Not An Ideal Start

The season of gravel riding for 2026 is very close to starting. March will be here before we know it and with that comes the longer days and warmer weather. I've been itching to get out again now that the cold weather snap which ended January and began February is over.

Trouble is, I got off on the wrong foot, as far as my strategy to get fitness tuned up goes. I had decided a week ago today things were warm enough I'd ride into work. There was a lot of snow around yet from recent light snowfalls we had experienced. And Waterloo doesn't clear the streets at all, or if they do, it isn't done very well, at least in my neighborhood. So riding can be a little treacherous when snow gets compacted into what amounts to a sheet of ice. 

I had removed the studded tires from the Twin Six Standard Rando v2 in anticipation of getting clearer roads soon. So, I rode the Ti Mukluk into work instead, which went well. However; coming home I hit the only patch of black ice around. In between Doughy Joey's and Carpenter's Restaurant there is an alley. I tried steering into this and there it was. There I went down. Quickly. 

I went down so fast I didn't even get my hand out of the pogie to break my fall. My left arm was pinched between pavement and my rib cage. It was then I felt something very unusual. It was a s if a large band under my left side moved upward, then snapped back into place. My whole abdomen shuddered, it was so violent a movement back where whatever it was belonged. And it hurt like the devil, as we say here in the Mid-West. 

Now, I smashed my kneecap on my left leg hard into the pavement as well, but this was a trifle compared to my rib cage. I was stunned for a few moments but able to string together curse words like a sailor. So, I could breathe, and I could stand up. Barely, hut not because of any injury. Because of the ice!

I remounted after walking away from the scene. I was able to pull on the bars, push the pedals, and both with no pain. It felt harder to breathe a bit, but not really significantly. Tuesday was better, Wednesday was okay, and so was Thursday. A steady diet of ibuprofen and Mrs. Guitar Ted's CBD roll-on pain medication worked nicely. My ribs were painful where they joined at the sternum in a couple of places. Then Friday came and I was feeling more pain than before. 

I did a quick ride on the fixed gear Gravel Bus. It made me feel a whole lot better, but this obviously has slowed me down a bit. No sharp pains, nothing like that, just dull, achey pain and stiffness. I just have to take it easy and work back into it. 

Not an ideal start to the effort to get in shape for the Legends of Gravel ride in April. Men my age are not supposed to be slamming themselves into pavement. Well, if they do, it usually breaks things. I am very fortunate I did not break anything. 

Ari, my friend from Chicago, says I need studded fat bike tires. He said, "We need you in one piece!" 

Looks like I'll be getting some new fat bike tires for the next Winter season

Not The Kind Of Anniversary You Want To Mark

 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!

 Today marks an anniversary of an event in my life that I would rather not have had happen. An event that still affects me to this very day both physically and mentally. Many of you know the story, but in case you don't, here is the post from ten years ago describing that day. 

The hills North of Edgewood are spectacular.

I was struck by a drunk driver behind the wheel of a 4X4 GMC pick-up truck and flung through the air about 8ft, (according to eye witness account), and landed on my butt in the ditch. Funny thing was, I wasn't actually riding my bicycle. I was walking it alongside the gravel roadway. 

Major injuries were avoided, but ever since then my digestive tract hasn't been "right'. I think things got jumbled around inside of me and well, by this time all of that is 'normal' day-to-day life for me now. So, on this weekend ten years ago, my life was forever changed. 

I'm not complaining. I've got nothing to complain about regarding that incident. Like the title of the blog post ten years ago states, "it could have been worse'. Very much worse than it was.

From July 4th this year.

Like Elton John, "I'm Still Standin'", and I'm blessed to be out there on two wheels yet. I shudder to think of what may have been, but it wasn't meant to be that day. So, a lot of things are still going because of that. One of them is this blog. 

I did not say a lot about the aftermath of what I went through mentally immediately afterward ten years ago. There was stress over the fall-out from the crash scene. I wasn't the only person affected. Aaron Schnee had his helmet crushed and his titanium Fargo run over. Dan Buettner was also flung into the ditch. The others had to witness that and deal with the drunk driver afterward. Their memories are marred by that incident as well as mine. 

Insurance issues went on for several months afterward. Hospital bills were being pursued and we were waiting on the insurance that the driver had to take care of this. Thankfully the driver actually had insurance. These are things that you don't immediately think about after a crash with/on your bicycle. But it is more than just 'that day' that haunts you. 

Aaron Schnee at Gravel Worlds in 2021

Ironically I have found that these incidents kind of have a way of bonding you to people that were a part of the event. A great example of this happened in 2021 at Gravel Worlds. 

I ran up upon Aaron Schnee. He of the run-over Ti Fargo from the 2014 incident. Turned out his bicycle was okay. In fact, it was the same bicycle he was riding that day! 

This was fantastic news for me at the time. Catching up with Aaron, who I hadn't seen or spoken with since that incident in 2014 until that day at Gravel Worlds, provided a bit of closure for me. I was happy to know his bicycle was intact, still around and being ridden, and that I actually got to see Aaron riding it. 

As for my bicycle, it wasn't damnaged significantly. A bit of bar tape rash, really, was all it had done to it. But I was hesitant to go out on a ride on the Tamland Two for a couple of months afterward. Finally I forced myself to ride the bike again. I'm glad I got over that hump, but I still find it troubling that I went through that due to a random act of a drunk person behind the wheel of a vehicle. 

