Slop Season Advantages

A "B Level" experience within two blocks of home.

"Slop Season" is the name I've given to that time between Winter and Spring when everything looses that pristine, snow white cover, becomes ugly brown, black, and grey, and everything is saturated in snow melt and grime. Sounds terrible, right? Who'd want to subject themselves to riding in that stuff, much less their equipment?

Well......I would, for one. 

Blame it on the "boy" in me, but mud, wet stuff, and the general dun colors of everything mean Winter is over and Spring is about to, well.......spring!  To me, it is a beautiful message wrapped up in an ugly package. It is fun getting out with less layers, seeing the Sun ride up higher into the sky, and watching Nature come alive again. Plus splashing through puddles and grinding through mud is different than plowing through eight inches of white stuff and breathing in sub-zero air.

Just last weekend it was almost 20 below zero, and yesterday we flirted with 50 degrees above zero. Polar opposites, and yes- pun intended! Winter was fun, (besides the being sick part), and now it is time to enjoy the benefits of "Slop Season" for a short time before actual Springtime conditions set in.

Advantages?, you say? Why yes.....yes indeedy.

Mud and soft conditions are a "resistance" workout. It usually gets windier out there this time of year as well, which adds to that effect. This can make you stronger. Also, the trying conditions test your mental capacities, and can add to your handling skill set. However, for me I just find joy in being in a different climatic condition and watching the season turn from the saddle of my bicycle. Hopefully I get the benefits of the Slop Season advantages along the way.

Slop Season Advantages

A "B Level" experience within two blocks of home.

"Slop Season" is the name I've given to that time between Winter and Spring when everything looses that pristine, snow white cover, becomes ugly brown, black, and grey, and everything is saturated in snow melt and grime. Sounds terrible, right? Who'd want to subject themselves to riding in that stuff, much less their equipment?

Well......I would, for one. 

Blame it on the "boy" in me, but mud, wet stuff, and the general dun colors of everything mean Winter is over and Spring is about to, well.......spring!  To me, it is a beautiful message wrapped up in an ugly package. It is fun getting out with less layers, seeing the Sun ride up higher into the sky, and watching Nature come alive again. Plus splashing through puddles and grinding through mud is different than plowing through eight inches of white stuff and breathing in sub-zero air.

Just last weekend it was almost 20 below zero, and yesterday we flirted with 50 degrees above zero. Polar opposites, and yes- pun intended! Winter was fun, (besides the being sick part), and now it is time to enjoy the benefits of "Slop Season" for a short time before actual Springtime conditions set in.

Advantages?, you say? Why yes.....yes indeedy.

Mud and soft conditions are a "resistance" workout. It usually gets windier out there this time of year as well, which adds to that effect. This can make you stronger. Also, the trying conditions test your mental capacities, and can add to your handling skill set. However, for me I just find joy in being in a different climatic condition and watching the season turn from the saddle of my bicycle. Hopefully I get the benefits of the Slop Season advantages along the way.

The Lost Images

From a recent night ride

The replacement camera had a problem. My computer wouldn't recognize it when I plugged it into the USB port. It was as if I hadn't plugged anything in at all, which is weird since the computer recognizes everything else that I have that I plug into the USB ports on the CPU.

Well, having spent a sizable sum, (for me), on this new camera, to say that I was alarmed was a gross understatement. I tried everything, from contacting Olympus support to reaching out to friends via social media. Nothing I could research or find was helping at all.

I had a revelation on one point though the other day. My old, ancient card reader was recognized by the computer, but I couldn't communicate with it to download anything. Then I realized- new card technology + old card reader = kaput. New card reader time!

Well, after I got that here, plugged in the SD card, and plugged into the computer? BAM! Instantly worked as if nothing was wrong. Downloaded images, and all is good. Now.....what the heck is going on with the camera when I plug it in? I think it has a bad cable or a bad USB port. Since I cannot get another cable for it without dinking around on the net to find one, I think I will just live with using the card reader for the time being.

Humid August gravel riding.

Petrie Road's B Maintenance Level section.

So, it would appear that I have at least a workable solution to the camera downloading situation for the short term, at least. Now I will have to spend some time getting to know this beast and working up some more good imagery. Stay tuned......

The Lost Images

From a recent night ride

The replacement camera had a problem. My computer wouldn't recognize it when I plugged it into the USB port. It was as if I hadn't plugged anything in at all, which is weird since the computer recognizes everything else that I have that I plug into the USB ports on the CPU.

Well, having spent a sizable sum, (for me), on this new camera, to say that I was alarmed was a gross understatement. I tried everything, from contacting Olympus support to reaching out to friends via social media. Nothing I could research or find was helping at all.

I had a revelation on one point though the other day. My old, ancient card reader was recognized by the computer, but I couldn't communicate with it to download anything. Then I realized- new card technology + old card reader = kaput. New card reader time!

Well, after I got that here, plugged in the SD card, and plugged into the computer? BAM! Instantly worked as if nothing was wrong. Downloaded images, and all is good. Now.....what the heck is going on with the camera when I plug it in? I think it has a bad cable or a bad USB port. Since I cannot get another cable for it without dinking around on the net to find one, I think I will just live with using the card reader for the time being.

Humid August gravel riding.

Petrie Road's B Maintenance Level section.

So, it would appear that I have at least a workable solution to the camera downloading situation for the short term, at least. Now I will have to spend some time getting to know this beast and working up some more good imagery. Stay tuned......

Contemplating Madness: Part 4

B Level Maintenance road rest stop

The test of the brake went well. No rubbing, no noise, and consistent, good braking power. Essentially, it is just like new, but I will switch back to the Ashima rotor I was going to use. It's got the same level of performance, but it is lighter.

