Friday News And Views

Care of ImagineGnat

Tracking The Days: 

Nothing like a good old analogue calendar to track yer days by. I just can't imagine not having a paper calendar, which may seem old school to you out there, but judging from my visits to stores of late, I ain't the only one!

So in an effort to "shop small" and also to support someone I think of as a friend, I suggest that you consider one of these fine calendars from Gnat. (He of "Barns For Jason" fame) Gnat took all the images in these calendars and I think they are awesome. Mrs. Guitar Ted thinks so as well. You can get a calendar in color or in black and white, but these are so cool, you need to get both of them. Really.

These are staying with me, but they would make an awesome gift for someone as well. Check it out here.

Long overdue hangings

Speaking Of Art....

I finally got around to hanging a couple of things that have been safely rolled up in a tube for......years! 

I can not remember who it was that brought me three of these T.I.V3 header posters, but if you are reading this- Thanks! And lookee here! I finally hung one! Sharp eyed readers will recognize the image as the same as the T.I.V9 header image with different graphics.  The image is from a ride that co-instigator of Trans Iowa, Jeff Kerkove, took on one of his old "Friday Night Lights" gravel grinders which were held here when he was a mechanic with me at the shop.

The other poster is a Twin Six "Dust To Dust" poster which Twin Six sent to me at one time or another. So once again- Thanks guys! It's been too long, but it is finally out and being shown off at Guitar Ted's homestead.

I still have a couple of other smaller posters yet to get framed. I don't care if these are not matted professionally, or whatever. If I wait to pay for that to happen, it won't happen! Not that I am a cheapo- but things like truck tires, kid's clothes, and lunch money are more important, ya know?

My kinda bar action.

Blingle Bar:

I picked up one of these On One Midge Bars in a shiny gold ano recently. For the money, how could I not? (They were on sale for sub 30 bucks) These bars were developed by some aficionados of dirt drop use and- in my opinion- are still the king of off road drop bars. Others have tried, but they have not improved on these.

Now- I use Woodchippers, Luxy Bars, and Cowbell Bars, and those are all pretty good at some things, but the Midge Bar is great at most everything, with one tiny exception- The drop section is just a wee bit short.

And now I hear they are going to lengthen that bit, and allow folks to cut them back, if they want the old Midge length. Just hearsay, I don't have any confirmation at this point, but if it is true- yeah. That'd be about perfection. (Now that said- I still have an idea I think is better, but no one has been able to get it right, or has tried it yet.)

And these gold ones? They are going on Fargo Gen I soon.

Recon!

 Weekend Goings On:

While most of you Mid-Westerners will be soaking up the last bits of warmer than usual weather, I will be doing two things. First up- Global Fat Bike Day. Saturday will mark a day set aside world-wide to do the fat bike thing. I know of a big ride in Iowa City, and the guys around here are getting together at The Camp. Minneapolis has a huge one going down. I suppose there are rides going on all over little and big, but going on none the less.

I'll be doing a combo gravel/single track gig Saturday. Gotta get in a training ride for Triple D along with the fat bike celebrating.

Then on Sunday I'll be doing Trans Iowa recon and hopefully will get that all wrapped up. Got new tires on the truck, an oil change, and checked over. Everything is a go. The weather should be perfect. I hope to move to drafting cue sheets then and following that in the Spring we'll check those out and catch any mistakes. It is the method I used last year and really made for the best cues T.I. has ever had.

Okay- that's a wrap. Get out and ride while ya can! It won't get any better than this in December.

Friday News And Views

Care of ImagineGnat

Tracking The Days: 

Nothing like a good old analogue calendar to track yer days by. I just can't imagine not having a paper calendar, which may seem old school to you out there, but judging from my visits to stores of late, I ain't the only one!

So in an effort to "shop small" and also to support someone I think of as a friend, I suggest that you consider one of these fine calendars from Gnat. (He of "Barns For Jason" fame) Gnat took all the images in these calendars and I think they are awesome. Mrs. Guitar Ted thinks so as well. You can get a calendar in color or in black and white, but these are so cool, you need to get both of them. Really.

These are staying with me, but they would make an awesome gift for someone as well. Check it out here.

Long overdue hangings

Speaking Of Art....

I finally got around to hanging a couple of things that have been safely rolled up in a tube for......years! 

I can not remember who it was that brought me three of these T.I.V3 header posters, but if you are reading this- Thanks! And lookee here! I finally hung one! Sharp eyed readers will recognize the image as the same as the T.I.V9 header image with different graphics.  The image is from a ride that co-instigator of Trans Iowa, Jeff Kerkove, took on one of his old "Friday Night Lights" gravel grinders which were held here when he was a mechanic with me at the shop.

The other poster is a Twin Six "Dust To Dust" poster which Twin Six sent to me at one time or another. So once again- Thanks guys! It's been too long, but it is finally out and being shown off at Guitar Ted's homestead.

I still have a couple of other smaller posters yet to get framed. I don't care if these are not matted professionally, or whatever. If I wait to pay for that to happen, it won't happen! Not that I am a cheapo- but things like truck tires, kid's clothes, and lunch money are more important, ya know?

My kinda bar action.

Blingle Bar:

I picked up one of these On One Midge Bars in a shiny gold ano recently. For the money, how could I not? (They were on sale for sub 30 bucks) These bars were developed by some aficionados of dirt drop use and- in my opinion- are still the king of off road drop bars. Others have tried, but they have not improved on these.

Now- I use Woodchippers, Luxy Bars, and Cowbell Bars, and those are all pretty good at some things, but the Midge Bar is great at most everything, with one tiny exception- The drop section is just a wee bit short.

And now I hear they are going to lengthen that bit, and allow folks to cut them back, if they want the old Midge length. Just hearsay, I don't have any confirmation at this point, but if it is true- yeah. That'd be about perfection. (Now that said- I still have an idea I think is better, but no one has been able to get it right, or has tried it yet.)

And these gold ones? They are going on Fargo Gen I soon.

Recon!

 Weekend Goings On:

While most of you Mid-Westerners will be soaking up the last bits of warmer than usual weather, I will be doing two things. First up- Global Fat Bike Day. Saturday will mark a day set aside world-wide to do the fat bike thing. I know of a big ride in Iowa City, and the guys around here are getting together at The Camp. Minneapolis has a huge one going down. I suppose there are rides going on all over little and big, but going on none the less.

I'll be doing a combo gravel/single track gig Saturday. Gotta get in a training ride for Triple D along with the fat bike celebrating.

