Country Views: The Man Of Dust

Escape Route: The much neglected bike path along US 218/27

 Thursday I had a hankering - and the time on my hands - to go for a nice ride in the country. The morning was grey and quite foggy, so I waited until the afternoon to ride. 

It was in the upper 80's, humid, and the breezes were out of the Southeast, but very light for the most part. I wore a typical Summer kit, but with an eye to avoid black stuff, hoping that this would keep me cooler. 

The ride was done on the Twin Six Standard Rando v2 with the new Enduro Bearings parts. I need to get on with putting that stuff to the test now. I did not use the GPS this time. I just wanted to ride. Computers are distracting to me, especially in terms of how I enjoy riding, so no GPS testing this time.

The Cedar River at Evansdale. Looking pretty poorly these days!

"First gravel" starts just up that hill ahead.

The bike trail is under construction during the weekdays which cut off my passage I normally use from Waterloo to Evansdale. So, I used some back streets to get there and then I get off Lafayette Road as soon as I can in Evansdale because it is a very busy road. I go South and cut across town on Central Avenue and then I pop out on Lafayette on the East side of that town and head on up the hill to Elk Run Heights. Then its down to a little corner where there is a subdivision called "Raymar". Once I get there it's off Eastward on Birdland Drive which turns into Young Road and gravel. Interestingly, I can ride some nice, hard-packed gravel shoulders all the way from Elk Run Heights, so gravel action starts sooner than you'd think if you are looking for it. 

Young Road is not used by many gravel riders here in the area, and that's a shame.

Partly cloudy skies provided a lot of light and shadow contrasts.

My original thoughts were to go on a different route. I had been thinking a good dirt road ride would be fun and not too taxing in the heat. I could go out Southeast of Waterloo via Evansdale and hit up those dirt roads near the CVNT and come back home. But as I was riding along, I felt inspired to head East and get on Young Road. 

Gravel taxi

Garling Road

I was calculating and recalculating my route as I went, and eventually I just resolved to head out as far East on Young Road as I could before I ran out of options to head North on gravel. That led me to Garling Road where I then headed North with an eye to eventually get to Big Rock Road and that would take me back to just North of Waterloo. 

"John's Cross" in the East ditch on Holgate Road Just South of Osage Road.

The prairie sunflowers are just starting to appear.

I was pleased to come across what I call "John's Cross" in the ditch on Holgate Road. It is a white cross made of wood with the name "John" on it with an accompanying cross alongside of it. Generally speaking, when you see this sort of memorial it is a place marker for where someone lost their life. It almost is never a grave site. 

I'm not sure what the motivation is for doing this sort of thing at the place where someone dies, almost always in an automobile accident, by the way. It's kind of like the Ghost Bike thing, but Ghost Bikes are there to raise awareness for cycling, cyclists rights, and lack of infrastructure, plus marking where someone died. I am a bit more understanding of the Ghost Bike thing. But this other practice, as in the example of "John's Cross", eludes me. Beyond the obvious demonstration of grief, that is. 

Anyway, the whole idea of this marker intrigues me to the point that I have done a few artistic studies of the place and in doing so, I have previously always forgotten to mark exactly where the crosses are. I have looked twice earlier this year and haven't found them, but on this ride, when I was not looking for them, there they are! So you can bet that I made a hard mental note of the place this time. 

"Gospel of John", pen and ink study, 2021

After that "discovery" I moved on and did a jig-a-jog over on Osage Road West to Nesbit Road North to get to Airline Road (or "Highway", depending on what map you look at). That took me over to what ended up being the most interesting, and surprising bit for the day. 

First was a dog encounter. I was coming up on a farm and I heard the big "woof! woof!" of a dog that sounded rather large. And it was! Around the corner of the driveway going into the farm came a big, furry German Shepherd dog. A male by the size of it and judging by its glorious "mane". These are not common dogs here in the country. They are extremely intelligent and if trained correctly, they can be awesome animals. However; if they came out of a police academy, or if they were trained in aggressive protection, they can be very dangerous. Which dog I had on my hands here I wasn't sure of. 

The owner was quick to be heard, which was good. The dog did not come to heel though, which indicated to me that this German Shepherd was probably not trained at all, or poorly trained. Like most dogs I encounter then.

Anyway, the owner had to come all the way out into the road, grab the dog's collar, and command it to be still before I could pass. A bit of pleasant conversation ensued. However; in my mind, that was a big fail on that dog owner's part. Do better people! 

I rode on....

A massive, old barn complex on Osage Road

This field of soybeans is looking good despite the dry weather in Iowa.

The weather this Summer has been on the dry side. June was absolutely dry. No rain to speak of, really. July saw a few good rainfalls, but lately we've fallen back into a very dry pattern and that showed in the dusty roads. None more dusty than the ones I was riding up on to finish out my loop. 

St. Francis Catholic Church on Airline Highway.

Dust fills the road behind this pick-up truck on Airline Highway.

I stopped for a rest at St. Francis Church. It was getting downright hot and the wind wasn't strong enough to bring much relief at this point in the late afternoon. I was headed West straight into the Westering Sun and the full power of the Sun's rays was brought to bear upon me. By this point, I was figuring on a few more stops before the end of the ride, just to get some relief. 

And my shoes were killing me! I have these special edition Desert RX8 Shimano shoes which Shimano graciously sent me some time ago. I rarely wear them because they are tighter than my other 46 size shoes. In fact, I am fully convinced these are really 45's. So, if you are interested in a pair of green/purple Shimano RX8's at a good price. Let me know. Seriously.... These shoes don't fit me! 

This glacial erratic is engraved with a pioneer's name and dated. You don't see that often!

Taking refuge from the Sun here on Schenk Road.

When I left St. Francis, I heard a familiar sound. It was of a small engine airplane, but it was a lot nearer to me than it should be. Then I saw it. A crop duster! It had just arrived upon the scene to spray a field just to the South of the church. It's big, swooping turns were fun to watch for a minute. Once the plane came straight over me. I saluted the pilot and moved onward. 

