Minus Ten Review- 39

A "mix and match" Chris King headset from '07 that I still run in one of my bikes here .

Ten years ago on the blog I had no pictures!!! Epic fail since this was the week ten years ago I was at Interbike working for Tim Grahl and Twenty Nine Inches.

You can go back to last week's series and read much of what it was like. I won't rehash my posts from ten years ago as many of the memories were covered here last week. But I will delve a little deeper in to what it was like working Vegas back then.

Grahl had us in the same time share "apartment", for lack of a better term, that we had used the year before. It was very conveniently located about two blocks from the Sands Convention center which was where Interbike was held. Obviously, we could walk wherever we had to go. Every morning it was a trek across a sandy lot, walking by a "station" where immigrants from Mexico were usually found in the evenings hawking escort service cards. The cards would be strewn all across the sidewalk and especially in front of the newspaper dispensers which were lined up at certain intervals along the Strip. These did not hold traditional newspapers, but they dispensed papers with several pages flaunting ads for escort services and pictured scantily clad women with "come hither" looks on their faces.

It was a walk of shame, for everyone, myself included. It was just a rotten, soulless place to wander through. Of course, then you had to negotiate the casino to get to the show floor. Smoking indoors is still allowed in Vegas so you were immediately aware of that stench and the noise, of course, of gambling. It was so surreal to see all these semi-fit, and fit cycling folk walking briskly by haggard folks with yellow tipped fingers blithely pulling one armed bandits and slumping over roulette games. It was just soooo wrong. 

Then we'd bust our butts from 9:00am until 5:00pm, posting as many images as we could, and then hitting up the food court in the nearby "fashion mall" for some slices of pizza before retiring back to the "apartment" and its rather close quarters. If I recall correctly, this was also the year that journalist Brad Quartuccio, then of "Dirt Rag", but soon to split off and be doing his own gig, was working with us. In fact, he may have just left "Dirt Rag" at that point, come to think of it. Anyway....... I recall Brad being very thin and very intense. He was doing some work for Grahl at that time. Just a favor or two.

The week ended with me getting back to Iowa and being very happy about that. Here's a quote I pulled which gives you the basic feeling I had post-I-Bike in the form of a bit of advice to those who had never been to the show:

".....but any self respecting cyclist owes it to themselves at least to stay far away from that black hole of waste called Las Vegas. I still find it ironic that the industry thinks this is a good idea to go there. Wow!"

Obviously, it wasn't the best place and now it won't be happening there in Vegas again. About ten years too late on that one, in my opinion!

Minus Ten Review- 39

A "mix and match" Chris King headset from '07 that I still run in one of my bikes here .

Ten years ago on the blog I had no pictures!!! Epic fail since this was the week ten years ago I was at Interbike working for Tim Grahl and Twenty Nine Inches.

You can go back to last week's series and read much of what it was like. I won't rehash my posts from ten years ago as many of the memories were covered here last week. But I will delve a little deeper in to what it was like working Vegas back then.

Grahl had us in the same time share "apartment", for lack of a better term, that we had used the year before. It was very conveniently located about two blocks from the Sands Convention center which was where Interbike was held. Obviously, we could walk wherever we had to go. Every morning it was a trek across a sandy lot, walking by a "station" where immigrants from Mexico were usually found in the evenings hawking escort service cards. The cards would be strewn all across the sidewalk and especially in front of the newspaper dispensers which were lined up at certain intervals along the Strip. These did not hold traditional newspapers, but they dispensed papers with several pages flaunting ads for escort services and pictured scantily clad women with "come hither" looks on their faces.

It was a walk of shame, for everyone, myself included. It was just a rotten, soulless place to wander through. Of course, then you had to negotiate the casino to get to the show floor. Smoking indoors is still allowed in Vegas so you were immediately aware of that stench and the noise, of course, of gambling. It was so surreal to see all these semi-fit, and fit cycling folk walking briskly by haggard folks with yellow tipped fingers blithely pulling one armed bandits and slumping over roulette games. It was just soooo wrong. 

Then we'd bust our butts from 9:00am until 5:00pm, posting as many images as we could, and then hitting up the food court in the nearby "fashion mall" for some slices of pizza before retiring back to the "apartment" and its rather close quarters. If I recall correctly, this was also the year that journalist Brad Quartuccio, then of "Dirt Rag", but soon to split off and be doing his own gig, was working with us. In fact, he may have just left "Dirt Rag" at that point, come to think of it. Anyway....... I recall Brad being very thin and very intense. He was doing some work for Grahl at that time. Just a favor or two.

The week ended with me getting back to Iowa and being very happy about that. Here's a quote I pulled which gives you the basic feeling I had post-I-Bike in the form of a bit of advice to those who had never been to the show:

".....but any self respecting cyclist owes it to themselves at least to stay far away from that black hole of waste called Las Vegas. I still find it ironic that the industry thinks this is a good idea to go there. Wow!"

Obviously, it wasn't the best place and now it won't be happening there in Vegas again. About ten years too late on that one, in my opinion!

Friday News And Views

Recycling cycling.

Big Dummy-

I figured I'd share a few things about the Big Dummy here. It's been a great addition to the fleet. I usually use it for recycling duties, but I have also done the odd errand and hauled things back from the farmers market and whatnot.

I tried using it for commuting but my route is not "Big Dummy friendly". The thing doesn't like curbs and going over them, or even off them, is a jarringly unpleasant experience. I have to cross five or six curbs, (not sure, but at least that many), on my way to work. Loaded, the Big Dummy really sucks on curbs. That front wheel, due to the bike's geometry, is really pinned to the ground and the back end is waaaaaaaay out there, so getting the bike to rotate back on its haunches is nigh unto impossible. So, subsequently I decided to quit using it for commutes unless it was absolutely necessary.

So, I kind of panned the new Blackborow here a few weeks ago when it was announced, and while some of my criticisms were confirmed by a friend and others by Salsa's own "loading instructions" technical page. , I now have a new perspective on the rig. That was a result of speaking with a very good friend of mine, (aforementioned), who happens to be "on the inside" and was able to ride one of these for an extended period of time and has used it for lots of things and with lots of different loads. The main thing I took away was that it is possible to loft the front end of this bike, and that it could perhaps even be easier to do that depending on how it is loaded.

Therefore; I have taken a new interest in the new Blackborow. It would be something I think would fit in with how I use a bike like this, although Salsa is denying it is a "cargo bike", yet they allow for loads to be carried by bags on the rack. I guess it all depends upon your definition of "cargo".

Tubeless......again.......finally!

Pofahl Gets Tubeless......Again!

I was reminiscing about what it took to get a tubeless set up on a 29"er circa 2007. I was curious as to how I could make my 2006 Industry 9 wheel set tubeless with the DT Swiss TK series rims the wheels were spec'ed with. Of course, you had to do it "ghetto-tubeless" because other than the somewhat hard to get your hands on Stan's tape, there wasn't any other options and tires were hard to find that had a tight fit.

It wasn't impossible, but to get these rims to be tubeless with the original set up, with the "not for tubeless use" Vulpines, I had to go to extraordinary lengths. I started with two runs of strapping tape. That was covered by 3M mounting tape which I had to cut to width. Then over that went two runs of black electrical tape. Only then could I get the tires to set up. Of course, it wasn't easy even then. I remember it was quite the struggle. Anyway, things are, thankfully, much different ten years down the road.

