Diversions

A page from the RCA Tube Manual

Well, with this severe Winter going on and on, I have found myself doing less and less bicycle stuff. But that's okay, I am not a single focus person. I do have other interests. Really.

Of course, there is my family, and I have been trying to spend a lot of time with them of late. My daughter graduates from high school this Spring and my son is going to be 16 this Summer. They won't be around here much longer to enjoy as they branch out and spread their wings as adults soon.

Many of you know that I do play guitar as well. So, to that end I've been trying to work on my slide playing and I have earmarked a special composition to learn, (not slide guitar though) and I am trying to get the beginnings of that song nailed down. If I do finally get through it as I plan to, I may have to make a special recording of it. It can't be played softly though. It will be LOUD! That said, don't hold your breath. I have a looong ways to go before I get this nailed down.

Then I have been doing a ton of research into vacuum tube amplifier technology and repair. I have read a few books, (kindly sent to me by a reader of this blog), and now I know what equipment I need and I have a rudimentary knowledge of how to use it. You Tube has been an awesome resource in this pursuit of mine, that's for sure.

I have three test subjects lined up for servicing already, so I don't need any amplifiers! I have a 1984 Peavey Encore 65, which I purchased new, by the way. It quit working, so I will have a challenge of diagnosing and repairing that beast. I have the schematic for it and it is daunting, to say the least! Then I have a rather odd bird, and from what I can tell, it is a circa 1969/70 Univox 100 watt head. This thing has like 11 vacuum tubes in it! This one actually still works, but obviously, if you know anything about tube amps, it needs re-capping and probably a tube or two. Maybe. We'll see. I don't have a proper schematic for it either, which complicates things. Finally, my early '90's Tweed Blues Junior is in need of servicing. It has a buzz that isn't getting better, and while I have had it tubed and looked at, I am pretty sure it has the original capacitors in it, and those are due for a look-see.

So, when I have down time, and with no Trans Iowa to fret about now, I still have things to learn and to do. That said, I have the MAJOR itch to get riding, and the Gent's Race is less than a month from now!!

Diversions

A page from the RCA Tube Manual

Well, with this severe Winter going on and on, I have found myself doing less and less bicycle stuff. But that's okay, I am not a single focus person. I do have other interests. Really.

Of course, there is my family, and I have been trying to spend a lot of time with them of late. My daughter graduates from high school this Spring and my son is going to be 16 this Summer. They won't be around here much longer to enjoy as they branch out and spread their wings as adults soon.

Many of you know that I do play guitar as well. So, to that end I've been trying to work on my slide playing and I have earmarked a special composition to learn, (not slide guitar though) and I am trying to get the beginnings of that song nailed down. If I do finally get through it as I plan to, I may have to make a special recording of it. It can't be played softly though. It will be LOUD! That said, don't hold your breath. I have a looong ways to go before I get this nailed down.

Then I have been doing a ton of research into vacuum tube amplifier technology and repair. I have read a few books, (kindly sent to me by a reader of this blog), and now I know what equipment I need and I have a rudimentary knowledge of how to use it. You Tube has been an awesome resource in this pursuit of mine, that's for sure.

I have three test subjects lined up for servicing already, so I don't need any amplifiers! I have a 1984 Peavey Encore 65, which I purchased new, by the way. It quit working, so I will have a challenge of diagnosing and repairing that beast. I have the schematic for it and it is daunting, to say the least! Then I have a rather odd bird, and from what I can tell, it is a circa 1969/70 Univox 100 watt head. This thing has like 11 vacuum tubes in it! This one actually still works, but obviously, if you know anything about tube amps, it needs re-capping and probably a tube or two. Maybe. We'll see. I don't have a proper schematic for it either, which complicates things. Finally, my early '90's Tweed Blues Junior is in need of servicing. It has a buzz that isn't getting better, and while I have had it tubed and looked at, I am pretty sure it has the original capacitors in it, and those are due for a look-see.

So, when I have down time, and with no Trans Iowa to fret about now, I still have things to learn and to do. That said, I have the MAJOR itch to get riding, and the Gent's Race is less than a month from now!!

Minus Ten Review- 7

My 1972 Gretsch Country Club

Ten years ago on the blog here I actually posted a ton of images! Pretty dang surprised at the stuff I had to go through for today's post, which has been unusual until now. We'll see if I was able to keep that up in future "Minus Ten Review" posts!

I posted this image of my Gretsch. Back then I didn't know what year it was or even what model guitar it was. Now through the magic of the innergoogles I have ascertained all I need to know about the thing. I still have it and it sounds pretty good when I take it out and play it. I don't use it a lot, but whenever I do, it gets way more compliments and comments than any other guitar I own combined. Something about that big ol' hollow body!

Of course, this weekend is another edition of Frostbike, the dealer only invitation show that Quality Bikes puts on. I used to go to this gig for several years, but I think this makes three years in a row that I haven't gone. I had many a good time there. Many! Too good a time some years!

2008 was not all that great, let me tell ya! Now I had been going to Frostbike regularly for five years by this point. This Frostbike was an entirely different deal. I went up with a former co-worker that was taking care of the Ergon booth for Jeff Kerkove, who had just taken on that gig the year before. The guy I went up to the show with was Carl Buchanan. He dropped me off at QBP pre-show where I hooked up with then Salsa Brand Manager, Jason Boucher. I was to "shadow" Jason all weekend and I was staying at his home while we were up there. It was a very gracious offer on his part, but it cost him dearly and I was ultimately embarrassed greatly!

