Randomonium: Three Things

Trek Farley 9 Winter Edition (Image courtesy of Trek Bikes)

 Trek Offers Fully Decked Out Farley:

Trek announced a new Farley fat bike this past week that is fully kitted out. this turnkey fat bike is ready for a long haul, bikepacking, or a quick over-night outing. 

Made from aluminum, the bike features frame and fork mounted racks reminiscent of the 1120 plus-wheeled bike, although these are reportedly somewhat different to address mounting security concerns with the 1120's racks. 

The bike also features a frame bag, dropper post, and a splash guard under the down tube. This all comes in at $3999.99USD with a SRAM Eagle GX drive train. 

Comments: Trek just released this bike as a "Winter Edition" Farley 9. Let that sink in for a moment.....

Hello Spring! So, yeah.....weird timing there Trek! But beyond that, I will note that this bike can certainly be used year-round. Anyway.... The SRAM drive train, aluminum frame, and spec of mostly Bontrager stuff is okay, but 4G for this? Hmm..... I know things have gone up in price, but this bike has aluminum rims, tubes (!), and GX is kinda low spec here. I get it- It is a turnkey solution to roll out the door ready for off-road touring and adventure, and that counts for something. And I realize prices have gone up some, but still.... Great idea. A bit spendy for what you get. 

SRAM AXS Force. (Image courtesy of SRAM)

SRAM Announces New AXS Force Group:

Looking a lot more like the upper end Red group now, SRAM has refreshed the look of Force AXS and refined a few bits, most notably the hood/lever shapes and the power meter integration with the chain rings. 

Otherwise this is pretty much standard fare for SRAM AXS Force. 

Comments: Lots of chatter online about the power meter integration with the chain rings here. (This only applies for the roadie crank set. The "Wide" and 1X crank sets have spindle based power meters) I guess I see their point when a direct mount chain ring set with integrated power meter costs something North of four hundred bucks, but when you are dealing with race-level gear, stuff found on bikes costing around 10K, what's four hundred bucks for a part? Honestly, the entire economics of a "road racing bike" is bonkers these days. 

Chris Skogen from his Instagram post.

 Almanzo 100 Founder & Gravel Cycling Hall of Famer Chris Skogen Announces Gravel Events:

The Almanzo 100 founder and Gravel Cycling Hall of Famer, Chris Skogen surprised many of his social media followers on Thursday last week with an announcement that he was going to facilitate three off-pavement events. The biggest surprise? None of the proposed events will be in Minnesota. 

The only event Mr. Skogen did release a date for was a September 16th date for this year at an undisclosed location in "Northern New Mexico". Here are the details he did specify in his announcement: 

• 100 miles
• 100 people
• $0 to enter
• 0 sponsorships
• 0 brand affiliations

Mr. Skogen did also say that if you wanted more details then you should email him. (Ironically he did not give his email out in the announcement) Mr. Skogen did say that more information would be forthcoming, however. 

Plans are to follow up the 2023 event with one in Oregon and then in 2024 in "upstate New York".

Comments: That the proposed events are "non-sponsored, no brand affiliations" does not surprise me. This is Chris Skogen we are talking about and this is in keeping with his character when it comes to events. I did also hear Chris say at the GCHoF installment ceremonies last year that he had been "bitten by the bug" again and that he was considering putting on an event again. I guess this is evidence of that. 

Stay tuned. If I find out anything more I'll post here about it all.  UPDATE: Mr. Skogen released these details today (Saturday,March 4th, 2023)

How to enter…

Mail a letter (yes, a letter…in the mail…I know, I’m such an ass) of declaration which must include the following:

Name (first & last)
Age
Email
Favorite book
Something from your local bike shop (if this one is a struggle, DM me)

That’s it. Just those five things, in an envelope sent to the address below before 4/20/23.

Mister Skogen
959 Weeks Ave SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414

You might be asking why to the letter and maybe even why this event needs to exist at all. Don’t worry I’ll explain later.

For now, the first 100 people to register by letter will be notified accordingly.

Randomonium: Three Things

Trek Farley 9 Winter Edition (Image courtesy of Trek Bikes)

 Trek Offers Fully Decked Out Farley:

Trek announced a new Farley fat bike this past week that is fully kitted out. this turnkey fat bike is ready for a long haul, bikepacking, or a quick over-night outing. 

Made from aluminum, the bike features frame and fork mounted racks reminiscent of the 1120 plus-wheeled bike, although these are reportedly somewhat different to address mounting security concerns with the 1120's racks. 

The bike also features a frame bag, dropper post, and a splash guard under the down tube. This all comes in at $3999.99USD with a SRAM Eagle GX drive train. 

Comments: Trek just released this bike as a "Winter Edition" Farley 9. Let that sink in for a moment.....

Hello Spring! So, yeah.....weird timing there Trek! But beyond that, I will note that this bike can certainly be used year-round. Anyway.... The SRAM drive train, aluminum frame, and spec of mostly Bontrager stuff is okay, but 4G for this? Hmm..... I know things have gone up in price, but this bike has aluminum rims, tubes (!), and GX is kinda low spec here. I get it- It is a turnkey solution to roll out the door ready for off-road touring and adventure, and that counts for something. And I realize prices have gone up some, but still.... Great idea. A bit spendy for what you get. 

SRAM AXS Force. (Image courtesy of SRAM)

SRAM Announces New AXS Force Group:

Looking a lot more like the upper end Red group now, SRAM has refreshed the look of Force AXS and refined a few bits, most notably the hood/lever shapes and the power meter integration with the chain rings. 

Otherwise this is pretty much standard fare for SRAM AXS Force. 

Comments: Lots of chatter online about the power meter integration with the chain rings here. (This only applies for the roadie crank set. The "Wide" and 1X crank sets have spindle based power meters) I guess I see their point when a direct mount chain ring set with integrated power meter costs something North of four hundred bucks, but when you are dealing with race-level gear, stuff found on bikes costing around 10K, what's four hundred bucks for a part? Honestly, the entire economics of a "road racing bike" is bonkers these days. 

Chris Skogen from his Instagram post.

 Almanzo 100 Founder & Gravel Cycling Hall of Famer Chris Skogen Announces Gravel Events:

The Almanzo 100 founder and Gravel Cycling Hall of Famer, Chris Skogen surprised many of his social media followers on Thursday last week with an announcement that he was going to facilitate three off-pavement events. The biggest surprise? None of the proposed events will be in Minnesota. 

