So......Now What?

This winter is.......fading fast! With the snow getting visibly less every hour during daylight, it won't take long with these 40 degree days to roach all the snow and put an end to fat biking on snow exclusively.

Fun while it lasted....

Yep! I am back to commuting on "skinny" wheels, wearing a helmet again, and using clipless pedals and shoes. I rode the "Project Two-Six" bike to work yesterday and I had to actually go looking for icy spots to test the Continental Winter Contact tires. There just wasn't any ice to be found!

So, I have been in the game of switching gears mentally to spring time. Too early, you say? No.......no, spring is coming.  I know. I heard the Cardinals start singing already, and that usually doesn't happen until mid-February. The forecast says 40's all week. I'm digging out the Gryphon and "Orange Crush" and I'm thinking long gravel rides are coming on fast.

I have an event coming up at the end of February too, so I need to get the gravel grinding done in preparation for CIRREM which is a hilly, challenging course. It is the same distance as Triple D was, so I should be okay with that part.

Single Gear Suffering?

I'm pretty sure I'll do the majority of the training on my Singular Gryphon. The gravel probably won't be too kind to a geared drive train for a while, and a single keeps the pace more constant on flatter terrain.

Plus, it has just been too long since I spent quality time aboard this bike. It certainly is a comfortable enough rig. I rode this one the last time I did Gravel Worlds in Lincoln, and spent all day on the bike. That didn't stop me that day, but the extreme heat sure did!

If I really wanted to be a goof ball I would just ride this in CIRREM. Who knows......maybe I will! Heck, it goes up hills just fine. I know that from my Nebraska trip. Just stand on those 180mm White Industries cranks and get goin! If CIRREM looks to be a peanut buttery mess, I definitely will be taking this rig.

Otherwise it'll be a Black Mountain Cycles kind of day. Either way, I will be needing to take some time plying some Iowa gravel roads and seeing what is going on out there in the country. The off road trails won't be up to snuff for quite a while yet, and the snow biking, well.......those days are done for this year. 

Maybe I'm wrong about that, but I bet not. 

So......Now What?

This winter is.......fading fast! With the snow getting visibly less every hour during daylight, it won't take long with these 40 degree days to roach all the snow and put an end to fat biking on snow exclusively.

Fun while it lasted....

Yep! I am back to commuting on "skinny" wheels, wearing a helmet again, and using clipless pedals and shoes. I rode the "Project Two-Six" bike to work yesterday and I had to actually go looking for icy spots to test the Continental Winter Contact tires. There just wasn't any ice to be found!

So, I have been in the game of switching gears mentally to spring time. Too early, you say? No.......no, spring is coming.  I know. I heard the Cardinals start singing already, and that usually doesn't happen until mid-February. The forecast says 40's all week. I'm digging out the Gryphon and "Orange Crush" and I'm thinking long gravel rides are coming on fast.

I have an event coming up at the end of February too, so I need to get the gravel grinding done in preparation for CIRREM which is a hilly, challenging course. It is the same distance as Triple D was, so I should be okay with that part.

Single Gear Suffering?

I'm pretty sure I'll do the majority of the training on my Singular Gryphon. The gravel probably won't be too kind to a geared drive train for a while, and a single keeps the pace more constant on flatter terrain.

Plus, it has just been too long since I spent quality time aboard this bike. It certainly is a comfortable enough rig. I rode this one the last time I did Gravel Worlds in Lincoln, and spent all day on the bike. That didn't stop me that day, but the extreme heat sure did!

If I really wanted to be a goof ball I would just ride this in CIRREM. Who knows......maybe I will! Heck, it goes up hills just fine. I know that from my Nebraska trip. Just stand on those 180mm White Industries cranks and get goin! If CIRREM looks to be a peanut buttery mess, I definitely will be taking this rig.

Otherwise it'll be a Black Mountain Cycles kind of day. Either way, I will be needing to take some time plying some Iowa gravel roads and seeing what is going on out there in the country. The off road trails won't be up to snuff for quite a while yet, and the snow biking, well.......those days are done for this year. 

Maybe I'm wrong about that, but I bet not. 

Unplanned Success

Current state-o-the 'Buck

Saturday's fat bike ride tweaked out my legs again, so Sunday was going to be a planned off day. Something about riding those fat bikes really knocks it outta me, especially since Triple D. I guess I have not quite recovered 100% from that day just yet.

So Saturday night I stayed up until the wee hours to get all of the T.I.V8 cues written that I could. I now can say that they are all written down but about 20 miles worth, which I am leaving open dependent on just how the event will end, which I should have made clear to me very soon. Once that happens, all the cues will be formatted and that should be that barring any corrections that may need to be made.

Yep! Sunday was going to be an off day, and I was doing great at that until I went down to the Lab to weigh something. I got a bit distracted though. I had my OS Bikes Blackbuck hanging in my repair stand waiting to have some wheels installed, pedals installed, and front brake mount changed to accept a 185mm rotor.

Curvy stays

One thing led to another and the next thing I know, I am wrist deep into grease and turning wrenches. I added a couple of things to the old 'Buck. The wheel set came off my retired 2007 El Mariachi. This is an Industry 9 single speed specific wheel set with Bontrager Duster rims. Pretty "buzzy" sounding hub, by the way. Really buzzy!

The hub already had a Boone titanium cog on it with the matching spacers, but I had to rearrange those to dial in the chain line a bit. I found a black Salsa quick release for the rear, and I'll have to track down the front one. Got a silver one in there right now from some off-brand replacement wheel set.

I had already mounted these Czech made Rubena Scylla tires to the rims, tubeless of course, and the post mount brake set up on the Tower Expert fork was swapped to get the front wheel in there. Once that was done I scavenged my Shimano clipless pedals from the El Mar and it was all ready to ride.