Part of the gig as brand Manager was to deal with all the big dealers and international press and international dealers who were there to join in Frostbike. Back then it still was a legitimate "trade show" of sorts with a fair amount of product releases going on simultaneously. Remember, there was no Saddledrive, or anything else other than Sea Otter and Interbike for QBP to show wares at stateside. So, Frostbike was a "big deal" and it attracted a lot of dealer attention worldwide.

The "bike pile" in the basement of One On One Bike Studio in Minneapolis

So it was that I ended up in a brew pub/restaurant with Jason, the Surly Crew, the German distributors, and the Japanese distributors and their photographers. It was a wild time with food and beers flowing. Later, we were to go to the famous On On One Bicycle Studio, not far from where we were engaged in eating and drinking on a cold, snowy Minneapolis night. The Japanese contingent insisted on some kind of impromptu photoshoot with Jason and Salsa's Kid Reimer, posing them on their bicycles and filming them riding to One On One.

I was a bystander with nothing to do with any of this circus, and Jason, being cognizant of that fact, tossed me the keys to his Honda Element and told me to go ahead and drive to One On One, park the vehicle, and wait for him inside. Supposedly there was some shindig going on down there as well.

So, keep in mind that I was a total Minneapolis noob and knew nothing of the ways of the inner city. As I searched for a spot to park, I noted that there was a little used lot right across from One On One. I couldn't believe my luck as I parked the Element, locked it up, and strolled on into One On One where I saw a few folks I knew and started chatting. The conversation went to how horrendous it was to find a spot to park when I spouted off that I had found this awesome spot easily right across the street.

That's when I found out that was an impound lot- no parking or your vehicle gets towed. 

Yeah......Heart sank, felt one inch tall...... All the guilts! Anyway, I went down in the basement where the infamous One On One "bike pile" is and stayed out of the view of the crowd upstairs which was buzzing about the "idiot that got Boucher's car towed".

Obviously Jason showed up to find out the terrible news and he shot out of there to retrieve his vehicle. A couple of hours later and over $260.00 dollars poorer, I found myself in a very uncomfortably silent vehicle heading back to Jason's abode.

That was the longest car ride ever! 

And yes, we are still friends! 

Minus Ten Review- 7

My 1972 Gretsch Country Club

Ten years ago on the blog here I actually posted a ton of images! Pretty dang surprised at the stuff I had to go through for today's post, which has been unusual until now. We'll see if I was able to keep that up in future "Minus Ten Review" posts!

I posted this image of my Gretsch. Back then I didn't know what year it was or even what model guitar it was. Now through the magic of the innergoogles I have ascertained all I need to know about the thing. I still have it and it sounds pretty good when I take it out and play it. I don't use it a lot, but whenever I do, it gets way more compliments and comments than any other guitar I own combined. Something about that big ol' hollow body!

Of course, this weekend is another edition of Frostbike, the dealer only invitation show that Quality Bikes puts on. I used to go to this gig for several years, but I think this makes three years in a row that I haven't gone. I had many a good time there. Many! Too good a time some years!

2008 was not all that great, let me tell ya! Now I had been going to Frostbike regularly for five years by this point. This Frostbike was an entirely different deal. I went up with a former co-worker that was taking care of the Ergon booth for Jeff Kerkove, who had just taken on that gig the year before. The guy I went up to the show with was Carl Buchanan. He dropped me off at QBP pre-show where I hooked up with then Salsa Brand Manager, Jason Boucher. I was to "shadow" Jason all weekend and I was staying at his home while we were up there. It was a very gracious offer on his part, but it cost him dearly and I was ultimately embarrassed greatly!

Part of the gig as brand Manager was to deal with all the big dealers and international press and international dealers who were there to join in Frostbike. Back then it still was a legitimate "trade show" of sorts with a fair amount of product releases going on simultaneously. Remember, there was no Saddledrive, or anything else other than Sea Otter and Interbike for QBP to show wares at stateside. So, Frostbike was a "big deal" and it attracted a lot of dealer attention worldwide.

The "bike pile" in the basement of One On One Bike Studio in Minneapolis

So it was that I ended up in a brew pub/restaurant with Jason, the Surly Crew, the German distributors, and the Japanese distributors and their photographers. It was a wild time with food and beers flowing. Later, we were to go to the famous On On One Bicycle Studio, not far from where we were engaged in eating and drinking on a cold, snowy Minneapolis night. The Japanese contingent insisted on some kind of impromptu photoshoot with Jason and Salsa's Kid Reimer, posing them on their bicycles and filming them riding to One On One.

I was a bystander with nothing to do with any of this circus, and Jason, being cognizant of that fact, tossed me the keys to his Honda Element and told me to go ahead and drive to One On One, park the vehicle, and wait for him inside. Supposedly there was some shindig going on down there as well.

So, keep in mind that I was a total Minneapolis noob and knew nothing of the ways of the inner city. As I searched for a spot to park, I noted that there was a little used lot right across from One On One. I couldn't believe my luck as I parked the Element, locked it up, and strolled on into One On One where I saw a few folks I knew and started chatting. The conversation went to how horrendous it was to find a spot to park when I spouted off that I had found this awesome spot easily right across the street.

That's when I found out that was an impound lot- no parking or your vehicle gets towed. 

Yeah......Heart sank, felt one inch tall...... All the guilts! Anyway, I went down in the basement where the infamous One On One "bike pile" is and stayed out of the view of the crowd upstairs which was buzzing about the "idiot that got Boucher's car towed".

