Odin's Revenge 2014: The Madness Part 1

Friday, June 27th:

Everything was set and I awoke for the trip out to Nebraska for Odin's Revenge at the comfortable hour of 6am. Not so my traveling companion, The Bonk King, who had to get up at 3am to drive to where I was from the suburbs of Chicago. He arrived a wee bit late due to a traffic incident involving a burning semi tractor-trailer  rig which blocked his passage for about a half an hour. No worries though, as our rendezvous with Mike and Amy, who were the couple that were ultimately going to be portaging The Bonk King and I with all our gear, were running late anyway.

The view out back of Mike and Amy's rig

Once we made contact with Mike and Amy, we were busily loading gear up and chatting excitedly about Odin's Revenge. The Bonk King had never been to Nebraska, so he was extra excited to see what it might be like. We regaled each other with tales of riding and more as we trekked South and West towards the Western Plains.

The weather was turning rainy, and we ran in and out of rain quite often along the way. At some points, it was raining so hard it was difficult to see, but Amy, being the champ driver that she is, handled it all with aplomb and The Bonk King and I were totally trusting of her driving capabilities. It was really nice to have to not worry about anything and just to enjoy the company and the sights as we traveled. (Thanks Amy and Mike!)

We discovered that my bar tape was being worn through, so Mike made an impromptu patch at a refueling stop.

An interesting script on this fire truck. Not sure I'd want them putting out my fire!

We decided to make a pit stop in Lincoln, but before we arrived, I had texted my buddy, MG, to ask for some gluten free dining spots in the city, as Amy is gluten intolerant. We were directed by MG to check out the Bread & Cup, so that's what we did. It turned out to be a wonderful suggestion, and we all enjoyed the experience. But we had a long way to go yet, so we got back on the interstate and Amy throttled up the Ford and made great time to Gothenburg, where we were to check in at the KOA Campground just outside of the town.

The DSG crew getting folks checked in.

We arrived late in the afternoon and we made new acquaintances and re-connected with old friends. I really like this aspect of events like Odin's Revenge, which are always part gravel/back road adventure- part reunion of old friends. It is hard not to spend a lot of time just chatting up folks!

We got checked in, but we had to scoot over the interstate and check into our motel, download our gear and bicycles, and then come back later for the pre-race meeting, which was to happen at about 7:00pm. The Bonk King and I were to shack up in one room and Amy and Mike, of course, had their own room.

It's always a bit comical when I go anywhere with my bicycles and I wheel them right into the motel. Most folks wouldn't give a second thought to leaving their bicycles outside for the evening, but then again, most folks don't travel with such expensive gear. So there are always "the looks" that one gets as you wheel your bike across the lobby and into a waiting elevator.

The door to our room was right below this sign!

Our accommodations were really nice, but the door to our room was right below the "Ice & Vending" sign, which made us wonder if we were going to get a lot of noises during the evening, or a random knock on the door. Fortunately, nothing of the sort happened all weekend.

We were all settled in, and it wasn't time to head over yet, so we just chilled for awhile and chatted about the coming event, rain possibilities, and where we might be dining for the evening. The highest concern was with weather. There was some question to whether we would get to ride the originally planned for course since there were a lot of dirt only roads in it which would be made a mess by rain. The final word would be given at the rider's meeting.

Captain Chad holding forth at the Rider's Meeting

We sauntered over to the rider's meeting and there was already drips falling randomly from a grey sky. Radar showed a cluster of thunderstorms bearing down on the area. Chad Quigley, one of the heads of Odin's Revenge, called the meeting to order. He went over the conditions of the course and said it was up to the long course riders whether we should go for it or no. With (almost) one accord, there was agreement that we should buckle up and head into it as it was planned for. There was one, minor but very notable, exception.

A loud voice piped up from the throng of riders decrying the decision to ride the long course due to the "over average" amounts of rain the area had seen previous and with more on the way, surely we shouldn't be riding the long course as planned. Then this individual asked what tires were recommended to be run if we were going to go ahead with the madness. Chad, a bit dumbfounded by the outburst, paused just long enough for my buddy MG to quip, "The ones on your bike!". This brought out a round of chuckles and with another question quaffed by another quick witted MG reply, the gent went silent and we closed up the proceedings with a bit of a word from fellow DSG'er, Matt Bergen. Matt said some kind things about Jeff Kerkove, myself, and Trans Iowa, which I appreciated greatly. (Thanks Matt!)

Red sky in the morning......

We hung out for a bit afterward, talked to a lot of people, and drank a few awesome craft beers from Nebraska brewers. Then, since I was so busy jabbing away, The Bonk King, Matt, and Amy left to go eat and made a deal with MG to bring me over later when I was done being social! We caught up with them at the local Mexican restaurant where I had a "Manny's Burrito" and more good conversations. Much comedy was made from the bloke's outburst at the rider's meeting which was to be a continuing theme throughout the weekend. 

Afterward we went in search of our beds and tried to get some shuteye for the 4:00am wake up call. We were pretty stoked and it wasn't easy to fall asleep. I think I vaguely remember wind driven rain against the window as I drifted off to sleep...........

Look for The Madness Part 2 tomorrow!

Odin's Revenge 2014: The Madness Part 1

Friday, June 27th:

Everything was set and I awoke for the trip out to Nebraska for Odin's Revenge at the comfortable hour of 6am. Not so my traveling companion, The Bonk King, who had to get up at 3am to drive to where I was from the suburbs of Chicago. He arrived a wee bit late due to a traffic incident involving a burning semi tractor-trailer  rig which blocked his passage for about a half an hour. No worries though, as our rendezvous with Mike and Amy, who were the couple that were ultimately going to be portaging The Bonk King and I with all our gear, were running late anyway.