Well, I got outside, wearing my clipless shoes for the first time this year, I think, and took off for a short little test ride. I have to say that riding a 29"er now seems like cheating. After so many fat biking miles this winter, the single speed with the "skinny" 2.1"ers seemed easy to ride and almost too twitchy. Now when the snow does finally go away, the ol 'Buck will be raring to go, and it should be a hoot to ride this way. I was glad I got it put back together and that it turned out well.

Oh yeah....I did get back home and I weighed that part after all. Even though I wasn't supposed to ride at all today, it sure felt good for that short few moments.

Unplanned Success

Current state-o-the 'Buck

Saturday's fat bike ride tweaked out my legs again, so Sunday was going to be a planned off day. Something about riding those fat bikes really knocks it outta me, especially since Triple D. I guess I have not quite recovered 100% from that day just yet.

So Saturday night I stayed up until the wee hours to get all of the T.I.V8 cues written that I could. I now can say that they are all written down but about 20 miles worth, which I am leaving open dependent on just how the event will end, which I should have made clear to me very soon. Once that happens, all the cues will be formatted and that should be that barring any corrections that may need to be made.

Yep! Sunday was going to be an off day, and I was doing great at that until I went down to the Lab to weigh something. I got a bit distracted though. I had my OS Bikes Blackbuck hanging in my repair stand waiting to have some wheels installed, pedals installed, and front brake mount changed to accept a 185mm rotor.

Curvy stays

One thing led to another and the next thing I know, I am wrist deep into grease and turning wrenches. I added a couple of things to the old 'Buck. The wheel set came off my retired 2007 El Mariachi. This is an Industry 9 single speed specific wheel set with Bontrager Duster rims. Pretty "buzzy" sounding hub, by the way. Really buzzy!

The hub already had a Boone titanium cog on it with the matching spacers, but I had to rearrange those to dial in the chain line a bit. I found a black Salsa quick release for the rear, and I'll have to track down the front one. Got a silver one in there right now from some off-brand replacement wheel set.

I had already mounted these Czech made Rubena Scylla tires to the rims, tubeless of course, and the post mount brake set up on the Tower Expert fork was swapped to get the front wheel in there. Once that was done I scavenged my Shimano clipless pedals from the El Mar and it was all ready to ride.

Well, I got outside, wearing my clipless shoes for the first time this year, I think, and took off for a short little test ride. I have to say that riding a 29"er now seems like cheating. After so many fat biking miles this winter, the single speed with the "skinny" 2.1"ers seemed easy to ride and almost too twitchy. Now when the snow does finally go away, the ol 'Buck will be raring to go, and it should be a hoot to ride this way. I was glad I got it put back together and that it turned out well.

Oh yeah....I did get back home and I weighed that part after all. Even though I wasn't supposed to ride at all today, it sure felt good for that short few moments.

Gettin' It While I Can

Along The Cedar River

Saturday was beautiful out, and before all of our snow gets roached by the Sun, I decided to head over East of my casa to check out my typical winter riding hangouts.

One of the reasons I wanted to get Big Fat Larrys was to get the little bit of extra float that they might provide over the 3.8"ers I used on this bike last year. I knew that over the years a lot of snowmobile traffic goes along the river, so I had high hopes of getting the BFL's into an area where they would actually be a benefit.

I started to get close to where the trails pick up and I saw a hopeful sign. Snomobile tracks heading west. Certainly that meant they would go east and towards more open country. Well, I was wrong! I got down onto the paved bike path which was covered in snow and post-holed with lots of pedestrian traffic.

Okay, so it would be a bumpy ride then! I focused and made it down and around and across to where I like to stop for a photo op. These big limestone blocks make a nice backdrop for bicycle photos. Atleast I think so

Follow the footprints!

Well, after that photo op, I had more post-holed trail to follow until I found some buried snowmobile tracks. I hit these and made better time, even though they were underneath a few inches of snow and were hard to make out going into the bright sunshine. I just "thought like a snowmobiler", and that worked out until I crossed a road and went up on top of a dike where it was really easy to see the trail the machines left behind.

This turned and went down. I had a blast descending this snowmobile trail, but I forgot that the weight distribution for not "punching through" and the weight distribution for descending don't match up all the time. Actually, to be honest, I didn't forget that, I learned that! I don't know if I could have saved it. Maybe going slower is the key.

Well, at any rate, I was following the snowmobile tracks and they doubled back to where I had come. Bah! That's no fun. I had seen something veering off the dike earlier though, so I figured I would go and investigate that before heading back toward home.

Now THIS is why I got the BFL's!

I trundled along the dike until I found a snowmobile track heading eastward down the steep slope of the dike. I followed and had a bit of a thrilling ride down the slope full of loose, deep snow, but I stayed upright. Then through the small opening in a chain link fence.

After this I found an undulating, twisting, turning trail that a few snowmobiles had layed down. My bike was tracking nicely along this, but as opposed to having my weight back a fair amount, here I needed to allow for more of a weight balance between the wheels. This kept my rear tire from "punching through" and kept me motoring along the snowmobile track.

Then the track doubled back again! What is it with these snowmobilers? Well, I went back util I found a branch off where a truck had made it part way back into the woods. I followed its tracks out to a paved road. At this point I could see I was along the ATV park, which was fenced off from the road. I decided to try and find my way in by following the road back eastward along the fence line.

Ice fisherman on Mitchell Sand Pit Lake

I ended up not finding a way into the ATV park, but I did find the wood disposal station for the City of Waterloo. Massive mounds of wood chips everywhere! The road turned into a muddy dirt surface here and I was glad for the big fat tires which walked right over the mushy surface.