Obviously Jason showed up to find out the terrible news and he shot out of there to retrieve his vehicle. A couple of hours later and over $260.00 dollars poorer, I found myself in a very uncomfortably silent vehicle heading back to Jason's abode.

That was the longest car ride ever! 

And yes, we are still friends! 

The Six String Side: 1998 Les Paul Standard

1998 Les Paul Standard

When I started this blog over ten years ago, I stated that it was a "Bicycle and guitar oriented elixir....". Well, the "guitar" part sort of got pushed out by the bicycle stuff, but I've always been playing. In the Easter post, I mentioned playing my '90 Strat, and someone suggested I detail the fleet, so here ya go. Hopefully ya'll enjoy the change in pace. I'll post something periodically throughout the year. Here's #8

It's been a while since I have had a guitar on the blog here, so I figured I'd better get back to that again. This time I have the story on my Les Paul. This guitar came to me in a bit of a strange way.

I was part of the band that played for a weekly program the church I attend put on which was centered around recovery. I can't say a lot about that part but that one of the attendees asked one night if I might be interested in buying a guitar.

Okay, well, it is like bicycles you hear about from friends that are not cyclists. You know? "Hey, I got this bike in the garage. Maybe you might like it?" Almost every time it turns out to be a dusty old Schwinn Collegiate or a Huffy or something, right? How often does that ever turn out to end up being a really cool bike? Not many times, I'd wager. So, you might be able to understand my "not very excited" answer to the person. Something to the effect of, "Uh....yeah, sure. Bring it by next week and I'll take a look." You know, hoping the person would forget about it. Well, they didn't, and this guitar was it.

Yep, it says "Les Paul" right there.

I was astounded and said that I couldn't possibly afford the guitar, what with two very young children. However; I was made a generous offer with one caveat: I had to play it in the church praise band on Sundays.

Done and done!

So, since then I've used this guitar along with my Strats most Sundays. One particular Sunday as I walked off stage I heard the sickening "thunk" of my Les Paul falling face first off the guitar stand which resulted in a cracked head stock. A common malady with these guitars. Gibson decided not to reinforce the back of the neck at the head stock which other guitar companies do. Other companies use a "scarf joint" at this juncture of the neck and head stock which reinforces that area. Gibson decided that a one piece neck unhindered by joints or extra wood was a better way to get good tone, apparently. Ironically, their newest Les Paul actually addresses this with a new, back of the head stock carve meant to help avoid the dreaded head stock snap off.

Well, anyway, I got the Les Paul professionally repaired, so it's still going strong. It really made me sad when that happened, but hey..... I still have the guitar and it still sounds just as good as ever. It was made to be used, so that's what I'm doing with it.

That switch doesn't work like you think

I have made only one simple modification to this guitar since I got it and that was to the three way switch. Basically, I turned it around and positioned it differently than stock. Now when the switch is in the "Treble" position it is actually in the "Rhythm" position because it makes more sense to me to have the "up" position be treble and the "low" position of the switch to be the neck, or rhythm position.

Then the other thing I did was to position the switch to flick at an angle which is more in line ergonomically with the motion of my arm/hand.  I got that idea from a guitarist by the name of Johnny A who did something similar with his Gibson made signature guitar.

So, there it is. A cherry sunburst Les Paul that weighs a ton compared to my other guitars. Les Pauls can be pretty heavy, and I think I weighed this one at just under 10 lbs, which is about par for the course with older Standards without the premium woods or without all the weight relief action. This one actually probably does have the early version of the weight relief. I cannot imagine playing a "pancake" bodied 70's Les Paul Custom. Those boat anchors weighed upwards of 11 -12lbs! My shoulder aches already with this one. No way do I ever want to get a heavier guitar than my Les Paul!

And you thought only cyclists were weight weenies? Ha!

The Six String Side: 1998 Les Paul Standard

1998 Les Paul Standard

When I started this blog over ten years ago, I stated that it was a "Bicycle and guitar oriented elixir....". Well, the "guitar" part sort of got pushed out by the bicycle stuff, but I've always been playing. In the Easter post, I mentioned playing my '90 Strat, and someone suggested I detail the fleet, so here ya go. Hopefully ya'll enjoy the change in pace. I'll post something periodically throughout the year. Here's #8

It's been a while since I have had a guitar on the blog here, so I figured I'd better get back to that again. This time I have the story on my Les Paul. This guitar came to me in a bit of a strange way.

I was part of the band that played for a weekly program the church I attend put on which was centered around recovery. I can't say a lot about that part but that one of the attendees asked one night if I might be interested in buying a guitar.

Okay, well, it is like bicycles you hear about from friends that are not cyclists. You know? "Hey, I got this bike in the garage. Maybe you might like it?" Almost every time it turns out to be a dusty old Schwinn Collegiate or a Huffy or something, right? How often does that ever turn out to end up being a really cool bike? Not many times, I'd wager. So, you might be able to understand my "not very excited" answer to the person. Something to the effect of, "Uh....yeah, sure. Bring it by next week and I'll take a look." You know, hoping the person would forget about it. Well, they didn't, and this guitar was it.

Yep, it says "Les Paul" right there.

I was astounded and said that I couldn't possibly afford the guitar, what with two very young children. However; I was made a generous offer with one caveat: I had to play it in the church praise band on Sundays.

Done and done!

So, since then I've used this guitar along with my Strats most Sundays. One particular Sunday as I walked off stage I heard the sickening "thunk" of my Les Paul falling face first off the guitar stand which resulted in a cracked head stock. A common malady with these guitars. Gibson decided not to reinforce the back of the neck at the head stock which other guitar companies do. Other companies use a "scarf joint" at this juncture of the neck and head stock which reinforces that area. Gibson decided that a one piece neck unhindered by joints or extra wood was a better way to get good tone, apparently. Ironically, their newest Les Paul actually addresses this with a new, back of the head stock carve meant to help avoid the dreaded head stock snap off.

