Minus Ten Review 2009-48

Some nice flowers sent to me for T.I.v6 registration

Ten years ago on this blog I was detailing the "fallout" from the just completed Trans Iowa v6 registration. This was back during the "heyday" of post card registration where I would get in a bunch of gifts and nice things from registrants.

Today's image shows flowers which I always liked getting, and still do, although now there isn't a reason for anyone to do that. So, this is something I miss, and looking back, I cherish those times when I would get something thoughtful like this from a registrant.

I will detail the whole evolution of Trans Iowa registration in the "Trans Iowa Stories" series at some point, so I won't dive too far down the rabbit hole on that front. I will say that this particular Trans Iowa was about when the press to get in was felt. I had about 45 card entries that didn't make the cut off for T.I.v6.

Looking back, I had a roster limit of 75, and of course, not everyone would ever come to any T.I., so realistically speaking I'm looking at 60-ish starters. Out of the 45 extras, I would assume, based upon the fact they were rookies, and rookies were always the biggest part of "no-shows", that maybe 15 of the 45 would have actually shown up. This is why we eventually went to 100 as a limit, then 120 in the last few years. My intentions were always that we not overwhelm volunteers and, especially myself and any co-director I may have had at the time, because we wanted to be sustainable, provide a good experience for all (including myself and volunteers) and not to overwhelm the local populace with hordes of cyclists.

What the "right" amount was, in my view, was right around 100 riders actually in the event. The record number we ever had was 106, or 108, I'd have to verify that, but that was max for convenience stores and the locals in my view. Had we gotten any "bigger", I would have had to fundamentally change what Trans Iowa was at its core. It would have ceased to be the event I had guided it into being.

A great example of this is the Dirty Kanza 200. They realized after a while that they could not continue to have the original, Trans Iowa based format they used to use. The convenience stores were just not cutting it. This is when they went to the aid station formatting that they continue to use to this day. How they get around not irritating road users and locals probably has something to do with the fact that the Flint Hills are sparsely populated and there aren't many to tic off in the first place.

Anyway, that's a quick hitter on why I did what I did back then.

Minus Ten Review 2009-48

Some nice flowers sent to me for T.I.v6 registration

Ten years ago on this blog I was detailing the "fallout" from the just completed Trans Iowa v6 registration. This was back during the "heyday" of post card registration where I would get in a bunch of gifts and nice things from registrants.

Today's image shows flowers which I always liked getting, and still do, although now there isn't a reason for anyone to do that. So, this is something I miss, and looking back, I cherish those times when I would get something thoughtful like this from a registrant.

I will detail the whole evolution of Trans Iowa registration in the "Trans Iowa Stories" series at some point, so I won't dive too far down the rabbit hole on that front. I will say that this particular Trans Iowa was about when the press to get in was felt. I had about 45 card entries that didn't make the cut off for T.I.v6.

Looking back, I had a roster limit of 75, and of course, not everyone would ever come to any T.I., so realistically speaking I'm looking at 60-ish starters. Out of the 45 extras, I would assume, based upon the fact they were rookies, and rookies were always the biggest part of "no-shows", that maybe 15 of the 45 would have actually shown up. This is why we eventually went to 100 as a limit, then 120 in the last few years. My intentions were always that we not overwhelm volunteers and, especially myself and any co-director I may have had at the time, because we wanted to be sustainable, provide a good experience for all (including myself and volunteers) and not to overwhelm the local populace with hordes of cyclists.

What the "right" amount was, in my view, was right around 100 riders actually in the event. The record number we ever had was 106, or 108, I'd have to verify that, but that was max for convenience stores and the locals in my view. Had we gotten any "bigger", I would have had to fundamentally change what Trans Iowa was at its core. It would have ceased to be the event I had guided it into being.

A great example of this is the Dirty Kanza 200. They realized after a while that they could not continue to have the original, Trans Iowa based format they used to use. The convenience stores were just not cutting it. This is when they went to the aid station formatting that they continue to use to this day. How they get around not irritating road users and locals probably has something to do with the fact that the Flint Hills are sparsely populated and there aren't many to tic off in the first place.

Anyway, that's a quick hitter on why I did what I did back then.

Friday News And Views-Black Friday Edition!

USAC Gets A New Director Of Membership

I came across an interesting podcast the other day with USAC's new Director Of Membership, Lindsay Goldman. She used to run a professional women's road squad up until recently. So, why should I- or anyone else- care? 

I have stated here several times how gravel events have helped to erode the base of membership for USAC here in the US. It is no secret that USAC has lost thousands of dollars- perhaps millions- in membership/licensing monies over the past three to five years as the rise of gravel events, the fear of riding the road, and ambivalence toward USAC has grown.  Lindsay Goldman has been tasked by USAC to revert this trend. In fact, she states on the podcast (linked above) that her mandate is to grow USAC membership by 50%. (!!)

That's a stout figure and a big mountain to climb. I was hooked into skimming over the podcast to hear if anything gravel related would be mentioned beyond the typical roadie affairs. There were a few mentions, and from these, I think we can draw a couple of vague conclusions. Goldman wasn't overtly pointing toward gravel riders and events as a means to gain that heady goal set before her, but I think gravel events are definitely on her radar, and thus, USAC's as well.

A question about NICA, the highschool MTB league association, and whether a road or gravel equivalent might be started by USAC, led to this comment from Goldman, "...don't know what the plans are for that. I know people (within USAC) are talking about that."

When Goldman spoke about how she would transform USAC through membership drives it was clear that she was detailing how USAC wants to shed the perceptions that it is a "road cycling/racing based organization only" and move perceptions towards USAC being the "community leader" when it comes to all cycling issues- transportation, recreational, and participation in cycling by minorities and women. She summed this up by saying, "If we (USAC) can be not just the national governing body, but the primary highest level community in America for uniting cyclists, and encouraging participation, and looking after the interests of cyclists, I think that's where the organization (USAC) wants to go."

Obviously, this includes gravel cycling. In fact, as an aside, Goldman mentioned she had signed up for "several" gravel events in 2020. She mentioned that she wouldn't be "racing" but enjoying "just being out there", again enforcing the idea that USAC wants to shed the "roadie/racing only" perceptions it has outside of road racing.  You can bet that she, and USAC in general, will be eying what makes gravel events tic and how USAC can get involved.

I think I've also mentioned that I have heard that in January USAC has a meeting planned where they want to talk with event promoters and riders involved in gravel events. You can bet that if this is true, the "big" events and "influencer" type riders will be the ones called to the table. But what about the grassroots event directors and folk? I'd be really surprised if that type of promoter or rider was invited. I'd be very surprised if that were the case.but, however it goes, this USAC thing bears watching. Stay tuned........