Then on Sunday I'll be doing Trans Iowa recon and hopefully will get that all wrapped up. Got new tires on the truck, an oil change, and checked over. Everything is a go. The weather should be perfect. I hope to move to drafting cue sheets then and following that in the Spring we'll check those out and catch any mistakes. It is the method I used last year and really made for the best cues T.I. has ever had.

Okay- that's a wrap. Get out and ride while ya can! It won't get any better than this in December.

The End Is Near

The Lunatic Fringe

The End Is Near! The end of the year, that is. With that thought in mind, I have been overtaken with a sense of urgency which stems from having so much needing done before winter clamps its icy grip on us. All day yesterday was pretty much consumed with thoughts having to do with this anxiety and the pile of things I think needs attention before The End.

So, in an effort to allow myself a channel through which to vent through, I now am going to dump out my mental cart here for all to see. The Mayans have nothing on me.

First there is the huge goal I set for myself of having all the recon done before Winter for the upcoming Trans Iowa V9. This was going to be a slam dunk until I figured out that the "shaky-shake" I was feeling in the seat of my pants when I drove the "Truck With No Name" was a broken belt in the left rear tire. Yeah......not cool! It was looking as though I was needing tires anyway, so I am getting those put on today, as a matter of fact.

Trivial Factoid: Each tire for a 2003 Toyota Tundra costs the same as one Big Fat Larry in the 120TPI folding bead flavor. I find this somewhat amazing.

I am not a Man- I am Devo!

Well, so there is that, and now a last ditch effort to squeeze out the recon will take place Sunday. It will be nice out, and it should prove to be a good day to knock it all out. If I don't, December will not allow for anymore chances, let alone Winter's possible arrival on the scene.

And that segue ways into what else is going on in my brain, which is my Family. I have a jam-packed December of Family Fun going on.

First it is a close family friend's birthday, (you could say she is a sister of mine, in fact), then there is Mrs. Guitar Ted's birthday, then it is my Daughter's birthday, then Christmas, New Years, and on January 2nd, it is my wedding anniversary. 

The social calendar be full! I will blink on December 1st, (which is the big fat bike ride day, by the way), and then I'll be staring straight into January and the big day of the Triple D event. Oh yeah!

Training for Triple D must happen around all of this as well.  I have to get going on that some more of that here soon. At least the bike will be set up pretty well already. (Did I mention the cost of new skins for that sled? Yes?) Uh-huh.....needs new tires as well. I may opt for something different than Larry's or Big Fat Larrys though, which could be even more spendy! That's not the only event prep I have going on either. There is a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes for Trans Iowa V9 which is consuming a lot of my thoughts. E-mails and ideas are being slung around that might just amaze some of you out there.

In fact, stuff for that event could be so awesome I may explode before I can tell you all about it. It's going to be that good. Well, either I will explode, or the Mayans will be right. (Cue Corporate Anthem)

Stay tuned.....

 

The End Is Near

The Lunatic Fringe

The End Is Near! The end of the year, that is. With that thought in mind, I have been overtaken with a sense of urgency which stems from having so much needing done before winter clamps its icy grip on us. All day yesterday was pretty much consumed with thoughts having to do with this anxiety and the pile of things I think needs attention before The End.

So, in an effort to allow myself a channel through which to vent through, I now am going to dump out my mental cart here for all to see. The Mayans have nothing on me.

First there is the huge goal I set for myself of having all the recon done before Winter for the upcoming Trans Iowa V9. This was going to be a slam dunk until I figured out that the "shaky-shake" I was feeling in the seat of my pants when I drove the "Truck With No Name" was a broken belt in the left rear tire. Yeah......not cool! It was looking as though I was needing tires anyway, so I am getting those put on today, as a matter of fact.

Trivial Factoid: Each tire for a 2003 Toyota Tundra costs the same as one Big Fat Larry in the 120TPI folding bead flavor. I find this somewhat amazing.

I am not a Man- I am Devo!

Well, so there is that, and now a last ditch effort to squeeze out the recon will take place Sunday. It will be nice out, and it should prove to be a good day to knock it all out. If I don't, December will not allow for anymore chances, let alone Winter's possible arrival on the scene.

And that segue ways into what else is going on in my brain, which is my Family. I have a jam-packed December of Family Fun going on.

First it is a close family friend's birthday, (you could say she is a sister of mine, in fact), then there is Mrs. Guitar Ted's birthday, then it is my Daughter's birthday, then Christmas, New Years, and on January 2nd, it is my wedding anniversary. 

The social calendar be full! I will blink on December 1st, (which is the big fat bike ride day, by the way), and then I'll be staring straight into January and the big day of the Triple D event. Oh yeah!

Training for Triple D must happen around all of this as well.  I have to get going on that some more of that here soon. At least the bike will be set up pretty well already. (Did I mention the cost of new skins for that sled? Yes?) Uh-huh.....needs new tires as well. I may opt for something different than Larry's or Big Fat Larrys though, which could be even more spendy! That's not the only event prep I have going on either. There is a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes for Trans Iowa V9 which is consuming a lot of my thoughts. E-mails and ideas are being slung around that might just amaze some of you out there.

In fact, stuff for that event could be so awesome I may explode before I can tell you all about it. It's going to be that good. Well, either I will explode, or the Mayans will be right. (Cue Corporate Anthem)

Stay tuned.....

 

The "Interbike Golden Ticket": An Opinion

Notice: The following is this author's opinion and may or may not reflect the opinions of anyone else. I base my opinions today on published material from the Internet and my own personal observations and experiences from my Interbike attendance over the past several years. In the end, I suggest you make up your own mind based on your own research. Now, on with the story.....

For the trade only.

 Interbike- The North American bicycle trade show that happens every Fall. I have been to several of these shows, dating back to the 90's. A lot has changed over the years with Interbike since those days, I'll tell ya that much.

One thing that has not changed much is the consumer's desire to "get inside" and see the stuff before everyone else. Well, maybe it has changed a little bit, since you can sit at home and scour the Internet and see almost everything virtually, but actually being there still trumps all. The trade has not ever allowed consumers to venture into those noisey, bustling halls, until next year. That's when- if you are one of the lucky few- you can get what Interbike's Pat Hus describes as a golden ticket of sorts. He is quoted in a "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" article as saying the following, " In year one, we want to make it feel exclusive...."

