Some Things Didn't Stick

 In celebration of the twentieth year of this blog, I have a few tales to tell. This post is one of them. This series will occur off and on throughout this anniversary year, I hope to illuminate some behind-the-scenes stories and highlights from the blog during this time. Enjoy!

In the nearly 20 years of blogging here I have had the privilege to share a lot of really cool things that most riders may not ever get the chance to try out. Some stuff like full suspension 29"ers, carbon wheels, and "gravel bikes" that I was afforded early access to have become rather standard items now. Most of you readers have likely tried all of those. 

But I have also tried a few things that I would characterize as "fringe" in terms of desirable products. Heated flat bar grips come to mind there. I have also tried some stuff that didn't stick, not in a mainstream sense, but are things you could still try. Take for instance Gates Center Track Belt Drive.

Gates Center Track Carbon Belt Drive on a Trek (Gary Fisher) Sawyer.

"The Belt", as I called it then. Back around the late 2000's and early twenty-teens, Gates was trying hard to make their "Carbon" Center Track belts a mainstay of cycling. One way they tried doing this was to get me, a belt critic, to be convinced of The Belt's "magic powers". I tried these belts out at Interbike at first and this was before Center Track. That was, quite frankly, an abject failure and Gates quickly pivoted to the vastly superior Center Track version of The Belt which was reinforced with carbon strands. 

I ran this for an extended period of time. I had some hiccups along the way. Sizing The Belt was not quite figured out at this point, and there were limitations to The Belt which made it a sort of niche, at best, application for most cyclists. 

I really liked this Raleigh XXIX with The Belt.

The worst parts of The Belt is that, although the claim is that these are quiet, The Belt can and will squeak. Very dry or very wet conditions will bring this out. In the dry, silicone spray will take care of the noise, for a while, but it comes back again, and again, and.....

The Belt can and will break. I've seen it (at Trans Iowa back in the day) and have heard about this before from riders. You cannot fix that. You must be carrying a complete belt to replace the broken one with. And there are strict rules as to how a belt can be stowed so as not to cause it to fail. 

The Belt, and its required cogs, are expensive. Far more so than with a chain and alloy or steel cogs are. You need a belt compatible frame, which is another barrier. And finally, you have to run an internally geared hub or gear box to use The Belt. No lighter, more efficient external drive trains (past single speed) here. 

Of course, now belts are being promoted as a solution for down hill racing, since that discipline often now uses gear box drive trains. Still, that's not going to be quite the mainstream goal Gates had back in the late 2000's. 

That was a multi-year try with a product which, in the right applications, works, but isn't anywhere close to "mainstream". I was proud to be able to bring this to the blog when it all was very new. Just one of the really cool things I was able to be a part of because of this platform.

Goodbye Sawyer

 Yesterday I said goodbye to Sawyer. No......not a person. The bike. The cruiser style hard tail masterpiece that should have been a Gary Fisher branded bike, but was one of the victims of the timing of Trek's absorption of the Gary Fisher brand. While it was hoped that elements of the Gary Fisher brand, then called the Gary Fisher Collection, would survive, it disappeared a few years later, never to be heard from again. To my way of thinking, this is still one of the strangest, and biggest, mistakes Trek ever made. 

Well, back in the day, I was sent one of these Sawyers and I have had it around since then. I often enjoyed the bike, but with so many single speeds, it just didn't get used as it should have. 

I've written a few posts dedicated to the lines of this swoopy cruiser. I've talked about how Trek screwed up the marketing for this bike, how it was a big failure at retail, and how there has been a cultish following for Sawyers since then. I won't cover that old ground again. I'll just say that after three years, maybe more, of wondering what to do with this bike, I finally pulled the trigger on selling it. Then "Mr. W" answered my sales page ad and asked if he could be the bike's next caretaker. Well, the exchange happened, and now the Sawyer is all his to ride into the Sunset.

And that is exactly what should happen. Bicycles weren't made to be collected and sat in rooms to be ogled by bike nerds until they die and relatives have to dispose of them. They were made to be ridden. They were made to be scratched, beat up, and eventually worn out. I often think about what Mike Varley, of Black Mountain Cycles, told me once when I asked for touch up paint codes for my "Orange Crush" rig. He said something to the effect that he'd rather I let the scratches be and they would be "character marks", scratches that invoked stories and memories of adventures had with that bike. He's right, you know.

I don't think you've had a successful time with a bike unless you've ridden it so much you've worn out parts, dinged it up, and somehow kept it going for years and years. Bikes with character marks, and maybe more importantly, stories to tell. That should be the goal. Not having some pristine garage queen parked on a pedestal. But to each their own. This is only my view.

And getting back to the Sawyer- I was happy to hear "Mr W" say to me, as he wheeled the bike out the door, that he'd "definitely be riding this bike a lot". More than anything else, those words were music to my ears. 

I grinned to myself later, long after the Sawyer was gone, thinking about "Mr W" and his new-to-him Sawyer, blasting some single track somewhere, making memories, and gaining a few of those "character marks" in the process. It made me glad I decided to let that bike have a new lease on life. It made me happy to know that I could, at least one time, let a bike go I really liked, but wasn't utilizing, and let someone else experience the joy of riding a bike that a person cherished and loved on terrain that made for good times. 

Be well, Sawyer! May you and "Mr W" have miles of smiles with each other!

Goodbye Sawyer

 Yesterday I said goodbye to Sawyer. No......not a person. The bike. The cruiser style hard tail masterpiece that should have been a Gary Fisher branded bike, but was one of the victims of the timing of Trek's absorption of the Gary Fisher brand. While it was hoped that elements of the Gary Fisher brand, then called the Gary Fisher Collection, would survive, it disappeared a few years later, never to be heard from again. To my way of thinking, this is still one of the strangest, and biggest, mistakes Trek ever made. 

Well, back in the day, I was sent one of these Sawyers and I have had it around since then. I often enjoyed the bike, but with so many single speeds, it just didn't get used as it should have. 

I've written a few posts dedicated to the lines of this swoopy cruiser. I've talked about how Trek screwed up the marketing for this bike, how it was a big failure at retail, and how there has been a cultish following for Sawyers since then. I won't cover that old ground again. I'll just say that after three years, maybe more, of wondering what to do with this bike, I finally pulled the trigger on selling it. Then "Mr. W" answered my sales page ad and asked if he could be the bike's next caretaker. Well, the exchange happened, and now the Sawyer is all his to ride into the Sunset.

And that is exactly what should happen. Bicycles weren't made to be collected and sat in rooms to be ogled by bike nerds until they die and relatives have to dispose of them. They were made to be ridden. They were made to be scratched, beat up, and eventually worn out. I often think about what Mike Varley, of Black Mountain Cycles, told me once when I asked for touch up paint codes for my "Orange Crush" rig. He said something to the effect that he'd rather I let the scratches be and they would be "character marks", scratches that invoked stories and memories of adventures had with that bike. He's right, you know.

