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?

From KCCI television's Facebook page.

Criminal Activities Interrupt Gravel Event:

Or: "Why I Am Glad I Don't Do THAT Anymore!"

On Sunday the Tour of Central Iowa was rudely interrupted by a bizarre incident involving a homicide suspect from the Omaha, Nebraska area and which had the event director's scurrying to ferry riders around the cordoned off area their course went through.

Apparently the suspect was identified and was being approached to be apprehended when he bolted and stole an investigating officer's vehicle. This led to a 45 minute chase which ended when police used "stop strips" to bring the vehicle the suspect was driving to a halt. The suspect then fled on foot and barricaded himself inside St. Paul's Luthren Church in Winterset's North end. There was no one inside at this time, thankfully, but the suspect. 

This is usually "big city" stuff and not something a smaller city like Winterset would normally have going on. So, it wouldn't be out of the question to say that this was quite the shock to the Iowa gravel community this weekend.

From race director, Sarah Cooper's Facebook page.

The events caused there to be an emergency ferry operation on the part of the volunteers and race directing staff for the Tour of Central Iowa which was going on out of Cumming, Iowa, a small village just North of there. 

Riders were stopped, picked up, and driven to a point South of the city where they could return to gravelly good times. 

Comments: I have had some interesting run-ins over the years in differing situations, but this one takes the cake. I've never had anything like this happen, and I wouldn't really want to either! 

But that said, I am sure that the staff of the Tour of Central Iowa did a great job dealing with the cards that were dealt them. In the end, the suspect was apprehended, no one was shot or killed, and the event went on to its conclusion. All good things, but wow! That may have pegged my stress meter to a point I wouldn't have gotten over, so my heart goes out to those involved and I hope that this is nothing more than a great story to tell in the future. 

But yeah- that probably would have seriously called into doubt whether or not the fun and rewarding bits of promoting gravel events was worth it. Just another reason for everyone to make an effort to thank those willing to stick their necks out for us gravel grinders so we can go do races and rides like the Tour of Central Iowa. 

Grousing About Number Plates:

The SBT GRVL event happened over the weekend and there was a whole bunch of newsy bits that came out of that event which you may or may not have seen/heard. I am not going to touch upon any of that, rather, I am focusing on a tiny detail which I noted over the last week that has to do with this event, number plates, and gravel cycling as it is interpreted by Pro cyclists. 

In the week or two leading into this event in Steamboat, Colorado, I noted that the race organization posted a YouTube video concerning how you should attach your number plate at the SBT GRVL so they could score you properly and get you identified afterward in imagery taken at the event. Fair enough, I thought, and it shouldn't be any big deal, as long as everyone is required to do this. "Everyone" includes Pro riders, by the way. 

I touched on this in last week's "FN&V", but here I need to also talk a little about how the Pro riders don't really like gravel events. Not "traditional" ones at any rate. See, I saw a Tweet from a Pro woman rider who was grousing about number plates and how clunky they were and all. I thought to myself, "Then don't ride the event- or just deal with it." Again- it was a requirement for every rider. So, yeah- you may not like it, but is it worth grousing about? (On second thought, this was on Twitter, so, yeah....)

But Pro riders want events run in their tradition- with pinned on numbers, closed roads, separated Men and Women fields, and well, like any old school roadie event. But that's not "gravel grinding" folks. I know that the term "Spirit of Gravel" is generally preferred here, but since that is so misunderstood it doesn't have any meaning anymore, I choose to use the original "gravel grinding" term we used to start out with. Anyway- the entire number plate issue was just another small detail that shows me that Pro riders really are not into the gravel scene as it was intended to be.

Camp Ingawanis' North Side May of 2010

Will We Ride The North Side Again?

Years ago I was invited to check out Camp Ingawanis as a possible mountain bike area. It was, (and the North side still is) a Boy Scout camp and mountain biking there was strictly prohibited. Although that did not stop some nefarious trail poachers whom I knew of back in the day from tasting Ingawanis' forbidden fruits. 

I'd heard the stories of the big climbs, fast descents, and twisty-turny trails through pinewood needles. It sounded a world away from the river bottom trails in George Wyth State Park, and, as I would find out back in 2003, The "Scout Camp" was all I thought it was and more. 

That was when I was first out there and all that was out there were horseback riding trails. But there was a ton of potential and literally hundreds of acres of land. Mostly tree-covered too. I was stoked to have gotten the chance to check it out. 

By 2005 I was a paying member of the "Mountain Bike Auxiliary" under the auspices of the Winnebago Council, Boy Scouts of America. (I still have my 2005 license!) The trails were spectacular, and I rode regularly on the North side from that time until around 2012 or so when we were kind of shunted off over to the South Side trail system instead due to the ever increasing use of the North side by equestrians and equestrian events. 

Then the North side was shut off to mountain biking by 2014. It was a shame, and since that time, only the South Side trails are open to ride on a regular basis. Now the land the South Side trails are on belongs to Bremer County, but the North is still under the control of the Scouts. 

I spoke with someone recently that was part of putting on a trail running event on the North side and he reported that all the old trails are still there, albeit needing some TLC in some cases. That's great to hear, but he also whispered that there is a chance that bicycles may be welcomed back again. 

I sure hope that comes true!

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?

From KCCI television's Facebook page.

Criminal Activities Interrupt Gravel Event:

Or: "Why I Am Glad I Don't Do THAT Anymore!"

On Sunday the Tour of Central Iowa was rudely interrupted by a bizarre incident involving a homicide suspect from the Omaha, Nebraska area and which had the event director's scurrying to ferry riders around the cordoned off area their course went through.

Apparently the suspect was identified and was being approached to be apprehended when he bolted and stole an investigating officer's vehicle. This led to a 45 minute chase which ended when police used "stop strips" to bring the vehicle the suspect was driving to a halt. The suspect then fled on foot and barricaded himself inside St. Paul's Luthren Church in Winterset's North end. There was no one inside at this time, thankfully, but the suspect. 

This is usually "big city" stuff and not something a smaller city like Winterset would normally have going on. So, it wouldn't be out of the question to say that this was quite the shock to the Iowa gravel community this weekend.

From race director, Sarah Cooper's Facebook page.

