Top Ten Recommendos

 Welcome to a top-ten list of cycling items I would heartily recommend for any gravel cycling person out there. This list comprises my choices of the top-ten items I am most impressed with and which I use personally. These represent the things I would tell you to buy if you asked me. 

I should say some of these items were review items which I have continued to use. So, please refer to the Standard Disclaimer for how I view such things.  

I also will be posting a few links to the company websites and in a few cases I will pass along some recent information on discounts and sales I am aware of. You should know II do not have any affiliate links, association with sales/discounts, or any ties whatsoever to promotions these companies are running currently. I have not, and will not ever, monetize Guitar Ted Productions. 

So, let's get into the list. These are listed in no particular order, by the way. I also may have a few extra recommendos along with my choices in certain cases. 

Ergon BT Gravel Handlebar Tape

Handle bar tape is something many of us do not give a lot of thought to beyond color. However; it can enhance your ride to a great degree if you choose your tape carefully. 

I've found from using many different brands of handle bar tape over the past 20 years that Ergon's BT Gravel tape is the best from a ride feel and durability standpoint. 

While it costs a little bit more than some other tapes, this is not a place to 'cheap-out' on since you have your hands here most of your riding time. Why not have the most comfortable tape you can get? At $44.95 USD, it is worth it to protect your hands and get a better ride to boot. 

I will say two negative things about this tape: One- Their color options are limited and will not be everyone's cup of tea. Second - BT Gravel tape is some of the most difficult tape to install I've ever used. So, be sure to have an experienced mechanic put it on for you, or carefully follow Ergon's video instructions if you want to try to install it yourself. 

Despite my reservations, I still would highly recommend this tape as being the best you can get. Plus, Ergon's BT OrthoCell pad accessory can make the BT Gravel tape even more comfortable. 
 

Ergon AllRoad SR Core Comp Saddle

Snub-nosed saddles are the fashion in seating for performance cycling these days. The first saddle of this type I ever tried was Ergon's SR AllRoad Core Comp. Ironically, it is the only snub-nosed saddle I still use!

Ergon uses a center channel design to relieve soft tissue issues and the padding is generous without being too soft or unsupported. This particular model, the SR AllRoad Core Comp, has steel rails, but you can get higher end titanium or carbon railed versions if you want. 

The Core saddle line uses BASF Infinergy padding, which is amazing. It really is different. It probably is the main reason, besides the non-irritating fit, that I keep this saddle on my Noble GX5, where it has been since I received it for a review several years ago.  

This saddle comes in two sizes and runs $154.95 from Ergon's site. You might find it cheaper online. 

I like this saddle as it reduces gravel road vibrations well, plus it doesn't irritate me at all. I know..... Saddles are highly personal items. Not every recommendation will suit some people. This is, unfortunately, a truth and you can only discover what works best for you by some trial and error. I'd recommend getting a sit bone measurement, if possible, and this will help guide your choices.   
 

Redshift Sports ShockStop Stem

Image courtesy of Redshift Sports

Anyone who has read this blog for very long knows I am a big fan and user of Redshift Sports ShockStop stems. 

While many are excited by the prospects for telescopic front forks on gravel bikes, I do not subscribe to the hype. Most "all-road" applications should be focused upon vibration reduction, not the absorption of obstacles as in mountain biking. If this seems wise, then it makes zero sense to have a telescopic front fork with its excessive weight, complexity, and frequent maintenance schedules. Especially when a 'suspension stem', like the ShockStop, does the job for less money, zero maintenance, and in a far better, more efficient way. 

Adding in the tune-ability of the spring rate, the ability to mount the ShockStop on almost any gravel bike, and its far less expensive cost versus a telescopic fork, it is a better choice. All of those things make the ShockStop stem a high value-high performance option. An option which more gravel riders would do well to explore.  Especially now since Redshift is running a sale offering riders 25% off regular prices now through November 17th. 

Redshift Sports also has several other products I'd recommend like their ShockStop seat posts and their awesome pedals. But the ShockStop stem is the product I will not ride without. Check it out if you desire a better ride experience.  

 Redshift Sports Kitchen Sink Handlebar

Flared drop bars are a product of early attempts to make mountain biking more comfortable and controlled. When gravel cycling got going in the mid-2000's, the flared drop bar enjoyed a renaissance of sorts, and they became ubiquitous on most every gravel bicycle you see anymore. 

One of my favorite flared drop bars is the Redshift Sports Kitchen Sink handle bar with the extension on the front. (It is also available without the extension)

The Kitchen Sink has a little riser action going on, a decent amount of flare, but not too much, and the extension can hold the excellent Kitchen Sink Handlebar Bag, which is a great accessory. If you are not a fan of that much flare in your handlebars, there is a Low Flare option for this handlebar as well. 

That's a lot of options for one handlebar model. I'd always choose the regular Kitchen Sink with the extension and bag, but it is great to see Redshift offering variations on the theme. You can also see I have the Cruise Control grips on my Kitchen Sink bar, which I love. Plus, these are all on sale as mentioned above until 11/1725. 
 

Twin Six Thermal Cargo Bib Shorts

Image courtesy of Twin Six

It is getting cooler every day, and the Winter cycling gear is getting drug out of drawers and closets all across the world in the Northern Hemisphere now. One piece of kit I have purchased recently which I have found indispensable is the Twin Six Thermal Cargo Bib Shorts. 

I have been quite impressed with how these fit and feel. The brushed inner fabric is warm, but still will work in temperatures into the 50's. The length of these is perfect, allowing tall socks to create a total barrier to the elements, or you can bare the skin for warmer rides. 

Having "pockets" is amazing. They really are not pockets per se', but you will find them great for putting things in like wrappers from nutrition, gloves, and even thin wallets, which you won't lose even when pedaling along. (Well....I haven't lost anything out of them yet!)

They are not cheap. But when you want gear which feels good while riding, doesn't require stupid detailed care, and holds up, and looks great? The money spent is well worth it. I am happy to have spent my hard earned dollars on these bib knickers. 

Also take the time to check out Twin Six's other gear, like their t-shirts, water bottles, jerseys, and socks, all things I also swear by and use often. 

Mint Socks 

Image courtesy of Mint Socks

Socks are not an item which carries a great deal of importance when it comes to gear reviews or media attention. However; can you imagine a world where all socks were sub-par and you had to wear them? Well, thankfully, that is not the case! Especially when we have Mint Socks to choose from as cyclists. 