I don't think you've had a successful time with a bike unless you've ridden it so much you've worn out parts, dinged it up, and somehow kept it going for years and years. Bikes with character marks, and maybe more importantly, stories to tell. That should be the goal. Not having some pristine garage queen parked on a pedestal. But to each their own. This is only my view.

And getting back to the Sawyer- I was happy to hear "Mr W" say to me, as he wheeled the bike out the door, that he'd "definitely be riding this bike a lot". More than anything else, those words were music to my ears. 

I grinned to myself later, long after the Sawyer was gone, thinking about "Mr W" and his new-to-him Sawyer, blasting some single track somewhere, making memories, and gaining a few of those "character marks" in the process. It made me glad I decided to let that bike have a new lease on life. It made me happy to know that I could, at least one time, let a bike go I really liked, but wasn't utilizing, and let someone else experience the joy of riding a bike that a person cherished and loved on terrain that made for good times. 

Be well, Sawyer! May you and "Mr W" have miles of smiles with each other!

Single Speed Mind- Part 2

The Sawyer is ready to roll.

So, like I said in the last post about single speeds here, I have a lot of single speed bikes. I wasn't done fixing up those devices just yet, and to be honest, I'm still not done yet. Got a few more to get to yet.

Well, one of the bikes I did get around to was the Sawyer. You've seen it here before if you've been around reading this blog a long time. The Sawyer is an odd bike. It probably wasn't ever meant to be a Trek branded bike, but the 2010 absorption of Fisher by Trek going into the 2011 season kind of put things off kilter with this bike. So, following is my interpretation of the events which made the Sawyer one of the failures of the shuttering of the Fisher brand.

It is a fact that only a small handful of people had previous knowledge about the early Summer announcement that Fisher Bikes was going to be no more. Obviously, all the 2011 product was well into production. Marketing was being developed for the coming year, and all of that was scuttled after Trek announced the change. One of those marketing ideas was centered around the Sawyer. A retro styled 29"er. A bike that was all about embodying all that Gary Fisher was best known for.

Think about the geared 2X10 drive train. Fisher was often credited for slapping gears on a 30's era Schwinn cruiser frame so he could ride to the top of the Repack course instead of pushing, or hitching a ride on a stake truck. The Sawyer was a nod to that. Also, Fisher was preeminent in pushing 29" mountain bikes into production. This occurred in 2001, exactly ten years previous to the introduction of the Sawyer. The Sawyer featured G2 geometry, a Fisher Bikes innovation, which radically changed how 29"er bikes were designed going forward. This bike was to be a celebration of Gary Fisher's MTB contributions, but with the absorption of Fisher into Trek, all the marketing plans had to be scrapped.

The frame is very detailed and had to be a nightmare for Trek to get it produced. The twin top tube starts at the head tube and then flares out to become the seat stays. Maybe a nod to Breezer's first bikes? The support tubes from the top tubes to the seat tube had to be "just so", and there are a lot of other details to this frame which make it a really interesting production bike. The drive side drop out is split, so I run the bike single speed with a Gates Carbon Drive Center Track belt. The frame can accept really fat tires. I've seen examples stuffed with 29" X 3.0 and 27.5" X 3.0 tires. Mine has 27.5" X 2.8"ers on there. Anyway, enough about that. It's a special bike that failed due to a larger plan Trek had and, of course, after a two year run it was over.

Don't forget your special tools.....

I also got to working on another stalwart of the G-Ted bike stable, the 1999 Surly 1X1. Again, you've seen this before if you've been reading here awhile. It's the "mechanic's bike" of Europa Cycle & Ski. I'm the seventh of the line to have had possession of it.

I've had these Surly Extraterrestrials on the bike tubeless since I built up the wheels for it. That's been.......what? Late 2015? Yeah.... Three solid years. I never have had the tires off to inspect things. So, late last Fall, the rear tire up and goes flat. I figured that it probably was high time I took off the tire and see what was up inside of there.

Fortunately I did not find any balls of rubbery stuff, or any other untoward things, so I did a bit of tidying up and remounted the tires with new sealant. Then I switched back to freewheel from fixed, and the next order of business is a new chain, chain wheel, and perhaps a crank to accommodate a different bolt pattern. So, after that I should be okay to roll another three years!

That'll be two more single speeds gone through. I have to get to my Pofahl, my Blackbuck, and the fixie Raleigh in the garage. Then I think I'll be done, but I was looking at building some new wheels for the Blackbuck with some hubs I was gifted, and so......you never know.

Single Speed Mind- Part 2

The Sawyer is ready to roll.

So, like I said in the last post about single speeds here, I have a lot of single speed bikes. I wasn't done fixing up those devices just yet, and to be honest, I'm still not done yet. Got a few more to get to yet.

Well, one of the bikes I did get around to was the Sawyer. You've seen it here before if you've been around reading this blog a long time. The Sawyer is an odd bike. It probably wasn't ever meant to be a Trek branded bike, but the 2010 absorption of Fisher by Trek going into the 2011 season kind of put things off kilter with this bike. So, following is my interpretation of the events which made the Sawyer one of the failures of the shuttering of the Fisher brand.

It is a fact that only a small handful of people had previous knowledge about the early Summer announcement that Fisher Bikes was going to be no more. Obviously, all the 2011 product was well into production. Marketing was being developed for the coming year, and all of that was scuttled after Trek announced the change. One of those marketing ideas was centered around the Sawyer. A retro styled 29"er. A bike that was all about embodying all that Gary Fisher was best known for.

Think about the geared 2X10 drive train. Fisher was often credited for slapping gears on a 30's era Schwinn cruiser frame so he could ride to the top of the Repack course instead of pushing, or hitching a ride on a stake truck. The Sawyer was a nod to that. Also, Fisher was preeminent in pushing 29" mountain bikes into production. This occurred in 2001, exactly ten years previous to the introduction of the Sawyer. The Sawyer featured G2 geometry, a Fisher Bikes innovation, which radically changed how 29"er bikes were designed going forward. This bike was to be a celebration of Gary Fisher's MTB contributions, but with the absorption of Fisher into Trek, all the marketing plans had to be scrapped.

The frame is very detailed and had to be a nightmare for Trek to get it produced. The twin top tube starts at the head tube and then flares out to become the seat stays. Maybe a nod to Breezer's first bikes? The support tubes from the top tubes to the seat tube had to be "just so", and there are a lot of other details to this frame which make it a really interesting production bike. The drive side drop out is split, so I run the bike single speed with a Gates Carbon Drive Center Track belt. The frame can accept really fat tires. I've seen examples stuffed with 29" X 3.0 and 27.5" X 3.0 tires. Mine has 27.5" X 2.8"ers on there. Anyway, enough about that. It's a special bike that failed due to a larger plan Trek had and, of course, after a two year run it was over.

Don't forget your special tools.....

