GTDRI '16 Gear Review

That's me in front on the Gen I Fargo. Image by Scott Sumpter

The gear I used during my shortened attempt on the 2016 GTDRI was nearly flawless. I did have a thing or two I wasn't happy about, but I'll get to that in a minute. First, let's talk a little here about a few things that did work.

Clothing: All Summer long I have been experimenting with the wearing of a thin, lightweight wool jersey and a base layer tank top. The reasoning is that I would be more comfortable in the heat. My feeling was that once I had sweat out a synthetic jersey, my cooling capacity was hindered and I would begin to overheat. The conclusion I reached earlier this Summer was that there was definitely something to this.

Saturday wasn't brutally hot, but it was super humid, and the temperature did get well up into the 80's by afternoon. I was warm, for sure, but at no point did I ever feel over-heated, nor did I ever get those throbbing headaches when pushing things hard in the heat, which I have on several occasions before this. I'm still giving this a thumbs up until I prove otherwise. I will say that this garb is 100% more comfortable than anything I've tried before. For bottoms I've stuck with the Garneau bib shorts which also have proven to be a better bib short than any I've tried so far. Socks were Sock Guy, which work okay, and shoes were Shimano three strap Velcro closure mtb shoes that are a few years old at least now. On the head was a Walz cycling cap, and a Trek helmet. Everything was working the way it should have.

The Trusty Gen I Fargo with a couple of concerns in the component department......

There were a lot of things right with the bike, and a couple of concerns. First, the concerns....

I called out the Teravail Sparwoods in my report, and I have to say that in terms of tires for the Fargo, these have by far been the most disappointing ones I have ever used. They squirt gravel sideways, which on the surface is just annoying, but it also pitches the back end of the bike sideways at the most inopportune times. You either lose traction, momentum, or control. Sometimes all three at once. I blame that dratted puncture protection belt, which is so unforgiving that the tread area cannot deal with the quick changing gravel surfaces I ride on here in Iowa. I've tried several air pressure settings and the issues persist. I am confident that the issue is the overly stiff part of the tire, and while these have other fine attributes, I am giving them a thumbs down here.

The second concern is related to the first. Since the Sparwoods were wrenching the bike sideways so often, by the time I got to Traer they had loosened the quick release on the Sun-Ringle' wheels to the point that my rear wheel fell out when I picked up my bike to park it at the Traer convenience store stop! Needless to say, that was alarming. I watched that carefully the rest of my ride, and I had to tighten the QR one other time shortly after Traer. That time I over tightened the skewer. I did not have an issue after this. However; I've never had this happen with that skewer and these wheels in years of usage. Similar or worse conditions with these wheels on this bike have never resulted in a loose QR. I have to point to these Sparwoods and the loose gravel as the culprits at this point. I may be wrong, but I am not waiting to find out. A search for new tires is already underway. In fact I know exactly which tires I want to try next. I may even retire these wheels after that episode.

Image by Josh Lederman

Things that worked perfectly included the suite of bags from Becker Gear, J-Paks, and Bike Bag Dude. The life saver of a handle bar, the Ragley Luxy Bar, long out of production, unfortunately, staved off the left shoulder pain well. The Body Float seat post by Cirrus Cycles is like riding in a Cadillac. Smoooooth. Gold Glitter WTB SST saddle? Yes.

What can I say about the Gen I Fargo that I haven't said before? It is my favorite bike I've ever owned. I've had so many awesome adventures on this bike, and it fits so well. I could never get rid of it. Saturday was another typical "Fargo Adventure Ride" which ranks right up there with the best of the rides I've had on this bike dating all the way back to 2008. Like I have also said many a time- the Fargo Gen I has its flaws, but I have not been ticked off enough- ever- to make any of that a concern anymore. I just accept it as the quirks the bike has. Oh! One thing I noticed over the weekend was how well this fork damps vibrations. It is constantly "working" as you ride, and you can see that. These days forks are so overbuilt that the Fargo Gen I fork is a rare treat to ride on gravel roads.

My nutrition failed me, but I think I tracked it down to too much sugary crap at the Traer stop. I have to watch that. Otherwise, my Elite water additive keeps cramps at bay and helped keep me hydrated all day long. Even afterward, I never saw any signs of dehydration, so that was a big plus. I had an organic trail mix that I am sure wasn't the culprit, because I didn't start into that stuff until well after Traer. Oh well! Live and learn!

