News And New Stuff

More Eurobike Meanderings: As if yesterday's post wasn't enough..... Anyway, I see one of the "big news items" of the day was Ibis' outing of their much rumored 29"er project. Thankfully, they didn't name it the Mojo 29.

Ibis Ripley 29: Yes- all carbon fiber!

Nope, instead they pulled another older name out of the hat, and that would be "Ripley". I think it will most likely fit the bike rather well.

Why? Because with a 120mm fork, the head angle will be 71 degrees. I already have a bike that does that, (albeit heavier, and far less sexy), in the Big Mama. Yes, the rear travel is less on the Salsa, but my point is about handling, and this bike will be a very snappy handling bike, judging from the numbers.

Which isn't always a good thing to do, (judging by geometry charts, that is), and yes- it is green lighted for a 140mm fork, which would get you back to 69.5 degrees. Not very earth shattering there. In fact, that's about what a Rumblefish gets you. Okay, so Ibis hasn't bought into the "slacker is better" geometry-du-jour that 29"er nerds are calling for. It'll still be a great bike, I'm sure, and it is definitely going to be a technological tour de force.

Plus, it'll appeal to a wider audience. Always an important factor with a high priced rig that needs to show some results for Ibis. 

Oh Yeah! Eurobike.... See this is what I was talking about yesterday. Ibis slipped the info, not at a North American show, but at Eurobike. Yup. That's what I'm talking about......

A couple more interesting tidbits: The "Show Daily", an electronic newsletter about the day's biggest newsy bits, mentioned how American dealers are going to Eurobike. Why? Is it because it is cooler, with better new stuff to see, and you get to go to Europe? You tell me.... Also, I was speaking with a prominent Mid-Western based rep yesterday who mentioned that only about 5% of his dealers in his territory are going to Lost Wages  to attend Interbike. Wow! Are the two things connected? Most likely not. But it is an interesting observation, none the less.


And Speaking Of Carbon...Completely off topic here, and a break from all the industry babble- I picked up a sweet deal on a carbon Trek fork for my "Orange Crush" rig, and will be trying it out very soon. I hope to get a bit of a test ride in on it tomorrow. Just an experiment here, to gauge the differences between the steel and carbon. I'll report on the findings later.

Another thing about carbon that is amazing- All the carbon hard tail intros at Eurobike, (and the as yet to be covered Interbike, which will surely add to the pile), are mind boggling in their numbers. I bet that at least double the amount of carbon hard tail 29"ers that were in existence last year have already debuted at Eurobike. Crazy! Wanna know something else? Strip the paint jobs off and a lot of them look veery similar.  Just sayin' I think that it is rather odd. You have to wonder what the marketing departments are thinking now that all the curtains have been raised on these things.

Whoops! I did it again. Talked about this danged industry show stuff and carbon fiber. Okay. Shutting up now.....

Tomorrow I promise to write about something totally different!

News And New Stuff

More Eurobike Meanderings: As if yesterday's post wasn't enough..... Anyway, I see one of the "big news items" of the day was Ibis' outing of their much rumored 29"er project. Thankfully, they didn't name it the Mojo 29.

Ibis Ripley 29: Yes- all carbon fiber!

Nope, instead they pulled another older name out of the hat, and that would be "Ripley". I think it will most likely fit the bike rather well.

Why? Because with a 120mm fork, the head angle will be 71 degrees. I already have a bike that does that, (albeit heavier, and far less sexy), in the Big Mama. Yes, the rear travel is less on the Salsa, but my point is about handling, and this bike will be a very snappy handling bike, judging from the numbers.

Which isn't always a good thing to do, (judging by geometry charts, that is), and yes- it is green lighted for a 140mm fork, which would get you back to 69.5 degrees. Not very earth shattering there. In fact, that's about what a Rumblefish gets you. Okay, so Ibis hasn't bought into the "slacker is better" geometry-du-jour that 29"er nerds are calling for. It'll still be a great bike, I'm sure, and it is definitely going to be a technological tour de force.

Plus, it'll appeal to a wider audience. Always an important factor with a high priced rig that needs to show some results for Ibis. 

Oh Yeah! Eurobike.... See this is what I was talking about yesterday. Ibis slipped the info, not at a North American show, but at Eurobike. Yup. That's what I'm talking about......

A couple more interesting tidbits: The "Show Daily", an electronic newsletter about the day's biggest newsy bits, mentioned how American dealers are going to Eurobike. Why? Is it because it is cooler, with better new stuff to see, and you get to go to Europe? You tell me.... Also, I was speaking with a prominent Mid-Western based rep yesterday who mentioned that only about 5% of his dealers in his territory are going to Lost Wages  to attend Interbike. Wow! Are the two things connected? Most likely not. But it is an interesting observation, none the less.


And Speaking Of Carbon...Completely off topic here, and a break from all the industry babble- I picked up a sweet deal on a carbon Trek fork for my "Orange Crush" rig, and will be trying it out very soon. I hope to get a bit of a test ride in on it tomorrow. Just an experiment here, to gauge the differences between the steel and carbon. I'll report on the findings later.

Another thing about carbon that is amazing- All the carbon hard tail intros at Eurobike, (and the as yet to be covered Interbike, which will surely add to the pile), are mind boggling in their numbers. I bet that at least double the amount of carbon hard tail 29"ers that were in existence last year have already debuted at Eurobike. Crazy! Wanna know something else? Strip the paint jobs off and a lot of them look veery similar.  Just sayin' I think that it is rather odd. You have to wonder what the marketing departments are thinking now that all the curtains have been raised on these things.

Whoops! I did it again. Talked about this danged industry show stuff and carbon fiber. Okay. Shutting up now.....

Tomorrow I promise to write about something totally different!

Lift The Lid

Well, the show in Europe has started. It's the defacto introduction show for anything worth checking out in the cycling world these days. In fact, Interbike is "just another show" these days with little "news" to show for itself.

In fact, some American based brands will drag all their stuff to Europe and not even show their wares at Interbike at all. That should speak volumes, by the way.

So, what's big?

New Moots MX Divide FS 29"er

Well, like I've been saying all along, it's 29"ers. Euro brands are showing them like crazy, and American based brands are showing new models there for the first time, totally bypassing the North American market place for their debuts.

Think I'm wrong? well, have you ever heard of the MX Divide 100mm travel Moots? No....because it is debuting at Eurobike. I'm not sore about that. I just think it points out a few salient things about 29"ers in particular, and the cycling market in general.

