A Dry Spell, You Say?

 This has been a crazy August so far. Ever since we have put the Ride For Jacob behind us it has either been so hot it was not a good decision to ride out in the country, or it was raining. 

I was talking with N.Y. Roll the other day and we were trying to think if there was a dry day last week. We couldn't come up with anything. Sunday it did not rain, Saturday it also did not rain, but it was so humid everything stayed wet. And well......it was misty. Does that count?

So now we are coming out of this rainy pattern, finally, although it rained again this morning here briefly. The thing is, I just need it to quit, especially on days I have open to ride. I've got a lot of things I'm behind on, and Fall is coming quickly.  

Here's hoping the weather has been better wherever you live. I know, things could be far worse. Excessive rain is one thing, hurricanes and record shattering flooding is quite another. So, I know..... I'm doing well and I'm grateful, it is just hard on a person who lives to ride to not to be able to do so. Weather issues? This will pass. 

Some folks are facing far greater issues. Shout out to my brother MG. I'm praying for ya, Brother. And I know there are others facing big hurdles to riding as well. 

Keep moving forward.

Redshift Sports Quickdraw Saddle Bag: Review

Note: Redshift Sports sent over two Quickdraw Saddle Bags for test and review to Guitar Ted at no charge. Guitar Ted is not being paid, nor bribed for this review. All opinions are Guitar Ted's. 

Saddle bags, tool rolls, or seat packs. These accessory items go by various names depending upon who you speak to. The theme here is a bag, made from sturdy fabric, usually, which straps under a saddle. This bag can hold things like a spare tube, tools, or more if they are large. 

I don't know......there must be ten million variations on this theme out there. Anyone who has done any time cycling has seen one of these. You have to wonder, what could possibly be done to improve upon this idea? 

Well, leave it to the smart folks at Redshift Sports, who seem to keep cranking out new ideas, to come up with a twist on the old idea. Introducing the Quickdraw Saddle Bag. 

What It Is: Redshift calls this a saddle bag. I think it is almost a tool roll. Hmm.... Anyway, their take on this classic design is to make the space minimalist, and to attach it in a very unique way. The bag itself is rectangular in shape. I received both the Small and Medium sizes. Right now, this is all that is available. These measure approximately as such: 

Medium: 

Weight: 79gm bag only*

Length/Width/Depth: 125mm x 85mm x 55mm

Price: $69.99 USD ($99.99 CAD, £64.99 GBP, €74.99 EUR,$114.99 AUD)

Small:

Weight: 72 gm bag only*

Length/Width/Depth: 130mm x 85mm x 50mm 

Price:  $69.99 USD ($99.99 CAD, £64.99 GBP, €74.99 EUR,$114.99 AUD)

Other: Extra Strap/clips available for $19.99 USD ($29.99 CAD, £19.99 GBP, €24.99 EUR, $34.99 AUD) Lifetime warranty and 90 day risk-free trial. www.redshiftsports.com/products/quickdraw-saddle-bag

*Note: These are my measurements and may not reflect what you see for examples in your hands.The strap and saddle rail clip adds about 35 grams.

Okay, so these two sizes of the Quickdeaw Saddle Bag don't seem that different on paper, but in reality, they are very different, as far as what you can expect to carry inside of them.  

Speaking of the inside, you have a nice sealed zipper with a pull which has a shrink tube over cording that makes for a nice zipper pull. Now we get to one difference from most saddle bags. This bag opens "suitcase style". So the zipper goes around three sides and the bag opens up with a "lid" portion and a "body" portion. Inside you'll see some red lining, a nice contrasting color to most things you will carry, and an extra Neoprene black colored pouch/pocket in the "lid". 

The Quickdraw Saddle Bag is different in that it opens "suitcase" style. Note the inner pocket in the "lid". 

Both bags are not meant to be opened on the bike. So, just how does this bag come off? Well, now we're getting to the really interesting part. 

The Quickdraw Saddle Bag has a Neodymium magnet sewn on top of it and a matching magnet in the strap.  

 The Quickdraw Saddle Bag has a magnetic design. The magnets are what allows you to quickly take the bag on and off your bike. Thus the name. One magnet is sewn on top of the bag itself. The other is part of the strap design, which includes a saddle rail clip. This clip centers the magnet on the strap between the rails. Then the bag snaps into place the same way every time. The strap is the "insurance" that the bag stays put. What is more, the strap can be loosened just enough to remove the bag and when it is replaced, you can simply tighten the strap with a pull and the hook and loop material does what it does. 

A look at the saddle rail clips and strap with central magnetic "box" on an old Campy Aero seat post. 

 Features:

Here is a list of features and benefits from Redshift's press release: 

  Super Fast Access & Removal: Engineered for seamless one-handed operation, allowing you to hold your bike with one hand while removing or attaching the bag with the other.

•  Zero-Fuss Magnetic Mounting: An internal magnet holds the bag securely in place while you compress and lock it in place with the single main strap—no more tedious looping around saddle rails to reattach.
•  Multi-Bike Versatility: Purchase a second strap for another bike and seamlessly swap the Quickdraw bag between bikes.
•  Dropper & Suspension Seatpost Compatible: The bag mounts securely to the saddle rails alone and does not contact the seatpost, ensuring flawless operation on dropper posts and suspension seatposts.
•   Luggage-Style Opening: Unzip and open the bag like a book: you can access all your gear without the risk of it all falling out. The high-visibility interior lining makes it easy to see everything you have.
•  Smart Internal Storage: The bag features a dedicated interior neoprene pocket for your multi-tool or other items you want kept separate. 
•  Optimized for Every Discipline: Available in two sizes: small for road and narrow tire gravel and medium for MTB and wider tire gravel.

Impressions:

The bags are well made using abrasion resistant fabrics and there are reflective elements incorporated into the design as well for better nighttime visibility. The zippers are weatherproof and glide open and shut easily. 

Redshift designed the saddle rail clips to be secure and not so bulky or long that you cannot use the Quickdraw Saddle Bag. For instance, I have a bike set up with an SMP Pro saddle and to get my position correct, I have it slid forward on its rails quite a bit. This leaves little exposed rail in the back to attach most saddle bags. In some instances, a saddle bag would not work. 

