Merry Christmas!

N.Y. Roll's home decorated for Christmas by Morgan. 

Merry Christmas! 

  From : Guitar Ted Productions

To: You! 

I hope everyone has a safe, peaceful, enjoyable Christmas day today! 

I am grateful for you, the reader of this blog. May your bicycles be clean and quiet, your trails and roads be interesting and challenging, and may you have the health to pedal over it all anyway. 

Thank you! 

 

Rear View: Best Images Of 2025

 The Best Images From The Blog For 2025

A few ground rules here before we dive in. First, the images were chosen by me, Guitar Ted, and my decisions are final!  Secondly, the images had to be taken by Guitar Ted. There were several contributions to the blog from other riders who took some really good images. Some better than mine, but this is not a list from those folks. 

See, if I choose one of my images over another one of my images I can only offend myself.  Ha! You get the picture. (No pun intended)

 Most of the images are self-explanatory and need no further commentary. However; if you have a question concerning any of these, let me know. Just drop a comment in the comments section and I will get back to you. 

I am listing these from January through December. This year the images weren't great, I will admit. I did not get out enough, and when I did, somehow or another good images eluded me. This year was the first year I did not leave the State of Iowa in decades. So, this might explain some of the lack of variety. Additionally, I was relegated to being hyper-local as well, with only a couple of exceptions. This definitely was a limitation!  Okay. Enough! On with the show......

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Bonus pic!

So, that is a wrap on the images which I thought were the best for the year on the blog. What do you think? Good? Bad? Ugly? Which was your favorite?

I also wanted to point out a special post I wrote up for the celebration of 20 years of blogging here. It is a "Best Of" for the pictorial headers I use here these days.  If you'd like to peruse those again,or if you missed those the first time, Click Here. 

Otherwise that should do it for this post. I'll be back again next year with  more imagery and hopefully a trip or two which should spice things up a bit! Meanwahile, have a Happy Holiday season!

Bikes Of 2025: Salsa Cycles Mukluk (The Snow Dog)

It's another end-of-year period on the blog. You know what that means? Yep! Another round of my bikes I used in 2025. This round-up will not include some of the bikes I did not use this year much, or at all. I focus only on the bikes that played a big role in my riding during this year.  As always, any changes or future plans for any bike I feature will also be detailed. I hope that you enjoy this year's round-up.

2011 Salsa Cycles Mukluk:

The Mukluk, a 50th birthday present from several friends. It is the bike I call "The Snow Dog". Yes, it is a Rush reference. 

The Snow Dog had been in mothballs off and on throughout the time I've owned it, but it was never far away from me and it always surprises me how good it is whenever I do get it out to ride it. Of course, it is frighteningly out of date in terms of fat bikes. It is, in essence, a first gen fat bike. The only thing here which is truly innovative in terms of the first fat bikes is the 170mm rear end. 

But this bike has endeared itself to me and also, it was a birthday present from a group of cherished friends, so it is hard to let go of it. I cannot stand having a bike around I don't use, so I keep going back to it again and again. 

It has uncanny stability, it rides off road really well. It can carry a fair amount of gear, if you want it to do this. But you'd be lucky to squeeze anything bigger than a 4.0 rear tire in there and have any real clearances. The front is a little more forgiving, but yeah.... This is not the bike to go into anything but groomed trail if we are talking about snow riding. There are more capable bikes for that and I happen to have a couple of them! 

So, I don't know....... I should decommission this thing and move on, but I just cannot seem to do that.  Maybe I should plan some big country ride and get it done on the Snow Dog. I know I'd be surprised and pleased by the outcome. 

Bikes Of 2025: Ti Muk 2 (Salsa Cycles Titanium Mukluk)

  It's another end-of-year period on the blog. You know what that means? Yep! Another round of my bikes I used in 2025. This round-up will not include some of the bikes I did not use this year much, or at all. I focus only on the bikes that played a big role in my riding during this year.  As always, any changes or future plans for any bike I feature will also be detailed. I hope that you enjoy this year's round-up.

2015 Salsa Cycles Titanium Mukluk:

This bike is the ultimate Winter commuter bike, but I use it for more than just Winter riding. Obviously, not too long ago it was my Virtual Turkey Burn Ride bike of choice.  I use it for gravel riding at times also. The name, "Ti Muk 2" goes with this bike because it is my second titanium Mukluk I've owned. 

