The Trans Iowa Stories:The Template

A Guitar Ted Productions series

NOTE-  This is the basic template for the series, "Trans Iowa Stories". Please let me know if you have any suggestions or comments!

 The layout on this series may be in flux for a bit depending upon how I feel the thing develops. I won't be stuck to what I am laying out here today, so if anyone feels strongly enough about something, please leave a comment. I will seriously consider any suggestion that is reasonable.

With that said, yesterday I posted that this would be about the people, and I still feel that is the most interesting facet of Trans Iowa. I think I am going to kind of break down the story into "eras" of Trans Iowa. There were some people that figure heavily into the T.I. story but maybe weren't along for the entire fourteen years of it. In fact, hardly anyone crosses that time span. There were folks that did have some good runs and were integral parts of the T.I. story. Some were parts of the earliest ones, some in the middle years, and some at the end.

Then there were people that were a big part of this story that never were part of the event proper, or maybe only were in one Trans Iowa. Influencers, helpers, and supporters which without them, Trans Iowa wouldn't have existed or wouldn't have been what it was.

So, here is a bit of an outline with some names of people that I am thinking about. If any readers out there have any names they think I am missing, once again- please suggest those names in the comments. I'm splitting up the "eras" as well in this and anyone that disagrees can let me know what they think there also. Keep in mind that some of the people span eras, and I am not repeating names here. It keeps things simpler for me that way. So, you will notice less names at the end than in the middle.

The Beginnings: 2004-2006

• Mike Curiak, Jeff Kerkove, Richard "Deke" Gosen, Russ Clarke, Dave and Linda Kerkove, The Lalonde Brothers, Ira Ryan, Ward Budweg, The People of Hawarden, Patrick Humenny, Joel Dyke, Jim Cummins

The Growing Up Years: 2007-2009

• Steve Fuller, The Slender Fungus, David Pals, Jason Boucher, Corey, Cornbread" Godfrey, Zach Dundas, Joe Meiser, John Gorilla, Team Polska, Gary Cale, The Lincoln Crew, Trans Iowa Radio's Beginnings, Technology Intrusions, Dave Nice, Ben Shockey, Charlie Farrow, Tim Ek, David Story, Ken Yokanovich, Charles Parsons, Brian Dukek, The Braun Brothers, Jeremy Fry, Volunteers
  

Forged In Tears: 2010-2012

• Matt Gersib, Eric Brunt, Sean Mailen, Mike Johnson, Jana Vavra, Jay & Tracey Petervary, Dennis Grelk, Jay Barre, Mark Johnson, Sheryl Parmely, Craig Cooper, The Grinnell Steakhouse, Rob Versteegh, Jeff Frings, George Keslin, Wally Kilburg, Andrea Cohen, Sam Auen, 
  

Fine Tuning The Beast: 2013-2015

• Greg Gleason, Ben Welnak, Riding Gravel, Monica Sattler, Tony McGrane, Will Ritchie/WTB,  Josh Lederman/Lederman Bail Bonds, Sarah Cooper, International riders

The End Of An Era: 2016-2018

• Dan Hughes, Walter Zitz, Bob Moural/Cumming Tap, Jon Duke

So, that is by no means a definitive list, but it is obviously a huge list of people and the stories connected with them will take an enormous amount of time to tell. Along with the people will come the stories about the weather, the efforts, the relationships, the sponsors, the logistics, and everything the people brought to the table to make Trans Iowa a success story. Some folks will fall under a certain heading, like Volunteers. I think I could write a book just about them.

I'll try my hand at a start this Sunday, and then next Sunday. I'll take up the story involving the beginnings of Trans Iowa and why certain people were important to the story. I will likely reference any of the "Trans Iowa Tales" posts already written as companion reads to my entries as I don't want to cover the same ground twice unless I have new things to say. Keep in mind- there were 46 of those posts alone!

See ya this Sunday!

The Trans Iowa Stories:The Template

A Guitar Ted Productions series

NOTE-  This is the basic template for the series, "Trans Iowa Stories". Please let me know if you have any suggestions or comments!

 The layout on this series may be in flux for a bit depending upon how I feel the thing develops. I won't be stuck to what I am laying out here today, so if anyone feels strongly enough about something, please leave a comment. I will seriously consider any suggestion that is reasonable.

With that said, yesterday I posted that this would be about the people, and I still feel that is the most interesting facet of Trans Iowa. I think I am going to kind of break down the story into "eras" of Trans Iowa. There were some people that figure heavily into the T.I. story but maybe weren't along for the entire fourteen years of it. In fact, hardly anyone crosses that time span. There were folks that did have some good runs and were integral parts of the T.I. story. Some were parts of the earliest ones, some in the middle years, and some at the end.

Then there were people that were a big part of this story that never were part of the event proper, or maybe only were in one Trans Iowa. Influencers, helpers, and supporters which without them, Trans Iowa wouldn't have existed or wouldn't have been what it was.

So, here is a bit of an outline with some names of people that I am thinking about. If any readers out there have any names they think I am missing, once again- please suggest those names in the comments. I'm splitting up the "eras" as well in this and anyone that disagrees can let me know what they think there also. Keep in mind that some of the people span eras, and I am not repeating names here. It keeps things simpler for me that way. So, you will notice less names at the end than in the middle.

The Beginnings: 2004-2006

• Mike Curiak, Jeff Kerkove, Richard "Deke" Gosen, Russ Clarke, Dave and Linda Kerkove, The Lalonde Brothers, Ira Ryan, Ward Budweg, The People of Hawarden, Patrick Humenny, Joel Dyke, Jim Cummins

The Growing Up Years: 2007-2009

• Steve Fuller, The Slender Fungus, David Pals, Jason Boucher, Corey, Cornbread" Godfrey, Zach Dundas, Joe Meiser, John Gorilla, Team Polska, Gary Cale, The Lincoln Crew, Trans Iowa Radio's Beginnings, Technology Intrusions, Dave Nice, Ben Shockey, Charlie Farrow, Tim Ek, David Story, Ken Yokanovich, Charles Parsons, Brian Dukek, The Braun Brothers, Jeremy Fry, Volunteers
  

Forged In Tears: 2010-2012

• Matt Gersib, Eric Brunt, Sean Mailen, Mike Johnson, Jana Vavra, Jay & Tracey Petervary, Dennis Grelk, Jay Barre, Mark Johnson, Sheryl Parmely, Craig Cooper, The Grinnell Steakhouse, Rob Versteegh, Jeff Frings, George Keslin, Wally Kilburg, Andrea Cohen, Sam Auen, 
  

Fine Tuning The Beast: 2013-2015

• Greg Gleason, Ben Welnak, Riding Gravel, Monica Sattler, Tony McGrane, Will Ritchie/WTB,  Josh Lederman/Lederman Bail Bonds, Sarah Cooper, International riders

The End Of An Era: 2016-2018

• Dan Hughes, Walter Zitz, Bob Moural/Cumming Tap, Jon Duke

So, that is by no means a definitive list, but it is obviously a huge list of people and the stories connected with them will take an enormous amount of time to tell. Along with the people will come the stories about the weather, the efforts, the relationships, the sponsors, the logistics, and everything the people brought to the table to make Trans Iowa a success story. Some folks will fall under a certain heading, like Volunteers. I think I could write a book just about them.