GTDRI '16 Gear Review

That's me in front on the Gen I Fargo. Image by Scott Sumpter

The gear I used during my shortened attempt on the 2016 GTDRI was nearly flawless. I did have a thing or two I wasn't happy about, but I'll get to that in a minute. First, let's talk a little here about a few things that did work.

Clothing: All Summer long I have been experimenting with the wearing of a thin, lightweight wool jersey and a base layer tank top. The reasoning is that I would be more comfortable in the heat. My feeling was that once I had sweat out a synthetic jersey, my cooling capacity was hindered and I would begin to overheat. The conclusion I reached earlier this Summer was that there was definitely something to this.

Saturday wasn't brutally hot, but it was super humid, and the temperature did get well up into the 80's by afternoon. I was warm, for sure, but at no point did I ever feel over-heated, nor did I ever get those throbbing headaches when pushing things hard in the heat, which I have on several occasions before this. I'm still giving this a thumbs up until I prove otherwise. I will say that this garb is 100% more comfortable than anything I've tried before. For bottoms I've stuck with the Garneau bib shorts which also have proven to be a better bib short than any I've tried so far. Socks were Sock Guy, which work okay, and shoes were Shimano three strap Velcro closure mtb shoes that are a few years old at least now. On the head was a Walz cycling cap, and a Trek helmet. Everything was working the way it should have.

The Trusty Gen I Fargo with a couple of concerns in the component department......

There were a lot of things right with the bike, and a couple of concerns. First, the concerns....

I called out the Teravail Sparwoods in my report, and I have to say that in terms of tires for the Fargo, these have by far been the most disappointing ones I have ever used. They squirt gravel sideways, which on the surface is just annoying, but it also pitches the back end of the bike sideways at the most inopportune times. You either lose traction, momentum, or control. Sometimes all three at once. I blame that dratted puncture protection belt, which is so unforgiving that the tread area cannot deal with the quick changing gravel surfaces I ride on here in Iowa. I've tried several air pressure settings and the issues persist. I am confident that the issue is the overly stiff part of the tire, and while these have other fine attributes, I am giving them a thumbs down here.

The second concern is related to the first. Since the Sparwoods were wrenching the bike sideways so often, by the time I got to Traer they had loosened the quick release on the Sun-Ringle' wheels to the point that my rear wheel fell out when I picked up my bike to park it at the Traer convenience store stop! Needless to say, that was alarming. I watched that carefully the rest of my ride, and I had to tighten the QR one other time shortly after Traer. That time I over tightened the skewer. I did not have an issue after this. However; I've never had this happen with that skewer and these wheels in years of usage. Similar or worse conditions with these wheels on this bike have never resulted in a loose QR. I have to point to these Sparwoods and the loose gravel as the culprits at this point. I may be wrong, but I am not waiting to find out. A search for new tires is already underway. In fact I know exactly which tires I want to try next. I may even retire these wheels after that episode.

Image by Josh Lederman

Things that worked perfectly included the suite of bags from Becker Gear, J-Paks, and Bike Bag Dude. The life saver of a handle bar, the Ragley Luxy Bar, long out of production, unfortunately, staved off the left shoulder pain well. The Body Float seat post by Cirrus Cycles is like riding in a Cadillac. Smoooooth. Gold Glitter WTB SST saddle? Yes.

What can I say about the Gen I Fargo that I haven't said before? It is my favorite bike I've ever owned. I've had so many awesome adventures on this bike, and it fits so well. I could never get rid of it. Saturday was another typical "Fargo Adventure Ride" which ranks right up there with the best of the rides I've had on this bike dating all the way back to 2008. Like I have also said many a time- the Fargo Gen I has its flaws, but I have not been ticked off enough- ever- to make any of that a concern anymore. I just accept it as the quirks the bike has. Oh! One thing I noticed over the weekend was how well this fork damps vibrations. It is constantly "working" as you ride, and you can see that. These days forks are so overbuilt that the Fargo Gen I fork is a rare treat to ride on gravel roads.

My nutrition failed me, but I think I tracked it down to too much sugary crap at the Traer stop. I have to watch that. Otherwise, my Elite water additive keeps cramps at bay and helped keep me hydrated all day long. Even afterward, I never saw any signs of dehydration, so that was a big plus. I had an organic trail mix that I am sure wasn't the culprit, because I didn't start into that stuff until well after Traer. Oh well! Live and learn!