Then I came across a bunch of birds frolicking in the humid air. Those birds were gathering for their move Southward. The countryside is already getting quieter. This is that time of year when everything seems still and frozen in time, at least to me. The "neek-breekers" fill the air with their constant creaking, and the air gets almost stagnant at times, what with the stuffy humidity and usual lack of wind in August. 

A car leaves a dust contrail across the horizon as it scuds along Sage Road.

Remnants of dust hang in the ditches and air above Airline Highway. There is a car up the road waiting which you cannot see here.

I jigged over to Big Rock Road, then made my way over to Schenk Road, back South to Airline Highway again, and that's when I came across another bout with dust. 

There was enough traffic in the area and not enough wind that gravel dust was just hanging in the air. I met a dump truck on my final mile on Airline Highway which was raising so much dust that I could not see anything at all! I slowed down until I could make out the road again and then I saw another car waiting for the dust to clear as well so it could pass along the road. 

I haven't encountered dust like this for many a year. The climatologists indicate that we are in a moderate to severe drought here, and by the indications I see, I'd agree with their assessments. It is crazy dusty out there, and all the creeks and rivers are pretty low. 

All in all it was a great ride and I made it home. First thing I did was to get those confounded shoes off my feet! Ahh...... That's better! 

Until next time.... Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions

The GTDRI Stories; Bringing Back The Original

  "The GTDRI Stories" is a series telling the history, untold tales, and showing the sights from the run of Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitationals. This series will run on Sundays. Thanks for reading!

In 2015, I didn't realize that the GTDRI for that year was the 10th anniversary one until it was too late. I had the ball rolling to do the same route as the crash-marred 2014 route just to get "revenge", and that was all that mattered. But looking back on it, I wished I had marked the occasion a bit better. That's definitely one regret I have concerning the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational. 

So, to sort of make up for that, I decided to resurrect the first year's course with a few modifications to make it make more sense. For instance, I cut out the town of Steamboat Rock since that town used to have a convenience store, but in 2016 it was no longer there. I also moved the start to make things more accommodating for out-of-town riders. 

A trace of the modified Guitar Ted Death Ride course for 2016

So, I had not been on a lot of these roads, but some of them I had and recently. We ran the 12th Trans Iowa over some of the same roads and that meant that I did not have to worry about recon for that bit.But there were some roads I hadn't been on for a long time that I wanted to recheck for this route.

Time was tight, but I managed a couple of recon rides in the first part of July. One I did with Martin Bunge, who had ridden the 2015 GTDRI and was in town that day and decided to join me for a giant 80+ mile loop. 

Martin taking a gander at the old Geneseo School as we passed by on the proposed GTDRI route for 2016.

With so much going on I never had the time, nor did I intend to, recon the entire course. Some of it would be left to chance. Some of it I had been on within the last year, so I banked on the roads being okay. Besides, I always wanted to have a bit of a question mark regarding the route just to keep things interesting for myself. 

I was also still nursing along that shoulder issue and I was still relegated to using a Fargo, just that this time it was my Gen I Fargo, not the "Fat Fargo", which, if you are keeping up on the "Fat Tires On Gravel" series, you'll know that bike was mothballed, for the most part, then torn down and sold off. 

All this riding in July would eventually pay off with my first, and only finish of Gravel Worlds later on after this GTDRI. So, all the riding condensed into this time period for the GTDRI and that ride itself ended up becoming good training for that Gravel Worlds.

Next: The 11th GTDRI - Part 1

The GTDRI Stories; Bringing Back The Original

  "The GTDRI Stories" is a series telling the history, untold tales, and showing the sights from the run of Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitationals. This series will run on Sundays. Thanks for reading!

In 2015, I didn't realize that the GTDRI for that year was the 10th anniversary one until it was too late. I had the ball rolling to do the same route as the crash-marred 2014 route just to get "revenge", and that was all that mattered. But looking back on it, I wished I had marked the occasion a bit better. That's definitely one regret I have concerning the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational. 

So, to sort of make up for that, I decided to resurrect the first year's course with a few modifications to make it make more sense. For instance, I cut out the town of Steamboat Rock since that town used to have a convenience store, but in 2016 it was no longer there. I also moved the start to make things more accommodating for out-of-town riders. 

A trace of the modified Guitar Ted Death Ride course for 2016

So, I had not been on a lot of these roads, but some of them I had and recently. We ran the 12th Trans Iowa over some of the same roads and that meant that I did not have to worry about recon for that bit.But there were some roads I hadn't been on for a long time that I wanted to recheck for this route.

Time was tight, but I managed a couple of recon rides in the first part of July. One I did with Martin Bunge, who had ridden the 2015 GTDRI and was in town that day and decided to join me for a giant 80+ mile loop. 

Martin taking a gander at the old Geneseo School as we passed by on the proposed GTDRI route for 2016.

With so much going on I never had the time, nor did I intend to, recon the entire course. Some of it would be left to chance. Some of it I had been on within the last year, so I banked on the roads being okay. Besides, I always wanted to have a bit of a question mark regarding the route just to keep things interesting for myself. 

I was also still nursing along that shoulder issue and I was still relegated to using a Fargo, just that this time it was my Gen I Fargo, not the "Fat Fargo", which, if you are keeping up on the "Fat Tires On Gravel" series, you'll know that bike was mothballed, for the most part, then torn down and sold off. 

All this riding in July would eventually pay off with my first, and only finish of Gravel Worlds later on after this GTDRI. So, all the riding condensed into this time period for the GTDRI and that ride itself ended up becoming good training for that Gravel Worlds.

Next: The 11th GTDRI - Part 1

Fat Tires On Gravel: From Krampus To Gryphon

A Brief Look At The Fat Fargo

 Continuing on with this series concerning my thoughts and experiences with 29+ tires and gravel, today I am going to tell the story behind the Fat Fargo. Well, a little bit of that story, at any rate. 

