Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Panaracer

 Panaracer Announces New ZX Gravel King Tires:

Panaracer's Gravel King range of tires has an addition now with the latest racing focused Gravel King ZX.  

The ZX features a slick center section for speed. The shoulders have elongated tread blocks for cornering and braking traction. The Gravel King ZX also has a rounded casing which should promote riding on the center section for straight line speed and then as the rider leans into corners those side lugs come into play for stability in corners. 

The ZX version of the Gravel King will have Panaracer's proprietary ZSG Gravel compound developed specifically for gravel. This single compound will lend great ride characteristics and promote long-term durability. The Gravel King ZX tires also will have other Panaracer technologies utilized such as BeadLock and TufTex. 

Coming soon in sizes from 700 x 35mm,  700 x 40mm, 700 x 45mm, 700 x 50mm, and 700 x 55mm with the 45mm tire weighing a claimed 510 grams and the 50mm weighing 600 grams each. Price for each Gravel King ZX tire is set at $84.99 USD. Availability on the 45mm and 50mm tires is May 2026 with the 40mm scheduled for July, the 50mm scheduled for August, and the 35mm tire slated to be available in October 2026. 

Comments: The profile of this tire, with a flattened top section where the slicker part of the tread is, reminds me a lot of the old, original WTB Vulpine. The air pressure settings you used on that old Vulpine really were critical to the performance of the tire. Too much and the tire felt odd when leaned over in a turn. Too little and you started dragging those shoulder knobs into contact with the ground on straight sections, which kind of defeats the intentions of the design, I would be wary of the Gravel King ZX being similar in this vein.  

Confluence CUES 11 (Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles)

Salsa Cycles Announces Confluence CUES 11

Salsa Cycles has released a new version of the Confluence e-gravel bike. This Sea Foam Green bike features Shimano CUES 11 speed and a Mahle hub motor for an extra boost which Salsa claims can last up to 45 miles. 

Check out this bike at Salsa Cycles site HERE.  

A Viral Post:

I know most of you have heard the term "it's gone viral" or some form of this term. One thing I never thought I'd see is one of my social media posts going viral. I mean, most of what I post is either very cycling specific or just downright goofy. The latter was what my April 1st Instagram post could be defined as being. 

Here's the text I posted with the accompanying image. "When a steel bicycle frame reaches maturity it splits open and releases its reproductive spores into the atmosphere. These spores the settle in frame building shops where they bond with other frame spores to become new bicycles again."

I misspelled "then" by omitting the "n", but I did not care at the time because I figured hardly anyone would see this off the cuff April Fools post. But I was wrong.

So wrong!  

24,260 views and counting! It's kind of crazy. I cannot say why this took off, but "The Algorithm" must have thought it was funny, I guess.  

From Shimano social media

Shimano Offers Larger GRX 1X Chainrings, Shorter GRX Cranks, & New CUES 11's Rear Mech:

Shimano offered a few tweaks to GRX, its gravel going component group, recently. The trend toward shorter cranks and larger drive rings were addressed with the addition of a 44T and 46T 1X GRX rings coupled with a couple of shorter crank arm choices in GRX. 

Nothing crazy there, but a nice option for those who have a desire to follow this trend with their gravel set ups. 

The CUES thing is a bit more interesting, in my opinion. CUES has been out for a while now and while it was ballyhooed as a versatile, lifestyle group for the average cyclist, enthusiasts have largely ignored it. This is because CUES was designed in its own ecosystem which rendered it incompatible with other Shimano products past and present. 

CUES RD U6030 (Image courtesy of Shimano

Recently Shimano upgraded its lower tier Tiagra group from ten speed to eleven speed and in this upgrade they introduced an 11-36T cassette. Interestingly, CUES, which previous to this new CUES derailleur was designed for LinkGlide technology, has this new derailleur working with HyperGlide, which is what the Tiagra cassette technology is based upon. 

This raises some questions. Is CUES switching over to HypeGlide? What is the hierarchy placement for this new CUES versus Tiagra? Reports say the new CUES rear mech is actually lighter than other CUES derailleurs and the new Tiagra 11 speed rear mech. 

According to reporting online, Shimano has said this new CUES introduction is more about gravel bikes and Tiagra is for sport road riding, citing slight differences in chain line and Q factor between the two groups. 

So, this then leaves us with a question about CUES and Shimano's GRX groups. Shimano, at GRX's introduction, made the top tier GRX 800 an eleven speed group and the lower tiered GRX 400 was ten speed. Is this new CUES derailleur a precursor to a lower tiered GRX eleven or twelve speed group because GRX is going to 13 speeds at the top of the range?  

Maxxis 32" range. (Image poached off social media)

The 32" Watch: Maxxis Delivers On Rumors:

Yesterday at Sea Otter Maxxis showed a full range of MTB tires in 32" size. This was a rumor for months and now it has become a reality. 

This points to OEM acceptance of 32" wheels as a viable retail product. I will be very surprised if most top-tier brands do not have 32"ers in their ranges by 2027, (this Fall). 

In other 32"er news, there was the Fargo and Teravail tire intros yesterday. (See yesterday's post on these things for more details) Velo Orange showed a 32" rim in silver. Also, a couple of prototype bicycles were shown. One was from Esker Cycles and was based on the Lorax. The other was from Revel Bikes and was a 32"er titanium hardtail. Revel also had a "mullet 29"/32" bike in titanium as well.  

In perhaps the biggest news and sign that 32"ers are here to stay, at least for a while, was the spotting of a prototype 32" Fox fork on an Ari Bikes 32"er FS model. You know what this means? It means Fox has an OEM on the hook for production, or thinks it will soon. My bet is XC MTB bikes from one of the bigger brands will be the model type this shows up on.  

Image courtesy of Open Cycles

Open WI.DE 2.0 Announced:

Open Cycles sent a press release showing off its upcoming OPEN WI.DE 2.0 carbon adventure drop bar frame and fork.  

Claiming an amazing tire clearance of  29" x 2.6" (700 x 66mm)! To get this to work OPEN had to use a double-dropped chain stay design. OPEN claims that going from a 50mm to the 66mm tire doubles air volume. This will allow the rider to tackle even rougher terrain. 

To get this all to work, OPEN had quite a challenge on their hands. The result was still lighter, by only a little bit, than the outgoing model. Additionally only 1X drive trains are supported while retaining gravel group set compatibility.  

The OPEN WI.DE frame and fork is going into production now with a promised late Summer 2026 delivery.  

That's a wrap for this week. Get out there and ride a bicycle this weekend! 

An Intersting Ruling

You get a DQ, you get a DQ, you all are DQ'ed!

The Crossroads Of Social Media And Competition:

You may have seen the news concerning Ironman and and their revision of a rule concerning taking images during an Ironman competition.  

Here is the wording taken from an article found online at tri-today.com: 

 "Under the revised rule, using any device – including phones, cameras, video cameras, or recording-enabled glasses – to capture images or video during the race is strictly forbidden. Athletes found doing so will face disqualification."

