The 24hrs of Cumming Report Part 1

The front of Sam's place in the DSM.

This past weekend was the annual 24hrs of Cumming, a gravel event based upon what the old 24hr mtb races were like where a team, or a solo rider, does a prescribed distance (or as many laps as possible in many cases) over a 24 hour time period. The 24hrs of Cumming is set up such that there are 4 loops of approximately 60 miles each. Sam, my Gent's Race teammate, invited me to partner with him in the 2 Man/400K challenge.

The weekend started off with my heading down to Des Moines, Iowa to hook up with Sam Friday afternoon. When I arrived at his casa, he gave me the tour and we downloaded my stuff into his Sprinter van for the trip the next day to Cumming, Iowa, which is just Southwest of Des Moines.

But first, we had to get ourselves checked in at the race headquarters, which was located at the Cumming Tap. There are bike paths right from Sam's place all the way down to the tap and it is about a 12 mile ride one way. It was great to get down there and back with Sam. We had a lot of time to chat and catch up. After we got back it was time to get vittles at Sam's own Krunkwich Ramen House. I highly recommend it if you are ever in Des Moines.

I decided to "eat like Sam" for the weekend and be vegan. It wasn't hard to do, and it was very tasty! You do have to think past your usual conventions and habits, which can be a good thing to make yourself do, I think. Anyway......

Then we had an "endurance podcast" session. Sam has his own podcast called "Cyclist- Not Biker", and I was his first guest! (NOTICE- this podcast is a bit "sweary", so you may not want to play it out loud in front of certain folks.) Sam doesn't have the marathon podcast up yet, but when it goes live, I'll put a link up. We didn't know we were going to record for two hours, in fact, we didn't really have a clear idea of what we were going to say. But it came out well. I covered Trans Iowa, promoter woes, the gravel scene as it stands today, and what I think will be its future and why. It's all in the unvarnished, raw, opinionated format Sam is known for, I think some of you might find it interesting.

The DSM skyline as seen out on Sam's balcony.

Afterward we chatted a bit more and then we hit the hay. No big rush, since the event didn't start until 11:00am. We would have plenty of time in the morning to get down to Cumming, set up, and then wait for the start, which Sam was planning on taking. He was going to do Leg 1 and Leg 3, while I would tackle 2 and 4.

 Our place of abode for the weekend's activities was a huge open area above the building the Cumming Tap is in.

 

 

Breakfast was had and we moseyed on down to Cumming and downloaded our stuff into the huge area above the Cumming Tap. Then Sam got kitted up and at precisely 11:00am he headed on out to tackle the first leg of the event for us.

Stay tuned for the Part 2 of this report tomorrow.

The 24hrs of Cumming Report Part 1

The front of Sam's place in the DSM.

This past weekend was the annual 24hrs of Cumming, a gravel event based upon what the old 24hr mtb races were like where a team, or a solo rider, does a prescribed distance (or as many laps as possible in many cases) over a 24 hour time period. The 24hrs of Cumming is set up such that there are 4 loops of approximately 60 miles each. Sam, my Gent's Race teammate, invited me to partner with him in the 2 Man/400K challenge.

The weekend started off with my heading down to Des Moines, Iowa to hook up with Sam Friday afternoon. When I arrived at his casa, he gave me the tour and we downloaded my stuff into his Sprinter van for the trip the next day to Cumming, Iowa, which is just Southwest of Des Moines.

But first, we had to get ourselves checked in at the race headquarters, which was located at the Cumming Tap. There are bike paths right from Sam's place all the way down to the tap and it is about a 12 mile ride one way. It was great to get down there and back with Sam. We had a lot of time to chat and catch up. After we got back it was time to get vittles at Sam's own Krunkwich Ramen House. I highly recommend it if you are ever in Des Moines.

I decided to "eat like Sam" for the weekend and be vegan. It wasn't hard to do, and it was very tasty! You do have to think past your usual conventions and habits, which can be a good thing to make yourself do, I think. Anyway......

Then we had an "endurance podcast" session. Sam has his own podcast called "Cyclist- Not Biker", and I was his first guest! (NOTICE- this podcast is a bit "sweary", so you may not want to play it out loud in front of certain folks.) Sam doesn't have the marathon podcast up yet, but when it goes live, I'll put a link up. We didn't know we were going to record for two hours, in fact, we didn't really have a clear idea of what we were going to say. But it came out well. I covered Trans Iowa, promoter woes, the gravel scene as it stands today, and what I think will be its future and why. It's all in the unvarnished, raw, opinionated format Sam is known for, I think some of you might find it interesting.

The DSM skyline as seen out on Sam's balcony.

Afterward we chatted a bit more and then we hit the hay. No big rush, since the event didn't start until 11:00am. We would have plenty of time in the morning to get down to Cumming, set up, and then wait for the start, which Sam was planning on taking. He was going to do Leg 1 and Leg 3, while I would tackle 2 and 4.

 Our place of abode for the weekend's activities was a huge open area above the building the Cumming Tap is in.

 

 

Breakfast was had and we moseyed on down to Cumming and downloaded our stuff into the huge area above the Cumming Tap. Then Sam got kitted up and at precisely 11:00am he headed on out to tackle the first leg of the event for us.

Stay tuned for the Part 2 of this report tomorrow.

Friday News And Views

New perches from WTB are wider

WTB Introduces Wider Saddles In Silverado and SL8:

Okay, I have to say up front that I am a huge fan of WTB saddles going way back to the 1990's. My love affair with these saddles started with the old SST model and then I moved on to the Pure V.

WTB had this street/commuter high performance saddle for a while I liked, but it was too narrow. So too was the Silverado, and while I was attracted to the shape of that model, I knew that since it was offered in only a narrow width, I couldn't afford to try it.

