Riding Gravel

It’s been a full three years since Shimano introduced its groundbreaking GRX gravel groupset, so I figured something new was in the works. However, I had no concrete proof until I literally stumbled onto it while in Emporia for the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame induction ceremony this past Wednesday.

In the end the Showers Pass Ultralight Wind Jacket is a “good” item and mostly because it is so easy to pack away, deploy, wear, and repack, that I would choose it for any longer adventure where I was expecting cooler, windy conditions.

The Redshift Sports Arclight PRO Pedals are a high-quality, very versatile, smooth pedal with a safety feature that is really impressive.

When I first saw it upon delivery to the vast and sprawling Grannygear Rancho, I thought, “Meh…looks a bit short and such…”

Do yourself a favor and check out Pirelli’s Cinturato Gravel range. The tires are criminally under the radar and should be on more bikes than they are now.

The Velo Orange Utility Bar and Utility Rack are a unique front bag/cargo solution for bikepacking, gravel riding, commuting, or touring.

The versatility, build quality, and ride performance of the Redshift Sports Arclight Pro pedals is at a high level and as of this update, it is hard to pick apart this newest offering from Redshift.

As always, the Guitar Ted Podcast relies on its sponsors to exist and this time we’d like to thank our Presenting Sponsor The Spinistry.

I was dismayed by an issue with the Ridescape GR lenses that at first was baffling me.

Who is this bar for? Racers who are counting every gram and want every aerodynamic advantage, or maybe if your riding is mostly paved and has random bits of gravel here and there.

I’m at Sea Otter again this year and have a camera in hand. Here are some of the things I found interesting enough to point at and push the shutter button.

Of course, all saddle reviews are subjective, but for me the Gravelier ranks right up there with my current favorite gravel saddles….

In the end, I feel that amongst the options available in handle bar padding, the Ergon BT Orthocell pads are a better solution due to not only being a vibration reduction choice, but in that the pads reduce pressure points.

The Cinturato M’s have what Pirelli claims is a “gravel specific” compound for the rubber. Whatever “SpeedGrip” is, it works.

The next in a series of three episodes concerning gravel tires. Guitar Ted and N.Y. Roll discuss what they like about tires in the 43mm – 50mm sizes and add in some tips for getting the best out of your tire set up.

On the road and on the gravel, the EC90 ALX displays a touch of compliance, but I wouldn’t say it is anything that will make you comfortable or make the handling of your bike any better.

The versatility of these pedals and the safety feature is what sets these apart for the gravel/back road/bikepacker cyclists out there.

Now how about those ‘magnetic lenses’? Well, they do pop off the frames with a bit of effort, and reattach with a reassuring pop.

These are good looking tires with big, diagonally placed knobs and a center row which forms a solid ridge, more or less.

On Wednesday, March 15th four new individuals were announced as having been selected for induction to the new Hall of Fame on May 31st, 2023 in a ceremony to be held in Emporia, Kansas.

Check out the latest “Guitar Ted Podcast” where Guitar Ted and N.Y. Roll interview Kevin Lee, the “Ride Host” for The Spinistry, a North Texas based events promotion/creator “club” for all who want to experience the gravel. mountain bike, and adventure cycling scene in Texas and beyond.

In a sweeping change to a well established Shimano group hierarchy, Shimano has made the announcement today that CUES (Create Unique ExperienceS) will be their mid-level group for the “everyday cyclist”.

Easton took the racer feedback gained throughout the 2022 season and distilled it into what we have here, a gravel racing drop bar.

Shimano and Lazer have teamed up to help you shed the winter blues with a new limited-edition “Tropical Leaves” color scheme.

The Riding Gravel Radio Ranch podcasts, which were a joint production between Guitar Ted and Ben of Riding Gravel, are now no longer being produced. This change has precipitated the beginning of the Guitar Ted Podcast.

In the news today we have a new gravel handlebar from Easton for the racer out there and news concerning some gravel events. Let’s dig in and take a look….

