There Is Something In The Air

Pre-start of T.I.v6 Image by A. Andonopoulos

Every year about this time I get these feelings. It is in the timing of when the Sun rises and sets. The greening up of plants and tress. The moist, Earth smells. It all triggers those things I felt when I was putting on Trans Iowa for those fourteen years I did the event. 

I often dream of those mornings when we'd gather on some darkened street. Cars pulling in with bikes on racks, or riders pulling up in twos and threes, torches blazing into the inky dark of a Saturday morning in Hawarden, Decorah, Williamsburg, or Grinnell, Iowa. 

The sounds of anxious, muffled conversations. The clack and grind of cleats on wet pavement. The fog and mist in the air. The tension building up until I tried to herd all the riders into place for my annual "Fatherly Advice" speech. Then the tense moments just before the clock hit 4:00am and the toot of the horn. 

Just before the start of T.I.v5. Image by Corey "Cornbread" Godfrey

The riders are off! The T.I.v10 start image by Craig Cooper

This was, for me, the line of demarcation. The start of any Trans Iowa meant I, or "we" if I had a companion, would be alone for a few hours until we hit the first checkpoint. Early on, in the first few Trans Iowas, I was alone for hours on end, doing final course check in front of the riders. 

Those times are an entirely different story. The start though, that was a very special time for me. The atmosphere was transcendent. From quiet, sleepy repose to an electricity that filled the air - sometimes quite literally - The start period was something which I found energizing. Maybe I was feeding off all the rider's nervous auras. I don't know. I just remember those times with fondness. 

A rare shot of myself leading out a Trans Iowa. This time it is T.I.v9 Image taker unknown

 

MG driving here on the start of T.I.v14. My last time doing this

Yes, there is something about this time of the year which probably will stick with me the rest of my life. Trans Iowa was a labor of love, and yes - I do miss it at times. I am glad it ended when it did and how it did. But that doesn't mean that there aren't things which I miss. I cherish all the memories and times had. 

Sometimes I think I'll get up on Saturday morning on the traditional day of a Trans Iowa start and walk outside at 4:00am and see if I can still see, hear, and smell all those things which I remember so well from those days. Then I think, "Nah! You'll just be disappointed the feelings are not real, or as good as they were once", and I do not get up. It's kind of like the second bite of a doughnut.  The first bite is always fantastic, and you want to replicate that taste again with a second bite, but it never is as good, and every time you try again, it gets worse. So, it is best to stop. Let that first bite be what it was. You'll never replicate those sensory inputs ever again. 

More about Trans Iowa will probably be shared later in the weekend.  

Some Things I Am Thinking About

I put short-ish cranks on last year.

 It's Winter. Not much of a chance for longer country rides. With the lack of snow, fat biking went out the window as well. So, I've been left with sitting around more than I'd care to and thinking. 

Dangerous activity, I know, but here are a few things I've been thinking about recently which I may or may not delve into further in 2026.  

No particular order here, just a few things I thought I'd share. 

Shorter Cranks: I've been intrigued by this idea over the past year or so. I put on a set of 170mm cranks on my Raleigh Tamland Two last year to try something out which I had not done before. 170mm may not seem "short", I understand, but this is where I was willing to start. If it was somewhat worse than 172.5mm, (my preferred gravel length up until this point), then it couldn't be that much worse. However, say I went with 165mm cranks and did not like them. Well.......

I guess so far I seem to feel a difference in a positive way running 170mm cranks. So, I could see trying 165mm cranks on a gravel bike. Thing is, I am not into 12 and 13 speed drive trains, and well..... Maybe I could set up something in 11 speed, I just have not looked that hard yet. Something I'm still thinking about.... 

Singular Albatross 32"er prototype. Image courtesy of Singular Cycles.

32'er Bikes: So, I've been interested in this entire development on the 32"er platform. Not so much from a mountain biking perspective, but from a gravel riding one.

Of course, no one else seems to be onboard with this idea, so all the prototyping and testing has been centered around off-road type equipment.  

32" seems a no-brainer from a gravel riding perspective to me though. Momentum of those bigger wheels has to be a factor in being able to carry more speed over the rollers here. Additionally the longer tire contact patch will be something which will make vibrations less, and make the bike more stable on fast, loose gravel descents. 

I know MG is getting one of these bikes to try out, and he will probably try it on gravel. I cannot wait to hear his take on this. Until then, I will be dreaming of a drop bar set up for gravel and 32"ers. 

Maybe someday....

Clik Valve

Clik Valve vs BBB CoreCap: Inflation in terms of cycling is a good thing. You know.....for your tires? I know people are keen on this subject bcause of the number of hits I got covering Clik Valve last year. 

I really like the system. It is SUPER easy to use, and otherwise is no issue at all. Yes - You have to have a proper Clik Valve pump head to enjoy all the benefits of Clik Valve. So, in this way, it is a big commitment. 

A competing valve standard has arisen promising big airflow, less clogged valves, and ease of use. It is from BBB and is called CoreCap. 

CoreCap utilizes the Schrader compatibility you already have and is a system which simply replaces a removable Presta valve core. Simple. Could be a winner. 

I can see the benefits from a tubeless user's standpoint. I do not see it as being "easier" to use, because Clik Valve is so stupidly easy to use it would take a miracle to beat it out in terms of ease of usage. However; the standard does require a change which many people will balk at. (Note: You can inflate a Clik Valve equipped tire with a standard pump. You just lose the ease of use.) 

You can read more about the BBB CoreCap on my blogging compatriot's site HERE. Muddy Moles will be testing these out soon, so keep abreast of his updates, or just visit his blog. I have it linked in the right sidebar on this page. 

That's about it from my brain dump today! More thinkering (if the Winter drags on) to come.  

Project Fixed Gravel Bus

The key to it all. (Image by A. Andonopoulos.)

 I have hinted at this all throughout December and now it is time to share what I've been up to over the past four or five weeks. I will also add the weather was mostly not conducive to being outdoors throughout this period, so it was a good thing to have this to do during the dive into deep Winter weather we experienced. 

