Finally Figured It Out

The addition of the ShockStop Stem helped but...

 The saga of the issues I've had with the Whiskey Winston Bar and hand pain has been ongoing for some time now. I had blamed certain elements of the bike's set up, most notably the Panaracer Gravel King SK+ tires and the carbon fork combination, for quite a while now. Then I added a Redshift Sports ShockStop Stem on the bike which I figured would end the problems.

And initially, that is what I felt and what I settled upon as the answer. However; some residual hand pain was felt at times which I was chalking up to a 'post-pulling-on-wrenches' effect. Basically just having been hard on my hands during work. But the other day that cause and effect did not line up. My hands could not find a good place to reside unless I was up around the brake perch. 

As one does, I was thinking as I rode along, trying to figure out why my hands instantly felt better when I was anywhere away from the extensions on the Winston bar. I first felt that it was just an odd angle and this bar would never work. But, how is it that my drop bar extensions feel okay then? They are basically the same thing in terms of sweep and............. That's when the light bulb moment happened. 

The solution: Ergon GC1 grips and wrap the tape differently.

Actually, the Winston Bar and any drop bar have quite a difference in extensions. It is the diameter of the bar at that point. That diameter is about a millimeter and a half smaller, since road bikes use a 23.8mm diameter, and the Winston bar uses MTB standard bar size in the extensions which is 22.2mm. Ah ha! I figured it out! 

Ever tried to ride a MTB bar without grips? Then you know what I was feeling. It's really interesting how less than 2mm difference can feel so huge, but that is how it goes with bicycles, isn't it? Try lowering your saddle height by 2mm someday if you do not believe me. Personally, I may be a 'princess and the pea' sort of guy, but I think there are more of my kind out there than one might think. 

So, the answer then? What was it that I did to rectify the issue? Well, thankfully I have in my possession a rather rare set of Ergon GC1 grips meant for swept handlebars. It is something they came out with in the mid to late 00's. They are like standard Ergon grips but slightly tweaked in shape to better work on swept back bars. So, I took those and installed them on the Winston Bar and boom! Problem rectified. 

These grips are working in a similar way, ironically, to how the Redshift Sports Drop Bar grips work. Obviously, that grip works on the larger, road bike sized bars, so it was not suitable for the Winston Bar. So, I just used that GC1 grip and set it up as I had with the Redshift grips I reviewed recently. I'm pretty stoked that I was able to finally realize what the issue was stemming from, although it should have been quite obvious to me. It was right under my nose all the time! 

That said, those Gravel King SK Plus tires are still harsh and I won't be taking the ShockStop stem off anytime soon. But I am happy that the Winston Bar can remain on the bike now. It is a really great bar and works so well for this bike.

Finally Figured It Out

The addition of the ShockStop Stem helped but...

 The saga of the issues I've had with the Whiskey Winston Bar and hand pain has been ongoing for some time now. I had blamed certain elements of the bike's set up, most notably the Panaracer Gravel King SK+ tires and the carbon fork combination, for quite a while now. Then I added a Redshift Sports ShockStop Stem on the bike which I figured would end the problems.

And initially, that is what I felt and what I settled upon as the answer. However; some residual hand pain was felt at times which I was chalking up to a 'post-pulling-on-wrenches' effect. Basically just having been hard on my hands during work. But the other day that cause and effect did not line up. My hands could not find a good place to reside unless I was up around the brake perch. 

As one does, I was thinking as I rode along, trying to figure out why my hands instantly felt better when I was anywhere away from the extensions on the Winston bar. I first felt that it was just an odd angle and this bar would never work. But, how is it that my drop bar extensions feel okay then? They are basically the same thing in terms of sweep and............. That's when the light bulb moment happened. 

The solution: Ergon GC1 grips and wrap the tape differently.

Actually, the Winston Bar and any drop bar have quite a difference in extensions. It is the diameter of the bar at that point. That diameter is about a millimeter and a half smaller, since road bikes use a 23.8mm diameter, and the Winston bar uses MTB standard bar size in the extensions which is 22.2mm. Ah ha! I figured it out! 

Ever tried to ride a MTB bar without grips? Then you know what I was feeling. It's really interesting how less than 2mm difference can feel so huge, but that is how it goes with bicycles, isn't it? Try lowering your saddle height by 2mm someday if you do not believe me. Personally, I may be a 'princess and the pea' sort of guy, but I think there are more of my kind out there than one might think. 

So, the answer then? What was it that I did to rectify the issue? Well, thankfully I have in my possession a rather rare set of Ergon GC1 grips meant for swept handlebars. It is something they came out with in the mid to late 00's. They are like standard Ergon grips but slightly tweaked in shape to better work on swept back bars. So, I took those and installed them on the Winston Bar and boom! Problem rectified. 

These grips are working in a similar way, ironically, to how the Redshift Sports Drop Bar grips work. Obviously, that grip works on the larger, road bike sized bars, so it was not suitable for the Winston Bar. So, I just used that GC1 grip and set it up as I had with the Redshift grips I reviewed recently. I'm pretty stoked that I was able to finally realize what the issue was stemming from, although it should have been quite obvious to me. It was right under my nose all the time! 

That said, those Gravel King SK Plus tires are still harsh and I won't be taking the ShockStop stem off anytime soon. But I am happy that the Winston Bar can remain on the bike now. It is a really great bar and works so well for this bike.

I Missed The Mud.......A Little!

Wet, soft roads, like these in Spring of 2018, were absent this year.

Well, it would seem that we went from Winter straight into Spring with barely any transition at all. The roads all around Iowa are seemingly coming out of Winter with flying colors and in a rather unprecedented state, they are even getting fresh gravel already. That's usually something that waits until April sometime. 

