Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Today is the day when we in the USA try to get together with family and loved ones to celebrate and remember to be thankful.

Actually, in my opinion, everyday should be thanksgiving day. I am pretty blessed to have a family, a wife, a house, a job, and bicycles to mess around with. I've been overwhelmed with good things, and if I don't stop to remember that, and give thanks, well, then I am headed for big trouble.

Anyway, I'm not going to tell you what to do, but I would encourage you, wherever you are, to count your blessings today and everyday. It will make a change in your life, and I bet it will be for the better.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Today is the day when we in the USA try to get together with family and loved ones to celebrate and remember to be thankful.

Actually, in my opinion, everyday should be thanksgiving day. I am pretty blessed to have a family, a wife, a house, a job, and bicycles to mess around with. I've been overwhelmed with good things, and if I don't stop to remember that, and give thanks, well, then I am headed for big trouble.

Anyway, I'm not going to tell you what to do, but I would encourage you, wherever you are, to count your blessings today and everyday. It will make a change in your life, and I bet it will be for the better.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING from Guitar Ted Productions.

Here's hoping you all have a wonderful, safe, exciting Thanksgiving with loved ones, friends, and family.

Thanks for stopping by and reading here. I appreciate all of you for doing that. 

Now, get out there and pedal your bikes. It's time for some "turkey burnin'"! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING from Guitar Ted Productions.

Here's hoping you all have a wonderful, safe, exciting Thanksgiving with loved ones, friends, and family.

Thanks for stopping by and reading here. I appreciate all of you for doing that. 

Now, get out there and pedal your bikes. It's time for some "turkey burnin'"! 

The Crux Of The Biscuit

So many burning questions and issues.....

Scanning the internet of late, looking at all the bicycle related stream of consciousness out there, one might come to the conclusion that the Mayans were correct- The "World As We Know It According To Cycling" is coming to a swift and confusing end.

Take for instance all we once assumed correct concerning mountain biking. You may as well throw it all out the window. Three valid and obtainable wheel sizes, a myriad of different bottom brackets, head sets, and fat bikes? 

Wow! And that's just mountain bikes. Go over on the road side and you find a similar treat for those in favor of anarchy. What with electric gizmos measuring power, moving your derailleurs, and navigating your route for you. Then you have the most iconic road cyclist of the last 20 years falling like Satan thrown down from heaven. And if you thought that was bad, it gets even worse! I mean.......hydraulic disc brakes on road bikes? 

Perhaps "climate change" really means that Hell is freezing over.

With all of the changes going on, you might think that cycling is either going off a cliff, or that these are the most exciting days we've had for a while. Depends on how you like your "change"- Medium rare or hot and spicy.

....but all that matters is the joy of riding.

You can drive yerself nuts digging into all of the details, trying to figure out the competing standards, what components are best, and whether he did or didn't do that. You can argue for changes or against them passionately, and that's all well and fine. At the end of the day though, none of that stuff really matters much.

Nope. All of that wouldn't amount to a hill of beans if it weren't for you and your love of pushing a set of pedals around, with the wind in your face and a goal to reach. It all pales when you top out on the steep hill, launch over that log, or rail that corner. It just doesn't matter when you look over at your riding partner and know without saying a word that this is the coolest, most satisfying moment on two wheels you've ever had.

When you boil it all down to the things that really matter, stuff like bottom brackets, race entry fees, and doping mean diddly squat. For me, it just it's all about the joy of riding my bicycle.

And that's what I am going to be thankful for when it comes to thinking about cycling tomorrow.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

The Crux Of The Biscuit

So many burning questions and issues.....

Scanning the internet of late, looking at all the bicycle related stream of consciousness out there, one might come to the conclusion that the Mayans were correct- The "World As We Know It According To Cycling" is coming to a swift and confusing end.

Take for instance all we once assumed correct concerning mountain biking. You may as well throw it all out the window. Three valid and obtainable wheel sizes, a myriad of different bottom brackets, head sets, and fat bikes? 

Wow! And that's just mountain bikes. Go over on the road side and you find a similar treat for those in favor of anarchy. What with electric gizmos measuring power, moving your derailleurs, and navigating your route for you. Then you have the most iconic road cyclist of the last 20 years falling like Satan thrown down from heaven. And if you thought that was bad, it gets even worse! I mean.......hydraulic disc brakes on road bikes? 

Perhaps "climate change" really means that Hell is freezing over.

With all of the changes going on, you might think that cycling is either going off a cliff, or that these are the most exciting days we've had for a while. Depends on how you like your "change"- Medium rare or hot and spicy.