Meanwhile, my brother-from-another-mother, MG, tried the Silverado and has loved it since. He has nothing but good things to say about it, but his posterior parts are not as "wide-load" as mine are, so he needs that narrower saddle. Well, now WTB has Silverado saddles in a 142mm width, just perfect for my undercarriage. They also are doing the SL8 (say: "S-L-8, not slate) in wider widths and not only 142mm, but 150mm as well. Unfortunately there is no 150mm offered in the Silverado for those wondering about that.

Well, the SL8 is not one I paid attention to, it being initially offered only in an ultra-narrow 127mm width. (Ouch! That hurts me just thinking about it!) Anyway, now they have it in the 142mm width as well, so I can actually sit on it and not fear being split in half. And sit on that saddle as well as the Silverado is what I intend to do. See, WTB sent out a press kit to RidingGravel.com so I could try these two saddles out and write about my experience. That'll get posted there later.

New direct-to-consumer brand Thesis launched this week.

Thesis Launches Direct-To-Consumer OB1 Model:

Direct to consumer brands are nothing new, but since retail is languishing in the brick and mortar category, many entrepreneurs are looking at this business model. A new brand dubbed Thesis is the latest that I have heard about to hit the scene.

Of course, their first model to market would be an "all-road", gravel type bike because, other than e-bikes, that is the hot category now. Promising what many direct to consumer brands do, (nearly half price of typical bike shop brands), and the latest technologies with several options available, the Thesis brand hopes to carve out a niche in the ever more crowded direct-to-consumer marketplace.

I have two reactions to their press release. One- The language in the release, and especially on their site, is heavily anti-traditional retail and discretely tries to lead you to believe that you are not very smart if you buy from a bike shop. Yet they suggest that you go there to be fit, because, well.....Thesis cannot support you that way, amongst other ways which aren't pointed out. Secondly, the release and the website state that the business model of bicycle brands is to fragment the market and lead you to believe that you "need all these bicycles". Which, on the surface of it, sounds plausible. However; if you consider that after everyone gets a Thesis they will no longer ever need another bicycle, (if what they say is true), then their business model has quite a finite lifespan, no?

I think marketing is marketing, and I smell a strong scent of it in Thesis' presser. They are definitely reaching out to the anti-business, anti-bike shop conspiracy theorists which are out there. Let's make no mistake, if that wasn't the case there would be no Bikes Direct. (Or Canyon, or others in the category)

Here We Go.....

This weekend I am going to do something I haven't done in over a decade. A 24hr event. I'm on a two man team with Sam Auen, he of Tacopocalypse and Krunkwich fame. Together we are "Team Pink", since we are both going to ride pink bicycles, for better or for worse!

The event is on gravel and is called the 24hrs of Cumming. Team Pink will be there and doing the 400K distance option. Each loop is about 60 miles in length and there are 4 loops which are all different, mostly in the area Southwest of Des Moines, Iowa. In other words, it is very hilly. 

I'll be riding my new Black Mountain Cycles MCD, of course, which, if you haven't heard, was dubbed the "Bubblegum Princess" by my daughter. Sam will be riding his pink Twin Six Standard Rando. This will be the BgP's (that's short for Bubblegum Princess) first big outing and I'm looking forward to seeing how it handles the high speed descents down there. It should be interesting at night! 

Also, it is Sam's birthday weekend. Yikes! I've heard stories about Sam's B'day celebrations and they are...... Well, let's hope I survive it! The bike riding will be a piece of cake if the legends I've heard are true about the birthday celebrations of Sam's! 

That's a warp on this week. Get out and ride those bicycles, folks! 

Friday News And Views

New perches from WTB are wider

WTB Introduces Wider Saddles In Silverado and SL8:

Okay, I have to say up front that I am a huge fan of WTB saddles going way back to the 1990's. My love affair with these saddles started with the old SST model and then I moved on to the Pure V.

WTB had this street/commuter high performance saddle for a while I liked, but it was too narrow. So too was the Silverado, and while I was attracted to the shape of that model, I knew that since it was offered in only a narrow width, I couldn't afford to try it.

Meanwhile, my brother-from-another-mother, MG, tried the Silverado and has loved it since. He has nothing but good things to say about it, but his posterior parts are not as "wide-load" as mine are, so he needs that narrower saddle. Well, now WTB has Silverado saddles in a 142mm width, just perfect for my undercarriage. They also are doing the SL8 (say: "S-L-8, not slate) in wider widths and not only 142mm, but 150mm as well. Unfortunately there is no 150mm offered in the Silverado for those wondering about that.

Well, the SL8 is not one I paid attention to, it being initially offered only in an ultra-narrow 127mm width. (Ouch! That hurts me just thinking about it!) Anyway, now they have it in the 142mm width as well, so I can actually sit on it and not fear being split in half. And sit on that saddle as well as the Silverado is what I intend to do. See, WTB sent out a press kit to RidingGravel.com so I could try these two saddles out and write about my experience. That'll get posted there later.

New direct-to-consumer brand Thesis launched this week.

Thesis Launches Direct-To-Consumer OB1 Model:

Direct to consumer brands are nothing new, but since retail is languishing in the brick and mortar category, many entrepreneurs are looking at this business model. A new brand dubbed Thesis is the latest that I have heard about to hit the scene.

Of course, their first model to market would be an "all-road", gravel type bike because, other than e-bikes, that is the hot category now. Promising what many direct to consumer brands do, (nearly half price of typical bike shop brands), and the latest technologies with several options available, the Thesis brand hopes to carve out a niche in the ever more crowded direct-to-consumer marketplace.