Obviously, manufacturers see a huge, untapped potential for "something new" in mountain bikes for Europeans to chew on. The time is ripe too. Europeans have seen one of their own Continentals winning World Cup XC races on 29"ers now, and others are using big wheelers as well. The German federation sanctioned 29"ers for racing only fairly recently, and weights of complete rigs have finally come down to acceptable levels, thanks in part to years of pushing the market here in the U.S. The marketplace is primed, and the manufacturers are rushing in with hard tails and full suspension rigs to satiate the perceived desire. By the sounds of things, the Demo day for Eurobike was slammed with 29"ers out almost the entire day.

Secondly, I see something that isn't being talked about a whole lot, but I can't help but wonder if this doesn't have some bearing on the trade show aspect of the cycling industry. If you had a choice of going to Fredrichshafen Germany, or Las Vegas, Nevada, which would you choose? (Thinking in terms of cycling here.) Cycling economy is world-wide now. Not showing at one, smaller show isn't going to be seen as being a bad deal anymore these days. Especially when U.S. dealers are so intimately courted by the bigger companies, (QBP with Frostbike, Saddledrive, Giant with The Link, Specialized, Raleigh, and Trek doing dealer invitationals, and others as well), so going to Interbike isn't all that necessary. For sure, manufacturers seem to agree by their actions.

If someone were to build a huge pavilion for shows, and had enough lodging with a near by airport in a picturesque setting amongst the mountains in the U.S., maybe things would be different. But it doesn't exist here, and it does in southern Germany. Enough so that it seems to be getting to be the place folks would rather be. Just my opinion. I could be all wrong about that, but if I could swing either show in terms of time and money, I know where I'd be headed to.

Anyway, back to what the "big deal" is at Eurobike. Carbon fiber hard tails are being shown all over the place! (I know.....I'm floored as well!) 

Besides the obvious, the only other big deal there appears to be the second coming of the moped, otherwise known as the electric bicycle, or "e-bike" for short. Bosch will be showing its newest e-bike technology which will hurtle you down the road, (or bicycle trail, I would assume), at a blistering 28 miles per hour.

That's the thing about these "bicycles". They really are mopeds, and at the speeds these things can be easily modded to go at, they find themselves marginalized here in the U.S. Too slow for normal traffic use, and too fast for safe use on bicycle paths, where the average speed of users is quite likely half of what Bosch's new e-bike stuff is capable of.

But, that's the big deal over there.

So, the lid has been lifted. More on what crawls out later in the week.

Lift The Lid

Well, the show in Europe has started. It's the defacto introduction show for anything worth checking out in the cycling world these days. In fact, Interbike is "just another show" these days with little "news" to show for itself.

In fact, some American based brands will drag all their stuff to Europe and not even show their wares at Interbike at all. That should speak volumes, by the way.

So, what's big?

New Moots MX Divide FS 29"er

Well, like I've been saying all along, it's 29"ers. Euro brands are showing them like crazy, and American based brands are showing new models there for the first time, totally bypassing the North American market place for their debuts.

Think I'm wrong? well, have you ever heard of the MX Divide 100mm travel Moots? No....because it is debuting at Eurobike. I'm not sore about that. I just think it points out a few salient things about 29"ers in particular, and the cycling market in general.

Obviously, manufacturers see a huge, untapped potential for "something new" in mountain bikes for Europeans to chew on. The time is ripe too. Europeans have seen one of their own Continentals winning World Cup XC races on 29"ers now, and others are using big wheelers as well. The German federation sanctioned 29"ers for racing only fairly recently, and weights of complete rigs have finally come down to acceptable levels, thanks in part to years of pushing the market here in the U.S. The marketplace is primed, and the manufacturers are rushing in with hard tails and full suspension rigs to satiate the perceived desire. By the sounds of things, the Demo day for Eurobike was slammed with 29"ers out almost the entire day.

Secondly, I see something that isn't being talked about a whole lot, but I can't help but wonder if this doesn't have some bearing on the trade show aspect of the cycling industry. If you had a choice of going to Fredrichshafen Germany, or Las Vegas, Nevada, which would you choose? (Thinking in terms of cycling here.) Cycling economy is world-wide now. Not showing at one, smaller show isn't going to be seen as being a bad deal anymore these days. Especially when U.S. dealers are so intimately courted by the bigger companies, (QBP with Frostbike, Saddledrive, Giant with The Link, Specialized, Raleigh, and Trek doing dealer invitationals, and others as well), so going to Interbike isn't all that necessary. For sure, manufacturers seem to agree by their actions.

If someone were to build a huge pavilion for shows, and had enough lodging with a near by airport in a picturesque setting amongst the mountains in the U.S., maybe things would be different. But it doesn't exist here, and it does in southern Germany. Enough so that it seems to be getting to be the place folks would rather be. Just my opinion. I could be all wrong about that, but if I could swing either show in terms of time and money, I know where I'd be headed to.

Anyway, back to what the "big deal" is at Eurobike. Carbon fiber hard tails are being shown all over the place! (I know.....I'm floored as well!) 

Besides the obvious, the only other big deal there appears to be the second coming of the moped, otherwise known as the electric bicycle, or "e-bike" for short. Bosch will be showing its newest e-bike technology which will hurtle you down the road, (or bicycle trail, I would assume), at a blistering 28 miles per hour.

That's the thing about these "bicycles". They really are mopeds, and at the speeds these things can be easily modded to go at, they find themselves marginalized here in the U.S. Too slow for normal traffic use, and too fast for safe use on bicycle paths, where the average speed of users is quite likely half of what Bosch's new e-bike stuff is capable of.

But, that's the big deal over there.

So, the lid has been lifted. More on what crawls out later in the week.

Trans Iowa V8: New Header For The Site!

Well, another year of Trans Iowa is under way. Usually around this time I get my old co-worker, friend, and Trans Iowa founder Jeff Kerkove to design me up a new header for the site.

He has graciously responded by doing some really great graphic design work for Trans Iowa. This year is no exception, and I think it is pretty hilarious.

Again, we'll see if it causes any issues, but seeing as how we are not selling anything, I think it will be okay.

Things are heating up on the cycling show side of my web work, so anything T.I.V8 related will be put off till later in September. By then I want to nail down exactly where we will be based out of , and get going on the route.

There has been some discussion in regards to moving from Grinnell, but nothing is set in stone yet. Got an opinion bout that? Any ideas? Hit the comments and let me know.

More T.I.V8 stuff later in September. Stay tuned!

Carbon Hard Tails Are "It" For 2012, But Don't Forget This......

An example of carbon done well.