Due to the design of the Quickdraw's saddle rail clamp, I was able to get the bag on this saddle. I thought this was impressive. If you typically run your saddle forward, and have had past difficulties finding a nice seat bag, the Quickdraw may be an answer for you.  

I would classify the Quickdraw as a minimalist bag. This is not the bag you are going to stuff with an extra windbreaker, a sandwich, and all your repair tools. This is much more akin to a flat repair type bag, although it can do a little more than this. I have ideas, which I will share later. 

Overall, the design is solid, and it looks classy. This bag is easily removed, and re-installed. A plus over many other bags and which lends it to being used in different ways. Redshift offers extra straps/saddle rail clip assemblies separately, so you can set your entire fleet up with straps and just transfer a single bag around as necessary. A smart way to go if you own and ride multiple bicycles. 

The Medium Quickdraw with some cargo installed

 How I Used The Quickdraw Saddle Bag:

I grabbed some tubes and multi-tools, with a tire lever for each bag, and used the Quickdraw as a flat repair kit to get the test rolling. Strapping on one Quickdraw to my Raleigh Tamland Two and the other to my Singular Cycles Peregrine Mk4, I was ready to test. While I could have tried other cargo, I always do this basic test with bags. Once while testing a tool roll I had set up with some of my prized, on-the-bike repair items, I lost the entire tool roll on a ride due to a flaw in the bag's design. So..... once bitten, twice shy!

My Singular Cycles Peregrine Mk4 on the morning of a metric century. The Quickdraw looks right on point here. 

 Ride Impressions:

Of course, the two main functions of any bag on a bicycle is to (a) not fall off, and (b) hold your stuff without breaking. look good, and not be a nuisance while riding. (Okay, I stuffed a couple of extras in there!)  

The Quickdraw Saddlebag does all this and more. No rattles, nothing to even indicate it is on the bike, which is a good thing. I rode a metric gravel century, many multi-surface rides, and did some rougher stuff just to make sure the strap and magnet would hold up. It all works just fine. I really see no reason at all to doubt the integrity of this product.  

My only negative thing I found was that these bags, while weather resistant, are not waterproof. I conducted a rain test, since it was so rainy here recently. The material the bag is made from wetted out after an hour sitting in a moderate rain. Your cargo will get wet on a longer, rainy, wet ride. So, just be aware of that if you carry steel tools or anything which might get damaged by wetness in the Quickdraw.  

The Quickdraw Saddle Bag on my Raleigh Tamland Two

Overall Thoughts:

In the future, I probably wouldn't use the Quickdraw Saddle Bag as a tool kit, Here's why: Because it is easily removable. This got me to considering something during the metric century ride I did. 

Many of the rides I enjoy involve stopping with friends at convenience stores, coffee shops, or bakeries. Fiddling with cash, cards, and receipts can be a hassle when you are in a hurry to get through a checkout. Scooping up your booty is chaos at times. And where do you stuff this on your bike?. Your jersey pockets? They get sweaty. No good. 

I'd thought about using the Quickdraw as my "wallet". A place to store my card, money, receipts, and extra camera batteries, or personal items. The bag is so easily taken off and replaced on your bike you can use the Quickdraw in this manner. This is not the case with most other seat packs. The suitcase style opening makes seeing what is in there a breeze. This also prevents stuff from inside falling out on the ground. Plus, and most importantly, the strap stays on the bike. So the bag is essentially like a mini-purse, in a way. I don't mind saying I quite like this idea. 

I also thought this bag would be great little organizer inside a larger bag. Say you want to have personal items, or smaller repair spares separated within a larger bag with no inner pockets. This Quickdraw bag could be a way to quickly access those items without digging through a bunch of stuff floating around inside a bigger bag. 

Of course, if you want to stuff the Quickdraw bag with tools, TPU tubes, or a bottle of chain lube, that is appropriate and smart as well. One thing I will note here is that the ever more popular mini-compressors may not fit this bag, and if they do, it would be all you'd get in there, I think. I found a few which, if the dimensions are correct, would fit, but these would leave little room for anything beside the compressor. 

 Final Thoughts:

Not all bags work for everyone, and this is why we have different bags. The Redshift folks took a stab at the minimalist seat pack, and came away with something which is truly unique, and actually makes sense. 

This is not an easy thing to accomplish after decades of saddle bag designs which have flooded the market. Looking at it this way,  Redshift Sports has impressed me and I appreciate this bag range from that standpoint. 

But besides the smart design, it is a well made and easily used product. If the Quickdraw Saddlebag fits what you need from an on-bike storage solution, then I cannot think of anything I could recommend above this bag. Yes, I do like other bags for different reasons, but because this bag works in the manner it does, I feel it has versatility other seat packs simply do not possess. 

Also, the Quickdraw bags seems to be well made, durable, and they look great on the bike. I can recommend this bag as a minimalist tool bag, or as a way to carry important smaller items with you on and off the bicycle. However you decide to employ the Quickdraw Saddle Bag, I don't think you'll be disappointed. 

Observations

Stan's products recently reviewed here.

 I was considering how 2026 has been a little quiet in terms of new products recently. While I am far from being "in-tune" with the latest goings on with the bicycle industry, it is not hard to see the void in news over the Summer. 

This has been reflected in reviews I've seen and in terms of reviews I've been asked to do as well. There just seems to be a quiet all along the cycling continuum in terms of releases and innovations. 

I think there are some obvious reasons for this. The economy being one. Lack of buyer enthusiasm another. But I think there is one hidden driver in this which many of you may have not considered. 

In terms of marketing, the cycling industry gets a lot of criticism from its audience. While it may seem the marketing departments at cycling brands and the independent market firms have too much weight in terms of what we get to choose from, this industry pales in comparison to most others. 

Automotive has a huge, over-arching impact on not only its market, but on entire economies. Consumer electronics dwarfs the impact of cycling brands.The amounts of money being slung around by those marketing departments would make cycling brand budgets look silly. 

