Wide Tires On Gravel: The Effects Of Wider Tires On The Bike

The bike I used for testing: Noble GX5

 Welcome back to the series on why wider gravel tires may or may not be a good idea for you. In this post I will look at what wider tires can do to your bicycle's geometry if you modify a current bike, and what those bigger tires can do to handling. I wrote a bit in the last post in this series about what wider tires can do to your gearing and more. Check that out if you missed it HERE.

Now, let's dive into this subject again by taking a look at whether you can do a wider tire to your current bike, what you can do to gain some advantages via modification, and how this may affect geometry on your bike.

You may not realize this, but any bicycle you purchase through a major brand has probably been made to comply with several European standards so they can be sold in Europe. Typically those standards which must be met are more stringent than Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) standards which hold sway in the US. Specifically to tire clearance, the CPSC standard is 1.6mm clearance from the tire to a fork or frame member. (According to a Google search) I was told several years ago by a product manager for a mid-tier brand in the US that the Euro regs. were 5mm clearance. So, your bicycle may be equipped with tires which are not really the "maximum" size that you could use. Of course, what I am about to share here is all what I have done. I do not recommend that you do this, and if you push tire clearances, that's on you. You are responsible for any choices you make here.

Do You Need A New Bike? 

Many newer gravel bikes are turnkey wide tire capable rigs. However; you may not "need" to go out and grab one of these bikes, and this may be determined by a few options you have available to you. First, as stated above, it is highly likely that your current bike can be fitted with a wider tire. I'll tell you about my bicycle, but as for you, you are on your own! 

My Noble GX5 was designed in the late 2010's, long before this wider, almost 29"er XC tire thing was popular. The designer of the bike told me maximum tire size for the frame was 40mm. Now, keep in mind this is probably advice coming from a mind thinking within the bounds of test parameters to get a bike sold worldwide.

I discovered that the Noble GX5 can easily handle 45mm tires. That is already a pretty significant difference, but then I decided to push the limits and I found I could squeeze in a 47mm tire with about a millimeter of clearance at the chain stays.

So, in dry conditions, not anything wet, I can run a 47mm tire without any issues for myself. I understand the risks of doing this and I can sleep at night with this knowledge. Now....if it were wet? Yeah, I am running a different, narrower tire, but so do the Pros! Dylan Johnson isn't going to run a beefy 29"er tire at Unbound if it is wet. (I've heard him say this exact thing on a YouTube video)

So, think about this. It might be an option for you. In all likelihood your stock tires were very conservative spec and you probably can use a wider tire on your current bike. Especially in the fork, since forks have very little technical hurdles to allowing for clearance. Maybe you can use a LOT wider tire up front, and for some folks, this may be all you need. Wide front/narrow rear tire setups were very commonplace in the 1990's for XC MTB usage, so this idea has merit for gravel bikes as well.

29" x 2.3" front, 700 x 47mm rear in a bike spec'ed as a 40mm tire bike.

I tried this on my Noble Bike GX5. I should also mention I changed out the front fork for a State Bicycle Co Monster Gravel Fork V2. This allowed for a ridiculously sized, (for a gravel bike) 29"er tire to be installed. My stock fork would have easily taken a 50mm tire though. 

So, what is this like? Well, there are a few things to consider if you want to use the bicycle you have and go with a fatter tire up front. First off, the geometry is going to be affected a little bit. In my case, I went from a 70° head angle with the Monster Fork installed fitted with a 700 X 45mm tire front/rear to a 69° front end with the 29" X 2.3|/700 X 47mm set up. I also raised my bottom bracket slightly, and I found my saddle was tilted up a tiny bit as well due to the change. So, keep in mind that a bigger tire up front can affect more than you might think.

In terms of handling, I got a tiny bit of "wander" while riding really slow, so this is when your handle bars want to fall to the right or left a bit. Technically it is called "wheel flop", but I wouldn't be put off by this in my case. Once up to riding speeds I could not detect this at all. Obviously, a slightly slacker head angle will stabilize the bike, with no other geometry changes, so I did gain a tiny fraction of stability here as well as getting a poofier front tire with more comfort and traction.

Next: What alternative bikes do similar things, why these are great choices, and why you may not want wider tires in the first place.

Country Views: Dry and Rough

Escape Route: Church Row Historic Neighborhood

'Picture perfect' is a term which has become something of a cliche', but I don't know how else to describe this recent stretch of weather we've had. Low humidity, light breezes, and copious amounts of Sunshine. Temperatures scratching the 80's with lows at night into the 40's. Glorious!

And who could let this stretch of weather get away without a ride in the country? I know I couldn't! So, on Friday, I saddled up the Noble GX5, headed North, and let grand ideas of a big loop dance in my head. Nevermind the fact I haven't had any sort of consistency in riding longer distances yet.

Leaving North I ended up on Burton Avenue. This is, more or less, a long climb out of the Cedar River Valley. Sure, you get rollers but always with the downhill side shorter than the climbing side as you head away North out of town. Sometimes this is no big deal. Then when the wind is out of a Northerly direction, it can be a pain. The wind was light, but it was out of the Northwest.

The leaves have fully emerged from the tress now. This is the Cedar River near the John Deere Foundry.

The corn is mostly in now. Next up will be the finishing up on the bean planting.

The first mile and a half out of Waterloo is chip seal on Burton Avenue so at this point I am feeling confident. I was climbing and the legs were feeling okay, I guess. I take forever to 'warm up" to riding at times so I never know how exactly things will be on a ride, sometimes for the first half an hour or more. 

That creamy colored gravel is fresh, deep, and very loose. I rode in the margin next to the ditch!

This is a view from.... Well, you can read the sign for yourself!