Well, anyway, I got the Les Paul professionally repaired, so it's still going strong. It really made me sad when that happened, but hey..... I still have the guitar and it still sounds just as good as ever. It was made to be used, so that's what I'm doing with it.

That switch doesn't work like you think

I have made only one simple modification to this guitar since I got it and that was to the three way switch. Basically, I turned it around and positioned it differently than stock. Now when the switch is in the "Treble" position it is actually in the "Rhythm" position because it makes more sense to me to have the "up" position be treble and the "low" position of the switch to be the neck, or rhythm position.

Then the other thing I did was to position the switch to flick at an angle which is more in line ergonomically with the motion of my arm/hand.  I got that idea from a guitarist by the name of Johnny A who did something similar with his Gibson made signature guitar.

So, there it is. A cherry sunburst Les Paul that weighs a ton compared to my other guitars. Les Pauls can be pretty heavy, and I think I weighed this one at just under 10 lbs, which is about par for the course with older Standards without the premium woods or without all the weight relief action. This one actually probably does have the early version of the weight relief. I cannot imagine playing a "pancake" bodied 70's Les Paul Custom. Those boat anchors weighed upwards of 11 -12lbs! My shoulder aches already with this one. No way do I ever want to get a heavier guitar than my Les Paul!

And you thought only cyclists were weight weenies? Ha!

Weekend Update

Dirt home from work was modified by high water

It was a busy weekend here, and not all of it was about bikes. Not by a long shot. However; there was something "big" announced and I did get a ride in on Friday after work.

I'm not the guy who coined the phrase, but I like it, and I've adopted it- "Dirt home from work". I use it to motivate me to take the longer way home sometimes. I used to do this more often a long time ago, but once the kids got into elementary school, I quit. I had to be back at the house by a predetermined time to get them and let them in the house. Now that they are older, I have to remind myself that I can do this stuff again. So, "dirt home from work" is just something I have latched onto as a motivator/reminder to get out and ride the dirt single track we have here in town.

Well, my ride took me to Lower Hartman first and that was kind of a bust, since the water is up. I ended up turning around and coming back down Shirey Way and over to the newer trails on the East side of Hartman Reserve. I know these trails have names, but I am not in the "club", so to speak, so I just ride 'em. Whatever it is the small cadre' of people call these trails is not well known beyond their clique, so I just use the common man's place names for these things. At any rate, those trails were fine and I had an enjoyable ride on the Blackbuck.

Cars on the grid for the Xfinity race at Iowa Speedway.

Saturday was the big day for myself and my son to attend the last Iowa Speedway event for 2015. It was kind of a big deal, in terms of the event, but I won't get in to all the details here. The point was that it was an all day affair getting ready for this and attending it. The race was great, if you are into motorsports. Iowa Speedway puts on great racing, and we had fun. We didn't get home until about midnight though!

Then Sunday I had to be up at 5:30am to get ready to lay down some Fender bass at church. That isn't something I get to do very often, (play the bass guitar), but it is always fun to do that. When that was over, I was bushed, of course, since I didn't get much rest. So, instead of beating myself up more in high humidity and hot temperatures, I took it easy the rest of the day.

Friday's ride showed me that I still am not quite "there" yet when it comes to being fully recovered from the GTDRI. Especially my lower back, which I suppose took a beating due to all the seated climbing on the GTDRI that day. The Blackbuck single speed felt great Friday, and I may have overdone things a tad bit!

Now I have to fine tune the next Trans Iowa event, which I announced on Saturday. By the way, thank you to all who have already thrown their hats into the ring for volunteering for this beast. You are all greatly appreciated.

Now hopefully this week I'll get some gravel in.

Weekend Update

Dirt home from work was modified by high water

It was a busy weekend here, and not all of it was about bikes. Not by a long shot. However; there was something "big" announced and I did get a ride in on Friday after work.

I'm not the guy who coined the phrase, but I like it, and I've adopted it- "Dirt home from work". I use it to motivate me to take the longer way home sometimes. I used to do this more often a long time ago, but once the kids got into elementary school, I quit. I had to be back at the house by a predetermined time to get them and let them in the house. Now that they are older, I have to remind myself that I can do this stuff again. So, "dirt home from work" is just something I have latched onto as a motivator/reminder to get out and ride the dirt single track we have here in town.

Well, my ride took me to Lower Hartman first and that was kind of a bust, since the water is up. I ended up turning around and coming back down Shirey Way and over to the newer trails on the East side of Hartman Reserve. I know these trails have names, but I am not in the "club", so to speak, so I just ride 'em. Whatever it is the small cadre' of people call these trails is not well known beyond their clique, so I just use the common man's place names for these things. At any rate, those trails were fine and I had an enjoyable ride on the Blackbuck.

Cars on the grid for the Xfinity race at Iowa Speedway.

Saturday was the big day for myself and my son to attend the last Iowa Speedway event for 2015. It was kind of a big deal, in terms of the event, but I won't get in to all the details here. The point was that it was an all day affair getting ready for this and attending it. The race was great, if you are into motorsports. Iowa Speedway puts on great racing, and we had fun. We didn't get home until about midnight though!

