Building Up: Wheels For Fargo Gen 1- Part 2

In the previous update the wheel build for the Gen I Fargo was nearing completion.  With both wheels having been tensioned up, it was time for the accessory mounting phase. Rim strips, tires, sealant, rotors, cassette, and final check over is what was left here to show you. 

In case you missed the actual wheel building part, you can check that out HERE. 

I will say a few words about tensioning spokes before I move on. This process is important to get everything settled into each other. Nipples seating into their places on the rim. Spokes not hanging up on each other where they cross. Spoke heads and the length of spokes just past the head being seated, and not bowed out, but straight as can be. 

All these things are usually under the umbrella of "de-stressing" the wheel. You usually see this being done by a wheel builder when the builder squeezes pairs of spokes or if they take the wheel out of the stand and put lateral pressure on it in various ways. All of this is basically done to align spokes and nipples and to get better readings from a spoke tensionometer. 

Spoke tensionometers measure tension in kilograms of force. (kgf) Usually spokes are rated for optimum tension range. In my case it is 110kgf for the spokes I used. It is also noteworthy to know what the rim is rated to as well. Finally, more tension does not necessarily mean a stronger wheel. In fact, maximum tension allowable sometimes is not a good idea. (You limit the possibilities of truing a wheel maxed out on tension at its beginning of service later on if it comes out of true). 

The Bontrager TLR rim strip is a brilliant product.

After the wheels were finished up in the tensioning phase I moved on to placing the Bontrager TLR rim strips into the rim cavity of the Duster rims. This system is a brilliantly conceived of and executed way to seal off a rim bed for tubeless tire set ups. 

The TLR strip fits in like a Tupperware lid on a container. It is a bit stretchy, plasticky material which needs to be handled with care, but once in the rim, you have zero worries about leaking tape, or having to prep and install tape in the first place. 

I suppose it is a bit heavier than tape, but I'll take the bombproof reliability of this way of doing tubeless any day over having to use tape. Too bad Bontrager locked this idea up because I think it would be a huge benefit to riders if it could have been an open standard.  

Also- The TLR rim strips can be reused as long as you don't damage them when removing them from a rim. They are super easy to clean sealant off of, and the built up area for the valve stems insures that you can get a good, tight seal on the valve stem. 

I decided to use the Surly Extraterrestrial tires in the 29" x 2.5" size which were on these rims before. I currently have two other wheel sets with tires mounted which can be used on this Fargo. One is a HED Ardennes wheel set I have had forever and those have Rene Herse tires on them with Aeron TPU tubes. The other is a set of the original wheels off the Tamland Two set up with 29" x 2.2 (I think) Vittoria Terreno Dry tires. 

With the HED wheel set having the skinniest tires, the Terreno Dry being in between, I figured the 2.5" tires would slot in well and give me a kind of "over landing" wheel set for the Fargo. Besides, those fat Surly tires just look rad on the Gen I Fargo. 

This meant I needed to clean up the Extraterrestrials before I remounted them. I could have used a cleaner, but I took my time and just rolled off the old sealant with my thumbs. This took approximately two hours. (Note: I was not in any hurry)

Then it came time to mount the tires. I had to use my Challenge Tires "Smart Bead Seating Tool" to jack the last six inches of the tires onto the rim. That tool has been a lifesaver at times. Highly recommend it. 

Anyway, then I put in about 160ml's of sealant in each tire, (these are big volume tires!), and aired one up with just a floor pump. The other I had to remove the core, but it went up with a floor pump as well. Everything sat where it belonged at about 30psi. Not bad! 

With the tires mounted up I moved on to the final assembly of the wheels. This included mounting rotors, the cassette, and adjusting the brake calipers. 

The rotors I used were a set of ancient Avid rrotors the likes of which the Fargo would have had on it as new. Back in the day, people were not too jazzed about these rotors, but they hold up well, cut mud better than most, and - for me- are always pretty quiet. 

I did use brand new rotor bolts on this wheel set. That blue LocTite is a pain in the patukis.  

I did have to dress the splines on the Chris King free hub because it is made out of aluminum and free cogs in a cassette tend to raise up burs and cut little slots into the spline faces. Fortunately I happen to have a jeweler's file for just such an occasion. 

Once this was done and the cassette (from the HED wheel set, by the way) was mounted it was time for the wheels to go into the bike. Then I had to tweak the caliper positions on both ends, another pain in the patukis, but hey! I got it done! Finally I could hear that characteristic buzz from the rear hub. Nice! Then it was time to don a helmet and go for a test ride.....

 

Shout out to Kwik Star for the use of their privacy fence! 

And there you have it! The wheels are done and dusted. I think this wheel set will live on the Fargo most often. I really like the big Extraterrestrials on this bike and they sure do make rough gravel smoother. The rims look fantastic without those distracting stickers and my black/silver spoke theme looks amazing, in my opinion, as well. 

So.....if it ever stops raining, I will get out there on this bike yet this Fall. This one has the Super-Secret v1 chain lube on it, so it is a "control" bike for the current Lube-Off. That means I have to get out on some dry gravel when I can. Not to mention using the other bikes in the test!) 

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the wheel saga and I will give an update on things once I ride this more.  

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Vittoria Tire

 Vittoria Offers New 42mm Size In Road Tire Range:

News came out on Tuesday of a new addition to the Ride Armor tire range from Vittoria. This is a road tire range with copious amounts of puncture protection and sidewall protection, yet is supposedly lightweight and rides nicely.  

The range now includes a 42mm wide tire. The tire is tubeless ready.  Claimed weight for the 700 x 42mm tire is 480 gm. The Ride Armor tires cost $89.99 each. 

See the range on Vittoria's site HERE.  