I've said it here before, and it is true. Carbon hard tails for 29"ers in 2012 is the big story that will come out of the Eurobike and Interbike shows. Whatever you might think about carbon bikes, they are viable and here to stay. We may as well get used to that.

And I like the material if its potential is maximized in a design. Carbon for "carbon's sake" is going to happen though. Heavier, stiffer, deader. This sort of feeling I have felt in old carbon road frames and it isn't very fun, comfortable, or inspiring. You could say the same thing about cheaper aluminum frames and even cheap steel frames can have that type of "dead", lifeless feeling and usually poor handling to go along with it.

But there are great handling, fun to ride carbon fiber bikes out there, and some of them are even 29"ers! I would stick my Specialized Stumpjumper Expert carbon in that group. Nice feeling ride. Stiffer than some, but weirdly smooth as well. Hard to 'splain it. But that's the sort of "magic" that carbon fiber is supposed to bring. Like any material- It can be done right, or wrong.

The Milwaukee 29"er: Might be seeing a nuther one soon!

But Don't Forget The "Classics":

In all the carbon "hoopla" you will see and hear for the coming year, it should be noted that steel framed 29"ers have not gone the way of the dodo bird. Nope! They still are quietly being pumped out and I'll tell ya- They are still impressing riders out there. 

Again, one can certainly scorn steel bikes as being too heavy, technologically behind the times, (Not many tapered head tubes or PressFit BB-30's here!), and just....skinny! However; these beasts are still being pumped out, and riding just peachy, thank you very much. Some folks will like the "standard" components that most steel rigs still use, and some will gravitate toward the more, well.......gravity oriented hard tails that are being produced now as well.

Yup! Big wheeled, longer travel forked steel all mountain rigs are already out there too. While those may have a limited appeal, the XC/Trail hard tail in steel, done well, is a joy to be riding on. Easy to take care of with a known failure mode. That's a nice bit of "peace of mind" that some folks will find attractive, for sure.

All I know is that a good, well designed bit of steel is a whole lot of fun to ride on. I am sure glad that we get carbon fiber wunder-bikes  to look at and ride on, but give me a great steel bike and I might not ever come back to look at carbon again. Something about that stuff. Like I said about carbon, it is true for steel as well- hard to 'splain it!

Carbon Hard Tails Are "It" For 2012, But Don't Forget This......

An example of carbon done well.

I've said it here before, and it is true. Carbon hard tails for 29"ers in 2012 is the big story that will come out of the Eurobike and Interbike shows. Whatever you might think about carbon bikes, they are viable and here to stay. We may as well get used to that.

And I like the material if its potential is maximized in a design. Carbon for "carbon's sake" is going to happen though. Heavier, stiffer, deader. This sort of feeling I have felt in old carbon road frames and it isn't very fun, comfortable, or inspiring. You could say the same thing about cheaper aluminum frames and even cheap steel frames can have that type of "dead", lifeless feeling and usually poor handling to go along with it.

But there are great handling, fun to ride carbon fiber bikes out there, and some of them are even 29"ers! I would stick my Specialized Stumpjumper Expert carbon in that group. Nice feeling ride. Stiffer than some, but weirdly smooth as well. Hard to 'splain it. But that's the sort of "magic" that carbon fiber is supposed to bring. Like any material- It can be done right, or wrong.

The Milwaukee 29"er: Might be seeing a nuther one soon!

But Don't Forget The "Classics":

In all the carbon "hoopla" you will see and hear for the coming year, it should be noted that steel framed 29"ers have not gone the way of the dodo bird. Nope! They still are quietly being pumped out and I'll tell ya- They are still impressing riders out there. 

Again, one can certainly scorn steel bikes as being too heavy, technologically behind the times, (Not many tapered head tubes or PressFit BB-30's here!), and just....skinny! However; these beasts are still being pumped out, and riding just peachy, thank you very much. Some folks will like the "standard" components that most steel rigs still use, and some will gravitate toward the more, well.......gravity oriented hard tails that are being produced now as well.

Yup! Big wheeled, longer travel forked steel all mountain rigs are already out there too. While those may have a limited appeal, the XC/Trail hard tail in steel, done well, is a joy to be riding on. Easy to take care of with a known failure mode. That's a nice bit of "peace of mind" that some folks will find attractive, for sure.

All I know is that a good, well designed bit of steel is a whole lot of fun to ride on. I am sure glad that we get carbon fiber wunder-bikes  to look at and ride on, but give me a great steel bike and I might not ever come back to look at carbon again. Something about that stuff. Like I said about carbon, it is true for steel as well- hard to 'splain it!

Trans Iowa V8: New Header For The Site!

Well, another year of Trans Iowa is under way. Usually around this time I get my old co-worker, friend, and Trans Iowa founder Jeff Kerkove to design me up a new header for the site.

He has graciously responded by doing some really great graphic design work for Trans Iowa. This year is no exception, and I think it is pretty hilarious.

Again, we'll see if it causes any issues, but seeing as how we are not selling anything, I think it will be okay.

Things are heating up on the cycling show side of my web work, so anything T.I.V8 related will be put off till later in September. By then I want to nail down exactly where we will be based out of , and get going on the route.

There has been some discussion in regards to moving from Grinnell, but nothing is set in stone yet. Got an opinion bout that? Any ideas? Hit the comments and let me know.

More T.I.V8 stuff later in September. Stay tuned!

Calm Before The Storm

A beautiful day to single speed

Saturday I rode with someone I hadn't ridden with in a long, long time. Rich and I have been trying to get together for a ride for a long time, but with both of our families and busy schedules, we couldn't make it work out.....easily!

As with anything, you need to  put in a bit of effort some times to get good results. Well, Saturday was a "good result" and I am glad it happened.

Rich is someone I have known for a long time, but nearly well enough, and definitely not often enough. He was involved with Advantage Cyclery at one point, and if you remember "Bike Shop Tales", you might remember me mentioning him in one or two of those posts.  Rich was the first person I ever rode a tandem with, oddly enough. He also was a fun person to ride with back then.

This time we weren't grinding up a steep single track pitch into Pfieffer Park in Cedar Falls, (yes locals, this was before the paved bicycle trails!), but we were at the Camp's South Side. I expected to be showing Rich, whose first time it was being there, a great ride on fast, buff trails. However; inexplicably we were coming across huge blow downs. It was really puzzling, since we haven't had a storm out there with wind since I last rode there on Wednesday. It was perfect then, but Saturday there were at least two large trees down, and several dead and live branches.