I have two reactions to their press release. One- The language in the release, and especially on their site, is heavily anti-traditional retail and discretely tries to lead you to believe that you are not very smart if you buy from a bike shop. Yet they suggest that you go there to be fit, because, well.....Thesis cannot support you that way, amongst other ways which aren't pointed out. Secondly, the release and the website state that the business model of bicycle brands is to fragment the market and lead you to believe that you "need all these bicycles". Which, on the surface of it, sounds plausible. However; if you consider that after everyone gets a Thesis they will no longer ever need another bicycle, (if what they say is true), then their business model has quite a finite lifespan, no?

I think marketing is marketing, and I smell a strong scent of it in Thesis' presser. They are definitely reaching out to the anti-business, anti-bike shop conspiracy theorists which are out there. Let's make no mistake, if that wasn't the case there would be no Bikes Direct. (Or Canyon, or others in the category)

Here We Go.....

This weekend I am going to do something I haven't done in over a decade. A 24hr event. I'm on a two man team with Sam Auen, he of Tacopocalypse and Krunkwich fame. Together we are "Team Pink", since we are both going to ride pink bicycles, for better or for worse!

The event is on gravel and is called the 24hrs of Cumming. Team Pink will be there and doing the 400K distance option. Each loop is about 60 miles in length and there are 4 loops which are all different, mostly in the area Southwest of Des Moines, Iowa. In other words, it is very hilly. 

I'll be riding my new Black Mountain Cycles MCD, of course, which, if you haven't heard, was dubbed the "Bubblegum Princess" by my daughter. Sam will be riding his pink Twin Six Standard Rando. This will be the BgP's (that's short for Bubblegum Princess) first big outing and I'm looking forward to seeing how it handles the high speed descents down there. It should be interesting at night! 

Also, it is Sam's birthday weekend. Yikes! I've heard stories about Sam's B'day celebrations and they are...... Well, let's hope I survive it! The bike riding will be a piece of cake if the legends I've heard are true about the birthday celebrations of Sam's! 

That's a warp on this week. Get out and ride those bicycles, folks! 

Riding For Fried Chicken

Fried Chicken: Image courtesy of Sam Auen's "Fowl Words" blog.

You know, I have a history of "thinking out loud" here and there that gets me into things I never dreamed of. Take for instance Trans Iowa. That totally was a spur of the moment blurt that got me hooked into 13 years of producing the nuttiest gravel event ever. Or take that time I "thought out loud" on the blog here when I was thinking about a 29"er "meet-up" in the Mid-West. That got me into a pickle that affected many folks AND Trans Iowa. Or what about that time I posted here about how "someone should put together a gravel events calendar". Yeah.......We all know what that all led to.

Suffice it to say that I probably should reconsider just  putting my spur of the moment thoughts, whatever those may be, out for public consumption. I often end up sliding down another rabbit hole and fast. In fact, that happened Wednesday evening. You know......I was just sitting around, mindlessly surfing the innergoogles, as I often do before I retire for the evening, and some twisted thought just popped into my head. It's one thing to have that happen, but for some God forsaken reason, I actually posted it on Twitter. I really should know better, but, ya know, at the time I figured, "What the heck!" It was all just done in fun, as far as I was concerned.

I have no idea where these twisted thoughts arise from. Maybe it is because I am originally from Charles City, Iowa. I know of several twisted individuals that came out of that village. Maybe it was too much loud music and beer in my 20's, or maybe I got a whiff of something I shouldn't have at that Motley Crue concert in the 80's.

Who knows?

Someone needs to stop me from Tweeting late at night!

So, I posted this, what I thought was, innocuous Tweet late in the evening and thought, "Meh! Nobody will notice that. Sam probably won't even acknowledge it."

I figured it was a stupid thing to even suggest. I mean, Sam, of Tacopocalypse and Krunkwich Ramen House fame has a lot on his platter, so to speak. He even has plans in the hopper for other restaurants and going gallivanting around chasing down fried chicken on a bicycle...... Well! Yeah, whatever dude! I thought it would probably be received like a ding-dong comment from the nerdy kid on the back of the bus.

But.....I was wrong. 

It just escalated from there......

 Sam hadn't even seen the Tweet before two other folks were all over the idea. Then in the morning, more folks jumped on the bandwagon saying this should happen. Next thing I know Sam is researching places to go. What the heck!

Now, maybe you are sitting there thinking that this sounds like a really cool idea and that I need to organize a ride to go eat fried chicken in some remote, small town restaurant. Yes.......that would be cool, but keep in mind that it is just an idea here and nothing more. Who knows if anything will ever come of it, but I do know that if it does, it will be awesome. I mean really..........fried chicken and gravel riding? 

How can it not be awesome? 

Riding For Fried Chicken

Fried Chicken: Image courtesy of Sam Auen's "Fowl Words" blog.

You know, I have a history of "thinking out loud" here and there that gets me into things I never dreamed of. Take for instance Trans Iowa. That totally was a spur of the moment blurt that got me hooked into 13 years of producing the nuttiest gravel event ever. Or take that time I "thought out loud" on the blog here when I was thinking about a 29"er "meet-up" in the Mid-West. That got me into a pickle that affected many folks AND Trans Iowa. Or what about that time I posted here about how "someone should put together a gravel events calendar". Yeah.......We all know what that all led to.

Suffice it to say that I probably should reconsider just  putting my spur of the moment thoughts, whatever those may be, out for public consumption. I often end up sliding down another rabbit hole and fast. In fact, that happened Wednesday evening. You know......I was just sitting around, mindlessly surfing the innergoogles, as I often do before I retire for the evening, and some twisted thought just popped into my head. It's one thing to have that happen, but for some God forsaken reason, I actually posted it on Twitter. I really should know better, but, ya know, at the time I figured, "What the heck!" It was all just done in fun, as far as I was concerned.