....but all that matters is the joy of riding.

You can drive yerself nuts digging into all of the details, trying to figure out the competing standards, what components are best, and whether he did or didn't do that. You can argue for changes or against them passionately, and that's all well and fine. At the end of the day though, none of that stuff really matters much.

Nope. All of that wouldn't amount to a hill of beans if it weren't for you and your love of pushing a set of pedals around, with the wind in your face and a goal to reach. It all pales when you top out on the steep hill, launch over that log, or rail that corner. It just doesn't matter when you look over at your riding partner and know without saying a word that this is the coolest, most satisfying moment on two wheels you've ever had.

When you boil it all down to the things that really matter, stuff like bottom brackets, race entry fees, and doping mean diddly squat. For me, it just it's all about the joy of riding my bicycle.

And that's what I am going to be thankful for when it comes to thinking about cycling tomorrow.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Friday News And Views

Single Speed Energy Vortex

"The Belt" Update: The last few days I have been dealing with an issue that arose with my Gates Carbon Drive Center Track set up on the Fisher Collection Sawyer.

I was up at the Camp a few times with this set up and never had an issue. I've ridden it a bunch since getting it squared away last summer. No issues. No noises. Nuthin'.

So I go ride at the Camp this past week and hit this steep climb. It is a toughy too. You come off a bumpy section and start gradually going up. Then the pitch steepens right at the point where you have a few roots and lots of embedded rock sticking through the dirt, just waiting to stop your forward progress. As if the hill's pitch wasn't enough.

Well, right as I get out of the saddle at the very point where the trail pitches upward, I hear the dreaded "pop" of a belt ratcheting.

Wha...??!!

I dismounted to examine the situation, fully expecting to see that the slider had shifted, or the belt had popped off a tooth, but nothing of the sort. I did see that the belt was looser. Yeah......how that happened I don't have a clue. Well, I couldn't continue on with it the way it was, and tightening it trail side was not a possibility since I didn't have a 8mm box end wrench for the jamb nut on the tensioner. Bah!

Well, after a bit of a disgruntled Tweet, Gates contacted me to find out what was going on and they are administering a fix. So, I should be back up and running again soon. Stay tuned for further updates.....

When will this wintery scene happen again?

Next Thursday is Thanksgiving here in the U.S.A. That means that within days the skies will open up and start dumping the white stuff on the area.

Well.......that is if the pattern of the last three years is any indication. 

Typically the "Turkey Burn Ride" at the Camp is the last ride on open trails for the year. Usually just after that the snow falls. Well, last year I didn't have the Snow Dog, and now I also have "Big Fat Larrys" to mount on it, if need be.

Last January I had a longer ride into the country on snowmobile trails where I was wanting for a tiny bit more float than the 3.8" Larrys were giving me. Also, truth be told, I was running maybe a couple psi too high on the air pressures. I never ever got down there to the point where the sidewalls were flexing. Maybe had I got down that low, I would have made more riding and less walking.

But no matter. Now I have bigger tires in the arsenal, and flotation will not be an issue this year. Then again.....maybe this will be a return to the brown winters of years past. 

 And if so, no big deal. I've got gravel roads to be riding. I love it. Now, short of massively thick coatings of ice, I am ready to take on winter on my bicycles. I even have thought that it may be time to bring back the KMFDM and run it this winter. Wait.......you don't know what "KMFDM" means?  (Not the band) It stands for "Karate Monkey Fixie Death Machine", because I probably will eat it on some day commuting since it is fixed and I can't hop curbs well riding fixed. I have a tendency just to bash over them!

One thing though- that fixed gear in winter is really much, much better on slippery surfaces. So, I am pretty sure some big, fat tires are going on that bike and the Tomi Cog as well. Ditch the rear brake, and all will be good.

Hope ya'all have a great weekend. Ride somewhere if ya can! winter is nigh!

Friday News And Views

Single Speed Energy Vortex

"The Belt" Update: The last few days I have been dealing with an issue that arose with my Gates Carbon Drive Center Track set up on the Fisher Collection Sawyer.

I was up at the Camp a few times with this set up and never had an issue. I've ridden it a bunch since getting it squared away last summer. No issues. No noises. Nuthin'.

So I go ride at the Camp this past week and hit this steep climb. It is a toughy too. You come off a bumpy section and start gradually going up. Then the pitch steepens right at the point where you have a few roots and lots of embedded rock sticking through the dirt, just waiting to stop your forward progress. As if the hill's pitch wasn't enough.

Well, right as I get out of the saddle at the very point where the trail pitches upward, I hear the dreaded "pop" of a belt ratcheting.

