Friday News And Views

Real? Imagined? Spoofed? Who knows?

Submitted for Your Consideration:

This came across my radar screen yesterday and, after diligently searching everywhere on the "innergoogles", I cannot say whether or not this is true, or what. I will only say the following is what I do know for now:

• The original posting on the net apparently goes back to an Italian based cycling blog which shows a different imaging layout and is marked with the word "CONFIDENTIAL". The grainy image quality suggests this was grabbed from a screen shot. 
• Images were also seen Thursday on the "Imgur" site here. Images are also watermarked "CONFIDENTIAL" and an embargo on release is seen with a late March date.
• There was a thread on this on mtbr.com which shows up on a Google search, but was taken down. The thread was dated December 2015. 
• A few Facebook posts with mentions of a SRAM Eagle 12spd "one-by" group had a link which was bad. Taken down? Hard to say.....

The Italian blog stated that the group was to be revealed in March, probably just ahead of Sea Otter, which would make sense, since SRAM historically has usually introduced big mtb group/product offerings during that festival.

Comments: So, is this real? The images I've seen look convincing. Would SRAM really want to do a 12 speed 1X group? One of the big complaints about XX1 is that the gearing range isn't as deep on the low end as a triple or 2X. Having one more gear, a 50 tooth cog, would put that complaint to rest, although the jumps between lower gears would still remain large. In the end, who knows? It all could be an elaborate hoax, although I will admit, a rather convincing one. Or, maybe someone actually slipped up, and this got leaked out early. My opinion is that it could be that this is SRAM's answer to critiques on its XX1 11spd stuff. I think it also could be fake. What I would rather see is SRAM adapting its wireless electronic technology for mtb. This development- if indeed it is real- doesn't do much for me.

New look, new models.

Rawland Reborn:

Remember Rawland Cycles? They made a splash starting in 2007 when they introduced a model with 650B wheels dubbed the Olaf. The company dabbled in 700c wheels with a model called the Draakar, then teased a few gravel grinder models and rando based rigs later on but the company kind of faded away.

However; it would appear that now Rawland is set to make a new model or two and is launching a new look with them. Still steeped in Norse nomenclature, the bikes will feature several of the well known Rawland traits: low trail front end, steel frames, and versatility, but will feature all disc brake compatibility and on the Ravn, will be suitable with 26" wheels, with 650B and even smaller 700c wheels as optional choices. The other model, dubbed the Ulv, will be a B+ wheeled bikepacking type rig.

Not much else is known yet, but details should be coming soon. I will be interested in seeing what is coming down the line with this brand since I used to know a couple of the fellows involved with it at the genesis of the brand almost 10 years ago now.

I will be participating in this.

Race Director's Summit:

You know what happens when you start putting on a race for over a decade? People think, "Hey! This guy must know what he is doing!", or something along those lines. The reality is that I've just managed to stick it out all these years! But whatever- somebody thought I had something valuable to offer others, so I was invited to be a part of this tomorrow in Des Moines, Iowa.

Specifically, I am going to be on the panel which starts at 10:10am concerning "Promotions, marketing, media". So, if you are around the Des Moines area, and are thinking about being a race director/promoter, you can check this out for free, (I believe it is free), and see what it is I have to say, along with several others far smarter and better looking than I.

Of course, this means a two hour drive for me and so I will be getting up early tomorrow, heading South, gabbing, and then hitting up the Krunkwich Ramen House for noontime vittles. Afterward I may celebrate a little something-something, so stay tuned for whatever that may be and find a full report on the goings on, as far as I saw things, on Monday.

So, for now I'll be signing off. Have a glorious weekend and enjoy whatever is left of your day and/or night!

Friday News And Views

Real? Imagined? Spoofed? Who knows?

Submitted for Your Consideration:

This came across my radar screen yesterday and, after diligently searching everywhere on the "innergoogles", I cannot say whether or not this is true, or what. I will only say the following is what I do know for now:

• The original posting on the net apparently goes back to an Italian based cycling blog which shows a different imaging layout and is marked with the word "CONFIDENTIAL". The grainy image quality suggests this was grabbed from a screen shot. 
• Images were also seen Thursday on the "Imgur" site here. Images are also watermarked "CONFIDENTIAL" and an embargo on release is seen with a late March date.
• There was a thread on this on mtbr.com which shows up on a Google search, but was taken down. The thread was dated December 2015. 
• A few Facebook posts with mentions of a SRAM Eagle 12spd "one-by" group had a link which was bad. Taken down? Hard to say.....

