Friday News And Views

The old rusted out bumper from the Truck With No Name.

 Trans Iowa Stories Update:

In an effort to be as transparent and to help keep my feet to the fire, I will be posting sporadic updates on what is being planned and what may be happening with the "Trans Iowa Stories Project". The overall idea is that the series that is hosted here on the blog will be condensed down and put out as a book. 

So, with that in mind here is my overall look at how this will be accomplished. This will also give you somewhat of an idea of what the book might look like, should it all come to fruition. keep in mind that this is a "sketch" and as such, major revisions are possible in the future as inspiration and circumstances lead me. 

• Editing Process: There is FAR too much material here for one book, and one book is all I am going to shoot for here. That means a lot of heavy editing will have to happen. This also means that a year-by-year look at Trans Iowa probably is not the format for this book either, as that would, by the nature of the editing, begin to look pretty repetitive as events would start to look the same overall. There just would not be enough detail space to make it interesting. 
• Theme: So, I feel that a thematic approach, one where the book overall will be a journey through the process of the event, is best. So you as a reader would get stories from recon in one chapter, stories from the pre-race in another, stories from the races, and finally post-event stories. In front of that I would do a genesis/beginning story. There might have to be stories about sponsorships placed into there as well, but you get the picture. From the beginning of the book through to the end you'd get what a Trans Iowa looked like and every really good story would be in there. 
• Images: This is where it gets hard because there are SO MANY IMAGES that are really, really great. I know I can cull out what works for the book, but that leaves literally hundreds of images on the table. Could there be a companion book with just images? If there were that possibility, there would need to be a huge effort to get permissions from many photographers, and somehow set up a way that any monies generated from that would go to those folks. They would deserve it, but obviously, that would be a monumental project. Right now, that seems out of my scope of activities for now. Just know that I have ideas here and as long as I have these images, this is a possibility. 

And there you go! That's the outline for now. I will be doing some thinking and starting to make cuts on the information. Arranging things, making sense of it all, maybe adding bits to stitch together the quilt of stories, and then producing a manuscript are what's in the future. Once I get there I will be asking a few key folks to do read-throughs and then another round of editing will happen, I am sure. Stay tuned....

LOOK Trail Fusion pedals. Image courtesy of LOOK.

LOOK Offers New Trail Fusion Pedals:

"Flats" are a good way to go if your cycling trends toward the "grab-and-go" style, or if you'd prefer not to spend more money on fancy cycling slippers and clipless pedals which can cost hundreds of dollars and require you to wear and use these items just to ride a bicycle. 

I'm a big believer that the removing of barriers to cycling is conducive to people using bicycles more. That goes for myself as well, since there are lots of times I decide to ride certain bicycles I have primarily because they are fitted with flat pedals, or "traditional pedals", if you will. 

I have been pretty big on Fyxation's Mesa range of pedals for years because of their low price and high value. Now LOOK has a similar product called "Trail Fusion". 

These pedals are made from a composite material and come in a few different colors for a retail price of $60.00 USD.  They are made in Nevers, France and according to LOOK have replaceable parts with a double ball bearing set up on a CroMoly axle. 8 pins which are replaceable give your shoe something to grip on. 

Look also has a "Trail Roc+" aluminum flat pedal for those looking for that type of pedal. I like the composite pedals myself for cold weather riding as metal pedals suck the heat from your shoes/feet in a hurry. Anyway, check out this option if you are looking for a nice composite pedal at a reasonable price. (Note: I am not being paid nor bribed for this recommendation and I have no affiliation with LOOK whatsoever)

Discontent At The LifeTime Gravel Grand Prix:

A recent article on the "VeloNews" website speaks to issues the Pro racers are seeing with "Big Money Gravel Racing" and the LifeTime Gravel Grand Prix seems to be the focus here. Specifically, Unbound Gravel (formerly the DK200)

A few riders have dropped out of the series, but one in particular, Lea Davison, is getting press via the "VeloNews" article about this and she has expressed concerns which, to me, are not surprising at all. 

The calls for a women's only race were voiced again, which in a Pro race setting, is not to be wondered at. But here is probably the most revealing of her criticisms: 

“People don’t realize that winning these races may be the difference in having a job next year or not, so the stakes are really high and when they are that high, racers take risks. One racer may attack through an intersection in front of a car, descend on the inside of a blind corner, and that’s not a risk that I’m willing to take.”

Money. People will do strange things when it comes down to a paycheck for their reward. I guess, according to Davison, they are willing to do unreasonable things for the money. Makes sense to me. I've seen riders do unreasonable things in races for no other reason than to make things easier. But there may be a connected issue which is even more concerning- The demands of sponsors of their athletes. It isn't just purse money. In fact, sponsorship may be the main driver of some athlete's discontentment. 

Pro rider Sonya Looney mentioned on a Twitter thread in response to reading Davison's reasons for dropping out of the series, that she had refused sponsors and some had chosen not to sponsor her because she would not consider doing gravel races. Her heart was satisfied, and her enjoyment of cycling, she determined, was derived from being a mountain biker. 

Safety was another concern brought up, mostly due to the rash decision making riders employ to gather prize money and satisfy sponsorships. This style of "racing" is epitomized by what we see in the Pro Road ranks with closed courses, support cars, and the like. As I have stated several times, this is where Pros want the "gravel scene" to go. Money, sponsors, and the resulting pressures of both will force these "big-time", big money events and series to become Pro Road racing on gravel. That is not gravel racing. 

And as I've always said, if it doesn't suit you, don't do it. Lea Davison chose to follow her gut. More Pro racers should do the same. Gravel is not for everyone, and it was never about "making a living" off of it. This is why there is conflict and confusion within the Pro racer ranks when it comes to the gravel riding scene. 

And I haven't even gotten to another reason this is an issue. That being gravel events are too big- too many riders packed on to roads never meant to see that sort of traffic. That's another facet of all of this as well.

The Closure Tour Update; 

Well, I had a window in early August to get this done and that has been fouled up by responsibilities and the weather. So, I now will have to wait for my next opportunity which opens up potentially at the end of this month. 

So things are basically on "stand-by" until I can shove off on this voyage. Since I have opportunities for "practice", I may take a ride or two to places, set up, tear back down, and ride home all in the same ride. 

I also might try another wheel set with larger tires I have to try. Just for "research". If it turns out that the bigger tires make for a better ride I may opt over to that wheel set. But other than that, all I have to do is pack some food and fuel for my "penny stove" and I'll be ready to roll. I have my clothes and everything else ready to go at a moment's notice. 

Stay tuned.....

That's it for this week! Have a great weekend and get out and ride!