Randomonium

 NOTE: Okay folks, if you haven't been around long enough here to know what a "Randomonium" post is, then here is the deal. I ramble, rant, and randomly moan about all things cycling in one, incohesive, bizarre post. "Randomonium", okay?

The top one was first, then I opened the second one, both from the same Chinese take-out meal.

With all the end-of-year stuff going on I figured I would take this opportunity to do a little catching up around here. So, without any real cohesiveness to this post, (Random- get it?), I will do just that- catch y'all up on the latest goings on here at Guitar Ted Productions.

So, the weather! What the heck! It was awesome for three days last week, as in far too nice for December, and then it got downright December-like, just without the snow. I got a ride in Monday, but Tuesday and especially on Wednesday I did not plan on cycling due to the big winds. By the way, we did not have any real significant damage from Wednesday night's storms. Some folks in Iowa had tornadoes though. 

On a side note: If you hadn't heard yet, Andy's Bike Shop is out of business, so I am job-less at the moment. But I have picked up a very part-time gig as a mover. Yes.....it's odd, but a friend works at this place and they are desperate for help and I said I could lend a hand. That said, I have a prospect which -if it works out- may be the direction I decide to go in for the future. Stay tuned...... 

Projects:

I've been busy doing some clearing out of old stuff and clearing out some space for a long-planned 'hobby' I am pursuing. (More on that when I am ready), but along the way I've had to start trying to decide what to do with some stuff around here. 

It's not easy, because after nearly 20 years of doing review stuff and after all this time in the bike shop, I have accumulated a lot of 'stuff' I figured was valuable at one point or another. I have a bad habit of being a 'pack-rat' and justifying it on the odd occasions when I hold up a very obscure part or tool and 'save the day' on a repair. But......is carrying all this obscure inventory worth the bother? 

And I know that the answer to that question- most often- is "No". So, coming to terms with these decisions is what really is going on here. But suffice it to say that I have committed to clearing out a bunch of stuff around here and maybe a few of the items worth 'something' will show up on the garage sale page here. We'll see.

I have enough parts to turn some of this into complete bicycles, but I think I will only do that in one case for now. I figure on getting that old 'gravel mutt' I spray bombed up and running as a townie with fenders. If I can score a rack for it I will, and then maybe put a trunk bag on it for smaller items. 

If it works out I may retire the barn-built Trek from errand duties and do a 650B conversion on it. Then that would end up eventually becoming the light-touring/rando/gravel rig. If that happens it will be a huge project due to the fact that I will have to braze on some new brake studs and lace up some rim brake wheels, besides getting the rest of the drive train together. 

But I think that old Ishiwata tubed frame has the right geometry for 650B wheels and would make for a great road rig in that configuration. It'd probably be limited to 650B X 42's, but that would be just fine by me. It has been an idea I've had for this bike for a long time. maybe now is the time.....

Meanwhile I think I need to swap out tires on the Raleigh Tamland two and put fenders on that bike. I also have to go through a few of the other bikes in terms of quick tune-ups and cleanings so that I am all set to go for Spring. But there isn't a whole lot to do on that end of things, so that is good. 

It's hard to get a clear image of perpetual motion.

It's Like Herding Cats:

I've been babysitting this new cat, named Felix, quite a bit of late also. He's a ball of kitten energy, of course, but that isn't the biggest issue we are dealing with.

See, we have had a cat, named Minka, and she's full grown, and used to doing things 'her way'. Felix has been, as the young folk say, a 'disrupter' of the status quo around here. And another thing, Felix has no fear. Zero. The fact that Minka can swat him across the room does not faze him in the least. he comes right back for more.

So, Minka, to put a 'swift end' to things, generally gets over Felix's back and bites his neck. Then we have to intervene and the whole thing starts again. It's like refereeing a WWF wrestling match. 

But generally their has been less trouble as the days go by. I figure one cat just has to grow up, calm down a little, and the other has to adjust to the 'new normal'. And the really great thing is that everyone is pitching in to make things work. Well......except the cats, of course!

USAC Names New CEO:

News broke last week that USA Cycling lost its CEO to the mattress company Purple and then made a new hire in Brendan Quirk, who had held a high level executive position at Rapha, and was co-founder of Competitive Cyclist, which was sold to Backcountry.com. 