Iowa's Ride Route Announced:

In case you missed it, RAGBRAI isn't the only game in town anymore when it comes to Iowa based, week-long recreational rides. That bomb was dropped when in October the entire RAGBRAI staff quit and announced "Iowa's Ride", a mirror image of what RAGBRAI is, and in more ways than one. The route, announced this past Wednesday, will be an East to West route, not the traditional RAGBRAI West to East.

Originally the Iowa's Ride was going to occur at the same time as RAGBRAI, but when RAGBRAI didn't fold up and blow away, the dates were changed so that Iowa's Ride will occur the week before RAGBRAI. Of course, this sets up the possibility for the "IR-RAG Double", where you start Iowa's Ride, go West to the end, find the start of RAGBRAI, and go back.

Whomever has tags from both rides in the same year will have the upper hand in Iowa cycling bragging rights at bars and on Facebook forever. Think of the possibilities!

Honestly, they should just fold both rides into one, make it a true competition/fondo, and call it The Tour Of Iowa, and be done with this duality mess.

I Hear You!

Tuesday's post dubbed "End Of The Year Scheduling" elicited several responses from readers saying that they didn't mind my going over my bikes here during my retrospective December postings. One reader even suggested that I write about my guitars like I have before (just search the title "The Six String Side" and you'll find all those), but there is a problem there. I've already covered all the guitars I have. In order to do more there, well, you know........I'd have to buy more guitars! I'm not sure Mrs. Guitar Ted would be down for that. Maybe I'll have a look at her guitar. It's pretty nice......

So, at any rate, I'll squeeze in a couple detailed posts about the bikes here. Likely I won't do all of them that I used in 2019, but the significant ones- yes. I'll try to squeeze those in. As I stated on Tuesday, I will be doing a little extra this December as it is the end of the decade and I wanted to touch upon that as the year closes out.

That's all I have for this week. I hope that y'all get some "Turkey Burn" rides in, and that y'all have safe travels from wherever you are to wherever it is you are going.

Friday News And Views-Black Friday Edition!

USAC Gets A New Director Of Membership

I came across an interesting podcast the other day with USAC's new Director Of Membership, Lindsay Goldman. She used to run a professional women's road squad up until recently. So, why should I- or anyone else- care? 

I have stated here several times how gravel events have helped to erode the base of membership for USAC here in the US. It is no secret that USAC has lost thousands of dollars- perhaps millions- in membership/licensing monies over the past three to five years as the rise of gravel events, the fear of riding the road, and ambivalence toward USAC has grown.  Lindsay Goldman has been tasked by USAC to revert this trend. In fact, she states on the podcast (linked above) that her mandate is to grow USAC membership by 50%. (!!)

That's a stout figure and a big mountain to climb. I was hooked into skimming over the podcast to hear if anything gravel related would be mentioned beyond the typical roadie affairs. There were a few mentions, and from these, I think we can draw a couple of vague conclusions. Goldman wasn't overtly pointing toward gravel riders and events as a means to gain that heady goal set before her, but I think gravel events are definitely on her radar, and thus, USAC's as well.

A question about NICA, the highschool MTB league association, and whether a road or gravel equivalent might be started by USAC, led to this comment from Goldman, "...don't know what the plans are for that. I know people (within USAC) are talking about that."

When Goldman spoke about how she would transform USAC through membership drives it was clear that she was detailing how USAC wants to shed the perceptions that it is a "road cycling/racing based organization only" and move perceptions towards USAC being the "community leader" when it comes to all cycling issues- transportation, recreational, and participation in cycling by minorities and women. She summed this up by saying, "If we (USAC) can be not just the national governing body, but the primary highest level community in America for uniting cyclists, and encouraging participation, and looking after the interests of cyclists, I think that's where the organization (USAC) wants to go."

Obviously, this includes gravel cycling. In fact, as an aside, Goldman mentioned she had signed up for "several" gravel events in 2020. She mentioned that she wouldn't be "racing" but enjoying "just being out there", again enforcing the idea that USAC wants to shed the "roadie/racing only" perceptions it has outside of road racing.  You can bet that she, and USAC in general, will be eying what makes gravel events tic and how USAC can get involved.

I think I've also mentioned that I have heard that in January USAC has a meeting planned where they want to talk with event promoters and riders involved in gravel events. You can bet that if this is true, the "big" events and "influencer" type riders will be the ones called to the table. But what about the grassroots event directors and folk? I'd be really surprised if that type of promoter or rider was invited. I'd be very surprised if that were the case.but, however it goes, this USAC thing bears watching. Stay tuned........

Iowa's Ride Route Announced:

In case you missed it, RAGBRAI isn't the only game in town anymore when it comes to Iowa based, week-long recreational rides. That bomb was dropped when in October the entire RAGBRAI staff quit and announced "Iowa's Ride", a mirror image of what RAGBRAI is, and in more ways than one. The route, announced this past Wednesday, will be an East to West route, not the traditional RAGBRAI West to East.

Originally the Iowa's Ride was going to occur at the same time as RAGBRAI, but when RAGBRAI didn't fold up and blow away, the dates were changed so that Iowa's Ride will occur the week before RAGBRAI. Of course, this sets up the possibility for the "IR-RAG Double", where you start Iowa's Ride, go West to the end, find the start of RAGBRAI, and go back.

Whomever has tags from both rides in the same year will have the upper hand in Iowa cycling bragging rights at bars and on Facebook forever. Think of the possibilities!

Honestly, they should just fold both rides into one, make it a true competition/fondo, and call it The Tour Of Iowa, and be done with this duality mess.

I Hear You!

Tuesday's post dubbed "End Of The Year Scheduling" elicited several responses from readers saying that they didn't mind my going over my bikes here during my retrospective December postings. One reader even suggested that I write about my guitars like I have before (just search the title "The Six String Side" and you'll find all those), but there is a problem there. I've already covered all the guitars I have. In order to do more there, well, you know........I'd have to buy more guitars! I'm not sure Mrs. Guitar Ted would be down for that. Maybe I'll have a look at her guitar. It's pretty nice......

So, at any rate, I'll squeeze in a couple detailed posts about the bikes here. Likely I won't do all of them that I used in 2019, but the significant ones- yes. I'll try to squeeze those in. As I stated on Tuesday, I will be doing a little extra this December as it is the end of the decade and I wanted to touch upon that as the year closes out.

That's all I have for this week. I hope that y'all get some "Turkey Burn" rides in, and that y'all have safe travels from wherever you are to wherever it is you are going.

Happy Thanksgiving 2019

Happy Thanksgiving!