See, I covered a lot about the Fat Fargo in a post I wrote recently for the "GTDRI Stories" series which runs on Sundays here. You can read that post HERE. 

In this post I will talk a little bit about how the bike came together and why I ultimately quit using it. So, with that said, let's dive in...

Going back a couple of weeks ago you might remember me talking about the B+ idea and how I was swapping those wheels and tires out into all of my 29"ers. Well, one of those bikes was my Gen 2 Fargo, which I had previously set up as my "mountain biking" Fargo. This set up had an 80mm travel 51mm offset Rock Shox Reba fork on it to keep the axle to crown height in check.

The first test ride of the fat Fargo set up in January of 2015.

My initial test ride was very promising. I was critical of the B+ idea because it was a slightly smaller diameter than 29" wheels and that caused the wheels to have a lack of momentum and as a single speeder, I find that to be a benefit. But, I was pretty encouraged overall. Here is what I wrote about my first impressions back in January of 2015:

"These still seem like a good choice for really rough, looser, back road events like Odin's Revenge to me, but if I cannot live with how they feel on gravel then I think my experimenting will be done. If they make it through that, then they stay on. Time will tell."

Then, as I stated in that linked GTDRI Stories post above, I was injured in 2015. I had a bad shoulder, and this bike ended up being one of the only bikes I had that I could bear to ride for longer than an hour or so.  With a scheduled appearance at the tenth DK200 coming up, I chose to take this and try to just finish the event. But before I got there, I shed some weight by taking off the seat post and fork. 

The Fat Fargo in its final form in the late Summer of 2015.

By the end of 2015 I had pretty much recovered enough that I was able to move back onto my other bikes. Then when 2016 rolled around I was on my Raleigh Tamland Two for gravel along with some Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross action and other test rigs for Riding Gravel. Meanwhile I had the Fargo Gen I, which I was not ever planning on getting rid of, a Singular Cycles Gryphon Mk1, and that made me wonder why I had either the Gryphon, a single speed, or the Fat Fargo just sitting around most of the time. 

Despite a a stellar season of riding in 2015, where I made 152 miles of the muddiest DK200 ever, a big chunk of what turned out to be my last Odin's attempt, and a GTDRI finish, I just found no reason to ride the Fat Fargo at all in 2016. I mean, zero rides at all. 

So, my policy is that if a bike sits around too long with no reason to ride it, and especially if I have no emotional connection to the bike, it has to go. The Fat Fargo was torn apart, the components and wheels used elsewhere, and the frame and fork went to a new owner in the Summer of 2017. 

The fat tires on gravel idea was on hiatus for a bit. Especially so because starting in 2017 I was hitting the pause button on a lot of extracurricular stuff due to an impending job change on the horizon. (Yes....I knew Europa was coming to an end far before it actually happened) So, things like experimenting with 29+ wheels was not feasible at that point. That would all have to wait. 

Next: Another Fat Fargo Idea

Fat Tires On Gravel: From Krampus To Gryphon

A Brief Look At The Fat Fargo

 Continuing on with this series concerning my thoughts and experiences with 29+ tires and gravel, today I am going to tell the story behind the Fat Fargo. Well, a little bit of that story, at any rate. 

See, I covered a lot about the Fat Fargo in a post I wrote recently for the "GTDRI Stories" series which runs on Sundays here. You can read that post HERE. 

In this post I will talk a little bit about how the bike came together and why I ultimately quit using it. So, with that said, let's dive in...

Going back a couple of weeks ago you might remember me talking about the B+ idea and how I was swapping those wheels and tires out into all of my 29"ers. Well, one of those bikes was my Gen 2 Fargo, which I had previously set up as my "mountain biking" Fargo. This set up had an 80mm travel 51mm offset Rock Shox Reba fork on it to keep the axle to crown height in check.

The first test ride of the fat Fargo set up in January of 2015.

My initial test ride was very promising. I was critical of the B+ idea because it was a slightly smaller diameter than 29" wheels and that caused the wheels to have a lack of momentum and as a single speeder, I find that to be a benefit. But, I was pretty encouraged overall. Here is what I wrote about my first impressions back in January of 2015:

"These still seem like a good choice for really rough, looser, back road events like Odin's Revenge to me, but if I cannot live with how they feel on gravel then I think my experimenting will be done. If they make it through that, then they stay on. Time will tell."

Then, as I stated in that linked GTDRI Stories post above, I was injured in 2015. I had a bad shoulder, and this bike ended up being one of the only bikes I had that I could bear to ride for longer than an hour or so.  With a scheduled appearance at the tenth DK200 coming up, I chose to take this and try to just finish the event. But before I got there, I shed some weight by taking off the seat post and fork. 

The Fat Fargo in its final form in the late Summer of 2015.

By the end of 2015 I had pretty much recovered enough that I was able to move back onto my other bikes. Then when 2016 rolled around I was on my Raleigh Tamland Two for gravel along with some Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross action and other test rigs for Riding Gravel. Meanwhile I had the Fargo Gen I, which I was not ever planning on getting rid of, a Singular Cycles Gryphon Mk1, and that made me wonder why I had either the Gryphon, a single speed, or the Fat Fargo just sitting around most of the time. 

Despite a a stellar season of riding in 2015, where I made 152 miles of the muddiest DK200 ever, a big chunk of what turned out to be my last Odin's attempt, and a GTDRI finish, I just found no reason to ride the Fat Fargo at all in 2016. I mean, zero rides at all. 

So, my policy is that if a bike sits around too long with no reason to ride it, and especially if I have no emotional connection to the bike, it has to go. The Fat Fargo was torn apart, the components and wheels used elsewhere, and the frame and fork went to a new owner in the Summer of 2017. 