I loaded up the Bike Bag Dude Chaff bags and custom frame bag with most everything I think I'll pack for Odin's Revenge. The only thing I didn't have on board was food, but I did pack four full water bottles and a external battery LED light. I also had two tubes, a multi-tool, and a mini pump. There was a packable rain jacket in there, but I had no fear of needing that on such a beautiful day. There is a first aid kit and wet wipes as well. I think that's about it. Basically everything but the food.

The purpose of this ride was twofold- One reason was to determine if not having a bigger than 32 tooth ring on the crank was going to be an issue, and the other was to see how the GEAX AKA 2,2"ers would deal with powdery dirt, which I have been informed that the Odin's course is capable of having a lot of. There was only one good option to find out both things- A trip out to Petrie Road and the mile of B Level Maintenance road out there.

Plenty of "cocoa powder" and sandy dirt ahead!

So I headed out that direction via the Sergeant Road bike path until I could hop off onto gravel at Aker Road and start checking out how the bike would do on gravel. I may have ridden the Muk in this configuration on gravel before, but I can't recollect when or how that went if I had done it. Basically, this was news to me with the 29"er hoops in the frame.

As you might expect, it wasn't bad at all. The frame is compliant, the titanium seat post is wonderful, and the tubeless GEAX AKA's are soaking up vibrations as well. I noticed how the slacker head angle and long wheel base were working to keep the bike from chattering sideways on the fresher gravel. Stability. I'd be needing that on the fast, ripping descents that the Odin's course will likely have.

The bonus find of the ride was that the B Level maintenance portion of Petrie Road did indeed have deep, powdery dirt. Just what I wanted to find. While a true fat bike 3.8"er would have scoffed at this pile of dusty dirt and rode rough shod over it, I wasn't sure that the "skinny" AKA's would hold up. I believe that they did as well as they did due to the stretched wheel base and stable geometry of the Mukluk. I could change lines, and the wheels didn't want to instantly wash out. Nice!

Barns For Jason- When was the last time you saw a load of "square" bales? 

I had an issue with the bike though. I heard a strange rattle in the back and I tracked it down to a loose cassette. The lock ring appeared to be tight, so perhaps I forgot that stupid shim that 10 speed cassettes are supposed to have behind them on the free hub body. Meh! I think Shimano does the best overall with cycling components, but sometimes the tiny details are just stupid or maddening or both. Really- you couldn't have just made the base of the largest cog a little wider? Lame.

No excuses though- I missed that spacer and that's on me. I'd get that after I got home and it was better to find out now rather than at Odin's! On the way home, I pretty much put myself into single speed mode so as not to exacerbate the issue. While nursing things along, I saw something I didn't take notice of at first, because in the depths of my memory, what I was seeing was normal. Then I realized that it was actually really an odd sight. A load of freshly baled "square" bales of hay on an old style hay rack. In a day where the round bales of hay have taken over, seeing this brought back many memories of helping relatives on farms bale hay in the hot Summer Sun.

It was a fantastic day out on the bike. Sunny, a nice breeze, and dusty gravel roads. It doesn't get much better than that!

Contemplating Madness: Part 4

B Level Maintenance road rest stop

The test of the brake went well. No rubbing, no noise, and consistent, good braking power. Essentially, it is just like new, but I will switch back to the Ashima rotor I was going to use. It's got the same level of performance, but it is lighter.

I loaded up the Bike Bag Dude Chaff bags and custom frame bag with most everything I think I'll pack for Odin's Revenge. The only thing I didn't have on board was food, but I did pack four full water bottles and a external battery LED light. I also had two tubes, a multi-tool, and a mini pump. There was a packable rain jacket in there, but I had no fear of needing that on such a beautiful day. There is a first aid kit and wet wipes as well. I think that's about it. Basically everything but the food.

The purpose of this ride was twofold- One reason was to determine if not having a bigger than 32 tooth ring on the crank was going to be an issue, and the other was to see how the GEAX AKA 2,2"ers would deal with powdery dirt, which I have been informed that the Odin's course is capable of having a lot of. There was only one good option to find out both things- A trip out to Petrie Road and the mile of B Level Maintenance road out there.

Plenty of "cocoa powder" and sandy dirt ahead!

So I headed out that direction via the Sergeant Road bike path until I could hop off onto gravel at Aker Road and start checking out how the bike would do on gravel. I may have ridden the Muk in this configuration on gravel before, but I can't recollect when or how that went if I had done it. Basically, this was news to me with the 29"er hoops in the frame.

As you might expect, it wasn't bad at all. The frame is compliant, the titanium seat post is wonderful, and the tubeless GEAX AKA's are soaking up vibrations as well. I noticed how the slacker head angle and long wheel base were working to keep the bike from chattering sideways on the fresher gravel. Stability. I'd be needing that on the fast, ripping descents that the Odin's course will likely have.

The bonus find of the ride was that the B Level maintenance portion of Petrie Road did indeed have deep, powdery dirt. Just what I wanted to find. While a true fat bike 3.8"er would have scoffed at this pile of dusty dirt and rode rough shod over it, I wasn't sure that the "skinny" AKA's would hold up. I believe that they did as well as they did due to the stretched wheel base and stable geometry of the Mukluk. I could change lines, and the wheels didn't want to instantly wash out. Nice!

Barns For Jason- When was the last time you saw a load of "square" bales? 

I had an issue with the bike though. I heard a strange rattle in the back and I tracked it down to a loose cassette. The lock ring appeared to be tight, so perhaps I forgot that stupid shim that 10 speed cassettes are supposed to have behind them on the free hub body. Meh! I think Shimano does the best overall with cycling components, but sometimes the tiny details are just stupid or maddening or both. Really- you couldn't have just made the base of the largest cog a little wider? Lame.