The events caused there to be an emergency ferry operation on the part of the volunteers and race directing staff for the Tour of Central Iowa which was going on out of Cumming, Iowa, a small village just North of there. 

Riders were stopped, picked up, and driven to a point South of the city where they could return to gravelly good times. 

Comments: I have had some interesting run-ins over the years in differing situations, but this one takes the cake. I've never had anything like this happen, and I wouldn't really want to either! 

But that said, I am sure that the staff of the Tour of Central Iowa did a great job dealing with the cards that were dealt them. In the end, the suspect was apprehended, no one was shot or killed, and the event went on to its conclusion. All good things, but wow! That may have pegged my stress meter to a point I wouldn't have gotten over, so my heart goes out to those involved and I hope that this is nothing more than a great story to tell in the future. 

But yeah- that probably would have seriously called into doubt whether or not the fun and rewarding bits of promoting gravel events was worth it. Just another reason for everyone to make an effort to thank those willing to stick their necks out for us gravel grinders so we can go do races and rides like the Tour of Central Iowa. 

Grousing About Number Plates:

The SBT GRVL event happened over the weekend and there was a whole bunch of newsy bits that came out of that event which you may or may not have seen/heard. I am not going to touch upon any of that, rather, I am focusing on a tiny detail which I noted over the last week that has to do with this event, number plates, and gravel cycling as it is interpreted by Pro cyclists. 

In the week or two leading into this event in Steamboat, Colorado, I noted that the race organization posted a YouTube video concerning how you should attach your number plate at the SBT GRVL so they could score you properly and get you identified afterward in imagery taken at the event. Fair enough, I thought, and it shouldn't be any big deal, as long as everyone is required to do this. "Everyone" includes Pro riders, by the way. 

I touched on this in last week's "FN&V", but here I need to also talk a little about how the Pro riders don't really like gravel events. Not "traditional" ones at any rate. See, I saw a Tweet from a Pro woman rider who was grousing about number plates and how clunky they were and all. I thought to myself, "Then don't ride the event- or just deal with it." Again- it was a requirement for every rider. So, yeah- you may not like it, but is it worth grousing about? (On second thought, this was on Twitter, so, yeah....)

But Pro riders want events run in their tradition- with pinned on numbers, closed roads, separated Men and Women fields, and well, like any old school roadie event. But that's not "gravel grinding" folks. I know that the term "Spirit of Gravel" is generally preferred here, but since that is so misunderstood it doesn't have any meaning anymore, I choose to use the original "gravel grinding" term we used to start out with. Anyway- the entire number plate issue was just another small detail that shows me that Pro riders really are not into the gravel scene as it was intended to be.

Camp Ingawanis' North Side May of 2010

Will We Ride The North Side Again?

Years ago I was invited to check out Camp Ingawanis as a possible mountain bike area. It was, (and the North side still is) a Boy Scout camp and mountain biking there was strictly prohibited. Although that did not stop some nefarious trail poachers whom I knew of back in the day from tasting Ingawanis' forbidden fruits. 

I'd heard the stories of the big climbs, fast descents, and twisty-turny trails through pinewood needles. It sounded a world away from the river bottom trails in George Wyth State Park, and, as I would find out back in 2003, The "Scout Camp" was all I thought it was and more. 

That was when I was first out there and all that was out there were horseback riding trails. But there was a ton of potential and literally hundreds of acres of land. Mostly tree-covered too. I was stoked to have gotten the chance to check it out. 

By 2005 I was a paying member of the "Mountain Bike Auxiliary" under the auspices of the Winnebago Council, Boy Scouts of America. (I still have my 2005 license!) The trails were spectacular, and I rode regularly on the North side from that time until around 2012 or so when we were kind of shunted off over to the South Side trail system instead due to the ever increasing use of the North side by equestrians and equestrian events. 

Then the North side was shut off to mountain biking by 2014. It was a shame, and since that time, only the South Side trails are open to ride on a regular basis. Now the land the South Side trails are on belongs to Bremer County, but the North is still under the control of the Scouts. 

I spoke with someone recently that was part of putting on a trail running event on the North side and he reported that all the old trails are still there, albeit needing some TLC in some cases. That's great to hear, but he also whispered that there is a chance that bicycles may be welcomed back again. 

I sure hope that comes true!

Minus Ten Review 2009-42

The leaves of ten years ago.

Ten years ago on the blog I was chatting about Fall weather and riding some of the biggest, baddest tires for 29"ers yet made. The WTB Dissent was, if anything, a harbinger of things to come. But at the time, it was the outlier. A tire with no where to really use it, or a bike to use it on.

Ten years ago, trail riding was still dominated by 26" wheels. That's amazing when you think about that. The longest travel, mainstream suspension fork for a 29"er had 4" of travel. There were oddball efforts with longer travel, but these were rare. In fact, I was using a 120mm travel Reba, which at the time was the long end of suspension fork travel for any 29"er.

My.....how times have changed! Now days anything with two wheels going off road is available with 29"er wheels. 26"?

(crickets)

Ask anyone ten years ago if 26" wheels wouldn't be available for trail, much less DH, in the near future and you would have been run outta town. Just ask Chris Sugai of Niner Bikes. He could tell you.....

The image used today was from a mid-week ride ten years ago on Camp Ingawanis' North Side. These trails are largely unused by cyclists today, and as far as I can tell, it will remain so unless there is some movement by the Boy Scouts to invite cyclists back again. That's really a shame for the locals here. Of course, Ingawanis Woodland, the trails formerly known as "The South Side", when the BSA owned that parcel of land, is a fantastic resource, but those old North side trails were technically more challenging, faster, went "cross country", and had far more variety than anything on the South Side. Just one trail, the old "Broken Finger" section, was ten times more challenging than anything on the South Side. But, yeah...... I could talk for days. Only those who were on those trails can really understand what it is I am trying to convey here.

Obviously, I miss riding there. It was my choice to always do the North Side trails and then maybe do the South Side if I had the time. If you did all the North Side you were pretty tuckered out. There was more mileage there, (even considering today's Ingy trails which didn't exist back then), and the efforts required to do all the North Side were more taxing too. It was just all-around more fun.

Anyway....

