Monday, April 30, 2012

Trans Iowa V8: What A Weekend!

Okay, just a quick post today, because I am bushed. Trans Iowa V8 was a success, fun, a long slog, surprising, shocking, fun, a meeting of old friends, a making of new friends, weird, fun, bizarre, and did I mention it was fun?

Eric Brunt wins, 19 finishers in all, mass quantities of folks passed through the checkpoints, and between the weather and the competitors, there were enough flip-flops to keep everyone on their toes.

Oh yeah- "300 Miles of Gravel" was shown. It was, (if I may say so), awesome. You should see it.

Okay- I'll start a full on race recap Tuesday. Stay tuned!

Trans Iowa V8: What A Weekend!

Okay, just a quick post today, because I am bushed. Trans Iowa V8 was a success, fun, a long slog, surprising, shocking, fun, a meeting of old friends, a making of new friends, weird, fun, bizarre, and did I mention it was fun?

Eric Brunt wins, 19 finishers in all, mass quantities of folks passed through the checkpoints, and between the weather and the competitors, there were enough flip-flops to keep everyone on their toes.

Oh yeah- "300 Miles of Gravel" was shown. It was, (if I may say so), awesome. You should see it.

Okay- I'll start a full on race recap Tuesday. Stay tuned!

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Trans Iowa Radio

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Saturday, April 28, 2012

Trans Iowa Radio

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Trans Iowa Radio

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Trans Iowa Radio

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Trans Iowa Radio

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Trans Iowa Radio

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Trans Iowa Radio

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Trans Iowa Radio

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Trans Iowa Radio

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Trans Iowa Radio

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Trans Iowa Radio

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Trans Iowa Radio

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Trans Iowa Radio

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Trans Iowa Radio

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Trans Iowa Radio

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Trans Iowa Radio

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Trans Iowa Radio

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Trans Iowa Radio

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Trans Iowa Radio

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Trans Iowa Radio

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Trans Iowa Radio

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Trans Iowa Radio

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Trans Iowa Radio

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Trans Iowa Radio

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Friday, April 27, 2012

Trans Iowa Radio

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Trans Iowa Radio

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Trans Iowa V8: The Pre-Race

Special Notice: To the regular readers of this blog: You will notice that for about the next week's worth of posts that the subject matter will be entirely about Trans Iowa. This event happens over the course of the weekend. You will notice several "Trans Iowa Radio" posts with an mp3-type audio track button which you can click on and listen in to reports filed live from the event. Then there will be a post race recapping of the event which typically takes five to seven posts for me to wade through. 

So, if this is not of interest to you, for whatever reason, plan on checking back in about a week. If you are curious, then hang in there. We're about to dive into the longest, most brutal, weirdest, crazy gravel road bicycle race on the face of the planet.....

 Okay folks, this is the day of the Pre-Race Meat-Up which happens starting at 4:00pm at the Grinnell Steakhouse in Grinnell, Iowa.

I have everything packed up in my truck and should be rolling out this morning to do a last minute check of the route from the start to Checkpoint Alpha 52 miles away. I do not want any surprises in the first 10 miles like we had last year.

Then it will be details like checking into my motel, setting up the Pre-Race, and getting going with the show. Of course, the big topic of discussion now is what exactly the weather will do. As of now, it seems that the rains will hold off till evening, then come off and on through until Saturday evening. Of course, the winds are scheduled to blow hard, and it will be cold. Some forecasts are calling for a high Saturday to only reach the mid-40's. Then it is supposed to clear off. Of course, it will be very cold for late April. Close to freezing. Sunday will seem bucolic and peaceful by comparison with scheduled sunny skies and cold, but warmer temps than Saturday.

There will be "Trans Iowa Radio" posts, barring any technical difficulties, here on this blog starting this afternoon and running through until the close of the event on Sunday afternoon. Also, you can follow the event on Twitter by searching the hashtag #tiv8 .

Okay, well that's it until I get a chance to post in the traditional manner here again late Sunday. Hope ya'all have a great weekend, and stay tuned for all the Trans Iowa V8 stuff you can handle coming here soon!

Trans Iowa V8: The Pre-Race

Special Notice: To the regular readers of this blog: You will notice that for about the next week's worth of posts that the subject matter will be entirely about Trans Iowa. This event happens over the course of the weekend. You will notice several "Trans Iowa Radio" posts with an mp3-type audio track button which you can click on and listen in to reports filed live from the event. Then there will be a post race recapping of the event which typically takes five to seven posts for me to wade through. 

So, if this is not of interest to you, for whatever reason, plan on checking back in about a week. If you are curious, then hang in there. We're about to dive into the longest, most brutal, weirdest, crazy gravel road bicycle race on the face of the planet.....

 Okay folks, this is the day of the Pre-Race Meat-Up which happens starting at 4:00pm at the Grinnell Steakhouse in Grinnell, Iowa.

I have everything packed up in my truck and should be rolling out this morning to do a last minute check of the route from the start to Checkpoint Alpha 52 miles away. I do not want any surprises in the first 10 miles like we had last year.

Then it will be details like checking into my motel, setting up the Pre-Race, and getting going with the show. Of course, the big topic of discussion now is what exactly the weather will do. As of now, it seems that the rains will hold off till evening, then come off and on through until Saturday evening. Of course, the winds are scheduled to blow hard, and it will be cold. Some forecasts are calling for a high Saturday to only reach the mid-40's. Then it is supposed to clear off. Of course, it will be very cold for late April. Close to freezing. Sunday will seem bucolic and peaceful by comparison with scheduled sunny skies and cold, but warmer temps than Saturday.

There will be "Trans Iowa Radio" posts, barring any technical difficulties, here on this blog starting this afternoon and running through until the close of the event on Sunday afternoon. Also, you can follow the event on Twitter by searching the hashtag #tiv8 .

Okay, well that's it until I get a chance to post in the traditional manner here again late Sunday. Hope ya'all have a great weekend, and stay tuned for all the Trans Iowa V8 stuff you can handle coming here soon!