I also got to working on another stalwart of the G-Ted bike stable, the 1999 Surly 1X1. Again, you've seen this before if you've been reading here awhile. It's the "mechanic's bike" of Europa Cycle & Ski. I'm the seventh of the line to have had possession of it.

I've had these Surly Extraterrestrials on the bike tubeless since I built up the wheels for it. That's been.......what? Late 2015? Yeah.... Three solid years. I never have had the tires off to inspect things. So, late last Fall, the rear tire up and goes flat. I figured that it probably was high time I took off the tire and see what was up inside of there.

Fortunately I did not find any balls of rubbery stuff, or any other untoward things, so I did a bit of tidying up and remounted the tires with new sealant. Then I switched back to freewheel from fixed, and the next order of business is a new chain, chain wheel, and perhaps a crank to accommodate a different bolt pattern. So, after that I should be okay to roll another three years!

That'll be two more single speeds gone through. I have to get to my Pofahl, my Blackbuck, and the fixie Raleigh in the garage. Then I think I'll be done, but I was looking at building some new wheels for the Blackbuck with some hubs I was gifted, and so......you never know.

Minus Ten Review- 40

Ten years ago I rode in the pines on the North Side of Ingawanis.

Ten years ago on the blog I was a week back from Interbike and processing a bunch of info. That was back in the heyday of the 29"ers acceptance and growth. Things were humming right along then. Well......with the exception of the economy. The "Great Recession" was just hitting the news then and we were fearful in the cycling industry about just what that might mean for us going forward.

One of the things I was working through was trying to get a test bike for the then new Gates Carbon Drive, or just belts, if you will. I'd tried one the year before at Interbike when Gates was out in huge numbers touting the superiority of the system over traditional chains. Only........you couldn't use it with derailleurs, so...... Yeah. There's that. Oh! Internal geared hubs though! Right........ There's Rohloff and...... Expensive and anything else is not as reliable or doesn't have the range of gearing. Whatever.....

The point was that Gates was telling us this was the best thing since sliced bread, so I listened to their story, mounted up, and then got the belt to "ratchet". (Read: skipped a tooth) Funny thing happened then. Gates said they needed to go back to the drawing board. Yeah....... Marketing fail.

Then they came out with Center Track, which did a great job making single speed riding with a belt more reliable. But my set up will still ratchet in super high torque situations. And you still can't use a derailleur set up.

Then I also had just about wrapped up my fork experiment. The Blackbuck was the bike and I swapped a whole bunch of forks in and out of that bike to show that you could make anything work, if you liked the handling. Offset and axle to crown measurements were also discussed along with trail figure and what that all meant. It was fun, but I made my head hurt with all the tinkering with numbers.

And the first "Touring Tuesdays" posts were rolling out. That was a fun series which is being reposted every Sunday now for a while. Check it out......

Minus Ten Review- 40

Ten years ago I rode in the pines on the North Side of Ingawanis.

Ten years ago on the blog I was a week back from Interbike and processing a bunch of info. That was back in the heyday of the 29"ers acceptance and growth. Things were humming right along then. Well......with the exception of the economy. The "Great Recession" was just hitting the news then and we were fearful in the cycling industry about just what that might mean for us going forward.

One of the things I was working through was trying to get a test bike for the then new Gates Carbon Drive, or just belts, if you will. I'd tried one the year before at Interbike when Gates was out in huge numbers touting the superiority of the system over traditional chains. Only........you couldn't use it with derailleurs, so...... Yeah. There's that. Oh! Internal geared hubs though! Right........ There's Rohloff and...... Expensive and anything else is not as reliable or doesn't have the range of gearing. Whatever.....

The point was that Gates was telling us this was the best thing since sliced bread, so I listened to their story, mounted up, and then got the belt to "ratchet". (Read: skipped a tooth) Funny thing happened then. Gates said they needed to go back to the drawing board. Yeah....... Marketing fail.

Then they came out with Center Track, which did a great job making single speed riding with a belt more reliable. But my set up will still ratchet in super high torque situations. And you still can't use a derailleur set up.

Then I also had just about wrapped up my fork experiment. The Blackbuck was the bike and I swapped a whole bunch of forks in and out of that bike to show that you could make anything work, if you liked the handling. Offset and axle to crown measurements were also discussed along with trail figure and what that all meant. It was fun, but I made my head hurt with all the tinkering with numbers.

And the first "Touring Tuesdays" posts were rolling out. That was a fun series which is being reposted every Sunday now for a while. Check it out......

Tree Wrasslin'

A trail runs through it.

Just about this time every year since, oh I don't know when, I go on a ride through the Green Belt to check on the Fall colors. Sometimes I have to go a few times to hit "peak color". That's why I decided to try and see what the trees were up to yesterday.

The Green Belt isn't a place that gains or loses much elevation. A few feet, I'd wager, is about what it amounts to since the Green Belt contains Black Hawk Creek. Plus, this part of Iowa isn't known for its hills. It's got some hills, to be sure, but they don't help you with views of the Green Belt. Back in there, it is very flat! 

There is one place; however, that does offer a vista of the trees in the Green Belt and it is where there has been a meadow for a long time. The trail has traditionally just skirted this meadow, and recently a walking path has been mowed into the grasses there so you can get a good, up close look at things. While the trees haven't taken over this area yet, they are encroaching upon the meadow and it won't take long for this vista to be choked with trees. I would like to see the City do a prescribed burn back in there. It is getting very close to critical mass for a few places back there in regard to tree encroachment.

Well, anyway, the vista was reached and the trees are not quite ready yet for prime time.  I think in about ten days or so, it will be at the peak colors, so I will have to come back and check this out then. For now, I have a couple of shots to share.

So, moving on from there I wasn't very far from the Western entrance to Marky-Mark Trail. This year marks the 20th year of its existence! Man! I can hardly believe it  has been that long since I and another "Mark" worked to put this in. Essentially, for those locals that don't know, Marky-Mark runs roughly parallel to Ridgeway Avenue between the main entrance on the north side of the road and the secondary trail entrance further to the East on the same side of the road. There used to be more to it than there is, but the Eastern section was lost long ago and the only part that other riders seemed to be interested in was the connector bit, so it is all that is left now.

Cleared trail. I moved two dead falls here.

So, anyway, about 20 years ago I started clearing trail back there and I had a little assistance from a guy named Mark as well, which is ironic because he was a dyed in the wool roadie. But be that as it may, I did most of the trail back there. I was a bit frustrated when riders only seemed interested in the connector bit, but that's the way it goes sometimes. At least that bit got burned in and lasted the last 20 years.

There were a couple of times that Marky-Mark nearly disappeared. As recently as a few years ago was one of those times. Someone else decided to take up the mantle for clearing it and saved it. I still am not sure who that was. Today I found three deadfall trees on the trail and one more that will require a saw. I decided the other three were things I could tackle. Well.......wrassle would be more like it. Tree wrasslin' is one of my specialties!

