How A Disaster Shaped My Future In Cycling

A post card depicting the aftermath of the 1968 tornado.

I sometimes get the question what it was that led me to being involved in cycling over the majority of my life. It is a good question, and the answer to it may be a lot different than you might have imagined it to be. 

May 15th, 1968. I was a seven year old elementary student at McKinley School in Charles City Iowa. My family had moved across town just three days prior and everything was new to me. Well, except my school. 

Instead of walking several blocks home, crossing busy Highway 14, and walking past the Southside Grocery store, I was now walking past the Texico station, crossing the Cedar River on a fairly new Brantingham Bridge, and walking along busy highway 18. 

It would be the last time I ever did that walk home from McKinley School. 

That very afternoon, at around 5:00pm, an EF-5 tornado ripped across Charles City, devastating homes, killing 13 people, and injuring hundreds more. Homes and businesses were destroyed. The city was never the same afterward. 

Of all the bad things which came out of this disaster, there were a few, a very few, good things. One of those was in regard to the youth, specifically the young boys, who lived then in Charles City. I was amongst a group of boys who scavenged bicycles which were strewn about the outskirts of town in woods, ditches, and wild areas. 

We would drag these bicycles back to our homes, tear them apart, and attempt to assemble them. Sometimes we'd make cross-bred contraptions bicycle designers had no intention for out of these free parts. 

Choppers were a big deal in the late 60's and early 70's, so we'd often make chopper bicycles out of the ones we'd dredge up from the flotsam and jetsam resulting from the tornado. It was part adventure, part mad scientist stuff which engaged us for days upon days. 

Over the Summers of 1968 through to around 1970 or 71, this scrapping of bicycles was going on. Of course, it eventually all went away, but the skills I gained in tire removal/installation, chain repair, and general knowledge of how a bicycle worked were all formed in those days of experimentation. 

I was able to maintain my single speed, coaster brake 20"er myself for the most part. My Dad had to step in a few times when I would break a rear axle doing jumps, but otherwise I was on my own for taking care of flats, new tires, and oiling the chain. 

And of course, a love of cycling and for bicyles in general was kindled then. It was the vehicle which took me around the city to witness the destruction of the "Charles City Tornado". Then other adventures came along. Eventually I outgrew the 20"er and was gifted a single speed Huffy lightweight coaster brake 26" x 1 3/8th" wheeled bike which I promptly tore the fenders off of and used as my city commuter and single track bike in the late 70's. 

McKinley School grounds, Brantingham Bridge

Of course, I left cycling for other worldly pursuits in my 20's, but it never went away completely. By the time I was in my late 20's I had purchased a mountain bike, started riding single track, and by 1993 circumstances led me to becoming a bicycle mechanic. 

Since then cycling has been pretty much at the forefront of my life. All due, in part, to a wicked, unfortunate natural disaster in the late 1960's. 

The anniversary date for the Charles City Tornado is tomorrow, May 15th. I will quietly mark the day. I will recall the scenes I saw with my own eyes and the screaming sirens I heard all night long that night in 1968 will replay in my mind again. I know most of you will have an ordinary day, but you all probably have a memory like this as well, so I am willing to bet some of you readers understand where I am coming from. 

So, if you've ever wondered what my start in cycling was, now you know.  

Greenfield Iowa Tornado

A Scene Of Devastation. Taken from Social media.

My condolences to the families in Greenfield, Iowa who had friends and family die in the tornado there today. The Iowa State Patrol has confirmed multiple fatalities and several injuries from this specific tornado, one of several that hit Iowa Tuesday. 

The tornadic activity started Tuesday afternoon and continued on through the evening hours as the storm complexes moved from Southwest to Northeast across the state. While Greenfield was not the only community that suffered damage and loss, it was certainly the most heavily hit community.

I don't normally talk here about natural disasters or things outside of cycling, but having been a survivor of an F5 tornado as a youth where 14 people lost their lives and much devastation took place, my heart goes out when I see this happen in my state. 

I have seen damage first hand in my town as a child and as an adult in 2008 after the Parkersburg tornado. I know this town of Greenfield will return strong and new again, but right now this is a major blow and I have somewhat of an idea how that feels. Your life changes in a minute so drastically and you are never the same again. This sticks with you for the remainder of your life. So, my thoughts and my prayers tonight go out to those touched by this disaster.
 

Image from social media.

And again, more damage and loss was felt across the state today outside of Greenfield. My thoughts are also with those who suffered loss due to these storms all across the state. 