Probably one of the most confusing and troubling aspects of this being struck by a motorist event for me was that I was informed that year that my name would be read at the annual Ride of Silence. The ride which honors cyclists that have been killed at the hands of motorists. Apparently if you are struck by a motorist, you also get on the list, but I found that to be confusing and - in my opinion - unnecessary. I felt that took away from those who actually lost loved ones. But I don't make the rules for that. It just was one more thing I had to wrestle with. 

Maybe I'm not alone in this, but I think about dying at the hands of a motorist almost every time I ride a bicycle these days. Sometimes I almost don't ride because it would just be easier not to deal with the crazies. But I keep going..... 

Be careful out there. 

Friday News And Views

The new Grade Carbon frame set in Camo (Image courtesy of GT Bicycles)

GT Bicycles Announces New Grade Range Of Gravel Bikes:

 Tuesday saw the release of the new GT Bicycles Grade range of gravel bikes. Totally redesigned, this range will feature good tire clearances, a rather different geometry from most gravel bikes, and 30mm of rear "travel". (!!) 

The bikes are offered in aluminum and carbon with SRAM or Shimano components. Obviously missing is any mention of 11 speed GRX in the press release. Wonder why that is..... (HA!) 

The geometry is interesting. 70° head tube angles across the board with 75mm of bottom bracket drop. Nice! 

Comments: Okay....thirty millimeters of rear compliance? Sounds too good to be true, but even if it is only 20mm in reality, that would be really noticeable. The bigger question, to my way of thinking, is how does this design keep the rear wheel from torquing the frame laterally? Look at those long seat stays. Great for "vertical compliance", but not so much for "lateral stiffness". Maybe GT has figured out a "secret sauce" to keep things in alignment. Of course, I don't know right now. 

I do know two other things though. One: There are no 11 speed GRX models offered and there are 10 speed GRX models offered. Hmm..... 12 speed GRX has been spotted in the wild. Could be there are more Grade models in the pipeline that will be sporting 12 speed GRX. I bet so. 

Secondly, that blue camo is HOT! Kinda like a blue version of a Holstein cow. That would be cool to get a hold of. By the way, if that is too much awesome for you, GT offers the Grade in plainer, more vanilla colors that shouldn't offend you. Me? Give me this and some pink anodized components! Ha ha!  

New Guitar Ted Podcast:

Episode #22 is up of The Guitar Ted Podcast here at THIS LINK. In this episode N.Y. Roll and I talk about that new GT above, go over reasons why the cycling industry is pricing itself out of reach of many cyclists, and there is even some talk about corn. Plus, I have a rant at the end that you might find interesting. 

So.... 22 episodes! That's just this year. We're cooking along fairly well, but we will be taking a break later this year and we will put Season 1 of this podcast to bed. My plan is to close up the season in November, take a month off and after the holidays we will see about cranking it all back up again for Season #2.

In the meantime I have an idea or two for people to interview and we will always be on the lookout for news and subject matter related to gravel riding to yak about. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, you can pop those into the comments and I would really appreciate any feedback you might have for us. 

From Twitter

Sending Healing Vibes To Allison:

Wednesday on social media Allison Tetrick revealed that she had been struck by a truck while riding her bike. This happened a couple of weeks ago now. 

Sounds like she is being well taken care of, but it also sounds as if she's pretty busted up. Sending healing vibes! I hope Allison recovers fully and can get back on her bicycles. 

I've been struck by a truck as well, and while my injuries were mild in comparison, it runs deeper than that in terms of the mental stuff you end up dealing with after an event like this. Healing is necessary both physically and mentally. 

Allison was just inducted into the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame this past June. She's a big advocate of gravel riding. I don't know if it is due to those things, or something that connects us because we've both been hit, but I shed a few tears when I heard about this Wednesday. 

Please remind your friends and family to be vigilant and aware when they are operating a motor vehicle. And all my best to Allison. I'll be praying for her....

Special RAGBRAI Edition Shimano Sandal (Image courtesy of Shimano)

The 50th One:

Good luck you RAGBRAI'ers! You're going to need it this year! It's the 50th anniversary of the ride, and I know the vibe is hype this year. Big time hype!

There will be more people on this RAGBRAI than ever. It'll break records. It will also have more biffs, injuries, accidents, crashes, and worse. Hate to say that, but let's face it. When you put tens of thousands of cyclists on one road who are not necessarily adept at riding with tens of thousands of other riders, well you are going to have mishaps. I hope they are to a minimum, but yeah..... If I were a betting man? Right....

Anyway, no...I am not going anywhere near this ride. I've been there, done that, and this won't be anything different than previous RAGBRAI's, it'll just be "more". When you've already had "enough", "more" is not the answer. 

The weather will be its typically hot, humid self for RAGBRAI with a day where they will probably have some thunderstorms as well. Shoulda been here this week. It was perfect weather! Ha ha! But at least it will be weather that is "on-point" for the ride. 

So, again- Good Luck RAGBRAI! I'll read about it all later.... 

That's it for this week! Have a great weekend and get out and ride! Summer is almost over!