The fat tires on gravel idea was on hiatus for a bit. Especially so because starting in 2017 I was hitting the pause button on a lot of extracurricular stuff due to an impending job change on the horizon. (Yes....I knew Europa was coming to an end far before it actually happened) So, things like experimenting with 29+ wheels was not feasible at that point. That would all have to wait. 

Next: Another Fat Fargo Idea

Friday News And Views

Moots new Routt CRD model. (Image courtesy of Moots)

 Moots Announces New Routt Version in the CRD:

Moots, who are best known for their US made titanium creations, has announced a new gravel bike called the Routt CRD. The bike has a lighter tube set and all internally routed cables with a tire size recommendation for 40-42mm tires, although it appears there is clearance for something bigger as well. 

Various packages with SRAM components are offered along with a frame/fork option. Moots also now is offering a line of MOD carbon fiber products which include a fork, handle bar, stem , but no seat post at this time. These MOD components are only available on Moots bikes for the time being.

Comments: I'll preface the following statements by saying that Moots has never been known to bring "bang for your buck" type value. In fact, it is fair to say that Moots demands a premium price for anything they put their name on. They are expensive bikes. Period. 

But when I saw the price for just a Routt CRD frame and fork at $8,888.00........ Okay, you get a carbon handle bar, stem, and a Chris King T-47 bottom bracket, but....WHAT?!! 

Recently N.Y. Roll and I recorded a podcast entitled "Cycling Is Too Expensive". This is what we were talking about there. Expensive brands have their place. I get that, but this seems ridiculously high priced, in my opinion. But again - Moots has never been a value oriented brand. I shouldn't be shocked. 

Speaking Of The Podcast.....

N.Y. Roll got back from RAGBRAI and shared a bit of his experiences with that in our most recent recording, which you can listen to  HERE or wherever you get your podcasts from. We'd appreciate it if you listened in.

Obviously, there is a bit of talk on this episode concerning hot weather riding. Might come in handy yet as Summer winds down. I also give you an "insider's look" at press releases which I get often and how one was messed up recently. In fact, I'll mention that in my next item below. But do listen in to the podcast for some details on that story. 

Oh, and the podcast has an Instagram page now as well, if you care to follow it. The account is under the name @GTD_podcast. Check that out if you want information on upcoming episodes and more.

 

Salsa Cycles Heyday! model (Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles)

Salsa Cycles Announces Fat Bikes For 2023/2024:

As previously mentioned, Salsa sent over a press release concerning what they were bringing out for this season's fat bike offerings. The line up will consist of the Beargrease and the renamed Mukluk model, the Heyday!. 

There are a few levels available for the Beargrease model and only two for the Heyday!. There is also a frame set for the Beargrease which you can order via a Salsa dealer. Otherwise the models are pretty much what you've come to know over the past eight years now. Just different colors and spec. 

Comments: After the social upheavals in 2020, Salsa's parent company, QBP, committed to a very comprehensive, third party investigation of their business practices and brand/model naming conventions as those things apply to diversity, equity, and inclusiveness. (DEI) Subsequently what you notice on the consumer side is that many names of QBP brand bikes have changed. 

Without getting into the weeds on the "why" of these decisions, (which QBP doesn't fully indulge us with anyway), the Beargrease name passed through the process but the Mukluk name did not, so the change was made to that model and it will be known as the Heyday! from now on. And because this change was made so late, some Heyday! bikes won't have a model name at all on them.

Otherwise, the only notable thing here is that a Heyday! model will be offered in 11 speed Shimano CUES. The first spec for that new group that I've seen.

New Additions;

There have been some new additions to the garage sale page on the blog here this past week. I will be adding even more as time goes on and clearing out more space in the Lab.

One of the things I have found over the last several years is that I rarely, if ever, go "mountain biking" here in this area anymore. There are several reasons for that, but suffice it to say that I have no reason at all to be hanging on to some of the stuff I have that maybe someone else could get some use out of. 

Besides, I also have found that my fat bikes can do single track around here just fine, and of course, I have that rare OS Bikes Blackbuck that I can ride if I truly want the MTB experience around here. Anyway, check out that page for some stuff and stay tuned for more coming soon. It won't all be MTB related either, just so you know. I actually don't have a whole lot of that anymore here.. 

That's a wrap for this week. Thank you for reading Guitar ted Productions.

Friday News And Views

Moots new Routt CRD model. (Image courtesy of Moots)

 Moots Announces New Routt Version in the CRD:

Moots, who are best known for their US made titanium creations, has announced a new gravel bike called the Routt CRD. The bike has a lighter tube set and all internally routed cables with a tire size recommendation for 40-42mm tires, although it appears there is clearance for something bigger as well. 

Various packages with SRAM components are offered along with a frame/fork option. Moots also now is offering a line of MOD carbon fiber products which include a fork, handle bar, stem , but no seat post at this time. These MOD components are only available on Moots bikes for the time being.

Comments: I'll preface the following statements by saying that Moots has never been known to bring "bang for your buck" type value. In fact, it is fair to say that Moots demands a premium price for anything they put their name on. They are expensive bikes. Period. 

But when I saw the price for just a Routt CRD frame and fork at $8,888.00........ Okay, you get a carbon handle bar, stem, and a Chris King T-47 bottom bracket, but....WHAT?!! 

Recently N.Y. Roll and I recorded a podcast entitled "Cycling Is Too Expensive". This is what we were talking about there. Expensive brands have their place. I get that, but this seems ridiculously high priced, in my opinion. But again - Moots has never been a value oriented brand. I shouldn't be shocked. 

Speaking Of The Podcast.....

N.Y. Roll got back from RAGBRAI and shared a bit of his experiences with that in our most recent recording, which you can listen to  HERE or wherever you get your podcasts from. We'd appreciate it if you listened in.

Obviously, there is a bit of talk on this episode concerning hot weather riding. Might come in handy yet as Summer winds down. I also give you an "insider's look" at press releases which I get often and how one was messed up recently. In fact, I'll mention that in my next item below. But do listen in to the podcast for some details on that story. 

