The GTDRI Stories; The Pay-Off

Three weeks after the GTDRI in 2016 I was headed to Gravel Worlds

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

The run-up to riding in a Gravel Worlds for me usually was not a planned one. I rode a bike when I could ride a bike, and because I had obligations to test product and write reviews, often times the focus was not on training. So, typically my efforts at any gravel event were subject to my priorities I had previous to said event. That meant I usually wasn't trained properly, or at all, for any sort of success. 

I had come close to finishing Gravel Worlds before. Within 40 miles twice, and it seemed to me at the time that a bit more than 100 miles was going to be all I'd ever get in. But I kept signing up for stuff and they were all longer rides. I stayed away from Gravel Worlds for three years or so there in the early twenty-teens, but in 2015 I went back and got cooked again. 

2016 was a unique year. I had done a few longer rides in the heat on gravel, because by this point I was doing gravel reviews only, no MTB stuff. I had excuses to ride gravel, and so I was doing just that. Recon for the GTDRI was huge in terms of a build up of miles and endurance. The actual GTDRI was a full-on dress rehearsal for a Gravel Worlds. Even the heat was spot on.
 

Late into the 2016 Gravel Worlds. A shot of me by Kevin Fox.

Even the timing was right. That GTDRI being about three weeks ahead of Gravel Worlds, my "taper" was pre-programmed for me, and that was very fortunate. I did NOT plan any of this. It all just fell into place. But looking back on the success I had at Gravel Worlds in 2016, it is easy to spot how the GTDRI was integral to training fitness and bearing up to the miles that equalled a finish at Gravel Worlds. My only finish!

Another shot of me at the 2016 Gravel Worlds by "Gravel Guru"

I finished alongside my good friend, Tony McGrane.

So, I credit the GTDRI and the preparations for the 11th version of that ride for my only Gravel Worlds finish. Somehow, it all worked out to be just what I needed. to have. I don't think that, had you told me I'd finish Gravel Worlds less than a month later, I would have thought that the GTDRI was a good ride for me as I stood in that ditch waiting to get picked up. But I do believe that now. 

So, in a strange turn of events, the GTDRI stories had to include this successful ride as well, because in my opinion, the eleventh GTDRI is responsible for my success at Gravel Worlds, so the story belongs here. I don't know that I'll ever get that done again, so I always celebrate that success every chance I get now days.

Official finishing patches. This image and the one above are by Kevin Fox.

I'll close this out by relating a story about this Gravel Worlds. I found it very strange at the time, and even now I think it is rather curious, but there was a big to-do amongst some folks there concerning my finish before it happened. Somehow word must have passed after Tony and I left the last checkpoint that were were looking like we'd finish. I say that because we came across Kevin Fox several times and the Gravel Guru even tracked me down for an image. 

It seemed a bit strange because, while I get that many were pulling for me, it seemed a bit over the top for just well-wishing me to a finish. But I could have that all wrong. I just found it a bit strange in that it seemed I was getting a bit of a VIP treatment here. Nice, but strange. 

Next: Things changed

The GTDRI Stories; The Pay-Off

Three weeks after the GTDRI in 2016 I was headed to Gravel Worlds

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

The run-up to riding in a Gravel Worlds for me usually was not a planned one. I rode a bike when I could ride a bike, and because I had obligations to test product and write reviews, often times the focus was not on training. So, typically my efforts at any gravel event were subject to my priorities I had previous to said event. That meant I usually wasn't trained properly, or at all, for any sort of success. 

I had come close to finishing Gravel Worlds before. Within 40 miles twice, and it seemed to me at the time that a bit more than 100 miles was going to be all I'd ever get in. But I kept signing up for stuff and they were all longer rides. I stayed away from Gravel Worlds for three years or so there in the early twenty-teens, but in 2015 I went back and got cooked again. 

2016 was a unique year. I had done a few longer rides in the heat on gravel, because by this point I was doing gravel reviews only, no MTB stuff. I had excuses to ride gravel, and so I was doing just that. Recon for the GTDRI was huge in terms of a build up of miles and endurance. The actual GTDRI was a full-on dress rehearsal for a Gravel Worlds. Even the heat was spot on.
 

Late into the 2016 Gravel Worlds. A shot of me by Kevin Fox.

Even the timing was right. That GTDRI being about three weeks ahead of Gravel Worlds, my "taper" was pre-programmed for me, and that was very fortunate. I did NOT plan any of this. It all just fell into place. But looking back on the success I had at Gravel Worlds in 2016, it is easy to spot how the GTDRI was integral to training fitness and bearing up to the miles that equalled a finish at Gravel Worlds. My only finish!

Another shot of me at the 2016 Gravel Worlds by "Gravel Guru"

I finished alongside my good friend, Tony McGrane.

So, I credit the GTDRI and the preparations for the 11th version of that ride for my only Gravel Worlds finish. Somehow, it all worked out to be just what I needed. to have. I don't think that, had you told me I'd finish Gravel Worlds less than a month later, I would have thought that the GTDRI was a good ride for me as I stood in that ditch waiting to get picked up. But I do believe that now. 

So, in a strange turn of events, the GTDRI stories had to include this successful ride as well, because in my opinion, the eleventh GTDRI is responsible for my success at Gravel Worlds, so the story belongs here. I don't know that I'll ever get that done again, so I always celebrate that success every chance I get now days.

Official finishing patches. This image and the one above are by Kevin Fox.

I'll close this out by relating a story about this Gravel Worlds. I found it very strange at the time, and even now I think it is rather curious, but there was a big to-do amongst some folks there concerning my finish before it happened. Somehow word must have passed after Tony and I left the last checkpoint that were were looking like we'd finish. I say that because we came across Kevin Fox several times and the Gravel Guru even tracked me down for an image. 

