VTBR Report: Warran Weibe

 They say, "Save the best for last", and I really feel this is the case with this entry from Kansan Warran Weibe. His report will be the final Virtual Turkey Burn Ride report for 2025. Written in the style of the Legendary Charlie Farrow, this post was a lot of fun to read through and publish here. Thank you, Warran! 

 “Next Year, Bring Pronto!”

The Most People for the Most Miles

Roll call for the 2025 Thanksgiving group ride was answered by the Crew with a variety of responses that ended in some version of “sorry not going to make it this year.” When we put together a ride, the route/mileage/departure time is loosely based on “what works for the most people to ride the most miles.”

Given that most of the Crew fits Charlie Farrow’s description of “Guyz on the List.”“Guyz that make The List are under the gun in their day-jobs and in their everyday lives…To them training “aint work,” training is a way to escape reality, to feel FREE! They don’t dread training, they look forward to training. Most of the time, they have to train at all hours of the day, super early in the morning or late night, if they are gonna “get one in.”

Gettin One In

Group rides with the Crew check all of Charlie’s boxes plus a few others like parking vehicles in the next county so people can leave in the dark, ride with the group, and drive the vehicle back to get home in time to carry on their “everyday lives.” The answer for the most people to ride the most miles for the 2025 Thanksgiving ride was local coffee shop/zero miles/6:30 a.m. In a pretty amazing turn of events almost everybody showed up.

Flyer for Gravel Worlds 2026

The biggest laugh, among many, from the coffee no ride was retelling a story from the road trip to Gravel Worlds last summer. Every year since the first Good Life Gravel Adventure the Crew from Lawrence has stayed with the same family in Lincoln. We look forward to seeing our hosts as much or more than riding our bikes. Some of the Crew are more “memorable” guests than others and when we arrived at GWs this year the first comment from our Lincoln host was “Great to see you guys again, but where’s Pronto?” Well Pronto didn’t make it to Lincoln this year, but as a testimony to Pronto’s historical “memorability multiplier” as we were pulling out to head back to Lawrence after the race the last thing we heard was “Thanks for coming, but next year, bring Pronto!”

Missing Ingredients

Gathering for coffee with the Crew filled the cup for community and encouragement but added zero miles ridden for the 2025 VTB Victory Rides.

For me, any time I get on my bike and start to pedal it is a victory to celebrate. This fall I had two wheels but was missing the bike and pedal ingredients to celebrate the victory of a ride. Lots of other victories, but none involved riding my bike.

Two Wheels, no pedals

The Podium Came Through Five Hours Ago

When I finally got back on my bike in early November after not riding for two months I was deliberately cautious and extremely slow, but riding my bike never felt better. I was looking forward to getting some miles to get ready for Mark’s VTB ride at the end of the month.

Riding this way (slow) reminded me of a race long ago when in the middle of the night a dog caused a rider to miss a turn, ride an extra mile past the turn, ride a mile parallel to the route, and then ride the extra mile back down to return to the route. When we all got back together there was a question as to whether the reroute caused by the dog would keep the rider off the podium? Out of somebody’s mouth in the dark came the response “Dude I wouldn’t worry about it, the Podium came through here five hours ago.”

Work Commute - VTB Victory Ride I

The single route I’ve ridden the most is the work commute. I know every turn, hill, treeline, and the time it takes to get to each landmark. I know the names of the dogs that chase and the name of at least one dog that bites. I also know a number of the good folks that live and farm along the route. The route is a mostly gravel road that follows a railroad track that follows a river. Typically five or less cars/pickups pass me when I’m riding and in the fall there are more deer on the road than vehicles. In years past the work commute has been at the bottom of the training list for difficulty and distance. This Thanksgiving the work commute is twice as far as I had ridden in the last few months and I was glad a buddy lives at the halfway point with a fridge and cold Cokes.

I had butterflies all week when I thought about whether I could actually finish the entire work commute. It was similar to the last week of worrying before a race you had spent months training for (minus the bike prep., clothing choices, and nutrition plan). I rolled away from work as the sun was setting, riding cautious and slow, and hoping nothing would happen that would later have to be explained to my wife under the category of “That Sure Was Stupid.”

