March Blows Outta Here!

<===From white to shades of brown. March changed the color of the landscape.

Wow! March went from "slow to go!" in about a weeks time. From not riding much but roads packed with ice and snow to back riding at The Camp already, it has been pretty amazing.

Add in T.I.V6 madness, and things really leaped into hyper-drive for me! Recon started again, and there still is a ways to go with that. In fact, I'll be out doing some of that today.

Warm weather is back already too. 70's and sunshine where three weeks ago we were getting "treated" to our first days with highs in the upper 30's. Things changed in a big hurry, that's for sure.

It seems that this spring is bringing lots of changes all over. I am noticing that anyway. People, things, and events seem to be in a state of flux more so than I can remember in the recent past, or maybe it's just me. I don't know. Anyway............

Seeing as how I get hits about drop bar mountain biking all the time, let's talk about the Gryphon from Singular Cycles a bit, shall we? Singular was developing the Gryphon along about the same time as Salsa Cycles developed the Fargo. So no one copied the other here. The designs were done separately and that's that. Having said this, it is amazing how similar these two bikes are to each other. At least in terms of handling and to a great degree, fit.

I have the luxury of having a Fargo in a size large and a Gryphon in a size large which I have measured side by side. The differences are pretty minimal in terms of geometry. The details are hugely different, of course, but basically, these two bikes could be very complimentary stablemates in either companies line up, or better yet, in your stable! They handle very similarly. They fit very similarly, and in terms of function, they are different enough to warrant having both. Quite frankly, I was surprised by this.

You see, I figured since the Fargo fit me like a glove, and had the versatility of a Swiss Army knife down pat, I figured the Singular couldn't possibly hope to have anything but the novelty of single speed-ness on its side in comparison. Boy! Was I wrong about that. The Singular has the fit, as I said, down to a "T" and does drop bar mtb "right proper-like". It doesn't pretend to be anything other than a drop bar, rigid specific mountain bike that does single speed very well. The Fargo doesn't pretend to be a single speed, and doesn't pidgeon hole itself as "just a trail bike". That's why I say both bikes fit into any drop bar mtb aficianados stable. (Well, as long as you like 29"ers. )

I am doing a proper side by side comparo for Twenty Nine Inches later. So, please wait for that and your specific questions will be answered there, I hope. Suffice it to say that since I really like the Fargo, you'll probably be able to guess what I think of the Gryphon. It's good stuff, that's what it is.

March Blows Outta Here!

<===From white to shades of brown. March changed the color of the landscape.

Wow! March went from "slow to go!" in about a weeks time. From not riding much but roads packed with ice and snow to back riding at The Camp already, it has been pretty amazing.

Add in T.I.V6 madness, and things really leaped into hyper-drive for me! Recon started again, and there still is a ways to go with that. In fact, I'll be out doing some of that today.

Warm weather is back already too. 70's and sunshine where three weeks ago we were getting "treated" to our first days with highs in the upper 30's. Things changed in a big hurry, that's for sure.

It seems that this spring is bringing lots of changes all over. I am noticing that anyway. People, things, and events seem to be in a state of flux more so than I can remember in the recent past, or maybe it's just me. I don't know. Anyway............

Seeing as how I get hits about drop bar mountain biking all the time, let's talk about the Gryphon from Singular Cycles a bit, shall we? Singular was developing the Gryphon along about the same time as Salsa Cycles developed the Fargo. So no one copied the other here. The designs were done separately and that's that. Having said this, it is amazing how similar these two bikes are to each other. At least in terms of handling and to a great degree, fit.

I have the luxury of having a Fargo in a size large and a Gryphon in a size large which I have measured side by side. The differences are pretty minimal in terms of geometry. The details are hugely different, of course, but basically, these two bikes could be very complimentary stablemates in either companies line up, or better yet, in your stable! They handle very similarly. They fit very similarly, and in terms of function, they are different enough to warrant having both. Quite frankly, I was surprised by this.

You see, I figured since the Fargo fit me like a glove, and had the versatility of a Swiss Army knife down pat, I figured the Singular couldn't possibly hope to have anything but the novelty of single speed-ness on its side in comparison. Boy! Was I wrong about that. The Singular has the fit, as I said, down to a "T" and does drop bar mtb "right proper-like". It doesn't pretend to be anything other than a drop bar, rigid specific mountain bike that does single speed very well. The Fargo doesn't pretend to be a single speed, and doesn't pidgeon hole itself as "just a trail bike". That's why I say both bikes fit into any drop bar mtb aficianados stable. (Well, as long as you like 29"ers. )

I am doing a proper side by side comparo for Twenty Nine Inches later. So, please wait for that and your specific questions will be answered there, I hope. Suffice it to say that since I really like the Fargo, you'll probably be able to guess what I think of the Gryphon. It's good stuff, that's what it is.

Bike Shop Tales: Brands

I'm taking a break from bikes I owned to talk about all the bikes we sold............

I still work in a shop and every once in awhile I will see a bike come in for repair that I either put together out of the box, worked on, or sold. Sometimes all three in the same bike! Last week I saw one that inspired this post.

One of our sales people was walking a rig back to the hold area when I noticed out of the corner of my eye that it was a steel framed mountain bike that was teal in color. Now it is funny when that is all the visual info I need to bring to mind what the bike is and whether or not Advantage Cycles sold it.

I turned my head and looked closer. Yup! 90's era rigid steel in a teal color. Well, by this this time I am 75% sure I am looking at a Scott U.S.A. mountain bike and I knew it had a strong chance of being an Advantage Cycles rig. I leaned over the service counter and said, "That's a Scott, isn't it?" The sales guy looked at the down tube and said, "Uhh........yeah. I guess it is!" I said, "Look and see if it has an Advantage Cycles sticker on it."

He fumbled around looking, but before he found it I saw the familiar black rectangle outlined in silver and said, "Don't bother. It is an Advantage bike." (And I even knew by that sticker it was sold in 1994 or early 1995, because the stickers changed in mid '95 to blue and silver.)

Funny how old bicycles seem like long lost friends, yet I would have zero clues as to who owned it. Probably because I didn't sell most of the bikes I see from Advantage, but I did build a lot of them, and I worked on a lot of them. Sometimes an owner and bike will be ingrained in my memory, but those instances are rare.

Next week, more about Brands.

Bike Shop Tales: Brands

I'm taking a break from bikes I owned to talk about all the bikes we sold............

I still work in a shop and every once in awhile I will see a bike come in for repair that I either put together out of the box, worked on, or sold. Sometimes all three in the same bike! Last week I saw one that inspired this post.

