Back On It

I visited Petrie Road again.

This post-Trans Iowa period took a bite out of my riding. I wasn't in any shape to go out into the country again until last week. My first post-Trans Iowa ride was down to visit Petrie Road, the only through-Level B Road in Black Hawk County which isn't linked to pavement or dead ended into a limited access highway.

I'd heard a rumor this section of Petrie had been declassified to Level C Maintenance, which means it gets gates and access is only allowed by the local farmers. I can see this happening someday as the farmers that live around this road are stumping for that change. Especially one farmer that we ran afoul of during T.I.v12. (It all turned out okay in the end.) They are tired of getting visitors in the dead of night that have gotten stuck trying to traverse this nasty strip of Iowa dirt, clay, and sand. I get it. But I hope it doesn't ever happen, for selfish reasons, and I admit that.

The ride almost was a bust right out of the gate, as I completely forgot to bring any water. I didn't realize this until I was well into the ride I had planned, so I couldn't turn back home and grab a water bottle and still have time to do what I wanted to do. However; I figured out how to make my route swing through the city of Hudson and the Casey's that is there. That made the ride doable without putting myself into water deficit. Onward to Petrie Road! The bonus was that I now had the wind in my favor as I made my way there.

Not a lot of greenery out here yet.

I found that the rumors of Petrie's demotion to Level C were wrong. That was a good thing to see. The road had water pools, mud, sand, and ruts a plenty. The agricultural activity has been high on Petrie's Level B section and those machines have the sandy bits churned up pretty well. You had to pay close attention to the ruts as the wrong choice might lead you to a dead end into grassy strips along the road's margin's or lead you to a wicked transition between ruts. The Vittoria Terreno Dry tires are really champs out here in stuff like this. I was glad to have had them on.

It was great to get out again. I missed it terribly. That said, it's been slim pickens for riding time due to various obligations, family time, and weather. Plus I have basically had to start from zero with training. That's another thing Trans Iowa always did. Knocked me backward a couple months in training. But now I am looking forward to more regular riding times.

Back On It

I visited Petrie Road again.

This post-Trans Iowa period took a bite out of my riding. I wasn't in any shape to go out into the country again until last week. My first post-Trans Iowa ride was down to visit Petrie Road, the only through-Level B Road in Black Hawk County which isn't linked to pavement or dead ended into a limited access highway.

I'd heard a rumor this section of Petrie had been declassified to Level C Maintenance, which means it gets gates and access is only allowed by the local farmers. I can see this happening someday as the farmers that live around this road are stumping for that change. Especially one farmer that we ran afoul of during T.I.v12. (It all turned out okay in the end.) They are tired of getting visitors in the dead of night that have gotten stuck trying to traverse this nasty strip of Iowa dirt, clay, and sand. I get it. But I hope it doesn't ever happen, for selfish reasons, and I admit that.

The ride almost was a bust right out of the gate, as I completely forgot to bring any water. I didn't realize this until I was well into the ride I had planned, so I couldn't turn back home and grab a water bottle and still have time to do what I wanted to do. However; I figured out how to make my route swing through the city of Hudson and the Casey's that is there. That made the ride doable without putting myself into water deficit. Onward to Petrie Road! The bonus was that I now had the wind in my favor as I made my way there.

Not a lot of greenery out here yet.

I found that the rumors of Petrie's demotion to Level C were wrong. That was a good thing to see. The road had water pools, mud, sand, and ruts a plenty. The agricultural activity has been high on Petrie's Level B section and those machines have the sandy bits churned up pretty well. You had to pay close attention to the ruts as the wrong choice might lead you to a dead end into grassy strips along the road's margin's or lead you to a wicked transition between ruts. The Vittoria Terreno Dry tires are really champs out here in stuff like this. I was glad to have had them on.

It was great to get out again. I missed it terribly. That said, it's been slim pickens for riding time due to various obligations, family time, and weather. Plus I have basically had to start from zero with training. That's another thing Trans Iowa always did. Knocked me backward a couple months in training. But now I am looking forward to more regular riding times.

Trans Iowa v14: Recon Report

Well, we did it. We drove the entire course, plus a bit of a reroute. We finished after dark, We started in Waterloo at 6:00am and I got dropped off by Tony at 6:32pm. We drove a total of just under 500 miles to, doing the route, and back home again. I actually woke up for this adventure at 4:30am, so as I write this, I am a bit discombobulated.

Okay, so with a totally new route, new first checkpoint location, 14 or 15 sections of Level B roads, and some rad historical and cultural things to see along the way, I was excited to check out the route. Tony and I were all business. We just didn't have time to dink around anywhere. We did our stops like we were in the event. Get 'er duuun! In and out in a flash.

The route was going swimmingly with Level B's checking out and all the mileage being spot on until we saw it. "Road Closed To Through Traffic". Uggh! Okay, let's go see what is up here! Well, as it turns out, the road was great right up to the closed bridge, which has a perfectly good deck but is woefully under-engineered for today's Ag equipment. So, we're going to allow the riders passage as long as everything checks out next Spring.

We got started before the Sun rose, so this is from the course.

We saw lots of "fixer-uppers" yesterday!

The weather was gorgeous and we were able to drive every Level B Road with ease. Some Tony was calling "50 mile an hour Level B's" and he really did go that fast on them!

The Level B's were dry and super fast yesterday. Will they be that way in April? Maybe. It has happened!

This is why we do recon. On every map you can find this road is shown as being open.

Once again, we were rewarded for doing recon in the field by finding an "open road" which clearly was not and had not been that way for quite a while.

