A Discovery Leads To Questions

 The last event I ever promoted and ran was the 2019 C.O.G. 100. This was a single speed, 100 mile long gravel event to determine a Male and Female Single Speed gravel champion for the state of Iowa. 

Official? pfffft! If you mean "sanctioned" by some folks claiming authority, well the answer is an emphatic NO! N.Y. Roll and I just thought we'd try it out to see if the idea had legs. 

It seemed to resonate with folks, so we threw in for doing it again the following year, but you all probably can guess what happened to our late March 2020 scheduled event. 

Yeah....that happened. 

One thing led to another and we ended up cancelling the event completely. We either gave away or sold off the remaining merch we created for the event, licked our wounds and moved on. During this time, when there were no events or anything going on during the Spring of 2020, I came to the realization I was through organizing events on gravel. 15 years was enough for me, and I still am happy to not be doing several events a year. 

However; I was not through with events, not really. There was the Hall of Fame Ride we did in 2022 for my induction into the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame. There was the Victory Ride in 2024. This year N.Y. Roll and I hosted the Tree In The Road Ride which was a highlight of the year for me (so far) 

So, to say I am "completely" out of organizing events is disingenuous. I dabble in loosely organized fun on bicycles for gravel riding. I invite others to come along. N.Y. Roll is also of a similar mindset as I. We both are all about non-competitive, perhaps challenging, but fun-focused rides on gravel That's our jam these days. The Tree In The Road Ride was a smashing success, and we probably will do something again next year, especially now that I have transportation available to me. 

I know the folks down in Kansas sorely wanted me to come down to ride this year, but it wasn't possible, and circumstances have kept me from making this opportunity a reality in 2025. But next year? Yeah, this is an open idea. So, the point being I will be doing something on gravel for a ride in 2026. This was always the plan, but......

What's this? C.O.G. 100 hats?!!

While digging around for a soldering station I knew I had so I could repair an output jack on my 1988 Fender Stratocaster Plus, I came across a big square shaped box. What could be inside of this? 

Well, much to my surprise it was all the signed waivers from the first C.O.G. 100, some jerseys, and about 20 or so C.O.G. 100 hats. 

Oh! Okay......now what? 

I'm not the kind of person who just throws stuff away, especially good, new stuff. I had an idea, and I ran it across N.Y. Roll to see where his head was at regarding my thoughts. He was all-in. 

Yes....we are probably going to give these hats away. However, you also probably will have to show up for a ride. A ride with a single speed bicycle. And yes.....it will be on gravel. Also, it will - of course - be a free ride. That's all I know right now. We have no date, time, or place decided as of this writing. It is just an idea we want to pursue. 

Could it be this Fall? Yes. Probably. However, our seemingly endless Summer is forecast to go straight to very cold, windy, sort of yuck weather. So, I don't know a date, and this Fall could be a swing to difficult weather until Winter. We will monitor this closely. 

It could be we wait until next year, but this is much less likely. At least, this is my feeling. But whenever we do this, we will let you know here, and if you have any ideas to share, or if you just want to show your feelings about doing something like this, let me know in the comments. 

Meanwhile I have a Stratocaster to fix........ 

Friday News And Views

The Message Does Not Match The Rhetoric:

As I scrolled through Twitter earlier in the week I came across a sponsored Tweet from the Mashable website featuring a new HPC (electrified bicycle) which was supposedly cool from a styling standpoint. It looked like a 'retro motorcycle'. 

Now you may shrug your shoulders and say, "Whatever. As long as people are out of cars and riding bicycles, I am good with it." End of story, we move on......

But hold on here a minute.... I watched the entire video Tweet and not once did the person on the machine make a pedaling motion. Not once. The message there? "It not only looks like a motorcycle, it is one". Now, of course, you may have to actually pedal this particular contraption to get assist, but that is not the visual messaging here, nor does it explicitly say in the video that "you have to pedal this". 

Next, I saw somewhere, (I apologize, because I should have a reference, but it wasn't cycling specific where I saw this), that recreational activities cease for most people surveyed recently when the temperatures get below 60°F. This also has been my contention- that if we think that cycling will become a major transportation mode, we're deluding ourselves. For the poor and less fortunate, yes- but they already are walking and cycling. That doesn't forgive our lack of infrastructure, but it isn't going to increase numbers of cyclists if non-cyclists can find easier ways to be mobile, even if we have infrastructure for cycling in a meaningful way. Electrified cars will pacify most people's feelings that we're 'environmentally conscious' (although I'd say its six of one- half a dozen of another from where we are now) and if you can afford a car- you will live in that mode of transportation every time over that of two wheeled varieties. Especially when everything is miles from everything else and weather is what it is for six months out of the year in the USA. 

Why? Because it is easier to roll with 'car culture'- even over an HPC/electrified bicycle, even if you only have to sit and coast around on it. That's why. Maybe I have a dim view of humanity, but go ahead- change my mind. The message I see being sent doesn't match what the cycling pundits are thinking. Speaking of messages sent, where are the ebike police on this one? Class systems will prevent HPC's from becoming motorcycles? Pssshaw!

New Riding Gravel Radio Ranch Episode #73:

Another podcast is up, which you can grab the link to HERE. But the big news I wanted to point out is that the podcast is now sponsored by Bike Rags. They are the Iowa based supplier of customized apparel for events, businesses, and brands. Mostly cycling related stuff here, but they do hats, t-shirts, and stickers too, so you could use Bike Rags for any promotions you have in mind. 