#psyck part 4

Secret Testing

Yep.........still sick. It is really frustrating since it gets better, there seems to be light just around the corner, then I wake up with the same symptoms- Mostly sinus related. I'll spare you the gory details....

This has meant that I haven't done much at all with longer rides, and nothing at all this year on gravel. Which pretty much sucks, but I haven't been totally off the bike. I have been doing some fat biking here and there and also some double-secret testing of an accessory item that may be a thing for fat bikers and......well, we'll see. I cannot talk a whole bunch about it, but it is in the image here, so you can probably figure things out from there.

Also quite obvious, it is slop season again. Daytime temperatures are now up to where the snow is melting and causing many sloppy, slushy areas, and of course, puddles. In fact, it may be time to break out the Vaya and use the 45NRTH Gravdal studded tires since those puddles will likely be frozen puddles going into work. Oh yeah........I still plan on riding to work no matter what. Even though I didn't get to ride, or even get out of the house, all weekend.

Tweaking the Gryphon

Since things out on the gravel roads may be messy when I get healthy enough to venture forth, I decided to start in working on the Singular Cycles Gryphon to get it up to snuff to go out and grind some slow miles to gain some fitness back. It didn't need much, but I wasn't completely sold on the ochre colored Brooks I put on it so I switched back up to the original B-17 Green Special, which is old enough now that it looks more like a ripe olive than it does "green". Originally I had put on this cork tape that matched the saddle really well, but now would look garish on there with the patina the saddle has now. Well, fortunately I found this Planet Bike that is a dark green and approximates the level of green in my saddle much better. Once I finally get to riding again, the wearing in of the tape should bring it to match the saddle perfectly.

I tried out the Becker Bike frame bag on it that was really meant to be on my Gen 1 Fargo, but it fits really well on this bike too. I think having the extra cargo space may be a good idea once I get back to going again for the longer rides I have planned.

#psyck part 4

Secret Testing

Yep.........still sick. It is really frustrating since it gets better, there seems to be light just around the corner, then I wake up with the same symptoms- Mostly sinus related. I'll spare you the gory details....

This has meant that I haven't done much at all with longer rides, and nothing at all this year on gravel. Which pretty much sucks, but I haven't been totally off the bike. I have been doing some fat biking here and there and also some double-secret testing of an accessory item that may be a thing for fat bikers and......well, we'll see. I cannot talk a whole bunch about it, but it is in the image here, so you can probably figure things out from there.

Also quite obvious, it is slop season again. Daytime temperatures are now up to where the snow is melting and causing many sloppy, slushy areas, and of course, puddles. In fact, it may be time to break out the Vaya and use the 45NRTH Gravdal studded tires since those puddles will likely be frozen puddles going into work. Oh yeah........I still plan on riding to work no matter what. Even though I didn't get to ride, or even get out of the house, all weekend.

Tweaking the Gryphon

Since things out on the gravel roads may be messy when I get healthy enough to venture forth, I decided to start in working on the Singular Cycles Gryphon to get it up to snuff to go out and grind some slow miles to gain some fitness back. It didn't need much, but I wasn't completely sold on the ochre colored Brooks I put on it so I switched back up to the original B-17 Green Special, which is old enough now that it looks more like a ripe olive than it does "green". Originally I had put on this cork tape that matched the saddle really well, but now would look garish on there with the patina the saddle has now. Well, fortunately I found this Planet Bike that is a dark green and approximates the level of green in my saddle much better. Once I finally get to riding again, the wearing in of the tape should bring it to match the saddle perfectly.

I tried out the Becker Bike frame bag on it that was really meant to be on my Gen 1 Fargo, but it fits really well on this bike too. I think having the extra cargo space may be a good idea once I get back to going again for the longer rides I have planned.

Becker Gear Frame Bag

My Fargo frame bag from Becker Gear

The recent addition of a Becker Gear bag to my Fargo Gen 1 has been an awesome thing to have. I wanted to spend a little time talking about this bag since it has some very different features than my other frame bag does.

First off, it is light enough, but it isn't all about being the lightest bag on the planet. The bag feels beefy in terms of its construction, and that's important to me since it will get abused a bit, (and already has!), so good seams, tough zippers, and stout construction are paramount. I should add that it fits really well, and that leads me to the process of how this bag came to be.

