Notes From The Tent: Day 6 - It’s Only Ten More Miles

 Day six has come to a close here at BRAN. It was a good day on the gravel route. I think it came out at 58 miles. 

Starting in Wayne in the morning, it seemed that even having the benefit of staying in Pork Belly Adventures bunk did not get me out riding faster. Michael said to me later in the day that he kind of preferred the more laid back attitude of gravel riders who seemed to be content to roll with the relaxed pace instead of the more strict “get out early- arrive early road group. 

We made our departure later than normal by stopping at the HIS Bakery where we had breakfast. It was delicious and I highly recommend the place  

Anyway, the gravel was found and ground. South of Wayne the roads were well packed, fast, and fun. The days course was front loaded with climbs so we were cranking up steeps and blasting down hills all morning  

Eventually we would near the town of Pender. Going East here and the gravel was getting a little loose and deep making finding a line a little more difficult. But it wasn’t bad. Jayme had an idea that we could go North a mile and cut off this final four miles of gravel to Pender.  He suggested an MMR dirt road which we agreed would be fun. Then it was pavement into Pender and my hope for a stop for rest  

Once in town there was some debate within the four man group concerning whether we should eat there or go ten more miles to Bancroft . Nothing was open downtown so eventually the group comprised on going to a local C-Store called “Cubbies” 

I got my rest and hot dog with a Diet Coke. Then it was off to Bancroft where we hoped to find better fare ten miles away  

Well, Bancroft was kind of a bust. There really wasn’t anything going on there  Michael said, “Well, we could go ten more miles to Lyons.”

Okay, what’s up with this “ten more miles “ thing?   I made a joke out of it, as if the guys were stringing me along. But in the end, ten more miles was what we had to do   So we did it  

Lyons, Nebraska.  It looked little different than the previous two villages. We once again were left with no open options and were debating our situation when a young Latino man stuck his head out of the door of the Mexican restaurant we were standing in front of and he spoke to us.

He offered us to come inside, sit, and cool down out from under the relentless Sun. It had started off cool, but now it was above ninety degrees  

Once inside we found they had ice cream, sherbet, and cold drinks available. So we picked out our selections and sat down to relax and enjoy our treats  

In fact, my mango sherbet and strawberry Mexican soda hit the spot. It was just what I needed to carry on  

Only this time it was seven miles to the finish in Oakland Nebraska  

This would be the last evening the four of us would be together. Saturday BRAN ends at noon and we all go our separate ways  Matt Steele, Jayme Frye, and Michael Kolakowski have become quick friends of mine and I felt we all enjoyed each other’s company over the past several days  

We ate at a local bar where the staff was clearly overwhelmed. We were a bit disappointed that we couldn’t order off the menu, but prime rib, baked potato, and vegetables make for a worthy substitute. 

One more short day to go and this gig is over  

Look for one more “Notes From The Tent” Saturday and then next week will be a BRAN photo dump with a few special posts  

As always, thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! 

Notes From The Tent: (But It Is Not A Tent!)

 Today was Day 5, Crofton to Wayne Nebraska. I’m writing to you dear readers from the comfortable cabin in Pork Belly Adventures trailer converted to a “bunk house” of sorts. There are five of these trailers being pulled across Nebraska and each has four spaces which can sleep up to four individuals each.

And they have AIR CONDITIONING! 

A few of the BRAN staff got to access one bunkhouse when a client could not use the whole week  Those BRAN guys offered me a chance to try it out tonight  Yes. It is better than being in a tent! 

Now, on to other things  Today’s ride was unique for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it was an entirely gravel route which went through a couple small villages. There was pavement there, of course, but the vast majority of the roads were gravel. 

Secondly, the scenery changed from the big, rolling prairie vistas to the big, rolling row crop vistas! This looks like the Nebraska I know from gravel events  

I guess it was also a day to mark for visiting a dairy farm and massive Northwest winds which pushed us Southward to Wayne  

The dairy farm capped off a dreary, wet, morning of 23 miles where we got rained on for about twenty minutes. It is a family dairy farm belonging to the Burbach family. They let us sample their milk choices and tour their little processing plant. Plus we got to see baby cows! 

Then a cold front came through while we were there at the farm and the skies cleared out. The big Northwest winds which pushed took over and we were sailing down the roads. Well, until the roads pointed up, and down, and up, and rinse and repeat! 

The “grid” of gravel roads was coming back as we went further South. The gravel was very loose, small, like playground gravel, and it was hard to find “The Good Line”. 

We stopped in a town named Coleridge and we ate at Rodeos Bar and Grill which was excellent  

Then we rolled on. There was a minimum maintenance road on route with an out of commission bridge over a small creek  There a man met us on an ATV vehicle named Steve who told us a bit of the history of the immediate area. You don’t get adventure and history like this riding pavement. It was cool  

The rest of the afternoon was a big stretch South into Wayne over roller after roller. Nearly 50 miles again today  

I met my brother from another mother, MG and we hooked up with Jacquie Phelan and ate at a local Mexican restaurant. The conversation was deep and varied  

Tomorrow is another 55 miles. A day of mostly gravel from Wayne to a town named Oakland  It should be a good one, but you never know until you get out there  

More soon 

Notes From The Tent: Day 4

 A short day on tap after a sag ride and overheating the day before. But before I get to the ride into Crofton, I have to tell the story of Tuesday night. 

It started out well enough with steak dinner at the local Czech Hall, an old theater/dance hall which, for the small size of this village, was huge. It probably could easily hold a thousand people. 

During the dinner word started circulating that we may have to abandon the campground to take shelter in one of three buildings in the village. We’d have to pull up stakes, pack everything up, and wait to see if anything would come of the severe weather threat.

Fortunately for us the powers that be decided to allow us to make our own call. I and many others decided to stay in the campground. The storms came, but it was a garden variety Mid-West thunderstorm and besides a bout with hard rain and a few gusts of wind, it was more than manageable. 

Before the storm Jacquie Phelan and Michael from the BRAN staff hung out and we chatted by my tent. Jacquie doesn’t sleep in tents unless she has to, apparently. Anyway, she asked me if things got bad, could she sleep in my tent. I mean, it sounds weird, but I said “Sure”!  I’d rather she be safe and dry, right? 

But it didn’t come to that and the people she was with got her taken care of. 

Anyway….  

Due to the rain Michael announced in the morning that gravel was off the menu because he wasn’t interested in a mud fest.  BRAN kind of took it on the chin last year because of a day on the gravel route with some stretches of mud. 

So, out of caution he made the call. Now I had a little over 40 miles on pavement to get to Crofton. I wasn’t too disappointed. 