After stripping out all the layers I put in ten years ago I added two runs of Velocity "blue" tubeless tape, added two Bontrager road TLR tubeless valve stems, added the "MG's Secret Sauce" (again- don't ask ) tubeless goop, and they aired up with a small compressor I have. Oh......and I used a brand new set of WTB TCS Nano's in the 2.1" size. 

There was one, minor disconcerting fact that I noted while doing this. The tires never made a peep setting up. I did not get that satisfying loud "snap!" of the bead setting in its seat on the rim. That's likely because the TK series of rims that DT Swiss used to make has a pretty aggressive hook bead whereas newer tubeless ready designs do not. The newer, tubeless ready rims generally have a squared off seat which has a slightly larger diameter for the tire bead to "lock" in to. Now, I am not going to be running low pressures or smashing into trail obstacles with this set up, but I have no doubt that if I did the tires would easily burp. So, while I am good to go for gravel, I still want to look into getting "real" tubeless ready rims.

Single Speed Century

So, the next deal I want to get going on is to try out the Pofahl on the planned century ride I have mapped out. I haven't done a century on a single speed in a long time, so I am overdue.

I kind of wanted to do this in September, but, obviously, I am running a bit short on time for this! Well, Saturday is my last chance and I think I am going for it unless I still feel like I am run down.

Yeah......I've been not feeling the best lately. I relapsed in terms of my cold right after the trip I was on last week. Feeling run down, congested, and well........crappy. We'll see how this whole single speed century thing goes.

But, I will give it my best. I have a pretty "single speed friendly" course designed so it isn't anything too radical in terms of elevation gain. I'm hoping that I can get up early on Saturday morning when it is still dark out and get going on that.

Then the next deal will be the second Fat Bike Century. That should happen in October sometime. We actually did that a year ago this weekend, myself and Tony, and Tony wants another go at that as well. So, if I can pull off those two century rides I'll have done five century rides and will need only one more for my own version of a cup o dirt.

Have a great weekend and I hope that you have a good bicycling time!

Friday News And Views

Recycling cycling.

Big Dummy-

I figured I'd share a few things about the Big Dummy here. It's been a great addition to the fleet. I usually use it for recycling duties, but I have also done the odd errand and hauled things back from the farmers market and whatnot.

I tried using it for commuting but my route is not "Big Dummy friendly". The thing doesn't like curbs and going over them, or even off them, is a jarringly unpleasant experience. I have to cross five or six curbs, (not sure, but at least that many), on my way to work. Loaded, the Big Dummy really sucks on curbs. That front wheel, due to the bike's geometry, is really pinned to the ground and the back end is waaaaaaaay out there, so getting the bike to rotate back on its haunches is nigh unto impossible. So, subsequently I decided to quit using it for commutes unless it was absolutely necessary.

So, I kind of panned the new Blackborow here a few weeks ago when it was announced, and while some of my criticisms were confirmed by a friend and others by Salsa's own "loading instructions" technical page. , I now have a new perspective on the rig. That was a result of speaking with a very good friend of mine, (aforementioned), who happens to be "on the inside" and was able to ride one of these for an extended period of time and has used it for lots of things and with lots of different loads. The main thing I took away was that it is possible to loft the front end of this bike, and that it could perhaps even be easier to do that depending on how it is loaded.

Therefore; I have taken a new interest in the new Blackborow. It would be something I think would fit in with how I use a bike like this, although Salsa is denying it is a "cargo bike", yet they allow for loads to be carried by bags on the rack. I guess it all depends upon your definition of "cargo".

Tubeless......again.......finally!

Pofahl Gets Tubeless......Again!

I was reminiscing about what it took to get a tubeless set up on a 29"er circa 2007. I was curious as to how I could make my 2006 Industry 9 wheel set tubeless with the DT Swiss TK series rims the wheels were spec'ed with. Of course, you had to do it "ghetto-tubeless" because other than the somewhat hard to get your hands on Stan's tape, there wasn't any other options and tires were hard to find that had a tight fit.

It wasn't impossible, but to get these rims to be tubeless with the original set up, with the "not for tubeless use" Vulpines, I had to go to extraordinary lengths. I started with two runs of strapping tape. That was covered by 3M mounting tape which I had to cut to width. Then over that went two runs of black electrical tape. Only then could I get the tires to set up. Of course, it wasn't easy even then. I remember it was quite the struggle. Anyway, things are, thankfully, much different ten years down the road.

After stripping out all the layers I put in ten years ago I added two runs of Velocity "blue" tubeless tape, added two Bontrager road TLR tubeless valve stems, added the "MG's Secret Sauce" (again- don't ask ) tubeless goop, and they aired up with a small compressor I have. Oh......and I used a brand new set of WTB TCS Nano's in the 2.1" size. 

There was one, minor disconcerting fact that I noted while doing this. The tires never made a peep setting up. I did not get that satisfying loud "snap!" of the bead setting in its seat on the rim. That's likely because the TK series of rims that DT Swiss used to make has a pretty aggressive hook bead whereas newer tubeless ready designs do not. The newer, tubeless ready rims generally have a squared off seat which has a slightly larger diameter for the tire bead to "lock" in to. Now, I am not going to be running low pressures or smashing into trail obstacles with this set up, but I have no doubt that if I did the tires would easily burp. So, while I am good to go for gravel, I still want to look into getting "real" tubeless ready rims.

Single Speed Century

So, the next deal I want to get going on is to try out the Pofahl on the planned century ride I have mapped out. I haven't done a century on a single speed in a long time, so I am overdue.

I kind of wanted to do this in September, but, obviously, I am running a bit short on time for this! Well, Saturday is my last chance and I think I am going for it unless I still feel like I am run down.

Yeah......I've been not feeling the best lately. I relapsed in terms of my cold right after the trip I was on last week. Feeling run down, congested, and well........crappy. We'll see how this whole single speed century thing goes.

But, I will give it my best. I have a pretty "single speed friendly" course designed so it isn't anything too radical in terms of elevation gain. I'm hoping that I can get up early on Saturday morning when it is still dark out and get going on that.

Then the next deal will be the second Fat Bike Century. That should happen in October sometime. We actually did that a year ago this weekend, myself and Tony, and Tony wants another go at that as well. So, if I can pull off those two century rides I'll have done five century rides and will need only one more for my own version of a cup o dirt.

Have a great weekend and I hope that you have a good bicycling time!

Responsibilities

The Fall season is about when I start feeling "the weight". Not the song by The Band, but the weight of responsibility. Responsibility for Trans Iowa being a good event. It takes a lot of planning and thought far ahead of the event. So, I have to be "on the ball" when it comes to getting that event up and running. Of course, there is the route, which changes every year, but that isn't all.

Registration is what most potential Trans Iowans probably have on their minds foremost concerning the event now. That usually takes place in October. You know, that's coming up real soon! I need to get the details out sooner than later. Then on top of that, I have to get the course recon going too. That doesn't leave a lot of time for "other stuff". Then, you know, I have a paying job, a wife and children, and more that are going on that are really important too. 

