Show Time Or Yawn Time?

Eurobike starts today or tomorrow, but whenever it really starts, it doesn't matter. The physical show has been transcended by pre-show releases in the digital realm and the slew of dealer only shows that have taken place over the Summer months. It used to be that "day one" of a trade show was a frenzied mess of news being spewed forth which, I suppose, made some brands sad. They got lot in a blast of marketing hoohah. Thus the situation we have here now where the actual show is kind of an afterthought. Well.......if you even care to think of it at all. 

Shimano's new S-Phyre shoes "official debut is at Eurobike, but they splashed it all over media well before hand. 

 Products like Shimano's newset shoes for road and mtb racing were launched via Shimano's own website and all over cycling media yesterday, despite Shimano saying that the shoes "official debut" was to be at Eurobike. So what? Who cares anymore where your "official debut" is at physically? The news is stone cold by the time Eurobike's doors swing open.

The Bell Zephyr Ghost helmet is reflective at night, had MIPS built in, and features a two way adjustable cradle.

Shimano isn't the only one doing this. It is almost any company with a new marketing angle or product to sell. Bell Helmets has redone their entire line and have a new Zephyr model which is pretty cool. Yep.....officially launched at Eurobike, but is all over social media already. As is FSA's electronic gruppo, which was almost entirely develpoed via online sneak peeks for the past several months, but is "officially" being launched at Eurobike.

Ho hum or showtime? I guess when it comes right down to it, why go to the show? Save yourself the money and hassle of traveling, sit back, crack a cold one and watch it all unfold on-line. It has been doing so for a couple of months now anyway. Furthermore; much of what has been revealed has already been touched, ridden, and in some cases bought and sold through retailers. It isn't good enough anymore to get your press release off to "Bike Rumor" first so your news hits the digital airwaves first. Nope. Now you have to actually get the stuff into the hands of special media folks, and even better, certain consumers, to get a more "authentic" take on products out to the masses. To wit: QBP's Saddledrive and subsequent demos of bikes already taking place across the nation. Think about that. Those Woodsmokes and Timberjacks were not even known or whispered about just two months ago. Now you can get rider reviews and go ride one yourself, if you are lucky enough to have had a demo truck go through your area already. Several other bike companies are doing the same as well, by the way.  By the time Interbike happens those bikes will have been old hat for many consumers and bike shop employees. Why even bother going to that show unless you want to demo a ride on one of those sleds. Oh.....and Outerbike. There's that too.

PRO, a Shimano component brand, has a new dropper post coming out soon.

 Now I should say a few things to bring some perspective to my rant here. First off, I've been to Interbike several times. So, I know the song and dance routine, but I also have had that privilege of attending. Maybe some folks have wished they could go sometime. I get that. It is kind of like Las Vegas for cyclists: Everyone should go at least once.

Which leads me to my second point. I really, really don't like going to Interbike in Las Vegas. It's slimy, and it is just a soul-sucking area to be in. I personally do not wish to ever go back for any reason. I'm not the only one. An industry rep, who shall remain nameless, wrote the following about Interbike/Las Vegas to me recently:

"Every year, I wish for a non-fatal injury accident that prevents my attending Interbike. I hate Las Vegas and I hate trade shows generally."

So, yeah.... Of course I am going to say negative things about the cycling trade shows, right? Well, I also feel strongly, even if I did like the whole deal, that the trade show format is sorely outdated. Look, it use to be an integral part of commerce for the cycling industry, and in some cases/ways, it still serves that function, but it is a way of doing things that is akin to manual typewriters and wired telephones. Yes....you can still get things done that way, but why? It's time to smell the coffee and get on with 21st Century technology and more efficient means of doing all this. I think the landscape today shows us the traditional trade show format is definitely a yawn.

Show Time Or Yawn Time?

Eurobike starts today or tomorrow, but whenever it really starts, it doesn't matter. The physical show has been transcended by pre-show releases in the digital realm and the slew of dealer only shows that have taken place over the Summer months. It used to be that "day one" of a trade show was a frenzied mess of news being spewed forth which, I suppose, made some brands sad. They got lot in a blast of marketing hoohah. Thus the situation we have here now where the actual show is kind of an afterthought. Well.......if you even care to think of it at all. 

Shimano's new S-Phyre shoes "official debut is at Eurobike, but they splashed it all over media well before hand. 

 Products like Shimano's newset shoes for road and mtb racing were launched via Shimano's own website and all over cycling media yesterday, despite Shimano saying that the shoes "official debut" was to be at Eurobike. So what? Who cares anymore where your "official debut" is at physically? The news is stone cold by the time Eurobike's doors swing open.

The Bell Zephyr Ghost helmet is reflective at night, had MIPS built in, and features a two way adjustable cradle.

Shimano isn't the only one doing this. It is almost any company with a new marketing angle or product to sell. Bell Helmets has redone their entire line and have a new Zephyr model which is pretty cool. Yep.....officially launched at Eurobike, but is all over social media already. As is FSA's electronic gruppo, which was almost entirely develpoed via online sneak peeks for the past several months, but is "officially" being launched at Eurobike.

Ho hum or showtime? I guess when it comes right down to it, why go to the show? Save yourself the money and hassle of traveling, sit back, crack a cold one and watch it all unfold on-line. It has been doing so for a couple of months now anyway. Furthermore; much of what has been revealed has already been touched, ridden, and in some cases bought and sold through retailers. It isn't good enough anymore to get your press release off to "Bike Rumor" first so your news hits the digital airwaves first. Nope. Now you have to actually get the stuff into the hands of special media folks, and even better, certain consumers, to get a more "authentic" take on products out to the masses. To wit: QBP's Saddledrive and subsequent demos of bikes already taking place across the nation. Think about that. Those Woodsmokes and Timberjacks were not even known or whispered about just two months ago. Now you can get rider reviews and go ride one yourself, if you are lucky enough to have had a demo truck go through your area already. Several other bike companies are doing the same as well, by the way.  By the time Interbike happens those bikes will have been old hat for many consumers and bike shop employees. Why even bother going to that show unless you want to demo a ride on one of those sleds. Oh.....and Outerbike. There's that too.

PRO, a Shimano component brand, has a new dropper post coming out soon.

