Thinking Ahead

<===It's been a wet, humid, and hot, hot, hot summer, but its about to end.

You know, it's going to be wool jersey time soon.

Really!

This summer is just about done. All the big plans for big cycling adventures are coming to a close for many. For me, it's time to start looking ahead. 

I have two more "big" events that I have scheduled since last year. The Good Life Gravel Adventure/Gravel World Championships in late August, and Interbike a month later. I just hope it isn't blazing hot in Lincoln, Nebraska on August 21st. My last two big gravel rides have ended in a melt down of sorts for me due to heat. The Dirty Kanza ended early for me and I had to bail out of my own GTDRI a couple weeks ago. Pretty demoralizing. Makes me think I should stick to a more temperate climate for my big rides anymore. It would seem that heat and I are not doing so well this year.

So, after and in between I have to fire up this Trans Iowa thing all over again with my partner, d.p. We'll be drawing up a final course and hopefully this year we'll actually get the course re conned before winter. And you know what? If we do, I'll bet you winter will be mild, with little to no snow, and fantastic for riding a bike. If we do not succeed in getting the course recon done, I'll bet that winter will come early, stay late, and be snowy. Hey! it's as good as the "Farmer's Almanac"! Take it to the bank.

I've got some tweaks that we're going to start talking about in regards to registration for Trans Iowa, and we're going to probably allow a bigger roster. Grinnell will be the start/finish town again. We'll still be doing 320-ish miles. It will be possible to finish it, barring any weather that decides otherwise. It will have time limits, even for the finish line. It won't have Impala Road in it up in Clayton County. That's really too bad. Someday, I'll go back up that way and d.p. and I will get that one in there for ya. It's that good.

Thinking in terms of gravel grinding rigs, I am looking at getting something more "cyclo-cross-ish" for gravel grinding duties. There are lots of great rigs out there that would work too. Rawland's Draakar and Salsa Cycle's Vaya come to mind. However, I may be looking into something else. Something I saw a sneak peek of the other day. Single speedy. Tasty. It may just push my Raleigh Rainier single speed on the chopping block. We'll see....................