Minus Ten Review 2009-38

Dusty kicks in Circus-Circus. I-bike 2009 trip memories.

Ten years ago this week I attended the Interbike trade show again for the fourth year in a row. This time in the company of Grannygear, not with the old "Crooked Cog Network" gang leader. That ship had sailed. Now it was me and Granny, against all odds we were putting out content about 29"ers while the "big league guys" were finally starting to come around to the whole big wheeled way of thinking.

We had some contributions from Germany in the form of articles by "CG", but when I think back on how we were able to carve out the little niche in the media that we did, well..... It's pretty amazing we could even get one reader! I mean, there are so many more popular, more well known, and far better funded sites and publications from those times that for us to even be heard was just unreal to me. I still cannot believe we pulled off the things we did, and trust me, we busted our butts for no monetary gain. It was pretty dumb, financially, but we maximized our resources and did a LOT with a little bit. Take for instance the '09 Interbike show.

I flew out to meet Grannygear on Sunday night. Monday we hit the Outdoor Demo, same thing Tuesday. We went from morning till evening, only taking time to eat before the demo and afterward. Then it was decompress, talk over things, maybe make a few posts, and to bed we went. Wednesday we hit the indoor show hard. That was it. We skipped out on the last two days of the indoor show deeming it all wasted time. We got all the content, no social hanging out, and WAY less spending on room and board. The savings were significant, and I was home by Thursday evening.

Afterward we reflected on our mission. Grannygear and I determined that we didn't miss much by skipping two days of the show. By '09 Interbike already was showing signs of dying, and we could see it. Less vendors, less "new" stuff to report on. Of course, this all was during the Big Recession, so go figure, but socially and media-wise things were on a fast track of change. Interbike never got its feet under itself to keep up.

Eventually brands just took their messages and their goods direct to consumer, bypassing the show, which had lost its relevance as a place to do business for the same reasons. Businesses took their deal making direct to the shops, not waiting for some "show" to sell their wares. Eventually, it became increasingly clear that even by using a meager budget to go to Las Vegas every year, it just wasn't worth it from the standpoint of content generation. By 2013 I was begrudgingly going to the show and after that dismal experience, Grannygear and I decided not to attend it again. I was out of "Twenty Nine Inches" by the end of 2014 and Interbike died in 2018. Now there is no North American trade show, and I doubt those days will ever come back again.

Maybe I'll be proven wrong......

Minus Ten Review 2009-38

Dusty kicks in Circus-Circus. I-bike 2009 trip memories.

Ten years ago this week I attended the Interbike trade show again for the fourth year in a row. This time in the company of Grannygear, not with the old "Crooked Cog Network" gang leader. That ship had sailed. Now it was me and Granny, against all odds we were putting out content about 29"ers while the "big league guys" were finally starting to come around to the whole big wheeled way of thinking.

We had some contributions from Germany in the form of articles by "CG", but when I think back on how we were able to carve out the little niche in the media that we did, well..... It's pretty amazing we could even get one reader! I mean, there are so many more popular, more well known, and far better funded sites and publications from those times that for us to even be heard was just unreal to me. I still cannot believe we pulled off the things we did, and trust me, we busted our butts for no monetary gain. It was pretty dumb, financially, but we maximized our resources and did a LOT with a little bit. Take for instance the '09 Interbike show.

I flew out to meet Grannygear on Sunday night. Monday we hit the Outdoor Demo, same thing Tuesday. We went from morning till evening, only taking time to eat before the demo and afterward. Then it was decompress, talk over things, maybe make a few posts, and to bed we went. Wednesday we hit the indoor show hard. That was it. We skipped out on the last two days of the indoor show deeming it all wasted time. We got all the content, no social hanging out, and WAY less spending on room and board. The savings were significant, and I was home by Thursday evening.

Afterward we reflected on our mission. Grannygear and I determined that we didn't miss much by skipping two days of the show. By '09 Interbike already was showing signs of dying, and we could see it. Less vendors, less "new" stuff to report on. Of course, this all was during the Big Recession, so go figure, but socially and media-wise things were on a fast track of change. Interbike never got its feet under itself to keep up.

