Floating An Idea

 I've had an idea bouncing around in my head for at least the better part of the past year. I've not said anything about it to anyone. There are good reasons for this, but it has been bothering me not to throw this out there, and last week's post about Jeff Kerkove kind of pushed me over the edge to share this finally. 

What do you think about having an Iowa Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame? 

I know......many will think this is a bit self-serving and even bogus coming from me. I understand this. I'm definitely not thinking about myself when I think about this idea. No, rather I am thinking about people like Jeff Kerkove when I consider the idea. 

So, as an example, I would submit Jeff because (a) He set up several early gravel group rides in the Cedar Valley in the late 2000's. Way before anyone was doing "gravel specific" group rides outside of the road biking scene. Jeff was a co-founder of Trans Iowa, the event which kicked off the Modern Era in gravel cycling and influenced tons of other events and people. Jeff has been a behind the scenes supporter of gravel riding within the context of Ergon, the company he works for, so he has influence there as well.  

Anyway, there is an example. I can also think of people like Richard "Deke" Gosen, who was putting on mountain bike events on gravel roads in Northeastern Iowa in the 1980's. Definitely an influencer on Trans Iowa. So, he'd be a candidate. Early gravel based road bike group rides out of Iowa City in the 70's, 80's, and 90's which I have heard whispered tales of may be another source of some inclusion into an Iowa based gravel hall of fame. Certainly those early sanctioned gravel crits, now called the Iowa Gravel Classic, are events to be included. 

And who can forget the Colesburg 40. The training ride cooked up on Northeast Iowa gravel for folks to get ready for the Chequamegon 40 event. 

 Of course there would be Modern Era athletes, events, and things associated with gravel to think about here as well. What I mean is anything post 2005. And not just 'popular' things, but influential things and people. 

People like Steve Fuller, Mike Johnson, and Jeremy Fry who rode many early gravel events and volunteered at many as well. Their participation in events on both sides of the ledger are definitely "hall of fame" worthy when it comes to Iowa gravel. 

I'd think about things like bicycle shops which have played a big part in the spread of gravel riding in Iowa, none more important, in my opinion, than Bikes To You in Grinnell. 

 So, what do you think? Which Iowa folks and events/things would you include that I have not mentioned? 

Where Is It Going To Live? 

Ideally there would be a physical place for this idea to be housed and which people could visit. In my opinion, that place would be Grinnell, Iowa. It was home to Trans Iowa for nine years and is fairly centrally located in Iowa along I-80. 

That is but a pipe dream now. This would have to start out as a virtual hall of fame for the time being. I could host it, but I would rather someone else did, if I am honest. That is because it would seem a conflict of interest if I were to run the organization. That's what I think anyway. 

So, there it is. My idea for an Iowa based Gravel Cycling Hall of fame. I'll just finish up these thoughts by saying a few words about what the theme of this should and should not be, if it were to happen. 

First off, historical importance and overall influence should be of paramount importance when measuring up a candidate for this hall. Yeah, I get it, your Aunt Mary rode gravel in 1957 five miles to school one way for ten years. That doesn't mean your Aunt had any influence on the gravel riding/racing scene. So stuff of this nature, while maybe notable, is not 'hall of fame' material in a larger sense. 

Neither is anyone who is currently popular in the gravel scene who hasn't been around for at least a decade plus. You need to have roots in Iowa gravel to be thought of as a 'hall of famer'. And while it may seem odd to point this out, you would actually have to have major influence on gravel riding or racing to be included. It's weird, but the "other hall of fame" for gravel has people only tangentially related to gravel riding who are on the list to be inducted every year, and that is.....well unnecessary. That's being kind, by the way. 

To put it another way, inclusion would be very discriminating. The bar would have to be set high, or being in the 'Iowa Gravel Hall of Fame' would be meaningless. And I'm not interested in being "inclusive" when it comes to what matters in terms of historical influence. If I'm in the minority here, well then this is a dumb idea and I retract it. If it makes sense, then I'm behind any effort to do this. 

Again, let me know in the comments if this idea is worthless, maybe okay, or is a great idea, or anything in between. I'm not saying it will ever happen. I just wanted to let this out of my head for now.

I may regret that in the future......but what the heck!

BRAN Gravel: Gear Choice - Part 2

A couple of days ago I posted some gear choices for the Bicycle Ride Across Nebraska's gravel route. BRAN gravel  will require a lot of thinking about your gear and choosing correctly will make your week go a lot better. Hopefully these suggestions will help you find the right choices for you. (And you can apply this to any tour, long gravel ride, or ultra-distance event.)

I don't have a lot more to cover in this article, but there is one detail which can enhance your ride a great deal. Many riders don't think about this in regard to their drop handlebar set up. What is it?

Handle bar tape. 

I was a retail bicycle mechanic for over thirty years, and I have seen how much handle bar tape is ignored. This is kind of puzzling because it is not only an important contact point between yourself and your bicycle, but handlebar tape is relatively cheap, as bicycle parts go. Having your handle bars re-wrapped with fresh tape will enhance your experience and make you feel better about your bicycle. 

New handlebar tape will make you feel bold! Like elephant! (JK!)

In today's marketplace you can find lots of choices in handlebar tape, and it can be confusing. Many folks simply choose their favorite color and go with whatever the tape may be. This is a big mistake most of the time. Color matters, yes, but comfort matters more. 

Who cares what color your bar tape is if your hands are miserable. So, I would suggest looking at handlebar tapes with some level of technology built in. My 'go-to' tape is made by a company called Ergon. Note: I have no affiliation with Ergon, nor do I receive any compensation from Ergon for suggesting their products. I just really believe in their bar tapes and believe they are the best on the market for hand comfort, longevity, and grip. 

Ergon makes a handle bar tape called the BT Gravel Tape, and while it is not cheap, it does really well at reducing vibrations, it has a great grip, and it lasts and lasts. But recently Ergon has offered a new tape called BT OrthoCell. It's a bit less thick and feels more racy, if that is what you like. However; the material it is made from is a special foam developed by BASF to absorb vibrations, and it does this quite well. Plus it comes in a basic black, which most folks are okay with.