The view out back of Mike and Amy's rig

Once we made contact with Mike and Amy, we were busily loading gear up and chatting excitedly about Odin's Revenge. The Bonk King had never been to Nebraska, so he was extra excited to see what it might be like. We regaled each other with tales of riding and more as we trekked South and West towards the Western Plains.

The weather was turning rainy, and we ran in and out of rain quite often along the way. At some points, it was raining so hard it was difficult to see, but Amy, being the champ driver that she is, handled it all with aplomb and The Bonk King and I were totally trusting of her driving capabilities. It was really nice to have to not worry about anything and just to enjoy the company and the sights as we traveled. (Thanks Amy and Mike!)

We discovered that my bar tape was being worn through, so Mike made an impromptu patch at a refueling stop.

An interesting script on this fire truck. Not sure I'd want them putting out my fire!

We decided to make a pit stop in Lincoln, but before we arrived, I had texted my buddy, MG, to ask for some gluten free dining spots in the city, as Amy is gluten intolerant. We were directed by MG to check out the Bread & Cup, so that's what we did. It turned out to be a wonderful suggestion, and we all enjoyed the experience. But we had a long way to go yet, so we got back on the interstate and Amy throttled up the Ford and made great time to Gothenburg, where we were to check in at the KOA Campground just outside of the town.

The DSG crew getting folks checked in.

We arrived late in the afternoon and we made new acquaintances and re-connected with old friends. I really like this aspect of events like Odin's Revenge, which are always part gravel/back road adventure- part reunion of old friends. It is hard not to spend a lot of time just chatting up folks!

We got checked in, but we had to scoot over the interstate and check into our motel, download our gear and bicycles, and then come back later for the pre-race meeting, which was to happen at about 7:00pm. The Bonk King and I were to shack up in one room and Amy and Mike, of course, had their own room.

It's always a bit comical when I go anywhere with my bicycles and I wheel them right into the motel. Most folks wouldn't give a second thought to leaving their bicycles outside for the evening, but then again, most folks don't travel with such expensive gear. So there are always "the looks" that one gets as you wheel your bike across the lobby and into a waiting elevator.

The door to our room was right below this sign!

Our accommodations were really nice, but the door to our room was right below the "Ice & Vending" sign, which made us wonder if we were going to get a lot of noises during the evening, or a random knock on the door. Fortunately, nothing of the sort happened all weekend.

We were all settled in, and it wasn't time to head over yet, so we just chilled for awhile and chatted about the coming event, rain possibilities, and where we might be dining for the evening. The highest concern was with weather. There was some question to whether we would get to ride the originally planned for course since there were a lot of dirt only roads in it which would be made a mess by rain. The final word would be given at the rider's meeting.

Captain Chad holding forth at the Rider's Meeting

We sauntered over to the rider's meeting and there was already drips falling randomly from a grey sky. Radar showed a cluster of thunderstorms bearing down on the area. Chad Quigley, one of the heads of Odin's Revenge, called the meeting to order. He went over the conditions of the course and said it was up to the long course riders whether we should go for it or no. With (almost) one accord, there was agreement that we should buckle up and head into it as it was planned for. There was one, minor but very notable, exception.

A loud voice piped up from the throng of riders decrying the decision to ride the long course due to the "over average" amounts of rain the area had seen previous and with more on the way, surely we shouldn't be riding the long course as planned. Then this individual asked what tires were recommended to be run if we were going to go ahead with the madness. Chad, a bit dumbfounded by the outburst, paused just long enough for my buddy MG to quip, "The ones on your bike!". This brought out a round of chuckles and with another question quaffed by another quick witted MG reply, the gent went silent and we closed up the proceedings with a bit of a word from fellow DSG'er, Matt Bergen. Matt said some kind things about Jeff Kerkove, myself, and Trans Iowa, which I appreciated greatly. (Thanks Matt!)

Red sky in the morning......

We hung out for a bit afterward, talked to a lot of people, and drank a few awesome craft beers from Nebraska brewers. Then, since I was so busy jabbing away, The Bonk King, Matt, and Amy left to go eat and made a deal with MG to bring me over later when I was done being social! We caught up with them at the local Mexican restaurant where I had a "Manny's Burrito" and more good conversations. Much comedy was made from the bloke's outburst at the rider's meeting which was to be a continuing theme throughout the weekend. 

Afterward we went in search of our beds and tried to get some shuteye for the 4:00am wake up call. We were pretty stoked and it wasn't easy to fall asleep. I think I vaguely remember wind driven rain against the window as I drifted off to sleep...........

Look for The Madness Part 2 tomorrow!

Friday News And Views

Will it be too muddy at Odin's Revenge for this?

Odin's Revenge:

Well, this is it! I have left, most likely by the time you've read this, for Odin's Revenge taking place near Gothenburg, Nebraska. There is still a question as to exactly what the course will be depending upon rain events. If they happen, word is we'll be doing two laps of a shortened course. As of Thursday, the course was still dry and rideable. What happened overnight last night and what may happen tonight will have a big effect on what course we end up doing.

I'm okay either way. I am looking forward to riding anything we can out there and completing whatever course they decide upon. The rig is dialed in, the clothes were packed yesterday, and travel is happening now with good people.

Odin's is going to be tough, for sure, but I feel as good as I have ever felt going into any event. I've done some work and now it is time to see if it will pay off. I'll admit that I did some silly stuff last year that I am not going to plan on doing this time. The temperatures look to be reasonable this year, so with a good pre-race regimen I should have my best chance of a finish I can get barring something beyond my control.

