I'm Not Sure Why This Took Off

This is a rendering of the first customized header for the blog celebrating 20 years of blogging.

I was recording a podcast recently with The Spinistry's Kevin Lee and after I thanked him for his support of the podcast he stated that he was happy to do so because, as he said of me "...for all of your contributions to gravel cycling....". 

That still blows me away when people speak of me in such a way. Inside the head of Guitar Ted, he still feels as though he is a "regular guy" and is still being amazed that people listen to/read what he has to say. And to be honest, I never thought anyone would care to hear from "Guitar Ted" anyway, but how wrong was I about that?! 

Very wrong!

Taking a look back at the end of 2006, when this blog had barely been around for a year and a half, I can see that things went nuts for me right off the bat. Jeff Kerkove, who pushed me into blogging in the first place, must have been smiling from ear to ear knowing he was right about me. I would never have guessed that anything of the sort would have been happening to me at the end of 2006 if you had asked me about this in May of 2005.

One of the last gravel group ride announcements Jeff Kerkove made.

Ironically it marked the beginning of Jeff's time out of the spotlight. He had been a pretty well known solo 24hr racer. He was sponsored by Giant bicycles, Cannondale, Cat Eye, and Hammer Nutrition at various times in the early 2000's. You don't get two free bikes, lights, and nutrition unless you are making a dent in the bottom line. Either in marketing awareness or actual sales. 

So saying that Jeff was a "big deal" in cycling back then isn't hyperbole. It is a fact. However; Jeff was dabbling for a way to get into the mountains of Colorado, Ergon offered an opportunity to do that with a job, and Jeff took the opportunity and ran with it. 

By the end of 2007 Jeff was pretty much ensconced in all things Ergon and was all but gone from the 24hr racing scene. His timing was impeccable. That was about right when that scene went into a steep decline in popularity. And Jeff did not quit racing. No! Not at all. He just went in a different direction. 

One other thing bears mentioning here is that I credit Jeff with organizing the first gravel group rides that I was ever aware of. One of his clever announcements from his old blog can be seen above. I was fortunate enough to be on that particular ride with he and several other locals here. 

Now, as for me, I went the other way. By the end of 2006 I was onboard with the 29"er site, "Twentynine Inches" as a contributor. I was being promised a salary for my writing, and a possible way out of having to work at a bike shop. In fact, had the original owner of that site not missed his marks, it is quite possible that this blog would have ended in the late 2000's, that I would never had been involved in gravel cycling as deeply as I ended up being, and my expertise and influence would have been limited to the 29" wheel and subsequent innovations coming from that. 

I'm happy that did not happen, by the way! 

What did happen was that a long, drawn out promise, well promises, really, were made to me and then 'poof!' Nothing. I was left with the loose ends and I felt I needed to make amends, because I felt responsible. And right or wrong I ended up turning the ship around with some much needed help from friends and finally was able to cut ties with that site at the end of 2013. It's hard for me to say that "I wish that had never happened" because a lot of great stuff happened and I met so many awesome folks. Maybe things could have gone a little differently, but maybe things happened just how they were supposed to happen. 

I believe it was the latter that is the truth.

Stay tuned for more stories about this blog and what things that it has done in my life, (and maybe yours too) along the way.