That's cool. The plan is for Interbike to allow a pre-determined number of "passes" to be made available to independent bike shops who in turn are advised to give  out said passes to "special customers" who will be allowed into Interbike on the final day of the show for a fee of $50.00 a head. The passes will be limited, (but no solid number has been proffered as yet), and will be heavily weighted toward shops in the Southwest. Details on just how this all will pan out will be made known at a later date.

Interbike's Outdoor Demo

Again, I have no horse in this race, so whatever happens is fine by me, but I find it rather odd that on one hand the Interbike folks are 'opening a door" to consumers and not "shutting the back door" that's been open a crack for years. So, is the new Consumer Day really exclusive?

What I mean is this: Consumers, (perhaps only the crafty and slightly cheeky ones, but consumers none the less), have been attending Interbike for years, and Interbike knows this is going on. 

My point is that if you are saying that the trade show is "letting consumers in on the last day only", and you are not providing answers for how the rest of the show will be devoid of consumers, then the whole to-do seems sort of meaningless. So far, Interbike has not provided for how they will police "sneak ins", other than to say that they are being more strict on who is an actual business and who is not upon signing up to get into the show.

Going back to my previous years at the show, one thing always stands out to me. The last day is always sort of a joke. In fact- I quit attending the final day of Interbike a few years ago, since it was a waste of time. Vendors were slowly packing up throughout the day. The last year I attended on the final day, it was not unusual to see several empty booths by noon!

What's more, the booth folk are just about fried to a crispy texture by Friday. And who can blame them? Many of these folks fly into the show a week in advance of the last day or even more to set up meetings, arrange for deliveries, and set up their show booths. Then they have to survive Monday through Thursday doing Outdoor Demo and the indoor show. Friday? All many want to do is chat, have a beer, and get on with getting outta Dodge.

Bicycle riding: The fun part.

Interbike says that with the new Consumer day on the last day of the show, hours will be extended until 6pm. Yep. That'll probably work, right? Consumers will really get a good look and feel for Interbike that way.

Well, I don't think so, really. In fact, I don't think it is a very good idea at all. Put people you want to impress in front of half crazed, bored, dog tired, booth ridden employees and expect that to turn out for the best? It's a little like the parents who expect toddlers to be perfectly behaved after 14 aisles of grocery shopping. Yeah.......right! But maybe I'm all wrong about that. It isn't putting the best foot forward though, in my opinion.

And getting back to the consumers who are slipping through the cracks anyway. Listen- I've seen them, met with them, and have noted some of them at multiple shows. Unless Interbike tightens the reins, I don't see anything changing with regard to these folks, and I feel that if you ever wanted to get into Interbike before, you probably have, and will again. But it won't be under the new "Golden Ticket" policy, I bet. No.....those folks will be at Outdoor Demo and the first couple of days of Interbike, most likely, just as in previous years. Why wait until the last day? All the fun is riding the bikes at the demo and seeing everything before anyone else you know does anyway, right?

The Golden ticket folks? Well..... Interbike says these folks will drive consumer sales at the retail level due to this new found exposure to the inner sanctum. We'll see how that all pans out.

The "Interbike Golden Ticket": An Opinion

Notice: The following is this author's opinion and may or may not reflect the opinions of anyone else. I base my opinions today on published material from the Internet and my own personal observations and experiences from my Interbike attendance over the past several years. In the end, I suggest you make up your own mind based on your own research. Now, on with the story.....

For the trade only.

 Interbike- The North American bicycle trade show that happens every Fall. I have been to several of these shows, dating back to the 90's. A lot has changed over the years with Interbike since those days, I'll tell ya that much.

One thing that has not changed much is the consumer's desire to "get inside" and see the stuff before everyone else. Well, maybe it has changed a little bit, since you can sit at home and scour the Internet and see almost everything virtually, but actually being there still trumps all. The trade has not ever allowed consumers to venture into those noisey, bustling halls, until next year. That's when- if you are one of the lucky few- you can get what Interbike's Pat Hus describes as a golden ticket of sorts. He is quoted in a "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" article as saying the following, " In year one, we want to make it feel exclusive...."

That's cool. The plan is for Interbike to allow a pre-determined number of "passes" to be made available to independent bike shops who in turn are advised to give  out said passes to "special customers" who will be allowed into Interbike on the final day of the show for a fee of $50.00 a head. The passes will be limited, (but no solid number has been proffered as yet), and will be heavily weighted toward shops in the Southwest. Details on just how this all will pan out will be made known at a later date.

Interbike's Outdoor Demo

Again, I have no horse in this race, so whatever happens is fine by me, but I find it rather odd that on one hand the Interbike folks are 'opening a door" to consumers and not "shutting the back door" that's been open a crack for years. So, is the new Consumer Day really exclusive?

What I mean is this: Consumers, (perhaps only the crafty and slightly cheeky ones, but consumers none the less), have been attending Interbike for years, and Interbike knows this is going on. 

My point is that if you are saying that the trade show is "letting consumers in on the last day only", and you are not providing answers for how the rest of the show will be devoid of consumers, then the whole to-do seems sort of meaningless. So far, Interbike has not provided for how they will police "sneak ins", other than to say that they are being more strict on who is an actual business and who is not upon signing up to get into the show.

Going back to my previous years at the show, one thing always stands out to me. The last day is always sort of a joke. In fact- I quit attending the final day of Interbike a few years ago, since it was a waste of time. Vendors were slowly packing up throughout the day. The last year I attended on the final day, it was not unusual to see several empty booths by noon!

What's more, the booth folk are just about fried to a crispy texture by Friday. And who can blame them? Many of these folks fly into the show a week in advance of the last day or even more to set up meetings, arrange for deliveries, and set up their show booths. Then they have to survive Monday through Thursday doing Outdoor Demo and the indoor show. Friday? All many want to do is chat, have a beer, and get on with getting outta Dodge.

Bicycle riding: The fun part.

Interbike says that with the new Consumer day on the last day of the show, hours will be extended until 6pm. Yep. That'll probably work, right? Consumers will really get a good look and feel for Interbike that way.

Well, I don't think so, really. In fact, I don't think it is a very good idea at all. Put people you want to impress in front of half crazed, bored, dog tired, booth ridden employees and expect that to turn out for the best? It's a little like the parents who expect toddlers to be perfectly behaved after 14 aisles of grocery shopping. Yeah.......right! But maybe I'm all wrong about that. It isn't putting the best foot forward though, in my opinion.