Comments: I'm actually interested in this tire for my Twin Six fixed gear Standard Rando. I think it is a very interesting product from an application standpoint as well. There are a lot of places where a 42mm road tire is all you would ever need. Gravel, as long as it isn't super loose and chunky, would be fioe with a tire like this. Smooth dirt roads, double track, pathways, and on and on. This tire has a weight and protection qualities which would recommend it for  much of what we call "gravel" these days. 

Of course, I haven't ridden it, and perhaps this all goes out the window because it is a tire which has a terrible ride quality. I don't know. But it is intriguing. Coupled with the current trends for "endurance road bikes" and I could easily see those bikes taking over much of the "gravel market" since "gravel" is becoming more "drop bar mountain bike" than it has been.  

Confused yet? The marketing departments apologize and will promise to work harder at blurring lines and confusing you in the future. And then there is this......

Image courtesy of Pirelli Tires

Pirelli Introduces New Cinturato Evo Tire Sizes:

Not to be outdone by Vittoria, Pirelli also added new, wider Evo road tires to their Cinturato range. Pirelli now has 700 x 40mm, 45mm, 50mm, and 55mm (!!!) widths out in this range. 

These tires also feature new rubber compounds and Pirelli's Techwall protection layers. You can check out the range on Pirelli's site HERE.  

Comments: Fifty-five millimeter road tires? Well, maybe these are really touring tires with a new category name. Back in the day, there were some pretty beefy touring tires out there like the Avocet and Continental examples from the 1990's. 

But again, with road endurance bikes getting wider clearances, and maybe some gravel bike purchasers having slick-tire regrets, these tires maybe have a place out there. I just find this entire segment of tires fascinating and I look forward to seeing how the bicycle brands and consumers use these in the future.  

Image courtesy of Ergon

Ergon Updates Grip Model Ranges:

Ergon announced on Tuesday that it has retired the GA2 and GA3 grips and have replaced them with the new GMA and GMS grip models. 

The GMA is the grip which is rounder, but has varying shaping to it to better fit the hand. This and the new GMS have what Ergon is calling "Smart Texture Rhythm Surface". It is a "deliberately engineered pattern that varies the density of the surface breaks across the grip to deliver zone specific damping." Ergon claims this lends the rider better vibration absorption and comfort for long rides and technical terrain.  

The CMS carries on with the mini-wing platform and a tweaked grip shape with a new "thumb saddle" and outer grip stop. All CMA and CMS grips come in multiple color options so you can best address your bike's color scheme. 

Hit the links for each model above to see more details. 

Salsa Cycles Beargrease Eagle 70 (Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles)

Salsa Cycles New Beargrease Fat Bikes & 45NRTH Carbon Fat Bike Rims Announced:

Salsa Cycles revamped their Beargrease fat bike to have a different, slacker, trail oriented geometry including a steeper seat tube. The range starts with the aluminum framed Eagle 70 (shown) and goes carbon frame after this up to the 6K range topping Beargrease C GX AXS. Besides the five model range there is also a frame set offered for 2K. 

More details and images can be seen at Salsa Cycles website HERE.  

Image courtesy of 45NRTH

The new 45NRTH Levitas carbon fat bike rims, which comes on the new range topping Beargrease model only, is offered in 27.5" and 26" versions. Thirty-two spoke holes only here. The 27.5"er is 76mm internal/83mm external width while the 26 inch version is 84mm internal/91mm external width. 

• 32-hole drill pattern for strong wheel builds
• Optimized relationship between tire volume and rim width for consistent contact patch and tire profile
• 35mm rim depth
• Recommended single layer of 30mm rim tape
• Recommended valve length 65mm (or longer)
• Fits 4-5" wide tires
• Max inflation 30 psi
• Tested to ASTM Category 3, suggested weight limit of 300 lbs
• MSRP: $599.00 (USD)

Image courtesy of Lezyne

Lezyne E Drive Electric Pump Debuts:

Those mini-electric compressors you may have seen are becoming more ubiquitous within our cycling community. Heck, even N.Y. Roll bailed me out with his little electric pump a week or so ago now. 

Lezyne, whose accessories I have used and have recommended for years, now offer their version of one of these pumps. It has some interesting features like a cooling fan, a removable/replaceable battery, and it is compatible with Presta, Schrader, and Clik valves. 

Lezyne claims the battery will last long enough to fully inflate six tires or last long enough to do 15-20 pre-ride top-offs.  The battery is USB C standard rechargeable. The pump will achieve a pressure of 120psi, likely high enough for most any bicycle tire most of us have. 

The price is #149.99. More images and details can be found at Lezyne's page for the E Drive HERE.  

Image courtesy of Dahon

Dahon Introduces Mariner XL Folding Bike For Bigger, Taller Riders:

Dahon, known for their innovative folding bicycles, has introduced the new Mariner XL model which has been designed with bigger, taller riders in mind. 

The Mariner has been tested at levels 30% - 50% above folding bike testing standards and is rated to carry up to 330lbs and should fit riders from 5'1" to 6'7" according to the press release.  

Equipped with a Shimano 8 speed drive train and Tektro hydraulic disc brakes the Mariner XL is slated to retail at $1,299.00.

Comments: I do not typically cover urban/micro-mobility bicycles and accessories. However; the fact that Dahon saw fit to address riders who typically are either too heavy, too tall, or both to safely ride folding bikes is commendable.  

The level of detail Dahon went to in designing the bike is impressive as well. With increased stiffness by 15% over their standard folding bike, it shows Dahon is serious here. They also tested the steer post and seat post to levels commensurate with their rider recommendations and addressed this underserved portion of the market with a fairly priced alternative. Good job Dahon!

To learn more click HERE. 

Seen on "X" from Trek's social media account

Trek 32"er Prototype To Be Raced In Utah:

Seen on social media, Trek revealed that their factory racing team will be onboard the new 32" wheeled XC bike prototype in the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Cup bike race in Utah this weekend.  