At least I had the opportunity to taste what that was like a lot ten years ago. I am very grateful that I did get that chance.

Minus Ten Review 2009-42

The leaves of ten years ago.

Ten years ago on the blog I was chatting about Fall weather and riding some of the biggest, baddest tires for 29"ers yet made. The WTB Dissent was, if anything, a harbinger of things to come. But at the time, it was the outlier. A tire with no where to really use it, or a bike to use it on.

Ten years ago, trail riding was still dominated by 26" wheels. That's amazing when you think about that. The longest travel, mainstream suspension fork for a 29"er had 4" of travel. There were oddball efforts with longer travel, but these were rare. In fact, I was using a 120mm travel Reba, which at the time was the long end of suspension fork travel for any 29"er.

My.....how times have changed! Now days anything with two wheels going off road is available with 29"er wheels. 26"?

(crickets)

Ask anyone ten years ago if 26" wheels wouldn't be available for trail, much less DH, in the near future and you would have been run outta town. Just ask Chris Sugai of Niner Bikes. He could tell you.....

The image used today was from a mid-week ride ten years ago on Camp Ingawanis' North Side. These trails are largely unused by cyclists today, and as far as I can tell, it will remain so unless there is some movement by the Boy Scouts to invite cyclists back again. That's really a shame for the locals here. Of course, Ingawanis Woodland, the trails formerly known as "The South Side", when the BSA owned that parcel of land, is a fantastic resource, but those old North side trails were technically more challenging, faster, went "cross country", and had far more variety than anything on the South Side. Just one trail, the old "Broken Finger" section, was ten times more challenging than anything on the South Side. But, yeah...... I could talk for days. Only those who were on those trails can really understand what it is I am trying to convey here.

Obviously, I miss riding there. It was my choice to always do the North Side trails and then maybe do the South Side if I had the time. If you did all the North Side you were pretty tuckered out. There was more mileage there, (even considering today's Ingy trails which didn't exist back then), and the efforts required to do all the North Side were more taxing too. It was just all-around more fun.

Anyway....

At least I had the opportunity to taste what that was like a lot ten years ago. I am very grateful that I did get that chance.

Minus Ten Review 2009-32

Image by Jacob Stevenson, aged 6yrs at the time.

Ten years ago on the blog I was talking about 29"er stuff, as usual. It seemed that for the upcoming 2010 season, a lot of carbon fiber framed 29"ers were being talked about. That pretty much solidified the wheel size as one that wasn't going away anytime soon.

It also bears mentioning that this was happening alongside 26" FS development in the 5" travel arena. These bikes were the focus of most MTB-entrenched brands yet at that time. Also, keep in mind that up until this point, the much ballyhooed 27.5" wheel size was largely missing in action. It had been introduced in 2007, but made barely a dent in the scene.

What we did not know, in the general public view, was that most companies were plotting the demise of 26" wheeled FS rigs and about to unleash the 27.5" "enduro bike" on the scene. When that happened, the brakes got slammed on 29"er R&D, and marketing dollars went toward the smaller sized wheels instead. Of course, that has since swapped positions in recent times.

The other thing I was mentioning was also a sea change, but a local one. At this time, the "South Side" of Camp Ingawanis became the preferred, or to be more correct, our only choice for trails not sullied by horses and destroyed by equestrian events. The Camp proper would still be the best terrain for trails, but as long as the Boy Scouts have it, that future is murky at best. But at any rate, it was in late 2009 when things got refocused on the South Side and much more trail development occurred there after this date. The North side?

Sadly, it fell out of favor due to the horse issues and hasn't been a thing in a decade.

Minus Ten Review 2009-32

Image by Jacob Stevenson, aged 6yrs at the time.

Ten years ago on the blog I was talking about 29"er stuff, as usual. It seemed that for the upcoming 2010 season, a lot of carbon fiber framed 29"ers were being talked about. That pretty much solidified the wheel size as one that wasn't going away anytime soon.

It also bears mentioning that this was happening alongside 26" FS development in the 5" travel arena. These bikes were the focus of most MTB-entrenched brands yet at that time. Also, keep in mind that up until this point, the much ballyhooed 27.5" wheel size was largely missing in action. It had been introduced in 2007, but made barely a dent in the scene.

What we did not know, in the general public view, was that most companies were plotting the demise of 26" wheeled FS rigs and about to unleash the 27.5" "enduro bike" on the scene. When that happened, the brakes got slammed on 29"er R&D, and marketing dollars went toward the smaller sized wheels instead. Of course, that has since swapped positions in recent times.

The other thing I was mentioning was also a sea change, but a local one. At this time, the "South Side" of Camp Ingawanis became the preferred, or to be more correct, our only choice for trails not sullied by horses and destroyed by equestrian events. The Camp proper would still be the best terrain for trails, but as long as the Boy Scouts have it, that future is murky at best. But at any rate, it was in late 2009 when things got refocused on the South Side and much more trail development occurred there after this date. The North side?

Sadly, it fell out of favor due to the horse issues and hasn't been a thing in a decade.

Minus Ten Review 2009-31

I still have the frame and fork. I should throw this back together again!

Ten years ago this week I was out riding the South Side of Camp Ingawanis, now known as Ingawanis Woodland, or simply by "Ingie" as the locals know it now. Back a decade ago you could count how many people rode out there in a month on one hand.

There was a white board you were supposed to sign in on, and back then weeks would go by before it had to be erased because there were so many names it was full. I bet that would happen in a single day on a nice weekend now. But back then, the locals didn't want anything to do with driving ten miles to get to good single track. Too much bother!

Now it is no biggie, apparently. Times change and all......

Used to be a race out there too. The first one was ten years ago, and I helped volunteer for it. I keep getting reminded of this by my son. This race is a chief memory for him and he recalls being at "that race in the woods" that we counted bikers at. Keep in mind that he was all of six years old, and barely that. I mean, what can you recall vividly from being six years old? I know I cannot remember much. (But what's new, right? Ha!)

I know it was a big deal to him as he will bring up this memory at random times. I guess it was welded into his consciousness as a "big adventure" with his Dad. I don't know, but here's a piece of advice for any Dads out there that may be reading this that have youginz- You never know what will impact your child and be of importance to them in later years. Be wise- Be good. Keep your promises. Never dismiss a memory your child has even if you think it was no big deal. 