Mint is a cyclist-owned, small business whose owner happens to be a female. I like to support such companies, and I can assure you Mint has awesome products as well. 

I don't know how many pairs of Mint socks I have, but I'd be willing to say that Mint has about 1/3rd of my sock drawer filled, and it will continue to rise in "drawer-share" in the future. Why? Because as a cyclist, I can say these socks work really well for on-the-bike and off-the-bike usage. 

Mint changes things up on a fairly regular basis when it comes to colors and models.. They do wool and synthetic blend socks, so you can get socks for year-round use.  They wear like iron, feel great, and launder easily. 

With so many great fashionable choices, high-performance, and small company charm, I cannot recommend these socks highly enough. Check them out next time you need something to cover those bare feet of yours. 

Hand Up Gloves

I  wrote a review on HandUp Gloves which you may have seen recently. But I cannot leave them off this list because I really like their products. 

I mean, ya gotta cover the hands sometimes, and right now the weather pretty much dictates we do this as cyclists. You may as well use a really great glove to do this with. HandUp makes really great gloves for any and all seasons. 

I typically use their Standard (Most days) gloves, but I do also have their cold weather gloves in two weights which I swear by in Winter. 

HandUp gloves come in an array of fashionable colors and patterns, some with goofy sayings on the palms which act as gripper surfaces for your handlebar grips or tape. They are reasonably priced, long-lasting, and come in various styles, some which I did not mention here. So, you are sure to find something which will work for you on their site. 

They also do other apparel, like shirts, shorts, and pants. But I have no experiences with anything else they make, so I cannot speak to those items. I just know the gloves are awesome. Check HandUp out next time you need something to cover those mitts of yours.

 Bike Iowa PogieLites

When the winds howl and the cold creeps in wherever you don't want it, then the pogies come out! No.....they are not little gremlins, but they are like fairings for your hands. They keep the cold winds at bay, and create a little micro-climate inside which keeps your hand warmer. 

The thing is, these can be cumbersome to install, and usually remain on the bike until you get to warmer weather when you take them off. But what about in between weather times when you may see a warm up, or if there is a cold Spring day after you've taken the pogies off for the season?  Or what if it warms up too much for pogies during a ride, or cools off so much you wished you had them?

This is where Iowa-born Pogie Lites come in. They are a non-structured pogie option which does what regular, structured pogies do, but can come off or be put on easily. They are also stashable, because you can roll them up into a size which would fit into a bag, or maybe even jersey pockets.  

Pogie Lites are three-season items you might just find to be worthwhile to have around for better comfort during inclement, or cold spells where your hands might be freezing without them. Also, you may note as well that these pogies still allow you to grip the bars outside of their fabric because the fabric is pliable and compresses under your grip around the handle bar. This comes in handy more than you may think. And yes, you can make them work on some drop bar configurations as well. 

Feedback Sports Workstand

My old Ultimate Repair Stand - Now known as Feedback Sports

Repair stands are indispensable items for anyone who might want to do any sort of maintenance on their bicycle(s). Even if all you do is clean your bicycle or lubricate your chain, it is so much easier done with a repair stand. 

While there are several portable repair stands available for bicycles, the best in class portable repair stand is made by Feedback Sports. 

I purchased my repair stand from this company when they were known as "Ultimate". (You may recall they made stands for Public Address speakers as well.) Now known as Feedback Sports, they offer a wide array of repair stands and other tools and gear for cyclists. 

My repair stand's analog in 2025 would be the Pro Mechanic model. (linked above). While its $425.00 cost may seem prohibitive, my stand is still going after twenty years of service. You should easily be able to squeeze that much out of yours, if you buy one, or more. 

The Pro Mechanic stand has a very well thought out clamp which is easy to use. The stand itself is sturdy, stable, and allows 360° rotation of the bike while you work on it. It is very adjustable for height, making it perfect for family use by adults and children who are old enough to understand how to use the stand and execute good judgement. 

This is an investment into your cycling which will last for literally decades. The fact that a repair stand makes things so much easier makes a choice like this so worth the money spent. 
 

Foundation Elite Tool Kit 

Image courtesy of Jenson USA

If you get a repair stand, and/or you want to do your own maintenance, you should check out this basic tool kit through Jenson USA from their Foundation series of tools. The Foundation Elite Tool Kit has all the essentials to get you started on doing basic tasks on your bicycle maintenance list. 

I can vouch for how well these tools work since I chose this kit for a remote tool kit at the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective. It has tools which other company's kits have at one third the price. Yet these tools work as well or better than tools found in those more expensive tool kits. 

We have groups come in to tear down bicycles we are sending in for scrap and to harvest parts from. Those volunteers often use some of the tools in this kit. If those tools can hold up to usage from unskilled, (mostly), ham-fisted folks, then I think I am okay with recommending them to my readers. 

With a sub-100 dollar price, you won't go wrong, and assembling this kit with its own tool box separately would cost well over the asking price. It is a great value for the beginner mechanic or casual maintenance person. 

________________________________________________________________________

And there you have it! My Top-Ten Recommendations for anyone who might ask me what I would do for cycling gear.  Of course, I have more than ten things I'd recommend, but that would not fit the "Top Ten" thing now, would it? No. 

If you found this useful, let me know in the comments. If you would like to see more posts like this, also, let me know in the comments. Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Pogie Lites: Update

So, here I am using some lighter gloves and the Pogie Lites in pretty cold temps.

Not long ago I did a review here on Pogie Lites. (See HERE) Now this was before we had any "real Winter" going on here. So, recently during a ride to work I thought I should do an update, because obviously, we have had some pretty cold temperatures here of late with plenty of wind to go along with that.

I think I've fine tuned the Pogie Lite set up for Winter that works for me. Notice, I said, "...for me." This may not work at all for you or anyone else, so you will have to think the following information through and filter it for your own needs.

Okay, with that said, my thoughts were that with the Pogie Lites, I may have to use a bit beefier glove underneath to provide the right of warmth for my hands. So on a pretty cold day, (single digits) with a decent amount of wind, I rode with my heavier Seal Skinz gloves. I found out pretty quickly that was too much glove. The lack of any wind getting through the Pogie Lites meant my hands easily over-heated inside those gloves.

