Making A List

Yesterday's announcement now has made this more real to me. This ride is actually going to happen, so I'd better be getting my ducks in a row. Actually, I already have been. This all starts with my mind racing in four different directions at once, so making a list of things I want to make sure I get gathered together for this week-long adventure helps me to get my head wrapped around things a bit better.. 

So, there are some categories I need to head up my list and then put things in those categories which should help me compartmentalize packing and getting all the gear and things in the truck so nothing is left behind. 

The Bike:

I know for some of you this would be the easiest category. Not for me! Too many choices exist and all would make sense to take for one reason or another. Here are the contenders so far. 

The 2018 Black Mountain Cycles MCD

Black Mountain Cycles MCD:

Listening to the folks I interviewed for the two BRAN Gravel podcasts, it was apparent I should take a bike with wider tires than not. This is because I am going to be tackling gravel roads in the Sand Hills region of Nebraska. Having a little experience with sandy gravel in Nebraska, (Odin's Revenge days), I know a wide tire handles the sandy gravel, or just outright sand in some cases, better than typical gravel tires would. Not that you cannot ride 700 X 40's, but if you have the option to go wider, and I do, those wider tires sure make the going easier. 

The Black Mountain Cycles MCD currently has a 29 X 2.25 on the front and a 700c X 47mm in the rear. Probably good enough for this ride. Water carrying capacity is also okay. Fit and function, okay also. It would likely get the job done. 

Next... 

Singular Gryphon Mk3

Singular Gryphon Mk3:

Speaking of wider tires, here ya go! 29 x 2.8"ers here! Sand? No problem! Weight? Yeah......there is that. However; this bike was the one I took out to Western Iowa to do the Tree In The Road Ride and there were some big hills out there to climb, which I was able to do. It wasn't easy though, but I attribute that to the brutal heat and humidity we suffered through on that day. Still.... 

Water carrying capacity is great. Fit is awesome. (Luxy Bar) Function.....good. The front derailleur function could be better. 

Next....  

Fargo Gen I

Salsa Cycles Fargo Gen I:

And here's the last contender, the Fargo Gen I. It can handle pretty wide tires, like the Surly Extraterrestrial 29 X 2.5"ers. Right now I have some Rene Herse tubed tires on it, but I also have a set of N.O.S. Vittoria Terreno Dry 29 x 2.25"ers ready to go on this wheel set. That would be a tubeless set up. So, then the tires would be definitely wide enough, but not too heavy either.  

Comfort level - Excellent! Water carrying capacity? Excellent! Function? Excellent! (The front derailleur really works well on this bike!) 

So, you can see I have choices, and all three have merit. I'm leaning toward the Fargo right now, but ask me again tomorrow and I'll have talked myself into the MCD, or the Gryphon. 

I actually have a couple more bikes I could talk myself into here, but I have to limit this!  I'll come up with a decision this week, then I'll get into all the fine details as to why I chose how I will choose. Or something like that....... Anyway... 

After the bike comes the Overnight Set-Up. This will encompass my tent, sleep system, what details this all encompasses, and more. Next will be Clothing. I need to consider how I will manage a week-long ride with no laundry and after ride clothing as well. Finally, Logistics. Food, water, travel. 

Look for more to come on my pre-ride choices soon. .  

BRAN Invites Guitar Ted To Ride BRAN Gravel 2026

 

BRAN Partners With Guitar Ted Productions:

Waterloo, Iowa. May 10th, 2026: The Bicycle Ride Across Nebraska (BRAN), a fully volunteer run organization which puts on a week-long ride across the state of Nebraska annually, has partnered with Guitar Ted Productions to help promote and bring awareness to this ride, and specifically to the gravel route portion of this year's ride. 

