Trans Iowa is about to gear up and blast off into the Iowa hinterlands. Here are a few things that are going on.......
Check down to the post following this one for a preview of Trans Iowa radio. I give a little hint as to what the course is looking like. Trans Iowa Radio is just a fun little thing I do, not a totally serious news report. I have had folks freaking out at home thinking husbands died, or were lost in a LaBrea-like tar pit/B road when I forgot to mention a significant others name in a post. Look, I run this thing outta pocket, eat beef jerky for hours, and am buzzed out on a continuous flow of Red Bull during the course of a day and a half with no sleep what so ever. Do ya think I might not be coherent after a bit?
I try. I really do, but there is a lot going on other than my follies with audio-blogging, so please do not rely on info on your loved one from me on Trans Iowa Radio. I'll do my best reporting I can do under the circumstances, but I don't promise anything but a little entertainment and some feel for how the event unfolds.
So there is my disclaimer! You've been warned!
Prizing trickles in and tomorrow is the last delivery day I can take stuff in, 'cause Friday in the morning I'm off to inspect roads and make my way over to Williamsburg, IA. The Dirty Blue Box will be reeling under the weight of goodies and equipment, so I'll be packing light and freezing at night.
Cue sheets are done, volunteers are set, and some folks are still e-mailing in wanting in this event! (Sorry! Too late now!) Crazy stuff, and I don't pretend to understand it all.
Okay, that's all from my end. Friday will be a short post, or no post at all. I will probably let the Trans Iowa Radio posts take over at that point. Remember- oldest posts will be down the page- newest at the top!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Final Preparations
Trans Iowa is about to gear up and blast off into the Iowa hinterlands. Here are a few things that are going on.......
Check down to the post following this one for a preview of Trans Iowa radio. I give a little hint as to what the course is looking like. Trans Iowa Radio is just a fun little thing I do, not a totally serious news report. I have had folks freaking out at home thinking husbands died, or were lost in a LaBrea-like tar pit/B road when I forgot to mention a significant others name in a post. Look, I run this thing outta pocket, eat beef jerky for hours, and am buzzed out on a continuous flow of Red Bull during the course of a day and a half with no sleep what so ever. Do ya think I might not be coherent after a bit?
I try. I really do, but there is a lot going on other than my follies with audio-blogging, so please do not rely on info on your loved one from me on Trans Iowa Radio. I'll do my best reporting I can do under the circumstances, but I don't promise anything but a little entertainment and some feel for how the event unfolds.
So there is my disclaimer! You've been warned!
Prizing trickles in and tomorrow is the last delivery day I can take stuff in, 'cause Friday in the morning I'm off to inspect roads and make my way over to Williamsburg, IA. The Dirty Blue Box will be reeling under the weight of goodies and equipment, so I'll be packing light and freezing at night.
Cue sheets are done, volunteers are set, and some folks are still e-mailing in wanting in this event! (Sorry! Too late now!) Crazy stuff, and I don't pretend to understand it all.
Okay, that's all from my end. Friday will be a short post, or no post at all. I will probably let the Trans Iowa Radio posts take over at that point. Remember- oldest posts will be down the page- newest at the top!
Check down to the post following this one for a preview of Trans Iowa radio. I give a little hint as to what the course is looking like. Trans Iowa Radio is just a fun little thing I do, not a totally serious news report. I have had folks freaking out at home thinking husbands died, or were lost in a LaBrea-like tar pit/B road when I forgot to mention a significant others name in a post. Look, I run this thing outta pocket, eat beef jerky for hours, and am buzzed out on a continuous flow of Red Bull during the course of a day and a half with no sleep what so ever. Do ya think I might not be coherent after a bit?
I try. I really do, but there is a lot going on other than my follies with audio-blogging, so please do not rely on info on your loved one from me on Trans Iowa Radio. I'll do my best reporting I can do under the circumstances, but I don't promise anything but a little entertainment and some feel for how the event unfolds.
So there is my disclaimer! You've been warned!
Prizing trickles in and tomorrow is the last delivery day I can take stuff in, 'cause Friday in the morning I'm off to inspect roads and make my way over to Williamsburg, IA. The Dirty Blue Box will be reeling under the weight of goodies and equipment, so I'll be packing light and freezing at night.
Cue sheets are done, volunteers are set, and some folks are still e-mailing in wanting in this event! (Sorry! Too late now!) Crazy stuff, and I don't pretend to understand it all.
Okay, that's all from my end. Friday will be a short post, or no post at all. I will probably let the Trans Iowa Radio posts take over at that point. Remember- oldest posts will be down the page- newest at the top!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Trans Iowa V5 Update II
<===You in T.I.V5? You'll be getting one of these sweet t-shirts.
T.I.V2 veteran Rusty Kay is sponsoring T.I.V5 this year by donating a free t-shirt to every person in Trans Iowa. Since this whole idea was spawned just before I took off for Sea Otter, there wasn't any time to get all the racer's sizes. So we went with a gaggle of XL's and a slew of Larges to cover ya'all.
Look, someday you won't be a racer anymore, and you'll get all fat and hairy drinking Belgian beer and reminiscing about "that time you were in Trans Iowa". The t-shirt should fit you fine by then. See, we don't just focus on "the now". We have vision ya'all!
And Rusty wishes he could be slingin' mud with all of the riders this year, but you see, he's a bit tied up starting his own bike brand and all. Yep! He calls it "feepish bikes" and they will be road bikes made out of titanium right here in the U.S. of A by Lynskey Performance.
So not only will you have a t-shirt that will fit you down the road, but you'll be on the cutting edge of knowledge regarding a new bike brand. One of those side benefits of Trans Iowa and all.
Who knows? Maybe next year Rusty will be up here gridin' some gravel on a "feepish" and rockin' out like he was in this T.I.V2 clip. (He's the one on the road bike, don't ya know!)
Will T.I.V5 be like that legendary day in Iowa back in 2006? Well, it certainly will be muddy in spots! I'll say that much. Looks as though the weekend should be okay, but we'll have to see how this next storm system gets by us. If it dumps, or leaves with some scattered precip here and there.
I'll be making a recon to selected spots tomorrow and again on Friday to assess the conditions. d.p. has also been reconning some sections lately. We think there will be just enough mud and wetness to make things interesting, but not totally undoable, as they were in T.I.V2. Stay tuned for updates.
Other than that, cue sheets are done, we have last minute deliveries of schwag and prizing coming in, and details are being buttoned up. Look for a Trans Iowa Radio blast here in this space sometime tomorrow.
Preparations are almost done. Trans Iowa is about to start up once again..........
Trans Iowa V5 Update II
<===You in T.I.V5? You'll be getting one of these sweet t-shirts.
T.I.V2 veteran Rusty Kay is sponsoring T.I.V5 this year by donating a free t-shirt to every person in Trans Iowa. Since this whole idea was spawned just before I took off for Sea Otter, there wasn't any time to get all the racer's sizes. So we went with a gaggle of XL's and a slew of Larges to cover ya'all.
Look, someday you won't be a racer anymore, and you'll get all fat and hairy drinking Belgian beer and reminiscing about "that time you were in Trans Iowa". The t-shirt should fit you fine by then. See, we don't just focus on "the now". We have vision ya'all!
And Rusty wishes he could be slingin' mud with all of the riders this year, but you see, he's a bit tied up starting his own bike brand and all. Yep! He calls it "feepish bikes" and they will be road bikes made out of titanium right here in the U.S. of A by Lynskey Performance.
So not only will you have a t-shirt that will fit you down the road, but you'll be on the cutting edge of knowledge regarding a new bike brand. One of those side benefits of Trans Iowa and all.
Who knows? Maybe next year Rusty will be up here gridin' some gravel on a "feepish" and rockin' out like he was in this T.I.V2 clip. (He's the one on the road bike, don't ya know!)
Will T.I.V5 be like that legendary day in Iowa back in 2006? Well, it certainly will be muddy in spots! I'll say that much. Looks as though the weekend should be okay, but we'll have to see how this next storm system gets by us. If it dumps, or leaves with some scattered precip here and there.
I'll be making a recon to selected spots tomorrow and again on Friday to assess the conditions. d.p. has also been reconning some sections lately. We think there will be just enough mud and wetness to make things interesting, but not totally undoable, as they were in T.I.V2. Stay tuned for updates.
Other than that, cue sheets are done, we have last minute deliveries of schwag and prizing coming in, and details are being buttoned up. Look for a Trans Iowa Radio blast here in this space sometime tomorrow.
Preparations are almost done. Trans Iowa is about to start up once again..........
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
The Race Against Death Tour: The Beginnings-Part III
The "Race Against Death Tour" readies to depart from Cedar Falls, Iowa.........
So, with all the preparations done well in advance, we had nothing to do but wait for the day to arrive for our departure. As with the "Beg, Borrow, and Bastard Tour", I wanted to chronicle the event for the future. I had a lofty goal of writing as we went, and even went so far as to buy a little book to take along and write in. I got as far as the first entry! Ha ha! So much for that. Here's a little excerpt from that entry, which will help lock a few details in;
Friday, August 4th: .....Now during a typically hot, humid Iowa summer, we tourers are on the brink of a once in a lifetime experience. .........We have as a goal to reach Winter Park, Colorado, via the Black Hills of South Dakota in two weeks. 100 mile a day average for an approximate total of 1300 miles. The stage is set. On Monday, August 7th at 6:30 am we shall set forth on our journey.
That was a lofty goal, and as you might be able to tell, I was pretty confident I had the details worked out. Well, we will see later how far off the mark I was! However; until then, there is much to tell, so on with the story......
The details were not written down as I went, but I did have the foresight to make notes on each days happenings and to record the mileage. Fortunately the rest was memorable enough that I can piece this together into a coherent and (hopefully) entertaining read. The highlights and low lights are all engraved on my memory still.
So it was that this tour was setting off on a hot August in 1995. Troy on his trusty green Voyager, Ryan on a slightly too big burgundy Voyager, and myself on the old Mongoose All Mountain Pro in chrome plate. Once again, we all had loads on that would render our bikes un-liftable. I have no idea what the weight we had on those rigs was, but I assure you, they were overloaded! The six man Eureka dome tent was split into sections that we all shared in carrying. We all had front and rear panniers, handle bar bags, and seat bags. I'm sure we looked pretty special out there!
