Minus Ten Review 2009-35

My Pofahl with straight bars. Dang! That looks good too!

Ten years ago this week on the blog I was talking about one of the crazier weekends I had done in my lifetime, and maybe the craziest thing outside of Trans Iowa. Because, well, not much is crazier than putting on a free event and staying up for 40+ hours. This trip I talked about wasn't that nutty. But it was close.

It started out by driving my family out to Omaha Nebraska after work (!) and then getting them settled in at a friends place. Then I took off for Lincoln, Nebraska in the dark, by myself, and hooked up with my brother MG to get some Oakley glasses to review, and then (I cannot remember this part, sadly) I talked with Joel Dyke and Joe Fox. Afterward, I went to the D Street Motel and shacked up with Corey, "Cornbread" Godfrey. The next morning, Matt Wills, Cornbread, and Troy Krause led me on the wildest urban ride through people's yards to the MoPac Trail head where the last Good Life Gravel Adventure started.

I rode that event until I started falling asleep on the bike going down hill at 30mph! I called it in and Corey told me to sit tight, that "someone " would be out to fetch me. It was the winner, Troy Krause!

Then I went back to the D Street where I was taken care of by a gal that was CVO's girlfriend at the time, I think, and then MG and I took a case and a half of Red Bull Cola and went to Gothenburg, Nebraska where the next day we rode at Potter's Pasture. Then we hightailed it back, I drove solo from Lincoln to Omaha, collected my family, and drove back to Waterloo, Iowa.

Crazy! 

Minus Ten Review 2009-35

My Pofahl with straight bars. Dang! That looks good too!

Ten years ago this week on the blog I was talking about one of the crazier weekends I had done in my lifetime, and maybe the craziest thing outside of Trans Iowa. Because, well, not much is crazier than putting on a free event and staying up for 40+ hours. This trip I talked about wasn't that nutty. But it was close.

It started out by driving my family out to Omaha Nebraska after work (!) and then getting them settled in at a friends place. Then I took off for Lincoln, Nebraska in the dark, by myself, and hooked up with my brother MG to get some Oakley glasses to review, and then (I cannot remember this part, sadly) I talked with Joel Dyke and Joe Fox. Afterward, I went to the D Street Motel and shacked up with Corey, "Cornbread" Godfrey. The next morning, Matt Wills, Cornbread, and Troy Krause led me on the wildest urban ride through people's yards to the MoPac Trail head where the last Good Life Gravel Adventure started.

I rode that event until I started falling asleep on the bike going down hill at 30mph! I called it in and Corey told me to sit tight, that "someone " would be out to fetch me. It was the winner, Troy Krause!

Then I went back to the D Street where I was taken care of by a gal that was CVO's girlfriend at the time, I think, and then MG and I took a case and a half of Red Bull Cola and went to Gothenburg, Nebraska where the next day we rode at Potter's Pasture. Then we hightailed it back, I drove solo from Lincoln to Omaha, collected my family, and drove back to Waterloo, Iowa.

Crazy! 

Friday News And Views

Bigger, heavier,because- motors.

The Evolution Toward Heavier, More Durable Parts Continues;

One of the things I've been saying about HPC (Hybrid Powered Cycle) vehicles is that the parts necessary to make these things safe is the antithesis of over a century of bicycle design and engineering. The main point has been to make things lighter, stronger, and more efficient since pure human power is reliant on the maximization of those things for the betterment of the experience. However; when motors were added, these ideals were abandoned.

Now it is becoming necessary to beef up components and make things heavier, since motors introduce forces not seen on a purely human powered bicycle. Magura is the latest to announce such a component. Now they are offering a 220mm rotor and braking system optimized for motorized bicycles. Of course, tires, chains, and wheels have all been beefed up due to the forces imparted by electric motors on those components.

Again, history reflects this in the move to fit gasoline powered engines on to bicycles in the early 20th Century. Parts made for purely human powered transportation by two wheels could not withstand the forces imparted on them by motors. Heavier parts were fitted, frames got beefier, and the next thing you know, pedals were shed. You know the rest of that story.

Oh, and I saw another HPC being hawked the other day in a video where the clip lasted 3+ minutes and the rider did not pedal once. What's the message there? Yeah......it ain't about bicycling. 

Those shoes.

 Gravel Shoes? 

In a time when the industry wants to electrify or gravel "all the things", another item listed as a "gravel ____" (fill in the blank) will cause groans and raised eyebrows. That's how it goes. Marketing seems to always take things just a little bit too far, especially in the cycling industry. (This includes HPC stuff too)

So, when Shimano announced the RX8 as a "gravel specific shoe", well.....yeah right! It's a freakin' cycling shoe, yes? 

But sometimes we get jaded and lose our open mindedness to things that, upon further review, are actually legitimate ideas. Take these shoes, as an example.