There will be a report on the goings on, as I always write up, starting next week on Monday.

Trans Iowa Masters Program course.

Trans Iowa Masters Program Attempt:

This day marks the start of Steve Fuller's TIMP ITT attempt. This one is a solo, "time trial" type attempt at the route to set the fastest unsupported through-ride of the 377 mile route.

Steve is a two-time Trans Iowa finisher and has finished other gravel events as well. He's got his work cut out for him this time though, since the course has been rained on and it is "front loaded" with most of the routes B Level Maintenance roads. (Read: Dirt- no gravel, lots of mud.) Rain is covering some parts of the Western end of the route and more may occur before Steve gets all the way out of that area.

Follow Steve's progress on his SPOT Tracker. It updates every 10 minutes and Steve started this trek at 5am this morning.

Whiskey No. 9 Carbon Fat Bike Rim

Fat Bike Wheels Join The 21st Century:

As mentioned yesterday, the fat biking world finally, after 10 years or so, got caught up with the times in terms of tubeless tire technology. A true "system" now exists and will be available from 45NRTH/Whiskey this Fall. But they aren't going to be the only ones.....

Bontrager will also have tires and rims meant to go tubeless together. I cannot believe that Specialized won't do the same thing. I look for a Roval branded rim from them soon.

Then you have the Sun-Ringle' Mulefut, Stan's should be coming out with a wider Hugo type rim, and I am pretty sure Velocity is trying to figure out a "triple-dually" type rim as well. (I made that Velocity name up! I like that though. Just think, a 45 X 3 or a 135mm rim!)

Of course, there are tires coming down the pike as well for all of this stuff. Fat bikers will rejoice for sure. Interestingly, I mused about what effect this may all have on Surly/45NRTH and I saw someone that runs a shop remark on this same thing on a public forum yesterday. The word was that QBP lowered their fat bike tire prices across the board on Surly tires "since the molds had been paid for now". Uh-huh. Conveniently so, on purpose or not, I think. But either way, that's a refreshing change to see happen these days and bodes well for fans of Surly's tires.

But the whole point is that things are shaking out now which we were only dreaming of two years ago. Fat bikes are finally catching up and becoming "mainstream" in terms of the technology, and this will only be a good thing going forward for fans of the fattest tires.

Okay, that's a wrap. Go for a ride. ya'all! Summer doesn't last forever!

Friday News And Views

Will it be too muddy at Odin's Revenge for this?

Odin's Revenge:

Well, this is it! I have left, most likely by the time you've read this, for Odin's Revenge taking place near Gothenburg, Nebraska. There is still a question as to exactly what the course will be depending upon rain events. If they happen, word is we'll be doing two laps of a shortened course. As of Thursday, the course was still dry and rideable. What happened overnight last night and what may happen tonight will have a big effect on what course we end up doing.

I'm okay either way. I am looking forward to riding anything we can out there and completing whatever course they decide upon. The rig is dialed in, the clothes were packed yesterday, and travel is happening now with good people.

Odin's is going to be tough, for sure, but I feel as good as I have ever felt going into any event. I've done some work and now it is time to see if it will pay off. I'll admit that I did some silly stuff last year that I am not going to plan on doing this time. The temperatures look to be reasonable this year, so with a good pre-race regimen I should have my best chance of a finish I can get barring something beyond my control.

There will be a report on the goings on, as I always write up, starting next week on Monday.

Trans Iowa Masters Program course.

Trans Iowa Masters Program Attempt:

This day marks the start of Steve Fuller's TIMP ITT attempt. This one is a solo, "time trial" type attempt at the route to set the fastest unsupported through-ride of the 377 mile route.

Steve is a two-time Trans Iowa finisher and has finished other gravel events as well. He's got his work cut out for him this time though, since the course has been rained on and it is "front loaded" with most of the routes B Level Maintenance roads. (Read: Dirt- no gravel, lots of mud.) Rain is covering some parts of the Western end of the route and more may occur before Steve gets all the way out of that area.

Follow Steve's progress on his SPOT Tracker. It updates every 10 minutes and Steve started this trek at 5am this morning.

Whiskey No. 9 Carbon Fat Bike Rim

Fat Bike Wheels Join The 21st Century:

As mentioned yesterday, the fat biking world finally, after 10 years or so, got caught up with the times in terms of tubeless tire technology. A true "system" now exists and will be available from 45NRTH/Whiskey this Fall. But they aren't going to be the only ones.....

Bontrager will also have tires and rims meant to go tubeless together. I cannot believe that Specialized won't do the same thing. I look for a Roval branded rim from them soon.

Then you have the Sun-Ringle' Mulefut, Stan's should be coming out with a wider Hugo type rim, and I am pretty sure Velocity is trying to figure out a "triple-dually" type rim as well. (I made that Velocity name up! I like that though. Just think, a 45 X 3 or a 135mm rim!)

Of course, there are tires coming down the pike as well for all of this stuff. Fat bikers will rejoice for sure. Interestingly, I mused about what effect this may all have on Surly/45NRTH and I saw someone that runs a shop remark on this same thing on a public forum yesterday. The word was that QBP lowered their fat bike tire prices across the board on Surly tires "since the molds had been paid for now". Uh-huh. Conveniently so, on purpose or not, I think. But either way, that's a refreshing change to see happen these days and bodes well for fans of Surly's tires.

But the whole point is that things are shaking out now which we were only dreaming of two years ago. Fat bikes are finally catching up and becoming "mainstream" in terms of the technology, and this will only be a good thing going forward for fans of the fattest tires.