So, I switched to using a pair of lighter Seal Skinz gloves I have. Now on their own, I might get away with riding with these in the 20's and light to no wind. Maybe. However; with Pogie Lites I almost get too warm in the single digits with these gloves on. It's really easy to get a sweat on, even with sub-zero wind chills. So, I ended up loosening up the cinched up end, (the side facing the stem) of the Pogie Lites to allow a bit of flow through in regard to air. This pretty much solved my issues with sweating out and now I can easily ride in difficult conditions, (read- sky high heart rates), and for as long as I want without getting too hot and without getting even the least bit cold.

The Pogie Lites are now an indispensable part of my Winter kit.

This has proven to be a pretty cool set up since the Seal Skinz gloves I am using, (seen above), are allowing enough dexterity that I can easily adjust other items of clothing, and get into pockets, etc, without having to "de-glove" to do things.

I wanted also to reiterate how the Pogie Lites are easy to get into and out of. This wasn't the case with my old pogies, and try pushing back any other style of pogie. You cannot do that. Nor can you operate your controls outside of other normal pogies. You can with Pogie Lites. To my mind, since they seem to work for me in as cold a temperatures as I will want to ride in, why buy anything else? 

 I just cannot think of a good reason to use another pogie now. I'll admit, I thought maybe deep Winter cold would preclude my use of Pogie Lites, and I was completely at ease with that thought. However; it simply was wrong thinking on my part. In fact, if it were a situation where it got below zero for the ambient temperature, I would switch to my heavier Seal Skinz gloves and still use Pogie Lites.

Now for the disclaimers: My hands are generally warm anyway. In fact, I sometimes can ride bare handed in sub-freezing temperatures if it isn't windy. (Not often, but still.....) So, I have what I would call "warm hands" generally speaking. Many folks hands are freezing at 40°F, so I get it if you think this sounds like rubbish. Just adjust this review accordingly for how it is your hands generally are.

Also, I will again reiterate that Bike Iowa sent me this pair of Pogie Lites at no charge for review. They weren't expecting this update, or did they even know about it beforehand, so this is purely just my take on these things. I genuinely like them and they work for me. Again- this may not be something that works for you. 

Pogie Lites: Update

So, here I am using some lighter gloves and the Pogie Lites in pretty cold temps.

Not long ago I did a review here on Pogie Lites. (See HERE) Now this was before we had any "real Winter" going on here. So, recently during a ride to work I thought I should do an update, because obviously, we have had some pretty cold temperatures here of late with plenty of wind to go along with that.

I think I've fine tuned the Pogie Lite set up for Winter that works for me. Notice, I said, "...for me." This may not work at all for you or anyone else, so you will have to think the following information through and filter it for your own needs.

Okay, with that said, my thoughts were that with the Pogie Lites, I may have to use a bit beefier glove underneath to provide the right of warmth for my hands. So on a pretty cold day, (single digits) with a decent amount of wind, I rode with my heavier Seal Skinz gloves. I found out pretty quickly that was too much glove. The lack of any wind getting through the Pogie Lites meant my hands easily over-heated inside those gloves.

So, I switched to using a pair of lighter Seal Skinz gloves I have. Now on their own, I might get away with riding with these in the 20's and light to no wind. Maybe. However; with Pogie Lites I almost get too warm in the single digits with these gloves on. It's really easy to get a sweat on, even with sub-zero wind chills. So, I ended up loosening up the cinched up end, (the side facing the stem) of the Pogie Lites to allow a bit of flow through in regard to air. This pretty much solved my issues with sweating out and now I can easily ride in difficult conditions, (read- sky high heart rates), and for as long as I want without getting too hot and without getting even the least bit cold.

The Pogie Lites are now an indispensable part of my Winter kit.

This has proven to be a pretty cool set up since the Seal Skinz gloves I am using, (seen above), are allowing enough dexterity that I can easily adjust other items of clothing, and get into pockets, etc, without having to "de-glove" to do things.

I wanted also to reiterate how the Pogie Lites are easy to get into and out of. This wasn't the case with my old pogies, and try pushing back any other style of pogie. You cannot do that. Nor can you operate your controls outside of other normal pogies. You can with Pogie Lites. To my mind, since they seem to work for me in as cold a temperatures as I will want to ride in, why buy anything else? 

 I just cannot think of a good reason to use another pogie now. I'll admit, I thought maybe deep Winter cold would preclude my use of Pogie Lites, and I was completely at ease with that thought. However; it simply was wrong thinking on my part. In fact, if it were a situation where it got below zero for the ambient temperature, I would switch to my heavier Seal Skinz gloves and still use Pogie Lites.

Now for the disclaimers: My hands are generally warm anyway. In fact, I sometimes can ride bare handed in sub-freezing temperatures if it isn't windy. (Not often, but still.....) So, I have what I would call "warm hands" generally speaking. Many folks hands are freezing at 40°F, so I get it if you think this sounds like rubbish. Just adjust this review accordingly for how it is your hands generally are.

Also, I will again reiterate that Bike Iowa sent me this pair of Pogie Lites at no charge for review. They weren't expecting this update, or did they even know about it beforehand, so this is purely just my take on these things. I genuinely like them and they work for me. Again- this may not be something that works for you. 

Iowa Gravel Expo/Bike Party v2 Report

Schwag table at the Iowa Gravel Expo/Bike Party

Last year N.Y.Roll and I put on what N.Y.Roll dubbed as the "Iowa Gravel Expo/Bike Party". I was asked to help promote and facilitate it as the speaker. Our focus was to bring a light to the gravel scene and shine that also on beginners, or what we sometimes call "gravel curious folk", who wonder about gravel riding and if it is for them.

I figured it was only going to attract a few locals. If we got 35 people, or so I thought, it would be considered a success. Now, I have to say that N.Y. Roll thought it would be much better attended than that and in the end, he was right. We had standing room only and something like 85+ people up there!

So, with such an attendance and enthusiastic response afterward, we planned on doing the Expo again the following year. This attendance issue brought N.Y. Roll and I a lot of concern, and we were constantly bouncing ideas off one another for months leading up to the next Expo. Possibilities such as having vendors, maybe some media, and of course, a bigger venue than we had for "Year One". However; in our efforts to keep the event local, we were met with several road blocks.