The Gravel Grinder News is back with items from Shimano, Ritchey, and a set of lights from Sweden. Let’s get started

The evolution of the ‘gravel bike’ has been impressive of late, and one of the companies pushing the envelope is Lauf Cycling. First known for their distinctive leaf-spring short travel suspension forks and Icelandic origin, today Lauf is based in the U.S., and their new Seigla is redefining the capabilities of the gravel race bike.

If I am on the right track, we play with returning to the ancestral scheme when riding and racing gravel over long distances. Our bodies do what they do best. We improve the odds of living healthier, longer lives.

Lets see what I have found about the three pieces of gear I rode in over several hours and a goodly amount of miles. First, my favorite piece.

The Sigma ROX 4.0 has an attractive price and feature set.

Since it is well below freezing most days now and since we’ve moved into our Winter attire for the time being, we thought we’d mention that we haven’t forgotten about this review, but we also are not done with the shoes yet.

What if you could take the personal touch up a couple of levels? What if you could actually visit the folks making your bike, meet them face to face, sit down over coffee, get a proper fit done, and work it all out?

n case you were wondering- and if you were not, we get it – but concerning the podcast, The “Riding Gravel Radio Ranch”, we had a big change happen ‘behind the curtains’, as it were, this past Summer.

So, as it stands now, WTB has a 36mm and a 40mm Vulpine that would make for a fantastic tire for racing, and maybe it would work for adventurous types and everyday gravel riders if the terrain was tamer.

In the quest to reduce vibration induced rider fatigue, we have in for test and review the new Ergon BT OrthoCell handlebar pads.

They aren’t flashy, but they will get the job done reliably and with a high degree of performance.

Now here is a thought. Let’s say you have a real need or desire for either one of these lights. But the shortcomings are an issue.

State Bicycle Co. did a good job making the 6061 Black Label All Road look more expensive than it is. I frequently got asked about it when I’d roll up to group rides, and almost universally, folks were shocked when I told them it was a $1,400 bike. I’d have to agree. I frequently caught myself staring into the depths of the woodland green paint.

So what do you do when you already hand-make top flight bike frames in carbon and Ti and want to go to the next level? You add gold, of course.

So far I am super happy with how the valve clogging issues have completely gone away.

Maybe MG said it best when he said, “Light, stiff, comfortable… The RX8Rs have all three. I’m digging ’em.”

The PRO Smart Cage System streamlined my bike, made room for items that used to have to be crammed in with tubes and multi-tools, and it made sense to me.

So, looking at this tire as what WTB has described it as – a gravel racing tire – I have to hand it to WTB at this point.

I am a fan of alloy wheels. And by that I mean wheels built with aluminum rims.

After a couple of months of living with this stuff, I have my final verdict on each product ready to go now.

While it may seem, on the surface of it, that the RX801 and RX8R are just “RX8’s” with different colors and one has a cuff”, that would be far too simplistic a take here.

The functions I’ve accessed have all worked well so far, but the real value here will be if this device can provide turn-by-turn navigation reliably.

Cooler weather seems like it’s quite a long ways off, but maybe not. It’s getting a bit chilly at night already and the days are getting shorter, so the tipping point is likely just around the corner. Or the next corner. But soon, anyway.

At one time many of us in the gravel cycling community felt that the UCI would “ruin” gravel cycling. I don’t think that is the case. The UCI has just made gravel cycling a joke, and it isn’t very funny at all.

The GRX Carbon wheel set is a definite contender in its price-point for carbon wheel sets meant for all-road riding.

We really liked the speed, ride feel, and grip that this ‘on the skinny side’ gravel tire had. Not surprisingly, we hoped that WTB would opt to offer a wider version of this great tire.

Gravel Grinder News comes at you today loaded with news from tires to tools and bikes.

Today Redshift Sports introduces their Kitchen Sink Handle Bar Bag, a bag custom fit for the loop on the Kitchen Sink Handle Bar.

There is a lot to break down with this set up, so this post will focus on the overall impressions of the pieces sent to us and the system set-up and how it worked on the bike….