Okay, that's a wrap. Go for a ride. ya'all! Summer doesn't last forever!

News Season: Part 2- More Fat & Gravel

 

Scott Bikes "Big Ed" (Image courtesy of MTB-News.de)

Scott "Big Ed" Fatbike: This will get to be a common theme for 2015- More companies entering into the fat bike market. You thought last year brought out a ton of new entries? This year I expect a lot more new bikes in the marketplace.

This one is going to be a common theme- Rock Shox Bluto, aluminum frame "designed more for trail riding", (read: Not Just For Sand & Snow!), Non-Surly tires and rims, and $2000-$3000 price points. This particular model is interesting for the fact that the rims are branded Syncros, (a brand Scott Sports owns), and the claimed 4.5" wide Kenda Juggernaut tires.

Interestingly, Scott went with the 190mm rear axle, so there are going to be a mixed bag of axle standards out there. My money is on the offset 135mm rear fat bike standard going away with 170mm rear and 190 rear based frames staying around a while. (Add a bit of width for through axles on either one, but those are based on 190 and 170 Quick Release Frame dimensions.) Claimed weight for the Big Ed, (purportedly named for Scott's founder), is 33lbs.

Fugitive by MBC: (Image courtesy of MBC's blog)

Milwaukee Bicycle Comapny "Fugitive":

Cruising the Twitterverse, I saw this teased by Ben's Cycles, the online shop that is home to the Milwaukee Bicycle Company brand. Apparently, they are working on a part touring, part gravel road riding rig. Seen here in full, you get a tiny taste of the Fugitive in touring mode.  It's hard to say if this is all "Long Haul Trucker" or really a "gravel rig with racks". I'm going with the touring bike angle here , but you never know.

All Ben's are saying now is that this is "a bike engineered for gravel and touring." So......like a Bruce Gordon "Rock & Road" bike then? If so, it should be a great steel frame set to build an off-beat gravel rig from. I don't know if anyone has really considered this, but with the ability to fit larger tires on many of these "gravel rigs", one could tour on "any road", which really gives you a lot of options, instead of being limited to pavement. I like that kind of thought myself. Hopefully there is room for big tires and fenders. That would likely keep the dust down off the drive train and whatnot.

Salsa tandem as seen in 2013 at Frostbike.

Salsa Cycles Tandem:

 Back at the 2013 Frostbike event, I saw this "Safety Yellow" painted Salsa tandem and was told that the working name for it was "Powderkeg", but to not say anything about that. Well, "Dirt Rag" printed the name anyway, so I felt okay with saying things about it back then as seen here. Again- I held up my end of the deal, so if anybody gets annoyed by this then go talk to Big Mo about it. (There was also some leakage on their part concerning the full suspension fat bike deal back then too, which is all out in the open now.)

I figured that Salsa should do this tandem back then, because I think it is a hole in the marketplace that they stand to fill in nicely. You have Santana, CoMotion, and.....and..... Yes there are a few small tandem specialists, but try finding one to look at, or even better, to test ride.

This was found on Facebook.....hmmm.

 So cruising around on Facebook recently I see the same, (or so similar it is uncanny), bike in a different color with Alternator drop outs and all. In every image I've seen of this, (yes- I've seen it posted several times), it is always with the foam shipping protectors over (presumably) the logos.

My guess is that Salsa Cycles is finally ready to bring this tandem to market and that is why the logos are covered. I cannot imagine it being anything but a Salsa, since the Alternator drop outs are pretty much a dead give away on the identity of the brand here. Also obvious is that this has its own fork now, which I am sure was a challenge to design and to get it to pass the rigorous testing protocol that Salsa subjects itself to.

The only thing left to the imagination here is what the name really is and how much this will sell for. In my view, Salsa stands to gain some market on the tandem side if the price isn't stratospheric and if it has the right features. Yes.....if it is sold as shown it is an "mtb tandem", but you do realize that smaller tires can be fitted, right? Not everyone wants or really needs a drop bar racing style bike, which is what most high end tandems are now.

Vanhelga: By 8am today the internet will be buzzing with the news of 45NRTH's newest tire, the Vanhelga, and the matching Whiskey No. 9 rim. Both are designed to be tubeless ready and are the first "system" to be introduced. (Not the first tubeless ready tires, since Vee Rubber has had its "Sealant Compatible" tires out for awhile already.)


45NRTH had to get this done, and I am glad to see it. The prices for the tires are reasonable, and the carbon rim should be nice, so this brings something to the table that Salsa Cycles and Surly Bikes might be able to use to bring their fat bikes into the 21st Century in regards to tire technology. The upcoming Bontrager system will be a competitor, and perhaps one or two others will crop up yet this Fall. Things are getting interesting on the tubeless fat bike tire market!

The Vanhelga 26 X 4.0

News Season: Part 2- More Fat & Gravel

 

Scott Bikes "Big Ed" (Image courtesy of MTB-News.de)

Scott "Big Ed" Fatbike: This will get to be a common theme for 2015- More companies entering into the fat bike market. You thought last year brought out a ton of new entries? This year I expect a lot more new bikes in the marketplace.

This one is going to be a common theme- Rock Shox Bluto, aluminum frame "designed more for trail riding", (read: Not Just For Sand & Snow!), Non-Surly tires and rims, and $2000-$3000 price points. This particular model is interesting for the fact that the rims are branded Syncros, (a brand Scott Sports owns), and the claimed 4.5" wide Kenda Juggernaut tires.