I'll try my hand at a start this Sunday, and then next Sunday. I'll take up the story involving the beginnings of Trans Iowa and why certain people were important to the story. I will likely reference any of the "Trans Iowa Tales" posts already written as companion reads to my entries as I don't want to cover the same ground twice unless I have new things to say. Keep in mind- there were 46 of those posts alone!

See ya this Sunday!

Friday News And Views

Nope- I didn't go after all.

Bonus Post Because I Didn't Go:

So, you may have missed this, but I did not make the trip down to see the "All Things Gravel Expo" this week at the Dirty Kanza 200 event. I had intended to, and plans were laid, but at the last minute, MG and I talked, and well.......I realized how crazy this idea was. Nothing to do with the event, by the way. This was all circumstances on our end. I'll let MG speak for himself, if he ever wants to do that, because he had great reasons for not going, but as for me, it wasn't a prudent idea.

See, I had my daughter's commencement on Tuesday evening to attend. Then, my daughter and Mrs. Guitar Ted were to fly out to El Paso, Texas the next morning to see relatives that couldn't make the trip up to see us. Well, and here is the thing- their flight left at 6:00am from Des Moines International Airport, a full 100 plus miles away from us. Maybe you can see how that might work, but if not, here are the details. Commencement ended at about 8:00pm, (we had to be there at 4:30pm!), and it took a full half of an hour just to get out of the parking lot. Then we had to eat. This and preparations to get into bed left us with a nice three hour window to sleep until 1:00am. That was when we had to get up, dress, check over baggage, and load the car. We left the house at 2:15am, stopped for coffee and gas, and left town at 2:22am to get the gals to the airport by 5:00am, so they would have time to check bags, get screened by TSA, and board the plane which was leaving AT 6:00am. We made it with a little less than a half an hour bonus time. So, that was good.

I got maybe two hours of decent sleep, (not nearly enough), and then I would have been driving a further 180+ miles to hook up with MG. It was hard enough driving the 100-ish miles back home. Then Saturday, I have to be back in Des Moines for the arrival of the gals back home, so yeah..... The time spent would not have been well spent in Kansas, and more to the point- the windshield time, which would have been a LOT. Heck I was so out of it Wednesday as it was, I wouldn't have enjoyed the trip, nor would I have been effective. Add in that I would have missed out on two pay days and it really made less sense, and right now, that is important. Then throw in what MG had going on. I wasn't willing to do the trip alone.

So, there is my end of the story. I figure some of you may be wondering why I wasn't down there. Now you know.

SLX 12 speed. Shimano hits back with new XT and SLX MTB parts.

New Shimano XT, SLX Parts:

Shimano has dropped a couple of new MTB parts groups on the market as you may have heard yesterday. Besides the expected XT update to 12 speeds, they also did the SLX group in 12 speed. I like what I see Shimano offering here and there are a few things that I found interesting about the new group sets.

MicroSpline hubs are featured in both groups and this wasn't made prominent in the press release I saw. It was there, but this is a sea change, folks. This is a big, big deal. The line was drawn, I felt, when the new XTR was introduced last year and if you thought it was just nonsense, well this underscores the point that the old, Hypeglide type free hub body is going to end up becoming the pedestrian choice and will maybe live on in entry level groups in the coming years. But your wheels you are riding now aren't going to be compatible with anything new in about five years time. MicroSpline is going to become ubiquitous across the board with high end wheel choices very soon. I know that ticks off a lot of people, but I really don't see any difference with what SRAM did with XD Driver free hub bodies.

HyperGlide + chain link plates. (The blue highlights the "extended inner plate" feature)

Another notable thing is what Shimano has done with chains and chain rings. Obviously, 12 speeds crammed into the same-ish spaces we have had for decades means things have to get slimmer to a degree. Shimano has developed a new Hyperglide + chain which uses a clever shaping of the inner chain plates which mates to the chain rings, effectively causing the two parts to have more contact area than traditionally made chains. This should decrease chain and chain ring wear, since it distributes forces over more material instead of less. Of course, the chains are developed with the chain rings to shift flawlessly, and I expect that they will do just this. No one is better at how chains shift over chain rings and cogs than Shimano. This new chain technology should be implemented over future 12 speed groups, and I bet the GRX group will benefit someday from this.

I also noted that Shimano has front derailleurs for 2 X 12 set ups. Again- not everyone wants a front derailleur, and not every design can use one, but I like that Shimano hasn't given over to the thinking that everything has to be 1X.

It's also noteworthy that Deore XT 12 will be available June 14th, not at some unspecified time six months from now, which was the way Shimano used to do things. That's a big improvement as well.

Finally! A WTB Road Plus tire in 700c sizes.

WTB Introduces 700c Sizes Of The Venture Tire: 

Early this year I had the opportunity to test out the WTB Venture Road Plus tires for the RidingGravel.com site. one of the rides I got in on them was a sketch-fest with N.Y. Roll one Saturday when the snow was still melting off stuff here in March.

During that ride it struck me how the Venture could do far above and beyond what it looked capable of in severe conditions like slick ice, snow, and even a bit in sloppy mud. This, I wagered, would make the Venture an ideal tire for a Fargo, but it would need to be in a 700c size and at least 50mm wide. And guess what? A lot of other folks were thinking similarly. So much so that WTB is now going to offer the Venture in a 700c X 40mm and 700c X 50mm size for those who want to give this versatile trad a go. Also, if you hate skin walls you are in luck, because each will be offered in a black wall version as well.

As luck would have it RidingGravel.com is getting both sizes of 700C Venture tires in for review any day now. So, stay tuned and I should have some feedback on them for you all on that channel. Until then, you can click the link up there and read about the 650B version.

That's a wrap for this week. GOOD LUCK DK200 RIDERS!

Friday News And Views

Nope- I didn't go after all.

Bonus Post Because I Didn't Go:

So, you may have missed this, but I did not make the trip down to see the "All Things Gravel Expo" this week at the Dirty Kanza 200 event. I had intended to, and plans were laid, but at the last minute, MG and I talked, and well.......I realized how crazy this idea was. Nothing to do with the event, by the way. This was all circumstances on our end. I'll let MG speak for himself, if he ever wants to do that, because he had great reasons for not going, but as for me, it wasn't a prudent idea.

