Another Case For The Existence Of The GCHoF

A week and a half ago or so I was contacted by the event director for an Arizonan based gravel race and he asked me if I was willing to speak to a reporter from the "Arizona Republic" about the origins of the modern gravel scene. His concern was that the reporter had no clear idea about how the scene got going and his thought was that I, a person that was there at the time, could set the record straight. I agreed and I was put in touch with reporter Sarah Lapidus. 

I enjoyed about a 40 minute conversation last week with her and the subsequent article Ms. Lapidus wrote was enjoyable. (You can read it here) Ms. Lapidus wrote from the perspective of an Arizona resident and how "gravel riding" has been becoming a thing down that way. 

Okay, so why does this point out the need for a "Hall of Fame" for gravel cycling? Because someday, I won't be around to "set the record straight" and more reporters, story-tellers, and just interested folk will come along in the future and fill in the blanks if there is no historical record. I feel that gathering that record is the main mission of the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame. 

You might remember my post from Saturday where I lamented the fact that the author of that article did not do his due diligence and look into Trans Iowa more carefully, nor did he contact me for the article. This is why historical repositories exist for researchers who need to "get the story straight" for anything they are writing, or basing stories around. 

The GCHoF should not exist for reasons of popularity of personas, popularity of events, to feature brands for the sake of their existence, or to do anything besides record historical, impactful moments in the modern gravel timeline. Certainly, you have to look at how the influences of different aspects of cycling, culture, and innovations came to create what we know as "gravel" now as well. 

The pioneers and people who know are already falling away or have died. The days are growing long and shadows increase. Without a historical recording of this scene, you'll have people who invent tales that are not true. And that matters because the narrative going forward needs to remain that of inclusivity, openness, simplicity, adventure, self-support, and community. The things that made the scene tick and that made it attractive to get the attention of people, which lead to the attention of the cycling business, and ultimately to what we have now as "gravel". 

What we don't need is for an exclusive, top-tier athlete, money-driven, team based, intense, closed system type of racing community that has already put a bad taste in the mouths of ordinary cyclists. Cyclists who are not necessarily against that, but don't want or need that to be the dominant, driving forces of the gravel scene going forward. A gravel cycling hall of fame helps us to keep that 'grassroots" perspective alive. 

That's my case for a GCHoF.

Another Case For The Existence Of The GCHoF

A week and a half ago or so I was contacted by the event director for an Arizonan based gravel race and he asked me if I was willing to speak to a reporter from the "Arizona Republic" about the origins of the modern gravel scene. His concern was that the reporter had no clear idea about how the scene got going and his thought was that I, a person that was there at the time, could set the record straight. I agreed and I was put in touch with reporter Sarah Lapidus. 

I enjoyed about a 40 minute conversation last week with her and the subsequent article Ms. Lapidus wrote was enjoyable. (You can read it here) Ms. Lapidus wrote from the perspective of an Arizona resident and how "gravel riding" has been becoming a thing down that way. 

Okay, so why does this point out the need for a "Hall of Fame" for gravel cycling? Because someday, I won't be around to "set the record straight" and more reporters, story-tellers, and just interested folk will come along in the future and fill in the blanks if there is no historical record. I feel that gathering that record is the main mission of the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame. 

You might remember my post from Saturday where I lamented the fact that the author of that article did not do his due diligence and look into Trans Iowa more carefully, nor did he contact me for the article. This is why historical repositories exist for researchers who need to "get the story straight" for anything they are writing, or basing stories around. 

The GCHoF should not exist for reasons of popularity of personas, popularity of events, to feature brands for the sake of their existence, or to do anything besides record historical, impactful moments in the modern gravel timeline. Certainly, you have to look at how the influences of different aspects of cycling, culture, and innovations came to create what we know as "gravel" now as well. 

The pioneers and people who know are already falling away or have died. The days are growing long and shadows increase. Without a historical recording of this scene, you'll have people who invent tales that are not true. And that matters because the narrative going forward needs to remain that of inclusivity, openness, simplicity, adventure, self-support, and community. The things that made the scene tick and that made it attractive to get the attention of people, which lead to the attention of the cycling business, and ultimately to what we have now as "gravel". 

What we don't need is for an exclusive, top-tier athlete, money-driven, team based, intense, closed system type of racing community that has already put a bad taste in the mouths of ordinary cyclists. Cyclists who are not necessarily against that, but don't want or need that to be the dominant, driving forces of the gravel scene going forward. A gravel cycling hall of fame helps us to keep that 'grassroots" perspective alive. 

That's my case for a GCHoF.

Brown Season: Harvest Wrapping Up

Escape Route: Alley ways...

The Mid-West- A place where you can experience Winter weather and Summer Weather within the same week in Fall. 

I know, right? Weird......

But Friday it was nearly 80°F here and on Tuesday morning the temperature in the morning was in the low 20's. It snowed in Northern Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Some would point to climate change, but I can tell you its been like this during Fall for as long as I can remember. 

At any rate, a ride was in order on Friday, and I was ready for that. Amazingly, the wind wasn't insane, which when it gets this warm this late into October, it generally means you have high winds along with the high temperature. Count Friday as an oddball day then, because while it was windy, it wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

This image was taken at about 3:00pm. The light always gets pretty weird at this time of the year.

Note that grey haze along the horizon line? That's all dust.

So, one thing I struggle with is seasonal affective disorder. The way the light hits at this time of the year always triggers the slight depression I have every year at this time. I had a hard time getting out the door for this ride, as an example, but I was sure glad I did about halfway though it. Oddly enough, I kind of perk back up when the ground gets snow covered. Maybe Brown Season kind of adds to the issues I have. Could be......