I got to ride through Niobrara and see the site where 31 years ago I and two others stopped and through a series of minor miracles were able to continue a cycling tour. 

Then I got to see the same roads between Niobrara and Crofton we rode back then. I will say now a LOT has changed and I had forgotten even more things. 

And I hit 46.8mph on a long downhill coming into town. That was fun

Crofton is- so far- the best town we’ve stayed in. Big welcome into town. Lots of food choices within a short distance of the campground. Nice set up too. 

Going to eat spaghetti tonight and- hopefully- drift off to sleep and Day 5 of BRAN where I have been promised we will do the gravel route and stop at a dairy farm to pet cows. 

Stay tuned. 

Notes From The Tent: Day 3 (It Got Real)

Another headwind day with above 90 degree temperatures and lots of long climbs made for a full sag wagon. I know, I was on it. 

The night before the ride I just could not get into deep sleep. Not sure why at the time but I would guess the two high exertion days ahead of today contributed to that. 

Jacquie Phelan is a character, as we would say in the Mid-West. That just means she doesn’t look at the world in quite the same fashion as most of us do. This is good. It knocks one off their comfortable spot. And if you are a kind person who cares about others, the World, and how it feels we are in a burning spaceship , well then you stop to think. You know, exercise the brain. 

I didn’t get along with my Dad growing up, but once in a while he’d have a nugget worth grabbing ahold of. He used to say ,”Ya know, you should engage the brain BEFORE you engage the mouth.”  He used the phrase as a sort of put-down, but I figured out what really was going on. 

Anyway, people like Jacquie are flown into your life for a reason, and it ain’t about hero worship or romancing the old daze. It is about thinking outside of your self and what you see as every day, thoughtless living. I mean, the Western World wastes a lot of food, we all know this. But would we ever actually be moved to do anything about it? Jacquie described herself as a “professional dumpster diver”. That’s some bold thinking, and actions motivated by a crisis most of us ignore. 

Anyway, hot wind, hills, and overexertion are a recipe for a quick burn out by Guitar Ted. And I could feel the matches being struck right out of Spencer. 

I didn’t make it far, but I survived.  Plus I got a horse and wagon ride around town. 

By the way, the dew was incredible at Spencer so all my gear was soaking wet   This made setting up in Verdigre a chore as I had to dry everything out first before setting up. 

I guess 25-35mph winds and heat are good for something. 

More soon. 

Notes From The Tent: Day 3(?) Loosing Track Of Time

 I’m not sure if I am posting images or not from my phone. So, I apologize but this will just be text today. 

What a difference a day makes. Today was overcast, cool, and featured an all-day long tailwind. Riding the pavement bits was super-easy. 

Gravel was split up into three sections. It was fun. Maybe not super-scenic but far different than Iowa. Big ranches, lots of grass, and funny shaped hills dominated the landscape. It’s a big, empty feeling area which is full of song birds and cattle. Very peaceful. 

The last bit of gravel was challenging with a few big, long climbs. Again, very different from Iowa where our climbs get steeper at the top. Here the steep part is in the middle of the climb and the climbs are longer for sure. 

Got in 75 miles  I haven’t ridden that far since last year  

Got to the campground in Spencer  Got settled in and was looking for the showers when I noted an okde woman  she was slender, about 5’8”, and looked as though she was looking for something or someone  she turned to me and asked if I knew where the showers were  

That’s when her face suddenly brought me to attention  The unique eyewear, her voice, and I knew it had to be Jacquie Phelan, but was it really?  Why on Earth would she be on the BRAN ride  

Well, as it turned out, it WAS her! 

More soon… 

Notes From The Tent: Day 1

Day one of BRAN, leaving Valentine and going to Springview. Route: 57 miles. 

I hooked up with Michael and Jeremy from BRAN. Jeremy did the gravel route and was assisted by Michael   We are some awesome breakfast burritos at the same church we had our evening meal at on Saturday. Leaving town I noted my GPS was giving me directions a bit off from the other two guys. Keep that in mind for later. 

Gravel roads can vary a lot from place to place. This area is no different. Sand is dominant here, but there is a clayish base as well. It had rained recently around Valentine so this helped out the roads tremendously. 

This area is beautiful. Especially around the Niobrara River, where today’s image is from. That bridge lead us to a spanker of a climb. Oh my!  Long, steep, and really long. I had to walk the upper third of it. 

Did I say the climb was long? All the climbs are long out here. 

Okay, so that climb did something else too. I lost touch with Michael and Jeremy. I rolled out back on the highway and there was an outfitters store named Sparks which my GPS told me to turn North to find. Well, a mile down the road I stopped and went back to where I turned off. Then it showed Sparks was almost right in front of me down a short side road. And it was there. Okay…. 

Leaving Sparks the GPS literally had me riding circles around the store in a seemingly endless loop. I bailed and headed East on Highway 12 as this was the paved route. 

Two miles down the road the GPS has me turn right on gravel. I knew there was a “part two” to the gravel route. Alright!  Back on track..,,.

Nope! Two miles into a brutal headwind and the next turn came up going backwards to the general course direction. Back to Sparks Road and the store! 

I was pissed. Back to Highway 12 and I was sticking to that road. Now the wind was 25-35mph and the road went South directly into that wind at a couple of miles at a crack at least twice. The crosswinds were hard to deal with going East. I had to pedal everything up AND down hill. 

Brutal! 

On to tomorrow… 

BRAN Gravel: Notes From The Tent 1

 Hello from Valentine, Nebraska. Due to technicalities with Google, this post will not have images. My apologies. 

The trip from Arlington, Nebraska took 5 and a half hours including an hour long stop in O’Neil for lunch. 

It was interesting listening to all the conversations going on in the bus I was on, one of three touring busses filled with cyclists. 

One gentleman was on his first BRAN after not having ridden for many years. He sounded as though he was essentially coming straight off the couch to do this ride. His bike - a 1984 Bike Nashbar bike with 27” wheels. The man sitting next to him said he rides 200 - 300 miles a week and races triathlons. 

Talk about night and day! 

Another note: I’ve heard at least three different conversations about gravel events and bikes. I will just say that gravel is grossly misunderstood by the average cyclist. 

Big ride to the smallest town on the route tomorrow. More soon… 

BRAN Gravel: The Load Out

Friday I drove out to Arlington, Nebraska. A small city on the Northern edge of the Omaha Nebraska metro area. It is a town of 1,300 folks, so not a real large town. It will be representative of most of the towns and villages I see for the upcoming week. 

In fact, it will be the fourth largest town on the route. Only Valentine, the starting town (2,633), Wayne, a college town (5,973), and Oakland, (1,369), are larger than Arlington. 