See, I had my daughter's commencement on Tuesday evening to attend. Then, my daughter and Mrs. Guitar Ted were to fly out to El Paso, Texas the next morning to see relatives that couldn't make the trip up to see us. Well, and here is the thing- their flight left at 6:00am from Des Moines International Airport, a full 100 plus miles away from us. Maybe you can see how that might work, but if not, here are the details. Commencement ended at about 8:00pm, (we had to be there at 4:30pm!), and it took a full half of an hour just to get out of the parking lot. Then we had to eat. This and preparations to get into bed left us with a nice three hour window to sleep until 1:00am. That was when we had to get up, dress, check over baggage, and load the car. We left the house at 2:15am, stopped for coffee and gas, and left town at 2:22am to get the gals to the airport by 5:00am, so they would have time to check bags, get screened by TSA, and board the plane which was leaving AT 6:00am. We made it with a little less than a half an hour bonus time. So, that was good.

I got maybe two hours of decent sleep, (not nearly enough), and then I would have been driving a further 180+ miles to hook up with MG. It was hard enough driving the 100-ish miles back home. Then Saturday, I have to be back in Des Moines for the arrival of the gals back home, so yeah..... The time spent would not have been well spent in Kansas, and more to the point- the windshield time, which would have been a LOT. Heck I was so out of it Wednesday as it was, I wouldn't have enjoyed the trip, nor would I have been effective. Add in that I would have missed out on two pay days and it really made less sense, and right now, that is important. Then throw in what MG had going on. I wasn't willing to do the trip alone.

So, there is my end of the story. I figure some of you may be wondering why I wasn't down there. Now you know.

SLX 12 speed. Shimano hits back with new XT and SLX MTB parts.

New Shimano XT, SLX Parts:

Shimano has dropped a couple of new MTB parts groups on the market as you may have heard yesterday. Besides the expected XT update to 12 speeds, they also did the SLX group in 12 speed. I like what I see Shimano offering here and there are a few things that I found interesting about the new group sets.

MicroSpline hubs are featured in both groups and this wasn't made prominent in the press release I saw. It was there, but this is a sea change, folks. This is a big, big deal. The line was drawn, I felt, when the new XTR was introduced last year and if you thought it was just nonsense, well this underscores the point that the old, Hypeglide type free hub body is going to end up becoming the pedestrian choice and will maybe live on in entry level groups in the coming years. But your wheels you are riding now aren't going to be compatible with anything new in about five years time. MicroSpline is going to become ubiquitous across the board with high end wheel choices very soon. I know that ticks off a lot of people, but I really don't see any difference with what SRAM did with XD Driver free hub bodies.

HyperGlide + chain link plates. (The blue highlights the "extended inner plate" feature)

Another notable thing is what Shimano has done with chains and chain rings. Obviously, 12 speeds crammed into the same-ish spaces we have had for decades means things have to get slimmer to a degree. Shimano has developed a new Hyperglide + chain which uses a clever shaping of the inner chain plates which mates to the chain rings, effectively causing the two parts to have more contact area than traditionally made chains. This should decrease chain and chain ring wear, since it distributes forces over more material instead of less. Of course, the chains are developed with the chain rings to shift flawlessly, and I expect that they will do just this. No one is better at how chains shift over chain rings and cogs than Shimano. This new chain technology should be implemented over future 12 speed groups, and I bet the GRX group will benefit someday from this.

I also noted that Shimano has front derailleurs for 2 X 12 set ups. Again- not everyone wants a front derailleur, and not every design can use one, but I like that Shimano hasn't given over to the thinking that everything has to be 1X.

It's also noteworthy that Deore XT 12 will be available June 14th, not at some unspecified time six months from now, which was the way Shimano used to do things. That's a big improvement as well.

Finally! A WTB Road Plus tire in 700c sizes.

WTB Introduces 700c Sizes Of The Venture Tire: 

Early this year I had the opportunity to test out the WTB Venture Road Plus tires for the RidingGravel.com site. one of the rides I got in on them was a sketch-fest with N.Y. Roll one Saturday when the snow was still melting off stuff here in March.

During that ride it struck me how the Venture could do far above and beyond what it looked capable of in severe conditions like slick ice, snow, and even a bit in sloppy mud. This, I wagered, would make the Venture an ideal tire for a Fargo, but it would need to be in a 700c size and at least 50mm wide. And guess what? A lot of other folks were thinking similarly. So much so that WTB is now going to offer the Venture in a 700c X 40mm and 700c X 50mm size for those who want to give this versatile trad a go. Also, if you hate skin walls you are in luck, because each will be offered in a black wall version as well.

As luck would have it RidingGravel.com is getting both sizes of 700C Venture tires in for review any day now. So, stay tuned and I should have some feedback on them for you all on that channel. Until then, you can click the link up there and read about the 650B version.

That's a wrap for this week. GOOD LUCK DK200 RIDERS!

Trans Iowa Stories- Prelude

A Guitar Ted Productions series.

 This is the preliminary post on the future series, "Trans Iowa Stories". Please feel free to comment or make suggestions about this idea!

 Trans Iowa was obviously a major influence in the gravel scene and also was/still is a major influence upon my life. After retiring the event, it was suggested that maybe writing down some of the interesting stories of the event was in order. So, essentially, this is what this series is about. The suggestions I got pointed toward a book, but as I have already covered Trans Iowa (some would suggest "to death") here on the blog in several ways, I am at a loss for where to start at the moment. I could simply gather all the posts, whittle that down, add some images, and BAM! There would be a book. That would be easier, but I know that some of you are looking for the untold stories, the tales, the lore that I never let on to throughout the years of the event.

My main issue with just pulling all the posts out I've done up to this point is that a story based upon those things leaves out a big part of Trans Iowa. I would argue the most important part. That being, "The People". It is what kept me going for 14 years of craziness. The people made the event. They made it worthwhile. They made it, ultimately, what it was. Without the characters that make up the event, there is no story.

I'm thinking that's what you, the readers, are most interested in as well. Stories about people, why they mattered. Which people were important to Trans Iowa. Why? Which people were pains in the ass? Also why? I think those are the stories most people would be interested in. Not how I did cue cards, or why I did checkpoint cut-offs the way that I did. (Although that may come up in the telling of a story about a person)

I can already think of several stories about the personalities behind Trans Iowa, the riders, the volunteers, the people who supported the event, and the people who were critics of the event. I think this is the direction I want to take for now and see where it leads.

Will there ever be a book? Maybe. I will have to look back on these posts when they are finished, determine the validity of a book, and gauge the response. It could happen, but I will not promise anything. I will say that the upcoming posts will be a "draft" of sorts, so I will look at this series in that light going forward.

