If I Had The Controls....

My old 2007 El Mariachi

Sometimes it is fun to play "What If?" when it comes to how things played out. One of the events in cycling design and branding that has always haunted me is, "Why did Trek kill off the Gary Fisher Brand?" That one has always baffled me. But there are other stories as well that have me thinking "what if" from time to time. 

Recently I was reminded of the old Salsa El Mariachi model hard tail 29"er bike. For anyone that doesn't remember, (I have to keep reminding myself that many of you don't catalog memories, or are not old enough to know things that I have stuffed into my brain closet), the Salsa El Mariachi was Salsa Cycles take on a 29" wheeled mountain bike. Not the first model that Salsa ever made with big wheels. That would be the Dos Niner in 2005. No, the El Mar, as we lovingly called it, was the steel hardtail, "do it all" 29"er hard tail bike meant to be tweaked into whatever it was you thought a 29"er should be. Suspension fork? Get one and throw it on. Single speed? The El Mar, well the original one, anyway, had an eccentric bottom bracket, so you could do that. Bike pack? Yes! Gravel bike? Yes! It was a super-versatile, really nice riding steel hard tail. 

Times changed. The El Mariachi spawned the Fargo, (Yes, in part it did), and then full suspension, slacker this, steeper that, and whatnot came into vogue. Salsa Cycles trimmed out the El Mariachi to be a single speed that could be geared, and sales plummeted. The geometry stayed stale, and finally it was time to upgrade the model. Only they didn't. They introduced the Timberjack. That's an okay bike, but what about a modernized El Mar? Many, well......maybe just me, thought that there was a place for a versatile, steel, 29"er MTB that could do anything. Why did the El Mariachi idea go away?

The Panorama Taiga. (Image courtesy of Panorama)

So, I saw a review for a bicycle recently called the Panorama Taiga which sparked my memories concerning my old El Mariachi. This bicycle was lauded as a great 'all-around' MTB by a reviewer, and so I'll take his word for that. But after looking at the geometry table and at the feature set this bike has, well, it's hard for me to not think about what could have been.

I always thought Salsa should have just updated the El Mariachi. Keep it steel. but allow a tapered steer tube fork. Modernize the geometry, but don't go overboard with that. Add on some Three-Pack bosses on a rigid fork option, or sell it with suspension. Keep the single speed option, but use the Alternator Drop Outs. Allow for big, fat 29"er tires on wider rims. If they only would have done that....

And since they haven't, we get bikes like Tumbleweed Prospectors and this Panorama Taiga. Remember when I mentioned that the El Mar spawned the Fargo? Well, even Panorama has a Taiga EXT which is a drop bar version of this idea. Take away something that was popular, modernize it, and sell it from another company. It could have been Salsa Cycles, but........maybe only if I had the controls! Maybe no one else would have bought this idea and if you look at this Panorama Taiga, check out that price. Oof! Yeah...... You're not going to sell many of those whether or not it is a Salsa.

But if I had a hankering for a mountain bike, this is probably what I would get, or something very similar to it.

If I Had The Controls....

My old 2007 El Mariachi

Sometimes it is fun to play "What If?" when it comes to how things played out. One of the events in cycling design and branding that has always haunted me is, "Why did Trek kill off the Gary Fisher Brand?" That one has always baffled me. But there are other stories as well that have me thinking "what if" from time to time. 

Recently I was reminded of the old Salsa El Mariachi model hard tail 29"er bike. For anyone that doesn't remember, (I have to keep reminding myself that many of you don't catalog memories, or are not old enough to know things that I have stuffed into my brain closet), the Salsa El Mariachi was Salsa Cycles take on a 29" wheeled mountain bike. Not the first model that Salsa ever made with big wheels. That would be the Dos Niner in 2005. No, the El Mar, as we lovingly called it, was the steel hardtail, "do it all" 29"er hard tail bike meant to be tweaked into whatever it was you thought a 29"er should be. Suspension fork? Get one and throw it on. Single speed? The El Mar, well the original one, anyway, had an eccentric bottom bracket, so you could do that. Bike pack? Yes! Gravel bike? Yes! It was a super-versatile, really nice riding steel hard tail. 

Times changed. The El Mariachi spawned the Fargo, (Yes, in part it did), and then full suspension, slacker this, steeper that, and whatnot came into vogue. Salsa Cycles trimmed out the El Mariachi to be a single speed that could be geared, and sales plummeted. The geometry stayed stale, and finally it was time to upgrade the model. Only they didn't. They introduced the Timberjack. That's an okay bike, but what about a modernized El Mar? Many, well......maybe just me, thought that there was a place for a versatile, steel, 29"er MTB that could do anything. Why did the El Mariachi idea go away?

The Panorama Taiga. (Image courtesy of Panorama)

So, I saw a review for a bicycle recently called the Panorama Taiga which sparked my memories concerning my old El Mariachi. This bicycle was lauded as a great 'all-around' MTB by a reviewer, and so I'll take his word for that. But after looking at the geometry table and at the feature set this bike has, well, it's hard for me to not think about what could have been.

I always thought Salsa should have just updated the El Mariachi. Keep it steel. but allow a tapered steer tube fork. Modernize the geometry, but don't go overboard with that. Add on some Three-Pack bosses on a rigid fork option, or sell it with suspension. Keep the single speed option, but use the Alternator Drop Outs. Allow for big, fat 29"er tires on wider rims. If they only would have done that....

