People of 2024: Erik Mathy

In my travels and life during the year, I have been blessed to be supported, befriended, and on occasion visited by some pretty awesome folks. Sometimes I visited them. (Hopefully they were equally blessed!) I wanted to take some extra space to recognize and celebrate these people at the end of the year. I hope you gain some insight and appreciation for what these people mean to me this year and beyond. 

Erik Mathy photographing my bicycle in Oklahoma back in March of this year.

 A lot of what happened early on this year would not have happened without the major influence of Erik Mathy. I've known Erik for several years, and partnered in a story/project with him at one point in 2016 called "Brian's Ride". 

Well,I hadn't crossed paths with Erik for a bit until I met him and hung out with him at the GCHoF goings on the year I got inducted. I spent most of a day hanging out with Erik and it was a blast! Well, at the end of last year I received a message via Instagram from Erik after he had read my take on an old track bike idea I had run across on Facebook. Erik had an idea he pitched to me. 

From that day in the Flint Hills with Erik in 2022.

Erik is an extremely talented person and he also is extremely persuasive. His idea: Take that track bike idea, have a frame builder he knows weld it up, get myself and these people to the Mid-South event, have me ride the bike there, and Erik would get to write a story about that. It was hoped that this would all be a money-making prospect for Erik as he is a free-lancer. 

This precipitated a stream of messages on several occasions. Ideas were batted around, but even as late as December 2023 I was pretty sure this was all but smoke in the air. January would come, the idea would dissipate, and I'd go on with my life as usual.

But noooooo...... Erik came along at the ninth hour and the idea was revived. Suddenly I was not only getting a new bicycle, but I was planning a trip with about two and a half month's notice from scratch. Just slightly stressful when you don't have access to a vehicle, much money, or a job which you can easily take time off from. 

As many of you long-time readers know, the bicycle did get made, it did show up on time, and the trip to Mid-South did happen. But without Erik Mathy? Nothing of the sort would have happened. So, I owe a big debt of gratitude to Erik. I am thankful for his efforts, and I am thankful for his connections and influence. Without him, 2024 would have been a much duller experience!

Twenty Years Of Gravel Grinding

  In celebration of the twentieth year of this blog, I have a few tales to tell. This post is one of them. This series will occur off and on throughout this anniversary year, I hope to illuminate some behind-the-scenes stories and highlights from the blog during this time. Enjoy!

 Checking out some of this blog's archives has reminded me of a few things. One of those being that - although I originally was known for being a 29"er nutcase - my tenure in gravel cycling started almost simultaneously along with this blog and was featured often here. 

Obviously, to anyone who has been paying attention here, that has to do with Trans Iowa. The ultra-distance gravel event which got its start about twenty years ago this week! Back in November of 2004 Jeff Kerkove and I decided to put on a cross-state bicycle race on gravel roads. Thus my fascination with gravel cycling began, and even though I and a lot of other folks had been riding bicycles on gravel roads previously, this marked a beginning. 

That beginning was the movement for having competition and fellowship while riding bicycles on crushed rock roads. It was, in no uncertain terms, the beginning of the modern era in what we now have abbreviated to "Gravel". 

The first header for Trans Iowa posted in 2004.

The idea Jeff and I had immediately sparked a movement. We were pelted with questions via Jeff's blog comments section, email, and personally via face-to-face communications and by phone calls. Keep in mind that what we know today as "social media" did not exist in late 2004/early 2005. 

For an idea of what this movement was like from my perspective, here is a snippet of a blog post I put up late in 2006 here:

"When you lead a sheltered existence like I have, only being aware of the local scene, you think you and yer buddies are the only ones insane enough to actually ride gravel roads. I mean, like really.......who else does this crap? Well, I get involved in Trans Iowa, and I find out that alot of folks like it. They like it so much, they actually copy the idea, and have their own events."

 I went on then to mention that I had heard of the DK200, (which I participated in during 2006) and rumors concerning a Nebraska gravel grinder, (not the GLGA or Gravel Worlds, by the way), and a gravel ultra-distance thing which was starting in Canada.

Trans Iowa v1 image courtesy of Joe Partridge

"Now I'm finding out about all kinds of gravel rides. Rides in Nebraska, rides in Colorado, rides in North East Iowa, training rides, fun rides, and all sorts of gravel grinding goofiness. I guess you could say we all have rocks in our heads. Whatever it is, I like it. I like gravel rides and somehow knowing that a bunch of other folks partake also is kinda.......well, I don't know........ I guess I have some like minded brothers and sisters out there, and I find that to be a good thing."

So, yeah....this blog got going partly on the momentum of gravel cycling, but mostly on the then new trend for twenty nine inch wheels. Gravel cycling has always been here though, and it still is 20 years on down the road. 

Part of this blog's influence is in gravel. My writings run deep within that influence to ride gravel roads. Out of this blog grew a gravel cycling specific site, a podcast, influences on bicycle design, tire design, and events, of course. Who can tell how many people were turned on to gravel cycling via this blog? In light of all of that, I think pointing out that Trans Iowa was the line of demarcation from whence this 'gravel" thing got started is a fair thing to do. 

And celebrating that fact after twenty years is a worthwhile thing to do, even if I am the only one doing it. You see, no other entity will bother with writing this history up, or even bother to recognize its existence. If I don't remind you, who will? Maybe you could say the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame, if you were to run across that entity.

That may seem a bit off-putting to some, but I am not going to allow the story to go untold, or be modified for someone else's gain elsewhere. Yes, I am proud of what I have accomplished and was a part of in the beginnings of gravel cycling in the modern era. 

Guilty as charged.

Friday News And Views

Flint Hills Gravel Ride/Run Registration Open:

Starting off this FN&V with a gravel event in Kansas called the Flint Hills Gravel Ride and Run. This event will happen on April 12th, 2025 out of Americus, Kansas. 

The event will feature a tweaked distance line-up of 20, 40, 80, and 120 miles. As event director Bobby Thompson says though, these distances are "ish", as in 20-ish, 40-ish, etc. Ha!

