Labor Day Ride

August was a rough month. The last day of it N.Y. Roll asked if I wanted to do a chill ride on the first day of September, which was also Labor Day. I liked the idea, so we planned to meet at N.Y. Roll's home at 8:00am. He insisted I bring a camera. I thought, "Well, of course! I always bring a camera along on most rides!". This seemed a rather odd request, but so be it. 

When I awoke on Monday it was cool, but not too cold to the point of having to wear a vest, arm warmers, or the like. Not yet, but we are hearing we will have to later this week. Fall is coming.... Or at least it is "False Fall". 

Well, when I got over to his house on my Raleigh Tamland Two, I saw why he wanted me to bring a camera. A ten foot high human-like skeleton alongside his ginormous dog skeleton was in his front yard. The dog skeleton was from last year, but the human-like giant skeleton was new. 

Sergeant Road Bike Path

Checking out the aid station at the junction of Sergeant Road Trail and Cedar Prairie Trail

The plan was to take bicycle trails to Cedar Falls and grab some coffee and then ride different trails back to Waterloo. We started by going South on Sergeant Road Trail and we had a bit of an adventure crossing all the main roads. This trail parallels Highway 63 and this road has been under construction all Summer to resurface it. The highway is mostly finished but all the approaches for the bicycle trail are dug up and forms have been placed to pour fresh concrete. This will smooth the transition from trail to road to trail again where the trail crosses three major routes for Waterloo. 

A rather canopied section of the Cedar Prairie Trail

Summiting the hill along HWY 20 on the Cedar Prairie Trail. 

N.Y. Roll was grousing about the unkempt nature of the Cedar Prairie Trail as it is a small section of the Great American Rail Trail. (GART). The cracks, weeds growing through them, and the encroaching plant life on the trail from a Summer's worth of growth were disturbing him. He was feeling it was a bad look for anyone coming through on the GART and he was advocating for more maintenance. 

I could see his point, but also considering the fact that we've had an unprecedented amount of growth this year due to copious rains versus normal, and this seems less alarming. Additionally, the past two years have been so dry nothing grew very much past May, so this year's situation is unusual, in my view.   

I'm certain N.Y. Roll will think I am wrong, so.....

Prairie Lakes Trail

A very large, very kind dog in front of Cup Of Joe in Cedar Falls. 

We went through the HWY 58 madness at Ridgeway Avenue, which is just bonkers, and skirted the edge of the industrial park on a bike path running along Ridgeway's North side. Then we found a spur to the Prairie Lakes Trail and we headed back South. 

Trails along HWY 58, the "Mayor's Bridge" across this highway, and a tunnel under Greenhill Road got us into Cedar Falls proper where we went along the Dry Run Creek on older trails to get in front of Cup Of Joe coffee shop. 

Cup Of Joe has been around since the mid-1990's. It is the first coffee shop I ever had been in and it is largely unchanged from those days inside. They serve up great coffee and if you are ever in Cedar Falls, I recommend them highly.   

Heading into George Wyth State Park

N.Y. Roll LARPing as an Army Corp Engineer.

We had a nice chat in front of Cup Of Joe and some great coffee. Then it was time to hit the trails back towards Waterloo. We chose to go on the "Cedar Valley Lakes Trail" (AKA - George Wyth Bicycle Trail) and we were heading into the more canopied parts of the trail when N.Y. Roll said suddenly, "Hold up, I gotta....) and I lost clear hearing while he slowed suddenly, and he looped back down the way we had come a bit. What?!

Apparently his Army Corp of Engineers super-power abilities were turned on because he saw a drainage issue he thought he could improve upon regarding some backwaters of the Cedar. After his rock scrambling we remounted and continued on our way to Waterloo.  

South Riverside Trail

Shirey Way, 

We saw Super Dave when we crossed the Cedar River to Pfieffer Park where we parted ways with him and rode the South Riverside Trail to Shirey Way. This was an old gravel road between Cedar Falls and Waterloo, Iowa, which I remember when it was still in use as an open road! Now it is a de-facto interurban Level B Road.  This kicked us out into the Greenwood Avenue part of the bike trail through the old Sherwood area. This then goes behind Cattle Congress and then back along the Cedar to downtown Waterloo and the end of our ride. 

It was a fun, relaxing morning ride with a good friend. I needed this and it was a bright spot in a tough weekend for me. So, thank you to N.Y. Roll for taking the time out to ride with me.  

