Minus Ten Review - 11

Siren "Song" 29"er

Ten years ago this week on the blog I was talking about many varied subjects. First notable thing was commuting by bicycle. Gas was approaching $4.00/gallon and many folks were thinking commuting by bicycle was in the imminent future.

Well, we all know how that turned out! Istill cannot believe gas prices haven't been anywhere near that level now for almost a decade.

The other thing I was gabbing about was the planning for the next Big Wheeled Ballyhoo. I had gone up to Decorah, Iowa to meet with the trail group there to discuss ideas for the event. It was fun.......then. Several months later it was not so much fun, but that pivotal story will have to wait for later.

There was a lot of tubeless tire converting going on in advance of my trip to Texas to see my in laws and ride at Franklin Mountain State Park. This would be my second trip with bicycles to this area. I set up my first set of tires with the now famous "MG's Secret Sauce" tubeless goo and another wheelset with Stan's.

I also was taking the fetching Siren Song single speed soft tail mountain bike along for the ride. I was pretty stoked to try this rig and I was honored to once again ride a small builder's bike. But not all was well in the custom bike builder's world and at about this time Badger Cycles was imploding and since I had one of their bikes it was making me a target for some nasty comments. It is one of the reasons I put the bike away for many years, with only brief encounters with the outside world.

Minus Ten Review - 11

Siren "Song" 29"er

Ten years ago this week on the blog I was talking about many varied subjects. First notable thing was commuting by bicycle. Gas was approaching $4.00/gallon and many folks were thinking commuting by bicycle was in the imminent future.

Well, we all know how that turned out! Istill cannot believe gas prices haven't been anywhere near that level now for almost a decade.

The other thing I was gabbing about was the planning for the next Big Wheeled Ballyhoo. I had gone up to Decorah, Iowa to meet with the trail group there to discuss ideas for the event. It was fun.......then. Several months later it was not so much fun, but that pivotal story will have to wait for later.

There was a lot of tubeless tire converting going on in advance of my trip to Texas to see my in laws and ride at Franklin Mountain State Park. This would be my second trip with bicycles to this area. I set up my first set of tires with the now famous "MG's Secret Sauce" tubeless goo and another wheelset with Stan's.

I also was taking the fetching Siren Song single speed soft tail mountain bike along for the ride. I was pretty stoked to try this rig and I was honored to once again ride a small builder's bike. But not all was well in the custom bike builder's world and at about this time Badger Cycles was imploding and since I had one of their bikes it was making me a target for some nasty comments. It is one of the reasons I put the bike away for many years, with only brief encounters with the outside world.

Minus Ten Review- 12

If it wasn't a rock, it had a spike sticking out of it that could rip yer flesh open.

Ten years ago on the blog here I was relating my experiences riding in the Franklin Mountain State Park in El Paso, Texas for the first time. It was, understandably, an eye opening experience for me.

By this time in my life I had ridden a mountain bike in Colorado, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and all over Iowa. But I had never seen rock, rock, and more rock like I saw in El Paso. It was unbelievable. I was overwhelmed by the experience of riding in the desert.

The bike I used was the Dos Niner, and despite the fact that it maybe had 3/4's of an inch of rear travel, I was super glad it had some travel! I remember slamming into a wash so hard I thought the bike should have broken in two pieces. Amazingly, the Dos held up and so did I. I also found out I was way out of shape, but I think I cleaned more than I should have just on pure adrenaline and the excitement of riding in a new place.

I certainly came away with a new appreciation for El Paso and mountain biking in general. It made some things I used to think were tough into child's play. In fact, it kind of spoiled me that way. There aren't too many places I have ridden since then that even come close to how hard it is to ride those trails.

Going steeply up on loose, huge sized gravelly rock, snaking your way through a minefield of thorns. Typical El Paso trail.

While all that was exciting and fun, I had to turn my attention forward to Sea Otter and beyond that, to Trans Iowa v3. Jeff was mostly out of the picture, but at this time ten years ago I still didn't know for certain how little or how much he was going to be involved. Then there were some bizarre requests to photograph the event from oddball folks I never had heard about, all of which I eventually turned down. There also was another, strange, unbelievable request from a guy from Portland, Oregon which I had to field as well.

See, this was a huge transition for me, and I was going through it ten years ago, and I was not at all comfortable with this. Originally I was just Jeff's helper, a "gopher", the route maker, and I facilitated Jeff's desires in how to run things. But here I was with Jeff absent most of the time and me having to field all the requests and questions that Jeff would have normally handled himself. Now I was becoming the "director" of Trans Iowa, only I wasn't really seeing it that way. You could say that I was in denial.

Anyway, this guy from Portland was an author and he kept e-mailing me and calling me with all these questions. He was getting an "advance" from a publishing company to write a book about underground, under the radar sporting events. He had heard about Trans Iowa from Ira Ryan, who was starting out as a custom frame builder in Portland at that time. Ira won the first Trans Iowa.

So, this whole thing was surreal, and I didn't believe it, really. I didn't believe Jeff wouldn't be a part of Trans Iowa.  I didn't believe this guy who said he was an author was for real. But the guy says he is coming, so I wrote about this ten years ago and had the following to say about what it all could mean for Trans Iowa:

"In the end, Jeff and I run the thing and put it on. It's up to us whether or not it is what it is.......for now. I suppose if it gets away from us for whatever reason, we can always shut it down. Are we part of a revolution? Ahh.....well, maybe. I think history, or maybe this upcoming book, will be the judge of that. All I know is, we want to ride our bikes for crazy long distances self supported, and we think you do to. As long as we have that basic understanding, then we have things like Trans Iowa. If that's a "revolution", then so be it."

