650B For Gravel: Dead, Dying, Or Dormant?

Back in 2016 WTB shocked the gravel world with the "Road Plus" idea. It was a 650B sized tire, but not in the traditional 42mm size. This tire was a 47mm width and brought with it more volume than the skinnier 650B tires did for road bikes. 

The first tire they debuted, the Horizon, was a slick tire, but it did okay on gravel. Then the Byway came along, and the Venture, and the Sendero. Meanwhile, other brands jumped onboard. Panaracer, Terrene, IRC, and others all started offering 650B X 47-50mm tires. 

The gravel bicycle manufacturers responded with advertising for swappable wheel sizes. Salsa Cycles Journeyman was sold with either wheel size, as an example. Other brands advertised their versatility in that they could support 650B wheels.

Wheel manufacturers came onboard, of course, and many company's press releases contained new information on wheels including that smaller diameter wheel, the 650B size. But in the last few years, the heat for 650B has seemed to cool off some. I've noted less tire news. I've noted fewer 650B alternative choices in wheel news. I've noted less talk about 650B in new bicycle introductions as well. 

My old T-6 Standard Rando with 650B Terrene tires.

Now, we have to take things in some context here. The past two-plus years we've seen economic weirdness. Supply chain issues still persist, and those issues certainly have affected the more niche categories of cycling than others. So, we can probably point to the pandemic as a reason we are not seeing more 650B news. 

That said, I still find it odd that the marketing talk has cooled way off for 650B. I'm not sure we can read a lot into that just yet, and more time will be needed to really get a handle on what is up with this wheel size. 

However; if I had to make a comment on where I thought 650B was in terms of relevancy to gravel/backroad riding right now, I would say that 650B is definitely waning in popularity. At least on the high-end, and on the OEM side. There are riders committed to the size, I am sure of that, and I don't think that this tire size will go away for gravel, but I also do not think it will be as prominent or an option many times going into the future. 

I do think 650B has a place in cycling. Rando riders like that size. Smaller statured folk need that size. So, I think the 650B wheel has its place, but I also believe that most adult humans should ride the biggest wheel available for their size, and for most of us that is 700c right now. 

650B For Gravel: Dead, Dying, Or Dormant?

Back in 2016 WTB shocked the gravel world with the "Road Plus" idea. It was a 650B sized tire, but not in the traditional 42mm size. This tire was a 47mm width and brought with it more volume than the skinnier 650B tires did for road bikes. 

The first tire they debuted, the Horizon, was a slick tire, but it did okay on gravel. Then the Byway came along, and the Venture, and the Sendero. Meanwhile, other brands jumped onboard. Panaracer, Terrene, IRC, and others all started offering 650B X 47-50mm tires. 

The gravel bicycle manufacturers responded with advertising for swappable wheel sizes. Salsa Cycles Journeyman was sold with either wheel size, as an example. Other brands advertised their versatility in that they could support 650B wheels.

Wheel manufacturers came onboard, of course, and many company's press releases contained new information on wheels including that smaller diameter wheel, the 650B size. But in the last few years, the heat for 650B has seemed to cool off some. I've noted less tire news. I've noted fewer 650B alternative choices in wheel news. I've noted less talk about 650B in new bicycle introductions as well. 

My old T-6 Standard Rando with 650B Terrene tires.

Now, we have to take things in some context here. The past two-plus years we've seen economic weirdness. Supply chain issues still persist, and those issues certainly have affected the more niche categories of cycling than others. So, we can probably point to the pandemic as a reason we are not seeing more 650B news. 

That said, I still find it odd that the marketing talk has cooled way off for 650B. I'm not sure we can read a lot into that just yet, and more time will be needed to really get a handle on what is up with this wheel size. 

However; if I had to make a comment on where I thought 650B was in terms of relevancy to gravel/backroad riding right now, I would say that 650B is definitely waning in popularity. At least on the high-end, and on the OEM side. There are riders committed to the size, I am sure of that, and I don't think that this tire size will go away for gravel, but I also do not think it will be as prominent or an option many times going into the future. 