I'm not complaining. It isn't like it has taken me 13 Trans Iowas to suddenly now figure it out, because I know this will happen every Fall. But it is where my head is at this time of the year and I find it very difficult to think about anything else clearly. That may be why Fall is less fun for me than it was 14 years ago.

But, be that as it may, I have work to get to. I have a couple questions begging for answers that only a 5 hour round trip drive will cure. I have to sit down and go over my registration process again and make sure it is 100% dialed before I announce it. Then I have to continue route planning and sometime in October I am going to actually drive the course. It's going to be a very busy month.

Responsibilities

The Fall season is about when I start feeling "the weight". Not the song by The Band, but the weight of responsibility. Responsibility for Trans Iowa being a good event. It takes a lot of planning and thought far ahead of the event. So, I have to be "on the ball" when it comes to getting that event up and running. Of course, there is the route, which changes every year, but that isn't all.

Registration is what most potential Trans Iowans probably have on their minds foremost concerning the event now. That usually takes place in October. You know, that's coming up real soon! I need to get the details out sooner than later. Then on top of that, I have to get the course recon going too. That doesn't leave a lot of time for "other stuff". Then, you know, I have a paying job, a wife and children, and more that are going on that are really important too. 

I'm not complaining. It isn't like it has taken me 13 Trans Iowas to suddenly now figure it out, because I know this will happen every Fall. But it is where my head is at this time of the year and I find it very difficult to think about anything else clearly. That may be why Fall is less fun for me than it was 14 years ago.

But, be that as it may, I have work to get to. I have a couple questions begging for answers that only a 5 hour round trip drive will cure. I have to sit down and go over my registration process again and make sure it is 100% dialed before I announce it. Then I have to continue route planning and sometime in October I am going to actually drive the course. It's going to be a very busy month.

Ride For Randy

Special Announcement: Cyclists are a vulnerable user group and with drivers being more inattentive and impaired than ever before, we sometimes have tragedies occur like that of the death of Wade Franck, which hit the Iowa cycling community hard in 2015. 

Unfortunately my friends in the Lincoln, Nebraska cycling community are going through similar emotions after the tragic death of Randy Gibson, an accomplished, well known, and well liked cyclist from Lincoln, Nebraska. Besides being a cyclist many may not know that Randy was also heavily involved in Gravel Worlds and was responsible for the artwork used for this year's edition of the event, as well as helping to produce the event itself.

A memorial ride in Randy Gibson's honor will happen on October the 1st in Lincoln, Nebraska. I encourage anyone that can to attend in support of Randy Gibson's family, friends, and in support of the Lincoln cycling community and cyclists everywhere.

Following is a press release for the event:

Cyclists Organize Ride to Celebrate Life of Randy Gibson

Lincoln’s Hub Café to host the ride and remembrance October 1 at 10:00 a.m.

LINCOLN, Neb. (September 27, 2017) – Friends and family of Randy Gibson are planning a ride to celebrate the life of the Lincoln cyclist killed Saturday, Sept. 23, by a suspected drunk driver. The ride will take place Sunday, Oct. 1, from the Hub Café, 250 N. 21st St in Lincoln.

According to Gibson’s friend and ride co-host, Corey Godfrey, the ride will give friends and family an opportunity to reminisce and share stories.

“Let’s get together and remember Randy by doing one of the things he loved most – ride bicycles. We will meet at the Hub Café and roll out at 10:00 a.m. The plan is to ride around Lincoln and end up back at the Hub Café around noon for lunch,” Godfrey said.

Godfrey said the route would primarily utilize Lincoln bike paths, with a total distance of just under fifteen miles. 

Following lunch, the group will gather at the Jayne Snyder Trail Center, adjacent to the Hub Café, for a brief memorial, and to share stories and write well wishes to Gibson’s family. Participants are encouraged to bring along pictures, videos and other memories of Gibson to share with the group.

The Hub Café kitchen will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

Learn more about the ride and memorial at the Ride for Randy event page.

Ride For Randy

Special Announcement: Cyclists are a vulnerable user group and with drivers being more inattentive and impaired than ever before, we sometimes have tragedies occur like that of the death of Wade Franck, which hit the Iowa cycling community hard in 2015. 

Unfortunately my friends in the Lincoln, Nebraska cycling community are going through similar emotions after the tragic death of Randy Gibson, an accomplished, well known, and well liked cyclist from Lincoln, Nebraska. Besides being a cyclist many may not know that Randy was also heavily involved in Gravel Worlds and was responsible for the artwork used for this year's edition of the event, as well as helping to produce the event itself.

A memorial ride in Randy Gibson's honor will happen on October the 1st in Lincoln, Nebraska. I encourage anyone that can to attend in support of Randy Gibson's family, friends, and in support of the Lincoln cycling community and cyclists everywhere.

Following is a press release for the event:

Cyclists Organize Ride to Celebrate Life of Randy Gibson

Lincoln’s Hub Café to host the ride and remembrance October 1 at 10:00 a.m.

LINCOLN, Neb. (September 27, 2017) – Friends and family of Randy Gibson are planning a ride to celebrate the life of the Lincoln cyclist killed Saturday, Sept. 23, by a suspected drunk driver. The ride will take place Sunday, Oct. 1, from the Hub Café, 250 N. 21st St in Lincoln.

According to Gibson’s friend and ride co-host, Corey Godfrey, the ride will give friends and family an opportunity to reminisce and share stories.

“Let’s get together and remember Randy by doing one of the things he loved most – ride bicycles. We will meet at the Hub Café and roll out at 10:00 a.m. The plan is to ride around Lincoln and end up back at the Hub Café around noon for lunch,” Godfrey said.

Godfrey said the route would primarily utilize Lincoln bike paths, with a total distance of just under fifteen miles. 

Following lunch, the group will gather at the Jayne Snyder Trail Center, adjacent to the Hub Café, for a brief memorial, and to share stories and write well wishes to Gibson’s family. Participants are encouraged to bring along pictures, videos and other memories of Gibson to share with the group.

The Hub Café kitchen will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

Learn more about the ride and memorial at the Ride for Randy event page.

A Resounding Thud

When Bike Radar is posting this kind of stuff on social media regarding Interbike, you know it had to be good!

I really tried to find something interesting to talk about regarding the Interbike goings on in Vegas last week. I tried to find something cool to show, some news of a future product that will be awesome, or some shred of anything trendy. Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, nothing of the sort happened at Interbike this past week.

Even the ubiquitous, oft regurgitated "Bike Rumor" press release posts were few and far between. You just know it was a super-awesome Interbike. Especially when "Bike Radar", the typically good source for news on a bike trade show these days, only had a few sundry posts on some ho-hum components and a small gallery on e-bikes. Stuff usually relegated to the posts we used to call "Weird Stuff From Interbike", or similar.

Why wouldn't the last Interbike in Vegas be something other than a resounding thud? I wrote this post last Sunday to show what I feel are the reasons why that is. We don't need a "show" in a fixed place because the "show" goes on all year on social media and it has usurped the "excitement of the new" and it has replaced the person-to-person relationships which were the mainstays of bicycle trade shows before the smart phone/social media era. Why go somewhere that is unsavory, makes you spend a lot of money to get there and back, and doesn't cater to the cycling lifestyle beyond its walls?