Minus Ten Review- 12

If it wasn't a rock, it had a spike sticking out of it that could rip yer flesh open.

Ten years ago on the blog here I was relating my experiences riding in the Franklin Mountain State Park in El Paso, Texas for the first time. It was, understandably, an eye opening experience for me.

By this time in my life I had ridden a mountain bike in Colorado, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and all over Iowa. But I had never seen rock, rock, and more rock like I saw in El Paso. It was unbelievable. I was overwhelmed by the experience of riding in the desert.

The bike I used was the Dos Niner, and despite the fact that it maybe had 3/4's of an inch of rear travel, I was super glad it had some travel! I remember slamming into a wash so hard I thought the bike should have broken in two pieces. Amazingly, the Dos held up and so did I. I also found out I was way out of shape, but I think I cleaned more than I should have just on pure adrenaline and the excitement of riding in a new place.

I certainly came away with a new appreciation for El Paso and mountain biking in general. It made some things I used to think were tough into child's play. In fact, it kind of spoiled me that way. There aren't too many places I have ridden since then that even come close to how hard it is to ride those trails.

Going steeply up on loose, huge sized gravelly rock, snaking your way through a minefield of thorns. Typical El Paso trail.

While all that was exciting and fun, I had to turn my attention forward to Sea Otter and beyond that, to Trans Iowa v3. Jeff was mostly out of the picture, but at this time ten years ago I still didn't know for certain how little or how much he was going to be involved. Then there were some bizarre requests to photograph the event from oddball folks I never had heard about, all of which I eventually turned down. There also was another, strange, unbelievable request from a guy from Portland, Oregon which I had to field as well.

See, this was a huge transition for me, and I was going through it ten years ago, and I was not at all comfortable with this. Originally I was just Jeff's helper, a "gopher", the route maker, and I facilitated Jeff's desires in how to run things. But here I was with Jeff absent most of the time and me having to field all the requests and questions that Jeff would have normally handled himself. Now I was becoming the "director" of Trans Iowa, only I wasn't really seeing it that way. You could say that I was in denial.

Anyway, this guy from Portland was an author and he kept e-mailing me and calling me with all these questions. He was getting an "advance" from a publishing company to write a book about underground, under the radar sporting events. He had heard about Trans Iowa from Ira Ryan, who was starting out as a custom frame builder in Portland at that time. Ira won the first Trans Iowa.

So, this whole thing was surreal, and I didn't believe it, really. I didn't believe Jeff wouldn't be a part of Trans Iowa.  I didn't believe this guy who said he was an author was for real. But the guy says he is coming, so I wrote about this ten years ago and had the following to say about what it all could mean for Trans Iowa:

"In the end, Jeff and I run the thing and put it on. It's up to us whether or not it is what it is.......for now. I suppose if it gets away from us for whatever reason, we can always shut it down. Are we part of a revolution? Ahh.....well, maybe. I think history, or maybe this upcoming book, will be the judge of that. All I know is, we want to ride our bikes for crazy long distances self supported, and we think you do to. As long as we have that basic understanding, then we have things like Trans Iowa. If that's a "revolution", then so be it."

Minus Ten Review- 11

Since there were no pics ten years ago this week, you get to see my old Dos Niner again!

Ten years ago this week I was on Spring Break vacation with my family in El Paso Texas. I didn't have the access or skills to post on the road at that time, so I didn't post but twice that week and there were no images.

Can you imagine me missing three days in a row with no posts these days? Ha! That would be a weird thing such that if it were to happen some of you would likely start wondering what was wrong with me.

Well, at any rate, this was the week I first rode in El Paso Texas on the Franklin Mountain State Park's trails. It was quite the eye opener, for one thing. I had never ridden trails that were 100% rocks. Zero dirt- all rocks. They varied in size and consistency from gravel to boulders and everything in between. They were loose, shifty, and clinked in a weird way, except for when you were on bedrock. Obviously that wasn't loose. In the cracks, crevices, and in the finer rock grew all manner of prickly Chihuahuan desert flora. I even got spiked by some plant adjacent to the trail which went right through my Sidi mountain bike shoes.

I loved the desert riding even though it was super tough. I miss it too. I hope to get back there and ride again soon.

Minus Ten Review- 11

Since there were no pics ten years ago this week, you get to see my old Dos Niner again!

Ten years ago this week I was on Spring Break vacation with my family in El Paso Texas. I didn't have the access or skills to post on the road at that time, so I didn't post but twice that week and there were no images.

Can you imagine me missing three days in a row with no posts these days? Ha! That would be a weird thing such that if it were to happen some of you would likely start wondering what was wrong with me.

Well, at any rate, this was the week I first rode in El Paso Texas on the Franklin Mountain State Park's trails. It was quite the eye opener, for one thing. I had never ridden trails that were 100% rocks. Zero dirt- all rocks. They varied in size and consistency from gravel to boulders and everything in between. They were loose, shifty, and clinked in a weird way, except for when you were on bedrock. Obviously that wasn't loose. In the cracks, crevices, and in the finer rock grew all manner of prickly Chihuahuan desert flora. I even got spiked by some plant adjacent to the trail which went right through my Sidi mountain bike shoes.

I loved the desert riding even though it was super tough. I miss it too. I hope to get back there and ride again soon.

Last Round-up

Chihuahuan desert goodness

I had time for one more ride, and I had a single speed, and I didn't want to walk more than I rode. This presented a problem with the Franklin Mountain State Park's west unit which, as I have often said, is a really tough ride.

