Barns For Jason: The N.Y. Roll Ride

A shadowy Barns For Jason in the early morning twilight Saturday.

Saturday I went for a bicycle ride very early in the morning with New York Roll. I typically don't get up this early for a ride, and that's a shame, because riding into the morning is an awesome thing to do. I highly recommend doing it.

This ride started at 5:30am and the route was by N.Y. Roll on some roads he had been eying to do in the Southeastern part of Black Hawk County. We also made a short foray into Benton County as well. Since this ride consisted of about 55% new-to-me territory, I saw a lot of new-to-me barns. You know what that means if you've been reading this blog for any amount of time. It means it is time to share more "Barns For Jason".

I'm not going to assume that everyone knows what this is, so please bear with me as I give a brief recap on what this post refers to.

"Barns For Jason" started out as a "barn find challenge" between myself and Jason Boucher, a friend of mine from Minnesota. He laid out the rules which are as follows; 1: ALL images must be taken during a bicycle ride. 2: Once a barn has been shared, it cannot be used in the challenge again. Pretty basic rules. Jason found out though that I could find a lot more barns than he was finding on his routes, so he bowed out of this challenge years ago. But I still do it, according to these simple rules. I still do this, mostly to document the barns in rural Iowa and elsewhere that I ride, because they represent a time gone by in history.

Okay, with that said, here are the barns I saw on our ride Saturday.

 

Barns For Jason: The N.Y. Roll Ride

A shadowy Barns For Jason in the early morning twilight Saturday.

Saturday I went for a bicycle ride very early in the morning with New York Roll. I typically don't get up this early for a ride, and that's a shame, because riding into the morning is an awesome thing to do. I highly recommend doing it.

This ride started at 5:30am and the route was by N.Y. Roll on some roads he had been eying to do in the Southeastern part of Black Hawk County. We also made a short foray into Benton County as well. Since this ride consisted of about 55% new-to-me territory, I saw a lot of new-to-me barns. You know what that means if you've been reading this blog for any amount of time. It means it is time to share more "Barns For Jason".

I'm not going to assume that everyone knows what this is, so please bear with me as I give a brief recap on what this post refers to.

"Barns For Jason" started out as a "barn find challenge" between myself and Jason Boucher, a friend of mine from Minnesota. He laid out the rules which are as follows; 1: ALL images must be taken during a bicycle ride. 2: Once a barn has been shared, it cannot be used in the challenge again. Pretty basic rules. Jason found out though that I could find a lot more barns than he was finding on his routes, so he bowed out of this challenge years ago. But I still do it, according to these simple rules. I still do this, mostly to document the barns in rural Iowa and elsewhere that I ride, because they represent a time gone by in history.

Okay, with that said, here are the barns I saw on our ride Saturday.

 

Fall Views: N.Y. Roll Ride

It's a jungle out there!

Saturday was a planned, very early morning ride with N.Y. Roll. I figured that we should get our ride in early, while my family slept in. My son was in a high school football game Friday night and that meant that nobody at the palatial Guitar Ted Productions headquarters got to sleep before 12:30am. Yeah.....I did not get a lot of sleep either. 

The alarm went off at 04:30 am and I rubbed my bleary eyes and jumped to it. I met N.Y. Roll at the Stone Castle Estates, where I was greeted by his dog, Ella, at the door. After a short chat, we were off in the direction of the Cedar Valley Nature Trail (CVNT), going Southeast out of town, so we could explore some roads that N.Y. Roll had been on and a few he had not been on.

Fall air was in play as it was about 52°F at the beginning of the ride, and it dipped down a bit from there. There was a mostly cloudy sky, (although we couldn't see anything at first), and a light breeze out of the Northwest. All in all it was pretty pleasant, actually. I wore my base layer, my Twin Six Standard Wool jersey, wool arm warmers, a RidingGravel.com vest, Showers Pass shorts, Zion liner, Twin Six wool socks, and I cut up a couple plastic shopping bags which I wrapped around my toes and then I put on my Shimano RX8 shoes over that. I wore a tube sock (or "Buff", as they are called) under my helmet. I was warm all ride long and never was really uncomfortable. Temperatures probably dipped into the upper 40's at some points, and it got up to 58°F by rides end.