Nuff said.

Minus Ten Review 2009-31

I still have the frame and fork. I should throw this back together again!

Ten years ago this week I was out riding the South Side of Camp Ingawanis, now known as Ingawanis Woodland, or simply by "Ingie" as the locals know it now. Back a decade ago you could count how many people rode out there in a month on one hand.

There was a white board you were supposed to sign in on, and back then weeks would go by before it had to be erased because there were so many names it was full. I bet that would happen in a single day on a nice weekend now. But back then, the locals didn't want anything to do with driving ten miles to get to good single track. Too much bother!

Now it is no biggie, apparently. Times change and all......

Used to be a race out there too. The first one was ten years ago, and I helped volunteer for it. I keep getting reminded of this by my son. This race is a chief memory for him and he recalls being at "that race in the woods" that we counted bikers at. Keep in mind that he was all of six years old, and barely that. I mean, what can you recall vividly from being six years old? I know I cannot remember much. (But what's new, right? Ha!)

I know it was a big deal to him as he will bring up this memory at random times. I guess it was welded into his consciousness as a "big adventure" with his Dad. I don't know, but here's a piece of advice for any Dads out there that may be reading this that have youginz- You never know what will impact your child and be of importance to them in later years. Be wise- Be good. Keep your promises. Never dismiss a memory your child has even if you think it was no big deal. 

Nuff said.

Minus Ten Review 2009-21

One of my favorite bikes I ever had.

Ten years ago here on the blog I was talking "Gravel Grinder News" stuff. Mostly covering the races that I knew about at that time. There weren't many either. Think about that for a minute. Just ten years ago, there were maybe 20 races. Now there are close to 600. That is some amazing growth.

Part of that was the running of the third Dirty Kanza 200 which was going to happen in a couple of weeks back then. Those early years of that race were crazy.

Then I was also yakking about Memorial Day weekend, which, ironically, was a bit earlier than it is this year. I also was talking about riding on the North Side of Camp Ingawanis. This was back when there was "two sided camp" riding going on. The best trails were on the North side, by far. They were tougher, had more elevation changes, and the system was one that covered more ground than that of even today's South side trail system. Another big difference, in my view, was the experience you got riding the North vs. the South side. The South side trails fold in on themselves to maximize trail distance in a smaller space while the North side had about the same mileage as today's South side, but you had the distinct feeling that you had gone over a LOT more ground. You weren't just folding in around the same hillside. You were going somewhere. It's just different. I happened to enjoy the North side trails before several things happened.

First there was the logging. That happened at about this time ten years ago. They eventually went and logged the South side a year or so after this. Both time periods were ones of massive upheaval. The trails were disrupted, and while the South side recovered, the North side trails never were quite the same again. Then came the horses. The horse owners had a LOT more money, so they had a LOT more influence over what went down out there. Basically, the Camp stewards would look the other way when complaints about horse caused damage was lodged with them. They were getting big bucks for group rides, and other equestrian oriented activities which took place out there. The Boy Scouts were severely cash strapped, and poor mountain bikers lost their voice with the stewards of the land, despite mountain bikers being the ones that did all the trail maintenance. Over the next several years, mountain biking activities were severely curtailed and it was decided that in order to settle disputes between mountain bikers and equestrian interests that the North side would be for horses and the South would be for human powered activities. Anyway, the point being that 2009 was the end of the salad days of mountain biking on the North side trails.

I sure am glad I got to experience those days.

Minus Ten Review 2009-21

One of my favorite bikes I ever had.

Ten years ago here on the blog I was talking "Gravel Grinder News" stuff. Mostly covering the races that I knew about at that time. There weren't many either. Think about that for a minute. Just ten years ago, there were maybe 20 races. Now there are close to 600. That is some amazing growth.

Part of that was the running of the third Dirty Kanza 200 which was going to happen in a couple of weeks back then. Those early years of that race were crazy.

Then I was also yakking about Memorial Day weekend, which, ironically, was a bit earlier than it is this year. I also was talking about riding on the North Side of Camp Ingawanis. This was back when there was "two sided camp" riding going on. The best trails were on the North side, by far. They were tougher, had more elevation changes, and the system was one that covered more ground than that of even today's South side trail system. Another big difference, in my view, was the experience you got riding the North vs. the South side. The South side trails fold in on themselves to maximize trail distance in a smaller space while the North side had about the same mileage as today's South side, but you had the distinct feeling that you had gone over a LOT more ground. You weren't just folding in around the same hillside. You were going somewhere. It's just different. I happened to enjoy the North side trails before several things happened.

First there was the logging. That happened at about this time ten years ago. They eventually went and logged the South side a year or so after this. Both time periods were ones of massive upheaval. The trails were disrupted, and while the South side recovered, the North side trails never were quite the same again. Then came the horses. The horse owners had a LOT more money, so they had a LOT more influence over what went down out there. Basically, the Camp stewards would look the other way when complaints about horse caused damage was lodged with them. They were getting big bucks for group rides, and other equestrian oriented activities which took place out there. The Boy Scouts were severely cash strapped, and poor mountain bikers lost their voice with the stewards of the land, despite mountain bikers being the ones that did all the trail maintenance. Over the next several years, mountain biking activities were severely curtailed and it was decided that in order to settle disputes between mountain bikers and equestrian interests that the North side would be for horses and the South would be for human powered activities. Anyway, the point being that 2009 was the end of the salad days of mountain biking on the North side trails.

I sure am glad I got to experience those days.

Minus Ten Review - 48

All my images from this week ten years ago- Gone! So you get me staring at you!

Ten years ago this week on the blog I had a lot of images posted. All gone now. If you've been keeping up here with the "Minus Ten Review" posts, you know why.

I won't beat that dead horse again this week.

Ten years ago, Thanksgiving was late. So there was a Turkey Burn ride at the Camp. The third one saw a great turn out and a lot of fun was had. Looking back, it seems I had a single speed, but I don't know which one since the pics are gone now. Oh well.......