 Now I should say a few things to bring some perspective to my rant here. First off, I've been to Interbike several times. So, I know the song and dance routine, but I also have had that privilege of attending. Maybe some folks have wished they could go sometime. I get that. It is kind of like Las Vegas for cyclists: Everyone should go at least once.

Which leads me to my second point. I really, really don't like going to Interbike in Las Vegas. It's slimy, and it is just a soul-sucking area to be in. I personally do not wish to ever go back for any reason. I'm not the only one. An industry rep, who shall remain nameless, wrote the following about Interbike/Las Vegas to me recently:

"Every year, I wish for a non-fatal injury accident that prevents my attending Interbike. I hate Las Vegas and I hate trade shows generally."

So, yeah.... Of course I am going to say negative things about the cycling trade shows, right? Well, I also feel strongly, even if I did like the whole deal, that the trade show format is sorely outdated. Look, it use to be an integral part of commerce for the cycling industry, and in some cases/ways, it still serves that function, but it is a way of doing things that is akin to manual typewriters and wired telephones. Yes....you can still get things done that way, but why? It's time to smell the coffee and get on with 21st Century technology and more efficient means of doing all this. I think the landscape today shows us the traditional trade show format is definitely a yawn.

The Four Season Cyclist

I have been a commuter by bicycle for.....what? Fourteen years now?  Yeah, pretty close to that. So, I have got the route, the bike, the clothing, and the rest all sorted out. Not only that, but I ride all year long.

That surprises some people, which by this time, I find rather strange. To my way of thinking, it is more of a "why wouldn't I ride my bicycle?", than it is a "why would you do that?" sort of thing. Once you get the hang of it, it beats driving a car hands down. Driving to work, on the rare occasions that I have to, makes me go crazy. I hate it. Really.

I hate driving to work.

Maybe if I had a rad '57 Chevy, or some such car...... Nah! I'd still ride my bicycle! It's got way too many upsides to it than negatives. So, I took the time over the last year to gather a shot from- more or less- the same vantage point to illustrate how riding to work every day is a beautiful thing to me.

Fall

Winter

Spring

Summer

So, there you have it. A four season view from a four season cyclist. I love riding in all four seasons. There are really fun things about all of them, along with challenges, which are fun to figure out and overcome. Mostly, I like the mind clearing, centering facet of commuting by bicycle. It is addictive and now I wouldn't live without it. Get out of that metal and plastic rat cage and clear your mind of that road rage. Commute by bicycle y'all!

The Four Season Cyclist

I have been a commuter by bicycle for.....what? Fourteen years now?  Yeah, pretty close to that. So, I have got the route, the bike, the clothing, and the rest all sorted out. Not only that, but I ride all year long.

That surprises some people, which by this time, I find rather strange. To my way of thinking, it is more of a "why wouldn't I ride my bicycle?", than it is a "why would you do that?" sort of thing. Once you get the hang of it, it beats driving a car hands down. Driving to work, on the rare occasions that I have to, makes me go crazy. I hate it. Really.

I hate driving to work.

Maybe if I had a rad '57 Chevy, or some such car...... Nah! I'd still ride my bicycle! It's got way too many upsides to it than negatives. So, I took the time over the last year to gather a shot from- more or less- the same vantage point to illustrate how riding to work every day is a beautiful thing to me.

Fall

Winter

Spring

Summer

So, there you have it. A four season view from a four season cyclist. I love riding in all four seasons. There are really fun things about all of them, along with challenges, which are fun to figure out and overcome. Mostly, I like the mind clearing, centering facet of commuting by bicycle. It is addictive and now I wouldn't live without it. Get out of that metal and plastic rat cage and clear your mind of that road rage. Commute by bicycle y'all!

The Tire Switcheroo

You just never know what you'll find out there!

One group of tires tested, then another group comes in. Time for the ol' tire switcheroo. I seem to do this about every three months or so, I think. Maybe more often sometimes.

I just finished up on the Riddler 37mm tires. I really liked them. They are a good gravel road tire that isn't too big, but is just big enough. You can really cover a lot of different types of terrain with a 36mm-42mm tire. Well, as long as it has a good design for the tread and is made well. I think if you are looking at tires in this size range, the quality casings are a must. You are milking every bit of performance out of a tire like this, so it has to be a well made tire, or you will get short changed. The WTB Riddler 37mm tire is just such a tire. I kind of get bummed out when I have to peel off a set of tires like the Riddlers to set up anther review tire, but with the tires most companies are putting out there now, it just is a different flavor, and not a real big let down.

That said, I liked the design of the Riddlers a lot. I think the design is really a good way to tackle a gravel road tire deign. Smooth in the center to promote fast rolling and easy accelerations, and lateral knobs to allow for stability. This with a flattish profile is the winning combination, as far as I can see. I thought that this might be the case and when I rode the Challenge Gravel Grinder, I found out it really works. Peaked crown tires, or very rounded ones, are the absolute worst on gravel. They plow, have no lateral stability, and generally ride poorly on gravel.

New tires means more switching around.

Well, however that works out for me with older tires, it all gets thrown out the window when a new set shows up. Peel off. Remount. More sealant. The same ol' song and dance again. Then it is getting used to the new treads. What do they do well, what do they do poorly, and how do they ride? So much to pay attention to.

The funny thing is that tires are a really big deal, and can be one of the most controversial components that one uses on a bicycle. I have used so many different tires on the Black Mountain Cycles Cross bike, (Orange Crush), that I can tell you that tires can make or break a bike. I've used absolutely horrible tires on that bike, (Vee Rubber models of some sort), which made the bike terrifying to ride, and have used tires which made the bike a dream to ride. Same bike, different tires, way different results.

So, yeah.......tires are a really big deal. 

That is why I like trying out different tires, why I like thinking about them, and it is one of the reasons I like riding bicycles. Tires can really affect your enjoyment of bikes. Not to mention tire pressures, which is an entirely different subject and deserves its own post. You can ruin good tires with wrong air pressures. That's all I'll say about that right now.

So, anyway, I am not complaining at all when I have to do the ol' tire switcheroo. It's just a part of what I do and I find it pretty interesting. 

The Tire Switcheroo

You just never know what you'll find out there!