Just a quick recap for those new to this story: I had a Twin Six Standard Rando v2 set up geared since around 2022, and for a year or two before that, as a single speed. When tires for gravel started to plump out to the 47mm - 50mm widths I was finding the Twin Six to be lacking as it barely handles a 44mm wide tire. So, I dreamt of retiring the T-6 and ended up replacing the T-6 with my Singular Cycles Peregrine Mk4 last September. 

Meanwhile, I had become enamored of riding fixed gear again via my road bike standard Shogun 1000, a 1980's vintage road bike, which has very limited tire clearances. My thoughts began to swirl - What would a fatter tire fixie be like? Then it hit me.....

Build the T-6 as a fixed gear bike, and move the Shogun down the road. So, this is what I have done. This now brings you up to speed on my journey up to the point where this project started.  

The first order of business was to build wheels. 

Thanks to Ari Andonopoulos and Jay Barre, I have this sweet Paul Components fixed WORD through axle hub. It is great Paul Components does this part, because it is not only high-quality stuff, but it is about the only game in town for fixed, through axle, and disc brake all in the same hub. Wacky one-speed rear device indeed!

To build the wheel set I needed rims. Fortunately I had a set of Velocity USA Blunt SS rims just chillin' in my shop. They were waiting for such a time as this! I also needed a front hub. I had used the old original front wheel in the Noble Bikes GX5 before in the Standard Rando, but this wheel was a mismatch from the standpoint of the rim. So, I broke the wheel down and harvested the front Stan;s Neo hub for this project.

Topped off with hand-cut DT Swiss spokes from Ari in the rear, and Wheelsmith spokes for the front, and this set of wheels was ready to go. Of course, I used my "signature wheel set" spoke scheme where I use half black, half silver spokes and nipples. The black spokes on one side get silver nipples and the silver spokes on the other side get black nipples.  

The wheel builds were fairly straight forward and besides one spoke, I had no real issues. Then it came to drive train parts. I had two screw-on fixed gear cogs to choose from. One was an All City 17T but is an 1 1/8th pitch. I also have a Dura Ace, vintage 3/32nds pitch cog in a 16T.  Both are black anodized steel. Not sure how they do that, but they are definitely black and definitely steel! 

I went the all-3/32nds route and so I have the Dura Ace part on the hub. For a crank set I came up with a 172.5mm Shimano 105 triple, Hollowgram crank set and I dismounted the three rings and replaced the middle one with a 39T steel ring from some old road crank set. It is a Shimano ring though. 

This meant I had to modify my Wheels Manufacturing Eccentric insert for a PF-30 shell. The left side bearing has that old, pre-DU(M)B spindle which had a 24mm drive side diameter and stepped down non drive side bearing. I knocked the SRAM specific bearing out, grabbed a Shimano outboard bearing sealed bearing cartridge, a plastic bushing, (top-hat) from same bottom bracket, modified the plastic bit, and used this. It worked perfectly. 

With a new SRAM PC 853 chain it now is locked-in and ready to roll. All I needed now were controls, brakes, and cabling. The handle bar is an old favorite, the Kitchen Sink Bar from Redshift Sports. I also used the same Redshift Sports ShockStop stem I had on the T-6 before I broke it up. A Shimano PRO seat post topped with a WTB Silverado saddle gifted to me recently by MG was the seating arrangement. (Thanks MG!!!) Then old Tektro levers in black were mounted as well. All I needed were cables, housings, and brake calipers. 

With everything but the calipers, tape, and cabling. 

 So, with the year closing out I was on the hunt for some brake calipers. It was the only thing I didn't have yet to make this a complete bicycle. Of course, I needed flat mount brakes, but they also needed to be mechanically operated. This leaves you with precious few options. 

You could do the bougie route. Paul Components Klampers or Growtac brakes (Velo Orange sells them), but we're talking hundreds of dollars for two brake calipers. Then you have the next step down in TRP Spyre brakes. Far less money for sure, but no big drop-off in performance. TRP/Tektro has a lower end version of the Spyre, which is slightly less money. Then you get into the sub-100 dollar per caliper brakes which of the lot, only Shimano is a brand I would trust. 

I hemmed and hawed about what to do. I was texting with Ari a few days before Christmas and he pointed out the half price offer on TRP Spyre calipers from an online store. I ended up ordering those as it put the per-caliper price under $65.00. 

Two days before Christmas. No calipers, but I just couldn't resist a test ride!

 I had strung the cables, but no wires, by a couple of days ahead of Christmas. It was pretty nice out for late December, and I had time, so I decided to go out for a short, brakeless ride. This would be on totally flat terrain and maybe for a few blocks and back, but I wanted to get a read on how this gearing was going to work out for me. I knew it was a little steeper than I had my Shogun set up with. 

I think it will be fine for most flattish terrain, but hills will be interesting! I'll just have to see how it goes over the course of Spring and determine what to do after that. 

 I think if Winter is going away, and for good, (fingers crossed), I will set up a different set of tires, But the 45NRTH Gravdal studded tires will grip ice and snow well. In case Winter comes back again, (more than likely), I'll keep them on. So we will see about tubeless tires at some point. Fenders may appear here in either case. I've got metal Planet Bike fenders or a brand new set of plastic Giant Revolt fenders too. We'll see how things fit to decide there. 