Bolle’ Volt Glasses & ECO React MIPS Helmet: At The Finish – by Grannygear Editor’s Note: The introduction to this Bolle’ review can be seen…

I like the inner rim width and the stance that this allows my Touaregs to have. The wheels look great, albeit maybe too generic!

Today BMC, the Swiss based bicycle company, launches a new bicycle specifically for gravel racing called “Kaius”.

This tire seems to me to be the “mountain biker’s gravel tire”. A tire for rougher adventures, dirt roads, mountains, and even light single track.

THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY BIKE RAGS Dave Pryor is the most frequent guest on the podcast and he joins Guitar Ted to discuss a…

Recently Riding Gravel was sent a box from Topeak containing a varied array of products. This post is intended to introduce to you what we have. Individual and group posts will follow with reviews. Let’s dig in now and see what was in that box!

Time for some news here and Gravel Grinder News has three bits from Salsa Cycles, Showers Pass, and SILCA to share today.

I’ve been really pleased with the way the Elkhorn Rack has performed so far under loaded conditions.

The Arcade Ranger Long belt is definitely a keeper.

So, overall what do I think? Well it is not a terrible light in many ways.

Today news comes from a company called Logos Components regarding new wheels in carbon fiber featuring a recent open standard technology many of you might be familiar with.

Now with several more rides in on these tires, my impressions have only been solidified and so, it is time for a final verdict on the Kimberlite tires.

And here is a thing to consider and debate over a flask of whiskey around a campfire: “When it comes to gravel bikes, smoother is faster.” True or?

I found the Speedmax to be stable on loose gravel, and capable in a bikepacking situation on deeper gravel as well.

As for the Fernflow Shorts, these are the best so far for gravel bike rides and I think they would be quite good for adventure and bikepacking outings. Now, the Lupra is a viable garment for me, as I am not so interested in wet weather protection.

I remember when this Warbird was my only gravel bike. It was very nice to ride and I recall thinking that it would make a quite decent road bike…..

The Elkhorn Rack is a great addition to a pack system, or a stand-alone, light touring rack.

THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY BIKE RAGS How do you pronounce BikeReg? In this episode, they discuss RAGBRAI, MIWT (Minimum Iowa Width Tires), gravel events,…

So what is the dealio with all my road bike dissatisfaction? Not sure. I know my wife just shakes her head and smiles. She is a patient woman and I am determined to find that ‘just right’ bike.

It (the Kimberlite) felt less wooden and stiff than the previous versions of American Classic tires and more akin to a tire costing much more.

The County is the tire one should look to for mostly paved riding or where the unpaved roads are typically harder, smoother, and not covered in deep crushed rock.

I am spoiled, I think, and now a floor pump seems like a hand crank telephone in comparison.

I had a sneaking suspicion that I was going to find this to be a firm riding set-up, and once I got into the dirt, I was right.

This week, Eurobike is happening after being muted or cancelled due to the pandemic the last two years. That means a lot of news is coming out this week.

Ritchey components can tend to fall under the radar, but I have seldom been disappointed in one.

Old Man Mountain (OMM) racks have a stellar reputation as being very tough, durable, and very versatile.

Ergon has done a smashing job of providing gravel/allroad riders with a tape that has grip, looks great, (as long as you are in to the earthy color palette), and provides some vibration damping.

THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY BIKE RAGS Guitar Ted and Mr. Dave are back for some more. They’re getting crazy with some Bubly! In this…

According to Garmin Gravel Worlds co-promoter, Jason Strohbehn, the movement started from conversations with sponsors, who said 28% women’s participation at Gravel Worlds 2021 was nearly double the industry average.

Just like with this example of 105 Di2. It doesn’t take much imagination to see that some of these features would be welcome additions to Shimano’s GRX range.

Now when I was first approached for reviewing this item I immediately thought of Mrs. Grannygear. She does struggle a bit with some floor pumps

The Ritchey Speedmax WCS 700 X 40mm tires have an iconic look, an aggressive looking tread pattern, and seem pretty stout with their Stronghold casing.

