Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Special Edition: DK 200 XXC Mag And GGN Vaya Review

Usually this is "Bike Shop Tales" day, but I have a couple of announcements that won't wait. "Bike Shop Tales" will return at its regularly scheduled slot next week!

 The XXC Magazine Dirty Kanza 200 Special Edition

If you have hung around here for very long, you know I like riding gravel roads and you probably have heard about The Dirty Kanza 200 . It is an epic, tough, beautiful event in the Flint Hills region of Kansas. This past June, 160 intrepid souls took the start line of this event in downtown Emporia, Kansas. Relive the event through the eyes of its participants in this latest issue of the XXC Mag. You can down load a copy on your hard drive, or opt for the "in your hands" approach and get a printed copy. Just hit the link and get yerself sum!

If you were one of the event participants, you owe it to yourself to get this issue. It is chock full of great photography that will bring the memories rushing back, (and show your unbelieving friends and loved ones how remote and awesome the Flint Hills really are!), while you read about several participants experiences that are sure to be something you can relate to. (Oh yeah, and some hack writer that wrote an introduction is in there too!) At any rate, this is really good stuff.

A Guest Review Of Salsa Cycles Vaya by Matt Gersib

I also am humbled and super grateful that my friend, Matt Gersib, wrote an awesome piece for Gravel Grinder News which is also re-posted on The Cyclist. It is a review of Salsa Cycles Vaya frame and fork.

For those of you that are unacquainted with Matt, or "MG" as he is also known as, he is a racer of mountain bikes and of gravel road events and has well over 20 years experience doing these things. He knows a thing or three about bicycles, and has worked in the cycling industry in the past as well. Matt gives a great viewpoint on the differences between a Fargo and a Vaya, which should help readers looking at both bikes, and gives a great look at what the Vaya is capable of after six months of thrashing the bike on all sorts of courses.

I am thankful for Matt's contributions to my sites and I believe his write up will be quite useful for folks looking into an adventure bike of their own, or for a perfect gravel sled. Check out his review and see for yourself.  You can catch Matt out riding gravel and single track in Nebraska and all over the Mid-West. Also, stop by his blog for periodic updates of what he's been up to.

1 comment:

MG said...

Thanks for the kind words, and also for the opportunity to submit my thoughts on the Vaya for your sites. I'm very grateful to have the chance to work with you and to give your readers some perspective as to why I think the Vaya is such a special bike for gravel loving cyclists interested in taking their adventures to the next level.

Have a great week, my brother, and have a safe and fun GTDRI. I'm sorry I'm not going to be able to make it out this year. It sounds like you've got a great one planned. Tell everybody howdy for me!

Thanks again,
MG