And here I was, thinking we'd have a typical transition from Winter to Spring with at least two weeks of "slop season" riding. I tacked on fenders and clip-on mudguards all to no avail. They simply were not needed this year at all. In fact, I stripped two bikes of their fenders already, and may succumb to taking them off my Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross rig. I have not ridden that bike without fenders for over five years. 

So, big deal, right? That's a good thing. Well......maybe, except we need the moisture and it is super dry out there now, even with this rain we are getting. I am just kind of shocked we haven't seen any moisture in the roads. It is a pain to deal with when you want to bicycle, but not having any? That's not good for anyone. So, I kind of missed the mud, to be honest, and I hope that it doesn't continue to be overly dry out there. 

The other side note to all of this is that I am supposed to be reviewing this rain jacket and, well..... Hopefully I can get out in this and put an end to this review I'm doing. It has rained before this, of course, but it was freezing cold and coming down in the form of 'soft snow'. Like big flakes of snow that had just been melted enough that you could call it rain. Not anything I'd want to ride in.

I'm not sure why, but my iPhone camera just cannot replicate the color of this bike correctly.

Sunday I rode the Standard Rando v2 around the neighborhood to get my daily exercise in. No big deal. Just enough to spin out the legs and to stress the knee I tweaked Saturday a bit so it wouldn't get stiff. That all worked out, but as I was riding it I kept debating in my mind whether or not I am going to keep riding the Winston Bar on there. Unfortunately, no decision was made. 

I guess I'll just keep riding it the way it is for the time being until I get inspired to do something different. I'm not necessarily missing a drop bar, but I'm not sure the Winston Bar is 100% right for this bike. It's really good, so don't get me wrong. It is probably just a case of over-thinking things. I guess I should forget about missing 'slop-season' and the Winston Bar and shut up and ride.

I Missed The Mud.......A Little!

Wet, soft roads, like these in Spring of 2018, were absent this year.

Well, it would seem that we went from Winter straight into Spring with barely any transition at all. The roads all around Iowa are seemingly coming out of Winter with flying colors and in a rather unprecedented state, they are even getting fresh gravel already. That's usually something that waits until April sometime. 

And here I was, thinking we'd have a typical transition from Winter to Spring with at least two weeks of "slop season" riding. I tacked on fenders and clip-on mudguards all to no avail. They simply were not needed this year at all. In fact, I stripped two bikes of their fenders already, and may succumb to taking them off my Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross rig. I have not ridden that bike without fenders for over five years. 

So, big deal, right? That's a good thing. Well......maybe, except we need the moisture and it is super dry out there now, even with this rain we are getting. I am just kind of shocked we haven't seen any moisture in the roads. It is a pain to deal with when you want to bicycle, but not having any? That's not good for anyone. So, I kind of missed the mud, to be honest, and I hope that it doesn't continue to be overly dry out there. 

The other side note to all of this is that I am supposed to be reviewing this rain jacket and, well..... Hopefully I can get out in this and put an end to this review I'm doing. It has rained before this, of course, but it was freezing cold and coming down in the form of 'soft snow'. Like big flakes of snow that had just been melted enough that you could call it rain. Not anything I'd want to ride in.

I'm not sure why, but my iPhone camera just cannot replicate the color of this bike correctly.

Sunday I rode the Standard Rando v2 around the neighborhood to get my daily exercise in. No big deal. Just enough to spin out the legs and to stress the knee I tweaked Saturday a bit so it wouldn't get stiff. That all worked out, but as I was riding it I kept debating in my mind whether or not I am going to keep riding the Winston Bar on there. Unfortunately, no decision was made. 

I guess I'll just keep riding it the way it is for the time being until I get inspired to do something different. I'm not necessarily missing a drop bar, but I'm not sure the Winston Bar is 100% right for this bike. It's really good, so don't get me wrong. It is probably just a case of over-thinking things. I guess I should forget about missing 'slop-season' and the Winston Bar and shut up and ride.

Alt Bars Are Back!

The Winston Bar by Whisky Parts Co.

Remember the mid-00's? those oddball handle bars which a lot of folks were putting on their oddball 29"ers were all the rage. Handle bars like Midge Bars, Fleegle Bars, Misfit made some which I've forgotton the name of, the H-Bar from Titec, and Salsa Cycles radically swept 17° straight handle bars. Those were crazy days. Then 29"ers went mainstream and the big companies said 'no more weird bars on 29"ers!', so folks just went back to being 'sheeple' and accepted the boring flat bar as it has been for two decades now. 

Well, someone or another at Whisky Parts Co. felt like they needed to wave their freak flag high and they have put forth a couple of weird bars in carbon fiber of all things. I wasn't supposed to talk about these until next week, but the QBP Mothership decided to open the floodgates of knowledge yesterday, and my reins were let go. So I posted this over at RidingGravel.com. But here I wanted to go a little deeper into why I think these bars are so rad. 

First, the Winston Bar, a mustache bar, is sooooo good! I was tipped off to this being in development last Summer, so I was already very excited about it. I like the idea of mustache bars,and  but for a couple of critical things, they were a perfect set of handle bar for me. Instead most traditional mustache bars are merely 'near misses'. They are almost always too narrow. Plus, they have extensions which pointed straight back. Lame! Make those sweep some! Make them in modern stem clamp diameters. Make it so I could use MTB controls and road controls. Well, Whisky Parts Co. figured this all out and made them compliant in carbon fiber, not to mention light in weight. 

And the Winston Bar is about as perfect a mustache bar as I could hope for. Wide but not too wide, and the extensions have sweep but are not crazy in that regard. They feel more ergonomic than mustache bars which point straight back. That long extension lends these bars a lot of compliance too, so the Winston feels great on gravel. I've had them long enough now to know. They are just about the best bar for anyone that doesn't like drop bars but wants more hand positions than flat bars have. 

The Winston Bar may be the best single speed gravel bike bar ever.

