Stan's Rolled Gold Sealant Review: Final Word

 NOTE: Stan's sent over some of their new Rolled Gold sealant for test and review to Guitar Ted Productions. We were not paid, nor bribed for this review. All opinions are N.Y. Roll's and Guitar Ted's

The Stan's Rolled Gold sealant was sent to us back in August. I shared some of the sealant with N.Y. Roll who used it in his road bike set up at a higher pressure than I was using. I used around 35psi to 40 psi in my testing. 

If you missed the introduction to this product, please see the article HERE. 

I was most interested in hearing how things went for N.Y. Roll. Although he used the sealant on a few longer rides, there were no puncture stories to share, so unfortunately we do not have anything to relate to you dear readers on that front. I know N.Y. Roll said everything was fairly normal from his standpoint. 

I rode my set up on gravel and around town here some. Again - No puncture stories to tell. However; N.Y. Roll and I did note that the Rolled Gold, for whatever reasons, kept air pressure very well. 

Final Verdict: This is a good sealant, just from a daily usage standpoint, because it holds air pressure so well. It actually outperformed another TPU set up I am testing in this regard. Punctures? Well, Stan's has a pretty good reputation in regard to sealing punctures, so I expect this Rolled Gold will do the job. But again, 'no soup for us' when it came to experiencing a natural puncture. 

Rolled Gold inside. Still sloshing around after two months. 

 Keeping in mind that I used about 60ml of sealant in each tire, where I generally use 100+ in each tire, I was worried this sealant would dry out quickly. Well, after two months it is still running wet inside each tire, and can hear sealant sloshing around in each tire. No worries there. I would expect this sealant to run about as long as Stan's normal sealant does, which for me is around six months or so. 

Okay, well that's about it for Rolled Gold. I think if you are riding one of these newer endurance/all-road bikes with the 30mm - 38mm tires this sealant would do wonders there. Otherwise, for myself, I'll be running my typical sealants for lower pressure gravel travel from here on out. 

Two Things

Image courtesy of Rene Herse Cycles

 New Rene Herse 32" Tires And Thoughts On 32" Gravel:

 News this week broke on several new 32" tires, but the one new entry into 32" which I found intriguing is the one from Rene Herse Cycles. They announced a 32" Indiana Pass tire which is a semi-slick central treaded tire meant for bike packing and all-road usage. 

My take on Rene Herse tires are you either really like them or you just do not like them at all. They can be problematic for some folks and the negatives are all over the internet for anyone to find if you look for those comments. Others rave about these tires and love them. I'm not in either camp, and yes - I do have a set. 

None of this matters to me, but what I do find interesting is the fact that Rene Herse is doing a 32"er at all. I think it is pretty well known that Panaracer makes Rene Herse tires, so first off, you have to think that a Gravel King 32" tire is coming at some point.  

But I also find it interesting that Rene Herse is not known as an OEM type of business. Rene Herse is almost exclusively an aftermarket brand. So, if Rene Herse finds 32" a thing they need to address, they must feel the demand is going to be there in the aftermarket for their tire. 

But it also probably points to Panaracer having an OE order and that some company (or companies) are going to have a 32" Panaracer tire spec on 32" bikes. My guess its a Gravel King, because why not? Panaracer has made the Gravel King name its Golden Goose for over a decade now. No reason to stop using that name. Well....unless they think up something 'better'. 

Personally I am still on the fence concerning a 32"er. But I do have something in mind which I feel a 32"er would be great at. So....maybe. We'll see.... 

Charles City, Iowa social media post

Electric Bikes, Scooters Ordinance Example

Readers may know and perhaps remember me bringing up how many Iowa communities were wrestling with the issue of electrified bicycles, scooters, and other electric powered vehicles with two wheels. 

Some of these communities are now placing ordinances into effect to regulate these devices and I have an example from one such community here to share today. This is from the town I was born and raised in, Charles City, Iowa. 

Note: You can click on the image to emlarge it a bit. 

Key highlights are that Charles City calls scooters and the like "PTV" vehicles. Interesting... 

Then there are the speed limits. 8mph on sidewalks, (where permitted), and 15mph on trails. Plus, all things not a bicycle are prohibited on streets with a speed limit of 30mph or above. 

Helmets for younger riders and age restrictions on Class 3 e-bikes. Otherwise the "bicycle" part is largely left alone. Obviously, this ordinance is focused on scooters and e-moto devices. (PTV's)

One thing to keep in mind is that Charles City, Iowa is a small community. The population is 7,396 as of 2020. So, their regulation needs are perhaps quite different than say, a big urban area. That said, I think this ordinance will be easier for the authorities to enforce since it primarily focuses on the scooter issues. 

Country Views: Almost Finished

Escape Route: Shaulis Road bike trail.

This weather is nuts! It was nearly 80 degrees (Fahrenheit) on Thursday with a light Southerly breeze. Not a cloud in the sky. Perfect cycling weather for any given Summer day, only we are deep into Fall here. 

Weird!

So, while I have several Winterizing house projects begging to get done, I decided to roll out during the afternoon from Prairie Grove Park and see about that new bridge on Hoff Road which was under construction yet the last time I was down that way. 

I was riding the Noble GX5 and was dressed in typical Summer kit. This just is super rare air for Iowa. Usually I'd be wearing my long-sleeved wool and a vest by this point into the year. Not that I'm complaining, mind you, but I know it is not 'right' either. 

