Radio-Radio

 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!

Of course, this is another Trans Iowa related post. It is April, after all, and for 14 years, the month of April was dominated by Trans Iowa talk, so go figure, right? Anyway, I figured I would write about the evolution of what became to be known as "Trans Iowa Radio". Here's a bit I posted on the eve of Trans Iowa v8 in 2012.

 Special Notice: To the regular readers of this blog: You will notice that for about the next week's worth of posts that the subject matter will be entirely about Trans Iowa. This event happens over the course of the weekend. You will notice several "Trans Iowa Radio" posts with an mp3-type audio track button which you can click on and listen in to reports filed live from the event. Then there will be a post race recapping of the event which typically takes five to seven posts for me to wade through. 

Those "mp3-type audio posts" were done on a service called "Hip-Cast". It wasn't the first audio-posting service I had used though. I cannot recall what it was I used in 2005 and 2006, but it was pretty rudimentary. I know there were some T.I. Radio posts done on a service called "Audioblogger" for a couple years, at least. Then in the closing years of Trans Iowa, audio call-ins were posted on the RidingGravel.com site.

 Interestingly, the audio updates I posted for Trans Iowa v7 on Hip-Cast played a big part in the Emmy winning documentary, "300 Miles Of Gravel" by Jeff Frings. It captured the essence of those updates excellently, and is a great time-capsule for this important part of Trans Iowa. 

Guitar Ted, (R) posting a Trans Iowa Radio update for T.I.v6

Whatever service I was using, the "updates" were of varying quality. In the earliest years of Trans Iowa, when I assumed no one would ever listen, I was doing fake commercials and fake sponsors reads because, why not? The entire point was just a way for me to pass the time, stay engaged, and keep myself from wandering off into some farmer's pasture drunk with sleep deprivation at 3:00am in the morning.

The thing was, people were listening! I had a lot of negative feedback over the course of the first several Trans Iowa events because I wasn't either being serious, or thorough enough, (usually both) for the listeners. I knew things had taken a turn when after Trans Iowa v3 I learned I had listeners in Poland because we had two Polish immigrant brothers in the event that year! People wanted facts and that at a constant rate so they could "keep tabs" on their kid, relative, husband, girlfriend, wife, or they were just a fan of someone.

This came to a head during T.I.v5 when I had a wife of a participant wanting an update and she called me at 4:00am in the morning to get it. She was upset because I hadn't "reported" on him for the last couple of T.I. Radio updates. This is when I felt the need to delineate what "media coverage" meant for Trans Iowa. I wasn't there to give play-by-play. I was running an event, and I did not have time, nor the resources, to pull off any blanket coverage of the event, and furthermore, I did not want this for Trans Iowa.

Trans Iowa Radio updates direct from the racers was first made available during Trans Iowa v9.

 Trans Iowa was, in my opinion, an event where one was disconnected from the modern world. Making it a media circus wasn't in my plans. I did not like cell phones either, but hey! Safety and rider tracking were done via those devices, so I necessarily had to allow for those to be in play. The thing was, people used them to connect to racers, and vice versa. Support, from the outside, in any form, was minimized as much as I could back then, because it was integral to the experience I was cultivating. Cell phones were an evil necessity and more Trans Iowa Radio wasn't in my plans.

But pressure from outside the event did not get less as the years went by. Once I was acquainted with Ben Welnak, who I joined forces with in RidingGravel.com in 2014, it was determined that a Trans Iowa Radio call-in feature could be implemented, so any rider could "check in" at any time to let folks know how it was going. This seemed fine to me, so from Trans Iowa v9 onward this was how Trans Iowa Radio worked.

I still did my updates, but those were sprinkled in with the rider audio-posts, so the feature actually did become an event-long report in a way. Yes, people still complained it wasn't good enough, but I was done listening to that complaint by the point Trans Iowa Radio was facilitated on Riding Gravel.

When Trans Iowa ended in 2018, riders did not know the event had been terminated until 2:00pm the Sunday T.I.v14 ended when my post announcing the end was published. I know Ben told me afterward some people got on after the event and posted some nice words, but I haven't had the heart to listen to those messages. Maybe I should befor the site disappears forever....

Trans Iowa Stories: Rolling Into The Home Stretch

 "Trans Iowa Stories" is an every Sunday post which helps tell the stories behind the event. You can check out other posts about this subject by going back to earlier Sunday posts on this blog. Thanks and enjoy!

As I sit here thinking about Trans Iowa in 2020, I am often reminded how Trans Iowa affected people's lives, even up to the current times. I still get folks telling me that the event has piqued their interest and that they maybe wish they could have done the thing. There are people on forums asking about old Trans Iowa routes, (yes- I see you!), and I know that with the passing of the Almanzo, DK200, and Trans Iowa, a lot of people are seeing the past in gravel events as something to be longed for.

It's interesting to consider, but as for me, yeah.....that ship has sailed. 

Now days it is enough to tell these stories and as I think about how this series is going to wrap up, I am thinking about T.I.v9-v14 as representing the "Home Stretch" years of Trans Iowa. I've often mentioned here in these stories how I felt that T.I.v7 and v8 were the pivotal years. The really big, important years for the event, in my opinion, were those two years. This is why I spent so much time really detailing out those two particular Trans Iowa events.

Moving away from those difficult, "middle years" of Trans Iowa, the events of these stories will necessarily start to focus on more abstract ideas, particular scenes, and my experiences during these last five Trans Iowa events I will be writing about. Today's entry is about how I feel about entering this era of Trans Iowa now looking back.

By 2010, the DK200 moved to becoming the big time event it became. T.I super-volunteer J. Fry shown.

I cannot escape the feeling today that Trans Iowa v9 represented a sea change in gravel events and Trans Iowa's perception in the niche of gravel event history. Trans Iowa was one of the "big deals" in the gravel event world to start out with, but my dogged insistence that things stay the same, as far as the event's format and feel were concerned, really pushed Trans Iowa downward in the 'world's view of gravel events'. With the Dirty Kanza 200, which by 2011-2012 had shifted to a next-level format, and with the appearance of each newer gravel event, we really saw Trans Iowa become a smaller, more niche, more esoteric, bizarre, weird event. Legendary? Maybe. Oddball? Totally.

Added to this was the rise of Social Media during these latter years of Trans Iowa along with the reliance of cyclists on more electronic technology. The combination of these two things were the results of the slow change from the "Analog Era" to the new "Digital Era" where lifestyles, social mores, and perceptions about what matters have totally changed. These larger events and cultural changes really affected gravel events and Trans Iowa was no exception.