I rode the Noble Bikes GX5 with a clip on rear fender fitted, and a Revelate Tangle Bag, along with an old Carousel Designs bento bag. I used the Giant Recon HL 1600 front light and a Bontrager tail light. Equipment was spot on for this ride.

A ghostly N.Y. Roll rides alongside me South of Waterloo, Iowa.

N.Y. Roll wanted to head over to the CVNT and take that to Foulk Road which would lead us South to gravel, eventually. Once we hit gravel, it was readily apparent that the previous day's soaking rain had not been fully absorbed here. I couldn't really see it, but it was more about how the gravel sounded and felt. It was still to dark to make out much, even with our bright LED torches leading the way.

N.Y. Roll advised me that we were looking for Miller Creek Road and there we would go left. It wasn't long and we had made the corner and when we did the dead flat road, on a river valley floor, was not very well drained or solid. In fact, it was in classic, "Trans Iowa condition", being mushy, muddy, and it was causing a lot of extra effort and concern for my drive train. While I never heard any crunchy, snappy weirdness from the chain ring or cassette while it integrated with the chain, I did get a bit of skipping at a couple of points. Mud was flinging off my front tire in the light beam, and I could hear the maelstrom of grit pounding off the carbon down tube and off the back of the seat tube. Not a pleasant sound! I was sure hoping this was an odd situation and that the rest of the roads were going to be better.

N.Y. Roll wanted to turn onto Cotter Road eventually, and when we made that turn South, we found that the road trended upward in elevation and the road was much firmer and faster than what I had been on before. Of course, now the light was growing as the Sun, somewhere behind those clouds in the Eastern sky, mounted up and brought forth day.

Up and into drier territory on Cotter Road. 

Stopping for a nature break.

N.Y. Roll's plan was to show me a set of rollers with a big drop off on Cotter Road, and then to head into Benton County a bit, before coming back North and eventually into LaPorte, Iowa. There the plan was to hit the original Rocket's Bakery and have a pastry and coffee.

Pushing further South.

Eventually we went South past LaPorte a bit and then circled back around and North a hair to catch HWY 218 North into LaPorte. Oddly enough, while several cars went out Southward, we were never passed by a car or truck all the way into town and on to Rocket's, it was free and clear. Riding pavement was a bit different, but sometimes I actually do this, and I haven't forgotten how.

Drafting into LaPorte from the South on HWY 218.

Someone carved what was left of an old tree into a corn cob. 

Once we got rolled into town it was on to get a pastry. I was hungry for the last six miles or so before LaPorte and I was ready to have that and a nice cup of coffee. The temperatures never did really warm up much, despite the Sun peeking out.

Highly recommended if you are ever in LaPorte, Iowa. The Rocket's Bakery blueberry fritter was great!

Heading out of LaPorte, the Sun actually shone for a bit.

After a bit of coffee and an excellent blueberry fritter, it was back on the CVNT toward Waterloo and home again. It was a good ride and I got 46+ miles in the legs by 10:00am. It was nice to be back and spend the day with the family.

Riding along the mighty Cedar River in Waterloo, Iowa.

The Noble GX5 after I returned home.

The bike worked great, and so did I! Ha! But seriously.... I did have to modify the seat tube water bottle mount with a B-Rad rail to get the bottle mounted lower than stock so it would clear the Tangle Bag. Then the SKS clip on fender was a Godsend. Without it I would have been plastered with mud and wetter than I was, and therefore colder too.

I am looking forward to more early morning rides! Thanks N.Y.Roll for getting me out there.

Fall Views: N.Y. Roll Ride

It's a jungle out there!

Saturday was a planned, very early morning ride with N.Y. Roll. I figured that we should get our ride in early, while my family slept in. My son was in a high school football game Friday night and that meant that nobody at the palatial Guitar Ted Productions headquarters got to sleep before 12:30am. Yeah.....I did not get a lot of sleep either. 

The alarm went off at 04:30 am and I rubbed my bleary eyes and jumped to it. I met N.Y. Roll at the Stone Castle Estates, where I was greeted by his dog, Ella, at the door. After a short chat, we were off in the direction of the Cedar Valley Nature Trail (CVNT), going Southeast out of town, so we could explore some roads that N.Y. Roll had been on and a few he had not been on.

