There Is Something In The Air: Part 2

Checkpoint 1, Trans Iowa v6

The Checkpoints:

The next thing I think about this time of year are the checkpoints we set up for Trans Iowa. These were often fun times in an otherwise stressful event. 

The first few Trans Iowa events had one checkpoint.and it wasn't until the fourth event where multiple checkpoints were used. T.I.v4 had two checkpoints. The first one was in Wadena, Iowa and the second was in Earlville, Iowa. 

The most checkpoints we ever utilized were three. However, had Trans Iowa v6 gone its entire distance there would have been a fourth "official" checkpoint in the Columbia Wildlife Reserve in Tama County. 

The only other oddity involving checkpoints was the "Secret Checkpoint" we set up for Trans Iowa v8, which was not an additional checkpoint, but it was not announced ahead of the event. 

Typically checkpoints were in small Iowa villages and towns. However; as time went on I added rural checkpoints to deter any inclination for cheating. Some were near to towns, but not actually in them. Some were in villages so small there were no amenities for resupply. 

Dennis Grelk set this little shelter up for he and Christina at CP 1 in Baxter Iowa for T.I.v13

The only checkpoint for T.I.v3 was in Brandon, Iowa. That's Ken Yokanovich's Rivendell fixie he rode to the finish.

Usually I was in a bit of a hurry at Checkpoint #2, and I didn't stay long. But Checkpoint #1 was always a bit of a rest. I got to chat with volunteers, enjoy the Sun rising, or the freezing wind, or both! Then when the first batch of riders would arrive I stick around a bit and then it was off again to check the route ahead of the riders. 

Matt Gersib playing me a tune on his uke during T.I.v12

The Hangs:

Probably the most memorable thing about Trans Iowa for me, and the thing I miss the most, are the incredible "hangs" I experienced with several people. A "hang" is slang for "hanging out" The thing you do (hopefully) with great people who make the hang out a special memory. 

I was so fortunate that all my times with people during a Trans Iowa were of the "special memory" type. They made the event palatable while I was running it. This was never more apparent than the times when I did not have those special hangs. For instance, during T.I.v9, when I spent almost the entire event alone during the 34 hours it was held. 

But fortunately, those times were outliers. And meeting my volunteers or having a driving companion along the way was an enhancement which made doing Trans Iowa so much easier and more fun. This was never more in play than it was the last few years of Trans Iowa where I had the privilege of having Matt Gersib, Tony McGrane, Mike Johnson, and several awesome volunteers along for the ride. Having their support and companionship made some everlasting memories which I often come back to at this time of the year. 

How can I forget the recon hangs with Wally Kilburg (R) and George Keslin (L)? Those were awesome times! 

3:37 am, Sunday morning of T.I.v13. You just had to be there!

It's hard to share these hangs in imagery because typically there  were no images taken. This was the nature of those times. I kind of wish I had been a bit more cognizant of the importance of those meet-ups in the middle of no-wheres. I wish I had better memories of those times. Especially when those happened in early Trans Iowa events. 

Fortunately I do have one documentation of an early hang with Zach Dundas who was shadowing me for his research on the chapter about Trans Iowa in the book, "The Renegade Sportsman". I reviewed this book in 2010 HERE, if anyone cares to check that out. The tale Zach wrote captures a rare look at what it was like early on in the gravel cycling scene. It also is a rare look from a very unique perspective of myself. 

Other hangs I recall mostly have to do with my brother, Matt Gersib. Matt was such a special part of my latter Trans Iowa experiences and for this I will be forever grateful. My thoughts often include those times at this point in the year. That "something in the air" always brings those times to mind again.  

Look for a final entry in this mini-series concerning the finish line memories.  
 

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Sklar Bikes

New Bike PPacking Rack From Sklar Bikes:

Sklar Bikes introduced this rack about a week or so ago. Inthe midst of all the Sea Otter madness, it seemed that the news was lost in the haze of 32'ers and all, so I am featuring it here on this FN&V. 

This rack, rated to carry up to 30lbs, weighs in at 1.4lbs including hardware. It is designed as a minimalist rack for light touring or bike packing with mini-panniers. You can also use it to strap on water bottles or just use it for utilitarian errand running around town. 