The Gravel Bus at a stop on Aker Road.

Ironically I actually got passed by a school bus later on!

As I have said in previous posts, Iowa was especially dry in September and that has carried on through this month as well. It is really, really dusty out there! The air was thick with dust. You know it is dusty when the lining inside your nose gets thick and gritty! We sure could use some rain here. Sounds like that might happen Monday,

There still is some harvesting action going on.

Most everywhere it looks like this now though. Barren, brown, and you can see for miles. 

The gravel has been pounded into submission now South of town, no doubt due to all the harvesting activities. The harvest for 2022 is almost wrapped up around here. There are a few more corn fields to go, then that will be it for the rest of this year and the beginning of next year. 

Almost time to put away all the toys for this year.

My riding companion sure did a great job of keeping up with me!

So, this is such a weird feeling. Summer-like temperatures, almost a Winter solstice-like light in the sky, really dry air, and barely anything left in the fields. It just didn't add up to feeling "right". False Summer. It won't last long....

Like I said above though, it was very good that I did get out, despite the oddness of it all out there. The ride did me good. I'll be needing another dose of that medicine soon though.

Brown Season: Harvest Wrapping Up

Escape Route: Alley ways...

The Mid-West- A place where you can experience Winter weather and Summer Weather within the same week in Fall. 

I know, right? Weird......

But Friday it was nearly 80°F here and on Tuesday morning the temperature in the morning was in the low 20's. It snowed in Northern Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Some would point to climate change, but I can tell you its been like this during Fall for as long as I can remember. 

At any rate, a ride was in order on Friday, and I was ready for that. Amazingly, the wind wasn't insane, which when it gets this warm this late into October, it generally means you have high winds along with the high temperature. Count Friday as an oddball day then, because while it was windy, it wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

This image was taken at about 3:00pm. The light always gets pretty weird at this time of the year.

Note that grey haze along the horizon line? That's all dust.

So, one thing I struggle with is seasonal affective disorder. The way the light hits at this time of the year always triggers the slight depression I have every year at this time. I had a hard time getting out the door for this ride, as an example, but I was sure glad I did about halfway though it. Oddly enough, I kind of perk back up when the ground gets snow covered. Maybe Brown Season kind of adds to the issues I have. Could be......

The Gravel Bus at a stop on Aker Road.

Ironically I actually got passed by a school bus later on!

As I have said in previous posts, Iowa was especially dry in September and that has carried on through this month as well. It is really, really dusty out there! The air was thick with dust. You know it is dusty when the lining inside your nose gets thick and gritty! We sure could use some rain here. Sounds like that might happen Monday,

There still is some harvesting action going on.

Most everywhere it looks like this now though. Barren, brown, and you can see for miles. 

The gravel has been pounded into submission now South of town, no doubt due to all the harvesting activities. The harvest for 2022 is almost wrapped up around here. There are a few more corn fields to go, then that will be it for the rest of this year and the beginning of next year. 

Almost time to put away all the toys for this year.

My riding companion sure did a great job of keeping up with me!

So, this is such a weird feeling. Summer-like temperatures, almost a Winter solstice-like light in the sky, really dry air, and barely anything left in the fields. It just didn't add up to feeling "right". False Summer. It won't last long....

Like I said above though, it was very good that I did get out, despite the oddness of it all out there. The ride did me good. I'll be needing another dose of that medicine soon though.

The GTDRI Stories: Black Electrical Tape

 "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!

This post won't be so much about a GTDRI, but it has something to do with it. No, this post is about a development in cycling that the GTDRI had something to do with, and was a part of in terms of this particular bicycle's story. 

Back in early 2008, rumors began to swirl concerning a new bike, a 29"er, and something unlike anything else out there at the time. Which, honestly, wouldn't take much. You see, 29"ers were still the odd-ball bike on the block and there were a lot of people, and companies, that were still saying 29 inch wheels were dumb and wouldn't last. 

However; Salsa Cycles wasn't one of those companies. They had already invested pretty heavily in the idea with three solid entrants into the big wheeled world with their Dos Niner, Mamasita and El Mariachi 29"er bike models. Rumors were rampant concerning yet another 29"er or two to come from Salsa. The news was set to be released sometime in late 2008, and we all were figuring that would come at the Interbike trade show in the Fall of the year. Meanwhile, throughout the Spring and early Summer, tantalizing tidbits of information kept being laid out by then Salsa Cycles Brand Manager, Jason Boucher.

Jason Boucher at Sea Otter in 2008.

Jason had become acquainted with me via my association with the website, "Twentynine Inches", my blog, and Trans Iowa. We had frequent email contact back at that time. Jason had dropped on me that he might be coming down from Minnesota to join me for the '08 GTDRI ride and maybe, just maybe, there would be a surprise I would be interested in. 

Clues and veiled leads were dropped to the point that Jason garnered the nickname "Cagey McCagerson" at this time. Such were his communications with myself and online with others concerning the new 29"ers to come. 

But it was this particular model Jason was pitching to me and other gravel riders via the GTDRI run up that was most intriguing to me. Secretly I was anxious and really hoping Jason could make the trip work out, just from a purely selfish viewpoint. I wanted to know what the heck this might be about. But it also shined another spotlight on gravel riding, and in particular, grassroots adventure style gatherings. This new bike was intentionally designed for such pursuits. Jason knew this, and he chose the GTDRI for the 'soft debut' of the bike, but he had to keep the wraps on the name of the model for many reasons. This almost derailed the entire story I am telling, but, in the end, it all worked out.