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Taking A Break

I needed a break from the Trans Iowa madness yesterday, so I finally just set everything down, grabbed By-Tor The Titanium Mukluk, and headed out the door.

It was spitting rain in the morning, and forecasts had predicted a thunderstorm in the morning, but it never materialized. It also got downright hot out. First time I have ridden in anything that resembled heat since leaving El Paso, Texas a month and a half ago. One thing about it was that it wasn't really humid either, which was odd, seeing as how the weatherman was talking rain.

Well, the forecast was as wrong as it could be, and a glorious, sun speckled day broke out once I reached Camp Ingawanis and started riding. The trails were tacky. Perfect, really. Only one muddy spot, and it was tiny, was encountered on the entire ride.

The wheels on the Mukluk continue to impress me. This is how 29"er wheels really should work.  Going into corners with a solid, stiffer feel is really great. I can definitely feel the grip of the tires better without the vagueness of flex covering it up. Faster corners, faster technical riding. It makes me think that all 29"er wheels would really benefit from dishless wheel design.

And the titanium Mukluk is just a really sweet ride. A fat bike that makes a totally great mountain bike. Sure- it has a long-ish wheel base, and the front is definitely harder to pop up, but I could see these as being great attributes for longer off road touring, explorations, and of course, slow speed stuff, which is what the Mukluk was designed for anyway.

Eventually I had to go home, but it was a nice break from the recent business around here. I'm sure you readers would agree!

Taking A Break

I needed a break from the Trans Iowa madness yesterday, so I finally just set everything down, grabbed By-Tor The Titanium Mukluk, and headed out the door.

It was spitting rain in the morning, and forecasts had predicted a thunderstorm in the morning, but it never materialized. It also got downright hot out. First time I have ridden in anything that resembled heat since leaving El Paso, Texas a month and a half ago. One thing about it was that it wasn't really humid either, which was odd, seeing as how the weatherman was talking rain.

Well, the forecast was as wrong as it could be, and a glorious, sun speckled day broke out once I reached Camp Ingawanis and started riding. The trails were tacky. Perfect, really. Only one muddy spot, and it was tiny, was encountered on the entire ride.

The wheels on the Mukluk continue to impress me. This is how 29"er wheels really should work.  Going into corners with a solid, stiffer feel is really great. I can definitely feel the grip of the tires better without the vagueness of flex covering it up. Faster corners, faster technical riding. It makes me think that all 29"er wheels would really benefit from dishless wheel design.

And the titanium Mukluk is just a really sweet ride. A fat bike that makes a totally great mountain bike. Sure- it has a long-ish wheel base, and the front is definitely harder to pop up, but I could see these as being great attributes for longer off road touring, explorations, and of course, slow speed stuff, which is what the Mukluk was designed for anyway.

Eventually I had to go home, but it was a nice break from the recent business around here. I'm sure you readers would agree!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Trans Iowa Radio

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Trans Iowa V8: Fear And Loathing

B-Road on the T.I.V8 course (Image by S. Fuller)
This whole weather deal is really depressing me. I think I'll just have to shut down my hopes for a "decent" weather pattern to emerge for T.I.V8.

That's right, it looks to be wet, cold, and windy right in time for the event. What is more, now they are saying Friday will bring a full day of precipitation which will no doubt make Saturday's experience on the road out of Grinnell very T.I.V6-like.

That was the first year we ran the event out of Grinnell and as the riders flew down the road, they were blinded by muck being thrown up by everyone's tires. Glasses were of no avail, and several riders reported being blinded off and on as they rode. A few even crashed because they could no longer see anything in the pack of riders.

My only consolation is that thunderstorms are not forecast to be an issue, but then again, it is only Wednesday. They could be wrong about that!  Then there is the cold. Yes- it will be in the 30's both Friday and Saturday nights, with a stiff northeastern wind forecast, and that along with wet folks will make for some big time misery. So it goes. Trans Iowa will bring the pain this year, lay it on thickly, and anyone that makes a slight error in judgement in clothing or nutritional choices will pay dearly.

So with that in mind, I decided I would write you T.I.V8 riders a little "lament" that you can paste onto your race reports, if you want to.

Don't say I ain't lookin' out fer ya'all!

Once I was happy, full of hope. 
Thinking only the best thoughts for my future endeavors. 
Then Fear crept in and Darkness along behind. 
Meanwhile, clouds and wind gather on the horizon. 
Lightning flashes. 
Rolls of thunder come down the grassy hills. 
Suddenly my wheels come to a grinding halt.
All visions of Happier Thoughts are covered in a clag of dark Iowa soil.

The Lament of A Trans Iowa Bicyclist....

Trans Iowa V8: Fear And Loathing

B-Road on the T.I.V8 course (Image by S. Fuller)
This whole weather deal is really depressing me. I think I'll just have to shut down my hopes for a "decent" weather pattern to emerge for T.I.V8.

That's right, it looks to be wet, cold, and windy right in time for the event. What is more, now they are saying Friday will bring a full day of precipitation which will no doubt make Saturday's experience on the road out of Grinnell very T.I.V6-like.

That was the first year we ran the event out of Grinnell and as the riders flew down the road, they were blinded by muck being thrown up by everyone's tires. Glasses were of no avail, and several riders reported being blinded off and on as they rode. A few even crashed because they could no longer see anything in the pack of riders.

My only consolation is that thunderstorms are not forecast to be an issue, but then again, it is only Wednesday. They could be wrong about that!  Then there is the cold. Yes- it will be in the 30's both Friday and Saturday nights, with a stiff northeastern wind forecast, and that along with wet folks will make for some big time misery. So it goes. Trans Iowa will bring the pain this year, lay it on thickly, and anyone that makes a slight error in judgement in clothing or nutritional choices will pay dearly.

So with that in mind, I decided I would write you T.I.V8 riders a little "lament" that you can paste onto your race reports, if you want to.

Don't say I ain't lookin' out fer ya'all!

Once I was happy, full of hope. 
Thinking only the best thoughts for my future endeavors. 
Then Fear crept in and Darkness along behind. 
Meanwhile, clouds and wind gather on the horizon. 
Lightning flashes. 
Rolls of thunder come down the grassy hills. 
Suddenly my wheels come to a grinding halt.
All visions of Happier Thoughts are covered in a clag of dark Iowa soil.