Fall air was in play as it was about 52°F at the beginning of the ride, and it dipped down a bit from there. There was a mostly cloudy sky, (although we couldn't see anything at first), and a light breeze out of the Northwest. All in all it was pretty pleasant, actually. I wore my base layer, my Twin Six Standard Wool jersey, wool arm warmers, a RidingGravel.com vest, Showers Pass shorts, Zion liner, Twin Six wool socks, and I cut up a couple plastic shopping bags which I wrapped around my toes and then I put on my Shimano RX8 shoes over that. I wore a tube sock (or "Buff", as they are called) under my helmet. I was warm all ride long and never was really uncomfortable. Temperatures probably dipped into the upper 40's at some points, and it got up to 58°F by rides end.

I rode the Noble Bikes GX5 with a clip on rear fender fitted, and a Revelate Tangle Bag, along with an old Carousel Designs bento bag. I used the Giant Recon HL 1600 front light and a Bontrager tail light. Equipment was spot on for this ride.

A ghostly N.Y. Roll rides alongside me South of Waterloo, Iowa.

N.Y. Roll wanted to head over to the CVNT and take that to Foulk Road which would lead us South to gravel, eventually. Once we hit gravel, it was readily apparent that the previous day's soaking rain had not been fully absorbed here. I couldn't really see it, but it was more about how the gravel sounded and felt. It was still to dark to make out much, even with our bright LED torches leading the way.

N.Y. Roll advised me that we were looking for Miller Creek Road and there we would go left. It wasn't long and we had made the corner and when we did the dead flat road, on a river valley floor, was not very well drained or solid. In fact, it was in classic, "Trans Iowa condition", being mushy, muddy, and it was causing a lot of extra effort and concern for my drive train. While I never heard any crunchy, snappy weirdness from the chain ring or cassette while it integrated with the chain, I did get a bit of skipping at a couple of points. Mud was flinging off my front tire in the light beam, and I could hear the maelstrom of grit pounding off the carbon down tube and off the back of the seat tube. Not a pleasant sound! I was sure hoping this was an odd situation and that the rest of the roads were going to be better.

N.Y. Roll wanted to turn onto Cotter Road eventually, and when we made that turn South, we found that the road trended upward in elevation and the road was much firmer and faster than what I had been on before. Of course, now the light was growing as the Sun, somewhere behind those clouds in the Eastern sky, mounted up and brought forth day.

Up and into drier territory on Cotter Road. 

Stopping for a nature break.

N.Y. Roll's plan was to show me a set of rollers with a big drop off on Cotter Road, and then to head into Benton County a bit, before coming back North and eventually into LaPorte, Iowa. There the plan was to hit the original Rocket's Bakery and have a pastry and coffee.

Pushing further South.

Eventually we went South past LaPorte a bit and then circled back around and North a hair to catch HWY 218 North into LaPorte. Oddly enough, while several cars went out Southward, we were never passed by a car or truck all the way into town and on to Rocket's, it was free and clear. Riding pavement was a bit different, but sometimes I actually do this, and I haven't forgotten how.

Drafting into LaPorte from the South on HWY 218.

Someone carved what was left of an old tree into a corn cob. 

Once we got rolled into town it was on to get a pastry. I was hungry for the last six miles or so before LaPorte and I was ready to have that and a nice cup of coffee. The temperatures never did really warm up much, despite the Sun peeking out.

Highly recommended if you are ever in LaPorte, Iowa. The Rocket's Bakery blueberry fritter was great!

Heading out of LaPorte, the Sun actually shone for a bit.

After a bit of coffee and an excellent blueberry fritter, it was back on the CVNT toward Waterloo and home again. It was a good ride and I got 46+ miles in the legs by 10:00am. It was nice to be back and spend the day with the family.

Riding along the mighty Cedar River in Waterloo, Iowa.

The Noble GX5 after I returned home.

The bike worked great, and so did I! Ha! But seriously.... I did have to modify the seat tube water bottle mount with a B-Rad rail to get the bottle mounted lower than stock so it would clear the Tangle Bag. Then the SKS clip on fender was a Godsend. Without it I would have been plastered with mud and wetter than I was, and therefore colder too.