Then Sunday I had to be up at 5:30am to get ready to lay down some Fender bass at church. That isn't something I get to do very often, (play the bass guitar), but it is always fun to do that. When that was over, I was bushed, of course, since I didn't get much rest. So, instead of beating myself up more in high humidity and hot temperatures, I took it easy the rest of the day.

Friday's ride showed me that I still am not quite "there" yet when it comes to being fully recovered from the GTDRI. Especially my lower back, which I suppose took a beating due to all the seated climbing on the GTDRI that day. The Blackbuck single speed felt great Friday, and I may have overdone things a tad bit!

Now I have to fine tune the next Trans Iowa event, which I announced on Saturday. By the way, thank you to all who have already thrown their hats into the ring for volunteering for this beast. You are all greatly appreciated.

Now hopefully this week I'll get some gravel in.

#psyck

1988 Strat Plus- That isn't yellow, by the way!

This hasn't been the start to the year that I was hoping for. It's been off and on again sickness across the entire family. There was one day last week when three of us were bed ridden. Saturday and Sunday were barely tolerable, and the bike riding that everyone else was doing was sure hard to take in as I was feeling awful and needing to rest.

Well, me being me- I don't like resting during the day, or much at all, and I did go out and about a little bit. I needed to drop off my daughter at a friend's house so I took the opportunity to drag my 1988 Stratocaster Plus to Bob's Guitars to see if they had a locking tuner knob for it. One had fallen off and before I could notice it, had gotten lost.

I've known "Bob" of Bob's Guitars since he worked for another music store years ago where I had purchased this particular Strat from him. He's been through another partnership in a music store from where I purchased my main amplifier, and now he owns this store himself. I've had a "relationship", of sorts with Bob, and he treats me right. For instance, even his employees have paid attention, and they know that I am paying on a new Taylor for my wife's Master's Degree "reward". They found the locking tuner knob, a perfect match, and did not charge me.

So, why do I bring all that up? Well, I was thinking that in this day and age of Internet retail, what online can't do for you is "have a relationship with benefits" like the one I enjoy with Bob's Guitars. Think about that when you look for a local bike shop. And local bike shops- you need to really think about this! 

A "Mid-Fatted" Fargo

 So, anyway, I got to play on the Strat Saturday loudly for a while when Mrs. Guitar Ted and Jacob went out on errands. It was great to have that guitar all back in one piece. Then I hoped for a better Sunday, and perhaps a bicycle ride.

However; it wasn't to be. Still feeling rotten, I had to take it easy again. After a long morning and early afternoon, I decided to fiddle with an idea I had on the back burner for Springtime. I was going to try to fit the WTB Trailblazer/Velocity Blunt 35 wheels on my Gen 2 Fargo. So, I decided to push up the time table on that project and get it done. I had done this on my Gen 1 Fargo as well, but the mud clearances were not the greatest. So, in the interim I have had these wheels on my OS Bikes Blackbuck and on my Sawyer with the belt drive.

Good clearances here.

On the Fargo Gen 2, the wheels went in with no problem, and as a bonus there was better mud clearances! This looked like a much better fit than in the Gen 1 Fargo. I was excited so I got a "permission slip" to get out of the house free for a bit to test out how this combination felt and handled. Nothing big, just a couple miles at most. I popped on some plastic flats so I didn't have to waste a bunch of time with fussy Winter cycling footwear and headed outdoors.

The Blunt 35's with the Trailblazers makes for a decent set up. The tire isn't flattened out too much, and the rim supports the tires tubeless really well. I ran about 20-ish psi, but with the air temperatures in the low 20's Fahrenheit, that was effectively something in the teens. Into some looser, deep snow, and the bike squirreled around a bit, but it didn't want to swap ends like a skinnier tire might. Okay, that fast spin up is there yet for sure, and the resulting lack of momentum as well. Still, you can barrel over some things and the stability and comfort are there also.

You don't get that heavy, slow to accelerate 29+ feeling, but the rest of it seems to be close. When the trails open up in Springtime, I'll know more about the true, off road feel and performance with this bike. I think I will live with these on the Fargo Gen 2 awhile though. The wide range triple drive train is well suited to these wheels, and in my estimation, single speed usage, while fun, wasn't where this wheel type shines best. They just scrub off too much momentum, and while single speeding, momentum is king. So back to 29"er wheels there, and these Mid-Fats on a geared bike. Then I'll decide what I think. These still seem like a good choice for really rough, looser, back road events like Odin's Revenge to me, but if I cannot live with how they feel on gravel then I think my experimenting will be done. If they make it through that, then they stay on. Time will tell.

#psyck

1988 Strat Plus- That isn't yellow, by the way!

This hasn't been the start to the year that I was hoping for. It's been off and on again sickness across the entire family. There was one day last week when three of us were bed ridden. Saturday and Sunday were barely tolerable, and the bike riding that everyone else was doing was sure hard to take in as I was feeling awful and needing to rest.

Well, me being me- I don't like resting during the day, or much at all, and I did go out and about a little bit. I needed to drop off my daughter at a friend's house so I took the opportunity to drag my 1988 Stratocaster Plus to Bob's Guitars to see if they had a locking tuner knob for it. One had fallen off and before I could notice it, had gotten lost.

I've known "Bob" of Bob's Guitars since he worked for another music store years ago where I had purchased this particular Strat from him. He's been through another partnership in a music store from where I purchased my main amplifier, and now he owns this store himself. I've had a "relationship", of sorts with Bob, and he treats me right. For instance, even his employees have paid attention, and they know that I am paying on a new Taylor for my wife's Master's Degree "reward". They found the locking tuner knob, a perfect match, and did not charge me.