No excuses though- I missed that spacer and that's on me. I'd get that after I got home and it was better to find out now rather than at Odin's! On the way home, I pretty much put myself into single speed mode so as not to exacerbate the issue. While nursing things along, I saw something I didn't take notice of at first, because in the depths of my memory, what I was seeing was normal. Then I realized that it was actually really an odd sight. A load of freshly baled "square" bales of hay on an old style hay rack. In a day where the round bales of hay have taken over, seeing this brought back many memories of helping relatives on farms bale hay in the hot Summer Sun.

It was a fantastic day out on the bike. Sunny, a nice breeze, and dusty gravel roads. It doesn't get much better than that!

Dust Devils

Yesterday I slept in pretty late. Till around 11am! That's unusual for me, but I have been pretty run down of late and I guess I needed the sleep. So I waited until after lunch, (which was really breakfast, I suppose!), to roll out and go in search of another of Black Hawk County's B Level Maintenance roads.

The target was a road near the Northeastern border of the county. The road was shown on many maps and is part of Pilot Grove Road in the last mile before it reaches the Bremer County line. I'd been out that way partially, but not as far out there as this road was. I decided to make a big loop out of it by going up to just Southwest of Denver and then cutting across on 270th in Bremer County. I then went a mile South after a while to Marquis Road where it is paved so as not to miss the exit where it dumped out to the county line, which is Marquis Road.

Unfortunately, I didn't find the Northern entrance, and I had a sneaking suspicion that it had been plowed under and was part of a farmers field now. I rode around to the East and South and then back West to see if I could find the Southern entrance to the road, and I did, but it was obvious that it had been decommissioned and was back in the hands of landowners.

You can make out the old road bed from the South side of the old B Road.

It was a bit of a disappointment as I had been hoping I could bag another B Level road in Black Hawk County. Those types of roads are rare in this County and in this area, but go South of here and you can find loads of them.

Well, with that done I turned back West and South to get myself back home again. The wind had come up and was blowing strongly from the Southeast, which was okay when going West, but was a bit of a struggle when going South. To make matters more difficult, the entire area up there is flat as a pancake too, so you have to pedal every inch. No coasting!

It was very dusty on the roads and also in the fields as well. I saw a couple of "dust devils" while I was riding. These aren't really a very common thing here, but occasionally they form. With the strong winds, they were being pushed along a pretty fair rate of speed. I was on a collision course with one when it hit the ditch and was upset to the point of dissipation. Dang! I was wondering what it would have been like to hit one on the road.

It ended up being a three plus hour ride. Maybe over 3 and a half hours total. Whatever it was, my legs were shot! A good training ride for Odin's Revenge coming up, perhaps, but not so good for finding the B Roads!

Dust Devils

Yesterday I slept in pretty late. Till around 11am! That's unusual for me, but I have been pretty run down of late and I guess I needed the sleep. So I waited until after lunch, (which was really breakfast, I suppose!), to roll out and go in search of another of Black Hawk County's B Level Maintenance roads.

The target was a road near the Northeastern border of the county. The road was shown on many maps and is part of Pilot Grove Road in the last mile before it reaches the Bremer County line. I'd been out that way partially, but not as far out there as this road was. I decided to make a big loop out of it by going up to just Southwest of Denver and then cutting across on 270th in Bremer County. I then went a mile South after a while to Marquis Road where it is paved so as not to miss the exit where it dumped out to the county line, which is Marquis Road.

Unfortunately, I didn't find the Northern entrance, and I had a sneaking suspicion that it had been plowed under and was part of a farmers field now. I rode around to the East and South and then back West to see if I could find the Southern entrance to the road, and I did, but it was obvious that it had been decommissioned and was back in the hands of landowners.

You can make out the old road bed from the South side of the old B Road.

It was a bit of a disappointment as I had been hoping I could bag another B Level road in Black Hawk County. Those types of roads are rare in this County and in this area, but go South of here and you can find loads of them.

Well, with that done I turned back West and South to get myself back home again. The wind had come up and was blowing strongly from the Southeast, which was okay when going West, but was a bit of a struggle when going South. To make matters more difficult, the entire area up there is flat as a pancake too, so you have to pedal every inch. No coasting!

It was very dusty on the roads and also in the fields as well. I saw a couple of "dust devils" while I was riding. These aren't really a very common thing here, but occasionally they form. With the strong winds, they were being pushed along a pretty fair rate of speed. I was on a collision course with one when it hit the ditch and was upset to the point of dissipation. Dang! I was wondering what it would have been like to hit one on the road.

It ended up being a three plus hour ride. Maybe over 3 and a half hours total. Whatever it was, my legs were shot! A good training ride for Odin's Revenge coming up, perhaps, but not so good for finding the B Roads!

B Road Test

A brutal wind out there yesterday!

Wednesday I had been driving myself nuts over-thinking all the details for the upcoming Trans Iowa V10, so I finally talked myself into going on a bicycle ride. I was pretty sure I really wanted to ride single track in the woods, but with a high wind warning for the afternoon, it wasn't a very good idea. Unless you like risking being knocked upside the head with a heavy branch from an aging cottonwood tree. I decided to take a pass on that one.....

So I decided to ride the Tamland Two with the Bruce Gordon Rock & Roads. I headed down the usual escape route thinking I would go down through the more protected areas along the river and back again. However; when I dropped down onto the bike path I went hard left instead of right. I'm not really sure why, but I reformulated a plan and that plan led me straight into the wind.

And what a wind! It was blasting out of the South at about 30 mph and sometimes with higher gusts. I ended up "wind grinding" it in the small chain ring, head down in the drops, trying to hold it steady in the occasional cross blasts. It was nice to learn that the Tamland's front wheel doesn't do that "dive-correct-dive-correct" thing into the wind, but it has a very planted feel. It only gets pushed sideways in a crosswind in a very predictable way. That made riding it easier than maybe it would have been with another bike's geometry.