One of our sales people was walking a rig back to the hold area when I noticed out of the corner of my eye that it was a steel framed mountain bike that was teal in color. Now it is funny when that is all the visual info I need to bring to mind what the bike is and whether or not Advantage Cycles sold it.

I turned my head and looked closer. Yup! 90's era rigid steel in a teal color. Well, by this this time I am 75% sure I am looking at a Scott U.S.A. mountain bike and I knew it had a strong chance of being an Advantage Cycles rig. I leaned over the service counter and said, "That's a Scott, isn't it?" The sales guy looked at the down tube and said, "Uhh........yeah. I guess it is!" I said, "Look and see if it has an Advantage Cycles sticker on it."

He fumbled around looking, but before he found it I saw the familiar black rectangle outlined in silver and said, "Don't bother. It is an Advantage bike." (And I even knew by that sticker it was sold in 1994 or early 1995, because the stickers changed in mid '95 to blue and silver.)

Funny how old bicycles seem like long lost friends, yet I would have zero clues as to who owned it. Probably because I didn't sell most of the bikes I see from Advantage, but I did build a lot of them, and I worked on a lot of them. Sometimes an owner and bike will be ingrained in my memory, but those instances are rare.

Next week, more about Brands.

Trans Iowa Course Recon Report #1

I got out and did a little course recon in an area I've never been to before. That's always fun! I noticed a lot of yellow license plates with red letters down this way. Hmmm.......

Anyway, these shots are from between Checkpoint #2 and #3 mostly. Here's a shot of the road leading into Checkpoint #2. Some of the roads near here were cobby, rough, and the surface was pretty churned up by the recent release of frost. I suspect that'll change before T.I.V6 and especially when the maintainers come out.

There are some big, steep valleys in this section, but most climbs seemed to be longer and less severe than some we had last year.

Note that the road here shows lots of frost "boils'. These will likely be all healed by next month. The road looked fast otherwise, but as I said, the county maintainers may screw that all up with fresh gravel between now and late April.

Who knows?

Oh yeah!  B Maintenance road! This one looks like it is recovering very quickly from the recent snow melt. (There was still snow in the ditches in many spots)

This road was soft, spongy, and had some water here and there, but these roads look like they drain well. Unless we get heavy rain right before T.I.V6 this will likely be a fast section. If it's wet......look out! There are about 6 miles of B Roads in throughout this section of the course.

I wanted to show the next image so you all would know that there are some mind numbingly flat sections in this course too! This is pancake flat for a few miles with gentle rollers here and there.

The gravel in this section was fast and really dry. Oddly enough, some sections had puddles in the road in the valleys earlier on. Shouldn't be too surprising that the flat sections were the driest.

There was a wicked wind out of the Southeast today too, so that helped in the drying process.

But that isn't the end to the hills! Oh no! They kick back in again with a vengeance. Take a look here. This looks like a launch pad to the sky!

All in all I got to see a hair over one sixth of the course today. It looks great with no real issues at all. I have found an excellent spot for Checkpoint #2 and Checkpoint #3. Things are coming together pretty well.

d.p. may have more recon news next week and I will also be out again looking at some uncharted roads for us.

Stay tuned! We'll be back with more recon reports real soon...........

Trans Iowa Course Recon Report #1

I got out and did a little course recon in an area I've never been to before. That's always fun! I noticed a lot of yellow license plates with red letters down this way. Hmmm.......

Anyway, these shots are from between Checkpoint #2 and #3 mostly. Here's a shot of the road leading into Checkpoint #2. Some of the roads near here were cobby, rough, and the surface was pretty churned up by the recent release of frost. I suspect that'll change before T.I.V6 and especially when the maintainers come out.

There are some big, steep valleys in this section, but most climbs seemed to be longer and less severe than some we had last year.

Note that the road here shows lots of frost "boils'. These will likely be all healed by next month. The road looked fast otherwise, but as I said, the county maintainers may screw that all up with fresh gravel between now and late April.

Who knows?

Oh yeah!  B Maintenance road! This one looks like it is recovering very quickly from the recent snow melt. (There was still snow in the ditches in many spots)

This road was soft, spongy, and had some water here and there, but these roads look like they drain well. Unless we get heavy rain right before T.I.V6 this will likely be a fast section. If it's wet......look out! There are about 6 miles of B Roads in throughout this section of the course.

I wanted to show the next image so you all would know that there are some mind numbingly flat sections in this course too! This is pancake flat for a few miles with gentle rollers here and there.

The gravel in this section was fast and really dry. Oddly enough, some sections had puddles in the road in the valleys earlier on. Shouldn't be too surprising that the flat sections were the driest.

There was a wicked wind out of the Southeast today too, so that helped in the drying process.

But that isn't the end to the hills! Oh no! They kick back in again with a vengeance. Take a look here. This looks like a launch pad to the sky!

All in all I got to see a hair over one sixth of the course today. It looks great with no real issues at all. I have found an excellent spot for Checkpoint #2 and Checkpoint #3. Things are coming together pretty well.

d.p. may have more recon news next week and I will also be out again looking at some uncharted roads for us.

Stay tuned! We'll be back with more recon reports real soon...........

Trans Iowa Thoughts: The Countdown! 4

All-righty-then! Here is a big post full of news that you'll want to pay close attention to. Lot's to tell today!

The Oakley O-Down At The Barn: This is going to be quite the party for those associated with Trans Iowa V6 . Don't worry about where it is right now, you will get detailed directions at the Pre-Race Meat-Up on Friday, April 23rd at the Grinnell Steakhouse. All you will want to know for now is that you and your support crew/person are invited to this dealio which is set to start out at 7pm Saturday evening at The Barn. (It is a real, honest to goodness barn-yo!) The Barn is going to serve as our finish line, post race awards ceremony site, and informational center, so why wouldn't you want to come? Well, how about some beer and munchies that will be available there? Not enough? How about a campfire and good people to hang out with? Yeah.........trust me. This is where you will want to come to hang out if you DNF as a rider, or if you have support folks, this is where you want to send them.

The plan is for Oakley super-rep, Rob V to open up The Barn at about 7pm. There will be parking available a short walk from The Barn. Restroom facilities will be at this parking lot. The Barn will be where I and d.p. will be calling in all the updates from our volunteer crew and Rob V will be making announcements and posting all the latest there on a dry-erase board. Rob said that if you have a tent and want to throw it up for a place to nap during the wee hours, feel free to plan on that. The Barn itself is finished on the inside and is a great place to hang out. The Barn will be open all night and throught to the end of the event.

