Two-A-Days

Back in my yooth, I used to live to play football. I didn't care about doing much else, with the possible exception of riding my lime green metal flake 20"er with a black and silver metalflake polo seat, a five foot high sissy bar, high rise handle bars canted slightly forward, and a 2" "cheater slick" on the back.

But I digress....

Anywho, I used to have to do what we called "two-a-days" to start out the season's practices. One practice in the morning, one in the early afternoon. I guess it was sort of like "football boot camp", and it was meant to whip us younginz into shape quickly. Or make us tired and surly. Maybe both, come to think of it.

Well, today I did a cycling version of a "two-a-day" I got the kids off to school, and loaded up the "Truck With No Name", (or "TWNN"), and headed off for a long drive to a secret point on the T.I.V7 course. This would not only get me much needed training miles, but would also allow me to check another site by bicycle, and a couple more with the "TWNN" on the way back.

The ride was awesome! Blue-bird skies and little wind. The temperatures were rising quickly too. It started out chilly, but by the end of the ride, I was dressed too warmly.

The gravel was dry, but there were a lot of places where it had been laid out fresh, so there weren't too many good lines where you could really fly. There was a bit of that "fluff" in places, and that stuff is hard to ride through. It wants to wash out your front end, so T.I.V7 riders will need to beware of that stuff.

I did a loop, so not all of my ride was on T.I.V7 course. (Are these pics from the course? maybe, maybe not.....) I ran across some dogs, which were pretty funny, as they tried in vain to catch me as I sped down a hill away from them. Eat my dust, Pooches!

Well, with that fun behind me, I came home, had a bit to eat, since I missed lunch, and then headed out for about ten miles of riding my fixed gear bike to run some errands. Man! That back pedaling to control your speed kills my hips! (Or whatever muscles are up in there) Anyway, it was good to get that "rat-ride" out and have a go on it yesterday too.

All in all, a pretty productive day on the bike. How can you argue with that?

NOTE: Eric Brunt, Jim McGuire, Jack Lewis This is your LAST CALL! Get ahold of me by midnight tonight, or I will have to take you three off the T.I.V7 roster!!

Also: I'm going to start a "Snow Dog Down" counter, since it's been so long since I've heard anything. Today marks 36 Days and counting since I sent the wheel in for repair.

Two-A-Days

Back in my yooth, I used to live to play football. I didn't care about doing much else, with the possible exception of riding my lime green metal flake 20"er with a black and silver metalflake polo seat, a five foot high sissy bar, high rise handle bars canted slightly forward, and a 2" "cheater slick" on the back.

But I digress....

Anywho, I used to have to do what we called "two-a-days" to start out the season's practices. One practice in the morning, one in the early afternoon. I guess it was sort of like "football boot camp", and it was meant to whip us younginz into shape quickly. Or make us tired and surly. Maybe both, come to think of it.

Well, today I did a cycling version of a "two-a-day" I got the kids off to school, and loaded up the "Truck With No Name", (or "TWNN"), and headed off for a long drive to a secret point on the T.I.V7 course. This would not only get me much needed training miles, but would also allow me to check another site by bicycle, and a couple more with the "TWNN" on the way back.

The ride was awesome! Blue-bird skies and little wind. The temperatures were rising quickly too. It started out chilly, but by the end of the ride, I was dressed too warmly.

The gravel was dry, but there were a lot of places where it had been laid out fresh, so there weren't too many good lines where you could really fly. There was a bit of that "fluff" in places, and that stuff is hard to ride through. It wants to wash out your front end, so T.I.V7 riders will need to beware of that stuff.

I did a loop, so not all of my ride was on T.I.V7 course. (Are these pics from the course? maybe, maybe not.....) I ran across some dogs, which were pretty funny, as they tried in vain to catch me as I sped down a hill away from them. Eat my dust, Pooches!

Well, with that fun behind me, I came home, had a bit to eat, since I missed lunch, and then headed out for about ten miles of riding my fixed gear bike to run some errands. Man! That back pedaling to control your speed kills my hips! (Or whatever muscles are up in there) Anyway, it was good to get that "rat-ride" out and have a go on it yesterday too.

All in all, a pretty productive day on the bike. How can you argue with that?

NOTE: Eric Brunt, Jim McGuire, Jack Lewis This is your LAST CALL! Get ahold of me by midnight tonight, or I will have to take you three off the T.I.V7 roster!!

Also: I'm going to start a "Snow Dog Down" counter, since it's been so long since I've heard anything. Today marks 36 Days and counting since I sent the wheel in for repair.

Re-Cycling

This is the story of a cast off Schwinn Sierra mountain bike. Vintage: 80's. It ain't much, but I like it.

The story begins with Captain Bob and I talking about how we should get a bicycle to check this whole 650B thing out. That was at least three years ago. Well, Captain Bob found, got given to him, or paid little or nothing for- this Schwinn. 

It had a freewheel, horizontal drop outs, and the brakes......well, we'd figure that out sometime. Captain Bob parked it in some shed somewhere and well, it got pretty much forgotten.

Then Captain Bob was cleaning house to make way for a major remodel at his casa. "Did I want the Schwinn?", came the question one day. I said, "sure", and he brought it over one day to my place in its dusty, spider ridden condition. I parked it in the garage, where- you guessed it- I forgot all about it, again.

Well, it sat out there, like a lot of bikes across the nation and like this particular bike probably had, for most of its existence. Such a shame. I mean, there are a lot of people that would cherish this bicycle, really! (Don't be a snob!) I knew that, and I sorta figured one day I'd meet that person and I'd pass it along.

Then "A-Lo" came into the picture. He used to work with me, and now he spends his time hanging around in "The Mitten" working at Velocity U.S.A. and going to seminary. Well, he wanted my old Schwinn Voyageur, and he had an Xtracycle Free Radical kit to trade for it. Cool! I immediately thought about the old, red Schwinn. I sent the Voyageur to A-Lo, and he dropped off the Xtracycle kit. (Read about A-Lo's Voyageur here)

While A-Lo went the whole hog route, and restored the Voyageur to glory, I went the "re-cycled" route. I used as much stuff as I had laying around as I could. Let me tell ya! It wasn't easy, as I divested myself of most 26" stuff a long time ago. Fortunately, there was enough stuff to get the job done with minimal cash out lay.

I found an old rear wheel, which was necessary because the Schwinn was a 130OLD standard frame, and the Xtracycle uses the now standard 135OLD spread. The wheel is definitely worthy: Suntour Grease Guard hub laced to a Ritchey Vantage Comp rim with double butted Wheelsmith spokes. Yepper! One of the last bits o kit from my '92 Klein Attitude I once had. I also dug up a linear pull brake, and got a Problem Solvers "Travel Agent" to make that work with the old style motorcycle-like levers. I bought a new Bontrager commuter tire for the rear from their Eco range, and found an old cast off WTB "Epic Wolf" tire from Jeff Kerkove's old stash he left behind for the front wheel. A little bit of cables and housing, and I was rolling.