GPS from three different sources, (including the guy who puts out that gravel route map), and paper maps including the State DOT maps all show this road being clear. Yep.......you can only trust your eyes. Putting your trust in analogue or digital technology is a fools errand. Trust in that stuff at your own risk. I do not trust that stuff. For me, it is merely suggestions and maybe they will be true. I would have been floored had we not found something like this. In fact, I expected more. Glad we found an easy reroute for this and that there were not more issues.

So, my take on the route is that it is mostly good. There are about twenty or so miles I was disappointed in. I likely will reroute that section as well, but it is in an area I think will not prove to have any weird issues. But.......you never know! Of course, it is at a point about as far away from me as you can get. Why wouldn't it be? Ha!

So, I'll have more details in a follow-up post at a later date. We identified a checkpoint #2, but the mileage may change if I reroute the aforementioned section I don't like. I will have a solid amount of miles of dirt to share with you later as well, since that all checked out. Oh! By the way, I think that there was one "bonus" section of Level B. So maybe 15 sections of dirt? I'll have the final tally for you all later.

That's it for now though. I am tired!

Trans Iowa v14: Recon Report

Well, we did it. We drove the entire course, plus a bit of a reroute. We finished after dark, We started in Waterloo at 6:00am and I got dropped off by Tony at 6:32pm. We drove a total of just under 500 miles to, doing the route, and back home again. I actually woke up for this adventure at 4:30am, so as I write this, I am a bit discombobulated.

Okay, so with a totally new route, new first checkpoint location, 14 or 15 sections of Level B roads, and some rad historical and cultural things to see along the way, I was excited to check out the route. Tony and I were all business. We just didn't have time to dink around anywhere. We did our stops like we were in the event. Get 'er duuun! In and out in a flash.

The route was going swimmingly with Level B's checking out and all the mileage being spot on until we saw it. "Road Closed To Through Traffic". Uggh! Okay, let's go see what is up here! Well, as it turns out, the road was great right up to the closed bridge, which has a perfectly good deck but is woefully under-engineered for today's Ag equipment. So, we're going to allow the riders passage as long as everything checks out next Spring.

We got started before the Sun rose, so this is from the course.

We saw lots of "fixer-uppers" yesterday!

The weather was gorgeous and we were able to drive every Level B Road with ease. Some Tony was calling "50 mile an hour Level B's" and he really did go that fast on them!

The Level B's were dry and super fast yesterday. Will they be that way in April? Maybe. It has happened!

This is why we do recon. On every map you can find this road is shown as being open.

Once again, we were rewarded for doing recon in the field by finding an "open road" which clearly was not and had not been that way for quite a while.

GPS from three different sources, (including the guy who puts out that gravel route map), and paper maps including the State DOT maps all show this road being clear. Yep.......you can only trust your eyes. Putting your trust in analogue or digital technology is a fools errand. Trust in that stuff at your own risk. I do not trust that stuff. For me, it is merely suggestions and maybe they will be true. I would have been floored had we not found something like this. In fact, I expected more. Glad we found an easy reroute for this and that there were not more issues.

So, my take on the route is that it is mostly good. There are about twenty or so miles I was disappointed in. I likely will reroute that section as well, but it is in an area I think will not prove to have any weird issues. But.......you never know! Of course, it is at a point about as far away from me as you can get. Why wouldn't it be? Ha!

So, I'll have more details in a follow-up post at a later date. We identified a checkpoint #2, but the mileage may change if I reroute the aforementioned section I don't like. I will have a solid amount of miles of dirt to share with you later as well, since that all checked out. Oh! By the way, I think that there was one "bonus" section of Level B. So maybe 15 sections of dirt? I'll have the final tally for you all later.

That's it for now though. I am tired!

GTDRI '17: Update- Some Recon

 I'd never seen a heli crop dusting till Saturday, and then I saw two on the same day!

Saturday I got out for a partial recon of the GTDRI route. My route has a road in it which I had never been on and which looked rather suspicious. It had a lot of Level B Maintenance sections, creeks running across it, and it was in the most remote part of Tama County there is. After having been bombing around the countryside since 2004 doing recon for gravel events, I have picked up a few tips on what to look for on a map when it comes to problems, and O Avenue had all the hallmarks of a road that had closures. Never mind that the DOT map showed that it all was there. That doesn't guarantee anything.

So, my goal was to ride to the start of where the route picks up O Avenue and run it through to see if we can use it, or if I would have to do a reroute. Of course, O Avenue is a long way from the house, so this wasn't a small undertaking. I chose the Fargo Gen I as my ride since it carries so much water and has meatier tires which deal with loose gravel better. With a beautiful day on tap, I had nothing holding me back from doing the trip.

I had loaded up the Fargo the evening before and I was out of the house by 8:30-ish, which wasn't too bad. I figured this trip at about 70-75 miles, depending upon what I found.

Fortunately, there were no workers at this site to say "no". I rode across.

I had a few maps, mostly to help me navigate around Wolf Creek and Twelve Mile Creek since the roads don't go across these rivers in many spots. I ended up choosing 130th Street in Tama County to cross Westward over to P Avenue which would eventually get me to O Avenue. There wasn't too much loose, deep gravel going this way, and the Southerly wind wasn't blasting me in the face. The going wasn't bad then. However; I passed a blown over road sign which looked all the world like a road closed sign. Dang it! Would 130th be closed? I had a sneaking suspicion I may be backtracking a few miles.

As it turned out, there was a new bridge being built, and fortunately, the new decking was already poured. I walked around the barriers and rode across, being very careful not to run over something sharp. The deck of the bridge was a complete mess of construction debris. No workers were there to say "no", so I scooted by and didn't look back. That was one check avoided!