 At any rate, try the Ergon stuff, I highly recommend it. But definitely get new handlebar tape if you haven't done so this year. 

Consider a TPU tube as your spare. They weigh a lot less!

Tools & Spares:

Lastly I wanted to hit on tools and spares for your gravel traveling. As mentioned by the BRAN folks in our podcasts, there is a good chance those little stickers called goat heads will be found in Western Nebraska. A tubeless set up is recommended to help you get by without puncturing a lot of tubes. However, in a worst case scenario, tubeless can fail you, and then what? 

Well, you need a bail-out tube. I would suggest a TPU tube as your backup. TPU tubes are smaller rolled up than a traditional butyl tube, but more importantly, they weigh a LOT less. This makes them an easy choice for a back-up tube. 

Those mini-pumps are getting better all the time, but you also may want to look into the mini-air compressor type, electric pumps which are small and quite easy to use now. Just make sure you have an inflation device! I should also mention there are tubeless plugs out there which can help seal up bigger tears, cuts, and holes sometimes. A good tool to check out is a Stan's DART tool. These are easy to use and not very expensive.  

As far as basic tools and a way to carry this stuff, check out my gravel based tool kit review I wrote in 2018 HERE. This was written to aid riders looking at a really long gravel ride and with the aim to be self-sufficient. 

Nutrition: 

Usually it is a wise thing to carry some food and to make sure you are hydrated while riding for over an hour on any bicycle ride. Food choices run all over the place from powders which you can mix into your water to convenience food fare. I tend to be a person to avoid sugary stuff and I go with protein and fatty items like pemmican bars or a similar type meat product. I also have used Justin's almond butter packs as well. Although those are hard to get down without some water! 

Hydration is obviously important and I use a product called Elete which keeps cramps away for myself. I know some folks like pickle juice or other hydration products. But definitely consider hydration additives to keep the cramps at bay.  

The good news is that BRAN has a few points of interest along the route each day where one could stop to eat and resupply. So carrying a ton of stuff may not be necessary.  If you are registered for BRAN you can get access to Ride With GPS's event listing for BRAN which has all the daily routes and those points of interest I mentioned are marked there. It's a great way to plan ahead for your hydration and nutritional needs and to see what you'll be doing for mileage and whatnot. 

Okay, that's about it for gear talk! Now it is time to pack it all away and get ready to go! I'll have daily updates from the route here on the blog starting June 6th and running through the 13th.  

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Ritchey Design

 Ritchey Design Offers New Superlogic Carbon Handlebars:

Ritchey Design specializes in components along with frames and forks for bicycles. I am of the opinion that one of their most underrated ranges is their handlebar range. 

This week Ritchey sent out a press release concerning a new range of Superlogic Mountain Bars in carbon. 

The three handlebar range is aimed at cross country and trail riding, but these could just as easily be used on gravel bikes utilizing flat bars, or on bike packing rigs. The bars have zero, 20mm, or 40mm of rise. The flat bar has 7° of back sweep while the two with rise go one more degree to 8°.  

Width on all three is 760mm with cut-down marks for those wanting a narrower bar. Weight for the Superlogic Mountain Bars is as follows: Flat- 155gm, 20mm rise-  170gm, 40mm- 175gm. All three feature 5° of upsweep and all three feature the 31.8mm clamp diameter for interfacing with stems.  

Prices are as follows: Flat -  $239.95 / €199.90 (inc. VAT) / £173.90 (inc. VAT) 20mm rise- $251.95 / €209.90 (inc. VAT) / £182.90 (inc. VAT) 40mm rise- $263.95 / €219.90 (inc. VAT) / £191.90 (inc. VAT)

See Ritchey Design's website for more details. These bars are available now.  

Image courtesy of White Industries

White Industries Seat Post Collars Offered In Colors:

White Industries, who are known mostly for their hub sets, are now offering seat post collars in a variety of anodized finishes. 

The collars come in a variety of sizes to fit most frames which require a separate seat post clamp. 

White Industries makes these in California to exacting standards which results in a seat post collar that fits well, clamps evenly, and will work with repeated use over a long period of time. 

Priced at a reasonable $54.99USD, these collars and the rest of White Industries products can be seen HERE. 

Image courtesy of Canyon Bicycles

Canyon Offers Grzl Gravel Adventure Bike In Aluminum:

Earlier this year I was thinking about aloy gravel frames and possibly getting one in. The trouble was that an alloy frame was either oddball geometry, but reasonably affordable, or it was a great design, but as expensive as some carbon frames. 

There did not seem to be any alternatives. Now Canyon has an aluminum version of its GRZL adventure/gravel bike available. Just not as a frame/fork only! 

The GRZL AL does tick almost every box though, as I see it. The geometry is good, with the exception of weird sizing. According to what I am seeing on Canyon's site, I would best fit a Medium, which never happens. Usually I am on a size large. 

Otherwise this bike has 54mm tire clearance, a T-47 bottom bracket, and everything is internally routed, of course. Thare are plenty of accessory mounts, as one would expect on a bike billed as an adventure bike. So, it would probably have everything I'd want in a modern day gravel/adventure bike in alloy, but I do not wish to buy a complete bike. So, while a sub-2K complete bike is very reasonable, I'm just not interested in parting out a SRAM drive train.  

Niner Bikes One-9 frame from 2005

Niner Bikes Reportedly Shutting Down Operations:

The original 29"er only bicycle company, Niner Bikes, has reportedly shut its doors according to "several reports". 

On Monday evening I saw a post on Facebook of a screen shot with a message saying Niner Bikes had closed its shop and operations while placing all employees on layoff. On Tuesday  major online sources were also reporting the same story, so it would appear that Nine Bikes is - at least for now - no more. 

Company officials at United Wheels are saying Niner as a brand is "paused" for now.  