New bridge rail lean

A view from the bridge looking South down Hoff Road

When I saw that the bridge was going to be replaced a while back I had visions of this spot getting changed so much I would no longer recognize it. But much to my surprise, it wasn't that bad. The County used a lot more cement in the construction of this bridge over the old bridge's mostly wooden underpinnings, but they kept the guard rails on posts for railings. That was a nice throw-back touch, but I am certain the County was not interested in keeping the vibe real here. I was just pleased it kind of turned out that way. 

A mostly shorn landscape now.

But not every field has been harvested yet

I noted how much the gravel had been pulverized by the monster harvesting machinery. My friend, Tony, was in to visit at the Collective on Wednesday and told me it was VERY dusty and dry out there. He was not wrong! The relative humidity has dropped a lot since our monsoon September and with little rain the past two weeks it has gotten decidedly drier. I didn't really have to worry about it at first, but later on the dust became a big issue.  Great for testing chain lube though!

 

Again, the weather was so spectacular. The only thing reminding me it wasn't Summer was how low the angle of the Sun is now. Well, that and the fields. So two things, really. But otherwise this ride could have been in June, if you'd have blindfolded me, and I could ride a bike blindfolded. Ha!

The gravel, besides being dry and pulverized in many spots, was fairly chunky and clean lines were rare. I ended up on the far right side a few times looking for smoother travel. But overall, it wasn't bad. It was more that I have a slight cold and my knees were roached from riding fixed gear recently that made riding a little harder on this day.  

Finishing up corn harvest here. 

There were three semi-tractor trailer rigs ferrying corn from this field. 

I finally came across some late harvesting action. It was a corn field and the semi-tractor trailer rigs were making the rounds ferrying corn as fast as they could. There were three that I saw and they were in a hurry too. Obviously, this kicked up a fair amount of dust. 

Once I turned on to Ansborough I was essentially riding through a fog of pulverized limestone. It was insane.  This is why I really try to avoid riding during the harvest. It is dangerous and farmers don't like seeing rando cyclists out with the potential to get in their way. They are kind, no doubt, I could tell because they were very cautious around me. However; it would be easy to get lost in the dusty haze and be squashed by some behemoth machinery. 

Traveling on an East-West road was not all that bad.....

 

...It was the North-South roads which could be treacherous. 

I hung as far back from vehicles, once they passed by, as I could, but Ansborough was like a county blacktop on this particular day what with all the traffic due to harvesting. I was not comfortable here, and I was happy to turn off on Washburn Road and to get away from all of that business. 

 Like I say, I don't like riding during the harvest, but since September was essentially a no-ride month, I am behind the eight ball, as the saying goes, to get stuff done. This ride helped me out a ton in making some progress and I feel better about that. But yeah....not a fan of riding out there when harvest is in full swing. 

The good news is that it looks as though the farmers will have wrapped up activities by the end of the weekend, I would guess. Then it will return to a more normal type of traffic count and I won't feel as though I am in the way out there. 

I don't know how long this weather will hold out, and maybe things will go swing hard the other way for a bit. I don't know, but I'll grab whatever rides I can until the weather says otherwise this Fall.  

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Wilderness Trail Bikes

 New CMR i30 Wheels Announced By WTB:

 WTB announced on Wednesday a companion to their recently announced gravel wheel set (article HERE) with similar features to that wheel set. Dubbed the CMR Light 130, this wheel set features a 30mm wide internal rim measurement more suitable for MTB. 

Boost spacing is a part of this as well, obviously. Otherwise this wheel set uses the same technology in the hubs as the CGR gravel wheel set.  

The CMR Light i30 wheel set carries the same warranty as the gravel wheels. As long as you are the original owner, WTB will replace any broken carbon rims, no questions asked. Prices are set accordingly: 

USD:  Front $850 / Rear $950 / Wheelset $1,800
EUR:  Front €727.45 / Rear €822.45 / Wheelset €1,549.90
GBP:  Front £609.50 / Rear £689.50 / Wheelset £1,299

 WTB CMR Light carbon mountain bike wheels will be available at authorized WTB dealers and at WTB.com for North America, or WTB.eu in Europe

Image from The Spinistry's social media

Texas Gravel Series by The Spinistry Set For 2027:

A teaser announcement was made this past week on The Spinistry's social media concerning a 2027 gravel series in Texas where the Spinistry is based. 

All the post said was, "Coming in 2027! It's not all about being fast..." That is an interesting statement. But we will have to wait until the Spinistry gives us more information to understand exactly what this means. 

Comments: The Spinistry has been in the gravel scene promoting gravel races since 2010. Their Red River Riot and Texas Chainring Massacre events are legendary in gravel racing and in the South especially. Kevin Lee, the head idea purveyor of The Spinistry, probably has something cool up his sleeves. We'll be interested in hearing about it soon. 

Stay tuned.... 

Image courtesy of Garmin

Garmin Introduces Edge 1060 GPS Cycling Computer:

Garmin just released a new Edge GPS unit with the 1060 now topping the range for cycling use. The unit has a few new features and many bells and whistles to its credit. 