I point this out because any dip in marketing, research and development, or investments in the cycling industry have far more impact on the market in terms of percentages compared to the massive amounts of money being thrown around in other industries. We feel this in subtle ways. One of those ways is in terms of new product introductions. 

In 2011, the cycling industry decided for you that 650B MTB was going to be the "enduro bike" standard. So out with 26" wheels, forget about 29"ers - those wheels would never work in a long travel application - and get ready for 27.5"ers! So much horsepower was diverted toward this movement that, as a reviewer of all things 29"er at the time, I felt immediate impact. 

Ad dollars for the 29"er site dried up. Test bikes and 29"er specific stuff was rare to get our hands on. We almost shuttered the deal in 2012 it was so bad. But then the tide turned again, and 29"ers began to overtake 650B in the enduro field, and elsewhere, so the site soldiered on for a few more years.  

That example is what is happening now, it's just that the categories are different now. Gravel racing, e-MTB, and now 32"ers, are where you are seeing the money being directed toward these days. Cycling categories outside of this aren't getting much attention, unless you want to lump in the pseudo-gravel bikes called "endurance bikes" into this mix. It's still about Gravel™, so whatever. 

This combined with the economic stresses we are weathering is really putting a cap on newer innovations, introductions, and the reviews and news which follows that. 

Deconstruction: Part 1

Well, since I've been getting rained out here I figured I may as well get cracking on with the new wheel build for the Fargo Gen I. "New" as in a new assemblage of older parts I have. The spokes and nipples may be the only new thing I use. 

The rims will be the venerable Bontrager Duster rims. These were off the Trek Sawyer I once had. The hubs will be the old Chris King hubs, the very same hub set I used over a decade ago during the "Mud Year" of 2015 at the DK200. 

The plan will be to do the "Guitar Ted Special" build, which is black spokes on one side, silver on the other, with one wheel having a reverse arrangement from the other. Black spokes will get silver nipples and silver spokes will get black nipples. I know, it sounds weird, but it looks rad - to my eyes - and I have a few wheel sets already built up using this scheme. 

Other details will include removal of the stickers on the rims, getting the hubs checked out inside, and re-using the Bontrager TLR rim strips. Bontrager TLR Rim strips? Yes..... I'll show you. 

But first, I had to begin things by blowing apart the old wheels. Let the deconstruction commence!

Dismounting the Extraterrestrials was no small task. This was due mostly to the TLR rim strip. Dislodging the bead of the tire from the bead channel molded into the TLR rim strip is a chore. Good thing if you flat while riding because it is unlikely the TLR rim strip will let your tire go. Bad if you want to actually remove a tire. 

So, to dislodge the bead from the TLR bead channel, I devised a tool from a Pedros tire lever. The purpose of this was to push the bead over the inner part of the bead channel and into the rim well. It worked! Good thing because I could not roll it off with my hands at all. 

After this, you'd think things would get easier. Nope! Next you have to remove the TLR rim strip to reveal the spoke holes and nipples. You want to do this very carefully. The reason being is that the edges of the rim strip are delicate and it is easy to damage the molded strip. I was able to get it out okay. 

Then all I needed to do was start cleaning things up and move on to the next wheel. But I won't get into all of that here. The next update will show you the rims cleaned up and what my spokes will be for the build. After this, I need to verify the condition of the rear King hub, in particular, and build up the wheels, of course. 

The TLR rim strip in situ.

 

Here the TLR rim strip is removed.

One more thing about the system. This was the first, good tubeless rim system ever made. Everything fit together like puzzle pices, but you were locked into Bontrager stuff. Maybe not necessarily in regard to tires, but the rim, rim strip, and valve were all proprietary technology. Brilliant in design though, and it worked perfect most every time. 

No tape to fail, tires were held securely, and things were serviceable. It's too bad it wasn't an industry wide standard, really. Anyway.... 

Stay tuned. 

CORE-Wet

Today CORE4 is supposedly happening. (Note- I wrote this post up before Saturday, so if it was postponed/cancelled, I didn't know about it yet)

Rain has plagued Iowa, and especially the center section of the state from East to West, all week long with flash flood emergencies being issued by the National Weather Service. Rain came down hard on the course Friday morning and overnight as well. 

I spoke with N.Y. Roll on Friday 'fore-noon' and he mentioned the courses for wet weather were all in effect except the Pro 120. Furthermore, parking at the venue is now banned and has been moved approximately three miles away to a paved lot area. There will be shuttles available for volunteers, spectators, and runners, but cyclists will have to ride that three-ish miles to the start and back again to the lot. I'm going to assume Pros will have rides provided by team members or sponsors. 

It promises to be chaotic, stressful, and possibly quite the adventure. As a former event promoter, I know all to well about last minute weather intrusions and having to adjust accordingly. I have also ridden in events which were modified by weather. So, I've experienced both sides. 

My hope is the attendees have some grace with the promoters. Getting the event in some way is going to be their top priority balanced with rider safety. It is NOT an easy thing to do. It IS easy to get on your digital soapbox afterward and complain bitterly about how "this or that" sucked and should have been done in a different way. (Although most folks never offer any real, applicable solutions)

Well, we shall see what happens soon enough. Maybe N.Y. Roll with have an eyewitness report if he decides to go take this event on after all. 

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Trek Bicycles.

Mazda Becomes Official Vehicle Of Trek Off-Road Teams In North America:

On Tuesday a press release went out declaring the Mazda has become the Official Vehicle of Trek North American Off-Road Teams and events. 

Mazda will provide the CX-50 model to Trek in a "multi-year" deal. These vehicles will appear at North American XC MTB events, DH events, and at select gravel events under the "DRFTLSS" moniker. (DRFTLSS example shown) 

Comments: Old timers will recall the Trek VW MTB Team and how they were a staple of the NORBA scene in the mid to late 90's. There were some Trek VW mountain bike models made and sold at dealers, but no such plan has been revealed for this new partnership with Mazda. 

Yeah.....gravel events have come a long, long way. Team cars at gravel events? With big time sponsorship from a worldwide automaker? Crazy.....  I just shake my head in wonder.