Awards Ceremony: We have not had a "proper" awards ceremony since the make-shift awards ceremony at the Kwik Star for T.I.V4, and really, not since T.I.V3. Well, that will change with the Awards Ceremony At The Barn that will commence immediately upon the cut off for T.I.V6 Sunday afternoon, or whenever we determine no riders are left in the event before that. Of course, we advise that you be there bright and early Sunday morning to welcome in any finishers to The Barn that there may be. The more the merrier! The latest the awards will be going on is until 2pm Sunday since I am almopst 100% sure the latest the cut off will be is 1pm Sunday afternoon.

Of course, our great sponsors will be featured at the awards with Oakley eyewear going to the top finishers that will have "Trans Iowa Winner" engraved on the lenses. Also, Oakley is providing a red colored frame set for some eyewear that will go to the Trans Iowa V6 last place finisher. Traditionally in European racing, the last person to finish each days stage in a stage race is called the "lanterne rouge" and we are calling this prize the T.I.V6 Lanterne Rouge Prize. So even if you are not in contention to win, you can grab something for just finishing, and finishing last!

Salsa Cycles is also stepping up to support you guys or gals that gut it out to finish Trans Iowa by offering one lucky finisher with the "Adventure By Bike Prize" This one will go to the rider we feel had the most arduous, adventure filled ride in T.I.V6. (Last year's ride by Charlie Farrow is an excellent example of what we mean). This lucky rider will get their choice of one of two great choices that represent Salsa Cycles new commitment to adventuring. The Fargo or the all new Vaya will be your choices if you are chosen for the "Adventure By Bike Prize". (The decision of the Race Directors will be final in this category. Only individuals that complete T.I.V6 in the alloted time will be considered for this award. You need not win, just finish!)

  The recipient of the prize will recieve instructions on how to contact Salsa Cycles and choose their very own adventuring rig. Thanks to Salsa Cycles for this outstanding prize for T.I.V6!

We'll also be getting some special prizing from Epic Designs that will only be revealed shortly before the event. These will be awarded amongst random finishers of Trans Iowa as well. Epic Designs products are used by several gravel grinding freaks and are a valuable addition to anyone's arsenal of gear. Check out their site for the lowdown on what Epic Designs is all about.

We'll have other prizing going out during the Pre-Race Meat-Up from Velocity U.S.A, Trek, Banjo Brothers, Ergon U.S.A. Guitar Ted Productions, and others.

Need Something To Do While The Nut Cases Are Racing?: How about bringing your bike and going for a ride with Rob V on "Rob's M-COGG Ride"? We're going to give you the chance to do a wee bit of gravel grinding on some of the same roads that T.I.V6 will be using! After the start at 4am, the riders will head out to the first checkpoint and be long gone, but you can hop on the same starting section and ride with Rob on the M-COGG at 10am on Saturday morning. (M-COGG stands for "Metric Century Of Gravelly Goodness".) Rob will lead a "no rider left behind" type group ride at 10 am from in front of Bikes To You in downtown Grinnell. Right where T.I.V6 took off! You'll ride out on the first loop using the same roads T.I.V6 did, and you'll get to see the tire tracks, the sights, and maybe even some left over parts from racers bikes that fall by the wayside. The ride will loop back closer to Grinnell and then back out again for even more gravel if you want. (You can bail out at any time). The last section will take you over the roads being used in the final miles of T.I.V6 before the riders in the event see them! Expect about 63 miles total if you do the entire route and the ride will last until mid-afternoon depending upon the speed of the group. Make sure your rig is gravel ready, that you can support yerself, 'cause there ain't gonna be no sag, and wear an approved cycling lid ya'all! Need to know more? E-mail me here.

More details to come next week. Stay tuned!

Trans Iowa Thoughts: The Countdown! 4

All-righty-then! Here is a big post full of news that you'll want to pay close attention to. Lot's to tell today!

The Oakley O-Down At The Barn: This is going to be quite the party for those associated with Trans Iowa V6 . Don't worry about where it is right now, you will get detailed directions at the Pre-Race Meat-Up on Friday, April 23rd at the Grinnell Steakhouse. All you will want to know for now is that you and your support crew/person are invited to this dealio which is set to start out at 7pm Saturday evening at The Barn. (It is a real, honest to goodness barn-yo!) The Barn is going to serve as our finish line, post race awards ceremony site, and informational center, so why wouldn't you want to come? Well, how about some beer and munchies that will be available there? Not enough? How about a campfire and good people to hang out with? Yeah.........trust me. This is where you will want to come to hang out if you DNF as a rider, or if you have support folks, this is where you want to send them.

The plan is for Oakley super-rep, Rob V to open up The Barn at about 7pm. There will be parking available a short walk from The Barn. Restroom facilities will be at this parking lot. The Barn will be where I and d.p. will be calling in all the updates from our volunteer crew and Rob V will be making announcements and posting all the latest there on a dry-erase board. Rob said that if you have a tent and want to throw it up for a place to nap during the wee hours, feel free to plan on that. The Barn itself is finished on the inside and is a great place to hang out. The Barn will be open all night and throught to the end of the event.

Awards Ceremony: We have not had a "proper" awards ceremony since the make-shift awards ceremony at the Kwik Star for T.I.V4, and really, not since T.I.V3. Well, that will change with the Awards Ceremony At The Barn that will commence immediately upon the cut off for T.I.V6 Sunday afternoon, or whenever we determine no riders are left in the event before that. Of course, we advise that you be there bright and early Sunday morning to welcome in any finishers to The Barn that there may be. The more the merrier! The latest the awards will be going on is until 2pm Sunday since I am almopst 100% sure the latest the cut off will be is 1pm Sunday afternoon.

Of course, our great sponsors will be featured at the awards with Oakley eyewear going to the top finishers that will have "Trans Iowa Winner" engraved on the lenses. Also, Oakley is providing a red colored frame set for some eyewear that will go to the Trans Iowa V6 last place finisher. Traditionally in European racing, the last person to finish each days stage in a stage race is called the "lanterne rouge" and we are calling this prize the T.I.V6 Lanterne Rouge Prize. So even if you are not in contention to win, you can grab something for just finishing, and finishing last!

Salsa Cycles is also stepping up to support you guys or gals that gut it out to finish Trans Iowa by offering one lucky finisher with the "Adventure By Bike Prize" This one will go to the rider we feel had the most arduous, adventure filled ride in T.I.V6. (Last year's ride by Charlie Farrow is an excellent example of what we mean). This lucky rider will get their choice of one of two great choices that represent Salsa Cycles new commitment to adventuring. The Fargo or the all new Vaya will be your choices if you are chosen for the "Adventure By Bike Prize". (The decision of the Race Directors will be final in this category. Only individuals that complete T.I.V6 in the alloted time will be considered for this award. You need not win, just finish!)

  The recipient of the prize will recieve instructions on how to contact Salsa Cycles and choose their very own adventuring rig. Thanks to Salsa Cycles for this outstanding prize for T.I.V6!