One of those is talk-to-text (via Garmin Messenger app) and your voice can control the unit to leave your hands free to control your bicycle. It also features a points of interest guide, a road construction warning, and Garmin Coach, which can guide you through specific training regimens. 

There are a raft of other features as well, so click the link or see DC Rainmaker's video on this unit HERE. 

Comments: Yeah....you long time readers already know how I am not very "GPS computer compatible", shall we say? So, this thing is definitely NOT for me. Besides, I can already tell you that if there are more than about four to five things on a screen I cannot read or recognize the information while riding anyway. So, when I use my Wahoo, for instance, I toggle to a page with very basic information.  All the other stuff is 'fluff' anyway, and so I don't care to see it, even if I could. 

This is why last week's bit in the "FN&V" about the new SILCA Omata computer was compelling to me. Basic information with all the data gathered and accessible afterward. Perfect for an old geezer like myself. But it is $80.00, (and so is this new Garmin), so a little pricey. That said, Mrs. Guitar Ted actually told me to get the Omata. I resisted..... We'll see for how long. 

 

Pon Holdings To Cease Cannondale Operations In Connecticutt Headquarters In 2027 According To Reports:

Pon Holdings, the Dutch multi-brand company who owns Cannondale, is planning a new North American headquarters on the West Coast which will become operational in 2027. Meanwhile it plans to phase out its Wilton, Connecticut headquarters for Cannondale in mid-2027. 

The decision will affect over 140 employees and marks the end of an era in North American cycling.  

Comments: A rather pedestrian corporate move, but in North American cycling history, this marks the final tie to the original Cannondale, which started in 1971.  Cannondale started out with child trailers, clothing for cyclists, and touring bags. In the 1980's the US based and family operated company branched out into making aluminum bicycles, which at that time was a rare material in the mainstream cycling market. 

In the late 1990's Cannondale embarked on what would end up becoming its bane when the company sought to manufacture a motocross bike. The company ended up going bankrupt in 2003 when it was acquired by Pegasus Capital Advisors. The manufacturing of aluminum bicycles continued in the USA until 2008 when the Dorel company, based out of Canada, purchased Cannondale adding them to its Schwinn, Mongoose, and GT bicycle brands..This ended US production of Cannondale bicycles, but a US based headquarters was maintained in Wilton, Connecticut. 

In 2022 Dorel completed a sale of their cycling portfolio to Pon Holdings, which also owns Santa Cruz and Cervelo. With this announcement this week, the final US chapter in Cannondale's history will come to a close. 

Image courtesy of COROS.

COROS Dura 2 GPS Announced:

Another evolution of a GPS cycling computer was announced this week with the release of the COROS Dura 2. This GPS device has a ton of features, solar charging capabilities, and an impressive claimed battery life. 

The solar charging is interesting. COROS claims riding in 2 hours of bright sunlight will give you an hour of battery life. This may help extend battery life on long rides and allow you to get by without constant recharging of the unit. 

Controls are a combination of physical buttons, haptic buttons, and COROS claims the device can be voice controlled as well. Of course, there are a ton of interesting features. I watched a video from "Bikepacking.com" which you can see HERE that explains everything very well. The COROS Dura 2 is $499.00 USD. 

Comments: I use a Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM (around $300.00 USD) and I find it to be useable, not 100% reliable, and not all that intuitive to use. I like the climb feature, elevation readouts, and the navigation is "okay". So, I'm always on the lookout for an improvement, and this COROS device seems to have some nice features and the ability to simplify things, which would be my preference. 

The review I linked above has a pretty frank and honest take, I feel, and the comments given in the review reflect what is close to being inline with what I'd want out of a GPS head unit. So, I'm intrigued here, as I still need a navigation device. (Something is about 90% going to happen next year where I'll need reliable GPS navigation). 

The COROS might be a good investment. I like it over the Garmin right now. Wahoo hasn't updated in a bit, so maybe they will have an impressive update soon, but for now, I'm leaning toward this COROS. We'll see......

That'll do it for this week. Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Now get out there and ride those bicycles! 

Winterizing

 Super El Nino, or whatever is going to happen, is supposedly going to really affect our weather this Winter. But how? No meteorologist seems to have a solid handle on this forecast. Some say it will be mostly normal here for snow, maybe slightly warmer. Some say it will be marked by colder weather and less snow. Hmm... 

Well, whatever happens, I need to get 'Winterized' here. That means it is time to drag out the ol' fat bikes. And I have several of them. 

I'm not bragging, and I wish I didn't have some of them for various reasons, but it is what it is. The main rig to get up and rolling though is the Ti Muk 2, the 2015 Salsa Cycles titanium Mukluk I have. 

This is my main commuter during Winter and it gets out inthe country every once in a blue moon. I also use it as a single track bike due to its drive train which has no external derailleur to knock off with a branch. It is a Rohloff 14 speed internally geared rear hub bike, so while it looks like a single speed, it is definitely not. 

When the snow gets really stupid-deep or if it gets really cold, I drag out my 2014 Blackborow DS, which is a 'dual-single speed' drive train bike. Some call this set up a 'dingle-speed'. Two parallel drive trains which have the same total tooth count so you can use the same chain on either without having to re-tension the chain at all. 

That's handy sometimes, but what really sets this one apart is the 4.8" tires on 100mm wide rims. That is key to plowing through deep snow and getting around when things are gnarly on the streets at times. It doesn't always work, but when it doesn't, the Blackborow is light and easily pushed or lifted over sections which are unrideable. 