 I know some folks will be weirded out by the slammed over sideways look of the levers, but don't think about 'losing the hoods position' because you'll never miss it if you can open up your mind to the possibilities of the mustache design. Those levers sitting sideways are like flat bar controls that you still can grip on in about three different ways, plus they make a great platform for laying your hands down open for cruising and to give your hands a break. 

The slightly swept out and down nature of the extensions make the ergonomics for gripping the extensions far more comfortable. Plus, this extension positioning allows for a real advantage in levering a bike set up as a single speed rig. Kind of like a wheelbarrow handle grip, this aligns with your shoulders and hips to provide a better power transmission at low cadences, such as you might see on a steep, long climb. If you ever try these, this will become quite clear very soon after your first ride or two. 

The 70mm rise of the Milhouse Bar makes your seated position radically different.

The Milhouse Bar is one that doesn't seem quite so obviously awesome at first. A riser bar with a moto inspired cross bar, it seems more.....unnecessary to be made in carbon, but that thought leaves your mind when you see it for real. The light weight and width are good things for fat bikes, cruiser bikes, commuters, and yes, BMX bikes. Adventurers more interested in 'looky-looing' than covering ground as fast as possible will like these. 

I almost stuck these on one of my fat bikes. I still might. Adventure is what fat bikes are all about, right? But I already have two carbon Jones Loop Bars, one on each fat bike I normally use, so taking apart those to fit this bar is kind of a step backward. But I do still have the original fat bike I owned, the Snow Dog, so that is an option there. We will see... 

Meanwhile these Milhouse Bars are pretty nice riding bars as well. The rise and sweep is great, and you can cut them back, but 810mm of width is nicer to have than you might think. I don't know that I'd ever shorten these. Plus there is that cross bar. Hmm.....it isn't very big in diameter. It seems a waste not to figure out how to utilize that bit for accessories somehow. 

Anyway, there are some oddball, high end handlebars for ya! I'll be reporting back again soon on these. Now for the disclaimer: Note: Whisky Parts Co. Sent over the Winston and Milhouse Bars at no charge to Riding Gravel for test and review. We were not paid, nor bribed, for this review and we always strive to give our honest thoughts and opinions throughout.

Alt Bars Are Back!

The Winston Bar by Whisky Parts Co.

Remember the mid-00's? those oddball handle bars which a lot of folks were putting on their oddball 29"ers were all the rage. Handle bars like Midge Bars, Fleegle Bars, Misfit made some which I've forgotton the name of, the H-Bar from Titec, and Salsa Cycles radically swept 17° straight handle bars. Those were crazy days. Then 29"ers went mainstream and the big companies said 'no more weird bars on 29"ers!', so folks just went back to being 'sheeple' and accepted the boring flat bar as it has been for two decades now. 

Well, someone or another at Whisky Parts Co. felt like they needed to wave their freak flag high and they have put forth a couple of weird bars in carbon fiber of all things. I wasn't supposed to talk about these until next week, but the QBP Mothership decided to open the floodgates of knowledge yesterday, and my reins were let go. So I posted this over at RidingGravel.com. But here I wanted to go a little deeper into why I think these bars are so rad. 

First, the Winston Bar, a mustache bar, is sooooo good! I was tipped off to this being in development last Summer, so I was already very excited about it. I like the idea of mustache bars,and  but for a couple of critical things, they were a perfect set of handle bar for me. Instead most traditional mustache bars are merely 'near misses'. They are almost always too narrow. Plus, they have extensions which pointed straight back. Lame! Make those sweep some! Make them in modern stem clamp diameters. Make it so I could use MTB controls and road controls. Well, Whisky Parts Co. figured this all out and made them compliant in carbon fiber, not to mention light in weight. 

And the Winston Bar is about as perfect a mustache bar as I could hope for. Wide but not too wide, and the extensions have sweep but are not crazy in that regard. They feel more ergonomic than mustache bars which point straight back. That long extension lends these bars a lot of compliance too, so the Winston feels great on gravel. I've had them long enough now to know. They are just about the best bar for anyone that doesn't like drop bars but wants more hand positions than flat bars have. 

The Winston Bar may be the best single speed gravel bike bar ever.

 I know some folks will be weirded out by the slammed over sideways look of the levers, but don't think about 'losing the hoods position' because you'll never miss it if you can open up your mind to the possibilities of the mustache design. Those levers sitting sideways are like flat bar controls that you still can grip on in about three different ways, plus they make a great platform for laying your hands down open for cruising and to give your hands a break. 

The slightly swept out and down nature of the extensions make the ergonomics for gripping the extensions far more comfortable. Plus, this extension positioning allows for a real advantage in levering a bike set up as a single speed rig. Kind of like a wheelbarrow handle grip, this aligns with your shoulders and hips to provide a better power transmission at low cadences, such as you might see on a steep, long climb. If you ever try these, this will become quite clear very soon after your first ride or two. 

The 70mm rise of the Milhouse Bar makes your seated position radically different.

The Milhouse Bar is one that doesn't seem quite so obviously awesome at first. A riser bar with a moto inspired cross bar, it seems more.....unnecessary to be made in carbon, but that thought leaves your mind when you see it for real. The light weight and width are good things for fat bikes, cruiser bikes, commuters, and yes, BMX bikes. Adventurers more interested in 'looky-looing' than covering ground as fast as possible will like these. 

I almost stuck these on one of my fat bikes. I still might. Adventure is what fat bikes are all about, right? But I already have two carbon Jones Loop Bars, one on each fat bike I normally use, so taking apart those to fit this bar is kind of a step backward. But I do still have the original fat bike I owned, the Snow Dog, so that is an option there. We will see... 