BRAN, now into its 44th edition, only added a gravel route to its offerings within the last few years. This week-long trek on beautiful Nebraska roads and gravel roads will start June 7th and end June 13th. Running from West to East, this year's route starts in Valentine, Nebraska and ends after seven days in Arlington, Nebraska. Registration is open now https://www.bikereg.com/bran44

Guitar Ted will be on the ride doing the gravel route, which is a little over 400 miles this year. He will be providing daily updates from the ride on his blog, Guitar Ted Productions, and on social media. There also will be a pre-ride set up and advice article, along with a post-ride review of the event, and a gear review. Two podcasts with interviews with four BRAN members have already been published on the Guitar Ted Podcast. 

Guitar Ted is a 2022 inductee of the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame. He helped start the Modern Gravel Era with his Trans Iowa gravel event run from 2005 - 2018. Guitar Ted has also written for gravel based cycling sites, reviewed products, and has been influential in the development of both gravel bicycles and components. Guitar Ted Productions is Guitar Ted's daily blog which has covered the gravel scene since its start in 2005 and has been in continuous daily publication up to this day. Reviews, news, notes, adventure stories and more are a part of the site https://www.g-tedproductions.blogspot.com 

BRAN is an annual bicycle ride with paved and gravel options and features a new course each year. Now in its 44th edition, BRAN promises cyclists a fun, scenic challenge over the course of seven days. BRAN is a community-driven, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization with a mission: funding scholarships for high school students to pursue higher education at Nebraska trade schools, colleges, universities, and beyond. https://www.bran-inc.org

___________________________________________ 

Podcast #1 HERE

Comments: There you go. The "official" announcement of my plans for June. 

Full Disclosure: This came together over the past month when BRAN's volunteer Madeline Wiseman reached out to me about partnering with BRAN to help promote their gravel ride. My name came up in discussions with BRAN's board as a possible "authentic voice" who could help them tell the story about BRAN gravel and BRAN in general. 

My obligation is to provide BRAN with coverage and stories about the event. This is naturally what I would do anyway, if I were on the ride, as you long-time readers here can attest to. 

BRAN is comping me the ride and transportation of me, my stuff, and my bike from the end point of the route to the start. Then BRAN hauls my gear as I ride seven days on the route until the end on June 13 in Arlington, Nebraska where my vehicle will be waiting. Then I come home, do some reviews and a story later on in my year end reviewing.  

Otherwise I am receiving no compensation for these stories and images. All stories, images, and social media posts will be accessible to BRAN and available for their use now and in the future. BRAN takes care of me on the ride, all transportation to the event and from the event is on me along with extra food and beverages during the event.  

So, there you go. I think that is about as clear as I can make it. You know me, I don't hide the details here. But if something is unclear or if there is another question you may have which I did not answer here, fire away in the comments. 

Podcast #2 HERE

Looking Ahead:

Okay, so I have already been doing some training for this ride. I'll share gear and route details in upcoming posts, but the route is pretty cool, I think. 

Daily average mileage will be a tic over 58 miles a day. The longest day is 72 miles and the shortest day is just shy of 49 miles. There is one other day which is 49 miles on the nose. 

I'm excited about this for a few reasons. One: I may not ever get to do this again, so riding in a new-to-me area is looked forward to by me. I have ridden in different parts of Nebraska, and this ride actually will take me through a tiny part of a self-supported tour route I did back in 1995. So I am stoked about that. 

Two: BRAN as an organization approached me to do this. What an honor! I do not take that part lightly. It is kind of ironic that this Iowa boy would get approached by a Nebraska ride like BRAN to feature their gravel route. I cannot say I am surprised though. 

Finally, I am excited because this gives me some motivation after a ride I was scheduled to do fell through earlier this year. Things happen for a reason sometimes though, and maybe there is a reason this is happening instead of the other ride. We'll see.... 

Stay tuned for updates on what I am doing to get ready for BRAN Gravel. My gear choices, training rides, and all that will be right here and soon. This ride happens in less than a month! 