Guitar Ted Productions wishes all of you a happy, healthy, and safe weekend with whatever and whomever you are thankful for.  

I'll be back with the typical "Friday News And Views" tomorrow. Maybe I should call it the "Black Friday Edition"! ha! That would be pretty funny. Anyway, here's to you and your loved ones! Stay safe, have fun, and I'll hope to see you here tomorrow.

As always- Thank You For Reading Guitar Ted Productions!

 

Happy Thanksgiving 2019

Happy Thanksgiving!

Guitar Ted Productions wishes all of you a happy, healthy, and safe weekend with whatever and whomever you are thankful for.  

I'll be back with the typical "Friday News And Views" tomorrow. Maybe I should call it the "Black Friday Edition"! ha! That would be pretty funny. Anyway, here's to you and your loved ones! Stay safe, have fun, and I'll hope to see you here tomorrow.

As always- Thank You For Reading Guitar Ted Productions!

 

Dimensions

I was chatting with MG just last night via text, and we were gawking at something he's just got in the house. I won't let that cat out-o-the bag, but something else we touched on got me to thinking again about how far we've come in regard to wheels these days.

Thinking back to just ten years ago. 2009 was arguably the year when the 29" mountain bike gained "legitimacy" amongst most mountain bikers. It was not anything but a hard tail, XC, or single speeder's bike, but I think many at that time realized these wheels weren't going away. Only a few manufacturers weren't on board yet, (most notably Giant), and there were legitimate aftermarket and OEM parts for 700c sized mtb's by that point in time.

Wheels, obviously, were the most important thing. But wheels were what was holding the genre back as well. Salsa Cycles had been one of the first to realize that wider internal width rims were going to break out the 29"er as a legitimate trail biking choice. The widest popular rims at that time were the Stan's Flow and similar rims at a 28mm outer rim dimension. We weren't even thinking in terms of inner rim widths at this point.

Salsa's visionary rims were predecessors to the "wider is better" rim movement in the mtb world, but the problem then was that those rims were deemed to be too heavy. Materials technology hadn't been applied sufficiently up to that point on mtb-worthy 700c rims to make them wide, strong, and light. Typical mid-market priced wheels at that time were in the 1600-2000+ gram area and were, again, only 28mm-ish wide.

Recently I got a hold of some wheels to test which are all aluminum and have rims that are 25mm inner width. (We never speak about "outer widths anymore. Sheesh!) They are not very expensive at 800-ish bucks for a set and they weigh 1640 grams for the set. That's amazing for wheels that wide. For about what those cost now, you couldn't get anything in 2009 money at that weight and width. Not even close, and these are gravel road wheels. 

Throw some carbon fiber at that. Now we're talking even crazier things. MG has a gravel wheel set coming in which weighs in at 1305 grams for the set. Internal width on those? 30mm!! 

As MG said to me, "We are (living) in super great times." Amen to that! 

Dimensions

I was chatting with MG just last night via text, and we were gawking at something he's just got in the house. I won't let that cat out-o-the bag, but something else we touched on got me to thinking again about how far we've come in regard to wheels these days.

Thinking back to just ten years ago. 2009 was arguably the year when the 29" mountain bike gained "legitimacy" amongst most mountain bikers. It was not anything but a hard tail, XC, or single speeder's bike, but I think many at that time realized these wheels weren't going away. Only a few manufacturers weren't on board yet, (most notably Giant), and there were legitimate aftermarket and OEM parts for 700c sized mtb's by that point in time.

Wheels, obviously, were the most important thing. But wheels were what was holding the genre back as well. Salsa Cycles had been one of the first to realize that wider internal width rims were going to break out the 29"er as a legitimate trail biking choice. The widest popular rims at that time were the Stan's Flow and similar rims at a 28mm outer rim dimension. We weren't even thinking in terms of inner rim widths at this point.

Salsa's visionary rims were predecessors to the "wider is better" rim movement in the mtb world, but the problem then was that those rims were deemed to be too heavy. Materials technology hadn't been applied sufficiently up to that point on mtb-worthy 700c rims to make them wide, strong, and light. Typical mid-market priced wheels at that time were in the 1600-2000+ gram area and were, again, only 28mm-ish wide.

Recently I got a hold of some wheels to test which are all aluminum and have rims that are 25mm inner width. (We never speak about "outer widths anymore. Sheesh!) They are not very expensive at 800-ish bucks for a set and they weigh 1640 grams for the set. That's amazing for wheels that wide. For about what those cost now, you couldn't get anything in 2009 money at that weight and width. Not even close, and these are gravel road wheels. 

Throw some carbon fiber at that. Now we're talking even crazier things. MG has a gravel wheel set coming in which weighs in at 1305 grams for the set. Internal width on those? 30mm!! 

As MG said to me, "We are (living) in super great times." Amen to that! 

End Of Year Scheduling

Like it or not, we are entering the final stretch of 2019. The holidays are cranking up, and before you know it, you'll have broken all your New Year's resolutions again and mid-January depression will be setting in. Or hopefully you have a more realistic handle on life and you won't be entering into any of the upcoming insanity.

I know what I'll be doing. December will be quite the month with some of the regular fixings and a couple of surprises. I'll let the surprises be a mystery for now, but I did want to go over what you can expect here over the next several weeks on Guitar Ted Productions.

Obviously Thanksgiving Day will be a day off here. Then the regularly scheduled posts will follow on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. That brings us into December.

Traditionally December here brings the "Rear View" posts which is my retrospective on the year which is about to close. Since this is also the end of the decade, I'll also be touching upon some of the highlights of the 2010-2019 time span here. Those will also be "Rear View" posts, but you will know they are not about 2019.

I also have done retrospectives on the bikes I used most over the year here. I'm not sure this is a well received or looked for thing. You let me know in the comments if you feel strongly about those posts. I may skip that due to the amount of retrospective stuff I plan and with the upcoming news posts.

Finally, I am drafting up another round of "The State Of The Gravel Scene" posts. Got any subject matter related to riding gravel events that has been sticking in your craw? Wonder what I think? Ask me now and I'll cover it in these upcoming posts which will be published January 1st and beyond if there is enough to make multiple posts.

Okay, that should do it and this should give you readers an idea of what to expect now through New Year's and beyond. As always...... Thank You For Reading Guitar Ted Productions!

End Of Year Scheduling

Like it or not, we are entering the final stretch of 2019. The holidays are cranking up, and before you know it, you'll have broken all your New Year's resolutions again and mid-January depression will be setting in. Or hopefully you have a more realistic handle on life and you won't be entering into any of the upcoming insanity.