I rolled off the chip seal and suddenly the bike was dancing underneath me and wanting to swap ends. Fresh gravel! Really fresh gravel! It must have been laid down that very morning. There were no car tire tracks on it yet. This wasn't what I was expecting at all! 

Fortunately there was about a foot to two feet wide space next to the ditch's edge which had not been covered with the fresh, cream-colored gravel. I stuck to this tiny ribbon which sometimes would disappear under fresh gravel to come out again several yards later. And remember, this is a mostly uphill stretch.

 

The chunk persisted all the way up past Mt Vernon Road and I was feeling not so great. I stopped to reconsider my grandiose idea for a big ride and swallowed my pride. Remounting, I decided to head one more mile North and then head East on Bennington Road.

The roads were really dry heading East. I was back on older gravel, so it did not have the moisture in it like the fresh rock had. The few vehicles I saw were really kicking up some big clouds of dust. Farm implements were as well. Not a good sign with a stretch of little to no rain in the forecast here.

Wait....What?! I haven't noticed this before!

It looks as though they've done some grass seeding at the old one-room school house.

I decided to ride as far as Sage Road. The intersection with Sage Road and Bennington Road is where Bennington Township Schoolhouse Number 2 is at. This relic of Iowa's past was almost lost when it fell out of service and was being used by a local farmer to store hay in. Finally some locals decided to restore it and now it stands as one of the two remaining country school houses in Black Hawk County and the only one on its original site.

Freshly planted fields were everywhere.

Sage Road was not laid over with fresh rock yet so it was quite nice coming back South. The dust was awful though, and the Noble got a good coating of it!

I stopped at the Big Rock and took a quick break, then I headed back to Waterloo, glad to have not put myself through the wringer. It was a 'just right" ride on a "just right" day. These do not come around all that often, so I was glad I was able to take advantage of this chance. 

Weekly Top Five

  Welcome to the weekly Top Five" showing links to five of the week's most read articles on the blog.
Sometimes those will be current posts, but sometimes not. I will also post commentary with perspective on some of the older posts, and try to give some context as to why I wrote what I wrote then, which may not reflect what I'd say in 2025. With all of the above said, here is this week's list.

 Wide Tires On Gravel: An Overview, May 6th, 2025 - The series opener tops this week's Top Five most read posts for this week. 

WW4M: Trek Circuit Helmet, May 5th, 2025 - The previous day's post to the above checks in at Number Two. 

Friday News And Views, May 9th, 2025 - A perennial top post every week. This week's FN&V checks in at Number Three on the list. 

Wide Tires On Gravel: Why and Why Not, May 7th, 2025 - Another from the series which will pick back up this week. 

Reflections On Twenty Years Of Blogging, May 10th, 2025 - The first of two anniversary posts celebrating the start of my 20th year of blogging.

That is a wrap on this week's most popular posts. Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions.

Welcome To The Twentieth Year

 Welcome to the Freakshow that is Guitar Ted Productions! It is here that I will be at liberty to espouse my verbiage in an unbridled, yet entertaining fashion. I have previously been a guest on Jeff Kerkove's site, and I would like to thank him for his incredible generosity. Look for further upgrades to this site as they become technically possible for me to execute! 

_________________________________________________________________________________

What you just read above the line is my first post on May 11th, 2005. I actually posted twice on that day, and I received my first comments on this blog on the second post welcoming me to the blogosphere.  

By the way, today's header is based upon the last header Jeff Kerkove designed for this site and was the header which ran the longest. I think I used it until at least 2014, maybe longer. This anniversary edition variant, (modded by your's truly), will be there for the remainder of the week. 

The oldest image I have of the Karate Monkey I bought in 2003. This is from May 2005.

My second post from May 2011 was about my 29"er, probably the first one in this part of Iowa, which I put together about two years prior to this image. There are a couple of parts here which tell an interesting story.

I noticed there are Ergon grips on the bike. These would have been the original GP-1's which were given to everyone participating in the first Trans Iowa. The next thing I noted was the orangey stem, which represented a component color popular in the late 1990's. The stem is a Control Tech stem. The saddle is a short-lived WTB effort aimed at commuters. It was shorter and slimmer in profile than most saddles around at the time. I really liked it, but it must not have caught on.

That saddle was given to me at Frost Bike by a WTB rep to try out, a "big deal" at the time because I never had anything given to me to 'just try out' up until that point. This was without any possible way for me to review it, since when I received it I didn't have a blog!

Finally, the Nokon segmented housing. It did make the brakes work great, but it was expensive  and really fiddly to work with. Unless you enjoy stringing beads, I'd not recommend it.

Okay, back to the anniversary.... 

I really am not 'proud' nor do I feel some feeling of 'major accomplishment' as I cross over into having done this for twenty years using my two second fingers on each hand. I mean, I am such a terrible typist, I am really just amazed I fought through the typing difficulties, the technical hurdles, and setbacks which came along the way. I mean, I could have just quit at any time and would anyone care after a while?

So, I am amazed I've stuck to this for two decades more than anything else. I am humbled to have helped, inspired, or entertained along the way. Maybe I made someone mad and they never came back. Well, at least I inspired some passionate reactions from those folks! That is better than not having mattered at all.

As for the future, I always address this subject at the end of each year here on the blog. Suffice it to say that I will address the subject at the end of 2025. 

For now? Ride on!

Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Reflections On 20 Years of Blogging

 Public Service Announcement: I am entering the final day of this series of posts. May 11th, 2025 will mark the start of my 20th year of blogging here on "Guitar Ted Productions". There will be a special post for this tomorrow. 

I never thought I'd have my image emblazoned on a t-shirt.

Tomorrow marks the twentieth anniversary of this blog. As I close out this series of posts celebrating the stories of the past twenty years of blogging, I wanted to make a few points and thank a few people for helping me get here and for supporting me throughout all of this.