Yes, we will be hitting some remote, not very populated areas. On Day 2 we will be passing through Keya Paha County with a population of 792 people. The smallest overnight town is the first one out of Valentine, Springview, with a total population of 238 folks. (Note: My numbers are Googled and may be off by a few souls here or there)

Things will start out feeling quite remote, I have no doubt. I've been out in Southern South Dakota on a bicycle across that state and the terrain and overall feel should be somewhat similar in Northern Nebraska. I'm especially excited to cross a few villages and roads I was on previously in Northeastern Nebraska between Crofton and Niobrara. It has been just over 30 years since I've been there, so maybe things are so different I will not recognize the places. But it will be very interesting to me, nonetheless, because of my previous passage through the area by bicycle. 

Someone asked me the other day who I was going on this trip with. I said "Nobody". I realize not everyone can do what I am about to do, so please understand I recognize my ability due to who I am. No blind eyes here. But on the flip side, yeah, it has crossed my mind that I probably won't know anyone on this trip.....at the beginning. I'm sure this will change throughout the week, or at least I hope it will. That will be part of the adventure, and I will be excited to see how it plays out. 

This week may be a bit chaotic on the blog compared to the normal postings. My plan is to do daily "Updates From The Tent". These will be short thoughts and reactions to the day I experienced. I'll likely post these in the evenings when we have signal and WiFi available. Or.....maybe not!! You have already read how we will be in very remote areas. I cannot promise anything solid, but I'll do my best to communicate. 

Likewise, any comments left on the blog this week may or may not get a reply right away. Circumstances will dictate when and where I will be able to do this. I would expect at least a couple full-blog reports during the week and possibly more if I can manage this. 

There should be a lot of social media stuff from me. Check Threads, Instagram, Facebook, and possibly X. My handle on the Meta platforms is g.ted.productions. I'll be using the #BRANgravel hashtag if you want to search that. 

That's it for now. Thanks for following along!

Friday News And Views

BRAN 44 Ride

Well, today is the day I am leaving for the week-long Bicycle Ride Across Nebraska (BRAM) on its 44th annual ride. I will be doing their gravel route, which stands alongside the traditional paved route and has been in existence for only a few short years. 

Disclaimer:

I was contacted by BRAN to come along and be an "in ride" social media/story-teller for the event in hopes that I could bring more awareness to their gravel route. 

In turn, BRAN has given me free entry to the ride and all ride benefits which any paying rider gets are also available to me. Just to be clear on that. Other outside expenses, (some food, beverage, etc) are on my tab, as well as travel to and from the ending town of Arlington, Nebraska. Otherwise there is no money being exchanged here, so if you think I'm making bank off this opportunity, think again. 

Okay, with this out of the way, I must next say I am grateful to a few of you dear readers and friends who have reached out with encouragement to me on the occasion of this event. I appreciate all your support! Thank you!

Next, I want to thank you - the readers of Guitar Ted Productions - for being here to read about this experience. From tomorrow on through next weekend I will be posting randomly and perhaps multiple times daily to bring the feel of BRAN 44 gravel here for your consideration. More on this below. 

And yes, I ordered the jersey. Won't be here till late Summer, but this will be my souvenir, or at least one of them, from this event. 

Image courtesy of MOMBAT

Innovator, Iconoclast, Charlie Cunningham Dies:

Wednesday brought the sad news of Mountain Bike Hall of Fame member and one of the founders of Wilderness Trail Bikes, Charlie Cunningham's death. 

Charlie Cunningham had suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2015 and was recently in declining health. His life will be remembered for his numerous contributions to mountain biking and cycling in general. 

Using what at the time (late 1970's) was a rare metal for frames in aluminum, Cunningham created some of the most forward thinking mountain bikes of the 1980's. His life partner, Jacquie Phelan, was routinely seen winning mountain bike races, often coming in ahead of most of the elite men in the races she contested. All aboard a Cunningham mountain bike. 

In more recent years Jacquie was Charlie's caretaker. The couple lived in Marin County, California where Charlie maintained a shop where he made innovative products such as the roller cam brake and its variants. 

Charlie was an early adopter of drop bars off road and modified existing drop bars into what is now known as flared drop bars, or what was then called "dirt drops". These bars were very influential in the early 29"er days and essential for many gravel riders up to the present day. 

I'll leave you today with this quote, found on Charlie's Mountain Bike Hall of Fame page: " The bicycle is a way for people to gain contact with something that has been misplaced. .....They (bicycles) can be an alternative to the abuse of technology that is so widespread in our world today. The more one uses a bicycle, especially in a natural environment, the more sympathetic and understanding one becomes of oneself and the planet. "

Crux v5 (Image courtesy of Specialized Bicycles)

Trends In Gravel Racing Bikes

Interestingly a couple of trends from last season have faded somewhat in 2026. Two, possibly three things have perhaps been seen at their peak of popularity in 2025. 

First, the 2+ inch tire trend is perhaps at full swing yet at this point, but from comments made by racers previous to Unbound, I can see the trend slipping a bit. 

Sure, there are some bicycles hitting the marketplace now with massive, (for a road bike based bicycle) tire clearances. 2,2" clearances are easy to find now. However, many gravel specific tires are still maxing out at 50mm as are many gravel bicycles. 

The cycling industry has a way of "crossing a line" (see 3" wide 29"er Plus), and then retreating back to a more common sense place. My observations from racer commentary support a move to more aero, and less wide, front tires. In fact, one bike set up for Unbound had a skinnier front tire and a big rear tire, while another sported smooth tread up front and knobbier tread out back. All with aero in mind. 

"Real-world" gravel cyclists probably don't care, but in case you haven't noticed, the cycling market caters to what Pro cyclists want and are doing, event though these riders account for a minuscule amount of gravel riders. But hey! I'm not the one who decided it had to be this way. I just have noted it throughout the years.  

The second thing I've noted is a lot less buzz happening around telescopic front forks for gravel bikes. Certainly, they are offered on a few select builds from most brands. Most cutting edge gravel bikes allow for the usage of a suspension fork. However; again with the racer comments and what is actually being used, I'm seeing less of these devices out there. The same aero reasons exist for not using a suspension fork which saves watts of energy versus more aero rigid forks. 

Finally, aero itself maybe fading in primacy over everything else. Witness the new Specialized Crux v5, which was designed based upon research data gained from years of gravel racing. The Crux has aero qualities, but the design is not 100% aero focused. Given the massive success the Crux v5 experienced at Unbound recently, I would suspect the design style utilized in the production of the Crux v5 will be dissected and regurgitated by other brands quickly. 

And Now For Something Completely Different... 