I know what I'll be doing. December will be quite the month with some of the regular fixings and a couple of surprises. I'll let the surprises be a mystery for now, but I did want to go over what you can expect here over the next several weeks on Guitar Ted Productions.

Obviously Thanksgiving Day will be a day off here. Then the regularly scheduled posts will follow on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. That brings us into December.

Traditionally December here brings the "Rear View" posts which is my retrospective on the year which is about to close. Since this is also the end of the decade, I'll also be touching upon some of the highlights of the 2010-2019 time span here. Those will also be "Rear View" posts, but you will know they are not about 2019.

I also have done retrospectives on the bikes I used most over the year here. I'm not sure this is a well received or looked for thing. You let me know in the comments if you feel strongly about those posts. I may skip that due to the amount of retrospective stuff I plan and with the upcoming news posts.

Finally, I am drafting up another round of "The State Of The Gravel Scene" posts. Got any subject matter related to riding gravel events that has been sticking in your craw? Wonder what I think? Ask me now and I'll cover it in these upcoming posts which will be published January 1st and beyond if there is enough to make multiple posts.

Okay, that should do it and this should give you readers an idea of what to expect now through New Year's and beyond. As always...... Thank You For Reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Brown Season: On Borrowed Time

They don't get much better than this in late November.

The skies were blue, the fields all cleared, (well.....almost all of them), and the roads were super-fast. It was time to get while the gettin' was good. Saturday started off pretty cold and frosty, so I waited until after lunch when the temperatures were into the upper 40's and the Sun was riding high. As high as the Sun gets a month out from the Winter Solstice, that is.

The respite from early Winter has made for a nice little window of opportunity to get out and ride the country roads a few "last times" before we get hammered by Winter again. Supposedly today is our last, good chance at riding without a storm, or a lot of snow and ice on the gravel for a while, at least.

As I said, the roads were fast. The harvest is almost complete around here now, and the County will not be interested in maintenance until next Spring now. The roads will freeze up, the rock has been pushed into the pulverized limestone and dirt now, and the tracks are buttery smooth in many places by this time. Despite rains and the cooler temperatures, the wind has managed to keep the roads fairly dry. That means my tires didn't push into the road bed, and that meant more speed. At least where the rock wasn't still sitting on top of the roads.

I had swapped out to 650B X 47mm WTB Venture rubber for the Winter, and that wider footprint lends better float, so had the roads been softer, at least I wasn't going to push into that as far as I may have with 700c X 40mm tires. But as I say, the wind made it all a moot point Saturday. And it was windy! In town it was very deceptive. A mere breeze. But out in the open it was a strong, Southwesterly, and I worked hard getting South on the first part of my ride.

Many farmers are letting the cattle graze the corn stubble now.

Super-smooth and fast roads made for an easier push against the wind going South.

This time of the year is interesting to me. In my opinion, it brings us views much closer to what this area may have looked like 150-200 years ago when nothing but tall grass prairie would have dominated the view of humans living around this area. With the crops gone, everything that sticks up off the horizon is pretty much due to the white settlers of the land in the 19th Century. Things like groves of trees, buildings, of course, and utility poles. It's easier to mask those out as you stare outward across the prairies. It must have been quite an intimidating landscape back then, with no real good way to navigate your way through.

Light filters through a decaying old farm outbuilding.

Look carefully in the middle of this image and you'll see two Bald Eagles in flight.

I decided that something between two to three hours was sufficient for a ride, so I reached a good turning point, and I went East. As I was grinding up a grade, I heard the scream of an Eagle bourne upon the wind, which was coming from my right, more or less, at that moment. I turned to look and when my eyes caught up, I saw two Bald Eagles in what can only be described as a dance with each other in mid-air. They were being carried along by the stiff wind, only taking brief opportunities to stay aloft with their long, outstretched wings. I managed to grab a shot, then I stood staring at them until they disappeared in the haze along the horizon.

I have heard that in mountainous areas, eagles mate with each other by falling through the air. Was this what I was witnessing? I don't know, but it was one of those times when the beauty and the majesty of Creation had me in tears. I was a mess for a couple of miles afterward.

It is for moments like that which I ride. They don't come very often, but when they do........ Yeah, that was good. Really good. The rest of the loop was great too. I saw more cows in the corn, and once back into town on the bike trail, I saw a beautiful red cardinal. Icing on the cake, you could say.

Will this be the last ride of 2019 for the "Bubblegum Princess"?

I noted that the bottom bracket on the pink MCD is really grumbly now. Time for a new one! Those Shimano outboard bearing units, while cheap, are not noted to be a very robust, long lasting design. I really don't like how they wear. Usually within about half their lifespan they start feeling weird, rough, and kind of grumbly. I generally put up with that for a bit until they feel really grumbly, like you get buzzed under your feet through the crankarm grumbly. All the while they don't display any wobbly knocking, like when you check a bike for a loose bottom bracket. They feel tight, but they turn roughly.

So, I am going to pony up for a Chris King bottom bracket here. I'll get a purple one, most likely, because, why not? But with money being tight and all, and since I have other bikes, well, this means the ol' Black Mountain Cycles rig is likely done for the year. It may not matter much if we get the predicted snows they have been talking about. So while the gravel gets blanketed in a covering of white, I can always ride the fat bikes I have in the interim.

Brown Season: On Borrowed Time

They don't get much better than this in late November.

The skies were blue, the fields all cleared, (well.....almost all of them), and the roads were super-fast. It was time to get while the gettin' was good. Saturday started off pretty cold and frosty, so I waited until after lunch when the temperatures were into the upper 40's and the Sun was riding high. As high as the Sun gets a month out from the Winter Solstice, that is.

The respite from early Winter has made for a nice little window of opportunity to get out and ride the country roads a few "last times" before we get hammered by Winter again. Supposedly today is our last, good chance at riding without a storm, or a lot of snow and ice on the gravel for a while, at least.

As I said, the roads were fast. The harvest is almost complete around here now, and the County will not be interested in maintenance until next Spring now. The roads will freeze up, the rock has been pushed into the pulverized limestone and dirt now, and the tracks are buttery smooth in many places by this time. Despite rains and the cooler temperatures, the wind has managed to keep the roads fairly dry. That means my tires didn't push into the road bed, and that meant more speed. At least where the rock wasn't still sitting on top of the roads.

I had swapped out to 650B X 47mm WTB Venture rubber for the Winter, and that wider footprint lends better float, so had the roads been softer, at least I wasn't going to push into that as far as I may have with 700c X 40mm tires. But as I say, the wind made it all a moot point Saturday. And it was windy! In town it was very deceptive. A mere breeze. But out in the open it was a strong, Southwesterly, and I worked hard getting South on the first part of my ride.

Many farmers are letting the cattle graze the corn stubble now.