The Italian blog stated that the group was to be revealed in March, probably just ahead of Sea Otter, which would make sense, since SRAM historically has usually introduced big mtb group/product offerings during that festival.

Comments: So, is this real? The images I've seen look convincing. Would SRAM really want to do a 12 speed 1X group? One of the big complaints about XX1 is that the gearing range isn't as deep on the low end as a triple or 2X. Having one more gear, a 50 tooth cog, would put that complaint to rest, although the jumps between lower gears would still remain large. In the end, who knows? It all could be an elaborate hoax, although I will admit, a rather convincing one. Or, maybe someone actually slipped up, and this got leaked out early. My opinion is that it could be that this is SRAM's answer to critiques on its XX1 11spd stuff. I think it also could be fake. What I would rather see is SRAM adapting its wireless electronic technology for mtb. This development- if indeed it is real- doesn't do much for me.

New look, new models.

Rawland Reborn:

Remember Rawland Cycles? They made a splash starting in 2007 when they introduced a model with 650B wheels dubbed the Olaf. The company dabbled in 700c wheels with a model called the Draakar, then teased a few gravel grinder models and rando based rigs later on but the company kind of faded away.

However; it would appear that now Rawland is set to make a new model or two and is launching a new look with them. Still steeped in Norse nomenclature, the bikes will feature several of the well known Rawland traits: low trail front end, steel frames, and versatility, but will feature all disc brake compatibility and on the Ravn, will be suitable with 26" wheels, with 650B and even smaller 700c wheels as optional choices. The other model, dubbed the Ulv, will be a B+ wheeled bikepacking type rig.

Not much else is known yet, but details should be coming soon. I will be interested in seeing what is coming down the line with this brand since I used to know a couple of the fellows involved with it at the genesis of the brand almost 10 years ago now.

I will be participating in this.

Race Director's Summit:

You know what happens when you start putting on a race for over a decade? People think, "Hey! This guy must know what he is doing!", or something along those lines. The reality is that I've just managed to stick it out all these years! But whatever- somebody thought I had something valuable to offer others, so I was invited to be a part of this tomorrow in Des Moines, Iowa.

Specifically, I am going to be on the panel which starts at 10:10am concerning "Promotions, marketing, media". So, if you are around the Des Moines area, and are thinking about being a race director/promoter, you can check this out for free, (I believe it is free), and see what it is I have to say, along with several others far smarter and better looking than I.

Of course, this means a two hour drive for me and so I will be getting up early tomorrow, heading South, gabbing, and then hitting up the Krunkwich Ramen House for noontime vittles. Afterward I may celebrate a little something-something, so stay tuned for whatever that may be and find a full report on the goings on, as far as I saw things, on Monday.

So, for now I'll be signing off. Have a glorious weekend and enjoy whatever is left of your day and/or night!

Rawland Fall Tour: Report In Photos

For those who want to skip this insanely long post, here's the quick and dirty: The Rawland Fall Tour gets Guitar Ted's Dirty Thumbs Up!

Okay, for those who have the time and inclination to read all the way through this, here is the long version. (Got a fresh cuppa-joe? Good!)

I left for Northfield, Minnesota on Saturday afternoon to hook up with Ben Witt of Milltown Cycles and his wife. Mrs. Guitar Ted and I were going out to dinner with the Witts and we had a great time! I had never had Indian cuisine before, but I must say that Chicken Vindaloo with Nan is pretty outstanding! Well, we hung out in some Northfield bars for the remainder of the evening and then we went to our motel room and cashed it in for the night. Now that would have been enough right there to make for an outstanding weekend, but then there was the Rawland Fall Tour!

(Note: Click on any photo to enlarge it slightly)

Approximately 60 riders showed up in Dennison, Minnesota on what had to be the prototypical "perfect Fall day" for the ride. After some short words by Mr. Witt, we rolled off to gravel right out of the gate. Conditions were chilly but improving quickly with abundant sunshine and little to no wind. The dust was flying off the riders tires like it does off an automobile. It was pretty cool to see.

