The Path To Discovering Gravel Grinding: Part 1

My number plate from the 2006 Dirty Kanza 200

 As gravel grinding in the Modern Era continues into its 3rd decade, I thought it might be interesting to those who weren't a part of those pioneering days of gravel events to read my experiences and thoughts about those times. 

Twenty years ago I signed up for an event in Kansas being put on by two men most folks had never heard of before. Joel Dyke and Jim Cummins were two guys brought together by their mutual love of two-wheeled, off-road fun, and challenging rides. 

Jim came from the moto world and was into mountain biking. Joel was more into whatever cycling hi-jinx he could find, and if he couldn't find it, he created it. Between the two they had forged an interest in a silly gravel road based event in Iowa called Trans Iowa.  

Joel and Jim had been in contact concerning Trans Iowa with Jeff Kerkove. Jeff was the "point man" of Trans Iowa those first few years. Mostly because Jeff was a well-known solo 24hr endurance racer who had a very popular blog at the time. While I was more of an assistant in those days, it meant I wasn't a big part of the communications going back and forth between we Trans Iowa organizers and the organizers of the DK200. I was verbally kept abreast of all of this though since I worked in close proximity to Jeff. Both literally and figuratively!

An image I pulled off an online source on the Flint Hills back in 2006

Joel came up and rode in the first two editions of Trans Iowa and took many ideas back to Kansas for he and Jim to mull over as they were going to put on a similar event in Kansas. They settled on the Flint Hills for this ride which, originally wasn't called "Dirty Kanza", but nearer to their inaugural running of the event, it took on that name. 

It was kind of an unspoken thing back in the very early days of gravel that if you put on an event and another event organizer came to ride in your event, you went and rode in their event as well. It was a sign of solidarity amongst the early gravel event promoters. So, when Jim and Joel announced registration was open for the 2006 Dirty Kanza 200, I signed up.  

While I could have plied questions and received knowledge from the event organizers, due to the circumstances I was in at the time, I did not do this. Being in a gravel event was a completely new idea back in 2006. Everything you were going to do was pulled from other cycling disciplines and when it came to big decisions, like what bicycle to use, it was an unknown to a degree. Mostly because I, and others coming to the first Dirty Kansas, had no idea what the Flint Hills of Kansas was like. 

I was researching online, looking at pictures, reading stories about the grasslands, and getting to know some of the history of the area including the history of earlier peoples who called the Flint Hills home. Especially the history behind the Kanza people.  I actually learned a lot just because I signed up for an event, so it was a good thing besides the cycling bits. 

I eventually decided on riding my then new On One Inbred as a single speed. It would be my first bicycle race in ten years and it would be 200 miles long! (Look....no one said it was a smart decision!) So, you can see why I was a bit concerned and why I was doing a bunch of research. There were chats online in the Endurance Forum of MTBR.com, there were blog posts from fellow cyclists, and I did actually pick Jeff's mind about nutrition and such, since he was a Pro at it.  

It was an exciting time. There were a lot of unknowns, and decisions made were weightier and harder to make back then. In my next post on this, coming up in a week or two, I'll discuss more about what this event meant in terms of the overall nascent gravel scene  

Unbound Gravel Race Reactions

Image courtesy of Life Time/Unbound

 Unbound has happened and what do we see now that the dust has settled? Here following are my observations, opinions, and thoughts. 

Well, that wasn't so bad, was it?: 

The hand-wringing by social media and some cycling websites about Kansas mud was all for naught as two, mostly dry days ahead of the event saw limited rain which, in hindsight, was a blessing. I was out South of Emporia Wednesday and the dust raised by 60-ish riders on the GCHoF group ride was alarming me. That dust was there during the event but muted and the mud was minimal. 

And the chaos predicted in town was not all that bad either. The finish line chutes, which were separated by a barrier between Pro and not so Pro, were removed after the Pro events finished up and for all intents and purposes, for a majority of riders, the event looked like any other recent Unbound event. (Even I got that prediction wrong)

Image courtesy of Life Time /Unbound

And as far as Emporia was concerned? It all seemed to be okay, for the most part. Certainly there were probably some issues, but nothing major to be reported, as far as I have seen. 

So, no big deal, right? Maybe.... Some Pro riders were grousing about issues after the event, but given that most of them did not win, you'd expect there to be some of the negativity. 

Conditions for this event were near perfection. Temperatures were moderate, there was partial cloud cover for a lot of the day, and winds were light, albeit in rider's faces all day with it switching directions. That said, I don't think you'll find this year's weather will ever be beaten as far as it being so little of a factor in the event's outcome. 

How About That Women's Race?:

The highlight of the day was the Elite Women's race which had 56 taking the start and the majority of the number sticking together for the first quarter of the event. Eventually there was attrition, but there was still a healthy amount of women still in the running with 25 miles to go. It all came down to a group sprint of 9 riders, an unprecedented thing, and many marveled at that. Rosa Klöser was the eventual winner there.

The men's elite race started with 135 total and attrition was the name of the game, as it often is in these longer gravel events. It all came down to two men at the finish with Lachlan Morton pulling ahead at the line for the win. 

Image courtesy of Life Time/Unbound

How About All The Hoopla?:

This event has upped the ante every year since about 2010. This year was no exception with a big helicopter following the lead groups all day in the skies above the Flint Hills. Gotta wonder what the fuel bill for that carbon footprint was. 

Like last year, there were UTV's festooned with cameras and other UTV's filled with eager photographers zooming from point to point to capture all the action. I found it interesting to follow @unlearnpavement (Bobby Wintle) on Instagram as he and his comrades followed the women's event throughout the day. Watching closely, I noted a few things.

Pit Stops: Holy cow! One to up to four individuals giving athletes attention at the two designated aid stations. Watching the choreographed actions of the support people was fascinating, but it also reminded me of why we (Jeff Kerkove and I) stopped having a supported aid station stop after Trans Iowa v1 in 2005. Jeff knew that support was based upon sponsorship and money. Those without both, or one of those, was at a distinct disadvantage. Of course, being that Unbound has "Elite" categories, one would expect that all contenders had this sort of support, or.....did they? 

It's all about who has the money and resources, right?

Then there is luck. Some had it. Some did not. The current gravel world champion (UCI) did not have the luck, as he cracked a rim and had to retire from the event. The women's Elite winner had the luck, coming back from a flat and getting a wheel change at an opportune time. This was also fascinating to me.

How does the gravel world champion not make it and the women's winner does? Well, there may be several factors at play there, but one thing I noted was that some riders who flatted had inner rim liners, like the ones MTB riders use now. This essentially allowed for a "run flat" feature which, albeit slower, kept the riders that were using them in the hunt. The women's winner, who was running one of these inner liners, got a wheel change at the support station, and this saved her race. Note that in typical self-supported events this sort of thing would have been a race killer, if not a race ender, so Unbound is kind of unique in that way. More like the old 24hr events, with the big supported pit areas, not so much like the older long distance gravel events. 