Thanks: Obviously, the success of this blog and the things which have come out of it are multitudinous and I am incapable of singling out every important person, company, or group which had a hand in this success and the benefits which I have enjoyed. So, I think it is safe to say if you are reading this, you are to be thanked. 

I know this may seem like a cop out, but twenty years is a long time and I would feel badly if I left anyone out of a "thank-you list". I'm sure many of those folks who are part of this blog's success probably wouldn't feel as though they needed any recognition anyway, such is the character of the folks I know. But you do deserve thanks, so please, accept my humble gesture here.

Many things happened to me as a result of the blog. Doing reviews, becoming a figure in both the early twenty nine inch wheeled mountain bike scene and in the gravel cycling scene. Getting to fly across this country from one end to the other to cover events. Meeting famous cycling personalities. Meeting top-tier athletes. Getting bicycles, gear, and more as gifts or from reviews. Meeting fans of the blog from all over. It has all been far more than I would have ever hoped or dreamed. In fact, I never imagined any of it. I didn't really think anyone would notice what I wrote, much less care about any of it. I guess Jeff Kerkove was right to think people would find what I wrote interesting. Had he not goaded me into this, you would not be reading this now.

Getting into a Hall of Fame wasn't on my "to-do" list in 2005.

I will also say I never wanted or expected anything from this blog. There was no plan, desire, or scheme to make money, get things, or to enjoy benefits. In fact, I don't make a dime off the blog - Never have. You'll also note that there has never been a sponsor, ad, or "click here" Google thingy ever on this blog. I'm not monetized here, and never will be. Yes....I am a bit proud of this.

I decided early on to do a daily blog. This was hard in the beginning, but now I find this is not a burden, although you might see it differently. I still enjoy writing things up, thinking about topic ideas, and the process of planning ahead for the blog. It is fun. I enjoy all of it yet. One day this may change. Obviously I won't be blogging forever. Things beyond my control may make the decision for me, but I hope to graciously bow out under my own terms at some point in the not too distant future. Is that a hint? No, it is a recognition of a reality which I can accept or have forced upon me.

But leaving this for another day, the past, my past, has been heavily influenced by this blog. Some of you dear readers can probably say you've also been influenced by what I have been doing here. I am eternally thankful for the mostly positive outcomes of this blog on people. This has been greatly satisfying to me.

I hope you enjoyed the looks back in this series. Tomorrow I will post the entire inaugural post of this blog with the original header in the post. The header tomorrow will be the modified header inspired by Jeff Kerkove's last effort for me which he placed on the blog around 2007 or so and was used until probably 2014 at the least, maybe a bit longer than that. I cannot recall!

Thanks, as always, for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Friday News And Views

Twenty Years Celebration:

If you've been reading here recently you are most likely aware that this weekend marks the 20th year anniversary of this blog. The actual date is May 11th, which is Sunday.

I've been celebrating each weekend with stories culled from this blog's past. I have been using headers from the past ten years to celebrate as well since earlier this year.

Tomorrow and Sunday will be special anniversary themed posts which will attempt to convey my feelings regarding this auspicious occasion! Ha! So, look for those posts to go up and then the look back will be concluded. I'm not sure what series will replace this, or even if there will be a series! One thing of note about this blog is that many times I have no idea which direction the blog will take until it rounds a corner.

The Latest On The Guitar Ted Podcast:

Last week N.Y. Roll and I recorded a conversation regarding a few different subjects. We really nerded out over geometry for gravel bikes. N.Y. Roll brought the geometry chart in for a 1989 Specialized Rock Combo, a drop bar 26"er MTB many regard as an example of the first "gravel bike". (By the way, and for the record, I do not regard the Rock Combo as anything but a 26"er MTB with drop bars.)

We comped this bike against a current Specialized gravel bike and found some interesting points to discuss. Then we moved on to discussing the tariffs and their impacts on the cycling scene.  There is more to listen to, so I won't spoil it all here. Listen to Episode 74 HERE.  

Episode #75 is recorded but I won't have it out until later this weekend. It's a great chat with Mike Marchand, former DK200 and Gravel Worlds champion. Mike was also a part of the first industry backed gravel racing team. We talked about early events on gravel which inspired events you made have heard of before. All that plus more in Episode #75 coming soon!

Is this a Sensah (Sentyeh) 14 speed rear derailleur? Image nicked off  the web

Moar Gears!

Long ago now, back when DynaSys 10 speed Shimano MTB drive train bits were introduced, I was able to go to Minneapolis, Minnesota for a super-rare Shimano tour/marketing event. At this event were several Shimano "Skunk" riders - Riders Shimano had retained as test riders for the product development.

I was told a LOT of eye-opening stuff while I was there. One Skunk rider told me Shimano had working prototype group sets in every gear range from 11 speed to 14 speed! At the time, I thought 14 speed was probably something I'd never see in my lifetime, but here we are.

While it isn't Shimano, (yet), this Chinese brand known as "Sensah" in the West has shown a 1 X 14 speed group, which is electronic, (natch!), at the recent Shanghai Bicycle Show. Images I've seen, shown on a You Tuber's channel I sometimes view, made the group set look pretty finished and consumer ready. In that same video it was mentioned that SRAM will likely be dropping a 2X13 road group set this Summer. (Didn't they just drop 12's?) 

Gear Wars? I guess... But it seems the march toward more cassette cogs is inevitable. Heck, I haven't moved off 11 speed yet!

Fiber Spokes:

Another 'trend' which seems to have legs now coming out of the Shanghai Bicycle Show are Aramid/polymer fiber spokes, like the BERD spokes I have mentioned here on the blog. Another alternative company making these now from China, called Goosyn, is pushing the idea big time at the show. Used mostly to absorb vibrations from gravel and rougher roads, these spokes are not seen as a road biking alternative, but are used on mountain bikes.

