Missing It Again

From the Renegade Gent's Race 2011

 Maybe Facebook is good for some things. Things like jolting your memory with reminders of things you posted years ago. Such was the case the other day when a reminder of the Renegade Gent's Race popped up.

I was pretty pumped last year in January thinking that I'd be partaking in my tenth Renegade Gent's event in a row. But, ya know....... No need to remind anyone why that didn't happen, right? Of course, there was the thought that maybe the pandemic would ease off in the Fall and, ya know, we'd get the band back together then. Well, yeah...... Now it is 2021 and we've still to get around to that bit just yet.

There is chatter that the "Gents" will happen in June this year, and maybe it will. I don't know what is going to happen, but I told one of my "Careless Whispers" teammates that if it does, count me in. So, maybe we'll have a bit of a reunion then. It will be odd not to be doing this in April, but we'll see. No matter what, it won't quite be the same anyway. 

Why? Because June weather will be totally different. Why? Because of COVID-19 precautions. Why? Because my team is changed. Things are different now. Does that mean it is going to be a bad time, or "less than good"? No, no it doesn't. It just means it won't be the same anymore. It may end up being even better than before, or not, but one thing I know is that it will not be the same. 

We have this thing called 'nostalgia'. The familiar, the comfortable, and the 'known' are all things that make us want for the 'old times'. But if the Gent's thing does happen, I will go and it will be a thing I have no idea about. I will have (probably) two new teammates due to circumstances of the time. I will have a completely new weather experience, and with COVID protocols in place, I don't know that the situation I once knew will happen. In fact, I know it won't. 

But that's all good. New isn't necessarily 'bad', it's just most definitely 'different', and maybe uncomfortable. I don't have to make that a 'worse than' situation, but I should make that an opportunity, just like the first Gent's race was an opportunity. I mean, talk about your chances for things to suck! A new event, three people I needed to work with that I had never met before, and an area I had never ridden in before. It all could have gone completely pear shaped, and before it happened? I was anxious, nervous, and afraid. 

Team captain, Steve Fuller,won't be able to attend in '21.

I was really nervous about that first Gent's event. "Would these guys like me? Would I be treated as the 'outsider'? Because on my team, I was the only one not from the Des Moines cycling community, and I figured that humans being what they are, cliques and friendships may find me on the outside looking in. Much like it was when I went to visit in Minneapolis. 

But nothing could have been further from the truth. In fact, quite the opposite happened. I was taken in and treated as an equal, and more than that, friendships were formed that last until this day. I had no reason to believe that would happen before the event. It was going to be a HUGE change for me. But I am so glad I was able to break through that wall of fear that could have kept me from experiencing almost a decade of awesome times. 

The memories of the Renegade Gent's Race will always be something I cherish the rest of my life. If I can add to those in a way that is meaningful? Why not? Yes, things have changed. It never will be like the old times, but then again- it shouldn't be. Why not get a bit uncomfortable, charge into a new-ish situation, and see if there might be something there that can make me grow? 

So, again- maybe it won't happen,but if it does, I am already willing and able to accept a new deal. A new situation that may be great in its own way and that may give me things I never dreamed I'd gain in life. It will be fun if I let it be fun. I have a big say in the outcome, I realize that. I'll be making sure that I take the opportunity seriously if it happens. 

And if I never ride another Renegade Gent's Race again? I'm good with that. I will never be bitter about that possibility. I have already made so many great memories that it cannot be measured in value. Friendships were made. Experiences shared. Things I am not very proud of and things I am extremely proud of are parts of those memories. The Gent's Race will always be a highlight of my life. The possibility of adding to that? I'll take the chances......

Missing It Again

From the Renegade Gent's Race 2011

 Maybe Facebook is good for some things. Things like jolting your memory with reminders of things you posted years ago. Such was the case the other day when a reminder of the Renegade Gent's Race popped up.

I was pretty pumped last year in January thinking that I'd be partaking in my tenth Renegade Gent's event in a row. But, ya know....... No need to remind anyone why that didn't happen, right? Of course, there was the thought that maybe the pandemic would ease off in the Fall and, ya know, we'd get the band back together then. Well, yeah...... Now it is 2021 and we've still to get around to that bit just yet.

There is chatter that the "Gents" will happen in June this year, and maybe it will. I don't know what is going to happen, but I told one of my "Careless Whispers" teammates that if it does, count me in. So, maybe we'll have a bit of a reunion then. It will be odd not to be doing this in April, but we'll see. No matter what, it won't quite be the same anyway. 

Why? Because June weather will be totally different. Why? Because of COVID-19 precautions. Why? Because my team is changed. Things are different now. Does that mean it is going to be a bad time, or "less than good"? No, no it doesn't. It just means it won't be the same anymore. It may end up being even better than before, or not, but one thing I know is that it will not be the same. 

We have this thing called 'nostalgia'. The familiar, the comfortable, and the 'known' are all things that make us want for the 'old times'. But if the Gent's thing does happen, I will go and it will be a thing I have no idea about. I will have (probably) two new teammates due to circumstances of the time. I will have a completely new weather experience, and with COVID protocols in place, I don't know that the situation I once knew will happen. In fact, I know it won't. 

But that's all good. New isn't necessarily 'bad', it's just most definitely 'different', and maybe uncomfortable. I don't have to make that a 'worse than' situation, but I should make that an opportunity, just like the first Gent's race was an opportunity. I mean, talk about your chances for things to suck! A new event, three people I needed to work with that I had never met before, and an area I had never ridden in before. It all could have gone completely pear shaped, and before it happened? I was anxious, nervous, and afraid. 

Team captain, Steve Fuller,won't be able to attend in '21.

I was really nervous about that first Gent's event. "Would these guys like me? Would I be treated as the 'outsider'? Because on my team, I was the only one not from the Des Moines cycling community, and I figured that humans being what they are, cliques and friendships may find me on the outside looking in. Much like it was when I went to visit in Minneapolis. 

But nothing could have been further from the truth. In fact, quite the opposite happened. I was taken in and treated as an equal, and more than that, friendships were formed that last until this day. I had no reason to believe that would happen before the event. It was going to be a HUGE change for me. But I am so glad I was able to break through that wall of fear that could have kept me from experiencing almost a decade of awesome times. 