Meanwhile these Milhouse Bars are pretty nice riding bars as well. The rise and sweep is great, and you can cut them back, but 810mm of width is nicer to have than you might think. I don't know that I'd ever shorten these. Plus there is that cross bar. Hmm.....it isn't very big in diameter. It seems a waste not to figure out how to utilize that bit for accessories somehow. 

Anyway, there are some oddball, high end handlebars for ya! I'll be reporting back again soon on these. Now for the disclaimer: Note: Whisky Parts Co. Sent over the Winston and Milhouse Bars at no charge to Riding Gravel for test and review. We were not paid, nor bribed, for this review and we always strive to give our honest thoughts and opinions throughout.

Seat Post Testing: Final Thoughts And Observations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The PRO Carbon post here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Seat Post Testing: Final Thoughts And Observations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The PRO Carbon post here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Friday News And Views

Trade mags are reporting lots of disruption due to the COVID-19 Virus.

NAHBS Reschedules Due To COVID-19 Virus Issues - Other Events Threatened: 

As you probably know, the world at  large is being disrupted in several ways due to the COVID-19 virus outbreak. Supply chains from the Far East are behind schedule and fears are rampant that bicycle retailers will have little inventory come the Summer which is peak season for retailers in North America.

Events are not without disruption as well. The UAE Tour was cut short and several people associated with that event have been held in quarantine since. Apparently several Northern Italian classics are under the threat of cancellation or postponement. Thursday the news came out that the Strade Bianche has been cancelled due to fears surrounding this virus. Now word comes from the trade paper, "BRAIN", that NAHBS, the handmade bicycle show to be held in Texas soon, has been postponed until August now. Even Sea Otter is postponing their 2020 event due to this virus according to another "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" article.

While widespread outbreak of the COVID-19 virus has not occurred here in the U.S., it is conceivable that large scale gravel events may also be threatened to postpone or cancel if that were to occur. It is something to keep our eyes on, certainly, but for now, there is little concern that this may happen. The inventory issues retailers will likely face is definitely of much greater concern at this time.

To go "boinger" or to go "bendy"? That is the question.

 Seat Post Challenge: 

So I've had the unique opportunity to use some excellent vibration damping seat posts in the past, and now in the present, and I have future opportunities awaiting me as well. That means I am in the perfect position to give a "Seat Post Challenge" review. Here's my thinking so far coming into this.....

First of all, the obvious thing to assume is that a suspension seat post is the "clear winner". But is it? My experiences have been mixed here. Sometimes a suspension seat post, like the Kinekt, or the Redshift ShockStop, is a great thing to have on a ride. Sometimes it feels like a power-sucking tool of the devil. Besides the fact that these things weigh a metric ton compared to standard posts, which matters. Some aren't very friendly to seat packs either. So, a suspension seat post isn't necessarily the answer, and sometimes it is a negative.

Then you have the "flexible" posts. Posts made from carbon fiber, and to a lesser degree, titanium and then aluminum. These are much more familiar feeling, can handle seat bag mounting, and almost always weigh less than a suspension seat post ever will. (This depends upon how you classify the Specialized CG-R post) That said, carbon fiber, while strong, can break catastrophically with dangerous consequences. (No hyperbole here- it's happened to me.) Many folks don't want that possibility nor want to have to deal with consequences of a possible break in a carbon post out in The Styx of rural America. Obviously, metal posts have a more robust track record, but they flex even less in most instances, so you give up a lot of comfort for peace of mind.

I've got two suspension seat posts, (Cane Creek and Redshift), experience on two versions of the Kinekt, and the Specialized CG-R, if you categorize that as "suspension". I've got that PRO Carbon with Dyneema post, a Whiskey Parts post, and a couple Salsa Regulator Titanium posts around here. Plus several standard aluminum posts including a Thomson or two. Between all those, and my experiences, I should be able to come to some conclusions.

I've been looking into accelerometers  for my iPhone to see if that wouldn't aid me in my quest to see what works and what doesn't. I've seen a few things but I haven't pulled the trigger yet. However; even if that doesn't happen, I'm going through with this. So, stay tuned for my results throughout the coming Spring weeks.

The Noble GX5 will be sporting the aMTBer Smoothe Lube to start.

 Lube-Off To Get Underway:

I've got two bikes set to go now on the Lube-Off which was announced recently. The contenders are WPL Wet Lube, Lilly Lube, and the aMTBer Smoothe Lube 1.2.

The Noble GX5 will be sporting the Smoothe Lube 1.2 and as a matter of fact, it has had it on for a while already. I'll be doing a finishing up on time with that lube and then move this bike over to the WPL Wet Lube to get that rotated into the mix.

The Fargo Gen I will be getting Lilly Lube. Although the Lilly Lube says it can go over any previous lube, since it self-cleans, I will be stripping the Fargo's chain anyway and keeping a level playing field with regard to the other lubricants in this test/shoot-out. So, I should be started with all of this as you read this today. Look for any updates soon, as the time limitation is six hours, and after that a final verdict on each lube is given.

The "control" lube is still the DuMonde Tech lube which I am running on the pink Black Mountain Cycles MCD. I already have a couple hours on that one as well. Keep in mind, the chain was touched up after the last Lube-Off and has not had any maintenance since that time.

 C.O.G. 100 Hats:

Check it out! N.Y. Roll models the new C.O.G. 100 hats which just came in Wednesday. Each participant in the event is going to receive one of these at either the pre-race event at Peace Tree downtown Grinnell, or you will get it when you check in at the event venue.

The design was put together by myself and executed by Bike Rags which is located here in Iowa. Check them out if you need any custom apparel for your club, team, or event. N.Y. Roll and I have been pretty happy with their stuff and customer service is top notch. Bike Rags is our supplier for the Iowa Single Speed Gravel Championship jerseys as well.