It seemed a bit strange because, while I get that many were pulling for me, it seemed a bit over the top for just well-wishing me to a finish. But I could have that all wrong. I just found it a bit strange in that it seemed I was getting a bit of a VIP treatment here. Nice, but strange. 

Next: Things changed

Rear View 2016: Part 3

July kicked off with hot weather, the 4th of July celebration, and some fine gravel riding. I spent a lot of July just doing fun stuff, and there was some planning for a reprise of the first Guitar Ted Death Ride course to celebrate ten years of that event.

I actually got my fat bike out and did a few rides, just to change up things a bit. I did a few upgrades on my drive train for the Ti Muk, and I finished another fat bike build, this one for my son just in time for his birthday late in July. I went on rides with some important people too. My wife and my son being tops in that category. I hadn't gotten to ride with my wife in years, so that was a really big deal for me.

My son and I did a cool cruise of the local alleyways on fat bikes and another great ride in July was with Martin and was ostensibly a partial recon for the upcoming GTDRI. But really, it was a finishing of an idea I had for a couple years to go see if the bridge that was out for T.I.v10 had ever been replaced.

Mrs. Guitar Ted's Raleigh "Coasting" bike is almost the same color as my Blackborow DS

Fat bike alley cruising with my son on his new fat bike.

Yep! They replaced the bridge after all.

Then came the big ride. The GTDRI course wasn't all that tough, but it was really long. About 150 miles or so. However; the day was marred for me by a munchie I ate in Traer which didn't agree with me at all. I had stomach shutdown shortly afterward and managed to limp to a 110 mile day before bailing out on the guys. Everyone else did finish, but I had to wait for my wife to come over and bail me out.

A wee bit of mud was the least of my worries at the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational

Well, that ride made me take stock of my normal ways of fueling. I had known about some of the fueling strategies used by my friend Tony, and I decided that based upon my observations of him, I would give his plan a go. Gravel Worlds was coming in almost a month from the GTDRI, so I had a bit of time to check out how I might react to the different strategy.

There was also a Salsa Cycles demo in our area where I got to try out a few of the new 2017 rigs. That was a fun day, and it taught me a few things. I can see why some folks are swayed by the whole "carbon" thing, but I also can see why it might not be such a great idea too. At least for me.

Then there was Gravel Worlds. I had been here before and failed. Let's see....... four times? Yeah, I think it was at least four times before, going back to when the event was called the Good Life Gravel Adventure. This time was a different story.

Knocked that one off.........finally! Tony and I seconds after our Gravel Worlds finish. Image courtesy of Kevin Fox

After the success of Gravel Worlds I made another change. I got a proper cue card holder and more with the BarYak System and tried that out, which worked really well. Then it was time to gear up for some awesome Fall gravel weather and riding. The next big ride was the second Geezer Ride of the year which I held in the Cedar Falls-Waterloo area.

It was a beautiful day for a Geezer Ride

And with that I found myself coming into October staring down one more big challenge that my friend Tony and I decided we'd try out. A fat bike century.

Next: Rear View 2016 Part 4

Rear View 2016: Part 3

July kicked off with hot weather, the 4th of July celebration, and some fine gravel riding. I spent a lot of July just doing fun stuff, and there was some planning for a reprise of the first Guitar Ted Death Ride course to celebrate ten years of that event.

I actually got my fat bike out and did a few rides, just to change up things a bit. I did a few upgrades on my drive train for the Ti Muk, and I finished another fat bike build, this one for my son just in time for his birthday late in July. I went on rides with some important people too. My wife and my son being tops in that category. I hadn't gotten to ride with my wife in years, so that was a really big deal for me.

My son and I did a cool cruise of the local alleyways on fat bikes and another great ride in July was with Martin and was ostensibly a partial recon for the upcoming GTDRI. But really, it was a finishing of an idea I had for a couple years to go see if the bridge that was out for T.I.v10 had ever been replaced.

Mrs. Guitar Ted's Raleigh "Coasting" bike is almost the same color as my Blackborow DS

Fat bike alley cruising with my son on his new fat bike.

Yep! They replaced the bridge after all.

Then came the big ride. The GTDRI course wasn't all that tough, but it was really long. About 150 miles or so. However; the day was marred for me by a munchie I ate in Traer which didn't agree with me at all. I had stomach shutdown shortly afterward and managed to limp to a 110 mile day before bailing out on the guys. Everyone else did finish, but I had to wait for my wife to come over and bail me out.

A wee bit of mud was the least of my worries at the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational

Well, that ride made me take stock of my normal ways of fueling. I had known about some of the fueling strategies used by my friend Tony, and I decided that based upon my observations of him, I would give his plan a go. Gravel Worlds was coming in almost a month from the GTDRI, so I had a bit of time to check out how I might react to the different strategy.

There was also a Salsa Cycles demo in our area where I got to try out a few of the new 2017 rigs. That was a fun day, and it taught me a few things. I can see why some folks are swayed by the whole "carbon" thing, but I also can see why it might not be such a great idea too. At least for me.

Then there was Gravel Worlds. I had been here before and failed. Let's see....... four times? Yeah, I think it was at least four times before, going back to when the event was called the Good Life Gravel Adventure. This time was a different story.

Knocked that one off.........finally! Tony and I seconds after our Gravel Worlds finish. Image courtesy of Kevin Fox

After the success of Gravel Worlds I made another change. I got a proper cue card holder and more with the BarYak System and tried that out, which worked really well. Then it was time to gear up for some awesome Fall gravel weather and riding. The next big ride was the second Geezer Ride of the year which I held in the Cedar Falls-Waterloo area.