The memories of the Renegade Gent's Race will always be something I cherish the rest of my life. If I can add to those in a way that is meaningful? Why not? Yes, things have changed. It never will be like the old times, but then again- it shouldn't be. Why not get a bit uncomfortable, charge into a new-ish situation, and see if there might be something there that can make me grow? 

So, again- maybe it won't happen,but if it does, I am already willing and able to accept a new deal. A new situation that may be great in its own way and that may give me things I never dreamed I'd gain in life. It will be fun if I let it be fun. I have a big say in the outcome, I realize that. I'll be making sure that I take the opportunity seriously if it happens. 

And if I never ride another Renegade Gent's Race again? I'm good with that. I will never be bitter about that possibility. I have already made so many great memories that it cannot be measured in value. Friendships were made. Experiences shared. Things I am not very proud of and things I am extremely proud of are parts of those memories. The Gent's Race will always be a highlight of my life. The possibility of adding to that? I'll take the chances......

Gents Race 11.0

As the COVID situation rolls on into 2021, event RD's and organizations are (pick any of the following) hopeful that, expectant that, pushing for, unreasonably ignorant and going ahead anyway on, or impatient for, events to happen later this Spring and Summer. 

One such event is the 'Gent's', (a shortened moniker for what once was "The Renegade Gentleman's Race"). Thinking about the name, it isn't very representative of hip 2021 social fashion, but whatevs.... The name continues to get contracted from what it once was, so who knows? Maybe in the future it will become "The Renegade Human's Race". No.......that's even too long. Probably more like "Human's 12.0". 

Sorry! (Not sorry), I couldn't resist. More 'not resisting' follows. You've been forewarned.

We aren't even 'renegades' anymore, because, well, Gravel® is EVERYWHERE in cycling now. You're just one of the herd of sheep now if you are doing "Gravel®". The 'renegade' bit set sail long ago. Not that anyone should care. Go ride your bike, or not. I'm just making observations. It's what happens when humans get a hold of any trends. The natural evolution of any trend is for it to become absorbed into the mainstream and then just be a 'thing' with a little less, (or a lot less, depending) impact upon culture as it had when it was recognized as something 'new' and 'cool', whatever that means. Gravel riding has not escaped this transformation. 

And neither has "Gents", (I just noticed they even dropped the apostrophe....weird.) It has become a thing we get together and do, and it is fun, but it is no longer the event it was. Neither bad nor good- it just is. Evolution and all. This will be the 11.0 version. Now, I realize that last year was well......let's just say Gents didn't happen. I could go on about last year, but we're all very tired of that. So, anyway, last year was supposed to have been number 10.0. Last year did not happen, so instead of this year (possibly) being 10.0, it is 11.0? I'm bad at math, but this strikes me as being not right. Maybe it's Gents math. Could be..... I mean, it is 'Gents 11.0', not Gent's 10.0. Big difference there, I guess. 

Okay, now seriously, I love this event, so I jest. But here's the thing- they moved the date from the first weekend of April to the third weekend in June. That would be pretty close to the solstice, so long days, nicer weather, you'd think anyway. That's supposedly playing into the hands of the organizers as they work to make social distancing work and have everything outdoors. 

I said earlier that I'd only consider two events for 2021 and this "gents" thing is one of them. (I mean, why not go lower case? You've already contracted the name this far. Ha ha!) The other is Gravel Worlds, and I'm signed up for that. Stay tuned.... COVID is still happening. Anything people plan is very tenuous right now, no matter what hype they are putting out, or how badly they want to have things happen. If things are not looking good to me, I will pull the plug. Whether or no the events cancel/postpone. 

Stay tuned.......

Gents Race 11.0

As the COVID situation rolls on into 2021, event RD's and organizations are (pick any of the following) hopeful that, expectant that, pushing for, unreasonably ignorant and going ahead anyway on, or impatient for, events to happen later this Spring and Summer. 

One such event is the 'Gent's', (a shortened moniker for what once was "The Renegade Gentleman's Race"). Thinking about the name, it isn't very representative of hip 2021 social fashion, but whatevs.... The name continues to get contracted from what it once was, so who knows? Maybe in the future it will become "The Renegade Human's Race". No.......that's even too long. Probably more like "Human's 12.0". 

Sorry! (Not sorry), I couldn't resist. More 'not resisting' follows. You've been forewarned.

We aren't even 'renegades' anymore, because, well, Gravel® is EVERYWHERE in cycling now. You're just one of the herd of sheep now if you are doing "Gravel®". The 'renegade' bit set sail long ago. Not that anyone should care. Go ride your bike, or not. I'm just making observations. It's what happens when humans get a hold of any trends. The natural evolution of any trend is for it to become absorbed into the mainstream and then just be a 'thing' with a little less, (or a lot less, depending) impact upon culture as it had when it was recognized as something 'new' and 'cool', whatever that means. Gravel riding has not escaped this transformation. 

And neither has "Gents", (I just noticed they even dropped the apostrophe....weird.) It has become a thing we get together and do, and it is fun, but it is no longer the event it was. Neither bad nor good- it just is. Evolution and all. This will be the 11.0 version. Now, I realize that last year was well......let's just say Gents didn't happen. I could go on about last year, but we're all very tired of that. So, anyway, last year was supposed to have been number 10.0. Last year did not happen, so instead of this year (possibly) being 10.0, it is 11.0? I'm bad at math, but this strikes me as being not right. Maybe it's Gents math. Could be..... I mean, it is 'Gents 11.0', not Gent's 10.0. Big difference there, I guess. 

Okay, now seriously, I love this event, so I jest. But here's the thing- they moved the date from the first weekend of April to the third weekend in June. That would be pretty close to the solstice, so long days, nicer weather, you'd think anyway. That's supposedly playing into the hands of the organizers as they work to make social distancing work and have everything outdoors. 

I said earlier that I'd only consider two events for 2021 and this "gents" thing is one of them. (I mean, why not go lower case? You've already contracted the name this far. Ha ha!) The other is Gravel Worlds, and I'm signed up for that. Stay tuned.... COVID is still happening. Anything people plan is very tenuous right now, no matter what hype they are putting out, or how badly they want to have things happen. If things are not looking good to me, I will pull the plug. Whether or no the events cancel/postpone. 

