Friday News And Views

Make that 2019. It's on!

DKXL On For '19:

This past week came news from the DK Promotions team regarding next year's events that they promote. The DK200 and 100 will see new routes using the "return of iconic checkpoint towns", which I would believe has to be a nod toward a route North of Emporia and West as well. They also mention roster increases, but don't give a number.

But the interesting news to me is the DKXL is now going to be opened up to the "public"....... kind of. Checking the DKXL page, it looks like the DK Promotions team is taking up to 200 applications, and then they will screen those and give permission as they see fit. Applications are opened December 1st and are open for the next 8 days, closing on the 9th. No word on what qualifications they are looking for, or how the process will be accomplished. Interestingly, in a Trans Iowa-like twist, they are not refunding entry fees if you drop and there doesn't seem to be any waiting list, nor are transfers going to be allowed.

There isn't any word on roster limitations, nor is there an entry fee specified at this time. But we can infer a couple of things from the release of this info. First, if they are taking 200 applications only, and maybe 200 won't even try to sign on, then we know the roster limit is less than that. The event, if run like this year's, would be totally self-supported in terms of water, food, etc. So- no support at any checkpoints, if there are any checkpoints. Last June they did the whole 350 straight through, and they ran riders through towns so they could resupply, but no "official" checkpoints were set up. This means that, due to the very nature of the Kansas Flint Hills, they cannot run all that many through these towns and expect the stores available to absorb the kind of pressure a couple of hundred riders would bring. That is if they do this like the first one. 

My guess would be that the roster cut off is around 100 or less, but we'll see for real later this year, I am sure. They could do aid stations set up just for this part of the event too, and that would be a totally different scenario then. Who knows? Only they do at DK Promotions right now. That and the entry fee, which I am going to guess is more than that for the 200 miler. But again, I am speculating here.

This perch is good!  WTB Siverado

WTB Siverado 142mm Width:

I just wrote up a review on two WTB saddles now offered in wider widths. One, the SL8, was "okay", but it didn't fit me great. Still, it is a very nice saddle for those who might get on with its features. I ended up giving the Silverado the nod, and I ended up really getting along with that one.

My good friend, MG, is a devotee of the OG Silverado, but it was too skinny for my behind. But I know he liked that saddle a lot because it came up in almost every conversation we had about saddles. Now I understand why. The wider 142mm width works well for me and the shape of the Silverado, sort of like a pared down Pure V, really works well underneath me. It has all those WTB saddle trademarks but maybe a bit more subtly so than the old SST and Pure V series did.

Like I said though in yesterday's post, this saddle may be "the one" for the Tamland. Time will tell. I like the light weight, it's got Ti rails, so it has a bit of give to it, and the Microfiber cover is nice. Not too grippy but not slippery either.

Will it usurp the Pure or the Brooks Cambium as my favorite saddle? Might. I don't know yet. Longer rides will tell the tale, but until then, I think the Silverado is on my short list of saddles that work for me in just about every sense.

The Sawyer out on the single track in town the other day.

Should It Stay Or Should It Go?

I've got a LOT of bicycles. No doubt about that. I do not need all of them, but some of them are special in one way or another. That gets in the way of practicality. It gets in the way of what makes sense too. It isn't an easy road to navigate for me.

Which brings me to the Sawyer. That was a two year and out model Trek did right when they folded Gary Fisher into the Trek brand. (Still one of the biggest mistakes Trek ever made, in my opinion.) I've no doubt that the Sawyer was destined to have Gary Fisher livery, but Trek deep sixed the name at the eleventh hour the year they pulled the trigger on the brand change. I was told only a small handful of Trek's highest brass ever knew that was happening until they unleashed the news one fateful Summer day.

Anyway, the Sawyer was, and to this day still is, one of the best renderings of a cruiser/paper boy style bike ever done with fat tires. That includes all custom bikes I've ever seen. To know that this was a production bike, and to see all the fine detail that went into its design and manufacture, well, it wouldn't be hard to pass off the Sawyer as a custom one-off.

That said, I've had a love-hate relationship with this bike over the years. I made the mistake of putting a too-long of a fork on it and couldn't figure out what it was that made the bike stink so bad afterward. Then I got the right length fork on it and it came back alive. A switch to 27.5+ wheels then sealed the deal. I like the bike and it rides very well. But, now what? I hardly ever ride it. Someone should be enjoying this rig. It's a shame to let it sit so much, despite the fact I think so much of its design and now- how it rides.

The thing is, if I let it go, I likely will never get anything close to it again, and I do like to ride it now and again. Just like the past few days where I have been commuting on it. But.....

Bah! 

First world problems.

Have a great weekend and stay safe on this Labor Day Holiday!

Friday News And Views

Make that 2019. It's on!

DKXL On For '19:

This past week came news from the DK Promotions team regarding next year's events that they promote. The DK200 and 100 will see new routes using the "return of iconic checkpoint towns", which I would believe has to be a nod toward a route North of Emporia and West as well. They also mention roster increases, but don't give a number.

But the interesting news to me is the DKXL is now going to be opened up to the "public"....... kind of. Checking the DKXL page, it looks like the DK Promotions team is taking up to 200 applications, and then they will screen those and give permission as they see fit. Applications are opened December 1st and are open for the next 8 days, closing on the 9th. No word on what qualifications they are looking for, or how the process will be accomplished. Interestingly, in a Trans Iowa-like twist, they are not refunding entry fees if you drop and there doesn't seem to be any waiting list, nor are transfers going to be allowed.

There isn't any word on roster limitations, nor is there an entry fee specified at this time. But we can infer a couple of things from the release of this info. First, if they are taking 200 applications only, and maybe 200 won't even try to sign on, then we know the roster limit is less than that. The event, if run like this year's, would be totally self-supported in terms of water, food, etc. So- no support at any checkpoints, if there are any checkpoints. Last June they did the whole 350 straight through, and they ran riders through towns so they could resupply, but no "official" checkpoints were set up. This means that, due to the very nature of the Kansas Flint Hills, they cannot run all that many through these towns and expect the stores available to absorb the kind of pressure a couple of hundred riders would bring. That is if they do this like the first one. 

My guess would be that the roster cut off is around 100 or less, but we'll see for real later this year, I am sure. They could do aid stations set up just for this part of the event too, and that would be a totally different scenario then. Who knows? Only they do at DK Promotions right now. That and the entry fee, which I am going to guess is more than that for the 200 miler. But again, I am speculating here.