And since they haven't, we get bikes like Tumbleweed Prospectors and this Panorama Taiga. Remember when I mentioned that the El Mar spawned the Fargo? Well, even Panorama has a Taiga EXT which is a drop bar version of this idea. Take away something that was popular, modernize it, and sell it from another company. It could have been Salsa Cycles, but........maybe only if I had the controls! Maybe no one else would have bought this idea and if you look at this Panorama Taiga, check out that price. Oof! Yeah...... You're not going to sell many of those whether or not it is a Salsa.

But if I had a hankering for a mountain bike, this is probably what I would get, or something very similar to it.

Review Of Parts Past: Gun Kote (Cerakote)

 Today we are going to take a look at something you cannot get anymore. (Note: Well- actually, in this case, you can. You can still get Gun Kote, but there is a new coating called Cerakote which is what this post will refer to)  Parts and pieces that graced our rides in days past that were noted for some special characteristic, either good or bad, will be featured in this recurring theme from time to time here. I call it "Review Of Parts Past".

In this particular post the theme won't be about a part, but a frame and parts treatment called Gun Kote and a new treatment which s called Cerakote.  

My old 2007 Salsa Cycles El Mariachi in a "Gun Kote" finish. (Image courtesy of Ben's Cycles of Milwaukee.)

There is a bit of a buzz going round these days concerning a new treatment for parts and frames on bicycles called "Cerakote". You may have seen that SILCA is using this on water bottle cages and tools, for instance. But this story in "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News"is what caught my eye. Apparently, there is an effort to diversify uses for Cerakote by the company that provides it to manufacturers. 

After reading about Cerakote, it became quite obvious to me that this was very similar to a surface treatment I had tested back in 2009 on an old Salsa Cycles El Mariachi frame set I once owned. Back in those days the newest 'gun' related treatment was called "Gun Kote".  Now the new kid on the block is "Cerakote". Gun Kote and Cerakote are doing similar jobs with a bit different chemical make-up. That said, I thought a review of it might come in handy for anyone who is seeing Cerakote for the first time. 

Gun Kote/Cerakote is so thin that you can see the tooling marks in this EBB of my old frame.

These coatings are not paint. They are a coating which have the benefits of being very tough, long-lasting, and they can be applied so thinly that you can actually realize a weight savings over a wet-painted frame or a powder coated frame. These coatings are also fairly impervious to heat, are flexible so they don't chip or crack due to flexing, and they can be had in several colors. 

Downsides are that- currently- Gun Kote is best applied to metal surfaces since it has to be cured at a high temperature which carbon fiber would be ruined by. Cerakote is a little more forgiving, but it still hasn't been widely used on carbon fiber. Although experimentation with a different curing process for carbon is showing a little promise.

So, why isn't Cerakote or Gun Kote on all aluminum, steel, and titanium frames now? That's a great question. I've lived with, and I've seen the long-term results of Gun Kote performance. My old El Mariachi was sold to a local rider, and I've seen it as recently as a couple of years ago in a shop where I used to work, so I've kept up on how this finish holds up after a dozen years of riding.

First of all, the "showroom appeal" of this finish isn't nearly as nice as wet paint or powder coating. Cerakote and Gun Kote looks dull and dead in comparison to the more flashy, sparkly finishes you see on bicycles today. This would line up with what one builder of bikes said in the "BRaIN" article regarding how they liked the matte finishes over the gloss in Cerakote. 

Color choices are also fairly slim in comparison as well, so what you can get is limited. The frame I got was supposedly "Purple" and in intense light, you see that, but I would liken that El Mariachi color to "eggplant" more in normal lighting. It looked like a powder coated finish that had lost its sheen when this Gun Kote was fresh. So, the appeal on new bikes would be far less than with the finishes used typically. And I'm pretty sure you cannot get metallic finishes in Cerakote, further limiting its appeal and this contributes to its 'flat' look.

The Gun Kote finished El Mariachi in natural light.

So, let's say you don't mind the muted tones of Cerakote and you are still thinking that this might be a rad finish for your metal framed bike. Well, there are a few concerns to keep in mind. One being that this coating is super-thin, so it can be worn through more easily than a thicker powder coated finish can be. I'd be concerned maybe if I were riding with strapped on bags a lot, for instance.

Also, I wouldn't look at this myself for a gravel bike. The constant biffing of smaller stones and larger rocks would maybe take the Cerakote right off the lower portion of a down tube, the back of a seat tube, and on the chain stays in fairly short order. I had this happen with the Gun Kote-ed El Mariachi. The back of the seat tube on that bike is peppered with tiny pockmarks where sand knocked off the coating and allowed bare steel to show. Now, the frame, being ChroMoly tubed, doesn't rust as badly as you'd expect, and it is hard to notice these imperfections with this "eggplant' color, but on a lighter color it would show up badly. 

As I've said, I've seen this bike off and on since I sold it, and the Gun Kote is a bit duller than when new, which I would completely expect, but since it started off being "not very shiny", it looks pretty dull. Add in the fact that there is no "depth" to the color of this finish, no metallic sparkle, and no sheen, you have to have a certain taste and affection for muted tones to get on with it. Cerakote looks similar in the examples I have seen online. So, the similarities to Gun Kote would make Cerakote appear to be another muted choice in gloss.  Or maybe go with a matte Cerakote finish then.