We were fortunate in Waterloo to only see some downed trees, branches, and have lost power for a short period of time. We have had over five inches of rain in the past 24 hours or so, and many roads are damaged, flooded, and the rivers are forecast  to flood shortly here for a while. But that said, we've passed through this storm relatively unscathed in comparison. 

This is part of living in the Mid-West, yes, but it hurts sometimes, and this is one of those times. Thanks for bearing with me in posting this today. If you feel so led, please consider finding a responsible way to contribute to Greenfield's recovery.

Friday News And Views

A map showing the long range plans for the state's bicycle trail network

Honorable Mention: 

It was pointed out to me by a friend on social media yesterday that the Iowa Department of Transportation's Long Range Plan for Bicycling and Pedestrians had a thinly veiled nod to Trans Iowa in it. Here is the particular paragraph in which TI was hinted at:

Unpaved road network
– Iowa has an extensive network of unpaved roads—gravel or earthen—totaling approximately 73,000 miles across the state. Many of these roads are classified as “Level B” roads by the counties, which mean they receive a very low level of maintenance and are used on an “at your own risk” basis. Iowa’s unpaved road network provides an opportunity for gravel road bicycling, a small yet growing form of bicycle riding and racing. This sport could encourage and support tourism and related economic development opportunities. A number of gravel road races and rides have occurred over the last few years and many have originated in Grinnell, which has become the de facto center of gravel road bicycling in Iowa. 

(Italics added for emphasis)

So, that was kind of neat. Trans Iowa, and Guitar Ted have been subjects of books, an Emmy winning documentary, has been mentioned by news and periodicals, and has been the cover story on a couple of well known cycling publications. Now it is (kind of) a part of a government report! But all that aside, I just hope that gravel cycling in Iowa stays strong and gets even more popular. 

 Bad Weather

The courthouse in Marshalltown seconds before the bell tower was ripped off. Image courtesy of KCCI TV

Tornadoes are a thing here in the Mid-West and you never know when, or if, you will be next in line to get hit. Thursday was a particulary bad day as tornadoes swept through central Iowa hitting the towns of Marshalltown, Pella, and Bondurant, Iowa along with several sightings of funnel clouds elsewhere. 

What is crazy about yesterday's storms is that they destroyed some significant businesses and damaged some important buildings. The famous historic Marshall County Courthouse got damaged, the big Pella manufacturing business, Vermeer was heavily damaged. Marshalltown's hospital was disabled and all patients had to be transferred. Another big manufacturing plant in Marshalltown was also heavily damaged. Tornadoes are very random, so having so many important structures damaged is very odd indeed. 

My thoughts are with all those affected. 

 Feedback From " Streets of Danger"-

The post the other day about how our media covers the issues surrounding cyclists safety and all brought a lot of sympathetic comments to the issue, but there were a couple that ran far deeper. I thought it was enlightening, so I thought I'd share a bit more concerning that. 

If you don't know what I am speaking of, here is that post's link. Please go back and get caught up so the rest makes sense here....

Okay, so what I got out of some of the feedback was that many of you recognized that this is really a cultural issue. This whole bicyclists getting struck down dead thing is basically a symptom of deeper issues the culture has with how our lives, especially in the US, are centered around cars. One of the things going around now is the ridiculous amount of car parking we give space for in our urban areas. That is one example of how deeply we went in for cars and how our lives are centered around these plastic, rubber, and metal cages. 

It's a really complex ship that will not get turned around easily. I think sometimes we get overwhelmed by the complexity and enormity of these issues, but in reality, all we can do is change small things now and leave it to future generations to finish up. This isn't an issue that happened overnight and it won't get solved in a week, next month, next year, or in the next decade, most likely. 
 

From Twitter yesterday. You knew it was going to happen again someday.....

  Tour Fans get Punchy, Act Like Nincompoops:

When I used to watch the Tour I was always amazed that the organizers allowed crowds to interact with the riders so closely. Obvious issues with this policy have caused troubles going way back. Most famous being the Eddy Merckx punch in 1975 and then Lance Armstrong getting taken down by an errant musette bag wielded by a fan. Now we have a rider taken out of the race due to fan interaction, another punching incident, and people spitting (again) at riders they don't like. 

The women are clamoring for their own version of the Tour. Maybe we should cancel next year's doper infested, boorish fan attended men's edition and start all over again with the women's version of the TDF. It has to be better than this circus side show. At least from what I am hearing. It's hard to ecape this stuff when you follow so many cyclists and industry folk on social media. 