We used to always use MTB shoes as our gravel biking shoes back in the day. The alternative? Road shoes. Ahhh........no! They did not have a sole to walk on, were far too stiff, and those cleats! Try walking a muddy ditch in those things. Good luck! So, no......we wore MTB shoes because we had to. The "other choice" was not tenable.

Well, there are some things about road shoes that make sense for gravel travel. They typically are lighter, have efficient soles for pedaling, and have great ventilation. MTB shoes have some great attributes. They are walkable, resist scuffing, are easily dried when they get wet, and use two bolt cleats which are minimalist, and work better in mud and grit. So.....why not mix the better attributes of both for gravel? 

 Yes- why not? And Shimano did. Now, you can miss it and throw the thought of these "gravel" shoes away like a bad newspaper, but if you do, you are going to miss some good news. These shoes are the real deal, as far as I can tell so far. They aren't cheap, and they are maybe more "race" than "good times", but they are no joke. I've got a review going up on RidingGravel.com this weekend on them. Check it out if you have the time.

It's the official pedal of the DK200, dontcha know?

LOOK- It's The Official Pedal Of The DK200:

And speaking of pedaling- LOOK has signed on to be the "official pedal" of the Dirty Kanza 200. Their X-trac pedal being the one featured, not the KEO carbon fiber roadie thing-a-ma-bob.

When I saw that news it rang a bell with me. Yes....yes indeed. RidingGravel.com reviewed this pedal. It passed with flying colors, so there is that. It's funny, but besides the KEO, you hardly hear a thing about LOOK pedals for cycling. But they are the OG of clipless pedals. They were way ahead of Shimano, and LOOK even had a pretty highly regarded MTB pedal in the early 90's, despite the fact it weighed a metric ton. As I recall, it was, (and maybe still is) Tinker Jaurez's favorite pedal. (You younginz should look up Tinker. MONSTER MTB dude.)

Anyway, I digress.....

Congratulations to the DK200 on picking up a pedal sponsor. It'll be interesting to see what they do to partner up in that relationship.

Labor Day Weekend, y'all! Get sum! (Bicycling, that is) Be safe! Thanks for reading, as always!

 

Friday News And Views

Bigger, heavier,because- motors.

The Evolution Toward Heavier, More Durable Parts Continues;

One of the things I've been saying about HPC (Hybrid Powered Cycle) vehicles is that the parts necessary to make these things safe is the antithesis of over a century of bicycle design and engineering. The main point has been to make things lighter, stronger, and more efficient since pure human power is reliant on the maximization of those things for the betterment of the experience. However; when motors were added, these ideals were abandoned.

Now it is becoming necessary to beef up components and make things heavier, since motors introduce forces not seen on a purely human powered bicycle. Magura is the latest to announce such a component. Now they are offering a 220mm rotor and braking system optimized for motorized bicycles. Of course, tires, chains, and wheels have all been beefed up due to the forces imparted by electric motors on those components.

Again, history reflects this in the move to fit gasoline powered engines on to bicycles in the early 20th Century. Parts made for purely human powered transportation by two wheels could not withstand the forces imparted on them by motors. Heavier parts were fitted, frames got beefier, and the next thing you know, pedals were shed. You know the rest of that story.

Oh, and I saw another HPC being hawked the other day in a video where the clip lasted 3+ minutes and the rider did not pedal once. What's the message there? Yeah......it ain't about bicycling. 

Those shoes.

 Gravel Shoes? 

In a time when the industry wants to electrify or gravel "all the things", another item listed as a "gravel ____" (fill in the blank) will cause groans and raised eyebrows. That's how it goes. Marketing seems to always take things just a little bit too far, especially in the cycling industry. (This includes HPC stuff too)

So, when Shimano announced the RX8 as a "gravel specific shoe", well.....yeah right! It's a freakin' cycling shoe, yes? 

But sometimes we get jaded and lose our open mindedness to things that, upon further review, are actually legitimate ideas. Take these shoes, as an example.

We used to always use MTB shoes as our gravel biking shoes back in the day. The alternative? Road shoes. Ahhh........no! They did not have a sole to walk on, were far too stiff, and those cleats! Try walking a muddy ditch in those things. Good luck! So, no......we wore MTB shoes because we had to. The "other choice" was not tenable.

Well, there are some things about road shoes that make sense for gravel travel. They typically are lighter, have efficient soles for pedaling, and have great ventilation. MTB shoes have some great attributes. They are walkable, resist scuffing, are easily dried when they get wet, and use two bolt cleats which are minimalist, and work better in mud and grit. So.....why not mix the better attributes of both for gravel? 