Maintenance isn't a big deal. Neither bike gets ridden enough to need yearly parts exchanges or adjustments. The Blackborow finally needs a new chain though. The original one finally is giving up the ghost. So, I'll need to source a new one soon. 

I've got two other fat bikes as well, but neither of those will likely get ridden this Winter. One was my son's, the other was a 50th birthday gift. So, you can perhaps see why it is hard to let those two go. Someday I'll just have to find some folks and give them away. We will see. 

Anyway, Winterizing is going to start happening this weekend. Gotta be prepared!

The World Needs Bicycle Mechanics

That's......creative? (Image by A. Andonopoulos)

Ask any bicycle mechanic who has wrenched on bicycles for many years. They will tell you, the world needs mechanics. How do I know this is true?

Well, obviously, I am a bicycle mechanic. But besides the obvious, it is our clients who "tell" us this by how they attempt to do things concerning their bicycles. This can range from a fairly innocuous misunderstanding of an accessory to full blown dangerous situations. 

Sometimes I shake my head and think how hard this person tried to do what they did and somehow, their solution worked, even if it was technically wrong. Sometimes I wonder how the person who owns a certain bike with a very dangerous modification even made it into the repair shop alive. I feel as though some of these mechanical miscreants must have personal protectors who live in a shadow realm and somehow or another guide these folks through life. Because if I did what they did?? Surely I would have died before now. 

My mechanic friend, Ari, who wrenches for a shop in the suburban Chicago area, sent me the image shown above. In case you haven't seen "it" yet, the rack is mounted to the brake shoe studs. I literally laughed out loud when I saw this one. Ari sent it with the text, "You've never seen this before". 

He was correct. I've never seen THAT before. Wow! 

Of course, I've also seen my fair share of "horrors". Here are a few from my time as a retail mechanic.....

A case of all the wrong things

Here we have an example showing why people had incompatible expectations based upon marketing which misled them. Carbon is lighter, skinny tires go faster (with really high pressures, 'natch), and a complete disregard for where the person was at physically. And yes, racing bikes once had really skinny tires. 

I don't recall the outcome of this one, but this was obviously a very dangerous set up. The leverage the bars/extensions would create while riding were forces that steer tube were never designed to see. And think about how putting ALL the rider's weight on the saddle must have felt like. Ouch!

I see the cranks were off in this image. Must have been a drive train replacement or a bottom bracket issue, but this was so long ago I don't recall anymore why the bike originally came in. 

Handle bar won't stay put, ya say? Gimme dat drill!

 Modifications like this were rather common, actually. Brute repairs with standard fasteners and using ordinary household tools at hand. The really great thing about this one is that the installer didn't even bother to tighten the nut on the bolt. But it is a Nylock nut, so I will tip my cap there!

I always found it amazing how most folks who did things like this had no concept of structural integrity or engineering. Mechanically some of these mods I saw were on the right track, but the execution, materials used, and the aforementioned thought for structural integrity and engineering were often way off. Such was the case with my next example.....

 This was a mount for a front basket. Yep! Just drill right through that stanchion! I appreciate the "J" hook idea, which clamps the back end of the stanchion here. I also see the jamb nut idea, which is rather advanced in my experience dealing with these kinds of mods. But the sharp, cut-off threaded section, that's a bold move! 

Putting yourself at risk of cutting yourself wide open is a choice. Not to mention weakening that "suspension fork" by drilling through it.  But when you look at this, the really baffling choice is the length the bolt was cut off at. Is this also a foot peg? I don't quite follow it......

But all of that, while spectacular and shocking as it may be, are just examples of how mechanics are a necessary element in the world of cycling. Sure.....there is YouTube, and you maybe can learn to wrench on your own bicycles. But mechanics know how to use the tools, not just the execution of procedures. Mechanics understand how things should feel when they go together so parts don't get damaged or destroyed. Mechanics understand what questions to ask so they can avoid ordering the wrong parts. And so much more.... 

A recent example was a client at the Collective who had an old Schwinn with the Positron drive train. Now, you may or may not know about those systems, an oddball Shimano deal which didn't last long. But well versed mechanics know all about those. And to get that gear cluster off the rear wheel? Yeah.....they do not make THAT tool anymore, so my client was fortunate that I do have it. Which is another reason we need mechanics. Old knowledge and old, out of production tools, are invaluable when needed. Not to mention knowing how to deal with a Positron drive train. 

Anyway, being a bicycle mechanic is rewarding at times. Too bad our society doesn't often see the need to reward mechanics and value them better than they do. Hopefully bicycle mechanics will always be around, but as I wrote not long ago, it would seem that the trade isn't very attractive to young folks. Well......you could always just have some shade tree "repair person" tackle your needs. Hopefully the results won't look like the above examples.   

Announcing The 2026 Virtual Turkey Burn Challenge

From the first VTBC in 2021

 What It Is:

Since 2021 I have held a "Virtual Turkey Burn" challenge. A challenge to you readers to ride your bicycle(s). You readers have all responded nicely each time I have asked you to do this. Last year I had another good response and so I figured I may as well offer the chance to join in this virtual group ride once again this year. 