I am looking forward to more early morning rides! Thanks N.Y.Roll for getting me out there.

Trans Iowa Stories: Tales Of v3

The "Dirty Blue Box" as seen on a recon of v4's course.

"Trans Iowa Stories" is an every Sunday post which helps tell the stories behind the event. You can check out other posts about this subject by going back to earlier Sunday posts on this blog. Thanks and enjoy!

 The memories I have that are most vivid about the first part of v3 are those of relief over getting the cues squared away, then the assembly line bag stuffing deal I did with myself and my two young children. That was a memorable family time for me, but I was also a bit angry that I was so desperate to get the job done that I felt I had to recruit them. Fortunately, they were willing subjects and I tried to make it as fun as I possibly could.

Then the day of the pre-race, loading up that ridiculously small Honda, with a ton of crap to put on the race, and heading up there to Decorah......alone. See, this was the very first time I had done this without Jeff. The year before was a stellar experience with him. We had fun, the camaraderie was unforgettable, and I cherished that experience, and still do. This time? Wow! Was that a pit-in-the-gut, lonely drive facing a task I was not sure I was prepared for. Plus, I had the deal with Zach, who wanted to meet me to brief him on the event. Uggh! I felt very uncomfortable.

To top all that off, I only secured the upper level of the sports bar in town a short time before this event as the meeting spot for T.I.v3's pre-race. It was an ancient Odd Fellows hall above T-Bock's in downtown Decorah. The building was old, and the space hadn't been occupied in decades, judging from the run down appearance of things. The T-Bock's folks had told me that they had intended on renovating the space, but had never gotten around to it. The venue was reached by going around the back into a separate entrance, and then up a steep, wide staircase. There you found a short entryway, an old, wooden bar, and beyond that, a big empty room with a few tables and chairs which we could use as a meeting room. This was in the same space we used for the first Big Wheeled Ballyhoo, later that Summer.

The pre-race meeting for v3. Image by Cale Wenthur.

I remember hauling up all the stuff I had which took several trips up and down that steep staircase. It was tiring. Then, off to meet Zach and get him up to speed. That actually was enjoyable. Despite my never having had any contact with him besides e-mail, we hit it off pretty well, I thought, and I took him out on course to give him a view of what to expect there. In speaking with Zach, he revealed to me that his whole investigative trip was made possible by an advance the publisher had sent to him. He felt a deep responsibility to deliver a good book, so I think he was feeling as nervous and under pressure as I felt I was. Maybe that was where our connection started. Anyway....

With that under my belt I was set to do the pre-race. I saw a few T-Bock's folks and they wanted to know if I needed any beer or soft drinks up there. Hmm..... Did I? What did I need? These details were things I never dreamed of having to deal with. I was unsure, but in the end, the beer flowed and people started showing up.

Questions, questions, and more questions. I recall getting a bit annoyed by that. Then I started the meeting and out of the slightly over 100 bags I had made up and cue sheet sets I worked my ass off making, only 64 people showed up to claim them. 64! Fully half of the registered riders originally, and fully over 40 no-shows! (Previously I had thought it was maybe 35, but I found where I had taken nearly 110 bags to the event, so...) It was extremely embarrassing, angering, and I was fit to be tied. The riders seemed nonplussed, happy, and excited to ride the next day. I was pissed off. I don't remember saying much to anyone post-meeting. I was a bit surprised by those that offered a helping hand to get stuff out of there that night though. That was a nice gesture. If you were one of those folks and you are reading this, I am very thankful for your assistance that evening! Finally, I went back to my motel room immediately to grab some shut eye.

At least I slept like a baby. Probably the best night of sleep pre-Trans Iowa I ever had in the 14 years of doing it.

Next: More Stories of v3

Trans Iowa Stories: Tales Of v3

The "Dirty Blue Box" as seen on a recon of v4's course.

"Trans Iowa Stories" is an every Sunday post which helps tell the stories behind the event. You can check out other posts about this subject by going back to earlier Sunday posts on this blog. Thanks and enjoy!