The company hit the market in 2005 as a relatively unknown entity which sponsored the 29" page on mtbr.com, which raised some eyebrows at the time. The two co-founders of Niner Bikes, Steve Domahidy and Chris Sugai, were industry vets who decided 29" wheels were the future, with Sugai famously saying 29"ers would become the dominant wheel size in mountain biking. 

The company lost Domahidy who left and started his own Viral Bikes brand. Sugai eventually left the company as well and now is working for Gates, the belt company. Niner carried on, however, but then ran into financial issues causing the company to go into bankruptcy in 2017. The company was then purchased by United Wheels, also owner of Huffy Bicycles, for 3.1 million dollars. 

Then in late 2023 United Wheels consolidated Niner with Huffy and moved Niner Bikes headquarters to Ohio from Colorado. In 2024 Niner established a presence in Colorado again. However; with little innovation of their legacy MTB products, Niner was reliant on sales in the competitive gravel bike segment. Although new redesigns and upgrades began to appear in Ninre's line up late in 2025, it seems this was too little, too late.  

 Steve Domahidy commented on a story concerning this subject by "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" on Facebook by saying "Very sad news today. I poured 8 years of my full and total commitment to making this business what it was and saddened to see what it's (sic) has become,"

From Facebook on Twin Six's feed

The 32" Watch: Twin Six To Offer A 32"er:

Early this past week I was sent a sneak peek of a titanium 32"er from Twin Six. The image came from one of the co-owners of the brand I have known for years. He didn't say I could post the image,  so I didn't. Now I have seen the bike on Twin Six's Facebook page, so I am sharing their image here. 

All I know is the bike is designed for drops or flat bars. I was told it was "coming soon". The person I was contacted by said drop bars are going on it this week.  

N.Y. Roll says he's getting this. He already has a T-6 FSU bike he really likes. I know my friend Ari in Chicago is interested as well. Me? Well.......titanium is not cheap. Big hoops and tires would have to procured. I am spending money like I have it to go on this Nebraska trip. So.....I don't see it now, but never say never. 

Image courtesy of Twin Six

It's obvious the niche brands in cycling are scrambling to get behind this wheel size before any mid-tier or one of the "Big Four" brands gets a 32"er out. Selling your titanium 32"er will be a lot easier now than it will be when some entrenched brand comes around with a sub-2K 32"er. 

And it would appear the majority of sales are going to be flat bar/MTB style and not too many drop bar options will seemingly be on the table early on. There is a rumbling concerning Surly coming out with a 32"er, but all I'm hearing is that it will be based upon the Krampus or Karate Monkey design. 

So, I am all about trying one of these beasts on gravel around here, but a MTB? Yeah...... I don't see it for myself. I'd rather see  adrop bar garvel leaning bike which would definitely make me more interested. 

Everyone I've gotten feedback from who has actually ridden one of these 32"ers has positive things to say. It sounds all good, but I don't know right now if I'm in on this wheel size. 

Again, never say never, never say always. Maybe...... Stay tuned. 

That'll do it for this week. Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Have a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend if you are reading this in the USA. Get out and ride those bicycles! 

BRAN Gravel: Gear Choices - Part 1

Earlier this week I went over the bicycle choice for the Bicycle Ride Across Nebraska's gravel route. BRAN gravel will be a unique experience and the bike one chooses can be a critical part in enjoyment level of this ride. In case you missed that post you can go back and read it by clicking HERE. 

This post will be covering choices in gear besides the bicycle for this ride. Things like jerseys, shorts, outerwear, casual wear, nutritional supplements, and tent/camping gear. BRAN is a tenting ride, no motels in these small villages! So, a bit about camping gear is also included in this post. 

In fact, let's kick things off with the home for the week. My tent was chosen for a few reasons. One, it isn't too big. Yes.....that's intentional. Maybe you've heard the saying that a bigger purse, or a bigger garage, just means you have more junk inside of it. Smaller things force intentional choices, and really, you'd be surprised how little you can get by on. Plus, you don't have to worry about so many things needing packed, and where they get packed. I know I've come home, unpacked, and found stuff I never used and forgot I was toting around! 

Sierra Designs Full Moon 2

Camping: For a tent I wanted something light, easily set up and taken down, and packable. This is exactly what backpacking tents do well. Plus you can get several different sizes and with several different price points. 

I wasn't needing to save every ounce here, because our gear is getting toted by a touring service from place to place. So, ultra-lightweight tents were unnecessary. This is also very good because those tents cost an arm and a leg! 

I ended up with a two-person Sierra Designs Full Moon 2. Two person? Yes. My advice is to always buy a tent made for one more person than you need. This extra room will be very much appreciated, trust me! The Full Moon 2 isn't the lightest tent, but it is a solid choice. I have an older one of these and it did really well in wet weather, wind, and in every other way. It was easily set up and taken down. This new one will be even better, I am sure. 

So......why not use the old one? Great question. I lost the poles somehow that hold it up, so..... Yeah. A bit embarrassing!  

Now with a bike packing tent you should also use a ground cloth. You can buy one, but a great hack which is cheap, or free, is to find a partial sheet of Tyvek insulation wrap. (Or a similar material). This stuff is like a lightweight, thin tarp. It is very tough, and will not let moisture pass through to the floor of your tent. 

Thermarest pad

I also bought a brand new Thermarest Basecamp sleeping pad. I have an ancient one from the early 1990's which is getting a bit long in the tooth. But these things are the bomb for sleeping in a tent short of carrying a heavy inflatable mattress. Thermarest pads keep you insulated from the ground, which is important so you won't get hypothermic from heat loss to the ground. 

I already have a very lightweight sleeping bag which is all I need to stay warm at night down into the 40's, if it even gets that cold this year. And even if it does, I can wear some clothes to bed to insulate myself more. 

Finally, a little inflatable pillow is going along to cushion my head. Besides this, I won't need anything camping specific. All meals will be purchased or provided so no cooking to be done on this trip! 

One could go ultra-lightweight with their camping set up, but since - again - gear is being carted for us, I see no need to go spend the kind of money it would take to get lightweight, competent gear. But you do you. Maybe you'll use ultra-light stuff for other trips. Then I can understand the need there. 