Finished Saturday evening 12/27/25

 Twin Six Standard Rando v2 (2020) in Saffron 

• Size: 59cm
• Frame: Steel (Twin Six never really says what, if anything, is special about their tube set) 
• Fork: Carbon T-6 (Again, no details but it does have internal routing for the front brake cable, Three-Pack mounts, and a 12mm through axle.) 
• Wheels: Hand-built using Velocity USA Blunt SS rims (28 spoke hole drilling), Mix of Wheelsmith (front) and DT Swiss spokes. Spokes in each wheel are all black on one side  with silver nipples, and all silver on the other side of the wheel with black nipples. Three cross lacing. (Guitar Ted Special Wheel build) Hubs are Paul Components WORD Fixed Disc (rear) and Stan's Neo (Front) 
• Track Cog: Vintage NOS black Dura Ace, 16T x 3/32nds.
• Chain: SRAM PC-853
• Chain Ring: Steel 39T Shimano of unknown vintage. (Likely 7 speed) 
• Crank Arms: Shimano 105 10 speed Triple modified for single speed use. 172.5mm length.
• Bottom Bracket: Modified Wheels Manufacturing Eccentric for PF-30 shell. 
• Seat Post: Shimano PRO
• Saddle: WTB Silverado
• Head Set: Enduro MaxHit stainless steel.
• Stem; Redshift Sports ShockStop Pro
• Handle Bars: Redshift Sports Kitchen Sink (46cm)
• Bar Tape: Ergon AllRoad
• Levers: Tektro short pull
• Brakes: TRP Spyre/Shimano rotors/Jagwire Pro housings.
• Pedals Fyxation Mesa MP's
• Tires: 45NRTH Gravdal, fully studded, with tubes. 
• Frame Pump: 1990's vintage Blackburn 

I'll have a ride report up once I can get out with this bike for a decently long ride. Indications are the stiffer T-6 frame will be a big benefit toward making the fixed drive train work its best. Gearing? Yeah..... I don't know yet! 

Stay tuned...  

10th Anniversary Of "The Mud Year".

L-R: GT, Matt Gersib, Andrea Cohen at the DK200 Expo in 2015.
 

Applying Lessons And Support From Friends To Gain Something I Never Imagined -

Ten years ago at the Dirty Kanza 200 it was wet, muddy, and pretty darn extreme. I know folks think the 2023 year was the mud year, but their perspective is probably skewed a bit towards recent events and does not take into consideration the awesomeness that was The Mud Year at this Emporia gravel event.

2015 was a very different time at Emporia than it is now days. Now the event is called "Unbound Gravel". It is owned by Life Time Events, and not run by its founders. It also is an event which has grown exponentially since those days. Now Unbound binds up the entire city. Extending to every nook and cranny, the city cannot escape the effects of the event these days. This simply was not the case ten years ago.

Then it was more of a slight inconvenience, and most Emporia folks were just beginning to notice this gravel cycling thing, which at that point had already been happening there for ten years! A decade of DK200's was a big deal to us who had been there over the years, but what is ironic now is that these days are largely forgotten by Unbound riders of 2025. They have little to no connection to the past gravel days.

If they only knew what was awaiting them.... The start scene. Note the "16" card on the left designating the start area if you felt it would take you 16 hours to finish.

  "The Mud Year" was a turning point in this event's history. It was a spectacle which probably will never be repeated again. It was the day I might have ridden my second longest ride in one sitting I've ever done. (There is debate whether it may have been my longest ride, but this is another tale for another day) You might be surprised to learn I'd ridden in events with worse conditions. This was pretty rough, but if I am honest, wet, cool days are when I ride at my best.

However; I think there are things I saw on that chilly, wet, misty morning which I do not think I'll ever see again. A marching line of humanity with bicycles so long you could not see the beginning or the end of the throng of people,. There were broken bikes with riders nursing their broken dreams trudging through the mire. I saw dozens of derailleurs, in one area the size of ten square yards, smashed into the mud by humans trampling them down as they marched by.  Expensive Di2 derailleurs left in the clay of Chase County. You'd have thought folks would want to salvage them. Actually, Ari Andonopoulos and I had that very thought as we rode by the scene.

Dreams being shattered here.... (Image by Ari Andonopoulos.

 Ari was my riding companion for the first third of the event. He coached me, encouraged me (and others), and he even carried my heavy Fargo while I carried his much lighter Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross bike along those three-plus miles of mud. Ari helped me tremendously in the opening stages of the 2015 DK200, and I will always be in his debt for doing so.

This is what is good about events like this with great adversity. You can forge bonds with people sharing the same or similar experiences. Sure, you may have an attitude which causes you to be very negative about finding yourself in a pickle such as we found ourselves in during the 2015 DK200. This would be totally understandable by most people looking at things from a selfish, monetary-driven, self-imposed results driven viewpoint. But sometimes it might be best to take the "K.C. Franks approach" instead.

That's me on the lower left. Image courtesy of Ari Andonopoulos.

 This approach was something I learned from an art class teacher in Junior College at North Iowa Area Community College. K.C. Franks was an older professor at the time, and he once shared a tenet of his which has been useful throughout my life. He stated the following, and I am paraphrasing for a more broad appeal here:  'When you have a plan, and the plan seems to be going sideways, don't "throw it in the trash". Run with it instead. Go where it seems to be taking you. Find a way to finish it, and you will end up with something remarkable which you never dreamed of in the first place'.

Had these folks who were disgusted with the mud, the "trashing of their plan", and who had a negative attitude about the day taken a different approach, such as the one K.C. Franks suggested? Who knows how the day may have turned for them. One such individual who could have just walked away and left was my brother Matt Gersib. His day ended on the bike early, due to mechanical failure, which was inoperable out in the field. But instead of going back to Joe's house and just wallowing in negativity, he rebooted, made a new plan, and became my de-facto ride support. Matt met me at the first checkpoint, got me things to eat, lubed my chain, and encouraged me. He was there at the last checkpoint to give me support too. He took what the day gave him and ran with it. It wasn't what he expected to have happen that wet morning, but it was awesome all the same. Ari and I were also more in the K.C. Franks camp, and I think this served me well on this day.

(L-R) Ari's friend Phil Ellsworth, who we caught up with going to Checkpoint #1. Guitar Ted feeding his face. Image by Ari Andonopoulos.

 Unfortunately after the first 'optional water stop' at the top of Texaco Hill, Ari and I parted ways. I left on my own, and it was a harder road for me because of this. However; I stuck to a steady pace, a plan of nutrition, and I steeled myself against the elements, the course, and the distance left to go. I was, and still am, pretty proud of how I rode that day.