I'm stoked that we have a sponsor for the podcast now and we will be doing some cool things in the near future with Bike Rags, so stay tuned for that. 

In the meantime, check out the newest podcast and let me know what you think. We are planning on some new features and new ways to access what we do there, so I am excited about the possibilities. (Think visual) I am also proud that since a year ago now we have done twice the output of podcasts in that time than the six previous years combined. I was always a bit dismayed at the haphazard roll out of new podcasts in previous years and one of my goals for 2020 was to get that rectified. With the help of Andy of Andy's Bike Shop that goal was achieved.

The first 29"er- Wes Williams' Willits New Sheriff. Image courtesy of Wes Williams

22 Years Of 29"ers:

The other day on Facebook I noted where Wes Williams posted an image I'd seen several times before. An orange "New Sheriff"  model Willits bike sitting against a building in the snow. It was March 2nd, 1999. You may be saying, "So what?". Well, that bike, and Wes Williams, and a whole bunch of other people behind that bike- and especially "The Tire", ended up revolutionizing mountain biking as we know it today.  

Back in 1999 a bigger wheel for a mountain bike was unheard of. Literally- no one could have even conceived of such a thing. Well, that is unless you were Wes Williams, or some folks from WTB, or Bruce Gordon, or some other folks like Gary Fisher, and others like Bob Poor. Yep! It took a small village, but they got the ball rolling and now look at how things are. 26"ers? Gone..... As a real alternative size for most anyone, it is a dead thing. I'll tell you what- that is a small miracle. I still find it amazing. 

And give credit to 650B/27.5"ers. They helped eradicate 26"er MTB as well. But the 29"er was the thought, the idea that finally became reality, and through every adversity, prevailed and opened up a lot of doors and minds to something better. 

Want to know more? I wrote a history of the wheel size and you can read my page on it HERE. 

Fakes of real products are never made to the same standards.

This Blog Is Real:

Earlier in the week I saw that a deep-fake video had surfaced showing a visage that was purportedly Tom Cruise, but it wasn't. It was so convincingly realistic though that now experts are worried that technology can now be used to influence people by way of using faked images of real people saying and doing things that the 'real' versions of those folks had not ever conceived of saying or doing. 

Sounds like science fiction? But it isn't, and it is truly worrisome. I've seen benign uses of this technology used to animate historical figures, like Frederick Douglass, American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman.It's creepy for sure, and I can see how this sort of thing could get out of hand. But what does faking real people have to do with cycling?

Well, due to the parts shortages, forgery of bike parts and bicycles themselves, while always having been a thing, is now a very big deal. People are more susceptible to falling for these scams when the 'real thing' is not available through traditional sources. This came to focus again when Mavic found that forgeries of Mavic wheels were being sold to consumers that were of such low quality that they had caused injury to at least one cyclist. This as reported by road.cc. Furthermore; apparently Mavic tested these wheels after purchasing a set and found that they were so far below standard that they posed a risk of injury and death to anyone who fell prey to the companies that are foisting these fake Mavic wheels on the unsuspecting consumer. 

The lesson? Don't believe what you see celebrities saying and doing on social media and don't buy fake bike parts and bikes. If the sources are not verifiable, traditional retail, don't bite. Or even better- if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. 

That said, this blog is real and I- Guitar Ted- approve these posts.

Sale On C.O.G. 100 Hats:

I've got a lot of C.O.G 100 hats left and I need to move them outta here. So, through the month of March, I will be knocking $5.00 off the price making these one-off hats fifteen bucks each plus shipping. See the link to the "Guitar Ted's Garage Sale Page" underneath the header image and scroll down a bit to see how to order. 

Mention this post and I will throw in a free hat if you purchase a jersey, also listed on the Garage Sale Page. 

There are not many jerseys left, so once those are gone- they are gone for good and the hat offer will end. So, if you want a piece of gravel grinding history, grab a hat or jersey and wear them proudly. Plus, it will help me get good stuff into the hands of people so it can be used up and I won't have to hawk the stuff here anymore so I can clear out space in my basement. 

And as long as I am here, I'll mention the link to the G-Ted Merchandise on the right column of the blog here. Hit that link and it will take you to Redbubble and my daughter's page there where the G-Ted merch can be ordered. A portion of each sale made there goes directly to my daughter to help fund her art work. Thanks for considering all of this.

Friday News And Views

The Message Does Not Match The Rhetoric:

As I scrolled through Twitter earlier in the week I came across a sponsored Tweet from the Mashable website featuring a new HPC (electrified bicycle) which was supposedly cool from a styling standpoint. It looked like a 'retro motorcycle'. 

Now you may shrug your shoulders and say, "Whatever. As long as people are out of cars and riding bicycles, I am good with it." End of story, we move on......

But hold on here a minute.... I watched the entire video Tweet and not once did the person on the machine make a pedaling motion. Not once. The message there? "It not only looks like a motorcycle, it is one". Now, of course, you may have to actually pedal this particular contraption to get assist, but that is not the visual messaging here, nor does it explicitly say in the video that "you have to pedal this". 

