News Flash: Dirty Kanza 200 Registration Opens Friday

To be a part of this scene in 2018, you have to make it through the lottery drawing.

Registration By Lottery For 2018:

A big change is coming for those hoping to jump into, or back into, the Dirty Kanza 200 and its attendant shorter distance events. This change has to do with registration.

In the past registration was conducted on-line, like many other events, but due to the ever increasing pressure from riders to get a chance to ride this event, the on-line way of doing things became untenable. There are just too many folks vying for roster spots which caused issues with the how the on-line process worked. This caused a lot of ill feelings and a bunch of headaches for the promoters of the DK200. It was obvious that a change was necessary.

So, to alleviate any unfairness and ill will due to the registration processes failure to handle the demand, the DK Promotions folks have opted to go with a random selection lottery. The process will still be enacted by riders using an on-line process, but instead of having to hover over your computer at "dark-thirty" waiting to push "enter" with your info, hoping it will beat the thousands of others doing the same thing, you can enter your info at your leisure, starting tomorrow until December 16th.

After the sixteen day window for entering closes, the pool of names will be drawn from to fill the allotted spots for the DK200, 100, 50, and 25 mile options. There is even a way for groups of riders to get in. Check it all out HERE.

So, if you have a mind to enter, get your info submitted starting tomorrow.

News Flash: Dirty Kanza 200 Registration Opens Friday

To be a part of this scene in 2018, you have to make it through the lottery drawing.

Registration By Lottery For 2018:

A big change is coming for those hoping to jump into, or back into, the Dirty Kanza 200 and its attendant shorter distance events. This change has to do with registration.

In the past registration was conducted on-line, like many other events, but due to the ever increasing pressure from riders to get a chance to ride this event, the on-line way of doing things became untenable. There are just too many folks vying for roster spots which caused issues with the how the on-line process worked. This caused a lot of ill feelings and a bunch of headaches for the promoters of the DK200. It was obvious that a change was necessary.

So, to alleviate any unfairness and ill will due to the registration processes failure to handle the demand, the DK Promotions folks have opted to go with a random selection lottery. The process will still be enacted by riders using an on-line process, but instead of having to hover over your computer at "dark-thirty" waiting to push "enter" with your info, hoping it will beat the thousands of others doing the same thing, you can enter your info at your leisure, starting tomorrow until December 16th.

After the sixteen day window for entering closes, the pool of names will be drawn from to fill the allotted spots for the DK200, 100, 50, and 25 mile options. There is even a way for groups of riders to get in. Check it all out HERE.

So, if you have a mind to enter, get your info submitted starting tomorrow.

Bonus Days

Sunny, reasonably warm, means it's testing time!

The November heat is still going strong here and that means I have to get to riding while the riding is good. The recent addition of the Vittoria Terreno series tires to the mix here has come at a time when I usually am winding down my reviewing end of things here. But not this year, and the weather is cooperating.

We're back to the super-dry, drought like conditions were were in a while back again. Creeks and rivers are crazy low. The gravel is super dusty. There aren't many places that haven't had another layer of gravel added at a time of year when fresh gravel is really odd to see. At least the roads aren't iced up or too snowy!

Like I say, it is warm for November this late in the month. 50's, high 40's, and it stays above freezing some nights. The only atmospheric hurdle I have right now is the wind. It is cranking most days. Yesterday it was out of the South and I was crawling to get far enough South of town to hit Petrie Road to do a bit of B Road testing. But the wind isn't so bad as long as the air is warm, and you don't freeze to death.

That the days are so nice this late into the year, I have to consider them "bonus days" to get this stuff reviewed and get that out of the way before it gets too cold or whatever. If that happens I just shut down the reviewing end here till Spring. It is kind of a drag when that happens, but I do live in Iowa, and things get dicey this time of year with the weather. Unless it is like it is now, of course!

A Black Mountain Cycles sunburst!

The other odd thing is that the days are short. It starts getting dark around 4pm now, so I really have only a few hours where it works for me to get something tested and ridden. The mornings are often too cold, the afternoons can be cut short due to low light, so to get the best conditions for riding and imaging, I have a shorter window of opportunity now.

It is looking like we are going to close out the week with this nicer weather, at least, so I'll be trying to make hay while the hay is good. With any luck, I'll have just about everything I need to get done in a few more good rides. We'll see!

Bonus Days

Sunny, reasonably warm, means it's testing time!

The November heat is still going strong here and that means I have to get to riding while the riding is good. The recent addition of the Vittoria Terreno series tires to the mix here has come at a time when I usually am winding down my reviewing end of things here. But not this year, and the weather is cooperating.

We're back to the super-dry, drought like conditions were were in a while back again. Creeks and rivers are crazy low. The gravel is super dusty. There aren't many places that haven't had another layer of gravel added at a time of year when fresh gravel is really odd to see. At least the roads aren't iced up or too snowy!

Like I say, it is warm for November this late in the month. 50's, high 40's, and it stays above freezing some nights. The only atmospheric hurdle I have right now is the wind. It is cranking most days. Yesterday it was out of the South and I was crawling to get far enough South of town to hit Petrie Road to do a bit of B Road testing. But the wind isn't so bad as long as the air is warm, and you don't freeze to death.

That the days are so nice this late into the year, I have to consider them "bonus days" to get this stuff reviewed and get that out of the way before it gets too cold or whatever. If that happens I just shut down the reviewing end here till Spring. It is kind of a drag when that happens, but I do live in Iowa, and things get dicey this time of year with the weather. Unless it is like it is now, of course!