Conclusions: Cerakote is a pretty cool option for metal, and maybe carbon, but it doesn't hold a candle to wet paint or powder coated finishes when it comes to "eye appeal". Yes- it has attractive physical properties- light weight, resistance to cracking, rust prevention (If it doesn't get rubbed or nicked off)- but the looks are where it is at for many of us. IF you can get by the aesthetics of Cerakote, or if you don't mind a mate finish, then it cold be a great finish for you.

NOTE: See The Standard Disclaimer Page to better understand my relationship and reasons for having been able to use Gun Kote.

Review Of Parts Past: Gun Kote (Cerakote)

 Today we are going to take a look at something you cannot get anymore. (Note: Well- actually, in this case, you can. You can still get Gun Kote, but there is a new coating called Cerakote which is what this post will refer to)  Parts and pieces that graced our rides in days past that were noted for some special characteristic, either good or bad, will be featured in this recurring theme from time to time here. I call it "Review Of Parts Past".

In this particular post the theme won't be about a part, but a frame and parts treatment called Gun Kote and a new treatment which s called Cerakote.  

My old 2007 Salsa Cycles El Mariachi in a "Gun Kote" finish. (Image courtesy of Ben's Cycles of Milwaukee.)

There is a bit of a buzz going round these days concerning a new treatment for parts and frames on bicycles called "Cerakote". You may have seen that SILCA is using this on water bottle cages and tools, for instance. But this story in "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News"is what caught my eye. Apparently, there is an effort to diversify uses for Cerakote by the company that provides it to manufacturers. 

After reading about Cerakote, it became quite obvious to me that this was very similar to a surface treatment I had tested back in 2009 on an old Salsa Cycles El Mariachi frame set I once owned. Back in those days the newest 'gun' related treatment was called "Gun Kote".  Now the new kid on the block is "Cerakote". Gun Kote and Cerakote are doing similar jobs with a bit different chemical make-up. That said, I thought a review of it might come in handy for anyone who is seeing Cerakote for the first time. 

Gun Kote/Cerakote is so thin that you can see the tooling marks in this EBB of my old frame.

These coatings are not paint. They are a coating which have the benefits of being very tough, long-lasting, and they can be applied so thinly that you can actually realize a weight savings over a wet-painted frame or a powder coated frame. These coatings are also fairly impervious to heat, are flexible so they don't chip or crack due to flexing, and they can be had in several colors. 

Downsides are that- currently- Gun Kote is best applied to metal surfaces since it has to be cured at a high temperature which carbon fiber would be ruined by. Cerakote is a little more forgiving, but it still hasn't been widely used on carbon fiber. Although experimentation with a different curing process for carbon is showing a little promise.

So, why isn't Cerakote or Gun Kote on all aluminum, steel, and titanium frames now? That's a great question. I've lived with, and I've seen the long-term results of Gun Kote performance. My old El Mariachi was sold to a local rider, and I've seen it as recently as a couple of years ago in a shop where I used to work, so I've kept up on how this finish holds up after a dozen years of riding.

First of all, the "showroom appeal" of this finish isn't nearly as nice as wet paint or powder coating. Cerakote and Gun Kote looks dull and dead in comparison to the more flashy, sparkly finishes you see on bicycles today. This would line up with what one builder of bikes said in the "BRaIN" article regarding how they liked the matte finishes over the gloss in Cerakote. 

Color choices are also fairly slim in comparison as well, so what you can get is limited. The frame I got was supposedly "Purple" and in intense light, you see that, but I would liken that El Mariachi color to "eggplant" more in normal lighting. It looked like a powder coated finish that had lost its sheen when this Gun Kote was fresh. So, the appeal on new bikes would be far less than with the finishes used typically. And I'm pretty sure you cannot get metallic finishes in Cerakote, further limiting its appeal and this contributes to its 'flat' look.

The Gun Kote finished El Mariachi in natural light.

So, let's say you don't mind the muted tones of Cerakote and you are still thinking that this might be a rad finish for your metal framed bike. Well, there are a few concerns to keep in mind. One being that this coating is super-thin, so it can be worn through more easily than a thicker powder coated finish can be. I'd be concerned maybe if I were riding with strapped on bags a lot, for instance.

Also, I wouldn't look at this myself for a gravel bike. The constant biffing of smaller stones and larger rocks would maybe take the Cerakote right off the lower portion of a down tube, the back of a seat tube, and on the chain stays in fairly short order. I had this happen with the Gun Kote-ed El Mariachi. The back of the seat tube on that bike is peppered with tiny pockmarks where sand knocked off the coating and allowed bare steel to show. Now, the frame, being ChroMoly tubed, doesn't rust as badly as you'd expect, and it is hard to notice these imperfections with this "eggplant' color, but on a lighter color it would show up badly. 