 Yes- why not? And Shimano did. Now, you can miss it and throw the thought of these "gravel" shoes away like a bad newspaper, but if you do, you are going to miss some good news. These shoes are the real deal, as far as I can tell so far. They aren't cheap, and they are maybe more "race" than "good times", but they are no joke. I've got a review going up on RidingGravel.com this weekend on them. Check it out if you have the time.

It's the official pedal of the DK200, dontcha know?

LOOK- It's The Official Pedal Of The DK200:

And speaking of pedaling- LOOK has signed on to be the "official pedal" of the Dirty Kanza 200. Their X-trac pedal being the one featured, not the KEO carbon fiber roadie thing-a-ma-bob.

When I saw that news it rang a bell with me. Yes....yes indeed. RidingGravel.com reviewed this pedal. It passed with flying colors, so there is that. It's funny, but besides the KEO, you hardly hear a thing about LOOK pedals for cycling. But they are the OG of clipless pedals. They were way ahead of Shimano, and LOOK even had a pretty highly regarded MTB pedal in the early 90's, despite the fact it weighed a metric ton. As I recall, it was, (and maybe still is) Tinker Jaurez's favorite pedal. (You younginz should look up Tinker. MONSTER MTB dude.)

Anyway, I digress.....

Congratulations to the DK200 on picking up a pedal sponsor. It'll be interesting to see what they do to partner up in that relationship.

Labor Day Weekend, y'all! Get sum! (Bicycling, that is) Be safe! Thanks for reading, as always!

 

Country Views: Expert Level Gravel

This sign is at the start of one of the best sections of gravel around in Iowa.

I was out for a gravel ride Wednesday and I went to an area I've ridden in several times before, but it had been awhile since I'd been down that way. N.Y. Roll and a friend of his had done a night time grind down there recently and their social media posts gave me the inspiration to go down there again and ride.

Of course, I am talking about "Ridge Road" in Northern Tama County. This road is only about 27 miles or so from home and just outside of Traer, Iowa. In fact, you can park in Northwest Traer, be on gravel in a block's distance, and within two miles you are at the foot of the climb up which marks the start of Ridge Road.

Ridge Road, just like the name suggests, is on a high ridge running Northwest to Southeast for several miles. This gravel road meanders atop the ridge offering travelers spectacular views off either side of the road for miles. The trip is worth it just for the view, but the climb is also one of the only ones of its type in Iowa. A climb that rises steadily for over a mile, and despite a few rollers on top, never really quits climbing if you come from Traer. The "easier" passage of Ridge Road is to take it starting on the Northwestern end of it and travel toward Traer. But trust me, you don't want to do that if you want to earn your "Expert Level" Gravel Scout Badge. That's because Ridge Road can be put in a loop course in and out of Traer that, in my opinion, is one of the most physically and technically challenging loops in the State. 

I say this because when I put on Trans Iowa, I loved using this area for routes. Tama County is no joke, and the gravel travel in Tama County is awesome. I've not only used this area for Trans Iowa courses, but for Guitar Ted Death Ride courses as well. I've been around too, and I can say with some confidence that there isn't much tougher challenges out there then some of what Tama County has on offer, and this loop I did is a great sampler platter, if you will. This loop, as a matter of fact, is one I would not recommend to anyone not confident with and/or not very experienced in gravel skills. The risks are too high for folks with poor handling skills.

A twisty road sign- one of my favorites!

You can literally see for miles off either side of Ridge Road on a good day.

There is another odd fact about Tama County that is pretty consistently true- They have a slightly chunkier, gnarlier gravel than anywhere else. I don't know why their particular "grind" of rock is the way it is, but Tama County generally does not scrimp on using it. You can almost always count on there being a good layer of "chunky goodness" on Tama County roads. Just ask anyone who has ridden Trans Iowa when it went through any part of that county.

You can see this rural water tower for miles around. It takes quite an effort to go by it!

Coming down off Ridge Road on K Avenue, South. You'd better be a confident downhiller on these roads!

So, you have a ridge road with a long climb up to it. Big deal! Yes, but what goes up must eventually go back down, and in Tama County, that can mean "down fast!"  This is one of the major reasons I don't recommend this area to many folks because unless I know that they are good bike handlers I may be sending them off to a very bad deal. 30+ mph and loose rock is no joke, but those speeds and Tama County loose rock is downright sketchy. I know that folks with limited down hill skill sets have a lot of issues on gravel and it only takes one wrong move and you are going to be fishtailing, or possibly wiping out, because of the technical nature of high speed bombing on looser gravel. Having the right set up is critical too. Especially in terms of air pressures.

I rode the carbon Noble Bikes GR-5. NOTE- The "white patch" behind the telephone pole is the next hill on gravel!

Getting to see this view from atop the Wolf Creek Wall means you had to pay in some tough climbing.