Traditionally BERD spokes have been something of a luxury item since they cost about $8.00 each. That's going to set your wheel price at a pretty premium level, even if you don't consider the carbon fiber rim. 

Now with this sort of push, it will be interesting to see if the competitive market between BERD and Goosyn might start to drive the prices down a bit. Obviously, with the chaos induced tariff situation, things might be a bit murky for the near future, but hopefully more affordable options will be presented because this idea really does work.

Image courtesy of Cannondale

New Cannondale Synapse: Road, All Roads, Or Gravel?

Maybe this bike is everything, eh? Check this thing out. Cannondale's new Synapse, which traditionally has been their "endurance road bike" for over a decade or more, is now a new design with a claimed 20% better ride quality than the outgoing model.

Most of the range is carbon, and eye-watering expensive. But there are reasonably priced models in the range like the one pictured here which is mechanical 105, 2X, with 50/34 gears up front and a 11 - 36T cassette. Pretty decent gearing for most places, and definitely gravel friendly. Oh, and all this for a very decent price of $3,999.00 USD.

But what about tire clearance, and what about the geometry? Well, Cannondale says you can stick a 43mm tire in the back and a 48mm wide tire up front and still have 4mm of clearance around the tires. Yep. That'll play on gravel. They also have pretty decent geometry, with my only nit being the bottom bracket drop is a bit conservative on the two largest sizes. With a hair steeper than 71° at the headtube, I'd say this will work just fine on gravel.

So, here's the deal: Why are we fooling around with anything else?  I mean, this is the all -around bike which most people should buy. Maybe add some utilitarian features to make it more practical, but this is more in the world I think we all wanted when "gravel" bikes were first talked about, at least on this blog. 

The Synapse is not trying to be the next "bro MTB thing", it isn't trying to be super-aero at the expense of versatility. Yes- it could be more practical. (Internally routed cables through the head tube? Yuck!), However; this bike speaks to me as where the whole gravel thing should be headed, especially in how Cannondale is marketing it. Good job here, C'dale! Now let's improve upon this ideal going forward.  

That's a wrap for this week. Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! get out there and ride those bicycles! 

Stans Exo-Core Valve Stems: Update 1

 NOTE: Stan's sent the Biobased Bike Care Products, Stan's Exo-Core valve stems, and Stans DART tool for review to Guitar Ted Productions at no charge. GTP is not being paid, nor bribed for this post and all opinions are Guitar Ted's.

In my last update on this review I told you how this unusual valve stem works and showed a pictorial view of the parts of this valve stem. If you missed the introduction, you can go back and review it HERE. 

In this post I will detail the installation of the valves and how they worked when pumping up two different tires tubeless. I also did a test ride and I plan on using this wheel set off and on throughout the riding season. I plan on doing a final conclusive review later on, but at the end of this post I will give my basic opinion on these valve stems so far. I do not expect to have any changes after riding these for a season, but just in case....

Installation: Since these valves are constructed so differently from anything else I've used, installation was a bit new to me. You may recall from the previous post on these valve stems that you can uncrew the upper portion of the valve to "open" the system to allow for air to be introduced to the tire. Well, as you might also recall, you can keep unscrewing this upper part and remove it, which takes the valve core out, leaving a larger bore stem for higher airflow.

I mention this as this upper portion of the Exo Core must be removed to install the valve stem through the rim valve stem hole. You can see this in my image below.

You will also notice the inner seat of the valve stem is a saddle shape. I suppose the inner rim well will dictate how to orient this elliptical shaped seat in a rim, but in this case you can see it was best oriented in the way you see it above.

The next step is obvious. The valve stem nut must be threaded on to secure the stem to the rim. This was easy, but there are two comments I have concerning the nut. First: It is, as stated in the previous post, a bit stiff to turn on its mating threads on the stem. Perhaps this was intentional. A sort of way to insure the nut does not rotate/vibrate loose, I would guess.

Secondly, and this is not aimed at just Stan's, as many company's stem nuts have this issue, the nut is too small a diameter to turn easily or get a grip on well enough to really get it snugged up firmly. But then again, this also may have been designed in so a person couldn't reef that nut on too tightly. At any rate, those are small negatives I have and are not really that big of a deal.

As you can also see, the inner portion of the valve does not stand too proud of the rim sides, so it is unlikely you might strike it while riding low pressure and hitting something pretty squarely. Of course, these stems are compatible with rim inserts should that be a concern.

Now at this point I could have mounted the tire, introduced sealant, and pumped up the tire with the core removed. But that would be too easy! No, I decided to put sealant in, put the core/top part of the stem on, and see if I could leverage just the bigger bore and different nozzle of the valve stem's end to get the tires to mount.

I used my SILCA Terra pump, which is a higher volume floor pump, and I have to say, this was the easiest tubeless tire installation I've ever done. It was honestly no different than pumping up a butyl tube. Really. I was impressed!

Note: The core's end does not touch you pump's head because it is shielded.

Another interesting thing I noted about the Exo Core stem is when it is opened up, the valve core is not exposed. This means that when you attach a pump head it does not depress the core plunger and release any air, Same goes for when you remove the pump head. So, in theory, you should be able to get more accurate air pressure settings.

So, using these valve stems would seem to be an advantage in a couple of ways. First, it seems to be a good, high-air flow stem, making stubborn tubeless set up combinations a little less stubborn, or, as in my case, really easy. Secondly, with a non-exposed valve core, you don't accidentally release air when you don't want to.

 I used two different tires, as previously stated. One is a notoriously stiff, and generally harder to set up Teravail Sparwood. The other was a big volume Teravail 29" X 2.3" Ehline. I mounted both on WTB Proterra wheels with a 23mm internal width.