Friday News And Views

The new Grade Carbon frame set in Camo (Image courtesy of GT Bicycles)

GT Bicycles Announces New Grade Range Of Gravel Bikes:

 Tuesday saw the release of the new GT Bicycles Grade range of gravel bikes. Totally redesigned, this range will feature good tire clearances, a rather different geometry from most gravel bikes, and 30mm of rear "travel". (!!) 

The bikes are offered in aluminum and carbon with SRAM or Shimano components. Obviously missing is any mention of 11 speed GRX in the press release. Wonder why that is..... (HA!) 

The geometry is interesting. 70° head tube angles across the board with 75mm of bottom bracket drop. Nice! 

Comments: Okay....thirty millimeters of rear compliance? Sounds too good to be true, but even if it is only 20mm in reality, that would be really noticeable. The bigger question, to my way of thinking, is how does this design keep the rear wheel from torquing the frame laterally? Look at those long seat stays. Great for "vertical compliance", but not so much for "lateral stiffness". Maybe GT has figured out a "secret sauce" to keep things in alignment. Of course, I don't know right now. 

I do know two other things though. One: There are no 11 speed GRX models offered and there are 10 speed GRX models offered. Hmm..... 12 speed GRX has been spotted in the wild. Could be there are more Grade models in the pipeline that will be sporting 12 speed GRX. I bet so. 

Secondly, that blue camo is HOT! Kinda like a blue version of a Holstein cow. That would be cool to get a hold of. By the way, if that is too much awesome for you, GT offers the Grade in plainer, more vanilla colors that shouldn't offend you. Me? Give me this and some pink anodized components! Ha ha!  

New Guitar Ted Podcast:

Episode #22 is up of The Guitar Ted Podcast here at THIS LINK. In this episode N.Y. Roll and I talk about that new GT above, go over reasons why the cycling industry is pricing itself out of reach of many cyclists, and there is even some talk about corn. Plus, I have a rant at the end that you might find interesting. 

So.... 22 episodes! That's just this year. We're cooking along fairly well, but we will be taking a break later this year and we will put Season 1 of this podcast to bed. My plan is to close up the season in November, take a month off and after the holidays we will see about cranking it all back up again for Season #2.

In the meantime I have an idea or two for people to interview and we will always be on the lookout for news and subject matter related to gravel riding to yak about. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, you can pop those into the comments and I would really appreciate any feedback you might have for us. 

From Twitter

Sending Healing Vibes To Allison:

Wednesday on social media Allison Tetrick revealed that she had been struck by a truck while riding her bike. This happened a couple of weeks ago now. 

Sounds like she is being well taken care of, but it also sounds as if she's pretty busted up. Sending healing vibes! I hope Allison recovers fully and can get back on her bicycles. 

I've been struck by a truck as well, and while my injuries were mild in comparison, it runs deeper than that in terms of the mental stuff you end up dealing with after an event like this. Healing is necessary both physically and mentally. 

Allison was just inducted into the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame this past June. She's a big advocate of gravel riding. I don't know if it is due to those things, or something that connects us because we've both been hit, but I shed a few tears when I heard about this Wednesday. 

Please remind your friends and family to be vigilant and aware when they are operating a motor vehicle. And all my best to Allison. I'll be praying for her....

Special RAGBRAI Edition Shimano Sandal (Image courtesy of Shimano)

The 50th One:

Good luck you RAGBRAI'ers! You're going to need it this year! It's the 50th anniversary of the ride, and I know the vibe is hype this year. Big time hype!

There will be more people on this RAGBRAI than ever. It'll break records. It will also have more biffs, injuries, accidents, crashes, and worse. Hate to say that, but let's face it. When you put tens of thousands of cyclists on one road who are not necessarily adept at riding with tens of thousands of other riders, well you are going to have mishaps. I hope they are to a minimum, but yeah..... If I were a betting man? Right....

Anyway, no...I am not going anywhere near this ride. I've been there, done that, and this won't be anything different than previous RAGBRAI's, it'll just be "more". When you've already had "enough", "more" is not the answer. 

The weather will be its typically hot, humid self for RAGBRAI with a day where they will probably have some thunderstorms as well. Shoulda been here this week. It was perfect weather! Ha ha! But at least it will be weather that is "on-point" for the ride. 

So, again- Good Luck RAGBRAI! I'll read about it all later.... 

That's it for this week! Have a great weekend and get out and ride! Summer is almost over!

Riding Through Storm Clouds

Waiting out a shower under the canopy of the old Falls Avenue Drug store.

"Welcome back to the real world". That is what I was thinking Saturday evening as I looked through social media after being off of it for a week. I just cannot fathom some of the things that have happened.

Of course, we have all the political hoopla about what folks do at the beginning of sporting events and hardly anyone is aching over what has happened in Puerto Rico, Nashville, or in Lincoln Nebraska. 

You see, I found out someone was cycling there and got pretty busted up in a crash with a car, then later on I read about Randy Gibson, an accomplished cyclist and a pillar of the Lincoln cycling community, who was run down and killed by a person who was found to have a blood alcohol level well in excess of the legal limit. I must say that I do not personally know the two individuals who were involved in these crashes, but I do know many in Lincoln and beyond quite well who are really devastated by what has happened. I empathize with them and I grieve with them over this terrible turn of events.