Stay tuned.......

Rear View '20: The First Quarter

2020 kicked off with the Iowa Gravel expo Pop-up Series.

 Hello Readers! Once again I am doing the annual retrospective on what went down over the year of 2020. This post will focus on the First Quarter of the year. Other posts will cover the other quarters for a total of four, one each week of December on Thursdays.This is the first "Rear View" post of the series. 

First Quarter: This seems like it happened a decade ago, but there was a time during 2020 that was 'pre-COVID-19' in America. The year started out with my usual "State of the Gravel Scene" posts and I'll have a little to say about that later this month. The other thing I had going on was another season of the "Iowa Gravel Expo" with N.Y. Roll. We did a 'pop-up' series with two events in January and two in February at Second State Brewing. 

But the biggest news early in the year was my switch to working at a new bike shop after 17+ years at the previous shop. Andy's Bike shop was my new employer and I got started off working here and there throughout the rest of the Winter until right about when COVID hit where I was working four days a week. 

Late January and early February brought about four to five weeks of decent fat biking weather. With all the time off I had, I was digging into some rides and I actually had one of my best fat biking seasons that I've had in many a year. Even though conditions were only good for maybe a month, and I typically with the old job would have missed out on a lot of the opportunities to ride. So, not much money in that, but it was fun!

The snow was the meat in a weird gravel riding sandwich time. Great gravel riding was had from late 2019 right up through to mid-January, and then again from the mark out of the gate in March onward. "Slop Season" wasn't bad, and the roads were top notch for early riding. I also had a trip in here, my last one for a long, long time. 

T-Bock's sports bar in Decorah, Iowa where the pre-race meetings for T.I.v3 and v4 were held. Seen here in 2020.

 I went up to Decorah, Iowa on Leap Day to interview Marty Larson of the Heywood Ride for RidingGravel. It was a glorious day with Mrs. Guitar Ted and I had a wonderful time. I also was gearing up for an event I was putting on with N.Y. Roll, the C.O.G. 100, which we had to tie up a lot of loose ends for with the event set to happen on the last weekend of March, and right away, a week afterward I was to do the 10th annual Gent's Race, but as we all know, THAT never happened! 

Everything went upside down mid-March and the World as I knew it was changed. No plans mattered, and all the social and economic weirdness kicked in with a heavy dose of fear. I just was freaking out, to be honest, and just riding out in the country alone on gravel roads felt odd, like I wasn't supposed to be doing this......maybe? 

And that was the biggest thing, right? No one knew anything for certain about anything- Just stay away from people, shelter at home, wash yer hands, don't touch your face, sanitize EVERYTHING and good luck finding toilet paper. Oh,,,,,,and all the gravel events were cancelling or moving dates to Fall.

Next on the Rear View '20: April, May, and June

Rear View '20: The First Quarter

2020 kicked off with the Iowa Gravel expo Pop-up Series.

 Hello Readers! Once again I am doing the annual retrospective on what went down over the year of 2020. This post will focus on the First Quarter of the year. Other posts will cover the other quarters for a total of four, one each week of December on Thursdays.This is the first "Rear View" post of the series. 

First Quarter: This seems like it happened a decade ago, but there was a time during 2020 that was 'pre-COVID-19' in America. The year started out with my usual "State of the Gravel Scene" posts and I'll have a little to say about that later this month. The other thing I had going on was another season of the "Iowa Gravel Expo" with N.Y. Roll. We did a 'pop-up' series with two events in January and two in February at Second State Brewing. 

But the biggest news early in the year was my switch to working at a new bike shop after 17+ years at the previous shop. Andy's Bike shop was my new employer and I got started off working here and there throughout the rest of the Winter until right about when COVID hit where I was working four days a week. 

Late January and early February brought about four to five weeks of decent fat biking weather. With all the time off I had, I was digging into some rides and I actually had one of my best fat biking seasons that I've had in many a year. Even though conditions were only good for maybe a month, and I typically with the old job would have missed out on a lot of the opportunities to ride. So, not much money in that, but it was fun!

The snow was the meat in a weird gravel riding sandwich time. Great gravel riding was had from late 2019 right up through to mid-January, and then again from the mark out of the gate in March onward. "Slop Season" wasn't bad, and the roads were top notch for early riding. I also had a trip in here, my last one for a long, long time. 

T-Bock's sports bar in Decorah, Iowa where the pre-race meetings for T.I.v3 and v4 were held. Seen here in 2020.

 I went up to Decorah, Iowa on Leap Day to interview Marty Larson of the Heywood Ride for RidingGravel. It was a glorious day with Mrs. Guitar Ted and I had a wonderful time. I also was gearing up for an event I was putting on with N.Y. Roll, the C.O.G. 100, which we had to tie up a lot of loose ends for with the event set to happen on the last weekend of March, and right away, a week afterward I was to do the 10th annual Gent's Race, but as we all know, THAT never happened! 

Everything went upside down mid-March and the World as I knew it was changed. No plans mattered, and all the social and economic weirdness kicked in with a heavy dose of fear. I just was freaking out, to be honest, and just riding out in the country alone on gravel roads felt odd, like I wasn't supposed to be doing this......maybe? 

And that was the biggest thing, right? No one knew anything for certain about anything- Just stay away from people, shelter at home, wash yer hands, don't touch your face, sanitize EVERYTHING and good luck finding toilet paper. Oh,,,,,,and all the gravel events were cancelling or moving dates to Fall.

Next on the Rear View '20: April, May, and June

Renegade Gent's Race Review

The version that was supposed to have happened today.

Today I would have been doing something for the tenth time, but this new situation we have fallen into has upset this, and a LOT more apple carts. So, take this whole post with a grain of salt. This is a trifle compared to what many are suffering through these days.

The point of this post is to celebrate the nine times I did get to do this event. Hey, and the streak had to end at some point. I just never dreamed that it would be due to these circumstances. Anyway, I will be missing Steve, the Captain of our team all these years, and fellow teammates "D'Corn", Bob, and of course, Sam. I will be missing those mostly dead flat Story County roads and the wind. I'll be missing a whole bunch of friends.