 The memories I have that are most vivid about the first part of v3 are those of relief over getting the cues squared away, then the assembly line bag stuffing deal I did with myself and my two young children. That was a memorable family time for me, but I was also a bit angry that I was so desperate to get the job done that I felt I had to recruit them. Fortunately, they were willing subjects and I tried to make it as fun as I possibly could.

Then the day of the pre-race, loading up that ridiculously small Honda, with a ton of crap to put on the race, and heading up there to Decorah......alone. See, this was the very first time I had done this without Jeff. The year before was a stellar experience with him. We had fun, the camaraderie was unforgettable, and I cherished that experience, and still do. This time? Wow! Was that a pit-in-the-gut, lonely drive facing a task I was not sure I was prepared for. Plus, I had the deal with Zach, who wanted to meet me to brief him on the event. Uggh! I felt very uncomfortable.

To top all that off, I only secured the upper level of the sports bar in town a short time before this event as the meeting spot for T.I.v3's pre-race. It was an ancient Odd Fellows hall above T-Bock's in downtown Decorah. The building was old, and the space hadn't been occupied in decades, judging from the run down appearance of things. The T-Bock's folks had told me that they had intended on renovating the space, but had never gotten around to it. The venue was reached by going around the back into a separate entrance, and then up a steep, wide staircase. There you found a short entryway, an old, wooden bar, and beyond that, a big empty room with a few tables and chairs which we could use as a meeting room. This was in the same space we used for the first Big Wheeled Ballyhoo, later that Summer.

The pre-race meeting for v3. Image by Cale Wenthur.

I remember hauling up all the stuff I had which took several trips up and down that steep staircase. It was tiring. Then, off to meet Zach and get him up to speed. That actually was enjoyable. Despite my never having had any contact with him besides e-mail, we hit it off pretty well, I thought, and I took him out on course to give him a view of what to expect there. In speaking with Zach, he revealed to me that his whole investigative trip was made possible by an advance the publisher had sent to him. He felt a deep responsibility to deliver a good book, so I think he was feeling as nervous and under pressure as I felt I was. Maybe that was where our connection started. Anyway....

With that under my belt I was set to do the pre-race. I saw a few T-Bock's folks and they wanted to know if I needed any beer or soft drinks up there. Hmm..... Did I? What did I need? These details were things I never dreamed of having to deal with. I was unsure, but in the end, the beer flowed and people started showing up.

Questions, questions, and more questions. I recall getting a bit annoyed by that. Then I started the meeting and out of the slightly over 100 bags I had made up and cue sheet sets I worked my ass off making, only 64 people showed up to claim them. 64! Fully half of the registered riders originally, and fully over 40 no-shows! (Previously I had thought it was maybe 35, but I found where I had taken nearly 110 bags to the event, so...) It was extremely embarrassing, angering, and I was fit to be tied. The riders seemed nonplussed, happy, and excited to ride the next day. I was pissed off. I don't remember saying much to anyone post-meeting. I was a bit surprised by those that offered a helping hand to get stuff out of there that night though. That was a nice gesture. If you were one of those folks and you are reading this, I am very thankful for your assistance that evening! Finally, I went back to my motel room immediately to grab some shut eye.

At least I slept like a baby. Probably the best night of sleep pre-Trans Iowa I ever had in the 14 years of doing it.

Next: More Stories of v3

Minus Ten Review 2009-39

Jeff Kerkove (R) and myself at Interbike 2009. (Image taken by S. Looney)

Ten years ago here on this blog I was telling Interbike stories from my short trip the week previous. Again, as I stated last week, I think this was the last, "good" Interbike show I attended. 2010 wasn't bad, but we'll get to that later.....in about a year. 

Anyway, this Interbike trip was always a HUGE pain to me but also a HUGE blessing in that I got to see certain people only at that show. If there is a negative to not having Interbike, this would be the only one, in my mind.

Humans, at least North American ones, seem to only get together if "forced to" by an occasion. You know.....weddings, funerals, class reunions, etc. Otherwise we're not tuned into just "making the time" just to see a friend, relative, or acquaintance. I am as guilty of this as anyone. I'm just making the observation. This image of Jeff Kerkove and I is a prime example of that.