 It all can be done on-line nowadays. Companies can have the spotlight anytime they want. They can launch something whenever they are ready via their own dealer events and consumer demos. They pump up demand via their own social media planned marketing schemes using "athletes", adventurers, and canned stories. You live vicariously through them. This influences and makes one want to emulate their rigs and accessories. Then you go online and buy the stuff way below MSRP. Trade shows? Pfffft!

Who needs 'em? 

A Resounding Thud

When Bike Radar is posting this kind of stuff on social media regarding Interbike, you know it had to be good!

I really tried to find something interesting to talk about regarding the Interbike goings on in Vegas last week. I tried to find something cool to show, some news of a future product that will be awesome, or some shred of anything trendy. Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, nothing of the sort happened at Interbike this past week.

Even the ubiquitous, oft regurgitated "Bike Rumor" press release posts were few and far between. You just know it was a super-awesome Interbike. Especially when "Bike Radar", the typically good source for news on a bike trade show these days, only had a few sundry posts on some ho-hum components and a small gallery on e-bikes. Stuff usually relegated to the posts we used to call "Weird Stuff From Interbike", or similar.

Why wouldn't the last Interbike in Vegas be something other than a resounding thud? I wrote this post last Sunday to show what I feel are the reasons why that is. We don't need a "show" in a fixed place because the "show" goes on all year on social media and it has usurped the "excitement of the new" and it has replaced the person-to-person relationships which were the mainstays of bicycle trade shows before the smart phone/social media era. Why go somewhere that is unsavory, makes you spend a lot of money to get there and back, and doesn't cater to the cycling lifestyle beyond its walls?

 It all can be done on-line nowadays. Companies can have the spotlight anytime they want. They can launch something whenever they are ready via their own dealer events and consumer demos. They pump up demand via their own social media planned marketing schemes using "athletes", adventurers, and canned stories. You live vicariously through them. This influences and makes one want to emulate their rigs and accessories. Then you go online and buy the stuff way below MSRP. Trade shows? Pfffft!

Who needs 'em? 

Riding Through Storm Clouds

Waiting out a shower under the canopy of the old Falls Avenue Drug store.

"Welcome back to the real world". That is what I was thinking Saturday evening as I looked through social media after being off of it for a week. I just cannot fathom some of the things that have happened.

Of course, we have all the political hoopla about what folks do at the beginning of sporting events and hardly anyone is aching over what has happened in Puerto Rico, Nashville, or in Lincoln Nebraska. 

You see, I found out someone was cycling there and got pretty busted up in a crash with a car, then later on I read about Randy Gibson, an accomplished cyclist and a pillar of the Lincoln cycling community, who was run down and killed by a person who was found to have a blood alcohol level well in excess of the legal limit. I must say that I do not personally know the two individuals who were involved in these crashes, but I do know many in Lincoln and beyond quite well who are really devastated by what has happened. I empathize with them and I grieve with them over this terrible turn of events.

So, I have to ride to work. Yes......I have to for myself. Not because I am a "loser" or because I cannot drive a car. I just choose not to, and I am the better for it. I have done this for 15 years now. I wouldn't have it any other way. But on days like yesterday, as I rolled out in to the city streets, I was a bit more cautious. I was more vigilant, and I was a bit afraid, yes I was. Why? Because inattentive drivers, impaired drivers, and just plain old mean spirited folk can injure or kill me so easily with a car that I have to wonder if I am not certifiably insane to be doing this commuting by bicycle thing. I mean, even I have been struck by a drunk driver. 

But then I remember that I absolutely hate it when I have to drive to work, because I get sucked into that hole of other drivers who don't care, are overly aggressive, inattentive, or worse. Just because I could drive, it doesn't mean it is better in those regards, just a tiny bit safer is all. That and I know how to be as safe as I can be when I ride my bicycle. I cannot just give up in the face of these swirling storms that threaten to take away my freedom and my sane place on my bicycle. I am also confident that those people that died and those that were injured on their bicycles wouldn't want me to stop either. 

So today, and tomorrow, and on into the future, as long as I am able, I will ride my bicycle through these swirling clouds and keep searching for the Sun.  


 

Riding Through Storm Clouds

Waiting out a shower under the canopy of the old Falls Avenue Drug store.

"Welcome back to the real world". That is what I was thinking Saturday evening as I looked through social media after being off of it for a week. I just cannot fathom some of the things that have happened.

Of course, we have all the political hoopla about what folks do at the beginning of sporting events and hardly anyone is aching over what has happened in Puerto Rico, Nashville, or in Lincoln Nebraska. 

You see, I found out someone was cycling there and got pretty busted up in a crash with a car, then later on I read about Randy Gibson, an accomplished cyclist and a pillar of the Lincoln cycling community, who was run down and killed by a person who was found to have a blood alcohol level well in excess of the legal limit. I must say that I do not personally know the two individuals who were involved in these crashes, but I do know many in Lincoln and beyond quite well who are really devastated by what has happened. I empathize with them and I grieve with them over this terrible turn of events.

So, I have to ride to work. Yes......I have to for myself. Not because I am a "loser" or because I cannot drive a car. I just choose not to, and I am the better for it. I have done this for 15 years now. I wouldn't have it any other way. But on days like yesterday, as I rolled out in to the city streets, I was a bit more cautious. I was more vigilant, and I was a bit afraid, yes I was. Why? Because inattentive drivers, impaired drivers, and just plain old mean spirited folk can injure or kill me so easily with a car that I have to wonder if I am not certifiably insane to be doing this commuting by bicycle thing. I mean, even I have been struck by a drunk driver. 

But then I remember that I absolutely hate it when I have to drive to work, because I get sucked into that hole of other drivers who don't care, are overly aggressive, inattentive, or worse. Just because I could drive, it doesn't mean it is better in those regards, just a tiny bit safer is all. That and I know how to be as safe as I can be when I ride my bicycle. I cannot just give up in the face of these swirling storms that threaten to take away my freedom and my sane place on my bicycle. I am also confident that those people that died and those that were injured on their bicycles wouldn't want me to stop either. 

So today, and tomorrow, and on into the future, as long as I am able, I will ride my bicycle through these swirling clouds and keep searching for the Sun.  


 

Now For The Next Thing

Yeah.......Iowa is flat. Image by Carol Bassett

Last week I ran the series on Interbike and one of the reasons why I did that was because I was gone last week to a retreat my church sent me on. Yes, it was also very convenient that Interbike was happening at the time. So, that worked out rather well. While I was gone, I got to see a huge chunk of the country I've never seen before. I've been to Louisville, Kentucky once about 37 years ago, but that was only a tiny bit of Kentucky. This time I saw a huge part of that state along with Ohio, Tennessee, and North Carolina.

I have seen the Rockies, and they have their own majesty, but the Great Smoky Mountains and Blue Ridge Mountains are no joke. Go there if you've never been there. I am super glad that I did.

One more thing- I've never seen so much tobacco product on display as I did in the Southeast. One place had a ten foot long by five foot high selection of cigarettes, (not behind any counter), and that same place probably had thirty varieties of chewing tobacco, (which was behind the counter), on display as well. Here in the Mid-West cigarette usage hasn't gone away by any stretch, but it is rarer than ever.