We'll also be getting some special prizing from Epic Designs that will only be revealed shortly before the event. These will be awarded amongst random finishers of Trans Iowa as well. Epic Designs products are used by several gravel grinding freaks and are a valuable addition to anyone's arsenal of gear. Check out their site for the lowdown on what Epic Designs is all about.

We'll have other prizing going out during the Pre-Race Meat-Up from Velocity U.S.A, Trek, Banjo Brothers, Ergon U.S.A. Guitar Ted Productions, and others.

Need Something To Do While The Nut Cases Are Racing?: How about bringing your bike and going for a ride with Rob V on "Rob's M-COGG Ride"? We're going to give you the chance to do a wee bit of gravel grinding on some of the same roads that T.I.V6 will be using! After the start at 4am, the riders will head out to the first checkpoint and be long gone, but you can hop on the same starting section and ride with Rob on the M-COGG at 10am on Saturday morning. (M-COGG stands for "Metric Century Of Gravelly Goodness".) Rob will lead a "no rider left behind" type group ride at 10 am from in front of Bikes To You in downtown Grinnell. Right where T.I.V6 took off! You'll ride out on the first loop using the same roads T.I.V6 did, and you'll get to see the tire tracks, the sights, and maybe even some left over parts from racers bikes that fall by the wayside. The ride will loop back closer to Grinnell and then back out again for even more gravel if you want. (You can bail out at any time). The last section will take you over the roads being used in the final miles of T.I.V6 before the riders in the event see them! Expect about 63 miles total if you do the entire route and the ride will last until mid-afternoon depending upon the speed of the group. Make sure your rig is gravel ready, that you can support yerself, 'cause there ain't gonna be no sag, and wear an approved cycling lid ya'all! Need to know more? E-mail me here.

More details to come next week. Stay tuned!

Friday News And Views

Getting Dunked: I decided to ride the Singular Gryphon to work today and then head out after my shift for some exploring to see how the local single track is coming along. Well, the single track needs some time and clean up yet, but it won't be long. With that knowledge gathered, I headed through the old Shirey Way in Lower Hartman reserve. It is basically a B Maintenance road in town. Well, more or less in town!

About a few tenths of a mile from the eastern exit to the reserve, I saw that there was still some water over the road. Okay.....no big deal. I aimed for the middle of the road, cut a little speed to keep the splashing down to a minimum, and proceded to cross the water. About half way through, my front wheel went ka-plooosh! It was a big hole! I suddenly found myself up to my knees in water.

I got out after a quick chuckle, and walked my now dripping body and bike to the exit, where I took the photo here. No real harm done, I figured, since I was only submerged for a few breif seconds. Still, even after several more miles to home, I drained about three ounces of water out of the chain stay drain holes!

More Trans Iowa Goodness: I got another dose of good news concerning Trans Iowa V6 today. It'll have to wait until tomorrow's post to be revealed, but trust me, it is pretty dang cool if you "Adventure By Bike". Basically, T.I.V6 is going to be a pretty spicy good time with all the goings on. Hopefully everybody will consider sticking around to the end, because it's going to be more fun if everyone does.

Talk Turns To Weather: If you know one thing about Trans Iowa, you know that the weather is the "wild card" of the event. Nothing else has such an influence on this event like the weather does. Well, as I speak to different individuals about T.I.V6, the talk inevitably turns to weather. I've heard that the winter was kind to the gravel roads, and they are super fast. I've heard that there is going to be a huge snow storm, predicted by The Farmer's Almanac, for March 30th, and I've been "guaranteed" the weather will be perfect for the event.

Of course, no one knows what will happen, but barring a major calamity, T.I.V6 will happen no matter if it snows, rains, blows, is warm, hot, cold, sunny, cloudy, or partly both. I wouldn't at all be surprised if it did all of that in one weekend!

Testing...Testing! Looks as though some major testing is going to start going down here real quick. I have a slew of things to go through and  write about here. That's a good thing, because I need a lot of riding before May 22nd! That and shortly after that, I have to head south for some gravel grinding. So a lot of saddle time is going to have to happen soon!

It's Over Fixie Freaks!: The fixie-hipster-fashionista fad has finally gone over center. As I was going over some recent Tweets on Twitter, I came across the WalMart Mongoose Fixie for $149.99. In typical WalMart fashion, they don't get it right and call it a "fixed speed" bike. Ha! Well, anyway, you know once the fad is being cashed in on by WalMart your "cool" factor is a bit "lukewarm" these days. Maybe even rotting.

At any rate, it should be interesting to see if any folks get this rig and auto-face plant when they don't remember they can not coast. Concerning that, there is a question tab where you can submit your questions. Here is a good one: (0 answers) "does this bike have a free wheel flywheel like most single speed bikes, also what color is frame and wheels.."

Yeah.......a flywheel! Nice. And check this out: For all three questions posted so far there are no answers. Now that's customer service!


Hopefully ya'all will be getting some miles in, or even racing already this weekend. Take some pics! Have some fun!

Friday News And Views

Getting Dunked: I decided to ride the Singular Gryphon to work today and then head out after my shift for some exploring to see how the local single track is coming along. Well, the single track needs some time and clean up yet, but it won't be long. With that knowledge gathered, I headed through the old Shirey Way in Lower Hartman reserve. It is basically a B Maintenance road in town. Well, more or less in town!

About a few tenths of a mile from the eastern exit to the reserve, I saw that there was still some water over the road. Okay.....no big deal. I aimed for the middle of the road, cut a little speed to keep the splashing down to a minimum, and proceded to cross the water. About half way through, my front wheel went ka-plooosh! It was a big hole! I suddenly found myself up to my knees in water.

I got out after a quick chuckle, and walked my now dripping body and bike to the exit, where I took the photo here. No real harm done, I figured, since I was only submerged for a few breif seconds. Still, even after several more miles to home, I drained about three ounces of water out of the chain stay drain holes!

More Trans Iowa Goodness: I got another dose of good news concerning Trans Iowa V6 today. It'll have to wait until tomorrow's post to be revealed, but trust me, it is pretty dang cool if you "Adventure By Bike". Basically, T.I.V6 is going to be a pretty spicy good time with all the goings on. Hopefully everybody will consider sticking around to the end, because it's going to be more fun if everyone does.

Talk Turns To Weather: If you know one thing about Trans Iowa, you know that the weather is the "wild card" of the event. Nothing else has such an influence on this event like the weather does. Well, as I speak to different individuals about T.I.V6, the talk inevitably turns to weather. I've heard that the winter was kind to the gravel roads, and they are super fast. I've heard that there is going to be a huge snow storm, predicted by The Farmer's Almanac, for March 30th, and I've been "guaranteed" the weather will be perfect for the event.