I had also been looking at doing some other trails in the El Paso area. This pretty much meant going to the east side of the mountains I usually ride on. The State Park lands actually reach over to this area, and there are some other grounds which riders can go on. I looked up some quick directions on the inner-web-o-sphere and kitted up.

I found the place easily enough and much to my surprise, there was only one spot open in the lot to park in. Cyclists were everywhere. Weird. I never see anyone on the western slopes. What's more, everyone I met was kind and helpful if I needed it. 

A bit friendlier look on this side.

In fact a man in a Toyota truck was nice enough to reinforce my chosen route by describing it for me. He was very encouraging. I hit the trails but I was really nerved up and excited. This typically happens when I ride something for the first time and it sends my heart rate into a tizzy. I had to stop a few times on the initial climb just to try and settle my nerves.

Once I got myself calmed down, it was great. I found the trails to have far less of the chunder and bed rock that the west side has. In fact, the trails were nicely burned in over here. I headed up the Tin Mine Road Trail first and that was a steady climb back towards the mountains ahead. I would be looking for a right hander to take me north and then back eastward to make a loop out of the ride.

Crossroads in the Arroyo

That's not to say this loop was easy. Oh no! There were some deep, gravelly spots, chunky rock sections, and loose rock to negotiate. Of course, any miscues would be paid for in blood and bruises here as well. The landscape is still as unforgiving on the east side as it is on the west side, just more flowy and less technical.

I was liking this style of trail a lot more though, and it suited the single speed to a "T". The Milwaukee Bike 29"er was dialed for this sort of trail system, and the new wheel set consisting of WTB Frequency rims and American Classic hubs was light years better than the other bike's wheel set. Far stiffer and tracking was super predictable. The big surprise was the Bronson TCS tires which gripped like wolverines out there. (Wait a minute! WTB has a tire named Wolverine, right? Oh well....) Anyway, I was expecting the Bronson tires to really be squishy and snap and pop on off cambers with those bendy side knobs, but the grip was outstanding. The pea gravel washes and deeper gravel showed a tendency for the Bronsons to float up on top instead of cutting in, so you had to be ready to "surf" a bit, but it is better than washing out too. That's where all that snow riding came in handy there!

Well, it was a ton of fun but too short lived. I had to get back so my wife and daughter could do some planned shopping time together. Part of vacation with the family, ya know. But I'll be back over on this side again next time I am back for sure.

Okay folks, short and sweet posts are ahead as I will be coming back this coming week and will have a few days in Iowa to kick back and enjoy before going back to the grindstone.

Last Round-up

Chihuahuan desert goodness

I had time for one more ride, and I had a single speed, and I didn't want to walk more than I rode. This presented a problem with the Franklin Mountain State Park's west unit which, as I have often said, is a really tough ride.

I had also been looking at doing some other trails in the El Paso area. This pretty much meant going to the east side of the mountains I usually ride on. The State Park lands actually reach over to this area, and there are some other grounds which riders can go on. I looked up some quick directions on the inner-web-o-sphere and kitted up.

I found the place easily enough and much to my surprise, there was only one spot open in the lot to park in. Cyclists were everywhere. Weird. I never see anyone on the western slopes. What's more, everyone I met was kind and helpful if I needed it. 

A bit friendlier look on this side.

In fact a man in a Toyota truck was nice enough to reinforce my chosen route by describing it for me. He was very encouraging. I hit the trails but I was really nerved up and excited. This typically happens when I ride something for the first time and it sends my heart rate into a tizzy. I had to stop a few times on the initial climb just to try and settle my nerves.

Once I got myself calmed down, it was great. I found the trails to have far less of the chunder and bed rock that the west side has. In fact, the trails were nicely burned in over here. I headed up the Tin Mine Road Trail first and that was a steady climb back towards the mountains ahead. I would be looking for a right hander to take me north and then back eastward to make a loop out of the ride.

Crossroads in the Arroyo

That's not to say this loop was easy. Oh no! There were some deep, gravelly spots, chunky rock sections, and loose rock to negotiate. Of course, any miscues would be paid for in blood and bruises here as well. The landscape is still as unforgiving on the east side as it is on the west side, just more flowy and less technical.

I was liking this style of trail a lot more though, and it suited the single speed to a "T". The Milwaukee Bike 29"er was dialed for this sort of trail system, and the new wheel set consisting of WTB Frequency rims and American Classic hubs was light years better than the other bike's wheel set. Far stiffer and tracking was super predictable. The big surprise was the Bronson TCS tires which gripped like wolverines out there. (Wait a minute! WTB has a tire named Wolverine, right? Oh well....) Anyway, I was expecting the Bronson tires to really be squishy and snap and pop on off cambers with those bendy side knobs, but the grip was outstanding. The pea gravel washes and deeper gravel showed a tendency for the Bronsons to float up on top instead of cutting in, so you had to be ready to "surf" a bit, but it is better than washing out too. That's where all that snow riding came in handy there!

Well, it was a ton of fun but too short lived. I had to get back so my wife and daughter could do some planned shopping time together. Part of vacation with the family, ya know. But I'll be back over on this side again next time I am back for sure.

Okay folks, short and sweet posts are ahead as I will be coming back this coming week and will have a few days in Iowa to kick back and enjoy before going back to the grindstone.

Hardscrabble

What most of the "trail" looks like here.

Okay, first things first- I didn't crash on the rocks. No split open knee, no skin lost today. In other good news: I got to ride in the desert again, and I was outside, in a beautiful area.

But there were a few mitigating factors. One was the wheel set I had on this bike. Oh my! Ya know, if ya can't say anything good about something, you probably shouldn't say anything at all, right? Well, I won't be saying anything about those wheels and they will be replaced as soon as I get home.