So, I have to ride to work. Yes......I have to for myself. Not because I am a "loser" or because I cannot drive a car. I just choose not to, and I am the better for it. I have done this for 15 years now. I wouldn't have it any other way. But on days like yesterday, as I rolled out in to the city streets, I was a bit more cautious. I was more vigilant, and I was a bit afraid, yes I was. Why? Because inattentive drivers, impaired drivers, and just plain old mean spirited folk can injure or kill me so easily with a car that I have to wonder if I am not certifiably insane to be doing this commuting by bicycle thing. I mean, even I have been struck by a drunk driver. 

But then I remember that I absolutely hate it when I have to drive to work, because I get sucked into that hole of other drivers who don't care, are overly aggressive, inattentive, or worse. Just because I could drive, it doesn't mean it is better in those regards, just a tiny bit safer is all. That and I know how to be as safe as I can be when I ride my bicycle. I cannot just give up in the face of these swirling storms that threaten to take away my freedom and my sane place on my bicycle. I am also confident that those people that died and those that were injured on their bicycles wouldn't want me to stop either. 

So today, and tomorrow, and on into the future, as long as I am able, I will ride my bicycle through these swirling clouds and keep searching for the Sun.  


 

Riding Through Storm Clouds

Waiting out a shower under the canopy of the old Falls Avenue Drug store.

"Welcome back to the real world". That is what I was thinking Saturday evening as I looked through social media after being off of it for a week. I just cannot fathom some of the things that have happened.

Of course, we have all the political hoopla about what folks do at the beginning of sporting events and hardly anyone is aching over what has happened in Puerto Rico, Nashville, or in Lincoln Nebraska. 

You see, I found out someone was cycling there and got pretty busted up in a crash with a car, then later on I read about Randy Gibson, an accomplished cyclist and a pillar of the Lincoln cycling community, who was run down and killed by a person who was found to have a blood alcohol level well in excess of the legal limit. I must say that I do not personally know the two individuals who were involved in these crashes, but I do know many in Lincoln and beyond quite well who are really devastated by what has happened. I empathize with them and I grieve with them over this terrible turn of events.

So, I have to ride to work. Yes......I have to for myself. Not because I am a "loser" or because I cannot drive a car. I just choose not to, and I am the better for it. I have done this for 15 years now. I wouldn't have it any other way. But on days like yesterday, as I rolled out in to the city streets, I was a bit more cautious. I was more vigilant, and I was a bit afraid, yes I was. Why? Because inattentive drivers, impaired drivers, and just plain old mean spirited folk can injure or kill me so easily with a car that I have to wonder if I am not certifiably insane to be doing this commuting by bicycle thing. I mean, even I have been struck by a drunk driver. 

But then I remember that I absolutely hate it when I have to drive to work, because I get sucked into that hole of other drivers who don't care, are overly aggressive, inattentive, or worse. Just because I could drive, it doesn't mean it is better in those regards, just a tiny bit safer is all. That and I know how to be as safe as I can be when I ride my bicycle. I cannot just give up in the face of these swirling storms that threaten to take away my freedom and my sane place on my bicycle. I am also confident that those people that died and those that were injured on their bicycles wouldn't want me to stop either. 

So today, and tomorrow, and on into the future, as long as I am able, I will ride my bicycle through these swirling clouds and keep searching for the Sun.  


 

Fargo Reunion Ride- Part 1

A Weber grill, wood fire, and beer. Adds up to trouble sometimes!

The Fargo Reunion Ride, (name determined by Jason Boucher, who instigated this), was set to go on Friday October 28th, from near Northfield Minnesota. It was a ride to gather together those that would have been able to come that had done past Fargo Adventure Rides, or anyone that wanted to come along. The other reason, and probably the main reason for the ride actually, was to celebrate Jason Boucher's birthday. As Jason himself put it, the Fargo and its development was the reason for several of his friendships through the years. So it only seemed appropriate to him to have a bit of a "Fargo Adventure Ride" as part of his birthday. Oh....and Friday was actually Jason's birthday, so that was why I left on Thursday afternoon to arrive in Northfield for the next day's ride.

Myself and my family are friends with Ben Witt and his family, and Ben had asked if we would come up and stay with them in Northfield, which is a short distance from where the ride was to start in Nerstrand. We arrived late in the afternoon, so we had some time to hang out Thursday evening.

Well, Ben has a Weber grill turned fire pit, only, you know......elevated. So, anyway, after some barbecuing, and after a few beers, my brother MG comes along. He was staying with Martini, another old acquaintance of mine. MG shows up with Martini at Ben's place and brings a bottle of Templeton Rye which disappeared. Really fast. I blame this for the following actions of the evening of Thursday, October 27th, and these actions definitely affected the Fargo Reunion Ride.

It seems as though some talk of a night ride was being brought up, and after a short but enthusiastic deliberation, we were found with helmets on and lights ablaze. I'm not clear on the origins of the ride or the purpose, or the destination. I was just following along. Next thing ya know, I misjudge a curb and I am endo/face planted on the grass near a skate park. This is less than a block from Ben's place, by the way. I was a bit dazed, but I seemed okay. Since I was last in line, no one knew I had crashed. As I picked myself slowly up off the ground, and tried to remount my bicycle, I heard that awful sound of a bicycle smashing against the cement, and a loud "oof!" followed by voices of concern. As I reached the bouncing, blazing bubbles of LED light, I noted we were all on our way again.