A dramatic recreation of "Black Electrical Tape" in 2022.

Plans were laid by Jason and he was in constant communication with me. His family was involved in his planning and he had to accommodate them in this situation as well, so everything had to go "just-so" to make this happen. 

Fortunately, it did, and as the third Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational's date drew nigh, on the very eve of the event, Jason Boucher rode this brand new, never revealed before 29'er down from a motel in Waterloo to our meeting campground at Hickory Hills County Park. 

I recall seeing the greenish-gold bike in the evening Sun that day, and when asked what this bike was, Jason smiled broadly and said that he could not tell us yet. But, there it was! In fact, we couldn't even take images of it, and Jason strictly commanded that cameras be put away when he was around on the bike. Fortunately, the gravity of what was happening was felt by all in attendance, and this is why no images exist, to my knowledge, of the bike we saw then which was first known as "Black Electrical Tape". The bike got this moniker from us at that GTDRI because of Jason's use of a simple strip or two of the common tape to cover the model name of the bike, which you've probably guessed by now, is the famous Salsa Cycles Fargo. 

So, there you go, a very little known fact about the Fargo and the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational. The bike that debuted at my gravel grinder, a ride I never thought would host the soft introduction of a very influential 29"er drop bar adventure bike.

Next: Pre-Ride Festivities

The GTDRI Stories: Black Electrical Tape

 "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!

This post won't be so much about a GTDRI, but it has something to do with it. No, this post is about a development in cycling that the GTDRI had something to do with, and was a part of in terms of this particular bicycle's story. 

Back in early 2008, rumors began to swirl concerning a new bike, a 29"er, and something unlike anything else out there at the time. Which, honestly, wouldn't take much. You see, 29"ers were still the odd-ball bike on the block and there were a lot of people, and companies, that were still saying 29 inch wheels were dumb and wouldn't last. 

However; Salsa Cycles wasn't one of those companies. They had already invested pretty heavily in the idea with three solid entrants into the big wheeled world with their Dos Niner, Mamasita and El Mariachi 29"er bike models. Rumors were rampant concerning yet another 29"er or two to come from Salsa. The news was set to be released sometime in late 2008, and we all were figuring that would come at the Interbike trade show in the Fall of the year. Meanwhile, throughout the Spring and early Summer, tantalizing tidbits of information kept being laid out by then Salsa Cycles Brand Manager, Jason Boucher.

Jason Boucher at Sea Otter in 2008.

Jason had become acquainted with me via my association with the website, "Twentynine Inches", my blog, and Trans Iowa. We had frequent email contact back at that time. Jason had dropped on me that he might be coming down from Minnesota to join me for the '08 GTDRI ride and maybe, just maybe, there would be a surprise I would be interested in. 

Clues and veiled leads were dropped to the point that Jason garnered the nickname "Cagey McCagerson" at this time. Such were his communications with myself and online with others concerning the new 29"ers to come. 

But it was this particular model Jason was pitching to me and other gravel riders via the GTDRI run up that was most intriguing to me. Secretly I was anxious and really hoping Jason could make the trip work out, just from a purely selfish viewpoint. I wanted to know what the heck this might be about. But it also shined another spotlight on gravel riding, and in particular, grassroots adventure style gatherings. This new bike was intentionally designed for such pursuits. Jason knew this, and he chose the GTDRI for the 'soft debut' of the bike, but he had to keep the wraps on the name of the model for many reasons. This almost derailed the entire story I am telling, but, in the end, it all worked out.

A dramatic recreation of "Black Electrical Tape" in 2022.

Plans were laid by Jason and he was in constant communication with me. His family was involved in his planning and he had to accommodate them in this situation as well, so everything had to go "just-so" to make this happen. 

Fortunately, it did, and as the third Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational's date drew nigh, on the very eve of the event, Jason Boucher rode this brand new, never revealed before 29'er down from a motel in Waterloo to our meeting campground at Hickory Hills County Park. 

I recall seeing the greenish-gold bike in the evening Sun that day, and when asked what this bike was, Jason smiled broadly and said that he could not tell us yet. But, there it was! In fact, we couldn't even take images of it, and Jason strictly commanded that cameras be put away when he was around on the bike. Fortunately, the gravity of what was happening was felt by all in attendance, and this is why no images exist, to my knowledge, of the bike we saw then which was first known as "Black Electrical Tape". The bike got this moniker from us at that GTDRI because of Jason's use of a simple strip or two of the common tape to cover the model name of the bike, which you've probably guessed by now, is the famous Salsa Cycles Fargo. 

So, there you go, a very little known fact about the Fargo and the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational. The bike that debuted at my gravel grinder, a ride I never thought would host the soft introduction of a very influential 29"er drop bar adventure bike.

Next: Pre-Ride Festivities

Two Things For Today

I suppose I could have called this one a "Randomonium" post, but really this is just about two things that popped up Thursday in my social media observations. One is about the new Specialized Diverge STR and the other is an article about the so-called "Spirit of Gravel". Okay, so let's go.....

A close look at the workings. (Image courtesy of "Cyclist UK")

Thing 1- The Specialized Diverge STR:

Specialized calls this technology their "Suspend The Rider" technology. Aptly named because it doesn't do what most everyone thinks of when you say "dual suspension". Yet almost every single outlet reporting on this bike used that term. 

That's the state of reporting circa 2022. Give people the wrong idea, because it is just easier to do that instead of tell them what they are really looking at. 