That probably says enough right there!

Then the seat post head came loose. This may have been an oversight on my part, but the tricky arrows that need to be aligned, of which there are three, were not all obvious. One, (yes, the hard to notice one), wasn't lined up, so I had an issue. But that is what multi-tools are for. Fixed it trail side with a multi-tool, a needle nosed Vice Grip locking pliers, and a rock. Plenty of rocks out there, I didn't need to carry that in the hydration pack!

And this is what a lot of it looked like too...

 Then I got lost. Yup. It's always a good ride when you get lost, right? Well, I've been on this loop several times and things started not looking right after a few "detours" laid out by someone. Then I got re-directed up a steep ridge side and once on top, I picked up another clearly seen trail leading upward.

Well, that started snaking around this really exposed section that I had no recollection of. Let me tell you- exposure burns some permanent memory in my synapses. If I'd have ridden this before, I'd have totally remembered it, but it had no familiarity to me at all.

So I stopped to reassess. I looked around and saw far above me the familiar brown of the State Park's gate work. I had passed a trail spur, (another thing I had never seen before), a bit back and it appeared that this would lead me right up to that barricade. (If indeed that is what it was.)

And some more of it looked like this...

I wondered if that was the high end of the park, and if so, where was the jeep road leading back to the same area? I couldn't see it at all.

With nothing at all jiving with past memories, and me being on a limited water supply, I figured I'd better see what that barricade/gate was, and get my bearings. Besides that, it was leading me closer to my start than the other way.

I rode a bit, but soon it became apparent that this was too steep to ride, and I hike-a-biked up to the point I had spied out. All was well. It was right at the upper end of the park, but the missing jeep road was still a mystery. Oh well! I had some nice down hill trail to shred back to the car, so I did that instead of solving the mystery.

I know it seems to be  me harping on how tough these trails are, but even I forget, and I was reminded again how difficult this mountain is to ride. The rocks are just brutal. There is zero flow, and you are "rock crawling" for a lot of the first sector, (when you find the first sector!). I got derailed onto stuff I had never ridden before and it was just difficult, slow work. Not that it wasn't fun, but it takes an entirely different mindset to ride those trails, I think. Nothing about riding in the Mid-West really works out here.

But there wasn't much of this!

In the end it was a fun day on the bike, despite the issues, one more of which was a loose head set, by the way. Stopped and fixed that up right quick. But I bring that up to say that if any bike has a weakness, the trails of Franklin Mountain will find them out right quick.

I may get another chance at spending some time out there again before I pack up for home. If so, it'll be a different experience again, as I'll be on the hard tail and single speed at that.

I know one thing, if I lived out here, I would be riding an entirely different mountain bike than what I usually get to bring down here. I still have never brought the "right bike" to this place.

One of these ol' days maybe that will work itself out, but for now I will be satisfied with just getting out there and spending some time in this very unique, hardscrabble area for mountain biking.

Hardscrabble

What most of the "trail" looks like here.

Okay, first things first- I didn't crash on the rocks. No split open knee, no skin lost today. In other good news: I got to ride in the desert again, and I was outside, in a beautiful area.

But there were a few mitigating factors. One was the wheel set I had on this bike. Oh my! Ya know, if ya can't say anything good about something, you probably shouldn't say anything at all, right? Well, I won't be saying anything about those wheels and they will be replaced as soon as I get home.

That probably says enough right there!

Then the seat post head came loose. This may have been an oversight on my part, but the tricky arrows that need to be aligned, of which there are three, were not all obvious. One, (yes, the hard to notice one), wasn't lined up, so I had an issue. But that is what multi-tools are for. Fixed it trail side with a multi-tool, a needle nosed Vice Grip locking pliers, and a rock. Plenty of rocks out there, I didn't need to carry that in the hydration pack!

And this is what a lot of it looked like too...

 Then I got lost. Yup. It's always a good ride when you get lost, right? Well, I've been on this loop several times and things started not looking right after a few "detours" laid out by someone. Then I got re-directed up a steep ridge side and once on top, I picked up another clearly seen trail leading upward.

Well, that started snaking around this really exposed section that I had no recollection of. Let me tell you- exposure burns some permanent memory in my synapses. If I'd have ridden this before, I'd have totally remembered it, but it had no familiarity to me at all.

So I stopped to reassess. I looked around and saw far above me the familiar brown of the State Park's gate work. I had passed a trail spur, (another thing I had never seen before), a bit back and it appeared that this would lead me right up to that barricade. (If indeed that is what it was.)

And some more of it looked like this...

I wondered if that was the high end of the park, and if so, where was the jeep road leading back to the same area? I couldn't see it at all.

With nothing at all jiving with past memories, and me being on a limited water supply, I figured I'd better see what that barricade/gate was, and get my bearings. Besides that, it was leading me closer to my start than the other way.

I rode a bit, but soon it became apparent that this was too steep to ride, and I hike-a-biked up to the point I had spied out. All was well. It was right at the upper end of the park, but the missing jeep road was still a mystery. Oh well! I had some nice down hill trail to shred back to the car, so I did that instead of solving the mystery.

I know it seems to be  me harping on how tough these trails are, but even I forget, and I was reminded again how difficult this mountain is to ride. The rocks are just brutal. There is zero flow, and you are "rock crawling" for a lot of the first sector, (when you find the first sector!). I got derailed onto stuff I had never ridden before and it was just difficult, slow work. Not that it wasn't fun, but it takes an entirely different mindset to ride those trails, I think. Nothing about riding in the Mid-West really works out here.

But there wasn't much of this!