Following will be one image from each of the nine previous rides in the Renegade Gent's Race. Mostly we were the same team with the exception of two years where Sam missed one time and D'Corn missed another year. The course may have changed a few times too, and we swapped starting points after v4, when we went from starting at Kyle's Bikes in Ankeny to starting in Slater, Iowa at Joe's Nite Hawk. With that said, let's dive straight in.

Renegade Gent's Race v1- That's me on the right and the others lined up on the left. We didn't know one another just yet.

The first one. Yeah, that's such a unique version for so many reasons. I think there were only like 13 teams, maybe less. We had issues, like we did every year. Sam's crank arm kept falling off. D'Corn flatted and so did Steve. We rolled back into Ankeny on a LOT of pavement, through a roundabout, and had a sprint finish with another team. Fun times! I rode my Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross set up with GEAX 1.8" 29"er tires and the Luxy Bars.

Version 2.0. It rained on us HARD at the starting line.

2.0 - Rain. Wet and cold. We persevered through it all though. This version had a different, not so paved ending and no crazy roundabout. Still started at Kyle's in Ankeny though which meant we had about a three mile ride to the start and back from the finish. I rode my slightly modded Black Mountain Cycles rig again. This time with a carbon fork. That experiment didn't last long!

V3.0 A bit nicer day, but a tough one. L-R: Steve, Sam, Bob, D'Corn.

V 3.0 saw a nicer day, but Bob, who runs the Cumming Tap, had a very late night and little sleep. We ended up taking turns pushing him, but he made the finish. It was "team bonding" and I think this version pretty much solidified us as a unit going forward. We all would want to keep the team going after this one. This may have been the version that I rode my new-to-me orange Vaya on.

V4 - Sam at Unicorn Avenue. Nuff said......

New venue, new starting line, raging beardos.

Version 5.0 saw the event make its move from Kyle's Bikes in Ankeny to the Nite Hawk in Slater Iowa. I'm back on the Black Mountain Cycles rig after a year on my, then new to me, Tamland. This was perhaps the height of "beard" for this team. I think this also was the version where Sam had an issue and did not finish.

V 6.0 - The "wind" year. This is where we called it, at the halfway point at Snus Farms Winery.

v 6.0 The "wind" year. It was awful. I was super proud of our efforts that day. I always will remember us leaning up against that garage door, wind howling above our heads, and suddenly one of us said they wanted to bail and there was this huge sigh of relief from the other four of us. It was humorous. I rode my Tamland and there was a point where some piece of barbed wire, or something similar, went into my rear wheel and wrapped itself up in my seat stays before ejecting out back into the gale. It scarred my paint something fierce. A mark on that bike which will forever remind me of this day.

(L-R) Organizer of the Gent's Race, Rob Versteegh, Steve, and "K'Corn". Real name: Kathy Fuller, who filled in for D'Corn that year. 

V 7.0 - D'Corn couldn't make it, so Captain Steve's wife, Kathy, or as she came to be known that day, "K'Corn", donned a fake beard and rode stoker on the Fuller's tandem. Sam had a catastrophic flat 3 miles from the finish, or we'd have finished the event. We were totally bummed. But all was forgotten afterward as we hit the Nite Hawk and had a good after ride party.

V 8.0 Checkpoint. My downfall. Sam, Bob, and Capt. Steve in the background.

v 8.0 - Bad deal when I didn't eat properly, got bonked, drank WAAAY too much at the checkpoint, and had to be propped up on the edge of a ditch by Sam as the group tried to explain to a County deputy that "everything was okay".

Looking back I think this all was a result of my secret plan to end Trans Iowa later that month. I was strained emotionally and physically. I was uncharacteristically out of control with my drinking. (Well, for me now- not my 20year old self, but you get the idea.) 

Sheesh! I wouldn't mind doing THAT version of the Gent's Race over again. But the others on the team will never forget that version. Unfortunately, I don't remember much about it.

V 9.0- Would this be the last hurrah for the Careless Whispers? Right now, I don't know.

9.0 - Another year we had a sub as Sam couldn't make it. It was nice out, and everything was going okay until my hip started bothering me. I had done a big fixed gear gravel ride a few weeks prior that I think had my connective tissues strained. (Think back pressure pedaling) Anyway, we ended up cutting the course short and calling it a day. Just a portent of a "non-finishing year" for me.

And that's the history of the Careless Whispers. Our team is the only team to run every year of the Gent's Race. But as I say, the end of that streak looks to have happened today.

Renegade Gent's Race Review

The version that was supposed to have happened today.

Today I would have been doing something for the tenth time, but this new situation we have fallen into has upset this, and a LOT more apple carts. So, take this whole post with a grain of salt. This is a trifle compared to what many are suffering through these days.

The point of this post is to celebrate the nine times I did get to do this event. Hey, and the streak had to end at some point. I just never dreamed that it would be due to these circumstances. Anyway, I will be missing Steve, the Captain of our team all these years, and fellow teammates "D'Corn", Bob, and of course, Sam. I will be missing those mostly dead flat Story County roads and the wind. I'll be missing a whole bunch of friends.

Following will be one image from each of the nine previous rides in the Renegade Gent's Race. Mostly we were the same team with the exception of two years where Sam missed one time and D'Corn missed another year. The course may have changed a few times too, and we swapped starting points after v4, when we went from starting at Kyle's Bikes in Ankeny to starting in Slater, Iowa at Joe's Nite Hawk. With that said, let's dive straight in.

Renegade Gent's Race v1- That's me on the right and the others lined up on the left. We didn't know one another just yet.

The first one. Yeah, that's such a unique version for so many reasons. I think there were only like 13 teams, maybe less. We had issues, like we did every year. Sam's crank arm kept falling off. D'Corn flatted and so did Steve. We rolled back into Ankeny on a LOT of pavement, through a roundabout, and had a sprint finish with another team. Fun times! I rode my Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross set up with GEAX 1.8" 29"er tires and the Luxy Bars.

Version 2.0. It rained on us HARD at the starting line.