At $140.00USD it seems like a nicer rack which looks good and should fit a wide range of bikes. 

See Sklar's webpage for this rack HERE.

Comments: One nit about this rack is that the description does not say what it is made out of. Anyway.... I like this rack from the perspective of its design intentions. Minimalist pannier type touring and bike packing uses do not require super-heavy duty racks. Not if you are conscientious and intentional with your loading. And this rack carries up to 30lbs, which, let's be honest, is about the most I'd want to load up with anyway. Especially if you consider what you might be carrying in bags and on racks elsewhere on your bicycle. This might be a little pricey for some folks, and yes -cheaper racks exist, but if you care about how your stuff looks and like this style it is hard to beat it. 

Image courtesy of Q36.5

Q36.5 Offers New Range Of Wind/Rain Gear:

Q36.5 brand is now offering a range of wind and rain jackets and designed to allow cyclists to choose garments specific to their use cases and not have to compromise by a "one size fits all" solution to wind/rain gear.  

The range includes various jackets and vest, with the lightweight "Air" models being the most packable. Q36.5 claims the Air vest will roll up to the size of a gel packet. 

Most of the range called out in the press release doesn't seem to be up on the site yet, but the Air jackets and vests do appear there on their site. You can check those out on the website HERE.  

Comments: I don't know of any other category in cycling which has more wordy press releases and marketing than the apparel side. I mean, look at this jacket. It is rather unremarkable, yes? Yet the site goes on and on about it as if it were some super-tech device. Maybe its just me, but I've reviewed clothing for cyclists for over a decade and this seems to be par for the course across all apparel brands. I find it rather odd.  

Typically most of these apparel press releases are ignored by me, but this one has a feature I think many cyclists would see as being useful in the ultra-packable nature of the Air jacket and vest. I could see this as a great "break-glass-in-case-of-emergency" bail-out when the weather turns on you during a ride. I would imagine the rain wear (which didn't seem up yet on the site) would be similar. 

Image courtesy of Kuat Racks

Picking Up The Rack This Weekend:

Thanks to all who commented on the recent "Rack Me" posts here on the site. I valued each and every comment. I ended up buying a Kuat Piston Pro, and this weekend I am meeting my good friend Ari in St. Donatus, Iowa to pick it up. 

There were many reasons as to why I went with a Kuat, and if you missed the post listing those reasons out, you can go back and read it HERE. 

I will be excited to get this and use it for going to different places to ride. I've been stuck in the local loops for a few years now and it is time to branch out a bit. I've already got a few places in mind to hit up. 

I'll also be excited to visit with Ari again after not seeing him for close to two years now. And visiting St. Donatus will be interesting as well. Look for a report on all of this coming up next week. 

Never fear N.Y. Roll is here!

New Podcast Dropped:

The latest Guitar Ted Podcast episode is HERE.  This episode contains N.Y. Roll's advice on how to be a good event participant. I think it is a good list of things to consider. Too many times we hear about an event in a negative light on social media. It is nice to be reminded to say "Thank you" to event directors, volunteers, and staff when attending events. It is also prudent to air concerns directly with event directors instead of being a coward and running off to social media. Event directors, despite popular opinions, really do care about participants and their event. 

We also gabbed about the 32"er stuff from Sea Otter. I already covered my take on the bigger big wheels HERE, in case you missed it.  

We also covered one other thing, but you'll have to go listen to the episode to find out what this was all about. (Hey! I gotta drive the numbers somehow!) 

We should have another episode posting up soon. So, thanks if you are subscribed to our podcast, or if you have checked it out at some point. We appreciate you folks a lot! 

Image courtesy of Airborne social media

High-Tech Titanium Gravel frame By Airborne Now Available:

Hydroforming and 3D printing are utilized in the manufacturing of Airborne Bicycle Co.\s new Endeavor gravel bike. This frame has other unique features as well. 

Airborne claims this has a 13 position adjustable head set to alter head angle. The titanium material is also double butted for strength and weight reduction. The double-dropped chain stay alignment allows for 700 x 54mm tires. UDH compatible as well. of course. 

The asking price is $3,232.50. You can see and learn more at Airborne's site HERE. 
 

Thank you for checking out Guitar Ted Productions. Now get out there and ride your bicycles! 