This went by the Waste Water Treatment Plant and the road went back on itself again where I had come from. I continued on back to the point I popped out of the woods, went on further, and found out I was gated in! It wasn't that I couldn't get into the ATV park, I couldn't get out of the city property I had found my way into! Okay, so back out the way I came it was for me.

Remember that little opening in the chain link fence after the dike? Yeah......that was the only way out! So, I went back through the way I had come, and then out along another snowmobile trail across a huge, empty field to a city street. Once there, I made my way back home.

It was a fun adventure on the fat bike, and I learned a few things about the city I live in along the way. Good times!

Gettin' It While I Can

Along The Cedar River

Saturday was beautiful out, and before all of our snow gets roached by the Sun, I decided to head over East of my casa to check out my typical winter riding hangouts.

One of the reasons I wanted to get Big Fat Larrys was to get the little bit of extra float that they might provide over the 3.8"ers I used on this bike last year. I knew that over the years a lot of snowmobile traffic goes along the river, so I had high hopes of getting the BFL's into an area where they would actually be a benefit.

I started to get close to where the trails pick up and I saw a hopeful sign. Snomobile tracks heading west. Certainly that meant they would go east and towards more open country. Well, I was wrong! I got down onto the paved bike path which was covered in snow and post-holed with lots of pedestrian traffic.

Okay, so it would be a bumpy ride then! I focused and made it down and around and across to where I like to stop for a photo op. These big limestone blocks make a nice backdrop for bicycle photos. Atleast I think so

Follow the footprints!

Well, after that photo op, I had more post-holed trail to follow until I found some buried snowmobile tracks. I hit these and made better time, even though they were underneath a few inches of snow and were hard to make out going into the bright sunshine. I just "thought like a snowmobiler", and that worked out until I crossed a road and went up on top of a dike where it was really easy to see the trail the machines left behind.

This turned and went down. I had a blast descending this snowmobile trail, but I forgot that the weight distribution for not "punching through" and the weight distribution for descending don't match up all the time. Actually, to be honest, I didn't forget that, I learned that! I don't know if I could have saved it. Maybe going slower is the key.

Well, at any rate, I was following the snowmobile tracks and they doubled back to where I had come. Bah! That's no fun. I had seen something veering off the dike earlier though, so I figured I would go and investigate that before heading back toward home.

Now THIS is why I got the BFL's!

I trundled along the dike until I found a snowmobile track heading eastward down the steep slope of the dike. I followed and had a bit of a thrilling ride down the slope full of loose, deep snow, but I stayed upright. Then through the small opening in a chain link fence.

After this I found an undulating, twisting, turning trail that a few snowmobiles had layed down. My bike was tracking nicely along this, but as opposed to having my weight back a fair amount, here I needed to allow for more of a weight balance between the wheels. This kept my rear tire from "punching through" and kept me motoring along the snowmobile track.

Then the track doubled back again! What is it with these snowmobilers? Well, I went back util I found a branch off where a truck had made it part way back into the woods. I followed its tracks out to a paved road. At this point I could see I was along the ATV park, which was fenced off from the road. I decided to try and find my way in by following the road back eastward along the fence line.

Ice fisherman on Mitchell Sand Pit Lake

I ended up not finding a way into the ATV park, but I did find the wood disposal station for the City of Waterloo. Massive mounds of wood chips everywhere! The road turned into a muddy dirt surface here and I was glad for the big fat tires which walked right over the mushy surface.

This went by the Waste Water Treatment Plant and the road went back on itself again where I had come from. I continued on back to the point I popped out of the woods, went on further, and found out I was gated in! It wasn't that I couldn't get into the ATV park, I couldn't get out of the city property I had found my way into! Okay, so back out the way I came it was for me.

Remember that little opening in the chain link fence after the dike? Yeah......that was the only way out! So, I went back through the way I had come, and then out along another snowmobile trail across a huge, empty field to a city street. Once there, I made my way back home.

It was a fun adventure on the fat bike, and I learned a few things about the city I live in along the way. Good times!

Tips On Riding Gravel Roads For T.I.V8 (Or Any Other Gravel Event)

  Note: This is a compilation of gravel road riding tips I doled out a year ago in preparation for T.I.V7. These are still good tips for the upcoming T.I.V8, so I combined the best of both the older posts and am putting them up for your gravel riding knowledge today. Enjoy!


Gravel Road Riding Tips For Trans Iowa: Once again, this is aimed at the first timers out there, but ya'all might want to pay attention, since there might be some things I mention here which will help bring to mind stuff you may have forgotten about. 

Please read and familiarize yourself with the Race Safety & Supplies section of the Trans Iowa site here.

I mention a few things there that are in keeping with my post here, so I will not cover those again. Here you will find some basic gravel road riding tips I have learned over the years and also things I have observed by putting on seven previous Trans Iowas and from my other gravel road racing and riding experiences.

#1: Ride "Right": Just because you are in a remote, rural area, and just because there is little to no traffic doesn't mean you can relax on your road etiquette here. Ride on the right side of the road folks, especially going up a hill! Rural Iowans will expect that when they crest a hill in their automobile, that they will be on the right side, and so would anybody else coming the other way be on their right side of the road, thus preventing any accidental crashes at the summits of hills. That's how it works, so don't forget that, and don't try to push your luck out there. It could cost you your life.

#2: Don't Be A Hero: Trans Iowa is a long, long event. It isn't worth it to blow through stop signs, not pay attention at intersections, and to not wait for cars and trucks to clear out when crossing paved roads. Obey traffic signs! Stop at paved crossings and be very careful. Don't be a dick when going through towns and tick off the locals with your "get out of my way" attitude.

NOTE: If I, or any of our volunteers report or see a T.I.V8 rider violating #1 or #2 above, you will be disqualified immediately and asked to stop riding. I won't tolerate riders being stupid, ignorant, or willfully breaking laws or rules of conduct. Period. 

