When I Wrote About Mary

 In celebration of the twentieth year of this blog, I have a few tales to tell. This post is one of them. This series will occur off and on throughout this anniversary year, I hope to illuminate some behind-the-scenes stories and highlights from the blog during this time. Enjoy!

As I was starting out the blog I was often posting the latest stuff on the then new 29 inch wheeled mountain bikes. I posted a lot of the things I was seeing that made more sense to me than the smaller 26"er wheels had to offer, which I knew all too well having ridden and raced on those wheels for a dozen years or so.

The 2007 Haro Mary SS

Consequently one of the opportunities offered to me came by way of Mike Varley, he now of Black Mountain Cycles. Back in 2006, Mike was working at Haro as the brand manager, I suppose you would call it. 

Mike has a long history in mountain biking and he has a wealth and depth of knowledge that is well beyond what most folks possess today in terms of mountain bikes and what works. His talents and knowledge were being utilized at Haro to spiff up their mountain bike range, and 29"ers were going to be a part of that. Mike somehow got wind of what I was writing, must have thought I was a pretty decent wordsmith, and so he asked that I write some catalog copy for the 2007 Haro Mary 29"ers. 

Okay, I was barely past one year of blogging and then this opportunity came along? I had to pinch myself to see if I was dreaming when I read the email. Me? A dude from Iowa write catalog copy for a 29"er bike? Wow.... 

The copy I wrote in the catalog.

Not only was I writing some marketing stuff, but my task was to present the Mary, and 29"ers in general, as something that was a serious thing, not some fad or joke. Because things back in 2006 were different concerning the perception of 29"ers by most mountain bikers, this was no easy feat!

I jotted some words down, scrapped them, started again, and tweaked the copy. I sent it off to Mike thinking it would get rejected. I mean, this wasn't my area of expertise, or at least I did not think it was.

However; I was surprised and delighted to find out what I sent in was so good that they were actually going to use it! You can try reading it in the image here if you'd like. I know it is not much, but in the context of the day, I was pretty chuffed to have this be published by a legitimate bicycle brand. 

Mike wanted to recognize my efforts and he offered to send out a frame and fork for one of the two Haro Mary 29"ers, a geared or single speed. At the time, almost every brand was pushing single speed as the way 29"ers were to be consumed, so I chose the geared version, despite my proclivities to being a single speeder. 

The Haro Mary 29"er I built up in 2007. Unfortunately I asked for the wrong size!

Geometry for 29"ers was still a thing being experimented with and not every company was doing things in a way that could be cross referenced to other brands. This led me to choosing a Mary that was one size too small for me. Drat! I was bummed, but I made it work for a bit. Then I decided to move on from this bike and I sold it to a former coworker at the shop I was at during this time. 

Later that year, at Trans Iowa v3 which was run out of Decorah, Iowa, I saw Marty Larsen's Mary SS and I kicked myself for not getting that bike. I probably would still have the Mary if I had gotten the correct size in a single speed, but alas! Such is life. 

The main point here is that this blog, and the eyeballs that were reading it, somehow got me into a place where I was doing things I would have never dreamt of doing. Writing catalog copy for a bicycle catalog was one such thing which fit that list. I am happy it was an opportunity which came along though. This opportunity pushed my work in front of more eyes that eventually would take me off into other opportunities that I am super-grateful for having had the chance to partake in. 

Looking back after twenty years from starting this blog, some of these things I was able to do are still pretty unbelievable to me. Did I really do that? Yes, I did. And I have you dear blog readers to thank, in part, for those opportunities. 

Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Minus Ten Review- 28

Huh...... The neighbor's privacy fence sure looked a lot nicer ten years ago!

Ten years ago this week on the blog I got this review set of wheels for Twenty Nine Inches. I noted when I researched this that I mentioned that only one set of tires were recommended to be used on these. 

One. Think about that.  