Rich and I bull-dogged a bunch of it off there, breaking off branches, and pushing things aside enough to get by where we could. So, we not only got a ride in, but some resistance training as well! We came across Paul who was out there maintaining the trails, (Thanks!), and the offending foliage should be removed or routed around by now.

The rest of Saturday was chill,  and Sunday I took a casual ride around with my son. I just felt it was a good time to spend with family, since this week I will be getting buried with Eurobike, then Interbike comes September 12th. Lots of crazy, busy stuff will be going on here before it gets as calm as it is now.

Calm Before The Storm

A beautiful day to single speed

Saturday I rode with someone I hadn't ridden with in a long, long time. Rich and I have been trying to get together for a ride for a long time, but with both of our families and busy schedules, we couldn't make it work out.....easily!

As with anything, you need to  put in a bit of effort some times to get good results. Well, Saturday was a "good result" and I am glad it happened.

Rich is someone I have known for a long time, but nearly well enough, and definitely not often enough. He was involved with Advantage Cyclery at one point, and if you remember "Bike Shop Tales", you might remember me mentioning him in one or two of those posts.  Rich was the first person I ever rode a tandem with, oddly enough. He also was a fun person to ride with back then.

This time we weren't grinding up a steep single track pitch into Pfieffer Park in Cedar Falls, (yes locals, this was before the paved bicycle trails!), but we were at the Camp's South Side. I expected to be showing Rich, whose first time it was being there, a great ride on fast, buff trails. However; inexplicably we were coming across huge blow downs. It was really puzzling, since we haven't had a storm out there with wind since I last rode there on Wednesday. It was perfect then, but Saturday there were at least two large trees down, and several dead and live branches.

Rich and I bull-dogged a bunch of it off there, breaking off branches, and pushing things aside enough to get by where we could. So, we not only got a ride in, but some resistance training as well! We came across Paul who was out there maintaining the trails, (Thanks!), and the offending foliage should be removed or routed around by now.

The rest of Saturday was chill,  and Sunday I took a casual ride around with my son. I just felt it was a good time to spend with family, since this week I will be getting buried with Eurobike, then Interbike comes September 12th. Lots of crazy, busy stuff will be going on here before it gets as calm as it is now.

Time For A Concept Bike! Part V

Inspiration: BMC #42

I figured I would use this space on weekends to do the updates, (when I have them), on the Project Gravel Bike.

The latest is that I will be doing a design with some input from a close friend and then plans will be drawn up to base measurements off of. That's the next action I am taking, at any rate.

Then it will be time to make a few concrete decisions. Stuff like lugs, fork crowns, and tubing have to be decided on and then purchased. Some discussion has already taken place in this regard. Sounds like a plate crown fork is being discussed. I like those a lot!

The builder says he'll likely be doing a frame alongside this one, and by the sounds of it, I'll be doing much of the work on this frame for myself. So, look for updates periodically as I get things rolling here with this gravel bike.

Oh, and as for "Orange Crush", I want you all to know I still really like that frame, and once I get the new frame readied, BMC #42 will become a single speed again.

Time For A Concept Bike! Part V

Inspiration: BMC #42

I figured I would use this space on weekends to do the updates, (when I have them), on the Project Gravel Bike.

The latest is that I will be doing a design with some input from a close friend and then plans will be drawn up to base measurements off of. That's the next action I am taking, at any rate.

Then it will be time to make a few concrete decisions. Stuff like lugs, fork crowns, and tubing have to be decided on and then purchased. Some discussion has already taken place in this regard. Sounds like a plate crown fork is being discussed. I like those a lot!

The builder says he'll likely be doing a frame alongside this one, and by the sounds of it, I'll be doing much of the work on this frame for myself. So, look for updates periodically as I get things rolling here with this gravel bike.

Oh, and as for "Orange Crush", I want you all to know I still really like that frame, and once I get the new frame readied, BMC #42 will become a single speed again.

Conversations....

After yesterday's, (and the day before that!), bombardment of "fat" stuff, it was time to let the battered brain cells soak it all in. Some of that was helped along by having a couple of conversations with Ben Witt.

Not built up yet....Soon though!

Ben called and we chatted about the tires, and all the possibilities! Fat bike cruisers, fat bike cargo rigs, fat bike rock crawlers, and of course, fat bikes in winter, were all topics we covered.

You know, these are not "just for snow" anymore. (Well, they never have been just for snow, right Marty?) Throw on some Black Floyd tires and ride paved surfaces, smooth dirt, gravel, and sand all day long. Put on the Nate 3.8's and claw your way up unthinkable climbs. Or squeeze into some ridiculously humongous Big Fat Larrys and float over......well, just about whatever you'd want to, I guess! The choices have become mind-boggling.

By the way, it has been decided that I shall build my wheels with Ben up in Faribault over the Labor Day weekend. So, look for some fat riding goodness after that point on my new hubs.

More Conversations: And today I'll likely broach the subject of the gravel grinder rig with the builder as we are riding together tomorrow. It should prove to be an interesting journey, building this frame. I think it will be pretty fun.

Next week is Eurobike already Holy Cow! I'm gonna be really busy with posts and then I'm off to Interbike September 11th. Not too far away! Man! Next thing ya know it's going to be October. Crazy!

Conversations....

After yesterday's, (and the day before that!), bombardment of "fat" stuff, it was time to let the battered brain cells soak it all in. Some of that was helped along by having a couple of conversations with Ben Witt.

Not built up yet....Soon though!

Ben called and we chatted about the tires, and all the possibilities! Fat bike cruisers, fat bike cargo rigs, fat bike rock crawlers, and of course, fat bikes in winter, were all topics we covered.

You know, these are not "just for snow" anymore. (Well, they never have been just for snow, right Marty?) Throw on some Black Floyd tires and ride paved surfaces, smooth dirt, gravel, and sand all day long. Put on the Nate 3.8's and claw your way up unthinkable climbs. Or squeeze into some ridiculously humongous Big Fat Larrys and float over......well, just about whatever you'd want to, I guess! The choices have become mind-boggling.

By the way, it has been decided that I shall build my wheels with Ben up in Faribault over the Labor Day weekend. So, look for some fat riding goodness after that point on my new hubs.

More Conversations: And today I'll likely broach the subject of the gravel grinder rig with the builder as we are riding together tomorrow. It should prove to be an interesting journey, building this frame. I think it will be pretty fun.

Next week is Eurobike already Holy Cow! I'm gonna be really busy with posts and then I'm off to Interbike September 11th. Not too far away! Man! Next thing ya know it's going to be October. Crazy!

Bonus Post! New OBP Brand 45North Announces Fat Tire!

