Before I went T5 I had a T4 and fitted Sachs Super HD shocks to compliment the lowering … gave a really good ride.

I would of thought bike bits as prizes would of come from the sponsors of the event … generally bike brands or shops. Anything else the event organiser wanted to offer would be a cost to the event and ultimately reflected in the cost of entry.

So I guess the question is if all these things are of no value to the winners then do they want them at all or can we dispense with wasted goods and those on the podium just go home happy with the result :)

Training plan here for those seeking something more structured …

https://home.trainingpeaks.com/products/trainingplans/plans/12-week-200km-dirty-reiver-gravel-race-power-based

Joey’s Coffee will be operating and the Cafe will (should) be open too :)

The event is at Hawkhirst Scout Camp which have a lot of onsite rooms .. are none of those being made available to use?

Thanks guys. Now need to decide do I go Shimano Hydros or Sram CX1.

Worth trying the lever shape on both as they are radically different.

I have both and with Shimano the levers are much longer than cable brakes so ended up with a shorter stem. Sram levers are much taller.

Both Shimano and Sram feel equally as positive as each other and both will offer a noticeable difference over mechanical, if nothing more than they require much less set and continual faffing.

This help?

Looking to have more control over the parts and accessories specified on their own bikes is a great move and if you are making them for complete bikes why not offer them as a separate range also.

Always find it strange when people complain about having more choice in the marketplace.

I can recommend the 38c Halo twin rail … used for a few gravel events and many long distance mixed surface training rides.

For Audax now I have the 29c twin rail fitted

Salsa Warbird post Trans Iowa in 2013

Untitled by paulerrington78[/url]

Halo Twin Rail 38 tyres are an excellent choice for those looking for an all purpose tread

I am 6’3 and want quite a roomy top tube.

A little too big for an EM Ti XTR I may sell :(

Would it be possible to also get the information please.

Thanks in advance

So many comments so far from the OP point ..

Being offered advertising to run in the issue that features your product isn’t the issue here .. what this is about, as per the link in the OP, is a pre packaged years worth of editorial for a fee.

It just fundamentally feels wrong that something that should be impartial has a monetary value attached to it… due to limited test slots I assume this then invariably means that companies who can’t afford to buy editorial then get bumped for those that can.

Also I think when questioning the legitimacy of the OP source we should accept that it was posted by a journalist not a disgruntled forum member or small bike company owner with insufficient marketing budget to buy editorial.

so lets support the people who shun this and put our money into providing longevity to honest product review and appraisal.

I look forward to seeing the P beside your name ;o)

Sorry Dave I only pay for editorial not for offering words of support ;)

Jimjam – you do realise that a lot of us who review for Singletrack don’t actually work for them right? Most of us are freelance.

I think the discussion is far to centered on ST when the OP was clearly about another much larger publication.

Unfortunately freelance or staff I imagine you don’t personally choose the products you get to review.

The fundamental issue is that editorial can be bought and therefore skews reviews and its dishonest .. I can’t see how a publication or website can derive an impartial informed opinion about a companies product that arrived wrapped in £50 notes.

I have first hand experience of ‘cash or trade for editorial’ so it happens .. so lets support the people who shun this and put our money into providing longevity to honest product review and appraisal.

Do we have empirical proof of this?

“Seem” and “people accept” is very different from solid proof.

Without proof, this is purely rumour.

The OP link to the costed document seems fairly self explanatory that editorial is for sale .. admittedly we do not know if anyone actually buys editorial in this manner though the ‘no big surprise’ posters on here maybe add weight to the belief that its happening.

I’m pretty sure (at least in print media) there is a code of practice that this has to be titled “Advertising Feature” or similar.

It’s very easy to get drawn into the paranoia of internet forums and think that there’s some kind of mad Illuminati style cabal running all aspects of the media – jesus, if you were going to get into that sort of game as a publisher, you’d pick an industry with more cash than bikes……..

Advertorials are a different offering … they are very transparent in their nature. What we seem to have here … and people are openly accepting this happens .. is the purchase of ‘Editorial’ not ‘Advertorial’ so there is no paranoia as its happening.

So I guess as its no surprise too many that this practice happens and its no big deal then why not indicate which products within a piece of editorial are actually paid inclusions and we can then weight our own interpretation of the outcome ?

At what point does journalism just become another arm of an advertising team ?

A bit of realism needed here. Mags need the advertisers and the readers to provide income, and if they lose either then they’re screwed. It’s both common and reasonable that those who support the business with advertising spend will get editorial coverage, including invitations to submit product for either individual review or into group tests.