The Objective I was wanting to reach- Petrie Road's B Maintenance section. 

I was trying to get to Petrie Road and its one mile long B Maintenance section so I could try a couple of  ideas. One was to see how the roads are coming back after 4 inches of rain. The second was the idea of timing myself on a one mile stretch of B Road. But first I had to get there! That was turning out to be not so easy. I was on that bike path, and somewhat protected, but after awhile I was obliged to leave it and go up the old Highway 63 paved section to just east of Hudson to reach Holmes Road, which is a gravel. That would eventually dump me at the corner of Holmes and the beginning of the B Maintenance sector of Petrie Road. On a normal day the ride is a piece of cake, but the mighty wind had other ideas on this day.

I didn't stop till I got there......

There were several times on the pavement, and then again on the gravel of Holmes Road where I was likely going less than 5mph. The wind was roaring the entire time as well, so I had to come up with something to keep my sanity as I rode along. You see, I don't do music and ear buds. It just doesn't work for me. For some reason a vague rendition of Pharrell Williams "Happy" popped into my head, so I just went with that and put my head down.

I was trying to calculate the mileage to the B Road, thinking I had one more agonizing mile of headwind to endure when I suddenly recognized the road and knew I was almost there. Just when I did, the wind redoubled its attack, but I was within striking distance now and would not be denied. I was going to get there without stopping for a rest. I swung down into muddy two track and road in about 50 yards before I pulled up to stop for the first time to catch my breath and give my legs a well deserved rest.

Even just pushing the bike was causing clay to build up on the wheels!

So I figured I would walk the mile and see how long it took. That way I could tell folks "something" which may or may not help in their reconnoitering of how to attack the course for Trans Iowa V10 which includes 10 such B Maintenance road sectors which could all be unrideable.

It became immediately apparent after pushing my bike less than 10 feet that the clay-ish soil was going to collect on my rig's tires very quickly to the point that I would no longer be able to roll the bike. That meant I should probably be carrying it. Since I had a Revelate Tangle Bag on, to simulate a "load" for a Trans Iowa attempt, I couldn't shoulder the bike underneath the top tube. I ended up reaching over the top tube and picking up the bike by the down tube and hoisting away.

I then trotted down the lane, feet clagging up with clay, and this went on until I spied perhaps a more excellent way to traverse this unrideable morass of soil saturated with water. The field! As I surveyed my options, I spied a little "causeway" between mud and stubble that wasn't bad to walk on. In fact, it was almost pleasant, what with all the dead tall grass laying down like a sort of thatched rug under my feet. The bike rolled along well on this grassy track, so I went with it.

This is not cheating- just being prudent!

I suppose it could be called a "ditch", only it was pretty much level with the field next to it and was actually higher than the road proper in many spots. The dead grasses might hide treacherous "bear traps" like barbed wire, debris, or the like, but if it did, I never fell victim to any of that, thankfully. I pushed onward and came up to a point where I was obliged to settle on the edge of the road where the grass ended and the mud began since the grassy "causeway" had ceased to be a good track.

This T.I.V10 B Road could take a bit longer to walk if muddy

I pushed my bike's tires a little too far outward and the clay was so greasy the bike almost went down! I picked it back up and skedaddled over to the other side where now there was a nice, mown edge to the road, since I was approaching a farm, and the end of the dirt.

I coasted the last short graveled section to the corner and hopped off. It took 20 minutes. I figured that was about right since I stopped twice to photograph things but coasted out the last tiny bit to help make up for the lost time, plus I trotted a bit to speed things up in the middle.

Fortunately I did not have to portage the bike for very far. If I had been obliged to do so, it would have taken longer than 20 minutes, since I am sure that carrying a bicycle in the mud would be slower than rolling the bike in the grass. With 10 B Maintenance roads in Trans Iowa this year, it will be a good idea not to be lolly gagging about since each of these may take a while to navigate on foot.

But I wasn't concerned with B Maintenance roads any longer. I was licking my chops because that brutal headwind was going to push me all the way back home at high speeds. It was a great reward for having gutted out the ride's beginning. I did hear weird noises, almost as if a jet airplane was nearby with engines at full throttle. A roaring, deep booming mixed in with the swirling sounds of the wind as it rushed along Northward. Winds do strange things to sounds. Who knows? Maybe I was hearing a lofty jet! Whatever it was I just shrugged and cranked out the final miles in the big ring.

The B Road test went well, and my legs and lungs got a great workout. I'm glad I put down the Trans Iowa stuff for a bit to get out for a ride.

B Road Test

A brutal wind out there yesterday!

Wednesday I had been driving myself nuts over-thinking all the details for the upcoming Trans Iowa V10, so I finally talked myself into going on a bicycle ride. I was pretty sure I really wanted to ride single track in the woods, but with a high wind warning for the afternoon, it wasn't a very good idea. Unless you like risking being knocked upside the head with a heavy branch from an aging cottonwood tree. I decided to take a pass on that one.....

So I decided to ride the Tamland Two with the Bruce Gordon Rock & Roads. I headed down the usual escape route thinking I would go down through the more protected areas along the river and back again. However; when I dropped down onto the bike path I went hard left instead of right. I'm not really sure why, but I reformulated a plan and that plan led me straight into the wind.

And what a wind! It was blasting out of the South at about 30 mph and sometimes with higher gusts. I ended up "wind grinding" it in the small chain ring, head down in the drops, trying to hold it steady in the occasional cross blasts. It was nice to learn that the Tamland's front wheel doesn't do that "dive-correct-dive-correct" thing into the wind, but it has a very planted feel. It only gets pushed sideways in a crosswind in a very predictable way. That made riding it easier than maybe it would have been with another bike's geometry.

