Journal
Saddle Slingers: Behind the Jersey
With any kick-ass group there must be an accompanying kick-ass shirt (obviously). It’s for this exact reason that the Saddle Slingers needed their very own snazzy jersey. Out of this necessity, one such snazzy jersey was indeed created. SHOP THE SADDLE SLINGERS JERSEYS Our riders KJ and Madi had a lot...
Contender Emigration Canyon Pop Up - June 29th
The climb up Emigration Canyon is a crowd favorite here at Contender Bicycles, and we know we’re not alone. Nothing beats a good bike ride on a summer evening. Only one thing could make it better: a cold drink at the top. Contender is having a pop up at the...
2023 Santa Cruz Hightower: Details, Specs, and First Look
Put the previous generation Santa Cruz Hightower 2 and this new 2023 Santa Cruz Hightower bike side bike side, and one would be much more likely to find more similarities than differences. After all, the geometry hasn’t changed much, and its mission is the same: to be that longer travel...
The Saddle Slingers and The Wasatch 50 Ride Report
On June 11th, Saddle Slingers Madi and KJ attempted the Wasatch 50 mountain bike race. Packet pick up was at 6:00 AM which meant an early morning for our riders. After a 4:30 AM wake up and an hour and a half long drive to Heber, the Saddle Slingers were...
Beautiful Bicycle - A Santa Cruz Chameleon That Stands Out
We don’t see chameleons all that often in Utah, so it's a treat when we do. While they’re known for their thousand-mile stare, the chameleon is best known for their ability to change their look between tones both bright or muted, purely based on environment and mood. That’s how we...
Shimano GRX vs SRAM AXS vs Campagnolo Ekar - Best Bike Groupsets
We love our gravel bikes, and part of it is for the innovation and new technologies sprouting up. With as much innovation and change as is happening, however, finding the right groupset for your needs (and wants) can be difficult. What is someone to do to parse the differences and...
Saddle Slingers First Century Ride
On Sunday, May 22nd, Saddle Slingers Madi and KJ set out to do their first century ride. A century ride is defined as a bike ride over 100 miles. Seeing as the ENVE Grodeo ride is about 100 miles, they figured a ride like this would be a great opportunity...
Ride With Ashantai and Bike MS For Those Who Can't
Ashantai Yungai is a light in the life of those who know him. While he has a smile that brings a room alight, he is also a father, calligraphist, and athlete who himself deals with multiple sclerosis. Ashantai is soon setting off to ride the Bike Utah MS 150, a ride...
Demo the Pinarello Dogma and Grevil Starting June 14th
You know you want a gravel bike, but you just can't decide. We get it, in a world with so many fish in the sea, how will you know? Lucky for you, Pinarello has been generous enough to once again grant us the opportunity to share their demo fleet with...
The Contender Chainbow Shirt Supports Equality Utah
The bicycle chain is what makes the wheels go. Without a complete chain, the bike is inefficient and ineffective. All it takes is one broken link to bring your ride to a halt. At Contender Bicycles, we recognize this as each member of our team is vital to making the...
The Insider's Guide to the 2022 Pinarello Grevil F
Today, Pinarello has revealed their latest gravel bike, an update to the popular Grevil. Called the Grevil F, this latest gravel grinder continues forward as being the ‘Pinarello’ of gravel bikes, with responsive handling and ride feel, just updated to fit a massive 700c x 50mm tire and internal cable routing. We are...
Beautiful Bicycle - A Bright and Bold Pinarello Grevil
Custom paint is exactly what you want it to be. Sometimes you want to commemorate your dogs, or you want to match your car. Other times you want the paint scheme of one bike on a completely different frame. That’s what we did here, taking a limited-edition paint scheme from...
Introducing the Revised ENVE SES Wheel Lineup
We have had a strong relationship with ENVE for years. It helps that they build their carbon wheels just up the road from us in Ogden, Utah, but they also have a history of building the finest carbon wheelsets available. They’re seen as a go-to of sorts for those who...
The Gravel Locos 2022 Race Review
I (Alvin) live in Texas, not in Utah where our shops are located. One of the cool things about living in Texas is the burgeoning gravel bike community in the area, particularly in the southern part of the state around Austin and San Antonio where I am. Alongside an array...
Our Best Gravel Bikes of 2022 - Five of Our Favorites
Gravel bikes have gone from mysterious entities to essential bikes for the community of cyclists that limbo between roads and, well, gravel. Thanks to wider tires you can take everything you love about road riding and take it off the road with stability and control. Which gravel bike is best...