A Black Mountain Cycles sunburst!

The other odd thing is that the days are short. It starts getting dark around 4pm now, so I really have only a few hours where it works for me to get something tested and ridden. The mornings are often too cold, the afternoons can be cut short due to low light, so to get the best conditions for riding and imaging, I have a shorter window of opportunity now.

It is looking like we are going to close out the week with this nicer weather, at least, so I'll be trying to make hay while the hay is good. With any luck, I'll have just about everything I need to get done in a few more good rides. We'll see!

News Flash: Niner Bikes Files For Bankruptcy

An early Niner RIP-9: The company is reportedly being sold to an investor group.

A surprising story broke today by "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" states that Niner Bikes has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy ahead of a planned sale to an investment company. The move is claimed to help expedite the the sale in the "...cleanest and fastest way to do it.", according to company co-founder, Chris Sugai.  

Of course, Niner Bikes made their name on the 29 inch wheel, which they famously championed early on and stuck with doggedly although 650B wheels and plus sized wheels became more popular within the last five years. The company even stayed out of the fat bike craze, much to their credit, I might add.

So, was this devotion to a single wheel size killing the company? Apparently not. According to "BRaIN", in this story published today, Niner stands in good stead financially. However; it appears that they cannot fund new R&D, new product lines, and yes, that means e-mtbs, which are the hottest selling bicycle in Europe by a long shot right now.

Added to this is that I have read or heard somewhere that Niner sells more of its gravel/all road/CX bike product than it does the mountain bike stuff. This isn't due to a dogged devotion to 29"ers, but most likely it is just what the article in "BRaIN" is saying- a lack of engineering and product development capabilities. This hinders growth and innovation on their mtb side, and also it affects the ability to diversify. (So, yes, maybe Niner is thinking they cannot compete the way they want to with the limited array of products they offer now.)

Interestingly, the "BRaIN" article closed out with this quote from the Chapter 11 filing:

"With a recapitalized balance sheet, the Debtor will be able to, among other things, hire the engineers and product managers necessary to design bikes for women, to begin offering kid’s models, to create electric mountain bikes, and continue to increase models with different wheel sizes. The Debtor also believes that by enlarging their omnichannel footprint they will be able to increase brand awareness and engagement, ultimately leading to substantial revenue growth."

Note the word "omnichannel". Of all the things coming out of this news story, this reflects what I think is going to be the most weighty of impacts. Not only for Niner's future, but the cycling industry as a whole. We won't be buying cycling stuff in the way that we once did anymore, nor in the way we think will will. It's going to look radically different before all is said and done.

Still, as I posted earlier today, it is the "pie" that needs growing, not the "how you sell it" that needs fixing so much. Unless the industry can entice people to ride by making safe places to use bicycles, then how you try to sell them will not make much difference.

News Flash: Niner Bikes Files For Bankruptcy

An early Niner RIP-9: The company is reportedly being sold to an investor group.

A surprising story broke today by "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" states that Niner Bikes has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy ahead of a planned sale to an investment company. The move is claimed to help expedite the the sale in the "...cleanest and fastest way to do it.", according to company co-founder, Chris Sugai.  

Of course, Niner Bikes made their name on the 29 inch wheel, which they famously championed early on and stuck with doggedly although 650B wheels and plus sized wheels became more popular within the last five years. The company even stayed out of the fat bike craze, much to their credit, I might add.

So, was this devotion to a single wheel size killing the company? Apparently not. According to "BRaIN", in this story published today, Niner stands in good stead financially. However; it appears that they cannot fund new R&D, new product lines, and yes, that means e-mtbs, which are the hottest selling bicycle in Europe by a long shot right now.

Added to this is that I have read or heard somewhere that Niner sells more of its gravel/all road/CX bike product than it does the mountain bike stuff. This isn't due to a dogged devotion to 29"ers, but most likely it is just what the article in "BRaIN" is saying- a lack of engineering and product development capabilities. This hinders growth and innovation on their mtb side, and also it affects the ability to diversify. (So, yes, maybe Niner is thinking they cannot compete the way they want to with the limited array of products they offer now.)

Interestingly, the "BRaIN" article closed out with this quote from the Chapter 11 filing:

"With a recapitalized balance sheet, the Debtor will be able to, among other things, hire the engineers and product managers necessary to design bikes for women, to begin offering kid’s models, to create electric mountain bikes, and continue to increase models with different wheel sizes. The Debtor also believes that by enlarging their omnichannel footprint they will be able to increase brand awareness and engagement, ultimately leading to substantial revenue growth."

Note the word "omnichannel". Of all the things coming out of this news story, this reflects what I think is going to be the most weighty of impacts. Not only for Niner's future, but the cycling industry as a whole. We won't be buying cycling stuff in the way that we once did anymore, nor in the way we think will will. It's going to look radically different before all is said and done.

Still, as I posted earlier today, it is the "pie" that needs growing, not the "how you sell it" that needs fixing so much. Unless the industry can entice people to ride by making safe places to use bicycles, then how you try to sell them will not make much difference.

Chasing "The Next Big Thing" Is The Worst Thing For Cycling

A Schwinn Collegiate from an old Schwinn catalog

 NOTE: Large doses of "my opinion" will be handed out in gloppy dollops today. You've been forewarned....