 Comments: I saw another social media post from a female athlete on the team showing her test riding a 32"er prototype as well. So, Trek is making a big statement with this bike. At the very least, the investment into the wheel size is substantial. 

No doubt all eyes will be on the team to see what sort of results they can squeeze out from these big wheelers, but it also is notable that the athletes agreed to ride them. That permission is not forced or a slam dunk in most situations. I'm sure Trek wants this to happen, but I also am sure, based upon what I knew about past Trek MTB teams, that this is not a required participation situation. 

If good results come from using 32 inch wheels you are going to see a major shift in mountain bike XC racing in 2027. This should prove to be an interesting race this weekend.  

 That's all for this week! Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Now get out there and ride those bicycles!

Making A List

Yesterday's announcement now has made this more real to me. This ride is actually going to happen, so I'd better be getting my ducks in a row. Actually, I already have been. This all starts with my mind racing in four different directions at once, so making a list of things I want to make sure I get gathered together for this week-long adventure helps me to get my head wrapped around things a bit better.. 

So, there are some categories I need to head up my list and then put things in those categories which should help me compartmentalize packing and getting all the gear and things in the truck so nothing is left behind. 

The Bike:

I know for some of you this would be the easiest category. Not for me! Too many choices exist and all would make sense to take for one reason or another. Here are the contenders so far. 

The 2018 Black Mountain Cycles MCD

Black Mountain Cycles MCD:

Listening to the folks I interviewed for the two BRAN Gravel podcasts, it was apparent I should take a bike with wider tires than not. This is because I am going to be tackling gravel roads in the Sand Hills region of Nebraska. Having a little experience with sandy gravel in Nebraska, (Odin's Revenge days), I know a wide tire handles the sandy gravel, or just outright sand in some cases, better than typical gravel tires would. Not that you cannot ride 700 X 40's, but if you have the option to go wider, and I do, those wider tires sure make the going easier. 

The Black Mountain Cycles MCD currently has a 29 X 2.25 on the front and a 700c X 47mm in the rear. Probably good enough for this ride. Water carrying capacity is also okay. Fit and function, okay also. It would likely get the job done. 

Next... 

Singular Gryphon Mk3

Singular Gryphon Mk3:

Speaking of wider tires, here ya go! 29 x 2.8"ers here! Sand? No problem! Weight? Yeah......there is that. However; this bike was the one I took out to Western Iowa to do the Tree In The Road Ride and there were some big hills out there to climb, which I was able to do. It wasn't easy though, but I attribute that to the brutal heat and humidity we suffered through on that day. Still.... 

Water carrying capacity is great. Fit is awesome. (Luxy Bar) Function.....good. The front derailleur function could be better. 

Next....  

Fargo Gen I

Salsa Cycles Fargo Gen I:

And here's the last contender, the Fargo Gen I. It can handle pretty wide tires, like the Surly Extraterrestrial 29 X 2.5"ers. Right now I have some Rene Herse tubed tires on it, but I also have a set of N.O.S. Vittoria Terreno Dry 29 x 2.25"ers ready to go on this wheel set. That would be a tubeless set up. So, then the tires would be definitely wide enough, but not too heavy either.  

Comfort level - Excellent! Water carrying capacity? Excellent! Function? Excellent! (The front derailleur really works well on this bike!) 

So, you can see I have choices, and all three have merit. I'm leaning toward the Fargo right now, but ask me again tomorrow and I'll have talked myself into the MCD, or the Gryphon. 

I actually have a couple more bikes I could talk myself into here, but I have to limit this!  I'll come up with a decision this week, then I'll get into all the fine details as to why I chose how I will choose. Or something like that....... Anyway... 

After the bike comes the Overnight Set-Up. This will encompass my tent, sleep system, what details this all encompasses, and more. Next will be Clothing. I need to consider how I will manage a week-long ride with no laundry and after ride clothing as well. Finally, Logistics. Food, water, travel. 

Look for more to come on my pre-ride choices soon. .  

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Ritchey Design

Ritchey Design Announces Comp El Camino Handlebar:

Ritchey Design makes a lot of cool handlebars and is one of the brands which keeps the "alt bar" flag flying high. Their latest design hearkens back to cruiser bike design and is called the Comp El Camino. 

Featuring a generous 35° degrees of backsweep, 50mm of rise and a 750mm width, the Comp El Camino could be a great addition to many types of bicycles. 

The handlebar is constructed from double butted 6061 aluminum alloy which gets the weight down to a nice 340 grams (claimed) and should result in a nice ride quality. The bar comes in "BB Black" and is priced at $59.95 USD. (€51.90 (inc. VAT), £45.90 (inc. VAT))

Comments: This is a cool handlebar. I cannot count how many times I've seen similar handlebars at the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective which were steel, chrome plated, with rust pits, and thought, "This would be such a great handlebar if it were modernized". Well, this El Camino design is about as close as you can get to that old shape but with modern appointments such as the 31.8mm clamp section, room to mount accessories, and in a decent width. 

Image courtesy of Life Time

Sea Otter Soon:

This time in two weeks we will be in the thick of Sea Otter craziness. Before this I would expect several press releases will go live. In fact, I know this because I am sitting on several. (Embargoed, don't cha know!)

Without giving anything away, what can we expect? 

Well, we all are waiting to see what gets shown in the way of 32"ers. I can say there will be news. It definitely will spark debate and attention. 

Besides 32"ers? Well......not a lot to be excited about, really. There is some component news, but nothing earth-shattering. I do suspect Shimano will drop something 13 speed, probably Dura Ace, I don't know, but Shimano typically announces stuff at Sea Otter and the road side is up for change after Shimano overhauled their MTB groups recently. 

SRAM typically has a big deal announcement at Sea Otter as well, so I'd expect something there, but again, we'd probably not be too surprised by anything they would announce either. At this point with electronically controlled shifting the only big surprise I could see would be wireless braking, which SRAM has worked on, and something I'd have ZERO interest in even looking at. Maybe I'm the odd man out. 

