Trans Iowa Clinic Report

Last year this was Tacopocalypse, but it will be Sam Auen's newest business location soon.

Trans Iowa Clinic Report 2014:

The clinic was to happen on Saturday and much of the logistics for the event were pulled together by Steve Fuller and Mike Johnson, two riders with longtime ties to Trans Iowa. I and my family departed from Waterloo mid-morning and had a trouble free drive to Des Moines where we met up with Steve and Mike who were both deep into the set up process by the time we got there. I bid my family adieu for the day as they left on their own adventures. Meanwhile, I caught up with Steve and Mike and we put the finishing touches on the venue set up.

Actually, things were going so smoothly that we found ourselves with a ton of time on our hands. We didn't really need to be back until 4:00pm and it was a little after 1:00pm. Sam Auen, the proprietor of Tacopocalypse and the upcoming Krunkwich Ramen House, was running errands and stopped by and chatted us up a bit before we took leave of him and walked a few  sunny, warm blocks to Tacopocalypse's new location where we had a great Asian-fusion meal. If ever you get to Des Moines Iowa, it's worth the trip to the historic East Village to check it out. 

Setting up for the evening's clinic

You can see the note taking sheets Mike made and some of the expo of bike accessories and bikes here. 

We had a decent turnout.

After hanging out at Tacopocalypse we went back to the venue and it wasn't long before folks started coming out to see the stuff on display, chat, and get settled in for the clinic. Andrea Cohen, one of the panelists, rode over from Iowa City, about a 100 mile ride, just to take part in the event. We had one fellow drive from Michigan to be there, and a few came over from Nebraska. It was pretty amazing!

Panelists L-R: Mike Johnson, Steve Fuller, Andrea Cohen, Dan Buettner, and Sarah Cooper

I kicked things off at 5:00pm and for the next three hours we covered a ton of information specific to Trans Iowa events and to gravel riding in general. The panelists all shared some insightful and valuable tidbits. Afterward we all received several thank yous and heard from attendees that they got a lot out of the clinic.

Of course, I was glad to hear that, but for me the biggest thing was being able to have the perspectives of Andrea Cohen and Sarah Cooper on these things. The fact that they have finished Trans Iowa before and are doing great in other events speaks volumes to what women are capable of in cycling and gravel events in particular. My hope is that these great women are able to encourage more like them to go out and have fantastic adventures of their own.

That's always been a goal of mine, to see women be successful at Trans Iowa, and Janna Vavra was the first to finish off a Trans Iowa, which for me has been one of the major highlights of any Trans Iowa for me. Now we see even more women competing and becoming successful, which I think is beyond awesome. But I digress.......

The clinic was a success, and very smoothly run, once again. Thanks again to all involved, and we'll see you who are riding in Trans Iowa next April.

Trans Iowa Clinic Report

Last year this was Tacopocalypse, but it will be Sam Auen's newest business location soon.

Trans Iowa Clinic Report 2014:

The clinic was to happen on Saturday and much of the logistics for the event were pulled together by Steve Fuller and Mike Johnson, two riders with longtime ties to Trans Iowa. I and my family departed from Waterloo mid-morning and had a trouble free drive to Des Moines where we met up with Steve and Mike who were both deep into the set up process by the time we got there. I bid my family adieu for the day as they left on their own adventures. Meanwhile, I caught up with Steve and Mike and we put the finishing touches on the venue set up.

Actually, things were going so smoothly that we found ourselves with a ton of time on our hands. We didn't really need to be back until 4:00pm and it was a little after 1:00pm. Sam Auen, the proprietor of Tacopocalypse and the upcoming Krunkwich Ramen House, was running errands and stopped by and chatted us up a bit before we took leave of him and walked a few  sunny, warm blocks to Tacopocalypse's new location where we had a great Asian-fusion meal. If ever you get to Des Moines Iowa, it's worth the trip to the historic East Village to check it out. 

Setting up for the evening's clinic

You can see the note taking sheets Mike made and some of the expo of bike accessories and bikes here. 

We had a decent turnout.

After hanging out at Tacopocalypse we went back to the venue and it wasn't long before folks started coming out to see the stuff on display, chat, and get settled in for the clinic. Andrea Cohen, one of the panelists, rode over from Iowa City, about a 100 mile ride, just to take part in the event. We had one fellow drive from Michigan to be there, and a few came over from Nebraska. It was pretty amazing!

Panelists L-R: Mike Johnson, Steve Fuller, Andrea Cohen, Dan Buettner, and Sarah Cooper

I kicked things off at 5:00pm and for the next three hours we covered a ton of information specific to Trans Iowa events and to gravel riding in general. The panelists all shared some insightful and valuable tidbits. Afterward we all received several thank yous and heard from attendees that they got a lot out of the clinic.

Of course, I was glad to hear that, but for me the biggest thing was being able to have the perspectives of Andrea Cohen and Sarah Cooper on these things. The fact that they have finished Trans Iowa before and are doing great in other events speaks volumes to what women are capable of in cycling and gravel events in particular. My hope is that these great women are able to encourage more like them to go out and have fantastic adventures of their own.

That's always been a goal of mine, to see women be successful at Trans Iowa, and Janna Vavra was the first to finish off a Trans Iowa, which for me has been one of the major highlights of any Trans Iowa for me. Now we see even more women competing and becoming successful, which I think is beyond awesome. But I digress.......