Oh, and the podcast has an Instagram page now as well, if you care to follow it. The account is under the name @GTD_podcast. Check that out if you want information on upcoming episodes and more.

 

Salsa Cycles Heyday! model (Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles)

Salsa Cycles Announces Fat Bikes For 2023/2024:

As previously mentioned, Salsa sent over a press release concerning what they were bringing out for this season's fat bike offerings. The line up will consist of the Beargrease and the renamed Mukluk model, the Heyday!. 

There are a few levels available for the Beargrease model and only two for the Heyday!. There is also a frame set for the Beargrease which you can order via a Salsa dealer. Otherwise the models are pretty much what you've come to know over the past eight years now. Just different colors and spec. 

Comments: After the social upheavals in 2020, Salsa's parent company, QBP, committed to a very comprehensive, third party investigation of their business practices and brand/model naming conventions as those things apply to diversity, equity, and inclusiveness. (DEI) Subsequently what you notice on the consumer side is that many names of QBP brand bikes have changed. 

Without getting into the weeds on the "why" of these decisions, (which QBP doesn't fully indulge us with anyway), the Beargrease name passed through the process but the Mukluk name did not, so the change was made to that model and it will be known as the Heyday! from now on. And because this change was made so late, some Heyday! bikes won't have a model name at all on them.

Otherwise, the only notable thing here is that a Heyday! model will be offered in 11 speed Shimano CUES. The first spec for that new group that I've seen.

New Additions;

There have been some new additions to the garage sale page on the blog here this past week. I will be adding even more as time goes on and clearing out more space in the Lab.

One of the things I have found over the last several years is that I rarely, if ever, go "mountain biking" here in this area anymore. There are several reasons for that, but suffice it to say that I have no reason at all to be hanging on to some of the stuff I have that maybe someone else could get some use out of. 

Besides, I also have found that my fat bikes can do single track around here just fine, and of course, I have that rare OS Bikes Blackbuck that I can ride if I truly want the MTB experience around here. Anyway, check out that page for some stuff and stay tuned for more coming soon. It won't all be MTB related either, just so you know. I actually don't have a whole lot of that anymore here.. 

That's a wrap for this week. Thank you for reading Guitar ted Productions.

Preparation Winter '23: Ti Muk 2

The Ti Muk 2 before....

 I mentioned a while back that Winter preparations have begun at G-Ted Headquarters. My first order of business was to look over the Blackborow DS. That didn't take much, but I do need to replace the chain yet. That will wait until I get my hands on a new one.

So i moved on to my Ti Muk 2. This is the bike with the Rohloff Speed Hub. I needed to do some basic cleaning and checking,plus figure out what to do about my rear mud guard. 

I was pretty sure the bike would be needing sealant. So, I hung the bike in my stand, turned the wheels until each valve stem was at the "six o'clock" position, and then I let that sit awhile so to allow the sealant, if any, to pool at the bottom of the tires. Once that set a while I came back and checked to find - you guessed it - nothing. Not a whiff of wet sealant at all. 

Soooo..... WTB sealant went in and then I aired up the tires. Now a little bit of cleaning. then it was time to remove that eyesore of a rear mudguard and see about finding something else that might work. 

.....and after I got done working on it Wednesday.

There are all sorts of solutions out there which range from about 20 bucks to over 300 bucks. I think I'll keep looking, and I also think I can make something myself that is simple. We will see. I do know that I like the look of the bike a lot more without fenders but around here you have to have them for Winter commuting. 

But otherwise I am good to go now with that bike. My next subject is the Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross rig which I am going to "de-Winter-fy" as I am not planning on using that bike for Winter duties at all. But it does have fenders and I want to remove those. More on that soon...

Preparation Winter '23: Ti Muk 2

The Ti Muk 2 before....

 I mentioned a while back that Winter preparations have begun at G-Ted Headquarters. My first order of business was to look over the Blackborow DS. That didn't take much, but I do need to replace the chain yet. That will wait until I get my hands on a new one.

So i moved on to my Ti Muk 2. This is the bike with the Rohloff Speed Hub. I needed to do some basic cleaning and checking,plus figure out what to do about my rear mud guard. 

I was pretty sure the bike would be needing sealant. So, I hung the bike in my stand, turned the wheels until each valve stem was at the "six o'clock" position, and then I let that sit awhile so to allow the sealant, if any, to pool at the bottom of the tires. Once that set a while I came back and checked to find - you guessed it - nothing. Not a whiff of wet sealant at all. 

Soooo..... WTB sealant went in and then I aired up the tires. Now a little bit of cleaning. then it was time to remove that eyesore of a rear mudguard and see about finding something else that might work. 

.....and after I got done working on it Wednesday.

There are all sorts of solutions out there which range from about 20 bucks to over 300 bucks. I think I'll keep looking, and I also think I can make something myself that is simple. We will see. I do know that I like the look of the bike a lot more without fenders but around here you have to have them for Winter commuting. 

But otherwise I am good to go now with that bike. My next subject is the Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross rig which I am going to "de-Winter-fy" as I am not planning on using that bike for Winter duties at all. But it does have fenders and I want to remove those. More on that soon...

Trends And Prognostications For Gravel Bikes

Looking at what is being introduced this year for gravel bikes, which is, admittedly, not much, due to the circumstances, I am seeing a few things starting to emerge. I've written a bit about the "mountain bike-ification" of gravel bikes, and that is one thing, but not all new bikes are headed down that road.

If there is anything one can say about this "gravel category" of bikes, (can I reiterate how dumb this name was to be used for these bikes here again? ), it is that everyone, and every company, has its interpretation of what "that" means. 

It isn't like a gravel bike is one certain thing. Not like it was with say, 1990's XC MTB bikes, or French style rando bikes, or with road racing bikes. All niches of cycling that have a certain parameter that the bikes have to fit into to be "that" style. Gravel bikes still are kind of a "Wild, Wild, West" sort of genre, and that's fun. 