There Is Something In The Air

Pre-start of T.I.v6 Image by A. Andonopoulos

Every year about this time I get these feelings. It is in the timing of when the Sun rises and sets. The greening up of plants and tress. The moist, Earth smells. It all triggers those things I felt when I was putting on Trans Iowa for those fourteen years I did the event. 

I often dream of those mornings when we'd gather on some darkened street. Cars pulling in with bikes on racks, or riders pulling up in twos and threes, torches blazing into the inky dark of a Saturday morning in Hawarden, Decorah, Williamsburg, or Grinnell, Iowa. 

The sounds of anxious, muffled conversations. The clack and grind of cleats on wet pavement. The fog and mist in the air. The tension building up until I tried to herd all the riders into place for my annual "Fatherly Advice" speech. Then the tense moments just before the clock hit 4:00am and the toot of the horn. 

Just before the start of T.I.v5. Image by Corey "Cornbread" Godfrey

The riders are off! The T.I.v10 start image by Craig Cooper

This was, for me, the line of demarcation. The start of any Trans Iowa meant I, or "we" if I had a companion, would be alone for a few hours until we hit the first checkpoint. Early on, in the first few Trans Iowas, I was alone for hours on end, doing final course check in front of the riders. 

Those times are an entirely different story. The start though, that was a very special time for me. The atmosphere was transcendent. From quiet, sleepy repose to an electricity that filled the air - sometimes quite literally - The start period was something which I found energizing. Maybe I was feeding off all the rider's nervous auras. I don't know. I just remember those times with fondness. 

A rare shot of myself leading out a Trans Iowa. This time it is T.I.v9 Image taker unknown

 

MG driving here on the start of T.I.v14. My last time doing this

Yes, there is something about this time of the year which probably will stick with me the rest of my life. Trans Iowa was a labor of love, and yes - I do miss it at times. I am glad it ended when it did and how it did. But that doesn't mean that there aren't things which I miss. I cherish all the memories and times had. 

Sometimes I think I'll get up on Saturday morning on the traditional day of a Trans Iowa start and walk outside at 4:00am and see if I can still see, hear, and smell all those things which I remember so well from those days. Then I think, "Nah! You'll just be disappointed the feelings are not real, or as good as they were once", and I do not get up. It's kind of like the second bite of a doughnut.  The first bite is always fantastic, and you want to replicate that taste again with a second bite, but it never is as good, and every time you try again, it gets worse. So, it is best to stop. Let that first bite be what it was. You'll never replicate those sensory inputs ever again. 

More about Trans Iowa will probably be shared later in the weekend.  

Choose Your Own Adventure: State Based Gravel Route Finders

Image courtesy of  Wisconsin Gravel.org

There is a somewhat popular saying which is used when someone wants to impart the listener can "do whatever they want". It is "Choose your own adventure". The recipient of this phrase is then thought to be someone who is going to go do something in their own free will, be that wise or unwise. Whatever the case may be. 

Nowadays, with so many gravel events flooding the calendar, and with entry fees, travel, and lodging getting more expensive, it seems to me that many riders are beginning to look for alternatives which fit their needs and lifestyles in a better way. I've noted the rise in participation in weekly gravel group rides. These hyper-local events with there ease of entry and friendly natures seem to have taken on a life of their own. 

Perhaps the "next big thing"in gravel riding is somewhat similar to the gravel group rides, but adds in an element of adventure, discovery, and fun. It is the state based gravel data bases where one can go to find predetermined routes. The first I was aware of in this vein was Gravel Kansas.

Gravel Kansas was set up in 2023 and at that time I was a big fan of this unique take on curated gravel routes. Later on, Pennsylvania got in on the act, and we learned about this on the Guitar Ted Podcast from Dave Pryor. The site https://ridepagravel.co/ leads you to their Route Finder. This opens up their Ride With GPS site where routes can be accessed. It's a bit different take on a similar idea to Gravel Kansas. 

Image courtesy of Ride PA Gravel

Now a third state data base is being developed for the state of Wisconsin and their gravel roads. Called Wisconsin Gravel, the site divides the state into regions where the rider can navigate to find out what each region has to offer and what routes are there. As of this writing, the site is still being filled out, so there is not a lot to glean from the promised 1,000 miles of routes for the unpaved rider to choose from. 