The ruling is to help keep riders safer and to ensure a focus on competition rather than content creation. Some online sources suggest this ruling, effective now, was a revision to help define the previous rule and outlaw smart-glasses along with phone cameras, Go-Pro type units, etc.  

I'm not really all that interested in the "how" Ironman will enforce this ruling, but I am very intrigued by the "why" of it all. As I read more about this I discovered that Ironman is very strict about phone usage and other tech surrounding social media and individual usage of devices.  

Technology and gravel events have had a pretty cozy relationship over the last several years. It is hard to even imagine a world where, for instance, cameras would be banned at Unbound. Events like Unbound, Gravel Worlds, and Mid-South rely heavily on social media both from an organizational point of view, but also as a way to entice sponsors and as a way to activate sponsor involvement in their events.  

Ultra-endurance events also have been impacted by athlete/film crew/marketing agendas and in some cases (Tour Divide) have caused major issues between competitors and the event organizers. 

My stance is the gravel and ultra-distance events people are participating in have become a means to an end when it comes to "social media currency". Of course, not every rider or company/sponsor is there to bank off an event, but this happens a lot and I think we all can agree it happens. What you think of it is where the diverging opinions come into play. I don't like it, and I have many reasons as to why this is, but that is another entire post. 

What do you think of it all? Or maybe you just do not care. Let me know in the comments.

Like And Subscribe: Do You Really Want Print Media?

Back when print was still a thing: Article from "Dirt Rag"

 NOTE: Large doses of "my opinion" will be handed out in gloppy dollops today. You've been forewarned.....

I'm old enough to remember when getting the latest "Mountain Bike Action" in the mail , or when seeing the latest edition of  "Dirt Rag" in the bike shop was the definition of a great day. Print media had no real 'predators' in the realm of information and creative writing for cycling. 

There were no online forums, no social media, no You Tubers spewing a video out every other day to keep their content "fresh". Because let's face it folks, today it is all about content. Realize that this content doesn't have to be good. It just has to be mostly free and coming at you like water out of a back yard garden hose. 

So, how did we get here? Well, I gave you a snapshot in the previous paragraph, but let me give you another glimpse into when the paradigm shifted. I just happened to have been there. 

It was my first trip to Sea Otter in 2007 with the "Crooked Cog Network", a self-titled, self-aggrandized "media" group consisting of several blogs. The newfound power of the internet and online streaming of content almost as soon as it was created was just getting going. This happened to upset the apple cart in a very visible and tangible way at the Trek/Fisher Press Camp we were invited to in Santa Cruz, California. 

Up to this point, press camps were the realm of "traditional print media". Remember, they had no "natural predators", but now with forums like mtbr.com growing by leaps and bounds over the previous 5+ years, traditional print media was facing new competition- a predator had arrived which was eating into their normal way of doing things.

Rumors and industry chit-chat was freely shared across digital devices, mostly PC's at that point, and you didn't have to wait a month for the news, like you did with print media. An evening scouring the forums yielded more than enough news to make print look lame, and you could dig into it every day, if you wanted to. "Fresh" content was what the masses craved, and while forums were cool, and all that, there was now a new presence on the scene- real-time bloggers. 

Images and info straight from the show floor to your PC- all in a day's work

The Trek/Fisher marketing guys held a meeting to go over all the new bikes and tech for 2007. In the first two rows were all the heavy-hitters in the print media world at that time. James Huang, the "Angry Asian" was there. Editors from "Velo News", "Dirt Rag", and other prominent print media were there. "Real" websites were represented as well. But us bloggers? We were at the back. Sneered at by the front row, and mostly they wouldn't even speak to us. 

Crooked Cog Network founder Tim Grahl set up his MacBook lap top, a camera, and a line out to the internet. As the presentation was given, Tim screen-shot each image shown on the screen at the front of the room, wrote a few lines quickly to accompany the image, and boom! Posted to the site we were pushing content to. I was flat out amazed. I'd not even imagined such a thing in 2007. 

When the presentation was over, the lead spokesperson for Trek/Fisher, Travis Ott, said that he would allow a bit of time to let the media get their notes in order before we moved on and hoped that stories would be published "soon". That's when Grahl piped up next to me and said. "We've already got the story up on our site". I'll never forget the half disgusted, half amazed look James Huang shot him as he jerked around to see who was speaking. 

Print media was doomed after that point, in my mind, because the masses became ravenous for constantly changing "fresh content" and online purveyors of information were only too glad to give it up for free. No subscribing to a periodical. No waiting a month to see what's new. You could see what was new minute-by-minute. Literally.

That's how we got here. Instant upload to the internet, everyone has a computer/receiver in their hands now, and content gets pushed without ceasing, 24-7 these days. How does a print based ideal even compete? It cannot do what it used to do, and to my way of thinking, traditional media has missed the boat. The traditional cycling media seems bent on trying to replicate the analog days of print media digitally, and from advertisers to content consumers, that is a dinosaur that died a long time ago. 

Companies use social media to promote product now.

 So, Outside kicked several Cyclingtips and Velo News creatives to the curb the other day. It's a hard reality for media who try to make a living creating content in long form for websites. Ad dollars are scarce to non-existent. Companies that once spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in print/website based advertising now have "influencers", Instagram stories, and sponsored content. Their own media content is self-created for these brand's social media and You Tube channels. Companies and brands have "marketing firms" that get product out to independent reviewers and niche websites (Like myself) and target audiences instead of the old ad in a magazine that might not ever get seen by a core customer of a brand.

Pre-packaged content is offered all the time to me to post on my blog and on RidingGravel.com. I must get offers to post "sponsored articles" daily. I just deleted another offer for a "guest blog post". Seriously. It's like pulling weeds, these guest post offers. They just keep popping up everywhere. I have never looked into any of these offers, but I am sure they come with click-through ads so the guest poster can make a few pennies.

But do we still need a magazine? Do we need to have any form of print media? If not, do we need a web based site that isn't in the traditional vein? Could that even be supported enough to pay a living wage to a creator these days? 

That's a tough nut to crack as well. Think about myself and the old story from Sea Otter I posted above. I was a part of the dismantling of traditional media, in a way, and for 17+ years I've blogged here, at no cost to you, nearly daily, spewing fresh content at ya like water from a back yard garden hose . So who am I to pontificate on this media meltdown? 

Well, it isn't just me. It is "everyone", really. It used to be that there were journalists and then everyone else that read what journalists wrote. Now days anyone can post any "news" they want on several platforms. Usually consumable for free.   I mean, "why not me" when it comes to being an expert on issues? That seems to be the big problem with anyone trying to make a buck now writing. Since the writer's craft, talents, and professionalism mean little more than the average person's opinions these days, it's harder to get any value out of a traditional media product. Add in to that most "truth" is broadcast for "entertainment value" and this problem is even harder to tackle. 