One more word on tents: A full rain fly is nice if we get a wind driven rain storm. So, this is something to think about when buying a tent. 

Clothing: With no laundry service on route you can do one of two things. One- Pack seven days of stuff. This isn't a bad idea, but it is a LOT to pack for. Two: Pack for three days, wash your kit when you take a shower, and hang it out to dry on your tent fly ropes. (Or suitable hanging situation)  

I'm going with option two. Then I will have a pair or two of shorts, a few t-shirts, socks for the week, and a pair of sweat pants for cooler evening in the tent. I'll bring a light jacket or hoodie, and some casual shoes. I love the stuff Twin Six does for riding wear and casual wear. Check them out HERE. 

I use clipless pedals, so I'll have the cycling shoes, a helmet, jerseys, bibs, and riding shorts. Or I may just bring inserts and shorts. Probably the latter.  I like to wear a bandana on my head to keep sweat out of my eyes and protect my head from flying insects which could get into the vents of a helmet. Generally speaking one would also want to consider sunglasses, but in my case I haven't been yet able to afford prescription eyewear. A great sunglasses brand which won't break the bank is Tifosi Optics. 

Shoes are kind of a big deal, so I will spend a little more time on this. I would strongly suggest your carbon fiber soled racing shoes stay home. Unless you cannot get anything else, then yeah. But suffering on boards with no flex will fatigue your feet, calves, and shins if you have to do much off the bike stuff. Getting a shoe with a little flex is something to consider here, and definitely think about some shoes comfortable enough to walk around in. 

You'll be spending the better part of seven days in those shoes, and if you cannot wear your super-stiff, super-racy shoes for more casual riding because they make you hurt, then this ride will be a lot less fun. 

Saddles are another super important subject when it comes to longer rides. Everyone is different and so my choices won't reflect what works for many. Here's a few things to think about though. 

- Proper bike fit has to be done before any saddle will work properly. A great saddle can be a hurtful thing if your bike fit is poor. Check with a local bike shop or bike fitting professional if you need assistance here.

- Once your saddle height and fore/aft positioning is squared away, then you should determine your sit bone width. Most quality saddles are designed with certain sit bone measurements in mind. Wilderness Trail Bikes and Ergon have online saddle width calculators so you may want to search those out and see where your sit bones measure out for reference in the future. 

-It is a journey. There is no "easy button" when it comes to finding a perfect saddle, but if you have the fit dialed, and you know you sit bone width and have chosen a saddle width accordingly, that's half the battle won. And there is one more important thing to do when seeing if a saddle will work......

- Use a chamois creme and quality shorts with a pad insert. Big, BIG game changer here.  Your interface with a saddle is two sided. The saddle and the garment that comes in contact with that saddle. Chamois creme is the secret to keeping those shorts slipping and sliding against your body where it needs to be doing that. Better this than a hot spot, chafing, and saddle sores. Check out Chamois Butt'r for a great solution here. 

See Guitar Ted's "Top Ten Recommendos"  for more on what works for him. 

That's a long enough post for this time. I'll post up again this weekend with anything I'm missing here. Got questions? Hit me up in the comments or email me at g.ted.productions@gmail.com.  

Put Some Respect On Him

From a recent social media post. 

About a quarter century ago now I started working with a young college aged student of the arts named Jeff Kerkove. He was known then as a quiet person, unassuming, and the kind of person one maybe didn't take note of. He wasn't going out of his way to get to know you and he didn't give off the kind of vibe that he wanted you to bother to get to know him. He was content to do his thing. And his thing was riding bicycles. 

He was good at it, by all accounts. His mother said he would ride for miles on gravel just to get to a good spot for fishing. Something he spent a lot of time doing as he grew up in Algona, Iowa.  

Eventually, a small bicycle shop run out of a garage in Algona caught Jeff's attention. He learned about races on mountain bikes which were occurring in nearby Minnesota, Wisconsin, and a few in in his home state of Iowa. Jeff found a small, like minded group of young men who were infatuated with riding fast off-road. It didn't take long before his talent at racing became apparent to the owner of that local shop. He did all he could to encourage Jeff in pursuing racing bicycles. Like it was going to take much persuading. Jeff took to racing bicycles immediately and was all about racing by the time he left for the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa. 

Once Jeff had given longer, 24hr races a try he realized his forte was in the long haul. He vaulted up through the ranks of solo 24hr racers in the Mid-West. He forged a name for himself both within the racing community and online doing this new thing called "blogging".

Just behind Jeff was where we concocted the Trans Iowa in 2004

I came to work at a place called Europa Cycle and Ski in the middle of September of 2002, Jeff was a mechanic at the time there and I was paired with him doing the repairs for the shop. 

Now, I did not try to do anything special, or different when I started working directly across from Jeff. Just throwing out the usual small talk at first, and then we seemed to hit it off. I said something that made him laugh, and as one does, I found this encouraging. I laughed at his retorts. We found a groove. It was pleasant. Fun even. But I wouldn't have called our initial relationship extraordinary by any stretch. But apparently I was wrong about this.  

About two weeks into working there I was in on a day when Jeff wasn't working. Our boss at the time asked if he could talk to me. I was curious as to what it could be about when suddenly my boss says, "What did you do to Jeff?"

I was shocked and confused until my boss explained that when he and the office staff heard Jeff talking  and then laughing, they were amazed that anyone had gotten him unlocked like that. Apparently Jeff had worked with a few other guys in the shop and was stone cold to them. How was it that I got Jeff to open up? This was what my boss wanted to know. I shrugged my shoulders and said I did not know what it was I did. I was just n=being myself.  

Jeff Kerkove circa 2003 (Image by Paul Buchanan)

So, Jeff apparently took to me and he was never hard to get along with for myself. Our relationship grew as time went on, but it wasn't as if we hung out after work or anything. Heck, Jeff didn't have time for those things. He was training. All. The. Time. 