I've been aware that a new Quality Bicycle Products brand was being developed aroun the idea of cold weather riding called "45North". I figured it would be about gear and clothing, which it is, but they dropped this bomb on facebook today about a fat bike tire.

This on the heels of Surly's downlaod I reported on yesterday, and it would appear that the fat bike is poised to make huge in roads into cycling.....or fail miserably! 

I'm betting it'll do quite nicely!  I am excited about this tire, since it seems to be the bicycle equivalent of "Blizzak" tires for cars. Siped knobs get better grip, and a more open pattern to disperse snow makes sense for my winter commutes.

This tire is supposed to hit just before winter here. I can't wait to slap a pair of these on the Snow Dog!

Bonus Post! New OBP Brand 45North Announces Fat Tire!

I've been aware that a new Quality Bicycle Products brand was being developed aroun the idea of cold weather riding called "45North". I figured it would be about gear and clothing, which it is, but they dropped this bomb on facebook today about a fat bike tire.

This on the heels of Surly's downlaod I reported on yesterday, and it would appear that the fat bike is poised to make huge in roads into cycling.....or fail miserably! 

I'm betting it'll do quite nicely!  I am excited about this tire, since it seems to be the bicycle equivalent of "Blizzak" tires for cars. Siped knobs get better grip, and a more open pattern to disperse snow makes sense for my winter commutes.

This tire is supposed to hit just before winter here. I can't wait to slap a pair of these on the Snow Dog!

"Big" News

Well, if you have been living under a rock lately, I can forgive your ignorance, but those that read this blog surely know that I have become a recent convert to "fat biking", which I can blame my Salsa Cycles Mukluk for, (bum hub or no). Well, now that love has been seriously stoked!

Moonlander- Seriously fat!

Yep! There it be. The 4.7" tires, the steel frame, and the "Surly" moniker in the scrawled script. Feast yer eyes on the largeness.

Obviously, some folks will be stumbling all over themselves to get one of these. I am mildly intrigued. There are some things I can embrace about this bike. Other things are just......well, very Surly-ish. 

Surly stuck with 135mmOLD hubs front and rear necessitating a monstrous 28mm offset to the frame and wheels. This so it could clear the 2 X 9 drive train, which itself is customized to fit the frame and purposes of the bike. That is cool. But......I have found that I use a triple quite frequently. 

The Moonlander may swing me over yet. I'll wait to see about it after Interbike and hopefully, a test ride.

100mm wide

I'm more excited for the Clownshoe rims, which are 100mm wide. That's 18mm wider than my current Rolling Darryl rims. I think these in combination with a Endomorph rear and Big Fat Larry in front might be the ticket to the "slightly more float" that I craved for last winter. Plus, I am reasonably sure that this would fit my current Mukluk, and, er.......something else I have up my sleeve!

Then there are the tires. The "Black Floyd", which is a wide, smoother treaded tire, looks perfect for gravel, pavement, or smoother surfaces where treaded tires make less sense on a fat bike. 

The "Nate", a really heavily knobbed 3.8 incher, looks to be the perfect rock crawling tire for El Paso fat biking, or on real off road rides where grip is needed. I can totally see having all these tires in the arsenal for my fat bike. (And future fat bikes. Yes- there will be more!)

So, the tire and rim offerings coming out make more sense to have for my needs in terms of the fat bike stuff.

Surly Ogre 29"er

I may retire my '03 Karate Monkey. Hold on....it all will make sense here in a minute! 

You see, I've been wondering how long my '03 KM is going to hold out. I would be sorely heartbroken if it broke, or failed in some other way. The BB is stuck in it, and I know it is knocking now, which isn't a good sign.

Now I see the Ogre. This is Surly's take on a 700c/29"er Troll, which is there "utility bike". I basically have put the KM into "utility mode" for the past several years, but it isn't ideally suited to that purpose. For instance, the KM has no rack mounts, no real good fender mounts, and I can't really love that rear drop out/disc brake set up. Never have. The Ogre solves all that and has trailer capabilities as well.

I have all the parts to build one now. I just would be adding a rack, and off I would go doing "lite errands". This would also become my foul weather commuter, and I could totally see an Alfine 11 speed hub on this one. Add the Alfine generator hub up front, and it's all done. A total, go anywhere, anytime rig for my commute/errand needs. My '03 KM would be returned to mtb duty then? Not so fast!

2012 Karate Monkey

Enter the 2012 Karate Monkey. It has ditched the cantilever posts, (finally!), and Surly lightened up the fork a bit.

The other changes made throughout the years since 2003 have also been retained: Different butted tubing, newer, nicer rear drop outs, "braced" top tube for better stand over, and continuous housing cable runs. Nice things to have, and I would like that.

Now I would transfer over a lot of the stuff from the current KM set up, retain the single speed deal, drop bar, and us it for single track. It wouldn't cost me much extra beyond the frame.

My current KM would be hung from the wall. It has served me well all these years, and this would give me time to carefully remove the bottom bracket at some point, after hours, days, and perhaps months of soaking in some magic elixir!

At any rate, Surly has really brought out some very interesting stuff for 2012. It will take a while to process all of this. And ya know what? They haven't shown us everything up their sleeve yet either......

"Big" News

Well, if you have been living under a rock lately, I can forgive your ignorance, but those that read this blog surely know that I have become a recent convert to "fat biking", which I can blame my Salsa Cycles Mukluk for, (bum hub or no). Well, now that love has been seriously stoked!

Moonlander- Seriously fat!

Yep! There it be. The 4.7" tires, the steel frame, and the "Surly" moniker in the scrawled script. Feast yer eyes on the largeness.

Obviously, some folks will be stumbling all over themselves to get one of these. I am mildly intrigued. There are some things I can embrace about this bike. Other things are just......well, very Surly-ish. 

Surly stuck with 135mmOLD hubs front and rear necessitating a monstrous 28mm offset to the frame and wheels. This so it could clear the 2 X 9 drive train, which itself is customized to fit the frame and purposes of the bike. That is cool. But......I have found that I use a triple quite frequently. 

The Moonlander may swing me over yet. I'll wait to see about it after Interbike and hopefully, a test ride.

100mm wide

I'm more excited for the Clownshoe rims, which are 100mm wide. That's 18mm wider than my current Rolling Darryl rims. I think these in combination with a Endomorph rear and Big Fat Larry in front might be the ticket to the "slightly more float" that I craved for last winter. Plus, I am reasonably sure that this would fit my current Mukluk, and, er.......something else I have up my sleeve!