One group of tires tested, then another group comes in. Time for the ol' tire switcheroo. I seem to do this about every three months or so, I think. Maybe more often sometimes.

I just finished up on the Riddler 37mm tires. I really liked them. They are a good gravel road tire that isn't too big, but is just big enough. You can really cover a lot of different types of terrain with a 36mm-42mm tire. Well, as long as it has a good design for the tread and is made well. I think if you are looking at tires in this size range, the quality casings are a must. You are milking every bit of performance out of a tire like this, so it has to be a well made tire, or you will get short changed. The WTB Riddler 37mm tire is just such a tire. I kind of get bummed out when I have to peel off a set of tires like the Riddlers to set up anther review tire, but with the tires most companies are putting out there now, it just is a different flavor, and not a real big let down.

That said, I liked the design of the Riddlers a lot. I think the design is really a good way to tackle a gravel road tire deign. Smooth in the center to promote fast rolling and easy accelerations, and lateral knobs to allow for stability. This with a flattish profile is the winning combination, as far as I can see. I thought that this might be the case and when I rode the Challenge Gravel Grinder, I found out it really works. Peaked crown tires, or very rounded ones, are the absolute worst on gravel. They plow, have no lateral stability, and generally ride poorly on gravel.

New tires means more switching around.

Well, however that works out for me with older tires, it all gets thrown out the window when a new set shows up. Peel off. Remount. More sealant. The same ol' song and dance again. Then it is getting used to the new treads. What do they do well, what do they do poorly, and how do they ride? So much to pay attention to.

The funny thing is that tires are a really big deal, and can be one of the most controversial components that one uses on a bicycle. I have used so many different tires on the Black Mountain Cycles Cross bike, (Orange Crush), that I can tell you that tires can make or break a bike. I've used absolutely horrible tires on that bike, (Vee Rubber models of some sort), which made the bike terrifying to ride, and have used tires which made the bike a dream to ride. Same bike, different tires, way different results.

So, yeah.......tires are a really big deal. 

That is why I like trying out different tires, why I like thinking about them, and it is one of the reasons I like riding bicycles. Tires can really affect your enjoyment of bikes. Not to mention tire pressures, which is an entirely different subject and deserves its own post. You can ruin good tires with wrong air pressures. That's all I'll say about that right now.

So, anyway, I am not complaining at all when I have to do the ol' tire switcheroo. It's just a part of what I do and I find it pretty interesting. 

Minus Ten Review- 34

An image from the first Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational by Matt Wills

Ten years ago on the blog I was happy to announce that the first Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational had been a rousing success. It featured a wrong turn that made it 152 miles and was therefore the longest ride I had ever done previous or since that time up until the 2015 Dirty Kanza 200 when I made it 154 miles. "Unofficially" that first Death Ride was still my longest ever single day ride but I did not count the ride to the start nor the miles to home from the finish. I figure it is still the longest ride I ever have done because it is approximately 5 plus miles to the old starting place one way. I figure I did about 162 plus that day. But I'll never really know for sure. The best part? I did that ride on my single speed Karate Monkey.

So, in "official terms", my longest ride ever is the 2015 DK200, then the first Death Ride, then last weekend's Gravel Worlds at 145 miles. Pretty good for this old man, but I can do better!

There was some banter about 29"er stuff on the blog ten years ago that I posted on, but the "big" news was trek World where we got a sneak peek at the 2007 line up from Gary Fisher Bikes, (Remember- only Fisher had 29"ers then. There were no trek 29"ers)  There were a lot of cool bikes added to the line up for '07, as the 29"er revolution started gaining ground about this time.

The Ferrous. remember that bike? Almost cool....

The frame I was most smitten with, and surprised by, was the Ferrous. It was a "production custom bike". The detail on the frame was amazing. Everywhere you looked it had some cool little tacked on applique, decal, or feature that was like something from a small custom builder. Not a "big" corporate entity like Trek/Fisher.

Not only that, but it had a full drive train! It wasn't just another single speed. Although, it had an eccentric bottom bracket so you could single speed the bike. Triple ring cranks. remember those?

I wanted one, but I had so many things in the hopper at the time I just couldn't justify getting one. A friend of mine did, and it was quickly discovered by him, and almost every other Ferrous owner, that the bowed out seat stays would catch your heels. Worse, several of these ended up braeking. The Ferrous was a one year model.

Makes you wonder if there are any left sitting around in garages out there anywhere.

Minus Ten Review- 34

An image from the first Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational by Matt Wills

Ten years ago on the blog I was happy to announce that the first Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational had been a rousing success. It featured a wrong turn that made it 152 miles and was therefore the longest ride I had ever done previous or since that time up until the 2015 Dirty Kanza 200 when I made it 154 miles. "Unofficially" that first Death Ride was still my longest ever single day ride but I did not count the ride to the start nor the miles to home from the finish. I figure it is still the longest ride I ever have done because it is approximately 5 plus miles to the old starting place one way. I figure I did about 162 plus that day. But I'll never really know for sure. The best part? I did that ride on my single speed Karate Monkey.

So, in "official terms", my longest ride ever is the 2015 DK200, then the first Death Ride, then last weekend's Gravel Worlds at 145 miles. Pretty good for this old man, but I can do better!

There was some banter about 29"er stuff on the blog ten years ago that I posted on, but the "big" news was trek World where we got a sneak peek at the 2007 line up from Gary Fisher Bikes, (Remember- only Fisher had 29"ers then. There were no trek 29"ers)  There were a lot of cool bikes added to the line up for '07, as the 29"er revolution started gaining ground about this time.

The Ferrous. remember that bike? Almost cool....

The frame I was most smitten with, and surprised by, was the Ferrous. It was a "production custom bike". The detail on the frame was amazing. Everywhere you looked it had some cool little tacked on applique, decal, or feature that was like something from a small custom builder. Not a "big" corporate entity like Trek/Fisher.

Not only that, but it had a full drive train! It wasn't just another single speed. Although, it had an eccentric bottom bracket so you could single speed the bike. Triple ring cranks. remember those?