That said, things are pointing to a homogenization of the style and some of that is evidenced by trends I am seeing out there now. There are hints of what is to come in the future as well. This isn't going to be an all-encompassing look at all things "gravel", it is just my take on the scene. You may have a differing opinion, or some of your own examples to share. That's fine. Here are my thoughts....

Co-Op's ADV 1 650B bike (Image courtesy of REI)

650B Is Fading:

Early on in the gravel bike's developmental period, WTB introduced "Road Plus" tires which was an outgrowth of their idea from the MTB side where an optional wheel size was afforded to 29"er riders by using the 650B format. This resulted in "B+", or what has been now called "Plus Sized" tires. That idea was the basis for "Road Plus" which was an idea that would give gravel bikers an option to run a more voluminous tire in a frame normally limited to 40-42mm tires in a 700c format. 

Subsequently many gravel bikes were designed to accept either 700c or 650B tires and wheels. This "compromised" geometry choices a bit, especially when thinking about bottom bracket drop and chain stay length. However; recently designs have been put forth that handle 700c X 50mm or even slightly wider tires. This not only covers the needs of those who want volume in their gravel tires, but it works fine for 40mm-42mm tires too. This negates the "need" to accommodate 650B tires and wheels. The geometry can be tightened up and tuned for better performance with one wheel size. 

Now, that isn't to say that 650B is dead. I'm not intimating that at all here. But you are going to see less and less of that "multiple wheel size" capability in marketing and 650B will likely find its home in bike packing rigs, smaller sized gravel bikes, and niche offerings. Tire manufacturers will have a say in this as well. Less 650B offerings are already being noted. That's another indicator to me that the wheel/tire size is fading in popularity. 

The revised Santa Cruz Stigmata (Image courtesy of Santa Cruz Bikes)

Suspension & Dropper Posts:

Here is another trend. Suspension fork compatibility and dropper post routing on the same bike. These bikes, much like Santa Cruz's revised Stigmata, shown above, are "gravel bikes for mountain bikers". It's a trend I see more of, and I think it hints at something different around the corner to come. 

There is an element of folks out there that want a simpler off-road capable bike that can "do it all". Gravel bikes appeal to these folks with one big problem: They are not "off-road" bikes and that's where these folks also want to go. 

Gravel, as a concept, was never meant to be "that bike that does off-road/all-terrain". It was meant to be a bike for "all roads". Be those paved, not paved, or somewhere in between. Mountain biking, (again, another misused name if ever there was one), was thought of as being "that bike for everything off-roads". Now the gravel bike is being pushed toward that 'off-road' usage category and this will begin to morph into "something else". 

What that "something else" is, I am not sure of at this point. All I know is that 40mm of gravel suspension fork travel is a joke, and drop bars off road are not all that popular. Suspension forks on a gravel road is overkill and the forks are too heavy. Again, you can get a suspension stem and get better results than you can with a gravel suspension fork, and there is no maintenance. Suspension forks on gravel bikes is laughably inept and not a well thought-out concept for on-road or off-road usage. 

That's why I feel that at some point we will see a sea change. Suspension travel will have to increase, drop bars will make less sense, and then.... Hard tail revival? Maybe drop bars stick around and we get revised Fargos/Cutthroats? See what I mean..... 

SRAM "T" Type rear derailleur (Image courtesy of SRAM)

Drive Train Changes:

There will be a lot of changes to come in terms of drive train choices. First and foremost of these will be the death of the traditional derailleur hangar for both off-road/MTB and gravel drive trains. 

SRAM started the sea change to this new, "dual-sided" hangar type for a rear derailleur which essentially integrates the hangar into the main chassis of the derailleur, making the connection to the frame more solid. This was only made possible by through axles, and to a lesser extent, derailleur "clutches" which stabilize the pulley cage. Both these things help derailleurs become more resistant to being ripped off, bent, or damaged than the previous, flimsy designs of the past.

Shimano will adopt something similar, and frame designers are all about this change as it eliminates the need to make a derailleur hangar and it simplifies manufacturing of the frame. I see this as a win-win for consumers and manufacturers. 

Yes....old stuff won't work on new frames. (Possible exception is a UDH  hangar) But the industry has done this before. 1994: Threaded steer tubes are eliminated by "Aheadset", threadless head sets. 1 1/8th supplants 1' steer tubes at about the same time. I can go on... We all lived, and many of those old bikes are still around being ridden. It'll be fine....

Another thing I see coming is electronic shifting in a cheaper, more affordable format. It's being hinted at by SRAM with their sweeping range of AXS, but even more so by off-brand, Chinese manufacturers of really inexpensive electronic drive trains. We're talking a complete group set for the price of a couple of high end Shimano Di2 rear derailleurs here. The big brands (SRAM/Shimano) will have to respond at some point with entry-level, electronic 9/10/11 speed stuff that can be sold on a complete bike for less than 2k. This means that mid-level, less expensive electronic shifting bikes for gravel will also be a thing. 

Electronic CUES? I think so. SRAM will have to do something as well, but the common rider who sees an eBike/HPC as being "not where I want to go" and wants a more technologically advanced bike? I think that's a big chunk of the riding populace that would definitely bite on electronic shifting at a lower price point. Enterprising You Tubers are already showing us how it can be done and Chinese brands are only all too happy to oblige them and their subscribers. As I said- SRAM and Shimano are not going to sit idly by and watch this eat into their market share without a response. 

What do you think? Let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions.

Trends And Prognostications For Gravel Bikes

Looking at what is being introduced this year for gravel bikes, which is, admittedly, not much, due to the circumstances, I am seeing a few things starting to emerge. I've written a bit about the "mountain bike-ification" of gravel bikes, and that is one thing, but not all new bikes are headed down that road.

If there is anything one can say about this "gravel category" of bikes, (can I reiterate how dumb this name was to be used for these bikes here again? ), it is that everyone, and every company, has its interpretation of what "that" means. 