Before I was out of town it was obvious I had no power or endurance on even the overpass over the train tracks. I was thankful the wind was at my back. The first time I looked at my watch was when I pulled into my buddy’s house at the halfway point - the time it took to go halfway was close to my FKT for the entire route. The Podium definitely came through here five hours ago! 

Had a Coke and warmed up a little, riding slow doesn’t generate as much heat as normal. Headed back out and made it to the last big hill. Usually the question is how hard do I want to go to get up the hill. The issue that night was, 'Can I make it up the hill without walking?' If I saw someone I knew putting up Christmas lights I was definitely going to stop to visit. Well I didn’t see anyone working on their Christmas lights, and I didn’t have to walk the hill, but I’m confident the time it took to get up the hill established a new SKT for this part of the work commute. 

All in all I think the relief of getting home safely with nothing stupid happening was similar to the relief you have when you finally arrive at the last convenience store five minutes before it closes in a long race.

I Didn’t Know It Was Supposed to Rain - VTB Victory Ride II

The aftermath of the Work Commute was dead legs the next day which just so happened to be Thanksgiving. So recovery consisted of doing what people do on Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving kinda  overflowed into Friday, so the start time and route for Ride II was modified throughout the day until darkness and bedtime forced the matter. What was supposed to be a repeat of the work commute time and distance was revised to be a shorter route on the bike path around Lawrence with some rural roads added. Much of the bike path is away from the city lights and crosses undeveloped (for now) darkness. When you ride your bike in Kansas you’re always keeping track of the weather forecast for tempersture, wind, rain, etc.  Since I had not been riding this fall I had fallen out of the habit of closely monitoring the weather conditions.

Riding slow and cautious through the bike path darkness I notice flecks of what looked like rain sprinkles in my headlight. I thought maybe it was moisture, or fog from the nearby wetlands. In the darkness it was hard to tell if the bike path concrete was getting wet or not. I didn’t have any idea that there was a forecast for rain so I just kept riding. Note: Not knowing the forecast also meant two things: (1) I was wearing a winter coat, work pants, and mittens each with a water repellent factor of zero; and (2) my rain jacket was at home. When I leaned my bike against the traffic sign below, the sign was not wet, but the ground around it was? My headlight had water drops on the lens and for the first time it occurred to me . . . for a guy trying to ride cautious and slow, riding in the rain seemed like it could be the beginning of a story about doing something Stupid.

A Rainy Reminder to Check The Weather

 I turned off the bike path, rode even slower into town, and under the streetlights I was able to see it was definitely drizzling. As I rode past the house of one of the Crew I noticed two Amazon packages sitting on their front porch getting wet. I knew they were out of town for Thanksgiving. So, I called another one of the Crew that lived down the street and asked if I could drop off the packages so they wouldn’t get wet. Riding with one hand, two packages, in the drizzle was well inside the Stupid bullseye, but it was only two blocks and I made it without any problems. As soon as I dropped off the packages it stopped drizzling and started dumping real rain - real hard. I had about four miles of riding on the street to get home and I  was getting soaked. The good news was after four miles I could get out of the wet clothes and take a hot shower.

All in all there I got home safely but soaked to the core and now I’m back to being a regular follower of the NWS Hourly Forecast for Northeast Kansas.

I'm a Believer!

I Guess It Is Colder Than I Thought - VTB Victory Ride III

Ride III occurred the day after Ride II but before I had returned to being a regular follower of the NWS Hourly Forecast. The plan was to ride the work commute halfway, get a Coke from my buddy’s fridge and return home.

After a half mile I realized it was a lot colder than I thought. I stopped to put on my jacket hood, and zip up my coat all the way. On the way down the first long downhill (the one I had almost walked up four days before) I had to put my hand/mitten in front of my face as a windshield from the cold. I was riding straight into the wind,which was bad for the ride out, but good for the return trip.