Of course, what comes down has to go up again, and again, and again. Most climbs here aren't that long, but they are really steep, and they can come one after another, sometimes endlessly. This loop I did has several steep ups, and they aren't of the easy variety. Bring your climbing legs for a big section of this loop. I used to recommend a certain section on this loop as training for locals that were going to try Trans Iowa. That's how tough these are to get up. And of course, the downhill part applies every time here as well.

A lonely John Deere sits in a field near Traer, Iowa.

Barns for Jason

After a pretty intense first half of this loop you get a little relief with some 'normal" Iowa rollers. The chunky goodness of Tama County made this part no less of a grind though. At least it was nice out with a stiff Northwesterly breeze and big skies overhead. Not too hot either. Nice and comfortable in that regard. I felt bad for anyone having to work indoors on a day like it was Wednesday.

There is nothing finer than an Iowa dirt road in summer. Fast! Smooth! Fun!

Barns For Jason- Part 2

Then I got into some Level B Maintenance roads. Now these can be your worst nightmare, or the best thing you've ever ridden on. In Summer it generally is the latter. However; you still have to be on your guard. Ruts, potholes, whoop-de-dos, garbage, buried stone, shards of beer cans and bottles, and other nasties await your fragile tires and unsuspecting self. I saw a bungee cord with metal hooks, several crushed aluminum beer cans with sharp edges, and lots of embedded stone and even bricks! So, just because it looks easy and is fun, it doesn't mean it is without its own forms of peril. And of course, if it is spring or Winter, well......fahgeddaboudit. You will have a miserable time on a bike. But everyone already knows that, right? 

I remember someone remarking at this year's GTDRI that dirt road intersections seemed odd. Well, here is another one!

 

Good times on O Avenue South of Highway 63 in Tama County.

So, we have regular hills, longer climbs, fast, sketchy down hills, steep climbs, and Level B dirt roads, all in the same loop? Yes. And.......it's all within a half an hour drive of Waterloo, and it can be done in two hours. (More if you want it)

Barns For Jason- Part 3

Barns For Jason- Part 4

The scenery doesn't stop either, as you can see from my "Barns for Jason" images here. That isn't all there is to look at either. There are ample wildlife viewing opportunities, and the general goodness of rural Iowa, of course. But that said, this little nook of Tama County is pretty charming, and there are several other parts of Tama County with great views as well.

The low water crossing of the Wolf Creek on O Avenue.

Climbing up from the water crossing on O Avenue.

So, all of that and a lot of it is pretty dang difficult stuff. I would say that anyone that does that loop and can handle it all without missteps is an "expert gravel grinder" and could probably handle just about anything out there off pavement on roads and byways.

I had a good outing and felt pretty good on this ride. I need to get down there more often and ride. I can put together several variations of loops from  Traer, but the one I did is probably the most difficult and the most fun. I'd do it again in a heartbeat on a good day.

Country Views: Expert Level Gravel

This sign is at the start of one of the best sections of gravel around in Iowa.

I was out for a gravel ride Wednesday and I went to an area I've ridden in several times before, but it had been awhile since I'd been down that way. N.Y. Roll and a friend of his had done a night time grind down there recently and their social media posts gave me the inspiration to go down there again and ride.

Of course, I am talking about "Ridge Road" in Northern Tama County. This road is only about 27 miles or so from home and just outside of Traer, Iowa. In fact, you can park in Northwest Traer, be on gravel in a block's distance, and within two miles you are at the foot of the climb up which marks the start of Ridge Road.

Ridge Road, just like the name suggests, is on a high ridge running Northwest to Southeast for several miles. This gravel road meanders atop the ridge offering travelers spectacular views off either side of the road for miles. The trip is worth it just for the view, but the climb is also one of the only ones of its type in Iowa. A climb that rises steadily for over a mile, and despite a few rollers on top, never really quits climbing if you come from Traer. The "easier" passage of Ridge Road is to take it starting on the Northwestern end of it and travel toward Traer. But trust me, you don't want to do that if you want to earn your "Expert Level" Gravel Scout Badge. That's because Ridge Road can be put in a loop course in and out of Traer that, in my opinion, is one of the most physically and technically challenging loops in the State. 

I say this because when I put on Trans Iowa, I loved using this area for routes. Tama County is no joke, and the gravel travel in Tama County is awesome. I've not only used this area for Trans Iowa courses, but for Guitar Ted Death Ride courses as well. I've been around too, and I can say with some confidence that there isn't much tougher challenges out there then some of what Tama County has on offer, and this loop I did is a great sampler platter, if you will. This loop, as a matter of fact, is one I would not recommend to anyone not confident with and/or not very experienced in gravel skills. The risks are too high for folks with poor handling skills.

A twisty road sign- one of my favorites!