I do think 650B has a place in cycling. Rando riders like that size. Smaller statured folk need that size. So, I think the 650B wheel has its place, but I also believe that most adult humans should ride the biggest wheel available for their size, and for most of us that is 700c right now. 

Bikes Of 2016: Twin Six Standard Rando

Used quite a bit this year.....

The time of year has come that I will be reviewing the bikes I used the most throughout 2016 and why. The ups, downs, changes, and more will be discussed. 

 Twin Six Standard Rando: This bike was a review bike for RidingGravel.com last year and I liked it so much I purchased it. I reviewed it in this series last year here. I still really like it, but there were two rather significant changes which made the bike really special this year. 

First was the switch to 650B wheels. I had the opportunity to test the WTB Horizon 47's this year, but I lacked a proper wheel set to do that with. Velocity USA came to the rescue with a set of Aileron rims laced to their own branded hubs.  Once the wheels and tires were set up, I put them on my Raleigh Tamland Two first. However; I switched them over to the Standard Rando after a while. I then discovered that the ride feel with 650B, "Road Plus" rubber was pretty compelling. The Standard Rando got lowered, felt smoother, and spun up ridiculously fast with these wheels and tires. I really had no reason to swap out that tire until a more fully featured 650B, "Road Plus" tire came along, and it did in the form of the Terrene Elwood 650B X 47mm tires. Now I am liking this wheel/tire combo even more with this bike. 

The second thing was the swap to a Brooks Cambium C-17 saddle. I had heard mixed reviews on this newer Brooks model, but my good friend, MG, had five of them, so I knew there was something to the hype. Well, it wasn't love at first ride, by any means. 

The C-17 felt stiff and a bit unforgiving. Even after a couple of gravel outings. I was about to consider how I was going to pawn it off when after the third longer ride it suddenly became super comfortable.  The compliance was 100% better than when new. Even co-workers were surprised when I rode the bike into work and we compared another new C-17 we had in stock with my broken in C-17. Night and day difference. The saddle has been primo ever since then. 

I mentioned last year that the stem, handle bar, and seat post were apt to get changed, and I still mean to get to that. However; other than a swept bar, I cannot see those things really making the bike better. The wheels, tires, and saddle have just been a major improvement. The ride quality has been enhanced, and the only negative is that I have had a few pedal strikes due to the lowered bottom bracket. 

The Aileron rims have been really great so far. I may pick up a 700c sized set and swap the bigger diameter  tires in  from time to time. That would be nice when I need a higher bottom bracket or the characteristics of a 700c set of wheels over that of a 650B, "Road Plus" set up.

Bikes Of 2016: Twin Six Standard Rando

Used quite a bit this year.....

The time of year has come that I will be reviewing the bikes I used the most throughout 2016 and why. The ups, downs, changes, and more will be discussed. 

 Twin Six Standard Rando: This bike was a review bike for RidingGravel.com last year and I liked it so much I purchased it. I reviewed it in this series last year here. I still really like it, but there were two rather significant changes which made the bike really special this year. 

First was the switch to 650B wheels. I had the opportunity to test the WTB Horizon 47's this year, but I lacked a proper wheel set to do that with. Velocity USA came to the rescue with a set of Aileron rims laced to their own branded hubs.  Once the wheels and tires were set up, I put them on my Raleigh Tamland Two first. However; I switched them over to the Standard Rando after a while. I then discovered that the ride feel with 650B, "Road Plus" rubber was pretty compelling. The Standard Rando got lowered, felt smoother, and spun up ridiculously fast with these wheels and tires. I really had no reason to swap out that tire until a more fully featured 650B, "Road Plus" tire came along, and it did in the form of the Terrene Elwood 650B X 47mm tires. Now I am liking this wheel/tire combo even more with this bike. 

The second thing was the swap to a Brooks Cambium C-17 saddle. I had heard mixed reviews on this newer Brooks model, but my good friend, MG, had five of them, so I knew there was something to the hype. Well, it wasn't love at first ride, by any means. 