It was a beautiful day for a Geezer Ride

And with that I found myself coming into October staring down one more big challenge that my friend Tony and I decided we'd try out. A fat bike century.

Next: Rear View 2016 Part 4

Fargo Riders Reunion Ride

Gen I Fargo which was on the first Fargo Adventure Ride

Well, if you've ever read this blog for very long, you no doubt know about my love for the Salsa Cycles Fargo, and in particular, the "First Gen" model. I would like it very much if only for the fact that it fits me so perfectly. But that is not the only reason I really love this bike.

But before I rehash that, the reason for today's post is that I am taking my first Fargo back to the beginning, in a sense. A bit of a back story to explain.....

In 2008, I was very well aware that a bike with drop bars and 29 inch wheels was coming out from Salsa Cycles. I knew a bike that was similar to an El Mariachi was being made that would be tweaked to run mountain bike specific drop bars and that it would be a steel frame. I actually got to see the first rendering of the final production Fargo on my Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational in the Summer of 2008. Jason Boucher, then the head honcho of Salsa Cycles, came down and rode his pre-production Fargo with a piece of black electrical tape covering the then unknown name of this new model. We riders immediately dubbed the bike "Black Electrical Tape" since Jason was being so "Cagey McCagerson" about the actual model name.

Then in the Fall of '08, at Interbike, I got to test ride a Fargo on the Bootleg Canyon trails. It was an awesome experience, and the Fargo was one of the only bikes I ever rode there that I could clean every drop in on. I was duly impressed and when I got the invitation to come up to Salsa Cycles HQ in early November for a "Fargo demo ride", I immediately jumped at the chance.

A pic from Murphy Hanrehan trails on an early Fargo Adventure Ride

The ride happened out of the QBP headquarters and there were several QBP/Salsa folks on Fargos the likes of which you've never seen. Pre-prodution prototypes in bizarre colorways were on the ride, and the atmosphere was electric. The ride was one of those really memorable ones, where you ride over and beyond your skill set. It was also on the very day that Barack Obama was elected to be the first African American President of the United States of America.  Then, at the end of a most auspicious, beautiful, and awesome November day, I was able to take home a Fargo. Ostensibly it was a test/review bike for Twenty Nine Inches, but I kind of "borrowed it permanently". Whoops! 

Well, if the powers that be ever call it back, I would graciously comply with the demand, but after nearly ten years of abuse, I doubt it would prove to be a benefit to them at this point. Suffice it to say that I am eternally grateful every time I get to throw a leg over that rig. The people, times, and fit of the experience that is embodied in the 2008 Fargo I have will never be duplicated. So when a Fargo Riders Reunion Ride was proposed, I was on it like white on rice. I even forsook my entry to the inaugural Spotted Horse Gravel Ultra race for a chance to be on this ride with old friends and on bicycles we are fond of. That's how much I wanted to be on this ride. I will dearly miss being on a grand gravel ride devised by the inimitable Sarah Cooper, but I wouldn't miss this Fargo Riders Reunion Ride for anything.

A stop on that November '08 Fargo Adventure Ride

So, maybe now it might be more apparent why this particular bicycle is special to me. It is a reminder of all the Fargo Adventure Rides I was on. It is a reminder of all the epic failures on rides I have experienced from the Midnight Madness gravel ride to the Dirty Kanza 200. This is the bike I successfully rode on several GTDRI's and the bike on which I finally put all the miles of Gravel Worlds under my tires. It is the bike I have had some of my most meaningful experiences on. The one I have forged the most meaningful relationships with.

And this weekend I get to go back and do it all again. There will be a new route, new Fargo "Fargonauts", and old acquaintances and deeply missed friends. Who knows? It may be the last time this all happens. Jason Boucher and Ben Witt are behind all of this, and neither one is directly tied to Salsa anymore. It was a chance posting on Facebook that prompted the whole deal. I mean.........who could have predicted it?  No one. It is just a special one off that probably will never happen again, and it is a ride I am sure will conjure up many old memories on several of the riders parts.

So, today I am prepping the old Fargo for its homecoming of sorts. Yes.....this ride means a lot to me. Not just because of the bicycle, but because of the people this particular bike brings together. The ride happens on Friday. I'll have a full report coming up on Monday, October 31st. Stay tuned!

Fargo Riders Reunion Ride

Gen I Fargo which was on the first Fargo Adventure Ride

Well, if you've ever read this blog for very long, you no doubt know about my love for the Salsa Cycles Fargo, and in particular, the "First Gen" model. I would like it very much if only for the fact that it fits me so perfectly. But that is not the only reason I really love this bike.

But before I rehash that, the reason for today's post is that I am taking my first Fargo back to the beginning, in a sense. A bit of a back story to explain.....

In 2008, I was very well aware that a bike with drop bars and 29 inch wheels was coming out from Salsa Cycles. I knew a bike that was similar to an El Mariachi was being made that would be tweaked to run mountain bike specific drop bars and that it would be a steel frame. I actually got to see the first rendering of the final production Fargo on my Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational in the Summer of 2008. Jason Boucher, then the head honcho of Salsa Cycles, came down and rode his pre-production Fargo with a piece of black electrical tape covering the then unknown name of this new model. We riders immediately dubbed the bike "Black Electrical Tape" since Jason was being so "Cagey McCagerson" about the actual model name.