Review: Aeron TPU Tubes Update #2

  Note: Guitar Ted received Aeron TPU tubes and a patch kit at no charge for test and review from Aeron. Guitar Ted is not being paid, nor bribed for this review and all opinions are Guitar Ted's. 

The TPU tube as an alternative to tubeless and butyl tubes is a debate which still hasn't been settled quite yet. TPU tubes themselves are in a state of evolution. One of the latest brands to enter the TPU market is Aeron. I last updated this review about a month ago HERE. In that article I related how the installation went and my first impressions were given. I also shared with you here that I swapped bicycles due to clearance issues. 

So, here you see my pink Black Mountain Cycles MCD and the wheels are the same as the blue Noble GX5 from the previous post. I am considering changing the tires and the Aeron TPU tubes over to a different wheel set, just for testing sake, later on. But for now, here are my impressions of how these tubes ride and how "living with" these tubes has gone over the better part of a month now. 

There is plenty of length here for deep aero wheels.

First of all, I want to address the valve stem. With a butyl tube you can match your valve stem length to your rim depth. Same thing with tubeless valve stems. There are plenty of choices in stem length for those two standards which will satisfy most wheel rim depths. Not so with the TPU tube choices. Not quite yet. 

I imagine a day will come when one can better match stem lengths to  rim depths, but for now, and specifically for these Aeron TPU tubes, one has to go with the choice available, and this leaves a lot of stem sticking out of my rims. 

This is not a huge concern, but the possibility of a damaged valve stem due to a loose rock strike is greater with this much valve stem extension from the rim. That and these stems have no threading to allow for a sturdier valve/rim interface As I stated, this is not a really big deal, but it is a concern I have. Ideally I'd like to have about half as much stem extension, but Aeron is trying to cover as many bases as possible with this offering, so I understand why my valve stems are so long. And like I said, maybe in the future Aeron will offer various lengths of stem extensions. 

 As far as riding goes, these tubes don't seem to feel odd, nor do they have a rattle, as did the Rene Herse TPU tubes. At least not in this wheel set. I noted the Rene Herse TPU tubes felt.....different,when I was riding them. Not 'bad', buit not like a tubeless ride. Maybe this tire combination masks this with the Aeron tubes, or maybe it just isn't there with the Aeron tubes. The construction is a bit different with Aeron stating this TPU tube is a bit thicker material. Aeron calls it 'Multi-Layer' construction. I am thinking this is the difference in feel. 

It also manifests itself in air retention. TPU is already better than butyl and tubeless set ups when it comes to air retention over a period of time. I'll have some comparisons in my next update, but suffice it to say that if you forget to check your air pressure and you are using AeronTPU tubes, you probably are going to be just fine. 

Rolling resistance is a bit of a question because of my tire choice, and I have not used the WTB Nineline in years. So, I have no real way to say 'this' or 'that' in comparison to another tire. I will say that the tires are not rolling slow, nor do I feel any extra resistance in pedaling up long grades or steep hills. In fact, I am a bit surprised at how well the back tire feels. Typically Teravail Cannonball tires feel overly stiff. This one with the Aeron TPU tube feels pretty nice, actually. 

Okay, that is it for now. I'll be back in about a month, maybe a bit more, with a final review.  

Friday News And Views

Iowa Wrestles With E-Moto/E-Bike Regulation:

Another ban (effectively) on all bicycles on city streets was defeated for the short term recently as the city of Waukee. Iowa had a proposal in front of the city council to consider a new ordinance unfriendly to cyclists. 

It's just one example of many scenes in city government buildings across the nation which exemplify the issues with electrified bicycles and scooters which are proliferating in numbers and are popular with under age kids. 

While solutions remain in debate, and fairness to those who need assisted bicycles or are using bicycles from the "3 Class" system are considerations, my concern is how any of this will be enforced. 