So, I got off my bike and assessed the situation first. After determining what to do, I started in, and the duff, rotten branches, and insects were flying! The first one was an easy "slide job" off the trail. The next one was actually a hangar. It was laying across the trail about five feet in the air suspended by other smaller branches and shrubs. This one was a little sketchy. I easily could have dropped this one on myself, gotten injured, and had been in a world of hurt, but it went my way instead. No harm to me and after a bit of wrangling, it was clear of the tread of the trail. The last one took a lot of effort, and I was not sure I would win, but in the end I did by swinging it to be parallel to the tread of the trail.

I have a plan to extend the length of this section of trail in to some unused area of the Green Belt up along Ridgeway Avenue. I'll probably keep it short and manageable first. The Fall is an excellent time to do trail work, so I think I'll get in to that a bit again here and see how it goes.

Tree Wrasslin'

A trail runs through it.

Just about this time every year since, oh I don't know when, I go on a ride through the Green Belt to check on the Fall colors. Sometimes I have to go a few times to hit "peak color". That's why I decided to try and see what the trees were up to yesterday.

The Green Belt isn't a place that gains or loses much elevation. A few feet, I'd wager, is about what it amounts to since the Green Belt contains Black Hawk Creek. Plus, this part of Iowa isn't known for its hills. It's got some hills, to be sure, but they don't help you with views of the Green Belt. Back in there, it is very flat! 

There is one place; however, that does offer a vista of the trees in the Green Belt and it is where there has been a meadow for a long time. The trail has traditionally just skirted this meadow, and recently a walking path has been mowed into the grasses there so you can get a good, up close look at things. While the trees haven't taken over this area yet, they are encroaching upon the meadow and it won't take long for this vista to be choked with trees. I would like to see the City do a prescribed burn back in there. It is getting very close to critical mass for a few places back there in regard to tree encroachment.

Well, anyway, the vista was reached and the trees are not quite ready yet for prime time.  I think in about ten days or so, it will be at the peak colors, so I will have to come back and check this out then. For now, I have a couple of shots to share.

So, moving on from there I wasn't very far from the Western entrance to Marky-Mark Trail. This year marks the 20th year of its existence! Man! I can hardly believe it  has been that long since I and another "Mark" worked to put this in. Essentially, for those locals that don't know, Marky-Mark runs roughly parallel to Ridgeway Avenue between the main entrance on the north side of the road and the secondary trail entrance further to the East on the same side of the road. There used to be more to it than there is, but the Eastern section was lost long ago and the only part that other riders seemed to be interested in was the connector bit, so it is all that is left now.

Cleared trail. I moved two dead falls here.

So, anyway, about 20 years ago I started clearing trail back there and I had a little assistance from a guy named Mark as well, which is ironic because he was a dyed in the wool roadie. But be that as it may, I did most of the trail back there. I was a bit frustrated when riders only seemed interested in the connector bit, but that's the way it goes sometimes. At least that bit got burned in and lasted the last 20 years.

There were a couple of times that Marky-Mark nearly disappeared. As recently as a few years ago was one of those times. Someone else decided to take up the mantle for clearing it and saved it. I still am not sure who that was. Today I found three deadfall trees on the trail and one more that will require a saw. I decided the other three were things I could tackle. Well.......wrassle would be more like it. Tree wrasslin' is one of my specialties!

So, I got off my bike and assessed the situation first. After determining what to do, I started in, and the duff, rotten branches, and insects were flying! The first one was an easy "slide job" off the trail. The next one was actually a hangar. It was laying across the trail about five feet in the air suspended by other smaller branches and shrubs. This one was a little sketchy. I easily could have dropped this one on myself, gotten injured, and had been in a world of hurt, but it went my way instead. No harm to me and after a bit of wrangling, it was clear of the tread of the trail. The last one took a lot of effort, and I was not sure I would win, but in the end I did by swinging it to be parallel to the tread of the trail.

I have a plan to extend the length of this section of trail in to some unused area of the Green Belt up along Ridgeway Avenue. I'll probably keep it short and manageable first. The Fall is an excellent time to do trail work, so I think I'll get in to that a bit again here and see how it goes.

Thinning The Herd: Part 2

Navigating the Iowan jungle.

Back in the first "Thinning The Herd" post I spoke about the Fargo Gen 2 bike and why it was that I was parting ways with that rig. I sent the frame and fork off to its new owner, and that should be arriving with him this Friday, if not before. So, that chapter in my bicycle fleet is now nearly closed.

Of course, I stripped a bunch of parts off that bike and I alluded to that in the first post linked above. The Gen 2 Fargo was known as the "Fat Fargo" since it was sporting those 27.5+ wheels and tires. This was a key part for another bike, my Fisher. Sure, it was actually a bike sold as a Trek, but c'mon! This is a Fisher bike that came out the year after Trek absorbed Fisher. I'm sure it was meant to be a Fisher.

Now for a bit of history on the Sawyer. The  Sawyer was a 2 X 9 bike with a rigid fork. Trek sold it for two years and then it went away. Obviously, it was a special model made to be an evolution of Gary Fisher's original "Klunker" bike. A model of which made a cameo appearance in the mid-90's as well. In my opinion, the 2011/2012 Sawyer model was the best looking non-custom cruiser styled mountain bike ever. Unfortunately, the absorption of the Fisher brand in to Trek's corporate "borg hive-like" culture killed the marketing of this bike. Essentially was it doomed from the get-go because Trek dealers largely ignored the whimsical, oddball Sawyer and due to the lack of marketing buzz, many riders didn't know what to make of it.

The 27.5+ wheels and this bike were meant for each other.

 Trek sent me a Sawyer to review for Twenty Nine Inches back in the day and when I was done, they, as many companies did, ignored my requests for instructions to send it back. So.......here it is to this day. I liked the Sawyer as it was offered, but it had almost no corporate buzz and getting anything beyond the basics from Trek about it was met with radio silence, for the most part. As I surmised at the time, it was an expensive bike to produce, since it had so many proprietary castings and the frame was difficult to produce. With its triple top tubes having to be precisely bent and welded into place, I can imagine that this frame kept some Trek folks up late at night worrying that they might have a load of misaligned frames on their hands. What is more, it has a split drive side drop out, which is one of the trickest belt compatibility solutions I've ever seen. Had this been a NAHBS one-off custom, it would have been a very popular rig. But it got stuck with a Trek head tube badge and that pretty much killed the "cool factor" right there. Many Sawyers, which were about $1500.00 retail, ended up selling at a grand or even less by 2013 just so dealers could clear them out.

So, like I say, I had this thing setting around so I began to play with it. I had an older Fisher with a 100mm Fox fork, a G2 geometry fork, so I put it on the Sawyer. Then I swapped the geared set up to a Gates Center Track for another review of those parts. Along the way, I had trouble getting comfortable with the gangly, high, and akward Sawyer. It was like a teenager that hadn't matured into its overly large feet and hands. It just never set well with me, and although I was, (and still am) in love with the look, I could never reconcile with how this bike felt despite multiple changes to it. The stock set up seemed to be far better, so I purposed to go back to that to see what I was screwing up with what I had been doing to this bike.