You could see this as riders became less worried about how far they could push themselves with almost zero outside social awareness of their 'growth' to an almost insatiable desire to make every nuance of their gravel riding a social media 'event' and/or an opportunity to get sponsored by a cycling company and gain 'notoriety', fame, and social credibility. This has extended to some folks becoming 'agents of social awareness' as certain people have taken up the mantle of becoming directors of what is wrong and what is right for gravel events. In some cases, these changes (almost blackmail-like in their applications) are long overdue corrections to wrongs that were done consciously or unconsciously. In other cases they are over-reaching, preachy, and off-putting. But what matters to these stories is that all of this was percolating to the forefront during the latter years of Trans Iowa and were wearing me down with more cares. As if the event itself wasn't enough.......

Getting back to Trans Iowa v9 now, I look back on it as the event where gravel was starting to become marketable. Companies were starting to wheedle their way into the scene, sometimes honestly, sometimes with ulterior motives, and were using the platforms of Trans Iowa, the DK200, and Almanzo to promote their standing and their wares within the gravel community. Gravel was 'growing-up', and riders who were there at the beginning were starting to get turned off as the niche was becoming more popular with more riders.

The very first Trans Iowa Radio update hosted by Mountain Bike Radio.

By 2013 gravel grinding was getting to be a big deal. Money was being poured into the segment by the bicycle industry, and Trans Iowa saw a big influence from this as Salsa Cycles focused on this event and the DK200 to help launch their Warbird gravel race bike. Later on, WTB would use the Trans Iowa platform to introduce its first gravel tires, and later on, their purpose-built for gravel Riddler and Resolute tires, both of which were heavily influenced by Trans Iowa in their designs.

Social media became a much bigger part of Trans Iowa with v9 as RidingGravel.com and Mountainbike Radio facilitated a call-in "Trans Iowa Radio" feature where riders could share their experiences live as they happened. Twitter and Facebook were utilized by riders in the event to share virtually their Trans Iowa experiences. Images went out instantaneously to the world via social media. It all sounded good, and on the up-and-up, but these changes also brought with them challenges, which I will be getting around to.

Next:My take on technology's effects upon Trans Iowa and a hint at what I would have done differently.

Trans Iowa Stories: Rolling Into The Home Stretch

 "Trans Iowa Stories" is an every Sunday post which helps tell the stories behind the event. You can check out other posts about this subject by going back to earlier Sunday posts on this blog. Thanks and enjoy!

As I sit here thinking about Trans Iowa in 2020, I am often reminded how Trans Iowa affected people's lives, even up to the current times. I still get folks telling me that the event has piqued their interest and that they maybe wish they could have done the thing. There are people on forums asking about old Trans Iowa routes, (yes- I see you!), and I know that with the passing of the Almanzo, DK200, and Trans Iowa, a lot of people are seeing the past in gravel events as something to be longed for.

It's interesting to consider, but as for me, yeah.....that ship has sailed. 

Now days it is enough to tell these stories and as I think about how this series is going to wrap up, I am thinking about T.I.v9-v14 as representing the "Home Stretch" years of Trans Iowa. I've often mentioned here in these stories how I felt that T.I.v7 and v8 were the pivotal years. The really big, important years for the event, in my opinion, were those two years. This is why I spent so much time really detailing out those two particular Trans Iowa events.

Moving away from those difficult, "middle years" of Trans Iowa, the events of these stories will necessarily start to focus on more abstract ideas, particular scenes, and my experiences during these last five Trans Iowa events I will be writing about. Today's entry is about how I feel about entering this era of Trans Iowa now looking back.

By 2010, the DK200 moved to becoming the big time event it became. T.I super-volunteer J. Fry shown.

I cannot escape the feeling today that Trans Iowa v9 represented a sea change in gravel events and Trans Iowa's perception in the niche of gravel event history. Trans Iowa was one of the "big deals" in the gravel event world to start out with, but my dogged insistence that things stay the same, as far as the event's format and feel were concerned, really pushed Trans Iowa downward in the 'world's view of gravel events'. With the Dirty Kanza 200, which by 2011-2012 had shifted to a next-level format, and with the appearance of each newer gravel event, we really saw Trans Iowa become a smaller, more niche, more esoteric, bizarre, weird event. Legendary? Maybe. Oddball? Totally.

Added to this was the rise of Social Media during these latter years of Trans Iowa along with the reliance of cyclists on more electronic technology. The combination of these two things were the results of the slow change from the "Analog Era" to the new "Digital Era" where lifestyles, social mores, and perceptions about what matters have totally changed. These larger events and cultural changes really affected gravel events and Trans Iowa was no exception.

You could see this as riders became less worried about how far they could push themselves with almost zero outside social awareness of their 'growth' to an almost insatiable desire to make every nuance of their gravel riding a social media 'event' and/or an opportunity to get sponsored by a cycling company and gain 'notoriety', fame, and social credibility. This has extended to some folks becoming 'agents of social awareness' as certain people have taken up the mantle of becoming directors of what is wrong and what is right for gravel events. In some cases, these changes (almost blackmail-like in their applications) are long overdue corrections to wrongs that were done consciously or unconsciously. In other cases they are over-reaching, preachy, and off-putting. But what matters to these stories is that all of this was percolating to the forefront during the latter years of Trans Iowa and were wearing me down with more cares. As if the event itself wasn't enough.......

Getting back to Trans Iowa v9 now, I look back on it as the event where gravel was starting to become marketable. Companies were starting to wheedle their way into the scene, sometimes honestly, sometimes with ulterior motives, and were using the platforms of Trans Iowa, the DK200, and Almanzo to promote their standing and their wares within the gravel community. Gravel was 'growing-up', and riders who were there at the beginning were starting to get turned off as the niche was becoming more popular with more riders.

The very first Trans Iowa Radio update hosted by Mountain Bike Radio.

By 2013 gravel grinding was getting to be a big deal. Money was being poured into the segment by the bicycle industry, and Trans Iowa saw a big influence from this as Salsa Cycles focused on this event and the DK200 to help launch their Warbird gravel race bike. Later on, WTB would use the Trans Iowa platform to introduce its first gravel tires, and later on, their purpose-built for gravel Riddler and Resolute tires, both of which were heavily influenced by Trans Iowa in their designs.

Social media became a much bigger part of Trans Iowa with v9 as RidingGravel.com and Mountainbike Radio facilitated a call-in "Trans Iowa Radio" feature where riders could share their experiences live as they happened. Twitter and Facebook were utilized by riders in the event to share virtually their Trans Iowa experiences. Images went out instantaneously to the world via social media. It all sounded good, and on the up-and-up, but these changes also brought with them challenges, which I will be getting around to.