The C-17 felt stiff and a bit unforgiving. Even after a couple of gravel outings. I was about to consider how I was going to pawn it off when after the third longer ride it suddenly became super comfortable.  The compliance was 100% better than when new. Even co-workers were surprised when I rode the bike into work and we compared another new C-17 we had in stock with my broken in C-17. Night and day difference. The saddle has been primo ever since then. 

I mentioned last year that the stem, handle bar, and seat post were apt to get changed, and I still mean to get to that. However; other than a swept bar, I cannot see those things really making the bike better. The wheels, tires, and saddle have just been a major improvement. The ride quality has been enhanced, and the only negative is that I have had a few pedal strikes due to the lowered bottom bracket. 

The Aileron rims have been really great so far. I may pick up a 700c sized set and swap the bigger diameter  tires in  from time to time. That would be nice when I need a higher bottom bracket or the characteristics of a 700c set of wheels over that of a 650B, "Road Plus" set up.

Coming To Some Conclusions

It was another beautiful Saturday and I got out for a decent ride.

Saturday I swapped over the 650B Velocity Aileron wheel set shod with the WTB Horizon 47 650B tires to the Twin Six Standard Rando frame. I have wanted to do this ever since I got the wheels and tires for a few reasons.

One was that I thought they would look cool on that bike. Something about tan sidewalls. Secondly, I thought maybe that these tires could be wide but in the end actually leave me more frame clearance than 700c X 40+mm tires do on this bike. Success? I'd say pretty much on all counts here.

The tight spot on this bike, ironically, was never the chain stays. It was always the spot just below the monostay in back and right under the fork crown. Twin Six made some concessions to make fenders and 32mm tires have that perfect look, so this is why it is that way. Unfortunately, one has to put up with small stones getting lodged underneath these two places and rolling around on the tire. Eventually the stone comes zipping out of there, but what worries me is that a bigger stone might actually jam the wheel, even momentarily, and cause me grief. So, the Horizon 47mm tires give me that needed girth without the tight spots underneath the fork crown and monostay. And they do look cool on the bike. See for yourself.......

I think these wheels and tires look better on the T-6 than they did on the Raleigh.

Conclusion: Yes, I do like the way this is working out here. But, is the bottom bracket too low? Well.......I've never had so many stones bounce of the fronts of my shoes, if that is any indication. I don't see why it won't work though. The Horizon 47 and these Velocity Ailerons are about as good as it gets for this bike though. Any wider of a rim and I don't think I would feel comfortable running them in this frame. There is barely enough clearance at the chain stays now. The good news is that the Ailerons and the Horizon 47's seem to work really well together. I'd have no reason to switch them out anyway.

The other thing I am ready to say I like a lot is the Brooks Cambium C-17 saddle. It was a gamble when I got it, but so far I see no reason to believe it won't stay on this bike for the long haul. Comfort is very good over rougher gravel, and it doesn't create any pain after three hours of riding. Obviously, the weather proof covering is a benefit, but one may not realize that sweat isn't affecting it either, which it does with leather. Anyway, this one seems to be a winner.

It was still a good ride for flowers, but they are fading quickly now. In a few weeks there will be very few out there.

Chunky goodness!! I got yer chunky goodness right here!!

The last thing I have come to a final conclusion on is that a summer weight merino wool jersey is the bomb. Yep! Put a base layer on underneath it and you have a super comfy climate around your midsection that never clings, feels suffocating, nor feels all wet and saturated with sweat, even on a hot, sweaty day. I definitely was sweating this past weekend too. Just look at my hand in that image above and you can see that I was. Yet, I didn't ever have that clammy, "garbage bag on my skin" feeling you can get with synthetic jerseys. So, I will be looking at getting a couple more of those types of jerseys or riding "T"'s eventually.

Old bridge on Killdeer in Bremer County

Freshly cut hay drying in the Sun

So, that was a pretty productive ride, as far as sorting things out. The weather was really great, and typically hot. The roads? Well..... I ran into several miles of deep, fresh gravel, and in some spots on Ivanhoe Road the road was oiled and laid with some aggregate that I suppose cuts down on dust. Well, that made the road so smooth it was better than pavement. I had everything in between too. Quite the variable conditions out there!

Thanks for reading.....