#3: "Read" The Road: It is important that you recognize the difference between loose gravel, and smoother sections of the road. Obviously, you'll want to take the path of least resistance, but I am thinking of the fast down hill sections. The ability to look further up the road and "read" the conditions of the gravel will allow you to descend with more confidence and safety. This will become imperative at night. Don't outrun your lights, and ride within your skill level. That said, reading the road will be a handy tool during Trans Iowa. Getting out and practicing this on gravel ahead of T.I.V8 would be the best bet.

#4: Take Corners Very Carefully: Generally speaking, bicycle tires and speedy gravel corners are not things that go together without mishap. Be careful going around corners and you'll be fine. Criterium style cornering will be met with a case of severe road rash!

#5: Easy On The Brakes!: Similarly, heavy, sudden braking is a no-no on gravel and a recipe for going down. Gently squeezing the levers and giving yourself plenty of room to make a stop is advised. Keep drafting distances longer, unless you can implicitly trust the riders you draft off of. If one guy or gal in a draft line makes a small bobble or slips on loose gravel, you will find yourself in a big pile up. Also, keep a light touch on the brakes while descending at speed. Too much brake and you can easily lose control and stack it up heinously. (And it doesn't take much brake to be "too much" on gravel!) Don't draft on the down hills! Especially steep ones. (Getting a gravel chunk in the eye, or a face full of dust or mud is a distinct possibility)



#6: B Road Roolz: B Maintenance roads present their own set of rules. First and foremost is deciding whether to even ride in at all! If it is wet, your best bet may be to dismount while you are still on the gravel and test the road by walking on it. You'll know within a few footsteps if you could ride it out, or not. Better to have clagged up shoes than a mud packed, 70lb bike that you have to carry!

If the B Road has a ditch, you may be allowed to pass in the grass, but if it's like the one I have pictured here, you'll be obliged to walk the entire length of it. Trust me. You shouldn't try riding on a rain soaked B Road! If it is dry, you can pass, or maybe if the sun has gotten to it after a rain, you may find parts will be rideable, but it is best to err on the side of caution here. Added to this is the fact that road obstacles like embedded rocks, holes, ruts, and even random junk are waiting to toss you off your bike or ruin your tires and wheels, and it should become apparent that B Roads deserve your respect.


#7: Road Conditions: Gravel roads in the area of the event will likely vary quite a bit. Here is a short list of what you can expect to find out there.....

• "Normal" Conditions: Gravel roads normally have at least a "two track" of solid, packed "dirt" to ride on, and usually a three track. This is where the fastest, least resistant path for your tires will be. Along the edges and in the middle of the road, the gravel will be deeper, loose, and difficult to ride in. Remember: Ride on the right side!!

• "Fresh" Gravel: This is something you will see in patches, (repairs to a gravel road), for several hundred feet, or up to several miles. Fresh gravel is loose, chunky crushed rock, (generally limestone, or other native rock), laid across the entire roadway. This will present a much more resistant path for your tires, and skinnier tired, lighter bikes will be most affected by it. You'll want to scan and hunt for the best lines, but "Ride On The Right Side"!!

• "Damaged" Gravel: This can be anything from frost heaves, (a few inches or a foot of heaved up earth that is the consistency of thick flour), ruts, mud patches, or wash outs. Be very careful to avoid all of these. Depending on the weather, these can be rather prevalent features, (T.I.V4), or not, (T.I.V5).

• "Peanut Butter" Gravel: This usually occurs if it rains. And it feels just like you might imagine. Sloppy, nasty, and wet. Not much one can do here but grin and bear it. On second thought, do not grin. You'll get a nasty mouthful of gritty stone in there!
•  

#8: Weather: I've experienced just about everything out there on gravel roads in terms of weather. The worst can be downright nasty. Most of it is survivable. However; there could be an event where your life is in danger. Here is the excerpt from the Race Rules to read here that deals with what we will do in case of severe weather events:

16: Weather Related Stoppage and Time Cut Off Rule: In case of severe weather during the event, we will do the folowing things so you can act accordingly. Remember: YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOURSELF!! If the sky is falling, or you see Dorothy's house go spinning by your head, you should take appropriate actions to protect yourself. We will not be responsible for ill advised heroics in inclement weather. Be smart, or be pig fodder! This is only given out so that you as an event participant will know what our actions will be in regards to keeping tabs on your progress and what will be done with prizing. Weather related cancellation of the event will be enforced at the checkpoints. All participants will be directed as to where and when any prizing will be distributed at checkpoints by our volunteers. If you pull out before a checkpoint, you will need to contact the Event Director to find out if the event is being terminated. Results will not be tabulated if we have to stop the event. If cut off times to a checkpoint are not met by any event participant then the event will be terminated and all will be considered as DNF's. Prizing will be distributed by raffle to the remaining participants in the event at the time of stoppage or when it becomes clear that the cut off times will not be met. Must be present to win. Decisions of the event directors is final.
 
So, as you may have noticed, Rule #16 deals mostly with what we do with prizing, and little to do with anything related to you, the rider. That is because you need to use your own best judgment in these matters. As stated in Rule #16, ".....you should take appropriate actions to protect yourself", and we mean it. You Are Responsible For Yourself!! Get in the ditch, knock on a farmers door to ask for shelter, or call in the cavalry, but DO NOT EXPECT TRANS IOWA OR ANYONE CONNECTED TO IT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY! Don't be stupid. Trans Iowa is not worth risking your life for in the instance of severe weather. (Or for any reason, for that matter)

Tips On Riding Gravel Roads For T.I.V8 (Or Any Other Gravel Event)

  Note: This is a compilation of gravel road riding tips I doled out a year ago in preparation for T.I.V7. These are still good tips for the upcoming T.I.V8, so I combined the best of both the older posts and am putting them up for your gravel riding knowledge today. Enjoy!