P Avenue, looking South, just North of Traer, Iowa.

The low water crossing of Wolf Creek just West of Traer, Iowa on O Avenue.

Eventually I reached O Avenue, but North of where we will be getting on it. I wanted to check out the low water crossing of the Wolf Creek which is one of my favorite stretches of Level B Maintenance Road anywhere. I just think it is pretty odd that such a wide, vigorous creek is crossed in such a manner. Usually this sort of thing is reserved for much smaller, narrower creeks.

Then it was on to HWY 63, a bit of a jig-a-jog to the West to get to O Avenue's run South of HWY 63, and then on to five miles of Level B Maintenance road. Interestingly, all the Google generated maps have this first mile South of 63 listed as "Level E Road", which is very odd. Anyway,it is, in fact, signed "O Avenue", and it is black earth for about two straight miles.

Our GTDRI route joins this from the East a mile in on 190th Street. Then the GTDRI route will turn left and go straight South for several miles. Or that is what I was expecting. Following are several shots of the dirt roads on this stretch of the route.

This is after the black earth section and is mostly clay here. 

Then in the next mile O Avenue deteriorates into this grassy two-track. Note the dogleg in the road.

This interesting intersection leads out of the two-track.

The 4th, and last mile on O Avenue we will see of Level B, runs back into a grassy two-track before it turns back to gravel.

Unfortunately, I found out with a mile and a half to go on O Avenue that there road ends in a dead end. Actually, I wasn't surprised by this from the looks of the maps I'd seen. So, once again, it is always best to verify maps. They often are not correct, especially in rural areas. Now I'll have to do some rerouting....

But first, I needed to get back home, so of course, I rode all those rad dirt roads backward to Traer! Then I got off at the convenience store to resupply. I had a grilled chicken sandwich too. Then I took off again. By this time, it was getting really hot, and I was traveling with the wind, so there was essentially no cooling going on from the air. I felt like I was baking in an oven.

I helped escort this turtle off the road near TF Clark Park North of Traer.

I ended up stopping to cool off four different times. Fortunately, I had lots of water and a few times I used it to pour over my head and back of my neck to cool myself down. It didn't help that the night before was a bad night of sleep for me either. A couple of the times I pulled over it was to try to catch a power nap so I could continue!

I had a chance meeting on the way home with a gentleman who was mowing his ditch. He sort of looked at me with a quizzical look that indicated that he'd like to have a word with me, so I pulled over, he shut down the mower, and we chatted. At one point, he asked me if I knew anything about this, "....whatchamacallit.......gravel road.......a race......something about a hundred miles or......do you know anything about that?"

I said, "Was it "300 Miles of Gravel"? Was it on PBS?"

He indicated that, yeah, he thought that was probably it. Then I told him, "Yeah, well I'm the guy that puts that race on."

You'd have thunk he met a celebrity.

Well, after that I rolled down the road about a quarter mile and collapsed under a tree for half an hour resting. Not very glamorous! Ha! But.....effective. I was able to limp it on home and I ended up with 69 miles on the day. I can say that I am definitely NOT ready for the GTDRI. Looks like I've got my work cut out for me. And I have to reroute the course.

Stay tuned.......

GTDRI '17: Update- Some Recon

 I'd never seen a heli crop dusting till Saturday, and then I saw two on the same day!

Saturday I got out for a partial recon of the GTDRI route. My route has a road in it which I had never been on and which looked rather suspicious. It had a lot of Level B Maintenance sections, creeks running across it, and it was in the most remote part of Tama County there is. After having been bombing around the countryside since 2004 doing recon for gravel events, I have picked up a few tips on what to look for on a map when it comes to problems, and O Avenue had all the hallmarks of a road that had closures. Never mind that the DOT map showed that it all was there. That doesn't guarantee anything.

So, my goal was to ride to the start of where the route picks up O Avenue and run it through to see if we can use it, or if I would have to do a reroute. Of course, O Avenue is a long way from the house, so this wasn't a small undertaking. I chose the Fargo Gen I as my ride since it carries so much water and has meatier tires which deal with loose gravel better. With a beautiful day on tap, I had nothing holding me back from doing the trip.

I had loaded up the Fargo the evening before and I was out of the house by 8:30-ish, which wasn't too bad. I figured this trip at about 70-75 miles, depending upon what I found.

Fortunately, there were no workers at this site to say "no". I rode across.

I had a few maps, mostly to help me navigate around Wolf Creek and Twelve Mile Creek since the roads don't go across these rivers in many spots. I ended up choosing 130th Street in Tama County to cross Westward over to P Avenue which would eventually get me to O Avenue. There wasn't too much loose, deep gravel going this way, and the Southerly wind wasn't blasting me in the face. The going wasn't bad then. However; I passed a blown over road sign which looked all the world like a road closed sign. Dang it! Would 130th be closed? I had a sneaking suspicion I may be backtracking a few miles.

As it turned out, there was a new bridge being built, and fortunately, the new decking was already poured. I walked around the barriers and rode across, being very careful not to run over something sharp. The deck of the bridge was a complete mess of construction debris. No workers were there to say "no", so I scooted by and didn't look back. That was one check avoided!

P Avenue, looking South, just North of Traer, Iowa.

The low water crossing of Wolf Creek just West of Traer, Iowa on O Avenue.

Eventually I reached O Avenue, but North of where we will be getting on it. I wanted to check out the low water crossing of the Wolf Creek which is one of my favorite stretches of Level B Maintenance Road anywhere. I just think it is pretty odd that such a wide, vigorous creek is crossed in such a manner. Usually this sort of thing is reserved for much smaller, narrower creeks.