But the main thing is Winter gettin' around. This is an "ultimate" because of the drive train and the wheels. The drive train because it does not have exposed gears or derailleurs. The single chain, chain ring, and cog are a lot less prone to premature wear due to Winter slop. The gears, all fourteen of 'em, are housed internally. The range I get is perfect for commuting or for grinding up a steep dike or slogging through deep slushy snow. 

Doing some saddle testing early in 2025 with the Ti Muk 2

The bike requires little from me other than a periodic oil change and a once-every-five-year sealant clean-up. Since I've upgraded the lights, replaced a bottom bracket and chain ring, and went with an Answer carbon handlebar I've pretty much dialed this bike in. 

I did have a wrangle with the rear caliper on this bike, but since replacing the Avid BB-7 with a Spyke TRP caliper the rear brake issue has been put to bed. I now have an actual rear brake instead of a speed scrubber! 

 

I ended up going back to the OG Salsa branded WTB Silverado which came to me on the bike when I got it six years ago or so. I like that saddle a lot on this bike, for some reason, because I wasn't thinking I'd like the older narrower Silverado. But I do. 

I guess the only other thing here which is interesting is when people look at the bike and ask me how much it would cost. You have to figure in today's economy the cost would be pretty exorbitant. Probably nearly the price of a decent sub-compact used car. I don't really know, though, because this sort of thinking does not compute with my brain. I simply don't care about the subject. It is what it is. Buy one or do not buy one like it. I only know it is a whole lot of fun to ride and it can go a lot of places cars cannot go. Besides, I've saved a load of cash by not burning dinosaur sueezin's instead. 

Bikes Of 2025: Salsa Cycles Blackborow DS

 It's another end-of-year period on the blog. You know what that means? Yep! Another round of my bikes I used in 2025. This round-up will not include some of the bikes I did not use this year much, or at all. I focus only on the bikes that played a big role in my riding during this year.  As always, any changes or future plans for any bike I feature will also be detailed. I hope that you enjoy this year's round-up.

Salsa Cycles Blackborow DS:

This bicycle has been around here for a little over ten years now. I have tried to get rid of it, almost had it sold in 2020, but nope! It's little used around here, but when it is needed, it gets a ton of use.  

The "DS" in the name stands for "Dual Singlespeed". The Blackborow DS has parallel single speed cog and chain ring sets with a single chain which must be moved manually to access a second ratio. The caveat here is that both single speed sets have to have the same number of total teeth. So, for instance you could have a 22T front with a 24T rear and a 24T front with a 22T rear. Both sets equal 46 total teeth. This means you have a single chain and it will fit either set of cogs. You cannot cross-chain either, in case you are wondering.  

This bike shines best when snow or mud is the worst. The big Clownshoe rims and Bud and Lou tires are why this is. I have been running around 5psi so far this month and the stability and traction are outstanding. 

The reason I purchased the Blackborow DS was twofold. One was for the flotation in deep snow where it would allow me to traverse areas where no grooming of snow had been done. Secondly, it has no derailleurs and cassette cogs to get wasted by Winter chemical treatment of the road ways. 

Trouble was, the dual-single speed drive train, while cool, useful, and robust, wasn't very fast for commuting. I only commute on this bike if conditions are horrid. The Ti Muk 2 I have is essentially what this bike should have been back in 2014. But I couldn't afford a 5K fat bike at the time! I am always impressed by the Blackborow's lack of weight compared to the Ti Muk 2 though. 

It is great bike when riding across 8" of fresh snow in a grassy field and busting trail. It does great in post-holed, frozen trail. It is fun if things get saturated in the Green Belt and I want to go exploring. So, for now the bike stays. 

Rear View 2025: Fall

  Hello! it's time again to review the year on Guitar Ted Productions. The "Rear View" has been a staple of the blog since almost the very beginning. This year will feature  five Rear View posts looking back on   End of Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall, and  Beginning of Winter. I'll also have a post looking ahead at 2026. Enjoy the look back and thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Fall was a season with uncertainty for me as I entered into it.  I was fresh off Jacob's death. I did not know exactly what to do yet, and dealing with grief, a new thing for me, was another uncertainty. 