Now I look for reasons to use this rig. My son loves to joyride on the snap deck, so we go out for liesurely cruises, or run errands for "Mrs Guitar Ted" when we can. I gave some neighborhood kids rides on it once, and last night, I ran up to the convenience store a mile away in the dark with my lights blazing just to get my Lady a Diet Coke.

It was an amazing evening outside, by the way.

Remember when I wrote that I would pass this bike on to someone who would cherish it someday? Well, I did.

I just didn't know it would be me!

Re-Cycling

This is the story of a cast off Schwinn Sierra mountain bike. Vintage: 80's. It ain't much, but I like it.

The story begins with Captain Bob and I talking about how we should get a bicycle to check this whole 650B thing out. That was at least three years ago. Well, Captain Bob found, got given to him, or paid little or nothing for- this Schwinn. 

It had a freewheel, horizontal drop outs, and the brakes......well, we'd figure that out sometime. Captain Bob parked it in some shed somewhere and well, it got pretty much forgotten.

Then Captain Bob was cleaning house to make way for a major remodel at his casa. "Did I want the Schwinn?", came the question one day. I said, "sure", and he brought it over one day to my place in its dusty, spider ridden condition. I parked it in the garage, where- you guessed it- I forgot all about it, again.

Well, it sat out there, like a lot of bikes across the nation and like this particular bike probably had, for most of its existence. Such a shame. I mean, there are a lot of people that would cherish this bicycle, really! (Don't be a snob!) I knew that, and I sorta figured one day I'd meet that person and I'd pass it along.

Then "A-Lo" came into the picture. He used to work with me, and now he spends his time hanging around in "The Mitten" working at Velocity U.S.A. and going to seminary. Well, he wanted my old Schwinn Voyageur, and he had an Xtracycle Free Radical kit to trade for it. Cool! I immediately thought about the old, red Schwinn. I sent the Voyageur to A-Lo, and he dropped off the Xtracycle kit. (Read about A-Lo's Voyageur here)

While A-Lo went the whole hog route, and restored the Voyageur to glory, I went the "re-cycled" route. I used as much stuff as I had laying around as I could. Let me tell ya! It wasn't easy, as I divested myself of most 26" stuff a long time ago. Fortunately, there was enough stuff to get the job done with minimal cash out lay.

I found an old rear wheel, which was necessary because the Schwinn was a 130OLD standard frame, and the Xtracycle uses the now standard 135OLD spread. The wheel is definitely worthy: Suntour Grease Guard hub laced to a Ritchey Vantage Comp rim with double butted Wheelsmith spokes. Yepper! One of the last bits o kit from my '92 Klein Attitude I once had. I also dug up a linear pull brake, and got a Problem Solvers "Travel Agent" to make that work with the old style motorcycle-like levers. I bought a new Bontrager commuter tire for the rear from their Eco range, and found an old cast off WTB "Epic Wolf" tire from Jeff Kerkove's old stash he left behind for the front wheel. A little bit of cables and housing, and I was rolling.

Now I look for reasons to use this rig. My son loves to joyride on the snap deck, so we go out for liesurely cruises, or run errands for "Mrs Guitar Ted" when we can. I gave some neighborhood kids rides on it once, and last night, I ran up to the convenience store a mile away in the dark with my lights blazing just to get my Lady a Diet Coke.

It was an amazing evening outside, by the way.

Remember when I wrote that I would pass this bike on to someone who would cherish it someday? Well, I did.

I just didn't know it would be me!

Musings On Drop Bars

I have been following some commentary on a blog recently concerning set up for drop bars on road going bicycles. The blog is written by a guy by the name of Dave Moulton. He's a very good frame builder, or was. I guess he's somewhat retired these days, but no matter. The guy has been around and knows his racing bikes from back in the day.

He laments in this piece he wrote recently that too many folks are not getting it with regards to how to "properly set up drop bars". While many commenters are taking him to task for a homeless person comment, (which I honestly don't even remember reading), this comment that he highlighted really struck me:

"With a road bike it is akin to buying a Formula 1 race car then trying to convert it to a family minivan. In the end you achieve niether comfort or performance."

Wow! Did he ever nail my experiences as a bicycle mechanic working on "road bikes" or what?  So many times it is all about the tipping up of the bars and slanting the aero bars up at a ridiculous angle so folks can get their "bar lean" on as they pedal the bike.

While commenters are going back and forth on what constitutes a good bar set up, I think a few things that bear mentioning are being left out of the conversation.

First off, people want to be "faster". The thing is, they put their confidence in equipment first. "Will these tires make me faster?", or "Will this gearing make me faster?" are comments I've heard so many times I cringe when they are spoken in the shop. I mean, I get the thrill of going faster. It's what the fun of cycling is mostly about- speed. The thing is, equipment can't buy you "love".

Secondly, and obviously tied to the first thing, you'll need to become more fit to get more enjoyment, (if speed is a big part of what attracts you to cycling), out of cycling, on whatever bicycle you want. This is particularly tied to "road" cycling, it seems. Really. Who cares where your drop bars are at if you are out of shape and unwilling to "invest" in the "motor"? We "died in the wool" cyclists know this, but the guys and gals that see cycling as recreation don't a lot of the time. (I speak from experience in the shop from where I work. Your mileage may vary)

Finally, and more to the point of the quote I pulled from Mr. Moulton's blog, drop bar bikes that are bred from racing are not what most recreational cyclists should be riding over the road. It is why I see a lot of "Formula 1 race cars" trans-mutated into "mini-vans".

Now, let me temper this by saying I do not say anything about my philosophy at the shop where I work. I keep my mouth shut, unless my opinion is earnestly sought out, which is rarely. Why?

Well, for one thing, folks that want "road" bikes have their minds set, most of the time, as to what will be making them faster. They want to ride a bicycle, and my boss wants to sell bikes. Manufacturers make "Formula 1" type road bikes because folks get all starry-eyed about going fast, and these bikes are "fast", right? So, they buy the bike, then they try to bend it to their will, and many times end up with a "mini-van" with 23mm tires. The drop bar set up comes with the territory.

Hey! "At least they are riding bicycles", right?

Well, on one hand we can all shake our heads in agreement, and find solace in the fact that one more person is pedaling while we ride home on that "all rounder" we've been working on that is 100 times more comfortable and practical than the carbon-wonderbike-of-the-day that just went out the door with a seat post rack, slanted upward aero bars, and that wireless, 90 function computer. But the bike that I ride isn't anything like what would actually sell, right?

I don't know, but something seems wonky about that to my mind.

And this was supposed to be about drop bars! Okay, let's get back to that for a minute. Looking at what goes for road drops these days, I'd guess most folks rarely, if ever, use the drop section. (Based upon wear patterns I notice on bar tape and hoods/tops on the bikes I work on) If I am right, I am thinking most folks could (A) use a different bike with a flat bar, or (B) use shallower, flared drops like we weirdos on off road drop bar bikes are using. I know that when I test ride a regular road bike with "normal drops", my arms get all tight, and my wrists twist in an uncomfortable way. In fact, I can honestly say I'll never use a "standard drop bar" again. Ever.