Then there was the selection of craft brewed beers that you could get at any convenience store. Weird. Here I have to go to a specific liquor store to get "the good stuff" as the chain convenience stores here barely touch what I would consider even basic craft beer selections. Man! I saw about a half a dozen beers I would have liked to have tried. Wrong timing though. We were always on the move when I saw the stuff and short on cash.

Anyway, it was an amazing trip and I am really glad and thankful to have gotten the opportunity to do it. I wouldn't change a thing about it. However; I wasn't on the bike for a week. That kind of presents a problem looking ahead.........

You see,I have an event in less than two weeks coming up that is 200 miles in length and includes the hills, (and more like them), that you see imaged here by Carol Bassett. Yes........those exact hills are on the course. They come just before the halfway mark of the event.

The last bike ride I had a week ago was the first long one in a while.

 So....... Well, the thing is, I was sick for two weeks prior with a nasty cold which required lots of rest. No big rides. I felt good enough just over a week ago on Saturday to get out and do about 45 miles on my single speed Pofahl rig, but other than this, I haven't really done any long rides in three weeks time. That's probably not a good training plan coming into the Spotted Horse Ultra.

The good news is that the forced rest I got over the past week has made me get better in terms of the cold symptoms, but they aren't 100% gone yet. I'd say I'm at 90% in that recovery, but obviously, my legs and lungs haven't been tuned up the way that they should have been. This has led me to take stock in my goal for the Spotted Horse and I have had to make a tough decision.

That decision being, I don't care anymore about goals for this event. While that sounds odd, I am sure, it is something that takes the pressure off my mind to expect anything other than a nice long bicycle ride in some beautiful territory on October the 7th. There is no reasonable way to approach this event as anything else for me at this point. I have the cards dealt to me and they are what they are. It is not what I wanted. But it is what I have to work with.

The weather is cooling off soon, and I am happy about that. I always look forward to Fall riding, so this will be a good time of the year to get out there and enjoy some Iowa countryside. Heck, I may even just take the single speed. I'll decide after I get a ride in this coming Wednesday on it. There is something I need to try first on it though.

It's not like the Spotted Horse has the only tough hills in Iowa though. Image by Celeste Mathias

See, I double flatted five miles from the house on my last ride. Had to have Mrs. Guitar Ted bail me out since I was only packing one tube. I didn't have time to investigate the reason for the flats, but I have had a history of flatting with those wheels. I am going to swap over to my other single speed specific Industry Nine wheels and those have Bontrager Duster rims laced to them so I can go tubeless. That should be a better deal. As for the original wheels, I may still be able to get those re-laced with real tubeless rims at some point. I'll have to see if I can get I-9 to do that, or see just how that might be accomplished otherwise.

But at any rate, I have those other single speed specific I-9 wheels and I will try those set up with some WTB Nanoraptor tires I have. I'll have to go re-up on my latex mold builder so I can make my "MG's Special Sauce" tubeless solution though. (Don't ask me about it.) I've run out of the home brew tubeless goop at this point. I need to remedy that in this household which has so many bikes set up tubeless it is ridiculous.

But if that doesn't work, it isn't like I do not have other bicycles to use. (<====HA!) So, short of the Pofahl working out, I'll likely take the good ol' standby Fargo Gen I or my Tamland. Either one I am quite confident will be a good rig for the Spotted Horse.

So, the "next thing" is coming up and I have to try to do what I can to get ready to go. After the Spotted Horse I may do another Geezer Ride, so stay tuned for anything on that coming up soon.

Now For The Next Thing

Yeah.......Iowa is flat. Image by Carol Bassett

Last week I ran the series on Interbike and one of the reasons why I did that was because I was gone last week to a retreat my church sent me on. Yes, it was also very convenient that Interbike was happening at the time. So, that worked out rather well. While I was gone, I got to see a huge chunk of the country I've never seen before. I've been to Louisville, Kentucky once about 37 years ago, but that was only a tiny bit of Kentucky. This time I saw a huge part of that state along with Ohio, Tennessee, and North Carolina.

I have seen the Rockies, and they have their own majesty, but the Great Smoky Mountains and Blue Ridge Mountains are no joke. Go there if you've never been there. I am super glad that I did.

One more thing- I've never seen so much tobacco product on display as I did in the Southeast. One place had a ten foot long by five foot high selection of cigarettes, (not behind any counter), and that same place probably had thirty varieties of chewing tobacco, (which was behind the counter), on display as well. Here in the Mid-West cigarette usage hasn't gone away by any stretch, but it is rarer than ever.

Then there was the selection of craft brewed beers that you could get at any convenience store. Weird. Here I have to go to a specific liquor store to get "the good stuff" as the chain convenience stores here barely touch what I would consider even basic craft beer selections. Man! I saw about a half a dozen beers I would have liked to have tried. Wrong timing though. We were always on the move when I saw the stuff and short on cash.

Anyway, it was an amazing trip and I am really glad and thankful to have gotten the opportunity to do it. I wouldn't change a thing about it. However; I wasn't on the bike for a week. That kind of presents a problem looking ahead.........

You see,I have an event in less than two weeks coming up that is 200 miles in length and includes the hills, (and more like them), that you see imaged here by Carol Bassett. Yes........those exact hills are on the course. They come just before the halfway mark of the event.

The last bike ride I had a week ago was the first long one in a while.

 So....... Well, the thing is, I was sick for two weeks prior with a nasty cold which required lots of rest. No big rides. I felt good enough just over a week ago on Saturday to get out and do about 45 miles on my single speed Pofahl rig, but other than this, I haven't really done any long rides in three weeks time. That's probably not a good training plan coming into the Spotted Horse Ultra.

The good news is that the forced rest I got over the past week has made me get better in terms of the cold symptoms, but they aren't 100% gone yet. I'd say I'm at 90% in that recovery, but obviously, my legs and lungs haven't been tuned up the way that they should have been. This has led me to take stock in my goal for the Spotted Horse and I have had to make a tough decision.

That decision being, I don't care anymore about goals for this event. While that sounds odd, I am sure, it is something that takes the pressure off my mind to expect anything other than a nice long bicycle ride in some beautiful territory on October the 7th. There is no reasonable way to approach this event as anything else for me at this point. I have the cards dealt to me and they are what they are. It is not what I wanted. But it is what I have to work with.

The weather is cooling off soon, and I am happy about that. I always look forward to Fall riding, so this will be a good time of the year to get out there and enjoy some Iowa countryside. Heck, I may even just take the single speed. I'll decide after I get a ride in this coming Wednesday on it. There is something I need to try first on it though.

It's not like the Spotted Horse has the only tough hills in Iowa though. Image by Celeste Mathias

See, I double flatted five miles from the house on my last ride. Had to have Mrs. Guitar Ted bail me out since I was only packing one tube. I didn't have time to investigate the reason for the flats, but I have had a history of flatting with those wheels. I am going to swap over to my other single speed specific Industry Nine wheels and those have Bontrager Duster rims laced to them so I can go tubeless. That should be a better deal. As for the original wheels, I may still be able to get those re-laced with real tubeless rims at some point. I'll have to see if I can get I-9 to do that, or see just how that might be accomplished otherwise.