Next:My take on technology's effects upon Trans Iowa and a hint at what I would have done differently.

Friday News And Views

Jamis Renegade Elite here on test

Carbon Or Aluminum:
 
The gravel scene has really come into its own in a very short period of time. When you consider that only seven years ago there weren't any dedicated gravel rigs out there. The Warbird was really the first one, then Raleigh made the Tamland, but now you can hardly turn around without hitting someone's gravel bike. And in most cases, it is carbon fiber or aluminum, not steel or titanium, like it started out.

I am skeptical for several reasons when it comes to carbon fiber gravel/rough road rigs. Why? Well, with these bikes you can find yourself in situations that no "proper" road bike would ever be ridden in. Mud, slurry, and sand, not for a half an hour race, not for an hour,  but for many hours straight, can put the hurt on frames. I've seen carbon frames, and titanium ones, for that matter, worn straight through due to abrasive conditions. Yes......"seen" as with my own two eyes. Not hearsay folks. This happens to gravel bikes.

Now, admittedly, carbon can be built and "armored" to withstand this, but then there is the "other" thing about carbon- stiffness. A lot of effort goes into the rear triangles of these bikes to bring some modicum of comfort but the forks......not so much. To my way of thinking, that is backwards. But maybe this Jamis Renegade Elite will be an outlier and actually ride well on rough gravel. I'm about to find out, as it hit the RidingGravel.com headquarters Wednesday. Post Trans Iowa I will be pressing this into service.Stay tuned......

Another American made headset choice by Wolf Tooth Components

Wolf Tooth Does Head Sets Now:

For the longest time Chris King was the only game in town if you wanted nice, anodized, colorful head sets for bicycles. Those are really good, and no one was willing to jump in against them until recently. First it was Phil Wood, then White Industries, and now, Wolf Tooth has decided to offer a head set choice.

Made in Minnesota, the headsets will be available in standard configurations for straight and tapered steer tubes and in several luscious colors.......like PURPLE! Yaaaaasssss!

That said, my Raleigh is due for a new 1 1/8th head set and, well, purple wouldn't really fit the color scheme of that bike. So, a blue anodized one is on its way to me and will be installed on the Tamland soon.

Mike Varley's MCD prototype

Black Mountain Cycles MCD News:

I've gone on and on about Black Mountain Cycles and the Monster Cross bike I have from that place here for years. I've also teased this new "MCD" version here and said I would be getting one at some point. Well, I am making good on that and I have a PINK (!!) frame and fork reserved from the first shipment due at the end of June or early July.

You can get one pre-ordered now as well by checking out this blog post here.

I'm really excited about this bike. Yes......steel. You can see the above entry on the carbon fiber rigs to get the "why" for that enthusiasm. I have two or three bikes here that have been severely abused, and since they are steel, I don't bat an eyelash in worry about any of them. Carbon I would have killed long ago had I treated it like I have these other bikes, but well......speculation. I'll leave it at that for now.

But this Monster Cross, with the tweaks Mike Varley has made, should ride even better than mine and it will have the brake standard all my other bikes have making wheel swappage a piece of cake. That's a big deal to me. Maybe others wouldn't care, but for what I do, a test mule must be very versatile, and this one will be just that.

This means one bike in the herd will be going away and the "OG" BMC "Orange Crush" bike will get back to being a single speed again. I am loving that idea, and this will become a fun bike as a single speed. I know, because that's how I had it set up for a while when I first got it.

Trans Iowa v14:

Of course, today is the start of the "big dance", the fourteenth Trans Iowa gravel road cycling event which will get underway at 4:00am Saturday, but the Pre-Race Meat-Up is tonight at the Grinnell Steakhouse.

I'm gone traveling today. First off, I need to scout the roads for the first leg of the event so we don't have any surprises. Then I need to get to the Steakhouse to set up for the meeting which will officially get underway at 4:00pm.

Just a quick reminder that Trans Iowa Radio can be used to follow the event. Click Here. There is already a preliminary post from myself with my partner, Ben Welnak in which I give some last minute insight as to how things are setting up for this go-round. Don't look for any further updates about Trans Iowa here. The next post will be about post-TI stuff, the race report, etc. That will begin here after the weekend is over.

I will also be posting live updates via Twitter on my account- 2guitarted1961 using the hashtag #TIv14 for reference. Just type that hashtag into Twitter's search box to bring up all TIv14 related Tweets and Periscope live broadcasts.

Have a great weekend and pray that I come back from this one alive, if you would.........

See ya on the other side!

Friday News And Views

Jamis Renegade Elite here on test

Carbon Or Aluminum:
 
The gravel scene has really come into its own in a very short period of time. When you consider that only seven years ago there weren't any dedicated gravel rigs out there. The Warbird was really the first one, then Raleigh made the Tamland, but now you can hardly turn around without hitting someone's gravel bike. And in most cases, it is carbon fiber or aluminum, not steel or titanium, like it started out.

I am skeptical for several reasons when it comes to carbon fiber gravel/rough road rigs. Why? Well, with these bikes you can find yourself in situations that no "proper" road bike would ever be ridden in. Mud, slurry, and sand, not for a half an hour race, not for an hour,  but for many hours straight, can put the hurt on frames. I've seen carbon frames, and titanium ones, for that matter, worn straight through due to abrasive conditions. Yes......"seen" as with my own two eyes. Not hearsay folks. This happens to gravel bikes.

Now, admittedly, carbon can be built and "armored" to withstand this, but then there is the "other" thing about carbon- stiffness. A lot of effort goes into the rear triangles of these bikes to bring some modicum of comfort but the forks......not so much. To my way of thinking, that is backwards. But maybe this Jamis Renegade Elite will be an outlier and actually ride well on rough gravel. I'm about to find out, as it hit the RidingGravel.com headquarters Wednesday. Post Trans Iowa I will be pressing this into service.Stay tuned......

Another American made headset choice by Wolf Tooth Components

Wolf Tooth Does Head Sets Now:

For the longest time Chris King was the only game in town if you wanted nice, anodized, colorful head sets for bicycles. Those are really good, and no one was willing to jump in against them until recently. First it was Phil Wood, then White Industries, and now, Wolf Tooth has decided to offer a head set choice.

Made in Minnesota, the headsets will be available in standard configurations for straight and tapered steer tubes and in several luscious colors.......like PURPLE! Yaaaaasssss!

That said, my Raleigh is due for a new 1 1/8th head set and, well, purple wouldn't really fit the color scheme of that bike. So, a blue anodized one is on its way to me and will be installed on the Tamland soon.