Of course, no one knows what will happen, but barring a major calamity, T.I.V6 will happen no matter if it snows, rains, blows, is warm, hot, cold, sunny, cloudy, or partly both. I wouldn't at all be surprised if it did all of that in one weekend!

Testing...Testing! Looks as though some major testing is going to start going down here real quick. I have a slew of things to go through and  write about here. That's a good thing, because I need a lot of riding before May 22nd! That and shortly after that, I have to head south for some gravel grinding. So a lot of saddle time is going to have to happen soon!

It's Over Fixie Freaks!: The fixie-hipster-fashionista fad has finally gone over center. As I was going over some recent Tweets on Twitter, I came across the WalMart Mongoose Fixie for $149.99. In typical WalMart fashion, they don't get it right and call it a "fixed speed" bike. Ha! Well, anyway, you know once the fad is being cashed in on by WalMart your "cool" factor is a bit "lukewarm" these days. Maybe even rotting.

At any rate, it should be interesting to see if any folks get this rig and auto-face plant when they don't remember they can not coast. Concerning that, there is a question tab where you can submit your questions. Here is a good one: (0 answers) "does this bike have a free wheel flywheel like most single speed bikes, also what color is frame and wheels.."

Yeah.......a flywheel! Nice. And check this out: For all three questions posted so far there are no answers. Now that's customer service!


Hopefully ya'all will be getting some miles in, or even racing already this weekend. Take some pics! Have some fun!

Two Wheel Sets Out, One Set In!

Wednesday I moved two wheel sets from the Lab out to happy owners. It was part of the plan to reduce the mountain of stuff piling up down there. Hopefully I can continue to thin things down there in a wise manner.

Then I got a notice that a box had shown up at work. I went down to pick it up and it turned out to be another wheel set for testing on Twenty Nine Inches.  Okay, cool!

They are the new 2010 Sun/Ringle' Charger Pro 29 wheels. These wheels are pretty pimpy. Look for a full breakdown on them coming soon on TNI.

Other exciting news from Wednesday was my invite to a Shimano technical seminar on 2011 MTB product up in Minneapolis. I guess I'll be seeing stuff and not being able to talk about it. How do I know this? Well, I had to sign a two page legal-ese document that says I can't talk about it, that's how I know! More on that...........someday!

Then to top it all off, I had an excellent meeting with Oakley super-rep and all around cool cycling cat, Rob V. We brainstormed up some awesome details on the Oakley "O-Down At The Barn" and for Rob's M- C.O.G.G  Ride that will take place on Saturday of Trans Iowa, April 24th. I'll spill the beans on all of this in my usual Saturday T.I.V6 post, so stay tuned. I am super stoked for the T.I.V6 weekend. Wait till you read the details! I think ya'all will be stoked too.

Two Wheel Sets Out, One Set In!

Wednesday I moved two wheel sets from the Lab out to happy owners. It was part of the plan to reduce the mountain of stuff piling up down there. Hopefully I can continue to thin things down there in a wise manner.

Then I got a notice that a box had shown up at work. I went down to pick it up and it turned out to be another wheel set for testing on Twenty Nine Inches.  Okay, cool!

They are the new 2010 Sun/Ringle' Charger Pro 29 wheels. These wheels are pretty pimpy. Look for a full breakdown on them coming soon on TNI.

Other exciting news from Wednesday was my invite to a Shimano technical seminar on 2011 MTB product up in Minneapolis. I guess I'll be seeing stuff and not being able to talk about it. How do I know this? Well, I had to sign a two page legal-ese document that says I can't talk about it, that's how I know! More on that...........someday!

Then to top it all off, I had an excellent meeting with Oakley super-rep and all around cool cycling cat, Rob V. We brainstormed up some awesome details on the Oakley "O-Down At The Barn" and for Rob's M- C.O.G.G  Ride that will take place on Saturday of Trans Iowa, April 24th. I'll spill the beans on all of this in my usual Saturday T.I.V6 post, so stay tuned. I am super stoked for the T.I.V6 weekend. Wait till you read the details! I think ya'all will be stoked too.

A Texas Sized Trip Recap Post!

First off, I wanted to let those folks know that were wondering what I thought about aluminum as a frame material that I will get to that soon.....


Okay, now sit back and grab a beverage. This will be a long one!

Here we have a scene fron western Kansas on the first day out from Iowa. Kansas has some big, wide open spaces and the sunsets here are always spectacular.

This one is from north of Tucumcari, New Mexico. It's a picture of "The Hat". When you see this "hat shaped" mesa, you know you aren't far from Tucumcari. many a Route 66 traveler longed for the site of The Hat at the end of a long westwards drive back in the day.

In fact, "Tucuncari Tonight!" can still be seen on billboards all around the area.

Here's a shot of the Jarilla Mountain Range just north of El Paso, Texas. We were still in New Mexico here. The really cool thing about the trip is all the mountains that we get to see for the last 300 miles or so. I always look forward to this part!

(Sorry about the ghost image here. I took most of these shots through the car window traveling at 75mph!)

I've said it several times: El Paso's Franklin Mountain State Park trails are nothing but rocks! No dirt here folks.

Here the trail traverses an arroyo. Yes, that path of white fist sized and larger stones running into the backround is the trail!

The Lower and Upper Sunset trail loops are super technical, tough, and give you a workout. This is what fried my legs last week.

Okay: here you go from lower right to upper left. That's the trail. You will notice that as the trail steepens the rocks get looser and bigger.

This was pretty typical of how the climbs were there. Loose, big rocks in every climb that wanted to spit out from under your tires, sapping your climbing speed, and in many cases, shutting me down.

An FS rig that excells at seated climbing is the e-ticket for this stuff!

Okay, one last trail shot for ya all. This is a sweeper turn that comes down from the upper center of the photo to the lower left. And no............those rocks are not packed in solid!

It's like cornering on shards of bricks! Even the color of the rocks reminds me of bricks right here.

Amazing trails for sure! I really like the challenge of riding here.

I've been trying to get a shot of this for years! The Cowboy of Conlen Texas!

It's just a metal painted statue of a cowboy drawing his six shooter on the side of the road. What it was put there for, I have no idea, but I am sure it has been there for years.

Just a cool part of Americana that I was lucky to squeeze a shot off of while zooming by at 75mph!

Seen in Stratford, Texas headed north was this "Ergon" tanker. Could it be a secret sauce is contained within that is used to make Ergon grips?

Maybe these top secret squeezin's will find there way into the latest health shake used by Mr. 24 and the rest of the Ergon Team to dominate the upcoming mtb events they enter.