This perch is good!  WTB Siverado

WTB Siverado 142mm Width:

I just wrote up a review on two WTB saddles now offered in wider widths. One, the SL8, was "okay", but it didn't fit me great. Still, it is a very nice saddle for those who might get on with its features. I ended up giving the Silverado the nod, and I ended up really getting along with that one.

My good friend, MG, is a devotee of the OG Silverado, but it was too skinny for my behind. But I know he liked that saddle a lot because it came up in almost every conversation we had about saddles. Now I understand why. The wider 142mm width works well for me and the shape of the Silverado, sort of like a pared down Pure V, really works well underneath me. It has all those WTB saddle trademarks but maybe a bit more subtly so than the old SST and Pure V series did.

Like I said though in yesterday's post, this saddle may be "the one" for the Tamland. Time will tell. I like the light weight, it's got Ti rails, so it has a bit of give to it, and the Microfiber cover is nice. Not too grippy but not slippery either.

Will it usurp the Pure or the Brooks Cambium as my favorite saddle? Might. I don't know yet. Longer rides will tell the tale, but until then, I think the Silverado is on my short list of saddles that work for me in just about every sense.

The Sawyer out on the single track in town the other day.

Should It Stay Or Should It Go?

I've got a LOT of bicycles. No doubt about that. I do not need all of them, but some of them are special in one way or another. That gets in the way of practicality. It gets in the way of what makes sense too. It isn't an easy road to navigate for me.

Which brings me to the Sawyer. That was a two year and out model Trek did right when they folded Gary Fisher into the Trek brand. (Still one of the biggest mistakes Trek ever made, in my opinion.) I've no doubt that the Sawyer was destined to have Gary Fisher livery, but Trek deep sixed the name at the eleventh hour the year they pulled the trigger on the brand change. I was told only a small handful of Trek's highest brass ever knew that was happening until they unleashed the news one fateful Summer day.

Anyway, the Sawyer was, and to this day still is, one of the best renderings of a cruiser/paper boy style bike ever done with fat tires. That includes all custom bikes I've ever seen. To know that this was a production bike, and to see all the fine detail that went into its design and manufacture, well, it wouldn't be hard to pass off the Sawyer as a custom one-off.

That said, I've had a love-hate relationship with this bike over the years. I made the mistake of putting a too-long of a fork on it and couldn't figure out what it was that made the bike stink so bad afterward. Then I got the right length fork on it and it came back alive. A switch to 27.5+ wheels then sealed the deal. I like the bike and it rides very well. But, now what? I hardly ever ride it. Someone should be enjoying this rig. It's a shame to let it sit so much, despite the fact I think so much of its design and now- how it rides.

The thing is, if I let it go, I likely will never get anything close to it again, and I do like to ride it now and again. Just like the past few days where I have been commuting on it. But.....

Bah! 

First world problems.

Have a great weekend and stay safe on this Labor Day Holiday!

Starting Back Slowly

A perfect day for riding.

The post-events recovery is progressing. My legs don't feel so weak and painful all the time and everything seems to be fine when I commute back and forth to work. I rode a single speed the other day and did a "dirt home from work" ride which made me think I was finally coming around.

So, the humidity broke Tuesday evening and Wednesday dawned cool and windy from the Northwest. I had some things to take care of on the ol' innergoogles before I could ride, but just after noon I got out for a little country ramble.

Of course, the desire is to go and ride all day, but that probably wouldn't be a very good idea right now. It is best to take steps up, and not try to knock off some gigantic mileage right away. Plus, the wind was pretty stiff Wednesday. Northwesterly and probably around 15-20mph out in the open areas. I decided to grind it out into the wind first and then go home with a tailwind. That meant going North and West first.

I chose to ride up Moline Road first out there and I haven't been up Moline going North all year. So it was fun to see the old sites I used to see every Saturday morning when I was doing 3GR rides. The scenery hadn't changed much and the gravel was rough. My friend Tony warned me that it would be. He'd seen the maintainers going out a few days back, I guess. So it wasn't just the wind, but it was also the rougher gravel which always adds some resistance.

I chose the Tamland to ride this time.

The bike I was riding was the tried and true Tamland. The bike has seen so many changes over the years, but it always delivers up a smooth ride. Now that ride has been enhanced by yet another Salsa Cycles Regulator titanium post. There isn't a ton of exposed post there, but it's enough that now this bike is super smooth riding.

The latest change has been the saddle........again! I have had so many different saddles on this bike I've lost track of them all. Something or another about all of them previous to the newest contender have been a bother to the point I had to make a switch. Saddles I love on other bikes? Not working here. It's weird, and honestly, frustrating. The last saddle, a Pure V, was about as close as I've gotten to acceptable. I was pretty sure I'd stick to it, but then WTB sent out a couple saddles for me to try. One of them, a wider version of the classic Silverado, ended up on the Tamland and so far.....so good. 

Anyway, I was going up Moline Road and as I noted the first time I rode it, the hills are kind of tough. They come in one after the other for several miles, each one getting you a bit higher than the next one, This goes on until you reach Bennington Road and then the rollers calm down and are more manageable. Every road North of Waterloo does that, by the way. I just think Moline Road is the tougher route. I will say a couple of other roads are pretty close though.

So, there I was going, up, against a stiff wind, and on rough gravel. I was working myself pretty hard. I bet I was going as hard as I've done since Gravel Worlds, and that was pretty intense. I noted my speed going up and it was steady and higher than I figured I would be going. No "survival mode" climbing! It was actually fun. But I knew I needed to keep the effort in check and not over do it. So, I turned West at Mt. Vernon Road and limited myself to 20 miles. That would be enough on top of already having ridden the cargo bike to recycle stuff and afterward I had planned on mowing the lawn.

The ditches are rife with these leggy, yellow flowers which bloom in Iowa every August. Note the hungry bugs!

So, it turned out to be a high activity day and my legs were tired by the end of it all, but not cooked. That's a very good sign and I am hopeful that a full recovery is in the works so I can get on with enjoying Fall. That season is nigh upon us, and it is my favorite time of the year to ride.

Starting Back Slowly

A perfect day for riding.