Super-smooth and fast roads made for an easier push against the wind going South.

This time of the year is interesting to me. In my opinion, it brings us views much closer to what this area may have looked like 150-200 years ago when nothing but tall grass prairie would have dominated the view of humans living around this area. With the crops gone, everything that sticks up off the horizon is pretty much due to the white settlers of the land in the 19th Century. Things like groves of trees, buildings, of course, and utility poles. It's easier to mask those out as you stare outward across the prairies. It must have been quite an intimidating landscape back then, with no real good way to navigate your way through.

Light filters through a decaying old farm outbuilding.

Look carefully in the middle of this image and you'll see two Bald Eagles in flight.

I decided that something between two to three hours was sufficient for a ride, so I reached a good turning point, and I went East. As I was grinding up a grade, I heard the scream of an Eagle bourne upon the wind, which was coming from my right, more or less, at that moment. I turned to look and when my eyes caught up, I saw two Bald Eagles in what can only be described as a dance with each other in mid-air. They were being carried along by the stiff wind, only taking brief opportunities to stay aloft with their long, outstretched wings. I managed to grab a shot, then I stood staring at them until they disappeared in the haze along the horizon.

I have heard that in mountainous areas, eagles mate with each other by falling through the air. Was this what I was witnessing? I don't know, but it was one of those times when the beauty and the majesty of Creation had me in tears. I was a mess for a couple of miles afterward.

It is for moments like that which I ride. They don't come very often, but when they do........ Yeah, that was good. Really good. The rest of the loop was great too. I saw more cows in the corn, and once back into town on the bike trail, I saw a beautiful red cardinal. Icing on the cake, you could say.

Will this be the last ride of 2019 for the "Bubblegum Princess"?

I noted that the bottom bracket on the pink MCD is really grumbly now. Time for a new one! Those Shimano outboard bearing units, while cheap, are not noted to be a very robust, long lasting design. I really don't like how they wear. Usually within about half their lifespan they start feeling weird, rough, and kind of grumbly. I generally put up with that for a bit until they feel really grumbly, like you get buzzed under your feet through the crankarm grumbly. All the while they don't display any wobbly knocking, like when you check a bike for a loose bottom bracket. They feel tight, but they turn roughly.

So, I am going to pony up for a Chris King bottom bracket here. I'll get a purple one, most likely, because, why not? But with money being tight and all, and since I have other bikes, well, this means the ol' Black Mountain Cycles rig is likely done for the year. It may not matter much if we get the predicted snows they have been talking about. So while the gravel gets blanketed in a covering of white, I can always ride the fat bikes I have in the interim.

Trans Iowa Stories: Endurance Promoting

Post-stuck image. T.I.v4 recon shortly before the event.

  "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!

Trans Iowa v4 was mainly a survival event. Obstacle course? Ah.........crap-show? Well, we ended up calling our experience "endurance promoting". Trans Iowa v4 was all of the above, certainly. It all started, as most "bad" Trans Iowas do, with weather.

We had a particularly deep, late running Winter that year, as I recall. David Pals and I tried to do recon the December before, but with -12°F below zero temps, snow packed in the roads, and no good way to assess the roadways, we bailed out on recon after only a handful of miles. We kept hoping that Winter would relent, but by mid-March we were still no where closer to verifying the route and snow was still on a lot of the roadways. We finally knocked out recon just before I had to go to Sea Otter and David did the cues, last minute-like. The week of the event I was still verifying roads, in the rain, and ended up getting my Honda stuck in a Level B road. I managed to miraculously push it out unassisted, and drove it a quarter mile in axle deep mud to freedom. That was just a portent of things to come.......

Rain was prominent that week, and we were getting flooding all across Iowa. In fact, the morning of the Pre-Race David called to say that he may not make it due to a basement flooding. I was in a panic as he had the cue sheets! Well, it worked out, but then I was afraid that the roads were going to be bad. I back-drove a big portion of the beginning of the event, and saw that while things were iffy, it was clear.

The event was kicking off with the pre-race meeting at T-Bock's in Decorah, like the year before, but instead of in the vacant Odd Fellows attic, we had T-Bock's party room. They even offered two different kinds of sauce for the spaghetti. And they requested that I taste-test the sauces the morning before the meeting. The cook actually reduced the sauce all day. Amazing! It was as if this Trans Iowa thing was a "big deal" or something. I remember thinking people were taking this waaaay too seriously. Taste-testing the spaghetti sauce? Outrageous!

Back-driving the T.I.v4 course the morning of the pre-race I saw this calf. It became the T.I.v5 header

At least the riders were loose and relaxed. I recall the T-Bock's staff were amazed at the amount of beer they sold prior to a 300+ mile endurance event! The rest of that day was unremarkable. David made it up, of course, and we hit the hay and got a pretty decent amount of sleep. Overnight we were supposed to see a cold front come through. I remember hearing the wind howl across the roof of the motel as I fell asleep that evening.....

The next morning we got up at 3:00am to howling Northwest winds and snow? Yes- snow! It was blown in on a frigid wind and the riders which were gathering on Ice Cave Road that morning were all assembling behind some dump trucks parked in a gravel lot at the corner to get out of the icy blast. I recall Craig Severson, then a co-worker of mine, shivering with nothing on but a light jacket and no tights or anything beyond cycling bibs. I was really concerned for him, as it was probably in the teens for windchill that morning. Fortunately wisdom got the better of him and he bailed not long after the frigid start.

Oh yeah.....the wind! It was so powerful it was knocking riders off into the ditches. I remember John Gorilla telling me years after the event that he figures he got blown over at least three times that day. Him and most of the field of riders went down at least once that frigid morning. It even almost knocked me over a few times as I stood peering Eastward on a hilltop South of Cresco, Iowa, looking for any signs of the leaders. It was also the only Trans Iowa that I ever saw snow. Now, other riders say they saw snow in other Trans Iowas, but I can only verify that it happened at v4.

The lead pack grouped together South of Cresco, Iowa during T.I.v4

The reroutes happened all day, and with the wind, it made the going really slow. David and I were nervously watching the clock, doing calculations, and working that against what we had set as a cut off time to reach the first of two checkpoints that year. It was going to be really close for many riders. DNF's were happening at an alarming rate, and as we neared Wadena, Iowa, a small hamlet in the middle of a valley surrounded by hills, we knew the field was going to be whittled down to a bare minimum of riders.