The Lament of A Trans Iowa Bicyclist....

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Post Otter View

Well, Sea Otter came and went over the last few days or so. It has become a defacto "Interbike" for the industry where new 2013 product raises its shiny new head and everyone gets their press release machines humming at their maximum potential.

BMC's TE01 Carbon 29"er
Companies are now flying media in for "World Debuts" at Sea Otter, or just before it. When was the last "World Debut" at Interbike for 29"ers? Well, there probably was at least one.....maybe.  Actually by the time we got to Interbike 2011 it was all anti-climatic. Sea Otter and Eurobike had all the big news. Sea Otter this year really had the goods.

Then you have the 650B/27.5"er thing, which I figured all along would show at Sea Otter, and I was right about that. Thing is, the industry is pushing news out about the wheel size that isn't really news. That's a whole 'nuther story though.

No, what I found interesting was how several companies are latching on to the "27.5" moniker instead of "650B". I always thought sticking with the "650B" thing was goofy. 27.5 makes a lot more sense in marketing terms. Glad to see some companies getting away from the 650B moniker and its clumsy connotations when it comes to mountain biking. However that goes, now we'll see if this gets going.....finally. I thought the Norco and Intense offerings were pointing to where 27.5"ers will really catch ahold. Interestingly, one of the the Intense models was actually a slightly modified 26"er. I think that's rather telling.

Back to Sea Otter- It was a great show for exciting new mountain bike stuff overall. Much more so than Interbike. I think the old, antiquated way Interbike is run might learn a thing or two from the mighty Otter. In fact, I think we could eliminate Inter and Outer Bike, (The consumer foil to Interbike),  in one fell swoop by combining the best of Sea Otter, (it's dates, venue, racing, and riding ops), with Interbike's business focused intentions. Somehow a synergy of those two events into one would probably be a much more interesting thing for dealers, better for companies that are introducing product waaaay before late September/early October, and allow dealers to see the stuff far in advance so ordering and planning could be done well in advance. 

But that'll never happen now, will it?

Post Otter View

Well, Sea Otter came and went over the last few days or so. It has become a defacto "Interbike" for the industry where new 2013 product raises its shiny new head and everyone gets their press release machines humming at their maximum potential.

BMC's TE01 Carbon 29"er
Companies are now flying media in for "World Debuts" at Sea Otter, or just before it. When was the last "World Debut" at Interbike for 29"ers? Well, there probably was at least one.....maybe.  Actually by the time we got to Interbike 2011 it was all anti-climatic. Sea Otter and Eurobike had all the big news. Sea Otter this year really had the goods.

Then you have the 650B/27.5"er thing, which I figured all along would show at Sea Otter, and I was right about that. Thing is, the industry is pushing news out about the wheel size that isn't really news. That's a whole 'nuther story though.

No, what I found interesting was how several companies are latching on to the "27.5" moniker instead of "650B". I always thought sticking with the "650B" thing was goofy. 27.5 makes a lot more sense in marketing terms. Glad to see some companies getting away from the 650B moniker and its clumsy connotations when it comes to mountain biking. However that goes, now we'll see if this gets going.....finally. I thought the Norco and Intense offerings were pointing to where 27.5"ers will really catch ahold. Interestingly, one of the the Intense models was actually a slightly modified 26"er. I think that's rather telling.

Back to Sea Otter- It was a great show for exciting new mountain bike stuff overall. Much more so than Interbike. I think the old, antiquated way Interbike is run might learn a thing or two from the mighty Otter. In fact, I think we could eliminate Inter and Outer Bike, (The consumer foil to Interbike),  in one fell swoop by combining the best of Sea Otter, (it's dates, venue, racing, and riding ops), with Interbike's business focused intentions. Somehow a synergy of those two events into one would probably be a much more interesting thing for dealers, better for companies that are introducing product waaaay before late September/early October, and allow dealers to see the stuff far in advance so ordering and planning could be done well in advance. 

But that'll never happen now, will it?

Monday, April 23, 2012

Trans Iowa V8: Sewing Up The Loose Ends

Iowa B Maintenance Road: Image W. Kilburg
Well, the lead up to Trans Iowa is on in earnest now. I'm seeing a lot of familiar things during these final days.

Riders posting about their jitters on their blogs, both Rookies and Veterans. Weather changes, course conditions in flux, and the same ol', same ol' routines that have become an April tradition for me over the past eight years now.

Things like worrying about cue sheet accuracy, (it's looking really good), getting the cues sheets made, (they are done), and stuffing racer's bags, (also done already). Still, there are details to think about and to make sure that they are taken care of. My mind thinks of ten different ways to do things while I am doing another thing, and then I do it a different way altogether anyhow.

Every year, while stuffing racer's bags, I always think about doing that for the first Trans Iowa with Jeff Kerkove. We were at the shop, and stuffing bags by walking around the break room table, assembly line style, until we were dizzy. Funny how some things seem so vivid after all these years.

Well, as you can see here by the posts below this one, "Trans Iowa Radio" seems to be working. I "think" I've discovered why the few posts that didn't go up caused me to believe it wasn't going to work. My assumption based resolution for this is working. Okay- I'm going with that for now!

The Nervous Jitters: Image by W. Kilburg
Of course, the one and only detail I can not "sew up" is the weather. What will happen? Right now, it is an hourly changing thing, depending upon what you read.

I do know that we're in an even numbered year, and it is true that every year T.I. has taken place in an even numbered year, the weather has played a major factor in how the event played out.

T.I.V2- rained like crazy before and during the event, causing no one to even get to the halfway mark. T.I.V4, the wind and cold came for a visit. It was so cold it was snowing at the start, winds were like 40mph with higher gusts at times, and the roads, suffering from a very bad winter and recent rain deluge, caused the event to be truncated. T.I.V6 was a crazy, windy, thunderstorm infested run that ended in sideways rain at the approximate halfway marker in the event.