2.0 - Rain. Wet and cold. We persevered through it all though. This version had a different, not so paved ending and no crazy roundabout. Still started at Kyle's in Ankeny though which meant we had about a three mile ride to the start and back from the finish. I rode my slightly modded Black Mountain Cycles rig again. This time with a carbon fork. That experiment didn't last long!

V3.0 A bit nicer day, but a tough one. L-R: Steve, Sam, Bob, D'Corn.

V 3.0 saw a nicer day, but Bob, who runs the Cumming Tap, had a very late night and little sleep. We ended up taking turns pushing him, but he made the finish. It was "team bonding" and I think this version pretty much solidified us as a unit going forward. We all would want to keep the team going after this one. This may have been the version that I rode my new-to-me orange Vaya on.

V4 - Sam at Unicorn Avenue. Nuff said......

New venue, new starting line, raging beardos.

Version 5.0 saw the event make its move from Kyle's Bikes in Ankeny to the Nite Hawk in Slater Iowa. I'm back on the Black Mountain Cycles rig after a year on my, then new to me, Tamland. This was perhaps the height of "beard" for this team. I think this also was the version where Sam had an issue and did not finish.

V 6.0 - The "wind" year. This is where we called it, at the halfway point at Snus Farms Winery.

v 6.0 The "wind" year. It was awful. I was super proud of our efforts that day. I always will remember us leaning up against that garage door, wind howling above our heads, and suddenly one of us said they wanted to bail and there was this huge sigh of relief from the other four of us. It was humorous. I rode my Tamland and there was a point where some piece of barbed wire, or something similar, went into my rear wheel and wrapped itself up in my seat stays before ejecting out back into the gale. It scarred my paint something fierce. A mark on that bike which will forever remind me of this day.

(L-R) Organizer of the Gent's Race, Rob Versteegh, Steve, and "K'Corn". Real name: Kathy Fuller, who filled in for D'Corn that year. 

V 7.0 - D'Corn couldn't make it, so Captain Steve's wife, Kathy, or as she came to be known that day, "K'Corn", donned a fake beard and rode stoker on the Fuller's tandem. Sam had a catastrophic flat 3 miles from the finish, or we'd have finished the event. We were totally bummed. But all was forgotten afterward as we hit the Nite Hawk and had a good after ride party.

V 8.0 Checkpoint. My downfall. Sam, Bob, and Capt. Steve in the background.

v 8.0 - Bad deal when I didn't eat properly, got bonked, drank WAAAY too much at the checkpoint, and had to be propped up on the edge of a ditch by Sam as the group tried to explain to a County deputy that "everything was okay".

Looking back I think this all was a result of my secret plan to end Trans Iowa later that month. I was strained emotionally and physically. I was uncharacteristically out of control with my drinking. (Well, for me now- not my 20year old self, but you get the idea.) 

Sheesh! I wouldn't mind doing THAT version of the Gent's Race over again. But the others on the team will never forget that version. Unfortunately, I don't remember much about it.

V 9.0- Would this be the last hurrah for the Careless Whispers? Right now, I don't know.

9.0 - Another year we had a sub as Sam couldn't make it. It was nice out, and everything was going okay until my hip started bothering me. I had done a big fixed gear gravel ride a few weeks prior that I think had my connective tissues strained. (Think back pressure pedaling) Anyway, we ended up cutting the course short and calling it a day. Just a portent of a "non-finishing year" for me.

And that's the history of the Careless Whispers. Our team is the only team to run every year of the Gent's Race. But as I say, the end of that streak looks to have happened today.

Friday News And Views

Orange Seal valve kit for tubeless applications

Bling Time:

Back in the 1990's when I started working at a bicycle shop, it was the heyday for anodized parts. You could get almost anything in a rainbow of bright colors. Even crank bolts were anodized, which was a bad idea, by the way.

Then came the 'dark days" of everything being black anodized. Uggh! So bland and lifeless! You could hardly find anything in a color other than black for many years, But thankfully those days seem to be behind us now.

There are now a lot more things you can get to dress up your bike that have color. Orange Seal recently sent out some sealant, tape, and this fancy valve kit to RidingGravel.com for review. (Note- I did not pay for this kit and I am not being paid to say anything about it here.)

Back in the 90's, it was kind of comical because when anodized parts came out in any certain year, it was always a situation where one color seemed to dominate. One year it would be "ultraviolet", and everything would be anodized that color. The next season it would be turquoise, and then red. Things would not sell well if the color wasn't "hot", and retailers got bent about getting stuck with all that purple stuff when blue ano got hot, and on and on. Fashion plates, we mountain bikers were. Terribly vain.

I won't even get into how one company's blue would be lighter than another company's blue, so parts wouldn't matchy-match. Oh the drama!

So, that whole, "Let's just make EVERYTHING black!" mode we went through is completely understandable now. But it looks as though the color barrier has been broken, and now you get a choice in which colors you want. Don't like red? Doesn't match your bike? Fine, use the orange ano bits. I like that about this kit.

What I am not sold on, and this goes for most all tubeless valve kits, by the way, is that we keep using these silly Presta valve nuts. Who can tighten those properly without using a pliers or some tool to generate enough force to create a seal on the inside of the rim/valve interface? Now if they were a different shape, (see Problem Solvers bit here), then yeah. Make those and have colors, but these goofy little bits are almost useless, and made from aluminum? Yeah...... Double that for the valve itself. I'm not a big fan of the aluminum valve stems. Those threads aren't necessarily up to the task of handling a lot of torque necessary to create a seal on the base of the valve. We will see.......

The Effects Of This Pandemic On The Bike Industry And Locally:

So, I thought I would take this space on the weekly FN&V to give you all an update on what this crazy situation has done internationally, nationally, and locally to the world of bike shops and cycling in general. Obviously ALL facets of our lives have been disrupted, but this will focus only on the bicycling bits.

Internationally supply factories and supply chains are reeling from closures and travel restrictions. Some factories are coming back online but in a new, limited fashion to protect employees, (at least in Europe), but many European factories remain closed and may not open until mid-April. This means that spotty availability of parts is to be expected. Baby those drive train parts folks, because things like chains, cassettes, and chain rings will be hard to come by later this year. SRAM makes most of their chains in Europe, as an example, where factories are shuttered for the most part. We're also hearing Shimano will be short on chains and cassettes. So, think twice before you go off into that gritty mud and nasty road you wanted to get into on your adventures this year.