I wanted one, but I had so many things in the hopper at the time I just couldn't justify getting one. A friend of mine did, and it was quickly discovered by him, and almost every other Ferrous owner, that the bowed out seat stays would catch your heels. Worse, several of these ended up braeking. The Ferrous was a one year model.

Makes you wonder if there are any left sitting around in garages out there anywhere.

Gravel Worlds '16- WW4M: Nutrition And Gear Review

The nutrition during my 2016 Gravel Worlds ride was  99% these items

This post will detail my nutrition and a word or three about gear that I haven't already said much about. The "WW4M" in the title stands for "What Works For Me". This should point out to you that what I am about to detail here may not work for you or anyone else. However; I hope that these ideas might help out someone reading to fine tune their own endurance riding nutrition strategy.

On The Bike Food: If you have been reading along here this Summer you already know that I battled a stomach shut down during my Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational attempt and that I had to stop after a little over 109 miles. Well, I tracked that back to a heavy amount of sugary processed food in the form of a cookie sandwich I ate earlier in the day. I decided after that I wasn't going to utilize any processed sugary crapola like Gatorade or foods from convenience stores in my nutritional strategies for Gravel Worlds.

Fortunately, my friend Tony had shared with me several times about some items he relied upon. So, I decided to follow suit. I obviously was witnessing what it was doing and it was working for him. I did not know if it would work for me at all, and Gravel Worlds was my test ground. I didn't try some of this before at all, and none of it while riding a bike. Dumb? Maybe. Maybe I got away with it because I didn't know I shouldn't! But I think in reality it was more that I had seen the results with Tony and figured I could benefit as well.

• Flattened Bananas- This actually was a suggestion by a Trans Iowa rider that wasn't able to process any convenience store fare and rode in T.I.v12 on these. They are a Trader Joe's item, and he sent me a couple packages of the stuff after T.I.v12. I opened one package and used food scissors to cut the flattened mass into ribbons and then placed those into sandwich bags for easy on bike eating. 
• Justin's Almond Butter packets- I found these at a local grocer's natural food aisle and Tony is a big fan of these. 190 calories in each packet. They can be a bit hard to consume because unless you kneed them up inside the packet before opening one they can be a bit dry and thick on one end where the oils separate out from the solids. Make sure you down this with water! But other than that, they work. Not the most pleasant deal, but not terrible either. 
• Epic Bison and Uncured Bacon meat bars- These are a natural foods aisle score and another thing Tony uses.Not easy to rip open the original packaging while riding, so you may want to pre-open these or better yet, repackage them. This is a form of pemmican, which Native Americans used as an energy source.  
• Elete electrolytic add in- I have been a fan of Elete for over a decade now after learning about it from my former co-worker and 24 hour solo racer, Jeff Kerkove.  This is a clear-ish liquid that you mix in with water and it keeps your electrolytes in balance. I've never cramped while using this, and it is super easy to pack along and to administer to your water as you are on a ride. 

The Fargo Gen I as used at Gravel Worlds

The Gear: I won't go on about the Fargo, but I did pick the bike due to the Luxy Bar and my left shoulder issue. I also had the Revelate Tangle Bag, (an old, outdated version)on the bike which held some maintenance items if needed and a rain/wind breaker in case the weather went sour or if I had to ride after dark. An old Velocity aluminum water bottle cage, (made in Australia), allowed for a lowered water bottle position due to the design of the cage, which can be adjusted. I was able to pack four large water bottles due to this. The bottle under the down tube carried repair bits, tools, tire levers, a roll of black electrical tape, and a chain tool.

I used a Trelock 950 headlight, a Grateful Red Planet Bike tail light, and Bike Bag Dude Chaff Bags and Garage Bag for storing food, a few more tools, and my cameras. Shifters are Gevenalle with 9 speed Ultegra levers. Long pull levers close up ancient Avid BB-7 calipers on a front Avid rotor and a rear Ashima rotor. Tires and wheels are the same I've had since the Kanza ride. Teravail Sparwoods and Sun-Ringle' Black Flags. The Sparwoods were a mixed bag at Gravel Worlds. There was good and bad things, but I am still not impressed enough to keep them on for anything other than hard, solid based or sandy conditions where they seem to excel.

The one item which I felt was well worth its price, for my ride anyway, was the Cirrus Cycles Body Float seat post. It is a sprung post which is designed to take the edge off bumps and absorb the smaller chatter. It does that so seamlessly when set up properly that I don't even notice it. However; I did notice that I didn't have any issues with washboard surfaces out there. Let me tell you- there was a LOT of washboard out on that course. Many riders were getting jostled around and losing speed when they hit this but I could keep pedaling uninterrupted and not lose speed. I noted this several times during the day. In fact, so did other riders. I heard several comments from other riders on how active the post was as they passed me.

Grinding the final miles into Lincoln. Image by Kevin Fox

Conclusions: The new nutritional idea was a grand slam. No issues with fueling at all, with the exception of one element. That would be my falling asleep/battling sleep issues. I was noting that soda pop seemed to kill this issue. Coke, regular grocery store lime soda, regular grocery store cola, it didn't seem to matter. I suspect it was the kind of sugar that I was getting versus what kind of soda it was. Hmm.... Going to have to work on that part.

There were two other things I ate outside of the basic plan. Beef jerky and one gel that was chocolate and had caffeine, which I was trying as a "wake me up" gel. I cannot recall if it worked though! Ha! That said, I am trying to keep what works here and I will test this out on my next long ride which I hope to do just for fun soon.

On the gear side the wool jersey, base layer, Louis Garneau bibs, and my new, gifted to me Omaha Jackrabbit Hundy hat made by Walz, (Thanks Scott Redd!!) were all flawless. Interesting factoid- I didn't like wearing sun glasses that day. Something about it pestered me in the wrong way, so I ditched them for most of the ride. The Gen I Fargo? Well, no words need to be said there. The Body Float post was awesome. I am super happy I used it.

Okay, any questions? Feel free to hit me up with those in the comments or via e-mail.

Gravel Worlds '16- WW4M: Nutrition And Gear Review

The nutrition during my 2016 Gravel Worlds ride was  99% these items

This post will detail my nutrition and a word or three about gear that I haven't already said much about. The "WW4M" in the title stands for "What Works For Me". This should point out to you that what I am about to detail here may not work for you or anyone else. However; I hope that these ideas might help out someone reading to fine tune their own endurance riding nutrition strategy.