Mike Varley's MCD prototype

Black Mountain Cycles MCD News:

I've gone on and on about Black Mountain Cycles and the Monster Cross bike I have from that place here for years. I've also teased this new "MCD" version here and said I would be getting one at some point. Well, I am making good on that and I have a PINK (!!) frame and fork reserved from the first shipment due at the end of June or early July.

You can get one pre-ordered now as well by checking out this blog post here.

I'm really excited about this bike. Yes......steel. You can see the above entry on the carbon fiber rigs to get the "why" for that enthusiasm. I have two or three bikes here that have been severely abused, and since they are steel, I don't bat an eyelash in worry about any of them. Carbon I would have killed long ago had I treated it like I have these other bikes, but well......speculation. I'll leave it at that for now.

But this Monster Cross, with the tweaks Mike Varley has made, should ride even better than mine and it will have the brake standard all my other bikes have making wheel swappage a piece of cake. That's a big deal to me. Maybe others wouldn't care, but for what I do, a test mule must be very versatile, and this one will be just that.

This means one bike in the herd will be going away and the "OG" BMC "Orange Crush" bike will get back to being a single speed again. I am loving that idea, and this will become a fun bike as a single speed. I know, because that's how I had it set up for a while when I first got it.

Trans Iowa v14:

Of course, today is the start of the "big dance", the fourteenth Trans Iowa gravel road cycling event which will get underway at 4:00am Saturday, but the Pre-Race Meat-Up is tonight at the Grinnell Steakhouse.

I'm gone traveling today. First off, I need to scout the roads for the first leg of the event so we don't have any surprises. Then I need to get to the Steakhouse to set up for the meeting which will officially get underway at 4:00pm.

Just a quick reminder that Trans Iowa Radio can be used to follow the event. Click Here. There is already a preliminary post from myself with my partner, Ben Welnak in which I give some last minute insight as to how things are setting up for this go-round. Don't look for any further updates about Trans Iowa here. The next post will be about post-TI stuff, the race report, etc. That will begin here after the weekend is over.

I will also be posting live updates via Twitter on my account- 2guitarted1961 using the hashtag #TIv14 for reference. Just type that hashtag into Twitter's search box to bring up all TIv14 related Tweets and Periscope live broadcasts.

Have a great weekend and pray that I come back from this one alive, if you would.........

See ya on the other side!

Friday News And Views

Pseudo Fenders:

You may have seen all these thin, plastic "fenders" that you zip-tie on fork crowns or snap into place on your seat rails. Ass Savers, a company known for such equipment, has now got something that attaches to your down tube that acts like a mud flap for your front tire. So basically you have a mud flap, but no fender. I know it sounds weird, but I am trying one out here.

Ass Savers calls it the Speed Mullet. They claim that it keeps your feet dry. Well.......it doesn't. I know. But it does do a bang up job of keeping your face clean from spray from the front tire and it does, sort of, keep your drive train cleaner.

I mounted mine on my Twin Six Standard Rando with 42mm tires mounted in the 700c format. Let me tell you- there is absolutely zero room for traditional fenders with 42mm tires. So, clip on fenders are the only thing that will work with that bike with those tires on it. As far as having something to deflect spray from water and mud, this Speed Mullet is better than nothing, which would be my only other choice with this set up on this bike.

So, I see this as a very niche product. I mean, if you can fit fenders, then why wouldn't you? This little gizmo hardly does anything, but like I said, if this is your only other option, then it is better than nothing.

Full suspension gravel bike? Niner Bikes from Sea Weasel. Image by Grannygear

Niner Bikes Shows FS Gravel Rig:

Well, you know what I've said over and over again- "Any bike can be a gravel bike." Niner Bikes set out to prove a point with this design effort shown at Sea Otter. (Image thanks to my friend Grannygear, who is at the event) As far as I know, this is just a prototype now. I wouldn't at all be surprised if it comes out though.

Before you diss this and make some pithy comment, I thought something I heard just the other day on a GCN video made a lot of sense. They said that much of what they were seeing as "gravel tech" was actually recycled XC mtb tech from years ago. This bike would seem to be proof of such things. Certainly, it would seem that the short travel FS/hard tail XC 29"er/650B bikes are blurring the lines between them and gravel merely by adding a drop bar.

Oddly enough, I actually used a drop bar version of a Salsa Dos Niner soft tail bike in Dirty Kanza years ago. The thought of using a XC 29"er bike for gravel was definitely not unheard of back in the day. In fact, many times it was not unusual to see dual sus 26"ers in gravel events ten years ago or more. This makes me curious about resurrecting that Dos or my Fisher HiFi as an exercise in FS gravel travel. Maybe I will try it for fun. Stay tuned.......

My commute to work on April 18th, 2018. Are you kidding me!

Trans Iowa v14- The Count Down Begins!

It's pretty crazy to think that in one week I'll be on my way to Grinnell to put on yet another Trans Iowa event. I'll be busy packing things away for the trip and the event. Papers, numbers, supplies, cues, prizing, personal stuff, and more will all be getting arranged for the send off on the 27th at the Pre-Race Meat-Up and the event on the 28th-29th.

Roster numbers are about what I'd expect. We're down to 103 as of now, and I suspect a few last minute drops and that we will see something in the high 90's for starters. Well......if the weather seems good.  Last year the forecast looked dim and a bunch of folks bailed at the last minute. Which leads me to......

The weather. Yes- you just never know. Especially this year. It snowed the 18th, and with a week to go, it is forecast to be much warmer, but now thunderstorms are creeping into the forecast. Rain, and especially lightning, could really make things interesting. Winds will be a factor for sure, but what they will be and from what direction is anyone's guess at this point.

You can keep up with all of this via Trans Iowa Radio, (the number will be posted soon for the riders), and on my Periscope which you can access from Twitter @guitarted1961. I may even do a Facebook Live post. Who knows! It's going to be a big weekend so I expect that I will be quite busy with all the hoopla. Stay tuned......

Have a great weekend and ride yer bikes!

Friday News And Views

Pseudo Fenders:

You may have seen all these thin, plastic "fenders" that you zip-tie on fork crowns or snap into place on your seat rails. Ass Savers, a company known for such equipment, has now got something that attaches to your down tube that acts like a mud flap for your front tire. So basically you have a mud flap, but no fender. I know it sounds weird, but I am trying one out here.

Ass Savers calls it the Speed Mullet. They claim that it keeps your feet dry. Well.......it doesn't. I know. But it does do a bang up job of keeping your face clean from spray from the front tire and it does, sort of, keep your drive train cleaner.