The Objective I was wanting to reach- Petrie Road's B Maintenance section. 

I was trying to get to Petrie Road and its one mile long B Maintenance section so I could try a couple of  ideas. One was to see how the roads are coming back after 4 inches of rain. The second was the idea of timing myself on a one mile stretch of B Road. But first I had to get there! That was turning out to be not so easy. I was on that bike path, and somewhat protected, but after awhile I was obliged to leave it and go up the old Highway 63 paved section to just east of Hudson to reach Holmes Road, which is a gravel. That would eventually dump me at the corner of Holmes and the beginning of the B Maintenance sector of Petrie Road. On a normal day the ride is a piece of cake, but the mighty wind had other ideas on this day.

I didn't stop till I got there......

There were several times on the pavement, and then again on the gravel of Holmes Road where I was likely going less than 5mph. The wind was roaring the entire time as well, so I had to come up with something to keep my sanity as I rode along. You see, I don't do music and ear buds. It just doesn't work for me. For some reason a vague rendition of Pharrell Williams "Happy" popped into my head, so I just went with that and put my head down.

I was trying to calculate the mileage to the B Road, thinking I had one more agonizing mile of headwind to endure when I suddenly recognized the road and knew I was almost there. Just when I did, the wind redoubled its attack, but I was within striking distance now and would not be denied. I was going to get there without stopping for a rest. I swung down into muddy two track and road in about 50 yards before I pulled up to stop for the first time to catch my breath and give my legs a well deserved rest.

Even just pushing the bike was causing clay to build up on the wheels!

So I figured I would walk the mile and see how long it took. That way I could tell folks "something" which may or may not help in their reconnoitering of how to attack the course for Trans Iowa V10 which includes 10 such B Maintenance road sectors which could all be unrideable.

It became immediately apparent after pushing my bike less than 10 feet that the clay-ish soil was going to collect on my rig's tires very quickly to the point that I would no longer be able to roll the bike. That meant I should probably be carrying it. Since I had a Revelate Tangle Bag on, to simulate a "load" for a Trans Iowa attempt, I couldn't shoulder the bike underneath the top tube. I ended up reaching over the top tube and picking up the bike by the down tube and hoisting away.

I then trotted down the lane, feet clagging up with clay, and this went on until I spied perhaps a more excellent way to traverse this unrideable morass of soil saturated with water. The field! As I surveyed my options, I spied a little "causeway" between mud and stubble that wasn't bad to walk on. In fact, it was almost pleasant, what with all the dead tall grass laying down like a sort of thatched rug under my feet. The bike rolled along well on this grassy track, so I went with it.

This is not cheating- just being prudent!

I suppose it could be called a "ditch", only it was pretty much level with the field next to it and was actually higher than the road proper in many spots. The dead grasses might hide treacherous "bear traps" like barbed wire, debris, or the like, but if it did, I never fell victim to any of that, thankfully. I pushed onward and came up to a point where I was obliged to settle on the edge of the road where the grass ended and the mud began since the grassy "causeway" had ceased to be a good track.

This T.I.V10 B Road could take a bit longer to walk if muddy

I pushed my bike's tires a little too far outward and the clay was so greasy the bike almost went down! I picked it back up and skedaddled over to the other side where now there was a nice, mown edge to the road, since I was approaching a farm, and the end of the dirt.

I coasted the last short graveled section to the corner and hopped off. It took 20 minutes. I figured that was about right since I stopped twice to photograph things but coasted out the last tiny bit to help make up for the lost time, plus I trotted a bit to speed things up in the middle.

Fortunately I did not have to portage the bike for very far. If I had been obliged to do so, it would have taken longer than 20 minutes, since I am sure that carrying a bicycle in the mud would be slower than rolling the bike in the grass. With 10 B Maintenance roads in Trans Iowa this year, it will be a good idea not to be lolly gagging about since each of these may take a while to navigate on foot.

But I wasn't concerned with B Maintenance roads any longer. I was licking my chops because that brutal headwind was going to push me all the way back home at high speeds. It was a great reward for having gutted out the ride's beginning. I did hear weird noises, almost as if a jet airplane was nearby with engines at full throttle. A roaring, deep booming mixed in with the swirling sounds of the wind as it rushed along Northward. Winds do strange things to sounds. Who knows? Maybe I was hearing a lofty jet! Whatever it was I just shrugged and cranked out the final miles in the big ring.

The B Road test went well, and my legs and lungs got a great workout. I'm glad I put down the Trans Iowa stuff for a bit to get out for a ride.

Dusty Dreaming

This is what I am missing these days.

Winter.........it's been real good this year. Definitely a "true" Iowa type Winter in which we've seen plenty of snow, plenty of sub-zero temperatures, and the opportunities to be outside and indulging in that Winter stuff has been available for a long time now. Winter kicked in early and looks to be sticking around for at least another month.

It is about now that I start thinking about all those 3GR rides and just finding new roads with plenty of B Maintenance road action thrown in for good measure. Dust and rocks. Roads that dance up and down for miles on end. Birds and flowers. The wind rustling in the grass. I guess it is part and parcel of living in an area blessed with four distinct seasons, each with their own appeal for a cyclist like myself.

However; Winter is still gripping us hard here. It went down to -15°F last night and we'll be seeing that negative sign in front of the temperature several more times before it disappears for (hopefully) the rest of the year.