I have access to a few extras in regards to the hats. One is spoken for. I may have a couple others. If you really have to have one, make me an offer. I'll see what I can do. Otherwise this is it. We wanted to keep these special for those riders that committed to the C.O.G.100.


Okay, that's all for this week! Have a great weekend and get out there and ride!

Friday News And Views

Trade mags are reporting lots of disruption due to the COVID-19 Virus.

NAHBS Reschedules Due To COVID-19 Virus Issues - Other Events Threatened: 

As you probably know, the world at  large is being disrupted in several ways due to the COVID-19 virus outbreak. Supply chains from the Far East are behind schedule and fears are rampant that bicycle retailers will have little inventory come the Summer which is peak season for retailers in North America.

Events are not without disruption as well. The UAE Tour was cut short and several people associated with that event have been held in quarantine since. Apparently several Northern Italian classics are under the threat of cancellation or postponement. Thursday the news came out that the Strade Bianche has been cancelled due to fears surrounding this virus. Now word comes from the trade paper, "BRAIN", that NAHBS, the handmade bicycle show to be held in Texas soon, has been postponed until August now. Even Sea Otter is postponing their 2020 event due to this virus according to another "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" article.

While widespread outbreak of the COVID-19 virus has not occurred here in the U.S., it is conceivable that large scale gravel events may also be threatened to postpone or cancel if that were to occur. It is something to keep our eyes on, certainly, but for now, there is little concern that this may happen. The inventory issues retailers will likely face is definitely of much greater concern at this time.

To go "boinger" or to go "bendy"? That is the question.

 Seat Post Challenge: 

So I've had the unique opportunity to use some excellent vibration damping seat posts in the past, and now in the present, and I have future opportunities awaiting me as well. That means I am in the perfect position to give a "Seat Post Challenge" review. Here's my thinking so far coming into this.....

First of all, the obvious thing to assume is that a suspension seat post is the "clear winner". But is it? My experiences have been mixed here. Sometimes a suspension seat post, like the Kinekt, or the Redshift ShockStop, is a great thing to have on a ride. Sometimes it feels like a power-sucking tool of the devil. Besides the fact that these things weigh a metric ton compared to standard posts, which matters. Some aren't very friendly to seat packs either. So, a suspension seat post isn't necessarily the answer, and sometimes it is a negative.

Then you have the "flexible" posts. Posts made from carbon fiber, and to a lesser degree, titanium and then aluminum. These are much more familiar feeling, can handle seat bag mounting, and almost always weigh less than a suspension seat post ever will. (This depends upon how you classify the Specialized CG-R post) That said, carbon fiber, while strong, can break catastrophically with dangerous consequences. (No hyperbole here- it's happened to me.) Many folks don't want that possibility nor want to have to deal with consequences of a possible break in a carbon post out in The Styx of rural America. Obviously, metal posts have a more robust track record, but they flex even less in most instances, so you give up a lot of comfort for peace of mind.

I've got two suspension seat posts, (Cane Creek and Redshift), experience on two versions of the Kinekt, and the Specialized CG-R, if you categorize that as "suspension". I've got that PRO Carbon with Dyneema post, a Whiskey Parts post, and a couple Salsa Regulator Titanium posts around here. Plus several standard aluminum posts including a Thomson or two. Between all those, and my experiences, I should be able to come to some conclusions.

I've been looking into accelerometers  for my iPhone to see if that wouldn't aid me in my quest to see what works and what doesn't. I've seen a few things but I haven't pulled the trigger yet. However; even if that doesn't happen, I'm going through with this. So, stay tuned for my results throughout the coming Spring weeks.

The Noble GX5 will be sporting the aMTBer Smoothe Lube to start.

 Lube-Off To Get Underway:

I've got two bikes set to go now on the Lube-Off which was announced recently. The contenders are WPL Wet Lube, Lilly Lube, and the aMTBer Smoothe Lube 1.2.

The Noble GX5 will be sporting the Smoothe Lube 1.2 and as a matter of fact, it has had it on for a while already. I'll be doing a finishing up on time with that lube and then move this bike over to the WPL Wet Lube to get that rotated into the mix.

The Fargo Gen I will be getting Lilly Lube. Although the Lilly Lube says it can go over any previous lube, since it self-cleans, I will be stripping the Fargo's chain anyway and keeping a level playing field with regard to the other lubricants in this test/shoot-out. So, I should be started with all of this as you read this today. Look for any updates soon, as the time limitation is six hours, and after that a final verdict on each lube is given.

The "control" lube is still the DuMonde Tech lube which I am running on the pink Black Mountain Cycles MCD. I already have a couple hours on that one as well. Keep in mind, the chain was touched up after the last Lube-Off and has not had any maintenance since that time.

 C.O.G. 100 Hats:

Check it out! N.Y. Roll models the new C.O.G. 100 hats which just came in Wednesday. Each participant in the event is going to receive one of these at either the pre-race event at Peace Tree downtown Grinnell, or you will get it when you check in at the event venue.

The design was put together by myself and executed by Bike Rags which is located here in Iowa. Check them out if you need any custom apparel for your club, team, or event. N.Y. Roll and I have been pretty happy with their stuff and customer service is top notch. Bike Rags is our supplier for the Iowa Single Speed Gravel Championship jerseys as well.

I have access to a few extras in regards to the hats. One is spoken for. I may have a couple others. If you really have to have one, make me an offer. I'll see what I can do. Otherwise this is it. We wanted to keep these special for those riders that committed to the C.O.G.100.


Okay, that's all for this week! Have a great weekend and get out there and ride!

GTDRI '19: Gear And Final Thoughts

The BMC post-GTDRI '19

The gear rundown for the GTDRI was pretty simple and had pretty much zero defects. Starting out with the bike, which is the pink Black Mountain Cycles MCD frame/fork. I won't say a whole lot more than my one year review said here other than those rough Level B Roads were traversed with no problem.