Getting a print/digital magazine thing going is possible, I think, but it cannot be anything like the previous offerings and it cannot be corporately owned. It probably would be best if the publication was very niche, stayed smaller rather than bigger, and catered to an audience that craved having stories told to them. You're probably never going to see a wide-ranging, racer focused, gear focused, review type publication make it on a national scale anymore since that sort of publication needs a LOT of cabbage to keep the doors open. A low-overhead operation? I think that type of curated, simple, focused approach is best these days.

But like I said, I'm just one of those hacks in the back row. What do I know?

Like And Subscribe: Do You Really Want Print Media?

Back when print was still a thing: Article from "Dirt Rag"

 NOTE: Large doses of "my opinion" will be handed out in gloppy dollops today. You've been forewarned.....

I'm old enough to remember when getting the latest "Mountain Bike Action" in the mail , or when seeing the latest edition of  "Dirt Rag" in the bike shop was the definition of a great day. Print media had no real 'predators' in the realm of information and creative writing for cycling. 

There were no online forums, no social media, no You Tubers spewing a video out every other day to keep their content "fresh". Because let's face it folks, today it is all about content. Realize that this content doesn't have to be good. It just has to be mostly free and coming at you like water out of a back yard garden hose. 

So, how did we get here? Well, I gave you a snapshot in the previous paragraph, but let me give you another glimpse into when the paradigm shifted. I just happened to have been there. 

It was my first trip to Sea Otter in 2007 with the "Crooked Cog Network", a self-titled, self-aggrandized "media" group consisting of several blogs. The newfound power of the internet and online streaming of content almost as soon as it was created was just getting going. This happened to upset the apple cart in a very visible and tangible way at the Trek/Fisher Press Camp we were invited to in Santa Cruz, California. 

Up to this point, press camps were the realm of "traditional print media". Remember, they had no "natural predators", but now with forums like mtbr.com growing by leaps and bounds over the previous 5+ years, traditional print media was facing new competition- a predator had arrived which was eating into their normal way of doing things.

Rumors and industry chit-chat was freely shared across digital devices, mostly PC's at that point, and you didn't have to wait a month for the news, like you did with print media. An evening scouring the forums yielded more than enough news to make print look lame, and you could dig into it every day, if you wanted to. "Fresh" content was what the masses craved, and while forums were cool, and all that, there was now a new presence on the scene- real-time bloggers. 

Images and info straight from the show floor to your PC- all in a day's work

The Trek/Fisher marketing guys held a meeting to go over all the new bikes and tech for 2007. In the first two rows were all the heavy-hitters in the print media world at that time. James Huang, the "Angry Asian" was there. Editors from "Velo News", "Dirt Rag", and other prominent print media were there. "Real" websites were represented as well. But us bloggers? We were at the back. Sneered at by the front row, and mostly they wouldn't even speak to us. 

Crooked Cog Network founder Tim Grahl set up his MacBook lap top, a camera, and a line out to the internet. As the presentation was given, Tim screen-shot each image shown on the screen at the front of the room, wrote a few lines quickly to accompany the image, and boom! Posted to the site we were pushing content to. I was flat out amazed. I'd not even imagined such a thing in 2007. 

When the presentation was over, the lead spokesperson for Trek/Fisher, Travis Ott, said that he would allow a bit of time to let the media get their notes in order before we moved on and hoped that stories would be published "soon". That's when Grahl piped up next to me and said. "We've already got the story up on our site". I'll never forget the half disgusted, half amazed look James Huang shot him as he jerked around to see who was speaking. 

Print media was doomed after that point, in my mind, because the masses became ravenous for constantly changing "fresh content" and online purveyors of information were only too glad to give it up for free. No subscribing to a periodical. No waiting a month to see what's new. You could see what was new minute-by-minute. Literally.

That's how we got here. Instant upload to the internet, everyone has a computer/receiver in their hands now, and content gets pushed without ceasing, 24-7 these days. How does a print based ideal even compete? It cannot do what it used to do, and to my way of thinking, traditional media has missed the boat. The traditional cycling media seems bent on trying to replicate the analog days of print media digitally, and from advertisers to content consumers, that is a dinosaur that died a long time ago. 

Companies use social media to promote product now.

 So, Outside kicked several Cyclingtips and Velo News creatives to the curb the other day. It's a hard reality for media who try to make a living creating content in long form for websites. Ad dollars are scarce to non-existent. Companies that once spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in print/website based advertising now have "influencers", Instagram stories, and sponsored content. Their own media content is self-created for these brand's social media and You Tube channels. Companies and brands have "marketing firms" that get product out to independent reviewers and niche websites (Like myself) and target audiences instead of the old ad in a magazine that might not ever get seen by a core customer of a brand.

Pre-packaged content is offered all the time to me to post on my blog and on RidingGravel.com. I must get offers to post "sponsored articles" daily. I just deleted another offer for a "guest blog post". Seriously. It's like pulling weeds, these guest post offers. They just keep popping up everywhere. I have never looked into any of these offers, but I am sure they come with click-through ads so the guest poster can make a few pennies.

But do we still need a magazine? Do we need to have any form of print media? If not, do we need a web based site that isn't in the traditional vein? Could that even be supported enough to pay a living wage to a creator these days? 

That's a tough nut to crack as well. Think about myself and the old story from Sea Otter I posted above. I was a part of the dismantling of traditional media, in a way, and for 17+ years I've blogged here, at no cost to you, nearly daily, spewing fresh content at ya like water from a back yard garden hose . So who am I to pontificate on this media meltdown? 

Well, it isn't just me. It is "everyone", really. It used to be that there were journalists and then everyone else that read what journalists wrote. Now days anyone can post any "news" they want on several platforms. Usually consumable for free.   I mean, "why not me" when it comes to being an expert on issues? That seems to be the big problem with anyone trying to make a buck now writing. Since the writer's craft, talents, and professionalism mean little more than the average person's opinions these days, it's harder to get any value out of a traditional media product. Add in to that most "truth" is broadcast for "entertainment value" and this problem is even harder to tackle. 

Getting a print/digital magazine thing going is possible, I think, but it cannot be anything like the previous offerings and it cannot be corporately owned. It probably would be best if the publication was very niche, stayed smaller rather than bigger, and catered to an audience that craved having stories told to them. You're probably never going to see a wide-ranging, racer focused, gear focused, review type publication make it on a national scale anymore since that sort of publication needs a LOT of cabbage to keep the doors open. A low-overhead operation? I think that type of curated, simple, focused approach is best these days.

But like I said, I'm just one of those hacks in the back row. What do I know?

We Are Not Immune To Traffic On Gravel

An attempt to intimidate a group of cyclists gone wrong. (Image courtesy of Twitter)

One of the main benefits, in my opinion, to riding rural unpaved roads is that I can escape much of the mayhem caused by the operators of motor vehicles. Distractedness, anger issues, people playing around with you, and whatnot. But.....that doesn't mean you are 100% free from any of this nonsense. 

This was illustrated recently over this past weekend by a social media post that went (sort of) viral. You may have seen this. From what I can gather, it was posted by a former Trans Iowa participant, bike shop manager, and Arkansas resident. The story goes that someone driving the red pick-up truck tried to make an intimidating pass on a group of cyclists on the dirt road pictured here.  The pass caused the driver to lose control and roll the truck over onto its passenger side, trapping an occupant within. 

