C.O.G. 100 Final Update

The inaugural C.O.G. 100 will be this Saturday at Miller Park in Grinnell, Iowa. There will be a LOT of important reminders and information here, so please pay attention if you are in the event. (My apologies to regular readers who are not part of this. I'll be back to regular posting tomorrow.)

Here we go! I have a bunch of things to cover today. first off, I should ask that you make sure you are familiar with the RULES. <===CLICK THAT. I will only add that I am quite serious about the single speed only bits. Don't even bother coming with a geared bike zip tied to be a "single speed", or any other half-baked solution. Not gonna fly here.

Secondly, I have noted a few "rookies" to my style of event that were wondering why there wasn't a course gps file, elevation gain given so they could choose the "right gear", and some qualms about cue sheet navigation. Okay, I could go on a long dissertation about why all of these things I do are good for you, but suffice it to say that I have my reasons. Secondly- if it offends you, why did you register for the event? Weird. I am not going to switch up my format to accommodate "easier living" for those who object to my "not handing you everything" ahead of time. In my opinion, we are all a bunch of spoilt brats and whiners. Myself included. Ease of life is at such a high level that we have lost sight of how good we have it. This is partly why I make my events the way they are. Nuff said....... If you get it afterward, great. If not, oh well...........

Course Conditions: The roads will be messy. It looks like we will experience some rain just before the event. This will make things sloppy. Road conditions are going to be wildly variable. You'll see patches of fresh gravel, soft, muddy spots, rutting, and probably some decent roads as well. Yes, the Level B Road will be passable on foot. No way will you be able to ride it. It is in there for a reason.

I'd suggest a clip on rear fender and possibly a front "mud deflector" type device to help with your comfort and visibility factor. You will definitely want to be layered up against damp, chilly conditions. I suspect the temperatures for the most part to be in the 30's to maybe 40°F for the entirety of the event. This coupled with stiff, Northwest winds of 17mph-25mph will make for a really challenging day to stay warm. This especially will be true if the roadways are wet and you get wet. Plan accordingly.

What riders might look like Saturday. (Image courtesy of ??)

Schedule Of Events: Friday you can check in with us at the Peace Tree Taproom Grinnell if you want to. If you do, it will make the Saturday go that much smoother for you and for us. You will sign waivers, get your schwag, and your race number. Cues will not be distributed until the morning of the event at 7:00am sharp. Come to the Peace Tree Taproom Friday between 6:00pm and 10:00pm.

Saturday: At 7:00am you can start getting inspected, get signed on, (if you haven't already), and pick up your schwag and race number. Cues will be distributed starting at 7:40am and riders will be briefed shortly before the controlled roll-out. The event starts at 8:00am SHARP!

Post event we encourage you to come to downtown Grinnell and have a beverage at the Peace Tree Taproom. We'll be hanging for a couple hours after the event to listen to your stories and just chit-chat if you'd like.

Number Protocol: We have Tyvek numbers with four holes- one in each corner. We are providing pipe cleaners to tie these to your bike on with. We expect to be able to see and read your number on the front of the bike.

Images: We have a roving photographer, Jon Duke, lined up to take images for this event. He has agreed to allow free use of all images taken by event participants only.  Any outside use of these images must be cleared by myself here at Guitar Ted Productions. Jon has been a Trans Iowa veteran, finisher, and was the T.I.v14 photographer last year.

 If you cannot make it- Please let us know ASAP. We would appreciate that.

Ride Right: Finally- Just a reminder that we are going to be enforcing the idea of "Ride Right". It's pretty simple- just keep on the right side of the roadway. Especially up hills! If you are found riding on the wrong side of the road, we will DQ you. It is unsafe and places you and the other riders in danger. Besides this you must stop and obey all stop signs, look both ways before crossing, and use extreme caution when doing so.

Thanks!!