 

I always have said that Jeff Kerkove was the most disciplined person I have ever met. He had goals and he worked every moment toward them. 'Lazer focused' is a term which gets abused a lot in our culture, but to my mind, Jeff epitomizes this phrase. He is the picture in the dictionary next to "single minded". It paid off too. Jeff was wining 24hr events worldwide. He competed in Canada, Germany, Japan, and all across the United States when I was working with him. He had professional sponsorships with the likes of Giant, Cannondale, Cat Eye, and other cycling brands for years.  

And of course, it was Jeff who propelled myself into blogging here, and into a thing I hadn't any business doing, which was promoting and running a cycling event. It is without question that without Jeff Kerkove, I would still be "just a mechanic" from Iowa who no one would have ever heard about. I wouldn't have made a dent in what became the standard mountain bike wheel size of today. I would have never been feted as a founding father of a style of bicycle racing and riding which has taken over the world. 

What about Jeff? Well...... he never changed. He still is out there winning, doing well, and racing when and where he wants to. Jeff doesn't seem to care about the accolades nor does he need to be in the limelight. But here's the thing: Whenever you hear about gravel riding and racing, and if you think about where it came from, please remember Jeff Kerkove's name 

Please remember he had some hand in making the thing start up and without his influence and resources Trans Iowa would have died in the water. One has to wonder if gravel racing would have ever become a thing had it not gotten off the ground in 2004/2005 when it did. And it did, in large part, due to Jeff Kerkove.  

I owe a huge debt of thanks to Jeff myself. Obviously. So I am biased when it comes to putting his name out there for consideration to be recognized. However; I think it is only right to do so. I will continue to put a shine on him, to give him the respect due to him, as long as I am able when it comes to gravel cycling. 

Thanks Jeff!

The World's Premier Gravel Event Is....

Image courtesy of The Traka

 20 years ago there was a small group of riders who convened at a seedy, run down motel in a city in Kansas most people had never heard of to ride in the Flint Hills. A 200 mile trek across those rolling, rock infested roads around Emporia. 

At the time, no one cared. 

No one, that is, outside of the small cadre of enthusiasts who were the pioneers of what we now know as Gravel™. The biggest trend in cycling for decades. 

That event grew, and it grew, and it became known as "The World's Premier Gravel Event". And it was true for many years. 

But now? Now there is a contender. An event across the sea in Spain which has been around for eight editions now. Run by a series called Gravel Earth, The Traka, based in Girona Spain, has a little something to say now about who may have the world's top gravel event.  

The Traka isn't the richest Pro gravel event. It isn't even a pioneering gravel event in Europe. But it has taken on a vibe, and it has taken on an importance in Europe, and beyond. A place on the calendar which took Unbound far longer to achieve in terms of overall importance. Of course, the event formerly known as the Dirty Kanza 200 had to forge a path no other event had forged before it, unlike The Traka. But besides this point, it would seem to me, at any rate, that the Traka is poised to take over the crown of the World's Premier Gravel Event. 

Image courtesy of Unbound Gravel

Comparing these events we see that both draw about 5,000 riders across multiple distances. Both feature Pro level event categories. Both events draw heavy industry attention with brands choosing to debut new equipment and bicycles at these two events. Both events draw intense cycling media coverage on the internet and social media. 

So, why might The Traka overtake Unbound Gravel as the top world gravel event? In one word, I can give you a very compelling answer: Geography. 

The thing is that geography could take in what the courses are like at these two events, but that is not what I mean, necessarily. I think it has to do with something N.Y. Roll mentioned while we were discussing the two events. It is just easier to get to Girona Spain than it is to get to Emporia, Kansas. 

But cycling companies are making choices too, and one popular wheel brand has already stated that The Traka is the "benchmark" gravel event. We can see how many European based brands are making moves to be a part of The Traka as well. This has been the domain of Unbound up until recently, but with both events in May, and after Sea Otter, it seems to me that The Traka has drawn a lot more brand interest than Unbound seems to be getting. 

Now, it should be said that both events have had growing pains when it comes to Pro vs amateur field racers. Just this year at The Traka complaints were lodged by some Pro women riders concerning this. Now Unbound has further separated the Pro field from the amateur classes by giving the Pros exclusive feed zones. They also have separated finish chutes and timing for their respective classes. The Traka is still navigating some of these issues as well. How the ending of these stories is told may have a say in which event becomes the one at the top of the heap for all concerned. 

For now, in 2026, twenty years after a humble beginning in a seedy Kansas town, the Unbound Gravel event still holds the crown as being the World's Premier Gravel Event. But for how much longer will it retain this accolade is now in question. I wouldn't be surprised to see this crown move overseas.  

Two Things

 

 Testing 1,2,3....

 Just testing out this shiny new laptop I got Friday for this BRAN gig coming up in a couple of weeks. 

I need to be able to update the blog from the road, and well.....  Dragging a PC around isn't very practical. So this laptop was procured and it should provide me with the means to do some writin' on the road. 

I'm still testing this thing out and hopefully images won't be too hard to get the way I want them. You know, technology isn't my best area of expertise, although I will advocate for myself a little here and claim a bit of competency in dealing with new things. 

So, wish me well. 

And for the tech nerds out there I will head off any questions in the comments and let you know what device we ended up with. It is a Lenovo Yoga (I say "Yoda", but Mrs. Guitar Ted doesn't like that!)

So, there ya go. Stay tuned for more from the Yoda laptop soon. 

Note: The above part was posted on the laptop. Now back to the regular PC.... 

Joe Meiser with a Ti Fargo 32 (Image by Steve Fuller)

The 32" Watch: Ti Fargo 32 Completes Century Gravel Ride:

Have you, like me, been thinking a 32"er might be good for gravel road riding? Well, apparently Quality Bicycle Products' own Joe Meiser, a former Trans Iowa winner, thinks it does. He just used a 32"er Ti Fargo to complete the century distance at this past weekend's Heywood Ride. 

Thanks to volunteer Steve Fuller, we have this image and a few details. Apparently Joe chose Teravail Ciclos carbon rims and had these laced to Berd hubs with the Berd spokes which, I would imagine, results in a very lightweight wheel set. 