Then it was on to HWY 63, a bit of a jig-a-jog to the West to get to O Avenue's run South of HWY 63, and then on to five miles of Level B Maintenance road. Interestingly, all the Google generated maps have this first mile South of 63 listed as "Level E Road", which is very odd. Anyway,it is, in fact, signed "O Avenue", and it is black earth for about two straight miles.

Our GTDRI route joins this from the East a mile in on 190th Street. Then the GTDRI route will turn left and go straight South for several miles. Or that is what I was expecting. Following are several shots of the dirt roads on this stretch of the route.

This is after the black earth section and is mostly clay here. 

Then in the next mile O Avenue deteriorates into this grassy two-track. Note the dogleg in the road.

This interesting intersection leads out of the two-track.

The 4th, and last mile on O Avenue we will see of Level B, runs back into a grassy two-track before it turns back to gravel.

Unfortunately, I found out with a mile and a half to go on O Avenue that there road ends in a dead end. Actually, I wasn't surprised by this from the looks of the maps I'd seen. So, once again, it is always best to verify maps. They often are not correct, especially in rural areas. Now I'll have to do some rerouting....

But first, I needed to get back home, so of course, I rode all those rad dirt roads backward to Traer! Then I got off at the convenience store to resupply. I had a grilled chicken sandwich too. Then I took off again. By this time, it was getting really hot, and I was traveling with the wind, so there was essentially no cooling going on from the air. I felt like I was baking in an oven.

I helped escort this turtle off the road near TF Clark Park North of Traer.

I ended up stopping to cool off four different times. Fortunately, I had lots of water and a few times I used it to pour over my head and back of my neck to cool myself down. It didn't help that the night before was a bad night of sleep for me either. A couple of the times I pulled over it was to try to catch a power nap so I could continue!

I had a chance meeting on the way home with a gentleman who was mowing his ditch. He sort of looked at me with a quizzical look that indicated that he'd like to have a word with me, so I pulled over, he shut down the mower, and we chatted. At one point, he asked me if I knew anything about this, "....whatchamacallit.......gravel road.......a race......something about a hundred miles or......do you know anything about that?"

I said, "Was it "300 Miles of Gravel"? Was it on PBS?"

He indicated that, yeah, he thought that was probably it. Then I told him, "Yeah, well I'm the guy that puts that race on."

You'd have thunk he met a celebrity.

Well, after that I rolled down the road about a quarter mile and collapsed under a tree for half an hour resting. Not very glamorous! Ha! But.....effective. I was able to limp it on home and I ended up with 69 miles on the day. I can say that I am definitely NOT ready for the GTDRI. Looks like I've got my work cut out for me. And I have to reroute the course.

Stay tuned.......

Friday News And Views

Me. Twin Six Standard Wool Jersey. Image by Izzy

Wool For Summer: My good friend Dr. Giggles turned me on to how to stay cool in Summer. He said, "Get-cher self a wool jersey, son!" I figured he was mad, or had rolled down too many upstate New York and Vermont hills, or something. But he laid out a very convincing case, and being a member of the Slender Fungus Cycling Association, well.....I took note. 

I got a close out special on a Giro wool jersey, which I employed much of last Summer to great success. Ol' Dr. Giggles wasn't foolin' around. He knew what he was on to. So, I was on the lookout for more "Summer weight" wool jerseys, and I'll tell ya, there are not many. I just wasn't connecting with many of the ones Dr. Giggles was suggesting, and some of the others some were pushing my way didn't really hit me right either. I don't know...... I am a picky son of a gun when it comes to what I wear. Just ask Mrs. Guitar Ted!

So, anyway, I was checking out the Twin Six website one day and hey! I saw this thing called The Standard Wool. I didn't waste any time and ordered one up. Those T-6 guys just make really classy, well fitting stuff, and this was no different. However; they also don't do "mee too" design, so there are a couple of things here that are different. The colored part, (blue in my example here), is actually regular ol' jersey fabric. Which is a different touch, but they took that same idea and used it to not only give color to the three back pockets, but to give those pockets structure. Ever had something heavy-ish in a regular wool jersey pocket before? Well, if you have, you know that whatever it is ends up down around yer butt after a while bouncing around back there. Wool stretches, but the Standard Wool Jersey's pockets do not.

Brilliant!

But there's more! In the image above, you cannot tell, but I am soaking wet from a rain shower I got caught in. Hey, wool keeps you warm when that happens. Pretty awesome. Expensive? Yes. $145.00 expensive, which may scare a lot of folks off, but for how this fabric works in hot weather, it is money well spent for me. Your mileage may vary.

The new Olympus Tough TG-5

Tough Camera:

Most of the ride images and stuff I post on here and RidingGravel.com is all imagery taken with my trusty Olympus Tough TG-3. Well, it hasn't let me down yet, but I may replace it, or more likely, add something else to the camera pool. I saw that Olympus just released a Tough TG-5.

Now, I am not one to just get something because it is the next gen thing. You might have noticed I didn't mention the Tough TG-4. It was a minor change from what I had, and I did not see the value in "upgrading", if that even was an upgrade. However; there are some cool features that this TG-5 has that have given me something to chew on.

Basically, the TG-5 is somewhat similar to what I have. However; it does support RAW files, (which I haven't ever used, but probably should), and from my standpoint, better control layout and ergonomics. The TG-3 is a slippery little devil, and there isn't a lot of purchase on the camera body, which gets a little dicey while riding. (Yes.....I shoot a ton of my images while moving. So, sue me. ) The TG-5 has improved grip areas and the control dials are redesigned as well. This may be something that allows me to zoom in with one hand. That would be nice. They also redesigned the mode dial surround so that it doesn't get knocked out of the setting you select easily, which the TG-3 is really prone to do.