The clinic was a success, and very smoothly run, once again. Thanks again to all involved, and we'll see you who are riding in Trans Iowa next April.

Thank You T.I. Clinic Folks!

The scene at the second Trans Iowa Clinic (Image courtesy of Sam Auen)

Thanks to: All who came out to the Trans Iowa Clinic. We had folks stop by from as far away as Michigan and Nebraska. Thanks to Sam Auen/Tacopocalypse, Mike and Amy Johnson, Steve Fuller, Sarah Cooper Dan Buettner, Andrea Cohen, My wife Phyllis, my two children, Jacob and Izabel, and Kathryn Roccaseca for the assist afterward with the chairs.

More later, but it's been a long day and I have to get my rest sometime!

Thank You T.I. Clinic Folks!

The scene at the second Trans Iowa Clinic (Image courtesy of Sam Auen)

Thanks to: All who came out to the Trans Iowa Clinic. We had folks stop by from as far away as Michigan and Nebraska. Thanks to Sam Auen/Tacopocalypse, Mike and Amy Johnson, Steve Fuller, Sarah Cooper Dan Buettner, Andrea Cohen, My wife Phyllis, my two children, Jacob and Izabel, and Kathryn Roccaseca for the assist afterward with the chairs.

More later, but it's been a long day and I have to get my rest sometime!

Friday News And Views

Steve Fuller will be one of the panelists at the T.I.Clinic (Image by W. Kilburg)

Trans Iowa Clinic:

The event will be held tomorrow in Des Moines at the Krunkwich Ramen House at 621 Des Moines Street in Des Moines, Iowa starting at 5:00pm. Here's the rundown of how things will go.

• 4:00pm: Doors Open. NOTE: There will be soft drinks, water, and coffee available for purchase and you can visit Tacopocalypse ahead of time and either eat there or bring your meal to eat at the venue. (Other food is okay) Check out the display bikes at the venue plus some other items useful for Trans Iowa attempts, or gravel road riding in general. 
• 5:00pm: The Clinic Starts- I will make a few statements and introduce the panel, then we will start the presentation. Questions are encouraged! The panelists will walk you through their experiences including Pre-event training, the day before the event situation, the event itself, and will share lots of great tips to help your gravel rides be more successful.
• 9:00pm: The Clinic will wrap up for another year. 

Hope to see many of you down there in Des Moines for a fun few hours talking gravel road stuff.

Skinny tires: Still Legit in Winter

No Fat Bike? No Worries!

I was riding this bike for a review on Twenty Nine Inches, coming up real soon here, and it is a 29"er, of course.  It really brought home a few things to me. First off, I was grousing just a wee bit, since I normally haven't been on skinnier than 3.8 inches of rubber after November starts for a few years now. I was fretting about having to get over to the trail head I was aiming for, and thinking the whole endeavor was doomed to failure from the get go, due to Winter's cold, ice, and snow.

Of course, it wasn't as easily done as it could have been on a fat bike, but I could do it! I was reminded how I used to ride my old 26"ers in the snow, on the trails, and in the woods, whenever I could stand the cold. I recall how I used 29"ers in Winter and actually had fun doing it.

Now, to be sure, a fat bike is something that is on its own level and has its own flavor of fun, but I feel like many riders in the Mid-West, (at any rate), feel that you must have a fat bike for Winter riding. Let me just say that nothing could be further from the truth, and your mountain bike could be a gateway to fun in the snow no matter the size of wheels or how wide they are. Just get out there and have at it.

There are so many ways to enjoy a bike in Winter now and they are better than ever before, so wheel size/width shouldn't be held as a detriment or a calling card to snow riding. In fact, if I were to be riding a 29"er as my only bike now, I think a set of those 45NRTH Nicotine tires would do the trick and I could have loads of fun in Winter with those. Yes, I am glad to have the fat bikes, but look- you don't have to have one to ride in Winter. You just need to layer up, suck it up, and ride on!

Thanks!

This has been a busy, busy week with family and the roll out of Riding Gravel's merger with my Gravel Grinder News site, plus getting ready for the above mentioned clinic on Saturday. That said, I wanted to make a public statement of thanks to friends and fellow cyclists out there that have shared their congratulations with me and that are talking about the new direction for the Riding Gravel site in very glowing terms.  So, thank you all. 

I appreciate the responses and shared links very much, and I am looking forward to more projects and posts in the coming months that I hope folks will find useful and encouraging. This is just the start, there are a few more changes for me, and all of this should help make Riding Gravel a good ride for me. Hopefully for everyone else that checks it out as well.

Stay tuned for more!

Okay- that's a wrap for this edition. Get outside, do something! Ride a bike, go for a walk, stare at the stars.

 

Friday News And Views

Steve Fuller will be one of the panelists at the T.I.Clinic (Image by W. Kilburg)

Trans Iowa Clinic:

The event will be held tomorrow in Des Moines at the Krunkwich Ramen House at 621 Des Moines Street in Des Moines, Iowa starting at 5:00pm. Here's the rundown of how things will go.

