Friday News And Views

Geoff Kabush's Tweet concerning Sea Otter pricing.

Sea Otter Pricing Balloons:

I saw the Tweet alongside this text last Tuesday evening. You can read it yourself, so I won't bother repeating it. You can see for yourself what is being pointed out here. 

It should only be noted as an addendum here that Life Time Fitness purchased Sea Otter in 2021. Is the new price a result of that purchase, or is it something else that is at work here?

Comments: Okay, on the one hand you've had a couple of years where Sea Otter has been affected negatively by the pandemic. Prices may reflect this due to an effort to recoup "lost revenues" and one could perhaps easily see that shipping and supply issues may have caused a rise in prices to some degree. But on the other hand, the price has doubled? 

Okay, commenters were pointing a very sarcastic finger at the popularity gravel cycling for the cause of this, but I don't think that is really what is going on here. I've seen this model for price increases at work before. Here's the deal...

The operating principle here is, what will the market bear? You do not know the answer until you "hit the ceiling" in regard to pricing. So, you raise the price every year by default until, well.....it doesn't work anymore.  Many events do this, not just Sea Otter. 

Also, 2022 saw mass participation at many events max out, possibly due to the fact that most people felt safe to go "do all the things" again. More demand = higher prices. Certainly, economic forces are at work as well, since inflation and higher prices for goods and services are going to put upward pressure on prices. Life Time cannot ignore this as well. 

So, you can say Life Time is "The Bad Guy", but there probably is some credence to seeing this as an economically driven decision to boost pricing as well with an eye to keeping profit margins intact. 

And c'mon! What'd you really expect after Life Time's takeover? Lower pricing? I don't think so....

From Bike Hugger's twitter feed.

And When I Die.....

I saw this on Twitter as well on Wednesday. A cargo bike conversion to a hearse. Electrified, natch! This was seen in France, apparently. I did not research the article. 

Comments: So, this makes sense in that Europe was developed well before automobiles and the streets are narrower, the cities more compact, and the rural byways are often wagon-wide if that. Modern highways exist, for sure, but the majority of Europe is not like America, which is car-centric as it gets. 

So, a hearse on a cargo bike, well that wouldn't fly around here. The church is often not on a cemetery site anymore, or never was, so a funeral procession can be miles, and miles, in length. Also considering the changeable weather, which can sometimes be pretty brutal, and the wild swings seasonally that we have here, well it comes as no surprise to me that I probably will never see anything like this in my lifetime. 

But if I were to die tomorrow....... 

Did you hate the 4 wheeled Hummer?

GMC Partners With Recon To Sell Hummer eBike:

 According to a recent "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" article, Recon Bikes, an eBike manufacturer, is partnering with GMC's Hummer brand to sell their rebranded two-wheeled Hummer to consumers via Hummer/GMC dealerships. While the bike will be available direct to consumer, GMC has approximately 1000 dealerships where the possibility exists that this bike might be sold. Exact numbers were not released at this time for the amount of dealerships that will actually sell this bike alongside the behemoth Hummer EV Supertruck. 

The eBike has twin hub motors and can be modified by the consumer to go above the 20mph factory assist level up to 28mph. The bike also has a thumb operated "throttle".

Comments: A few things stand out to me about this. First, the "Supertruck" has a 3 second zero to 60mph performance. THAT should raise some alarms right there if you ride a bicycle in urban areas where this, and other high-horsepower EV vehicles are about to be unleashed. Second: The bike has TWO hub motors? Yep! It's advertised as an all-wheel drive vehicle. THAT should also be a bit of a scare. If you've ever ridden a throttle equipped HPC - essentially riding an electrified bicycle in "motorcycle mode", you understand why having two torque-monsters on a bicycle has the possibility of causing major mayhem. Third: The comments on the BRAIN article reveal the disconnect that US based bicycle purveyors have with these motorized rigs. One commenter bemoans the "modification" factor and another exclaims that it is "our right" to do what we please with vehicles on our own property. 

That's a lot to unpack, but it is a perfect microcosm of an example for why I believe that we are all looking at "mopeds" with electric motors, why this race to "more power" will end up making these into motorcycles, and why the whole lateral move to electrified transportation is not going to "fix" anything about car-culture. 

Kae Takashita won the C.O.G. 100 in 2019

A Nice Throwback On International Single Speed Day:

Thursday I was tagged in a post on Facebook by Kae Takashita where she posted about riding in the 2019 C.O.G. 100. She was prompted by the Paul Components initiated "International Single Speed Day" which was observed on Wednesday. 

I enjoyed the fact that Kae said, "I believe it was the slowest century I had done...."which is saying something since she is an elite level athlete. To have provided such a challenge is a reward and confirmation of N.Y. Roll and my efforts to do exactly that- provide a tough challenge to overcome. 

So, while I am NOT going to revive this idea, I am proud and satisfied that I was involved in putting on a single speed only gravel event. To my knowledge this is the only time anyone has done such a thing. I am really glad that I did this with N.Y. Roll, who was a huge motivator and assisted me in every way to put on that event. 

Too bad that we were thwarted by COVID and that the 2019 version was the only one we were able to pull off. I regret that deeply and I apologize to anyone reading this for our inability to pull off the second C.O.G. 100 due to the circumstances of the times. 

The whole thing with the C.O.G. 100 is bittersweet, to be honest. It was my swansong of sorts, when it comes to events promotions, and I wasn't aware of that at the time. COVID precipitated my decision to get out of that mindset of putting on events for others, which is a good thing - for myself. My mental health and physical health has been rejuvenated as a result. But had I known that the 2019 C.O.G. 100 was going to be "it", I maybe would have done a few things differently. Maybe it's better I didn't know....  

Anyway, thanks to Kae! I appreciated the shout-out and the memory very much.

 That's a wrap for this week! Don't forget to set your clocks back this weekend (if that affects you) and charge up those lights!

Friday News And Views

Geoff Kabush's Tweet concerning Sea Otter pricing.

Sea Otter Pricing Balloons:

I saw the Tweet alongside this text last Tuesday evening. You can read it yourself, so I won't bother repeating it. You can see for yourself what is being pointed out here. 

It should only be noted as an addendum here that Life Time Fitness purchased Sea Otter in 2021. Is the new price a result of that purchase, or is it something else that is at work here?

Comments: Okay, on the one hand you've had a couple of years where Sea Otter has been affected negatively by the pandemic. Prices may reflect this due to an effort to recoup "lost revenues" and one could perhaps easily see that shipping and supply issues may have caused a rise in prices to some degree. But on the other hand, the price has doubled? 

Okay, commenters were pointing a very sarcastic finger at the popularity gravel cycling for the cause of this, but I don't think that is really what is going on here. I've seen this model for price increases at work before. Here's the deal...

The operating principle here is, what will the market bear? You do not know the answer until you "hit the ceiling" in regard to pricing. So, you raise the price every year by default until, well.....it doesn't work anymore.  Many events do this, not just Sea Otter. 