I used to have a job as a jeweler where I sat at a bench making, fixing, and designing jewelry next to a man that was a good friend of mine. He was married, I was not. I wasn't in any hurry to get engaged either. He thought I was being complacent. He said I was like a catfish, waiting for whatever came downstream. He thought I needed to be more proactive in finding a mate. It caused no end of discussions between us.

Well, that may seem like an odd story to bring up to lead into a story about cycling, but the industry has, for decades, been like me in the 1980's. Slow or just not about looking for "mates". The cycling industry wasn't proactive, and it hasn't been very much good at getting out there and trying to find cyclists until recently. What it has done is to sit complacently and react, for the most part.

Take the 70's bike boom. The catalyst for the massive uptick in bicycle sales during that time was not a result of creative efforts of the cycling industry. It was a reaction to demand which was brought on by the fuel crisis of 1973 and the fitness boom. Then, after millions of bikes were sold, did the industry advocate for ways and places to use them? No. They just raked in cash and thought it was going to last forever, one would think.

Later, about a decade later, some enterprising Californians decided that off road cycling was fun, and that bicycles built on a mass production scale were a good idea. Grassroots growth caused a sector to flower called "mountain biking". It was a "fad" some industry pundits said wouldn't last. It wasn't picked up right away by some of the bigger companies in cycling, and in the end, they were wrong. Obviously.....because they eventually made these bikes all about racing.

Then a thing called "free riding" came along, an offshoot of mountain biking that was more about having fun. It eschewed the then NORBA type bikes and racing culture for that of one based upon back country riding and "fun". (Imagine that. Fun, like the late 70's mtb'ers were having, perhaps?) This morphed into the long travel mtb scene which was dominated by smaller companies, not the big three, not until much later. Meanwhile a counter-culture based on single speed mountain bikes was bubbling along, largely ignored by the cycling industry. Added to this was the beginnings of the 29"er craze, a grassroots driven move toward bigger diameter wheels. None of these things were picked up on by the cycling industry who were content to keep pushing out the same old 26"er designs and road bikes, both based upon racing styles.

Then we had "The Lance Effect". Nuff said.....

29"ers were resisted by many companies until they reacted to Trek/Gary Fisher's success with them.

The cycling industry finally did react, but not to all of those movements, especially after road bike sales started to fade. With the huge shift that 29"ers brought, it kind of stuck the industry in overdrive to find "the next big thing". Remembering the halcyon days of the bike boom of the 70's and the early  to mid-90's mtb boom, and the fading road bike sector in America, the industry reached for anything it could to recreate another boom. No way were they going to miss out again like many companies did on 29"ers.

This has led to "knee jerk" reactions in the industry which have led to over-saturation of product, consumer misunderstanding, and a general mistrust of anything actually good and new in the industry. The first haymaker the industry threw was fat bikes. Then when that bubble burst they sent up the 27.5"er long travel bikes, or "enduro" rigs. When that didn't take off all over the industry jumped on "plus" sized tires, and then gravel/all-road bikes. What was going to be next?

E-bikes, that's what. Specifically, e-mtbs. But once again, while sales numbers are reported to be wildly successful, you can bet your bottom dollar that just like all the other "next big things", this one will have the rug pulled out from under it too.

The e-mtb is what the industry is betting on now.

Thinking about mountain bikes, the industry should thank and continue to support the institutions that are keeping mountain biking alive. Without IMBA, several local associations, and newer developments like NICA, mountain biking access, and therefore the sport, may have faded away years ago. What's weird is that the industry doesn't get more behind how and where people ride other bikes. There have been efforts here and there, but for a long time the cycling industry sat on their hands and did nothing to help.

Then one could also say that with all the "every butt on a bike" sloganeering going on, that the industry is really pretty hypocritical. "Every butt"? Really? Then why all the misogyny? Where are we reaching out to women? Where are we trying to reach out to minorities? I'm not seeing the industry doing much here.

The industry needs to quit chasing "the next big thing" in cycling gear and start shrinking things back to sensible levels. I read a great line on Jonathan Fields‏ Twitter feed yesterday, it said, "More isn't better, better is better. And, that often means less." Make better bikes, simpler choices, and infuse them with more value. 

 Stop chasing the next niche and create places and a culture people want to be a part of, not more models of the same old bikes, not "the next big thing" in cycling. Stop making everything about racing and make it more about the "everyman". It isn't sexy, nor does it appeal to machismo, and it certainly wouldn't fit "The Rules". But do it anyway. Don't sit around reacting to trends, don't wait to see what happens, but create the atmosphere where things can happen. 

Maybe the industry need one of those rants my old jeweler friend used to give me!

 

Chasing "The Next Big Thing" Is The Worst Thing For Cycling

A Schwinn Collegiate from an old Schwinn catalog

 NOTE: Large doses of "my opinion" will be handed out in gloppy dollops today. You've been forewarned....

I used to have a job as a jeweler where I sat at a bench making, fixing, and designing jewelry next to a man that was a good friend of mine. He was married, I was not. I wasn't in any hurry to get engaged either. He thought I was being complacent. He said I was like a catfish, waiting for whatever came downstream. He thought I needed to be more proactive in finding a mate. It caused no end of discussions between us.

Well, that may seem like an odd story to bring up to lead into a story about cycling, but the industry has, for decades, been like me in the 1980's. Slow or just not about looking for "mates". The cycling industry wasn't proactive, and it hasn't been very much good at getting out there and trying to find cyclists until recently. What it has done is to sit complacently and react, for the most part.