As I've said, I've seen this bike off and on since I sold it, and the Gun Kote is a bit duller than when new, which I would completely expect, but since it started off being "not very shiny", it looks pretty dull. Add in the fact that there is no "depth" to the color of this finish, no metallic sparkle, and no sheen, you have to have a certain taste and affection for muted tones to get on with it. Cerakote looks similar in the examples I have seen online. So, the similarities to Gun Kote would make Cerakote appear to be another muted choice in gloss.  Or maybe go with a matte Cerakote finish then.

Conclusions: Cerakote is a pretty cool option for metal, and maybe carbon, but it doesn't hold a candle to wet paint or powder coated finishes when it comes to "eye appeal". Yes- it has attractive physical properties- light weight, resistance to cracking, rust prevention (If it doesn't get rubbed or nicked off)- but the looks are where it is at for many of us. IF you can get by the aesthetics of Cerakote, or if you don't mind a mate finish, then it cold be a great finish for you.

NOTE: See The Standard Disclaimer Page to better understand my relationship and reasons for having been able to use Gun Kote.

Minus Ten Review 2009-47

One of the most unusual registration gifts I ever received- shark's teeth.

Ten years ago here on the blog the entire week was all about Trans Iowa v6 registration madness. Back in those days T.I. registration was something all the people at the shop I work at used to look forward to. Even our mailman was excited when Trans Iowa registration time came around.

It was exciting for me as well. The Trans Iowa riders were so creative and thoughtful, it was just nuts. It really was a very special time in the event's history. I looked forward to coming into the shop each day to see what would be showing up.

I got whiskey, pizza, a bag of chips, and cigars that year, but the oddest thing I got, and maybe the most unusual Trans Iowa gift I ever received, was a bag of shark's teeth. I didn't quite know what to make of it, and I wish I still had them. I have no idea where they ended up, but they were a curious gift for sure.

Registration ended that weekend with the roster full at 75 people. Of course, that would dwindle down as the weeks and months went on toward the event, which for 2010 was scheduled back on the last weekend in April instead of the first weekend of May, as T.I.v5 had been held. That was because I did not plan on going to Sea Otter, and in fact, I haven't been back there since that year.

There also was a ride that I did ten years ago with A-Lo, a former co-worker of mine, and David Pals, my co-director in Trans Iowa at that point. It was a fun day out on the bike, and an unusually warm day with temperatures in the 50's. I chose to ride my old steel El Mariachi which was geared far too low for gravel travel, and I spun my legs out like crazy on that three hour ride. Good times!

Minus Ten Review 2009-47

One of the most unusual registration gifts I ever received- shark's teeth.

Ten years ago here on the blog the entire week was all about Trans Iowa v6 registration madness. Back in those days T.I. registration was something all the people at the shop I work at used to look forward to. Even our mailman was excited when Trans Iowa registration time came around.

It was exciting for me as well. The Trans Iowa riders were so creative and thoughtful, it was just nuts. It really was a very special time in the event's history. I looked forward to coming into the shop each day to see what would be showing up.

I got whiskey, pizza, a bag of chips, and cigars that year, but the oddest thing I got, and maybe the most unusual Trans Iowa gift I ever received, was a bag of shark's teeth. I didn't quite know what to make of it, and I wish I still had them. I have no idea where they ended up, but they were a curious gift for sure.

Registration ended that weekend with the roster full at 75 people. Of course, that would dwindle down as the weeks and months went on toward the event, which for 2010 was scheduled back on the last weekend in April instead of the first weekend of May, as T.I.v5 had been held. That was because I did not plan on going to Sea Otter, and in fact, I haven't been back there since that year.

There also was a ride that I did ten years ago with A-Lo, a former co-worker of mine, and David Pals, my co-director in Trans Iowa at that point. It was a fun day out on the bike, and an unusually warm day with temperatures in the 50's. I chose to ride my old steel El Mariachi which was geared far too low for gravel travel, and I spun my legs out like crazy on that three hour ride. Good times!

Minus Ten Review 2009-45

Doing the recon in the "new to me" rig at the time.

Ten years ago on the blog I kind of "soft-launched" the news that I had a different vehicle. The old "Dirty Blue Box", 1990 Honda Civic 4 door hatchback wagon died during the Summer of 2009. I finally replaced it with a 2003 Toyota Tundra. This became the "recon vehicle" for the remainder of the Trans Iowa events and to this day it is my vehicle.

I've been fortunate to have had this truck, and I have had some pretty crazy times in that truck, some of which will be covered in my "Trans Iowa Stories" series. Stay tuned for that in the future.

The other thing I was chatting about, and probably one of the most surprising things that ever happened to me, was when I got a surprise gift from George Wissel from Vermont. He ran a bike shop at the time and somehow he had gotten the last few purple anodized 1 1/8th head sets from Chris King. I remember saying something about that on the blog here. Well, good ol' George packed one up, put in some cool t-shirts and stickers, and sent the box off to me at unawares. Boy! Was that ever a cool gift.

That head set went straight on the Salsa Cycles El Mariachi I spoke of last week which was Gun Koted a kind of purple-egg plant type of color. Then I took it out in 2012 when I got the original Ti Muk and it has been in that bike since until I sold the head set and bike earlier this year.

Of course, since 2009 Chris King made purple ano stuff again. So, the head set wasn't all that odd by 2011. But the thought George had to send this present to me was not ever forgotten. Way too kind!

Minus Ten Review 2009-45

Doing the recon in the "new to me" rig at the time.