And getting back to the consumers who are slipping through the cracks anyway. Listen- I've seen them, met with them, and have noted some of them at multiple shows. Unless Interbike tightens the reins, I don't see anything changing with regard to these folks, and I feel that if you ever wanted to get into Interbike before, you probably have, and will again. But it won't be under the new "Golden Ticket" policy, I bet. No.....those folks will be at Outdoor Demo and the first couple of days of Interbike, most likely, just as in previous years. Why wait until the last day? All the fun is riding the bikes at the demo and seeing everything before anyone else you know does anyway, right?

The Golden ticket folks? Well..... Interbike says these folks will drive consumer sales at the retail level due to this new found exposure to the inner sanctum. We'll see how that all pans out.

Get Your Own

Regular readers here will no doubt know that I have a certain love affair of sorts with an orange bike I ride on gravel mostly. There are several reasons for this, but that's not the point of this post. So, at the risk of sounding like a schill.....

Now in a fetching gray, or....

I pinched these images from the Black Mountain Cycles site (please forgive me, MV), and they show some new frames that are now on their way to the California based shop. These are the "monster cross" models which is what my beloved "Orange Crush" is. The new batch has the same features as mine with the exception of added rack mount bosses on the new ones, and the drop out spacing is now fixed at 130mm.

The steel construction gives this frame and fork just the right amount of stiffness without giving away the steel feel which many riders like. I know steel forks are heavy and not in vogue, but trust me- Keep the fork on this bike. It rides really swell, and better than a carbon fork does. (I know- I tried one on mine and didn't like it.)

The new color is a grey, as shown to the left here. I like it. It is an understated, yet classy look, and would be swell with silver bits on it. I had a grey Trek at one time with a similar color and it really grew on me, which I was surprised by, since I typically go for the more retina searing hues in the color palette.

...or get one like my "Orange Crush".

This is a really versatile frame set. I like it because I can shove big 1.8"ers in the frame, or I can opt for more reasonable 35's with boat loads of clearance for the goo. Fenders work a treat with these, and now with rack mounts out back, one could likely do light loaded tours, or set up a great adventure rig.

The geometry on these is a bit like a Surly Cross Check with notable differences in head tube length, (longer), and chain stay length, (also longer), which in my opinion makes the BMC frame better for gravel riding. But it also does "all road", rough road, or whatever ya want ta call it. It isn't just a gravel road rig.

Finally, I want to say that I am not being asked to pimp these frames/forks. I really just like mine a lot. I figure that most folks might benefit from knowing that there is a smartly designed, small batch rig available that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. It doesn't look like a freakin' bill board, it has some class, and the fine details are really nice on these frames.

There are other great steel frames out there too. Singular Cycles comes to mind. The aforementioned Surly, and others as well. But I am just one guy that is stoked on a Black Mountain Cycles frame and fork. Maybe you will dig it too. Maybe not, but there it is.

My BMC

I am sorely tempted to get another one of these frames and a fork. Why? I already have one, right? Well, my first build on my own BMC was a single speed. This bike makes a great single speed gravel rig, and I wouldn't mind having a dedicated frame/fork for that which mimicked my set up with the geared BMC.

That'd be quite the luxury, but it would be fun. Who knows? Maybe I'll clear the shed out of a few rigs to make way for this.

Then I'd have to figure out which color to get. Yes- I would entertain getting another orange one. I like orange bikes. Orange is fast.

But in reality, I would most likely opt for the grey. I like it a lot, and as I say- silver components would look trick on this, and I have almost everything I would need to set one up right down in the Lab now.  Or I could go and swap over all the geared bits from the Orange one to the grey frame and go back to a single speed set up on the orange one.

Sheesh! I think I am talking myself into another one of these! Better settle down there.

Anyway- if you are curious, see Black Mountain Cycles here. As I say- I don't get anything at all for pimping these frames, but you could do a whole lot worse than a Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross frame and fork.

Get Your Own

Regular readers here will no doubt know that I have a certain love affair of sorts with an orange bike I ride on gravel mostly. There are several reasons for this, but that's not the point of this post. So, at the risk of sounding like a schill.....

Now in a fetching gray, or....

I pinched these images from the Black Mountain Cycles site (please forgive me, MV), and they show some new frames that are now on their way to the California based shop. These are the "monster cross" models which is what my beloved "Orange Crush" is. The new batch has the same features as mine with the exception of added rack mount bosses on the new ones, and the drop out spacing is now fixed at 130mm.

The steel construction gives this frame and fork just the right amount of stiffness without giving away the steel feel which many riders like. I know steel forks are heavy and not in vogue, but trust me- Keep the fork on this bike. It rides really swell, and better than a carbon fork does. (I know- I tried one on mine and didn't like it.)

The new color is a grey, as shown to the left here. I like it. It is an understated, yet classy look, and would be swell with silver bits on it. I had a grey Trek at one time with a similar color and it really grew on me, which I was surprised by, since I typically go for the more retina searing hues in the color palette.

...or get one like my "Orange Crush".

This is a really versatile frame set. I like it because I can shove big 1.8"ers in the frame, or I can opt for more reasonable 35's with boat loads of clearance for the goo. Fenders work a treat with these, and now with rack mounts out back, one could likely do light loaded tours, or set up a great adventure rig.

The geometry on these is a bit like a Surly Cross Check with notable differences in head tube length, (longer), and chain stay length, (also longer), which in my opinion makes the BMC frame better for gravel riding. But it also does "all road", rough road, or whatever ya want ta call it. It isn't just a gravel road rig.

Finally, I want to say that I am not being asked to pimp these frames/forks. I really just like mine a lot. I figure that most folks might benefit from knowing that there is a smartly designed, small batch rig available that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. It doesn't look like a freakin' bill board, it has some class, and the fine details are really nice on these frames.

There are other great steel frames out there too. Singular Cycles comes to mind. The aforementioned Surly, and others as well. But I am just one guy that is stoked on a Black Mountain Cycles frame and fork. Maybe you will dig it too. Maybe not, but there it is.

My BMC

I am sorely tempted to get another one of these frames and a fork. Why? I already have one, right? Well, my first build on my own BMC was a single speed. This bike makes a great single speed gravel rig, and I wouldn't mind having a dedicated frame/fork for that which mimicked my set up with the geared BMC.

That'd be quite the luxury, but it would be fun. Who knows? Maybe I'll clear the shed out of a few rigs to make way for this.

Then I'd have to figure out which color to get. Yes- I would entertain getting another orange one. I like orange bikes. Orange is fast.