Now 29"er tires are a dime a dozen. Back then the selection could be recited from memory, the list was that short. These wheels were tubeless compatible as well, so the one set Mavic recommended, the Hutchinson Python, was actually a tubeless ready tire. So that was at least some progress. 

Ten years ago I also sold the Haro Mary I had received as "payment" for doing the Haro Mary catalog copy, which I had written the previous year. Like an idiot, I ordered a size medium, and that did not fit me at all. So, I sold it to a guy that moved to Kansas City and I never saw that bike again. I also, by this time, had probably sold my Raleigh XXIX single speed for similar reasons. I got a size medium. Lesson learned back then. I was a size Large in 29"er wheeled bicycles. 

I also noted something I had written ten years ago that relates to my "Views On Singletrack" post I wrote just last Wednesday. Here is a quote from that post entitled "Riding In The Jungle": 

 "Man! It's like riding in the jungle!"

That's Captain Bob's exclamation there from yesterday afternoons ride in the GW. (That's George Wyth State Park for you non-locals) Yeah, it's high summer in Iowa and the vegetation is at it's peak right about now. Tree branches full of leaves hanging down, slapping you in the face as you speed along. Weeds with itchy oily secretions making it burn! Nice thorny scratches across your shin bones. Yep! It's a jungle out there all right!

Things have changed a bit in ten years..........

Minus Ten Review- 28

Huh...... The neighbor's privacy fence sure looked a lot nicer ten years ago!

Ten years ago this week on the blog I got this review set of wheels for Twenty Nine Inches. I noted when I researched this that I mentioned that only one set of tires were recommended to be used on these. 

One. Think about that.  

Now 29"er tires are a dime a dozen. Back then the selection could be recited from memory, the list was that short. These wheels were tubeless compatible as well, so the one set Mavic recommended, the Hutchinson Python, was actually a tubeless ready tire. So that was at least some progress. 

Ten years ago I also sold the Haro Mary I had received as "payment" for doing the Haro Mary catalog copy, which I had written the previous year. Like an idiot, I ordered a size medium, and that did not fit me at all. So, I sold it to a guy that moved to Kansas City and I never saw that bike again. I also, by this time, had probably sold my Raleigh XXIX single speed for similar reasons. I got a size medium. Lesson learned back then. I was a size Large in 29"er wheeled bicycles. 

I also noted something I had written ten years ago that relates to my "Views On Singletrack" post I wrote just last Wednesday. Here is a quote from that post entitled "Riding In The Jungle": 

 "Man! It's like riding in the jungle!"

That's Captain Bob's exclamation there from yesterday afternoons ride in the GW. (That's George Wyth State Park for you non-locals) Yeah, it's high summer in Iowa and the vegetation is at it's peak right about now. Tree branches full of leaves hanging down, slapping you in the face as you speed along. Weeds with itchy oily secretions making it burn! Nice thorny scratches across your shin bones. Yep! It's a jungle out there all right!

Things have changed a bit in ten years..........

Minus Ten Review- 7

Karate Monkey in '07 "perfection mode".

On the blog ten years ago I had plenty of images! Hooray! I think the deal was that I was not well versed yet in how to get files uploaded on Blogger, so until I figured that out and was comfortable with that, I went a few times without images. From this point on though, things like that seem to be rare, if not non-existent.

Anyway, here is a shot of my Karate Monkey from February of '07 right after Planet Bike sent me some Cascadia fenders for 29"ers. I mounted those up on my Monkey, which as I posted earlier this week, was dialed to perfection at that point for gravel travel. You can see the Cooks Brothers crank set and the disc brake set up which I no longer am using on this bike.

I was deep into getting bikes ridden and components tested at this time. I was fiddling with the XXIX+G, which I had the good sense to have sent to me in a size Large. The medium XXIX single speed was a medium, and it didn't fit as well, so that bike already was languishing in the basement unridden and would eventually get sold off later in '07, I believe it was. The Haro Mary was also a medium, but seemed to fit a little better. So that was still in play yet and I had wheels and tires being tested on that bike. Plus I had other pet project bikes I was dealing with which included a vintage 650B Raleigh mountain bike.