Take the 70's bike boom. The catalyst for the massive uptick in bicycle sales during that time was not a result of creative efforts of the cycling industry. It was a reaction to demand which was brought on by the fuel crisis of 1973 and the fitness boom. Then, after millions of bikes were sold, did the industry advocate for ways and places to use them? No. They just raked in cash and thought it was going to last forever, one would think.

Later, about a decade later, some enterprising Californians decided that off road cycling was fun, and that bicycles built on a mass production scale were a good idea. Grassroots growth caused a sector to flower called "mountain biking". It was a "fad" some industry pundits said wouldn't last. It wasn't picked up right away by some of the bigger companies in cycling, and in the end, they were wrong. Obviously.....because they eventually made these bikes all about racing.

Then a thing called "free riding" came along, an offshoot of mountain biking that was more about having fun. It eschewed the then NORBA type bikes and racing culture for that of one based upon back country riding and "fun". (Imagine that. Fun, like the late 70's mtb'ers were having, perhaps?) This morphed into the long travel mtb scene which was dominated by smaller companies, not the big three, not until much later. Meanwhile a counter-culture based on single speed mountain bikes was bubbling along, largely ignored by the cycling industry. Added to this was the beginnings of the 29"er craze, a grassroots driven move toward bigger diameter wheels. None of these things were picked up on by the cycling industry who were content to keep pushing out the same old 26"er designs and road bikes, both based upon racing styles.

Then we had "The Lance Effect". Nuff said.....

29"ers were resisted by many companies until they reacted to Trek/Gary Fisher's success with them.

The cycling industry finally did react, but not to all of those movements, especially after road bike sales started to fade. With the huge shift that 29"ers brought, it kind of stuck the industry in overdrive to find "the next big thing". Remembering the halcyon days of the bike boom of the 70's and the early  to mid-90's mtb boom, and the fading road bike sector in America, the industry reached for anything it could to recreate another boom. No way were they going to miss out again like many companies did on 29"ers.

This has led to "knee jerk" reactions in the industry which have led to over-saturation of product, consumer misunderstanding, and a general mistrust of anything actually good and new in the industry. The first haymaker the industry threw was fat bikes. Then when that bubble burst they sent up the 27.5"er long travel bikes, or "enduro" rigs. When that didn't take off all over the industry jumped on "plus" sized tires, and then gravel/all-road bikes. What was going to be next?

E-bikes, that's what. Specifically, e-mtbs. But once again, while sales numbers are reported to be wildly successful, you can bet your bottom dollar that just like all the other "next big things", this one will have the rug pulled out from under it too.

The e-mtb is what the industry is betting on now.

Thinking about mountain bikes, the industry should thank and continue to support the institutions that are keeping mountain biking alive. Without IMBA, several local associations, and newer developments like NICA, mountain biking access, and therefore the sport, may have faded away years ago. What's weird is that the industry doesn't get more behind how and where people ride other bikes. There have been efforts here and there, but for a long time the cycling industry sat on their hands and did nothing to help.

Then one could also say that with all the "every butt on a bike" sloganeering going on, that the industry is really pretty hypocritical. "Every butt"? Really? Then why all the misogyny? Where are we reaching out to women? Where are we trying to reach out to minorities? I'm not seeing the industry doing much here.

The industry needs to quit chasing "the next big thing" in cycling gear and start shrinking things back to sensible levels. I read a great line on Jonathan Fields‏ Twitter feed yesterday, it said, "More isn't better, better is better. And, that often means less." Make better bikes, simpler choices, and infuse them with more value. 

 Stop chasing the next niche and create places and a culture people want to be a part of, not more models of the same old bikes, not "the next big thing" in cycling. Stop making everything about racing and make it more about the "everyman". It isn't sexy, nor does it appeal to machismo, and it certainly wouldn't fit "The Rules". But do it anyway. Don't sit around reacting to trends, don't wait to see what happens, but create the atmosphere where things can happen. 

Maybe the industry need one of those rants my old jeweler friend used to give me!

 

Bikes Of 2017: Raleigh Tamland 2

It is that time of year when I start reviewing the bikes that got me through 2017. Many of these bikes have been tweaked and changed so I will talk about that and why they were important to me this past year.

Yep, another familiar face here. The Raleigh Tamland 2 has been a good rig for me over the years. I was amused recently when one of you commented here that the only thing original to the bike anymore is the frame and fork. Well, you could be forgiven for thinking as much, but while that is close, it isn't quite the case.

Just for the record, the frame, fork, head set, bottom bracket, crankset, seat post, and rear derailleur are still stock on this bike. That's not much, granted, but it is a fair amount of the original build! I still have the wheels and I still have the original brakes. I still have the original saddle also.

Speaking of saddles....I finally got what I needed on there after fiddling around with other saddles for a couple of years. The WTB Pure, (Pure V originally), is the bomb for my behind. Love that saddle. Now that this conundrum has been solved, I don't really need anything else different here.

Changes recently have been the Gevenalle HYDRAULIC brake system and the Ritchey Venturemax bar. These items were added as test items for review on RidingGravel.com and have been so good they are staying on long term. The brakes also changed up my shifting to the excellent Gevenalle system which also includes the Burd front derailleur. The shifting is so light and precise it is uncanny, and that system is nearly indestructible.

Finally the tires and wheels. I built up these White Industries/WTB i25 KOM wheels last year and these have been awesome wheels. I should build up another set just because. Anyway, I got to test these Trans Iowa inspired treads from WTB, the Resolutes, and they are fantastic on this bike.