The event also holds the distinction of being the opening event of the Great Plains Gravel Cup series, which will be in its inaugural season next year. 

Find out more at: https://flinthillsgravelride.com/

Mammoth Tuff Now In UCI Gravel Worlds Series:

Recently a Velo.com story was published revealing that Mammoth Tuff, a gravel event in the Eastern Sierra, has agreed to become one of two events in North America slated to be in the 2025 UCI Gravel World Series. 

The event will host that race but will retain other distances and categories which will not require a license to participate in, according to the article on Velo. Also noted there was that Mammoth Tuff reached this decision to partner with the UCI, in part, due to falling participation numbers since the event's inception in 2020. 

Interestingly the fee the UCI is asking for putting their stamp of approval on an event in the Gravel World Series was revealed to be $10,000.00 which was reportedly cut in half for Mammoth Tuff. The Highlands Classic will be the other event in North America included in the series.
 

 Blog Schedule For November/December:

A friendly reminder to those loyal readers here and maybe news to those of you who are new here. The "end-of-year" blog schedule is about to begin! 

So, here is a brief round-up of what you can expect to see here soon:

• Bikes of 2024: A brief review of the bikes I used throughout 2024 with a list of any changes and future plans. Just a fun look at what I ride. 
• Rear View 2024: This is a quarterly review of all the highlights (and maybe some low ones!) from the year. Mostly focused on the blog here but I often pull in other life events as well. These are broken up into four parts and one will be seen each week in December. 
• Top Ten Posts of 2024: A list of the most viewed posts on the site for the year. I always am surprised by what gets looked at here the most, and I think you might be surprised as well!
• Top Images of 2024: I choose the best 12 images, one from each month, and post them in one post with some commentary where I deem necessary. 
• NEW! Top People of 2024: I decided after reviewing the year for these upcoming posts that I needed to fete those individuals who had a major impact on me and what happened during the year. So, these will be rolled out as single posts, some covering a single individual, some about groups. Stay tuned! I think this addition will be a good one! 
• A Look Ahead: The last post of 2024 will be dedicated to looking at what I see for myself and cycling in general for the upcoming year.  
• The Regular Stuff: There will be "FN&V's", the continuance of the celebration of 20 years of blogging, and the random current content posts. 
• NEW! The Best Podcasts of 2024: I'll do a single post concerning the most listened to podcasts of the past year with links in case you need to kill some time over the Holidays! 
  

So, as you can see, there is a LOT of content there! I'll start rolling some of this out next week because as things stand now, I have 47 posts accounted for and as of today there are 45 days left in the year! So, with anything current inserted into the mix, that will mean some days will be double post days. Make sure you scroll all the way through any upcoming posts because you might miss something if you don't! 

As always, THANK YOU for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Don't Forget To Nominate The Next GCHoF Class!.

The Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame is still looking for good write-ups for their next class of inductees to be enshrined this coming May of 2025. 

The task is relatively easy: Ask the person you want to nominate if it is okay. Go to the GCHoF Nomination page. Then write a good, well written two paragraph article on why this person deserves to be feted. Send it to the GCHoF before November 30th. That's it!

Nominees will be named after voting by the electors. Thanks for considering this! 

From a recent patent filing by Lauf.

Is Lauf Going To Change Freehub Design Radically Soon?.

Mid-week news broke on a patent filing Lauf filed for a design using a radical new idea for how hubs are mated with a cassette and how those two components work as a freehub. 

There are two ideas which are very 'outside the box' going on here. first, as seen in the first image, Lauf proposes a set of "pawls", or more like springs, really, which would be attached to the carrier for a traditional cassette. These springs are drawn in a way which makes them look like serpents, but the squiggly looking bits are actually meant to give a bit by stretching those elements which have the serpentine look out a bit, giving a bit of a softer engagement when the rider returns to pedaling after coasting. In another drawing on THIS PAGE those serpentine spring elements are drawn straight, so it appears that Lauf has not yet decided which way to go there. 

Again, from Lauf's patent filing.

But if I am reading this next image correctly, these serpentine elements are part of a unit that extends across most of the length of the hub shell. This is a radical departure from standard freehub design. 

This would mean that the entire inner hub shell would be a machined drive ring, essentially, which the serpentine elements would engage with. Furthermore; if the serpentine elements are staggered, as it appears is proposed, the engagement points could well be in the hundreds, if not thousands! 

Lauf apparently proposes to 3D print this according to a report I read HERE. Will this come to pass? If it does, I would think it would have a major impact upon the market, if it should prove to be more efficient and lighter in weight than traditionally designed free hubs. 

Sometimes crazy looking ideas end up changing the world, and then again, sometimes you see something that looks wild and it disappears. Which this will be is anyone's guess, but kudos to whomever designed this, because it is a very different take on a freehub design, at least as far as I know, it is. 

That is a wrap on this week! Look for 'end-of-year' posts to crank up starting next week here!

Announcing The 2024 Virtual Turkey Burn Challenge: Rules And More

From last year's VTBC

 Virtual: (In terms of meeting) A virtual meeting is when people around the world, regardless of their location, use video, audio, and text to link up online. Virtual meetings allow people to share information and data in real-time without being physically located together.

Turkey Burn: (relating to cycling) The day after or weekend after Thanksgiving when cyclists ride long distances to "burn" off their Thanksgiving feast. A way to kick off the Winter cycling training season. Also a means for getting outdoors when it is cold. 

For the last three years I have held a "Virtual Turkey Burn" challenge to you readers and you have all responded nicely each time I have asked you to do this. Last year I had another good response and so I figured I may as well offer the chance to join in this virtual group ride once again this year. 

Following is the original post from 2021 which will spell out the idea and time-stamp for this challenge. (Dates changed to reflect 2024) The challenge starts in two weeks from today! So you've got plenty of time to get ready.

_____________________________________

The idea is that perhaps I could call for a 'virtual' ride to be done on your bike which you have maybe left out of your plans more than you might like over the past, oh I don't know.....year? Last few years? Whatever. You don't necessarily even have to do this on a 'forlorn, forgotten bike'. It could be your favorite one. No matter. Here's the deal......