The Shimano shifters and derailleurs were spot on. the Whiskey carbon bar and seat post were perfectly smooth. I will highlight two items on the bike which I thought made the day and without them, it would have been a harsher ride.

One certainly is the Redshift Sports ShockStop stem. I've been using this for two solid years now and it has shown no signs of looseness or that the elastomeric spring is crushing/damaged/giving up. I know of several instances where having that stem meant having control versus not having it while bombing Level B roads at 30+ mph. Besides the benefits of vibration damping, that absorption of the big hits- just taking the edge off and keeping my ability to be in control- is worth the price of the stem right there.

The second thing is the Spinergy GX gravel wheels. Yes.....they look pretty. That's nice and all, but if they don't stay true, hold my tubeless tires well, or if they were heavy, they wouldn't be on my bike. I don't care how nice they look. They are stiffer than some other blingy wheels I've tried and cost less than any of them. PBO spokes are weird, yes, I understand the hesitance to getting into such a wheel from that standpoint. However; it has been my observation over the years that these spokes can withstand a fair amount of use and abuse. I'm not too worried about it, to be honest. And as I have already said, if I can pound on them as hard as I did during the GTDRI, I have full confidence in their integrity. Plus, they have a custom program now and a chance to win wheels. Check it out here.

The computer tells the story

Well, as for my thoughts on the day, it was a success overall. People along for the ride seemed really happy with the route and there was enough rain, or maybe not enough, I suppose, to make it interesting. The Level B roads I put in the route were, frankly, spectacular. Now, the having that happen, that was purely speculation on my part, because remember- I did not recon the route at all. I knew from seeing these roads, while passing by many of them during various Trans Iowa recons, that they looked interesting. That's all.

My back issue was probably responsible for my early demise, but the fall at around Mile 50 probably sped that demise up. I still am not "right" and the muscles will take time to heal. But I was happy I made it as far as I did. I wasn't sure I'd even be able to ride at all Friday evening.

I made it 70 miles and a little bit more. Probably 2+ of that was walking. Still- My average speed, according to GPS from the Lezyne, was over 11mph! I find that hard to believe. I think my GPS is trying to butter me up because I don't necessarily feel compelled to use it all that much. Anyway, the last several times I have checked into my average speed on different courses, I have been surprised by what I have done in that regard. Still, I'd like to double check that against a wireless CatEye or something. I'm still suspicious.

On the nutritional front I was pretty happy. I've been trying some new things and they have been working. I also learned that Starbucks Double Shot Latte is an eye opener. I never once had the urge to just fall asleep on the bike, as I have had happen at Gravel Worlds last year and during other long events. This isn't the being tired that I experienced this GTDRI. That was pure fatigue. This "falling asleep while riding" is something different because my body isn't tired. It's my mind just shutting down. Sugary Coca-Cola snaps me right out of that funk, but that comes with its downsides. This Starbucks thing? That may be the ticket. 

One other interesting bit was that the average temperature was just under 80°F for the ride with a high of 102°F at one point near to the end of my ride. The Sun did come out in scorching fashion right at the end there, but 102? Meh! Not buying it, but......who knows? I just know I was baking while walking those final couple of miles on gravel. Concerning data, I was rather disappointed in the cues that Plot-a-Route generated. they were completely useless unless you were well versed in how the county roads are marked and even then it was super confusing. I am going to have to apologize for that. I maybe could have gone into the cues and cleaned that up, but I'm not sure the Plot-a-Route cues are editable.

If I can get around to it, I am going to do proper cues and put them on PDF and attach a link to the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational site for future reference. This is a course I'd like to do again.

Maybe next year?

GTDRI '19: Gear And Final Thoughts

The BMC post-GTDRI '19

The gear rundown for the GTDRI was pretty simple and had pretty much zero defects. Starting out with the bike, which is the pink Black Mountain Cycles MCD frame/fork. I won't say a whole lot more than my one year review said here other than those rough Level B Roads were traversed with no problem.

The Shimano shifters and derailleurs were spot on. the Whiskey carbon bar and seat post were perfectly smooth. I will highlight two items on the bike which I thought made the day and without them, it would have been a harsher ride.

One certainly is the Redshift Sports ShockStop stem. I've been using this for two solid years now and it has shown no signs of looseness or that the elastomeric spring is crushing/damaged/giving up. I know of several instances where having that stem meant having control versus not having it while bombing Level B roads at 30+ mph. Besides the benefits of vibration damping, that absorption of the big hits- just taking the edge off and keeping my ability to be in control- is worth the price of the stem right there.

The second thing is the Spinergy GX gravel wheels. Yes.....they look pretty. That's nice and all, but if they don't stay true, hold my tubeless tires well, or if they were heavy, they wouldn't be on my bike. I don't care how nice they look. They are stiffer than some other blingy wheels I've tried and cost less than any of them. PBO spokes are weird, yes, I understand the hesitance to getting into such a wheel from that standpoint. However; it has been my observation over the years that these spokes can withstand a fair amount of use and abuse. I'm not too worried about it, to be honest. And as I have already said, if I can pound on them as hard as I did during the GTDRI, I have full confidence in their integrity. Plus, they have a custom program now and a chance to win wheels. Check it out here.

The computer tells the story

Well, as for my thoughts on the day, it was a success overall. People along for the ride seemed really happy with the route and there was enough rain, or maybe not enough, I suppose, to make it interesting. The Level B roads I put in the route were, frankly, spectacular. Now, the having that happen, that was purely speculation on my part, because remember- I did not recon the route at all. I knew from seeing these roads, while passing by many of them during various Trans Iowa recons, that they looked interesting. That's all.

My back issue was probably responsible for my early demise, but the fall at around Mile 50 probably sped that demise up. I still am not "right" and the muscles will take time to heal. But I was happy I made it as far as I did. I wasn't sure I'd even be able to ride at all Friday evening.