The post-events recovery is progressing. My legs don't feel so weak and painful all the time and everything seems to be fine when I commute back and forth to work. I rode a single speed the other day and did a "dirt home from work" ride which made me think I was finally coming around.

So, the humidity broke Tuesday evening and Wednesday dawned cool and windy from the Northwest. I had some things to take care of on the ol' innergoogles before I could ride, but just after noon I got out for a little country ramble.

Of course, the desire is to go and ride all day, but that probably wouldn't be a very good idea right now. It is best to take steps up, and not try to knock off some gigantic mileage right away. Plus, the wind was pretty stiff Wednesday. Northwesterly and probably around 15-20mph out in the open areas. I decided to grind it out into the wind first and then go home with a tailwind. That meant going North and West first.

I chose to ride up Moline Road first out there and I haven't been up Moline going North all year. So it was fun to see the old sites I used to see every Saturday morning when I was doing 3GR rides. The scenery hadn't changed much and the gravel was rough. My friend Tony warned me that it would be. He'd seen the maintainers going out a few days back, I guess. So it wasn't just the wind, but it was also the rougher gravel which always adds some resistance.

I chose the Tamland to ride this time.

The bike I was riding was the tried and true Tamland. The bike has seen so many changes over the years, but it always delivers up a smooth ride. Now that ride has been enhanced by yet another Salsa Cycles Regulator titanium post. There isn't a ton of exposed post there, but it's enough that now this bike is super smooth riding.

The latest change has been the saddle........again! I have had so many different saddles on this bike I've lost track of them all. Something or another about all of them previous to the newest contender have been a bother to the point I had to make a switch. Saddles I love on other bikes? Not working here. It's weird, and honestly, frustrating. The last saddle, a Pure V, was about as close as I've gotten to acceptable. I was pretty sure I'd stick to it, but then WTB sent out a couple saddles for me to try. One of them, a wider version of the classic Silverado, ended up on the Tamland and so far.....so good. 

Anyway, I was going up Moline Road and as I noted the first time I rode it, the hills are kind of tough. They come in one after the other for several miles, each one getting you a bit higher than the next one, This goes on until you reach Bennington Road and then the rollers calm down and are more manageable. Every road North of Waterloo does that, by the way. I just think Moline Road is the tougher route. I will say a couple of other roads are pretty close though.

So, there I was going, up, against a stiff wind, and on rough gravel. I was working myself pretty hard. I bet I was going as hard as I've done since Gravel Worlds, and that was pretty intense. I noted my speed going up and it was steady and higher than I figured I would be going. No "survival mode" climbing! It was actually fun. But I knew I needed to keep the effort in check and not over do it. So, I turned West at Mt. Vernon Road and limited myself to 20 miles. That would be enough on top of already having ridden the cargo bike to recycle stuff and afterward I had planned on mowing the lawn.

The ditches are rife with these leggy, yellow flowers which bloom in Iowa every August. Note the hungry bugs!

So, it turned out to be a high activity day and my legs were tired by the end of it all, but not cooked. That's a very good sign and I am hopeful that a full recovery is in the works so I can get on with enjoying Fall. That season is nigh upon us, and it is my favorite time of the year to ride.

It's Dead

These gizmos and more have pretty much changed the face of "self-supported" racing forever.

Self-supported racing, for the most part, is dead. It has been for many years now. You may not have noticed it, but things are not what they used to be.

I've been keenly aware of this since I started Trans Iowa event production with Jeff Kerkove back in 2004-2005. Every year since, self-supported endurance efforts became easier and easier, at least in terms of the little corner of that which I have observed along the way. When the genre' made a final turn into a form of supported event participation on a grand scale is something I cannot pinpoint exactly, I just know it happened.

First off, let me say that the physical part remains a challenge like to that which men and women took on earlier in my time around this stuff.  I don't belittle that part at all. What I am saying is that the other major hurdle competitors face, the mental part, has changed vastly since those days when I became part of Trans Iowa. The differences are huge. Mental, emotional, and even spiritual support is so much a part of the events now that no one takes thought as to how impactful that part of riding these events is today compared to the lack of those support mechanisms ten, fifteen years ago. 

The evidence abounds, and it is right there in front of us if we pay attention. Read race reports, for example, and you will see how it works. I read one the other day for Gravel Worlds that mentioned how a rider was about to quit when a call to this person's significant other was made and this person changed the mind of the rider, offering what was called out by the author of the report as "support". You've no doubt read or heard about things like this before.

Or how about checkpoint appearances by family members eager to support a rider, or even in my report about Gravel Worlds, when I mentioned the "Trail Angels" in that small village I passed through? Then there are the "likes" and texts, and other social media connections. It all adds up. Imagine riding a long event without any possibility of any of those things I mentioned. 

That's how it used to be, at one time. Early Trans Iowa events featured zero social media. Heck, you couldn't even get a cell phone to work 80% of the time. That quickly changed though. By Trans Iowa v5, I noted that riders were using cell phones to talk to loved ones, getting encouraged, coached, and "supported" by those voices on the other end. Then it went to social media being used, texts, GPS tracking, and occasionally we were aware that there was a possibility of a support person for certain riders. This meant I had to get more eyes out on course after v8, and we were pretty vigilant about looking for odd cars and signs of support.

But it was the electronic technology that really changed the face of self-supported racing. As far as I can tell, there is no going back either. Too bad, because anyone that says their event is "self-supported" isn't really considering what that means in 2018 and beyond versus what they maybe think it means in a romanticized, nostalgic sense. To my mind, "self-supported" isn't happening anymore. It's dead.

It's Dead

These gizmos and more have pretty much changed the face of "self-supported" racing forever.

Self-supported racing, for the most part, is dead. It has been for many years now. You may not have noticed it, but things are not what they used to be.

I've been keenly aware of this since I started Trans Iowa event production with Jeff Kerkove back in 2004-2005. Every year since, self-supported endurance efforts became easier and easier, at least in terms of the little corner of that which I have observed along the way. When the genre' made a final turn into a form of supported event participation on a grand scale is something I cannot pinpoint exactly, I just know it happened.

First off, let me say that the physical part remains a challenge like to that which men and women took on earlier in my time around this stuff.  I don't belittle that part at all. What I am saying is that the other major hurdle competitors face, the mental part, has changed vastly since those days when I became part of Trans Iowa. The differences are huge. Mental, emotional, and even spiritual support is so much a part of the events now that no one takes thought as to how impactful that part of riding these events is today compared to the lack of those support mechanisms ten, fifteen years ago. 