Next, I saw somewhere, (I apologize, because I should have a reference, but it wasn't cycling specific where I saw this), that recreational activities cease for most people surveyed recently when the temperatures get below 60°F. This also has been my contention- that if we think that cycling will become a major transportation mode, we're deluding ourselves. For the poor and less fortunate, yes- but they already are walking and cycling. That doesn't forgive our lack of infrastructure, but it isn't going to increase numbers of cyclists if non-cyclists can find easier ways to be mobile, even if we have infrastructure for cycling in a meaningful way. Electrified cars will pacify most people's feelings that we're 'environmentally conscious' (although I'd say its six of one- half a dozen of another from where we are now) and if you can afford a car- you will live in that mode of transportation every time over that of two wheeled varieties. Especially when everything is miles from everything else and weather is what it is for six months out of the year in the USA. 

Why? Because it is easier to roll with 'car culture'- even over an HPC/electrified bicycle, even if you only have to sit and coast around on it. That's why. Maybe I have a dim view of humanity, but go ahead- change my mind. The message I see being sent doesn't match what the cycling pundits are thinking. Speaking of messages sent, where are the ebike police on this one? Class systems will prevent HPC's from becoming motorcycles? Pssshaw!

New Riding Gravel Radio Ranch Episode #73:

Another podcast is up, which you can grab the link to HERE. But the big news I wanted to point out is that the podcast is now sponsored by Bike Rags. They are the Iowa based supplier of customized apparel for events, businesses, and brands. Mostly cycling related stuff here, but they do hats, t-shirts, and stickers too, so you could use Bike Rags for any promotions you have in mind. 

I'm stoked that we have a sponsor for the podcast now and we will be doing some cool things in the near future with Bike Rags, so stay tuned for that. 

In the meantime, check out the newest podcast and let me know what you think. We are planning on some new features and new ways to access what we do there, so I am excited about the possibilities. (Think visual) I am also proud that since a year ago now we have done twice the output of podcasts in that time than the six previous years combined. I was always a bit dismayed at the haphazard roll out of new podcasts in previous years and one of my goals for 2020 was to get that rectified. With the help of Andy of Andy's Bike Shop that goal was achieved.

The first 29"er- Wes Williams' Willits New Sheriff. Image courtesy of Wes Williams

22 Years Of 29"ers:

The other day on Facebook I noted where Wes Williams posted an image I'd seen several times before. An orange "New Sheriff"  model Willits bike sitting against a building in the snow. It was March 2nd, 1999. You may be saying, "So what?". Well, that bike, and Wes Williams, and a whole bunch of other people behind that bike- and especially "The Tire", ended up revolutionizing mountain biking as we know it today.  

Back in 1999 a bigger wheel for a mountain bike was unheard of. Literally- no one could have even conceived of such a thing. Well, that is unless you were Wes Williams, or some folks from WTB, or Bruce Gordon, or some other folks like Gary Fisher, and others like Bob Poor. Yep! It took a small village, but they got the ball rolling and now look at how things are. 26"ers? Gone..... As a real alternative size for most anyone, it is a dead thing. I'll tell you what- that is a small miracle. I still find it amazing. 

And give credit to 650B/27.5"ers. They helped eradicate 26"er MTB as well. But the 29"er was the thought, the idea that finally became reality, and through every adversity, prevailed and opened up a lot of doors and minds to something better. 

Want to know more? I wrote a history of the wheel size and you can read my page on it HERE. 

Fakes of real products are never made to the same standards.

This Blog Is Real:

Earlier in the week I saw that a deep-fake video had surfaced showing a visage that was purportedly Tom Cruise, but it wasn't. It was so convincingly realistic though that now experts are worried that technology can now be used to influence people by way of using faked images of real people saying and doing things that the 'real' versions of those folks had not ever conceived of saying or doing. 

Sounds like science fiction? But it isn't, and it is truly worrisome. I've seen benign uses of this technology used to animate historical figures, like Frederick Douglass, American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman.It's creepy for sure, and I can see how this sort of thing could get out of hand. But what does faking real people have to do with cycling?

Well, due to the parts shortages, forgery of bike parts and bicycles themselves, while always having been a thing, is now a very big deal. People are more susceptible to falling for these scams when the 'real thing' is not available through traditional sources. This came to focus again when Mavic found that forgeries of Mavic wheels were being sold to consumers that were of such low quality that they had caused injury to at least one cyclist. This as reported by road.cc. Furthermore; apparently Mavic tested these wheels after purchasing a set and found that they were so far below standard that they posed a risk of injury and death to anyone who fell prey to the companies that are foisting these fake Mavic wheels on the unsuspecting consumer. 

The lesson? Don't believe what you see celebrities saying and doing on social media and don't buy fake bike parts and bikes. If the sources are not verifiable, traditional retail, don't bite. Or even better- if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. 

That said, this blog is real and I- Guitar Ted- approve these posts.

Sale On C.O.G. 100 Hats:

I've got a lot of C.O.G 100 hats left and I need to move them outta here. So, through the month of March, I will be knocking $5.00 off the price making these one-off hats fifteen bucks each plus shipping. See the link to the "Guitar Ted's Garage Sale Page" underneath the header image and scroll down a bit to see how to order. 

Mention this post and I will throw in a free hat if you purchase a jersey, also listed on the Garage Sale Page. 

There are not many jerseys left, so once those are gone- they are gone for good and the hat offer will end. So, if you want a piece of gravel grinding history, grab a hat or jersey and wear them proudly. Plus, it will help me get good stuff into the hands of people so it can be used up and I won't have to hawk the stuff here anymore so I can clear out space in my basement. 