I propose a "Virtual Turkey Burn Century". Here are the parameters for participation:

1. Pick a bike. As stated, the more 'forlorn, forgotten, and neglected' of your choices, all the better. But also- Run what ya brung. If you want to use your favorite, most used bike- go for it. 
2. Ride a "century". Metric or full-on hundy, I don't care. Pavement, single track, gravel, back alleys, whatever. You decide. 
3. Take a picture. Take several if you want to. Digital works best for this.
4. Send me your pic(s) and a few words with a name I can credit to. 
5. Do this challenge between Thursday, November 28th to Sunday December 1st. (Thanksgiving 'weekend' in the USA) You can do a century over several days even- if you want to. Whatever.
   
6. Send in your pics and words to g.ted.productions@gmail.com by Tuesday December 3rd. I will put up a "Virtual Turkey Burn Report" Monday December 9th, (or after- Depending upon the number of submissions)  showing off everyone's submissions. (That is, if there are any daring enough to actually do this deal.)

From the first VTBC in 2021

You can join in the fun or just come back to see if anyone actually did something and read about it here. I am committed to the idea, so there will be one report, at the least. What do you get as a participant? Just a fun activity and possibly an infamous reputation from having your images and words posted on Guitar Ted Productions. Sorry, but if you participate, that's the only reward folks! This ain't no fancy-pants organization here. If you get laughed at by your peers for having your stuff show up here, well then, I am sorry, but I warned ya! 

Okay, that's the plan. Now..... GO! 

_______________________________________

 

Keep in mind that anyone wanting to participate doesn't have to submit an entry here concerning your ride, but if you choose to, it adds to the fun for the readers here. Those who choose to send in a report, please include an image or two and a name for image credits by December 3rd via email as indicated above. 

The Virtual Turkey Burn Challenge Bike: Update

 The Virtual Turkey Burn Challenge which will be happening  November 28th - December 1st will be done on this Fargo. I had changed up the set up in terms of the stem/handle bar position recently and I needed to take that out on a bit of a test ride to see how that was going to suit me. 

The original intentions for the Fargo were that it would be a drop bar, mountain bike adventure machine. In light of that, the drop bars were supposed to be set up so that the primary position would be hands in the drops. That's why Gen I Fargos have tall stack heights despite being non-suspension corrected. 

Now you may be thinking, "Hold on there a minute, Guitar Ted! What's all this "stack height" and "non-suspension corrected" stuff have to do with my preference in handlebar set up?" Well, seeing as how Fargos get - what shall we say? Personalized? Set up in odd ways according to whims of their owners? Hmm.... I think you catch my drift here. What I am saying is "original intentions" mean nothing to many Fargo owners. But if you want to know, riding in the drops is how it was meant to be done. 

So that's how I set mine up. See those black grips, those Redshift Sports Cruiser grips? Now imagine that that spot is where a flat bar and its grip would be in space, lower the head tube a bit, level out the top tube a bit, and if you are still following me here what we would end up with is a box-stock El Mariachi from 2008. 

Besides the bar/stem changes I needed to make sure the drivetrain was up to snuff. As I was checking that out I was reminded of how darn reliable, simple, and maintenance-free those Gevenalle shifters are. Now, of course, these are really just perches for old school bar end shifters. 

Mine are Shimano Ultegra 9 speed shifters. They probably will never wear out. Heck, they've been on this bike or my Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross bike for so long now that I cannot remember how old they are without checking the blog archives here. I do know that when I got these red (now faded to pink) anodized shifter perches the company was called Retroshift! So, that's been a while now. 

The other bit that I was thinking about with regard to the Fargo here was how my crank set is completely not on the cutting edge!  Nine speed, triple rings, and arms at 180mm long! I mean, you cannot get anymore "out of date" with what is hot now than this crankset. 

But there you go. This Fargo Gen I is a kind of a throw-back, kind of a 'classic which is being copied now' type of  bike all wrapped up in a durable "Fun Guy Green" powdercoat. It's a bike that I've been on during many an adventure. I sure hope that the Virtual Turkey Burn will be another fine chapter in this bicycle's annals. 

Yeah, so mechanically I am good to go. Now I have a route in mind and I just need to plot it out, see what weather I am going to get to deal with, and go from there. 

Stay tuned....

Don't Shoot The Messenger.

From Lance Armstrong's "X" account.

Long time readers know my thoughts about the term "gravel" as it applies to cycling and what the idea that "gravel" embodies is something limited by the name and something that just doesn't quite hit for many people around the world. 

That's why when I saw a social media post by Lance Armstrong recently that I was encouraged and saw the brilliance of his take on how this whole gravel thing should be seen by all of us. Namely as a way to explore more terrain on a reasonably lightweight, fast bike. 

Now, you may grouse and dismiss this take because of where it comes from, but you would be unwise to do so. This summarizes exactly what I and others were aiming to do with an idea for a bike we were trying to describe by a different name back in the late 2000's. 

As the youth say, "I've got receipts", and they are on this blog if you care to find them. I don't feel the need to push all that up again, but I did think that what Lance Armstrong said, and how he said it here, was more on the mark than not. 

In fact, it is very appealing to me because of the way he carves away the racing aspects of "gravel" and focuses on the real, core reasons for this type of riding. Many cyclists and cycling journalists would do well to understand that part. That's my take.

State Bicycle Co. Monster Fork v2 - Final Word

 Note: State Bicycle Co sent over their Monster Fork v2 for test and review at Guitar Ted Productions at no cost. Guitar Ted is not being bribed, nor paid,for this review and all opinions are his own. 

The State Bicycle Co. Monster Fork V2 has been ridden in various terrain and set ups now so it is time to give you all my final word on this carbon fiber fork for gravel/bikepacking uses. 

In case you haven't seen the previous update on this review, you should probably check that out as there will be numerous references to that post. You can find that update by clicking HERE. 

