Friday News And Views

A map of the 2015 Gravel Worlds course

Ahoy! Gravel Mateys!

Today I'll be on my way to Lincoln, Nebraska to join my like minded gravel riding nut-jobs to take part in the Pirate Cycling League's 2015 version of Gravel Worlds . It's an almost 150 mile route through the hilly, (YES- Nebraska is HILLY), terrain circumnavigating Lincoln.

I will try to keep up on social media when I can, so if you do Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, I will post a few updates throughout the day Saturday. Don't count on a blow-by-blow covering of Gravel Worlds though. I'll just be posting so some folks that care will know I'm still sailing around the gravelly seas of Nebraska and not in Davey Jone's Locker.

This event used to be known as "The Good Life Gravel Adventure" back in '08 and '09. I was convinced to check out the second GLGA event by David Pals, at that time my co-director of Trans Iowa. It was a shoestring adventure and on a single speed, no less. I was hooked then and came back another time to enjoy the scene there. The second time it was co-named the "GLGA-Gravel Worlds", and again, I rode a single speed. I thought I had made it down one other time on a geared bike, but I cannot find any evidence of that, and so I guess it was twice, and I haven't been back in....gulp!, five years! Well, things have changed a bit since those early days!

The first time I rode down there the GLGA had under 50 participants. I think the first Gravel Worlds had 110 or so. Well, this one will have nearly 300! That's a big, big difference right there. I expect there will be other, "big" differences as well, so stay tuned for my thoughts on the Gravel Worlds and a ride report beginning next week.

Lou on the Left, Vee Tire Snowshoe 2XL on right

King Of Fat:

It used to be that a Surly Bud or Lou on a 100mm rim was the fattest tire you could get. Not anymore....

The new "King Of Fat", (which is what this tire should have been called, I think), is the Vee Tire "Snowshoe 2XL". For all the gory details on this beast, see Fat-Bike.com's story here.  (The image to the left is from their story as well.)

My take is that this will be the ultimate flotation tire. In other words, if you find you are going to go out and bust your own trails, go where no one else is going, and you need to be "on top" of the terrain as much as possible, then this is your tire. Translation: If you run groomed trails, dry terrain that is the realm of mountain biking, or are running on loose, drier stuff that isn't sand, these tires won't do you one bit of good. They will just be heavier, harder to handle, and stroke your "I have the biggest tires" ego. Well......they also probably will not fit your current bike. At over 5" in width on 100 mm rims, there are only a few production bikes in existence that these will fit on. I'm not sure they would fit on my Blackborow, for instance, but I've heard these tires will "barely" clear the frame.

I won't say I would never get a pair of these, as they would slot into my usual Winter hi-jinx. I like bushwhacking powder and mud, and so flotation makes sense to me. However; I haven't reached the limits of the Lou/Clown Shoe set up I have, so I just don't see the need to jump on these right now. That said, it's a nice option to be able to go to if I do ever go beyond the limits of the set up I have now.

Blackborow and the Bluto

Looking Forward To Winter:

 Speaking of fat bikes, I haven't ever gotten my plan to convert the Blackborow to......well, you'll have to wait for that. Anyway, part of the plan was the Bluto fork, and I have been on it more since my first impressions of it a while back. I still really like having suspension on this bike for "Summer duties", but it does add weight. Weight is a bad deal in Winter, and so I'll be going back to the original equipment fork, and my Anything Cage HD racks along with that, for the colder months.

I still have my Titanium Mukluk, and for that rig I may be looking to a 1 X 11 group, which will allow bigger rear tires and no chain to tire rub in the lowest gears. With its antiquated 1 1/8th steer tube, I have stuck an On One Carbon Fatty fork on there which lightens up the bike and still gives a great ride feel. I think my direction with that bike will be to use it as a "fast" Winter set up. So, I will be getting it all set for "slop" conditions, groomed stuff, and general riding around.

I still have the Snow Dog as well, but currently it has been relegated to the back wall in the basement as I don't have wheels for it at present. That may change soon though, so I may have a new plan for this old girl soon.

There may be some parts tweakage on all three rigs coming along as the months crawl on by toward 2016. Stay tuned....

And that's a wrap for now. Have a great weekend and I'll be back Monday with the start of my Gravel Worlds report......

Friday News And Views

A map of the 2015 Gravel Worlds course

Ahoy! Gravel Mateys!

Today I'll be on my way to Lincoln, Nebraska to join my like minded gravel riding nut-jobs to take part in the Pirate Cycling League's 2015 version of Gravel Worlds . It's an almost 150 mile route through the hilly, (YES- Nebraska is HILLY), terrain circumnavigating Lincoln.

I will try to keep up on social media when I can, so if you do Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, I will post a few updates throughout the day Saturday. Don't count on a blow-by-blow covering of Gravel Worlds though. I'll just be posting so some folks that care will know I'm still sailing around the gravelly seas of Nebraska and not in Davey Jone's Locker.