In closing, I want to say thank you to a special person who kicked off this whole idea- Rob Evans of Lincoln, Nebraska. Without his suggestions, I may never have considered doing this. So, this is dedicated to you, Rob. Thank you!

Next, I will start out with a general overview of what this series will look like specifically, and I will mention a few names that I intend to start out with in the telling of this tale. See ya tomorrow!

Trans Iowa Stories- Prelude

A Guitar Ted Productions series.

 This is the preliminary post on the future series, "Trans Iowa Stories". Please feel free to comment or make suggestions about this idea!

 Trans Iowa was obviously a major influence in the gravel scene and also was/still is a major influence upon my life. After retiring the event, it was suggested that maybe writing down some of the interesting stories of the event was in order. So, essentially, this is what this series is about. The suggestions I got pointed toward a book, but as I have already covered Trans Iowa (some would suggest "to death") here on the blog in several ways, I am at a loss for where to start at the moment. I could simply gather all the posts, whittle that down, add some images, and BAM! There would be a book. That would be easier, but I know that some of you are looking for the untold stories, the tales, the lore that I never let on to throughout the years of the event.

My main issue with just pulling all the posts out I've done up to this point is that a story based upon those things leaves out a big part of Trans Iowa. I would argue the most important part. That being, "The People". It is what kept me going for 14 years of craziness. The people made the event. They made it worthwhile. They made it, ultimately, what it was. Without the characters that make up the event, there is no story.

I'm thinking that's what you, the readers, are most interested in as well. Stories about people, why they mattered. Which people were important to Trans Iowa. Why? Which people were pains in the ass? Also why? I think those are the stories most people would be interested in. Not how I did cue cards, or why I did checkpoint cut-offs the way that I did. (Although that may come up in the telling of a story about a person)

I can already think of several stories about the personalities behind Trans Iowa, the riders, the volunteers, the people who supported the event, and the people who were critics of the event. I think this is the direction I want to take for now and see where it leads.

Will there ever be a book? Maybe. I will have to look back on these posts when they are finished, determine the validity of a book, and gauge the response. It could happen, but I will not promise anything. I will say that the upcoming posts will be a "draft" of sorts, so I will look at this series in that light going forward.

In closing, I want to say thank you to a special person who kicked off this whole idea- Rob Evans of Lincoln, Nebraska. Without his suggestions, I may never have considered doing this. So, this is dedicated to you, Rob. Thank you!

Next, I will start out with a general overview of what this series will look like specifically, and I will mention a few names that I intend to start out with in the telling of this tale. See ya tomorrow!

Preparing Before I (Was Supposed To) Go

The Bubblegum Princess as it should look for the Prairie Burn 100

So, as I have stated in earlier posts, I was bound for Emporia, Kansas this week and was to be gone through Saturday. That all changed yesterday when MG and I discussed plans. It seems we are both betwixt rocks and hard places with regard to our domestic/family/home maintenance issues. Some of it exacerbated by the recent heavy rains, some by circumstances. So, the bottom line is I'm not going to Kansas afterall.

But I didn't know that until yesterday. That meant that I had to get the Bubblegum Princess ready for the Prairie Burn 100 this past weekend for June 8th. I didn't need to do much. But one major thing I wanted to do was to get some tubeless tires set up on it.

I had been running the Tioga Binary tires which I reviewed for RidingGravel.com recently. Since that review was over, I was free to swap to this set of WTB Resolutes which are my favorite gravel tires these days. They ride super smoothly and have really decent traction when things get iffy on Level B Roads and the like. I have been super impressed with how fast they roll, compared to a WTB Riddler 45, for example, or many other gravel tires. So, a fresh injection of home brew sealant and these went on well. This makes the Bubblegum Princess about as smooth a rig as I could ask for to tackle the big hills of gravel around Grinnell.

 Since I had expected to be gone the rest of the week I had scheduled some preliminary "Trans Iowa Stories" to run Thursday and Friday. I'll still let that stand, I think. Plus, I wasn't going to do a "Friday News And Views", but since I will be around after all, I am back on that.

Preparing Before I (Was Supposed To) Go

The Bubblegum Princess as it should look for the Prairie Burn 100

So, as I have stated in earlier posts, I was bound for Emporia, Kansas this week and was to be gone through Saturday. That all changed yesterday when MG and I discussed plans. It seems we are both betwixt rocks and hard places with regard to our domestic/family/home maintenance issues. Some of it exacerbated by the recent heavy rains, some by circumstances. So, the bottom line is I'm not going to Kansas afterall.

But I didn't know that until yesterday. That meant that I had to get the Bubblegum Princess ready for the Prairie Burn 100 this past weekend for June 8th. I didn't need to do much. But one major thing I wanted to do was to get some tubeless tires set up on it.

I had been running the Tioga Binary tires which I reviewed for RidingGravel.com recently. Since that review was over, I was free to swap to this set of WTB Resolutes which are my favorite gravel tires these days. They ride super smoothly and have really decent traction when things get iffy on Level B Roads and the like. I have been super impressed with how fast they roll, compared to a WTB Riddler 45, for example, or many other gravel tires. So, a fresh injection of home brew sealant and these went on well. This makes the Bubblegum Princess about as smooth a rig as I could ask for to tackle the big hills of gravel around Grinnell.

 Since I had expected to be gone the rest of the week I had scheduled some preliminary "Trans Iowa Stories" to run Thursday and Friday. I'll still let that stand, I think. Plus, I wasn't going to do a "Friday News And Views", but since I will be around after all, I am back on that.

Saying Goodbye To May

This pretty much sums up May- Wet, cool, windy, and rough roads.

You know, I cannot say that I can remember a May that was so consistently wet, cool, windy, and that produced the rough roads we've had this Spring before. . (Really, the roads are just a carry-over from April.)

Anyway, this has been a tough month in that so many chances I had to get some ride time in were wash outs due to rain, or really heavy winds, which made for a pretty depressed Guitar Ted at times. I try not to let it get me down, but I have a responsibility to my readers (reviewing stuff) and I feel like I am letting myself down by not being as "ready" as I could be to do things like June 8ths Prairie Burn 100. At least Memorial Day Weekend didn't turn into the wash-out it was forecast to be. That allowed at least a couple of rides.

Saturday I got out and decided to just head South as the West wind was stiff and I was definitely NOT feeling it Saturday. In fact, it was a struggle to ride for most of the loop I got in, and I cannot really pinpoint why. I felt......blah. Not until almost the very end did I feel anything positive about the ride, other than it was just good to be out riding. And maybe that all has to do with being pretty stressed out lately. I won't go into details here, but wrenching at work, this upcoming DK200 "All Things Gravel" expo trip, My daughter graduating from high school tonight, coupled with my wife and daughter going to El Paso to visit at the same time as my trip, while my son stays home with a family friend, is all a bit much right now. I'll be glad when this week is over. Then maybe I can breathe a bit easier and have a good time at Prairie Burn.