So, the whole 27.5+ thing started blowing up in 2013, and I got sent a set of WTB Trailblazer 2.8"ers to try out. The Sawyer was a perfect candidate for the wheels. I knew people had shoe-horned 29+ wheels into Sawyers, so the clearances were there. The bottom bracket, in a choice made by Trek/Fisher in what I am sure was an influence from Gary himself, was made to have almost zero drop. Putting slightly smaller diameter wheels on the Sawyer would be okay then.

The wheels seemed tailor made for the Sawyer. For the first time the bike seemed "right". I actually had a ton of fun with it set up with the 27.5+ wheels. But I ended up choosing to go with these wheels on the Fargo, which, for a time, proved to be a great choice as well. The Sawyer, in the meantime, languished in the corner of The Lab where it was doomed to sit until I either sold it or got some 27.5+ wheels for it. I never was motivated to build up another 27.5+ set up, so instead, I almost sold the Sawyer a couple of months ago.

Then the realization that I may want a Ti Fargo more than two steel ones came along. I sold the Gen 2 frame and fork, and the wheels were suddenly available again, so.... Now I am planning on keeping this bike around.

Now you know the rest of the story.

Thinning The Herd: Part 2

Navigating the Iowan jungle.

Back in the first "Thinning The Herd" post I spoke about the Fargo Gen 2 bike and why it was that I was parting ways with that rig. I sent the frame and fork off to its new owner, and that should be arriving with him this Friday, if not before. So, that chapter in my bicycle fleet is now nearly closed.

Of course, I stripped a bunch of parts off that bike and I alluded to that in the first post linked above. The Gen 2 Fargo was known as the "Fat Fargo" since it was sporting those 27.5+ wheels and tires. This was a key part for another bike, my Fisher. Sure, it was actually a bike sold as a Trek, but c'mon! This is a Fisher bike that came out the year after Trek absorbed Fisher. I'm sure it was meant to be a Fisher.

Now for a bit of history on the Sawyer. The  Sawyer was a 2 X 9 bike with a rigid fork. Trek sold it for two years and then it went away. Obviously, it was a special model made to be an evolution of Gary Fisher's original "Klunker" bike. A model of which made a cameo appearance in the mid-90's as well. In my opinion, the 2011/2012 Sawyer model was the best looking non-custom cruiser styled mountain bike ever. Unfortunately, the absorption of the Fisher brand in to Trek's corporate "borg hive-like" culture killed the marketing of this bike. Essentially was it doomed from the get-go because Trek dealers largely ignored the whimsical, oddball Sawyer and due to the lack of marketing buzz, many riders didn't know what to make of it.

The 27.5+ wheels and this bike were meant for each other.

 Trek sent me a Sawyer to review for Twenty Nine Inches back in the day and when I was done, they, as many companies did, ignored my requests for instructions to send it back. So.......here it is to this day. I liked the Sawyer as it was offered, but it had almost no corporate buzz and getting anything beyond the basics from Trek about it was met with radio silence, for the most part. As I surmised at the time, it was an expensive bike to produce, since it had so many proprietary castings and the frame was difficult to produce. With its triple top tubes having to be precisely bent and welded into place, I can imagine that this frame kept some Trek folks up late at night worrying that they might have a load of misaligned frames on their hands. What is more, it has a split drive side drop out, which is one of the trickest belt compatibility solutions I've ever seen. Had this been a NAHBS one-off custom, it would have been a very popular rig. But it got stuck with a Trek head tube badge and that pretty much killed the "cool factor" right there. Many Sawyers, which were about $1500.00 retail, ended up selling at a grand or even less by 2013 just so dealers could clear them out.

So, like I say, I had this thing setting around so I began to play with it. I had an older Fisher with a 100mm Fox fork, a G2 geometry fork, so I put it on the Sawyer. Then I swapped the geared set up to a Gates Center Track for another review of those parts. Along the way, I had trouble getting comfortable with the gangly, high, and akward Sawyer. It was like a teenager that hadn't matured into its overly large feet and hands. It just never set well with me, and although I was, (and still am) in love with the look, I could never reconcile with how this bike felt despite multiple changes to it. The stock set up seemed to be far better, so I purposed to go back to that to see what I was screwing up with what I had been doing to this bike.

So, the whole 27.5+ thing started blowing up in 2013, and I got sent a set of WTB Trailblazer 2.8"ers to try out. The Sawyer was a perfect candidate for the wheels. I knew people had shoe-horned 29+ wheels into Sawyers, so the clearances were there. The bottom bracket, in a choice made by Trek/Fisher in what I am sure was an influence from Gary himself, was made to have almost zero drop. Putting slightly smaller diameter wheels on the Sawyer would be okay then.

The wheels seemed tailor made for the Sawyer. For the first time the bike seemed "right". I actually had a ton of fun with it set up with the 27.5+ wheels. But I ended up choosing to go with these wheels on the Fargo, which, for a time, proved to be a great choice as well. The Sawyer, in the meantime, languished in the corner of The Lab where it was doomed to sit until I either sold it or got some 27.5+ wheels for it. I never was motivated to build up another 27.5+ set up, so instead, I almost sold the Sawyer a couple of months ago.

Then the realization that I may want a Ti Fargo more than two steel ones came along. I sold the Gen 2 frame and fork, and the wheels were suddenly available again, so.... Now I am planning on keeping this bike around.

Now you know the rest of the story.

Friday News And Views

Trans Iowa Clinic

Last year we did a Trans Iowa Clinic and it was quite well received so it was decided that we should and could do this again. The basic format will be similar. The focus will be on the Q&A session with former Trans Iowa Veterans and Finishers including Steve Fuller, Mike Johnson, Dan Buettmer, and Sarah Cooper. Some of these folks are actually going to be in T.I.V11 and some are going to be volunteers. We may be adding a couple more folks, but this is a solid panel. If you are coming into Trans Iowa as a rookie, or thinking of doing some other longer gravel events, (which all of our panelists have done as well), please consider attending.

• What: Trans Iowa Clinic: A gravel grinder question and answer session with seasoned Trans Iowa riders. There also will be an expo of several bikes set up to do a Trans Iowa. Attendees will be able to get a close up look at the bikes and gear used in a Trans Iowa along with an opportunity to pick these athlete's brains to your heart's delight. 
• When: December 6th @ 5:00pm
• Where: Krunkwich Ramen House, 621 Des Moines Street, Des Moines Iowa.
• Why: To aid anyone curious about Trans Iowa to learn more about what it takes to get 'er dun!
• Who: Anyone. You do not have to be registered to do Trans Iowa. You just have to be "gravel curious"!