Quirk has reportedly been on the board of USA Cycling since October and was program director for the Runway Group, and investment group centered on Northwest Arkansas which is headed by the Walton brothers. 

 In an article published in "Velo News", Quirk mentions one of his goals for USAC is to grow 'grassroots cycling" and he mentions the boom in gravel events later in his statement. He also mentions that USAC will be focused heavily on developing new talent for the upcoming 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. 

 Comments: With a wide ranging statement which really did not reveal any new ideas, Quirk hasn't done anything, in my opinion, to make me think that USAC will change much of anything going forward. The focus is on competitive racing and Olympic development, seemingly, and with the resources USAC has, I would be surprised to see much of anything change in regard to that in the near term. 

Obviously, there is a relationship with the Walton family and Northwest Arkansas which, theoretically, could be leveraged to help USAC squeeze their way into the gravel world, but with Life Time Fitness having a big event already there in the Fall, I would be surprised to see any ground gained there. But, I have been surprised before.

And additionally, USAC seems to be the focus for the social issues some people are championing. There was a bit of controversy over a group protesting trans athletes at Cyclo Cross Nationals last week which USAC drew a lot of criticism over for their lack of response to some people who wanted the protests and heckling of athletes to be stopped by USAC. (By the way, is it not strange that a group like Life Time Fitness doesn't see these same issues?) So, USAC will probably see the same scrutiny if they propose something along the lines of a Gravel National Championship. Not to mention the fact that there already is a "Gravel Nationals" put on by the USE. So they'd have to navigate those murky naming rights issues there.

Busy Holiday Time: 

So, that about wraps it up here for now. I had a very busy week last week with Mrs. Guitar Ted and my daughter having birthdays two days apart from each other. The end of this week is Christmas, and then a week after is New Year's and the 2nd of January will be my wedding anniversary. So, lot's happening with my life in this period. 

I may get a few rides in, but typically this period doesn't see me out a whole bunch due to the aforementioned life stuff and whatnot. I'll be back with more riding in the New Year as weather permits. Until that happens, riding reports will be slim here. 

I hope you all have a fantastic week and have an easy time during this busy Holiday stretch. Look for more end-of-year stuff the rest of the week and next as 2022 comes on like a freight train! And as always, thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Randomonium

 NOTE: Okay folks, if you haven't been around long enough here to know what a "Randomonium" post is, then here is the deal. I ramble, rant, and randomly moan about all things cycling in one, incohesive, bizarre post. "Randomonium", okay?

The top one was first, then I opened the second one, both from the same Chinese take-out meal.

With all the end-of-year stuff going on I figured I would take this opportunity to do a little catching up around here. So, without any real cohesiveness to this post, (Random- get it?), I will do just that- catch y'all up on the latest goings on here at Guitar Ted Productions.

So, the weather! What the heck! It was awesome for three days last week, as in far too nice for December, and then it got downright December-like, just without the snow. I got a ride in Monday, but Tuesday and especially on Wednesday I did not plan on cycling due to the big winds. By the way, we did not have any real significant damage from Wednesday night's storms. Some folks in Iowa had tornadoes though. 

On a side note: If you hadn't heard yet, Andy's Bike Shop is out of business, so I am job-less at the moment. But I have picked up a very part-time gig as a mover. Yes.....it's odd, but a friend works at this place and they are desperate for help and I said I could lend a hand. That said, I have a prospect which -if it works out- may be the direction I decide to go in for the future. Stay tuned...... 

Projects:

I've been busy doing some clearing out of old stuff and clearing out some space for a long-planned 'hobby' I am pursuing. (More on that when I am ready), but along the way I've had to start trying to decide what to do with some stuff around here. 

It's not easy, because after nearly 20 years of doing review stuff and after all this time in the bike shop, I have accumulated a lot of 'stuff' I figured was valuable at one point or another. I have a bad habit of being a 'pack-rat' and justifying it on the odd occasions when I hold up a very obscure part or tool and 'save the day' on a repair. But......is carrying all this obscure inventory worth the bother? 

And I know that the answer to that question- most often- is "No". So, coming to terms with these decisions is what really is going on here. But suffice it to say that I have committed to clearing out a bunch of stuff around here and maybe a few of the items worth 'something' will show up on the garage sale page here. We'll see.