So, I can't really expect to feel those awesome feelings I miss from the Summer anytime real soon. I can dream though, and I can scheme. I did a little of just that last night as I started to sort out the fleet for the upcoming gravel road season. Tires swapped, wheels changed, bicycles re-imagined, and maybe even a new one? Yes, maybe even a new one. We'll see. That is not totally up to me, but I am thinking something will be showing up soon. Stay tuned on that front......

In the meantime I just have to dream and wait. Oh.....I will still be having fun on the fat bikes. I will also be playing around in that in between time when mud is king and riding some squishy roads. I still have to complete tweaking on all the parts and bikes I have here to be ready for when "it" does come. That glorious first day of the year when one does not need a jacket to ride outside. And after that, the first day warm enough to wear short sleeves.

It won't be long now. I can almost feel it........................

Dusty Dreaming

This is what I am missing these days.

Winter.........it's been real good this year. Definitely a "true" Iowa type Winter in which we've seen plenty of snow, plenty of sub-zero temperatures, and the opportunities to be outside and indulging in that Winter stuff has been available for a long time now. Winter kicked in early and looks to be sticking around for at least another month.

It is about now that I start thinking about all those 3GR rides and just finding new roads with plenty of B Maintenance road action thrown in for good measure. Dust and rocks. Roads that dance up and down for miles on end. Birds and flowers. The wind rustling in the grass. I guess it is part and parcel of living in an area blessed with four distinct seasons, each with their own appeal for a cyclist like myself.

However; Winter is still gripping us hard here. It went down to -15°F last night and we'll be seeing that negative sign in front of the temperature several more times before it disappears for (hopefully) the rest of the year.

So, I can't really expect to feel those awesome feelings I miss from the Summer anytime real soon. I can dream though, and I can scheme. I did a little of just that last night as I started to sort out the fleet for the upcoming gravel road season. Tires swapped, wheels changed, bicycles re-imagined, and maybe even a new one? Yes, maybe even a new one. We'll see. That is not totally up to me, but I am thinking something will be showing up soon. Stay tuned on that front......

In the meantime I just have to dream and wait. Oh.....I will still be having fun on the fat bikes. I will also be playing around in that in between time when mud is king and riding some squishy roads. I still have to complete tweaking on all the parts and bikes I have here to be ready for when "it" does come. That glorious first day of the year when one does not need a jacket to ride outside. And after that, the first day warm enough to wear short sleeves.

It won't be long now. I can almost feel it........................

On The "B Road" Of Broken Dreams

Saturday I had an encounter with a B Road, (parlance for "no maintenance", or "minimum maintenance" roads in Iowa), and I haven't seen one quite this bad since the section in Tama County we had as a part of T.I.V5.

The road started out okay. It was really, really steep, but do-able if it was dry. I never had been on this road before, so I had no idea what to expect on it as I climbed up and up.

I reached the top, walking my Black Mountain Cycles "Orange Crush" bike, since it was geared too high in the single speed mode I had it in. I saw some great views from the top, and stopped to assess the situation, munch some crunchy goodness, snap some images, and poke out some sticky clay that had mired itself in my front fork.

Up here I saw the last bits of snow hanging on here in Iowa on a "road", if one could call this "evil slot cut into the Earth" a road. Probably the last bit of snow on a road I'm likely to see around here in a long while. (Hopefully!)

Funny thing about this soil is that it clings to anything it touches. Yes- merely lightly pressing on this stuff will garner you a muddy mess. It doesn't easily let go, unless it is very nearly dry, and then, and only then will it ball up, and crumble away like cookie dough with too much flour in it. Otherwise it is a tangled, snarling mess of mud that is at once super-tacky and super-greasy. If dirt could be evil in any way, this stuff is the dirt that takes the prize for being evil.

The only things that seem to have any power over this type of stuff are the animals. I saw this paw print that was as big as my hand pressed into the sticky goo. Probably following the smallish deer tracks that were the only other prints in this soil here. Well, other than my sticky marks and the trail of two 1.9" wide Geax Barro Race tires. Unfortunately, neither I or the tires possessed the mojo necessary to escape the clutches of said soil.

I was considering using this section for Trans Iowa V7, but a really bad case of erosion which caused two ruts to form near the bottom of a valley at a depth of four feet a piece made me reconsider those plans. Having riders trying to get down a very steep, clay-ish "path" lined with two "pits of death" on either side seems like a recipe for broken dreams, maybe even broken bones. It's still under review, but I am thinking this section is just too much.

Ironically, I was Tweeting about the situation Saturday when a Trans Iowa competitor Tweeted back "please keep all evil intact". That still makes me laugh! You know, it is a cool place to check out, but being next to unrideable, it makes me wonder about putting it into Trans Iowa.  Danger and excitement are all good, but.....well......there is a limit too. We just have to decide what we want throw at the riders. It is a public "road" yet, but really, I can not imagine that the county won't close this one up, and soon.

Glad I got a look at it before that happens!

On The "B Road" Of Broken Dreams

Saturday I had an encounter with a B Road, (parlance for "no maintenance", or "minimum maintenance" roads in Iowa), and I haven't seen one quite this bad since the section in Tama County we had as a part of T.I.V5.

The road started out okay. It was really, really steep, but do-able if it was dry. I never had been on this road before, so I had no idea what to expect on it as I climbed up and up.

I reached the top, walking my Black Mountain Cycles "Orange Crush" bike, since it was geared too high in the single speed mode I had it in. I saw some great views from the top, and stopped to assess the situation, munch some crunchy goodness, snap some images, and poke out some sticky clay that had mired itself in my front fork.

Up here I saw the last bits of snow hanging on here in Iowa on a "road", if one could call this "evil slot cut into the Earth" a road. Probably the last bit of snow on a road I'm likely to see around here in a long while. (Hopefully!)