I live in Iowa, and Tupper Becker lives in Fairbanks Alaska. So, how did Tupps get my bag to fit as well as it does when we are thousands of miles apart? I sent him a template of my frame "space", if you will, that's how.

All fitted to the bike and ready to Adventure!

Take yourself a big, flat piece of cardboard, then cut it down to fit snugly inside your main frame triangle, marking where things like cable guides might be, or water bottle bosses are at. I made careful notations right on the cardboard and then sent it to Becker Gear via the post in a bubble wrapped envelope. Tupper Becker then gets this and with his experience and talent, turns this road map into a useable frame bag that fits your bike like a glove.

This one that I have has a main compartment accessible from the drive side of the bike via a big, beefy zipper that pulls open easily and shuts just as easily, even with over sized stuff like size 11 1/2 shoes laying in there.  The other side has a big beefy zipper as well, but this opens a very narrow compartment suitable for things like maps, flat objects, and the like. That's it, but I have found that this cavernous opening and big volume capacity really is nice. The Fargo Gen 1 really makes this work well.

I have to cut back and heal the straps to length and then I want to pack this thing up after which time I will give my thoughts on how this bag fares as an adventure tool for bikepacking or just for utility purposes like commuting and general urban riding, Because you don't have to be a big, back country nutter to have a frame bag, ya know?

More soon.....

Becker Gear Frame Bag

My Fargo frame bag from Becker Gear

The recent addition of a Becker Gear bag to my Fargo Gen 1 has been an awesome thing to have. I wanted to spend a little time talking about this bag since it has some very different features than my other frame bag does.

First off, it is light enough, but it isn't all about being the lightest bag on the planet. The bag feels beefy in terms of its construction, and that's important to me since it will get abused a bit, (and already has!), so good seams, tough zippers, and stout construction are paramount. I should add that it fits really well, and that leads me to the process of how this bag came to be.

I live in Iowa, and Tupper Becker lives in Fairbanks Alaska. So, how did Tupps get my bag to fit as well as it does when we are thousands of miles apart? I sent him a template of my frame "space", if you will, that's how.

All fitted to the bike and ready to Adventure!

Take yourself a big, flat piece of cardboard, then cut it down to fit snugly inside your main frame triangle, marking where things like cable guides might be, or water bottle bosses are at. I made careful notations right on the cardboard and then sent it to Becker Gear via the post in a bubble wrapped envelope. Tupper Becker then gets this and with his experience and talent, turns this road map into a useable frame bag that fits your bike like a glove.

This one that I have has a main compartment accessible from the drive side of the bike via a big, beefy zipper that pulls open easily and shuts just as easily, even with over sized stuff like size 11 1/2 shoes laying in there.  The other side has a big beefy zipper as well, but this opens a very narrow compartment suitable for things like maps, flat objects, and the like. That's it, but I have found that this cavernous opening and big volume capacity really is nice. The Fargo Gen 1 really makes this work well.

I have to cut back and heal the straps to length and then I want to pack this thing up after which time I will give my thoughts on how this bag fares as an adventure tool for bikepacking or just for utility purposes like commuting and general urban riding, Because you don't have to be a big, back country nutter to have a frame bag, ya know?

More soon.....

Friday News And Views

Riding Off Into The Sunset

Last evening I spent time with Brian, a coworker of mine, who is leaving after today to start a new chapter of his life in Minneapolis Minnesota as he is going to attend the University of Minnesota in pursuit of his medical degree.

We started out with a nice ride around on our great bike path system here and afterward there were "adult beverages" consumed, which eventually resulted in the late posting of this edition of "Friday News And Views".

But it was totally worth it.

The shop was filled with laughter and the guys all seemed to have a great time. So missing posting last night so it appeared here "on schedule" isn't a big deal. Not investing time with people? That is a big deal, to me anyway, and I am glad I went.

Good luck in Minnesota, Brian. You'll be missed at the shop!

Very red

Becker Sewing And Design

The Fargo Gen 1 got gussied up the other day when a box showed up bearing a red Becker Sewing & Design frame bag.

Head honch, Tupper Becker, lives up there in Fairbanks Alaska where he does some amazing work for cyclists and mushers. Some of his sled bags are really amazing. His company's motto is "Our gear is tougher than you are", and it probably is, since his designs get tested in some of the world's harshest conditions.