Yes, putting laws on the books more clearly defining e-moto from assisted bikes is an admirable and actionable thing to do, my sense is there are no more means to enforce any ordinances or laws making effectiveness of such measures questionable. Resources for law enforcement, ways to monitor trails, and ways to enforce the uses of electric bicycles on streets is not being addressed. A law on the books means nothing without enforcement and real consequences. Do any of these municipalities have the appetite to budget more labor and resources for backing up such laws? No one seems to be thinking about these things. 

If the backing, resources, and consequences are not real, neither will be any bill or ordinance providing for clarity on e-moto/e-bike usage. Signs mean nothing. Social media promotion is hot air. These cities and towns need to consider reality when looking at this problem. 

Spanish component maker seeks investments to avoid bankruptcy

Industry Turmoil Continues Into 2026:

The woes of the cycling industry which were predicted to have been overcome by now are still hanging on. In some cases, brands are folding up shop. Lynskey, a titanium frame manufacturer based in Tennessee, recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy according to recent media reporting.  

Rotor, the Spanish component manufacturer, is seeking out investors to avoid bankruptcy. Giant and Shimano recently reported declines in sales over the first part of 2026. It seems as though the economic footing for many companies is still tenuous. 

It's been too many years now to blame this on the pandemic oversaturation in terms of inventory as most of the glut has been worked through by now. One has to wonder about what other things are holding consumers back from spending on cycling as more time goes by.  

Image courtesy of Assisting Force (Yes, that is really the name!)

China Cycle Show Promises Influx Of Gravel Frames/Forks/Components To USA:

Over the past several years I have started to pay more attention to shows like the China Cycle Show which has been going on this week. 

The trends in cycling are now being set, in part, by what is going on with China's cycling scene. There are many brands there, who have been making stuff you've ridden or heard about, under brand names you know. Now these companies are eyeing the foreign markets, (foreign to China) as places to make their own name directly. 

Take for instance the "Assisting Force" brand. The name may sound goofy, but the company is a serious one, having made frames, forks, and other components for other brands for 20 years now. Instead of selling to a company who slaps a brand name on the down tube and has to hike the price to make a profit (to support Western lifestyles and Pro teams, influencers, marketing, etc.), they now are seeking to sell direct. And since the profit necessary to make this work is only going through one set of hands, so to speak, the retail prices are lower. In some cases, alarmingly so. 

Frame sets, wheel, and even group sets are becoming better, more well known here, and are making inroads which the traditional brands are going to find hard to compete with. The future will be interesting to watch as consumers look at Chinese brands versus traditional brands. Which way this goes will determine a lot of people's futures.  

Image courtesy of Singular Cycles

Singular Offers New Drop Bar 32"er Pterodactyl Model:

At the recent Cycle Show in the UK, Sam Alison brought a new model which is now on offer in Singular Cycles range to show. It is a 32"er called the Pterodactyl which will slot alongside the already notable 32"er offering Singular has in the Albatross. 

The Pterodactyl is a drop bar design in titanium. Singular is offering it now on pre-order through this month only, for now. It features a Super Boost 157mm wide rear hub spacing for the best in wheel stability. A Columbus Futura full-carbon fork handles the front wheel holding job. The hubs spec'ed for now ar from Hope. The rims are a Willow branded aluminum tubeless ready design. Tires will be the Maxxis Ardent 32 X 2.4" although the claimed max clearance is rated at 2.5".  

Rolling chassis pre-orders are due by the end of May and are priced at $4,619.00USD. See more on the Pterodactyl HERE.  

Image courtesy of Otso Cycles

Otso Cycles' Fenrir Now In Steel:

Otso Cycles' entry in the "Fargo-eque" bikepacking range is the Fenrir. This bike was traditionally only available in titanium or stainless steel. Both materials which are nice, but on the pricey side. 

Otso has helped this situation out a little by making the Fenrir available in steel now. The Fenrir Steel is available as a frame set for $1,950.00 or in a few complete build configurations. 