You can literally see for miles off either side of Ridge Road on a good day.

There is another odd fact about Tama County that is pretty consistently true- They have a slightly chunkier, gnarlier gravel than anywhere else. I don't know why their particular "grind" of rock is the way it is, but Tama County generally does not scrimp on using it. You can almost always count on there being a good layer of "chunky goodness" on Tama County roads. Just ask anyone who has ridden Trans Iowa when it went through any part of that county.

You can see this rural water tower for miles around. It takes quite an effort to go by it!

Coming down off Ridge Road on K Avenue, South. You'd better be a confident downhiller on these roads!

So, you have a ridge road with a long climb up to it. Big deal! Yes, but what goes up must eventually go back down, and in Tama County, that can mean "down fast!"  This is one of the major reasons I don't recommend this area to many folks because unless I know that they are good bike handlers I may be sending them off to a very bad deal. 30+ mph and loose rock is no joke, but those speeds and Tama County loose rock is downright sketchy. I know that folks with limited down hill skill sets have a lot of issues on gravel and it only takes one wrong move and you are going to be fishtailing, or possibly wiping out, because of the technical nature of high speed bombing on looser gravel. Having the right set up is critical too. Especially in terms of air pressures.

I rode the carbon Noble Bikes GR-5. NOTE- The "white patch" behind the telephone pole is the next hill on gravel!

Getting to see this view from atop the Wolf Creek Wall means you had to pay in some tough climbing.

Of course, what comes down has to go up again, and again, and again. Most climbs here aren't that long, but they are really steep, and they can come one after another, sometimes endlessly. This loop I did has several steep ups, and they aren't of the easy variety. Bring your climbing legs for a big section of this loop. I used to recommend a certain section on this loop as training for locals that were going to try Trans Iowa. That's how tough these are to get up. And of course, the downhill part applies every time here as well.

A lonely John Deere sits in a field near Traer, Iowa.

Barns for Jason

After a pretty intense first half of this loop you get a little relief with some 'normal" Iowa rollers. The chunky goodness of Tama County made this part no less of a grind though. At least it was nice out with a stiff Northwesterly breeze and big skies overhead. Not too hot either. Nice and comfortable in that regard. I felt bad for anyone having to work indoors on a day like it was Wednesday.

There is nothing finer than an Iowa dirt road in summer. Fast! Smooth! Fun!

Barns For Jason- Part 2

Then I got into some Level B Maintenance roads. Now these can be your worst nightmare, or the best thing you've ever ridden on. In Summer it generally is the latter. However; you still have to be on your guard. Ruts, potholes, whoop-de-dos, garbage, buried stone, shards of beer cans and bottles, and other nasties await your fragile tires and unsuspecting self. I saw a bungee cord with metal hooks, several crushed aluminum beer cans with sharp edges, and lots of embedded stone and even bricks! So, just because it looks easy and is fun, it doesn't mean it is without its own forms of peril. And of course, if it is spring or Winter, well......fahgeddaboudit. You will have a miserable time on a bike. But everyone already knows that, right? 

I remember someone remarking at this year's GTDRI that dirt road intersections seemed odd. Well, here is another one!

 

Good times on O Avenue South of Highway 63 in Tama County.

So, we have regular hills, longer climbs, fast, sketchy down hills, steep climbs, and Level B dirt roads, all in the same loop? Yes. And.......it's all within a half an hour drive of Waterloo, and it can be done in two hours. (More if you want it)

Barns For Jason- Part 3

Barns For Jason- Part 4

The scenery doesn't stop either, as you can see from my "Barns for Jason" images here. That isn't all there is to look at either. There are ample wildlife viewing opportunities, and the general goodness of rural Iowa, of course. But that said, this little nook of Tama County is pretty charming, and there are several other parts of Tama County with great views as well.

The low water crossing of the Wolf Creek on O Avenue.

Climbing up from the water crossing on O Avenue.

So, all of that and a lot of it is pretty dang difficult stuff. I would say that anyone that does that loop and can handle it all without missteps is an "expert gravel grinder" and could probably handle just about anything out there off pavement on roads and byways.

I had a good outing and felt pretty good on this ride. I need to get down there more often and ride. I can put together several variations of loops from  Traer, but the one I did is probably the most difficult and the most fun. I'd do it again in a heartbeat on a good day.

2 650B Or Not 2 650B: That Is The Question

Last March I thought 650B tires were the bomb on this ride.

The 650B tire/wheel size seems like a bit of an odd man out in the gravel world. I see that size sometimes, but not a lot. I'm not really sure why that is either. I have a guess or two, but I don't know enough to say for sure.