Somehow or another, I managed to snap off this pic with my iPhone during the infamous night ride.

We then found ourselves going up a steep dirt path, then out on to a tree topped hill, and the open sky. I knew we were on one of the college campuses, and we all stopped to chat. I had no idea why we were hanging out here, but suddenly I was aware of someone moving toward us.

An African-American woman in an official looking uniform with a shining badge was strolling up the hill and into the midst of us. She asked for "college ID's". Ha! Well, we were soon dispatched and we complied immediately. Back down the hill from which we had come up, (I think), and then a sudden stop. Ben had wiped out. I had no idea what the matter was. I noticed my BarYak "wing extension" had been flopping around. huh! Guess I broke that bit. Meanwhile a bit of commotion surrounding Ben was going on. I took my phone out, (apparently, I didn't find the image until well over a day or so later), and snapped a pic, then stowed the phone back again, wherever I had put it. We then went back to the home of Ben to discover that I had crashed, MG had biffed it in the skate park, and Ben had wiped out, cutting open the skin on both hands on the digits.

Ben had also rung his bell pretty good too. Apparently in the same crash coming back to the house. That almost kept him home the next day. Well, not only that, but the drinking and staying up too late, which also affected several of the rest of us. Whoops! I was pretty banged up as well as MG. We both were bruised and hungover. Not a good way to look at the beginning of a ride of the Rawland Route, which isn't necessarily easy by any stretch of the imagination.

I awoke Friday to a quiet house with two hours to get to the ride start. I got ready, albeit I was in quite the fog, if you know what I mean. Ben was pretty slow to get going, and when Justin The Younger showed up, he was a bit concerned about our arrival time at Nerstrand. That'swhere we were to get by 9:00am. Well, no need to worry. After a quick stop for some awesome bagels, we were off and made it there by 9:02am. Fashionably late.

Next- The Fargo Reunion Ride- Part 2

Fargo Reunion Ride- Part 1

A Weber grill, wood fire, and beer. Adds up to trouble sometimes!

The Fargo Reunion Ride, (name determined by Jason Boucher, who instigated this), was set to go on Friday October 28th, from near Northfield Minnesota. It was a ride to gather together those that would have been able to come that had done past Fargo Adventure Rides, or anyone that wanted to come along. The other reason, and probably the main reason for the ride actually, was to celebrate Jason Boucher's birthday. As Jason himself put it, the Fargo and its development was the reason for several of his friendships through the years. So it only seemed appropriate to him to have a bit of a "Fargo Adventure Ride" as part of his birthday. Oh....and Friday was actually Jason's birthday, so that was why I left on Thursday afternoon to arrive in Northfield for the next day's ride.

Myself and my family are friends with Ben Witt and his family, and Ben had asked if we would come up and stay with them in Northfield, which is a short distance from where the ride was to start in Nerstrand. We arrived late in the afternoon, so we had some time to hang out Thursday evening.

Well, Ben has a Weber grill turned fire pit, only, you know......elevated. So, anyway, after some barbecuing, and after a few beers, my brother MG comes along. He was staying with Martini, another old acquaintance of mine. MG shows up with Martini at Ben's place and brings a bottle of Templeton Rye which disappeared. Really fast. I blame this for the following actions of the evening of Thursday, October 27th, and these actions definitely affected the Fargo Reunion Ride.

It seems as though some talk of a night ride was being brought up, and after a short but enthusiastic deliberation, we were found with helmets on and lights ablaze. I'm not clear on the origins of the ride or the purpose, or the destination. I was just following along. Next thing ya know, I misjudge a curb and I am endo/face planted on the grass near a skate park. This is less than a block from Ben's place, by the way. I was a bit dazed, but I seemed okay. Since I was last in line, no one knew I had crashed. As I picked myself slowly up off the ground, and tried to remount my bicycle, I heard that awful sound of a bicycle smashing against the cement, and a loud "oof!" followed by voices of concern. As I reached the bouncing, blazing bubbles of LED light, I noted we were all on our way again.

Somehow or another, I managed to snap off this pic with my iPhone during the infamous night ride.

We then found ourselves going up a steep dirt path, then out on to a tree topped hill, and the open sky. I knew we were on one of the college campuses, and we all stopped to chat. I had no idea why we were hanging out here, but suddenly I was aware of someone moving toward us.

An African-American woman in an official looking uniform with a shining badge was strolling up the hill and into the midst of us. She asked for "college ID's". Ha! Well, we were soon dispatched and we complied immediately. Back down the hill from which we had come up, (I think), and then a sudden stop. Ben had wiped out. I had no idea what the matter was. I noticed my BarYak "wing extension" had been flopping around. huh! Guess I broke that bit. Meanwhile a bit of commotion surrounding Ben was going on. I took my phone out, (apparently, I didn't find the image until well over a day or so later), and snapped a pic, then stowed the phone back again, wherever I had put it. We then went back to the home of Ben to discover that I had crashed, MG had biffed it in the skate park, and Ben had wiped out, cutting open the skin on both hands on the digits.