Then there is this current trend to avoid vowels. I'm going to say it - I don't like it. I know...... Maybe I'm a fuddy-duddy, but spelling is important to me. At least it seems the terms "groadie" and "groad" have quietly been retired. Those were just plain stupid. I always despised those two terms.

Image courtesy of Trek Bicycles

 You're Almost There!

The "endurance" geometry road bikes have been creeping into "gravel bike" territory for the last couple of years. On Thursday Trek released the fifth generation of the Domane. It is another step closer to where I thought road bikes for the average folks should be at back in 2010. 

Featuring the new frame and fork which has retired the use of IsoSpeed (thankfully!), Trek has otherwise designed in a compliant seat post, (A ROUND seat post? gasp!) and given the bike clearance for tires up to 40mm. The geometry is pretty much "first generation" gravel bike geo, and hilariously, they ditched the down tube storage to lighten the frame. (Take that N.Y. Roll!)  

There are several models to choose from starting at about 8K and going up from there. 

Comments: First of all, Trek's website navigation is a disaster. It seems overly-complex and offensive in its barrage of visual information. Maybe that's just me, but I've seen far easier sites to look at. That much I do know.... 

Okay, the bikes! Well, I find it very interesting that, ten years ago, this would have been a top tier gravel bike without question. Checking into some details, there is even a frame bag mount and a custom fitted bag available for this Domane along with a top tube bag. Fully kitted out, a new Gen 5 Domane would slip right into any current gravel event and no one would bat an eyelash.  

There is a white paper page which goes into all the nerdy details of the ditching of IsoSpeed. I found it fascinating to read that Trek credits tire volumes and disc brakes as things which have negated the need for decoupling their frames. They credit flexing seat posts as a benefit as well as their trotting out the old saw of "vertical compliance and lateral stiffness". (HA!) 

I'm glad Trek figured it out, (finally), but they need to go just a little further with this. Give me clearance for 42/43mm tires, (or 45mm, since the tire folks have kinda landed on a 40-45-50 scheme), and slacken that head angle a half degree or so and we're there. Domane AllRoad, I'd call it. Oh! And maybe not make the entry level bike so dang expensive (carbon), 8K is nuts.  

 

Accell Group Declared Bankrupt By Dutch Court:

In news from the bicycle industry, it was revealed on Wednesday that a Dutch court had declared Accell Group and its brands bankrupt. This is an escalation from the previous designation by the courts which would have provided a means of restructuring the company. 

Accell Group owns the brands Raleigh, Lapierre, Ghost, Haibike, and others. The status of these subsidiaries is  complex due to the multi-national situation. Lapierre, for instance, is seeking to find its way independently, but the success of this move has yet to be determined. 

You can see more details in the story posted on "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" 

Comments: This seemed to me to be the most probable end-game for Accell, who have struggled mightily since the pandemic. It would be easy to blame that time for this news, but I feel Accell's problems started well before this. 

Now.....this is just my opinion, but as I was working at a Raleigh dealer in the USA in the 2010's, I can say that Raleigh was at their pinnacle of potential here in 2014. In that year Raleigh introduced the Tamland range. It was one of the very first, purpose-designed bicycles for gravel. It also sold very well. Raleigh could have made a big dent in the gravel market. 

However; shortly afterward, Raleigh started a consumer direct model of selling bicycles, which Raleigh's US based dealer network was not happy about. 

Subsequently their dealership numbers faded quickly here. This coupled with Raleigh's too soon timing of their D2C move essentially erased Raleigh's presence from the US bicycle market. It could have gone so much differently, but the D2C thing along with a lack of vision for the Tamland and successors in the gravel range pretty much set the tone for what happened after the pandemic.   

unPAved of the Susquehanna River Valley Announces 2026 Events:

A press release sent out on Wednesday announced the details on the 9th unPAved of the Susquehanna River Valley events for 2026. This year the unPAved weekend will be on October 10th - 11th in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. 

Some details include:

Race for Whoopie Pies: For those who want a place on the podium and part of a $3,000 cash purse we've got the Full-130 course battled out over four timed segments that add up to 59 total miles (45% of the full route) of gravel racing. And if that’s not enough, there's the Big Lick-200 for the ultra endurance folks that prefer to race through the night.

Ride at Pierogies Pace: For those just looking for the vibes and the views we've got four choose-your-own-adventure courses from just over 50 miles to the Full-130 course at a civilized pace and lower price. Plus we have added two new courses (40 and 70 miles) for our Pierogi Pacers in 2026 that will start and finish at the Rusty Rail Brewing Company in Mifflinburg, PA.

Have a SlumberPArty: If you're all about gravelmaxxing the weekend our SlumberPArty gives you two days to ride the course. Roll out on Saturday, camp overnight at R.B. Winter State Park, and finish the course with the other riders Sunday. We'll even ferry your gear to and from camp.

Weekend Full of Activities: unPAved has grown from a single-day event to a full 3-day weekend, with gatherings starting on Friday night, and on Saturday there’s the Lewisburg Fall Festival with FUNpaved Rides, vendors, crafters, and kids’ activities followed up by the unPAved Film Festival at the historic Campus Theatre in downtown Lewisburg, PA.

Comments: Highly recommended event and one of the very best gravel events anywhere. Especially for anyone on the East Coast. Register HERE

No Powerline?

Wildfire damage has altered the course for this weekend's Leadville event taking out an iconic climb and making the overall elevation gain for the event less than it typically has. 

Storylines for this year include Quin Simmons attempt at the Men's win, Last year's Woman's winner, Kate Courtney's attempt two double up, 32"ers making a dent, and the 5DEV company offering 12K plus a little to anyone who can win using their Shredville Mount, a system which allows one to use road controls on a flat bar. 

Lots of weirdness possibilities this year, which I think is fun. We'll see how it all turns out. 

Okay, that is a wrap for this week! Get out and ride those bikes! Summer is fading fast!

Two Things

Graphic courtesy of Max Velocity YouTube channel

 Wet Weather, Dumb Decisions Hinder Riding:

I've been wanting to get back on the bike and do some chain lube testing, but the weather isn't having any of that. And neither has my gut, but that part is my fault. I'll explain. 