At any rate, stay tuned.... Things are going to be busy for a bit on the news front. 

Image courtesy of Vittoria Tires

Vittoria Offers Really Wide Road Tires:

Vittoria Tires says, " Road tires are getting bigger. Much bigger."

Several weeks ago I talked a bit on this site about the move many companies are making to include wider tire clearances on their "endurance" road bike models. 

Vittoria's introduction of a 700 x 38mm and 700 x 42mm Corsa Pro Control road tire points to this being a solid trend. Although it should be mentioned that Vittoria also sees these tires as being replacements for gravel treads where riders are focused more on pavement. 

I'll also mention a comment left on my February 19th post, (link above) mentioned the 42mm Corsa Pro was on a Cervelo as stock, but the person commenting did not know if the tire was available separately. It would appear that this is now the case. 

On their Facebook page, Vittoria posted about the Corsa Pro tires by saying the following: "Developed to bring race-level road performance to the new generation of crossover bikes, these slick tires are built to handle asphalt, pavé, cobbles, and compact gravel while preserving the speed and ride feel of the Corsa PRO family."

Comments: This also lines up with my thoughts of how the "road bikes for the people" will be wider tired, less racy bikes with a LOT more capability when it comes to terrain use. Honestly, a bicycle with 42mm tires like the Corsa Pro tires is right up my alley. There are a lot of times when a tire like this with a wide-range drive train makes tons of sense here, especially a bike that has fender mounts. 

In my opinion, most tread is useless on crushed rock roads. I've ridden a Donnelly tire which was very similar to this Vittoria tire on gravel here and it was fine. You can run the pressures down and on a wider rim something like this, with its lighter weight and nicer ride quality would be awesome. 

Image courtesy of Aeron TPU Tubes

Review Announcement: Aeron TPU Tubes:

 Today I should be receiving some Aeron TPU tubes in the post which I plan on reviewing here for GTP. 

You may have seen my Rene Herse TPU tube review from last year.  I've also looked at WTB TPU tubes, (With an update on those HERE) and the original TPU tube, Tubolito. 

As you might notice from looking at all those reviews and updates, if you do, you will mark a slow evolution in TPU tubes and performance. Most notably around the valve stem part of the TPU tube. 

Manufacturers are still dialing in and fine tuning TPU tubes to be reliable, easy to use, and have better features. My attention has been brought to bear on what Aeron is offering and I thought it would be good to see how this product stacks up against others in this field. 

The Aeron valve stem is partially threaded for grip when using friction interface pumps and screw-on pump heads.  The valve core is removable as well. Aeron claims their tube is a multi-layer construction and this allows the tube to fit anywhere from a 32mm tire to a 52mm tire. Quite a difference from previous TPU tubes I've tried. 

This and the price is just under 30 bucks a pop. So, there is a lot of promise there and the expectations are high. Stay tuned for this review to be started next week.  

That is a wrap for this week. Get out there and ride those bicycles! 

Choosing For The L.O.G.

The current state of the Gen I Fargo

 In a little less than three weeks from now I hopefully will be in Kansas for the Legends of Gravel ride. I have ridden quite a bit in Kansas, so I do have somewhat of an idea of what I am getting myself into there. But bicycle choice for an event is always something I end up tripping myself over anyway. It seems inevitable. 

The obvious choice would be to go with my Gen I Fargo. I've ridden this bike down there before and I know it would do quite well. My only concern is for the tires. 

While you do not hear about all the flat tires you used to hear about down there, the chance for tire failure is much higher than anywhere else I might be riding near me. Yes....goat heads, sharp rocks, and thorns reside waiting to assail your tires in other parts of the USA, but around here flat tires are rare. So, it doesn't take much of an increase in risk factor to raise my level of concern, and the Flint Hill demand respect. 

N.Y. Roll has offered me his pair of Vittoria Mezcals to put on this bike. I could do that. I have those Schwalbe G-One AllRoads. I also have a pair of Cannonball tires from Teravail I could use. Actually, the Cannonballs were on this Fargo at one time. Back when my Maxxis Ikons failed just before the DK20 and I had to buy the Cannonballs which were, at that time, the Official Tire of the DK200. (Now Continental is the Official Tires of Unbound) 

Anyway... I'm changing tires, because the ones on there now are not going to be up to the task. 

The Noble GX5

The other bike under consideration is my Noble GX5. The reasoning behind taking this bike would be the lighter weight of this bike. 

Generally I haven't taken this bike anywhere I would be on a remote, longer ride because it only has three bottle mounts. The original fork had no accessory mounts. So, with limited water carrying capabilities, I would end up using another bike instead. 

However; now that it has the State Bicycle Co Monster Fork on there, I have bottle mounts and this alleviates the water carrying issue. A bonus to this fork is that it will clear a 29"er X 2.1" tire. So, that would maybe be handy in the Flint Hills. 

My only concern is this bike does not have a Redshift Sports ShockStop stem on it. I could snatch one off another bike though. If I decide to go with the Noble I'd make the switch. It would be a lot nicer on the body if I did!

The third choice would be the Singular Gryphon. It's got big tires and a ShockStop stem already. It also has one of my favorite drop bars in the Ragley Luxy Bar. It's heavy though, and I'm not in the greatest shape right at the moment due to all the wonky weather we've had since the beginning of the year. 

Gotta make up my mind soon. Stay tuned....

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Corima

Corima Shows New Gravel Racing Wheel Set:

Spring cycle shows are not limited to Sea Otter. Recently Cycling World Europe showed consumers and media new wares for sale. One of those being a new wheel set from Corima. Perhaps more well known here in the States for track racing, Corima has been involved in carbon fiber wheel construction for quite some time now. Their newest wheel set is for gravel racing and is called the 50G. 