Wha...??!!

I dismounted to examine the situation, fully expecting to see that the slider had shifted, or the belt had popped off a tooth, but nothing of the sort. I did see that the belt was looser. Yeah......how that happened I don't have a clue. Well, I couldn't continue on with it the way it was, and tightening it trail side was not a possibility since I didn't have a 8mm box end wrench for the jamb nut on the tensioner. Bah!

Well, after a bit of a disgruntled Tweet, Gates contacted me to find out what was going on and they are administering a fix. So, I should be back up and running again soon. Stay tuned for further updates.....

When will this wintery scene happen again?

Next Thursday is Thanksgiving here in the U.S.A. That means that within days the skies will open up and start dumping the white stuff on the area.

Well.......that is if the pattern of the last three years is any indication. 

Typically the "Turkey Burn Ride" at the Camp is the last ride on open trails for the year. Usually just after that the snow falls. Well, last year I didn't have the Snow Dog, and now I also have "Big Fat Larrys" to mount on it, if need be.

Last January I had a longer ride into the country on snowmobile trails where I was wanting for a tiny bit more float than the 3.8" Larrys were giving me. Also, truth be told, I was running maybe a couple psi too high on the air pressures. I never ever got down there to the point where the sidewalls were flexing. Maybe had I got down that low, I would have made more riding and less walking.

But no matter. Now I have bigger tires in the arsenal, and flotation will not be an issue this year. Then again.....maybe this will be a return to the brown winters of years past. 

 And if so, no big deal. I've got gravel roads to be riding. I love it. Now, short of massively thick coatings of ice, I am ready to take on winter on my bicycles. I even have thought that it may be time to bring back the KMFDM and run it this winter. Wait.......you don't know what "KMFDM" means?  (Not the band) It stands for "Karate Monkey Fixie Death Machine", because I probably will eat it on some day commuting since it is fixed and I can't hop curbs well riding fixed. I have a tendency just to bash over them!

One thing though- that fixed gear in winter is really much, much better on slippery surfaces. So, I am pretty sure some big, fat tires are going on that bike and the Tomi Cog as well. Ditch the rear brake, and all will be good.

Hope ya'all have a great weekend. Ride somewhere if ya can! winter is nigh!

Wednesday News And Views

Test Session Today: Today I've got some things planned that I hope pan out. Twenty Nine Inches has a lot going on right now and I need to get some stuff ridden today up at the Camp. The bikes are ready and so am I. I just hope the weather does what they predicted and the riding is good. Here's what is on tap........

Salsa Fargo: This bike is on test and I have "evolved" it a bit more with the conversion to a 180mm front rotor, and tubeless Geax Saguaro tires on Mavic Cr29max wheels. I want to get some "real" single track testing done. (Not that I don't already know the answer I'll get on this!) After that, the Fargo will go into commuter/touring mode where I'll rack and fender the bike up to see how versatile this bike really is.

Fisher HiFi Deluxe with Rock Shox Reba Team 120mm fork: It seems that the "natives are restless" and want to know more about the combination of the new Reba fork with the HiFi platform. They want hard numbers, they want ride performance feed back, and they want it now! Well, I aim to please, so I'll be finding out what I need to know to satisfy their desires today out at the Camp.

Turkey Burn III: Speaking of the Camp, if you are a local and can peel yerself outta the sack early enough, come on out and enjoy this little group ride planned for Saturday, November 29th at 8:00 am until Noon. I will be planning on being there testing some more product. (Most likely the Milwaukee Bicycle Company 29"er. ) This is a fun ride and may be the last hurrah of 2008 as far as any get togethers on bikes are concerned. Certainly it was last year, since after the 2007 Turkey Burn Ride we had about 3 inches of slush come down, freeze into a rock hard layer and not leave us until late March of this year. That effectively shut down the off roading here for a long time!

These Times Are A Changin': Well, you are pretty insulated, blind, and/or deaf if you don't know that the economic upheavals are going on now. Nobody likes change, but it happens every so often in this economy of ours. How does this affect cycling? Well, it probably won't much. Here's why: Traditionally cycling weathers economic storms rather well. I don't know that anyone has a definite answer as to why that is, but take a look at recent history. The 70's were marked by several economic upheavals, yet one of cycling's biggest booms occurred in that decade. The 80's started out really glum, yet a certain "new" cycling fad was introduced and flourished. It was not squashed by the economics of the day, although it was probably not the best time for it to take off in light of the economic turmoil that went on then. What was "it"? Mountain bikes.