Also, 2022 saw mass participation at many events max out, possibly due to the fact that most people felt safe to go "do all the things" again. More demand = higher prices. Certainly, economic forces are at work as well, since inflation and higher prices for goods and services are going to put upward pressure on prices. Life Time cannot ignore this as well. 

So, you can say Life Time is "The Bad Guy", but there probably is some credence to seeing this as an economically driven decision to boost pricing as well with an eye to keeping profit margins intact. 

And c'mon! What'd you really expect after Life Time's takeover? Lower pricing? I don't think so....

From Bike Hugger's twitter feed.

And When I Die.....

I saw this on Twitter as well on Wednesday. A cargo bike conversion to a hearse. Electrified, natch! This was seen in France, apparently. I did not research the article. 

Comments: So, this makes sense in that Europe was developed well before automobiles and the streets are narrower, the cities more compact, and the rural byways are often wagon-wide if that. Modern highways exist, for sure, but the majority of Europe is not like America, which is car-centric as it gets. 

So, a hearse on a cargo bike, well that wouldn't fly around here. The church is often not on a cemetery site anymore, or never was, so a funeral procession can be miles, and miles, in length. Also considering the changeable weather, which can sometimes be pretty brutal, and the wild swings seasonally that we have here, well it comes as no surprise to me that I probably will never see anything like this in my lifetime. 

But if I were to die tomorrow....... 

Did you hate the 4 wheeled Hummer?

GMC Partners With Recon To Sell Hummer eBike:

 According to a recent "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" article, Recon Bikes, an eBike manufacturer, is partnering with GMC's Hummer brand to sell their rebranded two-wheeled Hummer to consumers via Hummer/GMC dealerships. While the bike will be available direct to consumer, GMC has approximately 1000 dealerships where the possibility exists that this bike might be sold. Exact numbers were not released at this time for the amount of dealerships that will actually sell this bike alongside the behemoth Hummer EV Supertruck. 

The eBike has twin hub motors and can be modified by the consumer to go above the 20mph factory assist level up to 28mph. The bike also has a thumb operated "throttle".

Comments: A few things stand out to me about this. First, the "Supertruck" has a 3 second zero to 60mph performance. THAT should raise some alarms right there if you ride a bicycle in urban areas where this, and other high-horsepower EV vehicles are about to be unleashed. Second: The bike has TWO hub motors? Yep! It's advertised as an all-wheel drive vehicle. THAT should also be a bit of a scare. If you've ever ridden a throttle equipped HPC - essentially riding an electrified bicycle in "motorcycle mode", you understand why having two torque-monsters on a bicycle has the possibility of causing major mayhem. Third: The comments on the BRAIN article reveal the disconnect that US based bicycle purveyors have with these motorized rigs. One commenter bemoans the "modification" factor and another exclaims that it is "our right" to do what we please with vehicles on our own property. 

That's a lot to unpack, but it is a perfect microcosm of an example for why I believe that we are all looking at "mopeds" with electric motors, why this race to "more power" will end up making these into motorcycles, and why the whole lateral move to electrified transportation is not going to "fix" anything about car-culture. 

Kae Takashita won the C.O.G. 100 in 2019

A Nice Throwback On International Single Speed Day:

Thursday I was tagged in a post on Facebook by Kae Takashita where she posted about riding in the 2019 C.O.G. 100. She was prompted by the Paul Components initiated "International Single Speed Day" which was observed on Wednesday. 

I enjoyed the fact that Kae said, "I believe it was the slowest century I had done...."which is saying something since she is an elite level athlete. To have provided such a challenge is a reward and confirmation of N.Y. Roll and my efforts to do exactly that- provide a tough challenge to overcome. 

So, while I am NOT going to revive this idea, I am proud and satisfied that I was involved in putting on a single speed only gravel event. To my knowledge this is the only time anyone has done such a thing. I am really glad that I did this with N.Y. Roll, who was a huge motivator and assisted me in every way to put on that event. 

Too bad that we were thwarted by COVID and that the 2019 version was the only one we were able to pull off. I regret that deeply and I apologize to anyone reading this for our inability to pull off the second C.O.G. 100 due to the circumstances of the times. 

The whole thing with the C.O.G. 100 is bittersweet, to be honest. It was my swansong of sorts, when it comes to events promotions, and I wasn't aware of that at the time. COVID precipitated my decision to get out of that mindset of putting on events for others, which is a good thing - for myself. My mental health and physical health has been rejuvenated as a result. But had I known that the 2019 C.O.G. 100 was going to be "it", I maybe would have done a few things differently. Maybe it's better I didn't know....  

Anyway, thanks to Kae! I appreciated the shout-out and the memory very much.

 That's a wrap for this week! Don't forget to set your clocks back this weekend (if that affects you) and charge up those lights!

Mid-South Decides Not To Hold In-Person Racing For 2021

 Mid-South To Hold "Incredibly Socially Distanced Mid-South" In Lieu Of Actual Event:

In a not very surprising move, the Mid-South became one of the bigger events to post-pone, or cancel actual in-person racing for 2021. While vaccines are being rolled out, experts estimate that nearly 60% of the population will have to be vaccinated before the virus can be stopped.* That's a lot of people when you consider that we have 330 million plus folks. That's going to take some time to get through.

Obviously, even the most optimistic guesses are that we will not be at the 60% figure until- at best- late Summer.* So, it was inevitable that Mid-South, which occurs around Mid-March, was not going to benefit from the vaccination programs in time. 

However; Mid-South RD, Bobby Wintle, insists that this is NOT a virtual event now. He is dubbing it the "Incredibly Socially Distanced Mid-South". Mid-South has partnered with 8 regional bike shops to provide other 100 mile courses that locals can ride the weekend of the Mid-South's March date. Other routes can be uploaded and used as well, but it is not 100% clear (to me any way) as to how those will be handled in as far as prizing and "official or not" status is concerned. More details can be found here. 

Comments: While Mr. Wintle may not see things this way, the Mid-South is a 'virtual event' in that there will be people doing 'virtual Mid-South distances' in remote locations. It should also be noted that other events have done similar things, just not as organized as what the Mid-South is trying to pull off here. That said, the insistence that this is 'the event' for 2021 has led to the Mid-South deciding not to offer deferrals, full refunds, (apparently a partial refund is possible) or to consider a postponed date later in 2021. This is the 'event' you are getting from them this go-round. I've got my opinion about what this is, you've probably got yours, and Mr. Wintle has his. Guess which opinion matters. 

Well, whatever you want to make of that, it is probably, most assuredly, the correct decision not to be bringing in people from all over with this COVID crap going around yet. So, from that perspective this is a smart decision.

N.Y. Roll and I noted that there was no "Iowa Option" for a course, so I submitted (with N.Y. Roll's approval) this course. That's right, I submitted a course I came up with. It is what would would have been the 2020 C.O.G. 100 course. You're welcome..... This is a super rare occasion, so don't pass it up. 