Final Words - For Now: I like these valve stems. They are different, but in a way which makes them better than a traditional valve stem. My hope going forward is that they will not clog up easily with sealant. Otherwise I see no reason these stems would fail me going forward. But as they say, "You never know", so I will keep using them off and on throughout the riding season. If anything pops up which would be noteworthy, I'll report on it, but otherwise I feel these stems, while insanely expensive, do have some merits which are benefits other valve stems don't have.

I am annoyed by the stiffness of threading things on and off with these, but how often am I really going to be taking everything apart? Hopefully only if I want to disassemble the stems, not because I have to do this. Then the stiff threads are no big deal. The valve caps are a bit dorky, but maybe this is just something which offends my eyes and you may not mind them.

It is hard to knock these stems, at least at this point, besides the expense. You can get by for less, that is for sure, and in these times, I feel many won't want to spend the fifty-five bucks for a pair of these stems. I understand this. I can also totally see why these stems cost the amount they do because they are so different. There are no other stems made in this manner, although, I will say I think this design is superior to traditional tubeless valve stems. From this standpoint, they are worth the asking price.

Check in later this year for a final look at these stems, unless something happens which would warrant an update. 

Weekly Top Five

 Welcome to the weekly Top Five" showing links to five of the week's most read articles on the blog.
Sometimes those will be current posts, but sometimes not. I will also post commentary with perspective on some of the older posts, and try to give some context as to why I wrote what I wrote then, which may not reflect what I'd say in 2025. With all of the above said, here is this week's

Editor's Note: I forgot to do this last weekend so this is a mid-week Top Five! 

Friday News And Views, May 2nd, 2025 - The weekly edition for the end of April/beginning of May made the cut here. A surprise, if I am honest. 

Wide Tires On Gravel: An Overview- May 6th, 2025 - The first in a series ongoing. Tires. Always a big draw.

WW4M: Trek Circuit Helmet - May 5th, 2025 - My look at Trek's offering to the large melon-headed amongst us.

One That Got Away: May 3rd, 2025 - The story of a bicycle I became attached to which I could not keep.

The Six String Side: Boss IR-2 Amp & Cabinet Pedal: January 17th, 2024 - I don't often write about the musical/guitar side of Guitar Ted Productions, but this post is one of those times and by the constant appearance on the stats, a very popular post overall on this blog. Don't be surprised to see this one pop up on the Weekly list again.

Wide Tires On Gravel: Why and Why Not

Deeper, loose crushed rock demands a unique approach to tires. Image by Jon Duke

Welcome back to the series on why wider gravel tires may or may not be a good idea for you. In this post I will look at the "whys" of using wider tires and then I will get into why you may not want to use wider tires as well. Let's jump in....

When Wider Is Better: Let's get this out of the way right up front - Wider tires have been "a thing" for gravel riding in the past. This idea of using wider tires on looser terrain or rocky, bumpy terrain has been here for years. We discussed this a bit in our last podcast, but suffice it to say that if you hear anyone saying this is a "new trend in gravel" you can bet they haven't done their homework in terms of a historical viewpoint.

Now let's move on. It seems as though "gravel tires" were filling a niche between what was offered for road bikes and what was offered for mountain bikes in the mid - 2010's. Road tires were 'maxing out' at 28mm around this time, so anything from where cyclo cross lived up to 50mm wide was considered the territory of gravel bikes. And before you get on your keyboard to post a comment - yes, there were 50mm wide gravel tires several years ago. 

Otso Warakin as tested in 2017 This bike could take a 29"er tire.

There were bikes for wider gravel tires as well, so some of us have actually already been doing this wide tire thing for quite a while already. Using wider gravel tires or even XC 29"er tires in many cases, was fairly commonplace.

There a few reasons we gravitated to wider tires back then. One of the benefits to wider tires on gravel is the stability wider tires lend to the ride. This can help tremendously on roads where loose gravel, sandy gravel, or fine, deep dirt is prevalent. 

Another good reason to ride wider gravel tires is for increased vibration reduction. This is tire and tire pressure dependent though, so one has to work with the air pressure and tire chosen to arrive at a place where the tire starts to do work and absorbs vibrations without being a detriment to rolling. Too high on pressure and you are just pushing around a bigger tire. Too low and you will be wasting energy, or as the punters like to say, 'watts'.

Finally, you might be faster. Maybe.... A lot of things go into being fast, and most of those things are not tire related. However; if you are one who is going to benefit from marginal gains, you might actually be faster just because you use a wider tire. Now, maybe 1% of those reading this would benefit from this after exhausting all other avenues for getting faster, so for the rest of us, I wouldn't bank on being faster because you switched to wider tires. Maybe you will be, maybe not. I know I have a lot more to worry about than tire width when it comes to getting faster. (Putting down the snacks now....)

On the left: Teravail Ehline 29 X 2.3", Right: Teravail Sparwood 700 x 47mm Wheels: WTB Proterra i23

Gearing: This is something a lot of people are unaware of when it comes to swapping out to larger/wider tires. A wheel diameter, whatever this ends up being for any given tire/rim combination, is a part of your gearing. This concept has been lost over the past decades but it was a seriously debated point when high-wheelers, or penny farthings ruled the dirt roads.

The wheel's tread and overall wheel diameter together were responsible for your speed. Smaller wheels were easier to pedal, went up hills easier, but gave up speed to those larger diameter wheels. These bicycles were "direct-drive" - you pedaled the crank attached to the front axle with the rear trailing wheel there just to stabilize you.

When chain drive came along, a "same-sized" pair of wheels came into existence which has evolved over time to give us our 1 X 13, and 2X 12 cutting edge gravel group-sets of today. People think in terms of "low gear" and "high gear" on the cassette to comprehend if they will have enough speed or low enough gears. But they forgot the effects of a smaller or larger overall wheel diameter. It matters. Look at the image above. Those wheels are the same diameter, only the tires are different, and when you go wider on tires, you change the overall wheel diameter, and your gearing.