On The Bike Food: If you have been reading along here this Summer you already know that I battled a stomach shut down during my Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational attempt and that I had to stop after a little over 109 miles. Well, I tracked that back to a heavy amount of sugary processed food in the form of a cookie sandwich I ate earlier in the day. I decided after that I wasn't going to utilize any processed sugary crapola like Gatorade or foods from convenience stores in my nutritional strategies for Gravel Worlds.

Fortunately, my friend Tony had shared with me several times about some items he relied upon. So, I decided to follow suit. I obviously was witnessing what it was doing and it was working for him. I did not know if it would work for me at all, and Gravel Worlds was my test ground. I didn't try some of this before at all, and none of it while riding a bike. Dumb? Maybe. Maybe I got away with it because I didn't know I shouldn't! But I think in reality it was more that I had seen the results with Tony and figured I could benefit as well.

• Flattened Bananas- This actually was a suggestion by a Trans Iowa rider that wasn't able to process any convenience store fare and rode in T.I.v12 on these. They are a Trader Joe's item, and he sent me a couple packages of the stuff after T.I.v12. I opened one package and used food scissors to cut the flattened mass into ribbons and then placed those into sandwich bags for easy on bike eating. 
• Justin's Almond Butter packets- I found these at a local grocer's natural food aisle and Tony is a big fan of these. 190 calories in each packet. They can be a bit hard to consume because unless you kneed them up inside the packet before opening one they can be a bit dry and thick on one end where the oils separate out from the solids. Make sure you down this with water! But other than that, they work. Not the most pleasant deal, but not terrible either. 
• Epic Bison and Uncured Bacon meat bars- These are a natural foods aisle score and another thing Tony uses.Not easy to rip open the original packaging while riding, so you may want to pre-open these or better yet, repackage them. This is a form of pemmican, which Native Americans used as an energy source.  
• Elete electrolytic add in- I have been a fan of Elete for over a decade now after learning about it from my former co-worker and 24 hour solo racer, Jeff Kerkove.  This is a clear-ish liquid that you mix in with water and it keeps your electrolytes in balance. I've never cramped while using this, and it is super easy to pack along and to administer to your water as you are on a ride. 

The Fargo Gen I as used at Gravel Worlds

The Gear: I won't go on about the Fargo, but I did pick the bike due to the Luxy Bar and my left shoulder issue. I also had the Revelate Tangle Bag, (an old, outdated version)on the bike which held some maintenance items if needed and a rain/wind breaker in case the weather went sour or if I had to ride after dark. An old Velocity aluminum water bottle cage, (made in Australia), allowed for a lowered water bottle position due to the design of the cage, which can be adjusted. I was able to pack four large water bottles due to this. The bottle under the down tube carried repair bits, tools, tire levers, a roll of black electrical tape, and a chain tool.

I used a Trelock 950 headlight, a Grateful Red Planet Bike tail light, and Bike Bag Dude Chaff Bags and Garage Bag for storing food, a few more tools, and my cameras. Shifters are Gevenalle with 9 speed Ultegra levers. Long pull levers close up ancient Avid BB-7 calipers on a front Avid rotor and a rear Ashima rotor. Tires and wheels are the same I've had since the Kanza ride. Teravail Sparwoods and Sun-Ringle' Black Flags. The Sparwoods were a mixed bag at Gravel Worlds. There was good and bad things, but I am still not impressed enough to keep them on for anything other than hard, solid based or sandy conditions where they seem to excel.

The one item which I felt was well worth its price, for my ride anyway, was the Cirrus Cycles Body Float seat post. It is a sprung post which is designed to take the edge off bumps and absorb the smaller chatter. It does that so seamlessly when set up properly that I don't even notice it. However; I did notice that I didn't have any issues with washboard surfaces out there. Let me tell you- there was a LOT of washboard out on that course. Many riders were getting jostled around and losing speed when they hit this but I could keep pedaling uninterrupted and not lose speed. I noted this several times during the day. In fact, so did other riders. I heard several comments from other riders on how active the post was as they passed me.

Grinding the final miles into Lincoln. Image by Kevin Fox

Conclusions: The new nutritional idea was a grand slam. No issues with fueling at all, with the exception of one element. That would be my falling asleep/battling sleep issues. I was noting that soda pop seemed to kill this issue. Coke, regular grocery store lime soda, regular grocery store cola, it didn't seem to matter. I suspect it was the kind of sugar that I was getting versus what kind of soda it was. Hmm.... Going to have to work on that part.

There were two other things I ate outside of the basic plan. Beef jerky and one gel that was chocolate and had caffeine, which I was trying as a "wake me up" gel. I cannot recall if it worked though! Ha! That said, I am trying to keep what works here and I will test this out on my next long ride which I hope to do just for fun soon.

On the gear side the wool jersey, base layer, Louis Garneau bibs, and my new, gifted to me Omaha Jackrabbit Hundy hat made by Walz, (Thanks Scott Redd!!) were all flawless. Interesting factoid- I didn't like wearing sun glasses that day. Something about it pestered me in the wrong way, so I ditched them for most of the ride. The Gen I Fargo? Well, no words need to be said there. The Body Float post was awesome. I am super happy I used it.

Okay, any questions? Feel free to hit me up with those in the comments or via e-mail.

Friday News And Views

It could be great.....

Thoughts On Trek's Almost Gravel Bike And Carbon Fiber Armoring:

Okay, so we had a customer buy the newest Trek Domane Disc "something number-something or another" (Trek has 31 different Domane models, so maybe you could see why it is I cannot recall the exact numeral/digital moniker for the one I saw in the shop.) Anyway, once again I say it- this is darn near the perfect gravel road bike. In terms of bottom bracket drop, head tube angle, front/center dimensions, and of course, the ISO Speed decouplers front and rear, this bike nearly tics all the boxes and some that you don't even know that you need. However; there are one or two major modifications necessary before I would sign off on a Domane for my personal gravel grinding pleasure.