What about those who were in other classes?:

You didn't see much hub-bub over other classes at Unbound. A little coverage of the XL, a mention of the two 100 mile distance winners, Male and Female, and....... Yeah. Endemic cycling media doesn't care, really, about anything else than Elite/Pro level racing. This is not on Unbound, as they had a media resource center and would have gladly provided results and images, but it seems that no one really cares. 

For kicks I decided to look up who won the Men's class in the 200. That would be a man by the name of Mike Barton who finished in 10:07:45. This would have netted him 68th in the Elite men's field. A field stacked with current and former Pro Tour roadies. (Noted that former DK200 winner, Ted King, came in 35th in the Elite field.)

I'm an advocate for the "everyman" in gravel, and so my opinion is that a focus on 191 Elite athletes over the literally thousands of others there at Unbound is a bit of a case of "unbalanced" coverage. But I may as well be a "man yelling at the clouds" when it come to that. Kudos to "Gravel Guru" and others that actually did interview and cover some of these folk's experiences.

Fair and Balanced:

I found an article, finally, that I was a contributor to, published on "Bike Radar" and authored by Josh Patterson. It is about how this event became the biggest gravel event in the world today. You can (and should) read it HERE.

That's a wrap on Unbound. Your regularly scheduled blog will return for tomorrow.

Unbound Gravel: The Real Heros of the Event

 The gravel racing scene in North America just held its "Super Bowl", its premier event. The event with the biggest pay-off for winning in terms of life-changing benefits to the male and female Pro who pulls off the win there in Emporia, Kansas on Commercial Street. 

And perhaps no other street name is as appropriate for this finish line's home as this event epitomizes the commercialization of gravel riding and racing in North America. Maybe even for the world, as far as gravel goes. 

While the evolution of the DK200 into Unbound has been well documented here and elsewhere, I wanted to see where this event has led not only gravel cycling in general, but how Unbound has affected the town of Emporia, Kansas. Enough about the winners, the social media posts, and the Facebook comments, what about the average citizen in this town? What really makes this event tic?  These are some things most of us give little thought to. But as large as this event has become, as important to the cycling calendar as it has grown to be, there are still six times as many residents who live there, make a living there, and call Emporia "theirs" as there are racers. It is from these people that the backbone of Unbound is formed from.

So, briefly, please allow me the chance to paint a picture here for context. It is safe to say that for several of the early years of the DK200, most residents of this once sleepy little Kansan town were totally unaware of gravel cycling. A few nut-jobs showed up every early Summer, rode around out there in the Flint Hills, and disappeared as quickly as an afternoon pop-up thunderstorm on the prairie, never to be heard from again. But at one point, an enterprising businessman approached co-founder of the DK200, Jim Cummins, with an idea. Bring this downtown. Let's get the local businesses involved, we can grow this to benefit the community. That's what I overheard as I was sitting within earshot of that conversation in 2009. UPDATE: It has been brought to my attention that Kristi Mohn, also a member of the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame, was the first to suggest this to Jim and Joel in 2008. The gentleman I saw a year later was influenced by Kristi's idea, so credit where credit is due. Thank you Kristi Mohn!

That was the impetus that began the slow evolution from this event having less than 100 riders overall in 2009 to having 160 riders two years later, and ten years after that the event grew to host 2,626 riders in five event distances. This year in 2023? The event is claiming to have approximately 4,000 riders! 

This obviously has strained the resources of Emporia to their limits and maybe beyond in some ways that most people never think about that attend the event. 4,000 riders with support people. 4,000 riders with all the infrastructure, UNBOUND staffing, volunteers, and extra help businesses bring in to service the attending riders and support people. This doesn't even consider media and event expo people coming in to cover the event and show company wares and services. In fact, Emporia Police Captain Ray Mattas estimates that the entire population of Emporia grows by 8,000 - 10,000 people over the four days of the event. 

A local grocer gets into the spirit of the event with this display.

Despite the meteoric growth of Unbound Gravel over the years you'll be hard-pressed to find any locals that will publicly voice any negativity over the event. It undoubtedly brings in a windfall economically to the community. LeLan Dains, head of Visit Emporia, claims that in 2018 the impact was 6 million and "is probably more than that now". Given the nearly doubled amount of riders since then, I'd say he's on to something there. 

But big money windfalls that come in a short window of time not only stress the community's resources but the residents themselves to a high degree. I watched a female employee of a motel near the Kansas Turnpike sigh and in reserved tones explain that she was on day four of a 14 day stretch of work because taking the Unbound weekend off was not an option for her. 

In another case, where we saw an effect on the local economy, my wife and I walked into a restaurant on the Wednesday before Unbound where there were no clean tables and after ten minutes of waiting we ended up leaving without being spoken to. Apparently they were so busy they couldn't keep up with the lunch rush. 

Back at the motel on Thursday morning a discussion arose amongst some locals who did not know the details of the event other than that it snarled the usual traffic flows and that it involved "thousands and thousands of cyclists". Disruptive cyclist who were making impacts on the local citizens that the cyclists probably were not thinking about. Heads were wagged and eyes were rolled, but you somehow got the feeling that the bother was worth it somehow.

Vendors were setting up on Wednesday for the All Things Gravel Expo.

Then there are residents of Emporia that are directly impacted by the Unbound gravel event and have had their lives redirected as a result. I met one such man, who I'll call "Mike", at the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame after-party. Mike told me that around 2016 he was made aware of an event called Lunar Kanza, a night time gravel event which was about 50 miles in length. More or less this was a for fun ride in the middle of Summer. 

Up to that point the man hadn't been riding a bicycle since childhood. After the event, he discovered the gravel riding community that had grown up around the DK200 event. This got him even more interested in gravel riding in the Flint Hills and eventually he entered the DK100. After riding several 100 mile versions of DK/Unbound, he has stepped up to ride the 200 mile event. 

Mike said after that Lunar Kanza ride he was smitten with the Flint Hills. He loved the welcoming and accepting qualities of the local gravel riders. He felt welcomed and encouraged. Now he is ready for the big miles. 

Mike was pretty stoked about the gravel scene around Emporia and thought Unbound was a worthwhile event for Emporia overall. Mike did admit that there were "pockets of resistance' locally to the gravel scene and Unbound. Despite that, he felt that most folks thought it was a good thing. Mike said, "I suppose the town benefits from it economically. At least from what I've heard it has", voicing the general populace's views on the production. 