Ben had also rung his bell pretty good too. Apparently in the same crash coming back to the house. That almost kept him home the next day. Well, not only that, but the drinking and staying up too late, which also affected several of the rest of us. Whoops! I was pretty banged up as well as MG. We both were bruised and hungover. Not a good way to look at the beginning of a ride of the Rawland Route, which isn't necessarily easy by any stretch of the imagination.

I awoke Friday to a quiet house with two hours to get to the ride start. I got ready, albeit I was in quite the fog, if you know what I mean. Ben was pretty slow to get going, and when Justin The Younger showed up, he was a bit concerned about our arrival time at Nerstrand. That'swhere we were to get by 9:00am. Well, no need to worry. After a quick stop for some awesome bagels, we were off and made it there by 9:02am. Fashionably late.

Next- The Fargo Reunion Ride- Part 2

Iowa Bicycle/Car Crash Data

I had my own, bizarre car/bicycle/ped incident in rural Iowa

 Cyclists the world over have one similar issue facing all of them- That being the vulnerability they all share when traveling on roads with automobile and truck traffic. When a car or truck get into a crash with a cyclist, the outcome for the cyclist is often dire. We here in Iowa were recently made acutely aware of this when a cyclist was killed by the name of Wade Franck. 

That said, there are a lot of folks that don't believe cyclists belong on the roads, (they have every right to by law), and some that say cyclists cause a lot of their own issues by disobeying the laws, (some do), but neither excuse holds up and is not worth risking the life of, or maiming forever, a cyclist who stands no chance against distracted drivers, drunk drivers, or self righteous cowards behind the wheel.

Check out this Des Moines Register story with a poignant video interview with Heather Wince and many stats illustrating the issues, at least here in Iowa. There are some silly hoops you have to jump through to see the story, but it is well worth the minor trouble the Register puts you through.

Let's be safe out there and try to continue to work toward safer routes and better educated drivers.

Iowa Bicycle/Car Crash Data

I had my own, bizarre car/bicycle/ped incident in rural Iowa

 Cyclists the world over have one similar issue facing all of them- That being the vulnerability they all share when traveling on roads with automobile and truck traffic. When a car or truck get into a crash with a cyclist, the outcome for the cyclist is often dire. We here in Iowa were recently made acutely aware of this when a cyclist was killed by the name of Wade Franck. 

That said, there are a lot of folks that don't believe cyclists belong on the roads, (they have every right to by law), and some that say cyclists cause a lot of their own issues by disobeying the laws, (some do), but neither excuse holds up and is not worth risking the life of, or maiming forever, a cyclist who stands no chance against distracted drivers, drunk drivers, or self righteous cowards behind the wheel.

Check out this Des Moines Register story with a poignant video interview with Heather Wince and many stats illustrating the issues, at least here in Iowa. There are some silly hoops you have to jump through to see the story, but it is well worth the minor trouble the Register puts you through.

Let's be safe out there and try to continue to work toward safer routes and better educated drivers.

#RideForWade

Wade Franck died yesterday from injuries caused by a driver in a crash on Sunday.

Tragic things happen all the time, it is true, but when a tragedy occurs to a cyclist, and one who was a brother in your profession, it hits close to home. I didn't know Wade Franck personally. However; his death yesterday has touched myself and many others for several reasons. I won't elaborate on any of that here, but for the story on what happened to Wade, see this link, which details the crash that occurred Sunday morning and more.

I wanted to post this here for those of you who might want to honor a fellow mechanic and cyclist who died while riding his bicycle, by riding your bicycle, today at around 5:30pm-6:00pm. There are organized rides in the Des Moines and Ames areas starting at local bicycle shops. But that shouldn't stop you from riding alone, or forming your own ride to #RideForWade today. To honor Wade, and to remember that we as cyclists should be clamoring for better laws and for the laws we already have, to be used to protect us, and discourage others who are disregarding the law and rights of cyclists everywhere.

Following is a post made by Wade's employer, Kyle's Bikes, on Facebook yesterday afternoon:

"It is with deep sadness that we learned that Wade passed away this afternoon.

In the wake of Sunday's tragedy, it has been overwhelming, yet not surprising, to see how many people Wade has touched. That's simply who Wade was. Keep sharing your stories.

It's an emotional time for us, and we are certain for you too. 

There will be a fund set up for a memorial and we will update when there is information about how you can help. And we will organize a memorial ride in his honor."

#RideForWade

Wade Franck died yesterday from injuries caused by a driver in a crash on Sunday.

Tragic things happen all the time, it is true, but when a tragedy occurs to a cyclist, and one who was a brother in your profession, it hits close to home. I didn't know Wade Franck personally. However; his death yesterday has touched myself and many others for several reasons. I won't elaborate on any of that here, but for the story on what happened to Wade, see this link, which details the crash that occurred Sunday morning and more.

I wanted to post this here for those of you who might want to honor a fellow mechanic and cyclist who died while riding his bicycle, by riding your bicycle, today at around 5:30pm-6:00pm. There are organized rides in the Des Moines and Ames areas starting at local bicycle shops. But that shouldn't stop you from riding alone, or forming your own ride to #RideForWade today. To honor Wade, and to remember that we as cyclists should be clamoring for better laws and for the laws we already have, to be used to protect us, and discourage others who are disregarding the law and rights of cyclists everywhere.