Essentially this is a "motor mount" idea. Damping the vibrations of the road from the "motor" (the rider in this case) and the motions of the motor/rider from the chassis. The wheels will still do what they do on a rigid bike, so this is not "a dual suspension" bike, despite what you might be reading out there. 

It's not a bad idea, this Diverge bike, but it does come at a price. Nearly 8K for the cheapest one, it is 200 grams heavier than the outgoing version, (not that big of a deal), and it is far more complex with a lot of places for things to go wrong in the future. You could just get a Redshift Sports ShockStop Seat post, save a bunch of money, add about the same amount of weight, and put it on any gravel bike. 

Once again- you can solve a problem elegantly and simply, or you can do it with an overly complex, expensive solution that is wholly proprietary. Your choice. The idea, at its core, is a sound one. How this Specialized solution was implemented is a bit goofy, in my opinion. 

Image by Jason Boucher from Trans Iowa v9

Thing 2 - The Spirit of Gravel:

I was tagged on a post on Twitter by Andrew Vontz who authored this article on a site called "Why This Is Interesting" on Thursday. It is a post that looks at the culture of gravel and how the corporate monetization, competitive elements, and social media narratives surrounding the gravel scene today are at odds with the origins of the scene and why it has grown at all in the first place. 

You've been around here enough, most likely, that you already know what I think about all of that. If you take the time to read Mr. Vontz's article, I think you'll see that he does a fair job of laying out today's gravel landscape and why it is that things are in upheaval on social media concerning gravel events and what not. He brought up some interesting questions as well. 

First of all, let me say that I was not contacted about this piece and I was not aware of it until it had been published. Had I been made aware of some of the statements Mr. Vontz had made in the opening paragraph concerning Trans Iowa, I could have easily corrected those minor mistakes in his story there. (Or he could have looked at this written historical record. It's as if I try to hide this stuff, ya know?.) 

Anyway.... I guess I should just shut up and feel blessed that I got noticed at all. 

Now, on to his questions....

"Is it in The Spirit of Gravel to use aerobars: handlebar extensions usually reserved for races where drafting is forbidden, and riders can’t be in packs? "

Answer: If the event director allows them, and you disagree, maybe that event is not for you. Additionally, if the event director does not allow their use, and you disagree, maybe that event is not for you. This is a dumb question and waaaay too easy to figure out. Why is this even a debate? 

 "Is it in The Spirit of Gravel for pro athletes to bring teammates and work in a coordinated fashion to shelter a leader and provide them a better shot at winning, as is common practice in road racing? Or should it be every person for themselves as it was in the early days of the sport?"

Answer: Basically, the same as above. If it is allowed, live with it. Otherwise, don't show up to partake in what you think is "unfair". Riders always want things to be different. Their airing of issues on social media makes it seem that some sort of grievance is valid and has to be addressed or riders are being.....I don't know.... Oppressed? Whatever! The problem is that event directors have no backbone because they fear loss of revenue, poor opinions of their events, and of being "cancelled" or otherwise castigated on social media as having a strong opinion. I'd weight the "loss of revenue" thing much more heavily here. 

 "What happens if a rider in the pro women’s race drafts teammates in the race who are men?" (Or a friend, or a husband, or a guy that is cute....you get the idea.)

Answer: Drafting? Who cares? If you can- do it. The real issue here is "winning sponsorships, endorsements, or prize money". Basically, a monetary/support benefit of some sort is at stake. What? You don't think people (racers) would take any advantage to gain a monetary or supportive benefit via winning a "prestigious" or "prize-rich" event? Do actions that are within event rules that allow creative means to gain advantages mean that there is a problem? Yes- The problem is that the people (racers) who didn't figure it out are now feeling "oppressed". Solution: Don't ever go back to that event, or lobby the event director to tighten up the rules. Just don't muddy up the waters with open-airing of complaints if there was no actual rule-breaking involved. 

Additionally, if event directors are not taking this "creative interpretation of rules by riders" thing seriously, then they are failing their position as event directors. One of an event directors number one missions is to figure out how they could cheat at their own event and when they find a way, change the rules, or make a change where needed before the event takes place. Finally, rules decisions must be implemented (DQ's, time penalties, etc.) while the event is happening. Otherwise, you were doing a bad job. Enforce your rules or don't have them.  

There was another question, basically asking the same thing, regarding the "gravel beef" thing concerning hydration packs versus water bottles and not stopping at an aid station...... You get the idea. 

Look, I appreciate the article, but it has nothing at all to do with some nefarious spirit of crushed rock. It has everything to do with the monetization of gravel culture, rider-driven narratives, and weak event directors who are allowing those riders to control the narratives and events. What did ol' Joel Dyke, co-originator of the event now called "Unbound" tell me? "When the money comes in, that will ruin it....", or something to that effect. What a prophet he was! 

Y'all know if you were there in the beginnings that the gravel scene was competitive, racy, and had an edginess to it, but the early event directors and the early participants weren't going to put up with nonsense from riders who thought the events should be run differently. But - ya know - when it means the difference between getting sponsored or not, or in getting that nice boost of prize money or not, or that bump in social media numbers or not, those ol' event directors better let this "Spirit of Gravel" thing go, 'cause this is serious racing now!  

Whatever...... 

Two Things For Today

I suppose I could have called this one a "Randomonium" post, but really this is just about two things that popped up Thursday in my social media observations. One is about the new Specialized Diverge STR and the other is an article about the so-called "Spirit of Gravel". Okay, so let's go.....