Okay, so that's that for this week. I'll have some last minute updating on the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational for the 28th, and an update on the pMCD build, all coming next week. Stay tuned!

Friday News And Views

A map showing the long range plans for the state's bicycle trail network

Honorable Mention: 

It was pointed out to me by a friend on social media yesterday that the Iowa Department of Transportation's Long Range Plan for Bicycling and Pedestrians had a thinly veiled nod to Trans Iowa in it. Here is the particular paragraph in which TI was hinted at:

Unpaved road network
– Iowa has an extensive network of unpaved roads—gravel or earthen—totaling approximately 73,000 miles across the state. Many of these roads are classified as “Level B” roads by the counties, which mean they receive a very low level of maintenance and are used on an “at your own risk” basis. Iowa’s unpaved road network provides an opportunity for gravel road bicycling, a small yet growing form of bicycle riding and racing. This sport could encourage and support tourism and related economic development opportunities. A number of gravel road races and rides have occurred over the last few years and many have originated in Grinnell, which has become the de facto center of gravel road bicycling in Iowa. 

(Italics added for emphasis)

So, that was kind of neat. Trans Iowa, and Guitar Ted have been subjects of books, an Emmy winning documentary, has been mentioned by news and periodicals, and has been the cover story on a couple of well known cycling publications. Now it is (kind of) a part of a government report! But all that aside, I just hope that gravel cycling in Iowa stays strong and gets even more popular. 

 Bad Weather

The courthouse in Marshalltown seconds before the bell tower was ripped off. Image courtesy of KCCI TV

Tornadoes are a thing here in the Mid-West and you never know when, or if, you will be next in line to get hit. Thursday was a particulary bad day as tornadoes swept through central Iowa hitting the towns of Marshalltown, Pella, and Bondurant, Iowa along with several sightings of funnel clouds elsewhere. 

What is crazy about yesterday's storms is that they destroyed some significant businesses and damaged some important buildings. The famous historic Marshall County Courthouse got damaged, the big Pella manufacturing business, Vermeer was heavily damaged. Marshalltown's hospital was disabled and all patients had to be transferred. Another big manufacturing plant in Marshalltown was also heavily damaged. Tornadoes are very random, so having so many important structures damaged is very odd indeed. 

My thoughts are with all those affected. 

 Feedback From " Streets of Danger"-

The post the other day about how our media covers the issues surrounding cyclists safety and all brought a lot of sympathetic comments to the issue, but there were a couple that ran far deeper. I thought it was enlightening, so I thought I'd share a bit more concerning that. 

If you don't know what I am speaking of, here is that post's link. Please go back and get caught up so the rest makes sense here....

Okay, so what I got out of some of the feedback was that many of you recognized that this is really a cultural issue. This whole bicyclists getting struck down dead thing is basically a symptom of deeper issues the culture has with how our lives, especially in the US, are centered around cars. One of the things going around now is the ridiculous amount of car parking we give space for in our urban areas. That is one example of how deeply we went in for cars and how our lives are centered around these plastic, rubber, and metal cages. 

It's a really complex ship that will not get turned around easily. I think sometimes we get overwhelmed by the complexity and enormity of these issues, but in reality, all we can do is change small things now and leave it to future generations to finish up. This isn't an issue that happened overnight and it won't get solved in a week, next month, next year, or in the next decade, most likely. 
 

From Twitter yesterday. You knew it was going to happen again someday.....

  Tour Fans get Punchy, Act Like Nincompoops:

When I used to watch the Tour I was always amazed that the organizers allowed crowds to interact with the riders so closely. Obvious issues with this policy have caused troubles going way back. Most famous being the Eddy Merckx punch in 1975 and then Lance Armstrong getting taken down by an errant musette bag wielded by a fan. Now we have a rider taken out of the race due to fan interaction, another punching incident, and people spitting (again) at riders they don't like. 

The women are clamoring for their own version of the Tour. Maybe we should cancel next year's doper infested, boorish fan attended men's edition and start all over again with the women's version of the TDF. It has to be better than this circus side show. At least from what I am hearing. It's hard to ecape this stuff when you follow so many cyclists and industry folk on social media. 

Okay, so that's that for this week. I'll have some last minute updating on the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational for the 28th, and an update on the pMCD build, all coming next week. Stay tuned!

Friday News And Views

Kansas can be serene or it can be violent. Tornadoes are a constant threat.