Then in the Fall of '08, at Interbike, I got to test ride a Fargo on the Bootleg Canyon trails. It was an awesome experience, and the Fargo was one of the only bikes I ever rode there that I could clean every drop in on. I was duly impressed and when I got the invitation to come up to Salsa Cycles HQ in early November for a "Fargo demo ride", I immediately jumped at the chance.

A pic from Murphy Hanrehan trails on an early Fargo Adventure Ride

The ride happened out of the QBP headquarters and there were several QBP/Salsa folks on Fargos the likes of which you've never seen. Pre-prodution prototypes in bizarre colorways were on the ride, and the atmosphere was electric. The ride was one of those really memorable ones, where you ride over and beyond your skill set. It was also on the very day that Barack Obama was elected to be the first African American President of the United States of America.  Then, at the end of a most auspicious, beautiful, and awesome November day, I was able to take home a Fargo. Ostensibly it was a test/review bike for Twenty Nine Inches, but I kind of "borrowed it permanently". Whoops! 

Well, if the powers that be ever call it back, I would graciously comply with the demand, but after nearly ten years of abuse, I doubt it would prove to be a benefit to them at this point. Suffice it to say that I am eternally grateful every time I get to throw a leg over that rig. The people, times, and fit of the experience that is embodied in the 2008 Fargo I have will never be duplicated. So when a Fargo Riders Reunion Ride was proposed, I was on it like white on rice. I even forsook my entry to the inaugural Spotted Horse Gravel Ultra race for a chance to be on this ride with old friends and on bicycles we are fond of. That's how much I wanted to be on this ride. I will dearly miss being on a grand gravel ride devised by the inimitable Sarah Cooper, but I wouldn't miss this Fargo Riders Reunion Ride for anything.

A stop on that November '08 Fargo Adventure Ride

So, maybe now it might be more apparent why this particular bicycle is special to me. It is a reminder of all the Fargo Adventure Rides I was on. It is a reminder of all the epic failures on rides I have experienced from the Midnight Madness gravel ride to the Dirty Kanza 200. This is the bike I successfully rode on several GTDRI's and the bike on which I finally put all the miles of Gravel Worlds under my tires. It is the bike I have had some of my most meaningful experiences on. The one I have forged the most meaningful relationships with.

And this weekend I get to go back and do it all again. There will be a new route, new Fargo "Fargonauts", and old acquaintances and deeply missed friends. Who knows? It may be the last time this all happens. Jason Boucher and Ben Witt are behind all of this, and neither one is directly tied to Salsa anymore. It was a chance posting on Facebook that prompted the whole deal. I mean.........who could have predicted it?  No one. It is just a special one off that probably will never happen again, and it is a ride I am sure will conjure up many old memories on several of the riders parts.

So, today I am prepping the old Fargo for its homecoming of sorts. Yes.....this ride means a lot to me. Not just because of the bicycle, but because of the people this particular bike brings together. The ride happens on Friday. I'll have a full report coming up on Monday, October 31st. Stay tuned!

Bar Yak For The Fargo

The BarYak Q: Pro

I just got a piece of new gear for my old Fargo that I am pretty excited about. It is an item from a company called "BarYak". Before I get into the part I purchased, I wanted to give some background on BarYak and its founder, Joe Stiller.

I first came across Joe when he e-mailed me wanting to get into Trans Iowa several years ago. I started checking him out via the "innergoogles" and found out he was big into Winter events like the Arrowhead 135, Tuscobia 150, and more. Eventually, at Trans Iowa v10, I met Joe and then it wasn't long before I started hearing more about Joe's exploits including his Trans South Dakota bikepacking event. Well, to say that Joe is an endurance event junkie is putting things mildly.

The interesting thing about endurance cyclists is that many of them are problem solver/inventor types. Most of what we have come to know as "bikepacking gear" was developed by some genius bikepacker's mind while fighting sub-standard gear during a long event. That's one thing about endurance events- you have a lot of time to think through a solution for a problem while you are out in the field. Necessity is the mother of invention? This never rang more true, I think, then it does with endurance cycling events.

Well, getting back to Joe, one of the things he saw when he came to Trans Iowa was the various cue sheet holder systems that were invented by many of the riders. Joe took the idea of what he thought would be best and made it a reality as the "Q:Pro" cue sheet holding system. I actually got to see and hold the first couple of prototype Q: Pro cue sheet holders at Trans Iowa last Spring when Joe's BarYak company sponsored the event and put up two for the Pre-Race Meat-Up raffle. That is where I got real interested in perhaps owning a component from BarYak. Interest was further piqued at this year's Dirty Kanza 200 where I spoke with Joe at the DK200 expo and got to see and handle his "Complete" BarYak set up and hear about the development and construction of the parts and pieces. One day, I was going to get one of these set ups.

My mileage (computer was off on the low side) from Gravel Worlds. Note cue sheets in lower RH corner

Well, as I related in one of my posts on Gravel Worlds, I had issues switching out cue sheets. That was just one of the many issues I had with the system I used for cue sheets at that event. Gravel Worlds publishes route information just a couple of days ahead of the event. As a rider, you can either download a GPS file for a device, or you can print good ol' cue sheets for yourself. Since I do not own a GPS device, nor would I trust one 100% anyway, I decided to print my own cues.

My printer formatted the things so that they came out fairly large and were bigger than my Cyco-Active Bar Map's pouch. They actually hung out the end far enough that I had to use a rubber band to hold them in so they would not get lost. Switching out cue sheets was a trick while riding. I had to momentarily let go of the bars when I was executing a swap, which wasn't always possible on the sandy, wash-boarded roads of the course. What is more, the border of the Bar Map obscured several lines of cues at the bottom of each sheet, which made for some frustrating navigation. This was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. I contacted Joe shortly after Gravel Worlds.