Apparently there were no severe injuries.

While the overall tone of responses was ,"Good! They got their just comeuppance!", I think this points to a wider issue within the gravel cycling community. That being, "You have to be aware of your surroundings and whatever traffic you might encounter deserves your full attention." 

I say this because many think that going out on rural roads is an "escape"- which often is translated unconsciously to something like, "I don't have to worry about  or pay attention to traffic anymore!", which, as many of us know, is the furthest thing from the truth that could be. 

Most gravel events are held on 'open roads'. (Image by Jon Duke)

It is easy to get sucked into a mindset that you have it all unto yourself when you get way out there, but these are- for the most part- 'open roads'. That means they are meant primarily for trucks, cars, tractors, and agricultural equipment. Maybe you live where logging trucks are commonplace. Or maybe you live in an area with a lot of ranchers that use ATV's. But the point is- you can and will run into situations with vehicular traffic and you must remain vigilant and attentive to this possibility. 

There is no real "written code" for rural traffic-cyclist encounters, but I think the first thing to take into consideration is what many of us call the "Ride Right" rule. That is- "When cresting hills or climbs- STAY ON THE RIGHT HALF OF THE ROAD!" That's probably a rule that is going to save your- or someone else's - life someday. And I've seen it work. 

I used to put on a ride for beginners called the "Geezer Ride" on gravel. On the very first one I directed, we were out on some big rollers near the Amana Colonies. As a small group of us were climbing this 10+% climb, a Dodge Ram came blasting over the crest of the hill doing about 70-80mph. The truck appeared so quickly that we didn't even have any warning by way of sound or a dust plume. It was just suddenly "there". Thank God everyone was on the right side of the climb or we would have certainly had a death, or two. 

And it is also imperative to note that this applies to almost every gravel event I am aware of. Open roads mean that YOU MUST DEFER TO TRAFFIC. What's a more desirable outcome here? That your placing, (and whatever prizing or money might be at stake) is affected by your having to defer to a train, car, or farm tractor, or that you have suffered loss to an injury, or have died trying to hold your place? I'd say walking away with your life and body intact versus any prestige and satisfaction you get from a higher placing is a better outcome. I dunno..... Maybe I'm the crazy one here? 

Sure, it sucked when I had to wait fifteen minutes for a freight train to pass when I was in the DK200 years ago, but I accepted that part of the deal with riding on gravel was that these things might happen. And some Pros will say, "But we're trying to make a 'career' out of this! We shouldn't be affected by traffic!". Well, tell me this- Did you not know that the event was being held on open roads? When you signed up, were you duped into thinking that this traffic thing might never happen? Really? If that affects your 'career', go ride somewhere in an event that doesn't have that possibility, or hey! Put on an event that suits your proclivities yourself! That's kinda what we did in the gravel scene. 

Today's ag equipment is so big you may have to abandon the road!

And of course, the same things are true for casual group rides or solo gravel rides. In fact, troubles can arise even more easily when your mind wanders to conversation or you get way into your thoughts out there. I know. I'm just as guilty as anyone in that way. 

I often have been shocked back into 'the real world' by the sound of crunching gravel, or the plume of dust seen off in the distance. Thankfully I've not been suddenly overtaken when in such deep thoughts, but I have to try to remain vigilant despite my good fortunes. 

Then back to the first image there where the riders were encountering individuals driving that truck who were using the vehicle as a threatening weapon. Yeah.....we're not immune to that sort of thing either. It's a lot less likely- sure- but it isn't impossible. So, do what you have to do to be prepared for those situations. I'd recommend riding with another person more than not, despite the fact that I ride solo more times than not. But- I have the privilege of being a big guy. I'm not someone many rural folks around here would see as being 'out of place', and that is to my advantage as well. Were I an African American would I have to be 'more careful'? Sadly, I think the answer to that is "yes". If I were a solo female would I have to be more careful? Again, I think the answer is "yes". Should those situations change? Yes. But that isn't going to happen today, and not likely real soon either, so.......

So, while the world "out there" on gravel may seem appealing for its promises of "escape" from much of societies ills, you aren't going to get 100% immunity from it all. Be prepared, be aware, and be reasonable. The realities of rural riding are that we- as gravel riders- have to be aware that we aren't going to always be free and clear to enjoy the ride as we might wish to 100% of the time. But I'll take the odds for riding on gravel against riding on a paved county blacktop for safety and fun every time.

Be careful out there!

We Are Not Immune To Traffic On Gravel

An attempt to intimidate a group of cyclists gone wrong. (Image courtesy of Twitter)

One of the main benefits, in my opinion, to riding rural unpaved roads is that I can escape much of the mayhem caused by the operators of motor vehicles. Distractedness, anger issues, people playing around with you, and whatnot. But.....that doesn't mean you are 100% free from any of this nonsense. 

This was illustrated recently over this past weekend by a social media post that went (sort of) viral. You may have seen this. From what I can gather, it was posted by a former Trans Iowa participant, bike shop manager, and Arkansas resident. The story goes that someone driving the red pick-up truck tried to make an intimidating pass on a group of cyclists on the dirt road pictured here.  The pass caused the driver to lose control and roll the truck over onto its passenger side, trapping an occupant within. 

Apparently there were no severe injuries.

While the overall tone of responses was ,"Good! They got their just comeuppance!", I think this points to a wider issue within the gravel cycling community. That being, "You have to be aware of your surroundings and whatever traffic you might encounter deserves your full attention." 

I say this because many think that going out on rural roads is an "escape"- which often is translated unconsciously to something like, "I don't have to worry about  or pay attention to traffic anymore!", which, as many of us know, is the furthest thing from the truth that could be. 

Most gravel events are held on 'open roads'. (Image by Jon Duke)

It is easy to get sucked into a mindset that you have it all unto yourself when you get way out there, but these are- for the most part- 'open roads'. That means they are meant primarily for trucks, cars, tractors, and agricultural equipment. Maybe you live where logging trucks are commonplace. Or maybe you live in an area with a lot of ranchers that use ATV's. But the point is- you can and will run into situations with vehicular traffic and you must remain vigilant and attentive to this possibility. 

There is no real "written code" for rural traffic-cyclist encounters, but I think the first thing to take into consideration is what many of us call the "Ride Right" rule. That is- "When cresting hills or climbs- STAY ON THE RIGHT HALF OF THE ROAD!" That's probably a rule that is going to save your- or someone else's - life someday. And I've seen it work. 

I used to put on a ride for beginners called the "Geezer Ride" on gravel. On the very first one I directed, we were out on some big rollers near the Amana Colonies. As a small group of us were climbing this 10+% climb, a Dodge Ram came blasting over the crest of the hill doing about 70-80mph. The truck appeared so quickly that we didn't even have any warning by way of sound or a dust plume. It was just suddenly "there". Thank God everyone was on the right side of the climb or we would have certainly had a death, or two. 