Eventually brands just took their messages and their goods direct to consumer, bypassing the show, which had lost its relevance as a place to do business for the same reasons. Businesses took their deal making direct to the shops, not waiting for some "show" to sell their wares. Eventually, it became increasingly clear that even by using a meager budget to go to Las Vegas every year, it just wasn't worth it from the standpoint of content generation. By 2013 I was begrudgingly going to the show and after that dismal experience, Grannygear and I decided not to attend it again. I was out of "Twenty Nine Inches" by the end of 2014 and Interbike died in 2018. Now there is no North American trade show, and I doubt those days will ever come back again.

Maybe I'll be proven wrong......

Minus Ten Review 2009-16

Gary Fisher grabbing a bite to eat at Sea Otter 2009

Sea Otter 2009. It was to be my last trip there, (so far), and it was by far the most fun trip there. My third year in a row of attending the event. I think back to that trip and find it so amazing even to this day.

I was not quite four years into blogging. Keep in mind that I was a "nobody", not even a blip on the radar, before this. No one had ever heard of me. Not that it matters one way or the other, but by 2009, I was going to Sea Otter, gabbing with Gary Fisher, and people I didn't even know were tapping me on the shoulder to tell me they appreciated what I was doing on the web. It's crazy. Still is.........I am so blown away by how blessed I have been in this gig called blogging, in the cycling industry, and from the standpoint of event promotion. I'm very thankful and I try to be mindful of my privilege. I will continue to strive to make all this a better thing than when I came into it. It is the least I can do to thank you, everyone, this industry.....

Anyway- Sea Otter. Yeah.... I was in cahoots with Arleigh Jenkins at this point. She had been a part of the recently closed up "Crooked Cog Network". She had convinced me that we could continue the work under a new banner dubbed "The Cyclistsite". (It still exists, but the URL was bought by another entity after we let it lapse) We made a press release and handed it out at Sea Otter. I saw her  maybe twice while I was there. Weird for someone who you might think of as a "partner", but I was in uncharted waters here. Tim Grahl had given me "Twenty Nine Inches" at this point, but that was a tenuous deal, and I was still stressed out about that. Added to that was the impending T.I.v5, and now this debut. I was pretty overwhelmed. Way over my head.

To compound matters after only a couple of months Arleigh sent me an e-mail telling me she was bailing out on the "Cyclistsite". So, I went through all of that stress only to be left standing at the alter, so to speak. Oh well...... Misplaced trust. It's a thing. Good thing Grannygear was willing to step in and take up the reins which kept that site going for a few years into the future.

The last view I had of Sea Otter taken as I left the venue in 2009. A foggy day made for dramatic lighting.

The Grahl deal came through, everything he promised, and that was a big surprise. A rental car, room, airfare to and from- it all was covered. I guess that was my severance package, or back pay, or was meant to assuage me for broken promises. I don't know. Probably never will. It was all a bit surreal. It reminds me how communication goes a long way in making relationships work right.

While I was there I got lost and found myself on the shore of the Pacific Ocean in Carmel By The Sea. I saw quaint cottages draped in vegetation, flowers in abundance, and tight, narrow lanes. I saw stuff that in Iowa would cost well below $100,000 but because it was California and on the ocean, it was probably multi-millions of dollars in real estate. Mind boggling. I ate at a McDonald's for breakfast three days in a row and saw the same two guys, old hippies, each morning having coffee. It was fun eavesdropping in on their memories of being beach bums. I drove through old Fort Ord every day on my way to the venue. It was all like a dream. Faded into the mists of time now......

I came back with a short stretch to T.I.v5. There was a LOT to get into order in a short two weeks time.

Minus Ten Review 2009-16

Gary Fisher grabbing a bite to eat at Sea Otter 2009

Sea Otter 2009. It was to be my last trip there, (so far), and it was by far the most fun trip there. My third year in a row of attending the event. I think back to that trip and find it so amazing even to this day.

I was not quite four years into blogging. Keep in mind that I was a "nobody", not even a blip on the radar, before this. No one had ever heard of me. Not that it matters one way or the other, but by 2009, I was going to Sea Otter, gabbing with Gary Fisher, and people I didn't even know were tapping me on the shoulder to tell me they appreciated what I was doing on the web. It's crazy. Still is.........I am so blown away by how blessed I have been in this gig called blogging, in the cycling industry, and from the standpoint of event promotion. I'm very thankful and I try to be mindful of my privilege. I will continue to strive to make all this a better thing than when I came into it. It is the least I can do to thank you, everyone, this industry.....

Anyway- Sea Otter. Yeah.... I was in cahoots with Arleigh Jenkins at this point. She had been a part of the recently closed up "Crooked Cog Network". She had convinced me that we could continue the work under a new banner dubbed "The Cyclistsite". (It still exists, but the URL was bought by another entity after we let it lapse) We made a press release and handed it out at Sea Otter. I saw her  maybe twice while I was there. Weird for someone who you might think of as a "partner", but I was in uncharted waters here. Tim Grahl had given me "Twenty Nine Inches" at this point, but that was a tenuous deal, and I was still stressed out about that. Added to that was the impending T.I.v5, and now this debut. I was pretty overwhelmed. Way over my head.

To compound matters after only a couple of months Arleigh sent me an e-mail telling me she was bailing out on the "Cyclistsite". So, I went through all of that stress only to be left standing at the alter, so to speak. Oh well...... Misplaced trust. It's a thing. Good thing Grannygear was willing to step in and take up the reins which kept that site going for a few years into the future.

The last view I had of Sea Otter taken as I left the venue in 2009. A foggy day made for dramatic lighting.

The Grahl deal came through, everything he promised, and that was a big surprise. A rental car, room, airfare to and from- it all was covered. I guess that was my severance package, or back pay, or was meant to assuage me for broken promises. I don't know. Probably never will. It was all a bit surreal. It reminds me how communication goes a long way in making relationships work right.

While I was there I got lost and found myself on the shore of the Pacific Ocean in Carmel By The Sea. I saw quaint cottages draped in vegetation, flowers in abundance, and tight, narrow lanes. I saw stuff that in Iowa would cost well below $100,000 but because it was California and on the ocean, it was probably multi-millions of dollars in real estate. Mind boggling. I ate at a McDonald's for breakfast three days in a row and saw the same two guys, old hippies, each morning having coffee. It was fun eavesdropping in on their memories of being beach bums. I drove through old Fort Ord every day on my way to the venue. It was all like a dream. Faded into the mists of time now......

I came back with a short stretch to T.I.v5. There was a LOT to get into order in a short two weeks time.

Minus Ten Review 2009-4

The Lynskey Ridgeline frame announced in 2009.

Ten years ago this week I was snowed in and not doing much riding. There were things going on nonetheless. First and foremost was a tidbit I slid in on a post, under the radar, but was, in fact, a huge deal in my life.

I got the reins, officially, of "Twenty Nine Inches", the website which was all about 29"ers. The deal I had been offered was to take control of the old "Crooked Cog Network", but in reality all I got out of the deal was two of the five or so websites associated with that old network.

So, basically the only good thing that came out of it was that I didn't have to deal with Mr. Grahl any longer. Well.......sort of. There was one last hurrah that happened which will get talked about in the coming months. Then the other good thing was that I had started to get a handle on all the things that, previously, had been beyond my reach. But I will tell you now that without having met Grannygear the previous fall at Interbike, "Twenty Nine Inches" would have folded in 2009. The technical acumen necessary to run things was not passed on to me by the former owner.

Anyway, that was all in the background. I never did post anything about my troubles and travails which were going on then. I did post about a Lynskey titanium mtb frame, which I ended up getting in to test, and I also reported that I got in on CIRREM, the early season gravel event held down in Madison County every late Winter. So, I had an event to get ready for. That was a bit concerning at that time! I hadn't been getting out to do much of anything, and I had about a month to get in gear!

Minus Ten Review 2009-4

The Lynskey Ridgeline frame announced in 2009.

Ten years ago this week I was snowed in and not doing much riding. There were things going on nonetheless. First and foremost was a tidbit I slid in on a post, under the radar, but was, in fact, a huge deal in my life.

I got the reins, officially, of "Twenty Nine Inches", the website which was all about 29"ers. The deal I had been offered was to take control of the old "Crooked Cog Network", but in reality all I got out of the deal was two of the five or so websites associated with that old network.

So, basically the only good thing that came out of it was that I didn't have to deal with Mr. Grahl any longer. Well.......sort of. There was one last hurrah that happened which will get talked about in the coming months. Then the other good thing was that I had started to get a handle on all the things that, previously, had been beyond my reach. But I will tell you now that without having met Grannygear the previous fall at Interbike, "Twenty Nine Inches" would have folded in 2009. The technical acumen necessary to run things was not passed on to me by the former owner.

Anyway, that was all in the background. I never did post anything about my troubles and travails which were going on then. I did post about a Lynskey titanium mtb frame, which I ended up getting in to test, and I also reported that I got in on CIRREM, the early season gravel event held down in Madison County every late Winter. So, I had an event to get ready for. That was a bit concerning at that time! I hadn't been getting out to do much of anything, and I had about a month to get in gear!

Minus Ten Review- 49

From the inaugural Trans Iowa- Jeff Kerkove. (Photographer unknown)

Ten years ago here I was floating the idea about doing a historical archive for Trans Iowa events. The real story here is that I was already in the midst of putting that together. I wasn't going to release it though unless I got feedback that it was something folks wanted.

This all came at a time when I was doing some rearranging behind the scenes. First, I was in the throes of possibly not doing anything with "Twenty Nine Inches" or the "Crooked Cog Network", which was started by Tim Grahl and which he was, or had already, walked away from.

Things behind the scenes at those Grahl owned sites were in total chaos. No one knew what was going on and Grahl was unresponsive to our requests for information. I ended up getting a few short replies regarding a possibility of my buying the site "Twenty Nine Inches", but after I refused to pay anything, the site was ceded over to me sometime in the beginning of 2009.

Then there was the "Gravel Grinder News" calendar, which I had hosted on Blogger, and I was considering changing that to something else. Originally the site was the Trans Iowa site, as I nixed plans for a new Guitar Ted Productions site which I was going to move over to Wordpress. That site became the Trans Iowa History site in the end. The GGN site had "transiowahistory.blogspot.com" as its' address, (or something along those lines, I cannot find that now), and that was kind of not ideal. I had intended all along to do a proper GGN addressed site, and eventually, in 2013, it became a reality.

But anyway- the Trans Iowa History site got a big thumbs up and it still exists. But you'll notice the address is "guitarted1961" and now you know why. Well, that story and I had no clue what I was doing! I've learned a trick or two in ten years, but back then, it should be pointed out that I had only been writing and doing stuff on the internet for three years. 

 

Minus Ten Review- 49

From the inaugural Trans Iowa- Jeff Kerkove. (Photographer unknown)

Ten years ago here I was floating the idea about doing a historical archive for Trans Iowa events. The real story here is that I was already in the midst of putting that together. I wasn't going to release it though unless I got feedback that it was something folks wanted.

This all came at a time when I was doing some rearranging behind the scenes. First, I was in the throes of possibly not doing anything with "Twenty Nine Inches" or the "Crooked Cog Network", which was started by Tim Grahl and which he was, or had already, walked away from.

Things behind the scenes at those Grahl owned sites were in total chaos. No one knew what was going on and Grahl was unresponsive to our requests for information. I ended up getting a few short replies regarding a possibility of my buying the site "Twenty Nine Inches", but after I refused to pay anything, the site was ceded over to me sometime in the beginning of 2009.

Then there was the "Gravel Grinder News" calendar, which I had hosted on Blogger, and I was considering changing that to something else. Originally the site was the Trans Iowa site, as I nixed plans for a new Guitar Ted Productions site which I was going to move over to Wordpress. That site became the Trans Iowa History site in the end. The GGN site had "transiowahistory.blogspot.com" as its' address, (or something along those lines, I cannot find that now), and that was kind of not ideal. I had intended all along to do a proper GGN addressed site, and eventually, in 2013, it became a reality.

But anyway- the Trans Iowa History site got a big thumbs up and it still exists. But you'll notice the address is "guitarted1961" and now you know why. Well, that story and I had no clue what I was doing! I've learned a trick or two in ten years, but back then, it should be pointed out that I had only been writing and doing stuff on the internet for three years. 

 

Minus Ten Review - 47

You get this instead of a big, blank white square.

Ten Years ago on the blog here I was chugging along doing all sorts of things. I was testing product for "Twenty Nine Inches". I was riding a lot. There was Trans Iowa v5 recon going on. There were topics discussed.....

But forgive me if I sound bitter. This period was the height of my trust in the former owner of the "Crooked Cog Network" who had me dumping all my images into a hosting site which he pretty much insisted that I use. He was paying the fee to the hosting company to hold all our images. Unfortunately, it was at about this time that he stopped paying the hosting site and unbeknownst to me one day that hosting site pulled their support of our images and my stuff was gone since it was linked back to that site.

My bad for not backing up my stuff on my own hard drive. It literally showed how naive I was about anything to do with the "innergoogles". Remember, I had only just begun to do anything regularly on the internet just a few short years before this. Basically, I had no real experience doing anything on the computer. In fat, Jeff Kerkove, who pretty much insisted I start blogging, did a lot of my "behind the scenes" formatting in the earlier years here. Once he had left for Ergon, and Colorado, I relied on Tim Grahl for technical assistance.

Then that failed me. This was a pretty big turning point in my life. December and January of 2008/09 were very stressful times for me. I had been hung out to dry by my "employer", who never did come through on any of his promises of paying me. I had no backend support on the site, or for my blog. I didn't know anyone well versed in the things I needed to know that could find time to help me out. In fact, I nearly walked away from all of it back then.

But I didn't, obviously. That story will play out in the coming weeks and months.

Minus Ten Review - 47

You get this instead of a big, blank white square.

Ten Years ago on the blog here I was chugging along doing all sorts of things. I was testing product for "Twenty Nine Inches". I was riding a lot. There was Trans Iowa v5 recon going on. There were topics discussed.....

But forgive me if I sound bitter. This period was the height of my trust in the former owner of the "Crooked Cog Network" who had me dumping all my images into a hosting site which he pretty much insisted that I use. He was paying the fee to the hosting company to hold all our images. Unfortunately, it was at about this time that he stopped paying the hosting site and unbeknownst to me one day that hosting site pulled their support of our images and my stuff was gone since it was linked back to that site.

My bad for not backing up my stuff on my own hard drive. It literally showed how naive I was about anything to do with the "innergoogles". Remember, I had only just begun to do anything regularly on the internet just a few short years before this. Basically, I had no real experience doing anything on the computer. In fat, Jeff Kerkove, who pretty much insisted I start blogging, did a lot of my "behind the scenes" formatting in the earlier years here. Once he had left for Ergon, and Colorado, I relied on Tim Grahl for technical assistance.

Then that failed me. This was a pretty big turning point in my life. December and January of 2008/09 were very stressful times for me. I had been hung out to dry by my "employer", who never did come through on any of his promises of paying me. I had no backend support on the site, or for my blog. I didn't know anyone well versed in the things I needed to know that could find time to help me out. In fact, I nearly walked away from all of it back then.

But I didn't, obviously. That story will play out in the coming weeks and months.

Minus Ten Review - 42

That's THE Chris King of Chris King Precision Components barbecuing at Interbike '08.

Ten years ago on the blog I started detailing how to convert your 29"er mtb over to off road type drop bars. That became a series of sorts, and if I could ever get the page link to function on this here ol' broken down Blogger page, you could reference that material. One day.....

I also started yakking up another ""Big Wheeled Ballyhoo" event. I don't know what I was thinking after the failed 2008 event, the gas I got about it all, and whatnot, but whatever...... I decided to try it again! I won't let on how that turned out just yet, but what was very different was that this time I actually was promised help and I received it, unlike the doomed '08 event where I was left high and dry to do things myself. Of course, if you've been following along with these "Minus Ten Reviews" this year, you've already picked up on the fact that my then boss at "Twenty Nine Inches", Tim Grahl, was really causing me a LOT of headaches. The failed "Big Wheeled Ballyhoo" was just a minor bit part in that from 2008.

What I didn't share on the blog then, but was going down in the background, was that by this time it was becoming apparent that Mr. Grahl's involvement in the site, and the Crooked Cog Network in general, was becoming less and less. None of us working the various sites really knew what was going on, I don't think. All I know is that between myself and Arleigh Jenkins (now Greenwald), we had almost no communication with Grahl. Not for lack of our trying, by the way.

The loss of images hadn't happened yet, but I saw trouble coming and I was trying to get things into my hands to save as much as I could of it. The super convoluted, complex way images were hosted for TNI and this blog at that time was so......frustrating. Not to mention the money involved in it and the disconnected Mr. Grahl, which made matters just super stressful.

I guess I did a great job of not letting on back then, but in hindsight I probably should have bailed out right then and there. Unfortunately in the coming months I was led to believe more untruths and I got sucked all the way into running TNI. That tale will roll out during the rest of the "Minus Ten Reviews" this year.

Minus Ten Review - 42

That's THE Chris King of Chris King Precision Components barbecuing at Interbike '08.

Ten years ago on the blog I started detailing how to convert your 29"er mtb over to off road type drop bars. That became a series of sorts, and if I could ever get the page link to function on this here ol' broken down Blogger page, you could reference that material. One day.....

I also started yakking up another ""Big Wheeled Ballyhoo" event. I don't know what I was thinking after the failed 2008 event, the gas I got about it all, and whatnot, but whatever...... I decided to try it again! I won't let on how that turned out just yet, but what was very different was that this time I actually was promised help and I received it, unlike the doomed '08 event where I was left high and dry to do things myself. Of course, if you've been following along with these "Minus Ten Reviews" this year, you've already picked up on the fact that my then boss at "Twenty Nine Inches", Tim Grahl, was really causing me a LOT of headaches. The failed "Big Wheeled Ballyhoo" was just a minor bit part in that from 2008.

What I didn't share on the blog then, but was going down in the background, was that by this time it was becoming apparent that Mr. Grahl's involvement in the site, and the Crooked Cog Network in general, was becoming less and less. None of us working the various sites really knew what was going on, I don't think. All I know is that between myself and Arleigh Jenkins (now Greenwald), we had almost no communication with Grahl. Not for lack of our trying, by the way.

The loss of images hadn't happened yet, but I saw trouble coming and I was trying to get things into my hands to save as much as I could of it. The super convoluted, complex way images were hosted for TNI and this blog at that time was so......frustrating. Not to mention the money involved in it and the disconnected Mr. Grahl, which made matters just super stressful.

I guess I did a great job of not letting on back then, but in hindsight I probably should have bailed out right then and there. Unfortunately in the coming months I was led to believe more untruths and I got sucked all the way into running TNI. That tale will roll out during the rest of the "Minus Ten Reviews" this year.

Minus Ten Review -37

Jason Boucher shooting an image of me while I was shooting an image of him. Murphy-Hanrahan trails.

Ten years ago on the blog here I was prepping to go to Interbike in Las Vegas, Nevada. It would have been my third trip in a row to the show and my last as a "Crooked Cog Network" member. Later in '08 the network basically imploded at the hands of its leader, Tim Grahl, and the wreckage that ensued sent my life into a new direction. But ten years ago this week I had no clue what was in store for me.

I did notice that the blog lost a ton of images due to Grahl's mismanagement of a photo sharing service which cost me a lot of imagery here. Oh well........

Ten years ago I also summed up my season long experiment with 170mm cranks on 29"ers. You see, it was an unwritten rule for early pioneers of 29"ers in Crested Butte, Colorado to use 170mm cranks on 29"ers. There was "something to it" that was never really explained or written down, as far as I have ever been able to find. So, I did my own research into the matter.

I set up my '07 El Mariachi with 170mm triple cranks, (triple cranks?!! Yes!), and my Blackbuck single speed also received the 170mm treatment. I rode them from Spring all through Summer and into Fall. My assessment was that on the geared bike I really didn't notice anything substantially different from using 175mm cranks. However; on the single speed I was convinced there was a marked difference. Here is a quote from my post in September:

"I also have noted an increase in my ability to scale steeps that I normally would have crapped out on. The 170mm crank seems to get around to it's power stroke a little sooner for me, therefore I lose less momentum in my pedaling "dead spot" and I can keep those big wheels rolling easier."

In fact, I was so impressed I have never gone back to longer cranks on my single speed Blackbuck. I have used 170mm on various other single speed bikes as well, but typically my other single speeds are set up with 175mm arms. I've no real desire to go longer unless it is for a gravel bike, which then I prefer 180mm cranks. Longer, less severe elevation gains on gravel tend to lend themselves to those longer arms, I think. 

Minus Ten Review -37

Jason Boucher shooting an image of me while I was shooting an image of him. Murphy-Hanrahan trails.

Ten years ago on the blog here I was prepping to go to Interbike in Las Vegas, Nevada. It would have been my third trip in a row to the show and my last as a "Crooked Cog Network" member. Later in '08 the network basically imploded at the hands of its leader, Tim Grahl, and the wreckage that ensued sent my life into a new direction. But ten years ago this week I had no clue what was in store for me.

I did notice that the blog lost a ton of images due to Grahl's mismanagement of a photo sharing service which cost me a lot of imagery here. Oh well........

Ten years ago I also summed up my season long experiment with 170mm cranks on 29"ers. You see, it was an unwritten rule for early pioneers of 29"ers in Crested Butte, Colorado to use 170mm cranks on 29"ers. There was "something to it" that was never really explained or written down, as far as I have ever been able to find. So, I did my own research into the matter.

I set up my '07 El Mariachi with 170mm triple cranks, (triple cranks?!! Yes!), and my Blackbuck single speed also received the 170mm treatment. I rode them from Spring all through Summer and into Fall. My assessment was that on the geared bike I really didn't notice anything substantially different from using 175mm cranks. However; on the single speed I was convinced there was a marked difference. Here is a quote from my post in September:

"I also have noted an increase in my ability to scale steeps that I normally would have crapped out on. The 170mm crank seems to get around to it's power stroke a little sooner for me, therefore I lose less momentum in my pedaling "dead spot" and I can keep those big wheels rolling easier."

In fact, I was so impressed I have never gone back to longer cranks on my single speed Blackbuck. I have used 170mm on various other single speed bikes as well, but typically my other single speeds are set up with 175mm arms. I've no real desire to go longer unless it is for a gravel bike, which then I prefer 180mm cranks. Longer, less severe elevation gains on gravel tend to lend themselves to those longer arms, I think. 

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.....

Minus Ten Review- 19

Quite possibly the worst 29"er tires ever- The Intense 2.25".

Ten years ago on this blog I had moved on from Trans Iowa v4 and gotten busy trying to get some review work done for "Twenty Nine Inches", which was the 29"er site I wrote for back then.

There were bikes, tires, wheels, grips, handle bars, and more. Some of this review work was deemed not for the big wheeler site, so we started another site dubbed "The Bike Lab" which was also a Crooked Cog Network site.

This was about the apex of all the former Tim Grahl led sites under that "Crooked Cog" banner. Later on he.....well he flaked out. Not sure why, and it was a long, slow unraveling. But that story will come later. I noticed that in my archives that it was about at this time that many of my images come up missing now. That's all due to the bad influence of Mr. Grahl and some poor advice he gave me which led to a lot of my images disappearing forever. Yes, that still kinda of bites.

Anyway, I had no idea what I was in for and it was coming very soon. The images were a minor quibble, in the end. But as I say, we will just let that sit for now.

That year of 2008 Winter lingered far too long and Spring went by in such a hurry we didn't notice it. Temperatures went straight to Summer. It was humid too. Trails were too wet to ride, and the weather was continually severe. We all were hoping for a break, but we were in for some dire times. What happened ten years ago in May will not be soon forgotten and had a big effect upon my Summer, my relationships with some people, and Trans Iowa. Stay tuned.......

Minus Ten Review- 19

Quite possibly the worst 29"er tires ever- The Intense 2.25".

Ten years ago on this blog I had moved on from Trans Iowa v4 and gotten busy trying to get some review work done for "Twenty Nine Inches", which was the 29"er site I wrote for back then.

There were bikes, tires, wheels, grips, handle bars, and more. Some of this review work was deemed not for the big wheeler site, so we started another site dubbed "The Bike Lab" which was also a Crooked Cog Network site.