It is a "No Drop" ride, and it was to be undertaken at a "chill" pace, but after about 5 miles of 15-18mph, we had to stop and re-group to gather up the tail enders. Plus, directions needed to be figured out, and although lots of us had cues, we were relying on the ride leaders to guide us along.

Here is an example of a stop where we waited for the end to catch up and for the ride leaders to get their bearings.

Here is where things went a bit off track for me. First off, I and about a dozen others made a wrong turn right here and we ended up off the back. Then I noticed my rear tire was rather soft. oh oh! Flat tire! (Well, it would have been soon) I tried pumping it back up first, but that wasn't going to do, and since we weren't racing, I just pulled off and started fixing it. Soon about five guys, including Ben, had stopped to watch and chat as I worked over the tire.

I got it fixed, and we were off. The six of us went down about a quarter mile to a "T" intersection and went left. We were flying down a big, long hill when I looked and thought I recognized a turn we had made not long before. Yep! Wrong turn! Brandon, a bigger fella quipped. "Okay, who made the wrong turn and forced the 300lb guy to have to climb back up this hill?" Well, it was all in good fun, and Brandon wasn't really mad, but ya know, I totally understand the comment! More than once I thought the same after a wrong turn. Why is it that wrong turns are always down hill anyway?

The guys turning around after we found out we made the wrong turn and added three miles to our total.

Chris in the far distance, and Ben in the foreground, after we got back on track. There was still some small hope we would catch back on at the lunch stop at this point.

I'll tell ya what- The scenery was spectacular on the route. Ben Witt and company did a great job picking out some stellar roads, the weather was top notch, and the fall colors, while maybe not at their height yet, were awesome none the less. I could have stopped at every turn, over every hill, and taken a "picture post card" photo. My buddy Gnat? Fahgedda boud it! He would have been so busy snapping awesome pics we would have hardly talked! (But I still wish he would have been able to join us!)

At Oxford Mill we took a break to let the guys off the back catch up. Ben and I decided at this point we'd likely take the short cut back to Dennison. we were just not going to catch back onto the lead pack at our pace, which we were completely fine with. I was under a time constraint anyway, and to have done the whole course, I would have had to have flown after my flat to even have a prayer of getting it all in. I would have had to have ridden out on my own, and too hard. Nope! I stayed back with the guys I found myself with and we had a blast! We stuck around here and chatted, munched some tidbits and drank some water before moving on back into the hill country of the Sogn Valley.

Ben Witt climbing Shady Lane Trail. This was a steep, long, curvy climb in a great hardwood stand of trees that was spectacular!

Here is the look up from where I shot the photo of Ben above. Still a ways to go yet! There were about three false summits on this climb. Brutal, but beautiful, and fun!

Here's a look from the tip-top of Shady Lane Trail. Ben is down there waiting for riders to make the climb.

We had lunch on the grounds of this rural church, the Urland Lutheran Church. Spectacular scenery here, and I know it seems impossible, but really, the whole ride was filled with this sort of stuff.

After our sweet lunch of pasta, bananas, and cookies, we were obliged to take the short cut back to Dennison, which was on the paved road. We picked up Jerry, the used book store owner here, who waited for us slowpokes to come into the lunch stop. (Thanks man!)

We ended up getting about 33 miles in and it was a gloriously good time with some fantastic folks along the way.

Thanks to Ben Witt, Sean and Anna from Rawland, and anybody else who had a hand in making this an awesome experience. The route was fantastic, and the company was the tops.

Sounds like Ben and company will be doing this route again in a couple weeks, so if you are in the area, check it out! I highly recommend it. 

Rawland Fall Tour: Report In Photos

For those who want to skip this insanely long post, here's the quick and dirty: The Rawland Fall Tour gets Guitar Ted's Dirty Thumbs Up!

Okay, for those who have the time and inclination to read all the way through this, here is the long version. (Got a fresh cuppa-joe? Good!)

I left for Northfield, Minnesota on Saturday afternoon to hook up with Ben Witt of Milltown Cycles and his wife. Mrs. Guitar Ted and I were going out to dinner with the Witts and we had a great time! I had never had Indian cuisine before, but I must say that Chicken Vindaloo with Nan is pretty outstanding! Well, we hung out in some Northfield bars for the remainder of the evening and then we went to our motel room and cashed it in for the night. Now that would have been enough right there to make for an outstanding weekend, but then there was the Rawland Fall Tour!