I mounted mine on my Twin Six Standard Rando with 42mm tires mounted in the 700c format. Let me tell you- there is absolutely zero room for traditional fenders with 42mm tires. So, clip on fenders are the only thing that will work with that bike with those tires on it. As far as having something to deflect spray from water and mud, this Speed Mullet is better than nothing, which would be my only other choice with this set up on this bike.

So, I see this as a very niche product. I mean, if you can fit fenders, then why wouldn't you? This little gizmo hardly does anything, but like I said, if this is your only other option, then it is better than nothing.

Full suspension gravel bike? Niner Bikes from Sea Weasel. Image by Grannygear

Niner Bikes Shows FS Gravel Rig:

Well, you know what I've said over and over again- "Any bike can be a gravel bike." Niner Bikes set out to prove a point with this design effort shown at Sea Otter. (Image thanks to my friend Grannygear, who is at the event) As far as I know, this is just a prototype now. I wouldn't at all be surprised if it comes out though.

Before you diss this and make some pithy comment, I thought something I heard just the other day on a GCN video made a lot of sense. They said that much of what they were seeing as "gravel tech" was actually recycled XC mtb tech from years ago. This bike would seem to be proof of such things. Certainly, it would seem that the short travel FS/hard tail XC 29"er/650B bikes are blurring the lines between them and gravel merely by adding a drop bar.

Oddly enough, I actually used a drop bar version of a Salsa Dos Niner soft tail bike in Dirty Kanza years ago. The thought of using a XC 29"er bike for gravel was definitely not unheard of back in the day. In fact, many times it was not unusual to see dual sus 26"ers in gravel events ten years ago or more. This makes me curious about resurrecting that Dos or my Fisher HiFi as an exercise in FS gravel travel. Maybe I will try it for fun. Stay tuned.......

My commute to work on April 18th, 2018. Are you kidding me!

Trans Iowa v14- The Count Down Begins!

It's pretty crazy to think that in one week I'll be on my way to Grinnell to put on yet another Trans Iowa event. I'll be busy packing things away for the trip and the event. Papers, numbers, supplies, cues, prizing, personal stuff, and more will all be getting arranged for the send off on the 27th at the Pre-Race Meat-Up and the event on the 28th-29th.

Roster numbers are about what I'd expect. We're down to 103 as of now, and I suspect a few last minute drops and that we will see something in the high 90's for starters. Well......if the weather seems good.  Last year the forecast looked dim and a bunch of folks bailed at the last minute. Which leads me to......

The weather. Yes- you just never know. Especially this year. It snowed the 18th, and with a week to go, it is forecast to be much warmer, but now thunderstorms are creeping into the forecast. Rain, and especially lightning, could really make things interesting. Winds will be a factor for sure, but what they will be and from what direction is anyone's guess at this point.

You can keep up with all of this via Trans Iowa Radio, (the number will be posted soon for the riders), and on my Periscope which you can access from Twitter @guitarted1961. I may even do a Facebook Live post. Who knows! It's going to be a big weekend so I expect that I will be quite busy with all the hoopla. Stay tuned......

Have a great weekend and ride yer bikes!

Trans Iowa v14: Things Are Getting Real

The Bar Yak Q-Pro Cue Sheet Holders are on their way out to the winners of the drawing.

Updates & News:

Our sponsor for the 2018 version of Trans Iowa, Bar Yak, provided three Q-Pro Cue Sheet Holders for three winners drawn from respondents to the last rider email I sent out. Didn't see the e-mail? Well, I made plenty of mentions here and on the Trans Iowa v14 site to get a hold of me if you did not. Too late now.....

The winners, drawn by random number selection by my two children and a friend of theirs, are Adrienne Taren, Al Brunner, and Robert Kiefer. Their packages are on their way.... Thank you Bar Yak!

The Trans Iowa v14 header art has been digitized and sent off to my partner in RidingGravel.com, Ben Welnak, who does lazer etched promotional goodies for events and whatnot. Those items will be getting produced in the near future and will show up at the event as schwag for the riders. Thanks Ben!!

Also- the original logo for Trans Iowa is being reproduced on black t-shirts with white printing for the volunteers of T.I.v14. I did not hear back from every volunteer regarding this, so I ordered a couple extra of every size just in case. (That said, all the size Large shirts are already spoken for) These are super-limited and ONLY for volunteers. Thanks Volunteers of T.I.v14!!

  Printed on a black T- FOR VOLUNTEERS ONLY!

Recon of the course for the final time is happening TODAY! (I'm not on this ride this time) The independent recon will reveal any flaws in the cues and whether or not we have issues with road closures or not. Of course, anything can happen between now and then with the roads, but that's why MG and I go forth ahead of the intrepid riders, making any reroutes necessary on the fly. But that said......

Cues, once verified and corrected, if necessary, will go to the printer and then we will separate them out into sets and seal them until the day of the event. 

Trans Iowa Radio: The big announcement is that Trans Iowa Radio will ride again for T.I.v14. The details will be like the last few times we've done this with RidingGravel.com, our exclusive Trans Iowa Radio source. If you haven't ever heard about this, Trans Iowa Radio is a rider call-in feature that allows riders to call a number and leave a message which then gets posted by RidingGravel.com to a special Trans Iowa Radio page where anyone can check in and listen to the action.

This is a good way for relatives, friends, and fans of riders to keep tabs on their progress throughout the 34 hour event. It is interesting to hear how the demeanor and condition of each rider changes by the tone of their voice throughout the event's progress. Plus, I will be chiming in from time to time with updates from the front of the event and any rider DNF's or other course info I can gather while the event is in progress. Every year I get sounding worse and worse as the event goes on and you can hear my deteriorating mind function with every update! Exciting, I know, but someone has to do it! We even give you instant results! Who else does that? Check out last year's Trans Iowa Radio here.

Finally- If you are reading this and are on the roster for Trans Iowa v14, and if you know you are not ready, or something is going to prevent you from showing up April 27th, won't you please let me know? Several folks have already been courteous enough to do just that and have saved me and my volunteers money, time, and energy already. Don't be a dick and not show up without advance notice. Just a quick e-mail is all it takes. Thanks!

Trans Iowa v14: Things Are Getting Real

The Bar Yak Q-Pro Cue Sheet Holders are on their way out to the winners of the drawing.

Updates & News:

Our sponsor for the 2018 version of Trans Iowa, Bar Yak, provided three Q-Pro Cue Sheet Holders for three winners drawn from respondents to the last rider email I sent out. Didn't see the e-mail? Well, I made plenty of mentions here and on the Trans Iowa v14 site to get a hold of me if you did not. Too late now.....