Bikes Of 2017: Raleigh Tamland 2

It is that time of year when I start reviewing the bikes that got me through 2017. Many of these bikes have been tweaked and changed so I will talk about that and why they were important to me this past year.

Yep, another familiar face here. The Raleigh Tamland 2 has been a good rig for me over the years. I was amused recently when one of you commented here that the only thing original to the bike anymore is the frame and fork. Well, you could be forgiven for thinking as much, but while that is close, it isn't quite the case.

Just for the record, the frame, fork, head set, bottom bracket, crankset, seat post, and rear derailleur are still stock on this bike. That's not much, granted, but it is a fair amount of the original build! I still have the wheels and I still have the original brakes. I still have the original saddle also.

Speaking of saddles....I finally got what I needed on there after fiddling around with other saddles for a couple of years. The WTB Pure, (Pure V originally), is the bomb for my behind. Love that saddle. Now that this conundrum has been solved, I don't really need anything else different here.

Changes recently have been the Gevenalle HYDRAULIC brake system and the Ritchey Venturemax bar. These items were added as test items for review on RidingGravel.com and have been so good they are staying on long term. The brakes also changed up my shifting to the excellent Gevenalle system which also includes the Burd front derailleur. The shifting is so light and precise it is uncanny, and that system is nearly indestructible.

Finally the tires and wheels. I built up these White Industries/WTB i25 KOM wheels last year and these have been awesome wheels. I should build up another set just because. Anyway, I got to test these Trans Iowa inspired treads from WTB, the Resolutes, and they are fantastic on this bike.

Fat Sunday

Sunday I got called in on guitar duty at church at the last minute, so the morning was spent strumming six string and all that goes with that. The afternoon was supposed to be glorious, so I convinced my son, Jacob, that he needed to test that new Race Face green anodized chain ring I recently put on his bike.

He agreed to go as long as we were going to ride to, "the lake, which is what we call that pond out off Martin Road and Highway 63. I think it is Myer's Lake, but I never call it that! It was a good choice because that is where he broke his chain ring on his last ride. Get back on that horse and all that. So, we went out to go around "the lake" and back home again. Not a big ride, but it was something.

I had to stop to switch to "low range" to climb the dike and then we headed off down the single track towards the lake. Jacob biffed after cleaning a rough section since the run out was a hard right turn. I convinced him that his bike would just roll right through if he would just trust it. He was a bit hesitant, but he did let it roll. I think he was so surprised his bike took care of him he forgot to turn until it was too late. No harm- no foul. He'll get it next time.

Jacob contemplating the scenery. Maybe I did something right bringing him out here in the past.

We made it to the water and Jacob insisted we stop so he could take in the view. I certainly wasn't going to stand in the way of doing that, so we chose a spot and he contemplated nature for a bit, until he spotted the sticks. There is something about boys and sticks that is like white on rice. I have witnessed so many youngsters of the male persuasion picking up sticks and tossing them, using them to beat on whatever, or using them as makeshift swords. It's uncanny. I don't remember being fascinated by wooden sticks in quite the same way, but my Dad often made me clean up our yard after windstorms of every branch and twig that fell, so maybe that is where I lost my love of sticks.

Anyway......

Riding the exposed shoreline on my Blackborow DS. Image by Jacob Stevenson

I made a deal with my son. I get to ride some of the exposed shore line/lake bed and he could go on up ahead on the regular trail and take some pictures of me. He obliged, so I went down to the water's edge and crawled along in the soft bed of the lake, now exposed due to the dry conditions here most of the latter half of the year.

There were lots of sunken in foot prints down along the water, but nary a fat bike tread pattern to be found. I find it uncanny. If you have a fat bike and live in this area, why wouldn't you ride it down here? I saw two guys on our way to the lake on the single track using fat bikes. They weren't going anywhere a cross bike couldn't go.

They were doing it wrong.

I mean, if you do not use your fat bike to ride where you cannot ride other bicycles, then you are missing the point entirely. This is what fat bikes were made to do. I tried convincing my son he needed to do this, but he isn't quite there yet.

I'll keep working on him.......

Fat Sunday

Sunday I got called in on guitar duty at church at the last minute, so the morning was spent strumming six string and all that goes with that. The afternoon was supposed to be glorious, so I convinced my son, Jacob, that he needed to test that new Race Face green anodized chain ring I recently put on his bike.

He agreed to go as long as we were going to ride to, "the lake, which is what we call that pond out off Martin Road and Highway 63. I think it is Myer's Lake, but I never call it that! It was a good choice because that is where he broke his chain ring on his last ride. Get back on that horse and all that. So, we went out to go around "the lake" and back home again. Not a big ride, but it was something.

I had to stop to switch to "low range" to climb the dike and then we headed off down the single track towards the lake. Jacob biffed after cleaning a rough section since the run out was a hard right turn. I convinced him that his bike would just roll right through if he would just trust it. He was a bit hesitant, but he did let it roll. I think he was so surprised his bike took care of him he forgot to turn until it was too late. No harm- no foul. He'll get it next time.

Jacob contemplating the scenery. Maybe I did something right bringing him out here in the past.

We made it to the water and Jacob insisted we stop so he could take in the view. I certainly wasn't going to stand in the way of doing that, so we chose a spot and he contemplated nature for a bit, until he spotted the sticks. There is something about boys and sticks that is like white on rice. I have witnessed so many youngsters of the male persuasion picking up sticks and tossing them, using them to beat on whatever, or using them as makeshift swords. It's uncanny. I don't remember being fascinated by wooden sticks in quite the same way, but my Dad often made me clean up our yard after windstorms of every branch and twig that fell, so maybe that is where I lost my love of sticks.