As indicated by the name, this wheel set has a 50mm deep, aero profile with a 27mm inner rim width which Corima advises is best for 35mm to 60mm wide 700c diameter tires. *Why do Euro brands insist on calling these 28" wheels? Weird)

With hookless rim sidewalls the maximum pressure allowed for 35mm tires is 58psi. Wheel weight for the pair is claimed to be 1,550 grams. The price is approximately $1,850.00 USD. 

Comments: Corima claims gravel racing is getting "smoother, faster, and more competitive". So......more like road racing? Got it. 

Look for more aero stuff to be released soon. I feel as though the lack of unpaved routes outside of the USA and particularly in Europe is going to drive design closer to road racing in one sense. Although plenty of bikes seem to have been shown at Cycling World Europe to give one some hope that this is not going to be totally the case there across the pond. 

Image courtesy of social media

The 32" Watch: Taipei Bike Show 2026:

This week the Taipei Bike Show is wrapping up and several sightings of 32" wheeled product were noted. I won't cover everything in detail here, but I will note a few things I was struck by after seeing what was shown and hearing what attendees had to say about 32"ers. 

First of all, 32"ers are not going to be just a flash in the pan. This category is getting the full Original Equipment treatment. This was evident in offerings in suspension forks from the likes of Sun Tour, Xfusion and a few other mid-level and entry level suspension fork companies. 

This would indicate there are big-brand commitments to offer entry level to mid-tier offerings in the XC hardtail marketplace. Bikes like Rockhoppers and Marlins, as an example. I would think there would be a three-stage sizing scheme where some brand, (Trek?) will offer 27.5 as XS and Small sizes, 29"er at Medium and Large, and 32"ers at Large/XL/XXL. 

Tires: There weren't any big name brand tires dropped but I heard specifically from a video watched that Vittoria's Peyote 32"er is "in development" and "other brands are working on this" size tire. On bike was shown with a 32"er Schwalbe Rick Race XC tire. Forks: With no big name brand forks or tires being introduced/shown, at least publicly, it would indicate to me that IF there are to be Rock Shox/Fox/Marzocchi 32"er forks they would likely be 2027 product and maybe  we'll see some sneak peeks at Sea Otter. 

No talk or sightings of any gravel related product, but..... I think Sea Otter will be interesting. 

Industry chatter from the embedded folks at Taipei Cycle Show seem to indicate a sort of indifference to almost a disappointment in the development of 32"ers. But as I recall, acceptance of the 29"er concept was pretty cool from within the industry as well. Even as far as brands like Specialized, Giant, and Yeti saying 'they would never make a 29"er' and coming up with derogatory terms for the wheel size. Negativity for 32"ers may not be at this level, but we've heard this story before. 

Listener Comments & Questions Episode:

The latest Guitar Ted Podcast just dropped. In this episode we answer a bunch of listener sent questions which cover bike geometry, tires for cornering on gravel, and more.

Give it a listen by finding the Guitar Ted Podcast on your favorite podcast platform or check it out on the Spotify homepage HERE. 

We had a lot of fun fielding these questions and we would like to continue to offer our listeners the chance to ask questions which we will answer in future episodes of "Listener Questions & Comments". 

Just send in any question about cycling, gravel riding, or whatever related cycling question you may have to g.ted.productions@gmail.com. Then listen to the next LQC episode and hear N.Y. Roll and I riff on your questions, comments, or whatever you have on your mind you'd like to hear us chat about.  

Thanks for checking out the podcast! 

The Adventure Monkey Returns:

Years ago a bicycle rider and photographer, Eric Benjamin, was instrumental in popularizing gravel riding.  He started off with his blog and then moved to a proper "dot-com" later on. His site included stories, trip reports, and of course, his stunning imagery from his adventures. 

Eric then had a health scare and kind of dropped out of cycling for several years. But now he is back, and he has jump-started his old site as well. 

You can read about his journey HERE.  It's an open, honest, raw look at what Eric has gone through. Plus you will get a sense of what it was that drew many of us toward riding gravel back in the 2000's. Well worth your time to read. 

I'm linking Eric's Adventure Monkey blog to the right sidebar here so when he posts new material it will show up there. Make sure you check it out and support him as you can.  

Image courtesy of Wolf Tooth Components

Wolf Tooth Components Introduces "Mark0" Component Line:

Wolf Tooth Components has just announced a high-end range of race-oriented, tweaked components which they are calling "Mark0". (MK0 for short) 

Identified by their Shadow Gray anodized surfaces, these components are optimized by Wolf Tooth for the highest performance and lightest weight possible. 

Wolf Tooth's press release says: "Design detail examples include ceramic bearings, DLC-coated titanium hardware, and finely-detailed machine profiles to shave every possible gram in pursuit of speed."

You can check out all the MK0 components HERE.  

 Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Go ride those bikes today!

Road Bike Trends Toward "All-Road" Territory

GP5000's now available in 700 x 35mm (Inage courtesy of Continental Tires)

 Maybe you are a reader here who does not pay attention much to the latest trends in road bikes. That would be understandable if you are a regular here because I do not cover road bikes much, or at all during many months. I may make a mention here or there, but by no means do I tend to bring a lot to the table in regard to this category of bicycle. 

However; I feel this is going to be changing soon now due to where road bikes trends are heading. Just this week Continental announced a 700 x 35mm GP5000 tire. A tire which, just not that long ago was only available in up to a 28mm width. Pirelli has already breached the mid-40mm barrier with one of the their road bike tire models. Vittoria just announced a 700 x 32mm road tire this week as well. 

Trek Madone (Image courtesy of Trek Bikes)

It is also rumored now Trek is considering opening up tire clearances for the next generation of their Madone aero bike. If, say, one could put a 700 x 40mm+ tire in a Madone with confidence, well, does this make a Madone a gravel bike? 