What You Need To Do: The clinic is FREE but we will require a preregistration only so we know how many chairs to rustle up and who to expect. Simply e-mail me @ g.ted.productions@gmail.com to give me your names. Expect the clinic to run until 9:00pm or so depending upon how the questions flow. Sorry- no children please!

Plenty of room

27.5+ For Winter:

I think that in many cases I could get away with a 2.8-ish sized tire for many snow rides. I used to do many rides on snow "pre-fat bike" on a single speed Dillinger with Blunt 35's and 2.4" Ardents. In fact, I have Duallys with 2.4 inch tires on there as well. I may even be doing something with that bike, but the Sawyer with the 27.5+ wheels and the original rigid fork should be better since it is a single speed with a belt drive which is supposedly better for durability in poor conditions. Maybe we'll just have to see about that.......

If the experiment turns out to be a positive experience, I would then be very interested in getting one of the 170mm OD Rohloff hub. That would go into the titanium Mukluk with a chain drive at first, and maybe a belt drive later. I feel that would be a great set up. Maybe it wouldn't be the best for everything, but one thing I do know- it would be super expensive! The hub alone is $1800.00.

That's a short post but I am a bit under the weather here and need to rest. Have a great weekend folks and get outside!

Friday News And Views

Trans Iowa Clinic

Last year we did a Trans Iowa Clinic and it was quite well received so it was decided that we should and could do this again. The basic format will be similar. The focus will be on the Q&A session with former Trans Iowa Veterans and Finishers including Steve Fuller, Mike Johnson, Dan Buettmer, and Sarah Cooper. Some of these folks are actually going to be in T.I.V11 and some are going to be volunteers. We may be adding a couple more folks, but this is a solid panel. If you are coming into Trans Iowa as a rookie, or thinking of doing some other longer gravel events, (which all of our panelists have done as well), please consider attending.

• What: Trans Iowa Clinic: A gravel grinder question and answer session with seasoned Trans Iowa riders. There also will be an expo of several bikes set up to do a Trans Iowa. Attendees will be able to get a close up look at the bikes and gear used in a Trans Iowa along with an opportunity to pick these athlete's brains to your heart's delight. 
• When: December 6th @ 5:00pm
• Where: Krunkwich Ramen House, 621 Des Moines Street, Des Moines Iowa.
• Why: To aid anyone curious about Trans Iowa to learn more about what it takes to get 'er dun!
• Who: Anyone. You do not have to be registered to do Trans Iowa. You just have to be "gravel curious"!

What You Need To Do: The clinic is FREE but we will require a preregistration only so we know how many chairs to rustle up and who to expect. Simply e-mail me @ g.ted.productions@gmail.com to give me your names. Expect the clinic to run until 9:00pm or so depending upon how the questions flow. Sorry- no children please!

Plenty of room

27.5+ For Winter:

I think that in many cases I could get away with a 2.8-ish sized tire for many snow rides. I used to do many rides on snow "pre-fat bike" on a single speed Dillinger with Blunt 35's and 2.4" Ardents. In fact, I have Duallys with 2.4 inch tires on there as well. I may even be doing something with that bike, but the Sawyer with the 27.5+ wheels and the original rigid fork should be better since it is a single speed with a belt drive which is supposedly better for durability in poor conditions. Maybe we'll just have to see about that.......

If the experiment turns out to be a positive experience, I would then be very interested in getting one of the 170mm OD Rohloff hub. That would go into the titanium Mukluk with a chain drive at first, and maybe a belt drive later. I feel that would be a great set up. Maybe it wouldn't be the best for everything, but one thing I do know- it would be super expensive! The hub alone is $1800.00.

That's a short post but I am a bit under the weather here and need to rest. Have a great weekend folks and get outside!

Update On "The Belt"

As many regular readers of this blog know, I have chronicled the development of "The Belt" for single speed mountain biking here for quite some time. (Want to see the past reports? Put "The Belt" in the search box on the upper left of the header and hit the magnifying glass icon.)

Here's the latest update I have on this technology and my take in relation to how The Chain performs.

2013 Raleigh XXIX

At Interbike, I rode a 2013 Raleigh XXIX with the Gates Carbon Drive Center Track belt. The XXIX has benefited from the Center Track version in three key ways:

• Better "belt line" due to the Center Track has enabled Raleigh to return to the past XXIX geometry that was ahead of its time. 
• Better (lower) belt tension has made for less stress on bottom bracket and free hub bearings. 
• The Center Track is light years better than the older Carbon Drive versions. 

I really like the new XXIX. It handles and rides like the older XXIX's, except that it has a nice Fox suspension fork, of course! However; this is about The Belt.

The Center Track design has really been a boon to belt drive fans and designers wanting to employ a belt into their bicycles designs.  It definitely works better, but can you really put all of your confidence in The Belt? Can you "stand and mash" with impunity without fear of snapping that high tech blackened strand?

This was always in the back of my mind as I rode the Sawyer. Sure, I'd stomped and pushed The Belt pretty hard, but I'd never had a ride where I felt I had put it to a severe test, not ever worrying about the chainless drive train, and had a good outcome. 

Back in '07, I rode the first edition of the Carbon Drive on a Spot Brand single speed. The demo loop went fine until towards the end, I hit a steep embankment up with a sharp right turn at the top, with a further climb up and to the left after that.

On the first blast on the pedals going up the initial steep, I heard a loud "pop". I expected that I would be catapulted off the bike, but I wasn't. The Belt held, but what had happened?

It had "slipped", or in Belt Terminology- it had ratcheted. That is not a good thing either. I wasn't very impressed, or trusting of The Belt after that.

Fast forward to this past Interbike where I rode that XXIX. I hit the same steep up, but now, after five years of erosion and riders, it was way tougher and cobby going up than ever. I knew that if The Belt was going to fail- this was it. I hammered the pedals, slipped, lost traction, timed a few good hard strokes, mashed, mashed, and mashed, then I made it all the way up.

No issues.

So The Belt has my trust back, but that isn't the end of the story. My partner, Grannygear was impressed by my story, but he has had "squeaky" issues with The Belt in dry, dusty conditions. I had never experienced that, but I had no reason to doubt his story.

Yesterday I rode the Sawyer and after a bit of time into the ride, I began to hear a "squeak......squeak....squeak" that was timed with the pedal stroke. It went away with coasting. I began to go into "diagnoses mode", as I suppose any bicycle mechanic does when they are riding a bike that doesn't work right, or makes odd noises.

Well, I would have to say that the dreaded "dry squeak" made a brief and intermittent appearance yesterday on the Sawyer. And you all know one of the selling points on The Belt is that it is dead quiet and doesn't need maintenance in the form of lubrication, etc.

In the dry, which it has been here for most of the year, it seems that The Belt can squeak. Kinda bums ya out, if yer a Belt fan, I know. Grannygear says he quiets his down with silicone spray. By the way, I've heard The Belt does this in really wet conditions as well. I have no basis to know whether or not that is true, but I have seen that reported.