Interestingly, Scott went with the 190mm rear axle, so there are going to be a mixed bag of axle standards out there. My money is on the offset 135mm rear fat bike standard going away with 170mm rear and 190 rear based frames staying around a while. (Add a bit of width for through axles on either one, but those are based on 190 and 170 Quick Release Frame dimensions.) Claimed weight for the Big Ed, (purportedly named for Scott's founder), is 33lbs.

Fugitive by MBC: (Image courtesy of MBC's blog)

Milwaukee Bicycle Comapny "Fugitive":

Cruising the Twitterverse, I saw this teased by Ben's Cycles, the online shop that is home to the Milwaukee Bicycle Company brand. Apparently, they are working on a part touring, part gravel road riding rig. Seen here in full, you get a tiny taste of the Fugitive in touring mode.  It's hard to say if this is all "Long Haul Trucker" or really a "gravel rig with racks". I'm going with the touring bike angle here , but you never know.

All Ben's are saying now is that this is "a bike engineered for gravel and touring." So......like a Bruce Gordon "Rock & Road" bike then? If so, it should be a great steel frame set to build an off-beat gravel rig from. I don't know if anyone has really considered this, but with the ability to fit larger tires on many of these "gravel rigs", one could tour on "any road", which really gives you a lot of options, instead of being limited to pavement. I like that kind of thought myself. Hopefully there is room for big tires and fenders. That would likely keep the dust down off the drive train and whatnot.

Salsa tandem as seen in 2013 at Frostbike.

Salsa Cycles Tandem:

 Back at the 2013 Frostbike event, I saw this "Safety Yellow" painted Salsa tandem and was told that the working name for it was "Powderkeg", but to not say anything about that. Well, "Dirt Rag" printed the name anyway, so I felt okay with saying things about it back then as seen here. Again- I held up my end of the deal, so if anybody gets annoyed by this then go talk to Big Mo about it. (There was also some leakage on their part concerning the full suspension fat bike deal back then too, which is all out in the open now.)

I figured that Salsa should do this tandem back then, because I think it is a hole in the marketplace that they stand to fill in nicely. You have Santana, CoMotion, and.....and..... Yes there are a few small tandem specialists, but try finding one to look at, or even better, to test ride.

This was found on Facebook.....hmmm.

 So cruising around on Facebook recently I see the same, (or so similar it is uncanny), bike in a different color with Alternator drop outs and all. In every image I've seen of this, (yes- I've seen it posted several times), it is always with the foam shipping protectors over (presumably) the logos.

My guess is that Salsa Cycles is finally ready to bring this tandem to market and that is why the logos are covered. I cannot imagine it being anything but a Salsa, since the Alternator drop outs are pretty much a dead give away on the identity of the brand here. Also obvious is that this has its own fork now, which I am sure was a challenge to design and to get it to pass the rigorous testing protocol that Salsa subjects itself to.

The only thing left to the imagination here is what the name really is and how much this will sell for. In my view, Salsa stands to gain some market on the tandem side if the price isn't stratospheric and if it has the right features. Yes.....if it is sold as shown it is an "mtb tandem", but you do realize that smaller tires can be fitted, right? Not everyone wants or really needs a drop bar racing style bike, which is what most high end tandems are now.

Vanhelga: By 8am today the internet will be buzzing with the news of 45NRTH's newest tire, the Vanhelga, and the matching Whiskey No. 9 rim. Both are designed to be tubeless ready and are the first "system" to be introduced. (Not the first tubeless ready tires, since Vee Rubber has had its "Sealant Compatible" tires out for awhile already.)


45NRTH had to get this done, and I am glad to see it. The prices for the tires are reasonable, and the carbon rim should be nice, so this brings something to the table that Salsa Cycles and Surly Bikes might be able to use to bring their fat bikes into the 21st Century in regards to tire technology. The upcoming Bontrager system will be a competitor, and perhaps one or two others will crop up yet this Fall. Things are getting interesting on the tubeless fat bike tire market!

The Vanhelga 26 X 4.0

Getting Ready To Go (Again)

Shoes fer goin' places

A couple of years ago now I was just starting to assemble some stuff to go do a "sub-24" and possibly more on my Ti Mukluk. Then I ran into some road blocks. Some self induced, some not. Gear "paralysis analysis", "tyranny of choice" issues, and my wife going back to school all conspired to push me off course with that plan, and I decided to move in other directions.

Now my son is old enough to make some shorter rides to do sub-24's and my wife has finished school. Not only that, but I decided to do more "jumping" and less "looky-looing" at gear. Some things have been sorted that have now brought me to the brink of really being "ready to go". Those things were major hurdles to me mentally two years ago, but now they have been put behind me.

One of those things is my cooking kit. I made a pretty decent alcohol stove from a pop can last Fall, and then I picked up a nice titanium cup, stove stand, and wind screen about a month ago. Along with my Ti Spork and another folding titanium spoon, I have stuff enough to get my son and I out for an overnighter.

My son and daughter are in there.

 Last week I picked up a two man tent. I had a bike packing tent, but it was more of a glorified bivy and it required a bicycle tube and wheel to make it stand up, which is a pain, and heavy to boot. I had all these wild ideas of getting alternative poles and what not, but in the end, it was just a dumb idea and my son wasn't going to fit in there either!

This Seirra Designs Lightning 2 is perfect though. It isn't the lightest, smallest tent going, but it is simple, roomy, and has features I appreciate in a tent. In other words, it will get the job done just fine and it didn't cost me some enormous amount of money. Realistically- I am not going to be camping in cold, inclement weather, so ya know......I don't need this epic gear. I just need a decent tent to have some fun, right?