A close look at the workings. (Image courtesy of "Cyclist UK")

Thing 1- The Specialized Diverge STR:

Specialized calls this technology their "Suspend The Rider" technology. Aptly named because it doesn't do what most everyone thinks of when you say "dual suspension". Yet almost every single outlet reporting on this bike used that term. 

That's the state of reporting circa 2022. Give people the wrong idea, because it is just easier to do that instead of tell them what they are really looking at. 

Essentially this is a "motor mount" idea. Damping the vibrations of the road from the "motor" (the rider in this case) and the motions of the motor/rider from the chassis. The wheels will still do what they do on a rigid bike, so this is not "a dual suspension" bike, despite what you might be reading out there. 

It's not a bad idea, this Diverge bike, but it does come at a price. Nearly 8K for the cheapest one, it is 200 grams heavier than the outgoing version, (not that big of a deal), and it is far more complex with a lot of places for things to go wrong in the future. You could just get a Redshift Sports ShockStop Seat post, save a bunch of money, add about the same amount of weight, and put it on any gravel bike. 

Once again- you can solve a problem elegantly and simply, or you can do it with an overly complex, expensive solution that is wholly proprietary. Your choice. The idea, at its core, is a sound one. How this Specialized solution was implemented is a bit goofy, in my opinion. 

Image by Jason Boucher from Trans Iowa v9

Thing 2 - The Spirit of Gravel:

I was tagged on a post on Twitter by Andrew Vontz who authored this article on a site called "Why This Is Interesting" on Thursday. It is a post that looks at the culture of gravel and how the corporate monetization, competitive elements, and social media narratives surrounding the gravel scene today are at odds with the origins of the scene and why it has grown at all in the first place. 

You've been around here enough, most likely, that you already know what I think about all of that. If you take the time to read Mr. Vontz's article, I think you'll see that he does a fair job of laying out today's gravel landscape and why it is that things are in upheaval on social media concerning gravel events and what not. He brought up some interesting questions as well. 

First of all, let me say that I was not contacted about this piece and I was not aware of it until it had been published. Had I been made aware of some of the statements Mr. Vontz had made in the opening paragraph concerning Trans Iowa, I could have easily corrected those minor mistakes in his story there. (Or he could have looked at this written historical record. It's as if I try to hide this stuff, ya know?.) 

Anyway.... I guess I should just shut up and feel blessed that I got noticed at all. 

Now, on to his questions....

"Is it in The Spirit of Gravel to use aerobars: handlebar extensions usually reserved for races where drafting is forbidden, and riders can’t be in packs? "

Answer: If the event director allows them, and you disagree, maybe that event is not for you. Additionally, if the event director does not allow their use, and you disagree, maybe that event is not for you. This is a dumb question and waaaay too easy to figure out. Why is this even a debate? 

 "Is it in The Spirit of Gravel for pro athletes to bring teammates and work in a coordinated fashion to shelter a leader and provide them a better shot at winning, as is common practice in road racing? Or should it be every person for themselves as it was in the early days of the sport?"

Answer: Basically, the same as above. If it is allowed, live with it. Otherwise, don't show up to partake in what you think is "unfair". Riders always want things to be different. Their airing of issues on social media makes it seem that some sort of grievance is valid and has to be addressed or riders are being.....I don't know.... Oppressed? Whatever! The problem is that event directors have no backbone because they fear loss of revenue, poor opinions of their events, and of being "cancelled" or otherwise castigated on social media as having a strong opinion. I'd weight the "loss of revenue" thing much more heavily here. 

 "What happens if a rider in the pro women’s race drafts teammates in the race who are men?" (Or a friend, or a husband, or a guy that is cute....you get the idea.)

Answer: Drafting? Who cares? If you can- do it. The real issue here is "winning sponsorships, endorsements, or prize money". Basically, a monetary/support benefit of some sort is at stake. What? You don't think people (racers) would take any advantage to gain a monetary or supportive benefit via winning a "prestigious" or "prize-rich" event? Do actions that are within event rules that allow creative means to gain advantages mean that there is a problem? Yes- The problem is that the people (racers) who didn't figure it out are now feeling "oppressed". Solution: Don't ever go back to that event, or lobby the event director to tighten up the rules. Just don't muddy up the waters with open-airing of complaints if there was no actual rule-breaking involved. 

Additionally, if event directors are not taking this "creative interpretation of rules by riders" thing seriously, then they are failing their position as event directors. One of an event directors number one missions is to figure out how they could cheat at their own event and when they find a way, change the rules, or make a change where needed before the event takes place. Finally, rules decisions must be implemented (DQ's, time penalties, etc.) while the event is happening. Otherwise, you were doing a bad job. Enforce your rules or don't have them.  

There was another question, basically asking the same thing, regarding the "gravel beef" thing concerning hydration packs versus water bottles and not stopping at an aid station...... You get the idea. 

Look, I appreciate the article, but it has nothing at all to do with some nefarious spirit of crushed rock. It has everything to do with the monetization of gravel culture, rider-driven narratives, and weak event directors who are allowing those riders to control the narratives and events. What did ol' Joel Dyke, co-originator of the event now called "Unbound" tell me? "When the money comes in, that will ruin it....", or something to that effect. What a prophet he was! 

Y'all know if you were there in the beginnings that the gravel scene was competitive, racy, and had an edginess to it, but the early event directors and the early participants weren't going to put up with nonsense from riders who thought the events should be run differently. But - ya know - when it means the difference between getting sponsored or not, or in getting that nice boost of prize money or not, or that bump in social media numbers or not, those ol' event directors better let this "Spirit of Gravel" thing go, 'cause this is serious racing now!  