Anyway, that is a time gone by, Interbike, that is, and I am glad I attended those years that I did. I always tried to make it something of an adventure, because if it wasn't, then why bother? The walks down the Strip, riding bikes down the Strip, or wandering around in the seamy back alleys of the casinos. Whatever it was I did there, I tried to keep it all above board and fun. But always the main thing remained. That was the people. Interbike was always about the people I met.

Interbike, ultimately, was taken down by technology. The reasons the trade show existed back in the Analog Era were all circumvented by the dawning of the Digital Age. You can virtually see components and bikes via the computer in your hand at a moments notice, and marketers go direct to that device now. Even the buying of stock for stores is all done on-line. The days of signing an order and getting a handshake are long gone, supplanted by faceless technology.

And in a way, cycling is going down that same path. You don't have to join a group ride anymore, or get on a trail. You can Zwift anytime you like. Scenery passes by on your big screen device safely, and everything is digitized- Right down to the post ride data which goes up on your social media immediately. Just sit back and count "the likes". Whoopee!

Someday I'll probably hear some young person ask me what it was like when we could feel the wind in our hair.

Minus Ten Review 2009-39

Jeff Kerkove (R) and myself at Interbike 2009. (Image taken by S. Looney)

Ten years ago here on this blog I was telling Interbike stories from my short trip the week previous. Again, as I stated last week, I think this was the last, "good" Interbike show I attended. 2010 wasn't bad, but we'll get to that later.....in about a year. 

Anyway, this Interbike trip was always a HUGE pain to me but also a HUGE blessing in that I got to see certain people only at that show. If there is a negative to not having Interbike, this would be the only one, in my mind.

Humans, at least North American ones, seem to only get together if "forced to" by an occasion. You know.....weddings, funerals, class reunions, etc. Otherwise we're not tuned into just "making the time" just to see a friend, relative, or acquaintance. I am as guilty of this as anyone. I'm just making the observation. This image of Jeff Kerkove and I is a prime example of that.

Anyway, that is a time gone by, Interbike, that is, and I am glad I attended those years that I did. I always tried to make it something of an adventure, because if it wasn't, then why bother? The walks down the Strip, riding bikes down the Strip, or wandering around in the seamy back alleys of the casinos. Whatever it was I did there, I tried to keep it all above board and fun. But always the main thing remained. That was the people. Interbike was always about the people I met.

Interbike, ultimately, was taken down by technology. The reasons the trade show existed back in the Analog Era were all circumvented by the dawning of the Digital Age. You can virtually see components and bikes via the computer in your hand at a moments notice, and marketers go direct to that device now. Even the buying of stock for stores is all done on-line. The days of signing an order and getting a handshake are long gone, supplanted by faceless technology.

And in a way, cycling is going down that same path. You don't have to join a group ride anymore, or get on a trail. You can Zwift anytime you like. Scenery passes by on your big screen device safely, and everything is digitized- Right down to the post ride data which goes up on your social media immediately. Just sit back and count "the likes". Whoopee!

Someday I'll probably hear some young person ask me what it was like when we could feel the wind in our hair.

Friday News And Views

Low profile lock ring (L) and typical Shimano style (R)

A Close Shave:

I decided it was high time to get a move on and check out some stuff I have in for review and testing for RidingGravel.com . I had been waiting on the wheels I was supposed to be getting, but there are delays, and then shipping, and yada,yada,yada....... Time is getting short in the review world in the Upper Mid-West when it comes to gravel road travel. Soon we will have ice and snow, or one would think, and then that's that for doing anything meaningful with regard to this gig on RidingGravel.com for me.

Anyway.... I digress as usual. The thing is, all this other stuff I had was waiting on those wheels and it's been weeks now. So, an executive decision was made and I swapped out to my Irwin Cycling carbon wheels to stand in for the wheels I was supposed to be getting. That unlocks a dam of accessory stuff I used to set up the tires tubeless and the tires themselves are a review as well.

Everything went well except for when I dumped the entire cassette/free hub assembly right off the hub onto the floor as I was doing the tubeless set up. Doh! Fortunately it fell in such a way that the free hub wasn't damaged, but......a couple of those itty-bitty pawls came out!  Where did they go?!! A full blown freak-out was averted when I almost immediately found the two rascals. Then it took 15 minutes to coax it all back together and finally, I was able to get back to what I had intended on doing. NOTE: The Irwin Cycling Aon GX 35 Carbon Wheels have a free hub that has a tool-less removal. (Got it!)