I have no idea where these twisted thoughts arise from. Maybe it is because I am originally from Charles City, Iowa. I know of several twisted individuals that came out of that village. Maybe it was too much loud music and beer in my 20's, or maybe I got a whiff of something I shouldn't have at that Motley Crue concert in the 80's.

Who knows?

Someone needs to stop me from Tweeting late at night!

So, I posted this, what I thought was, innocuous Tweet late in the evening and thought, "Meh! Nobody will notice that. Sam probably won't even acknowledge it."

I figured it was a stupid thing to even suggest. I mean, Sam, of Tacopocalypse and Krunkwich Ramen House fame has a lot on his platter, so to speak. He even has plans in the hopper for other restaurants and going gallivanting around chasing down fried chicken on a bicycle...... Well! Yeah, whatever dude! I thought it would probably be received like a ding-dong comment from the nerdy kid on the back of the bus.

But.....I was wrong. 

It just escalated from there......

 Sam hadn't even seen the Tweet before two other folks were all over the idea. Then in the morning, more folks jumped on the bandwagon saying this should happen. Next thing I know Sam is researching places to go. What the heck!

Now, maybe you are sitting there thinking that this sounds like a really cool idea and that I need to organize a ride to go eat fried chicken in some remote, small town restaurant. Yes.......that would be cool, but keep in mind that it is just an idea here and nothing more. Who knows if anything will ever come of it, but I do know that if it does, it will be awesome. I mean really..........fried chicken and gravel riding? 

How can it not be awesome? 

Happenings Of Late

January.....no snow, no ice, and lots of mud and water!

This is a period of time now where Winter has gone AWOL and we are left with foggy, drippy, cool weather which has depleted the snow. We are now back to the "Brown Phase" and everything looks sullen and dreary.

The ice storm from last week has also had all of its effects melted away, creating another issue- flooding. Since the water that melted and the rain that fell had no where to go in to the soil, due to frozen ground, it ran into all the rivers and streams instead. That has caused ice jams and flooding that is more akin to early March weather than mid-January fare. Hey, at least it isn't below zero!

So, I've been back to riding just recently since being sick. I have been spending most of my time on fat bikes and will continue to do so until I feel better and especially if it snows again. It might do so Tuesday. Anyway, with the water sitting around, and with what little ice there is, it all dictates that I ride the fat bike, which is more sure-footed. It doesn't have a tendency to sink in the mire in a couple of places where I have that on my commute.

I felt good enough to spend Saturday going down to see what was up at the Iowa Bike Expo in Des Moines. Plus, I got to eat lunch at Krunkwich Ramen House, which I highly recommend if you find yourself in Iowa's capital city. Anyway, following are a few of the highlights of the show from my viewpoint. I'll add a bit of commentary as we go here.

Bombtrack Bikes are from Germany, but distributed out of Ames Iowa.

I first came across a Bombtrack Bikes "Beyond" model that caught my eye. It is pretty much a take on a Gen I Fargo, so I was happy to actually get to take a look at one up close. The frame tubing is Columbus CroMor double butted, and seems to be a good thinner walled spec. The bike nails the vibe of a Gen I Fargo, but every time I check out the Bombtrack geo chart on this bike I kind of shake my head. A 72.5° degree head tube angle and a 38mm offset seems really weird. But.......if you load the thing down on the front wheel with gear? Maybe that is what Bombtrack had in mind.

Possibly a gravel rig here?

The Bombtrack Hook-2 model was also present. The "all-road" offering looks the part of a gravel rig, but once again, the geo chart leaves me scratching my head. The Hook has a head angle that is a half degree slacker than the Beyond, which is weird in itself, and the bottom bracket drop is merely 60mm. Way too high for my tastes. Crazy high, I would say. I took a peek at the 36mm Clements and they had just enough mud clearance to get by, but a bigger tire would be a no-go. I'm thinking this is an off the peg cyclo cross frameset here. Sure looks that way at any rate.

The Bianchi "Allroad"

I spied a patch of celeste blue and knew immediately that I was coming up on some Bianchis. That brand's signature color is their calling card. Fortunately, besides a bunch of road rockets, I found the Allroad, Bianchi's take on what would be good on gravel roads. The geometry is a bit too cyclo-cross-ish still, with a bottom bracket drop of 68mm and the head tube angle is 72°, which is acceptable, but not pushing any boundaries. Okay, so how's that tire clearance?

Ha! Not good. 35mm tires were mounted and that's all you are squeezing in between those chain stays. Moving on now........

My daughter liked the Cannondale 27.5+ bike on display, the Beast Of The East.

The Salsa Cycles Timberjack was in the house.

Specialized's Sequoia

Later into my walk around the expo area I found the Specialized Sequoia, a bike that is getting a lot of press as a bike-packing/touring/adventure vehicle on two wheels. I was pretty curious on this one so I took a much closer look.

It is quite evident once you get up close and personal that the Sequoia was meant to be a beast of burden. Big, beefy chain stays, stout tubing, and that massive front fork are obviously made to be stiff under load and track straight while carrying you on down the road. That said, a carbon fiber touring fork?

We had a good time there, saw a few friends, and zipped on to other business that had to do with the rest of the family.

Happenings Of Late

January.....no snow, no ice, and lots of mud and water!

This is a period of time now where Winter has gone AWOL and we are left with foggy, drippy, cool weather which has depleted the snow. We are now back to the "Brown Phase" and everything looks sullen and dreary.

The ice storm from last week has also had all of its effects melted away, creating another issue- flooding. Since the water that melted and the rain that fell had no where to go in to the soil, due to frozen ground, it ran into all the rivers and streams instead. That has caused ice jams and flooding that is more akin to early March weather than mid-January fare. Hey, at least it isn't below zero!