Iced Water Bottle Hill

Near the end of the first half of the ride I stopped at the top of one of the last hills to take a break and get a drink. No water came out of the plastic water bottle so I unscrewed the lid and the bottle was half ice and half water. Now I realized it was a lot colder x 2 than I thought. Riding below 32 degrees is common if you want to ride in Kansas in the winter but riding in Kansas in the winter with plastic water bottles is not. Good thing the halfway stop for the ride has hot water and Cokes.

After a cold Coke and water bottle refill I headed back home. One thing about stopping during a winter ride and going inside a Casey’s to get warm is that when you start out riding again you are completely cold and miserable for the first mile or two. Luckily the work commute has two big warm up hills immediately after the halfway stop. As I worked my way back to town I was thinking about how I would get up the last big hill and whether anyone would be working on their Christmas lights. Surprisingly the hill was much easier this time - I think the strong tailwind was a greater factor than any improvement on my part.

All in all there it was a wake up call to get out the box of winter bicycling gear and start packing extra backup layers when riding and a “Newsflash” - Start following the NWS hourly forecast.

2025 VTB Victory Ride Totals

2025 VTB Victory Ride Total Mileage = 78 miles and every mile was a much valued victory. One VTB ride report per year is my limit. As I said last year, I have no idea how Mark has written a daily post for 20+ years.

Mark - Thanks again for helping so many people get to "Doing" and V for Victory. WW

And with this the VTBR Reports for 2025 are done and dusted! Thanks to everyone who sent in a report.  

VTBR Report: Ari Andonopoulos

 Like many of us here trying the VTBR in 2025, we were struggling with weather issues and Ari was no exception. Here is his brief report on his attempt at the challenge. 

  Ari Andonopoulos:

Well, well. Never think that something is gonna last forever, specially in the Midwest. I had some crazy idea of getting this ride without any hiccups. Mother Nature had other plans for us. 

I had been basking in my glory with temps in the 40-50 range. I kinda get used to temps and deal with it okay. But then for the VTBR everything went south. The speeding cranes above were speeding due south. That was a sign.

 I rode Thursday, Friday, Saturday Sunday and accumulated minimal mileage. I’m glad I committed to do this challenge because I learned a lot. Studded tires were NOT installed, Fat bike was not ready, winter clothing not sorted out. So yeah it was a lesson. Thank you!! 

And I rode a grand total of 34 miles in 4 days!!

 Hey Ari! We who were also caught out in the wind, cold, and snow over this period completely understand! And I am happy to know you got out and gave it your best shot. Nicely done! 

VTBR Report: Ken Stabile

 Today's report comes in from Connecticut's Ken Stabile who is our first 100 mile VTBR finisher! Ken is also a photographer, which you will see evidenced in his spectacular imagery he sent along with this report. Read on!

Lasagna Burn, by Ken Stabile: 

I’ve been looking for an excuse to attempt a century ride, and after reading Guitar Ted’s suggestion for a “turkey burn” century the weekend of Thanksgiving, there it was: Opportunity presented!

I knew there would be no turkey to burn in my case, having been a vegetarian since 1985, so this ride was charged with burning off the layers of lasagna that had been consumed at the previous day’s holiday feast. I decided that Friday was the day, the ride would be paved, I would ride from home in Goshen, CT, and I would use my Blackheart Titanium all road, fitted with 700 x 32 road tires. The forecast was for fair weather but cold temps, mid 30’s and some wind. I was ready to go by 8:30 am and so, armed with a route, some full water bottles, pockets loaded with snacks, as well as an eyeball on the wind, out the door I went. 

The wind gave an immediate hello: blowing strange, strong and cold, seeming to swirl from every direction. Oh well, I thought, it’s just the wind. Little did I know it would be a constant companion, howling in my head and at my bike for the next ten hours!

The route took me south and into the town of Bethlehem where I stopped at a convenience store for water and a nature break at around mile 17. When I came back out to the bike, I was one glove short, and spent the next fifteen minutes or so trying to find the missing glove. I retraced my steps into the store, looked all around the parking lot, and, finally, when I was about to ride off with only one, looked under the four cars in the lot, and there it was, blown by the wind, under the middle of car number four. Oh well, should have looked there first, I guess. Onward!