A Chance To Give Back:

Have you ever done the Dirty Kanza 200 and gone through a checkpoint town? The ride absolutely takes over these burgs for the day, and the citizens are all about supporting it, for the most part. It is an amazing welcoming in of a horde of cyclists that they don't have to do. Well, one of these towns, Eureka, Kansas, was struck by a tornado and suffered a lot of damage. Now, if you have ever benefited from the checkpoint towns in that event, you have a chance to show you care.

A fund raising site has been started to raise funds which will go to helping Eureka get back on its feet again. We have responded at RidingGravel.com and we ask that you join in and help these amazing, kind folks in Eureka.

Here's the link. No amount is too small. Please consider giving..... Thank you.

In addition DK Promotions is offering 20% of all DK merch sales made now through July 31st to Eureka's recovery efforts. You can check it out HERE 

High Tech Zip Ties v2

 Hip Lok Z Lok Combo & Z Lok:

I got a couple of these Hip Lok "zip tie-like" locks in to check out recently. They are kind of like the Ottolock  I reviewed on RidingGravel.com, but these have a few different characteristics.  

First and foremost, the Z Lok Combo, (the one with the black sliding "switch") is a LOT shorter than an Ottolock is. Secondly, it has a solid steel strap encased in plastic, whereas the Ottolock uses a stainless steel mesh inside the plastic outer. 

This makes the Z Lok Combo a lot stiffer and a lot tougher to use since you have to have a frame member right up against something you want to lock to. That isn't always easy to do. The stiff, steel strap isn't very pliable either, so slight twists and bends that an Ottolock can do, this lock cannot. 

While I don't have any data to back it up, I am betting the Z Lok Combo is tougher to defeat though. It just depends on if you can make it work where you need to lock the bike up for a few moments. Oh yeah, and due to its form factor, it isn't as easily stowed as the Ottolock either. But here's the kicker. The Z Lok Combo only costs $19.95. That's a big difference from the 18" Ottolock  which runs North of $50.00 on most sites. 

The smaller Z Lok is different. It has the steel strap core but uses a forked key to unlock it. I wouldn't rely on this ten dollar lock alone, but you can use it to lock gear to your bike, disable a wheel, and it compliments a Z Lok Cobo well in that role.  Together you could use both to temporarily lock up your rig to go inside a convenience store, for instance, to resupply on a gravel ride. Or use these to disable your bike while camping out on a bike packing trip. 

 Pink MCD Update:

I am patiently waiting for the Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross Disc (MCD) frame and fork to show up, which is looking like mid to late July as of now. Yes, the frames land here in early July, but it takes time to pass through customs, get into Mike Varley's hands at Black Mountain Cycles, and then turned around and shipped out to eager customers like myself.  

According to the latest update provided by Mike this week, the run on the initial MCD frame order is intense. Many sizes are running out. No surprise here. If this MCD is anything like the quality and design which are evident in the OG Monster Cross frame and fork, this bike will be stellar. The word is out now, and the price that this frame and fork are going for is a great bang for the buck. And I haven't even seen or handled one, so that may sound like crazy talk. However; I have faith that this will be bourne out when the MCD gets here and many other folks feel likewise. 

Well, with that out of the way, the latest thing that is getting put together in advance of the frame and fork arriving is the wheel set. All I need to do now is to get an 11 speed cassette and mount my WTB Resolutes on the Irwin Cycling Carbon Aon GX 35 wheels. I kind of want to hold off on the cassette until I square away my choice for the crank set. Gearing will play a big role here, so cassette choice has to go along with that. 

The cock pit is getting squared away as well. I have already chosen some bits I have here to use on this bike. The Redshift ShockStop stem is going on with a Salsa Cycles Cowchipper bar. The seat post will be the excellent Salsa Cycles Ti regulator. The saddle will be a Brooks Cambium C17 All Weather. Tape will be Marque Cycling Diamond Tape in Pink. 

Really, the only missing parts are the head set and crank set/bottom bracket. That and cables, housings, and whatever smaller bits I need. I've got a few weeks to square this away. I'll need all that time, especially after the bill I paid to fix my truck, which came out of the bike fund. Yeah......ouch.  

Thanks for reading here! Have a great weekend and try to stay cool and hydrated! 

Friday News And Views

Kansas can be serene or it can be violent. Tornadoes are a constant threat.

A Chance To Give Back:

Have you ever done the Dirty Kanza 200 and gone through a checkpoint town? The ride absolutely takes over these burgs for the day, and the citizens are all about supporting it, for the most part. It is an amazing welcoming in of a horde of cyclists that they don't have to do. Well, one of these towns, Eureka, Kansas, was struck by a tornado and suffered a lot of damage. Now, if you have ever benefited from the checkpoint towns in that event, you have a chance to show you care.