In the end it was a fun day on the bike, despite the issues, one more of which was a loose head set, by the way. Stopped and fixed that up right quick. But I bring that up to say that if any bike has a weakness, the trails of Franklin Mountain will find them out right quick.

I may get another chance at spending some time out there again before I pack up for home. If so, it'll be a different experience again, as I'll be on the hard tail and single speed at that.

I know one thing, if I lived out here, I would be riding an entirely different mountain bike than what I usually get to bring down here. I still have never brought the "right bike" to this place.

One of these ol' days maybe that will work itself out, but for now I will be satisfied with just getting out there and spending some time in this very unique, hardscrabble area for mountain biking.

Guitar Ted Productions Rear View 2011; Part III

In the continuing process of closing out the year with my best memories from 2011, I have a few more events to talk about......

Annual Frostbike pilgrimage to Mike's Bikes

Frostbike: This "dealer only" show in Quality Bicycle Products Bloomington, Minnesota warehouse/headquarters is a fun get together where I get to hang out with several folks I get to see all too rarely. It also includes getting together with Ben Witt and making a pilgrimage to Mike's Bikes in Northfield, Minnesota.

This is always a very special time for me. This past year was no different. Ben had just gotten his Pofahl custom snow bike together, we did hot laps around Mike's Bikes shop on a modified pre-war Schwinn cruiser, and skidded fat bikes around corners to the point that we had "rubbered in" the corners in Mike's cement floor.

Mike's is a special little chunk of bicycle shop heaven that is rare and disappearing across the nation. I am honored and thrilled to have been there and to have seen the things I have. Mike was one of the original Marin "klunker" guys, and the heritage and history of mountain biking he brought back with him to Northfield is a small treasure I count myself lucky to have been able to experience. Thanks Mike! Thanks Ben!

Frostbike was fun, and a bit anti-climatic, since we ended up coming home early to beat out a wicked winter storm that stranded a lot of folks up there. (Maybe we should have stayed and gotten stranded with everyone else!)

Boo-boo.

El Paso, Texas: My summertime trip to El Paso, Texas to visit my relatives usually involves some riding in the Franklin Mountain State Park, and this year was to be a great, two week trip with plenty of opportunities to ride. I brought two bikes and gear and was all ready to do some desert riding.

On my first ride there, I endoed and smashed a rock into my knee cap, splitting open the skin down to the bone. I was alone, it was in the 90's in the desert, I was unable to see, and didn't know if I could walk. The pain was incredible. I was scared.

Well, obviously I made it back to talk about it again, but suffice it to say, I learned a thing or three about myself and about what I needed to do for the next attempt there. I also learned to appreciate what I have: Family, friends, and my own life. Seriously- this was a big eye opener, and even though I was disappointed in not being able to ride anymore down there, (or for about two weeks), I would not have learned what I did without that experience. I've got a scar to remind me too.

Summertime ride with Ben, Curtis, and Jason B.

Northfield Trip #1: In July I went up to help with a criterium Ben Witt was helping put on, and I also got to ride with Ben, Curtis, and Jason B, which was one of my favorite rides of the year.

These guys are a blast to ride with, and I count them as friends. To be out on the rural Minnesota gravel roads in such beauty only enhanced the experience more.

I also got to hang out with Ben's Dad, Mark, and we drove classic cars around in the sun, drank soda from a 50 year old vending machine dispensing 10 ounce bottles, and hung out at a beach on a lake for a bit. That and Mrs. Guitar Ted and I got lost on bicycles in Northfield, plus we stayed at a great Hotel in downtown Northfield. This was a highlight of the entire summer for me. What a great time!

So much happened in one weekend that it is hard to express how much this trip meant to me and my wife. Thanks to all who were a part of this one.

GTDRI: Toledo, Iowa stop.

Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational: Well, here was a cooker of a ride! It started out foggy, wet, damp, and cool-ish, and ended up becoming a sweltering death march of a ride at the end of the day, but we (almost) all completed a dirty century.

This was a great ride from several standpoints. The people were fantastic. I had folks come in from further abroad than I had ever had- (North Dakota, Michigan), and had more folks on the ride, (13 individuals at different points in the ride), and had a spectacular course to share with them.

The hills were less brutal than they are in Northeast Iowa, but still- they were not easy! We took in the "Wolf Creek Wall", which I had in T.I.V7, and is featured in the film trailer for "300 Miles of Gravel", (see if you can spot it!), which leads into a mile and a half section of hills that suck the life out of you after 75 miles of previous hills.

At any rate, it turned out to be a killer fun ride, and I didn't make the mistake of drinking too much the night before either! Plus I made a few new friends, which is always a good time. Thanks all who came out for that ride!

Okay, look for another Rear View 2011 post tomorrow.

Guitar Ted Productions Rear View 2011; Part III

In the continuing process of closing out the year with my best memories from 2011, I have a few more events to talk about......

Annual Frostbike pilgrimage to Mike's Bikes

Frostbike: This "dealer only" show in Quality Bicycle Products Bloomington, Minnesota warehouse/headquarters is a fun get together where I get to hang out with several folks I get to see all too rarely. It also includes getting together with Ben Witt and making a pilgrimage to Mike's Bikes in Northfield, Minnesota.

This is always a very special time for me. This past year was no different. Ben had just gotten his Pofahl custom snow bike together, we did hot laps around Mike's Bikes shop on a modified pre-war Schwinn cruiser, and skidded fat bikes around corners to the point that we had "rubbered in" the corners in Mike's cement floor.

Mike's is a special little chunk of bicycle shop heaven that is rare and disappearing across the nation. I am honored and thrilled to have been there and to have seen the things I have. Mike was one of the original Marin "klunker" guys, and the heritage and history of mountain biking he brought back with him to Northfield is a small treasure I count myself lucky to have been able to experience. Thanks Mike! Thanks Ben!