It is a fair question. Take as an example what my parameters for a gravel bike were when I was talking about building a custom gravel bike in 2010. 

I wanted, amongst other things, 700 X 42mm tire clearance. With fenders. Now, since some road tires are being released in nearly this width, and in the case of Pirelli, beyond, how does a road bike from 2026 measure up as a possibility for what I wanted in an "all-roads" bike back in 2010? 

Well, frankly the Madone sucks as an all-road choice from the standpoint of geometry. Another Trek bike is much, much better, and it is the Domane. Current maximum tire size on a Domane is 700 x 38mm. So, I'll use this model as my cross-reference to what I was looking for in an all-roads bike back in 2010. 

The Domane features two of my critical geometry desires well. The bottom bracket drop is listed as being a healthy 78mm in my size 58cm. The head tube angle is listed at 72°. The chain stays are listed at 425mm.

In 2010 I was hoping for a 71.5° head tube angle, something in the realm of 72mm - 75mm bottom bracket drop, and 435mm chain stays. So, the Domane is tantalizingly close. Very close. And if Trek also opens up the tire clearances on the Domane, well.....that's a viable all roads bike right there. 

I'm sure other brands are looking into this trend or the tire makers would not be making such big road tires. It kinda blows my mind when I think about all the customers who balked at 700 x 25mm road tires in the 2010's. Wow..... What a sea change! 

So, yeah. You might start seeing "road bikes" showing up on this page in the near future if this trend continues as I am seeing things go. 

Friday News And Views

From a 32"er thread on mtbr.com

The 32" Watch: Vittoria Peyote 32" :

I've had a few folks keeping me abreast of what is going on with 32"ers and I have been pointed to a thread on MTBR.com concerning these big wagon wheels. I also was tipped off to the existence of this Peyote 32"er tire, as shown here. (Thanks! You know who you are!)

This is interesting as N.Y. Roll has fallen in love with this tire and so has another local rider, (in 29"er size). It\s a popular tire, seemingly. It's also a new design. So, it is a tire on the cutting edge of tread design and compound makeup. They wouldn't use such a tire and technology unless they had some serious intentions in mind. This is telling us this 32"er thing is serious stuff. 

As if the other things we've already seen aren't enough to convince us. It seems as though all the things we've heard will be coming true. 

Only a few bicycle brands are committed so far to the 32"er along with some custom frame makers. Dirty Sixer, being the long time proponent of bigger than 29"er wheels, of course, and then you have Vassago, Singular, Lenz Sport, Genesis and perhaps a couple others here and there. 

For a look at what a gravel 32'er would maybe look like, see this report from the UK based iceBike Show by Bike Radar showing a Genesis prototype. HERE.  

My feeling is Sea Otter will be when the lid will come off this thing and we will see who of the major brands will be stepping into the 32"er scene. My guess is all of those bikes will be either MTB XC, gravel, or road bikes, in that order of prevalence. I am sure a few will get raced at Sea Otter in XC MTB and during the gravel event. 

Suspension fork prototypes will be shown, and perhaps demoed. Rigid forks will be coming as well, with Enve rumored to be developing one. It's going to be wild. 

New Podcast Episodes

The Guitar Ted Podcast has been churning out episodes at a pretty good clip of late. The latest went up on Wednesday of this week and we posted another the week before. 

This latest episode is about the proposed legislation regarding bicycles in Iowa, motivated by what is going on with e-scooters and e-bikes. The episode we posted last week was all about the latest class to be inducted into the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame. 

So, check those two episodes out in case you missed those. We typically don't do so many episodes in such a short period of time, so apologies if we caught you off guard! There is a reason for this though.

N.Y. Roll is on a "vacation" and we thought it best to get the last three episodes out before he went out on this short trip. A result of this will be that we have a bit of a mini-break and I would not expect our next episode to land until the end of this month. 

 One more thing- If you find our podcast on Spotify, please follow us there. New podcast episode drops will prompt an alert to your inbox, so you won't miss anything. If you find is on other platforms please subscribe, like, and review the show if possible. It helps us out a ton. 

Thanks for listening to the show! 

Gravel Racing For 2026 About To Begin:

February was always the month which kicked off gravel racing since the beginning of CIRREM back in the late 2000's. This year CIRREM is on the last day of February, the 28th. 

Now the international series, Gravel Earth, has its first event this weekend. The event, Santa Vall by the Traka, is located in Spain. So, a full two weeks ahead of CIRREM. 

There are probably some other gravel events in the South, in particular Florida, which are also happening in February. But traditionally speaking, February is the kick-off month for gravel activities in the competitive sense. 

Have you signed up for any races this year? Let me know in the comments section.  

Image provided by Ergon

Canyon-DT Swiss "Alt-Terrain" Team Announced:

Taking part in the season opener for the Gravel Earth Series will be a new team sponsored by DT Swiss, Canyon Biccyles, and Ergon called "Alt-Terrain Racing". 

 The press release says the 13 member team will be competing at the Santa Valla event under the name "The Wildcards". The team will be outfitted with Ergon saddles and handle bar tapes from their Allroad ranges. 

The team will serve as "rolling R&D platforms" for future Ergon products, according to the release. Ergon sees the team as an "unprecedented opportunity" to advance their drop bar product line. 

The team will compete in gravel, ultra-endurance, cyclo cross, and marathon MTB events throughout 2026. From the press release: “We are very much looking forward to working with this new professional team,” says Ergon’s athlete liaison manager Markus Zingen. “The team’s holistic new concept will significantly professionalize gravel racing and create a wide range of opportunities for both the athletes and us as a partner to drive targeted development forward.”

That is a wrap on this edition of the FN&V. Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Get out and ride a bicycle this weekend! 

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Wilde Bicycle Co. 