The accessory items available for this camera also look a bit more interesting and refined than they have offered in the past. That is a bit enticing, especially the zoom lens, so I may have to seriously consider that as well. But the main things they kept the same were good things. The "tough" features are all the same. Dust proof, freeze proof, shock resistant, and waterproof. All things I insist on for my carry-along camera on my rides. I don't want to baby sit an expensive camera while I am out riding.

It's $450.00 though, so I won't be just grabbing one right off. I need to assess my needs here, and I do have a functioning TG-3, so it isn't like I have to get a camera. But for some of the features this new one has, and the nicer video spec, I can see where it might prove to be a good upgrade, if I use it for video and RAW files, etc.

 GTDRI UPDATE:

Thanks for the feedback, and due to receiving that, I have come to some decisions on the ride.

First- We will start and end at Broad Street Brewing Company in Reinbeck, Iowa. The ride will start at 6:00am.

Second: We will be flying by the seat of our pants if it rains or is wetter than a Level B might allow us to do. We may truncate the route, or .......who knows? If it gets weird, be prepared to roll with it!

Third: This means that the route will have three possibilities for resupply, bailout, or not. First, at mile 28-ish, we will pass just West of Dysart, Iowa. I figure this will be an optional stop. Then we will be going through Traer Iowa at about mile 50. This will definitely be a stop. Then at about Mile 76 we will pass through Garwin, Iowa, and we will definitely be stopping there, I figure.

The route will be 103.5 miles. I plan on doing a recon, at least partial if not all, this holiday weekend. Stay tuned for a recon report next week sometime.

That's a wrap for this edition of Friday News And Views. Have a great weekend!

Friday News And Views

Me. Twin Six Standard Wool Jersey. Image by Izzy

Wool For Summer: My good friend Dr. Giggles turned me on to how to stay cool in Summer. He said, "Get-cher self a wool jersey, son!" I figured he was mad, or had rolled down too many upstate New York and Vermont hills, or something. But he laid out a very convincing case, and being a member of the Slender Fungus Cycling Association, well.....I took note. 

I got a close out special on a Giro wool jersey, which I employed much of last Summer to great success. Ol' Dr. Giggles wasn't foolin' around. He knew what he was on to. So, I was on the lookout for more "Summer weight" wool jerseys, and I'll tell ya, there are not many. I just wasn't connecting with many of the ones Dr. Giggles was suggesting, and some of the others some were pushing my way didn't really hit me right either. I don't know...... I am a picky son of a gun when it comes to what I wear. Just ask Mrs. Guitar Ted!

So, anyway, I was checking out the Twin Six website one day and hey! I saw this thing called The Standard Wool. I didn't waste any time and ordered one up. Those T-6 guys just make really classy, well fitting stuff, and this was no different. However; they also don't do "mee too" design, so there are a couple of things here that are different. The colored part, (blue in my example here), is actually regular ol' jersey fabric. Which is a different touch, but they took that same idea and used it to not only give color to the three back pockets, but to give those pockets structure. Ever had something heavy-ish in a regular wool jersey pocket before? Well, if you have, you know that whatever it is ends up down around yer butt after a while bouncing around back there. Wool stretches, but the Standard Wool Jersey's pockets do not.

Brilliant!

But there's more! In the image above, you cannot tell, but I am soaking wet from a rain shower I got caught in. Hey, wool keeps you warm when that happens. Pretty awesome. Expensive? Yes. $145.00 expensive, which may scare a lot of folks off, but for how this fabric works in hot weather, it is money well spent for me. Your mileage may vary.

The new Olympus Tough TG-5

Tough Camera:

Most of the ride images and stuff I post on here and RidingGravel.com is all imagery taken with my trusty Olympus Tough TG-3. Well, it hasn't let me down yet, but I may replace it, or more likely, add something else to the camera pool. I saw that Olympus just released a Tough TG-5.

Now, I am not one to just get something because it is the next gen thing. You might have noticed I didn't mention the Tough TG-4. It was a minor change from what I had, and I did not see the value in "upgrading", if that even was an upgrade. However; there are some cool features that this TG-5 has that have given me something to chew on.

Basically, the TG-5 is somewhat similar to what I have. However; it does support RAW files, (which I haven't ever used, but probably should), and from my standpoint, better control layout and ergonomics. The TG-3 is a slippery little devil, and there isn't a lot of purchase on the camera body, which gets a little dicey while riding. (Yes.....I shoot a ton of my images while moving. So, sue me. ) The TG-5 has improved grip areas and the control dials are redesigned as well. This may be something that allows me to zoom in with one hand. That would be nice. They also redesigned the mode dial surround so that it doesn't get knocked out of the setting you select easily, which the TG-3 is really prone to do.

The accessory items available for this camera also look a bit more interesting and refined than they have offered in the past. That is a bit enticing, especially the zoom lens, so I may have to seriously consider that as well. But the main things they kept the same were good things. The "tough" features are all the same. Dust proof, freeze proof, shock resistant, and waterproof. All things I insist on for my carry-along camera on my rides. I don't want to baby sit an expensive camera while I am out riding.

It's $450.00 though, so I won't be just grabbing one right off. I need to assess my needs here, and I do have a functioning TG-3, so it isn't like I have to get a camera. But for some of the features this new one has, and the nicer video spec, I can see where it might prove to be a good upgrade, if I use it for video and RAW files, etc.