Frostbike was fun, and a bit anti-climatic, since we ended up coming home early to beat out a wicked winter storm that stranded a lot of folks up there. (Maybe we should have stayed and gotten stranded with everyone else!)

Boo-boo.

El Paso, Texas: My summertime trip to El Paso, Texas to visit my relatives usually involves some riding in the Franklin Mountain State Park, and this year was to be a great, two week trip with plenty of opportunities to ride. I brought two bikes and gear and was all ready to do some desert riding.

On my first ride there, I endoed and smashed a rock into my knee cap, splitting open the skin down to the bone. I was alone, it was in the 90's in the desert, I was unable to see, and didn't know if I could walk. The pain was incredible. I was scared.

Well, obviously I made it back to talk about it again, but suffice it to say, I learned a thing or three about myself and about what I needed to do for the next attempt there. I also learned to appreciate what I have: Family, friends, and my own life. Seriously- this was a big eye opener, and even though I was disappointed in not being able to ride anymore down there, (or for about two weeks), I would not have learned what I did without that experience. I've got a scar to remind me too.

Summertime ride with Ben, Curtis, and Jason B.

Northfield Trip #1: In July I went up to help with a criterium Ben Witt was helping put on, and I also got to ride with Ben, Curtis, and Jason B, which was one of my favorite rides of the year.

These guys are a blast to ride with, and I count them as friends. To be out on the rural Minnesota gravel roads in such beauty only enhanced the experience more.

I also got to hang out with Ben's Dad, Mark, and we drove classic cars around in the sun, drank soda from a 50 year old vending machine dispensing 10 ounce bottles, and hung out at a beach on a lake for a bit. That and Mrs. Guitar Ted and I got lost on bicycles in Northfield, plus we stayed at a great Hotel in downtown Northfield. This was a highlight of the entire summer for me. What a great time!

So much happened in one weekend that it is hard to express how much this trip meant to me and my wife. Thanks to all who were a part of this one.

GTDRI: Toledo, Iowa stop.

Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational: Well, here was a cooker of a ride! It started out foggy, wet, damp, and cool-ish, and ended up becoming a sweltering death march of a ride at the end of the day, but we (almost) all completed a dirty century.

This was a great ride from several standpoints. The people were fantastic. I had folks come in from further abroad than I had ever had- (North Dakota, Michigan), and had more folks on the ride, (13 individuals at different points in the ride), and had a spectacular course to share with them.

The hills were less brutal than they are in Northeast Iowa, but still- they were not easy! We took in the "Wolf Creek Wall", which I had in T.I.V7, and is featured in the film trailer for "300 Miles of Gravel", (see if you can spot it!), which leads into a mile and a half section of hills that suck the life out of you after 75 miles of previous hills.

At any rate, it turned out to be a killer fun ride, and I didn't make the mistake of drinking too much the night before either! Plus I made a few new friends, which is always a good time. Thanks all who came out for that ride!

Okay, look for another Rear View 2011 post tomorrow.

Getting The Horse Ready

 
My trip to El Paso, Texas is fast approaching, and I need to tweak out this rig to take with me. Of course, I'm talking about the Big Mama.

This is a bike I've wanted to take down there for quite awhile now. It is very rough, rocky, and the down hill parts can be quite technical. The bikes I have taken down there before were just barely passable as trail bikes there.

A couple of great additions recently to the rig are these Geax Gato 2.3"ers that are TNT which means they are tubeless compatible, but more importantly than that, they have a sidewall reinforcement that protects the casing, and it will allow for some (hopefully) waaaay low pressures so I can rock crawl my way through the Franklin Mountains.

The other nice addition is the Specialized Blacklite Command Post, which is a "dropper post" that will make going down a couple of the switch backs a much easier thing to do now. One thing that won't be easy- The heat! It already is getting upwards of 100 degrees during the day down there. Of course, that's a different kind of heat, but all the same, I'll be pushed pretty hard just by that.

I've got to get a bash guard in place of that big ring though. No sense in having a big ring down there. It won't be about going fast! That's for sure. I've got a 36T ring on that rear cassette though, and I'm hoping to finally slay that beast of a climb exiting the trails from the west in the Tom May's Unit.

Last time I was there, I did the Upper and Lower Sunset loop on a Specialized Stumpjumper Carbon Expert hard tail. It was fairly brutal riding a hard tail for that loop for me. I know this bike, albeit heavier, will be easier on me, and hopefully, a faster loop time will result. We'll see.

I've got some tweaking to do, and hopefully that will get done this weekend. I hope you all have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

Getting The Horse Ready

 
My trip to El Paso, Texas is fast approaching, and I need to tweak out this rig to take with me. Of course, I'm talking about the Big Mama.

This is a bike I've wanted to take down there for quite awhile now. It is very rough, rocky, and the down hill parts can be quite technical. The bikes I have taken down there before were just barely passable as trail bikes there.

A couple of great additions recently to the rig are these Geax Gato 2.3"ers that are TNT which means they are tubeless compatible, but more importantly than that, they have a sidewall reinforcement that protects the casing, and it will allow for some (hopefully) waaaay low pressures so I can rock crawl my way through the Franklin Mountains.

The other nice addition is the Specialized Blacklite Command Post, which is a "dropper post" that will make going down a couple of the switch backs a much easier thing to do now. One thing that won't be easy- The heat! It already is getting upwards of 100 degrees during the day down there. Of course, that's a different kind of heat, but all the same, I'll be pushed pretty hard just by that.