I bet a lot of road riders would really dig flared drop bars too. Easier to reach the drop section, so the "more hand positions" would actually be something usable, instead of a pipe-dream. The flare of the drops puts the upper body in a more relaxed, less tense position too, so comfort is actually increased. Yes- it is less aero, but c'mon! We're not talking about criterium racers going out for a racy group ride here. We're talking about regular "Joes" and "Jills" that want a drop bar road going rig.

Raleigh actually puts a flared drop bar on their touring rig called the Sojourn, so maybe I'm not so off my rocker as you might think. So, as odd as that might seem to Mr. Moulton, I would suggest that the off road drop bar is a great way to start the "de-programming" of the recreational road cyclist. That and the "fresh air" that some companies are bringing to the marketplace with some smartly set up "all-rounders" like Raleigh, Salsa Cycles, and others. (And yes- Rivendell has always been hammering on a similar drum).

So, at any rate, my hope is we can start steering away from the weird way road bikes are marketed now into a more practical, more comfortable, and more sustainable road bike that will foster a life-long pursuit of road biking. You could be fast, but be somewhat more practical and comfortable too. I dunno. Maybe I am just an odd-ball mechanic that should stick to gravel and off road! I mean, who'd want to do that kind of riding anyway?

Musings On Drop Bars

I have been following some commentary on a blog recently concerning set up for drop bars on road going bicycles. The blog is written by a guy by the name of Dave Moulton. He's a very good frame builder, or was. I guess he's somewhat retired these days, but no matter. The guy has been around and knows his racing bikes from back in the day.

He laments in this piece he wrote recently that too many folks are not getting it with regards to how to "properly set up drop bars". While many commenters are taking him to task for a homeless person comment, (which I honestly don't even remember reading), this comment that he highlighted really struck me:

"With a road bike it is akin to buying a Formula 1 race car then trying to convert it to a family minivan. In the end you achieve niether comfort or performance."

Wow! Did he ever nail my experiences as a bicycle mechanic working on "road bikes" or what?  So many times it is all about the tipping up of the bars and slanting the aero bars up at a ridiculous angle so folks can get their "bar lean" on as they pedal the bike.

While commenters are going back and forth on what constitutes a good bar set up, I think a few things that bear mentioning are being left out of the conversation.

First off, people want to be "faster". The thing is, they put their confidence in equipment first. "Will these tires make me faster?", or "Will this gearing make me faster?" are comments I've heard so many times I cringe when they are spoken in the shop. I mean, I get the thrill of going faster. It's what the fun of cycling is mostly about- speed. The thing is, equipment can't buy you "love".

Secondly, and obviously tied to the first thing, you'll need to become more fit to get more enjoyment, (if speed is a big part of what attracts you to cycling), out of cycling, on whatever bicycle you want. This is particularly tied to "road" cycling, it seems. Really. Who cares where your drop bars are at if you are out of shape and unwilling to "invest" in the "motor"? We "died in the wool" cyclists know this, but the guys and gals that see cycling as recreation don't a lot of the time. (I speak from experience in the shop from where I work. Your mileage may vary)

Finally, and more to the point of the quote I pulled from Mr. Moulton's blog, drop bar bikes that are bred from racing are not what most recreational cyclists should be riding over the road. It is why I see a lot of "Formula 1 race cars" trans-mutated into "mini-vans".

Now, let me temper this by saying I do not say anything about my philosophy at the shop where I work. I keep my mouth shut, unless my opinion is earnestly sought out, which is rarely. Why?

Well, for one thing, folks that want "road" bikes have their minds set, most of the time, as to what will be making them faster. They want to ride a bicycle, and my boss wants to sell bikes. Manufacturers make "Formula 1" type road bikes because folks get all starry-eyed about going fast, and these bikes are "fast", right? So, they buy the bike, then they try to bend it to their will, and many times end up with a "mini-van" with 23mm tires. The drop bar set up comes with the territory.

Hey! "At least they are riding bicycles", right?

Well, on one hand we can all shake our heads in agreement, and find solace in the fact that one more person is pedaling while we ride home on that "all rounder" we've been working on that is 100 times more comfortable and practical than the carbon-wonderbike-of-the-day that just went out the door with a seat post rack, slanted upward aero bars, and that wireless, 90 function computer. But the bike that I ride isn't anything like what would actually sell, right?

I don't know, but something seems wonky about that to my mind.

And this was supposed to be about drop bars! Okay, let's get back to that for a minute. Looking at what goes for road drops these days, I'd guess most folks rarely, if ever, use the drop section. (Based upon wear patterns I notice on bar tape and hoods/tops on the bikes I work on) If I am right, I am thinking most folks could (A) use a different bike with a flat bar, or (B) use shallower, flared drops like we weirdos on off road drop bar bikes are using. I know that when I test ride a regular road bike with "normal drops", my arms get all tight, and my wrists twist in an uncomfortable way. In fact, I can honestly say I'll never use a "standard drop bar" again. Ever.

I bet a lot of road riders would really dig flared drop bars too. Easier to reach the drop section, so the "more hand positions" would actually be something usable, instead of a pipe-dream. The flare of the drops puts the upper body in a more relaxed, less tense position too, so comfort is actually increased. Yes- it is less aero, but c'mon! We're not talking about criterium racers going out for a racy group ride here. We're talking about regular "Joes" and "Jills" that want a drop bar road going rig.

Raleigh actually puts a flared drop bar on their touring rig called the Sojourn, so maybe I'm not so off my rocker as you might think. So, as odd as that might seem to Mr. Moulton, I would suggest that the off road drop bar is a great way to start the "de-programming" of the recreational road cyclist. That and the "fresh air" that some companies are bringing to the marketplace with some smartly set up "all-rounders" like Raleigh, Salsa Cycles, and others. (And yes- Rivendell has always been hammering on a similar drum).

So, at any rate, my hope is we can start steering away from the weird way road bikes are marketed now into a more practical, more comfortable, and more sustainable road bike that will foster a life-long pursuit of road biking. You could be fast, but be somewhat more practical and comfortable too. I dunno. Maybe I am just an odd-ball mechanic that should stick to gravel and off road! I mean, who'd want to do that kind of riding anyway?

On The "B Road" Of Broken Dreams

Saturday I had an encounter with a B Road, (parlance for "no maintenance", or "minimum maintenance" roads in Iowa), and I haven't seen one quite this bad since the section in Tama County we had as a part of T.I.V5.

The road started out okay. It was really, really steep, but do-able if it was dry. I never had been on this road before, so I had no idea what to expect on it as I climbed up and up.

I reached the top, walking my Black Mountain Cycles "Orange Crush" bike, since it was geared too high in the single speed mode I had it in. I saw some great views from the top, and stopped to assess the situation, munch some crunchy goodness, snap some images, and poke out some sticky clay that had mired itself in my front fork.

Up here I saw the last bits of snow hanging on here in Iowa on a "road", if one could call this "evil slot cut into the Earth" a road. Probably the last bit of snow on a road I'm likely to see around here in a long while. (Hopefully!)