The first goal was to get beyond Fort Dodge, Iowa to a campground just west of there. 100 miles a day average was the set goal for each day. We were all going to try to hold to that. The weather sounded great for the next few days, and with much expectation, we were all pumped for this trip.
Next week: Onward Through The Fog!
So, with all the preparations done well in advance, we had nothing to do but wait for the day to arrive for our departure. As with the "Beg, Borrow, and Bastard Tour", I wanted to chronicle the event for the future. I had a lofty goal of writing as we went, and even went so far as to buy a little book to take along and write in. I got as far as the first entry! Ha ha! So much for that. Here's a little excerpt from that entry, which will help lock a few details in;
Friday, August 4th: .....Now during a typically hot, humid Iowa summer, we tourers are on the brink of a once in a lifetime experience. .........We have as a goal to reach Winter Park, Colorado, via the Black Hills of South Dakota in two weeks. 100 mile a day average for an approximate total of 1300 miles. The stage is set. On Monday, August 7th at 6:30 am we shall set forth on our journey.
That was a lofty goal, and as you might be able to tell, I was pretty confident I had the details worked out. Well, we will see later how far off the mark I was! However; until then, there is much to tell, so on with the story......
The details were not written down as I went, but I did have the foresight to make notes on each days happenings and to record the mileage. Fortunately the rest was memorable enough that I can piece this together into a coherent and (hopefully) entertaining read. The highlights and low lights are all engraved on my memory still.
So it was that this tour was setting off on a hot August in 1995. Troy on his trusty green Voyager, Ryan on a slightly too big burgundy Voyager, and myself on the old Mongoose All Mountain Pro in chrome plate. Once again, we all had loads on that would render our bikes un-liftable. I have no idea what the weight we had on those rigs was, but I assure you, they were overloaded! The six man Eureka dome tent was split into sections that we all shared in carrying. We all had front and rear panniers, handle bar bags, and seat bags. I'm sure we looked pretty special out there!
The first goal was to get beyond Fort Dodge, Iowa to a campground just west of there. 100 miles a day average was the set goal for each day. We were all going to try to hold to that. The weather sounded great for the next few days, and with much expectation, we were all pumped for this trip.
Next week: Onward Through The Fog!
The Race Against Death Tour: The Beginnings-Part III
The "Race Against Death Tour" readies to depart from Cedar Falls, Iowa.........
So, with all the preparations done well in advance, we had nothing to do but wait for the day to arrive for our departure. As with the "Beg, Borrow, and Bastard Tour", I wanted to chronicle the event for the future. I had a lofty goal of writing as we went, and even went so far as to buy a little book to take along and write in. I got as far as the first entry! Ha ha! So much for that. Here's a little excerpt from that entry, which will help lock a few details in;
Friday, August 4th: .....Now during a typically hot, humid Iowa summer, we tourers are on the brink of a once in a lifetime experience. .........We have as a goal to reach Winter Park, Colorado, via the Black Hills of South Dakota in two weeks. 100 mile a day average for an approximate total of 1300 miles. The stage is set. On Monday, August 7th at 6:30 am we shall set forth on our journey.
That was a lofty goal, and as you might be able to tell, I was pretty confident I had the details worked out. Well, we will see later how far off the mark I was! However; until then, there is much to tell, so on with the story......
The details were not written down as I went, but I did have the foresight to make notes on each days happenings and to record the mileage. Fortunately the rest was memorable enough that I can piece this together into a coherent and (hopefully) entertaining read. The highlights and low lights are all engraved on my memory still.
So it was that this tour was setting off on a hot August in 1995. Troy on his trusty green Voyager, Ryan on a slightly too big burgundy Voyager, and myself on the old Mongoose All Mountain Pro in chrome plate. Once again, we all had loads on that would render our bikes un-liftable. I have no idea what the weight we had on those rigs was, but I assure you, they were overloaded! The six man Eureka dome tent was split into sections that we all shared in carrying. We all had front and rear panniers, handle bar bags, and seat bags. I'm sure we looked pretty special out there!
The first goal was to get beyond Fort Dodge, Iowa to a campground just west of there. 100 miles a day average was the set goal for each day. We were all going to try to hold to that. The weather sounded great for the next few days, and with much expectation, we were all pumped for this trip.
Next week: Onward Through The Fog!
So, with all the preparations done well in advance, we had nothing to do but wait for the day to arrive for our departure. As with the "Beg, Borrow, and Bastard Tour", I wanted to chronicle the event for the future. I had a lofty goal of writing as we went, and even went so far as to buy a little book to take along and write in. I got as far as the first entry! Ha ha! So much for that. Here's a little excerpt from that entry, which will help lock a few details in;
Friday, August 4th: .....Now during a typically hot, humid Iowa summer, we tourers are on the brink of a once in a lifetime experience. .........We have as a goal to reach Winter Park, Colorado, via the Black Hills of South Dakota in two weeks. 100 mile a day average for an approximate total of 1300 miles. The stage is set. On Monday, August 7th at 6:30 am we shall set forth on our journey.
That was a lofty goal, and as you might be able to tell, I was pretty confident I had the details worked out. Well, we will see later how far off the mark I was! However; until then, there is much to tell, so on with the story......
The details were not written down as I went, but I did have the foresight to make notes on each days happenings and to record the mileage. Fortunately the rest was memorable enough that I can piece this together into a coherent and (hopefully) entertaining read. The highlights and low lights are all engraved on my memory still.
So it was that this tour was setting off on a hot August in 1995. Troy on his trusty green Voyager, Ryan on a slightly too big burgundy Voyager, and myself on the old Mongoose All Mountain Pro in chrome plate. Once again, we all had loads on that would render our bikes un-liftable. I have no idea what the weight we had on those rigs was, but I assure you, they were overloaded! The six man Eureka dome tent was split into sections that we all shared in carrying. We all had front and rear panniers, handle bar bags, and seat bags. I'm sure we looked pretty special out there!
The first goal was to get beyond Fort Dodge, Iowa to a campground just west of there. 100 miles a day average was the set goal for each day. We were all going to try to hold to that. The weather sounded great for the next few days, and with much expectation, we were all pumped for this trip.
Next week: Onward Through The Fog!
Monday, April 27, 2009
Wet Weekend, Tires, and Trans Iowa
Yet another mish-mash of a post. The days count down to Trans Iowa V5, and some thoughts on 29"er tires are here for your perusal...........
Anybody Got A Boat? I think it rained harder for longer yesterday than I can remember in a long time. Maybe since 1993 when we had the big floods here. I am seeing that we received well in excess of 4 inches of rain in less than a 24 hour period from Sunday morning till now. (And it hasn't been raining for several hours!) That's a month's worth of rain in a day. Yeah.....go figure that out! Needless to say, I didn't get in a window of dryness to ride my bike in. Oh well........
Tire Report and Rumor: I have several tires on test for Twenty Nine Inches and The Cyclist. I did get out to ride these last week in the dry conditions. A report is up on both sites, so check that out, plus a feature has been started by Grannygear that has to do with bikepacking on The Cyclist. Good stuff coming up on that.
The tire rumors are always swirling. Here are the latest ones I am aware of. Michelin, who have one lonely 29"er tire in their line, (The XC AT, a great mud conditions tire), are currently developing "a few" new 29"er tires "coming out soon". The individual at Sea Otter I spoke with didn't know, (or was unwilling to tell me) any specifics, but promised that there are going to be new Michelin 29"er tires. I would think Interbike, or Eurobike would be the introduction time for these. Next up we have Continental, who are rumored to be developing a 29"er Rubber Queen tire. This would be an aggressive, all mountain type tire. No width has been set yet, (as far as I know), so I voted for a 2.4 inch version. We'll see, but it is coming. Finally, Geax should be popping out a 2.35 Gato 29"er tire yet this summer, unless economic concerns have them rolling that back a bit. I haven't heard much from GEAX on it of late, but I do know it is very near to being a reality.
Yes.....You knew I couldn't end without talking about this! The weather and Trans Iowa. Like peanut butter and jelly, these two go hand in hand. The weather is always a big player in the outcome of this event. Now we have had upwards of five inches or more of rain in two days over parts of the course and you know that some of that will be making for slower going in some places, even without more rain. Trouble is, there are scattered thunderstorms predicted for Iowa on Wednesday and Thursday now. So far, the weekend forecast has flip flopped several times, but is looking to be cool, overcast to partly cloudy, windy..........and dry!
Things are piecing together quite well on all fronts now, so be prepared to see a flurry of updates on the T.I.V5 site leading up to the event. Trans Iowa Radio will also make a "test post" on this site soon, so look for that to pop up anytime here.
Stay tuned................
Anybody Got A Boat? I think it rained harder for longer yesterday than I can remember in a long time. Maybe since 1993 when we had the big floods here. I am seeing that we received well in excess of 4 inches of rain in less than a 24 hour period from Sunday morning till now. (And it hasn't been raining for several hours!) That's a month's worth of rain in a day. Yeah.....go figure that out! Needless to say, I didn't get in a window of dryness to ride my bike in. Oh well........
Tire Report and Rumor: I have several tires on test for Twenty Nine Inches and The Cyclist. I did get out to ride these last week in the dry conditions. A report is up on both sites, so check that out, plus a feature has been started by Grannygear that has to do with bikepacking on The Cyclist. Good stuff coming up on that.
The tire rumors are always swirling. Here are the latest ones I am aware of. Michelin, who have one lonely 29"er tire in their line, (The XC AT, a great mud conditions tire), are currently developing "a few" new 29"er tires "coming out soon". The individual at Sea Otter I spoke with didn't know, (or was unwilling to tell me) any specifics, but promised that there are going to be new Michelin 29"er tires. I would think Interbike, or Eurobike would be the introduction time for these. Next up we have Continental, who are rumored to be developing a 29"er Rubber Queen tire. This would be an aggressive, all mountain type tire. No width has been set yet, (as far as I know), so I voted for a 2.4 inch version. We'll see, but it is coming. Finally, Geax should be popping out a 2.35 Gato 29"er tire yet this summer, unless economic concerns have them rolling that back a bit. I haven't heard much from GEAX on it of late, but I do know it is very near to being a reality.