The evidence abounds, and it is right there in front of us if we pay attention. Read race reports, for example, and you will see how it works. I read one the other day for Gravel Worlds that mentioned how a rider was about to quit when a call to this person's significant other was made and this person changed the mind of the rider, offering what was called out by the author of the report as "support". You've no doubt read or heard about things like this before.

Or how about checkpoint appearances by family members eager to support a rider, or even in my report about Gravel Worlds, when I mentioned the "Trail Angels" in that small village I passed through? Then there are the "likes" and texts, and other social media connections. It all adds up. Imagine riding a long event without any possibility of any of those things I mentioned. 

That's how it used to be, at one time. Early Trans Iowa events featured zero social media. Heck, you couldn't even get a cell phone to work 80% of the time. That quickly changed though. By Trans Iowa v5, I noted that riders were using cell phones to talk to loved ones, getting encouraged, coached, and "supported" by those voices on the other end. Then it went to social media being used, texts, GPS tracking, and occasionally we were aware that there was a possibility of a support person for certain riders. This meant I had to get more eyes out on course after v8, and we were pretty vigilant about looking for odd cars and signs of support.

But it was the electronic technology that really changed the face of self-supported racing. As far as I can tell, there is no going back either. Too bad, because anyone that says their event is "self-supported" isn't really considering what that means in 2018 and beyond versus what they maybe think it means in a romanticized, nostalgic sense. To my mind, "self-supported" isn't happening anymore. It's dead.

Caged

Lezyne side loader cage in (VERY) Purple

The BgP was used in two events and during those events I realized that there was one small detail of my build that was annoying. That being that the second bottle on the down tube, the one closest to the seat tube, was a bearcat to get out while you are riding the bike. I could get it out, but it was a struggle and mostly due to the fact that you have to pull the bottle in line with the downtube. This ends up making you run into the bottle cage mounted directly in front of this bottle you are trying to get at. Frustrating and not good.

I figured that a different type of bottle cage might work. I had heard that Lezyne might make some cages that would work and so Todd, my co-worker, and I did some internet sleuthing and came across this side loader cage from Lezyne. Bonus......it is offered in a purple color! 

Order placed, I patiently awaited its delivery to the shop where I work. When it came in, I was curious as to just what shade of purple I was getting. Of course, I had no expectations that it would match the Velocity Bottle Traps I already had. That would be asking too much, but I was hoping it wouldn't be too far off or weird in hue. Much to my delight, it turned out to be almost a dead ringer for the Wolf Tooth head set I used.

One other thing I noted was that this cage allowed for a slight amount of adjustment to the mounting position as the holes are slotted. Then I noted that this cage is made from some pretty beefy looking plastic. Pliable, but tough. Also- you might note that you can get this in a left or right side load version. I got the right side version. I Instagrammed my purchase and received a lot of encouraging words on how these cages worked for others. So, I'm pretty hopeful that it will do the trick.

Coming out sideways now!

I mounted it up and it really looks great. Definitely a more intense shade of purple than the Velocity cages are. So......I have to make a decision here. Maybe I leave it, run two diferent shades of purple, or maybe I get all the cages switched over to this Lezyne cage hue.

Some of that will depend upon how I like the Lezyne cage. I haven't ridden with it yet due to certain technical upgrades happening here which took me away from riding this weekend. (See yesterday's post for why that was.)

Otherwise I think this will solve my only nit with how this bike came together. Once that is tidied up I will decide about color and maybe make the switch. Another experiment I need to engage in will be swapping over to 650B wheels and tires to see what I think of that on the Black Mountain BgP. I've got to get a couple more TRP center lock rotors before I get to that though.

In the meantime the mountain bikes have been getting refreshed for the upcoming Fall season and next on the maintenance schedule are the fat bikes which need cleaning and going over before Winter arrives. So, there will be no shortage of work to do in between riding, getting the house ready for Winter, and doing whatever needs done for the website work.

Caged

Lezyne side loader cage in (VERY) Purple

The BgP was used in two events and during those events I realized that there was one small detail of my build that was annoying. That being that the second bottle on the down tube, the one closest to the seat tube, was a bearcat to get out while you are riding the bike. I could get it out, but it was a struggle and mostly due to the fact that you have to pull the bottle in line with the downtube. This ends up making you run into the bottle cage mounted directly in front of this bottle you are trying to get at. Frustrating and not good.

I figured that a different type of bottle cage might work. I had heard that Lezyne might make some cages that would work and so Todd, my co-worker, and I did some internet sleuthing and came across this side loader cage from Lezyne. Bonus......it is offered in a purple color! 

Order placed, I patiently awaited its delivery to the shop where I work. When it came in, I was curious as to just what shade of purple I was getting. Of course, I had no expectations that it would match the Velocity Bottle Traps I already had. That would be asking too much, but I was hoping it wouldn't be too far off or weird in hue. Much to my delight, it turned out to be almost a dead ringer for the Wolf Tooth head set I used.

One other thing I noted was that this cage allowed for a slight amount of adjustment to the mounting position as the holes are slotted. Then I noted that this cage is made from some pretty beefy looking plastic. Pliable, but tough. Also- you might note that you can get this in a left or right side load version. I got the right side version. I Instagrammed my purchase and received a lot of encouraging words on how these cages worked for others. So, I'm pretty hopeful that it will do the trick.

Coming out sideways now!

I mounted it up and it really looks great. Definitely a more intense shade of purple than the Velocity cages are. So......I have to make a decision here. Maybe I leave it, run two diferent shades of purple, or maybe I get all the cages switched over to this Lezyne cage hue.

Some of that will depend upon how I like the Lezyne cage. I haven't ridden with it yet due to certain technical upgrades happening here which took me away from riding this weekend. (See yesterday's post for why that was.)

Otherwise I think this will solve my only nit with how this bike came together. Once that is tidied up I will decide about color and maybe make the switch. Another experiment I need to engage in will be swapping over to 650B wheels and tires to see what I think of that on the Black Mountain BgP. I've got to get a couple more TRP center lock rotors before I get to that though.

In the meantime the mountain bikes have been getting refreshed for the upcoming Fall season and next on the maintenance schedule are the fat bikes which need cleaning and going over before Winter arrives. So, there will be no shortage of work to do in between riding, getting the house ready for Winter, and doing whatever needs done for the website work.