However; not all is well in Gravel City. Last year, a man named Greg Bachman was tragically mowed down out on a gravel road near Emporia by a driver of a truck, a local resident, while Greg and his wife were riding a day or so before the 2022 Unbound. An article published on a Colorado based website paints a picture of anti-cyclist bias in the police's handling of the case, (Read that article here), and many questions are raised concerning responsibilities for rider safety and public education. So, while there is much good that Unbound brings, there are still some areas that could use some improving.

While today you'll see scads of posts celebrating the wins, the epic efforts, and the crazy conditions which typified this year's edition of Unbound, there is a "behind the curtains" thing that is going on and has a huge effect on Unbound and those who ride in it. Things that, if one of them goes wrong or haywire, (like Greg Bachman's death) it could derail the entire event and its future. 

While we engage in debates about aero bars, race tactics, and "fairness", don't forget that there is an entire foundation which exists that supports all of that to even exist as a thing. Consider the motel worker, the police officer, the waiter and waitress, and the people at the sanitation department. You are not bringing 4,000+ people and all the accoutrements associated with that to ride an event without those people and more. 

Those are the people behind the curtains that are the real heroes of Unbound.

Unbound Gravel: The Real Heros of the Event

 The gravel racing scene in North America just held its "Super Bowl", its premier event. The event with the biggest pay-off for winning in terms of life-changing benefits to the male and female Pro who pulls off the win there in Emporia, Kansas on Commercial Street. 

And perhaps no other street name is as appropriate for this finish line's home as this event epitomizes the commercialization of gravel riding and racing in North America. Maybe even for the world, as far as gravel goes. 

While the evolution of the DK200 into Unbound has been well documented here and elsewhere, I wanted to see where this event has led not only gravel cycling in general, but how Unbound has affected the town of Emporia, Kansas. Enough about the winners, the social media posts, and the Facebook comments, what about the average citizen in this town? What really makes this event tic?  These are some things most of us give little thought to. But as large as this event has become, as important to the cycling calendar as it has grown to be, there are still six times as many residents who live there, make a living there, and call Emporia "theirs" as there are racers. It is from these people that the backbone of Unbound is formed from.

So, briefly, please allow me the chance to paint a picture here for context. It is safe to say that for several of the early years of the DK200, most residents of this once sleepy little Kansan town were totally unaware of gravel cycling. A few nut-jobs showed up every early Summer, rode around out there in the Flint Hills, and disappeared as quickly as an afternoon pop-up thunderstorm on the prairie, never to be heard from again. But at one point, an enterprising businessman approached co-founder of the DK200, Jim Cummins, with an idea. Bring this downtown. Let's get the local businesses involved, we can grow this to benefit the community. That's what I overheard as I was sitting within earshot of that conversation in 2009. UPDATE: It has been brought to my attention that Kristi Mohn, also a member of the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame, was the first to suggest this to Jim and Joel in 2008. The gentleman I saw a year later was influenced by Kristi's idea, so credit where credit is due. Thank you Kristi Mohn!

That was the impetus that began the slow evolution from this event having less than 100 riders overall in 2009 to having 160 riders two years later, and ten years after that the event grew to host 2,626 riders in five event distances. This year in 2023? The event is claiming to have approximately 4,000 riders! 

This obviously has strained the resources of Emporia to their limits and maybe beyond in some ways that most people never think about that attend the event. 4,000 riders with support people. 4,000 riders with all the infrastructure, UNBOUND staffing, volunteers, and extra help businesses bring in to service the attending riders and support people. This doesn't even consider media and event expo people coming in to cover the event and show company wares and services. In fact, Emporia Police Captain Ray Mattas estimates that the entire population of Emporia grows by 8,000 - 10,000 people over the four days of the event. 

A local grocer gets into the spirit of the event with this display.

Despite the meteoric growth of Unbound Gravel over the years you'll be hard-pressed to find any locals that will publicly voice any negativity over the event. It undoubtedly brings in a windfall economically to the community. LeLan Dains, head of Visit Emporia, claims that in 2018 the impact was 6 million and "is probably more than that now". Given the nearly doubled amount of riders since then, I'd say he's on to something there. 

But big money windfalls that come in a short window of time not only stress the community's resources but the residents themselves to a high degree. I watched a female employee of a motel near the Kansas Turnpike sigh and in reserved tones explain that she was on day four of a 14 day stretch of work because taking the Unbound weekend off was not an option for her. 

In another case, where we saw an effect on the local economy, my wife and I walked into a restaurant on the Wednesday before Unbound where there were no clean tables and after ten minutes of waiting we ended up leaving without being spoken to. Apparently they were so busy they couldn't keep up with the lunch rush. 

Back at the motel on Thursday morning a discussion arose amongst some locals who did not know the details of the event other than that it snarled the usual traffic flows and that it involved "thousands and thousands of cyclists". Disruptive cyclist who were making impacts on the local citizens that the cyclists probably were not thinking about. Heads were wagged and eyes were rolled, but you somehow got the feeling that the bother was worth it somehow.

Vendors were setting up on Wednesday for the All Things Gravel Expo.

Then there are residents of Emporia that are directly impacted by the Unbound gravel event and have had their lives redirected as a result. I met one such man, who I'll call "Mike", at the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame after-party. Mike told me that around 2016 he was made aware of an event called Lunar Kanza, a night time gravel event which was about 50 miles in length. More or less this was a for fun ride in the middle of Summer. 

Up to that point the man hadn't been riding a bicycle since childhood. After the event, he discovered the gravel riding community that had grown up around the DK200 event. This got him even more interested in gravel riding in the Flint Hills and eventually he entered the DK100. After riding several 100 mile versions of DK/Unbound, he has stepped up to ride the 200 mile event. 

Mike said after that Lunar Kanza ride he was smitten with the Flint Hills. He loved the welcoming and accepting qualities of the local gravel riders. He felt welcomed and encouraged. Now he is ready for the big miles. 

Mike was pretty stoked about the gravel scene around Emporia and thought Unbound was a worthwhile event for Emporia overall. Mike did admit that there were "pockets of resistance' locally to the gravel scene and Unbound. Despite that, he felt that most folks thought it was a good thing. Mike said, "I suppose the town benefits from it economically. At least from what I've heard it has", voicing the general populace's views on the production. 

However; not all is well in Gravel City. Last year, a man named Greg Bachman was tragically mowed down out on a gravel road near Emporia by a driver of a truck, a local resident, while Greg and his wife were riding a day or so before the 2022 Unbound. An article published on a Colorado based website paints a picture of anti-cyclist bias in the police's handling of the case, (Read that article here), and many questions are raised concerning responsibilities for rider safety and public education. So, while there is much good that Unbound brings, there are still some areas that could use some improving.