My BarYak system arrived well packaged and safely.

The nice thing about BarYak is that it is truly a one man operation and you talk to the owner when you call the company number. I first contacted BarYak by the e-mail contact form on their site and received a response asking me to call. Joe and I discussed my needs and he provided a few options. The BarYak system is configurable and can be combined with the Q:Pro cue sheet holder, which is the route I took. Joe suggested to me that if I had a spare handle bar that wasn't being used I could use it as part of the system. I happened to have an old Bontrager 118 titanium bar which Joe suggested would be a perfect substitute for the carbon cross bar he uses as stock. So, I got the BarYak bars, Easton carbon bar ends, and the Q:Pro minus the 3D printed bars that usually go with that.

I received the items double packed in bubble wrapped envelopes and shrink wrapped to a cardboard base. Very secure and safe. I got some blue anodized bar stock, just because it isn't black! BarYak does blue and red as stock colors, I believe, along with black. All attachment hardware is also included, of course. I should mention that the clamping size at the handle bar is 31.8mm, which is the most common size people have, but it isn't the only size out there, so double check your bike before ordering. The cross bar is a clamp size of 25.4mm, so if you plan on using your own handle bar stock, make sure it is a mountain bike handle bar.

My titanium Bontrager bar was a shimmed one, so it was 25.4mm all the way across its length, so I used the center portion of it and cut back the ends myself.  This allowed me to customize the length of the cross bar to my liking, which was nice.

And here is the Fargo Gen I with the BarYak system attached.

A look from the saddle.

Okay, so just above you get the look from the saddle at the BarYak system and how I set it up for now. Note- LOTS could change with this, so don't take any of the above as my "final set up". That said, I have some comments about what I have going on here below.

• On that cross bar: I noted the old Ti bar had some back sweep, so I used that as "forward sweep" to somewhat better align the bar ends with my arms if I use a more aero grip while riding. By the way, there is the Peregrine Arm Rests which can attach to the BarYak system as well, which was out of stock when I ordered, which I will add in the future. One could go sans arm rests, if that doesn't seem to bother you. 
• I popped on my wired (!!) Cat Eye computer and my Trelock Control Ion 950 light onto the cross bar. While it doesn't appear so, I can grasp the bar ends comfortably with these components there. Now that doesn't mean that they are staying there! They won't, but for now, it works. 
• Notice the Q: Pro cue sheet holder is rather spacious. This would have been the trick set up for my Gravel Worlds cues. Also of note- Joe got rider feedback on the Q: Pro saying that the original, shiny clip which holds the cues down was a reflector and was blinding if the Sun was just so. Joe laminated a sheet of carbon fiber on there to alleviate that issue. 
• The bar ends were purchased from BarYak, but any old mtb bar end you have that you really like can be substituted. 
• Note my Bike Bag Dude Chaff Bags. I was able to strap one to the slotted bar stock of the BarYak to allow for a different placement. (Left side). My original placement is on the right of the stem in the image above. 
• The BarYak system is not only configurable, it is adjustable as well. You can rotate the rails up or down to taste and the bar ends can be rotated on the cross bars as well depending on your desired ergonomics. 

Here you can see the slots in the rails which allow for a multitude of strap attachment options.

So that's the set up for the Fargo Gen I, but I probably will move this around to different bikes as the seasons change. I will, for instance, swap this over to the Blackborow DS at some point where the BarYak system will allow me to strap on a front bag and not foul my brake cables. It may end up on the Fat Fargo at some point depending upon the needs I have. Or, it could easily go on one of my gravel grinding rigs for cue sheet duty.

The fit of the parts are precise and the rails are claimed to carry some ridiculous amount of gear, so I expect that I will be able to use this system for years to come. Like I say, it is configurable, and I am certain to add the Peregrine Arm Rests soon and I may utilize this system in different configurations as the need arises. Besides that versatility, I could also see myself adding a Q: Pro cue sheet holder to another rig as a standalone piece. Keep in mind that the rails on the Q: Pro are 3D printed, so they are not up to gear hauling, should you think you want that. In that case, I would advise the regular BarYak as the solution.

Okay, so stay tuned for more as I get used to this set up and make any changes.

Bar Yak For The Fargo

The BarYak Q: Pro

I just got a piece of new gear for my old Fargo that I am pretty excited about. It is an item from a company called "BarYak". Before I get into the part I purchased, I wanted to give some background on BarYak and its founder, Joe Stiller.

I first came across Joe when he e-mailed me wanting to get into Trans Iowa several years ago. I started checking him out via the "innergoogles" and found out he was big into Winter events like the Arrowhead 135, Tuscobia 150, and more. Eventually, at Trans Iowa v10, I met Joe and then it wasn't long before I started hearing more about Joe's exploits including his Trans South Dakota bikepacking event. Well, to say that Joe is an endurance event junkie is putting things mildly.

The interesting thing about endurance cyclists is that many of them are problem solver/inventor types. Most of what we have come to know as "bikepacking gear" was developed by some genius bikepacker's mind while fighting sub-standard gear during a long event. That's one thing about endurance events- you have a lot of time to think through a solution for a problem while you are out in the field. Necessity is the mother of invention? This never rang more true, I think, then it does with endurance cycling events.

Well, getting back to Joe, one of the things he saw when he came to Trans Iowa was the various cue sheet holder systems that were invented by many of the riders. Joe took the idea of what he thought would be best and made it a reality as the "Q:Pro" cue sheet holding system. I actually got to see and hold the first couple of prototype Q: Pro cue sheet holders at Trans Iowa last Spring when Joe's BarYak company sponsored the event and put up two for the Pre-Race Meat-Up raffle. That is where I got real interested in perhaps owning a component from BarYak. Interest was further piqued at this year's Dirty Kanza 200 where I spoke with Joe at the DK200 expo and got to see and handle his "Complete" BarYak set up and hear about the development and construction of the parts and pieces. One day, I was going to get one of these set ups.