However; there are those things beyond one's control which, again, can cause you to wad up your plan and toss it in the trash, or you can reconfigure the plan, regroup, and do the best you can with what you've been handed. Such was the case later on as I hit the "optional water stop" two thirds of the way into the course. This wasn't really an option, from a rider's standpoint, as there was no way to resupply on water for many miles until riders would eventually reach the Cottonwood Falls final checkpoint.

So, I waited for water, because the tanks were dry when I got there and a line was already forming to get the precious liquid which was promised "at any time now". Unfortunately for me, it wasn't until 20 plus minutes later that I was back rolling again with a full compliment of water onboard my Fargo.

Only about five miles from Cottonwood Falls I mistakenly thought I was out of time.

 

Matt Gersib putting my bike up on the rack at 3:00am in the morning in Cottonwood Falls. Image by Ryan Dudley.

I missed the checkpoint two cutoff by two minutes. I could have been really angry. I was delayed at the "optional water stop" too long. I maybe could have ridden faster. I spent too much time fiddling with my lights when it got dark out. But no..... This was not the way.

 I think the final stint was something like 44 miles, so I had already ridden a long way.  I had ridden for nearly 20 hours or so. I had done everything I could do to be successful. I put in a great effort and I was pleased with what I left out there on those wet Kansas Flint Hills roads. I'm not a great athlete, nor would I ever be considered "one of the fast guys", but this wasn't about those things. I was competing against myself, and in my way of looking at this, I had "won".

This was the last time I rode in this event. I've no reason to go back to compete in it again, and there are a ton of reasons I would not consider Unbound a good fit for me. Instead of doing the DK200/Unbound again, I went down with my friend, Tony McGrane, for the next few years and did my own rides. These ended up becoming some of my favorite experiences in the Flint Hills.

But I do not discount my 2015 experience at all, make no mistake. I learned a lot on the trip, and I met a lot of great folks. I got to ride with Ari, and experience an unbelievable day on the bike. I spent a lot of time with my brother from another mother, Matt Gersib. I got to stay at Joe's home, a then new acquaintance. It's hard to believe it has been ten years ago, and in a way it seems like it was 100 years ago. So much has changed since then, it is crazy.

I am glad I was able to experience those days, and I am happy I was able to persevere through much adversity to accomplish what I did. Thanks to K.C. Franks, the support of Matt Gersib,  and my friend Ari for making a mental and philosophical difference which made that day, and many since then, more than I could have ever imagined them to be.  

Gravel History With Guitar Ted: "Answering The Call..."

 Gravel Grinder History With Guitar Ted is a series of posts covering the early days of gravel grinding, racing, and tech which helped build and make gravel riding the hottest form of cycling in the 2020's. Many of these articles were first published on my "Gravel Grinder News" blog which started in late 2008. 

In today's post you will read a race report by Matt "MG" Gersib who wrote "Answering The Call..." for Gravel Grinder News in 2013. This is a race report for the event then called the Dirty Kanza 200. (Now Unbound Gravel) In it you will learn much about how gravel events once were run. Pay specific attention to details like navigation, the names of people Matt thought were at the top of the heap in gravel racing, and to what some of the fears of gravel racers were concerning growth. 

I've lightly edited this post (removing dead links mostly, spiffing up the images) and I have added a few notes to clarify things for today's readers, but otherwise this is how this post appeared on June 11th, 2013. Enjoy!

Answering the Call…

by Matt Gersib

 Images by Cornbread, Kyle Thompson, Dave Mable, and MG

 Gravel grinding is getting pretty big in the Midwest, as evidenced by the nearly 1,000 combined entrants in the 2013 Dirty Kanza 200, “Half-Pint” 100-miler, and 20- or 50-mile “DK-Lite” fun rides. Held at the doorstep of the Kansas Flint Hills in the college town of Emporia, Kansas, the Dirty Kanza was first run in 2006. Since then, the event has grown from just a few dozen participants that first year to become one of, if not the, largest gravel grinder in North America.

Since 2010, the Dirty Kanza 200 has started and finished in-front of the historic Granada Theater in downtown Emporia. Photo: Cornbread (Cory Godfrey)

In many ways, the 2013 Dirty Kanza 200 was a test – a test to see how much was too much. I can’t count how many times I was asked “is it going to be too much to have 750 people on-course at the same time?” prior to the event. Some folks had serious doubts as to how it’d be possible to avoid pile-ups, traffic jams and other calamities caused by too many riders on the same gravel roads.

I wasn’t one of the doubters, however, and whenever asked, I told them that I thought 200 miles was a lot of space, and that there would be plenty of room for everyone to ride. I even suggested there would be times when we’d feel really alone out there, even with all the people we knew were on-course with us. 

Riders assemble prior to the 6:00a.m. start. Photo: Cornbread (Corey Godfrey)

Fast forward to race day and while the start line was an awesome spectacle, it was really the only time (on the bike) that I felt like it was any different than the Dirty Kanza 200s that had come before. Perhaps the overall level of the field was a bit higher overall due to the increased numbers, but the quality riders only enhanced the quality of the event. I mean, who doesn’t want to go to a race and meet Tour Divide champion, Jay Petervary, the “Queen of Pain”, Rebecca Rusch, and a number of other cycling legends?

I knew that bettering, or even matching my personal best DK200 placing (fifth overall in 2008) would be extremely tough as I surveyed the riders on the start line. And with my recent failure at Trans Iowa fresh in the back of my mind, I wasn’t willing to risk going too hard in the front 100-miles of the race in a vain attempt to stay near the front.

Racers roll-out onto the course just after the start of the 2013 Dirty Kanza 200. Photo: Kyle Thompson

 At one point during the first leg, I even thought I might have been going too easy, but I stopped thinking that after stopping to help Specialized rider, Garth Prosser (eventual 7th place overall finisher) with a flat rear tire. Garth offered to pull me into checkpoint one in return for stopping to help, but was clearly riding much stronger than I. It was a struggle simply to hold his wheel, so I let him go.