(Note: Click on any photo to enlarge it slightly)

Approximately 60 riders showed up in Dennison, Minnesota on what had to be the prototypical "perfect Fall day" for the ride. After some short words by Mr. Witt, we rolled off to gravel right out of the gate. Conditions were chilly but improving quickly with abundant sunshine and little to no wind. The dust was flying off the riders tires like it does off an automobile. It was pretty cool to see.

It is a "No Drop" ride, and it was to be undertaken at a "chill" pace, but after about 5 miles of 15-18mph, we had to stop and re-group to gather up the tail enders. Plus, directions needed to be figured out, and although lots of us had cues, we were relying on the ride leaders to guide us along.

Here is an example of a stop where we waited for the end to catch up and for the ride leaders to get their bearings.

Here is where things went a bit off track for me. First off, I and about a dozen others made a wrong turn right here and we ended up off the back. Then I noticed my rear tire was rather soft. oh oh! Flat tire! (Well, it would have been soon) I tried pumping it back up first, but that wasn't going to do, and since we weren't racing, I just pulled off and started fixing it. Soon about five guys, including Ben, had stopped to watch and chat as I worked over the tire.

I got it fixed, and we were off. The six of us went down about a quarter mile to a "T" intersection and went left. We were flying down a big, long hill when I looked and thought I recognized a turn we had made not long before. Yep! Wrong turn! Brandon, a bigger fella quipped. "Okay, who made the wrong turn and forced the 300lb guy to have to climb back up this hill?" Well, it was all in good fun, and Brandon wasn't really mad, but ya know, I totally understand the comment! More than once I thought the same after a wrong turn. Why is it that wrong turns are always down hill anyway?

The guys turning around after we found out we made the wrong turn and added three miles to our total.

Chris in the far distance, and Ben in the foreground, after we got back on track. There was still some small hope we would catch back on at the lunch stop at this point.

I'll tell ya what- The scenery was spectacular on the route. Ben Witt and company did a great job picking out some stellar roads, the weather was top notch, and the fall colors, while maybe not at their height yet, were awesome none the less. I could have stopped at every turn, over every hill, and taken a "picture post card" photo. My buddy Gnat? Fahgedda boud it! He would have been so busy snapping awesome pics we would have hardly talked! (But I still wish he would have been able to join us!)

At Oxford Mill we took a break to let the guys off the back catch up. Ben and I decided at this point we'd likely take the short cut back to Dennison. we were just not going to catch back onto the lead pack at our pace, which we were completely fine with. I was under a time constraint anyway, and to have done the whole course, I would have had to have flown after my flat to even have a prayer of getting it all in. I would have had to have ridden out on my own, and too hard. Nope! I stayed back with the guys I found myself with and we had a blast! We stuck around here and chatted, munched some tidbits and drank some water before moving on back into the hill country of the Sogn Valley.

Ben Witt climbing Shady Lane Trail. This was a steep, long, curvy climb in a great hardwood stand of trees that was spectacular!

Here is the look up from where I shot the photo of Ben above. Still a ways to go yet! There were about three false summits on this climb. Brutal, but beautiful, and fun!

Here's a look from the tip-top of Shady Lane Trail. Ben is down there waiting for riders to make the climb.

We had lunch on the grounds of this rural church, the Urland Lutheran Church. Spectacular scenery here, and I know it seems impossible, but really, the whole ride was filled with this sort of stuff.

After our sweet lunch of pasta, bananas, and cookies, we were obliged to take the short cut back to Dennison, which was on the paved road. We picked up Jerry, the used book store owner here, who waited for us slowpokes to come into the lunch stop. (Thanks man!)

We ended up getting about 33 miles in and it was a gloriously good time with some fantastic folks along the way.

Thanks to Ben Witt, Sean and Anna from Rawland, and anybody else who had a hand in making this an awesome experience. The route was fantastic, and the company was the tops.

Sounds like Ben and company will be doing this route again in a couple weeks, so if you are in the area, check it out! I highly recommend it. 

Friday News And Views

Rawland Asks Your Opinion: Rawland Cycles is asking for input on a re-design of the Sogn. Check out the blog here and weigh in. The re-design is going to focus on a non-mountain bikish, rig that would be a different rig than the current offerings that Rawland has.