And as long as I am here, I'll mention the link to the G-Ted Merchandise on the right column of the blog here. Hit that link and it will take you to Redbubble and my daughter's page there where the G-Ted merch can be ordered. A portion of each sale made there goes directly to my daughter to help fund her art work. Thanks for considering all of this.

A Bit Of A C.O.G.100 Update.

Super limited availability.

With less than three weeks to go here, we have got to be gettin' to gettin' our ducks in a row here at C.O.G.100 central. Things are coming into sharp focus here and we have a few things to pass on to you who are interested or are coming to ride this deal.

First up- We have the hats! (See yesterday's post!) But along with that, we have a super limited amount of extra patches which were embroidered for the hats. These will be offered at the Peace Tree get together the evening before the C.O.G. 100. These will be offered at $5.00/each and will only be available at the venue. Once they are gone, they are gone. We don't have enough to offer through the blog here, so if you want one, get a hold of someone riding in the C.O.G. and have them try to get one. First come, first served. No reserved sales. They are that rare. 

Shirts are in! We have about five or so of you that are not coming to the event that ordered shirts, so we will be sending those out soon. The rest of you will get yours at the event. We will have them at Peace Tree on Friday and at the start at Ahrens Park. If you forget yours, or if you don't come, you'll either need to pay us a bit more to ship them to you, or forfeit your shirt. But we will cross that bridge if we need to. I'm just lettin' y'all know that if you don't make it or are forgetful it will cost you something. Just don't be either of those things and we'll all be happier.

Numbers are in! I wanted to customize them, but it is looking like I probably will not, since my new job is demanding more of my time here. But that's a minor disappointment. I don't think anyone will mind.

Recon for confirmation of the route was to happen Friday, but work intervened, so it looks like Monday now will be that day. Once the course is cleared we will get the cues printed. We will need to bag those, get some pipe cleaners to attach number plates, and well.....we'll be ready. Ready as we'll ever be.

More soon......

A Bit Of A C.O.G.100 Update.

Super limited availability.

With less than three weeks to go here, we have got to be gettin' to gettin' our ducks in a row here at C.O.G.100 central. Things are coming into sharp focus here and we have a few things to pass on to you who are interested or are coming to ride this deal.

First up- We have the hats! (See yesterday's post!) But along with that, we have a super limited amount of extra patches which were embroidered for the hats. These will be offered at the Peace Tree get together the evening before the C.O.G. 100. These will be offered at $5.00/each and will only be available at the venue. Once they are gone, they are gone. We don't have enough to offer through the blog here, so if you want one, get a hold of someone riding in the C.O.G. and have them try to get one. First come, first served. No reserved sales. They are that rare. 

Shirts are in! We have about five or so of you that are not coming to the event that ordered shirts, so we will be sending those out soon. The rest of you will get yours at the event. We will have them at Peace Tree on Friday and at the start at Ahrens Park. If you forget yours, or if you don't come, you'll either need to pay us a bit more to ship them to you, or forfeit your shirt. But we will cross that bridge if we need to. I'm just lettin' y'all know that if you don't make it or are forgetful it will cost you something. Just don't be either of those things and we'll all be happier.

Numbers are in! I wanted to customize them, but it is looking like I probably will not, since my new job is demanding more of my time here. But that's a minor disappointment. I don't think anyone will mind.

Recon for confirmation of the route was to happen Friday, but work intervened, so it looks like Monday now will be that day. Once the course is cleared we will get the cues printed. We will need to bag those, get some pipe cleaners to attach number plates, and well.....we'll be ready. Ready as we'll ever be.

More soon......

Updates On G-Ted Productions Rides

New GTDRI header

I thought I'd take the opportunity to update you all on a couple of rides I help produce here and the details surrounding them. First up will be some chit-chat about the C.O.G.100 coming up at the end of next month (already!)

N.Y.Roll and I have finalized t-shirts sales and will be sending off the order to Bike Rags now. That's it for sales of the C.O.G 100 shirts, but we will have a very small, limited size availability on the "Real American Gravel" shirts at Peace Tree the evening before the event.

Next up, we have ordered race numbers, and they will be the same ol' boring ones you know and are used to from me. I may customize them depending upon when I get my hands on them. The order is in, so if I get these in the next week or so, the possibilities that I will do "something" is higher. Stay tuned on that.......

Of course, Spring is on the doorstep and that means N.Y. Roll and I will be finalizing the route choice. As stated before, we have a couple of spots we are concerned with, and so if those check out, we will be then sending along our master files for the cues to our printer and getting that squared away. The cues will be the same format and size as last year. If you are familiar with cues from the last few Trans Iowa events, they will be similar to that.

We have secured permission to use the parking lot at the North end of Ahrens Park off Penrose Street in the far Northeast corner of Grinnell. This will serve as our launch point for the event, and will be near the actual finish line, which has a bike path leading over to the parking lot for rider's convenience. We will be giving further details at our Pre-race Meeting which will occur just before the event. NOTE: We are hoping riders will also enjoy some fellowship afterward at Peace Tree Tap Room in downtown Grinnell after the event. Plus, there are several great restaurants in the area within walking distance of Peace Tree.

So.... Barring any weirdness we should be good to go. The hats, shirts, race plates, and cue sheets are all yet to be delivered as finished products, but I expect no problems there. Stay tuned for finer details in a week or two as the event draws nearer.