Ten years ago on the blog I kind of "soft-launched" the news that I had a different vehicle. The old "Dirty Blue Box", 1990 Honda Civic 4 door hatchback wagon died during the Summer of 2009. I finally replaced it with a 2003 Toyota Tundra. This became the "recon vehicle" for the remainder of the Trans Iowa events and to this day it is my vehicle.

I've been fortunate to have had this truck, and I have had some pretty crazy times in that truck, some of which will be covered in my "Trans Iowa Stories" series. Stay tuned for that in the future.

The other thing I was chatting about, and probably one of the most surprising things that ever happened to me, was when I got a surprise gift from George Wissel from Vermont. He ran a bike shop at the time and somehow he had gotten the last few purple anodized 1 1/8th head sets from Chris King. I remember saying something about that on the blog here. Well, good ol' George packed one up, put in some cool t-shirts and stickers, and sent the box off to me at unawares. Boy! Was that ever a cool gift.

That head set went straight on the Salsa Cycles El Mariachi I spoke of last week which was Gun Koted a kind of purple-egg plant type of color. Then I took it out in 2012 when I got the original Ti Muk and it has been in that bike since until I sold the head set and bike earlier this year.

Of course, since 2009 Chris King made purple ano stuff again. So, the head set wasn't all that odd by 2011. But the thought George had to send this present to me was not ever forgotten. Way too kind!

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. 

News Season: Pre-Interbike Intros

Hayduke Lives: Esker Cycles Hayduke steel hardtail

Note: A bonus post detailing some interesting bits that are coming out around the time of the Interbike trade show, which happens this coming week in Reno, Nevada. I won't be there, but anything I find interesting, I'll post here if I think it warrants it. Thanks!

Hard tail mountain bikes were, arguably, brought back from the dead by the 29 inch wheel in the early 00's. Steel hard tails led the way back then, and with the advent of adventure cycling and "bikepacking", steel hard tails have reserved a special place in the hearts and minds of many off road cyclists, this one included. All my current off-road bikes are steel. Even a couple I don't even have up and running!

Salsa Cycles axed its venerable and long running El Mariachi model a few years ago now, and since then the crown for the best steel, mass produced hard tail 29"er has been passed around to a few companies. Niner Bikes came out with a revised SIR 9 a while back that most closely approximated what I felt was an "evolution" of the El Mariachi. Another contender for that was the Advocate Cycles Hayduke model. But then the company, and its bikes, sort of faded away. However; recently the folks behind Advocate have revised their business model, canned Advocate, and re-branded and launched a new company called "Esker Cycles". They brought the Hayduke over, albeit a new Hayduke with some new frame tubing and minor geometry tweaks.

Since this has the closest relationship, via one of the company's principals, to the old El Mar, I would say that the successor to the El Mar has to the Hayduke, a fully modern steel hard tail. A choice of two swappable rear drop out plates,  multi-wheel size and drive train capabilities, and a price for the frame, rear through axle, Wolf Tooth head set, and seat collar at $675.00 make this look pretty attractive. Completes will be offered starting at 2G. Pretty cool. Plus, it is supposed to be lighter and more responsive than the original Hayduke. See Esker's site linked above for more.

The new 45NRTH Ragnorok Boot

45NRTH Introduces Third Generation Transition Season Boot:

45NRTH is kind of a funny company when it comes to its naming conventions. Their tires are often named after obscure black metal bands or old Minneapolis area punk bands. Their boots get renamed every time they offer an evolution on the old design.

Yeah........so, think of this as the latest version of the Fasterkatt, only with several design changes and upgrades. The last model, which supplanted the Fasterkatt, was the Japanther. This, the Ragnorok, would be version three, if I am counting correctly.

Anyway...... The Ragnorok features a move to the BOA closure system and a rubberized, neoprene upper "sock"which has been redesigned as well. The silver edition, shown here at left, is fully reflective and will retail at $235.00. A non-reflective, black upper model is offered as well at $195.00. The soles, by the way, look like a dead ringer for my first edition Fasterkatt's, so apparently no changes were made there.

The shop where I work received a full size run of these boots and they look like a great boot. I still rock the original Fasterkatt boots and they have been rock solid for me as a way to ride in conditions which are wet and cold down to about 25 F, but much below that and my feet get chilled. These Ragnorok's are rated similarly, and I've no doubt they are actually better made and function better than my Fasterkatts do. Available at 45NRTH dealers now......

SKS Bluemels 65mm Fenders

SKS Offers New Blumels 65mm Fender Set:

SKS is a German based company best known for inflation devices and fenders. They make a full line of fenders which are well known in certain cycling circles.

Being introduced at Interbike this year, and available at dealers in November, is this new Bluemels 65mm fender suitable for 29"ers. SKS claims the front fender is 680mm long and the rear is 920mm long. MSRP is set at $74.99.

The only image I got was of what looks like a rear fender. You can make out some wide clearanced stays and what appears to be a rubber edge on the end of the fender itself. If this is indeed a rear fender, I would judge from the image that coverage is not all the way down the back, so perhaps this is meant more for mountain bike/off-road use.

But that said, it might be a handy design for bikes like Fargos and the lot which are used across a wide range of terrains and in varying conditions. I could see this being very useful for early season "sloppy" gravel rides or for those commutes where run-off from daytime melting is a concern during Winter.