Whatever it is, I was there to grab this photo and start the speculation!



So that's a wrap on the Texas trip of 2010. Now it's time to get down to matters at hand, not the least of which is getting T.I.V6 recon finished!

A Texas Sized Trip Recap Post!

First off, I wanted to let those folks know that were wondering what I thought about aluminum as a frame material that I will get to that soon.....


Okay, now sit back and grab a beverage. This will be a long one!

Here we have a scene fron western Kansas on the first day out from Iowa. Kansas has some big, wide open spaces and the sunsets here are always spectacular.

This one is from north of Tucumcari, New Mexico. It's a picture of "The Hat". When you see this "hat shaped" mesa, you know you aren't far from Tucumcari. many a Route 66 traveler longed for the site of The Hat at the end of a long westwards drive back in the day.

In fact, "Tucuncari Tonight!" can still be seen on billboards all around the area.

Here's a shot of the Jarilla Mountain Range just north of El Paso, Texas. We were still in New Mexico here. The really cool thing about the trip is all the mountains that we get to see for the last 300 miles or so. I always look forward to this part!

(Sorry about the ghost image here. I took most of these shots through the car window traveling at 75mph!)

I've said it several times: El Paso's Franklin Mountain State Park trails are nothing but rocks! No dirt here folks.

Here the trail traverses an arroyo. Yes, that path of white fist sized and larger stones running into the backround is the trail!

The Lower and Upper Sunset trail loops are super technical, tough, and give you a workout. This is what fried my legs last week.

Okay: here you go from lower right to upper left. That's the trail. You will notice that as the trail steepens the rocks get looser and bigger.

This was pretty typical of how the climbs were there. Loose, big rocks in every climb that wanted to spit out from under your tires, sapping your climbing speed, and in many cases, shutting me down.

An FS rig that excells at seated climbing is the e-ticket for this stuff!

Okay, one last trail shot for ya all. This is a sweeper turn that comes down from the upper center of the photo to the lower left. And no............those rocks are not packed in solid!

It's like cornering on shards of bricks! Even the color of the rocks reminds me of bricks right here.

Amazing trails for sure! I really like the challenge of riding here.

I've been trying to get a shot of this for years! The Cowboy of Conlen Texas!

It's just a metal painted statue of a cowboy drawing his six shooter on the side of the road. What it was put there for, I have no idea, but I am sure it has been there for years.

Just a cool part of Americana that I was lucky to squeeze a shot off of while zooming by at 75mph!

Seen in Stratford, Texas headed north was this "Ergon" tanker. Could it be a secret sauce is contained within that is used to make Ergon grips?

Maybe these top secret squeezin's will find there way into the latest health shake used by Mr. 24 and the rest of the Ergon Team to dominate the upcoming mtb events they enter.

Whatever it is, I was there to grab this photo and start the speculation!



So that's a wrap on the Texas trip of 2010. Now it's time to get down to matters at hand, not the least of which is getting T.I.V6 recon finished!

Bike Shop Tales: The Bike Acquisition Syndrome Part III

This will be the final post on bike aquisition for awhile........

So as I have outlined previously. I came into a few new-to-me bikes after I got hired on at Advantage Cyclery. These were all used rigs or partially used. However; in 1995 I took the big plunge and bought a brand new rig using the "employee discount". That bike was a FSR S-Works rig. Man, was that bike pretty! Red and silver with the gray Umma-Gumma tires. I remember taking my time assembling it because it was such a "big deal" to me at the time.

Well, I took that "big deal" and biffed on my first run in the single track, and the handle bar came around and dented the top tube. not badly, but, well.......you know. That wasn't a good thing on the first ride! That bike went through the '95 season, and I raced on it some. Then I moved it along as another new rig came into my life, a 1996 Diamond Back "DBR" V-Link Pro. It was the first bike in Black Hawk County with linear pull or "V" brakes. It was delivered December 15th of '95 and I rode it as soon as I built it, despite the cold and snow!

I never did get rid of the V-Link and then later in '96, despite my better judgement, I got a Bianchi Super G. I needed that like I needed a hole in my head, but I got it just the same. That bike ended up breaking parts about every race and then the suspension actually broke on it up at Chequamegon, necessitating the delivery of the V-Link for the 40. What a mess. But the V-Link worked pretty well and I had a great time.

Funny thing about those two full suspension rigs: I still have both frames!

Of course, there were various other used bikes that came and went to. A Schwinn Voyaguer, a Mongoose All Mountain Pro, a bmx bike, a Schwinn Typhoon, and more.

I guess bikes are pretty cool. I still have waaaay to many. But........I'm tryin' ta cut back! Really!

Next Week: More bike shop tales..........

Bike Shop Tales: The Bike Acquisition Syndrome Part III

This will be the final post on bike aquisition for awhile........

So as I have outlined previously. I came into a few new-to-me bikes after I got hired on at Advantage Cyclery. These were all used rigs or partially used. However; in 1995 I took the big plunge and bought a brand new rig using the "employee discount". That bike was a FSR S-Works rig. Man, was that bike pretty! Red and silver with the gray Umma-Gumma tires. I remember taking my time assembling it because it was such a "big deal" to me at the time.

Well, I took that "big deal" and biffed on my first run in the single track, and the handle bar came around and dented the top tube. not badly, but, well.......you know. That wasn't a good thing on the first ride! That bike went through the '95 season, and I raced on it some. Then I moved it along as another new rig came into my life, a 1996 Diamond Back "DBR" V-Link Pro. It was the first bike in Black Hawk County with linear pull or "V" brakes. It was delivered December 15th of '95 and I rode it as soon as I built it, despite the cold and snow!

I never did get rid of the V-Link and then later in '96, despite my better judgement, I got a Bianchi Super G. I needed that like I needed a hole in my head, but I got it just the same. That bike ended up breaking parts about every race and then the suspension actually broke on it up at Chequamegon, necessitating the delivery of the V-Link for the 40. What a mess. But the V-Link worked pretty well and I had a great time.

Funny thing about those two full suspension rigs: I still have both frames!

Of course, there were various other used bikes that came and went to. A Schwinn Voyaguer, a Mongoose All Mountain Pro, a bmx bike, a Schwinn Typhoon, and more.

I guess bikes are pretty cool. I still have waaaay to many. But........I'm tryin' ta cut back! Really!

Next Week: More bike shop tales..........

Thoughts On Materials

So with the blessings of being in the position I am in, one of the things I get to experience is the feel of different materials for bicycles. Not just any ol' bicycles either, but really well executed ones. One thing to keep in mind, a frames material is only as good as the engineering and design behind it.