Following is a post made by Wade's employer, Kyle's Bikes, on Facebook yesterday afternoon:

"It is with deep sadness that we learned that Wade passed away this afternoon.

In the wake of Sunday's tragedy, it has been overwhelming, yet not surprising, to see how many people Wade has touched. That's simply who Wade was. Keep sharing your stories.

It's an emotional time for us, and we are certain for you too. 

There will be a fund set up for a memorial and we will update when there is information about how you can help. And we will organize a memorial ride in his honor."

Wednesday News And Views

Bike Shop Tales: So yesterday was Tuesday, but it probably felt like Monday to a lot of you, so today I'm putting an abbreviated "Bike Shop Tales" up for your reading pleasure.

Back in 1995, I bought an old, used Schwinn Voyaguer from Advantage Cyclery that I had convinced a fellow to trade in on a new Bianchi. That Schwinn was then sold to a fellow that did one of the "big" self-supported tours I wrote about in my "Touring Tuesdays" series a year or so ago. (You can enter "Touring Tuesdays" in the search box to read some of those posts)

Anyway, the blue beauty shown here is what has become of that bike. For more on how an old, beat up maroon Voyaguer became this beauty, see my old co-worker "A-Lo's" blog here for "the rest of the story".

Getting It Dialed: The Origin 8 Scout dumped me last weekend and I figured part of the problem was me, part was the conditions, and part of it was the set up. Well, I could do something about the set up!

I swapped out the Origin 8 stem for a longer stem, lowered that stem on the steer tube, and tweaked the "attitude" of the Carnegie's Bar. Bingo! I rode it again Monday afternoon and I could feel a big change to the positive in the handling. Now with some weight on that front wheel, I'll be good to go in that department.

Some readers may also remember that I had problems with the tensioners coming loose and the wheel getting wonky on me. Well, I believe that issue was solved with a Ny-loc nut on the threaded tensioner screw which is acting as a jamb nut against the front of the drop out. So far, so good. The test ride went well. The bike is comfortable, handles well with the new set up, and did what I expected of it. Only one downer: I took the saddle's nose in the "nether regions" and suffered a bit of intense pain for a while. Not unlike biting into a habanero, only "down there". Yeah......

Wha-Ohh!: I was riding the XT Dyna-Sys equipped Specialized yesterday. I decided to roll down to Lower Hartman on my way home for a quick bit of twisty single track. The drop in to Lower Hartman is paved, but it is pretty steep and does a nice right hand to left hand curve in the middle where you gain a ton of speed.

On the way in, I saw another cyclist, and that thing I despise about myself kicked in. You know- I just had to pass this guy. I hung back about 50 yards, following him into the approach to the downhill. Then I saw that he braked going into the right hander. That was it. I never touched the brakes. I caught him and dropped him like he was standing still. I flew the rest of the way down, made it on to the gravel road, and dove into the grass trail.

I didn't realize it until later, but I was in the big ring, so I carried a lot of speed into the single track. It felt good. I was getting a little too cocky though, and I ended up getting served my just desserts.  Around a sharp left hander I saw a huge blow down blocking the trail. I was startled by it, and I stabbed my brakes. Well, XT brakes are not very forgiving! I locked the front up, and the tire slid out, knocking the bead loose from the rim. This being a tubeless set up, I lost all the air, and really hit the deck hard again.....you guessed it- on my left knee and shoulder. Three times in the span of a week!

They say bad things come in threes, right?

Well, it wasn't all over yet for me. I had a tube, I had a pump, but I didn't have a way to loosen the overtightened Presta valve nut on the tubeless valve stem. Rats! I sat in the bright sunlight thinking. Frogs leapt about all around me, I was so quiet and still as I thought. I fiddled with a couple of ideas but to no avail. Then, in a last ditch effort, I searched my cavernous messenger bag again. 

Bingo! I found a tiny end cutter tool. I applied pressure very carefully, and got a good purchase on the nut. I was victorious! Ha ha! (Funny how such a little thing can become such a huge mountain, and when you remove it, you get all euphoric.)

Well, the tire got repaired, and I made it home, albeit about 45 minutes later than I should have. Mrs. Guitar Ted re-dressed the wound I biffed again, and life was good.

But I gotta get this crashing outta my system!

Wednesday News And Views

Bike Shop Tales: So yesterday was Tuesday, but it probably felt like Monday to a lot of you, so today I'm putting an abbreviated "Bike Shop Tales" up for your reading pleasure.

Back in 1995, I bought an old, used Schwinn Voyaguer from Advantage Cyclery that I had convinced a fellow to trade in on a new Bianchi. That Schwinn was then sold to a fellow that did one of the "big" self-supported tours I wrote about in my "Touring Tuesdays" series a year or so ago. (You can enter "Touring Tuesdays" in the search box to read some of those posts)

Anyway, the blue beauty shown here is what has become of that bike. For more on how an old, beat up maroon Voyaguer became this beauty, see my old co-worker "A-Lo's" blog here for "the rest of the story".

Getting It Dialed: The Origin 8 Scout dumped me last weekend and I figured part of the problem was me, part was the conditions, and part of it was the set up. Well, I could do something about the set up!