The only event Mr. Skogen did release a date for was a September 16th date for this year at an undisclosed location in "Northern New Mexico". Here are the details he did specify in his announcement: 

• 100 miles
• 100 people
• $0 to enter
• 0 sponsorships
• 0 brand affiliations

Mr. Skogen did also say that if you wanted more details then you should email him. (Ironically he did not give his email out in the announcement) Mr. Skogen did say that more information would be forthcoming, however. 

Plans are to follow up the 2023 event with one in Oregon and then in 2024 in "upstate New York".

Comments: That the proposed events are "non-sponsored, no brand affiliations" does not surprise me. This is Chris Skogen we are talking about and this is in keeping with his character when it comes to events. I did also hear Chris say at the GCHoF installment ceremonies last year that he had been "bitten by the bug" again and that he was considering putting on an event again. I guess this is evidence of that. 

Stay tuned. If I find out anything more I'll post here about it all.  UPDATE: Mr. Skogen released these details today (Saturday,March 4th, 2023)

How to enter…

Mail a letter (yes, a letter…in the mail…I know, I’m such an ass) of declaration which must include the following:

Name (first & last)
Age
Email
Favorite book
Something from your local bike shop (if this one is a struggle, DM me)

That’s it. Just those five things, in an envelope sent to the address below before 4/20/23.

Mister Skogen
959 Weeks Ave SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414

You might be asking why to the letter and maybe even why this event needs to exist at all. Don’t worry I’ll explain later.

For now, the first 100 people to register by letter will be notified accordingly.

Randomonium: Catching Up

A look at my desk which is typically messy like this.

NOTE: Okay folks, if you haven't been around long enough here to know what a "Randomonium" post is, then here is the deal. I ramble, rant, and randomly moan about all things cycling in one, incohesive, bizarre post. "Randomonium", okay?

And: This particular version of the Randomonium is dedicated to catching you all up on what has been going on around here in the last ten days or so. The "End of Year" madness kind of takes over, and day-to-day stuff gets shuffled aside for that. Okay? Here we go... 

First, an update on my health. I finally overcame that nasty head cold by December 21st, I'd estimate, which was the first day I felt as though I had no further symptoms of whatever I had. So, good to go on that front for Christmas and beyond.

Of course, the big news was the pre-Christmas Winter storm we had.It's been awhile since we've experienced sub-zero temperatures for up to 48 hours, near blizzard conditions for three days, and a basic shut-down of things due to Winter's blast. But the old memories of hunkering down for a storm like this kept me hopeful for coming out of this one as well. Then we whip lashed into this. This mess above freezing and all that beautiful fat bike-able snow is junk already. Bah!

 

Pirate Cycling League's New Event:

A new Winter event was announced by the PCL/Gravel Worlds folks late in December which they billed as a "return to the grassroots" of events which they were known for once upon a time. 

The event will feature a metric century or a half-distance cycling course on gravel roads and a 10K running event as well. Registration is open now and the event is set to take place on February 18th, 2023 in Lincoln, NE. 

The event will use a small town as a checkpoint where you will be required to purchase a Nebraska Lottery ticket to prove that you had been there. This reflects how Gravel Worlds was run in its early days. 

Comments: Fun! My initial reaction is that this is the sort of madness the cycling world needs at this time when events are seemingly going toward more rules, bigger crowds, and the chase for a career in gravel means that those of us that are not capable or desiring of that are left behind. In my view, the "Winter Endurance" event reflects how we were thinking when we set up gravel road cycling challenges back in the day. 

The fact that the promoters say the following, " We’re going back to our roots on this one!", would indicate that they had left their roots at some point, for whatever reasons. I'm not going to read anymore into that than to say, "I agree with that". It's hard to stick to your roots, I get that, but some have managed to stay the course all along since those "good ol' days" of yore. There ya go.....

Snip showing Bixby State Preserve and how the North-South road is truncated.

Feedback On The GTDRI Route Redux: 

Last year I posted the GTDRI Stories bit on the 4rth route, a route I stated was one of those GTDRI's I would consider riding again. It is a spectacular route in terms of visuals and in its toughness. 

So, near the end of last week I floated the possibility that this route might be modified and then recorded with notes for a small fee making it available for anyone to ride. I didn't hear much about it on the blog, but after I posted the idea to Instagram, the response was quite noticeable. 

So, here's the deal: I have to do some mods to the route and verify them. There are a few places where things have changed and in one instance, a significant change will require a major rerouting. It isn't an easy decision to make either, as choices for other roads are scant to none. 

Specifically the problem lies in the fact that the former road through Bixby State Preserve is now truncated. Honestly, that's actually a good thing. The Northern section of that road was heinous. I mean, really steep, filled with ruts, it had huge embedded rocks sticking up out of the road, and it was a challenge even on a mountain bike. When we last used that road in 2015 I don't think you could even drive a car or 4X4 down it safely anymore. 

Now, no big deal if we were "on the grid", but this area is far from being on the grid and road choices are few. I also have the task of preserving the feel of the original route, not adding too much mileage, giving chances for a resupply in Edgewood, and keeping pavement miles to a bare minimum. And that's just that problem with this route. 

New Unit:

The Sigma ROX 4.0 GPS computer test is still ongoing. The last time I wrote about this, I mentioned that the navigation function was wonky and that I was to get another head unit to test since my contact felt that the one I had was dysfunctional for some reason.  I was assured that typically Sigma ROX units were pretty bomber. So, I waited....

Then about a day or two after Christmas I got a box with a new ROX 4.0 GPS computer in it. I quickly got it synced with my phone and updated, and this went rather well, so I am hopeful that when I get the weather to try a route I have in the Ride app, I will be able to tell you all if it works as advertised. 

Stay tuned.... 

(L-R) Mrs GT, Vince Goterra, and GT: Image courtesy of St. John;s Lutheran Church

Gigging:

Christmas Eve saw myself and Mrs. Guitar Ted doing a gig at St. John's Lutheran Church in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It was a two set affair and we had a great time. It was a heck of a lot better than sitting in our house and wistfully looking out the window at negative 30+ degree winds and snow. 

I played my new Sully Conspiracy Series Stardust. I have bonded with that guitar pretty quickly, to be honest. It's really kind of odd when you consider that most every guitar is CNC'ed to exacting specifications, made from similar tone woods, and set up with quality hardware, in this case, identical hardware to my other Sully. However; I like the Stardust's feel and play-ability over that of my other one by a large margin. Weird.