Also ten years ago I was telling you all about how much of a hassle it was that there was a waiting list for Trans Iowa. People were wanting to know when there place in line was coming up, and I suppose they were trying to make decisions on whether or not they needed to get into gear to start training for 300 plus miles of gravel. The thing was, I couldn't care less about maintaining a waiting list, and all the bother was just to accommodate folks that, in the end, typically represented the biggest part of no-shows anyway. After several years of attempting to make the waiting list work, I just ended it. Wow...... That made life a lot easier on my end! Plus, no one was in limbo for weeks. You either got into Trans Iowa, or you did not. There was no "try", to borrow a turn of phrase from a famous movie character.

Finally, I had a very interesting set of tires in for review. GEAX, (now just simply Vittoria), sent over three versions of the Saguaro. A full UST version, a tubeless tire requiring no sealant whatsoever, a "TNT" version- tubeless but requiring sealant, and a standard, folding bead version which required a tube.

Between them, I could tell how much weight a tire would gain from the differering constructions involved in the casings for each. The folding version, of course, was lightest. As I recall about 600+ grams or so for the 2.1" tire. The TNT was in the mid-700's. The full UST version was something close to 900 grams. Same width, same tread pattern. Only the tubeless variants had more weight due to different techniques necessary to help them seal up on an appropriate rim.

Obviously, a 300+ gram weight penalty for full UST meant that this choice quickly went the way of the dodo bird. You cannot get full UST anything in 29"er these days. It just isn't a viable option for a human powered machine. But.......with the advent of e-mtb rigs, might we seee a resurgence of full UST tires? I would not at all be surprised, because "hybrid powered bicycles", (which is what I am calling e-bikes now, because that's what they are), have power to spare to waste on heavier weight components, and in reality- heavier weight components are necessitated by the non-human power factor anyway. 

Anyway, 2008 was quickly coming to a close. In December I ran a series of retrospective posts, which you long time readers have seen as "rearview" posts. I may go into a bit of a different mode for the last four "Minus Ten Reviews" this year. Stay tuned.......

Minus Ten Review - 48

All my images from this week ten years ago- Gone! So you get me staring at you!

Ten years ago this week on the blog I had a lot of images posted. All gone now. If you've been keeping up here with the "Minus Ten Review" posts, you know why.

I won't beat that dead horse again this week.

Ten years ago, Thanksgiving was late. So there was a Turkey Burn ride at the Camp. The third one saw a great turn out and a lot of fun was had. Looking back, it seems I had a single speed, but I don't know which one since the pics are gone now. Oh well.......

Also ten years ago I was telling you all about how much of a hassle it was that there was a waiting list for Trans Iowa. People were wanting to know when there place in line was coming up, and I suppose they were trying to make decisions on whether or not they needed to get into gear to start training for 300 plus miles of gravel. The thing was, I couldn't care less about maintaining a waiting list, and all the bother was just to accommodate folks that, in the end, typically represented the biggest part of no-shows anyway. After several years of attempting to make the waiting list work, I just ended it. Wow...... That made life a lot easier on my end! Plus, no one was in limbo for weeks. You either got into Trans Iowa, or you did not. There was no "try", to borrow a turn of phrase from a famous movie character.

Finally, I had a very interesting set of tires in for review. GEAX, (now just simply Vittoria), sent over three versions of the Saguaro. A full UST version, a tubeless tire requiring no sealant whatsoever, a "TNT" version- tubeless but requiring sealant, and a standard, folding bead version which required a tube.

Between them, I could tell how much weight a tire would gain from the differering constructions involved in the casings for each. The folding version, of course, was lightest. As I recall about 600+ grams or so for the 2.1" tire. The TNT was in the mid-700's. The full UST version was something close to 900 grams. Same width, same tread pattern. Only the tubeless variants had more weight due to different techniques necessary to help them seal up on an appropriate rim.

Obviously, a 300+ gram weight penalty for full UST meant that this choice quickly went the way of the dodo bird. You cannot get full UST anything in 29"er these days. It just isn't a viable option for a human powered machine. But.......with the advent of e-mtb rigs, might we seee a resurgence of full UST tires? I would not at all be surprised, because "hybrid powered bicycles", (which is what I am calling e-bikes now, because that's what they are), have power to spare to waste on heavier weight components, and in reality- heavier weight components are necessitated by the non-human power factor anyway. 

Anyway, 2008 was quickly coming to a close. In December I ran a series of retrospective posts, which you long time readers have seen as "rearview" posts. I may go into a bit of a different mode for the last four "Minus Ten Reviews" this year. Stay tuned.......

Minus Ten Review- 41

Sun dappled trees on the North Side of Camp Ingawanis in 2008.

Ten years ago here on the blog I was doing some Fall mtb riding which was spectacular. Of course, this was mostly being done on the north side of Camp Ingawanis back then. Those trails were so awesome, and yet, for as much as I talked about them a decade ago, hardly a soul would come up to ride them. Now days the mere mention of those trails is like speaking of a mystery to riders here. Most people I know riding now have never ridden that side.

I was also talking about some Enve, (Edge Composites back then) rims for 29"ers. This was a big, big deal in 2008. Carbon rims for mountain biking were barely a thing and here I had a set of 29"er hoops to test? Crazy! Enve claimed a set should last, easily they said, for a decade. Well, I am here to tell you that is indeed the case, as these wheels are still being ridden, as far as I know, since I sold them several years back now to a rider who lives in Duluth now. So yeah.... I guess they were right! 

I remember thinking then that a decade on the same wheels is unheard of. Who does that? I know......it happens, but it didn't too often. I had a set of Campy hoops that I ended up blowing up on my commuter bike back in the day that were a decade old, but I didn't know many folks that mountain biked the same set of wheels for very long. I suppose carbon hoops have changed that now.

The other interesting thing is that those old Edge rims are pretty much gravel riding rims now. In the last decade, inner rim width for mtb has ballooned to plus 25mm in most cases. These rims were 28mm outer width, as I recall, so yeah...... Basically what we'd use for gravel travel now.

White colored components- What were we thinking?!!

Do you remember that trend for white colored components? That was ten years ago now. Man! That was an odd deal. Everything got the white treatment. Forks, stems, rims, and even brake sets!