SKS is also introducing a foot pump. I see another inflation device selling company is also doing a foot operated bicycle pump. Maybe this is a new thing for the near future. Ditch that old floor pump with a handle and tall profile that is so tippy! Use your feet instead! Ha! Well, to be fair, when I was a younginz, these types of foot operated pumps were still around. They were a relic even back then, but apparently the idea is being revived for 2019.

Stay tuned for more as I get things in...........

News Season: Pre-Interbike Intros

Hayduke Lives: Esker Cycles Hayduke steel hardtail

Note: A bonus post detailing some interesting bits that are coming out around the time of the Interbike trade show, which happens this coming week in Reno, Nevada. I won't be there, but anything I find interesting, I'll post here if I think it warrants it. Thanks!

Hard tail mountain bikes were, arguably, brought back from the dead by the 29 inch wheel in the early 00's. Steel hard tails led the way back then, and with the advent of adventure cycling and "bikepacking", steel hard tails have reserved a special place in the hearts and minds of many off road cyclists, this one included. All my current off-road bikes are steel. Even a couple I don't even have up and running!

Salsa Cycles axed its venerable and long running El Mariachi model a few years ago now, and since then the crown for the best steel, mass produced hard tail 29"er has been passed around to a few companies. Niner Bikes came out with a revised SIR 9 a while back that most closely approximated what I felt was an "evolution" of the El Mariachi. Another contender for that was the Advocate Cycles Hayduke model. But then the company, and its bikes, sort of faded away. However; recently the folks behind Advocate have revised their business model, canned Advocate, and re-branded and launched a new company called "Esker Cycles". They brought the Hayduke over, albeit a new Hayduke with some new frame tubing and minor geometry tweaks.

Since this has the closest relationship, via one of the company's principals, to the old El Mar, I would say that the successor to the El Mar has to the Hayduke, a fully modern steel hard tail. A choice of two swappable rear drop out plates,  multi-wheel size and drive train capabilities, and a price for the frame, rear through axle, Wolf Tooth head set, and seat collar at $675.00 make this look pretty attractive. Completes will be offered starting at 2G. Pretty cool. Plus, it is supposed to be lighter and more responsive than the original Hayduke. See Esker's site linked above for more.

The new 45NRTH Ragnorok Boot

45NRTH Introduces Third Generation Transition Season Boot:

45NRTH is kind of a funny company when it comes to its naming conventions. Their tires are often named after obscure black metal bands or old Minneapolis area punk bands. Their boots get renamed every time they offer an evolution on the old design.

Yeah........so, think of this as the latest version of the Fasterkatt, only with several design changes and upgrades. The last model, which supplanted the Fasterkatt, was the Japanther. This, the Ragnorok, would be version three, if I am counting correctly.

Anyway...... The Ragnorok features a move to the BOA closure system and a rubberized, neoprene upper "sock"which has been redesigned as well. The silver edition, shown here at left, is fully reflective and will retail at $235.00. A non-reflective, black upper model is offered as well at $195.00. The soles, by the way, look like a dead ringer for my first edition Fasterkatt's, so apparently no changes were made there.

The shop where I work received a full size run of these boots and they look like a great boot. I still rock the original Fasterkatt boots and they have been rock solid for me as a way to ride in conditions which are wet and cold down to about 25 F, but much below that and my feet get chilled. These Ragnorok's are rated similarly, and I've no doubt they are actually better made and function better than my Fasterkatts do. Available at 45NRTH dealers now......

SKS Bluemels 65mm Fenders

SKS Offers New Blumels 65mm Fender Set:

SKS is a German based company best known for inflation devices and fenders. They make a full line of fenders which are well known in certain cycling circles.

Being introduced at Interbike this year, and available at dealers in November, is this new Bluemels 65mm fender suitable for 29"ers. SKS claims the front fender is 680mm long and the rear is 920mm long. MSRP is set at $74.99.

The only image I got was of what looks like a rear fender. You can make out some wide clearanced stays and what appears to be a rubber edge on the end of the fender itself. If this is indeed a rear fender, I would judge from the image that coverage is not all the way down the back, so perhaps this is meant more for mountain bike/off-road use.

But that said, it might be a handy design for bikes like Fargos and the lot which are used across a wide range of terrains and in varying conditions. I could see this being very useful for early season "sloppy" gravel rides or for those commutes where run-off from daytime melting is a concern during Winter.

SKS is also introducing a foot pump. I see another inflation device selling company is also doing a foot operated bicycle pump. Maybe this is a new thing for the near future. Ditch that old floor pump with a handle and tall profile that is so tippy! Use your feet instead! Ha! Well, to be fair, when I was a younginz, these types of foot operated pumps were still around. They were a relic even back then, but apparently the idea is being revived for 2019.

Stay tuned for more as I get things in...........

Minus Ten Review -32

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Minus Ten Review -32

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Minus Ten Review -25

I got this old El Mariachi from a friend at the time. What a great bike that was!