Even weirder was playing out at a different venue. I haven't done that in a while. It was good to have that opportunity though. Oh! And I have a new amplifier too. Gotta get that up here on the blog soon.... 

Brief Fat Bike Blast:

I just mentioned the cold blast and snowy Christmas Eve we had, but it sure did not last long. We got another 3" of fluffy white snow on Monday and then it started getting warmer, and warmer, and warmer....

By Wednesday morning the snow was junk. It was around 30°F and was headed to the 40's. So.......so much for that!

I did get in a few short rides in bitterly cold temperatures, but busting drifted in snow and battling wind chills in the negative 20+ range was not a lot of fun. So, those fat bike rides were short. Really short! 

And now? Who knows when, if ever, we will get any fat bike-able snow.  Chances are we'll make it through most of January without that happening, and then, if history is any indication, February will see a return to snow and cold enough to warrant fat tires again. 

And that's all I have to catch you all up on.

Randomonium: Catching Up

A look at my desk which is typically messy like this.

NOTE: Okay folks, if you haven't been around long enough here to know what a "Randomonium" post is, then here is the deal. I ramble, rant, and randomly moan about all things cycling in one, incohesive, bizarre post. "Randomonium", okay?

And: This particular version of the Randomonium is dedicated to catching you all up on what has been going on around here in the last ten days or so. The "End of Year" madness kind of takes over, and day-to-day stuff gets shuffled aside for that. Okay? Here we go... 

First, an update on my health. I finally overcame that nasty head cold by December 21st, I'd estimate, which was the first day I felt as though I had no further symptoms of whatever I had. So, good to go on that front for Christmas and beyond.

Of course, the big news was the pre-Christmas Winter storm we had.It's been awhile since we've experienced sub-zero temperatures for up to 48 hours, near blizzard conditions for three days, and a basic shut-down of things due to Winter's blast. But the old memories of hunkering down for a storm like this kept me hopeful for coming out of this one as well. Then we whip lashed into this. This mess above freezing and all that beautiful fat bike-able snow is junk already. Bah!

 

Pirate Cycling League's New Event:

A new Winter event was announced by the PCL/Gravel Worlds folks late in December which they billed as a "return to the grassroots" of events which they were known for once upon a time. 

The event will feature a metric century or a half-distance cycling course on gravel roads and a 10K running event as well. Registration is open now and the event is set to take place on February 18th, 2023 in Lincoln, NE. 

The event will use a small town as a checkpoint where you will be required to purchase a Nebraska Lottery ticket to prove that you had been there. This reflects how Gravel Worlds was run in its early days. 

Comments: Fun! My initial reaction is that this is the sort of madness the cycling world needs at this time when events are seemingly going toward more rules, bigger crowds, and the chase for a career in gravel means that those of us that are not capable or desiring of that are left behind. In my view, the "Winter Endurance" event reflects how we were thinking when we set up gravel road cycling challenges back in the day. 

The fact that the promoters say the following, " We’re going back to our roots on this one!", would indicate that they had left their roots at some point, for whatever reasons. I'm not going to read anymore into that than to say, "I agree with that". It's hard to stick to your roots, I get that, but some have managed to stay the course all along since those "good ol' days" of yore. There ya go.....

Snip showing Bixby State Preserve and how the North-South road is truncated.

Feedback On The GTDRI Route Redux: 

Last year I posted the GTDRI Stories bit on the 4rth route, a route I stated was one of those GTDRI's I would consider riding again. It is a spectacular route in terms of visuals and in its toughness. 

So, near the end of last week I floated the possibility that this route might be modified and then recorded with notes for a small fee making it available for anyone to ride. I didn't hear much about it on the blog, but after I posted the idea to Instagram, the response was quite noticeable. 

So, here's the deal: I have to do some mods to the route and verify them. There are a few places where things have changed and in one instance, a significant change will require a major rerouting. It isn't an easy decision to make either, as choices for other roads are scant to none. 

Specifically the problem lies in the fact that the former road through Bixby State Preserve is now truncated. Honestly, that's actually a good thing. The Northern section of that road was heinous. I mean, really steep, filled with ruts, it had huge embedded rocks sticking up out of the road, and it was a challenge even on a mountain bike. When we last used that road in 2015 I don't think you could even drive a car or 4X4 down it safely anymore. 

Now, no big deal if we were "on the grid", but this area is far from being on the grid and road choices are few. I also have the task of preserving the feel of the original route, not adding too much mileage, giving chances for a resupply in Edgewood, and keeping pavement miles to a bare minimum. And that's just that problem with this route. 

New Unit:

The Sigma ROX 4.0 GPS computer test is still ongoing. The last time I wrote about this, I mentioned that the navigation function was wonky and that I was to get another head unit to test since my contact felt that the one I had was dysfunctional for some reason.  I was assured that typically Sigma ROX units were pretty bomber. So, I waited....

Then about a day or two after Christmas I got a box with a new ROX 4.0 GPS computer in it. I quickly got it synced with my phone and updated, and this went rather well, so I am hopeful that when I get the weather to try a route I have in the Ride app, I will be able to tell you all if it works as advertised. 

Stay tuned.... 

(L-R) Mrs GT, Vince Goterra, and GT: Image courtesy of St. John;s Lutheran Church

Gigging:

Christmas Eve saw myself and Mrs. Guitar Ted doing a gig at St. John's Lutheran Church in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It was a two set affair and we had a great time. It was a heck of a lot better than sitting in our house and wistfully looking out the window at negative 30+ degree winds and snow. 

I played my new Sully Conspiracy Series Stardust. I have bonded with that guitar pretty quickly, to be honest. It's really kind of odd when you consider that most every guitar is CNC'ed to exacting specifications, made from similar tone woods, and set up with quality hardware, in this case, identical hardware to my other Sully. However; I like the Stardust's feel and play-ability over that of my other one by a large margin. Weird.

Even weirder was playing out at a different venue. I haven't done that in a while. It was good to have that opportunity though. Oh! And I have a new amplifier too. Gotta get that up here on the blog soon.... 

Brief Fat Bike Blast:

I just mentioned the cold blast and snowy Christmas Eve we had, but it sure did not last long. We got another 3" of fluffy white snow on Monday and then it started getting warmer, and warmer, and warmer....