Yes.....You knew I couldn't end without talking about this! The weather and Trans Iowa. Like peanut butter and jelly, these two go hand in hand. The weather is always a big player in the outcome of this event. Now we have had upwards of five inches or more of rain in two days over parts of the course and you know that some of that will be making for slower going in some places, even without more rain. Trouble is, there are scattered thunderstorms predicted for Iowa on Wednesday and Thursday now. So far, the weekend forecast has flip flopped several times, but is looking to be cool, overcast to partly cloudy, windy..........and dry!
Things are piecing together quite well on all fronts now, so be prepared to see a flurry of updates on the T.I.V5 site leading up to the event. Trans Iowa Radio will also make a "test post" on this site soon, so look for that to pop up anytime here.
Stay tuned................
Wet Weekend, Tires, and Trans Iowa
Yet another mish-mash of a post. The days count down to Trans Iowa V5, and some thoughts on 29"er tires are here for your perusal...........
Anybody Got A Boat? I think it rained harder for longer yesterday than I can remember in a long time. Maybe since 1993 when we had the big floods here. I am seeing that we received well in excess of 4 inches of rain in less than a 24 hour period from Sunday morning till now. (And it hasn't been raining for several hours!) That's a month's worth of rain in a day. Yeah.....go figure that out! Needless to say, I didn't get in a window of dryness to ride my bike in. Oh well........
Tire Report and Rumor: I have several tires on test for Twenty Nine Inches and The Cyclist. I did get out to ride these last week in the dry conditions. A report is up on both sites, so check that out, plus a feature has been started by Grannygear that has to do with bikepacking on The Cyclist. Good stuff coming up on that.
The tire rumors are always swirling. Here are the latest ones I am aware of. Michelin, who have one lonely 29"er tire in their line, (The XC AT, a great mud conditions tire), are currently developing "a few" new 29"er tires "coming out soon". The individual at Sea Otter I spoke with didn't know, (or was unwilling to tell me) any specifics, but promised that there are going to be new Michelin 29"er tires. I would think Interbike, or Eurobike would be the introduction time for these. Next up we have Continental, who are rumored to be developing a 29"er Rubber Queen tire. This would be an aggressive, all mountain type tire. No width has been set yet, (as far as I know), so I voted for a 2.4 inch version. We'll see, but it is coming. Finally, Geax should be popping out a 2.35 Gato 29"er tire yet this summer, unless economic concerns have them rolling that back a bit. I haven't heard much from GEAX on it of late, but I do know it is very near to being a reality.
Yes.....You knew I couldn't end without talking about this! The weather and Trans Iowa. Like peanut butter and jelly, these two go hand in hand. The weather is always a big player in the outcome of this event. Now we have had upwards of five inches or more of rain in two days over parts of the course and you know that some of that will be making for slower going in some places, even without more rain. Trouble is, there are scattered thunderstorms predicted for Iowa on Wednesday and Thursday now. So far, the weekend forecast has flip flopped several times, but is looking to be cool, overcast to partly cloudy, windy..........and dry!
Things are piecing together quite well on all fronts now, so be prepared to see a flurry of updates on the T.I.V5 site leading up to the event. Trans Iowa Radio will also make a "test post" on this site soon, so look for that to pop up anytime here.
Stay tuned................
Anybody Got A Boat? I think it rained harder for longer yesterday than I can remember in a long time. Maybe since 1993 when we had the big floods here. I am seeing that we received well in excess of 4 inches of rain in less than a 24 hour period from Sunday morning till now. (And it hasn't been raining for several hours!) That's a month's worth of rain in a day. Yeah.....go figure that out! Needless to say, I didn't get in a window of dryness to ride my bike in. Oh well........
Tire Report and Rumor: I have several tires on test for Twenty Nine Inches and The Cyclist. I did get out to ride these last week in the dry conditions. A report is up on both sites, so check that out, plus a feature has been started by Grannygear that has to do with bikepacking on The Cyclist. Good stuff coming up on that.
The tire rumors are always swirling. Here are the latest ones I am aware of. Michelin, who have one lonely 29"er tire in their line, (The XC AT, a great mud conditions tire), are currently developing "a few" new 29"er tires "coming out soon". The individual at Sea Otter I spoke with didn't know, (or was unwilling to tell me) any specifics, but promised that there are going to be new Michelin 29"er tires. I would think Interbike, or Eurobike would be the introduction time for these. Next up we have Continental, who are rumored to be developing a 29"er Rubber Queen tire. This would be an aggressive, all mountain type tire. No width has been set yet, (as far as I know), so I voted for a 2.4 inch version. We'll see, but it is coming. Finally, Geax should be popping out a 2.35 Gato 29"er tire yet this summer, unless economic concerns have them rolling that back a bit. I haven't heard much from GEAX on it of late, but I do know it is very near to being a reality.
Yes.....You knew I couldn't end without talking about this! The weather and Trans Iowa. Like peanut butter and jelly, these two go hand in hand. The weather is always a big player in the outcome of this event. Now we have had upwards of five inches or more of rain in two days over parts of the course and you know that some of that will be making for slower going in some places, even without more rain. Trouble is, there are scattered thunderstorms predicted for Iowa on Wednesday and Thursday now. So far, the weekend forecast has flip flopped several times, but is looking to be cool, overcast to partly cloudy, windy..........and dry!
Things are piecing together quite well on all fronts now, so be prepared to see a flurry of updates on the T.I.V5 site leading up to the event. Trans Iowa Radio will also make a "test post" on this site soon, so look for that to pop up anytime here.
Stay tuned................
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Trans Iowa Roster Attrition and Musings
The roster, which so many folks want to get on becomes littered with drop outs about this time and T.I.V5 is no exception. No fault of the riders in question, just things that happen. Injuries, family problems, job losses, and financial difficulties are some of the more common reasons for missing Trans Iowa.
It is what it is.
Thankfully most folks have caught on that we need to know about the drops before hand to save us a lot of trouble stuffing bags and printing cue sheet sets. There's nothing like toting around 20 extra race bags and having printed up all the extra cue sheets and arranging them to get your water boiling. Especially when those 20 folks just decided not to show up at the last minute. (T.I.V3) I mean, you are going to have a few no-shows, but 20........
Anyway, I see we are down to 59 riders as of today. I have said all along that just above 50 is where I'd expect the roster to get to before the start. With the expected "few" no-shows, this is a stone cold lock now. We may even get below 50, which would be dipping into record low numbers for a T.I.
Does that matter? Not to me. I don't measure the success or failure of T.I. by numbers. If the event comes off safely, and folks get some satisfaction from the challenge, then that is all that really matters in the end.
More Trans Iowa thoughts in the coming days...........I warned you!
It is what it is.
Thankfully most folks have caught on that we need to know about the drops before hand to save us a lot of trouble stuffing bags and printing cue sheet sets. There's nothing like toting around 20 extra race bags and having printed up all the extra cue sheets and arranging them to get your water boiling. Especially when those 20 folks just decided not to show up at the last minute. (T.I.V3) I mean, you are going to have a few no-shows, but 20........
Anyway, I see we are down to 59 riders as of today. I have said all along that just above 50 is where I'd expect the roster to get to before the start. With the expected "few" no-shows, this is a stone cold lock now. We may even get below 50, which would be dipping into record low numbers for a T.I.
Does that matter? Not to me. I don't measure the success or failure of T.I. by numbers. If the event comes off safely, and folks get some satisfaction from the challenge, then that is all that really matters in the end.
More Trans Iowa thoughts in the coming days...........I warned you!
Trans Iowa Roster Attrition and Musings
The roster, which so many folks want to get on becomes littered with drop outs about this time and T.I.V5 is no exception. No fault of the riders in question, just things that happen. Injuries, family problems, job losses, and financial difficulties are some of the more common reasons for missing Trans Iowa.
It is what it is.
Thankfully most folks have caught on that we need to know about the drops before hand to save us a lot of trouble stuffing bags and printing cue sheet sets. There's nothing like toting around 20 extra race bags and having printed up all the extra cue sheets and arranging them to get your water boiling. Especially when those 20 folks just decided not to show up at the last minute. (T.I.V3) I mean, you are going to have a few no-shows, but 20........
Anyway, I see we are down to 59 riders as of today. I have said all along that just above 50 is where I'd expect the roster to get to before the start. With the expected "few" no-shows, this is a stone cold lock now. We may even get below 50, which would be dipping into record low numbers for a T.I.
Does that matter? Not to me. I don't measure the success or failure of T.I. by numbers. If the event comes off safely, and folks get some satisfaction from the challenge, then that is all that really matters in the end.
More Trans Iowa thoughts in the coming days...........I warned you!
It is what it is.
Thankfully most folks have caught on that we need to know about the drops before hand to save us a lot of trouble stuffing bags and printing cue sheet sets. There's nothing like toting around 20 extra race bags and having printed up all the extra cue sheets and arranging them to get your water boiling. Especially when those 20 folks just decided not to show up at the last minute. (T.I.V3) I mean, you are going to have a few no-shows, but 20........
Anyway, I see we are down to 59 riders as of today. I have said all along that just above 50 is where I'd expect the roster to get to before the start. With the expected "few" no-shows, this is a stone cold lock now. We may even get below 50, which would be dipping into record low numbers for a T.I.
Does that matter? Not to me. I don't measure the success or failure of T.I. by numbers. If the event comes off safely, and folks get some satisfaction from the challenge, then that is all that really matters in the end.
More Trans Iowa thoughts in the coming days...........I warned you!
Friday, April 24, 2009
One Week And Counting.....
Sorry, Trans Iowa V5 is on my brain. You will have to indulge me my pre-occupation with this if you stick around the next week or so.
Cue sheets have been drafted and are being proof read. This is obviously a big deal. Needs to be right, so I'll be careful with that. Then bags will start to be assembled. Race numbers will be used to label them. Checkpoint cut off times need to be determined and published. Volunteers need to be directed.
Sponsorship has taken a huge hit with the economic downturn of the last quarter of '08 and this year. I'll not say more, but expect to hear the story at the pre-race meeting. To those of you that came through, we are indebted to you! Thanks!