While today you'll see scads of posts celebrating the wins, the epic efforts, and the crazy conditions which typified this year's edition of Unbound, there is a "behind the curtains" thing that is going on and has a huge effect on Unbound and those who ride in it. Things that, if one of them goes wrong or haywire, (like Greg Bachman's death) it could derail the entire event and its future. 

While we engage in debates about aero bars, race tactics, and "fairness", don't forget that there is an entire foundation which exists that supports all of that to even exist as a thing. Consider the motel worker, the police officer, the waiter and waitress, and the people at the sanitation department. You are not bringing 4,000+ people and all the accoutrements associated with that to ride an event without those people and more. 

Those are the people behind the curtains that are the real heroes of Unbound.

Going To Kansas

Well, tomorrow I am off on a trip to visit Emporia, Kansas once again. If you had told me that I'd be going to this Kansan city almost every year for nearly 20 years when I was younger I'd have said, "Emporia what?!", and I would have laughed at you. But I am now kind of forever tied to that town and its Hall of Fame for all things gravel. 

I can still remember cruising around the forlorn looking downtown area of this city back in 2005 with David Pals, who joined me and gave me a ride down to the inaugural DK200. There were more vacant buildings than not on Commercial Street, and no one had ever heard about a gravel road cycling competition that would later help transform this city from a relatively unknown spot at the junction of the Kansas Turnpike and I - 35 in the Flint Hills. 

Now things are a heck of a lot different, and gravel is a big deal in cycling. Emporia, Kansas is arguably the epicenter of gravel riding for the USA with its UNBOUND event holding the premier position and status amongst the hundreds of gravel events here and world-wide. Who'd have thunk it in 2005? No one, that's who, if we're being honest here. This is all an amazing transformation for cycling, Emporia, and its people who live there and are connected to this city. 

So, here I go. Me. A guy who never would have figured I'd be a part of anything like this. Not in a million years. And I am very, very  grateful for what has happened. So, I am going down there once again to celebrate the next class of inductees. 

We did a podcast about the 2023 class and gabbed about some other stuff on the "Guitar Ted Podcast" which you can listen to at the LINK HERE. Check it out if you care to and tell your friends. Thanks!

I'll have a write-up on my trip starting here Thursday. 

Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions

Going To Kansas

Well, tomorrow I am off on a trip to visit Emporia, Kansas once again. If you had told me that I'd be going to this Kansan city almost every year for nearly 20 years when I was younger I'd have said, "Emporia what?!", and I would have laughed at you. But I am now kind of forever tied to that town and its Hall of Fame for all things gravel. 

I can still remember cruising around the forlorn looking downtown area of this city back in 2005 with David Pals, who joined me and gave me a ride down to the inaugural DK200. There were more vacant buildings than not on Commercial Street, and no one had ever heard about a gravel road cycling competition that would later help transform this city from a relatively unknown spot at the junction of the Kansas Turnpike and I - 35 in the Flint Hills. 

Now things are a heck of a lot different, and gravel is a big deal in cycling. Emporia, Kansas is arguably the epicenter of gravel riding for the USA with its UNBOUND event holding the premier position and status amongst the hundreds of gravel events here and world-wide. Who'd have thunk it in 2005? No one, that's who, if we're being honest here. This is all an amazing transformation for cycling, Emporia, and its people who live there and are connected to this city. 

So, here I go. Me. A guy who never would have figured I'd be a part of anything like this. Not in a million years. And I am very, very  grateful for what has happened. So, I am going down there once again to celebrate the next class of inductees. 

We did a podcast about the 2023 class and gabbed about some other stuff on the "Guitar Ted Podcast" which you can listen to at the LINK HERE. Check it out if you care to and tell your friends. Thanks!

I'll have a write-up on my trip starting here Thursday. 

Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions

Mondey: Two Things

Latest Podcast And An Update:

Based upon the response to the post here "Entry Fees Up", N.Y. Roll and I dove in on that subject for the latest Guitar Ted Productions Podcast called "Anatomy Of A Gravel Event"

While my intentions were to focus on the event fee part, we quickly went down another road which opened up a lot of discussion and probably generated more questions than answers concerning gravel events overall. 

We looked at, well...every aspect of gravel events, and from a historical to a present day viewpoint. After we beat that subject to death we then moved on to another discussion based upon this recent blog post here concerning managed finishes. 

Finally, I added the link to PayPal on the Show Notes page which you can use to donate to the podcast efforts here. Just use "g.ted.productions@gmail.com" as the address to donate to, if you feel so inclined.  Totally not necessary, and this will be the last mention of it here. 

UPDATE- 1/31/23: I changed up the name of the podcast a bit dropping the "Productions" part of the name. It is a bit simpler and hopefully easier for search engines to find. Now look for it as "The Guitar Ted Podcast".

Thanks for reading, listening, if you do that, and for your consideration. 

Roster sheet for the 1st DK200 (Image courtesy of C. Stoeltzing's facebook)

Dirty Kanza 200 Historical Document:

Every once in a while something shows up from the early days of gravel grinding. Three years ago I found the copied pages from the first Trans Iowa website/blog which were in a storage tub out in my garage. Last year a rare in-race Trans Iowa v1 image popped up.

This time it was a cleaning up scenario by someone else. A DK200 rider named Craig Stoeltzing found the original roster sheet for the Dirty Kanza 200 from 2006, its inaugural year. He posted this then on Facebook where it was shared with me by Steve Fuller. thanks to those two fellows for making this post possible.

 Click on the image to embiggin it and read away. The names on there represent the pioneers of the gravel scene. Not all participated as riders in that first one, but it doesn't matter. They all bought into the idea, so they all get credit here, in my opinion. 

Of course, I have the original roster sheet for the first Trans Iowa as well, so someday my hope is that both documents will live in a special place like the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame envisions. That won't be for a while yet, but someday, that needs to happen. 

Mondey: Two Things

Latest Podcast And An Update:

Based upon the response to the post here "Entry Fees Up", N.Y. Roll and I dove in on that subject for the latest Guitar Ted Productions Podcast called "Anatomy Of A Gravel Event"

While my intentions were to focus on the event fee part, we quickly went down another road which opened up a lot of discussion and probably generated more questions than answers concerning gravel events overall. 

We looked at, well...every aspect of gravel events, and from a historical to a present day viewpoint. After we beat that subject to death we then moved on to another discussion based upon this recent blog post here concerning managed finishes. 

Finally, I added the link to PayPal on the Show Notes page which you can use to donate to the podcast efforts here. Just use "g.ted.productions@gmail.com" as the address to donate to, if you feel so inclined.  Totally not necessary, and this will be the last mention of it here. 

UPDATE- 1/31/23: I changed up the name of the podcast a bit dropping the "Productions" part of the name. It is a bit simpler and hopefully easier for search engines to find. Now look for it as "The Guitar Ted Podcast".