Furthermore; European companies are reportedly slashing R&D, marketing, and staffing numbers by up to 70% in some cases. This will translate into fewer new products, less "news and reviews", and a generally quiet front in several cases from many brands. Plus, yesterday the biggest distributor in the US, Quality Bicycle Products, axed a bunch of people from their employment roster. I happen to know a few of these folks. Sad to see it......

Nationally bike shops are all over the place with service and in being open at all. Some shops are slammed while others are seeing less business, while others are closed up for the foreseeable future due to the pandemic and/or local and state decrees. Most, however; have been deemed "essential businesses", and are open in limited fashion. Appointment and online shopping options with shipping or drop off/pick up services are now being offered versus open door situations which were the norm before all this happened.

Locally we are mostly doing okay. We have a big network of recreational trails and with almost every social gathering place off-limits now, the recreational opportunities are seeing heavy pressure. Shops are using closed door, by appointment, deliver/pick-up options with online shopping as a means to service the area. Specifically to me, I am wrenching on tune-ups and doing service work while Andy does the pick-up/delivery service. I've been able to stay safe and busy so far.

While I don't know what the future has in store, I can say that I've never seen so many people walking, running, or cycling in this area as I have this week since the weather broke. (Well, for most people. I don't go by such temperature restrictions) This new pressure on recreational facilities and areas has actually caused some governments to shut down these areas due to fears that people are not social distancing themselves. I can say that this is likely the case here, that people are not practicing strict social distancing, but again- who knows? When you see two people walking together, how do you know if they live together, or are from separate households? You don't. It's a crazy game and there are no good answers short of enforcing martial law to make sure social distancing is practiced..

On a lighter note, I see nationally where air pollution has subsided to the point where local sensors in the New York area are so low that the monitors are indicating that they are malfunctioning! Record clean air measurements are being recorded in the Los Angles area. One has to wonder that these days aren't telling us something about how we have lived, and how wrong a lot of that was.

One of my favorite images from last year was from the morning of the Renegade Gent's Race.

 No Gent's Race Weekend Blues: 

Well, who knows what will happen, and maybe a LOT of things won't happen in regards to events, but I do know that the Renegade Gent's Race was supposed to be happening tomorrow.

Now the streak has ended.......

Ten years ago I was invited to do a funky event where five people were to ride together and complete a metric-ish century on gravel. The team had to stay together and work together. I was invited by Trans Iowa rider/photographer/volunteer, Steve Fuller to join him and three other guys I'd never met before to do this thing with a bunch of Des Moines area folks I didn't know either. I was a bit anxious about it all, because, well, cycling folk could be clique-ish and maybe I would not get on with these people. I had no idea what to expect.

Turns out I made some really good new friends out of the deal. The three new folks to me, Sam, Dave, and Bob, all were really great folks. I came to look forward to each April afterward as my chance to reconnect with them and have a good time. Sometimes too good of a time. Ah! Memories..... Made several on those past Gent's race weekends. Look for a special "Gent's Race Review" on the blog tomorrow which will show some of the images from the past years of this event.

Again, who knows what will happen. The organizers are still thinking and whether there is a Gent's Race later in the fall or next year, I don't know one way or the other. I do know that this could be it. And tomorrow would have been a decade of Gent's races. I'll be riding tomorrow solo and doing some reminiscing along the way. I'm sure I'll be smiling too......

The upcoming Black Mountain Cycles LaCabra

 Black Mountain Cycles Announces LaCabra:

Well, if you follow me here you know well my love for the Black Mountain Cycles brand, so this should come as no surprise. Black Mountain Cycles has teased a new model and I like it! 

Mike Varley, the brains behind the brand, designed this rig as a drop bar, rigid only mountain bike capable of accepting 650B X 2.8" or 29" X 2.4" tires. This rig will have multiple mounting points and can be set up 1X or 2X as far as drive trains are concerned.

So, a wider tire compatible MCD then? No- not really. This bike will likely not take big chain rings like the MCD, so we're talking a bike more like a Fargo. In fact, I would say that besides the LaCabra not being single speed compatible, this bike out-Fargos a Fargo. MTB drive train, big tires, and no need to have a suspension fork. The details of the frame look very "MCD-ish", but I am sure component capabilities will place this firmly in the Fargo/Cutthroat category, as far as bikes go.

Do I want one? Well.....duh! Do I need one? Hmm...... Here's where I stand on that. The LaCabra, if indeed it makes it into reality- let's not forget the changes we've seen in less than a month already - well, this could be my main mountain bike. Plus, I could see this becoming the sort of bike I'd take to certain places like West Central Nebraska, (Odin's Territory) to ride, or to a wetter event, or just to go camping with. I could see this being set up with the poofy 650B X 2.8's and my current Fargo being the 700c bike. I basically had that same set up with the old Fargo Gen 2 I used to have here. That bike carried me through most of the muddy year at DK, and at Odin's the last time I rode out there.

Anyway, it is a pipe dream until it isn't. So, we'll see......


That's it for this week! Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope that you all are staying healthy, safe, and still getting out on rides.

Friday News And Views

Orange Seal valve kit for tubeless applications

Bling Time:

Back in the 1990's when I started working at a bicycle shop, it was the heyday for anodized parts. You could get almost anything in a rainbow of bright colors. Even crank bolts were anodized, which was a bad idea, by the way.

Then came the 'dark days" of everything being black anodized. Uggh! So bland and lifeless! You could hardly find anything in a color other than black for many years, But thankfully those days seem to be behind us now.

There are now a lot more things you can get to dress up your bike that have color. Orange Seal recently sent out some sealant, tape, and this fancy valve kit to RidingGravel.com for review. (Note- I did not pay for this kit and I am not being paid to say anything about it here.)

Back in the 90's, it was kind of comical because when anodized parts came out in any certain year, it was always a situation where one color seemed to dominate. One year it would be "ultraviolet", and everything would be anodized that color. The next season it would be turquoise, and then red. Things would not sell well if the color wasn't "hot", and retailers got bent about getting stuck with all that purple stuff when blue ano got hot, and on and on. Fashion plates, we mountain bikers were. Terribly vain.