Then there are the tires. The "Black Floyd", which is a wide, smoother treaded tire, looks perfect for gravel, pavement, or smoother surfaces where treaded tires make less sense on a fat bike. 

The "Nate", a really heavily knobbed 3.8 incher, looks to be the perfect rock crawling tire for El Paso fat biking, or on real off road rides where grip is needed. I can totally see having all these tires in the arsenal for my fat bike. (And future fat bikes. Yes- there will be more!)

So, the tire and rim offerings coming out make more sense to have for my needs in terms of the fat bike stuff.

Surly Ogre 29"er

I may retire my '03 Karate Monkey. Hold on....it all will make sense here in a minute! 

You see, I've been wondering how long my '03 KM is going to hold out. I would be sorely heartbroken if it broke, or failed in some other way. The BB is stuck in it, and I know it is knocking now, which isn't a good sign.

Now I see the Ogre. This is Surly's take on a 700c/29"er Troll, which is there "utility bike". I basically have put the KM into "utility mode" for the past several years, but it isn't ideally suited to that purpose. For instance, the KM has no rack mounts, no real good fender mounts, and I can't really love that rear drop out/disc brake set up. Never have. The Ogre solves all that and has trailer capabilities as well.

I have all the parts to build one now. I just would be adding a rack, and off I would go doing "lite errands". This would also become my foul weather commuter, and I could totally see an Alfine 11 speed hub on this one. Add the Alfine generator hub up front, and it's all done. A total, go anywhere, anytime rig for my commute/errand needs. My '03 KM would be returned to mtb duty then? Not so fast!

2012 Karate Monkey

Enter the 2012 Karate Monkey. It has ditched the cantilever posts, (finally!), and Surly lightened up the fork a bit.

The other changes made throughout the years since 2003 have also been retained: Different butted tubing, newer, nicer rear drop outs, "braced" top tube for better stand over, and continuous housing cable runs. Nice things to have, and I would like that.

Now I would transfer over a lot of the stuff from the current KM set up, retain the single speed deal, drop bar, and us it for single track. It wouldn't cost me much extra beyond the frame.

My current KM would be hung from the wall. It has served me well all these years, and this would give me time to carefully remove the bottom bracket at some point, after hours, days, and perhaps months of soaking in some magic elixir!

At any rate, Surly has really brought out some very interesting stuff for 2012. It will take a while to process all of this. And ya know what? They haven't shown us everything up their sleeve yet either......

Past, Present, And Future

The Past: I was going through some Facebook posts yesterday when I came upon a link that I found fascinating. It had a connection with last weekend's Gravel Worlds that were held in the Lincoln, Nebraska vicinity.

The Krull House, circa 2005

The fellas from War Axe Bikes wanted to help out with the Gravel Worlds this year, so they hatched a plan to host a "secret checkpoint" on the course. It turned out that the choice was an old limestone structure that was a pioneer home called the "Frederick Krull House".

The story behind the old limestone farm house is fascinating, and what I found ultimately inspiring was the dedication that the new owner, Matt Steinhausen, has for restoring this structure, and what is more, the history behind it.

You just don't see this sort of thing often enough in this country, and I think that preserving the history, and making it real by living in the house, (which is eventually the plan), is extraordinary. Click the link, but be prepared to read a bit! If you find rural, pioneer history and the efforts to preserve it interesting, it is a must read.

For me, it is just another reminder of the things you will see and learn about by gravel grinding. Getting "off the highway" and seeing the land, getting in touch with the people, and experiencing things from that perspective is just really refreshing, at least for myself. YMMV.

Finally, I found it really cool that the Pirate Cycling League guys and War Axe Bikes think to give these gravel events a bit of a historical and local flavor. I know that is something I always hope folks take away from Trans Iowa events. Cheers to the good guys and gals of Lincoln!

The Present: Yeasterday I went to Cedar Bend for my ride since we got dumped on by a good amount of rain on Monday. Things were really good there.

The Stumpjumper Expert Carbon rig I rode is one of my favorite bikes. I rode it about 4 laps there and it just rips around the corners, (with the proper amount of "body English"), and goes up climbs like crazy if you've got enough motor to do it.

I like testing wheels on this bike, because I know if I feel anything giving way, it isn't this frame! This thing doesn't flex much, if at all. Not that I notice anyway. The thing is, it doesn't "zing" you like aluminum does. Funny stuff, this carbon fiber, and I am surprised I have grown to like a carbon frame as much as I do this one.It's kind of ironic too, since I would characterize myself as being a "steel kinda guy" and having some "retro-grouchy" tendencies.

The Future: Which leads me into another interesting thought I came across from Dave Nice. He asked if carbon fiber frames will ever be thought of as "classic" in the same vein as steel frames from the early days of mountain biking.

2012 Breezer Lightning 29 (Steel!)

Maybe, but only if they (a) survive, (b) are unique, and not a "catalog bike" from a Chinese distributor or carbon factory, and (c), have imparted some special ride quality that is noteworthy. Something that is "first", or "last", or "considered best" in carbon fiber might be a consideration as well.

So sure- Carbon frames of some sort will be revered for some reason down the road. I could see the early Fisher branded Superfly as being one of those bikes, or maybe even the Specialized I have now. Maybe.

The thing is, the market is so fickle, who knows? Maybe carbon frames will all somehow be disqualified for being too, well........plasticky.   If anyone did know, they would be stashing away whatever it is by now! I guess if I had to pick, I would say no. Carbon, unless it was something really revolutionary, is not going to be considered "classic" like a Willits, the Karate Monkey, (In Campstove Green!), or the first year of Fisher's Super Caliber 29"ers.

Well, we can all look back in 20 years and see what happened, right? See ya down the trail......

Past, Present, And Future

The Past: I was going through some Facebook posts yesterday when I came upon a link that I found fascinating. It had a connection with last weekend's Gravel Worlds that were held in the Lincoln, Nebraska vicinity.

The Krull House, circa 2005

The fellas from War Axe Bikes wanted to help out with the Gravel Worlds this year, so they hatched a plan to host a "secret checkpoint" on the course. It turned out that the choice was an old limestone structure that was a pioneer home called the "Frederick Krull House".

The story behind the old limestone farm house is fascinating, and what I found ultimately inspiring was the dedication that the new owner, Matt Steinhausen, has for restoring this structure, and what is more, the history behind it.

You just don't see this sort of thing often enough in this country, and I think that preserving the history, and making it real by living in the house, (which is eventually the plan), is extraordinary. Click the link, but be prepared to read a bit! If you find rural, pioneer history and the efforts to preserve it interesting, it is a must read.