Coming To Some Conclusions

It was another beautiful Saturday and I got out for a decent ride.

Saturday I swapped over the 650B Velocity Aileron wheel set shod with the WTB Horizon 47 650B tires to the Twin Six Standard Rando frame. I have wanted to do this ever since I got the wheels and tires for a few reasons.

One was that I thought they would look cool on that bike. Something about tan sidewalls. Secondly, I thought maybe that these tires could be wide but in the end actually leave me more frame clearance than 700c X 40+mm tires do on this bike. Success? I'd say pretty much on all counts here.

The tight spot on this bike, ironically, was never the chain stays. It was always the spot just below the monostay in back and right under the fork crown. Twin Six made some concessions to make fenders and 32mm tires have that perfect look, so this is why it is that way. Unfortunately, one has to put up with small stones getting lodged underneath these two places and rolling around on the tire. Eventually the stone comes zipping out of there, but what worries me is that a bigger stone might actually jam the wheel, even momentarily, and cause me grief. So, the Horizon 47mm tires give me that needed girth without the tight spots underneath the fork crown and monostay. And they do look cool on the bike. See for yourself.......

I think these wheels and tires look better on the T-6 than they did on the Raleigh.

Conclusion: Yes, I do like the way this is working out here. But, is the bottom bracket too low? Well.......I've never had so many stones bounce of the fronts of my shoes, if that is any indication. I don't see why it won't work though. The Horizon 47 and these Velocity Ailerons are about as good as it gets for this bike though. Any wider of a rim and I don't think I would feel comfortable running them in this frame. There is barely enough clearance at the chain stays now. The good news is that the Ailerons and the Horizon 47's seem to work really well together. I'd have no reason to switch them out anyway.

The other thing I am ready to say I like a lot is the Brooks Cambium C-17 saddle. It was a gamble when I got it, but so far I see no reason to believe it won't stay on this bike for the long haul. Comfort is very good over rougher gravel, and it doesn't create any pain after three hours of riding. Obviously, the weather proof covering is a benefit, but one may not realize that sweat isn't affecting it either, which it does with leather. Anyway, this one seems to be a winner.

It was still a good ride for flowers, but they are fading quickly now. In a few weeks there will be very few out there.

Chunky goodness!! I got yer chunky goodness right here!!

The last thing I have come to a final conclusion on is that a summer weight merino wool jersey is the bomb. Yep! Put a base layer on underneath it and you have a super comfy climate around your midsection that never clings, feels suffocating, nor feels all wet and saturated with sweat, even on a hot, sweaty day. I definitely was sweating this past weekend too. Just look at my hand in that image above and you can see that I was. Yet, I didn't ever have that clammy, "garbage bag on my skin" feeling you can get with synthetic jerseys. So, I will be looking at getting a couple more of those types of jerseys or riding "T"'s eventually.

Old bridge on Killdeer in Bremer County

Freshly cut hay drying in the Sun

So, that was a pretty productive ride, as far as sorting things out. The weather was really great, and typically hot. The roads? Well..... I ran into several miles of deep, fresh gravel, and in some spots on Ivanhoe Road the road was oiled and laid with some aggregate that I suppose cuts down on dust. Well, that made the road so smooth it was better than pavement. I had everything in between too. Quite the variable conditions out there!

Thanks for reading.....

Country Views Part 4- Man High By The 4th of July

Bennington School #3 seen from the North.

There used to be an old country saying that went like this: "Knee high by the 4th of July". It was said to be the measure of a good corn crop. Shorter than that, and the corn crop probably would be poor. If the corn was knee high, or higher, it was considered to be a "good omen".

That was back when individual corn plants were planted in hills that were on corners of imaginary squares, so that the corn could be cultivated in rows or diagonally. Things weren't so genetically modified for swift growth either. Make no mistake- corn "hybrid" plants by definition are a "GMO", just not necessarily an "intentionally modified" plant. But I digress..........

The point is, that these days with the hybrids the farmers use, "knee high" happens far before the 4th of July, so the old saw needed modification too, I figured. That's why I am saying "Man high by the 4th of July" to describe a good year for corn so far. I hadn't been out North for almost a month, so I saw that the corn had grown a lot, and indeed, it is "man high" already. Maybe I need to modify the saying further to say LeBron James high by the 4th of July".