In this post, I want to get to what I found out about the County tires on gravel, how they rolled on pavement, and anything else noteworthy.

Opening the box and looking at a 25mm internal rim, they sure look wide, especially with the hookless rim design.

At Sea Otter I was able to visit the Bolle booth and look at some of the newer items they had for 2022. Here are two things we have on review.

THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY BIKE RAGS Guitar Ted is back with a new partner-in-crime, New York Roll. It’s been quite a while since the…

I like the direction Sportful is going with their ‘Fun Focus’ and the adventure aspects of some of the items I had were right in there.

During my talks with Sportful, they asked if there was anything else I wanted to try. And I thought of the times I went into my closet and reached for a lightweight jacket, not a rain piece…no, just a simple piece, almost like a vest with arms.

The Kimberlite is a tire that American Classic says is meant for pavement and mixed-surface rides. However; here at Riding Gravel’s home, we have found that a minimal amount of tread works fine on deeper, loose gravel.

The unique and long awaited gravel road capable version of the Ergon seat post is here and it looks pretty unique.

Gravel Grinder News: Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame Installs Inaugural Class – by Guitar Ted Emporia, Kansas: Last Wednesday evening in Emporia, Kansas’ Grenada Theater,…

Shimano has chosen this week to announce new GRX level components in conjunction with the lead-up to this coming weekend’s Unbound Gravel event.

Salsa Cycles released information today on new colors and specifications for their Warbird, Warroad, and Cutthroat drop bar bikes. These represent the core of Salsa’s road, gravel, and bikepacking segments. there are no design changes nor any news on a new model in this category.

Okay, so we have a tire from a brand you know well, but not for bicycle tires. It looks a heck of a lot like a competitor’s tire, which we just so happen to have, and so we will be comparing the two.

It was a few years ago now, when cruising through a cycling clothing shop in a small town in Italy, that I ran across Sportful as a brand name.

Today we have news about a new wheel set from Atomik and how Continental Tire and Trail Forks have partnered up to share gravel ride routes. Let’s go!

I wouldn’t go looking for anything better at this price point in rain gear. In fact, this out-performs jackets I’ve tried which cost a lot more than the Century CC does.

Campagnolo has made the new Levante wheel set with carbon fiber rims, of course, but stuck with a bit more traditional based bearings using a cup and cone set up …

At the end of the day, I have mixed feelings about this seat post.

Located roughly between the farmlands of Bakersfield and the Central Coast of California is an area that I had heard of but never been to. It is not a place one would just drive by on the way to somewhere because it is pretty much in the middle of the proverbial nowhere.

Salsa Cycles announces an all-new model today dubbed the Journeyer. This new model builds on the legacy of the Journeyman, which debuted in 2018 and was a big success for the brand.

The season for gravel events is getting started now, and we’ve got a review of something useful for you from Craft Cadence in their new Top Tube Bag that might make those events a bit more pleasant.

Sea Otter Classic, I did miss you! It had been a long time since I had trod the gravel paths and grassy patches, passing all those vendors in pop up tents, each one hoping for good return on their investment. It was, based on what I saw, a good show.

Lauf decided that they wanted to be able to fit a wider tire. (700 X 57mm) So they went with a few choices to get there which are, as a group, quite a bit different than typical gravel bikes out there.

The Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame, announced just this past January, has now unveiled the inaugural class of people associated with gravel cycling’s modern era, pioneering days. The first class of inductees are as follows:

Showers Pass is a well known and respected name in cycling rain wear which is celebrating 25 years of business in 2022. To mark this occasion they chose to introduce the Century CC Jacket.

Then, last year, I was watching a YouTube video from The Move with Lance Armstrong and his merry men commenting on the Tour de France. One of the sponsors was a company called LMNT, an electrolyte additive to a water bottle.

With the goals of producing safer, lighter, better ventilated bicycle helmets that use less plastics to produce, Lazer has introduced KinetiCore technology.