I will say that since Rawland started out as a 650B specific company, you'll run into a lot of 650B banter in the comments, but don't let that stop ya! I have to ask though, "What does a 650B tire, in any size/width, on a more road-ish bike, do better than a 700c one, other than be different for different's sake? Maybe someone could chime in here on that. It would seem that the road going brethren have chosen 700c as the optimal size, but maybe I'm reading this all wrong.

I'll say one thing, I don't know that I've ever seen one single 650B bike at a gravel event that I've put on, or attended. Mountain bikes, yeah....that's a different story, but not on a "rough road" bike.   Anyway.....

Bikepacking: So this has been too long in coming, but I have finally gotten my mitts on a proper bicycling/camping tent. This is a Topeak "Bikamper" tent/bivy dealio. It is a bit unique in that it is held up with a combination of stakes, guy lines, and bicycle tubes. (You could use a 26" front wheel on the "big" end, but I don't have bikes that fit those wheels) The thing with the tubes is kind of cool, but also a bit puzzling, since the "little" end uses a 16" tube, which you might have on a trailer, but still. Weird.

I have not spent any time to speak of in such a tiny tent since my youth when I had a "pup tent". This is, by far, even smaller than that. Very cozy! I'll do some following up on this experiment, but I may be looking into something else later.

So I will now have to do some other gear experimentation, but it is looking as though I am finally going to start doing this. It's been a long time coming. Too long!

Trans Iowa V7- Floating Some Ideas: I have been kicking around a few ideas on the course and for registration with d.p. via e-mail. We're forging a clearer picture of T.I.V7 now  and I hope to make an announcement concerning the registration process soon. We've got a lot of options on the table for completing the "big assed loop", much of it already figured out, but we also have quite a ways to go concerning the details. So far, we've got one, possibly two, checkpoints arranged and at least the first third of the route drafted out. My hope is that d.p. and I can arrange for some more night time gravel grinding "think tank-recon rides" to fine tune things further.

I think the roster size will be tried at 100 to start out with. Keep in mind that traditionally, we've been lucky to get over 50 people to show up on average for all the versions that we've done, even with T.I.V3's "unlimited" roster limit. My sincere feeling is that if we get 75-80 folks in the end it will be a miracle, and that would most likely be the most we'd ever get even if we said, "Come one, come all". (Which we are not going to do, for several reasons)

Have a great weekend and ride yer bicycle somewhere!

Friday News And Views

Rawland Asks Your Opinion: Rawland Cycles is asking for input on a re-design of the Sogn. Check out the blog here and weigh in. The re-design is going to focus on a non-mountain bikish, rig that would be a different rig than the current offerings that Rawland has.

I will say that since Rawland started out as a 650B specific company, you'll run into a lot of 650B banter in the comments, but don't let that stop ya! I have to ask though, "What does a 650B tire, in any size/width, on a more road-ish bike, do better than a 700c one, other than be different for different's sake? Maybe someone could chime in here on that. It would seem that the road going brethren have chosen 700c as the optimal size, but maybe I'm reading this all wrong.

I'll say one thing, I don't know that I've ever seen one single 650B bike at a gravel event that I've put on, or attended. Mountain bikes, yeah....that's a different story, but not on a "rough road" bike.   Anyway.....

Bikepacking: So this has been too long in coming, but I have finally gotten my mitts on a proper bicycling/camping tent. This is a Topeak "Bikamper" tent/bivy dealio. It is a bit unique in that it is held up with a combination of stakes, guy lines, and bicycle tubes. (You could use a 26" front wheel on the "big" end, but I don't have bikes that fit those wheels) The thing with the tubes is kind of cool, but also a bit puzzling, since the "little" end uses a 16" tube, which you might have on a trailer, but still. Weird.

I have not spent any time to speak of in such a tiny tent since my youth when I had a "pup tent". This is, by far, even smaller than that. Very cozy! I'll do some following up on this experiment, but I may be looking into something else later.

So I will now have to do some other gear experimentation, but it is looking as though I am finally going to start doing this. It's been a long time coming. Too long!