But in reality, I would most likely opt for the grey. I like it a lot, and as I say- silver components would look trick on this, and I have almost everything I would need to set one up right down in the Lab now.  Or I could go and swap over all the geared bits from the Orange one to the grey frame and go back to a single speed set up on the orange one.

Sheesh! I think I am talking myself into another one of these! Better settle down there.

Anyway- if you are curious, see Black Mountain Cycles here. As I say- I don't get anything at all for pimping these frames, but you could do a whole lot worse than a Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross frame and fork.

Fat Bike Questions Answered

Because I like the B&W version of this.

 A while back, I wrote this missive concerning fat bikes. At the end of that post I received several comments and the last was filled with some questions that I will attempt to answer here. First up is the following:

"What pressure do you run on XC? "


Fat bikes are really, really air pressure sensitive machines. A difference of 1 psi will be felt and will make a difference in ride feel at the range a fat bike should be ridden at for air pressure.

Range? Yes, air pressure should be changed depending upon conditions. First of all, I never run my fat bikes at anything higher than about 10psi. That's paved commuting/hard packed XC riding pressure right there. Oh sure, you can convince yourself that a higher pressure will roll faster if you want to, but in reality, it makes the tire bounce more, which is actually losing your battle against rolling resistance, not winning it. At much over 10psi, I start to bounce. There- that is why I do not air up any higher than that.

On the low end, I go down till the side walls wrinkle, but no lower. This only for maximum traction. That's about 4psi for me. Usually I will range between 7-9psi, which covers most ride types. Told ya these were air pressure sensitive beasts! 

"Is there a pressure gauge that Fatties use?"


Well, as you can see from the above, a pressure gauge that reads really low psi and reads it accurately is best. Slime makes some readily available low pressure pencil type and dial gauge low pressure readout tools to help you get the job done. (Here's an Amazon link to the dial gauge)  There are other gauges too, but the point is, they are available, and almost always Schrader Valve types, which can work if you have a Presta Valve, (like most fat bikes), with an adapter.

Some floor pumps can get you by. They won't be really precise as to correct psi at that low a range, but some pumps can get you great "relative readings" which may be all you need. I have used a Topeak Joe Blow for just such a reason with good results.

"Front tire pulls to the left when hitting the brake. Is that normal?"

This type of question is something I've been asked a lot of lately. Not necessarily having to do with braking, but "pulling to one side" issues in general. This has to do with two things unique to fat bikes.

First, the tire footprint, if you will, is huge in comparison to anything else most people have ever ridden on in terms of  a bicycle before.  That means there is a lot more grip, and the dynamics of how that wide footprint interacts with the terrain is entirely different than any other off road bicycle. You will especially feel this amplified in ruts or on "lensed out" trails.

Imagine that the single track is a "U" shaped path. Your fat bike tire will want to grab the sides of that "U" shape and crawl up the walls of the trail/rut which will feel like a pull to one side. A fat bike is doing this incrementally on dry trail all the time. I feel it in my handle bars. It feels like the bar gets "heavier"- then "lighter"- on one side or the other. In fact, if you pay attention to this, you'll feel the tires twisting the entire frame ever so slightly at times.

While riding, your fat bike tires may encounter thousands of these little ruts, "U" shapes, and other things which are felt as "pulls" to one side or another. Depending upon the severity of the trail irregularity, this can be felt as a substantial pull, or just an odd feel.

Suspension: Not quite ready for Prime Time

Secondly, your tire pressure and overall tire profile can enhance or detract from this "pulling" sensation. Less air pressure enhances "pull"/odd feelings. More tire pressure lessens this feel. (And as you recall from above, a 1psi change may be all it takes to get rid of this feel for the most part.) Tire profile shape has an effect on this also. The "flatter" the tire profile, the worse the "pulling" effect gets. Surly Endomorphs are famous for this feel. Their flatter profile compared to more current designs makes the feel of an Endo much different than say, a Larry. Width of a tire also increases this feel, so a BFL compared to a Larry will feel differently, and the BFL will exhibit more of this "pulling" feel than a 3.8"er does.


Considering Lefty fork, any thoughts?


Ahh! Suspension forks!! They seem to be the "holy grail" right now when speaking of fat bikes for single track/off road use.

First of all, there are no really good solutions for a suspension fork for a fat bike. The Lefty will "get the job done", but it isn't optimized for the job, and it is very expensive to do a Lefty for a fat bike. Riders that have them report that they work well and that a "purpose built" fat bike fork should be considered for fat bikes as a whole. If you have the money and patience to track down the component pieces to make a Lefty work for your fat bike, it isn't a bad idea. Personally, I will wait for "the real deal". That's just me though. Nothing against Leftys in particular here. Oh, and I should mention that the European company, German Answer, has a fat bike suspension fork available. Might also be worth a look.

Any steps to remove the grin form your face when you get out off the bike??

Well.......yer on yer own there, Buddy! 

Fat Bike Questions Answered

Because I like the B&W version of this.

 A while back, I wrote this missive concerning fat bikes. At the end of that post I received several comments and the last was filled with some questions that I will attempt to answer here. First up is the following:

"What pressure do you run on XC? "


Fat bikes are really, really air pressure sensitive machines. A difference of 1 psi will be felt and will make a difference in ride feel at the range a fat bike should be ridden at for air pressure.

Range? Yes, air pressure should be changed depending upon conditions. First of all, I never run my fat bikes at anything higher than about 10psi. That's paved commuting/hard packed XC riding pressure right there. Oh sure, you can convince yourself that a higher pressure will roll faster if you want to, but in reality, it makes the tire bounce more, which is actually losing your battle against rolling resistance, not winning it. At much over 10psi, I start to bounce. There- that is why I do not air up any higher than that.

On the low end, I go down till the side walls wrinkle, but no lower. This only for maximum traction. That's about 4psi for me. Usually I will range between 7-9psi, which covers most ride types. Told ya these were air pressure sensitive beasts! 

"Is there a pressure gauge that Fatties use?"


Well, as you can see from the above, a pressure gauge that reads really low psi and reads it accurately is best. Slime makes some readily available low pressure pencil type and dial gauge low pressure readout tools to help you get the job done. (Here's an Amazon link to the dial gauge)  There are other gauges too, but the point is, they are available, and almost always Schrader Valve types, which can work if you have a Presta Valve, (like most fat bikes), with an adapter.

Some floor pumps can get you by. They won't be really precise as to correct psi at that low a range, but some pumps can get you great "relative readings" which may be all you need. I have used a Topeak Joe Blow for just such a reason with good results.