I made it 70 miles and a little bit more. Probably 2+ of that was walking. Still- My average speed, according to GPS from the Lezyne, was over 11mph! I find that hard to believe. I think my GPS is trying to butter me up because I don't necessarily feel compelled to use it all that much. Anyway, the last several times I have checked into my average speed on different courses, I have been surprised by what I have done in that regard. Still, I'd like to double check that against a wireless CatEye or something. I'm still suspicious.

On the nutritional front I was pretty happy. I've been trying some new things and they have been working. I also learned that Starbucks Double Shot Latte is an eye opener. I never once had the urge to just fall asleep on the bike, as I have had happen at Gravel Worlds last year and during other long events. This isn't the being tired that I experienced this GTDRI. That was pure fatigue. This "falling asleep while riding" is something different because my body isn't tired. It's my mind just shutting down. Sugary Coca-Cola snaps me right out of that funk, but that comes with its downsides. This Starbucks thing? That may be the ticket. 

One other interesting bit was that the average temperature was just under 80°F for the ride with a high of 102°F at one point near to the end of my ride. The Sun did come out in scorching fashion right at the end there, but 102? Meh! Not buying it, but......who knows? I just know I was baking while walking those final couple of miles on gravel. Concerning data, I was rather disappointed in the cues that Plot-a-Route generated. they were completely useless unless you were well versed in how the county roads are marked and even then it was super confusing. I am going to have to apologize for that. I maybe could have gone into the cues and cleaned that up, but I'm not sure the Plot-a-Route cues are editable.

If I can get around to it, I am going to do proper cues and put them on PDF and attach a link to the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational site for future reference. This is a course I'd like to do again.

Maybe next year?

Friday News And Views

The Path Less Pedaled Interviews Guitar Ted:

There is another podcast out right now that features myself yakking about the gravel scene and a bit about Trans Iowa. It was an interview conducted by Russ from "The Path Less Pedaled" and if you'd like to hear the almost one hour gab session, click here.

A couple of notes here- First off, this was recorded before Trans Iowa v14. So......I couldn't let on that T.I.v14 was the last, or the cat would have been outta the bag too early. But you may wonder about that because the podcast didn't get released until earlier this week. Well.......

I was supposed to have been video interviewed, but the connection wasn't working for video, so we just recorded the audio track and Russ said he'd make it work out. He wanted an image from me of myself, but Trans Iowa was up next, and then the DK200, and then...... I forgot all about that. I didn't know when Russ planned on releasing the audio, so I kept the news about T.I. mum during the recording.

 So, Russ grabbed some video shot during the beginning of the DKXL event at the Dirty Kanza 200 weekend. (I wrote about that moment here on the blog) and pasted that in front of the interview as a lead in. That's something I didn't know he was going to do, so I was a bit surprised by that, and the point of views he used I never had seen before. At any rate, I had no idea even if this podcast would ever get released, much less when, so the deal was a big surprise this week when I came across the mention on Twitter. Check it out if you'd like.......

The new Cannondale Topstone gravel bike

Cannondale Debuts New Gravel Rig:

Maybe you saw my post on this bike for RidingGravel.com. But in case you haven't, Cannondale is now making a 700c based gravel rig. The Slate, the front suspended, 650B rig, continues in the line up as well, but this new rig ticks a lot of "standard" boxes when it comes to current gravel rigs. 42mm tire clearances, (probably a slightly bigger tire will work as well), dropper post compatibility, three bottle bosses with the down tube one being a triple, "Three Pack" type set of braze ons, rack and fender mounts, and through axles front and rear. All carbon fork on all three models. All the basics here. By the way, it has been said it will accept a 650B x 47mm tire as well. They just won't be offered in 650B.

While all that is well and fine, and the bike is aimed at the entry to mid-level buyer, what I was very impressed by was the geometry. Cannondale pushed a few models into their gravel category that were really cyclo-cross bikes and the geometry showed it. Now the Topstone will have, what in my opinion is, an aggressively slack head angle mated with an aggressively low bottom bracket. 71° and 75mm respectively. I like those numbers a lot, and in fact, that was my preferred set of numbers for the Tamland, but in 2012 I thought that telling Raleigh to do that was too radical. 

The Topstone will come in three model specs and the top is shown here in SRAM Apex 1. The other two are Shimano 105 and Sora, both with double ring chainsets. I dig that blue color, but I do not dig that drive train! The 105 is a glossy, conservative grey and the Sora is forest green, or close to that with a starting price of 1G. The others go up from there. $1650.00 and 2G actually. The bikes are available now.....

Topstone Sora

Topstone 105

The Bubblegum Princess Update:

I didn't really give a review of the pink MCD Black Mountain Cycles rig after Gravel Worlds, but I will say a few words now since I have a space to here.

First off, I am not changing a thing. I may as well saw off the steer tube now where I have the stem set and call it finished since I have zero complaints about the way I fit the bike. All the careful measuring I took off my other bikes paid off with a perfect fit the first time. Trust me, I am pretty surprised I nailed it!

The big tires are the way to go for me. The Riddlers are good. I think Resolutes would be even better. I need to try them on here sometime. But other than that, the bike is perfect. Thanks to Ben Witt and Whiskey Parts for the incredible No. 9 24 Drop Bar and the super-smooth No. 7 Seatpost. The ride of this bike is totally calm and smooth mainly due to these two components. Also, my bum left shoulder has never been happier! Well, since it's been a "bum shoulder", that is.  So, I am tickled pink, (sorry!), about these parts on this bike.