A lot of us mountain bikers went through this with the switch from 26"ers to 29"ers. The low gears weren't low enough anymore with larger diameter wheels. This is why gravel group sets have deeper gears than road bike group sets. The wheels are inherently going to affect your ability to climb and go fast. Now add a 29"er wheel, which is essentially what folks like Dylan Johnson in the Pro gravel ranks is doing, and suddenly you need a deeper low gear than you did with a 45mm wide rear tire.

Okay, that should be enough to chew on for today's post. Next time I will get into why you may or may not need a new bicycle to do this with, and what a bigger tire does to geometry and handling. Look for the next post in this series on Monday.

Wide Tires On Gravel: Overview

This bike has 29" X 2.8" tires. Too wide?

Recently gravel racing has seen a small trend towards using bigger, wider tires. Dylan Johnson is often used as the "poster child" for this trend, but it is obvious brands are buying in with many late model gravel bikes having the capability to fit 700 X 50mm tires and often wider

This is in vast contrast to only several years ago when "wide" gravel tires were 45mm and if you wanted wider than this you had to run 650B wheels and then you could get a 2.1" tire in the bike.

Now 650B for gravel is on life support and manufacturers are turning toward 29"er territory with width capabilities up to 29" X 2.1" in some cases. Some even wider. So, this begs the question: "Do you need a new bicycle which can handle wider tires?" Then you may also be thinking, "Why would I want wider tires in the first place? Aren't they heavier? Wouldn't they be less aero? On the other hand, you may think, "Well, aren't wider tires more comfortable, absorbing chatter better, and allowing me more control with less fatigue?"

I'm going to delve into all of this, and maybe more, in a mini-series starting this week. I'm going to go over all the benefits and al the negatives to wider tires. I'll be touching on why, or why not, you may want to not only use wider tires, but whether or not you really need a new bike to do this with. I'll also show you a bicycle I modified, why I did what I did, and how it affected handling and geometry.

So, stay tuned for the next post in this series, which will cover the reasons for wanting to use wider tires in the first place on gravel.

If you have any suggestions or questions about this subject, feel free to hit the comments section and let me know! Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

WW4M: Trek Circuit Helmet

Notice - The Bontrager branding is gone now...

 This is another "WW4M" post. That means "What Works For Me" and it may not work for you. So, take that with the following words into consideration.....

My time in cycling has "required" me to wear a cycling helmet on many occasions. This has brought me no end of trouble, discomforts, and frustrations. Why? Well, there are a few reasons for this, but mainly it all comes down to my ginormous, weirdly shaped head

I don't know who I have in my family's background to thank for this noggin anomaly, but my head is not only large in circumference, (63cm) , but elongated in a way which makes finding a helmet for cycling which fits next to impossible. That is, until I came across the Bontrager Starvos.

Back in 2020, there wasn't much good news, but for me personally, there was one bright spot of news which made my day. This was in the form of a press release from Trek ballyhooing their newest WaveCell helmet technology which was available in a few helmets in their range, including a new model, at the time, which promised to fit people with very large heads. I was ecstatic.

GT in the brand new Starvos in 2020.

A sample was sent out for test and review. Now, I was hopeful this helmet would work, but I was prepared to do things I have always had to do to helmets to make them fit me. Things like removing every shred of padding and Velcro strips. This would often make a helmet barely fit, and if I was fortunate, allow for a bandana to absorb sweat. Most of the time the helmets I used hit my head wrong right at the peak of my forehead and the middle/upper portion of the back of my head while side gaps large enough to stick a finger in between the helmet and my head would exist.

This caused pain, soreness, and a helmet which, in all likelihood, would probably not have worked all that great had I needed it too.  I was blessed to not have to put a helmet to the test with the exception of the time a pickup truck driver struck me on a Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational in 2014.

The surprise was that the Starvos actually not only fit, but at its maximum allowable adjustment, it was too big! You may not think this is a 'big deal', but realize this: I'd never had this option before. So, for myself, the Starvos was an amazing helmet option which I could use like most of you use a helmet. Plus I had a lid which was protecting me better than any helmet I had used previously due to all the modifications I used to have to make, which sometimes included Dremmeling away foam to make the helmet work! 

Trek/Bontrager then came out with the Circuit in the same sizing later on, and I also was able to get a hold of one of these helmets.  I got that helmet at the very end of 2021, but I did not start using it in earnest until Spring 2022. The Circuit fit similarly to the Starvos, and this offering was lighter, more aero, and breathed better. Once again, I was elated to finally have helmets to choose from which had high end features and actually fit me.

So, obviously helmets do not last forever and five years is a long time to hang on to a helmet. The Starvos was ready for retirement. The Circuit was not long for this world either. So, I looked and the Circuit is still out there in the XL size. Now without Bontrager branding, which Trek seems to be phasing out now. (Keith Bontrager recently retired, which probably has something to do with this)

So anyway, I got a new Circuit helmet, paid $160.00 bucks, and I look forward to having great head protection for years to come. If you have a big head, (Mine is size 7 7/8ths), then check out these helmets from Trek. They will fit a head bigger than mine, and they have high-end features, which I cannot say for any other helmet offering, maybe ever!  

Update: A great comment by a blog reader "Nooge" was posted on this article and I did not mention the feature of the Circuit helmet which he kindly pointed out. So, following is his full comment here:

" I really like the Circuit helmet for a different reason: the integration with Bontrager/Trek lights. You’re probably aware, but for anyone else reading this, the black plastic pieces in that first photo are magnetic mounts for their lights that are excellent “be seen” lights that flash really bright in the day.