 GTDRI UPDATE:

Thanks for the feedback, and due to receiving that, I have come to some decisions on the ride.

First- We will start and end at Broad Street Brewing Company in Reinbeck, Iowa. The ride will start at 6:00am.

Second: We will be flying by the seat of our pants if it rains or is wetter than a Level B might allow us to do. We may truncate the route, or .......who knows? If it gets weird, be prepared to roll with it!

Third: This means that the route will have three possibilities for resupply, bailout, or not. First, at mile 28-ish, we will pass just West of Dysart, Iowa. I figure this will be an optional stop. Then we will be going through Traer Iowa at about mile 50. This will definitely be a stop. Then at about Mile 76 we will pass through Garwin, Iowa, and we will definitely be stopping there, I figure.

The route will be 103.5 miles. I plan on doing a recon, at least partial if not all, this holiday weekend. Stay tuned for a recon report next week sometime.

That's a wrap for this edition of Friday News And Views. Have a great weekend!

Friday News And Views

Less expensive, 1 X 12, will be seen everywhere

New Bike Season: It is that time of year when new stuff for the new bike year, (2018 in this case), starts to trickle out. We've seen a few things already, like the new Ultegra and Niner's new SIR 9 model. Another recent intro that I haven't mentioned is SRAM's new, more wallet friendly version of 1 X 12 Eagle in the GX level. Said to be a direct competitor to XT, GX Eagle will be seen on a ton of new 2018 bicycles.

SRAM made sure you'll know it is GX Eagle because the new GX crank arms are flat and wide. Perfect for a huge "GX" logo. One of the other GX Eagle components is a grip shifter. I know that seems odd ball to many of you, but to my mind, a grip shift 1X 12 is a perfect fat bike set up. Think gloved hands, cold air, and keeping your digits warm by ganging them together in an overmitt, or under a pogie. Triggers can be a bit much in those situations whereas a grip shifter is much easier to operate under those circumstances.

Of course, the big expense in the flagship Eagle component group is the (almost) one piece, carved out of a block of steel, cassette. GX gets a pinned together set of 12 cogs. I've used a similar 11 speed cassette on my fat bike and it worked fine. So, it isn't marvelously light, but it certainly isn't heavy by any stretch of the imagination.

An entire Eagle GX groupset can be had for under $500.00, so it isn't a bad upgrade for anyone running an 11 speed SRAM 1X group. Again, I'm not necessarily a fan on all fronts. I totally get 1X for fat bikes, due to the nature of how a front derailleur ends up becoming a focal point for muck collection. (I use a fat bike for wet, muddy, slushy excursions.) I don't necessarily agree with 1X from the standpoint of chain efficiency. I still think there are times when a 2X is a better choice. I like Shimano's thinking in this regard.

The Otso Cycles, Lithic brand, "Hiili" model carbon gravel bike fork.

More Clearance:

The move to make a gravel bike, (read "fat road bike") your "One Bike to Rule Them All" bike, lately has spawned all sorts of oddball stuff that no one was dreaming of 5 years ago. In fact, had anyone introduced a 400mm axle to crown fork that fit a 29" X 2.1" tire, they would have been considered nuts. At least there would have been a lot of "WTF" going on.

But then again, maybe there still is a lot of that thought going on! 

Anyway, there it is. Otso Cycles has this very fork. It can be stuffed with all sorts of fat tired, different diameter wheels, and it could be just the thing for cyclo crossers looking for the maximum mud clearing front wheel holding device. That said, I would think a strut would be better then. Probably would look too weird, eh? But then again, there is the Lauf fork......... Who knows?!! 

Okay, so I am older, I like classic parts, and so this fork doesn't bother me so much since that huge arch looks more like a sloping investment cast crown than a uni-crown fork. Uni-crown forks are obviously a very structurally sound way to make a fork out of metal, but carbon is supposed to be able to be formed into certain shapes and retain strength. Why not approximate a sloping crown steel fork in carbon? Now that would keep some folks hair raised, I am sure, but how cool would that be?

Anyway..... My main beef with carbon forks is that they typically are brutal to ride. I sure hope this fork is not one of those forks, if ya know what I mean. Hopefully more like the TRP CX fork I got to try, or the 3T fork I heard was nice. But that isn't all Otso had to tell of......

They now are a component brand to the consumer and industry. They will be selling this fork and a handle bar, and wheels, and fat bike rims under the "Lithic"brand label.

Fatty hasn't been the same since.......

 Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational News:

I have been pretty quiet about this so far this year, but now it is getting closer and I've got plans to share. The next GTDRI happens on July 29th. (YES, I know that is the last day of RAGBRAI. That's on purpose....) That Saturday we will be going on a "tour of dirt roads" Iowa style in Tama County.

The inspiration for this route is from my friends in the Pirate Cycling League who do their own "Tour Of Dirt Roads". I thought it might be fun to try that up here.

It's a huge risk, because if it rains it will be a re-route fest and it could become a wild, weird day of wandering instead of cruising cool dirt roads, but whatever happens happens. I'm going for it.

So, as of now I am planning on the following for the route:

• Distance- At least 100 miles, but not more than 120.
• Starting Point- Traer Iowa. We will loop back to here to end the ride as well.
• Pass Through Towns. (Subject to change) Toledo, Garwin, Reinbeck
• Ride happens rain or shine with or without anyone showing up.
• This is a free to attend ride. Anyone that thinks they can hack it can show up. 

More soon...... Stay tuned.

Have a great weekend! Ride your bicycles and stay safe!