By Wednesday morning the snow was junk. It was around 30°F and was headed to the 40's. So.......so much for that!

I did get in a few short rides in bitterly cold temperatures, but busting drifted in snow and battling wind chills in the negative 20+ range was not a lot of fun. So, those fat bike rides were short. Really short! 

And now? Who knows when, if ever, we will get any fat bike-able snow.  Chances are we'll make it through most of January without that happening, and then, if history is any indication, February will see a return to snow and cold enough to warrant fat tires again. 

And that's all I have to catch you all up on.

Randomonium

 NOTE: Okay folks, if you haven't been around long enough here to know what a "Randomonium" post is, then here is the deal. I ramble, rant, and randomly moan about all things cycling in one, incohesive, bizarre post. "Randomonium", okay?

From KCCI television's Facebook page.

Criminal Activities Interrupt Gravel Event:

Or: "Why I Am Glad I Don't Do THAT Anymore!"

On Sunday the Tour of Central Iowa was rudely interrupted by a bizarre incident involving a homicide suspect from the Omaha, Nebraska area and which had the event director's scurrying to ferry riders around the cordoned off area their course went through.

Apparently the suspect was identified and was being approached to be apprehended when he bolted and stole an investigating officer's vehicle. This led to a 45 minute chase which ended when police used "stop strips" to bring the vehicle the suspect was driving to a halt. The suspect then fled on foot and barricaded himself inside St. Paul's Luthren Church in Winterset's North end. There was no one inside at this time, thankfully, but the suspect. 

This is usually "big city" stuff and not something a smaller city like Winterset would normally have going on. So, it wouldn't be out of the question to say that this was quite the shock to the Iowa gravel community this weekend.

From race director, Sarah Cooper's Facebook page.

The events caused there to be an emergency ferry operation on the part of the volunteers and race directing staff for the Tour of Central Iowa which was going on out of Cumming, Iowa, a small village just North of there. 

Riders were stopped, picked up, and driven to a point South of the city where they could return to gravelly good times. 

Comments: I have had some interesting run-ins over the years in differing situations, but this one takes the cake. I've never had anything like this happen, and I wouldn't really want to either! 

But that said, I am sure that the staff of the Tour of Central Iowa did a great job dealing with the cards that were dealt them. In the end, the suspect was apprehended, no one was shot or killed, and the event went on to its conclusion. All good things, but wow! That may have pegged my stress meter to a point I wouldn't have gotten over, so my heart goes out to those involved and I hope that this is nothing more than a great story to tell in the future. 

But yeah- that probably would have seriously called into doubt whether or not the fun and rewarding bits of promoting gravel events was worth it. Just another reason for everyone to make an effort to thank those willing to stick their necks out for us gravel grinders so we can go do races and rides like the Tour of Central Iowa. 

Grousing About Number Plates:

The SBT GRVL event happened over the weekend and there was a whole bunch of newsy bits that came out of that event which you may or may not have seen/heard. I am not going to touch upon any of that, rather, I am focusing on a tiny detail which I noted over the last week that has to do with this event, number plates, and gravel cycling as it is interpreted by Pro cyclists. 

In the week or two leading into this event in Steamboat, Colorado, I noted that the race organization posted a YouTube video concerning how you should attach your number plate at the SBT GRVL so they could score you properly and get you identified afterward in imagery taken at the event. Fair enough, I thought, and it shouldn't be any big deal, as long as everyone is required to do this. "Everyone" includes Pro riders, by the way. 

I touched on this in last week's "FN&V", but here I need to also talk a little about how the Pro riders don't really like gravel events. Not "traditional" ones at any rate. See, I saw a Tweet from a Pro woman rider who was grousing about number plates and how clunky they were and all. I thought to myself, "Then don't ride the event- or just deal with it." Again- it was a requirement for every rider. So, yeah- you may not like it, but is it worth grousing about? (On second thought, this was on Twitter, so, yeah....)

But Pro riders want events run in their tradition- with pinned on numbers, closed roads, separated Men and Women fields, and well, like any old school roadie event. But that's not "gravel grinding" folks. I know that the term "Spirit of Gravel" is generally preferred here, but since that is so misunderstood it doesn't have any meaning anymore, I choose to use the original "gravel grinding" term we used to start out with. Anyway- the entire number plate issue was just another small detail that shows me that Pro riders really are not into the gravel scene as it was intended to be.

Camp Ingawanis' North Side May of 2010

Will We Ride The North Side Again?

Years ago I was invited to check out Camp Ingawanis as a possible mountain bike area. It was, (and the North side still is) a Boy Scout camp and mountain biking there was strictly prohibited. Although that did not stop some nefarious trail poachers whom I knew of back in the day from tasting Ingawanis' forbidden fruits. 

I'd heard the stories of the big climbs, fast descents, and twisty-turny trails through pinewood needles. It sounded a world away from the river bottom trails in George Wyth State Park, and, as I would find out back in 2003, The "Scout Camp" was all I thought it was and more. 

That was when I was first out there and all that was out there were horseback riding trails. But there was a ton of potential and literally hundreds of acres of land. Mostly tree-covered too. I was stoked to have gotten the chance to check it out. 

By 2005 I was a paying member of the "Mountain Bike Auxiliary" under the auspices of the Winnebago Council, Boy Scouts of America. (I still have my 2005 license!) The trails were spectacular, and I rode regularly on the North side from that time until around 2012 or so when we were kind of shunted off over to the South Side trail system instead due to the ever increasing use of the North side by equestrians and equestrian events. 

Then the North side was shut off to mountain biking by 2014. It was a shame, and since that time, only the South Side trails are open to ride on a regular basis. Now the land the South Side trails are on belongs to Bremer County, but the North is still under the control of the Scouts. 

I spoke with someone recently that was part of putting on a trail running event on the North side and he reported that all the old trails are still there, albeit needing some TLC in some cases. That's great to hear, but he also whispered that there is a chance that bicycles may be welcomed back again. 

I sure hope that comes true!

Randomonium

 NOTE: Okay folks, if you haven't been around long enough here to know what a "Randomonium" post is, then here is the deal. I ramble, rant, and randomly moan about all things cycling in one, incohesive, bizarre post. "Randomonium", okay?

From KCCI television's Facebook page.

Criminal Activities Interrupt Gravel Event:

Or: "Why I Am Glad I Don't Do THAT Anymore!"