St. James Cemetery

One of the planned stops was to pay my respects and have lunch with my parents and sister at their final resting place in Naugatuck, and so at mile 42 I rolled into St. James Cemetery and did just that. The wind joined us and, honestly, dominated the conversation, but it was a nice break nonetheless. Now it was time to head back north and into the wind.


 

 

 I had some urban miles to cover before I got back onto the quiet roads, including one pedestrian bridge that rides right next to a highway exit ramp. It was kind of a blast to be riding up the ramp, the wind screaming at everybody, and the cars rushing straight in my direction (I was fairly well protected by a concrete barrier). That lasted for only a quarter mile, and then I was safely tucked onto a paved bike path before cutting through Hop Brook State Park, and then back onto the less traveled country roads in Middlebury and beyond. 

 The ride continued into the wind and up some hills through Watertown and back into Morris, where I passed a field of pumpkins looking resplendent in the afternoon sun. I was at mile 63 or so and the sun was on its way down. This ride would definitely finish after dark. The wind continued to blow and I continued to pedal. It was a real battle now between the cold, the wind and the distance still needed to cover. The miles passed, and soon I was at mile 75, then 80, 85 and soon the goal was within sight. I switched on the bike’s headlight, as well as the one on my helmet, and I was really ready to roll those last miles and finish this thing up! I was in farm country now and I couldn’t resist the temptation to photograph in the beautiful but waning daylight. 

Barns For Jacob

 Finally, the daylight was finished and it was full on darkness but I still had ten miles or so to go before hitting the 100 mark. The wind, however, was not finished, and rode with and against me the rest of the way home as I pedaled until I hit the 101 mile mark. There I was, finally home after 101 miles and 9000 feet of elevation gain! I felt great, a little numb from the cold and the wind, but great!

Thanks to Guitar Ted for the inspiration, and thanks for taking the time to read this ride report. I look forward to trying it again. 

Wow! That was a great report! I appreciate Ken's request to honor my son, Jacob, with his barn image. Thanks for the kind gesture. 

We've still got a couple more reports so stay tuned for both tomorrow. Both VTBR reports will post tomorrow, (Thursday), so be sure to scroll down the page so you do not miss them! Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

VTBR Reports: Jeff & Cesar

Today we have two short VTBR reports for you to check out. The first is from Jeff. Let's check it out:

Jeff Elsken: Hey GT, I was able to get in a metric century this weekend, 29 miles Thursday and 36 on Sunday. The weather here was much nicer than yours, Thursday was calm, 40's and plenty of sunshine. Sunday was about the same except mid 30's for temps. 

I included a 'me and my shadow' picture on the levee from Thursday. It's been a weird fall, the leaves are finally falling but we haven't had a hard freeze yet so still a lot of green things growing. This is my first completed VTBC. I wanted to thank you for all the work you do to keep your blog entertaining, can't start my day without it.

Next up we have another short report from Cesar, who also has a couple good cold weather riding tips which I have also included in the report here. Check it out! 

 Cesar Nunez: Unfortunately my try to get the Turkey Burn was boycotted by awful weather conditions (pretty icy in Minneapolis western suburbs) and tons of food leftovers, ha ha ha! 

I really wanted to take the challenge and the great idea you proposed to move our bodies and have a great excuse to ride. At least I went out on Saturday for the 1st Fatty ride of the season, just 18 miles. But it was good.

Cesar's Cold Weather Riding Tips: 

 On another topic you guys spoke about getting prepared to ride in cold weather. I use Chamois Butt'r to protect my face from the windchill and frostbite. Apply it on your skin as much as you want/need. It's easy to apply, easy to remove just when you wash your face. It isn't greasy like Vaseline. 

When using pogies, I usually use light gloves but if it's pretty cold, I take an extra pair that I keep around.

For water, I use a free sip, double insulated bottle which has a plastic mouthpiece to sip up an internal straw instead. The water bottle keeps the water out from freezing up in the container and in the mouth piece. I've tried everything, and this type of bottle is the only (that) prevents the water to freeze.