I won't even get into how one company's blue would be lighter than another company's blue, so parts wouldn't matchy-match. Oh the drama!

So, that whole, "Let's just make EVERYTHING black!" mode we went through is completely understandable now. But it looks as though the color barrier has been broken, and now you get a choice in which colors you want. Don't like red? Doesn't match your bike? Fine, use the orange ano bits. I like that about this kit.

What I am not sold on, and this goes for most all tubeless valve kits, by the way, is that we keep using these silly Presta valve nuts. Who can tighten those properly without using a pliers or some tool to generate enough force to create a seal on the inside of the rim/valve interface? Now if they were a different shape, (see Problem Solvers bit here), then yeah. Make those and have colors, but these goofy little bits are almost useless, and made from aluminum? Yeah...... Double that for the valve itself. I'm not a big fan of the aluminum valve stems. Those threads aren't necessarily up to the task of handling a lot of torque necessary to create a seal on the base of the valve. We will see.......

The Effects Of This Pandemic On The Bike Industry And Locally:

So, I thought I would take this space on the weekly FN&V to give you all an update on what this crazy situation has done internationally, nationally, and locally to the world of bike shops and cycling in general. Obviously ALL facets of our lives have been disrupted, but this will focus only on the bicycling bits.

Internationally supply factories and supply chains are reeling from closures and travel restrictions. Some factories are coming back online but in a new, limited fashion to protect employees, (at least in Europe), but many European factories remain closed and may not open until mid-April. This means that spotty availability of parts is to be expected. Baby those drive train parts folks, because things like chains, cassettes, and chain rings will be hard to come by later this year. SRAM makes most of their chains in Europe, as an example, where factories are shuttered for the most part. We're also hearing Shimano will be short on chains and cassettes. So, think twice before you go off into that gritty mud and nasty road you wanted to get into on your adventures this year.

Furthermore; European companies are reportedly slashing R&D, marketing, and staffing numbers by up to 70% in some cases. This will translate into fewer new products, less "news and reviews", and a generally quiet front in several cases from many brands. Plus, yesterday the biggest distributor in the US, Quality Bicycle Products, axed a bunch of people from their employment roster. I happen to know a few of these folks. Sad to see it......

Nationally bike shops are all over the place with service and in being open at all. Some shops are slammed while others are seeing less business, while others are closed up for the foreseeable future due to the pandemic and/or local and state decrees. Most, however; have been deemed "essential businesses", and are open in limited fashion. Appointment and online shopping options with shipping or drop off/pick up services are now being offered versus open door situations which were the norm before all this happened.

Locally we are mostly doing okay. We have a big network of recreational trails and with almost every social gathering place off-limits now, the recreational opportunities are seeing heavy pressure. Shops are using closed door, by appointment, deliver/pick-up options with online shopping as a means to service the area. Specifically to me, I am wrenching on tune-ups and doing service work while Andy does the pick-up/delivery service. I've been able to stay safe and busy so far.

While I don't know what the future has in store, I can say that I've never seen so many people walking, running, or cycling in this area as I have this week since the weather broke. (Well, for most people. I don't go by such temperature restrictions) This new pressure on recreational facilities and areas has actually caused some governments to shut down these areas due to fears that people are not social distancing themselves. I can say that this is likely the case here, that people are not practicing strict social distancing, but again- who knows? When you see two people walking together, how do you know if they live together, or are from separate households? You don't. It's a crazy game and there are no good answers short of enforcing martial law to make sure social distancing is practiced..

On a lighter note, I see nationally where air pollution has subsided to the point where local sensors in the New York area are so low that the monitors are indicating that they are malfunctioning! Record clean air measurements are being recorded in the Los Angles area. One has to wonder that these days aren't telling us something about how we have lived, and how wrong a lot of that was.

One of my favorite images from last year was from the morning of the Renegade Gent's Race.

 No Gent's Race Weekend Blues: 

Well, who knows what will happen, and maybe a LOT of things won't happen in regards to events, but I do know that the Renegade Gent's Race was supposed to be happening tomorrow.

Now the streak has ended.......

Ten years ago I was invited to do a funky event where five people were to ride together and complete a metric-ish century on gravel. The team had to stay together and work together. I was invited by Trans Iowa rider/photographer/volunteer, Steve Fuller to join him and three other guys I'd never met before to do this thing with a bunch of Des Moines area folks I didn't know either. I was a bit anxious about it all, because, well, cycling folk could be clique-ish and maybe I would not get on with these people. I had no idea what to expect.

Turns out I made some really good new friends out of the deal. The three new folks to me, Sam, Dave, and Bob, all were really great folks. I came to look forward to each April afterward as my chance to reconnect with them and have a good time. Sometimes too good of a time. Ah! Memories..... Made several on those past Gent's race weekends. Look for a special "Gent's Race Review" on the blog tomorrow which will show some of the images from the past years of this event.

Again, who knows what will happen. The organizers are still thinking and whether there is a Gent's Race later in the fall or next year, I don't know one way or the other. I do know that this could be it. And tomorrow would have been a decade of Gent's races. I'll be riding tomorrow solo and doing some reminiscing along the way. I'm sure I'll be smiling too......

The upcoming Black Mountain Cycles LaCabra

 Black Mountain Cycles Announces LaCabra:

Well, if you follow me here you know well my love for the Black Mountain Cycles brand, so this should come as no surprise. Black Mountain Cycles has teased a new model and I like it! 

Mike Varley, the brains behind the brand, designed this rig as a drop bar, rigid only mountain bike capable of accepting 650B X 2.8" or 29" X 2.4" tires. This rig will have multiple mounting points and can be set up 1X or 2X as far as drive trains are concerned.

So, a wider tire compatible MCD then? No- not really. This bike will likely not take big chain rings like the MCD, so we're talking a bike more like a Fargo. In fact, I would say that besides the LaCabra not being single speed compatible, this bike out-Fargos a Fargo. MTB drive train, big tires, and no need to have a suspension fork. The details of the frame look very "MCD-ish", but I am sure component capabilities will place this firmly in the Fargo/Cutthroat category, as far as bikes go.