But at any rate, I have those other single speed specific I-9 wheels and I will try those set up with some WTB Nanoraptor tires I have. I'll have to go re-up on my latex mold builder so I can make my "MG's Special Sauce" tubeless solution though. (Don't ask me about it.) I've run out of the home brew tubeless goop at this point. I need to remedy that in this household which has so many bikes set up tubeless it is ridiculous.

But if that doesn't work, it isn't like I do not have other bicycles to use. (<====HA!) So, short of the Pofahl working out, I'll likely take the good ol' standby Fargo Gen I or my Tamland. Either one I am quite confident will be a good rig for the Spotted Horse.

So, the "next thing" is coming up and I have to try to do what I can to get ready to go. After the Spotted Horse I may do another Geezer Ride, so stay tuned for anything on that coming up soon.

Looking Back At I-Bike: Epilogue

Impressive, but faked culture. Another bad part about Las Vegas.

As I wrote the series about my Interbike escapades, the coming to, and the going away from Vegas, I couldn't help but be reminded of how irrelevant not only Interbike had become, but how trade shows in general had become less of a force for the cycling business.

The Internet, and to be more specific, smart phones and tablets, have made it so that trade shows are no longer seen as necessary by the end users. The experience of the trade show wasn't enough to carry the day either. In fact, there were so many facets of the experience that were soul-sucking, non-cycling related things, that you could hardly say the experience of attending Interbike was a benefit at all. So, without any real news, new things to show, or without the big brands, Interbike had nothing else to offer the attendees. Business? Please, no one was writing any significant business at Interbike. That was all done at dealer only shows or by brand reps visiting dealers, and more increasingly, online. Why travel to Sin City to do what you could do in the confines of your own office?

Interbike made two fatal mistakes, and moving the show to Reno won't fix this. One- Interbike needed to reinvent itself as a "Sea Otter" type event, only in the Fall. To do this, it needed to be moved to a venue where cycling could be done and where vendors would go willingly to showcase products to dealers and consumers. Much like Sea Otter has done for years. However; Interbike couldn't figure it out, and they stayed married to being in Vegas for about five years too long.

Secondly, Interbike was located far too long in a place that didn't cater to the cycling lifestyle. It didn't offer interesting, wholesome alternatives to the cycling lifestyle either. Vegas is great if you suffer from addictions like sex, gambling, or drunkenness. Singles, college students, and divorcees flock to this place. There is a reason it is called "Sin City", after all. Why on Earth would something like Interbike think it could flourish there, I have no idea.

In my estimation, the industry, the cycling industry, that is, is undergoing a radical change. The entire scene will be quite different looking going forward. It is my opinion that anything resembling a traditional trade show is not going to work anymore. Reno, Denver, or wherever else that you might move this event will not fix what ails it. Interbike needs to radically reinvent itself, or it will remain irrelevant going forward.

Looking Back At I-Bike: Epilogue

Impressive, but faked culture. Another bad part about Las Vegas.

As I wrote the series about my Interbike escapades, the coming to, and the going away from Vegas, I couldn't help but be reminded of how irrelevant not only Interbike had become, but how trade shows in general had become less of a force for the cycling business.

The Internet, and to be more specific, smart phones and tablets, have made it so that trade shows are no longer seen as necessary by the end users. The experience of the trade show wasn't enough to carry the day either. In fact, there were so many facets of the experience that were soul-sucking, non-cycling related things, that you could hardly say the experience of attending Interbike was a benefit at all. So, without any real news, new things to show, or without the big brands, Interbike had nothing else to offer the attendees. Business? Please, no one was writing any significant business at Interbike. That was all done at dealer only shows or by brand reps visiting dealers, and more increasingly, online. Why travel to Sin City to do what you could do in the confines of your own office?

Interbike made two fatal mistakes, and moving the show to Reno won't fix this. One- Interbike needed to reinvent itself as a "Sea Otter" type event, only in the Fall. To do this, it needed to be moved to a venue where cycling could be done and where vendors would go willingly to showcase products to dealers and consumers. Much like Sea Otter has done for years. However; Interbike couldn't figure it out, and they stayed married to being in Vegas for about five years too long.

Secondly, Interbike was located far too long in a place that didn't cater to the cycling lifestyle. It didn't offer interesting, wholesome alternatives to the cycling lifestyle either. Vegas is great if you suffer from addictions like sex, gambling, or drunkenness. Singles, college students, and divorcees flock to this place. There is a reason it is called "Sin City", after all. Why on Earth would something like Interbike think it could flourish there, I have no idea.

In my estimation, the industry, the cycling industry, that is, is undergoing a radical change. The entire scene will be quite different looking going forward. It is my opinion that anything resembling a traditional trade show is not going to work anymore. Reno, Denver, or wherever else that you might move this event will not fix what ails it. Interbike needs to radically reinvent itself, or it will remain irrelevant going forward.

Minus Ten Review- 38

One product over all and in the bottle or can to bind them!

Ten years ago on the blog I was mostly blathering on about Interbike. I was still excited about going back then and this would be probably the best show from the standpoint of a trade show atmosphere and news worthiness that I would ever go to since that time. After 2007, it was a slow decline into the abyss for Interbike.

One odd thing I noted back then was the seemingly inexplicable desire by bike riders to drink Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. I never have quite figured out why that was, It isn't such a big deal anymore, what with all the craft brewing non-sense we have in every nook and cranny in the Nation now, but back then craft brewing was basically New Belgium Brewing and Sam Adams. That was pretty much it. Anyway, here is a quote I pulled back ten years ago from "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" which posted a "Quote Of The Day" about this phenomenon.

"These are harsh times and it calls for a harsh beer. Pabst Blue Ribbon is just the thing. It is not shoved down your throat with multi-million dollar mass marketing, it is simply a decent cheap beer. This beer is America whether you like it or not. It is real for what that is worth anymore." -Published last year in the Oakland Tribune"

So, since, I believe, 2007 is probably seen, in retrospect, as being a lot less tough than now, can we expect a resurgence of PBR drinking cyclists? I wouldn't bet on that.

But who knows?  

Minus Ten Review- 38

One product over all and in the bottle or can to bind them!

Ten years ago on the blog I was mostly blathering on about Interbike. I was still excited about going back then and this would be probably the best show from the standpoint of a trade show atmosphere and news worthiness that I would ever go to since that time. After 2007, it was a slow decline into the abyss for Interbike.

One odd thing I noted back then was the seemingly inexplicable desire by bike riders to drink Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. I never have quite figured out why that was, It isn't such a big deal anymore, what with all the craft brewing non-sense we have in every nook and cranny in the Nation now, but back then craft brewing was basically New Belgium Brewing and Sam Adams. That was pretty much it. Anyway, here is a quote I pulled back ten years ago from "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" which posted a "Quote Of The Day" about this phenomenon.

"These are harsh times and it calls for a harsh beer. Pabst Blue Ribbon is just the thing. It is not shoved down your throat with multi-million dollar mass marketing, it is simply a decent cheap beer. This beer is America whether you like it or not. It is real for what that is worth anymore." -Published last year in the Oakland Tribune"

So, since, I believe, 2007 is probably seen, in retrospect, as being a lot less tough than now, can we expect a resurgence of PBR drinking cyclists? I wouldn't bet on that.