Anyway......

A wild area alongside the West ditch on a section of Burton Avenue.

In England they have these "hedgerows" along fields, and places in Europe do as well. We really don't have that exact thing here, but sometimes you come along these "wild rows", so to speak, where vegetation has been allowed to run riot for decades and create its own little ecosystem. These are rare in a day where every inch of tillable land is monetized and made to turn a profit. I stopped by for a short visit and saw some neat things.

A lady bug and another insect busy doing whatever they are doing on this budding plant.

This "wild row" was a riot of different vegetation. Notice the wild asparagus on the left. 

If you looked closely enough, you could find little treasures, like these wild berries.

I moved on from the "wild row" eventually, and after a while I noticed several new blooms that weren't out yet last time I was up this way. There are always a few flowers I see every year that I swear I've never noticed before. This ride proved to be no exception to that rule for me.

Notice the "busy bee".

The weather here has been absolutely stunning. I haven't seen a good stretch of weather like this in a long time. So, there was no way I was staying at home on a day that featured light winds, blue skies, and temperatures in the 70's. That would be insanity. Now I did have some obligations to attend to, but I allowed for a decent stretch of time to get away and enjoy this fantastic weather.

I did have a spot of dog bother though. I was traveling East on Marquis Road East of Highway 63 when a big black lab came bounding out of a farm yard. I had no gas to out run that animal, so I planned to stop and stand my ground. I made a mistake in trying to unclip from the right as my brakes locked up and sent the bike in a slide to the right. I was leaned a bit to the left, to keep from totally losing control. However; my attempt at getting unclipped from the right was misguided and slow which caused me to lurch backward to try and get my footing, which I did not do. So, I toppled over backward, which was obviously the right thing to do because the dog turned tail and ran for the house! I was a bit embarrassed, dusty, and I punctured my left shin, but otherwise I was none the worse for the wear and I avoided having to deal with a dog after all. So, I remounted and slowly ground away up the road.

The ditches were lined with Lillies on the way back to town

Country home.

The Tamland with "B" shoes on.

I rode the Raleigh Tamland Two with the 650B Velocity Aileron rims and WTB Horizon tires. These are really interesting wheels and tires. I decided to try something ridiculous as far as tire pressures go. Really, really low. I read the bit about the current Silca owner and his experimentation with tire pressures while he was at Zipp Wheels and I decided, what the heck! The rear was a bit too low, so I went back on that, but the front stayed where I put it for the entire ride. I'll have more on that later.

I was laughing out loud at one point during the ride because I had stopped and I looked back at my tracks. They made me think of these Horizon tires like grain wagon tires. You know the ones with the slanted, "gravity bottom" beds with the tires being big, bulbous deals with reversed lines in them for tread? Well, those tires float over the gravel and kind of compress it, so when you see those tracks later on the gravel roads the gravel looks smashed down, like a rolling pin went over it. Well, that is what these Horizon tires do at really low pressures.

More coming soon......

Country Views Part 4- Man High By The 4th of July

Bennington School #3 seen from the North.

There used to be an old country saying that went like this: "Knee high by the 4th of July". It was said to be the measure of a good corn crop. Shorter than that, and the corn crop probably would be poor. If the corn was knee high, or higher, it was considered to be a "good omen".

That was back when individual corn plants were planted in hills that were on corners of imaginary squares, so that the corn could be cultivated in rows or diagonally. Things weren't so genetically modified for swift growth either. Make no mistake- corn "hybrid" plants by definition are a "GMO", just not necessarily an "intentionally modified" plant. But I digress..........

The point is, that these days with the hybrids the farmers use, "knee high" happens far before the 4th of July, so the old saw needed modification too, I figured. That's why I am saying "Man high by the 4th of July" to describe a good year for corn so far. I hadn't been out North for almost a month, so I saw that the corn had grown a lot, and indeed, it is "man high" already. Maybe I need to modify the saying further to say LeBron James high by the 4th of July".