Upgraded

Transitional phase engaged

Something happened here at Guitar Ted Productions that hasn't happened in over 10 years. I got a new PC set up.

That's right, out with the old, in with the new! Hopefully there will be no hiccups with the new set up or the transition to a completely new set up. And when I say "completely new", I mean even the desk!

The computer I used was old, but the desk was absolutely decrepit. I have a pet peeve and it has to do with pressed wood furniture. I do not like it at all. My old desk, which you can see in the image here, was pressed wood and it started decaying immediately after we got it. It got so bad that for a while it was snagging my wool garments. Not good!

So I ended up modifying the desk top using Gorilla Glue and that actually worked very well. Anyway, as you can imagine, the desk is a mess and looks horrible. I cannot wait to get this piece of slag out of the house. But before that happens my tech, (Mrs. Guitar Ted), has to do a lot of switching, rewiring, and we both will be rearranging and cleaning up stuff.

So, what can you, as a reader here, expect? Hopefully you can still expect the same content daily, (or nearly so), that I have provided for over ten years here. Barring any technical difficulties during the switch, that will be the case. Otherwise the look and feel of the blog should remain the same for the foreseeable future.

I guess now would be as good a time as any to ask for any suggestions or comments that you, as readers, would like to see changed, deleted, added, or whatever. Just hit me up in the comments here or at g.ted.productions@gmail.com

As always, thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Upgraded

Transitional phase engaged

Something happened here at Guitar Ted Productions that hasn't happened in over 10 years. I got a new PC set up.

That's right, out with the old, in with the new! Hopefully there will be no hiccups with the new set up or the transition to a completely new set up. And when I say "completely new", I mean even the desk!

The computer I used was old, but the desk was absolutely decrepit. I have a pet peeve and it has to do with pressed wood furniture. I do not like it at all. My old desk, which you can see in the image here, was pressed wood and it started decaying immediately after we got it. It got so bad that for a while it was snagging my wool garments. Not good!

So I ended up modifying the desk top using Gorilla Glue and that actually worked very well. Anyway, as you can imagine, the desk is a mess and looks horrible. I cannot wait to get this piece of slag out of the house. But before that happens my tech, (Mrs. Guitar Ted), has to do a lot of switching, rewiring, and we both will be rearranging and cleaning up stuff.

So, what can you, as a reader here, expect? Hopefully you can still expect the same content daily, (or nearly so), that I have provided for over ten years here. Barring any technical difficulties during the switch, that will be the case. Otherwise the look and feel of the blog should remain the same for the foreseeable future.

I guess now would be as good a time as any to ask for any suggestions or comments that you, as readers, would like to see changed, deleted, added, or whatever. Just hit me up in the comments here or at g.ted.productions@gmail.com

As always, thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

The Touring Series: The Race Against Death Tour Begins!

A Guitar Ted Productions series

Thanks for joining me again on another adventure in "The Touring Series". This tour was dubbed the "Race Against Death Tour". This tour occurred in August of 1995. The three participants, Ryan, Troy, and your's truly, left from Cedar Falls, Iowa to try and get to Winter Park, Colorado in two weeks. Here I am reproducing the tale as it was posted on the blog in 2009. I also will add new remarks and memories where appropriate at the end of each post. 

 Once again, there were no cell phones, internet, social media platforms, or digital cameras in use by we tourers in 1995. I will post images where I can, but this tour wasn't well documented in images, so there probably will be very few sprinkled throughout. A modern image will be used only where it depicts things I want to clarify, like where we were in that part of the tour via a map image, or the like.
_____________________________________________________________________


So, with all the preparations done well in advance, we had nothing to do but wait for the day to arrive for our departure. As with the "Beg, Borrow, and Bastard Tour", I wanted to chronicle the event for the future. I had a lofty goal of writing as we went, and even went so far as to buy a little book to take along and write in. I got as far as the first entry! Ha ha! So much for that. Here's a little excerpt from that entry, which will help lock a few details in;

Friday, August 4th: .....Now during a typically hot, humid Iowa summer, we tourers are on the brink of a once in a lifetime experience. .........We have as a goal to reach Winter Park, Colorado, via the Black Hills of South Dakota in two weeks. 100 mile a day average for an approximate total of 1300 miles. The stage is set. On Monday, August 7th at 6:30 am we shall set forth on our journey.

That was a lofty goal, and as you might be able to tell, I was pretty confident I had the details worked out. Well, we will see later how far off the mark I was! However; until then, there is much to tell, so on with the story......

The details were not written down as I went, but I did have the foresight to make notes on each days happenings and to record the mileage. Fortunately the rest was memorable enough that I can piece this together into a coherent and (hopefully) entertaining read. The highlights and low lights are all engraved on my memory still.

So it was that this tour was setting off on a hot August in 1995. Troy on his trusty green Voyager, Ryan on a slightly too big burgundy Voyager, and myself on the old Mongoose All Mountain Pro in chrome plate. Once again, we all had loads on that would render our bikes un-liftable. I have no idea what the weight we had on those rigs was, but I assure you, they were overloaded! The six man Eureka dome tent was split into sections that we all shared in carrying. We all had front and rear panniers, handle bar bags, and seat bags. I'm sure we looked pretty special out there!

The first goal was to get beyond Fort Dodge, Iowa to a campground just west of there. 100 miles a day average was the set goal for each day. We were all going to try to hold to that. The weather sounded great for the next few days, and with much expectation, we were all pumped for this trip.
______________________________________________________________________________

 Yes, this was a much anticipated ride for me. A couple more notes to keep in mind here before this story takes off on down the road next week........

My handle bar bag was festooned with a string of "temple bells", a silver necklace, actually, which I found at a local trendy clothing shop. In fact, Troy, Ryan, and I all went to this place to get a "hacky-sack", which is another story in itself. But anyway, the bells on that silver necklace drove the guys nuts as it jingle-jangled whenever I hit a crack in the road. I figured it would be a good distraction from the monotony of pedaling. I've still got those things and the handle bar bag! I'll have to post an image of that as well.

I replaced the Avocet Touring saddle from the last tour with a rare Pirelli saddle which had rubber donuts separating the rails from their mounts under the saddle. It was very similar to an automobile's motor mounts and it worked very well.