Now, as for the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational, I have a new header! (Wooo!) It was a complete mistake, and I modified it in a photo manipulation program a bit, but it follows with many of my other renderings for this event. Vague, out of focus, and "hot and on fire" looking. Basically, this is a rendition of what your mind and body will feel like during the ride. (HA!) Seriously though, it likely will be very hot and humid that time of year.

Other than the new header, I got nuttin'. I will only reiterate that I will be doing recon missions along my proposed route as soon as I can get out there. I'm kind of excited about exploring a new-to-me area. I'll be posting about my adventures in recon as they happen, so that should be some fun.

I shouldn't say I don't have anything new to share, because I do have some thoughts on the route and the "feel" for this year's GTDRI. In the past, I used to have a stopping point on the route, typically a place where we could eat at around the noon hour. We'd kick back, relax, and then knock out the rest of the route. That's been missing the last several years due to the remote nature of "hunting Level B Roads" which kept us out in the Styx and not going through any real towns. This is what bit us last year and why, when only about 20 miles out from the finish, the entire group sat around a convenience store in Brooklyn for a long while recuperating from 80 miles of heat, rain, and hills.

We will be going through several smaller villages and towns this year. I will be hoping to find that spot where we can kick back and relax a bit, but N.Y. Roll has been dousing my enthusiasm for this to happen saying all my choices for the route go through towns with nothing in them. I think he has a dim view of what is reality out there. We'll see who is right this Spring when I get out and do my recon.

Finally, a bit of an update on the t-shirt idea I broached here last Friday. Several of you readers were kind enough to respond and I have your responses tabulated. I'm going to let this roll for about another week with some reminders here and there, but initial numbers are not encouraging for the t-shirt........yet. We will see. I think that there is a good chance I'll do stickers though. So, plan on that at the least.

That should wrap up things for now on events and other stuff going on around here. Thanks!

Updates On G-Ted Productions Rides

New GTDRI header

I thought I'd take the opportunity to update you all on a couple of rides I help produce here and the details surrounding them. First up will be some chit-chat about the C.O.G.100 coming up at the end of next month (already!)

N.Y.Roll and I have finalized t-shirts sales and will be sending off the order to Bike Rags now. That's it for sales of the C.O.G 100 shirts, but we will have a very small, limited size availability on the "Real American Gravel" shirts at Peace Tree the evening before the event.

Next up, we have ordered race numbers, and they will be the same ol' boring ones you know and are used to from me. I may customize them depending upon when I get my hands on them. The order is in, so if I get these in the next week or so, the possibilities that I will do "something" is higher. Stay tuned on that.......

Of course, Spring is on the doorstep and that means N.Y. Roll and I will be finalizing the route choice. As stated before, we have a couple of spots we are concerned with, and so if those check out, we will be then sending along our master files for the cues to our printer and getting that squared away. The cues will be the same format and size as last year. If you are familiar with cues from the last few Trans Iowa events, they will be similar to that.

We have secured permission to use the parking lot at the North end of Ahrens Park off Penrose Street in the far Northeast corner of Grinnell. This will serve as our launch point for the event, and will be near the actual finish line, which has a bike path leading over to the parking lot for rider's convenience. We will be giving further details at our Pre-race Meeting which will occur just before the event. NOTE: We are hoping riders will also enjoy some fellowship afterward at Peace Tree Tap Room in downtown Grinnell after the event. Plus, there are several great restaurants in the area within walking distance of Peace Tree.

So.... Barring any weirdness we should be good to go. The hats, shirts, race plates, and cue sheets are all yet to be delivered as finished products, but I expect no problems there. Stay tuned for finer details in a week or two as the event draws nearer.

Now, as for the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational, I have a new header! (Wooo!) It was a complete mistake, and I modified it in a photo manipulation program a bit, but it follows with many of my other renderings for this event. Vague, out of focus, and "hot and on fire" looking. Basically, this is a rendition of what your mind and body will feel like during the ride. (HA!) Seriously though, it likely will be very hot and humid that time of year.

Other than the new header, I got nuttin'. I will only reiterate that I will be doing recon missions along my proposed route as soon as I can get out there. I'm kind of excited about exploring a new-to-me area. I'll be posting about my adventures in recon as they happen, so that should be some fun.

I shouldn't say I don't have anything new to share, because I do have some thoughts on the route and the "feel" for this year's GTDRI. In the past, I used to have a stopping point on the route, typically a place where we could eat at around the noon hour. We'd kick back, relax, and then knock out the rest of the route. That's been missing the last several years due to the remote nature of "hunting Level B Roads" which kept us out in the Styx and not going through any real towns. This is what bit us last year and why, when only about 20 miles out from the finish, the entire group sat around a convenience store in Brooklyn for a long while recuperating from 80 miles of heat, rain, and hills.

We will be going through several smaller villages and towns this year. I will be hoping to find that spot where we can kick back and relax a bit, but N.Y. Roll has been dousing my enthusiasm for this to happen saying all my choices for the route go through towns with nothing in them. I think he has a dim view of what is reality out there. We'll see who is right this Spring when I get out and do my recon.

Finally, a bit of an update on the t-shirt idea I broached here last Friday. Several of you readers were kind enough to respond and I have your responses tabulated. I'm going to let this roll for about another week with some reminders here and there, but initial numbers are not encouraging for the t-shirt........yet. We will see. I think that there is a good chance I'll do stickers though. So, plan on that at the least.