His strength gave me a glimpse into my own mortality if I chose to play with fire, so it was a good exercise, but it reminded me that I needed to pay attention to my game plan. I backed off and resumed a comfortable, but reasonably fast pace.

Checkpoint one came at about mile 50, and my wife Laura was amazing at taking care of everything I needed, often before I knew I needed it.

“You aren’t drinking enough,” she said to me as she topped my bottles off.

“It’s OK sweetheart,” I replied. “It’s not hot and I’ll be drinking a lot more on this leg, so you won’t be telling me that when I see you in 50-miles.”

We both laughed as I finished the smoothie I was drinking. It was just a couple more minutes and I was back out on the course, on the second 50-mile segment. As I rode away from the checkpoint, I thought to myself, “this is where the fun starts!”

I was thinking sarcastically, of course, as I knew that there would be a lot of head wind in the next 100-miles. Unfortunately for all of us on this day, the head wind was significant. Combine that with the fact that I was once again experiencing pain in my right knee (similar to what I experienced at Trans Iowa), and it made for some times of fairly slow going.

And then I missed a turn and rode a total of six miles off-course…

I realized the error in my ways when I saw corner markers set into a corner, only they were 180-degrees opposite from their standard orientation… “What is this?” I thought to myself. (Editor's Note: The DK200 used "flags" to mark corners in the early years of the event. If you saw a flag (just a surveyor's pole with a Hi-Viz ribbon flying from it like a streamer), on your right, you then looked down the intersection each way to see where another flag like it was. If it was seen on the right side of the road in any direction from the intersection, it indicated which way to turn. In this instance Matt noted the flags were on the left side of the road, indicating he had come up on another portion of the course from the wrong direction.)

It was an earlier section of the course (ahead of checkpoint 1) that, after missing the corner I was supposed to take, I’d ridden up to. As I perused my course map in an attempt to locate myself, two riders approached from the opposite direction and asked if I needed help. I politely declined and wished them good luck on their ride.

Surveying the map, I deduced that while I wasn’t exactly sure of my location (the location wasn’t marked on the map I was reading – for segment two), turning around was my best option and hope for getting back on-course as quickly as possible. As it turns out, I rode for three miles before I came upon the turn I’d missed, which was right before a water crossing in the road (located after the corner). I’d gotten so focused on the water crossing that I didn’t even see the turn markers (or the road itself, for that matter). I was super focused-in on figuring out if the water could be ridden, and if so, which line I needed to take.

Since the water crossing was about 50 yards long (my guess, no ruler in-hand), it required considerable concentration. Oh, and yes, I was riding alone. So much for the theory that it’d be “too crowded” out on the road! HA!

The head wind turned oppressive around mile 75, and I went into energy conservation mode. That said, the gnarly Flint Hills terrain combined with the wind to take it out of me from mile 75 to 100. I came into the second checkpoint eager to tear into the Valentino’s pizza we’d brought from Lincoln in the cooler. It actually made me go faster coming into the checkpoint, but coming into the Salsa tent to receive my new map and check-in, the ladies excitedly exclaimed as I rode up:

 “Number 59… There he is. Are you Matthew?”

“Ummm. I think so,” I think I uttered.

“Laura’s car broke down on the highway…”

(Thinking to myself “Holy Shiiiii”)

“…but she did send this Monster and water for you, and we have some food we’d be happy to give you.”

“Ummmmmmm…..”

Cue the appearance of Joe Reed, the checkpoint coordinator and my host for the weekend. “Matt, why don’t you sit down here and we’ll just take care of you,” he said. “No problem.”

Joe and I sat down and chatted while one of the checkpoint angels, Ingrid, offered up some of the summer sausage and Colby Jack cheese she had in her cooler. Meat and cheese during a bike race? I’m from Nebraska – bring it on! Thank you Ingrid – you single handedly saved my 2013 Dirty Kanza. For while that might not have been the pizza I was expecting, it was exactly what I needed.

Thank you to everyone at checkpoint two – Amanda, Amanda, Jen, Ingrid, Joe and everyone else involved with the stop. Without your generous support, I wouldn’t have been able to continue, but after leaving the checkpoint, I had no choice but to finish. You all were key to my finish. Thank you doesn’t seem like enough.

Still smiling in the first 100 miles of the event. Photo: Eric Benjamin

As I left checkpoint two with a belly fully of meat and cheese and questions swirling in my head about the status of my wife, our dog and our car, I pedaled out onto the course. We had 13 miles of a crossing tailwind before turning into a constant headwind for the remaining 37 miles of the leg into checkpoint three at Cottonwood Falls. Though the crossing tailwind was pushing me along, I was careful to meter my effort, as I knew what we were about to face.

About four miles into the leg, three riders pulled up on me – Salsa’s Tim Ek, and the Cycle Works/Moose’s Tooth duo of Scott Bigelow and James Blake. All were looking strong and for a minute I upped my tempo to ride with them. It was at about this time that the Salsa-sponsored film crew pulled up in a Jeep and, almost as if on cue, Eki raised the pace about five miles per hour. All of the sudden we were doing 23 mph…

Homie wasn’t playin’ that, so I dialed it back to a more reasonable pace for my legs and watched Eki quickly gain a hill on me as he picked off rider-after-rider for the camera. Meanwhile, I tore into a package of Honey Stinger drops with the abandon of a raging hyena. That cherry cola flavor is to die for and I hadn’t gotten many carbs during my stop at checkpoint two, so I had a bit of a hankerin’.

 So, here’s where the DK200 gets a little bleak, as the turn northward into the wind was a doozy. As we rode among the nodding donkeys in the oil fields of the Flint Hills, the sparse terrain provided little respite from the sustained 20+ mph northwest winds. The same winds we’d flown on in the earlier stages of the event were the same ones that now forced my speed below ten miles per hour regularly.