"Front tire pulls to the left when hitting the brake. Is that normal?"

This type of question is something I've been asked a lot of lately. Not necessarily having to do with braking, but "pulling to one side" issues in general. This has to do with two things unique to fat bikes.

First, the tire footprint, if you will, is huge in comparison to anything else most people have ever ridden on in terms of  a bicycle before.  That means there is a lot more grip, and the dynamics of how that wide footprint interacts with the terrain is entirely different than any other off road bicycle. You will especially feel this amplified in ruts or on "lensed out" trails.

Imagine that the single track is a "U" shaped path. Your fat bike tire will want to grab the sides of that "U" shape and crawl up the walls of the trail/rut which will feel like a pull to one side. A fat bike is doing this incrementally on dry trail all the time. I feel it in my handle bars. It feels like the bar gets "heavier"- then "lighter"- on one side or the other. In fact, if you pay attention to this, you'll feel the tires twisting the entire frame ever so slightly at times.

While riding, your fat bike tires may encounter thousands of these little ruts, "U" shapes, and other things which are felt as "pulls" to one side or another. Depending upon the severity of the trail irregularity, this can be felt as a substantial pull, or just an odd feel.

Suspension: Not quite ready for Prime Time

Secondly, your tire pressure and overall tire profile can enhance or detract from this "pulling" sensation. Less air pressure enhances "pull"/odd feelings. More tire pressure lessens this feel. (And as you recall from above, a 1psi change may be all it takes to get rid of this feel for the most part.) Tire profile shape has an effect on this also. The "flatter" the tire profile, the worse the "pulling" effect gets. Surly Endomorphs are famous for this feel. Their flatter profile compared to more current designs makes the feel of an Endo much different than say, a Larry. Width of a tire also increases this feel, so a BFL compared to a Larry will feel differently, and the BFL will exhibit more of this "pulling" feel than a 3.8"er does.


Considering Lefty fork, any thoughts?


Ahh! Suspension forks!! They seem to be the "holy grail" right now when speaking of fat bikes for single track/off road use.

First of all, there are no really good solutions for a suspension fork for a fat bike. The Lefty will "get the job done", but it isn't optimized for the job, and it is very expensive to do a Lefty for a fat bike. Riders that have them report that they work well and that a "purpose built" fat bike fork should be considered for fat bikes as a whole. If you have the money and patience to track down the component pieces to make a Lefty work for your fat bike, it isn't a bad idea. Personally, I will wait for "the real deal". That's just me though. Nothing against Leftys in particular here. Oh, and I should mention that the European company, German Answer, has a fat bike suspension fork available. Might also be worth a look.

Any steps to remove the grin form your face when you get out off the bike??

Well.......yer on yer own there, Buddy! 

Triple D Winter Race: Training Log 1

Mud flats: Black Hawk Creek

Okay- Turkey Day is gone, no more 3GR rides till next Spring, and now it's time for some training for the Triple D Winter Race coming up January 20th, 2013. (Registration is open now, by the way.)

This will be my second attempt at it. Last year I finished and came in 22nd place. Not bad for an old guy! So I am putting in some effort ahead of time to allow me to make a decent showing at this event.

That might have been the Turkey Burn out at the Camp, but I was tasked with sourcing a hair cut for my shaggy maned Son, so with the barber closing at noon, any morning chances at riding were not going to be possible for me. I ended up dinking around in the basement after the shearing session and turned my titanium Mukluk into a single speed. Then it was a bit of lunch, kitting up, and heading out on the Snow Dog for a bit of a ride in the Green Belt.

On the way out, I noted that the Black Hawk Creek was so low due to the continued dry weather we've had that I could ride under the Ansborough Bridge instead of across it. That was pretty fun. The mud flats would have been very messy if the temperatures would have been over freezing, but since the air was chilled, the traverse was easily done without a mess.

Safety Stop on the Marky-Mark

I went as far as I could go, then was forced up a ten foot high embankment covered in dead weeds. This led to bushwhacking my way along a deer trail until I got back to an ATV trail where I remounted the bike.  This led, in turn, to the trail proper.

I rode out and hit up the Marky-Mark trail again. I wasn't real sure how far I was going to go out in the Green Belt, but I was feeling okay. Even my leg that I biffed on Thursday was doing well.

So, I ended up doing the entire Green Belt trail out to the end. I turned around and headed back with darkening skies to my right. Darkness comes early this time of the year! About 3/4's of the way back I met a fellow on a Trek 820 with his enormous, hairy dog. He stopped me to ask about the bike- (of course!)- and thought it looked like a great idea........until he heard the cost of entry to fat town! My wheels cost more than his entire bike. It is a bit of a problem, but then, they don't make a lot of these bikes, do they? Maybe at some point we'll see prices start to become a bit more reasonable for these machines, but I doubt it will ever become like buying a Trek 820!

Well, I made it home before dark and was out for over two hours grinding away on the Snow Dog. I wore an Osprey Escapist 30 hydration pack with some gear and about a half a payload of water in it. I wore a base layer, a Twin Six merino wool hoodie, and a Trek Oslo winter soft shell over that. For pants I wore my Dickies cotton twill pants. A pair of Salsa Cycles wool socks and my Keen Brixen boots were on my feet. I wore Planet Bike Borealis gloves.

 Mystery cross

Everything worked great in the mid-20°F temperatures I rode in. The wind came up there towards the end of the ride, but it wasn't a big deal. If it were colder, I would have modified my get up a bit, but I typically will wear a bit less than some folks, since I tend to stay warm.

As far as nutrition, I am working on an anti-freeze mix for my water bottles. (I used something along these lines last year with great success) I did not take anything solid or gel-like to eat though. I probably should have because I was getting some "tireds" after the ride, which tells me my body needed to eat. I'll be working in some nutrition on the longer rides soon.

Stay tuned for more Triple D Training updates.

Triple D Winter Race: Training Log 1

Mud flats: Black Hawk Creek

Okay- Turkey Day is gone, no more 3GR rides till next Spring, and now it's time for some training for the Triple D Winter Race coming up January 20th, 2013. (Registration is open now, by the way.)

This will be my second attempt at it. Last year I finished and came in 22nd place. Not bad for an old guy! So I am putting in some effort ahead of time to allow me to make a decent showing at this event.

That might have been the Turkey Burn out at the Camp, but I was tasked with sourcing a hair cut for my shaggy maned Son, so with the barber closing at noon, any morning chances at riding were not going to be possible for me. I ended up dinking around in the basement after the shearing session and turned my titanium Mukluk into a single speed. Then it was a bit of lunch, kitting up, and heading out on the Snow Dog for a bit of a ride in the Green Belt.