That should wrap up things for now on events and other stuff going on around here. Thanks!

Friday News And Views

59 Trips Around The Sun:

Well, I made it. Another year was marked yesterday. I make a silly deal out of my birthday every year, because, really, it's just another day, but we do "mark time", don't we? So, yeah..... Very blessed to be here and to have had the life I've had so far. I'm very much looking forward to what is to come, despite the assurances of sorrow and heart-ache being alive will bring.

I say this many times here, but at the risk of sounding cliche'....

Thank you so much for reading the blog. It means a lot to me, and this has become a big part of my life, obviously. What started out as a silly stab at writing, on the insistence of Jeff Kerkove back in 2005, has become a daily routine for me that I thoroughly enjoy doing. I guess I'd better enjoy it for all the time I put into it!

But anyway, thank you. Thank you all who sent greetings and well wishes on Facebook and text yesterday. I read each and every one and appreciated them all. Too kind, you all are. Too kind!

This years C.O.G.100 hat.

 C.O.G.100 News:

First of all, we sold out entries! Thanks to all who entered this year's event. We had initially set 75 as the limit, sold that out, added ten more, and sold those as well. N.Y.Roll and I appreciate the commitment to our event.

So, with that done we sent in the orders for the hats. Due to a weird requirement where getting 100 patches for the hats cost less than getting 90, we will have a very limited number of patches available. How we are going to deal with the ten or so extras we haven't decided on yet. If you really gotta have one, let me know and what that's worth to you. Maybe we can make it happen.

Secondly, the t-shirt offer stands till February 29th, (it's a leap year, ya know), so take a look HERE and order from that page. We will push go on the order March 1st and then that's it. No more will be made ever again.

Remember, all the artwork is by yours truly and is completely original. Very unique, and so you won't be seeing this on every street corner. The proceeds help to pay for the shirts and that's about it. We are probably going to break even this year, if we're lucky, as last year we ended up doing that as well after expenses were accounted for. So, we're not making a living, or even beer money on this deal. Just so you know.....

A Tweet from "Elizabeth @eGrindcore", a Nebraska native, on Wednesday.

 Media Hop On The Gravel Bandwagon: 

What was it with this week and media concerning gravel riding and racing? Must have been the "gravel summits" I mentioned in my post on Tuesday. Anyway, suddenly all the endemic cycling publications are falling all over themselves to get out some sort of "whatever will gravel do once it grows up" posts.

"Cyclingtips" had one by Neil Shirley, and so did "Velo News" in an article about power and the winner of Gravel Worlds last year. There were others as well. I got a laugh when I read the Tweet I have posted here. Yeah....."seven years behind the times" is about right.

Anyway, "Welcome late-comers".  We're not so goofy, or stupid as you once thought, eh? I'll say it again though, these endemic outlets haven't changed their tune, really. They still are trying to bend the narrative toward "professional level competitive racing". It's all wrong. They just do not understand how exclusive and "old" that narrative is. Times have changed, but the old media dogs that cut their teeth on the Pro racing scene haven't changed their colors, or learned new tricks, as they ought to have by now. It's a shame, really.

Even the Pro roadies they quote keep saying they like gravel events because of the relaxed, laid back, all-inclusive, fun nature of it, then in the next sentence you read something about doping controls and who will come "out of the gravel scene" to contest some Old World road event. It's tone deaf as all get out. But I also know some of these writers get it. They've done gravel events, so the disconnect is even more baffling.

Then I see the UCI is considering a true Pro level World Championships with doping controls, rules, and regulations. There is only one way that gets off the ground and that is with the same teams, athletes, and infrastructure they have now. Everyone that is outside Pro level racing is outside of it for a reason. Again- I don't see it working, at least not in the U.S.A., and that's where the action is on gravel anyway.

That's it for this week. Get out and ride if ya can!

Friday News And Views

59 Trips Around The Sun:

Well, I made it. Another year was marked yesterday. I make a silly deal out of my birthday every year, because, really, it's just another day, but we do "mark time", don't we? So, yeah..... Very blessed to be here and to have had the life I've had so far. I'm very much looking forward to what is to come, despite the assurances of sorrow and heart-ache being alive will bring.

I say this many times here, but at the risk of sounding cliche'....

Thank you so much for reading the blog. It means a lot to me, and this has become a big part of my life, obviously. What started out as a silly stab at writing, on the insistence of Jeff Kerkove back in 2005, has become a daily routine for me that I thoroughly enjoy doing. I guess I'd better enjoy it for all the time I put into it!

But anyway, thank you. Thank you all who sent greetings and well wishes on Facebook and text yesterday. I read each and every one and appreciated them all. Too kind, you all are. Too kind!

This years C.O.G.100 hat.

 C.O.G.100 News:

First of all, we sold out entries! Thanks to all who entered this year's event. We had initially set 75 as the limit, sold that out, added ten more, and sold those as well. N.Y.Roll and I appreciate the commitment to our event.

So, with that done we sent in the orders for the hats. Due to a weird requirement where getting 100 patches for the hats cost less than getting 90, we will have a very limited number of patches available. How we are going to deal with the ten or so extras we haven't decided on yet. If you really gotta have one, let me know and what that's worth to you. Maybe we can make it happen.

Secondly, the t-shirt offer stands till February 29th, (it's a leap year, ya know), so take a look HERE and order from that page. We will push go on the order March 1st and then that's it. No more will be made ever again.