On Sunday the Tour of Central Iowa was rudely interrupted by a bizarre incident involving a homicide suspect from the Omaha, Nebraska area and which had the event director's scurrying to ferry riders around the cordoned off area their course went through.

Apparently the suspect was identified and was being approached to be apprehended when he bolted and stole an investigating officer's vehicle. This led to a 45 minute chase which ended when police used "stop strips" to bring the vehicle the suspect was driving to a halt. The suspect then fled on foot and barricaded himself inside St. Paul's Luthren Church in Winterset's North end. There was no one inside at this time, thankfully, but the suspect. 

This is usually "big city" stuff and not something a smaller city like Winterset would normally have going on. So, it wouldn't be out of the question to say that this was quite the shock to the Iowa gravel community this weekend.

From race director, Sarah Cooper's Facebook page.

The events caused there to be an emergency ferry operation on the part of the volunteers and race directing staff for the Tour of Central Iowa which was going on out of Cumming, Iowa, a small village just North of there. 

Riders were stopped, picked up, and driven to a point South of the city where they could return to gravelly good times. 

Comments: I have had some interesting run-ins over the years in differing situations, but this one takes the cake. I've never had anything like this happen, and I wouldn't really want to either! 

But that said, I am sure that the staff of the Tour of Central Iowa did a great job dealing with the cards that were dealt them. In the end, the suspect was apprehended, no one was shot or killed, and the event went on to its conclusion. All good things, but wow! That may have pegged my stress meter to a point I wouldn't have gotten over, so my heart goes out to those involved and I hope that this is nothing more than a great story to tell in the future. 

But yeah- that probably would have seriously called into doubt whether or not the fun and rewarding bits of promoting gravel events was worth it. Just another reason for everyone to make an effort to thank those willing to stick their necks out for us gravel grinders so we can go do races and rides like the Tour of Central Iowa. 

Grousing About Number Plates:

The SBT GRVL event happened over the weekend and there was a whole bunch of newsy bits that came out of that event which you may or may not have seen/heard. I am not going to touch upon any of that, rather, I am focusing on a tiny detail which I noted over the last week that has to do with this event, number plates, and gravel cycling as it is interpreted by Pro cyclists. 

In the week or two leading into this event in Steamboat, Colorado, I noted that the race organization posted a YouTube video concerning how you should attach your number plate at the SBT GRVL so they could score you properly and get you identified afterward in imagery taken at the event. Fair enough, I thought, and it shouldn't be any big deal, as long as everyone is required to do this. "Everyone" includes Pro riders, by the way. 

I touched on this in last week's "FN&V", but here I need to also talk a little about how the Pro riders don't really like gravel events. Not "traditional" ones at any rate. See, I saw a Tweet from a Pro woman rider who was grousing about number plates and how clunky they were and all. I thought to myself, "Then don't ride the event- or just deal with it." Again- it was a requirement for every rider. So, yeah- you may not like it, but is it worth grousing about? (On second thought, this was on Twitter, so, yeah....)

But Pro riders want events run in their tradition- with pinned on numbers, closed roads, separated Men and Women fields, and well, like any old school roadie event. But that's not "gravel grinding" folks. I know that the term "Spirit of Gravel" is generally preferred here, but since that is so misunderstood it doesn't have any meaning anymore, I choose to use the original "gravel grinding" term we used to start out with. Anyway- the entire number plate issue was just another small detail that shows me that Pro riders really are not into the gravel scene as it was intended to be.

Camp Ingawanis' North Side May of 2010

Will We Ride The North Side Again?

Years ago I was invited to check out Camp Ingawanis as a possible mountain bike area. It was, (and the North side still is) a Boy Scout camp and mountain biking there was strictly prohibited. Although that did not stop some nefarious trail poachers whom I knew of back in the day from tasting Ingawanis' forbidden fruits. 

I'd heard the stories of the big climbs, fast descents, and twisty-turny trails through pinewood needles. It sounded a world away from the river bottom trails in George Wyth State Park, and, as I would find out back in 2003, The "Scout Camp" was all I thought it was and more. 

That was when I was first out there and all that was out there were horseback riding trails. But there was a ton of potential and literally hundreds of acres of land. Mostly tree-covered too. I was stoked to have gotten the chance to check it out. 

By 2005 I was a paying member of the "Mountain Bike Auxiliary" under the auspices of the Winnebago Council, Boy Scouts of America. (I still have my 2005 license!) The trails were spectacular, and I rode regularly on the North side from that time until around 2012 or so when we were kind of shunted off over to the South Side trail system instead due to the ever increasing use of the North side by equestrians and equestrian events. 

Then the North side was shut off to mountain biking by 2014. It was a shame, and since that time, only the South Side trails are open to ride on a regular basis. Now the land the South Side trails are on belongs to Bremer County, but the North is still under the control of the Scouts. 

I spoke with someone recently that was part of putting on a trail running event on the North side and he reported that all the old trails are still there, albeit needing some TLC in some cases. That's great to hear, but he also whispered that there is a chance that bicycles may be welcomed back again. 

I sure hope that comes true!

Monday Randomonium

 NOTE: Okay folks, if you haven't been around long enough here to know what a "Randomonium" post is, then here is the deal. I ramble, rant, and randomly moan about all things cycling in one, incohesive, bizarre post. "Randomonium", okay?

Additionally, Sunday was my son's 19th birthday, so I stuck around the house to hang out and mark that momentous occasion. Therefore I was not out and about on the bike. 

Current status of the "rack" at the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective.

Shop Update;

Not long ago I posted on the trip we made to Des Moines to pick up approximately 60 bicycles from the Des Moines Street Collective. (Thanks again, Bobby!)

Well, that has helped us to fill out the rack, plus some, down at the Collective now. That's been a good thing,as we continue to sell bikes, and we were getting pretty low on viable candidates for refurbishing. 

Now that the inventory issues have been addressed I will be shifting my focus to the community service aspects of the Collective and getting our Build-a-Bike and Earn-a-Bike programs back online. It's been a slower than I'd have liked process, but it is going to happen. 

Again, this gig is soooo different than retail, service oriented bicycle shop jobs. I have to educate some folks on that from time to time, as I get asked to do service work, which is not what we do. It kind of confuses some folks and the way the place had been run by the previous Head Mechanic sometimes manifests itself in folks who are now having to re calibrate how the Collective operates. Challenges are part of the new gig, but I have found this job to be immensely satisfying so far.