Fortunately I have friends and family to lean on. N.Y. Roll asked if I'd want to go on a Labor Day ride with him. I accepted this invitation and we took "the long way" over to Cedar Fall's Cup of Joe coffee house. It was a very enjoyable ride and I did have fun. 

It was one of the only times I rode my Raleigh Tamland Two all year. This bike is kind of a conundrum for me as I was a big part of its design, but it is an old bike now days. No through axles, nothing hidden, no electronic shifting. Ah! Whatever! It still is a great bike. Young folks may not understand and just think I am being an old duffer.Hey, that is just fine with me. They can have the complexity and fuss which newer gravel bicycles have. Go right ahead! Just because it is "new" doesn't mean it is "better". 

N.Y. Roll leading me up the climb on the bike path near HWY 20.

I ordered a new Singular Peregrine Mk4 frame and fork at the beginning of September.

After Labor Day excitement built for a new bicycle which I was getting to replace the Twin Six Standard Rando v2. The T-6 was a fine bicycle, but it has limited tire clearances and I was seeing the Peregrine as a similarly styled bicycle with better tire clearance. 

The Peregrine came in and I quickly transferred parts from the Twin Six to the new frame. It wasn't long before I had it out on the gravel. I also tried out a new set of Schwalbe tires, the G-One Overlands. I had high hopes for those Schwalbes but in the end I wasn't super impressed by them. 

Of course, the first ride was to visit the Big Rock.

 A fine, hot September visit to Petrie Road's Level B Section

October rolled in and it was as if Summer wouldn't quit. 80 degree days, dry, little wind to speak of, and the only tell tale sign Fall was here was the dried up corn fields and shorter days. I also made a surprise discovery at around this time which prompted another ride idea. 

After coming across a bunch of leftover hats and stuff from the C.O.G. 100, N.Y. Roll and I decided to put on a 40 mile single speed ride in late October down out of Reinbeck. I dubbed it the C.O.G 40. N.Y. Roll designed the course with some help from Ben Petty, and N.Y. Roll planned a mid-ride pierogie stop.  It all came together and we ended up with a smaller, but fun group of riders. 

A Fall ride in the Green Belt on my OS Bikes Blackbuck

A stop on a Level B Road during the C.O.G 40 ride

The month of October closed out with a fantastic ride for the C.O.G. 40 which was a ride I never had on my radar to do in September. I was really pleased with everything and despite the chilly weather on the day of the ride I had a ton of fun. 

One day at a time. One step forward at a time, things were feeling better and life was seemingly settling into a predictable rhythm again. I wasn't anywhere near "over it" and I probably never will be. I'm just in a different space now. But still moving ahead. 

Next I'll recap "Winter Begins" and then there will be one more post in the series looking ahead at 2026 both in terms of my riding, writing, and life.  

A Special Tribute To A Ridin' Buddy: Part 2

 In today's post I will cover Jacob's cycling from where he was gifted a Salsa Cycles Mukluk up through to his adulthood. Check out yesterday's post if you missed it for his beginnings in cycling. 

Picking up Jacob's Mukluk frame and fork in October of 2013

With Jacob's struggles with his old 24" wheeled bike becoming more troublesome and with his rapid growth, it became clear Jacob was going to need another upgrade in a bicycle. This time I envisioned a fat bike. More stability and capability in the design and wheels should allow Jacob to go wherever he wanted, or this was the thought, at any rate. 

So, I scraped and borrowed parts off my 2011 Salsa Mukluk, (The Snow Dog), to get this project going. I told Jacob about the bike late in Summer and finally, after the frame and fork arrived, and I was able to pay for it, we went down and picked it up. 

I put it together as best I could and I think it turned out pretty well. 

The first iteration of Jacob's Mukluk

Jacob's first ride on his new bike. 

I remember going to the shop, where I ended up finishing up the bike, and letting Jacob try out his new bike for the first time. He was barely able to stand over it, but it fit great when he mounted and rode it. I was chatting with a coworker as we watched Jacob take the new bike for a spin around the back lot behind the shop. I was too engrossed in the conversation to remember to tell Jacob how careful he needed to be when he dismounted. Unfortunately for Jacob, he jumped off the saddle and right on the ol' family jewels! 

A painful lesson learned!

It didn't take long for Jacob to become accustomed to his new rig. 

From a ride we took to see a cyclo cross race in 2014.