Anyway......

Riding the exposed shoreline on my Blackborow DS. Image by Jacob Stevenson

I made a deal with my son. I get to ride some of the exposed shore line/lake bed and he could go on up ahead on the regular trail and take some pictures of me. He obliged, so I went down to the water's edge and crawled along in the soft bed of the lake, now exposed due to the dry conditions here most of the latter half of the year.

There were lots of sunken in foot prints down along the water, but nary a fat bike tread pattern to be found. I find it uncanny. If you have a fat bike and live in this area, why wouldn't you ride it down here? I saw two guys on our way to the lake on the single track using fat bikes. They weren't going anywhere a cross bike couldn't go.

They were doing it wrong.

I mean, if you do not use your fat bike to ride where you cannot ride other bicycles, then you are missing the point entirely. This is what fat bikes were made to do. I tried convincing my son he needed to do this, but he isn't quite there yet.

I'll keep working on him.......

The Turkey Burn Ride Which Was Not Burning Turkey

The invisible part of this image was my main foe. That would be the wind.

There was a long standing tradition here in the cycling community where we would do a "Turkey Burn" ride the Friday after Thanksgiving every year. Usually this was a mountain bike ride in the woods, and eventually it moved to Camp Ingawanis on the "North side" trails.

I don't know when the last one occurred, but it has been several years since we gathered to do this event. I would say it has been five or six years ago, at least. I'm not sure why that is, but I also don't really want to know. It is what it is. Now days I just carry on with my own ride. It's easier that way. I can go out and come in whenever it suits me.

Not that an organized Turkey Burn ride would be a bad thing, but I am also not going to push for that. Too many irons in the fire already. Somebody else can pick up that torch if they want to. But whatever..... On with the ride report!

Of course, I have to say what I did wasn't a "Turkey Burn" ride, since I had ham for Thanksgiving dinner. So, technically it was a "Hamburn Ride", I suppose. Anyway..... I woke up Friday to the temperature flirting with 50°F and heading higher. Yes.... The wind was stiff, out of the South/Southwest, but it was going to be 60°F!! Of course I was going for a gravel ride. I would have been a fool not to, despite the winds. They weren't that bad, but a 20mph, constant in your face wind isn't anything to be sneezed at either.

Resting for a minute or two. The BMC with new Vitorria Terreno Dry tires mounted.

Before I left I actually had to set up a pair of tires tubeless to my HED Ardennes+ rims. I have just received a set of Vittoria Terreno Dry tires for test/review on Riding Gravel.com. The set up was a tad messy since one of my valves had a corroded core and I ended up having to swap it out for a new one just before I headed out. With that done, there was nothing holding me back from heading South into the wind.

Once I went out on Aker Road I was struggling to maintain speeds over 10mph against the blast from the Southwest. Everything is super dry, of course, but I was wondering about Petrie Road. It can hold moisture well in a few spots despite a long spell of dry weather. I decided to head on down there and see what was up.

Moisture found. Petrie Road does not disappoint.

It was good. Petrie Road had three muddy spots and the rest was either semi-compacted sandy dirt, churned up sand, or black earth. Pretty much everything in one mile. That out of the way, I headed off North toward home. It was a revelation.

The wind was pushing me along and I was hitting 30 mph easily at times. Funny how that works. The day was warming up too, and I opened up my vest to let in some cooler air. It is late November, but it felt like a fine March day. Only the fact that nearly everything was brown and dead gave away the time of year as being late Fall. I flirted with stripping off my arm warmers, but it wasn't just quite warm enough up here. I heard it got into the 70's in Southern Iowa, and I would have done shirt sleeves in that temperature. Crazy stuff.

That's Hudson, Iowa in the distance.

I made it home eventually and those Vittoria tires? Well, they are pretty dang nice, as I expected them to be. I'll be writing up my impressions on those for Riding Gravel soon, so stay tuned on that front. But before that, I have some other things to attend to, and one more day before I have to get back to the "regular job" to get at that stuff.

The Turkey Burn Ride Which Was Not Burning Turkey

The invisible part of this image was my main foe. That would be the wind.

There was a long standing tradition here in the cycling community where we would do a "Turkey Burn" ride the Friday after Thanksgiving every year. Usually this was a mountain bike ride in the woods, and eventually it moved to Camp Ingawanis on the "North side" trails.

I don't know when the last one occurred, but it has been several years since we gathered to do this event. I would say it has been five or six years ago, at least. I'm not sure why that is, but I also don't really want to know. It is what it is. Now days I just carry on with my own ride. It's easier that way. I can go out and come in whenever it suits me.

Not that an organized Turkey Burn ride would be a bad thing, but I am also not going to push for that. Too many irons in the fire already. Somebody else can pick up that torch if they want to. But whatever..... On with the ride report!

Of course, I have to say what I did wasn't a "Turkey Burn" ride, since I had ham for Thanksgiving dinner. So, technically it was a "Hamburn Ride", I suppose. Anyway..... I woke up Friday to the temperature flirting with 50°F and heading higher. Yes.... The wind was stiff, out of the South/Southwest, but it was going to be 60°F!! Of course I was going for a gravel ride. I would have been a fool not to, despite the winds. They weren't that bad, but a 20mph, constant in your face wind isn't anything to be sneezed at either.

Resting for a minute or two. The BMC with new Vitorria Terreno Dry tires mounted.