So, I've been back to riding just recently since being sick. I have been spending most of my time on fat bikes and will continue to do so until I feel better and especially if it snows again. It might do so Tuesday. Anyway, with the water sitting around, and with what little ice there is, it all dictates that I ride the fat bike, which is more sure-footed. It doesn't have a tendency to sink in the mire in a couple of places where I have that on my commute.

I felt good enough to spend Saturday going down to see what was up at the Iowa Bike Expo in Des Moines. Plus, I got to eat lunch at Krunkwich Ramen House, which I highly recommend if you find yourself in Iowa's capital city. Anyway, following are a few of the highlights of the show from my viewpoint. I'll add a bit of commentary as we go here.

Bombtrack Bikes are from Germany, but distributed out of Ames Iowa.

I first came across a Bombtrack Bikes "Beyond" model that caught my eye. It is pretty much a take on a Gen I Fargo, so I was happy to actually get to take a look at one up close. The frame tubing is Columbus CroMor double butted, and seems to be a good thinner walled spec. The bike nails the vibe of a Gen I Fargo, but every time I check out the Bombtrack geo chart on this bike I kind of shake my head. A 72.5° degree head tube angle and a 38mm offset seems really weird. But.......if you load the thing down on the front wheel with gear? Maybe that is what Bombtrack had in mind.

Possibly a gravel rig here?

The Bombtrack Hook-2 model was also present. The "all-road" offering looks the part of a gravel rig, but once again, the geo chart leaves me scratching my head. The Hook has a head angle that is a half degree slacker than the Beyond, which is weird in itself, and the bottom bracket drop is merely 60mm. Way too high for my tastes. Crazy high, I would say. I took a peek at the 36mm Clements and they had just enough mud clearance to get by, but a bigger tire would be a no-go. I'm thinking this is an off the peg cyclo cross frameset here. Sure looks that way at any rate.

The Bianchi "Allroad"

I spied a patch of celeste blue and knew immediately that I was coming up on some Bianchis. That brand's signature color is their calling card. Fortunately, besides a bunch of road rockets, I found the Allroad, Bianchi's take on what would be good on gravel roads. The geometry is a bit too cyclo-cross-ish still, with a bottom bracket drop of 68mm and the head tube angle is 72°, which is acceptable, but not pushing any boundaries. Okay, so how's that tire clearance?

Ha! Not good. 35mm tires were mounted and that's all you are squeezing in between those chain stays. Moving on now........

My daughter liked the Cannondale 27.5+ bike on display, the Beast Of The East.

The Salsa Cycles Timberjack was in the house.

Specialized's Sequoia

Later into my walk around the expo area I found the Specialized Sequoia, a bike that is getting a lot of press as a bike-packing/touring/adventure vehicle on two wheels. I was pretty curious on this one so I took a much closer look.

It is quite evident once you get up close and personal that the Sequoia was meant to be a beast of burden. Big, beefy chain stays, stout tubing, and that massive front fork are obviously made to be stiff under load and track straight while carrying you on down the road. That said, a carbon fiber touring fork?

We had a good time there, saw a few friends, and zipped on to other business that had to do with the rest of the family.

Randomonium

Morning at the Iowa Bike Expo

Okay, so this is going to be a disjointed post with some random stuff- randomonium-  get it?

Ahh.......okay, well.........anyway, it's a crazy mish-mash today, so bear with me here.....

Over the weekend I celebrated my birthday, and along with that I attended the Iowa Race Director's Meeting as a panelist and went out to view some of the Iowa Bike Expo which was being held in the same building. I'd never been to this gig before, and it was impressive.

The meeting went on after noon, but I didn't bother with the topics being presented then, as they didn't really have any bearing on how I put on rides. So, the expo was right after my segment at the summit.  I went up to see it with my family in tow and saw a few folks that I don't get to see all that often. Interestingly, there were a lot of folks around and about for what amounted to lunchtime. I was fairly impressed by that alone, but the booths with some bike shops, rides, and cycling related concerns was also cool.

I was telling Mrs. Guitar Ted that we would skeedaddle on outta there after I made a promised contact and then we'd eat lunch. Well I made that contact, then I saw two more folks I wanted to chat with "quick", and on the way out we were stopped twice more! I just cannot seem to walk five paces at a bicycle gathering without stopping to chat! There just isn't enough time in the day, I tell ya!

Found on the wall at Krunkwich Ramen House.

Well, we finally did make our way out of there, and then drove across the Des Moines River to see Krunkwich Ramen House, the restaurant which is owned by my friend, Sam Auen of Tacopocalypse fame. My family had eaten there twice before without me, so I was eager to try out the grub on offer there.

Okay, so here's the deal with Krunkwich. (from their site)

" Krunkwich Ramen House is Des Moines, is Iowa’s first restaurant dedicated to the art of Japanese and Fusion Ramen.  The restaurant is brought to you by the minds behind Tacopocalypse.  Our focus is on fresh, local ingredients used to create dishes inspired by the foods of Japan, Korean, China, Vietnam, while also drawing from the foods of Europe and the Americas."

I ordered the #99 which is "#$@&!! Ramen" because it's hot 'n spicy. I like my food with some heat, so I was down with this deal. Mrs Guitar Ted had "Kimchi and Bacon Krunkrice". I won't get into the details of what was in these items, but if you are curious, here's Krunkwich's menu. The kids had Japchae, (jop-chay) and Banh Mi with Krunk Tots. Everything came in a timely manner and the wait staff was really chipper and kind, despite their being rather busy at the time we were there. 

Okay, here's the deal- if you are ever in Des Moines and looking for good eats, go to Krunkwich. It is amazing. I ate my selection with gusto, tried Mrs Guitar Ted's selection which was also awesome, and had a couple bites of the Japchae which had a smoky, earthy taste. My meal was spicy as I like it, and Mrs. Guitar Ted's was a total mash-up of American and Asian which I cannot explain in words, but it was great! Just go there, or to Tacopocalypse, either will blow your face off. In a good way. 