We'll have to wait for some really wet weather to see about that. For now- it's one big plus and one minus for The Belt this time around.

Update On "The Belt"

As many regular readers of this blog know, I have chronicled the development of "The Belt" for single speed mountain biking here for quite some time. (Want to see the past reports? Put "The Belt" in the search box on the upper left of the header and hit the magnifying glass icon.)

Here's the latest update I have on this technology and my take in relation to how The Chain performs.

2013 Raleigh XXIX

At Interbike, I rode a 2013 Raleigh XXIX with the Gates Carbon Drive Center Track belt. The XXIX has benefited from the Center Track version in three key ways:

• Better "belt line" due to the Center Track has enabled Raleigh to return to the past XXIX geometry that was ahead of its time. 
• Better (lower) belt tension has made for less stress on bottom bracket and free hub bearings. 
• The Center Track is light years better than the older Carbon Drive versions. 

I really like the new XXIX. It handles and rides like the older XXIX's, except that it has a nice Fox suspension fork, of course! However; this is about The Belt.

The Center Track design has really been a boon to belt drive fans and designers wanting to employ a belt into their bicycles designs.  It definitely works better, but can you really put all of your confidence in The Belt? Can you "stand and mash" with impunity without fear of snapping that high tech blackened strand?

This was always in the back of my mind as I rode the Sawyer. Sure, I'd stomped and pushed The Belt pretty hard, but I'd never had a ride where I felt I had put it to a severe test, not ever worrying about the chainless drive train, and had a good outcome. 

Back in '07, I rode the first edition of the Carbon Drive on a Spot Brand single speed. The demo loop went fine until towards the end, I hit a steep embankment up with a sharp right turn at the top, with a further climb up and to the left after that.

On the first blast on the pedals going up the initial steep, I heard a loud "pop". I expected that I would be catapulted off the bike, but I wasn't. The Belt held, but what had happened?

It had "slipped", or in Belt Terminology- it had ratcheted. That is not a good thing either. I wasn't very impressed, or trusting of The Belt after that.

Fast forward to this past Interbike where I rode that XXIX. I hit the same steep up, but now, after five years of erosion and riders, it was way tougher and cobby going up than ever. I knew that if The Belt was going to fail- this was it. I hammered the pedals, slipped, lost traction, timed a few good hard strokes, mashed, mashed, and mashed, then I made it all the way up.

No issues.

So The Belt has my trust back, but that isn't the end of the story. My partner, Grannygear was impressed by my story, but he has had "squeaky" issues with The Belt in dry, dusty conditions. I had never experienced that, but I had no reason to doubt his story.

Yesterday I rode the Sawyer and after a bit of time into the ride, I began to hear a "squeak......squeak....squeak" that was timed with the pedal stroke. It went away with coasting. I began to go into "diagnoses mode", as I suppose any bicycle mechanic does when they are riding a bike that doesn't work right, or makes odd noises.

Well, I would have to say that the dreaded "dry squeak" made a brief and intermittent appearance yesterday on the Sawyer. And you all know one of the selling points on The Belt is that it is dead quiet and doesn't need maintenance in the form of lubrication, etc.

In the dry, which it has been here for most of the year, it seems that The Belt can squeak. Kinda bums ya out, if yer a Belt fan, I know. Grannygear says he quiets his down with silicone spray. By the way, I've heard The Belt does this in really wet conditions as well. I have no basis to know whether or not that is true, but I have seen that reported.

We'll have to wait for some really wet weather to see about that. For now- it's one big plus and one minus for The Belt this time around.

The Belt: Long Term Update

Many of you long time readers have perhaps remembered that I had a go-round with Gates Carbon Drive belt systems a while back. Well, here is a "long term" update on what has been happening with that since my last update.

In my last update I described how Gates had been getting me set up with belts for the Sawyer, which is a Gates compatible design from Trek. I had two belts and due to their inappropriate lengths for the Sawyer, there were certain issues with performance. Gates then got the "Goldilocks" belt out which solved fitment issues and allowed for the proper tensioning of the belt.

Update: So I have had the Sawyer set up with the proper belt on it since last fall and throughout the winter and spring I have finally come to trust this belt and use the bike like I would any other single speed. Yes- there was a trust issue. 

When you single speed, there are times when you are applying such a great force to the pedals, that if a chain broke, it would result in a catastrophic event to the nether regions, face, and maybe the knees as well. Let's just say- it wouldn't be a good thing! So, when I first started having ratcheting issues with the belt driven systems I was trying, I was loathe to hit the gas hard going up a hill, like I would on my chain driven single speed rigs, for fear that a belt ratchet event would result in severe smack-package.

I am happy to report that as of yesterday, that same level of trust I have in a chain driven single speed was finally attained on a belt driven single speed. Okay- one hurdle passed. It works grunting up a hill out of the saddle and without any noises at all.

Okay, so you probably can now get a Center Track system and set up your single speed to be a reliable, noiseless, smooth bike with a maintenance free-ish drive train. (You still have bearings to deal with.) However; as my example so plainly points up, the switch between gearing ratios, or bikes, can mean entire new belts and cogs. Expensive and not practical for the masses.

In that detail, The Chain will always win out. It will be cheaper and easier to use than a belt drive. It will be easier to get anywhere as well. But......The Belt does work, if you so choose that option.  (As long as it is a Center Track Belt, and you have the correct size/length, and your bike is compatible, ie: "stiff enough".)

So, the only thing I can't speak to right now is longevity. But hopefully I'll have this together long enough to ferret that out. Stay tuned for another update on that.........in the future.

The Belt: Long Term Update

Many of you long time readers have perhaps remembered that I had a go-round with Gates Carbon Drive belt systems a while back. Well, here is a "long term" update on what has been happening with that since my last update.

In my last update I described how Gates had been getting me set up with belts for the Sawyer, which is a Gates compatible design from Trek. I had two belts and due to their inappropriate lengths for the Sawyer, there were certain issues with performance. Gates then got the "Goldilocks" belt out which solved fitment issues and allowed for the proper tensioning of the belt.

Update: So I have had the Sawyer set up with the proper belt on it since last fall and throughout the winter and spring I have finally come to trust this belt and use the bike like I would any other single speed. Yes- there was a trust issue. 

When you single speed, there are times when you are applying such a great force to the pedals, that if a chain broke, it would result in a catastrophic event to the nether regions, face, and maybe the knees as well. Let's just say- it wouldn't be a good thing! So, when I first started having ratcheting issues with the belt driven systems I was trying, I was loathe to hit the gas hard going up a hill, like I would on my chain driven single speed rigs, for fear that a belt ratchet event would result in severe smack-package.

I am happy to report that as of yesterday, that same level of trust I have in a chain driven single speed was finally attained on a belt driven single speed. Okay- one hurdle passed. It works grunting up a hill out of the saddle and without any noises at all.