Each ten miles of the leg seemed magnified by the wind-fueled slowness. It didn’t help that my knee was giving me consistent shooting pains, which concerned me, but I decided were something I just had to live with. “Grin and bear it,” I thought to myself as I pedaled through the veil of pain.

Image: Cornbread (Corey Godfrey)

MG at Checkpoint #3

I rode into the third checkpoint with a gentleman from Washington – near Olympia. Since my parents and sister’s family live in Oly, we quickly struck up some good conversation that at some point turned to the calamity with our car. He quickly offered to let me sag out of his support car, driven by his wife. But as we rode into the checkpoint and received our new maps, who was the first person I saw? It was my beautiful wife, Laura. She’d gotten the Subaru towed to Emporia, rented a car and was back out to support me. What an awesome wife and an incredible person!

  I was so overjoyed to see Laura that I immediately and completely forgot my earlier plans, and immediately left for the rental car (and our cooler with the pizza) with Laura. Ironically, after the stop, I saw the same rider back out on-course and he said “I never saw you after we got our maps,” so I apologetically told him about finding Laura at the checkpoint and how overcome I was with joy in seeing her. About then, my knee started locking up and I had to stop to stretch it for a bit.

As I rejoined the race, two riders approached – singlespeed rider, PA single speeder, Mark Elsasser and Kansas cycling icon, Keith Walberg. It was great to ride with these two guys, if for too short a time, as after ten or so more miles I again had to stop and stretch my tightening IT band. In retrospect, when I stopped, I should have tried raising my saddle 3-4 millimeters, as that may have helped the situation, but I didn’t have the presence of mind at that point in the event to think of it. Hindsight is 20-20 however, so I’ll save that one for future reference.

The final 20 miles of the race were largely with the wind, as we rode familiar roads through the small town of Americus and into Emporia. The sun set as I rolled through Americus, dashing my hopes of scoring one of the limited edition prints that were being given to those who finished before sunset, but I decided it didn’t matter and pushed to the finish with a steeled resolve to catch as many racers in-front of me as possible before the line.

Thumbs-up at the finish. Photo: Eric Benjamin

I ended up finishing 86th overall (32nd veteran), with a course time of 15 hours and 25 minutes. It wasn’t my fastest Dirty Kanza 200, but given the challenges we had during the race, I was happy with the result and feel like it’s due to the work of a lot of folks, some of whom I’ll never be able to thank. But I’ll try, and the first person I’d like to thank is my incredible wife, Laura. I don’t know who had it harder on race day, but she came through it and was the rock I needed when I needed her. Thank You! And to everyone involved with the Dirty Kanza 200 – Jim, Kristi, Tim, and everyone at the checkpoints – Thank You all! And thanks to our host for the weekend, Joe Reed – an awesome person and good friend. And finally, thanks to Marty Larson and Sam Alison at Singular Cycles, and Rob Versteegh at Oakley for their support in 2013!

See you down the road!

What a great race report! Thanks again, Matt. This was an excellent look at what events were like a mere decade and a little more ago. There were a lot of things yet to be figured out then. Most riders were on cyclo - cross, mountain bikes, or some cobbled together rig. Most were not running tubeless yet. There were no GPS computers to use for turn prompts or massive roadside hand-ups for the fast guys. 

But you can also see the beginnings of what the Dirty Kanza event brought to gravel. The fancy finish line chute, proper timing, and promoting the event th4rough the invitation to elite athletes (Jay Petervary, Rebecca Rusch). The popularity of this event skyrocketed after 2013.

I hope you enjoyed this fascinating look back at gravel racing. 

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Paris Ancaster

 Paris Ancaster 2025 To Be UCI World Gravel Champ Qualifier;

Mark your calendars for April 27th, 2025 if you want to engage in the long-running Paris Ancaster event. Long associated with Spring Classic type road racing, the vent now identifies as a "gravel event".  

The top 25% finishers of each age group category in the "UCI distance" will achieve qualification to the UCI World Gravel Championships which the press release said will be in Nice, France in 2025. 

The event will have 100K, 75K, and 45K distances. You can find out more and register for the event by visiting www.parisancaster.com

Thanks to the media contact at Paris Ancaster for the event information.

Wahoo Elemnt ACE Is Real!:

Well, earlier this week you may have caught my post about the new Wahoo Elemnt ACE GPS device. If you missed that, you can click the link to read my take on the thing. 

Now, I know how these press release things work out and the companies that want reviews to drop right at product launch will send product out ahead of time to get into reviewer's hands to enable this "blitz" of information on the designated day. This is why you see "Product X" news across several online sites and reviews on sites and YouTube all on the same day. 

So, it was obvious to me that I'd find out a LOT more about the Elemnt ACE by checking out DC Rainmaker's review on the launch day, because, well.....you just don't launch an electronic cycling device without a DC Rainmaker review, that's why. You can check out the video I watched HERE. 

In that video I learned what I thought I would have guessed to be true. The Wahoo Elemnt ACE isn't 100% fully functional yet. I figured as much because when I got the Elemnt ROAM it wasn't working as well as it does now with the updated software that Wahoo sends out periodically for its devices, like any electronic computer device we use. 

So, while the Element ACE is 'real', it isn't really ready to go at 100% functionality yet. Seems about par for the course these days with electronic cycling computers. I'll stick with my Elemnt ROAM for the foreseeable future. And to boot, I don't need or want such a complicated device. remember when we rode with a six function computer and were happy? Maybe we need to reverse ship....

Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles

Salsa Cycles Shows New Cutthroat Color:

On Tuesday of this past week Salsa Cycles unveiled a new  color for their Cutthroat C model. The color is called "Tangerine", which is an orange to creamy white fade job. 

No big deal there, right? 

I did notice the "C" in the name for the first time which got me curious. Fortunately, Salsa has an archive of older models that goes back several years. I found that the first mention of "Cutthroat C" was in 2021. 

Now, this is all speculation on my part, but why add a "C" to the model name without a corresponding model different than the "C" model? Because if "C" stands for "carbon" I think most people looking at this bike understand it is made from carbon fiber. Unless......