The Black Hawk has receded, and the ice went out for now.

 We went home and on Sunday I got an afternoon ride in at the Green Belt, which I mentioned yesterday in the Body Float review I posted. It was chilly, but really not too bad in the woods. I saw several folks out and about. Walkers and other fat bikers were seen from one end of the Green Belt to the other. It was cool to see that many folks had realized the benefits of being outdoors instead of having their faces plunged into a device of some sort. 

One thing that did bother me a bit though was that I noticed some yahoos had been through the Southern most end of the Green Belt on a quad vehicle. While the tracks were mostly benign, and didn't really affect too much, that isn't the point. The City of Waterloo Parks & Recreation Department is to blame here because of the way they maintain the Green Belt. 

It used to be that they left the trail alone until late August, and then they mowed it once with a "bush hog" type mower, which has a swath of maybe four feet or so. Too narrow a path for most motorized vehicles to bother with. There used to be a few deterrents to motorized vehicles in the form of wooden plank crossings of the creek and a deep ditch on the South end that used to require a dismount if you were cycling and was more than six feet deep. Now with the rip-rap the City dumped in, the removal of the bridges, and with the filling in of that big ditch, there are no deterrents to roving motorized vehicles in there. To make matters worse, the City clear cuts the trail with an enormous end loader instead of a bush hog mower, and the trails are wide enough now for a car or truck to easily pass through. And you know what? I've seen car or truck tracks several times on the South end. 

The widening and sanitizing of the Green Belt is going to result in an accident someday between a non-motorized user and a motorized vehicle of some sort. I've seen moto cross bikes, snowmobiles, and ATV's back there, and it wouldn't take but one blind corner with a biker or hiker just around the bend to have a bad situation occur. Waterloo should not have widened out the trails so much, and if the City insists on doing the wide clear cutting, then some gates or bollards need to be installed at certain points to fend off the motorized users. Either that, or say ta hell wid it, and just allow a free-for-all situation where motorized users and human powered users mix it up in whatever way happens. Having signs posted saying that motorized users are not allowed is certainly not working. That's for sure. 

 Okay, that's enough random thoughts for one post, I'm sure! 

Randomonium

Morning at the Iowa Bike Expo

Okay, so this is going to be a disjointed post with some random stuff- randomonium-  get it?

Ahh.......okay, well.........anyway, it's a crazy mish-mash today, so bear with me here.....

Over the weekend I celebrated my birthday, and along with that I attended the Iowa Race Director's Meeting as a panelist and went out to view some of the Iowa Bike Expo which was being held in the same building. I'd never been to this gig before, and it was impressive.

The meeting went on after noon, but I didn't bother with the topics being presented then, as they didn't really have any bearing on how I put on rides. So, the expo was right after my segment at the summit.  I went up to see it with my family in tow and saw a few folks that I don't get to see all that often. Interestingly, there were a lot of folks around and about for what amounted to lunchtime. I was fairly impressed by that alone, but the booths with some bike shops, rides, and cycling related concerns was also cool.

I was telling Mrs. Guitar Ted that we would skeedaddle on outta there after I made a promised contact and then we'd eat lunch. Well I made that contact, then I saw two more folks I wanted to chat with "quick", and on the way out we were stopped twice more! I just cannot seem to walk five paces at a bicycle gathering without stopping to chat! There just isn't enough time in the day, I tell ya!

Found on the wall at Krunkwich Ramen House.

Well, we finally did make our way out of there, and then drove across the Des Moines River to see Krunkwich Ramen House, the restaurant which is owned by my friend, Sam Auen of Tacopocalypse fame. My family had eaten there twice before without me, so I was eager to try out the grub on offer there.

Okay, so here's the deal with Krunkwich. (from their site)

" Krunkwich Ramen House is Des Moines, is Iowa’s first restaurant dedicated to the art of Japanese and Fusion Ramen.  The restaurant is brought to you by the minds behind Tacopocalypse.  Our focus is on fresh, local ingredients used to create dishes inspired by the foods of Japan, Korean, China, Vietnam, while also drawing from the foods of Europe and the Americas."

I ordered the #99 which is "#$@&!! Ramen" because it's hot 'n spicy. I like my food with some heat, so I was down with this deal. Mrs Guitar Ted had "Kimchi and Bacon Krunkrice". I won't get into the details of what was in these items, but if you are curious, here's Krunkwich's menu. The kids had Japchae, (jop-chay) and Banh Mi with Krunk Tots. Everything came in a timely manner and the wait staff was really chipper and kind, despite their being rather busy at the time we were there. 

Okay, here's the deal- if you are ever in Des Moines and looking for good eats, go to Krunkwich. It is amazing. I ate my selection with gusto, tried Mrs Guitar Ted's selection which was also awesome, and had a couple bites of the Japchae which had a smoky, earthy taste. My meal was spicy as I like it, and Mrs. Guitar Ted's was a total mash-up of American and Asian which I cannot explain in words, but it was great! Just go there, or to Tacopocalypse, either will blow your face off. In a good way. 

The Black Hawk has receded, and the ice went out for now.

 We went home and on Sunday I got an afternoon ride in at the Green Belt, which I mentioned yesterday in the Body Float review I posted. It was chilly, but really not too bad in the woods. I saw several folks out and about. Walkers and other fat bikers were seen from one end of the Green Belt to the other. It was cool to see that many folks had realized the benefits of being outdoors instead of having their faces plunged into a device of some sort. 

One thing that did bother me a bit though was that I noticed some yahoos had been through the Southern most end of the Green Belt on a quad vehicle. While the tracks were mostly benign, and didn't really affect too much, that isn't the point. The City of Waterloo Parks & Recreation Department is to blame here because of the way they maintain the Green Belt. 