Companies kept sending white stuff to be tested up until about 2012 or so, then it seemed to fade away. I know the white forks were "okay", but those rims? Gah! Those were just butt ugly. I'm glad I got rid of all the wheels I had that were white.

And brakes shouldn't be white either. I figured that out pretty quickly. DOT brake fluid and painted components weren't a good thing to mix together. But, we don't have to worry about that anymore, and let's hope we never have to again!

I also tackled the misconceptions regarding the Fargo, which had just debuted at Interbike. Folks were put out because a frame and fork, initially the only way you could get a Fargo then, was going to be $650.00 MSRP. Surly Cross Checks were going for $400.00 ten years ago. I am not going to rehash the arguments for and against the Fargo. That ship has long since sailed and those arguments, obviously, are a moot point. But those prices are interesting.

You can still get a Cross Check reasonably cheap. Generally, for around $500.00, a Cross Check frame and fork can still be had ten years down the road. However; the Fargo would be closer to $900.00 in today's money. That seems weird, but consider this- A Cross Check is pretty much unchanged from its form that it had in 2008. A Fargo? It isn't anything like it was ten years ago! That's the big difference. Plus, a Fargo will have a carbon fiber fork now.

If Salsa had kept a 2009-ish style Fargo in the line, it may have only gone up about a hundred bucks also.  But, we will never know.

Minus Ten Review- 41

Sun dappled trees on the North Side of Camp Ingawanis in 2008.

Ten years ago here on the blog I was doing some Fall mtb riding which was spectacular. Of course, this was mostly being done on the north side of Camp Ingawanis back then. Those trails were so awesome, and yet, for as much as I talked about them a decade ago, hardly a soul would come up to ride them. Now days the mere mention of those trails is like speaking of a mystery to riders here. Most people I know riding now have never ridden that side.

I was also talking about some Enve, (Edge Composites back then) rims for 29"ers. This was a big, big deal in 2008. Carbon rims for mountain biking were barely a thing and here I had a set of 29"er hoops to test? Crazy! Enve claimed a set should last, easily they said, for a decade. Well, I am here to tell you that is indeed the case, as these wheels are still being ridden, as far as I know, since I sold them several years back now to a rider who lives in Duluth now. So yeah.... I guess they were right! 

I remember thinking then that a decade on the same wheels is unheard of. Who does that? I know......it happens, but it didn't too often. I had a set of Campy hoops that I ended up blowing up on my commuter bike back in the day that were a decade old, but I didn't know many folks that mountain biked the same set of wheels for very long. I suppose carbon hoops have changed that now.

The other interesting thing is that those old Edge rims are pretty much gravel riding rims now. In the last decade, inner rim width for mtb has ballooned to plus 25mm in most cases. These rims were 28mm outer width, as I recall, so yeah...... Basically what we'd use for gravel travel now.

White colored components- What were we thinking?!!

Do you remember that trend for white colored components? That was ten years ago now. Man! That was an odd deal. Everything got the white treatment. Forks, stems, rims, and even brake sets!

Companies kept sending white stuff to be tested up until about 2012 or so, then it seemed to fade away. I know the white forks were "okay", but those rims? Gah! Those were just butt ugly. I'm glad I got rid of all the wheels I had that were white.

And brakes shouldn't be white either. I figured that out pretty quickly. DOT brake fluid and painted components weren't a good thing to mix together. But, we don't have to worry about that anymore, and let's hope we never have to again!

I also tackled the misconceptions regarding the Fargo, which had just debuted at Interbike. Folks were put out because a frame and fork, initially the only way you could get a Fargo then, was going to be $650.00 MSRP. Surly Cross Checks were going for $400.00 ten years ago. I am not going to rehash the arguments for and against the Fargo. That ship has long since sailed and those arguments, obviously, are a moot point. But those prices are interesting.

You can still get a Cross Check reasonably cheap. Generally, for around $500.00, a Cross Check frame and fork can still be had ten years down the road. However; the Fargo would be closer to $900.00 in today's money. That seems weird, but consider this- A Cross Check is pretty much unchanged from its form that it had in 2008. A Fargo? It isn't anything like it was ten years ago! That's the big difference. Plus, a Fargo will have a carbon fiber fork now.

If Salsa had kept a 2009-ish style Fargo in the line, it may have only gone up about a hundred bucks also.  But, we will never know.

Minus Ten Review -32

I miss both the bike and the trail in this image.

Ten years ago on the blog I was really busy testing forks, tires, and other stuff for my gigs online. I spent a LOT of time running back and forth to Cedar Bend Park and Camp Ingawanis every Wednesday and weekend. What is odd is that while the mountain biking was excellent, hardly anyone would drive up from Waterloo or Cedar Falls to partake. 

Most times I rode up there I never saw anyone. No other bikers and no walkers. Now a day doesn't go by when someone on social media asks about riding up there. I guess that's what it took to get the ball moving with trail use. Well, things are a lot different now then they once were. While the South Side trails, now called Ingawanis Woodlands, are awesome, the old North Side/Boy Scout Camp trails were far more fun, technical, and covered a wider area of land. If you did the "big loop" on the North Side, you weren't simply folding back in on the same hill over and over again. No.....you were riding somewhere. Covering ground. It was more like trails are in Wisconsin, Minnesota, or elsewhere. Not that what we have now is bad, but the Scout Camp wasn't like anything else anywhere near here. I could go on.....

The bike,the old, battered Superior Blue El Mariachi, was the last of its kind. Salsa tuned the compliance right out of the El Mar after 2008 and it never was the bike it had been before. It was a sweet, decent little mountain bike in the old school mode where you just rode for the experience of being in the woods. Not to shred or be some bike that was "playful". It handled quickly, didn't steer like a truck, and you could go up and down within reason. The only modern day bike like it is the current Krampus. Only the Krampus is a 29+ bike. But anyway, I ruined that bike when I had it repainted and re-purposed as a single speed. That was the dumbest thing I ever did with a bike within recent memory.

A very legendary visitor from Colorado was here to see me back then....

I was graced by the visitation of a somewhat legendary individual from Colorado named Mike Curiak back then. He had gotten a hold of me and asked about stopping by for a ride. What got into this man to come and cruise some humble, ordinary wooded single track in Iowa, I'll never know.