It isn't like a gravel bike is one certain thing. Not like it was with say, 1990's XC MTB bikes, or French style rando bikes, or with road racing bikes. All niches of cycling that have a certain parameter that the bikes have to fit into to be "that" style. Gravel bikes still are kind of a "Wild, Wild, West" sort of genre, and that's fun. 

That said, things are pointing to a homogenization of the style and some of that is evidenced by trends I am seeing out there now. There are hints of what is to come in the future as well. This isn't going to be an all-encompassing look at all things "gravel", it is just my take on the scene. You may have a differing opinion, or some of your own examples to share. That's fine. Here are my thoughts....

Co-Op's ADV 1 650B bike (Image courtesy of REI)

650B Is Fading:

Early on in the gravel bike's developmental period, WTB introduced "Road Plus" tires which was an outgrowth of their idea from the MTB side where an optional wheel size was afforded to 29"er riders by using the 650B format. This resulted in "B+", or what has been now called "Plus Sized" tires. That idea was the basis for "Road Plus" which was an idea that would give gravel bikers an option to run a more voluminous tire in a frame normally limited to 40-42mm tires in a 700c format. 

Subsequently many gravel bikes were designed to accept either 700c or 650B tires and wheels. This "compromised" geometry choices a bit, especially when thinking about bottom bracket drop and chain stay length. However; recently designs have been put forth that handle 700c X 50mm or even slightly wider tires. This not only covers the needs of those who want volume in their gravel tires, but it works fine for 40mm-42mm tires too. This negates the "need" to accommodate 650B tires and wheels. The geometry can be tightened up and tuned for better performance with one wheel size. 

Now, that isn't to say that 650B is dead. I'm not intimating that at all here. But you are going to see less and less of that "multiple wheel size" capability in marketing and 650B will likely find its home in bike packing rigs, smaller sized gravel bikes, and niche offerings. Tire manufacturers will have a say in this as well. Less 650B offerings are already being noted. That's another indicator to me that the wheel/tire size is fading in popularity. 

The revised Santa Cruz Stigmata (Image courtesy of Santa Cruz Bikes)

Suspension & Dropper Posts:

Here is another trend. Suspension fork compatibility and dropper post routing on the same bike. These bikes, much like Santa Cruz's revised Stigmata, shown above, are "gravel bikes for mountain bikers". It's a trend I see more of, and I think it hints at something different around the corner to come. 

There is an element of folks out there that want a simpler off-road capable bike that can "do it all". Gravel bikes appeal to these folks with one big problem: They are not "off-road" bikes and that's where these folks also want to go. 

Gravel, as a concept, was never meant to be "that bike that does off-road/all-terrain". It was meant to be a bike for "all roads". Be those paved, not paved, or somewhere in between. Mountain biking, (again, another misused name if ever there was one), was thought of as being "that bike for everything off-roads". Now the gravel bike is being pushed toward that 'off-road' usage category and this will begin to morph into "something else". 

What that "something else" is, I am not sure of at this point. All I know is that 40mm of gravel suspension fork travel is a joke, and drop bars off road are not all that popular. Suspension forks on a gravel road is overkill and the forks are too heavy. Again, you can get a suspension stem and get better results than you can with a gravel suspension fork, and there is no maintenance. Suspension forks on gravel bikes is laughably inept and not a well thought-out concept for on-road or off-road usage. 

That's why I feel that at some point we will see a sea change. Suspension travel will have to increase, drop bars will make less sense, and then.... Hard tail revival? Maybe drop bars stick around and we get revised Fargos/Cutthroats? See what I mean..... 

SRAM "T" Type rear derailleur (Image courtesy of SRAM)

Drive Train Changes:

There will be a lot of changes to come in terms of drive train choices. First and foremost of these will be the death of the traditional derailleur hangar for both off-road/MTB and gravel drive trains. 

SRAM started the sea change to this new, "dual-sided" hangar type for a rear derailleur which essentially integrates the hangar into the main chassis of the derailleur, making the connection to the frame more solid. This was only made possible by through axles, and to a lesser extent, derailleur "clutches" which stabilize the pulley cage. Both these things help derailleurs become more resistant to being ripped off, bent, or damaged than the previous, flimsy designs of the past.

Shimano will adopt something similar, and frame designers are all about this change as it eliminates the need to make a derailleur hangar and it simplifies manufacturing of the frame. I see this as a win-win for consumers and manufacturers. 

Yes....old stuff won't work on new frames. (Possible exception is a UDH  hangar) But the industry has done this before. 1994: Threaded steer tubes are eliminated by "Aheadset", threadless head sets. 1 1/8th supplants 1' steer tubes at about the same time. I can go on... We all lived, and many of those old bikes are still around being ridden. It'll be fine....

Another thing I see coming is electronic shifting in a cheaper, more affordable format. It's being hinted at by SRAM with their sweeping range of AXS, but even more so by off-brand, Chinese manufacturers of really inexpensive electronic drive trains. We're talking a complete group set for the price of a couple of high end Shimano Di2 rear derailleurs here. The big brands (SRAM/Shimano) will have to respond at some point with entry-level, electronic 9/10/11 speed stuff that can be sold on a complete bike for less than 2k. This means that mid-level, less expensive electronic shifting bikes for gravel will also be a thing. 

Electronic CUES? I think so. SRAM will have to do something as well, but the common rider who sees an eBike/HPC as being "not where I want to go" and wants a more technologically advanced bike? I think that's a big chunk of the riding populace that would definitely bite on electronic shifting at a lower price point. Enterprising You Tubers are already showing us how it can be done and Chinese brands are only all too happy to oblige them and their subscribers. As I said- SRAM and Shimano are not going to sit idly by and watch this eat into their market share without a response. 

What do you think? Let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions.