This event used to be known as "The Good Life Gravel Adventure" back in '08 and '09. I was convinced to check out the second GLGA event by David Pals, at that time my co-director of Trans Iowa. It was a shoestring adventure and on a single speed, no less. I was hooked then and came back another time to enjoy the scene there. The second time it was co-named the "GLGA-Gravel Worlds", and again, I rode a single speed. I thought I had made it down one other time on a geared bike, but I cannot find any evidence of that, and so I guess it was twice, and I haven't been back in....gulp!, five years! Well, things have changed a bit since those early days!

The first time I rode down there the GLGA had under 50 participants. I think the first Gravel Worlds had 110 or so. Well, this one will have nearly 300! That's a big, big difference right there. I expect there will be other, "big" differences as well, so stay tuned for my thoughts on the Gravel Worlds and a ride report beginning next week.

Lou on the Left, Vee Tire Snowshoe 2XL on right

King Of Fat:

It used to be that a Surly Bud or Lou on a 100mm rim was the fattest tire you could get. Not anymore....

The new "King Of Fat", (which is what this tire should have been called, I think), is the Vee Tire "Snowshoe 2XL". For all the gory details on this beast, see Fat-Bike.com's story here.  (The image to the left is from their story as well.)

My take is that this will be the ultimate flotation tire. In other words, if you find you are going to go out and bust your own trails, go where no one else is going, and you need to be "on top" of the terrain as much as possible, then this is your tire. Translation: If you run groomed trails, dry terrain that is the realm of mountain biking, or are running on loose, drier stuff that isn't sand, these tires won't do you one bit of good. They will just be heavier, harder to handle, and stroke your "I have the biggest tires" ego. Well......they also probably will not fit your current bike. At over 5" in width on 100 mm rims, there are only a few production bikes in existence that these will fit on. I'm not sure they would fit on my Blackborow, for instance, but I've heard these tires will "barely" clear the frame.

I won't say I would never get a pair of these, as they would slot into my usual Winter hi-jinx. I like bushwhacking powder and mud, and so flotation makes sense to me. However; I haven't reached the limits of the Lou/Clown Shoe set up I have, so I just don't see the need to jump on these right now. That said, it's a nice option to be able to go to if I do ever go beyond the limits of the set up I have now.

Blackborow and the Bluto

Looking Forward To Winter:

 Speaking of fat bikes, I haven't ever gotten my plan to convert the Blackborow to......well, you'll have to wait for that. Anyway, part of the plan was the Bluto fork, and I have been on it more since my first impressions of it a while back. I still really like having suspension on this bike for "Summer duties", but it does add weight. Weight is a bad deal in Winter, and so I'll be going back to the original equipment fork, and my Anything Cage HD racks along with that, for the colder months.

I still have my Titanium Mukluk, and for that rig I may be looking to a 1 X 11 group, which will allow bigger rear tires and no chain to tire rub in the lowest gears. With its antiquated 1 1/8th steer tube, I have stuck an On One Carbon Fatty fork on there which lightens up the bike and still gives a great ride feel. I think my direction with that bike will be to use it as a "fast" Winter set up. So, I will be getting it all set for "slop" conditions, groomed stuff, and general riding around.

I still have the Snow Dog as well, but currently it has been relegated to the back wall in the basement as I don't have wheels for it at present. That may change soon though, so I may have a new plan for this old girl soon.

There may be some parts tweakage on all three rigs coming along as the months crawl on by toward 2016. Stay tuned....

And that's a wrap for now. Have a great weekend and I'll be back Monday with the start of my Gravel Worlds report......

Friday News And Views

26 X 3.8 on L- 26 X 5.2(?) R

Pushing The Limits Of Fat:

In the world of fat bikes, there is a certain contingent that wants to see the "next biggest thing", (pun intended), for whatever reasons. So, it was perhaps inevitable that someone would punch out a tire bigger than the enormous Bud and Lou tires. That tire appears to be the Snowshoe 2XL, (don't get hung up on that name just yet, it may change), and is made by Vee Tire.

Early numbers given by one of its promoters, (likely slightly idyllic), are that this tire measures a true 5.2 inches in width on a 103mm rim at reasonable fat bike pressures. It also was reportedly 32" in diameter, and weighs north of 1600 grams with the studs.

Keeping in mind that this is a pre-production tire, and that there are  no current bikes to fit it, here is my take on such a beast of a tire. First off, the weight seems mighty optimistic. A Surly Lou tire weighs 1580 grams, and this tire is supposedly bigger. Hmm...... Could it weigh as little as they claim? Maybe. If it does, it's got a mighty thin casing.

Secondly, the diameter is out of hand. If it is 32", (and I think it almost has to be taller if it truly has a 5+ inch width and isn't a really flat profile), then you will have to be a pretty tall person to fit this. Making a size Medium with these tires will be a challenge and forget about Small or XS sizes. The 29+ rigs and current 4.8" bikes are already pushing limits in this regard. Keep in mind that those sizes are 31-ish inches in diameter.

Finally, although the promoter of this size claims that there will be a "new 11 speed system" available to work with this tire, it is admitted that only 1X systems and this, as yet unknown 11 speed set up will work. So, you need a proprietary drive train, by the sounds of it. It's hard to imagine that too many folks will be itching to get on with a bike with limited choices that apply to it for such things. Maybe I'm wrong there.....