 

I usually, fill it up with warm water that feels very good when drinking in the cold outside.

 

Thanks Cesar! Those are some good ideas to consider when riding in the cold. Cesar also shared a couple of other ideas regarding the structuring of the VTBR and subject suggestions for the podcast and the blog here. I really appreciate suggestions and comments like the ones Cesar shared because it helps me to become better at what I, and N.Y. Roll, are doing for you all. 

 

Okay, there is at least ONE more VTBR report incoming that I am aware of now. So, stay tuned for it to be posted here, hopefully tomorrow.   

VTBR Report: Steve Sprague

 Today we get another VTBR Report from long-time Guitar Ted Productions reader, Steve Sprague. Check it out....

Steve (center) and Friends

 Steve Sprague: My 2025 Virtual Turkey Burn Challenge goal is 100k. I started off on Thanksgiving with two friends riding around Lake Natoma near Sacramento, California for a freezing cold 20 miles. It was in the high 40's! With no sun and all clouds, it was quite cold all day. 

We took all of the dirt trails around the lake to make it more of a gravel ride. Luckily riding my single speed kept me warm. Black Friday was a similar ride that was downstream of Lake Natoma with my lovely wife. Riding from the house, as you all know, has its advantages. We did an out and back along the American River Parkway netting 26.5 miles of mostly dirt trails and fire roads. The weather was the same, mid 40's and cold all ride long. The company kept me warm the whole ride.

All fours from Day 1.

 

High above Nevada City, California

 I decided to finish up my VTBC mountain biking above Nevada City. The sun rays felt so good! I strung together a winding route along the trail network to net my 100k! I was so excited to achieve my goal a second year in a row for the Virtual Turkey Burn Challenge. Looking forward to next year!

Ride totals.

 Thank you for your wonderful blog and Love the Podcast with you and NY Roll!

Thanks Steve! I think it is interesting how some of the submissions show their mileage totals. Not that we wouldn't believe your stories, but the "evidence" is fun to see on the devices you all are using. 

We've got another submission for tomorrow. Stay tuned! 

VTBR Report: Mike Baggio

NOTE: We are skipping the usual Friday News and Views for a Virtual Turkey Burn report. 

  Today's VTBR Report comes to us from an old friend and Trans Iowa volunteer, Mike Baggio. He lives in Tennessee now days and files the following report for your reading pleasure:

Mike Baggio: Greetings from Columbia, Tennessee! Got out for several rides over the holiday weekend. The weather was less than ideal but WAY better than the 10+ inches of snow y’all got in the Midwest. 

Flow-trail in Columbia, Tenessee

First ride was on the new, city-built trail system in town. It is a small but flowy and super fun trail. It has multiple jump lines and something for everyone. Parks and Rec has really done a great job! We have two city owned trails and a big system (Chickasaw Trace) that is owned by the county and maintained by our cycling club. I am an average mountain biker (at best) but am very fortunate to have so many good trails within 10 minutes of my house. 

Ridin' Pop's old Trek

 For my second ride, I took my Pop’s old Trek Antelope out for a cruise on the country roads near my house. My dad passed last month but it makes me smile to get out on his old bike and share a smile. Pop was not a cyclist but he rode that old Trek around his neighborhood for 30+ years. 

Nice titanium Salsa Cycles El Mariachi.

 Lastly, I took my trusty old el Mariachi out to pound some hills around the city of Columbia. It is a really great place with a lot of character. I love my new home town and the people that live here. The people at the city do a whole lot for the residents of Columbia. We have good food, music, and arts to share. 

 

Statue of Thurgood Marshall standing in Columbia, Tennessee 

I included a picture of the new Thurgood Marshall statue off the square. It looks great. Marshall successfully defended 25 people wrongly accused in the race riots of 1946. It was a sad time for Columbia. I am proud that my town took time to acknowledge the good and bad part of our local history. It has helped make it the great, diverse place that it is today. The last pic is of me making up the balance of my metric miles on my old spin bike. Looking forward to hear about everyone else’s ride reports!

Mike has been a participant in the Virtual Turkey Burn Ride challenge for a while now. His effort exemplifies the heart of the idea - To motivate people to move and do it in a way which is satisfying and fun. 