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

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

*A Change In Format for the 2026 VTBC: This year, I am modifying the time stamp a bit for this challenge ride. The reasoning for this stems back to the last two years of the challenge where weather has played a big part in making or breaking the challenge for riders. I also have to credit N.Y. Roll for some inspiration for this as he was the one who rode at a sensible time last year and did not allow the big snow storm to affect his chances at getting a metric century in. 

The Dates: I'm announcing this a bit earlier than in years past so people have a chance to ask questions and prepare. So, here is the way this is going to work for 2026. Thanksgiving Day in the USA is November 26th, 2026 this year. In years past, I would allow the Thursday through Sunday window (Thanksgiving Weekend), to be the time period for the challenge. As I stated, last year we had a huge dump of snow the day after Thanksgiving which made getting the challenge done nearly impossible. 

So, to mitigate those chances affecting the challenge going forward, and considering that the challenge has to do with Thanksgiving Day, and with a four day window for the challenge in the past being tradition, I submit that as long as Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, November 26th, 2026) is in your four day window, the challenge is good and will be accepted as valid by myself. 

This means you could start your challenge on Monday, November 23rd, 2026, and end it on Thursday the 26th. OR you could start it Tuesday the 24th, and end it on Friday the 27th. As long as Thanksgiving Day is in your four day window, you are good to go. Other combinations are possible, but the days must be consecutive, and skipping a day in between your four days is not allowed. Of course, you CAN do this in one day, two consecutive days, three consecutive days, or in four.  

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

1. Pick a bike. (Or multiple bicycles!) The more 'forlorn, forgotten, and neglected' of your choices, all the better. But also- Run what ya brung. If you want to use your favorite, most used bike- go for it. 
2. Ride a "century". Metric or full-on hundy, (63K or 100m) I don't care. Pavement, single track, gravel, back alleys, whatever. You decide. 
3. Take a picture. Take several if you want to. Digital works best for this.
4. Send me your pic(s) and a few words . Images and stories should be sent with a name I can credit to. (IMPORTANT!) Note: All images and words sent for publication here become the sole property of Guitar Ted Productions and may be used without compensation for entertainment purposes on this site only. 
5. TIME STAMP: Do this challenge in a FOUR DAY WINDOW which must include Thanksgiving Day the 26th. (See above for explanation) You can do a century over several days even- if you want to. Whatever.
   
6. DUE DATE: Send in your pics and words to g.ted.productions@gmail.com by Tuesday December 1st. I will put up the "Virtual Turkey Burn Reports" starting on Monday December 7th, (and possibly after- Depending upon the number of submissions)  showing off everyone's submissions. (That is, if there are any daring enough to actually do this deal.)

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

Okay, that's the plan. Now..... GO! 

The Guitar Ted Lube-Off: Some Conclusions

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.

NOTE: Stan's sent over a bottle of their Polar Drip Wax to Guitar Ted Productions at no charge for test and review purposes. Stan's is not bribing or paying Guitar Ted for this review. The SILCA Super-Secret v2 was purchased for this review by Guitar Ted. All opinions are Guitar Ted's.

It's time to start wrapping up this session of the Guitar Ted Lube-Off. With October winding down, I decided to cut short the test on the SILCA Super-Secret v2 and the Stan's Polar Drip Wax lube. For whatever days I get left to me for testing, I am going to dedicate those to the Triboflux lubricant, seen HERE last. In fact, all three of those hyperlinks take you to the last update on each of the lubricants being tested in this session. 

The image above is from the last time I rode the Stan's Polar Drip Wax lubricant. I will say this lube has been quiet, it provided excellent shifting performance, and - for the most part - I was impressed. However; I did have to reapply the lubricant, which is suggested in Stan's own application procedures which say you may want to apply this twice to start out with. 

Once the second coating was applied things have shown out to be better. No gunk build up, no adhesion of dirt to the chain, for the most part, which was impressive. But....this was with two applications. I have not had to do this with the SILCA product. So, let's see where we are with SILCA Super-Secret v2. 

SILCA Super-Secret drip wax on the chain here after a very dusty ride.

As you can see here, Super-Secret v2 doesn't attract gunk, and it stays fairly clean, despite having a very thin coating of dust all over the chain. This was from an extremely dusty ride, so I am impressed by the outcome here. 

However; Super-Secret v2 is noisier and  perhaps doesn't allow the chain to shift quite as nicely as the drivetrain using the Stan's product. It is very close, but noticeable to me. Out on the gravel it is not a noisy enough chain to hear, but when you pass by a bridge railing, for instance, I can hear a clackety-clackety chain noise. A normal noise, to be sure, but more pronounced than I am hearing with the Stan's lube. 

Who cares? The chain is cleaner, for sure, and any gunk build-up and excessive dust/dirt is what accelerates wear. Noise I can deal with, and again, this is a very minor issue. Also, it should be noted that a pass with a micro-fiber cloth would bring the shine right back to the SILCA treated chain, so a little dust coating is really no big deal. 

Conclusions:

The Stan's Polar Drip Wax lubricant has to be considered somewhat of a disappointment. Partially due to its recommendation to use the Stan's Degreaser as a chain stripping/cleaning step in the application process. If you were to choose to follow the instructions rigidly, this would lead to a massive failure of the Polar Drip Wax to cure and do what it can do otherwise. Which, by the way, is a pretty dcent job. 