Things like parking, alcohol serving limitations, how to cater food, space costs, and location of venues all were huge roadblocks for our event as we had meager resources for such big plans. To be sure, Cedar Valley Cyclists and Europa Cycle & Ski, both financial supporters in our efforts, plus our first year and eventual second year host, Doughy Joey's Peetza Joynt, are to be commended for stepping up to the plate and helping us. Without them, nothing would have happened, but the resources we had, as wonderful as they were, didn't have the horsepower to launch the event to the levels we were thinking.

Attendees were treated to free Doughy Joey's Peetza courtesy of our sponsors.

In the end, the attendance issue really became our perceived biggest problem and the one that kind of has pushed us toward a new idea for this event going forward. That will be discussed later. The end result was that we came up with the idea to have two sessions and to kind of corral people into choosing one or the other to attend and we ran with that. This allowed us to use the same venue and its benefits. It ended up working out really well with comfortable amounts of room for everyone in both sessions. Had we run one session as we did our first year, the room wouldn't have held everyone that attended this year. Blame that on fire codes. It is what it is.

So, we had eleven presenters, some from first time events, and all are Iowa based events. We had BikeIowa.com, one of our sponsors, who sell the Pogie Lites I reviewed, and have a great calendar of Iowa based gravel events on their site as well. We also had a great presentation by Andrea Cohen of the Gravel Scouts. Both sessions were well received by attendees and everything went pretty smoothly. We had some nice schwag handouts with cool stickers, chain lube samples from DuMonde Tech, and slap koozies from Bike Iowa.

Doughy Joey's staff kept the pies coming and the beer flowing and accomplished all that smoothly and unobtrusively. The venue was excellent in that way. I think we maybe could have used a small P.A., but that would have brought it's own issues and we would have had a different set of problems there since the upper room we used isn't sealed off from the remainder of the public space there. All in all, it was the best it could have been. N.Y. Roll and I are grateful to the staff and owners of Doughy Joey's for allowing us the opportunity to put the event on.

Dan from the Snaggy Ridge 105 telling us how the gravel based event has affected Tipton, Iowa.

The takeaways I gathered from this Expo were many. I learned more about how gravel cycling events are benefiting small towns like Tipton, Alden, and Lynville, Iowa. I learned how initiatives to promote healthy living are affecting people in Grinnell, the Iowa City area, and Alden Iowa and this from gravel based events and organizations. I saw event directors with a lot of experience rubbing shoulders with inexperienced directors and LOTS of shared information was dispersed during the Expo. We also hosted Mark Wyatt of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, and his ideas along with those of Scott Sumpter of Bike Iowa are going to help shape what the Expo will become in the future.

Which brings me back to the point I alluded to earlier. The point about attendance. On one hand, we cannot really facilitate more people using the venue we have used. It is limited and we understand that. The event has potential to help more cyclists and event directors. It has the potential to help civic organizations and local governments to promote rural Iowa. The event has growth potential in terms of businesses involved in cycling and gravel cycling in particular. The potential is not going to be realized where we are now, so things must change to get this event where it has the potential to go.

What will that look like? Well, I cannot say for certain. We heard a lot of ideas, and there has to be more people brought into this to help guide the future of the Iowa Gravel Expo. One thing is for sure, maybe two- That is that Waterloo/Cedar Falls is probably not where the event will end up, although there is one idea floated out there which would make the event "multi-centered", so to speak. The other thing is that N.Y. Roll's and my guidance in this event is not enough, and has the distinct possibility of ending. It's something that has to be on the table for this idea to grow, and in my opinion, the idea is too good to be limited by my and N.Y. Roll's limited resources.

In the meantime, what N.Y. Roll and I have started is a success. We think, and many others do as well, that it is an awesome concept that has great potential. I know that I will be involved in the short term, at the least, in where the event goes from this point.

THANK YOU: Sponsors- Europa Cycle & Ski, Cedar Valley Cyclists, Dave Roll, Riding Gravel, Bike Iowa, Doughy Joey's Peetza Joynt, Andrea Cohen/Gravel Scouts, Scott Sumpter/Pogie Lites, The Event Directors, DuMonde Tech, Mark Wyatt/Iowa Bicycle Coalition, and most importantly- all the attendees who came to learn more about Iowa based gravel events!

Iowa Gravel Expo/Bike Party v2 Report

Schwag table at the Iowa Gravel Expo/Bike Party

Last year N.Y.Roll and I put on what N.Y.Roll dubbed as the "Iowa Gravel Expo/Bike Party". I was asked to help promote and facilitate it as the speaker. Our focus was to bring a light to the gravel scene and shine that also on beginners, or what we sometimes call "gravel curious folk", who wonder about gravel riding and if it is for them.

I figured it was only going to attract a few locals. If we got 35 people, or so I thought, it would be considered a success. Now, I have to say that N.Y. Roll thought it would be much better attended than that and in the end, he was right. We had standing room only and something like 85+ people up there!

So, with such an attendance and enthusiastic response afterward, we planned on doing the Expo again the following year. This attendance issue brought N.Y. Roll and I a lot of concern, and we were constantly bouncing ideas off one another for months leading up to the next Expo. Possibilities such as having vendors, maybe some media, and of course, a bigger venue than we had for "Year One". However; in our efforts to keep the event local, we were met with several road blocks.

Things like parking, alcohol serving limitations, how to cater food, space costs, and location of venues all were huge roadblocks for our event as we had meager resources for such big plans. To be sure, Cedar Valley Cyclists and Europa Cycle & Ski, both financial supporters in our efforts, plus our first year and eventual second year host, Doughy Joey's Peetza Joynt, are to be commended for stepping up to the plate and helping us. Without them, nothing would have happened, but the resources we had, as wonderful as they were, didn't have the horsepower to launch the event to the levels we were thinking.

Attendees were treated to free Doughy Joey's Peetza courtesy of our sponsors.

In the end, the attendance issue really became our perceived biggest problem and the one that kind of has pushed us toward a new idea for this event going forward. That will be discussed later. The end result was that we came up with the idea to have two sessions and to kind of corral people into choosing one or the other to attend and we ran with that. This allowed us to use the same venue and its benefits. It ended up working out really well with comfortable amounts of room for everyone in both sessions. Had we run one session as we did our first year, the room wouldn't have held everyone that attended this year. Blame that on fire codes. It is what it is.