My mileage (computer was off on the low side) from Gravel Worlds. Note cue sheets in lower RH corner

Well, as I related in one of my posts on Gravel Worlds, I had issues switching out cue sheets. That was just one of the many issues I had with the system I used for cue sheets at that event. Gravel Worlds publishes route information just a couple of days ahead of the event. As a rider, you can either download a GPS file for a device, or you can print good ol' cue sheets for yourself. Since I do not own a GPS device, nor would I trust one 100% anyway, I decided to print my own cues.

My printer formatted the things so that they came out fairly large and were bigger than my Cyco-Active Bar Map's pouch. They actually hung out the end far enough that I had to use a rubber band to hold them in so they would not get lost. Switching out cue sheets was a trick while riding. I had to momentarily let go of the bars when I was executing a swap, which wasn't always possible on the sandy, wash-boarded roads of the course. What is more, the border of the Bar Map obscured several lines of cues at the bottom of each sheet, which made for some frustrating navigation. This was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. I contacted Joe shortly after Gravel Worlds.

My BarYak system arrived well packaged and safely.

The nice thing about BarYak is that it is truly a one man operation and you talk to the owner when you call the company number. I first contacted BarYak by the e-mail contact form on their site and received a response asking me to call. Joe and I discussed my needs and he provided a few options. The BarYak system is configurable and can be combined with the Q:Pro cue sheet holder, which is the route I took. Joe suggested to me that if I had a spare handle bar that wasn't being used I could use it as part of the system. I happened to have an old Bontrager 118 titanium bar which Joe suggested would be a perfect substitute for the carbon cross bar he uses as stock. So, I got the BarYak bars, Easton carbon bar ends, and the Q:Pro minus the 3D printed bars that usually go with that.

I received the items double packed in bubble wrapped envelopes and shrink wrapped to a cardboard base. Very secure and safe. I got some blue anodized bar stock, just because it isn't black! BarYak does blue and red as stock colors, I believe, along with black. All attachment hardware is also included, of course. I should mention that the clamping size at the handle bar is 31.8mm, which is the most common size people have, but it isn't the only size out there, so double check your bike before ordering. The cross bar is a clamp size of 25.4mm, so if you plan on using your own handle bar stock, make sure it is a mountain bike handle bar.

My titanium Bontrager bar was a shimmed one, so it was 25.4mm all the way across its length, so I used the center portion of it and cut back the ends myself.  This allowed me to customize the length of the cross bar to my liking, which was nice.

And here is the Fargo Gen I with the BarYak system attached.

A look from the saddle.

Okay, so just above you get the look from the saddle at the BarYak system and how I set it up for now. Note- LOTS could change with this, so don't take any of the above as my "final set up". That said, I have some comments about what I have going on here below.

• On that cross bar: I noted the old Ti bar had some back sweep, so I used that as "forward sweep" to somewhat better align the bar ends with my arms if I use a more aero grip while riding. By the way, there is the Peregrine Arm Rests which can attach to the BarYak system as well, which was out of stock when I ordered, which I will add in the future. One could go sans arm rests, if that doesn't seem to bother you. 
• I popped on my wired (!!) Cat Eye computer and my Trelock Control Ion 950 light onto the cross bar. While it doesn't appear so, I can grasp the bar ends comfortably with these components there. Now that doesn't mean that they are staying there! They won't, but for now, it works. 
• Notice the Q: Pro cue sheet holder is rather spacious. This would have been the trick set up for my Gravel Worlds cues. Also of note- Joe got rider feedback on the Q: Pro saying that the original, shiny clip which holds the cues down was a reflector and was blinding if the Sun was just so. Joe laminated a sheet of carbon fiber on there to alleviate that issue. 
• The bar ends were purchased from BarYak, but any old mtb bar end you have that you really like can be substituted. 
• Note my Bike Bag Dude Chaff Bags. I was able to strap one to the slotted bar stock of the BarYak to allow for a different placement. (Left side). My original placement is on the right of the stem in the image above. 
• The BarYak system is not only configurable, it is adjustable as well. You can rotate the rails up or down to taste and the bar ends can be rotated on the cross bars as well depending on your desired ergonomics. 

Here you can see the slots in the rails which allow for a multitude of strap attachment options.

So that's the set up for the Fargo Gen I, but I probably will move this around to different bikes as the seasons change. I will, for instance, swap this over to the Blackborow DS at some point where the BarYak system will allow me to strap on a front bag and not foul my brake cables. It may end up on the Fat Fargo at some point depending upon the needs I have. Or, it could easily go on one of my gravel grinding rigs for cue sheet duty.

The fit of the parts are precise and the rails are claimed to carry some ridiculous amount of gear, so I expect that I will be able to use this system for years to come. Like I say, it is configurable, and I am certain to add the Peregrine Arm Rests soon and I may utilize this system in different configurations as the need arises. Besides that versatility, I could also see myself adding a Q: Pro cue sheet holder to another rig as a standalone piece. Keep in mind that the rails on the Q: Pro are 3D printed, so they are not up to gear hauling, should you think you want that. In that case, I would advise the regular BarYak as the solution.

Okay, so stay tuned for more as I get used to this set up and make any changes.