A fund raising site has been started to raise funds which will go to helping Eureka get back on its feet again. We have responded at RidingGravel.com and we ask that you join in and help these amazing, kind folks in Eureka.

Here's the link. No amount is too small. Please consider giving..... Thank you.

In addition DK Promotions is offering 20% of all DK merch sales made now through July 31st to Eureka's recovery efforts. You can check it out HERE 

High Tech Zip Ties v2

 Hip Lok Z Lok Combo & Z Lok:

I got a couple of these Hip Lok "zip tie-like" locks in to check out recently. They are kind of like the Ottolock  I reviewed on RidingGravel.com, but these have a few different characteristics.  

First and foremost, the Z Lok Combo, (the one with the black sliding "switch") is a LOT shorter than an Ottolock is. Secondly, it has a solid steel strap encased in plastic, whereas the Ottolock uses a stainless steel mesh inside the plastic outer. 

This makes the Z Lok Combo a lot stiffer and a lot tougher to use since you have to have a frame member right up against something you want to lock to. That isn't always easy to do. The stiff, steel strap isn't very pliable either, so slight twists and bends that an Ottolock can do, this lock cannot. 

While I don't have any data to back it up, I am betting the Z Lok Combo is tougher to defeat though. It just depends on if you can make it work where you need to lock the bike up for a few moments. Oh yeah, and due to its form factor, it isn't as easily stowed as the Ottolock either. But here's the kicker. The Z Lok Combo only costs $19.95. That's a big difference from the 18" Ottolock  which runs North of $50.00 on most sites. 

The smaller Z Lok is different. It has the steel strap core but uses a forked key to unlock it. I wouldn't rely on this ten dollar lock alone, but you can use it to lock gear to your bike, disable a wheel, and it compliments a Z Lok Cobo well in that role.  Together you could use both to temporarily lock up your rig to go inside a convenience store, for instance, to resupply on a gravel ride. Or use these to disable your bike while camping out on a bike packing trip. 

 Pink MCD Update:

I am patiently waiting for the Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross Disc (MCD) frame and fork to show up, which is looking like mid to late July as of now. Yes, the frames land here in early July, but it takes time to pass through customs, get into Mike Varley's hands at Black Mountain Cycles, and then turned around and shipped out to eager customers like myself.  

According to the latest update provided by Mike this week, the run on the initial MCD frame order is intense. Many sizes are running out. No surprise here. If this MCD is anything like the quality and design which are evident in the OG Monster Cross frame and fork, this bike will be stellar. The word is out now, and the price that this frame and fork are going for is a great bang for the buck. And I haven't even seen or handled one, so that may sound like crazy talk. However; I have faith that this will be bourne out when the MCD gets here and many other folks feel likewise. 

Well, with that out of the way, the latest thing that is getting put together in advance of the frame and fork arriving is the wheel set. All I need to do now is to get an 11 speed cassette and mount my WTB Resolutes on the Irwin Cycling Carbon Aon GX 35 wheels. I kind of want to hold off on the cassette until I square away my choice for the crank set. Gearing will play a big role here, so cassette choice has to go along with that. 

The cock pit is getting squared away as well. I have already chosen some bits I have here to use on this bike. The Redshift ShockStop stem is going on with a Salsa Cycles Cowchipper bar. The seat post will be the excellent Salsa Cycles Ti regulator. The saddle will be a Brooks Cambium C17 All Weather. Tape will be Marque Cycling Diamond Tape in Pink. 

Really, the only missing parts are the head set and crank set/bottom bracket. That and cables, housings, and whatever smaller bits I need. I've got a few weeks to square this away. I'll need all that time, especially after the bill I paid to fix my truck, which came out of the bike fund. Yeah......ouch.  

Thanks for reading here! Have a great weekend and try to stay cool and hydrated! 

Minus Ten Review- 22

One of my favorite old jerseys. The only pic for a week ten years ago!

Ten years ago on the blog hear I had a LOT going on in my head. We'd just had an awful tornado go through Parkersburg, Iowa, and I had review stuff weighing on me for two sites, a mtb festival planning in the works, and training for the upcoming DK200. Well, something had to give.

I also was about in the same boat as I am in this year for getting in shape. 2008 was a very dismal year for me getting out to do any longer rides. It showed in my test ride to determine whether I was ready for the DK200. Basically, I sucked. I wasn't ready.