Okay, with a light news week, and all my time focused on BRAN preparations, this is all you get this week! I'll start tomorrow with a pre-BRAN look at the ride, and then updates from the BRAN route will happen all week at random times. Please keep checking in for a look at my experiences on this week-long gravel tour of Northern Nebraska. 

I'll be posting on Instagram, Facebook, and Threads also all week long. Check on the #BRANgravel hashtag to find my posts, or look for me at g.ted.productions 

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Now get out there and ride those bicycles!  

Further Thoughts On Unbound 2026

Riders stopped by a train (Image courtesy of Unbound social media)

Last weekend Unbound was held as approximately 5,000 riders partook of event distances ranging from 350 miles to 25 miles. The marquee distance is the 200 miler, and over 1,200 riders in the 200 mile category fought conditions from mud, rain, and lightning to get back to Emporia Kansas. 

I already wrote up my take on the event (HERE), but since then, the article has engendered many interesting comments which I wanted to point out or address here today. 

First of all, I want to thank everyone who shared the post or talked about it and drove more eyeballs to the article on this platform. This was, by far, the most read piece I've written in 2026. So, again, thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Severe Weather Plans? 

Now, to the points I saw being made. There was a huge thread going on concerning this post where I linked to it on Facebook. In the comments I saw a good few points concerning potential for weather related disaster to possibly impact this event. I would 100% agree this is a big time bomb for Life Time to either diffuse by addressing it, or ignore at their peril, (not to mention the rider's perils) 

The situation is compounded by a few critical elements. First, the area called the Flint Hills. It is remote, crossed by few roads, and those roads become nigh unto impassable, according to the locals, once saturated with rain. 

Next we have the sheer numbers of riders. With 1.250 total riders  doing the 200 miles in the amateur class, the throng leaving Emporia took almost five minutes to pass a camera recording the start of the event. Now think about this conga line getting stretched out over miles and miles of rustic Flint Hills roads in inclement weather. That's just the 200 mile class! 

There were 237 doing the even more far-flung 350 mile option, with the remainder of the 5,000 doing 100, 50, and 25 mile courses. That is a lot of territory to cover and a heck of a lot of possibilities for things to go pear-shaped. 

Now think about weather conditions. Riders in this year's event already were dealing with rain, lightning, and wind, but what if things took a turn for the worse? Let's say a violent severe thunderstorm with high winds, hail, and sheets of rain. No one in their right mind would even think about driving in a vehicle during such events in the Flint Hills. How does Life Time extract up to 5,000 riders from such a remote course? I think the answer is obvious: They cannot do this. 

So, what should Life Time do? One: Be willing to cancel the event in case of potential bad weather. This year would have been a close call for the organizer. I think it gets tough when you have weather that is unpredictable, but not so bad you couldn't ride in it.  I know all about this.

Then you have pre-event communications. One commenter on my Facebook post said something to the effect that Life Time has policies and warnings in their written rules, but this person felt it was not communicated to the riders and hammered home that the riders have a responsibility here as well.  

I probably over-communicated when I ran Trans Iowa. I know I was cited for information fatigue by riders at times. But, in my opinion, better to wear you out with messaging than have you be oblivious to your responsibilities. Better to understand, as a rider,  what the event can and cannot do for you. You just cannot rely on written rules as a race organizer. Period. 

Then there is the money. Obviously Life Time rakes in a truckload of cash from entry fees. It has expenses, to be sure, but if the unthinkable happened, families and loved ones won't see that. They will have lawyers at the ready to extract whatever financial compensation they can get. Waivers won't save Life Time there, and it would be very costly, or potentially fatal for the event. 

Emporia and the surrounding environs benefits tremendously from Unbound. The economy can ill afford any hit to this income stream. I would think the community would have an intense interest in seeing that Life Time does its due diligence in presenting an emergency plan and a set of parameters for cancellation of the event. I do not know if this has been done, or not done, by Life Time.  (I would assume it has been done) I am only saying that Life Time should have this mechanism in place. If they already do, they have done a very poor job in communicating this, according to some riders reports online.

Fence Jumpers: 

Rules for events mean nothing unless they are enforced. There was an image from this year's event showing folks hike-a-biking a minimum maintenance road. In the image, more than a few riders were jumping the fence on to the landowner\s side and riding/walking on that private land. 

I know when this event was run by Jim Cummings that was a big no-no and DQ worthy. However; during this year's events, no one seemed to be policing this. Again, perhaps Life Time doesn't have the staffing, wherewithal, or impetus to do policing and enforcing of rules. I don't know Life Time's situation regarding this. I do know if you are trespassing on private land you should be yanked off the course and given a DQ. Apparently this is not happening.

From the 2015 "Mud Year"

Team Tactics:

A recent article in "Velo" ballyhooed what they claimed to be a sea change in gravel racing. Team tactics! Gravel will never be the same again! Oh my!

You've probably seen the story. How Specialized rider Mads Wurtz Schmidt received Keegan Swenson's rear wheel so he could finish the event and win the overall in the 200. Swenson ended up finishing fifth overall. Just exactly how he fixed the "unfixable" rear flat, no one has reported that I can find)

Does this mean it's curtains for privateers? Does this mean now that anyone coming to Unbound had better be on a team with full team support? I don't think so. In fact, I'll go so far as to say this is no big deal. 

Riders have been allowed to help other riders in the event since the beginning of the Modern Gravel Era. Stories of riders assisting each other are numerous. But you might say, "Yes, but this was just like a Pro road team where the captain is supported at all costs!" I would caution against any thoughts along these lines. Yes, Swenson, Schmidt, and the second place finisher Matt Beers were all on Specialized's "team", but make no mistake, they were racing for themselves. Had Swenson had the legs that day, I don't think he's giving Schmidt his wheel. But we will never really know this. 

And as far as a Pro road like team in gravel? The average team budget in the UCU Pro road ranks is 33 million according to this article. Let's say a gravel team costs a quarter of this amount. That is still a whopping 8.25 million bucks. I just don't see this happening. Your mileage may vary. So, yeah....that "Velo" article? I wouldn't put too much stock into it. 

Surprising Data:

It was a "mud year" at the Unbound Gravel event, so how did the finishing rate turn out? Surprisingly, outside of the XL event distance, quite well, actually. 

You can get a quick look at the finishing numbers versus the actual starting numbers for each event by clicking HERE. Obviously the XL with 237 starting and 60 finishing had the worst rate of DNF's, but over 350 miles and storms, mud, and wind, this is maybe more reasonable. But look at those other classes. Not too shabby for a bad weather year, I'd say. 

Certainly it was far worse in other years and this edition of Unbound doesn't even hold a candle to the carnage of 2015. One final note: The gravel scene still has a hard time pulling in women riders in the upper echelon of the sport. Only 63 Pro women? Wow.... I gotta say that is surprising. 
 