Secondly, the Polar Drip Wax instructions suggest a second coating after the initial coating cures. I would make the suggestion that the second coating is required. I saw far better results after the second application than I had with only a single pass of the Polar Drip Wax. 

Of course, it is easier and takes less time to apply only one coating of a wax lubricant, which is precisely what Super-Secret v2 offers the user. The lube is perhaps going to allow a tiny bit noisier drive train, but other than that, Super-Secret v2 is a better lubricant. At least when pegged head to head with a single application of Stan's. 

If you don't use the Stan's degreaser, and if you go ahead and apply two coatings of Stan's right away, I think there is very little separating these two lubricants. However; I'm giving the nod here, so far, to SILCA, just because of those technicalities in regard to the Stan's product. 

Now if the weather holds out, the plan is to close out Fall riding the Triboflux lube and perhaps I'll get a handle on that and be back in a couple of weeks with a final verdict including all three of these wax based drip lubes. 

Stay tuned......
 

Two Things

Image courtesy of Continental Tire

 Continental Previews 32" Dubnital Tires:

 First of all, don't get too excited. These will not be available until April 2027. However; it is definitely noteworthy to see Continental doing a 32" tire. 

Continental didn't divulge too much technical information on these tires just yet. They did not even hint at width, or whether or not there would be multiple widths of the 32" Dubnital. They only mentioned it is for XC MTB and Gravel.

Like the image Conti shared, there are a lot of shadows which need to be enlightened. But also, one should take note of this development in light of Continentals history with new sizes of bicycle tires in the past.  

Particularly with regard to 29" tires. Conti was slow to develop wider, more aggressive 29"er tires when other companies were already in the marketplace with them. I was told by a high placed Conti rep at the time that the Germans were slow and conservative when it comes to new ideas. Certainly it would seem this has changed somewhat with their tease of a 32" Dubnital. 

Another German based bicycle tire manufacturer, Schwalbe, has also announced future availability of 'gravel sized' G-One RS Pro and G-One RX Pro level tires in the 686 (32") x 50mm and 55mm sizes.  

These are a prime examples of when a respected leaders in the bicycle tire field show a premium product in a new size indicating the bicycles with these tires as OE spec are coming. Continental and Schwalbe are not banking on aftermarket sales to pay for the research and development, tooling, and marketing of a new 32" tire. No, they have already sold a big order to some company, or companies, which are footing the bills. 

It's looking more and more like 2027 is going to be the Year of the 32" Wheel. 

Trenton Raygor in the white jersey here from T.I.v12. Image by Celeste Mathias

The Gravels Are Alright:

I was cruising Facebook, as I often do, and came across a great post by Trenton Raygor. 

Trenton was the race director for the Day Across Minnesota event (DAMn), and the Filthy 50 event, which happened just a week ago. 

Trenton has "retired" from RD duties and was attending the Filthy 50 as a rider with his two sons. In the post he wrote eloquently on the subject of where Gravel had been and where it is at now. In a word, his thoughts might be summed up by saying that Gravel is "healthy". 

Trenton's take is a good one because it is based on experience. He was there at the beginnings of Modern Gravel, and he saw its early growth. He participated in the seminal early events, and he created a couple of classic ones as well. I also know Trenton is passionate about the genre', and he cares deeply about it. His desire to tell the story of gravel is strong, though you may not know this about him. So, when I saw his post, and how he so succinctly expressed his ideas tying together gravels past and it's present, it gave me hope for gravels future. 

Apologies to The Who, but The Gravels Are Alright.

It Is A Road Bike

What the heck is "Gravel™" anyway?

Okay, I know I have written thousands of words regarding what I am about to write about here ((again!) today. The thing is, I've seen some things on the internet lately which points to the fact that the cycling industry and the mainstream cycling media has lost its way. Especially when it comes to "Gravel" as a category. 

First up is a video I saw from "Velo", I believe it was, that was so poorly done and out of touch with reality I could only make it through about a quarter of the way into the piece. 

In the video this media outlet purported to be testing six "gravel bikes" to see what the future of gravel cycling could be. Apparently it should be something other than real gravel road riding because everything they were doing was pointing to off-roading, or in the common person''s parlance, mountain biking. 

Get this: Gravel ROAD cycling is done on ROADS. Not on single track fellas! Man! I was astounded when I saw them riding an aero focused road bike on rocky, rooty single track after the narrator tried to say these bikes were not going to be tested on "real mountain biking terrain". 

Look, we're not stupid. That was mountain biking. Mountain biking with bicycles meant for roads. Dumb. Just really dumb. 

An "All-Roads" bike - Image courtesy of Trek Bicycles

Next thing I see we're talking about an "all-roads" bike which has come out from Moots with 42mm tire clearance which is meant to tackle any type of road surface. 

Oh! You mean like a gravel bike does? No..... The brands think they are inventing a "new category" which is an outgrowth of the "Endurance road bike" niche because, well, "not everyone wants a gravel bike". 

Because gravel bikes are mountain bikes, only less capable and without suspension, right? Like an all-road bike, only with MTB tires stuffed in there? 

Again, dumb. 

See, here's what the brands don't seem to understand. Gravel bikes are ROAD bikes. The term "gravel" refers to "gravel roads", and was not the ideal terminology, but hey! The industry adopted it, so you only have yourselves (speaking to the cycling industry here), to blame for this stupid situation we see where confusion reigns and people try to test a road bike on MTB terrain and think they are discovering "The Future" of something. 