Funny thing about this soil is that it clings to anything it touches. Yes- merely lightly pressing on this stuff will garner you a muddy mess. It doesn't easily let go, unless it is very nearly dry, and then, and only then will it ball up, and crumble away like cookie dough with too much flour in it. Otherwise it is a tangled, snarling mess of mud that is at once super-tacky and super-greasy. If dirt could be evil in any way, this stuff is the dirt that takes the prize for being evil.

The only things that seem to have any power over this type of stuff are the animals. I saw this paw print that was as big as my hand pressed into the sticky goo. Probably following the smallish deer tracks that were the only other prints in this soil here. Well, other than my sticky marks and the trail of two 1.9" wide Geax Barro Race tires. Unfortunately, neither I or the tires possessed the mojo necessary to escape the clutches of said soil.

I was considering using this section for Trans Iowa V7, but a really bad case of erosion which caused two ruts to form near the bottom of a valley at a depth of four feet a piece made me reconsider those plans. Having riders trying to get down a very steep, clay-ish "path" lined with two "pits of death" on either side seems like a recipe for broken dreams, maybe even broken bones. It's still under review, but I am thinking this section is just too much.

Ironically, I was Tweeting about the situation Saturday when a Trans Iowa competitor Tweeted back "please keep all evil intact". That still makes me laugh! You know, it is a cool place to check out, but being next to unrideable, it makes me wonder about putting it into Trans Iowa.  Danger and excitement are all good, but.....well......there is a limit too. We just have to decide what we want throw at the riders. It is a public "road" yet, but really, I can not imagine that the county won't close this one up, and soon.

Glad I got a look at it before that happens!

On The "B Road" Of Broken Dreams

Saturday I had an encounter with a B Road, (parlance for "no maintenance", or "minimum maintenance" roads in Iowa), and I haven't seen one quite this bad since the section in Tama County we had as a part of T.I.V5.

The road started out okay. It was really, really steep, but do-able if it was dry. I never had been on this road before, so I had no idea what to expect on it as I climbed up and up.

I reached the top, walking my Black Mountain Cycles "Orange Crush" bike, since it was geared too high in the single speed mode I had it in. I saw some great views from the top, and stopped to assess the situation, munch some crunchy goodness, snap some images, and poke out some sticky clay that had mired itself in my front fork.

Up here I saw the last bits of snow hanging on here in Iowa on a "road", if one could call this "evil slot cut into the Earth" a road. Probably the last bit of snow on a road I'm likely to see around here in a long while. (Hopefully!)

Funny thing about this soil is that it clings to anything it touches. Yes- merely lightly pressing on this stuff will garner you a muddy mess. It doesn't easily let go, unless it is very nearly dry, and then, and only then will it ball up, and crumble away like cookie dough with too much flour in it. Otherwise it is a tangled, snarling mess of mud that is at once super-tacky and super-greasy. If dirt could be evil in any way, this stuff is the dirt that takes the prize for being evil.

The only things that seem to have any power over this type of stuff are the animals. I saw this paw print that was as big as my hand pressed into the sticky goo. Probably following the smallish deer tracks that were the only other prints in this soil here. Well, other than my sticky marks and the trail of two 1.9" wide Geax Barro Race tires. Unfortunately, neither I or the tires possessed the mojo necessary to escape the clutches of said soil.

I was considering using this section for Trans Iowa V7, but a really bad case of erosion which caused two ruts to form near the bottom of a valley at a depth of four feet a piece made me reconsider those plans. Having riders trying to get down a very steep, clay-ish "path" lined with two "pits of death" on either side seems like a recipe for broken dreams, maybe even broken bones. It's still under review, but I am thinking this section is just too much.

Ironically, I was Tweeting about the situation Saturday when a Trans Iowa competitor Tweeted back "please keep all evil intact". That still makes me laugh! You know, it is a cool place to check out, but being next to unrideable, it makes me wonder about putting it into Trans Iowa.  Danger and excitement are all good, but.....well......there is a limit too. We just have to decide what we want throw at the riders. It is a public "road" yet, but really, I can not imagine that the county won't close this one up, and soon.

Glad I got a look at it before that happens!

Trans Iowa Course Update #2

Note: All images can be clicked and enlarged for a closer inspection.

Trans Iowa Course Update #2: The words from this venture are "fresh grading", "fresh gravel", and "chunky". Oh yeah! let's not forget our old friends "frost heave", and "powder", along with "sandy".  Mud too.

All of those things I found on my ride/drive on Saturday along the Trans Iowa V7 course.Let me explain...

Fresh Gravel: There was a lot of maintenance already finished in the county I was traveling in Saturday. Almost every road I looked at had been graded and had fresh gravel put down in many places. Not all, but enough to make skinnier tired rigs bounce all over the place in many spots. My image here should give you a good idea of what I mean by that.

The basic conditions of most roads, besides the fresh work having been done, was excellent. Mostly dry roads were encountered. This is a good point to note, since we received rains over the course last Tuesday. (It wasn't much, but it did rain over the entire course.) This bodes well because the ground isn't totally saturated and drainage seems to be ongoing right now. I only found a few spots where "weeping" from frost was still going on and the roads were "peanut butter" consistency then, but this was only very minor.

There were a few roads that hadn't been maintained from the winter yet that are on the course. The image here shows one of those. Notice the "wood rats" that are bounding across the road in front of me? I was on my bicycle and had to stop for them. This is the tail end of the herd, as it took a second to grab the camera and fire it up.

I point this out to show that yes: You could be taken out by a deer or two......or more, on Trans Iowa's course. These critters are unpredictable, so be aware of that and be careful! (By the way, it isn't a twilight/night time thing. These deer were out mid-afternoon!) At any rate, it isn't something you might consider normal for your area, but here, it is all too common. Dogs were out as well, but none I encountered were anything but friendly and mainly were content to run out and bark at me as I rode by.

Mud was on the B Roads, but that was expected. It'll take more wind and heat to dry up those roads. It will probably happen, as I see the temperatures are forecast to reach the 50's and 60's soon. Barring rain over several days previous to the event, the B Roads should be good to go.

I did find one that David and I may re-route around though. It has been too badly damaged from the winter and recent rains that I am afraid it would become a hazard we can not afford to risk. We'll make a final determination soon, and it shouldn't affect mileage one way or the other. It would mean adding maybe a few tenths at most.

High Traffic: Of course, the activity levels on these roads is set to increase dramatically very soon. Farmers will be hitting the fields soon to start the planting process, and grain will be transported by semi-tractor trailer rigs as well. This will pulverize the higher traffic gravel to a fine dust. Last year we encountered some areas that were a foot deep in fluff. This will be a concern for the skinnier tired set, and an annoyance for those with fatter tires, should it occur that we have dry weather. I hit some of this Saturday and it definitely upped the effort to push through it.

I'll be checking more parts of the course later, so stay tuned for further updates as I get the chance to do the recon.

Trans Iowa Course Update #2

Note: All images can be clicked and enlarged for a closer inspection.