Gravel Road Riding Tips For Trans Iowa: Once again, this is aimed at the first timers out there, but ya'all might want to pay attention, since there might be some things I mention here which will help bring to mind stuff you may have forgotten about. 

Please read and familiarize yourself with the Race Safety & Supplies section of the Trans Iowa site here.

I mention a few things there that are in keeping with my post here, so I will not cover those again. Here you will find some basic gravel road riding tips I have learned over the years and also things I have observed by putting on seven previous Trans Iowas and from my other gravel road racing and riding experiences.

#1: Ride "Right": Just because you are in a remote, rural area, and just because there is little to no traffic doesn't mean you can relax on your road etiquette here. Ride on the right side of the road folks, especially going up a hill! Rural Iowans will expect that when they crest a hill in their automobile, that they will be on the right side, and so would anybody else coming the other way be on their right side of the road, thus preventing any accidental crashes at the summits of hills. That's how it works, so don't forget that, and don't try to push your luck out there. It could cost you your life.

#2: Don't Be A Hero: Trans Iowa is a long, long event. It isn't worth it to blow through stop signs, not pay attention at intersections, and to not wait for cars and trucks to clear out when crossing paved roads. Obey traffic signs! Stop at paved crossings and be very careful. Don't be a dick when going through towns and tick off the locals with your "get out of my way" attitude.

NOTE: If I, or any of our volunteers report or see a T.I.V8 rider violating #1 or #2 above, you will be disqualified immediately and asked to stop riding. I won't tolerate riders being stupid, ignorant, or willfully breaking laws or rules of conduct. Period. 

#3: "Read" The Road: It is important that you recognize the difference between loose gravel, and smoother sections of the road. Obviously, you'll want to take the path of least resistance, but I am thinking of the fast down hill sections. The ability to look further up the road and "read" the conditions of the gravel will allow you to descend with more confidence and safety. This will become imperative at night. Don't outrun your lights, and ride within your skill level. That said, reading the road will be a handy tool during Trans Iowa. Getting out and practicing this on gravel ahead of T.I.V8 would be the best bet.

#4: Take Corners Very Carefully: Generally speaking, bicycle tires and speedy gravel corners are not things that go together without mishap. Be careful going around corners and you'll be fine. Criterium style cornering will be met with a case of severe road rash!

#5: Easy On The Brakes!: Similarly, heavy, sudden braking is a no-no on gravel and a recipe for going down. Gently squeezing the levers and giving yourself plenty of room to make a stop is advised. Keep drafting distances longer, unless you can implicitly trust the riders you draft off of. If one guy or gal in a draft line makes a small bobble or slips on loose gravel, you will find yourself in a big pile up. Also, keep a light touch on the brakes while descending at speed. Too much brake and you can easily lose control and stack it up heinously. (And it doesn't take much brake to be "too much" on gravel!) Don't draft on the down hills! Especially steep ones. (Getting a gravel chunk in the eye, or a face full of dust or mud is a distinct possibility)



#6: B Road Roolz: B Maintenance roads present their own set of rules. First and foremost is deciding whether to even ride in at all! If it is wet, your best bet may be to dismount while you are still on the gravel and test the road by walking on it. You'll know within a few footsteps if you could ride it out, or not. Better to have clagged up shoes than a mud packed, 70lb bike that you have to carry!

If the B Road has a ditch, you may be allowed to pass in the grass, but if it's like the one I have pictured here, you'll be obliged to walk the entire length of it. Trust me. You shouldn't try riding on a rain soaked B Road! If it is dry, you can pass, or maybe if the sun has gotten to it after a rain, you may find parts will be rideable, but it is best to err on the side of caution here. Added to this is the fact that road obstacles like embedded rocks, holes, ruts, and even random junk are waiting to toss you off your bike or ruin your tires and wheels, and it should become apparent that B Roads deserve your respect.


#7: Road Conditions: Gravel roads in the area of the event will likely vary quite a bit. Here is a short list of what you can expect to find out there.....

• "Normal" Conditions: Gravel roads normally have at least a "two track" of solid, packed "dirt" to ride on, and usually a three track. This is where the fastest, least resistant path for your tires will be. Along the edges and in the middle of the road, the gravel will be deeper, loose, and difficult to ride in. Remember: Ride on the right side!!

• "Fresh" Gravel: This is something you will see in patches, (repairs to a gravel road), for several hundred feet, or up to several miles. Fresh gravel is loose, chunky crushed rock, (generally limestone, or other native rock), laid across the entire roadway. This will present a much more resistant path for your tires, and skinnier tired, lighter bikes will be most affected by it. You'll want to scan and hunt for the best lines, but "Ride On The Right Side"!!

• "Damaged" Gravel: This can be anything from frost heaves, (a few inches or a foot of heaved up earth that is the consistency of thick flour), ruts, mud patches, or wash outs. Be very careful to avoid all of these. Depending on the weather, these can be rather prevalent features, (T.I.V4), or not, (T.I.V5).