It also is a good example of how we have a great trail system which keeps you, for the most part, off roads and away from traffic. Oddly enough, folks come from all over to ride our trail network. I know this from meeting many people over the years who have told me they were from out of town and specifically came to this area to ride the paved trails.

I ended up with 24 miles on the day, but I could easily double this amount and not ride the same trail twice. It is pretty impressive for an urban area the size of Waterloo and Cedar Falls. I don't talk a lot about these resources we have here much on the blog. But if you want to know more, here is a link to the Cedar Valley Trails Partnership site. 

Happy Labor Day!

 Happy Labor Day!

 If  you live in the USA, then today is a holiday - Labor Day! I hope you all are having a fantastic weekend, and start of a new week.

I'm taking the day off here and hoping to get in a ride out in the country as well. I'll also be spending time with my family on this, the traditional end of Summer here in the USA. 

Stop back tomorrow for some news I think will be of interest to many of you long-time blog readers. I'm excited to share this, and you will be getting some interesting content here because of this new development. With that teaser, I will leave you for now. 

Be well! Ride those bicycles!

Labor Day

 Happy Labor Day!

Just a quick note from me to you today hoping that you are enjoying the last big Summer holiday. That is, if you celebrate or observe this holiday. 

Here at G-Ted Productions it will be a complete day off with time spent with family and maybe.....maybe a bike ride. It is supposed to be around 100 degrees here today so I don't know about that for sure. 

But whatever the case may be, i will try to take in the day and I will try to be grateful for all I have in Life here where I am at. 

Fall is on the doorstep. My favorite time for riding in the year. This will be looking like a weird fall because it has been so dry, there likely won't be very good Fall colors. Things will turn brown in a hurry. The harvest, such as it is, will be early too, I am betting. I think I've seen images online from other riders showing corn picking already. That's odd. 

Anyway..... Happy Labor Day! See you again here tomorrow!

Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions.

Labor Day

 Happy Labor Day!

Just a quick note from me to you today hoping that you are enjoying the last big Summer holiday. That is, if you celebrate or observe this holiday. 

Here at G-Ted Productions it will be a complete day off with time spent with family and maybe.....maybe a bike ride. It is supposed to be around 100 degrees here today so I don't know about that for sure. 

But whatever the case may be, i will try to take in the day and I will try to be grateful for all I have in Life here where I am at. 

Fall is on the doorstep. My favorite time for riding in the year. This will be looking like a weird fall because it has been so dry, there likely won't be very good Fall colors. Things will turn brown in a hurry. The harvest, such as it is, will be early too, I am betting. I think I've seen images online from other riders showing corn picking already. That's odd. 

Anyway..... Happy Labor Day! See you again here tomorrow!

Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions.

Happy Labor Day

Happy Labor Day from Guitar Ted Productions!

Hopefully you have gotten in some memorable times with friends, family, and loved ones- socially distanced, natch!

This is the 'traditional end of Summer' for many folks. It will certainly feel more like Fall this week, at least around these parts. 

I'll have been relaxing around the home here, but I did get out for a bit of a ride Saturday. Look for a "Fall Views" post tomorrow where I will dump more images and tell you why I did the route I did.  

Hoping you all got some fun rides in wherever you are and that you are all staying safe. I will also add that I really appreciate all of you that stop by to read the posts I put up. It means a lot to me that you do, and I am continually motivated to do my best work everyday for each of you. Thank You! 

See y'all tomorrow!

Happy Labor Day

Happy Labor Day from Guitar Ted Productions!

Hopefully you have gotten in some memorable times with friends, family, and loved ones- socially distanced, natch!

This is the 'traditional end of Summer' for many folks. It will certainly feel more like Fall this week, at least around these parts. 

I'll have been relaxing around the home here, but I did get out for a bit of a ride Saturday. Look for a "Fall Views" post tomorrow where I will dump more images and tell you why I did the route I did.  

Hoping you all got some fun rides in wherever you are and that you are all staying safe. I will also add that I really appreciate all of you that stop by to read the posts I put up. It means a lot to me that you do, and I am continually motivated to do my best work everyday for each of you. Thank You! 

See y'all tomorrow!

Happy Labor Day!

My work bench viewed through a valve hole and around a rim as I build a wheel.

Happy Labor Day!

It is a holiday weekend, the last "real" holiday until Thanksgiving weekend. (Halloween doesn't count for me. That's for kids!) Anyway, this is the holiday that, at least here in the U.S.A., marks the "end of Summer".

So, just what is this holiday for? 

A little Google action brought me the following:

 "Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country."