Barns For Jason

At least I was able to decompress a little bit on Saturday's ride. It was certainly nice enough out. The Sun was riding high and the puffy, white cumulus clouds were hurrying on the back of the wind. The clouds were leaving shadows upon the landscape which were moving and changing the contrast continually as I rode along. I think it was in the 80's, and the air wasn't too humid, actually. It felt nice out.

Barns For Jason

Some roads were still wet and pock-marked. Some were still showing signs of having been mud at one point, but were solid as rock. Those roads had ruts which were pretty tough to navigate at times. Some roads were perfectly fine, with fresher, deep gravel. There weren't too many spots anymore that were that deep, sandyish gravel which is basically a fluffing up from frost. That seems to be past us now. I am glad for that.

Very few fields have been left alone. Most are planted around here. (Oh! And another Barns For Jason!)

Either Mario Cipollini is a gravel grinder, or someone loves a Disney movie.

I've been giving that unusual Tioga saddle a ride lately. Hmm.......not sure that is going to cut the mustard with me. I have bouts of thinking it is fine, and then I have times when I am sure it is hurting me. It's "oh-so-close" to being spot on, and I think this is why I am having issues. I remember thinking similar thoughts about the fizik brand Aliante saddle. That saddle was a bit too rounded for me, and I think that is exactly the same thing going on with the Tioga. I like a bit flatter saddle but keep the "depression in the middle", or "the bucket", as I call it, of WTB saddles like the Pure and SST. The Silverado has this to a lesser extent, but I like that one better, I think, than the Tioga.

The Undercover Saddle by Tioga. Not completely in love here, but I'm trying!

I'm going to "nose up" this Tioga saddle before I give up on it. That is how I have to have my WTB saddles, or I don't like them. So, I'll give that a shot before dismissing this saddle. Trouble is I did that with the Aliante and it helped....a tiny bit....but I took it off my Tamland eventually anyway. Still, ya gotta give it a solid try, so I will.

Tioga says the padding has a vibration absorbing character. The good news is I think they have that right on. There is something to that claim. The trouble becomes that this is a saddle and they are so personal as for fit, that regardless of the vibration damping claim, it has to actually interface with yer undercarriage, if you catch my meaning there.

Bin it!

I did get out and ride again on Memorial Day in the afternoon for a short ride. I didn't get out into the country as it was wicked windy........again! In fact, tornadoes were spotted about 60 miles North of here. It was a very wet Monday morning as well, so the gravel may not have been all that great. Hard for me to say.

But, I settled on a set up for the Prairie Burn that is complete with the exception of the saddle. (The Tioga may have to go) I set up my WTB Resolutes on these Spinergy wheels and tested that out. I think that combo will be a winning one, as far as it working, that is. The Prairie Burn isn't a race, so there won't be any winners.

It was a fine, relaxing weekend. I need it. Today the madness starts!

Saying Goodbye To May

This pretty much sums up May- Wet, cool, windy, and rough roads.

You know, I cannot say that I can remember a May that was so consistently wet, cool, windy, and that produced the rough roads we've had this Spring before. . (Really, the roads are just a carry-over from April.)

Anyway, this has been a tough month in that so many chances I had to get some ride time in were wash outs due to rain, or really heavy winds, which made for a pretty depressed Guitar Ted at times. I try not to let it get me down, but I have a responsibility to my readers (reviewing stuff) and I feel like I am letting myself down by not being as "ready" as I could be to do things like June 8ths Prairie Burn 100. At least Memorial Day Weekend didn't turn into the wash-out it was forecast to be. That allowed at least a couple of rides.

Saturday I got out and decided to just head South as the West wind was stiff and I was definitely NOT feeling it Saturday. In fact, it was a struggle to ride for most of the loop I got in, and I cannot really pinpoint why. I felt......blah. Not until almost the very end did I feel anything positive about the ride, other than it was just good to be out riding. And maybe that all has to do with being pretty stressed out lately. I won't go into details here, but wrenching at work, this upcoming DK200 "All Things Gravel" expo trip, My daughter graduating from high school tonight, coupled with my wife and daughter going to El Paso to visit at the same time as my trip, while my son stays home with a family friend, is all a bit much right now. I'll be glad when this week is over. Then maybe I can breathe a bit easier and have a good time at Prairie Burn.

Barns For Jason

At least I was able to decompress a little bit on Saturday's ride. It was certainly nice enough out. The Sun was riding high and the puffy, white cumulus clouds were hurrying on the back of the wind. The clouds were leaving shadows upon the landscape which were moving and changing the contrast continually as I rode along. I think it was in the 80's, and the air wasn't too humid, actually. It felt nice out.

Barns For Jason

Some roads were still wet and pock-marked. Some were still showing signs of having been mud at one point, but were solid as rock. Those roads had ruts which were pretty tough to navigate at times. Some roads were perfectly fine, with fresher, deep gravel. There weren't too many spots anymore that were that deep, sandyish gravel which is basically a fluffing up from frost. That seems to be past us now. I am glad for that.

Very few fields have been left alone. Most are planted around here. (Oh! And another Barns For Jason!)

Either Mario Cipollini is a gravel grinder, or someone loves a Disney movie.

I've been giving that unusual Tioga saddle a ride lately. Hmm.......not sure that is going to cut the mustard with me. I have bouts of thinking it is fine, and then I have times when I am sure it is hurting me. It's "oh-so-close" to being spot on, and I think this is why I am having issues. I remember thinking similar thoughts about the fizik brand Aliante saddle. That saddle was a bit too rounded for me, and I think that is exactly the same thing going on with the Tioga. I like a bit flatter saddle but keep the "depression in the middle", or "the bucket", as I call it, of WTB saddles like the Pure and SST. The Silverado has this to a lesser extent, but I like that one better, I think, than the Tioga.

The Undercover Saddle by Tioga. Not completely in love here, but I'm trying!

I'm going to "nose up" this Tioga saddle before I give up on it. That is how I have to have my WTB saddles, or I don't like them. So, I'll give that a shot before dismissing this saddle. Trouble is I did that with the Aliante and it helped....a tiny bit....but I took it off my Tamland eventually anyway. Still, ya gotta give it a solid try, so I will.

Tioga says the padding has a vibration absorbing character. The good news is I think they have that right on. There is something to that claim. The trouble becomes that this is a saddle and they are so personal as for fit, that regardless of the vibration damping claim, it has to actually interface with yer undercarriage, if you catch my meaning there.

Bin it!

I did get out and ride again on Memorial Day in the afternoon for a short ride. I didn't get out into the country as it was wicked windy........again! In fact, tornadoes were spotted about 60 miles North of here. It was a very wet Monday morning as well, so the gravel may not have been all that great. Hard for me to say.