Riders were getting turned around on the twisting roads North of Wadena and as time ran out, I recall that many of them were saying they could see Wadena as they were struggling to get in under the time cut. So close, and yet too far! What a feeling that must have been! David and I went down into the village where a lot of riders were calling it quits for the day. It was then that we heard that cell phone coverage was bad, or non-existent, in the town. No wonder we couldn't get a hold of the check point volunteers! I recall feeling bad as riders, spent from their efforts against the elements, were forced to climb the steep hills surrounding Wadena just to get a call out to their support people. Another lesson learned! (But fortunately cell coverage improved dramatically in the years that followed. Or unfortunately, as we shall see.......)

The riders were getting spanked, and we had some stressful times at points, but as the number of riders in the event dwindled, our "spanking" was ratcheting up. It didn't take long after leaving the first checkpoint for it to start in either.

Next: Endurance Promoting: Part 2

Trans Iowa Stories: Endurance Promoting

Post-stuck image. T.I.v4 recon shortly before the event.

  "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!

Trans Iowa v4 was mainly a survival event. Obstacle course? Ah.........crap-show? Well, we ended up calling our experience "endurance promoting". Trans Iowa v4 was all of the above, certainly. It all started, as most "bad" Trans Iowas do, with weather.

We had a particularly deep, late running Winter that year, as I recall. David Pals and I tried to do recon the December before, but with -12°F below zero temps, snow packed in the roads, and no good way to assess the roadways, we bailed out on recon after only a handful of miles. We kept hoping that Winter would relent, but by mid-March we were still no where closer to verifying the route and snow was still on a lot of the roadways. We finally knocked out recon just before I had to go to Sea Otter and David did the cues, last minute-like. The week of the event I was still verifying roads, in the rain, and ended up getting my Honda stuck in a Level B road. I managed to miraculously push it out unassisted, and drove it a quarter mile in axle deep mud to freedom. That was just a portent of things to come.......

Rain was prominent that week, and we were getting flooding all across Iowa. In fact, the morning of the Pre-Race David called to say that he may not make it due to a basement flooding. I was in a panic as he had the cue sheets! Well, it worked out, but then I was afraid that the roads were going to be bad. I back-drove a big portion of the beginning of the event, and saw that while things were iffy, it was clear.

The event was kicking off with the pre-race meeting at T-Bock's in Decorah, like the year before, but instead of in the vacant Odd Fellows attic, we had T-Bock's party room. They even offered two different kinds of sauce for the spaghetti. And they requested that I taste-test the sauces the morning before the meeting. The cook actually reduced the sauce all day. Amazing! It was as if this Trans Iowa thing was a "big deal" or something. I remember thinking people were taking this waaaay too seriously. Taste-testing the spaghetti sauce? Outrageous!

Back-driving the T.I.v4 course the morning of the pre-race I saw this calf. It became the T.I.v5 header

At least the riders were loose and relaxed. I recall the T-Bock's staff were amazed at the amount of beer they sold prior to a 300+ mile endurance event! The rest of that day was unremarkable. David made it up, of course, and we hit the hay and got a pretty decent amount of sleep. Overnight we were supposed to see a cold front come through. I remember hearing the wind howl across the roof of the motel as I fell asleep that evening.....

The next morning we got up at 3:00am to howling Northwest winds and snow? Yes- snow! It was blown in on a frigid wind and the riders which were gathering on Ice Cave Road that morning were all assembling behind some dump trucks parked in a gravel lot at the corner to get out of the icy blast. I recall Craig Severson, then a co-worker of mine, shivering with nothing on but a light jacket and no tights or anything beyond cycling bibs. I was really concerned for him, as it was probably in the teens for windchill that morning. Fortunately wisdom got the better of him and he bailed not long after the frigid start.

Oh yeah.....the wind! It was so powerful it was knocking riders off into the ditches. I remember John Gorilla telling me years after the event that he figures he got blown over at least three times that day. Him and most of the field of riders went down at least once that frigid morning. It even almost knocked me over a few times as I stood peering Eastward on a hilltop South of Cresco, Iowa, looking for any signs of the leaders. It was also the only Trans Iowa that I ever saw snow. Now, other riders say they saw snow in other Trans Iowas, but I can only verify that it happened at v4.

The lead pack grouped together South of Cresco, Iowa during T.I.v4

The reroutes happened all day, and with the wind, it made the going really slow. David and I were nervously watching the clock, doing calculations, and working that against what we had set as a cut off time to reach the first of two checkpoints that year. It was going to be really close for many riders. DNF's were happening at an alarming rate, and as we neared Wadena, Iowa, a small hamlet in the middle of a valley surrounded by hills, we knew the field was going to be whittled down to a bare minimum of riders.

Riders were getting turned around on the twisting roads North of Wadena and as time ran out, I recall that many of them were saying they could see Wadena as they were struggling to get in under the time cut. So close, and yet too far! What a feeling that must have been! David and I went down into the village where a lot of riders were calling it quits for the day. It was then that we heard that cell phone coverage was bad, or non-existent, in the town. No wonder we couldn't get a hold of the check point volunteers! I recall feeling bad as riders, spent from their efforts against the elements, were forced to climb the steep hills surrounding Wadena just to get a call out to their support people. Another lesson learned! (But fortunately cell coverage improved dramatically in the years that followed. Or unfortunately, as we shall see.......)

The riders were getting spanked, and we had some stressful times at points, but as the number of riders in the event dwindled, our "spanking" was ratcheting up. It didn't take long after leaving the first checkpoint for it to start in either.

Next: Endurance Promoting: Part 2

Minus Ten Review 2009-47

One of the most unusual registration gifts I ever received- shark's teeth.

Ten years ago here on the blog the entire week was all about Trans Iowa v6 registration madness. Back in those days T.I. registration was something all the people at the shop I work at used to look forward to. Even our mailman was excited when Trans Iowa registration time came around.

It was exciting for me as well. The Trans Iowa riders were so creative and thoughtful, it was just nuts. It really was a very special time in the event's history. I looked forward to coming into the shop each day to see what would be showing up.

I got whiskey, pizza, a bag of chips, and cigars that year, but the oddest thing I got, and maybe the most unusual Trans Iowa gift I ever received, was a bag of shark's teeth. I didn't quite know what to make of it, and I wish I still had them. I have no idea where they ended up, but they were a curious gift for sure.

Registration ended that weekend with the roster full at 75 people. Of course, that would dwindle down as the weeks and months went on toward the event, which for 2010 was scheduled back on the last weekend in April instead of the first weekend of May, as T.I.v5 had been held. That was because I did not plan on going to Sea Otter, and in fact, I haven't been back there since that year.

There also was a ride that I did ten years ago with A-Lo, a former co-worker of mine, and David Pals, my co-director in Trans Iowa at that point. It was a fun day out on the bike, and an unusually warm day with temperatures in the 50's. I chose to ride my old steel El Mariachi which was geared far too low for gravel travel, and I spun my legs out like crazy on that three hour ride. Good times!