On the way out, I noted that the Black Hawk Creek was so low due to the continued dry weather we've had that I could ride under the Ansborough Bridge instead of across it. That was pretty fun. The mud flats would have been very messy if the temperatures would have been over freezing, but since the air was chilled, the traverse was easily done without a mess.

Safety Stop on the Marky-Mark

I went as far as I could go, then was forced up a ten foot high embankment covered in dead weeds. This led to bushwhacking my way along a deer trail until I got back to an ATV trail where I remounted the bike.  This led, in turn, to the trail proper.

I rode out and hit up the Marky-Mark trail again. I wasn't real sure how far I was going to go out in the Green Belt, but I was feeling okay. Even my leg that I biffed on Thursday was doing well.

So, I ended up doing the entire Green Belt trail out to the end. I turned around and headed back with darkening skies to my right. Darkness comes early this time of the year! About 3/4's of the way back I met a fellow on a Trek 820 with his enormous, hairy dog. He stopped me to ask about the bike- (of course!)- and thought it looked like a great idea........until he heard the cost of entry to fat town! My wheels cost more than his entire bike. It is a bit of a problem, but then, they don't make a lot of these bikes, do they? Maybe at some point we'll see prices start to become a bit more reasonable for these machines, but I doubt it will ever become like buying a Trek 820!

Well, I made it home before dark and was out for over two hours grinding away on the Snow Dog. I wore an Osprey Escapist 30 hydration pack with some gear and about a half a payload of water in it. I wore a base layer, a Twin Six merino wool hoodie, and a Trek Oslo winter soft shell over that. For pants I wore my Dickies cotton twill pants. A pair of Salsa Cycles wool socks and my Keen Brixen boots were on my feet. I wore Planet Bike Borealis gloves.

 Mystery cross

Everything worked great in the mid-20°F temperatures I rode in. The wind came up there towards the end of the ride, but it wasn't a big deal. If it were colder, I would have modified my get up a bit, but I typically will wear a bit less than some folks, since I tend to stay warm.

As far as nutrition, I am working on an anti-freeze mix for my water bottles. (I used something along these lines last year with great success) I did not take anything solid or gel-like to eat though. I probably should have because I was getting some "tireds" after the ride, which tells me my body needed to eat. I'll be working in some nutrition on the longer rides soon.

Stay tuned for more Triple D Training updates.

Trans Iowa V9: Registration Closes- Now For Some Training!

From The T.I.V9 Nerve Center

In a kind of weird week of registration, Trans Iowa reached its 120 field limit Friday. One day ahead of its scheduled closing. I have to admit that after getting only four entrants on Tuesday I had a little bit of doubt that the roster would get filled. But it did.

Now I will reiterate- If you end up finding out you will not make it- let me know ASAP!!

I will make a huge difference to me if you let me know when you find out/decide. Okay? Thanks.....

Otherwise, get that training regime cranked up. Right? lots of folks probably have a good idea of what to do, but for those of you that wonder about such intricacies, here are a few thoughts and tips I have for you. Hopefully some of you get something out of these....

• Bike/Equipment: You probably have a rig in mind for this ride, but here are my thoughts on the bike and gear you choose. First- Make sure you are comfortable at three, five, and seven hours into your riding with your choices. How do you figure that out? Ride that many hours.....straight.....without stopping much, if at all. What won't suit you will quickly present itself. Then make changes, repeat, refine, repeat the ride process, until you get things squared away. Bonus: You have automatically set up a fantastic amount of base miles just by screwing around with equipment choices.
• Prepare For The Worst: Prepare for bad things to happen- Bring an extra derailleur cable, (I've heard from a guy that actually had his ride saved by carrying one), bring a spare derailleur hangar, pack gear for cold temperatures, (It has been as cold as 28°F with wind chills into the teens), and pack food and water to get you by for at least 100 miles to start out with.
• Hope For The Best: Figure out how to keep your kit to a minimum. Get your head on straight by training in bad conditions, terrible head winds, and at night. (Or all three at once!) Learn to always keep moving. Do these things and when you hit trouble on the road, or tough head winds, or a rough patch, you won't have a hissy-fit, or break down and cry. 
• Don't Over Do It: Sometimes folks train too much. Overworked knees, sickness, and burn out have felled more than a few potential T.I. riders before they even lined up at the start. In the words of Trans Iowa co-founder Jeff Kerkove; "You have to rest as hard as you train."
• Learn To Fuel Your Body From Convenience Store Fare: At some point, your gobble-de-gook protein paste will about make you want to rip the head off a ground squirrel and drink its blood. Really. I've seen this nearly happen a few times. Anyway, you will have to resupply at some point, and that means pizza slices, shriveled hamburgers, breakfast sandwiches, and Rice Krispie Treats. Remember- You will be attempting a triple century plus some that will extend into another day. You won't be wanting to exist by Nutritional Products alone for 28 hours or more. Besides, you probably couldn't pack enough on you to last that long anyway. 

 Through a mud splattered window...(T.I.V7)

Okay, with all that said, I will let you in on a little secret: Getting to Checkpoint Alpha at about 52 miles will be the toughest part of this event for many of you. I am not going to sugar coat this: It's going to be hard- not just a little hard, but really, really hard.

In fact I think it will be so hard that I extended the time to get there and there are no B Roads on the way there. None. The roads are that tough. This doesn't account for weather, which may make it even harder yet. So.....don't say I didn't warn ya.

Finally, I had a bit of a reminisce on the way to work Friday. The temperature was in the upper 20's, the wind was out of the NorthWest at about 20-25mph, and there was snow blowing in the wind.

Just like the beginning of T.I.V4. So, it can get nasty in Iowa in late April. Just don't get caught out under dressed or under-prepared.

More later....

Trans Iowa V9: Registration Closes- Now For Some Training!

From The T.I.V9 Nerve Center

In a kind of weird week of registration, Trans Iowa reached its 120 field limit Friday. One day ahead of its scheduled closing. I have to admit that after getting only four entrants on Tuesday I had a little bit of doubt that the roster would get filled. But it did.

Now I will reiterate- If you end up finding out you will not make it- let me know ASAP!!

I will make a huge difference to me if you let me know when you find out/decide. Okay? Thanks.....