*Note: The stated figures and opinions about the pandemic are drawn from my several hours worth of doing research and basing my statements on reasoned, scientific data. You're welcome to think otherwise, but I feel I've done due diligence and am presenting reasoned opinions based upon the latest knowledge.

Mid-South Decides Not To Hold In-Person Racing For 2021

 Mid-South To Hold "Incredibly Socially Distanced Mid-South" In Lieu Of Actual Event:

In a not very surprising move, the Mid-South became one of the bigger events to post-pone, or cancel actual in-person racing for 2021. While vaccines are being rolled out, experts estimate that nearly 60% of the population will have to be vaccinated before the virus can be stopped.* That's a lot of people when you consider that we have 330 million plus folks. That's going to take some time to get through.

Obviously, even the most optimistic guesses are that we will not be at the 60% figure until- at best- late Summer.* So, it was inevitable that Mid-South, which occurs around Mid-March, was not going to benefit from the vaccination programs in time. 

However; Mid-South RD, Bobby Wintle, insists that this is NOT a virtual event now. He is dubbing it the "Incredibly Socially Distanced Mid-South". Mid-South has partnered with 8 regional bike shops to provide other 100 mile courses that locals can ride the weekend of the Mid-South's March date. Other routes can be uploaded and used as well, but it is not 100% clear (to me any way) as to how those will be handled in as far as prizing and "official or not" status is concerned. More details can be found here. 

Comments: While Mr. Wintle may not see things this way, the Mid-South is a 'virtual event' in that there will be people doing 'virtual Mid-South distances' in remote locations. It should also be noted that other events have done similar things, just not as organized as what the Mid-South is trying to pull off here. That said, the insistence that this is 'the event' for 2021 has led to the Mid-South deciding not to offer deferrals, full refunds, (apparently a partial refund is possible) or to consider a postponed date later in 2021. This is the 'event' you are getting from them this go-round. I've got my opinion about what this is, you've probably got yours, and Mr. Wintle has his. Guess which opinion matters. 

Well, whatever you want to make of that, it is probably, most assuredly, the correct decision not to be bringing in people from all over with this COVID crap going around yet. So, from that perspective this is a smart decision.

N.Y. Roll and I noted that there was no "Iowa Option" for a course, so I submitted (with N.Y. Roll's approval) this course. That's right, I submitted a course I came up with. It is what would would have been the 2020 C.O.G. 100 course. You're welcome..... This is a super rare occasion, so don't pass it up. 

*Note: The stated figures and opinions about the pandemic are drawn from my several hours worth of doing research and basing my statements on reasoned, scientific data. You're welcome to think otherwise, but I feel I've done due diligence and am presenting reasoned opinions based upon the latest knowledge.

Rear View '20: The First Quarter

2020 kicked off with the Iowa Gravel expo Pop-up Series.

 Hello Readers! Once again I am doing the annual retrospective on what went down over the year of 2020. This post will focus on the First Quarter of the year. Other posts will cover the other quarters for a total of four, one each week of December on Thursdays.This is the first "Rear View" post of the series. 

First Quarter: This seems like it happened a decade ago, but there was a time during 2020 that was 'pre-COVID-19' in America. The year started out with my usual "State of the Gravel Scene" posts and I'll have a little to say about that later this month. The other thing I had going on was another season of the "Iowa Gravel Expo" with N.Y. Roll. We did a 'pop-up' series with two events in January and two in February at Second State Brewing. 

But the biggest news early in the year was my switch to working at a new bike shop after 17+ years at the previous shop. Andy's Bike shop was my new employer and I got started off working here and there throughout the rest of the Winter until right about when COVID hit where I was working four days a week. 

Late January and early February brought about four to five weeks of decent fat biking weather. With all the time off I had, I was digging into some rides and I actually had one of my best fat biking seasons that I've had in many a year. Even though conditions were only good for maybe a month, and I typically with the old job would have missed out on a lot of the opportunities to ride. So, not much money in that, but it was fun!

The snow was the meat in a weird gravel riding sandwich time. Great gravel riding was had from late 2019 right up through to mid-January, and then again from the mark out of the gate in March onward. "Slop Season" wasn't bad, and the roads were top notch for early riding. I also had a trip in here, my last one for a long, long time. 

T-Bock's sports bar in Decorah, Iowa where the pre-race meetings for T.I.v3 and v4 were held. Seen here in 2020.

 I went up to Decorah, Iowa on Leap Day to interview Marty Larson of the Heywood Ride for RidingGravel. It was a glorious day with Mrs. Guitar Ted and I had a wonderful time. I also was gearing up for an event I was putting on with N.Y. Roll, the C.O.G. 100, which we had to tie up a lot of loose ends for with the event set to happen on the last weekend of March, and right away, a week afterward I was to do the 10th annual Gent's Race, but as we all know, THAT never happened! 

Everything went upside down mid-March and the World as I knew it was changed. No plans mattered, and all the social and economic weirdness kicked in with a heavy dose of fear. I just was freaking out, to be honest, and just riding out in the country alone on gravel roads felt odd, like I wasn't supposed to be doing this......maybe? 

And that was the biggest thing, right? No one knew anything for certain about anything- Just stay away from people, shelter at home, wash yer hands, don't touch your face, sanitize EVERYTHING and good luck finding toilet paper. Oh,,,,,,and all the gravel events were cancelling or moving dates to Fall.

Next on the Rear View '20: April, May, and June

Rear View '20: The First Quarter

2020 kicked off with the Iowa Gravel expo Pop-up Series.

 Hello Readers! Once again I am doing the annual retrospective on what went down over the year of 2020. This post will focus on the First Quarter of the year. Other posts will cover the other quarters for a total of four, one each week of December on Thursdays.This is the first "Rear View" post of the series. 

First Quarter: This seems like it happened a decade ago, but there was a time during 2020 that was 'pre-COVID-19' in America. The year started out with my usual "State of the Gravel Scene" posts and I'll have a little to say about that later this month. The other thing I had going on was another season of the "Iowa Gravel Expo" with N.Y. Roll. We did a 'pop-up' series with two events in January and two in February at Second State Brewing. 

But the biggest news early in the year was my switch to working at a new bike shop after 17+ years at the previous shop. Andy's Bike shop was my new employer and I got started off working here and there throughout the rest of the Winter until right about when COVID hit where I was working four days a week. 

Late January and early February brought about four to five weeks of decent fat biking weather. With all the time off I had, I was digging into some rides and I actually had one of my best fat biking seasons that I've had in many a year. Even though conditions were only good for maybe a month, and I typically with the old job would have missed out on a lot of the opportunities to ride. So, not much money in that, but it was fun!

The snow was the meat in a weird gravel riding sandwich time. Great gravel riding was had from late 2019 right up through to mid-January, and then again from the mark out of the gate in March onward. "Slop Season" wasn't bad, and the roads were top notch for early riding. I also had a trip in here, my last one for a long, long time. 