I have enough parts to turn some of this into complete bicycles, but I think I will only do that in one case for now. I figure on getting that old 'gravel mutt' I spray bombed up and running as a townie with fenders. If I can score a rack for it I will, and then maybe put a trunk bag on it for smaller items. 

If it works out I may retire the barn-built Trek from errand duties and do a 650B conversion on it. Then that would end up eventually becoming the light-touring/rando/gravel rig. If that happens it will be a huge project due to the fact that I will have to braze on some new brake studs and lace up some rim brake wheels, besides getting the rest of the drive train together. 

But I think that old Ishiwata tubed frame has the right geometry for 650B wheels and would make for a great road rig in that configuration. It'd probably be limited to 650B X 42's, but that would be just fine by me. It has been an idea I've had for this bike for a long time. maybe now is the time.....

Meanwhile I think I need to swap out tires on the Raleigh Tamland two and put fenders on that bike. I also have to go through a few of the other bikes in terms of quick tune-ups and cleanings so that I am all set to go for Spring. But there isn't a whole lot to do on that end of things, so that is good. 

It's hard to get a clear image of perpetual motion.

It's Like Herding Cats:

I've been babysitting this new cat, named Felix, quite a bit of late also. He's a ball of kitten energy, of course, but that isn't the biggest issue we are dealing with.

See, we have had a cat, named Minka, and she's full grown, and used to doing things 'her way'. Felix has been, as the young folk say, a 'disrupter' of the status quo around here. And another thing, Felix has no fear. Zero. The fact that Minka can swat him across the room does not faze him in the least. he comes right back for more.

So, Minka, to put a 'swift end' to things, generally gets over Felix's back and bites his neck. Then we have to intervene and the whole thing starts again. It's like refereeing a WWF wrestling match. 

But generally their has been less trouble as the days go by. I figure one cat just has to grow up, calm down a little, and the other has to adjust to the 'new normal'. And the really great thing is that everyone is pitching in to make things work. Well......except the cats, of course!

USAC Names New CEO:

News broke last week that USA Cycling lost its CEO to the mattress company Purple and then made a new hire in Brendan Quirk, who had held a high level executive position at Rapha, and was co-founder of Competitive Cyclist, which was sold to Backcountry.com. 

Quirk has reportedly been on the board of USA Cycling since October and was program director for the Runway Group, and investment group centered on Northwest Arkansas which is headed by the Walton brothers. 

 In an article published in "Velo News", Quirk mentions one of his goals for USAC is to grow 'grassroots cycling" and he mentions the boom in gravel events later in his statement. He also mentions that USAC will be focused heavily on developing new talent for the upcoming 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. 

 Comments: With a wide ranging statement which really did not reveal any new ideas, Quirk hasn't done anything, in my opinion, to make me think that USAC will change much of anything going forward. The focus is on competitive racing and Olympic development, seemingly, and with the resources USAC has, I would be surprised to see much of anything change in regard to that in the near term. 

Obviously, there is a relationship with the Walton family and Northwest Arkansas which, theoretically, could be leveraged to help USAC squeeze their way into the gravel world, but with Life Time Fitness having a big event already there in the Fall, I would be surprised to see any ground gained there. But, I have been surprised before.

And additionally, USAC seems to be the focus for the social issues some people are championing. There was a bit of controversy over a group protesting trans athletes at Cyclo Cross Nationals last week which USAC drew a lot of criticism over for their lack of response to some people who wanted the protests and heckling of athletes to be stopped by USAC. (By the way, is it not strange that a group like Life Time Fitness doesn't see these same issues?) So, USAC will probably see the same scrutiny if they propose something along the lines of a Gravel National Championship. Not to mention the fact that there already is a "Gravel Nationals" put on by the USE. So they'd have to navigate those murky naming rights issues there.

Busy Holiday Time: 

So, that about wraps it up here for now. I had a very busy week last week with Mrs. Guitar Ted and my daughter having birthdays two days apart from each other. The end of this week is Christmas, and then a week after is New Year's and the 2nd of January will be my wedding anniversary. So, lot's happening with my life in this period. 

