noticed the mainstream cycling press sounding off on a new 'gravel' bike from a Swiss company called Arc8. The model the sites were carrying on about is the Eero, which is the first name of a famous rally car driver from the past with a penchant for gravel road performances, apparently. 

At any rate, while the marketing claims and hyperbole surrounding this release is somewhat laughable, I wanted to see what, if anything, this bike has that 'gravel' bikes had back in 2014 when the Tamland came around. So with that in mind, let's scrutinize the differences, shall we?

The Eero has what has been termed a 'more racy gravel geometry' which is not all slacked out. Hmm.... Okay, I found that these bikes sport a 71° head angle with a 50mm fork offset. The Tamland sported a 71.5° head angle with the same 50mm offset. The Eero has a 75mm bottom bracket drop with 420mm chain stays and clearances for 'up to a 50mm tire'. The Tamland had a 72.5mm bottom bracket drop with 435mm chain stays and clearances for up to a 50mm tire. 

The Eero has a frame which is carbon fiber, with claimed stiffness in the bottom bracket and a stiffer head tube than previous models offered by Arc8. The Tamland had a Reynolds 631 frame and fork with a beautiful 'steel' ride, and not at all like a carbon bike. 

The Eero also has the now prized 'clean' look since ALL it's cables are internally routed starting at the stem. The Raleigh had traditional, external routed cables with full run housing for both front and rear brakes.  Both bikes have two water bottle bosses inside the front triangle. The Eero also has a 'bento box' mount on the top tube and an additional cage mount underneath the down tube, as did later Tamlands. 

Comments: The geometry hasn't changed all that much with the exception of 'road racer' inspired short chain stays, which some say make the bike feel 'snappier'. I don't know about that, but I do know shoving the rear wheel underneath your butt more, (especially on larger sized riders) is a recipe for a bouncier ride off pavement. It also sketches out loose gravel descents. Noted also that the stiffness of the Eero was touted. Again- not exactly what we gravel riding folks are looking to have there. 

There are no provisions for bottle mounts on the forks of either this or the Tamland. However; you probably wouldn't want to ride a really stiff bike long enough to drink five water bottles worth of fluids either.  Or maybe you would. Good luck with that. 

Anyway, this whole 'gravel' thing should really be seen as an 'anti-racing', all-road, adventure, utility bike, better than racing bikes bike. Not a super-stiff race rocket, which is pretty much what the Eero sounds like to me. Maybe I'm all wrong, but if this is what becomes of gravel bikes, well some of it is right on, but rider comfort and control are, once again, being sacrificed. Not to mention ease of maintenance with the stupid internally routed stem cables. Gah! At least the Eero has a threaded bottom bracket. 

The WTB CZR rim in 23mm internal width. Image courtesy of WTB.

WTB Announces New Carbon Rims With The CZR:

Thursday WTB released news that they had a new offering for carbon rims dubbed CZR. Coming in two internal width sizes of 23mm and 30mm, WTB is aiming at the gravel and MTB riders here. This rim is lightweight, obviously, but according to WTB's press release, the CZR rims have also been tested and found to be very tough and stiff laterally. Both very desirable traits in a rim for off-pavement usage.   

The CZR also features WTB's 4D spoke hole 'geometry', which as a wheel builder myself, having used this feature, I can tell you that it does reduce unwanted tensions on the spoke where it exits the rim. This theoretically leads to a longer spoke life. I built an aluminum rimmed wheel set using WTB's 4D spoke drilling back 8 years ago and those wheels are still going with zero spoke issues. That's one data point, but it also is something to consider. 

Now for the bad part: $569.95 for EACH rim. Ouch! But......here's how I would look at this: You build up a set here with a decent hub set, let's say you spend around $600-$700 on that, then spokes, nipples, rim tape, and these rims. For under 2G you'd have a premium set of wheels, hand built, and I would expect them to last years and years. I mean, for gravel road riding? I'd think well over ten years would be nothing. You'd replace hub bearings maybe a time or three, but that's it. So, it would make sense for someone to build up a set IF they were thinking they would be cycling seriously and a lot for many years with a bike style that would fit this wheel's MO. 

Now on the MTB side, eh......less of a long term prospect here. Why? Well, wheel standards have changed what? Three times in the last ten years?  Changed so much that hubs are completely different lengths and with completely different interfaces. So, given that history, I would be remiss if I didn't think that trend would continue. In my opinion, the gravel bike thing is less likely to change, but even so- one could re-lace these to a new hub set. So, you would have to maybe think along those lines to justify the price. 

At any rate, an interesting new carbon rim here and something that can be used to lace up to any high end hub. There is a crash replacement warranty and a limited lifetime warranty on these as well. Check it out at WTB's site.  

That's a wrap for this week. Hope you all are getting outside!