The Longer Offset Ride Quality: So, what does the longer offset do to the ride? I kept the wheel and tire exactly the same as I had it in the shorter offset setting so there would be less variables. One thing that moving the drop out chips does is that in the longer offset setting, the fork axle to crown increases. Not by a lot, but it does, and this affects the head angle, amongst other things, so the overall trail of the front end geometry was increased. This had the effect of very slightly making my bike more stable. I had to try a few things to make sure I was actually feeling this correctly because the trail wasn't all that different than before, but there it was. A very slight difference maker, to be sure.

As I've stated before though, this feeling goes away quickly as we adapt to these minute changes in handling. So, in my opinion, the longer axle to crown is more notable for making the fork into a slightly longer lever which forces can act upon which translates into a slightly smoother ride. This and being able to slot in a larger tire, if desired, are the "big deals" about the offset differences, not the almost imperceptible handling changes.

The Monster Fork v2 with its three-bolt accessory mounts makes my bike more versatile.

I tried the accessory mounts out by using two bottle cages and adding two water bottles. This extends the versatility of this particular bike which did not have these mounts on its original fork. In certain cases this would allow me to go further self-supported than I could previously. Obviously, if you wanted to, one could attach racks to hold cargo as well, making a bike into a bikepacking capable bicycle, where before it may have been limited like my Noble GX5 here. 

Clearance with a 700 X 50mm Cazadero on a i23 rim.

The added weight doesn't seem to really affect handling, that is, unless you are adding something heavier to those mounts, like a full canister of food or a larger Nalgene type bottle. With the capability to handle a claimed 55lbs maximum, you might feel a bit of steering inertia if you try weighing the fork down that much, but any fork would have this issue with a heavy load. 

I did try some different tires on a inside rim width of 23mm and found that I could actually fit a 29" X 2.3" tire with plenty of clearance. For fun, I measured the head angle with the big 29"er tire and it came out at just a shade under 69°.

Final Word: The Monster Fork v2 is a capable, versatile fork with a unique 'flip-chip' drop out that affords the rider a choice to have larger tires or just a longer fork for a different ride feel. The accessory mounting points are a welcome addition to a bicycle that may have not had those included in the original fork design. It could be a fork that takes a bike that wasn't all that capable in stock form and open some new doors to different uses.

While I like tweaking things like geometry, there may be some reasons why you would not want this in a fork. Anytime you take the beautiful simplicity of something on a bicycle and introduce something a bit more complicated, there are compromises. I feel that this is what the drop out design on the Monster Fork v2 has done here. I had experienced difficulties with wheel installation and removal with one hub brand and none with two other brands. That sort of thing typically does not happen with a traditional dropout design. 

Clearance with 29" X 2.3" Ehline on i23 rim.

The chips also can be set into their carbon fiber molded pockets a bit askew, or not tightened down enough, which can cause issues with wheel installation and removal. This can also cause a vague feeling when tightening the through axle as well. 

The ride feel and handling in both offset settings is perfectly acceptable. You may note a change in certain aspects of your bike when you switch the offset, as the change in axle to crown height does affect several things about a bicycle. Once you understand these things it really is not a big deal to address these issues. 

I give the Monster Fork v2 a passing grade, but it could be that the aluminum chips will cause issues either with a current wheel set a rider owns or with wear of those parts over time. My feeling is most riders will choose an offset setting and never look back again. In that case the chips may not be a big deal. The asking price for the Monster Fork v2 is more than reasonable for the features set, but it depends on whether or not those features are attractive to you and applicable to your riding style/needs. 

This is why I give this fork a passing grade, because it does what it says it should do, but with the added complexity and niche feature of a changeable offset, it is not going to be everyone's cup of tea. Check it out if you have a bike that came with a plain fork that you want to add a dash of changeability to and a whole lot of versatility to. The Monster Fork v2 may just open a few doors that were closed before.

Ti Muk 2 Maintenance

Recent test ride after fixing up the Ti Muk 2

Ever since I've had the Ti Muk 2 (My second titanium Mukluk, thus "Ti Muk 2), it never has had a very good rear brake. Not that it mattered a whole lot since I haven't been mountain biking the Ti Muk 2 but rather just using it as a poor weather commuter. 

It isn't very hilly where I go and so both brakes didn't need to be 100% efficient. It was something on my mind, but not anything I needed to get to right away. It also did not help that I primarily use the front brake. 

However; this Fall I knew I had to give the bike a once over. Check sealant, refresh that, and maybe take a closer look at that brake. I knew what the issue was. It had been compromised by contamination emanating from the shifter box/hub connection for the Rohloff 14 speed internal geared hub. 

Like many things, there is always more to the story once you dig into it. I had never addressed the rear brake on this bike before, so I wasn't aware that the Avid BB7 caliper was not able to center over the Rohloff rotor. I could not move the caliper inward enough to get the inner pad to quit rubbing the rotor slightly. I probably did not notice that before because it was lubricated by the internal gear hub oil! Finding that out was kind of a bummer. 

The mess had been cleared up, after several applications of degreaser and isopropyl alcohol. But now what? Well, I had somehow acquired a single TRP Spyre SLC caliper along my travels, and I noted that the caliper mounting holes were larger/longer than the Avid's were. I dry fit the caliper and was able to get a good result. So, that fancy-pants caliper is now doing the job of braking in the rear of the Ti Muk 2. 

I know....it is a drop bar lever caliper. But I do things you should not do. So, don't follow my lead here. It is not recommended. That said, it is working really well for me. So, that problem has been solved. 

Bring it on Winter! I'm ready.

Two Things

Image courtesy of Iowa Wind and Rock

 Iowa Wind And Rock Event Thoughts:

The event called "Iowa Wind and Rock", or IWAR for short, is going to happen again in April 2025. (Registration is open now, by the way) This is the event, for those who may be unaware, which sprang from the ashes of Trans Iowa in 2018. Trans Iowa being the event I put on with a LOT of help from others, from 2005 - 2018.

From the IWAR site: "For 14 years, TransIowa, one of the most difficult gravel races in the US, took place in Iowa at the end of April. It was difficult not only because of the terrain, but also due to notoriously fickle Iowa weather, and the challenges it required riders to overcome just to make it to the starting line. The end of TransIowa in 2018 meant that a unique chapter of gravel racing history closed. As Iowans, TransIowa finishers, and people who enjoy stretching personal boundaries, we didn’t want to see this unique opportunity for people to challenge themselves disappear."