I may get a few rides in, but typically this period doesn't see me out a whole bunch due to the aforementioned life stuff and whatnot. I'll be back with more riding in the New Year as weather permits. Until that happens, riding reports will be slim here. 

I hope you all have a fantastic week and have an easy time during this busy Holiday stretch. Look for more end-of-year stuff the rest of the week and next as 2022 comes on like a freight train! And as always, thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Almanzo Report: Cherry Grove Checkpoint

Jacob waiting in the cold rain and wind for things to get started.

The Almanzo 100, probably one of the most classic of gravel road events, was held again this past weekend up in Spring Valley, Minnesota. The 11th running of this event was marked by some brutal conditions. My son, Jacob, and I were up to help with the RidingGravel.com Cherry Grove Checkpoint. This is the tale of the day as I saw it....

Our trip was arranged so that we could ride up and back again with my friend Marty in his Ford Flex. Marty picked us up at 7:00am and we hightailed it up North, raining and blowing all the way. Marty had an intrepid attitude going in to this event and he seemed to be well prepared for the day. He dumped us off in Cherry Grove at about 8:30 am and headed off to find his starting spot in the event.

We were left in the forlorn looking town made even more dreary by the cold, wind driven rain which was slashing down and drowning everything in a heat sucking, watery curse. Only the robins seemed pleased as they hopped about, joyfully chirping as they pulled doomed earthworms out of the water-logged ground. Whomever showed up for this Almanzo was in for a brutal day, that was for sure.

Jacob and I shivered and milled about as best we could, trying to stay warm and engaged with each other. Actually, with the sub-40 degree temperatures, the wet air, and the strong winds, I was already going in to the throes of hypothermia after only being there about an hour. My chest ached and I tried to do some exercises to get the blood pumping again. Fortunately, after a little over an hour, Ben and Matt showed up with all the supplies and we set about to getting the checkpoint operable.

Matt chats with Troy from the USECF Gravel Nationals

Ben scored the use of this fire pit from the local Spring Valley hardware store owner. It was much appreciated!

We set about to getting some shelter up first of all. It  was a pop up tent given to Ben to use by Surly Brewing. The work was welcomed by Jacob and I and it helped to warm me right up. I think had I had to stand out there much longer I might have been in trouble. The work went fast with many hands. We were joined in our efforts by Troy from the USECF Gravel Nationals (If you haven't heard of Gravel Nationals, I recommend listening to this podcast) Matt and Ben also helped a lot to get the checkpoint looking like something within a short period of time. Matt kicked right in to frying bacon and my son assisted him in that task. Meanwhile, Ben and I got a fire going in a borrowed fire pit that Ben had secured from the local hardware store owner in Spring Valley. Not long afterward, the man from Cherry Grove in charge of taking care of the community center stopped by and opened up the place which had heat and a clean, dry place to sit. Now we were ready for the first riders.

First rider through.

The first seven riders trickled through within an hour or so of each other and then it took a long time before we saw anyone else.

Suddenly a call went up that there was a rider spotted. He was all alone and looked a little unhappy, but who wouldn't be in those conditions? Anyway, it was quite a few minutes before we saw another pair, then quite a few minutes more before we saw another lone rider. Finally, we had about seven go through within about an hour or so of each other, then nothing for a long time.

Meanwhile we went in to the community center, which was a country school from the 1880's to 1954, and warmed up by the gas furnace. We "cooked" our wet clothes on top, just like we used to do back when I was a kid at many of my relative's country homes when we would get wet playing in the snow as kids.

(L-R) Sam Cohen, Troy from Gravel Nationals, and Ben Welnak gathered under the tarp behind the RadTour's Sprinter van.

We noted a Sprinter van which pulled up, set out a big, blue tarp, and had a dog cavorting about. It was Audrey Wiedemier and Sam Cohen who were helping support some folks, I believe, on the Almanzo. Anyway, Audrey has a touring business going where she takes folks on short, mixed gravel and pavement routes to farms where the idea is to get local produce and meats to eat. I probably have some of that wrong, but maybe someone could comment on this post and set me straight?

Anyway, Audrey and Sam had tea and were very gracious to anyone who ducked under their blue tarp for shelter. And we needed all the shelter we could get. It blew hard and rained a lot most of the day.