T-Bock's sports bar in Decorah, Iowa where the pre-race meetings for T.I.v3 and v4 were held. Seen here in 2020.

 I went up to Decorah, Iowa on Leap Day to interview Marty Larson of the Heywood Ride for RidingGravel. It was a glorious day with Mrs. Guitar Ted and I had a wonderful time. I also was gearing up for an event I was putting on with N.Y. Roll, the C.O.G. 100, which we had to tie up a lot of loose ends for with the event set to happen on the last weekend of March, and right away, a week afterward I was to do the 10th annual Gent's Race, but as we all know, THAT never happened! 

Everything went upside down mid-March and the World as I knew it was changed. No plans mattered, and all the social and economic weirdness kicked in with a heavy dose of fear. I just was freaking out, to be honest, and just riding out in the country alone on gravel roads felt odd, like I wasn't supposed to be doing this......maybe? 

And that was the biggest thing, right? No one knew anything for certain about anything- Just stay away from people, shelter at home, wash yer hands, don't touch your face, sanitize EVERYTHING and good luck finding toilet paper. Oh,,,,,,and all the gravel events were cancelling or moving dates to Fall.

Next on the Rear View '20: April, May, and June

A Few Thoughts In Reaction To The C.O.G 100 Update

 I wanted to first say, "Thank You", to all who took the time to weigh in with a comment regarding the post yesterday. N.Y. Roll and I really appreciate the support and the suggestions that you provided us. And if you read that and didn't comment, that's okay. No worries. 

Secondly, a suggestion we received yesterday, a comment I saw on Twitter, and an email I received yesterday all had a common thread which forced me to take a moment or three to think. There are a lot of opinions and statements flying about regarding COVID-19, the pandemic, and its effects upon all of us. But I think many of us, myself included, are being negatively affected by the fall-out from this pandemic, the election season, and how we've all been dealing with that as a society. Beyond the obvious, there are effects upon us as cyclists. Yes.....it has a LOT to do with the C.O.G 100 too. 

You see, there is an underlying side effect of all of what has been going on this year and it has to do with depression. Mentally I am worn out. I am sure many of you are as well. Maybe some of you are beyond what you can take? Please reach out. And we should be reaching out to those around us we care about as well. There has never been a more necessary time to be a community that cares than now, I feel. 

And so how does this affect the C.O.G. 100? Well, for one thing any sort of 'getting together' of we cyclists is maybe so desirable we'd forfeit common sense to somehow make things work. I mean, we'll be okay, right? We're a mostly healthy, younger, stronger group, yes? Well, maybe this isn't overtly said, but I get the feeling that many in the cycling community are secretly feeling this way, and again- who can blame them with the darkness of the pandemic and how we've dealt with that? How can all this grinding down of decency surrounding the elections be countered? A little cycling get-together, maybe. Something .....you know....to take our minds off things and bring a feeling of 'normalcy' again. We'd all feel that same feeling we have had while riding/racing together. 

But I am afraid that's pretty selfish, and yes, privileged thinking. There has to be a way to see through our desires and all of that to begin to see that- right now anyway- that whole scene has to be dealt with very carefully, or in alternative ways. We need to report racing and events, which aren't necessary to be having now in my opinion, in a way that shows we are really conscientious of the possible ramifications of our actions. And I've seen race reports that have totally ignored any reporting on COVID-19 protocols or things that have resulted from holding these events. That's ignorant and dangerous. 

But we also need to have balance. I am not saying we all should be hiding in our homes wearing masks while no one is around us out of fear. I am saying that we need to be a bit more reasonable about this. We can still be a community, we can still find ways to be caring for each other, and we really need that right now. But racing and holding events? Maybe......probably not. 

So yesterday I said we were leaning pretty hard toward not having a C.O.G. 100 next March for various reasons, but I also want to say today that we need community. We need to reach out to each other. There are a lot of people feeling weighed down right now and we cannot wait for "normal" to come back to "save us" from that. So, do me a favor if you are so inclined- Reach out to a friend today and commit to staying connected. It'll do a whole lot more for the world right now than a silly little single speed gravel event ever could. 

A Few Thoughts In Reaction To The C.O.G 100 Update

 I wanted to first say, "Thank You", to all who took the time to weigh in with a comment regarding the post yesterday. N.Y. Roll and I really appreciate the support and the suggestions that you provided us. And if you read that and didn't comment, that's okay. No worries. 

Secondly, a suggestion we received yesterday, a comment I saw on Twitter, and an email I received yesterday all had a common thread which forced me to take a moment or three to think. There are a lot of opinions and statements flying about regarding COVID-19, the pandemic, and its effects upon all of us. But I think many of us, myself included, are being negatively affected by the fall-out from this pandemic, the election season, and how we've all been dealing with that as a society. Beyond the obvious, there are effects upon us as cyclists. Yes.....it has a LOT to do with the C.O.G 100 too. 

You see, there is an underlying side effect of all of what has been going on this year and it has to do with depression. Mentally I am worn out. I am sure many of you are as well. Maybe some of you are beyond what you can take? Please reach out. And we should be reaching out to those around us we care about as well. There has never been a more necessary time to be a community that cares than now, I feel. 

And so how does this affect the C.O.G. 100? Well, for one thing any sort of 'getting together' of we cyclists is maybe so desirable we'd forfeit common sense to somehow make things work. I mean, we'll be okay, right? We're a mostly healthy, younger, stronger group, yes? Well, maybe this isn't overtly said, but I get the feeling that many in the cycling community are secretly feeling this way, and again- who can blame them with the darkness of the pandemic and how we've dealt with that? How can all this grinding down of decency surrounding the elections be countered? A little cycling get-together, maybe. Something .....you know....to take our minds off things and bring a feeling of 'normalcy' again. We'd all feel that same feeling we have had while riding/racing together. 

But I am afraid that's pretty selfish, and yes, privileged thinking. There has to be a way to see through our desires and all of that to begin to see that- right now anyway- that whole scene has to be dealt with very carefully, or in alternative ways. We need to report racing and events, which aren't necessary to be having now in my opinion, in a way that shows we are really conscientious of the possible ramifications of our actions. And I've seen race reports that have totally ignored any reporting on COVID-19 protocols or things that have resulted from holding these events. That's ignorant and dangerous. 

But we also need to have balance. I am not saying we all should be hiding in our homes wearing masks while no one is around us out of fear. I am saying that we need to be a bit more reasonable about this. We can still be a community, we can still find ways to be caring for each other, and we really need that right now. But racing and holding events? Maybe......probably not. 

So yesterday I said we were leaning pretty hard toward not having a C.O.G. 100 next March for various reasons, but I also want to say today that we need community. We need to reach out to each other. There are a lot of people feeling weighed down right now and we cannot wait for "normal" to come back to "save us" from that. So, do me a favor if you are so inclined- Reach out to a friend today and commit to staying connected. It'll do a whole lot more for the world right now than a silly little single speed gravel event ever could. 