The winners, drawn by random number selection by my two children and a friend of theirs, are Adrienne Taren, Al Brunner, and Robert Kiefer. Their packages are on their way.... Thank you Bar Yak!

The Trans Iowa v14 header art has been digitized and sent off to my partner in RidingGravel.com, Ben Welnak, who does lazer etched promotional goodies for events and whatnot. Those items will be getting produced in the near future and will show up at the event as schwag for the riders. Thanks Ben!!

Also- the original logo for Trans Iowa is being reproduced on black t-shirts with white printing for the volunteers of T.I.v14. I did not hear back from every volunteer regarding this, so I ordered a couple extra of every size just in case. (That said, all the size Large shirts are already spoken for) These are super-limited and ONLY for volunteers. Thanks Volunteers of T.I.v14!!

  Printed on a black T- FOR VOLUNTEERS ONLY!

Recon of the course for the final time is happening TODAY! (I'm not on this ride this time) The independent recon will reveal any flaws in the cues and whether or not we have issues with road closures or not. Of course, anything can happen between now and then with the roads, but that's why MG and I go forth ahead of the intrepid riders, making any reroutes necessary on the fly. But that said......

Cues, once verified and corrected, if necessary, will go to the printer and then we will separate them out into sets and seal them until the day of the event. 

Trans Iowa Radio: The big announcement is that Trans Iowa Radio will ride again for T.I.v14. The details will be like the last few times we've done this with RidingGravel.com, our exclusive Trans Iowa Radio source. If you haven't ever heard about this, Trans Iowa Radio is a rider call-in feature that allows riders to call a number and leave a message which then gets posted by RidingGravel.com to a special Trans Iowa Radio page where anyone can check in and listen to the action.

This is a good way for relatives, friends, and fans of riders to keep tabs on their progress throughout the 34 hour event. It is interesting to hear how the demeanor and condition of each rider changes by the tone of their voice throughout the event's progress. Plus, I will be chiming in from time to time with updates from the front of the event and any rider DNF's or other course info I can gather while the event is in progress. Every year I get sounding worse and worse as the event goes on and you can hear my deteriorating mind function with every update! Exciting, I know, but someone has to do it! We even give you instant results! Who else does that? Check out last year's Trans Iowa Radio here.

Finally- If you are reading this and are on the roster for Trans Iowa v14, and if you know you are not ready, or something is going to prevent you from showing up April 27th, won't you please let me know? Several folks have already been courteous enough to do just that and have saved me and my volunteers money, time, and energy already. Don't be a dick and not show up without advance notice. Just a quick e-mail is all it takes. Thanks!

Friday News And Views

Time to roll......

Months of preparations, thought, planning, and work come to a head today as I am off to Grinnell, Iowa to put on one more Trans Iowa.

These are my quick thoughts as I head off into the crazy daze waiting for me....

• Volunteers: Wow! You folks come out of the woodwork every year to help and I couldn't do this without you. Thanks isn't enough for what you do for the event and for the riders. 
• Work: The volunteer work starts months ahead of Trans Iowa and Jeremy Fry,Wally Kilburg, George Keslin, Sam Auen,and Mike Johnson have done major things behind the scenes, sacrificed money and time, and have made the production of this event easier than I could have imagined it to be or hoped that it could be. Thank you for your sacrifices. Also, there are a couple of folks that don't want to be mentioned that also help out. You know who you are. Thanks!
• Sponsors: WTB- WOW! What you guys have done is phenomenal. No words.... Will Ritchie: You are a special person and you have been very much a friend and supporter. Thank you! Pedal of Littleton/Andrew Christman- You have been there for several years now just quietly being a support and gravel promoter in your own way in Colorado. Thanks so much! Velocity USA- Again, a long time supporter of Trans Iowa. Thanks for being on board again for v13. Finally, Lederman Bail Bonds who has helped get the riders the fantastic t-shirts we are giving away this year. Couldn't do that without them.
• Trans Iowa Radio: Ben, you are a great guy and sacrificing your weekend to facilitate the call ins is a phenomenal thing for this event. I appreciate it and I know that the riders do along with all the listeners.Thank You!
• The Riders That Show Up: You are awesome, and I admire you for being there. Your commitment is awesome. Your follow through is to be commended.Your support of the event is appreciated. Thank you!
• Grinnell: Thank you to the Grinnell Steakhouse, the Grinnell Chamber of Commerce, and Bikes To You/Craig Cooper. You've made the last seven years a lot less of a headache. In fact, you have been downright enjoyable. Thank you!
• Media Interest: Wow! So much interest from media people this year. I am astonished and flattered.  Thanks to all who asked for interviews. I am sorry I couldn't do them all. 

I don't know what's in store, but here I go! A brief report may pop up here Sunday evening, but the big recap won't start until Monday.

Geezer Ride 6.0 will be coming soon!

Geezer Ride 6.0: May 13th, Hudson Iowa: 

In two weeks I'll be heading out for the sixth Geezer Ride I've put on. These are no-drop, casual rides which are for folks curious about gravel travel, or for those who are looking for a fun, social experience out in the country.

This year I am doing what I dub as the Four County Tour Geezer Ride. The plan isn't fully developed yet, but post-Trans Iowa I am going to buckle up and get down to business getting the route details down.

We will definitely start and end in Hudson, Iowa. Black Hawk, Bremer, Butler, and Grundy Counties are on the docket. At least tentatively. I may delete one county in favor of a destination to stop at and ride back from. In that instance it may end up becoming a three county tour. Kind of a ship-wreck, "Gilligan's Island" theme. Instead of a "three hour tour" it would be a "three county tour".

Okay, moving on now.......

So, the point being that I am working out ideas here and I will have to be hopping on the bike and laying down some miles doing the route recon in the coming days. Hopefully a Trans Iowa recovery is quick and painless this time......

Okay, that's all for today. Remember: Trans Iowa Radio is found on RidingGravel.com HERE.

Friday News And Views

Time to roll......

Months of preparations, thought, planning, and work come to a head today as I am off to Grinnell, Iowa to put on one more Trans Iowa.

These are my quick thoughts as I head off into the crazy daze waiting for me....