Those are the Teravail Cannonball 32" tires on there as well. Steve got a quick ride on it and said the bike felt pretty natural to him. It is an XL size, by the way. 

32" Fargos will be available in titanium and steel coming later this year. See your Salsa Cycles dealer for more details. 

And....

I have seen an image of another prototype 32"er which I have been told will work with drop bars or flat bars which will be offered "very soon." This will be coming from a company not known primarily as a bicycle company, by the way. 

Stay tuned..... 

BRAN Gravel: Bike Choice

In the run-up to the 44th BRAN ride, and specifically for the gravel route, I am writing up my suggestions and personal choices for bicycles and gear. I hope this will be enlightening and helpful to anyone deciding on gear for this ride or any gravel ride. 

The Bike Choice:

A "gravel bike"? What is that? You may find yourself asking those questions concerning gravel cycling. There is no definitive answer as gravel cycling varies from place to place greatly. Essentially, one could just say "A gravel bike is whatever bicycle you feel comfortable riding on gravel." It could be a mountain bike, a hybrid bike, or even a recumbent. 

Now, with this in mind, I will say there are "better tools for the job" and how one chooses, when there is a possibility for choices, can still vary greatly. Sandy, loose back roads? Maybe you have a lot more pavement than gravel? Or you ride a fair amount of single track connecting dirt roads. All these can change what "tool works best" for the job. But again, you can do a lot with several kinds of bicycles and still "grind the gravel" with anyone. 

In this article I am going to assume the reader has either knowledge of Nebraska gravel types or has listened to the podcasts about "Bran Gravel" (Here and Here) 

Black Mountain Cycles MCD

As I listened to the folks we interviewed who have either done BRAN on the gravel, or know about Nebraska gravel, it became apparent to me that there were going to be various types of surfaces to deal with. Pavement is an obvious one. However; there were sandy surfaces mentioned out in the (of all places) The Sand Hill Region of Nebraska. One person we interviewed mentioned "MMR" (dirt) roads. Then there will be a transition to "white rock" gravel, or in other words, the crushed rock you may think of when "gravel" is mentioned. 

Salsa Cycles Fargo

So, it might be a good idea to have something for a bicycle with wider tires than not, but not huge. One of the interviewed folks mentions this in the first podcast episode linked above. The trend in gravel bicycles of late is for wider tires, so if you have a late model gravel bike, you probably can fit tires with a width of 45mm or so easily. This was a recommendation on the podcast and one I would agree with. 

What would be "too skinny"? I'd say anything under 40mm, but it isn't that one could not do the ride on, say, 38mm tires. It might just be a little harder and not as much fun is all. Ratchet up the "Not Fun" and "Harder" categories as you get narrower than this with tires. 

What would be too wide/big? Well, as one person on the podcast said, a "fat bike" (any bike with 3.5" tires or wider) might be overkill. Again, you could use a fat bike, it just might not be the "best tool", that's all. 

"What are you gonna do, Guitar Ted?"

Well, I have many years of experience on different types of gravel and my choices are narrowed down to the two bicycles you see above. The Fargo has 2.25" MTB cross country racing tires on it and the pink Black Mountain Cycles MCD has 50mm wide Schwalbe gravel tires on it. Here's the difference, as I see it.....

The Fargo is a nod to comfort and a better handling bike in sketchy terrain. You might think about the sandy gravel and dirt roads that BRAN gravel may have on the course this year. The negatives would be that this bike, essentially a drop bar mountain bike, is heavier. The wheels and tires weigh more. So, this may factor into why you might not want to choose thusly.

The MCD has lighter wheels, but skinnier tires. 50mm is a LOT of rubber though, honestly, and this wide a tire should be more than enough while giving a nod to paved riding and a bit of grace in climbing. Negatives could be a less comfortable ride and not as much confidence in any sketchy, loose sections.

Sure, I have less wide tires, lighter wheels, and maybe I could go that route, but comfort over seven days of gravel kind of beats having a lightweight wheel set, in my opinion. My final choice? Well, I'm leaning toward the pink BMC now. 

 You might note I have spent a lot of time on tires and wheels because this makes the most difference in the way a bike handles and feels than anything else. The other consideration is comfort, and tires do a lot here as well. Air pressures chosen will determine a lot in this regard. I would wager most people think they need higher pressure in their tires than they actually do need. One way to find out is to use a tire pressure calculator online. 

There are two I will recommend here. The first one is from a company called SILCA. You can check theirs out HERE. The other is from another company called Wolf Tooth.  Their calculator can be seen HERE. Want one more choice? Component maker SRAM also has an online air pressure calculator HERE. 

Optimizing air pressure will help you go faster. longer, and with less fatigue while retaining a balance of good rolling resistance versus comfort and handling traits. 

As far as the rest of what makes your bicycle go, I would recommend a tubeless set up due to the reported goat heads and other pointy objects out in Western Nebraska. (Obviously, you could run tubes, but then risk the punctures.) Your bicycle should be in tip-top condition, shifting well, and braking well. Stopping is good! Besides this, overall you should choose a bicycle you are confident on and most importantly for a week long ride, comfortable on. There is nothing worse than a bicycle that hurts to sit on after a few days!

Need more beginner gravel tips? Read my series on Beginners On Gravel HERE.  

More information on the BRAN ride HERE.  Register for BRAN HERE.

Supporting The Cause

Bacon wrapped dill pickle anyone? 

 Ten years ago this weekend I was up in Cherry Grove Minnesota doing support for the original Almanzo 100 event when it was run out of Spring Valley, Minnesota. 

It wasn't "on my bingo card", as the saying goes, even a week beforehand to do this gig. It was all a last minute thing due to a sponsor pulling out at the 11th hour. 

At the time, I was partnered up in Riding Gravel and my partner in that effort had called me asking if I could join him in supporting this checkpoint/aid station, or whatever Cherry Grove was meant to be. 