Fall Schedule

It's August and that means Fall is coming soon. The days will be shorter, the temperatures will be cooler, and it will be what is possibly my most favorite time of the year to ride. So, with that in mind I am taking this day to make a post about what I expect to be doing through the Fall here. 

So, August: There will be no planned events since I work on Saturdays and I am pretty much the only option for an employee on that day. Getting a stand in is possible, but things don't go well with my assistant, nor with the shop in general, if I am not there on Saturdays. So, no events for me. 

My open day for adventure is going to be Friday, and maybe Thursdays, so some time away from the house and opportunities for longer rides do exist there. That's when I am planning to fit in any century ride, sub24 trip, or the like. Again, things like nails in car tires and other life happenings can, and probably will, rear their ugly heads during this time, so no guarantees. And weather, as always, is the wildcard. 

But, I am ready for both a longer ride, possibly a century, and the sub24 ride. I can be out of the house with a minimum of notice, so, if the opportunity arises, I'm gone. Stay tuned on any of of that.  Besides these things being possibilities, I have pre-Winter maintenance to attend to. In fact, I've already started it.

First in the stand for maintenance was the Blackborow DS

The above image from Winter 2023 may have been the last time I've ridden the Blackborow DS because when I drug it out for maintenance it was set up exactly as shown there. Well, here is the deal with this bike. It needs a new chain, since the Rustbuster chain it came with in 2014 is about shot. No surprise there.

But other than that? Not much other than some accessorizing. Through a set of strange and unfortunate circumstances, I ended up in possession of a set of 45NRTH pogies that will be going on this bike. They will replace the big, overgrown ATV pogies I've had since 2011. 

I also came into possession of a Thomson seat post in the correct size and I attached a WTB Volt saddle to that. A bit lighter than the stock set up I've run on the bike since 2014. I still may do a set of wheels for this bike, but that has been pushed back by the next project/update which will be happening soon.

Gonna get rid of that lean.

I use the Big Dummy on a fairly regular basis as a bike to haul our orders for the Cedar Valley Biccyle Collective and as a hauler for recycling stuff from G-Ted Headquarters. This has brought up the single most glaring weakness of the bike, ts kickstand. 

To load this bike with a single legged kickstand is a very dicey thing to do if the loads are heavy, big, or both. You have to have a level, solid surface to work from, hopefully no wind, and the load has to be carefully placed before you secure it or all hell breaks loose. It's not an easy task to load this rig. 

That all will go away when I get the dual-legged Surly kickstand this week. Stay tuned for more on that to come.

I have to fab up a new rear fender flap-thingie for the Ti Muk, (or should this be called a Ti Heyday! ? - more on that later this week....) I also have to re-up the tubeless sealant and this one will likely be fine to go through another Winter. Plus, it may be a candidate for a fat Tire Century, if I can ever get around to it, that is. 

Anyway, that's it for this update on the schedule for Fall. I'll be playing it by ear, mostly, as opportunities to ride longer, more focused rides will happen more spontaneously than ever before here.

Fall Schedule

It's August and that means Fall is coming soon. The days will be shorter, the temperatures will be cooler, and it will be what is possibly my most favorite time of the year to ride. So, with that in mind I am taking this day to make a post about what I expect to be doing through the Fall here. 

So, August: There will be no planned events since I work on Saturdays and I am pretty much the only option for an employee on that day. Getting a stand in is possible, but things don't go well with my assistant, nor with the shop in general, if I am not there on Saturdays. So, no events for me. 

My open day for adventure is going to be Friday, and maybe Thursdays, so some time away from the house and opportunities for longer rides do exist there. That's when I am planning to fit in any century ride, sub24 trip, or the like. Again, things like nails in car tires and other life happenings can, and probably will, rear their ugly heads during this time, so no guarantees. And weather, as always, is the wildcard. 

But, I am ready for both a longer ride, possibly a century, and the sub24 ride. I can be out of the house with a minimum of notice, so, if the opportunity arises, I'm gone. Stay tuned on any of of that.  Besides these things being possibilities, I have pre-Winter maintenance to attend to. In fact, I've already started it.

First in the stand for maintenance was the Blackborow DS

The above image from Winter 2023 may have been the last time I've ridden the Blackborow DS because when I drug it out for maintenance it was set up exactly as shown there. Well, here is the deal with this bike. It needs a new chain, since the Rustbuster chain it came with in 2014 is about shot. No surprise there.

But other than that? Not much other than some accessorizing. Through a set of strange and unfortunate circumstances, I ended up in possession of a set of 45NRTH pogies that will be going on this bike. They will replace the big, overgrown ATV pogies I've had since 2011. 

I also came into possession of a Thomson seat post in the correct size and I attached a WTB Volt saddle to that. A bit lighter than the stock set up I've run on the bike since 2014. I still may do a set of wheels for this bike, but that has been pushed back by the next project/update which will be happening soon.

Gonna get rid of that lean.

I use the Big Dummy on a fairly regular basis as a bike to haul our orders for the Cedar Valley Biccyle Collective and as a hauler for recycling stuff from G-Ted Headquarters. This has brought up the single most glaring weakness of the bike, ts kickstand. 

To load this bike with a single legged kickstand is a very dicey thing to do if the loads are heavy, big, or both. You have to have a level, solid surface to work from, hopefully no wind, and the load has to be carefully placed before you secure it or all hell breaks loose. It's not an easy task to load this rig. 

That all will go away when I get the dual-legged Surly kickstand this week. Stay tuned for more on that to come.

I have to fab up a new rear fender flap-thingie for the Ti Muk, (or should this be called a Ti Heyday! ? - more on that later this week....) I also have to re-up the tubeless sealant and this one will likely be fine to go through another Winter. Plus, it may be a candidate for a fat Tire Century, if I can ever get around to it, that is. 

Anyway, that's it for this update on the schedule for Fall. I'll be playing it by ear, mostly, as opportunities to ride longer, more focused rides will happen more spontaneously than ever before here.