Okay, so you probably can now get a Center Track system and set up your single speed to be a reliable, noiseless, smooth bike with a maintenance free-ish drive train. (You still have bearings to deal with.) However; as my example so plainly points up, the switch between gearing ratios, or bikes, can mean entire new belts and cogs. Expensive and not practical for the masses.

In that detail, The Chain will always win out. It will be cheaper and easier to use than a belt drive. It will be easier to get anywhere as well. But......The Belt does work, if you so choose that option.  (As long as it is a Center Track Belt, and you have the correct size/length, and your bike is compatible, ie: "stiff enough".)

So, the only thing I can't speak to right now is longevity. But hopefully I'll have this together long enough to ferret that out. Stay tuned for another update on that.........in the future.

Things Have A Way Of Working Out

At Cedar Bend Park

March was a blistering, dry month. it left many to wonder if April and May would be more like July and August. Things were dry. Really dry, and the potential for drought was very real.

My, what a difference a month or so makes! We got colder and wetter in April, and now the rivers are full again, the plant life is lush and green, and well......it's more like Spring!

Since it was May, I had to drive up to Cedar Bend and ride, because the gates are opened May 1st for cars. The trails were fantastic, albeit wet from the previous day's rain. Oddly enough, horse traffic has damaged things up there a bit. Pock marks that weren't there before. Erosion. Then add in the bohunk that took some end loader through there to clear out the underbrush. Hey, here's a news flash for ya- "Single track" doesn't mean wide enough for a D-9 Cat. Sheesh!

I get it though. One guy can clear out a trail in one tenth the time it takes to do it the right way. With county budgets being stretched thin, I bet this made more sense from the government standpoint. Too bad it is ugly, stupid, and hurts the trails more than it helps them. In my experience, once you make a trail wide by using a motor vehicle, other motor vehicles will follow, because they can now. I'm telling you, I won't be at all surprised to see ATV tracks back there this season. Just wait and see.

Big, old trees rule.

I got in the rare double yesterday. The middle of the day saw me over at George Wyth State Park to do some single speeding. The place is perfect for that. Gears? Ha! Not necessary in this terrain.

The CVAST group has been doing a bang-up job of maintaining these trails and adding cool new sections. Not only that, but they have a fun, social ride every Wednesday evening. All that riding and trail work means the trails are buffed out like a pretty penny.

The rain that rained on Cedar Bend obviously did not reach Geo Wyth. It was dry, fast, and clean. Totally different than the duff ridden, soft, muddy in spots Cedar Bend, and that is odd. Really odd, because Cedar Bend is always drier than anywhere else. Well.....except for this time!

I rode from one end to the other, taking in almost every trail out there. It was pretty fun too. The single speed I rode had the Gates Carbon Drive on it which is geared for places requiring some moderate amount of climbing. That meant that at Geo Wyth, I was spun out almost the entire time, but I still was grinning.

Deer- dead center in the image

Geo Wyth is not only flat, it is infested with somewhat people friendly, four legged wood rats, otherwise known as deer. I ran across several of them yesterday. A couple actually looked annoyed at me as I disrupted their gnawing of vegetation. Whoops! "S'cuse me!"

It used to be that the deer were rather runt-ish in Geo Wyth, but not anymore, it would seem. These looked to be healthy, big, strong deer. Yeah- the kind that could take you out if they get spooked. Color me not a fan of these critters that have lost their fear of Man to a degree. A deer on a trail is a dangerous thing when it doesn't know if it should run or not. (Hint: They should always run away well before you get within ten yards of them)

I guess it'll all work out in the end. Just like a buddy of mine's situation. He got some bummer news that actually was timed perfectly. If it all works out, and it looks like it should, he'll be back amongst us Mid-Westerners and gravel grinding his heart out again. That'd be cool for him and great for us.

Just like our dire weather situation ended up turning into one of the prettiest Springs in a long time. Who knew? Sometimes things really do work out for the best.

Things Have A Way Of Working Out

At Cedar Bend Park

March was a blistering, dry month. it left many to wonder if April and May would be more like July and August. Things were dry. Really dry, and the potential for drought was very real.

My, what a difference a month or so makes! We got colder and wetter in April, and now the rivers are full again, the plant life is lush and green, and well......it's more like Spring!

Since it was May, I had to drive up to Cedar Bend and ride, because the gates are opened May 1st for cars. The trails were fantastic, albeit wet from the previous day's rain. Oddly enough, horse traffic has damaged things up there a bit. Pock marks that weren't there before. Erosion. Then add in the bohunk that took some end loader through there to clear out the underbrush. Hey, here's a news flash for ya- "Single track" doesn't mean wide enough for a D-9 Cat. Sheesh!

I get it though. One guy can clear out a trail in one tenth the time it takes to do it the right way. With county budgets being stretched thin, I bet this made more sense from the government standpoint. Too bad it is ugly, stupid, and hurts the trails more than it helps them. In my experience, once you make a trail wide by using a motor vehicle, other motor vehicles will follow, because they can now. I'm telling you, I won't be at all surprised to see ATV tracks back there this season. Just wait and see.

Big, old trees rule.

I got in the rare double yesterday. The middle of the day saw me over at George Wyth State Park to do some single speeding. The place is perfect for that. Gears? Ha! Not necessary in this terrain.

The CVAST group has been doing a bang-up job of maintaining these trails and adding cool new sections. Not only that, but they have a fun, social ride every Wednesday evening. All that riding and trail work means the trails are buffed out like a pretty penny.

The rain that rained on Cedar Bend obviously did not reach Geo Wyth. It was dry, fast, and clean. Totally different than the duff ridden, soft, muddy in spots Cedar Bend, and that is odd. Really odd, because Cedar Bend is always drier than anywhere else. Well.....except for this time!

I rode from one end to the other, taking in almost every trail out there. It was pretty fun too. The single speed I rode had the Gates Carbon Drive on it which is geared for places requiring some moderate amount of climbing. That meant that at Geo Wyth, I was spun out almost the entire time, but I still was grinning.

Deer- dead center in the image

Geo Wyth is not only flat, it is infested with somewhat people friendly, four legged wood rats, otherwise known as deer. I ran across several of them yesterday. A couple actually looked annoyed at me as I disrupted their gnawing of vegetation. Whoops! "S'cuse me!"

It used to be that the deer were rather runt-ish in Geo Wyth, but not anymore, it would seem. These looked to be healthy, big, strong deer. Yeah- the kind that could take you out if they get spooked. Color me not a fan of these critters that have lost their fear of Man to a degree. A deer on a trail is a dangerous thing when it doesn't know if it should run or not. (Hint: They should always run away well before you get within ten yards of them)

I guess it'll all work out in the end. Just like a buddy of mine's situation. He got some bummer news that actually was timed perfectly. If it all works out, and it looks like it should, he'll be back amongst us Mid-Westerners and gravel grinding his heart out again. That'd be cool for him and great for us.

Just like our dire weather situation ended up turning into one of the prettiest Springs in a long time. Who knew? Sometimes things really do work out for the best.