Ten years ago on the blog here I was gabbing about all sorts of things. I got an old El Mariachi demo fleet bike from a then friend of mine. That was a great bike too. Then later in the week I was up in the Twin Cities for the media launch of the Salsa "Big Mama" full suspension bike. Remember that one? It was pretty rad at that time, but it quickly fell off the back as geometry, standards for frames, and more were quickly changing for 29"ers. For instance, the Big Mama had a head tube angle of 71°. Imagine a bike with that steep of a head angle today!

Then there was a move to ban bicycle group rides in Dallas County by way of making the requirements to have such a ride so burdensome that the ordinance would effectively wipe out any chance of organized rides happening in that county. Here's a snippet from back then:

On June 24th at 9:30 am the Dallas County Board of Supervisors will meet at the Adel City Hall, 301 S. 10th Street Adel, IA 50003, to discuss an ordinance that will require bicycle events to obtain $1 million insurance policies for bicycle events. This could effect rides as small as 10-20 people.

Fortunately that never happened!

Then a significant date in Trans Iowa history happened, which was a bicycle ride and blog post about it that had nothing at all to do with Trans Iowa. You can read that post HERE.  If you click that link you will read about the day that the second Big Wheeled Ballyhoo was to take place in Decorah, Iowa, but did not happen due to the raging flooding that affected Decorah and Iowa that year in general. 

How in the world is this tied to Trans Iowa? Well, after that blog post was published, I received an e-mail from a disgruntled, influential member of the Decorah cycling community who shall remain nameless here. Who it was doesn't matter today. The person in question was offended greatly that I had suggested certain things were the way I described them in my post. I had a back and forth e-mail conversation with the individual to settle our differences, but, this individual asked that I ".....not consider Decorah for any future cycling events." With the situation being what it was in 2008, and my initial plans for doing another Trans Iowa out of Decorah for 2009, I had to stop and reconsider those plans. I discussed the situation with my then co-director, David Pals, and we agreed that this was now not a welcome home for Trans Iowa. Such sway this person held over cycling matters in Decorah at that time would have made planning difficult at best. So we decided to move Trans Iowa's start for the second time in its history.  

That story will come up later this year....... 

Minus Ten Review -25

I got this old El Mariachi from a friend at the time. What a great bike that was!

Ten years ago on the blog here I was gabbing about all sorts of things. I got an old El Mariachi demo fleet bike from a then friend of mine. That was a great bike too. Then later in the week I was up in the Twin Cities for the media launch of the Salsa "Big Mama" full suspension bike. Remember that one? It was pretty rad at that time, but it quickly fell off the back as geometry, standards for frames, and more were quickly changing for 29"ers. For instance, the Big Mama had a head tube angle of 71°. Imagine a bike with that steep of a head angle today!

Then there was a move to ban bicycle group rides in Dallas County by way of making the requirements to have such a ride so burdensome that the ordinance would effectively wipe out any chance of organized rides happening in that county. Here's a snippet from back then:

On June 24th at 9:30 am the Dallas County Board of Supervisors will meet at the Adel City Hall, 301 S. 10th Street Adel, IA 50003, to discuss an ordinance that will require bicycle events to obtain $1 million insurance policies for bicycle events. This could effect rides as small as 10-20 people.

Fortunately that never happened!

Then a significant date in Trans Iowa history happened, which was a bicycle ride and blog post about it that had nothing at all to do with Trans Iowa. You can read that post HERE.  If you click that link you will read about the day that the second Big Wheeled Ballyhoo was to take place in Decorah, Iowa, but did not happen due to the raging flooding that affected Decorah and Iowa that year in general. 

How in the world is this tied to Trans Iowa? Well, after that blog post was published, I received an e-mail from a disgruntled, influential member of the Decorah cycling community who shall remain nameless here. Who it was doesn't matter today. The person in question was offended greatly that I had suggested certain things were the way I described them in my post. I had a back and forth e-mail conversation with the individual to settle our differences, but, this individual asked that I ".....not consider Decorah for any future cycling events." With the situation being what it was in 2008, and my initial plans for doing another Trans Iowa out of Decorah for 2009, I had to stop and reconsider those plans. I discussed the situation with my then co-director, David Pals, and we agreed that this was now not a welcome home for Trans Iowa. Such sway this person held over cycling matters in Decorah at that time would have made planning difficult at best. So we decided to move Trans Iowa's start for the second time in its history.  

That story will come up later this year....... 

Single Speed 50

The Pofahl at the meeting place.

Last week I got a text message from Martin. ".....Would you be interested in a 40-ish mile ride Saturday?" I definitely was interested, and to boot, Martin was proposing to ride a single speed. In fact, it was a bike I used to own, an '07 Salsa Cycles El Mariachi.

We discussed via text what times and about a route. Martin sketched out a loop Eastward toward Independence Iowa because the winds were forecast from the Southeast and at a forecast upper 30's temperature, we didn't want a lot of headwinds. I liked the idea, because I hadn't been out that way previously. Lots of new-to-me roads, so I was very much game to go. It was decided we would ride at 11:00am from the old Waterloo 3GR meeting spot, a swimming pool parking lot on the Northeast side of Waterloo.

My Pofahl, now with the correct 180mm rotor (!!), has those new Donnelly MSO 50's on it and I set those up tubeless. I tried to accommodate for the cooler temperatures we would be riding in by airing up to 40psi rear/38psi front, realizing that after about 15 minutes I would be at something more in the mid-30's for psi. Then it was all about donning the garb to make it around the loop. Martin said it was about 45-46 miles, and I had about 3 miles to get to the meeting place, so I had to prepare for a good 50 miles of riding.