I love having the helmet mounted lights because they are up high and really grab driver’s attention, plus they aim wherever I look. It’s really useful to prevent cars from hitting me from the side because I can look in their direction and the super bright flash makes them notice me. I believe it also causes them to be a bit more cautious because it’s harder to judge distance to an unsteady flashing rather than steady flashing light."

Blogging Through It

 Public Service Announcement: I am entering the final days of this series of posts. May 11th, 2025 will mark the start of my 20th year of blogging here on "Guitar Ted Productions". There will be a special post for this upcoming, but for now, please enjoy another look back at this topic from the days gone by on G-Ted Productions.

 May was always a time when I would give about a week-long Trans Iowa recap while behind the scenes I was recovering from a physical and emotional beat-down. I know it is perhaps hard for anyone to understand, but this was always a very difficult month starting out after a Trans Iowa.

Usually by the time the whole story of the latest Trans Iowa had been posted I was back on the bicycle in some form. But working at a bicycle shop gave no quarter at this time of the year. So, I tried to ignore all that and just ride, blogging through all of that, and do review work which I'd write about as well.

Then Trans Iowa ended and I felt a big hole in my life and in my writing staring me down. Writing the "Trans Iowa Stories" series helped somewhat. But then we had the pandemic and well..... That was something, wasn't it?

Image courtesy of Twin Six

I don't think I've ever blogged through something like the pandemic before it happened and I probably never will again. Those were strange days and while it was happening I did not know what I might end up writing about.

However; it seemed I had all kinds of things to do in terms of writing, and review opportunities sprang up when I figured there would be an end to that for a while considering all the shortages in the industry.

I even bought a new frame and fork. Well, to be honest, lots of people were doing the same thing. But I managed to get this Twin Six Standard Rando v2 just early enough that I was able to buy enough parts for it, pinch others in my stash for the build, and get it up and running as a single speed.

In a twist of irony, my employer at the time, Andy, was buying one of these bikes as well, and was planning a single speed set up. I, on the other hand, was planning a geared set up using SRAM Rival parts. Well, after one thing and then another, we changed our minds. We ended up buying parts from each other and swapping build ideas. Andy did a geared set up while I went single speed.

Once the Stormchaser single speed review bike went back to Salsa Cycles in late Spring, I had dreams of getting a dedicated gravel single speed. While the Rando can only handle maybe 45mm tires on the right rims, it still turned out to be a really nice single speed. The bike figured heavily in my riding then until later in the Summer when I moved almost exclusively to my Noble Bikes GX5. And that due to my "quest" to finish out riding every gravel road and dirt road in Black Hawk County, which I managed to do.

So, May turned out to be a month of hope and excitement in 2020, all in the face of uncertain times.

One That Got Away

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

Public Service Announcement: I am entering the final weeks of this series of posts. May 11th, 2025 will mark the start of my 20th year of blogging here on "Guitar Ted Productions". There will be a special post for this upcoming, but for now, please enjoy another look back at this topic from the days gone by on G-Ted Productions. 

Salsa Cycles Stormchaser in its debut color and configuration

I'm sure that if you are a seasoned cyclist there is probably a bicycle in your past which was "one that got away". A bicycle which, for whatever reasons, was one you sold, had stolen, or lost for a reason which you wish you had back again.

Now, you may be romanticizing this old memory, and in reality, maybe that bicycle is not "all that", but maybe it was great. I don't know your story, but for me "that bike" is the original Salsa Cycles Stormchaser which, ironically, was never "mine". It was a review bicycle for RidingGravel.com.

Of course, this was during the early, dark days of the pandemic, and I admit, this may have had something to do with my feelings toward the bike. The Stormchaser was my companion for many lonely gravel grinders that Spring. Rides where I was contemplating all the madness and trying to find peace for my mind and soul. The quiet Black Hawk County countryside helped with this. The Stormchaser was the vehicle which transported me there.

Of course, the Stormchaser was not perfect. Its brutal front fork gave no quarter. The aluminum frame was not the steel feel I prefer in a ride. I probably would have modded the thing to death had Salsa Cycles let me keep the bike. But that shiny, new-penny hue, the simple lines of the bike, and its single-speed purpose were very fetching. I liked the way the bike looked a lot.

I did end up stuffing 50mm tires into the frame and this helped the front end be smoother and not so unforgiving. I likely would have kept the big tires on this bike with a Redshift Sports ShockStop stem and had been just fine.

But......it wasn't meant to be. Salsa Cycles wanted the bike back, and at the time, I could easily see why. Bicycles were in super-short supply. The shop I was working at couldn't get anymore new bikes, and even bicycle staples like tubes and bar tape were non-existent in warehouses all across the country. I imagine the Stormchaser I tested ended up under some customer who had ordered one which Salsa couldn't get from overseas from its supplier. So, yeah....

And it isn't as though I don't have cool, fun to ride bicycles anyway. But in another world, where there was not a pandemic induced shortage, maybe the Stormchaser would have been available to me to keep. I don't know. If this were the case, it is very likely  that I would have not purchased the Twin Six Standard Rando v2 or had the Honeman Flyer built. So, maybe things worked out the way they should have anyway.

And in the end, I have memories and stories on this blog from a time I don't think we want to repeat, ever. But memories of the Stormchaser and my contemplative, peaceful 2020 rides will always bring a smile to my face. I think this is okay, and thanks to Salsa Cycles for even giving me the chance to try this out at a time when they really did not have any reason to allow me to enjoy such a bike. So again, thanks Salsa Cycles! I still am very appreciative of that opportunity.

And that's "the one that got away" story for me. What is yours?