But who knows?  

Looking Back At I-Bike:The Long Road Home

My last Interbike trip was capped off by meeting Steve Hed and seeing his gravel bike

 Editor's Note: This is Part 6 and final post of a series on Interbike experiences. Interbike is happening this week for the last time in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Making my way home from Interbike was always a big deal for me. I wanted to get back in the worst way, but first, I generally would be spending an evening at the airport. Why? There were a couple of reasons.

First, it was a free night in Vegas for me. I didn't have to spend money for a motel room I would only be in for a few hours. This was because of....

Two- I usually took either the redeye, or the last flight out of Vegas for the night, which generally took off at midnight, or the first flight out in the morning, which was generally around 6:00am. Seeing as how I had to show up early enough to get baggage checked in and get through security, that meant little sleep anyway.

Third- I had to generally opt for the earliest morning flight due to scheduling through the airlines. Plus, while waiting I could use the free WiFi in McCarren to write stories about Interbike so I would have time to sleep and be with my family when I got back instead of having to work immediately upon arrival.

I suppose there was a fourth reason, if I am honest with myself. That would be that I like to stay up all night sometimes if I feel like I am doing something crazy and it makes me feel like a hoodlum kid again. Hanging out in an abandoned airport fit that bill.

Spending all night in an deserted airport meant I had lots of time to write about bikes.

But first I had to get there. Like I wrote in yesterday's post, Grannygear would sometimes drop me off. Those were some bittersweet goodbyes. I would only see him once a year, but we were in contact via phone and email all the time back then. I always felt like we should hang out more than we have. Saying goodbye at the airport underscored that feeling. Then there were the times when Grannygear bugged out early. It was a good thing for him, since he'd get home at nightfall instead of 3:00am in the morning, or whenever he got home at night. But I think he was a bit reluctant to leave me without a ride to the airport.

It was okay though, because one year I walked. Yes. I walked from the Sands all the way out to McCarren International Airport. By the way, I like ultra-long walks in urban areas. This was also interesting since I found that there was a pedestrian way all the way up to the doors of the airport. It was obviously planned, and I was amazed that the city of Vegas accommodated pedestrians in such a car-centric atmosphere.

The year I walked out was one of the last times I got a redeye flight out of McCarren. Those were weird flights. It also did not afford me much time to write, as I was on board the plane by 11:30pm or so. I remember that flight as I saw DJ Birtch in the hallway as I made my way to the terminal. He is such a character! I'm pretty sure that is the last time I've seen him as well.

An desolate hallway in DFW from one of my trips back from Interbike

I recall that redeye went through Dallas/Ft. Worth. When we got there, the airport was still officially closed, and an airline employee was directing us to which way to go since there weren't any other employees there. She was saying a terse, "Good Morning! Where is your destination?" to all in front of me, so I dug out my ticket to circumvent the pleasantries and when I got to her I blurted out, "I'm going to Cedar Rapids, Iowa." She stopped, looked at me with that "mom look" you get when you do something wrong, and said, "No. That is not how it works. Hello! How are you?"  I answered and then we went through the conversation like she was having with everyone else. THEN she pointed me on my way. Oh, and I was the only one headed to the left.

That put me in a deserted hallway, then to an area strewn with sleeping bodies on the floor and benches of the terminal area. Weird! Janitors and restaurant prep folks gingerly stepped around as their morning of work got underway.

The last few years were the all-nighters in McCarren though. The airport baggage check in area was where I usually hung out. It was pre-security, so if I had to get some fresh air, I could step outdoors. I never did that, but it was nice to know I could. I would find a nook and park where an outlet was, spread out my stuff, and start writing. Occasionally an airport worker would come by, or a janitor vacuuming would go around, but I did not see many people there until about 3:30am or so.

Sunset over Vegas from the Sands parking garage. This year is the last year for I-Bike in Vegas

It was then that you'd start seeing airport and airline employees coming to work, which for them started at 4:00am. People with early morning flights would start showing up as well. By 5:00am there was a fair amount of hustle and bustle. I usually had to fend off the sleepies from 2:00am until all this activity would start, but once it did, I would get a second wind.

Then it was time to get through security. I did go through Vegas once earlier in the evening and security was a madhouse. TSA agents were screaming and yelling at people and it was tense. I felt like a cow getting herded off to slaughter. I vowed that I would never again subject myself to that treatment. So, I opted for these flights out in the morning whenever I could.

Generally I could walk right up and security scanning was a breeze. The TSA wasn't amped up yet, so treatment was okay, if not a bit cold shouldered. At least I wasn't being berated for some stupid move the TSA didn't like.

Then the flights home. I went through a few different airports to make connections, and usually those were Denver, (which I HATED flying in to because of the turbulence they have), or the O'Hare International near Chicago. I had quite a scare once coming through O'Hare one year. It was a year that I had left Vegas earlier in the evening. I got to O'Hare around 10:00pm. It was foggy and cool. I was supposed to be back in Cedar Rapids by around 11:30pm. My small connection flight took off and was curiously not gaining altitude. That's when the Captain came on the intercom and said we had a stuck landing gear and we needed to return to O'Hare.

Somewhere out there it lurks! The best thing in Las Vegas. Great Buns Bakery!

There was a collective gasp and the guy across the aisle from me started praying fervently with his two young daughters. When we got above O'Hare you could see all the emergency vehicles with the lights blazing lining both sides of our runway. It was weird and surreal, and scary all at once.

Of course, we made it. Otherwise I would be dead! Ha! But the weirdness wasn't over with. We had to transfer to another plane which took quite a while. Once we had boarded that plane we were told we couldn't use it because the airmen had discovered a problem with that plane. We were told to go back and board our original flight! This caused all sorts of consternation with the passengers.

That is when the Captain came out and spoke directly with us. He said he had a family and wanted to get back to see them again in the worst way, so he would never fly a plane that he didn't believe in. Whew! Instant air clearing speech! I was impressed and I got home late, but safe.

My last Interbike trip ended like many others. Mrs. Guitar Ted picked me up at the airport and we went home and I felt the relief of another Interbike trip, and plane flights, over with, this time for a long, long time. I had seen no reason to attend another show where news was non-existent and that seemed to be a huge waste of time. 29"ers were mainstream now so the endemic cycling media had jumped in to cover the now standard wheel size.

Companies no longer saw the value in "Twenty Nine Inches" coverage so we were largely ignored when it came to press releases, invitations to new model releases, and for review items. I got it. Our time was over. So, I planned not to go to Interbike in 2014 and I was right. It didn't matter. Then at the end of 2014 I left TNI for good. Earlier this year, Grannygear shut the site down and it doesn't exist on the web anymore.

Of course, I am doing RidingGravel.com these days, but again- going to a trade show is an antiquated idea anymore. With the instant news these days, dealer shows, private invitations to the entrenched, privileged media few, and social media, a trade show that gathers people and wastes everybody's time in terms of business is not efficient. Besides, business itself is changing and no one is quite sure how that will look anymore. Suffice it to say that it will likely be more automated and digital with less people involved in the transaction stream. Again, trade shows in the traditional sense are antiquities of a past that no longer exists. I don't see myself going to Vegas, or anywhere, for a cycling based trade show ever again.