• 4:00pm: Doors Open. NOTE: There will be soft drinks, water, and coffee available for purchase and you can visit Tacopocalypse ahead of time and either eat there or bring your meal to eat at the venue. (Other food is okay) Check out the display bikes at the venue plus some other items useful for Trans Iowa attempts, or gravel road riding in general. 
• 5:00pm: The Clinic Starts- I will make a few statements and introduce the panel, then we will start the presentation. Questions are encouraged! The panelists will walk you through their experiences including Pre-event training, the day before the event situation, the event itself, and will share lots of great tips to help your gravel rides be more successful.
• 9:00pm: The Clinic will wrap up for another year. 

Hope to see many of you down there in Des Moines for a fun few hours talking gravel road stuff.

Skinny tires: Still Legit in Winter

No Fat Bike? No Worries!

I was riding this bike for a review on Twenty Nine Inches, coming up real soon here, and it is a 29"er, of course.  It really brought home a few things to me. First off, I was grousing just a wee bit, since I normally haven't been on skinnier than 3.8 inches of rubber after November starts for a few years now. I was fretting about having to get over to the trail head I was aiming for, and thinking the whole endeavor was doomed to failure from the get go, due to Winter's cold, ice, and snow.

Of course, it wasn't as easily done as it could have been on a fat bike, but I could do it! I was reminded how I used to ride my old 26"ers in the snow, on the trails, and in the woods, whenever I could stand the cold. I recall how I used 29"ers in Winter and actually had fun doing it.

Now, to be sure, a fat bike is something that is on its own level and has its own flavor of fun, but I feel like many riders in the Mid-West, (at any rate), feel that you must have a fat bike for Winter riding. Let me just say that nothing could be further from the truth, and your mountain bike could be a gateway to fun in the snow no matter the size of wheels or how wide they are. Just get out there and have at it.

There are so many ways to enjoy a bike in Winter now and they are better than ever before, so wheel size/width shouldn't be held as a detriment or a calling card to snow riding. In fact, if I were to be riding a 29"er as my only bike now, I think a set of those 45NRTH Nicotine tires would do the trick and I could have loads of fun in Winter with those. Yes, I am glad to have the fat bikes, but look- you don't have to have one to ride in Winter. You just need to layer up, suck it up, and ride on!

Thanks!

This has been a busy, busy week with family and the roll out of Riding Gravel's merger with my Gravel Grinder News site, plus getting ready for the above mentioned clinic on Saturday. That said, I wanted to make a public statement of thanks to friends and fellow cyclists out there that have shared their congratulations with me and that are talking about the new direction for the Riding Gravel site in very glowing terms.  So, thank you all. 

I appreciate the responses and shared links very much, and I am looking forward to more projects and posts in the coming months that I hope folks will find useful and encouraging. This is just the start, there are a few more changes for me, and all of this should help make Riding Gravel a good ride for me. Hopefully for everyone else that checks it out as well.

Stay tuned for more!

Okay- that's a wrap for this edition. Get outside, do something! Ride a bike, go for a walk, stare at the stars.

 

Trans Iowa Clinic Update

This coming Saturday is the 2nd ever Trans Iowa Clinic. Here's the now public link to Facebook where the event page is. We're getting a good response to the event again and we expect a fair sized crowd to show up at the Krunkwich Ramen House.

Here's a few things I need to mention if you might be coming.

• There will be an informal ride happening the following day after the Saturday clinic. Details are not clear now, but if you come to the clinic bring a bike, stay over night, and ride with some of the panelists. 
• There will be no video of the clinic and we can not allow anyone to take a video of the clinic due to rights and release issues. So please- don't show up with a GoPro and don't record the clinic either. Please respect the panelists and the event's intentions. 
• We will have a Boo Bike's gravel rig there to show, and about six other Trans Iowa ready rigs that belong to the panelists and my single speed. We'll have tires and bags, and lights, and maybe a few other interesting Trans Iowa related tidbits. 

So, we look forward to seeing all the folks that will be coming. The weather looks to be spectacular for December. See ya there!

Trans Iowa Clinic Update

This coming Saturday is the 2nd ever Trans Iowa Clinic. Here's the now public link to Facebook where the event page is. We're getting a good response to the event again and we expect a fair sized crowd to show up at the Krunkwich Ramen House.

Here's a few things I need to mention if you might be coming.

• There will be an informal ride happening the following day after the Saturday clinic. Details are not clear now, but if you come to the clinic bring a bike, stay over night, and ride with some of the panelists. 
• There will be no video of the clinic and we can not allow anyone to take a video of the clinic due to rights and release issues. So please- don't show up with a GoPro and don't record the clinic either. Please respect the panelists and the event's intentions. 
• We will have a Boo Bike's gravel rig there to show, and about six other Trans Iowa ready rigs that belong to the panelists and my single speed. We'll have tires and bags, and lights, and maybe a few other interesting Trans Iowa related tidbits. 

So, we look forward to seeing all the folks that will be coming. The weather looks to be spectacular for December. See ya there!

Friday News And Views

Thanksgiving morning. Marky-Mark Trail. Unfiltered

My morning started rather early yesterday when I awoke at 5:11am to get up and kit out for an early morning ride before we had to leave as a family for Thanksgiving dinner at my parents place.

The snow we got was barely enough to cover the ground again after most of what we had melted in the previous day's heat. However; now it was down into the single digits and there was a slight Northerly in the air which had a tremendous bite to it this time. I had all my wool stuff down to launder since it has been worn several times and I was left with synthetic stuff. I layered as best I could, but let me tell ya.... Wool is where it is at folks. While I didn't get uncomfortably cold, I never was warm, and I was not going to stop for anything short of total mechanical failure (or a quick pic!), because lingering and "smelling the roses" on this ride would have left me freezing to death.