This was about the apex of all the former Tim Grahl led sites under that "Crooked Cog" banner. Later on he.....well he flaked out. Not sure why, and it was a long, slow unraveling. But that story will come later. I noticed that in my archives that it was about at this time that many of my images come up missing now. That's all due to the bad influence of Mr. Grahl and some poor advice he gave me which led to a lot of my images disappearing forever. Yes, that still kinda of bites.

Anyway, I had no idea what I was in for and it was coming very soon. The images were a minor quibble, in the end. But as I say, we will just let that sit for now.

That year of 2008 Winter lingered far too long and Spring went by in such a hurry we didn't notice it. Temperatures went straight to Summer. It was humid too. Trails were too wet to ride, and the weather was continually severe. We all were hoping for a break, but we were in for some dire times. What happened ten years ago in May will not be soon forgotten and had a big effect upon my Summer, my relationships with some people, and Trans Iowa. Stay tuned.......

Minus Ten Review- 36

My XXIX which I received in September '06

Ten years ago on the blog here was a pivotal time in my life. I announced that I was going to Interbike. It would be my first trip to the show in ten years. The way it all went down was not revealed on the blog, so here's the deal.

Tim Grahl, then of the Crooked Cog Network and the founder of "Blue Collar Mountainbike"  and "Twenty Nine Inches", had been pestering me to come and help him with coverage of Interbike and to write for Twenty Nine Inches. I had rebuffed him several times, since I was already doing reviews for "The Biking Hub" and was busy with the blog here at the home front. I didn't "need" him or "Twenty Nine Inches". However; Grahl kept insisting I come to Interbike and I finally said I would, but only if it was on his dime. Grahl made it happen, so I was on my way to the show.

In the coming "Minus Ten Review" posts I will get into how that all worked out and ultimately changed my life. I think that there was a lot of good that came out of that, but it didn't come without a lot of worry, frustration, and time spent doing stuff I never wanted to do. They call it "the price you pay". I cannot really say if the price was worth it or not yet. Things are still playing out.......

On a lighter note, I received the Raleigh XXIX single speed and it was really cool. The issue I had was that at that time, I thought I was a medium for 29'ers. The thing was that I not only made that mistake with the Raleigh, but with the Haro Mary I had coming in as well. Lesson learned. Price paid. I ended up sending both those bikes on to new homes where they were ultimately well loved.

One thing that was really kind of odd about the XXIX was that it came with a non-suspension corrected fork. Kind of a weird thing, but it was really a great single speed rig. Maybe had I not been such a knucklehead and had gotten a Large, I would still have that bike, but oh well. Bikes come and bikes go.

Minus Ten Review- 36

My XXIX which I received in September '06

Ten years ago on the blog here was a pivotal time in my life. I announced that I was going to Interbike. It would be my first trip to the show in ten years. The way it all went down was not revealed on the blog, so here's the deal.

Tim Grahl, then of the Crooked Cog Network and the founder of "Blue Collar Mountainbike"  and "Twenty Nine Inches", had been pestering me to come and help him with coverage of Interbike and to write for Twenty Nine Inches. I had rebuffed him several times, since I was already doing reviews for "The Biking Hub" and was busy with the blog here at the home front. I didn't "need" him or "Twenty Nine Inches". However; Grahl kept insisting I come to Interbike and I finally said I would, but only if it was on his dime. Grahl made it happen, so I was on my way to the show.

In the coming "Minus Ten Review" posts I will get into how that all worked out and ultimately changed my life. I think that there was a lot of good that came out of that, but it didn't come without a lot of worry, frustration, and time spent doing stuff I never wanted to do. They call it "the price you pay". I cannot really say if the price was worth it or not yet. Things are still playing out.......

On a lighter note, I received the Raleigh XXIX single speed and it was really cool. The issue I had was that at that time, I thought I was a medium for 29'ers. The thing was that I not only made that mistake with the Raleigh, but with the Haro Mary I had coming in as well. Lesson learned. Price paid. I ended up sending both those bikes on to new homes where they were ultimately well loved.

One thing that was really kind of odd about the XXIX was that it came with a non-suspension corrected fork. Kind of a weird thing, but it was really a great single speed rig. Maybe had I not been such a knucklehead and had gotten a Large, I would still have that bike, but oh well. Bikes come and bikes go.