Before I left I actually had to set up a pair of tires tubeless to my HED Ardennes+ rims. I have just received a set of Vittoria Terreno Dry tires for test/review on Riding Gravel.com. The set up was a tad messy since one of my valves had a corroded core and I ended up having to swap it out for a new one just before I headed out. With that done, there was nothing holding me back from heading South into the wind.

Once I went out on Aker Road I was struggling to maintain speeds over 10mph against the blast from the Southwest. Everything is super dry, of course, but I was wondering about Petrie Road. It can hold moisture well in a few spots despite a long spell of dry weather. I decided to head on down there and see what was up.

Moisture found. Petrie Road does not disappoint.

It was good. Petrie Road had three muddy spots and the rest was either semi-compacted sandy dirt, churned up sand, or black earth. Pretty much everything in one mile. That out of the way, I headed off North toward home. It was a revelation.

The wind was pushing me along and I was hitting 30 mph easily at times. Funny how that works. The day was warming up too, and I opened up my vest to let in some cooler air. It is late November, but it felt like a fine March day. Only the fact that nearly everything was brown and dead gave away the time of year as being late Fall. I flirted with stripping off my arm warmers, but it wasn't just quite warm enough up here. I heard it got into the 70's in Southern Iowa, and I would have done shirt sleeves in that temperature. Crazy stuff.

That's Hudson, Iowa in the distance.

I made it home eventually and those Vittoria tires? Well, they are pretty dang nice, as I expected them to be. I'll be writing up my impressions on those for Riding Gravel soon, so stay tuned on that front. But before that, I have some other things to attend to, and one more day before I have to get back to the "regular job" to get at that stuff.

Minus Ten Review- 47

The KM got me through four winter's worth of commutes.

Ten years ago I was writing about the end of T.I.v4 registration. There was some relief in having that part of the thing over with. Then I moved on to bicycle stuff. One of the subjects was my 2003 Karate Monkey. I wrote the following about it:

" The bottom bracket is still seized up in the frame."

So, apparently that had happened previously to that post. It was certainly stuck and it ended up causing this bike to get mothballed until last year when I finally was able to break the bottom bracket and saw/pry/grind the bits out of the bottom bracket shell. Four Winter's worth of abuse will do that. Especially snowy, wet Winters. 

I also had just gotten a Velocity Aero Heat wheel set built up for this bike, and if you know how skinny that rim is, you can understand how that was a mistake. I should have gotten Blunts! Oh well. I can still use those wheels on something else someday. I'm thinking along the lines of a single speed gravel rig. But that may not happen. I could always lace those hubs up to my old Salsa Cycles Gordo rims. Those are wiiide! I always liked how tires set up on those rims, if they were wider, mountain bike oriented treads.

A pretty Fisher HiFi

I also took possession of a 2008 Gary Fisher HiFi this week ten years ago. This was for test/review on "Twenty Nine Inches". The good folks at Fisher ended up not wanting it back, so I actually still have it. Well, most of it, anyway. The bike actually got parted out and most of the stuff is spread across other bikes now.

The HiFi, and the G2 Fishers ushered in a new way of looking at 29"er geometry. After the slightly slackened, longer offset front ends appeared, the next bit was to bring the rear length in check. Once that happened the things about the first wave of 29"er geometry quickly melted away as bikes got slacker, shorter in the rear/center, and longer front centered. Stems shrank in accordance as wider handle bars also became the norm. Now even this HiFi looks weird. Not "new" as it did ten years ago, but "archaic" in terms of what is popular today.

I could get this bike back together again pretty easily. I have most everything I'd need to do that, but then again, why? Until I can answer that, it stays on the peg in the dungeon. I do like that it is one of the last true Gary Fisher mountain bike models made. So, I am hanging on to it because of that, but if I rebuilt it, I wouldn't build it as stock. Also, many of these bikes ended up breaking swing arms. This one never fell to that fate, but.......

Minus Ten Review- 47

The KM got me through four winter's worth of commutes.

Ten years ago I was writing about the end of T.I.v4 registration. There was some relief in having that part of the thing over with. Then I moved on to bicycle stuff. One of the subjects was my 2003 Karate Monkey. I wrote the following about it:

" The bottom bracket is still seized up in the frame."

So, apparently that had happened previously to that post. It was certainly stuck and it ended up causing this bike to get mothballed until last year when I finally was able to break the bottom bracket and saw/pry/grind the bits out of the bottom bracket shell. Four Winter's worth of abuse will do that. Especially snowy, wet Winters. 

I also had just gotten a Velocity Aero Heat wheel set built up for this bike, and if you know how skinny that rim is, you can understand how that was a mistake. I should have gotten Blunts! Oh well. I can still use those wheels on something else someday. I'm thinking along the lines of a single speed gravel rig. But that may not happen. I could always lace those hubs up to my old Salsa Cycles Gordo rims. Those are wiiide! I always liked how tires set up on those rims, if they were wider, mountain bike oriented treads.

A pretty Fisher HiFi

I also took possession of a 2008 Gary Fisher HiFi this week ten years ago. This was for test/review on "Twenty Nine Inches". The good folks at Fisher ended up not wanting it back, so I actually still have it. Well, most of it, anyway. The bike actually got parted out and most of the stuff is spread across other bikes now.