A New Group Raises New Issues:

 So, I alluded to this earlier, but here's the deal: Shimano gifted me a new GRX group to celebrate my induction into the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame. There- now that's been said. I really don't like keeping things I have out of the limelight if it affects my cycling oriented writing here, and this new parts group definitely has me in a bit of a conundrum when it comes to "What To Do". 

You see, this is the new silver edition stuff, and well....I just cannot stick this on any ol' bike. Not to mention, it won't work on a couple of bikes I have. Here are the details of what I have here:

• Noble Bikes GX5: This is a 1X only bike, and the group is 2X. So, that option is a no-go.
• Raleigh Tamland Two: The group would be fine except for that the bike has IS standard mounts for disc brake calipers, and the group is flat mount. Adapters, you say? Well, the rear rotor max size on the Tamland is 140mm. Cool! The GRX rear rotor I was gifted is 140mm! Boo! There are no IS to Flat mount 140mm adapters- at least that I can find. 
• The Twin Six is a single speed, yellow, and did I mention it is a single speed? No-go.
• The Black Mountain Cycles MCD is pink. Hmm..... Black looks waaaay better on this bike, and I don't really want to mess with this set up as I really have it dialed in. But I could go silver here, it's just that I'd rather not. Black looks better. Oh! I already said that, didn't I.....ha ha!

I really would have liked this on the dark navy blue of the Noble GX5,  and I could, I suppose, if I ditched the 2X, front derailleur, and set up the crank as a 1X. ..... Anyway, so, I started looking at new frame sets. gah! Prices are pretty steep now. I found this, which would be spectacular in the Diffusion Black, but 2+K..... Yeah....

This option seems more doable. (Note- Link was bad before. Fixed now) I could buy three of those for the price of the other. Both choices are in a geometry I find right up my alley. Anyway, there is my conundrum. (sigh) Definitely First World Problems. I'm not sweating this, just so you know.... 

Rewind To The Riddler:

This whole reviewing gig has me on one sort of tire, then another, on a pretty consistent basis. I never have a tire on long enough to actually wear it out. So, sometimes I think about tires I once kind of liked, or cannot even remember how they rode, and wonder how they might work. 

I've gone back to checking out the Resolute from WTB several times, so that's been one tire I fall back to, but what about some others? One I recently dug out again from the 'tire pile' and remounted is the WTB Riddler 700 X 45mm tires. 

These are tires I have tried out a few times. I used them for a GTDRI once, and they were the tires I first used on my Black Mountain Cycles MCD bike. But the first bike was a test bike and went back and the MCD ended up becoming a test mule and there has been several sets of tires tested on that bike since. 

The bike I don't tend to swap wheels out all the time on, (and tires with that), is the Raleigh Tamland. So, I mounted the Riddler 45's to that bike. I noticed how much those tires have that nice, flattened crown to them. They tend to have been very comfortable tires on gravel for me in the past. The knock on them, at least in my view, is that they feel draggy on harder, paved surfaces. But I may have a foggy memory on them. That's a big reason why I wanted to try them out here again.

Stay tuned, I'll be back on with my thoughts on the Riddler soon.....

Monday Randomonium

 NOTE: Okay folks, if you haven't been around long enough here to know what a "Randomonium" post is, then here is the deal. I ramble, rant, and randomly moan about all things cycling in one, incohesive, bizarre post. "Randomonium", okay?

Additionally, Sunday was my son's 19th birthday, so I stuck around the house to hang out and mark that momentous occasion. Therefore I was not out and about on the bike. 

Current status of the "rack" at the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective.

Shop Update;

Not long ago I posted on the trip we made to Des Moines to pick up approximately 60 bicycles from the Des Moines Street Collective. (Thanks again, Bobby!)

Well, that has helped us to fill out the rack, plus some, down at the Collective now. That's been a good thing,as we continue to sell bikes, and we were getting pretty low on viable candidates for refurbishing. 

Now that the inventory issues have been addressed I will be shifting my focus to the community service aspects of the Collective and getting our Build-a-Bike and Earn-a-Bike programs back online. It's been a slower than I'd have liked process, but it is going to happen. 

Again, this gig is soooo different than retail, service oriented bicycle shop jobs. I have to educate some folks on that from time to time, as I get asked to do service work, which is not what we do. It kind of confuses some folks and the way the place had been run by the previous Head Mechanic sometimes manifests itself in folks who are now having to re calibrate how the Collective operates. Challenges are part of the new gig, but I have found this job to be immensely satisfying so far.

A New Group Raises New Issues:

 So, I alluded to this earlier, but here's the deal: Shimano gifted me a new GRX group to celebrate my induction into the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame. There- now that's been said. I really don't like keeping things I have out of the limelight if it affects my cycling oriented writing here, and this new parts group definitely has me in a bit of a conundrum when it comes to "What To Do". 

You see, this is the new silver edition stuff, and well....I just cannot stick this on any ol' bike. Not to mention, it won't work on a couple of bikes I have. Here are the details of what I have here:

• Noble Bikes GX5: This is a 1X only bike, and the group is 2X. So, that option is a no-go.
• Raleigh Tamland Two: The group would be fine except for that the bike has IS standard mounts for disc brake calipers, and the group is flat mount. Adapters, you say? Well, the rear rotor max size on the Tamland is 140mm. Cool! The GRX rear rotor I was gifted is 140mm! Boo! There are no IS to Flat mount 140mm adapters- at least that I can find. 
• The Twin Six is a single speed, yellow, and did I mention it is a single speed? No-go.
• The Black Mountain Cycles MCD is pink. Hmm..... Black looks waaaay better on this bike, and I don't really want to mess with this set up as I really have it dialed in. But I could go silver here, it's just that I'd rather not. Black looks better. Oh! I already said that, didn't I.....ha ha!

I really would have liked this on the dark navy blue of the Noble GX5,  and I could, I suppose, if I ditched the 2X, front derailleur, and set up the crank as a 1X. ..... Anyway, so, I started looking at new frame sets. gah! Prices are pretty steep now. I found this, which would be spectacular in the Diffusion Black, but 2+K..... Yeah....

This option seems more doable. (Note- Link was bad before. Fixed now) I could buy three of those for the price of the other. Both choices are in a geometry I find right up my alley. Anyway, there is my conundrum. (sigh) Definitely First World Problems. I'm not sweating this, just so you know.... 