And it is also imperative to note that this applies to almost every gravel event I am aware of. Open roads mean that YOU MUST DEFER TO TRAFFIC. What's a more desirable outcome here? That your placing, (and whatever prizing or money might be at stake) is affected by your having to defer to a train, car, or farm tractor, or that you have suffered loss to an injury, or have died trying to hold your place? I'd say walking away with your life and body intact versus any prestige and satisfaction you get from a higher placing is a better outcome. I dunno..... Maybe I'm the crazy one here? 

Sure, it sucked when I had to wait fifteen minutes for a freight train to pass when I was in the DK200 years ago, but I accepted that part of the deal with riding on gravel was that these things might happen. And some Pros will say, "But we're trying to make a 'career' out of this! We shouldn't be affected by traffic!". Well, tell me this- Did you not know that the event was being held on open roads? When you signed up, were you duped into thinking that this traffic thing might never happen? Really? If that affects your 'career', go ride somewhere in an event that doesn't have that possibility, or hey! Put on an event that suits your proclivities yourself! That's kinda what we did in the gravel scene. 

Today's ag equipment is so big you may have to abandon the road!

And of course, the same things are true for casual group rides or solo gravel rides. In fact, troubles can arise even more easily when your mind wanders to conversation or you get way into your thoughts out there. I know. I'm just as guilty as anyone in that way. 

I often have been shocked back into 'the real world' by the sound of crunching gravel, or the plume of dust seen off in the distance. Thankfully I've not been suddenly overtaken when in such deep thoughts, but I have to try to remain vigilant despite my good fortunes. 

Then back to the first image there where the riders were encountering individuals driving that truck who were using the vehicle as a threatening weapon. Yeah.....we're not immune to that sort of thing either. It's a lot less likely- sure- but it isn't impossible. So, do what you have to do to be prepared for those situations. I'd recommend riding with another person more than not, despite the fact that I ride solo more times than not. But- I have the privilege of being a big guy. I'm not someone many rural folks around here would see as being 'out of place', and that is to my advantage as well. Were I an African American would I have to be 'more careful'? Sadly, I think the answer to that is "yes". If I were a solo female would I have to be more careful? Again, I think the answer is "yes". Should those situations change? Yes. But that isn't going to happen today, and not likely real soon either, so.......

So, while the world "out there" on gravel may seem appealing for its promises of "escape" from much of societies ills, you aren't going to get 100% immunity from it all. Be prepared, be aware, and be reasonable. The realities of rural riding are that we- as gravel riders- have to be aware that we aren't going to always be free and clear to enjoy the ride as we might wish to 100% of the time. But I'll take the odds for riding on gravel against riding on a paved county blacktop for safety and fun every time.

Be careful out there!

People Will Forget Until You Remind Them

In response to how folks perceived MTB's when they came out.

I read this bit of wisdom from an old dirt car racer on Twitter one day. He said: "People will forget until you remind them", and he'd proceed to talk about some accomplishment in racing he or his family achieved. It sounds like bragging when you read it the first time, but he's right, you know. People forget their history- or never knew it to begin with - and spout off some pronouncement that they probably wouldn't have with some perspective and knowledge of history. Such was the case earlier this week when Russ from the "Path Less Pedaled" was musing on why folks "hate on" gravel bikes. 

Generally speaking from my experience over the past fifteen years of talking about bikes for the purposes of riding on gravel, dirt roads, and bad pavement, I can say that most people's responses to the term and the existence of 'gravel bikes' lack a knowledge of history and a perspective on the subject. Sometimes the responses are near the mark, sure, but most times they lack any consideration of, or knowledge of, what has gone on before all this modern day 'gravel bike' nonsense. 

Now, you longtime blog readers all know this, more than likely, but my take on an all-terrain road bike is one drawn from history. Use bigger tires, like they used to, use slacker geometry, like they used to, and a lower bottom bracket with moderate length chain stays, just like they used to, only do it all up with modern materials technology. This was, and is, to my way of thinking, the any-man's road bike, with the 'man' part referring to humans as a species, okay? 

So, this all came up when it was pushed out on Monday on social media that certain groups of people were 'angered', (bent out of shape?), by the term 'gravel bike' and the question above was posted which you can see my answer to. Historically, no one I ever read, spoke to, or knew of thought that MTB's were just "road bikes with fat tires". In fact, if you thought that then, you'd likely not find many folks to ride with either in the roadie camp or the MTB camp. The gulf between the two was real, as crazy as it may seem today. 

Of course, this went further on in discussion until the term 'gravel grinder' came up, which is the other thing that seems to tweak some people off. But as I pointed out in that thread, and have pointed out numerous times here, that is not a construct of modern day gravel marketing. It existed as a 'thing' long before the popularity of 'gravel events' took off in the mid-00's. 

Courtesy of Richard Masoner's Tweet

I've often told the story here that Iowa and other Mid-Western roadies would often use rural roads to train on for late spring criterium racing. They referred to these early season training rides on crushed rock roads as 'gravel grinds', and going out for a 'gravel grinder' was understood to mean that you were going to go on a training ride on gravel roads for their higher resistance and more hilly terrain. 

This term was adopted by early race promoters who put on mountain bike races on gravel roads. Then, it became the obvious term to borrow for races and events put on gravel for any type of bicycle you wanted to haul out. It was a natural progression, and as such, was never meant to be a marketing term. It was adopted by the followers in the gravel event promoting ranks and then went on to represent the segment of racing and riding that was on gravel. This also probably explains why marketers adopted 'gravel' for the components and bicycles used at such events. I cannot say for certain, but that's a logical assumption on my part. Your mileage may vary. 

And as you can see, I'm not the only one that thinks this way about where that term came from. I know some folks might think we 'made that up', but we didn't. It was a term we borrowed that made sense to us in the mid-2000's. So, whether or not that 'irritates' you, the term has a history and means something that maybe you may not have considered. That may not make you feel any better about that term, but it isn't going away and for good reason. 

It reminds me of how 'mountain bikes' came about as a descriptive term for those types of off-road, fat tire bikes. That term- Mountain Bikes -was actually a brand name at first. It was what Gray Fisher and Charlie Kelly called their fledgling all terrain bicycle company. But the popularity of the name ended up becoming the term for the whole genre of off-road bicycles. Think about how dumb that is. I mean, you don't have to have mountains to ride those bikes, right? Surely "All-Terrain" should have won out. But, as we all know, it did not. 

So, there is a precedent for how a silly name becomes a term for a whole category of bicycles. I'm no fan of 'gravel bike', and you long time readers all know that. But I've been over-ruled and the market has spoken, so gravel bikes it is. 

And as far as 'gravel grinders' go, well, you can call your rides whatever you want to, but where I'm from, these crushed rock road rambles have been called that since long before I was big enough to ride gravel roads. So, it is a tradition we carry on with here. I see no harm in that term. I also don't see that term, as annoying as some think it is, going away either. Convince me otherwise....

People Will Forget Until You Remind Them

In response to how folks perceived MTB's when they came out.