Again - purely speculatory here - but what if Salsa had intended there to be an alloy Cutthroat, which would be less expensive, and did not come out with it because of the mess that the pandemic caused with supply chains and inventory levels? Problems still in play today. 

Hmmm..... Imagine, if you will, an alloy Cutthroat with Microshift 10 speed 1X gearing for a LOT less than a Cutthroat C. Maybe I'm crazy here. 

Image courtesy of FAIR Drop

FAIR Drop Offers Offset For Redshift Posts:

In talking with my friend, MG, about the Redshift ShockStop Seat Posts, he mentioned that he'd really like to try one, but any rearward offset post does not work for him. He actually prefers a very forward  offset. 

Well, not that I am trying to sell MG on anything, but he could make a Redshift post work for him now. Thanks to FAIR Drop, a Swiss company, who makes cradles to work with some dropper posts and Redshift's posts which offers a 27mm forward or rearward offset. 

The Redshift compatible version, shown in the image here in this post, is approximately $135.00 USD plus shipping. Kind of spendy, but it might be worth it if you like a Redshift post but cannot stand the  rearward offset, or if you want forward offset and cannot get that. A link to the Redshift compatible parts is HERE. 

I would be interested in this for my Honeman Flyer, as I could get forward offset with that bikes super-slack 70° seat tube angle and also be able to use a Redshift post. It would be definitely something I'd consider for a MTB with a dropper post. 

Lincoln Turkey Day Ride '24: Image by Rob Evans

A Turkey Day Tradition:

Of course, "turkey day" rides on mountain bikes, or whatever bikes, has been a thing for decades. (See "Appetite Seminar" as an example) So, when Rob from Nebraska saw my Turkey Burn ride reports here he sent in a few shots of their traditional Turkey Day Ride which has been going on for 20 years. 

Rob also did a nice video of the ride with a great historical bit at the beginning. It is on You Tube and you can watch it HERE if you want to see what Lincoln, Nebraska single track is like. (Note: It is super-similar to what we have here in my neck of the woods) Note - You have to check out the drop-in a guy does on a hand cycle!

Hey, I never said I had a corner on this idea! Do you have a turkey day riding tradition? Let me know in the comments if you do, or know of a ride for Thanksgiving. 

And speaking of rides on Thanksgiving......
 

Guitar Ted Productions makes for good bathroom reading!

Final Virtual Turkey Burn Posts Tomorrow, Sunday & Monday:

I hope that you have been able to catch the reports from the Virtual Turkey Burn Ride Challenge over the course of this week. The response to the rides has been very positive and I am eternally grateful to those who took part in the rides and sent in reports. 

I just wanted to remind everyone that the last five reports I received are going up here on the blog tomorrow, Sunday, and Monday. Look for Scott, and Ari on Saturday, and Steve and Warren on Sunday, and shiggy on Monday to give you some inspiration to ride cold weather in their reports. After those five go up that will conclude the reportage for this year. 

Keep in mind also that December is a big content time for the blog, so keep scrolling the page down to make sure you do not miss anything. I have quarterly reviews, bike reviews, and more coming along the rest of the month until the blog kicks off another New Year. 

That's a wrap on the week! Get out and ride those bicycles!

Two Things

Matt Gersib at Trans Iowa v6, Checkpoint 1 (Image by Kevin Wilson)

A Tip of the Cap to One of the Good Guys:

Recently Gravel Worlds announced that Matt Gersib was no longer with the event, Matt actually posting this on his social media several hours before that happened. I don't know the reasons why this happened, and honestly, it is none of my business. However; I did want to point out that there was an expression of gratitude noted on social media for Matt's service in the world of gravel events, specifically for the PCL and Gravel Worlds. 

Matt's departure from the event sparked comments that were reflective of the other originators of Gravel Worlds, which is remarkable that it took MG leaving to bring that sort of sentiment to the forefront. You can debate what that all may mean, but I did not want to engage in any of that. 

For me, Matt Gersib is an embodiment of the prototype gravel person. Engaging, welcoming, and competitive on the road, and an incredible asset off the road and behind the scenes for gravel as a whole. Many people have no idea that Matt, or "MG" as I and many others know him by, was an important figure in the early days of gravel events and product development. His contributions are wide ranging. Matt even wrote reviews for websites and contributed to the writings of others, in the process shaping gravel product for the future, and influencing untold numbers of riders to take to the dusty roads where he himself loved to ride. 

Matt at the 2018 GTDRI

Many probably don't know that Matt actually was a sponsored mountain bike rider in the 1990's and early 2000's and helped develop MTB product also. So, it should be no surprise that he would have been doing the same thing in gravel when he took to riding it. 

Matt has been a huge asset to all who ride gravel, and I say this not because he was a huge asset to me, but because I know Matt hasn't really ever been feted for his accomplishments and contributions to the gravel scene. He deserves to be noted, and he deserves his flowers. 

And maybe this is coming a little late, and I probably should have written this long ago. But here it is for all to read. Yes, I call Matt my "brother", and we have a bond that I do not share with anyone else, but even so, I should have written this some time ago. Having something finite like the end of a relationship with Gravel Worlds to motivate me to write this is, perhaps, inexcusable. And to be sure, Matt isn't finished with cycling yet. I think there is more to come, but the time to recognize Matt Gersib for what he has done for gravel is long overdue. 

Congratulations on all you have accomplished, Matt! Keep on riding and doing your thing!

New Episode of the Guitar Ted Podcast:

Friday the news was shared in the "FN&V" that Life Time was offering prize money (for Pros only) at Unbound and Leadville, along with the Big Sugar event. Then Gravel Worlds announced that they were going to offer the single largest payday in gravel racing. 

I had a few things to say about that in the latest podcast. But I also went on social media to see what other folks were saying. 

 I found that younger, less experienced gravel riders were okay with it all, or didn't care. The older, the more seasoned the rider, the less they liked it. 