Riders that stopped by at the checkpoint were treated to a warm fire and lots of attention from the bystanders.

Jason O'Mahoney of Gravel Cyclist avails himself of the hospitality at the RidingGravel.com food table.

We were told by Pat Sorensen of Penn Cycles that "everybody is dropping out..." and while we didn't know exactly what that meant, we had only seen about 15 cyclists by 3:00pm! However; a slug of bikers were spotted, and then a slow trickle of wet, weary cyclists were coming by in ones and twos until probably around 5:30 or so. By that time we were seeing a few of the Royal 162 riders, of which there were only seven or so left of that started the event. One of them, the leader, Greg Gleason, went steaming by on his distinctive Salsa Cycles Cutthroat. He looked really strong.

I was told by Joel Raygor that Ben Mullin, who was in Trans Iowa v13 this year, had a "special gift" which he was carrying for me and that I should wait for him to reach Cherry Grove. By this point, Marty, who had abandoned in Preston, was there waiting with our ride back to Waterloo. It was a great thing that Marty was so amenable to the idea of waiting around a bit longer. Thanks Marty!! In fact, Marty ended up giving a local to us rider a hitch back to the starting line. So, it all worked out.

Me (L) and Ben Mullin, who hauled this sixer of beer for 100 plus miles in his hydration pack to give to me. Photo by Martin Bunge

Ben eventually rolled in with a few other riders and proceeded to dislodge six cans of craft beer which he had hauled around the Royal course to give to me along with a movie pass for my wife. What a guy! Don't try this at home kids, because hauling around all that extra weight in those conditions was a handicap Ben didn't need. That was super awesome of him to do and I won't soon forget about that.

Well, a few more riders came around after that, but according to the report we had from Joel Raygor, the last of the riders were to arrive very soon. I have no hard numbers on how many folks went by us. I lost track at 25-30, but I would be very surprised if more than 75 riders passed us at Cherry Grove. (NOTE: Initial Almanzo tabulations show 110. I find that hard to fathom myself.) It was a very difficult day, and many made a wiser decision for themselves and pulled out after shorter rides, or decided not to come at all. Ben Welnak, who was at the start, said maybe 300 folks were in Spring Valley to start the event Saturday. So, obviously this unseasonably cold, wet, windy weather has had a big effect upon the turnout and the finishing numbers.

Martin took us home and we arrived shortly before sunset. Probably about a ten hour day of exposure for myself and my son, but we had a blast and we hope that our "gravel family" had a good time despite the conditions. I look forward to seeing many of you again and more at the Dirty Kanza 200 in a couple of weeks from now. Hopefully the nasty weather will leave us alone!

Thank You: To Ben Welnak and Matt McCauley of RidingGravel.com, to Troy of the USECF Gravel Worlds, Penn Cycles, The Spring Valley Tourism Board, The Cherry Grove Community Center, Surly Brewing Company, and especially to all of the outstanding Almanzo riders. Thanks to all that came to hang out with us at the checkpoint. It was wonderful to have been with you all. #gravelfamily Finally- A big Thank You to Martin Bunge for the transportation and great conversation.

Almanzo Report: Cherry Grove Checkpoint

Jacob waiting in the cold rain and wind for things to get started.

The Almanzo 100, probably one of the most classic of gravel road events, was held again this past weekend up in Spring Valley, Minnesota. The 11th running of this event was marked by some brutal conditions. My son, Jacob, and I were up to help with the RidingGravel.com Cherry Grove Checkpoint. This is the tale of the day as I saw it....

Our trip was arranged so that we could ride up and back again with my friend Marty in his Ford Flex. Marty picked us up at 7:00am and we hightailed it up North, raining and blowing all the way. Marty had an intrepid attitude going in to this event and he seemed to be well prepared for the day. He dumped us off in Cherry Grove at about 8:30 am and headed off to find his starting spot in the event.

We were left in the forlorn looking town made even more dreary by the cold, wind driven rain which was slashing down and drowning everything in a heat sucking, watery curse. Only the robins seemed pleased as they hopped about, joyfully chirping as they pulled doomed earthworms out of the water-logged ground. Whomever showed up for this Almanzo was in for a brutal day, that was for sure.