Do I want one? Well.....duh! Do I need one? Hmm...... Here's where I stand on that. The LaCabra, if indeed it makes it into reality- let's not forget the changes we've seen in less than a month already - well, this could be my main mountain bike. Plus, I could see this becoming the sort of bike I'd take to certain places like West Central Nebraska, (Odin's Territory) to ride, or to a wetter event, or just to go camping with. I could see this being set up with the poofy 650B X 2.8's and my current Fargo being the 700c bike. I basically had that same set up with the old Fargo Gen 2 I used to have here. That bike carried me through most of the muddy year at DK, and at Odin's the last time I rode out there.

Anyway, it is a pipe dream until it isn't. So, we'll see......


That's it for this week! Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope that you all are staying healthy, safe, and still getting out on rides.

Friday News And Views

Iowa's Ride was created as a response to a dust-up concerning charitable giving.

RAGBRAI Admits To Misleading Public On Financial Affairs.

Last week a report in :The Gazette", an Eastern Iowa news media source, stated that it was revealed by the current RAGBRAI staff at a recent meeting that RAGBRAI had not been very transparent in what their finances were and that charitable giving had not been as promised. (Read the article here) I'll let that stand on its own merits, but I will also add that this money making ploy that Gannett and RAGBRAI engaged in had been something many people close to the event had guessed at for years.

Newspapers used to be pretty profitable businesses back in the 70's and 80's. This brought about a time of consolidation and corporate take-overs of many independent newspapers. This consolidation of news sources under fewer owners, and corporate entities had many negative effects, but I want to focus in on RAGBRAI.

Gannett purchased the Des Moines Register in 1985 (Source: "The New York Times" article here) Back in the 80's and early 90's, this had little to no effect upon RAGBRAI. Prices were cheap, parties were wild, and everyone was having a pretty good time. But then the internet came along and newspapers weren't the main source of news anymore. (And partiers couldn't be anonymous anymore) This gradually put more and more financial stress on newspapers. Advertising, especially classified ads, started to disappear, and with them the revenue which was the lifeblood of newspaper organizations. Subsequently, RAGBRAI began to feel the changes. Gannett started dipping into revenues generated by the ride's shops, 14 of them at one point, by way of a sort of "tax" on everything sold on the route. T-shirts, which generated thousands of dollars for the supporting shops, were "taxed" and became far more expensive for the shops to sell. This negatively affected revenue for the shops on the ride. What's more, the Register set up its own concessions, selling, you guessed it- t-shirts, for less money, undercutting the shop vendors. Then they made their gear the "official gear" of RAGBRAI, and that killed the various t-shirts which used to be collected by RAGBRAI riders from the various shops at overnights. RAGBRAI made all the money there after that happened.

RAGBRAI then instigated a policy where overnight shops manned by the various businesses that supported the ride for the week, were placed at overnight towns in inconvenient locations, while the Register's concessions were front and center where the action was. Gannett was also not owning up to what it was taking in on the ride, and all the while they were stiffing towns and organizations supporting the ride with clean-up fees, and shutting down bars and moving people along the route in pass-through towns, and more, which hurt business and charities. Gannett reaped the benefits and made RAGBRAI a revenue stream where there wasn't meant to be one, and philanthropy and donations suffered as a result. Now the former staff has resigned, forcing this to come out into the light of day.

All this to say that many people close to the ride had hunches back in the day that this was the case. Whether or not you support the Iowa's Ride or RAGBRAI, that's a pretty sad tale for an event which is beloved by thousands of cyclists the world over.

A decade of Gent's Race madness- and I'll have been to every one of them.

 The Renegade Gent's Race Reaches its Tenth Edition:

If you've been around the blog for the last ten years you know that I love the Renegade Gent's Race. Or maybe it is just the "Gent's Race" these days. Anyway, I have a LOT of, (maybe too much at times) fun at this event.

You know, I've seen a thing going around of late from a site called "Medium" where some self-proclaimed "expert" on the gravel scene was saying a bunch of stuff, and a couple things he was saying were that women were under-represented in gravel and young people were too. Now, I'd wager he's never even heard about the Gent's Race, 'cause if he had, he wouldn't be saying such nonsense.

The Gent's Race is antithetical to where a lot of the "Big Time Gravel Machine" events are going. While the Gent's Race does have the ultra-competitive element, it has the "fun hog" element too. (To borrow a turn of phrase from 90's mtb-lingo) You'll see trains of fit, skin-suit clad freaks and a whole team of females on fat bikes with boas on and everything in between. Young and old participate too. It's a true amalgam of the gravel scene.

Anyway, this one is a big deal for me because it marks ten years ago that I met a few guys I didn't know and we've come together for nine years now every April to enjoin in some bicycle riding with a heapin' helpin' of frivolity. I wouldn't miss the tenth one for the world.

 New Podcast Up:

I know...... It'd been almost a year since we had put anything out, but there is a new Riding Gravel Radio Ranch podcast out now on its own feed! You can reach it via the link which takes you to the Riding Gravel site, or check out iTunes and look for "Riding Gravel" there. We are transferring over some of the older podcasts as well so check that out.


I know I've said this deal would be "more regular" than it has been, and well, now anything is more regular than it has been! In fact, this new podcast is only the second episode in two years. But if this doesn't get off the ground and going, I'd be surprised. It's all part of the joining up with Andy's Bike Shop. This new partnership and my employment with Andy's should help generate more episodes since Andy is keen on it to get going. I think my partner Ben is as well, and getting this shoved off on its own feed is a sign that the times are a changin'. 

So, I don't know what is realistic to expect, but I'd like to think maybe twice a month would be a good goal to shoot for. We'll see about that. Worse comes to worse and I could just podcast from my own place here, but let's not go there just yet. The plan is to stay the course and get more regular episodes out there. 

Thanks for the enthusiastic response so far to this new show. I know I have zero expectation that anyone should care anymore after almost a year since the last show, so I am overwhelmed that anyone should check into it at this point. Thanks!

And that's a wrap for this week. Look for more gravel related news tomorrow here, and in the meantime, stay warm and safe!