I wore thermal bib tights, an Omniwool base layer top which was long sleeved, a Twin Six Standard Wool jersey, short sleeved, and my Bontrager windproof jacket. On my head I wore my gifted Endspurt Hamburg liveried tube buff and my Bell Super helmet. On my hands I wore a thin base layer glove and Lycra Bontrager gloves over that. My feet were covered in long, calf high "Sock Guy" wool socks, a vapor barrier made from plastic grocery sacks, and 45NRTH Fasterkatt boots. Oh, I also used Spy Optic Daft glasses with tinted amber lenses.

Okay, on with the ride!

A farmer tills the land under sullen, grey skies

Martin showed up with the old El Mar, now sporting a stout 42 X 18T gear combo and the rest as I remembered it being. The notable feature here would be the voluminous Maxxis Ardent 2.4's, tubeless on Blunt 35 rims. More of a mountain bike set up, with gravel gearing! Martin wasn't spinning much! He was grinding it out and the initial miles featured some rollers which were not giving us any quarter. The gravel was the typical chunky goodness I'm used to, so that wasn't of any concern.

First stop: Rearranging some clothing and having a quick bite to eat.

The wind was a quartering headwind as we were headed out on a 12 mile stretch straight East. I wasn't cold, except for maybe the bottoms of my feet. Perhaps I will have to consider a thin insulating layer or a heavier sock next time I ride in conditions like this. I suppose the wind chill was well into the 20's. That's a bit under the recommended range for those Fasterkatts anyway. Any colder and those boots wouldn't have been a good choice anyway.

But beyond that we were making great time. Martin said later our average speed was 12.5mph, so we weren't slouching by any stretch. I didn't pack any gizmos or traditional computer for mileage or data gathering. Martin was using a Garmin device of some kind. He didn't have the route downloaded though and about a third of the way in to the route Martin handed me the cues and he verified turns by matching up the mileage on his Garmin. That kept both of us engaged in the navigation.

Eventually we reached the roads I was unfamiliar with. Big Rock Road all the way to Buchanan County, then some meandering as we negotiated the roads around the Wapsipinnicon River valley and the river itself was crossed at Littleton. Martin was hoping to route by a resupply spot in case we needed to warm up or get food and water. Neither was necessary, so we motored on through town and took a right to round the eastern side of the loop Martin had sketched out for us.

We had a running buddy for a little bit.

We hit this narrow, tree lined road South of Littleton. Surprisingly it had a lot of car traffic!

Headed back West now.

So, here we started going West again, but the wind had laid down, or wasn't really a factor, because we weren't feeling any effects of it anymore. Just as well as the cold temperatures would have felt worse with a stiff wind. Martin said at one point as we were going back that it was 38°F. With the gray skies, it certainly looked, and felt a lot colder than that!

The roads on the Eastern swing were really smooth and fast. The gravel was chewed up to be a lot finer and less deep. We were running right on the road bed in many places. It was certainly really dusty, and it was evident that we needed rain, or lots of snow over Winter. Ironically enough, it rained all night Saturday night, but on our ride the dust was about as bad as it gets. The cars passing us by left clouds of dust which were impenetrable as far as seeing through them. Thankfully what little wind was left blew it off the roadway rather nicely.

The miles were winding down and we were thinking about cutting off a bit of a Northward turn to make the ride a bit quicker. Martin was also feeling the effects of the tall gearing, and hills were getting more difficult for him. We had stopped for our last extended time at an old country church so I could get another cemetery gate pic for the album. This was the St. Francis cemetery on Airline Highway. I had ridden past it earlier in the year going North on the road near to the church, but I hadn't ridden right past it until the ride with Martin on Saturday. This stop gave us the chance to rearrange boittles and grab our last bits to eat before we made our final push.

The Pofahl looking a bit more dusty than it was in the beginning.

A giant erratic about the size of a small house poking out of the corn stubble.

The dust was incredible for late Fall/early Winter.

The rest of the ride went according to Martin's original plan. That was because we had to use the original route. Our planned short cut turned out to be impossible since Airline Highway didn't go all the way through. It was interrupted by a pesky field. So, we turned North and went to Big Rock Road anyway.

The rest of the route then was a retracing of our route going out. That was okay because all these roads I knew quite well after so many years of running around out there. The end was back at the parking lot where I decided to hitch a ride from there to the house since Martin was going that way and he offered to give me a lift. I already had 50 miles in, so I was good with skipping the last three.miles back to the house.

I was pretty pleased with the outcome of the ride. We didn't mess around, covering the entire loop in slightly less than four hours. I felt pretty good. I am happy with how I am coming back after being ill and off the bike for the better part of a month without any real long rides. Unfortunately, with the iffy weather at this point in the year, I may not get in that SS Century Ride I wanted to do. I am pretty sure I could take a stab at it soon, but me having the time and the weather lining up is getting tougher to have work out.

But that's okay if it doesn't happen. I'll keep working on things and next year I hope to be pushing more century rides and having fun. Till then, it might happen again this year, it might not. Trans Iowa v14 is calling too. Lots to do before 2017 closes out.