Minus Ten Review 2009-47

One of the most unusual registration gifts I ever received- shark's teeth.

Ten years ago here on the blog the entire week was all about Trans Iowa v6 registration madness. Back in those days T.I. registration was something all the people at the shop I work at used to look forward to. Even our mailman was excited when Trans Iowa registration time came around.

It was exciting for me as well. The Trans Iowa riders were so creative and thoughtful, it was just nuts. It really was a very special time in the event's history. I looked forward to coming into the shop each day to see what would be showing up.

I got whiskey, pizza, a bag of chips, and cigars that year, but the oddest thing I got, and maybe the most unusual Trans Iowa gift I ever received, was a bag of shark's teeth. I didn't quite know what to make of it, and I wish I still had them. I have no idea where they ended up, but they were a curious gift for sure.

Registration ended that weekend with the roster full at 75 people. Of course, that would dwindle down as the weeks and months went on toward the event, which for 2010 was scheduled back on the last weekend in April instead of the first weekend of May, as T.I.v5 had been held. That was because I did not plan on going to Sea Otter, and in fact, I haven't been back there since that year.

There also was a ride that I did ten years ago with A-Lo, a former co-worker of mine, and David Pals, my co-director in Trans Iowa at that point. It was a fun day out on the bike, and an unusually warm day with temperatures in the 50's. I chose to ride my old steel El Mariachi which was geared far too low for gravel travel, and I spun my legs out like crazy on that three hour ride. Good times!

Gravel Grinder News Flash! The Heywood Ride

Almanzo is no longer- Now there is The Heywood Ride

News came in today that the event once known as the Almanzo 100, which had traded hands and had the name retired, will now be called "The Heywood Ride". The event will be run out of Northfield, Minnesota on the third week of May. Presumably this would be on Saturday, which was the traditional date for the Almanzo 100.

The Almanzo 100 and its attendant events, the Royal 165, and the 380 mile long Alexander, were run out of Spring Valley, Minnesota until 2018. Then, in a series of strange events, Almanzo ended up in Northfield, then it was changed in terms of details on how it was run, and then the event was turned over to the new Race Director, Marty Larson. For a deeper dive into the history of these events concerning the Almanzo 100, see this post.

After the 2019 running, Almanzo's creator, Chris Skogen, retired the name. It was unclear then what was going to happen with an event on gravel which now had no name. Then today's news came out. So, that piece of the puzzle has been solved. More details will be coming, so stay tuned to this channel and RidingGravel.com for more updates.

Gravel Grinder News Flash! The Heywood Ride

Almanzo is no longer- Now there is The Heywood Ride

News came in today that the event once known as the Almanzo 100, which had traded hands and had the name retired, will now be called "The Heywood Ride". The event will be run out of Northfield, Minnesota on the third week of May. Presumably this would be on Saturday, which was the traditional date for the Almanzo 100.

The Almanzo 100 and its attendant events, the Royal 165, and the 380 mile long Alexander, were run out of Spring Valley, Minnesota until 2018. Then, in a series of strange events, Almanzo ended up in Northfield, then it was changed in terms of details on how it was run, and then the event was turned over to the new Race Director, Marty Larson. For a deeper dive into the history of these events concerning the Almanzo 100, see this post.

After the 2019 running, Almanzo's creator, Chris Skogen, retired the name. It was unclear then what was going to happen with an event on gravel which now had no name. Then today's news came out. So, that piece of the puzzle has been solved. More details will be coming, so stay tuned to this channel and RidingGravel.com for more updates.

Friday News And Views

Iowa Gravel Expo- Pop Up Series: 

Over the last two years N.Y. Roll and I have put on an "Iowa Gravel Expo/Bike Party" which was a one day event. I covered recently how this was going to change and turn into a series. Well, we have details now to share. 

This time we have a sponsor and venue in Second State Brewing Company. We also have another sponsor in Andy's Bike Shop. The series will have four dates- two in January and two in February, so hopefully a lot of the area gravel grinders can attend at least one of these- or all if you are so inclined. Here are the dates, which are all Wednesday evenings starting at 6:30pm at Second State Brewing Co.

• January 8th
• Januray 22nd
• February 5th
• February 19th
• Facebook Page Link For Events 

Each session should last an hour-ish or a little longer. We are also inviting Iowa gravel event promoters to come and speak at these since one of our aims is to promote Iowa gravel events. In lieu of promoters, should we get an evening where we do not have any, or weather prevents them from attending, we will do a short presentation for selected events on our own.

Specific gravel related topics: N.Y. Roll and I will also serve up tips and recommendations on various gravel related subjects during each session. The plan is to make each session unique, so you may want to attend several of these. The main point we have is to celebrate Iowa gravel events, and as a community of riders, just get together and have a good time through a part of the year that is typically when we aren't out there doing what we really like to do.

So, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns about these events, please comment here, or go to the Facebook page, (Link in red above) and leave us a comment there. Thanks! We hope to rub elbows with a lot of you this Winter.

Patent application drawings for Lauf's rear sus ideas.

Lauf Working On Rear Suspension For Gravel:

A recent "Bike Radar" article revealed that Lauf, famous for its leaf sprung, backwards looking forks, is working on an idea for rear suspension using leaf springs.

Comments: Showing three different ideas, it is clear that Lauf is still in the development stages of this idea, but it bears watching, as the gravel segment of cycling is still heating up, and is one of the only bright spots in the sport now. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see something fast-tracked to prototype stage to be shown at various gravel events in 2020.

To my way of thinking, the idea that Lauf is pursuing is much more acceptable than where Niner Bikes went by using more "traditional" telescopic suspension with the complex rear linkage system. Minimal amounts of suspension travel, in this case less than 80mm, lends itself to more simplistic designs, and when executed correctly, it can be a superior riding experience.

This Lauf idea is very intriguing. In my opinion, the direct competitors to Lauf will be those that use suspension seat post designs. While what Lauf is doing will be activated anytime a rider in on the bike and moving, where a suspension seat post is not, (only works while seated), the Lauf idea has some concerning limitations. For instance, how do you account for differing rider weights and styles? The design has to work similarly across a wide size range. That's not going to be easy to pull off. Plus, it cannot infringe upon anyone else's patents, a definite limitation.

Those are not insurmountable obstacles, but I have to wonder, why didn't Lauf apply what they are doing with the fork on the rear of the bike? Yes- it wouldn't look traditional. But that didn't stop them from making the ugliest fork in the road bike market. So.....?? Anyway, this will be interesting to follow.