Whatever...... 

Friday News And Views

Riding Gravel Radio Ranch:

The newest "Riding Gravel Radio Ranch" Episode #103, is out now. (You can get the link here) We're podcasting about once every two weeks now and have the podcast moved to Anchor.fm hosting for a better, more timely distribution of the episodes than we experienced it before. 

I've had some concerns voiced over access. Well, we are growing the podcast from 'ground zero' now and that means our old access was gone and we had to start small and grow it. We are now on Apple podcast as of this episode, so that should help. We are also on Google podcast and on Spotify also. 

So, give it a listen, spread the news, and help this thing grow. I'll have more things to offer in the future, so stay tuned for that as I get to it. As always, please make comments and suggestions if you are so inclined.

From Surly's social media on Tuesday this week.

What's Up At Surly?

These days, social media is the prime vehicle for spreading news and for keeping brands in front of people's eyes.You don't have any media on paper anymore to do that. So, there are no ads to read. There are no "catalogs" either. Independent bike shops don't give you any bandwidth since there are far less of them than there used to be. So, the various social media marketing opportunities are all you really have these days. Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Maybe Tic-Tok and Reddit. If a brand isn't on YouTube you seem to be missing something .

This is why what was witnessed on social media on Tuesday was so puzzling. Surly's social media person posted that - apparently- they were leaving the brand, which, in and of itself, is not such a big deal. But the line that indicated that "It is possible this channel will not be monitored for some time.", that was a bit concerning. Without any new content, that "channell" will go dead really fast. People won't see "Surly" and the brand will fall away from the forefront, because if you don't have it shoved down your eyeballs on socials, then it doesn't exist.

This Surly product was intro'ed by the QBP social, not Surly's

Comments: Of course, what that actually means in terms of Surly the brand and business is purely speculation at this point. But if I were a Surly dealer or fan, this would raise some red flags with me. It'll bear watching, for sure. 

Then again, it all could just be a program to bring all QBP's social media under "one roof", as it were. QBP has mostly run each brand it has as a separate company under the umbrella of QBP. But that may be getting streamlined as cost-cutting measures take hold of the cycling industry.  It would seem foolish, perhaps, to run separate social media departments when you could get that job done by a single department, for example. 

QBP has already had a round of lay-offs. Does this point to more? Could be. We're seeing many companies laying off from all sectors. Saris went bankrupt, The Pro's Closet, an online entity, cut staff, Thule cut 34 jobs and moved its R&D to Swedish headquarters from the USA. MIPS, the helmet technology supplier, saw sales dip 39% in the third quarter according to an industry report. So, if QBP has more cost-cutting to do, it would come as no surprise. Or- Is this a result of the recent lay-offs? That could very well be also.

Shimano RX801 Shoes On Test:

Well, Shimano made some big news this week about its shoe line. They updated the RX8's with the new 801's, but what probably was a bigger deal here was the RX8R, a shoe that adds in a feature found on many Enduro cycling shoes. That would be a "cuff" that is supposedly there to keep debris out and your feet dry. 

It may not seem as though the new RX801's are any different than their predecessor was, but upon careful inspection I found several differences. This is more of an 'evolution' of the RX8. A slightly "tweaked" version of the original, if you will.

One thing I didn't like about the original RX8 was that it was a bit of a pain to put it on and take it off your foot. Shimano addressed this by removing that elastic strap that held the top of the upper to the footbed inside the shoe and by separating the over-flap into what is more like two straps over the instep. 

At first glance, this new shoe seems like no big deal, but when you put the old one on one foot and the new one on the other, you feel a tremendous difference and the new one is definitely better. By the way, MG has the new RX8R, the one with the ankle-high cuff, and he says much the same as I am about the refinements. More soon.... (Standard Disclaimer applies) 

Schmidt Edelux II Dynamo Light. (Image courtesy of Cycle Monkey)

Need A Light:

So, you may recall that my Busch and Mueller IQ-X went belly-up on the Ti Muk II so now I need a light unit for that bike which runs a SON dynamo hub. The logical choice is a Schmidt light to stay with the hub brand I already have. 

I have settled on getting the Edelux II with the Co-Axial Adapter. This new connector set-up looks more durable than the old blade connectors and those fine wires. 

I just have to decide what orientation I want the light in. (You have to chose due to the cut-off beam) So, when I do that, I am going to pull the trigger. That will get me back on the Ti Muk II and that needs to happen sooner than later since, well, you know.  Winter, that's why. 

Otherwise that bike is all good to go. I had just redone the drive train and had just done the hub service. So, having the light go down on me right after all of that was kind of a deflating experience. I guess I was a bit disappointed and, maybe even more so, I was just down about looking at spending a couple hundred plus more than I was prepared to spend. But it isn't as if I don't have the funds now. I just need to do it.

Okay folks, that'll do it for this week. I hope that you all get out for a ride. We're to have our "false Summer" spree here with temps in the 80's for the weekend. The Spotted Horse riders will melt! (Good luck to anyone doing that event this weekend, by the way.) 

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Friday News And Views

Riding Gravel Radio Ranch:

The newest "Riding Gravel Radio Ranch" Episode #103, is out now. (You can get the link here) We're podcasting about once every two weeks now and have the podcast moved to Anchor.fm hosting for a better, more timely distribution of the episodes than we experienced it before. 