Next up was to fit the wheels into the test bike, the Noble Bikes GX5. Well, the back wasn't a problem. A little derailleur adjustment and "bingo!". Spot on. I put the front in, screwed in the through axle bolt, and tightened it. The wheel would barely turn. "Ah!", I thought, "Probably needs a caliper adjustment." I loosened the caliper and.....what? The wheel wasn't turning. But the brake pads are not even touching the rotor??

Then it dawned on me. Something is dragging on a stationary part. I've had IS adapter bolts drag on rotors, and similar issues, but this was a new one on me. The lock ring for the center lock rotor was dragging on the "bulge" which accommodated the threaded insert to accept the lower flat mount caliper fixing bolt. (See image above for differences in lock rings.) The original wheels had a low profile lock ring while the Irwin ones used a traditional Shimano style lock ring.

The green arrow points to the minuscule amount of clearance for the lock ring on the rotor.

Okay, so swap lock ring, done, bing,bam,boom! Right? Not so fast....... The low profile lock ring on the Irwin wheel would not engage the Center Lock rotor unless I used a spacer. (By the way, I see now looking at my own picture that the spacer isn't centered. Yeah.... Still works, but I'll likely fix that.)

Once spacer and low-pro lock ring are on there I have a freely spinning wheel. Yay! I look at the clearance. What?! A close shave there, but it worked. All it has to do is clear that part of the fork. I maybe could look for a thinner spacer(s), and I probably will, but at least I got the thing to work now.

So, when your mechanic says that there was an issue swapping wheels on your fancy-pants bike, maybe you might recall this, and then think twice about it before you let him/her have what for. Standards? HA! It's always something, I tell ya........

C.O.G. 100 Course Drawn Up:

So, a little news today on the course for the C.O.G. 100 coming up in March of next year. I got a preliminary course drawn up and now we will see about reconning it. That is, if it ever stops raining around here. 

So, here's the deal. You C.O.G. 100 freaks weren't too pleased when I gave you 11 bonus miles for your single speed pleasure last Spring, so I've cut the bonus miles down to three.  THREE! That means the course, tentatively speaking, will be 103 miles in length. We may be able to shave it closer to 100 after we recon the thing, but I doubt it.

The next thing I recall folks getting all screwed up about was where the resupply point was. So, guess what? It is- again, this is tentative, subject to change without warning, and all that- at about FORTY EIGHT MILES INTO THE COURSE! Can you believe it? Now watch......someone will say that doesn't work for them. Just wait. Someone will complain about this. Anyway.......

So, there is ANOTHER chance to resupply- albeit off course on a hard top road about 3/4's of a mile from the course- at about 67 miles in. How about that? TWO chances to resupply. I don't know, but that sounds pretty good to me. Oh! And if you avail yourself of the second chance at resupply, YOU GET MORE BONUS SINGLE SPEEDING! (No charge, completely free and optional!)

Now, there will be Level B Road sections. Yes, plural. BUT.....the total should be 1 mile. The first section is really pretty short. Maybe a quarter mile. The next one looks to be about , (you guessed it!), 3/4's of a mile. Unlike last Spring, these will be later into the course, within the last third, I'd say now. Again, that could change. We haven't done ANY recon yet, so keep your mind open to possible changes.

Oh yeah.....there will be a few hills. I wouldn't worry much about that part.

That's it for today folks! Get out and ride those bicycles!

Friday News And Views

Low profile lock ring (L) and typical Shimano style (R)

A Close Shave:

I decided it was high time to get a move on and check out some stuff I have in for review and testing for RidingGravel.com . I had been waiting on the wheels I was supposed to be getting, but there are delays, and then shipping, and yada,yada,yada....... Time is getting short in the review world in the Upper Mid-West when it comes to gravel road travel. Soon we will have ice and snow, or one would think, and then that's that for doing anything meaningful with regard to this gig on RidingGravel.com for me.