Jacob and I shivered and milled about as best we could, trying to stay warm and engaged with each other. Actually, with the sub-40 degree temperatures, the wet air, and the strong winds, I was already going in to the throes of hypothermia after only being there about an hour. My chest ached and I tried to do some exercises to get the blood pumping again. Fortunately, after a little over an hour, Ben and Matt showed up with all the supplies and we set about to getting the checkpoint operable.

Matt chats with Troy from the USECF Gravel Nationals

Ben scored the use of this fire pit from the local Spring Valley hardware store owner. It was much appreciated!

We set about to getting some shelter up first of all. It  was a pop up tent given to Ben to use by Surly Brewing. The work was welcomed by Jacob and I and it helped to warm me right up. I think had I had to stand out there much longer I might have been in trouble. The work went fast with many hands. We were joined in our efforts by Troy from the USECF Gravel Nationals (If you haven't heard of Gravel Nationals, I recommend listening to this podcast) Matt and Ben also helped a lot to get the checkpoint looking like something within a short period of time. Matt kicked right in to frying bacon and my son assisted him in that task. Meanwhile, Ben and I got a fire going in a borrowed fire pit that Ben had secured from the local hardware store owner in Spring Valley. Not long afterward, the man from Cherry Grove in charge of taking care of the community center stopped by and opened up the place which had heat and a clean, dry place to sit. Now we were ready for the first riders.

First rider through.

The first seven riders trickled through within an hour or so of each other and then it took a long time before we saw anyone else.

Suddenly a call went up that there was a rider spotted. He was all alone and looked a little unhappy, but who wouldn't be in those conditions? Anyway, it was quite a few minutes before we saw another pair, then quite a few minutes more before we saw another lone rider. Finally, we had about seven go through within about an hour or so of each other, then nothing for a long time.

Meanwhile we went in to the community center, which was a country school from the 1880's to 1954, and warmed up by the gas furnace. We "cooked" our wet clothes on top, just like we used to do back when I was a kid at many of my relative's country homes when we would get wet playing in the snow as kids.

(L-R) Sam Cohen, Troy from Gravel Nationals, and Ben Welnak gathered under the tarp behind the RadTour's Sprinter van.

We noted a Sprinter van which pulled up, set out a big, blue tarp, and had a dog cavorting about. It was Audrey Wiedemier and Sam Cohen who were helping support some folks, I believe, on the Almanzo. Anyway, Audrey has a touring business going where she takes folks on short, mixed gravel and pavement routes to farms where the idea is to get local produce and meats to eat. I probably have some of that wrong, but maybe someone could comment on this post and set me straight?

Anyway, Audrey and Sam had tea and were very gracious to anyone who ducked under their blue tarp for shelter. And we needed all the shelter we could get. It blew hard and rained a lot most of the day.

Riders that stopped by at the checkpoint were treated to a warm fire and lots of attention from the bystanders.

Jason O'Mahoney of Gravel Cyclist avails himself of the hospitality at the RidingGravel.com food table.

We were told by Pat Sorensen of Penn Cycles that "everybody is dropping out..." and while we didn't know exactly what that meant, we had only seen about 15 cyclists by 3:00pm! However; a slug of bikers were spotted, and then a slow trickle of wet, weary cyclists were coming by in ones and twos until probably around 5:30 or so. By that time we were seeing a few of the Royal 162 riders, of which there were only seven or so left of that started the event. One of them, the leader, Greg Gleason, went steaming by on his distinctive Salsa Cycles Cutthroat. He looked really strong.

I was told by Joel Raygor that Ben Mullin, who was in Trans Iowa v13 this year, had a "special gift" which he was carrying for me and that I should wait for him to reach Cherry Grove. By this point, Marty, who had abandoned in Preston, was there waiting with our ride back to Waterloo. It was a great thing that Marty was so amenable to the idea of waiting around a bit longer. Thanks Marty!! In fact, Marty ended up giving a local to us rider a hitch back to the starting line. So, it all worked out.

Me (L) and Ben Mullin, who hauled this sixer of beer for 100 plus miles in his hydration pack to give to me. Photo by Martin Bunge

Ben eventually rolled in with a few other riders and proceeded to dislodge six cans of craft beer which he had hauled around the Royal course to give to me along with a movie pass for my wife. What a guy! Don't try this at home kids, because hauling around all that extra weight in those conditions was a handicap Ben didn't need. That was super awesome of him to do and I won't soon forget about that.