Another interesting development was that I had tried some DuMonde Tech lube at this point based off of an experience I had with Mike Curiak, who was using that lube at Trans Iowa v1. Later on when I told the DuMonde Tech rep about that, he contacted Mr. Curiak who then, (according to the DuMonde Tech guy) denied that he had ever used the stuff, or at least he couldn't remember ever having used it. Whatever. I saw what I saw, and it influenced me to try it. By the way, it was as good then as it is now. You should try it out too.

Now those are some REAL wagon wheels! Image courtesy of Ben Witt

Then also on the blog ten years ago- I was forwarded an image of what I thought was, (and very well could be), the first 36 inch wheeled mountain bike. It was a collaboration between Mike Pofahl and Ben Witt. Ben owned and operated Milltown Cycles then and Mike Pofahl is a custom frame builder from Northfield Minnesota.

In this image there is also a Salsa Cycles El Mariachi 29"er. You can see how those 36" wheels really dwarf the 29"ers!

This is the same 36"er which Ben had painted a maroon color later on. (Note- It is in a raw, unpainted state in this image and remained that way for several years) This is the very same bike I had here for several months on loan from Ben to use. I mostly did commuter rides on it. Oddly enough, it never did draw any attention as I rode it. People hardly noticed that it had gargantuan hoops.

Weird that.

Anyway, this bike caused quite a stir, and Ben and Mike later on collaborated on another version of this bike with some big improvements in the design. I reckon this first one is the stone that kicked off the entire 36"er bikes for off road niche as it stands today. I don't think Ben and Mike get any credit at all for doing this and being innovators. They should be recognized as such, in my opinion.

Minus Ten Review- 7

Karate Monkey in '07 "perfection mode".

On the blog ten years ago I had plenty of images! Hooray! I think the deal was that I was not well versed yet in how to get files uploaded on Blogger, so until I figured that out and was comfortable with that, I went a few times without images. From this point on though, things like that seem to be rare, if not non-existent.

Anyway, here is a shot of my Karate Monkey from February of '07 right after Planet Bike sent me some Cascadia fenders for 29"ers. I mounted those up on my Monkey, which as I posted earlier this week, was dialed to perfection at that point for gravel travel. You can see the Cooks Brothers crank set and the disc brake set up which I no longer am using on this bike.

I was deep into getting bikes ridden and components tested at this time. I was fiddling with the XXIX+G, which I had the good sense to have sent to me in a size Large. The medium XXIX single speed was a medium, and it didn't fit as well, so that bike already was languishing in the basement unridden and would eventually get sold off later in '07, I believe it was. The Haro Mary was also a medium, but seemed to fit a little better. So that was still in play yet and I had wheels and tires being tested on that bike. Plus I had other pet project bikes I was dealing with which included a vintage 650B Raleigh mountain bike.

Another interesting development was that I had tried some DuMonde Tech lube at this point based off of an experience I had with Mike Curiak, who was using that lube at Trans Iowa v1. Later on when I told the DuMonde Tech rep about that, he contacted Mr. Curiak who then, (according to the DuMonde Tech guy) denied that he had ever used the stuff, or at least he couldn't remember ever having used it. Whatever. I saw what I saw, and it influenced me to try it. By the way, it was as good then as it is now. You should try it out too.

Now those are some REAL wagon wheels! Image courtesy of Ben Witt

Then also on the blog ten years ago- I was forwarded an image of what I thought was, (and very well could be), the first 36 inch wheeled mountain bike. It was a collaboration between Mike Pofahl and Ben Witt. Ben owned and operated Milltown Cycles then and Mike Pofahl is a custom frame builder from Northfield Minnesota.

In this image there is also a Salsa Cycles El Mariachi 29"er. You can see how those 36" wheels really dwarf the 29"ers!