So, in a way, the event spirit and format for IWAR is a lot like Trans Iowa's because the founders of IWAR wanted a "Trans Iowa-like" event to continue. So, the line going back from now to 2005 when the first Trans Iowa was held is, up to this point, an unbroken one, from the standpoint of what events like these entail: Self-support in a real sense, cue sheet navigation, mental and physical testing, and weather challenges. 

Iowa Wind and Rock continues the traditions set by Trans Iowa. Probably the most curious reaction, in my mind, to how this event is held is the reaction to the cue sheet navigation part. I'm just going off what I see being chatted about this on Facebook, so if anyone else has a different perspective, I'm all ears. 

But to my way of thinking, this points to a few things I find interesting. One: Most gravel riders and competitors do not have any idea how the sport was run long ago. Two: It's all on the internet, the history, that is, if anyone really cares to look it up. Three: Not many people care and anything like cue sheet navigation is seen as being an unnecessary burden on the competitor and is something of a deal-breaker for those curious about an event like IWAR. 

At the risk of being "an old man yelling at the clouds", as I have been accused of being, I think a big part of this is a lack of understanding which could be addressed by the event(s) that use cue sheets, and of course, the reliance on technology for finding our way through our world today. Folks maybe do not even realize that they have lost a huge portion of what our ancestors took for granted. Way-finding is a skill that was necessary for survival at one time and made minds sharper and gifted us a unique way of looking at nature which is lost on many today to our detriment, it would seem.  

We Were Supposed To Be Clear Of This By Now:

It is obvious to anyone that pays attention to bicycle retail that major discounting is still happening. The difference now is that it does not apply literally to every segment of cycling. There are sales bright spots, and high-end road bikes are one such area of fairly decent sales with little discounting going on there.

However; it seems that as I look around that the post-COVID corrections in the market have not ended, and so this is starting to beg a question: "Is this a new reality for cycling going forward?"

I see issues on the back end with European based companies in reorganization or with factories being consolidated or closed altogether. I see a big slow down in sales being reported in Europe when it comes to electrified bikes, which was a bell cow segment for European cycling before COVID. 

I see US based YouTube videos from bike shop folks decrying the poor state of retail in the US cycling scene. I have observed that there have been a lot less "new bike day" posts from social media as well. My local shops are selling hybrid bikes starting at a price of around $600.00 and this has stymied local sales. When I last worked retail, in 2020/2021, things were shifting into a weird mode, but right before that, an entry level hybrid bike was less than $500.00.  

I don't know that we will see any big jumps in sales either. Winter will certainly put that off, as will whatever the fallout from this recent election will be. That seems to feel like a negative in the cycling realm at this point, which does not bode well for sales. 

I remember in 2022 that pundits were saying it would take up to a full two years to climb out of this glut of inventory that was being noted back then. Well, the inventories are down, but sales have not really bounced back. We will see what happens, but looking around right now, it doesn't look like we've gotten past the COVID induced hangover we've been in for a while now. And I won't even get into the possibility of tarrifs.....

Friday News And Views

 Triple D 2025:

The long running Winter endurance race, Triple D, will happen again this coming January 18th in Dubuque, Iowa. The event has a running and fat biking component. Fat bike riders can choose from three distances. There is the full-course 70 mile, the half-distance 35, and the non-timed fun ride with a 17 mile distance which also is a "poker ride" adding to the fun factor. 

Runners can sign up for a 50K Ultra-Marathon, a full or half Marathon distances, and there is a fun "stroll", which is a walking distance of 5K. (You can run it as well)

Registration is open now HERE. 

Stan's Collab With Swiss Daysaver Tool Results In Incredible DART:

Stan's released their newest DART tubeless repair kit in collaboration with Swiss tool maker Daysaver. Called the "Incredible DART", this tool hides a DART plug readied to go at the twist of the black portion of the tool. This releases the DART like a switchblade knife and you can get to plugging that leak more quickly.

The Incredible DART also can be configured to reside inside your handle bar end with a kit offered by Stan's at an extra cost. The Incredible DART is made from aluminum and also houses three extra DART plugs which come with the purchase price of $72.00 USD. 

Comments: That's not cheap, but I can see this if you are a racer with seconds burning up as you pull over for a repair with this DART tool. You would be ready at a moments notice to use the DART and get back on the course with less downtime. But other than that, yeah... A standard DART tool is $25.00 for comparison. 

I have to admit to having several tubeless repair kits and never having had to use one. Not in the seventeen years I've been running bicycle tires tubeless all over the Mid-West, so maybe this is all lost on me. If you've had experiences with one of these tools, let me know in the comments.

Image courtesy of Lapierre Bikes

Does The New Lapierre Pulsium Show Gravel Bike Influence?

I received a press release this past week concerning Lapierre's new endurance/ultra-distance road bike, the Pulsium. It is a very interesting bike from the standpoint of a gravel cyclist. 

While it is a road bike, the Lapierre Pulsium is rated for 38mm tires with fenders, which indicates to me that this may as well be representative of what we were looking at for gravel bikes five to seven years ago. At least from a tire clearance perspective. 

But looking at other aspects of this design, it becomes apparent that cues from the gravel cycling world are being heeded in today's road cycling marketplace. Things like flared drop bars (10° on this bike) and the unique seat stay design that Lapierre calls "3D Tubular". The stays pass the seat tube, are not connected to it, but terminate at a point at the top tube ahead of the seat tube. These stays are arched slightly to allow for a spring-like movement which translates to better rider comfort over lower frequency bumps, according to Lapierre's press release.

Image courtesy of Lapierre Bikes

This sort of design idea (flexing seat stays) has been utilized by several gravel bikes, but none more famous, perhaps, than Salsa Cycles Class 5 VRS stays. So, wider tires, flex stays, and flared drop bars? Seems pretty "gravel-ish" to me. While this is only one bike, other companies have been bringing in classic design cues from gravel into their road lines also. It makes perfect sense since "gravel" is the category which has captivated the buying public now for several years. 