Next Week- Onward Through The Fog!

The Touring Series: The Race Against Death Tour Begins!

A Guitar Ted Productions series

Thanks for joining me again on another adventure in "The Touring Series". This tour was dubbed the "Race Against Death Tour". This tour occurred in August of 1995. The three participants, Ryan, Troy, and your's truly, left from Cedar Falls, Iowa to try and get to Winter Park, Colorado in two weeks. Here I am reproducing the tale as it was posted on the blog in 2009. I also will add new remarks and memories where appropriate at the end of each post. 

 Once again, there were no cell phones, internet, social media platforms, or digital cameras in use by we tourers in 1995. I will post images where I can, but this tour wasn't well documented in images, so there probably will be very few sprinkled throughout. A modern image will be used only where it depicts things I want to clarify, like where we were in that part of the tour via a map image, or the like.
_____________________________________________________________________


So, with all the preparations done well in advance, we had nothing to do but wait for the day to arrive for our departure. As with the "Beg, Borrow, and Bastard Tour", I wanted to chronicle the event for the future. I had a lofty goal of writing as we went, and even went so far as to buy a little book to take along and write in. I got as far as the first entry! Ha ha! So much for that. Here's a little excerpt from that entry, which will help lock a few details in;

Friday, August 4th: .....Now during a typically hot, humid Iowa summer, we tourers are on the brink of a once in a lifetime experience. .........We have as a goal to reach Winter Park, Colorado, via the Black Hills of South Dakota in two weeks. 100 mile a day average for an approximate total of 1300 miles. The stage is set. On Monday, August 7th at 6:30 am we shall set forth on our journey.

That was a lofty goal, and as you might be able to tell, I was pretty confident I had the details worked out. Well, we will see later how far off the mark I was! However; until then, there is much to tell, so on with the story......

The details were not written down as I went, but I did have the foresight to make notes on each days happenings and to record the mileage. Fortunately the rest was memorable enough that I can piece this together into a coherent and (hopefully) entertaining read. The highlights and low lights are all engraved on my memory still.

So it was that this tour was setting off on a hot August in 1995. Troy on his trusty green Voyager, Ryan on a slightly too big burgundy Voyager, and myself on the old Mongoose All Mountain Pro in chrome plate. Once again, we all had loads on that would render our bikes un-liftable. I have no idea what the weight we had on those rigs was, but I assure you, they were overloaded! The six man Eureka dome tent was split into sections that we all shared in carrying. We all had front and rear panniers, handle bar bags, and seat bags. I'm sure we looked pretty special out there!

The first goal was to get beyond Fort Dodge, Iowa to a campground just west of there. 100 miles a day average was the set goal for each day. We were all going to try to hold to that. The weather sounded great for the next few days, and with much expectation, we were all pumped for this trip.
______________________________________________________________________________

 Yes, this was a much anticipated ride for me. A couple more notes to keep in mind here before this story takes off on down the road next week........

My handle bar bag was festooned with a string of "temple bells", a silver necklace, actually, which I found at a local trendy clothing shop. In fact, Troy, Ryan, and I all went to this place to get a "hacky-sack", which is another story in itself. But anyway, the bells on that silver necklace drove the guys nuts as it jingle-jangled whenever I hit a crack in the road. I figured it would be a good distraction from the monotony of pedaling. I've still got those things and the handle bar bag! I'll have to post an image of that as well.

I replaced the Avocet Touring saddle from the last tour with a rare Pirelli saddle which had rubber donuts separating the rails from their mounts under the saddle. It was very similar to an automobile's motor mounts and it worked very well.

Next Week- Onward Through The Fog!

Minus Ten Review -34

Fork swapping continued. Here is a 420mm axle to crown fork on the Blackbuck

Ten years ago here on the blog I was talking about many things that have come to pass or have been proven to be flashes in the pan. One thing I'll share today is an example to us now that history is repeating itself.

The stage racing, ultra-distance unpaved bicycle thing was really just taking off ten years ago. While there had always been events of this ilk, the social media/internet factor wasn't present and in 2008, lots of folks were looking for something other than a criterium or mountain bike race to test their mettle. (Okay, triathlon was a part of this, but that's more than just cycling) I predicted that bicycle companies would begin to cater to this trend, and of course, you know now that has happened. I was "in the know" about what Salsa Cycles was up to, but I saw that and knew it would not stop with them.

Another thing I always was sure would happen was that 29"er wheels would supplant the then dominant standard of 26 inch wheels. 27.5"ers eventually sealed the deal on 26"ers, but it was going to happen anyway. So, I was excited for the 2008 Interbike, which I felt would help propel 29"ers into the mainstream, and you know what happened after that.

Interestingly, this was also about when Interbike, and trade shows in general, took a step backward from prominence and slowly faded into obscurity within the next five years. 2007-2008 was about when the pendulum swung back, in my estimation. Those first Interbike shows I went to for "Twenty Nine Inches" were really quite crazy busy. Not so much in the years afterward.

The Blackbuck here with a rare Willits WOW fork. I traded the fork years later for fat bike rims.

Finally, I reported on a trend ten years ago which the bicycling industry was hot on which doesn't hardly move the needle now. It is a great example of what is going on right now with e-bikes. Here's what I wrote ten years ago concerning the hot trend of "urban bikes":

"With the "trade show season" upon us, there is always speculation that something really big is going to be shown that will blow us all away. You know, "The Next Big Thing". Who knows what that will be, or even if it will be.

Last year it was "urban bikes", this year it could be that again. Commuter/urban/fixie/utility rigs that people think are going to "save the planet"."

And that trend died right after this. Where do you even see fixies being sold in the numbers they once were? Another great example is the QBP brand "All City". An urban, hipster moniker if there ever was one for a bike company. Well, they hit the scene ten years ago with a suite of fixie parts and then they came out with some crazy urban rigs. Good stuff, but the trend was dying. All City pretty much has abandoned their fixie roots for all-road and classic style cycling trends. 

All this to point out that there are many e-bike players and only so many customers. There will be a tipping point with e-bikes where the folks that have them won't be in the market anymore and over-production will rear its ugly head. Then......the inevitable. The cycling world will then be on the lookout for whatever "The Next Big Thing" is. You know,  instead of promoting a certain type of bicycle, the industry needs to promote a reason for riding, places to do that which are safe, and the rest will follow. Make it fun, authentic, and safe. Not centered around a type of bicycle.