This is the same 36"er which Ben had painted a maroon color later on. (Note- It is in a raw, unpainted state in this image and remained that way for several years) This is the very same bike I had here for several months on loan from Ben to use. I mostly did commuter rides on it. Oddly enough, it never did draw any attention as I rode it. People hardly noticed that it had gargantuan hoops.

Weird that.

Anyway, this bike caused quite a stir, and Ben and Mike later on collaborated on another version of this bike with some big improvements in the design. I reckon this first one is the stone that kicked off the entire 36"er bikes for off road niche as it stands today. I don't think Ben and Mike get any credit at all for doing this and being innovators. They should be recognized as such, in my opinion.

Minus Ten Review- 4

One size too small...... Meh!

Ten years ago on the blog I debuted another, new to me, 29"er that I got as a "payment" for working up some copy on the Haro catalog the year before. This was a well thought out bike, but I went and got the thing a size too small. I have found that I typically fit better on Larges with regard to 29"ers versus the Mediums, but I really fall in between sizes. A bit to far on the "large end" for a medium and a bit too far on the "small end" for a Large.

I think it is interesting to note that almost no one makes 29"ers like this anymore. Not the big brands, at any rate. There was a lot of 26"er influences here and almost none of that exists today. If this bike came out now it would be regarded as a "touring bike", or most probably a "bikepacking bike" with the negatives of no through axles and no "plus size tire" capabilities. And what the heck is that crank set? Triple rings?!!

Egads!!

On another note, I was to receive some 2.25" WTB WeirWolf tires to test. These would be the biggest tires for a 29"er that you could get in 2007. I remember hearing, ad nauseam, I might add, that tire companies could not make a bigger tire because the mold machines could not do anything bigger.

Imagine that today!

Minus Ten Review- 4

One size too small...... Meh!

Ten years ago on the blog I debuted another, new to me, 29"er that I got as a "payment" for working up some copy on the Haro catalog the year before. This was a well thought out bike, but I went and got the thing a size too small. I have found that I typically fit better on Larges with regard to 29"ers versus the Mediums, but I really fall in between sizes. A bit to far on the "large end" for a medium and a bit too far on the "small end" for a Large.

I think it is interesting to note that almost no one makes 29"ers like this anymore. Not the big brands, at any rate. There was a lot of 26"er influences here and almost none of that exists today. If this bike came out now it would be regarded as a "touring bike", or most probably a "bikepacking bike" with the negatives of no through axles and no "plus size tire" capabilities. And what the heck is that crank set? Triple rings?!!

Egads!!

On another note, I was to receive some 2.25" WTB WeirWolf tires to test. These would be the biggest tires for a 29"er that you could get in 2007. I remember hearing, ad nauseam, I might add, that tire companies could not make a bigger tire because the mold machines could not do anything bigger.

Imagine that today!

Minus Ten Review- 47

Another one that came and got away. Haro Mary XC.

Ten years ago on the blog I was writing about 29"ers coming in left and right, or so it seemed. I started out 2006 with two 29"ers, one that wasn't even built up yet, and ended the year with seven 29"ers! 

The one pictured here was my "thank you" from Haro/Mike Varley for doing that catalog writing for the Mary 29"ers. I screwed up big time when I was asked by Mike about what I wanted. The single speed version of the bike was almost an impossibility, since it was selling through and demand meant that maybe I would never see a frame and fork. I should have waited.  The other thing was that I asked for a size medium. I was such a doofus back then concerning what size bike I would need. It didn't help that I was on the cusp of either a Medium or Large size in many company's sizing schemes. I was often left to guess, and when the odds are 50-50, I typically lose. No matter what Bill Nye says about probability.