We've been getting rained on at times when I could go out, and when I have had dry periods, it's been so humid that I just don't have the gumption to pedal through it. Not when the heat index is near or at 100°F. That's not good for me. 

And then I did something dumb last Friday and ate a big bowl of ice cream at a friends ice cream shop he was proud to show me. And on an empty stomach. This caused big intestinal issues over the weekend. (Perhaps I'm more lactose intolerant than I thought), and I suffered like a dog until Monday. So, yeah....

Good times. 

Moving forward, I will have to get in rides whenever I can. Today is sketch. Friday we get more rain, and so on and on...

The good news is this won't last, but this certainly hasn't been a very productive time. 

The Last Chapter

Well, this week I finally got my BRAN 44 jersey. To be fair, I did not order it in time for the ride. Also, it came right when it was expected to. No disappointments there. 

But it is the final line in the BRAN 44 story for me. It's kind of funny now, but I was not really knowing what to expect out of this ride when I left Waterloo, Iowa on June 5th. 

It could have been a real slog. I wasn't trained up as good as I would have liked to have been, but then again, I had about a month's notice, so..... 

It could have been a bad experience. But thankfully, it was far from that. In fact, it was more than I could have imagined it to be. Which isn't usually the expectation for an event. 

But BRAN lived up to the reputation I had heard about it from others and even they did not convey the experience I actually had, but then again, who could have predicted I'd randomly meet Jacquie Phelan on this ride? 

Well, the answer is no one could have. And that wasn't all.  

My family thinks the jersey looks nice. It is pretty cool. 

I did not have to get it. I have more jerseys than I really need. But as I told the family, I may never get out to ride that ride again, so...why not? It's a good souvenir, at the least, and a decent jersey which is unlike anything else in my collection. So, it works for me. 

I met some very nice people on this ride. I think it is one of the benefits of any sort of travel. You leave behind the masks of socialization, the ability to hide behind a keyboard, and deal with people face to face on common ground. It's something more of us should be doing. 

Yeah.....I suppose for younger people it could be scary. But maybe us older folks are just putting limitations on them with our views of screen-raised younginz. I think this kind of backdrop to looking at society is not exactly how it works out in the field. There, in rural Nebraska, I was riding with a teenager. He got along with us just fine. It didn't mater that I was his grandfather's age, and I didn't care that he was a bit of a whippersnapper. We communicated just fine. 

But more to the point - we had different world views. Many of us did. But.....it doesn't really matter when you are together encouraging each other up steep hills. We are more the same than we think. 

That's what this jersey will remind me of when I wear it.  

Rim Wars: Sometimes The Solution Is Right In Front Of You.

Just the other day 'shiggy person' asked me to see if I had a Surly Extraterrestrial to measure. Well, in fact, I do. 

The wheel set I rode last year for the Ride For Jacob is the original wheel set from a Trek Sawyer I used to have, Because the wheel was spec'ed with a heavy Shimano hub set, I was not too stoked about riding them and ended up throwing various different wheels at that bike until I sold it. 

The ironic bit is that the Sawyer had the Chris King hubs on it when I sold it. But those were offered back to me earlier this year and I bought them to use for a nice wheel set for the Fargo Gen I,

Which....again in a bit of irony..was the bike I used the Bontrager Duster/Shimano hub set on when I did the Ride For Jacob last year. Again, this wheel set hasn't been a favorite of mine but the Duster rims best suited the Extraterrestrials, so I rolled them. 

So, while I was measuring the Extraterrestrial for 'shiggy', (62.63mm @ 19psi, by the way), I realized that I would like this wheel a lot better if the Chris King hubs were laced in their. 

Boom.....

So I think this is the direction I'm going to go in. I'll set up the Dusters with the King hub set. Then The Surly tires will go back on. Problem solved. 

Chasing The Latest

Prototype Wilde 32"er Image courtesy of Wilde Bicycle Co.

The buzz around 32" wheels I see in some circles reminds me of whenever anything new comes out. "New" as in "technological advancements", which is a debatable subject all on its own. 

But let's say for argument that something comes out which early adopters and testers say is actually an advantage. This is all it seems to take to conjure up a certain psychological need in cyclists brains to "have to have it". 

I see it all the time. Electronic shifting, disc brakes, 'one more gear' on the cassette. All things certain cyclists jumped onboard with while another segment of cyclists deride said idea. 

Remember when disc brakes were being discussed for road racing bikes? I saw an article referencing this over the weekend. This was ten years ago, and there were heated discussions about how the rotors were going to slice up people in crashes, and how the technology to run disc brakes was heavier. Some said disc brakes would open up a new world in terms of lower wheel weights and tire options. 

The adopters were right in this instance. That worked out. Now try finding a rim brake road bike in any form. They are rare now. But the main point was that there were adopters and detractors. Sometimes the adopters are right, sometimes they are not. But should disc brakes eliminate rim brake road bikes? Seems this is the way. 

I still hold that 1X is - overall - not the right thing for most bicycles. This is one which came about mainly due to MTB. More than 11 speeds seems like another thing people adopted 'just because' it was the latest thing. So, I could go on. But this is a subject I find a bit fascinating. 

The chasing of the latest and "greatest" and passing on of things proven to work and work well is an ongoing trend in cycling lasting decades. People are fickle. I don't ever see this ending, and frankly, this is what drives a lot in the world of cycling. 

Virtual Ride For Jacob Report: Pedro del Río Muñoz

A surprise showed up in my inbox this past weekend. It was a very nice message from Pedro del Rio Munoz, a reader from Spain. Pedro may strike a memory for some of you as he has submitted reports for the Virtual Turkey Burn Ride and is a regular in the comments. 

So, here is Pedro's report, as he sent it to me with a lot of nice imagery. It means a lot to me that anyone would take the time and effort to honor my deceased son, Jacob, and especially so from someone overseas. What an honor! Thank you, Pedro! 

And with no further fanfare......

Ride for Jacob 2026

Well, Mr. Guitar Ted has inspired us once again, this time with an incredibly sad but beautiful reason to ride. And I would very much like my support to reach him from here.