Anyway......

A wild area alongside the West ditch on a section of Burton Avenue.

In England they have these "hedgerows" along fields, and places in Europe do as well. We really don't have that exact thing here, but sometimes you come along these "wild rows", so to speak, where vegetation has been allowed to run riot for decades and create its own little ecosystem. These are rare in a day where every inch of tillable land is monetized and made to turn a profit. I stopped by for a short visit and saw some neat things.

A lady bug and another insect busy doing whatever they are doing on this budding plant.

This "wild row" was a riot of different vegetation. Notice the wild asparagus on the left. 

If you looked closely enough, you could find little treasures, like these wild berries.

I moved on from the "wild row" eventually, and after a while I noticed several new blooms that weren't out yet last time I was up this way. There are always a few flowers I see every year that I swear I've never noticed before. This ride proved to be no exception to that rule for me.

Notice the "busy bee".

The weather here has been absolutely stunning. I haven't seen a good stretch of weather like this in a long time. So, there was no way I was staying at home on a day that featured light winds, blue skies, and temperatures in the 70's. That would be insanity. Now I did have some obligations to attend to, but I allowed for a decent stretch of time to get away and enjoy this fantastic weather.

I did have a spot of dog bother though. I was traveling East on Marquis Road East of Highway 63 when a big black lab came bounding out of a farm yard. I had no gas to out run that animal, so I planned to stop and stand my ground. I made a mistake in trying to unclip from the right as my brakes locked up and sent the bike in a slide to the right. I was leaned a bit to the left, to keep from totally losing control. However; my attempt at getting unclipped from the right was misguided and slow which caused me to lurch backward to try and get my footing, which I did not do. So, I toppled over backward, which was obviously the right thing to do because the dog turned tail and ran for the house! I was a bit embarrassed, dusty, and I punctured my left shin, but otherwise I was none the worse for the wear and I avoided having to deal with a dog after all. So, I remounted and slowly ground away up the road.

The ditches were lined with Lillies on the way back to town

Country home.

The Tamland with "B" shoes on.

I rode the Raleigh Tamland Two with the 650B Velocity Aileron rims and WTB Horizon tires. These are really interesting wheels and tires. I decided to try something ridiculous as far as tire pressures go. Really, really low. I read the bit about the current Silca owner and his experimentation with tire pressures while he was at Zipp Wheels and I decided, what the heck! The rear was a bit too low, so I went back on that, but the front stayed where I put it for the entire ride. I'll have more on that later.

I was laughing out loud at one point during the ride because I had stopped and I looked back at my tracks. They made me think of these Horizon tires like grain wagon tires. You know the ones with the slanted, "gravity bottom" beds with the tires being big, bulbous deals with reversed lines in them for tread? Well, those tires float over the gravel and kind of compress it, so when you see those tracks later on the gravel roads the gravel looks smashed down, like a rolling pin went over it. Well, that is what these Horizon tires do at really low pressures.

More coming soon......

Friday News And Views

And the hits just keep on coming....

More WTB:

As if the Horizon 650B tires weren't enough, and as if the Nano 40TCS tires weren't good enough, now WTB has made another tire in the Riddler which gravel road enthusiasts can look forward to trying out. Of course, this was the tire WTB brought two samples of to Trans Iowa v12 and gave away to the Womens Open winner, Sarah Cooper. There will be a 45mm version coming in August, but for now, these  37's are here and will get tested on RidingGravel.com.

I saw these tires only briefly at T.I.v12, and of course, I had other things on my mind that weekend, so I didn't really get a good look at them back then. However; I have obviously taken a closer look now, and I think these will make some good gravel going treads, if I am right about them. First, they have a decent weight, at about 460gm/470gm for each tire. Secondly, the tread pattern is minimal in the center and the edge knobs look decent and I feel that is the way a gravel tire should be. If the edge knobs give lateral stability, and the width is true to spec, then I think these will be winners.