Two Things

Wait.....what's this now?

 Peregrine Part Deux:

Last year I picked up a Singular Peregrine Mk4 frame and fork. I based my selection of a size Large on the data shown on Singular's site. However; once I had it built up and I had ridden it some, I was caught second guessing that decision. 

The bike seemed a bit compact in length to me, but again, the sizing charts were correct and matched the frame. It wasn't a total disaster, by any stretch, but I knew it was going to require a lot of fiddling around to dial it in better. At the time, (last Fall 2025), I wasn't motivated to tackle that just yet. I was, and still am, dealing with a lot in my life elsewhere. 

However; early this Spring I had mentioned while texting with Matt Gersib that I wasn't 100% settled into that bike yet and I mentioned what I had in mind to tweak it. Matt had another idea. 

One thing led to another and well, an exchange was arranged with Singular Cycles for a size XL Peregrine Mk4. The terms were very generous on the part of Singular and I was happy to pursue this possibility. Now the frame and fork are here and just before I leave for a big trip! 

So..... I'll have to put this off until my return from BRAN. That will be tough to do, but I have a lot of details to pull together before I leave and tinkering with swapping parts off one frame to another will have to wait. Meanwhile, at least I won't have any questions about what I will be doing once I return. Look for a full report when I get back and started in on this project.  

Once again, image courtesy of Mike Riemer

A Little Follow-up On That 32" Fargo At Unbound:

While the Scott 32"ers grabbed most of the oxygen in the post Unbound room, those weren't the only successful rides put in on 32" wheels. I mentioned it in my thoughts on the recent happenings at Unbound here, but there were some thoughts shared in the comments on that article I thought deserved more eyeballs. 

First though, let's give Joe Meiser, the rider of the Fargo 32"er, some props. Those were some horrendous conditions, and Joe came through quite well, by all accounts. Additionally he hasn't been actively racing much of late, so his come-back, if we can call it that, is even more remarkable. 200 miles in the Flint Hills is no joke on a decent weather year. This was anything but a decent weather year, so hats off to Joe! 

Now, Mike Riemer, image taker of Joe finishing the 200 here, jumped in the comments and had the following to say:

"Joe’s Fargo 32 stayed incredibly free of mud. At each support stop we sprayed 2 or 3 bottles of water onto his drivetrain and brake calipers. At those stops I pulled a small amount of mud from the top of his bb (bottom bracket) shell. That was the only place it collected. Joe finished in 12:43 and was incredibly steady throughout. He averaged 16.26 mph, which is what he’d planned on doing. Checkpoint 3 was the only time we saw him feeling the affects of the day, as he began using one word answers and one word requests. Pretty great performance IMO and all based on a training plan of just 10 hours riding per week."

So, do 32" wheels shed mud better than smaller wheels? Reports on the Scott bikes also made mention of this. Although I think it is fair to say that some witnesses to the event, and some riders, were saying this mud was wetter and less sticky than some years of this races past where the mud was like Velcro. I can say this may be true, as I witnessed and rode through very sticky mud in 2015 where the event saw no rain on race day, but had been rained on for days prior to the event. Overcast and foggy conditions that year ensured there would be no drying out of the roads from Sun or wind. 

It is an interesting observation, all the more so after seeing many 700c bikes from this year's event packed up with sticky mud. Something to think about if you are considering a 32"er. 

Gravel Grinder News: Singular Launches Peregrine Mk5

Note: All images and information used in this post was provided by Singular Cycles. Comments are Guitar Ted's. 

Fifth Generation of Singular's Classic Peregrine:

Singular has announced from today availability of a new Peregrine featuring a few changes and a major shift in where it is manufactured. 

This is considered an update to the Mk4 peregrine, not anything revolutionary. The Peregrine has been a staple in the range for Singular for nearly 20 years now and has proven to be a favorite amongst those seeking a classic look that can handle big tires and cover lots of varying road conditions. 

Probably the most significant change is a switching back to the Taiwanese factory, Maxway, known across the industry as a leader in steel bicycle frame and fork manufacturing. Sam Alison, founder of Singular Cycles, feels these new Peregrines will be the best version of the model yet produced. 

• New burned orange color scheme, alongside a very limited run of our classic Singular blue
• Updated tube profiles throughout, improving on the Peregrine's already well-regarded ride quality - plus a tweak to improve tire clearance at the chain stays
• Revised geometry across the range, with S and M frames now built around 650b wheels, using a shorter 390mm fork, improving stand over clearance, reducing toe overlap and giving a more proportionate, better handling ride in those sizes
• Native 160mm flat mount rear and 160/180 front brake as standard
• Lugged rear dropouts retained from the MK4, with two M5 threaded eyelets for mudguard and rack mounting.
• Some other little tweaks here and there to ensure cables run smoother, tires fit better and mudguards sit nicely - that sort of thing.

For more details and pricing see Singular Cycles site:  www.singularcycles.com

BRAN Gravel: Final Tweaks & Packing Up

Friday I push off on a journey Westward to Nebraska. This trip will be undertaken to explore and share my experiences riding the gravel route for the Bicycle Ride Across Nebraska. (BRAN). 

The trip is coming together here well. Most everything I need has arrived and has been tested out, at least a little bit! One thing which remains to be seen. The Weather. 

Initial long-range forecasts seem to indicate a heating up for the Great Plains for the second week of June. Temperatures during the daytime are looking to be in the 80's with night time temperatures into the mid-60's. Typical, I'd say, for Summer. 

Rain may crop up. There are a couple of days with good chances for afternoon thunderstorms. I was worrying about having a rain jacket. But I think I'm going to throw in an emergency, highly packable jacket. If it gets dicey and I need it, well there it is. But I'm not going to re-do my entire set up for an actual touring rain jacket. If I get caught in the rain and get wet, well, once you are 100% soaked, you won't get any wetter. Cold? Ride faster. Problem solved. (Note: This is my whack mind at work and may not reflect what you consider "reasonable thinking")

Image courtesy of SILCA

Next, I thought about the frame pump on the Black Mountain Cycles MCD. It works. It is great to ward off wayward dogs. However; it does impede my access to my upper water bottle. So, I am switching things up to go with my SILCA Tattico mini-pump which is a great pump. 

Then I thought I'd better dump everything out of my Bike Bag Dude top tube bag and my under-the-saddle tool roll, (Also from SILCA, by the way) I compared the contents and condensed things down to eliminate duplicated objects. I did replace my multi-tool to include the PRO Performance 22 function tool. I like this because the chain tool is actually functional and it has all the other tools readily available and easily deployed. It is compact and easily stowed in my tool roll. 