Steel: I suppose just about everybody has ridden a steel bicycle frame at one point or another, and you can debate until the cows come home about whether or not "steel is real" or even what that means. I will say only that a great quality steel used well, like the 853 Reynolds in this Raleigh XXIX, feels pretty darn nice used in a hard tail application. That said, even steel without a "pedigree" can feel pretty nice if the design is correct. Witness the OS Bikes Blackbuck, or the Salsa Fargo for example. Steel also has that advantage of being better at not failing catastrophically. (Not that it can't) And it can last a lifetime with some very reasonable care and maintenance.

C

Carbon Fiber: This is the mystery material that has people skittish or all hot and bothered. Again, it takes a great design and great execution of that design to make a great carbon frame. I've had the privilege of piloting a Specialized Stumpjumper Carbon Expert lately and I can say it rides pretty sweetly. It isn't without some faults, (A bit torsionally flexy), but it does a stellar job of smoothing the trail in an odd sort of way that is hard to describe. The big rap against carbon is small failures and catastrophic failure fears. I have been hearing about a lot of "cracked" carbon frames, but cracks that are caught out are much better than having a frame disintegrate underneath you on a ride. Thank goodness I have not experienced either cracks or failures in my carbon fiber experiences. That said, any failure, crack or catastrophic, of any bicycle frame is a bummer, bad, or at worst, injury causing.  It isn't a "carbon fiber thing" exclusively. My experience recently riding the rocky trails of El Paso, Texas show that carbon can be pretty resilient. Rocks were pinging off the frame like crazy! However; the high price of entry for a carbon fiber frame, like the pictured rendering of the upcoming Orbea Alma version 2, makes even the slightest damage a very great concern.

T

Titanium: This isn't a very inexpensive alternative, but in a way, it has some of the features of both carbon fiber and steel, all wrapped up in a pretty durable package.

The titanium story is one of compliance and trying to reign that in so that the ride isn't too flexy. A tough cookie to crack in a 29"er size. Of course, you could throw a bunch of material at the design, but that defeats the allure of titaniums lighter weight advantage. So, titanium hasn't really been all that successful as far as making a great 29"er until recently. As far as durability, titanium really doesn't have a corrosion issue, it doesn't need paint, and can look as nice in 20 years as it does now. You don't have much to worry about as far as failures go either, as long as the frame was prepped and welded properly. If you have the cash, it's hard not to really like titanium.

Conclusions: As far as "value" goes, nothing can touch a steel frame for a bicycle. It can be reasonably light weight, tough, ride nicely, and last a long time for little cash outlay. Is steel "real", or is it really "king"? Tough to argue against that. Carbon fiber is certainly king of light weight while retaining strength. It can be "tuned", but at a greater expense than even titanium in some cases. Due to varying supply originations, it is hard to say what is good and what isn't at the off-brand, lower price scale with carbon frames. In the end, the jury is still out on durability too. Last we have titanium, which if the latest designs are any indication, is making some solid inroads as a great material for a 29"er. The material is certainly durable, rides sweetly, and can retain some of that lighter weight advantage against steel. It is still a pretty pricey proposition though, and there are not too many really outstanding choices in titanium that are readily available that don't have the name "Lynskey" attached to them somehow. (Not that this is a bad thing, I'm just saying...)

So, I would still hand the crown of "best material for a frame" to steel. It is just hard not to like a material that is so well known, so available, so full of potential for performance, and is /can be a real inexpensive choice. That said, carbon fiber is sexy and titanium is dreamy. There really isn't a "bad" choice out there from well known, established companies. In the end though, you'd likely see me happily dusting it up on some steel frame and never looking back.............well............unless that design came in titanium...................or if that carbon beauty wasn't quite soooo spendy...............or..................

It's a good time to be a 29"er freak, eh? 

Thoughts On Materials

So with the blessings of being in the position I am in, one of the things I get to experience is the feel of different materials for bicycles. Not just any ol' bicycles either, but really well executed ones. One thing to keep in mind, a frames material is only as good as the engineering and design behind it.

Steel: I suppose just about everybody has ridden a steel bicycle frame at one point or another, and you can debate until the cows come home about whether or not "steel is real" or even what that means. I will say only that a great quality steel used well, like the 853 Reynolds in this Raleigh XXIX, feels pretty darn nice used in a hard tail application. That said, even steel without a "pedigree" can feel pretty nice if the design is correct. Witness the OS Bikes Blackbuck, or the Salsa Fargo for example. Steel also has that advantage of being better at not failing catastrophically. (Not that it can't) And it can last a lifetime with some very reasonable care and maintenance.

C

Carbon Fiber: This is the mystery material that has people skittish or all hot and bothered. Again, it takes a great design and great execution of that design to make a great carbon frame. I've had the privilege of piloting a Specialized Stumpjumper Carbon Expert lately and I can say it rides pretty sweetly. It isn't without some faults, (A bit torsionally flexy), but it does a stellar job of smoothing the trail in an odd sort of way that is hard to describe. The big rap against carbon is small failures and catastrophic failure fears. I have been hearing about a lot of "cracked" carbon frames, but cracks that are caught out are much better than having a frame disintegrate underneath you on a ride. Thank goodness I have not experienced either cracks or failures in my carbon fiber experiences. That said, any failure, crack or catastrophic, of any bicycle frame is a bummer, bad, or at worst, injury causing.  It isn't a "carbon fiber thing" exclusively. My experience recently riding the rocky trails of El Paso, Texas show that carbon can be pretty resilient. Rocks were pinging off the frame like crazy! However; the high price of entry for a carbon fiber frame, like the pictured rendering of the upcoming Orbea Alma version 2, makes even the slightest damage a very great concern.

T

Titanium: This isn't a very inexpensive alternative, but in a way, it has some of the features of both carbon fiber and steel, all wrapped up in a pretty durable package.

The titanium story is one of compliance and trying to reign that in so that the ride isn't too flexy. A tough cookie to crack in a 29"er size. Of course, you could throw a bunch of material at the design, but that defeats the allure of titaniums lighter weight advantage. So, titanium hasn't really been all that successful as far as making a great 29"er until recently. As far as durability, titanium really doesn't have a corrosion issue, it doesn't need paint, and can look as nice in 20 years as it does now. You don't have much to worry about as far as failures go either, as long as the frame was prepped and welded properly. If you have the cash, it's hard not to really like titanium.