Trans Iowa Course Update #2: The words from this venture are "fresh grading", "fresh gravel", and "chunky". Oh yeah! let's not forget our old friends "frost heave", and "powder", along with "sandy".  Mud too.

All of those things I found on my ride/drive on Saturday along the Trans Iowa V7 course.Let me explain...

Fresh Gravel: There was a lot of maintenance already finished in the county I was traveling in Saturday. Almost every road I looked at had been graded and had fresh gravel put down in many places. Not all, but enough to make skinnier tired rigs bounce all over the place in many spots. My image here should give you a good idea of what I mean by that.

The basic conditions of most roads, besides the fresh work having been done, was excellent. Mostly dry roads were encountered. This is a good point to note, since we received rains over the course last Tuesday. (It wasn't much, but it did rain over the entire course.) This bodes well because the ground isn't totally saturated and drainage seems to be ongoing right now. I only found a few spots where "weeping" from frost was still going on and the roads were "peanut butter" consistency then, but this was only very minor.

There were a few roads that hadn't been maintained from the winter yet that are on the course. The image here shows one of those. Notice the "wood rats" that are bounding across the road in front of me? I was on my bicycle and had to stop for them. This is the tail end of the herd, as it took a second to grab the camera and fire it up.

I point this out to show that yes: You could be taken out by a deer or two......or more, on Trans Iowa's course. These critters are unpredictable, so be aware of that and be careful! (By the way, it isn't a twilight/night time thing. These deer were out mid-afternoon!) At any rate, it isn't something you might consider normal for your area, but here, it is all too common. Dogs were out as well, but none I encountered were anything but friendly and mainly were content to run out and bark at me as I rode by.

Mud was on the B Roads, but that was expected. It'll take more wind and heat to dry up those roads. It will probably happen, as I see the temperatures are forecast to reach the 50's and 60's soon. Barring rain over several days previous to the event, the B Roads should be good to go.

I did find one that David and I may re-route around though. It has been too badly damaged from the winter and recent rains that I am afraid it would become a hazard we can not afford to risk. We'll make a final determination soon, and it shouldn't affect mileage one way or the other. It would mean adding maybe a few tenths at most.

High Traffic: Of course, the activity levels on these roads is set to increase dramatically very soon. Farmers will be hitting the fields soon to start the planting process, and grain will be transported by semi-tractor trailer rigs as well. This will pulverize the higher traffic gravel to a fine dust. Last year we encountered some areas that were a foot deep in fluff. This will be a concern for the skinnier tired set, and an annoyance for those with fatter tires, should it occur that we have dry weather. I hit some of this Saturday and it definitely upped the effort to push through it.

I'll be checking more parts of the course later, so stay tuned for further updates as I get the chance to do the recon.

The Dirty Kanza 200 Chronicles; Coming To My Senses

<===Nothing like a long, steep-ish climb to knock some sense into you!

The week of training was light this time since I had the "Secret Agent Man"  stuff going on mid-week, and the weather went south on us as well. There were some longer rides to and from work, at least. Then Saturday I combined a bit of recon for T.I.V7 in with the training ride. (So, I can't really say where I was!)

I did hit some steep ol' hills and the 40 X 18T was not a great choice for that. I made the hills all right, but I wouldn't have gone too many miles in that gear on that terrain, and oh yeah, did I mention that the wind was whipping on Saturday too? Yeah.....

So, I think that was just what I needed to get me motivated to put some gears on this rig soon.

I tried out the Camelbak bladder in the Tangle Bag and played around with the hose arrangement a bit. I got it to be in a place where it wasn't banging off my legs on out of the saddle climbs yet it wasn't flopping around loosely either.

I wanted to see if I could figure something out that didn't require any more gadgetry, like clips, spring loaded leashes, or whatever. I think I am there, but I am still unsure if it will work well enough to promote good hydration. Sure- the potential is there. I just have to keep at it and see if I can get it to work well enough to pass muster for the Dirty Kanza. Right now the set up is about 80% there, I think.

I still have to fit a computer and see about the cue sheet holder system. Last year I used a wireless and for cues, I just followed tracks and occasionally looked at the sheets as they were stuffed in zip-locs and tucked in my bento-bag. This year I think I want something a bit more easily seen. Then there are the lights, which I have zeroed in, but I just need to re-test them once the nights get warmer again.

The Dirty Kanza 200 Chronicles; Coming To My Senses

<===Nothing like a long, steep-ish climb to knock some sense into you!

The week of training was light this time since I had the "Secret Agent Man"  stuff going on mid-week, and the weather went south on us as well. There were some longer rides to and from work, at least. Then Saturday I combined a bit of recon for T.I.V7 in with the training ride. (So, I can't really say where I was!)

I did hit some steep ol' hills and the 40 X 18T was not a great choice for that. I made the hills all right, but I wouldn't have gone too many miles in that gear on that terrain, and oh yeah, did I mention that the wind was whipping on Saturday too? Yeah.....

So, I think that was just what I needed to get me motivated to put some gears on this rig soon.

I tried out the Camelbak bladder in the Tangle Bag and played around with the hose arrangement a bit. I got it to be in a place where it wasn't banging off my legs on out of the saddle climbs yet it wasn't flopping around loosely either.

I wanted to see if I could figure something out that didn't require any more gadgetry, like clips, spring loaded leashes, or whatever. I think I am there, but I am still unsure if it will work well enough to promote good hydration. Sure- the potential is there. I just have to keep at it and see if I can get it to work well enough to pass muster for the Dirty Kanza. Right now the set up is about 80% there, I think.

I still have to fit a computer and see about the cue sheet holder system. Last year I used a wireless and for cues, I just followed tracks and occasionally looked at the sheets as they were stuffed in zip-locs and tucked in my bento-bag. This year I think I want something a bit more easily seen. Then there are the lights, which I have zeroed in, but I just need to re-test them once the nights get warmer again.

Trans Iowa V7 Update #20: The Final Countdown!

Trans Iowa Update #20: The Final Countdown! Well, you've got less than a month to go to Trans Iowa V7. Are you ready?

The long and winding road to this event has just about reached its ending. Final tweaks and preparations are underway on our end. Cue sheets will be printed, and menu choices submitted.

Speaking of which, I received an outstanding response to the call out last weekend for riders that I couldn't seem to get a response from via e-mail. However; a few of you are not getting the message. You Have Five Days To Respond! If I do not hear from these folks by March 31st, I will assume you don't want to be in T.I.V7 and you will be removed from the roster. Here are the non-responders as of now. If you happen to know any of these guys, get ahold of them and ask them to respond to this last call.

Terry Brannick, Eric Brunt, Jim McGuire, and Jack Lewis .

 I can not continue to e-mail you forever guys, so this is it. 

Okay, so moving on from this, I want to cover some things I have been asked about recently via e-mail. I figure more of you have similar/same questions. 

Pre-Race Meat-Up Schedule Of Events: One question I received was about whether or not you, (the riders), had to be "there" for three hours. Okay- here's the schedule.....