I think this idea is using the wrong rim diameter. This needs to go to a 24" standard where overall diameter would be more in line with current fat bikes. That said, you're still dealing with a really wide bottom bracket, (minimum 120mm), and likely a compromised drive train. Will it take off? I think what we are seeing is the extreme ends of the fat bike progression, and likely things will settle back to 4-5 inch wide tires and bikes that fit them.

Trans Iowa V11:

Time for a bit of an update on all things Trans Iowa here. First off, I have yet to hear from about 17 folks on the e-mail I sent out two weeks ago. I will be posting those names next week once I get back to the ranch, but if you have not gotten the e-mail, or don't have a clue what I am talking about and you are signed up for T.I.V11, hit me with an e-mail and I'll get you taken care of.

Next up- We're down to 110 official riders. Please let me know if you cannot make it to T.I.v11 if you are signed up. My volunteers and I would appreciate that very much. A side note here- I have no transfers, waiting lists, or the like. So, if you are thinking you wanted to get in and you aren't, well you aren't. Wait till next time please.

Finally, on a more fun note- I have a special shout out to Don Daly of the Dirty Dog Racing Pack. He's doing a killer banner for the pre-race and I think we'll be taking it around to the different checkpoints and finish line as well. I won't spoil it, but it will be instantly familiar and will be a great addition to Trans Iowa V11.

Other than that I am all set to roll on April 12th for the final look at the course and then verify that the cues are still good. Then it will be on to printing them up, separating them into three groups, and getting my kit for the event together. Hopefully a little "tune up" work on the "Truck With No Name" will happen, because it needs it badly. After that, it's on to T.I.V11......

Have a great weekend!

Friday News And Views

26 X 3.8 on L- 26 X 5.2(?) R

Pushing The Limits Of Fat:

In the world of fat bikes, there is a certain contingent that wants to see the "next biggest thing", (pun intended), for whatever reasons. So, it was perhaps inevitable that someone would punch out a tire bigger than the enormous Bud and Lou tires. That tire appears to be the Snowshoe 2XL, (don't get hung up on that name just yet, it may change), and is made by Vee Tire.

Early numbers given by one of its promoters, (likely slightly idyllic), are that this tire measures a true 5.2 inches in width on a 103mm rim at reasonable fat bike pressures. It also was reportedly 32" in diameter, and weighs north of 1600 grams with the studs.

Keeping in mind that this is a pre-production tire, and that there are  no current bikes to fit it, here is my take on such a beast of a tire. First off, the weight seems mighty optimistic. A Surly Lou tire weighs 1580 grams, and this tire is supposedly bigger. Hmm...... Could it weigh as little as they claim? Maybe. If it does, it's got a mighty thin casing.

Secondly, the diameter is out of hand. If it is 32", (and I think it almost has to be taller if it truly has a 5+ inch width and isn't a really flat profile), then you will have to be a pretty tall person to fit this. Making a size Medium with these tires will be a challenge and forget about Small or XS sizes. The 29+ rigs and current 4.8" bikes are already pushing limits in this regard. Keep in mind that those sizes are 31-ish inches in diameter.

Finally, although the promoter of this size claims that there will be a "new 11 speed system" available to work with this tire, it is admitted that only 1X systems and this, as yet unknown 11 speed set up will work. So, you need a proprietary drive train, by the sounds of it. It's hard to imagine that too many folks will be itching to get on with a bike with limited choices that apply to it for such things. Maybe I'm wrong there.....

I think this idea is using the wrong rim diameter. This needs to go to a 24" standard where overall diameter would be more in line with current fat bikes. That said, you're still dealing with a really wide bottom bracket, (minimum 120mm), and likely a compromised drive train. Will it take off? I think what we are seeing is the extreme ends of the fat bike progression, and likely things will settle back to 4-5 inch wide tires and bikes that fit them.

Trans Iowa V11:

Time for a bit of an update on all things Trans Iowa here. First off, I have yet to hear from about 17 folks on the e-mail I sent out two weeks ago. I will be posting those names next week once I get back to the ranch, but if you have not gotten the e-mail, or don't have a clue what I am talking about and you are signed up for T.I.V11, hit me with an e-mail and I'll get you taken care of.

Next up- We're down to 110 official riders. Please let me know if you cannot make it to T.I.v11 if you are signed up. My volunteers and I would appreciate that very much. A side note here- I have no transfers, waiting lists, or the like. So, if you are thinking you wanted to get in and you aren't, well you aren't. Wait till next time please.

Finally, on a more fun note- I have a special shout out to Don Daly of the Dirty Dog Racing Pack. He's doing a killer banner for the pre-race and I think we'll be taking it around to the different checkpoints and finish line as well. I won't spoil it, but it will be instantly familiar and will be a great addition to Trans Iowa V11.

Other than that I am all set to roll on April 12th for the final look at the course and then verify that the cues are still good. Then it will be on to printing them up, separating them into three groups, and getting my kit for the event together. Hopefully a little "tune up" work on the "Truck With No Name" will happen, because it needs it badly. After that, it's on to T.I.V11......

Have a great weekend!