For reasons that aren't important and don't really belong in this story, I had barely ridden since January, so this was an excellent reason to get back into a good habit.

I met up with a friend and suggested a route that I really enjoy. Completely flat. Technically very easy. Mostly gravel, with around 7 km of tarmac, for a total of 61 km.

There was only one condition: we would take it easy, and if we found an open bar or café along the way, we would stop for coffee.

Sadly, the coffee part never happened.

We set off at 7:00 a.m. from our meeting point and rode around the outskirts of my hometown, El Puerto de Santa María, as dawn began to break. A few cars and a handful of people on their way home after a night out were pretty much all we encountered, so it was a very peaceful start.

As we left town, we had our first taste of dirt and headed onto the trails, where we faced the first climb of the day. A very short 10% ramp, less than 400 metres long.

 

From there, it was dirt tracks all the way to the next city, Jerez de la Frontera. Riding through Jerez with the sun already up but still low in the sky is quite something. We crossed right through the historic centre and the Santiago neighborhood, with its 15th–16th century church. The silence of an area that is usually busy makes riding through it at that hour rather special.

From there, the route really begins.

Good gravel roads, surrounded by farmland, now dry and waiting for the next planting season.

As the route progresses, so does the sun — and the temperature. At this time of year, temperatures quickly reach 30°C, so we went through quite a lot of water.

We were firmly in touring mode. Zone 1, for those who still insist on calling everything  "training" 

We rode along having a pleasant conversation, mixed with those moments when each of us was simply lost in our own thoughts.

 

In my case, and especially on this ride, many of those thoughts were obviously with Mr. Guitar Ted and his family. I found myself wondering how I would face such a sad and terrible situation.

The support of family, friends and community must surely be fundamental when facing something that, perhaps, can never truly be understood.

And somewhere between conversation and reflection, the kilometres kept passing.

 

Despite my very obvious lack of cycling fitness, I held up surprisingly well — and, importantly, my backside didn't complain about the saddle.

My Ergon is probably one of the most comfortable saddles I've ever owned, and it 's quite easy to adjust. My other saddle, a Brooks Cambium C15, is comfortable too, but much more difficult to dial in and get that feeling just right.

My trusty Jones Spaceframe, running 2.8-inch tyres, is certainly not the world's greatest gravel bike. It's heavy, not particularly aerodynamic, has Plus tyres...

But somehow, for me, it has become a combination I absolutely love.I find it incredibly comfortable for simply riding, riding and riding. I feel integrated into the frame rather than perched on top of it, with my weight supported by the saddle and pedals —something I really like. And its length makes it extremely stable.

All of that helped me finish those 61 kilometres tired, but happy.

I hope that, wherever Jacob may be, my prayers reached him.

Wishing strength to your entire family.

El Puerto de Santa María, Spain

Ride for Jacob 2026 – Sunday 26 th July 2026

Written: 9 August 2026

Pedro

The Guitar Ted Lube-Off 2026: SILCA Super-Secret v2 Update 1

 NOTICE:  The Guitar Ted 'Lube-Off' is a comparison of different lubrication products for bicycle chains that is undertaken in 'real world' conditions in a set way. Then I compare and contrast the results with past 'Lube-Off' products to see "which one is best for me". This is done for entertainment purposes and the reader should apply their own reasoning and discernment while reading my 'Lube-Off' entries. What works for me may not work for you at all. 

This update on the testing will focus on the SILCA Super-Secret v2 lubricant. The cleaning procedure and application procedure will be covered in this update. The next update will have the first ride impressions. 

There was a hiccup with the test, and it relates to a product I tried which I reviewed HERE. I'll get into all of what this entails here soon, but first let's dig into this new version of the previous Lube-Off winner, the Super Secret wax based lubricant. 

What It Is: Super Secret lube was developed around six to seven years ago. SILCA was asked by some of the Pro teams they sponsor to revisit this product with the aim to update it. Specifically SILCA was asked to increase the wet weather performance of its original formula. 

SILCA took this feedback, and other feedback from Pro riders, to Purdue University. Over the course of a couple of years of research and development, SILCA now believes it has improved Super-Secret to a level at which they claim the new formula actually works as well as a waxed chain. 

First of all, SILCA did not change the ingredients of Super-Secret, but through their work at Purdue University, they were able to maximize the ingredients to be better at what each ingredient does. So much so that SILCA has now dubbed this as their version 2 of the lubricant.  

It has some pretty heady claims, this Super-Secret v2. Slicker, faster, and longer lasting. And that wet weather performance was improved greatly. So, the expectation here is that Super-Secret will now separate itself from the Flowerpower lubricant I tested in the last Lube-Off. In those tests, the Flowerpower was very close in performance to the original Super-Secret formula. 

Super-Secret v2 comes in 2oz, 4oz, and 8oz bottles at $16.00, $25.00, and $45.00 respectively. Hit the link above to see more details on this lubricant or to purchase some. (I am not affiliated with SILCA in any way.) 

Cleaning and Application Process: 

The Super-Secret v2 has been applied to the XLBird, (after I cleaned it!)

 SILCA requests the lube be put on a clean chain. I tried using the Stan's degreaser product, but it would not dry up, and since I did not want to use water to rinse it out, (this would have required I use something to drive out the water), I ended up going back to square one and using Finishline's Speed Degreaser which off-gasses to leave no moisture or residue. Then I shook the bottle vigorously and applied a single dollop of the lubricant on each chain roller. 

After this I back-pedaled the bike for one minute. SILCA requires the rider to alow the bike to sit for at least four hours. I let it cure overnight. 

The result was a dry chain with a slick feel to it. Perfect! Pretty much exactly how Super-Secret has always worked. So, for now it is smooth sailing and ride testing will commence. 

Impressions So Far: 

I think the application process is easy once you get past cleaning the chain, which can be a hassle if you've not cleaned your chain for a while. A clean chain is paramount to achieving good results, so I was picky about this. 

Disregarding the day I lost due to using the wrong degreaser product, I'd give this lube high marks for ease of application. Even the curing time is reasonable. So, top of the charts on this part of the test from my perspective.  