Well, a few more riders came around after that, but according to the report we had from Joel Raygor, the last of the riders were to arrive very soon. I have no hard numbers on how many folks went by us. I lost track at 25-30, but I would be very surprised if more than 75 riders passed us at Cherry Grove. (NOTE: Initial Almanzo tabulations show 110. I find that hard to fathom myself.) It was a very difficult day, and many made a wiser decision for themselves and pulled out after shorter rides, or decided not to come at all. Ben Welnak, who was at the start, said maybe 300 folks were in Spring Valley to start the event Saturday. So, obviously this unseasonably cold, wet, windy weather has had a big effect upon the turnout and the finishing numbers.

Martin took us home and we arrived shortly before sunset. Probably about a ten hour day of exposure for myself and my son, but we had a blast and we hope that our "gravel family" had a good time despite the conditions. I look forward to seeing many of you again and more at the Dirty Kanza 200 in a couple of weeks from now. Hopefully the nasty weather will leave us alone!

Thank You: To Ben Welnak and Matt McCauley of RidingGravel.com, to Troy of the USECF Gravel Worlds, Penn Cycles, The Spring Valley Tourism Board, The Cherry Grove Community Center, Surly Brewing Company, and especially to all of the outstanding Almanzo riders. Thanks to all that came to hang out with us at the checkpoint. It was wonderful to have been with you all. #gravelfamily Finally- A big Thank You to Martin Bunge for the transportation and great conversation.

It Depends On The "How You Do It"

"Grinder Nationals" poster.

Sanctioned.

Many folks hear that, or read that, and the hair goes straight up on the neck and the claws come out. If you are one of those folks, I urge you to calm down and come back to this later. There isn't anything here to get upset about, really.

So, if you are still with me, there is going to be a Gravel Nationals, and there are going to be "National Championship" jerseys, and the whole deal is being done by the USECF which is a sanctioning body. Now, I'll admit, when I got wind of this, I was very skeptical. Who are these guys? I had never heard of this organization before.

Well, as it turns out, the reason why I had never heard about the organization was because the USECF is all about adventure racing. So, how in the world does this organization get into gravel event production?

Great question. I actually spoke with one of the board members of the USECF for the "Riding Gravel Radio Ranch" ( Click that link for the podcast) and I got a chance to hear firsthand about that. I encourage you to check it out and listen for yourself.

I'll just say that I was impressed by the similarities between the adventure racing community and the gravel racing community. The way the events are nurtured, the spirit behind what they do. It all hearkens to how I feel about and have experienced the gravel races I have been at and have facilitated. Once I knew "the how" of what the do, and why they wanted to keep things that way, I was 100% more comfortable with the whole idea of the USECF putting on a "Gravel Nationals".

It Depends On The "How You Do It"

"Grinder Nationals" poster.

Sanctioned.

Many folks hear that, or read that, and the hair goes straight up on the neck and the claws come out. If you are one of those folks, I urge you to calm down and come back to this later. There isn't anything here to get upset about, really.

So, if you are still with me, there is going to be a Gravel Nationals, and there are going to be "National Championship" jerseys, and the whole deal is being done by the USECF which is a sanctioning body. Now, I'll admit, when I got wind of this, I was very skeptical. Who are these guys? I had never heard of this organization before.

Well, as it turns out, the reason why I had never heard about the organization was because the USECF is all about adventure racing. So, how in the world does this organization get into gravel event production?

Great question. I actually spoke with one of the board members of the USECF for the "Riding Gravel Radio Ranch" ( Click that link for the podcast) and I got a chance to hear firsthand about that. I encourage you to check it out and listen for yourself.

I'll just say that I was impressed by the similarities between the adventure racing community and the gravel racing community. The way the events are nurtured, the spirit behind what they do. It all hearkens to how I feel about and have experienced the gravel races I have been at and have facilitated. Once I knew "the how" of what the do, and why they wanted to keep things that way, I was 100% more comfortable with the whole idea of the USECF putting on a "Gravel Nationals".