C.O.G. 100 Update: Not Looking Good

 NOTE: This is NOT an announcement of whether or not the C.O.G. 100 will happen or not. It IS an indication of that status as of 11/20. N.Y. Roll and I offer this as a way of being more transparent about what is happening within the 'think tank' here at C.O.G. 100 headquarters. Thanks for your patience and understanding ahead of time.

For regular blog readers- this also may help you navigate where 2021 might take you in regard to events. Please feel free to ask questions or to leave comments. I am open to dialogue on this subject. Now for the post......

The current thinking here between N.Y. Roll and I concerning whether or not to completely cancel the C.O.G. 100 is a process of back-and-forth, a changing of thoughts on a daily basis, and is a hope against hope situation that is- frankly- exhausting us. Here are things that are shaping our thoughts as of November 2020 in no particular order.

1. We acknowledge that certain events have taken place and have been relatively 'safe' in retrospect. There have been big, event impacting decisions done with regard to these events that, honestly, if we followed suit, would take a lot of what we intend for the C.O.G. 100 away and in our view make it less the event we originally had intended on putting on. This is not where our hearts are at. So, regarding the comparisons one may make here, we get that others have done their events. But we cannot do ours the way we intended to in the current situation we have found ourselves in. We feel it is, therefore, difficult to call it the "C.O.G. 100" then if it isn't really done in the way the first one was. 
2. COVID-19 is not going away by the time we want to have the C.O.G. 100. Yes, you may have heard news recently about a vaccine, and that is good news. However; the reality is that it will take months to roll out any - as yet unapproved by the way - vaccine, and then it will be first administered to our most vulnerable in the population, as it should be. With less than four months to go until a rescheduled C.O.G. 100, it is our estimation at this time, having reviewed the best information we can gather, that there will be no vaccine available in time to affect whether or not we can put this event on without enforcing restrictive protocols. 
3. The current situation with regard to the pandemic is worsening. The Governor of Iowa announced restrictions yesterday on crowd sizes and masks, mandating that any outdoor gathering of 100 or more people would have to be required to wear masks if they cannot socially distance. This was one of a few mandates made Tuesday, and are the first 'mask mandates' made in Iowa on a statewide level. That should tell you that we are quite a ways away from getting clear from having public restrictions with or without a vaccine. It is our best judgement that IF a C.O.G. 100 were to happen that we would have to enforce some strict protocols regarding group sizes and make sure riders were administering social distancing practices. 
4. Our insurance would have to be re-purchased for the event. The policy we hoped to make use of runs out before we'd get to a rescheduled C.O.G. 100. This means an out-of-pocket expenditure or perhaps adding enough riders to make up the shortfall by re-opening registration. Adding more folks sounds like a really bad idea right now though.  
5. While some may feel having 'something' is better than nothing, I am not of that school of thought. Racing, competitions, and socially gathering for events, are frivolous activities that are expendable when a random element to a deadly virus could cause a lot of pain and suffering. For what? A silly single speed only gravel event? 
   

In closing, all of these things are weighty issues to consider and we haven't even touched upon what we would have to consider IF we cancelled the C.O.G. 100 altogether. But we'll cover that IF we get to that point.

In closing, I want to say that I appreciate everyone's patience regarding the situation with the C.O.G. 100. We are leaning toward NOT having the event at all at this point because we do not feel that by late March things will be any safer than they are today. I think we will have a definite answer one way or the other by the end of this month. Look for our final word by then.

C.O.G. 100 Update: Not Looking Good

 NOTE: This is NOT an announcement of whether or not the C.O.G. 100 will happen or not. It IS an indication of that status as of 11/20. N.Y. Roll and I offer this as a way of being more transparent about what is happening within the 'think tank' here at C.O.G. 100 headquarters. Thanks for your patience and understanding ahead of time.

For regular blog readers- this also may help you navigate where 2021 might take you in regard to events. Please feel free to ask questions or to leave comments. I am open to dialogue on this subject. Now for the post......

The current thinking here between N.Y. Roll and I concerning whether or not to completely cancel the C.O.G. 100 is a process of back-and-forth, a changing of thoughts on a daily basis, and is a hope against hope situation that is- frankly- exhausting us. Here are things that are shaping our thoughts as of November 2020 in no particular order.

1. We acknowledge that certain events have taken place and have been relatively 'safe' in retrospect. There have been big, event impacting decisions done with regard to these events that, honestly, if we followed suit, would take a lot of what we intend for the C.O.G. 100 away and in our view make it less the event we originally had intended on putting on. This is not where our hearts are at. So, regarding the comparisons one may make here, we get that others have done their events. But we cannot do ours the way we intended to in the current situation we have found ourselves in. We feel it is, therefore, difficult to call it the "C.O.G. 100" then if it isn't really done in the way the first one was. 
2. COVID-19 is not going away by the time we want to have the C.O.G. 100. Yes, you may have heard news recently about a vaccine, and that is good news. However; the reality is that it will take months to roll out any - as yet unapproved by the way - vaccine, and then it will be first administered to our most vulnerable in the population, as it should be. With less than four months to go until a rescheduled C.O.G. 100, it is our estimation at this time, having reviewed the best information we can gather, that there will be no vaccine available in time to affect whether or not we can put this event on without enforcing restrictive protocols. 
3. The current situation with regard to the pandemic is worsening. The Governor of Iowa announced restrictions yesterday on crowd sizes and masks, mandating that any outdoor gathering of 100 or more people would have to be required to wear masks if they cannot socially distance. This was one of a few mandates made Tuesday, and are the first 'mask mandates' made in Iowa on a statewide level. That should tell you that we are quite a ways away from getting clear from having public restrictions with or without a vaccine. It is our best judgement that IF a C.O.G. 100 were to happen that we would have to enforce some strict protocols regarding group sizes and make sure riders were administering social distancing practices. 
4. Our insurance would have to be re-purchased for the event. The policy we hoped to make use of runs out before we'd get to a rescheduled C.O.G. 100. This means an out-of-pocket expenditure or perhaps adding enough riders to make up the shortfall by re-opening registration. Adding more folks sounds like a really bad idea right now though.  
5. While some may feel having 'something' is better than nothing, I am not of that school of thought. Racing, competitions, and socially gathering for events, are frivolous activities that are expendable when a random element to a deadly virus could cause a lot of pain and suffering. For what? A silly single speed only gravel event? 
   

In closing, all of these things are weighty issues to consider and we haven't even touched upon what we would have to consider IF we cancelled the C.O.G. 100 altogether. But we'll cover that IF we get to that point.

In closing, I want to say that I appreciate everyone's patience regarding the situation with the C.O.G. 100. We are leaning toward NOT having the event at all at this point because we do not feel that by late March things will be any safer than they are today. I think we will have a definite answer one way or the other by the end of this month. Look for our final word by then.