So, we had eleven presenters, some from first time events, and all are Iowa based events. We had BikeIowa.com, one of our sponsors, who sell the Pogie Lites I reviewed, and have a great calendar of Iowa based gravel events on their site as well. We also had a great presentation by Andrea Cohen of the Gravel Scouts. Both sessions were well received by attendees and everything went pretty smoothly. We had some nice schwag handouts with cool stickers, chain lube samples from DuMonde Tech, and slap koozies from Bike Iowa.

Doughy Joey's staff kept the pies coming and the beer flowing and accomplished all that smoothly and unobtrusively. The venue was excellent in that way. I think we maybe could have used a small P.A., but that would have brought it's own issues and we would have had a different set of problems there since the upper room we used isn't sealed off from the remainder of the public space there. All in all, it was the best it could have been. N.Y. Roll and I are grateful to the staff and owners of Doughy Joey's for allowing us the opportunity to put the event on.

Dan from the Snaggy Ridge 105 telling us how the gravel based event has affected Tipton, Iowa.

The takeaways I gathered from this Expo were many. I learned more about how gravel cycling events are benefiting small towns like Tipton, Alden, and Lynville, Iowa. I learned how initiatives to promote healthy living are affecting people in Grinnell, the Iowa City area, and Alden Iowa and this from gravel based events and organizations. I saw event directors with a lot of experience rubbing shoulders with inexperienced directors and LOTS of shared information was dispersed during the Expo. We also hosted Mark Wyatt of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, and his ideas along with those of Scott Sumpter of Bike Iowa are going to help shape what the Expo will become in the future.

Which brings me back to the point I alluded to earlier. The point about attendance. On one hand, we cannot really facilitate more people using the venue we have used. It is limited and we understand that. The event has potential to help more cyclists and event directors. It has the potential to help civic organizations and local governments to promote rural Iowa. The event has growth potential in terms of businesses involved in cycling and gravel cycling in particular. The potential is not going to be realized where we are now, so things must change to get this event where it has the potential to go.

What will that look like? Well, I cannot say for certain. We heard a lot of ideas, and there has to be more people brought into this to help guide the future of the Iowa Gravel Expo. One thing is for sure, maybe two- That is that Waterloo/Cedar Falls is probably not where the event will end up, although there is one idea floated out there which would make the event "multi-centered", so to speak. The other thing is that N.Y. Roll's and my guidance in this event is not enough, and has the distinct possibility of ending. It's something that has to be on the table for this idea to grow, and in my opinion, the idea is too good to be limited by my and N.Y. Roll's limited resources.

In the meantime, what N.Y. Roll and I have started is a success. We think, and many others do as well, that it is an awesome concept that has great potential. I know that I will be involved in the short term, at the least, in where the event goes from this point.

THANK YOU: Sponsors- Europa Cycle & Ski, Cedar Valley Cyclists, Dave Roll, Riding Gravel, Bike Iowa, Doughy Joey's Peetza Joynt, Andrea Cohen/Gravel Scouts, Scott Sumpter/Pogie Lites, The Event Directors, DuMonde Tech, Mark Wyatt/Iowa Bicycle Coalition, and most importantly- all the attendees who came to learn more about Iowa based gravel events!

Bike Iowa Pogie Lites Reviewed

A while back I mentioned that the good folks behind Bike Iowa had sent me some of their Pogie Lites. These are basically loosely based on the traditional "pogie", or handle bar covering, which keeps wind and weather off your hands to aid in keeping warm and dry. If you care to know the origins of this sort of product, Neil Beltchenko wrote a bit about the history of this product for Bikepacker.com and you can read that HERE.

Pogies for cycling have become big, stiffer, and somewhat unwieldy in some cases, making them useful only in special situations. Bike Iowa's Scott Sumpter saw this and sought to make a pogie that would be useful in other situations than Arctic type weather. A pogie that was more wide ranging in use, one that wouldn't be cumbersome to remove during a ride, or install during a ride. A pogie for four seasons and not just for flat bar equipped bicycles. Scott had a tall order, but now offers the solution he came up with called Pogie Lites.

Made in "Central Iowa", the $75.00 Pogie Lites are shaped much like traditional pogies with a cinch strap made of webbing which is on the end with the "Bike Iowa" logo. This end goes over your controls and cinches down on your handle bar. The other opening, the wider one, has a structure sewn inside, (a wire, I'm guessing) which keeps the opening, well.......open. This is important for ingress and egress for your hands during riding. This end also features a corded closure with a toggle to tighten the cord down around your wrist. This is similar in nature to what you'd find on most sporting outerwear jackets.

Pogie Lites on my flat bar Ti Mukluk

Bike Iowa claims these light weight pogies fit flat bars, drop bars, or the unusual Jones Bar, of which I have examples of all three here. First up we have a traditional flat bar set up here. I used my Ti Mukluk with the Pogie Lites.

They are super easy to install. The strap on the handle bar is easily loosened to get over the controls and easily tightened to seal out cold winds and weather. The extra strapping can be lodged in the hook and through a loop sewn into the collar. I was impressed with how quickly this all went.

The structure which holds the other end open allows you to sneak your hand in and draw up the pogie over your hand. There is a bit of a learning curve to this part, but once you get the hang of it, one handed operation is easy while the other hand is on the handle bar. While riding it is easy to pull out your hand for any reason and replace it again inside of the pogie. I have to say that you become painfully aware of how often you actually do this when you get pogies of any sort. Kind of like when you start out on a fixed gear bicycle, you are reminded how much of the time you are coasting. Anyway.....

Pogie Lites live up to their name in several ways. First off, they weigh about 3 ounces. The are made of a lightweight material, although it isn't specified on their website what it is exactly. The material is very flexible and that's where the magic of these comes in at. This lightweight, flexible material allows for a few things that typical pogies for cycling do not. One is how you can operate your bicycle's controls from outside the pogie. So, for instance, let's say that you removed your hand to swipe that pesky bit of mucus dangling from your nostril and suddenly you need to brake. You can by grasping the lever from the outside of the pogie. You simply just smash the fabric around the lever and squeeze as you would anyway. It isn't ideal, obviously, but in a pinch, yeah.....it'll work. 