Are we in for another boom time in cycling? Maybe. Gas prices over the last three years have helped spark a resurgence in urban cycling for sure that seems to have taken root and grown. Gas prices are now at all time lows, which hasn't seemed to slow things up much, at least not where I'm working. We'll see, but I think it's fair to say that cycling will survive, and has a great chance at thriving during this time of change and upheaval.

Which brings me to.... Tomorrow we stop to do something that maybe we all ought to take pause and really concentrate on. Giving thanks. Yeah....there are lots of reasons to grumble. Jobs lost, stocks losing value, and a general fear has gripped many. But, do you realize there are millions that would take your place in a heartbeat? Millions that are suffering far worse fates than you who may have lost part of your retirement, lost a job, or a house. We still are a rich, rich nation folks. In the overall perspective of things, we have so much to be thankful for that we should, and could go on about that all year long. If you are a cyclist, and you can get out on a ride in the next few days, clear your head of all the cultural hoopla for a bit, and give thanks for the blessings you have. Can't think of anything? Here.....let me help you out! Check out that thing you're riding, and think of your ability to ride it. There's two things to be thankful for right there, ya ninny!

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving Holiday!

Wednesday News And Views

Test Session Today: Today I've got some things planned that I hope pan out. Twenty Nine Inches has a lot going on right now and I need to get some stuff ridden today up at the Camp. The bikes are ready and so am I. I just hope the weather does what they predicted and the riding is good. Here's what is on tap........

Salsa Fargo: This bike is on test and I have "evolved" it a bit more with the conversion to a 180mm front rotor, and tubeless Geax Saguaro tires on Mavic Cr29max wheels. I want to get some "real" single track testing done. (Not that I don't already know the answer I'll get on this!) After that, the Fargo will go into commuter/touring mode where I'll rack and fender the bike up to see how versatile this bike really is.

Fisher HiFi Deluxe with Rock Shox Reba Team 120mm fork: It seems that the "natives are restless" and want to know more about the combination of the new Reba fork with the HiFi platform. They want hard numbers, they want ride performance feed back, and they want it now! Well, I aim to please, so I'll be finding out what I need to know to satisfy their desires today out at the Camp.

Turkey Burn III: Speaking of the Camp, if you are a local and can peel yerself outta the sack early enough, come on out and enjoy this little group ride planned for Saturday, November 29th at 8:00 am until Noon. I will be planning on being there testing some more product. (Most likely the Milwaukee Bicycle Company 29"er. ) This is a fun ride and may be the last hurrah of 2008 as far as any get togethers on bikes are concerned. Certainly it was last year, since after the 2007 Turkey Burn Ride we had about 3 inches of slush come down, freeze into a rock hard layer and not leave us until late March of this year. That effectively shut down the off roading here for a long time!

These Times Are A Changin': Well, you are pretty insulated, blind, and/or deaf if you don't know that the economic upheavals are going on now. Nobody likes change, but it happens every so often in this economy of ours. How does this affect cycling? Well, it probably won't much. Here's why: Traditionally cycling weathers economic storms rather well. I don't know that anyone has a definite answer as to why that is, but take a look at recent history. The 70's were marked by several economic upheavals, yet one of cycling's biggest booms occurred in that decade. The 80's started out really glum, yet a certain "new" cycling fad was introduced and flourished. It was not squashed by the economics of the day, although it was probably not the best time for it to take off in light of the economic turmoil that went on then. What was "it"? Mountain bikes.

Are we in for another boom time in cycling? Maybe. Gas prices over the last three years have helped spark a resurgence in urban cycling for sure that seems to have taken root and grown. Gas prices are now at all time lows, which hasn't seemed to slow things up much, at least not where I'm working. We'll see, but I think it's fair to say that cycling will survive, and has a great chance at thriving during this time of change and upheaval.

Which brings me to.... Tomorrow we stop to do something that maybe we all ought to take pause and really concentrate on. Giving thanks. Yeah....there are lots of reasons to grumble. Jobs lost, stocks losing value, and a general fear has gripped many. But, do you realize there are millions that would take your place in a heartbeat? Millions that are suffering far worse fates than you who may have lost part of your retirement, lost a job, or a house. We still are a rich, rich nation folks. In the overall perspective of things, we have so much to be thankful for that we should, and could go on about that all year long. If you are a cyclist, and you can get out on a ride in the next few days, clear your head of all the cultural hoopla for a bit, and give thanks for the blessings you have. Can't think of anything? Here.....let me help you out! Check out that thing you're riding, and think of your ability to ride it. There's two things to be thankful for right there, ya ninny!

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving Holiday!