The other thing I see when I look at this image is that the frame and fork are on Jeff's old bench. We were finalizing the ideas behind Trans Iowa v3 at that time. Registration was just about to kick off at that time and recon was being done at about the same period as well. This marked a time in Trans Iowa history that was pretty critical. No more point to point courses. No more entry fees. Oh.......you didn't know Trans Iowa once had entry fees? Yes, for the first two years it did. We charged what we felt would cover the insurance fees to cover the event. Year one was easy, year two the fees doubled, and for year three, it was to be doubled again. We weren't prepared to charge one hundred bucks a head for the chance to ride in this crazy event. So, we went with advice we had gotten from the inception of Trans Iowa. No fee to ride.

Part of the T.I.v3 course

Speaking of Jeff, I finally got to ride mountain bikes with him during this time. I think we hit the trails twice during the Fall of '06. Both at Camp Ingawanis. It would be the only times we ever rode bicycles together, ironically. The next Spring Jeff was off to work with Ergon, where he has been ever since.

In other news, I heard solid rumors at this time in '06 that Fox was entering the 29"er fork market. This was huge. At that time, had no one like Fox jumped in with a truly legitimate option for 29"ers, the big wheeled bikes would likely have died off eventually. However; unbeknownst to me at the time, Trek put up the dollars to get a set of lowers made and an offset crown forged for their Gary Fisher line of 29"ers. Gary Fisher would have a one year exclusive on the Fox forks before everyone would be on board in the '09 model year.  

Interestingly, later on I also found out why 51mm was chosen as the offset for the Fox G2 geometry forks, and why this has been the offset that is most used on 29"er forks today. In speaking with Travis Brown at a Trek World event, he related to me that several offsets were tried in blind comparisons with riders located in several locations. In the end, all were convinced that one of the forks handled and performed the best. The one with 51mm of offset.

So, if you've ever wondered how that 51mm offset for forks on 29"ers was arrived at,now you know.

Minus Ten Review- 47

Another one that came and got away. Haro Mary XC.

Ten years ago on the blog I was writing about 29"ers coming in left and right, or so it seemed. I started out 2006 with two 29"ers, one that wasn't even built up yet, and ended the year with seven 29"ers! 

The one pictured here was my "thank you" from Haro/Mike Varley for doing that catalog writing for the Mary 29"ers. I screwed up big time when I was asked by Mike about what I wanted. The single speed version of the bike was almost an impossibility, since it was selling through and demand meant that maybe I would never see a frame and fork. I should have waited.  The other thing was that I asked for a size medium. I was such a doofus back then concerning what size bike I would need. It didn't help that I was on the cusp of either a Medium or Large size in many company's sizing schemes. I was often left to guess, and when the odds are 50-50, I typically lose. No matter what Bill Nye says about probability.

The other thing I see when I look at this image is that the frame and fork are on Jeff's old bench. We were finalizing the ideas behind Trans Iowa v3 at that time. Registration was just about to kick off at that time and recon was being done at about the same period as well. This marked a time in Trans Iowa history that was pretty critical. No more point to point courses. No more entry fees. Oh.......you didn't know Trans Iowa once had entry fees? Yes, for the first two years it did. We charged what we felt would cover the insurance fees to cover the event. Year one was easy, year two the fees doubled, and for year three, it was to be doubled again. We weren't prepared to charge one hundred bucks a head for the chance to ride in this crazy event. So, we went with advice we had gotten from the inception of Trans Iowa. No fee to ride.

Part of the T.I.v3 course

Speaking of Jeff, I finally got to ride mountain bikes with him during this time. I think we hit the trails twice during the Fall of '06. Both at Camp Ingawanis. It would be the only times we ever rode bicycles together, ironically. The next Spring Jeff was off to work with Ergon, where he has been ever since.

In other news, I heard solid rumors at this time in '06 that Fox was entering the 29"er fork market. This was huge. At that time, had no one like Fox jumped in with a truly legitimate option for 29"ers, the big wheeled bikes would likely have died off eventually. However; unbeknownst to me at the time, Trek put up the dollars to get a set of lowers made and an offset crown forged for their Gary Fisher line of 29"ers. Gary Fisher would have a one year exclusive on the Fox forks before everyone would be on board in the '09 model year.  