I'm took the same idea with me when I chose my sleeping bag. A lightweight, 40-50 degree bag will do me just fine and I can score a decent one for well under $100.00 that will get me outside and sleeping just fine. I already have a Thermarest pad, and orders have been placed for our bags now, so it's just a matter of waiting for that stuff to appear and then........

We'll pack up his fat bike and one of my rigs and off we'll go to test our mettle over night someplace. We've also got a date coming up in July when we have to overnight for the NASCAR/Indy races at Iowa Speedway near Newton. So now we'll be ready, and we'll really be "ready to go" after all!

Getting Ready To Go (Again)

Shoes fer goin' places

A couple of years ago now I was just starting to assemble some stuff to go do a "sub-24" and possibly more on my Ti Mukluk. Then I ran into some road blocks. Some self induced, some not. Gear "paralysis analysis", "tyranny of choice" issues, and my wife going back to school all conspired to push me off course with that plan, and I decided to move in other directions.

Now my son is old enough to make some shorter rides to do sub-24's and my wife has finished school. Not only that, but I decided to do more "jumping" and less "looky-looing" at gear. Some things have been sorted that have now brought me to the brink of really being "ready to go". Those things were major hurdles to me mentally two years ago, but now they have been put behind me.

One of those things is my cooking kit. I made a pretty decent alcohol stove from a pop can last Fall, and then I picked up a nice titanium cup, stove stand, and wind screen about a month ago. Along with my Ti Spork and another folding titanium spoon, I have stuff enough to get my son and I out for an overnighter.

My son and daughter are in there.

 Last week I picked up a two man tent. I had a bike packing tent, but it was more of a glorified bivy and it required a bicycle tube and wheel to make it stand up, which is a pain, and heavy to boot. I had all these wild ideas of getting alternative poles and what not, but in the end, it was just a dumb idea and my son wasn't going to fit in there either!

This Seirra Designs Lightning 2 is perfect though. It isn't the lightest, smallest tent going, but it is simple, roomy, and has features I appreciate in a tent. In other words, it will get the job done just fine and it didn't cost me some enormous amount of money. Realistically- I am not going to be camping in cold, inclement weather, so ya know......I don't need this epic gear. I just need a decent tent to have some fun, right?

I'm took the same idea with me when I chose my sleeping bag. A lightweight, 40-50 degree bag will do me just fine and I can score a decent one for well under $100.00 that will get me outside and sleeping just fine. I already have a Thermarest pad, and orders have been placed for our bags now, so it's just a matter of waiting for that stuff to appear and then........

We'll pack up his fat bike and one of my rigs and off we'll go to test our mettle over night someplace. We've also got a date coming up in July when we have to overnight for the NASCAR/Indy races at Iowa Speedway near Newton. So now we'll be ready, and we'll really be "ready to go" after all!

J.D. Drifter 150, Iowa Games Gravel & More

Good ridin' folks are puttin' this one on.

The Slender Fungus Cycling Association is going to be putting on this humdinger of a ride on the 29th- yes, that's this Sunday- in Jo Davies County Illinois, (J.D.- get it? ) starting from the Apple River Canyon State Park in the Northwest corner of Illinois near Wisconsin.

It's starting at 5am because this ride is 150 miles, so not for the faint of heart. I suppose you could make an "escape route" if you cannot go that far in very hilly terrain, but this is a fully self-supported ride on gravel. These folks are pretty serious about doing the whole 150 in one large bite, and they are very encouraging of any that should be of like mind to join in the fun.

The ride plan is to all go together as a group and not to leave anyone behind. (Caravan style) It's free, it's an adventure, and if you live in the tri-state area, you should check this out. Here's the linky for your viewing pleasure.

Competitive gravel racing at the Iowa Games.

Maybe 150 miles of self-supported gravel riding isn't your cup-o-tea? Well, then you're in luck, because Sunday also sees the 2nd running of the Iowa Games Gravel Grinder.

It's a metric plus- about 65 miles- and you have age groups and medals, and t-shirts, just like a "real race" would. So if your competitive juices need stirring, and you like gravel roads, check this one out. Again, good folks are backing this one and there will be a few Iowans I know riding in this that are good people. You'd have a good time if you decide to go, I'm pretty positive about that.

 This one costs about $20.00 if you sign up real quick like. (They have on-line registration till tomorrow) It'll cost ya an extra fiver if you wait too long, and my buddy Jared said you shouldn't wait that long, so, ya know........don't wait that long! Right?

Raid Lamoille is coming up July 12th in Stowe VT

Maybe you don't live in the Mid-West and think that you don't have any gravel roads to play on? Well, if you are anywhere near Vermont, you need to check out Raid Lamoille on July 12th.

Again, a metric or so of back country roads, 80%+ gravel, and scenic as all get out. Oh yeah......6000+ feet of climbing. Which ain't too bad, when you think about it. I mean, we can give you that in Northeast Iowa, so it isn't like that is undoable or anything, right?

Plus, this event has a marked and cue sheeted route with a freakin' covered bridge! And an after party? Really, you folks in New England have nothing to complain about when it comes to gravelly goodness, not as far as I can tell.

So while I am "contemplating my madness" while pedaling my bicycle in Nebraska on Saturday, you folks out there could be doing something likewise. It's Summer, and the gravel happenings are going on all over the place. "Ya best be gettin' while the gettin' is good", as we like to say around these parts.

J.D. Drifter 150, Iowa Games Gravel & More

Good ridin' folks are puttin' this one on.