Remember, all the artwork is by yours truly and is completely original. Very unique, and so you won't be seeing this on every street corner. The proceeds help to pay for the shirts and that's about it. We are probably going to break even this year, if we're lucky, as last year we ended up doing that as well after expenses were accounted for. So, we're not making a living, or even beer money on this deal. Just so you know.....

A Tweet from "Elizabeth @eGrindcore", a Nebraska native, on Wednesday.

 Media Hop On The Gravel Bandwagon: 

What was it with this week and media concerning gravel riding and racing? Must have been the "gravel summits" I mentioned in my post on Tuesday. Anyway, suddenly all the endemic cycling publications are falling all over themselves to get out some sort of "whatever will gravel do once it grows up" posts.

"Cyclingtips" had one by Neil Shirley, and so did "Velo News" in an article about power and the winner of Gravel Worlds last year. There were others as well. I got a laugh when I read the Tweet I have posted here. Yeah....."seven years behind the times" is about right.

Anyway, "Welcome late-comers".  We're not so goofy, or stupid as you once thought, eh? I'll say it again though, these endemic outlets haven't changed their tune, really. They still are trying to bend the narrative toward "professional level competitive racing". It's all wrong. They just do not understand how exclusive and "old" that narrative is. Times have changed, but the old media dogs that cut their teeth on the Pro racing scene haven't changed their colors, or learned new tricks, as they ought to have by now. It's a shame, really.

Even the Pro roadies they quote keep saying they like gravel events because of the relaxed, laid back, all-inclusive, fun nature of it, then in the next sentence you read something about doping controls and who will come "out of the gravel scene" to contest some Old World road event. It's tone deaf as all get out. But I also know some of these writers get it. They've done gravel events, so the disconnect is even more baffling.

Then I see the UCI is considering a true Pro level World Championships with doping controls, rules, and regulations. There is only one way that gets off the ground and that is with the same teams, athletes, and infrastructure they have now. Everyone that is outside Pro level racing is outside of it for a reason. Again- I don't see it working, at least not in the U.S.A., and that's where the action is on gravel anyway.

That's it for this week. Get out and ride if ya can!

C.O.G.100 Update: Gear For The C.O.G.

Every entrant that shows up March 20th gets a hat.

C.O.G.100 Update:

We at the C.O.G.100 are pleased to announce our latest gear for the 2020 running of the event. Once again we are working with Bike Rags, an Iowa based company, to do the hats, t-shirts, and the winners Championship Single Speed of Gravel jerseys.

This year we are going to be giving every entrant to the C.O.G. 100 (Registration is open HERE Only a few spots left!), a hat with the Guitar Ted designed artwork on it. The hats will be red, white, and blue and the patch will say "C.O.G. 100 Real American Gravel" on it.

These hats will not be offered for sale outside of the registrants for the event. This keeps the hats special and we wanted to do this for those who commit to riding single speed and that come to do this event. That said, we do have a couple of t-shirts which I am excited about which ARE for sale outside of the event. These are also designed by me and are screen printed on Bike Rags excellent t-shirts. I have one of there t-shirts and it s one of my favorites in the drawer. Anyway, these will be a limited time offer and I'll detail how you can get one for yourself here in a minute.

But first, you are probably going to want to see them, right? Yeah.... I thought so. The event t-shirt will be Olive Drab green in keeping with our veterans theme this year and will have a black logo like the hat has on the patch. The other option is my "Real. American. Gravel" slogan in red, white, and blue on a black (natch) t-shirt.

Okay, so just how can you get your mitts on one of these? Well, you can order your own t-shirt via the registration page for the C.O.G.100 without registering for the event. No obligation to ride in the C.O.G.100 if you don't want to. Just click here and scroll down a bit to see the shirts and follow the prompts to order.

Just as an aside, I am hoping to have some more stuff made available in the future with the "Real American Gravel logo via the e-commerce site for RidingGravel.com at some point. So, this black t-shirt may just be the beginning. Stay tuned on that front....

C.O.G.100 Update: Gear For The C.O.G.

Every entrant that shows up March 20th gets a hat.

C.O.G.100 Update:

We at the C.O.G.100 are pleased to announce our latest gear for the 2020 running of the event. Once again we are working with Bike Rags, an Iowa based company, to do the hats, t-shirts, and the winners Championship Single Speed of Gravel jerseys.

This year we are going to be giving every entrant to the C.O.G. 100 (Registration is open HERE Only a few spots left!), a hat with the Guitar Ted designed artwork on it. The hats will be red, white, and blue and the patch will say "C.O.G. 100 Real American Gravel" on it.

These hats will not be offered for sale outside of the registrants for the event. This keeps the hats special and we wanted to do this for those who commit to riding single speed and that come to do this event. That said, we do have a couple of t-shirts which I am excited about which ARE for sale outside of the event. These are also designed by me and are screen printed on Bike Rags excellent t-shirts. I have one of there t-shirts and it s one of my favorites in the drawer. Anyway, these will be a limited time offer and I'll detail how you can get one for yourself here in a minute.

But first, you are probably going to want to see them, right? Yeah.... I thought so. The event t-shirt will be Olive Drab green in keeping with our veterans theme this year and will have a black logo like the hat has on the patch. The other option is my "Real. American. Gravel" slogan in red, white, and blue on a black (natch) t-shirt.