• Volunteers: Wow! You folks come out of the woodwork every year to help and I couldn't do this without you. Thanks isn't enough for what you do for the event and for the riders. 
• Work: The volunteer work starts months ahead of Trans Iowa and Jeremy Fry,Wally Kilburg, George Keslin, Sam Auen,and Mike Johnson have done major things behind the scenes, sacrificed money and time, and have made the production of this event easier than I could have imagined it to be or hoped that it could be. Thank you for your sacrifices. Also, there are a couple of folks that don't want to be mentioned that also help out. You know who you are. Thanks!
• Sponsors: WTB- WOW! What you guys have done is phenomenal. No words.... Will Ritchie: You are a special person and you have been very much a friend and supporter. Thank you! Pedal of Littleton/Andrew Christman- You have been there for several years now just quietly being a support and gravel promoter in your own way in Colorado. Thanks so much! Velocity USA- Again, a long time supporter of Trans Iowa. Thanks for being on board again for v13. Finally, Lederman Bail Bonds who has helped get the riders the fantastic t-shirts we are giving away this year. Couldn't do that without them.
• Trans Iowa Radio: Ben, you are a great guy and sacrificing your weekend to facilitate the call ins is a phenomenal thing for this event. I appreciate it and I know that the riders do along with all the listeners.Thank You!
• The Riders That Show Up: You are awesome, and I admire you for being there. Your commitment is awesome. Your follow through is to be commended.Your support of the event is appreciated. Thank you!
• Grinnell: Thank you to the Grinnell Steakhouse, the Grinnell Chamber of Commerce, and Bikes To You/Craig Cooper. You've made the last seven years a lot less of a headache. In fact, you have been downright enjoyable. Thank you!
• Media Interest: Wow! So much interest from media people this year. I am astonished and flattered.  Thanks to all who asked for interviews. I am sorry I couldn't do them all. 

I don't know what's in store, but here I go! A brief report may pop up here Sunday evening, but the big recap won't start until Monday.

Geezer Ride 6.0 will be coming soon!

Geezer Ride 6.0: May 13th, Hudson Iowa: 

In two weeks I'll be heading out for the sixth Geezer Ride I've put on. These are no-drop, casual rides which are for folks curious about gravel travel, or for those who are looking for a fun, social experience out in the country.

This year I am doing what I dub as the Four County Tour Geezer Ride. The plan isn't fully developed yet, but post-Trans Iowa I am going to buckle up and get down to business getting the route details down.

We will definitely start and end in Hudson, Iowa. Black Hawk, Bremer, Butler, and Grundy Counties are on the docket. At least tentatively. I may delete one county in favor of a destination to stop at and ride back from. In that instance it may end up becoming a three county tour. Kind of a ship-wreck, "Gilligan's Island" theme. Instead of a "three hour tour" it would be a "three county tour".

Okay, moving on now.......

So, the point being that I am working out ideas here and I will have to be hopping on the bike and laying down some miles doing the route recon in the coming days. Hopefully a Trans Iowa recovery is quick and painless this time......

Okay, that's all for today. Remember: Trans Iowa Radio is found on RidingGravel.com HERE.

Friday News And Views

Honali. The tire, not the land where Puff lived.

Yesterday I received two Terrene Honali tires for test and review on RidingGravel.com. These are not really tires for gravel, specifically, but since they are aimed at the touring crowd, gravel would be on the menu for these. Especially in a "world touring" sense.

These are  a claimed 700c X 50mm tire and tubeless ready. I found both claims to be very true. They pumped up with some sealant with a rotten old floor pump on my WTB Frequency i23 rims easily. The width at 40 psi was 50.22mm right after mounting.

I put these tires on my Gen I Fargo because it is most like a touring bike and it does gravel very well. Plus it has the clearance for the tire! That's kind of important. The Honali also has a reflective sidewall and a nice, capable looking tread pattern. It will be interesting to see how it does on gravel and dirt. Terrene says that they designed the tire with dual sport motorcycle tread in mind, and the tire does give me that vibe. So, it will be fun to see how "dual sport" the Honali really is.

By the way, the Honali I have is the "Tough" casing model but there is an even burlier version available for those who abhor the thought of getting a flat, or who just are wanting a bombproof tire for some expeditionary concerns. I'll be mentioning this tire from time to time here but the real review will be happening on RidingGravel.com.

Haulin' the goods for T.I.v13

Trans Iowa T-shirt News: 

 My friend Sam is really getting back to his roots by having gone all by bike of late. That's right, he has eschewed his vehicles for bicycles and is doing all his errands by bicycles now.

Here is a pic of Sam's rig picking up the Trans Iowa v13 t-shirts with his "Bill" trailer from Surly Bikes. I love that Sam is back to this routine again and it warms my heart to know that these t-shirts started their journey being pulled on a trailer by a bicycle.

I have a trailer, but I don't often use it. I find that I like doing things by Big Dummy better. To each their own, but there is something about hauling stuff on a Big Dummy that I find more satisfying than I do by piling it all on a trailer. I suppose there are certain things you have to use a trailer for, and that is cool. I just don't really even think about my bicycle trailer much.

At any rate, the t-shirts are on their way to me. I have to meet up with Sam today and pick them up from him. I will be in Des Moines anyway to pick up Mrs. Guitar Ted from the airport after her trip to be with her family. So, it should all work out for the good.

Trans Iowa Radio:

Just a reminder that next week at this time we will be cranking up Trans Iowa Radio again on RidingGravel.com . The deal is that not only will you be able to hear about the goings on with Trans Iowa v13 from me, but also from the riders themselves. This is a great way to keep track of anyone you care about that is doing the event. They just have to avail themselves of this resource we are providing.

The way it works is that the riders will have a number to call. There will be a short message and a bit of a pregnant pause, then the rider can leave up to a two minute long message on whatever they want to talk about. Most give a brief update about how far along they are, the conditions, and a bit about how they are feeling.

It will be a fun way to keep track of the event and with the goings on lasting 34 hours, you could probably find new updates when you go to the bathroom at 3:30am Sunday morning. If you want to, that is!

Okay,that's all for this week. Have a good one and ride your bicycles!! 

Friday News And Views

Honali. The tire, not the land where Puff lived.

Yesterday I received two Terrene Honali tires for test and review on RidingGravel.com. These are not really tires for gravel, specifically, but since they are aimed at the touring crowd, gravel would be on the menu for these. Especially in a "world touring" sense.

These are  a claimed 700c X 50mm tire and tubeless ready. I found both claims to be very true. They pumped up with some sealant with a rotten old floor pump on my WTB Frequency i23 rims easily. The width at 40 psi was 50.22mm right after mounting.

I put these tires on my Gen I Fargo because it is most like a touring bike and it does gravel very well. Plus it has the clearance for the tire! That's kind of important. The Honali also has a reflective sidewall and a nice, capable looking tread pattern. It will be interesting to see how it does on gravel and dirt. Terrene says that they designed the tire with dual sport motorcycle tread in mind, and the tire does give me that vibe. So, it will be fun to see how "dual sport" the Honali really is.