The Slender Fungus Cycling Association is going to be putting on this humdinger of a ride on the 29th- yes, that's this Sunday- in Jo Davies County Illinois, (J.D.- get it? ) starting from the Apple River Canyon State Park in the Northwest corner of Illinois near Wisconsin.

It's starting at 5am because this ride is 150 miles, so not for the faint of heart. I suppose you could make an "escape route" if you cannot go that far in very hilly terrain, but this is a fully self-supported ride on gravel. These folks are pretty serious about doing the whole 150 in one large bite, and they are very encouraging of any that should be of like mind to join in the fun.

The ride plan is to all go together as a group and not to leave anyone behind. (Caravan style) It's free, it's an adventure, and if you live in the tri-state area, you should check this out. Here's the linky for your viewing pleasure.

Competitive gravel racing at the Iowa Games.

Maybe 150 miles of self-supported gravel riding isn't your cup-o-tea? Well, then you're in luck, because Sunday also sees the 2nd running of the Iowa Games Gravel Grinder.

It's a metric plus- about 65 miles- and you have age groups and medals, and t-shirts, just like a "real race" would. So if your competitive juices need stirring, and you like gravel roads, check this one out. Again, good folks are backing this one and there will be a few Iowans I know riding in this that are good people. You'd have a good time if you decide to go, I'm pretty positive about that.

 This one costs about $20.00 if you sign up real quick like. (They have on-line registration till tomorrow) It'll cost ya an extra fiver if you wait too long, and my buddy Jared said you shouldn't wait that long, so, ya know........don't wait that long! Right?

Raid Lamoille is coming up July 12th in Stowe VT

Maybe you don't live in the Mid-West and think that you don't have any gravel roads to play on? Well, if you are anywhere near Vermont, you need to check out Raid Lamoille on July 12th.

Again, a metric or so of back country roads, 80%+ gravel, and scenic as all get out. Oh yeah......6000+ feet of climbing. Which ain't too bad, when you think about it. I mean, we can give you that in Northeast Iowa, so it isn't like that is undoable or anything, right?

Plus, this event has a marked and cue sheeted route with a freakin' covered bridge! And an after party? Really, you folks in New England have nothing to complain about when it comes to gravelly goodness, not as far as I can tell.

So while I am "contemplating my madness" while pedaling my bicycle in Nebraska on Saturday, you folks out there could be doing something likewise. It's Summer, and the gravel happenings are going on all over the place. "Ya best be gettin' while the gettin' is good", as we like to say around these parts.

Raging River

The Cedar River at Downtown Waterloo, 6-22-14

It was maybe a month ago that I was still thinking we didn't have enough moisture around these parts. Heck, even last Sunday I was thinking the trails were really dry, and I had just ridden the "Bottoms" at Ingawanis for the first time.

I won't be doing that again for awhile!

How things change in a week's time! Now it is flooding and the Cedar River is getting close to a level I haven't seen it at since 2008 when we had an all-time record level flood here. This all means a couple of things for me and cycling around here.

First of all, obviously I won't be using many of the dirt single track trails in this area. I'll have to travel at least an hour away to get to anything dry enough to ride anytime soon. Even if we weren't supposed to be getting more rain, and the trails were clear of water, the mud and debris from flooding puts off road riding into late July, most likely, at the earliest. Parts of Ingwanis may bounce back sooner than that, but it has to quit raining all the time first.

Secondly, It means there are going to be a bumper crop of mosquitoes later this Summer. Standing water pools are almost a guaranteed fact now for the rest of this Summer. Perfectly suited for mosquitoes to hatch new younginz. It will be Fall before it gets any better in that regard, most likely. Then again, maybe I'll be wrong about that, but post the '93 and '08 floods, I recall the mosquitoes being particularly bad.

A riverside bike path sign and guard rail nearly under water.

Finally, all those things just means that gravel roads will be perfect for riding and forgetting about all the messes on the soft trails until the water recedes and the areas dry up that are affected. Plus, it will force me to travel to some places I've wanted to go to for a long time anyway, as long as they haven't been flooded as well! (I'm thinking about Minneapolis in particular.)

Happy Birthday to my Mom today, by the way!

That's probably a good thing since I need to buckle down and ride parts of the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational course to straighten out which choices I need to make to tie in Backbone State Park into the route so folks that want to can camp. I did a preliminary route idea but it comes a few miles short of a hundred and I am going to do a modification to see if I can't bump up the mileage to over a century.

Of course, the first order of business is to get through Odin's Revenge on Saturday, then I can concentrate on the GTDRI. Looking at the forecast, we've got a great chance at a dry spell, so maybe we'll luck out and dry up by next week and some of the trails will become rideable. I just don't think that will be much of a possibility though, even with seven days of straight up dry weather, since they are saying flooding will persist on through Thursday now. But.......ya never know!

Raging River

The Cedar River at Downtown Waterloo, 6-22-14

It was maybe a month ago that I was still thinking we didn't have enough moisture around these parts. Heck, even last Sunday I was thinking the trails were really dry, and I had just ridden the "Bottoms" at Ingawanis for the first time.

I won't be doing that again for awhile!

How things change in a week's time! Now it is flooding and the Cedar River is getting close to a level I haven't seen it at since 2008 when we had an all-time record level flood here. This all means a couple of things for me and cycling around here.

First of all, obviously I won't be using many of the dirt single track trails in this area. I'll have to travel at least an hour away to get to anything dry enough to ride anytime soon. Even if we weren't supposed to be getting more rain, and the trails were clear of water, the mud and debris from flooding puts off road riding into late July, most likely, at the earliest. Parts of Ingwanis may bounce back sooner than that, but it has to quit raining all the time first.