5:00pm: We open the doors to the meeting room at The Grinnell Steakhouse. You should get there early, and check in with me. I will get your name, and check it against the roster. If you do not check in with me before 6pm, you will not race T.I.V7. 

In the interim time between opening of the doors and 6pm, you should sit down and put in your order to start off the meal process. Keep in mind that we have about 40 more folks than last year, and this will take awhile. I recommend getting there early, and gettin' ta grillin'! 


6:00pm: I stop checking in riders. Once again, if I don't check your name against the roster before 6:00pm Friday night, I will not call you up to get a race bag, and there won't be extras! Inside each bag is a T.I.V7 cue sheet set that will get you to Checkpoint #1 Saturday morning. You can not ride without cues. At 6:00pm I will start to fixing my meal, as will David and the volunteers present. This will take us approximately a half an hour tops, (I hope). 

6:30pm: By this time, everyone should be eating, or very nearly done grilling up their vittles. As soon as possible at around this time, I want to start with remarks from David and I about the course, rules of the ride, and any other pertinent information we might have to share. This will immediately be followed by a Q&A period for you, the riders, to ask anything on your minds pertinent to the event. Hopefully we can wrap that all up by 7:00pm or so. 


7:00pm: Rider Call-Up: The time will come then for Rider Call Up. Each rider will be called up that checked in before 6pm to grab their race packet.   We will have the exact number of race packets lined up to be picked up. No more, no less. If you didn't sign in by 6:00pm, you won't get called up, and there won't be any cues for you. This will also include each rider signing a waiver and media release form. This will take awhile. I hope to be completely through with the rider list, sign in by 8:00pm. You will be free to leave as soon as you sign off on the waivers and pick up your race packet/bag.

A Word On Checkpoints And Support People: 
I was also asked whether or not folks supporting riders will be allowed at checkpoints or at any other spot on the course. Basically, anyone that wants to can sit around at the first checkpoint, (to be revealed at the Pre-Race Meat-Up), and watch the riders come through. After that, no support people or spectators are allowed on course!  You can ask me or my volunteers all you want, but it ain't gonna happen folks. I've said over and over again that Trans Iowa is not a spectator sport, and we will not tell you where riders are on course to "ease your conscious", or "just so you know where your sweetie is" at 4AM Saturday morning. If that rubs you the wrong way, don't show up at Trans Iowa. This is for the riders, and if the riders want to stop and call you up, then I can not stop that, but do be aware that in several places the cell phone coverage will be bad, or non-existent, and riders generally turn off cell phones to conserve battery life in roaming areas.

Secondly, we will not reveal the location of Checkpoint #2!  Don't even try asking, and I have a mind to DQ any riders attached to anyone who does ask. (I had a bad experience with regards to this last year, so don't test me.) First off, Checkpoint #2 is in the middle of no-where, with zero parking, and no amenities. Not a good place for your support, or spectating voyeurs to be hanging out. I don't want more cars there than our volunteer's car so we do not attract any more attention than necessary. More cars may jeopardize the event. So , no one will be allowed to hang out there other than my three volunteers. (And riders that show up, and pass through, of course)

You can hang out at the finish line, which will be at Lion's Park on the western edge of Grinnell. Please park in the street and walk over to where we will have a finish line set up by the very early hours of Sunday morning. No one has ever finished a Trans Iowa in less than 25 hours, so let that be a guide. The event ends at 2pm, Sunday, so any awards , (assuming the possibility of a finish), will be doled out as the morning unfolds, as has been done in the past. So, if you want to catch it, you'll have to be patient, wait, and most importantly- be there.

The Course: This necessarily answers another question I got about the course finish and start points. Both in Grinnell. The start is in front of Bikes To You on Broad Street, downtown Grinnell, at 4AM sharp on Saturday morning! The finish will be at the Lion's Park, as described above. The course is one "big assed loop" that riders will traverse out of Grinnell over gravel roads navigating by cue sheets provided by us. The fist set of cues will take riders to Checkpoint #1, then if they make the cut-off, they will receive cues to Checkpoint #2, which will be approximately halfway into the event, give or take ten miles. If riders make that checkpoint before the cut off time, (Cut Off times will be announced a week or two before the event), then they can receive cues to the finish line. Riders must finish before 2pm on Sunday for an "official" finish to be recognized.

Basic Rules: If you don't make a checkpoint cut-off time, even by one minute, you are done. We will not give out cue sheets to late comers. We do not make the route public- ever. So, if you fail to make cut-offs, or DNF for any other reason, you will not be able to gain access to the route that you didn't get cues for.

If you have to stop, get help, ask for a ride, or are too slow, you are on your own as far as getting back to your room, or homes. This is a self-supported event, and every rider is on his own journey. We will not be responsible for you. Ever. If you think you can't handle that, or your support folks can not deal with that, do not show up in Grinnell for this ride.

How will you know where to get someone that is pulling out? First off, the rider needs to call in to us via the DNF line. (You'll get this number at the pre-race).  We can give the rider his exact position. Then its up to you and the rider to figure it out from there. (Obviously, the cue sheet can be helpful to some degree here) You may need to back-track to a previous town. You may need to knock on a farmers door, but whatever it is you need, you'll have to get it on your own.

So think about that for a minute.

If things are looking badly, you may want to pull the plug at that town you are coming up on. It would be an easier place to find, right? (And you'll pass through several towns). At any rate, this is what self-support means. It means you have to make good decisions about you and your own safety. It means you have to think logistically, and carefully. Other riders may help you, and we suggest staying with at least one other rider as you go.

Okay, that's all for this week. Next week I'll have more......

Trans Iowa V7 Update #20: The Final Countdown!

Trans Iowa Update #20: The Final Countdown! Well, you've got less than a month to go to Trans Iowa V7. Are you ready?

The long and winding road to this event has just about reached its ending. Final tweaks and preparations are underway on our end. Cue sheets will be printed, and menu choices submitted.

Speaking of which, I received an outstanding response to the call out last weekend for riders that I couldn't seem to get a response from via e-mail. However; a few of you are not getting the message. You Have Five Days To Respond! If I do not hear from these folks by March 31st, I will assume you don't want to be in T.I.V7 and you will be removed from the roster. Here are the non-responders as of now. If you happen to know any of these guys, get ahold of them and ask them to respond to this last call.

Terry Brannick, Eric Brunt, Jim McGuire, and Jack Lewis .

 I can not continue to e-mail you forever guys, so this is it. 

Okay, so moving on from this, I want to cover some things I have been asked about recently via e-mail. I figure more of you have similar/same questions. 

Pre-Race Meat-Up Schedule Of Events: One question I received was about whether or not you, (the riders), had to be "there" for three hours. Okay- here's the schedule.....

5:00pm: We open the doors to the meeting room at The Grinnell Steakhouse. You should get there early, and check in with me. I will get your name, and check it against the roster. If you do not check in with me before 6pm, you will not race T.I.V7. 

In the interim time between opening of the doors and 6pm, you should sit down and put in your order to start off the meal process. Keep in mind that we have about 40 more folks than last year, and this will take awhile. I recommend getting there early, and gettin' ta grillin'! 


