Randomonium: Catching Up

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

After a week of event recap it is time to get back on track here at Guitar Ted Productions. Regular blog scheduling will now commence! So, to get up to date here, I have a few tidbits that I thought were interesting that I would share here before getting into current events.

Finish Line FiberLink Sealant: 

I mentioned the new Finish Line sealant in an "FN&V" post a couple of weeks ago. Well, some showed up for testing on RidingGravel.com last week. (Standard Disclaimer) Now I have it installed on a set of wheels and we will see how it goes. Stay tuned for that...

Rainy Daze:

Almost every day in June, July, and half of August was rain-free. Now it decides it is time to play catch-up! Man! Last week we got hammered a few days with rain to the point that neighborhoods in Waterloo were getting flooded. Obviously it has affected the dirt trails and gravel roads here also. The biggest threat to cycling is the lightning. I really do not want to be out with the possibilities for that being as high as they were. I know that Tuesday here I would have gotten hosed had I been out in the country because that storm blew up, (literally and figuratively) in a big hurry. Glad I wasn't out that day, and I could have been, but I was in recovery mode from Gravel Worlds. 

24hrs of Cumming Changes Hands:

In late 2018 it was announced that there would be an event based on Trans Iowa and called "Iowa Wind and Rock". It would join the Spotted Horse and soon to be announced Iowa Gravel Classic as the three events which would fall under the auspices of a group called "Relentless Events". 

Now Relentless Events has 'adopted' the 24hrs of Cumming, an event run for several years by Steve Cannon, the ultra-distance runner/cyclist from Iowa. The 24hrs of Cumming is much like an MTB 24hr event in its format and with regard to its classes. The course can be done solo, in a duo format, by teams, in a relay style, and in 24 or 12 hour formats

 Steve Cannon has stepped aside as the director and now with Relentless Events taking the reins it appears that Adam Blake, who has previously been associated with this event, is taking over as director. From the release posted on the 24hr of Cumming's Facebook page;

"We are looking forward to continuing to offer the 24 Hours of Cumming in a format that everyone has come to expect, and we have some exciting changes planned going forward. We are also happy that Adam Blake’s energy and wit will continue to be part of the 24 HOC experience for everyone to enjoy."

 Questions Over Unfairness In Women's Gravel Racing Arise:

After the kerfuffle arose from the recently run SBT GRVL concerning the practice of men working to pull a woman contender to the front and keep her up front, there have been several media posted articles and athlete discussions on social media about this tactic. Many from the gravel side say it is unfair while those coming from a pro road racing background are now calling for separate women's fields and start times. 

Meanwhile, almost everyone that is not a Pro or Elite racer doesn't care. 

That should be the very first red flag for promoters to notice. Your core audience thinks maybe that stuff is goofy, and they could give a rip about whether you have racers up front or not. So, it would seem that these problems are arising due to an unnecessary part of an event for most people. It's true that many times entry fees are deferred for certain Pros, and obviously concessions to the Pros make racing for others more expensive. Not to mention what amenities have to be provided to cater to that level of athlete. 

Secondly, the purses and prizes- not to mention the intangibles of sponsorship and support outside of the event prizing, are another factor involved here. When it comes to sponsorship and prize money, those pearls are what Pro/Elite racers strive for to support/fund their season. When that sort of stuff is at stake in an event, the tactics and strategies to obtain them, or chances at the sponsorships outside the event, are going to motivate unsavory results. 

My more detailed take on all of this can be read HERE. The only other thing I'll add here is that most of these issues could be solved if promoters/RD's took a stronger stance against the silliness and actually enforced what they say with swift disqualifications without regard to who is the offending party. If, for instance, you, as a male, are told not to 'work for' a female competitor, and you are found doing so? Both the male and female get the DQ. Promoters whine and say this is unenforceable. I say bull dookey! Find ways to do this IF you are inviting those likely to cheat and take unfair advantages to your event. I can think of a few ways I would do this, so if a silly punter in Iowa has some solid ideas, I bet those smarter than I could get the job done. Drones come to mind.... Anyway..... Another idea- Don't cater to the old racing formats you think are 'necessary'. There are creative ways to get competitive racing juices flowing without drawing from Pro Roadie tradition. (Cue sheet nav, timed sections) Or how about this- Take away the money. You cry foul? I say- Almanzo 100! (Which would still be going on had it not been for the unnecessary instability injected into the proceedings by its former  RD) 

Saying "it can't be done" is quitter talk. I do not want to support quitter mindset promoters. It's on the RD's to clean this up, and strong willed, fair minded, action-taking RD's will not have issues with the following: Men letting women draft so women gain an advantage on fellow competitors, litter bugs, course-cutters, supported riders in "unsupported events", or whatever the latest issue-du-jour may be for the Pro/Elite fields. And yes- maybe Pro/Elites need their own events. (See how far down the road that takes you once you get off the backs of ordinary riding folk.)

Gearing Up For Late Year Adventures:

One other thing I did last week was I went through my Ti Muk 2 so it would be good to go for things coming up. Ya know.....like Fall and Winter? It's just around the corner now. 

Of course,  a couple of those things I needed to do were already done. Like getting new sealant in the tires, and putting on that new Answer handle bar. But during the process of putting the bar on I somehow disconnected the rear tail light wire. I looked into that and it turned out to just be a pulled spade connector which was easily repaired. 

I did get a test ride in last Friday and everything worked out great. I only have to tweak the angle of the saddle a bit which had been knocked out of whack last year when I came down wrong on the saddle after slipping off one pedal. Once that gets rectified the Ti Muk 2 will be ready for adventures on gravel, dirt, and snow.

And with that I think I've covered the things that were going on here and most important while mentioning some current events in the gravel scene. Next I have a report on a ride over the weekend, some Trans Iowa Stories news, and regular "FN&V" with some other meanderings coming soon. 

Thanks for reading!