The roads are good this year, so if weather kills us again, it'll have to be from some nutty, torrential T.I.V6 like event. Guess what? The forecast calls for "light rain" possibilities all weekend.

Great!

But that can all change in a few days, and at that time we'll have a pretty good idea of what we'll be up against. Whatever it may be, riders will be testing themselves against Trans Iowa V8 soon.

Now where is that rain coat again?

Trans Iowa V8: Sewing Up The Loose Ends

Iowa B Maintenance Road: Image W. Kilburg
Well, the lead up to Trans Iowa is on in earnest now. I'm seeing a lot of familiar things during these final days.

Riders posting about their jitters on their blogs, both Rookies and Veterans. Weather changes, course conditions in flux, and the same ol', same ol' routines that have become an April tradition for me over the past eight years now.

Things like worrying about cue sheet accuracy, (it's looking really good), getting the cues sheets made, (they are done), and stuffing racer's bags, (also done already). Still, there are details to think about and to make sure that they are taken care of. My mind thinks of ten different ways to do things while I am doing another thing, and then I do it a different way altogether anyhow.

Every year, while stuffing racer's bags, I always think about doing that for the first Trans Iowa with Jeff Kerkove. We were at the shop, and stuffing bags by walking around the break room table, assembly line style, until we were dizzy. Funny how some things seem so vivid after all these years.

Well, as you can see here by the posts below this one, "Trans Iowa Radio" seems to be working. I "think" I've discovered why the few posts that didn't go up caused me to believe it wasn't going to work. My assumption based resolution for this is working. Okay- I'm going with that for now!

The Nervous Jitters: Image by W. Kilburg
Of course, the one and only detail I can not "sew up" is the weather. What will happen? Right now, it is an hourly changing thing, depending upon what you read.

I do know that we're in an even numbered year, and it is true that every year T.I. has taken place in an even numbered year, the weather has played a major factor in how the event played out.

T.I.V2- rained like crazy before and during the event, causing no one to even get to the halfway mark. T.I.V4, the wind and cold came for a visit. It was so cold it was snowing at the start, winds were like 40mph with higher gusts at times, and the roads, suffering from a very bad winter and recent rain deluge, caused the event to be truncated. T.I.V6 was a crazy, windy, thunderstorm infested run that ended in sideways rain at the approximate halfway marker in the event.

The roads are good this year, so if weather kills us again, it'll have to be from some nutty, torrential T.I.V6 like event. Guess what? The forecast calls for "light rain" possibilities all weekend.

Great!

But that can all change in a few days, and at that time we'll have a pretty good idea of what we'll be up against. Whatever it may be, riders will be testing themselves against Trans Iowa V8 soon.

Now where is that rain coat again?

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Trans Iowa Radio

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Trans Iowa Radio

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Trans Iowa Radio

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Trans Iowa Radio

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Saturday, April 21, 2012

Trans Iowa Radio

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Trans Iowa Radio

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Trans Iowa V8: Details To Make Note Of

 A Special Post For Trans Iowa Freaks Coming To T.I.V8: 

It won't be long before I see you riders in T.I.V8, but before I do, here are some important details you need to remember for this event:

  • The Pre-Race Meat-Up is a must attend meeting. Some riders opted out of eating, but all riders must be checked in by me by 6:30pm Friday. Once we go into the main meeting room, it is too late for you to get signed on and receive the all important cue sheet to start. If you are eating, please arrive the closest to 4:00pm that you can and start grilling. We need to get the show, (literally!) started by 7:00pm at the latest. I want everyone to be getting into the meeting room starting at 6:30pm, and when everyone is in, we'll get started.  
  • Cue Sheet Details: There are 14 cue sheets total for the entire event. One for the first leg, Six for the second leg, and Seven for the last. They are not all the same size, due to how I had to cut them up to get the checkpoints at the ends of cards. There will be three cue cards larger than the rest, one smaller, the rest varying between. The largest ones are all the same size and barely fit into a Glad sandwich bag. The cues will all come inside a Glad sandwich bag when you get them at the Pre-Race and at checkpoints. NOTE: Mileage resets at each checkpoint.
  • Checkpoint Details: Once again, the event starts promptly at 4:00am in front of Bikes To You on Broad Street in downtown Grinnell. You have until 9:30am to get to checkpoint Alpha at 52 miles. If you arrive one minute too late, you are done. No cues will be handed to late comers. If you make the cutoff, you will have until 9:30pm  to get to Checkpoint Bravo. This is at approximately 170 miles into the event. Remember- there are no services or anything at all at Checkpoint Bravo. It is a remote area. There will be one more Checkpoint that will not have a cut off time. It is the secret checkpoint Charlie. You'll be glad to find it when you do, if you do,  I suspect. The Finish Line must be reached by 2pm, Sunday April 28th to be an official finish. The Finish Line is at the corner of 8th and Bliss in Grinnell. Anyone wanting to hang out to see riders, (if any) coming in should be there by 5am for the leaders. (My best guess as of right now) 
  • Riders will be getting number plates this year. I will be inspecting to see that you have one visible on your body or on the bike at the start line. This is being done to discourage any rogue riders, (I've had rumors of such a thing this year). No one without a number plate will be allowed to roll out with the T.I.V8 field!  Anyone caught riding with unofficial rogue riders will be DQ'ed. 
  • Trans Iowa Radio: I finally got through the details to get this back on again. It will appear only here, not on the Trans Iowa site!  (Sorry, you'll just have to accept the terms to listen, I'm sure the price is right). (<===HA!) I will also say that updates will happen when I can get around to it. They may not come through all that well. They may not post at all. I can not help that. I'll be out in the Styx and won't have the time to deal with technical difficulties. If it works- hey great! If not- oh well! Finally- I can not give details on every rider, nor will I. I can not give detailed updates as to where the leaders are at all times, nor will I. I do this for fun first, and if anyone gets anything out of it- well it is more than nothing. I am not Cycling Dirt, nor do I pretend to serve an audience in that way.Otherwise, sit back and enjoy what there is.
  • Re-read this: Gravel Road Riding Tips. Read the Cue Sheets Explained post as well, but keep in mind that my info there regarding cue sheet sizes has been amended. (See "Cue Sheet Details" above. )
See ya'all in less than a week!