I have gotten some comments and e-mails to the effect that there are questions about T.I.V5's basic operating mode. I posted a new missive on the site. Read it. Learn it. Live it. And don't ask me about the course. (This means you Paul J.!) I ain't sayin' nuttin'. I will be posting course condition updates though, so look for that.
Finally, Trans Iowa Radio will put up a test post next week on this blog. If it works, there will again be live updates.
Have a great weekend and please.......go ride your bike!
Cue sheets have been drafted and are being proof read. This is obviously a big deal. Needs to be right, so I'll be careful with that. Then bags will start to be assembled. Race numbers will be used to label them. Checkpoint cut off times need to be determined and published. Volunteers need to be directed.
Sponsorship has taken a huge hit with the economic downturn of the last quarter of '08 and this year. I'll not say more, but expect to hear the story at the pre-race meeting. To those of you that came through, we are indebted to you! Thanks!
I have gotten some comments and e-mails to the effect that there are questions about T.I.V5's basic operating mode. I posted a new missive on the site. Read it. Learn it. Live it. And don't ask me about the course. (This means you Paul J.!) I ain't sayin' nuttin'. I will be posting course condition updates though, so look for that.
Finally, Trans Iowa Radio will put up a test post next week on this blog. If it works, there will again be live updates.
Have a great weekend and please.......go ride your bike!
One Week And Counting.....
Sorry, Trans Iowa V5 is on my brain. You will have to indulge me my pre-occupation with this if you stick around the next week or so.
Cue sheets have been drafted and are being proof read. This is obviously a big deal. Needs to be right, so I'll be careful with that. Then bags will start to be assembled. Race numbers will be used to label them. Checkpoint cut off times need to be determined and published. Volunteers need to be directed.
Sponsorship has taken a huge hit with the economic downturn of the last quarter of '08 and this year. I'll not say more, but expect to hear the story at the pre-race meeting. To those of you that came through, we are indebted to you! Thanks!
I have gotten some comments and e-mails to the effect that there are questions about T.I.V5's basic operating mode. I posted a new missive on the site. Read it. Learn it. Live it. And don't ask me about the course. (This means you Paul J.!) I ain't sayin' nuttin'. I will be posting course condition updates though, so look for that.
Finally, Trans Iowa Radio will put up a test post next week on this blog. If it works, there will again be live updates.
Have a great weekend and please.......go ride your bike!
Cue sheets have been drafted and are being proof read. This is obviously a big deal. Needs to be right, so I'll be careful with that. Then bags will start to be assembled. Race numbers will be used to label them. Checkpoint cut off times need to be determined and published. Volunteers need to be directed.
Sponsorship has taken a huge hit with the economic downturn of the last quarter of '08 and this year. I'll not say more, but expect to hear the story at the pre-race meeting. To those of you that came through, we are indebted to you! Thanks!
I have gotten some comments and e-mails to the effect that there are questions about T.I.V5's basic operating mode. I posted a new missive on the site. Read it. Learn it. Live it. And don't ask me about the course. (This means you Paul J.!) I ain't sayin' nuttin'. I will be posting course condition updates though, so look for that.
Finally, Trans Iowa Radio will put up a test post next week on this blog. If it works, there will again be live updates.
Have a great weekend and please.......go ride your bike!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Lots Of Loose Ends
<===Ben Witt's 36"er Pofahl.
Today I will have some disjointed but relevant info that has back logged since the beginning of the week. First up, Ben Witt dropped off his 36"er last Monday for me to cruise around on for a bit. If you have a mind, stop by the shop and see it. I'll be commuting on it most days for awhile now. It is quite the rig, and the wheels......well, they are three feet high after all! They really like to roll, and keep rolling....... It's lots of fun to ride, I'll tell ya that much!
<===El Mariachi with Race King tires from Continental.
I've been rocking these Conti Race King 2.2 inchers lately and absolutely love them. The profile is very rounded, and the tire has lots of "height" for its width. They corner great and give just right over trail debris. The little triangular knobs grip surprisingly well. I will be very curious to see how they do when things get dry, hard, and fast this summer.
<====First flowers!
I'm a big flower fan. Especially of wild flowers. The flowers are popping out all over the woodland areas right now and I am loving it. The first ones are always the tiny, fast growing ones, so I had to get off my El mariachi, and get real low to take a look-see at 'em today.
<====A couple peas in a pod!I was really happy to have spent some time with my friend Jeff Kerkove out at Sea Otter last week. Jeff is responsible for much of where I am today with regards to blogging, internet work, Trans Iowa and cycling in general. He's doing really well for himself these days with the Ergon gig and I'm happy to see his success. He has his gal, Sonya by his side, and life is good for him. It was great catching up. See ya soon, Buddy!
<===Trans Iowa t-shirt design?
It looks as though a former T.I.V2 veteran is going to down load some special t-shirts for the upcoming T.I.V5. Special edition and all. Like we are a "real" event now since we might be having this show up in time for everyone to get one.
If ya think that is special, wait till you see the number plates that were sponsor provided. Yeah.... It looks all "official" and stuff. But keep in mind, yer on yer own out there, and responsible for your self, even though it may look a bit different this time around with all the special trappings.
Thanks to you who are providing such cool items for our little gravely ride. d.p. and I really appreciate it.
And there's more, but you'll have to wait for the details later!
Lots Of Loose Ends
<===Ben Witt's 36"er Pofahl.
Today I will have some disjointed but relevant info that has back logged since the beginning of the week. First up, Ben Witt dropped off his 36"er last Monday for me to cruise around on for a bit. If you have a mind, stop by the shop and see it. I'll be commuting on it most days for awhile now. It is quite the rig, and the wheels......well, they are three feet high after all! They really like to roll, and keep rolling....... It's lots of fun to ride, I'll tell ya that much!
<===El Mariachi with Race King tires from Continental.
I've been rocking these Conti Race King 2.2 inchers lately and absolutely love them. The profile is very rounded, and the tire has lots of "height" for its width. They corner great and give just right over trail debris. The little triangular knobs grip surprisingly well. I will be very curious to see how they do when things get dry, hard, and fast this summer.
<====First flowers!
I'm a big flower fan. Especially of wild flowers. The flowers are popping out all over the woodland areas right now and I am loving it. The first ones are always the tiny, fast growing ones, so I had to get off my El mariachi, and get real low to take a look-see at 'em today.
<====A couple peas in a pod!I was really happy to have spent some time with my friend Jeff Kerkove out at Sea Otter last week. Jeff is responsible for much of where I am today with regards to blogging, internet work, Trans Iowa and cycling in general. He's doing really well for himself these days with the Ergon gig and I'm happy to see his success. He has his gal, Sonya by his side, and life is good for him. It was great catching up. See ya soon, Buddy!
<===Trans Iowa t-shirt design?
It looks as though a former T.I.V2 veteran is going to down load some special t-shirts for the upcoming T.I.V5. Special edition and all. Like we are a "real" event now since we might be having this show up in time for everyone to get one.
If ya think that is special, wait till you see the number plates that were sponsor provided. Yeah.... It looks all "official" and stuff. But keep in mind, yer on yer own out there, and responsible for your self, even though it may look a bit different this time around with all the special trappings.
Thanks to you who are providing such cool items for our little gravely ride. d.p. and I really appreciate it.
And there's more, but you'll have to wait for the details later!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Announcing "The Cyclist"
I have been writing reviews, tests, and opinions on different websites for about four years now. Last December, it came to my attention that the Crooked Cog Network would be ceasing to exist as it was without someone else taking it over. For a time, I thought it might be me. That wasn't to be. However; I seem to have inherited Twenty Nine Inches, so for at least awhile, I will be running that site.
However; it appeared to me and Arleigh Jenkins that we would probably need to be pro-active and start our own site to carry forward. That site is up and running: The Cyclist.
I have maybe plugged it a bit here before, but here is the official, blatant announcement, more so for me than you, so I can look back later and say, "Yep! I did remember to announce that!"
The Cyclist is basically an amalgam of the former Crooked Cog sites rolled into one parking place. You have separate sections that have their own RSS feeds if you don't want to sift through the front page to find specific content. We tried to cater to all of our old fans, while trying to gain some new ones.
We are all cyclists. Whatever kind of two wheeled contraption you ride, be it a recumbent, mountain bike, road bike, beater, or fixie. Whatever wheel size trips your trigger is good with us. 29"rs, B rides, twenty inch BMX? Yeah....it is all good at The Cyclist. We will eventually get to all of that, but for now, we're going to strike out with what we already have experience covering at the old Crooked Cog sites.
Hopefully you will all check it out and come back around for a ride now and then. We'll be writing, testing, reviewing, and doing more beyond that in the future.
Thanks for reading my scribin' wherever you catch up with me.
However; it appeared to me and Arleigh Jenkins that we would probably need to be pro-active and start our own site to carry forward. That site is up and running: The Cyclist.
I have maybe plugged it a bit here before, but here is the official, blatant announcement, more so for me than you, so I can look back later and say, "Yep! I did remember to announce that!"
The Cyclist is basically an amalgam of the former Crooked Cog sites rolled into one parking place. You have separate sections that have their own RSS feeds if you don't want to sift through the front page to find specific content. We tried to cater to all of our old fans, while trying to gain some new ones.
We are all cyclists. Whatever kind of two wheeled contraption you ride, be it a recumbent, mountain bike, road bike, beater, or fixie. Whatever wheel size trips your trigger is good with us. 29"rs, B rides, twenty inch BMX? Yeah....it is all good at The Cyclist. We will eventually get to all of that, but for now, we're going to strike out with what we already have experience covering at the old Crooked Cog sites.
Hopefully you will all check it out and come back around for a ride now and then. We'll be writing, testing, reviewing, and doing more beyond that in the future.
Thanks for reading my scribin' wherever you catch up with me.
Announcing "The Cyclist"
I have been writing reviews, tests, and opinions on different websites for about four years now. Last December, it came to my attention that the Crooked Cog Network would be ceasing to exist as it was without someone else taking it over. For a time, I thought it might be me. That wasn't to be. However; I seem to have inherited Twenty Nine Inches, so for at least awhile, I will be running that site.