The Pogie Lite on drop bars

This was very evident when I put the Pogie Lites on a set of drop bars so I could use the drops primarily. You can also put them on in the "opposite direction" so your hands would be in a primarily hoods position. But as I had them oriented, I could withdraw my hand from within the Pogie Lite and set my hands on the hoods. I could use the levers for braking and shifting, despite the fact they were covered up. Obviously, you could do this with them oriented in the other position as well, but I haven't tried them that way yet.

I also put the Pogie Lites on my Blackborow DS fat bike which has Jones carbon H-Bars. The Pogie Lites fit these bars very well and in the end, I think they actually worked the best with Jones Bars. But that was only by a slight amount. They really work great on about any bar. Well, just about any bar........

I will say that putting these on the drop bars was a challenge in the way I did it since the smaller end has to go on first, and it has to pass over the brake lever and hood. Some of these brakes with knobby hood protrusions, like SRAM Hydro levers, probably won't fit the Pogie Lites the way I had them oriented. That's only a guess right now though. We have a bike at the shop I should check this out with, but the Pogie Lites barely cleared the hoods on the Sora levers on the Breezer RADAR Expert. Obviously, they probably would be a no-go on levers with side exiting derailleur cables too. I doubt I'd like these on a Gevenalle equipped rig either. Finally, I could see where some folks just wouldn't "get it" when it comes to these as well. Like I said, there is a bit of skill involved in getting on with them and some folks just can't be arsed to figure things out. That's fine.

As far as comfort went, I kept the wind off my hands easily with the Pogie Lites. Therefore my hands were warmer. I didn't use my heavy gloves, but since the Pogie Lites are not insulated at all, I did wear some insulated gloves when I rode with temperatures varying from the teens to the 30's.

The Pogie Lites are really easy to install and remove, plus they are really very packable. You could fold them carefully and stuff them in a jersey pocket easily. Obviously there are a lot of places these could be stowed. I can see just having them along for almost any cool to cold ride in the country, for varied weather commutes, or for fat biking anytime unless it is really crazy windy, way below zero, or both. If that's the case, an insulated pogie is probably the best bet.

In the end, I think this is a very interesting, very useful product that gravel riders, commuters, racers, bike packers, or anyone that wants a bit of comfort in their cycling could make use of. It is a simple product, durable, and easy to take care of. Plus, it is made in the USA by some pretty cool folks I happen to know. That doesn't make Pogie Lites better, it's just icing on the cake, so to speak. Anyway, these are highly recommended. I like 'em.

 Note: I was sent the Pogie Lites for test and review at no charge by Bike Iowa. I was not paid, nor bribed for this review, and I always strive to give my honest thoughts and opinions throughout.

Bike Iowa Pogie Lites Reviewed

A while back I mentioned that the good folks behind Bike Iowa had sent me some of their Pogie Lites. These are basically loosely based on the traditional "pogie", or handle bar covering, which keeps wind and weather off your hands to aid in keeping warm and dry. If you care to know the origins of this sort of product, Neil Beltchenko wrote a bit about the history of this product for Bikepacker.com and you can read that HERE.

Pogies for cycling have become big, stiffer, and somewhat unwieldy in some cases, making them useful only in special situations. Bike Iowa's Scott Sumpter saw this and sought to make a pogie that would be useful in other situations than Arctic type weather. A pogie that was more wide ranging in use, one that wouldn't be cumbersome to remove during a ride, or install during a ride. A pogie for four seasons and not just for flat bar equipped bicycles. Scott had a tall order, but now offers the solution he came up with called Pogie Lites.

Made in "Central Iowa", the $75.00 Pogie Lites are shaped much like traditional pogies with a cinch strap made of webbing which is on the end with the "Bike Iowa" logo. This end goes over your controls and cinches down on your handle bar. The other opening, the wider one, has a structure sewn inside, (a wire, I'm guessing) which keeps the opening, well.......open. This is important for ingress and egress for your hands during riding. This end also features a corded closure with a toggle to tighten the cord down around your wrist. This is similar in nature to what you'd find on most sporting outerwear jackets.

Pogie Lites on my flat bar Ti Mukluk

Bike Iowa claims these light weight pogies fit flat bars, drop bars, or the unusual Jones Bar, of which I have examples of all three here. First up we have a traditional flat bar set up here. I used my Ti Mukluk with the Pogie Lites.

They are super easy to install. The strap on the handle bar is easily loosened to get over the controls and easily tightened to seal out cold winds and weather. The extra strapping can be lodged in the hook and through a loop sewn into the collar. I was impressed with how quickly this all went.

The structure which holds the other end open allows you to sneak your hand in and draw up the pogie over your hand. There is a bit of a learning curve to this part, but once you get the hang of it, one handed operation is easy while the other hand is on the handle bar. While riding it is easy to pull out your hand for any reason and replace it again inside of the pogie. I have to say that you become painfully aware of how often you actually do this when you get pogies of any sort. Kind of like when you start out on a fixed gear bicycle, you are reminded how much of the time you are coasting. Anyway.....

Pogie Lites live up to their name in several ways. First off, they weigh about 3 ounces. The are made of a lightweight material, although it isn't specified on their website what it is exactly. The material is very flexible and that's where the magic of these comes in at. This lightweight, flexible material allows for a few things that typical pogies for cycling do not. One is how you can operate your bicycle's controls from outside the pogie. So, for instance, let's say that you removed your hand to swipe that pesky bit of mucus dangling from your nostril and suddenly you need to brake. You can by grasping the lever from the outside of the pogie. You simply just smash the fabric around the lever and squeeze as you would anyway. It isn't ideal, obviously, but in a pinch, yeah.....it'll work. 

The Pogie Lite on drop bars

This was very evident when I put the Pogie Lites on a set of drop bars so I could use the drops primarily. You can also put them on in the "opposite direction" so your hands would be in a primarily hoods position. But as I had them oriented, I could withdraw my hand from within the Pogie Lite and set my hands on the hoods. I could use the levers for braking and shifting, despite the fact they were covered up. Obviously, you could do this with them oriented in the other position as well, but I haven't tried them that way yet.

I also put the Pogie Lites on my Blackborow DS fat bike which has Jones carbon H-Bars. The Pogie Lites fit these bars very well and in the end, I think they actually worked the best with Jones Bars. But that was only by a slight amount. They really work great on about any bar. Well, just about any bar........