Gravel Worlds '16- WW4M: Nutrition And Gear Review

The nutrition during my 2016 Gravel Worlds ride was  99% these items

This post will detail my nutrition and a word or three about gear that I haven't already said much about. The "WW4M" in the title stands for "What Works For Me". This should point out to you that what I am about to detail here may not work for you or anyone else. However; I hope that these ideas might help out someone reading to fine tune their own endurance riding nutrition strategy.

On The Bike Food: If you have been reading along here this Summer you already know that I battled a stomach shut down during my Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational attempt and that I had to stop after a little over 109 miles. Well, I tracked that back to a heavy amount of sugary processed food in the form of a cookie sandwich I ate earlier in the day. I decided after that I wasn't going to utilize any processed sugary crapola like Gatorade or foods from convenience stores in my nutritional strategies for Gravel Worlds.

Fortunately, my friend Tony had shared with me several times about some items he relied upon. So, I decided to follow suit. I obviously was witnessing what it was doing and it was working for him. I did not know if it would work for me at all, and Gravel Worlds was my test ground. I didn't try some of this before at all, and none of it while riding a bike. Dumb? Maybe. Maybe I got away with it because I didn't know I shouldn't! But I think in reality it was more that I had seen the results with Tony and figured I could benefit as well.

• Flattened Bananas- This actually was a suggestion by a Trans Iowa rider that wasn't able to process any convenience store fare and rode in T.I.v12 on these. They are a Trader Joe's item, and he sent me a couple packages of the stuff after T.I.v12. I opened one package and used food scissors to cut the flattened mass into ribbons and then placed those into sandwich bags for easy on bike eating. 
• Justin's Almond Butter packets- I found these at a local grocer's natural food aisle and Tony is a big fan of these. 190 calories in each packet. They can be a bit hard to consume because unless you kneed them up inside the packet before opening one they can be a bit dry and thick on one end where the oils separate out from the solids. Make sure you down this with water! But other than that, they work. Not the most pleasant deal, but not terrible either. 
• Epic Bison and Uncured Bacon meat bars- These are a natural foods aisle score and another thing Tony uses.Not easy to rip open the original packaging while riding, so you may want to pre-open these or better yet, repackage them. This is a form of pemmican, which Native Americans used as an energy source.  
• Elete electrolytic add in- I have been a fan of Elete for over a decade now after learning about it from my former co-worker and 24 hour solo racer, Jeff Kerkove.  This is a clear-ish liquid that you mix in with water and it keeps your electrolytes in balance. I've never cramped while using this, and it is super easy to pack along and to administer to your water as you are on a ride. 

The Fargo Gen I as used at Gravel Worlds

The Gear: I won't go on about the Fargo, but I did pick the bike due to the Luxy Bar and my left shoulder issue. I also had the Revelate Tangle Bag, (an old, outdated version)on the bike which held some maintenance items if needed and a rain/wind breaker in case the weather went sour or if I had to ride after dark. An old Velocity aluminum water bottle cage, (made in Australia), allowed for a lowered water bottle position due to the design of the cage, which can be adjusted. I was able to pack four large water bottles due to this. The bottle under the down tube carried repair bits, tools, tire levers, a roll of black electrical tape, and a chain tool.

I used a Trelock 950 headlight, a Grateful Red Planet Bike tail light, and Bike Bag Dude Chaff Bags and Garage Bag for storing food, a few more tools, and my cameras. Shifters are Gevenalle with 9 speed Ultegra levers. Long pull levers close up ancient Avid BB-7 calipers on a front Avid rotor and a rear Ashima rotor. Tires and wheels are the same I've had since the Kanza ride. Teravail Sparwoods and Sun-Ringle' Black Flags. The Sparwoods were a mixed bag at Gravel Worlds. There was good and bad things, but I am still not impressed enough to keep them on for anything other than hard, solid based or sandy conditions where they seem to excel.

The one item which I felt was well worth its price, for my ride anyway, was the Cirrus Cycles Body Float seat post. It is a sprung post which is designed to take the edge off bumps and absorb the smaller chatter. It does that so seamlessly when set up properly that I don't even notice it. However; I did notice that I didn't have any issues with washboard surfaces out there. Let me tell you- there was a LOT of washboard out on that course. Many riders were getting jostled around and losing speed when they hit this but I could keep pedaling uninterrupted and not lose speed. I noted this several times during the day. In fact, so did other riders. I heard several comments from other riders on how active the post was as they passed me.

Grinding the final miles into Lincoln. Image by Kevin Fox

Conclusions: The new nutritional idea was a grand slam. No issues with fueling at all, with the exception of one element. That would be my falling asleep/battling sleep issues. I was noting that soda pop seemed to kill this issue. Coke, regular grocery store lime soda, regular grocery store cola, it didn't seem to matter. I suspect it was the kind of sugar that I was getting versus what kind of soda it was. Hmm.... Going to have to work on that part.

There were two other things I ate outside of the basic plan. Beef jerky and one gel that was chocolate and had caffeine, which I was trying as a "wake me up" gel. I cannot recall if it worked though! Ha! That said, I am trying to keep what works here and I will test this out on my next long ride which I hope to do just for fun soon.

On the gear side the wool jersey, base layer, Louis Garneau bibs, and my new, gifted to me Omaha Jackrabbit Hundy hat made by Walz, (Thanks Scott Redd!!) were all flawless. Interesting factoid- I didn't like wearing sun glasses that day. Something about it pestered me in the wrong way, so I ditched them for most of the ride. The Gen I Fargo? Well, no words need to be said there. The Body Float post was awesome. I am super happy I used it.

Okay, any questions? Feel free to hit me up with those in the comments or via e-mail.