Of course, I rode the Blackborow. Low range this time. It was just fine too. I climbed the dike and I had to get out of the saddle, but the big ol' Lou tires clawed at the surface and never slipped out. All I had to do was to keep the pedals turning. I swapped out the stock grips for some Ergon GE1 grips, but I think I am going to swap out to the GP2's that I have because I really feel that the paddle shape and the stubby bar end are more conducive to Winter type riding than the GE1's are. I like the GE1's a lot, but those are for faster, more technical moves. Not so much for Winter slogging, long spins on the flats, and slower speed stuff. Other than that, everything has been great so far.

Surly 1X1 Update:

I have been tinkering with the "family bike", the shop tradition Surly 1X1 that I was bequeathed recently by its last owner, Brian. I'm kind of shooting for a classic "silver and black" look with the parts. So far I have an old silver Bontrager seat post, a chromed Mountain Goat "bull moose" bar/stem combo, and three out of four old Deore cantilever brakes have been dug up. I need to scrounge the Lab for the fourth and final piece of that puzzle!

Wheels are generously being donated to the cause by the Slender Fungus. (Thanks!) I traded for a set of old, silver, 110BCD LX square taper cranks, and that will be set up with a Surly stainless steel 38T ring and a 20T rear Surly cog that I have laying around. I'd rather go with a 16T, or maybe a 17T, but all I can find is the 20. Oh well.....

I still am thinking I will be putting on a sprung Brooks saddle on this, but I just picked up a black Ergon SM3 that I stuck on there. I think the Ergon would definitely work, but I like the idea of the sprung Brooks and will likely go for that at some point.

Trans Iowa Clinic:

Next Saturday on Dcember 6th the Trans Iowa Clinic is happening at the Krunkwich Ramen House, (the first Tacopocalypse location, and the same place we were at last year), which is at 621 Des Moines Street in Des Moines, Iowa.

If you cannot access the Facebook event page I linked above, just leave a comment here that you will be attending and we'll make sure we have a chair for you to sit on. Here is a short list of what you can expect.

• An Expo: We'll have bicycles set up as if they were going to be used in a Trans Iowa attempt and we will also have a tire display on hand which you can peruse of options we have found to work well at Trans Iowa.
• Women's Perspective: We'll have two top gravel racers who happen to be women at the event to answer any questions you may have as a women rider that wants to attempt or learn about gravel riding.
• Expert Panel: Besides Andrea Cohen and Sarah Cooper, we'll have an expert panel of Trans Iowa veterans who have finished and failed to finish the event in past years. Their expertise and knowledge base in gravel riding will be available for you as a participant to draw upon. 

While the event is aimed at Trans Iowa rookies, anyone is invited to show up and we'll be glad to have you. The event is free of charge and all I need is confirmation that you will be coming so we can make chairs avialble for everyone to sit on. Please leave a comment here today so I can add you to the list.

That's it for today. Stay warm and get outside and burn off some of that turkey!

Friday News And Views

Thanksgiving morning. Marky-Mark Trail. Unfiltered

My morning started rather early yesterday when I awoke at 5:11am to get up and kit out for an early morning ride before we had to leave as a family for Thanksgiving dinner at my parents place.

The snow we got was barely enough to cover the ground again after most of what we had melted in the previous day's heat. However; now it was down into the single digits and there was a slight Northerly in the air which had a tremendous bite to it this time. I had all my wool stuff down to launder since it has been worn several times and I was left with synthetic stuff. I layered as best I could, but let me tell ya.... Wool is where it is at folks. While I didn't get uncomfortably cold, I never was warm, and I was not going to stop for anything short of total mechanical failure (or a quick pic!), because lingering and "smelling the roses" on this ride would have left me freezing to death.

Of course, I rode the Blackborow. Low range this time. It was just fine too. I climbed the dike and I had to get out of the saddle, but the big ol' Lou tires clawed at the surface and never slipped out. All I had to do was to keep the pedals turning. I swapped out the stock grips for some Ergon GE1 grips, but I think I am going to swap out to the GP2's that I have because I really feel that the paddle shape and the stubby bar end are more conducive to Winter type riding than the GE1's are. I like the GE1's a lot, but those are for faster, more technical moves. Not so much for Winter slogging, long spins on the flats, and slower speed stuff. Other than that, everything has been great so far.

Surly 1X1 Update:

I have been tinkering with the "family bike", the shop tradition Surly 1X1 that I was bequeathed recently by its last owner, Brian. I'm kind of shooting for a classic "silver and black" look with the parts. So far I have an old silver Bontrager seat post, a chromed Mountain Goat "bull moose" bar/stem combo, and three out of four old Deore cantilever brakes have been dug up. I need to scrounge the Lab for the fourth and final piece of that puzzle!

Wheels are generously being donated to the cause by the Slender Fungus. (Thanks!) I traded for a set of old, silver, 110BCD LX square taper cranks, and that will be set up with a Surly stainless steel 38T ring and a 20T rear Surly cog that I have laying around. I'd rather go with a 16T, or maybe a 17T, but all I can find is the 20. Oh well.....