Thanks for reading, listening, if you do that, and for your consideration. 

Roster sheet for the 1st DK200 (Image courtesy of C. Stoeltzing's facebook)

Dirty Kanza 200 Historical Document:

Every once in a while something shows up from the early days of gravel grinding. Three years ago I found the copied pages from the first Trans Iowa website/blog which were in a storage tub out in my garage. Last year a rare in-race Trans Iowa v1 image popped up.

This time it was a cleaning up scenario by someone else. A DK200 rider named Craig Stoeltzing found the original roster sheet for the Dirty Kanza 200 from 2006, its inaugural year. He posted this then on Facebook where it was shared with me by Steve Fuller. thanks to those two fellows for making this post possible.

 Click on the image to embiggin it and read away. The names on there represent the pioneers of the gravel scene. Not all participated as riders in that first one, but it doesn't matter. They all bought into the idea, so they all get credit here, in my opinion. 

Of course, I have the original roster sheet for the first Trans Iowa as well, so someday my hope is that both documents will live in a special place like the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame envisions. That won't be for a while yet, but someday, that needs to happen. 

The GTDRI Stories: Where Did This Come From? - Part 2

In 2006 I participated in the first DK200 which sparked ideas in my head.

"The GTDRI Stories" is a series telling the history, untold tales, and showing the sights from the run of Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitationals. This series will run on Sundays. Thanks for reading!

Once I got involved in Trans Iowa, I had pretty much transferred my riding to off-pavement. By this time I had a 2003 Karate Monkey I had set up single speed with drop bars and this became my de facto 'gravel bike'. Again- there weren't any 'gravel specific' bicycles or components at this point. We were borrowing what worked, and for many of us, the new 29" platform was making the most sense. It had a wheel size based on road bikes, and the momentum and stability of 29"ers was prized in gravel riding. 

It bears repeating here that the fact was that the DK200 guys, Jim Cummings and Joel Dyke, had researched and borrowed ideas and inspiration from Trans Iowa and that also comes into play with gravel ideas I had. I've told about how their event inspired later Trans Iowas, but it also inspired the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational. It did this in a couple of ways.

Firstly, when the DK200 was announced, I felt compelled to support it by attending and riding in it. This was because 'gravel cycling' was pretty much the DK200 and Trans Iowa. That was it. Note- There were other events "on gravel" but they typically did not bill themselves as "gravel events", as did the DK200 and T.I. The Colesburg race, which was going on then for an example, was billed as a "tune-up race" for the Chequamegon 40 MTB event. It wasn't until 2022 that they started calling that event the "oldest gravel grinder in the Mid-West". 

I was excited about what was happening with gravel events, and I know others were as well. The over-arching feeling I got back then was that this idea was so much fun - No governing bodies, rules that were minimal and easily understood. The do-it-yourself nature surrounding the entire thing. Pushing yourself beyond what you thought was possible. All of that. Event production, how you rode these events, and all the equipment choices were basically unknowns back in 2005-2006. 

I rode a single speed On One Inbred at the first DK200 (image above) and it wasn't the only single speed MTB 29"er at that event. Cyclo cross bikes were also a big deal back in the day, and you'd see a smattering of those as well. But enough about the equipment.....

The thing was that we all were very supportive of each other and wanted to see this take off. 

My '03 Karate Monkey circa 2006

Secondly, as far as how the DK inspired me, I was enamored of the longer, ultra-distance stuff and bigger rides appealed to me. It was my feeling at the time that longer events were preferable since I recalled how disappointed I had been with XC MTB events that cost a lot of money to enter and lasted maybe an hour- maybe and hour and a half. These longer "gravel grinders" were cost efficient for participants because you got an event which allowed you to ride as long as you wanted, and all day if you could. 

The 200 mile distance seemed a bit over the line for me as far as making things more on the "fun" side, so my thoughts were something a hundred plus, but maybe not more than 150-ish. That might be fun, and then that kind of worked its way into my thoughts for a "Death Ride" that I could do in the Summer on gravel. Since the DK200 was a big loop course, that worked its way into my ideas as well. In fact, the whole event idea for the GTDRI was loosely based around the DK200 profile, just not as long.

But then I got to thinking, "This needs to be a group ride." Not so much an "event", per se', as much as just a 'happening' that you could join in on, if you were so inclined. Plus, I didn't know what I was doing in terms of putting on events in 2006. I was all-new to this, and putting on another event, which I deemed necessary to further gravel grinding, wasn't so much in my wheel house. Besides, that "big-event" feel wasn't my bag anyway. So, I made it a group ride, no-drop, and kept things low-key.

My idea was 'to invite people' to my 'death ride' idea that I had been doing all along. Jeff Kerkove was privy to my spoken thoughts on the matter, since we worked together at the time. He encouraged me to take the idea to the public via a blog. Thus the "Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational" was born. Jeff actually set the blog up, and that's how the abbreviation came about for it, because a web address with the entire name would have been ridiculous. So "www.gtdri.blogspot.com" it was, and I was off and running toward putting this thing on in 2006. 

 Next: Announcing the idea, and putting it into effect.

The GTDRI Stories: Where Did This Come From? - Part 2

In 2006 I participated in the first DK200 which sparked ideas in my head.

"The GTDRI Stories" is a series telling the history, untold tales, and showing the sights from the run of Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitationals. This series will run on Sundays. Thanks for reading!

Once I got involved in Trans Iowa, I had pretty much transferred my riding to off-pavement. By this time I had a 2003 Karate Monkey I had set up single speed with drop bars and this became my de facto 'gravel bike'. Again- there weren't any 'gravel specific' bicycles or components at this point. We were borrowing what worked, and for many of us, the new 29" platform was making the most sense. It had a wheel size based on road bikes, and the momentum and stability of 29"ers was prized in gravel riding. 

It bears repeating here that the fact was that the DK200 guys, Jim Cummings and Joel Dyke, had researched and borrowed ideas and inspiration from Trans Iowa and that also comes into play with gravel ideas I had. I've told about how their event inspired later Trans Iowas, but it also inspired the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational. It did this in a couple of ways.

Firstly, when the DK200 was announced, I felt compelled to support it by attending and riding in it. This was because 'gravel cycling' was pretty much the DK200 and Trans Iowa. That was it. Note- There were other events "on gravel" but they typically did not bill themselves as "gravel events", as did the DK200 and T.I. The Colesburg race, which was going on then for an example, was billed as a "tune-up race" for the Chequamegon 40 MTB event. It wasn't until 2022 that they started calling that event the "oldest gravel grinder in the Mid-West". 