The Fenrir Steel can handle both 650B and 29"er wheels with 650B X 2.8" or 29" x 2.6" tires being the maximum allowable. You can check out all the builds and finer details on Otso Cycles' website for the Fenrir Steel HERE. 

That will be a warp for this week. Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Now get out there and ride those bicycles!

Country Views: Headwinds - Three Kinds

Escape Route: Bike Trail to NW Passage Route

Sunday May 3rd. The weather was just about perfect. Very little wind, abundant Sunshine, little humidity. No one was waiting on me to do anything. Mrs. Guitar Ted was going to a movie, then to do some minor shopping. My daughter was at work. I had all afternoon to myself. Even Mrs. Guitar Ted said I should go out and ride. 

But I didn't. 

Monday was a busy morning with afternoon work and so I did not get out to ride until Tuesday. It looked perfect out, but it was only in the 50's and there was a breeze from the Northwest. I didn't let the wind stop me. I decided on doing the "Northwest Passage" route to minimize having to deal with the headwind. 

I took out the pink Black Mountain Cycles MCD. It was cool enough I could wear my long sleeved wool jersey, Twin Six wind vest, and wool socks. No gloves! My hands stay pretty warm. I had a bandana on the noggin underneath the Bontrager Circuit helmet. 

South Riverside Trail

The Cedar River at Downtown Cedar Falls

While the Northwest Passage route keeps me out of dealing with the physical headwinds, for the most part, there are other headwinds I'm dealing with. Headwinds which have been with me since last Summer. 

It is why I did not ride on the perfect day on Sunday. It is why I don't ride on other days. It is why I cannot get out of my chair sometimes. Or maybe it is why I have no motivation some days. Those headwinds, the mental and spiritual ones, have been pretty hard on me. There Is no "Northwest Passage" around that. 

 

These two dogs wanted to come out and play, if it weren't for that dratted invisible fence!

The mental headwinds are a bit easier to handle. The thoughts which I'd rather not think about raise their ugly little heads every day. I pray. I find distraction. It doesn't always work, but most of the time, it is okay. 

"I wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then"

"Against The Wind" Bob Seger

  

The spiritual headwinds, now those are devastating. When you feel empty. When that big hole looms larger and larger. 

I had an echo-cardiogram done recently at the request of my family practice doctor. He thought he heard something odd last time I saw him several months ago. The tests didn't show any abnormalities. I guess modern technology still can't detect a broken heart. 

A farmer and his rig appear as a smudge of dirt in the middle of this field.

The Northwest wind wasn't too bad on this ride. Maybe it was more West than North. I seemed to have an easy time going East on this ride. I had to put a little more pressure on the right side of the handle bar going South, so I'd say the wind was more West. 

The other headwinds don't respond to pressure. You cannot "pedal harder". You cannot handle it better by doing this or that all the time. Sometimes you just have to ask Jesus to hold your hand while you go right through the center of the windstorm. It isn't easy or fun. 

Sunday I went for a walk. It was good. It wasn't easy, but it was good. I didn't worry about missing a "perfect day"on my bicycle, because my day was far from "perfect"

  I rode a little over two hours on Tuesday. I had a moment or two during the ride which was tough. Different winds were dealt with. It'll be a long time before I have any sort of tailwinds, if ever. I understand this. 

I'll just keep moving forward..... 

An Interesting Thought Examined

Cues for the 2009 Good Life Gravel Adventure

So many good topics for discussion come out of the comments section here on the blog and this was the case again last week. So, first of all, thanks for making comments here, if you do, and if you do not, then maybe consider it sometime. You never know when something you post in the comments might become another article here. 

Today's post comes out of a comment made last week on my "New Finds After All This Time" post. A comment there made by "Brett" stated the following: "I keep thinking they should go back to using just cue sheets for the Unbound 200 and XL. That would really tick off those pro riders!"

You can go back and read my response to Brett, and I will not go over that specifically here. However; what I do want to cover is why the way events were done then, including the cue sheet navigation, wouldn't fly with almost anyone today. Much less the Pros! 