During the Gravel Worlds event I had really awesome stability due to the geometry of the bike and the tire/rim combination. The looser sand and pea gravel down there never threw me for a loop and I could even dart across the center line of the road at high down hill speeds without fear of washing out or fishtailing. The wasboard, which was all over the course, was sucked up big time by the bar, post, and my Redshift Shock Stop stem. The whole package really made it so my body wasn't beat up at all over the course of the 24hrs of Cumming or Gravel Worlds.

Finally, a word about the fork. It is really smooth. I was afraid that since the disc brake change was coming that the new fork wasn't going to feel like the old cantilever brake Monster Cross fork does. But I have no worries about that after having done two different kinds of gravel in two different states. That fork works very well, and you can see it working. Just like you can with the cantilever based fork.

In my humble opinion, both Monster Cross variants are home runs for gravel or all-road riding. Mike Varley has done it again, and now I have another bike I'll never be letting go of. I look forward to a lot of adventures on my new Bubblegum Princess and continued adventures on the Orange Crush.

That's all for this week. Have a great weekend and get out and ride!

Friday News And Views

The Path Less Pedaled Interviews Guitar Ted:

There is another podcast out right now that features myself yakking about the gravel scene and a bit about Trans Iowa. It was an interview conducted by Russ from "The Path Less Pedaled" and if you'd like to hear the almost one hour gab session, click here.

A couple of notes here- First off, this was recorded before Trans Iowa v14. So......I couldn't let on that T.I.v14 was the last, or the cat would have been outta the bag too early. But you may wonder about that because the podcast didn't get released until earlier this week. Well.......

I was supposed to have been video interviewed, but the connection wasn't working for video, so we just recorded the audio track and Russ said he'd make it work out. He wanted an image from me of myself, but Trans Iowa was up next, and then the DK200, and then...... I forgot all about that. I didn't know when Russ planned on releasing the audio, so I kept the news about T.I. mum during the recording.

 So, Russ grabbed some video shot during the beginning of the DKXL event at the Dirty Kanza 200 weekend. (I wrote about that moment here on the blog) and pasted that in front of the interview as a lead in. That's something I didn't know he was going to do, so I was a bit surprised by that, and the point of views he used I never had seen before. At any rate, I had no idea even if this podcast would ever get released, much less when, so the deal was a big surprise this week when I came across the mention on Twitter. Check it out if you'd like.......

The new Cannondale Topstone gravel bike

Cannondale Debuts New Gravel Rig:

Maybe you saw my post on this bike for RidingGravel.com. But in case you haven't, Cannondale is now making a 700c based gravel rig. The Slate, the front suspended, 650B rig, continues in the line up as well, but this new rig ticks a lot of "standard" boxes when it comes to current gravel rigs. 42mm tire clearances, (probably a slightly bigger tire will work as well), dropper post compatibility, three bottle bosses with the down tube one being a triple, "Three Pack" type set of braze ons, rack and fender mounts, and through axles front and rear. All carbon fork on all three models. All the basics here. By the way, it has been said it will accept a 650B x 47mm tire as well. They just won't be offered in 650B.

While all that is well and fine, and the bike is aimed at the entry to mid-level buyer, what I was very impressed by was the geometry. Cannondale pushed a few models into their gravel category that were really cyclo-cross bikes and the geometry showed it. Now the Topstone will have, what in my opinion is, an aggressively slack head angle mated with an aggressively low bottom bracket. 71° and 75mm respectively. I like those numbers a lot, and in fact, that was my preferred set of numbers for the Tamland, but in 2012 I thought that telling Raleigh to do that was too radical. 

The Topstone will come in three model specs and the top is shown here in SRAM Apex 1. The other two are Shimano 105 and Sora, both with double ring chainsets. I dig that blue color, but I do not dig that drive train! The 105 is a glossy, conservative grey and the Sora is forest green, or close to that with a starting price of 1G. The others go up from there. $1650.00 and 2G actually. The bikes are available now.....

Topstone Sora

Topstone 105

The Bubblegum Princess Update:

I didn't really give a review of the pink MCD Black Mountain Cycles rig after Gravel Worlds, but I will say a few words now since I have a space to here.

First off, I am not changing a thing. I may as well saw off the steer tube now where I have the stem set and call it finished since I have zero complaints about the way I fit the bike. All the careful measuring I took off my other bikes paid off with a perfect fit the first time. Trust me, I am pretty surprised I nailed it!

The big tires are the way to go for me. The Riddlers are good. I think Resolutes would be even better. I need to try them on here sometime. But other than that, the bike is perfect. Thanks to Ben Witt and Whiskey Parts for the incredible No. 9 24 Drop Bar and the super-smooth No. 7 Seatpost. The ride of this bike is totally calm and smooth mainly due to these two components. Also, my bum left shoulder has never been happier! Well, since it's been a "bum shoulder", that is.  So, I am tickled pink, (sorry!), about these parts on this bike.

During the Gravel Worlds event I had really awesome stability due to the geometry of the bike and the tire/rim combination. The looser sand and pea gravel down there never threw me for a loop and I could even dart across the center line of the road at high down hill speeds without fear of washing out or fishtailing. The wasboard, which was all over the course, was sucked up big time by the bar, post, and my Redshift Shock Stop stem. The whole package really made it so my body wasn't beat up at all over the course of the 24hrs of Cumming or Gravel Worlds.

Finally, a word about the fork. It is really smooth. I was afraid that since the disc brake change was coming that the new fork wasn't going to feel like the old cantilever brake Monster Cross fork does. But I have no worries about that after having done two different kinds of gravel in two different states. That fork works very well, and you can see it working. Just like you can with the cantilever based fork.

In my humble opinion, both Monster Cross variants are home runs for gravel or all-road riding. Mike Varley has done it again, and now I have another bike I'll never be letting go of. I look forward to a lot of adventures on my new Bubblegum Princess and continued adventures on the Orange Crush.

That's all for this week. Have a great weekend and get out and ride!