Friday News And Views

Mail bag

Trans Iowa v10: Today one lucky Trans Iowa vet will get the last spot on the roster for Veterans and that part of the Trans Iowa v10 story will have been told. All that will be left to do is to bring on board 41 more Rookies and Trans Iowa v10's roster will be full.

So far it has turned out to be a solid, stacked field. I hear rumors of some Rookies waiting in the wings that may prove to be the "next Sattler or Wince" in next Spring's Trans Iowa. I've heard of plans to break the 24 hour barrier, and I've heard plans for a fixed gear attempt. I even heard that Ira Ryan was thinking about coming back to run Trans Iowa! One thing that is a common denominator- almost everyone is saying this is the catalyst to getting fit over the Winter months.

Keep in mind that Vets and Finisher registration is closed.  Rookie cards will be accepted starting Monday, November 18th until we fill up the remaining 41 spots on the T.I.v10 roster. I predict it will fill up in two days.

Generally speaking, the registration runs its course and then there is that quiet period up until about March when I get out to start doing course recon to verify cues. However; this year there is a little something extra I am involved with. I'd like to take a few lines here to talk about it again....

See this documentary at the T.I.clinic.

Trans Iowa Clinic: This is a unique opportunity for veterans and rookies of Trans Iowa alike to get into the brains of a few Trans Iowa riders that have finished Trans Iowa and know what they are talking about. By the way- you do not have to be registered to ride in Trans Iowa to attend! Maybe you'll be looking to do Dirty Kanza, or the Royal 162, or the Alexander, or maybe even Tour Divide someday. Cool! Come on down to Des Moines on December 7th at 5:30pm and visit us at Tacopocalypse located at 621 Des Moines Street, Des Moines 50309. We'll have food available to purchase, a viewing of "300 Miles of Gravel", and a bag of goodies from Hammer Nutrition to take home. 

We will have a Q&A session where you will be able to ask our small panel of experts questions and see bicycles set up for Trans Iowa. Ask gear questions, nutrition questions, strategy questions, or just come to hang out. It'll all be done in a fun, laid back atmosphere. Expect to spend about 3-3.5 hours with us.

Again, this happens at 5:30pm on December 7th at Tacopocalypse in downtown Des Moines, Iowa. Admission is free, but we ask that you RSVP and a spot will be reserved for you. Space is limited to 50 folks, so don't hesitate to e-mail your intention to attend at g.ted.productions@gmail.com. 

New Fat Bike Event: The fat bike racing scene keeps growing at a pace that I find pretty amazing. Here's one that just popped onto the scene and sounds like it will be a pretty cool event. It's called the "RiddleBox Fat Bike Race".  They will have two distances available and all bikes are welcome that can do off roading, but anything skinnier than 3.8" will be put into a different category. 

It's being put on by Two Wheeler Dealer in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. They seem to be big fat bike proponents and the event seems like it will have the vibe and feel of Triple D over in Dubuque. Might be worth checking out for you fat bikers here in the Mid-West and it looks like a fun way to start out the Winter riding season. Me? Well, it is the day before my lovely bride's birthday, and I hadn't ought to mess with that! 

Knard Time

Planning a Weekend Ride: Saturday will be a day when many will be "Jingle Crossing", or doing something more constructive with their lives, but I think I'll be out doing some more ride time with the Knard 41's and those Mavic Drift Winter shoes. 

They are talking rain, so maybe I ought to toss on the fenders. Maybe I'll get around to that here, but I also have that little SKS strap on rear mud guard that most likely will be the way I go. Why? Because I have a lot going on and not a lot of time to fiddle with Allen head screws and plastic fenders. 

Or maybe I'll just chose to trundle the Green Belt, but I understand that the bow hunters are out looking for deer, so maybe that is not an advisable path to pursue. Not that I would be in danger from any malicious hunters, because they are not that way here, but an accident? More likely when you have guys out there with compound bows and razor sharp arrow points. If I wait until it is dark, it is game on, so maybe if the fat bike wins out, the ride will be in the dark.  

Well, that's it for this Friday! Have a great weekend and ride those bicycles folks!