I've got to get a bash guard in place of that big ring though. No sense in having a big ring down there. It won't be about going fast! That's for sure. I've got a 36T ring on that rear cassette though, and I'm hoping to finally slay that beast of a climb exiting the trails from the west in the Tom May's Unit.

Last time I was there, I did the Upper and Lower Sunset loop on a Specialized Stumpjumper Carbon Expert hard tail. It was fairly brutal riding a hard tail for that loop for me. I know this bike, albeit heavier, will be easier on me, and hopefully, a faster loop time will result. We'll see.

I've got some tweaking to do, and hopefully that will get done this weekend. I hope you all have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

Thinking South By Southwest

I saw some race report yesterday that got me thinking. It made me kind of sad, actually. It was a race report for the El Paso Puzzler. You should take a moment to read it here. It was written by the winner, Evan Plews. Evan does a great job reminding me of every gnarly facet of the Franklin Mountain State Park. I won't say you'll get the same feelings I do by reading it, because that area is close to my heart now, and I've ridden it several times since about 2007.

I've included a few images from my last trip there. The El Paso area is in the desert. The Chihuahuan Desert is the largest desert in North America, but ironically, it isn't the type of desert most folks think of when they conjure up desert images in their minds. Most folks think of the iconic Saguaro of the Sonoran Desert, or the great Joshua Trees of the Mojave Desert. The Chihuahuan Desert has no icon, not that I know of. It is just a rocky, spiky, dry area that presents a unique challenge to any mountain biker. While it isn't necessarily typical of the Chihuahuan area itself, Franklin Mountain has one main feature you need to come to terms with.

Rocks. And lots, and lots of them.

Most of the time you can know you are on the trail in the Franklin Mountain State Park because you are not in the brush and cactus. There really is no other good way to see the trail in many places. And as you can see from my images, the trail is essentially loose, busted up rock of various sizes. Imagine riding on rubble, and you will have some modicum of understanding the trials and tribulations of riding in El Paso's surrounding mountains.

If you read Evan Plew's report, he gives you a description of coming off Mundy's Gap into a mile long rubble field. Yep. I get it. Rocks. It's what's for dinner in the Franklin Mountains.

What these rocks do is they resist your wheels passage, they slip out from under you wheels, knocking you off-line, and robbing you of precious momentum, and they can, (as Evan describes), bust up your equipment. It is a very tough place on rider and bike.

One other thing: It is a dry, dry, dry place! If you ever get down south, by southwest, to the El Paso area, you'd better bring lots of water with you to do any riding. The combination of the tough, unforgiving trails, and dry climate mean you will be going through a lot of moisture, and you will need to be able to replace it on your ride. It is remote, and even though it may seem that you are not far from El Paso, there isn't a good, direct route to water without doing a ton of work to get to it. Just so I know I warned ya!

So why ride there at all? Well, it is hard, but I am learning that it takes a different way of riding to get the most enjoyment out of what you put in. I think it is more of a "rock crawler" mentality. You won't be ripping along, feeling the flow for a half mile, or even a quarter mile here. (There is some amount of "flow", but that is even different there.) No- It is more of a measured pace sort of mentality, I think, that garners the most enjoyment out there. That and stopping to enjoy the scenery once in awhile is highly recommended.

I am sad, as I said in the beginning, because I will miss going to Texas this year due to a conflict with my wife's work. Sad because I love my family down there, of course, but I also love riding in that Chihuahuan Desert. Check it out sometime if you can. It is tough and challenging, but really rewarding in the end.

Thinking South By Southwest

I saw some race report yesterday that got me thinking. It made me kind of sad, actually. It was a race report for the El Paso Puzzler. You should take a moment to read it here. It was written by the winner, Evan Plews. Evan does a great job reminding me of every gnarly facet of the Franklin Mountain State Park. I won't say you'll get the same feelings I do by reading it, because that area is close to my heart now, and I've ridden it several times since about 2007.

I've included a few images from my last trip there. The El Paso area is in the desert. The Chihuahuan Desert is the largest desert in North America, but ironically, it isn't the type of desert most folks think of when they conjure up desert images in their minds. Most folks think of the iconic Saguaro of the Sonoran Desert, or the great Joshua Trees of the Mojave Desert. The Chihuahuan Desert has no icon, not that I know of. It is just a rocky, spiky, dry area that presents a unique challenge to any mountain biker. While it isn't necessarily typical of the Chihuahuan area itself, Franklin Mountain has one main feature you need to come to terms with.

Rocks. And lots, and lots of them.

Most of the time you can know you are on the trail in the Franklin Mountain State Park because you are not in the brush and cactus. There really is no other good way to see the trail in many places. And as you can see from my images, the trail is essentially loose, busted up rock of various sizes. Imagine riding on rubble, and you will have some modicum of understanding the trials and tribulations of riding in El Paso's surrounding mountains.

If you read Evan Plew's report, he gives you a description of coming off Mundy's Gap into a mile long rubble field. Yep. I get it. Rocks. It's what's for dinner in the Franklin Mountains.

What these rocks do is they resist your wheels passage, they slip out from under you wheels, knocking you off-line, and robbing you of precious momentum, and they can, (as Evan describes), bust up your equipment. It is a very tough place on rider and bike.

One other thing: It is a dry, dry, dry place! If you ever get down south, by southwest, to the El Paso area, you'd better bring lots of water with you to do any riding. The combination of the tough, unforgiving trails, and dry climate mean you will be going through a lot of moisture, and you will need to be able to replace it on your ride. It is remote, and even though it may seem that you are not far from El Paso, there isn't a good, direct route to water without doing a ton of work to get to it. Just so I know I warned ya!