One would be tire clearances. The new Domane Disc is oh-so-close in that area. The stock bike comes out of the box with 32mm slicks with room to spare. we were looking at this at the shop and figured it might clear 35's on a nominally wide road rim set up tubeless. But barely so, if it does. That's not going to cut it. We need room for at least 40's. I think Trek can do this easily.

Secondly, I find the thought of riding a $5,000 to $10,000 dollar rig in moist, grinding, muddy paste rather.......stupid? Yes. Stupid. That would be rather unwise given that I have seen, and I have heard reports of chain stays getting ground through on carbon bikes in one event. Yeah...... That's an expensive proposition. So, what would I suggest that Trek, (or any manufacturer that makes a carbon gravel rig), do to protect against this? Think what they do on mountain bikes. Armoring is the answer. Here's what I would do......

A somewhat horse shoe shaped piece of steel, or titanium could be fashioned and slightly recessed into the inside facing area of each chain stay, and bridging across at the bottom bracket, to keep mud from grinding holes in the area between the tire and chain stay. You could even do the same thing underneath a fork crown, but that is a less susceptible area, I think. Anyway, this piece could be anchored in with a few small screws and could be removed for cleaning, replacement, or might even serve as a "window" of sorts to ease internal cable routing of hydraulic brake lines and shifting cables, for instance. The weight added would be minimal and the case for ground through chain stays would be closed.

One of the country churches on the Geezer Ride route

Geezer Ride Update:

A week ago I updated y'all on the Geezer Ride route, and gave you the date, which is September 17th. We will likely start at 8:00-ish from Gateway Park in Cedar Falls, Iowa. There is a gravel parking lot there and it is right over the Main Street Bridge from the main highway and downtown Cedar Falls.

The other news is that I have a theme for the ride and a route. It looks as though the route works out to 42 miles, four of which are on easy-peasy bike paths. Four more or so are on easy pavement. So, in total there should be only about 34 miles of actual gravel roads, and according to my best guestimates, we're looking at maybe 1200 feet of elevation gain. Not too bad, but there are a couple steeps that will test your legs. It's mainly pretty flat.

What is more, I came up with a theme! I'm calling this the "Geezer Ride Tour of Country Churches ". By my count we should go right by six rural churches. Almost all of which are still working churches, by the way. We will also go by Bennington #3 School house as well. So, bring your cameras and we should have lots of photo ops.

Finally, there are no convenience store stops that fit the route without adding a ton of mileage. So....... I asked real nice, and I think Mrs.Guitar Ted and my two kids might be out to service the group with cold drinks and snacks. Stay tuned on that front.....

I'm hoping to recon the route Saturday morning early, unless it rains, or something like flooding gets in my way! I'll update the ride page on the Geezer Ride site and be back with more here again soon......

Otso is a new company out of the minds of the Wolf Tooth folk in Minnesota.

Otso Cycles:

Another new bicycle company? Really? Well, I think this one looks like it just might have some cool things to offer that are innovations.

Otso Cycles: They are a bunch of folks that are the brains and marketing behind Wolf Tooth Components. Based up there in Minnesota, you'd expect that they would do a carbon fat bike frame, and they have. This is a bit different though.

I think one of the coolest attributes of their fat bike model is the bottom bracket width. I happen to know more than a few folks cannot ride traditional 100mm bottom bracket width fat bikes because it is ergonomically unfit to do so for them. They have hip pain, knee pain, or both. Ouch! Not good. Well, this Voytek fat bike from Otso is running an 83mm bottom bracket which puts the pedals at a claimed 10mm wider than a traditional mountain bike, yet the frame clears 4.0" tires easily and up to 4.6" fat bike tires on 70mm rims.  That's pretty rad. Now obviously, if you have to have the widest rims and tires for maximum flotation, this model is out.

The Voytek also dances with Plus sized fare in the 27.5 and 29 flavors, if that is your jam. Cool! Obviously, it is going to be spendy, but they are claiming full builds for less than 4G. Not bad.

I liked their stainless steel framed Warakin gravel/all road bike. It has some pretty trick features too, and I already wrote up that on RidingGravel.com here. It's interesting that they hit these two models up first, as I am hearing that the big cycling trade shows are going to be loaded with adventure road this, adventure bikepacking that, and adventure whatever else they can market up a storm about. So, we will see how it goes for Otso, but the homework these models reflect is pretty stout, and I am betting these will shine a bit brighter than much of the "me too" bikes that we will see coming in the next few weeks or so.

Okay, that's a wrap on this post. Have a great weekend, y'all!

Friday News And Views

It could be great.....

Thoughts On Trek's Almost Gravel Bike And Carbon Fiber Armoring:

Okay, so we had a customer buy the newest Trek Domane Disc "something number-something or another" (Trek has 31 different Domane models, so maybe you could see why it is I cannot recall the exact numeral/digital moniker for the one I saw in the shop.) Anyway, once again I say it- this is darn near the perfect gravel road bike. In terms of bottom bracket drop, head tube angle, front/center dimensions, and of course, the ISO Speed decouplers front and rear, this bike nearly tics all the boxes and some that you don't even know that you need. However; there are one or two major modifications necessary before I would sign off on a Domane for my personal gravel grinding pleasure.

One would be tire clearances. The new Domane Disc is oh-so-close in that area. The stock bike comes out of the box with 32mm slicks with room to spare. we were looking at this at the shop and figured it might clear 35's on a nominally wide road rim set up tubeless. But barely so, if it does. That's not going to cut it. We need room for at least 40's. I think Trek can do this easily.

Secondly, I find the thought of riding a $5,000 to $10,000 dollar rig in moist, grinding, muddy paste rather.......stupid? Yes. Stupid. That would be rather unwise given that I have seen, and I have heard reports of chain stays getting ground through on carbon bikes in one event. Yeah...... That's an expensive proposition. So, what would I suggest that Trek, (or any manufacturer that makes a carbon gravel rig), do to protect against this? Think what they do on mountain bikes. Armoring is the answer. Here's what I would do......

A somewhat horse shoe shaped piece of steel, or titanium could be fashioned and slightly recessed into the inside facing area of each chain stay, and bridging across at the bottom bracket, to keep mud from grinding holes in the area between the tire and chain stay. You could even do the same thing underneath a fork crown, but that is a less susceptible area, I think. Anyway, this piece could be anchored in with a few small screws and could be removed for cleaning, replacement, or might even serve as a "window" of sorts to ease internal cable routing of hydraulic brake lines and shifting cables, for instance. The weight added would be minimal and the case for ground through chain stays would be closed.