Next On The Lube-Off:

I'm actually going to throw things back to last year's testing and give you all a final word on a lubricant from that round of the Lube-Off. Look for that this coming week. 

Then I'm going to delve into the Flowerpower lube and give you a refresher on how this lubricant has performed, its application procedure, and what I liked and did not like about it. 

In that same post I will also go over the original Super-Secret lube. As for our new, "SECRET" lubricant, I am not allowed to speak about it until September 1st. My hope is that I can give a very comprehensive look at that lube in one shot. I may even have a winner identified by this point, if rides can be strung together with enough mileage to warrant a final verdict. 

So, stay tuned for all of that! September will be here before ya know it, and this Lube-Off promises to be a pretty intense competition. 
 

 

Rim Wars

Image courtesy of Hates Bicycle

So for my Chris King hub set I still have not decided upon rims to build up wheels from them. I was considering carbon, but the prices for those are a bit intimidating from the standpoint of my use case scenario. I mean, this is a bike that is almost twenty years old now! (Fargo Gen I) So, putting on bling-wheels seems a bit too much for me when I think about this bicycle. Making wheels which would be worth more than the rest of the bike seems....not wise. 

So, I have resigned myself to doing a wheel set in aluminum, just to use these Chris King hubs. Earlier in the week I was referred by a commenter to look at Sun/Ringle' Durocd rims. I also am a big fan of Velocity USA's Blunt SS rims. So, I did a compare and contrast with these two choices. They are remarkably similar in some significant ways. 

The Blunt SS

Image courtesy of Velocity USA

I have experience with this rim and it all has been positive. It's a fairly light rim for the inner width at a claimed 425 grams each. These build up nicely and look really good. 

For my uses it would be absolutely fine doing what I'd ask of it. Now, if I were actually mountain biking I would have some reservations. 

The Blunt SS isn't what I would call a rim for really fast, rough riding styles on tough trails. It can be flexy, easily dented, and some say it is problematic doing tubeless tires. (I have never had any issues running Blunt SS's tubeless, so....)

The price for a single Blunt SS 700c rim is $152.00 and these are made in the USA. 

The Sun Duroc 30:

As you can see from the cutaway diagram here, the Sun Duroc 30 is very close in specifications to a Blunt SS. The inner rim width is nearly identical, and in just about every way, the Duroc 30 seems to be analogous to a Blunt SS in the important areas. 

There are two things about the Duroc 30 which distinguish it from the Blunt SS and they are related to each other. 

Firstly, the Duroc 30 is a welded seam rim while the Blunt SS is not. This is a tiny thing in and of itself, but the nod goes to the Duroc here because welded seams can be more durable. Welding can also distort the rim walls, if done poorly, so having not seen any examples of this rim, I cannot say if Sun's production quality is good or no. Based upon other Sun rims I have seen I would guess this is a non-issue. 

The other related thing is weight. A welded seam weighs more than a pin and sleeve one does. So, this bears out as the Duroc 30 is a claimed 465 grams versus the Blunt SS at a claimed 425 grams each. Of course, the Duroc can be heavier just because of its extrusion design also, so we have to account somewhat for this possibility as well. 

The Duroc 30 costs about a hundred bucks each, so a savings of over $100.00 for a pair versus the Velocity product. I do not know where the Duroc is made, but I would hazard a guess that it is not made in the USA. 

Decisions:

I haven't done anything yet, but the Duroc gets some cred from a local rider here I respect, so I would not be afraid to use those rims. The made in USA thing is nice, but at this point spending around $200.00 versus $300.00 or more is a significant difference. One I cannot ignore. 

Soon I will make a decision. What would you do? 

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles

32" Fargo Live Now:

Salsa Cycles announced on Tuesday of this week that 32" Fargo frame sets were available from them now. Steel for now, titanium is yet to come this Fall. 

Comments: A drop bar specific 32" adventure bike? Yes. The Fargo is now available in the largest wheels you can get from Salsa Cycles. This follows the trend of brands getting whatever they can out in 32" wheels as fast as possible ahead of the Big Four brands. 

Although Salsa isn't necessarily a small brand. So this does hit a little differently. We will have to monitor how well this version of the Fargo does, as it may be an indication for the overall impact of 32" wheels on the market. 

But beyond speculation, we can now put some numbers on this Fargo 32"er. The frame, with carbon fork, cost $1,799.00 USD. That is surprising, to a degree, to me. I was speculating this would cost 2K. I was wrong about that. 

Then we see what Salsa estimates the weight of this Fargo with carbon fork is going to be. They are claiming an 8lb 9oz weight, which is only 10 ounces heavier than the steel frame/carbon fork Fargo in the 29"er guise. Not bad for a frame with longer stays. Although, I was a little taken aback by the weight of the frame and fork at first glance. That said, the Fargo never pretended to be a lightweight platform. 

It's an interesting offering, and that Pearl Orchid color is quite nice, if I do say so myself.  

Michael Kolakowski

BRAN Announces New President Of Bicycle Ride Across Nebraska Inc.:

When I was on BRAN earlier this Summer I was made aware the ride is 100% run by volunteers. Their president was also on his last BRAN as the leader of the organization. So this ride was going to be looking for a new President and Vice President for the coming years. 

Having been an event organizer for as many years as I was, and knowing volunteers are the heart and soul of any event, I was concerned about how a new President and Vice President would affect this cool event. Well, my fears were allayed recently concerning this when I received the email sent to past BRAN riders which heralded the news of BRAN's new officers. 

The new President is Michael Kolakowski, and the new Vice President is his wife, Jackie Kolakowski. I rode with Michael all week long at BRAN, and I got to know him well enough to be of the opinion he is the perfect person to lead this ride into the future. 

Michael is an avid cyclist, being a commuter in Omaha and loving his country rides in a way I could relate to easily. He is a BRAN veteran, having been on many past BRAN rides and he knows all the ins and outs of BRAN as a rider and as a volunteer on the team for several years. 

Of course, I do not know Jackie, but I have no doubt she is as capable as Michael is, and by his own admission, a very smart and capable individual in her own right. So I feel she will also be a compliment to BRAN and its future.

Congratulations Michael and Jackie!