I still am thinking I will be putting on a sprung Brooks saddle on this, but I just picked up a black Ergon SM3 that I stuck on there. I think the Ergon would definitely work, but I like the idea of the sprung Brooks and will likely go for that at some point.

Trans Iowa Clinic:

Next Saturday on Dcember 6th the Trans Iowa Clinic is happening at the Krunkwich Ramen House, (the first Tacopocalypse location, and the same place we were at last year), which is at 621 Des Moines Street in Des Moines, Iowa.

If you cannot access the Facebook event page I linked above, just leave a comment here that you will be attending and we'll make sure we have a chair for you to sit on. Here is a short list of what you can expect.

• An Expo: We'll have bicycles set up as if they were going to be used in a Trans Iowa attempt and we will also have a tire display on hand which you can peruse of options we have found to work well at Trans Iowa.
• Women's Perspective: We'll have two top gravel racers who happen to be women at the event to answer any questions you may have as a women rider that wants to attempt or learn about gravel riding.
• Expert Panel: Besides Andrea Cohen and Sarah Cooper, we'll have an expert panel of Trans Iowa veterans who have finished and failed to finish the event in past years. Their expertise and knowledge base in gravel riding will be available for you as a participant to draw upon. 

While the event is aimed at Trans Iowa rookies, anyone is invited to show up and we'll be glad to have you. The event is free of charge and all I need is confirmation that you will be coming so we can make chairs avialble for everyone to sit on. Please leave a comment here today so I can add you to the list.

That's it for today. Stay warm and get outside and burn off some of that turkey!

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!

Friday News And Views

The Blackborow DS

It Came Early!

The Blackborow bikes were due to be delivered by late November. The geared ones, that is. The Dingle Speed ones were not supposed to show up until December. I wasn't thinking I'd see mine until then or later. I know the usual drill with bicycle companies- over-promise, under-deliver. I was fully expecting something along those lines.

However; I walked into the back door at work Thursday and there it was! The "Forest Service Green" Blackborow DS. Oh boy........I was excited but I also was in a pickle since my financial house wasn't quite ready for this. That's my problem, so I'll just tell you all what you really want to know- how does it ride? 

Two things: Smooth and nimble. The tires I figured would be horrible rollers, and while there is no escaping the tell-tale rumble of the Lou's tread, it rolls far better than I figured it would. Then there is the handling, which is really dialed and the shorter rear end is definitely noticeable.  This acts more like a "regular" mountain bike than you'd ever expect. I was cutting turns at slow speed in the shop that were eye opening from the standpoint of how easy it was to steer and maneuver. Kicking the pedal and popping the front end up is far easier than on a Mukluk. I can also see where putting a Bluto on this would be a really great idea. Stuffing the front wheel into a rocky rut for rain drainage out back showed me that much to be true.

The shop also received this geared Blackborow

The dinglespeed thing was intriguing, and I purposely put it in the "low" combination for my brief test ride to see what I thought. Honestly, it is pretty spot on for any single speeder's trails. It isn't that "super low" gear I might need for slogging through deeper stuff, but it'll be fun to see how far I can go. The higher gear should be perfect for commuting in the slop and on snowy streets.

The bike has all the braze ons for a geared set up, I'd just need a new drive side Alternator plate and I can gear this up no problem. I figured I'd try this set up for Winter and then decide where to go from there. I really feel that this will be the smart way to go for at least the Winter time. Last year I trashed a chain and many of my drive train bits were really put through the ringer along with the brakes. I had a piston seize up on a caliper and rust set in on the rotors as well. It was a rougher year last year, but still. Wasting decent 9 or 10 speed stuff on roads for commuting really doesn't make sense when this dinglespeed set up is made to resist that sort of corrosion. Time will tell how that works out.

Trans Iowa Clinic:

We're all done with T.I.V11 registration so now we are announcing that the Trans Iowa Clinic will again be happening. The date is December 6th. The place will be the same as last year's venue, which was then called Tacopocalypse, but is now dubbed Krunkwich Ramen House. Of course, this is all in Des Moines Iowa.

We're working on bringing some gear out all set up for Trans Iowa and the panel will consist of a few women and men that have finished Trans Iowa who will be available for a Q&A session. There may be a couple of slides and we may be doing something for those who will not be available to attend, so that the riders who live far off can maybe pick up some pointers.

One question: Does anyone want to see the movie "300 Miles Of Gravel" again? Give us a shout out here so we can add that in if there seems to be enough interest in seeing that again. More details will be released soon as far as specific times and hopefully we'll have a sign up list going soon. Stay tuned......

Friday News And Views

The Blackborow DS

It Came Early!

The Blackborow bikes were due to be delivered by late November. The geared ones, that is. The Dingle Speed ones were not supposed to show up until December. I wasn't thinking I'd see mine until then or later. I know the usual drill with bicycle companies- over-promise, under-deliver. I was fully expecting something along those lines.

However; I walked into the back door at work Thursday and there it was! The "Forest Service Green" Blackborow DS. Oh boy........I was excited but I also was in a pickle since my financial house wasn't quite ready for this. That's my problem, so I'll just tell you all what you really want to know- how does it ride? 