What’s not reasonable, and isn’t something supported by any evidence I can see in the linked material, is for the actual editorial coverage to be “bent” by the advertising spend, in this industry that would be a mag saying a bike was great that they thought was terrible. Not only would that be unethical, but it also wouldn’t make business sense – if the readers don’t trust the reviews then they stop reading which not only removes their revenue from the mag, but shortly after the advertising revenue too – no one’s going to pay to place adverts in a mag with no readers.

So, really, this is not big news. It’s not even news at all for anyone who’s read any magazines (bike or others) regularly – a firm starts spending on adverts, products get featured – have none of you spotted this before?

So given this logic we will get to a point where the only products that are reviewed are those produced by companies that can afford to pay ? Does this in itself not lead to a skewed outlook ?

I assume as you rightly state mags need advertising so they will be less inclined to come down hard on bad products for fear of adverts being pulled ?

Advertorial is fine when its presented in that manner and you can the make a judgement call on the content and how biased or not it is.

My Salsa Warbird after Trans Iowa

Apart from food was carrying a waterproof and some warmer gloves

The word is December … plus it comes in 650b so will be nicely timed for a few wide 650b tyre offerings

Hey Casey

Great Bunyan article … You know Lucas ?

So my friend Jay Barre, awesome guy I met at Trans Iowa, works at Topanga Creek Cycles …

http://topangacreekbicycles.com/blog/unpredict-your-wednesday-camping-in-a-fire-lookout-tower-in-the-sequoia-national-forest/

Do you have an email I can contact you on ?

Great trip !!

I think it was Bunyan Velo that did a feature on these look out towers and they have real appeal .. a friend in Topanga just posted a similar trip.

Speak to Strada wheels about Ryde rims.

Sure the Ryde tubeless cx rim is 340g a rim :)

Heading down on Friday to take a look and meet with friends.

The move from Bristol from London I think slightly favours me travelling from Newcastle .. then again its only once a year and its a pretty special show to gather up all the talent in one place so worth the trip.

We live in a relatively small country so nowhere is that far away :)

Blackhound, I fully support your hope for a Derby based show .. only because its closer not particularly because it would be in Derby ;)

I have to say I started to feel a little bad about posting up about issues with my order as I have never posted about good service .. but then I thought what is good service ? To date I have always had the parts I paid for sent within the time they quoted so they have just provided a service and have been paid for it.

Now I am left with having to order my pedals from somewhere else ( decided to buy from a wizard yesterday and pedals were delivered today) and am still awaiting the parts from my original order.

I am beginning to think Sue at Planet X just doesn’t care as much as her emails suggest :(

I ordered some parts inc. some XT pedals .. waited patiently as had received a few update emails regarding volume of orders due to the sale pricing .. mailed customer services Friday to be told they couldn’t find my pedals .. the website states there are 4 pairs in stock though they are now more expensive :(

Is it a common occurrence at Planet X that things ‘Can’t be found’ ? ..maybe some staff training is needed in checking down the backs of sofas and remembering the last place you had them.

Interesting idea … I went down a slightly different road with my MyTi mug and some custom Alpkit stem cells …

I got bored this time last year so pulled out all my cooking options ..

http://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1522&p=14051#p14051

sheck , its a medium. Using the same securing strap through possum and fuel pod really helps stabilise them

Vortexracing, the kit is untested to date but happy with flexibility of mounting points so they fit across a number of my bikes … nicely made gear.

Winter bike but trial set up for Audax

Halo twin rails will be used on whatever bike I decide to ride

I like the sound of cheese and specialty nibbles :)

Bicycle Repair Man in Prudhoe .. Tony should have some in there .. or Start Cycles in Newcastle City Centre.

benslow, its a Revelate Viscacha

http://www.backcountrybiking.co.uk/product/viscacha/

You usually can take it as part of your checked luggage but check the max dimensions as they don’t allow anything but totally dismantling your bike to make it viable.

I adopt a policy of winging it .. turn up at airport if I get charged I pay though sometimes .. more often than not .. they just check my Evoc bike bag in for free … I can get (just) my cloths and riding gear in a carry on bag.

I would however check the rental bikes you can get in Moab as when I was there I rented a Tallboy LT and that was a run of mill hire bike there.

Mine packed before my Highland Trail Fail …

Put more thought into lightening the load so have a more minimalist set up to play with for next trip

Does this help ..

http://www.keswickbikes.co.uk/pages.asp?id=2#events

http://shop.pearlizumi.com/product.php?mode=view&pc_id=43&product_id=1643822&outlet=&color_code=509

I got MT91’s and hey are great but a bit heavy for using all the time mainly winter for me.

Pearl Izumi X Alp are a shoe designed for hike a bike.