Trans Iowa V7- Floating Some Ideas: I have been kicking around a few ideas on the course and for registration with d.p. via e-mail. We're forging a clearer picture of T.I.V7 now  and I hope to make an announcement concerning the registration process soon. We've got a lot of options on the table for completing the "big assed loop", much of it already figured out, but we also have quite a ways to go concerning the details. So far, we've got one, possibly two, checkpoints arranged and at least the first third of the route drafted out. My hope is that d.p. and I can arrange for some more night time gravel grinding "think tank-recon rides" to fine tune things further.

I think the roster size will be tried at 100 to start out with. Keep in mind that traditionally, we've been lucky to get over 50 people to show up on average for all the versions that we've done, even with T.I.V3's "unlimited" roster limit. My sincere feeling is that if we get 75-80 folks in the end it will be a miracle, and that would most likely be the most we'd ever get even if we said, "Come one, come all". (Which we are not going to do, for several reasons)

Have a great weekend and ride yer bicycle somewhere!

Friday News And Views

Space Bar Part II: At one time I had a few Origin 8 Space Bars on my rigs which were much like On One's Mary Bar, only waaay cheaper. And as it turned out, waay more breakable! (Well, for off roading- okay?) So I never had an issue with them mountain biking, but I didn't want to, so I ceased using them off road.

Now Origin 8 has a "Space Bar OR" which is "off road rated". It isn't anything like the Mary or the old Space Bar either. Nope! I'll have some pictures and info up later, but for now let's just say it has the look of another bar I am familiar with.

More Good Stuff: I have been getting more intel gathered for details concerning the course and some of the social things surrounding T.I.V6. Boy! This might be the most outlandish, coolest Trans Iowa yet devised. If half of what has tickled my ears gets to the event, than I'll be really floored. I haven't been this stoked about doing a Trans Iowa in a long time. I will be getting to it here very soon, so start looking for details to pop up and lots of hints and clues in the coming weeks and months.

More Antler/Elgokse Reports: I will be swapping over to the full on Antler/Elgokse set up here shortly and getting some reports up on how that works out on various surfaces soon. I needed to figure out how I wanted to approach the Nokon housing problem, since I was going to need to string on more of that on the Pofahl to get the brake levers to sit where I needed them to on the Antlers. I have a solution now without necessitating spending the $$$ on a full Nokon kit. (I only need a bit more, not a full kits worth) So I will be getting that set up here soon. Stay tuned!

Fall Makes A Return?: It looks as if the weather will return to more of a Fall-like feel around here starting this weekend. That's all good for me! I was getting a bit bummed that Winter would be striking sooner than later, and I was hoping we'd get an "Indian Summer" at least. Well, it looks as though we'll get a break, so I better get out while the gettin' is good. And so should you!

Have fun riding where ever your bike takes you!

Friday News And Views

Space Bar Part II: At one time I had a few Origin 8 Space Bars on my rigs which were much like On One's Mary Bar, only waaay cheaper. And as it turned out, waay more breakable! (Well, for off roading- okay?) So I never had an issue with them mountain biking, but I didn't want to, so I ceased using them off road.

Now Origin 8 has a "Space Bar OR" which is "off road rated". It isn't anything like the Mary or the old Space Bar either. Nope! I'll have some pictures and info up later, but for now let's just say it has the look of another bar I am familiar with.

More Good Stuff: I have been getting more intel gathered for details concerning the course and some of the social things surrounding T.I.V6. Boy! This might be the most outlandish, coolest Trans Iowa yet devised. If half of what has tickled my ears gets to the event, than I'll be really floored. I haven't been this stoked about doing a Trans Iowa in a long time. I will be getting to it here very soon, so start looking for details to pop up and lots of hints and clues in the coming weeks and months.

More Antler/Elgokse Reports: I will be swapping over to the full on Antler/Elgokse set up here shortly and getting some reports up on how that works out on various surfaces soon. I needed to figure out how I wanted to approach the Nokon housing problem, since I was going to need to string on more of that on the Pofahl to get the brake levers to sit where I needed them to on the Antlers. I have a solution now without necessitating spending the $$$ on a full Nokon kit. (I only need a bit more, not a full kits worth) So I will be getting that set up here soon. Stay tuned!

Fall Makes A Return?: It looks as if the weather will return to more of a Fall-like feel around here starting this weekend. That's all good for me! I was getting a bit bummed that Winter would be striking sooner than later, and I was hoping we'd get an "Indian Summer" at least. Well, it looks as though we'll get a break, so I better get out while the gettin' is good. And so should you!