I read this bit of wisdom from an old dirt car racer on Twitter one day. He said: "People will forget until you remind them", and he'd proceed to talk about some accomplishment in racing he or his family achieved. It sounds like bragging when you read it the first time, but he's right, you know. People forget their history- or never knew it to begin with - and spout off some pronouncement that they probably wouldn't have with some perspective and knowledge of history. Such was the case earlier this week when Russ from the "Path Less Pedaled" was musing on why folks "hate on" gravel bikes. 

Generally speaking from my experience over the past fifteen years of talking about bikes for the purposes of riding on gravel, dirt roads, and bad pavement, I can say that most people's responses to the term and the existence of 'gravel bikes' lack a knowledge of history and a perspective on the subject. Sometimes the responses are near the mark, sure, but most times they lack any consideration of, or knowledge of, what has gone on before all this modern day 'gravel bike' nonsense. 

Now, you longtime blog readers all know this, more than likely, but my take on an all-terrain road bike is one drawn from history. Use bigger tires, like they used to, use slacker geometry, like they used to, and a lower bottom bracket with moderate length chain stays, just like they used to, only do it all up with modern materials technology. This was, and is, to my way of thinking, the any-man's road bike, with the 'man' part referring to humans as a species, okay? 

So, this all came up when it was pushed out on Monday on social media that certain groups of people were 'angered', (bent out of shape?), by the term 'gravel bike' and the question above was posted which you can see my answer to. Historically, no one I ever read, spoke to, or knew of thought that MTB's were just "road bikes with fat tires". In fact, if you thought that then, you'd likely not find many folks to ride with either in the roadie camp or the MTB camp. The gulf between the two was real, as crazy as it may seem today. 

Of course, this went further on in discussion until the term 'gravel grinder' came up, which is the other thing that seems to tweak some people off. But as I pointed out in that thread, and have pointed out numerous times here, that is not a construct of modern day gravel marketing. It existed as a 'thing' long before the popularity of 'gravel events' took off in the mid-00's. 

Courtesy of Richard Masoner's Tweet

I've often told the story here that Iowa and other Mid-Western roadies would often use rural roads to train on for late spring criterium racing. They referred to these early season training rides on crushed rock roads as 'gravel grinds', and going out for a 'gravel grinder' was understood to mean that you were going to go on a training ride on gravel roads for their higher resistance and more hilly terrain. 

This term was adopted by early race promoters who put on mountain bike races on gravel roads. Then, it became the obvious term to borrow for races and events put on gravel for any type of bicycle you wanted to haul out. It was a natural progression, and as such, was never meant to be a marketing term. It was adopted by the followers in the gravel event promoting ranks and then went on to represent the segment of racing and riding that was on gravel. This also probably explains why marketers adopted 'gravel' for the components and bicycles used at such events. I cannot say for certain, but that's a logical assumption on my part. Your mileage may vary. 

And as you can see, I'm not the only one that thinks this way about where that term came from. I know some folks might think we 'made that up', but we didn't. It was a term we borrowed that made sense to us in the mid-2000's. So, whether or not that 'irritates' you, the term has a history and means something that maybe you may not have considered. That may not make you feel any better about that term, but it isn't going away and for good reason. 

It reminds me of how 'mountain bikes' came about as a descriptive term for those types of off-road, fat tire bikes. That term- Mountain Bikes -was actually a brand name at first. It was what Gray Fisher and Charlie Kelly called their fledgling all terrain bicycle company. But the popularity of the name ended up becoming the term for the whole genre of off-road bicycles. Think about how dumb that is. I mean, you don't have to have mountains to ride those bikes, right? Surely "All-Terrain" should have won out. But, as we all know, it did not. 

So, there is a precedent for how a silly name becomes a term for a whole category of bicycles. I'm no fan of 'gravel bike', and you long time readers all know that. But I've been over-ruled and the market has spoken, so gravel bikes it is. 

And as far as 'gravel grinders' go, well, you can call your rides whatever you want to, but where I'm from, these crushed rock road rambles have been called that since long before I was big enough to ride gravel roads. So, it is a tradition we carry on with here. I see no harm in that term. I also don't see that term, as annoying as some think it is, going away either. Convince me otherwise....

Just Ride

A Tweet of mine from March 1st. Musta hit a nerve...

Yeah......I don't know why, but sometimes certain things I see just hit me the wrong way, ya know? Most of the time it is stuff on social media and I just scroll on by. Thirty seconds later and I've forgotten about it. Generally it is not all that important to engage with, or to even give space to it within your mind. But once in a blue moon something kind of grabs me and I struggle with the thoughts expressed and I have to find a release. This time it was on Twitter and the quote was the following:

"Once that starting gun goes off, how long does it take you to settle into a groove, smile, and take in the beauty of your surroundings? Twenty minutes? Twenty miles? Once you're solo? When the finish line is in sight? "
 

See, the message wasn't all that bad, but the idea at the very front end- that the joy of riding has to be within the context of racing? That was the first thing that rubbed me wrong. Then you have the other race references within the message. "Once you're solo? When the finish line is in sight?"

Look, as I Tweeted in response, what the hell does racing have to do with it? In fact, "racing" itself is the distraction from all of the nice things the Tweeted message lays out there. And, in a weird way, they intimate that as well by saying "Once the starting gun goes off, how long does it take......?", because, well, you're racing. It takes away from these more perfect sensations and experiences. 

So, yeah, I responded. 

My message? Don't let the rat-race of "racing" dictate your enjoyment of cycling. Let the lotteries to get in, the money spent on fees, and the stress of "having" to have better fitness, equipment, training, etc beat you down. If you don't have a problem with racing and training, if that's what you "live for", well go on then. You do you. But don't let the narrative of racing dictate your joy. 

That's all................

Just Ride

A Tweet of mine from March 1st. Musta hit a nerve...

Yeah......I don't know why, but sometimes certain things I see just hit me the wrong way, ya know? Most of the time it is stuff on social media and I just scroll on by. Thirty seconds later and I've forgotten about it. Generally it is not all that important to engage with, or to even give space to it within your mind. But once in a blue moon something kind of grabs me and I struggle with the thoughts expressed and I have to find a release. This time it was on Twitter and the quote was the following:

"Once that starting gun goes off, how long does it take you to settle into a groove, smile, and take in the beauty of your surroundings? Twenty minutes? Twenty miles? Once you're solo? When the finish line is in sight? "
 

See, the message wasn't all that bad, but the idea at the very front end- that the joy of riding has to be within the context of racing? That was the first thing that rubbed me wrong. Then you have the other race references within the message. "Once you're solo? When the finish line is in sight?"

Look, as I Tweeted in response, what the hell does racing have to do with it? In fact, "racing" itself is the distraction from all of the nice things the Tweeted message lays out there. And, in a weird way, they intimate that as well by saying "Once the starting gun goes off, how long does it take......?", because, well, you're racing. It takes away from these more perfect sensations and experiences. 

So, yeah, I responded. 