We rode in the afternoon and went to down town Cedar Falls for a cuppa then he split town and went back to Colorado, and onward to much more exciting things.

I was very grateful for his stop, and to this day, I owe Mr. Curiak a debt of thanks for helping Jeff Kerkove and I to formulate the foundations of Trans Iowa. Mike had a heavy influence on the initial rules, format, and ethos of Trans Iowa, and on some early tweaks I made to the event. It could be said that much of what became gravel racing and riding was influenced through Mike Curiak directly and by his friends who started the Great Divide Race and other Western ultra-mtb events.

If you ever read the following here: "If you don't like that, then maybe this event isn't for you.", that is a direct quote from Mike. There's more to this, but maybe I'll get around to that another time.

Trans Iowa v5 was announced ten years ago this week. It was a big deal since we moved the event out of Decorah due to the desires of a certain irritated cycling luminary from Decorah that asked me not to consider Decorah for any future cycling events I had planned. This stemming from the failed Big Wheeled Ballyhoo. Here's a snippet from ten years ago concerning this.....

"The next thing you noticed is probably the location change. We have felt all along that Trans Iowa should be about showing folks that Iowa is something more than "flat", corn fields, and pigs. There is a lot more to Iowa than that. We have endeavored to move the event around since last year when d.p, (David Pals) and I started talking about doing T.I.V4, so this move to Williamsburg fits in with our plans and our philosophy."

 So we were already thinking about getting out of Decorah, but we weren't going to do that until v6 at the earliest. The disgruntled shot fired at us in the Summer of '08 changed all that though. While leaving Decorah as our base for TI was a bummer, it wasn't without future benefits of which we had no idea about at the time.

Minus Ten Review -32

I miss both the bike and the trail in this image.

Ten years ago on the blog I was really busy testing forks, tires, and other stuff for my gigs online. I spent a LOT of time running back and forth to Cedar Bend Park and Camp Ingawanis every Wednesday and weekend. What is odd is that while the mountain biking was excellent, hardly anyone would drive up from Waterloo or Cedar Falls to partake. 

Most times I rode up there I never saw anyone. No other bikers and no walkers. Now a day doesn't go by when someone on social media asks about riding up there. I guess that's what it took to get the ball moving with trail use. Well, things are a lot different now then they once were. While the South Side trails, now called Ingawanis Woodlands, are awesome, the old North Side/Boy Scout Camp trails were far more fun, technical, and covered a wider area of land. If you did the "big loop" on the North Side, you weren't simply folding back in on the same hill over and over again. No.....you were riding somewhere. Covering ground. It was more like trails are in Wisconsin, Minnesota, or elsewhere. Not that what we have now is bad, but the Scout Camp wasn't like anything else anywhere near here. I could go on.....

The bike,the old, battered Superior Blue El Mariachi, was the last of its kind. Salsa tuned the compliance right out of the El Mar after 2008 and it never was the bike it had been before. It was a sweet, decent little mountain bike in the old school mode where you just rode for the experience of being in the woods. Not to shred or be some bike that was "playful". It handled quickly, didn't steer like a truck, and you could go up and down within reason. The only modern day bike like it is the current Krampus. Only the Krampus is a 29+ bike. But anyway, I ruined that bike when I had it repainted and re-purposed as a single speed. That was the dumbest thing I ever did with a bike within recent memory.

A very legendary visitor from Colorado was here to see me back then....

I was graced by the visitation of a somewhat legendary individual from Colorado named Mike Curiak back then. He had gotten a hold of me and asked about stopping by for a ride. What got into this man to come and cruise some humble, ordinary wooded single track in Iowa, I'll never know.

We rode in the afternoon and went to down town Cedar Falls for a cuppa then he split town and went back to Colorado, and onward to much more exciting things.

I was very grateful for his stop, and to this day, I owe Mr. Curiak a debt of thanks for helping Jeff Kerkove and I to formulate the foundations of Trans Iowa. Mike had a heavy influence on the initial rules, format, and ethos of Trans Iowa, and on some early tweaks I made to the event. It could be said that much of what became gravel racing and riding was influenced through Mike Curiak directly and by his friends who started the Great Divide Race and other Western ultra-mtb events.

If you ever read the following here: "If you don't like that, then maybe this event isn't for you.", that is a direct quote from Mike. There's more to this, but maybe I'll get around to that another time.

Trans Iowa v5 was announced ten years ago this week. It was a big deal since we moved the event out of Decorah due to the desires of a certain irritated cycling luminary from Decorah that asked me not to consider Decorah for any future cycling events I had planned. This stemming from the failed Big Wheeled Ballyhoo. Here's a snippet from ten years ago concerning this.....

"The next thing you noticed is probably the location change. We have felt all along that Trans Iowa should be about showing folks that Iowa is something more than "flat", corn fields, and pigs. There is a lot more to Iowa than that. We have endeavored to move the event around since last year when d.p, (David Pals) and I started talking about doing T.I.V4, so this move to Williamsburg fits in with our plans and our philosophy."

 So we were already thinking about getting out of Decorah, but we weren't going to do that until v6 at the earliest. The disgruntled shot fired at us in the Summer of '08 changed all that though. While leaving Decorah as our base for TI was a bummer, it wasn't without future benefits of which we had no idea about at the time.

Minus Ten Review- 31

Blackbuck single speed. Still one of my favorite bicycles.

Ten years ago on the blog I was spending a lot of time testing eight different forks on my Blackbuck single speed rig.  I was doing a series to show how different fork axle to crowns and offsets all could be used on the same bicycle and how that affected handling.

It was quite an eye opener for me. In essence, I found none of the varied combinations unrideable. Unlikable? That's a different story. Of course, there were a few choices I wouldn't make, but I tried them all.

I ended up liking the combination shown here today the best, and I have that fork on that bike right now. It just looks "right" as well, with the black and polished silver bits.

I also noted that I was riding the South Side more. It wasn't easy back then to figure out where you were. Of course there was far less trail then. No "Bottoms", (I still think this section needs to be named after Paul, who created it), and there were no trails near the lodge or what used to be the COPE area. There was simply an "inner loop" and an "outer loop". The two were separated by a service road, only a portion of which still exists out there. That road basically almost circumnavigated the South Side and trails used to cross that road in a few spots. Keen eyes can still pick out where that was today.

