38 Comments

Awesome writeup. I’m just reading this today, Nov 1st, after the Specialized day on the 26th. Was wondering how it went… if turnout was as expected, if the LBS’s are still upset….

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Awesome to hear about what’s coming.. especially the bikes! No22 and a mog? Woot!

Nice to have the news on drops too. I gotta say the CK seat post collar is pretty sweet even though it’s going to result in a lighter wallet and heavier bike.. that is kind of their thing tho.

Cool to have the heads up on the next article too. Currently looking for some new gravel/ mtb shoes so I’m hoping to see some reviews on those.

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Great to have you back on a platform that allows you to what you do best! Looking forward to seeing where this goes!

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founding

Looking forward to reading about this Stinner and the Stigmata. Hoping to surprise my wife with a new gravel frame soon and I want to make it something different and special. Right now I’m thinking awfully hard about a Sour Purple Haze, and while it’s plenty unique and cool, it’s quite hefty.

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....suggestions for what you should call this thing? "Daily Bread" - sustenance for bike nerds.

James, you deliver the wholesome goodness in an honest package that we have learned to value and trust. I'm excited to see what you take out of the oven!

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More great work James. Lovin’ it.

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On regular rotation in pizzas at home we’ve made the Pizza Sofia from Cafe Zoetrope in San Francisco. Make a marinara, mozzarella, & prosciutto pizza and at or near the end of cooking(depending on oven temperature) add a layer of arugula. Right before serving top it with Parmesan shavings.

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I've reached the stage in my life where pizza without arugula seems naked

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Yeah, on pizza night I rarely make sides so the arugula is a nice way to get some veggies in.

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author

Ooh, that's a good one – and a classic! I'll for sure have to add the arugula after the pizza comes out of the oven. I regularly run mine at about 700°F (380°C) so that arugula would burn pretty much instantly otherwise.

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Nice! Felt like I was having a discussion with you on my bus ride going to the market. Got me motivated to ride even in the deep fog we currently have this time a year.

I like the succession of stories and reviews. It’s long but I love the flow.

Regarding the tactic of the big S, I feel it’s a shady move to bring traffic back in shops and trying to own the initiative. The industry is currently desperate to move stocks and make place for new stuff or just to bring cash to the bank. Nevertheless , it’s evident to say that Retailers need to step up their game to increase retention of the riders we are. The only time I need to go is when I need by bike to get fixed. Sad. I wish I would go for a bike ride meet up instead.

Anyhow. Great job James! Looking forward to the next read 😃

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author

Thanks! Definitely the vibe I was going for :)

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Great start to the newsletter!

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That’s more content than most established magazine/websites. I can’t say how sustainable that it but I’m here for it!

My two cents are 1: very helpful to have in mind six years as a ballpark for optimal tire properties and 2: that free tune-up day Specialized is imposing on shops would really piss me off if we were a Specialized shop.

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Looking forward to your take on the Bridge Surveyor

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author

I'm really looking forward to that one, particularly now that I've seen firsthand everything that goes into making them. The attention to detail is quite impressive, and I hope that translates into the ride quality. We'll find out soon enough.

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The owner of my LBS got one of his first and built it up and it’s now his favourite bike to ride . As a Canadian I’m pretty stoked about them and Framework

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author

Those were two of the best factory tours I've done in recent memory. Really cool what both of those outfits are doing. Their approaches to manufacturing couldn't be more different, too.

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That’s great to hear. So different and both so passionate and dedicated.

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author

All things considered, the Surveyor is surprisingly well-priced, too.

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Yup! Even in Canadian dollars 😅

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founding
Oct 25·edited Oct 25

I’ve been waiting for you to review the Stigmata, so YES on that! I’m on the fence between it and the Enve MOG. Stigmata is a better price point and can be ordered complete but is on the heavier side. The MOG is lighter but is pricey and can’t be ordered complete. Both bikes check the tire clearance, DT storage, and threaded BB boxes on my wish list.

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author

Update: MOG is inbound.

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Yaaaas!

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founding

Awesome! Looking forward to both reviews!

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Ok, sounds like there's enough interest on the Stigmata so I'll get that into the queue.

And I'll see what I can do about the MOG. That's one I've been wanting to check out for a while, anyway.

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I, for one, would be interested in the stigmata review. Also pretty generally interested in your thoughts on gravel suspension as a concept and in execution

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author

Noted on both!

FYI, Ben Delaney just had me on as a guest for a video discussing gravel suspension that'll supposedly go live some time this weekend. I plan on writing something up with more detail, but that video will be a good primer. If you don't follow him already, search "The Ride with Ben Delaney" on YouTube.

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Hi James,

Name suggestion: ‘Bessel’s correction’

…partially corrects the bias…

NB. Pineapple on pizza then pop under the broiler to caramelize the sugars is sublime

Thank you for all you do,

Rogue

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Are you matching your ‘usual’ touch points on the Stigmata, or adapting to a more forward/mtb fit? I’ve been intrigued by the new Stigmata (for tire size as well as geometry), but comparing fit to my current bike feels a bit like going from a 2015-era MTB to a 2023 MTB. An overlay of SC’s recommended size to my current geo looks almost comical.

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author

My fit is the same as usual: saddle height and setback, bar height, bar reach, etc. The main difference is just that the stem is shorter than I'd normally run on a gravel bike made using a more traditional geometry.

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The stuff you have in the hopper sounds fantastic 👀 So glad you’re back, James!

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author

It's good to be back :)

Thanks for the support!

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