Randomonium

 NOTE: Okay folks, if you haven't been around long enough here to know what a "Randomonium" post is, then here is the deal. I ramble, rant, and randomly moan about all things cycling in one, incohesive, bizarre post. "Randomonium", okay?

Andy's Bike Shop Fleece Beanie:

So, this happened the other day. Andy of Andy's Bike Shop ordered in some beanies, took his iron on logo patches, and voila'! Beanies for your warm headed goodness. 

These aren't even up on Andy's site yet, but if you call down to the shop, we can set one aside for you. They are a very warm, fleece style beanie. Not as deep as a Euro styled one, but more like a skull-cap fit, if your head is big, like mine is. 

Anyway, I think Andy said these are like $12.95 or something.......don't hold me to that, but that's very close if it isn't right. I know! Just tell Andy you saw it here and it is a twelve-ninety-fiver. Special "G-Ted Productions" price! Ha!  

We also have t-shirts and stickers and maybe some of those same iron-on patches you see here on the beanie. Just stop by, call, and ask. We're hoping to get some Riding Gravel stickers and whatnot down there at the shop sometime soon also. Stay tuned......

Basement Chemistry:

Sometimes I chuckle to myself when I am down in "The Lab" mixing up sealant using "MG's Secret Sauce" recipe. I feel like some mad scientist, mixing up some formula that ends up getting out of hand and causing some catastrophic 'blob' to come to life that swallows life as we know it on this planet. 

But that's probably just shreds of memories left over from seeing "Creature Feature" with my late Uncle Joe when I was young and impressionable. I'm not really doing anything diabolical, just doing something practical.

You see, I go through a lot of sealant for tubeless bicycle tires. My brother down in Lincoln, MG, told me about his special home brewed recipe for sealant that he came up with after years of toying around with stuff and it worked well. He shared this with me back in 2007 or so, and ever since then I've been doing sealant using this method. It's got good qualities, but the big thing from my standpoint is that it is cheaper than branded offerings you can get on the open market. 

So, it's the best of both worlds for me. Cheap, easy to make, easy access, and effective in use. I know there are some of you out there that will want to know what it is exactly. I've shared it here on the blog before, search for it. I'm not taking the time to reveal the recipe again. Besides, it's called "MG's Secret Sauce" for a reason. 

Lunch With N.Y.Roll:

Last Wednesday I had lunch with N.Y. Roll from a local Bosnian food truck. But that wasn't why I am bringing this up. We had a wide ranging conversation covering many subjects, but the point I wanted to bring up has to do with the C.O.G. 100. 

We have not made any definitive decisions, but all outcomes are on the table now. We may cancel the event entirely, offer refunds, or we may do a socially distanced type of deal, or we may do something else altogether. 

One big issue is that we won't have insurance due to the COVID postponement after February 28th, 2021. So, if we were to run the event, we'd have to foot an insurance bill out of pocket. That makes offering refunds a bit more appealing, but as of now, we don't know what that might look like. So, there you are. I'm not making any decisions just yet, but you can see that in financial terms, this doesn't make sense to have the event. 

And in any scenario, we're looking at probably losing money on this. But it is what it is. This situation would have been 100% different had our event not been scheduled right when the whole COVID thing broke. You'll remember that at mid-March we were being told that this virus was going to pretty much end the world. Had we been scheduled in Summer, we would have had a lot more information and, although the event would have been postponed- probably- we would have had more leeway with insurance. 

Anyway.....stay tuned.

No whiskey products were consumed during this podcast recording.

Special Guest:

Thursday we had a special guest in for the recording of the next "Riding Gravel Radio Ranch" podcast. His name is "Dangerous Dan" and his event is the Sterile Iowan. This wide ranging interview went on for over an hour, so this will be our longest podcast to date. 

It was fun and I learned a lot from Dan while we were chatting. I won't give away too much, but this has somewhat to do with the above C.O.G100 discussion. Dan, having the luxury of a couple of months perspective, had a view that we didn't have. He was able to put on his event in a way that was safe and took in the protocols necessary to appease locals and government officials in his area. He also, along with other event promoters, found a way to bring some small amount of joy to some folks who have been locked up due to this pandemic for several months earlier this year. 

There was a lot more, as I said, so make sure you look for this episode, which I think is going to be #61, coming out soon.  

That's a wrap for this edition of Randomonium. 

Randomonium

 NOTE: Okay folks, if you haven't been around long enough here to know what a "Randomonium" post is, then here is the deal. I ramble, rant, and randomly moan about all things cycling in one, incohesive, bizarre post. "Randomonium", okay?

Andy's Bike Shop Fleece Beanie:

So, this happened the other day. Andy of Andy's Bike Shop ordered in some beanies, took his iron on logo patches, and voila'! Beanies for your warm headed goodness. 

These aren't even up on Andy's site yet, but if you call down to the shop, we can set one aside for you. They are a very warm, fleece style beanie. Not as deep as a Euro styled one, but more like a skull-cap fit, if your head is big, like mine is. 

Anyway, I think Andy said these are like $12.95 or something.......don't hold me to that, but that's very close if it isn't right. I know! Just tell Andy you saw it here and it is a twelve-ninety-fiver. Special "G-Ted Productions" price! Ha!  

We also have t-shirts and stickers and maybe some of those same iron-on patches you see here on the beanie. Just stop by, call, and ask. We're hoping to get some Riding Gravel stickers and whatnot down there at the shop sometime soon also. Stay tuned......

Basement Chemistry:

Sometimes I chuckle to myself when I am down in "The Lab" mixing up sealant using "MG's Secret Sauce" recipe. I feel like some mad scientist, mixing up some formula that ends up getting out of hand and causing some catastrophic 'blob' to come to life that swallows life as we know it on this planet. 

But that's probably just shreds of memories left over from seeing "Creature Feature" with my late Uncle Joe when I was young and impressionable. I'm not really doing anything diabolical, just doing something practical.

You see, I go through a lot of sealant for tubeless bicycle tires. My brother down in Lincoln, MG, told me about his special home brewed recipe for sealant that he came up with after years of toying around with stuff and it worked well. He shared this with me back in 2007 or so, and ever since then I've been doing sealant using this method. It's got good qualities, but the big thing from my standpoint is that it is cheaper than branded offerings you can get on the open market. 

So, it's the best of both worlds for me. Cheap, easy to make, easy access, and effective in use. I know there are some of you out there that will want to know what it is exactly. I've shared it here on the blog before, search for it. I'm not taking the time to reveal the recipe again. Besides, it's called "MG's Secret Sauce" for a reason. 

Lunch With N.Y.Roll:

Last Wednesday I had lunch with N.Y. Roll from a local Bosnian food truck. But that wasn't why I am bringing this up. We had a wide ranging conversation covering many subjects, but the point I wanted to bring up has to do with the C.O.G. 100. 