News breaks today of updates to that range of tires. The company has a new puncture protection system and has lowered weights across the range as well as engineering in a lower rolling resistance for their tires across the range.

You would think by this time I would have enough lights in my light box for just about anything, but no. Not quite.

So, right up front I have to address the weather. Yes- the weather. We Mid-Westerners always seem to start out conversations with chatter about the recent weather, but in this case, it really has some bearing on how the ShockStop Pro Seat Post worked for me.

Today in Gravel Grinder News we have a new commemorative PCL event from Nebraska and news from Spinergy Wheels. Let’s jump in.

While bottles for your bicycle are not one of those things you might think about as being important – They are ‘just water bottles’, after all- These utilitarian devices for cyclists are a detail that could be a key part of a successful run at your next event.

Want a geared Stormchaser? Well, your wait is now over as Salsa Cycles announced today that they have a new STORMCHASER GRX 810 1X SUS model.

In today’s Gravel Grinder News we’ve got upcoming reviews to talk about on products from Showers Pass, Craft Cadence, and Polar Bottle.

The Scoutset Bag Brace is a unique, titanium device which stabilizes and carries bags (or maybe even other light loads) well with a simple clamp which takes the place of a steer tube spacer on a threadless steer tube set up. It makes a bicycle with no front rack mount capabilities into a front load carrying bike, or it could be that perfect stabilization device for the bike packer using a large handle bar roll.

It (The GloWorm Alpha 1.0 RF Light) is what I would grab for a night ride that saw me out there in the dark for an hour or more.

Okay, so having an emergency kit- is this an idea for you? That’s the number one question to answer here, in my opinion. I think that answer is “Yes” for some riders, but with some qualifications.

Much like the sacred battles on Olympus, The Theoi is designed to challenge participants both physically and mentally. There are three parts to this event: an intermediate-distance triathlon, a near-vertical gravel time trial (bike) up the mountain, and a demanding off-road/gravel bike race.

Q & A With Enduro Bearings’ Matt Harvey – by Grannygear Enduro BearingsBearings. Those hidden, greasy, spinning balls of mystery. Who can really know them?…

“…the Astral handle bar bag is really quite good. It is easy to get into and is a very useful size.”

So, once again I see a sealant product with great initial set up traits, longevity in terms of use, but with a question mark in terms of its tire sealing capabilities.

The news keeps coming and first up we have event news from Grinder Nationals. Plus Gravel Worlds gets a title sponsor, doping controls make their debut in the gravel scene, and more.

Redshift Sports could have kept on doing what they were doing and could have considered the ShockStop Seat Post a success, but they didn’t. They went straight away in to finding ways to improve upon the idea ….

Today Moots announces a new titanium gravel/adventure bike dubbed the Routt ESC. This new model is a 700c wheeled rig set for those riders which like to go from the gravel to a bit of single track and back again.

Today it has been announced that a “Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame” organization, and in the future, a physical home for the hall, will operate out of Emporia, Kansas

This tire is kind of an oddball in WTB’s line up. The other SG2 cut protected tires I’ve tried are good, but this Vulpine is so much nicer riding

The Bontrager Circuit WaveCel helmet is a lighter, sleeker offering with the added protection that the WaveCel liner affords a rider.

Okay, so FiberLink seems to have an impressive lifespan, it seems to have a pretty good ability to clog a sealant injector nozzle, so I assume a good performance in the field, and it seals up tire casings quite nicely. But, is it a better choice than the most popular brands?

What don’t I like? It’s black and that scares me a bit for daytime use on trafficked roads although it sure looks good. And at my age, I need all the sexy I can get. But not DEAD sexy.

From time to time, I have experienced great joy along when mountaineering or riding gravel…. but this summer took such experiences to another level.

A hundy gets you a couple of bags from a small US company looking to make a dent in the industry, seemingly off to a good start.

But I really would like to try these with a good sprinkling of ‘pixie dust’ on them. A dust that would allow the tire to give me a more compliant ride across all conditions.