Funny thing about this soil is that it clings to anything it touches. Yes- merely lightly pressing on this stuff will garner you a muddy mess. It doesn't easily let go, unless it is very nearly dry, and then, and only then will it ball up, and crumble away like cookie dough with too much flour in it. Otherwise it is a tangled, snarling mess of mud that is at once super-tacky and super-greasy. If dirt could be evil in any way, this stuff is the dirt that takes the prize for being evil.

The only things that seem to have any power over this type of stuff are the animals. I saw this paw print that was as big as my hand pressed into the sticky goo. Probably following the smallish deer tracks that were the only other prints in this soil here. Well, other than my sticky marks and the trail of two 1.9" wide Geax Barro Race tires. Unfortunately, neither I or the tires possessed the mojo necessary to escape the clutches of said soil.

I was considering using this section for Trans Iowa V7, but a really bad case of erosion which caused two ruts to form near the bottom of a valley at a depth of four feet a piece made me reconsider those plans. Having riders trying to get down a very steep, clay-ish "path" lined with two "pits of death" on either side seems like a recipe for broken dreams, maybe even broken bones. It's still under review, but I am thinking this section is just too much.

Ironically, I was Tweeting about the situation Saturday when a Trans Iowa competitor Tweeted back "please keep all evil intact". That still makes me laugh! You know, it is a cool place to check out, but being next to unrideable, it makes me wonder about putting it into Trans Iowa.  Danger and excitement are all good, but.....well......there is a limit too. We just have to decide what we want throw at the riders. It is a public "road" yet, but really, I can not imagine that the county won't close this one up, and soon.

Glad I got a look at it before that happens!

In Search Of: A "B Maintenance Road"

Do you remember that old show called "In Search Of" starring Leonard Nimoy? Yeah, I used to watch that back in the day. Well, yesterday's adventure was something that reminded me of that show, only my adventure wasn't about the paranormal, odd cults, or witches. It was about finding a "B Maintenance" road I had heard about last week.
So, before I get started, I have to post this disclaimer:

This post presents information based in part on theory and conjecture. The blogger's purpose is to suggest some possible explanations, but not necessarily the only ones, to the mysteries we will examine.

Okay, so here's the deal. Last Thursday, "Doug-E-Fresh" comes in and tells me that he'd been on a B Maintenance road just south of Waterloo and east of HWY 63. Huh? Really? I have been all over those roads and had never seen it. He said the same. He'd never seen it before either, and had come up on it purely by accident. Doug-E had some trouble recalling the details, but I got enough out of him to know where to look. By Doug-E's description, the road was an epic B Road, and not just some dirt smoothie stretch of gravel. I had to find out if it was true.

Was Doug-E-Fresh really on this B Road, or was it a bad case of gravel dust inhalation? Maybe he knocked his head on a rock and had a vision? This needed to be either proven or dis-proven. Does the mysterious B Road actually exist?

I had a day off and it was beautiful. After running a few errands, I had a bit of free time to go explore this mystery. I figured it couldn't take more than a couple hours to ride out and see if this B Road was really there. I have been riding this area a lot for years, and I hadn't seen any signs of a B Road anywhere in the area. I would have thought that I would have come across it by now, but maybe not. Doug-E's description of its whereabouts was right on roads I had ridden on several times before.

So I set off through town and the trees were beautiful in the sun. The wind was gently blowing the leaves out and across my path. It was like a cycling version of a ticker tape parade. The sun was out and riding high up in the sky. It was a fine day to be out exploring.

I then got out into the countryside south of town on familiar roads. These weren't near as pretty as what I had just experienced on the Rawland Fall Tour, so it was sort of a bleak, tough ride into the wind, which had picked up somewhat out there. The ride last weekend was picture-postcard perfect, and this seemed to be the opposite, but hey! I was exploring and I was having fun regardless. I was on my Singular Gryphon single speed and was cruising along a a pretty decent clip despite the wind. I went south as far as I thought Doug-E's directions were supposed to lead me and then I was on the lookout for Petrie Road.

Petrie Road west and into more wind and hills. Okay, the directions were to go as far as Aker Road and then I was supposed to find "it". The elusive B Maintenance Road that was an extension of Petrie Road. Doug-E claimed that the road went across Aker, by a house, and then went to heck in a hand basket, according to him.

He had said that on his excursion, the road was so wet and boggy he could barely traverse it. Supposedly it was not marked by the traditional "Enter At Your Own Risk" sign, but had a warning about being "impassable during high water", or something to that effect. Well, what did you know, but I saw the beginnings of the dirt sector as I crested a hill on Petrie. There off in the distance it was, just beyond what looked like to be a fair stand of pines on the south side of the road. Likely a farmstead. Maybe Doug-E had it right after all.

Okay, passed the farm house and this is what I saw. Dirt road all right. Going up over a hill, certainly, but nothing astoundingly terrible, as Doug-E had described. Still, here was a B Maintenance road I hadn't seen before. The funny thing was I had ridden right through the intersection leading up to it probably two dozen times, but the farm house and slight uphill gravel leading to it obscured the view to the dirt and the traditional signage is not there.

Doug-E had also said it was really wet when he rode this, but of course, it has been dry since, so the dirt was solid leading up the hill.

Up over the hill and down again. I found the mud hole, and it was still slightly wet. There were ruts the size of Texas and plenty of tractor tread marks that made for a dirt rumble strip sort of ride. Then up the other side it got sandy. Really deep, fine sand too. My two inch tires were wallowing, but had enough width that I was able to float up over the stuff.

Did I say there were ruts? This road has some of the worst I've seen. Deep ruts that will catch your pedals if you are not careful. Up the hill again and down again. I decided to stop and enjoy the rustic solitude for a bit. Flowers- the last of the season that had survived the first few frosts, were adorning the sides of the road. My favorite color too. Purple. I took it in as I knew I would be waiting another six months before I would be able to enjoy wild flowers along the roads again.