We have not made any definitive decisions, but all outcomes are on the table now. We may cancel the event entirely, offer refunds, or we may do a socially distanced type of deal, or we may do something else altogether. 

One big issue is that we won't have insurance due to the COVID postponement after February 28th, 2021. So, if we were to run the event, we'd have to foot an insurance bill out of pocket. That makes offering refunds a bit more appealing, but as of now, we don't know what that might look like. So, there you are. I'm not making any decisions just yet, but you can see that in financial terms, this doesn't make sense to have the event. 

And in any scenario, we're looking at probably losing money on this. But it is what it is. This situation would have been 100% different had our event not been scheduled right when the whole COVID thing broke. You'll remember that at mid-March we were being told that this virus was going to pretty much end the world. Had we been scheduled in Summer, we would have had a lot more information and, although the event would have been postponed- probably- we would have had more leeway with insurance. 

Anyway.....stay tuned.

No whiskey products were consumed during this podcast recording.

Special Guest:

Thursday we had a special guest in for the recording of the next "Riding Gravel Radio Ranch" podcast. His name is "Dangerous Dan" and his event is the Sterile Iowan. This wide ranging interview went on for over an hour, so this will be our longest podcast to date. 

It was fun and I learned a lot from Dan while we were chatting. I won't give away too much, but this has somewhat to do with the above C.O.G100 discussion. Dan, having the luxury of a couple of months perspective, had a view that we didn't have. He was able to put on his event in a way that was safe and took in the protocols necessary to appease locals and government officials in his area. He also, along with other event promoters, found a way to bring some small amount of joy to some folks who have been locked up due to this pandemic for several months earlier this year. 

There was a lot more, as I said, so make sure you look for this episode, which I think is going to be #61, coming out soon.  

That's a wrap for this edition of Randomonium. 

No Turning Back: Part 2

C.O.G. 100 in 2019. Image by Jon Duke

Last Saturday I wrote about what the immediate and short term look for gravel events is likely to be. Today I am going to be talking about what I think I am going to be looking at next Spring in terms of the C.O.G.100 event, which we rescheduled tentatively for the end of March, 2021.

I'm looking around, talking to lots of people, reading as much as I can, and trying to navigate my own feelings in the mix. It is hard to make a decision now, obviously it is many months off, but sooner or later we're going to have to start dealing with this, as March 2021 is only seven months from now.
Seven short months. Think about that.......

Five months ago we all were hoping, and many were pretty sure that, we'd be having events again in September. Ah........no. At least nothing major, and I'd also say that we'd best be careful about what we do actually have going on. Why? Because this pandemic, as of now, is flaring up in many Mid-Western and Eastern cities. The government officials are asking for less contact and to avoid grouping together. So, many events are cancelling, or being held without fans, and whether or not gravel riders can be socially distanced or not is tough to control, and almost next to impossible to guarantee. Traveling riders to other areas to attend races/rides is asking for a clear path to spread the virus back home.

These are the things weighing on my mind. And then there is flu season, which will be kicking into gear here in about a month or two.

Bicycle riders and gravel riding are good things and the people engaging in those activities are probably doing themselves a good favor by increasing their immunity system's strength and by keeping healthy. I've got no problems with that part of putting on any event now. It's the gathering of people from various places, mingling with the unhealthy, not safe practicing folks, that is my concern. And then you have to ask the question: "What is the point of having an event if we cannot gather together in a group?"

Well, to my mind, that is the point. If that is being discouraged now, with no end in sight to this pandemic for the near future, I'm thinking there will be no C.O.G. 100 in 2021. But that's not an "official announcement", or anything. It's just where I am at with regard to the current situation.

It used to be that August, actually right around now, was the time I'd announce another Trans Iowa. Remember those days? There was no question about it going off in the following year in April, remember? What a world we live in now!

No Turning Back: Part 2

C.O.G. 100 in 2019. Image by Jon Duke

Last Saturday I wrote about what the immediate and short term look for gravel events is likely to be. Today I am going to be talking about what I think I am going to be looking at next Spring in terms of the C.O.G.100 event, which we rescheduled tentatively for the end of March, 2021.

I'm looking around, talking to lots of people, reading as much as I can, and trying to navigate my own feelings in the mix. It is hard to make a decision now, obviously it is many months off, but sooner or later we're going to have to start dealing with this, as March 2021 is only seven months from now.
Seven short months. Think about that.......

Five months ago we all were hoping, and many were pretty sure that, we'd be having events again in September. Ah........no. At least nothing major, and I'd also say that we'd best be careful about what we do actually have going on. Why? Because this pandemic, as of now, is flaring up in many Mid-Western and Eastern cities. The government officials are asking for less contact and to avoid grouping together. So, many events are cancelling, or being held without fans, and whether or not gravel riders can be socially distanced or not is tough to control, and almost next to impossible to guarantee. Traveling riders to other areas to attend races/rides is asking for a clear path to spread the virus back home.

These are the things weighing on my mind. And then there is flu season, which will be kicking into gear here in about a month or two.

Bicycle riders and gravel riding are good things and the people engaging in those activities are probably doing themselves a good favor by increasing their immunity system's strength and by keeping healthy. I've got no problems with that part of putting on any event now. It's the gathering of people from various places, mingling with the unhealthy, not safe practicing folks, that is my concern. And then you have to ask the question: "What is the point of having an event if we cannot gather together in a group?"

Well, to my mind, that is the point. If that is being discouraged now, with no end in sight to this pandemic for the near future, I'm thinking there will be no C.O.G. 100 in 2021. But that's not an "official announcement", or anything. It's just where I am at with regard to the current situation.

It used to be that August, actually right around now, was the time I'd announce another Trans Iowa. Remember those days? There was no question about it going off in the following year in April, remember? What a world we live in now!

The Weekend Tribute To The C.O.G.100

 The Black Mountain Cycles "Monster Cross", or as I call it, "Orange Crush"

Yesterday I posted about the happenings around the World in relation to the solo #cog100 ride and posted up some images sent to me and found on social media. Today I am going to tell you what I did to commemorate the "postponed weekend".

Friday I knew that Saturday was going to be a mess, in terms of the weather, so I rode the single speed set up Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross, serial # 49, which I call the Orange Crush. That was a fun commute on the new route which does have some alleys, dirt paths, and short cuts across some areas. So, a fair amount of non-paved surfaces. I try to get off pavement as much as possible. Usually that means less, or zero car traffic. The less of that the better! Plus the dirt and alleyways provide more challenges, adventure, and fun. So, I seek that out whenever possible.

The Saturday of the weekend was, as expected, rainy and not conducive to putting in any sort of decent bike ride. I ended up doing a long walk and then spent the rest of the day with my family. Sunday promised to be a bit better, but when the winds were gusting toward 50mph on Sunday morning, I decided to wait until the afternoon to see what would happen. By around 3:00pm, the winds had subsided to a "measly" 16-20mph with a few higher gusts, so I decided to do an urban ride.This was again down some alleyways around my neighborhood. I can literally spend a few hours just riding alleys in this city. The only bad thing about it is that I have to interrupt the fun every block to cross a paved street.