I do know that I vacillate back and forth between thinking these wheels are great, and then back to not even caring if I ever rode another 650B wheel again in my life. Generally speaking, for my tastes, diameter is "king" and unless a smaller wheel is exceptional at something, I don't get too excited. That said, there have been more than a few times I thought the wheel size was rad.

I think there are a few things I need to see out of a 650B wheel before I get too excited. First of all, don't even come around here with a 650B wheel with a tire narrower than the Road Plus standard, which is 47mm. In fact, I am beginning to feel that is too small. Poofy tires, if they must exist, must be exactly that- big, voluminous, and worth their weight. Using a 42mm tire in a 650B format seems......backward, especially when most gravel bikes worth their salt can fit a 43mm tire with ease in a 700c diameter. Remember- diameter is king, and if you are going to go smaller, then you need to make up for that smaller diameter with air volume. Otherwise, why bother? 

For example, when Surly came out with the Extraterrestrial tire in 26" diameter, they did not offer it in a 26" X 2.1....noooo. They went right out to 2.5" and good for them. If you ever ride one, you'll get it. They are awesome at about 20psi tubeless. Almost makes me want to run 26"ers again it does!

Smaller diameter, but super volume and super smooth ride. Make it worthwhile if you drop down a size in diameter and go wide, or go home. I'm not at all interested in 650B X (anything less than) 47mm. Nope. Give me a big, voluminous 650B, and maybe I'll fall in love with that. So then, why not just go wide and keep it 700c? Yes indeed- why not? 

700 X 50? Why yes. Don't mind if I do.

 The trouble is that then you end up with a bike that almost cannot be anything but a Fargo or clone thereof. I was online the other night perusing Kona's line up for 2020 at the suggestion of a reader here. They make the Sutra model which sports 700c X 50mm tires, but it isn't a whole lot different than a Fargo and has limitations which a Fargo does not have regarding the drive train and tire clearances. (Or you could see that the other way around too.) The 700c X 45+ size tires start to get into a territory that road based drive trains were never meant to live in. That and the emasculation of MTB gearing choices down to a single chain ring has really pinched the rider that understands wide range gearing that promotes a straight chain line. Your choices are more limited than ever on the mountain biking side of things.

So, 650B to the rescue. I guess. There you can get that wider tire stuffed into a frame and still get away with a road based, wide range drive train. You lose that diameter component, but the choices are greater when looking at gearing and all. I'll be checking out some more tire choices and running 650B sizes in the future, and I'll probably still be going back and forth about it.

Stay tuned....

2 650B Or Not 2 650B: That Is The Question

Last March I thought 650B tires were the bomb on this ride.

The 650B tire/wheel size seems like a bit of an odd man out in the gravel world. I see that size sometimes, but not a lot. I'm not really sure why that is either. I have a guess or two, but I don't know enough to say for sure.

I do know that I vacillate back and forth between thinking these wheels are great, and then back to not even caring if I ever rode another 650B wheel again in my life. Generally speaking, for my tastes, diameter is "king" and unless a smaller wheel is exceptional at something, I don't get too excited. That said, there have been more than a few times I thought the wheel size was rad.

I think there are a few things I need to see out of a 650B wheel before I get too excited. First of all, don't even come around here with a 650B wheel with a tire narrower than the Road Plus standard, which is 47mm. In fact, I am beginning to feel that is too small. Poofy tires, if they must exist, must be exactly that- big, voluminous, and worth their weight. Using a 42mm tire in a 650B format seems......backward, especially when most gravel bikes worth their salt can fit a 43mm tire with ease in a 700c diameter. Remember- diameter is king, and if you are going to go smaller, then you need to make up for that smaller diameter with air volume. Otherwise, why bother? 

For example, when Surly came out with the Extraterrestrial tire in 26" diameter, they did not offer it in a 26" X 2.1....noooo. They went right out to 2.5" and good for them. If you ever ride one, you'll get it. They are awesome at about 20psi tubeless. Almost makes me want to run 26"ers again it does!

Smaller diameter, but super volume and super smooth ride. Make it worthwhile if you drop down a size in diameter and go wide, or go home. I'm not at all interested in 650B X (anything less than) 47mm. Nope. Give me a big, voluminous 650B, and maybe I'll fall in love with that. So then, why not just go wide and keep it 700c? Yes indeed- why not? 

700 X 50? Why yes. Don't mind if I do.

 The trouble is that then you end up with a bike that almost cannot be anything but a Fargo or clone thereof. I was online the other night perusing Kona's line up for 2020 at the suggestion of a reader here. They make the Sutra model which sports 700c X 50mm tires, but it isn't a whole lot different than a Fargo and has limitations which a Fargo does not have regarding the drive train and tire clearances. (Or you could see that the other way around too.) The 700c X 45+ size tires start to get into a territory that road based drive trains were never meant to live in. That and the emasculation of MTB gearing choices down to a single chain ring has really pinched the rider that understands wide range gearing that promotes a straight chain line. Your choices are more limited than ever on the mountain biking side of things.