Fools......

Note: The latest Guitar Ted Podcast also covers this and more HERE.  

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of DT Swiss

DT Swiss Offers Gravel Suspension Forks Aftermarket:

Previous to this announcement the only way you could get a DT Swiss gravel suspension fork was to buy a complete bicycle spec'ed with it. Now this has changed with DT Swiss offering two versions of the fork for sale to anyone wanting them. 

There are two versions of DT Swiss' F-132 gravel suspension fork. The base F 132 with no lock-out feature and the F 132 One with remote lock-out. (Shown in image here) 

The forks both feature 40mm of air-sprung travel with PLAINGAIN (f 132 One) or OPENFLOW (F 132) hydraulic damping.  The F 132 One also has adjustable rebound. 

There are three offset options and an offset finder to best match an offset to your gravel bike's geometry. Both forks can also be fitted with the bike packing adapters allowing up to 3Kg of cargo on each leg.  

Prices for the forks are $1,269.00 USD for the F 132 One and  $893.00 USD for the F 132. You can learn more about these forks on DT Swiss' page on the forks HERE. 

Comments: Okay, up front I will remind you dear readers that I am not at all a fan of "gravel suspension forks" of the telescopic type. (Lauf's fork is fine with me) Why? Because the telescopic forks weigh a lot. A Redshift Sports ShockStop stem weighs under 300 grams, in most instances. A suspension fork weighs up to 4 times that amount or more depending on the model. A gravel suspension fork adds a lot of weight over their rigid, carbon siblings. A typical carbon gravel fork weighs around 600 grams, or over half as much as most telescopic gravel suspension forks. A Redshift ShockStop stem only adds about 160 grams to a typical stem weight (aluminum). 

Then you have the maintenance. Fork maintenance intervals for these DT Swiss forks are better than the competition, but a light service after one year (recommended) and a full servicing after two years (recommended), is probably enough labor cost to buy two more ShockStop stems. And those stems require zero maintenance.  

Finally, you might add that 40mm of travel is better than what the ShockStop offers. Yes, in terms of just the numbers, it is. However; it is what those components are meant to do that matters. I want vibration reduction. I don't use a gravel bike as a mountain bike. Your mileage may vary, but "gravel" should really be called "all-roads" with an emphasis on the ROAD part.  Anything OFF-ROAD is mountain biking. Period. If your riding is more OFF-ROAD than a real suspension fork with at least 100mm of travel is what you should probably be running. Rigid fork riders notwithstanding, but this 40mm of travel stuff is not doing what gravel riders need (excessive weight, more maintenance, little benefit) and it is not doing what MTB riders need (too little travel). A suspension stem like the Redshift example reduces vibrations tremendously. I'm much more interested in the vibration reduction myself. 

But that is MY opinion. Certainly, you do not have to agree.  

Image courtesy of Clik Valve

Clik Valve Offers TPU Tubes:

Clik Valve now offers AeroBlue TPU tubes for road, gravel, MTB, and fat bike uses. The AeroBlue TPU tubes also are e-pump safe having been tested to 130°C/266°F. The metal reinforced composite valve stem stays stable and will take repeated e-pump usage no problem. 

The road/gravel AeroBlue TPU tubes are $24.00 USD each and can be seen HERE.  

 Comments: Clik Valve is so easy to use that this application with TPU tubes is a combination which is so right it cannot be wrong. Connecting a Clik Valve pump is so easy and takes so little effort that there is pretty much no way you'll damage a valve stem. 

"But Guitar Ted, my e-pump doesn't have a Clik Valve adapter!" Gotcha covered!  

I just converted one of my tubeless set ups to Clik Valve recently and I am now looking to add more bikes with these TPU options available now. I want to get a set of these tubes in for a test first, but I have little doubt I'll be happy with these as opposed to a straight up old Presta Valve TPU tube.  

Image courtesy of Wolf Tooth

Wolf Tooth Chooses Unique Marketing Strategy With Pedals:

Wolf Tooth announced on Wednesday that they are making a special run of 150 pairs of Shift pedals in a camo anodized finish. But you can only buy them at select bicycle shops. 

The $290.00 USD pedals for Enduro, Downhill, or extreme MTB will be available through 46 selected bicycle shops in store, or you might get a set if you are lucky from an authorized Wolf Tooth dealer as Wolf Tooth held back 20 pairs for dealers who reach out to them. 

Comments: The product aside, this is an interesting way to market product.  For one thing, Wolf Tooth says this is the "first" offering of a limited edition product through its dealer network. Obviously this leaves the door open for other things. 

But what is interesting to me is that this could lead to a "co-op" approach for LBS dealers. Imagine 20 independent bike shops getting a run of gravel bikes from a Chinese brand. Or a run of clothing, exclusive to certain brick and mortar shops. 

Getting individual bike shops to coordinate a project like I am suggesting may seem laughable to many, but imagine what could happen if dealers decided to band together on mass ordering certain products. There is great potential there. This could be done in a pre-order style, so there would be no overstock issues and exclusivity would make buying in for customers a bit more enticing.  

Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame Nominations Open For 2027:

The next class of Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame folks will be inducted into the hall next June. The nominations for this class are open now and will be accepted through to November 30th. 