It used to be that they left the trail alone until late August, and then they mowed it once with a "bush hog" type mower, which has a swath of maybe four feet or so. Too narrow a path for most motorized vehicles to bother with. There used to be a few deterrents to motorized vehicles in the form of wooden plank crossings of the creek and a deep ditch on the South end that used to require a dismount if you were cycling and was more than six feet deep. Now with the rip-rap the City dumped in, the removal of the bridges, and with the filling in of that big ditch, there are no deterrents to roving motorized vehicles in there. To make matters worse, the City clear cuts the trail with an enormous end loader instead of a bush hog mower, and the trails are wide enough now for a car or truck to easily pass through. And you know what? I've seen car or truck tracks several times on the South end. 

The widening and sanitizing of the Green Belt is going to result in an accident someday between a non-motorized user and a motorized vehicle of some sort. I've seen moto cross bikes, snowmobiles, and ATV's back there, and it wouldn't take but one blind corner with a biker or hiker just around the bend to have a bad situation occur. Waterloo should not have widened out the trails so much, and if the City insists on doing the wide clear cutting, then some gates or bollards need to be installed at certain points to fend off the motorized users. Either that, or say ta hell wid it, and just allow a free-for-all situation where motorized users and human powered users mix it up in whatever way happens. Having signs posted saying that motorized users are not allowed is certainly not working. That's for sure. 

 Okay, that's enough random thoughts for one post, I'm sure! 

Friday News And Views

Real? Imagined? Spoofed? Who knows?

Submitted for Your Consideration:

This came across my radar screen yesterday and, after diligently searching everywhere on the "innergoogles", I cannot say whether or not this is true, or what. I will only say the following is what I do know for now:

• The original posting on the net apparently goes back to an Italian based cycling blog which shows a different imaging layout and is marked with the word "CONFIDENTIAL". The grainy image quality suggests this was grabbed from a screen shot. 
• Images were also seen Thursday on the "Imgur" site here. Images are also watermarked "CONFIDENTIAL" and an embargo on release is seen with a late March date.
• There was a thread on this on mtbr.com which shows up on a Google search, but was taken down. The thread was dated December 2015. 
• A few Facebook posts with mentions of a SRAM Eagle 12spd "one-by" group had a link which was bad. Taken down? Hard to say.....

The Italian blog stated that the group was to be revealed in March, probably just ahead of Sea Otter, which would make sense, since SRAM historically has usually introduced big mtb group/product offerings during that festival.

Comments: So, is this real? The images I've seen look convincing. Would SRAM really want to do a 12 speed 1X group? One of the big complaints about XX1 is that the gearing range isn't as deep on the low end as a triple or 2X. Having one more gear, a 50 tooth cog, would put that complaint to rest, although the jumps between lower gears would still remain large. In the end, who knows? It all could be an elaborate hoax, although I will admit, a rather convincing one. Or, maybe someone actually slipped up, and this got leaked out early. My opinion is that it could be that this is SRAM's answer to critiques on its XX1 11spd stuff. I think it also could be fake. What I would rather see is SRAM adapting its wireless electronic technology for mtb. This development- if indeed it is real- doesn't do much for me.

New look, new models.

Rawland Reborn:

Remember Rawland Cycles? They made a splash starting in 2007 when they introduced a model with 650B wheels dubbed the Olaf. The company dabbled in 700c wheels with a model called the Draakar, then teased a few gravel grinder models and rando based rigs later on but the company kind of faded away.

However; it would appear that now Rawland is set to make a new model or two and is launching a new look with them. Still steeped in Norse nomenclature, the bikes will feature several of the well known Rawland traits: low trail front end, steel frames, and versatility, but will feature all disc brake compatibility and on the Ravn, will be suitable with 26" wheels, with 650B and even smaller 700c wheels as optional choices. The other model, dubbed the Ulv, will be a B+ wheeled bikepacking type rig.

Not much else is known yet, but details should be coming soon. I will be interested in seeing what is coming down the line with this brand since I used to know a couple of the fellows involved with it at the genesis of the brand almost 10 years ago now.

I will be participating in this.

Race Director's Summit:

You know what happens when you start putting on a race for over a decade? People think, "Hey! This guy must know what he is doing!", or something along those lines. The reality is that I've just managed to stick it out all these years! But whatever- somebody thought I had something valuable to offer others, so I was invited to be a part of this tomorrow in Des Moines, Iowa.

Specifically, I am going to be on the panel which starts at 10:10am concerning "Promotions, marketing, media". So, if you are around the Des Moines area, and are thinking about being a race director/promoter, you can check this out for free, (I believe it is free), and see what it is I have to say, along with several others far smarter and better looking than I.

Of course, this means a two hour drive for me and so I will be getting up early tomorrow, heading South, gabbing, and then hitting up the Krunkwich Ramen House for noontime vittles. Afterward I may celebrate a little something-something, so stay tuned for whatever that may be and find a full report on the goings on, as far as I saw things, on Monday.

So, for now I'll be signing off. Have a glorious weekend and enjoy whatever is left of your day and/or night!

Friday News And Views

Real? Imagined? Spoofed? Who knows?

Submitted for Your Consideration:

This came across my radar screen yesterday and, after diligently searching everywhere on the "innergoogles", I cannot say whether or not this is true, or what. I will only say the following is what I do know for now:

• The original posting on the net apparently goes back to an Italian based cycling blog which shows a different imaging layout and is marked with the word "CONFIDENTIAL". The grainy image quality suggests this was grabbed from a screen shot. 
• Images were also seen Thursday on the "Imgur" site here. Images are also watermarked "CONFIDENTIAL" and an embargo on release is seen with a late March date.
• There was a thread on this on mtbr.com which shows up on a Google search, but was taken down. The thread was dated December 2015. 
• A few Facebook posts with mentions of a SRAM Eagle 12spd "one-by" group had a link which was bad. Taken down? Hard to say.....