Secondly, It means there are going to be a bumper crop of mosquitoes later this Summer. Standing water pools are almost a guaranteed fact now for the rest of this Summer. Perfectly suited for mosquitoes to hatch new younginz. It will be Fall before it gets any better in that regard, most likely. Then again, maybe I'll be wrong about that, but post the '93 and '08 floods, I recall the mosquitoes being particularly bad.

A riverside bike path sign and guard rail nearly under water.

Finally, all those things just means that gravel roads will be perfect for riding and forgetting about all the messes on the soft trails until the water recedes and the areas dry up that are affected. Plus, it will force me to travel to some places I've wanted to go to for a long time anyway, as long as they haven't been flooded as well! (I'm thinking about Minneapolis in particular.)

Happy Birthday to my Mom today, by the way!

That's probably a good thing since I need to buckle down and ride parts of the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational course to straighten out which choices I need to make to tie in Backbone State Park into the route so folks that want to can camp. I did a preliminary route idea but it comes a few miles short of a hundred and I am going to do a modification to see if I can't bump up the mileage to over a century.

Of course, the first order of business is to get through Odin's Revenge on Saturday, then I can concentrate on the GTDRI. Looking at the forecast, we've got a great chance at a dry spell, so maybe we'll luck out and dry up by next week and some of the trails will become rideable. I just don't think that will be much of a possibility though, even with seven days of straight up dry weather, since they are saying flooding will persist on through Thursday now. But.......ya never know!

Contemplating Madness: Part 7

A late addition and then a test ride......

Saturday got to a late start since I was up late celebrating the end of Mrs Guitar Ted's masters studies. (She'll graduate with distinction with a 4.0. Smarty-pants! ) So I wasn't all kitted up and ready to go test ride the Fargo until around 2pm, after lunch had settled. I walked out the door, literally on my way out to ride, and there is a long box on the porch with my name on it. I was alerted to the fact that this might come, and it was something I wanted to get a look at ASAP. So back inside.......

It was the Body Float seat post by Cirrus Cycles which I am going to be using so I can be finishing up the review for Gravel Grinder News later. I was pretty anxious to use it for Odin's Revenge, and since time was running short, and this likely my last big gravel outing before the event, I was needing that thing on my Fargo now! Fortunately, MG had the foresight to obtain the heavier springs so I could swap those out before the ride. I actually only did replace one, using an orange lower spring, and felt that this gave me a good amount of negative travel along with the ability to not be bottoming out.

Old shop's team jersey

Well, with that sorted, I left about a half an hour later than I wanted to, but that was okay. I decided to try the same almost 35 mile route I used on Wednesday which precipitated the knee issue. I figured if I had another bout of knee pain, I wouldn't be that far from home and could limp back in. Of course, it was the "old reliable" Fargo Gen I, but there were major changes, so some things might not pan out here. Another good reason not to try to hit up massive miles, just in case something really didn't agree with me.

It was hotter than Wednesday, but slightly less windy, and neither direction I went in for most of the loop was into a head wind. I would need to test the knee by using slightly bigger gears on the rollers and see how it fared. The heat would also be a good test for Odin's since it is forecast to get up to about 90°F that day out there and likely it will be sunny too. (Gotta remember to bring the suntan lotion!)

Ragely Luxy Bars are really just amazing. Too bad ya can't get them anymore.

Speaking of remembering things..... I ran out of the house in such a frenzy I forgot to try my Topeak saddle bag on there, (it fits fine, by the way), and with it, all my repair tools and tube! I also forgot my mini-pump. Good thing the tires are tubeless with "MG's Special Sauce" sealant, which has been dead reliable for me for several years now.

The Ragley Luxy Bar.......what can I say? This is hands down the best off-road drop bar ever made. Best for gravel too, if you need lots of leverage and sweep. Others are "good" to pretty dang nice, but somehow this bar just ticks all the boxes. Perfectly swept, wide, shallow drop, and minimal reach. The unique 31.8mm diameter of the tops to the ramps is not just for looks either. It works, and without the typical taper, it allows for more and better places to mount things, or grip the bars there. The only other bars I would ever recommend for off road drops are the On One Midge and for gravel, the Salsa Cycles Cowbell.

The ride went well, by the way. The knee was much happier during and so far- afterward, with the ride. I can tell it isn't 100%, but at least the Fargo isn't making things worse! Obviously, I like the bars, and what about the BodyFloat post? I have to bang out more rides, and Odin's will figure into this, but for now I have but two words for this.

Game changer. 

Puffy white clouds and miles of gravel.

 So it's settled then. It will be the Fargo for Odin's Revenge. The BodyFloat will be on-board, and the Ragley Luxy Bars are perfecto. I'm running Bike Bag Dude Chaff Bags again, which are indispensable for carrying food and water bottles. (Although with the five or six bottles I can run on the Fargo, I won't use them for water this year.) The Planet Bike Snack Sack will be where the camera lives with some other oddments like sun tan lotion, Vitamin "I", etc.

Now the madness! Here are the hard facts as I know them now:

• Approximately 173 mile course
• Checkpoint #1 @ 47 miles Water
• Water stop @ 71 miles
• Checkpoint #2 @ 87 miles (Water, Grocery store, Restaurant available)
• Checkpoint #3 @ 131 miles Water
• Finish @ 173 miles

Still left to figure out: Lighting, snacks, nutrition choices. Packing, and rendezvous with the Bonk King and Mike Johnson on Friday. Travel on Friday for seven hours or so, then we're on.

Madness I say, madness!