Comments: Obviously, these sorts of portals are only as good as the content placed on them. Without fleshing out the sites, it is hard to recommend something like this without caveats. Hopefully things progress along with these sites to make them worthwhile to point folks to. Gravel Kansas being the oldest of these sorts of sites, has 80+ routes on offer. That seems pretty good but obvious holes exist yet. For example, there are no routes for the Northeast part of the state as of this writing. 

The Pennsylvania route site seems like a fine idea because they leverage Ride With GPS as a data base and the routes are easily downloaded into a rider's GPS unit. (Unless you lose yours, like I have recently!)

The future could be pretty interesting if more states get onboard with ideas based around a user friendly "route library" based on a state or region of a state. I could see tourism departments getting involved in different states. Obviously, it would behoove states like Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska, arguably the cradle, along with Kansas, of the Modern Era of gravel riding, to get onboard with this idea. 

It may be a trend we see increasing in popularity due to the way some feel doing events is getting stale. I could totally see this making gravel riding even more popular in the future.  

The 32" Watch: What Have We Learned?

From Maxxis' social media

Sea Otter is over. All the news of big wheels has been spilled. What have we learned now the cats are out of their bags? 

The long known rumors were mostly proven to be true. There is a 32" Fargo. Maxxis did actually produce more tread patterns in 32". Other tires were introduced. (Teravail, Kenda) 

But there were disappointments. No one was racing a 32"er at Sea Otter in the gravel event. There were small brands/builders showing 32"ers, but no real hints of which second tier, or main brands, which might be toying with the idea of producing a 32"er. At least no rumors are being spread openly. I'm sure some folks came away from Sea Otter with hints and perhaps news, sworn to secrecy. 

Sun Tour openly showed its 32"er suspension fork. This would indicate we will see an entry level MTB bike, at least, with 32"er wheels. Ari Bikes, (Formerly known as Fezzari), showed an FS 32"er prototype with a prototype Fox 32"er fork. Probably to gauge interest, but this also could be a pointing to an OE order which would, in turn, point to a mid-tier MTB offering, at least. 

Image courtesy of Teravail

Comments: Salsa Cycles Fargo in 32 will come in a size small. This was a surprise as it is commonly held that a medium is about as small as one can reasonably get with 32" wheels. The geometry chart for the size small Fargo 32 shows this just may be correct, as the stack height on the small with 32" wheels is going to lead to very upright seated positions for small sized riders. Probably not ideal. So, besides potential toe overlap issues, I think size medium is the lower limit of sizing for 32" wheels. 

Things seem to be moving along at blazing speed when it comes to 32"ers, but remember, 29 inch came into being right at the end of the Analog Age, and 29"er development broke the ceiling of bicycle design which 32" wheels do not have to hinder their development. 

You can see this in the nearly instantaneous offering of several tires. We don't even have bikes available in mass quantities to put these tires on, not to mention rims, yet tire rolling resistance testing has already been done showing glowing results for 32"ers. 

29"ers grew in a grassroots, organic way. Slowly, and yet sooilidly forming a base to help manufacturers see there was a buying public for the wheel size. The 32"er smacks of a more "manufactured" story, with lots of rave results from tests, but with barely any kind of organic feel to these results. There is a very harsh blowback in comments sections regarding 32"ers, but maybe this won;t matter in the end. 

But maybe it will.

Image courtesy of Teravail

Bicycle shops, distributors, and some brands will be resistant to having another tire size to deal with. This resistance was felt with 29"ers, but the difference there was 29"ers used an existing rim size. Obviously, this is not the case for 32"ers. 

My feeling is that once all the folks who want 32"ers have 32"ers, we will see a marked decline in interest. I do not believe 32"ers will diappear as quickly as they arrived, and perhaps something of a small, niche element of the size will hang on for years, like 27" wheels and tires have. But I firmly believe the industry will, in the end, winnow out one of the current wheel sizes. 

My take is this will be the 32"ers. My belief is the market for the size is limited to taller folks while medium to smaller sized folk will be best served by 29"ers, despite all the recent testing results for 32"ers. The 32" diameter is just a bit too big for many things other than small to some medium sized folk. I think we'll be seeing this in the near future as well. 