I will say that putting these on the drop bars was a challenge in the way I did it since the smaller end has to go on first, and it has to pass over the brake lever and hood. Some of these brakes with knobby hood protrusions, like SRAM Hydro levers, probably won't fit the Pogie Lites the way I had them oriented. That's only a guess right now though. We have a bike at the shop I should check this out with, but the Pogie Lites barely cleared the hoods on the Sora levers on the Breezer RADAR Expert. Obviously, they probably would be a no-go on levers with side exiting derailleur cables too. I doubt I'd like these on a Gevenalle equipped rig either. Finally, I could see where some folks just wouldn't "get it" when it comes to these as well. Like I said, there is a bit of skill involved in getting on with them and some folks just can't be arsed to figure things out. That's fine.

As far as comfort went, I kept the wind off my hands easily with the Pogie Lites. Therefore my hands were warmer. I didn't use my heavy gloves, but since the Pogie Lites are not insulated at all, I did wear some insulated gloves when I rode with temperatures varying from the teens to the 30's.

The Pogie Lites are really easy to install and remove, plus they are really very packable. You could fold them carefully and stuff them in a jersey pocket easily. Obviously there are a lot of places these could be stowed. I can see just having them along for almost any cool to cold ride in the country, for varied weather commutes, or for fat biking anytime unless it is really crazy windy, way below zero, or both. If that's the case, an insulated pogie is probably the best bet.

In the end, I think this is a very interesting, very useful product that gravel riders, commuters, racers, bike packers, or anyone that wants a bit of comfort in their cycling could make use of. It is a simple product, durable, and easy to take care of. Plus, it is made in the USA by some pretty cool folks I happen to know. That doesn't make Pogie Lites better, it's just icing on the cake, so to speak. Anyway, these are highly recommended. I like 'em.

 Note: I was sent the Pogie Lites for test and review at no charge by Bike Iowa. I was not paid, nor bribed for this review, and I always strive to give my honest thoughts and opinions throughout.

Friday News And Views

The new Donnelly "EMP" gravel tire

Look Out Kansas! Another Tire Has Been Influenced By You!

First there was the "Official Tire of Dirty Kansas", the Teravail Cannonball. (remember that?) Then there was the Flintridge Pro, another tire from Kenda Tires which was influenced by the Dirty Kanza 200. Now you can add another tire which has taken its cues from the flinty roads around Emporia, Kansas.

Donnelly's Donn Kellogg had told me about a new tire which would be named after Emporia's airport code, (that's how all Donnelly tires are named, by three letter airport codes) and here it is, the "EMP". It is supposed to be Donnelly's "most aggressive gravel road tire". It'll be out right around now in a 700c X 38mm size and next Spring in a 700c X 45mm size. Tubeless and folding beads at $72.00 and $47.00 respectively. No word on a 650B variant or skin walls. (Boo!)

This sounded like a good time, so I signed up.

Signing On:

Over the past weekend I signed up for two events that are happening next year. The first is the brand new Prairie Burn 100 which is happening in Grinnell, Iowa on June 8th, 2019. That's a week after the Dirty Kanza 200, in case you were wondering.

The Prairie Burn is going to be a loop format/lap type event. Non-competitive too. You just go out for a ride on 25-ish mile loops which all bring you back into Grinnell so if you want to stop after, 25, 50 miles, well, you can. Music and food with beverages of different sorts will also be going down at the same time in the city park. I plan on riding a single speed, so we will see how that goes!

The other event I signed up for is Gravel Worlds which will happen on August 17th. Of course, if you have been following this blog at all, you already know what I think about Gravel Worlds. The big deal this year is that Gravel Worlds is in its tenth year, so that's a big deal and I wanted to be a part of that. So far as I know now, I will contest that one on the "Bubblegum Princess". But that's nine months from now. Who knows what might happen......

Four season pogies?

Bike Iowa Pogie Lites:

First off, if you haven't checked out BikeIowa.com and you are a cyclist in Iowa or close to this state, what the heck are you doing? All the pertinent cycling news, events, and more is there for this state. Check it out.

Bike Iowa's own Scott Sumpter helped design,  test, and manufacture these new handle bar accessory items called "Pogie Lites".  They are coverings which are supremely versatile. Tested in the worst of conditions at Trans Iowa, Land Run 100, Winter events, and more, these items are refined and ready to help riders get more riding in under adverse conditions.

Scott and his partner, Jess, make these and sell them direct, or at select bike shops. I was sent a pair to test and review for here and RidingGravel.com. (Read about disclaimer below) I've been very intrigued by this product and have watched as Scott and Jess have tweaked out the design. The Pogie Lites are wind-proof, water resistant, and will fit on drop bars, staright bars, and Jones Bars. Whatta ya know! I have all of those!

So, be on the lookout for my thoughts on this product here and at Riding Gravel. I suspect they will prove to be a valuable asset for cold weather riding, which is what we have on tap now. I'll also say up front that I am not a big fan of traditional pogies as seen on fat bikes. For me, they just get in the way, and they are bulky, clunky things. I know many of you would never consider riding without them. I get it, as I have some traditional pogies and I have ridden with them. I'll definitely be doing a compare and contrast between the two types.

And Now For A Public Announcement: You've often seen my disclaimers- The "gloppy dollops of my opinion", the "I bought this with my own damn money", or the "I received this from XYZ for test and review at no charge. I will strive to give my honest thoughts and opinions throughout".

Well, I have recently learned about how You Tubers are being paid by companies to receive products in return for positive reviews, mentions, and in some cases, to denigrate competitors products. I thought that was super crazy. I also am probably naive, behind the times, and not very smart. Anyway, I was sent an e-mail by a company just the other evening about a CBD product with a proposal that would include my receiving said product free and being paid in return for a review.

I flatly refuse to ever do such a thing for anybody. 

Just so you know.

Have a great weekend!

Friday News And Views

The new Donnelly "EMP" gravel tire

Look Out Kansas! Another Tire Has Been Influenced By You!

First there was the "Official Tire of Dirty Kansas", the Teravail Cannonball. (remember that?) Then there was the Flintridge Pro, another tire from Kenda Tires which was influenced by the Dirty Kanza 200. Now you can add another tire which has taken its cues from the flinty roads around Emporia, Kansas.