Two things: Smooth and nimble. The tires I figured would be horrible rollers, and while there is no escaping the tell-tale rumble of the Lou's tread, it rolls far better than I figured it would. Then there is the handling, which is really dialed and the shorter rear end is definitely noticeable.  This acts more like a "regular" mountain bike than you'd ever expect. I was cutting turns at slow speed in the shop that were eye opening from the standpoint of how easy it was to steer and maneuver. Kicking the pedal and popping the front end up is far easier than on a Mukluk. I can also see where putting a Bluto on this would be a really great idea. Stuffing the front wheel into a rocky rut for rain drainage out back showed me that much to be true.

The shop also received this geared Blackborow

The dinglespeed thing was intriguing, and I purposely put it in the "low" combination for my brief test ride to see what I thought. Honestly, it is pretty spot on for any single speeder's trails. It isn't that "super low" gear I might need for slogging through deeper stuff, but it'll be fun to see how far I can go. The higher gear should be perfect for commuting in the slop and on snowy streets.

The bike has all the braze ons for a geared set up, I'd just need a new drive side Alternator plate and I can gear this up no problem. I figured I'd try this set up for Winter and then decide where to go from there. I really feel that this will be the smart way to go for at least the Winter time. Last year I trashed a chain and many of my drive train bits were really put through the ringer along with the brakes. I had a piston seize up on a caliper and rust set in on the rotors as well. It was a rougher year last year, but still. Wasting decent 9 or 10 speed stuff on roads for commuting really doesn't make sense when this dinglespeed set up is made to resist that sort of corrosion. Time will tell how that works out.

Trans Iowa Clinic:

We're all done with T.I.V11 registration so now we are announcing that the Trans Iowa Clinic will again be happening. The date is December 6th. The place will be the same as last year's venue, which was then called Tacopocalypse, but is now dubbed Krunkwich Ramen House. Of course, this is all in Des Moines Iowa.

We're working on bringing some gear out all set up for Trans Iowa and the panel will consist of a few women and men that have finished Trans Iowa who will be available for a Q&A session. There may be a couple of slides and we may be doing something for those who will not be available to attend, so that the riders who live far off can maybe pick up some pointers.

One question: Does anyone want to see the movie "300 Miles Of Gravel" again? Give us a shout out here so we can add that in if there seems to be enough interest in seeing that again. More details will be released soon as far as specific times and hopefully we'll have a sign up list going soon. Stay tuned......

Loose Ends

TIMP Update:

This past weekend there was an attempt on the TIMP course for an ITT, (Individual Time Trial), finish which turned out to be thwarted by rains and hot, humid air. That makes for three attempts with none being successful, as far as the ITT style attempt goes. Overall there has been 12 attempts at the course. The three aforementioned ITT attempts, and 9 "Group Style" TIMP attempts, where folks could try the cross state route in the company of others. Of those 9 attempts, only six were ultimately successful.

With less than one week remaining in August, I only am aware of one possible ITT attempt that might happen. We'll see, but suffice it to say, this route is a tough nut to chew. A few things jump out at me right now........

A muddy B Road on the TIMP course, (Image by Al Brunner)

First of all, the old saying that Jeff Kerkove coined about Trans Iowa still rings true: "The weather is the wild card....." Which brings me to the following....

More than once, folks have asked me, "Why not run Trans Iowa later in the year so the weather isn't such a factor?" I've always held that every season has its own peculiarities when it comes to weather and that by moving the date of Trans Iowa all you do is introduce some new possibilities for weather that could shut down any rider. Witness two of the three failed ITT attempts and at least one of the failed Group attempts as examples of this. Want another example? The B Level roads at this Spring's Trans Iowa were all rideable, all eleven of them. Not so on TIMP this year. Summertime didn't help that at all.

And then you have heat, humidity, and contrary winds, not to mention heavy rains, which played a part in every TIMP attempt this Summer. Let's not even get into the mental and physical fatigue issues.

So, I hope this answers that old, tired question about Trans Iowa's date. Whenever Trans Iowa might be scheduled, "the weather is the wild card." That much I know for certain. You may get a "hall pass" and the weather might be great, but more likely than not, the weather will play a big, and perhaps deciding role, in any Trans Iowa-like event. At least in Iowa! 

If you were supposed to get a finisher's certificate for a TIMP attempt that was successful, I have them in the mail now. I waited on sending out the four I was sitting on to see if I had to do two others, but both those attempts failed. So, I apologize for the delay, but I was wanting to knock all of that out at one time.

With less than a week to go, I figured I was in the clear for any possible certificate mailings, that is until I heard about another possibility Saturday. It isn't scheduled, or even in process yet, but that may change very soon. Stay tuned.......

Finally, a warning: If you ever thought you might want to attempt the route, go to the Trans Iowa Masters route pages HERE and HERE and copy them NOW! After August 31st, the info is being pulled and will never be made public by me again. The TIMP is a one time deal and will never be repeated. (So yes- those links will be broken after August 31st!!) Obviously, I will not sanction, approve of, or recommend that the route ever be done in any shape or form officially since I cannot guarantee the route's safety or existence after the 31st. If you copy it and try it, you are responsible for your own actions. Nuff said...........

 Trans Iowa Clinic: 

The Trans Iowa Clinic was a big success last year, judging by the reactions and feedback I received from it. I was down in Des Moines Saturday and I have confirmed that the same venue we used last year is available again for another clinic. Some of the same folks that were involved last year will also be involved again this time, but we hope to bring in a few more in an "official" capacity. (And we have already confirmed a couple of you that asked to be a part of another T.I.Clinic)

All that said, we have a lot of things on the table for discussion on this year's version of the clinic. These include, but are not limited to, the following....