So, why do I bring all that up? Well, I was thinking that in this day and age of Internet retail, what online can't do for you is "have a relationship with benefits" like the one I enjoy with Bob's Guitars. Think about that when you look for a local bike shop. And local bike shops- you need to really think about this! 

A "Mid-Fatted" Fargo

 So, anyway, I got to play on the Strat Saturday loudly for a while when Mrs. Guitar Ted and Jacob went out on errands. It was great to have that guitar all back in one piece. Then I hoped for a better Sunday, and perhaps a bicycle ride.

However; it wasn't to be. Still feeling rotten, I had to take it easy again. After a long morning and early afternoon, I decided to fiddle with an idea I had on the back burner for Springtime. I was going to try to fit the WTB Trailblazer/Velocity Blunt 35 wheels on my Gen 2 Fargo. So, I decided to push up the time table on that project and get it done. I had done this on my Gen 1 Fargo as well, but the mud clearances were not the greatest. So, in the interim I have had these wheels on my OS Bikes Blackbuck and on my Sawyer with the belt drive.

Good clearances here.

On the Fargo Gen 2, the wheels went in with no problem, and as a bonus there was better mud clearances! This looked like a much better fit than in the Gen 1 Fargo. I was excited so I got a "permission slip" to get out of the house free for a bit to test out how this combination felt and handled. Nothing big, just a couple miles at most. I popped on some plastic flats so I didn't have to waste a bunch of time with fussy Winter cycling footwear and headed outdoors.

The Blunt 35's with the Trailblazers makes for a decent set up. The tire isn't flattened out too much, and the rim supports the tires tubeless really well. I ran about 20-ish psi, but with the air temperatures in the low 20's Fahrenheit, that was effectively something in the teens. Into some looser, deep snow, and the bike squirreled around a bit, but it didn't want to swap ends like a skinnier tire might. Okay, that fast spin up is there yet for sure, and the resulting lack of momentum as well. Still, you can barrel over some things and the stability and comfort are there also.

You don't get that heavy, slow to accelerate 29+ feeling, but the rest of it seems to be close. When the trails open up in Springtime, I'll know more about the true, off road feel and performance with this bike. I think I will live with these on the Fargo Gen 2 awhile though. The wide range triple drive train is well suited to these wheels, and in my estimation, single speed usage, while fun, wasn't where this wheel type shines best. They just scrub off too much momentum, and while single speeding, momentum is king. So back to 29"er wheels there, and these Mid-Fats on a geared bike. Then I'll decide what I think. These still seem like a good choice for really rough, looser, back road events like Odin's Revenge to me, but if I cannot live with how they feel on gravel then I think my experimenting will be done. If they make it through that, then they stay on. Time will tell.

Tough Gig

I usually try to keep things bicycle related here and I don't often stray from that. However; from time to time I will, and this is one of those times.  It was one of those times I'd rather not have to write about, in one sense, but on the other hand, it might be a really good thing. Well, here goes.....

It's about a death.

I knew this guy, he was a musician, (and a whole lot more than that), and he used to play in the church band with me. He succumbed to cancer last week. So, yeah.............

Anyway, we got the band, as it was when he played on it, back together and we played for his "Celebration Of Life" ceremony. It wasn't a funeral, really. A funeral wouldn't rock as hard as this gig did. That said, I found it to be a tough gig. I seem to have been a bit too close to this emotionally than maybe I was anticipating. That said, I made it through and everything went just fine despite myself.

This guy was one of those special folks. A person you'd never forget, if you'd have known him. He was that sort of a character. But beyond this, I often find it is at these times when I am reminded that things like wondering if there should be a fat bike class in races, if "gravel bikes' should be a specific design or not, or if enduro is stupid or not, doesn't matter at all. It is just fluff. Meaningless, really.

Love, Life, and Living it to the fullest extent. Relationships. Being a great father, friend, husband, and human being.

There ya go...........

Tough Gig

I usually try to keep things bicycle related here and I don't often stray from that. However; from time to time I will, and this is one of those times.  It was one of those times I'd rather not have to write about, in one sense, but on the other hand, it might be a really good thing. Well, here goes.....

It's about a death.

I knew this guy, he was a musician, (and a whole lot more than that), and he used to play in the church band with me. He succumbed to cancer last week. So, yeah.............

Anyway, we got the band, as it was when he played on it, back together and we played for his "Celebration Of Life" ceremony. It wasn't a funeral, really. A funeral wouldn't rock as hard as this gig did. That said, I found it to be a tough gig. I seem to have been a bit too close to this emotionally than maybe I was anticipating. That said, I made it through and everything went just fine despite myself.

This guy was one of those special folks. A person you'd never forget, if you'd have known him. He was that sort of a character. But beyond this, I often find it is at these times when I am reminded that things like wondering if there should be a fat bike class in races, if "gravel bikes' should be a specific design or not, or if enduro is stupid or not, doesn't matter at all. It is just fluff. Meaningless, really.

Love, Life, and Living it to the fullest extent. Relationships. Being a great father, friend, husband, and human being.

There ya go...........

It's Not All About The Bike

This blog is almost all about bicycles all the time, but that isn't what "life" is about all the time, and especially not for me. I did do a couple of days of cycling this weekend, but Labor Day was spent doing other stuff.

Downtown Iowa Falls

Every Labor Day in Iowa Falls, Iowa, there is a classic car show. I have attended this show in the past several times, since my Mom amd step-Dad live very near there.

The town of Iowa Falls is called the "Scenic City" and for good reason. Tall limestone cliffs line the Iowa River as it passes through town, lending an air of Nature and the town still retains its old downtown flavor with restored buildings and many businesses still operating there.