Otherwise, get that training regime cranked up. Right? lots of folks probably have a good idea of what to do, but for those of you that wonder about such intricacies, here are a few thoughts and tips I have for you. Hopefully some of you get something out of these....

• Bike/Equipment: You probably have a rig in mind for this ride, but here are my thoughts on the bike and gear you choose. First- Make sure you are comfortable at three, five, and seven hours into your riding with your choices. How do you figure that out? Ride that many hours.....straight.....without stopping much, if at all. What won't suit you will quickly present itself. Then make changes, repeat, refine, repeat the ride process, until you get things squared away. Bonus: You have automatically set up a fantastic amount of base miles just by screwing around with equipment choices.
• Prepare For The Worst: Prepare for bad things to happen- Bring an extra derailleur cable, (I've heard from a guy that actually had his ride saved by carrying one), bring a spare derailleur hangar, pack gear for cold temperatures, (It has been as cold as 28°F with wind chills into the teens), and pack food and water to get you by for at least 100 miles to start out with.
• Hope For The Best: Figure out how to keep your kit to a minimum. Get your head on straight by training in bad conditions, terrible head winds, and at night. (Or all three at once!) Learn to always keep moving. Do these things and when you hit trouble on the road, or tough head winds, or a rough patch, you won't have a hissy-fit, or break down and cry. 
• Don't Over Do It: Sometimes folks train too much. Overworked knees, sickness, and burn out have felled more than a few potential T.I. riders before they even lined up at the start. In the words of Trans Iowa co-founder Jeff Kerkove; "You have to rest as hard as you train."
• Learn To Fuel Your Body From Convenience Store Fare: At some point, your gobble-de-gook protein paste will about make you want to rip the head off a ground squirrel and drink its blood. Really. I've seen this nearly happen a few times. Anyway, you will have to resupply at some point, and that means pizza slices, shriveled hamburgers, breakfast sandwiches, and Rice Krispie Treats. Remember- You will be attempting a triple century plus some that will extend into another day. You won't be wanting to exist by Nutritional Products alone for 28 hours or more. Besides, you probably couldn't pack enough on you to last that long anyway. 

 Through a mud splattered window...(T.I.V7)

Okay, with all that said, I will let you in on a little secret: Getting to Checkpoint Alpha at about 52 miles will be the toughest part of this event for many of you. I am not going to sugar coat this: It's going to be hard- not just a little hard, but really, really hard.

In fact I think it will be so hard that I extended the time to get there and there are no B Roads on the way there. None. The roads are that tough. This doesn't account for weather, which may make it even harder yet. So.....don't say I didn't warn ya.

Finally, I had a bit of a reminisce on the way to work Friday. The temperature was in the upper 20's, the wind was out of the NorthWest at about 20-25mph, and there was snow blowing in the wind.

Just like the beginning of T.I.V4. So, it can get nasty in Iowa in late April. Just don't get caught out under dressed or under-prepared.

More later....

Seizing The Day

I whacked my left knee here....

It didn't take me long to figure out my schedule for riding when I looked at the weather forecasts early in the week. Warm weather would rule till late Thursday, then we'd be going into the freezer for a bit.

I have a Specialized Camber Comp in for testing on Twenty Nine Inches, so getting some good riding in....now...was very important. Fortunately I had both Wednesday and Thursday to get some significant trail time in on that rig. Once it gets colder, it seems that getting out and really getting after it on the trails becomes so much more difficult. Not impossible, but with all those layers on, it gets harder.

So I got a great ride in Wednesday, then on Thanksgiving itself, I went up to the Camp and unloaded for a nice afternoon ride. I had two layers on top, and when I felt how warm it was, I shed the one and wore only my short sleeved Twin Six jersey. I can't recall when I have done that on Thanksgiving, or on a Turkey Burn ride before.

Things were going along just peachy until I got to the first steep climb. There was just enough moisture in the soil that it stuck to the Ground Control tires, gumming them up, and subsequently causing my rear tire to slip out at a critical juncture. It was so steep at this point that I tumbled over sideways and backward, and as I came down, I smacked my leg just under the knee. It was at the point where the tibial plateau is, and it was really painful! That part of my tibia met a nice, innocent chunk of limestone embedded into the trail there and of course, was little bothered by the incident. But there is something about smacking bone on rock that creates an intense level of searing pain. Needless to say, I stayed on the ground for a bit.

Specialized Camber Comp

 Visions of Texas circa 2011 circulated through my brain there for a bit, but after some poking and prodding, I came to the conclusion that I had not broken a bone, nor broken the skin either. It just hurt like the dickens.

I got up and walked it off, but not 100%. I was still good to ride, and I figured getting the blood flowing would be a good deal. Gingerly I remounted and trundled onward down the trail. I felt okay, but the greasy mud was making things difficult so that I had to keep the speed in check so as not to go down again.

Further on down the trail I saw a few deer. Not surprising. They like to hang out in these woods. A bit further out and I came across a downed tree. It looked to have been dead for awhile, but obviously had succumbed to decay and wind pressure. In the process of breaking and falling down, it took out another dead tree, sort of like a domino would. It has blocked off an ascent to a ridge and working around it meant I had to go way off the beaten path.

But I got around it and by this time, my leg was feeling fine, which was a good thing. I worked my way over the ridge into the bottoms and got closer to the Cedar River. There I saw a lot of commotion.

Cedar River: There's an eagle's nest in one of the trees here.

First thing I saw was plenty of deer. I started to count as I slowed down to a safe stop. Looked like 12 does, then I saw one coming behind, bigger, cautious. It was the buck, of course.

Then I saw something else. Higher up, and there was no mistaking it- a big, mature Bald Eagle took flight from a tree on my side of the river, then another! I then swung in a bit closer, stopped on the trail, and started walking the 30 yards or so to the river bank. Three immature Bald Eagles all swoop down and up into the blue skies over my head. I stood and watched them making circles. Soaring effortlessly higher and further away until I could no longer see them anymore. Pretty amazing moments there.

Then I remounted and moved along, climbing out of the bottoms, (successfully, I might add), and moving towards the newer bits of trail toward the end of the loop. Those new bits of trail are really loamy right now, and the Ground Control tires were definitely not in control! I was having to walk at a few points, but near the end of the loop I was able to open it up and I ended up with a nice ride on a stellar early afternoon in late November.

As I pulled up to the truck to leave, I noticed the wind had shifted, the air was changing. It was going to get colder really fast. I was right at the edge of the last warm bit we'll likely have in a long time.

Glad I seized that chance to ride and enjoy it.