Add caption

End Of Year Changes:

Next month brings a close to 2019, and obviously I have been doing a lot of thinking about that and how it relates to what I do here and professionally. I kind of do this every year- I take stock of where I've been and where I want to go with this. First of all- Thank you all- each and every one of you, for reading this stuff I put out. I could never thank you all enough.

Secondly- This blog will continue, so no worries there. 

With that out of the way, I think 2020 will be a great year to do a few things differently. It will mark a new era, as I will have closed out 15 years of blogging in May of 2020. So, I want to do a little celebration of that.

Part of that will include a change to one of the longest running series on the blog. The "Minus Ten Review", which covers the happenings here from ten years previous, will change slightly. Part of the intentions there were that I wanted to document, in a weekly fashion, what I did to develop the blog. However; that morphed into me riffing on a theme and telling stories. Many times this did not have anything at all to do with ten years ago.

Since I feel I have gone over the beginnings of the blog, covering the initial four years here, I thought that maybe it was time to just admit that I want to tell stories based upon things I've done over the past 15 years here and riff on that. So, the "Minus Ten Review" will morph into something else. Something based on the 15 year idea. I've got a pot full of themes here and some deserve some refreshing, retelling, and expounding upon. So, look for that idea to start up next January.

Other than that, the blog will pretty much remain the same. I think you'll notice some new twists though. There are plans on the horizon for multi-media connections. I may have my own, "Guitar Ted-centric" podcast dealing with the blog stuff. Maybe even video. I will definitely be doing more on the podcast/video/live stream side in connection with something new I will be involved in for 2020. That's exciting for me on several levels. I cannot wait to release this news.

There will also be some major changes professionally. Things ending. Things beginning. I cannot say anything more than this right now, but a clearer pathway into 2020 is forming now and I am pretty happy about that.

Stay tuned folks. It's going to be a bumpy ride!

Friday News And Views

Iowa Gravel Expo- Pop Up Series: 

Over the last two years N.Y. Roll and I have put on an "Iowa Gravel Expo/Bike Party" which was a one day event. I covered recently how this was going to change and turn into a series. Well, we have details now to share. 

This time we have a sponsor and venue in Second State Brewing Company. We also have another sponsor in Andy's Bike Shop. The series will have four dates- two in January and two in February, so hopefully a lot of the area gravel grinders can attend at least one of these- or all if you are so inclined. Here are the dates, which are all Wednesday evenings starting at 6:30pm at Second State Brewing Co.

• January 8th
• Januray 22nd
• February 5th
• February 19th
• Facebook Page Link For Events 

Each session should last an hour-ish or a little longer. We are also inviting Iowa gravel event promoters to come and speak at these since one of our aims is to promote Iowa gravel events. In lieu of promoters, should we get an evening where we do not have any, or weather prevents them from attending, we will do a short presentation for selected events on our own.

Specific gravel related topics: N.Y. Roll and I will also serve up tips and recommendations on various gravel related subjects during each session. The plan is to make each session unique, so you may want to attend several of these. The main point we have is to celebrate Iowa gravel events, and as a community of riders, just get together and have a good time through a part of the year that is typically when we aren't out there doing what we really like to do.

So, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns about these events, please comment here, or go to the Facebook page, (Link in red above) and leave us a comment there. Thanks! We hope to rub elbows with a lot of you this Winter.

Patent application drawings for Lauf's rear sus ideas.

Lauf Working On Rear Suspension For Gravel:

A recent "Bike Radar" article revealed that Lauf, famous for its leaf sprung, backwards looking forks, is working on an idea for rear suspension using leaf springs.

Comments: Showing three different ideas, it is clear that Lauf is still in the development stages of this idea, but it bears watching, as the gravel segment of cycling is still heating up, and is one of the only bright spots in the sport now. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see something fast-tracked to prototype stage to be shown at various gravel events in 2020.

To my way of thinking, the idea that Lauf is pursuing is much more acceptable than where Niner Bikes went by using more "traditional" telescopic suspension with the complex rear linkage system. Minimal amounts of suspension travel, in this case less than 80mm, lends itself to more simplistic designs, and when executed correctly, it can be a superior riding experience.

This Lauf idea is very intriguing. In my opinion, the direct competitors to Lauf will be those that use suspension seat post designs. While what Lauf is doing will be activated anytime a rider in on the bike and moving, where a suspension seat post is not, (only works while seated), the Lauf idea has some concerning limitations. For instance, how do you account for differing rider weights and styles? The design has to work similarly across a wide size range. That's not going to be easy to pull off. Plus, it cannot infringe upon anyone else's patents, a definite limitation.

Those are not insurmountable obstacles, but I have to wonder, why didn't Lauf apply what they are doing with the fork on the rear of the bike? Yes- it wouldn't look traditional. But that didn't stop them from making the ugliest fork in the road bike market. So.....?? Anyway, this will be interesting to follow.

Add caption

End Of Year Changes:

Next month brings a close to 2019, and obviously I have been doing a lot of thinking about that and how it relates to what I do here and professionally. I kind of do this every year- I take stock of where I've been and where I want to go with this. First of all- Thank you all- each and every one of you, for reading this stuff I put out. I could never thank you all enough.

Secondly- This blog will continue, so no worries there. 

With that out of the way, I think 2020 will be a great year to do a few things differently. It will mark a new era, as I will have closed out 15 years of blogging in May of 2020. So, I want to do a little celebration of that.

Part of that will include a change to one of the longest running series on the blog. The "Minus Ten Review", which covers the happenings here from ten years previous, will change slightly. Part of the intentions there were that I wanted to document, in a weekly fashion, what I did to develop the blog. However; that morphed into me riffing on a theme and telling stories. Many times this did not have anything at all to do with ten years ago.

Since I feel I have gone over the beginnings of the blog, covering the initial four years here, I thought that maybe it was time to just admit that I want to tell stories based upon things I've done over the past 15 years here and riff on that. So, the "Minus Ten Review" will morph into something else. Something based on the 15 year idea. I've got a pot full of themes here and some deserve some refreshing, retelling, and expounding upon. So, look for that idea to start up next January.

Other than that, the blog will pretty much remain the same. I think you'll notice some new twists though. There are plans on the horizon for multi-media connections. I may have my own, "Guitar Ted-centric" podcast dealing with the blog stuff. Maybe even video. I will definitely be doing more on the podcast/video/live stream side in connection with something new I will be involved in for 2020. That's exciting for me on several levels. I cannot wait to release this news.

There will also be some major changes professionally. Things ending. Things beginning. I cannot say anything more than this right now, but a clearer pathway into 2020 is forming now and I am pretty happy about that.

Stay tuned folks. It's going to be a bumpy ride!