Trans Iowa V8: Details To Make Note Of

 A Special Post For Trans Iowa Freaks Coming To T.I.V8: 

It won't be long before I see you riders in T.I.V8, but before I do, here are some important details you need to remember for this event:

  • The Pre-Race Meat-Up is a must attend meeting. Some riders opted out of eating, but all riders must be checked in by me by 6:30pm Friday. Once we go into the main meeting room, it is too late for you to get signed on and receive the all important cue sheet to start. If you are eating, please arrive the closest to 4:00pm that you can and start grilling. We need to get the show, (literally!) started by 7:00pm at the latest. I want everyone to be getting into the meeting room starting at 6:30pm, and when everyone is in, we'll get started.  
  • Cue Sheet Details: There are 14 cue sheets total for the entire event. One for the first leg, Six for the second leg, and Seven for the last. They are not all the same size, due to how I had to cut them up to get the checkpoints at the ends of cards. There will be three cue cards larger than the rest, one smaller, the rest varying between. The largest ones are all the same size and barely fit into a Glad sandwich bag. The cues will all come inside a Glad sandwich bag when you get them at the Pre-Race and at checkpoints. NOTE: Mileage resets at each checkpoint.
  • Checkpoint Details: Once again, the event starts promptly at 4:00am in front of Bikes To You on Broad Street in downtown Grinnell. You have until 9:30am to get to checkpoint Alpha at 52 miles. If you arrive one minute too late, you are done. No cues will be handed to late comers. If you make the cutoff, you will have until 9:30pm  to get to Checkpoint Bravo. This is at approximately 170 miles into the event. Remember- there are no services or anything at all at Checkpoint Bravo. It is a remote area. There will be one more Checkpoint that will not have a cut off time. It is the secret checkpoint Charlie. You'll be glad to find it when you do, if you do,  I suspect. The Finish Line must be reached by 2pm, Sunday April 28th to be an official finish. The Finish Line is at the corner of 8th and Bliss in Grinnell. Anyone wanting to hang out to see riders, (if any) coming in should be there by 5am for the leaders. (My best guess as of right now) 
  • Riders will be getting number plates this year. I will be inspecting to see that you have one visible on your body or on the bike at the start line. This is being done to discourage any rogue riders, (I've had rumors of such a thing this year). No one without a number plate will be allowed to roll out with the T.I.V8 field!  Anyone caught riding with unofficial rogue riders will be DQ'ed. 
  • Trans Iowa Radio: I finally got through the details to get this back on again. It will appear only here, not on the Trans Iowa site!  (Sorry, you'll just have to accept the terms to listen, I'm sure the price is right). (<===HA!) I will also say that updates will happen when I can get around to it. They may not come through all that well. They may not post at all. I can not help that. I'll be out in the Styx and won't have the time to deal with technical difficulties. If it works- hey great! If not- oh well! Finally- I can not give details on every rider, nor will I. I can not give detailed updates as to where the leaders are at all times, nor will I. I do this for fun first, and if anyone gets anything out of it- well it is more than nothing. I am not Cycling Dirt, nor do I pretend to serve an audience in that way.Otherwise, sit back and enjoy what there is.
  • Re-read this: Gravel Road Riding Tips. Read the Cue Sheets Explained post as well, but keep in mind that my info there regarding cue sheet sizes has been amended. (See "Cue Sheet Details" above. )
See ya'all in less than a week!

Friday, April 20, 2012

Wide Glide

Mukluk- Not El Mariachi
I recently "summer-ized' the Mukluk with some Handspun built 29"er wheels. They are made with fat bike specific hubs laced to 29"er hoops. This changes the bike, obviously, but I wanted to focus on how this bike, and the specific wheel set, changes wheels. 

Fat bike hub width used to be 135mm OLD front and rear, ala the popular Surly Pugsley. Makes a lot of sense when you think about it, since 135mm rear hubs are everywhere. Using a big, fat 3.8" fat bike tire required an offset to the frame to allow all the gearing combinations though. This forced the offset of the spokes to one side of the rim as well. Some felt a "stronger" wheel could be made for a fat bike with a symmetrical wheel build.

This meant going to a wider, specific hub for a fat bike. The specific width was waffled on for a bit, but has settled on 170mm, at least for now. (Chain Reaction Cycles has introduced a 183mm wide hub recently) Another side benefit to this was being able to lace up a set of dishless 29"er hoops to the wider hubs for "summer time use". 

So you can get a fat bike and a mountain bike all in one. However; the effects of the wider hubs here are amazing when laced to 700c hoops. The wider base allows a better bracing angle and a dishless wheel build. Don't worry if none of that makes any sense. All you need to know is that these wheels are very stiff laterally. Much better than most 29"er wheels, unless they are carbon hooped.

So...wider is better, right? Not in a total system sense, it isn't. Yes- the wheels benefit tremendously from the wider hubs, but...........(there is always that "but"), you have to also put up with a wider bottom bracket, and I doubt we'll be seeing any 135mm wide suspension forks anytime soon. (But then again- Salsa Cycles is messing with a fat bike full suspension exercise....)

At any rate, you have to take the "not so good" with great here. The bottom bracket width hasn't been a deal breaker for me, so that seems okay. I do notice that my muscles get worked in a different way though with the wider bottom bracket. The suspension fork thing isn't all that big a deal, because I could swap out to typical componentry up front, but that defeats the advantage of front wheel stiffness here.

I see this as an extension of what I was looking for when I bought the Mukluk frame. A bike that is very versatile with fat bike wheels. Now it becomes a bike, that with a wheel swap, can be an off road touring bike, a regular mountain bike, a single speed mountain bike, or even a gravel grinder.

Although I am not going to start selling off my other bicycles, I could see how something like this could become a "one bike solution" for all season-all conditions" riding.

Wide Glide

Mukluk- Not El Mariachi
I recently "summer-ized' the Mukluk with some Handspun built 29"er wheels. They are made with fat bike specific hubs laced to 29"er hoops. This changes the bike, obviously, but I wanted to focus on how this bike, and the specific wheel set, changes wheels. 