This also makes sense for how I, and others, envisioned this "all-road" idea to be back in the late 2000's. That was a time when you were lucky to get a road bike with 25mm tire clearances, and the geometry, even for entry level road bikes, was the same for those Pro level bikes meant for super-fit, athletic builds. While there is always a place for such a bicycle, most people could use more of an all-roads approach which would be versatile, utilitarian, and have lightweight, durable, long lasting design for frames, forks, and components. 

Just to be clear, I don't think we are seeing the ultimate vision for this sort of all-roads bicycle yet. But we are a lot closer than we were in 2008. 

Guitar Ted Podcast Episode #61:

In case you missed it, here is the link to last week's podcast, Episode #61.  But what I really need to have your help with is for our next episode. 

We are going to talk about tubeless tire sealants. What works, what does not work, failures and successes. We plan on having 'shiggy' back again who will have his perspective from a drier, warmer climate versus ours which comes from a wetter, and colder (in Winter) perspective. Obviously local conditions will help us out as well to give the listener more varied experiences and opinions. 

What I want to know is what you, the reader here, thinks is a good topic to cover regarding sealants for tubeless tires. What would you like to know? Do you have any experiences that are unique, frustrating, or noteworthy for their success? 

Let me know in the comments, or email me at g.ted.productions@gmail.com. 

Should This "Pipedream" Become Reality?

Trek showed this bike, dubbed the "Pipedream", on their social media on Wednesday. The text that went along with it read:

"Meet PipeDream: a Trek prototype by Kyle Neuser with a steel main frame and Top Fuel rear stays for classic strength and modern performance. Exposed cable routing, bolt-on shock mounts, and retro-inspired paint—built for today’s trails."

Comments: Asking readers, "Should we make this?", I think the answer may already be in play. Typically you don't see stuff like this unless there is a marketing plan in place to sell it. 

I also have to admit that when I saw this I had a double-take because, well.....Trek. This company doesn't typically float prototype ideas and, if I recall correctly, they really haven't done anything like that since the 2000's. But I like this, and if it were to be sold looking like this, or similarly, with minimal badging? I'd be a fan. Would I buy one? 

Well, "pipe dreams" sometimes do come true, but I would be willing to bet that this bike would be somewhere between 5k and 10k and that's simply far above a price I'd pay to have a part-time usage bike in my stable. Granted, I am not the core customer for a bicycle like this, but it is refreshing to see Trek have a take on the typically British idea of a full-suspension trail bike with a steel main frame.

Redshift Sports Arclight Pedals Back: 

Erik from Redshift recently let me know that Redshift Sports recently had restocked on Arclight Pedals. I guess that they had been out of stock for some time. 

I did a review of the Arclight Pro pedals which you can access HERE. Check that out if you want, but I will say now that if you ride in a city at night, these pedals will definitely increase your safety and make you more noticeable to other vehicle operators. 

Besides that, who doesn't like being part of a rolling light show? That's the fun part of these pedals and I always smile when I see people craning their necks to try and figure out "what I am" while riding with these pedals.

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

The Virtual Turkey Burn Challenge Bike

The Gen I Fargo circa 2021

Back in 2021 I did a Virtual Turkey Burn Ride Challenge and was originally thinking about using the Gen I Fargo. That did not happen and I used my "Gravel Bus", 2020 Twin Six Standard Rando instead. 

Fast forward to 2024 and I have been planning this ride again. I had been of the mind that I should use one of my bicycles that has been "neglected" for much of the year leading up to the VTBRC. This year that bike is the Gen I Fargo. 

This bike wasn't my first choice for the VTBRC. That honor went to my single speed Pofahl Signature bike. But the more I thought about it the more I felt like the Gen I Fargo was the right answer for this ride. I haven't been on enough longer rides, so I think I have not built up the sort of stamina I need to do a longer single speed ride with a high degree of success. The Fargo also has some deeper gears than many of my gravel bikes. Plus it has a bit more upright seated position, which may be a plus for the ride I have sketched out in my mind. 

However; it was a bit too upright, and to solve this issue I had moved the Redshift Sports ShockStop Stem down the steer tube and swapped the spacers to being above the stem. I still wasn't happy, so just this week I got around to flipping the stem to its negative rise option. This requires a reorientation of the internal parts.

A 'third hand' bungee cord

Correct orientation for the elastomers and holding bracket.

The elastomers in a Redshift stem must always be oriented 'on top' with the holding bracket on the bottom as you look at the stem from the front opening with the stem cap removed. So, if you want to 'flip' the stem you have to reorient the elastomers and bracket as well. Not a huge deal, but something that does take a bit more time to do over a simple, standard stem. 

The Fargo set up after the stem change.

So the swap did not radically change my seated position, but at least the hoods are at the saddle height now, which is what I prefer. Actually below the saddle height is better for me, but with the Fargo Gen I the only way I'm getting more slammed is by cutting down the head tube extension, and I am not going to do that!

So, there you go! Add a few bottles, maybe a saddle bag, (but probably not since I have the Kitchen Sink Bag on the bars), and I am ready. I may come up with a light mount to get around having the bag on the bars, but this will depend upon my ride timing. 

Okay! So, I have to do a test ride of this set up and then wait for the day to go. Stay tuned.

Cross Point Superlight Waterproof Socks : Review Update

 Note: Guitar Ted Productions was sent a pair of Cross Point Superlight Waterproof Socks for test and review at no charge. Guitar Ted was not paid nor bribed for this review and he will always strive to give his honest thoughts and opinions throughout.

At the very beginning of September I introduced this review of the Cross Point Superlight Waterproof Socks. Back then we were still experiencing "Summer" and those conditions persisted on a whole lot longer than expected. So, I really could not give an honest take on how the socks performed. That is, until now. Since November began we have had a LOT of rain, and while it is not really very typically cool, it is a lot cooler than it was for the last two months. 