So, I decided and announced on the blog ten years ago that I would not be starting the event. I was very relieved too. The tornado required a lot of response from the communities surrounding Parkersburg, and the call had gone out in Waterloo for help. I just could not justify going to Kansas for selfish reasons and not lift a finger for those folks in need there.

So, that was a conscientious decision plus the fact that training was next to non-existent, well, that sealed the deal for me. There was news about the festival, as I had promises from a few companies and shops that they were coming. This would become a critical piece of the pie later on when the Summer turned wetter than ever. In fact, the Flood of '08 won't soon be forgotten about around these parts. But more on that later......

In industry news, it is notable that ten years ago Cannondale was sold to Dorel Industries, who still owns Cannondale. It marked the end for the US production of frames and forks for that company.

Minus Ten Review- 22

One of my favorite old jerseys. The only pic for a week ten years ago!

Ten years ago on the blog hear I had a LOT going on in my head. We'd just had an awful tornado go through Parkersburg, Iowa, and I had review stuff weighing on me for two sites, a mtb festival planning in the works, and training for the upcoming DK200. Well, something had to give.

I also was about in the same boat as I am in this year for getting in shape. 2008 was a very dismal year for me getting out to do any longer rides. It showed in my test ride to determine whether I was ready for the DK200. Basically, I sucked. I wasn't ready.

So, I decided and announced on the blog ten years ago that I would not be starting the event. I was very relieved too. The tornado required a lot of response from the communities surrounding Parkersburg, and the call had gone out in Waterloo for help. I just could not justify going to Kansas for selfish reasons and not lift a finger for those folks in need there.

So, that was a conscientious decision plus the fact that training was next to non-existent, well, that sealed the deal for me. There was news about the festival, as I had promises from a few companies and shops that they were coming. This would become a critical piece of the pie later on when the Summer turned wetter than ever. In fact, the Flood of '08 won't soon be forgotten about around these parts. But more on that later......

In industry news, it is notable that ten years ago Cannondale was sold to Dorel Industries, who still owns Cannondale. It marked the end for the US production of frames and forks for that company.

Minus Ten Review - 21

A Diamondback Overdrive hard tail I tested for Twenty Nine Inches

Ten years ago on the blog this week I was writing about three things that caught my attention now in 2018. First and foremost was a realization that I had one morning ten years ago that really rad people are into cycling.

Sure, we squabble about whether or not e-bikes are this or that, whether we need 12 speeds and 1X drivetrains with rear cogs the size of road bike front chain rings, and let's not forget the baggies vs Lycra debates.

But in the end, we all seem to be, in my estimation, pretty rad folks. I know I am blessed by all of you out there and I get excited about seeing old friends and meeting new ones anytime we cyclists gather together.

The next thing I noticed that it was ten years ago when I started taking Wednesdays off to be dedicated to my website work. That didn't pay off very well for a long time. But now it has, and I'm grateful for that. Plus I got a lot of extra family time due to this decision. But the point is, I made a decision that has significantly affected my life ever since.

Finally, on a somber note, I noted that it has been ten years since the devastating F-5 tornado in nearby Parkersburg, Iowa. It was a striking reminder to me that I was a survivor of one of these tornadoes myself, and how I could "pay back" the efforts made on my behalf by volunteering to do clean up in Parkersburg, which I did.

Minus Ten Review - 21

A Diamondback Overdrive hard tail I tested for Twenty Nine Inches

Ten years ago on the blog this week I was writing about three things that caught my attention now in 2018. First and foremost was a realization that I had one morning ten years ago that really rad people are into cycling.

Sure, we squabble about whether or not e-bikes are this or that, whether we need 12 speeds and 1X drivetrains with rear cogs the size of road bike front chain rings, and let's not forget the baggies vs Lycra debates.

But in the end, we all seem to be, in my estimation, pretty rad folks. I know I am blessed by all of you out there and I get excited about seeing old friends and meeting new ones anytime we cyclists gather together.

The next thing I noticed that it was ten years ago when I started taking Wednesdays off to be dedicated to my website work. That didn't pay off very well for a long time. But now it has, and I'm grateful for that. Plus I got a lot of extra family time due to this decision. But the point is, I made a decision that has significantly affected my life ever since.

Finally, on a somber note, I noted that it has been ten years since the devastating F-5 tornado in nearby Parkersburg, Iowa. It was a striking reminder to me that I was a survivor of one of these tornadoes myself, and how I could "pay back" the efforts made on my behalf by volunteering to do clean up in Parkersburg, which I did.