The Italian blog stated that the group was to be revealed in March, probably just ahead of Sea Otter, which would make sense, since SRAM historically has usually introduced big mtb group/product offerings during that festival.

Comments: So, is this real? The images I've seen look convincing. Would SRAM really want to do a 12 speed 1X group? One of the big complaints about XX1 is that the gearing range isn't as deep on the low end as a triple or 2X. Having one more gear, a 50 tooth cog, would put that complaint to rest, although the jumps between lower gears would still remain large. In the end, who knows? It all could be an elaborate hoax, although I will admit, a rather convincing one. Or, maybe someone actually slipped up, and this got leaked out early. My opinion is that it could be that this is SRAM's answer to critiques on its XX1 11spd stuff. I think it also could be fake. What I would rather see is SRAM adapting its wireless electronic technology for mtb. This development- if indeed it is real- doesn't do much for me.

New look, new models.

Rawland Reborn:

Remember Rawland Cycles? They made a splash starting in 2007 when they introduced a model with 650B wheels dubbed the Olaf. The company dabbled in 700c wheels with a model called the Draakar, then teased a few gravel grinder models and rando based rigs later on but the company kind of faded away.

However; it would appear that now Rawland is set to make a new model or two and is launching a new look with them. Still steeped in Norse nomenclature, the bikes will feature several of the well known Rawland traits: low trail front end, steel frames, and versatility, but will feature all disc brake compatibility and on the Ravn, will be suitable with 26" wheels, with 650B and even smaller 700c wheels as optional choices. The other model, dubbed the Ulv, will be a B+ wheeled bikepacking type rig.

Not much else is known yet, but details should be coming soon. I will be interested in seeing what is coming down the line with this brand since I used to know a couple of the fellows involved with it at the genesis of the brand almost 10 years ago now.

I will be participating in this.

Race Director's Summit:

You know what happens when you start putting on a race for over a decade? People think, "Hey! This guy must know what he is doing!", or something along those lines. The reality is that I've just managed to stick it out all these years! But whatever- somebody thought I had something valuable to offer others, so I was invited to be a part of this tomorrow in Des Moines, Iowa.

Specifically, I am going to be on the panel which starts at 10:10am concerning "Promotions, marketing, media". So, if you are around the Des Moines area, and are thinking about being a race director/promoter, you can check this out for free, (I believe it is free), and see what it is I have to say, along with several others far smarter and better looking than I.

Of course, this means a two hour drive for me and so I will be getting up early tomorrow, heading South, gabbing, and then hitting up the Krunkwich Ramen House for noontime vittles. Afterward I may celebrate a little something-something, so stay tuned for whatever that may be and find a full report on the goings on, as far as I saw things, on Monday.

So, for now I'll be signing off. Have a glorious weekend and enjoy whatever is left of your day and/or night!

Trans Iowa Clinic Report

Last year this was Tacopocalypse, but it will be Sam Auen's newest business location soon.

Trans Iowa Clinic Report 2014:

The clinic was to happen on Saturday and much of the logistics for the event were pulled together by Steve Fuller and Mike Johnson, two riders with longtime ties to Trans Iowa. I and my family departed from Waterloo mid-morning and had a trouble free drive to Des Moines where we met up with Steve and Mike who were both deep into the set up process by the time we got there. I bid my family adieu for the day as they left on their own adventures. Meanwhile, I caught up with Steve and Mike and we put the finishing touches on the venue set up.

Actually, things were going so smoothly that we found ourselves with a ton of time on our hands. We didn't really need to be back until 4:00pm and it was a little after 1:00pm. Sam Auen, the proprietor of Tacopocalypse and the upcoming Krunkwich Ramen House, was running errands and stopped by and chatted us up a bit before we took leave of him and walked a few  sunny, warm blocks to Tacopocalypse's new location where we had a great Asian-fusion meal. If ever you get to Des Moines Iowa, it's worth the trip to the historic East Village to check it out. 

Setting up for the evening's clinic

You can see the note taking sheets Mike made and some of the expo of bike accessories and bikes here. 

We had a decent turnout.

After hanging out at Tacopocalypse we went back to the venue and it wasn't long before folks started coming out to see the stuff on display, chat, and get settled in for the clinic. Andrea Cohen, one of the panelists, rode over from Iowa City, about a 100 mile ride, just to take part in the event. We had one fellow drive from Michigan to be there, and a few came over from Nebraska. It was pretty amazing!

Panelists L-R: Mike Johnson, Steve Fuller, Andrea Cohen, Dan Buettner, and Sarah Cooper

I kicked things off at 5:00pm and for the next three hours we covered a ton of information specific to Trans Iowa events and to gravel riding in general. The panelists all shared some insightful and valuable tidbits. Afterward we all received several thank yous and heard from attendees that they got a lot out of the clinic.

Of course, I was glad to hear that, but for me the biggest thing was being able to have the perspectives of Andrea Cohen and Sarah Cooper on these things. The fact that they have finished Trans Iowa before and are doing great in other events speaks volumes to what women are capable of in cycling and gravel events in particular. My hope is that these great women are able to encourage more like them to go out and have fantastic adventures of their own.

That's always been a goal of mine, to see women be successful at Trans Iowa, and Janna Vavra was the first to finish off a Trans Iowa, which for me has been one of the major highlights of any Trans Iowa for me. Now we see even more women competing and becoming successful, which I think is beyond awesome. But I digress.......

The clinic was a success, and very smoothly run, once again. Thanks again to all involved, and we'll see you who are riding in Trans Iowa next April.