Wilde Bicycle Co. Announces Heighliner Titanium Adventure Bike:

Due to a leak of information, Wilde Bicycle Co has decided to release the information and pre-orders on its newest model dubbed the Heighliner. 

Featuring clearance for 29" 2.25" tires, fully internal cable housing, and UDH compatibility, this new model is Wilde Bicycle Co. head Jeffrey Frane's favorite bike currently. In fact, he designed the geometry himself. 

The frame has double-butted titanium tubing with a T-47 bottom bracket. There are two water bottle mounts in the front triangle, one Three-Pack mount under the down tube, and a top tube bag accessory mount on the top tube. 

The frame is made at the ORA factory in Taiwan. Pre-orders for a June 2026 delivery are open now. Price for the frame and fork is $3,300.00. The details can be reviewed on the webpage for the Heighliner HERE. 

Image courtesy of Moots

Moots Announces Scrambler Adventure Bike:

Moots released information yesterday on a new model called the Scrambler. This drop-bar, wide tired bicycle is designed around a 100mm travel suspension fork.  

Available as a frame only or with a Rock Shox SID fork and Shimano GRX/XT build, the bike will only be available for  -according to the press release - "a limited time".  (End of January 2026, to be exact)

Tire clearance is stated at 20" x 2.4" maximum. The frame is a Boost spaced frame. Completes will ship with Chris King MTN30 AL29" wheels. Tires will be the WTB MACRO 29" X 2.4".  

For details see Moots page for this model HERE.  

A Gen 2 Fargo pictured in 2015.

The "OG" Would Like To Have A Word:

This trend to 29"er MTB sized rubber, drop bars, and a penchant for telescopic front forks in the realm of "Gravel™" these days reminds me of something....

I cannot quite put my finger on it now. Was it some bike back in 2008 or 2009 with a marketing tagline which went something like "Adventure by Bike"?

Anyway, you get my point by now, I am sure. It was inevitable we'd see all things garvel eventually reach a point where the lines were blurred and what we were looking at now became what we already have seen for sixteen years now.  

You'll note I did not write any "Comments" for the first two entries. This is the comment section on those two entries. Welcome to "Adventure by Bike" Moots and Wilde. There's plenty of room on the couch here and for the rest of you brands who think they have discovered something here.  

I'm not criticizing here, but unless you remind people of the past, they will make up their own stories. So, check the history and be informed.  

Image courtesy of Vittoria Tire

Vittoria Announces Future Availability Of Eco-Friendly Brown Hued Tires:

On the heels of my recent post concerning these tires (HERE), it has come to light recently that Vittoria Tire is indeed going to sell the eco-friendly, brown gravel tires. Tires which have been claimed to be faster than their carbon black infused siblings. 

The full range of Vittoria's PRO gravel catalog will eventually be available in this compound and casing made with 92% renewable, recyclable materials. 

Vittoria claims this brown-hued compound is 5% faster, has 19% more grip, and has 18% better puncture resistance than its current gravel tire range. 

All this performance and earth-friendliness comes at a price though.  Tires in the range are well over $100.00 each at $112.99. This compares to Vittoria's current range which runs at $81.99 for each tire. 

Comments: Wooo! That's a big jump in performance at a big jump in price. Would you be willing to slap on nearly $225.00 of tires, (before shipping and taxes), and have your bike seen with brown rubber? Yeah..... That's a big ask, but I'm willing to bet a lot of people are going to give this a go on their gravel bike. 

A comment left indicating the Luxy Bar redux is a possibility. 

Do You Really Want It? Then Say So!

Thursday (yesterday) an long ago memory was stirred when I saw "Brant Richards" pop up in my email.  

Brant Richards was heavily involved in UK MTB as a writer and parts designer up until about seven years ago when he and a partner opened up a boutique clothing business called HebTroCo. But before the trousers came into Brant's life, he designed a lot of cool stuff like the On One Inbred, some nice forks, steel frames for trail MTB, and this odd flared drop bar called the Luxy Bar. 

Now Brant seems as though he's back into bicycles, at least for a bit. He hit me up yesterday asking what I thought about a reissue Luxy Bar. So lokk, if you ever wanted one, wanted another one, or are "Luxy-Curious", give a shout. Hit the comments and say something. 

If you don't ask, you won't receive anything.  

That's it for this week! Get out and ride those bicycles! 

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Onza Tires

 Onza Tires Brings Full Range Of Gravel Tires To Market:

Onza Tires, better known for mountain bike fare, has just announced a new range of gravel tires called "Alegra X". In an effort to guide riders to a "best tire" choice, these tires are arrayed in a ranking to categorize them from least grippy, best rolling resistance to most grippy, higher rolling resistance. With "1" having the fastest tread all the way to "6", with the most off-road ready" tread, Onza expects riders will better be able to dial in an Alegra X model which best suits their needs. 

All models seem to have 120TPI casings, single compound rubber, and a choice of tan or black wall sidewalls. Most are $59.99 USD. Sizes range from 40mm to 50mm, but not all models are available in all sizes or sidewall styles. 

See Onza's website for more details HERE.  

Comments: The ranking system is similar to how Vittoria Tires is doing things now within their range of gravel tires. Onza is not a big name in the States, so it remains to be seen how this range will be accepted. However; in my opinion this looks like a more budget friendly, high-value, low in features range. Tread designs are right in the current fashion trends for gravel, and you might be reminded of several better known brands and models while perusing the Onza range. 

Everything in the Alegra X range looks "safe" as far as how it will work on gravel, and I suspect these will all be okay for most people. However; I don't see much in the way of innovative design or anything overly inspiring here. Most of these tread designs are derivative, and look to be based off designs known to work just fine. Maybe Onza makes a dent here, but there are a LOT of choices in gravel tires in 2025/26, so the competition for space on rider's wheels is intense. 