The show takes up the entire town's central area. Some years are sparse, not so spectacular, and many years it seems the same ol' cars are there again. However; this year was pretty dang outstanding.  There were more than a handful of cars I would have loved to have driven, and a few I would have liked to have kept around.

A sano Monte Carlo. Killer bodywork!

I know cars are the bane of everything cycling to some folks, but cars were at once not so evil, yet terrifying, and mechanical. Something about older cars just makes me very interested in them.

And I don't think anyone would deny that the old cars, even the ugly ones, had "style", which is sorely lacking from most offerings we have to choose from now. Of course, most of the cars I saw were tweaked to look far better than stock, but there were plenty of stock, unmodified cars that were head and shoulders better looking than anything out there today.

And of course, you were considered fortunate to even have a car back in the day. Most families I knew had one. Yes- one car. If you went somewhere, it was likely the car had lots of people in it. Not like today. But I digress.......

Hot rod in red, white, and blue.

Well, it was fun to look at all the cars, and whatever you might think of cars, the outing showed me what sort of passion, work, and pride folks put into these machines. Really, it isn't far from how bike geeks look at their rigs, really.

And another thing- most of these cars were driven there. That's pretty rad. And they even got rained on, and nobody freaked out. I was impressed by that as well.

So, I had a great time there with my family. Then another thing that was non-bicycle related happened that was pretty cool too.  I had been thinking about getting another tube amplifier for my guitars for quite sometime. I had several amps on my radar, but they were all so expensive, and well......I have a pretty sweet little Blues Junior. So, it wasn't a top priority for me, just something I would have liked to have gotten at some point.

Vox AC30CC2

Well, a person that also plays in the church band with me had an AC30 they weren't happy with and it was in decent shape. I got to session it a few times, and well.....I got it this past weekend. 

What can I say? Top Boost channel, a Normal Channel, and a switch that combines them both for really great tones. Swampy tremolo and wet,wet reverb inside as well. Yes- it nails the "Queen" sound, but there is a lot more inside this box than that.

Did I mention it weighs in excess of 80-freakin' el-bees? Ouch! My back probably won't thank me, but my guitars sound so much different through this 2 X 12 monster that it seems as if they are all new git-boxes. For me, that made it worth it right there.

Okay, so there ya have a little glimpse of what I like and do beyond the bicycle stuff. I hope ya'all enjoyed that, but tomorrow it's back to bikes again!

It's Not All About The Bike

This blog is almost all about bicycles all the time, but that isn't what "life" is about all the time, and especially not for me. I did do a couple of days of cycling this weekend, but Labor Day was spent doing other stuff.

Downtown Iowa Falls

Every Labor Day in Iowa Falls, Iowa, there is a classic car show. I have attended this show in the past several times, since my Mom amd step-Dad live very near there.

The town of Iowa Falls is called the "Scenic City" and for good reason. Tall limestone cliffs line the Iowa River as it passes through town, lending an air of Nature and the town still retains its old downtown flavor with restored buildings and many businesses still operating there.

The show takes up the entire town's central area. Some years are sparse, not so spectacular, and many years it seems the same ol' cars are there again. However; this year was pretty dang outstanding.  There were more than a handful of cars I would have loved to have driven, and a few I would have liked to have kept around.

A sano Monte Carlo. Killer bodywork!

I know cars are the bane of everything cycling to some folks, but cars were at once not so evil, yet terrifying, and mechanical. Something about older cars just makes me very interested in them.

And I don't think anyone would deny that the old cars, even the ugly ones, had "style", which is sorely lacking from most offerings we have to choose from now. Of course, most of the cars I saw were tweaked to look far better than stock, but there were plenty of stock, unmodified cars that were head and shoulders better looking than anything out there today.

And of course, you were considered fortunate to even have a car back in the day. Most families I knew had one. Yes- one car. If you went somewhere, it was likely the car had lots of people in it. Not like today. But I digress.......

Hot rod in red, white, and blue.

Well, it was fun to look at all the cars, and whatever you might think of cars, the outing showed me what sort of passion, work, and pride folks put into these machines. Really, it isn't far from how bike geeks look at their rigs, really.

And another thing- most of these cars were driven there. That's pretty rad. And they even got rained on, and nobody freaked out. I was impressed by that as well.

So, I had a great time there with my family. Then another thing that was non-bicycle related happened that was pretty cool too.  I had been thinking about getting another tube amplifier for my guitars for quite sometime. I had several amps on my radar, but they were all so expensive, and well......I have a pretty sweet little Blues Junior. So, it wasn't a top priority for me, just something I would have liked to have gotten at some point.

Vox AC30CC2

Well, a person that also plays in the church band with me had an AC30 they weren't happy with and it was in decent shape. I got to session it a few times, and well.....I got it this past weekend. 

What can I say? Top Boost channel, a Normal Channel, and a switch that combines them both for really great tones. Swampy tremolo and wet,wet reverb inside as well. Yes- it nails the "Queen" sound, but there is a lot more inside this box than that.

Did I mention it weighs in excess of 80-freakin' el-bees? Ouch! My back probably won't thank me, but my guitars sound so much different through this 2 X 12 monster that it seems as if they are all new git-boxes. For me, that made it worth it right there.

Okay, so there ya have a little glimpse of what I like and do beyond the bicycle stuff. I hope ya'all enjoyed that, but tomorrow it's back to bikes again!

I Aim To Please!