Guitar Ted Podcast Update:

I haven't been promoting the podcast here as much as I probably should be. So, let me take a bit of space here to do this.....

We're putting out shows at around one every two weeks or so. The latest ones, "Episodes 112, 113, and 114 are all pretty new. If you haven't listened for a while, you can catch up with us on those episodes. 

We  are hoping to get a few interviews done before we take our traditional break in December. Look for those to be sprinkled throughout the coming months. 

Finally, a big 'Thank You" to all who have expressed their feelings about the podcast to me of late. It appears several of you listen faithfully whenever we post a new episode.  N.Y. Roll and I are always amazed by any responses we get. So, again - Thanks!! 

I think we are going to get about 15 more episodes in before the end of 2026 which would make this year the record for episodes released. Year four isn't quite over with yet, but we are looking forward to Year 5 with anticipation.  

Embark: Good Stuff!

About four years ago, N.Y. Roll brought back a nutritional product for cycling, (and more), by a Wisconsin based company called Embark. I tried it out and it worked so well I actually bought some and tested it out for the site HERE. 

Oddly enough, I don't do enough events anymore that I think about on the bike nutrition, but the Ride For Jacob got me thinking about this again. Actually, you could say this started percolating in my mind during BRAN. 

Anyway, I landed on Embark in my research on the site here. I actually had a spare packet of the stuff and used it up this Spring, but at that time I did not place another order for it. 

Well, this past week I went ahead and got some more. They are currently running a sale on their Embark Maple Energy packets if you are curious. I highly recommend the stuff. 

By the way, I am not affiliated with Embark in any way, so I don't get anything out of it if you decide to check them out. It's just really good, natural energy which tastes great and can be used straight, in water bottles, or in cooking. 

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

Review: Stan's Biobased Drivetrain Cleaner

NOTE: Stan's sent over a bottle of their Biobased Drivetrain Cleaner to Guitar Ted Productions at no charge for test and review purposes. Stan's is not bribing or paying Guitar Ted for this review. All opinions are Guitar Ted's.

Cleaning parts can be a challenge when it comes to bicycles. Exposed drive train style parts like chains, derailleurs, and chainrings and cogs can prove to be quite a challenge to clean up. This becomes an issue especially when you are about to set up your bicycle with chain lubricant. Getting a drive train cleaned up to the "nth degree" is paramount to getting the best chain lube performance. Cheat on this exercise and you will pay the price in lost watts, drive train performance, and in earlier parts replacement than necessary. 

But taking off parts and replacing them after cleaning can mean hours in the garage/on the apartment living room floor/in the basement and you probably do not have all the proper tools for doing this anyway. Why can't we just, you know, clean up things while they are on the bike? 

The answer is "You can", but you need to know what to use and how to use it. I'll link my article on how I clean my bikes HERE if you want to get into the nitty-gritty of my techniques. (Note - That link takes you to an article with many other linked articles. Please refer to all of those before asking any questions here about drive train/bicycle cleaning)

What It Is: Okay, back to the subject at hand. Stan's Biobased products, many of which I have reviewed here before, are all made with a singular focus which is to be as environmentally friendly as possible. The Biobased Drivetrain Cleaner is no different. The bottle says this product uses "WPL biobased tech". WPL (Whistler Performance Labs) is a Canadian based company focused on biobased lubricants, cleaners, and grease products. I actuall reviewed a WPL lubricant in a previous Guitar Ted Lube-Off session HERE. 

Biobased Drivetrain Cleaner comes in a 500ml spray bottle and costs $20.00 USD. Following are some features listed which were taken from the webpage for this product:

•  Powerful Formula: cuts through grease and grime, yet it's gentle on paint, rubber, plastic, and carbon. Avoid cleaner contact with disc brake rotors and brake pads
• Vegan, Biodegradable, and Plant-based (USDA-certified Biobased pending)
• PFAS and PTFE-free: safer than petroleum-based products for rubber, carbon, paint, and anodized bike parts
• Clear and Odorless: no added dyes or scents
• Made in Canada

How I Used It: My main usage for the Biobased Drivetrain Cleaner was to get my chains ready for the next Lube-Off session, referred to earlier in the week HERE. The label directions indicated that one should use a liberal amount of product on a chain, (or cassette, chain rings if so desired) and use a brush to scrub off any build-up. Then the label instructs you to do something I do not agree with, but it makes sense from the basis of what this product's philosophy is based upon. 

The instructions direct you to rinse chains, cassettes, or chain rings with water.  That's certainly "enviromentally friendly", but in the case of a chain, I really don't want to introduce water into all the spaces between the rollers and pins. If I had rinsed my chains with water, I would then want to use compressed air to blow out any excess water residue, (extremely messy), or use a chemical product like alcohol, or brake cleaner, or....something similar, (defeats environmental benefits) to displace the water and hopefully leave no residues behind. 

So, I did not rinse my chains with water. I tried drying out the chains and wiping off as much as I could with a rag. This did not leave a satisfactory result. It fouled the chain lube I applied afterward, because I could not drive out all the degreaser product from the rollers and pins of the chain. While I could have removed the chain and obtained a better result with rinsing and air drying the chain, this defeats the purposes of my testing.  

Final Verdict: Stan's Biobased Drivetrain Cleaner is a good product if you can rinse with water and not worry about oxidation from the water afterward in the tight spaces which define a typical bicycle drive train. I like the environmental aspect, which I think makes this a product worth checking out. The Biobased Drivetrain Cleaner does blast away build-up and dissolves grease well. It's just that - for me - using it on a chain is problematic in that you must rinse off the product with water, (or solvent of choice if you don't care about being consistent with the product philosophy) Then you can avoid residue which this product leaves behind and which will not dry off a chain, in particular. Add in the self-imposed parameter of not removing parts, and this becomes an issue. 

So, I would recommend this with caveats as to how this product needs a rinsing after use. How you go about that rinsing is up to you. Then again, if you really are more concerned with ease of use and convenience, you probably are looking at a different degreaser product that is a "one-shot" and done kind of procedure. I can recommend Finishline's "Speed Degreaser" is that is your aim.