Friday News And Views

Less expensive, 1 X 12, will be seen everywhere

New Bike Season: It is that time of year when new stuff for the new bike year, (2018 in this case), starts to trickle out. We've seen a few things already, like the new Ultegra and Niner's new SIR 9 model. Another recent intro that I haven't mentioned is SRAM's new, more wallet friendly version of 1 X 12 Eagle in the GX level. Said to be a direct competitor to XT, GX Eagle will be seen on a ton of new 2018 bicycles.

SRAM made sure you'll know it is GX Eagle because the new GX crank arms are flat and wide. Perfect for a huge "GX" logo. One of the other GX Eagle components is a grip shifter. I know that seems odd ball to many of you, but to my mind, a grip shift 1X 12 is a perfect fat bike set up. Think gloved hands, cold air, and keeping your digits warm by ganging them together in an overmitt, or under a pogie. Triggers can be a bit much in those situations whereas a grip shifter is much easier to operate under those circumstances.

Of course, the big expense in the flagship Eagle component group is the (almost) one piece, carved out of a block of steel, cassette. GX gets a pinned together set of 12 cogs. I've used a similar 11 speed cassette on my fat bike and it worked fine. So, it isn't marvelously light, but it certainly isn't heavy by any stretch of the imagination.

An entire Eagle GX groupset can be had for under $500.00, so it isn't a bad upgrade for anyone running an 11 speed SRAM 1X group. Again, I'm not necessarily a fan on all fronts. I totally get 1X for fat bikes, due to the nature of how a front derailleur ends up becoming a focal point for muck collection. (I use a fat bike for wet, muddy, slushy excursions.) I don't necessarily agree with 1X from the standpoint of chain efficiency. I still think there are times when a 2X is a better choice. I like Shimano's thinking in this regard.

The Otso Cycles, Lithic brand, "Hiili" model carbon gravel bike fork.

More Clearance:

The move to make a gravel bike, (read "fat road bike") your "One Bike to Rule Them All" bike, lately has spawned all sorts of oddball stuff that no one was dreaming of 5 years ago. In fact, had anyone introduced a 400mm axle to crown fork that fit a 29" X 2.1" tire, they would have been considered nuts. At least there would have been a lot of "WTF" going on.

But then again, maybe there still is a lot of that thought going on! 

Anyway, there it is. Otso Cycles has this very fork. It can be stuffed with all sorts of fat tired, different diameter wheels, and it could be just the thing for cyclo crossers looking for the maximum mud clearing front wheel holding device. That said, I would think a strut would be better then. Probably would look too weird, eh? But then again, there is the Lauf fork......... Who knows?!! 

Okay, so I am older, I like classic parts, and so this fork doesn't bother me so much since that huge arch looks more like a sloping investment cast crown than a uni-crown fork. Uni-crown forks are obviously a very structurally sound way to make a fork out of metal, but carbon is supposed to be able to be formed into certain shapes and retain strength. Why not approximate a sloping crown steel fork in carbon? Now that would keep some folks hair raised, I am sure, but how cool would that be?

Anyway..... My main beef with carbon forks is that they typically are brutal to ride. I sure hope this fork is not one of those forks, if ya know what I mean. Hopefully more like the TRP CX fork I got to try, or the 3T fork I heard was nice. But that isn't all Otso had to tell of......

They now are a component brand to the consumer and industry. They will be selling this fork and a handle bar, and wheels, and fat bike rims under the "Lithic"brand label.

Fatty hasn't been the same since.......

 Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational News:

I have been pretty quiet about this so far this year, but now it is getting closer and I've got plans to share. The next GTDRI happens on July 29th. (YES, I know that is the last day of RAGBRAI. That's on purpose....) That Saturday we will be going on a "tour of dirt roads" Iowa style in Tama County.

The inspiration for this route is from my friends in the Pirate Cycling League who do their own "Tour Of Dirt Roads". I thought it might be fun to try that up here.

It's a huge risk, because if it rains it will be a re-route fest and it could become a wild, weird day of wandering instead of cruising cool dirt roads, but whatever happens happens. I'm going for it.

So, as of now I am planning on the following for the route:

• Distance- At least 100 miles, but not more than 120.
• Starting Point- Traer Iowa. We will loop back to here to end the ride as well.
• Pass Through Towns. (Subject to change) Toledo, Garwin, Reinbeck
• Ride happens rain or shine with or without anyone showing up.
• This is a free to attend ride. Anyone that thinks they can hack it can show up. 

More soon...... Stay tuned.

Have a great weekend! Ride your bicycles and stay safe!

Soggy Solstice Ride

I could see the rain coming......

Wednesday. Time to ride. Well.........it would be, if it ever would quit raining on Wednesdays. Last Wednesday I got snookered out of a ride and this one looked to be headed in the same direction. We had a nice thunderstorm roll through in the morning, so I took the time to maintenance the Twin Six Standard Rando and change the elastomers in the Redshift ShockStop stem I am testing on it.

Around lunch time it cleared out and I decided to eat and then I would get out there. Well, about the time I am headed out the door, radar indicated rain all around Waterloo. I went out anyway. Heck, sometimes radar indicates rain and it amounts to nothing. Fake news and all. I wasn't going to miss out on riding.

Things looked wet all around, for sure, but where I was it seemed dry enough. No standing puddles, no spritzing of rain, no immediate threat to me. So, I went onward. Aker Road to Washburn, and around down on Holmes Road to Petrie Road to test the new Resolute's mud clearing capacity. I figured the rain would have made some nice mud for me to get in to.