One of the country churches on the Geezer Ride route

Geezer Ride Update:

A week ago I updated y'all on the Geezer Ride route, and gave you the date, which is September 17th. We will likely start at 8:00-ish from Gateway Park in Cedar Falls, Iowa. There is a gravel parking lot there and it is right over the Main Street Bridge from the main highway and downtown Cedar Falls.

The other news is that I have a theme for the ride and a route. It looks as though the route works out to 42 miles, four of which are on easy-peasy bike paths. Four more or so are on easy pavement. So, in total there should be only about 34 miles of actual gravel roads, and according to my best guestimates, we're looking at maybe 1200 feet of elevation gain. Not too bad, but there are a couple steeps that will test your legs. It's mainly pretty flat.

What is more, I came up with a theme! I'm calling this the "Geezer Ride Tour of Country Churches ". By my count we should go right by six rural churches. Almost all of which are still working churches, by the way. We will also go by Bennington #3 School house as well. So, bring your cameras and we should have lots of photo ops.

Finally, there are no convenience store stops that fit the route without adding a ton of mileage. So....... I asked real nice, and I think Mrs.Guitar Ted and my two kids might be out to service the group with cold drinks and snacks. Stay tuned on that front.....

I'm hoping to recon the route Saturday morning early, unless it rains, or something like flooding gets in my way! I'll update the ride page on the Geezer Ride site and be back with more here again soon......

Otso is a new company out of the minds of the Wolf Tooth folk in Minnesota.

Otso Cycles:

Another new bicycle company? Really? Well, I think this one looks like it just might have some cool things to offer that are innovations.

Otso Cycles: They are a bunch of folks that are the brains and marketing behind Wolf Tooth Components. Based up there in Minnesota, you'd expect that they would do a carbon fat bike frame, and they have. This is a bit different though.

I think one of the coolest attributes of their fat bike model is the bottom bracket width. I happen to know more than a few folks cannot ride traditional 100mm bottom bracket width fat bikes because it is ergonomically unfit to do so for them. They have hip pain, knee pain, or both. Ouch! Not good. Well, this Voytek fat bike from Otso is running an 83mm bottom bracket which puts the pedals at a claimed 10mm wider than a traditional mountain bike, yet the frame clears 4.0" tires easily and up to 4.6" fat bike tires on 70mm rims.  That's pretty rad. Now obviously, if you have to have the widest rims and tires for maximum flotation, this model is out.

The Voytek also dances with Plus sized fare in the 27.5 and 29 flavors, if that is your jam. Cool! Obviously, it is going to be spendy, but they are claiming full builds for less than 4G. Not bad.

I liked their stainless steel framed Warakin gravel/all road bike. It has some pretty trick features too, and I already wrote up that on RidingGravel.com here. It's interesting that they hit these two models up first, as I am hearing that the big cycling trade shows are going to be loaded with adventure road this, adventure bikepacking that, and adventure whatever else they can market up a storm about. So, we will see how it goes for Otso, but the homework these models reflect is pretty stout, and I am betting these will shine a bit brighter than much of the "me too" bikes that we will see coming in the next few weeks or so.

Okay, that's a wrap on this post. Have a great weekend, y'all!

Gravel Worlds '16: It Ain't Over Till It's Over

It was just a dang beautiful day out there. Glad I was riding.

Valpraiso was a bit of an extended stop due to the backed up line in the convenience store. Another reason to stay out of those things, but I desperately needed a coke and I also grabbed some more beef jerky for good measure. Once I was good to go Tony and I left town with the hopes that the mostly Eastward run out of town would be easier.

Well, it mostly was. There were a couple of zingers, but it wasn't terribly hilly like before. I mostly kept myself preoccupied with ticking off the miles and thinking that past 110 I was making the longest ride of the year so far with every pedal stroke. The next thought I had was that maybe we could beat the Sunset. I was thinking it would be close, but Tony and I were making decent time, and things were looking great to accomplish that feat.

But then again, anything could have gone wrong in those last 35 miles. An untimely mechanical, a flat tire requiring an extended time to repair, or worse. This wasn't over yet. Not by a long shot. Of course, we had no idea of where the course might take us. We did know that there was one Minimum Maintenance Road coming up and that it might be a hike-a-bike section. I wasn't too worried about that since the course had full Sun most of the day and the wind would help dry things out well enough for us to ride most of that road, if not maybe all of it. At least I was hopeful that would be the case.

The last checkpoint we passed was the Otto Pond farm. Black Beard Micro-Pirate stayed put during this stop.

The end of the Eastward stretch was marked by the final checkpoint at Otto Pond. We got there just before 6:00pm and didn't stay long. I was working hard so I took a seat and downed a cola before remounting and heading out for the final stretch of our Gravel Worlds ride. Twenty Two miles to go, give or take a few tenths. What could go wrong?

Tony eyes up the mud hole ahead and decides to take a winger.....

.........and he paid for it by taking half a mud bath!

Well, that muddy Minimum Maintenance Road was one thing! Tony had a mind that the path looked okay to go across some short stretch of water without dismounting, but the mud was too deep. He slipped over to the left and stuck his arm out to save himself from total immersion in the muddy water, but he was half a slimy mess. I stood by and watched as he cleared away as much slime as he could before we remounted and took off again. A slight delay, but not enough to keep us from making the goal of Sunset or before. But we were going to have to hoof it double time, as fast as our legs could take us.

The day was drawing to a close, the course was nearing the end, but the hills never stopped.

About a half an hour out from the finish, we managed to still be smiling. Me on the left with Tony McGrane: Image by Kevin Fox

The hills were never ending. One after another. Hats off to Schmidty for finding the roads that led right up to the very end with hill after hill. Kevin Fox appeared about 15 miles out from the finish and took a few images of us. He was encouraging us to keep at it and that I indeed would not be needing that phone number after all.

Indeed. I would not be needing it at all.