My vision at the time was a spot in the road to grab more water and maybe we'd be handing out gel packets. What I didn't know was how this would end up becoming a sort of party/hang-out scene, not unlike what you might see at Mid-South, for instance. 

There was beer. There was whiskey. There was bacon wrapped dill pickles! It was a scene for sure, and it all went over really well, actually. So wel we were asked to come back for the next two years. But that first year was quite a wild time, especially since I had no idea what I was getting myself into. 

 I was really happy it turned out as well as it did. I was even more happy to have had some small part in helping with an iconic gravel event. So iconic it got its founder, Chris Skogen, installed into the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame with me in 2022. 

Ten years ago...... Already? Wild to think this. What is even wilder is thinking about how some gravel riding racers and punters think gravel events started around this time. Or even afterward! That's mind blowing to me to even try to comprehend.  

So many good memories came out of those three years doing the Almanzo 100 support. This first year I went up with N.Y. Roll and his old dog, Ella, who is no longer with us. My son, Jacob came along and made a huge impression on the riders by refilling their water bottles. This was also the event where the infamous "Red Bull" incident involving my son, a can of Red Bull given to him by N.Y. Roll, and my son's passing out in N.Y. Roll's SUV happened. Jacob never let N.Y. Roll live that one down. And now he's gone as well..... 

Yeah, a bittersweet memory filled time for sure. Crazy how much things can change in ten years. Even this event is gone now. 

Just crazy.... 

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Stinner Bikes

The 32" Watch: Sinner Refugio 32"er: 

Yeah.....another 32"er! I don't think it is shocking to see another 32" wheeled bicycle anymore. Unless Trek, Specialized, Cannondale, or Giant come out with one, this is now not a head-turning deal these days. (If you are a bike nerd, that is) 

So, I think it is time to start paying attention to how this idea of a huge, wagon-wheeled bicycle is being refined. Especially in terms of geometry. 

Stinner presents the titanium Refugio model as a gravel bike. So we're going to start looking at where drop-bar 32" stuff is heading. I will do a bit of cross-comparison to the new Singular Pterodactyl, a drop bar 32"er I featured last week in the FN&V. 

While Singular is being a bit cagey about the geometry of the Pterodactyl, we know a few things from press releases sent out to various online media. The head tube angle is a steep 71° versus Stinner's Refugio 32"er's which ranges from 68° for the Medium, (What will be the smallest size for most 32'ers, the Fargo 32 notwithstanding), to a steep 71.5° on the XXL size. 

Sam Alison, of Singular Cycles, stated on a podcast interview we did with him, that 32"ers would necessarily have to go far greater with bottom bracket drop than with 29"ers. Bottom bracket drop, in case you are unfamiliar with the term, is the distance below a line drawn though both axles of the wheel, horizontal with the ground, that the center of your crank spindle sits. It determines how stable a bike feels and where in space your center of gravity sits in relationship to the wheels. 

Singular Pterodactyl Image courtesy of Singular Cycles

Sam thought something more than 100mm of drop would eventually be where 32"ers end up, and Stinner seems to agree with their bottom bracket drop on the Refugio 32 being 105mm. 

Chain stay lengths are obviously going to have to be longer, as Sam Alison showed us by saying the 32" wheel is roughly 10% larger in diameter than a 29"er wheel is. Stinner seems to have landed on a 455mm length on the Refugio. Typical gravel bikes range from 420mm to 435mm in 700c format.  This seems a tad bit shorter than what one might expect for a 32' wheel based upon Sam's estimates. So, I would look for a 455mm - 465mm range in a "good" design for 32" wheels. This is assuming we are going to stick with 32" x 2.25" - 2.5" tires for the 32" format. 

Stack height is another difficult thing to tackle with the tall 32" wheels.  Note the size small Fargo shown recently with handle bars above the saddle height as an example. Negative rise stems will likely be a thing with 32"ers, if they catch on, in the future. 

There is a long way to go with 32"ers, but I think we are in the "honing in" stages of geometry already with this format.  

Image courtesy of fizik

fizik Announces New Ergolace 2 Shoe Range:

I've been on the hunt for new shoes for gravel travel lately and I have a couple of things I know I like which I have not seen done in combination before. 

I am looking for a shoe which is not race-focused because those are typically too stiff and make my feet hurt, cramp, or both. 

I am looking for grippy soles for walking on things like sketchy dirt roads and up steeps that I cannot ride up, plus be reasonable to walk in for stops at convenience stores and the like. 

Finally, I wanted something lighter in color after speaking with Jeff Kerkove who told me white shoes on gravel rides keep his feet cooler. And yeah.....price matters as well. 

Image courtesy of fizik

Well, fizik just released the new Ergolace 2 range of shoes which have seemingly everything I want. While the white is really off-white, this might be better for gravel usage. 

I like the lightweight uppers with breathable characteristics. The soles look grippy. The upper has a foot entry which is like a cuff, which would keep stones out better. (And possibly make them a pain in the butt to put on?) 

I don't know much about fizik shoes. They said they made the toe box roomier. I don't need this as my feet are shaped like skis and are narrow, but I've had to put up with shoes which did not fit great most of my life due to this. 

At least the prices look reasonable. So, does anyone have any experience with fizik shoes? I'd be curious to read any comments you'd like to share. Typically I have worn Shimano footwear, so that is where I am coming from. You can see the Ergolace range HERE.

Image courtesy of Life Time Fitness

UNBOUND Gravel Features New Twists For Pro Riders: 

The information for the UNBOUND Gravel 200 course was sent out this week and there is a new twist to things which further separates the Pros from the "age groupers" in this event. 

Now instead of the Pro field being mixed into the same area for resupply as everyone else, there will be separated feed zones for the Pro fields at three different spots on the course. There will be no team vehicles or motos allowed in the Pro feed Areas.  

 The rest of the course looks like a mix of a Southern route and a Northern route. Essentially the route loops South, West, North, and back East to Emporia. One thing I noted which may be an issue is that the course looks to be on the Flint Hills Nature Trail coming out of Council Grove for several miles to the Southeast. Whether the trail will be closed to other users during the event is not known at this time, but if it is open, there is a chance for user conflicts. The Flint Hills Nature Trail is a rail way conversion trail and is at railroad grade with a narrow, pea gravel surface. 