My message? Don't let the rat-race of "racing" dictate your enjoyment of cycling. Let the lotteries to get in, the money spent on fees, and the stress of "having" to have better fitness, equipment, training, etc beat you down. If you don't have a problem with racing and training, if that's what you "live for", well go on then. You do you. But don't let the narrative of racing dictate your joy. 

That's all................

Trans Iowa Stories: Rolling Into The Home Stretch

 "Trans Iowa Stories" is an every Sunday post which helps tell the stories behind the event. You can check out other posts about this subject by going back to earlier Sunday posts on this blog. Thanks and enjoy!

As I sit here thinking about Trans Iowa in 2020, I am often reminded how Trans Iowa affected people's lives, even up to the current times. I still get folks telling me that the event has piqued their interest and that they maybe wish they could have done the thing. There are people on forums asking about old Trans Iowa routes, (yes- I see you!), and I know that with the passing of the Almanzo, DK200, and Trans Iowa, a lot of people are seeing the past in gravel events as something to be longed for.

It's interesting to consider, but as for me, yeah.....that ship has sailed. 

Now days it is enough to tell these stories and as I think about how this series is going to wrap up, I am thinking about T.I.v9-v14 as representing the "Home Stretch" years of Trans Iowa. I've often mentioned here in these stories how I felt that T.I.v7 and v8 were the pivotal years. The really big, important years for the event, in my opinion, were those two years. This is why I spent so much time really detailing out those two particular Trans Iowa events.

Moving away from those difficult, "middle years" of Trans Iowa, the events of these stories will necessarily start to focus on more abstract ideas, particular scenes, and my experiences during these last five Trans Iowa events I will be writing about. Today's entry is about how I feel about entering this era of Trans Iowa now looking back.

By 2010, the DK200 moved to becoming the big time event it became. T.I super-volunteer J. Fry shown.

I cannot escape the feeling today that Trans Iowa v9 represented a sea change in gravel events and Trans Iowa's perception in the niche of gravel event history. Trans Iowa was one of the "big deals" in the gravel event world to start out with, but my dogged insistence that things stay the same, as far as the event's format and feel were concerned, really pushed Trans Iowa downward in the 'world's view of gravel events'. With the Dirty Kanza 200, which by 2011-2012 had shifted to a next-level format, and with the appearance of each newer gravel event, we really saw Trans Iowa become a smaller, more niche, more esoteric, bizarre, weird event. Legendary? Maybe. Oddball? Totally.

Added to this was the rise of Social Media during these latter years of Trans Iowa along with the reliance of cyclists on more electronic technology. The combination of these two things were the results of the slow change from the "Analog Era" to the new "Digital Era" where lifestyles, social mores, and perceptions about what matters have totally changed. These larger events and cultural changes really affected gravel events and Trans Iowa was no exception.

You could see this as riders became less worried about how far they could push themselves with almost zero outside social awareness of their 'growth' to an almost insatiable desire to make every nuance of their gravel riding a social media 'event' and/or an opportunity to get sponsored by a cycling company and gain 'notoriety', fame, and social credibility. This has extended to some folks becoming 'agents of social awareness' as certain people have taken up the mantle of becoming directors of what is wrong and what is right for gravel events. In some cases, these changes (almost blackmail-like in their applications) are long overdue corrections to wrongs that were done consciously or unconsciously. In other cases they are over-reaching, preachy, and off-putting. But what matters to these stories is that all of this was percolating to the forefront during the latter years of Trans Iowa and were wearing me down with more cares. As if the event itself wasn't enough.......

Getting back to Trans Iowa v9 now, I look back on it as the event where gravel was starting to become marketable. Companies were starting to wheedle their way into the scene, sometimes honestly, sometimes with ulterior motives, and were using the platforms of Trans Iowa, the DK200, and Almanzo to promote their standing and their wares within the gravel community. Gravel was 'growing-up', and riders who were there at the beginning were starting to get turned off as the niche was becoming more popular with more riders.

The very first Trans Iowa Radio update hosted by Mountain Bike Radio.

By 2013 gravel grinding was getting to be a big deal. Money was being poured into the segment by the bicycle industry, and Trans Iowa saw a big influence from this as Salsa Cycles focused on this event and the DK200 to help launch their Warbird gravel race bike. Later on, WTB would use the Trans Iowa platform to introduce its first gravel tires, and later on, their purpose-built for gravel Riddler and Resolute tires, both of which were heavily influenced by Trans Iowa in their designs.

Social media became a much bigger part of Trans Iowa with v9 as RidingGravel.com and Mountainbike Radio facilitated a call-in "Trans Iowa Radio" feature where riders could share their experiences live as they happened. Twitter and Facebook were utilized by riders in the event to share virtually their Trans Iowa experiences. Images went out instantaneously to the world via social media. It all sounded good, and on the up-and-up, but these changes also brought with them challenges, which I will be getting around to.

Next:My take on technology's effects upon Trans Iowa and a hint at what I would have done differently.

Trans Iowa Stories: Rolling Into The Home Stretch

 "Trans Iowa Stories" is an every Sunday post which helps tell the stories behind the event. You can check out other posts about this subject by going back to earlier Sunday posts on this blog. Thanks and enjoy!

As I sit here thinking about Trans Iowa in 2020, I am often reminded how Trans Iowa affected people's lives, even up to the current times. I still get folks telling me that the event has piqued their interest and that they maybe wish they could have done the thing. There are people on forums asking about old Trans Iowa routes, (yes- I see you!), and I know that with the passing of the Almanzo, DK200, and Trans Iowa, a lot of people are seeing the past in gravel events as something to be longed for.

It's interesting to consider, but as for me, yeah.....that ship has sailed. 

Now days it is enough to tell these stories and as I think about how this series is going to wrap up, I am thinking about T.I.v9-v14 as representing the "Home Stretch" years of Trans Iowa. I've often mentioned here in these stories how I felt that T.I.v7 and v8 were the pivotal years. The really big, important years for the event, in my opinion, were those two years. This is why I spent so much time really detailing out those two particular Trans Iowa events.

Moving away from those difficult, "middle years" of Trans Iowa, the events of these stories will necessarily start to focus on more abstract ideas, particular scenes, and my experiences during these last five Trans Iowa events I will be writing about. Today's entry is about how I feel about entering this era of Trans Iowa now looking back.

By 2010, the DK200 moved to becoming the big time event it became. T.I super-volunteer J. Fry shown.

I cannot escape the feeling today that Trans Iowa v9 represented a sea change in gravel events and Trans Iowa's perception in the niche of gravel event history. Trans Iowa was one of the "big deals" in the gravel event world to start out with, but my dogged insistence that things stay the same, as far as the event's format and feel were concerned, really pushed Trans Iowa downward in the 'world's view of gravel events'. With the Dirty Kanza 200, which by 2011-2012 had shifted to a next-level format, and with the appearance of each newer gravel event, we really saw Trans Iowa become a smaller, more niche, more esoteric, bizarre, weird event. Legendary? Maybe. Oddball? Totally.