I've never finished one of these "big" gravel events before. Dirty Kanza has eluded me and Gravel Worlds had been unattainable. Odin's Revenge had been just too dang difficult for me to tackle and even some of my own GTDRI rides have been to tough for me to tame. But this was going to be different.

I didn't know how I would react. I actually gave some thought to it briefly as I rode the final miles. Then I chased that thought right out. I had to finish first. Anything could go wrong......

Crossing that line with a fist bump from Tony. Image by Kevin Fox

We got the patches. It's official now! Image by Kevin Fox

Well, obviously it happened, and I was pretty dang happy about it.

I'll have more about the equipment and the nutritional plan later.

Thank You: Thanks to my wife, Phyllis Stevenson for letting me go on these crazy adventures. Thanks to my children, Izabel and Jacob for putting up with my being gone a weekend. Thanks to Tony McGrane for the companionship all weekend and especially for waiting for me on the hill top! Thanks to the Pirate Cycling League, Schmidty, all the volunteers and the Pirates Of The League who make this event possible. Thank you to the Schmidt's, The Brown's, Roca Tavern, The Reinkordt's, the people at the Malcom General Store, the people at the Branched Oak Farm, the town of Valpraiso,  the people at Otto Pond, and the Schilling Bridge Cork & Tap House. Thank you to Kevin Fox for your inspiration, encouragement, and images. Thank you to Matt Wills for the awesome bear hug at the finish. Thank you to my Brother MG, you are awesome my friend! Love ya! To all the Lincoln folks- I love you people! You make the gravel scene what it is. Anybody that feels left out- I Thank You Too! Finally- To all the gravel riders at Gravel Worlds, I give you a tip of the cycling cap. You all are awesome folks and you make this scene what it is. Keep on doing it like this! Please! Don't ever stop. 

Gravel Worlds '16: It Ain't Over Till It's Over

It was just a dang beautiful day out there. Glad I was riding.

Valpraiso was a bit of an extended stop due to the backed up line in the convenience store. Another reason to stay out of those things, but I desperately needed a coke and I also grabbed some more beef jerky for good measure. Once I was good to go Tony and I left town with the hopes that the mostly Eastward run out of town would be easier.

Well, it mostly was. There were a couple of zingers, but it wasn't terribly hilly like before. I mostly kept myself preoccupied with ticking off the miles and thinking that past 110 I was making the longest ride of the year so far with every pedal stroke. The next thought I had was that maybe we could beat the Sunset. I was thinking it would be close, but Tony and I were making decent time, and things were looking great to accomplish that feat.

But then again, anything could have gone wrong in those last 35 miles. An untimely mechanical, a flat tire requiring an extended time to repair, or worse. This wasn't over yet. Not by a long shot. Of course, we had no idea of where the course might take us. We did know that there was one Minimum Maintenance Road coming up and that it might be a hike-a-bike section. I wasn't too worried about that since the course had full Sun most of the day and the wind would help dry things out well enough for us to ride most of that road, if not maybe all of it. At least I was hopeful that would be the case.

The last checkpoint we passed was the Otto Pond farm. Black Beard Micro-Pirate stayed put during this stop.

The end of the Eastward stretch was marked by the final checkpoint at Otto Pond. We got there just before 6:00pm and didn't stay long. I was working hard so I took a seat and downed a cola before remounting and heading out for the final stretch of our Gravel Worlds ride. Twenty Two miles to go, give or take a few tenths. What could go wrong?

Tony eyes up the mud hole ahead and decides to take a winger.....

.........and he paid for it by taking half a mud bath!

Well, that muddy Minimum Maintenance Road was one thing! Tony had a mind that the path looked okay to go across some short stretch of water without dismounting, but the mud was too deep. He slipped over to the left and stuck his arm out to save himself from total immersion in the muddy water, but he was half a slimy mess. I stood by and watched as he cleared away as much slime as he could before we remounted and took off again. A slight delay, but not enough to keep us from making the goal of Sunset or before. But we were going to have to hoof it double time, as fast as our legs could take us.

The day was drawing to a close, the course was nearing the end, but the hills never stopped.

About a half an hour out from the finish, we managed to still be smiling. Me on the left with Tony McGrane: Image by Kevin Fox

The hills were never ending. One after another. Hats off to Schmidty for finding the roads that led right up to the very end with hill after hill. Kevin Fox appeared about 15 miles out from the finish and took a few images of us. He was encouraging us to keep at it and that I indeed would not be needing that phone number after all.

Indeed. I would not be needing it at all.

I've never finished one of these "big" gravel events before. Dirty Kanza has eluded me and Gravel Worlds had been unattainable. Odin's Revenge had been just too dang difficult for me to tackle and even some of my own GTDRI rides have been to tough for me to tame. But this was going to be different.

I didn't know how I would react. I actually gave some thought to it briefly as I rode the final miles. Then I chased that thought right out. I had to finish first. Anything could go wrong......

Crossing that line with a fist bump from Tony. Image by Kevin Fox

We got the patches. It's official now! Image by Kevin Fox

Well, obviously it happened, and I was pretty dang happy about it.

I'll have more about the equipment and the nutritional plan later.

Thank You: Thanks to my wife, Phyllis Stevenson for letting me go on these crazy adventures. Thanks to my children, Izabel and Jacob for putting up with my being gone a weekend. Thanks to Tony McGrane for the companionship all weekend and especially for waiting for me on the hill top! Thanks to the Pirate Cycling League, Schmidty, all the volunteers and the Pirates Of The League who make this event possible. Thank you to the Schmidt's, The Brown's, Roca Tavern, The Reinkordt's, the people at the Malcom General Store, the people at the Branched Oak Farm, the town of Valpraiso,  the people at Otto Pond, and the Schilling Bridge Cork & Tap House. Thank you to Kevin Fox for your inspiration, encouragement, and images. Thank you to Matt Wills for the awesome bear hug at the finish. Thank you to my Brother MG, you are awesome my friend! Love ya! To all the Lincoln folks- I love you people! You make the gravel scene what it is. Anybody that feels left out- I Thank You Too! Finally- To all the gravel riders at Gravel Worlds, I give you a tip of the cycling cap. You all are awesome folks and you make this scene what it is. Keep on doing it like this! Please! Don't ever stop.