However; it appeared to me and Arleigh Jenkins that we would probably need to be pro-active and start our own site to carry forward. That site is up and running: The Cyclist.
I have maybe plugged it a bit here before, but here is the official, blatant announcement, more so for me than you, so I can look back later and say, "Yep! I did remember to announce that!"
The Cyclist is basically an amalgam of the former Crooked Cog sites rolled into one parking place. You have separate sections that have their own RSS feeds if you don't want to sift through the front page to find specific content. We tried to cater to all of our old fans, while trying to gain some new ones.
We are all cyclists. Whatever kind of two wheeled contraption you ride, be it a recumbent, mountain bike, road bike, beater, or fixie. Whatever wheel size trips your trigger is good with us. 29"rs, B rides, twenty inch BMX? Yeah....it is all good at The Cyclist. We will eventually get to all of that, but for now, we're going to strike out with what we already have experience covering at the old Crooked Cog sites.
Hopefully you will all check it out and come back around for a ride now and then. We'll be writing, testing, reviewing, and doing more beyond that in the future.
Thanks for reading my scribin' wherever you catch up with me.
However; it appeared to me and Arleigh Jenkins that we would probably need to be pro-active and start our own site to carry forward. That site is up and running: The Cyclist.
I have maybe plugged it a bit here before, but here is the official, blatant announcement, more so for me than you, so I can look back later and say, "Yep! I did remember to announce that!"
The Cyclist is basically an amalgam of the former Crooked Cog sites rolled into one parking place. You have separate sections that have their own RSS feeds if you don't want to sift through the front page to find specific content. We tried to cater to all of our old fans, while trying to gain some new ones.
We are all cyclists. Whatever kind of two wheeled contraption you ride, be it a recumbent, mountain bike, road bike, beater, or fixie. Whatever wheel size trips your trigger is good with us. 29"rs, B rides, twenty inch BMX? Yeah....it is all good at The Cyclist. We will eventually get to all of that, but for now, we're going to strike out with what we already have experience covering at the old Crooked Cog sites.
Hopefully you will all check it out and come back around for a ride now and then. We'll be writing, testing, reviewing, and doing more beyond that in the future.
Thanks for reading my scribin' wherever you catch up with me.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
The Race Against Death Tour: The Beginnings-PartII
As the weeks wound down to our appointed time of departure, which was the week after RAGBRAI again, there were many quick developments in The Race Against Death Tour. First of all, we all got two weeks off work to give us more time. We were not going to be denied the planned finish this time around!
The other development of note was a bit more complicated. I mentioned a fellow by the name of Tim in my opening post. Well, he was another mechanic at the shop. He wanted to go, but he wasn't sure about coming, or whether he could hang, and several other excuses that he created for not coming. Well, I went into "intense mode" again on Tim, much like I did with Ryan. Tim also didn't have a bike, and he was short of stature, so finding one for him wouldn't be easy.....or so I thought!
There was a good customer that just happened to say she was thinking of getting rid of her old Trek 650 touring rig. It had racks that were painted to match and it was all there ready to roll. It was as if it was meant to be. So Tim ended up with it. Here was a fourth traveler! I was stoked.
I developed a route that went through Tim's hometown, went to the Black Hills, and then south to Colorado over the Rocky Mountain National Park and down to Winter Park. I figured that with 100 mile average days we could get there and have two "mulligans" if we needed them for bad weather or rest.
I found campsites along most of the route so we wouldn't have to "beg" for a place to stay, like we did the year before, and I even found roads with low traffic counts to ride on. I thought I had it pretty well figured out, and Troy was pleased. He signed off on the plans and we were good to go.
Things were being prepped and readied. It would be just a few days to go now before we set off westward. About two days before the tour, Tim bailed out on the trip. He really didn't want to talk about it either. I never did find out why, but he did say at the time he might recant. I said whatever he wanted would be best, and hoped he would come. It was kind of a bummer to me, since I felt bad now about twisting his arm so hard to go and he with all this gear bought, and a bike I basically pushed him into buying. But that would all work out years later.......
Next Week- "The Race Against Death Tour" begins!
The other development of note was a bit more complicated. I mentioned a fellow by the name of Tim in my opening post. Well, he was another mechanic at the shop. He wanted to go, but he wasn't sure about coming, or whether he could hang, and several other excuses that he created for not coming. Well, I went into "intense mode" again on Tim, much like I did with Ryan. Tim also didn't have a bike, and he was short of stature, so finding one for him wouldn't be easy.....or so I thought!
There was a good customer that just happened to say she was thinking of getting rid of her old Trek 650 touring rig. It had racks that were painted to match and it was all there ready to roll. It was as if it was meant to be. So Tim ended up with it. Here was a fourth traveler! I was stoked.
I developed a route that went through Tim's hometown, went to the Black Hills, and then south to Colorado over the Rocky Mountain National Park and down to Winter Park. I figured that with 100 mile average days we could get there and have two "mulligans" if we needed them for bad weather or rest.
I found campsites along most of the route so we wouldn't have to "beg" for a place to stay, like we did the year before, and I even found roads with low traffic counts to ride on. I thought I had it pretty well figured out, and Troy was pleased. He signed off on the plans and we were good to go.
Things were being prepped and readied. It would be just a few days to go now before we set off westward. About two days before the tour, Tim bailed out on the trip. He really didn't want to talk about it either. I never did find out why, but he did say at the time he might recant. I said whatever he wanted would be best, and hoped he would come. It was kind of a bummer to me, since I felt bad now about twisting his arm so hard to go and he with all this gear bought, and a bike I basically pushed him into buying. But that would all work out years later.......
Next Week- "The Race Against Death Tour" begins!
The Race Against Death Tour: The Beginnings-PartII
As the weeks wound down to our appointed time of departure, which was the week after RAGBRAI again, there were many quick developments in The Race Against Death Tour. First of all, we all got two weeks off work to give us more time. We were not going to be denied the planned finish this time around!
The other development of note was a bit more complicated. I mentioned a fellow by the name of Tim in my opening post. Well, he was another mechanic at the shop. He wanted to go, but he wasn't sure about coming, or whether he could hang, and several other excuses that he created for not coming. Well, I went into "intense mode" again on Tim, much like I did with Ryan. Tim also didn't have a bike, and he was short of stature, so finding one for him wouldn't be easy.....or so I thought!
There was a good customer that just happened to say she was thinking of getting rid of her old Trek 650 touring rig. It had racks that were painted to match and it was all there ready to roll. It was as if it was meant to be. So Tim ended up with it. Here was a fourth traveler! I was stoked.
I developed a route that went through Tim's hometown, went to the Black Hills, and then south to Colorado over the Rocky Mountain National Park and down to Winter Park. I figured that with 100 mile average days we could get there and have two "mulligans" if we needed them for bad weather or rest.
I found campsites along most of the route so we wouldn't have to "beg" for a place to stay, like we did the year before, and I even found roads with low traffic counts to ride on. I thought I had it pretty well figured out, and Troy was pleased. He signed off on the plans and we were good to go.
Things were being prepped and readied. It would be just a few days to go now before we set off westward. About two days before the tour, Tim bailed out on the trip. He really didn't want to talk about it either. I never did find out why, but he did say at the time he might recant. I said whatever he wanted would be best, and hoped he would come. It was kind of a bummer to me, since I felt bad now about twisting his arm so hard to go and he with all this gear bought, and a bike I basically pushed him into buying. But that would all work out years later.......
Next Week- "The Race Against Death Tour" begins!
The other development of note was a bit more complicated. I mentioned a fellow by the name of Tim in my opening post. Well, he was another mechanic at the shop. He wanted to go, but he wasn't sure about coming, or whether he could hang, and several other excuses that he created for not coming. Well, I went into "intense mode" again on Tim, much like I did with Ryan. Tim also didn't have a bike, and he was short of stature, so finding one for him wouldn't be easy.....or so I thought!
There was a good customer that just happened to say she was thinking of getting rid of her old Trek 650 touring rig. It had racks that were painted to match and it was all there ready to roll. It was as if it was meant to be. So Tim ended up with it. Here was a fourth traveler! I was stoked.
I developed a route that went through Tim's hometown, went to the Black Hills, and then south to Colorado over the Rocky Mountain National Park and down to Winter Park. I figured that with 100 mile average days we could get there and have two "mulligans" if we needed them for bad weather or rest.
I found campsites along most of the route so we wouldn't have to "beg" for a place to stay, like we did the year before, and I even found roads with low traffic counts to ride on. I thought I had it pretty well figured out, and Troy was pleased. He signed off on the plans and we were good to go.
Things were being prepped and readied. It would be just a few days to go now before we set off westward. About two days before the tour, Tim bailed out on the trip. He really didn't want to talk about it either. I never did find out why, but he did say at the time he might recant. I said whatever he wanted would be best, and hoped he would come. It was kind of a bummer to me, since I felt bad now about twisting his arm so hard to go and he with all this gear bought, and a bike I basically pushed him into buying. But that would all work out years later.......
Next Week- "The Race Against Death Tour" begins!
Monday, April 20, 2009
One Down, One To Go!
<===The Shadowy Conspiracy behind Misfit's "Fe" hard tail stands to the left.One of the coolest things about Sea Otter is the people you meet. I got to chat with Peter Keiller who is the Emperor Of Misfit Toys for awhile about his newest toy that is about to go to all the bad little girls and boys out there- The "Fe" version of his aluminum hard tail single speed. It will be a True Temper OX Platinum rig with the Misfit style sliders done in steel, (of a sort yet to be determined). This frame is made of American sourced steel, welded by hand in Canada, and powder coated in Canada as well. (Kind of sounds like hockey to me). Whatever! This bike is going to be cool and it should be a great addition to the Misfit family of toys. (Not recommended for children under the height of 5' 3")
Oh yeah, and Peter is a cool guy too. I was glad to have met him. It's always nice to see and hear from someone with vision and passion in the cycling industry. Gets me inspired, it does.