They are a TCS tire, so coupled with a WTB TCS rim, or a Velocity rim, they should pan out to be something that works really well tubeless. That's based upon my experiences with the TCS Nano 40. In fact, I will likely start out these tires with my A-23 wheels and stick them on my trusty Black Mountain Cycles Orange Crush. Later on I think I'll try them on the PWGW wheel set and stick those on the T-6 Standard Rando. Anyway, I am expecting great things from these tires since they are from WTB, and the Nano 40 and, so far, the Horizon 47's have been very impressive tires. I'll be very disappointed if these tires don't at least come out as well as the Nano 40 has.

Wish I was here.....but then again, maybe I don't. Image by Wally Kilburg

 Odin's Revenge

This weekend is Odin's Revenge, a race that I have participated in several times now. I've never been able to pull off a finish there. There are many reasons for that, one of the biggest being that it is an insanely difficult course and usually the event is run when it is very hot. I don't do well when those two factors come together.

Still, it is a "vision quest", a "sweat lodge", or maybe it is a Don Quixote kind of a deal for me. Perhaps it is all of that. I love the event, I really enjoy the people that put it on and how they do things, and I absolutely love the area. I wanted to go this year, and I fully intended to until just after the DK200 trip when I found out that my sister had planned a little something and it requires my attendance, so I had to back out. Honestly, it bums me out that I am not on the road with my friend Tony, headed west to the hills and canyons of West Central Nebraska.

Then again, I am also kind of glad I am not going. It's going to be brutally hot there this year. I'd have a really rough go of it, I am sure. Still........ I'll miss the deal. But the reason I am staying is undeniably a good reason. Can't argue that. More on that after the weekend.......

Tour Divide Track Leader board as of 6/23 @ 10:27pm

Tour Divide:

Looks like sometime today we will have a Tour Divide winner, and it will be in under two weeks time.

That's pretty amazing.

I think the pointy end of this event has been pretty typical of years past, only, ya know.......faster. Anyway, Trans Iowa veteran Chris Plesko looks to nab second and set a new single speed record in the process. A record he currently holds, by the way. Amazing X 2!

Okay, I'm gonna warn y'all.....this is going into retrogrouch territory, probably. But......this TD is weird. Facebook updates? It used to be that you had to hang on waiting for call ins on the TD site, or on wherever that was being hosted, if you got anything but the ubiquitous blue dot. Google Earth lets you look right at the trail, the buildings they are staying in, and it leaves everything void of any imagination or wonder out here as a follower. I don't know, but I bet someone is live broadcasting their ride. Don't tell me if they are, please. But I bet someone is. Is that wrong? I don't know that it is, but for me, it's weird. 

Am I guilty of doing social media too much? Yes. I probably am. However; I always thought the spirit of the TD was that you dropped off the face of the (Google) Earth and went on your own vision quest, with little to no (outside of locals) contact with the outside world. I thought it was a solitary pursuit and that there was zero broadcasting of your whereabouts to get the maximum out of doing this route. Sure, we might have gotten the occasional "he's made it this far" update in the past, but not a blow-by-blow accounting of what you've done for the day, every day you are on the route.

A couple of years ago, a local rider did the TD and we couldn't wait till he got back so he could tell us the stories. Heck.....now we won't have to sit around and listen to stories. Some of these folks have told their story while it happened. I don't know.....it's just weird to me. It takes a certain something out of it that, well.......it's hard to explain it right now for me. It just doesn't feel right.

So, like I said. I'm probably being old and in the way. Carry on.........

Hey, I want to wish all those riding and running the Odin's Revenge a great, safe, fun weekend. Everyone else- Have a fun, safe, enjoyable weekend too, and have a cycling adventure, why don'tcha?

Friday News And Views

And the hits just keep on coming....

More WTB:

As if the Horizon 650B tires weren't enough, and as if the Nano 40TCS tires weren't good enough, now WTB has made another tire in the Riddler which gravel road enthusiasts can look forward to trying out. Of course, this was the tire WTB brought two samples of to Trans Iowa v12 and gave away to the Womens Open winner, Sarah Cooper. There will be a 45mm version coming in August, but for now, these  37's are here and will get tested on RidingGravel.com.