Things were a LOT different looking out there ten years ago!

Another thing to point out is how different things were ten years ago in now familiar spots to those riding Ingawanis Woodlands. This image to the left shows that rocky outcropping as you come out of the "Bottoms" or right there where that short bypass to go around the Bottoms turns back toward the East.

Don't recognize it? Can't blame ya. There is no mossy covered limestone or vegetation coming through in that spot anymore. The "line" to get through those rocks is well defined now, but it was non-existent back in the day. I cannot tell you how many times I biffed it there in the past. Many, I know that much.

When I finally mastered that area I was proud. It was a tough little techy feature that I am glad still exists. (At least I think it does!) Anyway, it was one of the few things one could ride around here that gave you any chances of "getting skills".  Then there was "Captain Bob's Berm" which no longer exists. That was fun when it was in its prime. Too bad someone decided to level that corner out several years ago. Fun haters.........

Anyway, now we have twice the trail on the South Side, (Ingawanis Woodlands now) and it is great to be able to have that resource. It wasn't bad back ten years ago, but it wasn't as long either, or anywhere as easy to follow. Although, to this day Ingawanis ranks as one of the worst marked trails I've ever been to in the Mid-West. (Check out the Twin Cities or Sugar Bottom for some of the best) That goes for our city trails here as well. Too bad that cannot get figured out, but so it goes.....

Minus Ten Review- 31

Blackbuck single speed. Still one of my favorite bicycles.

Ten years ago on the blog I was spending a lot of time testing eight different forks on my Blackbuck single speed rig.  I was doing a series to show how different fork axle to crowns and offsets all could be used on the same bicycle and how that affected handling.

It was quite an eye opener for me. In essence, I found none of the varied combinations unrideable. Unlikable? That's a different story. Of course, there were a few choices I wouldn't make, but I tried them all.

I ended up liking the combination shown here today the best, and I have that fork on that bike right now. It just looks "right" as well, with the black and polished silver bits.

I also noted that I was riding the South Side more. It wasn't easy back then to figure out where you were. Of course there was far less trail then. No "Bottoms", (I still think this section needs to be named after Paul, who created it), and there were no trails near the lodge or what used to be the COPE area. There was simply an "inner loop" and an "outer loop". The two were separated by a service road, only a portion of which still exists out there. That road basically almost circumnavigated the South Side and trails used to cross that road in a few spots. Keen eyes can still pick out where that was today.

Things were a LOT different looking out there ten years ago!

Another thing to point out is how different things were ten years ago in now familiar spots to those riding Ingawanis Woodlands. This image to the left shows that rocky outcropping as you come out of the "Bottoms" or right there where that short bypass to go around the Bottoms turns back toward the East.

Don't recognize it? Can't blame ya. There is no mossy covered limestone or vegetation coming through in that spot anymore. The "line" to get through those rocks is well defined now, but it was non-existent back in the day. I cannot tell you how many times I biffed it there in the past. Many, I know that much.

When I finally mastered that area I was proud. It was a tough little techy feature that I am glad still exists. (At least I think it does!) Anyway, it was one of the few things one could ride around here that gave you any chances of "getting skills".  Then there was "Captain Bob's Berm" which no longer exists. That was fun when it was in its prime. Too bad someone decided to level that corner out several years ago. Fun haters.........

Anyway, now we have twice the trail on the South Side, (Ingawanis Woodlands now) and it is great to be able to have that resource. It wasn't bad back ten years ago, but it wasn't as long either, or anywhere as easy to follow. Although, to this day Ingawanis ranks as one of the worst marked trails I've ever been to in the Mid-West. (Check out the Twin Cities or Sugar Bottom for some of the best) That goes for our city trails here as well. Too bad that cannot get figured out, but so it goes.....

Minus Ten Review - 30

Ten years ago on the blog here I was getting the message out that 29"ers weren't a fad anymore, and that RAGBRAI was being affected by technology where folks were bailing on the ride due to the instantaneous availability of weather forecasts. Weather apps were in their infancy, but smart phones were just hitting the scene and notifications were becoming a thing.

But as for me, there were two things about the end of the month ten years ago that stood out for me. One was that I rode again on the South side of Ingawanis for the second time ever. Yep! It was 2008 when the trails back there finally got attention and were "properly" cleared. If you look at the image here, you'll note that "cleared" then meant a completely different thing than it does now. Anyway, the point is that this was a mark in time where riding the South side started to take over riding the North side, for all of us, and now we don't ever ride the North side, which was unthinkable ten years ago.

The second thing was that I notice that a LOT of my images are broken and don't show up now. For you that sucks. To me it marks the beginning of the end of "phase one" of my blogging career, such as it is. Promises made by Mr. Grahl, then owner/proprietor of the "Crooked Cog Network", started to be broken. By the end of the year it was painfully clear that there was going to be a huge sea change in the situation I had found myself in. But that tale will unravel here as the weeks unfold.....

Minus Ten Review - 30

Ten years ago on the blog here I was getting the message out that 29"ers weren't a fad anymore, and that RAGBRAI was being affected by technology where folks were bailing on the ride due to the instantaneous availability of weather forecasts. Weather apps were in their infancy, but smart phones were just hitting the scene and notifications were becoming a thing.

But as for me, there were two things about the end of the month ten years ago that stood out for me. One was that I rode again on the South side of Ingawanis for the second time ever. Yep! It was 2008 when the trails back there finally got attention and were "properly" cleared. If you look at the image here, you'll note that "cleared" then meant a completely different thing than it does now. Anyway, the point is that this was a mark in time where riding the South side started to take over riding the North side, for all of us, and now we don't ever ride the North side, which was unthinkable ten years ago.

The second thing was that I notice that a LOT of my images are broken and don't show up now. For you that sucks. To me it marks the beginning of the end of "phase one" of my blogging career, such as it is. Promises made by Mr. Grahl, then owner/proprietor of the "Crooked Cog Network", started to be broken. By the end of the year it was painfully clear that there was going to be a huge sea change in the situation I had found myself in. But that tale will unravel here as the weeks unfold.....