6:00pm: I stop checking in riders. Once again, if I don't check your name against the roster before 6:00pm Friday night, I will not call you up to get a race bag, and there won't be extras! Inside each bag is a T.I.V7 cue sheet set that will get you to Checkpoint #1 Saturday morning. You can not ride without cues. At 6:00pm I will start to fixing my meal, as will David and the volunteers present. This will take us approximately a half an hour tops, (I hope). 

6:30pm: By this time, everyone should be eating, or very nearly done grilling up their vittles. As soon as possible at around this time, I want to start with remarks from David and I about the course, rules of the ride, and any other pertinent information we might have to share. This will immediately be followed by a Q&A period for you, the riders, to ask anything on your minds pertinent to the event. Hopefully we can wrap that all up by 7:00pm or so. 


7:00pm: Rider Call-Up: The time will come then for Rider Call Up. Each rider will be called up that checked in before 6pm to grab their race packet.   We will have the exact number of race packets lined up to be picked up. No more, no less. If you didn't sign in by 6:00pm, you won't get called up, and there won't be any cues for you. This will also include each rider signing a waiver and media release form. This will take awhile. I hope to be completely through with the rider list, sign in by 8:00pm. You will be free to leave as soon as you sign off on the waivers and pick up your race packet/bag.

A Word On Checkpoints And Support People: 
I was also asked whether or not folks supporting riders will be allowed at checkpoints or at any other spot on the course. Basically, anyone that wants to can sit around at the first checkpoint, (to be revealed at the Pre-Race Meat-Up), and watch the riders come through. After that, no support people or spectators are allowed on course!  You can ask me or my volunteers all you want, but it ain't gonna happen folks. I've said over and over again that Trans Iowa is not a spectator sport, and we will not tell you where riders are on course to "ease your conscious", or "just so you know where your sweetie is" at 4AM Saturday morning. If that rubs you the wrong way, don't show up at Trans Iowa. This is for the riders, and if the riders want to stop and call you up, then I can not stop that, but do be aware that in several places the cell phone coverage will be bad, or non-existent, and riders generally turn off cell phones to conserve battery life in roaming areas.

Secondly, we will not reveal the location of Checkpoint #2!  Don't even try asking, and I have a mind to DQ any riders attached to anyone who does ask. (I had a bad experience with regards to this last year, so don't test me.) First off, Checkpoint #2 is in the middle of no-where, with zero parking, and no amenities. Not a good place for your support, or spectating voyeurs to be hanging out. I don't want more cars there than our volunteer's car so we do not attract any more attention than necessary. More cars may jeopardize the event. So , no one will be allowed to hang out there other than my three volunteers. (And riders that show up, and pass through, of course)

You can hang out at the finish line, which will be at Lion's Park on the western edge of Grinnell. Please park in the street and walk over to where we will have a finish line set up by the very early hours of Sunday morning. No one has ever finished a Trans Iowa in less than 25 hours, so let that be a guide. The event ends at 2pm, Sunday, so any awards , (assuming the possibility of a finish), will be doled out as the morning unfolds, as has been done in the past. So, if you want to catch it, you'll have to be patient, wait, and most importantly- be there.

The Course: This necessarily answers another question I got about the course finish and start points. Both in Grinnell. The start is in front of Bikes To You on Broad Street, downtown Grinnell, at 4AM sharp on Saturday morning! The finish will be at the Lion's Park, as described above. The course is one "big assed loop" that riders will traverse out of Grinnell over gravel roads navigating by cue sheets provided by us. The fist set of cues will take riders to Checkpoint #1, then if they make the cut-off, they will receive cues to Checkpoint #2, which will be approximately halfway into the event, give or take ten miles. If riders make that checkpoint before the cut off time, (Cut Off times will be announced a week or two before the event), then they can receive cues to the finish line. Riders must finish before 2pm on Sunday for an "official" finish to be recognized.

Basic Rules: If you don't make a checkpoint cut-off time, even by one minute, you are done. We will not give out cue sheets to late comers. We do not make the route public- ever. So, if you fail to make cut-offs, or DNF for any other reason, you will not be able to gain access to the route that you didn't get cues for.

If you have to stop, get help, ask for a ride, or are too slow, you are on your own as far as getting back to your room, or homes. This is a self-supported event, and every rider is on his own journey. We will not be responsible for you. Ever. If you think you can't handle that, or your support folks can not deal with that, do not show up in Grinnell for this ride.

How will you know where to get someone that is pulling out? First off, the rider needs to call in to us via the DNF line. (You'll get this number at the pre-race).  We can give the rider his exact position. Then its up to you and the rider to figure it out from there. (Obviously, the cue sheet can be helpful to some degree here) You may need to back-track to a previous town. You may need to knock on a farmers door, but whatever it is you need, you'll have to get it on your own.

So think about that for a minute.

If things are looking badly, you may want to pull the plug at that town you are coming up on. It would be an easier place to find, right? (And you'll pass through several towns). At any rate, this is what self-support means. It means you have to make good decisions about you and your own safety. It means you have to think logistically, and carefully. Other riders may help you, and we suggest staying with at least one other rider as you go.

Okay, that's all for this week. Next week I'll have more......

Friday News And Views

Whether The Weather Will Allow It, Or Not: Guess what folks? It is less than a month till Trans Iowa V7. That means that David and I need to start cranking down the screws on the finishing touches for the event.

Tomorrow it is supposed to do "something" in terms of the weather. Snow? Possibly. Cold? Yes- certainly. I wanted to ride a section of the T.I.V7 course tomorrow, but I may end up having to drive it, or perhaps, stay home!

The thing is, the dang weatherman doesn't know exactly where the storm will track, so it is a crap-shoot right now as to what is to be done about Saturday. I only know one thing: I am stoked that we got the recon done at the end of October last year! (Look for a Trans Iowa Update tomorrow and a course update, if I can get it, later)

Is It The Gas, Or What? Something sort of odd is happening around here. I can't speak for anywhere else, but around these parts, I am seeing more folks out on bicycles already. Even though it has been cold, and not that great out. This has been corroborated by folks coming into the shop and telling us that they are noticing more commuters as well.

Added to this, I am seeing more bicycles going out the door than I can recall in the past several years. Even more than last year, and last year was really good. Whatever is motivating folks: gas prices, or? I don't know, but it seems things have changed a bit. That's a good thing, I think.

I Didn't Plan This.....Really! All along late last year I was telling myself that I wasn't going to sign up, or commit to a bunch of events and then have those things drive me bonkers trying to prepare for them, and what not. Well, I already did CIRREM late in February, and now I have this event coming up next Saturday.

Something about gravel events and "gentleman", that I don't quite get. It is as if we ride in tweed outfits and smoke pipeweed in carved wooden smoking devices. (Well......actually some folks I know smoke that stuff.....you know.....uhhh.....yeah!) Anyway, I'll let you know if I see anything untoward going on at this deal.