Friday News And Views

Gravel Worlds Foundation Announces "Aloha Gravel" Event In Hawaii:

Yesterday the Gravel Worlds Foundation, a new, non-profit arm of Gravel Worlds, announced a benefit ride in Hawaii called "Aloha Gravel" Benefitting the Imua Family Services, an organization committed to the critical support to children and families across Maui County (Islands of Maui, Lanai, and Molokai), the event will send all profits to help out with their cause.

The event itself will consist of a 9 mile gravel and single track loop which riders are encouraged to ride as many laps as possible on within the six and a half hour time limitation. The event will happen at  Kappalua, Maui, Hawaii. One week after this event a Gran Fondo will be held which riders are encouraged to stay for as well. For more details see https://www.alohagravel.com/
 

Tariffs, Supplies, And Pricing News:

Recent upheavals with importing products into the USA due to tariff policies have started to wreak havoc on the bicycle industry. Coupled with sales which are not  taking off as well as hoped for the start of the 2025 cycling season here and it appears that there are going to be several issues forthcoming for cyclists.

First up, I am still seeing several sales with BIG discounts on certain bicycles.  Locally shops are offering up to 50% off on certain bicycles which is unheard of in past years. Accessories in the clothing segment are all really deeply discounted in many cases. Then on the other hand, certain bicycles and gear is non-existent and if you can find it, the price has been jacked up due to reactions to tariff pricing. (I just saw a confidential communique from a major brand indicating an average 9% price hike across its range)

Some reports in the industry indicate many suppliers are not going to import any new inventory until things get sorted out, or until tariffs are dropped. This may induce some shortages and definitely will drive up prices if demand is there. One industry organization, People For Bikes, is claiming the situation faced by companies is going to induce layoffs and perhaps even shutdowns, as was the case with Revel Bikes out of Colorado recently.

All in all, it looks to be a bumpy ride for cyclists for the remainder of 2025. 

Update On Pre-2013 Events List:

A few days ago, I wrote about which events in gravel grinding history were the seminal, genre-defining events. These events were either prototypical, and influenced later gravel events, or they were events which personified what "grassroots gravel" means.

I chose the pre-2013 date as, to my mind, this was when we left the "pioneering - discovery" phase of gravel riding and sport, and then we moved into the era where the cycling industry and professionalism began to take root as major influencers of the gravel scene. I wrote a breakdown/timeline of gravel history previously HERE. 

Since the post went up a few days ago I have received a lot of feedback on the post comments, via messenger texts, and email. I wanted to list some of those events here so you all know where the list stands at the moment. Note: I am not going to list 'the obvious events', just the ones which are outside the "normal" lists one might expect to see concerning this topic.

• Blackfly Challenge
• Odin's Revenge (LOTS of feedback was given on this one!)
• Flint Hills Death Ride (Organizer of the FHDR, John Hobbs, is a 2025 inductee to the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame)
• Renegade Gent's Race
• Heck of the North
• Ride to Paradise - A Kansas ride started by Erin Bogan Renard in 2003 from her ranch just North of Russell Kansas to Paradise Kansas and back again. Influential event to the Wicked Wilson gravel event. (Thanks to Mike Marchand for the tip!)
  

So far, this is an interesting list. I know there are more events we are missing, but I can scour my old events list on Gravel Grinder News and find some more gems. I'm thinking of events like Melting Mann in Michigan and maybe some Northeast events like those traditionally held in vermont. But if you have suggestions, keep those coming.

And with a sparse news week, that should do it for this week's FN&V. Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions, and get out and ride those bicycles!

Tree In The Road Ride: Route Update

Hey everyone! It's another "Tree In The Road Ride" update. (Last update HERE) This is getting to be a weekly thing here, but I figured the more you know, the better decisions you can make. This time I have a route option presented by none other than Sarah Cooper, a former Trans Iowa veteran, winner of the event, and now one of the race directors for Iowa Wind and Rock. She has ridden tons of miles in this area, so she looked at the route and made a few suggestions. Nothing against the original route, but a "local" viewpoint is always welcome and I figured Sarah would have some cool additions to suggest, and I was not disappointed.

First, she pointed out a couple of points around the Tree In The Road. Just before we would get to the namesake of this ride there is a set of old steps where a church once stood which Sarah felt is noteworthy and a good place for photos ops. She then pointed out the Level B dirt to the West can be avoided if it is rainy by heading straight North from the Tree which would cut off a few miles of the route but steers you around possibly having to do a hike-a-bike if it is wet.

We might be crossing this old iron and plank bridge if it stays dry.

Sarah also has us going a bit further East and catching a wooded area with a water refill opportunity from a well in the Littlefield Recreation Area.

Another suggestion comes when the route reaches Audubon, where "Albert The Bull" is. Sarah mentioned there is a cool stained glass clock. Sarah said it's a bit out of the way but that, " You can’t go all the way to Audubon and not see that."So, we may have to "go see that".

Sarah suggested keeping the bike path for its shaded areas and flatter, mostly downhill, profile. She told me "..the hills are legit.", so when an experienced rider and race director says something like this, you'd better listen. The bike path at the end is along a highway for several miles, and not well maintained, (you can see cracks filled with grass on Google Earth!), but big hills at the beginning and cruising bike path at the end sounds okay. Sarah told me to keep expectations for this path low and we won't be disappointed. 

Sarah's route adds nine extra miles, so that will bring the total up to just a hair over 72 miles. I don't think this is objectionable, but let me know if this would put you off from coming. Otherwise I am leaning toward doing Sarah's modifications to Rob's original route.

On another note, it looks like N.Y. Roll and I are planning to camp the night before this event so we do not have to get up at 'dark-thirty' to drive 3+ hours to get to the start. We also planned on sticking around later, after the ride. We will likely get a motel for a Saturday night stay. So, an after-the-ride hang is definitely in the cards.

I'll have more fine details to share soon. Stay tuned....