Image courtesy of Madrone Cycles

Madrone Cycles Offers "Jab" Rebuildable Rear Mech:

Last year I featured the Madrone Cycles rear mech prototype in an FN&V segment. Now the rear derailleur for 1X systems from Shimano or SRAM is available to purchase. 

With a configurable, rebuildable design, the Jab rear mech promises versatility, longevity, and customization based upon the choice of different anodized colors. The Jab has received decent reviews so far, so the product looks promising. 

Prices will range depending upon configuration, but a standard gravel Jab runs about $298.00 USD. A Jab configured with a purple body and for Shimano 11 speed gravel usage, (shown) would run $327.00 USD. 

You can learn more on the page for the Jab HERE. 

Comments: Rebuildable? Okay......when was the last time you thought, "Hey! Why can't I rebuild my rear mech?" Maybe you've destroyed one in a wreck, or in poor conditions. Okay, maybe then. However, most rear derailleurs I have replaced over the past 30 years of repair work were 50% - 100% destroyed. You'd likely have to purchase a new rear mech anyway, unless Madrone sells all the individual parts for the Jab aftermarket. Sure, they sell most of the parts now, but what if you tweak the linkage parallelogram bits?

Then there is the price of admission. Again, as I stated in 2024, you can buy a brand new Shimano GRX rear mech for quite a bit less money. SRAM as well. Obviously, the Madrone offering looks completely cool and rad, but is it worth that much more? This is really what the piece boils down to. The way you answer this question will determine the part's value to you. There is no "wrong" answer here for a consumer, assuming it does its job. It's just that I'm not seeing what question this piece answers from a technical standpoint.  

Courtesy of Salsa Cycles social media

Salsa Reveals Another New Drop Bar Model:

The Mega Mid-South happened last weekend and both the men's and women's events were won on a new Salsa Cycles model which has not been released yet. 

The bike was feted in a Salsa Cycles social media post this week and the name of the model was revealed. The new model is going to be known as the "Flyway". 

This bike will, according to Salsa Cycles, be released this coming February. Details are said to become known about the Flyway in January, most likely because this is when dealers will be informed of those details.  

You may recall another teased new model from Salsa Cycles earlier in the Fall. I reported on this in an FN&V HERE. You may note that bike being a full suspension model with drop bars. This is not the same as the Flyway, which obviously is a hard tail, rigid front fork bike in the image shown here. 

Comments: Salsa Cycles has not redesigned, or tweaked the Warbird gravel racing bike for several years. It is long overdue for a refresh. Could the Flyway be a Warbird replacement? My guess is it will be replacing the Warbird, as Salsa's parent company has been sanitizing model names for several years. The Warbird refresh is a perfect time to axe the "militaristic" nomenclature and christen the refresh with a new, unoffensive name. Besides this, Salsa posted on their Facebook page that this bike is their "..... fifth generation gravel racing bike." Note: This is purely speculation on my part, but we've already seen a few re-namings in Salsa's line, so this would track if it is true.  

We can deduce from the images the  Flyway has a suspension corrected fork, larger tire clearances, and accessory fork mounts. The sloping top tube can be seen in this escape collective post, (paywalled if you want to read the entire post), which indicates dropper post compatibility. I'd also assume there is in-frame storage, full-internal routing, and possibly no support for mechanical group-sets, as is the fashion these days.  

We'll be keeping our eyes open for more on this "new" model after the turn of the New Year.  

The 32 Inch Wheel Watch:

More and more it seems apparent the 32 inch MTB wheel is going to be a thing in 2026. Rumors are being passed around saying more choices in tires are on the way, and more people are starting to move in a direction which points to small production runs of frames and forks for the wheel size. 

While I have ridden a 36"er, I haven't ridden one off-road, so I cannot say what a 32"er would be like. Furthermore, I'm not really interested in spending a bunch of money on an off-road bike I'd barely ever use. 

If I were to get into this wheel size, it would be for gravel, and for my sort of riding, a 32"er wheel makes a ton of sense. So, I am interested in what becomes of this sort of idea, and if it ever became possible, and the tires were there which made sense, I'd probably get one of these newer, bigger wagon wheelers for my stable. 

I think the rolling momentum of such a wheel would be primo for the rolling hills of Iowa. The vibration reducing possibilities are tantalizing for a man of my age who is not getting any younger. A drop bar, single speed 32"er makes a lot of sense to me, and if I would have to use 2"-plus wide tires, I'm good with it as long as the geometry is correct. 

So, while I do not need another gravel bike, I might need  a 32"er, especially if it was something which would extend my years as a gravel cyclist. 

 

Gore To Cease Marketing Cycling Wear:

In a surprise announcement via Gorewear's parent company, WL Gore & Associates GmbH, it has been learned the Gore cycling business will cease operations and remaining inventory will be sold out with no further replacements. 

Citing economic hardships in the business, Gore stated in a letter to retailers obtained by a German bicycle industry publication that they saw no good future prospects for success for the brand. You can read more about the closing of Gorewear in this Bike Radar article HERE. 

Comments: Gore was very aggressive in terms of marketing throughout the last 15 years. They were not shy about sending kit to several outlets, including some I have been associated with in the past. However; it never seemed as though Gore could gain a foothold against the Raphas, MAAP's, and other trendy companies. 

Gore did find itself with a hit when they developed the Shake Dry rain jacket, (shown) which had immediate effect in the marketplace, being heralded as a major technology breakthrough in wet weather cycling gear. However; it had to pull the technology off the market due to PFAS concerns and Gore's own commitments to environmentally friendly products. This was something that was a blow to the company as they never really had any answer to the Shake Dry jacket. 

This news comes on the heels of YT Bikes closure in North America, and with a slew of deep-discount sales for "Pre-Black Friday" within the industry. All of this is not very encouraging heading into Winter. 
 

That's a wrap on this week! Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Now get out and ride a bicycle!