• "Peanut Butter" Gravel: This usually occurs if it rains. And it feels just like you might imagine. Sloppy, nasty, and wet. Not much one can do here but grin and bear it. On second thought, do not grin. You'll get a nasty mouthful of gritty stone in there!
•  

#8: Weather: I've experienced just about everything out there on gravel roads in terms of weather. The worst can be downright nasty. Most of it is survivable. However; there could be an event where your life is in danger. Here is the excerpt from the Race Rules to read here that deals with what we will do in case of severe weather events:

16: Weather Related Stoppage and Time Cut Off Rule: In case of severe weather during the event, we will do the folowing things so you can act accordingly. Remember: YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOURSELF!! If the sky is falling, or you see Dorothy's house go spinning by your head, you should take appropriate actions to protect yourself. We will not be responsible for ill advised heroics in inclement weather. Be smart, or be pig fodder! This is only given out so that you as an event participant will know what our actions will be in regards to keeping tabs on your progress and what will be done with prizing. Weather related cancellation of the event will be enforced at the checkpoints. All participants will be directed as to where and when any prizing will be distributed at checkpoints by our volunteers. If you pull out before a checkpoint, you will need to contact the Event Director to find out if the event is being terminated. Results will not be tabulated if we have to stop the event. If cut off times to a checkpoint are not met by any event participant then the event will be terminated and all will be considered as DNF's. Prizing will be distributed by raffle to the remaining participants in the event at the time of stoppage or when it becomes clear that the cut off times will not be met. Must be present to win. Decisions of the event directors is final.
 
So, as you may have noticed, Rule #16 deals mostly with what we do with prizing, and little to do with anything related to you, the rider. That is because you need to use your own best judgment in these matters. As stated in Rule #16, ".....you should take appropriate actions to protect yourself", and we mean it. You Are Responsible For Yourself!! Get in the ditch, knock on a farmers door to ask for shelter, or call in the cavalry, but DO NOT EXPECT TRANS IOWA OR ANYONE CONNECTED TO IT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY! Don't be stupid. Trans Iowa is not worth risking your life for in the instance of severe weather. (Or for any reason, for that matter)

Friday News And Views

Narrower, lighter: Sometimes better.

In yesterday's post called "The Oasis" I got a lot of interesting comments and thoughts about "float", wide rims, big tires, and weight. I think a few things were being discussed there that are important, but weren't really relevant to my particular experiment. Here's what I have to say about my particular experiment first.

1. My ride conditions were not in packed snow. I was riding in 8+ inches of virgin, untrodden snow for my test. So, "float" was not the biggest priority here. 
2. I chose to ride these conditions as a way to find out what works best to "bust my own trail". Obviously, on snowmo trails, or places that have had some sort of compaction on the snow, "float" is king. 
3. My conclusions were that fatter tires, wider rims, and heavier bikes were conspiring to make riding these conditions tougher. 

Again, on trails that are compacted by something, (people, snow mobiles, dredges), flotation with wider tires, wider rims, and lower tire pressures makes more sense.  However; when you are slogging through deep, new snow, or really powdery, flour-like snow, I think a narrower tire is going to cut through that with less resistance. And a lighter bike overall helps in this.

Hope that clears that up a bit.

Yep! It's baaaack!

A 650B Reprise: One of the things that 650B fans used to say about the wheel size was that it would be a better fit for long travel applications where a bigger diameter wheel could roll over stuff easier than a 26"ers.

Well, I thought that of all the claims being bandied about back in 2007 for 650B, this was one of the more credible ones. Turns out that this is the one thing that 650B will hang its hat on in 2013.

I've seen this image of a MY2013 Rock Shox Revelation since back in mid-December when it was leaked to me from Australia. So, I've had a little time to dig around on this. 650B is coming, new tires, new forks, and all packaged for big bikes with travel from 130-160mm. Back-country, big hit, All-mountain rigs.

Will it work? Will this finally be the niche where 650B will slot in and take over its rightful place in mountain biking? Hard to say as of now. The core market of riders in this category are not real keen on 29"ers at all, but this might be what sways them away from 26"ers, or will it be?

I know one thing: Sea Otter 2012 will be an interesting place to be come April, and the internet bike nerds will have another field day posting rants in support and against this development. But one thing is a sure bet: 650B will be here soon.

Short, Sweet, T.I.V8 Update: In news about T.I.V8, I have narrowed down a primary and secondary date for recon-testing of the cue sheets for this new course. A couple of volunteers have stepped forward to offer to drive with me around the course and see to it that all the cues make sense. We'll also be pinpointing a location for the remote Checkpoint #2.

Did you know that the "Official Trans Iowa Site" has a FAQ page? Well, now you do! And by the way, if you have a suggestion for a FAQ I should add to the list, feel free to leave it in today's comment section, and I'll make that happen.

I saw stripes!

Shorter, Sweeter GTDRI Update: The "Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational"is a fun little gravel grinder of a 100 miles I do every summer. It has a large, pretentious name, but don't let that deter you from checking this little gig out this coming summer. "And when would that be?", you might ask.

Well, mark your calendars for July 14th, 2012. I've been asked several times by different folks to not have the GTDRI on a RAGBRAI weekend. Well.......wish granted! Hopefully that works out for a bunch of you all to show up and ride the gravel back roads of Iowa in the heat of summer.

I may reprise the course from last year when we saw zebras, but I might just do something different as well. I will make a determination later, but for now, just know this is back on again.You can read about last year's foggy, heated, dusty ride here and here. You can be sure that this year's ride will be something similar, so that dhould give you a good idea of what this is all about.

Okay folks, that's it for this edition of Friday News and Views.  Get out and ride a bike, or just enjoy the outdoors this weekend. Have a good one, ya'all!

Friday News And Views

Narrower, lighter: Sometimes better.

In yesterday's post called "The Oasis" I got a lot of interesting comments and thoughts about "float", wide rims, big tires, and weight. I think a few things were being discussed there that are important, but weren't really relevant to my particular experiment. Here's what I have to say about my particular experiment first.

1. My ride conditions were not in packed snow. I was riding in 8+ inches of virgin, untrodden snow for my test. So, "float" was not the biggest priority here. 
2. I chose to ride these conditions as a way to find out what works best to "bust my own trail". Obviously, on snowmo trails, or places that have had some sort of compaction on the snow, "float" is king. 
3. My conclusions were that fatter tires, wider rims, and heavier bikes were conspiring to make riding these conditions tougher. 