I was excited about what was happening with gravel events, and I know others were as well. The over-arching feeling I got back then was that this idea was so much fun - No governing bodies, rules that were minimal and easily understood. The do-it-yourself nature surrounding the entire thing. Pushing yourself beyond what you thought was possible. All of that. Event production, how you rode these events, and all the equipment choices were basically unknowns back in 2005-2006. 

I rode a single speed On One Inbred at the first DK200 (image above) and it wasn't the only single speed MTB 29"er at that event. Cyclo cross bikes were also a big deal back in the day, and you'd see a smattering of those as well. But enough about the equipment.....

The thing was that we all were very supportive of each other and wanted to see this take off. 

My '03 Karate Monkey circa 2006

Secondly, as far as how the DK inspired me, I was enamored of the longer, ultra-distance stuff and bigger rides appealed to me. It was my feeling at the time that longer events were preferable since I recalled how disappointed I had been with XC MTB events that cost a lot of money to enter and lasted maybe an hour- maybe and hour and a half. These longer "gravel grinders" were cost efficient for participants because you got an event which allowed you to ride as long as you wanted, and all day if you could. 

The 200 mile distance seemed a bit over the line for me as far as making things more on the "fun" side, so my thoughts were something a hundred plus, but maybe not more than 150-ish. That might be fun, and then that kind of worked its way into my thoughts for a "Death Ride" that I could do in the Summer on gravel. Since the DK200 was a big loop course, that worked its way into my ideas as well. In fact, the whole event idea for the GTDRI was loosely based around the DK200 profile, just not as long.

But then I got to thinking, "This needs to be a group ride." Not so much an "event", per se', as much as just a 'happening' that you could join in on, if you were so inclined. Plus, I didn't know what I was doing in terms of putting on events in 2006. I was all-new to this, and putting on another event, which I deemed necessary to further gravel grinding, wasn't so much in my wheel house. Besides, that "big-event" feel wasn't my bag anyway. So, I made it a group ride, no-drop, and kept things low-key.

My idea was 'to invite people' to my 'death ride' idea that I had been doing all along. Jeff Kerkove was privy to my spoken thoughts on the matter, since we worked together at the time. He encouraged me to take the idea to the public via a blog. Thus the "Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational" was born. Jeff actually set the blog up, and that's how the abbreviation came about for it, because a web address with the entire name would have been ridiculous. So "www.gtdri.blogspot.com" it was, and I was off and running toward putting this thing on in 2006. 

 Next: Announcing the idea, and putting it into effect.

Friday News And Views

Rendering of the Canyon pedal-car concept taken from the web.

 Canyon Unveils Concept Evolution Of HPC Vehicle:

The electrification of bicycles continues to evolve toward the end states that (maybe) are inevitable and Canyon recently unveiled a concept further pointing to this. Two wheeled vehicles with motors are going to shed the pedals in this evolution. Canyon, with this 'car-like' HPC, have also pointed out why things are going to go the total electric motor route. Car or motorcycle- this is where it will end up someday. 

The electric motor assisted pedal-car is essentially Canyon's answer to "what do riders need in four season climates, or demanding climates, to feel more comfortable using a HPC?" Well, apparently they need four wheels instead of two, for starters. But something Canyon said in their press release is telling:

"How do you bring total weather protection to an e-bike? This is the question our designers and engineers had to answer with the Future Mobility Concept. The solution is a totally-sealable passenger compartment surrounded by an innovative, panoramic capsule that strikes the perfect blend of form and function."

On one hand, you can't blame Canyon. European cities are far more compact, with smaller spaces for vehicles, than America. The electrification of bicycles is wildly popular there with units sold figures consistently breaking records year-to-year. Business is booming. Finding ways to encourage the extension of this wave of HPC popularity then only makes sense from a business standpoint. 

Rendering showing interior concept.

On the other hand, it seems silly to make a four wheeled, recumbent hybrid powered cycle (HPC) which is fully enclosed unless you ditch the exercise bit and go fully motorized. Why? Because motorcars have been a proven concept for well over a century and deal with things like humidity, for one, quite efficiently. Electric powered cars would handle such a challenge far better than having a sweat producing component of providing forward motion involved in the design. Imagine how fogged up the interior of this pedal-car gets on a cool, rainy day, for instance.  

Are there solutions to help overcome humidity and other concerns? Probably- yes. This is merely a concept, and as such, not a working, or even final prototype. Obviously it may never come to fruition. The obvious answer is 'just go to the end game' and make it a motorcar. Also, these vehicles already exist in many forms. They've been available on-line for years. Canyon just happens to be the first big bicycle company to hop in this space. 

Obvious comparisons to Cannondale's failed moto cross bike are not really good ones, but yeah.... The competition for this space- electric cars- is going to be intense and Canyon would be but an insect sized player on the field of behemoths. In my opinion, this never happens, but it is interesting to see Canyon's take on such a vehicle.  

HED Wheels Renames Gravel Wheel Line "Emporia":

The new HED wheels Emporia logo

In a surprise move yesterday, HED Wheels made it known that their "Eroica" line of gravel/back road wheels will now be renamed "Emporia", reflecting the heritage of gravel grinding in the U.S.A. and the influence that "The Event Formerly Known As Dirty Kanza" has had over this genre. Of course, Emporia, Kansas is the home of that now unnamed event. HED said in a press release that: "This change is being made out of respect to the international ride series “L’Eroica”." 

That ride series is focused upon an old school style, European racing bike heritage and while much of what L'Eroica does is off-pavement, it isn't the crushed rock style racing we have come to know in the U.S.A. "Emporia" does seem more fitting then. So, okay.......HED renamed their wheels, (and introduced a carbon rimmed one-  the Emporia GC3 Pro, a claimed 1395 gram wheel set with a 26mm internal rim dimension), but what about the event? Does HED using "Emporia" point to anything here? 

You've got to think that the city of Emporia knows about this deal HED Wheels is doing, right? And in asking about using that name, you'd have to think that there may have been a bit of communication with the DK event folks, right? Maybe, maybe not. I'm spit-ballin' here, but "The Emporia 200" does have a certain ring to it, no?  It is a name that would fit the event and benefit the town, certainly, and it sounds like a race name. It isn't goofy, like "Mid-South", (sorry folks, I am not a fan), and it seems that it shouldn't offend many folks. (There ALWAYS will be someone offended, right? ) 

Check out what else HED said in the presser: 
"In our opinion, no one has done more to promote gravel riding and adventure culture than the people and city of Emporia, KS. From the creation of gravel racing’s most well-known events to introducing many of us to the beauty of the Flint Hills, Emporia has left its mark on American cycling and we’re excited to celebrate the city through the new name of our gravel line."

Anyway, that name for the event seems logical to me. I know......I'm a crazy person. Never mind.  