Now that it has rained the waterproofness claims can be tested, and I have done that. I also will share my impressions of the Cross Point socks against a couple of pairs of Seal Skinz that I have tried in the past. 

Make sure you click that link above for all the pricing and technical aspects of the Superlight Waterproof Socks. Now, on with my latest findings.....

Waterproof Or....?: 

My biggest concern to start with was to find out if these socks would actually keep your feet dry in a "real world way", so I did not simply step in a tub, or what have you, to test that aspect of the socks. This recent dump of rain made for a lot of mud puddle opportunities, so I went out and targeted everyone I could find for about an hour.

The good news is that, yes, the waterproof claims seem to be holding up here. I got both feet soaked from mud puddle riding and I even stepped into one, because that is something you might actually do, and I found no issues at all with seepage or leaking. 

I should mention also this was after machine washing the socks and hang drying them, so they have gone through a wash cycle to be sure that the socks will do what they claim. 

My only concern from this point onward is how perspiration and cold weather riding might affect the outcome from wearing these Superlight socks. I know that has been something of a bugaboo with regard to the two other socks I will be comparing the Cross Point socks with. Once my feet got hot and sweaty in those Seal Skinz I was doomed to frozen feet. The weather has not been conducive for testing these socks in that manner yet, so until that happens I will hold off judgment on that point. 

Cross Point socks on the left, Seal Skinz in the middle and right.

Comparisons: 

Besides the comments above regarding perspiration and the Seal Skinz socks I will also say that the Seal Skinz socks I have are probably ten years old or older. Their product line may reflect a different user experience now, but this is what I have. Seal Skinz has a much wider array of choices as well, so there may be something there that is more directly applicable to my review here. I recommend checking them out. 

My Seal Skinz socks are much thicker, stiffer, and harder to get on than the Cross Point socks are. I like the thinner, almost "normal" sock feel of these Superlight socks. The Cross Point feels most like a thick wool sock but it does still have that feeling of a synthetic tube to a degree, which the Seal Skinz socks have in spades in comparison. Just from a feel standpoint, I think I'd opt for either companies thinner offerings before anything they sell that is thick and stiffer. Especially for cycling shoes, which tend to not allow for a big, thick sock. 

If anyone has any experience with any of Seal Skinz's latest, thinner offerings I would be interested to hear from you about your experience. 

So Far... 

I like these socks for commuting, shorter rides, and cooler weather. I did wear them for a short while on a pretty typical Summer day and while they were tolerable, it was not particularly pleasant after a few hours. So, in my opinion, these are for "shoulder-season" riding. 

I'll be interested to see how my feet hold up in these during cool, wetter rides, but that weather hasn't been happening here yet, so that take will have to wait until my final installment on these socks. 

I do like the feel of these compared to my older socks, and they seem to work well, keeping my feet dry. The thinner material is both more supple and easier to get into and wear with cycling shoes. So, if you have sworn off past efforts in waterproof sock items, these might change your mind, as they have changed mine. 

I'll have a final take on these socks once the weather allows for some proper test ride conditions.

Redshift Sports Top Shelf Handlebar Bag: Final Word

 Note: Redshift Sports sent over a Top Shelf Handlebar Bag for test and review to Guitar Ted Productions at no charge. Guitar Ted is not being paid, nor bribed for this review and all opinions are his own. 

I've stuffed the Redshift Sports Top Shelf Bag full and ridden it enough now that I can come back with a final word on this roomy handlebar bag. If you missed the previous part of this review you can check that out HERE. 

In this 'final word' post I wanted to address a couple of things and then we will get to my take on this handlebar bag at the end. First let's take a look at my experiences with a fully loaded bag. 

In the previous post on this bag I showed an image with the bag fully loaded with the exception of the central area. I ended up utilizing that left over space to carry a light wind vest. It barely  rolled up small enough to fit, and I did not feel 100% secure about the magnetic top keeping everything inside on its own. Fortunately those two side zippers will securely hold the top down and my slightly overstuffed bag was safe and did not cause me any worries. 

I even utilized the mesh outer pocket to hold my gloves, and they did that well. These were Summer weight, Hand-Up brand gloves, for reference. I did not carry the GPS device on my last rides before this update, and you can see in the image above how the bag wasn't "level", which I found slightly annoying. However; Erik at Redshift suggested that I could level the bag by using some "bag shims". Essentially these are foam blocks with a slot in the middle. The strap, which would attach the lower part of the bag to the Top Shelf Bar where it passes through the stem, is where this foam shim would go. It would sit between the bag and the handle bar with the strap passing though the shim, then around the handlebar. 

I did not have access to these shims and I did not have time to make anything, but I agree that this would be a great solution. I hope to try that out when I have more time to fiddle with things like this during the Winter. 

The bag rode really well, even fully loaded. The straps held the bag against the Top Shelf Bar with no wiggling or any sort of shifting around despite traversing some rugged dirt road and chunky, fresh gravel roads. 

I did have to stop and fetch a multi-tool for a repair. With all the organizing pockets in the Top Shelf Bag, finding and retrieving the tool was easy. So, that was another plus for this bag that I found. 

Overall I think this handlebar bag has provided me with  a great experience even though I don't think I've plumbed all the benefits that the Top Shelf Bag has to offer. 

Final Word: Besides the tilt of the bag overall in my situation, this bag gave me no problems and I enjoyed using it on casual rides and longer gravel rides where self-support requires that I carry a bit more than usual. The Top Shelf Bag has great capacity overall and excellent pockets with which you can organize your things. 

The construction, fit and finish, and looks overall are very good. The bag is a perfect fit for the Top Shelf Bar, as you would expect, which is a nice benefit of staying in the Redshift family of products. I did not try the bag on other handlebars, but I don't think the experience would be a good with other handlebars which don't have the Top Shelf's design. In my opinion, the Top Shelf bar design is a key factor in why the bag works better than most handlebar bags I have tried.

I would like to see Redshift provide the foam shims for leveling the bag in the future, but otherwise I would highly recommend this bag to any Top Shelf Bar owner.

And The Rains Came

 Sunday I awoke to a rainy day, just as it had been when I went to sleep on Saturday evening. This was not very conducive to getting any cycling done. 