Have fun riding where ever your bike takes you!

That Could Have Been The Last.....

<====It might be awhile again before it's this nice out.

Not to rub it in, but I had yesterday off. (Score!) Things lined up weather-wise so that that will be the last nice day in awhile. Believe me- I took advantage of that fact!

I have just received the Rawland Cycles "Elgokse" stem/bar combo. "What the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks is that, you ask? Well, just think "modernized Bull Moose bars" and you'll get the gist of it. These are even done up in chrome too! Makes me feel like I am behind the wheel of a '53 Buick, it does! Got that chrome bumper look there. Anyway, I got these and I rode them yesterday.

<===A look from above.

The "Elgokse" (Norwegian for "moose") isn't a light weight either. I know the weight of the set up, but I ain't tellin'! Let's just say they are "phat", and leave it at that, mmmkay? I like that I can adjust the angle of the bar by loosening the two face plates and rotating the bar to get up sweep, a flat profile, or slight down sweep. Ya can't do that with your vintage Bull Moose!

It's interesting to note also that the Pofahl was supposed to have a custom "Bull Moose" type bar from the get-go, but the custom builder contracted to make them ignored me. (I ain't tellin' that name either!) Anyway, so I end up with the look I intended from Day One, so that was a nice deal.

The Pofahl is a single speed, and this bar rocks as a single speed bar. Stiff and wide! Rock the bike up a climb like a pro. You won't feel the bars give an inch. Nice! How wide? How about 700mm wide? Yeah........34mm wider than anything Surly makes. (But numbers don't mean anything, right? ha ha!) If you don't like them that wide, there are graduated marks on the Elgokse to make them narrower. I liked them at full width, so these won't be seeing the hack saw.

More later on the Elgokse, and also on the outlandish Antler Bar! (Wait'll you see this!)

The ride was great. I went on a "multi-terrain" ride through some streets, bike paths, dirt short cuts, and on back roads and single track. It was all good. I got two hours straight in on the Pofahl, then I ran an errand on my Raleigh Rainier rig to the Post Office and back. What a great day to be on the bike.

If you missed the great weather, I hope for your sakes and mine that there is an Indian Summer coming yet. I sure am not ready for "the gales of November to come early"! (Remember that one?)

That Could Have Been The Last.....

<====It might be awhile again before it's this nice out.

Not to rub it in, but I had yesterday off. (Score!) Things lined up weather-wise so that that will be the last nice day in awhile. Believe me- I took advantage of that fact!

I have just received the Rawland Cycles "Elgokse" stem/bar combo. "What the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks is that, you ask? Well, just think "modernized Bull Moose bars" and you'll get the gist of it. These are even done up in chrome too! Makes me feel like I am behind the wheel of a '53 Buick, it does! Got that chrome bumper look there. Anyway, I got these and I rode them yesterday.

<===A look from above.

The "Elgokse" (Norwegian for "moose") isn't a light weight either. I know the weight of the set up, but I ain't tellin'! Let's just say they are "phat", and leave it at that, mmmkay? I like that I can adjust the angle of the bar by loosening the two face plates and rotating the bar to get up sweep, a flat profile, or slight down sweep. Ya can't do that with your vintage Bull Moose!

It's interesting to note also that the Pofahl was supposed to have a custom "Bull Moose" type bar from the get-go, but the custom builder contracted to make them ignored me. (I ain't tellin' that name either!) Anyway, so I end up with the look I intended from Day One, so that was a nice deal.

The Pofahl is a single speed, and this bar rocks as a single speed bar. Stiff and wide! Rock the bike up a climb like a pro. You won't feel the bars give an inch. Nice! How wide? How about 700mm wide? Yeah........34mm wider than anything Surly makes. (But numbers don't mean anything, right? ha ha!) If you don't like them that wide, there are graduated marks on the Elgokse to make them narrower. I liked them at full width, so these won't be seeing the hack saw.

More later on the Elgokse, and also on the outlandish Antler Bar! (Wait'll you see this!)

The ride was great. I went on a "multi-terrain" ride through some streets, bike paths, dirt short cuts, and on back roads and single track. It was all good. I got two hours straight in on the Pofahl, then I ran an errand on my Raleigh Rainier rig to the Post Office and back. What a great day to be on the bike.