Minus Ten Review -34

Fork swapping continued. Here is a 420mm axle to crown fork on the Blackbuck

Ten years ago here on the blog I was talking about many things that have come to pass or have been proven to be flashes in the pan. One thing I'll share today is an example to us now that history is repeating itself.

The stage racing, ultra-distance unpaved bicycle thing was really just taking off ten years ago. While there had always been events of this ilk, the social media/internet factor wasn't present and in 2008, lots of folks were looking for something other than a criterium or mountain bike race to test their mettle. (Okay, triathlon was a part of this, but that's more than just cycling) I predicted that bicycle companies would begin to cater to this trend, and of course, you know now that has happened. I was "in the know" about what Salsa Cycles was up to, but I saw that and knew it would not stop with them.

Another thing I always was sure would happen was that 29"er wheels would supplant the then dominant standard of 26 inch wheels. 27.5"ers eventually sealed the deal on 26"ers, but it was going to happen anyway. So, I was excited for the 2008 Interbike, which I felt would help propel 29"ers into the mainstream, and you know what happened after that.

Interestingly, this was also about when Interbike, and trade shows in general, took a step backward from prominence and slowly faded into obscurity within the next five years. 2007-2008 was about when the pendulum swung back, in my estimation. Those first Interbike shows I went to for "Twenty Nine Inches" were really quite crazy busy. Not so much in the years afterward.

The Blackbuck here with a rare Willits WOW fork. I traded the fork years later for fat bike rims.

Finally, I reported on a trend ten years ago which the bicycling industry was hot on which doesn't hardly move the needle now. It is a great example of what is going on right now with e-bikes. Here's what I wrote ten years ago concerning the hot trend of "urban bikes":

"With the "trade show season" upon us, there is always speculation that something really big is going to be shown that will blow us all away. You know, "The Next Big Thing". Who knows what that will be, or even if it will be.

Last year it was "urban bikes", this year it could be that again. Commuter/urban/fixie/utility rigs that people think are going to "save the planet"."

And that trend died right after this. Where do you even see fixies being sold in the numbers they once were? Another great example is the QBP brand "All City". An urban, hipster moniker if there ever was one for a bike company. Well, they hit the scene ten years ago with a suite of fixie parts and then they came out with some crazy urban rigs. Good stuff, but the trend was dying. All City pretty much has abandoned their fixie roots for all-road and classic style cycling trends. 

All this to point out that there are many e-bike players and only so many customers. There will be a tipping point with e-bikes where the folks that have them won't be in the market anymore and over-production will rear its ugly head. Then......the inevitable. The cycling world will then be on the lookout for whatever "The Next Big Thing" is. You know,  instead of promoting a certain type of bicycle, the industry needs to promote a reason for riding, places to do that which are safe, and the rest will follow. Make it fun, authentic, and safe. Not centered around a type of bicycle.

Friday News And Views

The Path Less Pedaled Interviews Guitar Ted:

There is another podcast out right now that features myself yakking about the gravel scene and a bit about Trans Iowa. It was an interview conducted by Russ from "The Path Less Pedaled" and if you'd like to hear the almost one hour gab session, click here.

A couple of notes here- First off, this was recorded before Trans Iowa v14. So......I couldn't let on that T.I.v14 was the last, or the cat would have been outta the bag too early. But you may wonder about that because the podcast didn't get released until earlier this week. Well.......

I was supposed to have been video interviewed, but the connection wasn't working for video, so we just recorded the audio track and Russ said he'd make it work out. He wanted an image from me of myself, but Trans Iowa was up next, and then the DK200, and then...... I forgot all about that. I didn't know when Russ planned on releasing the audio, so I kept the news about T.I. mum during the recording.

 So, Russ grabbed some video shot during the beginning of the DKXL event at the Dirty Kanza 200 weekend. (I wrote about that moment here on the blog) and pasted that in front of the interview as a lead in. That's something I didn't know he was going to do, so I was a bit surprised by that, and the point of views he used I never had seen before. At any rate, I had no idea even if this podcast would ever get released, much less when, so the deal was a big surprise this week when I came across the mention on Twitter. Check it out if you'd like.......

The new Cannondale Topstone gravel bike

Cannondale Debuts New Gravel Rig:

Maybe you saw my post on this bike for RidingGravel.com. But in case you haven't, Cannondale is now making a 700c based gravel rig. The Slate, the front suspended, 650B rig, continues in the line up as well, but this new rig ticks a lot of "standard" boxes when it comes to current gravel rigs. 42mm tire clearances, (probably a slightly bigger tire will work as well), dropper post compatibility, three bottle bosses with the down tube one being a triple, "Three Pack" type set of braze ons, rack and fender mounts, and through axles front and rear. All carbon fork on all three models. All the basics here. By the way, it has been said it will accept a 650B x 47mm tire as well. They just won't be offered in 650B.

While all that is well and fine, and the bike is aimed at the entry to mid-level buyer, what I was very impressed by was the geometry. Cannondale pushed a few models into their gravel category that were really cyclo-cross bikes and the geometry showed it. Now the Topstone will have, what in my opinion is, an aggressively slack head angle mated with an aggressively low bottom bracket. 71° and 75mm respectively. I like those numbers a lot, and in fact, that was my preferred set of numbers for the Tamland, but in 2012 I thought that telling Raleigh to do that was too radical. 

The Topstone will come in three model specs and the top is shown here in SRAM Apex 1. The other two are Shimano 105 and Sora, both with double ring chainsets. I dig that blue color, but I do not dig that drive train! The 105 is a glossy, conservative grey and the Sora is forest green, or close to that with a starting price of 1G. The others go up from there. $1650.00 and 2G actually. The bikes are available now.....

Topstone Sora

Topstone 105

The Bubblegum Princess Update:

I didn't really give a review of the pink MCD Black Mountain Cycles rig after Gravel Worlds, but I will say a few words now since I have a space to here.

First off, I am not changing a thing. I may as well saw off the steer tube now where I have the stem set and call it finished since I have zero complaints about the way I fit the bike. All the careful measuring I took off my other bikes paid off with a perfect fit the first time. Trust me, I am pretty surprised I nailed it!