<===Under that classic orange paint is a skin of grey!Another inspiring guy in the industry is Greg Matyas, owner/operator of Speedway Cycles up there in Anchorage, AK. Greg brought yet another titanium Fat Bike with him to Sea Otter. This beauty is now being produced by Lynskey Performance Design in Tennessee. Greg has a highly massaged down tube spec'ed for lateral stiffness and really cool details like a bent top tube for stand over clearance in snow, no offset in the frame, yet a totally usable range of gears, cool rack mounts, and wide tire clearance, of course! Greg has a titanium handle bar to go with this, but he sold the last example to Mike Curiak and is waiting on more to re-stock. The rims are the ever evolving Speedway Cycles rims that are drilled for lighter weight. To top it all off, the hubs are special Phil Wood high flange and custom width to accommodate this design. Trick!
Did I say that topped it all off? No......wait! Greg gifted me a "he-mans" bottle of Midnight Sun Brewery's Meltdown Double IPA. Yes! That did top off the meet up just right!
Another Sea Otter fades into memory........So another Sea Otter is over. I made it home and I'm back in my familiar environs. But........Trans Iowa V5 lurks in the near future. Out of the frying pan, into the fire!
So, last minute details will be the order of the day. Look for thoughts and concerns to populate the blog posts in the coming days that reflect on my current deteriorating mental state.
One Down, One To Go!
<===The Shadowy Conspiracy behind Misfit's "Fe" hard tail stands to the left.One of the coolest things about Sea Otter is the people you meet. I got to chat with Peter Keiller who is the Emperor Of Misfit Toys for awhile about his newest toy that is about to go to all the bad little girls and boys out there- The "Fe" version of his aluminum hard tail single speed. It will be a True Temper OX Platinum rig with the Misfit style sliders done in steel, (of a sort yet to be determined). This frame is made of American sourced steel, welded by hand in Canada, and powder coated in Canada as well. (Kind of sounds like hockey to me). Whatever! This bike is going to be cool and it should be a great addition to the Misfit family of toys. (Not recommended for children under the height of 5' 3")
Oh yeah, and Peter is a cool guy too. I was glad to have met him. It's always nice to see and hear from someone with vision and passion in the cycling industry. Gets me inspired, it does.
<===Under that classic orange paint is a skin of grey!Another inspiring guy in the industry is Greg Matyas, owner/operator of Speedway Cycles up there in Anchorage, AK. Greg brought yet another titanium Fat Bike with him to Sea Otter. This beauty is now being produced by Lynskey Performance Design in Tennessee. Greg has a highly massaged down tube spec'ed for lateral stiffness and really cool details like a bent top tube for stand over clearance in snow, no offset in the frame, yet a totally usable range of gears, cool rack mounts, and wide tire clearance, of course! Greg has a titanium handle bar to go with this, but he sold the last example to Mike Curiak and is waiting on more to re-stock. The rims are the ever evolving Speedway Cycles rims that are drilled for lighter weight. To top it all off, the hubs are special Phil Wood high flange and custom width to accommodate this design. Trick!
Did I say that topped it all off? No......wait! Greg gifted me a "he-mans" bottle of Midnight Sun Brewery's Meltdown Double IPA. Yes! That did top off the meet up just right!
Another Sea Otter fades into memory........So another Sea Otter is over. I made it home and I'm back in my familiar environs. But........Trans Iowa V5 lurks in the near future. Out of the frying pan, into the fire!
So, last minute details will be the order of the day. Look for thoughts and concerns to populate the blog posts in the coming days that reflect on my current deteriorating mental state.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Crazy From The Heat
<===Eye candy...
So, today was even warmer, and I could shed a layer. Great stuff! This was by far the best Sea Otter day I've experienced from that standpoint.
And then there was the ride I got in on a Specialized Stumpjumper carbon 29"er. Sweet, sweet rig there! But more importantly, it's another tick off on the "States ridden in '09" list. California: done!
Sea Otter is sponsored by SRAM, a component company, and it has a big press conference every year that is pretty well known for the media schwag that gets handed out. I missed the free gruppos this year, but I did score a sweet pair of anodized shifter paddles. Yeah!
<====Elementary, my dear Watson!So I see Gary Fisher off and on all day today. He is cruising around with these two gals from Momentum Magazine and they are schlepping all the free dinner/lunches happening today. And I come to find out he's camping here right at Sea Otter.
That dude cracks me up!
So tonight I hung out with Team Ergon. Jeff and Sonya were there and it was great to hang out with those guys. Made up for being lost last night.
The cell phone isn't working right here. I am not getting all my calls or text messages. So much for the wonders of wireless communications. I mean, if it doesn't work in California, where will it work? I've missed calling my kids because of it, and now Mrs. Guitar Ted isn't a very happy camper. Oh well, what can you do?
Okay, one more full day of California sun and fun. Then it is back to Iowa. Really, I can't wait to get back home, believe it or not.
Crazy From The Heat
<===Eye candy...
So, today was even warmer, and I could shed a layer. Great stuff! This was by far the best Sea Otter day I've experienced from that standpoint.
And then there was the ride I got in on a Specialized Stumpjumper carbon 29"er. Sweet, sweet rig there! But more importantly, it's another tick off on the "States ridden in '09" list. California: done!
Sea Otter is sponsored by SRAM, a component company, and it has a big press conference every year that is pretty well known for the media schwag that gets handed out. I missed the free gruppos this year, but I did score a sweet pair of anodized shifter paddles. Yeah!
<====Elementary, my dear Watson!So I see Gary Fisher off and on all day today. He is cruising around with these two gals from Momentum Magazine and they are schlepping all the free dinner/lunches happening today. And I come to find out he's camping here right at Sea Otter.
That dude cracks me up!
So tonight I hung out with Team Ergon. Jeff and Sonya were there and it was great to hang out with those guys. Made up for being lost last night.
The cell phone isn't working right here. I am not getting all my calls or text messages. So much for the wonders of wireless communications. I mean, if it doesn't work in California, where will it work? I've missed calling my kids because of it, and now Mrs. Guitar Ted isn't a very happy camper. Oh well, what can you do?
Okay, one more full day of California sun and fun. Then it is back to Iowa. Really, I can't wait to get back home, believe it or not.
Friday, April 17, 2009
I Got Real Lost In Carmel!
<====Advertising on the water bottles at the media center. Carlos approved!
So, it was a beautiful day at Sea Otter. It started out cool, then got progressively nicer, until it was rather sunny. Of course, I hadn't even considered being in the sun makes sunburn happen. I mean, I have been in Iowa for the winter!
So, I am red. Not really bad, but, ya know, I got burnt.
<===Ducati bikes on displayI ran around on foot all day, which makes for some really tired dogs, foot pads, earth stompers.....yeah. Tired! And hungry! So it was that Mr. 24's boss invited me out to supper. He says to meet him at the Carmel Inn and Suites and gives me some directions. I walk back to the car, look at my map. The streets he told me about were there, so off I go.
Well, I get to Ocean Boulevard, turn down it, and find myself in old downtown Carmel. If you haven't been there, it looks like a quaint, small, perfectly idyllic California movie set. Well, sorta like a movie set! The roads wouldn't pass for any wider than an alleyway in Iowa, and the vegetation is so thick and overhanging, you can't see down intersections.
<===Jeff set the Ergon tent in the wrong spot, so he, Sonya, and a couple helpers move it to the correct spot.So I finally find myself at the ocean. Yes.....that ocean! And I have to turn so I can supposedly find my way to this motel. Well, I was in residential Carmel where the streets are even narrower and more overhung by vegetation. Slow going! I finally get out to the highway and do the unthinkable- I ask for directions. The guy said he'd never heard of the Carmel Inn and Suites, but there was a Carmel Mission Inn right near me. So, I check that out. Nope! Nobody from Ergon there! Well, by this time I am about bonked. I needed to head for the shed or be at greater risk of accident then need be. So I high tailed it back north up the #1.
<===Could this be Carlos' version of heaven?I got back to Marina in one piece, had a couple gas station burritoes, and my remaining Negro Modelo's that were chilled in the fridge. Some Mexican dinner, eh?
Ah well! It's all good!
Tomorrow is SRAM's big press conference, and other goodies will be handed out, me thinks. Stay tuned!
I Got Real Lost In Carmel!
<====Advertising on the water bottles at the media center. Carlos approved!
So, it was a beautiful day at Sea Otter. It started out cool, then got progressively nicer, until it was rather sunny. Of course, I hadn't even considered being in the sun makes sunburn happen. I mean, I have been in Iowa for the winter!
So, I am red. Not really bad, but, ya know, I got burnt.
<===Ducati bikes on displayI ran around on foot all day, which makes for some really tired dogs, foot pads, earth stompers.....yeah. Tired! And hungry! So it was that Mr. 24's boss invited me out to supper. He says to meet him at the Carmel Inn and Suites and gives me some directions. I walk back to the car, look at my map. The streets he told me about were there, so off I go.
Well, I get to Ocean Boulevard, turn down it, and find myself in old downtown Carmel. If you haven't been there, it looks like a quaint, small, perfectly idyllic California movie set. Well, sorta like a movie set! The roads wouldn't pass for any wider than an alleyway in Iowa, and the vegetation is so thick and overhanging, you can't see down intersections.
<===Jeff set the Ergon tent in the wrong spot, so he, Sonya, and a couple helpers move it to the correct spot.So I finally find myself at the ocean. Yes.....that ocean! And I have to turn so I can supposedly find my way to this motel. Well, I was in residential Carmel where the streets are even narrower and more overhung by vegetation. Slow going! I finally get out to the highway and do the unthinkable- I ask for directions. The guy said he'd never heard of the Carmel Inn and Suites, but there was a Carmel Mission Inn right near me. So, I check that out. Nope! Nobody from Ergon there! Well, by this time I am about bonked. I needed to head for the shed or be at greater risk of accident then need be. So I high tailed it back north up the #1.
<===Could this be Carlos' version of heaven?I got back to Marina in one piece, had a couple gas station burritoes, and my remaining Negro Modelo's that were chilled in the fridge. Some Mexican dinner, eh?
Ah well! It's all good!
Tomorrow is SRAM's big press conference, and other goodies will be handed out, me thinks. Stay tuned!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Sea Otter Madness!
Okay, so I made it out to Sea Otter, well, actually........I'm in a Ramada Inn in Marina, CA, in case you want to stop by. The flights out were okay. two rough landings though. The one coming into Monterey was the pits! The plane was flipping around like a giant child was handling it!