I've had some concerns voiced over access. Well, we are growing the podcast from 'ground zero' now and that means our old access was gone and we had to start small and grow it. We are now on Apple podcast as of this episode, so that should help. We are also on Google podcast and on Spotify also. 

So, give it a listen, spread the news, and help this thing grow. I'll have more things to offer in the future, so stay tuned for that as I get to it. As always, please make comments and suggestions if you are so inclined.

From Surly's social media on Tuesday this week.

What's Up At Surly?

These days, social media is the prime vehicle for spreading news and for keeping brands in front of people's eyes.You don't have any media on paper anymore to do that. So, there are no ads to read. There are no "catalogs" either. Independent bike shops don't give you any bandwidth since there are far less of them than there used to be. So, the various social media marketing opportunities are all you really have these days. Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Maybe Tic-Tok and Reddit. If a brand isn't on YouTube you seem to be missing something .

This is why what was witnessed on social media on Tuesday was so puzzling. Surly's social media person posted that - apparently- they were leaving the brand, which, in and of itself, is not such a big deal. But the line that indicated that "It is possible this channel will not be monitored for some time.", that was a bit concerning. Without any new content, that "channell" will go dead really fast. People won't see "Surly" and the brand will fall away from the forefront, because if you don't have it shoved down your eyeballs on socials, then it doesn't exist.

This Surly product was intro'ed by the QBP social, not Surly's

Comments: Of course, what that actually means in terms of Surly the brand and business is purely speculation at this point. But if I were a Surly dealer or fan, this would raise some red flags with me. It'll bear watching, for sure. 

Then again, it all could just be a program to bring all QBP's social media under "one roof", as it were. QBP has mostly run each brand it has as a separate company under the umbrella of QBP. But that may be getting streamlined as cost-cutting measures take hold of the cycling industry.  It would seem foolish, perhaps, to run separate social media departments when you could get that job done by a single department, for example. 

QBP has already had a round of lay-offs. Does this point to more? Could be. We're seeing many companies laying off from all sectors. Saris went bankrupt, The Pro's Closet, an online entity, cut staff, Thule cut 34 jobs and moved its R&D to Swedish headquarters from the USA. MIPS, the helmet technology supplier, saw sales dip 39% in the third quarter according to an industry report. So, if QBP has more cost-cutting to do, it would come as no surprise. Or- Is this a result of the recent lay-offs? That could very well be also.

Shimano RX801 Shoes On Test:

Well, Shimano made some big news this week about its shoe line. They updated the RX8's with the new 801's, but what probably was a bigger deal here was the RX8R, a shoe that adds in a feature found on many Enduro cycling shoes. That would be a "cuff" that is supposedly there to keep debris out and your feet dry. 

It may not seem as though the new RX801's are any different than their predecessor was, but upon careful inspection I found several differences. This is more of an 'evolution' of the RX8. A slightly "tweaked" version of the original, if you will.

One thing I didn't like about the original RX8 was that it was a bit of a pain to put it on and take it off your foot. Shimano addressed this by removing that elastic strap that held the top of the upper to the footbed inside the shoe and by separating the over-flap into what is more like two straps over the instep. 

At first glance, this new shoe seems like no big deal, but when you put the old one on one foot and the new one on the other, you feel a tremendous difference and the new one is definitely better. By the way, MG has the new RX8R, the one with the ankle-high cuff, and he says much the same as I am about the refinements. More soon.... (Standard Disclaimer applies) 

Schmidt Edelux II Dynamo Light. (Image courtesy of Cycle Monkey)

Need A Light:

So, you may recall that my Busch and Mueller IQ-X went belly-up on the Ti Muk II so now I need a light unit for that bike which runs a SON dynamo hub. The logical choice is a Schmidt light to stay with the hub brand I already have. 

I have settled on getting the Edelux II with the Co-Axial Adapter. This new connector set-up looks more durable than the old blade connectors and those fine wires. 

I just have to decide what orientation I want the light in. (You have to chose due to the cut-off beam) So, when I do that, I am going to pull the trigger. That will get me back on the Ti Muk II and that needs to happen sooner than later since, well, you know.  Winter, that's why. 

Otherwise that bike is all good to go. I had just redone the drive train and had just done the hub service. So, having the light go down on me right after all of that was kind of a deflating experience. I guess I was a bit disappointed and, maybe even more so, I was just down about looking at spending a couple hundred plus more than I was prepared to spend. But it isn't as if I don't have the funds now. I just need to do it.

Okay folks, that'll do it for this week. I hope that you all get out for a ride. We're to have our "false Summer" spree here with temps in the 80's for the weekend. The Spotted Horse riders will melt! (Good luck to anyone doing that event this weekend, by the way.) 

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Guitar Ted's How-To: Rear Derailleur set-Up Basics - Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of how to set up a rear derailleur from scratch on your bike. Again, this applies to the way I would take a new rear derailleur for a mechanical system and set it up to work properly. This would also work for anyone swapping on a used rear derailleur as well. While this doesn't cover electronic rear derailleurs, many of the same basics still apply. 

Now, if you missed the basics of rear derailleurs, that post is HERE and a link to yesterday's post is HERE. I will assume you have read and understood that previous material. 

Keep in mind that if you have any hesitation at all in doing this task, stop and seek the help of a professional bicycle mechanic. Getting any of this wrong can lead to serious injury, property damage, and even death. So, unless you are confident in your mechanical skills and unless you own the proper tools, don't attempt this! 

Okay, with that out of the way, I will remind you that this post only will deal with how to set up the lower limit screw.  How to set up the "B Tension" screw is best done while doing a tune on the cable and rear shifting, so that will come later. . See that link for the earlier steps in this process which MUST be completed BEFORE you do these steps. Now, on with the show.....