Fat bike hub width used to be 135mm OLD front and rear, ala the popular Surly Pugsley. Makes a lot of sense when you think about it, since 135mm rear hubs are everywhere. Using a big, fat 3.8" fat bike tire required an offset to the frame to allow all the gearing combinations though. This forced the offset of the spokes to one side of the rim as well. Some felt a "stronger" wheel could be made for a fat bike with a symmetrical wheel build.

This meant going to a wider, specific hub for a fat bike. The specific width was waffled on for a bit, but has settled on 170mm, at least for now. (Chain Reaction Cycles has introduced a 183mm wide hub recently) Another side benefit to this was being able to lace up a set of dishless 29"er hoops to the wider hubs for "summer time use". 

So you can get a fat bike and a mountain bike all in one. However; the effects of the wider hubs here are amazing when laced to 700c hoops. The wider base allows a better bracing angle and a dishless wheel build. Don't worry if none of that makes any sense. All you need to know is that these wheels are very stiff laterally. Much better than most 29"er wheels, unless they are carbon hooped.

So...wider is better, right? Not in a total system sense, it isn't. Yes- the wheels benefit tremendously from the wider hubs, but...........(there is always that "but"), you have to also put up with a wider bottom bracket, and I doubt we'll be seeing any 135mm wide suspension forks anytime soon. (But then again- Salsa Cycles is messing with a fat bike full suspension exercise....)

At any rate, you have to take the "not so good" with great here. The bottom bracket width hasn't been a deal breaker for me, so that seems okay. I do notice that my muscles get worked in a different way though with the wider bottom bracket. The suspension fork thing isn't all that big a deal, because I could swap out to typical componentry up front, but that defeats the advantage of front wheel stiffness here.

I see this as an extension of what I was looking for when I bought the Mukluk frame. A bike that is very versatile with fat bike wheels. Now it becomes a bike, that with a wheel swap, can be an off road touring bike, a regular mountain bike, a single speed mountain bike, or even a gravel grinder.

Although I am not going to start selling off my other bicycles, I could see how something like this could become a "one bike solution" for all season-all conditions" riding.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Audio Moblog

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Audio Moblog

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Randomonium

So, here's a nice image from the T.I.V8 course..
Trans Iowa V8 Prep: 

Yeah, like I said a few days ago- You're going to hear a lot about Trans Iowa in the next days. It is only a hair over a week away now. I have been busy with the last bits of preparation in order to not have a last minute meltdown.

Yesterday was all about getting the final form of the cue sheets printed. That happened, and it is the last big hurdle that I had to cross. Now everything else should pretty much fall into place.

Now it is all about assembling the final cue sheets into sets, packing them into zip-loc baggies, and starting to put everything into the bags for the riders on Friday the 27th when they come to the Pre-Race Meat-Up at the Grinnell Steakhouse.

I've got Clif Bar product already here, and Gu Energy product just shipped. I have boxes to pack for the Checkpoints and Finish line supplies, and tidbits to throw into another box for the Pre-Race meeting proper. I started putting together my re-route supplies to go into the truck as well. More details will get sorted on the weekend.

As for other things of note- the film "300 Miles of Gravel" is finished and will be shown at the Pre-Race. If you live in the Milwaukee area, the project might be getting shown up there on Fox 6. I'll post up any details I get on that if it comes true. Hmm......am I forgetting anything? I have a guy driving the first leg of T.I.V8 by the cues, to triple check that sector. Then the day before T.I.V8, I am driving that sector again, plus I am checking on a B Road or two. No "Road Closed" surprises right outta the gate this year!

Salsa Cycles Fargo Adventure Ride
For The Locals: Speaking of gravel road rides, I am going to instigate a bi-weekly, or weekly, (depending upon the interest), gravel road group ride. I'm calling it the "3GR". It's going to be geared at creating more of a community locally amongst those that ride and train on the country roads around here. I know plenty of riders go out, but everybody is pretty much doing their thing alone, which is cool, but this is a group ride option which really hasn't existed here since Jeff Kerkove left town.

There will be bigger, more challenging opportunities as well, including my "Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational" which happens just before RAGBRAI in July. There will also be a Salsa Cycles demo ride connected to this on June 29th. It'll be a "Fargo Adventure Ride", much like the ones that were held up in Minnesota, only shorter in distance. I'll probably call it something else too. Thinking "Fargonaut I" might be good.

The ride will be happening on a Friday afternoon, so doing a mega-mile ride isn't in the cards. Maybe 25-35 miles with a bar-b-cue and adult beverages afterward at some local park around here. Stay tuned for more details coming soon. Got anymore ideas? I'm open to suggestions here. Hit the comments....

and speaking of Fargos....
Fargo Tweaks: 
 I've been riding the Fargo Gen II as my drop bar single track machine lately. I got it set up in late fall last year, and not much time transpired before I had found out I was going to ride in Triple D, and the fat bike took over.

Well, now I am thinking on making a few minor tweaks. The saddle has already been adjusted a bit, and I may get a 10mm shorter stem, but I'm going to play with it as is a bit.

Funny how small changes make big differences in feel. One bigger change I made was going from Specialized Ground Control tires to the Michelin Wild race'r. It has a really squarish profile, kind of like a Hutchinson Python, but not as sketchy. In fact, this Wild race'r seems to deal with the dry hard pack really well. The biggest thing I noticed is how smooth it feels. This is a nicely damped, supple casing.

Okay, that's all the randomness for today.


Randomonium

So, here's a nice image from the T.I.V8 course..
Trans Iowa V8 Prep: 

Yeah, like I said a few days ago- You're going to hear a lot about Trans Iowa in the next days. It is only a hair over a week away now. I have been busy with the last bits of preparation in order to not have a last minute meltdown.

Yesterday was all about getting the final form of the cue sheets printed. That happened, and it is the last big hurdle that I had to cross. Now everything else should pretty much fall into place.