And this is really easy to understand. One cannot miss what one has not experienced. Most gravel riders don't know what they don't know. So, while a few may wonder how in the world "big time gravel" would have any appeal, others may wonder what the heck "the spirit of gravel" mumbo-jumbo is about and what is wrong with the way things are. 

And within the discourse there are no connections made between these groups of people that would help everyone understand. And to be sure - there are no lines, no borders between these groups. Only a shading from one train of thought to the other. It is messy, and that is why there is some level of questioning about it all. 

Yes, people are asking questions. The answers? That part may never come to light. It would take a lot of effort to get everyone on the same page, and in the end, does any of this really matter? 

I mean, yes- To some it does matter. A lot. But this ship is huge and a couple of tug boats aren't going to make much of a corrective course change. This whole thing is headed in a direction and it is not going to change significantly from reaching the ultimate end game. 

Whatever that is.......

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Matt Gersib

Shimano 12spd GRX On Test:

Recently Shimano announced the 12 speed GRX groups. Well, back in August my good friend MG went to Bend, Oregon to get a preview of the group, and then Shimano set him up with a 12 speed GRX group with wheels as well. 

MG just posted his thoughts on the test of the group so far which you can check out HERE. 

Comments: It's interesting to note that MG mentions a few times that he likes just being able to hop on the bike and ride without any concerns or worries about battery life or having to carry spares "just in case". We both come from an era "pre-device" when things like "charging cords" meant you had to jump start your truck or trickle charge your 12 volt battery from your car. Everything else you just used, if it wasn't required to plug it into the wall.

Yeah.....cordless, rechargeable stuff is cool too. But when it comes to "the Freedom Machine", as Twin Six would call the bicycle, "freedom" is less free when you are tethered to electronics. I get that, MG gets that, but younger folks who have never known anything but USB cords? I wonder if they even understand the freeing feeling of being "device-free" these days. 

Maybe some do. 

Anyway, the point being here that some younger folks probably think mechanical group sets like the current GRX 12 speed stuff is from the dinosaur age. Maybe not, but if they do, I'd rather ride with the dinosaurs myself. Your mileage may vary.......

The Moots Express eBike (Image courtesy of Moots)

Moots Goes Carbon & Electric With The Express:

Speaking of devices.....

Moots just did two things maybe no one thought they would do. First, they made a bicycle out of something other than titanium. (To be fair, older, original Moots were steel, but most folks don't know that.) Secondly, and maybe a little less shocking, they made an electrified bike. 

Dubbed the "Express", the new Hybrid Powered Cycle (HPC - my term) is powered by an integrated battery and Shimano gear from the motor to the drive train. The battery life is said to be so good that riders can expect to squeeze out around 100 miles, maybe more, depending upon rider weight, wind, terrain, and amount of power assist selected. 

The controls are a bit unique in that the 1X drive train is operated by the right shift lever while the left lever controls the level of power assist. Total vehicle weight is listed at 33lbs for a medium sized Express model. Cost? If you have to ask what a Moots cost, well...... Okay, it's a penny less than 10K.

Comments: Surprising? Yes, coming from Moots. Not surprising? Yes also. Moots has to cater to its customer base, which are mostly well-heeled, older people that fit the assisted pedaling profile. Making a titanium bike look sleek with a battery pack? Probably not all that possible, and it would be heavy. Carbon was the correct choice here, despite the total dissonance with its brand identity.  

I'm not saying younger folks don't buy a Moots nor that younger folks don't want pedal assist bikes. But I also don't see a lot of Moots underneath the folks I ride with at events. So.... It is my opinion. Change my mind if you care to....

The Otso Voytek 2 (Image courtesy of Otso Bikes)

Otso Announces Voytek 2 - Highly Adjustable Geometry:

Otso Cycles features their patented "Tuning Chip" rear drop out which can allow a rider to adjust the wheel base and affect bottom bracket height and head tube angle a bit as well. They've taken that concept a bit further by offering a similar idea which they are implementing at the head tube. 

Called "GeoChip", it is a combination of aluminum inserts which are fitted at the positions you might normally associate with a top and bottom cup set for a head set. There three sets of "flip chips" which can be used to alter the head angle, reach for the cockpit, or both. 

The Voytek features multiple wheel size capabilities and still has that narrow "Q" factor bottom bracket. N.Y. Roll has an original V1 Voytek and seems pretty happy with it. This new version promises more to the owner with a true "one bike" off-road cycling solution for year-round riding. 

Comments: My my! What a versatile frame set. But, typically most folks are going to "set it and forget it" when it comes to this feature. But for those who like to tinker, well....there ya go! 

My only concern would be that here you are introducing two aluminum bits which sit in a carbon pocket in the frame at a high-stress area. Those bits are going to move ever so slightly while riding, and this may induce noise at some point. Maybe not, but it would not surprise me if that is something that crops up with this design. 

Also, at well over 3K for a frame and fork, I kind of cringe a bit. I'd maybe opt for something in metal at that point and forgo the versatility options available with the Voytek 2. But if you think of this as a mountain bike hard tail and a fat bike all in one? Then it makes a lot more sense. If that's you, then you can read more about the Voytek 2 HERE.

This image is from an old "Geezer Ride", by the way.

New Podcast Is Up:

N.Y. Roll went up and did the Colesburg event over the Labor Day weekend recently and his partner, Morgan, a new-to-gravel rider, was kind-of-sort-of talked into doing the 25 mile route.

Well, "things" happened and I thought it would be great if we could get Morgan's perspectives on, not only her event, but on gravel riding and gravel events in general. Coming from someone very fresh to the scene, I figured that I might get some new insights and learn from Morgan through he experiences. 

And I was rewarded with much to consider.

I know that enthusiasts from any genre of sport, recreation, or vocation tend to "gate keep" and be ignorant and insensitive to new folks coming in. That said, hearing it from a new rider to gravel is a bit more impactful and, I think, important to heed the message we hear from Morgan. 

Give it a listen HERE, or wherever you get you podcasts from. 

With that I will sign off for now. Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions and have a fantastic weekend!