Again, on trails that are compacted by something, (people, snow mobiles, dredges), flotation with wider tires, wider rims, and lower tire pressures makes more sense.  However; when you are slogging through deep, new snow, or really powdery, flour-like snow, I think a narrower tire is going to cut through that with less resistance. And a lighter bike overall helps in this.

Hope that clears that up a bit.

Yep! It's baaaack!

A 650B Reprise: One of the things that 650B fans used to say about the wheel size was that it would be a better fit for long travel applications where a bigger diameter wheel could roll over stuff easier than a 26"ers.

Well, I thought that of all the claims being bandied about back in 2007 for 650B, this was one of the more credible ones. Turns out that this is the one thing that 650B will hang its hat on in 2013.

I've seen this image of a MY2013 Rock Shox Revelation since back in mid-December when it was leaked to me from Australia. So, I've had a little time to dig around on this. 650B is coming, new tires, new forks, and all packaged for big bikes with travel from 130-160mm. Back-country, big hit, All-mountain rigs.

Will it work? Will this finally be the niche where 650B will slot in and take over its rightful place in mountain biking? Hard to say as of now. The core market of riders in this category are not real keen on 29"ers at all, but this might be what sways them away from 26"ers, or will it be?

I know one thing: Sea Otter 2012 will be an interesting place to be come April, and the internet bike nerds will have another field day posting rants in support and against this development. But one thing is a sure bet: 650B will be here soon.

Short, Sweet, T.I.V8 Update: In news about T.I.V8, I have narrowed down a primary and secondary date for recon-testing of the cue sheets for this new course. A couple of volunteers have stepped forward to offer to drive with me around the course and see to it that all the cues make sense. We'll also be pinpointing a location for the remote Checkpoint #2.

Did you know that the "Official Trans Iowa Site" has a FAQ page? Well, now you do! And by the way, if you have a suggestion for a FAQ I should add to the list, feel free to leave it in today's comment section, and I'll make that happen.

I saw stripes!

Shorter, Sweeter GTDRI Update: The "Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational"is a fun little gravel grinder of a 100 miles I do every summer. It has a large, pretentious name, but don't let that deter you from checking this little gig out this coming summer. "And when would that be?", you might ask.

Well, mark your calendars for July 14th, 2012. I've been asked several times by different folks to not have the GTDRI on a RAGBRAI weekend. Well.......wish granted! Hopefully that works out for a bunch of you all to show up and ride the gravel back roads of Iowa in the heat of summer.

I may reprise the course from last year when we saw zebras, but I might just do something different as well. I will make a determination later, but for now, just know this is back on again.You can read about last year's foggy, heated, dusty ride here and here. You can be sure that this year's ride will be something similar, so that dhould give you a good idea of what this is all about.

Okay folks, that's it for this edition of Friday News and Views.  Get out and ride a bike, or just enjoy the outdoors this weekend. Have a good one, ya'all!

The Oasis

Concrete jungle

Wednesday I went for a morning ride to test out a theory I had regarding the Larry 3.8" vs the Big Fat Larry. I was wondering if I would have made more progress through some deep, granular snow on the BFL's than I had on the smaller 3.8"ers.

I also was wondering how the inertia of the heavier wheels might affect all of this. The overall weight of the two bikes might also come into play as well.

So I left to go ride a couple of stretches I had ridden earlier this week where the snow had not been plowed. Temperatures were similar for each day, but there had been some warmer weather where the snow may have firmed up some over what I had originally experienced. As I reached the unplowed sections, I had high hopes that the Big Fat Larrys would float up a bit better, despite the bike weighing more.

I found out that even though I had bigger tires and that the snow was maybe better, I didn't see any real advantage. In fact, it may have been a disadvantage really. I think a couple of things were working against me on The Snow Dog.

Big ruts!

Those Big Fat Larrys push more of a "wake" than the skinnier tires do, so I was working harder when the tires did sink in. Secondly: Those big tires didn't float up like I thought they might, so I was fighting the higher resistance to the wheels more with the wider tires. Part of this was due to the heavier wheels/bike overall.

By-Tor the Titanium Mukluk has much lighter wheels, tires, and tubes which gave it a big advantage in the inertia department, as far as overcoming wheel weight. I also found that the skinnier tires seemed to deal with the snow in a similar manner to the BFL's, but since the weight of the front end was so much less, the titanium Mukluk would float over stuff better, leaving the rear to dig down and get traction.

Either way, the rides were both exhausting exercises. I had to go at a high torque, low speed setting and my legs and body were working hard to keep either bike going straight and moving forward. I think things were a bit more successful on the titanium rig, but that's splitting hairs. Dealing with ruts on The Snow Dog made life harder, which I didn't have to do with By-Tor.

Rest stop at The Oasis

The Wednesday ride saw me taking a break underneath a bridge for Highway 218. The bike path goes underneath here and on either side the snow was very deep. Both bikes were grinding in the snow near here, and my body was working way too hard to keep it going, but I was having fun seeing what I could ride over.

I stuck around a while to cool down, took some images, and then lumbered home with legs that were shaking when I got home from all the hard work. It was fun to figure out which worked best for what, and technique was honed as well.

Obviously, Big Fat Larrys are better suited to situations where trail/snow has been packed down some and skinnier tires are punching through a bit. I would probably find that on snowmobile trails, but the snomo folks must be sticking around to the country, because I can not find a snomo track in town yet to save my life. Guess I'm going to have to head over to Mitchell Sand Pits next, if there is any snow left this weekend!

The Oasis

Concrete jungle

Wednesday I went for a morning ride to test out a theory I had regarding the Larry 3.8" vs the Big Fat Larry. I was wondering if I would have made more progress through some deep, granular snow on the BFL's than I had on the smaller 3.8"ers.