Added to this was the rise of Social Media during these latter years of Trans Iowa along with the reliance of cyclists on more electronic technology. The combination of these two things were the results of the slow change from the "Analog Era" to the new "Digital Era" where lifestyles, social mores, and perceptions about what matters have totally changed. These larger events and cultural changes really affected gravel events and Trans Iowa was no exception.

You could see this as riders became less worried about how far they could push themselves with almost zero outside social awareness of their 'growth' to an almost insatiable desire to make every nuance of their gravel riding a social media 'event' and/or an opportunity to get sponsored by a cycling company and gain 'notoriety', fame, and social credibility. This has extended to some folks becoming 'agents of social awareness' as certain people have taken up the mantle of becoming directors of what is wrong and what is right for gravel events. In some cases, these changes (almost blackmail-like in their applications) are long overdue corrections to wrongs that were done consciously or unconsciously. In other cases they are over-reaching, preachy, and off-putting. But what matters to these stories is that all of this was percolating to the forefront during the latter years of Trans Iowa and were wearing me down with more cares. As if the event itself wasn't enough.......

Getting back to Trans Iowa v9 now, I look back on it as the event where gravel was starting to become marketable. Companies were starting to wheedle their way into the scene, sometimes honestly, sometimes with ulterior motives, and were using the platforms of Trans Iowa, the DK200, and Almanzo to promote their standing and their wares within the gravel community. Gravel was 'growing-up', and riders who were there at the beginning were starting to get turned off as the niche was becoming more popular with more riders.

The very first Trans Iowa Radio update hosted by Mountain Bike Radio.

By 2013 gravel grinding was getting to be a big deal. Money was being poured into the segment by the bicycle industry, and Trans Iowa saw a big influence from this as Salsa Cycles focused on this event and the DK200 to help launch their Warbird gravel race bike. Later on, WTB would use the Trans Iowa platform to introduce its first gravel tires, and later on, their purpose-built for gravel Riddler and Resolute tires, both of which were heavily influenced by Trans Iowa in their designs.

Social media became a much bigger part of Trans Iowa with v9 as RidingGravel.com and Mountainbike Radio facilitated a call-in "Trans Iowa Radio" feature where riders could share their experiences live as they happened. Twitter and Facebook were utilized by riders in the event to share virtually their Trans Iowa experiences. Images went out instantaneously to the world via social media. It all sounded good, and on the up-and-up, but these changes also brought with them challenges, which I will be getting around to.

Next:My take on technology's effects upon Trans Iowa and a hint at what I would have done differently.

Gravel Grinder News: DK200 - Postponed, Cancelled.......Dead?

 NOTE: Large doses of "my opinion" will be handed out in gloppy dollops today. You've been forewarned.....

Tuesday afternoon the expected, but sad news that there would be no Dirty Kanza 200 at all in 2020 was released to the public. Coronavirus concerns were, of course, the stated reasoning behind this decision. As I have said many times here on this blog, and elsewhere, this was the only reasonable conclusion to this dilemma.

Now that the expected news has sunk in, we have a very unusual situation here to consider, Obviously there has been controversy surrounding the name "Dirty Kanza" and additionally, the last standing co-founder of the race is no longer a part of the proceedings. Jim Cummins was recently let go over a dust-up concerning a social media post on his personal social media account. With those two set backs, and the cancellation of the event, Life Time Fitness now has an opportunity to make sweeping changes, many changes, a few changes, or none at all.

Here is what we do know: Jim Cummins was one of the co-founders of the Dirty Kanza 200 and considered to be the "face" of the event, (now being referred to as the "DK" by the promoters and Life Time. More on that in a bit), and many fans of the DK say they won't be back if Jim isn't a part of things. These sort of comments were common on social media directly after Jim's release from his position by Life Time.

We know that a LOT of social pressure is being exerted by sponsors and certain activists on Life Time to change the name of the event. What has been said is that there will be a rebranding and that will be rolled out in the coming months.

Comments: The Dirty Kanza 200 died as an event on July 7th, 2020. It's over folks. The name is changing, yes, but that's not all that will be changing. While the promotions team at Life Time, including long time heads of the event, will strive to incorporate things they believe will be honoring to the core values of the event, it is without a doubt going to look and feel like a brand new event that just so happens to be occurring in Emporia Kansas around the time that the old DK200 happened. Life Time will implement directives to be more socially aware, which may or may not be obvious come 2021, and their team there that is left will be free from any influences Jim Cummins may have exerted on the team in the past. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me at all to see a large move away from much of what Jim, and Joel Dyke conjured up in 2006. Some would argue that ship sailed years ago. That's a strong argument.

What is really kind of sad and will make for tragi-comic results if not handled well, is what the rebranding will entail. There are already names being bandied about for the event which are being put forth by interested parties- (read sponsors and endemic media)- and it is quite likely that something more corporate will win out over something tied to the origins of the event. The news about the cancellation, first shared by "Velo News", links a June posting which suggests the name "Gravel United", for instance.

That's a fine name, for a corporate event. It also shows the lack of understanding when it comes to how all this got started and sustained itself until the possibilities of money making became too great to ignore. I remember when folks at "Velo News" thought gravel racing was.....ah...cute- shall we say? There were less glowing terms bandied about for what we were doing, all the way down to "it isn't real racing". Once Jim Cummins and his team installed chip timing and the now famous DK200 finish line circus, and after the endemic media and outside interests saw the money flowing into Emporia, then and only then was the DK200 taken seriously by the big sponsors outside of cycling, the media writers, and Life Time Fitness. Obviously, Life Time scooped up the event, which is called the "highest-profile gravel race in the world", ( Velo News' words, not mine), and planned on making a few ducats off the scene's popularity. Unfortunately, that plan has been interrupted by an unforeseen virus and an unfortunate social media post by the former "face of said event".

Now the scrum to grab something from this internal chaos has started. Renaming the event is only a part of this. How the newly named event will go forward now is at stake, and whomever, or whatever gets their mitts on the steering wheel, will have the power to drive this "high profile gravel event", and all that comes with that recognition, into the murky future. If you don't think there will be massive changes in look and feel to this event, well, you are not thinking straight. I'll say it again- The Dirty Kanza is dead as we once knew it. Whatever it is that will take its place will be a corporate production ballyhooed as "The Greatest Gravel Show On Earth", cost three figures to get a chance to have your name drawn in a lottery to attend, and will start to be more of a professional calendar event.

I expect that USAC will be making some overtures here, as they are still sitting outside the gravel scene, wanting in, but not having a seat at the table.....yet. Maybe they will never get in, but make no mistake- The Life Time backing of this event, with no shackles to the past in the form of the DK200, will make an event to their liking, and whatever they roll out will be the prototype for the big media and big sponsors and brands of cycling to get involved with. This will be the directive- Get bigger, get more attention nationally and internationally, and increase the corporate bottom line. If that means a Pro UCI type event, then don't be surprised to see that happen. But there is no way this is anything like the pre-Life Time DK200 ever again.

That ship has sailed.