So why ride there at all? Well, it is hard, but I am learning that it takes a different way of riding to get the most enjoyment out of what you put in. I think it is more of a "rock crawler" mentality. You won't be ripping along, feeling the flow for a half mile, or even a quarter mile here. (There is some amount of "flow", but that is even different there.) No- It is more of a measured pace sort of mentality, I think, that garners the most enjoyment out there. That and stopping to enjoy the scenery once in awhile is highly recommended.

I am sad, as I said in the beginning, because I will miss going to Texas this year due to a conflict with my wife's work. Sad because I love my family down there, of course, but I also love riding in that Chihuahuan Desert. Check it out sometime if you can. It is tough and challenging, but really rewarding in the end.

Overgeared

Thursday saw another attempt at the mountain, but this time with a single speed. I'll tell ya what, light weight rigs don't make up for poor gearing choices!

In the mayhem leading up to getting ready to leave on this trip, I thought long and hard about swapping out to a mountain climbing gear for the Lynskey. Then I realized it was a 32T front ring. I had thought it was a 34T, but I hadn't ever checked until before the trip.

The 18T cog in back seemed to me to be an easy gear mated to the 32 front, but oh no! I got to the mountain and it was immediately apparent that between my toasted limbs from Tuesday's ride and the overgeared Lynskey that I wasn't going to be scaling any hardscrabble steeps here. Nope! I should have gone with that 21T. Oh well......So I took a "plan B" attitude and went in search of something less tortuous to my limited fitness and stamina levels.

I remembered that the Franklin Mountain State Park had a beginners loop, so I figured what the heck. I took the left turn downwards from the trail head and went in search of whatever the loop had to offer me. I found out that it was actually a pretty fun loop! It took off downwards, as I said, so the gravitational pull was "fried leg friendly". Besides this, it was the best "flow" trail in the whole park! Swooping turn after swooping turn. Bermed turns, and you could go as fast as you dared. The trail was basically gravel laden, but that didn't deter me too much. I did the loop three times!

I did do a little more exploration and found one of the newer trails heading up to the top of Franklin Mountain, but that would have to wait for another bike, another year, and another crack at these awesome trails in El Paso, Texas.

I'll be headed home soon to Iowa, mud, cooler weather, and familiar sights and sounds. Not a bad thing at all, but I'll be anxious for the next ride down here all the same. It's really good stuff!

Overgeared

Thursday saw another attempt at the mountain, but this time with a single speed. I'll tell ya what, light weight rigs don't make up for poor gearing choices!

In the mayhem leading up to getting ready to leave on this trip, I thought long and hard about swapping out to a mountain climbing gear for the Lynskey. Then I realized it was a 32T front ring. I had thought it was a 34T, but I hadn't ever checked until before the trip.

The 18T cog in back seemed to me to be an easy gear mated to the 32 front, but oh no! I got to the mountain and it was immediately apparent that between my toasted limbs from Tuesday's ride and the overgeared Lynskey that I wasn't going to be scaling any hardscrabble steeps here. Nope! I should have gone with that 21T. Oh well......So I took a "plan B" attitude and went in search of something less tortuous to my limited fitness and stamina levels.

I remembered that the Franklin Mountain State Park had a beginners loop, so I figured what the heck. I took the left turn downwards from the trail head and went in search of whatever the loop had to offer me. I found out that it was actually a pretty fun loop! It took off downwards, as I said, so the gravitational pull was "fried leg friendly". Besides this, it was the best "flow" trail in the whole park! Swooping turn after swooping turn. Bermed turns, and you could go as fast as you dared. The trail was basically gravel laden, but that didn't deter me too much. I did the loop three times!

I did do a little more exploration and found one of the newer trails heading up to the top of Franklin Mountain, but that would have to wait for another bike, another year, and another crack at these awesome trails in El Paso, Texas.

I'll be headed home soon to Iowa, mud, cooler weather, and familiar sights and sounds. Not a bad thing at all, but I'll be anxious for the next ride down here all the same. It's really good stuff!

Where Do You Find It?

You know, I've read some articles and blog posts about what some folks are attracted to in nature. I've heard things like, "I'm a water person", or "I'm a mountain person". I don't know what I am, but I do like the mountains.

Coming down to El Paso for me is always exciting, especially after the boredom of the high plains of Kansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. About the time you get off of I-40 and head south again on 54, you head up, and up, and up to the snowy mountain peaks of south central New Mexico. I always look forward to that part of the trip and always feel a bit of sadness when that part of the trip is over on the way home.

So, I wouldn't say that I am a mountain man, because I like my woods and rivers too. Lakes are great and I will always relish the days I had on the fishing boats. But I will say that mountains have their allure for me and the especially the thought of riding a mountain bike on and around a mountain is especially appealing.

So, where do you find "it"? Your special place? I won't commit to just one myself!

Where Do You Find It?

You know, I've read some articles and blog posts about what some folks are attracted to in nature. I've heard things like, "I'm a water person", or "I'm a mountain person". I don't know what I am, but I do like the mountains.

Coming down to El Paso for me is always exciting, especially after the boredom of the high plains of Kansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. About the time you get off of I-40 and head south again on 54, you head up, and up, and up to the snowy mountain peaks of south central New Mexico. I always look forward to that part of the trip and always feel a bit of sadness when that part of the trip is over on the way home.

So, I wouldn't say that I am a mountain man, because I like my woods and rivers too. Lakes are great and I will always relish the days I had on the fishing boats. But I will say that mountains have their allure for me and the especially the thought of riding a mountain bike on and around a mountain is especially appealing.

So, where do you find "it"? Your special place? I won't commit to just one myself!