Interestingly, later on I also found out why 51mm was chosen as the offset for the Fox G2 geometry forks, and why this has been the offset that is most used on 29"er forks today. In speaking with Travis Brown at a Trek World event, he related to me that several offsets were tried in blind comparisons with riders located in several locations. In the end, all were convinced that one of the forks handled and performed the best. The one with 51mm of offset.

So, if you've ever wondered how that 51mm offset for forks on 29"ers was arrived at,now you know.

Minus Ten Review- 36

My XXIX which I received in September '06

Ten years ago on the blog here was a pivotal time in my life. I announced that I was going to Interbike. It would be my first trip to the show in ten years. The way it all went down was not revealed on the blog, so here's the deal.

Tim Grahl, then of the Crooked Cog Network and the founder of "Blue Collar Mountainbike"  and "Twenty Nine Inches", had been pestering me to come and help him with coverage of Interbike and to write for Twenty Nine Inches. I had rebuffed him several times, since I was already doing reviews for "The Biking Hub" and was busy with the blog here at the home front. I didn't "need" him or "Twenty Nine Inches". However; Grahl kept insisting I come to Interbike and I finally said I would, but only if it was on his dime. Grahl made it happen, so I was on my way to the show.

In the coming "Minus Ten Review" posts I will get into how that all worked out and ultimately changed my life. I think that there was a lot of good that came out of that, but it didn't come without a lot of worry, frustration, and time spent doing stuff I never wanted to do. They call it "the price you pay". I cannot really say if the price was worth it or not yet. Things are still playing out.......

On a lighter note, I received the Raleigh XXIX single speed and it was really cool. The issue I had was that at that time, I thought I was a medium for 29'ers. The thing was that I not only made that mistake with the Raleigh, but with the Haro Mary I had coming in as well. Lesson learned. Price paid. I ended up sending both those bikes on to new homes where they were ultimately well loved.

One thing that was really kind of odd about the XXIX was that it came with a non-suspension corrected fork. Kind of a weird thing, but it was really a great single speed rig. Maybe had I not been such a knucklehead and had gotten a Large, I would still have that bike, but oh well. Bikes come and bikes go.

Minus Ten Review- 36

My XXIX which I received in September '06

Ten years ago on the blog here was a pivotal time in my life. I announced that I was going to Interbike. It would be my first trip to the show in ten years. The way it all went down was not revealed on the blog, so here's the deal.

Tim Grahl, then of the Crooked Cog Network and the founder of "Blue Collar Mountainbike"  and "Twenty Nine Inches", had been pestering me to come and help him with coverage of Interbike and to write for Twenty Nine Inches. I had rebuffed him several times, since I was already doing reviews for "The Biking Hub" and was busy with the blog here at the home front. I didn't "need" him or "Twenty Nine Inches". However; Grahl kept insisting I come to Interbike and I finally said I would, but only if it was on his dime. Grahl made it happen, so I was on my way to the show.

In the coming "Minus Ten Review" posts I will get into how that all worked out and ultimately changed my life. I think that there was a lot of good that came out of that, but it didn't come without a lot of worry, frustration, and time spent doing stuff I never wanted to do. They call it "the price you pay". I cannot really say if the price was worth it or not yet. Things are still playing out.......

On a lighter note, I received the Raleigh XXIX single speed and it was really cool. The issue I had was that at that time, I thought I was a medium for 29'ers. The thing was that I not only made that mistake with the Raleigh, but with the Haro Mary I had coming in as well. Lesson learned. Price paid. I ended up sending both those bikes on to new homes where they were ultimately well loved.

One thing that was really kind of odd about the XXIX was that it came with a non-suspension corrected fork. Kind of a weird thing, but it was really a great single speed rig. Maybe had I not been such a knucklehead and had gotten a Large, I would still have that bike, but oh well. Bikes come and bikes go.