I did throw in a combination 5mm/6mm hex key, like I would use as a bike mechanic. I'll use this before I break out any multi-tool as in my opinion, "real tools" are far easier to use. At least I think so. I may even slip in a regular 4mm key as well. 

Sans frame pump and with refined kit in the bags. 

So the bike and onboard accessories are pretty much dialed in. I will clean the bike before loading it up into the 4Runner for the trip. So, I will not be mixing Iowa gravel dust and Nebraska gravel dust! I might do one more easy ride on it too, just because. 

The Showers Pass packable rain jacket.

Now with only a few days to go I am turning my attention to packing clothing. BRAN just sent out a "theme jersey suggestion list" for the week. This would mean I would have to bring seven jerseys to participate in this. Of course, I do not have a jersey to match every theme, so I can rest a little easier. 

Here are the themes for each day, in case you are wondering what the BRAN folk are suggesting. 

1. BRAN 44 Day: Wear BRAN logo'ed gear. (I'm getting the t-shirt, so.....)
2. Wild Jersey Day: (Note - This is my interpretation of the theme) Wear a bright, wild patterned, or otherwise weird jersey. 
3. Cycling Club Jersey Day. Pretty self explanatory. 
4. Where I'm From Jersey: Again, fairly obvious. 
5.  Blast From The Past: Once more, kinda obvious. 
6.  Super Hero Day: Wear a super hero themed jersey. 
7. Red, White, and Blue Day: Patriotic/USA themed stuff, I'd assume. 

So here's what I have which might work: I'm getting the BRAN t-shirt, so maybe Day 1. Cycling Club Jersey day could be done while wearing my Cedar Valley Velo jersey, and it would work for the next day because that is where I am from. Then the only other day which I could possibly participate in would be the last day as I do have a Stars and Stripes jersey.  

So, I probably can get by with six jerseys, maybe just five, if I use the "wash while showering" hack. Then I need a few pairs of post-ride get-ups, shoes, and socks. Trying to find a ditty bag for my toiletries now. You know.....all the dumb little things you'd rather not think about, but if they are not brought along, the trip could be a disaster. Toothpaste and a brush come to mind here. It would be bad to forget those two items.  

Okay, so that is a wrap on my pre-BRAN gravel ride articles. I'll be posting daily updates from the ride starting with my bus ride to the start on Saturday. Some of these posts will come out at random times, and if you are a regular blog reader this next week and a few days may look chaotic. Please bear with me as I will be remote posting when and where I can.  

Mud, 32"ers, & Grit: Reactions To Unbound 2026

 NOTE: Images from Unbound's Instagram page unless otherwise noted.  A shorter version of this posted on my Substack a couple of days ago. All opinions are Guitar Ted's

Well, they cooked up another tasty dirt/mud fest for Unbound this year. With this being the "20th anniversary*" of an event run on gravel at this time of year in Emporia, the organizers wanted something special. 

Dan Hughes, himself a winner of the Dirty Kanza 200, the event which inaugurated this 20 year run, said in an interview that this year's course was an amalgam of all the "favorite roads" from past DK200's and Unbound events. So, instead of a "North" or "South" course, they ran a course which encompassed Emporia from the North, West, And South. It was to be a celebration of the best that the Flint Hills had to offer in a gravel event. 

The only thing beyond the organizer's control, of course, was the weather. Apparently the need to amp-up things further was in the cards as rain fell overnight before the race and rain was falling at times during the 200. This made the dreaded mud come to life and yes- there were DNF's and even some minor injuries. 

Old gravel folk will smile and nod their heads in an understanding way. This was part and parcel to the gravel experience, and for some, a requisite part of having a "great race experience". But as money, fame, careers, and sponsorship has infiltrated this style of racing, some have an opposing attitude when it comes to the mud and weather. 

A rider tries wrenching his bars into plane after a crash.

One of the comments, ironically left two days prior to the event, on Unbound's Instagram account, by a person going by"german_belgian_waffle" reads: "When is unbound finally going to realize they have outgrown their ability to safely hold this during severe weather months? With all the tents, campers, lack of hotels and basements… it is one severe weather event from catastrophe due to the vast area the event covers. Have it two weekends before nebraska gravel worlds in early august. The mudpit and tornado/hail alley is a mess that does not need to be dealt with anymore. Its too great of an event to trash so many competitors bikes"

Another commenter on Facebook commenting on a post by Unbound said "Not real racing" 

Now, longtime readers of this blog will know how I, as a race event director, would have answered this. I would have replied, "Well, perhaps this event is not for you." 

And I still feel a lot of people just do not understand how American gravel racing came to be. Weather was part of the adventure and broken bikes and parts were also seen as a probable outcome of submitting oneself to trying to overcome such challenges. I have personally witnessed people walking miles, scootering unpedalable bikes, and making repairs until they just couldn't continue. One media source had a post on "X" saying the XL winner, Robert Gemperle, was "..forced to walk 21K"  (Gemperle's estimate, not likely the reality)

I would say he chose to walk (approximately, maybe...) 21K. And it is a good thing he did, because he won .So.....there is that. 

 But again, money, fame, career, and sponsorship backing come with different expectations. One Pro rider, knocked out by another rider running into him while he was walking a minimum maintenance road, had a deep look of frustration, but to his credit, he did not publicly take the other rider to task for essentially ruining his day. But he did say the past two weeks seemed like a huge waste of time due to the incident and the consequences of that crash. 

I think we, as outsiders looking in, really have no say in this matter. This - of course - won't stop the negativity. As for myself, I do not think there is any way to "sanitize" gravel to the point where wild cards like unruly weather, poor road conditions, and just bad circumstances would be eliminated. Certainly just changing Unbound's date, or even location, guarantees nothing. That is basically a very poor argument against what we saw over the weekend. 

Scott 32"er (Image from Cameron Jones Instagram)

32"ers Figure Heavily In The Events:

Scott Bikes brought two 32"ers to Unbound with Cameron Jones on one for the 200 and Robert Gemperle on another in the XL, which he won in a little over 21 hours. 

I didn't note any big 32"er news officially, but there was a bike shown from Mosaic with WTB tires on it. They looked like Resolutes, and if so, these would be gravel specific tires. Again, this plays into my notions that 32"ers will eventually become a gravel dominate wheel size despite their being on MTB bikes first. 

There was an old maxim used in the automobile world that went: "Race on Sunday, Sell on Monday". While I do not think the bicycling world will be taken over by 32" wheels, it certainly doesn't hurt that a 32"er figured heavily at the front of the 200 and that a 32"er won the XL. The Cameron Jones ridden Scott 32"er bagged a top ten result in the 200. Scott couldn't have hoped for much better. Yes - Scott said this was not going to be a bike they put into production. Companies say a lot of things. Take Specialized, Yeti, or Giant, all who said 29"ers were a fad and that their respective companies wouldn't offer them for sale. 