To learn how you should nominate someone for inclusion in the GCHoF see THIS PAGE. 

Image courtesy of SILCA

SILCA Offers Omata 'Mechatronic' Cycling Computer:

 You are riding in a group and about 150 yards from your next turn everyone's GPS device starts beeping and squawking as though there were a raft of droids along for the adventure. Maybe this is accepted "cycling culture" in the 2020's, but SILCA now offers an alternative to the digital interference. 

SILCA offers what they claim is the "world's first mechatronic cycling computer" which silently shows speed, distance, and elevation. All while collecting data internally for later consumption. It features an all-analog display using a dial indicator type of look.

The Omata mounts on a typical Garmin or Wahoo cleat mounting standard and is USB rechargeable. It is housed in an aluminum case with a rotating bezel for mode selection. The unit is also ANT+ compatible so power data, heart rate, and cadence can be collected for later reference. 

The Omata is available now and costs an expensive $800.00 USD. You can check out the Imperial version HERE. There is a metric version available as well.  

Comments: I love the idea of a simple, basic computer. I love the no-LED read-out. The form factor is cool. But the price? Yikes! 

Don't get me wrong, it is most likely a very fair price, (see the video for the Omata HERE),  but I am disappointed in the cost as it is prohibitive and I am unlikely to get this for myself. 

That's a wrap on this week. Get out there and ride those bikes! 

Review: WTB Course & Byway Aero Gravel Tires - Update On The Course Tire

 Note: WTB sent over a pair of the 700 x 50mm Byway tires and a pair of the 700 x 52mm Course tires for test and review. Guitar Ted Productions was neither paid or bribed for this review. All thoughts and opinions are Guitar Ted's. 

It is finally time to give a ride update on the WTB Course 700 X 52mm tire set I am testing. Earlier I gave my update on the Byway 700 X 50mm tires and you can check that out HERE. 

In my First Impressions article on the new WTB aero gravel tires, I noted that the Course was being run at 35psi. I did lower the pressure to around 30psi and for my last run I was in the upper 20's psi. I'll get to what this did for the ride quality and performance of this tire shortly. 

I have run this tire on similar roads and terrain as I have the Byway. That being decomposed gravel, dirt, pavement, broken up pavement, and gravel. Something a little different from the Byway test was an addition of some dirt single track and deep, fresh gravel which was ridden with the Course tires. 

Conditions were mostly dry to very dry. I haven't run this tire through any mud to speak of, but I have found that the rounded profile of this tire has a very pronounced effect on handling in looser terrain. So, what little wet ground was ridden over provided me with a hint as to how this tire will handle mud. 

The rounded profile, an integral part of this tire's aero performance, does cause this tire to be predisposed to lack lateral stability. The knobs are there, yes, but in my testing, even at lower pressures, you are only riding on the central strip of tread. Those side knobs?...

Oh! Wait, aren't those "side knobs" actually those aero doohickeys?  Yes, those are the aero features which are supposed to help detach the air flow over the tire. So, in reality, there aren't really any side knobs for cornering here. Besides, the way those are arranged on the casing, you'd have to lean over pretty far to get them engaged in the surface anyway. .

So, these tires are really about volume and aero. The Byway and this Course tire do ride nicely, that much I'll give them. The aero part? Again, I have no way to quantify this aspect of these tires. Maybe there is something to this. 

I need to report on the current width of these tires which is 51.3mm on the WTB CGR i23 rims. Yes, the slightly narrower rim seems to hold back a true 52mm measurement, but not by much. A wider rim internally might prove to be a better fit here, this is true, but these are the wheels I had available at the time for testing. 

Now, as far as ride quality goes on gravel I will say again that the tire is damped well. It is not the best at this quality, but the Course and Byway are near the top of tires I have tried in this regard. The Course is also fast rolling, maybe a tic off the Byway. In my roll down test the Course did not fare as well as the Byway on the paved portion, but it did just as well on the gravel portion of the test. The Course is a better rolling tire than most gravel tires I have tested. 

On really rough, deep, loose gravel this tire tended to want to dance around a bit. Note: The Byway wasn't ridden on gravel this challenging. This would be the kind of gravel conditions which would make most riders not want to ride, for reference. It was tough sledding. Here in Iowa, you can run across a few miles of this type of deep, loose gravel on any given ride. 

This is the kind of road surface where aero has no bearing, but a supple casing and a good design will shine. The Course was above average in these conditions. Again, like the Byway, these tires did not squirt out rocks sideways as many tires will do in these conditions. I feel this speaks to the casing design and construction being above the average for gravel tires. 

On smoother gravel the tire's speed was quite noticeable. Again, whether the aero factor played into this I cannot say. I just know these tires seemed very free to roll and I was able to sustain speed and coasting to a greater degree than I would see with many other gravel tires I have tried. 

Other soft surfaces were simply average on these tires. Dirt is fine, as long as it isn't loamy. loose over hard pack, or sandy. The roundness of the casing just is not going to allow you to put down a very large contact patch given the girth of the casing. Add in how these tires do not do well at the lower end of the pressure range and it all points to a tire which is really about speed over dry, harder gravel and dirt surfaces. 

Okay, the next time I update this review it will be a final look at both the Byway and the Course tires. Stay tuned....