I also was wondering how the inertia of the heavier wheels might affect all of this. The overall weight of the two bikes might also come into play as well.

So I left to go ride a couple of stretches I had ridden earlier this week where the snow had not been plowed. Temperatures were similar for each day, but there had been some warmer weather where the snow may have firmed up some over what I had originally experienced. As I reached the unplowed sections, I had high hopes that the Big Fat Larrys would float up a bit better, despite the bike weighing more.

I found out that even though I had bigger tires and that the snow was maybe better, I didn't see any real advantage. In fact, it may have been a disadvantage really. I think a couple of things were working against me on The Snow Dog.

Big ruts!

Those Big Fat Larrys push more of a "wake" than the skinnier tires do, so I was working harder when the tires did sink in. Secondly: Those big tires didn't float up like I thought they might, so I was fighting the higher resistance to the wheels more with the wider tires. Part of this was due to the heavier wheels/bike overall.

By-Tor the Titanium Mukluk has much lighter wheels, tires, and tubes which gave it a big advantage in the inertia department, as far as overcoming wheel weight. I also found that the skinnier tires seemed to deal with the snow in a similar manner to the BFL's, but since the weight of the front end was so much less, the titanium Mukluk would float over stuff better, leaving the rear to dig down and get traction.

Either way, the rides were both exhausting exercises. I had to go at a high torque, low speed setting and my legs and body were working hard to keep either bike going straight and moving forward. I think things were a bit more successful on the titanium rig, but that's splitting hairs. Dealing with ruts on The Snow Dog made life harder, which I didn't have to do with By-Tor.

Rest stop at The Oasis

The Wednesday ride saw me taking a break underneath a bridge for Highway 218. The bike path goes underneath here and on either side the snow was very deep. Both bikes were grinding in the snow near here, and my body was working way too hard to keep it going, but I was having fun seeing what I could ride over.

I stuck around a while to cool down, took some images, and then lumbered home with legs that were shaking when I got home from all the hard work. It was fun to figure out which worked best for what, and technique was honed as well.

Obviously, Big Fat Larrys are better suited to situations where trail/snow has been packed down some and skinnier tires are punching through a bit. I would probably find that on snowmobile trails, but the snomo folks must be sticking around to the country, because I can not find a snomo track in town yet to save my life. Guess I'm going to have to head over to Mitchell Sand Pits next, if there is any snow left this weekend!

New Western Nebraska Gravel Adventure Coming Soon!

You know, what with running Gravel Grinder News, I have to say that the number of gravel grinders are just growing with no sign of abating anytime soon. Just over the past month I've nearly added a third again as many events as I had before the Holidays on the site.

In another converging tangent to this, I have been hearing about a small, but passionate group of riders doing some amazing back road/gravel stuff in a place many think would be totally boring. Let me tell ya, nothing could be further from the truth!

Typical Western Nebraska terrain

I actually got to go out and see some of the stuff I am talking about for myself a few years back. Me and my buddy from Linclon, NE, MG went out on another mission, but suffice it to say that what you will find out there is nothing short of amazing.

Nebraska? Amazing? Hey.....ya gotta get offa the interstate! What a lot of folks don't realize is that I-80 follows a river valley. So yeah.....it is gonna be boring.

Just drive about five to ten miles in any direction perpendicular to that ribbon of mind numbing concrete and you'll find some undulating, scenic, challenging terrain perfect for exploration by bicycles. And that's exactly what some folks I know have been up to for several years out there in the western reaches of Nebraska.


They have been plying their trade in adventure cycling out there and realized that they have something to offer in terms of a gravel grinder type event. Talk has gone in ebbs and flows over the years. I remember some banter at one point about doing a companion event to Trans Iowa and the Dirty Kanza 200 and would have been part of a "Gravel Triple Crown". Heck, I know for a fact that ol' MG has been pushing for something like this for years. So, while this may be some news for most, I know some of us will be thinking, "bout time fellas!", and meaning that in a "hell yeah!" sort of way. We know how difficult these sort of deals are to put together, so you can't expect folks to just jump on putting together a 150 plus mile event.

More Nebraska gravelly goodness.

Yep, I said 150 plus miles! Maybe even close to 200. Details are being sorted now as I speak. They even have a name for this beast- but I'll let one of the "DSG Crew" guys, (the fellas that are involved with the event), tell ya direct-like:

"The "DSG" crew in Western Nebraska is working to put on a gravel grinder . . . but this one is different.  The terrain is varied and the route is very remote.  The overall mileage will be in the neighborhood of 180 miles.  We're still working out a lot of the details, but it will be in the self-supported spirit of races like the Trans-Iowa and Dirty Kanza.

The event will occur on June 30th with the pre race meeting on the 29th.  It will be based out of the small Nebraska town of Gothenburg, which has Swedish and Germanic roots.  In keeping with the local heritage, we're calling the race "Odin's Revenge".  Odin is the king of the Norse gods, known for seeking wisdom at great costs and inflicting suffering where necessary.  He's also associated with a number of other cool mythological elements, including being the father of Thor.

We plan to have a lot more information in the coming weeks, including a web presence, registrations details, course profile, etc."

Okay, so while this all sounds pretty rad, and there is a date and such mentioned, don't go and get yer panties in a bunch just yet. No registration has been announced, and I have zero idea how it all might play out other than to say that the first year will be limited to 75 folks. How they do the registration and roster cut off is their deal, and as yet, undetermined. 

But ya gotta be stoked about the possibilities of an event like this. The terrain will be remote, and the feeling will be much like the DK 200, only even more "western", if that makes any sense.   

When I know more, I'll let ya all know. Till then, stay tuned.............