Yeah.....right. 

So, let's say Scott is true to their words. It doesn't mean they won't ever do a 32"er. It will float the boats of all the others who do/will offer a 32"er as winning races and showing great results does affect sales. So, we will see, Scott. We will see.....  

Also of note: Joe Meiser of QBP/Salsa Cycles finished the 200 on his Fargo 32"er. Specialized's new Crux v5 bike, debuting at Unbound, took the top two places in the Men's and the Women's 200. Prepare for an onslaught of ads from the Big S.

Joe Meiser finishing on a 32" Fargo (Image courtesy of Mike Reimer)

 Gritty Performances - Disappointing Failures:

On one hand when riders overcome conditions such as we have witnessed this year at Unbound, their reward is becoming part of legend. They also have that feather in the cap. They overcame, as one media source put it, "horrible conditions". On the other hand you get riders like Peter Stetina and Ted King crashing out and having "DNF" next to their names in the results.  Some decry these outcomes as being "unfair", or as the commenter I quoted above saying things like, "we can't be trashing all these great bikes". 

Really? You cannot have it both ways. As I've often pointed out, Paris- Roubaix is the classic it is because it was rough, muddy, and it broke humans and their machines. The ones who overcame with a layer of French farm mud covering their faces were the "heroes". The ones celebrated forever in art, story, and whispered tales in bike shops. This doesn't happen if we are more worried about not breaking bikes, worried about not breaking spirits, and expecting everyone to finish. 

Racer/ You Tuber/ Cycling Coach and sponsored athlete Dylan Johnson posted this on Facebook after the event: " This is the second time I’ve hemorrhaged massive time at a muddy Unbound. It’s clearly something I need to figure out, because that will always be part of this race. I actually think that’s part of what makes the race so special. Riders need to be ready for anything, and it rewards mental toughness and perseverance. "

The 2026 Unbound, in my opinion, was a classic ultra-distance gravel event in every way. Riders should feel pride in even having been in this event. But there will be naysayers and critics who want something different. 

Well then, maybe this event is not for you.  

*I consider 2006 - 2019 as an evolution of DK200. From 2020 till the present it has become a completely different affair. Your mileage may vary) 

Country Views: Hazy & Hot

 Escape Route: MLK Trail

Another quick one to get some more miles for BRAN gravel coming up. This time it was hot again, but hazy. I left a little after noon. The wind was out of the Northeast. A weird direction without rain and cool temperatures. Summer kit, of course, and on the pink BMC once again. 

I wanted to head out East to see this part of Black Hawk County again. I haven't been out this way in a while. Typically when I leave Waterloo to do Eastern Black Hawk County gravel I'll use the MLK Trail until it ends out at Tyson's plant. 

Then it's a bout a half a mile North to get to Newell Road and gravel heading East. This road climbs slowly and in fact, the entire way out to this point is more gain than descent. It was also all against the wind! 

The gravel kicks in right off the mark when you leave the road in front of Tyson's

Wind rows of cut hay waiting to be bailed. 

The crops are just peeking out of the ground now but I was surprised to see a fresh cut field of hay. Seems early for the first cut here in Iowa. This will bring out the round bailers soon, no doubt. There is one other agricultural activity happening all across the countryside now as well. I'll get to that later in the story here. 

The fields are looking more and more like no-till practices are being used. (Note the glacial erratic)

I could smell the hay in this field before I saw it!

A few years ago, our friend in Pennsylvania, Dave Pryor, was extolling the virtues of no-till planting to us, (N.Y. Roll and I, that is). Well, it seems the practice is catching on here in Black Hawk County, as I'm seeing more fields being planted through the trash. 

 I came across another freshly cut hay field and it smelled so strongly I caught wind of it before I could see it. Love that smell! It's probably not good for you folks with allergies though, I would imagine. 

The blue sky shown through for a moment or two, then it went back to hazy. 

 

A few cattle grazing peacefully

This area has a lot of field stones piled up here and there. This was an impressive pile on Pilot Grove Road

When I left for this ride, I was indeterminate about where I wanted to go. No big surprise. I generally feel no real sense of where to go until I find myself on certain streets which helps dictate where I will end up going. This ride was kind of like this for most of the route. I had zero intentions of going South on Pilot Grove Road until I got there at the corner of Newell Road and Pilot Grove. I just turned right, and well..... I'd figure it all out from there. 

That other ag activity I mentioned? Sprayer rigs. They are crawling all over the countryside now. 

 

I got dusted by a dump truck. You can see the dust trailing off to the right here. 

I meandered down to the corner of Pilot Grove and Osage Road. There I took a brief rest stop. Then I rode West on Osage Road a few miles until I got to Ordaway Road and I took that South. This dead ends into one of the old routes for Highway 20 in the area. 

Old Highway 20 East of Raymond. It's not bad when the shoulders are graded like this. 

The gravel part ended here on Young Road headed West toward Elk Run Heights

I went this way and that, finding a weird route back to Elk Run Heights which, honestly I kind of like it. The wide gravel shoulder on old Highway 20 is fast and smooth, so that mile to two miles wasn't terrible. I then have to use a shoulder on a County Road (South Raymond Road), for a half mile to a right on Young Road. That gravel takes you to just south of Elk Run Heights. 

It used to be that going into Elk Run Heights was a bit of a nightmare. The road North of the access to I-380 was  an old highway. Narrow, with no shoulder. There were no sidewalks of any kind to get you off the pavement. Pedestrians and child cyclists had carved a bit of a single track into the dirt adjacent to the pavement. That eventually petered out and you were forced into traffic. 

Now there has been an upgrade. The road has a full sidewalk several feet from the edge of the new road which now has a curb. This goes all the way up the hill by Casey's Convenience store where it goes Left, and eventually turns into a new bike path to Evansdale. It's about a thousand times better than it used to be when none of what I just described as new existed. 

Anyway, a good ride was had. More miles in teh bank. I hope to make a few more deposits before I leave on Friday.  

Commentary On The 2026 Class Of The Gravel Cycling Hall Of Fame

Notes And Comments On The 2026 Inductees

This article will sum up my thoughts on this new class of inductees to the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame from 2026. First of all, "Congratulations to all four of you inductees!" As a fellow member of the GCHoF, I welcome all of you into this varied and colorful cast of characters who helped form gravel cycling into what it has become today. 