Anyway.... I digress as usual. The thing is, all this other stuff I had was waiting on those wheels and it's been weeks now. So, an executive decision was made and I swapped out to my Irwin Cycling carbon wheels to stand in for the wheels I was supposed to be getting. That unlocks a dam of accessory stuff I used to set up the tires tubeless and the tires themselves are a review as well.

Everything went well except for when I dumped the entire cassette/free hub assembly right off the hub onto the floor as I was doing the tubeless set up. Doh! Fortunately it fell in such a way that the free hub wasn't damaged, but......a couple of those itty-bitty pawls came out!  Where did they go?!! A full blown freak-out was averted when I almost immediately found the two rascals. Then it took 15 minutes to coax it all back together and finally, I was able to get back to what I had intended on doing. NOTE: The Irwin Cycling Aon GX 35 Carbon Wheels have a free hub that has a tool-less removal. (Got it!)

Next up was to fit the wheels into the test bike, the Noble Bikes GX5. Well, the back wasn't a problem. A little derailleur adjustment and "bingo!". Spot on. I put the front in, screwed in the through axle bolt, and tightened it. The wheel would barely turn. "Ah!", I thought, "Probably needs a caliper adjustment." I loosened the caliper and.....what? The wheel wasn't turning. But the brake pads are not even touching the rotor??

Then it dawned on me. Something is dragging on a stationary part. I've had IS adapter bolts drag on rotors, and similar issues, but this was a new one on me. The lock ring for the center lock rotor was dragging on the "bulge" which accommodated the threaded insert to accept the lower flat mount caliper fixing bolt. (See image above for differences in lock rings.) The original wheels had a low profile lock ring while the Irwin ones used a traditional Shimano style lock ring.

The green arrow points to the minuscule amount of clearance for the lock ring on the rotor.

Okay, so swap lock ring, done, bing,bam,boom! Right? Not so fast....... The low profile lock ring on the Irwin wheel would not engage the Center Lock rotor unless I used a spacer. (By the way, I see now looking at my own picture that the spacer isn't centered. Yeah.... Still works, but I'll likely fix that.)

Once spacer and low-pro lock ring are on there I have a freely spinning wheel. Yay! I look at the clearance. What?! A close shave there, but it worked. All it has to do is clear that part of the fork. I maybe could look for a thinner spacer(s), and I probably will, but at least I got the thing to work now.

So, when your mechanic says that there was an issue swapping wheels on your fancy-pants bike, maybe you might recall this, and then think twice about it before you let him/her have what for. Standards? HA! It's always something, I tell ya........

C.O.G. 100 Course Drawn Up:

So, a little news today on the course for the C.O.G. 100 coming up in March of next year. I got a preliminary course drawn up and now we will see about reconning it. That is, if it ever stops raining around here. 

So, here's the deal. You C.O.G. 100 freaks weren't too pleased when I gave you 11 bonus miles for your single speed pleasure last Spring, so I've cut the bonus miles down to three.  THREE! That means the course, tentatively speaking, will be 103 miles in length. We may be able to shave it closer to 100 after we recon the thing, but I doubt it.

The next thing I recall folks getting all screwed up about was where the resupply point was. So, guess what? It is- again, this is tentative, subject to change without warning, and all that- at about FORTY EIGHT MILES INTO THE COURSE! Can you believe it? Now watch......someone will say that doesn't work for them. Just wait. Someone will complain about this. Anyway.......

So, there is ANOTHER chance to resupply- albeit off course on a hard top road about 3/4's of a mile from the course- at about 67 miles in. How about that? TWO chances to resupply. I don't know, but that sounds pretty good to me. Oh! And if you avail yourself of the second chance at resupply, YOU GET MORE BONUS SINGLE SPEEDING! (No charge, completely free and optional!)

Now, there will be Level B Road sections. Yes, plural. BUT.....the total should be 1 mile. The first section is really pretty short. Maybe a quarter mile. The next one looks to be about , (you guessed it!), 3/4's of a mile. Unlike last Spring, these will be later into the course, within the last third, I'd say now. Again, that could change. We haven't done ANY recon yet, so keep your mind open to possible changes.

Oh yeah.....there will be a few hills. I wouldn't worry much about that part.

That's it for today folks! Get out and ride those bicycles!