At the end of the road, I saw the evidence of Doug-E's earlier passage. It was real. He was right, and this was no longer a mystery. I had searched for the road and found it. What is more, I rode on it, and it was fantastic! Rutted, bumpy, sandy, and pretty awesome for being so close to home.

The thing is, this isn't going to last. It is pretty apparent that zero maintenance has happened here for a long, long time. This is usually a sign that the next step is nigh; Decommissioned or "C" class status will be next, and it will happen sooner than later. Any locals that want a taste of this had better go check it out now. A gate or a plowed field will be all you'll find within a year or so, is what I am thinking.

And if that happens, it really will be a mystery road with no discovering it!

In Search Of: A "B Maintenance Road"

Do you remember that old show called "In Search Of" starring Leonard Nimoy? Yeah, I used to watch that back in the day. Well, yesterday's adventure was something that reminded me of that show, only my adventure wasn't about the paranormal, odd cults, or witches. It was about finding a "B Maintenance" road I had heard about last week.
So, before I get started, I have to post this disclaimer:

This post presents information based in part on theory and conjecture. The blogger's purpose is to suggest some possible explanations, but not necessarily the only ones, to the mysteries we will examine.

Okay, so here's the deal. Last Thursday, "Doug-E-Fresh" comes in and tells me that he'd been on a B Maintenance road just south of Waterloo and east of HWY 63. Huh? Really? I have been all over those roads and had never seen it. He said the same. He'd never seen it before either, and had come up on it purely by accident. Doug-E had some trouble recalling the details, but I got enough out of him to know where to look. By Doug-E's description, the road was an epic B Road, and not just some dirt smoothie stretch of gravel. I had to find out if it was true.

Was Doug-E-Fresh really on this B Road, or was it a bad case of gravel dust inhalation? Maybe he knocked his head on a rock and had a vision? This needed to be either proven or dis-proven. Does the mysterious B Road actually exist?

I had a day off and it was beautiful. After running a few errands, I had a bit of free time to go explore this mystery. I figured it couldn't take more than a couple hours to ride out and see if this B Road was really there. I have been riding this area a lot for years, and I hadn't seen any signs of a B Road anywhere in the area. I would have thought that I would have come across it by now, but maybe not. Doug-E's description of its whereabouts was right on roads I had ridden on several times before.

So I set off through town and the trees were beautiful in the sun. The wind was gently blowing the leaves out and across my path. It was like a cycling version of a ticker tape parade. The sun was out and riding high up in the sky. It was a fine day to be out exploring.

I then got out into the countryside south of town on familiar roads. These weren't near as pretty as what I had just experienced on the Rawland Fall Tour, so it was sort of a bleak, tough ride into the wind, which had picked up somewhat out there. The ride last weekend was picture-postcard perfect, and this seemed to be the opposite, but hey! I was exploring and I was having fun regardless. I was on my Singular Gryphon single speed and was cruising along a a pretty decent clip despite the wind. I went south as far as I thought Doug-E's directions were supposed to lead me and then I was on the lookout for Petrie Road.

Petrie Road west and into more wind and hills. Okay, the directions were to go as far as Aker Road and then I was supposed to find "it". The elusive B Maintenance Road that was an extension of Petrie Road. Doug-E claimed that the road went across Aker, by a house, and then went to heck in a hand basket, according to him.

He had said that on his excursion, the road was so wet and boggy he could barely traverse it. Supposedly it was not marked by the traditional "Enter At Your Own Risk" sign, but had a warning about being "impassable during high water", or something to that effect. Well, what did you know, but I saw the beginnings of the dirt sector as I crested a hill on Petrie. There off in the distance it was, just beyond what looked like to be a fair stand of pines on the south side of the road. Likely a farmstead. Maybe Doug-E had it right after all.

Okay, passed the farm house and this is what I saw. Dirt road all right. Going up over a hill, certainly, but nothing astoundingly terrible, as Doug-E had described. Still, here was a B Maintenance road I hadn't seen before. The funny thing was I had ridden right through the intersection leading up to it probably two dozen times, but the farm house and slight uphill gravel leading to it obscured the view to the dirt and the traditional signage is not there.

Doug-E had also said it was really wet when he rode this, but of course, it has been dry since, so the dirt was solid leading up the hill.

Up over the hill and down again. I found the mud hole, and it was still slightly wet. There were ruts the size of Texas and plenty of tractor tread marks that made for a dirt rumble strip sort of ride. Then up the other side it got sandy. Really deep, fine sand too. My two inch tires were wallowing, but had enough width that I was able to float up over the stuff.

Did I say there were ruts? This road has some of the worst I've seen. Deep ruts that will catch your pedals if you are not careful. Up the hill again and down again. I decided to stop and enjoy the rustic solitude for a bit. Flowers- the last of the season that had survived the first few frosts, were adorning the sides of the road. My favorite color too. Purple. I took it in as I knew I would be waiting another six months before I would be able to enjoy wild flowers along the roads again.

At the end of the road, I saw the evidence of Doug-E's earlier passage. It was real. He was right, and this was no longer a mystery. I had searched for the road and found it. What is more, I rode on it, and it was fantastic! Rutted, bumpy, sandy, and pretty awesome for being so close to home.

The thing is, this isn't going to last. It is pretty apparent that zero maintenance has happened here for a long, long time. This is usually a sign that the next step is nigh; Decommissioned or "C" class status will be next, and it will happen sooner than later. Any locals that want a taste of this had better go check it out now. A gate or a plowed field will be all you'll find within a year or so, is what I am thinking.

And if that happens, it really will be a mystery road with no discovering it!