I heard some faint music and stepped outside to see who might be playing music loud enough on a Sunday morning that I could hear it inside my own home. I went out and caught the sultry sounds of Albert King's "I'll Play The Blues For You". 

Well, it was kinda early for music that loud, but hey! Good taste and a great selection for the dreary, cold, rainy day. I went back inside and watched it rain through the window with a hot cup of coffee in hand. 

Then I got a text that was from our pastor at the church I attend. They had need for a guitar player on short notice, so I decided I'd go and play. And it continued to rain.... 

It didn't stop until late in the afternoon and by then I had other plans in play. I spent time with my family, and with the time change, it was soon to be dark anyway. So, I had a great deal of gratitude that I had gone out and rode on Friday, because Saturday's are pretty much work, then family time, and well, it started raining Saturday anyway. 

Death of an Apple Watch

I've caught myself taking a quick glance at my bare left wrist a lot lately. That's due to my Apple Watch failure last week. You can see the results of a slight blow to the top here.

I'm not the roughest guy on watches, and this thing outlasted those old FitBits I used to get by a long, long time. Oh yeah, time......

I have to tap my phone to see what time it is now. So annoying! I guess I'll have to dig out one of my old analog watches and see if I can't get one going. That or I have to start looking for another electronic device to slap onto my wrist so I can be Dick Tracy again. (Hit the link if you are too young to know about Mr. Tracy)

Maybe I should get a Garmin watch, or a Coros watch. Not sure. Mrs  Guitar Ted is a huge Apple fan, so the most likely thing that will happen is that I end up with another Apple Watch. We will see. In the meantime, I will be caught taking a glance at my bare left wrist several times in the future. 

Old habits and all.....

Brown Season: Crossing Paths

Escape Route: Cedar River Bike Path with new 11th St. Bridge in background

 We went through a BIG weather change this past week. It was 80°F on Monday and Tuesday and Friday it was in the 40's. In between it was massively windy. It also rained a lot, for the first time in a long time, so all those days were not really conducive to getting out into the country. But Friday......oh my!

The winds were mere whispers and the Sun was out. So, I waited until it warmed up a bit, dressed head to toe in Twin Six gear, and hit the bike paths and streets to get over to Foulk Road and hit up those short Level B sections and then do my "Southern Black Hawk County" route off of that. 

The Cedar River at Evansdale

The Cedar Valley Nature Trail is getting repaved.

Of course, with all the winds we had the leaves are mostly off the trees now. Only some random trees here and there are showing colors. And the oaks, which hold their leaves most of the Winter here, they still show off their rusty-brown hue. 

McKellar Road

The Level B section of Weiden Road

So, I wasn't very sure how I'd find things on the dirt roads. We had a LOT of rainfall on Wednesday evening into Thursday morning. Would it be too muddy? I was betting that it would not, since this was the first significant rain we've had since August. I was right in my guess, as only a few big puddles remained. 

But one of those puddles spanned the original tread of the roadway at one point. Vehicular traffic had made a wider spot in the roadway to get around this, but I decided to try and see if I could wade through on the bike. And........I failed!

I didn't fall over, thankfully, but I went in way over my ankles when I dabbed with both feet so I had soaked shoes for the remainder of the ride. Oh well!  But that wasn't the only thing that went haywire at that point. 

I was riding the good ol' Tamland Two. (Shot pre-mud  puddle here)

There were scraping noises big time and I immediately thought it was the brakes, because this was some pretty silty water and I had gone in hub deep. But after trying all my tricks to clear the calipers I was still hearing a random, rotational squawk and I decided to stop at the end of the road to check the Tamland over. 

I found that it was coming from the crank set, which was alarming because it was new. But upon further inspection I found that the Third Eye chain watcher gizmo was the culprit. It must have moved ever so slightly and was juuuuust kissing the inner part of the big chain ring in spots. A few minutes with a multi-tool later and I had that sussed out. I will say that a rubbing chain watcher can make a horrendous noise! I wasn't aware that was possible until Friday!

Foulk Road

After a swing through Washburn, Iowa, I hit Foulk Road just West of there and turned Left. Then I ran into dog trouble. First was at that old lonely house on a hill just South of Washburn Road and on the West side of Foulk. That house was a shambles for years but has recently been renovated and someone is living there now. They have some terrier breed, possibly a Yorkie by the looks of it, that was tenacious! It came at me three separate times. Little ankle-biter! 

The next dog I have had a run-in with before. It's a Labradoodle and it lives on an acreage on the West side of Foulk Road just South of Schrock Road after the farm on the same side. It won't let you by until its owner comes out and drags it away. I'll tell ya, if your dog won't heel when you yell at it, that pretty much tells me you do not have control over it. Not the dog's fault, by any means. 

Looking North up Hess Road

Somehow these trees managed to hold on to their leaves this past week.

The roads were freshly graveled if traveling North/South. The East/West roads seemed to have a finer gauge gravel, and they were mostly covered, but easier to handle. Of course, I don't have a Redshift Sports ShockStop stem on the Tamland out of vanity because it would ruin my red/white/blue color scheme. Silly me.....

I sure could have used that stem though and I was regretting being so fashion conscious a few times on the ride. Especially going the one mile North on Hammond that I rode. That was brutal! 

North on Hammond's super-fresh chunky goodness.

Ansborough looking North.

I almost never meet other gravel riders as I ride around Black Hawk County. Last time I can remember running across someone was back in 2020 when I came across Tom on this same route, coincidentally. But Friday I did see another rider, and it was someone I did not ever expect to see on a gravel ride alone by themselves. It was Cindy, a long-time road rider and a former customer back in my bike shop days. 

She stopped and we chatted for a bit. She was heading out and I was coming back toward town. She did not much like my report on the roads! But she  was determined to ride every gravel road in Black Hawk County, much like what I did in 2020. Looks like I was not the only crazy person running around trying to bag every gravel road in the county! I hope she completes her quest. 

Three hours and twenty minutes time for the loop today including stops. Not bad. I'll take it.