If you missed the great weather, I hope for your sakes and mine that there is an Indian Summer coming yet. I sure am not ready for "the gales of November to come early"! (Remember that one?)

Extremes

<====Dramatic clouds hurrying along on the Northwesterly wind.

So after all the goings on of late, I was feeling a bit out of sorts. My wonderful wife saw that I needed to do something to clear out the cobwebs and get a reset of the mind. So, she graciously blocked out a chunk of Saturday for me to get out and ride a bit.

Seeing as how the dirt was soaked with the recent rains, it was a no brainer to hit the gravel. I took out the Pofahl but with a twist. I have just recently received a set of Elgokse stem/bars along with a Antler bar from Rawland Cycles. The Antler is basically a take off on a mustache bar. I didn't have enough Nokon housing to adapt the Antler to the Pofahl now, so for the time being, I ran the Elgokse as is. (By the way, elgokse is Norwegian for "moose". The stem/bar combo being a take off on the famous "Bull Moose" bars of yore.)



<===Self portrait. Happy Snappycap on cause it covers my ears! It was cold!

The difference from the ride this weekend to the week before was dramatic. Interbike was set in temps in the upper 90's to 100. Dry, windy, and dusty. Here I was riding in spitting rain, wind, and temps in the low 40's with a wind chill. A freaking wind chill! I had tights on and was wearing layers and the whole bit.

I better get used to it, eh?

I think my neighbor hit the nail on the head when he said, "It went from summer right into winter...." Well, maybe that's a bit extreme, but the change for me was a bit of a shock to the system.



<===The boondocks. A good place to get a reset of the mind, if you ask me.

And I'll get used to it soon enough, I suppose. Just to be able to ride at all is great. And the trails will dry out eventually.

So, the mind thing..........yeah. It helped to get out for a few hours. Nothing but me, the wind, and gravel. It was good.



Look for a report on the Elgokse and the Antler on Twenty Nine Inches soon. It's pretty cool. The perfect set up for the Pofahl, which was originally supposed to have a custom Bull Moose bar anyway. I'll be looking into some more Nokon housing now to string up for the Antlers. Stay tuned for that fun. Thanks Sean, Anna, and Ben! You guys are awesome!

Extremes

<====Dramatic clouds hurrying along on the Northwesterly wind.

So after all the goings on of late, I was feeling a bit out of sorts. My wonderful wife saw that I needed to do something to clear out the cobwebs and get a reset of the mind. So, she graciously blocked out a chunk of Saturday for me to get out and ride a bit.

Seeing as how the dirt was soaked with the recent rains, it was a no brainer to hit the gravel. I took out the Pofahl but with a twist. I have just recently received a set of Elgokse stem/bars along with a Antler bar from Rawland Cycles. The Antler is basically a take off on a mustache bar. I didn't have enough Nokon housing to adapt the Antler to the Pofahl now, so for the time being, I ran the Elgokse as is. (By the way, elgokse is Norwegian for "moose". The stem/bar combo being a take off on the famous "Bull Moose" bars of yore.)



<===Self portrait. Happy Snappycap on cause it covers my ears! It was cold!

The difference from the ride this weekend to the week before was dramatic. Interbike was set in temps in the upper 90's to 100. Dry, windy, and dusty. Here I was riding in spitting rain, wind, and temps in the low 40's with a wind chill. A freaking wind chill! I had tights on and was wearing layers and the whole bit.

I better get used to it, eh?

I think my neighbor hit the nail on the head when he said, "It went from summer right into winter...." Well, maybe that's a bit extreme, but the change for me was a bit of a shock to the system.



<===The boondocks. A good place to get a reset of the mind, if you ask me.

And I'll get used to it soon enough, I suppose. Just to be able to ride at all is great. And the trails will dry out eventually.

So, the mind thing..........yeah. It helped to get out for a few hours. Nothing but me, the wind, and gravel. It was good.



Look for a report on the Elgokse and the Antler on Twenty Nine Inches soon. It's pretty cool. The perfect set up for the Pofahl, which was originally supposed to have a custom Bull Moose bar anyway. I'll be looking into some more Nokon housing now to string up for the Antlers. Stay tuned for that fun. Thanks Sean, Anna, and Ben! You guys are awesome!