Rewind To The Riddler:

This whole reviewing gig has me on one sort of tire, then another, on a pretty consistent basis. I never have a tire on long enough to actually wear it out. So, sometimes I think about tires I once kind of liked, or cannot even remember how they rode, and wonder how they might work. 

I've gone back to checking out the Resolute from WTB several times, so that's been one tire I fall back to, but what about some others? One I recently dug out again from the 'tire pile' and remounted is the WTB Riddler 700 X 45mm tires. 

These are tires I have tried out a few times. I used them for a GTDRI once, and they were the tires I first used on my Black Mountain Cycles MCD bike. But the first bike was a test bike and went back and the MCD ended up becoming a test mule and there has been several sets of tires tested on that bike since. 

The bike I don't tend to swap wheels out all the time on, (and tires with that), is the Raleigh Tamland. So, I mounted the Riddler 45's to that bike. I noticed how much those tires have that nice, flattened crown to them. They tend to have been very comfortable tires on gravel for me in the past. The knock on them, at least in my view, is that they feel draggy on harder, paved surfaces. But I may have a foggy memory on them. That's a big reason why I wanted to try them out here again.

Stay tuned, I'll be back on with my thoughts on the Riddler soon.....

Randomonium

 NOTE: Okay folks, if you haven't been around long enough here to know what a "Randomonium" post is, then here is the deal. I ramble, rant, and randomly moan about all things cycling in one, incohesive, bizarre post. "Randomonium", okay?

The Cotic Cascade

Fargo-like Bikes Appear To Satisfy Fat Tire Adventurers:

Recently I've noted that there is a rash of drop bar adventure bike choices out there now which can trace their lineage back to Salsa Cycle's original Fargo. Modernized a bit, to be sure, and set up with all the "Adventure Warts®" one could ever need. (Note- the term "Adventure Warts®" is my technical term for mounting bosses. ) 

The brand-spankin' new Cotic (Like 'psycotic' without the 'psy') Cascade model being one such introduction. This particular model derives more from a Gen 2 Fargo since it has a suspension corrected fork and no single speed option. Then there is the Panorama Cycles Taiga EXP which is more reminiscent of a current Fargo with a single speed option in the sliding rear drop outs. The Singular Gryphon is also set to make a comeback, but I'll have more to say about that one tomorrow along with some words about Panorama's flat bar Taiga bike on Saturday. 

Grinder Nationals Moves Venue:

The US Endurance sanctioning group has held a Gravel Grinder Nationals in Lawrence, Kansas for the past five years. Winners in each category have been awarded National Championship jerseys. Did you know that? Yep! Way before the bunch over at USA Cycling got a whiff of the gravel scene, these US Endurance folks have been paying attention and jumped in a while back. 

Anyway, after five years in the same place, US Endurance is moving Grinder Nationals. Here's a bit from the press release:

"After a 5-year residency in Lawrence, Kansas, the Gravel
Grinder National Championship presented by US Endurance is moving to the MidAtlantic and
scheduled to take place in beautiful Loudoun County, Virginia on May 7, 2022. Registration opens
Tuesday, February 1, 2022 on BikeReg.com

This year’s event, in conjunction with Dirty Kitten Productions, will feature a 100-mile “Grinder
Nationals” championship race and a 30-mile “Mini G” recreational ride on historic Loudoun
County gravel roads. Riders will start at B Chord Brewing Company & Farm in Round Hill, VA then
wind their way through the surrounding areas of Bluemont, Philomont, Purcellville, and Lovettsville."

Registration is HERE and you can check out more details at their website. 

Rim profiles for the new "Send" rims from Black Bird.

Interesting New Rim Extrusion For MTB From Black Bird:

Rims for bicycle wheels have changed a lot in the past 20 years. Probably the most notable advancement has been in materials technology which has allowed for carbon fiber to be utilized as a material suitable for making rims for all manner of bicycles. 

One thing that has come out of the carbon rim designs of recent years is a use of a wider rim bead/edge to help tires not pinch flat when ridden at lowered pressures and on rocky terrain. Carbon is pretty easy to mold into any shape, so this feature was typically reserved for the most expensive of rims for mountain and gravel biking. 

Well, Ibis Cycles has now spun off a new brand and have designed an aluminum extrusion which mimics the same benefits in terms of pinch flat protection for enduro MTB racing, and presumably, any suitable mountain biking style. The brand Ibis created is called "Black Bird" and the new rim model is called the "Send". 

Ibis cleverly engineered a hollow section at the bead, creating the wider, blunter profile that carbon has utilized for a rim bead, but without the weight penalty of a solid aluminum structure there. The Send II model goes one step further with an extrusion featuring a supportive "strut" underneath the rim bead which further stiffens and strengthens the entire rim. 

Comments: This feature of the Black Bird Send rims is not completely unheard of. I searched the internet and found a few examples of hollow rim bead extrusions, but it is rare, and in this application, totally unique. It would be interesting to see this brought over to the gravel riding segment.

A Country View from 2015

Thinking About 'Riding Plans' Instead Of 'Events':

So, I see events are starting to really push registrations and therefore, commitments, for 2022. Can't say as I blame anyone on either side of the equation here. Promoters are eager to host folks after two years of sparse event choices and riders are eager to rub shoulders with other riders. 

I get that. However; if I've learned anything over this past two year period it is that I dearly love making my own challenges and I don't like the pressures associated with getting ready, preparing to travel, and dealing with logistics that are part and parcel of going to an 'event'. Not to mention the monetary commitment. 

I'm not saying "I'm not doing events." NO! Not at all. I am saying that it will have to be a pretty darn special deal if I am going to put up with the pressures and stresses created by how I deal with events. It's a personal issue, I am sure, and many of you probably don't understand why I wouldn't want to do a bunch of events on gravel. Just think about all the "fun" I'd miss out on by secluding myself to only what I want to put up with. 

I understand completely why many of you might be thinking that. I say- you do you. I'm not saying you should not go all over and see all kinds of people and ride rad gravel events and get all the props for finishing that you deserve. Good on ya! It just doesn't really do much for me anymore. 

I do like riding.On gravel. A LOT! Just not with a number pinned on and all that comes with that. I like stopping, or going, when I like, or when a small group likes to, and not being caught up in big time event pressures. If I want to lay in a ditch and take a nap, (like I did at Gravel Worlds more than once, and elsewhere) I don't want to feel 'bad' about that. If I decide to cut my day short, I don't want to feel like I 'wasted my money' or disappointed anyone rooting for me because it was an event. I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars to travel and stay in a motel when I could camp, or ride somewhere near Waterloo. 