 

From a recent Instagram story

LeMond Bikes To Restart Again(?): 

The troubled tale of LeMond Bikes has been a tale of strange accusations, lawsuits, and stop-and-go production since Greg LeMond was still racing back in the late 80's/early 90's. Now it would appear that bicycles bearing the three time Tour de France champ's name will be available again.  

Wednesday, on social media accounts belonging to LeMond, it was teased that the brand would be offering bicycles again soon. And it was stated that they may not be the types of bicycles one would expect from LeMond. Of course, that is the sort of cagey vaguery one might expect to raise expectations. However; if recent posts on social media are clues, (and one would suspect that they should be), then we might make a couple of guesses here. 

Greg showed up at the Chequamegon Fat Tire 40 one year and won on a mountain bike. This has been brought up again recently and why? Also, a Greg LeMond liveried cyclo cross bike has appeared on social media as well. Finally, during the surfacing of LeMond bicycles in 2013, it was hinted at that gravel bikes were on their radar. Seven years later and one might say that this gravel bike idea would be a good one to pursue. 

Obviously, road racing bikes have to be in the mix. I mean, this is Greg LeMond we are speaking of here, right? But when they say, "bicycles you might not expect from Greg LeMond", mountain bikes, cyclo cross bikes, and gravel rigs might be a few items that make the cut. Heck, I recall the Poprad, a very popular bike in the early gravel scene, and obviously this would be a cyclo cross bike offering, but you know LeMond is looking around and seeing all this gravel bike stuff. I'd be really surprised if they didn't offer something for gravel. 

Maybe even electrified bicycles as well. That's the other big mover in the industry now. Ya gotta think something with an electric motor is also on their radar. 

Anyway, I'm keeping my eyes on this. LeMond has always had a penchant for a slightly different take on things which may be a facet of the newest edition of LeMond bikes. Let's hope so. Another "me-too" offering is not what anyone wants to see from Greg LeMond.  

That's it for this week. Have a great weekend- It's Labor Day Weekend in the USA, so get out and ride!

Friday News And Views

Rendering of the Canyon pedal-car concept taken from the web.

 Canyon Unveils Concept Evolution Of HPC Vehicle:

The electrification of bicycles continues to evolve toward the end states that (maybe) are inevitable and Canyon recently unveiled a concept further pointing to this. Two wheeled vehicles with motors are going to shed the pedals in this evolution. Canyon, with this 'car-like' HPC, have also pointed out why things are going to go the total electric motor route. Car or motorcycle- this is where it will end up someday. 

The electric motor assisted pedal-car is essentially Canyon's answer to "what do riders need in four season climates, or demanding climates, to feel more comfortable using a HPC?" Well, apparently they need four wheels instead of two, for starters. But something Canyon said in their press release is telling:

"How do you bring total weather protection to an e-bike? This is the question our designers and engineers had to answer with the Future Mobility Concept. The solution is a totally-sealable passenger compartment surrounded by an innovative, panoramic capsule that strikes the perfect blend of form and function."

On one hand, you can't blame Canyon. European cities are far more compact, with smaller spaces for vehicles, than America. The electrification of bicycles is wildly popular there with units sold figures consistently breaking records year-to-year. Business is booming. Finding ways to encourage the extension of this wave of HPC popularity then only makes sense from a business standpoint. 

Rendering showing interior concept.

On the other hand, it seems silly to make a four wheeled, recumbent hybrid powered cycle (HPC) which is fully enclosed unless you ditch the exercise bit and go fully motorized. Why? Because motorcars have been a proven concept for well over a century and deal with things like humidity, for one, quite efficiently. Electric powered cars would handle such a challenge far better than having a sweat producing component of providing forward motion involved in the design. Imagine how fogged up the interior of this pedal-car gets on a cool, rainy day, for instance.  

Are there solutions to help overcome humidity and other concerns? Probably- yes. This is merely a concept, and as such, not a working, or even final prototype. Obviously it may never come to fruition. The obvious answer is 'just go to the end game' and make it a motorcar. Also, these vehicles already exist in many forms. They've been available on-line for years. Canyon just happens to be the first big bicycle company to hop in this space. 

Obvious comparisons to Cannondale's failed moto cross bike are not really good ones, but yeah.... The competition for this space- electric cars- is going to be intense and Canyon would be but an insect sized player on the field of behemoths. In my opinion, this never happens, but it is interesting to see Canyon's take on such a vehicle.  

HED Wheels Renames Gravel Wheel Line "Emporia":

The new HED wheels Emporia logo

In a surprise move yesterday, HED Wheels made it known that their "Eroica" line of gravel/back road wheels will now be renamed "Emporia", reflecting the heritage of gravel grinding in the U.S.A. and the influence that "The Event Formerly Known As Dirty Kanza" has had over this genre. Of course, Emporia, Kansas is the home of that now unnamed event. HED said in a press release that: "This change is being made out of respect to the international ride series “L’Eroica”." 

That ride series is focused upon an old school style, European racing bike heritage and while much of what L'Eroica does is off-pavement, it isn't the crushed rock style racing we have come to know in the U.S.A. "Emporia" does seem more fitting then. So, okay.......HED renamed their wheels, (and introduced a carbon rimmed one-  the Emporia GC3 Pro, a claimed 1395 gram wheel set with a 26mm internal rim dimension), but what about the event? Does HED using "Emporia" point to anything here? 

You've got to think that the city of Emporia knows about this deal HED Wheels is doing, right? And in asking about using that name, you'd have to think that there may have been a bit of communication with the DK event folks, right? Maybe, maybe not. I'm spit-ballin' here, but "The Emporia 200" does have a certain ring to it, no?  It is a name that would fit the event and benefit the town, certainly, and it sounds like a race name. It isn't goofy, like "Mid-South", (sorry folks, I am not a fan), and it seems that it shouldn't offend many folks. (There ALWAYS will be someone offended, right? ) 

Check out what else HED said in the presser: 
"In our opinion, no one has done more to promote gravel riding and adventure culture than the people and city of Emporia, KS. From the creation of gravel racing’s most well-known events to introducing many of us to the beauty of the Flint Hills, Emporia has left its mark on American cycling and we’re excited to celebrate the city through the new name of our gravel line."

Anyway, that name for the event seems logical to me. I know......I'm a crazy person. Never mind.  

 

From a recent Instagram story

LeMond Bikes To Restart Again(?): 

The troubled tale of LeMond Bikes has been a tale of strange accusations, lawsuits, and stop-and-go production since Greg LeMond was still racing back in the late 80's/early 90's. Now it would appear that bicycles bearing the three time Tour de France champ's name will be available again.  