Conclusions: As far as "value" goes, nothing can touch a steel frame for a bicycle. It can be reasonably light weight, tough, ride nicely, and last a long time for little cash outlay. Is steel "real", or is it really "king"? Tough to argue against that. Carbon fiber is certainly king of light weight while retaining strength. It can be "tuned", but at a greater expense than even titanium in some cases. Due to varying supply originations, it is hard to say what is good and what isn't at the off-brand, lower price scale with carbon frames. In the end, the jury is still out on durability too. Last we have titanium, which if the latest designs are any indication, is making some solid inroads as a great material for a 29"er. The material is certainly durable, rides sweetly, and can retain some of that lighter weight advantage against steel. It is still a pretty pricey proposition though, and there are not too many really outstanding choices in titanium that are readily available that don't have the name "Lynskey" attached to them somehow. (Not that this is a bad thing, I'm just saying...)

So, I would still hand the crown of "best material for a frame" to steel. It is just hard not to like a material that is so well known, so available, so full of potential for performance, and is /can be a real inexpensive choice. That said, carbon fiber is sexy and titanium is dreamy. There really isn't a "bad" choice out there from well known, established companies. In the end though, you'd likely see me happily dusting it up on some steel frame and never looking back.............well............unless that design came in titanium...................or if that carbon beauty wasn't quite soooo spendy...............or..................

It's a good time to be a 29"er freak, eh? 

Trans Iowa Thoughts: The Countdown: 5!

The Countdown Has Begun!: With five weekends to go, these next "Trans Iowa Thoughts" posts will become a bit more interesting. We're down to it, up against it, and down to the wire. Here we go, Trans Iowa V6 is coming up fast!

We're Approved!: Yep, that's the word I got just the other day from Grinnell Chamber of Commerce member/laison to T.I.V6, Sheryl Parmley. The city council had a meeting recently and dubbed us legit, so we're not so "under the radar" in Grinnell anyway.

Final Logistical Details: I have a meeting Wednesday with our sponsor rep and friend, Rob Versteegh concerning the "O-Down At The Barn" and some other stuff. Hopefully that will all come out in next weeks posting. Besides having all the loose ends tied up, we should be starting recon of the course again and we'll have more details for you concerning that as soon as we can.

Finally, please keep in mind that if T.I.V6 isn't going to pan out for you, please e-mail me ASAP. It makes a huge difference in our plans. Volunteers can expect an e-mail to go out yet this coming week concerning assignments. I'll also send out a mass e-mail to all on the roster to get a census for the Pre-Race Meat-Up.

T.I.V6 will be here before ya know it!

Trans Iowa Thoughts: The Countdown: 5!

The Countdown Has Begun!: With five weekends to go, these next "Trans Iowa Thoughts" posts will become a bit more interesting. We're down to it, up against it, and down to the wire. Here we go, Trans Iowa V6 is coming up fast!

We're Approved!: Yep, that's the word I got just the other day from Grinnell Chamber of Commerce member/laison to T.I.V6, Sheryl Parmley. The city council had a meeting recently and dubbed us legit, so we're not so "under the radar" in Grinnell anyway.

Final Logistical Details: I have a meeting Wednesday with our sponsor rep and friend, Rob Versteegh concerning the "O-Down At The Barn" and some other stuff. Hopefully that will all come out in next weeks posting. Besides having all the loose ends tied up, we should be starting recon of the course again and we'll have more details for you concerning that as soon as we can.

Finally, please keep in mind that if T.I.V6 isn't going to pan out for you, please e-mail me ASAP. It makes a huge difference in our plans. Volunteers can expect an e-mail to go out yet this coming week concerning assignments. I'll also send out a mass e-mail to all on the roster to get a census for the Pre-Race Meat-Up.

T.I.V6 will be here before ya know it!

Overgeared

Thursday saw another attempt at the mountain, but this time with a single speed. I'll tell ya what, light weight rigs don't make up for poor gearing choices!

In the mayhem leading up to getting ready to leave on this trip, I thought long and hard about swapping out to a mountain climbing gear for the Lynskey. Then I realized it was a 32T front ring. I had thought it was a 34T, but I hadn't ever checked until before the trip.

The 18T cog in back seemed to me to be an easy gear mated to the 32 front, but oh no! I got to the mountain and it was immediately apparent that between my toasted limbs from Tuesday's ride and the overgeared Lynskey that I wasn't going to be scaling any hardscrabble steeps here. Nope! I should have gone with that 21T. Oh well......So I took a "plan B" attitude and went in search of something less tortuous to my limited fitness and stamina levels.

I remembered that the Franklin Mountain State Park had a beginners loop, so I figured what the heck. I took the left turn downwards from the trail head and went in search of whatever the loop had to offer me. I found out that it was actually a pretty fun loop! It took off downwards, as I said, so the gravitational pull was "fried leg friendly". Besides this, it was the best "flow" trail in the whole park! Swooping turn after swooping turn. Bermed turns, and you could go as fast as you dared. The trail was basically gravel laden, but that didn't deter me too much. I did the loop three times!

I did do a little more exploration and found one of the newer trails heading up to the top of Franklin Mountain, but that would have to wait for another bike, another year, and another crack at these awesome trails in El Paso, Texas.

I'll be headed home soon to Iowa, mud, cooler weather, and familiar sights and sounds. Not a bad thing at all, but I'll be anxious for the next ride down here all the same. It's really good stuff!

Overgeared

Thursday saw another attempt at the mountain, but this time with a single speed. I'll tell ya what, light weight rigs don't make up for poor gearing choices!

In the mayhem leading up to getting ready to leave on this trip, I thought long and hard about swapping out to a mountain climbing gear for the Lynskey. Then I realized it was a 32T front ring. I had thought it was a 34T, but I hadn't ever checked until before the trip.

The 18T cog in back seemed to me to be an easy gear mated to the 32 front, but oh no! I got to the mountain and it was immediately apparent that between my toasted limbs from Tuesday's ride and the overgeared Lynskey that I wasn't going to be scaling any hardscrabble steeps here. Nope! I should have gone with that 21T. Oh well......So I took a "plan B" attitude and went in search of something less tortuous to my limited fitness and stamina levels.

I remembered that the Franklin Mountain State Park had a beginners loop, so I figured what the heck. I took the left turn downwards from the trail head and went in search of whatever the loop had to offer me. I found out that it was actually a pretty fun loop! It took off downwards, as I said, so the gravitational pull was "fried leg friendly". Besides this, it was the best "flow" trail in the whole park! Swooping turn after swooping turn. Bermed turns, and you could go as fast as you dared. The trail was basically gravel laden, but that didn't deter me too much. I did the loop three times!

I did do a little more exploration and found one of the newer trails heading up to the top of Franklin Mountain, but that would have to wait for another bike, another year, and another crack at these awesome trails in El Paso, Texas.

I'll be headed home soon to Iowa, mud, cooler weather, and familiar sights and sounds. Not a bad thing at all, but I'll be anxious for the next ride down here all the same. It's really good stuff!