For me, it is just another reminder of the things you will see and learn about by gravel grinding. Getting "off the highway" and seeing the land, getting in touch with the people, and experiencing things from that perspective is just really refreshing, at least for myself. YMMV.

Finally, I found it really cool that the Pirate Cycling League guys and War Axe Bikes think to give these gravel events a bit of a historical and local flavor. I know that is something I always hope folks take away from Trans Iowa events. Cheers to the good guys and gals of Lincoln!

The Present: Yeasterday I went to Cedar Bend for my ride since we got dumped on by a good amount of rain on Monday. Things were really good there.

The Stumpjumper Expert Carbon rig I rode is one of my favorite bikes. I rode it about 4 laps there and it just rips around the corners, (with the proper amount of "body English"), and goes up climbs like crazy if you've got enough motor to do it.

I like testing wheels on this bike, because I know if I feel anything giving way, it isn't this frame! This thing doesn't flex much, if at all. Not that I notice anyway. The thing is, it doesn't "zing" you like aluminum does. Funny stuff, this carbon fiber, and I am surprised I have grown to like a carbon frame as much as I do this one.It's kind of ironic too, since I would characterize myself as being a "steel kinda guy" and having some "retro-grouchy" tendencies.

The Future: Which leads me into another interesting thought I came across from Dave Nice. He asked if carbon fiber frames will ever be thought of as "classic" in the same vein as steel frames from the early days of mountain biking.

2012 Breezer Lightning 29 (Steel!)

Maybe, but only if they (a) survive, (b) are unique, and not a "catalog bike" from a Chinese distributor or carbon factory, and (c), have imparted some special ride quality that is noteworthy. Something that is "first", or "last", or "considered best" in carbon fiber might be a consideration as well.

So sure- Carbon frames of some sort will be revered for some reason down the road. I could see the early Fisher branded Superfly as being one of those bikes, or maybe even the Specialized I have now. Maybe.

The thing is, the market is so fickle, who knows? Maybe carbon frames will all somehow be disqualified for being too, well........plasticky.   If anyone did know, they would be stashing away whatever it is by now! I guess if I had to pick, I would say no. Carbon, unless it was something really revolutionary, is not going to be considered "classic" like a Willits, the Karate Monkey, (In Campstove Green!), or the first year of Fisher's Super Caliber 29"ers.

Well, we can all look back in 20 years and see what happened, right? See ya down the trail......

Time For A Concept Bike! Part IV

Well......way back when, like last November,  I floated an idea for a bike specifically built for gravel grinding. I was at that time being teased along the lines of a such a bike by a small brand that had asked my opinions, and then promptly dropped all my considerations and went an entirely different direction.

Then I struck out on a "get by" plan, and ended up with the BMC #42 Monster Cross model I dubbed "Orange Crush"

It's a good un!

While I've been putting in lots of mileage on this bike, I've been keeping the "project bike' in the back of my mind all along. Little nits, and good things filed away for the time when I was ready to get the custom rig under way.

I think the fit and some other major considerations are really close with this bike. The handling is very close. Ol' Orange Crush does a lot of things very, very well for me.

Then there are a couple of things I am wanting to tweak, and one thing I really want to do that I've started to notice more and more of on smartly built gravel specific rigs.

• First, I want to slacken the head angle about a half degree with a similar fork off set to the BMC. This should provide the skosch  more stability I am craving. The BMC is oh-so-close. 
• I want to lower the bottom bracket a bit. Not a lot, but definitely I want more bottom bracket drop than the BMC has. This will also lend a more stable feel. It also will have the effect of setting me a hair more "into" the bike. 
• The big thing, which I am starting to notice guys doing, is to have a track end type drop out with a derailleur hangar, like this. I might not need that much throw, but to be able to single speed the bike in an emergency seems to be an important thing in gravel grinding, and I don't need "swift rear wheel changes", so if it is a bit fiddly, I wouldn't mind. Truth is, I've had a bicycle with similar drop outs in a Klein Attitude, circa 1992. 

So, with these basic ideas, and my other parameters like 42mm tires with clearance, maybe rack mounts out back, and fender mounts, (Yes Ben, fender mounts!), I am going to look at getting the ball rolling here this fall, or early winter. Depends on how things shake out.

A casual conversation at the shop one day led to a connection I had in the past which has developed into a verbal agreement to have a local builder help put this dream into reality. In fact, I may end up actually doing some of the work! 

Scary, I know!

So, stay tuned later this year for little updates to what I hope will become my gravel grinder project.

Time For A Concept Bike! Part IV

Well......way back when, like last November,  I floated an idea for a bike specifically built for gravel grinding. I was at that time being teased along the lines of a such a bike by a small brand that had asked my opinions, and then promptly dropped all my considerations and went an entirely different direction.

Then I struck out on a "get by" plan, and ended up with the BMC #42 Monster Cross model I dubbed "Orange Crush"

It's a good un!

While I've been putting in lots of mileage on this bike, I've been keeping the "project bike' in the back of my mind all along. Little nits, and good things filed away for the time when I was ready to get the custom rig under way.

I think the fit and some other major considerations are really close with this bike. The handling is very close. Ol' Orange Crush does a lot of things very, very well for me.

Then there are a couple of things I am wanting to tweak, and one thing I really want to do that I've started to notice more and more of on smartly built gravel specific rigs.

• First, I want to slacken the head angle about a half degree with a similar fork off set to the BMC. This should provide the skosch  more stability I am craving. The BMC is oh-so-close. 
• I want to lower the bottom bracket a bit. Not a lot, but definitely I want more bottom bracket drop than the BMC has. This will also lend a more stable feel. It also will have the effect of setting me a hair more "into" the bike. 
• The big thing, which I am starting to notice guys doing, is to have a track end type drop out with a derailleur hangar, like this. I might not need that much throw, but to be able to single speed the bike in an emergency seems to be an important thing in gravel grinding, and I don't need "swift rear wheel changes", so if it is a bit fiddly, I wouldn't mind. Truth is, I've had a bicycle with similar drop outs in a Klein Attitude, circa 1992. 

So, with these basic ideas, and my other parameters like 42mm tires with clearance, maybe rack mounts out back, and fender mounts, (Yes Ben, fender mounts!), I am going to look at getting the ball rolling here this fall, or early winter. Depends on how things shake out.

A casual conversation at the shop one day led to a connection I had in the past which has developed into a verbal agreement to have a local builder help put this dream into reality. In fact, I may end up actually doing some of the work! 

Scary, I know!

So, stay tuned later this year for little updates to what I hope will become my gravel grinder project.

Are We Just Too Big To Be A Cycling Nation?