A couple of other notable points on course, one of which is the near pass to Cottonwood Falls.  Riders will come within about a mile of the city. The other interesting bit comes not long after this where the course ends a long Northward push at Mile 137.9 and turns West. If a rider were to turn right here and go one mile they could cut off an almost 40 mile section of the Northern loop, but they would miss going through the third checkpoint at Council Grove. Cheaters exist, so this would be a tempting place to do this. (Note: You'd only have to go 20 miles and when you pass through Americus you could resupply.)

Anyway, I'll be interested to see how these bits and more play out in Kansas soon.  

Image courtesy of Enve Composites

Enve Announces New Wide, Aero Gravel Wheel Set:

Enve, the wheel and component brand from Ogden, Utah announced a new wide gravel wheel set with deep aero profiling called the G SES 6.7 Pro. 

Featuring an internal rim width of 35mm and a deep aero section of 60mm front/67 mm rear, this wheel set promises great aero results with tire from 44mm in width " and larger tires", according to the webpage for this product. (Up to 52mm listed in 'Features')

The wheel set weighs a claimed 1,580 grams. The G SES 6.5 Pro wheels are offered only in 700c and standard 12mm through axle dimensions of 100mm front, 142mm rear. Hubs are Enve's Innerdrive hubs with straight pull spokes. The brake rotor mounting is Center Lock standard.Maximum allowable tire pressure is 50psi. 

The price for a set of G SES 6.5 Pro wheels is $1,400.00 USD.  

Comments: That is a really wide internal rim width! I tested some 30.5mm internal rim width rims in 2021 with a couple of different gravel tires and was not all that impressed. So running what ENVE says will work at 44mm seems a bit dodgy to me.  

My assessment in 2021 was that such a wide width internally would work best on 700 x 50mm tires and wider. However; in 2021 there weren't really many gravel bikes with this sort of clearance. Now?

Well, an aero MTB wheel makes sense now with wider XC MTB tires. Let's be honest, this is what people are really doing. They can call it "gravel", but really? We know what's up here!  

New Guitar Ted Podcast Episode #107

Okay, here is another podcast drop to check out which started out innocently enough as a compare and contrast between two gravel racing bikes. Then....

Well we went off the rails a few times. Then I got into some esoteric changes in the upcoming Unbound 200. (See above) Nobody probably cares but me about those things, but I talked about it all anyway. 

Anywho... If you want to listen to this one, check it out HERE on our Spotify home page, or find the Guitar Ted Podcast on your favorite podcast provider's sites. 

That's a wrap for the week. Get out and ride those bicycles! 

How A Disaster Shaped My Future In Cycling

A post card depicting the aftermath of the 1968 tornado.

I sometimes get the question what it was that led me to being involved in cycling over the majority of my life. It is a good question, and the answer to it may be a lot different than you might have imagined it to be. 

May 15th, 1968. I was a seven year old elementary student at McKinley School in Charles City Iowa. My family had moved across town just three days prior and everything was new to me. Well, except my school. 

Instead of walking several blocks home, crossing busy Highway 14, and walking past the Southside Grocery store, I was now walking past the Texico station, crossing the Cedar River on a fairly new Brantingham Bridge, and walking along busy highway 18. 

It would be the last time I ever did that walk home from McKinley School. 

That very afternoon, at around 5:00pm, an EF-5 tornado ripped across Charles City, devastating homes, killing 13 people, and injuring hundreds more. Homes and businesses were destroyed. The city was never the same afterward. 

Of all the bad things which came out of this disaster, there were a few, a very few, good things. One of those was in regard to the youth, specifically the young boys, who lived then in Charles City. I was amongst a group of boys who scavenged bicycles which were strewn about the outskirts of town in woods, ditches, and wild areas. 

We would drag these bicycles back to our homes, tear them apart, and attempt to assemble them. Sometimes we'd make cross-bred contraptions bicycle designers had no intention for out of these free parts. 

Choppers were a big deal in the late 60's and early 70's, so we'd often make chopper bicycles out of the ones we'd dredge up from the flotsam and jetsam resulting from the tornado. It was part adventure, part mad scientist stuff which engaged us for days upon days. 

Over the Summers of 1968 through to around 1970 or 71, this scrapping of bicycles was going on. Of course, it eventually all went away, but the skills I gained in tire removal/installation, chain repair, and general knowledge of how a bicycle worked were all formed in those days of experimentation. 

I was able to maintain my single speed, coaster brake 20"er myself for the most part. My Dad had to step in a few times when I would break a rear axle doing jumps, but otherwise I was on my own for taking care of flats, new tires, and oiling the chain. 

And of course, a love of cycling and for bicyles in general was kindled then. It was the vehicle which took me around the city to witness the destruction of the "Charles City Tornado". Then other adventures came along. Eventually I outgrew the 20"er and was gifted a single speed Huffy lightweight coaster brake 26" x 1 3/8th" wheeled bike which I promptly tore the fenders off of and used as my city commuter and single track bike in the late 70's. 

McKinley School grounds, Brantingham Bridge

Of course, I left cycling for other worldly pursuits in my 20's, but it never went away completely. By the time I was in my late 20's I had purchased a mountain bike, started riding single track, and by 1993 circumstances led me to becoming a bicycle mechanic. 

Since then cycling has been pretty much at the forefront of my life. All due, in part, to a wicked, unfortunate natural disaster in the late 1960's. 

The anniversary date for the Charles City Tornado is tomorrow, May 15th. I will quietly mark the day. I will recall the scenes I saw with my own eyes and the screaming sirens I heard all night long that night in 1968 will replay in my mind again. I know most of you will have an ordinary day, but you all probably have a memory like this as well, so I am willing to bet some of you readers understand where I am coming from. 

So, if you've ever wondered what my start in cycling was, now you know.