Jacob loved this bike. He continued to ask to go on adventures, night rides, and day trips while he still fit on the Mukluk. I ended up getting a different wheel set for it and eventually he graduated to flat bars as his reach increased with growth. 

He struggled a bit with the concept of a multi-speed crank set and rear cassette, but he began to figure this out. Once this occurred we had a lot more fun riding. 

 

At the Southern end of the Green Belt Trail system. 

The Mukluk opened up a whole new area for Jacob. We could ride off-road and even in the snow. I was really proud of his tenacity and will to go through more difficult terrain and longer distances. There were less tantrums and more fun times during this period. 

Snow was a challenge for Jacob to get through. 

Sub-zero wind chill and LOTS of ice here had us walking more than riding. I caught a LOT of grief for taking him on this ride!

My riding times with Jacob were really special to me, and they will always be a great memory. My daughter doesn't ride a bicycle. She never learned how to, or even wanted to learn. My wife has bad knees and is super busy all the time, so Jacob became my ridin' buddy in the family. I am really happy he wanted to do this with me. 

It could have been very different. Jacob could have hated bicycles and not want anything to do with me. I was blessed it wasn't this way. This is something I am especially grateful for to this day. 

Jacob really took to riding alleys. Guess he got that from me!

 

Jacob wasn't particularly in the mood here. It was hot, and the ride was long. 

Eventually Jacob was outgrowing the Mukluk. It would be time again to get him into something which would accommodate his growth. So, along about 2016, I came across a close-out Origin 8 Scout XLT fat bike frame. Meanwhile, Jacob's old Mukluk had a fork recall. I stuck on an Enabler fork on the bike while the stock fork was taken off. Once the new, carbon replacement fork arrived, I had a complete frame and fork for Jacob's new bike. I transferred over a lot of his old stuff, but I did also get a wheel set off of N.Y. Roll's Beargrease to use on the bike. This wheel set had green anodized Salsa hubs, so the bike was mostly flat black with green accents. It actually came out quite well. 

The Scout XLT right after I finished building it up. 

 

A visit to the Green Belt Lake with the Scout XLT in the foreground. 

By now Jacob was age 13 and growing up quickly. He was starting to find friends and wanting to do things with them. While our rides and adventures continued, they became fewer and further between. 

I recall one ride in the Green Belt when Jacob was about 14 or 15. He was getting bigger and stronger.We were working hard on some grassy stretch when I turned around to see he'd stopped and was fussing around with his bike. I rode back to find he had folded over his 1X chain ring! 

That turned into a long walk out of the woods. It also was one of our last bicycle adventures we went on. After I fixed the Scout, he started riding over to a friends house and spending time riding with another kid who was his age. It was all good. It was time for Jacob to make his own way. 

Those two used to ride quite a bit for a short period of time until his friend started driving. Once they got all turned around and ended up in Cedar Falls. I was actually kind of proud of them for figuring out how to get back home.  

One issue with the Scout XLT was that it was too nice. I would sternly advise Jacob anytime he went out for a ride on it not to allow it to sit unattended. Then when football practice demanded his time at odd hours, we had to find Jacob a bicycle he could use which wouldn't attract the "wrong" attention. Ironically this came in the form of the Sierra from the Xtra-cycle days. I took the Xtra-cycle attachment off, built up a heavy duty rear wheel, and sent Jacob off on that bike. This became his main form of transport and cycling then for several years until he started driving. 

The bike which Jacob ended up using as an adult was the front half of this cargo set up. 

 Once Jacob got into college and was driving he rarely took bicycle rides. Then he got his job as a CNC machinist and life took him in a different direction. Maybe he would have come back to cycling at some point in the future, I don't know. 

Never will know... 

 I do know he still wanted to spend time with me. Instead of riding we'd often go on walks. Spending time chatting and just being quiet together replaced the wind in our ears and pedaling. 

I also do know Jacob was looking for opportunities to get out in nature with me. He asked if we could go fishing a few weeks before he died. I told him if he got a license we'd go.  

It never happened.  

I am still really sad and I will miss Jacob sorely, but I am so blessed we got to be ridin' buddies for as long as we were. I learned a lot from Jacob during those times. How to be amazed at little things. How he saw nature and how he overcame his struggles with riding are all inspirations to this day. 

I miss my ridin' buddy......