By the way, the Honali I have is the "Tough" casing model but there is an even burlier version available for those who abhor the thought of getting a flat, or who just are wanting a bombproof tire for some expeditionary concerns. I'll be mentioning this tire from time to time here but the real review will be happening on RidingGravel.com.

Haulin' the goods for T.I.v13

Trans Iowa T-shirt News: 

 My friend Sam is really getting back to his roots by having gone all by bike of late. That's right, he has eschewed his vehicles for bicycles and is doing all his errands by bicycles now.

Here is a pic of Sam's rig picking up the Trans Iowa v13 t-shirts with his "Bill" trailer from Surly Bikes. I love that Sam is back to this routine again and it warms my heart to know that these t-shirts started their journey being pulled on a trailer by a bicycle.

I have a trailer, but I don't often use it. I find that I like doing things by Big Dummy better. To each their own, but there is something about hauling stuff on a Big Dummy that I find more satisfying than I do by piling it all on a trailer. I suppose there are certain things you have to use a trailer for, and that is cool. I just don't really even think about my bicycle trailer much.

At any rate, the t-shirts are on their way to me. I have to meet up with Sam today and pick them up from him. I will be in Des Moines anyway to pick up Mrs. Guitar Ted from the airport after her trip to be with her family. So, it should all work out for the good.

Trans Iowa Radio:

Just a reminder that next week at this time we will be cranking up Trans Iowa Radio again on RidingGravel.com . The deal is that not only will you be able to hear about the goings on with Trans Iowa v13 from me, but also from the riders themselves. This is a great way to keep track of anyone you care about that is doing the event. They just have to avail themselves of this resource we are providing.

The way it works is that the riders will have a number to call. There will be a short message and a bit of a pregnant pause, then the rider can leave up to a two minute long message on whatever they want to talk about. Most give a brief update about how far along they are, the conditions, and a bit about how they are feeling.

It will be a fun way to keep track of the event and with the goings on lasting 34 hours, you could probably find new updates when you go to the bathroom at 3:30am Sunday morning. If you want to, that is!

Okay,that's all for this week. Have a good one and ride your bicycles!! 

Randomonium- Vans, Single Speeds, & T.I. Radio

People on Facecrack were going ga-ga over this pig of a vehicle. Why?

Okay folks, if you haven't been around long enough here to know what a "Randomonium" post is, then here is the deal. I ramble, rant, and randomly moan about all things cycling in one, incohesive, bizarre post. "Randomonium", okay?

Yesterday I was amazed by a weird post on Facecrack about a van on Craigslist. People were going nutso over this pig of a Chevy van and thinking it would be the bees knees for adventuring around in. Frankly, I just do not understand why. I know, I know....... "Van life". But this Vandura? Really?

Maybe it is the recent "Dirt Rag" issue that came out extolling the purported virtues of "van life" and cycling. C'mon people. Living out of a van? Have y'all gone Matt Foley on me here? I cannot think of a worse way to spend a weekend, much less a month, going around to cycling destinations. I know, because I have done it.

And I know that the Vandura that the folks were falling all over themselves to "like" on Facecrack is a giant turd of a vehicle to drive, and to work on. I know this because I have done both with and on Vanduras and their variations. See, I used to work at a car repair shop for five and a half years. I am fully aware of what's under the "doghouse" in a Chevy van. It ain't pretty either.

Gah! Just the thought of those vans brings back all the smells and feels. Uggh!

Oh so wrong, antiquated, and stupid. Ah.....yeah. Whatever!

I read another amusing bit that, for all intents and purposes, is likely just clickbait to inflate the "BikeRadar.com" website's numbers. It was about why single speed mountain bikes are stupid. The following quote was my favorite:

"These things are all terrible in that they simply don’t need to be that way any more. Nowadays we have inflatable tyres, commercial jets and simple cash. We have the technology to change gears."

I liked it because it exposes the flaw in the logic of the piece. You see, if single speed mountain bikes are terrible and one of the reasons why is because we have "better technology", then by that measure all human powered vehicles are to be regarded as stupid. Because "technology", right? I mean, at that point, why pedal at all when you don't have to? Why do we not review all bicycles as being technologically backward? 

See, that whole line of thinking is what is really stupid. It is so obvious, and I know all the health, "green", and community enhancing benefits as well as you do. That is why that article is clickbait and why I am not going to link to it. You'll just have to go look for yourselves if you want to see it, but keep in mind, that's playing right in to their hands. Besides, if you want the real low down on why single speeding is a bad idea, just follow me on a gravel ride in hilly territory someday. I'm sure you'll come to understand quickly.

Home of Trans Iowa Radio

And now for something completely serious and maybe even.....useful? Yes. Useful. 

My RidingGravel.com partner, Ben Welnak, has decided to sacrifice a weekend of time he'll never get back and facilitate "Trans Iowa Radio". I did not ask or cajole him in to doing anything. He offered to do it again of his own volition, and honestly, had he not, I would have completely understood. Trans Iowa Radio is a huge time commitment and while I know Ben would say it is "no big deal", it is a big deal. Trust me. 

I know this because back in the early days of Trans Iowa I did "Trans Iowa Radio" as kind of a way to have fun and pass the time while driving around Iowa's backroads like some stray dog on an all night bender. I made up fake sponsors and did fake commercials. I had noisy toys and sounds that led into vague updates and quasi-serious rantings on course conditions and progress of the leaders of the event. I didn't think anyone was taking any of it seriously.

Boy! Was I ever wrong about that!

People would send me angry e-mails after the fact because I wasn't covering their second cousin who was in the event. They would tell me I was doing it all wrong and would tell me what they thought I should be covering and how often and when. It was completely annoying, unnecessary, and the whole intent and purpose for Trans Iowa Radio back then was completely misunderstood. I vowed not to do it again several times. Then I would do it and get another round of criticisms. 

The thing got set in stone once the mini-documentary, "300 Miles of Gravel" came out since my TI Radio updates were sprinkled throughout the piece. Ben came along shortly afterward to facilitate Trans Iowa Radio on his Mountain Bike Radio site. That's when it started to open up to having rider call-ins and it didn't have to be something that relied on myself stopping to call in occasionally. Ben helped put things to right with the "audience" and what it was they wanted- updates from people they wanted to hear about, straight from the "horses mouth". It has freed me up to do what I do and not have to be concerned with trying to please every listener. It has been a great arrangement.

That said, I know it is a huge investment for Ben in terms of time and energy. That is why I cannot ask him to do this. I know how taxing it is. So, if you have the chance, give him a shout and let him know that you appreciate the efforts. I know I sure do.