So, California roads are like, totally not on a grid, doode! They are like, so whack! I am so totally glad I brought my bitchen' GPS unit, fer sure! Yaah! There's like, no way I'm going to find anything without it.
And then there is a big, big problem. I am looking out my motel window, right at it. Let me explain: Mrs.Guitar Ted is of Korean descent, okay. So she is stuck in blue collar, white bread America with almost zero Asian food choices, and what there are stink, really. So, I get here, and what do I see? A genuine Korean barbecue joint.....right across the street!
Dilemma: Do I go over and sample, or do I stay away in deference to my beautiful wife, who would probably go into a rage at the thought of me eating "real" Korean food, when she's stuck with Mickey D's. I tell ya......life just isn't fair!
Okay, I gotta fire up Google Maps to find a way to Laguna Seca from here. Later ya'all!
So, California roads are like, totally not on a grid, doode! They are like, so whack! I am so totally glad I brought my bitchen' GPS unit, fer sure! Yaah! There's like, no way I'm going to find anything without it.
And then there is a big, big problem. I am looking out my motel window, right at it. Let me explain: Mrs.Guitar Ted is of Korean descent, okay. So she is stuck in blue collar, white bread America with almost zero Asian food choices, and what there are stink, really. So, I get here, and what do I see? A genuine Korean barbecue joint.....right across the street!
Dilemma: Do I go over and sample, or do I stay away in deference to my beautiful wife, who would probably go into a rage at the thought of me eating "real" Korean food, when she's stuck with Mickey D's. I tell ya......life just isn't fair!
Okay, I gotta fire up Google Maps to find a way to Laguna Seca from here. Later ya'all!
Sea Otter Madness!
Okay, so I made it out to Sea Otter, well, actually........I'm in a Ramada Inn in Marina, CA, in case you want to stop by. The flights out were okay. two rough landings though. The one coming into Monterey was the pits! The plane was flipping around like a giant child was handling it!
So, California roads are like, totally not on a grid, doode! They are like, so whack! I am so totally glad I brought my bitchen' GPS unit, fer sure! Yaah! There's like, no way I'm going to find anything without it.
And then there is a big, big problem. I am looking out my motel window, right at it. Let me explain: Mrs.Guitar Ted is of Korean descent, okay. So she is stuck in blue collar, white bread America with almost zero Asian food choices, and what there are stink, really. So, I get here, and what do I see? A genuine Korean barbecue joint.....right across the street!
Dilemma: Do I go over and sample, or do I stay away in deference to my beautiful wife, who would probably go into a rage at the thought of me eating "real" Korean food, when she's stuck with Mickey D's. I tell ya......life just isn't fair!
Okay, I gotta fire up Google Maps to find a way to Laguna Seca from here. Later ya'all!
So, California roads are like, totally not on a grid, doode! They are like, so whack! I am so totally glad I brought my bitchen' GPS unit, fer sure! Yaah! There's like, no way I'm going to find anything without it.
And then there is a big, big problem. I am looking out my motel window, right at it. Let me explain: Mrs.Guitar Ted is of Korean descent, okay. So she is stuck in blue collar, white bread America with almost zero Asian food choices, and what there are stink, really. So, I get here, and what do I see? A genuine Korean barbecue joint.....right across the street!
Dilemma: Do I go over and sample, or do I stay away in deference to my beautiful wife, who would probably go into a rage at the thought of me eating "real" Korean food, when she's stuck with Mickey D's. I tell ya......life just isn't fair!
Okay, I gotta fire up Google Maps to find a way to Laguna Seca from here. Later ya'all!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
I'm Outta Here!
Hey folks! I am prepping for my Sea Otter sojourn today, so a "lite" post for ya'all. Lots of stuff is going down though. Sea Otter is getting used by many more companies to release new product news and to demo the latest in cycling gear. I already have heard/seen the following:
Specialized Epic 29"er and carbon Stumpjumper S-Works 29"er
Rocky Mountain Bikes is expanding its 29"er line up with a FS rig and race hardtail
Niner showcases it's carbon fork, which should ship soon.
And the list will grow, as SRAM holds a huge press conference every Sea Otter, Shimano has some bits to show, and who knows what else will surprise me there.
But I have to get there first!
Anyway, I'd like to take this opportunity to also release news of my own. The Cyclist is the new site that I and Arleigh "Arsbars" Jenkins have cooked up to replace the Crooked Cog Network of sites that is going into sleep mode now that the administrator/domain owner is pulling the support for those sites and getting out of the web media business. Twenty Nine Inches will probably be up for awhile yet, but eventually it will also go into "static" mode at the will of the domain owner and everything will be over at The Cyclist from that point on.
The new gig has pages each featuring one category: Urban/Commuting, "Big Wheeled Bikes" such as 29"ers, 650B, and 36"ers, technical stuff- clothing, hardware, and the like, and finally a section for budget minded things to go in. There are RSS feeds for each page, so if you don't want to weed through the site, the feed can direct you to the articles of interest to you.
Anyway, that's all for today. I gotta get going!
Later!
Specialized Epic 29"er and carbon Stumpjumper S-Works 29"er
Rocky Mountain Bikes is expanding its 29"er line up with a FS rig and race hardtail
Niner showcases it's carbon fork, which should ship soon.
And the list will grow, as SRAM holds a huge press conference every Sea Otter, Shimano has some bits to show, and who knows what else will surprise me there.
But I have to get there first!
Anyway, I'd like to take this opportunity to also release news of my own. The Cyclist is the new site that I and Arleigh "Arsbars" Jenkins have cooked up to replace the Crooked Cog Network of sites that is going into sleep mode now that the administrator/domain owner is pulling the support for those sites and getting out of the web media business. Twenty Nine Inches will probably be up for awhile yet, but eventually it will also go into "static" mode at the will of the domain owner and everything will be over at The Cyclist from that point on.
The new gig has pages each featuring one category: Urban/Commuting, "Big Wheeled Bikes" such as 29"ers, 650B, and 36"ers, technical stuff- clothing, hardware, and the like, and finally a section for budget minded things to go in. There are RSS feeds for each page, so if you don't want to weed through the site, the feed can direct you to the articles of interest to you.
Anyway, that's all for today. I gotta get going!
Later!
I'm Outta Here!
Hey folks! I am prepping for my Sea Otter sojourn today, so a "lite" post for ya'all. Lots of stuff is going down though. Sea Otter is getting used by many more companies to release new product news and to demo the latest in cycling gear. I already have heard/seen the following:
Specialized Epic 29"er and carbon Stumpjumper S-Works 29"er
Rocky Mountain Bikes is expanding its 29"er line up with a FS rig and race hardtail
Niner showcases it's carbon fork, which should ship soon.
And the list will grow, as SRAM holds a huge press conference every Sea Otter, Shimano has some bits to show, and who knows what else will surprise me there.
But I have to get there first!
Anyway, I'd like to take this opportunity to also release news of my own. The Cyclist is the new site that I and Arleigh "Arsbars" Jenkins have cooked up to replace the Crooked Cog Network of sites that is going into sleep mode now that the administrator/domain owner is pulling the support for those sites and getting out of the web media business. Twenty Nine Inches will probably be up for awhile yet, but eventually it will also go into "static" mode at the will of the domain owner and everything will be over at The Cyclist from that point on.
The new gig has pages each featuring one category: Urban/Commuting, "Big Wheeled Bikes" such as 29"ers, 650B, and 36"ers, technical stuff- clothing, hardware, and the like, and finally a section for budget minded things to go in. There are RSS feeds for each page, so if you don't want to weed through the site, the feed can direct you to the articles of interest to you.
Anyway, that's all for today. I gotta get going!
Later!
Specialized Epic 29"er and carbon Stumpjumper S-Works 29"er
Rocky Mountain Bikes is expanding its 29"er line up with a FS rig and race hardtail
Niner showcases it's carbon fork, which should ship soon.
And the list will grow, as SRAM holds a huge press conference every Sea Otter, Shimano has some bits to show, and who knows what else will surprise me there.
But I have to get there first!
Anyway, I'd like to take this opportunity to also release news of my own. The Cyclist is the new site that I and Arleigh "Arsbars" Jenkins have cooked up to replace the Crooked Cog Network of sites that is going into sleep mode now that the administrator/domain owner is pulling the support for those sites and getting out of the web media business. Twenty Nine Inches will probably be up for awhile yet, but eventually it will also go into "static" mode at the will of the domain owner and everything will be over at The Cyclist from that point on.
The new gig has pages each featuring one category: Urban/Commuting, "Big Wheeled Bikes" such as 29"ers, 650B, and 36"ers, technical stuff- clothing, hardware, and the like, and finally a section for budget minded things to go in. There are RSS feeds for each page, so if you don't want to weed through the site, the feed can direct you to the articles of interest to you.
Anyway, that's all for today. I gotta get going!
Later!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
The Race Against Death Tour: The Beginnings
Beginnings and endings. It is what life seems to be all about. Changes can be good and almost always tough to deal with. That's what this story is all about. I called it "The Race Against Death Tour" back then for a few reasons. First- we were going to make it this time- do or die. That was pretty much Troy's take on this ride. We didn't make it to Canada the year before on the "Beg, Borrow, and Bastard Tour", and Troy wasn't about to have that happen this time. I thought "Race Against Death" was good from a humorous standpoint, but in reality, I was trying to out run my own demons that were hounding me from the recent past. It was a funny name on the outside, but on the inside of me, it was a "deadly" serious moniker.
Well, Troy thought we should have a third party. I thought so too. So I kept harassing Ryan to go with us. He didn't have a touring bike, and he couldn't afford to buy one either, being a poor "just-out-of-college-student". So, I told him that if I found him a bike, would he go? He said that he had some gear, but no tent. I said that I had a six man Eureka dome tent and we all could sleep in that. Well, it went back and forth like that until I basically brow beat him into coming with us. Oh, he was wanting it too, but I was pretty insistent that he go.