There are certain things which fall under the category of "Expectations" when one signs up for an event today. These items change over the course of time as new things enter into the lexicon of how events are produced and younger people enter into attending those events. Furthermore; technology, culture, and current social trends affect how events are going to look and feel as well. 

There was a time when you signed up to do an event by mailing in a flyer, or signing on at a bicycle shop. Now? There is no way anyone is doing things that way. How many folks are buying wired computers these days? We used to sell those by the dozen on a daily basis at the bike shops I worked at. How about Power Bars? Anyone still trying to chew one so they can swallow it out there? (IYKYK)

Yeah, so doing things like cue sheet navigation isn't 100% gone, (Hello Ragnorok 105!), but it is functionally extinct now in terms of events. 

People expect a gpx route file now. People expect "aid stations", (you unfortunate folks will never know the joy of a slice of Casey's pizza when your world is undone), and of course, if you are in the Pro category, expectations are even more demanding. 

Could we strip it back to the way things were done back almost 20 years ago? Possibly. How many would even be interested in that? Not enough to support a person putting on the event, which by the way, is another expectation these days. Hardly anyone is willing to put themselves out there at no charge, like many did back when Gravel got started.  Heck, hardly anyone puts on a free gravel event anymore. 

So, while it may seem fun to think about cue sheet navigation and a thousand folks out on course trying to figure it all out on their own with an analog computer, this is all just fanciful mind games now. It's unrealistic.But yeah.......those were great days. Make no mistake. 

And think about this: In twenty years, nothing will be like it is now either. So, "The Good Ol' Days" are the days you are taking for granted today. Trust me......I know all about that.   

UPDATE: I did not know this "Cyclingnews.com" article was going to hit on the same day as this article, but it clearly illustrates the issues with an event "getting big".  

Note the salient points which have been talking points for a decade or more as gravel events became more popular.

• Events growing numbers of participants, accepting sponsorship money, and inviting Pro categories = MORE RESPONSIBILITIES.
• Events inviting more participants see folks from "other disciplines" (read road riders, for the most part), which causes issues in the event.
• Mixed fields, mostly involving the "age groups" vs Pros, and how this causes conflicts.

All this is also part and parcel to the reasons why we cannot go back, unless..... Promoters curate their events to stay small, not be revenue generators for themselves and professional/semi-Pro athletes, and keep a focus on adventure and challenge. IF promoters see "success" defined as the rider's experience over sheer numbers, media attention, Pro racer attendance, and how races are defined by the media? Then they could possibly retain the flavor of older events.  

And We're Back!

Sorry about the lack of a real post for earlier today. I'll have a regular post up for tomorrow and hopefully going forward. Apparently some critter decided fiber optic cable was good for snacking. 

Anyway... Here are some things which will be upcoming on the blog here for y'all to look forward to.

• Stan's Products: I'll probably update the lubricant with a new post in the Guitar Ted Lube-Off Series. Fun fact: The Lube-Off has been ongoing here since the blog has been around, so pert-near 21 years! 
•  That TPU tube thing keeps garnering interest and I have a new update on the Aeron TPU tubes coming this week. 
• New Country Views: Hoping to add more of these this Summer.
• Fargo Wheels: Still looking for rims, but when I decide, there will be some posts on this.
• Maybe a surprise ride announcement for June......maybe not. Things are still up in the air with regard to something I cannot talk about just yet. 
• Ride For Jacob: A date will be announced soon. Details coming.... 
• The Regular Stuff. You know if you hang out here.....

Okay, that should do it for this delayed "regular post", which wasn't what I had in mind, but I did not predict an internet outage due to unforeseen, (and unseen) reasons.  

As always..... Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Technical Difficulties

 Sorry for the inconvenience to my regular blog readers. Our internet has gone out and will be out until later today (hopefully that’s all)

Look for a regular blog post on Wednesday.