• An earlier date, even before Registration for T.I.V11 happens. Possibly late September/early October? The registration may be announced at the clinic, and perhaps even an actual registration of Finishers and Vets may take place on the premises. (Don't get too excited, I am just throwing out ideas..)
• The clinic may include an actual ride on gravel, as long as the date does not interfere with any cyclo cross event in the area, which admittedly, might be hard not to do.
• Last year there was interest in a video of the roundtable portion of the Clinic. If there seems to be any interest in this again, we can possibly work on that this year. Should we show "300 Miles Of Gravel" again?
• Last year we had an "expo" of actual equipment used in Trans Iowa. If this seemed profitable, we can recreate this again. Perhaps bring in a local shop to help? Ideas??
• Last year we had requests to do another T.I.Clinic in another location. If we were to do that, where else other than Des Moines should we consider this?

Okay, that's all I have now. If you are at all into Trans Iowa, or gravel events, let me hear from you in the comments or e-mail me your thoughts.

Loose Ends

TIMP Update:

This past weekend there was an attempt on the TIMP course for an ITT, (Individual Time Trial), finish which turned out to be thwarted by rains and hot, humid air. That makes for three attempts with none being successful, as far as the ITT style attempt goes. Overall there has been 12 attempts at the course. The three aforementioned ITT attempts, and 9 "Group Style" TIMP attempts, where folks could try the cross state route in the company of others. Of those 9 attempts, only six were ultimately successful.

With less than one week remaining in August, I only am aware of one possible ITT attempt that might happen. We'll see, but suffice it to say, this route is a tough nut to chew. A few things jump out at me right now........

A muddy B Road on the TIMP course, (Image by Al Brunner)

First of all, the old saying that Jeff Kerkove coined about Trans Iowa still rings true: "The weather is the wild card....." Which brings me to the following....

More than once, folks have asked me, "Why not run Trans Iowa later in the year so the weather isn't such a factor?" I've always held that every season has its own peculiarities when it comes to weather and that by moving the date of Trans Iowa all you do is introduce some new possibilities for weather that could shut down any rider. Witness two of the three failed ITT attempts and at least one of the failed Group attempts as examples of this. Want another example? The B Level roads at this Spring's Trans Iowa were all rideable, all eleven of them. Not so on TIMP this year. Summertime didn't help that at all.

And then you have heat, humidity, and contrary winds, not to mention heavy rains, which played a part in every TIMP attempt this Summer. Let's not even get into the mental and physical fatigue issues.

So, I hope this answers that old, tired question about Trans Iowa's date. Whenever Trans Iowa might be scheduled, "the weather is the wild card." That much I know for certain. You may get a "hall pass" and the weather might be great, but more likely than not, the weather will play a big, and perhaps deciding role, in any Trans Iowa-like event. At least in Iowa! 

If you were supposed to get a finisher's certificate for a TIMP attempt that was successful, I have them in the mail now. I waited on sending out the four I was sitting on to see if I had to do two others, but both those attempts failed. So, I apologize for the delay, but I was wanting to knock all of that out at one time.

With less than a week to go, I figured I was in the clear for any possible certificate mailings, that is until I heard about another possibility Saturday. It isn't scheduled, or even in process yet, but that may change very soon. Stay tuned.......

Finally, a warning: If you ever thought you might want to attempt the route, go to the Trans Iowa Masters route pages HERE and HERE and copy them NOW! After August 31st, the info is being pulled and will never be made public by me again. The TIMP is a one time deal and will never be repeated. (So yes- those links will be broken after August 31st!!) Obviously, I will not sanction, approve of, or recommend that the route ever be done in any shape or form officially since I cannot guarantee the route's safety or existence after the 31st. If you copy it and try it, you are responsible for your own actions. Nuff said...........

 Trans Iowa Clinic: 

The Trans Iowa Clinic was a big success last year, judging by the reactions and feedback I received from it. I was down in Des Moines Saturday and I have confirmed that the same venue we used last year is available again for another clinic. Some of the same folks that were involved last year will also be involved again this time, but we hope to bring in a few more in an "official" capacity. (And we have already confirmed a couple of you that asked to be a part of another T.I.Clinic)

All that said, we have a lot of things on the table for discussion on this year's version of the clinic. These include, but are not limited to, the following....

• An earlier date, even before Registration for T.I.V11 happens. Possibly late September/early October? The registration may be announced at the clinic, and perhaps even an actual registration of Finishers and Vets may take place on the premises. (Don't get too excited, I am just throwing out ideas..)
• The clinic may include an actual ride on gravel, as long as the date does not interfere with any cyclo cross event in the area, which admittedly, might be hard not to do.
• Last year there was interest in a video of the roundtable portion of the Clinic. If there seems to be any interest in this again, we can possibly work on that this year. Should we show "300 Miles Of Gravel" again?
• Last year we had an "expo" of actual equipment used in Trans Iowa. If this seemed profitable, we can recreate this again. Perhaps bring in a local shop to help? Ideas??
• Last year we had requests to do another T.I.Clinic in another location. If we were to do that, where else other than Des Moines should we consider this?

Okay, that's all I have now. If you are at all into Trans Iowa, or gravel events, let me hear from you in the comments or e-mail me your thoughts.