The "LOW LIMIT" screw does not come into play until the rear derailleur is at full extension. This happens in your lowest gear on the cassette, or the "biggest cog" if you think of things in that manner. Its job is to prevent the rear derailleur's travel inboard to the point that the chain goes over the top of that last cog and into the spokes. It also aligns that upper jockey wheel on the rear derailleur so it is perfectly in-line with the last cog of the cassette. 

Above you can see #1 which is the "LOW" screw and where it hits the inner portion of the parallelogram of this Shimano XT rear derailleur at point #2. Remember from yesterday's post that turning that "LOW" screw clockwise prevents travel inboard and turning it counter-clockwise allows that travel to continue further inboard toward the spokes. This assumes that your cable tension is correct, that you have the correct, operational shifter, and nothing is damaged or bent on a complete system. But for this job, we aren't worried about that just yet. 

Now, for a quick diversion...... Since setting the "LOW" limit screw is best done with a chain on, I am going to show you a couple of hacks I use to make chain installation a bit easier. Both of these work best if you have a repair stand, by the way. 

First, you want to get the derailleur in the position I have shown to the left here. This will probably mean that your bike will have its front wheel on the ground and the back one straight, or almost so, above it in the work stand. What you want is to make a straight path downward for the chain toward the ground through the derailleur cage. 

This allows you to use gravity to your advantage, instead of fighting gravity - if you were trying to put the chain through the rear derailleur with the bike in a horizontal position. This technique I am sharing makes the job of threading a chain through a derailleur far easier. But again- it works best with a repair stand. Don't have one? Well, I would guess that if you have read this far, you want to do some of your own work on your bicycles. The best thing you can add to your tool stash is a repair stand. Get one!

Drop the chain in from the top, using gravity to feed it through the cage.

Okay, now on with the show... Tip: Make certain that you have cut your chain to length (use the old one as a guide if you can), and make sure you thread the chain in the right orientation. 10, 11, and 12 speed chains will likely have either a top side or bottom, or a right and left orientaion. Check your chain manufacturer's tech spec guide or ask a mechanic if you are not sure about this. Most 9 speed, 8 speed, and 7 speed chains are not affected by this.

Using gravity, you should be able to drop the chain in from the top, through the cage, and past the upper jockey wheel of the derailleur, (which is the lower one as this is oriented here in the image) , and then pass through at least half the chain. You can even thread the chain through a front derailleur at this time, if that applies to your bike. Then adjust your stand back so the bike sits horizontally again. 

Hack #2: Use a bungee cord to hold the cage forward like this to relieve chain tension for ease of quick link attachment.

Ever had trouble connecting those Shimano quick links? Read on...

Now for Hack #3- This applies mostly to Shimano quick links, but some SRAM 7 & 8 speed links are stubborn to go into place as well. If you have had trouble connecting a quick link like this, here's a quick way to solve the problem. First, carefully attach the link with the chain tension relieved as I have shown with the bungee. Try to get the link as tight as you can first, as I have shown immediately above with this Shimano 11 speed link. 

Then, carefully, slowly pedal the bike forward so the quick link is in the "top run" of the chain as I have shown immediately above here. Get the quick link about midway from the cassette cog and the chain wheel. Then, grab a rubber mallet, (you can use your hand, but it usually hurts if you do!), and apply the rear brake firmly with one hand and then strike a pedal (Usually should be the right side since it is closet to you)  sharply with the rubber mallet, as if you were going to pedal forward. This will snap the link into place. Done! 

Now- On to setting initial "LOW" limit for the derailleur. You'll see why I like to have the chain on for this in a minute.... (Here is a link to yesterday's post for reference if needed)

With the rear derailleur on the smallest cog on the cassette, place your hand as I have shown here on the rear derailleur. Use your left hand, as you'll need your right hand to pedal with. Pedaling slooooowly, push with your thumb on the derailleur's knuckle in the direction shown. (Towards the inboard side of the bike). 

The derailleur should start walking the chain up the cassette toward the biggest cog. You may find that with a new rear derailleur that you can only get so far, then you cannot push the derailleur any further, but you are two, maybe three cogs from the largest cassette cog. Okay, if that is the case, you need to turn the "LOW" limit screw counter-clockwise. Always make small, incremental adjustments. I'd turn it maybe a quarter turn at a time, and recheck how far the derailleur can be pushed up. Repeat the process until you can get the chain to drop into the last gear on the cassette, but no further!

Now, lets say that you can push that chain up and it wants to go over the last cog if you keep pushing. (This is why you want to pedal SLOWLY and be very careful) If that seems to be the case, the "LOW" limit screw needs to be turned clockwise, again a quarter turn at a time, until you cannot push the chain off the last cassette cog. 

Showing the technique at the extreme end of the derailleur's travel here.

Keep in mind that you do not need to use excessive force, or much force at all to manage this technique. The carefully applied force and slow movement of the drive train as you pedal will yield the best results here. 

Now if you've found that point where you can get the chain to drop in the last, largest cog on the cassette and not have the chain go over it, you've got the "LOW" limit in the ballpark. You should be okay as far as a safe system now. I'd recommend doing a finer adjustment if necessary when you get to adjusting the cable for shifting, but that will be for my next post in this series. I'll also show how to set up the "B" tension screw for optimal shifting when I get to how to tune the rear derailleur as well.

At this point, your basic set-up of the rear derailleur is complete. Stay tuned for more "How-To" posts soon.