But, I settled on a set up for the Prairie Burn that is complete with the exception of the saddle. (The Tioga may have to go) I set up my WTB Resolutes on these Spinergy wheels and tested that out. I think that combo will be a winning one, as far as it working, that is. The Prairie Burn isn't a race, so there won't be any winners.

It was a fine, relaxing weekend. I need it. Today the madness starts!

Memorial Day 2019

Freedom isn’t free. Thank you to those who laid down their lives so I could do this freely. #memorialday #blackmountaincycles #ridinggravel #travelbygravel

Memorial Day 2019

Freedom isn’t free. Thank you to those who laid down their lives so I could do this freely. #memorialday #blackmountaincycles #ridinggravel #travelbygravel

The Story Of Guitar Ted: Back To Shop Rat Status

 

A Guitar Ted Productions series

Welcome to this series on G-Ted Productions! This series will jump off from the time where the "Race Against Death Tour" ended and will take you up to the beginnings of Trans Iowa in late 2004. This is an eight year period where my life was transformed. You could say it was metamorphosed from the old to something quite new.

This won't have a lot of bicycle stuff in it at times, but it is all essential to the story of "Guitar Ted". This isn't about where the name came from. That's all here.  No, this is about the person. 

As with previous historical series on the blog, images will be a rarity. Cell phones, social media, and digital images were not available to take advantage of in those last days of analog living.  

In this post we get up to speed to what I was up to just before Trans Iowa started.

Back To Shop Rat Status: Once I walked in to Europa Cycle & Ski in mid-September, 2002, I was walking back into a world that hadn't slowed down for me. There were a LOT of new developments and technologies which didn't exist six years before then when I walked out of Advantage Cyclery the last time. Disc brakes were coming on, pipe spindle bottom brackets, and the beginnings of tubeless tires for mountain biking. There was also this curiosity called a 29"er. Now that I was up to speed on, and that was because of a relatively new thing called a "PC" and the Internet.

Now, you don't have to tell me that PC's and the internet actually go way back. I knew that too. But what had become different was that consumers were buying home PC's by the droves due to the easy access to the internet via phone lines. "Dial up" internet access opened the doors wide for regular folks to begin to cruise the internet and all the free information which was flowing then.

I had first begun to "surf the net" when I met Mrs. Guitar Ted in 1998. The whole internet thing forced me to choose a "screen name". I had been using "Ted Head" as a moniker off and on since high school, but that name was always unavailable. There was a short time I used another alternative screen name here and there, but that faded away.  So, I landed on "Guitar Ted" for everything. With that out of the way, I went on exploring the small world of 29"ers.

By the year 2000 I had heard about and read more concerning 29 inch wheeled mountain bikes. The publication, "Dirt Rag", ran a really early and informational piece on 29"ers in 2000. Keep in mind, there were no 29"ers until 1999, so this all happened rather quickly for me. I ran across a site called "MTBR.com" and they had a 29"er forum. That was that. By the time I had become a "shop rat" again, I knew my next bike was going to be a 29"er.

And that happened rather quickly as well. I started out riding to work on my pimped out Bontrager Race, but by February 2003 I had sold it and ordered a 2003 Campstove Green Karate Monkey frame and fork. The parts were accumulated over the next several weeks, and by April that year I was riding around on the first 29"er anyone had seen around here. So, it didn't take me long to get back into "bicycle acquisition mode"!

It also didn't take me very long to make friends with the other mechanic at the shop. His name was Jeff Kerkove, a fairly successful solo 24hr racer. He was finishing up his studies at the University of Northern Iowa and working at the shop when he wasn't piling on an insane amount of gravel miles on a beat up old 1999 Surly 1 X 1. (Yes, the very same one I have now) What I didn't know then was that Jeff had been known as a pretty quiet guy at the shop. He didn't chat much with his previous co-workers. He spent most of his time keeping to himself. But something happened when I came to work there. I did not realize Jeff was anything other than a funny, "regular guy" that liked heavy metal and rode a ton. One day, our boss came out and confronted me when Jeff was gone.

"Hey", he asked, "What did you do to Jeff?" I was not following. My boss explained further. "Well, usually Jeff is pretty quiet until you came in. Now I hear him laughing. I have never heard him laugh before. What did you do?"

Well, I didn't know I had "done" anything but be myself. So my only explanation was that we had hit it off. There was just something there. That "something" turned into a friendship and then a brief partnership. By the Fall of 2004, we were good buddies, and then something happened that changed my life- again. It has resulted in one of the biggest changes I've experienced in life. That was becoming co-founder of this goofy idea called Trans Iowa.

This draws to a close the series "The Story Of Guitar Ted". I hope that you all enjoyed my journey from touring guy/shop rat guy to auto mechanic, getting married again, having children, and then getting back to being a shop rat again.

My intentions are to now start crafting the "Trans Iowa Stories" drafts here online. There will be a post about this idea later this week. Stay tuned.....

The Story Of Guitar Ted: Back To Shop Rat Status

 

A Guitar Ted Productions series

Welcome to this series on G-Ted Productions! This series will jump off from the time where the "Race Against Death Tour" ended and will take you up to the beginnings of Trans Iowa in late 2004. This is an eight year period where my life was transformed. You could say it was metamorphosed from the old to something quite new.

This won't have a lot of bicycle stuff in it at times, but it is all essential to the story of "Guitar Ted". This isn't about where the name came from. That's all here.  No, this is about the person. 

As with previous historical series on the blog, images will be a rarity. Cell phones, social media, and digital images were not available to take advantage of in those last days of analog living.  

In this post we get up to speed to what I was up to just before Trans Iowa started.

Back To Shop Rat Status: Once I walked in to Europa Cycle & Ski in mid-September, 2002, I was walking back into a world that hadn't slowed down for me. There were a LOT of new developments and technologies which didn't exist six years before then when I walked out of Advantage Cyclery the last time. Disc brakes were coming on, pipe spindle bottom brackets, and the beginnings of tubeless tires for mountain biking. There was also this curiosity called a 29"er. Now that I was up to speed on, and that was because of a relatively new thing called a "PC" and the Internet.

Now, you don't have to tell me that PC's and the internet actually go way back. I knew that too. But what had become different was that consumers were buying home PC's by the droves due to the easy access to the internet via phone lines. "Dial up" internet access opened the doors wide for regular folks to begin to cruise the internet and all the free information which was flowing then.

I had first begun to "surf the net" when I met Mrs. Guitar Ted in 1998. The whole internet thing forced me to choose a "screen name". I had been using "Ted Head" as a moniker off and on since high school, but that name was always unavailable. There was a short time I used another alternative screen name here and there, but that faded away.  So, I landed on "Guitar Ted" for everything. With that out of the way, I went on exploring the small world of 29"ers.