Ah! So, back when I was a kid, I wasn't far off the mark when I thought Labor Day was for and about people like my Dad who worked in factories and were members of labor unions. I never thought it would ever be for me. Ya know..... because I was never going to work in a factory. Had you ever been in one of those dreadful places in the 80's or before, you might know what I mean. I saw the place where my Dad worked on a tour in the late 70's. No way was I gonna get stuck in one of those joints! 

But I got what Labor Day meant for my Dad. He was a Union guy. He built tractors in the Oliver factory which became White Farm after the change in the early 70's. But me? I wasn't part of that "labor scene", a member of a union, or what have you. 

Now days though, I see Labor Day in a different light. We have laborers that are not in factories. They don't belong to a union, and are not organized. What about that? They shouldn't be celebrated? their accomplishments for the betterment of everyone shouldn't be included in Labor Day? Heck no! They should all be included!  Anyone who works should get in on this holiday. Don't think like I did and think it isn't for you. Take a break. Relax.....

We all could use a little slowing down a bit, yes?  

Or a nice bicycle ride? 

Happy Labor Day! 

Happy Labor Day!

My work bench viewed through a valve hole and around a rim as I build a wheel.

Happy Labor Day!

It is a holiday weekend, the last "real" holiday until Thanksgiving weekend. (Halloween doesn't count for me. That's for kids!) Anyway, this is the holiday that, at least here in the U.S.A., marks the "end of Summer".

So, just what is this holiday for? 

A little Google action brought me the following:

 "Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country."

Ah! So, back when I was a kid, I wasn't far off the mark when I thought Labor Day was for and about people like my Dad who worked in factories and were members of labor unions. I never thought it would ever be for me. Ya know..... because I was never going to work in a factory. Had you ever been in one of those dreadful places in the 80's or before, you might know what I mean. I saw the place where my Dad worked on a tour in the late 70's. No way was I gonna get stuck in one of those joints! 

But I got what Labor Day meant for my Dad. He was a Union guy. He built tractors in the Oliver factory which became White Farm after the change in the early 70's. But me? I wasn't part of that "labor scene", a member of a union, or what have you. 

Now days though, I see Labor Day in a different light. We have laborers that are not in factories. They don't belong to a union, and are not organized. What about that? They shouldn't be celebrated? their accomplishments for the betterment of everyone shouldn't be included in Labor Day? Heck no! They should all be included!  Anyone who works should get in on this holiday. Don't think like I did and think it isn't for you. Take a break. Relax.....

We all could use a little slowing down a bit, yes?  

Or a nice bicycle ride? 

Happy Labor Day! 

Monsoon Season

Rain, rain....go away!

Labor Day weekend is generally not a bad weekend here weather-wise. However; this one we just lived through was.......very wet!

I'm not sure I've ever seen it so bad on Labor Day weekend. Ever. In my life..... This typically is more like, say, Memorial Day Weekend, when it rains and ruins the party. Or maybe more like Halloweeen, when the kids have to wear rain jackets or parkas because the weather sucks. I can't count the number of scary parkas I've seen on Halloween. Little blighters!

So, when it is "too wet to plow", as they say in farmer-speak around these parts, you do something else. Something maybe you've been putting off for.......you know, a rainy day! In my case that generally includes bicycle maintenance to the fleet here. So, I did do some of that. But I also did a lot of work on the Riding Gravel Events calendar this past weekend. That is super-tedious work. I'm not a big fan of it, but I was the one that started a gravel events calendar in 2008 or so and I haven't given up yet. With nearly 500 events to keep tabs on all over the world, it gets pretty hard to ride herd over it all. I remember when I had less than 30 events and I thought THAT was amazing!

Now there are a few others keeping tabs on gravel events. I know some one or two have copied my work, and continue to do so. It does bother me a bit, but in these days of "copy and paste", I am not at all surprised by it. Really, there isn't anything I can do about it either.

Then sometimes when you are not busy, you start thinking about things too much and.......maybe.....you might get yourself into a bit of trouble you weren't planning on. In my case that entails something happening in a bit less than two months. I also have to start dialing up a few things before "that" happens.

More soon.......

Monsoon Season

Rain, rain....go away!

Labor Day weekend is generally not a bad weekend here weather-wise. However; this one we just lived through was.......very wet!

I'm not sure I've ever seen it so bad on Labor Day weekend. Ever. In my life..... This typically is more like, say, Memorial Day Weekend, when it rains and ruins the party. Or maybe more like Halloweeen, when the kids have to wear rain jackets or parkas because the weather sucks. I can't count the number of scary parkas I've seen on Halloween. Little blighters!