The big tires are the way to go for me. The Riddlers are good. I think Resolutes would be even better. I need to try them on here sometime. But other than that, the bike is perfect. Thanks to Ben Witt and Whiskey Parts for the incredible No. 9 24 Drop Bar and the super-smooth No. 7 Seatpost. The ride of this bike is totally calm and smooth mainly due to these two components. Also, my bum left shoulder has never been happier! Well, since it's been a "bum shoulder", that is.  So, I am tickled pink, (sorry!), about these parts on this bike.

During the Gravel Worlds event I had really awesome stability due to the geometry of the bike and the tire/rim combination. The looser sand and pea gravel down there never threw me for a loop and I could even dart across the center line of the road at high down hill speeds without fear of washing out or fishtailing. The wasboard, which was all over the course, was sucked up big time by the bar, post, and my Redshift Shock Stop stem. The whole package really made it so my body wasn't beat up at all over the course of the 24hrs of Cumming or Gravel Worlds.

Finally, a word about the fork. It is really smooth. I was afraid that since the disc brake change was coming that the new fork wasn't going to feel like the old cantilever brake Monster Cross fork does. But I have no worries about that after having done two different kinds of gravel in two different states. That fork works very well, and you can see it working. Just like you can with the cantilever based fork.

In my humble opinion, both Monster Cross variants are home runs for gravel or all-road riding. Mike Varley has done it again, and now I have another bike I'll never be letting go of. I look forward to a lot of adventures on my new Bubblegum Princess and continued adventures on the Orange Crush.

That's all for this week. Have a great weekend and get out and ride!

Friday News And Views

The Path Less Pedaled Interviews Guitar Ted:

There is another podcast out right now that features myself yakking about the gravel scene and a bit about Trans Iowa. It was an interview conducted by Russ from "The Path Less Pedaled" and if you'd like to hear the almost one hour gab session, click here.

A couple of notes here- First off, this was recorded before Trans Iowa v14. So......I couldn't let on that T.I.v14 was the last, or the cat would have been outta the bag too early. But you may wonder about that because the podcast didn't get released until earlier this week. Well.......

I was supposed to have been video interviewed, but the connection wasn't working for video, so we just recorded the audio track and Russ said he'd make it work out. He wanted an image from me of myself, but Trans Iowa was up next, and then the DK200, and then...... I forgot all about that. I didn't know when Russ planned on releasing the audio, so I kept the news about T.I. mum during the recording.

 So, Russ grabbed some video shot during the beginning of the DKXL event at the Dirty Kanza 200 weekend. (I wrote about that moment here on the blog) and pasted that in front of the interview as a lead in. That's something I didn't know he was going to do, so I was a bit surprised by that, and the point of views he used I never had seen before. At any rate, I had no idea even if this podcast would ever get released, much less when, so the deal was a big surprise this week when I came across the mention on Twitter. Check it out if you'd like.......

The new Cannondale Topstone gravel bike

Cannondale Debuts New Gravel Rig:

Maybe you saw my post on this bike for RidingGravel.com. But in case you haven't, Cannondale is now making a 700c based gravel rig. The Slate, the front suspended, 650B rig, continues in the line up as well, but this new rig ticks a lot of "standard" boxes when it comes to current gravel rigs. 42mm tire clearances, (probably a slightly bigger tire will work as well), dropper post compatibility, three bottle bosses with the down tube one being a triple, "Three Pack" type set of braze ons, rack and fender mounts, and through axles front and rear. All carbon fork on all three models. All the basics here. By the way, it has been said it will accept a 650B x 47mm tire as well. They just won't be offered in 650B.

While all that is well and fine, and the bike is aimed at the entry to mid-level buyer, what I was very impressed by was the geometry. Cannondale pushed a few models into their gravel category that were really cyclo-cross bikes and the geometry showed it. Now the Topstone will have, what in my opinion is, an aggressively slack head angle mated with an aggressively low bottom bracket. 71° and 75mm respectively. I like those numbers a lot, and in fact, that was my preferred set of numbers for the Tamland, but in 2012 I thought that telling Raleigh to do that was too radical. 

The Topstone will come in three model specs and the top is shown here in SRAM Apex 1. The other two are Shimano 105 and Sora, both with double ring chainsets. I dig that blue color, but I do not dig that drive train! The 105 is a glossy, conservative grey and the Sora is forest green, or close to that with a starting price of 1G. The others go up from there. $1650.00 and 2G actually. The bikes are available now.....

Topstone Sora

Topstone 105

The Bubblegum Princess Update:

I didn't really give a review of the pink MCD Black Mountain Cycles rig after Gravel Worlds, but I will say a few words now since I have a space to here.

First off, I am not changing a thing. I may as well saw off the steer tube now where I have the stem set and call it finished since I have zero complaints about the way I fit the bike. All the careful measuring I took off my other bikes paid off with a perfect fit the first time. Trust me, I am pretty surprised I nailed it!

The big tires are the way to go for me. The Riddlers are good. I think Resolutes would be even better. I need to try them on here sometime. But other than that, the bike is perfect. Thanks to Ben Witt and Whiskey Parts for the incredible No. 9 24 Drop Bar and the super-smooth No. 7 Seatpost. The ride of this bike is totally calm and smooth mainly due to these two components. Also, my bum left shoulder has never been happier! Well, since it's been a "bum shoulder", that is.  So, I am tickled pink, (sorry!), about these parts on this bike.

During the Gravel Worlds event I had really awesome stability due to the geometry of the bike and the tire/rim combination. The looser sand and pea gravel down there never threw me for a loop and I could even dart across the center line of the road at high down hill speeds without fear of washing out or fishtailing. The wasboard, which was all over the course, was sucked up big time by the bar, post, and my Redshift Shock Stop stem. The whole package really made it so my body wasn't beat up at all over the course of the 24hrs of Cumming or Gravel Worlds.

Finally, a word about the fork. It is really smooth. I was afraid that since the disc brake change was coming that the new fork wasn't going to feel like the old cantilever brake Monster Cross fork does. But I have no worries about that after having done two different kinds of gravel in two different states. That fork works very well, and you can see it working. Just like you can with the cantilever based fork.

In my humble opinion, both Monster Cross variants are home runs for gravel or all-road riding. Mike Varley has done it again, and now I have another bike I'll never be letting go of. I look forward to a lot of adventures on my new Bubblegum Princess and continued adventures on the Orange Crush.

That's all for this week. Have a great weekend and get out and ride!