By the year 2000 I had heard about and read more concerning 29 inch wheeled mountain bikes. The publication, "Dirt Rag", ran a really early and informational piece on 29"ers in 2000. Keep in mind, there were no 29"ers until 1999, so this all happened rather quickly for me. I ran across a site called "MTBR.com" and they had a 29"er forum. That was that. By the time I had become a "shop rat" again, I knew my next bike was going to be a 29"er.

And that happened rather quickly as well. I started out riding to work on my pimped out Bontrager Race, but by February 2003 I had sold it and ordered a 2003 Campstove Green Karate Monkey frame and fork. The parts were accumulated over the next several weeks, and by April that year I was riding around on the first 29"er anyone had seen around here. So, it didn't take me long to get back into "bicycle acquisition mode"!

It also didn't take me very long to make friends with the other mechanic at the shop. His name was Jeff Kerkove, a fairly successful solo 24hr racer. He was finishing up his studies at the University of Northern Iowa and working at the shop when he wasn't piling on an insane amount of gravel miles on a beat up old 1999 Surly 1 X 1. (Yes, the very same one I have now) What I didn't know then was that Jeff had been known as a pretty quiet guy at the shop. He didn't chat much with his previous co-workers. He spent most of his time keeping to himself. But something happened when I came to work there. I did not realize Jeff was anything other than a funny, "regular guy" that liked heavy metal and rode a ton. One day, our boss came out and confronted me when Jeff was gone.

"Hey", he asked, "What did you do to Jeff?" I was not following. My boss explained further. "Well, usually Jeff is pretty quiet until you came in. Now I hear him laughing. I have never heard him laugh before. What did you do?"

Well, I didn't know I had "done" anything but be myself. So my only explanation was that we had hit it off. There was just something there. That "something" turned into a friendship and then a brief partnership. By the Fall of 2004, we were good buddies, and then something happened that changed my life- again. It has resulted in one of the biggest changes I've experienced in life. That was becoming co-founder of this goofy idea called Trans Iowa.

This draws to a close the series "The Story Of Guitar Ted". I hope that you all enjoyed my journey from touring guy/shop rat guy to auto mechanic, getting married again, having children, and then getting back to being a shop rat again.

My intentions are to now start crafting the "Trans Iowa Stories" drafts here online. There will be a post about this idea later this week. Stay tuned.....

Minus Ten Review 2009-21

One of my favorite bikes I ever had.

Ten years ago here on the blog I was talking "Gravel Grinder News" stuff. Mostly covering the races that I knew about at that time. There weren't many either. Think about that for a minute. Just ten years ago, there were maybe 20 races. Now there are close to 600. That is some amazing growth.

Part of that was the running of the third Dirty Kanza 200 which was going to happen in a couple of weeks back then. Those early years of that race were crazy.

Then I was also yakking about Memorial Day weekend, which, ironically, was a bit earlier than it is this year. I also was talking about riding on the North Side of Camp Ingawanis. This was back when there was "two sided camp" riding going on. The best trails were on the North side, by far. They were tougher, had more elevation changes, and the system was one that covered more ground than that of even today's South side trail system. Another big difference, in my view, was the experience you got riding the North vs. the South side. The South side trails fold in on themselves to maximize trail distance in a smaller space while the North side had about the same mileage as today's South side, but you had the distinct feeling that you had gone over a LOT more ground. You weren't just folding in around the same hillside. You were going somewhere. It's just different. I happened to enjoy the North side trails before several things happened.

First there was the logging. That happened at about this time ten years ago. They eventually went and logged the South side a year or so after this. Both time periods were ones of massive upheaval. The trails were disrupted, and while the South side recovered, the North side trails never were quite the same again. Then came the horses. The horse owners had a LOT more money, so they had a LOT more influence over what went down out there. Basically, the Camp stewards would look the other way when complaints about horse caused damage was lodged with them. They were getting big bucks for group rides, and other equestrian oriented activities which took place out there. The Boy Scouts were severely cash strapped, and poor mountain bikers lost their voice with the stewards of the land, despite mountain bikers being the ones that did all the trail maintenance. Over the next several years, mountain biking activities were severely curtailed and it was decided that in order to settle disputes between mountain bikers and equestrian interests that the North side would be for horses and the South would be for human powered activities. Anyway, the point being that 2009 was the end of the salad days of mountain biking on the North side trails.

I sure am glad I got to experience those days.

Minus Ten Review 2009-21

One of my favorite bikes I ever had.

Ten years ago here on the blog I was talking "Gravel Grinder News" stuff. Mostly covering the races that I knew about at that time. There weren't many either. Think about that for a minute. Just ten years ago, there were maybe 20 races. Now there are close to 600. That is some amazing growth.

Part of that was the running of the third Dirty Kanza 200 which was going to happen in a couple of weeks back then. Those early years of that race were crazy.

Then I was also yakking about Memorial Day weekend, which, ironically, was a bit earlier than it is this year. I also was talking about riding on the North Side of Camp Ingawanis. This was back when there was "two sided camp" riding going on. The best trails were on the North side, by far. They were tougher, had more elevation changes, and the system was one that covered more ground than that of even today's South side trail system. Another big difference, in my view, was the experience you got riding the North vs. the South side. The South side trails fold in on themselves to maximize trail distance in a smaller space while the North side had about the same mileage as today's South side, but you had the distinct feeling that you had gone over a LOT more ground. You weren't just folding in around the same hillside. You were going somewhere. It's just different. I happened to enjoy the North side trails before several things happened.

First there was the logging. That happened at about this time ten years ago. They eventually went and logged the South side a year or so after this. Both time periods were ones of massive upheaval. The trails were disrupted, and while the South side recovered, the North side trails never were quite the same again. Then came the horses. The horse owners had a LOT more money, so they had a LOT more influence over what went down out there. Basically, the Camp stewards would look the other way when complaints about horse caused damage was lodged with them. They were getting big bucks for group rides, and other equestrian oriented activities which took place out there. The Boy Scouts were severely cash strapped, and poor mountain bikers lost their voice with the stewards of the land, despite mountain bikers being the ones that did all the trail maintenance. Over the next several years, mountain biking activities were severely curtailed and it was decided that in order to settle disputes between mountain bikers and equestrian interests that the North side would be for horses and the South would be for human powered activities. Anyway, the point being that 2009 was the end of the salad days of mountain biking on the North side trails.

I sure am glad I got to experience those days.

Friday News And Views

Swollen Head Tube syndrome: (Image Courtesy Of Bike Europe)

Making The Most Elegant, Simple Machine More Complex- Part 179:

Bicycles are wonderfully efficient, simple machines. That is, until you unleash some budding engineers and people who think they can make perfect better on the subject. Take belt drive for instance. I've covered that to death here.