So, 650B to the rescue. I guess. There you can get that wider tire stuffed into a frame and still get away with a road based, wide range drive train. You lose that diameter component, but the choices are greater when looking at gearing and all. I'll be checking out some more tire choices and running 650B sizes in the future, and I'll probably still be going back and forth about it.

Stay tuned....

Randomonium

NOTE: Okay folks, if you haven't been around long enough here to know what a "Randomonium" post is, then here is the deal. I ramble, rant, and randomly moan about all things cycling in one, incohesive, bizarre post. "Randomonium", okay?

The Fargo has new - old - shoes. 

 Fargo Back Up & Running:

This past weekend I got the Fargo sorted with some different tires that actually worked. The solution I found worked super easily. I forgot I had a pair of used Donnelly MSO 700 X 50mm tires. They went on the i23 Team Frequency rims with a burp from an air compressor and have been rock solid since mounted.

I tried the Schwalbe G-Ones on that wheel set that is based upon a Stan's rim dimension and, while I got them on with a plastic tire lever, they are what I would deem as being too tight. Not good if anything were to happen that required a tube to be inserted to continue going. But, that mere fact that the tire went on a Stan's dimension rim tells me it would definitely be too loose for most modern tubeless ready rims. Again- in my opinion- this is inexcusable in 2019.

My Schwalbe may have been an outlier, maybe from a bad batch? Hard to say, but for what I spent on them, I am not willing to take another shot at trying anything from Schwalbe. That brand has been struck from my "willing to buy" list. In 2019, and beyond, there will be, and are now, many, many choices in tires that will work as advertised set up tubeless easily. I know this because I get to try a LOT of tires out in my reviewing gig. If a tire takes multiple tries to get set up the first time, and then will not set up at all after one dismounting, well...... Hard pass. Nuff said.

Rendering of a Scott's Oriole

A Bird Lost? 

(NOTE: This isn't about cycling. So, it is even more random!) Sunday I walked out on the porch and I saw a flash of yellow and black. It was a bird I spooked out of the flower bed. It was so stunning and outstanding in appearance that I thought I had seen a vision. But it was real. It quickly hid in the thick cover of a tree across the street. Hmm...weird, but maybe just something I dreamed up? I still wasn't sure that I saw what I had seen. It was just so yellow and intensely colored that it didn't look real at all.

Then Monday, my wife and I walked out onto the porch and the same thing- An intensely yellow colored and black patched bird jumped out of the flower bed and quickly took cover in the same tree across the street.  Okay- this time I had a witness. I wasn't crazy. There was a weird bird and neither one of us had seen anything like it.

I did some checking online, and the closest thing I could find to what we had seen was a rendering of a Scott's Oriole. It seems to have the same pattern and intensely yellow coloring of the bird we saw. However; the range for this species is no where near Iowa. In fact, it is over a 1000 miles away from its Northernmost range to Iowa. Is this a Scott's Oriole that we had seen, or maybe something else? Is it a lost bird? Maybe.

I wish I would have gotten a picture, but as skittish as this bird was, I am lucky to have seen it twice!

Another drop bar hits the market.

The Off-Road Drop Bar Becomes Commonplace:

With over ten years of blogging here I can go back and see how things have changed over time. One of the things that's changed a ton is the amount of off-road, flared drop bars that are available.

When Trans Iowa started, and when I started riding a lot of gravel, you had about two choices for this type of bar. I used an On One Midge bar. You could get an Origin 8 Gary Bar, (the original one), and there was the odd WTB bar which had survived and were going for $150.00 a pop.

Now that gravel has become such a "thing" we have soooo many more flared drops that it is bewildering. A new one is out now from Shimano's PRO Brand which is called the Discover Big Flare Bar. It's an interesting handle bar that has some cool features- the 30° flare, the nice sweep- and some straight up roadie drop bar parts, like the weird radius to the drop and the shorter extensions. It's an unique bar in that it has such odd bits paired together.

I've yet to use it on gravel, but I'm sure it has its good and bad features there as well. The funny thing is, every bar has to be different, or it is a copy, and that won't do now, will it? No. So we get these weird things put out there at times that, well........they just do not work. And that's the thing with these flared drops. Not all of them really work, and so you get just a few that become the "standards" of the industry. Bars like Salsa Cycles' Cowchipper and Cowbell, which have spawned more than a few near-ripoffs. Or the previously mentioned On One Midge Bar, which spawned an almost perfect knock-off bar by another company, and inspired a few other bar designs. 

Once in a great while you get the super-weird bar and it works, for some reason. The Woodchipper and Luxy Bar come to mind here. But those are certainly acquired tastes, and it is easy to see why those bars are so polarizing.