Now it is all about assembling the final cue sheets into sets, packing them into zip-loc baggies, and starting to put everything into the bags for the riders on Friday the 27th when they come to the Pre-Race Meat-Up at the Grinnell Steakhouse.

I've got Clif Bar product already here, and Gu Energy product just shipped. I have boxes to pack for the Checkpoints and Finish line supplies, and tidbits to throw into another box for the Pre-Race meeting proper. I started putting together my re-route supplies to go into the truck as well. More details will get sorted on the weekend.

As for other things of note- the film "300 Miles of Gravel" is finished and will be shown at the Pre-Race. If you live in the Milwaukee area, the project might be getting shown up there on Fox 6. I'll post up any details I get on that if it comes true. Hmm......am I forgetting anything? I have a guy driving the first leg of T.I.V8 by the cues, to triple check that sector. Then the day before T.I.V8, I am driving that sector again, plus I am checking on a B Road or two. No "Road Closed" surprises right outta the gate this year!

Salsa Cycles Fargo Adventure Ride
For The Locals: Speaking of gravel road rides, I am going to instigate a bi-weekly, or weekly, (depending upon the interest), gravel road group ride. I'm calling it the "3GR". It's going to be geared at creating more of a community locally amongst those that ride and train on the country roads around here. I know plenty of riders go out, but everybody is pretty much doing their thing alone, which is cool, but this is a group ride option which really hasn't existed here since Jeff Kerkove left town.

There will be bigger, more challenging opportunities as well, including my "Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational" which happens just before RAGBRAI in July. There will also be a Salsa Cycles demo ride connected to this on June 29th. It'll be a "Fargo Adventure Ride", much like the ones that were held up in Minnesota, only shorter in distance. I'll probably call it something else too. Thinking "Fargonaut I" might be good.

The ride will be happening on a Friday afternoon, so doing a mega-mile ride isn't in the cards. Maybe 25-35 miles with a bar-b-cue and adult beverages afterward at some local park around here. Stay tuned for more details coming soon. Got anymore ideas? I'm open to suggestions here. Hit the comments....

and speaking of Fargos....
Fargo Tweaks: 
 I've been riding the Fargo Gen II as my drop bar single track machine lately. I got it set up in late fall last year, and not much time transpired before I had found out I was going to ride in Triple D, and the fat bike took over.

Well, now I am thinking on making a few minor tweaks. The saddle has already been adjusted a bit, and I may get a 10mm shorter stem, but I'm going to play with it as is a bit.

Funny how small changes make big differences in feel. One bigger change I made was going from Specialized Ground Control tires to the Michelin Wild race'r. It has a really squarish profile, kind of like a Hutchinson Python, but not as sketchy. In fact, this Wild race'r seems to deal with the dry hard pack really well. The biggest thing I noticed is how smooth it feels. This is a nicely damped, supple casing.

Okay, that's all the randomness for today.


Wednesday, April 18, 2012

A Visit From An Old Friend

1992 Klein Attitude
Warning: Way Back Machine Post: 

When I started off road biking on an actual  off road bicycle, (as opposed to just riding any ol' bike in the woods), it was on a Mongoose Sycamore. It was an okay bike, but at the time, the shop where I had purchased it had a screaming pink frame with a custom build that would have fit me to a tee, but it was about $200.00 more than I wanted to spend. That bike was super sweet, and deeply discounted.

I always kicked myself for not getting it, and "settling" for the Sycamore. Not that the Sycamore was "bad", it was just barely enough bike for what I was doing then. That pink number was a purpose built single track shredder. It would have been all that I needed.

Well, the Sycamore was showing the kinks in its armor when I took it down to the local bike shop at the time, Advantage Cyclery in Cedar Falls. The owner took me aside and kindly explained how I needed the "right tool for the job" that I was doing. It all made sense. So, in late summer of 1991, I started looking for a new rig.

I got stacks of catalogs, magazines, talked to lots of folks, and the owner of Advantage. Finally, in very early 1992, I decided on a Klein in Sunset Linear Fade.

Do Your Eyes Hurt Yet?
The Sunset Linear Fade was waaaay bright and had pink in it, like that bike I let get away. The cool thing about the paint job was that from a direct front view, it was yellow, from the side- orange, and from the back- pink. It was perfectly eye searing and I thought it was awesome. Yeah- I bought it for the paint job! Well- that and it had a press fit bottom bracket and a press fit, over sized bearing head set. Low maintenance and way ahead of its time.

The problem was- for me- that the frame was ultra-stiff. Crazy stiff! So stiff that even small "G-outs" on our local trails would rebound the back end into the air. I crashed so many times due to this bike it wasn't funny. At least it wasn't to me.

So one day at work a former shop race team bike came in. It was a Park Pre 925 in the neon yellow/blue colors. It was steel, my size, and rode about 10,000 times better than the Klein did. I picked it up and the Klein slowly started getting less and less rides. In a last ditch effort to make it work, I had a custom aluminum spacer machined so I could insert a Softride suspension stem into the steer tube. It helped, but I didn't like the weird monkey motion that it induced. So.....in 1996, I sold the bike.

I knew it was still in town, and I am amazed to say that it pretty much, (with exception of the rear wheel and saddle), is exactly the way I had it in 1996. It came in for servicing the other day, and I got to clean it up one last time.

Just like the old days. See ya down the trail, old friend!

A Visit From An Old Friend

1992 Klein Attitude
Warning: Way Back Machine Post: 

When I started off road biking on an actual  off road bicycle, (as opposed to just riding any ol' bike in the woods), it was on a Mongoose Sycamore. It was an okay bike, but at the time, the shop where I had purchased it had a screaming pink frame with a custom build that would have fit me to a tee, but it was about $200.00 more than I wanted to spend. That bike was super sweet, and deeply discounted.

I always kicked myself for not getting it, and "settling" for the Sycamore. Not that the Sycamore was "bad", it was just barely enough bike for what I was doing then. That pink number was a purpose built single track shredder. It would have been all that I needed.

Well, the Sycamore was showing the kinks in its armor when I took it down to the local bike shop at the time, Advantage Cyclery in Cedar Falls. The owner took me aside and kindly explained how I needed the "right tool for the job" that I was doing. It all made sense. So, in late summer of 1991, I started looking for a new rig.