The HiFi, and the G2 Fishers ushered in a new way of looking at 29"er geometry. After the slightly slackened, longer offset front ends appeared, the next bit was to bring the rear length in check. Once that happened the things about the first wave of 29"er geometry quickly melted away as bikes got slacker, shorter in the rear/center, and longer front centered. Stems shrank in accordance as wider handle bars also became the norm. Now even this HiFi looks weird. Not "new" as it did ten years ago, but "archaic" in terms of what is popular today.

I could get this bike back together again pretty easily. I have most everything I'd need to do that, but then again, why? Until I can answer that, it stays on the peg in the dungeon. I do like that it is one of the last true Gary Fisher mountain bike models made. So, I am hanging on to it because of that, but if I rebuilt it, I wouldn't build it as stock. Also, many of these bikes ended up breaking swing arms. This one never fell to that fate, but.......

Appetite Seminar- Fat Bike Style

The ultimate low impact machine

Back in 1975 a bunch of folks grabbed their 1 speed bikes and rode Thanksgiving Day to amp up their appetite for dinner that day. Or something along those lines. You can read the history of that ride here.

So, I decided I would have my own, solo, "Appetite Seminar" ride on Thanksgiving Day this year. I decided to run the Blackborow DS and go the length of the Green Belt and back. That should work up a good appetite for what Mrs. Guitar Ted was cooking up. We don't run on a "regular schedule" around here, so my ride began just before noon.

I was blessed to ride under Sunny skies with little to no wind. It was, for a Thanksgiving Day, perfect. Typically we have pretty gloomy weather around this time of year with more clouds than Sun. But yesterday was an exception and it was also a bit warmer than usual as well. The Green Belt was primo. Dry-ish with a bit of wetness due to frost coming up. So, no excuses. I rode the entire length of the Green Belt plus some of the "spurs" to the main trails.

On the way over I switched from "high" range to "low" on the Dinglespeed transmission. I figured that for most of what I would be riding that low range would be unnecessary, but for the few parts of the trail that it was, I wouldn't have to get off and walk.

I rode a few sand bars where I could. This is actually Black Hawk Creeks river bed.

The paved bike trail goes over the trail here. This was an old rail road line's bridge.

The area is pretty dry again. This isn't good long term for us, but it does provide for some unique riding opportunities. Sand bars, parts of the Black Hawk Creek river bed, and the lake/pond shore line over by Highway 63 all become rideable areas. It is perfect for a fat bike as most of this is fine, packed in sand. Fat bikes were made for such a surface.

The turn around at Shaulis Road.

The pond off Marky-Mark shows a little icing over.

The ride went well, I cleaned all the obstacles due to the use of the "low" range, and I made it home in time for the big feast. The "Appetite Seminar" was a success. I made a big appetite for myself. Mrs. Guitar Ted made a great meal, and the family was satisfied.

Hopefully all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well.

Appetite Seminar- Fat Bike Style

The ultimate low impact machine

Back in 1975 a bunch of folks grabbed their 1 speed bikes and rode Thanksgiving Day to amp up their appetite for dinner that day. Or something along those lines. You can read the history of that ride here.

So, I decided I would have my own, solo, "Appetite Seminar" ride on Thanksgiving Day this year. I decided to run the Blackborow DS and go the length of the Green Belt and back. That should work up a good appetite for what Mrs. Guitar Ted was cooking up. We don't run on a "regular schedule" around here, so my ride began just before noon.

I was blessed to ride under Sunny skies with little to no wind. It was, for a Thanksgiving Day, perfect. Typically we have pretty gloomy weather around this time of year with more clouds than Sun. But yesterday was an exception and it was also a bit warmer than usual as well. The Green Belt was primo. Dry-ish with a bit of wetness due to frost coming up. So, no excuses. I rode the entire length of the Green Belt plus some of the "spurs" to the main trails.

On the way over I switched from "high" range to "low" on the Dinglespeed transmission. I figured that for most of what I would be riding that low range would be unnecessary, but for the few parts of the trail that it was, I wouldn't have to get off and walk.

I rode a few sand bars where I could. This is actually Black Hawk Creeks river bed.

The paved bike trail goes over the trail here. This was an old rail road line's bridge.

The area is pretty dry again. This isn't good long term for us, but it does provide for some unique riding opportunities. Sand bars, parts of the Black Hawk Creek river bed, and the lake/pond shore line over by Highway 63 all become rideable areas. It is perfect for a fat bike as most of this is fine, packed in sand. Fat bikes were made for such a surface.

The turn around at Shaulis Road.

The pond off Marky-Mark shows a little icing over.

The ride went well, I cleaned all the obstacles due to the use of the "low" range, and I made it home in time for the big feast. The "Appetite Seminar" was a success. I made a big appetite for myself. Mrs. Guitar Ted made a great meal, and the family was satisfied.

Hopefully all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well.

Happy Thanksgiving!

May your roads be smooth and safe this weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Guitar Ted Productions wishes you and yours a Happy Holiday and hopefully some great riding as well to burn off that feast you ate, (or are about to eat.).

This year I'm sticking around the G-Ted ranch and spending time with my family.

I'll be back again tomorrow with a post, so stay tuned. Once again, thank you for checking in and reading the scribin' here.  It is much appreciated. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

May your roads be smooth and safe this weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Guitar Ted Productions wishes you and yours a Happy Holiday and hopefully some great riding as well to burn off that feast you ate, (or are about to eat.).

This year I'm sticking around the G-Ted ranch and spending time with my family.

I'll be back again tomorrow with a post, so stay tuned. Once again, thank you for checking in and reading the scribin' here.  It is much appreciated.