And 27.5", while diminished in popularity, will be great for youth and "smaller" small adults. So, I do not believe 27.5" is the size the industry will ax out of existence either. I could be wrong, but looking at what has come out of Sea Otter, and from my observations in the cycling world over a long period of time, I would say my vision of how the 32"er will go forward is closer to the mark than not. 

Wheels For Gen I: Hubs Here!

Saturday was the day I received the Chris King hubs back I used to own. Kind of an odd feeling while turning those axles and thinking about all the rides I have done on these hubs. 

They feel great, by the way, and they look fine as well. A nick here or there, but what should one expect from a set of hubs that has been kicking around since 2008 or so?

With this set of hubs now in hand, I can start thinking about some rims. There is one big fork in the road to consider. Which way I go will determine price and wheel overall weight in the end. 

I could go carbon or aluminum. If I go aluminum I'll likely roll with some Velocity Blunt SS rims. I like them. They are sturdy, look good,are a nice width, and there are options for colors, polished, or custom anodized rims. But honestly, I'll probably get black anodized ones if I go aluminum. 

Carbon rims are a different story. Most well known name brands are waaaaaaaay expensive. Then you have the carbon rims from China like Nextie or ICAN which have good reputations and perhaps are better known for the rims they make with other brand names on them. 

Like I said, I have to decide which fork in the road to take. Then I will have to buy two rims, probably some spokes, and get busy. 

Stay tuned....

Thwarted

This flooded out grassy two-tracfk wasn't my first check.

The one day I could get out and ride this past week was on Friday. It was going to be a weird day because it was starting out a bit on the chilly/windy side, but it was supposed to get warmer, then storm severely, then get cold. The weather people were in a lather about it all saying things were going to be nigh unto apocalyptic and that we all should be "weather aware", or we might....

I dunno.....what would the weather people say?  You might suffer the consequences of ignoring the weather? And this is different than the past in what way, exactly? 

I'm telling you this whole society is based upon fear. 

Anyway, Yes, I get it. Weather can kill you. I survived an F5 tornado and other near-misses with tornadoes over the years. So I decided to run out to ride in the morning. My plan was to head over to Evansdale via the bike paths and get out on a little gravel. Get home around noon. Then ride the storm out, if any storms should come, at home. 

Well, it didn't take long and I ran up on a barricade where a City worker was messing with some equipment. He looked at me and explained that there was some maintenance work being done and the bridge was impassable by pedestrians and cyclists. I had to backtrack and go across a different bridge. So I did this.

But then I was turned back again by more barricades. So, taking this as a sign, I turned back the opposite way and headed toward the park on the North side of the Cedar River and to a different bridge to cross back to a point closer to home.  

One simply does not just ride by the cement elephant!

I cannot ever remember seeing bluebells bloom this early

I ended up on the Sans Souci Bridge and had a sudden thought. "Ya know, I've never been back in there. Maybe I'll check it out." Sans Souci Island in Waterloo has been the site of the Sans Souci Hotel, cottages, and eventually permanent residences were constructed here. Originally named Merwin Island in the mid-1800's, this 100 acre island, once covered in timber, provided wood for the first bridges across the Cedar River in Waterloo. 

In 2008, a catastrophic flood event wiped out all the homes on the island. The homes were never rebuilt, and now it is an obscure park with a shelter, some hiking trails, and lots of woods. I found a cleared, fairly wide path back into the woods a ways but was turned back by the recent flooding. N.Y. Roll later told me he has been thinking about how this area could stand a short single track loop. 

I ended up leaving, but before I got out of the gate, I met two young, what looked to me to be teenage girls walking into the park dressed in attire more akin to the late 19th Century than the 21st Century. I waved, they waved back, and I wondered if I had seen an apparition, but yeah.... I'm pretty sure that was real.  

Weird. 

And then I rode through the cemetery and headed home. The original plans were thwarted, but this ride had it's highlights. And I didn't get sucked up by a tornado. In fact, we escaped any severe weather Friday. The temperature went down a full 47 degrees in twelve hours though. 

All the best to those who did suffer damage Friday. I think we all could do with nicer weather for a while.