I got stacks of catalogs, magazines, talked to lots of folks, and the owner of Advantage. Finally, in very early 1992, I decided on a Klein in Sunset Linear Fade.

Do Your Eyes Hurt Yet?
The Sunset Linear Fade was waaaay bright and had pink in it, like that bike I let get away. The cool thing about the paint job was that from a direct front view, it was yellow, from the side- orange, and from the back- pink. It was perfectly eye searing and I thought it was awesome. Yeah- I bought it for the paint job! Well- that and it had a press fit bottom bracket and a press fit, over sized bearing head set. Low maintenance and way ahead of its time.

The problem was- for me- that the frame was ultra-stiff. Crazy stiff! So stiff that even small "G-outs" on our local trails would rebound the back end into the air. I crashed so many times due to this bike it wasn't funny. At least it wasn't to me.

So one day at work a former shop race team bike came in. It was a Park Pre 925 in the neon yellow/blue colors. It was steel, my size, and rode about 10,000 times better than the Klein did. I picked it up and the Klein slowly started getting less and less rides. In a last ditch effort to make it work, I had a custom aluminum spacer machined so I could insert a Softride suspension stem into the steer tube. It helped, but I didn't like the weird monkey motion that it induced. So.....in 1996, I sold the bike.

I knew it was still in town, and I am amazed to say that it pretty much, (with exception of the rear wheel and saddle), is exactly the way I had it in 1996. It came in for servicing the other day, and I got to clean it up one last time.

Just like the old days. See ya down the trail, old friend!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Project LeJeune: Update

The LeJeune which I acquired last summer and started to work on in December has languished for a time. See, we really didn't have a winter, or much of one, so I just had to ride the fat bike when the snow flew and then it got busier at the shop right afterward when things warmed way up in February.

My original plan was to tinker on this when things were in that "in between" phase in late February/early March, but that got waylaid and now it's nigh unto May and I haven't done a gol durned thing with this frame and fork.

Well, the missed ride to work today due to a sideways blast of 41 degree cooled rain offered up the opportunity to load up this bike and get it back to The lab where I can start tinkering with it at odd hours. Now it resides in full bits and pieces glory between The Lab and the shop.

I need to rebuild/re-grease the hubs and then the next order of business is to get the wheels built. That means jettisoning the ancient, soft, weak tubular rims in favor of a pair of Salsa Cycles Delgado rims I have hanging in the Lab. Spokes were cut by an old friend on a rad spoke cutting machine he owns. Perfect. This wheel build should go down without much issue.

After that, the head set will be tackled, then the bottom bracket. Once everything is cleaned and prepped, I'll do a bit of tidying up with regard to the components and the main part of this re-build will be done. I do want to customize the free wheel though. I'll be wanting a lower gear on this rig, as the 53/42 crank won't give me any quarter. 

Then you get into the details. Look, this bike, although barely ridden as far as I can tell, isn't perfect. There are a few bubbles in the paint where corrosion is probably taking place. What to do? Re-paint?

I'm not going to take this down that far. It's a bicycle. It's meant to be ridden, not to be a showpiece. So, I am cleaning it up, greasing it up where that needs to be done, putting on some good cables and housings, and riding it. I probably will give it a good waxing before all of that, just for good measure.

And, as promised, it's going to do gravel duty. I am not totally averse to riding pavement, but I like gravel way better. I figure the Clement tires I got, the 28mm ones, will go on first, but at some point I am shoe horning in some 32mm tires and then leaving it.

It'll be fun to see how the old school geometry handles the gravel, and maybe this will point me in a new direction for a custom gravel bike. The BMC Orange Crush I posted about yesterday has some very tasty bits about it, but I want to see how this French version of road going might modify those thoughts, or not.

Stay tuned for (hopefully) some further updates....

Project LeJeune: Update

The LeJeune which I acquired last summer and started to work on in December has languished for a time. See, we really didn't have a winter, or much of one, so I just had to ride the fat bike when the snow flew and then it got busier at the shop right afterward when things warmed way up in February.

My original plan was to tinker on this when things were in that "in between" phase in late February/early March, but that got waylaid and now it's nigh unto May and I haven't done a gol durned thing with this frame and fork.

Well, the missed ride to work today due to a sideways blast of 41 degree cooled rain offered up the opportunity to load up this bike and get it back to The lab where I can start tinkering with it at odd hours. Now it resides in full bits and pieces glory between The Lab and the shop.

I need to rebuild/re-grease the hubs and then the next order of business is to get the wheels built. That means jettisoning the ancient, soft, weak tubular rims in favor of a pair of Salsa Cycles Delgado rims I have hanging in the Lab. Spokes were cut by an old friend on a rad spoke cutting machine he owns. Perfect. This wheel build should go down without much issue.

After that, the head set will be tackled, then the bottom bracket. Once everything is cleaned and prepped, I'll do a bit of tidying up with regard to the components and the main part of this re-build will be done. I do want to customize the free wheel though. I'll be wanting a lower gear on this rig, as the 53/42 crank won't give me any quarter. 

Then you get into the details. Look, this bike, although barely ridden as far as I can tell, isn't perfect. There are a few bubbles in the paint where corrosion is probably taking place. What to do? Re-paint?

I'm not going to take this down that far. It's a bicycle. It's meant to be ridden, not to be a showpiece. So, I am cleaning it up, greasing it up where that needs to be done, putting on some good cables and housings, and riding it. I probably will give it a good waxing before all of that, just for good measure.

And, as promised, it's going to do gravel duty. I am not totally averse to riding pavement, but I like gravel way better. I figure the Clement tires I got, the 28mm ones, will go on first, but at some point I am shoe horning in some 32mm tires and then leaving it.

It'll be fun to see how the old school geometry handles the gravel, and maybe this will point me in a new direction for a custom gravel bike. The BMC Orange Crush I posted about yesterday has some very tasty bits about it, but I want to see how this French version of road going might modify those thoughts, or not.

Stay tuned for (hopefully) some further updates....