I was visiting an old friend the other day, one who isn't really a "bike-nik" at all. He has known me since childhood, so he keeps tabs on my comings and goings here on the "inner-webs".

<===Not fond of this shot myself!

He's never at a loss for words and he had some comments and concerns about things 'round here. So, being an accommodating dude, I am obliging him today with a bit of content here that was suggested by him.

"First off", he said to me, "how is it that there are no images of Guitar Ted on Guitar Ted's site? What's up with that? You should put up more images of yourself, whether you like them or not!" So, here I have added one from my recent Jasper County trek with d.p. Hope no one gags on their coffee!

<===Gratuitous guitar imagery.

"Secondly, why is it "Guitar Ted Productions" and I never see anything on there about guitars. What's the deal?" Well, he's right, although I just posted the other day about guitars, it doesn't come up all that often here. So, I figured I'd just grab some of them that were at hand, and take a picture. I could have kept going with more guitars, but I figured that would just be piling on. <======Ha!

Then he continued with the "How did the Guitar Ted thing come up?" ruse. Well, I had him on that one. I posted that whole story up once and for all right off when I started blogging in 2005. But, he came back with, "But if somebody new starts reading your site, they won't have a clue." Touche'! So for all you newbies out there, here is the link to "The Story of Guitar Ted"


Okay, he had a lot more ideas that he laid on me, but those were the ones specific to this site, I think.....er.....maybe. Anyway! Hope that helps some of you out there with this site and why things are the way that they are.

I Aim To Please!

I was visiting an old friend the other day, one who isn't really a "bike-nik" at all. He has known me since childhood, so he keeps tabs on my comings and goings here on the "inner-webs".

<===Not fond of this shot myself!

He's never at a loss for words and he had some comments and concerns about things 'round here. So, being an accommodating dude, I am obliging him today with a bit of content here that was suggested by him.

"First off", he said to me, "how is it that there are no images of Guitar Ted on Guitar Ted's site? What's up with that? You should put up more images of yourself, whether you like them or not!" So, here I have added one from my recent Jasper County trek with d.p. Hope no one gags on their coffee!

<===Gratuitous guitar imagery.

"Secondly, why is it "Guitar Ted Productions" and I never see anything on there about guitars. What's the deal?" Well, he's right, although I just posted the other day about guitars, it doesn't come up all that often here. So, I figured I'd just grab some of them that were at hand, and take a picture. I could have kept going with more guitars, but I figured that would just be piling on. <======Ha!

Then he continued with the "How did the Guitar Ted thing come up?" ruse. Well, I had him on that one. I posted that whole story up once and for all right off when I started blogging in 2005. But, he came back with, "But if somebody new starts reading your site, they won't have a clue." Touche'! So for all you newbies out there, here is the link to "The Story of Guitar Ted"


Okay, he had a lot more ideas that he laid on me, but those were the ones specific to this site, I think.....er.....maybe. Anyway! Hope that helps some of you out there with this site and why things are the way that they are.

Weekend Report

<===Making hay in Iowa

This weekend I wanted to put in a moderately tough ride in order to do two things. First I wanted to do a last ride on a test bike for Twenty Nine Inches.  Secondly, I wanted to get in some moderate training for the Dirty Kanza 200 this coming weekend.

Well, I didn't get much of a ride, since my back started twinging and sending me signals that it "wasn't happy" with my hard efforts of late. So, I wisely shut it down and went into "rest mode" to give it a break before the event. I'll probably do a light ride or two now in the early part of the week with the full kit to work out any last minute details and then rest, rest, rest!

I did get to play at my church this weekend, which went really well. I dug out the old Hamer Blitz, (check out a similar guitar to mine here) Mine is like the white one shown at the top of the page in the link, but mine is an '84, the trem has been blocked, and mine has a half white/half black paint job with the dividing line between the colors running diagonally from the upper bass side bout down to the lower treble side bout, basically dissecting the pointy bits! (You can see all my guitars in this 2005 photo here)

So anyway, that was fun, and I hadn't played that guitar for a while, so I'd forgotten how well it can sound.

The rest of the day Sunday was pretty mellow with a game of catch with my son, and then just kicking back and relaxing. Tomorrow I want to do the aforementioned ride and then who knows what. I'll probably obsess over what to take down to Kansas for the weekend!

Weekend Report

<===Making hay in Iowa

This weekend I wanted to put in a moderately tough ride in order to do two things. First I wanted to do a last ride on a test bike for Twenty Nine Inches.  Secondly, I wanted to get in some moderate training for the Dirty Kanza 200 this coming weekend.

Well, I didn't get much of a ride, since my back started twinging and sending me signals that it "wasn't happy" with my hard efforts of late. So, I wisely shut it down and went into "rest mode" to give it a break before the event. I'll probably do a light ride or two now in the early part of the week with the full kit to work out any last minute details and then rest, rest, rest!

I did get to play at my church this weekend, which went really well. I dug out the old Hamer Blitz, (check out a similar guitar to mine here) Mine is like the white one shown at the top of the page in the link, but mine is an '84, the trem has been blocked, and mine has a half white/half black paint job with the dividing line between the colors running diagonally from the upper bass side bout down to the lower treble side bout, basically dissecting the pointy bits! (You can see all my guitars in this 2005 photo here)

So anyway, that was fun, and I hadn't played that guitar for a while, so I'd forgotten how well it can sound.

The rest of the day Sunday was pretty mellow with a game of catch with my son, and then just kicking back and relaxing. Tomorrow I want to do the aforementioned ride and then who knows what. I'll probably obsess over what to take down to Kansas for the weekend!