Gravel Worlds '16- WW4M: Nutrition And Gear Review

The nutrition during my 2016 Gravel Worlds ride was  99% these items

This post will detail my nutrition and a word or three about gear that I haven't already said much about. The "WW4M" in the title stands for "What Works For Me". This should point out to you that what I am about to detail here may not work for you or anyone else. However; I hope that these ideas might help out someone reading to fine tune their own endurance riding nutrition strategy.

On The Bike Food: If you have been reading along here this Summer you already know that I battled a stomach shut down during my Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational attempt and that I had to stop after a little over 109 miles. Well, I tracked that back to a heavy amount of sugary processed food in the form of a cookie sandwich I ate earlier in the day. I decided after that I wasn't going to utilize any processed sugary crapola like Gatorade or foods from convenience stores in my nutritional strategies for Gravel Worlds.

Fortunately, my friend Tony had shared with me several times about some items he relied upon. So, I decided to follow suit. I obviously was witnessing what it was doing and it was working for him. I did not know if it would work for me at all, and Gravel Worlds was my test ground. I didn't try some of this before at all, and none of it while riding a bike. Dumb? Maybe. Maybe I got away with it because I didn't know I shouldn't! But I think in reality it was more that I had seen the results with Tony and figured I could benefit as well.

• Flattened Bananas- This actually was a suggestion by a Trans Iowa rider that wasn't able to process any convenience store fare and rode in T.I.v12 on these. They are a Trader Joe's item, and he sent me a couple packages of the stuff after T.I.v12. I opened one package and used food scissors to cut the flattened mass into ribbons and then placed those into sandwich bags for easy on bike eating. 
• Justin's Almond Butter packets- I found these at a local grocer's natural food aisle and Tony is a big fan of these. 190 calories in each packet. They can be a bit hard to consume because unless you kneed them up inside the packet before opening one they can be a bit dry and thick on one end where the oils separate out from the solids. Make sure you down this with water! But other than that, they work. Not the most pleasant deal, but not terrible either. 
• Epic Bison and Uncured Bacon meat bars- These are a natural foods aisle score and another thing Tony uses.Not easy to rip open the original packaging while riding, so you may want to pre-open these or better yet, repackage them. This is a form of pemmican, which Native Americans used as an energy source.  
• Elete electrolytic add in- I have been a fan of Elete for over a decade now after learning about it from my former co-worker and 24 hour solo racer, Jeff Kerkove.  This is a clear-ish liquid that you mix in with water and it keeps your electrolytes in balance. I've never cramped while using this, and it is super easy to pack along and to administer to your water as you are on a ride. 

The Fargo Gen I as used at Gravel Worlds

The Gear: I won't go on about the Fargo, but I did pick the bike due to the Luxy Bar and my left shoulder issue. I also had the Revelate Tangle Bag, (an old, outdated version)on the bike which held some maintenance items if needed and a rain/wind breaker in case the weather went sour or if I had to ride after dark. An old Velocity aluminum water bottle cage, (made in Australia), allowed for a lowered water bottle position due to the design of the cage, which can be adjusted. I was able to pack four large water bottles due to this. The bottle under the down tube carried repair bits, tools, tire levers, a roll of black electrical tape, and a chain tool.

I used a Trelock 950 headlight, a Grateful Red Planet Bike tail light, and Bike Bag Dude Chaff Bags and Garage Bag for storing food, a few more tools, and my cameras. Shifters are Gevenalle with 9 speed Ultegra levers. Long pull levers close up ancient Avid BB-7 calipers on a front Avid rotor and a rear Ashima rotor. Tires and wheels are the same I've had since the Kanza ride. Teravail Sparwoods and Sun-Ringle' Black Flags. The Sparwoods were a mixed bag at Gravel Worlds. There was good and bad things, but I am still not impressed enough to keep them on for anything other than hard, solid based or sandy conditions where they seem to excel.

The one item which I felt was well worth its price, for my ride anyway, was the Cirrus Cycles Body Float seat post. It is a sprung post which is designed to take the edge off bumps and absorb the smaller chatter. It does that so seamlessly when set up properly that I don't even notice it. However; I did notice that I didn't have any issues with washboard surfaces out there. Let me tell you- there was a LOT of washboard out on that course. Many riders were getting jostled around and losing speed when they hit this but I could keep pedaling uninterrupted and not lose speed. I noted this several times during the day. In fact, so did other riders. I heard several comments from other riders on how active the post was as they passed me.

Grinding the final miles into Lincoln. Image by Kevin Fox

Conclusions: The new nutritional idea was a grand slam. No issues with fueling at all, with the exception of one element. That would be my falling asleep/battling sleep issues. I was noting that soda pop seemed to kill this issue. Coke, regular grocery store lime soda, regular grocery store cola, it didn't seem to matter. I suspect it was the kind of sugar that I was getting versus what kind of soda it was. Hmm.... Going to have to work on that part.

There were two other things I ate outside of the basic plan. Beef jerky and one gel that was chocolate and had caffeine, which I was trying as a "wake me up" gel. I cannot recall if it worked though! Ha! That said, I am trying to keep what works here and I will test this out on my next long ride which I hope to do just for fun soon.

On the gear side the wool jersey, base layer, Louis Garneau bibs, and my new, gifted to me Omaha Jackrabbit Hundy hat made by Walz, (Thanks Scott Redd!!) were all flawless. Interesting factoid- I didn't like wearing sun glasses that day. Something about it pestered me in the wrong way, so I ditched them for most of the ride. The Gen I Fargo? Well, no words need to be said there. The Body Float post was awesome. I am super happy I used it.

Okay, any questions? Feel free to hit me up with those in the comments or via e-mail.