Anyway, what a long way we have come! I never would have guessed that in 2019 there would be so many choices for off-road and flared drop bars as there is now. I'm still amazed by it all.

Randomonium

NOTE: Okay folks, if you haven't been around long enough here to know what a "Randomonium" post is, then here is the deal. I ramble, rant, and randomly moan about all things cycling in one, incohesive, bizarre post. "Randomonium", okay?

The Fargo has new - old - shoes. 

 Fargo Back Up & Running:

This past weekend I got the Fargo sorted with some different tires that actually worked. The solution I found worked super easily. I forgot I had a pair of used Donnelly MSO 700 X 50mm tires. They went on the i23 Team Frequency rims with a burp from an air compressor and have been rock solid since mounted.

I tried the Schwalbe G-Ones on that wheel set that is based upon a Stan's rim dimension and, while I got them on with a plastic tire lever, they are what I would deem as being too tight. Not good if anything were to happen that required a tube to be inserted to continue going. But, that mere fact that the tire went on a Stan's dimension rim tells me it would definitely be too loose for most modern tubeless ready rims. Again- in my opinion- this is inexcusable in 2019.

My Schwalbe may have been an outlier, maybe from a bad batch? Hard to say, but for what I spent on them, I am not willing to take another shot at trying anything from Schwalbe. That brand has been struck from my "willing to buy" list. In 2019, and beyond, there will be, and are now, many, many choices in tires that will work as advertised set up tubeless easily. I know this because I get to try a LOT of tires out in my reviewing gig. If a tire takes multiple tries to get set up the first time, and then will not set up at all after one dismounting, well...... Hard pass. Nuff said.

Rendering of a Scott's Oriole

A Bird Lost? 

(NOTE: This isn't about cycling. So, it is even more random!) Sunday I walked out on the porch and I saw a flash of yellow and black. It was a bird I spooked out of the flower bed. It was so stunning and outstanding in appearance that I thought I had seen a vision. But it was real. It quickly hid in the thick cover of a tree across the street. Hmm...weird, but maybe just something I dreamed up? I still wasn't sure that I saw what I had seen. It was just so yellow and intensely colored that it didn't look real at all.

Then Monday, my wife and I walked out onto the porch and the same thing- An intensely yellow colored and black patched bird jumped out of the flower bed and quickly took cover in the same tree across the street.  Okay- this time I had a witness. I wasn't crazy. There was a weird bird and neither one of us had seen anything like it.

I did some checking online, and the closest thing I could find to what we had seen was a rendering of a Scott's Oriole. It seems to have the same pattern and intensely yellow coloring of the bird we saw. However; the range for this species is no where near Iowa. In fact, it is over a 1000 miles away from its Northernmost range to Iowa. Is this a Scott's Oriole that we had seen, or maybe something else? Is it a lost bird? Maybe.

I wish I would have gotten a picture, but as skittish as this bird was, I am lucky to have seen it twice!

Another drop bar hits the market.

The Off-Road Drop Bar Becomes Commonplace:

With over ten years of blogging here I can go back and see how things have changed over time. One of the things that's changed a ton is the amount of off-road, flared drop bars that are available.

When Trans Iowa started, and when I started riding a lot of gravel, you had about two choices for this type of bar. I used an On One Midge bar. You could get an Origin 8 Gary Bar, (the original one), and there was the odd WTB bar which had survived and were going for $150.00 a pop.

Now that gravel has become such a "thing" we have soooo many more flared drops that it is bewildering. A new one is out now from Shimano's PRO Brand which is called the Discover Big Flare Bar. It's an interesting handle bar that has some cool features- the 30° flare, the nice sweep- and some straight up roadie drop bar parts, like the weird radius to the drop and the shorter extensions. It's an unique bar in that it has such odd bits paired together.

I've yet to use it on gravel, but I'm sure it has its good and bad features there as well. The funny thing is, every bar has to be different, or it is a copy, and that won't do now, will it? No. So we get these weird things put out there at times that, well........they just do not work. And that's the thing with these flared drops. Not all of them really work, and so you get just a few that become the "standards" of the industry. Bars like Salsa Cycles' Cowchipper and Cowbell, which have spawned more than a few near-ripoffs. Or the previously mentioned On One Midge Bar, which spawned an almost perfect knock-off bar by another company, and inspired a few other bar designs. 

Once in a great while you get the super-weird bar and it works, for some reason. The Woodchipper and Luxy Bar come to mind here. But those are certainly acquired tastes, and it is easy to see why those bars are so polarizing.

Anyway, what a long way we have come! I never would have guessed that in 2019 there would be so many choices for off-road and flared drop bars as there is now. I'm still amazed by it all.