That would be found out in due time. Right at that moment I had a nasty Southeastern headwind to push against. It was tough sledding heading South. The gravel was wet and actually muddy in some spots here. They must have gotten quite the gully washer that morning. No trouble with fresh gravel, at least there was that. I found plenty of good lines on my way.

Best to heed the sign, but I had testing to do!

Petrie didn't look too bad. I actually made it to the place where the black dirt turned to clay, then all bets were off. The wheels stopped turning and I was obliged to walk after that. You can see the top of the hill in the image here, and that is where I finally could drop the bike and roll it along where there was a line of clover blooming on the left side of the roadway.

Once I reached the grassy margin in the middle I could ride again.

The Resolutes clear mud like a champ, so once I got rolling again I didn't have to stop to scrape mud at all. In fact, after about a half mile of gravel you'd never know that I had been packed up with mud unless you looked at the frame. The tires looked fine.

Heading East was better than going South, but when I turned out on Ansborough, I got the full effects of the tailwind and I was off to the races. The gravel was newer over here, but as long as I was headed North it did not matter. I found it easy to keep hammering.

I went down Washburn Road and back to Aker, then started making my way back toward Waterloo. I was keeping an eye on the sky the entire ride, but it wasn't until I made it back on to the Sergeant Road bike path that I began to think I might end up getting caught in some rain.

It was going to be a close call, but in the end, I decided not to try to outrun this. I know when to make a run for it and this rain cloud wasn't warranting a heavy output. So, I motored onward.

Getting wet on the bike is maybe something a lot of people try to avoid. I guess I'd try to avoid getting into a heavy thunderstorm, but your garden variety shower? Meh..... Not that big of a deal, especially in the Summer. I wasn't too worried, and as it turned out it didn't really start raining on me in earnest until I was about 12 blocks from the house.

It is kind of a weird thing with me and rain. Once it starts raining, and I am riding, I get a boost of energy. Once on a Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitaional it rained on us and I took off up the steep hills of Jasper County like I had a turbo boost. A friend started calling me "Contador" because I was climbing so well. It was just that it was raining. I cannot explain why I am that way.

Well, the rain made me go like a son of a gun and I was home before ya knew it, dripping wet on the front porch. Some "solstice ride"! Usually it is a long day in the saddle where you expect to have to use copious amounts of sun tan lotion. Not dodging rain storms and lightning bolts!

Soggy Solstice Ride

I could see the rain coming......

Wednesday. Time to ride. Well.........it would be, if it ever would quit raining on Wednesdays. Last Wednesday I got snookered out of a ride and this one looked to be headed in the same direction. We had a nice thunderstorm roll through in the morning, so I took the time to maintenance the Twin Six Standard Rando and change the elastomers in the Redshift ShockStop stem I am testing on it.

Around lunch time it cleared out and I decided to eat and then I would get out there. Well, about the time I am headed out the door, radar indicated rain all around Waterloo. I went out anyway. Heck, sometimes radar indicates rain and it amounts to nothing. Fake news and all. I wasn't going to miss out on riding.

Things looked wet all around, for sure, but where I was it seemed dry enough. No standing puddles, no spritzing of rain, no immediate threat to me. So, I went onward. Aker Road to Washburn, and around down on Holmes Road to Petrie Road to test the new Resolute's mud clearing capacity. I figured the rain would have made some nice mud for me to get in to.

That would be found out in due time. Right at that moment I had a nasty Southeastern headwind to push against. It was tough sledding heading South. The gravel was wet and actually muddy in some spots here. They must have gotten quite the gully washer that morning. No trouble with fresh gravel, at least there was that. I found plenty of good lines on my way.

Best to heed the sign, but I had testing to do!

Petrie didn't look too bad. I actually made it to the place where the black dirt turned to clay, then all bets were off. The wheels stopped turning and I was obliged to walk after that. You can see the top of the hill in the image here, and that is where I finally could drop the bike and roll it along where there was a line of clover blooming on the left side of the roadway.

Once I reached the grassy margin in the middle I could ride again.

The Resolutes clear mud like a champ, so once I got rolling again I didn't have to stop to scrape mud at all. In fact, after about a half mile of gravel you'd never know that I had been packed up with mud unless you looked at the frame. The tires looked fine.

Heading East was better than going South, but when I turned out on Ansborough, I got the full effects of the tailwind and I was off to the races. The gravel was newer over here, but as long as I was headed North it did not matter. I found it easy to keep hammering.

I went down Washburn Road and back to Aker, then started making my way back toward Waterloo. I was keeping an eye on the sky the entire ride, but it wasn't until I made it back on to the Sergeant Road bike path that I began to think I might end up getting caught in some rain.

It was going to be a close call, but in the end, I decided not to try to outrun this. I know when to make a run for it and this rain cloud wasn't warranting a heavy output. So, I motored onward.

Getting wet on the bike is maybe something a lot of people try to avoid. I guess I'd try to avoid getting into a heavy thunderstorm, but your garden variety shower? Meh..... Not that big of a deal, especially in the Summer. I wasn't too worried, and as it turned out it didn't really start raining on me in earnest until I was about 12 blocks from the house.

It is kind of a weird thing with me and rain. Once it starts raining, and I am riding, I get a boost of energy. Once on a Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitaional it rained on us and I took off up the steep hills of Jasper County like I had a turbo boost. A friend started calling me "Contador" because I was climbing so well. It was just that it was raining. I cannot explain why I am that way.

Well, the rain made me go like a son of a gun and I was home before ya knew it, dripping wet on the front porch. Some "solstice ride"! Usually it is a long day in the saddle where you expect to have to use copious amounts of sun tan lotion. Not dodging rain storms and lightning bolts!