Okay, so just how can you get your mitts on one of these? Well, you can order your own t-shirt via the registration page for the C.O.G.100 without registering for the event. No obligation to ride in the C.O.G.100 if you don't want to. Just click here and scroll down a bit to see the shirts and follow the prompts to order.

Just as an aside, I am hoping to have some more stuff made available in the future with the "Real American Gravel logo via the e-commerce site for RidingGravel.com at some point. So, this black t-shirt may just be the beginning. Stay tuned on that front....

C.O.G. 100 Update

The latest on the inaugural C.O.G. 100 is that we are on track to get things done in time for the event. So, I'm pretty happy with where N.Y. Roll and I are with things so far. The latest detailed update follows.....

Hats: The hats are done and in N.Y. Roll's possession. Remember- you have to actually show up to the event to get your hat. We are not in the business of shipping hats to folks who can't be arsed to show up, so don't even ask us.

That said, we are stoked on the final product. I guess they are "trucker hats", but I don't know about that. Real "trucker hats", at least the ones I remember from the '70's, were really tall in front. Like almost flat, not really rounded. Anyway, these do have the mesh back, so that part is right.

I used to have a friend back in the 90's that told me all the time that "quality caps have 8 stitched bands on the bill". Well, count 'em. Eight stitches. Quality defined. (Ha!) That same friend always said that eight banded bills would hold up to your forming no matter what. Yes folks......flat brim was stupid back in the day. And anyway, my head is so long and narrow that "flat brimming" a hat is a no go on my noggin' So, call me retro, but my bill is curved, yo......

One more thing. It doesn't show here, but the logo is made from shiny thread. It's pretty "bling-tacular" if I do say so myself. But that aside, Tony at Bike Rags got the feel and look of my logo down 100%. It's really spot on.

So, that was a lot of non-sense about the hats, but that ain't all. We have one other special thing we're doing, and it's currently in process, but I do have an example to share today.........

Excuse the poor lighting, but this is the proof of the poster which we are printing for each rider.

Poster: The art work for the C.O.G. 100 poster came from an "Inktober" challemge I was doing with my daughter last year. I thought this was appropriate as a poster for the event, so I had my daughter tweak it out a bit and we added the logo, and boom! 

There will be one poster for each rider that shows up. Limited run of prints here which will be signed and numbered by myself and my daughter. We're pretty excited to get these out. Right now my daughter has about half of what we need printed and is doing these in her art class at school.

N.Y. Roll has insurance duties,and I'm not sure where he is on that, but he mentioned needing to get that done recently, so I trust he's on it. Once the snow clears out we'll do a final recon and cue sheets will be printed right after that. Then we have an event! Oh....... and one more thing. We have been talking about meeting anyone that cares to, the night before the event. Nothing "mandatory", just time to converse and see those we haven't seen in awhile. We plan on hanging out at the Peace Tree Brewing- Grinnell Branch. This will also be the unofficial-official hang out after the event too. More details soon.

C.O.G. 100 Update

The latest on the inaugural C.O.G. 100 is that we are on track to get things done in time for the event. So, I'm pretty happy with where N.Y. Roll and I are with things so far. The latest detailed update follows.....

Hats: The hats are done and in N.Y. Roll's possession. Remember- you have to actually show up to the event to get your hat. We are not in the business of shipping hats to folks who can't be arsed to show up, so don't even ask us.

That said, we are stoked on the final product. I guess they are "trucker hats", but I don't know about that. Real "trucker hats", at least the ones I remember from the '70's, were really tall in front. Like almost flat, not really rounded. Anyway, these do have the mesh back, so that part is right.

I used to have a friend back in the 90's that told me all the time that "quality caps have 8 stitched bands on the bill". Well, count 'em. Eight stitches. Quality defined. (Ha!) That same friend always said that eight banded bills would hold up to your forming no matter what. Yes folks......flat brim was stupid back in the day. And anyway, my head is so long and narrow that "flat brimming" a hat is a no go on my noggin' So, call me retro, but my bill is curved, yo......

One more thing. It doesn't show here, but the logo is made from shiny thread. It's pretty "bling-tacular" if I do say so myself. But that aside, Tony at Bike Rags got the feel and look of my logo down 100%. It's really spot on.

So, that was a lot of non-sense about the hats, but that ain't all. We have one other special thing we're doing, and it's currently in process, but I do have an example to share today.........

Excuse the poor lighting, but this is the proof of the poster which we are printing for each rider.

Poster: The art work for the C.O.G. 100 poster came from an "Inktober" challemge I was doing with my daughter last year. I thought this was appropriate as a poster for the event, so I had my daughter tweak it out a bit and we added the logo, and boom! 

There will be one poster for each rider that shows up. Limited run of prints here which will be signed and numbered by myself and my daughter. We're pretty excited to get these out. Right now my daughter has about half of what we need printed and is doing these in her art class at school.

N.Y. Roll has insurance duties,and I'm not sure where he is on that, but he mentioned needing to get that done recently, so I trust he's on it. Once the snow clears out we'll do a final recon and cue sheets will be printed right after that. Then we have an event! Oh....... and one more thing. We have been talking about meeting anyone that cares to, the night before the event. Nothing "mandatory", just time to converse and see those we haven't seen in awhile. We plan on hanging out at the Peace Tree Brewing- Grinnell Branch. This will also be the unofficial-official hang out after the event too. More details soon.