This bag is already field tested as I used it last evening to ferry a sixer of bottled beer to Brian's going away gig. I had room to spare and I look forward to stuffing this bag with actual camping gear and what not for adventures on the Fargo. The Gen 1 Fargo is a good choice for a frame bag, since the frame's main triangle is so big. That's a result of this version not being suspension corrected, which allows for the maximum volume for a frame bag. This one is a bit more voluminous than the bag on my MukTruk, as an example.

But let's say you don't have such a huge main triangle, or that you are a smaller person. Does having a frame bag make any sense? I think so, just look at my son's Mukluk here. That's the XS size and it's got the tiniest frame triangle you'll likely find on most any bike. The frame bag Tupps sewed up for this is amazing in detail and fits the bike great. Yes.........it's tiny, but there is room in there to put stuff in which otherwise would have to go on your back.

I'll be talking more about these bags in detail, but for now I just wanted to show them off and introduce you folks to Becker Sewing and Design which can make you your own bag for your adventures in most any color and configuration you can imagine.

TIMP Update:

As the month of August runs out the TIMP will cease to be anymore. The last scheduled run on the course is an ITT attempt by multiple Trans Iowa finisher and Tour Divide finisher, Mike Johnson. You can follow along with his progress today HERE.

I wish Mike all the best as he rolls across the state. He let me know he plans on doing this in 38 hours, so keep checking back. There will be soft B Maintenance roads and possibly bad weather for Mike to deal with, so it'll be a tough ride, no doubt, possibly made tougher, depending on the weather.

That's a wrap on this late edition of Friday News And Views. Have a safe and enjoyable weekend!

Friday News And Views

Riding Off Into The Sunset

Last evening I spent time with Brian, a coworker of mine, who is leaving after today to start a new chapter of his life in Minneapolis Minnesota as he is going to attend the University of Minnesota in pursuit of his medical degree.

We started out with a nice ride around on our great bike path system here and afterward there were "adult beverages" consumed, which eventually resulted in the late posting of this edition of "Friday News And Views".

But it was totally worth it.

The shop was filled with laughter and the guys all seemed to have a great time. So missing posting last night so it appeared here "on schedule" isn't a big deal. Not investing time with people? That is a big deal, to me anyway, and I am glad I went.

Good luck in Minnesota, Brian. You'll be missed at the shop!

Very red

Becker Sewing And Design

The Fargo Gen 1 got gussied up the other day when a box showed up bearing a red Becker Sewing & Design frame bag.

Head honch, Tupper Becker, lives up there in Fairbanks Alaska where he does some amazing work for cyclists and mushers. Some of his sled bags are really amazing. His company's motto is "Our gear is tougher than you are", and it probably is, since his designs get tested in some of the world's harshest conditions.

This bag is already field tested as I used it last evening to ferry a sixer of bottled beer to Brian's going away gig. I had room to spare and I look forward to stuffing this bag with actual camping gear and what not for adventures on the Fargo. The Gen 1 Fargo is a good choice for a frame bag, since the frame's main triangle is so big. That's a result of this version not being suspension corrected, which allows for the maximum volume for a frame bag. This one is a bit more voluminous than the bag on my MukTruk, as an example.

But let's say you don't have such a huge main triangle, or that you are a smaller person. Does having a frame bag make any sense? I think so, just look at my son's Mukluk here. That's the XS size and it's got the tiniest frame triangle you'll likely find on most any bike. The frame bag Tupps sewed up for this is amazing in detail and fits the bike great. Yes.........it's tiny, but there is room in there to put stuff in which otherwise would have to go on your back.

I'll be talking more about these bags in detail, but for now I just wanted to show them off and introduce you folks to Becker Sewing and Design which can make you your own bag for your adventures in most any color and configuration you can imagine.

TIMP Update:

As the month of August runs out the TIMP will cease to be anymore. The last scheduled run on the course is an ITT attempt by multiple Trans Iowa finisher and Tour Divide finisher, Mike Johnson. You can follow along with his progress today HERE.

I wish Mike all the best as he rolls across the state. He let me know he plans on doing this in 38 hours, so keep checking back. There will be soft B Maintenance roads and possibly bad weather for Mike to deal with, so it'll be a tough ride, no doubt, possibly made tougher, depending on the weather.

That's a wrap on this late edition of Friday News And Views. Have a safe and enjoyable weekend!