Last week I had an interesting conversation with Dan, one of the fantastic reps we have come in to the shop where I work. We talked about a lot of things, but it was the subject of commuting that grabbed my attention.

It's a big, big country!

Dan has a territory to cover with his job that doesn't allow for "commuting by bicycle" much. And obviously, doing work in a multi-state territory is going to require an expedient way to get from one retail shop to another. At least for face-to-face relations.

But what about folks that live in cities? Well, even then you run into obstacles. Dan had a great example where a couple, strapped for employment, had to find jobs in different cities, which made for a decision to live in a town in between the two jobs. The distance is too great to make cycling a practical choice for them. And then there are cities where folks live so far away from the employment centers that traveling by bicycle would just consume too much time.

Are we just too big of a country to be a commute by bicycle nation?

I think it is a fair question. The way this country grew up, with its vastness and open lands being plentiful, it lent itself to "spreading out", as opposed to the close, centralized villages and towns that are common in older countries. The "spreading out" of America is still happening. Just look where towns and cities grow. It is at the fringes, mostly, while at the center, things decay.

Doing Things By Bicycle

Of course, there are exceptions. Portland, Minneapolis, and even my local communities are making strides to revitalize the metro-centers and install bicycle infrastructure that promotes doing things by bicycle.

Doing things by bicycle in communities is great, but "commuting to work" by bicycle is where things seem to get more difficult.  Distances to employers seems to be a great factor in why folks don't, or won't commute by bicycle. Is this a detriment to doing any commuting by bicycle for most folks? I don't think it has to be.

Obviously, where there is a will, there is a way. Dan, for instance, travels to bigger cities, then uses a bicycle to visit different clients in that city. Another blogger I know used trains and bicycles in his commute on the west coast. Maybe we should start thinking more in terms of "hybrid-commuting". Maybe using a combination of bicycles with other forms of mass transit, or commuting partially by vehicle.

Whatever it is, cycling will have to be seen as being something practical, useful, and smart before it is seen a "cycling as we cyclists know it". In other words, to get these folks commuting, at least in part, by bicycle, there will have to be some economic/cultural incentive. Just expecting everyone to be "bitten by the bug" is a bit too utopian.

This country just doesn't cotton to dreams without a consideration to its harsh realities.

Are We Just Too Big To Be A Cycling Nation?

Last week I had an interesting conversation with Dan, one of the fantastic reps we have come in to the shop where I work. We talked about a lot of things, but it was the subject of commuting that grabbed my attention.

It's a big, big country!

Dan has a territory to cover with his job that doesn't allow for "commuting by bicycle" much. And obviously, doing work in a multi-state territory is going to require an expedient way to get from one retail shop to another. At least for face-to-face relations.

But what about folks that live in cities? Well, even then you run into obstacles. Dan had a great example where a couple, strapped for employment, had to find jobs in different cities, which made for a decision to live in a town in between the two jobs. The distance is too great to make cycling a practical choice for them. And then there are cities where folks live so far away from the employment centers that traveling by bicycle would just consume too much time.

Are we just too big of a country to be a commute by bicycle nation?

I think it is a fair question. The way this country grew up, with its vastness and open lands being plentiful, it lent itself to "spreading out", as opposed to the close, centralized villages and towns that are common in older countries. The "spreading out" of America is still happening. Just look where towns and cities grow. It is at the fringes, mostly, while at the center, things decay.

Doing Things By Bicycle

Of course, there are exceptions. Portland, Minneapolis, and even my local communities are making strides to revitalize the metro-centers and install bicycle infrastructure that promotes doing things by bicycle.

Doing things by bicycle in communities is great, but "commuting to work" by bicycle is where things seem to get more difficult.  Distances to employers seems to be a great factor in why folks don't, or won't commute by bicycle. Is this a detriment to doing any commuting by bicycle for most folks? I don't think it has to be.

Obviously, where there is a will, there is a way. Dan, for instance, travels to bigger cities, then uses a bicycle to visit different clients in that city. Another blogger I know used trains and bicycles in his commute on the west coast. Maybe we should start thinking more in terms of "hybrid-commuting". Maybe using a combination of bicycles with other forms of mass transit, or commuting partially by vehicle.

Whatever it is, cycling will have to be seen as being something practical, useful, and smart before it is seen a "cycling as we cyclists know it". In other words, to get these folks commuting, at least in part, by bicycle, there will have to be some economic/cultural incentive. Just expecting everyone to be "bitten by the bug" is a bit too utopian.

This country just doesn't cotton to dreams without a consideration to its harsh realities.

What I Missed And What I Didin't

Well, with the summer almost gone, there are some things I am thinking about that I haven't done. I really, really want to do these things, but either it is too late, or I chose something else, or fate wasn't in my corner. Oh well......

Malcom, NE

Gravel Worlds were this past weekend, and that was one of the deals I really wanted to get to. More for the folks down that way than for the riding, but the riding is fantastic. Lincoln cycling folks are top notch. I have always been welcomed there and treated great by those people and I know I am not the only one that feels that way.

Things just didn't swing the right way for me to get there this year, but I did get to ride my bicycle with my son, and spent a bunch of time with my family, which is always a good trade off.

In fact, I rode my Snow Dog. It never ceases to amaze me. The looks people give me, and the comments I get while riding that bike. Awesome! Oddly enough, I rode one of Ben Witt's 36"ers around town for a couple of months and no one batted an eyelash! Weird.

Sawyer In The Morning Light

I also got out on Saturday to ride in Geo Wyth State Park. I checked out the Alice Wyth Lake section of trails and they were super fast.

Yes......there were spiders. Not as many as what you'd have to deal with on a Saturday morning at The Camp this time of year, but there were some anyway.

The funny thing about the trails out there is that while most re-furbished or newer trails are just fine, I came across a ludicrously tight section of trail that, well......defies description. I can't say what was going on in the minds of those that put that chunk of trail in, but it folds back on itself so tightly that riding it, or running it makes it seem as though you are on a dirt version of a bad merry-go-round. I know it seems sometimes like some things would be a good idea while walking a trail, but put yourself on a bicycle, or run it, and it all becomes a very different story.

The good news is that it is a very short bit of trail, and there is a optional pass-by. Crazy. Besides that section, I say "well done" to those who worked hard in putting the trails in and fixing the old ones up. That Alice Wyth section rips. Good stuff.

Okay, I still have a lot of the year left, and many things to do. I hopefully will get some of these things checked off my list before the year ends. I'm going to be quite busy, I am.

And then there is Trans Iowa to think about.........