I saw these tires only briefly at T.I.v12, and of course, I had other things on my mind that weekend, so I didn't really get a good look at them back then. However; I have obviously taken a closer look now, and I think these will make some good gravel going treads, if I am right about them. First, they have a decent weight, at about 460gm/470gm for each tire. Secondly, the tread pattern is minimal in the center and the edge knobs look decent and I feel that is the way a gravel tire should be. If the edge knobs give lateral stability, and the width is true to spec, then I think these will be winners.

They are a TCS tire, so coupled with a WTB TCS rim, or a Velocity rim, they should pan out to be something that works really well tubeless. That's based upon my experiences with the TCS Nano 40. In fact, I will likely start out these tires with my A-23 wheels and stick them on my trusty Black Mountain Cycles Orange Crush. Later on I think I'll try them on the PWGW wheel set and stick those on the T-6 Standard Rando. Anyway, I am expecting great things from these tires since they are from WTB, and the Nano 40 and, so far, the Horizon 47's have been very impressive tires. I'll be very disappointed if these tires don't at least come out as well as the Nano 40 has.

Wish I was here.....but then again, maybe I don't. Image by Wally Kilburg

 Odin's Revenge

This weekend is Odin's Revenge, a race that I have participated in several times now. I've never been able to pull off a finish there. There are many reasons for that, one of the biggest being that it is an insanely difficult course and usually the event is run when it is very hot. I don't do well when those two factors come together.

Still, it is a "vision quest", a "sweat lodge", or maybe it is a Don Quixote kind of a deal for me. Perhaps it is all of that. I love the event, I really enjoy the people that put it on and how they do things, and I absolutely love the area. I wanted to go this year, and I fully intended to until just after the DK200 trip when I found out that my sister had planned a little something and it requires my attendance, so I had to back out. Honestly, it bums me out that I am not on the road with my friend Tony, headed west to the hills and canyons of West Central Nebraska.

Then again, I am also kind of glad I am not going. It's going to be brutally hot there this year. I'd have a really rough go of it, I am sure. Still........ I'll miss the deal. But the reason I am staying is undeniably a good reason. Can't argue that. More on that after the weekend.......

Tour Divide Track Leader board as of 6/23 @ 10:27pm

Tour Divide:

Looks like sometime today we will have a Tour Divide winner, and it will be in under two weeks time.

That's pretty amazing.

I think the pointy end of this event has been pretty typical of years past, only, ya know.......faster. Anyway, Trans Iowa veteran Chris Plesko looks to nab second and set a new single speed record in the process. A record he currently holds, by the way. Amazing X 2!

Okay, I'm gonna warn y'all.....this is going into retrogrouch territory, probably. But......this TD is weird. Facebook updates? It used to be that you had to hang on waiting for call ins on the TD site, or on wherever that was being hosted, if you got anything but the ubiquitous blue dot. Google Earth lets you look right at the trail, the buildings they are staying in, and it leaves everything void of any imagination or wonder out here as a follower. I don't know, but I bet someone is live broadcasting their ride. Don't tell me if they are, please. But I bet someone is. Is that wrong? I don't know that it is, but for me, it's weird. 

Am I guilty of doing social media too much? Yes. I probably am. However; I always thought the spirit of the TD was that you dropped off the face of the (Google) Earth and went on your own vision quest, with little to no (outside of locals) contact with the outside world. I thought it was a solitary pursuit and that there was zero broadcasting of your whereabouts to get the maximum out of doing this route. Sure, we might have gotten the occasional "he's made it this far" update in the past, but not a blow-by-blow accounting of what you've done for the day, every day you are on the route.

A couple of years ago, a local rider did the TD and we couldn't wait till he got back so he could tell us the stories. Heck.....now we won't have to sit around and listen to stories. Some of these folks have told their story while it happened. I don't know.....it's just weird to me. It takes a certain something out of it that, well.......it's hard to explain it right now for me. It just doesn't feel right.

So, like I said. I'm probably being old and in the way. Carry on.........

Hey, I want to wish all those riding and running the Odin's Revenge a great, safe, fun weekend. Everyone else- Have a fun, safe, enjoyable weekend too, and have a cycling adventure, why don'tcha?