Donnelly's Donn Kellogg had told me about a new tire which would be named after Emporia's airport code, (that's how all Donnelly tires are named, by three letter airport codes) and here it is, the "EMP". It is supposed to be Donnelly's "most aggressive gravel road tire". It'll be out right around now in a 700c X 38mm size and next Spring in a 700c X 45mm size. Tubeless and folding beads at $72.00 and $47.00 respectively. No word on a 650B variant or skin walls. (Boo!)

This sounded like a good time, so I signed up.

Signing On:

Over the past weekend I signed up for two events that are happening next year. The first is the brand new Prairie Burn 100 which is happening in Grinnell, Iowa on June 8th, 2019. That's a week after the Dirty Kanza 200, in case you were wondering.

The Prairie Burn is going to be a loop format/lap type event. Non-competitive too. You just go out for a ride on 25-ish mile loops which all bring you back into Grinnell so if you want to stop after, 25, 50 miles, well, you can. Music and food with beverages of different sorts will also be going down at the same time in the city park. I plan on riding a single speed, so we will see how that goes!

The other event I signed up for is Gravel Worlds which will happen on August 17th. Of course, if you have been following this blog at all, you already know what I think about Gravel Worlds. The big deal this year is that Gravel Worlds is in its tenth year, so that's a big deal and I wanted to be a part of that. So far as I know now, I will contest that one on the "Bubblegum Princess". But that's nine months from now. Who knows what might happen......

Four season pogies?

Bike Iowa Pogie Lites:

First off, if you haven't checked out BikeIowa.com and you are a cyclist in Iowa or close to this state, what the heck are you doing? All the pertinent cycling news, events, and more is there for this state. Check it out.

Bike Iowa's own Scott Sumpter helped design,  test, and manufacture these new handle bar accessory items called "Pogie Lites".  They are coverings which are supremely versatile. Tested in the worst of conditions at Trans Iowa, Land Run 100, Winter events, and more, these items are refined and ready to help riders get more riding in under adverse conditions.

Scott and his partner, Jess, make these and sell them direct, or at select bike shops. I was sent a pair to test and review for here and RidingGravel.com. (Read about disclaimer below) I've been very intrigued by this product and have watched as Scott and Jess have tweaked out the design. The Pogie Lites are wind-proof, water resistant, and will fit on drop bars, staright bars, and Jones Bars. Whatta ya know! I have all of those!

So, be on the lookout for my thoughts on this product here and at Riding Gravel. I suspect they will prove to be a valuable asset for cold weather riding, which is what we have on tap now. I'll also say up front that I am not a big fan of traditional pogies as seen on fat bikes. For me, they just get in the way, and they are bulky, clunky things. I know many of you would never consider riding without them. I get it, as I have some traditional pogies and I have ridden with them. I'll definitely be doing a compare and contrast between the two types.

And Now For A Public Announcement: You've often seen my disclaimers- The "gloppy dollops of my opinion", the "I bought this with my own damn money", or the "I received this from XYZ for test and review at no charge. I will strive to give my honest thoughts and opinions throughout".

Well, I have recently learned about how You Tubers are being paid by companies to receive products in return for positive reviews, mentions, and in some cases, to denigrate competitors products. I thought that was super crazy. I also am probably naive, behind the times, and not very smart. Anyway, I was sent an e-mail by a company just the other evening about a CBD product with a proposal that would include my receiving said product free and being paid in return for a review.

I flatly refuse to ever do such a thing for anybody. 

Just so you know.

Have a great weekend!

My New T-Shirt

Yeah.......we've got a lot of gravel roads here.

Gravel roads are a thing here in Iowa. Due to laws passed in the 18th Century here in the US, the foundations were laid for the "grid system"  to be imposed upon the lands that were to be organized for settling by the immigrants coming to the "New World". These gridded out tracts of land were to be accessed by "roads" so that settlers and government officials would have an easier time navigating the vast lands of North America that were to become the United States Of America.

In the end, the roads in Iowa were "paved" with native quarried limestone or "glacial drift" that could be found local to wherever in Iowa roads were to be platted out. Obviously there were geological, political, and practical influences which informed the end result, a matrix of well over 70,000 miles of gravel and dirt roads across "The Beautiful Land".

Saturday I received a t-shirt depicting all the unpaved roadways across the great state of Iowa. All 72.000 plus miles of them. To me this is incredible on several levels.

• That there are THAT many miles of gravel and unpaved roads.
• That these roads were imposed upon a bleak, unmapped prairie which was criss-crossed by a meager amount of Native American trails. 
• That by printing out ONLY the unpaved roads, a recognizable image of the State Of Iowa can be discerned. 

So, tell me, why would you NOT want to ride all these roads, which are mostly devoid of car and truck traffic?

In other words, get out and grind some gravel folks! 

Interested in one of these shirts? Keep a close eye on www.bikeiowa.com for a very limited amount of these to be offered soon. UPDATE: Here is the link to get a pre-order in. Hurry! http://bikeiowa.myshopify.com/products/iowa-gravel-roads

My New T-Shirt

Yeah.......we've got a lot of gravel roads here.

Gravel roads are a thing here in Iowa. Due to laws passed in the 18th Century here in the US, the foundations were laid for the "grid system"  to be imposed upon the lands that were to be organized for settling by the immigrants coming to the "New World". These gridded out tracts of land were to be accessed by "roads" so that settlers and government officials would have an easier time navigating the vast lands of North America that were to become the United States Of America.

In the end, the roads in Iowa were "paved" with native quarried limestone or "glacial drift" that could be found local to wherever in Iowa roads were to be platted out. Obviously there were geological, political, and practical influences which informed the end result, a matrix of well over 70,000 miles of gravel and dirt roads across "The Beautiful Land".

Saturday I received a t-shirt depicting all the unpaved roadways across the great state of Iowa. All 72.000 plus miles of them. To me this is incredible on several levels.

• That there are THAT many miles of gravel and unpaved roads.
• That these roads were imposed upon a bleak, unmapped prairie which was criss-crossed by a meager amount of Native American trails. 
• That by printing out ONLY the unpaved roads, a recognizable image of the State Of Iowa can be discerned. 

So, tell me, why would you NOT want to ride all these roads, which are mostly devoid of car and truck traffic?

In other words, get out and grind some gravel folks! 

Interested in one of these shirts? Keep a close eye on www.bikeiowa.com for a very limited amount of these to be offered soon. UPDATE: Here is the link to get a pre-order in. Hurry! http://bikeiowa.myshopify.com/products/iowa-gravel-roads