So, when it is "too wet to plow", as they say in farmer-speak around these parts, you do something else. Something maybe you've been putting off for.......you know, a rainy day! In my case that generally includes bicycle maintenance to the fleet here. So, I did do some of that. But I also did a lot of work on the Riding Gravel Events calendar this past weekend. That is super-tedious work. I'm not a big fan of it, but I was the one that started a gravel events calendar in 2008 or so and I haven't given up yet. With nearly 500 events to keep tabs on all over the world, it gets pretty hard to ride herd over it all. I remember when I had less than 30 events and I thought THAT was amazing!

Now there are a few others keeping tabs on gravel events. I know some one or two have copied my work, and continue to do so. It does bother me a bit, but in these days of "copy and paste", I am not at all surprised by it. Really, there isn't anything I can do about it either.

Then sometimes when you are not busy, you start thinking about things too much and.......maybe.....you might get yourself into a bit of trouble you weren't planning on. In my case that entails something happening in a bit less than two months. I also have to start dialing up a few things before "that" happens.

More soon.......

Happy Labor Day!

The weekend is a wet and rainy one around these parts, so I hope it is better than where I am where you are.

Or something like that........

Anyway, have a great Labor Day and hopefully, a great bicycle ride. If the weather is inclement where you are, I can empathize.

Things get back to a regular rotation here tomorrow and into Fall. You all know Fall is my favorite riding time of the year. I'm hoping to start putting in some fun rides on gravel and maybe even dirt. Depends upon when it stops raining around here though!

Hopefully you are enjoying this last big holiday weekend of the Summer and are getting some stellar rides in. See ya tomorrow and on down the road here at G-Ted Productions.

Happy Labor Day!

The weekend is a wet and rainy one around these parts, so I hope it is better than where I am where you are.

Or something like that........

Anyway, have a great Labor Day and hopefully, a great bicycle ride. If the weather is inclement where you are, I can empathize.

Things get back to a regular rotation here tomorrow and into Fall. You all know Fall is my favorite riding time of the year. I'm hoping to start putting in some fun rides on gravel and maybe even dirt. Depends upon when it stops raining around here though!

Hopefully you are enjoying this last big holiday weekend of the Summer and are getting some stellar rides in. See ya tomorrow and on down the road here at G-Ted Productions.

Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day!

It's the last big holiday before the weather turns cold here and this is pretty much the end of Summer for folks at this latitude. The days are shorter, the nights are longer, and cooler!

Hopefully many of you have had an awesome weekend already and will have one last blast before returning to the jobs, schools, or whatever your daily routine normally is.

And if you are from a place that doesn't observe this holiday, well, pardon this post!

I'll have a post about what I did over the weekend here tomorrow unless I have some other news to post about which trumps that. So, stay tuned and until then, have an awesome Monday.

Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day!

It's the last big holiday before the weather turns cold here and this is pretty much the end of Summer for folks at this latitude. The days are shorter, the nights are longer, and cooler!

Hopefully many of you have had an awesome weekend already and will have one last blast before returning to the jobs, schools, or whatever your daily routine normally is.

And if you are from a place that doesn't observe this holiday, well, pardon this post!

I'll have a post about what I did over the weekend here tomorrow unless I have some other news to post about which trumps that. So, stay tuned and until then, have an awesome Monday.

Labor Day Car Show

Labor Day is a time to exercise family traditions. For the family I belong to, that means a trip to Iowa falls to the annual car show they have downtown every Labor Day Monday. Last year I completely spaced this event off, which was the first time in many years that I missed the show. Not happening this year! I made sure we all went over on Monday to check out the shiny machinery and see my Step Dad and Mom.

I have come to have a critical eye when looking at cars in car shows now. I guess I have "adulted" enough now to not get too overcome by a fancy paint job and a supercharger sticking out of an engine bay. I look at details, and when you get those right, it is almost a sure bet that the car is an excellent example of a hot rod, restored beauty, daily driver, or even a rat rod. Missing things like clean joinery, wires that aren't neatly run, or leaving the "unseen parts" undone is a sure guarantee that I'm not going to waste anymore time looking at that rig.

That said, there are always exceptions, like the 1918 Model T Ford which the owner told me he drives regularly. It wasn't restored to "show quality", but look- how many 1918 Model T Fords have you seen that are licensed drivers lately? Yeah.... So, I took the time to check that one out thoroughly.

Following are some images of cars, and more specifically, parts of cars, which I found interesting.