Grepp Handle Bar Tape: At The Finish – by Guitar Ted The unusual Grepp Handle Bar Tape has been used on three different bicycles in…

A causal search of Amazon for bike lights will show a huuuuge availability of lights…small to large…pretty much all from China, and at reduced prices compared to the mainstream brands. Like really reduced.

Folks looking for a better saddle in 2022 and beyond really need to make an effort to try out these Allroad saddles from Ergon. They are not like the old Ergon saddles, (which is good), and they deliver on the promise of great fit and comfort on gravel.

In 2020, State launched the bike we have in for review – the 6061 Black Label All-Road. Designed as a lighter, faster, yet still affordable option, the 6061 Black Label All-Road features a heat-treated alloy frame, full carbon fork and unique State-branded 1×11-speed drivetrain.

Today a new U.S. based company has been announced called Wilde Bicycle Co. The company is headed up by former All City Bikes founder and leader for 11 years, Jeff Frane.

Oddly, the Vulpine isn’t as fast a rolling tire on gravel which is loose, chunky, and deep as other tires with similar width. However; once you get out of situations where the terrain is loose and deep, the Vulpine begins to show up as a fast, controllable tire.

Just what the heck is this thing? It has straps like a frame bag, but it isn’t really a frame bag, or a bag at all. It has elements of a tool roll, but it doesn’t go under your saddle. It is shaped like an overgrown wallet, but the permanently attached front strap kind of takes it out of that category.

Maybe what we want is a wheel to cross a county on. Or a continent on. Or a world. And so flash is second to longevity, value, and solid, long days in the saddle. And I do think that the Wanderlusts hit that mark.

The recycled fabric seems tough, stretchy, and washes well in the laundry. I have no issues with the fabric and the recycled element to it makes me feel good about my impact on the environment.

I liked the tread pattern. It looked right up my alley, an alley paved with asphalt mixed with dirt roads.

So, in the end, I come back to that old adage: “You get what you pay for”. In terms of the American Classic Wentworths, that’s not saying they are bad.

It is the bar for those who don’t like the weird, laid-out levers look, and for those who don’t want a lot of flare to the drops. It’s the flared drop bar that looks ‘normal’. It’s the drop bar that takes advantage of what carbon fiber can bring to the table where other carbon handle bars have not. It’s got great ergonomic features, and it rides really well. What more could you ask for in a drop handle bar for gravel riding?

Moving on with our light review round-up, we have the light from Bontrager. As we mentioned in the intro post, what I received from Trek was the Ion Elite R which is one step down from the top of the line light.

The Craft Cadence Cycling Wallet is a fine way to protect sensitive smart phones and to carry things like money, credit cards, keys, and more in an organized, safe way.

What we have here is a new tire from WTB with an old name that has a new mission: Be fast on gravel.

Remembering that these are $35.00 tires (each) means that we probably should not be looking at the American Classic offerings as being equal to, or better than tires costing more, despite what “direct-to-consumer” marketing may seem to indicate here.

The NiteRider Lumina 1100 (and likely the 1200 version) would be my pick for road focused or higher speed gravel rides as well as city cruising.

Every time I did this I felt like I could not feel as much- or any- vibrations coming through the saddle like I was through my hands and my feet. It did not seem to matter if I had a chamois on or if I was in my street clothes, this seemed to me to be the case. That Infinergy® stuff really seems to knock down the higher frequency stuff really well.

Grepp tape is reusable, washable, and recyclable which makes this tape unique amongst the category. I found that it seems to have durability and a stable nature on the handle bar.

The VIS Trail Pro is my choice of the test for a light that is mostly used in the dirt and at speeds under 30mph. The warm color tint and the useful UI; the quality build with high levels of water resistance…it’s a very nice light.

The Craft Cadence Handle Bar Bag is a very sturdy, well made bag which has a lot of versatility and is simple to use.

This race report is brought to you by the Salty Lizard 100’s Race director, Bobby Kennedy. The Salty Lizard 100 just took place in October