Wednesday, on social media accounts belonging to LeMond, it was teased that the brand would be offering bicycles again soon. And it was stated that they may not be the types of bicycles one would expect from LeMond. Of course, that is the sort of cagey vaguery one might expect to raise expectations. However; if recent posts on social media are clues, (and one would suspect that they should be), then we might make a couple of guesses here. 

Greg showed up at the Chequamegon Fat Tire 40 one year and won on a mountain bike. This has been brought up again recently and why? Also, a Greg LeMond liveried cyclo cross bike has appeared on social media as well. Finally, during the surfacing of LeMond bicycles in 2013, it was hinted at that gravel bikes were on their radar. Seven years later and one might say that this gravel bike idea would be a good one to pursue. 

Obviously, road racing bikes have to be in the mix. I mean, this is Greg LeMond we are speaking of here, right? But when they say, "bicycles you might not expect from Greg LeMond", mountain bikes, cyclo cross bikes, and gravel rigs might be a few items that make the cut. Heck, I recall the Poprad, a very popular bike in the early gravel scene, and obviously this would be a cyclo cross bike offering, but you know LeMond is looking around and seeing all this gravel bike stuff. I'd be really surprised if they didn't offer something for gravel. 

Maybe even electrified bicycles as well. That's the other big mover in the industry now. Ya gotta think something with an electric motor is also on their radar. 

Anyway, I'm keeping my eyes on this. LeMond has always had a penchant for a slightly different take on things which may be a facet of the newest edition of LeMond bikes. Let's hope so. Another "me-too" offering is not what anyone wants to see from Greg LeMond.  

That's it for this week. Have a great weekend- It's Labor Day Weekend in the USA, so get out and ride!

Friday News And Views

 

Campagnolo Files Patent For 13spd:

It was revealed on Wednesday that in an online article by "Cyclingtips" that Campagnolo has filed for patents on a 13 speed cassette. Rumors have been flying since June when Shimano released a new Shamal wheel set that is featuring a new free hub body which is backward compatible with SRAM XDR, Shimano MicroSpline, and current and older Campy free hub bodies. Wording in the documents lead one to believe that a rumored gravel group set with 13 speeds dubbed "Ekar" is all but a formality now. 

Pricing and finer details are obviously unknowns as of now as is whether or not this will be a 1X group set. Commenters on the article I looked at seem to think that it will be 1X and that it will be priced between Record and Chorus. 

Others claim it will also have a 2X option as well. Obviously, derailleurs would necessarily need to be new and shifters as well. The wheels already out show how the patent filings on the cassette would integrate. The free hub body is shortened to allow for the planned 10 and 9 tooth cogs on these cassettes to overhang outboard of the free hub body. 

Comments: Companies keep trying to reach a wider range of gearing without using triple crank sets, which seems........really dumb. This tells me that modernized electronic and mechanical patents on front derailleurs must be tied up by Shimano, not allowing for development of modern triples. Either that or we are in a phase of design which almost completely ignores the efficiencies of straighter chain lines. 

Think I'm way off? SRAM had a wacky 'morphing-sized' chain ring idea that they filed patents for several years back, which to my mind was also an end-around to bypass Shimano's stranglehold on patents for front derailleurs. Shimano has also deleted triples from their higher end groups, yes, but at some point I think this 1X madness ends and close ratio cassettes with multiple front ring crank sets becomes a thing again- at least for adventure bikes- which tend to not have the complexities of full suspension mountain bikes. 

Ritchey Design Debuts The Beacon Bar:

The flared drop bar market has gone bonkers. Fifteen years ago there weren't any to be had besides the pioneering "Midge Bar" from On One. Then it took almost ten years to get a halfway decent selection going. Now, within the last five years, the flared drop bar market has so many choices, it is nigh unto impossible to turn around in a bike shop and not get snagged in the shorts by one of these hooked rascals. 

Also, as you longtime readers know, I have been a fan of the long-gone-but-not-fogotten Luxy Bar. The bar with the radical sweep in the extensions and plenty of flare all mated to a minimal drop. Well, no one has ever really made a decent Luxy clone, but now we have something close. The Beacon Bar from Ritchey Design. 

This bar, as I say, comes close, but it lacks the straight, 1 1/8th" diameter tops which are integral to theLuxy's design. The Beacon Bar, (why do I see this as 'Bacon Bar'?), has swept back tops, which, I suppose, is fine, but the outer diameter tapers from the center portion, and does not remain a constant diameter to the ramps. It also lacks the outrageous sweep in the extensions which is something I like about the Luxy. 

NOTE: Confused about drop bar terminology? See this post. 

The Bacon.....er, excuse me- The Beacon Bar, has the great minimalist drop and backward length on the extensions though, and the curve, or radius, of the drops is pretty spot-on, from my view anyway. A hundy gets you some. Sounds like a winner to me. 

DK and Kaw Nation Part Ways: 

The seemingly never-ending saga which is the end of the Dirty Kanza name had, what is hoped to become, its final chapter written this past week. In an email sent out by the (now temporarily named "DK") event promotions team, it was revealed that there was yet another meeting between the four current event promoters and members of the Kaw Nation's Tribal Council. The meeting resulted in the parting of ways between the two entities with the Kaw nation saying in a statement that, "We respectfully asked that the name be changed to dissolve the connection to our people, the Kanza.

Furthermore, the promotions team said that through reaching out to various riders, brands, the businesses and government of Emporia, and others that they are "very close" to re-branding the event. Apparently an icon and a color palette have already been approved.  

The team tasked with the rebrand has stated that it is very difficult to reconcile the past history and equity built up with the old name and event with whatever they come up with. I would say that I would agree. And furthermore; I might advise them to not even try. Why not?

Easy- The cultural quagmire, which is still being stirred up by certain self-imposed 'influencers' will not let this go away. That said, it will be a lot easier to make a new, fresh start and not have any ties backward to what the old event was. Does this mean changing the format? Maybe. In terms of inclusion and equity, they probably have to do that. More importantly, in my opinion, is that whatever this becomes, it closes the door on the old history and never really does anything- good, bad, or in denial of it - for the future. Apologize to the Kaw Nation? Probably not a bad idea. 

But like I said a week or so back- this is a brand new event. Or, at least, it should be. This is an event, with its new owner and new promotions team, which is trying to save the economic impacts and demand it had from riders. That's definitely understandable- but it should not ever be connected to the "Dirty Kanza 200" in a way that is directly comparable in the future, just because that is an open invitation for the wound to never be healed, in my view. 

Can it ever be the impactful, iconic event it became under Jim Cummings? Maybe. Give it time. I don't think it is wise to try to make it so immediately, or to think it will happen soon. COVID-19 may still have some say in this as well. But that said, done right this could be bigger and better. Time will tell.........

That's it for this week folks. Summer is on the run! get out and enjoy it while you can!