Now, I won't pretend to know a lot about some of you. Hopefully this will change at some point. But as this hall grows larger it only stands to reason that not everyone will know everyone else, or perhaps ever meet each other face to face. Due to this and the varied nature of the inductees, I will not pretend to be an expert on all the members nor will I have any commentary of import for some members now and in the future. It simply is impossible to be a balanced human being and also be hyper-focused on 100% on the GCHoF at the same time. In fact, that would be borderline insane. 

So, here I will be more general in my comments and at the end I will have an over-arching statement for the future and the GCHoF in general. 

I am including the statements from the press release for each individual here for your consideration. 

(L-R) Megan Fisher, Kristen Legan, Paul Errington, Jim Cummings (Image by Dan Hughes)

Megan Fisher: With palmares including Paralympic gold, silver and bronze medals, Meg Fisher turned her world-class talent to gravel bicycle racing. There, she quickly became an example of courage, perseverance and inclusivity, with para category wins at world-class events including Unbound Gravel, Rebecca’s Private Idaho, Gravel Worlds, and SBT GVL, among others. As an advocate for the creation of para classes, Meg has helped create inclusive spaces at gravel events across the country. Her presence at those events, her willingness to share her story, and her encouragement of others has inspired countless riders of all abilities to find confidence, resilience and joy through gravel cycling.

Comments: Gravel cycling, if nothing else, has been welcoming of any and all who wanted to give things a go. Megan Fisher is a person who represents how others who are para-athletes or physically impaired in some way can see themselves "doing that" and be a part of the biggest move in popular cycling in recent memory. Having an athlete with her accomplishments is impressive and a welcomed addition to the Hall. 

Kristen Legan:  Gravel cycling has always been about more than the ride itself. It’s a mindset rooted in resilience, curiosity, adventure, and a strong sense of community. Few people embody that “Spirit of Gravel” more fully than Kristen Legan. From her earliest days chasing dusty, muddy horizons to her current work shaping how the world experiences gravel, Kristen has served as an inspiration to countless aspiring gravel cyclists. Her accomplishments on the bike include multiple Unbound 200 podiums and a victory at the 2023 Unbound XL, but today her ongoing legacy is in her storytelling and the riders she coaches. Kristen has helped cyclists of all abilities accomplish and exceed their goals in gravel cycling. In addition to her coaching, Kristen works with leading brands in the cycling industry, including Shimano, Lazer helmets and others, to advance and promote the sport of gravel cycling.

Comments: Kristen, along with her husband Nick, are the 'first couple of gravel now', I suppose, since they are the first couple inducted in to the GCHoF.  But seriously,Kristen is a very accomplished athlete on gravel and now, behind the scenes, is doing a lot to influence gravel riding. Her work with Shimano is probably more of a big deal than anyone knows, but fortunately, the electors figured it out and voted this well-deserving candidate into the Hall. 

Paul Errington:  While modern gravel cycling has its roots firmly planted in the USA, it has quickly become a global phenomenon. One of the key figures in the global proliferation of gravel events has been Paul Errington. He recognized the potential of gravel cycling as a unique and accessible form of outdoor adventure. As an early advocate for the sport, he’s inspired countless cyclists to explore the world on gravel, both in Europe and beyond. He hosted his first gravel event –– The Dirty Reiver –– in 2016 and was a key figure in the global expansion of the Grinduro gravel series. Today, as the Grinduro series owner, Paul hosts thousands of riders each year at multiple events across the globe.

Comments: Paul is a person I have met and spoken with in the past. He came over and did Trans Iowa in 2013 and I believe he did the DK200 the same year. A Salsa Cycles sponsored athlete as well, if I recall correctly, so he was embedded into gravel culture fairly early on. Echoing the press release here, but Paul has to be the key figure in making gravel cycling more popular in the UK for sure. His event was an immediate hit, and his continuing support of the form speaks volumes years later.  

Jim Cummings:  As co-founder of Unbound Gravel’s predecessor, the Dirty Kanza 200 (with 2023 GCHOF inductee, Joel Dyke), Jim Cummins placed his bet on the potential of gravel as a cycling discipline in 2006. Jim and the DK team successfully scaled from 34 riders in 2006, to using a lottery system to fill the 2,500 available spots in 2018 –– remarkable growth by any standards. It was also one of the first gravel events to host international riders. Today, Unbound Gravel is the world’s largest gravel cycling event, bringing thousands of riders, support crews and race fans from all over the world to the Emporia area. The economic impact is easy to see, as the empty storefronts of 2006 have been replaced by thriving businesses. Throughout the spring, summer and fall, the Emporia area is now a destination for gravel cyclists seeking adventure.

Comments: Righting a serious wrong here, the electors finally came to their senses and inducted Jim after his having been submitted as a candidate for every year of the Hall's existence. Also- Thank you in that I don't have to write another screed admonishing this entity for its lack of inducting one of the key founders of gravel cycling in the Modern Era in Jim Cummings.  

And yes - that upset me. So, selfishly I can now be at peace seeing Jim being included in this hall. But also I am happy for Jim, and I know he has his head on straight and I know his heart is in the right place. He didn't need to be in this Hall. He already knows where his 'prize; is, and it isn't in this World.  But that said, I am happy for him. He deserved to be a first class inductee along with myself, but at least he got in. I hope people will celebrate his inclusion and see his contributions as being paramount to the success of gravel cycling as we know it in 2026 and beyond. 

The Extras: There were other awards handed out as well on Wednesday evening. These included GCHoF Athletes of the Year, and GCHoF Community Impact Awards. There was a Gravel Icon award as well. 

Comments: Nice, but honestly, will anyone care next month? I get it. Recognizing work in the field is meaningful to those working in the field. To consumers it matters little. This is just the hard truth of the matter. Also - No one cares about cue sheets. This coming from someone deeply passionate about them.  My opinion- others can disagree. 

Final Thoughts:

Ah....halls of fame! This sort of thing engenders a lot of feelings. Some are indifferent. Some are passionate. I suspect most don't care. 

I saw a little more of an effort to showcase the physical items representing the history by the GCHoF social media person. The stories this hall purported it wanted to catalog? I don't see it. Personalities seem to be this hall's area of expertise. I get it....

A week ago I floated an idea for an Iowa Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame. The discussion in the comments helped me focus this idea and distill it down to what I feel really matters: The historical record of gravel and having that record tell the story of how gravel cycling grew into this world-wide phenomenon which it is today.

 My opinion is that the current leadership behind the GCHoF has no appetite for doing a historical record in keeping with the truth of the matters as they occurred. And, it should be added to be fair, they don't have the finances or manpower to do that anyway, in my opinion. So the GCHoF is what it is. I'm less excited about that than I am about what I see as being more important in the future, That is telling a story, based in historical facts, in such a way that future generations can read it, or see it,  and understand where this form of cycling originated from.