Looking Back At I-Bike:The Long Road Home

My last Interbike trip was capped off by meeting Steve Hed and seeing his gravel bike

 Editor's Note: This is Part 6 and final post of a series on Interbike experiences. Interbike is happening this week for the last time in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Making my way home from Interbike was always a big deal for me. I wanted to get back in the worst way, but first, I generally would be spending an evening at the airport. Why? There were a couple of reasons.

First, it was a free night in Vegas for me. I didn't have to spend money for a motel room I would only be in for a few hours. This was because of....

Two- I usually took either the redeye, or the last flight out of Vegas for the night, which generally took off at midnight, or the first flight out in the morning, which was generally around 6:00am. Seeing as how I had to show up early enough to get baggage checked in and get through security, that meant little sleep anyway.

Third- I had to generally opt for the earliest morning flight due to scheduling through the airlines. Plus, while waiting I could use the free WiFi in McCarren to write stories about Interbike so I would have time to sleep and be with my family when I got back instead of having to work immediately upon arrival.

I suppose there was a fourth reason, if I am honest with myself. That would be that I like to stay up all night sometimes if I feel like I am doing something crazy and it makes me feel like a hoodlum kid again. Hanging out in an abandoned airport fit that bill.

Spending all night in an deserted airport meant I had lots of time to write about bikes.

But first I had to get there. Like I wrote in yesterday's post, Grannygear would sometimes drop me off. Those were some bittersweet goodbyes. I would only see him once a year, but we were in contact via phone and email all the time back then. I always felt like we should hang out more than we have. Saying goodbye at the airport underscored that feeling. Then there were the times when Grannygear bugged out early. It was a good thing for him, since he'd get home at nightfall instead of 3:00am in the morning, or whenever he got home at night. But I think he was a bit reluctant to leave me without a ride to the airport.

It was okay though, because one year I walked. Yes. I walked from the Sands all the way out to McCarren International Airport. By the way, I like ultra-long walks in urban areas. This was also interesting since I found that there was a pedestrian way all the way up to the doors of the airport. It was obviously planned, and I was amazed that the city of Vegas accommodated pedestrians in such a car-centric atmosphere.

The year I walked out was one of the last times I got a redeye flight out of McCarren. Those were weird flights. It also did not afford me much time to write, as I was on board the plane by 11:30pm or so. I remember that flight as I saw DJ Birtch in the hallway as I made my way to the terminal. He is such a character! I'm pretty sure that is the last time I've seen him as well.

An desolate hallway in DFW from one of my trips back from Interbike

I recall that redeye went through Dallas/Ft. Worth. When we got there, the airport was still officially closed, and an airline employee was directing us to which way to go since there weren't any other employees there. She was saying a terse, "Good Morning! Where is your destination?" to all in front of me, so I dug out my ticket to circumvent the pleasantries and when I got to her I blurted out, "I'm going to Cedar Rapids, Iowa." She stopped, looked at me with that "mom look" you get when you do something wrong, and said, "No. That is not how it works. Hello! How are you?"  I answered and then we went through the conversation like she was having with everyone else. THEN she pointed me on my way. Oh, and I was the only one headed to the left.

That put me in a deserted hallway, then to an area strewn with sleeping bodies on the floor and benches of the terminal area. Weird! Janitors and restaurant prep folks gingerly stepped around as their morning of work got underway.

The last few years were the all-nighters in McCarren though. The airport baggage check in area was where I usually hung out. It was pre-security, so if I had to get some fresh air, I could step outdoors. I never did that, but it was nice to know I could. I would find a nook and park where an outlet was, spread out my stuff, and start writing. Occasionally an airport worker would come by, or a janitor vacuuming would go around, but I did not see many people there until about 3:30am or so.

Sunset over Vegas from the Sands parking garage. This year is the last year for I-Bike in Vegas

It was then that you'd start seeing airport and airline employees coming to work, which for them started at 4:00am. People with early morning flights would start showing up as well. By 5:00am there was a fair amount of hustle and bustle. I usually had to fend off the sleepies from 2:00am until all this activity would start, but once it did, I would get a second wind.

Then it was time to get through security. I did go through Vegas once earlier in the evening and security was a madhouse. TSA agents were screaming and yelling at people and it was tense. I felt like a cow getting herded off to slaughter. I vowed that I would never again subject myself to that treatment. So, I opted for these flights out in the morning whenever I could.

Generally I could walk right up and security scanning was a breeze. The TSA wasn't amped up yet, so treatment was okay, if not a bit cold shouldered. At least I wasn't being berated for some stupid move the TSA didn't like.

Then the flights home. I went through a few different airports to make connections, and usually those were Denver, (which I HATED flying in to because of the turbulence they have), or the O'Hare International near Chicago. I had quite a scare once coming through O'Hare one year. It was a year that I had left Vegas earlier in the evening. I got to O'Hare around 10:00pm. It was foggy and cool. I was supposed to be back in Cedar Rapids by around 11:30pm. My small connection flight took off and was curiously not gaining altitude. That's when the Captain came on the intercom and said we had a stuck landing gear and we needed to return to O'Hare.

Somewhere out there it lurks! The best thing in Las Vegas. Great Buns Bakery!

There was a collective gasp and the guy across the aisle from me started praying fervently with his two young daughters. When we got above O'Hare you could see all the emergency vehicles with the lights blazing lining both sides of our runway. It was weird and surreal, and scary all at once.

Of course, we made it. Otherwise I would be dead! Ha! But the weirdness wasn't over with. We had to transfer to another plane which took quite a while. Once we had boarded that plane we were told we couldn't use it because the airmen had discovered a problem with that plane. We were told to go back and board our original flight! This caused all sorts of consternation with the passengers.

That is when the Captain came out and spoke directly with us. He said he had a family and wanted to get back to see them again in the worst way, so he would never fly a plane that he didn't believe in. Whew! Instant air clearing speech! I was impressed and I got home late, but safe.

My last Interbike trip ended like many others. Mrs. Guitar Ted picked me up at the airport and we went home and I felt the relief of another Interbike trip, and plane flights, over with, this time for a long, long time. I had seen no reason to attend another show where news was non-existent and that seemed to be a huge waste of time. 29"ers were mainstream now so the endemic cycling media had jumped in to cover the now standard wheel size.

Companies no longer saw the value in "Twenty Nine Inches" coverage so we were largely ignored when it came to press releases, invitations to new model releases, and for review items. I got it. Our time was over. So, I planned not to go to Interbike in 2014 and I was right. It didn't matter. Then at the end of 2014 I left TNI for good. Earlier this year, Grannygear shut the site down and it doesn't exist on the web anymore.

Of course, I am doing RidingGravel.com these days, but again- going to a trade show is an antiquated idea anymore. With the instant news these days, dealer shows, private invitations to the entrenched, privileged media few, and social media, a trade show that gathers people and wastes everybody's time in terms of business is not efficient. Besides, business itself is changing and no one is quite sure how that will look anymore. Suffice it to say that it will likely be more automated and digital with less people involved in the transaction stream. Again, trade shows in the traditional sense are antiquities of a past that no longer exists. I don't see myself going to Vegas, or anywhere, for a cycling based trade show ever again.