1957 Desoto Sportsman 2 door hardtop.

Interesting factoid: The Chrysler Corporation, which Desoto was a part of, introduced the four headlight look in 1957 first. By 1958, it was all the rage for all American car companies.

Ka-chow! Chrome and fins. The 50's were known for these two characteristics when it came to cars.

My son and I trying to figure this one out. That's a V-8 stuffed in there.

How many finned drum brakes do you see these days?

The very rare, quite unknown Internal Combustion Droid- or.....just a really cool air intake system!

A cool badge on a Plymouth's dashboard reads, "Plymouth Road King".

1918 Ford engine block casting: "Made In USA"

It is a good reminder of how reliable cars are these days. Back in the early 20th Century, automobile drivers had to be mechanics as well. This was the stock tool kit for an early Hudson.

Dashborads and instrument clusters were decorative elements. No Navigation or Entertainment systems here!

 Marketing: It isn't anything new, ya know?

More marketing- This was on an AMC Javelin SST

There is a reason there is a fire extinguisher near this vehicle. It's so ugly, it might burst into flames! Guess what it is and what package it has.

When was the last time you saw a flat head 12 cylinder motor? This is a 1939 Lincoln Zephyr.

Love that grill work.

Could make this a good Trans Iowa Level B Road vehicle!

My daughter geeking out on the build book for this early 40's fire truck which featured a pump built by Viking Pump in Cedar Falls Iowa.

So, that was a fun visit and I got to spend time with my folks and immediate family. We went home and had a nice evening meal and treated ourselves to ice cream afterward. That was how we ended our Summer. Now it is time to move on towards Fall and some good fall cycling. I am excited, as it is my favorite time of year for bicycling.

Labor Day Car Show

Labor Day is a time to exercise family traditions. For the family I belong to, that means a trip to Iowa falls to the annual car show they have downtown every Labor Day Monday. Last year I completely spaced this event off, which was the first time in many years that I missed the show. Not happening this year! I made sure we all went over on Monday to check out the shiny machinery and see my Step Dad and Mom.

I have come to have a critical eye when looking at cars in car shows now. I guess I have "adulted" enough now to not get too overcome by a fancy paint job and a supercharger sticking out of an engine bay. I look at details, and when you get those right, it is almost a sure bet that the car is an excellent example of a hot rod, restored beauty, daily driver, or even a rat rod. Missing things like clean joinery, wires that aren't neatly run, or leaving the "unseen parts" undone is a sure guarantee that I'm not going to waste anymore time looking at that rig.

That said, there are always exceptions, like the 1918 Model T Ford which the owner told me he drives regularly. It wasn't restored to "show quality", but look- how many 1918 Model T Fords have you seen that are licensed drivers lately? Yeah.... So, I took the time to check that one out thoroughly.

Following are some images of cars, and more specifically, parts of cars, which I found interesting.

1957 Desoto Sportsman 2 door hardtop.

Interesting factoid: The Chrysler Corporation, which Desoto was a part of, introduced the four headlight look in 1957 first. By 1958, it was all the rage for all American car companies.

Ka-chow! Chrome and fins. The 50's were known for these two characteristics when it came to cars.

My son and I trying to figure this one out. That's a V-8 stuffed in there.

How many finned drum brakes do you see these days?

The very rare, quite unknown Internal Combustion Droid- or.....just a really cool air intake system!

A cool badge on a Plymouth's dashboard reads, "Plymouth Road King".

1918 Ford engine block casting: "Made In USA"

It is a good reminder of how reliable cars are these days. Back in the early 20th Century, automobile drivers had to be mechanics as well. This was the stock tool kit for an early Hudson.

Dashborads and instrument clusters were decorative elements. No Navigation or Entertainment systems here!

 Marketing: It isn't anything new, ya know?

More marketing- This was on an AMC Javelin SST

There is a reason there is a fire extinguisher near this vehicle. It's so ugly, it might burst into flames! Guess what it is and what package it has.

When was the last time you saw a flat head 12 cylinder motor? This is a 1939 Lincoln Zephyr.

Love that grill work.

Could make this a good Trans Iowa Level B Road vehicle!

My daughter geeking out on the build book for this early 40's fire truck which featured a pump built by Viking Pump in Cedar Falls Iowa.

So, that was a fun visit and I got to spend time with my folks and immediate family. We went home and had a nice evening meal and treated ourselves to ice cream afterward. That was how we ended our Summer. Now it is time to move on towards Fall and some good fall cycling. I am excited, as it is my favorite time of year for bicycling.