Now with these hybrid powered cycles (HPC's or also known as "e-bikes"), which are supposedly making bicycles "better", we are finding out, almost daily, that the lowly simple machine just isn't good enough. It hasn't got "easy" ingrained into its DNA to the point we humans think we need, so all kinds of goofy things are being developed to take care of issues being raised by the addition of a high torque motor to a bicycle.

The latest in the long line of "upgrades" which are being proposed is this new steering assist design developed by Technical University in Delft, the Netherlands and the bike brand Gazelle. The idea stems from what has been noted in the Netherlands in regard to an uptick of crashes, typically involving e-bikes. Here is a quote from the story.

"These accidents causing serious injuries often occur as cyclists lose control of the bicycle. In many cases it involves elderly on e-bikes."

The system is still under development, so no timeline is given for its possible future implementation. But again- HPC vehicles are just taking us down a lane where, eventually, they will become vehicles that require no human input. Electric motorcycles may happen, but I think the goal is something even more detrimental to the human species. Time will tell. 

The Hirobel Clamp, here shown in my workstand at work

 Tool Geekery:

I like my tools and using good tools is fun for me. So when I heard about a new kind of clamp that would work with tri-bikes and weird aero seat tubes in my work stand, I checked into it. The Hirobel Clamp, which at the time was a product of an independent, small company, was not available and was expensive. I slotted that into the back of my mind for the future. 

See, there is nothing worse than working on a bike that is flopping around because you cannot safely clamp it into a work stand. Frustration? You bet! That Hirobel clamp though- yeah......that would reduce my stress a lot! 

So, a chance came up to review one for Riding Gravel and I jumped on it. The clamp is awesome, works as advertised, and makes me way more efficient as a mechanic. No more fighting with a bike that doesn't conform to a stand designed for bikes 50 years ago. I look forward to working on those dreaded tri-bikes now because the Hirobel Clamp has them covered. 

 Headed To Kansas......Again:

You know I've been down to Kansas the last what....four years now? Anyway, I've raced, ridden my own gig, and just hung out as a support person. This year I am just going for the "All Things Gravel Expo". That takes place Thursday and Friday. I'll be leaving town either late Friday or very early Saturday morning, so no racing/riding down there this time. 

This trip will be all about Riding Gravel stuff and that's actually going to be a somewhat busy deal, by the sounds of it. This big swing toward gravel/all-road stuff by the cycling industry has this expo looking like a mini-Sea Otter of drop bar, dust infested madness. Of course, it wasn't always this way. 

Back when I first started this string of Emporia, Kansas appearances in 2015, there was an expo of sorts. It was about two blocks in size and featured about......mmmmm......maybe 20 vendors? That's being generous. Now this deal is bringing debuts of cycling gear and bicycles, Pro racer appearances, and demos of equipment and bikes. Like I say- sort of like a Sea Otter in that respect. 

I am expecting some big news and many interesting things. So, come Wednesday I'll be down there with batteries charged and my pen and paper at the ready. I'm not sure what I will be able to accomplish for content on the blog here, so just a forewarning. You may not get a whole lot while I am there. The travelling computer will be with my wife and all I'll have is a smart phone. 

That's it for this week. have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

Friday News And Views

Swollen Head Tube syndrome: (Image Courtesy Of Bike Europe)

Making The Most Elegant, Simple Machine More Complex- Part 179:

Bicycles are wonderfully efficient, simple machines. That is, until you unleash some budding engineers and people who think they can make perfect better on the subject. Take belt drive for instance. I've covered that to death here.

Now with these hybrid powered cycles (HPC's or also known as "e-bikes"), which are supposedly making bicycles "better", we are finding out, almost daily, that the lowly simple machine just isn't good enough. It hasn't got "easy" ingrained into its DNA to the point we humans think we need, so all kinds of goofy things are being developed to take care of issues being raised by the addition of a high torque motor to a bicycle.

The latest in the long line of "upgrades" which are being proposed is this new steering assist design developed by Technical University in Delft, the Netherlands and the bike brand Gazelle. The idea stems from what has been noted in the Netherlands in regard to an uptick of crashes, typically involving e-bikes. Here is a quote from the story.

"These accidents causing serious injuries often occur as cyclists lose control of the bicycle. In many cases it involves elderly on e-bikes."

The system is still under development, so no timeline is given for its possible future implementation. But again- HPC vehicles are just taking us down a lane where, eventually, they will become vehicles that require no human input. Electric motorcycles may happen, but I think the goal is something even more detrimental to the human species. Time will tell. 

The Hirobel Clamp, here shown in my workstand at work

 Tool Geekery:

I like my tools and using good tools is fun for me. So when I heard about a new kind of clamp that would work with tri-bikes and weird aero seat tubes in my work stand, I checked into it. The Hirobel Clamp, which at the time was a product of an independent, small company, was not available and was expensive. I slotted that into the back of my mind for the future. 

See, there is nothing worse than working on a bike that is flopping around because you cannot safely clamp it into a work stand. Frustration? You bet! That Hirobel clamp though- yeah......that would reduce my stress a lot! 

So, a chance came up to review one for Riding Gravel and I jumped on it. The clamp is awesome, works as advertised, and makes me way more efficient as a mechanic. No more fighting with a bike that doesn't conform to a stand designed for bikes 50 years ago. I look forward to working on those dreaded tri-bikes now because the Hirobel Clamp has them covered. 

 Headed To Kansas......Again:

You know I've been down to Kansas the last what....four years now? Anyway, I've raced, ridden my own gig, and just hung out as a support person. This year I am just going for the "All Things Gravel Expo". That takes place Thursday and Friday. I'll be leaving town either late Friday or very early Saturday morning, so no racing/riding down there this time. 

This trip will be all about Riding Gravel stuff and that's actually going to be a somewhat busy deal, by the sounds of it. This big swing toward gravel/all-road stuff by the cycling industry has this expo looking like a mini-Sea Otter of drop bar, dust infested madness. Of course, it wasn't always this way. 

Back when I first started this string of Emporia, Kansas appearances in 2015, there was an expo of sorts. It was about two blocks in size and featured about......mmmmm......maybe 20 vendors? That's being generous. Now this deal is bringing debuts of cycling gear and bicycles, Pro racer appearances, and demos of equipment and bikes. Like I say- sort of like a Sea Otter in that respect. 

I am expecting some big news and many interesting things. So, come Wednesday I'll be down there with batteries charged and my pen and paper at the ready. I'm not sure what I will be able to accomplish for content on the blog here, so just a forewarning. You may not get a whole lot while I am there. The travelling computer will be with my wife and all I'll have is a smart phone. 

That's it for this week. have a great Memorial Day Weekend!