I swapped out the Origin 8 stem for a longer stem, lowered that stem on the steer tube, and tweaked the "attitude" of the Carnegie's Bar. Bingo! I rode it again Monday afternoon and I could feel a big change to the positive in the handling. Now with some weight on that front wheel, I'll be good to go in that department.

Some readers may also remember that I had problems with the tensioners coming loose and the wheel getting wonky on me. Well, I believe that issue was solved with a Ny-loc nut on the threaded tensioner screw which is acting as a jamb nut against the front of the drop out. So far, so good. The test ride went well. The bike is comfortable, handles well with the new set up, and did what I expected of it. Only one downer: I took the saddle's nose in the "nether regions" and suffered a bit of intense pain for a while. Not unlike biting into a habanero, only "down there". Yeah......

Wha-Ohh!: I was riding the XT Dyna-Sys equipped Specialized yesterday. I decided to roll down to Lower Hartman on my way home for a quick bit of twisty single track. The drop in to Lower Hartman is paved, but it is pretty steep and does a nice right hand to left hand curve in the middle where you gain a ton of speed.

On the way in, I saw another cyclist, and that thing I despise about myself kicked in. You know- I just had to pass this guy. I hung back about 50 yards, following him into the approach to the downhill. Then I saw that he braked going into the right hander. That was it. I never touched the brakes. I caught him and dropped him like he was standing still. I flew the rest of the way down, made it on to the gravel road, and dove into the grass trail.

I didn't realize it until later, but I was in the big ring, so I carried a lot of speed into the single track. It felt good. I was getting a little too cocky though, and I ended up getting served my just desserts.  Around a sharp left hander I saw a huge blow down blocking the trail. I was startled by it, and I stabbed my brakes. Well, XT brakes are not very forgiving! I locked the front up, and the tire slid out, knocking the bead loose from the rim. This being a tubeless set up, I lost all the air, and really hit the deck hard again.....you guessed it- on my left knee and shoulder. Three times in the span of a week!

They say bad things come in threes, right?

Well, it wasn't all over yet for me. I had a tube, I had a pump, but I didn't have a way to loosen the overtightened Presta valve nut on the tubeless valve stem. Rats! I sat in the bright sunlight thinking. Frogs leapt about all around me, I was so quiet and still as I thought. I fiddled with a couple of ideas but to no avail. Then, in a last ditch effort, I searched my cavernous messenger bag again. 

Bingo! I found a tiny end cutter tool. I applied pressure very carefully, and got a good purchase on the nut. I was victorious! Ha ha! (Funny how such a little thing can become such a huge mountain, and when you remove it, you get all euphoric.)

Well, the tire got repaired, and I made it home, albeit about 45 minutes later than I should have. Mrs. Guitar Ted re-dressed the wound I biffed again, and life was good.

But I gotta get this crashing outta my system!

That's Gonna.......No- It DID Leave A Mark!

<===Ultra-endurance rigid single speed?

I wanted to go out for a longer gravel road ride Wednesday since we got a soaking Tuesday night which made off road choices not so good. I decided to give the Fargo the nod. I looked at it and figured I should just give it the once over before I went out the door.

Good thing I did, because I saw a double butted spoke just flopping around! The nipple must have corroded in half, because the spoke was intact. I'll have to get that torn apart and repaired later, but for now, I was scampering around for another wheel set. Fortunately, I have a few around! Within a few minutes, I was ready to roll.

I kitted up and hit the streets to the north headed for some gravel. Then I turned left to a bike path coming off the sidewalk I was on rolling off a bridge approach. I was carrying too much speed into the corner, dropped the front wheel off the edge of the bike path, and the tire grabbed that edge and pulled the bike downwards. I hit my knee, wrist, and left side of my rib cage really hard on the cement.

The cement had that "just brushed" finish on it to, so it was like hitting 80 grit sand paper at 12 miles per hour. To say that hurt would be an understatement. I definitely have a new found respect for road racers that hit the deck, get up, and continue on. 

Well, I was bleeding, so I got back on my bike, and went home.

That's Gonna.......No- It DID Leave A Mark!

<===Ultra-endurance rigid single speed?

I wanted to go out for a longer gravel road ride Wednesday since we got a soaking Tuesday night which made off road choices not so good. I decided to give the Fargo the nod. I looked at it and figured I should just give it the once over before I went out the door.

Good thing I did, because I saw a double butted spoke just flopping around! The nipple must have corroded in half, because the spoke was intact. I'll have to get that torn apart and repaired later, but for now, I was scampering around for another wheel set. Fortunately, I have a few around! Within a few minutes, I was ready to roll.

I kitted up and hit the streets to the north headed for some gravel. Then I turned left to a bike path coming off the sidewalk I was on rolling off a bridge approach. I was carrying too much speed into the corner, dropped the front wheel off the edge of the bike path, and the tire grabbed that edge and pulled the bike downwards. I hit my knee, wrist, and left side of my rib cage really hard on the cement.

The cement had that "just brushed" finish on it to, so it was like hitting 80 grit sand paper at 12 miles per hour. To say that hurt would be an understatement. I definitely have a new found respect for road racers that hit the deck, get up, and continue on. 

Well, I was bleeding, so I got back on my bike, and went home.