Friday, September 15, 2017

Friday News And Views

Nick will be at Interbike signing copies of this book, in case you are there next week.
Book Signing At Interbike:

Next week Interbike starts and it will be the last time it will happen in Las Vegas. (More about that starting Monday)

If you are going, and I know not many of you are, but if you are, Nick Legan will be there signing copies of his new book, "Gravel Cycling".

Again, I have no skin in this game, but I am one of the resources Nick tapped for the book and there is a chapter about Trans Iowa, I understand. So, anyone that is coming here that has an interest in that event might like this book. I know Nick and he is a good writer and he has researched the book well. Check it out in more detail HERE.

I have a book on pre-order so I should have it in hand by the end of the month or the first week of October. Expect a review shortly afterward. Yes......a book review. I've actually written one before. So, this is not unprecedented.

A "psycho-cross" bike
Jingle Cross Is This Weekend:

Okay, I'm going to say it- The whole idea of a "Jingle Cross" before Thanksgiving ruffles my feathers." I just cannot wrap my mind around why this event just doesn't change its name to something more appropos.

But besides that, the pinacle of the "psycho-cross" season at the beginning of the Iowa CX scene instead of at the end, which seemed "appropriate", seems........like a mistake. Previosuly, all the events in Iowa led up to that final crescendo in Iowa city- the famed Jingle Cross! Cold, wet, and sometimes even snowy, Jingle Cross was a fitting cap to the season here. Now?

Now it is like eating dessert first. Why bother with the rest of it? You'll have seen the best and it won't be any better than that. Well.......if you like your CX Summer-like, that is. There won't be any mud, rain, and definitely no snow. The Mt Krumpit and Grnchy Santa will look so out of place it will be silly. But whatever. I don't pretend to get CX at all.

Party on Garth.........

Hoping to go long on this......
Weekend Plans:

Okay, so I am thinking of doing a big, long ride on the Pofahl single speed this weekend. It all depends on how my health is doing. The cold I have is getting better, but I also have ridden nary a lick in two weeks besides commuting and my single track ride on Wednesday.

The idea is to do a century on a single speed. I am not sure if that will happen Saturday or what. We'll see how I feel. I have a route all planned out and the Pofahl is ready and waiting.

It pretty much will be the set up you see here with the addition of the modified cue sheet holder which is a rearranged Bar Yak set up. Water bottles will number four, with one in the Chaff Bag. I had envisioned a different arrangement for water bottles when this bike was built but that detail didn't transfer to reality. I suppose that could be rectified at some point, but that won't happen in time for the single speed century.

Whenever that happens...... Hopefully soon.

Have a great weekend and ride some bicycle while you are at it!

3 comments:

Phillip Cowan said...

Have you ever used Riv-Nuts to add water bottle bosses to a frame? If you aren't sqeamish about drilling holes in your frame its would seem like an easy way to add extra mounts. The nice thing is it wouldn't require refinishing the frame like brazing. Actually I had an aluminum Raleigh that came from the factory with them. I wouldn't do it to a quality frame like your Pofahl but I wouldn't hesitate to try it on my next gravel mutt.

Guitar Ted said...

2phillip Cowan- Yes, I am aware, and have used, Rivnuts in the shop. It is a lifesaver, in regard to keeping a frame's capacity for water bottle carrying going forward.

I also agree that it isn't really appropriate for the Pofahl. I think what I will end up doing is that I will have the braze-ons attached to the fork, Anything Cage style, and that should be enough.

Unknown said...

Just an FYI - K-Lite makes a 3D printed mount that zip-ties wherever you want. I've used them on forks and under downtubes with perfect success. They cost about $15. They fulfilled the need without any permanent modification. I carried full 1 liter containers in the Arundel adjustable cages attached to the K-Lite mounts for hundreds of miles over extremely rough terrain and they didn't budge. Party on..