I also appreciate Mike's love for his new hometown and the history he shared with us. It's a part of the gravel riding scene as well which makes things even more interesting for everyone. 

NOTE: Saturday I will be making a big announcement concerning a ride in April of 2026. So, we will be taking a break from VTBR Reports for that special announcement. Sunday will see another Rear View review of April, May, and June from the blog this year. VTBR ride reports will commence again this coming Monday.

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!

Get out and ride those bicycles! 
 

VTBR Report: Robert Fry, Carey Fry

 In today's reports we hear from husband and wife duo, Robert and Carey Fry. They did separate activities, as you will see shortly. Unlike myself, Robert braved the cold, open prairies and gained his metric century. Kudos Robert! Here is Robert's report first:

Robert Fry: The weather forecast for a BIG snowstorm starting Friday night meant that the challenge would need to be completed on Friday. I took down the Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross single speed on Thursday evening and made sure all was ready. 

A nice, light Westerly wind suggested a gravel ride to Parkersburg. To make the distance up to the metric century, I planned a route with a few extra miles North before the rest stop, and a few extra South afterwards. 

The start on Friday was later than I had hoped, close to 11am. With darkness as a deadline, this motivated me to push the pace, and I completed the first 30 miles in just a little over 2 hours. After a routing error, I found myself on a stretch of road I hadn’t ridden before, up on 265th St in Butler County. This turned into a very nice section of B road on Martin Ave by the West Fork of the Cedar River, where I finally turned on to 255th St and came out on Hwy 14. I had now added enough miles before Parkersburg that I could ride the usual, more direct way back. 

The Kwik Star was welcoming as always, with seating where I could rest and enjoy my coffee and sandwich. The direct way home took me on Westbrook St, S Ave and 150th St (Viking Rd). I finished right at 5 hours, and just about exactly 100km at 62.3 miles. It didn’t go above freezing all day, but I was dressed for it and had a great time!

Robert's Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross on the bridge over the West Fork of the Cedar River

 

Westbrook Avenue

Final mileage - 62.3 miles. 

Now for Carey Fry's activities for this period.....

 Carey Fry: Well I didn’t actually do a metric or 100 mile century, but I combined my two favorite sports, and I did feel the burn. I started off riding 19 miles of gravel, then ending up at the Cedar Falls Natatorium for a 3000 yard swim, and a short ride home. Love the end feeling of a good workout!

Hey! It's great to see Carey got out to do some swimming AND riding. Maybe I need to add a duathlon category for the Virtual Turkey Burn! 

VTBR Report: N.Y. Roll

 Our first report was filed by N.Y. Roll. He actually did his ride BEFORE the stated time stamp, but we'll see what he has to say about this after his report. Here is his day from Western New York. 

I started before dawn, I headed south on NYS RT 19, and passed through Pearl Creek, then as the road went left with a bend in the road, I stayed pedaling west and headed to West Middelbury. 

 

I ascended into the hills. I then descended by the church. Then I spent what felt like a lifetime climbing up 12-15% grade trying to get to Attica. I finally got there after a long descent in to the valley. I was happy to only be passed by 5 cars till that point. 

The next leg of the ride was a lot of untraveled roads. Even though I'd been around here in my youth I do not recall the roads I passed down today. Around mile 27 I came across a covered bridge in Folsomdale. Once I crossed the bridge I knew my general direction of travel would be heading east for the remainder of the ride. 

I came across a few sleet/rain cells. Nothing heavy but enough to be concerned. So I went north across the border to Genesee County in Darien Center. I would be on pavement for the remainder of the day.
I ended the day with 63 miles and 3,200ft of climbing. It was a quiet day on the bike.

 

Following are N.Y. Roll's images:

 

 

Finally, N.Y. Roll offers up the following as his defense for doing the VTBR earlier than Thanksgiving Day: 

 In case anyone wants to complain about me doing outside the window.....

 Weather was a BIG factor in many of the reports I received this year. Stay tuned for more VTBR Reports throughout the week and next week as well.