Out To Lunch

Too wet to bring the bikes along, or so we thought.....

Saturday I went with my family to Des Moines, about a 110 miles away, so my wife and daughter could go to a special cosmetics counter we don't have anywhere else near us for make up and a make-over. Girly stuff.....

In the meantime, I though maybe the bikes could come along so my son and I could explore the metro area a bit, but with thunderstorms happening when we left, and my son not totally into the idea, I decided to not push the issue. In fact, we ended up being pressed for time, so it wouldn't have probably have happened anyway.

And then it ended up like this!

I did get to eat at Tacopocalypse, so that was awesome. Once again, if you are ever in Des Moines, search out this place, (it's like three blocks from the State Capitol building), and get anything on the menu. It's amazing food.

The decor is a bit industrial at the new digs for the restaurant. Actually, my son Jacob, who is 11, put it best when he exclaimed that it seemed to be like "a gangster warehouse". 

Don't ask me how kids come up with this stuff, I am just so stoked when they do though! Gotta love that. I hope Sam, the proprietor and Chef uses that one. It's too good not to.

Well, off to the make up counter after eating and my son and I became mall rats for an hour and a half before we got outta there and set sail for home. A day shot there, but I got some awesome food, saw Sam, and nailed down a plan for something Trans Iowa related which I will talk about soon. Stay tuned on that front, and also.....I heard about another possibility for a last minute TIMP ITT attempt! Stay tuned on a possible announcement on that front this week.

Out To Lunch

Too wet to bring the bikes along, or so we thought.....

Saturday I went with my family to Des Moines, about a 110 miles away, so my wife and daughter could go to a special cosmetics counter we don't have anywhere else near us for make up and a make-over. Girly stuff.....

In the meantime, I though maybe the bikes could come along so my son and I could explore the metro area a bit, but with thunderstorms happening when we left, and my son not totally into the idea, I decided to not push the issue. In fact, we ended up being pressed for time, so it wouldn't have probably have happened anyway.

And then it ended up like this!

I did get to eat at Tacopocalypse, so that was awesome. Once again, if you are ever in Des Moines, search out this place, (it's like three blocks from the State Capitol building), and get anything on the menu. It's amazing food.

The decor is a bit industrial at the new digs for the restaurant. Actually, my son Jacob, who is 11, put it best when he exclaimed that it seemed to be like "a gangster warehouse". 

Don't ask me how kids come up with this stuff, I am just so stoked when they do though! Gotta love that. I hope Sam, the proprietor and Chef uses that one. It's too good not to.

Well, off to the make up counter after eating and my son and I became mall rats for an hour and a half before we got outta there and set sail for home. A day shot there, but I got some awesome food, saw Sam, and nailed down a plan for something Trans Iowa related which I will talk about soon. Stay tuned on that front, and also.....I heard about another possibility for a last minute TIMP ITT attempt! Stay tuned on a possible announcement on that front this week.

Trans Iowa V11: Update

The response to Trans Iowa V11 has been swift and overwhelming. Thank you very much one and all.

I wanted to post a short update on some of the ideas and things that have happened so far. First of all, I have a lot of good people standing alongside of me in this endeavor. So far, it is the strongest "brain trust" of Trans Iowa experience yet brought to bear on a Trans Iowa version. Folks volunteering this year are past Trans Iowa Veterans that have multiple starts and finishes under their belts. These guys know the drill from a rider's perspective and will be tapped for their experiences now that they have joined me on "the other side" of the event.

Trans Iowa entrants will benefit directly, and one of the ways this will happen is through another Trans Iowa Clinic. Last year I waited until after registration to do the clinic, but I found out later a few folks attended that benefited that weren't in Trans Iowa V10. So, I figured maybe we ought to run the clinic earlier than December and have a ride involved afterward as well.

Last year we held the clinic in Des Moines, Iowa. It is centralized from the standpoint of many of the participants of Trans Iowa. However; should we move it, have more than one clinic, or just stay with one in Des Moines? That's a question not yet answered. I'll be working on this soon.

Until that time, I have the Geezer Ride and a route to figure out for this silly long ride on country roads in April.

Trans Iowa V11: Update

The response to Trans Iowa V11 has been swift and overwhelming. Thank you very much one and all.

I wanted to post a short update on some of the ideas and things that have happened so far. First of all, I have a lot of good people standing alongside of me in this endeavor. So far, it is the strongest "brain trust" of Trans Iowa experience yet brought to bear on a Trans Iowa version. Folks volunteering this year are past Trans Iowa Veterans that have multiple starts and finishes under their belts. These guys know the drill from a rider's perspective and will be tapped for their experiences now that they have joined me on "the other side" of the event.

Trans Iowa entrants will benefit directly, and one of the ways this will happen is through another Trans Iowa Clinic. Last year I waited until after registration to do the clinic, but I found out later a few folks attended that benefited that weren't in Trans Iowa V10. So, I figured maybe we ought to run the clinic earlier than December and have a ride involved afterward as well.

Last year we held the clinic in Des Moines, Iowa. It is centralized from the standpoint of many of the participants of Trans Iowa. However; should we move it, have more than one clinic, or just stay with one in Des Moines? That's a question not yet answered. I'll be working on this soon.

Until that time, I have the Geezer Ride and a route to figure out for this silly long ride on country roads in April.