I've done all that and I've stayed around here and have done my own 'riding plans' and I know which way was more fun. So, unless an event is REALLY compelling, yeah...... I'm not real sure I'll be going to anything soon. Not saying 'never going anywhere', far from it. I just have really enjoyed things like my "quest" in 2020 and the ToBHC that I did last year. More of that- less of the organized, big production stuff for me. 

That's a wrap on this Randomonium. Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions

Randomonium

 NOTE: Okay folks, if you haven't been around long enough here to know what a "Randomonium" post is, then here is the deal. I ramble, rant, and randomly moan about all things cycling in one, incohesive, bizarre post. "Randomonium", okay?

The Cotic Cascade

Fargo-like Bikes Appear To Satisfy Fat Tire Adventurers:

Recently I've noted that there is a rash of drop bar adventure bike choices out there now which can trace their lineage back to Salsa Cycle's original Fargo. Modernized a bit, to be sure, and set up with all the "Adventure Warts®" one could ever need. (Note- the term "Adventure Warts®" is my technical term for mounting bosses. ) 

The brand-spankin' new Cotic (Like 'psycotic' without the 'psy') Cascade model being one such introduction. This particular model derives more from a Gen 2 Fargo since it has a suspension corrected fork and no single speed option. Then there is the Panorama Cycles Taiga EXP which is more reminiscent of a current Fargo with a single speed option in the sliding rear drop outs. The Singular Gryphon is also set to make a comeback, but I'll have more to say about that one tomorrow along with some words about Panorama's flat bar Taiga bike on Saturday. 

Grinder Nationals Moves Venue:

The US Endurance sanctioning group has held a Gravel Grinder Nationals in Lawrence, Kansas for the past five years. Winners in each category have been awarded National Championship jerseys. Did you know that? Yep! Way before the bunch over at USA Cycling got a whiff of the gravel scene, these US Endurance folks have been paying attention and jumped in a while back. 

Anyway, after five years in the same place, US Endurance is moving Grinder Nationals. Here's a bit from the press release:

"After a 5-year residency in Lawrence, Kansas, the Gravel
Grinder National Championship presented by US Endurance is moving to the MidAtlantic and
scheduled to take place in beautiful Loudoun County, Virginia on May 7, 2022. Registration opens
Tuesday, February 1, 2022 on BikeReg.com

This year’s event, in conjunction with Dirty Kitten Productions, will feature a 100-mile “Grinder
Nationals” championship race and a 30-mile “Mini G” recreational ride on historic Loudoun
County gravel roads. Riders will start at B Chord Brewing Company & Farm in Round Hill, VA then
wind their way through the surrounding areas of Bluemont, Philomont, Purcellville, and Lovettsville."

Registration is HERE and you can check out more details at their website. 

Rim profiles for the new "Send" rims from Black Bird.

Interesting New Rim Extrusion For MTB From Black Bird:

Rims for bicycle wheels have changed a lot in the past 20 years. Probably the most notable advancement has been in materials technology which has allowed for carbon fiber to be utilized as a material suitable for making rims for all manner of bicycles. 

One thing that has come out of the carbon rim designs of recent years is a use of a wider rim bead/edge to help tires not pinch flat when ridden at lowered pressures and on rocky terrain. Carbon is pretty easy to mold into any shape, so this feature was typically reserved for the most expensive of rims for mountain and gravel biking. 

Well, Ibis Cycles has now spun off a new brand and have designed an aluminum extrusion which mimics the same benefits in terms of pinch flat protection for enduro MTB racing, and presumably, any suitable mountain biking style. The brand Ibis created is called "Black Bird" and the new rim model is called the "Send". 

Ibis cleverly engineered a hollow section at the bead, creating the wider, blunter profile that carbon has utilized for a rim bead, but without the weight penalty of a solid aluminum structure there. The Send II model goes one step further with an extrusion featuring a supportive "strut" underneath the rim bead which further stiffens and strengthens the entire rim. 

Comments: This feature of the Black Bird Send rims is not completely unheard of. I searched the internet and found a few examples of hollow rim bead extrusions, but it is rare, and in this application, totally unique. It would be interesting to see this brought over to the gravel riding segment.

A Country View from 2015

Thinking About 'Riding Plans' Instead Of 'Events':

So, I see events are starting to really push registrations and therefore, commitments, for 2022. Can't say as I blame anyone on either side of the equation here. Promoters are eager to host folks after two years of sparse event choices and riders are eager to rub shoulders with other riders. 

I get that. However; if I've learned anything over this past two year period it is that I dearly love making my own challenges and I don't like the pressures associated with getting ready, preparing to travel, and dealing with logistics that are part and parcel of going to an 'event'. Not to mention the monetary commitment. 

I'm not saying "I'm not doing events." NO! Not at all. I am saying that it will have to be a pretty darn special deal if I am going to put up with the pressures and stresses created by how I deal with events. It's a personal issue, I am sure, and many of you probably don't understand why I wouldn't want to do a bunch of events on gravel. Just think about all the "fun" I'd miss out on by secluding myself to only what I want to put up with. 

I understand completely why many of you might be thinking that. I say- you do you. I'm not saying you should not go all over and see all kinds of people and ride rad gravel events and get all the props for finishing that you deserve. Good on ya! It just doesn't really do much for me anymore. 

I do like riding.On gravel. A LOT! Just not with a number pinned on and all that comes with that. I like stopping, or going, when I like, or when a small group likes to, and not being caught up in big time event pressures. If I want to lay in a ditch and take a nap, (like I did at Gravel Worlds more than once, and elsewhere) I don't want to feel 'bad' about that. If I decide to cut my day short, I don't want to feel like I 'wasted my money' or disappointed anyone rooting for me because it was an event. I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars to travel and stay in a motel when I could camp, or ride somewhere near Waterloo. 

I've done all that and I've stayed around here and have done my own 'riding plans' and I know which way was more fun. So, unless an event is REALLY compelling, yeah...... I'm not real sure I'll be going to anything soon. Not saying 'never going anywhere', far from it. I just have really enjoyed things like my "quest" in 2020 and the ToBHC that I did last year. More of that- less of the organized, big production stuff for me. 

That's a wrap on this Randomonium. Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions