Friday News And Views

Trans Iowa v14 Video Surfaces:

The other day I received a message from my friend Ari who found the following video and posted it on his blog. It is a film concept featuring a rider in need of a "gravel fix" (Played by Nicholas McColloch) and then morphs into a music video and GoPro footage from the event itself. I've posted the YouTube link below here. 

It's a little rough in the beginning, but the event footage is telling. You get some pre-dawn riding from Grinnell, a scene of the group rolling into Hartwick which was CP#1, then some convenince store shots of Casey's in Brooklyn, Iowa and North English, Iowa. Then there is the brief appearance of a barn with a barn quilt, which is the remnants of Hinkletown, Iowa. After this you get a couple views of the chunky gravel in Johnson County, the torn up road North of Kalona, and then the fade into night. Nicholas stopped at CP#2, so there was no footage past the fall of night. 

All the while, Nicholas and his merry pranksters, including Charles Parsons and Trenton Raygor, take shots of whiskey along the way. Enjoy this unique look at a Trans Iowa!

Shimano Shows Heavy Investment Into Gravel Cycling:

Screen shot from Shimano's

I was cruising the "innergoogles" the other day and came across the new Shimano webpage all about gravel cycling. Check it out HERE.

A bit of background is in order here. First off, Shimano is a company that doesn't just "jump into stuff". They study things, do research, and test theories before announcing anything publicly. This is why a lot of people mistakenly thought Shimano was sleeping when SRAM introduced 1X. They were not sleeping, they were doing their homework. So, the "sudden appearance" of a gravel website should tell you that Shimano has been working on gravel specific components and accessories for years. In fact, if you dig into the site, you will find out that this has been in  development for two years already.

Secondly, Shimano sent over a contingent of employees from Japan to ride in the recently completed Almanzo 100. I actually saw a few of them come through Cherry Grove. Shimano also had a few of its new "Gravel Alliance" riders in the event who were supported by a Shimano course support van. (boo! Almanzo was supposedly a self-supported event at one time.) "So what?!", you say? Well, in reality, Shimano doesn't generally do this. That's why this effort to come to Almanzo was a very big deal.

You can bet that Shimano studied the riders, their gear, the needs of riders, and took in a ton of information which is going to get dissected in Japan and end up being stuff you and I can buy. They already are well on their way in terms of developing things if we are getting a "public display" (website presence, rider advocates) of their "gravel focus". Yes folks, this will be a big deal. It will also drive OEM product in the future as well. In fact, this nay be a result of OEM inquiries. Either way, gravel isn't going away, and if you thought there was a lot of product now, just wait.........

Raleigh's Tamland iE Step Over

Electric Gravel Boogaloo:

While it isn't the first e-gravel bike I've heard of, it may be the most refined version of one. Yep......electric gravel mopeds. It's coming  to a race near you, unless some wily promoters don't allow it.

Check it out on Raleigh's site HERE , but if you want the particulars, here they are. Pony up 4700 bucks and get assisted stroke that will take you to a breath taking 28mph maximum and go as far as 50-80 miles on a single charge.

Not specified- Weight. What happens when you are 20 miles out and the battery goes kaput? Maybe the gravel was fresh, causing higher resistance, or maybe you had a 20mph head wind. Well, your ride will really suck now, pedaling that heavy beast to town. Also curious: Do high profile events now have to provide charging stations at checkpoints, or do we get neutral battery support?

Seriously- I really don't care if you want an e-bike anything. But make no mistake- you are not experiencing cycling like I and many others do. Whether that is "good", "bad", or whatever is still up for debate. But what isn't up for debate is that e-cycling isn't the same as riding a human powered vehicle with two wheels. So, my take on this Raleigh is that it isn't in the spirit of cycling, or  gravel cycling in particular, where self-reliance on one's wits and athleticism is one of the tenets that I hold dear. Your mileage may vary.

MCD frame clearance with a Nano 2.1 mounted to an i23mm rim. Image courtesy of Mike Varley

 Getting Excited:

There is going to be a "new bike day" for me this year as I am acquiring a Black Mountain Cycles "Monster Cross Disc", or MCD, for short. It is a design similar to my "Orange Crush" rig, but with a bit different cut to its jib. The frame will have disc brakes instead of rim brakes, of course, and it has a much more severely sloping top tube/shorter seat tube than the original Monster Cross.

The frames are apparently quite popular. Check out the latest from Black Mountain Cycles here.  I am in for a pink one, and I am pretty excited about it too. Of course, when this frame and fork comes in, there are going to be a lot of changes in the Guitar Ted stable. Here's what I envision happening here:

• The Twin Six Standard Rando is up for sale already. I will be transitioning the original build back onto this bike soon, but if you are interested it is on my Garage Sale Page already at a bargain price. 
• I'm likely going to retire the Tamland. It looks as though gravel cycling is going all in on through axles and I need to swap the wheel fleet over to that direction. The frame is getting pretty beat up, so after 4 years of abuses it is time to hang it up on the wall. It is never going to get sold, as this represents a design I had an influence on, so I think I'd better keep it around. The "official" retirement ride will happen later this year. 
• The Orange Crush will get made into a single speed. I set this bike up that way at the very first and I loved having a single speed gravel rig. The rim brake fleet of wheels will get SS'ed and be exclusively used on this bike with the possibility of one wheel set getting sold or used on a completely different bike. 
• There may be a wheel set for sale or two.

Hey! It's Memorial Day Weekend! Stay safe and get out and ride those bicycles!

Friday News And Views

Trans Iowa v14 Video Surfaces:

The other day I received a message from my friend Ari who found the following video and posted it on his blog. It is a film concept featuring a rider in need of a "gravel fix" (Played by Nicholas McColloch) and then morphs into a music video and GoPro footage from the event itself. I've posted the YouTube link below here. 

It's a little rough in the beginning, but the event footage is telling. You get some pre-dawn riding from Grinnell, a scene of the group rolling into Hartwick which was CP#1, then some convenince store shots of Casey's in Brooklyn, Iowa and North English, Iowa. Then there is the brief appearance of a barn with a barn quilt, which is the remnants of Hinkletown, Iowa. After this you get a couple views of the chunky gravel in Johnson County, the torn up road North of Kalona, and then the fade into night. Nicholas stopped at CP#2, so there was no footage past the fall of night. 

All the while, Nicholas and his merry pranksters, including Charles Parsons and Trenton Raygor, take shots of whiskey along the way. Enjoy this unique look at a Trans Iowa!

Shimano Shows Heavy Investment Into Gravel Cycling:

Screen shot from Shimano's

I was cruising the "innergoogles" the other day and came across the new Shimano webpage all about gravel cycling. Check it out HERE.

A bit of background is in order here. First off, Shimano is a company that doesn't just "jump into stuff". They study things, do research, and test theories before announcing anything publicly. This is why a lot of people mistakenly thought Shimano was sleeping when SRAM introduced 1X. They were not sleeping, they were doing their homework. So, the "sudden appearance" of a gravel website should tell you that Shimano has been working on gravel specific components and accessories for years. In fact, if you dig into the site, you will find out that this has been in  development for two years already.

Secondly, Shimano sent over a contingent of employees from Japan to ride in the recently completed Almanzo 100. I actually saw a few of them come through Cherry Grove. Shimano also had a few of its new "Gravel Alliance" riders in the event who were supported by a Shimano course support van. (boo! Almanzo was supposedly a self-supported event at one time.) "So what?!", you say? Well, in reality, Shimano doesn't generally do this. That's why this effort to come to Almanzo was a very big deal.

You can bet that Shimano studied the riders, their gear, the needs of riders, and took in a ton of information which is going to get dissected in Japan and end up being stuff you and I can buy. They already are well on their way in terms of developing things if we are getting a "public display" (website presence, rider advocates) of their "gravel focus". Yes folks, this will be a big deal. It will also drive OEM product in the future as well. In fact, this nay be a result of OEM inquiries. Either way, gravel isn't going away, and if you thought there was a lot of product now, just wait.........

Raleigh's Tamland iE Step Over

Electric Gravel Boogaloo:

While it isn't the first e-gravel bike I've heard of, it may be the most refined version of one. Yep......electric gravel mopeds. It's coming  to a race near you, unless some wily promoters don't allow it.

Check it out on Raleigh's site HERE , but if you want the particulars, here they are. Pony up 4700 bucks and get assisted stroke that will take you to a breath taking 28mph maximum and go as far as 50-80 miles on a single charge.

Not specified- Weight. What happens when you are 20 miles out and the battery goes kaput? Maybe the gravel was fresh, causing higher resistance, or maybe you had a 20mph head wind. Well, your ride will really suck now, pedaling that heavy beast to town. Also curious: Do high profile events now have to provide charging stations at checkpoints, or do we get neutral battery support?

Seriously- I really don't care if you want an e-bike anything. But make no mistake- you are not experiencing cycling like I and many others do. Whether that is "good", "bad", or whatever is still up for debate. But what isn't up for debate is that e-cycling isn't the same as riding a human powered vehicle with two wheels. So, my take on this Raleigh is that it isn't in the spirit of cycling, or  gravel cycling in particular, where self-reliance on one's wits and athleticism is one of the tenets that I hold dear. Your mileage may vary.

MCD frame clearance with a Nano 2.1 mounted to an i23mm rim. Image courtesy of Mike Varley

 Getting Excited:

There is going to be a "new bike day" for me this year as I am acquiring a Black Mountain Cycles "Monster Cross Disc", or MCD, for short. It is a design similar to my "Orange Crush" rig, but with a bit different cut to its jib. The frame will have disc brakes instead of rim brakes, of course, and it has a much more severely sloping top tube/shorter seat tube than the original Monster Cross.

The frames are apparently quite popular. Check out the latest from Black Mountain Cycles here.  I am in for a pink one, and I am pretty excited about it too. Of course, when this frame and fork comes in, there are going to be a lot of changes in the Guitar Ted stable. Here's what I envision happening here:

• The Twin Six Standard Rando is up for sale already. I will be transitioning the original build back onto this bike soon, but if you are interested it is on my Garage Sale Page already at a bargain price. 
• I'm likely going to retire the Tamland. It looks as though gravel cycling is going all in on through axles and I need to swap the wheel fleet over to that direction. The frame is getting pretty beat up, so after 4 years of abuses it is time to hang it up on the wall. It is never going to get sold, as this represents a design I had an influence on, so I think I'd better keep it around. The "official" retirement ride will happen later this year. 
• The Orange Crush will get made into a single speed. I set this bike up that way at the very first and I loved having a single speed gravel rig. The rim brake fleet of wheels will get SS'ed and be exclusively used on this bike with the possibility of one wheel set getting sold or used on a completely different bike. 
• There may be a wheel set for sale or two.

Hey! It's Memorial Day Weekend! Stay safe and get out and ride those bicycles!

Unapologetic

The start of things to come. T.I.V1, 2005 (Image by Dave Kerkove)

There are stories about riding back roads and....dare I say the word...gravel roads, popping up a lot these days. I just read this great piece relating an experience in California recently. The "Hopper Series" has been around for 17 years or so, (according to what I can read here), which is awesome. Those "all-roaders" are out there all over the place, and have been for years in their small enclaves. Take Paris Ancaster, as an example, which has happened in Canada every year for 22 years running. There really isn't anything new here about the adventurous side of cycling, on whatever kind of bicycle you want to talk about here.

However; there was something that happened back ten years ago or so that was like these older events, but was different too. There was that adventure thing, for sure, that was really part of it, but there was another thing. I feel it was happening at a time when many at a grassroots level were starting to fall away from the hope that they had wrapped up in watching racing at the Pro levels. There had already been a great deal of doping scandals by 2005, and the doubts about a certain Texan were on the rise as well. There was a tiredness with short lap racing, no matter how long the events took to complete, and the fees for doing those things were outrageous.

Something about this and the way it is done tripped a trigger. Image by Waly Kilburg

I don't know why, for certain, but when Jeff Kerkove and I announced Trans Iowa in late 2004, something happened out there, and a lot of folks followed that "something". We called it "gravel grinding" because that was the term that was given to us for it, ironically by road cyclists, the very same sort who today disparage anything attached to gravel grinders or the equipment used for it. Well, maybe not so much by the cyclists themselves, but certainly by the pundits, the "writers of note", who never miss the chance to diss gravel road riding whenever this subject comes up.

Hey, that's fine, ya know, because if something ruffles some feathers, or causes the established media and industry wonks to disparage it, well, there must be something to it that is real. Otherwise, why would they bother to mention it at all? Maybe they just need to rouse the rabble to accumulate more hits to satisfy the advertisers. "Whatevs", as one writer would say........

Yeah, that's what many say. In the face of literally thousands of riders that take to the start line of events like Barry-Roubaix, the Dirty Kanza 200, and the Almanzo 100, all events that draw riders from all corners of the nation, and even internationally. That's what the pundits say in the face of people attending over 200 unique events every year held on gravel roads and dirt roads across North America. But ya know..........whatevs, right? 

That's okay though, 'cause it isn't like we are looking for validation from anyone to #unlearnpavement, have some fun on dirt roads, or gravel grind. There will be those that thumb their noses at us, but I say "Come on in, the water's fine!" We're just riding bicycles in a way that is fun, challenging, and adventurous. We call it gravel grinding, and dirt road riding, and "all-road", but we are not going to apologize for the names and we aren't going away.

Unapologetic

The start of things to come. T.I.V1, 2005 (Image by Dave Kerkove)

There are stories about riding back roads and....dare I say the word...gravel roads, popping up a lot these days. I just read this great piece relating an experience in California recently. The "Hopper Series" has been around for 17 years or so, (according to what I can read here), which is awesome. Those "all-roaders" are out there all over the place, and have been for years in their small enclaves. Take Paris Ancaster, as an example, which has happened in Canada every year for 22 years running. There really isn't anything new here about the adventurous side of cycling, on whatever kind of bicycle you want to talk about here.

However; there was something that happened back ten years ago or so that was like these older events, but was different too. There was that adventure thing, for sure, that was really part of it, but there was another thing. I feel it was happening at a time when many at a grassroots level were starting to fall away from the hope that they had wrapped up in watching racing at the Pro levels. There had already been a great deal of doping scandals by 2005, and the doubts about a certain Texan were on the rise as well. There was a tiredness with short lap racing, no matter how long the events took to complete, and the fees for doing those things were outrageous.

Something about this and the way it is done tripped a trigger. Image by Waly Kilburg

I don't know why, for certain, but when Jeff Kerkove and I announced Trans Iowa in late 2004, something happened out there, and a lot of folks followed that "something". We called it "gravel grinding" because that was the term that was given to us for it, ironically by road cyclists, the very same sort who today disparage anything attached to gravel grinders or the equipment used for it. Well, maybe not so much by the cyclists themselves, but certainly by the pundits, the "writers of note", who never miss the chance to diss gravel road riding whenever this subject comes up.

Hey, that's fine, ya know, because if something ruffles some feathers, or causes the established media and industry wonks to disparage it, well, there must be something to it that is real. Otherwise, why would they bother to mention it at all? Maybe they just need to rouse the rabble to accumulate more hits to satisfy the advertisers. "Whatevs", as one writer would say........

Yeah, that's what many say. In the face of literally thousands of riders that take to the start line of events like Barry-Roubaix, the Dirty Kanza 200, and the Almanzo 100, all events that draw riders from all corners of the nation, and even internationally. That's what the pundits say in the face of people attending over 200 unique events every year held on gravel roads and dirt roads across North America. But ya know..........whatevs, right? 

That's okay though, 'cause it isn't like we are looking for validation from anyone to #unlearnpavement, have some fun on dirt roads, or gravel grind. There will be those that thumb their noses at us, but I say "Come on in, the water's fine!" We're just riding bicycles in a way that is fun, challenging, and adventurous. We call it gravel grinding, and dirt road riding, and "all-road", but we are not going to apologize for the names and we aren't going away.

Thanks Steve!

Steve Hed discussing his Adventure rig with Byron of Bike Hugger at I'bike '13

Las Vegas, Nevada 2013: I am wandering around the Mandaly's convention floor in a snarl of nearly unnavigable booths when I am stopped by someone who asked me if I had seen the bike in the HED Wheels booth. Now I had heard of HED Wheels, of course. If you are a cycling geek worth your salt at all, you knew of HED Wheels. "All about aero" HED Wheels. Tour de France winning wheels. Triathlete wheels, time trials, aero road, yada,yada,yada.....

Okay, so what? HED has a bike in their booth. Not my monkeys, not my circus. I am about mountain bikes and gravel road stuff at this show. Not triathlon. Not time trial geekery. But this person insists that I should check it out and that Steve Hed wants to meet me. (!!!) Uhh......okay, I guess. So I didn't make much of that and went about my way trying to navigate through and find something exciting. This show was a big let down for me, until the moment I actually found the HED Wheels booth and saw the bike. But that wasn't the biggest surprise for me.

Now I should add that I knew HED was getting into the gravel bike scene. Heck, I had already been riding some HED Ardennes+ wheels, which I had reviewed for Gravel Grinder News. That wasn't anything new, really, and maybe Steve Hed just wanted to say "thanks", and maybe they had something else up their sleeve for gravel road riding. You know, it was kind of a "thing" at Interbike that year. Lots of new "gravel specific innovations" were being introduced. I wasn't too expectant of anything "big".

Beautiful fork crown as done by Eric Noren of Peacock Groove for Steve Hed's adventure bike.

 That was until I saw the bike. It was by far and away the coolest bicycle at Interbike '13. Nothing else even came close. A fully customized rig torched up for Steve Hed by Peacock Groove's own Eric Noren. Then a man with a long mane of silver-ish hair with glasses approached me. He was smiling, and his name tag read "Steve Hed". He introduced himself, and what followed during the next 45 minutes or so pretty much blew me away and became the highlight of my Interbike trip.

The sticker on Steve Hed's bike says it all.

You know, I am as guilty as anyone when it comes to preconceived notions. I was found most heinously guilty of this when I met Steve Hed. I figured he was all "aero this- drag coefficient that", but what I learned during our spirited conversation couldn't have been further from that notion. Steve Hed certainly changed the world of aerodynamics when it comes to bicycles, and his contributions are numerous, but his heart for cycling was not to be found there. No, he was a true wanderlust. A guy that totally understood what the gravel riding scene that has risen up was all about. He understood that even better than I do.

There will be stories written in the coming days of Steve Hed's innumerable contributions to cycling and lamentations will be given for his untimely death. It is a very sad thing, certainly, and my condolences go out to his family. That said, I won't be surprised if there are no mentions of his love of riding gravel roads and how Steve Hed wanted to help push gravel racing and riding along. Steve was very active in helping Minnesota based gravel road events get going and stay going. HED Wheels supported the Almanzo 100 and attendant events, the Filthy 50, and were supporters of Trans Iowa and Gravel Grinder News as well.

I will never forget Steve Hed and his passion for the back roads of Minnesota and elsewhere. He surprised me with his stories of his rural upbringing and riding dusty roads. His view of the triathlon scene, the fixie fashions, and all the Pro road racing stuff was eye opening for me. He was a strong advocate for the gravel road rider and his influence will be felt going forward as a passion that will be carried over by those he influenced.

Rest In Peace , Steve. Today, I give thanks for having gotten the chance to meet you.

Happy Thanksgiving Day to all the readers out there. I hope that you all have a blessed and safe day.

Thanks Steve!

Steve Hed discussing his Adventure rig with Byron of Bike Hugger at I'bike '13

Las Vegas, Nevada 2013: I am wandering around the Mandaly's convention floor in a snarl of nearly unnavigable booths when I am stopped by someone who asked me if I had seen the bike in the HED Wheels booth. Now I had heard of HED Wheels, of course. If you are a cycling geek worth your salt at all, you knew of HED Wheels. "All about aero" HED Wheels. Tour de France winning wheels. Triathlete wheels, time trials, aero road, yada,yada,yada.....

Okay, so what? HED has a bike in their booth. Not my monkeys, not my circus. I am about mountain bikes and gravel road stuff at this show. Not triathlon. Not time trial geekery. But this person insists that I should check it out and that Steve Hed wants to meet me. (!!!) Uhh......okay, I guess. So I didn't make much of that and went about my way trying to navigate through and find something exciting. This show was a big let down for me, until the moment I actually found the HED Wheels booth and saw the bike. But that wasn't the biggest surprise for me.

Now I should add that I knew HED was getting into the gravel bike scene. Heck, I had already been riding some HED Ardennes+ wheels, which I had reviewed for Gravel Grinder News. That wasn't anything new, really, and maybe Steve Hed just wanted to say "thanks", and maybe they had something else up their sleeve for gravel road riding. You know, it was kind of a "thing" at Interbike that year. Lots of new "gravel specific innovations" were being introduced. I wasn't too expectant of anything "big".

Beautiful fork crown as done by Eric Noren of Peacock Groove for Steve Hed's adventure bike.

 That was until I saw the bike. It was by far and away the coolest bicycle at Interbike '13. Nothing else even came close. A fully customized rig torched up for Steve Hed by Peacock Groove's own Eric Noren. Then a man with a long mane of silver-ish hair with glasses approached me. He was smiling, and his name tag read "Steve Hed". He introduced himself, and what followed during the next 45 minutes or so pretty much blew me away and became the highlight of my Interbike trip.

The sticker on Steve Hed's bike says it all.

You know, I am as guilty as anyone when it comes to preconceived notions. I was found most heinously guilty of this when I met Steve Hed. I figured he was all "aero this- drag coefficient that", but what I learned during our spirited conversation couldn't have been further from that notion. Steve Hed certainly changed the world of aerodynamics when it comes to bicycles, and his contributions are numerous, but his heart for cycling was not to be found there. No, he was a true wanderlust. A guy that totally understood what the gravel riding scene that has risen up was all about. He understood that even better than I do.

There will be stories written in the coming days of Steve Hed's innumerable contributions to cycling and lamentations will be given for his untimely death. It is a very sad thing, certainly, and my condolences go out to his family. That said, I won't be surprised if there are no mentions of his love of riding gravel roads and how Steve Hed wanted to help push gravel racing and riding along. Steve was very active in helping Minnesota based gravel road events get going and stay going. HED Wheels supported the Almanzo 100 and attendant events, the Filthy 50, and were supporters of Trans Iowa and Gravel Grinder News as well.

I will never forget Steve Hed and his passion for the back roads of Minnesota and elsewhere. He surprised me with his stories of his rural upbringing and riding dusty roads. His view of the triathlon scene, the fixie fashions, and all the Pro road racing stuff was eye opening for me. He was a strong advocate for the gravel road rider and his influence will be felt going forward as a passion that will be carried over by those he influenced.

Rest In Peace , Steve. Today, I give thanks for having gotten the chance to meet you.

Happy Thanksgiving Day to all the readers out there. I hope that you all have a blessed and safe day.

Why Lists Are Stupid

The media just doesn't get it....

Recently a media story listing a "Top Ten" about gravel races has been getting a lot of attention. That's pretty interesting for a couple of reasons.

First of all, you have to understand the way media sites make money. They make money by telling potential advertisers about their Google Analytic numbers and other web metrics. More is better. Meaning more hits on a site, or a particular story is good for gathering and maintaining a certain stable of paying advertisers so the web monkeys can make a living. Sites get more hits by posting certain stories that get you to click on the link. They know what prompts this and that is all they need- for you to click on the link! 

One of the best ways to get folks to click on a link is to list things as a "Top Ten", or "Five Ways To Get Fit", etc. People love lists and click the bejesus outta them links! This is good for business and so as far as the particular content behind these links goes, anything is game. They usually have a LOT of B.S. in them. Take for instance the aforementioned "Top Ten" of gravel races in the U.S. (See it here if you must, but really- DON'T CLICK THE LINK!!)

This list has ten gravel road races listed on it as being the "ten best" in America. Of the ten, one has been cancelled for 2014, one hasn't even happened ever before, and another is so underground that you have to almost know someone to even get in the event. What's worse is that the list doesn't include one of the most seminal grassroots gravel races ever- The Almanzo 100. That is unconscionable.

So, once again, a list created to boost site hit numbers has erroneous and misleading info. Don't believe anything you see there folks. If these yahoos can't figure out that one of the best ever gravel events should be on the list, ya can't believe anything they say.

Why Lists Are Stupid

The media just doesn't get it....

Recently a media story listing a "Top Ten" about gravel races has been getting a lot of attention. That's pretty interesting for a couple of reasons.

First of all, you have to understand the way media sites make money. They make money by telling potential advertisers about their Google Analytic numbers and other web metrics. More is better. Meaning more hits on a site, or a particular story is good for gathering and maintaining a certain stable of paying advertisers so the web monkeys can make a living. Sites get more hits by posting certain stories that get you to click on the link. They know what prompts this and that is all they need- for you to click on the link! 

One of the best ways to get folks to click on a link is to list things as a "Top Ten", or "Five Ways To Get Fit", etc. People love lists and click the bejesus outta them links! This is good for business and so as far as the particular content behind these links goes, anything is game. They usually have a LOT of B.S. in them. Take for instance the aforementioned "Top Ten" of gravel races in the U.S. (See it here if you must, but really- DON'T CLICK THE LINK!!)

This list has ten gravel road races listed on it as being the "ten best" in America. Of the ten, one has been cancelled for 2014, one hasn't even happened ever before, and another is so underground that you have to almost know someone to even get in the event. What's worse is that the list doesn't include one of the most seminal grassroots gravel races ever- The Almanzo 100. That is unconscionable.

So, once again, a list created to boost site hit numbers has erroneous and misleading info. Don't believe anything you see there folks. If these yahoos can't figure out that one of the best ever gravel events should be on the list, ya can't believe anything they say.

A Meeting And A Ride

Meet here at 10:00am: (I had to hustle!)

Something had been on my mind for quite awhile and recently I had the opportunity to act on my thoughts via "social media". A few words, a meeting place was decided upon, then a time. All was set to happen yesterday. My mission: drop off my son at school and see if I could shave off seven minutes from Google Maps claimed commute time of 1hr 37 minutes.

The day was almost perfect. Copious amounts of sunshine and warmer temperatures. There was an increasing Southwest wind, but otherwise there was no reason for me to think I couldn't pull it off and make the meeting place by 10:00am. Things were progressing along well, but as I got closer, I could tell it was going to be tight on time.

I pulled into the parking lot and looked at the clock in the truck. Right on time, but getting inside I would be maybe a minute late. Oh well.....fashionably late? No matter, Chris Skogen was there and after I got my cuppa java, we engaged in a conversation that was surprising, relaxing, and encouraging. Then we went for a bit of a ride.

There was a long climb the likes of which we don't have in our area. I think I blew out some cobwebs on that one! It wasn't a very long ride, as we both had to get back to our respective homes, so no epic stories of adventure, but it was a great way to get to know each other a little better. Bicycle rides can be like that.

A Meeting And A Ride

Meet here at 10:00am: (I had to hustle!)

Something had been on my mind for quite awhile and recently I had the opportunity to act on my thoughts via "social media". A few words, a meeting place was decided upon, then a time. All was set to happen yesterday. My mission: drop off my son at school and see if I could shave off seven minutes from Google Maps claimed commute time of 1hr 37 minutes.

The day was almost perfect. Copious amounts of sunshine and warmer temperatures. There was an increasing Southwest wind, but otherwise there was no reason for me to think I couldn't pull it off and make the meeting place by 10:00am. Things were progressing along well, but as I got closer, I could tell it was going to be tight on time.

I pulled into the parking lot and looked at the clock in the truck. Right on time, but getting inside I would be maybe a minute late. Oh well.....fashionably late? No matter, Chris Skogen was there and after I got my cuppa java, we engaged in a conversation that was surprising, relaxing, and encouraging. Then we went for a bit of a ride.

There was a long climb the likes of which we don't have in our area. I think I blew out some cobwebs on that one! It wasn't a very long ride, as we both had to get back to our respective homes, so no epic stories of adventure, but it was a great way to get to know each other a little better. Bicycle rides can be like that.

Digital Blackout

<====An April Morning In Jasper County, Iowa. 

Well, all Thursday night and Friday until around noon, this blog was "in the dark" due to an issue Blogger, (the service provider), was having. So, there for awhile, it looked as though the last post I had done was Wednesday's.

Actually, I had done Thursday's post, and it has been restored since, but there for awhile you folks that got to read Thursday's post had a mystery on your hands there! I thought I'd temporarily lost it when I looked this morning, that's for sure. (Although some folks would argue that I've never had "it" to begin with!)

My Italian Feet: A long time ago, back when I first decided to get into clipless pedals for mountain biking, I decided on going with Grafton clipless pedals. (I see many of you shrugging your shoulders in a questioningly manner!) Yes- Grafton. It's a long story. Anyway, if you were going to go with Grafton peds, you pretty much had to go with Sidi shoes. So, I ordered some Dominators, and those lasted through the initial switch to Onza pedals, (Yes- "Onza pedals"), and finally to Shimano pedals, where I should have started with in the beginning. Oh well, live and learn!

But at any rate......Sidi shoes! The thing was that I have very skinny feet. Most shoes made my feet hurt, or they swam around inside making pedaling vague and weird feeling. The Sidi shoes, built in the traditional European way, were narrower, like my feet. Okay, so years go by, I start a family, and I decided I needed to not spend hundreds of dollars on single purpose shoes. I tried Lake shoes, (fit great, didn't last very long), then I went with Bontrager shoes, (fit not so great, but lasted longer than Lakes).

Then I got an e-mail from a guy with Vittoria shoes. Next thing ya know, I am being told that these Italian shoes are on par with Sidi's offerings and totally made in Italy using techniques that were pioneered by Vittoria and often copied by other manufacturers. Okay, sounded great. I asked to try the Impact mountain bike models, shown here. I can say one thing right away. I definitely have Italian shaped feet. These shoes fit very, very well.

Will they hold up to my Sidi experience? We'll see. Stay tuned and I'll report back with more later with my review on these at The Cyclistsite.

And that's it for your "Digital Blackout" edition of Guitar Ted Productions. Just a final shout out to the riders of the Almanzo 100 and the Royal 165. Have a safe, fun ride, ya'all!

Digital Blackout

<====An April Morning In Jasper County, Iowa. 

Well, all Thursday night and Friday until around noon, this blog was "in the dark" due to an issue Blogger, (the service provider), was having. So, there for awhile, it looked as though the last post I had done was Wednesday's.

Actually, I had done Thursday's post, and it has been restored since, but there for awhile you folks that got to read Thursday's post had a mystery on your hands there! I thought I'd temporarily lost it when I looked this morning, that's for sure. (Although some folks would argue that I've never had "it" to begin with!)

My Italian Feet: A long time ago, back when I first decided to get into clipless pedals for mountain biking, I decided on going with Grafton clipless pedals. (I see many of you shrugging your shoulders in a questioningly manner!) Yes- Grafton. It's a long story. Anyway, if you were going to go with Grafton peds, you pretty much had to go with Sidi shoes. So, I ordered some Dominators, and those lasted through the initial switch to Onza pedals, (Yes- "Onza pedals"), and finally to Shimano pedals, where I should have started with in the beginning. Oh well, live and learn!

But at any rate......Sidi shoes! The thing was that I have very skinny feet. Most shoes made my feet hurt, or they swam around inside making pedaling vague and weird feeling. The Sidi shoes, built in the traditional European way, were narrower, like my feet. Okay, so years go by, I start a family, and I decided I needed to not spend hundreds of dollars on single purpose shoes. I tried Lake shoes, (fit great, didn't last very long), then I went with Bontrager shoes, (fit not so great, but lasted longer than Lakes).

Then I got an e-mail from a guy with Vittoria shoes. Next thing ya know, I am being told that these Italian shoes are on par with Sidi's offerings and totally made in Italy using techniques that were pioneered by Vittoria and often copied by other manufacturers. Okay, sounded great. I asked to try the Impact mountain bike models, shown here. I can say one thing right away. I definitely have Italian shaped feet. These shoes fit very, very well.

Will they hold up to my Sidi experience? We'll see. Stay tuned and I'll report back with more later with my review on these at The Cyclistsite.

And that's it for your "Digital Blackout" edition of Guitar Ted Productions. Just a final shout out to the riders of the Almanzo 100 and the Royal 165. Have a safe, fun ride, ya'all!

Big Day On Gravel

Just wanted to give a shout out to all the guys and gals doing the Almanzo 100. The event will be starting out at 9am this morning and will be covering some awesome Southeast Minnesota gravel around the Preston-Spring Valley area. Good stuff and the stories coming out of this unprecedented field of riders should be amazing.

Gravel grinders are really beginning to become something special in the Mid-West and beyond. I know that back in 2004 when Jeff Kerkove and I cooked up Trans Iowa that the concept of racing a huge amount of miles on a point to point or loop course was an alien one to probaly 99.9% of cyclists. You can just check out Gravel Grinder News, go to the right margin, and see the number of events I have gathered there to find out just how far and wide the concept has spread.

Not only that, but now I hear that a former Trans Iowa vet has taken up doing guided tours of Colorado backroads due to an inspiration he got from Trans Iowa.

I never woulda guessed it would have gone this far, and I bet it goes even farther!

Big Day On Gravel

Just wanted to give a shout out to all the guys and gals doing the Almanzo 100. The event will be starting out at 9am this morning and will be covering some awesome Southeast Minnesota gravel around the Preston-Spring Valley area. Good stuff and the stories coming out of this unprecedented field of riders should be amazing.

Gravel grinders are really beginning to become something special in the Mid-West and beyond. I know that back in 2004 when Jeff Kerkove and I cooked up Trans Iowa that the concept of racing a huge amount of miles on a point to point or loop course was an alien one to probaly 99.9% of cyclists. You can just check out Gravel Grinder News, go to the right margin, and see the number of events I have gathered there to find out just how far and wide the concept has spread.

Not only that, but now I hear that a former Trans Iowa vet has taken up doing guided tours of Colorado backroads due to an inspiration he got from Trans Iowa.

I never woulda guessed it would have gone this far, and I bet it goes even farther!