But I like alleyways anyway, despite the constant interruptions. Once in awhile I find some alleys that I can bomb since they are in really quiet neighborhoods. That may be not a smart thing to do, but hey! What is life without taking a chance once in a while? Besides, I am ready to accept any consequences. It is also worth noting I don't do that often, but sometimes......

Alleyway as far as I can see.

There is this one particular alley, it is kind of hidden and out of the way behind some old gentrified homes, that I have discovered that goes fairly steeply down, or up, and is rough, and curves at the bottom. That's one I can generally just blast down, or up, as the case may be, as the cross-street traffic is pretty much nil. Of course, I hit that one Sunday! Then I crossed the mid-Southtown hills and finally did the rustic alleyway down Baltimore Street which leads me right back to my home area. But I wasn't quite ready to be done just yet.

I then hit the Elmwood Cemetery just down from where I live. I made several laps around there, and it is quite hilly, although the hills are tiny. It definitely is not flat! So I got a decent amount of on-again-of-again efforts in a short amount of time back in there.

So, not much to write home about, but there was a ride or two and I made the most out of what I have been handed. Look for a proper "#cog100" outing in the very near future.

The Weekend Tribute To The C.O.G.100

 The Black Mountain Cycles "Monster Cross", or as I call it, "Orange Crush"

Yesterday I posted about the happenings around the World in relation to the solo #cog100 ride and posted up some images sent to me and found on social media. Today I am going to tell you what I did to commemorate the "postponed weekend".

Friday I knew that Saturday was going to be a mess, in terms of the weather, so I rode the single speed set up Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross, serial # 49, which I call the Orange Crush. That was a fun commute on the new route which does have some alleys, dirt paths, and short cuts across some areas. So, a fair amount of non-paved surfaces. I try to get off pavement as much as possible. Usually that means less, or zero car traffic. The less of that the better! Plus the dirt and alleyways provide more challenges, adventure, and fun. So, I seek that out whenever possible.

The Saturday of the weekend was, as expected, rainy and not conducive to putting in any sort of decent bike ride. I ended up doing a long walk and then spent the rest of the day with my family. Sunday promised to be a bit better, but when the winds were gusting toward 50mph on Sunday morning, I decided to wait until the afternoon to see what would happen. By around 3:00pm, the winds had subsided to a "measly" 16-20mph with a few higher gusts, so I decided to do an urban ride.This was again down some alleyways around my neighborhood. I can literally spend a few hours just riding alleys in this city. The only bad thing about it is that I have to interrupt the fun every block to cross a paved street.

But I like alleyways anyway, despite the constant interruptions. Once in awhile I find some alleys that I can bomb since they are in really quiet neighborhoods. That may be not a smart thing to do, but hey! What is life without taking a chance once in a while? Besides, I am ready to accept any consequences. It is also worth noting I don't do that often, but sometimes......

Alleyway as far as I can see.

There is this one particular alley, it is kind of hidden and out of the way behind some old gentrified homes, that I have discovered that goes fairly steeply down, or up, and is rough, and curves at the bottom. That's one I can generally just blast down, or up, as the case may be, as the cross-street traffic is pretty much nil. Of course, I hit that one Sunday! Then I crossed the mid-Southtown hills and finally did the rustic alleyway down Baltimore Street which leads me right back to my home area. But I wasn't quite ready to be done just yet.

I then hit the Elmwood Cemetery just down from where I live. I made several laps around there, and it is quite hilly, although the hills are tiny. It definitely is not flat! So I got a decent amount of on-again-of-again efforts in a short amount of time back in there.

So, not much to write home about, but there was a ride or two and I made the most out of what I have been handed. Look for a proper "#cog100" outing in the very near future.

The Weekend That Was Postponed

Okay, so I want to say up front that I know there are a LOT bigger issues out there than a postponed bicycle event. I get it, but instead of droning on about the obvious I wanted to divert our collective (read: "my" ) thoughts toward something to take our minds off of things for a brief moment.

That diversion would be talking about the weather we had Saturday, and a few other things, that took place when we had the C.O.G. 100 planned to happen. N.Y. Roll told me last week it was probably for the best that it wasn't going to happen, because at that time they were saying we would have severe thunderstorms in the morning hours. Thankfully, that never happened.

What did happen was that we got a typical soaking rain with about 50°F temperatures which would have made the roads pretty much just about as nice as last year's C.O.G.100 event, just with wetness. So, yeah, take away the crazy wind, (there still was plenty of wind though), add rain, and get the same amount of "suck". Ha! Anyway, it would have been quite the slog/mud-fest and we all would have been shivering, wet, and pretty miserable. You know- typical epic Spring gravel racing. 

Oh! And later in the day we had a tornado warning here in Waterloo. May not have affected the event, but there was that too.....

So, if you've ever been in a situation like that, just close your eyes, remember it, and you'd be pretty close to what could have happened over the weekend. Or don't and be glad it never happened. Either way, a single speed would have been a perfect bike for those conditions.

Now, as for the solo #cog100  Yeah..... I postponed that, since things are on high alert in many areas and travel is discouraged in places where stay at home orders are in place. But that didn't stop some of our European brethren, and a couple of others, from riding. So, with names withheld to protect the innocent, I have some submissions to share. One of which is my favorite bike I've seen in quite awhile as far as gravel travel is concerned. I think many of you will agree...... (Guess which one!)

From Germany- Mr. 7-speed

"E", from the U.S.A.

From Britain- "sous le bois'" All City Nature Boy

JH from Germany sent me this shot.

From the U.S. 'kinggood shared this image of his Van Dessel

"TC", a local, shared this one.

Meet "Esmeralda", a converted 80's era roadie belonging to "FJK" of Germany who sent me this.

 One of the German submissions came with a long, interesting story, which I cannot replicate here, but something he said about our current situation resonated with me. It is something that reminds us that this is a world-wide phenomenon. Not just affecting you- but all of humanity. Check it out:

"The actual situation feels like taking involuntary part in an bad b-movie written by an misanthrope and directed by a paranoid. There is no escape from the permanent announcing of danger! Time for a solo ride!"

That pretty much summed up how I have been feeling. And yes- isn't it great if you are able to 'get away' on a solo ride? 

The person who submitted the story ended it on this fine note;

"Conclusion: Cycle more, consume less and shop locally. And keep an eye
on our rights that maintain our freedom!"

So, there were folks out and about that were thinking of the C.O.G.100 and that's pretty freakin' amazing, if you ask me. I sure hope that y'all got in great rides but stayed safe and all that. Hopefully this passes soon so we can all forget about "virtual group rides" and sharing via digital means. In the meantime, I hope this brought a little relief from the heaviness of today's world.