Right now all I know is that it is a team event, and it will be self-supported, free, and 75 miles long. Hopefully it won't be cold and snowing, but you know what? I bet the weather will definitely suck. I just have a bad feeling about that. (Hope I didn't jinx things!)

I think I'll ride the Badger again. I won't have the gears on the BMC yet, and well, I don't want to be the slow guy holding up things with regards to the "team". We'll see, but I think that's going to be "the plan". (Better get those squeaky brakes un-squeaked!)

Hope you all have a great weekend! Ride yer bikes, and at least thing "spring-like" thoughts!

Friday News And Views

Whether The Weather Will Allow It, Or Not: Guess what folks? It is less than a month till Trans Iowa V7. That means that David and I need to start cranking down the screws on the finishing touches for the event.

Tomorrow it is supposed to do "something" in terms of the weather. Snow? Possibly. Cold? Yes- certainly. I wanted to ride a section of the T.I.V7 course tomorrow, but I may end up having to drive it, or perhaps, stay home!

The thing is, the dang weatherman doesn't know exactly where the storm will track, so it is a crap-shoot right now as to what is to be done about Saturday. I only know one thing: I am stoked that we got the recon done at the end of October last year! (Look for a Trans Iowa Update tomorrow and a course update, if I can get it, later)

Is It The Gas, Or What? Something sort of odd is happening around here. I can't speak for anywhere else, but around these parts, I am seeing more folks out on bicycles already. Even though it has been cold, and not that great out. This has been corroborated by folks coming into the shop and telling us that they are noticing more commuters as well.

Added to this, I am seeing more bicycles going out the door than I can recall in the past several years. Even more than last year, and last year was really good. Whatever is motivating folks: gas prices, or? I don't know, but it seems things have changed a bit. That's a good thing, I think.

I Didn't Plan This.....Really! All along late last year I was telling myself that I wasn't going to sign up, or commit to a bunch of events and then have those things drive me bonkers trying to prepare for them, and what not. Well, I already did CIRREM late in February, and now I have this event coming up next Saturday.

Something about gravel events and "gentleman", that I don't quite get. It is as if we ride in tweed outfits and smoke pipeweed in carved wooden smoking devices. (Well......actually some folks I know smoke that stuff.....you know.....uhhh.....yeah!) Anyway, I'll let you know if I see anything untoward going on at this deal.

Right now all I know is that it is a team event, and it will be self-supported, free, and 75 miles long. Hopefully it won't be cold and snowing, but you know what? I bet the weather will definitely suck. I just have a bad feeling about that. (Hope I didn't jinx things!)

I think I'll ride the Badger again. I won't have the gears on the BMC yet, and well, I don't want to be the slow guy holding up things with regards to the "team". We'll see, but I think that's going to be "the plan". (Better get those squeaky brakes un-squeaked!)

Hope you all have a great weekend! Ride yer bikes, and at least thing "spring-like" thoughts!

Which One Works?

Yesterday a subject came up that I found intriguing. It seems that Carlton Reid of BikeBiz, (he of 15,000 Tweets), Tweeted that he recently got both of the magazines pictured here in the post yesterday. His question was, "Which sells cycling better?"

I quipped back via Twitter that I didn't know, but I knew which one would tick off the females most.



Carlton answered back to the effect that it was okay since Momentum Magazine catered heavily to female cyclists. (The mag cover on the left is Momentum Magazine) In fact, Momentum is run by females, oddly enough. (But most folks would have no idea by looking at the cover) My point was that most would have no idea about the mag's content, just by looking at the covers. (My thinking was as though you were perusing a news stand, and saw these mag covers.)

If you want to know, I said "Momentum" would "sell" cycling more because of the sexy image, which would garner more interest. And in the process, the ire of women who are tired of having their sexuality used to "sell" anything.

So, we were both right, but I disagree that it is a "no big deal" issue, which is what Carlton seemed to imply. (Granted, I could have been reading into his Tweets. They are only 140 characters long, you know.) And later I added that the other magazine cover, (the one on the right), was really a motorcycle magazine, so the whole comparo was a moot point.

In the end, Momentum Magazine needs to sell units. They know a provocative cover image will get the eyeballs of the mostly male population of cyclists to take a closer look. That's smart, but it is also pandering to the "sex sells" way of doing things. Being run by females and having "great content that is focused on females" doesn't exonerate you from the painfully obvious.

Just for fun, take the lady on the right, (the one on the motorcycle), and with that same outfit, put her on the bike in Momentum's image. If you are a marketing person, which would you use for the cover to sell more units? The one Momentum used, or the one I just proposed?

Yeah....."Which One Works" indeed!

Seems like some folks have higher ideals and still use images that seek to titillate. I don't have a horse in this race, but I'm thinking this is pretty obvious, and silly. You can't have it both ways. The Momentum cover is sexist plain and simple, no matter who is running the mag, and no matter how helpful the content is. It's no different than saying Playboy was okay because they had great articles.

In the end, you decide, but I don't see this sort of thing as anything but what it always has been.

Which One Works?

Yesterday a subject came up that I found intriguing. It seems that Carlton Reid of BikeBiz, (he of 15,000 Tweets), Tweeted that he recently got both of the magazines pictured here in the post yesterday. His question was, "Which sells cycling better?"

I quipped back via Twitter that I didn't know, but I knew which one would tick off the females most.



Carlton answered back to the effect that it was okay since Momentum Magazine catered heavily to female cyclists. (The mag cover on the left is Momentum Magazine) In fact, Momentum is run by females, oddly enough. (But most folks would have no idea by looking at the cover) My point was that most would have no idea about the mag's content, just by looking at the covers. (My thinking was as though you were perusing a news stand, and saw these mag covers.)

If you want to know, I said "Momentum" would "sell" cycling more because of the sexy image, which would garner more interest. And in the process, the ire of women who are tired of having their sexuality used to "sell" anything.

So, we were both right, but I disagree that it is a "no big deal" issue, which is what Carlton seemed to imply. (Granted, I could have been reading into his Tweets. They are only 140 characters long, you know.) And later I added that the other magazine cover, (the one on the right), was really a motorcycle magazine, so the whole comparo was a moot point.

In the end, Momentum Magazine needs to sell units. They know a provocative cover image will get the eyeballs of the mostly male population of cyclists to take a closer look. That's smart, but it is also pandering to the "sex sells" way of doing things. Being run by females and having "great content that is focused on females" doesn't exonerate you from the painfully obvious.

Just for fun, take the lady on the right, (the one on the motorcycle), and with that same outfit, put her on the bike in Momentum's image. If you are a marketing person, which would you use for the cover to sell more units? The one Momentum used, or the one I just proposed?

Yeah....."Which One Works" indeed!

Seems like some folks have higher ideals and still use images that seek to titillate. I don't have a horse in this race, but I'm thinking this is pretty obvious, and silly. You can't have it both ways. The Momentum cover is sexist plain and simple, no matter who is running the mag, and no matter how helpful the content is. It's no different than saying Playboy was okay because they had great articles.

In the end, you decide, but I don't see this sort of thing as anything but what it always has been.