So, now I had to find him a bike. Great! Well, as fortune would have it, a fellow came in that needed to get a new bike. He was interested in a Bianchi we had. After talking to him a bit, he asked about trade in policies. I asked if he had his bike with him, and he did. Well, around the corner he wheels in a Schwinn Voyager. "Perfect!", I thought to myself. I went into big time salesman mode, made the deal, and had the Schwinn squirreled away before anybody else knew it was there. It was cheap enough that by that evening, Ryan had actually bought the thing.
So, parts swaps were made on all of our rigs while in the meantime we were thinking of a specific route. Troy had in mind two things: One was getting to his folks summer residence in Colorado which was on the other side of the Rocky Mountain National Park in Winter Park. The other was to see the Black Hills. Well, that made for some interesting route finding, but I was left to that on my own.
So I bought some road maps of Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Colorado. I spent many nights pouring over roads, campground sites, rest areas, towns and villages, and roads of course. It was coming together. Soon we would be making some final preparations, setting a time to go, and setting off to the West.
Next Week: The possibilities were there, but not meant to be!
Well, Troy thought we should have a third party. I thought so too. So I kept harassing Ryan to go with us. He didn't have a touring bike, and he couldn't afford to buy one either, being a poor "just-out-of-college-student". So, I told him that if I found him a bike, would he go? He said that he had some gear, but no tent. I said that I had a six man Eureka dome tent and we all could sleep in that. Well, it went back and forth like that until I basically brow beat him into coming with us. Oh, he was wanting it too, but I was pretty insistent that he go.
So, now I had to find him a bike. Great! Well, as fortune would have it, a fellow came in that needed to get a new bike. He was interested in a Bianchi we had. After talking to him a bit, he asked about trade in policies. I asked if he had his bike with him, and he did. Well, around the corner he wheels in a Schwinn Voyager. "Perfect!", I thought to myself. I went into big time salesman mode, made the deal, and had the Schwinn squirreled away before anybody else knew it was there. It was cheap enough that by that evening, Ryan had actually bought the thing.
So, parts swaps were made on all of our rigs while in the meantime we were thinking of a specific route. Troy had in mind two things: One was getting to his folks summer residence in Colorado which was on the other side of the Rocky Mountain National Park in Winter Park. The other was to see the Black Hills. Well, that made for some interesting route finding, but I was left to that on my own.
So I bought some road maps of Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Colorado. I spent many nights pouring over roads, campground sites, rest areas, towns and villages, and roads of course. It was coming together. Soon we would be making some final preparations, setting a time to go, and setting off to the West.
Next Week: The possibilities were there, but not meant to be!
The Race Against Death Tour: The Beginnings
Beginnings and endings. It is what life seems to be all about. Changes can be good and almost always tough to deal with. That's what this story is all about. I called it "The Race Against Death Tour" back then for a few reasons. First- we were going to make it this time- do or die. That was pretty much Troy's take on this ride. We didn't make it to Canada the year before on the "Beg, Borrow, and Bastard Tour", and Troy wasn't about to have that happen this time. I thought "Race Against Death" was good from a humorous standpoint, but in reality, I was trying to out run my own demons that were hounding me from the recent past. It was a funny name on the outside, but on the inside of me, it was a "deadly" serious moniker.
Well, Troy thought we should have a third party. I thought so too. So I kept harassing Ryan to go with us. He didn't have a touring bike, and he couldn't afford to buy one either, being a poor "just-out-of-college-student". So, I told him that if I found him a bike, would he go? He said that he had some gear, but no tent. I said that I had a six man Eureka dome tent and we all could sleep in that. Well, it went back and forth like that until I basically brow beat him into coming with us. Oh, he was wanting it too, but I was pretty insistent that he go.
So, now I had to find him a bike. Great! Well, as fortune would have it, a fellow came in that needed to get a new bike. He was interested in a Bianchi we had. After talking to him a bit, he asked about trade in policies. I asked if he had his bike with him, and he did. Well, around the corner he wheels in a Schwinn Voyager. "Perfect!", I thought to myself. I went into big time salesman mode, made the deal, and had the Schwinn squirreled away before anybody else knew it was there. It was cheap enough that by that evening, Ryan had actually bought the thing.
So, parts swaps were made on all of our rigs while in the meantime we were thinking of a specific route. Troy had in mind two things: One was getting to his folks summer residence in Colorado which was on the other side of the Rocky Mountain National Park in Winter Park. The other was to see the Black Hills. Well, that made for some interesting route finding, but I was left to that on my own.
So I bought some road maps of Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Colorado. I spent many nights pouring over roads, campground sites, rest areas, towns and villages, and roads of course. It was coming together. Soon we would be making some final preparations, setting a time to go, and setting off to the West.
Next Week: The possibilities were there, but not meant to be!
Well, Troy thought we should have a third party. I thought so too. So I kept harassing Ryan to go with us. He didn't have a touring bike, and he couldn't afford to buy one either, being a poor "just-out-of-college-student". So, I told him that if I found him a bike, would he go? He said that he had some gear, but no tent. I said that I had a six man Eureka dome tent and we all could sleep in that. Well, it went back and forth like that until I basically brow beat him into coming with us. Oh, he was wanting it too, but I was pretty insistent that he go.
So, now I had to find him a bike. Great! Well, as fortune would have it, a fellow came in that needed to get a new bike. He was interested in a Bianchi we had. After talking to him a bit, he asked about trade in policies. I asked if he had his bike with him, and he did. Well, around the corner he wheels in a Schwinn Voyager. "Perfect!", I thought to myself. I went into big time salesman mode, made the deal, and had the Schwinn squirreled away before anybody else knew it was there. It was cheap enough that by that evening, Ryan had actually bought the thing.
So, parts swaps were made on all of our rigs while in the meantime we were thinking of a specific route. Troy had in mind two things: One was getting to his folks summer residence in Colorado which was on the other side of the Rocky Mountain National Park in Winter Park. The other was to see the Black Hills. Well, that made for some interesting route finding, but I was left to that on my own.
So I bought some road maps of Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Colorado. I spent many nights pouring over roads, campground sites, rest areas, towns and villages, and roads of course. It was coming together. Soon we would be making some final preparations, setting a time to go, and setting off to the West.
Next Week: The possibilities were there, but not meant to be!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Saturday Cut Short
<===El Mariachi with the Conti Race Kings on board.
The day was great at the Camp. Sunny, cool, but very nice. I was out to test the Conti Race King 29"er tires that I have in and also the Geax Barro Race tires which I had mounted on another set of wheels. The Continentals were on the FSA wheel set in for testing. So yeah.......it was work mixed with pleasure!
The trails had firmed up quite a bit since Wednesday and Captain Bob had been out grooming them a bit, so the first technical part was fast and hairy! I went in to a little change up Captain Bob threw in a bit hot and about lost it, but it was all good. The Continental tires were surprising in that they gripped the loamy dirt like Velcro. Plus they were fast anyway, so speed was easily attained and that got me a bit over my head at first too.
I had to go down along the Cedar and check out the eagle's nest. Man! This thing is huge! I heard that there were a couple new eaglets there, and I did see a mature Bald Eagle sitting in the midst of the nest. Very cool. I left that spot and headed for higher ground in the Pines.
After glopping through a couple mud bogs, I got out of the Pines and went on my way to where I saw the wild turkey last Wednesday. I didn't see a turkey, but I did scare up a large Barn Owl that took to flight from a branch right above my head as I passed underneath it. Its wings moved a lot of air and I could hear that it was a large bird before I actually saw it. No pictures though. Too wary of a bird. It wouldn't sit still long enough for me to get a shot before it flew off deeper into the woods.
<===Switched out to GEAX Barro Race tires
I then made my way back to the "Dirty Blue Box" for the wheel swappage. Once done it was back out to the climb up the service road and down the switchbacks of Broken Finger Trail. This time I knew what to expect and raged the entire section. It was good. I then noticed a creaking. Rats! Eccentric bottom bracket? Crank arm? I dismounted and checked. Hmm........left arm is good. That's the one that usually comes loose on you. Checked the right side......wha..??? It was loose! Drats! I headed gingerly back to the car and ended the ride before I did any permanent damage.
I was a bit disappointed, but it all turned out for the best anyway. I got home at an appropriate time to get a few things done that I maybe wouldn't have if I had slogged onwards at The Camp. There will be other days too.
Saturday Cut Short
<===El Mariachi with the Conti Race Kings on board.
The day was great at the Camp. Sunny, cool, but very nice. I was out to test the Conti Race King 29"er tires that I have in and also the Geax Barro Race tires which I had mounted on another set of wheels. The Continentals were on the FSA wheel set in for testing. So yeah.......it was work mixed with pleasure!
The trails had firmed up quite a bit since Wednesday and Captain Bob had been out grooming them a bit, so the first technical part was fast and hairy! I went in to a little change up Captain Bob threw in a bit hot and about lost it, but it was all good. The Continental tires were surprising in that they gripped the loamy dirt like Velcro. Plus they were fast anyway, so speed was easily attained and that got me a bit over my head at first too.
I had to go down along the Cedar and check out the eagle's nest. Man! This thing is huge! I heard that there were a couple new eaglets there, and I did see a mature Bald Eagle sitting in the midst of the nest. Very cool. I left that spot and headed for higher ground in the Pines.
After glopping through a couple mud bogs, I got out of the Pines and went on my way to where I saw the wild turkey last Wednesday. I didn't see a turkey, but I did scare up a large Barn Owl that took to flight from a branch right above my head as I passed underneath it. Its wings moved a lot of air and I could hear that it was a large bird before I actually saw it. No pictures though. Too wary of a bird. It wouldn't sit still long enough for me to get a shot before it flew off deeper into the woods.
<===Switched out to GEAX Barro Race tires
I then made my way back to the "Dirty Blue Box" for the wheel swappage. Once done it was back out to the climb up the service road and down the switchbacks of Broken Finger Trail. This time I knew what to expect and raged the entire section. It was good. I then noticed a creaking. Rats! Eccentric bottom bracket? Crank arm? I dismounted and checked. Hmm........left arm is good. That's the one that usually comes loose on you. Checked the right side......wha..??? It was loose! Drats! I headed gingerly back to the car and ended the ride before I did any permanent damage.
I was a bit disappointed, but it all turned out for the best anyway. I got home at an appropriate time to get a few things done that I maybe wouldn't have if I had slogged onwards at The Camp. There will be other days too.
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